God Bless America...Please!

First, congrats to the Democrat party for successfully perpetrating the greatest con on the American people in the history of this nation. They ran the most liberal member of the Senate as a semi-conservative and fooled a large majority of uninformed people. Good job.

At the same time, liberal Dems in congress caused the greatest economic crisis in the banking history right before an election, not a small feat to accomplish and a very good October surprise, while receiving great amounts of cash illegally from the government run institutions that aided them.

The media did their job of covering up everything that may expose the Obama's extremist views. Of course, the Republican party also did their part by nominating a "moderate" candidate who has turned his back on his party several times in the past, too many times for many of the Republican base to stomach.

So now we have elected the most left-wing, literally socialist, government in the history of our nation while they pretended to be somewhat conservative. I think one radio host called it well when he said if Obama is elected, most of the people who voted for him will wake up a year from now and say "What the hell? This isn't what I voted for".

The irony of the whole thing is the young, economically ignorant, voters who have apparently given him the win will be affected the most by the onslaught of left-wing policies that are to come. Just out of college with no experience will not be a good place for them in an economy that, if (and I believe when) Obama holds to his true beliefs and previous voting record, will have an unemployment rate that will most likely hit double digits.

While there is always hope that Obama will actually stick to his promises, I do not count on it. The left-wing congress has already planned to have a special session to reinstate the ban on drilling in the Gulf, raise taxes, spend like drunken sailors and insitute socialist health care so they can present these bills to Obama the minute he is sworn in. He will sign most, if not all, of these bills so get ready.

We are about to get a hard and very expensive lesson in socialism. I just hope this great country is able to come back from it. For the first time in my life I actually fear my government. I fear it because it is now run by people who have said in the past they do not like America, the individual or the freedom we hold dear. I fear it because we will have a President who will be lying when he takes an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, a document which he cannot uphold since he has stated he believes it is flawed. I fear it because we now have a government that does not seek to raise people up, but instead vows to tear achievers down.

In the past it has only been a difference in who will be leading the government of the United States. This election had one candidate who will fundamentally change the structure of the United States government to take over more of our economy than we have ever seen or even thought would be possible. This candidate won and he will bring change, but it will be a change that will shake the foundation of this nation to its' core. I just hope and pray America can withstand what is coming.

Though I am afraid we will see a great deal of our freedom taken from us over the next few years, my greatest fear is for those who place all of their faith in this world. I could not imagine having to weather the coming socialist storm without my faith in God to guide me. No matter what happens, my family will be okay through all of this. But those who have no faith to lean on will be the ones we read about in the paper who just could not handle the financial stress anymore. Thankfully hard times bring a lot of people to the church so my prayer is the lost can find the true Savior through these difficult financial times.

Don't put your faith in the temporary things of this world. Put your faith in a great God who gave His Son for you and will always be there for you no matter the circumstances. We need Him to be the leader of our lives and our nation so God Bless America...Please!

Obamanation

With all of the commercials coming out of the Obama campaign saying things that are 180° out of phase with what he has done or voted on in the past, you need to know what you can really expect from an Obama presidency. All of his proposals have been tried before so we do have history that shows exactly what happens. Here we go:

1. The first thing you can expect is no tax cuts for anyone. I know he has said "I will give tax breaks to the middle class", but it doesn't match his actions in the past and his claims are quite frankly impossible. Obama has never voted for a tax cut while in the state senate of Illinois or while in the U.S. Senate. He is a liberal Democrat and they do not believe in tax cuts. Also, his claim is that "95% of working families will get a tax cut". That is impossible since nearly 40% of "working households" pay no federal taxes to begin with. What will happen is he will pull a Bill Clinton and say "I worked really hard to give you a tax cut but it's just not possible."
   
   
2. You can expect a tax increase for everyone who is a federal tax payer. In 2010 the tax cuts enacted in 2003 expire. Those were the largest tax cuts in history so when they expire they will be the largest tax increases in history. This will stick a bayonet through the heart of the economy and job growth
   
   
3. Gasoline will go back up to $4+ per gallon. He has voted against drilling in ANWR and also against opening the Gulf of Mexico for more drilling. The ban on drilling in the Gulf that just expired will be reinacted by a Democrat controlled congress and he will sign the bill. The expiration of that ban happened the exact same time the price of oil started dropping 50% so you can expect it to go right back up and even higher since OPEC has no fear of the U.S. drilling for our own oil. It's all supply and demand.
   
   
4. Prices for everything will rise & there will be long lines for gasoline. His plan to try and force us to "alternative fuels" is radical. He plans to hit oil companies with "windfall profits" taxes for their "insane profit margin" of a whopping 8%. (I bet you didn't know that one since all they ever give you is the dollar figure. 8% is not a great profit margin.) Couple this with his the price controls that have been proposed and we're in big trouble. The Carter administration did the same exact thing and the oil companies answered by dropping production through the floor. Businesses are in business to make a profit so if you tax the poop out of them and tell them they cannot make a profit, they will just not make the product. Oil companies are not a charity and not a cash cow for government. This will result in even higher prices up to the limit imposed and then they will drop production. We'll have long lines and rationing just like we did in the '70s. Look it up if you don't believe me.
   
   
5. Radio and TV will be censored. They call it the "fairness doctrine" but there is nothing fair about it at all. This was implemented once in the '70s too and its' sole purpose is to shut down any opposition to liberal Democrat policies. The main stream media has been 100% in the bag for the liberals and for Obama for years and they are not even hiding it this election. The only place you can get the opposing view is on talk radio or the internet so they want to shut it down. The "fairness doctrine" makes it impossible for a station manager to deal with all of the complaints filed against them under this doctrine. The station starts to lose money so they shut the format down and go to music so they don't have to deal with the doctrine, just like they did in the '70s. Of course, the "news" outlets are not covered by this so they can continue to tow the liberal line and shut down the opposition, just like the Soviet Union did.
   
   
6. We will get socialized medicine. Ted Kennedy has already begun writing the bill from his sick bed. It has been his dream to give us socialized medicine just like Canada and Great Britain. It will be proposed and passed "in honor of Kennedy" since he is ill and Obama will sign it. There will be a complete takeover of our healthcare system by the government, the same guys we complain about at the post office, DMV, etc. So you can expect the same as Canada and Great Britain where they ration health care based on whether the government thinks you are worthy or not. Then you get to wait in line for months for life-saving urgent care like cancer treatment, dialisys, etc.
   
