Ima be blunt in the first sentence: I'm probably gonna get a lot of mental flak for this post. But, I have to solidify my position on this before it's too late. (How do I define "too late?" Well... August 2nd.)

Anyway, here's my opinion on this whole fiasco: Don't raise the debt ceiling. Period.

"B-b-b-b-b, if we hit the debt ceiling, then we'll default! And that's a BAD thing, isn't it?"

Well, yes. Default IS a bad thing. We'll be stuck, basically, with a non-working credit card, investors will flee faster than geckos when they see my dog, and our political capital will.... not be quite capital anymore.

However, the problem is here: If we hit the ceiling, it DOES NOT mean that we will default.

Hah?

Allow me to explain.

This is the solution that I, PERSONALLY, would enact had I divine fiat over the Federal Government. My ideal solution. Instead of starting to talk about debt default, which scares people sockless, I would take the "revenue" (a democratic word for TAXES...) that we make, (which, as I remember, is about 4 Trillion Dollars.... a LOT of money) and use that to pay off our debt interest, social security entitlements, and military responsibilities. In that EXACT order. Why?

Well, paying off our debt interest consistently would avert any fear of default and remove any concerns about the ceiling. This is because paying off the interest will keep our debt to our lenders at the same, stagnant amount, until we stabilize our economy enough to start paying off the actual debt. It won't rise, so we don't need to worry about passing the ceiling.

Paying off social security because... well... we gave our seniors our promise that we would take care of them. (A FOOLISH promise, given the fact that social security is MASSIVELY insolvent--In Plain Terms: it wouldn't be able to do what it's supposed to do) It's also our single biggest expenditure, which means that if we that and keep it in control, a large chunk of internal cost will be curbed.

Military, because.... well..... it's no good if we have our money under control, and we're all dead. :-)

btw, those THREE costs TOGETHER equal.... about 500 Billion, liberally. We've got plenny money from "revenue" to pay all this off. It would hold off default, fulfill our promises, and protect us. Our bare essentials to preserve the US.

Now, why is this only IDEAL? Well, honestly, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. Representative Pat Toomey presented a plan to do something similar to this, called the "Full Faith and Credit Act," and it has been basically ignored. I do not know why. If anyone can explain this to me, please do. Because I am absolutely befuddled.

We WILL, at the rate we're going, hit the debt ceiling. But, that DOES NOT necessarily mean that we will default. If we enact Toomey's plan, we won't need to worry about "Giving the Alcoholic the Bottle," as Mr. Will Estrada called it. To me, this is the best option. No fear mongering. No red herrings. No straw men. Just GET THE PROBLEM FIXED.

Bottom Line: We can't be playing around with extra costs that will make our life "nice." Rail and Public Healthcare is warm and fuzzy. But we HAVE to sacrifice those things in order to preserve America's economic security intact. Prioritize our spending to what WE NEED to spend it on: Interest, SS, and the Military.

Goodbye, debt ceiling debate.

In the lifestyles imposed on us by the dictates of modern society, we do not often take the time to pause, to reflect on our surroundings, to "stop and smell the roses" as it were. To my surprise, I found such an opportunity during an event which usually blends right in with my hectic life: serving in the front of the house at the River of Life homeless outreach.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely do not wish to imply that the hustle and bustle during RoL represents a negative aspect. Scurrying back and forth from kitchen to table allows a server, such as myself, to interact with many a person.

During my past experiences at RoL, this usually represented the scenario: stand at the door to the kitchen, wait for a signal from the doorman/woman to let us know how many "customers" were walking in, hustle into the kitchen, grab a plate or two, and try to spot where the "customer(s)" in question sat. Often, I only had the chance to exchange brief pleasantries with the person to whom I gave a plate, before I had to run back to the kitchen to grab another meal for a guest.

This time, however, we had quite a bit of time in between kitchen runs, that much of our time "working" was spent standing, waiting, and singing along to the songs over the speakers. (Pastor Peter found time to ask me what band was playing on the stereo system.)

Our team had quite a bit of hands out in front, so we kinda rotated who grabbed plates, and who served who. This resulted in even more waiting for each individual waiter. Basically, it was a really slow night.
(I'm told that it was because most of the working homeless had just received their paychecks, and their motto is "if can, spend.")

