Government Assistance

I trust all my readers had a good week and wonderful weekend. At least I hope you both did! (← That's a joke. See what I did?) Either way, before I dive into the real meat of this post I'm going to share a few “Spring Has Sprung” pictures with you. Now that the ice storms have blown over flowers are blooming and things are beginning to look nice. Today (being Sunday at the time of this writing) it's supposed to get up to around 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the next ten days are supposed to have highs in the 60s, so that's good news for us here in South Carolina. Winter seems to be making a retreat. :)

Of course, they're saying we're likely to get a number of storms resulting in tornadoes all over the area. We're sincerely hoping that doesn't happen. There are sections of South Carolina that may be declared national disaster areas because of the ice storm. We really don't need a lot of tornadoes this year, lol.

Moving on, here are some pictures:


Those last two are of piles of branches from the neighbor's yard that were broken during the ice storm. Anyways, that concludes the photo gallery portion of my blog. Now, I can move on to talking about the real topic of the week, that being: Government Assistance. To start with I want to state three simple facts. First, I am completely against almost all forms of government assistance baring national disasters or threats. Second, my family is currently getting food stamps. Third, I am not a hypocrite. (At least not on this subject. I aim never to be one. So, if you catch me being hypocritical be sure to point it out to me.) Now, it may seem at first glance that only two of my “facts” can possibly be true at one time. That is not the case, as I'll be happy to explain.

Point one: I'm against government assistance. Why? A number of reasons. (I will try to be brief. I don't want to tax your patience, lol.)

To begin with, I feel charity is the province of religion, not government. God has told us to be charitable and to help those we find in need. When the Church does this it usually creates feelings of gratitude in those who are helped. These feelings can often be directed to the God who commanded us to be charitable rather than the instruments of his mercy. The result is that those in need can be lead to the bread of Heaven with the bread of Earth. By showing God's love we encourage those in need to love God. By doing so we can often help improve their lives eternally.

In addition, charity from the Church often comes with accountability. When a person turns to the Church for help the Church is going to want to find the root of the problem and cure that if they can. People who are just looking to get through life without working are going to be detected (given time, in most cases) and the charity can be withdrawn. The Lord said that if a man doesn't work he shouldn't eat. He didn't say that to be cruel. It's simply a fact that men who don't work aren't good for society or for themselves. The Church's charity is responsible and helps heal the wounded and lift up the weak.

The charity of the government comes with no moral guidance. It works more like a palliative to relieve the symptoms of the problem than a cure that treats it. As a result it often works like a trap drawing people in that never manage to get out. And I'm not just talking theory. A young man I knew very well (I won't mention his name for the sake of discretion) was a victim of our government's charity (not that it frees him from his personal responsibility, but the fact remains). He was one of my best friends when I was a young man. However, he had two great weaknesses. He didn't like to work, but he loved to party. As a result he became a drug addict early in life and only ever worked a few months to the best of my knowledge. The government took “pity” on him. They declared him an unemployable drug addict and he was given food stamps, an income from social security, and drugs (to help him with rehab in theory). After over a decade of being “in the system” he passed away. He did the drugs the government gave him and supplemented them with drugs he got on the streets. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and always got his check in the mail. I imagine it was hard for him to look at regular people working and struggling who couldn't afford the drugs he could and feel like they had a better life. However, they did. His life would have been a living nightmare for any rational person. He couldn't see that, however. Most of the time he was too high to think clearly. The government “helped” him right into the ground before he was forty years old. There was no funeral. The state disposed of his body after the time limit had passed for his wife to pick it up. I admit it's an extreme case, but government assistance very rarely is true assistance. I feel the Church does a better job.

Now, there are those who feel that the Church wouldn't do the charity work that needs to be done. My answer to that is two fold. First, I believe the Church would rise to the challenge. It would offer genuine help rather than a hand out, and not everyone is interested in that. So, although fewer people might be “helped” numerically, more would actually get the help they need. Second, if the Church didn't rise up to do the work on Earth that it's here to do people would notice. It might help blow smoldering embers of faith back into open flames.

The Bible teaches that it is the sick who need a physician. The problem with government assistance is that too many times it makes people forget they're sick. It makes them forget they need real help. As a result they never go looking for the only physician that can give them true and everlasting life. That is why I am against government assistance.

So, this brings us to the next point: My family is getting food stamps. Given my feelings on government assistance that fact might raise several questions. If I don't believe in food stamps why do I accept them? Why don't I go to the Church for assistance? (There are probably others you can think of, but I think of these as “the big two”, so I'll answer them.)

