I have become quite numb to the goings on of the world. I sometimes wish for a return to simpler times when the border of a man's world were defined by the distance his horse could ride in a day. The term "information overload" is probably accurate. But it's not just an overload that weighs me down. It is the kind of information coming in. On this July 4th weekend, the country I so love is going through a spectacular change- a change that started some years ago and will probably finish in a decade or so. It's ironic that we are celebrating Independence Day- a holiday of American freedom- when as citizens we are beset on all sides by rules and regulations that threaten the freedoms we hold so dear. There have been victories of late, such as the Supreme Court ruling for Washington D.C. regarding handgun ownership and possession. But that is a pinprick of light in a vast sky of darkness. The government is intruding on too many of our liberties, too much into our personal lives.

I don't believe things will ever get better from here on out. There are three reasons for this:

The kids and I had a great time in Temple, Texas, visiting Uncle Sonny, Aunt Eileen, and cousins Anthony and Amanda, as well as Anthony's friend Diana and Amanda's husband Matt and son Logan. Wow! That's a lot of relatives for a Sunday. LOL. A good time was had by all, and the food was delicious. Thanks for the pie, guys! We love y'all. (I can't believe we didn't get any pictures! *sad face*)

Before that, we stopped by Inner Space Caverns. (Pics)

And, finally, before bedtime, you MUST go see the new Quantum of Solace trailer. Be still my beating heart!

The castle doctrine is alive and well in Texas. Can't say I disagree with the outcome. It is unfortunate for the men who were killed, but it was more unfortunate that they were breaking and entering and stealing from a legal citizen's domicile.

Like in the movie Liar, Liar, when asked by one of his habitual law-breaking clients what he should do when he'd been picked up by the law (again), Jim Carrey's lawyer character shouts into the phone, "Stop breaking the law, @$$hole!!!" Come on, people. Let's stop breaking the law... and get along.

Trusky. (That's pronounced "True' ski" and means "truth, dude.")

Joshua and I went target shooting (video and pics: Joshua me) while Steph is away down at Nameless Valley Ranch having a great time at summer camp.

Paul's birthday was yesterday. (I would have posted yesterday but there was a problem with the backend software for the site.) On his birthday, and on Mom's birthday, I like to think about what our reunion will be like. I imagine him appearing with our family in his new, healthy and incorruptible body. Then we all head off into the universe bound for heaven, where we'll be for a thousand years while considering the wicked dead.

What do atheists think about the dead? Do they think, "So long, it was nice knowing you but that's life?" To an atheist, is a dead person just a victim of Darwin? I only ask because I cannot imagine due to my worldview and my limited experiential perspective.

For me, I have this comforting hope that I'll see Mom and Paul again, and that the reunion will be exciting and fun and wonderful. But what do those who do not believe like I think about the future? I can't imagine approaching the grave and having no hope for anything beyond it. That would suck.

The consensus old age of the solar system has been falsified. They just won’t admit it. How much longer do you want them to tweak their models to keep Enceladus hot? Remember, they have to do it with Io and Neptune and Uranus and Pluto also. Numerous phenomena in our solar system mandate an age limit far shorter than 4.6 billion years. Long ages are no longer necessary for planet formation or for any other geological feature. The only one who wants them is Charlie, and he doesn’t count.

So many requirements of evolution have been falsified, the superstructure of evolutionary theory floats disconnected from the ground of evidence, supported by the hot air of its defenders. They can’t keep it up forever.

After you ban guns, will you ban knives? trucks?

Let's not tread on one another.

Stephanie graduated 9th grade with straight-As. Awesome! Way to go, Steph! Now it's summer time; time to play. Time to sleep. That's just what teenagers do in the summer.

One of the things Josh and Steph are going to do is participate in acting camp. They'll spend two weeks in class learning and rehearsing, and then will act in a play. Come see them perform!

What Does That Mean?

The definition of enable, as it relates to psychology and relationships, is

providing the means by which an addict can remain addicted

There is very little about "enabling" on the web. Trust me; I looked. One of the very few pages I did find says this about enabling:

Codependency is when you are suffering to support someone else's dependency, you are addicted to their dependency. Enabling is when you are helping them with their dependency. Source

Generally, enabling is frowned upon by most experts in this field. Their viewpoint is easy to understand. Remove the resources that allow an addict to pursue her addiction and you alleviate the addiction. Seems logical. But I've never been comfortable with psycho-babble, and this seems like more babbling. And when you get down to it, the biggest enabler of them all is God himself.

Stop what you're doing right now and read this article about America's unhealthiest drinks. Who knew?

Follow-up: Soda is bad for the bones, too.

Australia did it. Now it's our turn.

Bring the troops home from Iraq, President Bush.

Happy birthday, Ian Fleming.

And today, the new Bond novel, Devil May Care, hits bookstores. Yay! Of course I'll be getting my copy tonight and will let you know what it's like in a few days!

Just finished reading Ron Paul's most recent book, The Revolution: A Manifesto. You must get this book and read it, if only so you won't have the excuse of, "I didn't know!"

In it, he explains the history of activity that has lead America to where she is today: dollar value plummeting, freedoms disappearing, education failing, our children dying in immoral wars. He also outlines the policies- from economic policy to foreign policy to more- that will bring America back from the brink of FAIL and enable her to enter a truly prosperous age where all men are free to exercise their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Read this, and imagine what he can do as President!

You aren't really considering voting for this man, are you?

You have three bad choices and one good choice this election year.

Read Paul's book. It's infuriating and yet hopeful. If we can just get this man into the White House, freedom will once again ring.

Update: More telling it like it is.

An interesting article about the Darkest Day. This event fulfilled a Bible prophecy about the end times.

Environmentalists would prefer that we forget these predictions.

Imagine what America's legacy will look like in a history book some 500 years hence. I can easily see some golden opening chapters where the dream of a democratic Republic - straight from Greco-Roman ideals - is realized. The nation which began bold and bright - breaking away from the tyranny of the British crown, rising to global dominance, and becoming a leader the rest of the world looked to, then comes to the 21st century: