If it walks like a duck....

...and quacks like a duck then guess what....IT IS A DUCK. Now if you read any of my previous post you know that I did not vote for Obama BUT that I was willing to give him a chance. A chance to prove to me that he was going to try to change the culture in Washington. A chance to prove that he can work with both sides of the aisle. A chance to prove that his "moderate" position he ran on after the democratic nomination was the true Obama. Well so far he has struck out on every single thing he has done. My patience is already being put to the test. Now dont here me wrong....I HATED DUBYA. So this is not a "the previous 8 years where great".

So let me present a little of what I call strike outs. Now in fairness not to appear as if I am just ranting...I am also going to put forth some things he COULD have done to "moderate" Washington and prove to the people like me(what I would call the majority of Amercians) that we aren't extreme left or right and what we want is someone who IS in the middle.

Strike 1 - First thing Obama does is to remove the ban that Bush imposed allowing tax dollars to go to out of country family planning organizations. Now for those of my readers who don't know what that means....basically it is Planned Parenthood just without the federal restrictions due to the fact it is out of the country.

Why this is bad - These international parenting organization do preform so VERY good things however they are pro-abortion places. Now this is not the "we are killing innocent babies" arguement however(thought it does apply). What these place have is the ability to do things not regulated by our government because they aren't part of our country. SO one example is this....texas teenager (17 years old)gets herself pregnant, doesn't want parents to know, she drives across the border to Mexico, gets herself an abortion and no one has to know! THIS IS A BAD THING. Instead of giving the parents the option to parent we are saying the government know better for our families than we do. What this also does it take MY tax dollars and put them to work on abortions.

Solution - Fund these organization, as they do preform good services as well, BUT require them to have to abide by our laws put forth at the federal level. So when a teenager wants an abortion she has to have parental consent. This would have been at least a step in the right direction because the extreme left aren't going to like this nor are the extreme right. This would have been a step towards the middle but instead Obama listened to and pleased those high power donors that got him elected.....but then are we surprised?

Strike 2 - Stimulus Package....Obama has proposed a package that will be a spending and tax cut package however the tax cuts are a smoke screen because they are payroll tax credits and you have to be working to be able to benefit from this.

Why this is bad - I think on the whole this is a good idea but it needs to be modified a little. The extreme left want MORE GOVERNMENT which means more taxes which means less money in my pocket to use how I see fit(ie giving to my church or other organization that help people) They don't want tax cuts because it means that they can't do as much at the federal level(which might I add I think is a good thing becuase I the federal government can't manage the money I give them now much less more). The extreme right ONLY wants tax cuts because it would shrink the governments ability to do more because they would have given back money(this is a smoke screen too because the government doesn't care if they have the money or not but that is a topic for another time). As it is right now the extreme left is getting everything they want because they don't have to give back money, they get more government programs, and keep themselves elected because that is what union labor wants!

Solution - The only true way to stimulate the economy is a combination of true tax cuts and true government spending. Go ahead and create these jobs by spending our tax money BUT don't smoke screen the tax cuts. Go ahead with the payroll tax cut but half it and take the other half and send people checks for the money. This would give the left what they want...more programs and give the right a little slice of what they want which is money back in their pockets. This way you are in the middle and you are stimulating the economy and you aren't playing to your extreme left while showing that there are people in this world who don't agree with MORE government. When you combine the two what you do is do more government for the time being to help get us back on track but with the tax cuts you will have less money in the future to continue these programs without restructuring the federal government which if you don't agree needs to be done you got your head in the ground.

Strike 3 - Increasing the power of organized labor. He has withdrew some of the restrictions placed on organized labor(unions) that the bush administration put in to place to help bring union labor more in line with the world economic line of labor.

Why this is bad - to explain this you have to understand unions and their history. Unions came to be because companies took advantage of their employees to help the bottom line(cutting wages and making work less safe instead of more) and make more profit for management and share holders. I don't think anyone would look at this and say a bad thing at the time. BUT now we have federal regulations in place to regulate safety and wages. WHY should any Tom, Dick, and Harry be paid 100K to screw in a couple of screws in to a car in a GM auto plant. This is not skilled labor and it is not worth 100K for Tom to be paid that much. What this does is undervalue skilled labor and college educated people. So thanks for making my degree worth even less than it is already worth. Also this hurts our competitive edge against foreign companies that DONT have to pay as much for non-skills labor.

