Taxing churches and non-profits?

Way to go Mission, Kansas.

An article in on the presidential prayer team website offers some insight into how the government of Mission, Kansas is trying to subvert the tax-exempt status of churches and non-profits  with a new "fee."

Churches being levied on their number of worshipers

by Diann Noles
Mission, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, has a new twist on taxes – a fee that charges churches based on the number of worshipers and their number of trips to church each year. In this mid-sized, mid-America city usually associated with conservative and pro-Christian viewpoints and policies, this fee has caused an uproar among area churches and other nonprofit groups, resulting in a lawsuit against the city by two of the churches.

Diann ends her article with the following paragraph:

Mission, Kansas is not the only city in America that has tried to institute such fees: the Idaho and Florida Supreme Courts have both ruled in similar cases that such “fees” are, in fact, taxes. “This case will boil down to whether the courts consider this a fee or a property tax,” Stanley told nbcactionnews.com. “We’re confident that, based on what the Kansas Supreme Court has said many times over and the difference between a fee and a property tax that, in reality, what the city of Mission has done here is to institute a property tax and subvert the property tax exemptions for churches, charities and other nonprofit organizations, simply because they want more money.”

I urge you to click on the title and read the entire article.

We live in an era , it seems, when local governments will stoop to new levels to improve the cash flow. Fees are not reviewable like taxes, but they are a tax just the same.  Be on guard!

Trees against a Fiery Sky

Some mornings now, as I drive to work after playing racquetball, I am treated to some breath taking beauty.

Tuesday morning it was a pre-dawn red sky silhouetting the bare trees.  I wanted to take a picture to remember this sight as there were also dark clouds reflecting the red rays of the still below the horizon sun which added their own unique beauty to the scene. The trees stood tall and black with the red of the sky filling in around them. They were still--there was no wind. It reminded me of a Wooster Scott painting. I think I know where she got her inspiration.

But I was driving at high speed on a busy freeway with too many other sleepy drivers to even attempt using the camera in my cell phone.

I found something similar on the Internet--but, alas, it is not my work--but it provides an approximation of what I witnessed.

But I have it in my mind.

If only I could paint--

but then, in a manner--I just did using words instead of canvas.

Updated Huck Finn?

Really? They can do that?  They can change a classic to make it politically correct?

I read the following in an article titled: Huck Finn will lose the "N" Word. I was interested in the reasoning behind the change--but I wonder what other classics will be next? And maybe as a result history itself will be rewritten?

Revisionist history and political correctness have gone too far this time.
The problem with changing the words to make the book more acceptable is that the greatest aspect of Mark Twain's writing was that it recorded the style of the day. It was in context with where we were in America at that time. How people spoke, interacted, and thought. Changing that, to make it acceptable to modern readers loses historical value. It is the same as retouching an old photograph to remove or add items or people and dubbing over an audio track.  Twain's writing is an image and a sound-byte into real America at that time.  It is gritty and real and we need to hear and read it to understand how far we have come in America in terms of accepting ethnic diversity.

I agree with the online dictionary that this word has become probably the most offensive word in English. There are lots of mundane and offensive words that I have, sadly, been known to use and abuse--but I would never consider using this particular word in any manner and I even refuse to write it for fear of the consequences and contextual extractions which might result. 

That written, however, I believe we lose more than we gain and future generations of Americans will lose touch with the real, earthy America of which Twain wrote. I also disagree with their updating of the word to reflect "slave" as I do not believe it is the correct word to use. Slave was not a definition listed in the on line dictionary. But, it has been a long time since I read the book.

By the way--the word is also used in Gone with the Wind--although not to the same extreme that Twain wrote it.  I wonder if that book is next to be revised.

Next, someone will be trying to update the language in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

World to End in May: On Prophets and Prophecy

As if we hadn't just started the year, now religious groups are predicting that there will be no Christmas in 2011.

In the AP article: End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word.  Yes, it seems that even after the movie 2012 predicted the end of life last year, now Christian groups want to scoop even the Mayan calendar.

So May 21, 2011 is it then.  Well--so was 1984, and 1844 and a lot of other times in between have been touted as the date of the end of the world.

Our world has so many prophets in it these days--it is hard to tell who is really a prophet and who is a fraud. Remember, true prophet has a 100 percent accuracy rate. I wonder what the accuracy rate is for the group predicting the end of the world on May 21st. You know the old saying--even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

Good could  from this--but, more likely, nothing good will result and on May 22nd--these people will be lumped together with other Christians by the world and we will all be considered crackpots.

And I was just thinking the year had gotten off to such a great start!

Back to the Grind--some not so random thoughts

Wow--I really felt it yesterday afternoon.

The holiday let-down hammered my about 2:30 PM.

Back at work, the holidays behind us and nothing but a long winter ahead of us for the next 75 days until Spring arrives.  At least the daylight is growing longer every day and we are soon coming out of the "dark times."