During the off-times in between runs, I was able to the sheer diversity of the people coming into the room to get a meal. Most obvious was the way they looked. Some had long dress pants on, some had short jeans on, some tank topped, some T-shirted, some rugged, some looked like they had just taken a shower. (I even saw one that looked kinda like Elvis. XD)
Less evident, but still prominent, were their attitudes. On one hand, a few possessed the confidence to walk right in, unhesitatingly take a cup and fork, and sit right down where they wanted to. On the other hand, most people walked in shyly, took their cup cautiously, and walked to the nearest open seat. Even when conversing with them briefly, a simple "hello, enjoy your meal" from me received a "howzit, brah?" in return from some, from others it was "how are you, my brother? Praise the Lord," and still others said nothing at all.

Through all of that, however, one thing really impacted me: the closeness of the community. If a person could not find a seat, he or she almost always received an invitation from the other side of the table to occupy a vacant seat. When a meal was not finished, the full customer asked the person next to him or her if they wanted the leftovers. Laughter and talking echoed throughout the room.

Serving this group of people, who could grasp what real fellowship and unity was, came to me as a real joy. If the homeless community has one thing going for them, it's their comradeship. For some, it even extends to other people, regardless of who he or she is or where they are from. One man asked me to pray over his family, which really touched me. (In the end, I called Pastor Peter over to pray, because it would have been... a little awkward for me to do it with a Pastor right there. XD)

It was an absolutely fantastic experience. Many would view it from the outside as an "extracurricular activity," but I view it as much more than that. It is a chance to serve the Lord by serving his people. Even if I am not blessed with the gift of helps, it bring me great joy to do something like RoL.

Although, I am hoping for a little more activity the next time I go. :-D

Rather than post something on my own, I want to take the words of a poem I found online. This should be the prayer of every Christian in America.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
God Bless US
by Udiah (Witness to Yah)

O Lord, our refuge and strength
When it's 'in God we trust'
The foe has struck your firstborn
With a great infamous thrust

Like history repeated
A Trojan Horse await
To massacre the blameless
A 'Nine-eleven' fate

They've dared defy an army
That does proclaim you Lord
Deliver US from their hand
Whet your glittering sword

Our Father who's in heaven
Shield US, your battle axe
Guard these in Thy replevin
Then Babylon do tax

Give US righteous victory
In Thy name, Lord of host
So that all the earth may know
'In God we trust' foremost

O Lord, our Rock and fortress
'Land of the Free' protect
Keep US strong 'til Shiloh come
Then on to Him collect

He maketh the wars to cease
Unto the end of earth
Breaketh bow, cut sunder spear
To chariots flame's birth

'Be calm, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.'*

The Lord of hosts is with US
Our refuge we proclaim
Bless US in our endeavor
We ask in Jesus name.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Happy Birthday, America. May God protect you from your enemies, inside and out.

I recently took one of those neat, nifty little quizzes on selectsmart.com, (great site, btw.) gauging what your political affiliation was. Not that direly needed the assistance from an online questionnaire, but it's fun to play around with these things once in a while.

While I got the "Conservative" result, (shocker!) one of the questions piqued my interest. It read "Do you believe that the Constitution of the United States of America should be considered a 'living, breathing document?"

It took me back to a couple of years ago, when I was convinced that government was the worst evil in existence. (In some cases, I still do. But it is much more mild now, thank you very much.) I took something that the authors called the "Best political test in the world." And yes, it was on Facebook. Thank you for asking.

In this quiz, a question very similar to this one now at hand popped up: "Is the Constitution 'Living and Breathing?" Without hesitating, I clicked "Yes, absolutely."
My thought process went something like this: "Because the Constitution is our Supreme Law of the Land, and it is still being acted upon today, it therefore must be a live law, in contrast to the law in Hawaii where you can't stick a coin in your ear, which is a dead law, because no one pays any attention to it." (No joke, it's a real law. Look it up.)

I was pretty proud of myself for going through that line of reasoning back then. Now, I wish I had done a bit more studying.

When a politico references the "Living, Breathing Constitution," he or she does not question if people still pay attention to it today. Rather, he or she questions the INTERPRETATION of the Constitution.

