Haircut

I got my haircut yesterday.  Because summer is coming, with warmer weather, and because I’m tired of wasting time messing with my hair, I got it cut pretty short.  Really short.  Full Metal Jacket short (ok, not quite that short).

Bethany gave Brennan a haircut this morning.  She used a shorter guard than normal because summer is coming.  She didn’t realize quite how short the guard was….

So now we have the same haircut.  He looks so much older with his hair short!  My baby isn’t a baby anymore.

90% of Guns in Mexico Come From US? Not So!

Recently there has been a barrage of politicians, reporters, and public figures spouting a statistic that 90% of firearms used to commit crimes in Mexico comes from the US.  Hilary Clinton, the assistant Director of field operations at the ATF, and Senator Diane Feinstein have all used this statistic in anti-gun speeches.

There’s just one small problem:  it’s not true.

What is true is that 90% of TRACED guns originate in the US.  Did you catch that?  TRACED is the key word.

According to an article on FoxNews.com,

…a large percentage of the guns recovered in Mexico do not get sent back to the U.S. for tracing, because it is obvious from their markings that they do not come from the U.S.

Out of 29,000 guns recovered by the Mexican government, 11,000 (38%) were submitted for tracing.  Of those 11,000, only 6,000 could be traced.  Of those successfully traced, 5,114 were traced to the US.  5,114 is only about 18% of 29,000.  The 90% statistic comes from the fact that 5114 or 6,000 guns successfully traced were from the US.  The others were from who knows where.  Yes, it is possible that some of the untraceable guns were from the US.  Let’s say that even all 11,000 guns submitted for tracing were from the US.  That’s still only about  38% of the total guns taken by law enforcement in Mexico.  The rest are from China, Russia, North Korea,the Middle East, and South America.  Yup, the fact is that over 80% of guns recovered in Mexico DO NOT originate in the US.

Obviously, this is just more political propaganda against the 2nd Amendment by those who are avowed gun-haters.  Because they have a gun-hating president, they’re stepping up their efforts to sway those who are undecided on the gun issue.  A populace that cannot defend itself is a populace that is at the mercy of it’s government.

I have not ever, and do not, advocate violent overthrow of the government.  In fact, as a Christian, I believe that I have a mandate to live under the laws of the duly appointed authorities God has placed over me (Romans 13).  But I believe that as long as Americans are armed, the government will still stay in check.  If Americans lose the right to possess weapons, there will be nothing to hold the government in check but the integrity of those in power.  And from what I’ve seen in my 30 years, I have little reason to trust those in power.

To sum up, here is a quote by British politician Benjamin Disraeli that is well worth remembering:

There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

So, be careful what you believe.  Politicians are typically only out for one thing:  control.  And people without the means to defend themselves are much, much easier to control.  How many Jews in Germany had guns?

A True American Hero

This morning I received an email forward (I can almost hear you groaning, “oh no, not one of those!”) from a friend of mine.  R. typically sends out good stuff, and today was no exception.

Today’s email was about a man named Ed Freeman.  Ed was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam (and some other conflicts too) who was awarded the Medal of Honor (the highest military honor in the US) for conspicuos bravery above and beyond the call of duty.   Here is an excerpt from his Medal of Honor Citation (excerpt taken from Wikipedia.com):

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle’s outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers — some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman’s selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Captain Freeman passed away on August 20, 2008.  He was the epitome of the American soldier: brave, selfless, heroic.  He, and the courageous men and women who have served in the past and who are serving in our Armed Forces today, are examples to us all of what it means to be an American.  And for that, and for their many sacrifices, I offer my deepest thanks.  Because after all, like the old saying goes, “Freedom isn’t free.”

The Tough Get Going

You know, times are tough right now.  A record amount of people are laid-off, my wife included.  Companies are folding left and right.  The President wants to push through a “stimulus plan” that’s really little more than a huge, nasty, stinking barrel of pork.

I’ve spoken with several people over the last several weeks who are having a hard time finding jobs.  They’re understandably frightened about the future.

But something that really bugs me is the lack of will to do what is necessary to survive this crummy economy.

So many of them, rather than using this time to learn new skills that will make them more marketable, sit at home and mope.

Rather than taking a second job if necessary to cover the gap in expenses, they charge things to credit cards, sabotaging their financial future.

Rather than realizing that most of the “needs” we have are actually wants, and cutting everything that can be cut from their expenses, they refuse to take responsibility for their finances.

Listen, people, when things are this bad, you have to live a different lifestyle than when everything is humming right along.  That means making the hard decisions to do what you have to do.

