Sunday, Romans 12

A LIVING SACRIFICE

1 THEREFORE, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Back In the Land.....

WHERE I BELONG

AFTER DRIVING 840 MILES since yesterday morning----from San Rafael, California through Evanston, Wyoming and on to Daniel Junction this morning--- I decided to stop at the highway junction store (Wy 189 and 191) before driving the last 65 miles north through the Hoback Canyon to Jackson. It's a perfect place for a quick bathroom break and also a place to reward myself for making this gargantuan drive. Like the down home feel of the Cracker Barrel, this store gets you in the mood for the part of the country you're really in.

Anyway, after my first order of business, I walked along the grocery shelves and spied my long distance driving reward: a jar of Jiffy Peanut Butter. I bought and paid for it, then found a plastic knife and napkin. With these and a cup of ice in hand, I returned to my car and proceeded to eat the peanut butter out of the jar with the knife until I had had quite enough, thank you very much. While my mother and grandmothers were twirling in their graves, I decided it was a much better than downing a pint of Scotch from the aisle next to the peanut butter and Vienna sausages. I did not make a spectacle of myself and did this in the privacy of my own car. Let's face it, after being in chicy Marin since last Monday, I figured eating Jiffy, parked in front of the Daniel Store was just what the doctor ordered to re-acclimatize me to the Old West I was coming back into. It's good to be home again. I'm on my way to sleeping off the peanut butter binge tonight logging at least 12-14 hours of much needed sleep!

Thursday/Friday

KEITH KOFFLER: DEBT CEILING ALREADY A LOSS FOR OBAMA

FRIDAY'S FUTURES PLUNGE AS TEA PARTY HANGS TOUGH WITH BOEHNER
BEEN EVER SO BUSY THESE LAST FEW DAYS, such that I haven't had the time or inclination to write---not even a word. It's unusual, but in my free moments, I simply have wanted to be quiet with my thoughts and reflections.

View From My Hotel Window

AM NOW IN THE HEART OF VALLEY CALI (MARIN), land of milk and honey, extraordinary landscapes along with such far-left political insanity that it makes me crazy just to pick up a newspaper! Have a busy day, but will be back at some point to relate at least one new bender of an idea California's mother-of-all nanny government has.....It's a doosey!

Western Utah

JENNIFER RUBIN: HOW DID OBAMACARE GET SO MESSED UP? HONK! IF YOU NEED A CUP OF SALT!
Driving west at this time of year teaches you what intense, intense sun in your eyes is. And the meaning of intense drowsiness which it causes. Drinking tons of water---coffee alone won't do it and eating carbs during the day is dangerous---with periodic stops to rest and put your eyes in total darkness for 10 minutes is the only way I've found to proceed. On from Winnemucca to Reno, then the Bay area.

Romans 8

BEWARE ROMANTIC PORN
ROMANS 8 COMMENTARY: FROM GROANING TO GLORYROMANS 8: 22-39 (NIV)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[b]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[c] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THE HIGHWATER MARK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING is this excerpt from Paul in Romans 8. I want to memorize the entire chapter so it is embedded in my heart forever.

Am getting ready to leave for San Francisco in a little while so blogging will be spotty for the next week or so. Thank you for coming by.

Fly Or Drive

MEANWHILE, KEITH KOFFLER: DEFICIT NEGOTIATIONS BREAK DOWN (AGAIN) OVER TAXES

THIS IS SO COOL! If you have some time to drive and are willing to do some work, you might find this website helpful. In my case, I've decided to drive from Jackson, WY to San Rafael, CA soon (to be with my late friend's family ahead of her memorial service) for several reasons, including the exorbitant cost of flying in and out of Jackson Hole on such short notice and in the high-season of summer, a preference for driving over flying when possible and the flexibility of leaving and returning when I want. PLUS, I don't have to worry about getting groped in the airport! Sure crossing Nevada is not my idea of a day at the beach. On the other hand it's not forecast to be as hot there next week as crossing Kansas several weeks ago when the temps hit 111!

