Many years of deep suffering that my bride, Susan, and I have endured with our oldest son and his former drug addictions have recently born fruit that seems to be beyond our family. I wanted to let you know what has happened - all good, too! 1.
I'm now in my third year of jail ministry at Ada County Jail (through the Vineyard). 2. In the third quarter of last year I was honored to join some businessmen in initiating New Hope Community Health - a faith based corporation dedicated to helping ex-offenders by offering Christ-centered classes.
We're having an Open House at New Hope and we'd like to invite you to attend! Please click the image below for a blown up version of the invite flyer. Saw this today as I rode home.
Never before saw a tow-truck with an armored car hitched up to it. Interesting..
.. Then it got me thinking.
Must be the Legislature trying to hijack businessmen's first quarter profits, claiming them as "revenue enhancements" for the state. Hmmm..
...
Which one in this picture is Rod Stewart? Give up? Neither.
...
it's actually my long-time friend, Randy Fowler, of Boise. Many in the area know him as Kevin Spacey's older brother. Yes, that .
...
Randy dropped by the office with his love, Trish, the other day and we enjoyed a wonderful hour plus of discussion about the film industry, Vegas, Randy's great Limousine business and just the years of knowing an caring for one another. (We share the month of January for our birthdays and tend to congratulate each other each year about being so older..
.and looking so spry!!
) OK, I look older, Randy looks spry...
er hip...
er cool...
well, you get the drift. He's got a controversial website that I wouldn't suggest you visit, if you are a long-time fan of his brother..
.it'll make Kevin Spacey Fowler be more real and the Hollywood thing will fizzle for you, I think. ( ) I'm also thinking that I need Randy's tailor for future public outings, don't you?
I was one of 10,000 people who listened to Al Gore give his comments on the environment and our responsibilities as individuals. I went to the event anticipating sheer and utter boredom, as Mr. Gore has never been much of a public speaker.
The thought of sitting through a couple hours of his historic droning on and on and on made me look anxiously for my next dental examination.
I was as wrong as could be.
Mr.
Gore presented a witty and very informative mulit-hour information and education monologue. And quite frankly, it was great. His passion and growing stature as a statesman was unusual to watch.
His handling of his side of the debate was, as expected, very refined. He knew what he was doing. What I found especially interesting was his handle on his opposition's comments.
He knew his enemy.
Also, I've never thought of Mr. Gore as a particularly physically impressive man, but he was.
Much more confident in his older age, he dominated the stage at the Taco Bell Arena.
Did I agree with all that he said? Heavens no.
But let's examine the things that I did agree with him on:
- We believe environmental stewardship is a biblical mandate and commission from God.
- All of God’s creation is important to Him, down to the last sparrow and blade of grass.
- We have wrongfully assumed that creation exists for our own consumption.
- It is the responsibility of every true citizen to take stewardship seriously, and that includes environmental stewardship.
- This is an issue for all faiths, beginning with whatever you believe.
- This is a matter of personal responsibility- beginning at your home.
- There is no political party ownership of the environment.
10,000 people- a personal meeting? Nah. Yet you could see Mr.
Gore's sincerity and willingness to go out on the hustings. That's pretty impressive.
I hope you can see my sincerity as well.
I listened and learned. Can't beat that.
Right to Life of Idaho is dead.
Long live the Idaho pro-life movement. On a c-c-c-cold day, this past weekend, of sunshine and jubilant emotions (prepared by the fans of BSU and the University's athletic dept.), two Marches occurred.
Both started from a near-by perimeter point and both ended at the Capitol. Both were colorful and had emotions. One spoke of victory and the other of defeat.
I saw the contrast with my own eyes. On the day that 20,000 wonderful fans came out to cheer on the victorious BSU Broncos at the State Capitol, of Idaho held a March just hours earlier to commemorate the anniversary of Roe V. Wade.
About 500 attended. Short term, the pro-life march seemed to provide some in attendance with an emotional lift - a once a year cheerleading session. In the longer lens of history, it was a .
From the forced nature of posing "pro-life leadership" to the incredibly divisive speech by a self-absorbed 30-something year old youth pastor, the event was a flop. Three times a speaker spoke of how those of us in the Pro-Life community had "lost the fight, lost in the Courts, etc". Several times more than that, the main speaker, dressed inappropriately in jeans and with a slovenly appearance, divided the audience on issues of the death penalty, the war in Iraq and the way in which we spend taxpayer monies to end poverty in the US.
