Various Current Events

Morning after pill and the end of parenthood (Al Mohler)
FDA easing access to morning after pill (NY Times)
Broader access to morning after pills (NY Times)
Dept of Defense info page on swine flu (DOD)
Flu-related deaths per year (CDC)
Assessing danger of new swine flu strain (NY Times)
Q&A on swine flu (Fox News)
5 reasons to not panic over swine flu (ABC News)
Swine flu remedies (WSJ)
Understanding swine flu (WSJ)
House passes hate crimes bill (HR 1913) (Reuters)
Text of HR 1913
Roll Call Vote for HR 1913
FHCS unconstitutional (Heritage Fdn)
Obama’s press conference (White House)
Arlen Specter, Democrat (LA Times)
What Specter’s defection means (WSJ)
USSC upholds FCC’s fleeting expletives rule (Yahoo News)
Obama’s liberal 100 days (WSJ)
Case for the torture memos (National Review)

Theological Tuesday

~What is the purpose of the weekly church service?
~What’s scary about the Gospel?
~Proverbs 19
~Should we pray before we eat?
~Can we ever be morally perfect in this life?

Ethics Class, Session 3: Criteria 3-6

Tonight we are going to try to get through the next set of criteria in the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about the relationship of ideas to viruses and the responsibility for ideas, the relationship of comfort to change, the aspects of thinking, and possibly the levels of thinking. In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Things You Take For Granted

So much of our lives as Americans in the year 2009 would be literally unimaginable to people living in other parts of the world today and certainly in the past. And since it’s so easy to become accustomed to whatever we currently enjoy, I thought it would be fun to talk about the things we take for granted, whether physically, financially, relationally, even theologically, or in any other area.

Various Current Events

Miss America flap (CS Monitor Blogs)
Apple pulls baby-shaking app (SF Chronicle Blogs)
Does torture work? (NY Times)
Congress knew about the interrogations (WSJ)
Did the tactics protect Americans? (NY Times)
The case for a federalism amendment (WSJ)
How to shrink a church (Christianity Today)
Can CA make noose-use hate speech? (Findlaw)
USSC debates student strip-search (NY Times)
School reform means doing what’s best for kids (WSJ)
Obama should pardon detainee abusers (Findlaw)
Hate crimes legislation (CNS News)
Saggy pants law ruled unconstitutional (Miami Herald)
Husband tries to adopt wife’s aborted babies (Fox News)
Obama answers student on smoking (Chicago Sun-Times)
Shippers resist arming boats against pirates (Wash Times)
Fans punished for berating referee (Wash Post)
Justices seem split on English learners (AZ Republic)
Obama consents to end DC voucher program (Real Clear Politics)

Wacky Wednesday--Christians Shouldn’t Play Sports

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Loving to win entails wanting someone else to lose.
~The Christian should be cooperative, not competitive.
~Contributes to the sense that only the winners are valuable, or at least they are more valuable.
~Competition doesn’t fit very well with compassion.
~Survival of the fittest is not a concept we want our education to reinforce.
~They teach self-reliance rather than dependence upon God.
~Did Jesus play them?

Wacky Wednesday--Homeschooling Is A Bad Idea

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~You don’t want your kids to be weird, do you?
~How will your kids have friends?
~Isolation is not the answer to a difficult society/culture.
~Kids need to learn to encounter and handle difficult situations, danger, and adversity.
~Parents are not professional educators
~90% of Americans have gone to public school, and that seems to have worked pretty well for us.
~A common education necessary for democracy
~Democracy requires people to interact with others who disagree.
~Why do you want to turn your kids into clones of you?
~School is a mission field.
~If the best kids leave the system, all the less able kids will lose the benefits of the better kids’ presence in the classroom.
~You are depriving the society of the other abilities you have to be productive when you do something you’re second-best at like education.

Theological Tuesday

~What’s scary about the Gospel?
~What is idolatry?
~Proverbs
~Should we pray before we eat?
~Can we ever be morally perfect in this life?

