Spin and Lie when all else fails

It looks as though CINCO (comrade-in-chief Obama) and his minions will be targeting the tax cuts put into effect after the 9-11 attacks as the reason that the economy is failing. When all else fails point the accusatory finger at Bush. There is a problem with that logic: the housing mortgage market imploded taking the economy with it. If you examine carefully the reasons behind the mortgage market implosion you will clearly see that its implosion had nothing to do with tax relief. The mortgage market imploded taking the main economies with it because of the failed lending practices put into place by the bereft policies that everyone, without regard to their ability to repay, deserved a mortgage. The sub-prime mortgage market was like the junk-bond market of the 1980s. When you change the fundamental rules of doing business and thereby protecting the lender and the borrowing public from extreme failures you are at risk for the total mortgage market failure. Guess what happened. Yep. The entire mortgage market failed taking down the economy which was threaded to the mortgage market domestically and internationally. Who changed the rules? It began with Jimmy Carter, William Proxmire and Paul Volcker. Think for a moment about the former president who has built a reputation on building ‘free homes’ for those who couldn’t afford to own a home. Carter. In successive years the predominantly Demokrat congress (house and senate) have loosened the controls and lowered the standards for mortgage lending practices as well as funding the quasi-governmental failures known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Remember too that it was Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Barney Frank (D-MA) who’ve been at the helm of making those fundamental changes. You cannot pin the failed economy on Bush without heaping blame on the Demokrat legacy of free housing at the tax-payers’ expense. Blaming Bush is like blaming a firefighter for the house burning down but that is the November tactic that is brewing in the gangster-riddled boiler room of the Chicago thug in the Whitehouse. Don’t sit around and listen to their lies. Stand up and challenge them wherever you find them. They want you to forget that it was the mortgage market that took down the economy and that THEY (CINCO included) precipitated the failure. From Alinsky’s rules for Radical, Rule #5 states, "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." The Demokrat plan of attack for the mid-term elections is to ridicule any conservative platform as failed Bush policy. Pay attention to this one as they will try repeatedly to convince you through ridicule, which they admit is irrational but it keeps their opponent off-balance. They are liars and market wreckers. That is what communists do.

Character shines through again

I know - this is my 3rd character anecdote that includes golf and acts of integrity. As a fly fisherman you’d think that I’d have story about the character of fly fishers. Tim Dahlberg has again written a masterful article about character and as he points out, “after months of being mired in the slime of Tiger Woods, golf needed Brian Davis worse than Davis needed to win his first tournament on the PGA Tour.” Read this and send Tim an email thanking him for yet another article about integrity and character in sports: tdahlberg@ap.org

“A loss for Brian Davis _ but a big win for golf

Published: 4/20/10, 3:25 AM EDT

By TIM DAHLBERG

(AP) - What happened in the junk off the 18th green at the Harbour Town Golf Links could have all been avoided if Brian Davis had only taken the easy way out. That, however, was never really an option. Davis was going to play the shot out of the hazard instead of taking a penalty drop because it was probably the only chance he had to finally win a golf tournament. And for that, golf can be grateful. If this was some kind of fairy tale story, Davis would have won the tournament he so desperately wanted to win. It's not, and Jim Furyk's name is on both the winner's trophy and the $1.026 million check. Don't expect Davis to be happy about that. He's tried too long and too hard to win a PGA tournament, and this one was almost in his hands. "You're not playing for second, but playing to win," Davis said. "But I can hold my head up high." Indeed he can. And, in the end, that may be more important than the win that got away. Because after months of being mired in the slime of Tiger Woods, golf needed Brian Davis worse than Davis needed to win his first tournament on the PGA Tour. "It's not exactly what I was thinking about," Davis said. "But anything good for our sport is good, I guess." In case you missed it - and the anemic television ratings would indicate all but the most die-hard golf fans did - Davis was in the hazard next to the final green with a wedge in his hand, needing to somehow get up-and-down in two to keep his overtime playoff against Furyk going. After much deliberation with his caddie, he splashed out from a crummy lie to about 30 feet, giving him a chance to make it to stay alive. But something felt wrong, and he immediately called over a PGA official to tell him why. "I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye," Davis said Monday in a telephone interview. "I didn't feel anything, but I thought I might have seen something." What Davis saw was his club almost imperceptibly grazing a reed in the hazard. Under rule 13.4 - moving a loose impediment during a takeaway - that meant a 2-stroke penalty, even if the offense was only visible in super slow motion replays. And that meant the golf tournament for Davis. For six years the Englishman turned Florida resident has been trying to win one on this side of the pond. He could have pretended he never saw the club graze the reed, and taken the chance no one else saw it either. But he didn't. He's a golfer. And golfers don't cheat. Not on the course, at least. "That's what makes our sport so special," Davis said. "It was just one of those things. I had to call it and I did." The golf community understood. They patted Davis on the back, and two prominent players on the senior tour called and thanked him for restoring some sense of integrity to the game. But what shocked Davis more was the reaction from people who don't know the difference between a putter and a 6-iron. The e-mails and phone calls flooded in Monday from around the country. Teachers even had their students write. "It was mostly `I just wanted to send you a note to say we need more people like you in sports,'" Davis said. "People saw it as an example to the younger generation to make the right choices." In this case the right choice was the only choice for Davis. He may not play golf like Woods but, unlike Woods, he plays a gentleman's game like a gentleman. And instead of capitalizing on his newfound fame to sell shoes, he's using it to sell awareness. Davis, who has had three bouts of skin cancer, is a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation. "If you see the damage it's done to someone, it wakes people up," Davis said. "Coming from England we didn't worry much about it because we seldom saw the sun, and by the time I became aware of it, it had already done a lot of damage." Davis hopes to get people slathering on the sunscreen like he does twice a day. He hopes even more fervently to win on the PGA Tour some day, and believes his time will come. It almost did Sunday in South Carolina, where he had to make an 18-footer on the final hole just to get in the playoff. He's sure he would have made that last 30-footer, too, had it meant anything. Instead, he halfheartedly hit it by the hole, knowing his big chance was gone. It was a bitter disappointment, but Davis was buoyed by the response to what he did. "For me now it's nothing but positive looking forward," Davis said. "It's going to be a good year for me." It could be a good year for golf, too. And for that, some thanks should go to an Englishman who acted like a gentleman.”