The Bible tells us to be as wise as serpents, but as gentle as doves. I think taking food stamps because I can get them shows serpent like wisdom. I am very confident that I could get assistance from the Church. My family's distress is both minor and, Lord willing, temporary. I am working away on a job that should be completed in the next few months. When that happens I should begin to receive royalty checks. In very short order we'll no longer be eligible for food stamps, but will be paying taxes. (In point of fact I'm still paying back taxes for my previous years of success. Although, some of that success was greater from a “tax” point of view than a “money in the bank” point of view, lol.)

In any event, I could get the money from the Church. Why don't I? Well, I trust the Church. They're going to find a place to step in where they are needed and do something useful with the money they have. As I've been able to get money from the government I don't need the Church's charity. So, the government that I don't trust to use the money wisely has less and the Church that I do trust has more. Another benefit is that I have more. I've been allowed to take money out of the government's pocket and put it in my own. I do my best to use the money the Lord has given me to do His will. So, it's really a triple victory. The government has less and both the Church and I have more. I my mind that's “all win”!

Now, some might point at me and say “See! The system works!!”, but such is not the case. As it happens, I'm trustworthy, even with money I shouldn't have entrusted to me. I am the exception, not the rule. There are many people who get food stamps to supplement their income rather than working to improve themselves or learn how to more efficiently handle their current income. I am using them to make our situation more comfortable. And I do my best to make sure they're not wasted.

I would explain my point about not being a hypocrite, but there's no need. Either you agree with my first two points or you don't. If you agree with me you certainly see that I'm not a hypocrite, if you don't agree you think I am one. Two facts stand out though: People thinking I'm a hypocrite doesn't make me one. My not taking food stamps won't put an end to our detrimental system of government assistance.

So much for my “thoughts of the week”, lol. This has run a little long. There's more to say, but I can say it at another time. For the moment, goodnight from South Carolina!

Global Warming?

Before I dive into what's been on my mind a great deal this past week (as hinted at in this post's title) I've got a number of pictures to share. Since Rachel pointed out the fact that I should talk about them when I post them I will :)

First we have a few pictures of Isaac's birthday party:


He turned three last week. No one was able to come to the party because we had some kind of stomach bug, but even with that he had seven other children here to share his birthday with him. That's one of the benefits of having a large family!

Here are some pictures of the ice storm we had last week:


The above is ice hanging from the power lines...


Those last two are grass...

Now, this brings me to the title of my post: “Global Warming?” You might assume from that title that I'm going to rant about how global warming can't possibly be real because we just had a major ice storm in South Carolina. Well, no, no I'm not going to do that. That's not really my point at all. So, what is my point? Oh, it's a mouthful!

Let's start with the fact that I don't believe in global warming and never have. (No, this is not a rant about global warming, I already told you that.) For a number of years I have been chastened and rebuked for my lack of faith by those who “know more about it than I do”. This mild persecution has come from a few of my friends and acquaintances who happen to believe, “educational” television, and, of course, politicians. They point to “facts” and figures, studies, opinions of “experts”, etc, etc, etc, all to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that global warming is a “scientific fact” and that there's no need for me to deny it.

I object to their arguments on a number of levels. (Let me warn you that I am about to wax both philosophical and scientific. If this isn't “your bag” scroll back up and look at the pictures of Isaac. He's awesome!) First, I am sick to death of “experts” using the word Science incorrectly. In a rational world one would expect “Scientists” to know what the word Science means and be able to accurately use it in a sentence. They use the word Science to represent undeniable fact, which of course, it should. However, they apply it to things that are questionable “truths” at best. So, they use what amounts to the “right word” in the “wrong place”.

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius while at sea level. That is a scientific fact. We can take a thermometer, a fire, and a pot of water and prove it over and over again. That is how true science works. We have to be able to observe and repeat. The age of the Earth will never be a scientific fact because no one was watching when it came into being and we can't make it again to see how long it takes. As a Christian I accept the records kept by the Jews as having been written by Moses and inspired by God. That, however, is faith not science. I have faith that God told Moses, that Moses wrote it down, and that the Jews faithfully kept the record accurate. Many “scientists” have faith that the Big Bang created the universe. There are many differences between our religions, but the first (are arguably greatest) is that Christianity acknowledges that it's a religion, whereas the Cult of Science denies that it is.