FLY OR DRIVE CALCULATOR

DOOR-TO-DOOR (each way From Jackson Hole, Wy. to San Francisco, CA)

Fly: 5 hours, 7 minutes
Drive: 1 day (12-hour day), 3 hours, 16 minutes

TOTAL COST

Fly:$1,200.00 Total Cost
Drive:$654.54

CO2 IMPACT:

Fly:1,304 lbs.
Drive:CO2 Impact: 1,938 lbs.

Your Trip: Jackson, WY to San Francisco, CA (edit your trip)
Driving Distance: 918 miles

HT: Carpe Diem

Monks In Louisana Win Court Battle And Bury the Coffin Cartel

BROUWER: CONGRESS NEVER CUTS SPENDING

WHAT A GREAT DAY for free markets and economic liberty against ridiculous government interference and control which benefitted only the enfranchised funeral industry and its lobbyists in Louisana. Today the monks of St. Joseph's Abbey and the Institute for Justice won their case in federal court! The YouTube below gives you the background.

Now these monks can go back to doing work with their hands they've done for over 100 years--by making their beautiful and simple caskets again with the help of Institute for Justice. The IJ litigates on behalf of individuals whose rights are being violated by government.

H/T Carpe Diem

My Bad Influence Sends Medical Advice

DEBT CEILING REDUXI ADMIT I'VE BEEN BUSY AND PREOCCUPIED these last few days. When it happens, I begin to lose my sense of humor. But leave it to My Bad Influence to send an email---just in the nick of time--that makes me roar with laughter.....however it does NOT increase my anticipation of flying to San Francisco next week. So much so that I may just do the drive on I-80 from Wyoming through Utah and Nevada into Oakland and on to Marin cause I don't need anymore medical exams right now, thank you very much.

Then he sent this unattributed, salient quote on raising the debt ceiling:

RAISING THE DEBT CEILING to solve the federal budget crisis is like raising the blood alcohol limit to solve the drunk driving problem.

Sandwiches Swamwiches

HEY LITTLE GUYS, don't forget to eat your broccoli! Meanwhile, Pooch waits for some small kernel of corn from G-boy to come his wagging way.

Mark Perry Asks/Answers Why Medicare Patients See the Doctor More? Short Answer: OPM Disease

A SUBJECT NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. Why do people who pay nothing for something, in this case Medicare for healthcare, actually use it more with no appreciable results and care nothing what it costs?

Mark Perry at Carpe Diem has the answers via WSJ and it's not rocket science, it's called spending other people's money:

Almost all discussions about Medicare reform ignore one key factor: Medicare utilization is roughly 50% higher than private health-insurance utilization, even after adjusting for age and medical conditions. In other words, given two patients with similar health-care needs—one a Medicare beneficiary over age 65, the other an individual under 65 who has private health insurance—the senior will use nearly 50% more care.

Several factors help cause this substantial disparity. First and foremost is the lack of effective cost sharing. When people are insulated from the cost of a desirable product or service, they use more. Thus people who have comprehensive health coverage tend to use more care, and more expensive care—with no noticeable improvement in health outcomes—than those who have basic coverage or high deductibles.

In addition, Medicare's convoluted benefit structure encourages the purchase—either individually or through an employer—of various forms of supplemental insurance. Medicare covers roughly three-fourths of total costs, but about 85% of the Medicare population has expanded coverage with small to limited cost sharing. This additional cost insulation pushes seniors' out-of-pocket costs toward zero, thereby increasing overall utilization."

Because I have an individual health insurance policy with a very high deductible, I care what a health care service is going to cost on the front end. If I don't like the estimate, I shop around for a better deal and can usually get it. I also negotiate. I'm the one who tends towards keeping costs down in the system, whereas the unlimited user who gets it paid for by taxpayers, causes rising costs for everyone. The upward spiral goes on and on. But it bears repeating: It can't go on forever this way.

