Happy Holidays?

For the past few years I have noticed a backlash among my fellow religious conservatives over the phrase "Merry Christmas" falling into disuse and being replaced by the more sanitized "Happy Holidays". I grew up saying Merry Christmas, I still say Merry Christmas, but until a few years ago when the whole holiday greeting debacle erupted I thought that Happy Holidays referred to Christmas and New Year's Day.

Little did I know that the old phrase had been turned into a nefarious plot by the politically correct liberal establishment bent on destroying all things Jesus. Now, I am as against PC bullcrap as the next conservative, and I think Merry Christmas is a perfectly good greeting for the holiday season, but I can completely understand why some people would chose to say Happy Holidays instead. In a world full of things for Christians to get worked up over, I'm afraid this just isn't the hill we need to die on.

I've even heard of some people refusing to shop in places that don't wish them a Merry Christmas. While I admire their dedication to the beloved holiday I think some of my brethren & sistren are missing the point. First of all, not everyone is a Christian, and even among those who are, not all of them celebrate Christmas. Secondly, nowhere in my Bible do I find the Merry Christmas greeting requirement. In fact, you won't find Christmas in there at all, because it's a made up holiday that we co-opted from the old world pagans to coax them into the church by letting them keep their winter solstice festival. No one is sure what time of year Jesus was born, but nearly all Bible scholars agree that it wasn't on December 25th.

So, am I against Christmas? Of course not. But we have to realize that when someone is trying to run a business that caters to all different sorts of people, or when it comes to government officials who serve us all, "Happy Holidays" is the best way to be inclusive of everyone without having to ask each person for their religious affiliation at the door. And those of us that are Christians need to remember our first job as believers is to "seek and save that which is lost". How many non-Christians would want to know more about a religion that gets so hung up over a holiday greeting? Are we really doing to Lord's work by making a living on being offended?

So whatever you celebrate this time of year, or if you celebrate nothing in particular, I hope that this time of year is filled with warm and happy memories. And for my fellow Christians, I hope that the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord is part of your life every day, and not just on the day the fat man in the red suit stops by.

Happy Holidays everyone, whatever that means to you.

Nolanbuck

Bush's final flip-flop

While President Bush was dodging flying shoes in Iraq, he was dropping the other shoe here at home. I can almost understand the Iraq man's frustration at a President, who I genuinely believe is well-meaning, that has the annoying ability to leave people twisting in the wind.

Take his latest rug-jerking act on the Republicans in the Senate, who opposed the automaker bailout on the grounds that the unions had not given enough ground in the bailout deal...a reasonable position that the President had claimed to be sympathetic to. Then just after the bailout died in the Senate, the President revered course, saying he might be willing to use T.A.R.P. funds to make loans to the automakers; thus circumventing congress and leaving the Senate Republicans out on a limb, looking like a bunch of idiots.

How can anyone take the Republican party seriously when their own President won't back them up? Is it any wonder that the GOP is so despised right now, when even when they try to do something right, they get undercut by their own leader? You can Blame Bush for the war, the economy, or your bunions; but I blame W for the ruin of the Republican party, something that make take longer to fix than either Iraq or GM.

Nolanbuck

Regrets

This blog has been about politics and current events so far, but that's not all we're here for. I've been in a strange mood lately, a reflective mood. Perhaps it's just the Christmas season, or the approach of another birthday, but I've been doing some outside of the box thinking. One of the things I've been thinking about is regrets.

Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea...I've had a great life up to this point, it's been an interesting ride - and not always easy or fun - but I have been very, very blessed. But haven't you ever taken stock of things and seen some stuff you wish you'd done differently? I suppose we all have, just most of us are smart enough not to put it on the internet. Anyway, not complaining, but there are some things I regret.

* I regret not trying harder. No matter what you tell yourself or what you're doing, you could try harder.

