Why I D/Won't Own Apple Products

The Apple Store has again refused an app promoting the Manhattan Declaration, a statement of Christian faith, because it is allegedly 'likely to expose a group to harm.' The supposed harm comes from the "anti-gay, anti-choice" language in the declaration, defending the Biblical positions that homosexuality and abortion are sin. According to the Apple Store, my Christian faith is harmful to others. The folks at the Manhattan Declaration summed it up, saying, "it is difficult to see how this is anything other than a statement of animus by a major American corporation against the beliefs of millions of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox citizens."

So, even though I am looking forward to one day owning a handy little pad/tablet device, there is yet another reason not to purchase an iPad or any other Apple product. Heck, I don't even have iTunes or QuickTime on my computers.

There are some levels of politically correct insanity I can deal with (and have to if I want to buy almost anything these days), but when a company decides that a basic statement of Christian beliefs is "likely to expose a group to harm," I have no use for that company or its products.

Happy New Year!

It's CHRISTmas!

The second best holiday of the year has arrived! In the next days, we celebrate the Incarnation, that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His Glory, the Glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The eternal Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, uncreated deity, fully God, stepped into time, taking on a human nature in addition to His divine nature. The almighty Son became a helpless baby, needing His mother to care for His every need and requiring protection from His step-father. For the first time, He was cold, felt pain, and identified with our weakness. He did not cease to be God, but instead "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant" (Philippians 2:7), choosing not to exercise His abilities of God, but to live as one of us, depending on the Father and Spirit for strength and wisdom.

The Incarnation is a magnificent demonstration of the love, power, and wisdom of God. It was the necessary prerequisite for our salvation at the cross. It enabled Him to fulfill the promise to David that one of his descendants would sit on the throne of Israel forever and to be the Servant promised in Isaiah. It prepared the Lord Jesus Christ to be our High Priest, ever interceding for us to the Father and bridging the gap between us and Him.

In the midst of the gifts, the time with family and the wonderful food, take time to reflect on the Miracle of CHRISTmas, the Incarnation. Share it with your children and rejoice with the world that God has come near, Immanuel, God With Us.

Make Liberal Heads Explode

They think it's a massive Tea Party Conspiracy! (It's not...)

Let's make liberal heads explode. Vote for Bristol and Mark!

Awana Grand Prix Results

The little man and I had a great time, and so did a lot of other folks. It's hard to balance my competitiveness with the desire to see my kids involved and enjoying the building and the races. This year I think we did OK in that regard. We also put together a couple very fast cars. The little man's Green Machine averaged 211.3 mph (scaled!) and came in fourth overall after placing 2nd in the first heat and 1st in the 2nd and 3rd heats.

The cars winning 2nd and 3rd place tied at 211.6 (and had to run the first ever run-off), and the young lady who won 1st place for Sparks ran 211.7 mph. It was very, very competitive. We were only 0.4 "miles per hour" difference between 4th and 1st - 0.19% of the total speed.

My Go Fish car ran 213, 214, and 211 in three heats - I saw one time of 2.56- seconds (I'll have to record those next year). The 214.07 was one of the best times ever on the track. I guess we must be doing something right! (See my previous post for links to tips and tricks. Some work, and some aren't worth the effort.)

Until next year, keep it fun, keep the kids involved, and keep your drive to win in balance with the needs of the kids.

AWANA Grand Prix

It's time again for the AWANA Grand Prix at our church. Cars have been built, the track is set up, and tomorrow is the big day. My little man has his Green Machine tuned up and ready, and my Go Fish ICHTHUS Mobile is weighted down and ready to go. I'll post pictures tomorrow!

For now, here are some sites I found with tips and tricks for making fast Grand Prix/Pinewood Derby cars.

• Wayne Schmidt's AWANA Grand Prix Race Car Page (Engineering analysis of what works and what doesn't!)
  
• Scoutorama's Mixed Bag (Some good, some bad)
• Fast Facts (Generally good, basic tips)
• Pinewood Freak (Lots of articles - READ THE COMMENTS!)
• The Physics Behind the Car! (Very cool for the geekiest of us - explains why things work)
  

By the way, please note that some of the tips created for Cub Scout Pinewood Derby cars don't work or aren't necessary on AWANA Grand Prix cars. The GP axles don't have those annoying ribs, and GP wheels are made of softer plastic, so some of the tools for PD wheels you have to be very careful with.