This brings me to point two in my tirade: Members of the Cult of Science expect you to take their word for it and reject your own studies and observations. We (being the “common people”) should believe in the Big Bang, Star Systems, Space Aliens, Global Warming, Evolution, etc, etc, etc, because they “tell us so”. As it happens, I don't believe in any of those things. (That touches my next point in a bit.) Now, I don't necessarily disbelieve. I mean, I've never met a space alien (as far as I know), but that doesn't mean they don't exist. It's simply that without sufficient evidence I can't go a far as believing. I readily admit that I believe it is scientifically possible for mankind to warm the planet. I just don't believe there's enough evidence to support the claim that we have done so. The “evidence” the Cult of Science pulls out to support their faith depends on the word of other experts and things that the “common people” can't observe or understand. Personally I feel quite capable of understanding should my faculties be provided with enough information to do so.

Moving on to my third point: Disbelieving the assertions put forward by members of the Cult of Science discredits you in their eyes. As a result you can't really discuss anything with most of them. As soon as you say that you're not convinced that global warming is a fact they assume you are too stupid to understand the “facts” and dismiss everything else you have to say. As a result you can't persuade most of them to open their minds to the possibility that their preconceived notions may not be completely accurate. This is only a problem because many of our “scientists” belong to the Cult of Science and it is limiting scientific growth in our culture (in my opinion anyway, I could be wrong you know...).

My forth beef is that the Cult of Science seems to have a very short memory. In the nineteen-seventies the scientific community was talking about the next Ice Age that was going to kick off and freeze the planet. Slowly that idea fell out of favor and out of our culture and now no one remembers it. (I happen to have a very good memory about things of that nature. It was mentioned in some of the schoolbooks that were still around when I was in grade school. It's also mentioned in a number of old science fiction works. The science fiction was based on scientific “fact”.) So, less than fifty years ago the experts “knew” we were going to enter another Ice Age. Now they “know” we're heating up the planet. Well, what happened to that up and coming Ice Age? Did we avoid it? Is global warming going to save us from it? Why don't they tell us? They don't tell us because they've forgotten what they were talking about!

Now, this ties into more up to date things. The planet was in danger because of the hole in the ozone. What happened to that? The hole closed up and they started talking about global warming. I admit that it would take more than a few cold winters to prove that global warming wasn't happening. Of course, it would take more than a few hot summers to prove that it was. However, they didn't wait. The Cult of Science rushed forward to let us know that we were in a crisis. Global warming was going to kill the planet! Well now things seem to be cooling off and they've begun to introduce the idea of Climate Change. I suppose the idea is that we'll be able to be afraid of everything now. If it's cold an Ice Age is coming, if it's hot the face of the planet is going to burn off, if it rains we're heading for a global flood (I would say “another”, but they don't believe in the first one.) They have abandoned their post at the side of global warming before there was ever even enough evidence to prove it might be happening in the first place.

I suppose my real point is that the Cult of Science isn't a very good representation of either science or religion. I hope in time our culture will overcome it and banish it with it's unenlightened fellows from the past to the realms of Dark Age Studies.

In any event, that's enough of my thoughts for the moment. If nothing else I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Good night from South Carolina!

Am I A Blogger?

The title of this post represents a question I've asked myself many times before. I admit, I've never put it into those exact terms until this morning. (Which is Sunday morning by the way. I'm getting a jump on tomorrow's work.) However, the question has been there floating in the back of my mind since I first heard of people “blogging”. (I put it in quotation marks because when I first heard the term it seemed to need them, lol.) When faced with this question directly there seems a single, inescapable answer: No, I'm not.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against blogging. I'm just not a blogger. At least not yet. It seems to me that blogging is a natural extension of keeping a journal, which is something I've never done. I've just never had much interest in cataloging my day to day life in a notebook. Why not? Well, it's not because I haven't had an interesting and exciting live, the Lord has given me plenty of adventure and excitement and really a spectacular life. However, he's also given me a fantastic memory regarding experiences that I've personally gone through. I've never kept a journal because I've never felt the need. I remember the exciting things from my life back to when I was around four years old.

Still, the fact is that the farther you get from an experience the less perfect your memories may become. And ship Captains keep the most painstaking logs of the most seemingly humdrum events. So, really it's probably better if I take the time to keep a record of what's going on around me. It's liable to prove interesting reading to me and my family in the future (if not to others). At it's base it's just a good idea to keep a personal logbook.