The 23rd Psalm

1 THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

---KJV

5 Reasons Pro-life Movement is Winning

The Fun of Hiking With Friends, Followed By Learning of the Death My Lifelong Best Friend

HIKED WITH THE HEAVY-HITTERS TODAY AND IT WAS A FABULOUS OUTING FOR ALL. A nine-mile hike with only a moderate elevation gain of 1,400' still presented a good haul for most of us. Fortunately for me-- here for less than a week---there's still so much unprecedented, late snow in the mountains right now that the group had no choice but to offer a moderate hike. Any hike is a good hike when you return in one piece and can actually get in and out of the car.

As with many hikes into the wilderness, it's often impossible to get cell phone coverage. So today, I left my Blackberry in the car and was out of contact for almost 8 hours. When we were finally heading back to town and my phone lights came on, I saw that I had several voicemails---unusual for a Saturday. As I listened to the messages, I heard the husband of my best, oldest friend Pat, calling from Marin telling me she died quickly this morning of respiratory failure. She had been battling cancer now for about 7 years, and it was certainly not unexpected. Nevertheless, I felt a shock of deep grief go through my heart and soul, and will be dealing with this loss of her for a long time. We've been best friends since we were two and next-door-neighbors......

Is Polygamy As Inevitable As A Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

SADLY I'M WITH TIM CHALLIES ON THIS. Once marriage is redefined as not exclusively between one man/one woman then then all the walls come tumbling down. I shudder to think about the freak show that comes next. Certainly polygamy will be legalized soon. We haven't the vaguest idea of the long-term consequences. But they will be myriad and not to civilization's liking, I'm quite sure.

Photo, WSJPhotos

Climbing Out of Jackson Hole Over Teton Pass

JENNIFER RUBIN: MYTH OF OBAMA'S GREAT TEMPERAMENTJACKSON HOLE IS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS ON ALL SIDES, and dense fog frequently settles in the Valley over night, causing early mornings to be dreary and dark. But when the sun comes up it often warms the earth evaporating the dismal cloud cover. Yesterday we awoke to that ominous, low lying cloud soup. Before the dreariness lifted, I had driven over Teton Pass towards Idaho to meet a group of friends for hiking and snapped this pic of the Valley, several thousand feet below. By ten, there wasn't a cloud in the deep blue sky. A good time was had by all, although high, fast and dangerous waters kept us from fording some of the streams on the trail causing us to turn back early.

Mixed Greens Braised in Bacon Drippings

EVERY YEAR WHEN I ARRIVE IN THE ROCKIES, I go through several weeks of altitude adjustment. It's not altitude sickness---which is different---but adjustment which entails going through body changes that build red blood cells to carry more oxygen from the thinner, higher atmosphere. There's no escaping this process, and, for me, it always requires patience.I simply don't have my normal amount of energy the first couple of weeks I'm here. I really try not to push myself too hard, sleeping longer and making myself drink more fluids.

One thing that helps this adjustment along is to eat lots of leafy greens which help to build hemoglobin in your blood.

So tonight I recalled an old recipe from my days of having a garden right outside my kitchen door: fresh greens lightly sauteed in bacon grease. Any excuse to cook bacon, I say! You can use the bacon later for BLT sandwiches, eggs and bacon breakfasts or by itself. But the important thing is to cook several slices, using the drippings for the greens after the bacon is cooling on the paper towel.

Tonight, I sauteed organic greens from Idaho and seasoned them with sea salt. They were spectacular. However, next time I'll squeeze some lemon juice (which I forgot to pick up at the store) over them and perhaps add a little garlic. Either way, I feel a large dose of red blood cells coming on! Then, it's onward to make an 8-hour sheet sandwich....but hold the bacon.

Tamny: Get Over It, The U.S. Has Already Defaulted

THE ANSWER TO THE DEBT-CEILING QUESTION SEEMS OBVIOUS: DO NOTHING

GOVERNMENTS CAN DEFAULT by suspending or delaying payments on debt owed, or by simply devaluing their currency. As evidenced by the dollar's decline over the last 40 years, the U.S. has been a serial defaulter. What's apparent from his hysterical television comments is that Tim Geithner will not allow the traditional kind of default, which means the Republicans are fools for negotiating a boost in the debt ceiling at all....

In short, the U.S. defaulted in 1933, and as evidenced by the dollar's stupendous decline in value from 1/35th of an ounce of gold in 1971 to 1/1550th today, the U.S. has been in default for most of the last 40 years.....

Of course if what Geithner says is true, the answer is very simple. Geithner's Treasury collects far more than enough each month to stay current on Treasury interest obligations, so if default really would be the catastrophe he says, he should make sure to put the U.S.'s creditors first in line for monies available, after which a Congress that's really never cut spending (thanks to Larry Kudlow for clarifying this) in nominal dollar terms would have to find a way to make do with less money to spread around.

The above naturally begs the question why the Republicans are even negotiating at all. They talk an awful lot about the importance of smaller government, they've been handed a legal barrier that will necessarily make it small as interest costs on Treasury debt rises, so if they truly believe their own rhetoric, they ought to hold firm.

A government that borrows less tautologically means more credit will remain in the private economy, and with investment an essential driver of economic progress, the alleged party of growth could achieve a smaller government alongside more investment in the private sector in one fell swoop. The answer to the debt ceiling question seems obvious. Do nothing.


Read Tamny's whole article.

BULB :Freedom of Light Bulb Choice

BUMMER: MEASURE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE INCANDESCENT FAILED TODAY. END IN SIGHT.

WHICH IS HEALTHIER: COUNTRY VS CITY LIVING?
HERMAN CAIN'S LOVELY GOSPEL ALBUM HITS THE WEB

WILL IT? SHOULD IT? COULD IT---THE THOMAS A. EDISON LIGHT BULB---REALLY GO AWAY IN 2012?

Yes it could. But not if any of us nutty conservatives have anything to say about our favorite endangered source of burning-the-midnight-oil. Most of us don't want federal law makers telling us what we should and shouldn't buy to screw into our light fixtures. Especially when it comes to our favorite standby--the 100-watt incandescent light bulb.

Bobbie Petray of the Tennessee Eagle Forum emailed this morning reminding us that saving the incandescent in Congress will come up for a vote early this week:

Liberals in the last Congress enacted "efficiency" standards, scheduled to take effect in 2012, that will diminish Americans’ standard of living and dictate the types of light bulbs we can and can’t buy. These environmental "standards" will start eliminating 276 versions of the Thomas Edison incandescent light bulbs in 2012; the drop-dead date for our favorite 100-watt light bulb is just a few months away.

However, because of the hard work by activists like you last year in electing conservatives to the House of Representatives, the new House majority is working to restore our light bulb freedom.

Congress is expected to vote on the Better Use of Light Blubs (BULB) Act probably today, Tuesday. The bill will protect our access to light bulbs of our choice and will guard against mandates that force Americans to use bulbs that contain dangerous mercury.

The BULB Act will restore consumer choice and competition, and it deserves support from both parties. The bill will ensure that no federal, state, or local lighting requirement can mandate the use of bulbs that contain mercury.

If Congress acts this year, we can make sure the market – not a government mandate – gives consumers their light bulb choices. Members of both parties should support H.R. 2417, so be sure to call your Congressman even if he or she is liberal.

So if 'choice' matters to you when it comes to light bulbs, get on the horn to your congressman asap and let him know you want to keep your 100-watt Thomas Edison!

Sunday

SO GOOD TO BE HERE. High waters, massive runoff, over-average snow pack still to melt, so the grizzlies are still in the low country.

Every bug in north America is on my wind shield plus the dreaded gravel ding. Still, the thrill of being in this high-intensity valley where the summers are short but nuclear-loaded with adventure on every level, never ceases to enthrall and amaze me.

But before anything begins with or without me, I'm diving into the sack for a much-needed full night's sleep. Goodnight moon. Goodnight lupine. Goodnight mountains. Goodnight friends. Goodnight debt-ceiling.

Weekend

TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT.--PROVERBS 22:6 COMMENTARY
HAVE LEFT GOOD FRIENDS IN GRAND JUNCTION, returned to Boulder and now heading to Riverton, Wyoming today to visit an old friend before going on to Jackson Hole early Sunday. Will be out of range for a while.

