Tag Archives: news

The Economy, Big 3 Auto Bailout, and the Church // Part 3

November 24, 2008 – 6:56 am

This is the last and final, part 3 of this particular topic.  If you missed the previous two posts, check them out at part 1 and part 2.

The Church: A Response to a Bad Economy?

I spend a good bit of my day running around on the Internet, and many places I stop are with people of faith, churches, organizations and groups trying to raise funds, in a “bad economy”.  There are usually two responses.  One (to me) Biblical, and one not.  One based on fear, the other based on belief.  One worried about their 401k balance, the other excited to see a time when the need for the church among the un-churched is growing.

Cross on I-40 in Oklahoma

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What happened just after September 11th 2001?  People ran to the church.  Some because they were scared, some because they didn’t know where else to turn, some came back after a long time away, but the number of people attending church (doesn’t mean it was meaningful by the way) went up dramatically.  What makes hitting people where it really counts (in their 401k’s) any different as far as possibilities within the church to help others?

I took this photo below at “Ground Zero” a few months after the terrorist attacks on New York city.  They still had not torn down the last few damaged buildings that are outside the photo here, and this “cross” was still standing as well.  It was incredible to me to see a cross, carved out of mangled steel, standing above all the mess that was ground zero.  It was an unreal time of horror, terror, and despair in our country, and yet, Jesus didn’t change, the world did.

Cross from the Twin Towers Wreckage

My church at the time in 2001 (a 35,000 member church) was trying to decide if they should start a $40 million building campaign in the middle of the 911 economic turmoil.  They decided to follow God and not the economy and great things were done.  Why should the church back down when times are bad?  Be responsible yes, but fearful????

People are scared, people are fearful.  Why?  Uncertainty.  If we are Believers… why are we living in fear and uncertainty?  Because we can’t buy the normal $500-$1000 of Christmas presents this year?  We have the most certain thing in the world.  A risen Savior.

If you like the cross as a symbol you need to drive out I-40, past Amarillo, past Oklahoma City, and look at one of the largest crosses I have personally ever seen (first photo above).  It is a magnificant symbol right on the interstate for all to see.  We should be like this cross on I-40 in Oklahoma.  Big, bold, tall, ready to reach out and help those who are hurting and searching.  We should be excited to be in these “times”, they are new times of new opportunities.  As the Church, let’s not watch this opportunity pass us by and wonder why we didn’t make use of this special time in our history.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Faith, Journal | Also tagged 911, church, economy, new york, nyc, terrorist, worry | Comments (0)

The Economy, Big 3 Auto Bailout, and the Church // Part 2

November 22, 2008 – 8:26 am

This is a continuation of my rant from The Economy, Big 3 Auto Bailout, and the Church // Part 1, which I will only post one more part. Until then, here is part 2.

The Big 3 Auto Industry Bailout

Have you been watching this?  Now we should bail out three of the biggest looser (profit wise) companies in the country, perhaps the world?  How smart are these guys?

The chairman of the Big Three testified on Capitol Hill this week, and Reid said did themselves no favors by responding when asked how they arrived to Washington that they had each flown in on their private jets.

And now the government is talking about taking partial ownership in the car companies (they could change their name to Amtrak) like that would be a better way to make these failing companies profitable?  Where does it end?  If we bail out the big 3, why not just bail out the entire country person by person.  I could use some bailout money myself, how about you?  Would we then be looking out the window at a fire sale turned waste land?

A wasteland

Who is it we are trying to help here?  The employees, the auto industry itself, the fantastic cars they have produced over their spam as a business???  I am certainly no economist, but, what in the world would be so bad about letting these overweight, unprofitable companies go the way of Braniff?  Are you telling me these 320,000 employees will never ever find another job?  Are they all that unqualified to work for someone else or is it the $71/hour the average employee makes?  I know this is people’s livelihood we are talking about here, but really, are we going to be that dependent on one single company that is loosing BILLIONS?