Links:
Talking about idolatry in a postmodern age (Tim Keller)
Idols of the heart and Vanity Fair (pdf) (David Powelson)

Ethics Class, Session 2: Criteria 1-3

Tonight we are going to try to get through the first three criteria of the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about the three different basic kinds of education, the importance of thinking well, and the comparison of ideas to viruses and our responsibility for the ideas we share. In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Folk Wisdom Death-Match

Bill and I were recently talking about clichés (a subject we have strong feelings about), and somehow or other it occurred to us that a lot of clichés and so-called folk wisdom contradict each other. To pick a particularly blatant example, we’ve all heard that, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” but we’ve also many times heard that, “Better safe than sorry.” “Well,” a 4th grade student of logic might ask, “which is it?” So tonight, we thought it would be fun to brainstorm as many contradictory aphorisms and bits of folk wisdom as possible, perhaps even trying to figure out which one is true more often. Hence, that one can be said to win the death-match, and hopefully we’ll never use its opposite every again.

My Examples
1a. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Fortune favors the bold.
1b. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Better safe than sorry.2a. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Honesty is the best policy.
2b. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
3a. It’s like riding a bicycle. Once you learn you never forget.
3b. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Use it or lose it.
4a. A stitch in time saves nine.
4b. Tomorrow is promised to no man. Eat your dessert first.”
5a. Waste not want not.
5b. Don’t cry over spilt milk.
6a. To thine own self be true.
6b. Never let ‘em see you sweat.
7a. Haste makes waste. Slow and steady wins the race.
7b. Better get while the gettin’s good. Strike while the iron’s hot.
8a. Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait.
8b. Carpe Diem. God helps those who help themselves.
9a. Loose lips sink ships.
9b. Honesty is the best policy.
10a. You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
10b. You gotta break some eggs to make an omelet.
11a. It’s not whether you win or lose that matters, but how you play the game.
11b. Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing. Second place winner is first place loser. Nobody remembers who finished second.
12a. Never settle for anything less than the best.
12b. Take what you can get. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
13a. Fake it until you make it.
13b. If they don’t accept you for who you are, find other friends.
14a. You can’t succeed if you don’t try. You will miss 100% of the pitches you don’t swing at.
14b. Don’t swing at a bad pitch.
15a. Look before you leap.
15b. He who hesitates is lost.
16a. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You gotta kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.
16b. Don’t keep banging your head against a wall. Know when to cut your losses. Don’t throw good money after bad. You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run.
17a. Major on the majors. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
17b. The devil is in the details.
18a. Don’t keep your head in the sand.
18b. Ignorance is bliss. What you don’t know can’t hurt you.
19a. Many hands make light work.
19b. If you want something done right, do it yourself.
20a. Once a cheater, always a cheater.
20b. Forgive and forget. People can always change.
21a. Opposites attract.
21b. It’s the stuff you have in common that makes a relationship strong.

Caller Examples
Michelle (Scottsdale)a. The early bird gets the worm.
Michelle (Scottsdale)b. He who laughs last laughs best.
John (Phoenix)a. Every cloud has a silver lining. When God closes a door, He opens a window
John (Phoenix)b. Bad things come in threes. When it rains it pours.
Ann (Phoenix)a. Look before you leap.
Ann (Phoenix)b. Jump at the chance.
Ed (Chandler)a. Two heads are better than one.
Ed (Chandler)b. God didn’t send a committee.
Mitzy (Youngtown)a. The bigger the better.
Mitzy (Youngtown)b. Good things come in small packages. The bigger they are the harder they fall.
James (Glendale)a. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
James (Glendale)b. Give a ride to a snake and you’ll get bit. Lay down with dogs and you’ll wake up with fleas.
James (Glendale)c. Idle hands are the devil’s playground.
James (Glendale)d. Stop and smell the roses.
Joe (Peoria)a. He who hesitates is lost.
Joe (Peoria)b. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Laura (Goodyear)a. An eye for an eye.
Laura (Goodyear)b. Turn the other cheek.
Troy (Phoenix)a. Hindsight is 20/20.
Troy (Phoenix)b. Look before you leap.
Valerie (Phoenix)a. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Valerie (Phoenix)b. Out of sight, out of mind.
Valerie (Phoenix)c. The more the merrier.
Valerie (Phoenix)d. Two’s company, but three’s a crowd.
Brandon (Peoria)a. Quitters never win, and winners never quit.
Brandon (Peoria)b. Quit while you’re ahead.
Kyle (Chandler)a. God will never give you more than you can bear.
Kyle (Chandler)b. God will carry you through anything (Footprints poem).

