Good | Brian Rants

From the Blog

Jan

Doesn’t hurt to ask

Posted by brianrants at 7:33 pm

We have been Dish Network customers for the last 3 years, and just got an offer from DirectTV for an introductory offer that would be about 40% less. Additionally, I have been longing for a sweet soccer channel like Setanta or Fox Soccer Channel.

I normally hate speaking to customer service and asking for deals…but I was in a rare mood tonight

So I let Dish know how tempting DirectTV’s offer was, and managed to get our bill lowered by $15/mo with Setanta thrown in for good measure.

It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Dec

Martin the Squirrel

Posted by brianrants at 5:19 pm

While we were gone, our friend Betsy stayed in our house to keep the
puppies company. Micah, my good friend is her boyfriend, and is also a
renowned squirrel warrior. That is a good thing, as this pictures show.

Nov

From our neighbors to the north

Posted by brianrants at 6:27 pm

Interesting article from one of our neighbors to the North.

Tribute To The United States
From a Canadian newspaper
America: The Good Neighbor
Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:
“This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions on debts.. None of these countries is, today, paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the Franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.
I’d like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the united States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC 10? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all the international lines except Russia fly American planes?
Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man on woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon – not once, but several times – and safely home again.
You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting AmericanDollars form ma and pa at home to spend here.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I’m one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those.”
Stand proud, Americans

Nov

Democrat vs Republican (tongue in cheek)

Posted by brianrants at 4:42 pm

One of my friends and I have had some good-natured sparring over Democrat vs Republican.
He and I enjoy the back and forth, so please take this in the satirical manner it was intended. We don’t actually think the other party believes this, and it’s total hyperbole. But it is funny, and shows the extremes of each party. Enjoy.
The list I received

I’m way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are
all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

I’m voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I
want. I’ve decided to marry my horse.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a
gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of
gas at 15% isn’t.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better
job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I’m voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody
is offended by it.

I’m voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the
bad guys will stop what they’re doing because they now think we’re good people.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us
if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt
away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.

I’m voting Democrat because I’m not concerned about the slaughter of
millions of abortion babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be
allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest
away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the
Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get
their agendas past the voters.

I’m voting Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass it’s
unlikely that I’ll ever have another point of view.

The list I composed

I’m voting Republican because the sky is falling, Obama is the Antichrist, and there is a terrorist under every rock
I’m voting Republican because we are a party of diversity: if by diverse you mean having 3.5 black people and 8 hispanics
I’m voting Republican because if I keep telling myself “Iraq had a connection to the people who attacked us on 9/11″ it will make it true
I’m voting Republican because prosperity trickles down to poor people…it does right? I mean I don’t actually know any poor people.
I’m voting Republican because I want government to stay out of the way…except for legislating the cultural and moral principles I hold…and guns…but stay out of the way on other stuff
I’m voting Republican because I believe you can plant a democracy at the end of a gun with civilian leaders who don’t even know the difference between Sunni and Shiite.
I’m voting Republican because I believe we simply need to waive our irresistible democracy fairy dust over the middle east, and it will bloom like a spring garden. We don’t ACTUALLY need to waste our time understanding their culture, religion, and values.
I’m voting Republican because schools don’t need more money, the facilities are amazing…in the suburbs where I live
I’m voting Republican because I trust international corporations more than I trust government…they can’t both be corrupt can they?
I’m voting Republican because I forget there are a lot of pro-life people on both sides, who know that we should be just as focused on preventing unplanned pregnancy as the legal status of abortion, that the lowest abortion rates in the world are in countries where it is legal but there is good health services (http://prolifeproobama.com/), the highest in countries where it is illegal and there are not adequate services), and that being pro-life doesn’t end at birth (http://matthew25.org)

Oct

Fwd: What is the meaning of “life”?

Posted by brianrants at 3:37 pm

A powerful take on a more holistic approach to a culture of life.

======

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Sojourners” <SojoMail@sojo.net>

Date: October 13, 2008 9:10:35 AM MDT

Dear Brian,

Tell the Candidates:
Commit to common-ground solutions on abortion reduction.

What is the meaning of “life”?

For too long abortion was seen as the only “life” issue in our culture and politics, but there is a growing conviction among Christians that poverty, disease, war, the health-care crisis, human trafficking, the death penalty, nuclear weapons, and the worldwide deaths of 30,000 children every day from preventable causes are also key life issues.

In these last few weeks before Election Day, will you join me in raising a new call for “life” to our presidential candidates?

Sojourners and I have advocated for a holistic and “consistent ethic of life” approach for years, and it is good to see the broader life issues receiving more attention. However, I also believe our nation is ready for a new kind of politics and leadership on the issue of abortion.

The abortion debate has too often been used to score political points, rather than to identify what kinds of church practices and public policies could actually prevent and reduce abortions. But with a tragic 1.2 million abortions a year in the United States,* Christians must work together to stop the politics of blame and work toward common solutions.