Solution - Keep Union restrictions in place BUT force the federal government to put further restrictions on employers to further prevent what caused unions to happen in the first place. You could require a minimal amount of health care to be paid but the company to all full time employees, mandate vacation time be given(more than already given), or even require employers to pay for well checks/physicals on all employees. This would improve our workforce, productivity, and competitive cost with foreign companies.

So far Mr. Obama you have not fulfilled your promises about working to bridge the divide all you are doing is the politics in the same on manner. You are working only for those that funded your campaign and that isn't CHANGE!

Holy CRAP its 2009

Nine years ago it was Y2K and being in the technology field that was like dooms day. But the world didn't end and everything came out A.O.K from all that so here we are.....2009. Alot of people like to look back to the previous year and remember all the things that happened as a way of closing out the year and moving to the next. I have been accused of doing and being many things in my life but sentemental is not one of them and though I have SO much to be thankful for(nearly 5 years of marriage to the woman of my dreams, the birth of my Son, etc..) I am going to post a few things about this coming year. These are NOT resolutions!

"....and here we Go!"

I always try to draw inspiration and challenge from people around me of which I have high amounts of respect. Some of the influential people in my life, Crystal, Mom, Dad, Keith, Jeremy, Bryant to name a few. But in December I had a break through moment. Do you realize the smartest people in the world are readers! People that enjoy reading, learn from reading, get ideas from reading! Most of these people could care less about TV....give them a good book. Me I hate reading. I always figured why use my imagination(that takes work on my part) when I can let the writers of TV shows do that part for me and I can get to the entertaining part by just enjoying it. But in December I was rocked a little on this feeling. Due to a work trip i got an opportunity to witness a very smart man and his library. Gene Parr is a Campus Minister at Morehead State University in Kentucky. This man literally has thousands of books. I don't mean he has a couple book cases full. when you grew up did you watch Beauty and the Beast.....do you remember the library in that story...that is what I mean. Gene is also one of the most enjoyable people to talk to and you can just tell he is a VERY VERY Intelligent God fearing man. I was inspired by this to commit to get past this hatred I had of books. So with my wife sitting in the living room with me I told her my plan. I am going to read 6 books (non-fiction) over the course of the next 12 months. Now for me this is a huge huge goal because i am the worlds slowest reader and combine that with my lack of desire I have had....it is a lofty goal but to this point i am actually getting to a point where I can say I am enjoying and looking forward to my morning time of sipping coffee and reading my book. Hopefully this is going to translate in to me being a smart God fearing man, husband, and father. More details to come later but I will post my reading list, at least as it is right now, and then hopefully this will give me some stuff to blog about as the year goes on....

Unchristian(reading right now)
UnChurced
Whats so Amazing About Grace
Calvinism - A southern baptist dialog
(to be named later)
(to be named later)

Pro's vs. College

I have made it no secret in my life and in my blogging that I am a football fan. Doesn't matter what type of football I love it. I like high school, college, pros, little league, backyard, so on and so forth. So Saturday's and Sunday's around our house have become quite the football watching place. My wife in her love for me has learned to and appreciates football now. She is always asking me questions about the the game and I am always happy to answer her with the answer IF i know it.

Now I started this way because I just finished watching the SEC championship game. I also make it no secret how much I dislike Florida. Urban Meyer has taken over the top spot on my crap list away from the "old ball coach" Steve Spurier....no surprise they are both tied to Florida. But with that said I must congratulate Florida and also say how impressed I am with Tim Tebow. This is a special college player. He absolutly beat Alabama on his own. He accounted for close to 80% of the offense. This is amazing.

Now I have praised him enough(and being that i HATE florida that is about to end) it is time to debate a serious topic. Does Tebow have a future in football? He is a double threat in college. He can beat you with his legs and his arm isn't to bad either. My brother-in-law and I had a debate about this and if you know either of us very well you know this was a "spirited" debate to say the least. Jeremy thinks that Tebow is going to be a great pro quarterback. I do not. Let me give a couple of reasons why i think this and then i will let the discussion take over.

1) Who was the last great "mobile" quarterback in the NFL? let me throw out a few names people might be thinking. Michael Vick, Steve McNair, Donavan McNabb, and more distant past, Randell Cunningham. These are all good names in the pros and all had nice careers in the pro BUT not a one of them has won the Super Bowl. The ONLY elite quarterback to be considered elite without a Super Bowl was Dan Marino and lets face it....Tim Tebow is no Dan Marino. If you think so then this post isn't for you.

