Lincoln Blogs

Last Post With Blogger

2007-04-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

Several of my friends have moved their blogs from blogger to wordpress, and now it is time for me to join them. Wordpress is simply easier, more user-friendly, and just better. This will be my last post on lincolntylerdutcher.blogspot.com. I will move a few post to my new wordpress blog, and will keep this one up, but go to lincolnblogs.wordpress.com to see new posts.

Amazing Bowling Trick Shot

2007-04-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

Frog Puzzle

2007-03-30T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is a second grade computer test in China. Switch the frogs to the opposite side within two minutes. The can hop over only one stone per jump. It is easily accomplished if you take a moment to think before you proceed.

Spring Break Fishing

2007-03-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have not posted in so long, I've been on Spring break vacation in Bartlesville. I had a good trip fishing, golfing, and just relaxing at my grandparents house. Here are some pictures from fishing.

My grandfather and I went crappie fishing first and filled up an ice chest with twenty. These two above are average size out of what we caught.

Then we went bass fishing and I caught, among others, this lunker above that weighed five pounds even on digital scales.

Refutation of Orpheus and Eurydice

2007-03-09T15:46:00.000-06:00

This is another myth I refuted for writing class.

There is an old myth of a brave husband and his wife, that has a good story line and is enjoyable to read. But it is only a myth, not to be taken as historical fact.

The myth is as follows: Orpheus, the poet of Rhodope, fell in love with the beautiful Eurydice and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and a splendid wedding was held. Hymen, the god of marriage, attended the feast, but did not bring his usual blessings. As a result, the new bride Eurydice was bitten on the ankle by a poisonous snake and died. Longing to see his wife again, Orpheus went to the Underworld to beg Pluto, god of the Underworld, and his wife, Persephone, to reverse Eurydice's swift death. Pluto, Persephone, and all those in the Underworld were moved to tears after hearing how much Orpheus loved and missed his wife. Pluto agreed to reverse Eurydice's death, but on one condition: Orpheus was not to look back at Eurydice until he had emerged from the Valley of Avernus. He excitedly agreed, and Eurydice was presented to him. Orpheus headed out on the journey, with Eurydice following closely. After a short time, Orpheus longed to look at his wife, and began to worry she was no longer behind him.. As he did, she dropped back, and Orpheus clutched for her, only to reach for the receding air. Eurydice said her final goodbye to Orpheus, and died a second time. Devastated, Orpheus spent the rest of his life alone and heartbroken.

This myth is false for a number of reasons. It is improbable, obscure, impossible, and illogical. I will show this in the following paragraphs.

The narrative, first, is improbable. There are no motives for any of the actions, except of course when Orpheus goes after his bride.Why didn’t Hymen bring his usual blessing to the wedding? Did he have something against Orpheus or Eurydice? Also, why wasn’t Orpheus allowed to look back at his wife until they were out of the Valley of Avernus? It is not likely that Hymen, a god, would just forget his blessing, or that Pluto would just make up a rule for no apparent reason, preventing Orpheus from looking at his wife. Unless the author just forgot to include these necessary details, these important missing parts of the story are improbable.

The story is also very obscure. There is no physical evidence of this actually happening, and no one claims to have witnessed it. The tale is not found in any historical documents, either.

Not only is the tale improbable and obscure, but it is impossible. It breaks the laws of nature that a person could die, be rescued from the afterlife by a mortal and then die again and return to the afterlife. You might respond to this point by bringing up the fact that Jesus died and was resurrected and also brought other people back to life. The apostle Paul also raised a man from the dead. The difference is, Jesus was God, and therefore had the power of God, and it wasn’t really Paul who raised that man from the dead, but God working through him. Orpheus just marched right into the underworld, got his wife, and then went back to earth.

Besides being improbable, obscure, and impossible, this myth is also illogical. It says that because Hymen didn’t bring his blessing, a snake bit Eurydice. That is clearly the logical fallacy of “post hoc, ergo propter hoc”, which in Latin means “after this, therefore because of this.” Just because she was bit after Hymen failed to bless them, it doesn’t mean that she was bit necessarily because of it. That would be like saying, “He ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the other day, and broke his leg the next day. I’m never eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich again.” It is obviously a fallacy.

In the paragraphs above, I have stated clearly why this narrative is a myth. I have shown how it is improbable, obscure, impossible, and illogical. Readers, after reviewing the evidence I have presented, I urge you to read and enjoy this story not as a historical account, but a myth.

'I Do Not Want to Believe in God'

2007-03-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

In the latest edition of Biblical Worldview Magazine, Gary DeMar has an interesting editorial. In it he points out the folly of a quote by Nobel Prize winner George Wald.

[Wald said], "There are only two possible explanations as to how life arose. Spontaneous generation arising to evolution or a supernatural creative act of God.... There is no other possibility. Spontaneous generation was scientifically disproved 120 years ago by Louis Pasteur and others, but that just leaves us with only one other possibility... that life came as a supernatural act of creation by God, but I can't accept that philosophy because I do not want to believe in a God. Therefore I choose to believe in that which I know is scientifically impossible, spontaneous generation leading to evolution."

If a theologian had argued this way, he would be accused of letting his religious assumptions interpret the facts, But when a scientist follows a similar methodology in defense of evolution, hardly anyone blinks a questioning eye because the declaration is made in the name of science.

I cannot help but laugh at what Socrates would do if he heard someone say, as Wald did, something like, "It is obviously true that God created the world, but I won't believe it because I don't feel like believing in God. Instead, I'll believe the impossible. I will deny truth because I don't want it to be true." The great philosopher would probably die a second death after hearing that.

