Kutless: Strong Tower review

I am a big Kutless fan. Aside from POD, these guys were one of my first introductions to some of the edgier Christian music that's out there. There sound is a slightly mellower version of Linkin Park (a mainstream favorite of mine) without the dee-jaying type effects and instead working in some acoustic guitar sometimes for a change of pace. Their last CD, Sea of Faces, was the first one I bought; it stayed in my CD player for weeks. So needless to say, I was nearly as giddy to finally get my hands on their newest CD Strong Tower.

Unbeknownst to me, it's their version of a worship album. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not something you think of a guitar crunching type of band doing. Nevertheless, I remained optimistic.

I have to say that I am a little underwhelmed. The first thing I noticed was that I was singing with nearly every track the first time through! The lone new track on here is Strong Tower, which when mixed in with the rest of the CD, doesn't have quite the impact it would if it were in the middle of their previous releases. It comes off more like a power ballad because nearly everything else is medium to slow tempoed - again, exactly what you would expect on a worship album.

Some of the other more recognizable songs - Word of God Speak, Better is One Day, Draw Me Close, and Arms of Love. There just isn't much new done to these songs - heavy guitars replace strings and piano on Word of God Speak. That pretty much is the formula for the rest of the album. All of the Words pulls double duty as it appears on here and was on Sea of Faces, and just like the Strong Tower track, is just another slow melodic song (although it is original).

That being said, it's still a pretty decent CD and will probably remain in regular circulation in my truck. Thankfully, their next CD will be out in March and looks to be a return to the Kutless I love - a band with the message of Third Day but about three or four steps heavier.

Small rant

I've sat on this one long enough, and I just need to clear it off my chest. One of the local radio stations does a bit from time to time where they talk with women and men about their relationships and try to offer advice. One of the common themes is that men, by their nature, will cheat.

What a steaming pile of brown bovine product.

By our human nature, we are all sinful - not one gender more so than the other. The difference with this (and other) sin is we're excusing it when we say it's in their nature. "It's not your fault - it's just who you are; you can't help it - you were made that way..." Temptation comes from every angle at every moment; it's our job (with God's help) to turn away from it and/or repent from it.

I feel better now. :)

Don't like it? Tax it!

From the "politicians over stepping their bounds" file, a Texas politician, Star Locke, proposes a 100% tax on violent video game sales.

"I take the position that the Founding Fathers took: that the power to tax is the power to destroy," Locke told the Amarillo Globe News. "So our concept is that we need to tax things we don't want and you want to not tax things that you want to encourage."

Eh? The Founding Fathers believed in using the power to tax to destroy? Tyranny, anybody? Although hard to believe, his insanity doesn't stop there...

Locke's other platform promises call for the repeal of all alcoholic beverage laws and a 50 percent "grease tax" on "upon all food prepared by deep-frying or cooking in any form of oil or grease for human consumption.

Interesting. No extra taxes on cigarettes or strip clubs? What about interns? Just another reason for HR2525.

With this idea in mind, here's my top things that I would tax simply because I don't like them.

• cigarettes - 50%
  
• spinach - 60% - never liked it
• brussel sprouts - 90% - really never liked them
• Nazis - 15% - I cut the eternal video game bad guys a break
  
• teenagers - 30% - I understand it's not your fault how you act - it's all those hormones; doesn't matter - I still should get some compensation for putting up with you
• blondes - 5% - just never really cared for them
• fake blondes - 25% - why would you do that to yourself?
• politicians - 100% - I'm not satisfied with the product and would like a refund.

Feel free to add your own.

Bar-b-q

As mentioned earlier, I'm seriously getting in to the art of barbecuing, or smoking, food when "grill season" returns (grill season being anytime the temperature is over 50 degrees). Any of you grill officionados that know a thing or two about this slow and low method, I'm all ears...

The weekend...

This was a needed weekend for me. I was fighting the crud thru most of last week, and by Thursday afternoon, I wasn't able to speak at all - probably my first case of laryngitis since high school. Thankfully by Saturday my voice and health had mostly returned so my wife and I were able to start shopping for my potential birthday present - a smoker. We finally found what pros consider the book on barbecuing and smoking - Smoke and Spice. Not only does it give you recipes for rubs, marinades, pastes, and mops, but it gives really good info on what to look for in equipment. Bottom line - I think I'm going to get some experience on my cheap little $50 grill first, then we'll worry about getting the good equipment.

Sunday was the usual - church, Sunday School, afternoon nap, football (go Steelers - drop the Steel Curtain and rip their gizzards out thru their lungs!!!), and then a lovely trip down to see my in-laws. I'm still trying to figure out if my mother in law was trying to torture me or legitimately forgot to eat dinner!!! Thankfully, my father in law walked in the door, order was restored, and pizza was consumed.