He edged ever so closely to "gay marriage" but seemed to shy away from torquing off everybody. And Right to Life approved of it all. What a loss of credibility.
Quite frankly, what a loss of reason to exist; but then maybe not...
.maybe they want to have a defeatist mindset..
...
you CAN "keep fighting" an issue when it is never solved, can't you...
.and the dollars keep comin' in. Hmmm.
Just hours later BSU gave us all a reason to cheer. Same streets, same day. Different mood.
Many pro-lifers in attendance, many pro-choicers too. Why the difference in the two marches? Because Victory breeds Victory.
Joy and life go with those who promote joy and life. The future is a breath of fresh air to those who see things as they are not now and believe in what can occur. The Blue and Orange of BSU Broncos was a joy to behold.
The death of Right to Life of Idaho was a sad moment to observe. It is high time for the pro-life community to tell the supposed emperor, called Right to Life, that not only does it NOT have clothes on, but it's strutting naked body makes all of us sick. The King is dead, Long live the king.
On January 20th, 28 years ago something changed in my life. I was 23 years old and had had a great deal of success in my young life. Everything I touched,when I was young, seemed to turn to gold - or at least into gold-dust.
I'll give you an example: I'd been class president from 8th grade through 10th. Dad was transferred, we moved clear across the US and I arrived at a brand new high school in the middle of 10th grade - knowing no one. Tough on any 16 year old, I'd imagine.
In 4 weeks I was elected by those strangers to become Jr. class president, for the next year. Later I was elected Sr.
class president. Varsity letters, music, plays, most likely to succeed and so much more followed.
I was selected by then-President Nixon to attend West Point.
I accepted. At the Military Academy, I was elected president of my class and helped design our class ring (a big deal for West Pointers). Tough place?
Sure. Did I excel? You bet.
I just got tougher.
Manure, it seemed, just always became fertilizer, in my young life.
Then, the fertilizer hit the fan.
Saw the movie last night with my family. It was more than what I expected to see. Much more.
A love story of commitment (for his now-deceased wife) and story of belief (in his adult son) as well as a story of encouragement for each of us about our past and future future...
"we are not finished in anything we wish to do" was the message. Each of us has that "thing" down in the basement of who we are. The film captured almost every bit of the flavor of the 1976 Oscar winning " " without any of the anger or attitude that the next several Rockys seemed to embrace.
Great show...
ought to be a nomination for for another Oscar...
yep you heard that right!! Go see it and spread the word.
As Donald Rumsfield's time in the Bush cabinet comes to a close there are a few things I'd like to share. As you read the entire post you'll see how Secretary Rumsfield fits into this story.
Robin Hanley is one of the most creative artists to whom I've had the honor of being introduced.
Her photographic artwork combines the images of American and Israeli soldiers, along with an amazing backdrop of Old Testament figures.
For those of us who see the value of Israel and America standing shoulder to shoulder , I would highly suggest that you visit Robin's website and purchase one of her prints. They'll ship it to you.
Should you desire to have framed artwork sent to you, please call her sales manager, Tony Ball, in Boise, ID at 208-870-6400.
As I prepare to go to Israel in March, I'm suggesting a visit to Robin's website and a phone call to Tony would be in order for those interested in going with us. As we visit military sites (as well as Holy Sites, you will get a flavor for the depth of God's love for Israel.
)
Don't worry about telling them I sent you. I have no business relationship with Robin or Tony..
.I just love her art.
Dennis
Haven't seen Borat yet, but plan to - full review to follow soon.
(click on link to left to see article) seems to truly miss Cohen's main point: humor has a way of nailing issues down flat, when raw facts and debate eludes the essence of the truth...
or complicates it. As I prepare to take another group to Israel (and Egypt, this time), I am reminded of just how anti-Semitic Europe (and some parts of the US) have allowed themselves to become. The new anti-Semite is Israel-focused (country verses the people), lying to himself that such proximity to hatred of a country is different than individual Jewish people in the world.
(One feeds the other.) That is why Harry Truman signed-off on the US support of Israel in 1948. He knew then what we pretend NOT to know today.
