Q.14. What is sin?

A. Sin is disobeying or not conforming to God’s law in any way.

1 John 3:4

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

Water is not wet. The earth is not round. Ponzi schemes are not unsustainable. And there is no imminent crisis with Social Security.

Headline AP: Democrat Disputes Social Security ‘Crisis’

WASHINGTON – There is no looming crisis in Social Security, and Congress should not rush to create private accounts, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. said Saturday.

"The facts prove that there is no imminent crisis with Social Security. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says Social Security can pay full benefits for nearly 50 years," Rangel said in the Democratic weekly radio address….

"The White House wants Americans to believe that Social Security is heading for an iceberg…."

Let’s see. In 1960, there were 5.1 workers per person receiving Social Security benefits. In 2003, there were 3.3 workers per beneficiary. In 2033, it is projected there will be 2.1 workers per beneficiary (and it will continue to drop). Since in the current scheme, today’s workers are paying the benefits for today’s beneficiaries, unless things change, either tomorrow’s workers must pay much more that current workers, or tomorrow’s beneficiaries must receive less benefits. The current system is unsustainable, despite any Democratic ostrich-like denials.

Mr. Rangel, Social Security is a Titanic heading for an iceberg. You will be gone from Washington, but the rest of us will have to live with the mess you would like to leave by your inaction. You can disagree about how to solve the looming problem, but don’t insult our intelligence by trying to pretend that there isn’t any problem at all.

Alberto Gonzales is opposed to the Senate Judiciary Committee torturing him during his confirmation hearings.

Headline Washington Times: Gonzales decries torture

Attorney General-designate Alberto Gonzales yesterday condemned torture as an interrogation technique during seven hours of rancorous questioning at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing.

But at least Gonzales only had to suffer through seven hours of this torturous questioning. There are people who have suffered through decades of a single interview (as a successful fertility treatment, if you can believe it).

AFP Photo Caption

This photo taken from a Realitatea TV broadcast shows 67-year-old retired university professor Adriana Iliescu(L) seven months pregnant with twins after almost a decade of treatment in fertility clinics giving an interview(AFP/REALITATEA TV-OFF)

Headline Washington Times: Democrats contest Ohio’s votes

Congress counted the votes in the Electoral College yesterday and certified President Bush as the winner, but only after a bitter Democratic attempt to challenge Ohio’s 20 votes….

Republicans dismissed the attempt at Democratic bitterness over losing the election.

“It’s called sour grapes, and it’s sad to see in this House,” said Rep. J.D. Hayworth of Arizona.

Actually, if this is an attempt at Democratic bitterness, then it is done pretty well and shouldn’t be lightly dismissed. Give them full credit for their petty bitterness over losing the election.

But perhaps the Republicans were dismissing the attempt as Democratic bitterness. There is only one letter difference, but it does change the meaning.

Headline AFP: Icebergs in New Zealand waters for first time in 57 years

WELLINGTON (AFP) – New Zealanders complaining about unseasonal summer rain in recent weeks have received proof of changing climatic conditions after icebergs were sighted in local waters for the first time since 1948….

Previous reportings were in the 1890s, early 1920s, 1930s and in 1948.

In 1931 icebergs were seen as far north as near Dunedin in the South Island.

He said it was too soon to blame this flotilla of ice on global warming, although the coincidence of large collapses of the Antarctic ice shelves with a rapidly changing climate could not be dismissed.

So, if icebergs near New Zealand is a proof of climatic changes, and are caused by global warming, then we can confidently state that global warming isn’t anything new. It’s happened before in the 1890s, 1920s, 1930s and as recently as 1948.

Of course the more straight forward answer is that this could all be due to cyclical temperature variations that have always been happening. But just from this report, it makes you wonder if perhaps the anomaly is in dearth of icebergs around New Zealand in the second half of the 20th century, not their return now.

We’ve been going through my father’s effects, and have found some interesting memorabilia (along with much that can just be tossed). Today we found a box with my grandfather’s patches and ribbons from his service in the Navy during WWII, rice from his wedding in 1956, sermon manuscripts from more than twenty years, and fund raising letters he received in the 1980′s. (I might share one of the fund raising letters in a future post.)

In the midst of documents from the mid 1960′s, I ran across the following document. There is no date on it, nor anything to indicate why he wrote this. Is it something used in a sermon? Is it an article he wrote for a newsletter? I don’t know. But here it is, with some editing for spelling and grammar, as it was just a rough draft document with some obvious typos.

