CHECK-IN CORNER   Tues 1-13-05 1-13-05 Happy New Year!  2005 is upon us, and already two weeks have gone by.  And a full two weeks they've been. It's been too many weeks since I updated this page.  I am updating today to announce that I will be posting my thoughts at another website:  http://benjart.blogspot.com I still might update from time to time here at bsmooth.  We'll see.  But for regular updates, go to http://benjart.blogspot.com.   Blessings.... -Benj     Fri 11-05-04 Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he turns it wherever he pleases." I am reminded of this verse now that the truly historic 2004 election is finally behind us.  President Bush scored a solid victory, but John Kerry did pretty well I'd say.  Speculation for the 2008 race has begun, with names being thrown out like Rudy Guiliani, John McCain, Jeb Bush, Bill Frist (all republicans) and then Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Howard Dean, Barack Obama on the other side.   Here’s a picture from www.cnn.com, taken at the Bush rally that I attended last Thursday.  It was a great experience all around: Bush gave an impassioned speech, the crowd was lively and engaging in the extreme, and it was my very first time seeing a President in person.  (though I was so far back from the stage, that I couldn’t even manage a decent shot with my own camera).  We had to wait about 45 minutes to get through the medal detectors. Standing three people ahead of us in the line was a somewhat strange looking lady wearing a politically loud t-shirt and odd purplish lipstick, carrying some literature and a purse.  Guess what else she was carrying?  Marijuana.  For which she got busted by the security guards.  You woulda thought I was attending a hippie, drug smoking, liberal wacko, Kerry-loving rally.  :-)  And people were hawking products like buttons, keychains, bumper stickers… all at not-so-great prices.  Still, I was almost tempted to buy a Tshirt with emblazoned with a pretty catchy statement:  “Friends don’t let friends vote DEMOCRAT.” THREE PERECENTAGE POINTS.  The popular vote was 51% to 48%.  I mused once or twice, in recent months, that the President might win by a three point margin. Lucky guess, eh? But I had my doubts: as late as last Thursday, I was wondering if 3% was too generous. Right up until Tuesday, it really seemed like the election could go either way, though Bush did seem to slightly have the upper hand. So President George W. Bush pulled it off on Tuesday.  FOUR MORE YEARS.  I’ve been following politics for awhile now, and I have never felt so strongly about a presidential election.  The terrorists in Iraq and around the world, and even Osama last Friday, all did what they could to throw the election.  Not to mention CBS and the forged documents story, the NY Times breaking the “missing ammunitions at Al QaQaa” story just last week, etc, etc.  The first president to win a majority of the votes in 16 years.  More popular votes than any candidate in history.  And people question whether or not he has a mandate.  If Kerry had won with this kind of margin, the pundits and lefty politicos would all be screaming MANDATE at the top of their lungs.  Other signs that point toward a mandate:  Senate Minority leader Tom Daschle was defeated for his re-election bid.  There were few people in Congress who had the power and clout to interfere with Bush’s agenda.  And Tom Daschle did all he could to interfere.  Now the people of South Dakota have booted him from power.  A few other Senate seats turned from Dem to Republicans, and now the US Senate is expanded to 55 Republicans instead of 51.  Not bad at all.     We may have more significant elections in years to come, but it’s hard to imagine.  Decades from now, historians (and the rest of us commoners) will look back on this 2004 election as one of the most critical of our lifetimes.  And there will be no doubt, looking back, that Bush was the right man at the right time.  Here’s another guess for you:  President Bush will go down in history as one of the great presidents of this incredible nation.  Maybe even surpassing Ronald Reagan, may he rest in peace.   Arrivederci:  We'll be traveling next week (a much needed vacation).  -Benj     Mon 11-01-04 We are down to the very last night before Election Day.  Thank God that it has finally come; this has been such a long, long campaign.  I scanned a few polls today, and it seems like overall things are either TIED or trending in Bush's direction.  And supposedly the "internal" Bush campaign numbers look good.  http://election.princeton.edu is a fairly convincing set of analyses, however, that point in the direction of a Kerry victory.  We'll know soon enough. Osama bin Laden is not dead after all.  After not making an appearance for over twelve months, a video of him addressing the American people was shown around the world last last week.  He looked rested and (somewhat) healthy.  And basically he blamed his insurrection on the bad policies of America, etc etc etc.  His appearance served a dual reminder:  that he is still at large ( a negative for Bush ), and that the terrorism threat is still very real and Osama and his recruits continue to foster a deadly, venomous agenda against the USA ( this second reminder is a positive for Bush, since he is widely perceived to be the tougher candidate on terrorism).   The annual Christian Fall Retreat that we hold locally was held this past weekend.  And what a great blessing it was, for me and I think for the other participants also.  As always, after such retreats, there is much encouragement and a sense of uplift.  But there is also much room for reflection, prayer, and evaluating my own heart.   A nine day vacation, starting this Saturday, is just around the bend.  Can't wait.  -Benj       Fri 10-29-04 www.therant.us is a conservatively slanted online news magazine.  Just saw it today for the first time.  The presidential polls page is cool because it combines all the major daily polls into a single average.  Bush at 49%, Kerry at 46.2%, last I checked.  This race it tight as can be.   The election is on Tuesday, and things still really seem like they could go either way.  I really expected Bush to have a solid lead by now (4-5 points), but that hasn't happened. I did get to see him though!  At Hara Arena around lunchtime yesterday.  The crowd was pumped, Bush was definitely energized and upbeat, and he gave a pretty good speech.  -Benj       Fri 10-15-04 Well, it's been about a six week hiatus from updating this website.  Due to a combination of technology problems, not having access to Frontpage, and plain old busyness.  I did do a little political writing over the last few weeks, and you can scroll down to read those updates. I still think Dubya is going to win this election.  But the polls are showing Bush and Kerry very even right now, although Bush seems to have the advantage in the majority of the swing states.   The Four Debates:  For the record, I thought Kerry won debate #1, Cheney won the VP debate, I thought Bush won debate #2, and the third debate was almost a draw with a slight advantage to Bush.  I am trying to be objective here with my grading, and it's tough, but when you hear the mainstream liberal media saying that the debate was a "draw" or a "tie", then you know it was a Bush victory.     Bible Reading:  I've lately been reading somewhat from THE MESSAGE version of the Bible (www.biblegateway.com).  Psalm 90:12 says "12Oh! Teach us to live well!  Teach us to live wisely and well!"   Now compare that to the same verse in the King James Version: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."  THE MESSAGE just might be an even more contemporary-language version of the Bible than the New Living Version, which is what I often read.  I'll have to do a little more reading to find out for sure.  This particular verse, Psalm 90:12, has been one of those key verses in my life.  A verse that speaks to me over and over again, during the last several years.  Living wisely and well, numbering our days, being aware that each and every day is a Gift from God, and each day is to be lived to His Glory and not for my own purposes. More later.  -Benj      Thurs 10-14-04 I must have been tired last night, or else the 3rd presidential debate was kind of a yawner for the first hour or so.  Because somewhere around 9:30, I started dozing off.  I tried to stay awake, but couldn’t.  So I called it a night around 9:50 and missed the last 40 minutes of the debate.  Reading a couple reviews this morning, some people are saying the debate was a draw (that’s what I thought, too, for the part I watched).  Others are saying that Bush won big and that this should give him a boost that will carry him to an election victory.  Cross your fingers.       Two big issues in this election, for me, are national security and the War on Terror (they are inter-related of course).  Tax cuts, domestic spending, homosexual issues, etc are all important issues of course.  But the War on Terror over-rides all of that.  We have to not-get-killed by lunatics and reduce that threat before such lesser issues will take the limelight the way they used to.     John Kerry:  The vice president said it well in his debate with Edwards.  Paraphrase:  “90 minutes of tough talk in a presidential debate can’t obscure a 30 year history of being on the wrong side of defense issues.”  For anyone who’s considering voting for Kerry, it’s vital that you read up on his positions and votes, as a US Senator, for the last twenty years.  There is a record there, and it’s not reconcilable with the tough talk he’s putting out in this campaign.  I admit, though, that I’ve come to appreciate him more after seeing these debates.  To me, he seems to be a likable, personable kind of guy.  He gives well-constructed answers, most of the time.  And he definitely seems more presidential than Dubya.  But will the USA be better off with a John Kerry presidency?  George W. Bush:  We’ve had four years to see Dubya leading the country through an incredibly difficult and divisive period in American history.  He has obvious strengths (perseverance, not a poll-driven politician, personal warmth and integrity), but he has weaknesses as well (stubborn-ness, a lack of articulateness).  I think the lack of articulateness has hurt him significantly.  Compare his speaking ability to someone like Tony Blair, who the president was fortunate to have standing with him for the last few years.  Being able to communicate effectively and competently, especially in such times, goes a long way toward reassuring people.  Like Winston Churchill during WW 2.  Ronald Reagan during the end of the Cold War.  And like Tony Blair during this fight against terrorism.       But a weakness in speaking and answering questions can be misleading.  For many haters of Bush, they talk about his “stupidity” and his “shallowness”.  Both these charges are dismissed by those who know him well and who’ve worked with him.  Even his critics and political opponents have spoken well of his political savvy and ability to lead.  Bush has clearly undertaken a major, major offensive against the terrorists, world-wide.  The terrorist-backing nation Libya backing down, just five days after Saddam was captured, was a good indication of the wake-up call that the world has received because of Bush’s tough positions.  I’m of the opinion that we are living through some of the most serious times that we will ever live, in terms of the genuine threat to our country.  And so this election is not an “ordinary” election, if there is such a thing.  But it definitely seems weightier than the recent 2000, 1996, and 1992 elections, doesn’t it?       Thurs 10-07-04 Well, there’s no doubt that Bush lost Debate #1.  A little history: Ronald Reagan lost his first debate against Mondale in 1984 and went on to a massive landslide of a victory (in 84, Mondale managed to carry just one state in the Union, his home state of Minnesota).  But Dubya is not up against a Walter Mondale.  As Friday night showed, Kerry is quite a good debater.  He came off as tough, competent, and presidential.  The president was tough too, but his occasional pauses and moments of inarticulateness colored his performance in a negative way.  A day or two after the debate, it seemed like Kerry had drawn even in the polls.  But the further we’ve gotten into this week, and the more polls that have been taken, Bush still appears to be in the lead – by 2-7 points.  This election’s not over, but it’s still Bush’s to lose.  Cheney versus Edwards.  I am amazed by the variable reports I have read online about who won on Tuesday night.  I agree that Edwards did a good job.  Definitely.  But Cheney obliterated him.  To paraphrase Chris Matthews of MSNBC, it was like Edwards pulled out a water gun on Cheney and Cheney turned back on him with a machine gun.  NO COMPARISON.  If Edwards had been up against the tough Bush of the 2000 debates, Edwards might have won.  He’s good, quite good.  But Cheney beat Edwards, hands down.  Look for Bush and Cheney to keep hammering the Johns on their “voting for the war, but against the troop funding”, to nail Kerry on his 30 year record as a semi-pacifist.  One of Cheney’s most effective statements on Tuesday night was “And with respect to this particular operation, we've seen a situation in which, first, they voted to commit the troops, to send them to war, John Edwards and John Kerry, then they came back and when the question was whether or not you provide them with the resources they needed -- body armor, spare parts, ammunition -- they voted against it.  I couldn't figure out why that happened initially. And then I looked and figured out that what was happening was Howard Dean was making major progress in the Democratic primaries, running away with the primaries based on an anti-war record. So they, in effect, decided they would cast an anti-war vote and they voted against the troops." Now if they couldn't stand up to the pressures that Howard Dean represented, how can we expect them to stand up to al Qaeda?” What a great question that both reveals the politically driven calculations of the Johns, and ties it clearly to the Al Qaeda threat.     FLUSH THE JOHNS!!!  That’s it folks.  Keep up with this election.  Peace.    Thurs 09-30-04 Game On.  Bush vs. Kerry.  Dumb-as-a-Rock versus The Waffler, according to the extremists.  The first of four live debates coming your way tonite at 9pm EST.  Bush has the upper hand, but Kerry’s known to fight like a wolverine when he’s cornered.  So look out.  These debates should be good.  Bush, according to some pundits, has never lost a debate.  But the same is said about Monsieur Kerry.  So who’s gonna win?  My money’s on Bush carrying the debates and then riding to an election victory with a three point margin. Cheney vs Edwards.  Just one debate coming up between these two.  Look for Edwards to do well, but for Cheney to smoke his lightweight trial-jury self.  So that leaves 2008.  Hillary versus someone.  Giuliani?  Florida governor Jeb Bush, the president’s little brother?  Ahnold?  Arnold gave a marvelous speech at the republican convention.  Take that, economic girly men.  But no one, no one in either convention, eclipsed the sheer power and dramatics of Democratic Senator Zell Miller skewering Kerry for the shifty, poll-driven politician that he is.  All the while exalting the president, who sits atop the opposing party.  It was quite simply one of the most powerful speeches ever delivered by a national politician in recent memory.  One for the history books.  THIS ELECTION MATTERS.  We’ve got just a few more weeks until Decision Day.  So if you are of age, and if you haven’t read through the issues and picked a candidate, then get on up and do it.  This election and 2008 may very well end up going down as two of the most important elections in our lifetime.  This is World War 3 that we’re living through folks, make no mistake, and each vote counts.       Wed 09-01-04 The Republican National Convention is underway in New York City.  The highlights so far have been the speeches by Mayor Guliani (Mon night) and Governor Schwarzenegger (Tues night).  In terms of pure showmanship and dramatics, Arnold has given the most memorable speech thus far.  And one just gets this sense that 68-yr old John McCain is doing all this stuff for Bush to pave his own road to the 2008 nomination.  Maybe Jeb Bush, Guliani, and Senator Bill Frist will be among his competitors.  How about McCain and Guliani for Pres and VP, or vice versa?  That'd be an interesting ticket, though maybe too liberal for some conservatives to stomach. Thank God for the upcoming three-day weekend.  It'll be very needed. Off to Atlanta for a two day trip.  More later.  -Benj       Fri 08-20-04 Flip-flopping John Kerry gets exposed for his latest by William Kristol in this article.  This time its his attack on Bush's decision to redeploy troops from various places around the globe.   Pastor Don Spiers of the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission (CPM) passed away yesterday afternoon after a long life devoted to Christian ministry.  I have memories of meeting him and talking with him a long time ago.  Good memories.  He was a man with a warm, kind spirit and his love for God was palpable.  An excellent preacher.  Here's an interesting tidbit: he was formerly involved with the Oral Roberts ministry, many years ago.   New Jersey:  We're headed there this weekend to see our baby niece, Anna Susan.  This state's been in the news for the last several days because of Governor McGreevey's announcement that "I am a gay American", he had an affair, and that he will resign his governorship in November.  He was reportedly a rising star in the Democratic party who harbored national ambitions.  This probably will not be the end of his political career (there are other politicians who are openly gay who continue to get elected and re-elected).  But there may be other issues beneath the surface here.. corruption type of issues.  We'll see where it goes.  -Benj       Thurs 08-19-04 Nathan Shibu was born this morning at 4:20am to my first cousin Shibu and his wife Nisha.  So I'm an uncle yet again, two times over in the space of just 4 days.  6 lbs, 7 oz - just one ounce more than Anna Susan.  And also born in the wee hours of the morning.  It's gonna be double trouble at future family events.  :-) God is so good.  I am reminded of the following verses from Psalm 127:3-5, New Living Translation: "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.  Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.  How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!  He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates."      Tues 08-17-04 Pictures of Anna Susan from her very first day.      Mon 08-16-04 Well, it's official.  Rebecca is a brand-new mom, and we are now officially an uncle and aunt.  (note: Rebecca's webpage has not been updated since the baby's birth).  Baby Girl, 6 pounds 6 ounces, 2:33am, Sunday August 15th (India's Indendence Day).   And yes I AM VERY EXCITED.   The baby and Rebecca are in good health and Simu (father) is thrilled.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.   Mom and Dad (and Roger) left on Saturday afternoon (1pm or so) and arrived directly to the hospital by midnight, and so the timing was great: they were there for the baby's birth at 2:33am.   I would write more, but this is Rebecca's news to report, so let's give her some time and hopefully she'll update her webpage!  -Benj       Thurs 08-12-04 It's 48 degrees this morning outside.  FORTY EIGHT.  Unbelievable.  It's mid-august, it should be hitting the mid-90's today with some serious humidity... but it'll be another spring-like day, peaking at 70.  