Years and years ago this use to be the case.  People would work for one single company their whole life, that company would have a nice pension for the employee to retire with and that was life.  That was yesterday (as in decades and decade ago).  Now people change jobs and companies like being a free agent with Major League Baseball.  Many may see this as bad, but companies don’t profitably operate now like they did in the 1950’s.  Companies are much more fluid and adjustable (unless you are a auto maker controlled by the UAW) and their needs change just like their employees.

When we use all this tax payer money to “bail out” failed policies or business practices, who is left in the drivers seat?  The same people, right?  Can they still drive that train or is it just the same old thing that has lost money in the past?  If so, what makes a bailout something that will work and turn the company around?  If you borrow money from venture capitalist, you are responsible to your shareholders.  You borrow money from the government, you are responsible to the tax payers.  What do they get?  Better, greener cars?  What if you don’t want to buy a GM vehicle?

A dog in the drivers seat

What happened when Braniff and Eastern went out of business?  Did all those thousands of employees never ever find another job?  Or, did Southwest Airlines start to emerge as a “new” kind of airline, with lower prices, better service, while at the same time being a profitable business?  Did Southwest Airlines pay as much, no, I worked there making $6.50/hour when Delta, American Airlines, Northwest, United, and US Airways all paid more per employee, and were all loosing money and going bankrupt (and they still are).  I still chose to work for Southwest Airlines.  It was fun, they were nice, happy people, and I could wear shorts and a t-shirt at work.

That is really one of the issues at stake here.  No other auto company is going to pay a union wage of $71 per hour (that’s $150,000 a year for an hourly job, not including overtime and bonuses).  They can’t, it would not make for a profitable business.  Hyundai and Kia may not make the best cars in the world either, but they both moved to Alabama to manufacture cars, and are making money.  They also don’t pay as much as GM and are not controlled by the UAW (as far as I remember).

So, as bad as it may sound… just let them go.  If they can’t operate by loosing $5 billion a day (who could), perahps someone will step in and bring us better cars, more effieint cars, and maybe greener cars, all while making a profit, not costing the tax payers another $100 billion, and in the process, create jobs for those who want to work.  Now if Ford can make a car like I saw in the new James Bond movie, and make it at a profit, great, I am all for Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars, but they always seem to be years and years behind Toyota.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal | Also tagged cars, church, economy, gm, profit, toyota, worry | Comments (1)

The Economy, Big 3 Auto Bailout, and the Church // Part 1

November 21, 2008 – 7:48 am

The world is ending as we know it.  If you didn’t know that, there, now you do.  Anyone watching the news lately?  I quit am ready to quit watching the news altogether (which is saying something for a news junkie of sorts).  Every day it is a relentless doom and gloom story of the world, or America, and lately, the economy, which apparently is waiting for a bailout of everything, everywhere from the government.  From the economy, to President-Elect Obama, to unemployment and everything inbetween… so, in case you were unaware (because the news hadn’t told you yet) the world as you know it, is just about over.

I am about to start a three part process of ranting and rambling, so if you don’t want to read that, just look at the photos and forget the rest of it.

The Economy: is Doomed, or it is Just a Bad Economy?

Bad economy, bad, bad boy.  You can’t turn on the news or the radio, or talk to anyone these days without someone mentioning how bad the economy is doing.  I think we got it already.  True, no one my generation or younger can ever remember a downside in the economy unless we are old enough to remember what Regan took over from the Carter administration (which I really am not), so I am not sure what we are comparing it to if you are 30-ish.

$20,000 in cash

I understand things are not as good as they have been in the past, but come on, do you still have power going to your house?  Can you still watch the latest American Idol on Fox or Dancing with the Stars on ABC or are those stations going out of business due to lack of viewers??  Last time I checked, our cell phones still worked, we have electricity, running water, have something to wear, something to eat, and most have a place to sleep.  I find the comparisons to the great depression idiotic at best when we as American’s have more than most.

I mean really, I paid $1.89 for a gallon of gas a few days ago and according to the news, it will drop to below $1.49 before soon.  A buck fifty FOR A GALLON OF GAS!  We were screaming (for good reason) when it was $4.50 a gallon, but I don’t hear anyone (on the news) excited about the price of gas?  It’s like we all got a raise if we travel more than 15-30 minutes a day by car?

