God and Gump

Give Thanks to God, Our King

Psalm 47

God is King Over All the Earth!

Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Ethical Stem Cell Research Breakthrough

The highlight of the news today was the report of the breakthrough on stem-cell research. Scientists have learned of a way to make normal human skin cells behave like stem-cells in laboratory tests. I'm not a scientist and I don't play one on t.v., so I'll let you read the article published by the NY Times if you want details.

This is a wonderful achievement for science and medicine and a great advance for the culture of life. The purpose of my post today is to ask a couple of questions for us to ponder.

1. Would there have been such an effort to find other ways to research stem-cells if President Bush had not been so steadfast on this issue?

2. Do democrats see this as good news? Is this bad news for those seeking to use this as a wedge issue in the 2008 elections?

We were told time after time that President Bush was single-handedly causing people with ailments like spinal injuries and Alzheimer's disease to live in misery because he vetoed federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The President stood his ground and maintained that there were other ways to conduct the research without using embryos. It looks like he was right.

In June, Congress tried to undo the President's prohibition on embryonic stem-cell research, but the President kept his promise to veto the bill. Nancy Pelosi said this in a fund-raising email shortly before the veto, "Tomorrow, with a single stroke of his cruel veto pen, President Bush will dash the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of stem-cell research (emphasis mine)."  Hillary Clinton also used the veto as an opportunity to whip campaign supporters into a froth by saying, "[the veto was] just one more example as to why we're going to send [Republicans] packing in January 2009 and return progressive leadership to the White House."

Shame on people like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton who have such a myopic view of this sensitive issue to think that the only way to conduct research was through the use of embryos. If their view isn't myopic, then that means they are being intellectually dishonest. If that's the case, then who is really being cruel?

In reality, it is a wonderful fact that important stem cell research continues without giving in to the notion that life is disposable and insignificant.

So Speaker Pelosi, I am going to describe the great news of the day by rephrasing your quote, "Today, because of brilliant scientists interested in finding a better way - without political agenda- lifted the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of non-embryonic stem-cell research."

Go Bucks!

Today the storied gridiron tradition of the OSU vs. Michigan game continues. For the first time in over half of a century, both teams come into the game limping after a loss.

A win guarantees a least a trip to the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes, if a few more teams lose, the BCS Title Game is still a possiblity. But for now, it's time to take care of business in that smelly town of Ann Arbor.

Go Bucks.

Rest In Peace, Joe

Cincinnati Reds legend, Joe Nuxhall, passed away today at the age of 79. Joe spent 63 of those years affiliated with the Reds. His major league career began at the age of 15 and was the youngest professional player in history. Joe spent 31 years with Marty Brennamen on the air giving the play-by-play on the radio.

I grew up listening to Joe on the radio. The easy delivery of his commentary was as artful as any of his pitches as a player. He was one of, if not the best in the business of calling ball games. His humble style and fun banter with Marty could help you imagine you were there watching the game and made you want to tune in the next day - even if the Reds were having a "wait until next year" season.

But what most might not know about Joe was his generosity. Only those from the Queen City know that Joe gave generously of himself, whether to charity or to fans. Jean and I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Reds Hall of Fame when Eric Davis and Jose Rio were being honored. Joe always had time for a fan to give an autograph and for a picture. I could tell in the few minutes we talked that he was a kind person that was grateful for being able to enjoy the game of his youth for his entire life.

The game of baseball, the Reds and the city of Cincinnati are all better because Joe was a part of them. I'm praying for the Nuxhall family that they know in spite of their loss they can be comforted that while Joe was playing and calling games, he helped many thousands of people forget about life for a bit and enjoy America's pastime.

Joe now belongs to eternity as the Ol' Lefthander rounded third and headed for home. God bless and rest in peace. 

Huckabee for President

Occasionally, I make an exception to my no politics rule on this blog for things that I feel are important enough to discuss. Today is one of those times. The more I read about the candidates for President, specifically the Republican candidates, the less I'm motivated to support verbally - let alone financially. There are somethings I like about each candidate, but I fail to see the complete picture of a conservative President in any of them - save one. That candidate is Mike Huckabee. The more I read about Mike and watch him in the debates, the more convinced I am that he has the best balance of values and experience. Add to that, he is also an excellent communicator and has very keen wit about him. His communication skills are evident in that he is a distant 8th place in total fund-raising for Republican candidates, yet he is on the verge of winning in Iowa and his numbers are improving in New Hampshire. Mike has only raised $2.3 million (as of the last FEC filing) while Romney and Guliani have raised $61.6 and $46.7 million respectively. While that may sound like a negative, I point out that he's extremely competitive in spite of his scant resources. This is a testament to his ideas and his ability to communicate. And trust me, I'm sure Fund-raising will pick up with the extra media attention he's been receiving about his surging in the polls.

But beyond being competitive, Governor Huckabee is the kind of man we can be proud of as President. His positions on the major issues of the day are clear and firm. Please take a few minutes to browse his website and decide for yourself.