Left, Left, Down, Down, Start Select, Start Select

Do any of you remember a little code similar to the above? For those who didn't graduate some time in the 90's or didn't have a kid with a Nintendo, this was a portion of a cheat code. It was for a military sci-fi game called Contra. If you entered this code before a certain point in the beginning of the game, you received endless lives - you could endlessly die and come back to defeat the game. It was a fun way to play and beat the game, which was quite difficult otherwise.

But as I said, the above is similar to that code - not that code. Instead, what I have written above is another code that I see playing out today in our nation. Left Left = Down Down. The Left is winning lately in this country, and we are all starting to feel the effects. And if it continues, our economy and our national stability is going to go Down, Down.

I normally don't comment on politics, and I have tried for several years after college to kind of just blow off the whole political mess and pay them no mind. But I can't handle it any longer. My blood pressure and headaches won't allow it. I have to get it off my chest. The lies are so deep and wide and the media collusion is so disgusting, my conscience will not allow it any further. I only wish more could read this and understand the far reaching dangers that are at our doorstep.

First, the recent failings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are regrettable, but predictable. They were developed by a socialist policy to give everyone in America the ability to own a home. That sounds wonderful in principle, but in reality, that should never happen. Homes and the ability to purchase homes are earned. They are not given just because you are an American or a minority or poor. All can buy a home if they can afford it. But, Fannie & Freddie had an opposing outlook. They looked to give loans to all people, even 100% loans. Ridiculous. This is financial suicide in the long haul, and we are seeing it now. The number one principle of all financial lending practices is simple - only lend money to people who are able and willing to pay back their loan with interest. Fannie & Freddie, supported most vociferously by the Democrats of the 90's and special interest groups such as the Black Caucus, did not do this. They looked to give as many loans as possible; they looked to give loans to people who could never reasonably pay these loans back; and, they looked to line the pockets of their executives and congressional supporters. Fannie & Freddie are organizations that had no business operating in the manner they did. But now, that operation is reeking havoc on the US economy & the Presidential campaign.

Next, the lies of the Left Democrats are disgusting and highly damaging. The Democrats (Dodd, Franks, Palosi, OBAMA, etc.) are blaming everything on the Republicans and Bush when this is all their doing. In 2004, Franks & Dodd, along with several other Congressional Dems were faced with financial research that Fannie & Freddie were headed for doom, and they openly & on the record declared both organizations to be sound and safe. While this happened, several other Congressional Republicans were warning of the impending doom on the horizon and asking for intervention to no avail. Despite any rumblings, nothing was done. The concern continued, and in 2005, one Senator John McCain tried to introduce legislation to monitor and limit Fanny & Freddy. He was shot down by the Democrats who continued to support Fannie & Freddie and who were continually supported by Fannie & Freddie. Yes, you heard me right - Fanny & Freddy made MILLIONS of dollars worth of campaign contributions to people like Franks, Dodd, and oh yes, Barack Obama throughout all of their years of ignorant, rampant financial dealings. (PS - The executives of Freddie & Fannie are now lead economic advisers on Obama's campaign - nice choices, Barack.) This mess could have been prevented years ago, but instead it was perpetuated by fools who were in the back-pockets - the Left Democrats. Thanks a lot.

Lastly, the Republicans haven't defended themselves and they can't in the mainstream media. The media will not allow it. What has happened here? Has real journalism died in 2008? The 24-hour news channels have already destroyed American intelligence with their fear-mongering, and now they can't even report the facts correctly. The Republicans aren't saying too much as they can't afford to anger the Dems in the Congress and cost any passing of a bill to alleviate the problems (which they would be lambasted for). Plus, McCain doesn't want to look like the blame-gamer that Obama looks to be. He is above that and he always puts the betterment of his country first. The problem with being honorable is that the Left are not. They are playing dirty politics, communist politics, where they personally attack in order to destroy credibility. And, unfortunately, due to an ignorant, apathetic public, it is working. Obama's polls are amazingly rising. HE WAS PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS FAILURE. HIS PARTY CAUSED IT. WAKE UP people. And Republicans, stand-up & shout it. As President Reagan said often: BE BOLD!! We can't afford mousy do-nothings any longer.

