03/01/09 03:59 - 22ºF - ID#47915

An economic stimulus proposal

So next year, quite a few military personnel will, if all goes according to plan, be returning from Iraq.

This could be bad news, or good news.

Of course, it is always good news if there is peace and safety, but the possibility of bad news is this: an economy that already has high unemployment will have a glut of new workers--workers that have spent at least a year outside of our culture (more for most), and who's skills may not have an equivalent in our economy.

To make matters worse, quite a few have suffered trauma. Historically, re-adjustment to civilian life has not been easy.

Here's the good news. Many of these service people will be flush with combat pay. They will want new homes and new cars and furniture and clothes without camo and all sorts of things.

As long as we are throwing around all sorts of cash, I think we should make an investment in this area. In addition to regular veterans benefits, I would provide an additional bonus for veterans to take a class on starting a business. Another bonus for attending a support group. We should pay them to rehab houses and give them affordable mortgages to buy them. I would also love a bonus paid to veterans who stayed drug and/or alcohol free, or pledged not to own a gun.

So much can go wrong when veterans return. More Vietnam veterans have died of self-inflicted wounds than died in the conflict. This, however, is not only preventable, but by making the right choices, the end of our current war can be an integral part of the economy's jump start.

Permalink: An_economic_stimulus_proposal.html
Words: 277
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/24/09 01:17 - 21ºF - ID#47876

Ash Wednesday

Tomorrow is the day that we remember our mortality. Not so pleasant, but good to do once in a while. When I put ashes on a person's head, I will tell them (and it is particularly hard with sick people, who know it all too well) "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return."

Lent is hard to get without experiencing it. But it really can go well.

Permalink: Ash_Wednesday.html
Words: 75
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/23/09 04:09 - 22ºF - ID#47869

Media fast

I'll still be on media where I know people, so blogs, twitter, and facebook are all good, but I am taking a break from videos and mindless websites in the hope that "old media" will change me in some positive ways.

So, starting Wednesday, limited internet, no tv, and no partisan talk radio. Until Easter (but maybe longer if it is as good for me as I think it will be)

Permalink: Media_fast.html
Words: 71
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/11/09 12:33 - 53ºF - ID#47711

What the Font?

For design nerds with iPhones:

found via Buffalo Feed.

Permalink: What_the_Font_.html
Words: 15
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: football

02/08/09 10:05 - 29ºF - ID#47684

One last yinz luv

Permalink: One_last_yinz_luv.html
Words: 10
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/06/09 12:33 - 23ºF - ID#47658

movie tonight

my house. "The Ordinary Radicals."

This is the story of a peculiar people,
with no King but God,
practicing a revolution of love,
and making the world anew.

Their isn't the old-time religion of saving up for going to heaven;
this is bringing heaven to the world.

7pm.

Permalink: movie_tonight.html
Words: 68
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

02/04/09 11:24 - 15ºF - ID#47631

A good quote.

The old words of churches are incapable of being
saving words anymore.
The old words fail and fall silent,
and our Christian life consists only
of prayer and trying to do the right thing.
It is not for us to foretell the day,
but the day will come
when some are called
to utter the word
of God
in such a way
that the world is changed and renewed.
There will be a new language,
perhaps quite unreligious,
but liberating and saving,
like the language of Jesus,
so that people are horrified by it,
and yet conquered by its power,
the language of a new truth,
the language that foretells the peace
of God
and the coming
of the Kingdom.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Letters and Papers from Prison

Permalink: A_good_quote_.html
Words: 127
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/02/09 09:29 - 27ºF - ID#47599

Amazing brains.

The power of our brains blows me away. Here's what I was thinking this morning.

At the end of a night, we tend to be tired and think less clearly, so we go to sleep.

And then, when we are asleep, our brains don't really stop--it re-charges by working!

And it does things that we rarely do when we are awake. What really blew me away last night is that in my dream, other people were telling jokes, and they surprised me and made me laugh.

Which means that part of my brain is writing comedy material, but hiding it from the other part of my brain that is going to hear it in the dream.

Or (more likely, actually) it is spontaneously creating it for one character of the dream, and then experiencing it in the first person.

Either way, to have creative thought like that is great in and of itself, but to actually hide it from my own mind until the right moment really blows me away.

If I were an intelligent design guy, I would spend a lot of time talking about dreams. I haven't kept up with the latest research, but when I did, neuroscientists didn't have a clue what was happening.

Permalink: Amazing_brains_.html
Words: 207
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/01/09 07:40 - 34ºF - ID#47588

Don't F with the towel.

Do not click to watch the video if you are offended by swears.

Permalink: Don_t_F_with_the_towel_.html
Words: 21
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: football

01/28/09 06:41 - 23ºF - ID#47548

Yinz Luv the Superbowl!

Party this Sunday at my house. All estrippers are invited.

metalpeter writes at 01:14:57 02/01/09 - Comment #45040: Just watching the pregame now it has been confirmed that Micheal Phleps smoked weed at a party and he said he was sorry for it. Why that would go on your post I don't know but it is the only one here having to do with the super bowl I guess.

metalpeter writes at 07:13:10 01/29/09 - Comment #44974: I'm looking forward to being there (I'm sure I'll bring something to share but not sure what yet, maybe what ever they have at the store) thanks for the info, so I and maybe other people show up at the right place.

jim writes at 06:30:56 01/29/09 - Comment #44973: GO CARDINALS! WAHOO!

drew writes at 06:16:21 01/29/09 - Comment #44970: front door. It's a yellow house.

metalpeter writes at 06:03:09 01/29/09 - Comment #44968: Would I be correct to assume front door downstairs (since I haven't been there before)? On a side note I have never tried a chili I didn't like. I won't be rooting for the cards. I can see how some one could they have like never been Champions and Warner is old so there are reasons someone might want to root for them like them being the underdog, but that won't be me. On a football side who wants to root for a Team that has a Dome in AZ, how odd is that. Yes they have done good in the playoffs but based on their record they shouldn't be in the playoffs. I'm going for the Steelers all the way and hope they win it.

drew writes at 08:10:42 01/28/09 - Comment #44935: Oh yeah. People will star arriving around 5.

drew writes at 08:10:04 01/28/09 - Comment #44934: 265 Lexington Ave.

Bring whatever. We will start with chili, beer, and pop.

There will be kids around, so be respectful. You can root for the Cards if you want, but would you really want to?

metalpeter writes at 07:24:20 01/28/09 - Comment #44933: I would like to go. I haven't been to a party for the Super Bowl in a long time so it will be weird since I'm used to watching it by my self. I would also be Happy to Document it for the site.

That being said I have a few questions:
1. What Time should people get there?
(Don't want miss anything but don't want to be there for 6 hours of pregame you'd get sick of us or at least me)

2. Where do you live ?
3. (I won't come empty handed) Is there anything special that I or anyone else should bring.
4. Is there anything else that might be important to know, like house rules.
-For example no swearing or if you root for the cardinals you will get kicked out, or anything along those lines (you two seem pretty nice but some people do have house rules and I don't want to break any of them).

On a side note good video