Global Warming? Tell That To The People Shoveling Snow

Al Gore was at it again this week.

On Wednesday he was testifying before Congress about how we are destroying our climate and the earth will become un-inhabitable.

He is calling drastic changes in the U.S. once again on everything from automobiles to power creation. He wants the U.S. to take a leading role in global climate change.

In typical liberal fashion, Gore is a hypocrite to what he preaches. We should listen and do what he says and not how he acts.

He lives in a 20 room mansion in Tennessee that has to use a lot of energy. He flies around on private jets. He is chauffeured around in limos. How is that really helping the environment?

Part of his solution is "carbon offsets". Basically buying the right to pollute. Call it whatever you want - a tax, fine, or permission.

Carbon credits are like mulligans in golf or permission to cheat on your wife. You are just buying your way out.

What good are carbon credits to the environment? You are really just giving money to a government to make yourself feel better at the end of the day.

I am not someone who is looking to destroy the environment and abuse this wonderful creation we call "earth". But its resources should be available for our consumption whether that is oil for fuel, animals for food, or trees for shelter. We need to be smart about using the resources but they do replenish themselves.

John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, wrote a rebuttal this week to the climate change fanatics basically saying there is no real scientific basis.

More scientists are now stepping up and saying similar things. Global warming has become a "new religion" according Ivar Giaever who won the Nobel Prize Winner for Physics. Additional scientists are saying that we are entering a cooling cycle in the earth's climate.

Another thing that bothers me is that liberals are so intent on changing America, but they dare not speak against emerging nations such as China, India, and Mexico. They are some of the worst pollution offenders.

Politicians have created an agenda to change things to the way they feel it should be - not based on public opinion or actual facts.

In the current economic environment, this could have drastic effects. The recent bill to increase auto mileage efficiency might be some of the last nails in the coffin for the Detroit auto-makers. The limits on domestic oil drilling means that we will continue to send billions of dollars to the Middle East and Venezuela (some of whom do not like the U.S.).

We do not need politicians making knee jerk reactions on major issues that have such wide sweeping effects. Secondly, Washington politicians should focus on more important matters such as the economic mess they created.

Time will ultimately judge President Bush

It is almost a week after the inauguration of President Obama and the liberal political pundits are still bashing President Bush.

It seems like every day since the inauguration the Sun Sentinel has run an editorial or article (really a discussed editorial) on how Bush may have been the worst President in history.

In my opinion, columnist Robert Watson went over the edge on Sunday. He talks about history judging Bush and then practically names him the worst President ever. He even gave the results of a recent History Channel poll of historians where 107 out of 109 said that Bush was a failure.

The truth is we will not fully understand the impact of Bush for probably 20 years.

Did Bush do some good things? Yes. Did he do some bad things? Yes. He will probably not be revered like Reagan for turning the economy around and ending the cold war. As we look back at Reagan we can really appreciate how he helped our country prosper.

On the other hand, he was not Nixon who committed crimes and was impeached. (Watson surprisingly moves Nixon out of the failure category because of his China diplomacy - I am not sure that is enough given his crimes and the bad economy during that time.)

Bush did what was needed on the international front to protect our country after the tragedy of 9/11. Pundits say that the world did not like us - so what. We have allies like Great Britain, Australia, and Japan who believe we need to keep the world safe from terrorism.

When you were in grade school, did everyone like the class bully? Probably very few did. (Most of the ones who did like the bully probably lied...) The bullies of the world are countries like Iran, Korea, and Venzuela and terrorist organizations like Hamas and al-Qaida. Who really cares if they like us.

Bush probably did fall short on the economy by allowing continued government expansion and increased spending but Congress should also take some blame for that. But he did protect individual rights (as best as possible while fighting terrorism) by supporting the rights of the unborn, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the freedom of religion.

Time will ultimately be the judge for the Bush Presidency.

Years from now we will see what the long term effects are in the war on terrorism. We will also see how bad and long the economy suffers. That is what will define the Bush Presidency, not a poll from the History Channel.

Just like the name of the liberal organization pushing the left's agenda, it is time to "Move On". We need to come together as a nation and address the economic challenges in front of us.

The Liberal Assault on Rights Begins

The liberal agenda made advances on Thursday through Presidential orders to close Guantanamo, end selected interrogation techniques, and provide federal funding for abortions outside the U.S.

On the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, federal funds will once again be used to support for non-governmental organizations working outside the U.S. that offer abortions or abortion counseling. The rights of the unborn were once again undermined by liberals.

Note: The Friday print edition of the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel made no mention of this order.

As a Christian, I cannot support the killing of unborn babies just because they are unwanted. I understand there are medical reasons for some abortions where the life of the mother is in jeopardy, but not for convenience.

Pro-life rallies were held across the U.S. including a march down Pennsylvania Avenue by thousands to call attention to the millions of innocent unborn babies that are killed through abortion.

The closing of Guantanamo is almost as controversial. We hear about the "rights" of the detainees, but the majority are captured terrorists. They include terrorists such as Sept. 11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammad who was waiting a military trial for his deeds.

Now we have to wonder if justice will ever be served for the victims of these terrorists. It is the government's responsibility to punish those who violate the law and the rights of others.

Interestingly, 70 of the detainees were to be let go by the prior administration but no country wanted to take them. (I wonder why...)

The order yesterday also struck down current non-lethal interrogation techniques currently used by the military and intelligence agencies. They now must follow the Army Field Manual techniques which most terrorists are trained to withstand (meaning they are ineffective).

These people are military combatants who have declared war on the U.S., not street criminals. They should be treated differently than someone who is arrested for stealing a car for instance.

It is a bit ironic that the popular television show 24 uses the very techniques now deemed unacceptable to coerce information from the bad guys. Jack Bauer would probably be fired for what he does.

Now we have to wonder how the military and intelligence organizations will be able to effectively protect the U.S. from terrorism.

The bottom line is that liberals are shifting rights away from innocent law abiding citizen and extending more of them to people who should be loosing them because of their actions.

We need to speak out and let the President know where we stand on these issues. We must also be watchful as the liberal agenda tries to advance their cause with further erosion of rights on free speech, the right to bear arms, and freedom of religion.

A Review of the Dolphins Performance

I am still disappointed how the season ended for the Dolphins. They had a terrific season overall after a miserable 1-15. I do take some solace in the fact that the Ravens beat up the #1 seed Titans.

For Dolfans, it is time to enjoy the playoffs and start thinking about next season. Here are my grades and analysis of the team by unit:

QB (A-) Pennington, Henne, and Beck are the three for next season. The question is how to get playing time for Henne to develop and eventually take over. Pennington probably has one more season left so you have to get Henne prepared to take over. (Note: I only gave QB an A- because of Pennington's inability to throw the deep ball.)
RB (A) We should be set with Brown, Williams, and Cobbs. This is really the strength of the team. The three of them are the reason that the "wildcat" formation worked. It allowed the Dolphins to involve all three simultaneously. FB Polite did a good job in short yardage situations and was adequate as a lead blocker. No changes are needed unless somebody retires again...
WR (C+) This was one of the major weaknesses on the on the team. When you see your 3rd string RB Cobbs (who is a good player) lined up at WR you know there are problems. Ginn, Bess, and Camarillo are keepers, but there is no big physical WR to make plays. Wilford was supposed to fill that role but he was a bust as a free agent signing. I expect this position to be addressed in the draft. There are some impact WRs in the draft this year.
TE (B+) Fasano was a steal from the Cowboys and Martin showed why the previous regime brought him in to replace McMichael. They were the downfield passing threats on the team. The only change might be upgrading the 3rd TE to help in blocking situations.
OL (B+) This unit was as responsible for the turn around as Pennington. They provided good running lanes and kept the QB standing up most of the time. However depth is a big concern as well as resigning Carey. The depth problems showed as Smiley and Thomas were lost to injuries. Jake Long was as advertised and should be an anchor at LT for years to come. I expect the team to draft one or two players for this unit.
DL (B) The rookies Langford and Merling played well at times. They should be solid contributers in the future. The veterans played as expected. Future replacements for Ferguson and Holliday need to be brought and developed. I am not sure they are on the roster today.
LB (B-) This unit is a mixed bag and needs to be addressed. Porter showed why he is a fearsome pass rusher, but he will be 32 next season. Crowder is a free agent and might be let go. His numbers looked good but he did not make plays. Adodele was a nice pick up from the Cowboys. Roth should probably go back to DE because he is a liability trying to cover TEs. Torbor, Anderson, and Moses added depth and helped on special teams. This is the unit most likely to be addressed through free agency with several good players becoming available.
DB (B) This unit really improved during the season but needs to addressed. Will Allen and Goodman did a good job but both are past 30 now. Jason Allen still looks lost on the field at times and probably will never live up to being a #1 pick. Bell and Hill are good at S, but we could use someone who is either more physical and/or creates more turnovers. Most of the key players are late 20s and early 30s and several are free agents. I believe the draft is the best way to infuse some new youthful talent. I expect this unit to have the most changes in the offseason.
ST (D) The kickers were good. The returners were okay. The blocking on returns cost us field position (and at least one TD) because of penalties on multiple occasions. The coverage at times was scary allowing too many big returns. Continuing to bring in young players through he draft will help with kick coverage. Bess, Cobbs, and Ginn should be fine for returners. The draft might bring in a CB/KR to add depth and skills.

