tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81217312024-03-13T22:15:11.191-05:00Pushing Back the Frontiers of IgnoranceThe heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the leftRobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.comBlogger1368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-65917136423388358162023-02-26T18:34:00.010-06:002024-01-07T18:33:59.766-06:00Book List 2023<p><b>Bold </b>denotes highly recommended</p><p><b>Fiction</b></p><div style="text-align: left;">Ross Macdonald - The Moving Target</div><div style="text-align: left;">BB Shelbie - Murderhobo's Apprentice: Chronicles of Alandia Book 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">C. S. Lewis - The Silver Chair</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jonathan Maberry: Trust No One: X-Files Vol 1</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lars Walker - The Elder King: Erling Skajalsson Saga Book 5</div><div style="text-align: left;">C. S. Lewis - The Last Battle</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Mackenzie - Cockroach Milk: A No Agenda Nation Novel</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yudhanjaya Wijeratne - The Salvage Crew</div><div style="text-align: left;">John Taloni - The Compleat Martian Invasion</div><div style="text-align: left;">Eric M. Hamilton - An Inconvenient Presidency</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jon Mollison - Forbidden Thoughts</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jonathan Maberry: The Truth is Out There: X-Files Vol 2</div><div style="text-align: left;">J. R. White - The Bounty and the Bones</div><div style="text-align: left;">Eric Postma - Shoot the Devil</div><div style="text-align: left;">Timothy Zahn - Cobra</div><div style="text-align: left;">M. R. Kayser - God's and Proxies</div><div style="text-align: left;">Howard Butcher- Jonah: A Novel of Men and the Sea</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nick Cook - Earth Song</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><b>Non-Fiction</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Craig Pittman - Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther</div><div><b>Rupert Sheldrake - Science Set Free</b></div><div>Steve Silberman - NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity</div><div>Thomas Asbridge - The Greatest Knight</div><div>Barbara Tuchman - The Guns of August</div><div>Tom C. McKenney - Jack Hinson's One-Man War</div><div>Suzanne Simard - Finding the Mother Tree</div><div>Norm McDonald - Based on a True Story</div><div>Thomas Gold - The Deep Hot Biosphere</div><div>Michael Malice - The White Pill</div><div>Robert Drysdale - Opening the Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: The Story Behind the Film</div><div>Troy Senik - A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland</div><div>Jerry Marzinsky & Sherry Swiney - An Amazing Journey Into the Psychotic Mind - Breaking the Spell of the Ivory Tower</div><div>S. C. Gwynne - Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Development</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div>Johan Hari - Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again</div><div>Craig Keener: The Gift & The Giver: Holy Spirit for Today</div></div><div>Matthew Sleeth - 24/6</div><div>Varg Freeborn - Violence of Mind</div><div>John Walton & Tremper Longman - How to Read Job</div><div><b>Steve Rinella - Outdoor Kids in an Indoor World</b></div><div>Keith Hopkins - A World Full of Gods: The Strange Triumph of Christianity</div><div>Lierre Keith - The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability</div></div>RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-90201936850172562512022-08-20T21:42:00.007-05:002023-01-01T12:41:55.716-06:00Book List 2022<div style="text-align: left;"> <b>(Bold </b>denotes highly recommended)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Fiction<br /></b>C. S. Lewis - The Horse and His Boy</div><div style="text-align: left;">Peter Grant - Rocky Mountain Retribution</div><div style="text-align: left;">David T. Good - Garden Heat</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lars Walker - The Year of the Warrior (Erling's Word)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lars Walker - The Ghost of the God-Tree</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jack Carr - True Believer</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dashiell Hammett- The Maltese Falcon</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lars Walker - West Oversea</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott McKenzie - The Boy with #ISND</div><div style="text-align: left;">JR White - A Hail of Brimstone</div><div style="text-align: left;">C. S. Lewis - Prince Caspian</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott McKenzie: Red Cell</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dashiell Hammett - The Thin Man</div><div style="text-align: left;">John Taloni - Thunder god of Mars</div><div style="text-align: left;">T.J. Marquis - RawJack </div><div style="text-align: left;">Milo James Fowler - Coyote Cal</div><div style="text-align: left;">John C Wright - Superluminary: Lords of Creation</div><div style="text-align: left;">John C Wright - Superluminary: The Space Vampires</div><div style="text-align: left;">John C Wright - Superluminary: The World Armada</div><div style="text-align: left;">Brent Weeks - The Way of Shadows</div><div style="text-align: left;">Will Jordan - The Dark Harvest</div><div style="text-align: left;">C. S. Lewis - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</div><div style="text-align: left;">John Steinbeck - The Winter of Our Discontent</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jane Austen - Sense and Sensibility</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lars Walker - Hailstone Mountain</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Non-fiction</b><b><br /><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>David Fischer - Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">William J. Bennet - Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rickson Gracie - Breath: A Life in Flow </div><div style="text-align: left;">Trey Garrison & Richard McClure - Opioids for the Masses: Big Pharma's War on Middle America and the White Working Class</div><div style="text-align: left;">Graham Hancock - The Magicians of the Gods</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thor Hanson - The Triumph of Seeds</div><div style="text-align: left;">Steve Solomon - Gardening When it Counts</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mary Roach - Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law</div><div style="text-align: left;">Joel Salatin - Folks, This Ain't Normal</div><div style="text-align: left;">John C. Wright - From Barsoom to Malacanda: Musings on Things Past and Things to Come</div><div style="text-align: left;">Matthew Lohmeier- Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tom Mustill - How to Speak Whale: A Voyage in the Future of Animal Communication</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mark Miodownik - Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Development</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Eli J. Finkel - All or Nothing Marriage</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Craig Keener - Miracles Today:</b> The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>John Middleton - Abraham's Silence: </b>The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God</div><div style="text-align: left;">John Bergsma - Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Daniel Mendelsohn - An Odyssey: </b>A Father, a Son, and an Epic</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chad Bird: The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament</div><div style="text-align: left;">Neal Cole: Primal Fire: Reigniting the Church with the Five Gifts of Jesus </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Joel Salatin: Family Friendly Farming: A Multi-Generational Home-Based Business Testament</b></div>RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-3678760975181929352021-03-01T21:59:00.027-06:002022-01-03T21:09:44.734-06:00Book List 2021<p><b>(Bold </b>denotes highly recommended)</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Fiction<br /></b>J. R. White - A Shadow of Wolves<br />J.R.R. Tolkien - Tales From the Perilous Realm<br />Larry Correa - The Destroyer of Worlds (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior 3)<br /><b>Orsen Scott Card - Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus<br /></b>Susan Cooper - Greenwitch</div><div style="text-align: left;">J.R.R. Tolkien - Sir Gwain and the Green Knight</div><div style="text-align: left;">C. S. Lewis - That Hideous Strength</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael S. Heiser - The Facade</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Louis L'Amour - Law of the Desert</div><div style="text-align: left;">Susan Cooper - The Gray King</div><div style="text-align: left;">James Howard Kuntsler - A World Made by Hand</div><div style="text-align: left;">Michael S. Heiser - The Portent</div><div style="text-align: left;">Susan Cooper - Silver on the Tree</div><div style="text-align: left;">Larry Correia & John Brown - Gun Runner</div><div style="text-align: left;">George MacDonald- The Princess and the Goblin </div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Mckenzie - The Boy with the Involuntary Social Network Disorder</div><div style="text-align: left;">Andrew Peterson - On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Mckenzie - One Day in Gitmo Nation</div><div style="text-align: left;">Andrew Peterson - North! Or Be Eaten</div><div style="text-align: left;">John C. Wright - All Men Dream of Earthwomen and other Aeons</div><div style="text-align: left;">C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew</div><div style="text-align: left;">Andrew Peterson - The Monster of the Hollows</div><div style="text-align: left;">Jack Carr - The Terminal List</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>C. S. Lewis - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Andrew Peterson - The Warden and the Wolf-King</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Andy Weir - The Hail Mary Project</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Non Fiction <br /></b>Dan Carlin - The End is Always Near </div><div style="text-align: left;">Joel Salatin - Pastured Poultry Profits<br />Neil Postman - Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology <br />Edmund Morris - Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming </div><div style="text-align: left;">Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui- Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Greer - Unacknowledged: An Exposé of the World’s Greatest Secret</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dana Thompson - Kunekune Pigs: The Ultimate Guide for Homesteaders </div><div style="text-align: left;">Capt E.R.Walt - Halloway's Raiders: A History of Dallas Police Department's Deadly Shotgun Squads</div><div style="text-align: left;">Leigh Tate: 5 Acres & A Dream: The Sequel </div><div style="text-align: left;">Dan Abrams & David Fisher - Lincoln's Last Trial</div><div style="text-align: left;">Allan Nation & Jim Gerrish - Quality Pasture: How to Create It, Manage It & Profit From It, 2nd</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thomas Cahill - The Mysteries of the Middle Ages</div><div style="text-align: left;">Neil Postman - The Disappearance of Childhood</div><div style="text-align: left;">Richard Lee - Modern Reloading</div><div style="text-align: left;">Isabella Tree - The Wilding</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>James Webb- Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Vivek Ramaswamy - Woke, Inc: Inside America's Social Justice Scam</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lazlo Tokes - The Fall of Tyrants </div><div style="text-align: left;">Joseph Cotto - Runaway Masters</div><div style="text-align: left;">David the Good - Grocery Row Gardening</div><div style="text-align: left;">Joel Salatin - Polyface Micro</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Pollan - Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Development</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Watchman Nee - The Latent Power of the Soul</div><div style="text-align: left;">John H. Hilber - Old Testament Cosmology & Divine Accommodation</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S. Joshua Swamidass - The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Viktor E. Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Carmen Joy Imes-Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Louis Markos- On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis</div><div style="text-align: left;">Seth Postell - Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah fulfills its goal in Yeshua</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rory Sutherland - Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life</div><div style="text-align: left;">Watchman Nee - Sit, Stand, Walk</div>RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-65384514270364302012020-01-18T21:52:00.009-06:002021-03-01T21:42:28.102-06:00Book List 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(<b>Bold </b>denotes highly recommended)<br />
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<b>Fiction</b><br />
Walter Mosley: The Devil in a Blue Dress<br />
Umberto Ecco: The Name of the Rose<br />
Larry Correia: #1 in Customer Service: The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Inter-Dimensional Insurance Agent<br />
John C. Wright: Terrors of Pangaea (Lost on the Last Continent 1)<br />
John C. Wright: Giants of Pangaea (Lost on the Last Continent 2)<br />
John C. Wright: Gods of Pangaea (Lost on the Last Continent 3)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Larry Correia: House of Assassins: The Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, book 2<br />
Tom Pendelton: The Iron Orchard<br />
C.S. Lewis: Out of the Silent Planet </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Eric Dontigney: Midnight Ground</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">C. S. Lewis: Perelandra</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">J. R. R. Tolkien: Letters from Father Christmas </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<b>Non-Fiction</b><br />
