The Most Important Role of a Father

I was preparing to make a presentation of ‘Brothers Kept Apart’ at the Grande Salle, Central Bank complex, and I had to get there early to prepare.  As I was putting on my tie, my 4-year old son came into the bedroom and asked: “Daddy, where are you going?”  I am going to give a presentation, I replied.  “Can you give me a present too?” He asked.  I am not going to give a present but a speech.  Immediately he responded: “Oh! I know. You are going to say blah blah blah blah blah.”  Well, yes. I replied.

Mid-way through my presentation, I noticed my wife and son in the back row.  It was a school night, but my wife brought him along to see his father in action.  When our eyes met, he waved, and I waved back.  My wife had to restrain him from speaking.

 When I finished the presentation, there was a 15 minute intermission and complimentary refreshment break.  He ran to me, greeted me with a hug and said “You did good Daddy.”  While I got an ovation for the presentation, and received and appreciated the many kind and encouraging words from dignitaries, friends, and those whom I did not know, it was the response of my only begotten son that had me chocking back tears.  Thank you. I replied.

 I love my son.  I love when we walk together with his little trusting hand in mine, or when he climbs onto my back, or when I lift him into my arms as he raises his arms signalling to me that he is tired.  I feel rewarded just serving him.  However, I am fully aware that the most important function that I must play is to facilitate the transfer of his precious and complete trust from my hand to God’s hand, from my arms to God’s unfailing arms, from me to God.  For I am flesh, and my strength and knowledge will fade, but God is perfect and almighty and all-wise and good, and his guidance is sure.

 When I was fifteen years old, shortly before my high school examinations, my father and I were at home alone cleaning up.  Daddy was washing the dishes and I was drying them.  As we conversed, my father encouraged me to trust God and to seek his guidance.  Thus began not only an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, but the cultivation of a relationship with God, my heavenly Father.

 My hope for all of you fathers is that you be reconciled to the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that you facilitate the reconciliation of your son to God, your heavenly Father.  There is no greater responsibility than that.

 Regards,

Grenville

Public Presentation of Brothers Kept Apart

Dear Readers:

You are invited to a free public presentation of the concepts contained in Brothers Kept Apart.

The Book assumed that both the Bible and the Qurán were authentic, and then found harmony between their principal teachings without compromising the teachings, or damaging the integrity of any verse in the Bible or the Qurán.

The presentation is scheduled to be held on Thursday 18th June 2009 at the Grande Salle (Central Bank) starting at 6:00 pm.

Given the limited seating, you are encouraged to reserve your seat by e-mailing BrothersKeptApart@gmail.com, or text or call 232-9783.  Please note that seats will be reserved until 5:50 pm.

Regards,

Grenville

The Audacity of Hope

Dear Readers:

Christians and Muslims claim to serve the same God. However, Christian and Muslim teachers have convinced their adherents that God had rejected the other group. This has led to an acrimonious and sometimes violent relationship between Christians and Muslims over the past 1,300 years. Both of these groups believe that they will stand before the God of Abraham at the end of the age. Can these brothers, who have been kept apart for far too long, be reconciled before that time?

An Honest Look at Mohammed

Mohammed was born in 570 AD. He was an orphan and was raised by his uncle who was a trader. Mohammed also became a trader where he traveled from his home in Mecca around the Arabian Peninsula. When Mohammed was 25 years old, he married a widow named Khadīja and took no other wife during her lifetime.

When Mohammed was 40 years old, he reported receiving revelation from an angel. The message was that the Ishmaelites should reject their idols and submit to the One God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who was the God of the Jews and the Christians. His wife believed him, and she called her Christian cousin, Waraqa, who encouraged Mohammed that he was God’s prophet to the Ishmaelites, but to expect persecution.

Before Mohammed started preaching, Mohammed was financially well off, and he belonged to an influential family of the descendents of Ishmael. However, he risked it all and preached an unpopular message.

Mohammed’s Message

Mohammed started preaching in Arabia when he was 40 years old, and he preached a message of non-violence for the next 9 years. His message included:

• return to the religion of Abraham, and worship the One God, who is identified as the one God of Abraham, the Jews and the Christians;
• adopt responsible cultural practices;
• believe God’s revelation sent to the Old Testament prophets, and recorded in the Gospel;
• believe in the Messiah Jesus, who was born of the virgin Mary;
• believe that there is a resurrection and a judgment where everyone’s eternal future would be determined;
• believe that the Holy Sprit was sent to strengthen and guide believers;
• reject the ways of satan; and
• avoid the penalty of eternal hell fire.

Mohammed interacted with several Christian and Jewish religious leaders during his lifetime; however, many of them rejected him and his message. Mohammed’s message of returning to the One God of Abraham was very unpopular in the polytheistic region. It resulted in many family divisions, and severe persecution of those who forsook the dominant polytheistic religion. Many of his followers fled to Ethiopia in 615 AD to escape the persecution in Arabia. However, Mohammed remained in Mecca under the protection of his uncle.