2) Mobile quarterbacks don't win in the NFL. Every thing in the pros is bigger, faster, and stronger. Mobile QBs have to change their game to win in the Pros. Tim Tebow is a brusing runner which I will confess is different than the others mentioned above but lets think about this....you have Tim Tebow running the QB draw and Ray Lewis is the Middle Linebacker. Im sorry my money is on Lewis. Matter of fact I am pretty sure that Tebow might last two or three hits like that but it wouldn't be many more. His game would have to change to the likes of McNair or McNabb to be successful and to be honest I don't think he has the pocket presence to be like either of them.

3) What makes Tebow so great in college? I would argue his legs. Ask any SEC coach about Tebow and I promise none of them are going to say he is going to beat them with his arm. His threat to run is what makes him GREAT in college. The option doesn't work in the Pros either so he can't run that in the pros.

4) Tebow is a product of the spread option. This is probably the one point people can argue with but it is how I feel. Place Tim Tebow at another school and his numbers aren't even close to what he is at Florida. He has HUGE running lanes because Meyer spreads the field so much that you might only see 5 in the box and 1 safety over the top. This is very successful in college but not in the pros

5) Tebow isn't Michael Vick. Of all the names listed above Vick is probably the only mobile QB to be successful staying true to his game. Vick however is lightning fast and elusive. Tebow is a bruiser. He isn't light on his feet and he doesn't have any moves to fake out people. He trys to run over them and that is easy in college when the average backer is probably 225 lbs. The average pro backer(minus my Colts) is around 250 to 260. You don't run over people that come in at 250lbs.

I think Tim Tebow is an AMAZING college player and quite deserving of the Heisman he got last year and is equally deserving of it this year but I do not think he will be an elite level QB in the pros. I don't even think he is a first round draft pick for the reasons listed above and because pro teams only draft a QB in the first round if they think that guy can be their franchise QB(ie Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Aaron Rogers, Philip Rivers). Does anyone here think Tebow is a franchise pro qb and if so Why?

...im as giddy as a school girl!!!

I was going to wait to make this post until after the press conference today but I can't wait especially since the AD of UT said they are announcing the Lane Kiffin hire!!! I am very excited about this hire. He was the coach I thought UT should go after. He is a young, resourceful, motivator, and one heck of a ball coach. Let me give a couple of quick notes as to why this was a good hire.

1) National NAME! - Call is the whole "there is no bad press" ideal but he is nationally know because of what happened at Oakland. Im not saying he is Nick Saban at all BUT to get a name known nationally IS HUGE! Lane was a good recruiter at USC and UT needs someone that can recruit west of the Mississippi and Lane can and will.

2) Bright Young Coach - Kiffin was heralded by many of the anaylist on TV for being a great coach and for how he handled the Oakland job. People want to point out his record there but the comments of other coaches means alot to me. Check out what Jeff Fisher said about Lane. Comments Kiffin had Oakland playing tough and competing each week. Look what they have done without him.

3) All-star staff -
DC - Monte Kiffin, Lane's Father, is one of the leading DC in the game of football. He is the architect of the Tampa 2 defense, sorry Tony Dungy. ESPN has talked alot about the elder Kiffin. Monte wanted to go to Oakland with his son but Crazy Al wouldn't let him on account that he, Al Davis, is Nuts. Can you imagine the Tampa 2 at UT. We have the speed and we get the talent. This could be just sick. I would like to see Urban Myer crapping in his boots to think that the /Tennessee 2 is coming to the SEC.

OC and Recruiting - Ed Orgeron is widely consider one of the BEST recruiters in the nation. Look at the talent he brought to Ole Miss. I know what Ole Miss's record was under him but look what he has done as a coordinator and look at what Nutt is doing with the same players!

4) Probably the most important point I can make is the nature of the college football player has changed. Most great high school football players have one goal in mind.....get to the NFL. They don't care where they are all they care about is the possibility of going NFL. SO to compete nationally we got to get some of those players and UT can! Lane Kiffin is thought of highly in the pro circles and coached a number of current pro players at USC . His fathers record speaks for itself. Player are going to want to come play for UT because it will present them a good shot at the pros especially on the D side of the ball where the cover 2 style defence is competing with the 3-4 as the most used and hardest to beat defensive scheme's in the pros.