* I regret not telling people how I really felt when it would do some good. I don't just mean telling people "I love you", or "I appreciate you", but also things like "you're ticking me off", or "what you're doing is wrong and I'm not going to stand for it". Discretion may be the better part of valor, but some things need saying,...right then, right there.

* I regret not taking some things more seriously, and not taking other things less seriously. The tricky part there is, they often look like the other thing at the time.

* I regret not taking better care of myself. It occurred to me recently that I'd been extremely healthy and fit for the first half of my life up to now, and spent the second half of letting things slide. Now I don't drink or smoke, and I'm not sick or infirmed...or even in terrible shape...but I will be sooner than I'd like if I don't do a better job of being healthy.

* I regret not giving some people more credit for being truly great people, and I regret not giving others more blame for being wretched human beings.

* I regret not realizing that sometimes when someone says they are behind you 100%, it's because their taking aim at your back. I don't hold grudges, but it would just be nice to see it coming once in a while...I never do.

* I regret that even though I love my wife with my whole heart like none other, I'm still not as good as she deserves. I may never be, but danged if I'm gonna stop trying.

* This may sound silly, but I regret the few Christmases when my kids were younger that we didn't "do Santa Claus". Oh they got gifts galore and they had lots of fun, but there was no fat man with magic reindeer, just mom & dad. If you have little ones and you celebrate Christmas - even if you have legitimate reservations about it - I ask you to consider always doing the "Santa Claus thing" for them. Childhood is a magical time, and it should be filled with as much wonder as you can cram in to every day, because it ends all too soon....and never returns.

* I regret most of all not being consistent. It is the bane of my existence, my biggest flaw (other than being annoyingly awesome, of course). I am at times capable of bursts of inspiration, creativity, productivity, and - dare I say - occasional genius. But most of the time I'm not doing any of those things, I'm just cruisin' through like your average dullard. It has cheated me out of a better walk with God, being a better husband, becoming a more productive employee, being a better friend, and (perhaps most painful of all) has make me at times a bad example to my kids. (Try being inconsistent and telling your kids they have to do their homework. Teenagers will pounce on hypocrisy like sharks on a side of beef. Who can blame them?)

Whew! Glad I got that off my chest! Regrets aren't always bad, they tell you that you're still human, and you've got room for improvement. They help us remember not to waste time being the way we are now, but to get better. The best thing about old regrets is they help you not to make new ones. Do you have any regrets? If so, embrace them, and then make them lonely.

Nolanbuck

Obama Administration's 1st Big Scandal?

President-elect Obama's home state governor and fellow Democrat Rod Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI today on charges of political corruption so severe that the prosecutor called it a "political corruption crime spree". Among the crimes with which the governor is charged is trying to garner a profit from his ability to name Mr. Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate.

The charges are sweeping and the evidence is apparently quite compelling. Governor Blago is accused of everything from trying to arrange a post for himself in exchange for the senate appointment, to conspiring against members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board to get certain of his critics fired, to shaking down state contractors for campaign contributions. And a lot of his wheelings and dealing were caught on tape by the feds.

Now none of this is to say that Obama had anything do to with any of these alleged offenses or that he even knew they were going on. But it is a telling reminder that the Chicago political machine that gave rise to Obama's power base giveth, and it taketh away. It's influence can vault promising young politicians to the very pinnacle of power, but it's greed and corruption can taint the cleanest of souls. After using Chicago luminaries like Ayers, Wright, and Flager to climb from relative obscurity into the light of public awareness, Obama may now have to deal with the unfortunate residue of a dealing with the devils in the Chicago political scene.

Regardless of his actual involvement in these alleged crimes; after benefiting from the "quick" of quick & dirty Chicago politics, Mr. Obama will waste a lot of his first year in office dealing with the "dirty".

Nolanbuck

Gay Rights, Civil Rights, My Rights

As I've said before, I am a Christian conservative and stand firm on my belief in the word of God as the guide for my life. If you don't share my conservative views or appreciate a spirited debate, you may want to click off now. You've been warned!

I recently read a couple of articles in Newsweek that really got my blood pumping.



http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653

http://www.newsweek.com/id/172399

Debbiebuck

Blaming Barney Frank

Barney Frank on YouTube 12/5/08

Can you believe the nerve of some people? Barney Frank, who has had as much to do with the current economic crisis as anyone else in the U.S. government, stoops to lecture the Congress on the foolishness of not sending pork barrel tax dollars to the auto makers the way Barney Boy sends it back home to Massachusetts...by the billions, that is. And where's the money coming from? Why, taxing the rich, of course!

Is he serious? Frank, his backroom dealings with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and some of his fellow liberals in congress, started this ball rolling back in the Clinton years, by using Freddie and Fannie to force lending institutions to be more lenient in their mortgage criteria, particularly among lower income Americans. The logic being, purportedly, that home ownership is a good thing for everyone. It can be, but only if you can afford the home you're owning. To quote Barney's home town newspaper:

"All this was justified as a means of increasing homeownership among minorities and the poor. Affirmative-action policies trumped sound business practices. A manual issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston advised mortgage lenders to disregard financial common sense. "Lack of credit history should not be seen as a negative factor," the Fed's guidelines instructed. Lenders were directed to accept welfare payments and unemployment benefits as "valid income sources" to qualify for a mortgage. Failure to comply could mean a lawsuit."

Year after year, Barney Frank, the Elmer Fudd of Capitol Hill, insisted that Fannie & Freddie were just fine, and blocked any attempt to regulate or investigate their practices as a wascally, wacist, Wepublican plot. So far, Barney has blamed President Bush, Republicans in general, and even our free market itself for the curent money mess. But why doesn't he point that finger right back at himself, for running interference for Fannie and Freddie's failed social engeneering thatthe tax payers funded and will pay still more before all is said & done. Why Barney? Why are you still carrying water for Fannie & Freddie? Was it the campaign contributions? Was it that your former longtime gay lover, Herb Moses, was a senior executive at Fannie Mae, who helped spearhead the relaxing of loan standards that caused this problem? Yet he still proclaims his innocence and blames everyone else.

Why is none of this being discussed in the media (except on the O'Reilly Factor )? Why is Congress not investigating one of their own members who is so obviously corrupt and is culpable in what he himself calls "the worst economic situation since the Depression"? Too many questions, and no answers from the liberal media or the equally liberal Democrats running Congress. Before the legislature calls the failed companies and the executive branch on the carpet, why don't they come clean with their own guilt in the mess? Don't hold your breath, folks. Being a Democrat in this Congress means never having to say you're sorry.

Nolanbuck

Has Christmas Got You Down?

Christmas, with all the joy and excitement that it brings, can also be a source of undue stress and even depression. How is it that a holiday created to celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, can become such a burden on some? That is simple…we have forgotten the real reason for the season.

Most of us are guilty of consuming ourselves with the commercial side of Christmas as opposed to the emotional side of Christmas. We get so busy shopping, decorating, cooking, and going to parties & programs that we lose our focus. We spend money we can’t afford, cook more than we can possibly eat, and take time away from our families to spend with people that make no real contribution to our lives. These things have, over time, have grown to signify what Christmas is about. So often we approach the season with the best of intentions and somehow get caught up and wind up with stress, regret, and miss the wonderful opportunities that this holiday offers.

I have a simple solution for those of us that struggle with this; Look up and Reach out. Look up, make a concerted effort to acknowledge and honor Christ each day, even more so during this holiday season. Imagine how you might feel if, on your birthday, your children were so busy shopping, partying with friends, and putting in their requests for the newest “toy”, that they forgot it was your birthday. It would be heartbreaking to think that the children you brought into the world would be too busy for you. How much more important should it be for us to remember the birth of the one that not only brought us life in this world, but eternal life. Since all Christ asks from us in return is to obey his word, perhaps we could honor his birth by obeying his request to give to those less fortunate. Reach out. Give a gift to a needy child, a single mother, a widow, a man who is unemployed and unable to care for his family. If you can’t afford to give monetarily, give a little of your time. It is after all, better to give than to receive. I guarantee you that the joy that you receive, will far outweigh the sacrifice of giving. How rewarding to bring a bit of happiness to a child who may not otherwise receive a gift at Christmas, or to a family that might not otherwise have a warm meal or a coat. As the recipient of the kindness of strangers when I was the child of a needy family, I can tell you that it does make a difference. You can affect a life.