From a Message of Peace to the Sword

Mohammed’s uncle and wife both died in 619 AD and to escape persecution, Mohammed fled from Mecca. Mohammed later declared that he was sent to humanity to call them to serve God alone. Later, he claimed that God had given him permission to defend his followers, and then to execute God’s judgment on the surrounding nations.

Mohammed sent letters to: Roman Emperor Heraclius, Persian king Khosrow II, Ethopian king Negus, the Egyptian king Muqauqis, and the kings of Uman, Yamama, Yaman, Bahrayn and Ghassani, warning them to submit to God or to face the consequences. After Mohammed’s death in 632, the Islamic armies would go on defeat most of these kingdoms, including the Persian and Roman armies. The Islamic army’s victories during the first approximately 100 years were as impressive as those undertaken by the Israelite army under Joshua approximately 1,000 years earlier. (See the Open Letter to Muslims for further information)

The Compilation of the Qur’an

Mohammed did not write the Qur’an during his lifetime, but his scribe had written the dictated messages on hundreds of stones, bones, and leafs. Approximately 24 years after Mohammed’s death, the final written compilation of the Qur’an was completed. However, rather than order the compiled chapters chronologically, they were ordered generally from the longer to the shorter chapters. Of all of the books ever written, in any civilization of this world, and at any time in recorded history, the Qur’an is perhaps the easiest book to misunderstand and to misinterpret for three principal reasons:

• its non-chronological ordering;
• the end of the ‘Period of Judgment’ is not recorded in the Qur’an;
• the Qur’an contains responses to various questions, teachings, and behaviors of Jews and Christians, but it rarely includes the questions.

Unverified Assumptions

These issues have led to Islamic teachers making the following unverified assumptions.

• Since the initial 9 years of non-violent teachings appeared to conflict with the later retaliatory and ‘Period of Judgment’ instructions, then some later “violent” verses permanently replaced or abrogated some earlier more “peaceful” ones.
• The ‘Period of Judgment’ or ‘Holy War’ is to continue until the end of time.
• Since the Qur’an is responding in a negative way to Biblical teachings, then the Bible had to have been corrupted.

Understanding the Qur’an

These assumptions actually damage the integrity of several verses in the Qur’an. However, they have become entrenched in Islamic religious tradition for the past 1,300 years. Given these challenges, the proper interpretation of the Qur’an requires a working knowledge of the following:

1. the Qur’an read in chronological order;
2. the Books of the Bible, to which the Qur’an refers the reader;
3. the historical biography of Mohammed;
4. the development of Christian and Jewish religious traditions from the time of Jesus to the time of Mohammed;
5. a history of Rome, Persia, and Arabia, whose activities are recorded in the Qur’an;
6. the Islamic commentaries, in order to understand the Islamic traditional interpretations.

Brothers Kept Apart

After undertaking this research over the past 30 years, I have found that there is harmony between the principal teachings of the Bible and the Qur’an. Given that both Christians and Muslims claim that the same God was the principal author of their Book, then why should anyone be surprised that there is harmony between both books?  The research is titled Brothers Kept Apart.

Regards.

Preparing to Howl

It seems that we are all in for a very rough ride.  Based on the evidence to-date, the US seems determined to reset its economy. But since misery loves company, many nations of the world have been drawn into the same sorry boat.  There are some benefits in resetting the global economy, and three of them follow.

 The First Benefit – Relief from Despots

 Many despots around the world have stolen and hidden money that was intended for their countries.  Many of them are well known, but the governments of other nations appear unwilling to confront them.  This money should have been be circulating in the nation to invest in their companies, provide employment to their citizens, and to enable the general population to pay for basic necessities and other property.  Since this money is out of circulation, then the masses become a burden to the state.

 If the state is governed by a despot, then history has shown that only the military and the politically favored will be cared for.  Resetting the global economy can eliminate this practice if a single global bank, issuing a single global currency in digital form, is used.

 The Second Benefit – Relief from those who Hoard Money

 When people horde vast sums of money in safety deposit boxes and other non-investment instruments, then the money is removed from the economic system and it cannot circulate.

 I believe that money is an economic tool that should be used, not laid aside to be idle for long periods of time.  Property can be hoarded, but our current economic system depends on everyone purchasing and selling property using the same tool called money.  Therefore, money is not property.  Rather, money is a tool of the economic system and it must circulate if the system is to work for everyone.

 People should purchase physical assets with the (not their) money, so that this money can return to the system for others to use.  People should be free to accumulate as much property as they wish, and to hold a reasonable amount of money to pay for their transactions.  But to remove large sums from the circulatory system can hurt everyone.  Therefore, resetting the system can solve the problem of persons who hoard the tools of the economic system, whether by greed, spite, or ignorance.

 The Third Benefit – Relief from Counterfeiters

 Resetting the economy can provide an opportunity to solve the massive monetary counterfeiting problem, which can increase inflation if the counterfeited money is circulated.