   
7. Unions will be given free reign to intimidate employees to vote the way they want. This comes from the "Employee Free Choice Act". This act allows unions to come in and organize any company and keeps the company from being able to defend itself. It also gets rid of the secret ballot so employee votes are seen by union heads. The heads (thugs) know how you vote and they let you know it so if you vote against them you will be harrassed by the union bosses. Ask any union member who has spoken out against the union or dared to withdraw from it if you don't think harrassment really happens.
   
   
8. Your 401K will become the property of the U.S. government. A proposal has been put forth to take your 401K and put it into social security. It removes the pre-tax contributions and puts your money into a system that is nearly bankrupt. They want to take your money to give it to someone else because they have stolen from social security for years and now baby boomers are retiring and withdrawing so they are in trouble. By the time you retire you can say goodby to your hard earned money. The stock market is a temoporary drop that will come back. Always has and always will as long as the government stays out of it.
   
   
9. We will be attacked within his first year in office. Joe Biden has already said they will be tested. This test will come because our enemies know Obama is an appeaser so he will not defend our nation. Since Islam declared war on the west they have tested every president starting with Carter. They find the ones who are weak and they keep hitting us over and over. It happened during the Clinton years with several attacks on us plus the planning of the 9/11 attack during his administration. Bush fought back so we have not had another attack since 9/11 but we will be at their mercy since Obama will weaken our defenses by cutting their budgets to the bone...just like Carter did.
   
   
10. We will not leave Iraq. Though I personally think this is a good thing, Obama's extreme base will not like it. He will get in office and say "we weren't told everything so we can't pull our troops out". The left is more than willing to make the U.S. lose a war when a Republican is in office for political power, but they will not try to lose when they are in office. That's not good for their own power.
    
    
11. His policies, like Carter's, will take unemployment up to nearly 20%, inflation will be through the roof and the mortgage interest rates of 21% we experienced in the late '70s will most likely return.
    

This is just a few of the things that will happen in an Obama presidency, there are many more that will kill our economy and take us into such a tailspin that it will take 20+ years to get out of it. His commercials are all flowery and nice with promises that make you feel good, but you need to know what the candidates do. After all, actions speak louder than words so make sure you are really informed about the candidates and get out there and vote.

Top Ten Reasons To Vote For Obama/Biden

...and here we go:

10) You like $4+ gasoline prices and think the recent drop in prices is just awful. You can’t wait for all new domestic exploration to stop and hope that prices can eventually get to $6/gal.

9) You believe only left-wing ideas should be allowed on radio and TV so we must censor them and all opponents must be shut down.

8) You are hoping you too can be investigated and your life destroyed because you asked a question the campaign didn’t want to hear. Just like Joe the plumber and a TV anchor in Florida.

7) You like waiting 6 months in the socialized health care system for tests to tell you if you have cancer…even though the cancer will kill you in 3 months.

6) You love knowing you voted the same way the President of Iran, the leader of Hamas, the dictator of Venezuela and every other enemy of the United States of America says they would have voted if they could.

5) You are tired of deciding where to invest your money so you would rather the government just take your 401K and stick it into social security.

4) You are excited about the United States losing a war and showing the world we don’t follow through with anything.

3) You like the fact that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were run into the ground while requiring banks to make bad loans sending the economy into a downward spiral. You’re especially excited that Obama was the 2nd highest recipient of campaign contributions from these government-run companies as well.

2) You are tired of only paying nearly half of your income in taxes so you can’t wait for the tax cuts of 2003 to expire and give us the largest tax increases in history. The boost in unemployment is the most exciting part of this for you.

1) You think it’s unfair that you actually have to go to work so you would rather the government take money from that guy who works 60-80 hours a week to support his/her family and give it to you so you can watch TV instead.


This list is based on previous votes by Obama and what he said before the campaign began along with current proposals by Democrats in congress that would be passed by Obama if he were president. No false, misleading Obama campaign rhetoric was used in the formulation of this list.

Predictions

It's that time when we once again elect the "leader of the free world" for the next four years. I love history and keeping up with what is going on with our country's leadership so I'm going to put in my two cents worth on predictions for the election next week. You'll probably be surprised because, unlike the mainstream media, I pay attention to the details.

The first thing to remember is free and fair elections are never won or lost before the vote is tallied.

The mainstream media has practically called this election for Barack Obama, but I think they are completely wrong. In fact, I not only believe McCain will win, I also believe the margin will be at least as wide as 2004 when Bush beat Kerry and here are the reasons why:

• Sarah Palin. The media keeps trying to tell us she is hated because she is outspoken and right-wing, but this just is not supported by the facts. This year's Vice Presidential debate was the highest rated...ever. It wasn't because Washington main-stay Joe Biden was there. Republicans, especially conservatives, love her and she not only brings the conservative base back, she energizes them. The latest Saturday Night Live skit with her was the highest rated SNL in 14 years. Even more evidence of how much the people like her. She will bring a lot of voters to the polls who had planned to sit out this election because they were not happy about the moderate McCain.
  
  
• The polls have been skewed by the media for a reason. The media are not trying at all to hide their bias this election so the polls they take are focused on deflating Republicans to try and get them to stay home. That is why they are all saying "it's over, Obama will win in a landslide", but history does not support them. The polls always tighten up and even flip in the last day or two before an election because the pollsters cannot afford to be way off when the actual vote comes in. Another problem with the early polls can be seen in the internals. If you look at the polling samples, they have contained at least 60% "registered democrats" plus the poll is "weighted" with the media saying they believe more democrats will show up at the polls. This gives a false lead to Obama. Polls have already begun to tighten and in most of the polls conducted by polling institutions on their own (by this I mean polls that are not dictated by a particular media outlet) are showing a neck-and-neck race.
  
  
• People lie to pollsters. There are a lot of people out there who are sick of the mainstream media trying to make up news with polls and others who believe it is none of their business so they lie about their intentions. That's why several polls have such a large margin of error of 7%-10%.
  
  
• The reports of millions of unprecedented young voters is just not true. A recent survey of new voter registrations showed new youth registrants this year is at the same level as previous elections. That does not translate into the reported expectation of millions of votes for Obama.
  
  
• In internal polls (polls done by the campaigns themselves), Obama is only getting 80% of registered democrat support. Compare that to Kerry who had 89% and Gore who had 93% but still lost. This comes from the leaders of the party believing all democrats are very left-wing like them. The truth is about 1/2 of registered democrats are moderate to conservative. Every new democrat who was elected in 2006 ran more conservative than their republican opposition. The people who elected them will not vote for someone as liberal as Obama/Biden.
  
  
• The missteps of the candidates these last two weeks are hurting Obama/Biden tremendously. People are watching the candidates and their party try to destroy "Joe the plumber's" life. Average Americans relate to Joe much more than they relate with Obama or Biden. It enrages the average American to see elites try to destroy someone who simply asks a question and that makes them think "What if that were me and my family?"
  