Lovely. Fighting in Najaf, Iraq has picked back up again, with the American and Iraqi forces launching a major offensive against cleric Muqtada Al Sadr and his militia.  Quote from USA Today: "Major operations to destroy the militia have begun," said U.S. Marine Maj. David Holahan, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment. He said thousands of U.S. troops were taking part."   In line with my Proverbs 10 musing the other day, here's another related verse from Proverbs 12:1 - To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.  -Benj       Tues 08-10-04 Proverbs 10:17 - People who accept correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others astray.   I read this chapter earlier this AM, and this was one of the verses that stuck out to me.  How easy it is to fall into the category of ignoring correction.  It's much harder to stay in a place where I accept and work with correction.  It requires true humility, something that we can never have enough of.  -Benj   Fri 08-06-04 REBECCA's Page is updated.     Thurs 08-05-04 I've recently been enjoying Michael W. Smith's "Worship" CD.  In one of the tracks, someone reads the following passage from Psalm 97:  1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. 2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD , before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. What great language about God's glory and power... mountains melting like wax, the earth trembling, the people seeing His glory.  His glory that is all around us, each and every day.  We all have days where we are tempted to be a little down or discouraged... on days like that, it's good to be reminded of God's greatness, His glory, and of all that He's done for us.  -Benj       Wed 08-04-04 The Democrats' Convention was decent, I thought (what I saw of it).  Kerry's speech was definitely not as good as Edwards'.  I wish that Kerry had something as strong as Edwards did regarding Al-Qaeda: "You cannot run.  You cannot hide.  We will destroy you."  It makes one wonder how Kerry views the Al Qaeda threat.  Is this a war?  A law-enforcement problem?  A difficulty that increased diplomacy can solve? Kerry got no bounce at all from the Convention.  The reports say this is the first time a candidate did not get a bounce since McGovern in 1972.  And McGovern crashed and burned, big-time. Al Sharpton had some good riffs about America the Beautiful, Ray Charles' rendition of that song, "we gonna ride this donkey as far as we can" (donkey being the symbol for the Dems party), and "our vote is not for sale".   Today is day#1 of Sonia's new job.  We are thankful to God for His sustaining power and grace that helped her get through the last very busy three years.  Things will be a lot different for her now. Hopefully just a couple weeks until I become an uncle twice over.  My sister Becky and then my cousin Nisha, whose due dates are within a week or two of each other, should both be brand-new moms by month's end.   The weather this summer has been, on the whole, fairly cool.  Normally in early August, it's at least 90 degrees, but today it's only about 70.  Keep it coming.  -Benj     Mon 07-26-04 The Democrats fire it up today in Boston, with the start of their week-long National Convention.  Al Gore and Bill Clinton are scheduled to speak tonite, I believe.  Maybe I'll catch some of their speeches tonite when the major networks provide some coverage at 10pm.  Should be interesting to hear what Clinton has to say.  What with all the blathering in the punditry about how the Clintons really don't want Kerry to win, so that Hillary can become Madame President in 2008.  Hard to believe, but who knows.   We logged around 1680 miles this past weekend, visiting places in Ontario like Windsor, Waterloo, Mississaugua (near Toronto), and Orleans (near Ottawa).  Seeing downtown Ottawa was great.. the Parliament buildings there are beautiful, European-style structures.  And the long outdoor mall near those buildings was pretty cool too.  One store featured native Inuit art.  Reminiscent of Native American art, but different.  A couple highlights of the trip were: Tim Horton's coffeeshops everywhere we drove in Canada, and talking politics & world events with Sonia's maternal grand-uncle in Orleans.  He's a liberal, so that made things interesting.  :-) Got back last night about 4am.  Tired.  More later. -Benj       Thurs 07-22-04 We depart today for a quick, compressed trip to Toronto and Ottawa.  Mainly to visit relatives and to attend a friend's wedding (Steven from Maryland marries ______ from Toronto).  I can fill in the blank after the wedding. I am guestimating that we will put in at least 1500 miles on the trusty Maxima.  :-) Did I already mention that we test-drove a Dodge Magnum the other day?  www.dodge.com/magnum  It was a pretty nice ride... very cool-looking station wagon.  Powerful.   Here are some reflections I wrote for indaphatfarm, about ABCDs, etc. Two Key Questions: 1. Do ABCD's feel they are "better" or more "with it" than  Indian Nationals (or FOBs, a potentially derogatory term which some ABCD's use in an affectionate way, but others in a rather harsh, demeaning manner)?  To be addressed in a future update.  (FOB = Fresh Off the Boat).   2. Do Indian Nationals feel they have license to look down their noses at us ABCD's, perhaps because we don't embrace the Motherland and the Motherland's culture to the degree that Indian Nationals do?  As an ABCD, I certainly don't expect Indian Nationals to have the same appreciation for America as I do (I grew up here after all, they didn't).  But I sometimes get the impression that there is a disconnect on both sides of this divide, with ABCDs and Indian Nationals clinging to broad, stereotypical views of each other.     If I did NOT grow up in India, I can still have appreciation for India and the Indian culture.  Can't I?  If I, as an ABCD, feel conflicted about something like arranged marriage, does that mean I don't have a proper appreciation for Indian culture?  Is my view somehow less valid because it differs from the Indian norm?    Or suppose I feel that fish curry is just a plain nasty dish to eat, does that then imply that I don't have good taste in Indian food?  Just because most Indian natives love it?  What if I feel that your average Indian meal takes way to long to prepare, and so just skip it, and grill a cheeseburger instead?  Does that mean I am a sell-out? Like any culture, the Indian culture has both its good and its bad points.  Ditto for American culture, Mexican culture, Arab culture and so on.  Those of us who've grown up in a bi-cultural context may not be able to appreciate the native culture of our parents to the same degree as our parents themselves.  But that should not be expected or demanded.  Nor should an ABCD expect his or her parent to appreciate America to the same degree or in the same way that an ABCD would.  It SHOULD go both ways, but it often doesn't. Having said all this, I personally am open to learning all I can about India.  Seriously.  I especially like hearing relatives & friends talk about current Indian events and Indian politics (NO SURPRISE THERE RIGHT!).   And any discourse on Indian food, the absolute finest cuisine in the world, would be welcome!  Yes, it takes too long to cook for simple cheeseburger-loving chefs like me, but that doesn't mean I won't chow down like a starved Swami when it's put in front of me.  :-) Long live the Motherland!         Mon 07-19-04 The Democrat National Convention begins next Monday and will be held in Boston.  Ronald Reagan JUNIOR is scheduled to speak on stem cell research.  Other speakers will include Bill & Hillary, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter...  This past weekend was a whirlwind of activity with two separate trips to Columbus, a couples meeting at church, and a get-together last night at my parents house. I've been thinking about three questions I heard at the July 4th Christian Retreat that I attended.  These were shared in the very last meeting (Sunday morning), and were an excellent, thought-provoking climax to the Retreat: 1.  Who Am I?  In other words, what should be my true identity?  The answer is:  a child of God. 2. Who am I to serve?  We ALL end up giving our lives for some cause.  Everyone chooses ultimately to serve something or someone.  Not choosing is a choice in itself.  As a child of God, my prime goal in life should be: to serve God in all I do.  It comes down to choosing between True Wisdom (God's) and False Wisdom (our own human wisdom).  James 3:13-17, New Living:   13If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. 3.  What will I accomplish?  Every day requires a renewed commitment to accomplish God's Will and not my own.  Every single day.  It is in our nature to slide back ever so quickly into serving ourselves, doing our own will, and thereby ultimately accomplishing nothing of value for the Kingdom.     Keep the faith.   Major shifting of gears here....  Regarding the Iraq War, the WMD fiasco, who lied or not, and a perspective on Saddam, here is Tony Blair from a speech yesterday:  "No one lied. No one made up the intelligence. No one inserted things into the dossier against the advice of the intelligence services. Everyone genuinely tried to do their best in good faith for the country in circumstances of acute difficulty. That issue of good faith should now be at an end ... But I have to accept, as the months have passed, it seems increasingly clear that at the time of invasion, Saddam did not have stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons ready to deploy ... I have searched my conscience, not in the spirit of obstinacy, but in genuine reconsideration in the light of what we now know, in answer to that question. And my answer would be that the evidence of Saddam's WMD was indeed less certain, less well-founded than was stated at the time. But I cannot go from there to the opposite extreme. On any basis he retained complete strategic intent on WMD and significant capability. The only reason he ever let the inspectors back into Iraq was that he had 180,000 US and British troops on his doorstep ... Had we backed down in respect of Saddam, we would never have taken the stand we needed to take on WMD, never have got progress on Libya ... and we would have left Saddam in charge of Iraq, with every malign intent and capability still in place and every dictator with the same intent everywhere immeasurably emboldened. For any mistakes made, as the report finds, in good faith, I of course take full responsibility. But I cannot honestly say I believe getting rid of Saddam was a mistake at all." - Tony Blair.        Thurs 07-08-04 The retreat this past weekend was a great blessing, as always.  By my count, there were about 180 people there (including babies and small children).  Played some fun volleyball on Saturday afternoon, there was great P&W in every meeting, and I heard a lot of good points in the various meetings (especially in the mens meetings on Saturday, and the general meeting on Sunday morning).  More later.   The VP pick of John Edwards, while predictable, was still an excellent excellent move on John Kerry's part.  He could not have selected a better team-mate.  Time alone will tell if Kerry can win the whole shebang, but Edwards will definitely give him a strong boost in a few ways: Charisma Deficit:  John Kerry has about as much charisma as a flowerpot.  But John Edwards exudes it.  Ronald Reagan had that mysterious "it" factor, Bill Clinton has it, and Edwards has got it too.  It's not something that can be acquired, or John Kerry would have sold his soul to get it - decades ago.  But Edwards has it down to the bone, and it's going to help.   Southern Strategy:  The Democrats are weaker than a sick baby in the South.  Weak, I tell you.  Edwards, born in SC and raised in NC, gives the Democrats a fighting chance down yonder.  And not just in the Presidential Race, but in congressional and senatorial races at national and state levels.   VP Contrast:  Just visualize, for a moment, the October VP debate to be held in Cleveland (which was, by the way, the very first city to get electricity).  Speaking of electricity, think about Cheney: bland, gray, almost boring, but very capable.  Now think about Edwards: just as slick and charming as El Maestro himself - Bill Clinton, youthful looking, upbeat, and also very capable.     I don't buy the argument, though, that Edwards is gonna smoke Cheney just because Edwards was Mr. Super Trial Lawyer in his pre-political career.  Cheney cleaned Lieberman's clock in 2000, and he did it without breaking a sweat.  This VP debate will be much better than the inevitably boring Bush-Kerry slugfest.   Optimism Sells:  Edwards is reportedly a sunny kind of person all the time.  I.E. the great Ronald Reagan.  Even if he doesn't have much political experience, such cheerfulness will help carry him (and the ticket) a long, long way.  Add such optimism to his charisma, southern roots, and his speaking ability and you have a bona-fide political force.  This is going to be a tough ticket to beat, but I think Bush & Cheney can pull it off.  It's gonna be close.  -Benj       Thurs 07-01-04 Half of the year is gone, as of yesterday.  And yesterday was a milestone for Sonia:  she finished her pediatric residency and she's lovin it!  To celebrate, we had dinner last night at C'est Tout, followed by Mountain Mudd Pie (ice cream cake) at Red Robin.  It's been an interesting three years, the ones that she just got through.  And they pretty much co-incided with the first three years of our marriage.  We learned a lot, and God helped us in so many ways.       This weekend, we head to the metropolis of New Freedom, Pennsylvania for the annual summer retreat that I've been going to for the last 10 years.  ( New Freedom is just a short drive north of Baltimore ).  I hope to see some of you readers there.  There are few things that I look forward to like these retreats that I attend periodically.  They are just the right blend of Christian fellowship, chilling with old friends and family, playing sports, and late-night runs to the local fast food joints. John 12-21 is the focus this year for the meetings, and there is a LOT to meditate on in these chapters.  I am especially blessed by the entire 17th chapter, which focuses on the passionate prayer of Jesus for Himself, his disciples, and for all believers.  Verse 3 reads "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ..."  How incredible that each one of us can get to know God, personally and intimately!  That the great Lord of the Universe would be interested in us peons!  And through such knowledge of God, we are assured of living eternally.  How humbling, and how amazing.   At Christian gatherings like this upcoming retreat, I am always reminded of the incredible freedom that we have here in the USA.  Freedom to worship as we see fit, pursue whatever careers we want, freedom to go hither and yon without fear, etc.   Which brings me to my July Fourth Reflections:   Monday marked the official turnover of power in Iraq.  Whether or not you agreed with going to war in Iraq, there are three things that stand out:  1.  Several hundred of our troops sacrificed their lives in the cause of liberation.  2.  The Iraqis have a much better future now than they did under Monster Saddam.  3.  Al-Zarqawi and his fellow terrorist thugs demonstrate more clearly than ever what we are up against (i.e. the brutal, senseless slayings of Nick Berg and Paul Johnson).   An entire country has been liberated.  Through the actions of the USA, Britain, and several other nations.  So this is a great time to be reminded of the magnificent blessings that we have in America, primarily because of the liberty that has been here for over two centuries:  liberty in the marketplace, liberty in religious life, liberty for families to live according to the best undersanding that they have.       As William Wallace asked, "What will you do without freedom?"  -Benj   Fri 06-25-04          The official transfer of power in Iraq is just five days away.  Al-Zarqawi and his terrorists are getting more desperate, and so the atrocious series of bombings that occurred through out Iraq yesterday.  Killing over ninety people and injuring many, many more.  I would think that such mad violence is only weakening the cause of the terrorists, from the perspective of the ordinary Iraqis.  Ordinary people who just want to live peaceful lives, have good opportunities for their children, and be able to make money and worship in freedom. The nation is in the midst of another Bill Clinton whirlwind, with his "My Life" book going on sale earlier this week and Clinton dominating the airwaves in this promotion cycle.  Listening to him on the radio a couple days back, I was struck anew by his incredible intelligence and his ability to communicate in a manner that seems reasonable, informed, and somewhat entertaining.  If only GW Bush had a fraction of that ability. The annual Summer Retreat that we attend is next weekend, and I am looking forward to it.  It will be at the same location it's been for the last two summers, Summit Grove Camp near New Freedeom, Pennsylvania.  Supposedly there's a new building with nice sleeping rooms, and a large meeting room for services, and the whole thing is air-conditioned.  That should be a nice change.  :-) One of the things I am excited about these days is becoming an uncle for the first time.  Becky & Simu's firstborn is due in mid-august, and it's hard to believe that they'll be parents.  And that a whole new generation will be added to the family.  Although my cousin's son, also named Benjamin, has definitely represented the new generation pretty well for the last several years.  What a character!  -Benj       Thurs 07-17-04 Ronald Reagan            So much has been written and spoken about our former President in the last several days, including an article about Reagan's "remarkable humility" from the Boston Globe that I've posted below.  I don't presume to think that I could add much to the accolades.  But I'll try. I find the timing of Reagan's death to be astounding.  God's timing.  Jim Jordan, a former manager in Kerry's campaign, admitted that he and other Democratic operatives have been deathly scared of Reagan passing away during the last three presidential election cycles.  Because of the potential impact it could have on the voters.  And now Reagan has passed away right in the middle of a campaign that is unlike any we have seen before:  the first campaign being waged after the nationally-defining horror of 9-11. One thing that troubles me about Reagan:  he was not a church goer.  It is clear that he believed deeply in God and the Bible, but seeking fellowship and Christian brotherhood doesn't seem to have been a major focus of his life.  I know that there are many, many Christians out there who are in a similar situation - but the Word is clear on this:  we ARE to regularly meet together with others in the faith, i.e. "not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is."  - Hebrews 10:25.  Last Wednesday night, however, we heard a speech that he gave in 1983 to a group of Christian broadcasters, and there is simply no denying the rock-solid faith that he had in God, the Bible, and the power of the Christian community for good.   I've read a couple books in the past about Reagan, and overall I am left with the impression that he was a tremendously decent, uplifting, romantic, and caring type of man.  Definitely a role model in so many ways.  May his memory be forever blessed.  -Benj    The modest giant By Jeff Jacoby  |  June 10, 2004 RONALD REAGAN was the first president I was old enough to vote for and the only one I have ever voted for with enthusiasm. He was the preeminent influence on my political coming of age -- so much so that to this day, "Reaganite" is the label that best sums up my political worldview. For those of us who so admired Reagan during his presidency -- and who remember the mockery and disdain to which he was so often subjected -- the tributes that have been pouring forth since Saturday help make the sorrow of his death and the awful sickness that preceded it more bearable. History, as he always knew it would, has vindicated him. The man once dismissed as an "amiable dunce" and reviled as a warmonger is now acknowledged as a courageous visionary, an apostle of decency and liberty who left the world far better than he found it. "The American sound," Reagan said in his second inaugural address, "is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair." Much the same could be said of Reagan himself. All week long, the accolades have emphasized the character and values that made him the man he was -- his optimism, his patriotism, his self-deprecating humor, his moral clarity, his rocklike belief that freedom is the birthright of every human being, his willingness to call evil by its name, his faith in God, his sheer guts. But one trait has gone largely unmentioned: His remarkable humility. In her moving and affectionate account of the 40th president's life, "When Character Was King," Peggy Noonan says that when she really wants to convey what Reagan was like, she tells the "bathroom story." It occurred in 1981, shortly after the assassination attempt. Reagan was still in the hospital and one night, feeling unwell, he got out of bed to go to the bathroom. "He slapped water on his face, and water slopped out of the sink," Noonan relates. "He got some paper towels and got down on the floor to clean it up. An aide came in and said: `Mr. President, what are you doing? We have people for that.' And Reagan said, oh, no, he was just cleaning up his mess, he didn't want a nurse to have to do it." That was Reagan: On his say-so armies would march and fighter jets scramble, but he hated to trouble a hospital orderly to mop up his spill. That humbleness, it seems to me, is a mark of Reagan's greatness, too -- and a key to understanding the outpouring of affection his death has unleashed. Though he came from nothing -- poor family, alcoholic father, no status, nothing to boast about -- Reagan considered himself no less entitled to respect and a chance to prove himself than those who had much more. But if no man was his better, neither was he the better of any man. That instinctive sense of the equality of all Americans never left him -- not even when he stood at the pinnacle of fame and power. In reminiscences this week, former staffers have described what it was like to work for the president. Several have recalled how, even when they were at the bottom of the pecking order, he never made them feel small or unworthy of notice. To the contrary: He noticed them, talked to them, made them feel special. Reagan climbed as high as anyone in our age can climb. But it wasn't ego or a craving for honor and status that drove him, and he never lost his empathy for ordinary Americans -- or his connection with them, as we now know from his private correspondence. He was a lifelong letter writer -- perhaps the most prolific correspondent of any president since Jefferson. A collection of his letters was published last year ("Reagan: A Life in Letters"), and it is striking to see how many of them were written -- by hand, usually -- to angry or disappointed critics, many of them unimportant people he had never met. He is unfailingly polite and respectful; often he is touchingly earnest in his attempt to get them to see his side of an issue. And why would the president of the United States devote so much time to answering mail from complete nobodies? In part because he never forgot his own modest roots. He was a genuinely humble man, one who didn't scorn others as "complete nobodies." For who knew better than he just how far a "nobody" from nowhere might someday go? On June 3, 1984, Reagan visited Ballyporeen, the County Tipperary hamlet where his great-grandfather was born in 1828. "Today I come back to you as a descendant of people who are buried here in paupers' graves," he said. "Perhaps this is God's way of reminding us that we must always treat every individual, no matter what his or her station in life, with dignity and respect. And who knows? Someday that person's child or grandchild might grow up to become the prime minister of Ireland -- or president of the United States." In his first inaugural address, Reagan described George Washington as both "a monumental man" and "a man of humility." The two qualities merged in the nation's first president. They merged again in the 40th. May he rest in peace.      Mon 06-07-04 Former President Ronald Reagan passed away on Saturday, at the age of 93.  I was not very tuned into politics during his presidency, but I have vague memories of him seeming to be a warm, humorous type of person.  And I have memories of all the criticism he received from the press and other world & national leaders. Since his retirement, though, I've had opportunity to read a couple books about him along with dozens of articles.  There is no doubt that he and Gorbachev were the two people most responsible for the demise of Communism and the Soviet Union.  No small feat, considering how entrenched the communist way of thinking was in many countries around the world.  But a great feat for the people in that now-disbanded aggregate of nations.  They are now living free, and Reagan was a big reason why.   He was one of the great presidents of the last century.  And one of the more memorable of the last thirty years.  -Benj          Wed 06-02-04 The news is getting a little better out of Iraq.  Positions for the new government have been filled (i.e. President, VP's, Prime Minister, Cabinet members, etc) and things are looking better and better for the handover set to occur on June 30th.   www.iraqthemodel.com is a pretty good blog written by three Iraqi brothers who managed to survive the Saddam years, and who are now unashamedly grateful for the Iraqi Liberation.   Current Reading:  Just started Desiring God last night, written by John Piper.  Recently finished reading The Shepherd's Castle by George MacDonald (a superb Scottish author who lived during the 1800s).  I am also slowly reading through The Passion of Jesus Christ, a collection of short essays on 50 reasons why Jesus came to die for us.  Also by John Piper, and a good read.     I was in MD and DE this past weekend for a couple reasons:  planning for the July Summer Retreat and the graduation party for cuzzin Becky.  Good times all weekend long.  -Benj       Mon 05-17-04 The last two weeks have been full of events in the world.  The prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, the horribly brutal slaying of an American civilian (NICK BERG) in Iraq by Al-Qaeda monsters, today's killing of the president of the Iraqi Governing Council by insurgents, the drumbeats getting louder for Donald Rumsfeld, Sec of Defense, to resign.     Things look very shaky right now in Iraq.  And yet reports on the ground are that progress continues to be seen.  President Bush continues in his strong commitment for Iraq to be a free democracy, with a turnover of power still to occur on June 30th, just a few weeks away.    Things have been busy on a number of fronts, and so I've been posting less than before.  Will try to improve!   On a personal note, my dad's oldest brother (who we always called Appachan) - is quite ill and likely in his last days here on this earth.  He's about 84 or 85 years old and has lived a long, fruitful life and has been a committed believer.  He'll pass on to glory soon.  Dad is over there right now visiting with him, and should return by this coming Sunday.  -Benj     Mon 05-03-04 Spring is in full force, with plenty of rain falling, the grass growing like mad, and the neighborhood looking leafy again.   The presidential campaign continues to heat up, with Bush currently holding a narrow lead in most polls.  The recent bad news out of Iraq actually seemed to help the President, which was unexpected.  I read a profile of Teresa Heinz Kerry this past weekend (Newsweek magazine), in which she claims to "not be reflexivley pro-choice, since abortion is the stopping of life."  Interesting, interesting.  Also interesting that she just recently switched her voter registration from Republican to Democrat.   We had our third year anniversary last Wednesday.  Thanks to God for His goodness to both of us; it's been a great journey together thus far.  Have a good week!  -Benj      Mon 04-19-04 Wow, it's been too long since I updated this page.  No good reason, I suppose, outside of busyness.    McDonald's CEO, Jim Cantalupo, passed away of a heart attack this morning.  Talk about irony.   The last two weeks in Iraq were awful, with a lot of uprising and killing.  But it seems to be settling down again now.  Let's hope it lasts, and that the June 30th "transfer of power" really happens.   Heading to Somerset, NJ this weekend for Beck & Simu's open house.  Lots of friends & relatives are expected; should be a great time.   Yet another friend is part of the neighborhood; several of us helped Roger move to his new house on Saturday.   More later.  -Benj     Thurs 04-1-04 I'm heading to a Christian Men's Retreat this weekend; it'll be great to have a breather from the recent rush of life.  There is something so relaxing about being at a retreat setting: surrounded by trees and God's great creation, sleeping in cabins, heading to the lodge for coffee and fellowship, encouraging teaching, uplifting Praise & Worship, etc.   Speaking of Christian Men, I recently heard and was blessed by this Twila Paris song:  Come and join the reapers, All the Kingdom seekers Laying down your life to, Find it in the end.   Come and share the harvest; Help to light the darkness For the Lord is calling faithful men.       That's all for today folks.  Later.  -Benj      Wed 03-17-04 The Ohio Sniper has been captured, per reports this morning.  Photos had been released to the press yesterday.  And he was apprehended today at a hotel in Las Vegas.  Hopefully this brings this scary chapter to a close.  Over the last several months, I've actually had to drive a few times near the portion of I-270 where a lot of the shootings took place, and it was a bit eerie.      MSNBC is reporting today that the Clinton Administration had fairly solid evidence of Osama's location about one year before 9/11, but they didn't opt to take him out, despite such evidence.  Hmmmm.... Last week's horrific bloodshed on 3-11 in Spain was a success from the terrorists' perspective (over 200 innocent people killed).  But on top of that, the terrorists managed to sway the national elections that occurred just three days later.  The pro-Bush party that was in power was swept out, and replaced by a more socialist administration that has already vowed to pull out the Spanish troops by June 30.  One can't help but feel that this is a huge victory for the terrorists, by sending them this message:  Attack a country that supported America, and that country will pull its support from America in order to make itself more "secure".  Gruesome.  -Benj       Tues 03-09-04 Great verse and chorus from "And Can It Be", by Charles Wesley.   Long my imprisoned Spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth and followed Thee.   Chorus: Amazing love! How can it be              That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?       Tues 03-02-04 Super Tuesday, Redux:  Yet another "important" day is upon us, with several states across the country holding their primary elections today.  John Kerry appears to have things locked up, and John Edwards will have a big decision to make after his (expected) losses today.      Spring:  Slowly but surely, it's creeping up.  Warmer weather, sunnier days.  Birds chirping now and then, with the occasional tree just barely beginning to bud.  -Benj       Fri 02-20-04 GREAT QUOTE by Mother Teresa that I read on a blog:   "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway. You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."       Thurs 02-19-04 Spring is near:  Today's 50+ degree weather is lovely, lovely.  And the 60 degree weather in Atlanta yesterday was even better (business trip).  Gotta spend some time outdoors this evening.   Edwards Rises:  I liked the below report from www.politics1.com.  Note the yellow sentence.  I was actually watching Edwards speech, and saw this happen.  Crass and rude, and definitely haughty on Kerry's part.  The next big round of primaries is just twelve days away, and with Dean dropping out of the race, this is down to Kerry vs. Edwards.  I am betting on Edwards at this point.  And if Edwards wins the nomination, Bush is going to have a tough time beating him.  It's amazing that just a few weeks ago, most people were hardly paying attention to Edwards.  But Iowa changed all that.  And Edwards close 2nd place win in Wisconsin on Tuesday changed the race yet again.  Dean should endorse Edwards, and help him defeat Kerry aka the "Boston Brahmin".  -Benj       KERRY NARROWLY TOPS EDWARDS IN CLOSE WISCONSIN VOTE. John Kerry (40%) and John Edwards (34%) ran surprisingly close in the crucial Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, while Howard Dean finished a distant third place with 18%. Kerry had been favored by a wide margin in recent polls, but Edwards received a boost Monday when the largest newspaper in the state endorsed him. Edwards far exceeded his expectations, which should result in more media coverage for him and money flowing into his campaign. In fact, the extreme closeness of the results was a defeat -- certainly in terms of perceptions -- for Kerry. Kerry also further emphasized his personal reputation for unappealing haughtyness when he obnoxiously timed his victory speech to overlap and cut-off TV coverage of Edwards' speech just two minutes after Edwards began his remarks. The Wisconsin results ensure that Kerry and Edwards will both continue as viable -- and competitive -- candidates heading into Super Tuesday. However, Dean -- who had once declared the state to be do-or-die for his campaign -- returned to Vermont late Tuesday and will end his campaign there today.     Mon 02-16-04 Hoity Toity:  We visited the Cincinnati Art Museum for the first time on Saturday (V-Day).  Good time; lots of great paintings and mind-boggling glass sculptures.  Here's the website.  -Benj     Thurs 02-12-04 John Kerry has an intern problem, meaning a bill clinton type of intern problem.  Check out the Drudge Report for breaking details.  Apparently this has been inside information for the Dean campaign for awhile, since Dean changed his mind about quitting the race after next week's Wisconsin primary.  And Wes Clark very recently told a group of reporters, off-the-record, that the Kerry campaign will implode.   If this story gains traction...  What a race this has been and is shaping up to be.  And maybe Edwards will win the nomination after all.  -Benj     Thurs 02-12-04 Fat Atkins? Well, was he fat or not?  Should people stop counting carbohydrates?  Tuesday's revelation from the Wall Street Journal was that Dr. Robert Atkins weighed over 250 pounds at the time of his death.  (250 pounds for a six-footer is pretty hefty).  Could it be any coincidence that a pro-vegetarian group pushed for the illegal release and subsequent publication of this private medical information? Was the weight gain really just from his medical conditions as his physicians claim, or was the good doctor pigging out on carbohydrates and ballooning like a whale?  Check out the article below from CNN.  I remember seeing him on Larry King Live just a couple months before his demise, and he didn't look fat.  Less than 200, if I had to guess.     Lose the poundage:  Millions and millions of people around the world have subscribed to the low-carb dieting that Atkins pioneered.  Especially in America and England, lands of the free, fat, and brave.  He wasn't the first medical professional to ever write about the successes of this type of eating, but he certainly did more than anyone else in the last fifty years to popularize the low carb lifestyle.  Don't worry about your fat intake!  Eat meat, cheese, & butter!  And get thin at the same time!  And watch your cholesterol and blood pressure levels DROP !  Sounds pretty unbelievable but there are loads of devotees out there for whom it has worked.     Look, ANYTHING beats a low-fat regimen.  Low-fat diets leave you perpetually hungry.  As if yogurts for breakfast and side salads for lunch are sustainable.  YOU MIGHT AS WELL STARVE YOURSELF.  But low-carb, on the other hand, pretty much allows you to NOT feel hungry most of the time.  And if you mix your fat & protein (meat, cheese, nuts) with some veggies and fruit, it's really not too bad. Plug for carbs:  McDonald's breakfast biscuits are a pleasure to eat (and loaded with carbs, sad to say).  Try one with sausage, egg, and cheese sometime and then go hit the treadmill for 30.  -Benj         ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK (AP) -- Dr. Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses protein-rich meat and cheese over carbohydrates, weighed 258 pounds at his death and had a history of heart disease, a newspaper reported Tuesday. Atkins died last April at age 72 after being injured in a fall on an icy street. Before his death, he had suffered a heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a report by the city medical examiner. At 258 pounds, the 6-foot-tall Atkins would have qualified as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's body-mass index calculator. Diet is one potential factor in heart disease, but infections also can contribute to it. Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council in New York, told the Journal that Atkins' heart disease stemmed from cardiomyopathy, a condition thought to result from a viral infection. Trager said the weight was added between his accident and his death, and in fact Atkins weighed less than 200 pounds at the time he was injured. "During his coma, as he deteriorated and his major organs failed, fluid retention and bloating dramatically distorted his body and left him at 258 pounds at the time of his death, a documented weight gain of over 60 pounds," the doctor said in a written statement. "How and why the Journal reported that he was obese, remains the only unanswered question in this pathetic situation." Atkins widow outraged The medical examiner's report was given to the Journal by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that advocates vegetarianism. The medical examiner's office told the Journal that the report had been sent to the group in error. Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the New York City office of the chief medical examiner, said the records would not be released to anyone else, but they clearly indicate that Atkins died from the head injury. The diet guru's widow, Veronica Atkins, was outraged that the report had been made public and called those who gave the medical examiner's report to the newspaper "extremists." "I have been assured by my husband's physicians that my husband's health problems late in life were completely unrelated to his diet or any diet," she told the Journal. Last month, Veronica Atkins demanded an apology from Mayor Michael Bloomberg after Bloomberg called her late husband "fat." In April 2002, Atkins issued a statement saying he was recovering from cardiac arrest related to a heart infection he had suffered from "for a few years." He said it was "in no way related to diet.       