Isreal is out but it does not seem to be enough

For years many have believed that Israel stayed in hot water with Palastinians because of their occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. The occupation caused fragmentation among mixed communities and other issues. Well, Israel is out of the Gaza completely but it seems they have not escaped the hot water. A rocket barrage was launched from Gaza at Israeli towns across the border.

Militants in the Gaza have no reason left to attack Isreal. Start to build your country and stop bothering others. If Hamas and others continue their terrorist attacks from unoccupied territories then I would expect Israel to retake those areas and this time remove every Palastinian in them. When this happens the free world no longer has any excuse to find fault with Israel. Israel has done its part by leaving these areas.

Flooding is not our problem say insurance companies

Much of the damage in the gulf coast is caused by flooding rather then by wind, flying debris or other things covered by standard home owners policies. Because of this many insurance companies will not be paying claims, after all flooding is specifically excluded from home owners policies.

So which came first and was the root cause? The hurricane or the flooding?

I think the root cause is obvious and this is not like the flooding caused from torrential rains that do no damage other than flooding. The mid-western flooding of 1993 was a good example of flooding being the real problem and I would accept that flood insurance was needed. In the case of the aftermath of devastation left by a hurricane I think insurance companies claiming it is a flood problem is criminal, even in the case of New Orleans.

I will not miss Mark after he retires

A great friend of mine, Mark, is one of the many individuals that have accepted early retirement from my company. Many will ask if he is such a great friend why will he not be missed? Simple, I will not let Mark exit my life other than work. Mark and I are several states apart but I will make every effort to continue our friendship and not get disconnected from him. I have not always been the best at continuing links between myself and friends through the years. Mark is someone that I truly want to remain in touch with until the bitter end when my corpse enters the ground.

Thanks Mark for being a great friend, a great co-worker, and for always being there when I needed someone to vent with over the corporate good times and the corporate bullshit we live through every year.

You will not be missed because I will not let you exit my life so easily :)

Does the Military have an EXIT STRATEGY from Hurricane Katrina?

When thrust into a crisis at home Americans are quick to respond without question to the needs of their neighbors. Americans are also quick to complain that help did not arrive fast enough and not enough is done. Despite Herculean efforts by the country and our military to help the liberal media hunts down the disgruntled and quickly puts them on the air.

I don’t mind disgruntled people so much since people in crisis are desperate to get help quickly and there is always something we could do better to help. But then the liberal media actually asks the military how long they will be helping the Gulf Coast area. The military provided the correct response; we will be here until the job is done. Now for some reason the liberal media does not ask what the military exit strategy is for the Gulf Coast. How can we as Americans be so self-centered to assume that helping others must have an exit strategy while helping ourselves should go on until the job is completed?

Before you tell me not to compare war to a hurricane you had better listen to what is reported on all media, liberal and conservative, about the hurricane. It is a devastated war zone like area. Why devastation exists is obvious in both the Middle East and the Gulf Coast, now and in the past. How quickly we forget the devastation caused by an unchecked Hitler and a hurricane called Camille, both of which required us to be there until the job was done.

We are helping Iraq and Afghanistan to become a free people that can guide their own future instead of living under tyranny as we did in the 1700’s. There is no psychic ability to predict when these jobs will be done and the media in asking for one is telling America that getting out is the goal. Getting out is clearly not the goal for the Gulf Coast or for the Middle East. For the Gulf Coast the goal is to help everyone get back on their feet and rebuild their lives. For Iraq and Afghanistan the goal is to help people who have never been allowed to stand on their own two feet to do exactly that, and help them to rebuild counties.

Stop asking for an exit strategy in both cases and start asking what we can do to help the job to get done completely and effectively. NOT what others can do better, but what we can start to do to help.

Does God Help Them That Help Themselves?

This is a famous "Biblical" quote that is of course not in the bible but is really a quote from Benjamin Franklin. Many people to this day, including myself, believe that there is truth in these words while many will argue that this is in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

From http://www.acts17-11.com/cows_helps.html

More important, this "verse" is unbiblical in its meaning. It is exactly the opposite of the message of scripture.
Jer 17:5 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."
Prov 28:26 (NIV) He who trusts in himself is a fool...

These statements are typical of those that believe this statement is false. Notice though that the statement does not tell us to trust ourselves or depend on flesh for our strength. In fact the statement to me assumes that God is on our side and if we start moving God has a more opportunity to help us and we trust that he will. It is not our flesh that we depend on for spiritual strength but rather it is what we depend on to take actions that the Lord would appreciate and support.

Considering the times that Ben lived in I think that America came into existence and serves the will of God because people gathered together and helped themselves. I think God has been helping us ever since but how much help can he be if all we do is stand still. To a great degree our isolationist, do nothing and stand still, attitude led to two world wars. Lets not do that again.

I am not a Bible scholar, I am a simple man who believes in God and believes that God works through our actions and not in place of our actions.