Everything is Amazing, Nobody’s Happy // Video

Normally I don’t like to re-post already shown videos, but perhaps not everyone reads Ragamuffinsoul, so this video he posted from the Conan Show about sums up the sentiment with this generation (that is us, 19-45 year olds). Louis CK on “Everything’s amazing, nobody’s happy”

On a personal note, our book business has been dismal.  It brought in $1,013.10 in November in total REVENUE (not profit).  Is that enough? No, of course not, but if it doesn’t work, so be it, we will do something else, but take one look at me and you will know I haven’t missed a meal in years.  What ever happened to the inventive nature, the entrepreneurial spirit of this country to have confidence in saying, we will figure it out.  Perhaps we are caught up in trying to figure out how to get a piece of a “bailout”.

You may wonder about the photo for this post.  This was a photo I took after Deb and I finished a show in Houston back in 2002.  It is $20,000, in cash (those are bundles of $1,000-$1,500 each, not single bills), we earned in 4 days, from working harder in a short period of time than we did at any other time in the year (some walked out with $100,000 and on up).  It was a time in our lives when we worked hard, made almost no profit, and didn’t care how much money we had.  We “tried” to not base our fears and anxieties on how much or little we had.  Did $20,000 in 4 days make a difference in our lives?  No way.

Why did I take a picture of it (besides being a photographer)?  Because I knew it would be gone in a very short period of time and all that would be left was a photo.  I think our expenses for the shows we did leading up to that show all but wiped out all of it and I don’t remember anything about how we had to spend the money other than this one photo we took the day we left the show.  It was gone as fast as we earned it that weekend.  Funny how when you have nothing you don’t have to worry about loosing it.  Before the show, we had no fear of being robbed or having our RV broken into.  After the show, we had to watch where we were, what we did because we had something of value for a short period of time.

Want Something Positive on the Economy, Listen to Dave Ramsey

Want to see a totally different perspective on the economy?  Go read up on Dave Ramsey and see what he has to say.  This is one of the biggest times of opportunity presenting itself and manifesting itself in more ways and forms than every before.   Let’s not dig a hole in the sand and bury our heads quite yet, right?

[stay tuned for part 2 and 3 coming up]

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal | Also tagged church, economy, worry | Comments (4)

Jill Greenberg Photos of The Manipulator is not Photography at All

September 16, 2008 – 3:26 am

Sometimes it really amazes me who is called a photographer and who isn’t. Photography takes on many many forms from journalist to fine artist and everything in between.  When one photographer is able to garner the spotlight of the news for political purposes, such as what Jill Greenberg has done this week with her photo shoot with John McCain, purposely misleading her client, has done harm to the profession of photography for all photographers.

Outside of that, for someone to manipulate an image to the extent that Jill Greenberg has done, takes photography out of the work and inserts something else.  One person put it on the news last night, what Jill Greeberg has done is political pornography, which is an insult to pornographers.  I was so disgusted by the images she posted on her website and that were shown on Fox News and CNN that I don’t know how anyone can call her a photographer.  In the end, at least the Atlantic Monthly has apologized for her representing their magazine, but they shouldn’t have to do that, a photographer should work in a professional manner, no matter what the subject.

The editor of The Atlantic Monthly said Monday he is sending a letter of apology to John McCain after a woman the magazine hired to photograph the Republican presidential nominee posted manipulated pictures from the photo shoot on her Web site. Photographer Jill Greenberg, who is vehemently anti-Republican and expressed glee that the photos would stir up conservative ire, took pictures of McCain for the cover of The Atlantic’s October issue.

Did anyone even notice that this woman is Canadian?  There seem to be so many non-U.S. citizens that seem to want to influence the election, and these are the tactics I guess are needed to do just what she has done, but she has done a true dis-service to all photographers at this point. If you look at it from a blogging perspective or google, she has accomplished exactly what she wanted… to create a fire storm of media attention (and bloggers, see Jill Greenberg Is Not Afraid To Dump All Her Clients At Once, Low blow, The Atlantic should have Googled Jill Greenberg before hiring her, and Fallout From Jill Greenberg’s McCain Images just to name a few) to her disgusting manipulations of the photography profession.