All in all, this entire situation is endemic to the biggest problem in America today: socialism/communism/fascism. We are in trouble as this destructive and ultimately fatal philosophy (to see the fatality, think of the recent evil empire of the world - Stalin & the Communists; Hitler & the Socialists) of economics and government threatens to change the entire fabric of our nation. I have never seen a Presidential candidate as Left and socialistic in our history as Obama, except for maybe FDR. It is scary and it is dangerous, and it is sneakily about to change the nation. Socialism/fascism/communism (all the same and only presented as different by people trying to hide the facts) has been percolating in America since the 1940's. It came to some power in the era of FDR's New Deal (look at welfare, income tax, public works programs), furthered by the Great Society of LBJ, and deepened even further by the Left policies of the Clinton years Congress. It has sneaked into the culture through supposed national compassion efforts (Fannie & Freddie part of that), through extra regulation on corporations (our economic lifeblood), the highest corporate taxes in the entire world (which stifles economic growth), and through guilt. Guilt rules our day. Guilt about the environment (ridiculous trumped up pseudo-science); guilt about race (political correctness); guilt about our wealth & comfort (we need to "spread the wealth" & universalize health care); guilt for criminals & irresponsible gun use (more gun control needed). The list of our supposed guilts are so numerous I can't even begin to list them. Basically, we are in danger of becoming a socialist nation and the Left are the cause. I am scared - for real.

Sorry to bring up politics. Sorry to go on for so long. But here it is in a nutshell - WAKE UP AMERICA. Before it is too late. The Nazis are coming (remember, they started as nothing more than a socialist political party). The Russian Communists are coming in the form of Left Liberal Democrats, who lie and control the stories with their back-pocket media. WAKE UP.

The picture is clear. The code above is fact. The guilty side is self-evident with a little investigation and thought. The message I have said now is not even complete. I could go on forever and forever on this topic. I could point out so many things about the dangerous political/social/economic times we live in. But suffice it to say, the answer is clear - we must return to our core values of freedom, capitalism, free market, and liberty or we are all in danger of a new world order in these United States.

The MUST SEE footage that the media is not showing you:
Democrats & Republicans duking it out in 2004 over Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
(Dems deny the problem, the Republicans demand regulation; Chris Sheays is great from CT)

Great montage explanation of the Housing Crisis in America
(Ignore the beginning of above video about music)

For some great, informative reading:
Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
"Capitalism's Extinction Events" by Philip Terzian
Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less by Newt Gingrich
48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned In School) by Larry Schweikart
Patriotic Grace by Peggy Noonan

The Space Between

Sometimes, events happen all at once, and they hit you in the face and remind you about life. Last month was one of those punches to the jaw. And my jaw of late has been glass.

Earlier in August there was an important date that passed and I did not comment on it. I should have, but frankly, I didn't feel the desire. I didn't feel like it, but I am disappointed in myself. That date, the eighteenth, as many of you may have guessed was the one year anniversary of Dan's passing. Dan Feather, my best friend and brother of another mother. One year ago...very strange how time passes. And how much time heals, and yet, not so much. I still miss him, I still feel pain for his family at every passing thought of them, and I still feel that Father has given me a great comfort & peace regarding him. And yet, I still miss his company - greatly.

Another event took place this year around that same day, and it was another tragedy. Ashley's & my campus pastor from college, Joe Zickafoose, died at the young age of 50 from aggressive bone marrow cancer. He left behind a wife and two boys, 14 & 16. My heart was exploding with the pain for those boys; and, although the funeral was a wonderful celebration of Joe's life and impact, it still took my breath away. It still made me wish I had known him more. It made me regret never putting myself out there to develop a relationship with Joe. My loss - he was a man worth knowing deeper.

And still another moment happened this past August. My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. This was a happy celebration, an amazing feat, and a proud moment for them and for me. It is a reminder of love and of it's importance and longevity. My parents have seen a lot of stuff in their day from happiness and tragedy, but they have stayed together through it all. Thick & thin.