Saw this article, Failure Is Not An Option, at the Gospel Coaltion today and think it hits a central truth of our troubled times. No child can be 'given' self-esteem by parents or anyone else. They can only be lovingly shepherded to learn the eternal Truths of God, take responsibility and repent when they fail which leads to learning from their mistakes and slowly growing up to adulthood. (The process never ends for any of us!) All else stunts growth and creates another generation of self-centered, self-absorbed narcissists.

Failure is an option and more than that, a requirement of living and growing up. We can pray that failure comes in small doses rather than being forestalled in one big, overwhelming tsunami later on. Not only do parents try to shield their children from failure, politically correct teachers, Congressional leaders and the president pitch in at every turn attempting to prevent it. But it only sweeps it under the rug only to return in a bigger and more painful lesson.

Thank you for coming by. God bless.

Welcome! William and Kate Arrive in LA

RIP BETTY FORD
DETAILSLET THE BOWING AND SCRAPING BY HOLLYWOOD ELITES BEGIN! Nevertheless, this couple is beyond attractive. When this is all over, hopefully soon, I hope they'll go into hiding back home in their gym clothes and skives to recover for a while...otherwise they risk over-exposure.

I'd long-since be catatonic, begging for mercy from all the attention and fanfare! It looks glamorous but it's a grind in so many ways.

Yeeee-Ha!

ON THE LAST LEG OF THEIR CANADAN JUNKET, the royal couple gets into the spirit of the Old West and are good sports through it all....but not for long as they put the cowboy hats and shirts away soon and head for Los Angeles and an altogether different kind of rodeo/circus. I shudder to think.

Sow Grizzly With Cubs Kills Man in Yellowstone

AS IT SHOULD BE: NO PLANS TO DISPATCH MAMA BEAR
IT HAPPENS RARELY BUT WHEN IT DOES it gives all us who use these wilderness resources regularly pause for reflection and reevaluation. I've lived and worked in grizzly country for over 25 years and seen many a grizzly bear in the wild. My frequent house guests have too. By the Grace of God only, every encounter has been benign. Most recently I ran into a big male griz in 2009 during an early morning hike in the Bridger-Teton Wilderness in the Buffalo Valley region of Jackson Hole. It was sobering to say the least.

As a result of that encounter----along with the price of gas---I made a decision to spend this entire summer---rather than in my favorite stomping grounds 35 miles from Jackson--- closer to town and the West Bank of the Snake where grizzlies are almost unheard of----yet. My training hikes will be on much more well-trod people trails. Don't want to tempt fate or push my luck too far. Meanwhile, I can only imagine what the wife and family of this man must be going through. What a trauma!

I will say that this area of Yellowstone is known for great brown bear encounters and a threatened sow with cubs is the most dangerous run-in of all. I'll also say again, the bears in Yellowstone National Park are more dangerous and less afraid of people and tourists than the big bears in the Bridger-Teton Wilderness where I hang out because they encounter hunters with high-powered rifles during hunting season each year. That's enough to make most of them act like bears should when they encounter people: they run away rather than towards humans. Still there are no guarantees and one treads this land with caution and respect.

MEANWHILE, whacked out animal extremists aim to radically 'liberate animals' from humans in California.

The more I think about it, the more I think the United States might consider making this left coast state another country.

How To Flabbergast Your Interviewer And Drive Your Point Home

PROMISES THAT CANNOT BE KEPT @ ZH

I'M WITH ALLAHPUNDIT, this may be one of the greatest interviews ever. Seriously.

Ed Miliband, leader of Britain's Labour party was in control, unerring, unflappable, focused, never budging from beginning to end when the interviewer gave way in total flabbergasted defeat. As the reporter continues to hammer Miliband with questions, he looks sillier and sillier, while Miliband comes across like a tennis star who's just won the set 6-0, 6-0.

As a former reporter who did lots of interviews, I can only say, Utterly brilliant!

