It is My Honor to Remember

"I have no illusions about what little I can add now to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country. Words are even more feeble on this Memorial Day, for the sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them.

Yet, we must try to honor them — not for their sakes alone, but for our own. And if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice."

Remarks at Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, May 31, 1982
-- President Ronald Reagan

Covenant Stone

This Sunday marks the final worship service for Chase Valley Church. For the next two months, the parking lot on Sunday mornings will be empty, the building dark. Come August, Cove Church@Chase will launch on the 28 acres bequeathed to it by the former ministry.

Despite my best attempts to put on a happy face, I find myself grieving, and looking to Sunday with not a little dread. Obviously not the right frame of heart for approach worship, but nevertheless, the emotion is real.

Several years ago, we as a church body entered a season called 40 Days of Purpose, during which we were encouraged as leaders and as a body to commit ourselves to prayer, small groups and ministry with the goal of "Crossing Jordan." The idea of "Crossing Jordan" was in part founded on the passage in Joshua 4:1-9. During a leadership retreat just prior to this time, a number of us leaders were invited to select from a pile of large, smooth riverbed stones. These stones, one per leader, were to be kept for a period of time until one day, we as a church crossed over into the next phase of our ministry (likely the next tier of numerical and spiritual growth). In that appointed time, we would return with the stones to set up an altar, a memorial, as a testimony to the work of the Lord in our midst, to the furtherance of His Kingdom in the hearts of our community, our city, and beyond. Sadly, seven years later, that stone still sits on a shelf in my garage. And by far most of those leaders who carried those covenant stones are gone.

I keep that stone, in the hopes that perhaps someday, the opportunity will come to lay down that rock as a marker to what Chase Valley was, and what Cove Church will be. But it also serves to remind me of just how easy it is to make choices that keep us wandering in the desert. That stone, and the covenant I made, takes on greater meaning for me each time I question whether it is time for us to look for a new church home. For while so many of my fellow laborers have walked away from that covenant (and despite how that might sound, I don't judge them for it), I as yet do not feel able to give up on the potential that is before us. That stone, that covenant, it anchors me. And I am grateful for it.

As Sunday approaches, I know my heart is broken. But I serve a Lord who knows how to mend a broken heart and make it new. It is that hope, that promise, on which I will stand.

Dim Bulbs

We interrupt this blog to bring you a somewhat uncharacteristic hissy fit. While it has raised my ire from time to time over the last couple of years, the entire movement to ban the traditional incandescent light bulb continues apace as we approach the time of its permanent dissolution. Pushed by a Democratic Congress and signed by a Republican president in 2007, this silly idea that we have to have energy efficient light bulbs in our homes to save the planet illuminates to me that our policy makers are a bunch of dim bulbs.

Those little swirly compact fluorescents cost too much, are toxic if they break, and generally do a poor job of lighting up a room. Light from the "energy inefficient" traditional bulbs (the horror!) is far easier on the eyes and has served us well for decades upon decades. Now of course, there is a trend toward LED-based lights, a technology far better suited for blinky lights on computers and gadgets than for room illumination. Yes, LED flashlights and camping lamps aren't too bad, but if you've ever been nearly blinded by blue LED headlights while driving down a dark road, then you know why I'm not a fan.

But industry, trying to figure out how to adhere to silly government over-regulation of your bedside lamp, has come up with an LED light bulb to replace "energy guzzling" (roll eyes here) traditional light bulbs. But here's the catch: at the moment, a single one of these bulbs costs a freakin' $50!! 50 bucks! For a light bulb! From the article (emphasis mine):

Two leading makers of lighting products are showcasing LED bulbs that are bright enough to replace energy-guzzling 100-watt light bulbs set to disappear from stores in January.

Their demonstrations at the LightFair trade show in Philadelphia this week mean that brighter LED bulbs will likely go on sale next year, but after a government ban takes effect.

The new bulbs will also be expensive — about $50 each — so the development may not prevent consumers from hoarding traditional bulbs.

Ya think? Count me among those who are officially going into the hoarding business. Traditional light bulbs are getting harder to find, and the price is going up. Nevertheless, I'll be taking inventory of the types of bulbs I need around the house, and will be making periodic purchases to push out the date of transition as far as possible.