If we will Look up and Reach out this holiday season, we will not only be more open to reflect on the true reason for the season, but will become a reflection of the savior we celebrate. Best Wishes for a very Merry CHRISTMAS!

Christmas, with all the joy and excitement that it brings, can also be a source of undue stress and even depression. How is it that a holiday created to celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, can become such a burden on some? That is simple…we have forgotten the real reason for the season.

Most of us are guilty of consuming ourselves with the commercial side of Christmas as opposed to the emotional side of Christmas. We get so busy shopping, decorating, cooking, and going to parties & programs that we lose our focus. We spend money we can’t afford, cook more than we can possibly eat, and take time away from our families to spend with people that make no real contribution to our lives. These things have, over time, have grown to signify what Christmas is about. So often we approach the season with the best of intentions and somehow get caught up and wind up with stress, regret, and miss the wonderful opportunities that this holiday offers.

I have a simple solution for those of us that struggle with this; Look up and Reach out. Look up, make a concerted effort to acknowledge and honor Christ each day, even more so during this holiday season. Imagine how you might feel if, on your birthday, your children were so busy shopping, partying with friends, and putting in their requests for the newest “toy”, that they forgot it was your birthday. It would be heartbreaking to think that the children you brought into the world would be too busy for you. How much more important should it be for us to remember the birth of the one that not only brought us life in this world, but eternal life. Since all Christ asks from us in return is to obey his word, perhaps we could honor his birth by obeying his request to give to those less fortunate. Reach out. Give a gift to a needy child, a single mother, a widow, a man who is unemployed and unable to care for his family. If you can’t afford to give monetarily, give a little of your time. It is after all, better to give than to receive. I guarantee you that the joy that you receive, will far outweigh the sacrifice of giving. How rewarding to bring a bit of happiness to a child who may not otherwise receive a gift at Christmas, or to a family that might not otherwise have a warm meal or a coat. As the recipient of the kindness of strangers when I was the child of a needy family, I can tell you that it does make a difference. You can affect a life.

If we will Look up and Reach out this holiday season, we will not only be more open to reflect on the true reason for the season, but will become a reflection of the savior we celebrate. Best Wishes for a very Merry CHRISTMAS!

Debbiebuck

The Media Plays the Blame Game -- Who Loses???

For generations there have been media outlets that were suspect in their news reporting. Publications like Rolling Stone that although they include "News" stories, we all recognize that they are actually entertainment quality journalism or The New York Times that many of us just know to take with a grain of salt. The most recent election; however, has caused many of the mainstream media outlets that we have always trusted, to slant the facts so far, that the true news value has been lost. .


This morning, I was totally caught off guard when I read an article from the Associated Press on MSNBC's website. In large red type, the headline read Bush Administration Ignored Clear Warnings. The article goes on to say that "The administration’s blind eye to the impending crisis is emblematic of a philosophy that trusted market forces and discounted the need for government intervention in the economy. Its belief ironically has ushered in the most massive government intervention since the 1930s."

I honestly believed that after the election was over, the media would return to their senses and actually report the news. Unfortunately, this article may suggest that they have abandoned reality for good...at least when it comes to holding Democrats accountable. I found it very ironic that the article never mentioned Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Maxine Waters, Rep. Gregory Meeks or even Bill Clinton, who all contributed to the this extraordinary failure of our financial system.

The financial collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is not a failure of the free market because lending institutions in a free market would not have taken on the high-risk loans. They were forced to by the heavy hand of government.

