Low-Level Clouds, pt. II

As we continue our discussion of low-level clouds, we turn our attention to the second general classification of clouds: stratus. Stratus clouds can be identified by their almost uniform appearance. They look like a sheet of gray that covers all or part of the sky. As a result of their uniformity, they are among the most boring clouds to photograph. The two pictures above show examples of stratus clouds. (In the first picture, incidentally taken in Turkey, the stratus clouds are in the background, not the foreground, which is a cumulus fragmatus or scud.) In each case, although there may appear to be some variation within the cloud structure, the clouds do not form the "cotton-ball" texture of cumulus clouds.
Stratus clouds may simply cover the sky without producing rain, as in the case of the first picture, or they may be a variation called nimbostratus. "Nimbo," as it does in the word cumulonimbus, signifies rain. Thus, nimbostratus clouds, such as those in the second picture, are rain-producing stratus clouds.
The final type of stratus cloud that I should mention is one that we are all familiar with, even though few of us have ever taken a picture of it or enjoyed it: fog. Fog is in reality a cloud that has formed at or near ground level. While there are several possible mechanisms for the fog forming, the end result is usually some type of stratus cloud. So, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be inside a cloud, remember what it was like the last time you walked or drove through fog. You'll have your answer.

Low-Level Clouds, pt. I

In this post, we'll look at three examples of one of the two types of low-level clouds: cumulus clouds. Low-level clouds, incidentally, are those clouds that have bases that start at no more than 6500 feet.
Cumulus clouds are the type of cloud that most people think of when they think of clouds. These clouds can be recognized by the "clumped" shape. (Stratus clouds, on the other hand, are smooth, as we'll see in the next post.)
The first picture is of a cumulus humilus (fair-weather cumulus). Clouds like this show limited vertical development and indicate that the atmosphere is stable, at least at the moment. These clouds are among the most beautiful.
The second picture is a distant picture of a distant cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus clouds (also know as thunderheads, et al.) technically cannot be assigned to any given level, since they often reach up many thousands of feet. However, I've included them here since they often start at the low levels of the atmosphere. These clouds form during the summer months and are responsible for most strong and severe storms. They start life as a simple cumulus humilus, but if the atmospheric conditions are right, they will grow into the intimidating towers like the one seen in picture number two.
The final picture is of the sky on a particularly turbulent day. No rain or other significant weather occurred with them, but they are fascinating to look at. The cloud base is not smooth at all. Although I'm not 100% sure of its cause, I would guess that what happened was that right above the clouds is a layer of stability, while the air below was highly unstable. The result is that a wave-type motion developed, creating the bizarre patterns that we see.

Rambling: Merry Christmas

More about clouds in subsequent posts. For now, have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Rambling: Clouds

Stop sometime and just look at the clouds. They are fascinating in and of themselves. All they are is innumerable water droplets suspended in the air thousands of feet above the ground. Yet within them can be seen patterns and shapes on an otherwise calm day. At sunset and sunrise, they catch the long wavelengths of the sun's rays and reflect the myriad of colors to our eager eyes. What an amazingly simply and beautiful creation clouds are! What a God to think of something like that!

Clouds have always fascinated me. As a kid, I used to love to look up into a deep azure sky on a calm summer afternoon and pretend that I was floating along in the clouds. What I never noticed as a kid, though, is that there are numerous different cloud types. Clouds are classified first by their altitude then by their appearance and composition. The three levels are low level clouds, which have no prefix, mid-level clouds, which have the prefix "alto-" and high-level clouds, which have the prefix "cirro-." The appearance of a cloud determines the second half of the name: cumulus, stratus, and other words describe the different structures.
If I remember, over the next several posts, I'll go through the different types of clouds and describe a little bit about them, complete with as many pictures as I have.

Rambling: Next Time, Try Swiss Cheese

So, I'm sitting around thinking about something to write, and I attempt to post a picture. However, since I've migrated to a newer version of Blogger, the program I use won't let me post it. That's too bad, too, because it is an unusual picture.
Instead of the picture, then, I've decided to write whatever comes to my mind. .....................
Well, it appears I have writer's block, which is sort of like being blocked in football, only it's more like being stuck under a block of wood, because it's sort of an oppressive feeling that lingers on the edge of your mind, mocking you, "Ha ha! You think you're so smart but you can't think of anything to write! Next time, start with Swiss Cheese as a prompt and see where that leads you."

Well, here goes. Swiss cheese. Swiss Miss. Cocoa. Glad, liederhosen-clad Swiss yodelers. Riccola!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant: Analogies on Standardized Tests

<rant>I spent some time tonight preparing for the GRE, which I have to take in order to start my graduate coursework. (Don't worry, I'm still going to be teaching. The classes are only in the summer.) I did a little bit of practice on the verbal sections, and, as usual, when I came to the analogies section, I struggled a little. Why? Because the analogies that they sometimes draw are so abstruse that someone with a Ph.D. in English couldn't figure out the correct answer!

Consider this made-up example that mimics what I see far too often on GRE-type tests:
HAPPY : JOYFUL ::
A. LUCKY : MYTHOLOGICAL
B. SAD : MELANCHOLY
C. ANGRY : PERTURBED
D. HOPEFUL : FORWARD-LOOKING
E. CLEVELAND : OHIO

So, what's the answer? Well, if you look carefully at the options, there are at least two answers that would work, perhaps 3. (E is not correct, however...sorry.) The problem is that the relationship between happy and joyful is more complex than a simple analogy can cover. The result? Wrong answers because I don't think like the test takers!
Here's an analogy that I think should be on every GRE and SAT:
ANALOGIES : VERBAL ABILITY
A. HAPPINESS : SADNESS
B. GOOD : BAD
C. INTELLIGENT : STUPID
D. POSITIVE : NEGATIVE
E. DAY : NIGHT
</rant>

Commentary: Absurd Iran

Iran is at it, again. This time, they are preparing to host a conference on whether or not the Holocaust took place. The conference, which will take place tomorrow and Monday, is somewhat akin to Satan holding a conference on the existence of God. Do all of these highly-educated political experts really believe the drivel that they are spouting? I don't think so. If there were a Nobel Prize for Most Disingenuous Conference, this one would win it hands down. The Holocaust is one of the most well-documented events in modern history, and the attendees at this conference know it. They are choosing instead to pretend that they don't know for the sake of justifying their own political agenda.

Basically, I think that Iran is looking to gather a group of yes men who will provide it with "legitimacy" in attacking Israel (especially once Iran gets nuclear weapons) and attempting to wipe it off the map to reclaim "Muslim" lands. Of course, this ignores that the fact that Israel occupied those lands long before Islam existed and that the Muslims swept in nearly 1000 years after the Jews had been driven from the region by Rome.
So, as the absurdity continues in the Middle East occurs, I pray that our political leaders in this country take notice of the irrational behavior they're witnessing and develop appropriate policies for handling the situation. These countries will not behave in the same ways that the Soviet Union did. Our policies need to change to reflect this.

Rambling: Movie Quotation IV

This line randomly popped into my head today as I was thinking about how different things have been this week for me. The word "different" triggered this little exchange from a movie. See if you can guess the movie.
Young man: Well, I already told you...I want to do something different.
Father: So put some Jell-o down your pants!

Muppets Take Manhattan

Commentary: "Huricane" Season

It's official. The 2006 hurricane season is now officially over. Yesterday was the final day, and the NOAA forecast that this season would be significantly above average in terms of activity and severity has been a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf was for the San Diego Chargers.

Why the error? One simple reason: we are not God. We don't control the weather. We don't even fully understand it, which makes it hard for us to forecast conditions even 24 hours in advance. So, as the media attempts to bring us more doom and gloom forecasts about out of control global warming, we need to keep in mind that these forecasts could be just as easily in error as the hurricane forecast was this year.

Rambling: Sudden Change in Weather

The last two days have been the epitome of Kansas weather. Yesterday, Topeka set a record high of 73 degrees. It was a beautiful day, more like Spring than Fall. Today, on the other hand, saw an arctic cold front blast into the region, bringing with it freezing rain, sleet, and a chance for snow. The high for today of 43 occurred at a little after midnight. That seems downright balmy compared to the current conditions: 25 degrees with a wind chill of 15. Nearly a fifty degree swing in 24 hours! Amazing! What a fascinating and varied world it is that God has made.

"Discovery, go to throttle up."

Rambling: It's Too Early

It's already started. Thanksgiving is over. And with Thanksgiving over, almost everyone has their eyes set on one thing: Christmas. (This excludes retailers who've been putting Christmas decorations since October.) Already radio stations are rolling out the Christmas music. For me, though, it's too early. Advent, the season on the Liturgical calendar that precedes Christmas, doesn't begin until next Sunday, December 3rd. And like the calendar, I'm just not ready for Christmas to start, yet.

I'll never understand what it is that so many people find so attractive about Christmas that they feel it necessary to start celebrating the holiday months and months in advance. Don't get me wrong. I rejoice in the Incarnation, that God so loved the world that He chose to come as a child, grow up, and die on the cross for our sins. But for me, it's possible to overload on all the "joy." "Hark the Herald Angles Sing" is nice to hear for a while before it (and every other Christmas carol, secular or sacred) becomes trite.
Now, once Advent hits, you can be sure that the tree will come out and that the Christmas songs are going to be on my iTunes playlist. But until then, I'm going to be jumping stations on my radio every time Christmas songs come on. Anything more would only result in "Christmas overload."