50 dollars, for a light bulb? This is the cost of over-regulation. Too save a few cents on the dollar of "energy inefficiency," we're going to have to shell out budget-busting dollars for an "innovation" that hasn't even been perfected yet. Forgive the invective, but this is stupid. And let's not even get into the energy required to mass produce complicated and unproven bulbs.

But, unless the "lights come on" in the halls of government, this is the future being imposed upon us. And in case you missed it, I take a rather dim view of the whole business.

McDonalds and the Future of Fast Food Service

Last week I was having a conversation with some colleagues about the future of application development in a cloud-computing enterprise model (yes, I really have conversations like these - not that I fully understand it all), when one of these colleagues noted that fast food restaurants across the country were utilizing centralized call centers to handle remote drive thru communication. At the forefront of this "innovation" is McDonald's. And what do you know, after a quick trip down the Google highway, I found out that this has been in place for at least 5 years. Basically, when you pull up to the drive thru at McDonald's, you can no longer assume that the person you are speaking to is inside the building. More likely, they are in some cubicle in some facility hundreds of miles away.

I admit, it is hard to fathom that the person I'm talking to at the drive thru squawk box in not inside the restaurant. It's just outside my frame of reference. But of course, I don't know if the McDonalds in my area utilize call centers. But if the model is successful, no doubt they will be someday soon. They just better hope the power, phone and internet lines never go dark. But that hardly ever happens, right?

McDonald's isn't done innovating (and reducing its store workforce footprint). In Europe, the company is introducing self-service kiosks (touchscreens and swipe card readers) into its stores. How this works for people paying cash, I'm not sure. I imagine they'll set up a "cash only" line or something. Nevertheless, there will be fewer cashiers because you will be able to walk up to the counter, punch in your own order, and swipe your credit card. It is only a matter of time before this kind of "customer service" crosses the pond and transforms our American fast food service. Because if it works for McDonald's, you know the competition will follow suit.

In terms of the cost of doing business, the increasing use of self-service touch screens and call centers may very well be better for the bottom line. But if you are a teenager looking for employment, chances are there will be fewer and fewer food service opportunities, at least in the fast food market. Unless, of course, you just want to cook or take out the trash. Jobs requiring people skills, or jobs offering the opportunity to develop said skills, will become few and far between.

This reality aside, I have to confess that I'm not entirely opposed to the transformation. When I travel, I far prefer being able to largely check myself in for my flights using self-service kiosks. And let's face it, isn't this really just an extension of the bank ATM model?

One thing is certain, however. The further away we get from doing business with people face-to-face, the less 'real' they may become to us. Socially, what is the cost of convenience? Stunted growth? Isolation? The inability to discern reality from technology?

Life is looking more and more like the Matrix all the time. But I'll adjust - as long as they get my order right.

Running of the Bulls?

Baseball is my game, and as far as sports are concerned, my first love. Football follows at a distant second. Now and then, I enjoy watching a basketball game, but despite the fact that I even played a little junior varsity ball (and not very well), it doesn't rank high on my TV priority list these days.

This wasn't always the case though. Being the Chicago-boy that I am, I followed the Bulls pretty closely throughout the 90's. The two three-peats, the 72-10 regular season (1995-1996), and the casts that included (in no particular order) Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr, BJ Armstrong, Luc Longley, John Paxson, and Dennis Rodman - all somehow melded together under coach Phil Jackson. Those were fun years to watch.

Since the breakup of the Bulls dynasty in 1998, however, I simply lost interest in the NBA. Something happened as the next generation took the court, and I'm not sure I can explain it. The game as it was played in the era of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, David Robinson, Jordan, Pippen, Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, and others is just not the same as the game today.

Now the Bulls are back in the Eastern Conference finals, the first time they've made it this far since the end of the dynasty. I may have to take a peek, if only out of curiosity, to see if this incarnation of the Bulls can continue their run to the NBA finals. On a side note, despite my respect for Phil Jackson, I was rather pleased to see the Lakers get swept out of the playoffs by the Mavericks.