Various Current Events

Comedy, TV, Stewart, and the Republicans (Weekly Standard)
Small cars more dangerous (NY Times)
Congress targets payday loans (WSJ)

Gay, proud, and conservative (WSJ)
Ginsburg defends use of foreign law (NY Times)
US religious right concedes defeat (Telegraph)
Dobson corrects Telegraph report (Christian Post)
WH requests IHS be covered at G-Town speech (CNS News)
Ron Paul’s Constitutional piracy solution (Politico)
Obama’s piracy plan (Wash Post)
Why aren’t ships armed? (KIDK CBS 3)
Ministry reaches out to pirates (Christian Post)
Saudis to regulate young girls’ marriages (Wash Post)
NJ law requires teen cars to post decals (Star-Ledger)
Pimp study reveals suffering, abuse (Sun-Times)
Republicans and the tea parties (Karl Rove WSJ)
Napolitano backs controversial report (Wash Times)
Response to report and Napolitano (Fox News)
McCain, Kyl rip Homeland Security report (East Valley Tribune)
Wealthy Christian building full-size ark hotel (Christian Post)
Illegals may boycott 2010 census (AZ Republic)
Shop faster to save money (NY Times)
YouTube prank blindsides Domino’s Pizza (NY Times)
Washington State legitimizes gay relationships (Fox News)
Saturn dealerships closing in uncertainty (NY Times)
Valley auto thefts down (AZ Republic)
The union war on charter schools (WSJ)

Wacky Wednesday--Compulsory Taxation Is Wrong

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~How can a government be justified in taking from a person money to do something that a private citizen would be arrested for taking money from him to do?
~Taxation is a violation of property rights and a form of forced labor.
~Isn’t part of the idea of having “my money” that other people can’t just take it from me?
~The consent of the governed is the key to a just government. So why don’t we entrust people with the power to consent to giving their money to that government? Are they so despicable and irrational that they won’t pay voluntarily?
~Churches seem to have enough funds to do what they do, and all their money is raised voluntarily or through commerce.
~If we had a voluntary system, people wouldn’t complain about having too much taken from them.
~The free market works for everything else, why wouldn’t it work for government?
~What does it say about a population that they only pay money because they’re afraid of the government agents? How convinced are such people that they are getting a good deal for their money?
~Voluntary taxes mean less power for government to expand, waste, and pay for pork.
~Show me where the Bible talks favorably about tax collectors
~Who spends money more wisely: you or Washington?
~If government indeed provides a service worth purchasing, why does it have to force us to buy the service?
~The state knows that taxation is unjust, which is why they try to spread out the payments over time and hide the fact from you of just how much you are paying through withholding taxes enforced by your employer rather than by themselves. Then they also spread it out over a hundred different products and fees so that you really have no idea just how much you are paying at all. This is the behavior of a liar, a cheat, or a thief, not an honest merchant of a valuable service.