All of our leaders that have supported Israel since 1948 have supported a working democracy in the Middle East, and whether or not you agree with everything that country is doing; it [Israel] is a better democracy than most any other country on the continents around them. Ever have a weekend that blows your mind? Mine just happened.
A sincere sorry to my fundamentalist friends - but the wine of an anniversary dinner is some of the sweetest you can imbibe. Susan, my bride, and I just hit our 29th anniversary. Wanted to share in this post the mind blower this weekend was to me (don't worry, not too risque)
Surprised by joy, being abducted to in Boise.
100+ years old bed breakfast, history on every floor; for those in Idaho, if you miss staying at this incredible B B you cannot say you've really stayed in Boise. The owner welcomes you to her home - a home of memories long gone. Sounds like a big plug, doesn't it?
Not really, the place plugs itself. You show up and become part of its memories. For those outside Idaho, do not visit Boise, unless you first stop in at this place.
Had lunch at The Grape Escape - a foo-fooish, good eatin' place that 50 year old new parents take their only child named Sophie to - you know what I'm talking about, the kind of folks that never had kids in their youth and now that the biological clock hand has struck 8'clock p.m. they rushed forward for a baby.
Now that little Sophie-Heather-Reagan-Conner is able to sit at the table and eat, all they do is cry (it's kinda fun in a sick way to watch the parents go crazy while knowing it is all behind me)...
teehee! Lunch was good.
Headed to movies, saw - unbelievable.
It was quirky like Napoleon Dynamite on steroids. Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Steve (The Office) Carell are the stars of this indie picture, and you have the extra pleasure of navigating all the f-bombs. Saw it at The Flicks, enjoying the movie with popcorn and a Dr.
Pepper (tempted to enjoy the chardonnay, but my bride had a bottle chilling waiting for later in the evening - sorry my Baptist friends).
Here's where my mind approached critical mass..
.we were meandering on 8th street at (for those of you from out of state and Meridian) it is a beautiful new development by Simplot's Sixteen Corp. A flyer was given to us, almost new-agey in appearance, telling the story of a then 4 year old girl, daughter of two atheists, who was visited by angels sent by God (my hackles went up) to give her 2 gifts; one of painting and one of poetry.
Yeah-yeah I can hear what your thinking; but let me go on...
Her name is and her paintings are sublime; magnificently peaceful and artwork that is easy to appreciate. Akiane is now 12 years old - look at these examples from her You can see these at under the Ha-Penny across from (ooh lettuce wraps). For those from out of town you should be blessed to live in Boise
Akiane's parents became Christians - evangelical, born-again, Bible believing, charismatic, on-fire, former atheists - figure that out :)
While enjoying this vacation in my own hometown I thought about work.
I've been a successful business coach for years and I love it! For the last 6+ years my bride and I have had to deal with our oldest son's drug addiction (opiates) and his incarceration. From that came some great healing for our family - I am very proud of my son.
During this weekend I began refining a business project that will launch December 1st; a behavior and education outreach for former inmates and drug addicts, people who really want to be clean. I have transitioned full-time to helping people be free. Spoke Sunday night (my anniversary night) at The Ship Dinner (a group that transitions inmates into housing), it was only fitting and proper to do so, honoring people like my son who are recovering.
On an ending guffaw; I stumbled across the goofiest (and somewhat witty) . Maybe it was the wine, the woman or the work; but I laughed myself silly. Written by liberals, for liberals mocking what they believe is the culture of American Evangelical Christianity.
Upset? No not really. We kinda deserve to get slapped around when our own house is not in order - they just might have a point.
Sincerely,
Dennis, possibly a former-friend of a few constipated Christians, Mansfield
p.s. - when you visit as well as tell them who sent ya!
Rare is the overlapping of famous people’s death dates in differing years.
Rarer still, when the collision of those death dates occurs within the same 24 hours. Though not replete with such occurrences, the pages of history do tell us of some examples.
For instance, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day – the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – having just healed old political scars and reconnected as friends. Together, they seem to have found their rest and peace before their deaths.
The month of November offers a trifecta of famous deaths on the same day.
On the 22nd day of that month, back in 1963 three very famous men slipped through the bonds of this world and gently set down, if you are so inclined to believe, onto the tarmac of eternity’s nether-world.