Still, I find myself nostalgic for the old days. Days when I could plop down in front of the tube, and take in the spectacle of the pre-game introduction, knowing that good basketball was just moments away:


Now THAT was a team. We'll see if these new guys can make a claim of their own, and bring another championship back to Chicago.

An Editorial I Actually Agree With

I don't often agree with the editorials in the Huntsville Times, but the one in today's paper has my full-throated support:

Thank you, North Alabama.

Countless acts of selflessness and volunteerism have allowed us all to begin recovering from the April 27 tornadoes. It was our community at its best: Neighbor helping neighbor, churches organizing relief, and all of us doing what we can, from obeying the curfew to giving time or supplies.

It's been said throughout the process that our response will define us.

We have risen to the challenge and set a new bar for how our entire region can pull together in the face of so much damage and suffering.

I add my voice to those expressing thanks. Read the whole thing.

Forcing Political Disclosure as Condition for Federal Bidding?

Of late, I have intentionally avoided posting much about politics, primarily because of the fatigue it seems to generate with every attempt to generate outrageous outrage. But there is a story in the Wall Street Journal today that may warrant a little attention. Normally, I wouldn't want to preemptively overreact to something that hasn't happened yet, but I find this concerning enough to comment:

President Obama has officially kicked off his 2012 re-election campaign, and don't Republicans know it. The president is expected any day now to sign an executive order that routs 70 years of efforts to get politics out of official federal business.

Under the order, all companies (and their officers) would be required to list their political donations as a condition to bidding for government contracts.

On the surface, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? Isn't disclosure a good thing for someone going after taxpayer dollars? Political contributions are protected by the First Amendment, although highly regulated. Shouldn't contractors who received funding from the federal government disclose any contributions that might shed light on any special treatment or earmarks they receive? Right now, the way this disclosure usually happens is through FEC regulations that require elected officials to disclose the contributions they receive. Now, however, the President is proposing an Executive Order that makes this disclosure a condition of the bid for contracts. Which in turn, gives the Government the inherent authority - or at least opportunity - to steer contracts away from companies based on the politics of their officers, as opposed to just assessing the organization's ability to fulfill the terms of the contract through the competitive bidding process. On the flip side, the Government could "reward" companies that contribute to the "right" party. Steering contracts based on political favors is an icky business, and when caught often results in scandal, if not prosecution. So, again, why not protect the taxpayer by requiring disclosure? Well, in this case, the presumptive EO doesn't apply to everybody who receives Government funding:

The draft order, which came out last month, would require federal bidders to supply a complete list of all political contributions made by the company, its political action committee, and its senior executives—going back two full years. (Richard Nixon would be impressed.) More astounding, the order requires the list to include donations made to third-party political groups—disclosure that is not currently required by law, and that is, as a result, surely unconstitutional.

Ever audacious, the White House is spinning this as "reform," claiming taxpayers deserve to know how federal dollars being paid to contractors are being spent in campaigns. This might hold (a drop of) water if the executive order also required all the (liberal) entities that get billions in taxpayer dollars via federal grants and funding—unions, environmental groups, Planned Parenthood—to disclose also. It doesn't.

Ah, and therein lies the rub. If you can ask "Why not require contractors to disclose their political contributions before receiving contract awards?" then you should also be asking, "Why not require unions, environmental groups, arts groups, Planned Parenthood and a host of other organizations that receive Government funding to disclose their political contributions?" The proposed Executive Order isn't reform - it is targeted to discourage businesses from contributing at all, or at least, make it easier to identify "favorites" based on politics instead of capability. If you want true reform, apply it to everybody, push it through the legislative process instead of EO regulation, and see if it can stand up in court.

It has taken decades to create a federal contracting system based on "best prices, best value, best quality," Ms. [Susan] Collins says, and the effect of the Obama order is to again have "politics play a role in determining who gets contracts." Companies may choose not to bid, which will reduce competition and raise government costs. And the order puts "thousands of civil servants" who oversee contracting "in an impossible situation."

Of course, this will impact Democrat office holders as well, especially those in districts that are home to contractors, and will undoubtedly hurt their campaigns as well. Here's another interesting point that I take from the WSJ article: The reason the administration is pursuing this through Executive Order is that even when the Democrats controlled Congress, they couldn't push the Disclose Act through (which would have had a similar effect as the proposed EO). Why is the administration intent on going around Congress to interfere with the contracting and acquisition processes?

