Quote of the Day

From Ben House in Punic Wars and Culture Wars:

The greatest events going on in our day are not happening in cabinet meetings at the White House or in caucuses on Capitol Hill or in executive board rooms on Wall Street. Civilization is being saved by faithful pastors, dedicated Christian teachers, moms and dads who are teaching their children about Jesus, small name book publishers, newsletters, magazines, and web sites dedicated to Christian causes, and to a host of other Samaritine-type works happening across the land...

...We could spend a lot of time bemoaning the legion of dangers to our republic, our civilization, and our way of life. Hillary or Obama just might get elected in 2008, the economy might implode, and gay marriages might become the rage. Congress might not pass and the President might not sign some mythical piece of legislation ending all bad things and promoting all good things. Don't despair. Instead, teach a Sunday school class, support a Christian school or mission work, buy some Christian books, give away some Christian books, go to a prayer meeting, witness to someone, encourage a faithful minister, and pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Happy Thanksgiving

The PalmFamily is on a little family retreat in Waikiki, and I've spent most of the day parked in a lounge chair by the pool, for which I'm quite thankful. We have been extremely busy lately, and a little rest is in order. We are thankful for time together, time away, and time in a beautiful tropical paradise. Time is precious, and as they say, it's fleeting. I'm feeling that more and more as our time as a four-piece puzzle is coming to an end soon.

Your Thanksgiving Day is probably coming to a close, and we haven't even had our feast yet. Happy Thanksgiving, readers. May your day be full of gratitude, food, family, and fellowship.

T-Shirt of the Day

I want this one.

Quote of the Day

From William Armstrong's Study Is Hard Work:

The people whom you encounter in reading biographies, the people who have made the world better, the people who have achieved success, are the people who have learned to make time serve them. Invariably their work habits show a well-designed pattern or schedule. In reality such a schedule becomes one of your great responsibilities in life. The person who fails in this responsibility becomes a hanger-on, a liability; and most tragic of all, they sometimes become an unbearable burden to themselves.

Quote of the Day

From Study Is Hard Work by William H. Armstrong:

It is the responsibility of the student to be interested. No one can be interested for you, and no one can increase your interest unless you so will. It is the basic obligation that you must take to class; it is the basic obligation which you must hold up to each assignment. In life it is the basic obligation you will carry into your life's work, or life will make you a person of no consequence or influence, going from job to job, thinking always that the grass will be greener on the other side of the fence, bored with things as they are because you were never interested enough to learn that it is only through ignorance that we are ever bored.

Being interested is the basic obligation that is necessary for success in whatever work you do.

Logical Fallacy of the Day

The Fallacy of False Dilemma or Bifurcation:

The bifurcation fallacy is committed when a false dilemma is presented, i.e. when someone is asked to choose between two options when there is at least one other option available. Of course, arguments that restrict the options to more than two but less than there really are are similarly fallacious.

This fallacy is being committed by U.S. Senators and journalists even as I type this. It goes something like this: "We must vote on the health care bill that is in front of the Senate because doing nothing is not an option." So, those are our only two options? Vote on that bill or do nothing?

Folks, even my own children, both under the age of 18, recognize that logical fallacy. Which, I guess, is fitting since they're the ones who will be paying for this disaster.

"that all of human history is just a bit of colorful backstory in the Barack Obama biopic"

There is so much right with Mark Steyn's latest column that I don't know where to begin. This line is priceless:

And they help explain why, whenever the president’s not talking about himself, he sounds like he’s wandered vaguely off-message.

Do go read the whole thing.

So We've Established Her Price

Senator Mary Landrieu will vote to allow debate on the health care disaster in exchange for $100 million.

I've never thought out-of-state campaign contributions to be particularly right. I've changed my mind. The Harry Reids, Mary Landrieus, and Olympia Snowes directly affect each of us. That's why I recently contributed to the campaign of Harry Reid's rival, Danny Tarkanian.

Quote of the Day

From "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds" by John Newton:

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I'll praise Thee as I ought.