 Challenges with Resetting the Economy

 The problems with resetting the economic system so that everyone starts with the same amount, is that the currency must become worthless.  One way of achieving this is by printing money that is not backed by an equivalent value of assets.  The most recent example of this is Zimbabwe, whose currency has essentially failed.  The US President and Congress appear set to print trillions of dollars, increase social services, and increase taxes, while encouraging other nations to do the same.  So far, Europe is resisting.  We should al pay attention to the G20 meeting in London next month.

 The greater consequences of resetting the economy have to do with the likely national social upheaval, and the nation-to-nation conflicts.

 National Planning for the Resetting of the Economy

 With proper planning, a country can make the reset-transition less painful.  As the value of the currency declines, the Government can selectively nationalize: major banks, private sector businesses, and personal property.  Therefore, by embarking on a massive house building and government expansion program before the economic crisis, the Government can both employ and house its desperate citizens following the crisis.

 Hostility Risks

 The principal challenge with resetting the economy is dealing with other nations who are holding your now worthless currency.  Iceland is a recent example.  When the Government of Iceland stated that they could not guarantee the UK investors’ 3 billion pounds, the UK Government seized 4 billion pounds of Island’s assets until an agreement could be reached.  Previous amicable relations between nations mean little if one party cannot fulfill their financial obligations.

 China currently holds US$3 trillion in US assets, most of which will become worthless if the economy is reset.  Should the US not provide satisfactory guarantees to China and other nations in a similar predicament, then we should prepare for some hostile relations.

 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! (James 5:1)

Who can we trust?

As babies, we trust our parents or guardians completely for our survival.  As children, we continue to trust them while learning to trust in our abilities.  However, our parents normally make those decisions for us that can have long term consequences.  As adults, we trust ourselves to make our own decisions, and should be mature enough to accept and live with the consequences.

As we continue in our careers, we develop confidence in our abilities, opinions, health, memory, finances, influence, friends, etc, and we behave accordingly.  However, as we get older, we may recognize that these things are not as permanent as we had believed when we were younger.

During our lifetime, we will arrive at several crossroads where our abilities cannot help us predict the way with any certainty, and where the choice of a path can be likened to a lottery.  It is not a sign of weakness, or a lack of confidence to listen to wise counsel if the consequences of our decisions can be harmful to ourselves.  It is highly irresponsible not to seek such counsel if our decisions can be harmful to others.  These situations should prompt us to develop a relationship with our Creator who is willing to help us.

As we get well advanced in age, we know that we cannot trust in our abilities or health in planning for the future.  We entered the world completely dependent upon our earthly parents for our survival, and we will leave this world completely dependent upon Jesus the Messiah for our preservation.  In the interim, our trust shifts from our parents to ourselves, and then to God.  At the point of our death, our abilities, finances, influence, etc cannot help us.  If we have not learnt to trust God completely by that time, then who can we trust?

Regards,

Grenville

Starving for Corporate Worship of God

There are two types of songs typically sung in Churches.  There are those that are directed to us and those directed to God.  Both types are acceptable.

The songs directed to us normally declare how great and good God is, or include a call for us to worship Him.  Typical lines of these songs include:

Declarations:

• God is Great and His mercy endures forever.
• Our God is an awesome God.
• The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice.
• He is Lord, every knee shall bow.

Call to Worship:

• Exalt the Lord Our God, and Worship at His footstool.
• Come worship the Lord, let us exalt His name together.
• How great is our God, sing with me.
• Let us proclaim His majesty.

After we have declared how great He is, and how worthy He is of our worship, and after calling the Church to worship this great and loving God, then it would seem logical to actually worship Him. However, typically what happens is that the time allotted for corporate worship expires, and we all sit.

This is analogous to arriving for a sprint race, setting up the blocks, and waiting under the starter’s orders. The adrenalin is flowing and excitement mounts as you wait in the blocks. “On your Mark” (analogous to declaring that God is good and worthy of our praise), “Get Set” (analogous to calling people to worship this loving God), Get Set, Get Set, Get Set, Get Set. OK, times up. Back to the dressing room.

Many have been conditioned to believe that the ‘race’ consisted of simply getting in and out of the blocks, without actually running.  They happily repeat this process every week and comment on how well the race went.  However, it must be frustrating to those who know that after “Get Set” has been declared, “Go!” must follow.

Yes, I can and do worship God alone; however, in my community, once a week for approximately one half hour I get the opportunity to worship God corporately.  Regrettably, my experience is that such opportunities for actually worshipping God are not frequent.

The typical experience goes something like this.

We sing: “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns in heaven above …”

In my mind is say: I agree with you, He truly is awesome.

“Great and mighty is He, clothed in glory …”

Yes He is mighty. I am fully convinced of this.

“How great is our God, sing with me …”

Yes, I am singing with and to you. But, when can we actually sing to our God?

“Let us proclaim His majesty. …”

Ok, we have proclaimed it repeatedly. Can we worship Him now? Pleeeaaase.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enter His courts with praise …”

Yes, let us do this.  Can we address God now?

“time’s up, sit please.”

What?  What happened?  Oh no. Not again.  Why, why, why are you doing this? Good grief!