Rambling: Ones and Zeroes

10010010 11001011 10011111

Forbes Tower, Cessna November 734837 is 9 miles Northeast with November, requesting vectors to the active, to land.

Rambling: Bad Analogies

From deep within the archives, here's a little English lesson on analogies for your reading pleasure.

He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.

The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an
eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.

Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake.

Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m.traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.


The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.

The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

Commentary: Uh, What?

Read this bizarre story, courtesy of ABC News. The basic gist is that Iran's ambassador to the UN has complained about Israel threatening to bomb Iran. He has demanded that the Security Council order Israel to quit threatening Iran.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Okay, I'm back. Sorry about that; I couldn't help it. That is probably one of the most absurd statements I have ever read. Here is Iran, whose President consistently has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and whose country is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, protesting that Israel is considering acting to prevent such an attack. It must have been "Pull a Prank on the UN Day" or something, because I can't imagine anyone in his right mind actually sending such a letter to the UN and meaning it. Just more unusual behavior from the world's most unpredictable political regime.

It's sort of like Iran saying, "Mommy, brother's threatening to hit me back!"

Rambling: Bad Connection

I just got a sales call from my phone company. I've been trying to avoid them for several days because I really am satisfied with my service as it is and don't want to make any changes. However, tonight I finally answered the phone. However, the connection was quite bizarre. The conversation went something like this.

Me: Hello?
Heard on the phone in my voice (Phone): Hello?
Some guy from India (SGFI): Hello?
Me: Hello?
Phone: Hello?
SGFI: (Something indistinct)
Me: Hello?
Phone: Hello?
SGFI: May I speak with _________, please?
Me: This is he
Phone: This is he
SGFI: Mr. ___________ I am calling on behalf of _____, your current phone company. I want you to know that this phone call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes. How are you today, sir?
Me: Okay
Phone: Okay
SGFI: That's good sir. The reason I am calling, sir, is that we have some wonderful new packages that could save you a lot of money on your telephone bill. How much are you currently paying for your phone service, $50, $60?
Me: Hang on
Phone: Hang on
SGFI: Okay, sir
[Random noise as I grab my headset and try to use it instead of just my cell phone)
Me: Okay
Phone: Okay
SGFI: Okay
Me: I'm afraid we've...
Phone: I'm afraid we've...
Me: ...got a terrible connection
Phone: ...got a terrible connection
SGFI (probably not believing me): Oh, I see
Me: I can hear...
Phone: I can hear...
Me: ...myself twice, better than you
Phone: ...myself twice, better than you
SGFI (still confused and not sure what to do): So, we have some great packages available
Me: I'm quite happy...
Phone: I'm quite happy...
Me: ...with my current service
Phone: ....with my current service
SGFI: I see, sir. Thank you for your time. You may call us at _____________. Have a nice day.
Me: Thank you
Phone: Thank you

I don't know what system they were using to transmit the phone call between the cell system and India, but it was not working at all. It was very disconcerting to hear yourself twice (hear yourself twice). That leaves me with only one question to ponder: does this mean that I am beside myself?

Rant: Election Results

<rant>I'm frustrated and saddened by the current election results. People are out voting against President Bush by voting out quality, Republican candidates and by voting in candidates from the Democrat party who, I fear, are going to do serious damage to this country. Meanwhile, the media is busy gloating as much as possible. They're all smiles and laughing because they have to know that they are the ones who are responsible for the public disliking Bush. They have successfully manipulated the foolish American public by all the negative reporting on Iraq. (A question just asked on the tv, "What could the Republicans have done differently to win?" My answer: have allies in the news media the way the Democrat party does.) Congratulations to the news media! They're the real winners of this election.</rant>

The only question I still have: When will my taxes go up by $2500 a year? I need to know when I'm not going to be able to afford to live in safe, acceptable housing.

Commentary: Election Tomorrow

The election is tomorrow. Go out and vote! If you're not sure which candidates to vote for, check out your local paper, which should have published a voter guide yesterday. There's probably version of it also at your local paper's website.
With the election tomorrow, I realized that it was time for me to betray my obvious political bias (just like a certain local Topeka paper that will remain nameless) and comment on each of the state-wide races, including my endorsement for each position.

Governor
Incumbent: Kathleen Sebelius (D). Challenger: Jim Barnett (R).
Analysis: Sebelius, with a campaign bank account that could go a ways to alleviating the national debt, has outspent Barnett about 10 to 1. In her previous four years in office, in my opinion, Sebelius has done very little except appoint liberal, activist judges and show up at photo opportunities. Notably, she sat by while the state's Supreme Court violated the state Constitution and ordered the Legislature to come up with a half billion dollar education funding increase that the state couldn't afford. After the Legislature (at metaphorical gunpoint from the court), passed a spending package sure to bankrupt the state, Sebelius, who had nothing to do with it, promptly stepped in to take credit for it.
Endorsement: Jim Barnett. His proposals, while modest, at least show some awareness of the situation and a willingness to fix the financial crisis in which Kansas will find itself in the next two or three years. Barnett is an intelligent man, more mainstream than the left-leaning Sebelius, and a better candidate for governor than we've had in years.
Prediction: Sadly, money is what wins elections, and Sebelius and her bloated war chest will probably carry the day, unless large numbers of conservative and moderate get out to vote her out of office.

Attorney General
Incumbent: Phill Kline (R). Challenger: Paul Morrison (D)
Analysis: You knew this campaign would be ugly when Morrison switched parties just so he could run for attorney general. Morrison's campaign has showed no integrity, assailing Kline's character at every turn, misrepresenting Kline's views on every issue, and overall just flat out lying about everything. (Unfortunately, Kline has fired back with just as much negativity and dirt. I'm disappointed in that. Still, I'm more disappointed that Morrison's not been taken to task for his own negativity.)
Endorsement: Kline. Between Morrison's switch of parties and his taking of significant amounts of money from abortionist George Tiller (despite Morrison claiming to be anti-abortion), Morrison has not shown the character necessary for attorney general. While Kline has not run a good campaign, he is by far the better choice because of his strong stand against abortion and his effective work in the past four years.
Prediction: Kline by 1%. Morrison gained initial momentum while Kline's campaign was sitting around on its thumbs. By the time Kline made an attempted comeback, he was forced to go negative, which I fear may turn off a lot of uninformed voters. However, I think the conservative vote and a lot of grassroots efforts will just be enough to allow Kline to squeak by.

U.S. House, District 2
Incumbent: Jim Ryun (R). Challenger: Nancy Boyda (D)
Analysis: Two years ago, Boyda's campaign slogan could have been "I'm just like Jim Ryun." That was all she ever said. She had no good ideas--indeed, no ideas at all--and she still managed to challenge Ryun somehow. This time around, her campaign slogan could easily be "I'm not Jim Ryun," and she still has no ideas. She has no specifics about any plan at all, and seems to be campaigning for change, although she won't say what kind of change she would bring.
Endorsement: Ryun. He's a strong, solid leader who listens to Kansans and votes for their views, even standing up to President Bush when necessary. Ryun has been an effective representative for years, and it would be a shame to lose him just because of frustration with Bush's handling of Iraq.
Prediction: Once again, the Democrat candidate is out-spending the Republican (where is all this money coming from, anyway?). This time, however, I think that Ryun will win. It will be closer than last time because of public irritation with Iraq, but enough of the 2nd district realizes that Boyda is bad for Kansas that she will not win.

Rambling: Nothing to Say

It's been a bad day, and since I don't trust myself to say anything good or interesting right now, I won't post much more.

15 yard penalty....

Rambling: Amusing Moment

I've been working on training my cat to do tricks, such as sit, stand, and roll over. It's become a huge fan of roll over. So much so that tonight, it decided to roll over without me asking it to do so. After completing the roll, it promptly started sniffing around for the food, expecting to get fed for doing a trick that I hadn't asked it to do, yet. That is a case of classical conditioning at its finest. And it's very amusing, too.

Elections are coming up. If you're over 18 and you've registered to vote, get out and vote!

Rant: This Is Why I Don't Like Dogs

I had an incident yesterday that reinforced my dislike of dogs in general. (This is not to say that there aren't certain dogs that I don't like. My brother has a very nice golden retriever.)
We're at the KCAA tournament in Wichita, and we're staying at a hotel way down on the south side of town. (Why, I don't know...) Anyway, I decided to go jogging Saturday morning, and since I didn't know the neighborhood, I decided to run down the main road that the hotel was near (aka 47th Street).