I was even thinking of getting my passport renewed so that I could go to St Lucia later this year!

I've been putting that one off for a long time.

I was in the bookstore one day last week looking at Caribbean travel guides--but decided not to buy the 400-page volume with only about 20 pages devoted to St Lucia.

Soon enough it will be warm.

I think I will make my reservations for Spring training in Sarasota soon. That is March at least.

Monday Musings - January 3, 2011

1. Happy New Year--I bet you haven't heard that before.

2. I have had most of the past week off to relax and do things around the house. It was nice.

3. Football is a fickle sport. The Ravens certainly did not deserve to win, but as it turns out, the Bengals did not deserve to win more.

4. With the arrival of the new year--we have begun to remove the Christmas decorations. The Snow Village has been returned to its boxes in the attic and the exterior lights rare down. We still have two trees decorated though--because the Christmas Season is not over.

5. I had the unique opportunity this past week to build a bird house with Ethan. It was good to smell the newly cut pine in the garage again.

6. Well--it is back to work or school for all of us normal working people. Ugh.

7. New Congress this week--wonder what they will do to us in the name of trying to make things better.

8. Banned words for 2011? Check out the list at Lake Superior State University. Viral and epic are two words on the list.

Hockey Night in the House

Who would have ever thought that it might be too warm for hockey, outdoors in Pittsburgh, PA in January? But that is the way it almost happened as the afternoon game between the Capitals and the Penguins was moved to 8PM for hopefully colder temperatures and better ice.

It was a great night for the guys--jerseys, hockey, and beer.
But, alas, the Capitals wanted the game more than the Penguins and the final was Caps 3 - Pens 1. Although it was fun to see the Penguins goalie, Fleury, get an assist on the lone goal.

It was fun to relax with the guys and talk some trash though.

Patrick and I wore our game jerseys to see a movie earlier in the day and ran into some Capitals fans--the meeting ended graciously with handshakes all around. Good sportsmanship is essential at all levels of play--from the ice, to the stands, to the sofa.

We did muse, during the game, that this time next year if there is a lock-out in the NFL and a players strike in the NBA that hockey could be the only professional game in town.  You really have to hand it to the owners of the NFL teams--the are certainly trying to find a way to strangle the golden goose.

Happy New Year 2011

And so it begins--

Full of promise, hope, and a clean slate.

2010 was quite a year and I know that 2011 will follow closely on its heels.

There will be changes and events that we cannot even begin to imagine.

As we slide across the threshold into the new year--stop for a moment and count your blessings. Hug your family. Kiss your significant other or spouse. Sip some wine to wash away the tears of last year and let the bubbles lift your spirit as we head off into the unknown.


And so for family and friends that I could not be with--and for those with whom I am present

Happy New Year 2011

God Bless You and Your Family

Tonight and all Through the Year

Best Photo and Article/Entry of 2010

And the winners are:

Well, one small commercial before I announce the winners.

I want to make it clear that the best photo and article/entry do not mean that they are the best events of 2010. I went over the best events of the year yesterday in 2010 Events of the Year.  The winners today are for the picture which spoke to me the most and the article/entry that I enjoyed the most on rereading.  In both cases the selections also needed to represent the eclectic approach that I take to this blog.

My blog is--my blog. It is personal and yet public. I cover a wide range of topics from news to family items and events. I also include leadership thoughts and reviews of movies, restaurants, wine, concerts and other items that strike me. I even include some jokes, and writing/poetry of my own. I do not believe that anything is off the table--although I have considered breaking the blog into other smaller bodies of work.

I appreciate feedback and I have even been called out on some of my statements this past year and I appreciated the time my friends took to educate me on the items that I did not fully understand. I admit I have opinions and fairly deep rooted beliefs about much of what I write about.

Thank you to everyone for the time you take to read my thoughts and for your comments--either directly on the blog or in Facebook.

And the winners are:



My favorite photo of 2010:




No Caption Required

This image was in the article Patrick and Tina get Married which was published on Sunday, June 20, 2010. I felt that this was one of those stand alone images--hence the name "No Caption Required."  I can still feel the love of the moment as I look at the picture.

My Favorite Article/Entry for 2010:

Dark Trees

I was outside Tuesday evening

looking at the night sky.

Chris bought a telescope at a yard sale--

I thought I'd try it out.

I saw Jupiter and three of its moons.

and craters on the Moon as well.

But bathed in the bright moonlight

I noticed the trees

towering above me still full with leaves.

They were dark.

The lightening bugs that made them shimmer

during the nights of summer--

were gone.

Dark and foreboding.

Silhouetted by the moon.

They were not yet autumn trees--

robed with red and orange leaves.

Nor were they the eerie trees of Halloween--

leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns

for the ghouls and goblins to dance with

in the moonlight.