Last Sunday, we sang to ourselves again.  As usual, I participated fully, but in the hope that at least one of the songs would have been directed to God in order to facilitate our worship of Him.  I hoped in vain.  However, this time, the unrealized pessimistic hope resulted in more than the mental anguish.  This time I felt sharp pains in my arm and chest.

I imagined that God was on His throne, and Gabriel reported to Him. “Your people are singing to themselves again.”  I wonder what God thinks when this is all that we do.  Since I am frustrated to the point of physical pain after 30 years, I cannot imagine the hurt that God must feel. However, He is longsuffering and patient.

To preserve my life, I have resigned myself not to expect that any songs will be directed to God during the time scheduled on Sunday for corporate worship.  I realize that I may be pleasantly surprised once in a while, but I will not have an expectant attitude.  I believe that if I continue in hope, then when I am in the casket, you may wonder whether it was the stress from work or home that did me in.  While I can still respond, let me say that it was neither.

Before I sign off, let me give some examples of songs that are directed to God.

• God you are good and Your mercy endures forever.
• God You are my God, and I will celebrate you.
• Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways.
• You, we worship You.
• I love You Lord, and I lift my voice.
• You deserve the glory, and the honor.
• You did not wait for me to draw near to you.

There are many more and some can be found here:

http://www.justworship.com/worshipsongs.html

Regards,

Grenville

Highly Recommended

Approximately five years ago I purchased a new car.  It drove perfectly until I took it in to the dealer for the first service.  After every successive service it performed worse than before until it became unsafe to drive.

After each service, a lady would call me to survey the service quality.  Each time I would explain that the front staff with whom I interacted were excellent.  They were polite, kept me informed, allowed me to read their newspaper while I waited, etc.  However, the technical service was terrible – they appeared unable to properly service the car.

I was paying for the technical service – the customer interaction was an overhead charge.  However, I would rather an unruly and unkempt but technically proficient auto mechanic than a polite, tidy, but incompetent one.

I explained to the surveyor that the car would be changed in 5 years, and that the quality of after sales service would determine whether I selected them in the future.  However, the technical service continued to decline – as if that were at all possible.

This year is year five, and the dealer in question was not even considered, even though they were the agents for the car that I was interested in.  It seems that the National Initiative for Service Excellence (NISE) appears to be concentrating too much on improving the customer interface service, but not on the product’s technical standards.  The value of the dealership’s customer interface service to me is zero, if I am driving away from the dealership with the car performing worse than when I drove it in.

Since the year has almost ended, I have decided to identify those businesses, with whom I have patronized this past year, that have given me high standards of technical and customer interface service.  This is obviously a subjective exercise, but I am defining high service as not only getting value for my time and money, but the feeling of being impressed long after I have departed the establishment.

EXCELLENCE CATEGORY

Fortress Fund Managers Ltd.

They appeared happy to efficiently receive my money, and even happier to efficiently return it.  Well done! 

Photo Finish, Worthing.

Send them digital pictures on-line and receive prints promptly.  Very efficient, economical, and done with a smile.  Well done!  

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Courts, renovated store in Mall International.

A pleasant shopping experience.  However, they either need to either remove the storage boxes in the back where the cashier is located, or relocate the cashier to another area of the store. 

Carters General Store, Wildey.

Helpful and friendly staff, and the Carters card brings useful benefits.  Sometimes the wait by the cashier is long – which is understandable if all of the cashier spots are in use … 

Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office.

All of the necessary forms and regulations are on-line, helpful staff, significant improvement. 

Boucan Restaurant, Savannah.

Friendly staff, diverse selection of tasty food.

Regards,

Grenville

Killing the Goose

 The Prime Minister has explained that wealth creation through innovation should be a normal return on the investments made in education, and other social services in Barbados.  I agree with him.  However, the seed capital that one initially uses to fund the development of these innovative products will normally come from one’s disposable income.

 The Government must be commended for doing so much to assist the “have-nots” in Barbados.  However, as long as they remain have-nots, they will continue to spend all of their disposable income on essential services, and will still require additional assistance from the haves.

 The haves are those who “have” enough to help themselves and others.  They normally have enough to give to their churches, dependents, professional and social organisations, PTA and Old Scholars associations, the various community and national appeals for assistance, the poor and needy whose income only covers basic necessities, etc.  From where do the haves give?  They give from their disposable incomes.

 There is a third group whom we can call the “have-mores”.  They “have more” than enough.  However, the principal difference between the haves and the have-mores, is that the have-mores are not vulnerable to high taxes.  The high taxes that do not affect the have-mores can easily send the haves into the ranks of the dependent have-nots.

 The have-nots are normally exempt from paying taxes on their incomes or property.  The have-mores have learnt to use the loop holes in the regulations to avoid paying what Obama calls “their fair share”.  Some haves have also learned this skill.  However, the tax burden is mostly felt by the haves, who are normally called the “middle class”, or the class between the financially dependent have-nots and the financially independent have-mores.

 Many in this middle class have learnt to maintain their position by carefully managing their disposable income.  Thus, they are able to pay a home mortgage, feed and clothe their children, and give to others.  What they have not generally done is to create wealth.  They have not considered that the investments in their education were meant for more than just maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.  They have not realized that they have something valuable within them that can benefit humanity.

 After working for some time, most people intuitively know how they can be more effective at what they are responsible for.  It is Rule No.3 for life on Earth: Only God is perfect, everything else can be improved.

 Every experienced automotive mechanic knows how to make an engine run more efficiently.  The mechanic does not get the opportunity to capitalise on this knowledge, because the car manufacturing company’s research and development department continuously improves the last year’s car model.  However, every manufactured product, service and process can be improved, and the actual innovative idea can be found in any user of the product, including users here in Barbados.

 There are three major impediments to innovation.  The first one is unbelief.  If people do not believe that they can actually innovate, then they most likely will not.  That is why it is important that Barbadians are taught the rules of this life governing human behaviour.

 The second impediment is lack of compensation.  If people believe that they can find an innovative solution, but do not believe that they will derive any benefit from it, then the innovation will likely remain an idea.  Government can assist in overcoming this obstacle by allocating $5M annually to provide development grants of $100,000 for the top 50 viable innovative products.  I believe that this will usher in a culture of innovation in Barbados.

 However, the single greatest impediment to innovation is a lack of personal disposable income, which will be used as seed capital to initially develop the innovative idea.  In this regard, the Government should seriously reconsider the high 0.45% and the unconscionable 0.75% property tax rate on single family dwellings.

Dear New Drainage Minister

Dear New Drainage Minister:

Much of the flooding problems in Barbados occur when storm water is not disposed of fast enough. Storm water can be disposed of in wells, in gullies, in agricultural land, or in communities. When it is disposed of in communities, we call it flooding.

Why are some communities experiencing flooding that never experienced flooding before? The most likely answer is that the former areas where water was disposed are no longer functioning in that capacity. The main storm water facilities that this applies to are the storm water wells.

The problem with storm water wells is that they require cleaning. However, another problem is that they are not always built properly. When excavating a storm water well, the well digger should dig until he finds a fracture or fissure in the rock. This creates the suck in a suckwell. The well digger should then dig a further 1.5 m (5 feet) to create a silt trap. The silt trap can hold enough silt for years, even decades, depending on the quality of the storm water. The additional cost to dig the well properly is between $0.00 and $300.

During the current building boom, inexperienced well diggers have dug wells that have had no fractures. Therefore, once they became full, they simply overflowed and flooded the area. Others have dug wells until they reached a fissure, and then they stopped without digging out the silt trap. Therefore, during rainfall, the silt quickly blocked the fissure, and the well would overflow when it became full.

Why are the older wells, which have been recently cleaned, also clogging up quickly? The principal reason for this is that agricultural workers remove the vegetation from the side of the road. This vegetation helps to prevent the silt from washing into the road and blocking the wells. Once the wells, that intercept water flowing towards a community, are clogged and overflowing, then the community will receive a larger volume of water from even a short rainfall event.

Perhaps these photos can shed some light on the problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how they still do it in some rural communities. The Khus Khus grass binds the soil and prevents the washout of silt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observe this fellow as he removes the protective grass from the soil on the ridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This loose soil will soon wash onto the road and clog up a newly cleaned well during the next rainfall event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observe this fellow killing the protective grass bounding the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the removal of the grass, the storm water will wash the silt onto the road, and down the well where it will clog the fissure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This reveals another problem. If we build our roads below the level of the adjacent agricultural lands, then the storm water will flow from these lands onto the road. Therefore, you should coordinate your work with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Public Works.

Perhaps you could consider the following. Your Ministry could:

1. instruct all well diggers on the proper method of constructing a well.

2. clean out the silt from the existing wells, and install silt traps within them.

3. instruct the Ministry of Agricultural to stop agricultural workers from killing the protective grasses on the roads that bound agricultural lands.

4. instruct the Ministry of Public Works not to build any more roads below the level of the adjacent agricultural road, unless it is consciously done with sufficient facilities to detain the silt.

Finally, do you know the principal reason why Barbados is experiencing so many flooding problems in 2008?  Perhaps this can help. In the 1970’s there were several Chartered Engineers working in the Ministry of Public Works. Today, there is not a single Chartered Engineer in the entire Civil Service of Barbados. It is a lack of knowledge problem.

Regards,
Grenville

THE 545 PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S WOES

I am reproducing a relevant article written by Mr Charlie Reese.

Regards.
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Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don’t write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices – 545 human beings out of the 300 million – are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all but the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it.

No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislation’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY

Don’t you see how the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized a President for creating deficits.

The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes.

Nanci Peloci is the speaker of the House. She is the leader of the majority party. She and her fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetos it, they can pass it over his veto.

REPLACE SCOUNDRELS

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts – of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can’t think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in Iraq, it’s because they want them in Iraq.

There are no insolvable government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take it.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone have the power. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses – provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees..

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Solving Barbados’ Flooding Problems

Why is there flooding in some areas of Barbados whenever there is a torrential downpour?

