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Book Review: "A History of the English Speaking Peoples Since 1900" by Andrew Roberts

Before I started law school I read Winston Churchill's four volume "History of the English Speaking Peoples." The purpose of Churchill's set was to outline a history of the people groups that speak English from the creation of Britannia through the developments of America, Australia, South Africa, Canada, etc. I read this history so that I would have a deeper understanding of where the laws of the United States originated. After all, the discipline of history exists so that we may learn from the past to improve for the future.

In some ways, Andrew Roberts accomplishes this purpose more effectively than Churchill. Perhaps much of this lies in the fact that Roberts' book covers the happenings of the last century. The events of the most recent years affect us more in some ways because we do not have the healing aspects of time. Throughout the 648 pages, Roberts is careful to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the English speaking peoples.

As a citizen of Great Britain, he is unbiased in his views towards the U.S., yet he makes no apologies for her hegemony. Furthermore, his conservative viewpoint is a breath of fresh air. In my opinion he was generally quite fair in his analysis, illustrating the good and bad of both Republicans and Democrats.

As I finished the book, I left with an emboldened foundation for many of the things I believe in. I also found myself frustrated with the downright stupidity and unawareness we have as a society of the greater context surrounding today's political climate. This is the first book I have read that I believe every American should be required to read.

Law School : Kind of like Frisbee -- Your Catch is Only as Good as Your Next Throw

Yesterday, I filled in 94 bubbles on a scantron to end three years of law school. I am finished. Tomorrow I will graduate, take a couple of days off, and begin preparing for the Bar Exam. I kind of feel like I did when I played football in high school. Friday night was exciting after a win and you knew you had the next two days to celebrate. However, you knew that on Monday, it was time to get ready for the next team.

I think the same concept applies to throwing a frisbee. You might make an incredible under-the-legs catch, but if you botch the next throw, then the consecutive catch-throw tally is once again shy of the record. In other words, I think all of life brings a big accomplishment. You have a little time to celebrate, but it is soon time to move onto the next challenge.

Before I get there, I am going to celebrate. Part of this celebration entails reflecting on things I learned (or things I already knew but were reinforced) in my three years of law school.

> Confidence is important -- One of my professors told us, "Even if you don't know the answer, act like you know the answer."  He went on to say that if we were in front of a judge, it would not be good for your client if you said, "I guess the answer is..." or "I don't know."  His point was not that we should feign knowing, but that we should have confidence.

> Admit when you do not know -- While this might seem contradictory to my last lesson, it is not.  It saves every one a lot of time and awkwardness if you admit you do not know the answer.  But it seems imperative to add that while you might not know currently, you will work diligently to find the answer.  Plus, it adds to your credibility when you do know the answer.  

> Work-Life Balance -- It can be really easy for law school to demand every hour of your day.  There is no reason it should.  Nor should any other part of your life take up so much time that you miss life.  I believe that part of glorifying God and honoring Him entails working hard at the things He has assigned you too.  While this involves work and learning, it also involves relationships and stewardship of everything He has given you.

> Preparation usually works better than desperation  -- I found out that I understood the concepts much better if I put the work in ahead of time as opposed to trying to play catch up later on.  

I have no doubt that as I continue to reflect to think on my last three years I will be reminded of more things I learned.  I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue my law degree and I am thankful for those that have supported me in the journey.  

Ryan Hall : Fastest American Born Marathoner

Ryan Hall will represent the United States running the Marathon in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. As of this past week, he is now the fastest American born marathoner. He ran the London marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds. That is unbelievably fast.

Check out this video about Ryan's story.

Pertinent Words from W. Churchill

The last several months I have been treading through Andrew Roberts, A History of the English Speaking Peoples Since 1900.  I read Winston Churchill's four-volume set, A History of the English Speaking Peoples the summer before I started law school, so reading Roberts' work naturally seemed appropriate for my last year of law school.

As I was reading about the Allied Forces efforts in World War II, I thought a speech Winston Churchill gave in September of 1943 seemed pertinent for our nation today.  

The price of greatness is responsibility.  If the people of the United States had continued in a mediocre station, struggling with the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs, and a factor of no consequence in the movement of the world, they might have remained forgotten and undistrubed beyone their protecting oceans: but one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilized world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies and inspired by its causes.  If this has been proved in the past, as it has been, it will become indisputable in the future.  The people of the United States cannot escape world responsibility.  Although we live in a period so tumultous that little can be predicted, we may be quite sure that this process will be intensified with every forward step the United States make in wealth and in power.  Not only are the responsibilities of this great Republic growing, but the world over which they range is itself contracting in relation to our powers of locomotion at a positively alarming rate.

