job/football coach/new church

currently watching: Seinfeld Season 7 and X-Files Season 8

currently playing: Rock Band-Wii

currently reading: The Long War Against God by Dr. Henry Morris

been a few weeks, heres whats up.  things are incredibly slow at the railroad so much that they’ve cut back most of the people they’ve hired in the last 2 years.  I’m probably about 30 or so guys from getting cutoff myself but word is they won’t reach into people hired in 2006.  anything can happen though and right now i’d probably say there is at least a 30% chance I could get cutoff within the next 3 months or till things hopefully start picking up next spring.  Obviously that would really suck but I’ve long since learned that I need not worry about money and where it will come from as its always resolved itself in one way or another, especially if i’m not wreckless about it or completely untrusting of God in the matter.

So KSU hired Bill Snyder, obviously my 2nd choice as you can see in my previous post.  hey, i’m a lot more optimistic than if Prince were around next season.  No reason we can’t win at least 7 games and go to a bowl.  Honestly, even with moderate success I wouldn’t be surprised if Snyder went another 10+ years.  He’ll need to make astute assistant hirings for this to really work like it used to.  I think he’s still got a few magical seasons left.  I have some hope here.

Abbie and I did find a new church its called Crossroads Christian Church and its a lot more like what I grew up with than was Jacob’s Well.  The biggest difference really is Crossroads actually talks more openly about the how and why of being saved where as Jacob’s Well kinda skirted the issue which I just thought was odd.  The preacher at Jacob’s well even gave a sermon one time about why they don’t openly present the Gosple and it kinda made sense, I get not wanting to pressure anyone or whatever but to never present the message i think isn’t right either.  I’m willing to overlook a lot of differences between churches but to never show people how to become a Christian seems like a big thing to leave out.  that said, the Well is still a good church, they reach a crowd that probably isn’t normally reached these days and they do a lot of good in the community.  Abbie and I though are pretty happy with this new place.  It feels right.

K-State’s next football coach

i was admittedly caught off guard wednesday afternoon when Prince’s firing was announced.  not that it was shocking in and of itself, but the timing.  but whatever it needed to happen.  it was a welcome surprise after tuesday.  so…here are my choices in order of who i would like to see lead K-State football back to where it should be.

1. Gary Patterson, TCU

to me, this is a no-brainer.  he played football at Kansas State, he was an assistant there in the early 80s, he was born in Kansas, he is a defensive minded coach who has already had 4 10+ win seasons (make it 5 after this season) he recruits Texas, he has always coached well against BCS schools (10-2 last 12) including 5-1 against the Big 12 in the last 3 years.  Definite solid long-term hire with tremendous upside.  plus word is he would take the job if the offer is right.

2. Bill Snyder, retired

still just 69, rumor is he wants to coach again after having 3 years off to rejuvinate himself.  word also is he retired early because he didn’t want to fire any staffers…having never fired anyone before.  I fully believe with a new staff of good recruiters that Snyder could easily get K-State back to where it was throughout most of his career.  this is a short term solution that may only last 3-5 years, but if a succession plan is put into place then I really like it. 

3. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin  

former D-Coordinator at K-State in 2002-2003 and noted recruiter, word is he would have loved to have succeeded Snyder had it been known Bill was going to retire within 2 years back in 2003.  instead no-one knew and Bret accepted a succession plan under former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez (close friend to Bill Snyder going back to their Iowa days).  Bret is under fire in Wisconsin this season despite an overall record of 24-9 and back to back new years day bowls.  This is a longshot but I would welcome it completely.

4. pretty much anyone else would likely be a disapointment to me.  it won’t be a guy who hasn’t had head coaching experience, that much i know.  not after the Prince debacle.  if it is anyone else, it better be a total rediculous HR hire, like Bob Stoops or something lol.