____

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org

The Real Winner

I enjoy golf.  I am not a good golfer.  What I truly enjoy is humility and respect for the game.  With the circus around the amoral character of Tiger Woods at this Masters, Phil Mickelson showed the greatest of character, integrity and love of family.  He didn't rant and rave at missed shots - he simply played his game as best he knew how.  In the end character shown through not the surly and despicable words of a snarling 'tiger' who only signs up to win but a real man who knows the value of love and family.

Congratulations Lefty and May God heal your beloved Amy and your mom quickly so that you and your family may continue to share character in world without character.

This article by Tim Dahlberg is worth reading several times...grab a Kleenex.

April 12, 2010

“Phil Mickelson's emotional win a win for golf, too”

Published: 4/12/10, 7:09 AM EDT

By TIM DAHLBERG

"AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Phil Mickelson was doing his best not to cry again as he slipped on another green jacket and tried to put into words things that he couldn't possibly put into words. He had already shed a tear on the 18th green, though he wasn't alone. Anyone who knew the story had to shed a few, too, as Mickelson latched onto the tiny blonde woman who had been through so much and shared an embrace that neither seemed willing to end. He had struggled on the golf course all year, but that meant nothing. Not compared to the struggles Amy Mickelson went through while battling breast cancer. There would be plenty of time later to talk about the shot that will live in Masters lore, plenty of time to reflect on what a third title means to his career. As the fading sun added some drama to the victory ceremony on the practice putting green, though, Mickelson wanted to talk about something closer to his heart - his wife. "We've been through a lot this year; it means a lot to share some joy together," he said. "She's an incredible wife, an incredible mother. She's been an inspiration for me this past year, seeing what she's been through." It couldn't have been more sincere. It could hardly have been more appropriate. All week long the talk at the Masters was of another golfer and other women. The circus that surrounded Tiger Woods blew into town on Monday, and the tent was still up as the leaders teed off on a Sunday afternoon brimming with drama. Mickelson hadn't been ignored, but he had certainly been overlooked. He wasn't alone, because the drama surrounding the comeback of Woods overshadowed the entire week at Augusta National. Until early Sunday evening, that is. That's when the week that golf feared suddenly became the week golf fans will always remember. It started with a shot a Vegas high-roller would have never dreamed of betting on. It ended with a scene so touching it washed away any lingering memories of the stain Woods had put on this Masters. The man who stands for everything Woods doesn't stood wearing the green jacket Woods so desperately coveted. Even better, when he looked up on the 18th green, his wife - who had been bed-ridden most of the week - and his children were there to share it all with him. "I was just really glad she was there," Mickelson said. "I wasn't sure if she was going to be there today. I knew she would be watching. I didn't know if she would be behind 18. To walk off the green and share that with her is very emotional for us." If it was emotional for Mickelson, it was also therapeutic to golf. The throngs who crowded every hole as the leaders made their way around Augusta National may not have been quite sure how much emotion they were going to invest with Woods, but with Lefty there was no doubt. They cheered him on every shot, pulled for him at every turn. And when he hit the shot on No. 13 no one will ever forget, they roared with delight. The swashbuckler danced with danger and pulled it off. Mickelson couldn't help himself because, while the risk was great, the reward was even greater. He's taken that approach his whole career, and he's lost some big tournaments because of it. He could have lost this Masters, too, something caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay was thinking as he debated the wisdom of the shot with his boss of 18 years. "I begged him to lay up on 13," Mackay said. "He said, 'Get out of the way.'" Mickelson was in the pine needles off the right side of the 13th fairway with two large trees right in front of him and 207 yards to the hole. He had a 6-iron in hand, and a narrow chute of just a few feet to feed the ball through while making sure he hit it pure enough to clear the water in front of the green. No one else would have even attempted it. Mickelson didn't give it a second thought. "I just felt like at that time, I needed to trust my swing and hit a shot," Mickelson said, "and it came off perfect." The ball flew out of the pine needles, settling just 4 feet from the hole. Mickelson missed the eagle putt but made the comebacker for birdie and didn't miss another shot the rest of the way in. "It's one of those shots, really, that only Phil can pull off," playing partner Lee Westwood said. "Most people would've just chipped that out. But that's what great players do. They pull off great shots at the right time." Indeed, the shot was a reminder of just what a great player Mickelson is. The other reminder is that he's now won four major championships, three of them at the place where he first broke through with a win in 2004 that broke a long scoreless streak in big tournaments. That tournament will be remembered for the leap Mickelson took on the 18th green after sinking a 20-footer to win. He then scooped up his daughter, Amanda, and told her something she likely couldn't comprehend at the time. "Daddy won!" he said. "Can you believe it?" Amanda is 10 now, and Saturday night she had to have her wrist put in a splint because of a hairline fracture from a roller skating fall. Life isn't always perfect for the perfect family man, but that was a mere blip compared to the cancer issues both his mother and his wife face. Mickelson, who has for the most part kept Amy's condition and treatment a private matter, said earlier this week that her long-term prognosis is very good, though she still deals with unspecified quality-of-life issues. Once a fixture in the crowd following Mickelson, she hasn't been on the course with him at a tournament since being diagnosed last year. On this memorable day, she walked hand-in-hand with her husband off the 18th green, waving to everyone along the way. People stood and cheered, yelling out well wishes to both. Mickelson was red-eyed, seemingly shell-shocked, the goofy grin that so often adorns his face gone for the moment. Amy, though, was all smiles. "Good to see you guys," she told them. Surely it was. But not nearly as good as it was for golf to see a champion and his wife, together once again."