Bush Administration Ignored Clear Warnings


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28001417/

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/09/lessons-from-the-bailout/

Obama's new team

Those of us who have been politically opposed to Barack Obama worried most that, despite his platitudes of forthcoming centrist policy, he would follow his prior track record of a liberal legislator. Imagine my surprise when after his election he began to assemble a cabinet consisting almost entirely of people to the right of himself politically (a category which, I'll grant you, includes 95% of the general population). Oh, how the MoveOn.org crowd and the rest of the venomous left must be howling at this turn of events.

Now the appointment of Rahm "table-stabber" Emanuel, a brilliant but divisive partisan with a reputation for a nasty temper and furniture mutilation, was not a good start for Obama's supposed new age of "bipartisanship". However, now that the Obama camp has moved beyond the campaign strategy of blaming George Bush for everything from global warming to male-pattern baldness, the President-elect of late has started making more pleasant noises to the conservative ear. These dulcitones include his wise backing-off of his campaign promise to tax the rich during a recession, and his recent statement after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that terrorism remains a "grave and urgent threat". But most fascinating of all are who he has chosen (and not chosen) for his major cabinet positions.

Of his economic advisors, none of the major players include people of extremely liberal (or what one might call "socialist") schools of economic thought. The Treasury Secretary-to-be Timothy Geithner is one of the leading minds behind the Bush administration's strategy for the current economic crisis. His mentor, Larry Summers, an academian and former Sec-Treas himself, will be the White House's chief economic advisor. Newly minted Director of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer, another academic economist, is one of the foremost authorities on the Great Depression, and she has done some brilliant work on how tax increases during economic downturns further damage the economy. (Sound like Obama's read her work?)

On the National Security front: Bush's Sec-Def Robert Gates, has been asked to remain over the DOD and has accepted. This nod to continuity apparently signals a change of heart in the Obama camp, a tacit admission that the "surge" in Iraq has worked and conditions are improving markedly in that country. It also may make the intelligence community breathe a little easier knowing that a man who worked his way from entry level CIA employee to Director of Central Intelligence has been retained at DOD.

The most intriguing Obama cabinet appointment of all has to be Hillary Rodham Clinton for Secretary of State. After being perplexed as to why Obama would pass her over for Vice President only to give her the reins at State, I have come to the conclusion that she was quite simply the best person for the job of those who Obama would have selected. While her domestic policy ideas make my blood run cold, she is decidedly hawkish and to the right of Obama on foreign policy. She will wield the diplomatic might of the US, perhaps not in the stark black-or-white manner of the Bush administration, but in a decisive and no-nonsense fashion. Add this to the fact that Obama banished lefty Bush-hater extrordinaire Susan Rice to the UN ambassadorship speaks volumes about how Obama intends to frame this administration.

Also fascinating were the decisions to announce the most potentially troublesome of Obama's cabinet appointments, Attorney General in-waiting Eric Holder, along with the rest of the National Security team, so that the supernova of Hillary would block Holder entirely from view of the media. Expect Mr. Holder to face a Republican revolt in the Senate unless a full hearing in given to his involvement in the Mark Rich pardon and the Elian Gonzales raid among other questionable dealings. This will be especially important since many expect Holder to go hammer-and-tongs after the our own intelligence operatives who have engaged in aggressive interrogation (or "torture" as Mr. Holder will call it) on illegal enemy combatants who had information that may have thwarted recent terrorist plots.

I was admittedly one of those voices during the 2008 Presidential campaign that decried Barack Obama's past as an extremely liberal politician and his associations with questionable and even dangerous figures in the Chicago political scene. However, it would appear that when faced with the reality of doing the job he's sought for the last two years, Obama has begun to take a much more pragmatic approach. Will this new dawn of centrism continue once Obama assumes the mantle of the Presidency, and will it survive the coming onslaught of demands from leftist congressional leaders? We shall have to see what we shall see, but it would appear at this early hour that Obama's recent metamorphosis from liberal activist to moderate leader may finally be a "change I can believe in".