So what is my regimen? It's a secret! When you're competing against folks who have tracks set up in their barns, you have to keep some kind of edge!

Mid Term Elections 2010

Here are my election picks for the Midterm Elections this year. Hunting season is keeping me from posting my reasoning. The only one that really needs explanation is Tancredo. Dan Maes has discredited and disgraced himself on many fronts and needs to drop out of the race to allow Tancredo to beat Hickenlooper. That's the only way we'll have a conservative governor, and the only way to keep the Democrats in the Colorado legislature from ramming their agenda down our throats.

US Senator: Buck
US Rep: Lamborn
Governor: Tancredo
Sec. State: Gessler
Treasurer: Stapleton
Republicans for the rest

Amendment P – Games of Chance - AGAINST
Amendment Q – Temporary Location of State Seat of Government - FOR
Amendment R – Exempt Possessory Interests in Real Property - FOR
Amendment 60 – Property Taxes - AGAINST
Amendment 61 – Limits on State and Local Government - AGAINST
Amendment 62 – Application of the Term Person - FOR
Amendment 63 – Health Care Choice - FOR
Proposition 101 – Income, Vehicle and Telecom Taxes and Fees - AGAINST
Proposition 102 – Criteria for Release to Pretrial Services Programs – AGAINST

County 1A – Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Prohibited in Unincorporated Areas - FOR
County 1B – Term Limits for 4th Judicial District DA - FOR
County 1C – Term Limits for County Commissioners - FOR
County 1D – Term Limits for other County Offices – FOR

Colorado Springs 2B – City Retention of $600,000 of excess revenue for infrastructure – FOR
Colorado Springs 2C – TOPS Limit on Trails and Open Spaces Maintenance – AGAINST
Colorado Springs 300 – Strong Mayor Proposal - FOR

View the El Paso County November 2010 Sample Ballot.

Do your civic duty. Vote!

Beef / Elk Jerky Recipe

NO SOY SAUCE!!!

Start with very lean meat. I prefer round steak. Trim as much fat as humanly possible. Slice the rest about ¼-3/8” thick and as long as possible. Butterfly any small pieces.

I mix the marinade first to make sure that the salt/sugar gets dissolved in the marinade and gets mixed evenly through the meat. In a gallon ziplock bag mix thoroughly:

Coarse Kosher Salt – 2 tsp/lb of trimmed meat
Brown Sugar – 2 tsp/lb
Penzey’s Turkish Seasoning – 4 tsp/lb
Ground Chipotle (or Cayenne) - 1 tsp/lb for medium heat
Paprika – a couple good dashes for color
Red Table Wine – 1 cup/lb

The Turkish Seasoning, chipotle/cayenne and paprika can be substituted with your own favorite blend of savory spices – just make sure it’s salt free or you will get too salty.

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysturkish.html
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyschipotle.html

Add the meat to the bag, zip it shut and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate 6-24 hours.

Lay out the meat in a single layer on the grates in a smoker. Smoke at about 200-225 degrees for an hour (no more or it gets too smoky). (You could use 2 tsp/lb liquid smoke instead, but it won’t be quite the same.) Transfer to a dehydrator and dry per the instructions (usually at 155 degrees) for 6-8 hours – until dry yet pliable. Turn off the dehydrator and let it cool for an hour, then put in bags. If you don’t freeze it, keep plastic bags open for the first 24 hours as the moisture content evens out through the meat.

You can smoke it on a gas grill. Soak wood chips (hickory or mesquite) for 30 minutes, drain then wrap in foil. Punch a bunch of holes in the top of the foil, then put it on your left or right most grill burner (move the grate, put it right on the drip plate or lava rocks). Light just that burner on high, and heat it up until you start to smell smoke. Lay out the meat over the rest of the grill, away from the direct heat. Smoke for an hour or so.

You can also dehydrate in your oven. Put foil over the bottom rack in case of drippage. Put the meat on the top rack, turn the oven on Warm, then leave the door cracked to let the moisture out and keep the temperature down. If you use an oven thermometer, you can even get the heat adjusted to a perfect 155 degrees.

Unless I hide it, the jerky usually doesn’t last more than 24 hours anyway…