Bible references: Matt 17:24-27, Matt 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 3:10-14, Luke 20:20-26, Rom 13:1-7, Titus 3:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-16, 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and All uses of the word Tax

Links:
Tax by Wikipedia
Abolish all "taxes" Opinion, by NY Times
The moral case against taxation by Strike-the-root.com
Theological arguments against taxation by Notaxation.org
Taxation, forced labor, and theft by Independent.org
Taxation through the ages by Sobran.com
Taxation is theft by Homepages.cs
What Bible says about taxes by Gotquestions.org
Did Jesus pay taxes? by About.com
Professor cites Bible in faulting taxes by NY Times
The Bible and taxes by Wallbuilders.com
Everyone should pay income taxes by Ari Fleischer

Wacky Wednesday--Taxes Are Too Low

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~America is far too selfish, and it shows in our low tax rates.
~Think of all the good things that can be done if the government collects more money.
~Much of what you earn is made possible by past people, inventions, and government action, what you might call collective benefits. Why should you get to keep so much of the money you make by mixing your efforts with these communal elements?
~Wealth disparity between the rich and the poor just causes class envy and animosity.
~Isn’t helping those less well off than yourself an important Christian principle?
~Robin Hood took from the rich to give to the poor, and he was a hero.
~Higher taxes don’t hurt productive businesses, only the marginal ones.

Links:
Americans approve of tax rates (Gallup)

Theological Tuesday

~What is the role of suffering in Christianity?
~Is Newsweek right about the end of Christian America?
~Talking through the Proverbs.
~Was Jesus still divine while separated from God the Father on the Cross?

Ethics Class, Session 1: Introduction

For ten years, I taught Ethics, Logic, and Introduction to Philosophy courses at the college/university level. I loved teaching Ethics the most, and after receiving positive feedback about the possibility of doing this on the air, I have decided to devote Monday evenings at 6:00 to an on-air version of the Ethics class I used to teach. This will take some time (perhaps 5-6 months, maybe longer). But I’m convinced it will be really useful (and fun, contrary to what you might thing). Not only will we be discussing the topics from that course, but I’m actually offering you the chance to act as if you are taking the real college course in the process. Toward this end, have created a special blog devoted to this project, which has the syllabus already and which will have assignments, grading, discussion threads, and anything else I (or you) can think of to make this like a real course. You can submit work to me and I will be doing something at the end to give out certificates or have a ceremony. I’m not sure about how that will work yet, exactly. But you can read everything you need to know on the syllabus at the website. Don’t worry, you can also just listen to the shows if you like. Tonight, some preliminary concepts about teaching, ethics, the teaching of ethics, and the ethics of teaching.

Proof of Love

How do you know your spouse loves you? Well, hopefully you can give a better answer than, “He said so 38 years ago and yet indicated any change of mind.” See, I think that love demonstrates itself in loads of different ways, some of them relatively obvious and some of them much more obtuse. Some expressions function to makes us feel loved, but others simply help us to know that we are loved even if we don’t feel particularly moved by them. In fact, sometimes things that make us feel unloved can actually be expressions of tremendously deep love. And perceiving these correctly is a vital element of keeping a marriage strong. So tonight I thought it would be fun to share the things your spouse does that help you to either feel loved or to know you are loved.

Various Current Events

Bush’s AIDS fight saved 1.1 million lives (Washington Times)
Robot scientist makes own discoveries (CS Monitor)
Obama’s on-target message to Muslims (CS Monitor)
NBC moves Kings for low ratings (Christian Post)
Spring breakers choose service (Christian Post)
Iowa’s gay marriage decision (Findlaw)
Obama to host White House seder (Jerusalem Post)
Iowa, Vermont, and California (AP)
Vermont legalizes gay marriage (Boston Globe)
University of Maryland and porn (Time)
University of Maryland and prayer (Wash Post)
Obama to push immigration bill (NY Times)
Humanity even for nonhumans (NY Times)
The misguided quest for universal coverage (NY Times)
US, Allies condemn North Korean launch (Boston Globe)
HPV, oral sex responsible for tonsil cancer (USA Today blogs)
MA public schools to send home weight reports (Boston Globe)
TCU offers gay housing on campus (Fox News)
Parental rights and the US Constitution (Politico)
Cities printing their own currency (USA Today)

