I took a poet to lunch today.

Every day at work my boss my boss titles her group chat by the name of whatever "holiday "it happens to be. Yesterday was take a poll to lunch today. On my break I wrote this poem.

I took a poet to lunch today.

I took a poet to lunch today 

and there amid the verse 

Our flow of thought was free and light 

Not stifled, bland, or terse.

I took a poet to lunch today 

we traded quip for quip

 She scrawled a sonnet on her check 

And left it with her tip.

If you can't take a poet  to lunch 

Please do not wear a frown 

We all write poems in our own way 

Andsome just write them down.

John Piper has an excellent article on the Lottery

I enjoyed this article on the lottery by John Piper.

The article grabs you with the first line ...

"Americans now spend more than $70 billion dollars annually on lotteries."

and nails it in the final paragraph

"So, if you win, don’t give from your lottery winnings to our ministry. Christ does not build his church on the backs of the poor. Pray that Christ’s people will be so satisfied in him that they will be freed from the greed that makes us crave to get rich."

I agree with each of Pipers 7 reasons not to play the lottery. d it.  It is a quick read and one I  recommend.

That Ship has sailed.

A month ago or so, I was listening to talk radio on the way home from work.  When I got home, I decided to call the host and discuss some issues.  We talked a few minutes about various topics of the day and then started discussing the abortion views of one the senators from Illinois, where we both live.  This particular senator is pro-choice.  While listening to the radio station that day, there had been a commercial about pro-life listeners contacting that Senator  and telling them how concerned they were about the environment.  It was kind if a strange commercial, as I asked the host, if pro lifers were going to contact the Senator wouldn't they do so to ask him to change his pro choice views instead of asking about the environment?  The host wasn't sure exactly about the wording of the commercial but about discussing the abortion issue with the senator, stated "That ship has sailed," which I took to mean that the host had had numerous conversations with the Senator and that his pro choice views were rather ingrained.

I hadn't thought about that exchange since the evening it occurred until earlier today.  When I did think of it the phrase "That ship has sailed" really stuck in my mind.  I believe that abortion ends a human life. .  When I speak out against abortion, sometimes people treat the issue as it was resolved by Roe vs. Wade.  That ship  has sailed, is what they are saying.  Laws can be changed.  The people who wanted legal abortions in the U.S. didn't say that ship has sailed.  They kept fighting until they got their way.  People who agree with me that ending pregnancies prematurely should be stopped, need to continue to rally around the sanctity and dignity of the human life.  The ship may indeed have sailed, but a ship heading in the wrong direction should always be convinced to alter it's course.

Love,

Dave.

2016 wow!

Some time ago in the early to mid-80s I made my last New Year's resolution. I resolved to never make New Year's resolutions. This was very similar to the time that I gave up Catholicism for Lent. When it was over, since I was no longe Catholic, , I didn't have to take it up again.

In the same bent, I have not made New Year's resolutions as such for my entire adult life. Although, every year about this time I begin to think how would like this coming year to be different than the last. I do make resolutions I think we all do. It's just that I don't do them around a calendar.

Here is a short list of things I,d like to do more of in 2016 ...

Read more books

Blogging

Exercise

Be on the same page as my wife 

in 2016  I,d like to ...

Read 12 books I own and have not read.

Learn how a sailor cusses, so I can decide if I want to cuss like one or not.

Finish my nonowrimo novel.

Some things I,d like to do less of in 2016

Deep Sea dumpster diving.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dumpster+diving&safe=active&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS602US611&hl=en-US&prmd=vin&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiDx82iponKAhXEZCYKHb49AoMQ_AUICCgC#imgrc=NIDQhmJanVoaBM%3A

Being passive reaching family and personal goals.

Avoiding unpleasant tasks.

Saying the same thing two different ways in lists.

2015 was a good year.  it sometimes seemed there were more downs than ups, more questions than answers.  But each down made me look up to God.  Each question was answered or is being answered by the author and perfect er of my faith. 

I am sure 2016 or as I like to call it two to the fifth three squared seven will  contain change,  disappointment, and grief as all years do .. I also know that it can contain Joy unspeakable, unlimited possibilities, and utter contentment, I wish all these to you and yours in spades or the card suit or garden implement of your choice.

Possible Republican Vice Presidential Data

The 3rd republican debates are tonight.  There are still so many candidates that there are 2 debates.  There are 10 candidates in the main debate,  4 in the debate that precedes it and 1 candidate, Jim Gilmore who has not been in a debate since August.

I have been following these debates and the events leading up to them for some time now.  Last week the DesMoines register/Bloomberg poll  came out for Iowa.  I reviewed the data from the poll and am using that data to reflect if any of the 15 candidates currently running might appeal as possible VP contenders in 2016 if they do not get the nomination for the top spot.  Here's what I think.



There were several questions on the poll regarding favor-ability issues such as who would you never support or name up to 3 candidates who you want to drop out of the race.  I have decided that anyone who was in the top 5 in any of those lists would probably not make an attractive VP option because if prospective voters want him or her out of the race now they won't want that person to be just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

The 7 candidates with top marks at being unfavorable or unwanted are Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, Jim Gilmore, Chris Christie,  Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, and Donald Trump.  That list may be a little surprising since Trump came in 2nd in the poll for who people would choose as President with 19% and Bush and Paul picked up 5% of support each tying them for 5th.  The problem is that more people wanted those 7 to drop out than those picking them first.  Heres a quick snap shot

Candidate (% picked 1st/% wants to drop out)
Trump (19/25)
Bush  (5/22)
Paul (5/14)
Christie (1/19)
Gilmore (0/15)
Pataki (0/21)
Graham  (0/22)

The second thing I tried to do was to look at who people were willing to support as President even if they were not currently choosing them first or second.  This poll made it easy for me, as respondents were asked to mark if they could ever vote for candidate and were told not to choose anyone they had previously picked as their first or second choice.  The people who are doing best in this category are also the ones not getting a lot  of support for the top spot.  I think this is a great indicator of who people might be comfortable with on the bottom of a presidential ticket.  The top 5 candidates ever % are Mike Huckabee (60%),  Marco Rubio & Bobby Jindal (55%) and Rick Santorum and Carly Fiorina 53 %

If you take The Ever % and the subtract the never % and then add the undecided % to it the top 7 candidates are

Candidate (E-N+U%)
Rubio (40%)
Fiorina (36%)
Carson (34%)
Jindal (33%)
Huckabee (32%)
Cruz (27 %)
Santorum (20%)

So I believe the polling data can speak to who of the 15 candidates might be perceived as possible vp contenders next summer.  Of course it's only October and the poll was only based on potential Iowa caucus voters.  I hope I hope to delve into future polls to see if my vp hunches are accurate.

Oh and if you added 7 and 7 and got 14 and could not figure out the one candidateof the 15 remaining that I did not mention,  it was Ohio Governor John  Kasich.  4% chose Kasicj 1st or 2nd in the poll, 36 % stated they  would possibly (ever) vote for him and   45 % of respondents said they would never vote for Kasich.