Shifty Politicians

Arlen Specter is a weasel. I have no problem with people switching their mind and changing their philosophy with time. I think that is natural and can even be a very good thing. However, his defection to the opposite political party reeks of selfish ambition and personal motivation to keep his Senate seat. Specter recently switched from being a Republican Senator from Pennsylvania to a Democrat. The primary problem I have with the switch was his statement of: "I've looked at the polls. I can't win as a Republican, I can't win as an independent. The only way I have a shot is to be a Democrat." What does the guy even stand for? This constant flip-flopping in order to secure a constant seat in Congress is stupid. It gets to the point where all politicians become so entangled with personal ambition and $$$ from shady supporters that you cannot trust any of them. The only thing I think we could do now would be to place mandatory term limits on everyone in Washington. Stop giving these losers the opportunity to sit forever in Washington and lose complete touch with their voting base and the people they supposedly represent. Republican or Democrat - honestly, it is becoming more and more apparent that they both are beyond saving right now.

Environment & Repression

And the great owners, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of the people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need. And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed. The great owners ignored the three cries of history. The land fell into fewer hands, the number of dispossessed increased, and every effort of the great owners was directed at repression. -John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath-

I am re-reading The Grapes of Wrath right now, and loving it as much as I did the first time I opened the book. This semester I had two courses in environmental history. I had never studied much environmental history but through the course of the semester realized how much I love the subject. One of the themes that constantly came up was the habit of capitalism in America disregarding responsibility for caring for the environment. The push for wealth and accumulation of stuff blinds people to their need to be responsible. In an eerie way, the blatant disregard for the environment has mirrored the capitalist disregard for poor people. The unique tie-in with Steinbeck is that is one of the themes of his work. I am not ready to jump ship from capitalism, but I find it unique at how many Christians regard capitalism with reverent fear while turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed under its banner. In conjunction with that, I think Christians have moved far too slowly on the environmental front. One could argue this from the stewardship angle, but more important then that is that environmental degradation has a history of being tied to an absence of care and responsibility for those less privileged. Unfortunately, I do not think this will change much – at least not in America. The Almighty $ has too much pull for real change to become effective in moving the hearts and minds of people – no matter what their beliefs.

Leaving Too Early

"Kids should stay kids as long as possible; once you enter adulthood there's no turning back."

-Ed Azzam-

The other day on the radio (Sports 620 KTAR) I heard about a kid named Jeremy Tyler. He is an elite high school basketball player who is skipping his senior year of high school to head oversees to Europe to begin his professional career. I'm not sure I agree with the decision to do so. More and more I am seeing that kids are becoming adults far faster then they need to be or should be. I do believe teenagers are far more capable of doing things then they are given credit for, but at the same time I think kids need to be kids. Jeremy's life is forever going to be changed now. Sure he will make money. Sure he will be able to develop his basketball game at a higher level. But is it worth it all? Every single teenager I know right now that has been forced to give up some of their youth in exchange for having to act like an adult hates it. There is just something about being able to still be a kid that just makes life a little more tolerable. I think in the end this is going to be bad for Jeremy. And not only for him but the precedence that I think it will surely set. Hopefully he knows what he is doing - and hopefully the adults who are influencing him know the sacrifice they are pushing him to make. But in the end, I think he will look back and regret it - no matter how much $$ this decision brings in.

Thanks Alan Hirsch

Tin Cup

I hit it again because that shot was a defining moment, and when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment... or the moment defines you. -Tin Cup-

Jesus, germs, and love

So Easter services this weekend @ Central used the illustration of germs, with an excellent video and some funny props. Of course, the grand purpose of Easter was & is wrapped up in the idea that we as people were damned and Jesus decided something had to be done about it. As I thought about it all weekend long, I really thought about how much Jesus was willing to go through simply because he loved people. He truly lowered Himself, went through hell, and endured all the nasty, crummy, terrible things of being a human...simply because He loves us. As I thought about that I started thinking about my own kids. About how much I love both of them. This week has been trying as Trenton has been battling the flu and Sawyer has been going through the symptoms too. The hardest part is seeing them suffer with no idea as to why they are sick or if it will ever get better. Their sad cries, fever-ridden bodies, and runny noses have prevented them from a good night's sleep and any sort of peace around the house. Germs have run rampant as they cough, sneeze, and drool (its the Anderson lips curse) all over. Many a times they have both wanted to be held close and still kissed goodbye and goodnight. Knowing full well the consequences of holding a sick child close, kissing their germ covered lips, allowing for them to cough and wheeze on my face, and sleeping in their bed to calm their spirits - Danielle and I have continued to choose to do so all week. The result has been sickness taking over my body and beginning its damaging cycle on my body. Despite knowing this was bound to happen, I still would not change one moment. Given the opportunity to do things differently, I would still hold them, kiss them, sleep next to them, and let them hack a lung all over me. Why? Because in their moment of greatest weakness I wanted them to know more then ever that I understood their pain and still desperately loved them. I wanted them to feel that I was still close, willing to endure the sickness with them. Because that's what love is and that is what a daddy is suppose to do. In light of Easter, I caught a slight glimpse of why Jesus was willing to endure it all. Because that's what love is and that is what a God is suppose to do. Thank-you Jesus for all You have done and will continue to do. Thank-you Trenton and Sawyer for reminding me of how far love truly should go.