  
• Today another interview has Obama saying the Constitution is flawed and he shares his belief that the courts have not been radical enough in redistributing wealth. This will spread across the Internet and since it is in his own words he cannot deny it. People will see this as his real beliefs and they do not support these concepts. The large majority of Americans love and are proud of their country and they do not think it is fundamentally flawed. Also, in a previous survey, 84% of people polled said they do not support the redistribution of wealth by the government taking from one to give it to someone else. Only 9% said they support this concept so when people see Obama's real beliefs they will turn away from him.
  
  
• With the media 100% in the tank for Obama, completely covering up everything about his beliefs and his past while digging up and making up things about McCain and Palin, Obama should be walking away with this election with 20% margins. The Obama campaign knows this and their internal polls show they are way too close. This is why Obama has gone back to the 30 year old democrat play book claiming McCain is going to cut medicare and social security. This same old lie worked for the first couple of times it was tried, but after 30 years people see the truth and they know neither has ever been cut and it's just the same old class warfare tactics. It is a last ditch effort because he knows he is in trouble. Also, Obama is still campaigning hard and in person in states like Virginia where the media say he has a 10%-15% lead. If that were true, Obama would be focusing on the swing states and not wasting his time in places he has "in the bag".
  
  
• The biggest reason Obama will not win this election is "the Bradley effect". Liberals try to use this to say we are all racists, but it's the opposite. For years they have tried to shut down debate with political correctness. This includes calling anyone who does not vote for a black candidate a racist. The issues do not matter to the name callers, they just call everyone racists to try and shame them into voting for the black candidate even though the candidate's views may be completely opposite from the voter's. Because of this attempt to shut down debate, when people are called by a pollster about a race that has a black candidate against a white candidate many will say they plan to vote for the black candidate even if they really are not planning that at all. The voter knows the pollster called them so there is no anonymity. The voter does not want to be called a racist just because they don't plan to vote for the black candidate so they just lie to the pollster. This is usually a 10%-15% difference which is a huge amount to overcome. Basically, if Obama isn't up by a very minimum of 9 points in the polls one or two days before the election, he will not be able to overcome the "Bradley effect".
  

These are the top reasons I think John McCain will win this election regardless of what the media says. Their efforts to suppress republican voters will fail as it has the last several elections and they will be "surprised" Tuesday night when McCain is declared the winner.

How To Lie While "Telling The Truth"

The step-by-step guide for this can be found in the new ad by the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee against Saxby Chambliss. The ad says "Chambliss proposed adding a 23% sales tax to everything you buy" then it lists how much would be added to things you buy. They act like everything you are paying now in taxes will be the same and there will be this huge sales tax thrown on top of it.

While the proposal of a 23% national sales tax is true, they left out everything else in the "Fair Tax" proposal. First, this proposal GETS RID OF ALL FEDERAL INCOME TAXES INCLUDING FICA. That's right, no income taxes for individuals, including FICA, no estate taxes, no gift taxes, no capital gains taxes, no self-employment taxes and no corporate income taxes. The are all replaced with a sales tax so it is totally visible and you know how much you are paying in taxes. I guess, according to the DSCC, that will not matter to you or me. The best part of this is NO IRS. The other part of the proposal is a tax prebate given to every American household for 23% of the the poverty level income. It is a prebate because it is sent at the beginning of every year so low income households pay ZERO TAXES.

Can you imagine how fast the economy would pick back up with such an infusion of cash from all of us being able to keep what we make!

The most ridiculous part of this whole thing is the DSCC supports Jim Martin who has supported every tax increase proposed on Georgia citizens.

You really need to know the truth before you vote. Unfortunately many people will just base their votes on these commercials without investigating any further to see whether or not they are true.

And we wonder why we have a congress that just passed an $850 billion "bail out bill" that 74% of the American people were against.

Do some research BEFORE you vote so you are voting for the candidate who actually represents YOUR values.

For more info on the Fair Tax proposal visit http://www.fairtax.org/

Things I'm Too Stupid To Do

I think I am an average guy, intelligent and capable of making many decisions for myself but here is a short list of things I am too stupid to do:

1. I'm too stupid to choose what type of light bulb I should use in my home.
2. I'm too stupid to decide what types of coverage I want or need in my health insurance.
3. I'm too stupid to determine how much I will pay for my own health insurance throughout my life.
4. I'm too stupid to plan for my future and retirement.
   
5. I'm too stupid to determine how much money I give to help others in need.
6. I'm too stupid to decide who to give that money to and trust them to do the most with it to help people.
7. I'm too stupid to decide what kind of food to eat.
8. I'm too stupid to decide what kind of water heater to use.
9. I'm too stupid to decide what kind of toilet I have in my bathroom.
10. I'm too stupid to decide where my child goes to school.
11. I'm too stupid to decide if I should loan money to someone who cannot afford to pay it back.
12. I'm too stupid to decide if patrons of my restaurant can smoke or not.
13. I'm too stupid to decide how much the job I am giving this person is actually worth.
14. I'm too stupid to determine a loan has bad terms and I should not do business with this company.
15. I'm too stupid to decide how much to pay the guy who runs my company based on his performance.
    
16. I'm too stupid to decide when my child should be taught about sex.
17. I'm too stupid to decide whether or not my child should be given a condom.
    
18. I'm too stupid to decide what kind of car to drive with things like:
    
    • How many miles per gallon should my car get?
    • Do I want 10 airbags?
    • Do I want anti-lock brakes?
    • Can I afford all of these things?
      

This is a very short list of hundreds of things I am too stupid to do. I never thought of myself as a stupid man, but I am slowly learning. So why do I think this way? Honestly, I don't. The federal government thinks I am too stupid to do these things on my own without them telling me what I WILL do, like it or not.

New things I will be too stupid to decide under an Obama presidency with a democrat controlled congress:

1. I will be too stupid to decide which doctor I want to see. Universal (really Socialist) Health Care will choose your doctor and, if it is anything like Hillary Clinton's proposal, will put you in jail if you try to see a private doctor.
   
2. I might be too stupid to decide what size house I should have. Proposals by some democrats in congress want to limit the size house YOU can have. Proposals that will not see the light of day until there is a democrat in the white house who would approve such a measure.
   
3. I will be too stupid to decide how much I am willing to pay for a gallon of gasoline. Proposed price controls and windfall profits taxes will keep the price down artificially and cause huge lines for gasoline. The same thing these identical policies did in the 1970s.
   