Wacky Wednesday--America Is Not A Christian Nation

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Even President Bush made it clear that our country is a place for people of any faith or of no faith at all.
~Examples of anti-Christian values and practices common in America include: Homosexuality (Including now gay marriage in four states), Premarital sex, Adultery, Divorce, Contraception, Abortion, Pornography, Blasphemy, Militarism, Secularism, Anti-authoritarianism, Disrespect of parents, Drug use, Schools and media teaching anti-Christian values and ideas.
~Countries can’t be Christian. Only individuals can.
~The Constitution specifically forbids the notion that we are a country built on any particular religion. ~The founding documents make very little reference to religion and specify no particular one in any prominent way.
~This country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and seeking the freedom to practice the religion of their consciences.
~The Supreme Court has been clear again and again that any law must derive its justification from non-religious motivations and reasons. Any law based primarily or even largely on religion will be struck down. In essence, the law must stand on secular reasons or not at all.

Links:
Is America a Christian Nation? (Catholiceducation.org)

Wacky Wednesday--Rioting Makes Sense

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Some things are so horrible, that violence is the proper response.
~When a government fails to provide for the life, liberty, and property of its citizens, it is illegitimate.
~There is always a time when negotiation fails, just like with warfare.
~People can only be expected to endure so much.
~Riots create jobs when the repairs come in.
~A riot is nothing more than collective expressions of anger. It feels good to punch a pillow or break something, well, a riot is just a massive expression of that.
~The American Revolution was just a riot. In fact, the Boston Tea Party could certainly be described as a riot.
~Thomas Jefferson “Every generation needs a new revolution.”
~Only the poor and the ill-educated resort to rioting. Which means that society has failed them so badly that it deserves this.
~Rioting is so abhorred by civil society because it is barbaric, but the veneer of civilization is sometimes so thin that to puncture it and behave barbarically is the only appropriate educational response.
~You feel better after you’ve had your riot.
~It definitely gets attention for your cause.
~It can work because it plays on the cognitive dissonance of the person who believes that all human beings are rational. This looks like irrational behavior, which cannot be the case, so it must be well-deserved, hence our fault.

Links:
A Biblical perspective on the LA Riots (John Macarthur)
Civil Disobedience (Henry David Thoreau)
Letter From A Birmingham Jail (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Statement by the Alabama Clergy To MLK (pdf, but small)
Civil Disobedience Objections Considered (Peter Suber)
Index To Non-Violent Action (Activism.net)

Theological Tuesday

~What is the role of suffering in Christianity?
~Is Newsweek right about the end of Christian America?
~Should children say the Lord’s Prayer?

Ethics: Should Blasphemy Be Illegal?

Most of us, having been raised in the United States with the free speech protections of the First Amendment, find this question almost absurd. Moreover, we look at Muslim societies world and thank God that we have the freedoms we have and abhor the restrictions they have. But we find ourselves in a bit of a bind because we like to say things like, “The Ten Commandments are the foundation of a strong society.” Of course, the Third Commandment prohibits mere vain uses of God’s Name, which surely includes outright blasphemy. Also, we like to talk about how unacceptable homosexual behavior is, but blasphemy was also a capital crime under the Old Testament Law. Finally, many of us say that being pro-choice about abortion is the same as being pro-abortion. But this would seem to mean that being pro-choice about blasphemy (supporting the First Amendment) would have to be the same as being pro-blasphemy.

Resources:
Bible References: Lev 24:10-23, Num 15:22-31, Matt 12:30-32, Mark 3:28-30, Mark 14:53-65
On capital punishment for blasphemy (Heidelberg Catechism)
Blasmphemy (Max Forsythe)
Sin, including types such as blasphemy (Catholic Catechism)
Second Commandment (Catholic Catechism)

Things To Consider In Buying A Car

When we were back in St. Louis last week, we had rented a minivan. But because they didn’t have a Grand Caravan (which we drive at home), we tried a Toyota Sienna. Although there were some really nice things about it (outstanding acceleration and braking), there were also a handful of really irritating anti-conveniences that bothered us enough to make us not want one. This got me thinking about how useful it might be to discuss the things to check out or look for when shopping for a car because most of the time I think most of us don’t remember or even imagine all the things we should check that might be irritating (or nice) after we’ve already bought a car. So, let’s pool our collective knowledge and try to come up with a list of all the things to consider when buying a new (or used) car.