Wed 02-11-04 Three Birds:  Sighted today by yours truly outside the local Subway.  Chirping their hearts out, as though they could feel spring on the way (although at 34 degrees today, it still feels like winter!) Driving to work this morning, I was reflecting on the new reality in Iraq.  It's true that there have been some terrible atrocities recently (bombings, killings of dozens of people, etc).... and it may continue on like this for some time.  But I wonder what the feeling is in the average Iraqi?  Hope, despair, thankfulness, longing for the old days under Saddam?  Twenty years from now, if Iraq is a secure democratic country and other Middle Eastern nations have followed suit, everyone will be lauding the Bush Team for their decisive actions (well not everyone, there will always be that vocal crowd of hard-to-please liberals who trash anything done by people outside of their political persuasion) Bush's poll numbers have ticked back up above the 50% approval mark.  Should be a very interesting presidential campaign to watch - may end up being one for the ages.   -Benj       Mon 02-09-04 John Kerry has wrapped up this Democratic nomination, barring any strange scandal or any kind of implosion caused by an erratic moment (i.e. Howard Dean).  Although I find Kerry to be somewhat on the boring side of the spectrum, he is a hard-working, hard-charging campaigner and I suspect that Bush has got a tough fight ahead of him (especially if Kerry teams up with Edwards).   I videotaped Bush's one hour appearance on Meet the Press yesterday, and watched it.  I thought he gave fairly good answers, and came off as confident, cautious, and in control.  But he got some scathing reviews from a variety of commentators both yesterday and today.  Maybe my thermometer is off, but I thought he did fine.  No Bill Clinton or Reagan, mind you, but he did well enough.  -Benj     Fri 02-06-04 Churches across the nation are strongly supporting Mel Gibson's upcoming film about the Passion of Christ, some going so far as to claim this film presents an unparalleled opportunity for evangelism.  Here's a Newsmax article on the subject.  The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) fights anti-semitism worldwide and has voiced serious concerns about certain aspects of this film.  ADL's website.      John Kerry, as of today, has received the endorsement of his one-time competitor, Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Missouri).  One rumor months ago was that the White House politicos believed that Gephardt would end up being the nominee.  But then he fell flat in the Iowa caucuses and that was the end of his run.   My man John Edwards is still running a classy, positive campaign.  (I probably shouldn't call him "my man", but I can't help liking the guy.  But he still won't get my vote!)  It's hard to visualize Edwards actually beating Kerry for the nomination at this point.  But who knows?  No one thought Dean was beatable just a few weeks ago, and now his campaign appears to be on life support and about to expire.     Party Time:  The Rona Hills crowd stopped by last night for a couple hours.  Sonia made some date nut bars which turned out good.  Living close to friends (i.e. in the same neighborhood, within walking distance) is a new experience for us, and so far so good!  -Benj     Wed 02-04-04 Guess who dominated yesterday, winning five out of seven state primaries across the country?  John Kerry continues to be on a roll.  Time magazine has a decent set of articles on Kerry this week, and also a good article about his multi-millionaire wife Teresa Heinz, of ketchup fame.   General Clark won in Oklahoma, and John Edwards won by a large margin in South Carolina.  Joe Lieberman didn't win anywhere, and made the decision to quit the race.  Probably the right thing for him to do.  It's amazing that he didn't do better, having run in the VP slot in 2000 and being a centrist candidate and all that.  Oh well.  But I was glad to see Edwards post such a big win in SC.  It means that the fight for the nomination will go on.   Howard Dean pretty much bypassed yesterday's primaries to focus on the upcoming primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin, where he believes he has a chance of regaining some momentum.  We'll see.   The Passion of Christ, a movie chronicling the last few days of the life of Jesus, opens in just three weeks.  And it's swirled up a lot of controversy.  It seems that a lot of mainstream Christians are endorsing it as accurate and worthy of seeing.  Should be interesting to hear the reactions of people who know the Scriptures and who go to see it.  Apparently the Pope claimed, after viewing it, that "It is as it was."  I heard a rumor that Billy Graham gave it a stamp of authenticity as well.  -Benj      Wed 01-28-04 JOHN KERRY:  is on a roll.  He resoundingly won the New Hampshire primary last night, with Howard Dean in 2nd place, and Wes Clark & John Edwards tied for third.  Kerry is definitely the front-runner at this point, but can he really beat Bush?  Kerry reminds me at times of Al Gore:  stiff, somewhat aloof, too long-winded, etc.  And, unlike Gore, kind of aristocratic in his bearing.  Will this sit well with the average voter, this kind of disposition? SNOW AND ICE:  Well we got plenty of snow and ice here over the last few days.  So did a lot of states in the midwest and east coast.  Sonia & I enjoyed a walk with Simu around my parents property on Sunday evening... walking thru the heavy snowfall and then sitting around the fire later that evening... very nice.  -Benj            Fri 01-23-04 ATHLETES IN ACTION:  This Christian ministry (part of Campus Crusade) has its headquarters locally in Xenia.  We had dinner last night with a couple who are actively serving the Lord as full-time missionaries for this ministry.  Here's the website.       WINTER BLUES:  This so far has been a somewhat dreary winter.  Very cold temperatures this month.  I usually enjoy the winter season.  But this is the first winter in awhile where we have had a long snap of low temperatures with almost no snow.  Here's wishing for a serious snowfall or for an early spring.  :-) FAMILY WEEKEND:  Beck & Simu are flying in for the weekend (actually Beck is staying for a whole week).  So we'll have our belated family Christmas this weekend, including opening gifts. -Benj        Wed 01-21-04 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS:  Wow, did Bush come out swinging or what??? Very strong performance.  You could sense the conviction behind the words.  I loved his little riff to the critics about the Iraq War not being an international effort, and then rattling off 15 or so countries that are involved.   Democrats:  So John Kerry has resurrected his campaign, as of Monday night.  John Edwards is not far behind him.  #1 and #2 respectively in the Iowa caucuses.  And Kerry is neck-and-neck with Dean in the New Hampshire primary, which is early next week.  Who would have thought that Senator Kerry (D-Mass), whose campaign seemed near-death just a few weeks ago, would have arisen to the top of the pack??  Although he has a history of coming on strongest when he is doing the worst, and majorly rebounding.  Look out Dubya!  -Benj     Mon 01-19-04 Iowa Caucuses are this evening.  Quite a turnaround in the candidates' standing out there.  A poll taken last night reveals Kerry in the lead, Edwards close behind him, Howard Dean in third place, and Gephardt in fourth place.   And just a few days ago, Dean and Gephardt were locked in a tie for 1st place, with Kerry and Edwards a somewhat distant 2nd and 3rd place.  But the ground game is critical in Iowa - how many staffers and volunteers each candidate has to rally "undecideds" across the state.  Dean & Gephardt definitely have the most formidable ground games, no doubt about it.  We'll know by tomorrow how well they hold up. If the Dems are serious about beating Bush, Senator John Edwards (N. Carolina) may be their best shot.  Southern, great communicator, young family, very personable...  kinda like Bill Clinton without the baggage.  -Benj     Thurs 01-15-04 Iowa Caucuses:   Just four days away.  Coming up quick.  Dean is in the lead in Iowa, though John Kerry and Dick Gephardt are nipping at his heels.  And John Edwards is experiencing some forward momentum in Iowa too.  Then the New Hampshire primary is a week later, in which General Wes Clark may do very well.  This game is still wide open for an unexpected winner to emerge. Ready for a roaring political season?  For a lot of reasons, this will be one of the more significant presidential elections in our lifetime.  Bush barely won in 2000.  The War on Terror.  An "anti-Iraq war" candidate, Howard Dean, is currently poised to win the Democratic nomination.  And Dean is a street-brawler who often speaks before he thinks, but is still able to seriously arouse the liberal base of the Democratic Party.  It's gonna be interesting.      -Benj   Wed 01-14-04 So the news media have continued to be predictably silent on Hillary's Gandhi gaffe last week.  As if they would have any other reaction.   60,000 mile tuneup:  I took in Sonia's car this morning for this mileage milestone.  A pretty penny its costing us.  But I suppose it's worthwhile for the long-term life of the car.   Beck & Simu are back from their trip to India.  There's always a sense of relief when friends and relatives arrive back safely from long plane rides.  9-11 changed everything, didn't it?  -Benj      Fri 01-09-04 An Indian-born American soldier was killed in Iraq on Dec 1st.  Here's a good article about it, and it ends with a great quote by his father.  Count your blessings.  Thank God for the troops.  Such is the price for our freedom, born on the very lives of people who are not even citizens, but who want to be a part of this great nation.  -Benj     Thurs 01-08-04 Hillary has put her foot in her mouth big-time.  And this time it's no less than a crack at Mahatma Gandhi.  Here's a write-up on the incident from a conservative online magazine.  Naturally there has been no major report on it in one of the "mainstream" online papers.  This is just more positive proof of the leftward slant of America's news institutions.  As the article points out, Trent Lott would have been in huge trouble for such a stupid joke.  But then he's a dumb Republican southern senator who has no place in public life, right?  The double standards are stupefying.  No wonder so many people listen to conservative radio, watch Fox News, and find other news sources outside the "mainstream". President Bush is proposing a whole new sort of amnesty for illegal immigrants in this country.  I haven't read enough yet to fully absorb it, but a lot of conservatives and liberals are chalking it up to no more than political maneuvering in 2004 for the Hispanic vote.  I am not so sure about this.  For all his faults, Bush strikes me as a fundamentally compassionate, caring person.  And growing up in Texas, he interacted a lot more with Mexicans than people from other parts of the country (i.e. Howard Dean from lilly-white Vermont).  So I doubt this is strictly just a political move, though I'm sure the political factor is there - as it is with almost every move made by almost every politician at every level.   The bitter cold.  Temperatures in the single digits, with the wind chill factor making it seem even colder.  And not even any snow to go along with it!  Makes me all the more thankful for hot decaf coffee and the gas fireplace.  Though my parents real fireplace is quite a bit warmer.  Ahhh... memories of going for a hike in snowy woods and then coming back home to sit next to a roaring fire with a good book or magazine and a hot drink.  -Benj           Tues 01-06-04 Scripture for 2004:  Ephesians 4:1-3 - "As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."     The New Year is off to a good start, by God's grace.  I've made a few "resolutions" and have posted them in a place where I'll be reminded of them regularly.  -Benj     Fri 12-26-03 DRUMROLL........ After several months, BETTY's Page is updated with some Christmas Eve reflections. Reports of a huge earthquake in Iran today, killing several thousand - perhaps as many as 10,000.  Tragic.  Speaking of Iran, Pakistan has come very close to admitting that they've helped the Iranians develop nuclear technology.  Let's see how this unfolds.  Libya's Colonel Qadhaffi's recent about-face regarding WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and terrorism was a great Christmas bonus for all free nations... one article quoted him telling a British official many months ago "I am afraid the Americans will come after me, like they are doing to Saddam."  Speak softly and carry a big stick, right?  -Benj     Wed 12-24-03 Christmas Eve is upon us.  Yet another reminder of the good things that God has bestowed during the past year.  And a great reminder of the eternal gift of His Son Jesus.   We leave for Maryland this weekend to spend a few days with Sonia's family.  So it may be several days before this site is updated again. Merry Christmas!  -Benj     Thurs 12-18-03 The Wright Brothers, ROTK, Shop Till You Drop The wheel. The printing press. The deodorant stick.   The airplane. The personal computer.  The French crepes slathered with Nutella,  cooked by cousin Susan.  Proving definitively that something good can indeed hail from France, even if it's just pancakes.  ;-)             The trend:  What's the common thread?  Great, historic, hugely altering inventions that changed the world.     Yesterday was the 100th year anniversary of the first flight taken by Orville & Wilbur Wright.  I suppose this centennial has special significance for me since I've spent most of my life in a suburb of  Dayton, Ohio where the Wright Brothers ran their bicycle repair shop and built a little airplane in their spare time.  But yesterday's significance wasn't just felt in Dayton.  It was a historic milestone for the airplane, and was commemorated by celebrities, governmental officials, and lots of commoners.   And so I thought I'd give some recognition to the Wright Brothers.  They've certainly made my life easier when traveling.  The one-hour flight to DC is definitely preferable to the eight hour drive, more like seven if Sonia's driving.  She doesn't yet read my online blatherings, so I can still say whatever I want! :-)   Return of the King:  Gimli speaks:  Here's a piece with Gimli expounding on Tolkien & Civilization.  A welcome contrast to the lunatic ravings  and ridiculous tshirts of Viggo "No More Blood For Oil" Mortensen, the splendid actor who magnificently portrayed Aragorn in the movies.  But I'll take Gimli's view of the world any day over Viggo's.     Shop Till You Drop:  I spent a few hours this week furniture shopping and Christmas shopping, and I thought I was gonna pass out when it was all over.  Although I do enjoy going to the Mall at Christmas time, it is just total sensory overload.  I shoulda done what I did last year - buy everything online and get it shipped free to my doorstep.  But I missed the deadlines for free shipping.  And ended up weak-kneed and bleary-eyed from all the shopping.  Oh well, the eggnog latte from Starbucks was somewhat reviving and very good.  -Benj     Wed 12-17-03 Today is the centennial of the first flight taken by Orville and Wilbur Wright.  Here's a report on the president honoring this historic day.    Saddam Hussein has been called many things in recent years, but one name I heard recently was "Little Hitler."  An apt comparison, considering that Saddam was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of at least one million people (his fellow Iraqis, Iranians during the long Iraq-Iran war, Kuwaitis, American troops, countless innocents, his own relatives... ).           And now he's locked up.  Justice has prevailed.  -Benj     Mon 12-15-03    O How the Mighty are Fallen   "The tyrant is a prisoner."  What a great line.  I don't usually watch TV or get online on Sunday mornings.  But I did this past Sunday, because my mom told me to check my email since my dad had written me from India.  I am one of those behind-the-times people who still use dial-up internet service at home, mainly since we still get it free cuz of the wife's job.  So as I was waiting for my glacier-paced computer to fire up, the only thing I was thinking about was buying a shovel to remove the freshly fallen 3" from the driveway of the house we just moved into.  And then www.msn.com fully loaded and I saw the now-infamous picture with the title "Saddam captured".   I raced down the hall-way to the living room to flick on NBC, and watched in amazement as Tom Brokaw reported.   It's a huge, huge Christmas present for the Iraqis, the troops, and world leaders like Bush & Blair.  -Benj            Tues 12-09-03 Al Gore has endorsed Howard Dean for the democratic nomination.  This represents a major boost for Dean, at a time when he already was sailing home-free to the nomination.  Gore will very likely become a power-player in the Dean campaign, and this should boost Gore's own standing amongst the Dean faithful.  If Dean loses in 2004, Gore's own chances in 2008 could be strengthened by this savvy endorsement.    Some little children can be very unpleasant, and others can be a sheer delight.  Jessica Arthur, only child of my friends Josh & Jemi, falls into the "sheer delight" category.  We were over at their house last night, and the little tyke is just really fun to be with.  She's not even 1.5 years old yet, and I have almost never seen or heard her cry.  Although her parents assured me that she gets a spanking now and then, I find it hard to believe.  -Benj     Mon 12-08-03 Hillary the Hawk?  Recent statements and television appearances have everyone reeling at how far to the right she "seems" to be about defense.  Superb political theater.  Here's Andrew Sullivan's take on it.  I am still betting on Hillary Clinton versus Governor Jeb Bush in 2008.  And Hillary has the edge.     We had the pleasure of going to a free Michael Card Christmas concert that was held in the area on Saturday night.  Here's his website.  It's been awhile since I listened to his music, but I had heard most of the songs that he sang that night.  Great voice, deep thinker, pretty decent musician.  And that was the second time I saw him that day.  Earlier in the day, a local Christian radio station conducted a live interview with him at a nearby mall and I saw part of that too.  Seems like a pretty interesting guy.   -Benj     Fri 12-05-03 Very sad article about the latest with Ronald Reagan.   Although I remember Reagan being president, I was still a kid at the time and didn't pay much attention to politics.  But now that I have put away childish things ;-), and done some reading about him, I have to agree that his was one of the more successful presidencies of this century.  And he's lived a long, long time (longer than any ex-president I believe).   Christmas is coming up quick, and I haven't done any shopping at all!  Maybe this weekend... -Benj     Wed 12-03-03 Looks like Ohio has a sniper problem, in the Columbus area.  Here's the USA Today report.  Only one fatality out of twelve shootings though.  So it's not nearly as severe as the sniper saga in the DC area last year.   Ephesians 4 verses 1-3 have been on my mind lately:  "As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."   What has occurred to me is sort of a formula:   Living a worthy life = humility + gentless + patience + bearing with each other + keeping the unity.  