It's All Greek to Me
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence as a comment on my blog.
5. Post the text of the sentence on your own blog, along with these instructions.
“outos En ane en arche pros ton theon”
That's from John H. Dobson's Learn New Testament Greek, which is quoting John 1:2.
What do you have?
Thoughts on Bush's Economic Track Record
The problem: Putting a price ceiling on a market doesn't work. Additionally, by limiting revenues that drug companies can make, it will encourage less innovation and thus medical research could stagnate.
Tax Cuts
Before Bush was even became president, there was talk that the Bush tax cut would only benefit the wealthy. But it just isn't true. Everyone who pays taxes got a tax cut, some just got larger tax cuts. But, isn't a $200 tax cut still good? That's like half a week's pay for a lower middle class worker — not shabby by any means.
It all comes down to percentages. If you pay more taxes, there are more taxes that you may not have to pay any longer. There's no way someone can give me a million dollar tax cut, because I don't pay a million dollars. Does that mean I should say no one should get a million dollar tax cut? No. Why should someone not get a tax cut simply because they make more than I do?
Imagine if the Bush tax cut said "everyone gets half a weeks wages/salary off their normal taxes owed." While the person I mentioned above might only get $200, a CEO might get $50,000. There is no way the former could ever get that much off because that is more than they make all year and certainly more than they pay in taxes. Yet, giving $1,000 or $2,000 off to the CEO wouldn't really be meaningful. So, tax cuts are almost always bound to be cases where the rich get a larger reduction, but that's only because taxes are based on what you make.
Personally I still advocate a flat tax system where everyone would pay the same rate across the board (except maybe the very lowest income tax payers). The thing is, not only do the rich pay more taxes if they were taxed at the same percentage rate, they actually are taxes at a higher rate making the tax burden higher than it should be.
Kerry, as David points out, talks about giving "average American" tax cuts and raising taxes on the richer Americans. The best system is to cut everyone's taxes, which is what the president has done. The economy is a big circle (getting bigger with globalization) — if you allow those on top to keep more cash, they will invest in new businesses. If you allow those on the bottom to keep more cash, they will buy more and also start businesses. The key is not to penalize anyone. If you penalize those who earn a lot for earning a lot, you lower the motivation to work hard and create the new businesses that provide for more jobs.
Price Inflation and Consumer Buying Power
Most of the universities in my area are charging little or nothing more than what they were in 2000. Some tuition fees are bound to rise as inflation occurs, but this is unavoidable. Here's the key idea, however: It is not the President's job, nor should it be the President's job, to regulate prices.
Why not prevent prices from going up? Because of what I mentioned earlier, a price ceiling doesn't work. It didn't work with oil in the 70's, it won't work with tuition now. If costs are going up (which they almost always will, again due to normal inflation), tuition must go up. Tuition might have gone up, but so have earnings. I know professor who teaches at the very same university he went to thirty years ago. At the time, his book cost just $10 for the class, but he was also only able to earn $1 an hour working. Today the book costs over $100 for his course, but college students can also get a job earning $10 or more an hour. For the most part, inflation moves everything up at a very similar rate (thus why a minimum wage will never accomplish much — when you raise that everything else goes up, thus never really increasing buying power, but that's another story…).
What we really should ask is how much buying power do we have now compared to four years ago before President Bush. The cost of living, according to reliable statistics, has been fairly stable for quite awhile. Sure, a pair of shoes that cost $19.99 in 1990 might go for $29.99 now — but you are also making more than you did in 1990.
Overall, our economy is very healthy and unemployment is at around 5.5%, the last I heard. This is a very good number to be at — you will never reach 0% unless you hire people to do nothing (like the Soviets did). There will always be unemployment as people look for new jobs, take of for a sabbatical or to spend time with family, etc. Maybe the economy isn't as good as it was in the 1990's, but I would point out that the recent decline started before President Bush gave up the title "Governor." Let me note that again, the recent decline started before President Bush gave up the title "Governor." The economic downturn occurred in 2000, while President Clinton was still in office.