So two tragic reminders of life's frailty, and one reminder of love & beauty. That's what was on my plate at the end of the month. And, not surprising at all, it began to wear at my feeble mind. The grief wore me down and the joy was somehow flip-flopped into a sorrow, as I realized that my parents were getting older. Life keeps moving, and I had a few more than subtle reminders.
So with the stress & anxiety percolating in my mind, I talked with a friend (WK) and he had an interesting thought. My friend planted the seed of an idea, but now I have taken it further.

Separation. Separation anxiety is some of what I was feeling. Maybe even all of it. But separation is nothing new for me. In fact, it is nothing new for us all. For that, is exactly what life is - separation. We are born by cell separation. We are separated from our mothers at birth. We grow up and leave our parents altogether, putting miles between us. We go to work and separate ourselves from our family, and we leave work and put space between our business relationships, even our friends. When we have kids, they grow up slowly & quickly, and the process is all about separation. And, in the end, we all die - separating the spirit & soul from the body, leaving this earth and everyone we knew behind, ending our relationship with the only reality we thought we understood. And that is what I fear. I fear that I will be separated from everything dear to me, like Dan, like Joe. I know that time keeps its steady march, and that I will be separated from even more loved ones, my parents being part of that group. I know all of these finite times will die away, and my knowledge haunts me. It puts me in a box of fear. The fear ties me up with worry. The worry can make me physically ill. But that is not how it is normally dealt with by people - it is usually ignored. I am not saying my obsession with separation is healthy - quite the contrary. But it is imperative that we understand separation is real and an ever-present fact of life. And it is not always punctual or polite. It strikes when all is well, and it hits when all is wrong.

But as I thought through this separation - I have thought about another physical principle of the universe, even the linguistic implications of the word. Separation implies a once coming-together, a joining. For two bodies to be separated, they must have once been together. And it is that together that creates the dichotomy of life. Togetherness is the other side of this coin.
To be born, our parents must come together. A sperm & egg must link. A mother & her child must link via the umbilical cord. For the separation of kids & their parents through the normal channel of life, they must come together in love & relationship. Finding the love of your life is the great coming together. And out of that love, often a new life is even born. Then, when that life comes to be in your home, you can't help but build an everlasting bond of love with them. And even in the end of this life, when separation is the focus, there is a reminder of togetherness - for if you had never been a part of this reality, leaving it would not have mattered. Together is the reciprocal of separation - or vise versa, maybe better put.

As always though, both of these principles have their beginning in one single Truth - the most important aspect of our being - our relationship with Father. Creation was about togetherness - we with Him. The creation of woman from man had separation in part, but a coming together of the purest human love in the end. The Fall was definite separation, but the promise of Abraham brought man back together with His Creator, although in a limited capacity. I won't trifle with all of the details as I am already too long-winded for most of you, but in the end came One who separated Himself from Father, so that His sacrifice, death & resurrection (separation & togetherness), could bring us fully together with Abba Father once more. Like it's supposed to be. And that's the Truth of it all - ultimate togetherness. Communion is restored.

Yet despite knowing that fact and even rejoicing in that truth, it is a struggle for us all (most principally me) to deal with separation and to live in real communion. It's our greatest task in life, maybe even the crux of life. We must learn to live with the gaps and try to grow in the relationships we have. That includes man to man relationships and Father to child relationships. That's what it is truly all about. But it is hard, and it sucks, and sometimes it seems the absence of another or the space between is far too wide, forever long. The space between appears insurmountable. It appears the space between is the only place we exist - completely separate.

However, that is not true. I can't believe I, of all people, am saying this, but it is my foothold on this slippery slope. No - total separation is not true. For because where there is separation there is togetherness. And where there is a beginning, there is an end. And guess what? I know, deep in my soul, that end equals togetherness. Communion. Love. When the space between seems infinitely wide, uncrossable, remember that fact. We will be together again. Take it to the bank. The space between will disappear into the embrace of together.