Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
—Lao-Tze
Thursday when I got home from work I tired to do more than I usually would. After a phone call with my Mom and sister, I helped Abram install a home made pull up bar. I think I was able to do two once we had it up. It still needs some work since our science on it was probably not the best, but I think it looks good. I then took Max for a walk. I'm never going to tired that guy out. We tried the bike and walk thing, but he started pulling me and at one point I crashed into a curb. Yes, it was so embarrassing, me, riding my bike with all the neighbors outside and crashing and falling down. I wasn't hurt, but my ego was. Max then ran on the treadmill for 3 minutes and it made no difference when we took another walk. I then tried to put Max in the backyard when Brooks and Memphis stormed the door and go off running into the neighborhood. Max follows suit. Great I thought. It took some time, but we corralled them up and I fed them dinner. I then decided to walk on the treadmill myself and do a very quick job. I guess I have to start with baby steps and that day was as good as any.
I was done with a short jog on the treadmill and I decided to take a quick round at the punching bag. I am one weak gentleman I have to say because that bag was not abused much, yet my wrists were starting to feel the pain. I then went inside and while I was inside cooling off, I had an idea. I asked Abram if he was up for grappling (with no actual punching). I wanted to see if all these moves that I thought I understood in my head were actually possible in real life. We didn't know what we were doing of course, but it seemed like a fun idea. We created a point system very quickly and Rino decided to ref. We both started on the ground and Abram quickly went for my back. It became apparent to me that having another person with an agenda of their own made things a lot more difficult than my imagined scenario. He was finally able to get my back (which counted as a point) as I tried to keep his hands from getting under my neck. He was finally able to get me in a choke, but he didn't have it fasten tight enough for me to tap. While he was doing this he had a low body lock on me and decided to stretch me out, both pulling on my body and tightening his hold on my neck. I tapped. We started again, this time I held him at bay with a butterfly guard and then alternated from half guard to full guard. He kept trying to get past my guard in side control and keeping him there wasn't so easy. I had it in my mind that I would be able to get my arms around him and pull him toward me so that he wouldn't have the space to hypothetically be punching me, but I couldn't even get close to getting my arms around him while I was in full guard. He kept grabbing my arms making it difficult to do much. He did not get in full mount though, but try as I might I still wasn't able to get to the top position or ever get to his back which was the whole reason I wanted to try the idea. He later tried for my back again and I tapped second time. The final time I was able to work my way from his guard to a full mount. In real life I wouldn't be able to do much damage because he kept very good control of my arms the whole time. He ended up changing position on me and I put him in what I would call something like a body lock with my legs which I could tell interfered with his breathing. We ended up giving up not too long after that. I think I might have hit him in the face once, I got hit in the teeth once by accident and I think my left ear might be cut in the back from trying to get out of one of his holds. It was fun, but something I don't plan to try again for a very long time. And the next time with a mouth piece and a head guard. The rug burn I have on my knees and elbows does hurt. I know this all sounds very silly and completely useless, but it gave me an appreciation for something that looks a lot more simple on TV than it really is. It was also kind of fun. I always thought if I got in a fight I'd want to take it to the ground, but it isn't that easy. The plan now is standing up, punch and run from here on out for me. I think the final score we tallied was about 8-2 with Abram being the winner. He did just have dinner, which helped me out a bit.
Thursday I got home for work and spent a good hour talking to my mother on the phone. I was supposed to be about some routine matters, but it always gets to the topic of religion, mainly because of me and my prodding or a response to a religious comment she may make. I can't help it, I sometimes feel like one of those people out on the streets saying, "Have you accepted Jesus into your heart?", but instead I'm saying, "Can you believe the hypocrisy of some religious Christian groups when they did/said X." I don't want to convert her to believe the way I believe, but just want her to question what she hears from these so called religious leaders and do as she has done her whole life and decide for herself with all the relevant facts.
Let's take a break for a second with some interesting random news. I'm not even going to editorialize since I think they speak well for themselves.
Torture Is a Crime, and Crimes Demand Prosecution
Obama wants to avoid a long, wrenching legal drama that almost certainly would be partisan and divisive. But I’m not sure it’s possible to skirt the criminal implications of what we already know.
Shepherd Smith drops F-bomb during Freedom Watch: I don't like FOX NEWS, but this video was great, Shepard Smith has been surprising me. We are America and WE DO NOT FUCKING TORTURE!
U.S. Citizens Detained and Deported by Immigration
In its zeal to crack down on illegal immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is detaining and deporting American citizens. The Center for Investigative Reporting’s Andrew Becker talks about his investigation into this disturbing trend.
Sexting—and Common Sense
Vermont, Ohio and Utah are among the first states trying to back away from laws that treat a teenager with a cell phone as if he or she were a child pornographer. They know there’s a difference between truly dreadful judgment and a felony.
You're Doing It Right, Jon Stewart - Another great song by Jonathan Mann from therockcookiebottom.
Now back to the discussion I was having with my mom:
Our discussion actually started with the notion of whether America was a Christian Nation. I tried to make the point that what makes America great is that we are free to worship in whatever way we please and to make it a theocracy would have disastrous effects, especially with so many differing Christians groups who don't all believe the same thing. Which Christian nation are we? Protestant? Catholic? Evangelical? Jehovah Witness? Mormon? I could go on. I mean certain Christian factions feel other "fake" Christians are doing it all wrong and well, are sinners for that reason. They may have tenets that unite them, but there are real differences. I respect everyone's right to believe as they wish, but my right to believe as I wish isn't always respected by the Christian Right I feel.
Is America a Christian Nation?
The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8). If we are a Christian nation, why doesn't our Constitution say so? In 1797 America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
Now in fairness, The phrase, "a wall of separation between church and state," was coined by President Thomas Jefferson in a carefully crafted letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, when they had asked him to explain the First Amendment. (via http://www.ffrf.org/nontracts/xian.php - for selected source material, but the following thoughts are my own.)
Now God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, and that is great, but that isn't enough to say we are Christian nation. Its purpose was to "dissolve the political bands," not to set up a religious nation. I think we can say "In God We Trust" and it not mean that you have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior. "under God" I'm not even going to touch, but note that it is a recent addition to the pledge. Religion is part of our history and part of many people's lives, but it has no place in government.
I'm wading into waters that evoke much argument, anger and sometimes hate from otherwise good moral people, so I won't keep going too long since I know many people do not agree with me. I can only learn when people help correct me and that is why I'm always trying to learn more on this topic.
I think it is great that our country has so many people that believe in Christ and glad that we have a Constitution that allows us to do so. But at the point we create this theocracy where Christianity is the legal and moral law of the land for everyone, we give up our freedom to worship as we wish. There are so many other faiths out there from Jewish, Hindus, Muslims and well countless others. I don't want others imposing their narrow morality on me or my fellow Americans no matter what their religion happens to be. What I hate about saying all this is that I feel like this should be apparent and not have to be stated in argument form. God Bless You Everyone!
You see now why it is hard for me to not just let it go. It is something I think about.
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