Eric Metaxas: Bonhoeffer<br />
Graham Hancock: The Fingerprints of the Gods<br />
Todd Zwillich: The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon<br />
Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto<br />
Eric Toensmeier: Paradise Lot<br />
James Howard Kunstler: Living in the Long Emergency<br />Mark Twain: The Innocents Abroad</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Gary Lachman: Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump<br />
<b>Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Malcolm X: The End of White World Supremacy </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">William Strauss & Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy - What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Development</b><br />
John Sailhammer: The Pentateuch as Narrative<br />
Robert B. Cialdini: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion<br />
Scott Adams: Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter<br />
<b>C. R. Wiley: Man of the House:</b> A Handbook for Building a House in a World that is Falling Apart<br />
David the Good: The Easy Way to Start a Home-Based Plant Nursery and Make Thousands in Your Spare Time<br />
Grant Cunningham: Protecting Your Homestead: Using a rifle to defend life on your property<br />
Leigh Tate: Prepper's Livestock Handbook: Lifesaving Strategies and Sustainable Methods for Keeping Chickens, Rabbits, Goats, Cows and other Farm Animals<br />
Todd A. Wilson: Zealous for Good Works<br />
<b>Michael Heiser: The Unseen Realm</b><br />
A. W. Tozer: The Pursuit of God<br />
Joel Salatin: You Can Farm<br />
Janet Vorwald Dohner: Livestock Guardians<br />
Joel Salatin: Salad Bar Beef</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Ben Witherington III: Who God Is: Meditations on the Character of God</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Greg Ellifritz: Choose Adventure (Safe Travel in Dangerous Places)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Matthew Sleeth: Reforesting Faith: What trees teach us about the nature of God and His love for us</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Randy Alcorn: Heaven<br />John H Walton: The Lost World of Genesis One</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A. W. Pink: The Life of Elijah</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-60338983575777833582019-03-10T20:45:00.000-05:002020-01-18T21:43:55.834-06:00Book List 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>(<b>Bold Denotes Highly Recommended)</b></i><br />
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Jeff & Jean Sutton: First to the Moon</div>
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David T. Good: Turned Earth<br />
Caleb Carr: The Alienst<br />
Antonio Salmeron: The Object<br />
Anthony Marchetta: God, Robot<br />
Susan Cooper: Over Sea, Under Stone<br />
Superversive Press: Planetary: Mercury </div>
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Joshua P. Simon: Forever Soldiers<br />
Susan Cooper: The Dark is Rising<br />
Peter Grant: Brings the Lightning<br />
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Jane Austin: Emma<br />
Superversive Press: Planetary: Earth<br />
GK Chesterton: The Innocence of Father Brown<br />
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Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Everyday Life</div>
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Anthony Everitt: Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician</div>
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Art Ludwig: Water Storage</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Nathaniel Philbrick: Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution</span><br />
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David the Good: Push the Zone; The Good Guide to Growing Tropical Plants beyond the Tropics</div>
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Bryan Caplan: Selfish Reasons to have more kids: Why being a parent is less work and more fun then you think</div>
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Gary Taubes: Why We Get Fat and What to do about it </div>
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Matthew Trewhella: The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government</div>
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Leigh Tate: 5 Acres & a Dream: The Challenges of Establishing a Self-Sufficient Homestead<br />
Dan Kindlon & Michael Thompson: Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional life of boys<br />
Erik Larson: Dead Wake; The Last Crossing of the Lusitania<br />
Michael Lewis: The Undoing Project<br />
Frank J. Tipler: The Physics of Christianity<br />
Milo Yiannopoulos: Middle Rages: Why the Battle for Medieval Studies Matters to America<br />
David McCullough: The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris<br />
Audie Murphy: To Hell and Back<br />
Mat Best: Thank You for My Service<br />
David the Good: Free Plants for Everyone<br />
Ron Paul: The School Revolution: A New Answer for our Broken Education System<br />
Thomas Cahill: Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter<br />
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<b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Development</b></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Francis Chan: <b>Letters to the Church</b></div>
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<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Robert Alter: The Art of Biblical Narrative</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
William Bennet: The Book of Virtues</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Michael S. Heiser: Angels</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Jocko Willink & Leif Babin: Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs lead and win</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Teri Page: Family Homesteading</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Brennan Manning: Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Daniel Pink: To Sell is Human; The Surprising Truth About Moving Others</div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Johann Hari: </span><b>Lost Connections</b>: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ryan Pitterson: </span><b>The Judgment of the Nephilim</b><br />
C. R. Wiley: <b>The Household and the War for the Cosmos</b><br />
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
George S. Clason: The Richest Man in Babylon</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Stephan Molyneux: The Art of the Argument; The Last Stand of Western Civilization</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
G. K. Chesterton: The Uses of Diversity</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
Robert Alter: The Book of Moses: A Translation with Commentary </div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
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<div style="font-weight: 400;">
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</div>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-83369160549857534942018-05-08T16:04:00.000-05:002020-01-18T21:45:50.183-06:00Book List 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>(Bold</b> denotes highly recommended)<br />
<b>Fiction</b><br />
John C Wright: Count to Infinity<br />
Anthony Marchetta: Tales of the Once and Future King<br />
Jerry Pournelle: There Will be War Volume X<br />
John C Wright: Superluminary: Lords of Creation<br />
John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley<br />
T. H. White: The Once and Future King<br />
John C Wright: Superluminary: The Space Vampires<br />
Owen Stanley: The Missionaries<br />
John C Wright: Superliminary: The World Armada<br />
Greg Pak: Planet Hulk<br />
John Stuart: Raise a Holler<br />
Robert Heinlein: Farnham's Freehold<br />
Joseph P. Simon: Resurrected Soldier<br />
Walt Simonson: The Mighty Thor: Vol 1<br />
Jane Austin: <b>Pride & Prejudice</b><br />
H. G. Wells: The Food of the Gods and How it Came to Earth<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Non-Fiction</b><br />
Eric Metaxas: Martin Luther: The Man who Rediscovered God and Changed the World<br />
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: <b>The Black Swan</b>: The Impact of the Highly Improbable<br />
G. K. Chesterton: What I learned in America<br />
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: <b>Antifragile</b>: Things that Gain from Disorder<br />
Sir William Ramsey: Was Christ Born at Bethlehem?<br />
David Cressy: Bonfires and Bells: National Memory and the Protestant Calendar in Elizabethan and Stuart England<br />
J. B. Bury: A History of Freedom of Thought<br />
Maxi'diwiac & Gilbert Livingstone Wilson: Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden<br />
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Fooled By Randomness<br />
Steve Hughes: The Homebuilt Winery<br />
Jeff Cox: From Vines to Wines<br />
Thomas Cahill: The Gifts of the Jews<br />
N. T. Wright: Paul: A Biography<br />
Ralph Korngold: Thaddeus Stevens: A Being Darkly Wise and Rudely Great<br />
Thomas Cahill: The Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus<br />
J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien: Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary<br />
Martha Stout: The Sociopath Next Door<br />
Douglas Preston: The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<b>Development</b><br />
Plan B Writers Alliance: Locusts on the Horizon<br />
Timothy Keller: Romans 1-7 For You<br />
Michael Heiser:<b> Reversing Hermon:</b> Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ<br />
Jordan B Peterson: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos<br />
Timothy Keller: Prayer<br />
Bob Clagett: Making Time<br />
Steven Corbett & Brian Fikkert: When Helping Hurts<br />
C. R. Hallpike: Do We Need God to Be Good?<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Timothy Keller: Romans 8-16 For You</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
Grant Cunningham: Prepping for Life: A Balanced Approach to Personal Security<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-70918375525594587962017-10-09T10:41:00.000-05:002020-01-18T21:47:12.795-06:00Book List 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>(Bold </b>denotes Highly Recommended)<br />
<b>Fiction<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
John C. Wright: The Judge of Ages<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
John C. Wright: The Architect of Aeons<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
John C. Wright: The Vindication of Man<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
John Bunyan: The Pilgrims Progress<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Jerry Pournelle: There Will Be War Vol 1<o:p></o:p><br />
Jerry Pournelle: There Will Be War Vol II<br />
Douglas Adams: So Long and Thank's for All the Fish</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Non Fiction<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
David the Good: Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Carl Sandburg: Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Carl Sandburg: Abraham Lincoln: The War Years<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Timoty Egan: <b>The Immortal Irishman</b>: The Irish revolutionary who became an American hero<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
G K Chesterton: <b>The Everlasting Man</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
LawDog: The LawDog Files <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
David Grossman: On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dr. Joseph Alton: The Survival Medicine Handbook: THE essential guide for when medical help is NOT on the way<o:p></o:p><br />
Paul Tough: How Children Succeed: Grit, curiosity and the hidden power of character<br />
Steven Kotler & James Wheal: Stealing Fire: How silicon valley, the Navy SEALS, and maverick scientists are revolutionizing the way we think<br />
Samuel L. Bray & John F. Hobbins: Genesis 1-11: A New Old Translation for Readers, Scholars, and Translators</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Development<o:p></o:p></b><br />
Charles Swindoll: A Life Well Lived</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dallas Willard: The Divine Conspiracy <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Timothy Keller: Every Good Endeavor: Connecting your work to God’s work<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Timothy Keller: King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the life of Jesus<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Kevin Lehman: Sheet Music: Uncovering the secrets of sexual intimacy in marriage<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Roger Connors: The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dr. Michael S. Heiser: Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - and Why It Matters<o:p></o:p><br />
Todd Wagner: <b>Come & See</b></div>
Phillip Keller: A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-70358726808732358402016-08-10T21:30:00.000-05:002016-08-10T21:55:31.528-05:00Shadow of the Greater Yet to Come<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the hound, God has gifted man a mighty gift, noble in
concept and execution. When He charged Adam to take dominion over the earth and
all that lies within, there must have been a special place of pride and love in
the Almighty as he placed the hidden joys of the coming domesticated canine
within man’s grasp. Dogs kept as pets bring hope and heartache, joy and sorrow,
and a shadow of the greater joy yet to come for the Christian.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Give no platitudes; maturity and strength do not stem
from falsehood. I find no evidence or support in the scriptures for a soul
within a dog. Hunter is gone now. This crafty and cheerful and stubborn and loyal
Golden Retriever I married into will not be standing in the new kingdom
awaiting our arrival. To have a spirit is the breath of life God has given
exclusively to man, and all of creation and the angels look upon us with wonder.