Andrew's Checklist (with input from callers):
This list may be updated as people add their posted or emailed recommendations.
Toyota Sienna observations to learn from.
~Excellent power and braking, plus very quiet inside.
~Dash too bright, can’t figure out how to dim it.
~Very awkward gear shifter on the center console.
~Seats that don’t flip forward, at least I couldn’t figure out how.
~Very quiet compared to our Caravan
~Outstanding braking and acceleration.
~It locks the doors in drive.
~It unlocks the doors when you put it in park.
~Rear air controls very hard to work
~Armrest interferes with seatbelt.
~Non-power doors don’t always shut fully.
~When there are multiple colors on the dashboard, like the gear is green on a blue one.
~Cupholders with rubber insides that make Styrofoam cups almost impossible to use.
~When seat-belt is removed, the car dings at you for a few seconds, then dings urgently and loudly until you either replace the buckle or go insane.
Mini-van features
~Stow-and-go rocks! Get it if you can.
~Power side and rear doors on remote fob are excellent!
~When the rear door opens that it doesn’t hit your garage door. This is really a house problem, but it is annoying if it doesn’t fit.
Children
~Rear doors that have window locks (Probably standard)
~Latch Easy to use. Older cars had it buried but newer models have it pretty well exposed. I recommend installing a toddler seat to see what it will be like. Even just a centimeter makes a big difference.
~Leather seats are a big plus with kids and messes.
~Trunk holds your stroller and a larger one if you might have more kids.
~Be sure to test the AC in the back seats, especially on a hot day if you can, to make sure it blows well enough to keep the kids cool in a Phoenix summer.
~Front seat weight sensor to disarm airbag when a child is sitting in front seat. Ideal is to manually disarm it so that holding a child in an idling car is not dangerous.
DVD
~Although we have a VHS and we have used it about 10 times in the history of owning the car for 5 years. Also, having the thing makes it very inconvenient to go from the front seats to the back.
Stereo
~5 disc in-dash changer is very nice.
~Mp3 plug in is very nice if you use I-pod, eg
~Controls on the steering-wheel are much safer, and convenient
~Simple controls so eyes not off road.
Obvious considerations
~Braking
~Quality, maintenance.
~Crash-test results.
~Passing power and merging power at highway speeds.
~Brakes good.
~ABS
~Good gas mileage.
~AC blows hard and cold in summer conditions.
Not as obvious considerations
~Good sound system (Gets good AM reception, esp 1360, der!)
~Inside air for recirculation (We use this ALL the time).
~Cruise and easy to use.
~Intermittent (variable) wipers. Off, Int, Low, High is enough for me.
~Automatic door locks and windows (not manual, very annoying).
~Framed windows versus convertible style.
~Good headlights, brights.
~Normal headlights, not the ultraviolet ones that annoy other drivers.
~Speedometer you can easily read for five and single increments.
~Interior trunk release. And inside the trunk manual release if trapped.
~Gas tank lock that must be released from the inside.
~Smoker, burn spots in back seat or ashtray
~Black leather in Phoenix is a big no-no.
General recommendations
~Be sure to at least take a test drive at night. In fact, it might be more valuable to drive it at night rather than during the day.
~Ask them if they’ll let you take it home for the weekend or at least for a day to drive it around and get the feel for it.
Seats
~Comfortable seats for you and spouse/kids, including back seat.
~Lower back support.
~Head rest that doesn’t push my head forward.
~Armrests that are the right height and don’t interfere with the belt.
~Room in the back seat, headroom footroom.
~Going over bumps shouldn't mean back-seaters hit their heads on glass/ceiling.
~Avoid humps in the back bench.
General conveniences
~Quiet interior. The Sienna allowed me to talk to my son in the back row without yelling.
~One-touch windows down, at least.
~Keyless entry
~Tinted windows, a virtual must in Phoenix.
Driveability
~Road feel enough but not rough.
~Automatic that is decisive in shifting and smooth.
~Good visibility, changing lanes not having a big bar in your field of view.
~Quick steering response versus squishy power.
~Not having to steer it a lot, good alignment. Turns easily.
Other stuff
~Power windows on the side-doors.
~External temperature readout is nice.
~Calculates MPG is nice
~Compass
~Large trunk.
~Programmable garage door opener buttons.
~Push lights in the front, but not in the back .
~Plugs for appliances, camping.
Parking
~Will it fit in your garage lengthwise, sidewise (with room to get in and out of it), and is there enough vertical room to open your rear door (if there is one) without hitting the garage door?
~If you park in a parking garage, will it frustrate you every day or worry you that it will get dinged?
Seat belts
~Non-passive/automatic ones.
~Do they rub your neck/are they adjustable?
~What does the car do when you drive with it off?
Cup-holders
~Cupholders large enough and out of the way. Don't interfere with controls.
~Sturdy, won’t spill.
~Actually take a cup with you and put it in the holder when you take the test drive
~Convenient to use in and out.
~Won’t interfere with other devices such as shifter, stereo, etc.
Turn signal.
~I find ones that make no noise distracting.
~Some will ding at you if you leave them on too long, which is very annoying.
Visors
~The ideal are ones with some sort of extension on them so that you can actually block out all of the possible sun positions. Another thing to watch out for is a gap between the left side of the visor and the column that separates the windshield from the driver’s window.