No--these were still summer trees.

Standing tall against the winds and rains.

Reveling in hot summer sun

providing cool shade to travelers

pausing beneath their branches.

Yet, they were dark.

I imagined them gloomy.

As if they sensed the change.

The coolness of the still not yet autumn breeze

swept across my bare arms.

I paused, breathing deeply,

savoring both the musky scent of summer

and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass.

A dog barked in the distance

returning me to my driveway.

I had drifted off

to a summer-bathed sandy beach.

The light in the window reminded me

that the time for sleep had come.

And dreams.

The dark trees stood tall.

Nodding, it seemed

in the cool gentle breeze.

Autumn was at hand.


Dark Trees appeared on September 23, 2010. I love the imagery and the sensory nature of this poem. One of my favorite lines is: "... the eerie trees of Halloween--leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns for the ghouls and goblins to dance with in the moonlight." I actually can see playing out in my mind as I read it--and it really still strikes me. Reading the line "...breathing deeply, savoring both the musky scent of summer and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass" makes me relive summer and warmer times while I am trapped here in the winter time.

In conclusion--

The competition was fierce and stiff--and I considered including the runners-up, but that would be a bit presumptuous of me.

Thank you for reading and commenting during 2010, and I pray that your year ahead is full of hope and blessings.

Don't party too much tonight and if you drink--don't drive.  Spend the night or get a taxi.



2010 Events of the Year

What a year 2010 was.  We celebrated three major life events during the year, went on two kick-butt vacations and enjoyed so many special times with family and friends.  I am not even going to try to pick one best event--whether I wrote about it in the blog or not. But, I do want to write about the Events of 2010 because the year was a truly special year.  And so, in an effort to keep them all on a level playing field, I am calling them the Events of the Year and will try to keep them in chronological order.

So take a moment with me to review the great events of the year.

Lucas. The third grandson and Jeremy and Nicole's first child. The year got off to a grand start right in January with the arrival of Luke. Births always bring the family together--and this one was no exception. We have had the opportunity to watch him grow through this first year of life and develop already into a great kid. He is all in--in everything he does.

Snowpocaplyse. Snow in more amounts than we can remember. The dueling blizzards closed down the region for the better part of two weeks. I wrote a number of blog items about the snow but one of the coolest things that happened was the impromptu Super Bowl party we hosted for the neighborhood because we were all trapped by the snow and could not get out to our planned parties. We learned a lot about our neighbors and the whole neighborhood came closer together as a result of the blizzards.

Napa. The first of out two kick butt vacations of the year. Our first trip to Napa and a great time with Pennie and Scott. Not just wine--but natural beauty and wonder as well. It was a great week in a great place.

Jax clean bill of health.Jax went through some really tough medical testing during May. He was sick and they tested him for so many different diseases and syndromes that we had to continually remind ourselves that the doctors were searching for a needle in a haystack--or in this case Jax's blood. In  the end, God provided the answer through all of the testing--there is nothing abnormally wrong with Jax--no disease and no syndrome. He was just having a rough time.

The Wedding. The planning, the talking, the execution. It was simply elegant. We enjoyed the union of Tina and Patrick--and a beautiful June day in Baltimore with family and friends. Everyone contributed to this day in some way and that is what made it so special. Plus--the reception was a fun experience and the after-reception party was fun as well.

Florida Vacation. I love Florida and Jupiter. What more needs to be said? A week with Nicole and Mike and the boys followed by a week with Mary and Fran in an awesome place. We survived a glancing blow from a hurricane, swam with sharks and manatees, went on a safari, snorkeled and really enjoyed ourselves. There are so many blog entries on this that it is easy to get the flavor of how much I enjoyed my time away from the grind of life.

Ethan Off to School. A momentous event in every child's life. E is now firmly in the grip of the public school system.  And the reward--E-day. Wednesday afternoons Ethan and I get some alone time which I call E-day when I get to provide after-school care.

Wine Weekend with Friends. A mini-vacation in October when our friends accompanied us for an overnight to Charlottesville, VA to visit the wineries and reengage with some history.

Thanksgiving Family Gathering. Mom and Dad made one of their infrequent visits to Maryland to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. And we did celebrate. Patrick won the annual Axis and Allies tournament that we hold the day after Thanksgiving and everyone had a great time. Nicole and Mike hosted a great meal on "the day," and we overdosed on football and desserts.


Consensus Wine Blending. Read the blog entry. Chris and I did this last year and determined we wanted to win this year--and we did. This day is just great fun.

Christmas. Family, friends and fun. We gathered together a couple of times--Christmas Eve breakfast, church, Christmas Day presents and dinner. A truly special celebration of Christ's birth.

And there you have them--the Events of 2010.  All of them special and important. They, together, are the winners for the best events of the year.