As you read these words, I hope that you will consider not only the policy of the politicians you elect, but I also hope that you will consider your influence in the place that you live.  Remember, "The price of greatness is responsibility."

The Family Tree: My Kinship to Brad Pitt and Barack Obama

Today, the New England Historical Genealogical Society released the various celebrities each of the three remaining presidential candidates are related to.  The AP news story tagline focused on Hillary Clinton's kinship with Angelina Jolie and Barack Obama's kinship with Brad Pitt.  

I thought it would be interesting to see who each candidate is related to, so I started reading the article.  When I got toward the bottom of the article, it said, "Pitt and Obama are ninth cousins, linked by Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769."  This immediately piqued my interest because my dad recently discovered that one of our great-grandfathers was named Edwin Hickman.  

So I called my dad and he said that his sixth great-grandfather was named Edwin Hickman, from Virginia, and he died in 1769.  So I did a little more research and discovered that my seventh great-grandfather, is also Barack Obama's & Brad Pitt's ninth great-grandfather.  That makes both of them like my eighth cousins.  

Eighth is kind of close when you think about it.  I am really close to my third cousins.  8-3=5.  That is not that big of a difference.  Seriously, I doubt I will ever meet either of these "relatives," but it made for a fun day all the same.  This explains why people often confuse my good looks with the other Brad "in the family."

Apple

Sorry for the delayed posting -- I had the pleasure of skiing Winter Park last week for my last spring break.  

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One thing I like about the iPhone are the periodic software updates Apple provides to keep the iPhone operating at an optimal level.  Just before spring break, I downloaded the newest update via iTunes and began the installation on my iPhone.  For some reason, the update didn't work, sending my iPhone into recovery mode.  No big deal -- I thought I could essentially reboot the phone and sync it to a previous backup.  Unfortunately this did not work.

Long story short -- I tried the recovery process in 9 different ways, spent an two hours on the phone with three different technicians trying to fix error 1012.  Nothing worked.  Fortunately I was driving to Denver the next morning and they fixed me up with an appointment at the Apple store there.  

I received a new iPhone because no one could fix the problem -- they didn't even know what the error was.  The point of this post is not to state my frustration with the iPhone.  These kind of things are going to happen.  The point is to convey how impressed I was with Apple's customer service.  They were prompt, helpful, and very pro-active.  

Losing Guilt

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me

 -- words from "In Christ Alone"

Over the last several days, "In Christ Alone" has been my song of choice.  I was listening to it today, reflecting on the words, when those quoted above struck a chord in my heart.  "No guilt in life, no fear in death."  The realization and impact of that realization from what these words actually mean allowed me to taste the freedom of a life in Christ.

It seems to me that the enemy loves to bring guilt into our lives.  Guilt renders us ineffective, holding us back from the purposes for which God has created us for -- namely to glorify him.  I think part of the ingredients in the miry clay is guilt.  Webster says that "mire" is "heavy often deep mud or slush."  

I remember times as a kid that I would need to get across a muddy field.  By the time I crossed, the mud had so caked onto the bottoms of my shoes that the weight had to have increased what seemed like 40 pounds.  It felt awkward and slowing.  The guilt of sin does this to our lives.  Paul says to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."  It is Christ's power alone that allows us to remove sin and the guilt it brings.  

I hope you find the freedom of Christ and experience anew each day.  If you belong to Christ, then it is the only option.  

There is Plenty of Oil Left

From time to time, I become concerned with the amount of oil that exists, primarily because I know it is going to affect my pocket book.  It seems this concern is unfounded.  An opinion piece in today's The Wall Street Journal entitled, "The World Has Plenty of Oil," provides a synopsis as to why the world is not going to be running out of oil anytime soon.  While I think you should read the article, I want to mention some of the things I found interesting.

• "The globe has consumed only one out of a grand total of 12 to 16 trillion barrels underground."
  

• "Even a 10% gain in extraction efficiency on a global scale will unlock 1.2 to 1.6 trillion barrels of extra resources -- an additional 50-year supply at current consumption rates." [Ed. Note: Part of the problem is that we currently have outdated extraction methods/technology.]

• The author of the article estimates that we will not hit the peak-point of oil supply (in other words, where we have used 50% of the world's oil) when I reach my 60's, which is a good 40 years from now.

The WSJ ran a similar op-ed piece about four years ago stating similar propositions.  The article then centered around a book, Black Gold Stranglehold.  If you want more information, I would suggest you read this book.  