I'll leave that to you to figure out.

Soarin'

On the way to school this morning, my boys asked if we could listen to one of the Disney park soundtracks. I acquiesced, and soon found myself completely lost in the track from Soarin'. How often I wish to fly above it all, to escape the surly bonds of earth, to clear my head and my vision. Today, if only for four minutes, I was able to soar and still keep my eyes on the road. I can't really explain it to you, other than to say the music fits the experience. A momentary respite, but a good one nonetheless.

Soarin\' Theme Music MP3 Download

When the Lights Came Back On

One week after a history-making outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornados wreaked havoc throughout the south, the lights finally came on Tuesday for most of the northern counties of Alabama. The cable networks, including the Weather Channel, focused (albeit deservedly) on Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, so in more ways than one North Alabama was left in the dark. Officials are still assessing damage, and the death toll count for our state finally appears to be slowing (236, but with scores still listed as missing). Total loss of life across the south is at least 330. Forty-one of Alabama's 67 counties have been declared disaster areas.

My family was fortunate. Whereas there is devastation in abundance within a mile or two in any direction, we fared pretty well. While many had their lives and homes uprooted with every toppled tree, we only had to deal with the relative inconvenience of a 6+ day power outage. While we had to navigate roads strewn with snapped power lines, dodging these and other obstacles while in search of supplies, others are picking over piles of rubble in search of their memories. We try to do our part, helping neighbors as we can, patching a roof to prevent further water damage (that was fun), checking in on family and cleaning up debris. But at the end of the day, you come home to lanterns, cold water showers and peanut-butter sandwiches. And we never were so thankful for the simple blessings.

It was surreal. The night sky was never so full of stars. And we adjusted, more so as the days wore on. We slept well, being governed not by clocks and alarms, but by the rising and setting sun. Our connection to the outside world was through a radio whose batteries lasted far longer than we expected. We heard about Osama bin Laden, but honestly that news felt anti-climactic and out of place. It's a different world in the dark, I guess. There was a certain relief in being detached from the outside world. We were surviving just fine, and managed to keep the perspective of just how fortunate we were.

You'd think that we would be overjoyed when the lights came back on, and we were. It meant hot showers, and a return to "normalcy." Yet I found the experience once again, surreal. We had connected with something, during our days in the dark. Was it simplicity? Was it real community, the kind that doesn't involve monitors and networks and electrons? I don't know. But whatever that something was, I fear that it will be lost as our lives return to what they were before the storms. I know it seems heedless and unappreciative given the suffering around us, but I think I will miss some of what we found this past week. The simplicity, the community, the surviving. We truly live very privileged lives, full of ease and convenience. For a few days, maybe we got a taste of what we're actually missing, even to our detriment.

But enough navel gazing. There are those still in real need, suffering real loss, and work to be done to help, in whatever ways we can. May the recovery come speedily.

And on the 7th day ...

The utility company saith, "Let there be lights!" And as the power coursed through electrical veins, a cry of relief broke out from those who had been without.

When I uploaded the post below last Wednesday, little did I know just how hard nature would kick us. It apparently was the second deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history, and our state took the brunt. I see no need to post a bunch of links, but if you peruse al.com (the Huntsville version), you can find picture and video galleries to satisfy whatever interest you may have in the storms that hit our community. Just know that while the Weather Channel and the big news networks have deservedly focused on Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, the northern counties got hit just as hard, including an EF-4 that slammed an area just to the northwest of Huntsville. Here on the northeast side, we are still waiting for the official designation of the storms that uprooted trees, damaged homes and left power lines strewn all over the roads within a few mile radius of my house. There are areas of devastation all across the northern counties, including a Boy Scout camp my son frequents.

Still, I remain amazed at how fortunate and blessed we are, as we have only had to suffer the relatively minor inconvenience of no power and no hot water for over 6 days. Far too many have had their lives turned upside down with loss of home and loved ones.

The power may be back on for now, but the reminders will be with us for a while. A very long while. But the recovery has begun.