What we have hear is a reverse of the effect of the 1990's. Presidents Reagen and Bush (the father) pursued various policies to strengthen the economy. In 1990 and 1991, there were some economic problems, but the economy was starting to improve by the time Bush lost. Thus we have a case that one Bush doesn't get credit for the economic improvements he did make and the other Bush gets blamed for economic problems he didn't make. But, I'm using the word "make" very loosely anyway, because the economic power of the president by himself is very dubious indeed.
Is the Christian Right Christian?
There are some good points made by Carter, but a lot of it borders on seriously misguided at best, I think. Carter suggests prejudice permeates the “Christian right,” for example, a sweeping — and, in my opinion, unchristian — generalization. Is their prejudice in the “Christian right”? You better believe it. Here's the big but: there is also prejudice in the “Christian left” and just about everywhere else.
Carter also notes that the Christian right has abandoned some basic Christian principles. I agree — but I also think pretty much EVERY Christian has. The question is, does that make the Christian right not very Christian? No.
Do you see the theme of my response? For every attack Carter makes on the right, it can also be applied to the left. And, for the most part, Carter attacks the Christian right on political issues, ignoring its strong points on theology (whereas, unfortunately, much of the mainline Christian left has been jetisoning away from Biblical theology — a bigger issue from the standpoint of salvation). The Apostle Paul faught modifications to the Gospel in his day:“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” — Galatians 1:6-7 (NIV)
What is actually worrying is Carter's apparent hints at relativism. He talks about a person's “concept” of God and refers to his “concept of Christ.” Now, that might be harmless, but I almost get the impression in his abortion comment that he actually feels that while he opposes abortion it is only based on “his concept of Christ” and not the Christ. There is only one Christ and one Gospel — remember again Galatians 1:6-7.
Carter also talks about moderately accepting certain forms of abortion, which is disturbing — if he believes it is wrong, how can it be “acceptable”? I suppose it depends on if he thinks it is wrong or WRONG — but if he agrees that it is the killing of an innocent God created person, how can it ever be acceptable? Is murder acceptable so long as it is done within certain guidelines? I'm sure you'd agree it isn't. But if murder is murder is murder is murder, than where does it leave these “acceptable forms” of abortion in a Biblical worldview?
Also, a note on helping the poor. Carter overlooks that many on the right (myself included) don't have something against helping the poor at all, rather we feel that it isn't something done best by the government. That's what a lot of it boils down to: can the government do a better job than the Church at helping the poor (part of the Church's job)? Let's face it, government welfare has a dismal record — it seems to encourage people not to work. That's not what we want! If every dollar that is presently devoted to welfare was kept by taxpayers and was instead distributed by them to churches and charities to help the poor, I would be almost postive more good would come out of it and it would allow the Church to fulfill its job to help the poor rather than having a secular government do that job for it.
Every Christian is going to have some theological problems, but does that mean they aren't Christian? There are some theological issues I would argue are absolutely necessary to be Christian — Christ was fully both God and Man, He literally died for our sins on the cross, rose again physically, Christ alone provides for atonement and salvation, there is no God but the God of the Bible Jesus alone provides access to the Father, and other points — basically the points of the great creeds such as the Nicene Creed. If you deny the exclusivity of Christ as savior of the world, yes, I think it might be time to say you aren't Christian. If you worship Gaia and support “reimaging”-related theology, ditto that last statement. But is being against larger government programs for the poor because one doesn't believe that the government should do that kind of stuff in the same league? Is it even the same universe?
Short of the essentials — none of which Carter seems concerned about — I find such suggestions of an entire group of Christians not being Christian seriously problematic. Unchristian, in fact.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” —Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)
Wheels o' Fun
It looks like I'm a Ferris Wheel, although playing around with the poll revealed that I was almost a “kiddie ride” instead.
See what amusement park ride you are.
[Thanks to Christopher.]
Open for Business Back Online, Hack Explained
On April 1, 2004, a single, carefully crafted URL was sent to OfB.biz, returning a set of encrypted strings. The same request was reissued in the midst of thousands of normal requests on April 2 and 7. The requests came from Tehran, Cairo and Sarajevo. Then there was a week of silence. Late on April 13, however, another string of requests came, this time from various ISP's in Tel Aviv.