Yet Hunter is a great gift of God. He is a picture of God’s love; integral to
my wife’s coming of age, a testimony of the living God, and a marker of the
curse of sin.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The bible is clear that the new kingdom to come is free
of death and sorrow. The New Heaven and the New Earth will be rife with the
creatures of creation. Those found within the Book of Life will live for
eternity in the fully realized reality of Jesus, and even the nature of our
pets will change. ‘Pet’ is scarce a word to describe what will be. All of
creation groans under the weight of sin and longs of Christ to return. The dog
we keep as a pet now is a pale yet delightful shadow of the age to come,
groaning and longing himself. Creation, and canines within, will be fully
realized. My relationship will be fully realized. I propose that the barriers
of communication and understanding will be razed. The glimpses of understanding
that we see now are only snatches of the song to come. Maybe in the City of God
I will have a buffalo and an echidna with my Anatolian Shepherd dog, while my
neighbor sips tea upon his caribou.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hunter, like most pups, had two eyes. At the ripe age of
ten, he developed a wart centered on one pupil. Knowing our budget limit of $400,
Jenny looked at the +$1200 appraisal with dismay. Physically, the rest of his
body was good, the body of a dog three years his junior. Yet every time Hunter looked
at you tail a-wagging, the malignant cornea capper would look right back,
growing in scope and magnitude as the days turned into weeks. Cost effective
remedies unavailable, we discussed euthanasia to cut off the painful process.
One day I noticed a reduction in the growth as I was getting ready for work,
and I texted Jenny about it later, and she agreed it was improving. She had
prayed to Jesus over his eye for healing, and within two days it was completely
healed without any medical attention beyond the initial diagnosis. This afternoon,
as the life within a now thirteen-year-old Hunter faded by injection and old
age, those eyes looked at me from the table. The eyes conveyed pain from kidney
failure, but also a reminder that my God is alive, the Spirit is active, and
Jesus does know us as individuals. God reveals His glory in the 10,000 small joys
in the days of a dog’s life, and the healing that secures hope. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXOsIBBKgM8/V6vktsX6WtI/AAAAAAAAFbg/L8K_K2U2-AInuGvGj0oK18mTSG3bl7jtgCK4B/s1600/hunter%2Brecolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXOsIBBKgM8/V6vktsX6WtI/AAAAAAAAFbg/L8K_K2U2-AInuGvGj0oK18mTSG3bl7jtgCK4B/s320/hunter%2Brecolor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lake Georgetown, 2013</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Death comes to both man and beast. It is a gift of God
that our life spans several rounds of our pets. In young life, a puppy is joy
in discovery and the hope that proper training will bring out the full potential.
Youthful energy and a desire to go on walks keep the responsible owner young.
Their vigilance over the bumps that come in the night brings us rest. The slow
and methodical elder age and the resurgence of ‘independent thinking’ are
themselves a reminder of what comes upon man in the twilight years. The death
itself is a consequence of man’s rebellion against providence, the wages of our
sin. Redemption has come for Man by the Christ on the cross. Salvation and new
life are there for those who follow Jesus, but while he waits for the wheat and
the tares to choose and bear fruit, creation suffers. Until judgment and all is
made new creation will continue to suffer. God is sacrificing his good creation
to give us more time to come to Him. One day, perhaps soon, this will end and
man can rejoice fully with creator and creation once again and for all time. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Greater days are yet to come. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today, Hunter has passed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today, I will value Harmon and Sullivan a bit more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today, I know God loves us, each as a person and not only
in the collective.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hunter’s time has come. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">May the time of His return come soon. </span></div>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-64486109853382065342016-08-01T21:50:00.000-05:002020-01-18T21:48:16.494-06:00Book List 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>(Bold</b> denotes highly recommended)<br />
<b>Nonfiction</b><br />
<div>
Richards/O'Brian: Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes</div>
<div>
C.S. Lewis: <b>The Abolition of Man</b></div>
<div>
Martin Goodman: Rome and Jerusalem</div>
<div>
Clarence Thomas: My Grandfather's Son</div>
<div>
Timothy & Kathy Keller: <b>The Meaning of Marriage</b></div>
<div>
James C. Dobson: Bringing Up Boys</div>
<div>
Larry P. Arnn: Churchill's Trial;Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government<br />
Donald J. Trump & Tony Schwartz: The Art of the Deal<br />
Angela Hanscom: Balanced and Barefoot</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Fiction</b></div>
<div>
John C. Wright: A Book of Feast and Seasons</div>
<div>
John C. Wright: One Bright Star to Guide Them</div>
<div>
Virgil: The Aeneid</div>
<div>
Larry Correia - <b>Son of the Black Sword:</b> The Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, Book 1</div>
<div>
Conn Iggulden - Ghengis: Birth of an Empire</div>
<div>
Conn Iggulden - Ghengis: Lords of the Bow</div>
<div>
Michael Crichton: Pirate Latitudes</div>
<div>
Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms<br />
John C. Wright: <b>Count to a Trillion</b><br />
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Books<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-69505584017133662602015-12-23T17:50:00.000-06:002020-01-18T21:49:26.371-06:00Book List 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>(Bold</b> denotes highly recommended)<br />
<b>Fiction:</b><br />
- Homer: The Odyssey<br />
- Michael Crichton: Jurassic Park: The Lost World<br />
- C. S. Lewis: <b>The Great Divorce</b><br />
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Fellowship of the Ring<br />
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Two Towers<br />
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Return of the King<br />
- Joseph P. Simon: Forgotten Soldiers<br />
- Joseph P. Simon: Wayward Soldiers<br />
- John C. Wright: The Golden Age<br />
- John C. Wright: Phoenix Exultant<br />
- John C. Wright: The Golden Transcendence<br />
- Aurthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes:<i> A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, A Case of Identity, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Five Orange Pips, The Man With the Twisted Lips, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band</i> <br />
- Andy Weir: The Martian<br />
- Paulo Cohelo: The Alchemist<br />
- Frank Peretti: This Present Darkness<br />
<br />
<b>Nonfiction:</b><br />
- Martin Pistorus: Ghost Boy<br />
- Frederick Douglass: A Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglas<br />
- Jack Weatherfront: Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World<br />
- Malcomb Gladwell: The Tipping Point<br />
- John C. Waugh: Re-electing Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency<br />
- Emily Oster: <b>Expecting Better</b><br />
- Jerry Trousdale: Miraculous Movements: <i>How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims are falling in love with Jesus</i><br />
- David the Good: <i>Compost Everything</i><br />
<i>- </i>Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America<i> </i><br />
- Caesar Millan's short guide to a happy dog<br />
- David Watson: Contagious Disciple Making <br />
- Sharon Moalem: Inheritance: <i>How genes change our lives- and our lives change our genes</i><br />
<i>- </i>Rodney Stark: Why the West Won<br />
- David the Good: <i>Survival Gardening</i><br />
<br /></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-10436111012655236192015-06-28T21:33:00.002-05:002015-06-29T06:50:59.205-05:00Brave is a Plastic Fork<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a movement that I have taken note of within the
Christian church. I say within the church because all churches are members of
the body of Christ, and the lines between different bodies is more blurred then
it has been in generations, even to human faculties. I say movement because
many people have adopted its phrases, precepts, and persuasions across numerous
church bodies. This is the Brave movement. The Brave movement holds bravery of Christians
as a cardinal virtue, and embraces Jesus as one who makes believers brave. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Real people write worship and their writing follows
teaching and understanding. Worship songs can become anthems of the faith,
constant reminders of seasons we walk in now and seasons that have been in the
past. At different times, <i>Amazing Grace<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></i>
can be the cry of our hearts or a faint reminder of Christians from days past. <i>Oceans<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[ii]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></i>
by Hillsong may be the anthem of the body for the past two years, a fresh sound
of David echoed across the world. Movements have their songs as well, because
music penetrates and reflects the soul of the artist and receiver. If there was
a Brave movement ten years ago, it probably would have been headlined by Nicole
Nordeman with <i>Brave<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[iii]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
(“…you make me want to be brave”).</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, <i>You Make Me Brave<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[iv]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></i>
from Bethel Music is a contemporary worship song that is the anthem of the
Brave movement, an ideological rallying cry staking a claim in the hearts of
believers engaging in worship. <i>You Make
Me Brave</i> has a great sound, uplifting chords and a catchy hook. It opens
with a noble message of humility before Jesus (“<i>King of Heaven, in humility I bow”)</i>, a declaration of victory (<i>“Champion of Heaven you made a way for all
to enter in”) </i>and proclamation of our calling (“<i>So I will let you draw me out beyond the shore into the waves”). </i>The
back half of this worship song is a repeated declaration of “<i>You make me brave”</i> and rebuke of nameless
fears. There is much truth in this. Humility is righteous. Jesus is King. Jesus
is salvation. We stand called. Jesus makes you brave? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are three problems with this line of reasoning. The
first is a category error, the second is a priority error, and the third is the
boy who cried wolf. Brave<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
is an adjective, noun, or a verb describing someone or something ready to face
danger without showing fear. Brave is a choice, a manner of action, a method of
behavior. One is not ‘made brave’. A firefighter running into his hostile work environment
is brave by choice, not by manufacture. Someone did not come and make Rosa
Parks brave; she chose to act bravely. No one made the David Livingstone, the ‘Brave
Scotchman’, penetrate the African continent for Jesus, he chose his actions and
they were brave. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a categorical error to claim ‘you make me brave’ as a
truth of Jesus to your heart. This error abdicates the responsibility of the Christian
to act brave and fraudulently imposes it upon Jesus, who purposefully does not
make our decisions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Priorities matter. Do not consider all things as of great
importance and suffer the opportunity costs of neglecting the important at the
expense of the lesser things. Penny-wise, Pound-foolish<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
is a nuanced example of this false focus. Paul tells us about the fruits of the
spirit<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[vii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and examples of righteousness<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[viii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
Brave is not among them. Maybe this is for two reasons. First, it should be natural
in our new state that we live with courage, conviction, and righteousness.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[ix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Second, because of our relationship with Jesus we explicitly make the choices of
life, he does not make choices for us. This is free will and it is fundamental
to Christian faith. Bravery is less then critical for most of choices, and God
calls us into much greater than mere bravery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bravery is the failure to appear daunted,
unlike boldness, which is not hesitating in the face of actual or possible danger.
I think this is what people mean when they say brave, but words shape our
mindsets more than intent and therefore matter greatly. To place ‘bravery’ as
virtue above Godly humility or righteous living or liberty from the flesh is a
waste of great gifts. This is coming into the feast of the marriage of the
Bride and Jesus, equipped with our own plastic cutlery and rejecting all the
finest forks and knives of heaven. “No thank you” says the diner, “I want to
use these instead. You keep those; I have found something much better.” It
should frustrate us to see pearls freely offered cast aside so petty rhinestones
can continue to adorn this faith. David celebrated the victories of God over
his enemies<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[x]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and he rejoiced in the strength God gave him to conquer<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn11" name="_ednref11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[xi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
It is notable that he found comfort in the tools and abilities<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[xii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and deliverance<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn13" name="_ednref13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
God gave him, not in their rejection. Importantly,
David did not expect nor demand that God make his choices for him, he did not
praise God for making him brave. David
was brave and it was his choice to be, and he worshiped the Lord for who the
Lord is and what he has really done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As David was once a shepherd, so let me tell you of
another. Once there was as shepherd boy on the hills. In the midst of a summer
doldrums, he prepared a plan for excitement and attention. Dashing down the
hill with the sheep ruminating behind, he exclaims to all who listen that he
saw a wolf! Reacting with due haste his neighbors dash up the hill seek the destroyer,
only they cannot find him there. Days go by and the boy becomes dulled with the
tedium of his walk, and he prepares his plan for excitement and attention.