Moving on

Currently watching: Seinfeld Season 6 and X-Files Season 8

Currently Playing: NCAA 2004 (Gamecube) 

Currently Listening To: Secret Machines-Secret Machines

Obama has won so now we move on.  Predictions: Justice Stevens and Justice Ginsberg will retire within short order and leave the Supreme Court as is with Obama’s liberal selections.  Republicans will block a lot of far left agenda, including national health care and cap and trade global warming BS.  Taxes will go up for everyone with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts.  Most Obama supporters will be disapointed with what Obama gives to them compared to what he promised.  In 2010, Republicans will win back some seats in the Senate and House.  In 2012, current Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will become a big player in the Republican race for President.  this is what the Republicans get for not finding a true leader and for selecting a career semi-moderate Republican.  I care far more about what happens with Prop 8 in california than the presidential election….don’t know the result of that yet.

***UPDATE*** Prop 8 did pass, along with similar amendments in Arizona and Florida.  This is encouraging to me.

Here’s whats going on with me: the RR cut about 40 jobs this week so i’m back in the yard working.  if another 40 jobs get cut i’m out of the job.  I legitimately fear for my job future if Obama does go after coal plants as he has said (i’d guess 6 of 10 trains that run through KC are coal trains).  hopefully this doesnt happen.  I’m curious to see what happens the next 2 years as the last 2 years have been awful since democrats took over the house and senate.

Love you all…Gnight!! 

Sweden: Truly a step ahead of America

since America seems hellbent on electing socialists, lets take a look at the only example often cited as any “success” using a mostly socialist based government-Sweden.  I pick them because they included some capitalist principles with socialism which is what America would most likely seek to do under Obama.

A very rough history lesson:

in 1932 the Swedish Social Democrat party took over power. Sweden, due to staying neutral in World War 2, was able to avoid any destruction to its infrastructure and major businesses.  they, like America after WW2, grew rapidly with its vast natural resources (especially wood and iron) and exportation of.   During this time of prosperity Sweden also grew its social welfare state to a high level with cradle to grave entitlements.  In 1950, Sweden actually reached 3rd in overall wealthiest nations in the world (behind USA and USSR) Then a generation passed….

As taxes mounted and government spending skyrocketed, beginning in the 1970’s, Sweden began to decline.  A new generation of workers, who had been exposed to policy that heavily taxed anything properous and gave handouts to those who didn’t work, decided that there was no reason to pursue any wealth creation opportunities.  so from the 70’s onward overall wealth declined, job creation stayed stagnant, prosperity levels fell, all the way to the point of nearly bankrupting the country in the 90s. 

 

 

All of these graphs come from this brilliant article: The Myth of the Scandinavian Model (read it if you want to know why Ireland has done so well)

so now we see Sweden, and most of the Scandinavian welfare-state countries with it, having fallen greatly in the worldwide prosperity rankings (GDP per capita).  Lets go even further:

From 1980-1999 The Swedish Research Institute of Trade (HUI) said it had compared official U.S. and Swedish statistics on household income, as well as gross domestic product, private consumption and retail spending per capita.  Heres what they found–

1. Using fixed prices and purchasing power parity adjusted data, the median household income in Sweden at the end of the 1990s was the equivalent of $26,800, compared with a median of $39,400 for U.S. households.

2. “Black people, who have the lowest income in the United States, now have a higher standard of living than an ordinary Swedish household,” the HUI economists said.

3. “If Sweden were a U.S. state, it would be the poorest, measured by household gross income before taxes” HUI’s president, Fredrik Bergstrom, and chief economist, Robert Gidehag, said.

4. Between 1980 and 1999, the gross income of Sweden’s poorest households increased by just over 6 percent, while the poorest in the United States enjoyed a three times higher increase, HUI said.

5. during the period 1998-1999, U.S. GDP per capita (prosperity index) was 40 percent higher than in Sweden, while U.S. private consumption and retail sales per capita exceeded Swedish levels by more than 80 percent.

http://www.timbro.se/bokhandel/pdf/9175665646.pdf (the report-download and read this. it absolutely should embarrass all Europeans)

Is this what we want? 

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Hope and Change for Sweden

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/jun/17/swedens-turn-from-socialism/

In 2006 even Sweden finally said enough of this socialist mediocrity.  in an absolute landmark election for that country, they elected conservative leadership.  Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt took office–Sweden’s very own Ronald Reagan in to save the country from 35+ years of economic decline. 