As these virtues become more and more a part of my character, I will more and more be living in a worthy way.   -Benj     Mon 12-01-03 So President Bush surprised the troops in Baghdad by showing up for their Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday.  What a great move, both in terms of politics and in terms of morale-boosting.  And the Allied Forces have made significant progress in the last couple weeks, killing over 1000 of Saddam-loyalists (estimated to be about 1/5 of the total number of living Saddam-loyalists).  1/5 is not chump change, but there's still a ways to go.   Back to the grind after a four-day weekend.  Man was it hard to come into work today!  Too many late nights over the weekend, not enough sleep, too much turkey and other good food... But it was a great weekend, no doubt about it.  It feels  really diffferent to have two brothers-in-law, but it's a good feeling.  Great guys, both of them, and this past weekend foreshadowed many more good times to come.   After envying Simu's digital camera for the last few days, I am strongly tempted to get one myself.  One of these days...  Dad is heading to India for a 3.5 week trip tomorrow and returns on Christmas Day.  Mainly for missions purposes, but also to visit relatives.  He travels with Becky & Simu on the way there.   -Benj   Wed 11-26-03 Another Thanksgiving is upon us.  Overall, the past year has been a good one and there is definitely a lot to be thankful for.  But I feel for the troops who are in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, and for their families.  What a hard time for all of them. But I'm glad Thanksgiving is here cuz it looks like it'll be another good weekend with the family and some friends and good eating.  And the weather even looks like it'll be decent.  Have a good one.  -Benj     Mon 11-24-03 The Iraq war continues to be depressing, with bloodied soldiers dragged thru the streets by Iraqis this past weekend, and a group of teenagers ganging up on two injured soldiers and beating them with concrete blocks.  This must be a very tough holiday season for the GI's and for their families.     Attended a ten-year wedding anniversary party on Saturday night (Imran & Nayana).  Time flies.  Great food from a Cincinnati Indian restaurant.  Peter and Andrea had their second child a week ago, named Caroline Grace.  We stopped by last night for a little while to drop off some food and see the baby.  Hard to believe that they already have two kids.  -Benj     Wed 11-19-03 The Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled yesterday that lesbian and gay couples can marry in the state.  Yet another victory for the left in the ongoing culture wars in this nation.  President Bush is visiting England, and large-scale protests have already occurred and will continue to occur during his visit.  But there is no doubt that he will stand firm, and maintain the course he set this nation on long ago.  How quickly people seem to forget that just a little over two years ago, this country was horrifically and genocidally attacked by extremists who cannot be fought through traditional means.  Kudos to Prime Minister Blair for his spine-of-steel in these difficult days; he's been a great boost to President Bush.  -Benj     Tues 11-18-03 Amazingly, Bobby Jindal lost his race on Saturday for the Louisiana governorship.  He was running strong for the first five weeks of the campaign (and outpolling his opponent), but she pulled ahead in the last week and beat him by four percentage points.  Here's a post-mortem by National Review Online.  Pepsi Vanilla:  Pepsi has launched its version of vanilla cola, imitating Coke's great move many months ago.  I tasted Pepsi Vanilla for the first time this past weekend, and it was good, but I think Vanilla Coke has the upper hand.  Laptop repairs:  What's the point in buying a service plan for a Best Buy laptop, if Best Buy cannot fix it in their store?  I'm told that Best Buy will ship it to a Best Buy repair center, which will ship it to a certified Sony repair shop, which will ship it back to Best Buy repair Center, which will ship it back to the local Best Buy.... how bogus.  So the laptop is gonna be gone for at least 2 weeks, maybe even three.    All for now.... -Benj     Thurs 11-13-03 REBECCA's Page is updated. below posted at indaphatfarm.com It was incredibly WINDY last night.  Wind like I haven't heard/felt in a long time.  My 30 minute walk last evening turned into an adventure of trying to stay balanced on my two feet.  It was sort of scary-looking outside, with the trees swaying madly back and forth and the dark sky streaked with greyish clouds.  Lying in bed, I could hear the wind whistling and groaning and honestly it was all kinda eerie.  But pretty cool at the same time.   POLITICS WATCH:  It's looking more & more like George W. Bush versus Howard Dean.  Dean is fundraising like a madman and getting the megawatt endorsements.  And Bush is raking it in faster than Bill Gates on a good day.  But my interest in the Democratic candidates waned sharply after that debate several weeks ago that I reported on.  The two candidates who could have probably most easily defeated Bush, IMHO, were Joe Lieberman and John Edwards, and they are fading fast.   My estimate of their Bush-beating ability is based on things like: their positions on national defense (Lieberman), what region of the country are they from (Edwards), prior national campaign experience (Lieberman), smooth-talking ability (Edwards), ability to translate knowledge into common-sense talk (Edwards), and pure unadulterated charm & ability to work the voters (Lieberman and Edwards, but especially Edwards).   DECLINE OF THE DEMOCRATS:  Now I'm not saying that Howard Dean cannotddefeat Bush.  Maybe he can, but maybe not.  What I am saying is that all these candidates just give a very crowded, stuffy feel to this whole race, and it's somewhat demeaning.  I mean, come on, how can a complete race-baiting inflamer and inspirer of riots and murder ( AL SHARPTON, the bane of New York City) end up on the same stage with completely respectable people like Lieberman and Edwards???   Granted, Sharpton is funny as all get-out, but he is a spectacle and nothing more.  An articulate clown in an ill-fitting suit and a busted up hairstyle.  He would be a hugely scary president.  And he already is a genuine DISCREDIT to the Democratic party and to the African American community (and he is positioned to be the "president of Black America" after this race, mark my words.  Kinda like Jesse Jackson was after his run for the presidency way back when).     VERMONT, VERMONT:  So within the next 6 months, look for things to heat up between Dean and Bush.  I gotta give Dean credit for his environmentalist stance in his home state of Vermont, though:  we visited Manchester, VT this past summer and it's God's country up there... trees, mountains, lakes, streams, fresh unpolluted air, breathtaking natural beauty.  But there are too many liberals up in that neck of the woods, and look for their homegrown candidate to go down in flames next November.   You heard it here. Peace.         Wed 11-12-03 Iraq is still getting hit by the bad guys, and it's getting hit hard.  An Italian-manned police station was bombed today, killing at least twenty.  Several Iraqis are among the dead, though the majority of the victims were Italian.  What exactly are these homicidal maniacs hoping to accomplish by killing both their own people and the "foreigners"?  Perhaps they really, truly believe that such attacks will eventually force the Allies to leave Iraq.   I honestly never expected this war to drag on this long.  I guess I optimistically thought it would wrap up during the summer, and that Iraq would be well on its way to stability by now.  Terribly frustrating, and incredibly sad for the families of the all the victims.  -Benj         Tues 11-11-03 Veterans' Day:  Here's wishing the very best to all the veterans out there, and for the troops who are currently stationed in hotspots like Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, etc. Let Freedom Ring.    Thanksgiving Day:  just a little over two weeks away, and I can't wait.  The four-day weekend will be a welcome break, and it'll be good - as always - to be with family and friends.  Long-range weather forecasts call for a big snowstorm here sometime during the week after Thanksgiving.   Return of the King:  I am almost done re-reading this book (the last in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy).  These books are extremely good.  Simply phenomenal.     Lazy, Lazy:  I guess I should be ashamed to admit that I barely lifted a finger this past weekend to unpack and get settled into the new house.  And naturally Sonia got a lot done.  Musta been my sore flat feet.  Oh well, I started to make up for it by doing stuff last night.  A little every day should get the job done.  -Benj       Fri 11-07-03 Tuesday's Elections:  The GOP continues to steamroll the sputtering Democrats.  Two southern governorships were turned over to the Republicans in this past Tuesday's elections:  Mississippi and Kentucky.  And Louisiana is expected to hand its governorship late next week to BOBBY JINDAL, an American-born Indian American who is just 32 years old.  And a politically conservative Hindu convert (he converted to Catholicism in college).   Homeowners:  We are officially homeowners as of Friday, October 31st.  We moved into the house this past Monday, Nov 3rd with the help of several friends and family.  We haven't taken any time off of work, though, during all this so the "settling in" process is going slooooowwwwlllllyyy.  Our current thought is to live in this place for awhile, and then turn it into a rental property.  We shall see...  Retreat this past weekend:  Our church hosted a youth-focused retreat this past weekend, with several visitors coming from MD, DE, NY, and PA.  It was a great weekend, with lots of good things shared about the Sermon on the Mount, Discipline, Purity, Being whole-hearted, etc.  And the tug-of-war on Saturday afternoon was a blast!        below posted yesterday at indaphatfarm.com Jesus is a Rock in a Weary Land  Building on the Rock?  Building on sand?  The below verses stuck out to me this past weekend at a youth-focused retreat that I attended.  It's pretty easy to just get in a routine with our lives, and kind of live in an unthinking way.  But that kind of living doesn't lead to building on a solid foundation, which we all need to do, especially given the times that we live in.  God bless...    Matthew 7:24-27, NIV - "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.   But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."  -Benj         Thurs 11-06-03 REBECCA's Page is updated.     Thurs 10-30-03 posted at indaphatfarm.com Gender Genie is a webpage that analyzes writing samples and determines if the author is male or female.  I tested a couple entries from this homepage, and it looks like it works.  "The program's success seems to confirm the stereotypical perception of differences in male and female language use. Crudely put, men talk more about objects, and women more about relationships.  Female writers use more pronouns (I, you, she, their, myself), say the program's developers, Moshe Koppel of Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, and colleagues. Males prefer words that identify or determine nouns (a, the, that) and words that quantify them (one, two, more)."  More here.        Iraq continues to be precarious, with no end in sight.  Pray for our troops.  Seriously, if you haven't been praying for the troops and the Iraqis and our leaders, then get on with it.  The sooner things wrap up over there, the better for everyone.  And prayer will help.       Lebron James had a stellar debut in the NBA last night, even though the Cleveland Cavs lost to the Sacramento Kings.  He's been hyped like crazy, and it looks like there's substance to match the hype.  Will he be the next Michael Jordan, combining marketability, charm, court smarts, and extreme playing skills?  -Benj           Tues 10-28-03 Today marks the 2.5 year wedding anniversary for us.  :-)  Still going strong, by the grace of God.  It really is hard to believe how quickly time has flown by.  I guess that's a good thing.  Time flies when you are having fun, right?   Everywhere I look, the leaves are changing color.  Many are pretty much bare of foliage, but many are still in full bloom.  And it's all God's handiwork.  -Benj       Mon 10-27-03 Just when it seemed things were improving in post-war Iraq, Baghdad exploded today.  "Suicide bombers struck the Red Cross headquarters and three police stations across Baghdad on Monday, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 200 in a coordinated terror spree that stunned the Iraqi capital on the start of the Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan." - USAToday.  Foreign terrorists are suspected to be behind this well-planned, well-coordinated, and very deadly attack.  Bush and his team will continue to stand their ground, no doubt, but I pray that things quickly calm down over there.   The New York Yankees were defeated in the World Series by the Florida Marlins this past weekend.  It's always good to see an overly dominating team (yankees) get beat, just like it was good to see the LA Lakers lose earlier this year to San Antonio.  But baseball is too boring to watch for more than a few minutes at a time, so I barely caught any of the World Series games.     C'est Tout has to be one of the best local places to eat.  We ate there Sat evening to (belatedly) celebrate Sonia's birthday, and we were not disappointed.  -Benj         Thurs 10-23-03 posted at indaphatfarm.com So my old faithful Rockport leather sandals have finally bit the dust.  As a lot of you know, Rockports are about the best in footwear comfort.  And they are usually $$$, but my sister got these for a steal a long time ago.  Sadly, one of the straps on the left sandal broke a couple weeks ago.  Those of you who know me probably got tired of seeing the same sandals every single summer for the last many moons.  But those were the most comfortable pair of footwear that I have ever owned.  You know how you get attached to a favorite well-worn tshirt or pair of sweats?  How you feel like you could wear them almost every day?  How you'd even wear them to church if you could get away with it?  Well these sandals were my old faves.  And now, they're headed to the trash heap.  Already replaced by a pair of less comfortable, brand-new Bass wannabees.   Buying a house?  Shopping around for a mortgage rate?  After the last few weeks of tenacious, bull-headed research, I am a little bit educated on this blasted mortgage stuff.  And TIRED OF IT!   What a headache!  What a lot of numbers and interest rates and details to keep straight!  Make your spouse do all the research for you, like mine did to me!  Better yet,  just keep renting and throwing your money down the drain, if that's what you're doing now!  ;-) Politics Watch:  Here's a presidential dream ticket scenario for the 2004 presidential race.  -Benj   Mon 10-20-03 Rush Limbaugh is reported to be doing well in rehab, according to his brother David Limbaugh ( a fairly well-known conservative author and commentator ).   Classical Music:  I recently heard (radio) that restaurants that play classical music are more likely to have repeat customers, and therefore more likely to be financially successful.  Interesting.  Here's an article about Lang Lang, an up-and-coming classical music star. Atlanta Airport:  seems like my move through this huge airport was much easier this past weekend than it has been on previous trips.  Reportedly, this is the busiest airport in the country.   Back from a quick trip to Vidalia, GA for the funeral of Sonia's uncle.  The funeral service was very nicely done.  A fitting tribute to a very congenial man.  -Benj       Fri 10-17-03 REBECCA's Page is updated. The United Nations voted yesterday to approve the latest US-sponsored resolution regarding the ongoing rehabilitation of Iraq.  The US Senate approved Bush's $87 billion dollar request for Iraq - but as as a combination grant / loan, and not as a grant exclusively.  The UN vote was def a major victory for Bush, but the Senate vote is a setback.   Heading to Georgia this weekend for the funeral of Sonia's uncle.  Very sad.  :-(   below posted at indaphatfarm.com Governor Schwarzenegger: Arnold pulled it off in California last week, and it was a landslide.  The extent of the landslide almost makes me feel bad for Gray Davis, the now departing Governor.  Almost, but not quite.  The fact that a hawkish, fiscally prudent Republican can win in California is a great boost for the party.  And he'll be a great fundraiser.  But should Arnold ever be on a national ticket (president, for example), some of his views would not gel with many conservatives:  pro-abortion, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control.  Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is trying to push thru some legislation that would change the current US Constitution which says that someone must be born in this country to run for the President.  Hatch's proposal would allow someone who's lived in the USA for 20+ years to run.  We'll see where it goes.  If it ends up passing, look for Arnold to run for president in 2008 or 2012.  FALL FOLIAGE: Last weekend, we  went to a nearby park to enjoy the changing of the leaves.  Simply breathtaking.  Go out and enjoy it.  They are changing color faster this year than usual, and will mostly be on the ground in a few short days.  -Benj     Wed 10-15-03 Rush Limbaugh: Good ole Rush is all over the news these days.  First he made an "insensitive" remark about a black quarterback on an ESPN show.  And he ended up having to hand in his resignation.   Then it got worse:  he admitted on his radio show last Friday that he is indeed addicted to painkillers.  His former housekeeper had been supplying them to him for several years, and she got paid to sell him out by one of these ridiculous tabloids.  But maybe it was all for the best:  he's entered a 30-day rehab and is going to try (for the third time) to kick this habit.  A very tough habit to kick, as anyone who's been on presciption painkillers knows. Wesley Clark: The General is doing well in his brief race so far for the Democratic Prez nomination.  Still leads in most polls, and is a pretty savvy, likeable campaigner.  Tick tock.  Wait and see. Mexico!  Dad and my friend Roger return this week from a short mission trip to our southern neighbor.  Seems like it's been a good trip for both of them.   More travels:  Sonia's already gone to Georgia to be with her cousins, and I depart this Friday to attend the funeral of Sonia's uncle on Saturday.  I have great memories of him from Christmas 2001, which we spent in his home.  Very jolly, friendly sort of guy. -Benj         Tues 10-14-03 12-day hiatus: The last twelve days have been a whirlwind of activity:  travel to West Palm Beach, FL to visit some of Sonia's relatives, a business trip to Orlando, the sad news of one of Sonia's uncles passing away in GA, making travel plans to go to GA for the funeral, etc.  :-( USA Today has an article today about "one nation under God" in the pledge.  The Supreme Court is considering the possibility of formally scratching that phrase from the pledge.   More later...  -Benj     Thurs 10-2-03 REBECCA's Page is updated.       Wed 10-01-03 Oktoberfest: One of the best months of the year has come around again.  It's a peak political month, the weather is crisp, the leaves change color and look like they are lit afire, my mom makes apple crisp ... Matthew 18:1-5  "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."  