Quote of the Day

From Mark Steyn:

“Diversity” is one of those words designed to absolve you of the need to think. Likewise, a belief in “multiculturalism” doesn’t require you to know anything at all about other cultures, just to feel generally warm and fluffy about them.

Appalling Quote of the Day

From General Casey yesterday on Meet the Press (via The Corner at NRO):

And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse.

I'm speechless.

Don't Take Offense Where None Has Been Given

I learned that phrase from our pastor, and it has been a useful one to preach to myself. Nancy Wilson posts on Taking Offense at Femina, and she gives that same wise counsel:

We all think that giving offense is a bad thing, right? Well, not always. It depends. You may give offense unknowingly just by walking into a room, and that is not (usually, anyway) culpable. But we seldom realize that taking offense can be a sin we really do need to confess. We usually assume that if we are offended, that is the moral high ground, and whatever caused it must be a sin. But that is not true.

As ever, go read the whole thing.

He Doesn't Get It, But She Sure Does

The "He" would be President Obama, and the "She" is Cassandra at Villainous Company. She articulates well some thoughts I've been mulling over lately, especially since the crime at Fort Hood last week. Here's how she starts her thoughtful post:

Life is full of mysteries, but chief among them in this Marine wife's mind at the moment is, "Just how stupid does this White House think we are?" If the events of the past few months have shown us anything, it's that Barack Obama has little enthusiasm for - or interest in - one of the most important duties of an American President: his role as Commander in Chief of the nation's armed forces.

She's only getting started. It's a long post, but I recommend it.

A Monthly Abortion Premium?

That's what the office of Congressman John Boehner says is included in Pelosi's healthcare bill:

What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run plan. It’s right there on line 16, page 96, section 213, under “Insurance Rating Rules.” The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account - and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.

Also alarming is the latitude allowed to the Secretary of Health and Human Services:

On line 17, p. 110, section 222 under “Abortions for which Public Funding is Allowed” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run plan. The Speaker’s plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions.

Please go read the whole post. This is appalling.

Quote of the Day

From Brigette Russell at Moralia, on why she's not blogging as often:

When you homeschool, and your kids turn out to be ignorami, there’s nobody else to blame. That’s some pressure, I tell you what.

Oh, how I can relate to that!

If the young guys with the white shirts and black ties are walking through your neighborhood, you'll want to have read this from Credenda Agenda. Here's a peek:

There are basically two ways Christians witness to Mormons. One is to demolish Mormonism in an apologetic way, the other is to expose Mormonism in a theological way. The former deals with Mormon history, false prophecies, archaeology, DNA, etc. The latter deals with sin, repentance, atonement, the gospel, etc.

Most people take the first approach, but we, the Oasis ministry in Utah, take the second. The first may make many ex-Mormons, but it doesn't necessarily make believers. Actually, it can be counter-productive. Once Mormons realize Mormonism is false they typically move into atheism because it is almost impossible for them to disassociate their knowledge of God, the Bible and Jesus from their Mormon worldview. They are so wounded from having been lied to that they hesitate to trust any religious consideration afterward and default into heavy skepticism. Also, destroying the historical foundations of Mormonism isn't preaching the gospel. The message we are called to preach is the same message for all people whether they are Mormon or not: we are called to preach Christ crucified, the only salvation for sinners.

The whole thing is worth a read.

A Picture Worth 787 Billion Words

Here.

"Rome wasn't built in a day, so if Caesar could see what I've already done, it would rock his world."

Need a laugh? Scott Ott can help.

Missing the Spirit of the Law

I was not in favor of the cell phone ban for drivers on Oahu that kicked in this past summer, not because I think driving while on the phone is a good idea, but because I think erratic driving while dialing is reckless driving, and that's already against the law. I also think that the law is largely ineffective, as illustrated by what PalmPilot and I saw yesterday. While on the H-3, PalmPilot tried to pass a driver who couldn't keep a consistent speed in the right lane. As we passed her, we saw that the young woman had both hands on the wheel, but she was balancing her cell phone on her upper left arm and had her head tilted over to listen in. Hands free? Yes. But as she tried to balance the phone while conversing, safe driving, not to mention keeping a constant speed, was the last thing on her mind.