Skyfall—Review

Posted by Caleb Coy on

“We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
-Tennyson

When I was thirteen, I become obsessed with 007.  I had the movies all on VHS.  I even wrote amy own spy novel in the 7th grade.  Then I grew up.

[I’ll warn you about the spoilers when they come]

But these recent Bond movies have rekindled my fondness of the franchise in a new way.  It’s no longer about gadgets and freaky bad guys and exotic locations—well, it’s still sort of like that.  But it’s also about the relevance the rebooted franchise brings.  It used to be all fun and games about spy games and the cold war.  Now it’s a serious look at the measures people take in the shadows to secure the interests of empires.  And I think this film struck a very deep chord with the fears of people in great nations and their “small” mistakes.


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Turkey

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Just.  Be. Thankful.

All the time.

Today especially, because it has become a day of dedication in our national conscience.

But don’t only be thankful, because an expression of thankfulness is in vain if not living and active.

Thankfulness involves not taking our blessings for granted. It means not abusing them. It means not wasting them. It means not using them only for yourself. It means using them wisely.

The number one thing people seem to be thankful for on this day, at least, what we express, is family.  If we are thankful for family, we will show it.

Let’s all think about that as we sit with family to eat.  And not just our family.

Think about that when you wake up to shop for a great deal for your family tomorrow.  Think about that as you make the decisions that you do in order to obtain those gifts.  After all, if you’re going through all this to get a good deal, you’re not doing it for family.  You’re doing it for yourself.  So don’t go overboard, and don’t forsake your family or your integrity.

Happy Turkey!

No Cream Filling: Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern are the Same Person

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Rush Limbaugh on his radio show the other day:
“I truly blame the First Lady and her Socialist push for healthy food. This is all Michelle Obama’s fault, I feel as though a part of me is dying. We can’t let this happen! Not in America! We need our food made of chemicals and pretend sugar filled with preservatives. I don’t like knowing what I’m eating. Carrots?! Apples?! Strawberries?! How boring does this White House want us to be?! We’re not Americans unless we’re eating things that are bad for us. It’s what makes us great! I’m so upset right now I think I need go to a commercial.”
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Farewell, Union

Posted by Caleb Coy on

Ron Paul’s farewell address to Congress is the best “State of the Union” address I have ever heard from an American politician.  Some of the wisest words come from leaders as they step down from their positions, not as they acquire them.  This is worth hearing every minute of.

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All Veterans of All Wars From All Countries Are Welcome at the Table

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“When the war ended, I don’t know if I was more relieved that we’d won or that I didn’t have to go back. Passchendaele was a disastrous battle – thousands and thousands of young lives were lost. It makes me angry. Earlier this year, I went back to Ypres to shake the hand of Herr Kuentz, Germany’s only surviving veteran from the war. It was emotional. He is 107. We’ve had 87 years to think what war is. To me, it’s a licence to go out and murder. Why should the British government call me up and take me out to a battlefield to shoot a man I never knew, whose language I couldn’t speak? All those lives lost for a war finished over a table. Now what is the sense in that?”
-Harry Patch, the last surviving veteran of WWI, who passed away in 2009

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Electing Faithfulness: Concluding Thoughts

Posted by Caleb Coy on

“Concluding Thoughts on Electing Faithfulness”
or
“Why should a foreigner like me care about this country?”
or
“I promise I’ll completely tone down the political postings for the next four years, but I ask that you to pay attention to this”

I am very much indebted the sermon I heard this Sunday by Frank Sullivan.  It reminded me that Christ is our hope and that it’s foolish to place our “trust in princes” whose plans come to an end and who’s power is but dust to God.
Sermon on Christ as our Hope
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Electing Faithfulness Part 10: About 5 More Issues to Examine

Posted by Caleb Coy on

[back to part 9: Education]

“And other issues to consider”
or
“Issues I may not care less about, but am squeezing together for time’s sake”
or
“Ok, Caleb Coy, let’s hurry up and wrap this thing up—I gotta vote in like 3 days.”

So, remember how I’ve been going on about Ron Paul because I’m writing his name in even though he’s not running?  In this post I will get into things I disagree with him on, or am unsure about.  This post will also cover other issues I have yet to mention.  After this, I plan on having a final post to reflect on the whole experience before we all go and jump in those booths.  It may be that I have a post after that to reflect on the results, and I already know that no matter what I will be reminding us all not to panic, because Christ will still be King when it’s all over.
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Electing Faithfulness part 9: Our Future is the Hands of our Students

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[back to part 8: The War on Some Drugs]

“Our Future is the Hands of our Students”
or
“High Stakes and Low Standards”
or
“High Standards, but Low Barriers”
or
“Repeal NCLB already!”

Our school systems rank toward the bottom of the list when compared with those of other industrialized countries.  Sure, we may be able to brag about churning out all kinds of Nobel winners and innovators, but most of our students are graduating without the knowledge they should have, meaning that those Nobel prize winners stand on the other side of a gap too far from most of our other students.  Our schools pass a lot of kids because our schools are too easy.
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Electing Faithfulness Part 8: The War on Some Drugs

Posted by Caleb Coy on

[back to part 7: Healthcare]

“The War on Some Drugs”
or
“The War on Poor People Who Have Drugs”
or
“The War on Drugs Pharmaceutical Companies Aren’t Cashing In On”
or
“The War on Black People” (ok, that one’s harsh)

Take a brief look at what’s happening in America today:
Fully Armed Swat team shoots at ex-marine 71 Times in Marijuana raid—No Marijuana found
Marijuana raid kills father to be
And several other tragic drug war fatalities

In the simplest of terms, any substance that affects the body in a way that can impair a person is a drug, whether it be for medicine, recreation, or any other purpose.  Thus, the term “drug” is a neutral term.  However, we often hear about a so-called “war on drugs,” which is actually, if we apply it honestly, a war on particular drugs and for particular reasons, benefitting only particular people.

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