Human Nature

2007-02-22T20:27:00.000-06:00

I am currently reading The Early History of Rome by Titus Livius (Livy) for school. In the part of the book I read today, the common people (plebians) of Rome want land from the rich people (patricians), but there is none available because the patricians have it all. The plebians are mad at the patricians because of this. But then the Romans acquire more land, and they decide that the plebians can have it. "Human nature, however, does not change," says Livy. "The mere fact that there was plenty for everyone blunted the edge of appetite and so few applied [for the land] that Volscian families had to be induced in order to bring the number of settlers to a satisfactory figure. The bulk of the plebian families preferred to demand [other] land." Even Livy, who lived in the pagan ancient Rome, identified man's nature to sin. He did not, however, realize that although sin will always dwell with us until we reach heaven, it will not reign over us if Christ regenerates us, and thus can be changed.

Refutation of Jason and the Argonauts

2007-02-21T18:54:00.000-06:00

In the writing course I am taking, we are learning about how to refute a myth. Here is one that I did. I know it may seem obvious that it is false, but this makes it more clear why. Click here to see another refuted myth.

There is a story of Jason and the Argonauts, in which Jason performs many acts of bravery and heroic deeds. This tale is exciting and enjoyable to read, but it is sadly false.

The myth is as follows: Jason—who was raised by a centaur (a creature who was half horse and half man) far away to avoid being killed by his uncle—and his men the Argonauts were on a dangerous mission to recover a golden fleece, which would make Jason king of Thessaly. They were headed to the kingdom of King Aeetes, where the fleece was at that time. Jason was sent on the mission by his uncle, Pelias, who had overthrown his father.

After surviving many dangerous ordeals, the Argonauts arrived at Aeete's palace. At first, Aeetes denied that he had the fleece, but finally, he decreed that he would award it as a gift to anyone who could yoke two fire-breathing bulls to a plow, sow a dragon's teeth into the plowed land, and overcome the fierce army which would spring up from the dragon's teeth. Jason accepted the challenge, although it seemed impossible.

In the middle of the dark night, Aeetes' daughter, Media, came to Jason and said that if he would marry her, she would help him. Jason promised to make the princess his wife and she gave him an ointment to protect him from the bulls' fiery nostrils. She also gave him a stone to throw among the armed men; she promised that the stone would cause their defeat.

The next morning Jason spread the ointment on his body and on his spear and his shield. Then he went to the field to do battle. Just as Medea had promised, the fire did not harm him. When the warriors sprang up from the dragon's teeth, he threw the stone and the warriors became so that they turned on one another. He obtained the fleece, and returned home with it.

This tale, although exciting and enjoyable to read, is quite simply a myth, as opposed to a historical account, for a number a reasons, namely that it is improbable.

First, it is extremely improbable. There is no reason in the text as to why Aeetes would care for the fleece. Why does he make Jason accomplish the nearly impossible tasks for such a simple thing? Also, why would the king's daughter favor Jason so much against her father’s will, without even meeting him? No answer to these questions is given in the tale.

The story, besides being improbable, is terribly obscure. It is very old, and most likely grew more and more mythical as it was passed from generation to generation. This story is not found in any historic documents, and no one claims to have witnessed it.

It is also inconsistent and illogical. How was Jason able to yoke two fire-breathing bulls to a plow, sow a dragon's teeth into the plowed land, and overcome the fierce army which sprung up from the dragon's teeth, but not able to kill one man, Pelias. It is also illogical. Why would a simple fleece make a man king of a nation?

Finally, the narrative, as well as improbable, obscure, and illogical (as if that weren't enough), is impossible. It breaks the laws of nature for someone to be half horse and half man, as the centaur at the beginning of the story was credited as being. A person might answer this by saying, "Well, maybe they existed in that time, but are extinct today." Then, where is the archeological evidence? There is none. It is also impossible that an army could come out of a single dragon tooth, and that a bull could breathe fire. Obviously, the author just wrote this to make the myth more exciting.

As much as we wish this story were true, that Jason really was as brave as in the story, and that he defeated two fire breathing bulls and an entire army, we simple have to read it as a myth.

Bad Parenting

2007-02-20T18:46:00.000-06:00

Socrates Meets Jesus

2007-02-19T18:52:00.000-06:00

I read an interesting book last week by Peter Kreeft, titled Socrates Meets Jesus. The book is organized as a Socratic dialog, and it tells of Socrates on the campus of a major university and enrolled in the divinity school. Kreeft, a Christian philosopher and long-time admirer of Socrates, imagines what Socrates would think of human progress since his day, our values and culture, and Jesus. Socrates argues about issues like miracles and whether Jesus was God. I would recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike.

Happiness Is ...

2007-02-08T20:13:00.000-06:00

... beating OSU ... and Bobby Knight ... all in a period of five days.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2007-02-07T20:14:00.000-06:00

“Actions speak louder than words.” The author of this proverb should be praised for his knowledge and understanding of man's nature to not support his words with his actions.

This proverb means that a person's actions communicate more clearly than his words. If a person wants others to believe his words, he should "speak" with his actions.

If a person talks with his actions, he is more convincing than if he were just speaking, and if his actions are consistent with his words, people will think him more trustworthy.

Consider this analogy: Two candidates are in a political race, and each one wants to impress the voters. One man speaks of how good he is, in an effort to win over the voters, whereas the other goes out and actually works and accomplishes things. The people will trust the one who let his actions speak, instead of just talking.

Judas Iscariot said that he was a loyal follower of Christ; if a person just heard his words, and not his actions, he would think of him as a good disciple. But his actions spoke louder than his words, as he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

John Locke, an influential English philosopher, once said, "I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts." In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

In an effort to be trustworthy and not hypocritical, we should let our actions speak louder than our words.

Vinsanity

2007-02-06T20:12:00.000-06:00

Here is a dunk from the 2000 Summer Olympics by Vince "Vincanity" Carter. Yes, it is real.

Roads Scholars

2007-02-01T20:46:00.000-06:00

I have basketball practice at a public elementary school in Edmond, and this is a sign on a wall inside the school. It is incorrect not only morally, but logically.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Jesus says clearly that not all roads, or gates, lead to success. Even if we did not have Bible references to tell us how wrong this sign is, we can easily disprove the sign logically. For one thing, two opposite roads cannot both lead to success. Also, if all roads lead to success, their would be absolutely no failures, which of course, there are.

The one good thing about the sign: I always get a laugh before basketball practice.

Failure Breeds Success

2007-01-22T16:58:00.000-06:00

“Failure breeds success.” The author of this proverb should be praised highly for his knowledge and wisdom.

This statement means that people can learn from past mistakes that they or others have made. If we examine past errors, we can not only prevent them from happening again, but change them to success.

Just as a writer has to review and edit his work, finding and correcting mistakes, so we should review our own actions and, like the writer, find and correct mistakes. By contrast, if the writer did not review his paper, there may be many errors in content, structure, and grammar. In the same way, our lives will be more flawed if we do not realize and learn from our errors.

Consider Abraham Lincoln. He failed many times as a politician, but, rather than give up as a result of his failures, he learned from his mistakes, and went on to become President of the United States.

Samuel Smile, Scottish author and reformer who wrote many biographies, once said, “It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures. Precept, study, advice, and example could never have taught them so well as failure has done.”

We, like Abraham Lincoln, should examine our failures, that we may learn from and correct them.

Thanks for the Memories

2007-01-18T17:17:00.000-06:00

Adrian Peterson declared Monday for the NFL Draft. He leaves Oklahoma as the third leading rusher in school history with 4,045 career yards. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons in a Sooner uniform, and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in his first year at OU. This is a video I made as a salute and goodbye to A.D.

Another Interesting Thought From 'A House for My Name'

2007-01-17T20:11:00.000-06:00

Here is another great excerpt from A House for My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament.

After the fall, cheribum are placed at the gate of the Garden, which is on the east side (Genesis 3:24). This means the entrance to the Garden is toward the east. If you want to return to the Garden, you have to travel west, and moving east is moving away from the Garden. All through the Bible, east and west have this meaning. Cain is cast out of the land and wanders in Nob, which is east of Eden (Genesis 4:16). Lot moves east and settles near Sodom (Genesis 13:11). When Israel enters the land from Egypt, they circle around to Moab and cross the Jordan from the east. This shows that entering the land flowing with milk and honey is like returning to the Garden. Later, when Israel goes into exile, they are taken to the east, away from the land, and to return they travel west. In the New Testament, the wise men come from east to west, seeking the Garden and Jesus, the real Tree of Life (Matthew 2:1).

Practice Makes Perfect (part 2)

2007-01-12T16:44:00.000-06:00

An Interesting Analogy of Creation

2007-01-09T15:11:00.000-06:00

This is an excerpt from A House for My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament, an excellent book by Peter J. Leithart.

It takes God six days to build his house ... During the first three days, God makes a three-story house by dividing one thing from another. On the first day, He divides light and darkness; on the second, He divides waters in heaven from waters on the earth and puts the sky or firmament in between, and on the third day, He divides the waters on the earth to make the dry land and the sea. The next three days, He fills up the three stories of His house. On the fourth day, He puts the sun, moon and stars in the sky to fill up daytime and nighttime. On the fifth day, He creates birds to fly across the sky and fish to swim in the waters. On the sixth day, He makes Adam and animals that live on land. What's interesting is that the first three days match the second three days.

Dividing
Day 1: Light/dark
Day 2:Waters above/below
Day 3:Waters/land

Filling
Day 4: Sun, moon, stars
Day 5: Birds and fish
Day 6:Land animals and man

And so, at the end of the six days of creation, God has finished a "three-story" house.

Sweet and Sour

2007-01-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

My dad and I left for Glendale, Arizona and the Fiesta Bowl on Sunday and just arrived home tonight. Although the Sooners lost, we still had a great time. The day of the game we hung out at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a beautiful resort where the team was staying. Cacti (above) and palm trees were all around us, players were roaming around everywhere, and we were constantly snapping photos. Here are some good ones from the trip.

The photo above shows OU radio play-by-play man Bob Barry and me.

Q: Which one of these football players under 5' 7" can bench press 430 pounds?
A: Running back Jacob Gutierrez.

Here's former Sooner J.D. Runnels, now a running back for the Chicago Bears.

Former OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops (brother of Bob), now the head coach at the University of Arizona, was also at the hotel and is pictured here with my dad and me.

Here I am with OU athletic director Joe Castiglione.

Because I have so many photos, it requires more than one post for all of them. Scroll down to see the rest.

Sweet and Sour (part 2)

2007-01-02T21:59:00.000-06:00

We stayed at the resort until the players left for the stadium. I got some great photos as they were walking to the bus. As you might expect, they had their game faces on.

Quarterback Paul Thompson

Running back Adrian Peterson

Linebacker Rufus Alexander, whom I stood behind in the security line at the airport this morning

Defensive end John Williams, who has, in my opinion, the meanest game face

Defensive back Reggie Smith

And head coach Bob Stoops

Sweet and Sour (part 3)

2007-01-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

After the team left, we followed the buses to the extremely impressive stadium (above). During pregame warm-ups, I took some more pictures of the players.