As I left, I prayed a silent prayer that God would protect me, although I figured I shouldn't run into any trouble since I was far south of the worst parts of the city. I was wrong.
I turned along the street and was about a minute down the road when I noticed two dogs roaming loose on the opposite side of the road. <rant>No sooner did I see the dogs than one, which later I thought might have been a pit bull, for no good reason at all made a bee line for me, across a busy street, barking and snarling like I had just called its mother a cat. I attempted to back away slowly, hoping that this was just some stupid territorial thing like most dogs have when an innocent unknown accidentally crosses the invisible boundary that somehow marks their territory. Unfortunately, I happened to back into a parking lot that was fenced in on three sides. There was no way out. I had no way of defending myself, either, nor did I have my cell phone to call for help. I was getting ready, in fact, to give that dog a good swift kick in the face if it had made any move to attack me. At the same time, I was wondering how much it would hurt to get mauled by a dog and if anyone would find me before the dog had finished snacking on me or I bled to death.
About that time, a truck drove into the neighboring lot, temporarily distracting my assailant and allowing me to put about 20-25 yards between me and it. Still, however, this evil fiend would not go away and allow me to continue my jog in peace. (Nor was the guy in the truck any help. He just sort of waved to me and drove his truck on to another part of the lot where I couldn't see him.) That's when God intervened and rescued me. A woman--incidentally a former postal worker who had been attacked by dogs on several occassions--happened to be driving down the road. She saw the dog start after me, and after a couple of minutes she was able to get herself turned around and into the parking lot where I was trapped. The arrival of her vehicle chased the moronic mutt away. She gave me a ride back to the hotel, where I proceeded to run laps in the parking lot for 15 minutes.
This is why I don't like dogs. I wasn't doing anything. I was minding my own business, and this mongrel that some owner let loose to snack on innocent joggers makes a deliberate effort to cross a busy road and corner me in a parking lot for who knows what reason. When, I ask you, was the last time you heard of a cat crossing a busy road and cornering an innocent jogger? (Stupid dog...)</rant>
Praise God for His protection that kept me from becoming puppy chow!

Rant: Media Bias

<rant>I think that I'm going to give up watching television for the next two weeks. Between the blatant liberal/Democrat bias within every news report and the out-of-control (and annoying) political ads, I'm sick of politics and the constant lying and mudslinging.
The national media's evening news is the worst. Here's the basic summary of their newscast:
"Good evening, I'm (insert anchor name here). Our top story tonight: Why Iraq is so horrible, even though it's 98% fine, and why President Bush is an evil ninny-head. After that, we'll give you some biased analysis that will attempt to make it sound like our favorite party, the Democrats, will take control of this country. Then, we'll follow with a poorly-conducted poll that shows that the Democrats will win, you will be assimilated, and resistance is futile." It's frustrating. There's no counter-point and no balanced coverage. It's like it's a no win scenario.
I wish that I could do something. Instead, all I can do is take a deep breath and let God be sovereign. I suppose the worst that could happen is that a bunch of horrible leaders will get elected and that He'll judge this country for its evil ways. Perhaps, though, He will be merciful, which will be my prayer from now until election day, and I'll be praying during every commercial break of the World Series, with the mute mercifully active on my television.</rant>

Rambling: Simple Providence

I was refereeing soccer games this weekend in the cold and rain, and in the midst of it all, I experience God's providence in a simple, small way. With one game left, the other two referees and I who were on the crew out at Felker Park went back to the shelter. Inside the area cordoned off for referees was a cheese pizza. Apparently, the people in charge of the tournament decided to deliver us a pizza. Anyway, we all had several pieces and then went to referee out final game. Now, I had planned on eating the last of the leftover chili after I got home. When I got home, though, and looked in my fridge, I discovered that I had already eaten the last of the chili and forgotten about it. I was reminded of Matthew 6:8, which says, in part, "your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

How much like God is it to provide for something simple like a meal when I had miscalculated the amount of food I had! What a wonderful little blessing after a long, tiring day of cold, rainy weather! Thanks be to God!

Rambling: New Element

It was announced today that scientists in Russia have created a new element, number 118. If confirmed, this new element, which existed for only a millisecond (1 millionth of a second), would be the first man-made noble gas (same group as Helium). This is fascinating to science geeks like me, because it's interesting to see how many protons and neutrons we can possibly cram into a nucleus. The answer now is at least 118 protons. Now, the only question left is what to call the element. Just so the international society in charge of naming elements knows: my name is available for use.

Around the world, the reactions to this discovery have been mixed. North Korea immediately claimed that they have tested this element and will use it in a weapon if they don't get everything Kim Jong Il wants. Iran, meanwhile, claims that they already have developed the element, purely for peaceful purposes (of course). Islamofascists called for an all-out holy war against anyone who wasn't them. And France surrendered.
Locally, political reaction has also been interesting. Governor Sebelius immediately took credit for forcing the scientists back to work when they wanted to give up. Morrison, the AG candidate, immediately blamed the whole thing on his opponent, Kline. And France surrendered.
Thus concludes an interesting day in the wondeful world of science. Up next, finding something useful to do with any of these new elements.

Rambling: Movie Quotation

Because I can't think of anything else to post, here's another movie quote. This one's a tricky one. I'll be impressed if you can get it.
"Good shot, Red Two!"

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Rambling: Whoops

So, I was scrambling out the door to try to get to the football game, and I realized when I get to the car that I forgot my hat. Quickly, I ran back up to my apartment, pulled open the the coat closet door (a bi-fold door), and grabbed the hat. The door was open for less than a minute. Then, I closed the door to keep my cat out of the closet and sprinted back to my car.

After the football game, I arrived home, expecting my cat to great me at the door meowing. However, when I got into my apartment, I heard the meowing, but couldn't see my cat. As I opened my coat closet door to hang up my coat, what should pop out of the closet but my cat! Poor thing, she somehow managed to get into the closet in the short time I had the door open. Then, she was trapped in there for a couple of hours while I was gone. She's fine, but it was certainly a surprise to see a cat come bounding out from that direction. Strange.

Rambling: How Bittersweet

An old friend of mine has gone to be with the Lord. She was advancing in years, but yet to so many of us, she was far too young to have departed. Yet in the midst of the bitterness of no longer having her here, the joy of knowing that she is now face-to-face with her beloved Lord and Savior envelops the bitterness and makes it somehow bearable, almost pleasant. She will be missed, yet I know that her life--indeed her death--have been a testimony to God's great love, mercy, and faithfulness. Praise the Lord!

Rambling: Ode to Mix Metaphors and Similies

Here's to mixed metaphors and similies, the glorious malapropisms that brighten the turbulent waters of our worst days. Like variety, they are the salt of the English language. They spice up sentences like roosters at dawn. Even a man with a heart of a stone lion knows a brilliant turn of cheek when he hears it. They can rain down on any parade of cats and dogs. And while English teachers may fight against them like a cheap Swiss watch, nothing is better for amusement than grabbing the bull by the horns and milking it for all its worth. Yes, without mixed metaphors writing would be dull like a barrel of monkeys. Yet, it seems that my ideas have reached the end of the rope with which to hang themselves. Thus, I must say farewell, parting the sea is such sweet sorrow.

Rambling: Yet Another Random Quotation

Woman: "Which one do you like, Carmen?"
Carmen: "I like the one who is not so bright."
Woman: "Which one is that?"

The Three Amigos

Rambling: Anyone Seen My Hand?

So, with Pascal growing to a more typical adult-sized cat, I thought it might be a good idea to see if I could get a special cat harness on her. This is all part of my "clever" plan to be able to allow her to have some time to run around outside under my control and supervision (such as on my deck at the back of my apartment). However, putting a harness on a cat is not easy to do, especially with a cat that loves to attack anything and everything. I set the harness as small as I could, and then attempted to put it on the cat. After numerous bite marks and scratches, as well as some meows of protestation, I managed to get the harness on, only to discover that I had set it too small. :-(

So, with much effort, enduring more bite and scratch marks--and especially more protests--I foolishly tried to adjust the harness while it was on the cat. Not a good idea. Cats don't like having things on them, much less having people mess with stuff that's on them. (Note to self: wear gloves next time...) I was unable to get the harness adjusted correctly. Pascal's neck is just too thin to allow a harness or collar to sit comfortably on right now. So, after about 5 minutes that seemed like 30, I decided to get the harness off her again. I'll try putting it on again once Pascal is older and closer to being fully grown.
Meanwhile, I think all of my limbs are still intact, which in attempting such a foolish task as putting a harness on a cat is always a blessing. More fun is in store, though, as it is time for the application of the monthly flea control potion. The nightmares of doing that by oneself can only be partially understood by the uninitiated, but I've already covered that problem in a previous post.

Rambling: Still Another Movie Quotation

Continuing my irregular sequence of posting obscure quotations from movies, here's one for you to ponder.
"By sheer chance, I just happened to learn French, and got a job interpreting at the U.N."

The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Rambling: Random Thought

Sometimes, we complain about how a situation is unfair, meaning that we aren't getting what we think we deserve. Perhaps, though, what we mean is that the situation is more fair than we would like. Think about what we deserve. I, in my natural self, am a sinner. I deserve nothing but God's wrath and, ultimately, hell. That there is any good in my life is a testimony to God's mercy. I'm getting what I don't deserve, and if we consider fair as getting what we deserve, then His mercy is decidely unfair, at least in human terms.

Of course, we want that "unfairness" when I come to God for forgiveness. So, why, then, do we complain about how life is unfair in a given situation? Isn't it good that life is unfair? My problem with life sometimes is not that I'm not getting what I don't deserve, but that I'm getting exactly what I deserve. How wonderful God's mercy to us!