****One Draw Back**** Can Lane Kiffin translate his coaching style and the coaching style of his OC and DC to the college game. That point could be argued all day long but only time will tell. I for one think it will. GO VOLS!!!!

I'm Good

As I said I promised to get away from political post so i thought this was worth while. My wife sent me this video(taken on her phone) and I am still just smiling ear to ear as I post this. Please enjoy the video and talk about how cute my kid is :-)!

Quick thought

Im at work but I have to get this off my chest. FOLK JESUS ISN'T A REPULICAN NOR IS HE A DEMOCRAT! It is about time people get off their horse of "this country is going to hell because we elected a democrat" and "well great...abortion will never be over turned now". Folks God is in control so before you start down either of those paths remember that God put Obama in office! Is that a sobering thought to you?? It should be. Christ gave us two commandments..1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. So it is time we as the "Church" start doing what we are commanded to do which is lead people to Christ. Once we get our focus set on that all other things will work there way out. And one more thing....some people seem to think things in this world are going to get better....read the book of Revelation and I think you will find that to be incorrect. It is going to get WORSE before it gets better!

Obama said last night that though he didn't earn my vote he wants to be my president...well Im willing to give him that shot. Obama is my President and I pray that God give him guidance, wisdom, strength, and safty in the next 4 years.

** addendum **
This is not be saying I agree with Obama's policies cause I don't

** addendum 2 **
This is not me saying that Obama's election signals the end of time...Im pretty sure the 3 horse man will be a give away to that not the election of Obama

** addendum 3 **
Abortion will never be over turned....Bush was in office for 8 years and nothing changed...the Supreme Court didn't even hear an abortion case(that revolved around its outright elimination) and even if they did people need to understand how the courts work...it take a lot to overturn a precedent like the abortion precedent.

** addendum 4 **
What is the number of people I piss off this time?? Comment your guess.

** addendum 5 **
This is my last political post from here on out it is back to my family and technology.

I voted....

...did you. I don't really care who you vote for but what I care about is did you vote. One of the things my mind just cannot understand is people NOT voting. People died for that right for us and we take it way to much for granted. Go vote!!!! Go Exercise your right!!! Now with that said I will give a brief discourse on who I voted for in the major elections.

President : I was very torn on this one. I don't like either McCain or Obama. Both are big spenders and both aren't going to trim the fat in Washington(I don't believe Obama is going to bring change because he has voted 98% of the time with his party). McCain has been labeled as George Bush(Excellent strategy by the Dems) but if you look at his record thru his years of service he has voted against his own party more than any other elected official in that public of an office. Now Sarah Palin scares the sh$% out of me but I did vote for McCain and here is why in one sentence. This country(with exception to the past 2 years) ALWAYS functions better with checks and balances are in place and having a democrat congress and a democrat white house basically does away with checks and balances in those two branches of government. So here is to me hoping some radical feminist doesn't go ape on McCain(if he gets elected) and we end up with our first woman president because Palin scares me more than Obama.

3rd District : On this one I was not really torn. Though I have a lot of respect for Yarmuth(he has done a good job in the house much to my dismay) the one thing I want done here in Louisville is the new bridge projects. I don't think the hospitals in the area need more money(Baptist, Jewish, and Norton are all building new hospitals so they don't need money). I want the east end bridge done and that is IT!! So I voted for Northup though i won't be disappointed in a Yarmoth victory in the least.

Kentucky Senate : McConnell vs Lunsford. Holy CRAP did i hate this race. This was the most negative campaign I have ever witnessed and it made me sick. I almost didn't vote for it but then i would be stupid because I believe everyone should vote. I voted for McConnell for one reason! WKU. He has done a tremedious amount of work to secure funds for WKU and I for one have see the benefits of that.

Brief conclusion : Though it seems I voted republican alot I really didn't. In most of the local elections I voted for democrats because they don't have alot of funds to work with, they aren't getting more, and they get alot done with what we give them now. Plain and simple my view of government is this.....I always want less government, less taxes, less spending, less interference, and less general crap from washington. I dont need them to tell me how to live, how to work, how to pay my taxes, how to support the poor, and how to have morality. The federal government, This includes Dubya, can't manage what I give them now so what makes me think that giving them more is a good idea. I will always lean towards this feeling so when someone tells me they are going to raise taxes and start new spending project(even if it is on the wealthy), for what ever it is, I don't like it and will no support it.