Dashing down the hill with the sheep of his master ruminating on his departure,
he exclaims again to his neighbors that he saw a wolf! Many of townspeople dash
up the hill to spy out the wolf, reacting with perhaps less haste then before. The
destroyer is not here! This immature shepherd has misled others and wasted time
again. The neighbors admonish the boy for his foolishness and leave him again
to tend the master’s flock. Days pass on, and the boy prepares his plan for excitement
and attention. It has succeeded without fail in the old days! <i>(In summer, the days grow old with undue
speed)</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He stands, ready to dash once again, when he counts his master’s
sheep. The flock is smaller than it was. Counting out, he realizes there are
indeed sheep missing. In the near distance, howling breaks forth, and the
rustles and hustles and bustles reveal a number of destroyers greater then he
can handle. Dashing down the hill with the diminishing sheep bleating confusion,
scattering behind him; the boy seeks his neighbors and exclaims the news to his
town. Now none listens. He has shown complete disrespect for his neighbors, wasted
their time with running hither and yon, and destroyed their trust with
falsehoods. He has failed to present truth to them, and so when he does come to
the truth, no one will accept. It is critical to present the truth always to
our neighbors. When we fail at this, there is disrespect and time lost irreparably.
If we cry out falsely, or intentionally misdirect our neighbors, we condemn our
efforts to failure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Brave movement does this, foregoing the hard truth of
personal responsibility and salvation offered and misdirecting to the plastic forks
and knives, saying Jesus makes me brave. This is an easy out with only
transient victory. It feels good for a while to claim, “It is not me, Jesus
makes me brave!” Yet when the grist is ground in life, there is no foundation
prepared to act with righteousness. This is a weak foundation, one built on
sand of emotions and temporary expediency. The Brave movement sacrifices the
truth of making choices on the altar of a strong female vocal, catchy lyrics
and comforting half-truths. Church, we are better than this. Do not offer fake
answers to a world demanding reality. Rather hold fast to what is true and
proclaim the good news in grace and in truth<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_edn14" name="_ednref14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[xiv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be brave is your choice; it is the choice to do the right thing at the right
time for the right reasons, regardless of the consequences of this world. The
song <i>Brave </i>by Nicole Nordeman
retained this reality, and emphasized the choice of Christian. If our faith is true, we should experience boldness in our walk that is inwardly experienced and outwardly visible. Boldness to disciple, boldness for grace, boldness for truth, boldness for Jesus as he really is and not merely though song. Daniel in
Babylon chose to be righteous and the Lord honored his boldness. Peter
chose to walk on the water towards Jesus, and in his faith walked with boldness. Paul
worshiped in prison, and from his relationship with Jesus came boldness, boldness we have not seen the end of. Make the choice, and do not feast upon half-truths and
falsehoods for your life, wherever they come from. Love rejoices with the truth.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #006621; font-size: 8pt;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/penny-wise+and+pound-foolish">http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/penny-wise+and+pound-foolish</a>
<span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #404040;">Prov.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">thrifty</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">with</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">small</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">sums</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">and</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">foolish</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">with</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">large</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">sums.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">(Describes</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">someone</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">who</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">will</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"></span>go<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">lot</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">trouble</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">save</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">little</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">money,</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">but</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><u><span style="background: white; color: #1d4994;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">overlooks</span></span></u><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">large</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">expenses</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #404040;"></span>to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">save</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">little</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">money.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Even</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">United</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">States,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">reference</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">British</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">pounds</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">sterling.)</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="hvr"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sam:</span></span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> </span></i></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">If we</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">drive</span></i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> </span></i></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">to</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">six</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">different</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">grocery</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">stores,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">we'll</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">get</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">the</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">best</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">bargains</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> </span></i></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">on</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">everything</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> </span></i></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">we</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">buy.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">Ala</span><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">n:</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">But</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">with</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">gasoline</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> </span></i></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">so</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">expensive,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">that's</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">
penny-wise</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;"> <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></i></span><span class="hvr"><i><span style="background: white; color: #966a00;">pound-foolish.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<div id="edn7">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[vii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Galatians 5:22-23 </span></div>
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<div id="edn8">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[viii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Romans 12:9-21, Colossians 3:12-17</span></div>
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<div id="edn9">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[ix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Galatians 5:24, 25. Ephesians 4:17-32</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[x]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Psalm
23:5</span></div>
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<div id="edn11">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref11" name="_edn11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[xi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Psalm 27:6</span></div>
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<div id="edn12">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref12" name="_edn12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[xii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Psalm 18:30-36</span></div>
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<div id="edn13">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref13" name="_edn13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span>
1 Samuel 17:36</span></div>
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<div id="edn14">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/Brave%20Struggle.docx#_ednref14" name="_edn14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[xiv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
John 1:14, 17</span></div>
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-9842873029155634202014-12-31T20:37:00.000-06:002020-01-18T21:49:50.068-06:002014 Book List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u>Nonfiction:</u></b><br />
<b>> Jon Meacham: American Lion</b>; <i>Andrew Jackson in the White House (It is fortunate for us that the man who could have been our Caesar was so dedicated to popular liberty and bank busting. The personal turmoil throughout this administration is astonishing and may have helped limit the already expansive increase in executive power. Long, long read.)</i><br />
> <b>G. J. Myers: A World Undone</b>: <i>The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 (Truly a masterpiece representation of the the first World War. Extensive provision of context, welcome portraits of the men who changed the war, and an unyielding sense of the weight of the subject)</i><br />
> <b>Peter L. Bernstein: The Wedding of the Waters</b>: <i>The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation (Having an even greater impact then even the transcontinental railroad, the project that made New York an economic triumph. Delightful work on an oft neglected subject matter.)</i><br />
> <b>Alexander Rose: American Rifle:</b> <i>A Biography (Rifles. Industrial Development. Personal machinations of inventors, soldiers, acquisition officers. generals. industrialists. Recommended for anyone with an interest in firearms or military development. </i><br />
<b>> Paul M. Barrett: Glock </b><i><b>(</b>Lightweight, benevolent history of a pistol that changed the face of the worldwide firearms industry)</i><br />
<b>> Amity Shlaes: Coolidge </b><i>(I learned an enormous amount of US history through the eyes of one of my favored presidents, a hand of character attempting to stay the progressive tide. Long but worthy read for minds interested in what it takes to reduce a federal budget)</i><br />
<b>> Susan Cain: Quiet</b> <i>The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking (<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks%2Fsusan_cain_the_power_of_introverts%3Flanguage%3Den&ei=LTcaVJnbIMu6ogTs64D4Cw&usg=AFQjCNE34OaRgMFFANWzr7tuZLIIxx0lHw&sig2=jcIbILncqM3T4wwvcnsD_A&bvm=bv.75742615,d.cGU">This </a>TED Talk has all of the book)</i><br />
<i>> </i><b>Jim Powell: FDR's Folly</b> <i>(Good documentation of the mess that was the New Deal. Hard to get through, but each chapter is an essay worthy of completion in its own right)</i><br />
<b>>John C. Wright: Transhuman and Subhuman: </b>Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth (<i>Highlights include a keen review of the Hobbit movies, strong female characters, and the warping of the modern man by a worldview excluding the Creator. Recommended for scifi and apologetic types).</i><br />
<i>> </i><b>Nathaniel Philbrick: The Last Stand: (</b><i>Custer, Sitting Bull, Little Big Horn, a battle that is full of characters richly canvassed. If you like history told with notes on the footnotes and lively personal drama, this is it. )</i><br />
<b>> C. S. Lewis: Mere Christianity:<i> (</i></b><i>Exemplary apologetic, rarely shows it's age as Lewis discourses through timeless truths)</i><br />
<b>> Steven Dubner & Steven Levitt: Think like a Freak </b>(<i>Thin and repeats a lot of the podcast material. Did not care, they bring an A game to the table and it's worth the short time investment. I will be telling more stories as a result of this book</i>.)<br />
<b>>Thomas Cahill: How the Irish Saved Civilization (</b><i>intriguing survey of the classical world's collapse and the effect of Patrick's conversion of Ireland on Ireland and continental Europe)</i><br />
<b>>Maury Klien: The Power Makers:</b> Steam, Electricity, and the Men who invented Modern America <i>(Workman like prose, takes a lot of pages to describe the evolution of electricity</i><br />
<i> in the US. Not for idle reading but I found it informative)</i><br />
<b>> Danny Silk: Keep Your Love On! </b><i>(Could have been condensed to 24 pages, not compelling or revelatory or terribly helpful)</i><br />
<i>></i><b><i> </i>Michael Pollan: The Omnivore's Dilemma </b><i>(Food Inc sourced a lot of material from Pollan's writings, but even after viewing Food Inc I still found fresh and engaging content throughout,. It did accomplish it's unstated goal, to have this reader review my food choices)</i><br />
<i>> </i><b>Cityview Church: Perseverance; True Stories from Mineral Wells</b><br />
<b>>Margaret MacMillian: Paris 1919: </b>Six Months that Changed the World<br />
><b>Mark Kurlansky: The Big Oyster; History on the Half Shell</b><br />
<b>>Michael Lewis: Boomerang</b><br />
<br />
<b><u>Fiction:</u></b><br />
<b>> Isaac Asimov: The Currents of Space </b>(<i>Asimov brings a sci-fi who-dun-it. Fun and engaging</i>)<br />
<b>> Douglas Adams: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy </b><i><b>(</b>Hilarious and unrelenting in surprise)</i><br />
<b>> Douglas Adams: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe </b><i>(Funny and continues the humor)</i><br />
<b>> Douglas Adams: Life, the Universe, Everything </b>(<i>moments of hilarity, too oft a story lost)</i><br />
<b>> Neal Stephenson: Snowcrash </b><i>(Clever conceits, a collapsed world run by 'franchise city-states', skateboarding delivery teens, enormous virtual reality engagement, Sumerian myth, the Holy Spirit as an information virus transmittable from humans to virtual reality, a world spanning monopoly on the internet run by a renegade Pentecostal, an Aleut man with a hydrogen bomb... fun concepts which require enormous suspensions of disbelief to overcome chronic biblical mis-information. Audio version was dull. may be better in paper. Tremendous tongue-in-cheek humor. Frustrating characters due to thin thought processes. Unbelievably contemporary for being 22 years old, worth a looksee for sci-fi readers)</i><br />
<b><i>> </i>Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet </b>(Sherlock Holmes)<br />
<b>> Larry Correia: Hard Magic</b>: <i>Book 1 of the Grimnoir Chronicles (Story. Plot. Characters. Historical context. Magic. Steampunk. So. Good.)</i><br />
<b>> Larry Correia: Spellbound</b>: <i>Book I1 of the Grimnoir Chronicles (An equal to the excellence that is Hard Magic)</i><br />
<b><i>> </i>Edgar Rice Burroughs: Princess of Mars </b>(<i>classic interplanetary romance adventure science fiction, for boys young and old</i>)<br />
> <b>David Liss: Whiskey Rebels: <i>(</i></b><i>Mediocre historical fiction in the period following the war for independence. Yawn.)</i><br />
><b>Larry Correia: Warbound</b> <i>Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles. (Corriea manages the Everest of multi-part fiction, a conclusion worthy of its mighty predecessors. I listened to the audio versions all and they were tremendous, I will be seeking out paper copies to keep on the shelf.) </i><br />
<i>></i><b>John C. Wright: City Beyond Time</b> (<i>Short stories of time travel and the people who live at the end of time and have to deal with the obnoxious consequences of those who travel in time. Thought provoking in the way good science fiction ought to be)</i><br />
<i>> </i><b>Edgar Rice Burroughs: At the Earth's Core: </b><i>(Fun and fanciful Sci-Fi/Fantasy of a long time ago. Felt like a compilation of a magazine serial feature)</i><br />
><b>Arthur Conan Doyle: The Sign of the Four</b><br />
<b>>Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles</b><br />
<b>>Victor Davis Hanson: The End of Sparta (</b><i>I didn't think it was this way when I read it, but this book has a great stick-to-the-ribs-of-the-mind quality about it, and that is a good thing)</i><br />
<b>> Homer</b>: The Illiad<br />
> <b>John Stienbeck: The Pearl (</b><i>Deserving of the term 'classic' for its treatment of the heart of man)</i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In Process:</b><br />
Homer: The Odyssey<br />
John Piper: What Jesus Demands from the World<br />
<b><br /></b>
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-49508847344437502812014-10-08T20:44:00.000-05:002014-10-08T20:53:29.606-05:00"That, Detective, is the Right Question"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h3>
<i>“How did it come to this?”</i></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>-King Théoden, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (<a href="http://youtu.be/Tzx6d5h-5Mg?t=1m30s">movie</a>)</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History is stories. History is facts. History is events.