Sweden is already quickly jolting ahead of America with some of the policies being implemented.  Partial privatization of social security, elimination of the death tax, elimination of property tax(!), elimination of the wealth tax (hrm sounds like something Obama would institute), reforming the unemployment payment system, and eliminating state participation in 6 major companies.  further plans call for reforming the country’s rediculous sick pay policy (which causes the Swedish workforce to be the “sickest in the world”), a reduction in maternity leave pay (which has led to women struggling to get hired in a lot of industries) and a renewed relationship with the United States.  foreign investment has began flowing back in, jobs are getting created, and wealth is growing again. 

In Cutting Taxes, Liberal Sweden takes a right turn

Hot Damn!  I may be finding a new home very soon…..  

California’s same-sex marriage ban amendment

in the midst of my obama-bash i wanted to comment on this issue.

on May 15th of this year California’s supreme court declared a publically voted upon proposition banning same-sex marriage in their state as unconstitutional (their state constitution). 

understand whats really going on here: the court argued that withholding ‘marriage’ from homosexual unions denies them ‘equal dignity and respect’.  this had nothing to do with civil unions/domestic partnerships or rights confered upon(already allowed in california).  this has everything to do with demanding/forcing moral approval for these unions.  funny how Christians get accused of imposing morality on people but those supposedly “open-minded” and “enlightened” people get a free pass here. 

homosexual advocates are putting a serious test to religious freedom and our right to vote on our own morality-based laws in America.  David Smith, a leader of the Human Rights Campaign, (the largest organization that advocates homosexual behavior), said “Diversity of religious beliefs should be respected as long as they don’t influence public policy that should treat all people fairly.”

well Mr. Smith, who determines public policy?  unfortunately for homosexual advocates, its the public.  4.6 million Californians (61% of the votes) who approved Proposition 22, the state’s Defense of Marriage Act which defined marriage as the union of one man to one woman, made it public policy.  but a mear 4 justices overturned it.  judicial lawmaking at it again.

this is what anti-religious people have been trying to do for the past 80+ years going back to the Scopes trial.  when they can’t get their way through the ballot box/elected lawmakers, they go through the courts and try to find judges who agree with their personal ideals-and then force them on people.   they make up “rights” that dont exist in the constitution-like the “right to personal privacy”.  (the constitution with its often cited substantive due process clause protects FUNDAMENTAL rights-like those in the bill of rights-, but unfortunately its been stretched to include pretty much whatever made-up “right” the justice wants it to).  or they use other non-existant statements like “separation of church and state” which also is no-where in the constitution. or they use international law to validate their opinion.  seriously go read the constitution.  then try to understand what i’m saying.  if a town wants to ban a sexual act, then thats their own choice.  move somewhere else if you don’t like it.  and if we can’t ban sodomy anymore, then why are we banning any sexual act?   why can’t we prostitute ourselves or marry 3 people or have consenting sex with our cousins or dogs or between adults and children?  how come they aren’t protected under the same constitutional rulings?   give it time i guess, society isn’t enlightened enough yet.

so, as a Christian i do think homosexual behavior is immoral but i’m not a judge, God is.  so when it comes to these things here in America lets let the public decide, not a few judges who have to go far beyond the original intent of our consititution in order to invalidate the public. 

Current state of things: the Federal DOMA(1996) does not recognize same-sex marriages by any states and no states need recognize other state’s same-sex marriages

27 states have constitutional amendments banning homosexual marriage

15 (additional) states have statutes against homosexual marriage

4 states allow civil unions (connecticut, new hamshire, new jersey, vermont)

2 states allow same sex marriage (massachusetts and california–connecticut is soon to join based on a recent ruling)

2 states are undefined on the matter (new mexico, rhode island)

no states have ever legislatively allowed homosexual marriage 

anytime this issue is voted upon it passes overwhelmingly but california might be close.  Lets hope the people continue to speak out for what they want and send people who want to force their morality on others through the courts packing.

**special thanks to the Alliance Defense Fund (of which i give a great deal of money to) for a lot of the information i posted here**