, author, and died 43 years ago, this November 22.
An odd historical footnote?
Possibly.
More to the point in the culture of America in 2006 and 2007, it might be possible to draw a deeper meaning from the comparison of their lives and worldviews – and how those competing points of view have set in motion much of the culture clashes of today’s life and times.
Peter Kreeft, in his marvelous play, , captures a possible conversation between these three brilliant minds of the last century as they are somehow suspended in space and time - just prior to judgment day:
And what about this rumor about Dennis and Mick being close relatives?
More about this later...
And did you know that it is widely reported that the that broke the bank at Monte Carlo in 1875 is a relative of Mick?
Whew - so many facts, so little attention span to sit here and post.
Dennis and Colin are heading to see The Rolling Stones Tuesday night so I wanted to make sure it was known that I (Lee), a real musician, will not be attending.
I have some pride, plus I'm not as old as Dennis; as far as Colin goes - he's on his own.
Dennis will be his normal self, having a good time down at the concert, with an added bonus - he'll be carrying his trusty pocket phone and sending me updates to the show as well as a few pictures if he is able. If he can manage to come through on his end of the deal (avoiding all the stage smoke ) I'll piece his harried collection of chaotic thoughts into a coherent piece of blog rapture.
Now about the proof that The Stones being conservative...
are you as confused as me? Dennis sat me down tonight at Krispy Kreme and taught me some amazing Dennis facts :
- The band has had the same job for 40+ years
- Proud members of an old boys club with no new members
- Absolute Capitalists - woohoo!
- Their lifestyles and traditions have given them their 19th Nervous Breakdown
- Drummer, Charlie Watts, has been married to his current wife, Shirley, since 1964!
obtw speaking of conservatism you have to check out George Will's column in the Statesman today - it is amazing!
I tried to find an online link to it, but if you'll just click on the image on the left it'll pop up larger. I would recommend printing this one out and hanging it in your office.
I am the son of William E.
Mansfield --- a WWII-era Navy Veteran, who followed that up by service in the Army Air Corps (becoming the Air Force) in Korea. He then retired in the middle of Vietnam, at the highest NCO rank in the US Air Force - Chief Master Sergeant. My brothers and I all served in the military, in one branch or the other.
My youngest brother Ken, (a nurse by occupation), just re-joined the Army Reserve at age 43 and will be a Drill Instructor, training new recruits.
My mom, Virginia Maguire Mansfield, was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps in WWII, before she married my dad.
Two of my sisters married men who served as officers in the military.
Two sisters produced sons who are now entering the service.
I do not understand the thinking behind the facts of this article. Please let me know your thoughts.
Maybe I am not elite enough...
..
Dennis
--------------------------------------
Unexcused Absence
Why Don't Elite Americans Serve?
(from Breakpoint)
November 10, 2006
When the son of John McCain announced he was joining the Marines a few
months ago, it made headlines across the country -- not only because his
father was famous, but also because his decision was so unusual.
Few sons of senators serve in the military these days, nor -- with few exceptions -- do the sons of congressmen or presidents or governors, or NEW YORK TIMES editors. They're too busy doing what they consider more important things -- like attending Yale, or running their father's company.
And yet, these are often the very same people who one day are going to lead
our country. This situation is not only inherently unfair, but also deeply
dangerous.
" " is another phrase penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney (interesting story about how that song came to be, click link above).
How about a little street-hollywood styled "where's the love" or maybe Virgil's; " ". - right?
Ok, now that you're going what has he (Lee) been drinking?
We had a wild Tuesday election night. Dennis has a great Wednesday victory celebration with the guv to be, Butch Otter and the whole cast of GOP elected officials (first time in 50 years I think all statewide officials are GOP in Idaho) and now it is Thursday morning. People we have work to do in Idaho.
Gov. Risch (imho) has done (and is doing) a great job as Idaho's 31st Governor. We as a state have a great #1-#2 leadership team.
If Idaho had a stock I would invest a chunk of my portfolio in the state of Idaho.
All of the team, from the Governor to every elected official, from either side of the political spectrum has the potential for greatness. Our state has the potential for greatness.
We can do serious things to benefit our teachers, our public workers, our private workers, our small businesses, our major corporations - do you get the point? This is OUR state and I will work hard to make sure that OUR state succeeds - are you?