1.  The areas that flooded were not designed to accommodate the amount of storm-water.

2.  The areas were designed to accommodate the amount of storm-water, but the drainage infrastructure (drains and wells) were not properly maintained.

The maintenance issue can be solved by increasing the frequency of maintenance, and providing sufficient resources to do this.  The design issue can be solved with significantly less effort.

When designing a drainage solution, the designer needs to know the amount of storm-water that the drainage infrastructure should accommodate.  This amount of storm-water is normally expressed as the rainfall event that is expected once in, say, 20 years.  The designer can easily determine the amount of storm-water that is expected from a rainfall event that is expected once in every: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 years.  Therefore, a lack of information is not the problem.

The principal problem is that there are no drainage standards in Barbados for designers to follow, and for Clients to insist be followed.  I believe that all drainage structures in Barbados should be designed for a rainfall event that is expected once in at least every 20 years.  If this drain is poorly maintained, then it should still work for a storm that is expected once in 10 years.  However, if the drain is designed for a 1 in 2-year event, and it is poorly maintained, then we should expect flooding whenever we get a torrential downpour.

Now that we know the principal problem, and we have determined a solution, it is up to the Government to simply state that from henceforth, all drainage facilities in Barbados must be designed for a minimum 1 in 20-year rainfall event.

Obama-mania in Barbados

Early in the campaign, I reviewed Barack Obama’s stated positions on various issues on his web site (www.barackobama.com), and I found it difficult to contain my excitement on realizing that I shared his views on most issues.  In fact, I was ready to take a vacation, travel to the US, and be deployed wherever he felt that I was most needed.  “Obama-mania” was real, and I felt a part of it.

 What attracted me most to his campaign was his willingness to listen to alternative opinions and be convinced otherwise through compelling evidence.  What a leader.  Stubbornness is normally a leader’s downfall, and it was exciting to witness the evolution of this new type of leader.

 His desire for Government supported healthcare and other social services for all US citizens, which we already enjoy in Barbados, was admirable.  It does not preclude private health care for those who can afford it; however, like him, I believe that the Government should look after those in need.

 As the President of the United States of America, he could advocate his social agenda around the world.  He is clearly inspirational, and I have no doubt that he would be influential.  I believe that he could change the way that healthcare, education, environmental stewardship, border conflicts, and other worldwide concerns are addressed.  He has explained that there are no issues or options that are off of the table – except one.

 Obama supports abortion.  I was able to convince myself that perhaps that was a small price to pay for having Obama as President.  Then I learnt that Obama supports no limits on abortion, even supporting abortion while the mother is in labour.

 Why did I not know of this before?  Then I realised that I had heard of it, but I was so caught up in Obama-mania that I did not consider it important enough.  When criticised by the National Organisation for Women and Hilary Clinton for his voting record on abortion legislation, Obama and Planned Parenthood admitted that they had agreed to deceive voters by having Obama vote “present”, rather than let his true opinion be known at the time.

 Then I learnt that he supports Partial Birth Abortion, even after the Supreme Court banned this abortion procedure.  It consists of allowing the baby to be partially born, and then crushing the baby’s head as he exits the womb and takes his first look at the world.

 As if that were not bad enough, I then learnt that he opposes the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.  He opposed legislation would have given assistance to babies who managed to survive the horrifying abortion procedures.  This Act had been passed unanimously in the US Senate (98 to 0).  Even Senator Clinton and other abortion supporters realised that denying assistance to the survivor was infanticide.  Even abortion organisations like NARAL, who fight for the partial birth abortion procedure to be recognised as a right for women, agreed to support babies who survived an abortion.  But not Obama.  For him, the issue was off of the table, and not subject to discussion.

 I wrote to Obama, and posted my letter on his website.  I wanted to know what was compelling him to believe that there can be no compromising on this issue with him.  I wanted to know what was possessing him to support measures that are so far beyond what even the abortion lobbyists want.  I checked recently and found that my post is still on his website. However, none of his staff or supporters had replied to it.

 I am now greatly disillusioned.  What other issues that have not become campaign issues are also under the table.  The lid is being dislodged, and I am getting a peek at the monster inside … and I do not like it.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

President Bush is looking for weapons of mass destruction.  He need not look too far.  Anyone who has visited a construction site in Barbados would have seen them – you just have to know what to look for.

 

Observe this fellow as he proudly demonstrates how he is ensuring that the multi-storey building will collapse like a ‘house of cards’ during the first major earthquake, probably killing everyone inside.

 

The minimum safe bending radius for British Standard steel is 3 times the diameter of the bar for bars upto 20 mm.  Therefore for the 12 mm diameter bar above, the bending radius should have been a minimum of 36 mm.

 

The problem is that the fellow is only using part of the bar bending equipment – the part that holds the bar in place.  The round former is missing.

 

Question: What bending radius is typically used in Barbados?  The answer: 3 mm.  No, I did not omit an integer.  The round former is rarely used.  3 mm is completely unsafe and will almost certainly fracture the bar, rendering the anchorage component utterly useless during an earthquake.