Reflections:  these verses have been on my mind for a couple days, and are a good reminder to Keep Things Simple, like a child.  Little children are humble, worry-free, very trusting, and quick to believe.  -Benj   Fri 09-26-03 Another weekend has arrived.  TGIF!   The Democrats debated again last night, with General Wes Clark joining them for the first time.  I didn't get to see the tape, but a colleague videotaped it for me.  The newspapers say it was the liveliest debate so far.   Busy weekend ahead with prayer meetings, birthday party for Andrea on Sat night, sunday school planning meeting on Sun night.  It's gonna fly by.   Interested in downloading a three-dimensional screensaver?  The "Lord of the Rings" and the "Lantern" screensavers are pretty neat.  -Benj   Thurs 09-25-03 REBECCA's Page is updated.   Arnold S. did pretty well in the debate last night for a few of the gubernatorial candidates, according to the newspaper reports.   That whole California governor recall seems like a huge circus, to be honest.  But it's kinda intriguing.  And it'll be over Oct 7th.  It would be good to see Gov. Gray Davis get booted.  He has done a hugely bad job as governor, by all accounts.  But Davis has been lining up all kindsa star power lately - Bill Clinton, Al Gore, etc have been campaigning with him.  And saying that this is all part of a right-wing power grab to unjustly steal elections, beginning with Bush V Gore in 2000 and now continuing on.   Prayer Weekend - the church here is devoting this coming weekend to prayer.  Prayer is so needed in these uncertain times - prayer for our nation, for persecuted Christians around the world, prayer against the forces of terrorism, etc.   -Benj      Thurs 09-18-03 Hurricane Isabel has begun pounding North Carolina.  USA Today reports that "In metropolitan Washington, the federal and local governments, concerned about workers' safety, shut down, as did school systems. The governors of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and the District of Columbia mayor declared states of emergency and mobilitized the National Guard." Do monkeys sense fairness and do they know when they've been ripped off?  -Benj       Wed 09-17-03 General Wesley Clark is making it official today at 1pm EST:  he is running for the presidential democratic nomination.  Lots of Dems are happy about it, because they think Clark could go toe-to-toe with Bush on issues relating to national security, war & peace, etc. And so the battle for the presidency continues on, with ten people vying for the Democratic nomination.  By this time next year, only one of them will have been left standing and will battle Bush. It seems like autumn is here, although some days are still kinda summery.  Time for a bonfre.  -Benj     Tues 09-16-03 A hurricane (Isabel) is headed toward the East Coast and may hit the Carolinas within the next couple days.  Its fury seems to have abated somewhat over the last several hours, but residents (at least 100,000) of targeted areas are still being told to flee.   Dinner tonight with a few friends to celebrate Peter's birthday.  His choice:  Treasure Island Supper Club, a place I have not dined at yet.  Should be interesting.  -Benj     Mon 09-15-03 REBECCA's Page is updated.     Fri 09-12-03 Senator John Edwards is getting a second look in New Hampshire, which is where Bill Clinton staged his comeback in the 1992 election and eventually won the Presidency.  Click here to read more.  His recent decision to forego the NC senator race was probably a good one - it sent the message that he is 100% focused on winning the Democratic nomination.  Look out, Dubya! The second anniversary of 9-11 passed by without any new act of terrorism, thank God.  But eight Iraqi policeman were accidentally killed today by US military forces.  And the Israeli Cabinet formally voted to expel Arafat, at a time and in a way of their own choosing.  Whether they will actually expel him remains to be seen. -Benj        Thurs 09-11-03 9-11 Reflections:  An article is posted at Our World.  -Benj     Mon 09-08-03 The Prime Minister of Palestine, Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) resigned over the weekend due to a number of factors:  his lack of success in moving the peace process forward over the last few months, his struggles with Arafat, etc.  Arafat has already tapped a replacement: Ahmed Qureia who is the speaker of the Palestinian Parliament.  Naturally everyone is blaming Israel.  How predictable. President Bush gave a speech last night about the need to stay the course in Iraq.  I didn't get to see it, but the reviews seem pretty good.  ( Would you believe that I completely forgot that he was giving the speech?!?! ) Bush is getting a lot of pressure, from multiple sources, these days about how poorly things are going in Iraq.  So I suppose last night's speech was an attempt to wrestle control of the debate, and to get his unfiltered thoughts directly to the people (without relying on the media).   How many times can I write about the fabulous weather that we've been having?  Yet another great weekend is behind us, with perfect temperatues (mid 70s) and clear blue skies.  Certainly made Saturday's move for Richard & Rani to their new house really nice.  Great house by the way; they're just a couple blocks away from some of the other church folks and just a couple miles from the church itself.   Susannah Joy Burks: Sonia & I got to see/hold her last night when we visited her family home.  She's a cute little newborn, and looks like her brothers and sisters.  And she's the "lucky" #7th kid in the family. Good chat on Saturday evening with Imran & Nayana and Rehan who just returned from a one-year job posting in France.  It was interesting to get their take on the French people, their experiences talking with French folk about America, the war in Iraq, etc etc.  And their brand new deep blue Honda Odyssey minivan looks pretty sharp.  -Benj     Fri 09-05-03 Scroll down for my take on last night's debate amongst the Democratic presidential candidates.   Last week's bombing of a Shiite mosque in Iraq killed about 100 people and injured many more.  A very prominent cleric was among the dead, and he was targeted for his pro-American stance.  Muslims killing fellow Muslims.  :-( Labor Day weekend was great; had several days with the family.  Was fun test driving Nissans with Beck & Simu.  The new Maxima is hot.   below posted at indaphatfarm.com Summer's Gone:  So a lot of you are back in school now.  Waking up early, staying up late, getting homework done?  Ah, I remember those blissful days of summer vacation ultimately crashing rudely into the harsh reality of that first day of school.  Year after year, hardly being able to wait until school finished for the year.  Then cruising through summer after summer, worry-free and loving life.  And then bang the school year started back up.  I feel your pain.   But at least you had a summer vacation over the last couple months, right?  Pretty soon (sooner than you think), you will be a hard-working, full-time member of the workforce.  8, 10, 12 hours+ per day will become normal.  Weeks and weeks of summer vacation will be a distant memory.  You'll perhaps stop staying up late, so that you can get enough sleep at night to put in a hard day's work.  Hopefully, though, you'll enjoy your job and it won't feel like a drag.  Maybe it'll even be something you look forward to, day after day.  What would a dream job be for you?  Professional athlete?  Successful musician?  History professor?  Radio talk show host?  Business owner?        Where am I going with all this?  NO WHERE.  Just musing out loud, reminded of the days of going to school, summer vacation lazy days, playing baseball in the neighborhood park, chasing the ice cream truck, annoying my siblings when I would get bored, going on vacations, playing with friends for hours and hours, reading, trying to talk my dad out of making me study during the summer.  And so on.  :-) For those of us in the work force, the start of the work year for a lot of companies seems to be around September 1st.  In that regard, starting school and starting the work year is about the same.  Have a great year. DEMOCRATS DEBATE:  The Democrats held their first party-sanctioned debate last night in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Almost half the population of New Mexico is Hispanic, and the Hispanic vote is believed to be critical to the 2004 election, so instant Spanish translation was made available and one of the debate moderators frequently spoke in Spanish.  Even some of the candidates uttered a few Spanish words, usually by reading the lines with a terrible accent.  I personally found all the Spanish-speaking to be somewhat mind-boggling (English is our national language after all), but I suppose it was a good move politically.   For those of you who don't know me, I have been interested in politics for a long time.  And last night's debate was a good one, so I thought I'd pen down a few thoughts about each Democratic candidate.  Time permitting, I will try to offer my thoughts after some of these debates.  A couple days ago, Binu asked if you readers know who the democratic candidates are.  Well, whether you do or not, here's a brief introduction.  I will rank each candidate's debate performance as either excellent, good, okay, or poor.     Howard Dean:  This former governor of Vermont, a practicing physician, has taken the political establishment by surprise this summer.  He surged big-time in June 2003, and has taken the lead in most polls and in fund-raising.  His performance last night was good, I would say.  He was definitely articulate, very smooth in his delivery, and obviously very intelligent.  Also seems kinda arrogant.  But with all the hype about him this summer, I was expecting a great performance, which he did not deliver.  Critical question:  can someone who opposed the recent Iraq War really truly defeat President Bush, who at least has the perception of being very focused on terror?   Joseph Lieberman:  Okay, you probably know who this guy is.  He was Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 election.  During the whole Florida debacle, some clever partisans changed their names from Gore Lieberman to Sore Loserman.  Lieberman is a devout, somewhat Orthodox Jew who is not afraid to mix a fair dosage of religion into his political discussions.  He is not doing as well as expected in the race so far.  But he tore into Dean last night, about some of Dean's flip-flopping regarding trade issues.  Great line about the "Bush Recession being followed by the Dean Depression"  Overall performance:  good.   John Kerry:  Senator from Massachusetts who just happens to have the initials JFK, and who also supposedly has the best presidential hair since... JFK!   Standing a lean 6'5", he has an elegant, aristocratic (somewhat haughty) appearance.  Kerry was the frontrunner just a few months ago, but has been eclipsed by Dean.  I thought Kerry did quite well in the debate last night, with several humorous, pointed barbs at Bush and thoughtful answers.  Overall performance:  excellent.   Dick Gephardt:  The best performance of the evening.  His answers were rousing, passionate, strong, and they pumped the audience.  His repetition about Bush being a "miserable failure" was very harsh, but very memorable.  Gephardt stood out from the rest of the candidates last night.   He's a long-serving Missouri Congressman who served as the House democrat leader for many years.  Overall performance:  excellent.  Interesting sidenote:  Gephardt hasn't aged much in 20 years, and he is an Atkins Diet devotee. John Edwards:  Senator from North Carolina.  He was my early pick way back when to be the candidate that would eventually take on Bush.  Reportedly, the Bush team would most prefer not to run against Edwards.  Smooth, southern, charming, very articulate.  But too mild perhaps?  Perhaps he'll be selected as a VP.  Overall performance:  good.   Bob Graham:  Senator from Florida.  Some people think that if Gore had picked Graham instead of Lieberman in 2000, then Graham could have guaranteed Florida and Gore would be president today.  Oh well.  Graham is famous for keeping very meticulous diaries (including such details as exactly what he eats, what time he has bowel movements, etc.  How weird.)  In last night's debate, this guy just didn't stand out at all.  He needs to drop out of the race, and hope he gets picked for the VP slot.  Overall performance:  poor.   Dennis Kucinich: Very liberal congressman from Northeast Ohio; former Cleveland mayor.  Supposedly the favorite of Ben & Jerry (yes, the ice cream).  Opposed to NAFTA and most free trade agreements.  He's an interesting spectacle in this race, but he's not going anywhere.  Looked a little scary last night, like a goblin kinda.  Spoke very rapidly and fluidly and gave good answers.  Overall performance:  good.   Carol Mosely Braun:  Former ambassador, Former Illinois senator.  She is the only female in the race, and she's African American.  Still dogged by some scandals stemming from her senatorial race.  During the debate last night, she was strong in her first response.  But after that, she didn't do so well.  Her words were somewhat halting, and she wasn't always very clear.  But she did have a great line (from her grandmother supposedly):  "It doesn't matter whether you came over to America in a slave ship or on the Mayflower, or over the Rio Grande, we're all in the same boat now."  Overall performance:  okay.     Al Sharpton:  Reverend, civil rights activist, general trouble-maker and race-inflamer.  One of the most intriguing personalities to come out of NYC in modern times.  But he makes too much trouble, kinda like Jesse Jackson.  He was unable to attend the debate last night, supposedly due to bad weather conditions that made him miss his flight.  I've heard him speak on other occasions though, and he is definitely the most entertaining of all the democratic candidates.  Often humorous, usually quotable.  He has a preacher's flair, and bad hair to boot.   That's it, folks.  More later.  -Benj     Wed 09-03-03    REBECCA's Page is updated.  -Benj     Fri 08-29-03            posted today at indaphatfarm.com Enjoy the 3-day weekend! Republican - Democrat:  Here's a little political humor for you.  Below is a story (true? untrue? does it matter?) that a friend forwarded to me:   A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost.  She lowered altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am!" The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above sea level. You are 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude." She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican." "I am," replied the man. "How did you guess?" Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and I'm still lost.  Frankly, you've not been much help to me." The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat." "I am," replied the balloonist. How did you know?"  "Well" said the man, "You don't know where you are, or where you're going. You've risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You've made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect ME to solve your problem. You're in EXACTLY the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's MY fault."  -Benj     Thurs 08-28-03 Arnold, Arnold, Arnold:  He's taken the lead in the California polls again and had a great interview yesterday on the Sean Hannity Radio Show.  I certainly don't agree with all of Arnold's positions, but I think he is a strong candidate and probably a better option than either of the Democrats: Gov. Gray Davis or Lt. Gov Cruz Bustamante.  The interview can be heard at Hannity's website. General Wesley Clark, former four-star general and Supreme Commander of NATO forces, is leaning heavily toward making a run for the Democratic nomination.  If he and Howard Dean team up, it could be a formidable ticket.  All his military experience will certainly be a major bonus for any Democratic ticket, and may confound critics who always say the Dems have no national security and defense credentials. Today's Date:  is 8-28 and I can't help but be reminded of Romans 8:28, New Living Translation - "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."  Not that I want to rank Bible verses, but this has to be one of the best in the Good Book.   Weather: It's been a hotter week than usual so far, but not as hot as most Augusts.  And the weather looks to be cooling down as we head into Labor Day Weekend.  Starting with a very serious winter in January, this has been the coolest year I can remember.  Makes me wonder what the Fall is gonna be like.  Snowstorms in September? Family Reunion:  My two sisters and their new husbands will all be in town this weekend.  Maybe by this time next year, there will be at least one "little" addition to the family.  ;-)  Looking forward to a great weekend, and also looking forward to being off on Monday.  Peace.  -Benj       Tues 08-26-03 There's a piece today at usatoday.com about Howard Dean, Democratic presidential candidate.  He is very much on the rise, both in name recognition and in raising money.  He recently stated that he is stronger on defense issues than President Bush!  My pick for the Dems, Senator John Edwards, is not doing so well at the moment and is experiencing somewhat of a backlash among his native North Carolinians - many of whom don't think he should have run for Prez.  Still, Edwards would be a formidable opponent for Bush.   So the Motherland (India) has suffered a serious terrorist attack, with a few dozen dead and many many injured.  Yesterday's bombing was yet another wake-up call regarding the times that we live in.  Reports of hundreds of missing young Saudi men are chilling... it's speculated that they are secretly making their way to Iraq to create havoc.   Excellent bible study shared by Doug W at men's prayer this morning about "putting on the whole armor of God" - Ephesians 6.  The whole subject of spiritual warfare is huge and fascinating, and something I need to learn more about.  -Benj       Mon 08-25-03 REBECCA's Page is updated, and includes an interesting tidbit about Betty.   A lethal bombing occurred today in Bombay, India.  At least 40 fatalities and over 150 injured.  USA Today reports "No one immediately claimed responsibility for the two blasts, which came the same day as the release of a long-anticipated archaeological report on a religious site in northern India claimed by both Hindus and Muslims. The dispute has been linked to previous bombings."  Click  here for more info.  -Benj     Fri 08-22-03                      posted today at indaphatfarm.com Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech 40 years ago today.  Click here to read more. Rough Week:  The UN got bombed in Iraq by terrorists, and several Iraqis were among the dead.  Hamas & Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility for a horrible homicide bus bombing in Israel, which killed several children and an 18-month old baby.  The so-called peace process in Israel/Palestine has been blown apart, yet again. In the midst of all this terror, a bit of "good news" from Iraq:  Two of Saddam's worst cronies were captured, Chemical Ali and Saddam's Vice President.   Summer Days waning:  Another Labor Day weekend is almost upon us, signaling the end of summer.  And what a mild summer it has been.  Honestly, can you remember the last time we had a summer with such pleasant temperatures week after week after week?  Unless you live in France, which perhaps deserved a blazing hot summer after the foolish preening and posturing about the Iraq War.  