Why I Support Tax Reform

I found this little anecdote on the web today (compliments of Wise Bread).  It makes a solid point.

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Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
"Since you are all such good customers", he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20". Drinks for the ten now cost just $80. 
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia

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Choose the Countries for World Monopoly

Games.  Card Games.  Board Games.  Spontaneous Games.  Football Games.  Baseball Games.  Golf Games.  I like games.  

 

Risk and Monopoly are two of my favorite board games.  Monopoly has several editions and they are coming out with another.  It is called Monopoly: Here & Now : The World Edition.  

You can vote for the cities that will be placed on the board.  But hurry, you only have until Friday, February 29, to vote on the cities Mr. Monopoly provides.

And next time you want to play a game, holler at me.  

Lost

The writer's strike has had a bizarre impact on Heidi and I -- it has affected me more than I thought it would.  As part of the strike, we have been watching different shows online.  However, this post is not about feeling "lost" from the lack of shows on tv or the numerous amount of shows online.  This post is about one of the more remarkable television shows I have had the pleasure of viewing.

Lost is rare.  I am only half-way through the 1st season, but it has more than exceeded its hype.  It is literally like watching literature.  The show grips you instantly, holds your attention, and does not let you go.  It is perhaps the only show that spurs me to journal after each episode.  

Part of the allure is the spiritual undertones within the show.  If I were a preacher, I think I could pull a great illustration from each show.  I would provide examples, but I do not want to spoil the show in the event you decide to start watching -- which by the way, I highly recommend.  

Lost reminds me of one of my favorite books -- Robinson Crusoe.  The reason I like the book is because of the self-awareness, growth, and maturation Crusoe attains as he is stranded on the island.  Part of this growth involves an awareness and increasing recognition of God's Sovereignty in his life, and in the world. 

 

Super Tuesday Morphed into Super Week

On the onset, let me apologize for the political nature of my posts this week. The political process is one of my interests, so if it is not particularly one of yours, hang with me a little while longer and I will return to my more random-topic approach.

Several thoughts have crossed my mind this week as I have spoken with people, read major news sources, listened to talk radio, and observed the candidates themselves. To repeat all of those thoughts here would end up becoming a random and confusing stream of consciousness. Instead I will mention one quote I found especially insightful, and one pervading thought throughout the week.

Quote from Newsweek : "It's no accident that the GOP race is down to three men who are clear about who they are: McCain, Huckabee, and, yes, Ron Paul." See the full article here.


Pervading Thought : There is still a lot of time in this primary left. Even though it seems that McCain has clinched the nomination and the race is over, it is not. If there is one thing I have learned from watching football, it is that there is a reason you play every second of all four quarters. So it is in the game of politics.

I mentioned several months ago that I have spoken with several people that said, "I really like Huckabee, I agree with him, and I like his character; but, I just do not think he can win so I am going to vote for [McCain, Thompson, Romney, etc.]." I noted that if those people would chose to support the candidate they believe most qualified, and not jump on the bandwagon of who they think will win, then their candidate just might win.

Voting according to your convictions is especially important at this stage of the game. Voting according to your convictions serves a couple of purposes:

• It allows you to maintain integrity
  
• It sends a message to the winner and observers
• It provides your candidate with a voice

I am sure you can think of others, but these are important.  The primary purpose of having representatives in government is that they are our voice.  The President is elected by the people to be their voice.  We go through the primary process to find the strongest voice.  Why would you want to silence your voice by making someone else's louder?

I do not share all of Huckabee's beliefs, but I believe he most closely identifies my beliefs.  Therefore, he will receive my vote on March 4.  If he most closely shares your beliefs, I implore you to give him your vote when you vote.  Even if he loses, it will not be in vain.  It will help to send a message to the powers that be, that what Huckabee (or Paul or McCain -- whomever you vote for) believes in is important to you.

Who knows, your candidate just might be able to win.  Right now, McCain looks to be the heir, but there is a new set of circumstances, and we might go to a brokered convention.  Why do you think Romney, suspended his campaign and did not withdraw?  If the Republicans have a brokered convention, then your candidate might win -- and the more votes he receives between now and then, the better chance he has of receiving the nomination.

Practically, voting for who you like--and not who you think will win--keeps your candidate at the front of everyone's minds.  This could help him in 2012, get him the VP nomination, or provide him another position of influence. 

I hope you took the time to read this, and if you did, I sincerely thank you.  I bring this to you with humility, recognizing that I am not the end-all, be-all of political thought.  Instead, I am offering my thoughts as I learn and hope that you will help me grow in this process.

