I never did spend much time on Facebook.  I liked that I was able to connect with some old friends through Facebook. Why leave? In the end, Facebook is a virtual world that I don’t want to be a part of on a personal basis. Yes, I do want to be involved with my friends and family. but not through the public vehicle of Facebook. I will still keep my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Letters? Emails? Phone calls? Visits?  Yes, those I will like very much!

In case you want to leave Facebook too, here is a guide on how to delete your Facebook account.
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Last month, I closed all my credit card accounts.  I sent the following email to a friend of mine.

I’M COMPLETELY FREE OF CREDIT CARDS!

I have not a one to my name or business.

It was fun calling them all and closing the accounts.  They all wanted to know why. My reasons, when I shared them, totally baffled them!

He replied with the following:

THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!!   You are now in the 15% of households with no credit cards. Ironically, as recently as 1970 only 15% of households had a credit card.  What a run it has been for the banks but a disaster for most families.  Keep up the good work!!

I used to think that having credit cards and paying them off each month was OK.  My friend tried to convince me that having credit cards would increase my spending and limit my ability to control my spending.  At the time, I didn’t agree with him.  However, when I decided to leave my corporate job, I needed to cut my spending in half.  That was when it really hit me.

It always surprised me when my credit card bill arrived, how it was always bigger than I expected. I was always able to pay it off, but it was a disappointment to do so and have to miss some other goal I had set with my money. Now that my credit cards are gone and all the bills paid off, it is a wonderful feeling to not receive those bills every month.

I will admit that it has been an adjustment to not just put it on my credit card when I needed or wanted to buy something.  It takes more planning and discipline to manage the budget this way.  But, isn’t that what I am trying to do?  I will also say that I am getting pretty close to cutting my spending in half from what I used to spend.  Pretty amazing, huh? Maybe it is true what I have heard, that you will spend 40% more with credit cards than without.

My wife was doing laundry with our children and started writing down where the clothing was made. Not much was made in the U.S.A.

• Czech Republic
• Singapore
• Honduras
• Bahrain
• Jamaica
• Mexico
• Taiwan
• Jordan
• Guatamala
• Haiti
• Brunei
• Nicaragua
• China
• Dominican Republic
• India
• Darussalam
• Canada
• Costa Rica

Yes, there was an item Made in the U.S.A., but it was about 25 years old!

The people of the United States have lost the capability to produce their own clothing and many other necessities. What will we do if war comes to the world? I can answer this for you.  We will suffer.  Our nation used to be able to produce anything we needed from the natural resources within our borders.  Sadly, that knowledge and infrastructure has been lost.

I remember, back in the 80′s, when Wal-Mart tried to spur American manufacturing.  Sam Walton penned this letter to spur a change in the United State’s ever-widening trade deficit. The following quote is underlined for emphasis in the letter.

Our Wal-Mart Company is firmly committed to the philosophy of buying everything possible from suppliers who manufacture their products in the United States.

U.S. manufacturers could compete if there was a corporate will to do so. Sadly, the next quarter’s bottom line and the laws of our country almost mandate that our manufacturing capability be moved outside of the country.

I believe that hard times are on the horizon, perhaps even war.  Anyone have a good loom for sale?

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; – I Thessalonians 4:11 (KJV)

God bless, Mike

John Piper’s response to President Obama on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Take this quiz to see how conservative you are.  Here’s my score:

Why does our government borrow so much money when doing that is directly opposed to God’s principles?

For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. — Deuteronomy 15:6 (KJV)

This was God’s instructions to the nation Israel regarding national debt. It is a principle that any government would be wise to follow. As you can see, nations that don’t borrow reign over other nations. Nations that borrow are reigned over by the lender nations. What kind of nation is the United States? We are the borrowing kind. That does not bode well for our future as a sovereign nation.

“I place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” — Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect and author (1743-1826)

I came across this link the other day. It is a map, from amazon.com, that tracks American’s book buying. It shows whether a state is red (Republican) or blue (Democrat) by the types of books purchased. Click here to look at it. Most of the states (as of this date) are red. Of course, just because you buy a particular book doesn’t mean that you will vote a certain way. Perhaps the conservatives just read more?

I also wonder what each candidate for President really believes. When I listen to their answers, during interviews, it seems they really don’t have convictions about many issues. On several questions they fumble around with an answer. It doesn’t seem right that someone who aspires to be President can’t clearly articulate their position on issues.

Then I came across this quote:

“One who forms a judgement on any point but cannot explain himself clearly, might as well never have thought at all on the subject.” – Pericles (Athenian statesman)

And then there is this:

Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. – Proverbs 10:14

A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. – Proverbs 12:23

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. – Proverbs 14:3

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. – Proverbs 14:7

The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. – Proverbs 15:2

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. – Proverbs 15:7

The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. – Proverbs 15:14

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. – Ecclesiastes 4:13

That about sums it up. Scary, isn’t it?

Quoted from the Associated Press.

“I never thought I would hear myself saying this,” Dobson said in a radio broadcast to air Monday. “… While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.”

What happened to?

Earlier, Dobson had said he could not in good conscience vote for McCain, citing the candidate’s support for embryonic stem cell research and opposition to a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, as well as concerns about McCain’s temper and foul language.

The lessor of two evils is not a vote of conscience or beliefs. It is a pragmatic approach that furthers the decline of the United States. The Christian voting block is a large and powerful one. We can choose (and vote for) a candidate that will work hard to further a platform that is aligned with Biblical values. Read the platform of the Constitution Party.

It’s time to leave the Republican Party behind. Read the Promoting a Culture of Life section of the 2004 platform. For six years the GOP controlled the House, Senate, and the Executive Branch. Did they strike down abortion? No! I was shocked when I heard the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party admit on a radio program that he hadn’t had time to read the party platform!

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 (KJV)

Don’t pick the lessor of two evils. Vote your convictions, Christian. It is your civic and moral duty.

A little over a year ago, I put out a blog entry called The College CBA. Recently, Vox Day put out a post called More doubts about college. Then, there is an interesting discussion on the Promised Land blog for the post called Where Have All The Daughters Gone?. In it, the observation is made that college and career seems to be the preferred path for homeschooled daughters. Not to leave the sons out, based on my experience, there are many opportunities in the trades. (If you are service-oriented and do a good job at what you promise, you will do well.) I think it is most important that a young man prepare himself to support a wife and children, if he plans to get married. Once again, the bar is not very high for a young man to excel and set himself apart. A job well done or a quality product, or service, are not well known any more. A lot of opportunity is waiting and I do not believe that many of those opportunities absolutely require a college degree.

David Schmaltz has suggested a day, modeled after the Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, called Bring Yourself to Work Day. He sets it on the fourth Friday of April, April 27, 2007. I think it is a great idea. It actually might work, rather than wreck havok!