2/26/2009

The Hypocrisy of Hope

From the great Jim Geraghty

During the campaign, Senator Obama critiqued President Bush for adding $2.7 trillion to the federal debt during his eight years in office. Today President Obama released a budget that calls for adding $4.7 trillion to the debt in just the next four years.

When he gets done spending our grandchildren into life-long debt in the name of "hope", we'll be lucky to have any change left.

2/24/2009

When You Punish the Productive, What Happens?

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen. She baked a loaf of bread with flour ground from grain she had planted, watered, and harvested herself because the other animals in the barnyard were unwilling to work to help her. Then when those animals who had refused to help with any of the work wanted a piece of the delicious bread, she said "I'll eat it myself."

The animals banded together and filed a class-action lawsuit against the unjust and selfish conduct of the hen, depriving them of their fair share of bread. Their tearful stories on CNN convinced Congress to pass a law taking one half of all future bread production from the hen to give to those "in need."

Strangely enough, the hen stopped baking bread altogether.

President Obama has declared his intention to raise taxes on businesses and "the rich" to balance the budget. Where his interest in balancing the budget was a week ago when he signed off on more than a trillion dollars in "stimulus" spending that won't stimulate anything (and most of which won't be spent for two years or more) is an open question. But does anybody seriously think that producers will keep producing if it's going into the mouths and pockets of those Mr. Obama deems worthy? I don't.

2/14/2009

Half a Lifetime...and Not Long Enough

Twenty-three years ago today, a twenty-three year old married the love of his life. Having now spent half of my life married, the only thing I can say is that it isn't long enough.

Through all the ups and downs, the things we expected and didn't expect, good days and bad, sickness and health (and when does the "richer" part start again?) Brenda has been my constant. She makes every good day happier and every bad day bearable. She knows when I need encouragement--no one else was ever able to read me, but she does, like a book. She is my cheerleader, my adviser, my strength, and my best friend.

Proverbs 19:14 says, "House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD." In the same way that we receive a tangible inheritance from our ancestors, I received a great inheritance from God on February 14, 1986 when Brenda and I were married.


Tell her, he said, that she is my life; my last and best reason for living -- Philippe the Mouse, Ladyhawke


I can't wait to see what happens next.