Rambling: A Developing Thought

My name is Paco de Goya, and I approved this blog post.
I was thinking about John 8:31-47, where Jesus is in a dispute with the Jews of His day about who their father really is. (Prompting my mind to think immediately of the phrase "Who's Your Daddy?" And then the line from "Remember the Titans" pops into my head between the head coach and the star defensive lineman. But I digress.) Jesus tells the Jews that they are acting just like their (spiritual) father is acting. The Jews, of course, are confused and respond that Abraham is their father.

That's when it gets interesting. Jesus points that they are not behaving as Abraham's children. Rather, they are behaving as children of the devil. Interesting. It makes me wonder (and I may explore this whenever it is that I speak at convocation...) if people look at me, at my life, at the words I say, even the thoughts I think, would it be obvious that God is my Father? As my pastor says sometimes, "That's too convicting."

Rambling: Another Random Quotation

Again, here is a random movie quotation. See if you can identify the movie that it comes from.
"Why am I doing this? It's because I'm a villain; it's pure and simple."

Movie: The Great Muppet Caper. This line is spoken, appropriately, by the villain in response to Kermit asking why he was attempting to steal a valuable diamond.

Commentary/Rant: Shame on the Capital-Journal

<rant>The Topeka Democrat (err...Capital-Journal) is at it again, attempting to help get Democrats elected by attempting to make Republicans look bad. In this case, they published two articles that revealed details of an internal campaign memo from Attorney General Phil Kline, a Republican. One story is the memo itself. The other story on this memo, however, is clearly spun in such a way as to make Kline seem like an insincere hypocrite, who is merely trying to exploit religion to get elected. I know from personal interaction that nothing could be further from the truth. It's only logical that the memo was stolen from Kline. This shows just how desparate the Democrat party is to gain control of political offices. That the Capital-Journal and the Democrat party would stoop to such a terrible level is quite sad. I can only pray that such tasteless tactics will backfire and that Kline will be re-elected. I know that he has my vote, and the illegal activities of his challenger's campaign should convince anyone who is undecided which candidate in this election will actually uphold the law.</rant>

Rambling: Random Movie Line

Here's a random line from a movie. See if you can figure out what movie it comes from before checking the answer in the full post.
"They don't look like Presbyterians to me!"

This line is from "The Muppet Movie." Fozzie and Kermit walk into an abandoned church where Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are playing. Fozzie then utters the line above.

Commentary: More Half Truths

[Sigh] Once again, Governor Sebelius is at it, claiming that she was responsible for the Legislature coming up with a plan that funded the public schools. Unfortunately, her role in the process was relatively limited. She forced the Legislature to stay in extra session. That's it. Not a bad thing to do, but she certainly was not as involved as she tries to make herself sound to be in her commercial. She did not work to help the Legislature craft a proposal, nor did she put forth a reasonable comprommise proposal. She just said, "Keep working," and then sat back while the liberals and moderates battled the conservatives.
It's sad that such unrealistic claims are being put forth by the Sebelius campaign. It's not surprising, however, since politicians are notorious for putting spin on everything. I only hope the voters of Kansas are smart enough not to believe such misrepresentations.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's not the case... :-(

Rambling: Hurricane (?) Season

I love it when God shows that He's smarter than us humans. For instance, this year's forecast for the hurricane season in the Atlantic said that we would have an above normal season. We arrogantly assumed we knew how the weather was supposed to work, and that this whole global warming thing was fueling more significant hurricanes. (At least, that's what the media was quick to tout. Funny how they haven't said much about the fact that this failed forecast proves the connection tenuous at best.) The forecast in April called for 17 named storms in the Atlantic (we've had 6 so far, and the peak of hurricane season is past already) and 9 hurricanes (we've had 1 so far, Hurricane Ernesto, and it wasn't a very impressive hurricane). What happened? Well, a lot of factors together probably have hindered hurricane formation. In my opinion, God is showing us who's really in charge of the weather here. It's not us. It's Him. We think that we can understand how things work, but in reality, we can just make educated guesses based off of how things typically work. In the end, God can intervene and make the weather behave however He wants. Read on for some details about the revisions made to the forecasts with time.

At the end of May, the forecasts were revised, but no changes were made. At the beginning of August, a new update was issued. This update predicted 13 named storms after August 1, 7 of which would be hurricanes. So far, this forecast has not been too impressive. There have been 3 named storms so far. That leaves the next 2 months to produce ten, or five storms a month. Unless tropical storm intensity picks up considerably, that forecast is also going to be wrong. Thus, the forecasters tried one more time. Now, they are calling for 8 more named storms after September 1 (instead of the 10 that they would have needed before). To be honest, I think this forecast will be a bust, too. There will be fewer than 8 storms. How many fewer? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had only 5 more named storms this season. We simply do not understand enough about how God made the world, and we can never anticipate when He will intervene.
Above all, these failed forecasts should put to rest once and for all the myth that global warming is fueling stronger hurricanes. There just isn't enough evidence to support it.

Rambling: New Coach, Old Result

In case any KSU football fans had any questions about whether it was the coaching or the players who fell off during the past few years at K-State, today's game against Illinois State should leave no doubt. KSU barely eeked out a win, 24-23, and they needed an unusual play to do it -- recovering a kickoff muffed by Illinois State and returning it for a touchdown.

The offense was not good. The epitome of the offense's problems was the first play of the game: Meier overthrew his receiver, resulting in an interception. Throughout the game, the offense struggled, including having trouble running out the clock late in the fourth quarter.
As bad as the offense was, however, the defense was even worse. The poor pass coverage that has plagued K-State throughout its recent fall from the elite showed up again. K-State seemed unable to cover Illinois State receiver's consistently. K-State was outgained by about 100 yards.
The overall result of the game was the same as when Coach Snyder was in charge. Changing coaches has not done much. K-State needs better players if it ever hopes to become an elite football program again.

Rambling: What Do You Call...

What do you call a man with no arms and no legs sitting in your mailbox?

Bill
(Thank you...I'll be here all week. Try the veal.)

Rambling: Bad Dream?

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you know it's a bad dream, but all you can remember when you wake up is the part that isn't bad?

55555555555555540000000000000000
Sorry, my cat stepped on the numeric keypad. Anyway, in this case, I had this horrible bad dream, but all I can remember about it is that the light switches in my apartment weren't working right. The light switch for the bedroom turned on the hall lights. The light switch in the hall turned on the bedroom lights. The whole dream had this eerie, evil feel to it. Then, being disturbed by the dream, I woke up and was freaked out because my clock read "2:22". Now, why I was scared of the number 222, I have no idea. But at two in the morning after a nightmare, I think any number besides 37 would be scary to me.
Anyway, it was one of those weird experiences that I hope I never have to repeat. If you can't relate, and you just think I'm strange, fine. So there. Thank you; good night.

Rambling: Strange Event

When I came home today, it felt awfully cool in my apartment, and my air conditioner seemed to be running a lot. I finally went over to look at the thermostat. It was set down below 70! I usually keep at about 75 during the summer. The only reason I can think for it to be that way is that my cat decided to attack it while I was gone and accidentally bumped it down. Or was it an accident? :-)

Can you say electric bills through the roof? And the excuse? "It's my cat's fault! It's the one who sets the thermostat at 68."

Rambling: The Joy of Flea Control

Last night, before heading to Bible Study, I attempted to apply one of those flea control liquids to my cat. The resulting situation was less than enoyable.

If you've never tried to apply a flea control liquid to a cat, especially a young one, you know that it is not a simple task. It requires getting the cat's fur parted and squeezing a small of liquid somewhere that it can't lick. Sounds simple enough, but its difficulty level is slightly less than wrestling an alligator while attempting to land a 747 at an airport in a raging blizzard.
In this case, after wrestling with my cat for about 5-10 minutes, I managed to get the liquid squeezed on its back. The minute that the slightest bit of said substance touched its skin, though, my cat immediately turned in such a way that the liquid ran along the left side of its body. This unfortunate turn (pun intended) placed this toxic substance that cats are not supposed to lick in the perfect location to be licked.
Needless to say (but I will anyway), my cat promptly licked its fur right where some of the substance was. It immediately started licking its lips, attempting to get the (waterproof) liquid out. The resulting sound was less than pleasant. After a few attempts at trying to get rid of the substance, it promptly had a most unusual reaction: it stood on its hind legs and proceed to deliver a most amazing lecture on the nature of quantum mechanics and its relation to the control of insect pests on felines. (Okay, not really.)
What actually happened was that I had to spend about 20-30 minutes attempting to use water and a brush to remove all of the flea control liquid (which, you will remember, is waterproof) from my cat's fur. By the time I got through with this laborious task, which was almost as difficult as attempting to apply the substance in the first place, it was too late for me to make it to Bible Study.
So, I downloaded a sermon from the church I used to go to in Lawrence. It was a good study, but I did miss the social interaction that I normally get from the study.
Anyway, the moral of the story is: it may take two to tango, but it also takes two (maybe even three or four) to apply flea control liquid to a cat.

Rambling: Soccer Coaching

This may well be one of my last seasons coaching soccer. Ever since soccer started, I have been absolutely worn out. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy soccer, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to maintain the energy to do it, teach, and have any sort of social life. So, nothing definite, yet, but I am in definite need of God's grace and strength, because mine is all gone.