History is thematic. History is legend. History is truth. History is written by
the victors. History is a weapon. History is an argument without end. History
is the hand of the Almighty. History is people. History is <i>interesting. </i>History is context.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet if you ask the average American, I suspect the most
common refrain will be ‘History is boring’. Why is that? What takes the natural
curiosity of a child looking for answers and turns it aside with ruthless
efficiency?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is in no small part an absence of a need for
understanding. People learn best when there is a definitive and useful
application. You look both ways to cross the street to avoid a jarring life
event. People brush their teeth to retain molars and smell pleasant. Many
children even develop the skill of walking because there is a perceived use. Humans
like to see immediate application of what we are learning. The common refrain
of students learning algebra is “Why does this matter to me?” In the case of
algebra, the material must be known for the future despite its minimal
application in the present. It can be taught effectively through rigorous
exercises and rote coursework. There is undeniably a correct answer, a solution
without dispute. Where math can be effectively compelled, history becomes more
obtuse and ephemeral with regimented pressure. It is far from obvious to the
reluctant student that history has applications or benefits today or tomorrow. Humans
live and learn in the present, often inconsiderate of future needs or utility.
In history education, this barrier must be overcome. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJ-7QIBGELU/VDXpUejNNmI/AAAAAAAAB6I/eIAYoa77GEE/s1600/Theoden_sc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJ-7QIBGELU/VDXpUejNNmI/AAAAAAAAB6I/eIAYoa77GEE/s1600/Theoden_sc.jpg" height="173" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The separation of a great teacher from a merely competent
teacher is the ability to offer value to the pupil. History will not endure as a
litany of dates and facts. It is and must be taught as greater than the sum of
its parts. One robust way is through stories<a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/How%20did%20it%20come%20to%20this%20-%20history%20is.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
We like stories; our western minds intuitively seek the beginning, the middle
and the end. Our empathic side can transport us into the story, riveting us in
the search for detail and meaning and purpose. When the application and
benefits of learning history escape notice this backdoor of stories can endow
appetite. In the absence of this, history education frequently fails the ‘Why
does it matter to me?’ question. We want and need the answer to ‘How does it
matter to me?’ to prompt the Théoden question, ‘How did it come to this?’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our standard narration of history begins with our first
evidence of the written word in ancient Sumer, where we learn of clay tablets
and many things we don’t actually know. Then Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia,
Greece, Rome, Here Be Dark Ages, Vikings, Leonardo Da Vinci, 1492, The <i>Mayflower</i>, George Washington, Abraham
Lincoln, light bulb, trenches in Europe, Nazis, Atom Bomb, and JFK. None of
these things matter in the daily life of most adults, less so in the daily life
of a K-12 student. This only begins to matter when people look and ask our Théoden
question. When asking this question, people are seeking context; now history
matters a great deal. To understand History and its context a personal desire
is required. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The challenge for history education is to encourage and
enable a student to ask our Théoden question. I propose we work backwards from
our present position. Trace out present context in reverse by noting the
turning points along the way. Ask “Why are all Americans treated as equal under
the law?” We want to trace this idea to its genesis. Tell of Martin Luther King
Jr. and the civil rights movement. Share the story of Ricky Branch and Jackie
Robinson. Let Susan B. Anthony be known. Tell the story of Abraham Lincoln and
the Emancipation Proclamation. Skip not Andrew Jackson’s Trail of Tears and the
Great Compromise of Clay. Remind us of the Dred Scott decision. Tell of John
Quincy Adams and the <i>Amistad</i>. Honor
our bedrock of the US constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Tell of
the elder Adams and his defense of the law and impartial justice, of Jefferson
and his defense of man, of Madison and the separation of powers, of Monroe and
his pen, and of Washington and his integrity with power. Teach of those binary
stars Burke and Paine. Recall Locke and Hobbes, Cromwell and John Cooke, and
the still earlier Magna Carta. Know that Hammurabi of Babylon did codify laws
and that the Medes and the Persians held their monarchs bound. Let us never
forget that all men are created equal, each created in the image of his
creator. The vast sweep of history and context require understanding, yet the
knowledge must find rest in the fertile soil asking the why and the how. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will that fertile soil come into being? Not all students
will muse as Théoden, nor should we force them to. It is imperative to
understand that force-fed history is worse than no history at all. It provides
the veneer of knowledge through possession of paperwork certifying completion.
It fosters distaste for the subject of the past. No one eagerly anticipates the
next glass of milk if the previous one was curdled when consumed. Let us not
behave foolishly and ruin the minds which may become agreeable to this study in
the future by souring the mind in the present. Let those who wish to ignore
history do so as their choice, and leave the minds that will choose to concern themselves
with the context of history unsullied with milk miserably curdled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Robert%20Wood/Documents/How%20did%20it%20come%20to%20this%20-%20history%20is.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Practical Note for grades K-6<sup>th</sup>: Look at the Landmark series of
history books published by Random House. These are a vast collection of
narrative histories and biographies written by prolific children’s authors from
the 1950’s-60s, and do an extraordinary job of embedding the story of people’s lives
into the factual narrative of history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[ii] <a href="http://pushbackignorance.blogspot.com/2012/09/comprehension-of-past-as-cure-of-future.html">Here are some thoughts</a> on why history matters to civilization and public policy choices of the electorate from 2012. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[iii] Title From I, Robot, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx8LAFSY3Ws</span><br />
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-59862291795541488012014-08-09T11:57:00.002-05:002014-12-17T19:15:32.601-06:00Why Guardians of the Galaxy Matters and Will Not Matter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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(Spoilers are limited to names and places of characters and
generalizations of story conclusions.)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Gunn’s <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> is quick. It moves with deft speed through
characters, scenes, story pieces, combat sequences, moral conundrums and always
present humor. I found it to be fun, humorous, and complex. It is a pinnacle of
the great American art form, the blockbuster summer movie. Great tie-ins to the
other Marvel movies, edge of the seat adventure and subtle actions by off-focus
characters that fill in the world as real and not a mere set piece on camera. A
tree powerfully voiced by Vin Diesel. A cybernetic being resembling a raccoon
with a wicked sense of humor and affinity for large weapons. We see Titans,
empires, and galaxy spanning political machinations. Flashing lights and witty dialogue
and eye candy coalescing into one enormous mound of cotton candy. It passes
time enjoyably, but departs from the superhero movie norm by failing to nourish.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LA5vGs12DWg/U-ZSyiqDsxI/AAAAAAAAB5A/IOWJ9mHLVSA/s1600/guardians_poster_via_marvel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LA5vGs12DWg/U-ZSyiqDsxI/AAAAAAAAB5A/IOWJ9mHLVSA/s1600/guardians_poster_via_marvel.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Guardians</i> is a
pinnacle and a new standard of what a blockbuster summer movie <i>can</i>, and maybe <i>should</i> be visually At no time is there an animation awry, no sound
emits out of place, no character is poorly shown. The suspension of disbelief
is complete, and one is transported into a world far beyond our own. It’s
magic, and it is what a good movie ought to do. But I cannot imagine what the
next frontier is. In my lifetime, we have moved beyond the mantra that ‘the graphics
are so much better’ for the next big movie and the next big game console. Today,
the ‘graphics’ are so reliably superb (<i>Pacific
Rim, The Avengers, Super 8)</i> that there is no room for significant
improvement. A simultaneous trend in storytelling has been to pace faster, to
tighten up the sequences, to accelerate the story for an audience with failing
attention spans. The pace Gunn sets in <i>Guardians
</i>is warp 9; comprehensive stories cannot develop faster in the future. Americans, we treasure our witty dialogue and
want ‘take-home’ lines to pepper our conversations on and off Facebook. From <i>Guardians</i>, there will be no shortage of
one-liners, not the least of which starts <i>(I
am…spoiler)</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect that human nature has always facilitated at least two
manners of storytelling. There are stories we tell to amuse, and stories we
tell to expand ourselves. Stories for amusement pass the time, offer escape
from the mundane, tell us about whom people are, and provide glimpses of worlds
and times beyond our own. Stories that expand us inspire, instill morality, illustrate
good versus evil, pass the time, offer escape from the mundane, tell us whom
people can be, draw us into worlds and times beyond our own, and have the capacity
to endure. This endurance springs from being at least partly rooted in the
character of the divine. It is the character of God to love, to protect, to
give life, to prosper, to be victorious, and to sacrifice. The latter stories