The strings taken from the previous week were encrypted together to form the administrative access cookie for PHP-Nuke. After forming the cookie, the new requests were used to insert multiple superuser users providing complete access to all of PHP-Nuke's functionality. The accounts were systematically added from different IP addresses over a period of several hours going well into April 14. After creating these superuser accounts and moving the original superuser account to a semi-removable status, the perpetrator then entered the block administrator and placed obfuscated JavaScript code hidden near the JavaScript code for the advertising banners.
The JavaScript code reported back information concerning visitor hits using a unique ID and then forwarded users to a pornographic web site before they knew anything had happened. The attack was complete. The attacker then moved onto other sites, defacing PCLinuxOnline on the same day and Linux and Main on April 15.
Three days later, I have hand checked the nearly 300 articles on Open for Business, cleaned out the JavaScript and successfully brought OfB back online with a number of security patches. However, with this being the second time that the poor design of PHP-Nuke has allowed the site to be attacked, my days using PHP-Nuke are numbered. Assuming that SAFARI eventually is finished (I've been talking about that for how many years now?), I will be moving over to that and escaping this security mess forever.
What Happened
Well, over the past day, I've come to understand a lot more about what happened to Open for Business yesterday. Unfortunately, the same cracker hit my friend and colleague Dennis Powell's Linux and Main site today. While I'd like to post more about what happened, I'm still gathering a few things that I don't want to mess up by saying too much, so I will probably need to wait until tomorrow before I can say exactly what happened (or at least what I think happened).
It's a good day overall, though, I've figured out WAY more than I expected concerning the issue. I hope to have the issues on the site resolved in the next few days rather than a few weeks. That's very good news to say the least.
Cracked.
Open for Business was cracked (hacked is a more commonly used but incorrect term for what happened) today. I might post more on this later. Right now I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Easter Meditation
He is RISEN! What a joyous day it is — I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful and blessed Easter!
{1} Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. {2} Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. {3} His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. {4} The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. {5} Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don't be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. {6} He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. {7} And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.”
What Wondrous Love Is This, Oh My Soul?
The Crucifixion
{20} When they had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him. {21} They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross. {22} They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” {23} They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it.
{24} Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. {25} It was the third hour, and they crucified him. {26} The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” {27} With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. {28} The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was numbered with transgressors.”
{29} Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, {30} save yourself, and come down from the cross!”
{31} Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. {32} Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him insulted him.
{33} When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. {34} At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”*
{35} Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”
{36} One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”
{37} Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. {38} The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. {39} When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”From Mark chapter 15 (WEB)
The Explaination
{3} He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
{4} Surely he has borne our sickness,and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
{5} But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
{6} All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. {7} He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his mouth.
{8} He was taken away by oppression and judgment; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?
{9} They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. {10} Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh shall prosper in his hand.
{11} After the suffering of his soul, he will see the lightand be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.
{12} Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.From Isaiah chapter 53 (WEB)
Not So Victorious
Well, my votes didn't go so well today. Mayor Tom Brown, who has been considered virtually invincible in the past, lost by over 10% of the vote. Two tax hikes passed, one for $.86 per $100 going to the Francis Howell School district (who has had money “disappear” — as accounting fraud and the like — in recent years and was claiming the hike was necessary to save extracirricular activities such as sports). FH School District really should learn how to manage the money it has before getting yet another tax hike.
Depressing. I'm especially disappointed to see our long-time mayor lose. The new guy (Shawn Brown, no relation to Tom Brown) made his big campaign issue the fact that the new mayor's salary increases by $3,000 a year, and thus Mayor Brown would have been paid $100,000 this year ($40,000 base + $3,000 for each of his twenty years of service as mayor). On the other hand the new Brown only gets the $40,000 for his first year. It is too bad, Mayor Brown has been good for the area.
In lighter news, here's the latest quiz (thanks go to Kevin):
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