4. I will be too stupid to decide if I want mental health coverage in my insurance policy. This will be a requirement in your company health policy until the socialist health system can be passed whether you need it or not. Much like the requirement that every woman have maternity coverage, no matter how old or whether she can have children or not. Like all unfunded mandates, it will raise the cost of coverage for everyone, stress .
   
5. I will be too stupid to determine it is time to foreclose on the guy I loaned money to is not going to pay me back so I can get back what I put in. The proposed "moratorium on foreclosures" will stress banks further and cause even more bank failures. It is also a very scary proposal that literally takes the companies' contracts and makes them "null and void". Other types of companies will fear the government will do the same with them so they will tighten up their requirements and really give us a credit squeeze.
   

Again, this is a very short list of the new things I will be stupid to do under an Obama presidency with a democrat controlled congress. I would like to keep listing more and more, but fortunately I'm not too stupid to decide I would rather do some other things today.

Get out there and vote, but make sure you decide how stupid you want the government to think you are before you press the buttons on the voting machine.

Gas Saving Tips & Myths

Being a car freak I thought I would list a few tips to help you save some gas along with some myths that either don’t work or can cause other problems. Just keep in mind, these are not "cumulative savings" so you are not going to get 50% better mileage by following all of them. Just check them out and decide which ones you think area good bang for the convenience buck.

Tips

1. Check and fill your tires. It won’t put gas in your tank like some people believe, but it does help you save what gas you have. This one can save you up to 10% so it’s worth a minute to check and fill to the proper pressure. The important part of this is “to the proper pressure”. Don’t fill your tires to the pressure listed on the side of the tire. That is the maximum pressure the tire can hold. You can usually find the correct pressure on a sticker that is on the driver’s door or door jamb. Some cars have the sticker under the hood or trunk lid so look there if you don’t see it on the driver’s door. Also pay close attention. Many cars have different pressures in the front and rear tires. My wife’s car takes 29psi up front and 36psi in back so it can be a pretty big difference. This is also important for tire wear and safety.
   
   
   
2. Take it easy on the gas. A lead foot really drinks gas. When you are going from a dead stop, the engine has to work hard for the car to gain momentum. If you hit the gas hard the engine is trying to push out the torque so it increases the fuel level to achieve this. If you can take it a little easier on the gas pedal you can save up to 20%. This one is totally dependant on the car. In my wife's car it yields a 5% increase but in our small SUV it yields 20%. The higher yields will tend to come from SUVs and luxury cars while lower yields will tend to come from sports cars because of the way the computers are programmed in the different types of vehicles.
   
   
3. Use the cruise when possible. When you use the cruise control, the car's computer manages the acceleration. The reason this can help is a driver has a tendency to push the gas pedal in and out constantly. This is caused by bumps in the road, fatigue, trying to keep up with the guy in front of you, etc. If you want to see how much this happens, pay close attention to what your foot is doing the next time you are driving down the freeway. You will be surprised. When you use the cruise, the computer only hits the gas when it feels the car actually slow down. It keeps a steady pace so you can save up to 10% by using the cruise control when it's safe to do so. Don't forget, never use the cruise control in the rain.
   
   
4. Turn off the compressor when you are sitting still if you can. There is a button in nearly every car to turn off the A/C compressor. It's usually the one with a snow flake on it. Turning it off when stopped or in stop & go traffic helps save gas and keeps the engine cooler. This one is only good for 1-2% improvement. The compressor is run by a belt so it is using engine power by putting “drag” on the engine. Turning off the compressor removes the drag and makes your engine run more efficiently. It also reduces the heat in the engine bay and keeps the engine cooler so it does not overheat while idling. An engine running above normal temperature is also inefficient so it is a good thing to keep the engine cool while idling. I say “if you can” because if it’s 95F outside it’s just not a good idea. Also, this only saves a little gas but when you’re waiting in line and running on empty it may keep you from having to push it to the pump.
   
   
5. Not for the faint of heart. There is one more thing you can do that can really boost your mileage, but it's not for the complete car novice. I have mentioned the car computer several times. Did you know you can tune your computer for different driving styles? There are tuners available in every car magazine that will change the timing, fuel/air ratios, etc. to meet your needs. You can make the engine more aggressive for sport driving and also tune it down so it is more efficient. Even though I will not recommend a specific tuner, I will recommend you get one that has presets. With those types of tuners you can choose the "mode" you want such as sport or economy and it does all of the computer adjustments for you. You must be careful if you do this. If you don't kow what you are doing and you start "tweeking" outside of those preset modes you can mess it up to where the car will not start. This can save a great deal of gas, up to 30%, but you have to take into account the cost of the tuner which is usually at least $300 to determine if it works for you.
   

Myths

1. Turn off the radio to save gas. The radio being on does not use more power from the engine. The radio is run off the battery and the battery is charged by the alternator. The alternator is always charging whether electric accessories are on or not. It has a switch inside that sends the power to the battery for recharge as needed, but even when that switch is off the alternator is still running off the engine so it is a constant drag on the engine no matter what.
   
   
2. Turn off the A/C and roll down the windows. Turning off the A/C will save a little on gas, but only if you are driving around 35mph or slower. After that the drag on the car actually uses more gas than running the A/C with the windows up would use. This one was finally debunked by the Myth Busters TV show.
   
   
3. Turn off the engine at stop lights or when waiting in a gas line. The line I was in today moved about every 1-2 minutes so people were turning off the engine then restarting every time they moved. In a line of 30 cars that's a lot of starts. I have also seen others on the Internet recommending turning off the engine while waiting at a stop light. The problem with doing that is every time you stop the engine, all of the oil drains down into the oil pan. The engine is left unprotected so when you restart, your engine wears more than when it is just running at normal temperature. Granted it is not as bad as a morning, cold start, but still worse than letting it run. All of the parts involved that wear can add up to thousands of dollars for replacement in order to save a few dollars in gas. This one is not really a myth because unlike the old carbureted engines, modern engines do not use more gas at start up than when idling so it does save a little gas, just not enough to cover the cost of a worn out starter, etc.
   
   
4. 55 saves gas. In the '70s the government instituted a nationwide 55mph speed limit to save gas. It may have worked a little (and I'm talking about very little) with carbureted cars back then, but it is not the case at all anymore. As a car speeds up, the wind force increases making it harder to push the car through the wind. The engine pushes against that force so it reaches a point where it requires so much energy just to push the car through the air that it negates the increased speed gained. Try not to glaze over on this part and hopefully I can make some sense of this. If you are driving a car at 10mph and it takes 1000rpm to keep moving at that speed then the engine will make 6000 revolutions every mile. With each revolution gas is sprayed into the cylinders. Next, if you are going 60mph and it requires 2500rpm to keep the car moving at that speed then the engine will make 2500 revolutions every mile. Since a car's computer manages how much gas is sprayed, you can see an across the board 55 saves gas is not even close. In our three cars, #1 gets the best gas mileage at about 80mph, #2 at bout 65mph and #3 at about 75mph. You would need to do some testing to figure out where you car does best, but overall 55 does not save gas.

Hope it helps.

Gasonomics

Since gas prices have been in the news continuously I'll start by answering the question "Why am I paying so much at the pump?" It all comes down to supply and demand, but most people don't know how we got to this point "without any warning". The warnings have been there since the '70s but we have chosen to ignore them.

Over the past several years demand for gasoline has increased tremendously. There are new economies in China and India. In China alone, between 2003 and 2004, the number of private cars grew from 5 million to 9 million. That number is expected to be about 140 million by 2020. That's only cars. Next add the new power needs from factories, office buildings and bringing electricity to new areas of these nations. The US population alone has grown from 225 million in 1980 to just over 300 million currently and half of those people own cars, live in powered homes, work, etc. Europe has grown, North Africa, South America...the list goes on. All of this growth is the reason demand has grown tremendously all over the world.

Since we have seen demand growing steadily over the past 40+ years, we have prepared for this...right? Wrong.

As the demand throughout the world grew, foreign sources of oil kept up with world demand outside of the US. The world production was able to keep up until about 2003-2004 when the exploding demand began.

So why can't we meet the demand? Mostly because of the beaurocracy and stifling by the US government. Here are the biggest contributors that tied the hands of oil companies and kept them from being able to increase supply:

1) The last time a refinery was built in the US was 1976. This is not because oil companies do not want to build any new refineries. There is so much regulation and red tape, it makes it impossible to build one and make any kind of profit. Because of this, the US not only has to import oil, we also have to import refined gasoline to meet our needs.

2) The ability to drill for oil is restricted tremendously. In 1995 Congress passed a bill to allow drilling in ANWR to retrieve its' 10.4 billion barrells of oil, but President Clinton vetoed it. The biggest complaint about the bill was "it won't make a difference for 10 years". It has been 13 years since then and look at the mess we are in. There are 1.8 trillion barrells in midwest shale oil, (that can be up to 8 times Saudi Arabia's total oil reserves available) but leases to oil companies were made off limits last year by the Democrat controlled Congress attaching a provision in the omnibus spending bill to make sure the President could not veto it. That same congress refuses to pass the ANWR bill again for the President to sign. The last place drilling is restricted is in the Gulf of Mexico. China is currently drilling with the help of Cuba in areas where American oil companies are restricted. The Congress is working on a bill now, but it still restricts drilling within 50 miles of the coast. The problem is...that's where the oil is located. They want to make it look like they are doing something while continuing to blame the oil companies and speculators.

3) We have been extremely slow moving on truly viable alternative energy sources. Nuclear energy is clean and extremely efficient. It is such a great resource, France derives nearly 80% of its' electric power from Nuclear power, but the US has not built a nuclear power plant since 1996. Wind and solar energy are still not powerful enough to make a big difference, yet those are the only "alternatives" even being considered by Congress.

4) There are currently 45 different kinds of gasoline that are required in different states. This makes the already limited number of refineries have to shut down, clean out and retool to make the next kind. These requirements come from EPA mandates by unelected officials. If there is any disruption in supply of one type of gasoline and it is not currently being produced there is a big delay while the refinery shuts down, cleans out and retools. That is what is causing the current lines at gas stations in Georgia.

So the problem with the current high gas prices all boils down to lack of supply with the government being the cause of this low supply through over-regulation and beaurocracy. You will hear politicians saying it's oil companies trying to keep the price high and make more money, but that makes no sense. The oil price is set by the world market and American oil companies are a tiny fraction of the total market. Expensive, imported oil is driving the price up. American oil companies make about 10 cents per gallon at any price so they would much rather be able to bring the price down and sell more gallons of gasoline to increase their profits. These politicians are beholden to extreme environmentalist groups who lobby them and contribute millions to their campaigns. They are only interested in re-election so that is why Congress does not pass anything that makes it easier for us to get our own oil to help bring the price down for your family. Remember that the next time you go vote.

The blame lies squarely on Congess and groups like MoveOn.org, ELF, Sierra Club and Greenpeace

In The Beginning...

...there was supply and demand. It is so important and so consistent, it is called the "Law of Supply and Demand". It is the most powerful influence on the market, but it is not taught in most schools unless you are an economics major. I'm absolutely convinced this lack of education costs our economy huge amounts of money. One quote I believe is so very true is "Ignorance costs the American economy more than anything else".

I am a big fan of Guitar Hero so I'm on their community forum occasionally for tips and I am amazed at some of the posts. There is always a new thread with several posts like this:

"GH is rippin' us off! That stupid extra guitar controller I just bought was 50 bucks! It's probably $2 worth of plastic so they shouldn't charge that much!"

The first problem with these quotes is "...I just bought..." It must not be "too expensive" or they would not have purchased it. The second problem is they don't consider the man hours put into developing that controller. Game developers are paid pretty well so it's not cheap to develop games and accessories. The third problem is nobody seems to take into account the number of hours of fun you get for that $50. Compared to most forms of entertainment, it's a cheap "per hour" cost. (Those last two don't have anything to do with the supply/demand issue, just pet peeves. ;)

All things considered, is $50 too high a price for the controller? Not when you take supply and demand into account. You can find the true "value" of something when supply = demand. If you can crank out X number of controllers a month and enough people are willing to by X number of the controllers each month at the $50 price, then that is the value.

This is the point every manufacturer or service provider wants to reach. They all try to figure out what the "magic price" is so they can maximize their profit, keep up with production and not have a bunch of unsold stock left at the end of the selling period.

If supply does not equal demand, then you get fluctuations in price both up and down.

A good example of what happens when demand far exceeds supply was the 1996 release of "Tickle Me Elmo". When that doll was first released at Christmas time, the manufacturer had no idea it would be so popular. Everybody wanted one for their kid. The stores receiving the dolls decided they would set the price at around $30 when they arrived. The word spread about how popular the doll was going to be so once the company shipped out the first batch of dolls, they were gone in a flash. Enterprising people waited hours to get in stores and get a doll. They knew the demand was so high they would surely be able to make a profit by reselling them.

Well, they were right. Since the manufacturer could barely supply half as many dolls as the people demanded, the price went through the roof. Private resellers listed the dolls on eBay and there were reports of this $30 doll selling for up to $1500! Demand was much greater than supply so the price went way up.