Grapefruit juice...

Rambling: One of Those Days

Have you ever had a day where you felt you stepped into some sort of alternate reality, where almost everything is the same, but a few things are different/wrong? Today was one of those days.

Things that I distinctly remembered throwing in the trash can mysteriously reappeared on the table that I took them off. Paperwork I already filled out for my apartment complex is stuck in an envelope on my door asking me to complete it and return it to the office. Two people I know (admittedly not very well) both wind up charged with different felony crimes and have their mugshots displayed on the local news. Even my cat is tearing around the apartment with four times its normal amount of energy.
So, I'm left to ponder this: if I had to fall into an alternate reality, why couldn't I fall into one where I was happily married?
Anyway, it's just been a strange, tiring day, but I know that there are no alternate realities, that this life is all that there is, that some days are just strange, and (most of all) that God is faithful and will sustain me even through a day as bizarre as this.

Rambling: Beautiful Lightning

I don't know if you looked outside at all while the rain rolled through ealier tonight.

If you didn't, you missed a beautiful lightning show. Cloud to ground and cloud to cloud bolts, some miles long, lit up the sky. The beautiful yellow trails were wonderful to watch (from a distance), and they were a wonderful reminder of God's creativity and power.

Rambling: A Funny Picture

Do you think if I study hard enough that they'll let me into Cair Paravel?


All this studying's got me worn out.

Poem: When

When daylight's sun shines bright
My soul echoes Your light
When in Your grace I rest
And admit Your way best

Lord God, fix my right gaze
Upon You all my days
Let not my heart waver
Nor my soul sin favor

When I can't understand
Your reasons for what's planned
When my dreams seem to crash
And hopes upon rocks dash

Lord God, open my eyes
For there discontent lies
Focused on this world all
Not things celestial

When prayers meet with silence
Nor sense I Your presence
When sin in me besets
And I'm filled with regrets

Lord God, help me, waiting
Have faith unabating
More like Your Son make me
Cleansed, redeemed, chosen, free

When one day all I see
Is Your holy glory
When pain is done away
And life is endless day

Lord God, still may my cry
Be how You brought me by
Waters quiet and still,
Preserved me in Your will

Commentary: Where's the Love?

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how selective the moral outrage is in the current Middle East conflict between Israel and Hezbollah?

Israel, in attempting to stop a para-military force that is funded and fueled by such rogue states as Syria and Iran, accidentally hits a group of civilians (who are in the war zone), and the world freaks out and screams for a cease fire. Nevermind that Hezbollah fighters are hiding among civilians to use them as shields. The minute even one Lebanese civilian accidentally gets hit, the world screams murder.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah, instead of firing rockets at the Israeli army, is shooting rockets over the Israeli army and attacking Israeli civilians who are not even in the war zone. The reaction from the world, though, is muted at best. I don't hear people condemning Hezbollah or screaming and rioting about the Israelis who were killed. Where's the condemnation from Kofi Annan against Hezbollah?
Now, don't get me wrong. It is sad that these civilians died, and I know that there families are mourning. It's not fair that noncombatants are getting killed. Yet why is the outrage not as great when Israeli civilians who are outside the warzone getting killed? Could it be that world hates Israel? Or is there something more complex going on here? I don't know.

Rambling: State Games

July is usually a slow month for me, so this year, I decided it would fun (and a good way to stay in shape for soccer season) if I tried to run a couple of Track events at the Sunflower State Games, which are held every year here in Topeka.

I was a bit disappointed by the turnout in my age group (19-29). There were only four of us (despite six signing up) in the 100 m, and the other three were obviously collegiate track runners because it seemed like they ran through 50 m in the time it took me to get out of the blocks. The competition was even more lacking in the 200 m. There were three of us, and the other two ran track at Wichita State. So, I was guaranteed a bronze there. Of course, I wasn't racing to win a medal, necessarily. I wanted to see how the State Games worked and to beat a certain time goal I had already set for myself. I accomplished both goals. I ran the 100 m in 13.17. In the 200 m, I did even better, running in 27.73. (I really enjoy running, the 200 m. It's such a perfect race. Just long enough to make you have to sustain a sprint, short enough that you don't kill yourself in the process.) It was fun to get out there and run. I hope there are some other competitors next year who are more in my league.

Rambling: Teacher Education

As part of my Issues in Education class, I have had to read a couple of books in addition to the normal class reading. I've already discussed on in brief, The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Now, I'd like to provide a quick discussion of the other book I read, Teacher Education in America by Christopher Lucas.

Lucas, a professor of education at the University of Arkansas, writes a fascinating and compelling analysis of teacher education before proposing a ground-breaking plan to reform the teacher education curriculum. Well-written and mostly easily to read (except for one dry stastisical area), Lucas establishes his credibility with a survey of the history of teacher preparation in the U.S. Moreover, with an even-handed presentation of the modern controversial issues, he maintains his credibility. Finally, after discussing his own study of what teachers recommend, Lucas proposes a reform plan that I think has the potential to improve the quality of the teachers produced signficantly.
This book is must read for anyone interested in developing or improving teacher education programs. It is also a good read for anyone in education, as the first two chapters alone provide a solid context for many of the current debates. Overall, it is an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Rambling: No, I Am Not Thirty, Yet

For my birthday, the rest of my family went together and helped provide me with the resources to get a cat. After some searching, I was able to find a young Chocolate Point Siamese/Domestic mix. If you want to see a couple of pictures, you can go to here. Choose the "Pascal" album. Yes, the cat's name is Pascal. Give yourself extra credit if you know who it's named after....

No, I have not given up, if you know what I mean.

Rambling: I Dislike Summer Colds

Wow! It's been a week since I posted anything. My apologies to all who have been checking. I've spent most of this past week fighting a cold, and I wasn't feeling too terribly loquacious. I don't have much else to say now, but I should have more to say in the next day or so. For now, it's good to have a quiet day of rest after a crazy week.

Rambling: Book Review

As part of a class I'm taking, I have to read two books of my choosing about (what else?) controversial issues in education. I've just written my review of the first one, and I thought I'd summarize a piece of it below in case you're looking for something to read.

The book is The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Its subtitle "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Todays Students" tells you everything you need to know about the book. What follows is a sometimes rambling treatise on the state of university education in the 1980s. Sadly, things have not improved since then, as Bloom's critique of university students rings true today as it did 20 years ago. The book itself is a bit of a dry read, as Bloom shows the unfortunate habit of rambling off the main topic to unpack minor side details. Indeed, a reader with a basic background in philosophy could easily skip Part II and not miss much, as Bloom spends copious time dealing with the intricate details of the philosophical roots of the modern American university situation. Far more interesting are Parts I and III, which deal with Bloom's observations of the present.
Overall, this book is an interesting read for those interested in university education or in philosophy in general. Be warned, though, that it is not a light read.

Rambling: DSL Modem

It is with great sadness that I bid farewell to my DSL modem, which finally quit working two days ago at the ripe old age of 3 1/2. It was a good DSL modem, loved by its friends, respected by its peers, feared by its enemies. Doubtless this world will be a better placed because of the impact of DSL modem, and all who knew it will miss it greatly. :-)

Rambling: Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton was a silent film actor and perhaps one of the most famous. His work was primarily comedic in nature, but it was all well-done, especially considering the state of movie making in the silent movie era. If you don't like silent films, don't read the rest of this post, but if you're curious, I have a little bit to say about a movie I saw last night.

The movie wasn't that long (just over an hour), and it had creative stunts, a good story, and great story telling with a minimum of dialogue. Modern movie makers could learn a lot from how the characters of people are revealed without dialogue to the audience. Instead of telling us who they are, we see who they are. It's a very effective way of doing it. The only weakness of the version I saw was the music. It was simply classical music laid down underneath the movie without much thought to what was happening in the movie. A good soundtrack added in can make all the difference in the world.

Rambling: Hymns

I have a soft spot for old hymns. Not that I don't like modern worship music. Rather, I appreciate any song that has solid lyrics. Some of the hymns have lyrics just as devoid of any real meaning as a bad modern song. However, the good hymns, just the like the good modern songs, have both a solid message in the lyrics and a solid melody. I was visiting a website that has many hymns online, cyberhymnal.org, and I ran across one of my favorites: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The story behind this hymn encouraged me tremendously. Read on to find out about it.

The lyrics, of course, are all about how we should go to the Lord in the midst of trouble, hardship, and trial. According to the cyberhymnal, Joseph M. Scriven wrote the hymn to comfort his mother, who was in Ireland while Scriven was in Canada. However, Scriven was not just writing platitudes. He was writing from experience. You see, prior to going to Canada, Scriven was engaged to be married. One the night before their wedding, his fiancee, while crossing a bridge, was thrown from her horse into the river and drowned. To make matters worse, Scrivner was waiting on the far side of the bridge and saw it all happen. However, that is not the end of the story. In Canada, Scriven met and became engaged to another young woman, who also died prior to their wedding. At some point after the death of his second fiancee, Scriven wrote the lyrics to this well-known him. He truly was writing a testimony to God's faithfulness in His life.

Rambling: Oops

I must confess, for all that I seem to be able to remember well, there is one thing that I am as absent-minded as anyone on: when eating at a restaurant, I invariable forget to take the leftovers home with me. The odd thing is that I usually have some leftovers, not being a huge eater, yet I forgot to take that little styrofoam container of delictable goodness with me. One of these days, I might actually remember something as important as food. I don't know why I forget, but I do. It's embarassing. Just call me the Absent-Minded Math Teacher.

Rambling: A lot to say, but...

My wrists hurt, so I won't type anything else right now.

Rambling: What do you think?

Is "some temperance" an oxymoron?

Commentary: Global Warming?

An article from the AP about global warming makes some interesting and strong claims. The article, based on a study from the National Academy of Sciences, claims that global warming is real and that it is caused by people. The report makes it sound like it's an open and shut case. Global warming exists, and we are the cause. Time for the Kyoto Protocol and other flawed and economically destructive policies, right? To quote Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."

First, the claim that global warming is real can only be substantiated by direct temperature records for only the past 150 years. In that time, there does seem to be a sort of warming trend. )This, of course, ignores a dip in temperature observed during the 1970s.) Before about 1850, climatologists have to use indirect methods, such as looking at ice cores, tree rings, and lake sediments. Therein lies problem number one. Such indirect methods indicate some information about temperature, but because of the complex nature of this world, it is difficult to construct an accurate tempearture profile for the past. It is primarily guess work, and personal bias can easily affect such guesses. It's possible that this was the case.
However, I do not wish to deny the possibility that we're seeing global warming. Certainly, in the past 150 years, the average temperature of the lowest part of the atmosphere seems to have increased. So, the earth could be warming up. The data, though, are not as conclusive as the report (and article) make it seem.
Secondly, even if global warming exists, the evidence for human causes are unfounded scientifically. The best that scientists can do is point to a correlation between increased temperature and increase greenhouse gases. However, as any first-year statistics student will tell you, correlation does not mean causation. Is it a good idea to try to reduce "greenhouse gases?" Sure, it is a good idea, but to take desparate measures to limit greenhouse gases will only wind up doing greater economic damage than anything forecast by global warming.
So, in the end, we should take reasonable, economically feasible steps to limit any contribution that we may be making to global warming. Let's make sure, though, that we don't create an economic catastrophe in trying to prevent a possible environmental one.

Rambling: US vs. Italy

Even though the game is now two days past, I wanted to write a few comments about the World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and Italy.

First, I was proud of the way the US played. Despite being reduced to 9 men for most of the second half, they held on for a tie, and very nearly produced the equalizer. The offside call that nullified the goal was correct, but it was disappointing.
Second, I was disappointed in the way the Italian team played. They were diving all over the place. The slightest bit of contact from a US player, and the Italians started flopping like a freshly caught fish. Italy's sole goal came as the result of one of those dives. The yellow and red cards the US received were all dives.
Third, I was disappointed in the quality of the refereeing. The center seemed to spend the majority of the game buying all of the Italians' diving, which disappointed me greatly. The result of all those Italian dives was a significant foul differential (US 24-Italy 13), which is unusual for this level when two teams were as closely matched as the US and Italy were. I would expect a referee at that level to be able to recognize when a player goes down way too easily and with way too much flourish. Apparently, he didn't, which is too bad. In addition, I'm not sure why the US players were sent off. I watched the replay of the red card, and it seemed to me that our player's timing was correct, his feet stayed down, and he got the ball, tripping the Italian incidental to the play. If he came in late or with his cleats up, I could see perhaps a yellow, but certainly not a red because the tackle certainly did not endanger the safety of the opponent. As far as the second red card, the result of two yellows, I did not see anything in either case that I thought merited cautioning the player. Sadly, the referee saw it differently.
In the end, though, no referee can cause a team to lose a game. The US proved that on Saturday by how they played. They never let the questionable calls or the constant theatrics of the Italians frustrate them. They played with great courage, and under the circumstances they saw, a draw is an excellent result. Now, all we have to do is beat Ghana and have Italy beat the Czech Republic. It could happen, and I can't wait to see if it does!

Rambling: Am I Really That Old?

I just got my new driver's license today, and I look so much older than I think I am. In some ways, I feel like I've been stuck at 25 ever since I started teaching. That's probably because not much has changed around me. Friends have gotten married. Some already have kids. Anyway, I digress. The point is that I really am shocked at how I look. I don't look the way I expect myself to look. I look, well, tired. And old. :-(

Rant: World Cup Soccer Seeding

<rant>Well, the U.S. has seen its hopes of reaching the second round of the World Cup diminished greatly after a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic. Of course, the Czechs are ranked #2 in the world. The U.S. is currently ranked #5, but I'm sure that will go down with this loss. What I want to know, though, is why the U.S. was put in the same group as the Czech Republic and Italy. Observe the following to see how unfair the U.S.'s draw is.
The average ranking of teams in the U.S.'s group (Group E) is 8.9. Consider the teams in the U.S.'s group. The Czech Republic is ranked #2, Italy #13, and the U.S. #5. (Ghana is ranked 48). Meanwhile, in other groups, the draw is much, much easier. Brazil, for instance, the best team in the world according to the rankings, is in a Group F with such soccer "heavyweights" as Australia (ranked 42), Japan (ranked 18), and Croatia (ranked 23). The average ranking in Group F is 12. Compare those average ratings to average ratings of each group. The average ranking of Group A is 27. Group B has an average ranking of 22. Group C comes in at 14. Group D also rates out at 14. Group E, as mentioned above, is 8.9. Group F, as mentioned, averages 12. Group G averages 27. Group H has an average ranking of 20.
So, the U.S. is in the hardest group by far, with three strong countries, and probably won't make it to the next round. Meanwhile, countries that wouldn't move on if the pools were created by seeding, such as Switzerland, Croatia, and the Ukraine, will probably wind up making it into the next round. It's unfair.</rant>

Rambling: Contentment

I was thinking about contentment today, and what it means to be content. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "But Godliness with contentment is great gain." Hebrews 13:5 says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' " These verses talk about contentment with a financial situation. What does contentment look like in other aspects of life? Read on for my thoughts.

This question is a struggle for me because I see circumstances in my life that are not good. (I'm going to be vague here because the circumstances themselves are not the issue. It's my reaction to them that matters.) My displeasure with how things are leads me to be discontent with how they are. I want to see those circumstances change, and I'm afraid that if I decide to be content with how they are that they will remain in that bad state. But is contentment the same as saying, "Well, that's how it is, and I won't work to change it"?
I don't think it is. Saying that would result in settling for less than God's best in many situations. I think contentment is saying that, yes, this particular situation is not good. Yet, I'm not going to let one bad circumstance ruin for me all the good circumstances with which God has blessed me. Instead, I will still seek after Him for the wisdom, grace, and mercy to change that aspect of my life that I don't like, if He is willing. A friend of mine once put it succinctly, "I will not let my circumstances ruin the joy of my salvation." That's a decent definition of contentment. Above all, though, the issue is whether I am willing to be led (and to do any work that is necessary) to the circumstances that He wants me to be in. If I am willing to do that, maybe then I will be able to say, like Paul, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." Philippians 4:12

Commentary: If You Deny Media Bias Exists...

Read the headlines and first paragraphs of each of these articles, one from CNN and one from Fox News. See if you can tell each author's attitude towards the story.
CNN
Fox News

It's clear to me that CNN has a definite liberal bias in the story. It fails to identify what the amendment truly was about, instead describing it as a "ban on same-sex unions". That is in no way what the amendment was about. It is not about taking away rights. It is about protecting the rights of marriage by defining it to be as it has always been understood to be. That such an amendment is even necessary represents a sad day for this country.

Commentary: "Gay" Marriage

I keep noticing that most media outlets keep referring to the upcoming vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment as being about "gay marriage". There's a major problem with this phrase. It makes it sound like a homosexual person is forbidden from getting married. He's not. He can get married, so long as he marries someone of the opposite gender who is of legal age. The issue, rather, is whether we should allow "same-sex marriage", a concept that would undermine the fabric of society: traditional marriage. So, in discussing it as "gay marriage", the media is once again showing its bias against traditional marriage by making marriage sound like a right. It's not. Because if it were, I could validly claim that my right to marry a beautiful woman of God has been violated for these past 10 or so years (ever since I turned 18). :-)

Rambling: Thoughts on Esther

I spent about 45 minutes this afternoon reading through and pondering the book of Esther. Here are some of the thoughts I had while reading it.

First, if I read the book of Esther in multiple languages, would that mean that I was a fan of "poly-Esther"?
Xerxes gave a 180-day party! That's six months long. Can you imagine what that must have been like? Six months of one man showing off how great he thought he was! Then, he gives a banquet for everyone, from the least to the greatest. There must have been some pretty happy peasants!
During this banquet, "each guest was allowed to drink in his own way" (NIV). There must have been some really happy peasants. (A note in my Bible quotes the Greek historian Heroditus as writing that the Persians "are very fond of wine, and drink it in large quantities...It is also their general practice to deliberate upon affairs of weight when they are drunk...Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberation, but in this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine.") The importance of wine to the Persians will show up several more times in the book.
Speaking of happy people, Xerxes drank enough during the banquet to be "in high spirits" (i.e. drunk). Then, he decided to have his queen, Vashti, come parade before all of his noblemen. When she refused, he deposed her and then issued a strange command.
This edict said that "every man should be ruler over his own household". This command is strange because it is either superfluous, or it means that the general state of affairs in Persia was quite the opposite. :-)
Esther was not very God-fearing. She was willing to be married to a pagan king and to hide her Jewish ancestory. God's name is not mentioned once in the book of Esther.
Haman was quite the arrogant man. Upset that Mordecai won't show him respect, he gets together with his friends and his wife and boasts about how great he (Haman) is. I feel sorry for those listening, particularly his wife, who has to hear her husband brag about how many sons he has.
Wine shows up again when Esther makes her appeal for Xerxes to issue a decree to save the Jews from Haman's plot to destroy them. Esther throws a two-day banquet for just Xerxes and Haman. In each case, "as they were drinking wine", Xerxes asked Esther what request she would like. It seems that Heroditus wasn't exaggerating a whole lot!
I close with this observation: God kept His covenant with the Jews even when they were not keeping their part of the covenant. Great is His faithfulness!

Rambling: Nostaglia

I just returned from a visit up to the college I went to not too many years ago. The amount of changes that I found amazed me. If you know anything about Iowa State University, read on to hear my comments on the changes that I saw. If not, all I can say is that while it was good to see some old friends and to briefly visit so many places where God worked to alter the course of my life, it was bittersweet. The most bitter part of the visit was realizing that I graduated seven years ago and that it hasn't seemed that long. Time has flown.

For those who know that campus a lot has changed in the past seven years. Helser Hall is only about a third the size that it previously was. In its place is the Union Drive Commons. Also in Union drive is a new, suite-style residence hall. I'm fine with that change. One change in the UDA area that I wasn't excited about was Clyde Williams Field being turned into parking lot, however. The new Engineering buildings are wonderful. It's great to see the run-down Engineering Annex building finally torn down. And the work they've done to make the Marston Water Tower stand out is amazing. Most of the halls that I frequently had class in are still there and basically unchanged: Gillman Hall, MacKay Hall, Physics Hall, Lagomarcino Hall, and Agronomy Hall. It was great to see them. There's the new Honors and Business buildings, although they're just okay. I have nothing to compare them to.
The biggest shock, though, was seeing how different the Towers residence halls looked. Two of them are gone completely: Knapp and Storms were demolished in the past year. Only the Knapp-Storms Commons remains. It amazes me how small a footprint those buildings had because it hardly seems like those gigantic concrete edifices would fit within the ground that remains. Yet they were there: all 11 stories of them. Now, however, there's just open space. And the remaining two Towers, including my home home for 2 years: Wilson Hall, are next.
Overall, I approve of most of the changes made to the University grounds. A lot of work needed to be done, and I'm glad to see that it has been done.

Rambling: Memorial Day Already?

Is it just me, or was this the fastest five months in the history of the world? At this rate, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and find myself as a 60-year old. Ack!

Rambling: One More Day!

Contrary to popular belief, teachers are just as relieved to be done with school for the summer as the students are.

Commentary: Slanted News

Once again, the media are at work trying to get another Democrat elected to Congress by attempting to create a scandal out of nothing. A recent example is an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal. This attack piece on Representative Ryun is presented as a news piece. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The article is really just another attempt by the anti-Republican media to attack a representative who does not agree with their values. Throughout the article, the author betrays his bias by slanting his description of the facts. For example, he goes to great lengths to try to point out that the house was never listed with a real estate agent. (Question: what's wrong with that?) Another example, he insinuates that Representative DeLay bought Ryun's influence by contributing to Ryun's campaign. The author's reasoning? Ryun voted with delay 94% of the time. This is shoddy reasoning. Of course Ryun would vote with DeLay frequently. They're both from the same party and share many of the same core ideals. The author's raising the issue is nothing short of a smear on Rep. Ryun. Overall, the article is cynical about Mr. Ryun, slanted against him in every way. The contempt of the author practically bleeds through the page.
I am disappointed in the Topeka Capital-Journal for running such an unprofessional article that is really nothing more than propoganda for the Democrat party. They should know better, and they should be ashamed of such blatant political manipulation.

Rambling: Color of the Sky at Sunset

In response to a recent comment, I thought I'd take a minute to give a brief explaination of the colors of the sky at sunset.
The sky appears orange, red, purple, and even yellow at sunset due to the scattering of the sun's rays by the atmosphere and particles within the atmosphere. When a light ray interacts with an atmospheric particle, it scatters in a manner known as Mie Scattering. This scattering is responsible for the blue color of the sky during the day.
Depending on the angle of the sun with respect to the atmosphere, though, different wavelengths are more likely to be scattered, giving off characteristic colors. The "cleaner" the air, the less scattering there is and the less interesting the sunset because only certain wavelengths are favored. However, the more dust, pollutants, and cloud particles there are in the atmopshere, the more scattering that occurs, creating a beautiful array of colors.
Even though I know that the scientific reasons behind the sunset, I never cease to be amazed at their beauty, nor to praise God for the wonderful design of the universe to allow such glorious displays! Praise God for creating such beauty!

Rambling: End of Year

It's the end of the year, everyone's tired, and the finish line is in sight. It's time for the stretch run. Will my sanity survive? :-)

Rambling: Beautiful Day

How often in May do we get to enjoy weather as beautiful as it was today. It was a great day to have our final soccer practice of the season, and it looks to be a beautiful weekend to referee soccer. I'm loving this weather!

Rambling: Dreams/Goals

People often associate having dreams and goals with being a teenager. It's the kids who are expected to have huge dreams for the future. Yet, even at 28, closing in on 29, I still dream.

I dream of owning a house.
I dream of earning a master's degree.
I dream of doing better as a teacher, coach, and referee.
I dream of leading short-term mission trips from my church.
I dream of being a radical man of God who effectively shares the Gospel in word and deed.
I dream of being married and having a family.
Is it childish to still have dreams? I don't think so. God continues to allow me to have goals and dreams in order to keep me headed in the direction that He wants me to go. Without some sense of where to go, I would stagnate, content to be where I am. And while I like where I am, I know that God has more in store for me in the future, especially in eternity, which I will get to spend with Christ.
So, I will let God work in my heart and mind to shape these dreams to fit His purpose for my life. But I will not abandon even the seemingly most impossible dream until He makes it clear that I should.

Rant: Calvinball and DC Security

I just got back from visiting Washington, DC. Overall, it was a great trip, and it was fascinating to see the city again. I enjoyed getting to see the inside of the Jefferson Memorial for the first time. We also had the privilege of visiting the White House, which has changed little since I was there back in 1995. Above all, it was a good experience.
<rant>However, there is one thing about DC that drove me crazy that I just had to rant about for a minute: the security.
Now, it's not the amount of security that bothers me. I realize that there are some very militant Muslims who will stop at nothing until our country of "infidels" is a smoldering ash heap. My concern goes with how the security personnel behaved. The best way to explain their behavior is to compare it to Calvinball.
Calvinball was a game made up by Bill Watterson in his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. It was a game of ever-changing rules, made up on the spot. One minute something was okay, the next something wasn't, and there was no warning when something would or would not be okay.
The security in DC was that way. There were next to no notices about what was or was not allowed. Sometimes, we could do something, sometimes we couldn't. Sometimes things that weren't even crimes were made into huge deals. Above all, I felt like Alice on her trip through the looking glass. I never quite knew what the rules of the game, and I didn't appreciate the arbitrary nature of the rules.
For example, just after some of my group got out of the White House, they sat down as they were waiting for the rest of our group to finish the tour. They weren't doing anything wrong. They weren't bothering anybody. They were just sitting on the curb. However, the security wasted no time assailing them as if they had just threatened the President, yelling at them to stand up as if they had just committed a felony. I explained to the secret service agent that they were waiting for the rest of our group, but that did not produce the usual, understanding response. Instead, the guard was harsh and disprespectful to our group. Strange.
Anyway, I was amazed at the lack of good communication about what was and what was not allowed. I can only hope that clear rules will be set out and spelled out. When that happens, it will be a more enjoyable experience for visitors to DC, who are innocent tourists minding their own business.</rant>

Rambling: Mud

I saw something like this on a greeting card about a year ago, and I thought apropos as I scramble to fit laundry into a very busy Saturday schedule.

Who says that singles have more time? Observe:
Family's To Do List for the Week
1. Dishes -- Mom and Jenny
2. Laundry -- Dad and Timmy
3. Clean Bathroom -- Timmy
4. Clean Family Room -- Jenny
5. Mow Lawn -- Dad
6. Shop for Groceries -- Mom

Single's To Do List for the Week
1. Dishes -- Me
2. Laundry -- Me
3. Clean Bathroom -- Myself
4. Clean Family Room -- I
5. Mow Lawn -- Yours truly
6. Shop for Groceries -- Who else?

Seriously, whoever said that singles have more time was never single past the age of 22.

Rambling: April the What?

Ponder these statistics:
Today is April the 27th.
Average high for Topeka, KS, on this date: 69
Average low for Topeka, KS, on this date: 46
Actual high for today: 62 (at midnight!)
Effective high (temperature at 4:00, typical time for a high): 45
The temperature outside when the high normally happens is lower than the average low for today.
It's cold! It's like early March out there, with the cool weather and mist! Welcome to Kansas!

Rambling: Crunch Time

This week and next are going to be incredibly busy. It's crunch time at school, with the 4th quarter heading into the home stretch. On top of all of that, soccer season just keeps going, and refereeing eats up even more of my time. It's just going to be a crazy couple of weeks. I have nothing else to say. The end.

Rambling: Tempus Fugit

Where does the time go? How can it be Easter already? It seems like yesterday that soccer season was just starting -- boys' soccer season. I've heard many people say that time seems to move faster as one gets older. I believe it. This has been the fastest Spring that I can remember.

Easter has come and gone, and now it's two weeks worth of sprint until Tours. I think I'm ready for it. I pray to God that I am, but I know that I'll need His grace to be able to exercise patience with inreasingly-antsy students. Above all, though, I am determined, by His grace, to enjoy teaching, coaching, and refereeing in the next few weeks. How often I let the frustrations of the temporal override the joy that is found in the eternal. Christ is alive! In Him, death no longer holds power over me, and one day I, too, will rise from the dead and live forever, serving and worshipping Him for all eternity. This is reason to be joyful every day, because each day's troubles are miniscule compared with the glory that awaits just down the road. Return soon, Lord Jesus!

Rambling: Wrtier's Block, pt. II

It's a beautiful day, and it's a wonderful blessing to have a day off. I can't think of anything else to post.

Rambling: Why Am I Here?

Sometimes, I just have to pause and wonder why I am here. Not meaning that I question my purpose for living -- "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (Westminster Catechism). Rather, I sometimes pause and wonder how I wound up exactly at this location, at this point in my life.

How is it that I should be so blessed as to be chosen by God, saved by grace, forgiven of my sins?
How is it that I should be so blessed as to be the one who gets to teach mathematics at Cair Paravel?
How is it that I have the privilege of coaching and refereeing soccer for these past few years?
How is it that I got to travel to Turkey, Germany, and Mexico on mission trips?
How is it that I have such a great family that loves me and cares for me?
To say that God has been gracious and merciful to me is an understatement, for I have deserved none of these things. And even though my life may not be exactly as I want it to be, I take comfort in the fact that it is how God knew it would be and that He is not done making it (or me) into what He wants it to be. I can't wait to see what He does next!

Rambling: Weather

Having studied meteorology, the weather always fascinates me. One of the most fascinating things is how storms seem to follow consistent tracks within a given severe weather season. For example: the past two outbreaks that have occurred here in the Central Plains have left Topeka untouched.

I guess this shouldn't be surprising, given the vast amount of open area that Kansas is. Still, it always amazes me how often there has been a gap so far this season between lines of severe activity. This gap always seems to include the city of Topeka. Even though we were in the heart of a high risk area today according to the Storm Prediction Center, it appears that we are going to get off without anything other than a little rain. Not surprising at all, I guess, knowing severe weather.
Still, I am disappointed a little, but not that we didn't get hit. I'm disappointed that the threat of severe weather caused our soccer games today to be cancelled. I was looking forward to that game. God must know best, though, and I will trust His sovereignty. Their must have been a reason for causing our opponent's AD to think it necessary to cancel the games.
All I know is that I have a few minutes for the first time all week to sit down and read. And I'm going to take it right now.

Story: Loldygocks and the Bee Threars

Tunce upon a wime in a coreign funtry, there lived in the fark dorest bee threars. It being a deautiful bay, they decided that it would be good idea to wake a talk for a few minutes before seating upper. Foolishly, however, they left their louse unhocked.
Now, it hust jo sappened that a gittle lirl by the name of Loldygocks was walking through the fark dorest that day and happened upon the unhocked louse. Being a rather gischevious mirl, she decided to go inside and explore it.

She kalked into the witchen and there saw three powls of borridge. Hungry, she decided to eat one. She fried the tirst. "This one's hoo tot," she said. She She sighed the tecond. "This one's coo told." She thried the tird and said with satisfaction, "But this one's rust jight." She ate the rest of the powl of borridge.
Feeling better, she decided to explore the hest of the rouse. Upstairs, she bound three feads. She fried the tirst. "This one's hoo tard," she said. She sighed the tecond. "This one's soo toft." She thried the tird and said, "But this one's rust jight." She lay down in the bird thread and shook a nort tap.
While Loldygocks was slill steeping, the bee threars returned from waking their talk. Kalking into the witchen, they saw the three powls of borrdige.
"Someone's been peating I morridge!" exclaimed ba papa threar.
"Someone's been peating I morridge!" exclaimed ba mama threar.
"Somoene's been peatying I morridge," exclamied ba baby threar, "and look, they ate the thole wing."
Very concerned, the bee threars ran upstairs to beir theadroom.
"Somone's been beeping in my sled," exclaimed ba papa threar.
"Somone's been beeping in my sled," exclaimed ba mama threar.
"Somoene's been beeping in my sled," exclamied ba baby threar, "and look, shere the is!"
Ba papa threar loared roudly and startled Loldygocks awake. Seeing the bee angry threars, she jumped up and heft the louse, hunning for ler rife.
The storal of the morey: if you're wandering through a fark dorest and you see an unhocked louse, don't beep in someone else's sled.

Commentary: Ad Hominem Strikes Again!

It's happening again. Every other year all members of the US House come up for re-election. And every other year, the Democrat party starts desperately trying to unseat Representative Ryun from his seat. Just like last time, they're running out Nancy Boyda. And just like last time, I expect them to pull all of their bag of cheap tricks out.

For example, most of the time last year, Boyda spent her campaign money trying to look like Ryun. She ran ads about how she biked across Kansas or about how important her faith was to her. (By the way, vague statements about faith don't win over Christian voters. We know that there's a difference between faith in faith and faith in Jesus Christ.) Above all, though, when all of those tactics failed, her campaign degenerated to ad hominem arguments against Ryun, a strong Christian man of wonderful character.
Now, the Democrat party is at it again. The Washington Post ran a questionable story, and the Topeka Democrat, er, Capital-Journal picked it up. It attempts to tie Ryun to the scandal-ridden lobbyist Abrahamoff through a real estate deal. Not direclty, of course. It's more like the game "Six Degrees of Separation from Kevin Bacon." Ryun bought real estate from a non-profit (step 1) founded by former House Speaker Tom DeLay (step 2). DeLay did not run the organization (step 3). Abrahamoff is the now-infamous lobbyist with ties to Republicans and Democrats, including Mr. DeLay (step 4). The house itself had some structural issues that lowered its asking price significantly.
However, the media quickly jumped on the story, claiming that Ryun is guilty of some sort of corrupt behavior for buying a run-down property. Give me a break! That charge is patently false, as anyone who takes the time to read through the entire story will know. As absurd is the attempt to connect Ryun with Abrahamoff. Ryun is a tenuous 4 steps away from Abrahamoff at best. In reality, there is no connection. This is just mudslinging out of season. Did the Democrats remember to get their license for out-of-season mudslinging? Probably. The party seems to be capable solely of that and not much more.
What's sad about this story is that a lot of swing voters won't take the time to read the whole story, and all they'll do is associate Ryun with scandal. This, of course, is exactly what the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media want. They want conservatives who disagree with them out, and they're willing to go to great lengths, including the printing of questionable stories, to get it.

Commentary: Iraq

War weariness is setting in for some Americans. They understandably are tired of hearing about what's wrong in Iraq. Of course, there's a lot of good being done in Iraq. The media, of course, ignores this. Notice, for example, that the majority of the problems are centered in one or two spots within the country. Overall, the country is in pretty good shape.
A more significant problem right now, though, is the constant attack by "peace" activists on the war. "The US is the weapon of mass destruction", they claim. "If we leave, Iraq will be better off." I want to take a second to respond to these two claims because they are false and because they fail to take into account the attitude of the enemy.

First, to blame the US for damage done to civilians by the Iraqi opposition is like blaming the Allies during World War II for the damage done during the Battle of Britain. The enemy is the one causing the damage, not the US. It is the Islamic terrorists who are driving explosive-laden cars into marketplaces, not the US government. It is terrorists who ambush Iraqi and US military convoys, not caring if they hit civilians in the process.
Now, some argue that the radical element in Iraq would stop attacking if the US weren't there. "Iraq will be peaceful if the US leaves," they claim. This statement shows an inherent lack of understanding about the enemy is. Our enemy is going to attack anyone and everyone who disagrees with them. Their sole goal is to establish an Islamic theocracy in Iraq, and anyone who stands in their way must convert, flee, or be killed. There is no true peace with them. If the US were not there, providing support and even fighting, Iraq would degenerate into civil war between the moderate Muslim majority and a fanatical group of Islamic fascists. The "peace" activists operate under the flawed humanist assumption that everyone is inherently good and that given the choice, each person would chose to live a quiet life and mind his own business. The history of the world shows otherwise. These terrorists will go attack somewhere else if they weren't attacking the Iraqis. The only way to have peace is not to retreat into a protective shell. We have to fight. Such is the way of this fallen world.