Lest you forget; whether you swing left or right I have elephant tusks to gore you if you screw up.
And since I've used some famous quotes about love, let me throw you an original quote that I will freely allow anyone to use as long as they "send me some love" - "E=MC2 unless you buy me lunch"With Dennis away this week I wonder how much I [ ] can tweak things around here...
I know that title sounds like a tag line for search or category listing, but hey we're coming into the home stretch of 2006. What do you want to accomplish in the remaining days before you throw together your 2007 goals-resolutions?
Sit down with friends, family and get down to business.
Let's not wait till December 30, 2006 to start sketching out your plans. I sat down October 2005 and decided before I turned 40 - yeah 40, I wanted to be at or under 200lbs. Well I did it by October 2006!
My family and friends thought I was pretty stupid (they really do love me) to start a diet before the holidays. But you see I didn't start a diet - I decided to make a life change and to 7734 (go dig out your old Ti and figure out that one) with all around me!
Also (right-click and save) to listen in case the inline audio doesn't work for you.
Today at 3:40pm MST Michael Rogers reported this on . Michael states that he is "willing to go to jail" on this story also stating he was motivated to expose the underground network that said one thing but did another with Larry top in his focus. Michael says his sources are men who have had intimate relations with Senator Craig.
Years ago I opposed the homosexual activists of Act-Up and other such groups in Idaho. In the 1990's I was not shy to take on these gay activists and call them what they often were: bullies and brutes - individuals so caught up in their sexuality that their sex acts simply defined who they are. Today's gay activist bloggers seem to be carrying on that tradition.
And that's a tragedy. Their attack on Sen. Craig is an extension of that type of bullying and brutish behavior.
If, as the gay activists have said for years, it truly does not matter what an individual's sexual orientation is, why do these activist bloggers insist on attacking anyone and everyone...
especially a fine public servant like Sen. Craig? I have no pejorative opinion on the subject of their attacks.
He has always been a fine friend and someone with whom I have shared the podium many times in the past and will continue to do so in the future. His life is his life and I have always admired him for his friendship and kindness to others, including my family. I will support his response to these claims.
I will not support those who actively seek to publicly embarrass and demean others, regardless of the specifics of their claims.
Also (right-click and save) to listen in case the inline audio doesn't work for you.
You've got to give it to state-wide candidate .
..she is a Democrat running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho and she is standing up fully as a liberal Democrat, not pretending to be an Idaho conservative or pro-family educator.
She has embraced her liberalism publicly. Many will say, "Good for her". Let's look at it for a minute.
She's not some RINO, but a full-on Democrat -- witness this: yesterday Ms. Jones stated in an editorial meeting that she is now an opponent to HJR 2 (the Marriage Amendment). The LDS and Evangelical communities may well turn their backs on her, en mass.
The Catholic community, too.
Yet maybe none of that matters.
Possibly Ms.
Jones has enough liberal folks supporting her that it mattered more to her to come out against traditional marriage in Idaho and still believe the parents (so united by that type of traditional marriage) will hand their children over to her, come November.
Hmmm..
..it's a gamble, but could it be a fool's jackpot?
has come out in support of marriage and the the amendment from the moment it was presented.
Right up front, there is a HUGE difference between the two candidates. Luna seems like a better "gambler" to me.
...
because it isn't a gamble. It's just life..
.and it works. Hard to beat those odds.
You tell me, am I off base? Who'd have thought a right-wing conservative Christian would be speaking out on this issue? Me, that's who -- you know why?
Because I spent a lion's share of the 80's planting millions of square feet of re-vegetated land, hyrdoseeding countless acres of burn areas and working with the green industry to be better stewards of the land. There are many folks who care and realize that God's creation is our responsibility.
Your thoughts?
In case is not in your daily vocabulary, one line states; rush headlong or carelessly . Another definition says it this way, to lean, sway, or tip to one side while in motion .
Now it is the while in motion that peaked my interest in this topic.
Media, in different forms and times, has been the of either side of the proverbial political aisle. In the recent past the left has complained that the drudges of America (including most of Talk Radio and Fox News) are ruining America; allowing news and the reporting of it to become more like a circus.
If you go back a few more years, 10+ years to be more accurate, you come to a time before Fox, before Drudge and even further put yourself pre-Rush, when the right side complained that The Media never presented things in a fair and balanced way.