A good example of what happens when supply exceeds demand is Overstock.com. When companies have more supply than they can sell, they want to get it out of the warehouse and make room for another product that will sell better. To do this, they drop the price and sell it to a place like Overstock.com. Overstock.com gets such a good price on these items they can turn around and mark the price up for retail but still sell it for less than the usual retail price. Supply exceeded demand so the price dropped.

Supply and demand affects everything. It affects the retail market, the employment market, the stock market, the currency market, the tax market (yep, taxes are a market too), literally everything. That is why it is important to understand how it works and to teach our children about the greatest market force. It affects everyone, every day so if you grasp how it works you can't be fooled by rhetoric and you can make informed decisions about what is reported to you on a daily basis.

I hope it didn't bore you to death, but I think it's important to make sure all readers are exposed to this important concept before I get started with the actual problems we find in today's economy.

If you would like more info on supply and demand including a graph of the supply curve and demand curve check this site out http://www.netmba.com/econ/micro/supply-demand/

What Free Market?

It's all over the media. Stock prices are down, gas is going up, unemployment is a whopping 6%, people are spontaneously combusting, America sucks...the world is coming to an end!!

So who's to blame for all of the calamity? Well, that depends on who you want to listen to and whether or not the truth matters. According to the US House and Senate Democrats (and unfortunately some Republicans as well), the blame always seems to land squarely on the free market. It's the investors' fault, or the CEOs' fault, or Big ______s' fault(fill in the blank with any industry), or not enough regulation for those industries. The demons are the successful, demonized for wanting to make a profit. Their answer is more government control through regulation, or lately by simply bailing out and taking over the company. This mantra is amplified by the "main stream media" every single day and the problems just compound.

With all of the regulation that has been thrown on the private sector the "Free Market" is no longer free to work. Instead we end up with a semi-socialized market where the government tries to micro-manage the entire economy by centralizing control over as much as possible. We want a completely risk-free market with no ups and downs so the micro-management gets tighter and tighter. This ties the hands of the market not allowing it to self-correct in the normal business cycle which eventually results in a much worse correction when it finally gets to the saturation point. I'm not a believer in a complete "hands-off" market so please don't think I'm saying zero regulation would make everything just fine.

So with this in mind, whose' fault is this current situation we find ourselves in? It's our fault. Before you pop a few expletives at me and disappear for blaming you, please hear me out.

Here are three of my reasons:

1) For years we have put up with an education system (also centralized) that teaches very little, if anything at all, about real economics. Sure, they teach you how to balance a checkbook and go grocery shopping, but that's about it. This lack of economic education makes us vulnerable to all of the propaganda that is thrown our way. Some of the comments made by leaders of the United States House and Senate are laughable to anyone who has studied basic economics, but they sound good to most people.

2) We play the class warfare game. We used to long to be like that successful person we saw on TV. Now most of us want to punish the successful to cut them down to size. Instead of asking "how can I do that?" we demand it be taken away from them by force to "level the playing field".

3) The final reason it's our fault is the lack of respect for our duty to vote. In most local elections, 10% turnout is high even though those people have the most control over our communities. 35% is good for a mid-term national election and 50% for the presidential election. We are neglecting our duty so we "get what we pay for".

Since the school systems don't teach the basics, I'm going to attempt to explain the economics behind a few of the problems we are currently experiencing. Over the next several posts I'll talk about economics of gas/oil, housing, banking and general economics.

Stay tuned...

The 3,000 Mile Myth

There is something out there that costs most people in money and time, but it is unnecessary. I see it all over the place, in TV commercials, at auto parts stores and on signs in front of the "quickie change" places. It is the 3,000 mile oil change. The myth says "if you change your oil every 3,000 miles your engine will run and wear better", but it has been proven many times that this is just not true.

If you follow the money, you can see where this comes from. It is very good marketing, not some conspiracy, that uses the common sense of most motorists. When you hear the this, it seems to make sense that changing your oil often will do just what the marketers say. Instead of listening to marketers, I would like to give you some info that will help you understand why spending up to an hour in time and extra $$$ for extra oil changes can be avoided.

I believe most people are misled by where their information comes from. As I said before, the marketers want you to change your oil every 3,000 miles, but to find out if that is really necessary you need check your owner's manual that comes with the automobile. There are some cars that require a 3,000 mile oil change, but today that is few and far between. When you think about it the people who built your car are going to know much more about what it really needs than anyone else. If your manual calls for a 7,500 mile oil change, then that is what they have determined is optimal.

As an example of how much of a difference this can make, I will use our cars. In our household, we have three cars. Car 1 is a six cylinder car, holds 4.5 quarts of oil and costs $40 per oil change. Car 2 is a six cylinder, holds 9.5 quarts of oil and costs $80 per oil change. Car 3 is a V-8, holds 7.5 quarts of oil and costs $65 per oil change. My oil changes are a little more expensive because I only use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in our cars. If the average on all three cars is 15K miles per year, then I would spend $925 on 15 oil changes. Keep in mind I do my own oil changes so they would cost a good bit more if I took my cars somewhere and had it done for me.

If you look at the owner's manual for the cars, Car 1 calls for an oil & filter change every 6,000 miles. Car 2 calls for one every 15,000 miles and Car 3 every 7,500 miles. With those intervals, I should have only changed the oil in Car 1 2 1/2 times, Car 2 only once in a year and Car 3 twice in a year. My total expense for what is called for in the owner's manuals would be $322.50 for 5 1/2 oil changes over the year. I saved $602.50!!

So what is the proof that this causes no more engine wear or degraded oil? First was a test done by Consumer Reports a few years ago. They took two identical cars and ran them 100K miles. In one car they changed the oil every 3,000 miles and in the other they changed it when the owner's manual said to do it. At the end they tore down the engines and measured the wear on both. The engine wear was the same on both cars so their conclusion was the 3,000 mile oil change was not necessary.

My own proof for my cars comes from the oil reports. Since I do all of the work on my own cars, every time I complete an oil change I send a sample in to Blackstone Labs. They test it to see if the oil has degraded and also list any metals or contaminants they find in the oil. My reports always come back saying the oil is still performing to standards and the contaminants and metals are normal. In fact, in Car 1, because I use Mobil 1 oil those tests actually came back saying the oil was still like new and I can extend the use. That car is up to a 9,000 mile oil change now and the reports always say the engine is in great shape and so is the oil.

So don't listen to marketers when it comes to your automobiles. Save yourself time and money by listening to the manufacturer and changing the oil when they recommend. On the other end, never extend your oil changes past the manufacturer's suggested cycle without proper oil testing that shows it does not harm your engine to do so.