What new mountains of paper work will form from her stunt that will have to be signed, released, political backgrounds checked and so on.  Most photographers I have met would never behave in this manner at all, and I am glad she doesn’t represent me or any photographers that I know.  So that is my rant on the business of photography.  I have yet to find someone on either side of the political isle that is willing to defend her actions, I hope none arise.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Business | Also tagged journalist, photographers, politics | Comments (2)

Where Were You on September 11, 2001 // 7 Years Later

September 11, 2008 – 6:43 am

It is amazing how fast time goes by.  It is hard to believe that today is the 7th anniversary of September 11, 2001.  It was of course one of those days when we will all remember where we were, what we were doing, and looking back today at what happened on the news, as always happens on each September 11, I was just thinking back to what my wife and I were doing that day, and what was going on in our lives, and what has changed.

A few days before 9-11 we were in Texas, on our way to a convention in Pennsylvania.  We often traveled with David and Georgia (Deborah’s parents) or met them in different campgrounds across the country going to or from a convention.  They would drive their motorhome out to the show where ever it was and help us setup, work the show, and break down afterward.  Here, we met them at a campground in Texas.

Traveling to PA from Texas

On the morning of September 11, 2001 Deborah and I woke up in a Walmart parking lot in Pennsylvania in our RV where we had spent the night.  We were on our way to Philadelphia and stayed, as we normally did, in a Walmart parking lot just a little outside Philadelphia.  As vendors, this was a convention we did each year but in years to follow would become less and less important because of the date (which sometimes fell exactly on 9-11) until the owners of the show finally moved it far away from 9-11.

Anthrax Attack on America

Anthrax Attack on America

I took these two photos of the news while watching the coverage from the back of our RV.  What is interesting to me is, if you look just to the right of the TV, we had already hung an American flag in the window of our RV (and these were huge greyhound bus windows), much like many American’s did at their houses.  We were living in the bus at the time, this was our home and we drove around the country for at least another year or more with that flag handing in the back window (one on each side).

I remember setting up for the show while running out to the motorhome every second I could to try and watch the news.  The show was a terrible one for the vendors as no one wanted to do anything in the way of shopping.  The restaurants in Philadelphia were closed when we would try to eat after the show each night, and we couldn’t wait to get out of there and on to the next city.

To the Grand Cayman Islands and Cayman Brac

It wasn’t but about two weeks later when we took our first plane flight out of the United States into the Cayman Islands.  This was a planned trip, planned months before 9-11 every happened.  We were going with Deborah’s parents, David and Georgia to a rented house on the small island of Cayman Brac.  I can remember every single one of us being very nervous about flying when we had never really be nervous before.  We had talked about canceling our trip, but decided we were going to do what we had planned on doing regardless.

I have very few photos of our trip down to the Cayman Islands.  I was not shooting with any larger format camera at the time and only had a very small (and free) 2mp digital camera from HP, given to me as a type of extra for buying a printer.  These were a few of the shots from that trip.  We sat many hours of that “vacation” inside watching the news coverage of the events at ground zero, it was one of the strangest trips I have taken, but we did enjoy each other’s company.

Deborah in Cayman Brac

Deborah, David, and Georgia in Cayman Brac

Now it is 7 years later and things are much different.  Time has a way of keeping thing moving.  I look at the photo above and remember by mother-in-law who is no longer with us.  In this photo she looks so alive and well, and Deborah and I both miss her.  The four of us in the photo above (counting me who is taking the photo) did so many things together back at that time.  We no longer have the business we had then, and part of it was the effect 9-11 had on the circuit of shows we were vending at for many years.