Little children are always ready to take a walk with Daddy. Just to say, “Come on, let’s go,” and three little ones are at my side.

We crossed the road and went down the hill towards the swamp. First we stopped at the poplar thicket. The trees had long ago been taken out and now the young trees were reaching for the sky.

Further along the palms framed the remains of an old stone spring. The moss, like sponge rubber, cushioned our pathless feet.

There were the butter cups nestled in a cluster over by the fallen log. The violets and wild strawberries each had their own hiding places. The may-apples ruled the slope to our left. And there before us lay a peculiar plant. The leaves were wide like gladiola, only the veins were much clearer. None were knee high yet, but they were as shiny as could be.

With all the delights of childhood, little feet soon grow tired and need moments of rest. We had seen many things already.

A thought came like a cool breeze on a humid day. Why were the poplar all in one thicket? The palms clustered? The butter cups, violets, wild strawberries, may apples, and now this unknown plot of green all in separate places?

Part of the reason had to be that the mother and father plant had their children gathered around them. Could it be that the proper soil, shade, water, direction also had something to do with keeping the particular plant thriving?

But even more important–is there some good lesson from nature for young minds to grasp? Perhaps so. Look for your self?

The strongest plants were where the majority of the plants were located. If we want to be strong too, we must be with those who are like we are. Proper companionship can change the poor to fair and the fair to good.

What I find interesting from this article is that I was the third of the little children. (That also helps to date this in mid 1960′s as well, because there weren’t four little ones wanting to go on this walk.) I think I even know where this walk went. I could take my little ones with me on that walk, but we can no longer go on that walk with him.

Headline Valley News Dispatch (link requires registration): Vandergrift mayor looking forward to larger quarters

Which reminds me of a scene from Animal Crackers. Captain Spaulding (Groucho Marx) says:

“The nickel today is not what it was fifteen years ago. Do you know what this country needs today? A seven cent nickel. Yessiree. We’ve been using the five cent nickel in this country since 1492. Now that’s pretty near a hundred years, daylight savings. Now why not give the seven cent nickel a chance? If that works out maybe next year we could have an eight cent nickel. Think about what that would mean. You could go to a newsstand, buy a three cent newspaper and get the same nickel back again. One nickel carefully used would last a family a lifetime.”

The Vandergrift mayor has just updated Groucho’s skit for inflation.

The USC Trojans won the Orange Bowl last night in convincing fashion, allowing them to claim the undisputed NCAA Football Championship. Last year, USC was ranked number one by the AP and Coaches polls, but for some strange reason, the BCS computer thought USC was only number three. Since the computer does the picks, USC was shut out of the title game. Oklahoma went on to lose the title game to LSU, and USC was awarded a shared national championship.

But there is no sharing this year. USC was ranked number 1 the entire year, and soundly defeated number 2 Oklahoma, 55-19.

Normally, we at mj like to encourage people to share their earthly possessions with those who lack, but in this case, our mj USC alumni are quite pleased with the lack of sharing.

Congratulations, USC.

AFP Photo:

Caption: "University of Southern California (USC) head coach Pete Carroll (R) and quarterback Matt Leinart (L) celebrate USC’s 55-19 win over the University of Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl with the national championship trophy in Miami January 4, 2005. REUTERS/Marc Serota"

In a conversation today about my seven months on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, my cousin asked how Diego fared the tsunami. I had to say that I didn’t know, but since the highest point on the island is only a few inches above seal level, I thought it would be vulnerable.

But, surprise. Without looking for it, I just stumbled across an article saying the island fared quite well.

Headline AP: Geography Protected U.S. Diego Garcia Base

HONOLULU – Location and underwater topography helped protect the strategic U.S. military base on the remote island of Diego Garcia from the killer tsunami that raced across the Indian Ocean….

The atoll is in the Chagos Archipelago west of the Chagos Trench, a 400-mile-long underwater canyon that runs north and south and plunges to depths of more than 15,000 feet in some areas. The trench is one of the deepest regions of the Indian Ocean.

"The depth of the Chagos Trench and grade to the shores does not allow for tsunamis to build before passing the atoll," the Navy said. "The result of the earthquake was seen as a tidal surge estimated at 6 feet." …

In addition to the topography of the sea floor around the atoll, its location meant Diego Garcia wasn’t in the direct path of the tsunami, said Gerard Fryer, a University of Hawaii geophysicist and an adviser to state civil defense.

Diego Garcia was protected. Now you know.

Q.13. Did our first parents remain as they were created?

A. Left to the freedom of their own wills, our first parents sinned against God and fell from their original condition.