What is fair? What is balanced?
famous post civil war quote - Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal.The new ways of media enable us all to be equal.
It’s Saturday morning (6:45 am. plus) and I’m at KIDO again for a ”candidate morning”.
This time around it’s Andy Hedden-Nicely, founder of the United Party, as he runs for US Congress in Idaho’s 1st District.
Andy founded the Boise Weekly in 1993. He and I debated weekly on CBS/KBCI TV for the past 3 years during their news hour.
He’s an articulate man, a passionate person.
About ready to go on…Greg Smith just showed up, Doug McConaughey is again leading the charge. No other legislators, no other candidates.
No attorneys…..oh my gosh this is either going to be interesting and explosive, or boring….
.no second candidate…no debate.
Let’s see what happens.
We are on the air.
Here's an email that came to us about something the campaign has admitted to.
Not sure about the legality of what they did, but if I were Larry Grant, I'd sack the unethical staffer that was trying to be cute.
Just days after posting my own comments on the three candidates (along with their websites) this pops up its ugly head.
For those of us in the blog world (or who live with email as a big part of our life), the initial action by Larry's team of stealing the addresses simply stinks. Kudos for admitting it.
Applause will follow for firing the person(s).
Now is someone going to..
...
git 'er done? Or not..
...
What do you think?
The first Sunday of October, 1991, the pro-life community in Idaho held its first Life Chain. 15 years later the culture has changed even more.
In '91 was 18 years old, and roughly 20 million children had, had their lives in the womb interrupted (The term normally is "terminated"-but that's not true. Termination of an a ir flight happens when you land safely. Termination of a train trip occurs when the train pulls into the terminal.
). In 2006 we stand at the threshold of over 50 million human beings who have lost their life in abortion clinics, or hospitals.
If the pro-choice people are correct, we've only had 50 million minor operations-as if they were all liposuction or appendix related.
If the pro-life people are correct, our nation has killed almost 10 times the amount of humans extinguished in the Holocaust.
From my point of view, I fear greatly that the pro-life people may be accurate. What do you think?
Here are some pics of a quiet afternoon with 150 volunteers on a strategic business corner-each holding a sign reflecting their pro-life beliefs. On this great issue can there really be compromise? If you are truly open to considering the pro-life position please check out .
Here's something to read while you are deciding what film to watch this weekend in the movie theaters: Robert Knight is one of the finest thinkers in the US o n cultural affairs. His article on the new low-budget film, Facing the Giants, is a good one. Bob has well-served American families over the years as an editor at the , a key leader and thinker with Gary Bauer at the the Family Research Council, as the Cultural and Family Institute Director at Concerned Women for America (Mrs.
Tim Lahaye's organization - husband is the author of the Left Behind mega-success books)...
..and now Bob is heading the new Institute on Culture and the Media (ICM) at the in Alexandria, Virginia,.
MRC is a sister organization of the , founded by Brent Bozell. I headed up PTC for a brief stint in 2004. PTC suffered at that time from an overdose of neo-conservativism and an imbalance of folks of faith.
MRC seems to be leading the way of retouching the heart of America. Their hiring of Knight is a promising start. I consider his voice on family issue to be vox populi.
...
.your thoughts? Just finished Edmund Morris' - after also having finished Morris' (which followed Morris' approved biography on Reagan entitled ).
That's a glut of Morris-obelia, or is it?
Edmund Morris is one of the premier authors of the last 30 years- all the more considering he's only written these three books, the first of which won him the . The Reagan link to Roosevelt that allowed Morris to become the first in-house White House biographer was that Reagan loved Teddy's bold and authoritative leadership.
Contemporary politicos often cite T.R. as an example of strong, conservative leadership- the type that loses in the "arena", marred with blood and grime- and regains his or her footing in order to fight on in the current battle (I may be one of the chief culprits of this historical thievery).
But was he conservative?
Theodore Roosevelt was a raging liberal with a guilty conscience for having been born rich. His early life was a series of theatrical posings that would make proud.
The terrible death of his mother and wife on the same day understandably gave him reason to step away from his life. The problem was..
.he had a newborn daughter and he dumped baby Alice on his sister. Father and daughter never bonded.
Conservative, pro family? Hmmm..
.
His entire political career had nothing to do with fiscal conservativism. He spent tax dollars like a on leave, and personally never understood finance (his second wife said he was an "idiot" in dealing with money and would only give him $20 per week spending money).
And let's face it, conservative Presidents had never used an Executive Order to circumvent the Constitutional balance of powers regarding the initiation of National Parks. He did it and didn't blink twice. The real proof of the pudding is when his Presidency was over and he was a private citizen for four years.
A conservative out of office would have sought personal and private means of enacting social change- not Roosevelt. He ran again for office, was deprived the GOP nomination, and stormed out of the convention saying he was now the founder of the "Progressive Party" (for those from Rio Linda or , that means liberal).
So, don't be thinking that Teddy Roosevelt, as he smiles down from is the benevolent 20th century stone faced statue of conservetivism.
Rather, be honest about him and honest about yourself, acknowledging that you both may be liberals (" ").
Kind of makes you fully aware why so many "Republican" Senators and Legislators at Idaho's State Capitol enshrine Teddy as their beau ideal. Was my salted index finger suitably burrowed deep enough into your cornea and retina on this?
Next stop, Churchill was a philosophical politician of-the-evening. Wanna bet?
Went to the concert here in Boise a night or so ago.
The arena was sold out. Elton John did not let the audience down! Great show.
My bride, Susan, remembers Elton's concert from the 70's as "one of the best" she ever attended...
(and she was a frequent Elvis concert attendee in Vegas...
even being invited and going to his penthouse to be with him, his friends and family (but that's another story for another time). She and I attended the concert together to see if Elton John "still had it"! Elton John often publicly represents many of the very things that are counter to what I have spent my adult political life defending.
...
his recent homosexual "marriage" is a case in point. During the concert I was able to glimpse a side of him that surprised me. Many of his new songs are reflective tunes about eternity, death and living well with those you love - certainly written from a perspective t hat may differ from my background.
Or does it? Each of us craves love..
.from the time we were babies and toddlers..
.teens too..
.and then we begin living life as adults. Pain hits us, hurts surround us and glimpses of love too infrequently invade our protected space.
Without a handle on we all end up seeking what turns out to be counterfeit love and treat it as truth. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't..
..my guess is that it's a desire to be loved and appreciated - the sex aspect is where the counterfeit bills are exchanged.
Elton surely was appreciated in Boise...
and he is loved across the world. So, as I looked at his truly sincere smiles of appreciation throughout the concert and at one time, saw him reach through the crowd to a severely disabled teen (who was being held by his 50-ish dad - as father and son "danced" together), I saw true love that Elton John released to them..
.and it was beautiful. Publicity stunt?
Nah. May I learn to exhibit that type of love, refocusing the truth of biblical love from God's point of view towards people..
.not against people. Who makes the call and who gets to choose?
Who gets to win and who gets to lose? Listening to RelientK's Apathetic EP this post is sorta like a commercial break from the normal Dennis stuff ;) Love ya man and thanks for the mic! Earthquake in Hong Kong recently, off the west coast of Florida also recently - not normal places, as described by scientists and those who experienced them
now I know what Jesus said about stuff, so I'm aware that the world can't see it coming; Now another observation - Microsoft is trying something called Zune.
M$ partnered with MTV and MTV's entertainment behemoth, can't even remember all the connected companies, and called it Urge it is growing in popularity, will Zune? If you go to you'll see a really cute video using a song called "The Second Coming of the Monkey God". Now I was pulled in by that vid and music.
I'll check out Ashtar Command later when I have a moment.
What is really intriguing to me is that might be Microsoft's Hammer (think ) that finally unseats Apple's singular dominance of the portable mp3/video player market. So if "Brother Bill" is Thor does that make "Uncle Steve" Loki?
Then we'll see Apple fight back and the Coke-Pepsi war will rage on, the Ying-Yang kinda thing that makes capitalism so great. But wait - I don't believe what the world calls Ying-Yang, equal duality, etc. - but wait here we're not talking about good and evil, God and satan - we're just talking about some stupid mp3 player that you can carry around and look hip, right?
On we find that M$ is looking to create "connected entertainment". Now if I read this right; seeing the proverbial , and if M$ succeeds we'll see the next evolution of the MySpace phenomenon. Now I remember when I first signed up on MySpace almost 3 years ago, a non-profit - , I didn't get it.