It's been a great summer for spending time outside, barbecues, eating at restaurants with outdoor tables, taking road trips, and so on.  But autumn is still my favorite season, and it'll be here soon.     All for now.  Have a good weekend.  -Benj     Wed 08-20-03 Tragedy, Tragedy:  Not one, but two major terrorist attacks occurred yesterday.  The UN Headquarters in Baghdad was bombed (truck bomb carrying explosives), killing at least 20 and injuring at least 100 more.  One of the victims was the top UN official in Iraq.  This is an unprecedented attack on the UN.  Several Iraqis are among the dead.  Signs point to a sophisticated terror group being behind the bombings, perhaps based from outside of Iraq.  What's mind-boggling is that the UN is basically in Iraq to help distribute food and services and rebuild the country... they are not a military threat of any sort.  But now they've been hit, and hit hard.  Awful.   Israel suffered a mighty blow yesterday, with another horrific bombing that killed at least twenty and injured dozens more.  Yet another suicide bomber on the bus blew himself up.  Among the dead: several children and a 2-month old baby.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad have both claimed responsibility.  What will become of the "peace process"?  The president's faith sustains him:  click here to read more.  -Benj       Mon 08-18-03 Arnold S has taken a plunge in the California polls over the weekend.  But there's still almost two months to the election there, which is a looooonnnnnggg time in politics. Reports from people in India of amazement at last week's huge electricity collapse.  Honestly, I am amazed too.  What incompetence.  What a lack of foresight and planning.  Gimme a break. Good time last night at Longhorn Steakhouse with Sonia and some friends.  Very interesting conversation about the Sojourners philosophy, differences in Christian belief, the Kobe Bryant saga, etc.  The Baptism went very well yesterday.  Hard to believe how fast the youngstaz are growing up.  But thankfully they seem to be headed in the right direction.  God's grace.  -Benj      Fri 08-15-03   Thank God it wasn't terrorism.  Lights out last night across 3000 square North American miles.  Power for more than 50 million people was cut off.  Affected cities included NYC, Albany, Ottawa, Toronto, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, etc.  I didn't even hear about all this until 6pm last night.  My sister Rebecca, who lives in NJ, called and asked "Are you watching the news?  It's history in the making."  Apparently these power companies all have electricity-sharing agreements with each other, and so a malfunction at one company ended up crippling several others.  You would think that there would be safeguards against such a massive domino effect.   "An outage in New York City in 1977 left 9 million people without electricity for up to 25 hours. In 1965, about 25 million people across New York state and most of New England lost electricity for a day." - USAToday.     The Butcher of Bali:  The Al-qaeda terrorist who masterminded the recent Jakarta hotel bombing and last year's Bali bombing (200+ people dead) has been captured.  An update written by moi will be posted later today at IndaPhatFarm, unless the power failure gets in the way.  As of 8am this morning, the site was inaccessible.  -Benj     Thurs 08-14-03 A new dinosaur species has been found in India.  Click  here for more info. U.S. forces have arrived in Liberia, after their brutal leader Charles Taylor finally departed for exile.  It's the first African peace mission in a decade, and our troops will be supporting the Nigerian peacekeepers that arrived last week.  Let's hope all goes well.  The nation of Liberia was founded by American slaves who wanted to return to Africa and start their own country.  Interesting. Warren Buffett, the savvy investor and the "Oracle of Omaha", has signed on as an official advisor for Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign.  The pundits are saying that this is a big deal for Arnold's campaign, since Buffett is practically unmatched when it comes to solid business acumen. Several of the local church teens are getting baptized this Sunday:  Adam, Faith, Laura, Hannah, Esther, Daniel, & Melody.  Working with them over the last few years (sunday school, youth events) has been a great experience, and it will be awesome to see them get baptized.  -Benj       Wed 08-13-03 Breaking news this morning:  Osama's terrorist son and a few other key Al-Qaeda people are being held in Iran.  Now if they can only catch Osama himself. Arnold: this whole race in California is fascinating.  Reading about Arnold's life story has been inspiring.  Newsweek and Time magazines both have good articles about him this week.   Recent summer reading: "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges, "Seven Years in Tibet" by Heinrich Harrer, "What's So Great About America" by Dinesh D'Souza.  -Benj     Tues 08-12-03 Two separate suicide attacks occurred today in Israel, disrupting a summer that has been relatively calm in that volatile region.   Senator Joe Biden (Democrat, Delaware) has decided to not enter the crowded Democratic field for the prez nomination.  He is charismatic, intelligent, witty, and interesting to listen to.  His 1988 run got a lot of attention, until he flamed out because of plagiarizing in his speeches.  In California, Arnold is the man to beat for the governorship according to a couple different polls.  He is so liberal on some social issues (abortion, gay rights, etc) that he could just as easily pass as a moderate Democrat.  But die-hard conservatives would have a hard time getting elected in California.     The Family Retreat went quite well.  Good meetings, fun indoor volleyball (rain rain go away), great conversations, funny charades, and even the vegetarian food was pretty good.  (Laurel Lakes Camp is run by Seventh-Day Adventists, a lot of whom don't eat meat).  Sidenote:  Pogo is the dumbest group game I've ever played.  That game needs to be shot and buried.  Snaps, on the other hand, was one of the more clever group games I've played and was definitely both frustrating and intriguing.  Shout-out to Josh K for thinking up the most challenging games of all: "Which finger am I thinking of?" and "Which number am I thinking of?"  I think most of us who were there are still stumped.  :-)  -Benj      Fri 08-08-03 Big announcement and new look at IndaPhatFarm, founded in January 2001 by my cousin Chris.  I will be part of a team of webmasters that updates  Indaphatfarm.  Bsmooth will keep running.   I SCREAM YOU SCREAM, we all scream for ice cream.  My dad used to say that to us as kids when we asked for it, and he'd pretend like he came up with that phrase himself.  Anyway, ice cream is the best dessert there is, and one of the best places to get it these days is at Cold Stone Creamery.  Mud Pie Mojo is what I had Wednesday night, and it was really good.  Another premier ice cream place is Ritter's, especially their banana splits.  Treat yourself.   Off to the Family Retreat later today; see some of you there.  Barbecue, competitive volleyball, fun and fellowship with friends and family.  What could be better?   -Benj      Thurs 08-07-03 Two days in a row:  another terrorist attack in the Muslim world happened earlier today, this time in Baghdad.  A car bomb outside the Jordanian Embassy has killed at least nine and wounded dozens more.  In a separate gun battle, two American soldiers were killed. On the political scene, Arnold Schwarzenegger is running to be governor of California - he announced it on Jay Leno last night.  Jerry Springer is not running for the U.S. Senate (whew!).  Arianna Huffington is running to be governor of California.     The annual Family Retreat is this weekend at a new location: Laurel Lakes Camp near Rossiter, PA.  So it's somewhat closer to us midwesterners than the camp it used to be held at near Denver, PA.  A fairly good turnout is expected, and so is rainy weather.  Should be a good time.  -Benj       Wed 08-06-03 Another terrorist homicide attack occurred yesterday in Jakarta, Indonesia.  At least 14 are dead, and over 150 wounded.  "The Marriott — a frequent venue for U.S. Embassy functions and a popular destination for foreigners — was transformed into a bloody inferno when a vehicle packed with explosives blew up on the driveway leading to its front entrance around midday." - USATODAY.   Positive and negative reaction across the globe with the Episcopalian Church approving its first openly gay bishop yesterday.  The furor within Christian circles is bound to last for awhile, but will probably die down without major schisms in the Episcopalian Church itself.  I have never attended an Episcopalian service... oh wait, yes I did - once in South Carolina.  I remember the priest being a pretty nice family guy.  The Bush family has been Episcopalian for generations, although Dubya attends a Methodist church I believe.         Rush Limbaugh celebrated his 15th year of his "Excellence in Broadcasting" radio show this past Friday.  The left's portrayal of him as a right-wing nut who just spouts propaganda is dead wrong.  His analyses are well-thought through, and often quite informative.  I don't always find myself agreeing with him, but I am often forced to think by his discourse.   www.rushlimbaugh.com   -Benj     Tues 08-05-03    REBECCA's Page is updated.  -Benj     Fri 08-01-03    SURPRISE !!!  Like the homepage redesign?  Since Sonia was on call last night, I had a little extra time.  So I played around with some features on the program that I use to maintain this site, hence the modest improvements.  A few other pages have been touched up a bit; hope to do more in the future. Acura 3.2 TL.  Silver sleekness.  I got to drive one earlier this week... very smooth.  Speaking of vehicles, Volkswagon has finally come out with an SUV, the Touareg. President Bush gave his eighth news conference a couple days ago.  Clinton had done 30+ by the similar point in his presidency, and the first Bush had done 60+.  Hearing only 15 minutes revealed the reason for the big difference, however:  Bush is really not good at Q&A, and does poorly at impromptu speaking in general.  One wonders how he became president, especially in today's age of media-savviness and extreme public scrutiny for high-ranking officials.  If Al Gore hadn't been so borrrrrinnnggg....  Bush has other very strong qualities, so they somehow outweigh his weaknesses.  Clinton, for all his faults, was a master at answering questions and thinking on his feet.     Do you like steak?  Here's a good article about preparing the perfect one.  -Benj   Thurs 07-31-03 Sad news came our way yesterday with the report of the passing away of Bob Bellow.  He was a Christian friend who attended Canaan Fellowship near Poughkeepsie, NY.  The coroner's verdict was that he died of pneumonia.   He came to several of the Christian Retreats that I went to over the last few years, and always gave memorable testimonies and sang songs and played his guitar.  One of my clearest memories of Bob is when he sang a song that he wrote at the April 2003 Men's Retreat.  His enthusiasm while singing this song, and his obvious heartfelt devotion to God were tremendously inspiring and nearly moved me to tears.  In his memory, I have posted the song below.   The memory of the righteous is blessed.  -Benj   I'm a conqueror, victorious. I'm reigning with Jesus. I'm seated in heavenly places, with Him, with Him. For the Kingdom of God is within me, I know no defeat, only victory. For the Kingdom of God is within me, I know no defeat, only strength and power. - Bob Bellow   Tues 07-29-03    One of Saddam's lifelong bodyguards was captured today in Iraq.  Score another victory for the allied forces.  Bob Hope, the legendary entertainer, passed away this weekend at the age of 100.  I never watched him do a whole show, but  I do remember seeing a few clips from one of his trips to boost the troops (Desert Storm)... funny stuff.  President Bush ordered flags flown at half-staff for Hope's burial and said that "the nation lost a great citizen."    Hung out with some of the guys last night, as our wives met up for their monthly Bible study.  Gerry, Les, Roger, and I all took Les' daughter to Young's Dairy where we had a good time chatting and drinking milkshakes. -Benj     Mon 07-28-03    " That is why we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long.  Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever. "                          II Corinthians 4:16-17, New Living Translation     Fri 07-25-03    Did you know that President Bush and Colin Powell are very distantly related, and that both descend from British royalty?  Click here and then scroll down and click on the "View the Family Tree!" link to see more.  Bush is meeting with the new Palestinian prime minister (Abu Mazen) today.  I admire Bush's unwillingness to meet with Yasser Arafat, a known terrorist and thug.  All of Clinton's many, many conversations and meetings with Arafat produced nothing but increased violence and bloodshed.  In all these past years of numerous  Israeli prime ministers, Arafat was always the PM of Palestine and there has been no substantial progress for years and years.  Hopefully Abu Mazen will be able to help out where Arafat has been pathetically incapable. The Bush Administration decided to release the graphic photos of Uday and Qusay Hussein, despite the controversy of such an action.  I think, overall, it was the right decision since the Hussein family has been the horrible scourge of Iraq for decades.  The majority of Iraqis seem to be content with photographic and forensic proof.  There will always be naysayers, though, both here and there, who will never be fully convinced.    The weather has been glorious over the last several days, and it looks like it'll hold through the weekend.  So we'll be spending at least some time outdoors.  Peace.  -Benj     Wed 7-23-03    A major victory in Iraq yesterday, with the slayings of Uday and Qusay Hussein - Saddam's brutal sons and heirs.  I can't help but wonder how differently their lives would have turned out if they were born into another family, or if their father hadn't become so corrupted and powerful.  Their deaths are hopefully a boost for peace in Iraq, since it seems they were helping to rally and organize the remaining Saddam Baath loyalists.  Kobe Bryant, superstar of the LA Lakers, has been charged with sexual assault by a Colorado hotel employee, stemming from a recent trip he made there.  He admitted to adultery last week, but strongly and emotionally denied the assault charge.  Strange bits of info about the accuser are seeping out... overdosing on pills, accusing other men of this same crime, trying out for American Idol and not making the cut, and so forth.  My initial take is that she's a gold-digger, trying to get some of his money through falsely accusing him of one of the worst crimes possible.  I wonder if this will even make it to trial.  Dad is gone to Houston for the next few days, to teach at a couples' retreat.  -Benj     Mon 7-21-03    Happy belated to the Beckster (Rebecca) ! Dan & Katie Beachy visited the church this past weekend.  We had some blessed meetings, and I got some good 1:1 time with Dan.  A quote from yesterday's service: "If I allow bitterness to come into my heart about something, then I have an IDOL in my heart - something that is more important to me than God Himself."  Another quote: "Humility is not listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit - it is the ground from which all the fruits grow." Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to the USA last week hopefully cheered him up.  He's facing a LOT of political pressure in England for standing with the Bush administration in the War on Terror - especially the recent war in Iraq.  He might not be prime minister much longer.  Below is a fabulous portion from a speech he delivered to both houses of Congress.  He is a great speaker, perhaps the best out of all the world leaders that I've heard.  -Benj We are fighting for the inalienable right of humankind -- black or white; Christian or not; left, right or merely indifferent -- to be free -- free to raise a family in love and hope; free to earn a living and be rewarded by your own efforts; free not to bend your knee to any man in fear; free to be you, so long as being you does not impair the freedom of others. That's what we're fighting for, and it's a battle worth fighting. And I know it's hard on America. And in some small corner of this vast country, out in Nevada or Idaho or these places I've never been to but always wanted to go -- (laughter) -- I know out there, there's a guy getting on with his life, perfectly happily, minding his own business, saying to you, the political leaders of this country, "Why me, and why us, and why America?" And the only answer is because destiny put you in this place in history in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do. And our job -- my nation, that watched you grow, that you fought alongside and now fights alongside you, that takes enormous pride in our alliance and great affection in our common bond -- our job is to be there with you. You're not going to be alone. We will be with you in this fight for liberty. We will be with you in this fight for liberty. And if our spirit is right and our courage firm, the world will be with us.     Thurs 07-17-03    If you haven't already, check out the new issue of Stoke It Up!   The CIA chief, George Tenet, has taken the blame for the "erroneous" African nuclear material charge that Bush made about Iraq in his January SOTU speech.  Top Democrats are calling for his head, and so are some Republicans (probably at least partially because Tenet is a holdover from the Clinton Administration).  Tenet was rumored to be mulling retirement even before this uproar began, so maybe he'll find an exit. July is over halfway done, and what a mild month it has been.  Very very pleasant temperatures, blue skies, sunny days.  Hopefully August will be just as nice. The Middle East seems to be inching toward peace, but it could all blow up (literally) any time.  Keep praying. Tim Duncan, star of the San Antonio Spurs, signed a 7-year, $122 million deal with the Spurs.  But they will have a tough, tough time beating the Lakers next year.   I am nearly done with the Chaim Potok books that I alluded to in an earlier update.  Learning more about the orthodox Jewish culture, through these books, has been fascinating.  Must read more. Peace.  -Benj     Wed 07-16-03    At long last, a new issue of Stoke It Up!  Contributors include Rebecca Thomas (Arthungal), Jonathan Teubl, and Rebecca Kurikeshu.  Enjoy.  -Benj     Tues 07-15-03    "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  John 14:1-3     Fri 07-11-03    Rebecca's Page was updated yesterday.  22 months have passed since America was horribly and forever jolted by the terrorist attacks in NYC and Washington D.C.  Will we ever return to the pre-9/11 days of relatively easy living, invincibility, and little fear of war? Bush and his administration are facing fire for some of the information they used to justify the war, and for the so-called "lack of planning" that is resulting in almost daily American casualties in post-war Iraq.  The LA Lakers have added two very strong players to their team: Gary Payton and Karl Malone (former star of the Utah Jazz).  Malone was selected in 1996 as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, and now he's going to play with Shaq and Kobe.  If they don't win the championship next year, it will be a crying shame.  But I hope they don't win.  