The next question is: how much more will it cost for the builder to bend the bar around a safe radius?  The answer: $0.00.  That is correct.  It will cost him absolutely nothing.

Bu..bu..but what about the extra time?

 OK.  How much extra time will be spent bending the bar around the safe radius?  The answer: not one additional second!  That is correct.  It will not cost any more money, nor will he spend any more time.  You did not ask, but, it will not take any greater effort either.  Actually, it will be easier for the fellow to bend the bar around the safe radius than the unsafe one.

 Why then are builders ensuring that our children will perish in school buildings, and parents will perish in office and public buildings during a major earthquake?  That answer is simple.  They simply do not know that they are building death traps.

 Aw, c’mon now.  It’s not that bad.  You’re just exaggerating and being sensational.

 Oh.  I am sorry.  Let me reconsider my response, refine my answer, and tone down my delivery.

 

Two Chinese men try to calm a man, center, as he cries over the death of his daughter near a school damaged following Monday’s powerful earthquake in Hanwang town in Sichuan province, China, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Parents cry over the body of their daughter killed in the rubbles of a junior high school building destroyed by Monday’s magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Dujiangyan, southwest China’s Sichuan Province Wednesday, May 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

A woman cries over the body of her daughter at the collapsed Xiang’e Middle School at the earthquake site in Dujiangyan of southwest China’s Sichuan province Tuesday , May 13, 2008.  (AP Photo/Color China Photo)

A Chinese man mourns as rescuer covers a dead student near a school damaged following Monday’s powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Hanwang town in Sichuan province, China, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A woman mourns over the body of a student at the collapsed Juyuan Middle School at the earthquake site in Dujiangyan of southwest China’s Sichuan province Tuesday, May 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Color China Photo)

A Chinese man mourns the death of a student near the site of a school that collapsed in Juyuan, southwestern China’s Sichuan province, Tuesday, May 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A mother collapses after identifying the body of her child discovered from the debris of a primary school in Hongbai town in Shifang in southwest China’s Sichuan province Thursday May 15, 2008. (AP Photo)

These photos are disturbing, but they are real, and I wept as I inserted each of them.  China’s violently enforced one-child policy must increase the parents’ feelings of hopeless despair to immeasurable levels.  May they know the comfort that only God can provide.

The fractured reinforcement will be useless in a major earthquake, and all multistorey buildings that rely on them are expected to collapse during a major earthquake.

Why is our Government allowing builders to build death traps in Barbados?  Why is our Government allowing builders to build without having to comply with any building standards?

The only reason that I can come up with is that they are not looking in the right place when they jet off to China, where approximately 6,900 schools collapsed on thousands of students and their teachers during the recent earthquake.  I cannot be persuaded that our Government can see these images and allow the out-of-control building industry to continue in Barbados for one more day.

Over A Decade of Sorry Excuses

The building code is being revised.

That does not stop you from asking builders to comply with the existing Barbados National Building Code which was published in 1992.

We need to have national consultations on the revised Building Code.

That does not stop you from asking builders to comply with the existing Barbados National Building Code which was published in 1992.

The Building Authority is not set up yet.

That does not stop you from asking builders to comply with the existing Barbados National Building Code which was published in 1992.

The builders know what to do.

The inexperienced builders do not know that they do not know.  However, you know, but do not seem to care.  Why is that?

You Engineers are just being self serving and want more work for yourselves.

Generally, all of the technical advice normally offered by Architects, Planners, and Civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical Engineers are contained within the Barbados National Building Code.  Therefore, homeowners do not need to hire an Engineer for this advice.

We need to draft some more legislation.

No you do not!  Why are you so afraid of asking builders to build properly?  Good grief!

Regards,

Grenville

Construction in China

I told myself that I would refrain from discussing building construction in Barbados.  However, the recent earthquake China, especially the deaths of thousands of students and their teachers in the 6,900 school buildings that were destroyed is heartbreaking.  Listen to Lin Qiang, Lin Qiang, the Deputy Inspector of the Sichuan Education Department:

 

“I have witnessed an appalling tragedy this time. It has had an enormous impact on my soul. From that moment on, I can not bear any buck-passing on the protection of life. With so many young lives taken away, so many families broken, we wouldn’t be qualified to be human beings, not to mention educators, if we didn’t value life over politics and bureacracy, if we officials still tried to avoid responsibility and protect ourselves.”

Lin Qiang first arrived at Beichuan Middle School a day after it collapsed in the earthquake. He saw a parent crying over the body of her child buried under the rubble.

“There was no relief personnel. The mother had watched her child’s life going away bit by bit, but could do nothing about it. The child died four hours before I arrived there. The parent had been crying, mumbling that her child was very good at school.”

Lin wanted to give her all the money he brought with him, but she refused, saying that it was useless.

“I felt guilty. Although I held no direct responsibility for the tragedy, I felt guilty from the bottom of my heart towards that child, and towards the parent, ” Lin said.

He refused to regard the earthquake as just a natural disaster.