Of course, another thing that's been holding me back is that I don't like giving the world open insight into my personal life. Why? Well, it's not because I'm embarrassed or have anything to hide. In truth, the exact opposite is true. I'm a completely open book. If you want to know something just ask, I'll be glad to tell you. In point of fact, in days past people didn't even need to ask. I would very voluntarily tell them everything that was going on with me and my family whether or not they wanted to know. As a result I was accused of being an arrogant braggart by some of those closest to me. (Not directly to my face mind you, but I often heard it through the grape vine, lol.)

Now, I have thick skin. Crazy thick skin. In fact, I'm almost numb to personal affronts, especially from people who love me and aren't trying to hurt me. So, for years I did nothing about it. I just continued “being me”. Well, in time I realized that even if they were wrong and that I was neither arrogant nor a braggart I was still a bore. Most people didn't want to hear what was going on with me. They didn't care. And really why should they? How could my life affect theirs?

On the other hand, I really do care about what's going on with them. In truth, I just like good news and I like to try to help if there is bad news. So, I find interest in most of what's going on in other people's lives. The exception is bad news that I can't do anything about. Whenever possible I avoid that like the plague. It only makes me feel sympathy and frustration, which are feelings I don't enjoy.

Either way, the point is: As people weren't interested in what I was doing, but I was interested in them, I started trying to listen more than talk. Now, the few people reading this have just burst out laughing, but it's the plain simple truth. Life is a road (actually life is many, many roads) and we're all at different places. I'm a very good listener compared to where I started. And I talk a great deal less about myself than I used to. This is one of the things that keeps me from wanting to blog.

The fact is that I lead an awesome life. So, when I talk about it I look like a braggart. I built a giant house out in the country for my large family. Now, when I tell the story (much less record its day to day ins and outs) how can I help looking bad? What are people's reactions? “Oh yea! You're building a giant two-story house! Of course you are!!” or “Sure you've got land in the country and a big tractor with a back hoe and front end loader!” or “Just keep having kids, I guess you can afford them!” or “Oh so you're a network engineer, a computer programmer, a carpenter, a roofer, a drywall man, a painter, etc, etc, etc?” You can laugh, but that is really how a lot of people feel. If things are going good for you and you share them then you're bragging.

On the other hand, what if things aren't going so well? For instance both our house and single-wide are being repossessed (in fact the single-wide already has been). If you share that with people you get: “Oh, you think you've got problems, you just don't know!” or “Poor baby! Lost his ivory back scratcher!” And if you're optimistic about it and believe God is in control and that it is all for the best (as we do) you get: “Oh yes! Your faith is so great you ought to be able to walk on water!”

Now, I'm not over-thinking this. The Lord has given me a number of talents and abilities. (Is your arrogance detector going off yet?) One of those is the gift of Observation. Not only do I see, but in many, many cases I observe. (Is it going off now?) People's reactions to my talking about myself have rarely been very positive (unless they were complete strangers) and have often left me feeling very negative about myself. (To a certain extent I have often been left feeling like an arrogant braggart.) Needless to say, this hasn't encouraged me to talk about myself or what's going on with me. However, that's what blogging is really all about.

I've been asked by a number (a very small number) of people to keep blogging. So, I'm going to. However, I'm going to begin to put more of myself in it than I have up to this point. (Just as I have in this post and the one before it.) Those people who think I'm an arrogant braggart don't need to read it. It's not for them.

Now, all that having been said, once we're doing things of more general interest, like visiting Dominica, the format of the blog will go back to a kind of “travel record” as it was before. Of course, some people will also see that as bragging. Well, tough... They don't have to read it. We also hope to go Scotland soon (as soon as we've got the money) and spend a few months there. Talking about it and posting pictures may seem like bragging, but it's going to be interesting nonetheless, lol.

All this probably seems like it's focused on me. The reason for that is simple: it is. It's my blog. I reject the idea that having a blog makes you an arrogant braggart. So, if you read this expect to find my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. That's kind of the point of it.

That's enough for now. Yea, there are no pictures. Rachel said that when I put pictures in I should talk about them. So, I'm probably going to have “About the pictures” posts and “About life” posts. This was an “About Life” post. I hope you enjoyed it, lol. For now, goodnight from South Carolina!