In terms of priority, the Dolphins need to address the DB and WR positions first followed by LB and then OL. I expect most of this to be addressed through the draft. Parcells places an emphasis on the line of scrimmage so I expect the team to rate those needs higher.

The leadership will not mortgage the future through free agent signings. Free agency was okay overall with Pennington and Smiley being key contributors, but otherwise they did not have significant impact. Some more trades like Fasano / Adoleye could also add some depth. But those are hard to do in the NFL with the salary cap and the emphasis on youth.

More rookie free agents like Bess and Thomas will also be brought in to try and find more diamonds in the rough. Ireland is good talent evaluator and will probably find another player or two this way.

Parcells, Ireland, and Sprano have this team headed in the right direction. Next season will be tougher since they won 11 games this years, but we can look forward to another year of contending for the playoffs.

One Week Away

Change - 1 a: to make different in some particular : alter b: to make radically different b: transform c: to give a different position, course, or direction to 2 a: to replace with another b: to make a shift from one to another : switch

We are only one week away from the inauguration of President-elect Obama. The message we continue to hear about change. But what does that really mean? What will really change this country?

I think everyone agrees that our nation faces several challenges with the economy, social injustice (i.e. crime, racism, lack of family structure), terrorism, and individual rights.

So what are the answers? How do we make our nation the place that everyone else in the world is envious of?

The new leadership in Washington would have us believe that the government can legislate and mandate change.

I disagree.

From an economic perspective, it is individual businesses that drive change. Especially small businesses. As they develop new goods and services, they also create jobs. This is model that spurred growth over the last two centuries and made America what it is. We have seen our economy change and adapt through the decades from a manufacturing focus to service oriented to technology based. But Washington wants to tell business what they need to do and how they should work.

Note: As Christian I realize that the Bible does not tell us what form of economic policy (capitalism vs. socialism) is right, but looking at the history of our nation I realize that capitalism is what made us great.

From the social perspective, it starts with the family at home. It is about raising the next generation with values such as commitment, honor, perseverance, honesty, and generosity. It seems we have lost our direction in teaching these values.

The government has come in and said let them teach values to the next generation - this is mistake that has not worked for several decades now. We see the results with crime statistics, pregnancy and divorce rates, and addictions to drugs and pornography.

Note: The government has a role is provide law and order in society but they should not be expected to provide the moral backbone of our communities.

The change we need only happens within the family unit. I would also argue that it also driven by teaching a faith based value system. Jesus gives this through the gospel message. True change only comes this way.

The End of Teenagers

Newt Gingrich recently wrote a column for Business Week calling for an end of adolescence. He calls for them to take on more responsibilities as young adults instead of prolonging childhood. When I first read it, I thought that is nice idea. I was not sure how you would really implement such an idea.

However I started thinking about it some more shortly after when I went to the FTL boat parade. There was a family sitting near me with a teenage daughter. She was wearing expensive designer jeans, a "hoodie" from another jeans company (whose name is a bit offensive in my opinion), sun glasses (and remember this started at 8pm), and more bling jewelry than her mom. She sat there apparently bored out of her mind through the whole parade while her mother repeatedly chased her other two very young children around.

At some point, people have to take on responsibilities. The adolescence model seems to have delayed that and extended childhood. As a result, they are not prepared for life on their own once they leave home. This is a change from the past when you were either a child or young adult. You were given roles and responsibilities.

This is not a call for teenagers to drop of school or skip college to go into the work force. It is a call for them to be responsible for what they do. If they mess up, they need to pay the consequences. If they want something, they should earn it. They need to learn about responsibility.

Growing up my parents did not give me whatever I wanted. I worked part time and summers to earn money to help pay for a car and computer. I was fortunate that they were able to help with college but I also worked hard at academics to get over half the costs covered with scholarships. I also had chores around the house. Those increased through my teenage years.

To paraphrase Gingrich we need to engage the youth to challenge to take on real roles and responsibilities. One example he proposes are college scholarships for high schoolers who finish early.

Unfortunately I am afraid that many parents today do not see this as a problem. They also do not seem to instill the same values as when I was young. They continue to treat them as children. Teenagers look at Hollywood (and advertising) on how they should behave and what they should expect out of life instead of getting this from their parents. As a result, we see generations of young adults moving into society (a.k.a. real life) ill prepared.

As young adults, they need to learn life skills while they are still at home from work responsibilities to relationship skills to money management. Without this, they fill their time with other things that include paths to destruction and misery. I have heard Bob Barnes of Sheridan House say this for several years, but now I am starting to understand why. I am seeing more of the results around me everyday.