Here's a somewhat blurry photo of Rufus Alexander (42) and Adrian Peterson, both at their last game as a Sooner.

About 45 minutes before the game started, my dad and I were just standing eating hot dogs, when along walked ...

Heisman Trophy winner and former Sooner quarterback Jason White! And ...

... a hungry Heisman Trophy winner, former Sooner running back Billy Sims!

This is my dad and me at the game, which was very fun. The last four minutes was the most exciting thing in my life and a joy to watch. Except when we lost. But even so, the trip was awesome. I totally had a great time in Arizona.

This is one more pic from my trip home today.

Actual Entries from Church Bulletins

2006-12-16T18:36:00.000-06:00

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The peace making meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off. Let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang, "I will not pass this way again" and gave obvious pleasure to the congregation.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM. Prayer and medication to follow.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Practice Makes Perfect

2006-11-30T21:03:00.000-06:00

Brains and Brawn

2006-11-29T20:40:00.000-06:00

In the Persian War, the Persians had more then 5 million soldiers, including cavalry, infantry, and a navy with 1,207 ships. The Greeks, however, had far fewer troops, and a navy with but 271 ships. But the Greeks won the war. How, you may ask, did they do it? The Greeks won with brave and skillful fighting, but mostly with an excellent military strategy. Two important battles of the war illustrate this perfectly.

The first battle is the Battle of Marathon, in which the Persians fought the Athenians. In this battle, the Athenians were outnumbered three to one. So, to make up for their size, they made their line thinner and longer, with extra men on the flanks, so they would not be surrounded by the many Persians. This minimized the Persians' size advantage by not allowing them to have more then one man fighting an Athenian at one time. The Athenians’ plan worked extremely well; although the Persians killed most of the Athenians on the inside of the line, the Athenians controlled the outside. They surrounded the remaining Persians, and went on to a great victory, killing 6,400 Persians, and losing only 192 men.

The next battle is the Battle of Salamis, a navy battle. The Greeks were on the island of Salamis, and had planned that they should fight in the narrow strait between the island of Salamis and the mainland of Greece. Fighting in a small area was to the Greek advantage, for the Persian ships did not have room to spread out and use all their ships, and they were not able to use their superior speed. The Greeks, now almost evenly matched with the Persians, won the battle easily, which was the “knockout punch” of the war.

The wise Greeks figured out how to minimize the size advantage of the Persians, and proved their skill in battle. They should be praised for their bravery and skill, but most of all, their brains.

'Bedlam, Followed by Class'

2006-11-28T22:30:00.000-06:00

Bedlam is the most heated game in Oklahoma. Two teams that basically hate each other face off, playing for yearly bragging rights and the pride that goes with them.

After hours of hitting OSU players in this year's Bedlam game, Chris Messner (right) showed us the perfect example of a good sport.

This is an excerpt from an article by John Rohde in today's Oklahoman:

A few minutes after the game, [OSU receiver D'Juan] Woods was alone at the 27-yard line on the west side, down on both knees, face buried in his hands. OU senior offensive tackle Chris Messner, who went unbeaten in Bedlam, boldly
walked over to Woods and helped him to his feet.

Messner had made it a point to visit the Cowboys sideline afterward to offer a handshake to anyone willing to accept. Messner was there to offer a gesture, not to gloat. Plenty of other Sooners did the same. Bedlam, followed by class. A nice touch.

'Neither Slave nor Free'

2006-11-26T20:56:00.000-06:00

One Sunday morning in 1865, a black man entered a fashionable Episcopalian church in Richmond, Virginia. When Communion was served, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar. A rustle of resentment swept through the congregation. Episcopalians use the common cup. Then a distinguished layman stood up, stepped forward, and knelt beside the black man. It was Robert E. Lee. He said to the congregation, "All [Christians] are brothers in Christ. Have we not one Father?" Humbly, the congregation followed his lead.

Robert E. Lee is to be praised for his kindness to the black Christian. Robert E. Lee was a career U.S. Army officer and the most celebrated general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. He also fought in the Mexican War with distinction and served as superintendent at West Point in his lifetime.

Here, Lee shows us that, no matter what race a person is, we are all the same in Christ. All Christians are equal in Christ, for everyone was made in God’s own image. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). We Christians need to remember that, lest we be tempted to judge others by their outward appearance.

Just as the colorblind dog does not care about the color or race of a person, but treats all races with equal loyalty and affection, so we should act. Christians should be “colorblind” and look at the heart.

Don Haskins, coach of the Texas Western basketball team, didn’t care about race. In a time when black players were unheard of, he mixed his team and won the NCAA championship.

On the battlefield, in church, or anywhere else, Robert E. Lee did not look at race, but at the heart. We should follow his example and in so doing, treat all races with equal kindness and respect, so that our lives may be found pleasing to Christ.

Before Reggie Bush There was This Guy

2006-11-18T15:02:00.000-06:00

Check out these two incredible punt returns by Joe Washington. One against OSU and the other against USC.

The Importance of Trust

2006-11-07T21:46:00.000-06:00

On his march through Asia Minor, Alexander the Great fell ill. The only physician willing to treat him was his friend Phillip, for the others feared that they would be suspected of malpractice if they failed. While Phillip prepared the medicine, Alexander received a letter saying that Phillip had been bribed to poison his master. Alexander kept the letter, and when Phillip came in, showed it to him as he drank the medicine. After reading the letter, Phillip threw himself at the king’s bedside, but Alexander assured him that he had confidence in his honor. Three days later, Alexander appeared before his army, completely healed.

