Happy Thanksgiving!

The irony of this term is that (at the risk of sounding cliché) by giving thanks, we are happy. Probably the largest problem with being blessed so much in our country is that we tend to expect it. We expect to earn more money, to get a good job... we even expect to feel good emotions. I am certainly not exempt in this, since this mindset is hard to avoid. Thus, when we do not have these things, we become severely disappointed, and our own happiness is given up - not by external circumstances, but by the attitude of our hearts.

So I find the key to be happy is really to lower ones expectations. This is not to say we shouldn't lower our hopes or dreams; we should increase them, in fact. And the funny thing with lower expectations is that it makes one thankful, and in turn makes one happy. You can only be so thankful for something you expect. It's the unexpected things we are most thankful for.

The Pilgrims didn't expect much. A lot of them died the previous year (because of a communist-type government that they ended up changing, but that's for another time), and they only had more death to expect. But when their hard work was blessed with great abundance, they found it easy to thank God.

So perhaps the first step one may take today is to lower their expectations, and realize the very, very few things we may possibly deserve in this world. And out of that, we may thank God for all he has blessed us, especially this great country - the greatest in the modern world. Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday, which speaks a lot to who we are as a country.

Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving Day during the Civil War. He had little expectations. Half the country left because he was President, and many died as a result. But he had faith in God, and hope in this nation. It was out of this faith and hope, with little expectations, that he could make this proclamation in 1863:

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

A. Lincoln

Eight decades prior, the first national Thanksgiving Day had been celebrated by a proclamation of the President:

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

A Must Read

Here

Why the Government Isn't My Mom

I soloed for the second time today. I've only been in flight school for about a month and a half with about 17.5 hours of flight time before today. With such little training, I got handed the keys to the airplane and told to go ahead and fly out of the airspace of a major regional airport, do whatever I want, and come back in about an hour.

This made me realize how much the government tries to coddle American citizens, and especially how our culture tries to do that for children.

"Wear a helmet"
"Don't go too fast"
"Be gentle with him"
"Don't hurt his feelings"
"He didn't mean to do it so don't punish him"
"Raise the age for licenses"
"Raise the age for drinking/smoking"
"You can't talk on your cell phone while driving"
"He said he's sorry so give him a light sentence"
"Don't fight! Talk out your problems and share your feelings"
"It's not your fault or just bad luck. Sue the corporations/doctors/etc."
(I use the general masculine pronoun here - this applies to females too)

I felt like I've been coddled too much in my life - by my parents as a child, and now by the government. I don't think I'm unique, and I know my parents had very good intent (and all things considered, they did a really good job as parents). Regardless of parents, however, the role of government is not to protect us from all of life's problems.

The FAA is very regulated, yet it is one of the few government organizations that uses common sense and doesn't treat adults as children. You can fly even before you can drive (children become adults well before we treat them like they are). They don't coddle people. I learned that today as I tried to use a video camera while flying 600 feet over the coastline at 90 knots in a 45 degree bank. It was dangerous, fun, and legal, and I didn't need the government to protect me. They're not my parents and never will be, as much as they try.

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Our home can be found by drawing 2 straight lines tangent to the outside edges of the pilot window (the little one being held closed by that knob on the left), and going very slightly up and to the left from their intersection.




This was at about a 600' altitude. The picture doesn't do justice to how close that is... or at least how close it feels while trying to video tape and fly the airplane.

Random stuff, Election, Saddam, Life

So there were a ton of things I wanted to write about in some sort of witty way, but I never got around to it, so I'll include everything briefly here.

1. Saddam was sentenced to death. I think this is pretty sweet, and a blessing from God. Unfortunately, Kofi Anon and others are opposing the death penalty for Saddam. I think this is really gay. He should die by public hanging.

2. The election is tomorrow. My wife and I had to vote absentee. Being in the military, we can keep our Minnesota residency without paying state income taxes, so we did. I want to keep voting in Minnesota. Anyway, we had to pay about $50 to get our ballots in on time (had to pay overnight rate, even though we dropped them off on Saturday).

3. I had to do a lot of research to find the candidates I really wanted to vote for. Star Tribune's My Vote is a really good resource to find info about all the candidates that will be on your ballot. I vote in SE Eden Prairie, so I voted as follows (in order on Star Tribune version of ballot):

- Senate: Mark Kennedy
- Governor: Tim Pawlenty
- Attorney General: Jeff Johnson
- Sec. of State: Mary Kiffmeyer
- Auditor: Patricia Anderson
- Appeals Court Seat 11: Christopher Dietzen
- Transportation Amendment: No
- US House: Jim Ramstad (I actually voted for him this year, partially due to his opponent, and partially due to no other competitor)
- Minn. Senate: David Hann
- Minn. House: Erik Paulsen
- 4th District Court Seat 44: Dee Rowe
- 4th District Court Seat 48: No vote (didn't know candidates enough)
- Hennepin Cnty Attorney: Mike Luger
- Hennepin Cnty Sheriff: Rich Stanek
- Soil and Water Supervisor Seat 2: Ernest K Lehmann
- Soil and Water Supervisor Seat 4: Ryan Wilson
- 3 Rivers Park Park Commissioner: Terry Lee Carr
- EP Mayor: Phil Young
- EP City counsel Members (2): Jon Duckstad, Gary Stevens

I didn't vote for any of the uncontested races, which were mostly (if not all) judges. There was only one contested race I didn't vote in because I couldn't find enough information on the candidates.

4. I voted NO on the transportation amendment. It increases funds for public transportation 100 fold, while guaranteeing little (if any) increase to roads, which will inevitably lead to a tax increase. Here is some more info.

5. Some dude running for Soil and Water Supervisor Seat 2 has this for his "Most Important Issues":

Fighting for the environment; resisting war and military madness; fighting for an independent media; fighting the Patriot Act and government invasion of privacy and consensual and individual rights; election reform, instant runoff voting and breaking two-party duopoly; single-payer health care; nationalize banks, utilities, transportation and all energy sources.

Kind of weird, especially regarding the position he's running for, except that his complete background info to show he is capable for this job is:

Activist/organizer in independent politics, drug reform, peace and justice, freedom movements, gay, civil liberties; associate publisher of Pulse; AIDS service activist.

Ohhhhh, I get it now.

6. I just got a really cool printer/copier/faxer (but won't use fax). It's the HP Photosmart C6180. It prints photos just as good as Walmart, and pretty fast too.

7. The MN Daily printed one of the gayest things I've read in awhile, and it had nothing to do with sexual preference. You seriously have to read this. Check it out here.

First Solo!

I soloed for the first time today. Below is a picture of the type of airplane I've been flying (in front of my flight school, coincidentally). I might add actual pictures of my flight later (my wife video taped it). Anyway, it was probably one of the coolest things I've done! Flying is fun.



Update: I put up some pictures, including the first one above. You can see them all here (currently need Facebook account).

Here is my first solo landing:

John Kerry is an Idiot (Part II)

This is all over the internet. I just had to put it up here: