Cooler Than Average

An Expensive Discovery

2011-11-21T11:20:00.001-05:00

As the days have started to get cooler, with a few exceptions of summer trying to hold on, like today, I have found myself excited about "fireplace season." Yes I know, most people my age think the idea of chopping wood and building fires is rediculous, but sometimes I find joy in what others may see as mundane or unnecessary and building fires is no exception (we still use our gas heat, but like to supplement with fires). So in preparation of the impending colder weather, I spent part of last week researching how to make our fireplace more efficient. Now since we live in an older house, our fireplace/chimney has no damper (this is the device that closes the chimney when the fireplace is not being used). While I had known this, I had never thought much of it, but as I continued reading, I learned what my apparent lack of common sense should have told me in just how important this little device is at saving energy.

After reading this and subsequently feeling quite stupid, I decided to do a little test. I made sure all the doors and windows to our house were shut and then made sure the heat wasn't running. I then took a piece of tissue and held it inside the fireplace, just under the opening to the chimney. To my dismay, the tissue immediately caught a draft and disappeared. Even though there was no apparent opening for air to enter the house, the draft created by the chimney was strong enough to pull the tissue up, which means for the entire time we have been living in this house, every winter we paid to heat the outside.

Feeling more and more like an ignoramus, I immediately started researching ways to address this issue. After a short search online, I find a device that you insert into the chimney and then manually inflate, providing a complete seal to the outside. Needless to say, the item was purchased immediately and I imagine will pay for itself in a month or two from lower heating bills (our winter utility bills, for a house our size, have been absurd over the years....no more!)

This experience has made me wonder how my lack of knowlegdge about indoor stuff is costing me money as well as wasting resources. Outside, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable (the compost pile I built over the weekend was already steaming this morning) but when it comes to being handy inside, I have a whole lot more to learn!

I, Pencil

2011-10-12T14:53:00.000-04:00

I am not sure why it has taken me this long to discover this essay; having been written in 1958 by one, Leonard E. Read, its simplicity and yet brilliance may have never been more presiently penned than for our current economic woes, as well as the choice millions of Americans will make in a little more than a year from now.

So, please enjoy, and thank you Mr. Read, for your insight into the force, philosophy, and structure that helped propel the United States to become one of the greatest nations of liberty the world has ever known.

"I, Pencil"

I am a lead pencil—the ordinary wooden pencil familiar to all boys and girls and adults who can read and write.

Writing is both my vocation and my avocation; that's all I do.

You may wonder why I should write a genealogy. Well, to begin with, my story is interesting. And, next, I am a mystery—more so than a tree or a sunset or even a flash of lightning. But, sadly, I am taken for granted by those who use me, as if I were a mere incident and without background. This supercilious attitude relegates me to the level of the commonplace. This is a species of the grievous error in which mankind cannot too long persist without peril. For, as a wise man observed, "We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders."

I, Pencil, simple though I appear to be, merit your wonder and awe, a claim I shall attempt to prove. In fact, if you can understand me—no, that's too much to ask of anyone—if you can become aware of the miraculousness which I symbolize, you can help save the freedom mankind is so unhappily losing. I have a profound lesson to teach. And I can teach this lesson better than can an automobile or an airplane or a mechanical dishwasher because—well, because I am seemingly so simple.

Simple? Yet, not a single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me. This sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Especially when it is realized that there are about one and one-half billion of my kind produced in the U. S. A. each year.

Pick me up and look me over. What do you see? Not much meets the eye—there’s some wood, lacquer, the printed labeling, graphite lead, a bit of metal, and an eraser.

Just as you cannot trace your family tree back very far, so is it impossible for me to name and explain all my antecedents. But I would like to suggest enough of them to impress upon you the richness and complexity of my background.

My family tree begins with what in fact is a tree, a cedar of straight grain that grows in Northern California and Oregon. Now contemplate all the saws and trucks and rope and the countless other gear used in harvesting and carting the cedar logs to the railroad siding. Think of all the persons and the numberless skills that went into their fabrication: the mining of ore, the making of steel and its refinement into saws, axes, motors; the growing of hemp and bringing it through all the stages to heavy and strong rope; the logging camps with their beds and mess halls, the cookery and the raising of all thefoods. Why, untold thousands of persons had a hand in every cup of coffee the loggers drink!

The logs are shipped to a mill in San Leandro, California. Can you imagine the individuals who make flat cars and rails and railroad engines and who construct and install the communication systems incidental thereto? These legions are among my antecedents.

Consider the millwork in San Leandro. The cedar logs are cut into small, pencil-length slats less than one-fourth of an inch in thickness. These are kiln dried and then tinted for the same reason women put rouge on their faces. People prefer that I look pretty, not a pallid white. The slats are waxed and kiln dried again. How many skills went into the making of the tint and the kilns, into supplying the heat, the light and power, the belts, motors, and all the other things a mill requires? Sweepers in the mill among my ancestors? Yes, and included are the men who poured the concrete for the dam of a Pacific Gas & Electric Company hydroplant which supplies the mill's power!

Don’t overlook the ancestors present and distant who have a hand in transporting sixty carloads of slats across the nation from California to Wilkes-Barre!

Complicated Machinery

Once in the pencil factory—$4,000,000 in machinery and building, all capital accumulated by thrifty and saving parents of mine—each slat is given eight grooves by a complex machine, after which another machine lays leads in every other slat, applies glue, and places another slat atop—a lead sandwich, so to speak. Seven brothers and I are mechanically carved from this "wood-clinched" sandwich.

My "lead" itself—it contains no lead at all—is complex. The graphite is mined in Ceylon. Consider these miners and those who make their many tools and the makers of the paper sacks in which the graphite is shipped and those who make the string that ties the sacks and those who put them aboard ships and those who make the ships. Even the lighthouse keepers along the way assisted in my birth—and the harbor pilots.

The graphite is mixed with clay from Mississippi in which ammonium hydroxide is used in the refining process. Then wetting agents are added such as sulfonated tallow—animal fats chemically reacted with sulfuric acid. After passing through numerous machines, the mixture finally appears as endless extrusions—as from a sausage grinder—cut to size, dried, and baked for several hours at 1,850 degrees Fahrenheit. To increase their strength and smoothness the leads are then treated with a hot mixture which includes candelilla wax from Mexico, paraffin wax, and hydrogenated natural fats.

My cedar receives six coats of lacquer. Do you know all of the ingredients of lacquer? Who would think that the growers of castor beans and the refiners of castor oil are a part of it? They are. Why, even the processes by which the lacquer is made a beautiful yellow involves the skills of more persons than one can enumerate!

Observe the labeling. That's a film formed by applying heat to carbon black mixed with resins. How do you make resins and what, pray, is carbon black?

My bit of metal—the ferrule—is brass. Think of all the persons who mine zinc and copper and those who have the skills to make shiny sheet brass from these products of nature. Those black rings on my ferrule are black nickel. What is black nickel and how is it applied? The complete story of why the center of my ferrule has no black nickel on it would take pages to explain.

Then there's my crowning glory, inelegantly referred to in the trade as "the plug," the part man uses to erase the errors he makes with me. An ingredient called "factice" is what does the erasing. It is a rubber-like product made by reacting rape seed oil from the Dutch East Indies with sulfur chloride. Rubber, contrary to the common notion, is only for binding purposes. Then, too, there are numerous vulcanizing and accelerating agents. The pumice comes from Italy; and the pigment which gives "the plug" its color is cadium sulfide.

Does anyone wish to challenge my earlier assertion that no single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me?

No One Knows

Actually, millions of human beings have had a hand in my creation, no one of whom even knows more than a very few of the others. Now, you may say that I go too far in relating the picker of a coffee berry in far off Brazil and food growers elsewhere to my creation; that this is an extreme position. I shall stand by my claim. There isn't a single person in all these millions, including the president of the pencil company, who contributes more than a tiny, infinitesimal bit of know-how. From the standpoint of know-how the only difference between the miner of graphite in Ceylon and the logger in Oregon is in the type of know-how. Neither the miner nor the logger can be dispensed with, any more than can the chemist at the factory or the worker in the oil field—paraffin being a by-product of petroleum.

Here is an astounding fact: Neither the worker in the oil field nor the chemist nor the digger of graphite or clay nor any who mans or makes the ships or trains or trucks nor the one who runs the machine that does the knurling on my bit of metal nor the president of the company performs his singular task because he wants me. Each one wants me less, perhaps, than does a child in the first grade. Indeed, there are some among this vast multitude who never saw a pencil nor would they know how to use one. Their motivation is other than me. Perhaps it is something like this: Each of these millions sees that he can thus exchange his tiny know-how for the goods and services he needs or wants. I may or may not be among these items.

There is a fact still more astounding: The absence of a master mind, of anyone dictating or forcibly directing these countless actions which bring me into being. No trace of such a person can be found. Instead, we find the Invisible Hand at work. This is the mystery to which I earlier referred.

THE INVISIBLE HAND

By directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain. . . . He is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. . . . By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.

adam smith, The Wealth of Nations

It has been said that "only God can make a tree." Why do we agree with this? Isn't it because we realize that we ourselves could not make one? Indeed, can we even describe a tree? We cannot, except in superficial terms. We can say, for instance, that a certain molecular configuration manifests itself as a tree. But what mind is there among men that could even record, let alone direct, the constant changes in molecules that transpire in the life span of a tree? Such a feat is utterly unthinkable!

I, Pencil, am a complex combination of miracles: a tree, zinc, copper, graphite, and so on. But to these miracles which manifest themselves in Nature an even more extraordinary miracle has been added: the configuration of creative human energies—millions of tiny know-hows configurating naturally and spontaneously in response to human necessity and desire and in the absence of any human master-minding! Since only God can make a tree, I insist that only God could make me. Man can no more direct these millions of know-hows to bring me into being than he can put molecules together to create a tree.

The above is what I meant when writing, "If you can become aware of the miraculousness which I symbolize,you can help save the freedom mankind is so unhappily losing." For, if one is aware that these know-hows will naturally, yes, automatically, arrange themselves into creative and productive patterns in response to human necessity and demand—that is, in the absence of governmental or any other coercive master-minding—then one will possess an absolutely essential ingredient for freedom: a faith in free men. Freedom is impossible without this faith.

Once government has had a monopoly of a creative activity such, for instance, as the delivery of the mails, most individuals will believe that the mails could not be efficiently delivered by men acting freely. And here is the reason: Each one acknowledges that he himself doesn't know how to do all the things incident to mail delivery. He also recognizes that no other individual could do it. These assumptions are correct. No individual possesses enough know-how to perform a nation's mail delivery any more than any individual possesses enough know-how to make a pencil. Now, in the absence of a faith in free men—in the unawareness that millions of tiny know-hows would naturally and miraculously form and cooperate to satisfy this necessity—the individual cannot help but reach the erroneous conclusion that mail can be delivered only by governmental "master-minding."

If I, Pencil, were the only item that could offer testimony on what men can accomplish when free to try, then those with little faith would have a fair case. However, there is testimony galore; it's all about us and on every hand. Mail delivery is exceedingly simple whencompared, for instance, to the making of an automobile or a calculating machine or a grain combine or a milling machine or to tens of thousands of other things. Delivery? Why, in this area where men have been left free to try, they deliver the human voice around the world in less than one second; they deliver an event visually and in motion to any person's home when it is happening; they deliver 150 passengers from Seattle to Baltimore in less than four hours; they deliver gas from Texas to one's range or furnace in New York at unbelievably low rates and without subsidy; they deliver each four pounds of oil from the Persian Gulf to our Eastern Seaboard—half-way around the world—for less money than the government charges for delivering a one-ounce letter across the street!

The lesson I have to teach is this: Leave all creative energies uninhibited. Merely organize society to act in harmony with this lesson. Let society's legal apparatus remove all obstacles the best it can. Permit these creative know-hows freely to flow. Have faith that free men will respond to the Invisible Hand. This faith will be confirmed. I, Pencil, seemingly simple though I am, offer the miracle of my creation as testimony that this is a practical faith, as practical as the sun, the rain, a cedar tree, the good earth.

"There is a town, in North Ontario; With dream comfort memory to spare"

2011-08-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

OK, so I am totally ripping off my sister's title style, blog topic, and probably many other things; Ess, sorry but your post has inspired me! (For those of you who haven't read her blog, do it...she's a much better writer than I).

In a few days my family will take our annual holiday to a little lake called Ahmic on the Magnetawan River in Ontario, Canada. This summer trip is one that stretches past time out of memory, as my grandfather's grandfather first canoed the lake during the summers of the 1890's. In 1896, he bought a large stretch of shoreland for around a dollar an acre and built a cabin for summer visits. As time has passed, more family members have built cabins, and others seeking solace, found only in the unvarnished beauty of God's creation, also built around the lake. And thus throughout my lifetime going back beyond my ability to recall, I have spent a part of every summer with family and friends in that wonderful place.

While I have written and talked about Ahmic before, this trip will mark a new chapter in my life. For the first time, I will be going as a father, and I am so very excited. Every year about this time, as the dog days of the South beat down upon my brow, I say to my wife, "I know I say this every year, but I don't think I've ever been more ready to be up at Ahmic." Well this year is no different. While the heat here is oppressive of late, my little, darling daughter is the reason for my anticipation of this trip. I am so excited for her first experience of Ahmic, I can barely wait!

As my sister and wife have warned, the journey up might be tough. First a plane ride, then a border crossing, followed by a few hours on the road could prove to be a challenge for my daughter and niece, not to mention their parents! And yet even if the girls screamed the whole way, I don't think my excitement for them could be diminished. As we begin to pass the fertile farmland north of Toronto, stop for the best burger ever at Webers, and then move into birch tree country, I will think about all the memories these girls will make.

Ahmic, for those of us who have spent our lives going up there, is more than just a place with quaint features. And to each of us it may mean different things. For me, it is a way to escape the stress of everyday life. There is no TV, no talk radio, and very little cell phone or internet coverage, but even more than that it is a time to enjoy family as well as the majesty of God's creation.

As we finalize preparations for the trip, I thank the Lord for His blessing us with such a wonderful place as well as a wonderful family with whom I can enjoy it. I look in my little daughter's eyes and think of the future summer trips to Ahmic she will make; of her catching her first fish, of her and Charlotte staying up late giggling in the boathouse, and of her learning to drive a boat. While her memories won't be exactly the same as mine, I hope she treasures them as much as I do her and her mother.

"It's the economy, stupid"

2011-06-30T15:18:00.000-04:00

Hello readers. Long time no post. Sorry; what can I say, life is busy.

The title refers to a political slogan used by the Clinton campaign in the early 90's that successfully unseated incumbent Bush No. 1 due to his perceived neglect of the domestic economy. Many out there feel we are in a similar situation, so I wanted to share my thoughts. One caveat: these musings are from Henry your friendly-neighborhood-blogger, not Henry the financial advisor. If you want my financial advice, we must speak in private, not in a public forum such as this.

Having said that, the issue of the day is overwhelmingly the economic recovery, if one may call it that, of the United States. This recovery has been, by historical standards, extremely slow. This problem persists despite two rounds of Quantitative Easing (or printing money, totaling close to $2 trillion), an $800 billion stimulus plan, and an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts as well as a year-long payroll tax cut. By and large, the Federal government has thrown nearly everything it has as this recovery, and yet parts of it continue to creep along.

To be sure, some aspects of the economy are humming along fairly well, despite a hiccup here and there. The higher end consumer is still spending money at a record clip (look at earnings for Saks, Tiffany's, and LVMH) and energy companies are making nice profits, due in large part to the rise in oil prices (which I would attribute to three factors: Middle East unrest, speculation, and a weak dollar, the latter being the biggest culprit in my opinion). Corporate balance sheets are setting records for the amount of cash they have on hand (estimated at around $1.25 trillion), which would explain the increase in merger and acquisition activity versus the past few years. Interest rates for business and consumers have never been lower, and historically, individual income tax rates are low. Yet despite these economically positive developments, unemployment is still over 9% and housing continues to drag along. This problem has confounded many economists including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who, in his recent press conference, admitted the FOMC wasn't quite sure why the labor market was being so stubborn. So, why aren't businesses hiring more people?

I think the answer to this question is not quantifiable to economists in the traditional sense. It is difficult to measure it statistically, and rarely does it find itself among factors in econometric charts, but I believe the answer is fairly straightforward: uncertainty. If you ask any business owner, large or small, why they aren't hiring more people, the answer will likely be some form of uncertainty. Uncertainty over taxes, over health care, over future labor costs, over regulations, etc. From a business perspective, uncertainty is like the wind: you can't see it, but it effects can be devastating.

So how does an incumbent President correct this issue of uncertainty; and make no mistake, this is President Obama's issue. He may have inherited a lousy economy, but his policies and laws have created this uncertain environment. After three years in office, he owns this economy. The first thing he can do, as the leader of this country, is settle the debt limit issue. Without getting off on another blog post, let me say that creating and passing a bill that deals with the debt limit and long term budget deficit would be a good start to removing the cloud over businesses (my advice Mr. President, a balanced budget amendment).

Another tactic the President could use has two options: 1. lower the United States corporate tax rate from 35% (tied with Japan for highest in the world) to 25%, the OECD world average (this could be done incrementally over five years); or allow a one year corporate tax holiday for the repatriation of overseas profits (in other words, let business bring profits made globally back home without being taxed on them). The first suggestion may seem counter intuitive to keeping deficits down, so the President may be forced to cut more spending, but think of the economic "kick-in-the-rear" either of these policies would have. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if President Obama doesn't implement one of these policies, it will be to his political detriment as his challengers will propose them.

My third recommendation for our President is simple. With all due respect due to you and the office in which you serve, get out of the way of the economy. You have tried your Keynesian tactics and class warfare to no avail, how about we try something different: Stop demonizing wealthy people who are frequently business owners and the primary job creators in this country. And that reminds me Mr. President, if wealthy people, which you yourself have "admitted" to being one, need to pay more in taxes, why have you been using every possible deduction when you file your federal income tax? Stop pushing your "Green" agenda, which by the way means that if you want gas and oil subsidies to get canned, then so should ethenol, wind, solar power subsidies. I'm all about protecting the environment and leaving a smaller carbon footprint, but this should be an individual decision, not one mandating by the Federal government. And finally, stop pushing for tax increases in the midst of an already fragile recovery. Taking money out of the private sector is prohibitive to a growing economy.

As always with my thoughts and opinions, I welcome anyone to discuss and debate, and although my tone today may have been a bit harsher than usual, I still want any discussion on this blog to be civil.

My Garden Obsession

2011-04-20T14:18:00.000-04:00

"God Almighty first planted a garden and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures." ~Francis Bacon~

Most of you know I love to garden. Given my great enjoyment of this hobby, it probably comes as no surprise that Spring is my favorite time of year. I love the process of watching the earth awake from its long winter sleep and each stage occurring in its own particular sequence. In February the forsythia blooms and early daffodils start pushing upwards. Soon after, camellias, cherries, and dogwoods start to put own their show. And then come the azaleas! My, how I love azaleas. They are like the perfect shrub...evergreen, low maintenance, widely adaptable and at the height of the spring season, they are absolutely stunning.

During this Springtime show, vegetable garden activities are happening also. Most new gardeners frequently join the masses and buy their spring and summer plants from a store, but I really enjoy growing my own plants from seed, when it is possible. So each February, I start seeds of various vegetables inside (always tomatoes and usually peppers and eggplants). Starting from seed not only saves money, but for me, is a huge part of the joy in gardening. I find it immensely fascinating that a tiny seed contains all the starting power it needs to begin the process of growing into something amazing, whether it is a tomato plant or a massive water oak. Dana often finds humor in my obsession with seed planting...it is not uncommon for me to start checking for germination a few hours after I have planted the seeds. I just love seeing the little cotyledons ("seed leaves") peak out. Then, in a few days, the first true leaves begin to emerge.

One of the interesting things about tomatoes is that their leaves have a very distinct smell; not exactly pleasant, but very distinct. I told my mom not long ago that I love this smell because it is a reminder of what is to come...ripe, juicy, slightly-acidic-slightly-sweet tomatoes! For any of you who like tomatoes but have never had one straight from the garden...you don't know what you are missing. The ones from the grocery store can be likened to eating cardboard compared to a tomato that you have cultivated at home! I have often said, if for whatever reason I was forced to grow only one vegetable at home (although botanically it is a fruit), it would be tomatoes.

Despite my photography skills not coming close to my sister's, and her camera being much nicer than ours, I wanted to share a few pics of what was currently happening around our yard:

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and morning glories...picture was taken back in March

Our azaleas showing their beauty

A Morning Glory bloom...this annual is actually a cousin of the sweet potato!

Indian Hawthorn...a native of Georgia. A wonderful shrub if you can keep the deer of of them!

Blooms on a double-knockout rose. This is the rose for those of us who don't want to spend our entire day tending the shrubs.

One of my tomato plants. Certainly not the prettiest thing to look at, but that small yellow blossom portends of wonderful things to come!!

English thyme blooming in my herb patch. One of the easiest perennial herbs to grow, and very rewarding.

"May Those Who Love Us, Love Us...."

2011-03-09T15:55:00.000-05:00

In our house, March is Irish Heritage Month.

Yes, I know I'm weird. But my interest (some may call it an obsession) with Irish (and Scottish) history started many years ago, when, as a kid, my dad's father took the family to the Scottish Highland games at Stone Mountain Park. I was probably no more than eight years old at the time, but it had a lasting impression on me. Over the years I began learning more and more about my ancestry, of which a large part is Scotch-Irish. In fact, the Little clan (has various spellings like Lytle, Lyttle, etc.) was the 4th of the original 27 Scottish Clans and was a border clan.

After having delved into my Scottish ancestry, I began to pursue my Irish ancestry on my mother's side (the surname Kelly). Although I know less about my family origins on the Irish side, the history of Ireland became of great fascination to me. They are a nation who has known more sorrow and trial than perhaps, most others. Their story is one of persecution, religion, hatred, and at times, great achievement. Throughout my "formative" years, I studied Irish history and as I did, my interest in the culture grew. Throughout high school, my good friend Jordan Patton also pursued (and may still pursue) a similar interest, as he also had family ties to Ireland. I was so intrigued by this nation and its people that, by the grace and means of my grandparents, I took a 10-day trip to Ireland the summer after I graduated high school. It was one of the most unique and beautiful places I had ever seen, both in terms of landscape and people. I was able to visit Dublin, County Cork (we toured the Waterford factory), the Cliffs of Moher, the Blarney Castle (yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone), the Holy Cross Abbey, the Guinness Storehouse (where I had the freshest Guinness ever and to this day remains the best tasting beer I've ever experienced), and vast amounts of rolling Irish countryside. We ate local food that, although does not have the epicurean connotation that French and Italian food does, certainly had its own charm and characteristics.

Since that trip my appreciation for Ireland and its culture has grown so much that I have intensely studied Irish history in order that I might develop an opinion on its historical events. This has been somewhat difficult but let's just say it hasn't made me uber-fond of the English. I read about political and social dealings in Ireland at least once a month. I have read several books, both fiction and nonfiction, about Ireland and I have watched just about every Irish movie made. I also enjoy Irish music (yes Ben and Esther, I did take this a bit far...).

So how does all of this incorporate into Irish Heritage Month. Well for you who might not remember, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day so I felt the entire month of March would befit this occasion. Now, let me first say for all those ignorant, immature heathens who celebrate the life and work of Saint Patrick by consuming green beer and Irish whiskey to the point of inebriation, you mock the life and achievement of a great missionary. That is not what Irish Heritage Month is about. We celebrate the people, culture, and history of Ireland by means of food and drink, music, and entertainment. For example, during the month of March we will eat things like lamb stew, Guinness steak pie, colcannon, traditional soda bread, and even though the Irish of Ireland don't eat it, many Irish-Americans do, so we too will eat corned beef and cabbage. In addition to these, instead of keeping bourbon in my decanter I will have Irish whiskey; we also have Irish breakfast tea and various Irish beers. We will also listen to Irish music that includes bands such as The Dubliners, Enya, The Chieftains, U2, The Wolfe Tones, and The Dropkick Murphys. And we will also watch various Irish movies that might include Evelyn, Patriot Games, In the Name of the Father, The Devil's Own, Michael Collins, Bloody Sunday (one of the most powerful documentaries I've ever seen), and Blown Away.

So in closing, this probably is an "obsession" but I enjoy it and my wife puts up with it (and I hope she sometimes enjoys it). If you find you are interested in Irish culture, I would highly, highly recommend the books, The Galway Chronicles by Bodie and Brock Thoene; they are wonderfully-written historical fiction about mid-19th century Ireland. Even if you're not interested in Irish culture, I would recommend them.

"May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping.”
~Irish Proverb~

2010 Most Played

2011-03-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, not to fear...this post is NON-CONTROVERSIAL! (thank goodness, right?!) So life is a bit crazier these days, so I'm just now getting to this post. As with last year's list, the following songs are those that were added to mine and Dana's musical catalog during the 2010 year. We are aware some of these songs came out a while ago but, well, we don't exactly listen to the radio much. Also, I will try and give credit where it is due to those who introduced me to the song/artist.

1. JJ Grey & Mofro - Tupelo Honey
2. JJ Grey & Mofro - Brighter Days
3. Amici Forever - Nella Fantasia (props to Mark Howard for introducing me to this group...they are fantastic!)
4. Katherine Jenkins - Vide cor meum (Dana and I first heard this song in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven...one of our favorites; I still cannot listen to this song and not get goosebumps)
5. Nils-Erik Sparf - Water Piece in D Major, HWV 341 (arranged for trumpet and orchestra)
6. Alberto Martini - Violin Concerto in C Major, RV 184: 1. Allegro
7. Simon and Garfunkel - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
8. Zac Brown Band - Free
9. Ashtar Command - Deadman's Gun
10. Jamie Lidell - Compass
11. John Holloway - Sonata in E minor, Op. 1, No. 7, BuxWV 258: Allegro - Largo
12. MercyMe - All of Creation
13. Stephen Preston - E Flat Major Sonata - BWV 1031: Allegro Moderato (this song, as well as pretty much all the other classical songs in this list are a result of my Baroque station on Pandora)
14. Aaron Keyes - My Soul Finds Rest (this song was God's musical way of giving Dana and I strength when we were struggling with conceiving...now every time I hear it I am reminded of how blessed we are to have Lia in our lives)
15. Disciple - After the World (props to Dana for telling me about this song...love it)
16. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream (I'm a sucker for just about any "underdog" story and this is no exception)
17. Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still
18. Camille - Le Festin (from the soundtrack to the greatest animated movie ever...Ratatouille!!)
19. Jose Gonzalez - Far Away
20. Sam Cooke - You're Always On My Mind
21. Andrew Lloyd Webber - Masquerade
22. Muse - Uprising
23. Shane and Shane - Before the Throne (props to Ben and Esther for telling me about this duo...they have some really great music)
24. Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom of the Opera (to Esther's credit, she has been telling me for years how good this musical was, but I was too...immature...to appreciate it; until now)
25. Shane & Shane - He Is Exalted
26. Alicia Keys - No One (props to Will for letting me hear this for the first time...not my typical music but there is something about this song that gets you)
27. Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Music of the Night
28. Dame Joan Sutherland - Lakme, Part 1 (Flower Duet) (heard this for the first time last year at Trinity's Talent/No Talent show...Lynn Rienstra and Kara Sugg sang it and even though they weren't being entirely serious, I loved the song)
29. Jimmy Buffet - Life Short Call Now (although I think Buffet's best work occurred in the last millenium...pre 2000...as a Parrothead I always feel the urge to see what new tunes he has cooked up)
30. Amici Forever - Whisper of Angels
31. Jimmy Buffet - Big Top
32. Katherine Jenkins - Agnus Dei
33. Luciano Pavarotti - Rigoletto / Act 3 - "La Donna e Mobile"
34. Shane and Shane - Yearn
35. Willie Nelson - Always On My Mind
36. Zac Brown Band - Highway 20 Ride
37. Better Than Ezra - Fit
38. Ill Divo - Adeste Fideles
39. Robert Earl Keen - Gringo Honeymoon (props to Ben Bratton for introducing me to this song, as well as many others by Mr. Keen)
40. Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey
41. Amici Forever - Adagio
42. Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Mirror
43. Chris Tomlin - How Great Is Our God
44. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (again props to Ben for introducing me to this band)
45. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
46. Jimmy Buffet - Wings
47. OneRepublic - All the Right Moves
48. Andrew Lloyd Webber - All I Ask of You
49. Jimmy Buffet - Nobody From Nowhere
50. Josh Wilson - Before the Morning

It is interesting to see how my musical tastes have morphed over the years. Yes, on an occasion I still listen to some of my old rock/punk tunes, but less than I used to. As with last year, if anyone has any suggestions that they think might fit this eclectic assemblage of music, please tell me.

A Baby's Health

2011-03-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

So for those of you who don't like controversial topics, stop reading NOW. As the previous post mentioned, I'm not all that concerned with what the general populace thinks about me so I have no qualms writing the post I am about to write. If I offend anyone...well, get over it.

For those non-parents out there, the topic of breast-feeding versus formula feeding is one of the most touchy subjects out there with regards to parenting. And of course, there is no shortage of opinions (because we all know what opinions are like....) on the topic. I felt, since I've now been a father for several months, it was high time I put my opinion out there, Henry-style (i.e. no sugar-coated, beating-around-the-bush, soliloquy).

To begin with, I must first describe, for the non-parents, the "camps" that exist on this particular topic. There are the Nazi-breastfeeders who believe the act and process of breastfeeding is the most holy thing a parent can do. They believe (even if they don't exactly say it, they act like it) that the future social, mental, and spiritual well being of all children is largely determined by whether they are breast-fed or not. Surprisingly, in my own experience I have found a great many who fall into this camp even though they are not parents.

The second extreme camp are those who think breast-feeding is not worth the effort. They have no inclination to try it and are perfectly happy with formula-feeding their baby. It's no surprise that the first two camps are often...well, let's just say "at odds" with each other.

The third camp is for the rest of us who have struck some type of balance with both breast and formula feeding. Dana and I unabashedly, proudly, and confidently fall into this category. Even though Lia is solely on formula now (hey Nazi-camp, don't get your undies in a wad!!), for the first three months she was mostly breast-fed. But this third camp is broad, it in includes anyone who utilizes both means of nurishing their child.

Ok, so this "opinion" of mine is largely directed at the Nazi-breast feeders because interestingly enough, those who do not breast fed at all really don't push their position on others. They aren't really concerned with how everyone else does it, which suits me fine because every family is different. In my own experience, it is quite the opposite with the hard-line breast feeders. Many of them seem to have no qualms about blatantly implying that non-solely-breast feeders are robbing their children of the most important thing they will ever experience in their life. Well here is my response...

First of all, I know lots and lots and lots of well-balanced, socially adjusted, children and adults who have very positive relationships with their parents, all of whom were entirely formula-fed. Secondly, how many of you hardliners have had a conversation with a six month old lately about whether they prefer the breast or the bottle? Now I know that nutritionally, breast milk is superior to formula; there is no debating that (it says so on the packaging). But guess what, sometimes breast feeding doesn't work perfectly for everyone. I think when God cursed women after humanity fell into sin, having difficulty with child-bearing included breast-feeding. Sure breast-feeding may be ideal, but sometimes, for a great many reasons, it just doesn't work out. And for those great many parents out there for whom breast-feeding is an nonviable option, they should not be chastised for choosing other means for providing nourishment to their child. Even though they may use formula, most of them (like Dana and I) still love and care for their child as much as any breast-feeding parent.

Secondly, with regards to the idea that only breast-fed babies can fully attach to their mothers; please, someone, show me an academic study that proves this. I think it is a bunch of hogwash because even at three months Lia will not let me feed her or put her to bed. I've tried many times to help Dana with this but Lia, despite having received both formula and breast milk from a bottle, only wants her mother to perform these tasks (but Daddy is definitely good for play-time!!). As I mentioned before, I know many adults who were formula-fed and have very healthy relationships with their parents, so, not to rain on anyone's parade, but I think there is more to this than simply breast-feeding.

This leads me to my third and final point. Since Dana got pregnant, I have been studying Proverbs and reading through a book called Gospel-Powered Parenting (referred by someone in whom I have a great deal of spiritual respect) and so far, neither have mentioned breast-feeding with regards to raising God-fearing, Christian children. When I pray each day for Lia, my prayer is not centered on God having mercy on her because she eats from a bottle; it is centered on His Holy Spirit working in her heart even at this young age so that she may always know her Lord and Savior. In my humble opinion, Lia's knowledge and practice, by God's grace, of her need for salvation and that salvation being provided by the only acceptable sacrifice, Christ, is radically far more important than whether or not she is/was breast-fed.

In closing, I don't mind hearing other parents opinions on the subject, but once is enough. If we don't subscribe to your practices, don't be judgmental and pompous about it. And for the hard-liners who do not berate those who may not follow the same methods but instead maintain and show respect for them, I strongly thank you. As always, I welcome comments.

Cooler Than Average

2011-02-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

So you may have noticed, after much deliberation and some great suggestions from both friends and family, I have settled on the blog title "Cooler Than Average." Now before you go thinking that wow, Henry has a big ego, let me explain. For my entire life, even at an early age, I have always been both confident and well, apathetic in some ways. Confident in fact that I was happy with who I was/am, socially speaking; apathetic in the fact that if others didn't really like my style or personality, I didn't really care. Now I certainly know I have faults (I'm a sinner, I'm impatient, I'm quick-tempered. I'm stubborn as a mule, etc.) but from a SOCIAL standpoint, I am happy with who I am...and well, I'm not ashamed to tell people that in various ways and forms; which leads me to the story behind the title.

A few months ago my family was gathered at my parents house for some reason (perhaps the holidays, I don't exactly remember). And as is typical with my family, we were having one of our discussions (my family likes to "discuss" everything from geopolitical events to the finer practices of making compost...although most of the time our conversations end up on the topic of food!) and somehow or another we arrived at the topic of average human heights in the US decreasing. Everyone had pitched in their two cents so I decided to add the following information to the discourse: "I may be shorter than average but I'm also cooler than average." My family thought it was very funny although not so much the wording, but how the idea fit my personality dead on.

So thus explains my new title. I hope readers don't get the impression that I'm an arrogant person because I really don't think I am (in fact, I don't like people who are cocky), but instead, understand that I'm not really concerned with how the world sees me, and I am happy with who I am.

Books of 2010

2011-01-20T11:43:00.000-05:00

The following is a list of books I read in 2010 (mostly on my Kindle) and my thoughts/impressions:

The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy
Unfortunately, I had seen the movie before reading the book, so it was somewhat difficult to develop mental characters for this book without subconsciously "referencing" the movie, which was frustrating because the book was much better than Hollywood's politically-correct interpretation. If you've read Clancy, then you no doubt are aware of his conservative political leanings; but more to my point, he tackles modern days issues, like terrorism, head on and does an excellent job at not only captivating the reader's attention, but forcing them to actually think about the issue presented.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Dana had been telling me to read this book for a few years (since her book club had read it). I kept putting it off and reading other things but I finally sat down to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a classic read that does a wonderful job showing how pride and arrogance can be some of the ugliest characteristics a person can posess.

The Wind In the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
This book was one of my childhood favorites but I wanted to go back and read it again as an adult; and, as frequently is the case, I found perspectives and meanings that I had not when read as a child. Even though it is still a very entertaining story, I found I was able to know the auther more by way of his characters. And of course, the book has one of my all time favorite quotes:
"He took care to include a yard of French bread, a sausage out of which the garlic sang, some cheese which lay down and cried, and a long-necked straw-covered flask wherein lay bottled sunshine shed and garnered on far Southern slopes."

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
An excellent read by Mr. Lewis. I have always enjoyed studying the "art" of apologetics (which, as David Robertson said, is a terrible name) in hopes of gaining some of these evangelistic skills myself, so that my feeble attempts at witnessing and discussing my faith might be more effective (although ultimately it is Christ who changes hearts and not me, maybe I could be a "sharper instrument" for Christ). Lewis' book is quite compelling to the reader because he admits for the longest time that he was an athiest, but by thinking about the world in which we live, and why we may be here, his only logical conclusion was Christ. If you haven't read it, do so!

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island was always a favorite of mine growing up so I decided to expand my repertoire of Stevenson's works. Although I still like TI better, Kidnapped was an enjoyable read that involves a plot concept that I consistently find myself enjoying: an innocent person is wronged and the story is about how their situation is rectified either through revenge or "good fortune". Perhaps this is my sinful nature clashing with the knowledge of Christ's sacrifice for my sin. Christ, who was "wronged" in the ultimate way, did not seek revenge, but obeyed the will of the Father perfectly. When I was a kid I used to say that it was a good thing I wasn't Jesus and didn't have to be crucified, because if it was, I would have blasted the Roman soldiers with lightening bolts....
Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills
This was a freebie from Kindle and after reading, I understood why it was free. Although from a Christian perspective, it was "mindless entertainment." If you can get it for free, do so because it is a short, easy read, but do not expect your literary critical thinking prowess to expand.

"The Experimental Child"

2010-12-14T18:43:00.001-05:00

My parents used to describe Will, my older brother and their first child as their experimental child. While growing up I had an idea what they were referring to, but now that Dana and I have our own first child, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning!

Last Wednesday (which was when I had intended to write this post, haha) our dear little Lia turned one month old! My how the time flies. When she was first born, I had friends and family asking me if reality had set in. Well as I told Dana the other day, that morning, at 5:30, I was giving Lia her bottle and thinking, "Wow...I am actually holding MY daughter!!" So, it is STILL sinking in.... While the past month has been crazy to say the least, it has been a time of great blessing as well as much dependence upon God's grace.

As I have said in a previous post, Dana and I began supplementing with formula and we have, for various reasons, moved completely to bottle-feeding, but Dana still pumps, so Lia, our experimental child, has a nice mixed diet of about 85% milk and 15% formula. While not ideal, we have found that this method of feeding works best for us and for Lia, who is growing quite rapidly. Also, by using the bottle, this enables me (for better or worse!) to participate in feedings on an occasion. Dana still does the majority of them, but I help out when I can (I usually do any feedings between 5 AM and 11 AM).

Initially when we first came home, Lia would eat pretty well and then drop off to sleep but not many days after we brought her home, the nights became...well...awful. Lia would fuss and fuss and Dana and I could not seem to figure out what the problem could be. We would have to take turns on the couch with Lia sleeping against us on her stomach. On any given night Dana or I might manage four hours of sleep...not a habit that could go on much longer. We consulted books, nurses, doctors, websites, family members, etc. Finally my mom, after having the spent the night at our house to help out, thought she just wanted to sleep on her tummy. Now of course Dana and I had heard all about how tummy-sleeping increases the risk of SIDS, so we were very hesitant to do this. But after about the fifth night of little to no sleep and lots of SIDS research (Lia does not have any of the higher risk characteristics) and much prayer, we decided to let Lia sleep on her stomach. Again, we know this might not be ideal, but remember that odds are likely anyone reading this post slept on their tummy as a baby (this recommendation did not change until the early '90's) and Dana and I could not continue with the status quo; and, lo and behold, Lia sleeps wonderfully on her stomach! She has even starting going to longer stretches at night between feedings; anywhere from 3.5 to 5.5 hours. So again, we continue to learn and "experiment" on our child!

One of the biggest blessings of the past month, which I never appreciated until now, was the meals the WIC (Women In the Church) at Trinity Presbyterian coordinates. This was such a huge help as neither Dana nor I had the energy or inclination to mess around with cooking. Ladies, on behalf of my wife and my baby girl, thank you so much!!

(had to take a break...Lia needed a diaper change and Dana was taking a shower...my how life has changed!...funny how Esther and I both have to take "breaks" from posting...although I know she takes more breaks than I do)

Thanksgiving was also a huge blessing; Dana and I obviously couldn't travel so my parents graciously offered to host Thanksgiving this year and invited Dana's family, who, quite amicably, attended. Dad cooked an excellent turkey, Mom made uber-delicious stuffing, Dana's family brought several yummy accompaniments, and Esther brought her world-famous-best-cake-ever pound cake! The holiday turned out to be a whole lot of fun and it marked the first occasion for Lia to meet her older cousin Charlotte...they both hit it off and will soon be the best of friends (not that their parents are pressuring them or anything!)

Well, it would take days to say all there is to say about the past month, but I'm tired enough as it is. While Lia has only grown by little more than a month, Dana and I both feel like we are much older both emotionally, spiritually, and especially physically. But as He always does, the Lord provides guidance, encouragement, and strength. Thanks to family and friends for all the prayers and support!!

So Much To Do, So Little Sleep

2010-12-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

Guest post by Dana...

As Christmas rapidly approaches this year, Henry and I have been trying to decorate the house, though quite minimally, bake cookies (Henry) and other goodies, plan what gifts we will give, and find a Christmas card design that can also serve as a birth announcement for Lia. All of this is much easier said than done with a new baby in the house, as you can imagine! We finally decorated the tree last night, as it has been sitting in the window naked for several days. We consider this a major accomplishment so far this week!

As far as the Christmas card goes, I have found several cool card designs on Shutterfly.com, where they are offering a special promotion to bloggers this holiday season. Check it out here. My favorite thing about using Shutterfly is that I was able to change the standard greetings on many of the card designs, which allowed us to use a traditional Christmas card instead of paying for a more expensive and more formal birth announcement. Of course, we're in favor of any option that will save us time and money this year. Since we usually include a verse of scripture in our card, this year we have chosen to use Matthew 7:7 in celebration of our wedding anniversary last month. In addition to having a version of this verse recited at our wedding, it has been very meaningful to us these last five years.

This is my favorite design so far, hopefully we'll manage to actually get cards in the mail before Christmas. If not, I'm sure you'll understand. :)

For lots of awesome, traditional Christmas photo card designs check it out here. And here they have cards printed on thick stationery paper, which I think kicks them up a notch. For all of our friends out there who like to send Christmas letters (you are way more ambitious than I am!), here they have cards that are designed to include a letter. What a great idea! Shutterfly has tons of cards on sale today, plus free shipping on orders over $50. Anyone signing up for a new account will receive 50 free 4 x 6 prints... which I plan to use on photos for Lia's baby book!

Hope you are enjoying this Christmas season so far!

Lia's Birth

2010-11-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

     "Out of the mouth of babes and infants,
you have established strength
     because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger."
     ~Psalm 8:2~

Seven days ago, mine and Dana's life changed forever.

We woke up around 7 AM, anticipating another typical Wednesday. After my morning routine, dressing, and some breakfast/coffee, I walked back to our bedroom for my quiet time. As I was heading back, Dana opened the door to the bathroom with a peculiar look on her face. She informed me that she thought her water broke. Amazingly, I was calm. I had always thought when this event finally arrived, everything would break out into chaos, but it was quite the opposite. We calmly but quickly made our preparations to head to the hospital. On the way, we thought it would be prudent to go ahead and give our parents the heads up to the situation. Upon arrival, we filled out a bit of paperwork and then they whisked Dana into a room where they hooked her up to two monitors; one to measure Lia's heart rate and one to measure Dana's contractions. After a while the nurse, who was most pleasant, checked the printout of the contraction monitor and sure enough, Dana was having contractions, albeit small ones. They checked her progress and told us she was at 2.5 cm.

After learning that Dana was indeed having contractions and that we would be having the baby, we decided we should again call parents and siblings. Mom told me that her coworkers had convinced her not to meet us at the hospital, but to let us get settled and for her to come around lunchtime. Dana's parents were already in route to Covington...I think everyone was excited!

The hours rolled on and the contractions began increasing in frequency. Around 1:30 or 2 PM, the midwife who was put in charge of Lia's progression checked Dana again and she had progressed to 5 cm. More waiting, but the contractions began to be painful, so Dana, as we had planned, asked for an epidural, which was administered. They checked her again around 4 PM and she had only moved to 5.5 cm. The midwife who had been checking suggested Dana take some medicine (Pitocin) via IV to increase the strength of the contractions. In an excited and anticipating state of mind, we agreed to proceed, but in hindsight, we have decided not to do this again if the situation ever comes back up. So the Pitocin started at 2 mlh (milliliters per hour). Not too much change. They bumped it up to 4 mlh, then 6 mlh. The contractions began increasing in strength, but Dana also began to feel them more. Before long it was clear Dana was feeling everything...we later learned that there had been a blockage in the epidural and thus it wore off (my father, a physician, says this is not uncommon)...so much for a relatively painless birth!!

About 20 or 25 minutes after the last Pitocin increase, the midwife checked Dana's progress and she was at 9.5 cm!! So they started prepping her, the bed, and the room for delivery. I stood by Dana's side and did my best to talk her through the pain and encourage her. In no time at all, she was pushing, and pushing hard. Shortly after she began pushing, Dana's OBGYN, Dr. Larrimore, came in and started helping and directing. They noticed that Lia's heart rate had dropped fairly significantly. Lia's resting heart rate before delivery was between 140 and 150 and I saw on the monitor that it got as low as 70. This really scared Dana and I and Dr. Larrimore decided this baby needed to come out ASAP. Fortunately Dana had pushed enough for the baby's head to show, so the suction cap was put to use. Lia started to move, but eventually Dana's body had stretched as much as it was going to stretch and thus an episiotomy took place, followed by continued tearing. Emotionally, this rocked me. I couldn't see all the graphic details but I knew what was happening and I kept thinking, this is my sweet wife they are cutting on, Lord please protect her because in this situation, I can't!

Finally, at long last, Lia burst forth. The midwife told me to quickly cut the umbilical cord, which I did, and they put her in a little incubator and started checking her vitals. Her heart rate had climbed back up and her vitals looked good. Meanwhile, Dr. Larrimore began repairing/sewing Dana back up. We later learned Dana had level 4 tearing, which is the worst degree possible. But with time, she should make a full recovery.

So there I was, standing with Dana in her bed to my left and Lia in her incubator to my right. There are no words to describe the emotions. I think perhaps briefly, I got a taste of the love Christ has for His church; that He would gladly lay down His life for those He loves. So after about 40 minutes of sewing, Dr. Larrimore noticed some continued bleeding and told us she was concerned Dana had a tear on the inside. Dana was going to have to have an operation. The hospital staff told us to briefly let family come visit and see Lia, which they did, with great joy and excitement. Then Dana was rolled off for surgery, which, thank the Lord, was successful and without complications. Finally, around 1 AM that evening, Dana and I were together with our baby.

The following few days were, in my opinion, quite stressful. I told Dana, with a large degree of seriousness, I thought I had post-partem-depression. Not that I didn't want to hold and love on Lia ALL the time, but that I couldn't control my emotions. I'm normally a rather composed, slightly stoic person, but I couldn't even say a prayer before a hospital dinner without falling apart...and I was the one who had had the least trauma, if any!! I think there were several reasons for this: seeing a delivery, particular one with complications like Dana's, is traumatic. I told my parents I have a new-found DISRESPECT for the modernized, emasculated, American perspective of the Manger Scene. It probably wasn't peaceful or quiet or tranquil. It was more likely bloody, smelly, noisey, and chaotic. I think we do Joseph and Mary a disservice by portraying it the way we do. Another reason for my depression is that hospitals must be the most disheartening places on earth. They are so dull and drab; and finding any natural daylight was near impossible. And then finally Dana and I slept only a few hours each night so exhaustion could have also played a part in my despondency.

Finally, on Friday evening, we were discharged from the hospital and came home. Dana's parents had come back in town and helped us get settled. As far as feeding goes, Dana (and I, I suppose) have taken a mixed approach. Our original intention was for Lia to be purely breastfed, but either because she couldn't suck hard enough or Dana wasn't producing enough, we have had to supplement with formula. Now I know there are folks out there who think formula is from the pit of hell, but I know plenty of people who grew up on just formula and have turned out fine. Either way, let me say this: if ANYONE chastises Dana or me for our supplementing with formula, be fully prepared to have your head bitten off by the Dark Side of Henry!!!!! I will not tolerate criticism for one second in this area of parenting. In fact, unless we ask for advice on this subject (Dana has talked to both our moms and a lactation specialist), don't give it. Ok, I'll step off my antisoapbox-soapbox.

So Lia turns one week old today. The last seven days have been somewhat of a blur, and I'm amazed at how fast they have gone. Each day brings a new lesson for Dana and I as we learn how to raise our baby. Sometimes the lessons are very tiring, but as I told Dana this morning, after a particularly exhausting night, there is nothing like a baby to bring us to the end of our self. And yet, God's hand is present, and He is at work in both mine and Dana's hearts, as well as Lia's. I am so excited about this wonderful blessing God has given us, and I am looking forward to the memories to come.

P.S. To mine and Dana's parents: You have guys have been such a HUGE help. Whether it is running errands, answering questions, or just being supportive and encouraging, you have helped more in the last week than you will ever know. Lia is so blessed to have grandparents that love her as much as you do. Just don't spoil her too much!

A New Title

2010-11-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

So since I changed the name of my blog to "Don't Tread On Me", I haven't really been comfortable with it. Although I do feel this appellation reflects some of my personal politcal feelings and even though I do occasionally post political musings, I do not want those topics to be the central them of this blog. I would prefer a more comprehensive view of who I am and the topics, pursuits, and people that interest me. So with this desire in mind, I am changing my title again, but I would love reader's input, as I find that frequently others have more insight and better suggestions that what I may come up with on my own. So if you have an idea that would fit this blog, please comment, Facebook me, or email me. I will keep posting as the search for a new title continues....

Making Sense of the Georgia Ballot

2010-10-28T11:24:00.000-04:00

Frequently, when voting time comes around, folks are prepared to cast their votes for their favorite candidates, but have no clue about the proposed amendments that frequently appear on the ballot. Many, in fact, do not know where to research them and make an informed decision, much less, interpret the legalize jargon with which they are presented; so for the second time, I will make my own personal recomendations and you can follow them if you agree.

From my research and understanding, the Georgia ballot will have five state constitutional amendments and one referendum.

1. The first amendment states "to authorize the General Assembly to provide for contracts that limit competitive activities between or among employers and employees, distributors and manufacturers, lessors and lessees, partnerships and partners, franchisors and franchisees, sellers and purchasers of a business or commercial enterprise, or two or more employers". This description is rather deceptive as the actual language of the bill provides basis to uphold competitive agreements already in place in Georgia courts. I will vote YES to this amendment.

2. "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to impose an annual $10.00 trauma charge on certain passenger motor vehicle registrations in this state for the purpose of funding trauma care; to provide for a trauma trust fund". I don't really want to pay anymore taxes, fees, or registration charges than I already do, and I furthermore do not believe it is the state's responsibility to provide trauma care. Therefore, I will vote NO to this amendment.

3. "General Assembly to allow the Georgia Department of Transportation to enter into multiyear construction agreements without obligating present funds for the full obligation to the state under the full term of such agreements". To me this sounds like a bad idea...commiting to projects without providing the full funding up front. Therefore, I will vote NO to this amendment.

4."Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize state multiyear contracts for governmental energy efficiency or conservation improvement projects in which vendors guarantee realization of specified savings or revenue gains attributable solely to the improvements." The wording of this amendment is also somewhat deceptive, but if you read the actual bill language, the end result is state spending and debt. While I am generally a fan of energy efficient projects and conservation programs, now is not the time for the state of Georgia to be spending money on items like this, given that balancing our budget remains challenging. I will therefore vote NO to this amendment.

5. "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to allow the owners of real property located in industrial areas to remove the property from the industrial area." From what I can tell, this basically

gives property owners more choice and authority over the property that they own. To me, this is always a good thing so I will vote YES to this amendment.

There is also a proposed statewide referendum that if passed would allow inventory of businesses to be exempt from state property tax. Any decrease in tax is always welcome so I will vote YES to this referendum. (Remember, that potential non-taxed money could go to hiring)

If anyone has other opinions and/or knowledge of these issues, please feel free to comment. If anyone has particular questions about specific candidates, you can also comment on here, email me, or ask on Facebook. Hope this information helps and remember, exercise your right and VOTE!!!

Federal Stimulus...Effective?...Or Not So Much?

2010-10-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

As you all may recall, back in February of 2009, Congress passed the largest Keynesian-style (basically an economic school of thought that suggest the government should intervene when needed in order to foster economic growth/recovery) stimulus that the world has ever seen. The theory behind this move was that by spending these funds, the Federal government could help kick-start the economy and avoid another Great Depression. The Act was largely partisan, with only three Republican Senators voting for it. The Administration made bold and optimistic claims about the success the Stimulus Plan would have. You might remember hearing about how the plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8.5% or thereabouts and rapidly spur the economy into a robust recovery.

Now we all know the rosey outlook that was predicted has not come true, but the point of this post it not to lambast the Administration (I'll leave that to the likes of Hannity and Boortz). The point of this blog is not to argue classical/supply side economic policies over Keynesian economic policies. The point of this blog is to show, by use of simple mathematics, how inefficient the Federal government is at the allocation of capital; and after reading the post, if anyone would like to participate in a friendly, fact-based, ADULT debate, I would more than welcome it. I DO NOT, however, want this post to be a sound-board for political candidates; a forum for political bashing and trashing talking (remember the R-E-S-P-E-C-T blog??); or a place for voicing politcal anger. Please do all that somewhere else.

Now, on to my arguement. The CBO, which most will agree is relatively non-partisan, has the most recent cost for the Stimulus Plan totaling $814 billion. That is a really big number. To help put this in perspective, if the Stimulus Plan were viewed as its own economy in terms of GDP, according to the IMF, it would rank as the number 16th largest economy in the world, ahead of countries like Turkey, Austria, Greece, Ireland, and Indonesia. I think sometimes we read over this number and don't really consider how much it really is. You could add up the entire market capitalization (the price of the stock times all the stock outstanding) of ExxonMobil, Microsoft, General Electic, and Boeing and still not reach this number. THIS IS A VAST SUM OF MONEY.

Now, many may scoff at the following claims, but according to the website Recovery.gov, the Stimulus Plan has thus far created or saved over 750,000 jobs, which is on track to meet the Administration's goal of saving/creating 3.5 million jobs. Although these claims have yet to make themselves known in the unemployment numbers, for the sake of this post we will assume these predictions and claims are accurate. So, if the Stimulus plan is to save/create 3.5 million jobs, with a total cost of $814 billion, then that means...let's see....carry the five...in order to create just one job, it cost the U.S. taxpayer $232,571, which is almost 4.5 times the 2008 median household income level (according to the Census Bureau). Now maybe I'm making a wild guess here, but I don't think the Stimulus plan created a whole lot of lawyers, surgeons, tenured professors, etc. So why such a huge gap between the cost and the benefit? Many arguements can be made to answer that question but it is my personal belief that the Federal government is extremely inefficient at allocating capital, mainly due to the bureacracy costs associated with distributing said capital. I can't remember who conducted the study (I think it was a professor from the Harvard Business School) but the resulting data showed that for every dollar the government intended to spend for stimulus, it cost an additional 40 cents to "get the money out." That means that of the $814 billion, $233 billion was simply the implementation cost. THAT IS GROSSLY INEFFICIENT.

I think we would have been better off, still keeping in step with the Keynesian approach, to have just issued checks to every U.S. taxpayer for about $5000 (138 million taxpayers times $5k would equal $690 billion). I mean can anyone reading this post not agree that we would do a better job putting this money to work than Uncle Sam? You could use it to pay down your mortgage, pay off credit card debt, make a down payment on a new car, remodel your house, install solar panels, etc. And, with this method of economic stimulation, there would be no debate as to whether the Administration was the plan to push a politcal agenda.

And yet, given these arguments, there is still talk about another, albeit smaller, stimulus plan following the same method as before, despite the fact that well, I haven't really felt very stimulated...have you?

P.S. Just to clarify, I am largely opposed to Keynesian-style economic policies and tend to favor the more classical/monetarist appoach (think Adam Smith and Milton Friedman) as I believe history has shown the Keynesian theory to be problematic. But for the sake of this discussion it was important to keep the approach constant. But for those who are interested in economics but are not sure where you stand, ask a Keynesian economist to explain, using their models, stagflation. They can't do it.

Guy Time

2010-10-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks ago, I received an invitation from my best friend growing up, Seth Park. He wanted to go dove hunting and had an open spot. Since Seth and his wife, Rachel, are, in December, leaving to go back to Turkey (where they "serve"...if you want details, email me) for the foreseeable future, I jumped at the opportunity to spend some time with my good friend. The place we were going to hunt was in Montezuma, GA...which is southwest of Perry, so we had a nice little 2 hour drive which we spent listening to Seth's obscure indie-rock music (Seth, your taste in music has greatly improved since we were in high school), talking about investing, and reminiscing about our wild, crazy, and foolish adventures growing up; one day one of us needs to write a book about all the crazy stunts we pulled as kids...it could be a bestseller.

We eventually arrived at our destination, which was a very large farm with peanut, sorghum, and cotton fields as far as the eye could see. As is typical with dove hunting, we spent the first hour and half eating our lunch, enjoying one or two Yuenglings (not enough to make our afternoon activities dangerous!) and generally shooting the bull. After some time, we began setting up our "cover." This basically entailed putting a seat of some sort on the edge of a sorghum field and surrounding it with tree branches to break up our profile. We also set up dove decoys (something I had never used but I am now convinced they work) in the already-harvested peanut field which we would be shooting over. Not long after we finished, we began to see birds flying.

Now I had not been dove hunting in probably ten years, so I had forgotten the flight pattern of doves. Therefore my first two kills were, ahem, not our desired prey (they were some type of starling...don't feel bad, there were millions of them down there). Eventually I learned which birds were doves and we started unloading. Unfortunately dove can be difficult to shoot so our "unloading" to kill ratio wasn't exactly top notch, but between the two of us we took down about 12 birds over a two hour period; not too bad.

As it got dark we loaded up our gear and headed home, stopping only to get a Chickfila dinner in Perry. Our conversations on the way back were markedly different than the ones we had coming down. We both reflected on how we felt, despite being young in our respective marriages, our relationship with our wives was unusually solid and well-grounded. We also both discussed how this situation was in no way a result of our efforts, but was in fact God's blessing and grace in our lives. We both knew of many couples, young and old, Christian and non-Christian, who had either divorced or had gone through very rough patches in their relationships, and therefore both Seth and I were extremely grateful for the Lord's blessing by being the cord that kept our marriages together. In fact, we both felt a bit guilty for being blessed in this way, because we both recognized what sinners we were and how we in no way deserved this. But, God was and is good, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1:17

In closing, I just wanted to reflect on how important strong, Christian relationships are with guys (this is true for girls as well). Dana is certainly closest to me and knows me better than anyone, but healthy guy-friendships outside of marriage are not only valuable, but Biblical (1 Samuel 18, Proverbs 27:17)

Fitness!!

2010-09-20T12:08:00.000-04:00

Several days ago Dana told me about a conversation she had with a coworker. A guy at her office was telling Dana about how his wife had started P90X and how intense it was. He told Dana that she should NOT do it since she was pregnant. Dana then told him that she had done a few of the videos with her husband (me) before she got pregnant. Her coworker asked about my using the program and Dana told him I had been doing it since January, had lost 55 lbs, and was "ripped" (those were her words). The guy then proceeds to say, "Wow, they ought to use that in the marketing...lose 50 + lbs, get ripped, and get your wife pregnant!" Ahhh, the benefits of exercise...............

My last post (too long ago) was about the benefits of healthy eating and how to accomplish weight loss by counting calories. This post will be about fitness, as it goes hand in hand with healthy eating.

Fitness should not be a burden, but for many people it is. They struggle to find the motivation to put on the old running shoes or trek down to the YMCA to spend some time on the StairMaster. For a long time, I was in this group. I didn't mind lifting weights as I had done this off and on since high school, but I hated doing cardiovascular exercise...it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Then I discovered P90X. And while I don't want this post to be on long advertisement for P90X, I must briefly tout its benefits. I had some friends who had been doing the P90X program and had told me how intense it was and how they had lost weight and gotten stronger. The idea that I could get a total body workout without having to pay for a gym membership greatly appealed to me so I bought the program shortly after Christmas and began my first round on January 1. Initially, it kicked my proverbial butt!! I struggled to complete the workout each day, but afterwards, despite sore muscles and a tired body, I felt like I had really accomplished something. And soon after I started (in conjunction with a diet change), the pounds and fat began melting away. I'm now nearing the end of my third ninety-day round and look forward to another.

So while P90X (with some running and cycling mixed in) has worked for me, I realize this program is not for everyone. BUT exercise IS for everyone. Aside from the fact that fitness is just good for your body, healthy eating in conjunction with diet can dramatically decrease the time it takes to shed pounds. The following are a few tips for the would-be exerciser:

1. Don't expect to be Superman from the beginning. Unless you have already been doing something to get your body in shape, you WILL struggle initially. For many people, it is best to ease yourself into a program: do an hour walk a day and after a week or two, make it a 30 minute jog, then after two or three weeks, make it a 30 minute run, etc. I'm convinced the first month is the most critical when a person is starting an exercise program. You are going to be tired, you will be frustrated, and you will have every excuse in the world NOT to exercise, but if you stick with it, and make it a habit, I believe that with time, you will find yourself actually WANTING to exercise!

2. Time is a factor that affects us all. I understand that not everyone can commit an hour every day to exercise, so for those of you are uber-busy, I'd suggest you fore go the resistance/strength training and focus on cardiovascular. Cardio work had greater benefits over the long term, and you generally burn more calories doing cardio work. If you can, aim to do some cardio exercise at least three days a week (but not more than 7 days a week, because your body will need some rest...and of course, Sunday is a good day to rest because it is the Lord's day!)

3. Invest in some decent equipment. Buy good quality shoes and a heart rate monitor. You can get a basic HR monitor from Amazon for like $25. They are extremely valuable in helping you calculate calories burned as well as giving you an accurate measurement for how hard you are pushing yourself (whether you are overdoing it or whether you are being a sissy!). If you do buy a HR monitor, use this website to help you calculate how many calories you burn while exercising...the formula is based on a truly scientific approach and is more accurate than anything else I've seen. (As far as VO2max goes, according to Wikipedia, an untrained young man has an average V02max of 45 and an untrained young woman has a rate of 38. These rates vary with age and levels of fitness, but I use 45 for my calculations).

4. While I find running to be the cheapest and most convenient way to get cardio exercise, some people really hate running and others find it hard on their joints (this becomes less of a problem if and when their weight decreases, for obvious reasons). So do what works for you, whether it is cycling, stair mastering, brisk walking, rowing, hiking, mountain biking, aerobics, tae bo, Kenpo X, and for those of us who are beasts, Plyometrics! The point is there are LOTS of options, so find one or find many and get to it!

5. Stretching is an extremely important aspect of exercise. A year ago, I could barely touch my ankles when bending over. Now, I can almost put my hands flat on the floor. (Just ask my wife or my sister how much my flexibility has improved...seriously, I used to be as flexible as a fence post, but not anymore). Stretching not only decreases your chances of injury, but it can actually increase your performance. I'd suggest spending about 5 minutes before AND after any exercise with a warm up/cool down and stretching. If you want to stretch your whole body you can, but certainly stretch the muscles you will be using or have used, i.e. if you run stretch your quads, hamstrings, calves, and gluts.

6. For those of us who like to eat, exercise is so helpful. Here's an example...my body naturally burns about 1900 calories a day, but since I usually burn an additional 400 to 600 calories each day via exercise...that means I can eat an extra serving of yummy French baguette, or I can have a bowl of ice cream or pie or whatever after dinner. Basically, once you reach your desired weight, exercising lets you splurge more often and not feel guilty about it (so long as maintain an avg calorie burn equal to intake)!

These are just a few glimpses/tips into the world of fitness. There is a wealth of information out there, so do some research, talk to your doctor (or ask questions on this blog and I'll do my best to answer them) and get to work. Don't wait for New Year's...start NOW! And in no time at all, you will find yourself with more energy, better sleep, in better shape, and able to eat more!

Health and Nutrition (Part 1)

2010-08-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know...I have spent a good part of the last 7 and a half months losing weight and getting in shape. So far I've lost around 53 lbs and a size lower in pretty much all my clothing. And I would say I am currently in the best physical shape I've ever been in. And while I am happy with the changes, when people ask me about it, I get the idea that they think weight loss/management is some mysterious voodoo science that only a few can understand. The fact that there are literally hundreds of different "diets" out there only complicates the matter. So, with that in mind, I wanted to write a blog post doing my best to summarize everything I've learned over the past 7 months.

You see, part of my personality is that when I truly commit to something, I like to research it as thoroughly as possible and then hit it full on, pedal to the metal. Now there are many hobbies I've shown interest in but never really committed to; I'm still TERRIBLE at playing guitar and golf. But for things like cooking, baking bread, and nutrition/weight loss (yeah that list doesn't exactly go together I know) I have really committed. So when I decided it was time to lose some weight and get in shape (after many, many years of being overweight), I consulted my father (an internal medicine doctor), did as much reading from reliable sources as I could, and then did my best to put it into practice. Since there is a huge amount of information out there, and in order to keep this from going on for days, I'm going to try and organize this post as best as I can.

Section 1: Weight Loss
Here is the highly classified, super secret formula for weight loss: basic addition and subtraction. One pound of body weight represents approximately 3500 calories of energy. Therefore in order to lose one pound of body weight, a person needs to create a deficit of 3500 calories. For example, if a person maintained a deficit of 500 calories a day, they would lose one pound in a week. You may say "a deficit from what??" Well, from everything I've read, the average human has a daily basal metabolic rate (BMR) of about 12 times their weight. So, since I weigh about 160 lbs., on a normal day I naturally burn around 1920 calories a day. Now this is an estimate...it may be slightly lower for women (sorry ladies...unless you are pregnant, and then it is probably higher). Also, if a person works in carpentry or does heavy lifting or is in the military, well they are obviously going to burn more calories, but the 12 x body weight is a good place to start. This means, if person who weighs 200 lbs wants to lose weight without having to exercise, they need to eat less than 2400 calories a day; and of course, the higher the daily deficit, the faster the pounds will come off. We'll get into to what a person should eat in a second, but I wanted to cover this base first. So, create a calorie deficit and maintain it, and you will lose weight....I guarantee it. As my father likes to say, "ALL diets work because all diets restrict calories."

A few notes:
1. If a person creates too large of a calorie deficit, their body may go into starvation mode and start lowering their BMR. In order to avoid this, don't starve yourself! A daily caloric deficit of around 1000 calories is about as high as a person should go. At this rate, they will lose two pounds a week.
2. Another "trick" to keep your body out of starvation mode is to, on an occasion, eat slightly more than normal, but don't exceed your BMR. This will help let your body know that, yes, food is still available for consumption.

Section 2: Counting Calories
No carbs. More veggies. More whole grains. You can't have any bread but you can eat all the bacon in the world. Does this sound familiar? This is the kind of diet garbage that is out there. In order to lose weight and be healthy, a person doesn't not have swear off certain food groups (in fact this can do more harm that good). For example, over the last month I have had chicken/pasta salad, 9-grain bread, omelets, apple puff pastry turnovers, cinnamon raisin english muffins, roasted quail, fresh tomatoes, pecan pie, cottage cheese, biscotti, strip steak, beer, homemade pizza and much, much more. Pretty diverse foods aren't they? So, how can I have this variety of food and still have been at a calorie deficit? BY COUNTING THEM. Anyone who has lost weight or even tried to lose weight knows how difficult it is to eat less. But losing weight requires a great deal of discipline, and that discipline, if you find it, can reap huge results if you make it a practice to measure your servings, count your calories, and if needed, even weigh foods. And there are loads of free websites out there that make counting much easier. My favorites have been http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and http://www.fatsecret.com/ (I log into Fat Secret either via my Blackberry or the web several times a day). Many of these sites also provide information about calories burned during exercising, but we'll get into that later.

Notes:
1. One gram of both carbs and protein each equals approximately 4 calories. One gram of fat equals 9 calories. Therefore, your fat intake will probably naturally have to go down in order to decrease calories and odds are likely that isn't a bad thing.
2. Don't cheat when it comes to portions. Weigh things if you have to (you can buy a kitchen scale for like $15). Since I tend to be somewhat OCD about things I have "truly committed" to, I weigh or measure nearly everything I eat, from cereal to steak. Logging one serving in calories does absolutely no good if you actually eat or drink two.
3. Eating a small snack between meals can help keep you from feeling hungry and subsequently overeating at the next meal. But make them healthy snacks!

Section 3: Nutrition
Although I am no nutritionist, I have done a lot of research into this subject both by reading and by talking to medical and nutritional experts. Here's the skinny...not all fat is bad. But some fat is horrible. Fat can be an important source of energy. Not all carbs are bad. But too many carbs is very harmful. Carbs are also an important and primary source of energy. Not all protein is bad. But too much protein can be useless as well as problematic. Now, in more detail....

Fat is something Americans consume way too much of. Having said that, poly and monounsaturated fats are good for you and are essential to healthy living. Omega 3 fatty acids are also very beneficial. Saturated and trans fats, however, are from the devil!!! This things can kill just as fast as cigarettes so KNOW what types of fat you are taking in. Here's a great place to start...don't eat fast food! If you find you must satisfy a Chickfila craving from time to time (which I, on the rare occasion, do), go to their website or use Fat Secret to look up the nutritional information about the foods they offer and make an informed decision. As far as general fat intake goes, it is probably best to keep your percentage of fat calories to between 20% and 30%. See, our digestion process is uber-efficient. All fat gets broken down into its basic components, which are called triglycerides. Too many of these in the blood stream can cause serious problems. (Remember, there are about 9 calories for every gram of fat, so that means you might need to give up some things...potato chips, candy bars, full fat ice cream, non-lean burgers, etc.)

Carbs have gotten a bad rep over the last decade. But the thing is, carbs in and of themselves are not bad. The amount of carbs we consume is bad. You see carbs are our primary source of fuel, and as I said before, our digestion system is very efficient. All the carbs we consume that are not of a fibrous nature (bread, pasta, potatoes, starchy veggies, fruit juice, sugar) get broken down into glucose, the most basic form of sugar/energy. Some of this glucose is used as fuel to help us breath, grow hair, walk to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, mow the yard, etc. However, any extra glucose that it not used gets stored as fat. So, unless we are "plowing the south forty acre plot every day" as my father likes to say, too many carbs becomes extra fat and extra fat can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. This doesn't mean we can't eat carbs; it simply means we shouldn't eat too many. This was my problem for several years...I didn't eat a lot of junk food, I didn't really eat desserts a lot or drink soda...I ate bread and pasta. And I ate too much of it (my blood pressure was creeping up into the unsafe zone and I wasn't even out of my twenties!). But with a lot of encouragement, discipline and learning, I have corrected the problem.

Protein is important for keeping muscles healthy. Again, our digestion system kicks into gear, and protein gets broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks for muscles. So getting enough protein is an important part of good nutrition. The problem is our source of protein generally comes from fatty animals (think beef, pork, and yes, chicken). The actual protein from these sources isn't bad, but unless you are willing trim the fat off your steak or chop, or remove the skin from the chicken (which I do because I like these foods!), you are taking in as much if not more fat as you are protein (and by and large, this type of animal fat is mostly saturated fat). So where do we get protein without extra fat and without having to take extra fat-removal steps during preparation? THE MIGHTY SEA!! Almost all seafood is loaded with protein and has very little fat. In fact, some seafood sources, like tuna, contain Omega 3 fatty acids which we need. Now I know there are some crazy, insane, loonies out there who don't like seafood. Well I pity you because not only are you missing out on some yummy food, but you will have to make some extra effort to get your protein from less fatty sources. Dairy is a great source of protein (milk, cheese, yogurt) so long as you get 1% or less (2% and above and the fat content starts to get too high). I have been eating non-fat organic Greek yogurt and non-fat organic cottage cheese for some time and I still love them and they are both excellent sources of protein. And also, certain nuts are good sources of protein. Almonds, pine nuts, and soy nuts all have big doses of protein. Yes, they also have fat, but very little of it is saturated and it is full of Omega 3's.

Notes:
1. You can still, on an occasion, treat yourself to a steak, a piece of pie, birthday cake, or french fries. Just limit this treat to maybe twice a month and be sure than you "make up" for the extra calories at some point in the day (if you are trying to lose weight). For example, I made a pecan pie a few weeks ago and since I knew I would be eating a piece after dinner, I ate less food at breakfast and lunch.
2. EAT YOUR VEGGIES!! Vegetables, as long as they aren't cooked in fat, are uber-nutritious and contain large amounts of dietary fiber, which has many benefits ranging from slowing the absorption of glucose to helping maintain a regulated digestive tract. And of course, they taste good...just don't eat them from a can (unless you canned them at home)!! Either buy them fresh, or even better yet, grow your own. And the world is full of an amazing variety of vegetables to choose from and even more methods to cook them in a healthy way. And if you don't like veggies...sorry, you're gonna have to suck it up!

This concludes the first section of the posting. In Part 2, we will discuss.....FITNESS! Stay tuned.....

P. S. Thanks too the many people who have help provide information, advice and encouragement over the past 7 months, specifically: Dad, Mom (a registered nurse), Ms. Lynn Park (a nutritionist), Will Hooper and Tom McFarlin (both have done similar research and we discuss food/exercise frequently), and my wife Dana who puts up with my Nazi-like, OCD behavior.

Baby Stuff

2010-08-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday I agreed to go with Dana to Baby's R Us to register. I say "agreed" because she has been wanting to go for a while, and yes, I actually wanted to go too; little did I know what I was getting in to. We arrived mid-afternoon and as we walked in the store, my eyes started growing wider and wider. I had never been in a Baby's R Us in my life...it was insane. It was like a huge warehouse JUST for Baby Stuff. Needless to say I was a tad overwhelmed, but my brilliantly organized wife had come prepared.

She had made a list of all the items she thought we would need...less those that we already had been given. You see, we have been hugely blessed by family and friends who have already given us loads of baby necessities. This was either because we have very kind friends and family, or they were dropping hints to hurry up and have kids...I think there's a bit of each reason! In any case, Dana and I are both practical people (and proud to be so!) so we had no problem accepting second-hand items. It saves us money and time, so why not?

As I was saying, we arrive at the store, and Dana has her list in hand. We figured the easiest plan of attack was to cover the entire store and try not to retrace our steps (we still had to go grocery shopping and fix dinner that night). But as we started walking down the first aisle, I quickly learned this would not be a quick process. It seemed there were hundreds of different types of sippy cups, a thousand patterns for bips, and and every toy you could imagine. Again, my wife shined through. She had spent the last month researching the best and most highly rated items. So finding what we wanted wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, AND I got the privilege of using the laser gun!

As far as toys and things go, the choices were endless. But Dana and I, with the help and advice of older, wiser couples, had made some decisions about toys. Dinnertime was not to be toy time, so we didn't want any toys on a highchair. Sleep time was also not toy time, so we didn't want to have the attachable-to-the-crib toys. We also didn't think Lia needed the biggest and flashiest toys for when it was toy time. I mean really, she probably won't start caring all that much for several years.

Now by saying this I do not mean to offend anyone who has done differently. This is just the way Dana and I want to begin our parenting. We are not minimalists by any means (if you've seen our TV, you know what I mean) but we also don't think our job as parents is to just give our kids anything. We see our parental jobs, from a Biblical perspective, as nurturing, instructing and rebuking our kids, each when appropriate.

So, with that mindset, I think we did a very good job registering for mostly practical things, with some fun items thrown in as well; although afterward Dana told me that Lia was not going to wear "Daddy's Girl" shirts everyday no matter how much I wanted her too! We came home and after fixing and eating dinner, I was looking at books in our nearly completed nursery and found myself looking forward to sitting in my recliner, Lia in my lap, reading books to her. I think this whole father thing is going to be great...a whole lot of work, sure, but still a wonderful blessing!

Georgia Primary Tomorrow....GO VOTE!!!

2010-07-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

So for those of you who do not know, tomorrow is Georgia's primary. Do you know what that means?? It means if you live in Georgia, you better get out and vote!!! There is no excuse not to, and if you don't you are just plain lazy and a detriment to our state!! GO VOTE!!

Having said that, I understand that some of you may not have had time to do the research necessary to determine which candidate best aligns with your preferences. Well, the odds are likely that if you read my blog, we must be like-minded in some ways, and I have done a fair amount of research on the candidates. So I am including a graphic showing who I plan on voting for...i.e., these candidates receive the humble, no-political-experience, non-news-making endorsement of Henry S. Little. Take it for what you will. (Note: as you see, not all of the options have a selection...these either have only one candidate or I was unable to find time/information to make an "endorsement" Note 2: if you were expecting or hoping to see the Democratic primary candidate list, sorry. I'm not a Republican by any stretch, but in my opinion, they are sometimes the lesser of evils. No matter what party you align with, please exercise one of you greatest civil rights!)

The Wisdom of Proverbs

2010-06-17T13:55:00.000-04:00

OK, so I know the title is redundant, but I'm trying to make a point. That point starts about 16 weeks ago when Dana and I learned we were expecting a baby. As you all know, we had the desire to be parents for quite sometime, but not until we actually conceived did the weight of that responsibility truly hit home for me. I had always known being a parent required a great deal of responsibility, but up until recently I had the mindset that I would deal with it when I crossed that bridge.

Well, the bridge is here. So after LOTS of prayer about how to "prep" for being a dad, the Lord laid on my heart to study the book of Proverbs. So I have been doing just that...I have set out a plan to study the book during Dana's pregnancy. Now I have read through Proverbs before, but as with many things in the Bible, it takes on a newer and more full meaning this time around. But it also has created a stronger challenge. Proverbs is largely focused on the passing on of wisdom from one generation to another. Well folks, I'm only 27 and I'm still a big, ugly sinner. And so as I was telling my father, it is rather daunting to think that I am supposed to teach my child these lessons when I myself cannot keep or follow them. And he replied with the idea that part of the joy (and worry) of being a Christian parent is knowing that we aren't perfect, and we will screw up, and we will try and teach our children something but they will see us fail at the very thing we are trying to teach; and yet, God's grace is still there, using us as a vessel (albeit an imperfect one), to encourage, love, train, rebuke, and discipline our children.

So despite my sinfulness and my inability to keep God's commandments and in this case, exemplify Biblical wisdom, He can still make and mold me into a father whose "instruction" is "a graceful garland" and a "pendant." On the same token, this instruction will also benefit me in ways other than just being a father. As I strive, WITH God's help, to live as one who is Biblical wise, it will benefit my marriage, my business, my friendships, my church; basically every aspect of my life.

As I read through Proverbs I can't help but think that if more people in any facet of life, whether it is at home, in business, or in politics could put these teachings into practice; or at least try to practice them, how much better of a world would we live in? But as Proverbs says, so many have "ignored my (Wisdom's) counsel" and "despised all my reproof", "the complacency of fools destroys them."

Since we learned of our pregnancy, nearly everyone I talk to asks me whether we want a boy or girl. I'll take either. But more than in anything in the world, I want, desire, ask and pray for a child who will love and fear the Lord. This is my heart's desire, more than any house, car, vacation, title, income etc. I pray that by God's grace, Dana and I might instruct our child to walk in the ways of our Lord; and because we are far from perfect, we need your prayers too!!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2010-05-19T14:57:00.000-04:00

Respect. (verb): to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.

A word whose meaning is rapidly disappearing in our society and culture.

Last Wednesday, TPC's Men's Bible Study was discussing the application of Romans, Chapter 13 versus 1 - 7 (for those of you who either are not familiar with this passage or are too LAZY to open your Bibles...just kidding...it is the passage that discusses submission to the governing authority). This has been on the minds of many Christians lately as a great number of us feel our country is both politically and economically headed down the wrong path. This opinion/attitude/REALITY (for my liberal friends: just laugh ;) has caused some problems for us from a Biblical perspective. And yours truly is chief among sinners with respect to this issue.

One of the topics we discussed was the idea of respect, and how it has been lost, despite verse 7: "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." So what do I mean when I say it is lost? Well for a simple example, when Dana and I recently attended Dessie's (Dana's younger sister) graduation from college, I noticed that when the National Anthem was sung, about one in ten people put their hand over their heart. Of the guys wearing hats or caps, about one in five took them off. As I said...simple, but still a lack of respect. When I was a kid (this is sad, I'm already sounding like a grandpa and our baby isn't even born yet!) everyone put their right hand over their heart for both the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. (That reminds me...let's do a quick test: can you recite the National Anthem and/or the Pledge of Allegiance without looking it up? The honor system applies here. I'm not trying to be judgmental, but I'll bet not everyone remembers every word. Why is that do you think?)

So there is a simple example in lack of respect. A more prominent example and one that I am very guilty of committing but trying to correct, is the referring to our elected Commander In Chief by only his last name. It seems this practice really got under way during PRESIDENT Bush's terms, but it has continued through PRESIDENT Obama's. Now as you all know, I am not a fan of our current President's policies, methods, or promises. But that does not alleviate my duty as both a citizen AND a Christian of showing the man his due respect. He is our elected leader, and whether or not I voted for him is beside the point.

But this particular lack of respect doesn't just concern angry Presbyterians like myself; it's practice has become commonplace among one of the most respected and widely read sources of news, The Wall Street Journal (a source of journalism that is, by and large, fairly nonpartisan). For more blatant examples of nonrespectfulness, just wait until the campaigns for the November election really get under way; you'll see and hear more name-calling, bickering, and insulting than a middle school playground. It really is sad.

Now having said all this, I am not proposing that we all become more politically correct. I for one, do not plan on doing that. Showing respect and being politically correct are in no way similar. But I do believe not showing anyone their due respect is a sin and is something we should all work on. I'm not saying it will be easy, but living by Christ's example never is. That is why we ask for help!

Thoughts?

I'm Going to Be a Daddy!!

2010-04-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

So from you the title you can probably guess what this post is about....yep, Dana and I are finally expecting!!

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us wonder back a few years. Since before Dana and I even started dating, we both knew we would like to have children. As much as the idea of being responsible for another life scared me (and still does!), I have always felt that, according to Scripture, children were a gift from God. Although they would be sinners and would, at times, cause us frustration and anger, Dana and I both still had a longing to one day be parents.

So after three years of being DINKS (Duel Income No Kids), we felt the desire for parenthood. After much prayer, we decided to "start trying." But God's timing was not our timing. So for a year and a half we had no success. This was probably the most difficult time in our young marriage...we both wanted to have a child, we were praying constantly, and we had read every book and article about the subject of fertility (I've learned more about the female body and its processes than I thought I ever would!) but nothing happened. It was difficult to trust God during this time, but I felt that He used this trial to not only strengthen our faith, but also to strengthen our marriage.

After a year of trying with no results, we began to look into the issues of infertility. After lots of prayer, numerous questions to my medical parents and other women at Trinity who had gone through similar issues, we decided to get some testing done. As it turns out, Dana had something called PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) which, surprisingly, is fairly common. I won't go into the details of what this actual is, suffice it to say that it causes problems with fertility. Dana and I were hesitant to immediately take the prescription medicine route (I have always tried to make prescription drugs a last resort...for various reasons) so we asked the doctor if there was anything we could do on our own. The answer: eat healthier, and get in shape. Well let me tell you, Dana took this to heart and she went on a mission to get fit. I'm not sure I have every seen anyone as determined to do anything as she was to lose weight and be healthy. Since last September she had lost a total of forty pounds...down right spectacular!

When Dana told me the doctor said that we needed to change our eating habits, I was somewhat surprised. Although we both had excess weight, I thought the actual food items we ate were fairly healthy. We ate lots of vegetables, fruit, etc. And dessert was not an everyday thing. But as we began learning about PCOS, we realized that we did need to make some changes. One of the biggest ones was our bread intake. This was tough for me at first because I love to bake bread; in my opinion, there are few better meals in life than a slice of well made French bread with a little jam, or, back then, butter. But bread, particularly bread made with white flour, is loaded with carbs, which do not help the fight against PCOS. So my bread-baking was dramatically cut back, and the breads I did bake were made with either whole wheat or rye flour.

We made other health related changes to help fight the infertility monster. Dana began walking regularly and radically cut back her daily calorie intake as well as sugar intake. After she hit the down-twenty-pounds mark, I was "allowed" to begin as well and, being so inspired by her progress, went on my own get-fit mission. Eventually, Dana and I had both dramatically lowered our weight, were exercising regularly, and were eating much healthier meals. And still, no success in getting pregnant.

We decided to go back to the OBGYN and although Dana got much praise for the weight she had lost, the doctor thought medicine was warranted. So she began taking a drug that was supposed to help with PCOS.

Then, about a week later (fast enough, according to several doctors, that it was NOT the medicine that did the job) we conceived. And although it seems like only a week ago, Dana is now almost through her first trimester. She is due November 19...our five year anniversary....what a present!!

Looking back on the journey we've had, God has taught me so many things (I can't type these without getting a little....bleary-eyed):

- "I'll set my gaze on God alone; and trust in Him completely. With every day pour out my soul; and He will prove His mercy." Translation, God IS good. And if we trust and abide in Him, in his timing and His way, He will bless us.
- BE HEALTHY!! Dana and I have both made a dramatic lifestyle change. We are both eating healthier and we enjoy exercising (although for obvious reasons, Dana has backed off some). Not only do we feel better, but we'll have to be in shape to keep up with a child in the house!
- Christian friends are priceless. There is no way I will ever be able to express my gratitude to so many of the women at our church and in my family. Know that you have my deepest thanks for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Although I think of myself as a supportive husband, you have ministered to Dana and in ways that I couldn't and I am eternally grateful.

This list could go on and on but I'll leave it at these. We would appreciate continued prayers for "Little B" as well as for Charlotte, Esther and Ben's baby! We will keep you posted!

Psalm 127:3-5
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Our Scotsboro Expedition (Part 2)

2010-03-26T16:40:00.000-04:00

So after my debacle with Ben's motorcycle, we get back to the house and clean up (I was wearing a few splotches of mud). For dinner on Saturday, we were heading to a place in Chattanooga, TN that Ben and Esther had been telling us about for months...no, make that years (I'm serious...they tend to obsess about some things). It is a restaurant in downtown Chatty called St. John's. But before we ate dinner, we stopped at a place nearby called McKay's. Basically it is a warehouse where people swap old books, tapes, CDs, records, DVDs, and other types of media. You can either bring your old stuff in and get a seriously discounted return value, or you can exchange for credit, which is usually the most economical option; and the selection was, well, overwhelming. Both Dana and I thought that the next time we come, we should bring a least of things we want to alleviate the difficulty of decision making when there are so many options. Anyways, before Dana and I had left for the weekend, we had gathered up a bunch of old DVDs that we never watch in order to exchange them. I think we got something like $27 in credit and we ended up coming home with some new Hank the Cowdog books (whenever we have kids, these will be required reading), my first James Beard cookbook, and a Cooking Light "Annual Recipes" Cookbook (yes, we like to cook....a lot).

So after buying cookbooks, what do we do? GO EAT! St. John's was awesome. The waitstaff was superb...very friendly and helpful, but not hawkish and refilling-drinks-so-much-you-can't-carry-on-a-conversation. The atmosphere was suave but hip, urban but classy. And the food...well let me put it this way: the chef, Daniel Lindley, is a two-time James Beard award nominee (he will win it soon enough). I had three "small plates" or starters. I began with a warm beet salad covered with mozzarella and citrus vinaigrette; I then had the beluga lentil soup with lobster and finally the red wine braised beef cheek. And for dessert (don't tell Tony Horton!!) I had the butternut squash and pineapple bread pudding with coconut gelato and rum caramel sauce. Extremely tasty! And price wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...now don't get me wrong, it was expensive, but as frugal (tight-wad is the term my family prefers) as I may be, having a first class meal is something that is occasionally worth spending the dinero for. What can I say, I am a food snob.

After dinner, with our buttons busting, we came home, goofed off for a bit and then crashed. On Sunday morning, we went to Ben and Esther's church. Their pastor was out of town so one of their deacons filled in (Pastor Rob, if you read this, this DOES NOT give you permission to ask your deacons to preach!!) I thought he did a fine job, although I could tell he was nervous...but I can't say anything...I'd spaz out if I had to give a sermon to our church! Afterwards we had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's (no offense RT, but you don't have squat on St. John's) and then headed home. Fortunately, my new transmitter didn't bust, and I was able to share AIO with Dana.

All in all, yet another great weekend with which God has blessed me.

Our Scotsboro Expedition (Part 1)

2010-03-25T11:53:00.001-04:00

So this past weekend Dana and I traveled to Scotsboro, AL to visit my sister and brother-in-law. We try and get together with them at least once a month, and over the past few months, they had been to Covington multiple times...in fact, at the beginning of the year, they came like three weekends in a row (not just for us of course, haha). That is a LOT of driving, and we had not been to visit them since last fall, so we were overdue.

On this particular visit, I was very excited about the drive up as I was planning on initiated Dana into the Adventures in Odyssey Club. For those of you who are not familiar with this organization, we represent those who, during their youth, spent long trips in the car (or van, or whatever) listening to Adventures in Odyssey (AIO), a Christian radio program produced by Focus On the Family. Each episode lasted about 30 minutes and took place in the small town of Odyssey (somewhere in the MidWest). Some of the regular characters included John Avery Whitaker, Connie Kendall, and Eugene Meltsner and each episode was a story that included a Christian message. Although the series was intended for kids in the 8 to 12 range, they were great for the whole family. And as you all know, I still haven't grown up so I was uber-excited when I found them in mp3 format a week or two ago.

Since Dana and I still have old cars, I had to purchase a radio wave transmitter for my iPod (we do not yet have the luxury of auxiliary ports). Having this transmitter was important not only to play AIE episodes but also because the CD player in Dana's car is demon-possessed and won't play a CD for more than about 30 minutes (starts skipping like mad after about the fifth track....unbelievably frustrating). Being the frugal guy that I am, I bought the cheapest transmitter I could find...bad move. Once Dana and I finally got north of Marietta (after taking every possible detour in order to avoid the worst traffic in the South), we were ready to listen. So I go to plug in my transmitter and...it breaks. We then spend the next thirty minutes trying to fix it...not happening. So I try and get over my frustration and we pop in a CD and sure enough, after about six songs, it turns into an uncontrollable turntable, so we shut it off and did something many married couples avoid....we talked. Dana and I laugh about the fact that sometimes our best conversations happen during road trips. So all was not lost...

Eventually, after a five hour trip (usually a little over three....thanks Atlanta! I hate you!) we arrive at Esther and Ben's house and were treated to a wonderful meal of cured hams, manchego cheese, chorizo sausage, olives, and wonderfully preserved seafood (yeah the calorie watching went out of the window last weekend). Then we settled down to watch the movie Blown Away (one of my favorite Irish themed movies).

On Saturday, Esther and Dana did a little shopping and Ben and I went and ate one of the best burgers I have ever had at the Pikeville country store/gas station (seems when Ben and I are together we always end up eating a lot, hahaha). Afterward we went and found a new iPod transmitter (I paid a bit more for a quality device this time) and then came back to the house for a little adventure....

For those of you who don't know, Ben has a motorcycle; a Triumph (I don't know the model, but its very classic looking). Now I have ridden dirt bikes before but it has been quite a while; I have never ridden a motorcycle but Ben insisted that I give it a try (haha). So I geared up, hopped on and started cranking. After a few sputters and quick stops, I got it moving and made a few slow laps around a nearby church parking lot. I felt pretty confident and waved to Ben that I was going to take it down the street and back. As I pulled out of the church parking lot my intended left-hand turn didn't happen; I panicked and instead of breaking, I accidentally gunned the throttle, barely miss a telephone pole, go down and up a ditch, nearly take out some cedar trees, and then go back down into the ditch and finally kill the engine. Of course my heart is in my throat and I'm close to peeing myself. Ben came over (and thankfully didn't strangle me) and after some pushing and lifting, we got the bike out of the muddy ditch. Needless to say, my driving was over. Next time I'll practice on a small dirt bike before I tackle a cruiser!

Honesty Is the Best Policy

2010-03-09T12:11:00.000-05:00

First off, this post is not meant to be boastful, prideful, advertising or anything else like that. Any good in me or my business is by God's grace alone and does not come from myself.

Having said that, I have noticed more and more that financial professionals are getting a bad reputation. The name "Madoff" is almost as familiar as "Google." Do-it-yourself firms like TD Ameritrade and Scottrade are painting financial advisers out to be greedy, conniving thugs that just dress up to look professional. But the sad thing is in many cases these characterizations are true. Something I learned early on in this business is that the longer you are in and the more successful you are, the tendency to get a big ego increases. Fortunately I come from a family where big egos get humbled with....vigor. But still, the temptation is there.

Recently, I have met with new clients who have told me about advisers they have either been dealing with or have dealt with in the past and either the adviser charged ridiculous commissions, the performance was terrible, or they never had any communication with the client. What I can't figure out is how these advisers became successful.

When I started my business, I knew it would be tough to survive. The method we generally use for charging (fee % of assets) takes a lot of money under management to make a respectable income. Commissions (charges or fees based on trading) generally produce much more income initially. Despite this disadvantage, I have always felt the fee route was better for the client and so I have stuck to it. Also, having grown up in a Christian home where Biblical principles where taught and expected, I wanted to create a business where honesty, transparency, and a client-centered approach were foremost (for example, in our quarterly reports we include the fee we charge along with the performance. I want my clients to know how much they are paying and what they are getting for it). I felt that if, by God's grace, I did the right thing for the client, the business would come in. And it has. Although the Great Recession has not helped, new clients are coming in more regularly. It is my hope and prayer (and I would greatly appreciate your prayers as well) that as my business grows, I would continue to strive to practice honesty and integrity, and to glorify God in my work.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Proverbs 10:9

My Soul Finds Rest

2010-02-23T10:17:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,
The following lyrics are from a choral piece the Trinity Choir sang about a month ago. It is one of the most beautiful songs I know, both lyrically (based on Psalm 62) and musically. I find myself in need of the encouragement these words provide quite often, and I can't imagine going through life and not having the grace of God to help me survive!

My Soul Finds Rest

My soul finds rest in God alone,
My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes,
And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness,
I’ll look to Him who hears me.

O praise Him, hallelujah,
My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.

O praise Him, hallelujah,
My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever.

O praise Him, hallelujah,
My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

O praise Him, hallelujah,
My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah! hallelujah!

O praise Him, hallelujah,
My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

Bring It!!

2010-02-03T21:24:00.001-05:00

So let me set the stage. It is about five years ago; I am in college and live on campus; I walk to all of my classes while carrying a backpack that contains 15 to 20 lbs in books and folders; my on-campus apartment is about 200 yards from a very nice gym (with all the machines and free weights a person could want, plus an indoor track) and about 500 yards from a nice outdoor track. Since it was obvious I didn't have any excuse not to exercise, I would do just that at least four days a week (sometimes weight lifting, sometimes running the track). I didn't have a whole lot of time for meals, but when I did eat, I didn't really pay attention to what it was, so long as it tasted relatively good and gave me fuel. I was a bit overweight but not enough to really effect my health and well, I've never been a person who is self-conscious about their looks...so I didn't really care.

And then I graduated.

And then got married.

So then begin my lifestyle of working at my office, which mostly entails sitting at a desk processing paperwork, researching via the web, reading prospectuses, and talking on the phone or emailing with clients. I made every excuse not to get exercise (didn't want to drive to the gym, the weather wasn't right, playing Xbox 360 was more fun, you name it). I wasn't totally lethargic...I would work out in the yard and in my garden, but it didn't really get the heartbeat up if you know what I mean. And my eating habits did not improve from college; in fact, from sort of nowhere I developed a love for cooking. It started with (these are just a few genres) Creole/Cajun food and moved all around to include homemade bread, "from scratch" pasta, grilling anything I could (what man doesn't like to grill?) to most recently, Julia Child's text on classic French cuisine (it's basically the anti-Weight Watcher cookbook). And so naturally, over the past four and half years, the pounds and the flab starting creeping up and all over. I kept telling myself that I needed to get in shape and lose some weight, and I genuinely had the desire to, but I could not find the motivation to stick with anything...except finding yummier food to cook!

And then something happened that started to worry me. Since both my parents are in the medical field, we do odd things like check each other's blood pressure around the dinner table (my dad has a portable blood-pressure-checker). One day we checked mine and it was like 135 over 90 (the "safe limit" is about 120 over 80). This got me concerned as both my great grandmother and my grandfather had/have diabetes. This is an illness that you DO NOT want to get. So I did start to make some changes...my weight gain leveled out and I begin trying to be a bit more health conscious.

Then last August, my wife, for various reasons, got a psychological kick in the butt to get in shape and get healthy. Seeing her be motivated helped me crank up the desire, but she made me promise I would wait until she had lost 20 lbs before I could start (this is understandable since it is much easier for guys to lose weight than for women). She hit this mark about three and a half months later and this leads me into a little side note:

Dana is amazing. Not just in her discipline but in general. But this "note" is about her discipline. As of this morning, she is down 32 LBS AND LOOKS FABULOUS! She has been the motivation that for four and something years I could not find. And its so much easier to be disciplined when you have an accountability partner. In any case, if you read this, text her or Facebook her a congratulations because she deserves it!

So anyway, during the time Dana was losing her initial 20 lbs I had several friends tell me they were using P90X. And the results seemed to be the real deal. Plus, I liked the fact that with the P90X program, I could get serious exercise while staying at home and not having to pay for a gym membership or buying some cardio machine. So immediately after Christmas (had to have one last splurge!) I ordered my P90X dvds and began the workout in the second week of January.

HOLY MOLY!!

I am in my fifth week and it has been the most butt-kicking exercise program I have ever done. Makes me think I have an idea of what boot camp might have been like; no muscle goes unscathed. When I do the cardio sets, my heart rate is frequently in the 160 to 180 range for almost an hour. If you looked up the word intense, it would be very reasonable to see P90X as one of the definitions.

In addition to the exercise, my eating habits have changed dramatically. I have started counting calories. It wasn't fun at first, but I have gotten used to it; and with websites like http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp and www.fatsecret.com (the Fat Secret app for my Blackberry is superb!), the counting is made easier. I have tried to limit my daily caloric intake to about 1600 (this may seem low, but I want to lose weight and I want to do it quickly...and besides, this was the target my physician-father gave me). And apparently it works...right now I've lost right about 15 lbs.

Now I haven't given up my delight in cooking, but as my sister has been trying to teach me for a few years, it can be fun to cook healthy meals. In fact, I see it as a great culinary challenge to cook food that not only tastes great, but is healthy. Part of doing this is portion control; half the plate of a dinner guest should not be complex carbs or high fat protein. Also, pairing different food items is important; if a person wants to eat a steak, they probably shouldn't pair it with mashed potatoes (a vegetable puree of perhaps turnips and carrots would be a much healthier, yet still tasty, alternative).

So, to wind down this long post, 15 lbs down but I still have a ways to go in both the P90X program and my weight loss. When it's all said and done I hope to have lost between 35 and 40 lbs. Yes its a lot, but it needs to be done. So please pray for me, because it won't be easy!

P.S. I think Jimmy Buffet best described trying to be healthy when he said:

Tried to amend my carnivorous habits
Made it nearly seventy days
Losin' weight without speed, eatin' sunflower seeds
Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays
But at night I have these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettucini or Bulgar wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat

Cheeseburger in paradise........

Things I Like About Our Current President

2010-01-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

So, after almost a year in office, I have come up with a list of things that I like/appreciate/and admire about our President and his family. They are as follows:

1. He has pledged swift support to Haiti.
2. The First Lady has put in a really big garden at the White House.

2009 Most Played

2010-01-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

So sometime last year I created a "smart list" on iTunes to let me keep track of the songs that both got added to my collection and got played the most in the same year (you'll notice many of these songs have been out long before '09, but '09 was the year we added them to our musical database). This includes both the music playing on the computer as well my iPod. This also includes Dana's music so that may explain some of the songs on here that don't exactly fit in my Greatest Decade post....she isn't as snobby about her music as I am (although I do have a few guilty pleasures that find their way on this list). So without further ado, the following 50 songs, in order of most played to least played, are Henry and Dana's 2009 Hits.