Alexander was a loyal man for trusting his friend in this situation. He was the king of Macedonia and one of the most successful military commanders in history. Before his death, he conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks.

Trust is extremely important in any friendship. Alexander proved that in this instance. If he had trusted the writer of the letter rather than stayed loyal to his friend, he might have died. Alexander demonstrates that a person should choose wisely whom he trusts.

Consider this example: A football player is bribed by the coach of another team to give him their playbook. The player's coach gets word of this, but trusts his player completely. He doesn’t change his plays out of fear that the other coach knows them. The player is loyal to his coach as well. The coach has justified trust in his player, and the player does not let him down.

Just as the 300 soldiers of Gideon trusted Gideon to lead them against the Midianites, even after he made some seemingly dubious decisions when he cut thousands of troops, so Alexander trusted Phillip.

As Democritus wisely said, “Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.”

Whether he was dealing with his troops, or with the physician Phillip, Alexander always chose carefully and wisely who he trusted. In this regard, we all should strive to be like Alexander the Great.

College Football

2006-10-28T21:19:00.000-05:00

I went to the Oklahoma State-Nebraska football game today, my 14th birthday, with my dad and our friends the Hills. Although I am a huge OU fan, I really enjoyed sitting in a suite watching OSU upset Nebraska, being in a new stadium, and a eating juicy Eskimo Joe's burger after the game. It's safe to say a great time was had by all in Stillwater.

Jack Henry for Heisman

2006-10-25T14:02:00.001-05:00

Duck Blind

2006-09-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

You know the story.

'What Do They Teach Them at These Schools'

2006-09-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

A story earler this year in The Oklahoman told us that "44,608 students enrolled in remedial courses at state colleges and universities during the 2004-05 school year. That’s about 39 percent of first-time freshmen."

It is unbelievable how easy some of these classes are. For example, at Tulsa Community College there is a course called "ENG 0601 – Basic Grammar." The class is "[d]esigned to teach fundamental principles of grammar: parts of speech, clauses and phrases, sentence patterns, subject-verb agreement, and major sentence errors." My sister is learning these things. She's eight.

Another course at TCC, "ENG 0631 – Spelling and Phonics," is for "the student who needs to master basic spelling literacy and principles of phonics. Mastery of commonly misspelled words and decoding skills is included." Imagine an 18-year-old saying, "I'm hooked on phonics!"

At Northeastern State University, in "MATH 0123 – Elementary Algebra," a student can learn about "signed numbers, exponents, order of operations, factoring, algebraic fractions, linear equations and inequalities, word problems and percents." I remember this from sixth grade.

It seems like students who have graduated from high school should know these things. As the professor in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe said, "What do they teach them at these schools?"

OU Football

2006-09-15T17:11:00.000-05:00

This was fun.

On the Links

2006-08-21T18:18:00.000-05:00

I went to Bella Vista, Arkansas a few weekends ago, where I played golf with my grandpa and uncle. We played three awesome courses, where on numerous holes we teed off from cliffs. This picture is of me hitting my approach on the 18th hole of the second day. It made the green and I sunk my birdie putt.

We all had a great time in Bella Vista.

‘Shot at and Missed’

2006-06-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

I recently read a very interesting book by Jack R. Myers called Shot at and Missed. Myers, now a retired businessman in Arcadia, recounted his time as a bombardier in World War II.

In 1942, Myers signed up for a cadet testing program in Peoria, Illinois. After that and further testing in Texas, he was trained as a bombardier in San Angelo, where he became a 2nd Lieutenant. He was shipped to the 15th Air Force base in Italy, and became a member of the 20th squadron. As a bombardier he flew 52 missions (including the required 35 over target), which included bomb runs over Vienna, Debreczen, and Blechhammer. On February 24, 1943, he finished his missions and flew home. Once back in the States, he trained in Texas to become a pilot until the end of the war.

Myers remembers a mission he flew over Debreczen, Hungary. He called this mission the scariest he flew, and wrote a chapter about it called “Shot at and Hit.” His assignment was to bomb the marshalling yards in Debreczen. “[My crew and I] assumed this was a milk run,” Myers wrote in his book. “Oh what a mistake that was.” His 20th squadron flew with the 429th, the 96th and the 49th squadrons. They thought it would be a “milk run” (an easy mission) because there were only about 45 anti-aircraft guns in Debreczen, compared to more than 600 he had faced in Vienna. What they didn’t know was that more guns had been shipped in to the marshalling yards. Anti-aircraft guns could shoot exploding flak at altitudes higher than 30,000 feet – approximately ten times a minute. “It was unbelievable,” Myers told me in a recent interview. “They just filled the sky with explosions.” Amazingly, every plane returned to the base. One of the planes in the Debreczen mission was Sweet Pea. It was called the most damaged B-17 to make it back to base during the entire war.

Myers’ book, published by the University of Oklahoma Press, is now in its third printing. Myers decided to write his book when his granddaughter interviewed him for a National History Book Contest. She won the school contest and went on to the state competition, which she also won. He recalled, “[People] said, ‘Jack, why don’t you write your story?’” It took him seven years to write the book, which he constructed by reading his diaries from the war and detailed letters that he had written to his brother back home.

Shot at and Missed gives readers an amazing glimpse of the war from a bombardier’s point of view.