I encourage you, if you are facing financial difficulties, take a step back and look, really look, at what you can do to stabilize your finances.  It may not be fun right now, but I promise that, in the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

If you need specific advice or suggestions, or want some resources, shoot me an email and I’ll be glad to help.

Looking For a Reputable Garage-Door Company

Hey all,

This year we finally get to install a new garage door and opener so my wife can actually park her car in the garage.  Anyone have advice on where to go or who to call?  I’d like to stay below $700, and probably won’t need installation (my dad is cool like that!!).

Thanks!

Kurt Warner: A true man of God

Kurt Warner, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, has an amazing story.

Not only did he marry a woman with two children, one of whom was disabled, he’s also a Christian and lives his life accordingly.

He has a great story, and I encourage you to check it out here. Just when my faith in Americans is wavering, I read about someone like this and it encourages me to keep doing God’s work.

I didn’t really care about the Superbowl until I found out about this guy.  Now I know who to root for!  Go Cardinals!

Advice

Today, Dear Readers, I am doing something a bit different.  I am having a bit of an issue with an acquaintance, and would like your advice.

This person, while not typically rude to me, is consistently rude to those around me, to the point of being cruel.  This person really, really grates on my nerves, even though he/she has done nothing to me.

Am I being silly by getting angry at a situation that doesn’t even concern me?  Or do you think this does concern me because people are being hurt?

I Will Shoot The Messenger

Ever heard that old phrase, “Don’t shoot the messenger!”, usually used when somebody has bad news for you and is afraid of your reaction?

Well, guess what?  I know the economy sucks.  I know President Obama can’t/won’t deliver on many of his campaign promises.  I know that our government is corrupt.  I know that we have no idea if our food is safe or not.

I don’t need to hear it everytime I turn around.

Re-read the title of this post.  You’ve been warned.

Debt-Payoff Progress

As you may know, my wife and I are committed to being debt-free.  There are several reasons for this:

1.   We want to be financially independant.  You can’t do that if you’re shackled with debt.

2.  We want to be free to give whenever and wherever Holy Spirit leads us.  You can’t do that if you’re shackled with debt.

3.  We want our kids to understand sound financial management.  We have to set the example.

4.   Proverbs 22:  26-27

Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;

if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.

‘Nuff Said.

According to our debt-payoff plan, we should be completely debt-free by 2019, including our mortgage!  So I will be 40 years old and owe nothing.  Of course, who knows besides God what the future holds?  But at least we have a plan, and we’re pretty excited about it.

We have finally gotten my medical bills from my heart-jump scare in July paid off, so now that money can go towards our one credit card (which only has a balance because our rate for that is lower than my wife’s student loan rate, so we transferred that balance to the card).

We use a process called snowballing (so-called because of how a rolled snowball is formed), which basically means that as we get one debt paid off, we apply the amount of that monthly payment to our next debt.

For example, say I have four debts.  I pay the minimum amount on each debt per month.

Minimum Payments:

A.  $50

B.  $100

C.  $150

D.  $250

After I have debt “A” paid off, I will apply that $50 per month that I was paying toward it to the next debt, debt “B”.  So my new payment list looks like this:

A:  $0

B:  $150

C:  $150

D:  $250

This method results in much greater payoff power!

I encourage you to first, take a look at your monthly expenses and cut back where you can.  Create a budget, and commit to stick to it!  Then, contact your lenders and let them know that any amount you pay over and above the minimum payment is to be applied to the principal.  After that, watch your debts disappear!

If you have any questions, or need help setting up a budget, let me know and I’ll be happy to help!

Some great resources:

Dave Ramsey:  a fantastic Christian financial guru

Joe Sangl:  my first introduction to personal finance.  Fantastic stuff.

Get Rich Slowly:  a great site about managing your personal finances.  Includes articles, tips, etc.

The Simple Dollar:  another great personal finance site.

Wise Bread:  still another great site.  Includes posts by multiple authors, offering varied perspectives on personal finance and money management.

Dinkytown:  a neat site with a weird name.  TONS of finacial calculators to help you understand how debt works.

Annoyance

Hey all,

Apparently, Feedburner, the service I use to burn my RSS feeds, is having difficulties.  I’m only showing one subscriber, which I take to mean that Feedburner lost all of my subscriptions (although Kelly thinks it’s because no one likes me).

So, if you happen to get the feed for this like you’re supposed to, and you know anyone who would just die if they didn’t get to read my blog, please let them know they may have to resubscribe.

Thanks!