Brunswick Twilight Zone results

Last night was one of the most frustrating bowling nights I've had in a while. The end results were 142, 93, and 139; however, that doesn't even begin to tell half the tale of what a bizarre night it was.

For starters, I had the beginning stages of a head cold and my wrist was still a little sore from practicing without my wrist brace on Saturday. By the end of practice time, though, I knew the wrist was going to be the least of my worries. Every ball I threw during practice barely hooked; at first I wanted to blame my ailing apendage, however, I noticed that everybody else that threw a curve was having the same issue. The trouble is, since switching back to the hook, my straight ball has been less than accurate, to say the least. I scratched out a 142 in the first game before falling in to the twilight zone in the second. Three times my ball hit the pocket and it resulted in a split; I was ready to chew the rawhide off a horse.

Thankfully I ended the night with a 139 - I still was 10 under my average for the week. To me, that was a hard fought for score on a night when nothing would work, then you'd find something, and then it would vanish.

Movie review: The Great Raid

Based on Hampton Sides' "Ghost Soldiers", The Great Raid follows the amazing story of a group of Rangers in the Philippines, most of whom had never fired a single round downrange in combat. Their mission - liberate over 500 American and Allied POWs held at a Japanese prison camp. I read the book about 2 or 3 years ago, and was quite nervous when I found out a movie was being made of it; I'm just as nervous about Clint Eastwood's take on James Bradley's "Flags of our Fathers" - I have not been a fan of his recent directorial efforts in Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River. That being said, The Great Raid works well as a movie, though the book is still better.

The Great Raid starts with a good bit of background regarding the war in the Pacific, specifically in the Philippines, during WWII. Once the history lesson is over, we are introduced to Captain Robert Prince, whom I consider the Pacific's version of Major Dick Winters (Ambrose's "Band of Brothers"). It is Captain Prince who is charged with drawing up the plan to get the prisoners out of the Cabanatuan prison camp. Reports of the time were rampant of the Japanese murdering American and Allied POWs due to the unstoppable advance of the Americans. In one weeks time, the American front line will be charging directly through Cabanatuan, and the fear is the Japanese will murder all 500 of its captives (nearly all of whom are survivors of the Bataan Death March).

From time to time, the movie switches to the prison camp and follows the highest ranking officer of the Americans who is dying of malaria (as were many of the other men in the camp). Due to their disdain for American prisoners (the Japanese were taught that to surrender was cowardly), they withhold medicine and only give them just enough food to keep them barely alive. The scenes in the prison camp could have been a lot worse and much more graphic considering what detail the book goes in to.

The movie also follows the story of a Canadian nurse who works with the underground resistance in Manila to funnel medicine and supplies to the prison. It's this part of the story I wish the movie had done a little more explanation with - for the most part, it serves as a background romance (which I don't recall the book having). I don't mind it in there, it just could have been fleshed out more.

Needless to say, the big moment comes at the end when the raid begins - I won't spoil it for you, but the movie does it good justice. The end credits roll with pictures of the actual participants and several of the prisoners. If you spring for the director's cut edition, you get a PBS documentary on the rescue that includes interviews with Capt. Prince and some of the prisoners.

In all, I was largely impressed with this movie - due to the source material, it would have been difficult to mess up, in my opinion. A solid 9 out of 10 and a definite addition to my collection (at least the director's cut).

Estoy triste hoy

Después de ayer, cuando yo estaba a la universidad todo el dia, yo volví a mi trabaja esta mañana. Entonces, aprendí que un colaborador se ha muerto - el Sr. Elvin Flores. Hace dos o tres dias que aprendí que el señor estuvo enferma - en esa tiempo, pensé que la estuvo una poca cosa. Pero, él señor ya tuvo ALS y un otro enfermedad - un úlcera sangrante - fue demasiado para él.

Adiós, Sr. Elvin. Ahora, puedes caminar con Dios sin dolor.

Last night's bowling scores

124, 156, and 150. Last night saw the Return of the Hook to my game. Given those scores and what they were earlier this season when I abandoned the curve (or it abandoned me), I'm quite pleased with that. Until last Wednesday night, I hadn't bowled since the last week of November - that explains the 124 in the first game, sorta.

At any rate, the highlight of the night came in the second game when I guttered the first ball of the 4th frame and the second ball teetered on the brink of the gutter. By some manner of physics that befuddled everyone watching, about 3 to 4 feet in front of the head pin the ball broke hard in to the pocket and knocked them all down for the elusive 0/.