USSSA AA State Tournament

2006-06-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

My baseball team, the Edmond Cubs, is playing in the USSSA AA State Tournament next weekend in Stillwater. I think we have a pretty good chance of winning. We already won our league with a record of 11-0-1, and in the AA rankings are ranked third in Oklahoma going into the tournament.

Update : Well, the tournament is over. We finished fifth (the Chandler Lions won it), which I was sort of disappointed with. We played some good games and some bad games.

In our second game against the Tulsa Cardinals, previously ranked fifth in the state, we were tied 3-3 for four innings. In the bottom of the seventh, we scored the winning run.

Overall, it was a fun tournament.

Think About This...

2006-06-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections?

If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

What's another word for thesaurus?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

If a Smurf chokes on a piece of food, what color does it turn?

Senior PGA Championship

2006-05-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

This week I am working at the 2006 Senior PGA Championship. My job is to get the scorecards from the players when they finish their round, take them to be copied, then run them back. On Wednesday I wasn't working, but I went and watched the practice round. I got autographs from Scott Simpson, Larry Nelson, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, and Gary Player, to name a few. Today I worked from 11:oo to 2:15. Jay Haas tossed me his glove as I collected his scorecard, and several other pros tossed me signed golf balls. I am having a great time.

Update : I had a great time working on the first day of the tournament, Thursday. The players walked right next to me after the 18th hole, where I collected their scorecards. Jay Haas even gave me his golf glove, and then ended up winning the tournament on a three hole playoff against Brad Bryant. The 2006 Senior PGA Tournament was an unforgettable experience.

Incredible Youths

2006-05-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

I was listening to Vision Forum’s What to Expect from a Twelve-Year-Old CD by Dr. S.M. Davis. Dr. Davis gave some wonderful examples of young people doing remarkable things.

When Jesus was 12 years old in Jerusalem, he was with the teachers in the temple, asking questions. He was without his parents for five days, during which he was responsible enough to find a place to sleep and get food. While in Jerusalem, he was not “running around Jerusalem Boulevard with the local yokels.” He had a mature sense of responsibility.

Throughout history, young people have been this way. In 2 Kings, Josiah became king at eight. Imagine if an eight-year-old today became king. But Josiah was not an ordinary eight-year-old child. He repaired the Temple, and the Book of the Law was found.

Prince Edward of England commanded the British army when he was only 16 years old! That is a big responsibility for someone so young.

Another example is Charles XII of Sweden. When his father died, young Charles assumed the throne. But because of the youth of the heir, his father had made arrangements for others to rule for a few years. The Swedish Parliament, however, didn’t like the substitute rulers that the father had left. One member proposed that Charles lead the government, and the young boy ascended the throne.

Many of the founding fathers accomplished incredible things at a young age. When John Hancock was 13, he entered Harvard. John Quincy Adams received a congressional diplomatic appointment to the court of Catherine the Great in Russia at 14. Twelve-year-old Alexander Hamilton ran a mercantile business in St. Croix expertly in two languages, and at 16 entered Columbia University and wrote some of the most persuasive Revolutionary pamphlets. George Washington wrote his famous Rules of Civility at 12.

Stonewall Jackson finished school at 16 and then became a teacher. He became constable of his county when he was 17.

In 1815 David Farragut became captain of a captured English ship at age 12. The previous captain first tried to ignore Farragut, calling him a mere child. David answered that he would shoot anyone who did not follow his orders. The other sailors later said that there was no question who was in charge of the vessel.

John Trumble, who helped Noah Webster write his dictionary, had read all the way through the Bible one time by 4, and at 7 he passed entrance exam to Yale University! He didn’t start attending until he turned 13.

These youths all had one thing in common. They had a mature sense of purpose, destiny, and responsibility, and their tasks are truly amazing.

Good Fishing!

2006-03-18T19:49:00.000-06:00

During spring break I went to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where I was born. On the night we arrived, my Papa, a friend, and I fished for crappie, and caught 17 (below) in about an hour and a half. The next day we caught more than 200 bass, including this three-and-a-half pounder (above) I hooked. It was an excellent trip.

Not catching fish over the winter gave me patience, but I am afraid I was spoiled by this trip.

Invitation Only?

2006-03-17T18:32:00.000-06:00

Check out this exceedingly Arminian church sign. Is its message correct?

This Doesn’t Seem Right

2006-02-25T19:58:00.000-06:00

Romans in the first and second centuries worked two days a year to earn enough money to pay their taxes. The average American in the twenty-first century has to work 107 days. This does not seem right.

As Dr. Rufus Fears has pointed out, the Romans had the best roads in the world, many of which are still in use today. Aqueducts brought pure drinking water to the whole Roman empire. They had a superior government and a dominating army. All for only two days a year.

Of course, America has better roads than the Romans. We have cleaner water and a more dominating army, but Americans must work more than three months every year to pay for it. I know that two days might not be enough nowadays, but 107 can definitely be improved.

Curious George

2006-02-23T16:20:00.000-06:00

My brother Jack Henry enjoys Curious George books, and has me read them over and over. He likes that George is so curious, because it makes him funny. But being curious often gets George into trouble. His friend, the man with the yellow hat, always tells George not to be too curious, but the mischievous monkey never listens. After reading the books to Jack Henry so many times, I have noticed something about George: He gets away with things because he is just being curious.

In one book, he was curious about the fountain pen his friend had. He tried to write with it, but he spilled the ink everywhere. Trying to clean it up, he used soap powder and a water hose on the mess, and ended up flooding the house. He even tried to “borrow” a pump from a farmer to pump out the water. The pump, however, was too heavy for George to carry, so he let out a pen of pigs trying to get one to help him carry it. He was, in the end, forgiven, because he was only being curious.