We now no longer have the bus pictured above that we lived in for more than 5 years.  We have different jobs, live in a different part of the country, have new and different friends, and of course are 7 years older.  One thing I love about blogging is the archives.  You can go back and see what you were doing and how things have changed in your life.  We started blogging in March of 2001, but have very few original posts from that time period, but it is interesting to see how we have grown and changed.

What were you doing on September the 11th, 2001?

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal | Also tagged cayman, david, deborah, flight, georgia, pennsylvania, plane | Comments (3)

The Matthew Butler Memorial Fund and Zion Gate Records

September 5, 2008 – 9:41 am

Matthew Bulter and Steven SwanThis is an update to a previous post about the tragic murder of Matthew Butler and Stephen Swan in Garland Texas back in June of this year.  If you are unfamiliar with the story please see my previous post Matthew Butler Killed at Zion Gate in Garland Texas about Matthew’s life and his wonderful testimony.  Back in June I came across this story while watching the news and was touched by what happened because, according to the news story and Matthew’s wife Jamie, Matthew was a strong Christian Believer, a musician, and a business owner of Zion Gates Records.  Those thing struck a nerve with me as I am all but a musician, but a big lover of music in general.

The post on my blog grew legs and soon many of Matthew’s friends and family, including Jamie and his mom Theresa had commented on the post.  This morning I received an email from Matthew’s mom, Theresa that I wanted to share with you about his memorial fund for his children.  Normally (I would guess) once a story hits national news you can a huge nation wide outpouring of support for the family, especially when the widow has small children as the Butler’s do, but the news story was so short lived that it never really had a chance to build any steam on a large national scale, so the Butler family held a charity golf tournament, are having a large rummage sale, and have setup a memorial fund at the bank in Texas.

All I wanted to do by this blog post is bring a little attention to their situation and possibly reach someone who might be able and willing to help their family in some way.  Below is the email from Theresa about the Matthew Butler Memorial Fund, I know his wife and kids appreciate any and all help they have and will receive.

The Matthew Butler Memorial Fund

The community support for Jamie and the kids has been amazing.  Matthew is gone from this earth but safe in his heavenly father’s loving arms.  Now, we must help raise up these babies, take care of Jamie and help her to continue the dream that Matthew had when he opened the doors to Zion Gate Records almost three years ago.  Many of you have said, “We will not let this dream that Matthew had turn into a nightmare.  We will not give the enemy that satisfaction!”

The golf tournament raised over $20k for the children.  Friends, family and even total strangers have also donated their money and time to help Jamie get the studio up and running.  A very sweet young lady from Matthew’s high school, Tammie, got together with some of her friends to have a garage sale to benefit Jamie and the kids.  Over the past few weeks, as people heard about it and wanted to donate their items, it’s grown into this huge RUMMAGE SALE which will be held at the Albertson’s parking lot on Lavon Highway in Garland (near 190).  If you would like to help, please bring your items to the sale on Saturday morning, September 20th before 7:00am.  Here is the link with map:  http://www.yellowbot.com/albertsons-food-pharmacy-garland-tx-2.html

There is also a memorial fund at Washington Mutual Bank - Matthew Butler Memorial Fund.  Donations may be made at any location.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, love and support.  In His Grip, Theresa Butler

By damascus | Posted in Media | Also tagged memorial, texas | Comments (0)

Sarah Palin Undergoing Internet Smear Campaign Like No Other

September 2, 2008 – 10:16 am

Sarah Palin VPSarah Palin is currently undergoing a smear campaign on the Internet like I have never seen before.  It is really just incredible to see how sharp the attacks on Palin are and how baseless these smears are in real facts.  Is there a good reason for this?  Is the left, far left, democrats, independents, people in general really that scared of this woman?

I will have to agree with a recent blog post I read (see Politics and… by Fluidity) that this all shows our divisions, but they can’t be expected to just go away with someone like Palin, she stands for something, she isn’t luke-warm.  I just hope Palin doesn’t read blogs like bloggers do.