Obama/Cuomo: 2012's Unbeatable, Unstoppable Presidential Ticket

MJ PERRY: ECONOMIC FREEDOM EXTENDS LIFE EXPECTANCY
I HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT, cause nothing makes me sadder than what I see coming down the political pike. Economy or not, dollar or not, President Obama is going to be re-elected to a second term and is smart enough to change his running mate from Joe Biden---who's as good as gone---to Andrew Cuomo, newly elected governor of New York. I'll write more about this later, but adding Cuomo to the ticket will cast a wider net of much needed supporters because the vote will be close.

Was having a 4th of July dinner last night at Kristen and Jeff's with her parents. Over Kristen's delicious key lime pie, My Bad Influence, a staunch Republican and fiscal conservative, ruined the whole evening by waxing on and on about how Obama is a shoo-in in 2012. I told him to cease and desist over dinner, but---Oh No!---on and on he went. All I could say is that I sadly agree with everything he said: President Obama will be re-elected, especially with Cuomo as a running mate.

But here's thing: Republicans need to concentrate their efforts on holding the House and re-gaining the Senate. Remember, it's Congress that controls spending. And that's where all the heavy lifting takes place. Winning both Houses will surely keep the checks and balances in place with this dismal president winning a second term.

I hate to see Gov. Rick Perry waste his efforts in 2012. He best wait till 2016 to run.

One other thing: after the 2012 elections, the economy will slide once again into really dark places making 2008 look like a day at the beach in comparison. Like I say, I hate it, hate it, hate it. And hope, hope, hope My Bad Influence and I are wrong. But I don't think we are. Meanwhile, billions of dollars will be spent duking it out and at the end of the day, Obama will win the day and many a key lime pies will be ruined for us conservatives!

UPDATE: STILL THERE'S GOING TO BE SERIOUS COMPETETION

The Sordid Strauss-Kahn Affair

CHARGES MAY BE DROPPED, but I still care very little for this deranged media circus. Both Strauss-Kahn and his accuser---notice how officials have never given her a name?---are equally unsavory in my book. The media fell for this sham because Strauss-Kahn's prior behavior over the years made the possibility all the more believable. He made himself a sitting duck. Of course, we jumped to conclusions. However he seemed like a willing host for sexual predation. Both victim and accuser should be sent back to their native countries. Let France deal with their future presidential contender. And Guinea deal with her. The sooner the better.

On the 4th, Why Not Hike Liberty Cap?

REFLECTIONS ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
IT'S STEEP, HOT and climbs a nice 1,100', so better start just after the sun rises over the beautiful Grand Junction Valley. While hiking, it might be a good idea to think on the concept of liberty: What it meant to our founding forefathers who were willing to die for it; what it means to us softies today who just want bigger and more. Think about how liberty is lost when personal responsibility is supplanted by government nannism and out-of-control borrowing to support our addiction to that over-sized government boob. The lender is truly the master of the borrower. And our country is teetering on the verge of slavery again.

Will we have to fight Civil War 2 to get rid of this new rendition of slavery? I hope not but am not terribly optimistic. Meanwhile I'm chillin' with friends after that great hike up Liberty Cap.

Gave the right-of-way to the collared lizard with the beautiful aquamarine outfit and golden fascinator!

With Wings Like Eagles

WONDERFUL COMMENTARY ON WAITING ON THE LORDDECLARATION OF DEBT INDEPENDENCE @ ZERO HEDGE
MOHLER IN WSJ: CHRIST FOLLOWERS AND THE GAY CULTURAL REVOLUTION THOSE WHO WAIT UPON THE LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not grow weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

---Isaiah 40:31

We wait for God by resting in Him. We wait by patiently listening to His instructions and corrections in our everyday lives. We wait for His guidance, not the dictates of our culture. We wait by daily prayer and Bible readings allowing these practices to inform our actions, thinking and character.

I love this Bible verse and have committed it to memory for those many times I'm efforted out and exhausted. For when I've done all I can do with a challenge and lay it down at the foot of the Cross of Christ. God's plans for our lives are always in His ways and timing and when I struggle against that Great Truth, then I'm always bound for frustration. On the other hand, when I wait on the Lord in faith and thanksgiving, I can be content in all my circumstances.