Curious George books are wonderful children’s stories that are clever and funny, and I like to read them to Jack Henry, and curiosity is not a bad thing to have. But, it should not be an excuse for disobedience.

The Resoluteness of Robert E. Lee

2006-02-22T16:17:00.000-06:00

Many people think Robert E. Lee was a slave owner who wanted to rebel against the Union and secede, but this is not true.

Lee never owned a slave, and when his wife, who was Martha Washington’s granddaughter, inherited slaves, he set them free. Robert E. Lee was not in favor of secession, either. So why did he fight so hard for an army that promoted slavery, and seceded from the Union?

Lee served the South for several reasons. One reason was that he stood for strong state government. The North wanted the federal government to be more powerful, but the South thought state government should have more control. Also, Lee was a statesman, a proud Virginian who would fight for his state. When Abraham Lincoln offered him a job as the leading general for the Union, Lee turned it down. He thought state government and statesmanship was more important than his feelings toward secession or slavery. He stood for what he knew was right, even if it meant leaving his country.

Fishing: The Character-Building Sport

2006-02-09T22:06:00.000-06:00

Today I went trout fishing on a local pond that was stocked for the winter. My friend Hunter and I caught three total in two and a half hours. After this and the long winter which had very slow fishing, I have become much more patient. There are a few fun things that build character, and fishing is one of them.

But...I still wouldn't mind catching a fish every cast!

Too Good To Be True

2006-02-05T21:50:00.000-06:00

Tonight on TV I saw the Men of Steel win the Super Bowl, but I had even more fun last night watching the Men of Teal (the Hornets) with my dad and our friends the Hills. The Hornets beat the Lakers 106-90 right in front of us. Literally. We had courtside seats which sometimes put me as close as 12 feet from the front-runner for MVP, Kobe Bryant, and the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, Chris Paul. I could actually hear the players calling out plays and the refs talking.

The game was great if you were a Hornets fan, consisting of a rim-rattling dunk by Kirk Snyder, which was ESPN’s #1 play of the night, and an amazing play by Chris Paul which included a spin, a behind-the-back dribble, and an off-balance layup to end the third quarter. The win moved the Hornets into seventh place in the Western Conference, which is good enough for a playoff spot if they can keep it up all year.

Not only were the seats unbelievable and the game thrilling, but before the game and at halftime we got to go to the Mid-First Bank board room where we got free food and drinks. This was located near the Lakers’ locker room, so close in fact that I was able to get a low-five from Devean George of the Lakers.

As if all that weren’t enough, I even caught a free Hornets tee shirt.

We had a great time at a great game.

Greatness

2006-02-02T16:32:00.001-06:00

Today I went to a talk by Steven F. Hayward about his new book, Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders. Hayward (pictured here with me) talked about the similarities between Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill, in their lives and their political views, and what made them great leaders.

Many people think Reagan and Churchill are very different, but after reading the book, I am amazed at the parallels between them. There were numerous examples of resemblances, which on the surface would look like complete differences.

Greatness is a wonderful book about two great heroes.

Wise Analogy

2006-01-09T16:46:00.000-06:00

In church and at home, one thing I've been studying is Calvinism. Something that is hard for many people to understand is how free will goes along with divine election. If God chooses us, and because of that we can't help but choose Him, how is that free will? Our pastor gave a good illustration that helped clear this up.

A buzzard can eat whatever it wants. It can go to a strawberry patch rather than to roadkill if it chooses. It has complete freedom to eat whatever it wants. But its nature is to eat roadkill. Because of its nature, it won't ever choose strawberries. We have free will, but we choose according to our nature. Without Christ first regenerating us, it is our nature to choose sin. Christ regenerates us, which changes our nature. Then, we choose Him, but it is always He who acts first. Unless Christ changes us, we will always choose roadkill (no offense, buzzards).

Sibling Laughs

2006-01-08T16:25:00.000-06:00

Every year since I was 1, our family has made a book of funny things my brother and sisters and I say. Here are a few laughs from 2005 courtesy of my siblings (mostly Jack Henry).

Jack Henry, 3: "Why am I wearing egg-rolls?" (Overalls)

J.H.: "Is disgusting a bad word?"

Mom was teaching a history lesson about how at first France didn't want to help the colonists in the Revolutionary War because America was losing. She said that no one wants to be on a losing team. Mary Margaret, 7, pipes in, "Yeah, kind of like Adrian Peterson. Even though he was from Texas [and a Texas fan], he wanted to play for OU [because they beat Texas]."

J.H.: "God is in this house, but we can't see him."

Lillie, 10: "Being a psychiatrist would be easy. All you do is say, 'How do you feel about that,' and then write it down and you get paid."

J.H.: "Someday I'll be as big as Lincoln and then I won't be scared anymore."

J.H., snuggling with mom one morning: "Do you want some apple juice?" mom asked. "No," Jack Henry replied. "I just want you."

J.H., driving past Krispy Kreme with Mom: "Oh Mom, I wiwee wiwee yike dat pace."

Lillie: "Mom, I am really stressed. I mean, I have Latin and Math and all this school work."
M.M.: "Yeah Mom, I am really stressed too. What if I flunk out of college?"

J.H.: "I love you so much, mom. You are the biggest mom I ever had."

Oklahoma City: Home of an NBA Team

2006-01-07T16:17:00.000-06:00

When I first heard that the New Orleans Hornets were moving to Oklahoma City on account of Hurricane Katrina, I thought it would be cool to see players from other teams, because the Hornets were not very good. But over time, I saw that I didn't care about the other teams' players. I cared about the home team. The best players in the league -- including Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, and Shaquille O'Neal -- have come to town, only to (a) get cheered against by 19,000 screaming fans, and (b) lose! I have officialy joined the Oklahoma City Hornets bandwagon. Go Hornets!