I still sometimes wonder if I "get it". Oh I read and write, communicate, laugh and listen to music. MySpace is great, especially when you're reading what your 14 year old comments on his - now if you need an aspirin after reading that I can help you with MySpace - drop me a line at info at audioyarn.
com. And if you want to continue kicking these thoughts around click Comment below and be watching.
Connected Entertainment might be a big deal, then again I'm enthralled with my (actually my wife's) new MacBookPro, loving Parallels on Mac running XP/Vista, Urge is way cool, Zune looks cooler; iPod-iTunes-iTV-iJustdontknow; maybe I'll go hop on my ScottTrade and lay down a little bit on MSFT and AAPL, watch the wheel spin and let you know later how I make out.
Is it just me, or has the term It's all good.. taken such a premier position in the vocabulary of our culture that we no longer think what we're saying?
So, if words mean things, then what the heck does the goofy expression It's all good...
mean?
So a guy looses his wallet, and says to a friend, I'm screwed! and his buddies retort is the nefarious It's all good.
.. .
But the thief just charged $8,000 on a handful of his credit cards. Is it really all good? (By the way, .
)
Ok, how about this one: A guy at Hershey's chocolate factory, in Hershey Pennsylvania, falls from a rafter and lands in a cooling vat of semi-sweet chocolate and is encased in sweet confection for three hours, with but three holes, for his mouth and two nostrils. Is it still all good? What happens if he's a diabetic?
So, a professional pianist gets in a dueling fight with a machete-wielding gang member and all of his digits, save one pinkie, are severed from his two palms. Can his pool of musicians honestly respond in a chorus of It's all good..
. ?
I say no!
In fact, I think every time you hear somebody use this goofy/stupid expression, you should simply say: Ok, so is it all good if...
and then put in your own interesting combination of semi-possible clashing experiences.
As for me and my house, it's not all good..
.but I have determined that it .
Interesting feedback on volunteering.
..Idaho can learn from Michigan regarding little kids learning about healing after the death of a loved one ( ).
Haven't heard anything from Larry Grant's campaign. Bill Sali's campaign continues to need . If you are not familiar with Randy Stapilus' website (I personally like to read Randy's work--don't always agree but I find him to be a good read and an honest author).
Ok, strap on your seat-belts for this one: It's not volunteering, but it may just change your heart so you'll w ant to volunteer. Over two years ago my bride and I went through an experiential training seminar. The group is out of Kansas City, MO and started an offshoot in Boise.
It's called . For all my liberal friends, don't worry, it's not Focus on the Family. In fact, TV's Dr.
Phil had a hand in setting it up many years ago. How's that working for ya?
Lastly, do you want a laugh?
Think of all your favorite superheroes, cartoon friends, and reality TV stars, duking it out to determine who will stand champion above the rest . You think either the Sali, Grant, or Hedden-Nicely campaigns could use this as their Congressional theme? Check it out .
said that sparked my thoughts today.
The ground is shifting beneath our feet. Media as we have known it is changing on a daily basis - even this day.
The link listed is a somewhat nothing-looking little blurb out of London. The truth is that it is a huge harbinger of things to come in a big way.
Our experience with www.
YouTube.com is huge. It is the single easist form of bringing people to videos and videos to people.
Visit the site, View the #1 visited video. It is amazing..
.and it is ultimately nothing in full content. Think of the power of bringing life-giving video content about God, Christ and answers to powerful problems.
Consider a site where people can go to have their deepest heart-felt concerns taken care of. Too pollyanish? Not real?
No, it's coming and it's almost at at the door step. More to come in later blogs. I know something you do not know.
...
...
Den
What is it ? There have been a lot of its in the past and many quotes like it's the economy stupid and many others. For this website the it for now is an attempt in fusing politics, culture, business, personality, religion, you and me.
No longer will there be a perceived hidden agenda - you'll get the straight scoop right here. There has never been a hidden agenda in my life; I like to lay myself right out there. Along with some friends there is a plan to bring many thoughts and plans to help businesses succeed, to help people reach their true potential and see a fusion of different perspectives become a stronger entity.
You'll see video, documents to download, links to other sites and people that speak into this dream - hang on hope you like it !
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