possess some measure of this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compare two movies in the same universe: <i>The Avengers</i> and <i>Guardians of the Galaxy. </i> Both are successful movies at the peak of their
craft with enormous pop culture resonance.<i>
Guardians’</i> is a story told only to amuse. Part of the entertainment offer
is mockery of the story, intentionally destroying the atmosphere of nobility
that may incidentally creep up on the characters. The sole moral direction appears
to be ‘<i>I don’t have friends, we’re totally
doing stuff together, let’s be friends because friends are the most important part
of life. Also I mostly don’t trust you.</i>’ <i>Guardians</i> is a mirror to this cultural moment. It is loud and brash
and self-depreciating and in constant search for the next diversion. It borrows
weight and gravity by using words of which the audience will have a passing but
incomplete understanding. Eastern myth is found in the vile Ronan (<i>pronounced Ronin</i>); the Greeks are not
forgotten so long as Thanos and the Titans exist; the God of Abraham still
resonates so long as the foul Ronan is called The Accuser and Gamora (<i>pronounced: Gomorrah</i>) walks among us. It
reflects today because our affections lie with the outlaws and those on the
fringe, but there is somehow a powerful yet benevolent government at the end of
the day to offer us solutions <i>(Nova
Prime). </i> The religious are the
troublemakers <i>(Ronan and his Kree-ness). </i>Our
heroes are a band of misfits who claim no identity beyond individual selfish
greed or revenge (<i>except the tree (of
life?)</i>). Only vaguely does the team form through a collective self-interest
<i>(for money, pronounced Units)</i> that is
treated with featherweight gravity within the film and finds little resonance
in my heart. There is no moment where the characters must strive to be greater
beings then they have been before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Avengers</i> is
something different. The Avengers are a team formed to accomplish something greater
than the sum of the parts; it requires sacrifice of the team members to be part
of the whole. It represents a morality that says ‘<i>Other people are more important than me, and I have the ability to make
a change for the better. I am and will be the shield of protection and the
sword of justice</i>’. As in Tolkien’s <i>The
Lord of the Rings</i> and Lucas’ <i>Star Wars</i>,
Whedon’s <i>Avengers</i> show heroes
becoming something greater then themselves. <i>Guardians</i>
lacks in this essential, and I expect it will be largely irrelevant within a
decade. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the sake of my children to come, I find this irrelevance
a desirable conclusion. The stories I want the children of my clan surrounded
by should build up, edify, and offer a life giving view of the world. Classically,
Homer’s Odysseus endures the foul play of beings beyond humanity to return to
Ithaca, not for the land and treasure alone but to reunite with Penelope and restore
justice. In literature, we find Tolkien’s Eowyn, shieldmaiden of Rohan, following
her conviction and entering battle with Merry the hobbit at her side, which led
to her circumventing the witchcraft, striking down the foul undead lieutenant of
Sauron and changing the course of battle. More recently, Spiderman’s Uncle Ben cautions
us “With great power comes great responsibility”. Del Toro in <i>Hellboy</i> ponde<span style="background-color: white;">rs: “<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333;">What makes a man a man? A friend of
mine once wondered. Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't think
so.</span> It’s the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how
he decides to end them.” </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Guardians
of the Galaxy</i>, for its fine craft and stupendous storytelling, does not build
up, edify or nourish the parched places. There is no call to the heights of
greatness, only an approbation of the false bravado and persistent mockery of all
subjects within reach. Here lies the empty humor of sarcasm and bitterness,
which does not give life. Watch and be amused, for <i>Guardians</i> does amuse. But man was not meant to subsist on cotton candy
alone, be sure to feast well elsewhere. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-55053776866968757722014-04-27T13:58:00.003-05:002014-04-28T19:39:16.899-05:00Wage Limitations <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EDIT: This is a response to an article on Yahoo!: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-maximum-wage-060900788.html">Why We Need a Maximum Wage</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minimum wage is a labor restriction created and maintained by
the US Federal Government. The rationale </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for its existence is to keep employer
from driving down the cost of wages to the point where the wage no longer benefits
the laborer. This is absurd. People don’t work when they don’t receive adequate
compensation. In economics jargon we would say that the marginal benefit of the
pay must exceed the marginal cost of the labor input. There are several problems
with the concept that minimum wage laws help the poor or under employed, and
they are standard fare for economics coursework. By artificially raising the
price of labor, employers employ fewer workers and find alternative solutions. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n8Pa0XpGHNI/U11TI3JJmEI/AAAAAAAAB3s/Ok0dtk6tFzE/s1600/Before+Economics.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n8Pa0XpGHNI/U11TI3JJmEI/AAAAAAAAB3s/Ok0dtk6tFzE/s1600/Before+Economics.gif" height="320" width="256" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is because of the nature of
employment in a market environment. A business will not, and indeed, cannot,
employ a workforce that costs the organization more than that work force
increases revenue. This cost accounting must include payroll, healthcare,
taxes, and all other costs associated with the employment. If any of these
areas increases in cost, the profitability of each employee decreases and
raises the ceiling for increasing or maintaining the size of the workforce. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These cost increase can be in the form of higher pay, higher taxes, and
increasing benefit requirements; indeed, we have seen this take place over the
past decade with disastrous results on the employment level of the US labor force.
It is apparent that mandating increasing the cost of employment has damaged the
labor market.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short,<i> the relationship between an employee and an
employer is a win-win relationship</i>. The employee is receiving compensation in
excess of value of their input. The organization is receiving more value from
this employees work then they are compensating the employee. This is a
wonderful arrangement as both sides willingly forego value in order to acquire a
greater value offered by the counterpart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a growing concern that income inequality in the US
is a problem spot that requires remedy. Critics of high levels of income point
to the disparity of wages at the very top when compared as a ratio to the wages
of the average worker, or indeed, the minimum wage level of the US. The current
solution to this perceived dilemma is a progressive marginal tax rate, where
greater levels of income are taxed at a higher rate the income bracket beneath
it.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This has the effect of permitting high wages while punishing those increased wages
with higher levels of taxation. This results in lower taxes for the lower
marginal tax rate brackets, so that the lower levels of income pay far less
then do the higher levels of income. The current rate of income tax paid by the
top 10% in the US is over 70%<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>,
while the remaining 90% of those in the US making less than the top ten 10% pay
only 30% of income tax. It is clear that low income tax payers benefit mightily
from the taxes paid by the ‘elite’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suppose we capped the level of income to say, 1000 times the
level of minimum wage<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
That is roughly 15 million dollars annually for the very top level income
earner. The threshold for the top 1% of household incomes is 350,000<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
Very few households would be directly impacted by such a law, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In light of taxation impact from top income earners, this is wrong. Capping wages would reduce the income taxes paid
by top level earners, thereby increasing the tax burden on the lower levels of
income or increasing the spending deficit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let us return now to the micro question: Why do
organizations employ individuals? Because the marginal benefit of that employee
is in excess of the marginal cost to the organization. What holds true for the
janitorial staff, the attorneys and the mid-level director holds true for the
CEO. At some point, the perceived value of that employee was in excess of their
rate of pay. While that may not continue to be the truth, it was nevertheless a
crucial decision made along the way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What water does that bucket hold? Payroll is not the only form
of compensation. In the Great Depression, the US Federal Government restricted
pay increases and other forms of compensation. In the finite wisdom of a government
agency, it supposed that restricting pay increases would help win the War. As a
result, companies found other ways of acquiring and retaining talent. Enter
employer-paid healthcare insurance, or what we now call ‘benefits’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The point is this: Exceptional talent (or those perceived to
be) is highly prized in the market. In a marketplace where organizations are
bigger then national governments, and annual revenues exceed that of many nations,
the stakes for having the best at your helm is extraordinary and demands extraordinary compensation. Salary and bonuses are easy to see, stock options
less so, and other forms of compensation become even more opaque. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply
capping the level of income will do little to reduce compensation;
organizations will just find other ways to compensation top flight individuals.