This change will only start with families at home. This is not something that the government, a school or a church can enforce. It has to come from the parents. Otherwise someone else is instilling values in them. Is that what we really want?

Can't We All Get Along?

That is the question a co-worker asked of me yesterday as we watched the Fort Lauderdale police get ready for the demonstrations in downtown.

The issue is the Gaza strip - the country of Israel and the Hamas terrorist group. It started with Hamas breaking an existing cease-fire agreement by firing rockets at Israel cities. Israel used their military forces to respond and defend themselves. (Note: The picture to the right is Hamas firing rockets at Israel.)

This is a problem that goes back to the time of Abraham. If you are not familiar with the story from the book of Genesis, God promised Abraham that he would make him the father of great nation with his wife Sarah. Abraham did not beleive and had a child (Ishmael) with his maid Hagar. Ishmael became the father of Arab nation. Abraham would have a son (Isaac) with Sarah. Isaac's son Jacob would have 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel.

Since that time, there has not been peace between Israel and the Arab nations. They have fought through the ages over power, land and other issues.

For many people (unless you or family is from the middle east) it has just been pictures in news. Now we see the unrest first hand in own streets. Recent protests in Fort Lauderdale and Miami have shown the anger the groups have had. (Note: The picture below is a pro-Palestinian supporter in downtown FTL on January 8th.)

At the end of the day, people need to recognize that Israel is a sovereign nation. They have the right to exist and defend themselves. The Palestinians may have a right to a nation as well, but they should not be granted a state through the use of terrorism through groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Nor should it be at the expense of Israel.

The end to this will only come through faith in God. This is what the Bible says will bring true peace to man - not through diplomacy or military.

Jesus told the religious leaders that "Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits a sin is a slave to sin . . . . if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:34-36)

The bottom line is that this is a sin problem - not political, social, military or economic. Just like the religious leaders during the time of Jesus, people are trying to resolve issue through human means - and man is flawed because of sin.

My co-worker who asked the question is a casual Catholic (by name primarily). In some ways she is no different because she also needs to realize that true peace only come through faith in God.

Getting Going in the New Year

Well, I think the 2008 Christmas season is officially over. We are past New Years and most of the meaningful bowl games except for that Florida team!

I have taken down my Christmas lights and decorations. I am cleaning my house and taking unneeded things to the Salvation Army. I am working on my new year's resolutions (but falling over on my bike yesterday did not help...).

This year there was definitely a different sense because of the economy. Some people definitely cut back. I know I did not spend as much this year as last year. My parents though seemed to be enjoying like they normally do even though they are retired. On a fixed income, I expected them to be a bit restrained.

Overall, it sounds like retail sales (excluding gas and durable goods like automobiles) were down 2%-4% from last year from reading through the Wall Street Journal. Retailers definitely discounted items and that will hurt profits, but it was not the dismal view that we heard in the news. Overall it was a mixed bag on who did well and who did not.

Things are not good. We are in a recession, but we are not in a depression. The question is whether or not we are at the bottom. The stock market was definitely positive in the last two trading sessions. I think we have hit bottom and are on the recovery. It will take awhile though. We should live like nothing is happening, but we cannot hide from it by acting like the world is collapsing. I am being smart with how I spend / invest my money but I am not retreating. I also know some are hurting too because of lost jobs and need help.

I hope everyone has a happy and prosperous new year!

New Year's Resolutions

Its that time of year when we make resolutions that we usually break before January is over. Yes, I am one to make them. I have done fairly well on keeping a majority of them over the past years. I don't set unrealistic goals. On some I add some every year (i.e. biking)

• Exercise more - I did pretty good in 2008. I rode 2000+ miles on my bike but fell short of my goal of 2500 miles. I know I need to lift weights more and continue doing other things (cross training) like basketball and swimming. The last couple months with the economy (and knee pain) caused me to cut back.
• Cut an inch off my waist and add two inches to my chest - Following through on #1 will take care of this. My weight is fine but all of the holiday food (and parties) shifted some around to the wrong places...
• Read my Bible more consistently - This is one I say every year but never feel I do enough here. I probably read more than the average Christian but feel I could still do better.
• Read more in general - I read a lot of periodicals (Business Week, Money, Outside, Sun Sentinel) but I need to read more books.
• Cut back on drinking - Do not get the wrong impression because I am not an alcoholic but it does turn to sugars that I do not need. This will help goal meet goal #2.
• Cut back on my television time - Okay sports and Fox News are a bit of vice. Especially during the NFL season watching my fantasy team. There are better ways to spend some of my free time. I will start this one after the bowl games and the Super Bowl.

What are your resolutions for 2009? What things do you need to change?