Two Schools of Thought

So, rather than just jump into what's been going on this week, as I normally would, I've decided to post about something that's been on my mind lately. Over the past few years basically everything I've done has either failed or has been a very muted and limited success. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will hit the highlights. Over the last six years I've: Rewritten the Console Classix server application and moved it into the Amazon cloud, rewritten the Console Classix browser in SDL, added the N64 to Console Classix, updated all Console Classix emulators, written two books, started a network engineering side business, started writing my own video game, and built a house. In truth there are probably more little things I've tried (like my Adwords advertising campaign for Console Classix) that are just slipping through the cracks of my mind at the moment.


It's been more than six years since the first big “well, that didn't work at all” moment that I can point to as the beginning of my series of failures. I'm hoping (and earnestly praying) that this is merely “seven years of famine” that I'm going through. If that's the case then I expect to have a major turn around this October. (That also happens to be the month I'll get my first royalty check from Worlds of Magic if all goes as planned.) Hope, they say, springs eternal and all I can do is hope for better days. I've plowed and planted year after year, but the harvest comes from the Lord.


Another thing I've been dealing with, that I feel would certainly frustrate most people, is a dwindling income. Just over six years ago I was making as much (or more) as I would have working for another company. I had a staff of people working under me and a very strong business. Every month we brought in more money than we had the month before. However, in October 2007 that all began to change. I made the first in what proved to be a series of financial blunders. I ended up buried in debt with Console Classix' income falling month by month.


Since that all began I've lost income every time I've lost a bill or payed off a debt. This has happened with almost unbelievable exactness. If I paid off a $500 a month bill Console Classix' income would drop by $500 a month. If I paid off $1000 bill it would drop by $1000. It even happened sometimes that when I would go out to earn “extra” money that we would have a hiccup and Console Classix would bring in less money than expected that month by almost just the extra amount I had earned. For over six years we've had essentially the same amount of money no matter what I've done. It's been just enough to cover our expenses and nothing more. I've tried many, many things (including looking for another “day job” at one point), but nothing has changed our income by more than a few dollars.


Now, there are basically two ways to look at all this. The first is that God is holding me back. That He is making sure that I never get ahead. When I make more money he increases my bills, when I lower my bills he reduces my income. No matter what I put my hand to he gives me failure. This is a popular belief. More than likely you have run into someone who believes this about their own lives. I, however, do not.


Everything that has happened in my life up to this point leads me to believe that the second possibility is true. I, and my family, are currently going through one of the straights of life. All lives have them, from those of kings on their golden thrones to those of the poor who live on the streets of New Dehli. We all experience highs and lows, feasts and famines. That's just the nature of life. The Lord tests us in the extremes of both success and failure. Many men have gone bankrupt and committed suicide as a result. Many have found their riches hollow and killed themselves because of it. Both extremes test us, both show God just what we're made of. I have been tested by success and I am now tested by failure. I don't think the Lord has done this to me. This is just life and life does it to you sometimes, lol.


So, why have my failures risen to match my successes? In short: They haven't. You see, what I believe the Lord has actually done is maintain my income as long as I need it. He has left me wanting, but never needing. He has made sure that I have enough to pay my bills. Only when my bills are lowered does he allow life to lower my income. He sees expenses I don't expect coming at me and gives me extra work so I can make extra money so that the unexpected cost doesn't ruin me financially. I'm sailing through dire straights, but the Lord isn't pushing me toward the rocks! Time and time again he grabs the bow of my ship and shoves is clear of a breaker that would sink me. He's watching over me, guiding me, protecting me, and he'll continue to do so until the day I breath my last.


I'm in turbulent waters, but, Lord willing, I'm almost at the end of it. I believe I see smooth seas ahead. It's my hope and my prayer that by this October I'll be sailing in them. :)


Well, anyways, that's enough philosophy for now, lol. So, what have we been doing this week? One of the things we've done is play in the snow. I'm certain you've noticed that “snow” is the theme of most of the pictures today. It's kindof a rare event down south. We haven't had snow in the last few years. And, of course, with all the global warming going on who knows if we'll even see snow again (← Sarcasm). The kids loved it and Rachel even made a snow woman and snow baby. The best part of it was that it melted before it became a mess, lol. The North East is still dealing with terrible winter weather, but it's 70 degrees here in Jackson at the moment and according to Beauregard Lee (the South's version of Punxsutawney Phil) there's going to be an early spring. As you can imagine I'm thrilled, lol.


Other than our “snow day” it's been business as usual. I've been working on Worlds of Magic and playing my little heart out. In fact, I'm ready to get back to it now. Expect to hear from me again next week. For now: Goodnight from South Carolina!