How I test-drive a car
(Cliff recommends renting the car you want to buy for a day or two before you buy it.)
General stuff
~Fast, this is the only time I speed.
~Stereo off.
~At night.
~On the highway and on surface streets.
Extreme driving
~I abuse it in turns.
~I try to make it skid in a parking lot somewhere to find out how it will behave under extreme conditions.
~Brake as hard as possible (with no one behind you).
~Pretend you just saw something in the road and must swerve to avoid it.
Things to pay attention to when you test drive it
~Interior creaking and noise making.
~Smooth at idle without vibrations.
~Fiddle with EVERYTHING, especially if you’re changing car brands.
~Cruise
~Mirrors
~Interior lights
General to-do's before you buy
~CarFax--be sure it wasn't in a flood or totalled before.
~Good tires
~Mechanic checks it over for not defective.
~Contact the previous driver, if possible.

Various Current Events

To email State Senator Pamela Gorman your ideas for the Arizona budget: pgorman (at) azleg.gov
If you want to remain anonymous, email them to me and I'll copy and past to a clean email which I'll send to her: atallman (at) salemphx.com

Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act (Michmab.com)
Britons seeking debaptism (Christian Post)
Secularists offering debaptisms in England (BBC)
Obama budget reinstates death tax (Fox News)
Down economy loosening golf dress codes (The Scotsman)

German family seeks US asylum to homeschool (Christian Post)

Sweden approves same-sex marriage (Christian Post)
Pro-life program saves 297 babies (Christian Post)
We should quit NATO to save it (LA Times)
Socialism could solve this crisis (WSJ)
Las Vegas versus the Estate Tax (WSJ—Arthur Laffer)
CBS cancels Guiding Light (NY Times)
Jury hears Ward Churchill case (NY Times)
Why botched abortion does, should inspire outrage (Findlaw)
Evangelicals advocate immigration reform (Christian Post)
Ball-strike monitors angering umpires (NY Times)
Obama’s ersatz capitalism (NY Times)
GM bankruptcy? Tell me another (WSJ)
Obama’s poor tax (WSJ)
Google cheat view (The Sun)