Nolanbuck

A quick intro...

For those of you that don't know me, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to thank you for checking out our new website. Nolan & I are very excited about this endeavor and hope that you will all enjoy our commentary and participate in our blog as often as you can. We are always interested in your thoughts and views, even if we don't always agree. Opposing views often make for a livelier discussion.

Many of you already know Nolan from his involvement in various online sites, but believe it or not...I am the louder, more opinionated, and possibly more conservative part of this duo. Nolan & I are both strong Christian conservatives who hold fast to our biblically based morals, our family values, and our desire to be responsible stewards of all that we have been blessed with. We place the highest value and faith in our God, our country and each other. We are not perfect and certainly don't have all the answers, but we continually strive to be better tomorrow than we are today and to always keep an open mind and an open heart.

Thanks again for allowing us the opportunity to share our thoughts on the issues that we are passionate about and occasionally about things that really don't matter much at all. I look forward to getting to know all of you in the days and weeks to come.

Debbiebuck

Let's Keep Our Priorities Straight

The recent attacks in Mumbai have again sparked debates about the global war on terror and just how vulnerable we all are to attacks by the Islamic extremist who place no value on human life. With recent CNN poll results ranking the threat of terrorism at the same percentage as health care (9%) and well below the economy at 62% as the most important concern for Americans, I can’t help but question how we can separate these issues. I understand that the economy is first and foremost on the mind of every American as we face this once in a lifetime crisis, but to separate the economy from the war in Iraq or terrorism is extremely naive. With 9/11 having an overall cost to our economy at over $1 trillion, can you imagine what our economy would look like today if even one or two of the attacks that have been foiled over the past seven years had succeeded? We must remain vigilant and our national security must always be a priority otherwise our economy, our healthcare, and our unemployment percentages will be the least of our worries.

Debbiebuck

Egg Bowl 2008

Sports is not the primary focus of this blog, but I couldn't let this weekend pass without mentioning the monumental 45-0 beatdown that my alma mater Ole Miss put on arch-rival Mississippi State in this year's Egg Bowl game.

So bad was the humiliation, one day after the crushing loss State's head football coach up and quit! This game was fun to watch, but the beating was so thorough, I can't even bring myself to gloat to the State fans in my family. Maybe in a week or two, once the sting wears off, I can't pass up the opportunity altogether. (heh heh)

Nolanbuck (Ole Miss, class of '91)

'Black Friday' Grows Blacker

I'm sure most of you have heard by now of the tragic events during this biggest shopping day of the year. My prayers go out to the poor Wal-Mart employee's family and friends.

Now, I'm a well-known cheap-skate, and I don't like waiting in lines anymore than the next person, but it seems a bit ridiculous to join a thundering herd to get $10 of a Wii. I'll go later and pay more, thank you just the same. And as for those must have items, there's no such thing. I love giving my kids things that make them happy, but they have had to wait until after Christmas a time or two to get an out-of-stock item. Maybe if the people in the Wal-Mart stampede had been taught to wait for what they want back when they were kids...well, I'm just sayin'.

And I don't know what to say about the duel/gunfight at Toys'R'Us, other than it's a shame they couldn't find a more appropriate place to slap leather. Pistols at 10 paces in the Barbie aisle? What's next, knife-fights at Chuck E. Cheese?

Enjoy your holidays, folks. But please be careful.

Nolanbuck

In The Beginning...

Hello, and welcome to 2 Bucks Worth! Please bear with us over the next few days while we turn this space into a daily dose of discussion on politics, culture and everyday life from a down-to-earth, conservative point of view.

We are a happily married couple (17 years in January) with 3 kids, a mortgage, and a lot on our minds. We may agree, we may disagree, we may even argue...but you'll never be left wondering where either of us stands. So we hope you'll visit us often for a fresh perspective on the news of the day, and you can always feel free to offer your opinions as well.

Feel free to bookmark us and see what happens!

Nolanbuck