Darn, Slow Computer!! (Part 2)

I talked about bloated anti-virus programs in my last blog so next up are the toolbars; those little “handy” gadgets that are installed in your browser or even on your desktop. The problem with toolbars is they use a lot of your computer’s resources and most of the time they are unnecessary.



The most used functions of toolbars are quick searches, pop-up blocking and auto-fill. All three of those functions are already built into Internet Explorer and FireFox so they are unnecessary. The problem caused by toolbars is a slow Internet, especially when several computers with toolbars installed are using the same Internet connection. While you’re surfing around, the toolbar is constantly sending information back and forth to their servers. They do this to help websites you visit determine what ads should show up for you while you are there. They can also allow hackers a portal to get into your computer and record information that you type in when you visit sites. So if you have a toolbar and you’re tired of your slow Internet, get rid of it.



The last of my top three things that slow your computer down is spyware. Spyware consists of little programs that install themselves when you install other programs or in the background when you visit some websites. They can also be disguised as a program you think is good and you install them yourself without knowing it.



Spyware is vicious and can wreak all kinds of havoc on your computer. It can cause ads to pop up all over the place uncontrollably. It can record where you surf and what you type into your computer, even when you are not online. It can worm its’ way through your private information and report it back to a remote server. Finally, if several spyware programs are installed they can use a tremendous amount of resources bringing your computer to a very slow crawl or even make it unusable.



As with viruses, there is a great program that will take care of spyware problems. Spybot Search&Destroy by Safer Networks not only finds and deletes already loaded spyware programs, it allows you to “immunize” your computer to keep you away from known spyware websites. It also has a runtime program called TeaTimer that asks you to confirm Registry and System Configuration changes before allowing them. That keeps those nasty auto-install programs from doing damage in the background without you knowing it. This is a great defense program, but it does use about 40MB of RAM so if you run the Spybot checker pretty often you don’t have to install this. If you always forget to check things out, install it and have peace of mind that nothing is installed without you knowing about it.



Spybot Search&Destroy is a free program available at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html and there is a good write up on the previous version of the software at http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0200024r2k1o (the new version, 1.60, just came out so there are no reviews of that version yet). The program is free, but if you would like to thank the makers of the software you can donate to their efforts at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/donate/index.html BE CAREFUL!! Don’t go to search engines and just grab any free “spyware detection” program. There are a ton of them that are fake and actually install spyware on your computer. They are sneaky, like the one that is called “SpywareBot” playing off of Spybot to try and get you to download and install their junk.

Darn, Slow Computer!! (Part 1)

Does it take forever for your computer to boot up? Do you twiddle your thumbs while a web page loads even though you have DSL or broadband Internet? Several things can cause your computer to slow down, but three of them are quick and very easy to fix without buying new hardware.

So what are these three things? Bloated anti-virus programs, Toolbars and Spyware.

We’ll start with the A/V programs and cover the others in future posts. Did you know most of the anti-virus programs you buy at the store are so bloated with unnecessary junk they can actually slow your computer down more than the viruses they protect you from? It sounds crazy, but it’s true. The problem is, due to wonderful programmers around the world with too much time on their hands, you really can’t afford to be without anti-virus software. It's so bad out there, when I searched for reviews of anti-virus programs the first link was a virus that was caught by my anti-virus software.

So who are the big offenders? Unfortunately the most bloated anti-virus programs are the top sellers because they spend a ton of money on marketing and “coop” agreements with computer makers. Every time I get a call from a friend or family member who is having trouble with a slow computer my first question is “Do you have McAfee or Norton Anti-Virus?” and the answer is most often “Yes”.

Since you really need an anti-virus program, and you already paid for the one you have, what can you do? I’m glad you asked.

There is a fantastic program that protects you from viruses, rootkits, some spyware and more. Best of all, it’s absolutely free for home users. The program is called Avast Anti-Virus. Avast does a great job of protecting your computer while using very little of your computing resources (memory, CPU, etc). PC Magazine has a great review of the software along with reader reviews here http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2282704,00.asp#member_rating
All you have to do is register the software each year and you can keep using it for free. They don’t send you any spam because they make their money from business users. Just go to http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html to download it and install it. If you have another virus program, make sure you uninstall that one after installing Avast so you can get your resources back. I personally use Avast on all of our home computers and I have also purchased it for the Windows SBS 2003 server and all of the client computers in our office.

If you feel like you just have to pay for a home anti-virus program but still want a good one, you can get AVG anti-virus at http://www.grisoft.com/ww.store It's easy on the resources and does a good job. Your computer geek friends would approve of either of these.

Heroes

All of us have heroes of one sort or another that we look up to. They are so important to us that almost all stories have a hero of one sort or another as a main character. There's Spiderman, a regular guy whose’ spider bite gives him the power to spin webs and super strength. Batman, the man who uses his wealth to create the tools he needs to save Gotham City. Then there's my favorite, Superman. The man of steel who can fly, deflect bullets, run down a speeding train and so much more.

With all of the great heroes to choose from, the greatest hero in my life can't fly, or spin webs. He's a real hero rather than just a comic book wish.

My hero is a REAL man. By that I mean he’s a man’s man. He is man of strength and integrity who has strong, traditional values. He is tough when he needs to be but also loving, though not a “push over” like so many “feminized” men of today have become. He loves this country, has an incredible work ethic yet has a very humble heart. He regularly sacrificed himself and his wants for his family. He is my dad.

So what are the things he has done to make him worthy of hero status? I'm glad you asked.

He is a man of love, true love. I saw the way he loves his wife. Not a fake kind of "everything's perfect" and "rose colored glasses" kind of love but a real, solid love. The kind of love that admits things are not always perfect, but when you stand by each other you can work through anything together. A love so true, when watching James Garner read to his wife every day in "The Notebook" my wife said "that reminds me of your dad" explaining "I can see him loving your mom that way if they were ever in the same situation". She even quoted advice he gave us when we were married 23 years ago recently in a marriage talk we did. She said “Whatever may happen between you, no matter how mad you get, never take your anger to bed.” great advice that we have tried to live by in our marriage.

He also showed that love to his children. Every day he made sure to tell us "I love you" and mean it, and give us a hug and kiss goodbye. Yet another thing my wife admiringly noticed when we were dating. When necessary, he disciplined us out of love to teach us integrity and right from wrong...even when it tore him apart inside to have to do it.

He sacrificed himself for us. One example of this was when he turned down a great opportunity for promotion in his company in my high school years. It was a promotion that would offer more money, greater security and make him a top manager in a very large company, but it would involve a move. He sacrificed that to allow us to stay with our friends through high school and not have to "start over" creating a real home that we can all look back to throughout our lives.