Nevertheless, I'm glad bowling season has picked back up - I needed an outlet for my competitive juices.

Why I carry

Any person that carries a gun that isn't in law enforcement or security of some kind has had this question posed to them before: "Why do you carry a gun?" Sometimes, this question is asked by a person that really wants to understand; usually, though, it's in an attempt to expose the person as being paranoid or something of the sort. When asked of you by a fellow Christian, though, it almost takes on a different life of it's own.

One of the websites I frequent is Packing.org, a website devoted to information regarding conceal-carry laws, procedures, and a wealth of other shooters and gun owners sharing there ideas and tips on shooting and home/self defense. Browsing the message boards, I found this post that says it better than I ever could:

I have been asked on occasion how I can justify carrying a gun and being a Christian at the same time. This is always posed by someone who is trying to trip me up. It can either be a devout Christian asking the question, or a Hedonistic heathen; it doesn't matter. There are those who believe, or choose to believe, that a Christian must be absolutely passive in all things. I am not just referring to those Christians who ride a horse and buggy. I have been asked about my views on self defense by Christians of most every denomination. Some are genuinely seeking an answer. Others just want to chastise me for not being as "faithful" as themselves.

Many will accept every modern worldly convenience, but scoff at the idea of trying to protect oneself or the life of another. Their attitude seems to be that "God will protect us". They do have a valid point. God will protect us from the evils of this world, if he so chooses. I would rather have God on my side than a battery of Sidewinder missiles. Indeed, our God can protect us. However, that attitude would lead one to believe that he could walk through Harlem wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit campaigning for George Wallace, and that "God will protect us". God could get you through that, but Jesus said that we should not tempt God. I tend to agree with his assessment.

In the saddlebag of my motorcycle, I have a tiny cross with the inscription "Faith Moves Mountains", but I also ride in the mountains of East Tennessee and the western United States, and I make sure that my brakes are in good working order. I could just trust God to catch me, but again, that could be construed as tempting God.Godd gave us brakes on our motorcycles, and that is sufficient.

God can indeed protect us. He can keep us safe on the highways, and he can also keep us safe from those who would intentionally do us harm. I am not speaking of politicians here, but of the evil that is in the souls of some human beings. Be certain in this; there is true evil in this world, and it sometimes manifests itself in the form of a low life predator. Being a Christian, it is difficult to believe that people, made of the same composition of flesh, bone, and blood as ourselves, could be truly evil. We have a Heavenly Father who has filled us with basic goodness, but Jesus said that there are those "who are of the synagogue of Satan".

No sane individual would hesitate to defend himself from a rabid dog or a poisonous snake, but are the two-legged vipers of this world any better than an animal? An animal does that which comes naturally to him. Children of Satan do that which comes naturally to them: that being evil.

Can God protect us from those who would do us harm? Absolutely. However, just as he has given us brakes to save us from the mountain, he has also given to us the tools necessary to defend ourselves, and those whom God has given to us. As Christian men, God not only allows us to protect our families, but he expects us to protect those whom he has placed in our care. This may seem contrary to the mandate for us to "turn the other cheek", and I too have pondered over this. It takes great strength to turn the other cheek as Jesus intended. That is not a commandment to be weak. Jesus did not operate from a position of weakness. In fact, nothing ever happened to him that he did not allow.

God has entrusted us with the care of our brothers, whether those "brothers" be the children that he has given to us, or our wives, or our friends. We could set our children outside in the cold and trust that God would keep them warm. We could abandon them and trust that God will keep them fed. We could let them loose on the city streets or send them off for a week atNeverlandd, and trust that no sick, evil freak would abuse them. As Christians, we do not do these things to our children. God expects us to clothe them, feed them, and protect them from the evil that is inherent in this world. He gave to us the ability to buy clothes, grow food, build a fire, and to fight off those who would do us harm. In the time that Jesus walked the Earth in the form of man, the short sword was the
state-of-the-art weapon. He told his followers that the time of living carefree was over, and that the time had come for those without a sword to "sell his garment and buy one".

Today, we have better than a sword. We have more modern weapons at our disposal, and so does our enemy. Keeping a good rifle to defend one’s homestead and a reliable handgun to ward off evil that finds you when you least expect it is not only prudent, but expected. A Christian man is not mean, hateful, spiteful, or quick to anger. Neither is he weak. God never told us to let the evil in this world run over us like a train. He never told us to stand by idly as those whom he trusted to us are abused or killed. A Christian man who packs a gun does not look for trouble, and avoids it if at all possible. However, evil can seek you out.