___

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org.

Out of Action for two weeks

Hello friends in Christ!  I will be out of 'action' for two weeks beginning Monday March 1st with knee replacement surgery.  Please pray for my wife and me as I undergo surgery and the recoery therapy.  Thank you in the healing Name of Jesus

Lenten Devotion - Saturday February 20

Hebrews 9:11-14, “But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” 

Being born again because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us is an amazing if not wondrous act of love. What do we do with His act of love? How have we responded? What do we now believe? In this letter to the Hebrews we encounter the negation of blood sacrifices as essential to eternal life. Once Jesus gave His life upon the cross our eternity is written with His and the Father and the Holy Spirit. We have the choice to accept or refuse Jesus’ act of grace and mercy on our behalf. How we choose determines what we will ‘do’ about our sin and guilt. If we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior then we must confess our sin, ask God through Jesus to forgive us and repent. When we have experienced God’s grace and forgiveness it will be our longing to live as Jesus lived in holiness.

Prayer: Eternal and loving God thank you for seeking us constantly and redeeming us through Jesus Christ. Hear my prayers Father and forgive me I pray. In Jesus’ holy Name I pray. AMEN.

Lenten Devotion - Friday February 19

Matthew 11:20-24, “Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jesus speaks to nations, cities, and communities regarding their faithlessness and sinfulness. It wasn’t a phenomenon of Jesus rather God had been speaking in this same manner through His prophets and He continues through His Son. Each nation, city and community is comprised of individuals who have a duty to relate to God through Jesus Christ and with one another. When nations, cities and communities fail to be obedient that failure begins with the individual who refuses to be obedient to God through Christ. The only way for a nation, city or community to return to favor with God through Christ is for each individual to confess, seek God’s forgiveness and repent. It is here that we begin.

Prayer: Father thank You for today and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Help us fall to our knees in humility. Let us once again see Your Divine will for our lives. Forgive us we pray in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Lenten Devotion - Thursday February 18

Jonah 3:4-9, “Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”

What an amazing and wonderful thing to witness that the prophetic message that sent Jonah to Nineveh to deliver was heard and being heeded not just by its inhabitants but by its leaders as well. Wouldn’t it be a miraculous act of God that the leaders of our Nation and the world suddenly turned her or his heart to God through Jesus, confessed their sins, asked God to forgive them and repented – sinning no more? Would you believe it if it happened one day? God has that kind of power and that kind of influence. We must be carriers of God’s truth as Jonah was and be willing to go into ‘Nineveh’ where danger certainly awaited him to deliver the message of God’s real hope of eternal life. We must never stop seeking out ways to share the great good news of repentance and eternal life.

Prayer: Father forgive our weakness and lack of faith. You have been amazing in Your anticipation of our faith. Strengthen us in faith, help us confess our failures, lead us in Your Holy Way. In Jesus’ Name we pray. AMEN.