One of the greatest memories from my childhood was my first concert. I absolutely love music and I have always been interested in electronics and graphic design. My favorite band at the time was ELO (Electric Light Orchestra). They had an amazing stage show with their trademark UFO and they had something brand new incorporated into their show…laser lights. They released a new album called “Time” and I mentioned I would like to see them in concert but never expected to actually go since I was just thirteen and could not get there on my own. The next thing I know I am there with my dad sitting next to me. I knew he didn’t like the music very much and had never been a big rock fan, but he sat there for over three hours so I could see my favorite band in my first concert. That spoke volumes to me.

There are so many “little things” through my life I could list that made a huge impact on my life. He would never see his life as “exemplary” because he is truly humble man, but my dad, Al Schilling, is the greatest man I know and my hero. I will consider my life to be a success if I am half the husband, dad, son and friend he is and has been.

I hope your hero is half as amazing as mine.

Kill 'em All!!!

Over the past several years, in light of the events of September 11, 2001, this has become the unfortunate mantra of many people directed at the islamic community. To be honest with you, it was the call of nearly every American, including myself, in the few weeks/months right after the attack on our country. Being a very proud American it seemed to me to be the right thing to do. "They started it" and we need to finish it. In the world's view that is the answer, but should that be the case for me as a Christ follower?

Before you think "oh great, another guy who wants to just roll over and let them run all over us", please allow me fill in some blanks. Personally, I do not believe we should roll over and play dead. We need to defend our country and I support our President, no matter who he is, and our troops 100% in any time of war, therefore I support victory for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our brave men and women are fighting for our freedom and they should be allowed to finish the job they set out to do, not be pulled out early in defeat because of politics. I also support "taking out" the leaders and members of terror organizations who have declared war against our great country. If you declare war against us, then you must deal with the consequences.

So if that's the case, then why do I say the mantra of "Kill 'em all" is "unfortunate"? I think it is unfortunate because we are dealing with a lot of people who live in circumstances we as Americans could never fully understand. You see, in America we are free to worship who or what we want, where we want and when we want to. In the Middle East it is a completely different story.

Over the past few years I have been taking mission trips to the Middle East with my church. The first time I went my family was scared, and even though I tried to hide it from them, so was I. All we hear on TV is how much they hate Americans and think we are all "the great Satan". What I found to be the truth is they absolutely LOVE Americans and envy our freedom. So, what do you think is the number one question from people we encounter in the Middle East? "Can you get me to America?" In their countries the government is run by islamic law called "sharia" (شَرِيعَة). This means the quran (الكريم) and hadith (الحديث) are the law of the land so you either follow them or you have consequences up to and including death. Islam is very much a religion of force and has been that way from the very beginning when Muhammad had his "revelations". Simply speaking badly about Muhammad is a sentence of death when sharia is followed.

Couple that with the fact that the quran is the text book used in school to teach children to read and write and now I have a question for you. If you knew you and your family would be targeted if you do not profess the government's religion, what would you do? Really think about this. Christians, Jews, hindus, budhists, baha'i and all religions other than islam are literally illegal in your country. If you convert to one of them, you may wake up one day and your children, spouse, parents or all of them have simply disappeared. Your business is ransacked and your home set on fire in an attempt to kill you. You cannot have any form of identification because that is only given to muslims so you cannot get a job, do any banking or conduct any kind of commerce. Would you even think about being anything but muslim in that country under those circumstances? My guess would be that, as is the case in these countries, 99% of you would not even consider anything other than islam. Now consider the fact that the quran doesn't say these rules only apply to to islamic nations, but they apply to the entire world...by force if necessary.

Hopefully this helps you begin to see what the free world is up against. There is a huge region of the world where the scenario I listed above is the actual law of the land and it calls on true followers to spread it across the world. So if we don't "kill 'em all", what else can we do?

We can CHANGE THEIR HEARTS.

When our teams go to the Middle East, we are not running around on the streets, passing out tracts and trying to convert people to Christianity. What we do is show people the compassion of Christ through our actions. Our teams have done things like set up a computer lab to help people learn new skills and find better jobs, help with construction work on some churches, visit orphanages to create relationships with people and show them love. Our leader who is from the country we serve always tells us "remember, when you meet people in the streets of the city and in the impoverished areas we serve, you represent 1000 Americans to them and, since they believe EVERY American is a Christian, you represent Christ to them without saying a word.

You see, the teams are dealing with every day people who, like most people here who call themselves Christians, are really only muslim in name. Most of them are illiterate so they cannot read the quran, much less follow it. As an American, everywhere you go the people flock around you trying to say hello or shake your hand. They want to know all about you so you already have an "in".

So instead of believing the media hype, go over and show the people of the Middle East the love of Christ. If you can't go over there, there are plenty of people here who need the same love. Remember, Christ loved everyone, even the people who crucified him, all the way through the last breath he took here on earth and beyond after his resurrection.

If you would like more info on how to relate with muslims, check the book "Unveiling Islam". http://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Islam-Insiders-Muslim-Beliefs/dp/0825424003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218081071&sr=8-1

If you are going to have a relationship with someone from a different culture you need to learn what is offensive to them. Things like never greeting anyone with your left hand, what your friends are allowed to eat if you have them over for dinner. The book I mentioned will help you understand the culture. I hope to see you there, sharing love with people across the globe.

What About Delirious?

Since this is my first post I thought I would keep it light and help you to get to know who's behind the keyboard.

I use the screen name Delirious because Delirious? is one of my favorite bands. Check them out at http://www.delirious.net/ if you get a chance.

I'm a 40+ year old guy who was born and raised in the southern states. I was married in 1985 and continued to work on my college degree at night while working full time during the day. We had our first daughter in 1986 and our second in 1992. I'm in a professional trade working with computers most of the time and I truly enjoy my work.

I became a Christ follower in 1994 during a retreat called The Walk To Emmaus. I finally took what I knew in my head and moved it to my heart. Since then, I have worked as a youth counselor at church, a worship leader and recently took up missionary work. I love doing things to help others find or grow their relationship with Christ.

I have always been a lover of cars, but in the past few years I have really gotten involved in a sports car community and enjoy working on our cars. It amazes me to see what engineering feats man has created and to think of how incredible it is that God created us to be able to imagine such marvelous and intricit things.

I hope to see you around here often. Please comment, introduce yourself and check back often for new topics. I won't sensor any comments you have UNLESS you use foul language and/or threats to others. It's unnecessary and I want my kids and anyone elses to be able to read this blog without worry.