Still, I have not seen any of the hatred being spewed out over Joe Biden, no one is just killing themselves to be the first to get nude photos of Obama or McCain only Palin of course since she is a woman.  Are these people disappointed that she is not some homely looking feminist woman that only wears a pants suit while telling everyone to just get along?  To these bloggers I say, you really don’t get it.  This is what middle America wants.  A smart woman that can buck the system, raise her children, have a moral basis, doesn’t look like some butch tree hugger, and can relate to the “regular” person who deals with life’s problems just like she does.  And while we may not all be a part of middle America, it encompasses a lot of people in this country.

Find the dirt, the naked photos, the illegitimate children, the affair, the miserable part of Palin’s life if it exists.  You know what, maybe it actually doesn’t?  People today are so quick at trying to pull out all the skeletons from the other person’s closet, who cares about the ones piled up in their own house.

A total and complete denial, disregard, ignorance of Matthew 7:2-4 when dealing with those in public view and even those who are not.  Yes, she should be ready for this, this is politics in America in 2008, but how much defamation of character, libel, slander, and vilification should one person expect to be able to handle?

Matthew7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

At least Obama yesterday came out and said to back off, that her family should be off limits as is the case with most candidates.  Blogs today can give any nut job a voice, which actually is great, that just means that I have the same freedom to post whatever I want on my own blog (of course I may be one of those nut jobs too).  I at least make an attempt to post verified facts, and if it is an opinion, I try to say so, or at least make it obvious.  The bloggers are on an all out smear campaign of Palin based in totally false statements and no basis of fact.  I hope people who read these “news” stories or blog posts realize that and try to look at her candidacy objectively for what it is, a down to earth person who is now knee deep in the dirt of politics, at least that is how I see it here on this blog.

sarah-palin-graph

The real funny thing to me is that all these people that keep posting all these terrible things about Sarah Palin are really just helping her cause and ultimately her campaign. The graph from Google Trends above is just the start (look at the bottom graph, flat line to a straight line up).  “They” are all talking about her.  Blogs, news, radio, tv, commercials, the coffee house, the water cooler, they are talking about her as the possible VP, and this just empowers her in today’s media.

Not totally the same thing but I can’t imagine people doing this to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?  I understand she was not running for VP, but she was a woman in politics?  What about the two democratic woman that came before Palin?  I have respect for them just the same, but it doesn’t seem to go both ways on the Internet today. So if you want to empower her in the media, just keep talking about Palin.  I don’t see it helping Biden?  What do you think, how much slander should one politician have to handle? All of it I guess.

By damascus | Posted in Media | Also tagged lies, palin, politics, slander | Comments (6)

Results of Rick Warren Interview With Obama and McCain?

August 19, 2008 – 8:09 am

Obama McCain WarrenSure, this is old news by now since the interview was a few days ago, but I am still thinking about the how and why of it all. From Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, CA on Aug. 16, 2008, pastor Rick Warren interviewed the two Presidential candidates (AP Photo/Alex Brandon of McCain, Warren, and Obama left) on live, nationally broadcast television.

On a night that had just about nothing on other than the Olympics, Fox News and CNN both carried the interview live from Saddleback Church (see full written transcripts from the interview here). From other fellow faith based blogs, I knew the interview was coming, but I think it ended up being larger than anyone originally thought. So what was the result?

Prior to the interview, Warren contacted many of his fellow pastors to ask their opinion of what questions he should ask the candidates. Those pastors then blogged about it, asking their readers what they thought Warren should ask. I read a ton of blogs (see my faith based blogroll here), so watching this progress through the Internet was interesting.

I have read everything from pandering from the evangelical far far right to blasting of corruption of everything by Rick Warren from who knows what side, to down right condemnation of Warren and his life (see Rick Warren warranted). [The only reason I actually referenced that post is to show a point of view that is how some feel in the "mainstream", from outside a faith based circle. His statements are by no means backed up by fact and basically is just a dig at Warren, but he isn't alone.]

Did We Learn Anything from the Warren Interview?

So, did we learn anything from this. Was your vote changed? You still had two choices before and two choices after, and I have to admit, I was flipping on the commercials over to the rip roaring woman’s marathon (shown in its entirety). I have to say, the questions were not the typical stump speech softballs. There were some softballs thrown, but the questions were different, as they should have been, but I don’t know if I really gained any insight into McCain or Obama that I couldn’t have already guessed.