RISK

I have always loved the game of RISK. Nothing can be more satisfying then complete global domination - but nothing can be more frustrating getting a poor start or poor roles and being eliminated. Either way the game is still a lot of fun to play. Lately I have been getting some great opportunities to play the game with friends, and have even taught some people the game. If you haven't played, there is an online version that is set-up in a ten round format between you and two computer players. It isn't as fun as playing with friends, but it satisfies the craving until we can get another game going.

Proclamation

I am now convinced I would rather take a hard kick to the crotch then see my kids suffering being sick. Not sure there is an ability to trade - but I totally would if I could.

Boys

I love having sons. I assume there must be benefits to having daughters as well, but I am so thankful for having boys. Here are a few reasons today I am thankful for my boys in particular:

1. Trenton is fighting a cold. Today I taught him the art of rubbing his nose on his shirt when he sneezes and snot covers the skin between his nostrils and upper lip. Danielle wasn't pleased with this - but Trenton thought it was cool.
2. Trenton will go out of his way to pee on the back wall in the backyard instead of using the inside toilet.
3. Sawyer got decked by Trenton so hard it knocked him off the couch the other day. He got up and started laughing.
4. Trenton told me that pink is for girls. He also told me ballet is for girls. Then he proceded to tell me that red, blue, and green are boy's colors and boys like basketball, football, and baseball. Oh and finally we broke the Dora curse when today he told me that Diego is for boys and Dora is for girls.
5. Both boys now realize the enjoyment of walking around the house in their underwear.

Man I love having boys.

Worster

In an age ruled by instrumentalism, nature ceases to have any value in itself. It is no longer seen as the handiwork of God to be admired more than used, nor is it an organic being we are bound to woo and respect. A tree, a mountain, a river, and its edges are meaningless except where they can be turned to some human use by a farmer, a scientist, or a manufacturer. Nature is "degraded to mere material, mere stuff to be dominated, without any other purpose than that of this very domination." Because it is uncontrolled by any aims set by reason, technological domination is an unlimited ambition. "Man's boundless imperialism is never satisfied." Here at bottom is the ideological force driving the capitalist state on and on, leading eventually to a "totalitarian attack of the human race on anything that it excludes from itself," whether it be landscapes, ecosystems, or people (Indians, Jews, and women have all at times been among the excluded) who are put outside the pale of humanity and assumed to be a part of nature, not of ourselves. -Donald Worster-

Thanks Troy & Donny!

Yesterday was one of my favorite days in the entire year: Opening Day. I have a tradition where I always go to Opening Day with my Dad. We both love baseball, and I love being able to sit and watch it with him. Yesterday's game was against Colorado and we were going to with my dad's friend Donny. Well my dad picks me up to go to the game yesterday and informs me that Donny knows Troy Tulowitzki (the starting SS for the Colorado Rockies - whom the DBacks were playing against) and Troy gave us his ticket allotment for the game! Woo-hoo! So we got to sit in some incredible seats that I normally never sit in. They were right up from first base and the vantage point was so awesome. Needless to say I was in heaven watching the game. I felt like a 5 year old kid - even begging my dad to buy me a hot dog. :) Well the DBacks won 9-8 which made it even better and I will remember this Opening Day for a long time. Thanks Troy for giving up the tickets. Thanks Donny for letting my Dad and I use them with you!

Dinosaur National Monument

If the test of a national park must be its popularity with automobilists, then Dinosaur may not fare too well - and the San Francisco Bay Bridge, Hollywood Freeway, and Holland Tunnel should become national parks (and the New York subway system, which saves automobilists from themselves, a recreation area.) If, on the the other hand, the test of a park lies in the quality of experience - unmechanized experience with teh magic of the natural world - then an unaltered park at Dinosaur is, and can always be, as rewarding a source as any of the great national parks. -David Brower-

I just finished reading a book and writing a paper on the battle to save Dinosaur National Monument (specifically Echo Park within the boundaries of the Monument). The book was incredible. I am really enjoying reading the history of the American conservation movement. It also got me excited to visit Dinosaur National Monument at some point in the future. This is part of the reason why I hate Disneyland. Because to me I am missing out on far more by not visiting Dinosaur National Monument then going to some over priced theme park. So here's to hoping that I get the chance to visit this little-known area of Colorado someday soon!

Avocados & God

Avocados prove God exists. How else could something that incredible come about?

2 Million

"To put the three-month loss in context, if no more jobs are lost over the next nine months, 2009 would still be the fourth worst year for job losses since the government started tracking the number of workers in 1939." -By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer-

1983. The last time the United States saw the unemployment percentage this high, I was only 1. I have to admit that this struggling economy is really bothering me. I see that the G20 wants to pump 1 trillion dollars into the world economy because the damage of this recession is being felt all over. I continue to worry about how long this beast is going to last. It seems like we hear about recessions and fall-outs all of the time, and they just "go away." Yet this one drags on and on. How long can it last? I wish I knew more about economics so that at the very least I could feel educated in the midst of this storm. Instead I feel stupid and ignorant, and have to hope for the best from things like the stimulus package. I know that Barack Obama is attacking the problem in a different matter then Ronald Reagan did in the 80s. Which way is better? And then I begin to think about how much worry, anxiety, and fear I feel over money. No wonder it is easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle instead of me getting to heaven. All it takes is a large downturn in the economy and I start losing trust. Start freaking out. Start losing hope. If my trust/attitude/hope are tied up in the unemployment rate, 401k, and overall economic growth of this country - then where does that leave God? The sad reality is my life is still okay despite this horrible economy and yet like Peter I am seeing the waves all around me and immediately I have begun to sink. I need to get my focus and faith back. For in the end those matter far more then any economic forecast.