Picture it like this: The "Living, Breathing" Constitution is a man living on a farm for half his life. He gets accustomed to making brick, to driving a tractor, to getting up at 3:00 every morning to milk the cows. Suddenly, his farm gets repossessed and he is forced to live in the city for the rest of his life. Without his mortar, without his tractor, and without his cows, the man has no choice but to get accustomed to city life, i.e. 7:00 mornings, making paperwork instead of brick, and the only milking he does is the milking of his financial assets.

In this example, the "Living, Breathing" Constitution, the man, had to conform to the customs of the society in which he was placed. He lived according to the dictates of technology, to the new experiences, and the new limits on what he could do. (Unfortunately, most apartments don't allow tractors.)

So it is with our actual Constitution. According to the "Living, Breathing" theory, (Let's just call it the LB Theory.) the Constitution has to conform to the customs of society. For example, the 9th and 14th Amendments reference the idea of "equal protection," meant to apply to strictly to the rights of Life, Liberty and Property at its drafting. Now, it must encompass all other "rights," such as privacy, marriage, and choice.

On the flip side, some believe that the Constitution is, in contrast to the LB Theory, dead. This viewpoint states that the original intents of the drafters of the Constitution, for better or for worse, must be preserved and utilized as much as possible. For example, on the issue of speech, the Founders probably did not anticipate all the forms of speech going around today, such as the internet, television, and radio. In the recent case of Brown v. Entertainment Merchant's Association, (the Violent Videos Games in California case) Justice Clarence Thomas said that the "original intent" of the 1st Amendment's free speech clause, an issue in this case, only covered stuff like public forum, printed word, and other such communication. Justice Thomas argued that the Constitution could not be re-interpreted to fit this situation, in other words, it is not "Living and Breathing" when it comes to Video Games.

Sorry if I confused you a little bit. I tried to make it as clear as possible.

The Bottom Line is that the Constitution is still being observed today, so that is NOT what people mean when they say "Living and Breathing." It is a reference to interpretation. Should the Constitution have its interpretations reflect society, or should interpretation reflect original intent? Or is it a conglomerate of sorts?

It's all yours. You form your take on this.

By the way, if you want to know more about the Brown case referenced above, you should read this article. It's kinda funny to hear Justice Antonin Scalia talk about things like "Mortal Kombat" and "Sonic the Hedgehog."
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/01/1551217/justice-scalias-violent-video.html

One of the biggest, yet one of the less controversial questions of Hawaii politics this year.

The tag: "Relating to the Board of Education." A very unappealing line, concealing an amendment that would, in a nutshell, change the BOE from being elected to being appointed by the Governor, whoever said Governor may be.

*COUGHDUKEAIONACOUGH*

This amendment will be on the November 2nd ballot, among the infamous elections.

My view? At first, I was leaning towards the status quo. After all, the people need a voice in electing our education representatives, right?

However, here's the problem: the people do not and have not used their voice in the slightest. Out of the already-lower-than-%50 of Hawaii's population actually voting, less than %50 of THAT actually voted for BOE members. That's less than (less than, less than, less than) %25 of Hawaii's population using their voice in the Board of Education Elections.

Out of the 6 finalists for the Board of Education from the Primary Election, 3 will emerge victorious.

Assuming that the votes are distributed across all 6 candidates, EVEN LESS than the %25 who vote for the BOE will choose the reps for the next few years. That's democracy for ya.

Really, what type of accountability does the BOE have now? A few people coming to their meetings and ranting on issues like furloughs and air conditioning?

Now, on to an APPOINTED school board. Now, I'm leaning towards this, simply because of the ensured competency of the representatives, and the direct accountability of the board to the Governor.

Ideally, the Statewide Board of Education should just be completely abolished and replaced by specialized local-level boards.

Only the Worldview Academy Southern California 2010 attendees would understand that title. And boy, is it a LEGIT inside joke.

Anyways, I had an absolute BLAST at Worldview Academy this year. Because I attended the Seattle WVA last year, I had an inkling of what to expect this year. However, because all of my buddies from Washington stayed in Washington, I didn't think that I would know too much people. That was really my only negative thought prior to camp.

Boy, was that thought erased quickly.

After I checked-in at camp, my first actions was to check the names of the male attendees, posted on the front door of our dorm building. There, I saw the name "TJ Metcalf," one of my good friends from Hawaii.

*Insert cheering and whooping here*

Not to say that I was bored of Ricky and Lucas, (Both Hawaii buds) the latter of whom I had traveled to the LAX with, and the former of whom we stayed with for a couple of hours after getting off the plane.

Far from it; I was just wondering if there was anyone else that I knew. I did NOT expect TJ to be there, so it was an extremely pleasant surprise.

Halley and Christa, two friends who lived in Hawaii, attended as well. They, however, don't count. They're girls. I won't see them 3/4ths of the camp. No sexism intended.

Ummm......

*Run away and hide until the "hell-hath-no-fury" passes.*

So, after checking out our dorm and unpacking, I socialized, (hard to believe, I know.) said "hi" to Luke, a staffer I knew from the previous year, (he was a student with me at Seattle that year... dude's a genius.) and chilled until the staffers called all the students together.

Thus began the BEST week of my life. (A very bold claim, I know. But... yeah. I am obligated as a student of WVA to say that.)

Now, covering every single event, as I did with the food camp, will turn into an incredibly lengthy and bore-some paper. Thus, I shall only review the noticeable parts of camp.

First and foremost, my small group. Man, I made an incredible group of friends this year. Led by Nathan Moller, (I THINK I got his last name right....) we totally ROCKED Point Loma Nazarene University with our epicness. Treeman, Coolman, Bigot, Decreed, Tim and Timmy, Brian, Lucas, and Benny.... I'll never forget those guys. (You remember that inside joke in the title? Message me on facebook or something, and I'll tell you what it is, now. It has everything to do with these guys.)

Second, the lectures. Ah! Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!! They were SO AWESOME!!!!! We had Jeff Baldwin, Jay Winslow, and Brandon Booth address us as our main speakers, and MAN were they excellent!!! We covered a variety of topics, ranging from postmodernism, to deception, to the Christian character. They were all extensively long, but I believe that it was absolutely worth it. I just wish those rows had more leg room. >.<

Third, FREE TIME!!!!!!!! You gotta love those times when you can just kick back, chill, and do whatever you want to do. During the free times they gave us during the mid-day, I played some Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Mafia..... hoo-wee, after about 4 hours of lectures, I needed that down-time.

Interestingly enough, Point Loma University overlooked a beautiful beach. Unfortunately, it was off-campus, which means..... *Dun dun dun* we couldn't go to that sandy paradise.

*Insert moaning and groaning here*

Fourth, the special WVA events. These ranged from team competition, to a staff vs. students game of ultimate frisbee, to the infamous evangelism practicum.

During camp, the student body was divided into 4 color teams: Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Each competed for the ultimate trophy, to be given to one team at the end of camp: The SPAMLEY CUP!!!!!

(Pay no attention to that terrible pun behind the curtain.)

To win that famed possession, the teams competed in team color trivia, a cheering contest, and a relay. Man, was that intense. I was quite surprised at the end results, though. Throughout the week, my team, the green team, placed consistently in 4th place. This was probably due to our team's lack of trivia hardiness. However, through an astounding turn of events, (Or perhaps our winning the cheering contest and losing the relay) we ended up in 2nd place, with Yellow trumping us. (Hey, coming from far behind to destroy two of the favored teams is pretty good, in my eyes.)

Then there was the staff vs. students frisbee game. 11-3..... yeah. That was painful. Nuff' said.

And finally, the evangelism practicum. Latin for "Real Evangelism," the students received a pamphlet, and were sent out onto the streets with one purpose in mind: to implant one question into passerby's head. That question is: "What happens when you die?"

Reflecting last year's results, my partners and I were either waved off after a short conversation, or by an immediate "no thanks," or "not interested." every time we tried to approach someone. Disturbingly, one of these quick rejections was by a self-professing Christian couple.

Needless to say, we were quite disappointed by our lack of substantiative conversations with others. However, one thing was engrained into our minds: Obedience is Success. In other words, just by obeying God's command to preach the gospel, we already succeeded.

Besides, those guys aren't going to be rid of a haunting question like "What happens when you die?" anytime soon.

All in all, it was a GREAT experience. I'm already missing my excellent buddies from WVA, but hey, there's always Heaven.

I would definitely recommend Worldview Academy to any teenager. If you are interested in going, later on this month, I can get you a $100 dollar discount from tuition if you are a first time student.

I'm planning on going to Seattle again next year, to revisit me old chaps. Care to join me? :-D