Super Tuesday & Huckabee!

It frustrates me to no end that various pundits say, "A vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain." Romney and his supporters are calling Huckabee a spolier, claiming that he is stealing votes away from Romney.

Has it occurred to anyone that a vote for Romney might be a vote for McCain? Is it possible that Romney might be stealing votes away from Huckabee?

As I was complaining about the bad rap Huckabee is receiving from Romney, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity, I heard someone on CBS state that everything Romney is complaining about might be the reverse. In other words, that Romney might be hurting Huckabee's run.

Listening to Hannity and Limbaugh on a daily basis, I understand why they do not like Huckabee. But I think that those matters are fairly insignificant, and Huckabee far surpasses Romney as someone I would trust in the White House.

Super Tuesday has fully lived up to its name and who knows what is going to happen before the night is over. One thing seems fairly certain, we will not have a clear winner by the end of the night.

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realclearpolitics.com has one of the better displays of election coverage. Concise and clear.

The Super Bowl Post

I'm only 25, but this was one of the most entertaining and exciting super bowl games I have seen in a long time.  

What's going on with this confusion here at the end?  

Not that I like the Giants, but I definitely dislike the Patriots.

Hip Hip . . . 

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**Note** I had a whole post drafted earlier today as to why having a party to watch the Super Bowl with more than 25 people violates the Copyright Act of 1976.  Maybe next year.

Coffee = Mountains

Two years have passed since I have been on a mountain. That is too long. Whenever people ask the question, "mountains or beach?" I invariably choose the mountains. My brother has always been the more aquatic -- I think he might literally be a fish. Heidi also chooses the beach-- it is where she is most at home. Fortunately, I am scheduled to visit the Rockies in March, but this morning God provided me a small taste of the mountains in a cup of coffee.


I have been brewing Folger's coffee in our house for the last several months and I generally use the same ratio of water to coffee grounds. For the two of us, 5 scoops to the 8 water mark. For some reason though, this morning, when I tasted the coffee, I instantly felt like I was in the mountains. With each drink, the crisp air and overwhelming majesty of the mountains flooded my senses.

Each day, I want my eyes opened to the mysteries and majesty of God. He is revealing himself to us -- we just need to see.

"He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals his thoughts to man,
he who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads the high places of the earth—
the LORD God Almighty is his name."
-- Amos 4:13
**I took this picture a few years ago after a hike up Conejos Peak in Southern Colorado. It is what the coffee reminded me of this morning.

I Heart the iPhone

I received several cool gadgets for Christmas such as a watch (from my parents) for running that has a gps system and heart-rate monitor built in. However, for certain reasons, I have not been able to run the last few weeks, and therefore have not been able to use the watch.

I have been able to use the iPhone Eric and Lori (my in-laws) gave me. If you are wondering if the iPhone is overhyped, let me clear up any confusion -- it is not. It really is as cool as the commercials make it out to be.

Working part-time while finishing up law school full-time, the iPhone has handily allowed me to take care of other business that does not receive a scheduled time-slot, but is important all the same.

I do not want to encourage materialism, but you need to check the iPhone out.

Happy Saturday

Enjoy this video from the band Ok Go. It keeps getting better.

Amazed by Tonight's Debate

I am in the middle of watching the Republican debate in South Carolina on FoxNews. Earlier today I read that Fred Thompson had hinted that he was going to attack Mike Huckabee in the debate, thus piquing my interest. It happened, and I think it happened somewhat blatantly. You should try to watch the video.

Romney, McCain, and Huckabee each had an opportunity to discuss the legacy of Reagan, and whether or not the "Regan Coalition" still existed. Thompson wanted to interject, and he listed off several ways he felt Huckabee differed from Reagan. In my opinion, some of the things he said were true, some were false, but mainly he just seemed to be angry. Thankfully, I thought that Huckabee responded calmly and with dignity.

I have been slightly encouraged by several of the debates thus far, but I am disappointed and a little discouraged by what I saw from several of the candidates tonight. I hope that the candidates decide to treat each other with cordiality and kindness. Are they going to be using this same fruitless anger and mode of attack to those they disagree with if they make it into office?

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[After the Debate] From what I have read, most seem to think Thompson won. I guess his response helped him. I disagree. I liked Thompson, but I lost a lot of respect for him tonight. It seemed uncharacteristic.

I am supporting Huckabee, and while I do not agree with every viewpoint of his, I do think Thompson accurately stated Huckabee's record and misstated Huckabee's record.