God bless you and our country on this 4th of July weekend. In a little while, I'm off to Grand Junction where I'll be visiting my good friend and her hubby, my bad influence for 4-5 days before going on to Jackson Hole next weekend. Posting will be as I can over next few days.

The Amazing Second Coming of Alfalfas In Boulder

UNCHAIN OUR HEARTS

IT ALL STARTED RIGHT HERE IN BOULDER AT THE CORNER OF Arapahoe and Broadway back in the 80s. A little neighborhood, upscale health conscious grocery store came into being. In a very few years it was so successful it changed its name and became the mother lode of Wild Oats Markets which spread over the granola capital of the world, before franchising in selected markets throughout the country.

But then: its biggest, baddest competitor from Austin, Texas---Whole Paycheck---swooped in and gobbled up Wild Oats and other smaller stores and chains, and there was nothing left in the land but the omni-present monolithic fat cat Whole Sachs.

Then a funny thing happened in federal court. WFM verged on violating anti-trust laws and was ordered to divest itself (regurgitate) of some of its myriad holdings. Whole Sachs decided to divest itself of the old Alfalfas store since it had a massive new one about 2 miles away. When they heard about it, the original owners bought Alfalfas back, came in to the old property, jazzed it up,, brought in a little wine shop, and reopened as---you guessed it---Alfalfas, the friendly little neighborhood un-chain grocery store. It even re-opened on Earth Day for good measure.

Today, the world is just a little better, more diverse because there's not just one big bully kid on the block anymore. Now, there's Whole Sachs AND Alfalfas. I myself am so glad it's back . They've done a fabulous job!







BELOW IS a photo of The Med on Walnut, several blocks from Alfalfas, which is truly the most successful restaurant--- as far as I know it's the only one---in the history of the entire world, year in and year out, decade after decade. They simply do an incredible business and the quality hasn't waivered at all. Standing room only most nights starting about 5 pm.

Notes From the Big Highway

ON THE 1,200-MILE FIRST-LEG OF MY DRIVE WEST to Denver/Boulder where I'm resting before going on, I'm always on the lookout for the best---I use the term loosely--gas prices. When I see a good deal, I grab it, sometimes long before the gauge says I need it. Gas prices this week ranged from $3.299-$3.799. I usually got the low end. Above, I snapped the photo when I spotted every kind of vehicle at an off-brand service station on I-70 in Kansas. Where there's a crowd, count on a decent deal on gas.
Driving for long stretches, especially into the western sun in the intensest heat/ light of summer, is challenging to say the least. Thursday as I crossed Kansas into Colorado it was a blistering 111 degrees. So it's mandatory to treat such a drive as an athletic event, getting out at rest stops and exercising early, drinking tons of water and a little strong coffee while foregoing all starchy, carbo-loaded, sugary foods until the end of the driving day. It can be a good idea to fast to keep from falling asleep at the wheel---and taking a short break/nap---when driving into the sun during the blistering heat of day.

Thursday, I exercised vigorously early at my favorite I-70 rest stop in the Flint Hills west of Topeka. There's a hidden trail that climbs about 200' that's great to pump up and down several times to get some elevation gain and the blood circulation. At the top is a windmill sculpture with a spectacular 360-degree view of Kansas in all directions---very green from spring rains. You can even see the curvature of the earth. But even early, it was fry-an-egg hot on the pavement.
The rest stop has a welcome center that's built into the hillside. It's where you want to be if there tornadoes swirling around the area. I've been there in that kind of weather. Thursday, though, was classic frying pan heat and not a cloud in sight.

In the first six hours of driving from Nashville to St. Louis and into Missouri, there are no less than five great rivers to cross: the Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio ,Mighty Mississippi and my favorite---the Missouri which drains all the way out of Montan. This year they were all still swollen, high and muddy but the worst of the flooding has slowly subsided.
Please stay safe while driving this Fourth of July weekend.