The initial results show that evangelicals were favorable of McCain’s answers. Well that is hard hitting news there. I did like several of his answers to questions I probably wouldn’t have heard without the interview, but does that change a person’s vote, or was it even supposed to?

So, What’s The Point? Did We Change Our Minds?

Constantina Diṭă-Tomescu of Romania I guess what I am trying to figure out is, what is or what was the point? I know Warren said to be able to fairly show the sides of two people running for the most powerful office in the world that we don’t normally get to see… but is it going to change your vote?

I have a lot of respect for Warren, and I don’t always agree with him or some of the other super-star pastors of our time, but he did get a commanding audience, he pulled at least a solid few hours of prime time news, his church got a lot of publicity, he probably sold a few more books, and Constantina Diṭă-Tomescu of Romania became the oldest woman to ever win the gold in the woman’s marathon.

Rick Warren has done something that many churches are just unable to do, reach an audience capacity on a nation wide level, even internationally on this venue, and for that, I think his work with this interview and other avenues he has followed are well worth it.  There are many people that have a smaller reach, but a reach that I couldn’t possibly have (one example being Ragamuffinsoul, he just does things I couldn’t do in the faith).

But… did anyone make a meaningful commitment to Jesus Christ? Well, I guess that wasn’t the point.

By damascus | Posted in Media | Also tagged interview, mccain, obama, politics, saddleback | Comments (3)

The Bible Now Available in the Mam Language from Bible Gateway

July 25, 2008 – 1:13 pm

Bible TranslationsI read this today and was fascinated. Can you believe with all the technology’s we have today that the Bible is still be translated into other languages, wow.

If you have never checked out Bible Gateway this is an amazing site, and I would highly recommend using it as an aid to anything scripture related.

I have been using Bible Gateway for many many years now and they just keep getting better and better. Today they announced that they have released the Bible language version (MVC) for the Mam language (see Mam language Bible now available), which they say traces their lineage back to the Mayan civilization.

I know there is so much work that goes on with translating into other languages, and it is almost all behind the scene stuff that we never hear about. I recently read about a man who had spent the last 5 years of his life doing nothing but translating the Bible from English into a specific language for a village in Africa.

This was not a large language translation like Spanish, or probably Mam, but for a select group of people. I met a fellow blogger, Biscuet, the other day who is back from China for a brief summer rest and I am sure he knows the value of a Bible given to someone in their own native tongue.

Those of us in the U.S. and Europe may just take for granted that we have a Bible we can read in our own native language, but for those hungry for God’s word that don’t have a way to read it for themselves, these translations are huge, and I think very noble work.

By damascus | Posted in Faith, Media | Also tagged bible, text, translation | Comments (0)

Tony Snow Dead at the Age of 53

July 12, 2008 – 5:54 am

Tony SnowAfter a battle with colon cancer that had spread to his liver, Tony Snow died today at the age of 53. He was someone my family watched and followed for many years through the news and at the White House.

Although I did not know him or his family, our prayer are extended to them this morning.

You can read the full story in the news here, but if you are not familiar with what this man did in his life you can also read the Tony Snow Wikipedia file which has some interesting information about his life as well.

He was a punch bag and a punch line for the left, but just as with the loss of Tim Russert, you can see how much of their lives were spent engaged with the well being of this country. I was no less saddened to see Tim Russert pass on as Snow, you can’t have one side without the other.

This has been a strange year of loss at and around our household, and the country, (Michael Debakey also died this morning), and although I wouldn’t begin to say this is a loss for us over what his family has now lost, it is a loss for the nation as a whole. Regardless of what political side you are on, he was a man of courage and integrity and our house will miss seeing him.

It only reinforces the importance of our relationship with our Lord, and the fact that no, none of us are long for this side of eternity.

By damascus | Posted in Media | Also tagged courage, integrity, loss | Comments (0)