Hometown Favorite

Hometown Favorite by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold


I highly recommend this book. I could say much about it, but I don't want to give away anything.

It is a riviting story. For Christian readers, it is better than The Shack in my opinion. Much better writing and much less overt from the religious standpoint. I am not trashing The Shack, I just liked this book better, and it can stand alone as a great book outside of a Christian theme.

For those not interested in Christian based reading, it is still a must read. The story will grab you and hold you; Grisham-esque. I have include a video trailer for the book as well as the Amazon link.

Henry O. Arnold is a friend whose family I have known most of my life via Otter Creek. He is a professional actor, writer, and director in theatre, film, and television. He co-wrote and produced the film The Second Chance (starring Michael W. Smith). He wrote the screenplay for God’s Ambassador, the first authorized documentary of evangelist Billy Graham.

Barton-Arnold website

We Were Sold a Lie and Bought It

POST UPDATE: If you would like to get physically ill over this issue, please read this article, Congress Opens Hearings on Financial Meltdown which descibes Lehman executives liquidating company cofers into their own pockets, literally in the same breaths in which they are pleading for government rescue.

I hope they get life in prison. God is going to have a place for these theives in hell. Their abject greed is going to ruin millions have lives. And they don't care. This is not a credit crisis, but the act of evil, greedy men.

I said in the original post, it is an intelligence crisis. Our country is facing a moral crisis, pure and simple. World Com, Enron, just the tip of the ice berg.

Original post:

I am so angry at our Congress and our Senate right now.

They pushed a bad bill through that will saddle fiscally responsible taxpayers with a huge anchor that is tied to our financial future. Thereby creating more financial distress, not alleviating it.

Worse, they sold this bail out with fear--fear that the market would crash. So the bill passes and immediately the market crashes. I think it is a result of the smart people knowing what this bill really meant. I don't think it would have crashed as bad if it had not passed.

Anyway, the sell by fear was a lie. Thanks for nothing Congress. You promised us the market would stabilize by the passing of the bill, but it did not. It went the opposite way. But you now have want you wanted, an unsigned check for $700 billion from the American taxpayers.

When will this country rise up and stop living in fear? We have been knee-jerk reacting to fear since 9/11. And the Bush administration has been leading the charge. This type of behavior is only hurting us and we don't learn!

In the meantime, I am being flooded with internet ads, TV ads, and mass mail marketing hounding me to take advantage of easy credit.

Credit Crisis my rear end! We have an intelligence crisis. And that crisis is going to undo this once great country.

Vandy delivers on Game Day -- Big Time!!!

The Vanderbilt student body, the University, and its fans delivered for the Game Day telecast. The Game Day producer said it was one of the best atmospheres they have had.

More importantly, the Vanderbilt football team stepped up and delivered amongst all the hype, in the spotlight, and on ESPN in prime time. They beat then #13 Auburn 14-13. The Commodores move to 5-0, 3-0 in confernce play. They're #1 in the SEC East, #13 in the AP Poll, and #14 in the Coaches' Poll.

It was a huge win for this program.

After giving up 13 quick points the first quarter, VU shutout Auburn the rest of the game and put up 14 points against one of the best defenses in the country. I know one better though, Vanderbilt. VU has had only 10 points scored on them in the second half this year, and that by only two teams. They shutout Auburn for the final 48:09 minutes of the game!

For a great breakdown of stats, see the post Vanderbilt-Auburn Report Card at Conquer and Prevail.

Best line by a sportcaster this weekend--Lou Holtz on College Breakdown. The question being discussed: "Is Vanderbilt a legitimate contender for the SEC Championship. After one of the sportcasters made his case for no, Lou Holtz replied: I couldn't disagree with you more if you were my wife!

Best signs on the Game Day broadcast (set up on the Commons on the Vanderbilt Peabody Campus):

You people are blocking the Library

I got my GED at Auburn

Phil Fulmer ate my second sign

The Geeks shall inherit the Turf

Thoughts of Jefferson

My blog friend, JMG, has an interesting post, Domestic Violence?, about a bill just passed in the shadow of the financial crisis. I think this bill would have been hotly debated in the press if not for financial crisis news. I encourage everyone to look at her post.

In response I have posted a few thoughts of the man Thomas Jefferson which may be applicable. I have also included quotes pertaining to the financial crisis. These are especially troubling -- we never listened.

Government Rule and Force

All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.

Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people.

Present Economic Woes

Delay is preferable to error.

Never spend your money before you have earned it.

I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.


I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.