 

“It is a natural disaster. But natural disasters wouldn’t necessarily cause human tragedies. It’s morally lazy to blame nature for human tragedies. The child could have survived. The school building could have stood upright. Not a single student died at another school just a half mile away, because its building didn’t collapse.”

 

The reason is simple – that school was donated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and had the donor supervise its construction quality. Such a supervision mechanism was missing in most schools that collapsed during the earthquake.  He urged his colleagues to think hard about the tragedies.

“If we education administrators had fulfilled our duties and guarded against corruption, our school buildings would have stood firm and the teachers and children wouldn’t have died for no good reason. So much tragedy could have been avoided. It’s a shame that we were not able to protect our vulnerable kids from danger. We should think about it. We should not shrink from our responsibilities and glorify ourselves with a few teachers’ heroic deeds in the earthquake.”

“We have not yet studied systematically the reasons behind the collapse of school buildings till this day. We have not yet actively looked for evidence and conducted an investigation into the tragedies. We have not yet apologized to the family members of the dead. It shows that it doesn’t weigh much upon our minds to value life and to take active measures to ensure its safety.”

 

“The parents who have lost their children in the earthquake are staying in the ruins of collapsed schools with tears in their eyes day and night, looking for construction materials which could serve as evidence of malpractice. They want their children to rest in peace in heaven, but also want to prevent similar tragedies from happening to tens of thousands of children in the future.”

 

“As teachers and civil servants, we should be grateful for their effort. We should respect them and support their work. However, very few people in the education departments are willing to think this way and make such efforts. I understand that people are now very busy with various reconstruction work… However, justice needs to be done for the spirits of the deceased children, to their parents and to the whole community. If we don’t have any contemplation over such a tremendous tragedy, if we put our own honour and career success above children’s lives, how could it be possible for us to elevate our souls and reconstruct our institutions? How could we make sure similar tragedies never take place again?”

Lin Qiang has requested to hand over his opportunity to be a torchbearer for the Beijing Olympic Games as part of his redemption effort. He also suggested that the ceremonies of the Games should be adjusted against the backdrop of the earthquake.

Sources:

Article: http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/05/lin-qiang-i-felt-guilty-over-deaths-of-school-children-in-earthquake/

Photos: http://www.cryptome.cn/cn-quake2/cn-quake2.htm

Next Article: The structural condition of Barbados’ schools.

Corn Row Controversy

The recent controversy surrounding Mr Matthew Farley’s published comments on Senator Griffith’s choice of hairstyle in Parliament, and the subsequent responses, are instructive for persons offering public comment.

Mr Farley had an opinion on the matter which he submitted for publication.  Those who agreed with Mr Farley and those who disagreed also submitted their opinions for publication.  However, what is instructive is the nature of many of the responses that were unsupportive of Mr Farley’s opinion.

On national radio, terms such as: foolish, ignorant, backward thinking and the like were used to describe Mr Farley.  A sample of responses published in the national press follows.

 ”This article was not only shocking to read but indicated a mind preoccupied with superficialities and not with personal worth.” 2 March 2008

“It was a most frightening thing coming from a man who is an educator.” 15 Feb 2008

“Federal High School old boy Farley’s views on the hairstyle of new Senator Damien Griffith are frighteningly unenlightened for a shaper of young minds and I hope he does not pass on his style of argument to his students.” 16 Feb 2008

“He then tells us he understands neo-colonialism “in all its dimensions”. … Then, in the rest of the article, he proceeds to show us clearly that he indeed does not understand these things.” 16 Feb 2008

“The only leap here is Farley’s leap back into the unenlightened past. And now he gets downright ridiculous,” 16 Feb 2008

“It is a pity that in the 21st century a black man, and an educator at that, bears these thoughts about his own culture.” 16 Feb 2002

“However, sometimes in his zeal to ventilate his objections to social developments and cultural changes, the estimable principal breaches the canons of scientific and erudite argument, making us ordinary mortals wish he would check the relevant sources and legal authorities before unburdening himself of anachronistic and uninformed judgments.” 27 Feb 2008

What we have is a scathing criticism of the man rather than a critical review of his ideas.  Even when someone actually attempted to criticize the idea, it seems that they still felt obligated to prefix or append the unnecessary insult.

Why do we respond this way? Why do we feel the need to insult and denigrate each other?  I have determined three principal reasons by observing human behaviour.

The first reason is that it is a way to elevate ourselves.  We can elevate ourselves through two ways.  One is through personal and professional development.  The other is not actual elevation, but relative elevation, and it can be achieved through pushing others down.  The motive appears to be fame.

The second reason is that it gives others the opportunity to experience our misery; as the proverb goes – misery loves company.  The motive appears to be selfishness.

The third reason is to discourage others from trying to accomplish their goals.  The motive appears to be hate.

There are significant emotional, psychological, and spiritual consequences for practicing this behaviour, and the practitioner appears to inevitably realize a state of inconsolable bitterness.  Once this state is reached, the only known remedy is for the person to be born again.

It is therefore important that persons desist from practicing this form of communication, and concentrate on educating their audience through encouraging a debate on the proffered opinion.  Trying to embarrass another person into silence educates no one.