Wacky Wednesday--Doing A Bracket Is A Sin

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~It’s illegal if you gamble privately.
~Bad stewardship of money.
~Profit without work.
~A little leads to a lot. Sports gambling is a real problem. Nobody starts by gambling $10,000 on a college football game.
~"If you go out in the street and ask one hundred Christians, "Is gambling wrong?" ninety-five to a hundred of them will probably respond automatically, "Yes, of course." In other words, the subcultural traditions of the Christian community have rigorously opposed gambling of almost any type for centuries." R. C. Sproul.
~How many thousands of things can you think of that would be better uses of your time than paying attention to these games?
~The games are only modestly entertaining when you don’t do a bracket, but every little pass becomes monumental once you’ve done one. Shouldn’t that tell you something about the value of watching them?
~Would Jesus wager on the NCAA?
~1.2 Billion in productivity is lost each year because of people tracking games.

Bible References: Exodus 20:17, Prov. 13:11, Prov. 23:4-5, Eccl. 5:10,Matt. 6:24-25, Matt. 10: 29-30, Matt. 25:14-30, Eph. 4:28, Col. 3:23-24,2 Thess. 3:10, 1 Tim. 3:1-3, 8, 1 Tim. 6:9-10, Heb. 13:5

Casting Lots: Lev. 26:5-10, Joshua 18:4-8, 1 Sam. 14:38-42, 1 Chorn 25:8,1 Chron. 26:12-14, Nehemiah 10:34, Nehemiah 11:1-2, Joel 3:3, Jonah 1:7, Matt. 27:35

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling click here or here or call 1-800 777-7207 (AZ) or 1-800 522-4700 (National)

Links:
Theology of Play (Jonathan's Corner)
Theology of Play (Scholar's Corner)
20 Questions (Gamblers Anonymous)
Statement on Gambling (AOG)
Gambling Home Page (Focus on the Family)
Should Christians Gamble? (Christian Answers)
A Catholic View (Western Catholic Reporter)
Statement on Gambling (ELCA)
Biblical Perspective (Ronald Reno)

Poker and the Christian (Alan Ng)
Gambling (Rodney Reyman)
Gambling: A Biblical Perspective (Assemblies of God)
Gambling: A Biblical Perspective (Focus on the Family)
What's Wrong With Poker? (Christianity Today)
Hold 'Em or Fold 'Em (Heather Koerner)
Sin Cities on a Hill (Greg Beato)
Youth Gamblers on the Rise (CS Monitor)
Christians Who Gamble Commit Sin (Rev. Mark H. Creech)
The Seventh Commandment (Catholic Catachism)(See 2413)
Gambling (Kerby Anderson)
Gambling and the Tenth Commandment (Analee B. Dunn)

Wacky Wednesday--Practical Jokes Are Sinful

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~They teach people to be suspicious.
~They violate trust and cause people to distrust others and become worried.
~They often involve people being hurt emotionally, financially, or physically.
~They can go terribly wrong, in unexpected ways.
~They are premised on causing someone pain.
~"Lighten up" is not an excuse.
~It’s a very fine line between funny and cruel.
~They inspire retaliation and escalation.
~The person who is known for playing practical jokes has highly diminished credibility.
~It puts your character in the dubious category
~It brings disrepute upon your testimony.
~Parents wouldn’t do this to their children.
~They cultivate the error of mistaking real danger or tragedy for a prank and responding inappropriately.
~The nicest of people are shocked and aghast that you would do this to other people, especially people they like. This reaction should tell us something.
~They encourage the victim to lie about his true reaction because it may seem unmanly or proud if he doesn’t seem to "go along with" the joke.
~Even if some of them might be okay sometimes, most people have a hard time properly judging a wise joke and a legitimate target, so it’s safer just to have a rule to not do them.
~When you perpetrate a lot of them, you are constantly fearful of people doing so back to you.

Links:
April Fool's Day (Wikipedia)
A Case Study (EthicsScoreboard.com)
Ethics of Practical Joking (Credenda.org)
Value of workplace practical jokes (Harvard Business)
KTAR's speed camera April Fool's joke (KTAR.com)