Go Cleveland! ;-) Roger stopped by last night and let us sample his ginger-spiced shortbread, topped with yogurt and strawberries and mango.  Very very good.  Conversation turned in the direction of people who can't really sing that well, but no one tells them so, and so they keep singing at various public occasions - making spectacles of themselves.  It's my turn to help mow at the church.  Weather permitting, Eric and I will get it done tonight.  Should be great temperature-wise, with a high of only 80 degrees today.   Have a good weekend.  -Benj     Thurs 07-10-03    Rebecca's Page is updated.  John Edwards is hoped for in this article as the candidate best able to take on G.W. Bush.  In other political speculation, some Washington insiders believe that Florida senator Bob Graham already has the vice-presidential nomination sewn up - since he can deliver Florida.  (Would Gore have been president today if he had selected Graham as his VP?   hmmm...... ) The aftermath in Iraq is not so pretty.  Allied soldiers are being attacked on an almost daily basis by organized paramilitary people (former Baath party members?).  The glow of the "victory" has faded somewhat.  One more retreat tidbit: Richard shared in one of the youth sessions that "the best translation of the Bible is your life."  That statement has come back to me a number of times since the retreat, so I thought I'd post it here.  On a personal note, Sonia has only one year left of her professional training.  We both thank God for bringing her thus far, and look forward to whatever He has in store for our future.  -Benj      Tues 07-08-03    2003 Summer Retreat Memories: Driving my sister Becky's car to the Retreat so that she could take it from there to NJ & Having to stop for two hours to replace one of her tires that had developed a bad warp.  She owes me! Rosh and Roger doing all the driving on the way to the Retreat: a very welcome break for me after our recent 2233 mile sojourn to the northeast.  Good conversation with Rosh and Roger the whole way.  Thanks fellas. Finding out that I still got to sleep in the "White House", and not the bachelors dorm, even though Sonia hadn't come with me.  Bill Teubl's teaching on Holiness (friday morning) ministered to me.  God is wholly pure and God is complete.  He also shared a great Watchman Nee quote:  Any glory that is not God's glory is vainglory.  Clement from Cameroon sharing that God does not look at skin color and that we all have a rrrrrrrrrrrred hearrrrrrt.  ;-) Friday evening meeting: Revelation 3:19 - "I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love.  Be diligent and turn from your indifference."  God loves us incredibly much; how much do we love Him back? The Saturday evening meeting on moral purity was quite convicting.  Dan Beachy shared for about forty minutes on the importance of fleeing youthful lusts (II Timothy 2:22), and the sacredness of marriage.   Meeting up with Octavian again after over 10 years... he's a Romanian believer who lives in Delaware.  What a surprise it was to see him. Sunday morning meeting:  Stop trying to have God "on your own terms" - shared by Bruce Hempel.  Don't mix a little bit of the world  into your relationship with God.  It will lead to spiritual destruction.  Matt 11:28-30 - come unto God, who is the source of rest and peace. Driving back home on Sunday:  Richard & Rani's kids (Anu and Anand) singing "I have decided to go to the potty" to the tune of "I have decided to follow Jesus" was completely hilarious if slightly irreverent.  But they got their way as a result, as we stopped for a bathroom break shortly thereafter (and they got burger king too!).  -Benj     Mon 07-07-03 The summer retreat was a blessed time.  " ... Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty!  The whole earth is filled with his glory!" - Isaiah 6:3.   More later... -Benj   Thurs 07-03-03    WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT AMERICA?    In celebration of Independence Day, here's a good article written by an Indian-born American.   Howard Dean's candidacy for the Democratic prez nomination has really taken off.  He beat all the other contenders in fundraising during Q2, largely through being well organized on the Internet.  He has definitely surprised the establishment and the pundits.  Should be interesting to watch how this unfolds. Have a Happy Fouth of July weekend.  God bless America.  -Benj     Wed 07-02-03    Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be headed for the political big-time in California.  Check out this article.  He's following in the actor-politician tradition of Clint Eastwood (mayor) and Ronald Reagan (governor and president).  Don't count Arnold out.  He is supposedly very media-savvy and able to stay on-message while campaigning as he did in recent years for a bill in California.  Lebron James has my attention.  His recent debut at the NBA draft in a snow white suit, shirt, and tie was dazzling.  His ability to handle the press is phenomenal considering he is just barely out of high school - at which he was an honor student.  And with all this hype, let's hope his basketball skills match up.  All indications are that he will be a great player.  Nike certainly thinks so, to the tune of a $90 million contract.  Wanna read more?  O Little Town of Bethlehem:  This ancient and history-making city is set to be handed over today to Palestinian control.  Yet more progress in the Middle East. The Christian Summer Retreat that I attend every summer begins tonight.  Should be a great time as always.  See some of you readers there.  -Benj     Tues 07-01-03    Rebecca's Page is updated.  -Benj     Mon 06-30-03    Home Sweet Home: Sonia & I are back, after an 11 day trip to the New England area.  It was a great trip!  We put exactly 2233 miles on the Maxima, with stops in Syracuse, New York - Manchester, Vermont - Boston, Massachusetts - Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Martha's Vineyard - New Rochelle, New York - Springfield, New Jersey (becky & simu) -  Manhattan - and Easton, Pennsylania (sonia's uncle lives there).  I sporadically kept a laptop journal as we traveled.  I will try to complete it, time permitting, over the next couple days, and post it here online.  News: The recent progress in Israel / Palestine is encouraging: Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas, ceasefires declared by Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Fatah, etc.  But it's hard to be hopeful since there has been "progress" many times in the past that devolved eventually into more violence and death.   Summer Retreat 2003: Is just a few short days away.  I leave Thursday afternoon with a couple friends and return Sunday evening.  Sonia may fly in on Friday evening, if her work schedule allows. Peace.  -Benj     Wed 06-18-03           Summer Reading: The book of Colossians is my present Bible reading, in preparation for the July 4th summer retreat.  I am also re-reading three different books by Chaim Potok, a superb novelist whose books largely center around the experiences of young Jewish geniuses growing up in New York City during the World War II era.  I read these three books several years ago, and decided to go through them again after I found an old copy of one of them a couple weeks ago.    New Books: Hillary Clinton's book is selling very well, as was expected.  Newt Gingrich just published a book too - about the Civil War, I believe.  Dick Morris ( Bill Clinton's political maestro ) also just published a book about traitors, crooks, and obstructionists in American politics, media, and business.    Godspeed: Sonia & I depart this afternoon on our trip.  I hope to occasionally check email during the trip, if it's convenient.   Peace...  -Benj     Tues 06-17-03    Here's an amazing article about an Iraqi man who hid from Saddam Hussein for 22 years in a secret compartment in a wall. So the NBA finals are over.  San Antonio pulled it off for the second time in five years ( their last championship was in 1999, followed by three years straight of the LA Lakers winning ).  This was a great retirement gift for the departing David Robinson.  There's talk of a new San Antonio Dynasty...  New England: Sonia & I are leaving tomorrow for a twelve day trip to the Northeast.  I might update this page again tomorrow; if not, I'll post on the last day of June or in early July.  Take care...   -Benj     Fri 06-13-03    Words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, a believer who was a young man at the time the epistle was written:   " .... but join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.  This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."      II Timothy 1 : 8b-10      Thurs 06-12-03    Look who's testing the political waters: Jerry Springer.  He's considering a run for the U.S. Senate from none other than the state of Ohio.  Is it any surprise that he's running as a Democrat?  The man is quite wealthy, though, so who knows what the results could be? Other famous Ohioans in the news: Lebron James recently signed a $90 million deal with Nike, and he just graduated from an Akron-area high school.  A few months ago, his mom "bought" him a loaded Hummer H2 and brought down endless criticism on herself and her talented offspring.  Let's see what he does for the Cleveland Cavs next season.   NBA Finals: Last night, I got to watch the last half of game #4 between the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs.  This is the first game in the finals that I've been able to watch, and I didn't really have a favorite when I started watching.  By the end of the 3rd quarter, though, I was rooting for the Nets.  They barely pulled it off, with a narrow win of a 1-point margin.  It was definitely a suspenseful game.  The series is tied at 2-2, with the odds still favoring the Spurs (whoever wins the best of seven games takes home the trophy). A bus was blown up yesterday in Israel, killing at least 15 people in yet another suicide-homicide attack.  Didn't take too long for the recriminations after the Israeli government nearly killed a senior Hamas leader.  What an awful mess.  Peace hangs on a very very thin thread.  It still doesn't really feel like summer, due to the cooler-than-usual temperatures.  Can't say I mind, though, as it's been really pleasant.  Walking on the Yellow Springs bike path for a few miles the other night was relaxing and yet another reminder of God's awesome creation.  Gotta spend more time outdoors.  -Benj     Wed 06-11-03    The Middle East continues to pulsate with rhythms of quiet and rhythms of violence.  Palestine's PM, Abu Mazen, recently announced that he will not militarily crack down on terrorist groups as he believes such action would spawn a civil war among Palestinians.  Sharon's Israeli government took steps to dismantle an "illegal" settlement outpost.  They also tried to assassinate a senior Hamas leader, which is sure to result in recriminations.   The Democrats' chances of retaking the White House in 2004 continue to look really slim.  With Hillary's book hitting the stores and dominating media coverage, and Bill's book set to hit the shelves in the fall of 2004 itself, there is little room for viable candidates to attract attention to themselves.  Still keeping my eye on John Edwards, though.  He's on the up-and-up, and will probably be a national presence of some kind in the future.     In one week, we leave for our trip to the Northeast.  Still have a few details to arrange, but the trip should be a good time.   Betty and Joju's professional wedding album arrived yesterday, and the pictures look excellent.  Theirs definitely arrived much faster than ours or Beck & Simu's!   Sony & Twinkle and Abigail leave for India tomorrow; he'll be gone for three weeks, the other two for six weeks.  I'm sure that two-year old Abigail will seem a lot bigger when she finally gets back.  ( Point of interest: Abigail was born on the same day that Sonia and I got married - April 28, 2001 ) Toyota Sienna minivans are all the rage:  Richard and Rani bought one this past weekend, and so did Shibu and Nisha.  I haven't seen Shibu's yet, but Richard's looks really nice.  I'm still dreaming of a silver Hummer H2.  ;-)  -Benj     Tues 06-10-03    John Edwards: This senator is still running strong for the Democratic presidential nomination.  Here's a good article about him.  Reportedly, he is the candidate that the Bush team would most prefer not to go up against.   Picture, Picture!  A new photo is posted at SteamRoller of Jessica Arthur, the baby girl of our close friends Josh & Jemi.  Coincidentally, it sits atop an article I wrote last September soon after she was born.  -Benj     Mon 06-09-03    New Musings: Susan K. has penned several wedding-related  MUSINGS.  -Benj       Fri 06-06-03    New Article: A short article is posted at Our World.   Have a good weekend!  -Benj     Thurs 06-05-03    Hillary Blitz: Hillary Clinton's First Lady memoirs are hitting the bookstores.  Should I read it or not?  I'm sure there are some items of note scattered thru the book, probably few and far between.  But she's likely to be a presidential candidate sooner or later... It's usually good to stay informed of the opposition.  ;-) Vermont: Now that the wedding whirlwind is over, Sonia & I are starting to plan our late June trip to New England.  We'll definitely be in Manchester, VT for a few days while she attends a conference & I work from our hotel room.  After Vermont, we could head to New Hampshire, Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Providence, Maine etc etc.  The current plan is to visit Beck & Simu in New Jersey on the way back home for a couple days.  Cold Summer: I know it's not officially summer yet, but for most people the summer season kicks off Memorial Day weekend.  And what a chilly summer it is so far.  Temperatures in the 40s, 50s, and barely into the 60s at times.  Feels like early spring or late fall more than anything else.   -Benj       Wed 06-04-03    The wedding recap is posted at SteamRoller.   Wedding memories:  Speculating on whose marriage will be next, Using Roger's pickup truck for so many errands over the last several days, Chatting with Joju about the irony of buying flowers for women and the flowers start wilting in just a few days, Seeing Ed Weatherall again after all these years, Arguing with my sisters about letting me wear a pink tie with gray stripes to the wedding and eventually giving in and wearing something less flashy. As Chris pointed out, why do men simply look like accessories to the women at formal events?  Men wear dull, conservative colors while women dress up like peacocks ... if a guy wants to have even just a slight flair, people are like "oh he's showing off".  I gave in for this wedding, cuz it was my own sister's.  Next wedding, I will be resplendent in a  white suit with an orange shirt.  ;-) Middle East: Like many followers of current events, the Israel-Palestine issue continues to hold my attention.  The recent steps forward by Ariel Sharon and Abu Mazen are encouraging, but it is difficult to feel optimistic with such a track record of failed peace attempts. Caught: The man suspected of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing has finally been captured, after more than five years on the run in the mountains of North Carolina.  He is the only domestic terrorist on the FBI's list of "top ten" fugivites.  And he was caught by a rookie cop, no less, in an alley behind a convenience store.  -Benj     Tues 06-03-03    WEDDING FINALE: Another Family wedding is behind us.  The final one in our immediate family, until the next generation comes of age.  By all accounts, things went really well at J & B's wedding on Saturday.  The bride and groom both looked splendid.  Bruce H's message was quite touching and not too long.  The Quartet song that Jeff, Roger, Sony and I practiced so much was a hit.  The service itself was about 40 minutes long - just the right length.  At the last minute, I was unexpectedly asked to do the Scripture reading, since Joju's pastor didn't make it in time for the start of the wedding.   The Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton was where the reception was held.  The food at the reception (Ajanta Indian Restaurant) was quite good.  Didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked, due to MCing responsibilities!  But I made up for it by having a few pieces of the excellent cake at the end of the reception.  I think it was baked by The Cakery - gotta remember that for the future.   Most people had left the reception by 4:30 or 5:00 pm ( the wedding itself started at 11:05am).  Starting around 5:30, people started arriving at dad and mom's house.  The house was full until 11:30 or midnight, with over 100 people stopping by.  Due to the chilly, slightly rainy weather everyone stayed inside.  We had hoped to set up a volleyball net and let people enjoy the property (bonfire!), but it still ended up being a good time in the house.  There were pingpong games all evening long, plenty of good food (thanks to mercychachi, anniemamma, mom, etc.), and lots of great conversation and laughs.  For me personally, this after-party in the bride or groom's house is usually the best part of the weekend.  Everyone is relaxed (though a bit tired), and lots of friends & family are gathered for a joyful occasion so everyone is cheerful and upbeat.  Let the good times roll! As if all this wasn't enough, the weekend was capped off by one of the BEST Sunday services that we've ever had.  Joju's dad, Bruce Hempel, and Ed Weatherall all shared and it was powerful.  (Ed Weatherall hails from Ottawa, Canada and helped us build our church building back in '86 or '87).  Joju's sister and brother-in-law also gave nice testimonies.  Joju's mom spoke at length about how Betty & Joju got hooked up, and it must have been very illuminating for all the Caucasians in attendance to hear about the nuances of Indian marriages.  Everyone was cracking up.  :-)     NEW ARCHIVES SECTION: A new Archives link has been added.  The link is located below the "forum" button to the right.  This section contains all the homepage updates from May 2002 - May 2003.  All for now... -Benj     Wed 05-28-03  So at the close of the day today, bsmooth.tripod.com will have crossed the 365-day mark with around 11,250 hits (give or take).  About a year ago, it was Betty who said she wanted to update her page, which motivated us to get this website back up and running.  She and Becky still update now and then.  The regular updates have fallen on my shoulders, for the time being (made much easier by the fact that I have Frontpage loaded onto my computer, which makes updating fairly simple).    Iran is under the gun now, as the Bush administration and other foreign governments pressure the Iranian regime to crack down on Al-Qaeda, be more forthcoming about their nuclear ambitions, allow an international nuclear inspections team to do more real inspecting, and so on.  Bush's team is considering an acceleration of plans to destabilize the Iranian regime (hopefully another War won't be necessary).   Conversations with a friend yesterday reminded me that God is good.  Specifically, He is good to ME - regardless of the circumstances. Planning for the July 4th summer retreat is underway.  A group of elders held a planning meeting about 1.5 weeks ago, and things seem to be proceeding more smoothly than ever.  I spent some time on Sunday talking to some of the local teenagers about topics they would enjoy hearing about.  Similar conversations are occurring at the other fellowships that take part in this annual gathering.  I'm looking forward to yet another solid summer retreat.   -Benj

 

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