A well-armed man operates from a position of strength. He is less likely to have to fight than an unarmed man. The predators in this world look for easy prey. God did not put his people on this Earth to be prey for the sons of Satan. God expects us to stand up for what is right, and he gives us the tools with which to do so. When you defend the life of one of God’s children, you are defending good against evil. Use your good sense and God’s word to avoid trouble. If necessary, use the gun at your side to stand against it.

by Jeff Quinn

School daze

The reason for the lack of posts recently is school started back for me last Thursday, and truth be told, I couldn't be happier. Gone are the days of my mom coming in to my room on the first day of school singing in her alto voice "School days, school days, book and golden rule days." I actually had a little pep to my step last Thursday, mostly because I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere with this. Last year, I did a whopping 3 courses toward my major (electrical engineering) and minor (Spanish). This year, I should eclipse that alone in my first semester - 3 classes toward the major, 1 toward the minor.

However, I got a staunch reminder of why it sucks to be a student - books. Going in to this semester, I didn't think I would be needing any other books for this semester; everything was a part 2 or 3 of another course. But, noooooooooo... the publishers deemed it necessary to start using new books in 3 of my 4 classes. I don't know about you, but I do so enjoy throwing down $120(!) for a used(!!) differential equations book while also knowing I wouldn't be able to sell back my old calculus book (that, when it was written covered through diffy Q 2). Thanks, may I have another?

That being said, I did at least get all the teachers I wanted, thanks in part to a wonderful website that rates college professors. And no Tim, there isn't an entry for you, yet.

Everything has a gender...

From a coworker...

EVERYTHING HAS A GENDER

You may not know this but many things have a gender.

Ziploc Bags are Male......
because they hold everything in,
but you can see right through them.

Copiers are Female......
because once turned off, it takes a while to
warm them up again. It's an effective reproductive
device if the right buttons are pushed, but can
wreak havoc if the wrong buttons are pushed.

A Tire is Male......
because it goes bald and it's often over-inflated.

A Hot Air Balloon is Male......
because, to get it to go anywhere,
you have to light a fire under it, and
of course, there's that hot air part.

Sponges are Female......
because they're soft, squeezable and retain water.

A Web Page is Female......
because it's always getting hit on.

A Subway is Male......
because it uses the same old lines to pick people up.

An Hourglass is Female......
because over time, the weight shifts to the bottom.

A Hammer is Male......
because it hasn't changed much over the
last 5,000 years, but it's handy to have around.

A Remote Control is Female......
Ha! You thought it'd be male , didn't you?
But consider this - it gives a man pleasure,
he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't
always know the right buttons to push, he keeps trying!

The wonderful peace loving Islam

Those wonderful, peaceful Muslims have done it again. Upon finding out that one of their own was educating girls, they promptly stabbed him several times and beheaded him - all in front of his family. Apparently this teacher had been warned several times by remnants of the Taliban to stop teaching girls in hopes of establishing a true Islamic state. But wait a minute - just what does the Quran have to say about this? Cleric Sayed Omer Munib, member of Afghanistan's Top Council:

"Nowhere in the Quran does it say that girls do not have the right to education," he said. "It says that 'people should be educated.' This means girls, too."

So why does the Taliban fear smart women? It takes away who they can dominate. Muhammad doesn't validate their manhood, so they have to try and validate it themselves by controlling their women and making them subservient, second class beings.

And just how politically correct can UNICEF be with their response:

A UNICEF spokesman said the attacks were "incredibly worrying."

Incredibly worrying? How about calling it outrageous? How about calling it what it is - cold blooded murder intent on terrorizing and subjugating others?

Because if they called it anything worse than "incredibly worrying" we would be compelled to act. Anybody remember "acts of genocide?" If not, rent Hotel Rwanda.

Tragedy

I won't get in to the finger-pointing that will ensue from the story of the trapped miners. Whether it was the media that screwed up or an excited rescuer that overheard a partial conversation, it doesn't matter. There is something that the media can do - quit reminding them (and us).

I can't tell you the number of times that I've heard a replay of interviews and reports when the first erroneous reports were being broken that the miners were alive. Reporters calling it a miraculous discovery; interviews done with family members asking them what they were going to do when they saw their loved one come out of the mine.

At this point, the tragedy of the first situation (the miners themselves) is almost being eclipsed by the tragedy of the second (the false reports). Let's get focused back on the families and friends that have lost brothers, fathers, best friends, and/ or mentors and not play the angry finger pointing game.

Another little game

Here's another little game for you to waste your day away with. The timing takes a little getting used to. My best: 1650.

Pitchers and catchers report in 4 to 6 weeks.