In the process, that low-income worker who has a lesser tax burden will
suddenly find higher taxes or increased deficits, not a reduction in the ‘oppression’ of wage disparity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To summarize again: Wage inequality is not an injustice, to cap income for the wealthy is to damage all income classes, and compensation will continue despite a cap on income. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2013/01/05/updated-2013-federal-income-tax-brackets-and-marginal-rates/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/12/news/economy/rich-taxes/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-maximum-wage-060900788.html">http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-maximum-wage-060900788.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8121731#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_in_the_United_States#The_rise_of_employer-sponsored_coverage</span></div>
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-25664580127966185822013-06-27T17:46:00.001-05:002020-01-18T21:50:10.597-06:002013 Book List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As is readily apparent to all who enter, I have been unable to maintain a consistent presence on this blog.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That is likely to continue into the future, as my wife and I have begun to spend more time in ministry together and I am no longer at a university living the leisurely life of blogging from the classroom.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, there is one joy in life I would still like to share and discuss. Books. This is the ongoing list of the books I've worked through this year, and it will be updated as the pages turn on. No particular order, there may be parenthetical notes in regards to a work.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>***** Five Star: </b>(Unmitigated recommendation from this blogger)</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> </span><b style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Richard Adams - Watership Down</b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (</span><i style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A genuine classic that encourages the mind and soul. World-building on par with Tolkien, with rabbits rather then Hobbits)</i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> </span><b style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David McCullough - John Adams </b><i style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Virtuoso work by a solid historical author. Worth every minute. You can all have your Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, and Madison. Me? I'm pining for Adams, a man exemplary in character and consequence in his own time. A lasting test of his mettle? His son John Quincy, marking John Adams as one who could straddle the line of Family and Country and succeed)</i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fiction:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Issac Asimov - The Robots of Dawn</b> <i>(disappointing social commentary thinly disguised as a robot whodunit, a rare Asimov miss )</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Stanislaw Lem - Solaris</b> <i>(A Polish work of 52 years past, translated. Excellent)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Vox Day - A Magic Broken & Wardog's Coin & The Last Witchking </b>(<i>Compelling novelettes in a intricate fantasy world</i>)</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Lars Walker - Hailstone Mountain</b> (<i>Off the beaten path Nordic fantasy from the perspective of a priest. Enjoyable.)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Ray Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles</b> <i>(He doesn't so much write as paint with words. Compelling short form science fiction)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Ray Bradbury - Dandelion Wine</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>John Steinbeck - Cannery Row<i> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Alstair Reynolds - Revelation Space</b> (<i>Listened on Audible. Difficult to follow, not recommended)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Richard Adams - Watership Down</b> (<i>A genuine classic that encourages the mind and soul)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>> </i><b>Vox Day - A Throne of Bones</b> (<i>Rome, Elves, Orcs, Dragons, intricacies to rivet the attentive reader)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> C.S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters</b> (<i>Putting this on the 'Must Read to finish Homeschool' list)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>><b> </b></i><b>Larry Niven - Rainbow Mars</b> (<i>Science fiction of men and sundry martians that never left me quite enough rope with which to catch on)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Frank Herbert</b> - Dune Messiah (<i>disappointing following the masterpiece that is Dune)</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Non Fiction:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>David McCullough - John Adams </b><i>(Virtuoso work by a solid historical author. Worth every minute.)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>George Daughn - If By Sea</b>: The Forging of the American Navy: From the Revolution to the War of 1812 (<i>Comprehensive and accessible. A rare and noble feat.)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Luigi Zingales - A Capitalism for the People</b>: Recapturing the Lost Genius of American Prosperity</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Michael Lewis - Moneyball</b>: The art of winning an unfair game <i>(Baseball. Economics. Personal stories.Remarkable work)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Michael Lewis - The Blind Side</b>: Evolution of a Game <i>(Football. Economics. Personal stories. Remarkable work)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Matt Chandler - The Explicit Gospel</b> <i>(As good as hoped for, good for thinkers)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Andy Staley/Bill Willits - Creating Community</b>: Five Keys to Building a Small Group Culture</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> James Wesley Rawles - How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It</b> <i>(With no limit on the budget, apparently no problem can not be surmounted)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>James Bradley - The Imperial Cruise</b>: A Secret History of Empire and War (<i>This rocked my view of 1890-1910 America & Teddy Roosevelt in a sharply negative direction)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>><b> </b></i><b>Kevin Dedman - The Ultimate Treasure Hunt</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Amy S. Greenberg - A Wicked War</b>: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico (<i>Executive abuse of power leading to invasion of a sovriegn land. Echos of today)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b>
Giles Milton - Nathaniel's Nutmeg</b>, Or the True and Incredible
Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Andy Staley - 7 Practices of Effective Ministry</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Cook's Illustrated - The Science of Good Cooking</b> (<i>Delicious and informative)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Nathaniel Philbrick - Bunker Hill</b>: A City, a Siege, A Revolution (<i>High quality narrative nonfiction of Boston in the years surrounding the start of the War for Independence)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> Mike Dash - Tulipomania</b> <i>(Because flowers and market mania without inflationary monetary policy)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">><b> E. F. Schumacher - Small is Beautiful</b>: Economics as if People Mattered (<i>Useful first half, not so much the second half)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Malcolm Gladwell - David and Goliath</b>: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants (<i>Stories and lessons learned of how the quick and nimble destroy the slow and ossified)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Rob Goodman - Rome's Last Citizen</b>: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Michael Lewis - The Big Short</b>: Inside the Doomsday Machine</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">> <b>Jon Krakauer - Under the Banner of Heaven</b>: A Story of Violent Faith</span><br />
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-52456909035637134112013-05-22T15:33:00.002-05:002013-05-22T15:33:25.892-05:00Drive Friendly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MqcSFychBAI/UZ0rTwZNwuI/AAAAAAAABxc/SSmhX64glBQ/s1600/TXDMOV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MqcSFychBAI/UZ0rTwZNwuI/AAAAAAAABxc/SSmhX64glBQ/s1600/TXDMOV.JPG" /></a></div>
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No seat belt?<br />
<br />
<i>(Screenshot of <a href="http://txdmv.gov/regional-service-centers/ftworth">http://txdmv.gov/regional-service-centers/ftworth</a> at 3:31pm 5/22/13)</i><br />
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-6582138228405745982013-03-06T16:25:00.000-06:002013-03-07T17:55:51.926-06:00Is Rand Paul Still Talking?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A worthy question.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://israndpaulstilltalking.com/">http://israndpaulstilltalking.com/</a><br />
<br />
As of now, yes. 5:38 strong.<br />
<br />
Get it done Mr. Paul.<br />
<i>“I will speak today until the president responds and says, ‘No, we won’t
kill Americans in cafes. No, we won’t kill you at home at night,’”</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Are you going to just drop a hellfire missile on Jane Fonda?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
UPDATE: Fillibuster still going at 11:33.<br />
<br />
H/t<a href="http://inshredz.blogspot.com/"> Gino</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4J1k0jdsIs8/UTgVRpZ_vYI/AAAAAAAABsQ/jBTDengtkjw/s1600/Peace+Prize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4J1k0jdsIs8/UTgVRpZ_vYI/AAAAAAAABsQ/jBTDengtkjw/s200/Peace+Prize.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVQmCirS2tw/UTgX1DxBUsI/AAAAAAAABsg/LN9gUXcaixs/s1600/%23StandWithRand+3+Year+Old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVQmCirS2tw/UTgX1DxBUsI/AAAAAAAABsg/LN9gUXcaixs/s1600/%23StandWithRand+3+Year+Old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVQmCirS2tw/UTgX1DxBUsI/AAAAAAAABsg/LN9gUXcaixs/s200/%23StandWithRand+3+Year+Old.JPG" width="160" /></a></div>
Also:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To conclude, from <a href="http://thehill.com/video/senate/286881-paul-blasts-back-at-mccain-graham#ixzz2MtwQj800">The Hill</a>:
“They think the whole world is a battlefield, including America, and that the laws of war should apply,” Paul said in an interview on Fox News about McCain and Graham, who had described Paul’s comments about drones as “ridiculous.”
“The laws of war don't involve due process, so when they ask you for an attorney you tell them to shut up. That's not my understanding of the way America works,” Paul told Fox. “I don't think the laws of war apply to America, I think the Bill of Rights do and I think it's a disservice to our soldiers that our senators up there arguing that the Bill of Rights aren't important."
</blockquote>
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RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-44213250108668856752013-02-25T22:48:00.000-06:002013-02-26T10:52:15.388-06:00Nuclear Wildcard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his
2002 State of the Union Address, George W Bush warned Americans about the
looming threat of the contemporary ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_evil">axis of evil</a>’. This trio –
Iran, Iraq and North Korea - was ostensibly engaged in the headlong pursuit of
nuclear weapons with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc on the west. In the
aftermath of 9/11 and in the early days of combat in Afghanistan, Americans
were eager for the next target of our indignant fury. Within
14 months, combat operations would begin in Iraq, tearing apart the first of
the three ‘axis powers’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortuitously,
we have not yet engaged or invaded Iran or North Korea. North Korea has
continued to execute a strategy of being the crazed knife-wielding hyena of the
East Asia. To placate the beast, we have and will continue to offer it food
while maintaining the DMZ along the border. This is how Clinton, Bush, and
Obama <i> </i>maintained the peace. With Iran, we have perceived the continual threat of nuclear
armament for years on end. Subsequent predictions should the Persians develop
weapons for the atomic age have conjured apocalyptic scenarios of a world
without Israel and gasoline at $12 a gallon. While we have intentionally
avoided official diplomatic discussions with Iran, we protest that it is Iran
who is the aggressive power in the Middle East. It is politically convenient to
ignore the reality that we have invaded two neighbors and control by military
might nearly 60% of the borders in contact with Iran. In the face of such naked
aggression on our borders, any nation would seek a more capable military
response. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The solution
for Iran has not yet come to pass, although it is debatable that such a
solution is the responsibility or prerogative of these United States. It is
unlikely that our solutions for North Korea and Iran will involve a land
invasion reminiscent of Iraq. In simple terms, the financial and emotional
wherewithal for a ground invasion and occupation of yet another nation does not
exist. Military strategy in the near future will require different tools, tools
developed and escalated within the past decade of military operations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3x-NxMj-zo/USznqEINfII/AAAAAAAABsA/W-qvV3C2p8g/s1600/Gambit-x-men-25539032-1440-900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rémy LeBeau Knows Whats Up" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3x-NxMj-zo/USznqEINfII/AAAAAAAABsA/W-qvV3C2p8g/s320/Gambit-x-men-25539032-1440-900.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our rampant
imperialism with boots on the ground, we have developed an unprecedented level
of air superiority. A decade ago, drones were the infants in the arsenal of the
west; today they are entering their adolescence. The military tools now seen in
the Predator and Reaper drones, when combined with precision munitions, are
capable of striking an enemy without endangering a pilot. This is a blessing,
as combat operations retain a keen edge of destruction without becoming life
threatening to military personnel. It is a perfect storm of superiority and safety
in opposition theatres. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This risk free
application of force has become the terrible vice of drone warfare, and in turn,
our foreign policy. The tactical reality is that there is almost no cost to the
US when autonomous missile throwers are employed. Economics imparts the wisdom that
‘<i>there is no free lunch</i>’; there are
costs associated with all actions. One clear cost is the damage wrought on the
ground by the ordinance. This is intentional, although properly controversial. A
cost that is far more difficult to account for is the United States’ loss of
moral standing in the world. The hearts and minds of people matter, as actions
and preferences are born from people’s beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Terrorism
is one consequence of desperation, the killing of innocents to draw attention
and make a point. It is not a consequence of living among sand, nor is the
result of raising goats rather than cattle. Terrorism is a tactic employed to
provoke a response and affect the hearts of the enemy. The ostensible
mastermind of the 9/11 attacks did not see the breaking of the towers as an end,
but as a means to an end. Bin Laden believed that when the US retaliated and began
to destroy the lives and families of Muslims, they would join his jihad against
the United States. Our invasions fit the historical US pattern of invasion, occupations,
withdrawals, and intermittent air strikes; we have returned to the very tactics
so strongly decried by those recruiting new terrorists. In Afghanistan alone,
there has been a <a href="http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/290805.html">72%
increase</a> in drone air strikes in the past year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pakistan,
Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Niger, Somalia,
Mali and others are now active theatres for US air strikes. These strikes
frequently create collateral damage. At the very least, they are annoying to
those who live nearby. In a primitive society, this is a god-like power, to
strike across borders from the air without consequence. These people are not
primitive; they are well aware of who bears responsibility for the bombings. It
has inflamed opinion against the US. It will bring on additional action against
the US. It will spur the very hearts and minds of those whose tacit opposition to
the jihad we so crucially depend on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/hellfire-morality-and-strategy?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130219&utm_term=gweekly&utm_content=title&elq=5af7a0472fdd49589bfc3549bff8e59c">George
Friedman</a> said it well, <i><span style="background: white;">"</span>A military strategy to defeat the jihadists is impossible. At
its root, the real struggle against the jihadists is ideological, and that
struggle simply cannot be won with Hellfire missiles.”</i><span style="background: white;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #403152;">Pakistan
is rightly opposed to US actions: our invasion of their borders, our assassination
teams sent in without permission and our continually escalating air strikes by
drones. According to </span><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/160439/2012-pakistani-disapproval-leadership-soars.aspx" style="color: #403152;"><span style="color: #403152; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;">Gallup</span></a><span style="color: #403152;">,
92% of those polled in Pakistan are now opposed to the US leadership in
Pakistan. The single nation on earth which lays claim to being both Muslim and
a genuine nuclear power is the sovereignty we have violated with reckless
abandon. The democracy of Pakistan is on shaky ground, propped up by the US,
which is detested by the population. It is no far-fetched proposition to see a
future in which the nuclear weapons of Pakistan are deployed against the west
in retribution for the wrongs committed in the name of preempting terrorism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #403152;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a poker
game where cards represent nations, and the cards showing nuclear threats are Iran
and North Korea are on the table. The card of Pakistan still sits in the deck.
History and God deal many wildcards over the course of time, and Pakistan could
be the next one. If such a deal comes, we will look once again in wonder and
anger and ask, “<i>Why do they hate us?</i>”
The answer will be found in our actions, our vice, and our imperial hubris that
led us to believe that there could be no consequences to rampant bombing of
individuals the world over. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #403152; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Liberties and
the constitution are sacrificed for security upon the altar of political
expediency. Once again, we will see the Military-Industrial complex fully
primed for a war financed by continual deficits. It is glory and it is pain to
see from within an empire behave as an empire, but better perhaps to be within
then without. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-68818622521954737272013-02-05T14:01:00.000-06:002013-02-05T17:11:48.294-06:00Zimbabwe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Has a good lesson to teach on the dangers of printing money to solve a government budget deficit.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been sitting on these pictures for a while, but this story seems like a good one to bring them up with.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2008, Zimbabwe reached 231 Million Percent Annual inflation. Here is the result:</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hp2j8CNakLo/URFgDtz8DRI/AAAAAAAABrY/-xYkgIEmktc/s1600/zimbabwe+Hyper+inflation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hp2j8CNakLo/URFgDtz8DRI/AAAAAAAABrY/-xYkgIEmktc/s1600/zimbabwe+Hyper+inflation.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Even more distressing? </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The national accounts of Zimbabwe total up to $<a href="http://%20worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16758970-zimbabwe-checks-its-bank-balance-finds-only-217?lite">217</a> following payroll last week. </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_A9dWjQ4sc/URFgDmfFzzI/AAAAAAAABrc/g-2amE5VV5M/s1600/Zimbabwe-One-Hundred-Tril-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_A9dWjQ4sc/URFgDmfFzzI/AAAAAAAABrc/g-2amE5VV5M/s320/Zimbabwe-One-Hundred-Tril-001.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesson? A government cannot simply create more money to exit economic recessions, deficits, or liquidity traps. The current financial world has not yet reckoned with the potential for rampant inflation of the US dollar, but the time will come. Inflation is more rampant in an environment of economic growth, it is the boom not the bust which brings the destruction. This lasting doldrums of the past four years has suppressed price inflation, although cracks still appear in the ceiling. See, gas prices rising consistently without obvious changes in supply or demand. </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To allay this gloom, recall an American electorate which as a long history of rejecting inflationary government measures. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_American_currency#Continental_currency">Continentals</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_Note">Greenbacks</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimetalism#United_States">Bimetallism</a> of Williams Jennings Bryan were all cast upon the ash heap of history. We will either remember that crafting new monetary units from the ether results in hardship for the poor, or these current United States will cease to exist. </span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-85233774361801418962013-01-25T04:00:00.000-06:002013-01-25T04:00:15.327-06:00The Culture that is Germany<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10333211">BBC News:</a></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px;">The man drove up to a Hell's Angels clubhouse near Munich, wearing only a pair of shorts and carrying a puppy.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He dropped his shorts and threw the dog, escaping on a bulldozer from a nearby building site."</span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best introduction to an article which is perhaps the best news story ever written. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Germany is a far more interesting tourist destination today then it was a week hence. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qr_2HxMmL-4/UQF5G4BnCTI/AAAAAAAABrI/L2dkPeLD3bw/s1600/ROCCO-BostonTerrier-7years-jpg_191734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qr_2HxMmL-4/UQF5G4BnCTI/AAAAAAAABrI/L2dkPeLD3bw/s200/ROCCO-BostonTerrier-7years-jpg_191734.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artistic representation of a hurled puppy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-53211921476317569602013-01-24T13:00:00.000-06:002013-01-24T13:00:00.704-06:00Gino On Firearm Restriction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is an excellent excerpt from another 5 star blog post over at <a href="http://inshredz.blogspot.com/2013/01/who-you-gonna-call.html">In Shredz</a>.</span></div>
<blockquote>
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;">But nobody needs one of these rifles, right? They are not practical for civilian use, they are just killing machines, right?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;"></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;">Guess again.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;">Forget that scenario of warrior patriots standing up to defend their freedom from military forces. I'm not going there here.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;"></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;">Instead, I can tell you what happened in Los Angeles during the riots 20 years ago. The rioting quickly spread, so fast, so far, so violent, so out of control, that vast swaths of a very large city were abandoned by all forces who's job was to provide law, order and protection to the citizens."</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entire post is eminently readable and will provoke one to thought. Its also an angle which has been unfortunately drowned out in the cacophony of Left/Right media discussions. The possession of firearms to maintain domestic security is not directed merely at deer (<i>Cuomo!</i>), or at any specific standing administration (<i>you know who you are</i>) but also at the terror that comes when a mob rises up. In historical context, this has been a very quiet time for populist or violent movements, but America is no stranger to sudden and violent uprisings. </span></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-55866759182020727592013-01-24T12:05:00.002-06:002013-01-24T12:13:11.010-06:00The Culture that is Ireland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The County Kerry Council in southwest Ireland passed a measure on Monday that allows rural drivers to legally drive while under the influence of alcohol.The <b>council voted 5-3 - with 12 absent and seven abstaining</b> - to issue special permits to individuals who live in rural areas and wish to drive home on remote countryside roads after consuming two to three alcoholic beverages." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/irish-county-legalizes-drunk-driving-180430760--abc-news-topstories.html">YahooNews</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I put this under <i>'America has many problems, but this ain't one of them'</i> category. At least we require a quorum to make decisions effecting law. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By far the best comment:</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.1875px;">This is quite surprising.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.1875px;">I had no idea drunk driving was illegal in Ireland."</span></blockquote>
</div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-8647768357263226782013-01-17T15:47:00.001-06:002013-01-24T12:13:46.497-06:00The Fed and Prices<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The consumer price index over time in the US, note the creation of the Federal Reserve, and the subsequent change of pace. Also note the subsequent change of increase when the gold standard was completely removed from the US Dollar in the early 1970's. H/t <a href="http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2013/01/07/chart-of-the-day-inflation-since-the-american-revolution/">ZeroHedge</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBZA6z_1snU/UPhlRiD0duI/AAAAAAAABq4/Zaya09CyFBY/s1600/InflationChart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBZA6z_1snU/UPhlRiD0duI/AAAAAAAABq4/Zaya09CyFBY/s640/InflationChart.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/InflationChart.png">Increasing prices</a> as related to an <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/BASE?cid=124">increasing currency</a> without a commensurate increase in <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/AHETPI">wages</a>? Check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A currency increase unrestrained by any <a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GoldStandard.html">backing </a>requirement? Check. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A currency <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/BASE?cid=124">quadrupled</a> in quantity over the past 10 years and not yet reflected in this chart? Check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dire consequences to follow? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_Zimbabwe">History</a> says, Check. </span><br />
<br /></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121731.post-85387047496253135052012-12-28T16:53:00.000-06:002013-01-24T12:13:57.921-06:00Financial Interest And Citizens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/4ad1c627-bb19-4b00-9fc9-ab9995e4af46/IMAG0856.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/4ad1c627-bb19-4b00-9fc9-ab9995e4af46/IMAG0856.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cheaper Than Dirt .223 Rifle, Empty 12/24/12</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/d45f4a7b-03a5-4c5d-9f0f-f0dc95a172fa/IMAG0860.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/d45f4a7b-03a5-4c5d-9f0f-f0dc95a172fa/IMAG0860.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" width="190" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">10 Round .223 AR-15 Mag, Bullet Trap Inc, 12/27/12 Cost: $75. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/6ec2ffcd-7e71-4358-9b58-8774fb212aea/IMAG0861.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/6ec2ffcd-7e71-4358-9b58-8774fb212aea/IMAG0861.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Academy Sports .223 Rifle, Empty 12/27/12</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/8502b467-0591-4ecf-a056-9b31f7ef8877/IMAG0857.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s245/sh/48159656-20f5-4211-942b-1daa49d8468e/db3207d493db2c01d24466b317c87e2f/res/8502b467-0591-4ecf-a056-9b31f7ef8877/IMAG0857.jpg?resizeSmall&width=832" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cheaper Than Dirt 9mm Handgun, Empty 12/24/12</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, the national political climate has taken an apparent shift from toleration of an armed citizen to open mockery of a free citizen being armed. It has apparently troubled more then a few, as stores which I have never seen an empty ammo shelf have become the norm. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Within hours, the national outcry for the reinstatement of the 1994 <strike>Abridgement of the Second Amendment</strike>
Assault Rifle Ban swept the internet and media outlets.
The result? A run on the existing supply of such rifles, and a rapid
increase in the private holdings of such rifles. To wit, the result of
intoning increased control of fire arms is to increase the number of
fire arms in private hands, and to drive the existing supplies of
ammunition off the shelves and into the closets of private citizens. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anecdotal evidence from a local gun show on 12/22 was compelling. The doors opened at 9am, we arrived and stood in line from 8:45am to 9:15am to even enter the show floor. After 11:30am, I was no longer able to locate a dealer of ammunition selling .223 Rifle at any price. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Equally of note, the AR-15 style rifle has become exceptionally difficult to locate and purchase. At the show we visited, most vendors began the day charging double the previous going rate for rifles, with many rapidly increasing prices until selling out within only a handful of hours. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The standard magazine for these rifles holds 30 rounds, and were priced with a 800% increase from the price a month previous. Supply and demand functioned efficiently, these prices reflect a selling of magazines in 3 days equivalent to 42 months of sales.The picture above of the magazine priced at $75 is representative of a magazine with 1/3 the capability for 8 times the price of the standard magazine in the beginning of November. In essence a cost growth of 2400% as a result of a few words spoken in public. The short run inelasticity <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Inflexible, difficult to increase <span style="font-size: x-small;">supply in the short <span style="font-size: x-small;">run)</span></span></i></span> of the quantity supply is seen by rapid increases in prices as the retails cope with very elastic <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(increasing quickly in the short run)</span></i> demand. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">An AR-15 rifle is known to the industry as a 'Sporting Rifle' and has a more tactical look and feel then does a traditional hunting rifle. To those who do not understand the tools they seek to condemn, these are frequently referred to as 'Assault Rifles'. The fear and hysteria surrounding these implements is such that before anything approaching clarity was available regarding the Sandy Hook story, officials were decrying the presence of an AR-15 style rifle without regard for the facts regarding it's use, or even the legality of its presence on the school grounds. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Really, it is almost as if <a href="http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=28d0c499-28ec-42a7-902d-ebf318d46d02">Diane Feinstein</a> and her compatriots have a large financial interest in increasing the sales of all arms makers and ammunition manufacturers.
Think about it, millions of extra rounds of ammunition purchased in the past year for non-combat departments of the Federal Government were done with some cause.
</span></div>
RobertDWoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468867977431697913noreply@blogger.com1