1. Live - Hold Me Up
2. Zac Brown Band - Chicken Fried
3. JJ Grey & Mofro - Orange Blossoms
4. John Williams - Exsultate Justi (From "Empire of the Sun")
5. Van Morrison - And It Stoned Me
6. Elton John - Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
7. Elton John - Rocket Man
8. Jim Croce - A Long Time Ago
9. Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
10. Jackson Browne - For A Dancer
11. New Found Glory - Listen to Your Friends
12. Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
13. Seether - Rise Above This
14. Van Morrison - Into the Mystic
15. Il Divo - Hallelujah
16. Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You
17. Billy Joel - Only the Good Die Young
18. Casting Crowns - Slow Fade
19. Il Divo - Amazing Grace
20. Pink - Sober
21. 3 Doors Down - Let Me Be Myself
22. The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell
23. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - Lucky Man
24. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
25. Jim Croce - I Got a Name
26. Paramore - That's What You Get
27. T. I. - Live Your Life (feat. Rihanna)
28. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Indoor Fireworks
29. Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories
30. Josh Turner - Everything Is Fine
31. Sarah McLachlan - Song For a Winter's Night
32. Andrea Bocelli - Because We Believe
33. Chicago - Saturday In the Park
34. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Carry On
35. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Our House
36. Kanye West - Heartless
37. Robert Earl Keen - Blow You Away
38. Shindown - Second Chance
39. Zac Brown Band - Whatever It Is
40. Harry Gregson-Williams (From "Kingdom of Heaven") - Crusaders
41. James Taylor - Wondering
42. New Found Glory - Don't Let This Be the End
43. Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing
44. Alan Jackson - Good Time
45. James Mcmurtry - Ruby and Carlos
46. JJ Grey & Mofro - I Believe (In Everything)
47. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
48. Zac Brown Band - Toes
49. 3 Doors Down & Bob Segar - Landing In London
50. Carole King - So Far Away

The Chill Chest

2009-12-28T17:34:00.002-05:00

So today has been a rather drab, wintery day. Yes, the sun is out for a change, but its 34 degrees outside right now...very chilly. I had originally thought the markets were closed today so I had planned to take the day off (turned out they were not closed, but I ended up staying home anyway...I'll pay for it tomorrow). But while being home, I did my best to be productive: I have cleaned the kitchen, taken out the compost (easiest "green" thing you can do...at some point I'll blog about it), and started getting dinner ready. Dana had to work today so it made sense that I fix dinner, which leads me to the subject of this post...my chill chest...also known as.... the deep freezer.

Tonight's meal, broiled chicken thighs with mustard, thyme, and bread crumbs, sauced purple hull field peas, and peaches for dessert all came from my chill chest. The chicken came in a bulk pack from BJ's and since Dana and I can't eat 10 lbs. of chicken thighs at a time, we freeze most of it and use it when we want. The purple hull/pinkeye peas came from Ramsey's produce at the end of the summer. I usually buy 3 or 4 lbs. to put in the freezer to have over winter. I also bought the peaches last summer and spent a Saturday morning bagging, tagging, and freezing them. Now as any cook knows, fresh is always better than frozen; but fresh is not always an option (if anyone can find a fresh Georgia peach now, I'll give them my freezer). And if you use proper freezing techniques, your frozen foods can retain almost all of the quality of fresh foods. There are a million websites, cookbooks, and blogs that describe ways to preserve all sorts of foods using the freezing method.

Since Dana and I both enjoy fine cooking, eating out is expensive, and I frequently acquire foods in the hunter/gatherer method (hunting and fishing), our chill chest is an indispensable appliance that we have in constant use. For example, if you were to rummage through our deep freezer you might find bags of quail, ground and sausage venison, white and speckled trout, blueberries, peaches, lamb chops, pecans, strawberries, homemade hamburger patties, shrimp, the aforementioned chicken thighs, and the list goes on. Having these items on hand makes meals like tonight so wonderful. It's definitely winter, but we get a taste/remembrance of summer via the chill chest.

So what have we learned today? That the chill chest is economical, practical, and with a small bit of prep work, and then some forethought (to thaw your foods), delicious meals from any season can be had year round with having them shipped in from below the equator! If you have the space and the financial means (they're relatively inexpensive), get one!

Vocal Athletics

2009-12-11T14:30:00.004-05:00

So about a month and a half ago, I embarked on a new endeavor. Yes, I know as well as anyone I probably have too many hobbies, but I feel the urge to bring back the idea that Da Vinci and Michelangelo encompassed; the renaissance man. So, I have always enjoyed singing, but I was never very good at it, meaning I never gave much thought or effort to actually trying to hit the right notes...I was much better at memorizing the words. In any case, I decided to join the Trinity Choir for their Christmas program. It has been fun, but also very challenging. I have learned more about music in the last month than I have known my entire life; and I really love it. So in order to improve my singing ability as well as my general knowledge of music, I have begun taking a combination of singing and piano lessons from David Hauser, a member of our church and an extremely talented musician.

I am thinking I might join the choir full time (perhaps to the chagrin of our choir director, haha). I know I have a ways to go, but I also know I have already learned a lot. What's more, I really, really enjoy it. I find myself trying to match pitch with any song I hear (with the exception of uber-high soprano stuff). I have been classified as a bass, mainly because I struggle to hit Middle C and above, but I'm getting there.

So, if you aren't doing anything this coming Sunday night, come to Trinity for our Christmas Choral program...its going to be awesome.

P.S. I have included a few links so you can hear some of the songs and their specific arrangements that we will be performing (the quality of these recordings isn't spectacular, so to get the real experience, you have to come to the program!)

Hark Ten Thousand Harps and Voices (this isn't a Christmas song; its a piece our choir did a few weeks ago that I loved)

Breath of Heaven
And the Glory of the Lord from Handel's Messiah
A Great Joy (Click the link that says listen with Flash)
The First Noel
Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel (yes, we will have a cello accompaniment)

These aren't nearly all of our songs...so come, hear good music, enjoy the season, and most importantly, give all glory to King Jesus!

Bubbles

2009-11-18T11:39:00.003-05:00

When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, part of the intention of the Federal Reserve Act was to promote stability and smoother business cycles. A business cycle is basically growth, peak, recession, trough, and then growth again. The political thinking at the time was that having a central bank would help mitigate the damage of recessions and hopefully, make them less frequent. While those early economists and politicians may have had a worthwhile goal, the fact that control of money is now so politicized must not have occurred to them. Over the past 10 years, one could argue that the Federal Reserve has done the opposite of smoothing out the business cycle. More than likely, they have exacerbated it by causing bubbles, which must inevitably burst. Let me explain....

After the dot-com bust in the early 2000's, the stock market, over the course of a few years, lost nearly half its value. During that time the Federal Reserve dropped interest rates to 1% or thereabouts for an extended period, even though unemployment peaked around 6% (compared to our current 10.2% and rising). The thinking was that such a precipitous drop in the equity markets must warrant exceptionally low interest rates to keep businesses functioning and failures to a minimum. Never mind the fact that the stock market was grossly overvalued to begin with and was in need of a major correction. So in 2003 the market reached bottom and begin to climb again. But having the Federal Reserve rate at 1% for such a long time already put the gears in motion for a bubble. It came in the form of housing. Since most mortgage rates are based off the 10-year Treasury yield, and Treasury yields frequently follow in tandem with the Fed rate, it made sense that having such a low Fed rate would result in historically low mortgage rates. Coupled with a pro-home-ownership objective within the Bush Administration, our country saw an unprecedented increase in people owning their own homes. As demand increased, supply kept up...more houses were built. Home mortgages became securitized and were traded like stocks. More and more homes were built and instead of long-term ownership being the objective, speculation and quick profits became the objective. As we know all to well, this bubble burst and helped lead us into the mess we in which we find ourselves.

Well the Fed is at it again. They have had the Federal Funds rate at effectively 0% since December 16th, 2008. Now while we have gone through a very severe recession, you have probably heard, seen, or read that we are emerging from it and moving to a recovery; and yet the Fed hasn't budged on its rate policy. Why, you might ask? Well, while the 3rd quarter GDP number appeared to be an improvement, unemployment continues to be a problem. And despite the promises that came with the Administration's Stimulus Package ("this package will keep unemployment from rising above 8.5%"), President Obama's policies are decidedly not pro-business, and like it or not, that means they aren't pro-job creation (unless you prefer government jobs). No small business owner is going to consider hiring more people when there is so much uncertainty about his or her tax rate in the coming years, much less the general slack in the economy. So, this leaves the Fed in a predicament: they feel pressure to keep rates low in hopes of improving the unemployment picture (for better ideas, read my post about Jobs) but at the same time they run the risk of creating another bubble, which, in my humble opinion, has already begun.

Since the early March lows, the stock market has rallied without halt to an amazing 60-something% gain. Why would I, a financial adviser who makes his income by investing his clients' assets, complain about a market rise such as this? Well, I like it when the market rises with good reason. In this case, there is very little reason for the market to rise as far as it has. Granted, we were pricing in Doomsday last March, but I think we have way overshot a realistic market price. Why? By keeping the Fed rate low, this in turn makes our currency cheaper (in case you haven't noticed, the dollar has been getting clobbered lately). Since our stocks are priced in U.S. dollars, when the dollar declines, the cost of owning our stocks goes down if purchased with foreign currency. Most investors know this, and since the Fed has yet to signal any rate hike in the future, many of them have blindly piled into the market. Kinda crazy sounding, but I believe the Fed has successfully created a bubble, and in this case, the overpriced assets are stocks and commodities, instead of housing. Check out the following video by a market analyst who has been doing this almost twice as long as I've been alive.

Why would three different members of the Federal Reserve strongly state their is no bubble? Because they know the risk is out there. So, after this economic rant, I'll leave you with a prediction: When the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) finally decides to not necessarily change the rate, but change the wording in their statement from "exceptionally low rates for an extended period" to anything more hawkish/rate hikish, we will see a massive sell-off in the markets. Investors will decide, this party is over, the punch bowl was tainted, so I'm running for the exits. My advice: don't be the one without a chair when the music stops.

P.S. My party analogies are excellent aren't they?

West Nile Virus

2009-11-11T10:59:00.003-05:00

About two and half weeks ago (actually a day after Dad and I came home from fishing) I got sick. At first I thought it was just a really bad cold...I had typical cold symptoms but with the addition of "exhaustion" that usually comes with the flu....you know, where you are just depleted of energy and generally miserable, but I never had any severe fever that comes with the flu. It started that Sunday and by Monday I was out of commission. I missed Monday, Tuesday, and on Wednesday (because I was so behind in work) I survived the office for about 5 hours and then had to come home and rest. I started feeling less miserable and exhausted on Thursday and Friday and was able to work both days. Then for the following week I was in fairly good shape...still had some cold symptoms but that is all.

And then on Friday November 6th, I had the worst day physically I've had in at least a few years. Dana and I were planning on camping with Dessie and Raymond (Dana's sister and brother-in-law) in North Georgia that weekend, but that morning I woke up feeling like I got ran over by a Mack Truck. The first condition was labyrinthitis, which, if you've never had it, can vary in terms of severity. I have had it maybe three or four times in the past, but it was always more of a nuisance than a major problem. This time, it was a major problem. Labyrinthitis (although I use the term incorrectly...it is an actual disease but I use it to describe a symptom) is when your equilibrium isn't working properly, for one reason or another, and every time you move your head, even if its a slight movement, it results in a spinning, dizzy feeling. That Friday morning, I had it so bad, I was struggling to make it through my morning shower standing up. It was awful! I knew there was no way I was making it to work so I laid myself out on the sofa. My condition worsened with the return of exhaustion and nasty cold symptoms. By noon I knew there was no way I would survive camping, which really disappointed me because I was looking forward to it.

So Friday progresses into Saturday and things get weirder. The dizziness continues along with all of the other symptoms. Then, for whatever reason, my nerves get jumpy. I've never been a very excitable or easily startled person but Saturday I was. For example, I was trying to play some music on our computer at home and a background advertisement (Netflix or something like that) came on and scared the crap out of me! And then that evening Dana and I watched the movie Relic, which is a scary, jumpy movie but I had seen it many times in the past. Didn't matter. Even at scenes where I knew something would happen, when it did, it was like my adrenaline and blood pressure would shoot up for just a half-second. Very, very weird. So when I didn't make it to church Sunday morning, Dad figured, OK, he's probably really sick. (Side note: Dad is a sympathetic doctor to his patients, his wife, and his daughter but not usually to his sons. Case in point: that Friday when Dad learned I wouldn't be making it camping, he called that afternoon and his first words were, no lie [singing]: "Here we go loopy loopyyyy!" referring to my dizziness. Its OK, I'm used to it.) So anyway, Dad comes by that Sunday and I tell him all the strange symptoms I've been having and he says he thinks I have contracted.........................................WEST NILE VIRUS!!

OK, so its not as bad as I thought at first. Its rarely lethal in the States (less than 4% mortality rate) but by golly it has NOT been fun. I asked him where in the heck I would have gotten it and he said the mosquitoes around here carry it (although I think I might have gotten it over our fishing trip since we were in a more tropical climate). Either way, its November 11 today, and I no longer have exhaustion or excitability and the dizziness is very minimal today, but cold/congestion symptoms continue. Based on my brief research into WNV, these symptoms could continue for another week to month. Moral of this story....we need to find a way to eradicate all mosquitoes!!!!!!!

P.S. I have mentioned the fishing trip in the last two posts, but I didn't say whether it was successful or not. Well, one boat, four guys fishing, and over 300 fish in two days with eight different species of fish (whiting, white trout, speckled trout, redfish, drum, flounder, croaker (big enough to keep and eat), and sheephead) equals a very successful fishing trip!

The Greatest Decade of Music

2009-10-31T22:11:00.003-04:00

So Dad and I made our annual (sometimes semiannual if I'm lucky) trip to Apalachicola , FL last weekend. Small group this time...just Dad, his longtime friend Ron Mullins, Ron's friend Kennan, and myself. Dad and I left Thursday around 2:45 PM to make the six hour drive down to the coast. Seeing as how six hours is quite a while to be couped up in a car, and neither Dad nor I are big talkers, we played a lot of music. Dad, like the rest of our family, has discovered the joy of Pandora. We all have the Pandora application for our Blackberries, so we can have instant custom radio anywhere we get service. If you have not looked at Pandora, check it out! Anyways, so Dad has James Taylor for one of his stations, and this is predominantly what we listened to for both the trip down as well as the trip up. Man, talk about great music. See the way Pandora works is that you pick either a song or an artist, and they play that song or artist, as well as similar music. So we heard the great stuff from JT, Bread, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, America, Jim Croce, Carole King, Jackson Browne, etc. Maybe I was born in the wrong generation, but in my opinion, the music that gets played on the radio nowadays shouldn't even be compared to the stuff we listened to. The decade of the seventies was the birthplace for some of the most thought-provoking, talent-filled music ever to hit any mainstream. There of course, were some exceptions, but for the most part, at least from what I've heard, the stuff that got played, was the good stuff.

It could be that I just like that style of music. Dad and I discussed (some of the little talking that we did do) why we like the music that we do. And although our tastes are similar, his are narrower than mine (he doesn't like much of the harder rock...i.e. Metallica); we agreed that we like music that either has thought-provoking or non-cliche lyrics, or requires a great deal of instrumental talent. And when you get those two combined, you truly have something special.

One of the things I like about Pandora, is that although you have an idea what style or genre of music you'll hear, its not always the big hits from the artists. So while we were listening, I heard some new artists, as well as lots of new songs from artists who I thought I had heard most of their stuff. For example, I had heard of Carole King (both Dad and Mom have always liked Carole King) but had never really gotten into her music. Well that changed...she has some great tunes. Another example would be some songs by Jim Croce, a singer/songwriter of whom I have been a fan of since I was a little kid. Some new songs include I Got A Name and A Long Time Ago, both simply awesome songs. Why can't the music that comes out now actually talk about interesting perspectives or require some degree of talent to play the music?? On an occasion you will hear modern music that meets this requirements, but its rarely any of the mainstream stuff. Sorry Miley Cyrus, Lady GaGa, Chris Brown and Jay-Z, but I just can't dig the tracks you cut that are referred to as "music."

I will leave you with some of the artists who have dominated most of my listening time for the last few years:
Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Jim Croce, Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers, Chicago, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Gordon Lightfoot, The Eagles, Bob Segar, The Band, James Taylor, Grand Funk Railroad, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, The Doobie Brothers, Stephen Stills, CCR, and Billy Joel.

Some of the newer musicians include (and when I say newer, I mean in the last 20 years) Jimmy Buffett, Better Than Ezra, Live, Yo-Yo Ma, O.A.R., Metallica, Little Big Town, JJ Grey & Mofro, U2, Casting Crowns, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Il Divo, 3 Doors Down, Robert Earl Keen, Pat McGee Band, Josh Turner, David Gray, Kings of Leon, and Kelly Clarkson (yes, my guilty pleasure).

If anyone has a musical suggestion that they think fits my above requirements, I'd love to hear about it!

How to Create Jobs

2009-10-02T10:27:00.002-04:00

So the September unemployment data came out this morning, and the result: worse than expected. In the month of September we lost 263,000 jobs and the unemployment rate climbed to 9.8% (and again, somehow over 500,000 people up and left the workforce; if this retarded, nonsensical metric were thrown out as it should be, the unemployment rate would be well into double-digits). Republican congressional leaders are beginning to voice their concern that the stimulus plan isn't working and that any unused money should be sent to pare down the deficit. Their opponents contend that they haven't given stimulus enough time, and that eventually it will kick in. I tend to view this issue more from the GOP side since I know what was in the stimulus bill (check my first post) and there ain't much there that will create jobs; at least not the kind of jobs a vibrant, resilient economy needs.

Nevertheless, this morning on CNBC, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said "we are doing everything we possibly can to create jobs." Either she is lying, or she doesn't know what she is talking about. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she has extremely limited knowledge of economics and the mode of operation for most business hiring (and when I say business, I mean everyone from Exxon Mobil down to the local bakery). So this brings me to the reason for my title, How to Create Jobs. Passing a massive stimulus bill won't do it. Even sending tax rebate type checks to large and small businesses won't do it. A business will not begin to hire new people until they have some perspective on the longer term outlooks for revenue growth, cash flow, and....here's the big one....taxes. Many of you might not know this, but the United States has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world (check the slide show); and we wonder why outsourcing and competitive advantage have been a problem in our country? If the administration truly wanted to create jobs, they would lower the corporate tax rate to 20% for at least five years. Although initially the corporations would let this flow through to their beleaguered bottom lines, they would soon realize the need to use this capital to grow and would begin hiring.

The problem is, as a client told me recently, a Democratic administration and Congress would never pass, much less propose, an idea such as this. This is because they care about votes, and those votes generally come from constituents who probably don't know the difference between macroeconomics and microeconomics. They would think that cutting the tax on big, nasty, greedy businesses would only line the executives pockets. What they fail to realize and understand is that those executives have way more power to create jobs than the federal government, and they are only going to do that if their is some incentive, i.e. a fatter paycheck. So despite the fact that cutting the corporate tax rate would indeed lead to job creation (much faster than a pork-filled stimulus barrel bill), we have elected leaders who care more about votes from a generally ignorant, uneconomically educated populace than doing the right thing for the future of our country.

The Market Conundrum

2009-09-23T12:45:00.005-04:00

This market has my head spinning a bit. I’m not quite sure how the following is possible from a rational, logical perspective (and maybe that is my problem): every Treasury auction we’ve had this year with the exception of maybe one or two has been met with strong demand, despite the amazing amount of supply that is being doled out, and yet the dollar, which treasuries are denominated in, is being clobbered. The equity market has been rising without rest for over six months and to the tune of +50% (I’ve never heard of that happening except in ’29, and then the market turned around and crashed again). There is relatively little fundamental argument for the market rising past say, 850-950 on the S&P500 (I will not quote the Dow on this blog because I want any readers out there to learn to use the index that better reflects the market) and yet it has. One of my favorite leading indicators, the Baltic Dry Index, continues to decline, suggesting global economic activity is NOT picking up; and one of my favorite lagging indicators (because it has probably the most impact on our economy) is unemployment; it may be slowing its rate of increase, but it’s still going up. To me, all of this suggests that we are still in a weak economy, despite the fact that we will probably have GDP growth in the 3^rd of 4^th quarters of this year (minimal inventory rebuilding), but what drives GDP in 2010 and beyond?

A Year-to-date chart of the Baltic Dry Index. The spike in the summer was due to China's stockpiling resources. It has been falling since they stopped.

"Death Is Not Natural."

2009-09-10T10:40:00.002-04:00

"Death is not natural." Those were the words Pastor Rob Rienstra used to help comfort my father several years ago when he learned that his childhood best friend had died in a cycling accident. Pastor Rob was making the point that death is something we were originally not intended to experience, but because of our sinful, fallen world, death of our earthly bodies is something we all must experience, unless Christ returns before our time is up.

On Monday, August 31st, 2009, Walter Fred Timm, Jr., Dana's grandfather, died in the afternoon. He was 93 years old when he died, and his body was failing. But praise be to God that Mr. Timm was a devout Christian, and he is now standing in glory with Jesus in Heaven. And although we are thankful for this, his loss of presence and memories of him still give those he left behind grief.

Mr. Timm was born in 1916 in Augusta, GA. His father owned a dairy treats business, but his father died at a fairly early age so Mr. Timm become responsible for his mother and three younger sisters. He eventually opened his own dairy operation, known as Augusta Dairies and was quite successful. He was also an avid polo player. He married later in life, to Martha Hughes, mainly because of his responsibility for his family. Unfortunately his business eventually fell on hard times and he was forced to close. Mr. Timm spent his days training polo horses and living on his farm. According to those who knew him best, he was adamant about attending church. When his body began to fail and traveling became difficult, he would watch church broadcasts on the television. During the last few years of his long life, his body became frail, he went through a few strokes, and his quality of life diminished. Finally, the Lord called him home. I am glad to not only have known him, but also to have had the privilege and honor of being one of his pallbearers. Mr. Timm, we will see you when we get to Heaven.

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

2009-08-25T16:41:00.004-04:00

A little change from previous posts......

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes;
it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, "Seek my face."
My heart says to you,
"Your face, Lord, do I seek."
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27

Victory For the "Un-Americans"

2009-08-17T12:43:00.001-04:00

So over the weekend, the Obama Administration hinted that it would be willing to drop the "public option" from their health care reform agenda. While cost is still a concern, this is a huge victory for not only the Republicans and Libertarians, but also all those "Un-American" people (according to Princess Pelosi) who protested at the town hall meetings. Kudos to those who made their voices heard! Senator Kent Conrad from ND has began discussing the idea of a co-op for health insurance. Basically nonprofit organizations would be created and owned by consumers to increase supply and competition of health insurance. The idea sounds like a good one to me, so long as the government stays the heck out. And I imagine this method would cost far, far less than the original bill that has been floating in the House. But the co-op idea is only one piece of the pie.

Did you know, that in Connecticut all health insurance policies are required, by state law, to cover hair transplants? And people wonder why their insurance costs so much. In addition to the ideas I've already described in previous posts, I think letting the consumer decide exactly what they want coverage for would be a great way to lower the costs. If I am a young, healthy person and all I want is major medical coverage (basically for unforeseen, catastrophic events), I should be able to get a policy for just that. If I want major medical with say diabetes coverage, I should be able to get it. If I want a comprehensive policy but I don't want coverage for hair transplants, a face lift, or any other absurdly outlandish medical treatment, I should be able to get it. There is no sense in paying for what I don't want or need. And if the day comes that I lose my hair and want a transplant, then I should have to foot the bill.

Anyways, this is just one of many reforms that are needed to help alleviate the cost of health insurance. But, for now it seems, the U.S. will NOT have a government-run health insurance plan. The people have spoken, and they were heard. Now if we could only get the citizens that fired up about spending and tax reform..............

Health Care Solution

2009-07-28T11:28:00.002-04:00

You know what ticks me off (and yes I'm probably biased because both of my parents are in the medical industry)? All the political talk about how bad our health care is in this country. I want all those moronic politicians to go to Canada, or to Europe, or better yet how about Nigeria for their next operation. They will witness first hand how GOOD our health care is; that is, if they ever got the treatment. Yes, it is expensive, but that is just supply and demand. I had a conversation with my Uncle Edmund about a year ago (a fellow libertarian) and he made the comment that 200 years ago, food was the largest expense in most people's lives. They didn't whine about it or fight it, they accepted that it was life. If they wanted to spend less on food, they had a garden (my dad's grandparents grew ALL of the veggies they ate) and maybe some livestock. Well now, health care has become one of the largest expenses for people in this country, but look what has happened to our attitude in the last two hundred years: instead of doing what we can to lower our cost, we (the collective public) whine about it and tell the politicians through our votes that we want to pay less, but give the tab owed for implementing a new system to someone else. I heard on the radio today that obesity in this country runs up a $147 billion tab in health care costs....ANNUALLY. So, before I get into a big rant, I want to propose an idea for health care costs:

When you buy a car, you are required to have car insurance. Its the law, so you follow it. If you are involved in a wreck that was not your fault, your rates stay the same. If, on the other hand, you get a bunch of speeding tickets and get into wrecks that are your fault, your rates go up; as they should. So why not apply this same logic to health insurance. I know the medical field is way more complicated, but the idea seems like it would work. So let's say I am a healthy person (for the most part); I eat my veggies, drink diet cokes, and have ice cream only on the weekends. My rates, while still expensive, would be lower than they are now. Then take a person who is obese, and as a result has high blood pressure, heart disease, and is diabetic. They ought to pay more. Even if you think they shouldn't pay more, by golly I SHOULD NOT PAY FOR THEIR BAD HABITS. Talk about an incentive for people to live a more healthy lifestyle! Folks, I don't care how you slice it, money talks. When people see there is a direct financial advantage to living a healthy life, they will change. Now of course, someone will bring up the case of the guy who is eats well, exercises, etc and still gets cancer. In that case, view it as a no-fault car accident: your premium won't go up because those health issues are already calculated in. So all policies will be priced in such a way that certain illnesses are a possibility, despite an individuals best efforts. No insurance company would take that risk anyway. But I think a price difference based on a person's choices of living is a good idea.

You can apply this same logic to doctor visits. Dad has patients who come in every few months because they have chronic coughing, shortness of breath, and the list goes on. And of course, many of them smoke two or three packs a day. These people should pay more!! If you go to the emergency room a few times a year for things like stubbing your toe, a "bad" headache, etc, you should pay more. Now I know this is biased because I am not a frequent visitor to the ER (the last time I was in one, I had smashed a boat into an underwater boulder doing 30 mph), but I think the logic is sound; if you want the comfort of seeing your doctor often or going to the emergency room for minor problems, you should have to pay for it...not me!

P. S. Some may think I'm heartless, but Neil Boortz was the guy, who this morning proposed the F.A.T. (Fat Accumulation Tax).

Separation of Powers

2009-07-22T11:04:00.004-04:00

So for the past two days, Congress has been hearing Ben Bernanke's semiannual testimony about the state of the economy and the financial system. But what once was a fairly routine, CSPAN broadcast, has become a dangerous witch hunt. Congress, it seems, is ready and willing to blame anyone for the financial crisis, including incumbent Fed chairmen. At least, on the surface, that is what it would seem. But I see something FAR more dangerous that just a few politicians ranting at an economist.

Back in 1913, when the Federal Reserve was created, the idea of a centrally planned economy wasn't as popular as some would have it seem. Both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were both opposed to the idea well before it came into existence in our country. Many felt that the government, no matter what limitations or separations existed, had no business determining interest rates, controlling the money supply, or being the "lender of last resort." However, those in opposition, as we know, ultimately did not win. The Fed was created and has been in operation ever since. But when the Fed was created, the current Congress and Administration at that time took steps to insure the independence of the Federal Reserve. In other words, they had the foresight to know that politicians want power, and the Fed would have a great deal of power, so some limitation or separation must be put in place to keep politicians from controlling the money supply, interest rate policy, and other duties of the Fed. Throughout the years, this separation has remained intact. The Fed chairman is required to give testimony at times and to publish minutes from meetings and things of that nature (for "accountability's sake"), but for the most part, they operate outside the scope of Congress and the President.

Why should this separation exist? Well imagine if say, the President had the ability to control or influence interest rate policy. President Joe Schmoe has another year and half until his second term election and his polls aren't looking so hot. So what does he do? He drops the federal interest rate which temporarily spurs economic activity and then in a year and half gets to say "Hey, look what I did for the economy!" The problem is in another year and a half, inflation is rising and bubbles are being created, which then results in the inevitable crash. Most politicians do not come with economic backgrounds and thus have no idea what is financially good for the country. If this were not true, there would be no budget deficits...ever.

So where am I going with all of this? Here is where: As we speak, legislative ideas are being circulated in Congress to radically diminish the independence of the Fed, giving more control to Congress all in the name of "accountability" and "oversight." My hunch...no I have no solid evidence of this, but ask my family and they will all tell you I have always been an excellent judge of character....is that the reason why politicians are so enamored with the Fed right now, is because they need money. The health care bills that have been floating around are meeting stiff opposition, mainly because of the cost they would impose to the taxpayer. Well if Congress gains some control of the Fed, who controls the supply of money, what is to keep Congress from turning on the proverbial printing presses in order to fund their agenda? Oh, they will say things like "This is a temporary emergency act that is required to preserve the availability of quality health care to all Americans" or some other nice, slick sounding pile of garbage. The fact is, if Congress gets their hands on the Fed, blood will have to be shed before they will let go. That is why things are getting scarier.

Representatives No Longer Represent

2009-07-20T10:39:00.002-04:00

So this morning, during my daily routine of waking up, showering, getting ready for work, and then briefly gulping down some coffee while watching CNBC's morning program "Squawk Box", I saw some rather interesting news. Today's guest host was Rep. Paul Ryan from Wisconsin (R). They were discussing the state of the economy and the health care bill that is trying to move its way through Congress. Now unless you've been living under a rock, you know that health care reform is Obama's current big ticket item, and the House is close to passing a bill (although it will be anything but bipartisan...the Dems are even having trouble solidifying their own side behind this thing). Now during this bill's time in the House, numerous amendments were introduced, including one by Rep. Ryan that basically requested Congress to participate in the public option of the bill. In other words, he wanted to make sure Congress representated the people by taking the same health care option that will be given (essentially forced through unfair pricing) to the general public. Every Democrat except one from Alabama voted it down, whereas every Republican voted for it. So I ask the Dems, what message are they trying to send? If this bill is a positive thing for the American people, why is it not a positive thing for Congress.

But for many of us, this is not a surprise. The average American salary is probably less than $40,000 a year. Do you know what the lowest salary for any member of Congress is? $174,000 per year and that doesn't include all the "fringe" benefits. Talk about a major disconnect between the representatives and the constituents. But hey, we no longer live in the United States of America; we live in the People's State of America (where our elected leaders pretend to do things for our benefit but most of what goes on is pocket lining and pandering).

"Nothing is as permanent as a temporary government assistance program."
- Milton Friedman

First Post; 2nd "Stimulus"

2009-07-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

So I've decided to start blogging again. I find that I need some release for my thoughts on the current state of our country, and this will be my outlet.

First of all, most of you remember that we have already passed one "Stimulus" package (to the tune of nearly $800 billion; for an entertaining and illustrative idea of how much money that is, check out this slideshow). Well there is talk about gearing up for another one. But before we go into discussing the second stimulus, let us, objectively, examine the first: it was stupid and retarded. Ok, so that's not objective, but I had to let it out. The following link, provided by those wonderful people at the Wall Street Journal, sums up the first stimulus. As you read through, you can begin to understand why the unemployment rate has continued to rise, and will continue to rise even as more of this package is spent.

Several years ago, when Ben Bernanke made his comments about "dropping cash from a helicopter" (which helped him garner the nickname Helicopter Ben) he was proposing the idea that if, during an economic crisis, the government were to pump huge sums of money into the economy, another Depression could be avoided. Now since I'm not a Keynesian economist, I'm not a big fan of this solution, but perhaps it was worth a shot. The one glaring aspect that Mr. Bernanke failed to realize is that the helicopter would be driven by Congress. If the first stimulus package was truly aimed at generating business activity, we might have seen an impact; but as the idea makes its way through Congress, it goes from the having the potential of being creative, to the fate of being destructive, all at the cost of the taxpayer.

Now, since the first stimulus hasn't worked, they are pushing for another one because apparently, the first stimulus wasn't enough money. It seems to me that Congress (and no I will not label Democrat or Republican because I believe both of them helped get us in this mess) is turning a blind eye to the havoc they are creating. Many historians and economists argue that the Depression lasted as long as it did because the Federal Government would not let the business cycle run its course. Now while I believe the current economic problems are no where near Depression levels (plummeting GDP and +20% unemployment), if Congress continues to insist on making radical changes in the midst of a recession, it could and probably will be a hard, long road before we emerge from this mess.

Why? Well, like it or not, business activity brings economic expansion. When businesses thrive, they hire more workers, who get paid and either save or spend. The more workers that are hired, the more likely they are to spend, which in turns drives the economy. The problem now is that business have been laying off workers because they can't afford to keep them and there is a great deal of uncertainty in the economy. If Congress continues to increase the burden of employing individuals (Cap and Trade, Unemployment Benefits, Health Care changes), business are going to be very reluctant to hire back new employees. What I fear most is not that the national unemployment rate will reach 12% or higher; it is that it will take a very long time for that rate to come back down to post recession levels (4%-5%).

It is times like these that I take solace (or try to anyway) in the fact that God is sovereign and that "there is no authority except that which God has established."

Anyways, hope you enjoy reading my new blog. Feel free to post comments/discussions.