2005: Year in Review

2006-01-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

2005 was a good year for me. I finished the sixth grade and started the seventh, played a full baseball season and one-and-a-half basketball seasons (going on two), got a new dog, went to my 6th Oklahoma University basketball camp, caught more than 200 fish in one day with two of my cousins and my grandpa, went on a trip to Kansas City where I rode a roller coaster (The Mamba) that was 205 feet high and went 75 mph, got braces, made my first, second, and third birdies in golf, started attending a new church, went to my 43rd consecutive home Oklahoma University football game, and went on my first duck hunt.

Happy New Year!

Think About It

2006-01-01T12:50:00.000-06:00

I have been studying the American Revolution a lot lately. The Americans started the war partly because they thought their taxes were unfair. True, they had a right to believe in "No taxation without representation," but from most things I've read, it sounds as the British gave reasonable taxes to the Colonists. What do you think?

Here is some info on the subject.

Can You Raed Tihs?

2005-12-29T12:49:00.000-06:00

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Colonial Communication

2005-11-15T17:18:00.000-06:00

This is a story that I wrote for school about communication in colonial times:

Communication in colonial times was much different than it is today. It was extremely difficult to get the news. Most towns had a town crier who would walk through the streets bellowing out the news. Occasionally, if the crier had special news, he would play drums as he walked so everyone would come and listen to him. Another way to hear news was to go to the town inn. At the inn, the travelers staying there would tell news of other towns. Newspapers in those days were scarce. The few that there were had news of ships coming to the colonies and what cargo they carried. They had poems, sermons, and advertisements. Colonial news was rare.

Writing letters in the colonial days was also different. If a boy were writing a letter to his father, it would not begin Dear Dad. It would say Dear Sir or Honour’d Sir. They would close with With great respect or dutiful father. The letters were strangely written with a feather from a pen or turkey. These pens were called quills. After the letter was finished, sand, which dried the ink, would be sprinkled on it. Unfortunately, there were no envelopes, so people would have to fold it neatly to send. The houses in colonial days had no house numbers. You might write near the bakery, in the Town Square or next to the inn on Cow Street. From the content, to the pen, to the address written, letters were irregular in Colonial times.

Sending letters then was difficult. If a man wanted to send a letter, he would have to pay another man to deliver it. There was no everyday mail service then.

Frequently, the letter would take months to reach its destination. Sometimes it would never arrive. During his trip, Indians might kill him, or he might lose his mailbag. The first mail service, which used horses to transport the mail, was finally founded in 1672. Sending letters was almost impossible before the mail service. Colonial Communication is considerably unlike communication today.

John Tyler

2005-09-26T17:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a story about my great-great uncle John W. Tyler (shown here with his father, Don Tyler) that I wrote for my writing class:

John Waldo Tyler, son of Donald Marsh Tyler and Ima Irwin Tyler, was born on December 17, 1917 in Bartlesville. He married Mary Margaret Swain in 1941; they had five children. He later married Louise (Timmie) Cortner. Tyler, whose family owned the Dewey Portland Cement Company, was a rancher, independent oilman, businessman, and banker, and he was active in politics. He died at the age of 50 of a cerebral hemorrhage. He is interred in the Tyler family mausoleum south of Bartlesville.

Although Tyler was never a professional politician, he was known for what he accomplished in Oklahoma politics. He served as Washington County GOP chairman and later as state GOP chairman, a job which Henry Bellmon described as "a hopeless, payless, thankless job that only a political martyr would take." Tyler later went on to serve as Republican National Committeeman from Oklahoma. His leadership in Oklahoma politics helped pave the way for the election of Bellmon, Oklahoma’s first Republican governor, who later held the office of United States Senator. As Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise political reporter Ralph L. Smith wrote, "No one can deny that [Tyler] laid the foundation, brick by brick, on which the state’s first Republican governor was elected."

Bellmon himself wrote in his autobiography, "Of all the people I have known in politics, John Tyler had the greatest influence on my activities. Single-handedly, he made me state Republican chairman; he was the first to identify me as a potential candidate for governor … John Tyler, my political mentor, never expected or received anything even remotely resembling financial advantage from his political work nor did he in any way receive the kind of honor and attention which he genuinely deserved." Tyler was skilled in many ways, but he was most proud of his political accomplishments.

One afternoon during Bellmon’s first term as governor, three prominent Oklahoma businessmen – Dean McGee, Walt Helmerich, and Boots Adams – had an appointment with the governor. (Boots Adams was president of Phillips Petroleum and was the "reigning czar" of Bartlesville, in Bellmon’s words.) That day, Tyler stopped by Bellmon’s office for one of his unannounced visits and was leafing through Bellmon’s schedule. When he saw who was scheduled for an appointment, he quickly shooed the governor out of his office. When Bellmon asked what was going on, Tyler hurriedly answered, "Don’t ask questions, just get out of here because I am going to take over your office." Bellmon complied and later found out that Tyler got a newspaper, took off his shoes and was reclining in the governor’s chair with his feet on the desk when Boots Adams walked in for his meeting with the governor.

"Helping elect a Republican governor so John could be sitting in the governor’s chair with his feet propped up on the governor’s desk to greet Boots Adams must have given Tyler great satisfaction," Bellmon wrote. "It was almost reward enough for all the work he had done in building the Oklahoma Republican Party."