If you believe that all human life is sacred, tell the candidates to commit to common-ground solutions on abortion reduction during this week’s debate and for the remainder of their campaigns.

While many Christians disagree on the legal questions surrounding abortion, together we can and must pursue practical steps that actually reduce abortion rates. Three-fourths of women who have an abortion say a primary reason is that they cannot afford to raise a child,* so reducing poverty and supporting low-income women is a good place for our candidates to start.

Recent research affirms that social and economic support for women and vulnerable families are effective solutions to lowering the abortion rate, including greater access to health care, poverty reduction, adoption reform, and pre- and postnatal care.**

Republicans and Democrats must learn to work together on this issue – tell the presidential candidates to lead the way, beginning at this Wednesday’s debate. We must look forward to the day when both poverty reduction and abortion reduction are nonpartisan issues and bipartisan causes.

Both Senators McCain and Obama have offered themselves as agents of change, anxious to transform the culture in Washington. They could start at Wednesday night’s debate by offering a comprehensive “life” agenda and committing to work with both sides of the political aisle to dramatically reduce abortions in the United States.

Despite their differences over issues of choice, both the Democratic and Republican platforms open up the prospects for serious abortion reduction. And Christians could and should hold both political parties accountable for protecting human dignity and life from “womb to tomb.”

With the final debate Wednesday night, there is still time to ask the candidates to cross old divisions and support life and human dignity.

Sojourners will continue working with both Republicans and Democrats in the next Congress to push for common-ground efforts to reduce the number of abortions in the United States.

Will you join us? Click here to take action today.

In faith,

Jim Wallis
President, Sojourners

P.S. Supporting a consistent life agenda could be led by the church! We strongly urge you to send this message to your friends and family after you e-mail the candidates, especially those who might have different opinions. See if you can agree on expanding the consistency of all the “life” issues, with a real commitment to reducing the number of abortions through common-ground solutions.

*See “Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States” published by the Guttmacher Institute.

**See, for example, “Reducing Abortion in America: The Effect of Economic and Social Supports,” a new study put forward by Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Sojourners.

To stop receiving Sojourners Action Alerts , click to unsubscribe.

To stop ALL email from Sojourners, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with “remove” in the subject line).

Oct

The Life of Brian

Posted by brianrants at 9:58 pm

This morning I attempted to empty our cross cut shredder. I lost my
grip on the trash bag and scattered corporate confetti all across the
floor.

I grabbed the vacuum from the closet, which I later learned from our
landlord hadn’t been emptied in about 2 years, and proceeded to spread
a fine layer of white dust all across our carpet.

Realizing that I would need some other solution to clean the carpet, I
picked up the garbage bag and in the process smacked my tall mug,
which hit the floor with a certain velocity, knocking the top off and
spreading Celestial Seasoning Madagascar Vanilla Rooibus tea all over
the carpet.

I guess that’s what happens with a klutz and 4 employees in a 185ft2.

But some good news…tomorrow we move into our new office in the
Ballpark District in Denver. 16 foot ceilings, wood floors, exposed
brick…and 5 times more space!

Also…Rooibus tea is friggin amazing good. The highest in antioxidant
of any tea, and it’s an herbal tea (so no caffeine!)

Another chapter in…the Life of Brian

–
Brian Rants
brianrants@gmail.com

May

What’s up now? Apple takes it

Posted by brianrants at 11:35 pm

For those who still haven't seen the light

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145502-pg,1/article.html

"Computer owners were asked to rate their experience based on three
criteria: Whether the manufacturer solved their problem, how long they
waited to talk with someone on the phone, and how knowledgeable the
support staff were. Apple received the highest ranking of "Better" in
all three areas for both laptops and desktops–the only company to do
so."

It is strangely exciting to use something that actually works, and
have good support when it doesn't.

–
Brian Rants
brianrants@gmail.com

Feb

Jesus is the answer? What is the question?

Posted by brianrants at 10:58 pm

Here is one of my favorite quotes, first shared with me by Tim Pynes
>
> "Jesus is asked 183 questions directly in the four Gospels. He only
> answered three of them forthrightly. The others he either ignored,
> kept silent about, asked a question in return, changed the subject,
> told a story or gave an audio/visual aid to make his point, told
> them it was the wrong question, revealed their insincerity or
> hypocrisy, made the exactly opposite point, or redirected the
> question elsewhere!
>
> Check it out for yourself. He himself asks 307 questions, which
> would seem to set a pattern for imitation. Considering this, it is
> really rather amazing that the church became an official answering
> machine and a very self-assured program for 'sin management'.
>
> Many, if not most, of Jesus' teaching would never pass contemporary
> orthodoxy tests in either the Roman Office or the Southern Baptist
> Convention. Most of his statements are so open to misinterpretation
> that should he teach today, he would probably be called a
> 'relativist' in almost all areas except one: his insistence upon the
> goodness and reliability of God. That was his only consistent
> absolute."
>
> Richard Rohr
>

Oct

Support the people of Burma

Posted by brianrants at 3:19 pm

The people of Myanmar/Burma have suffered long enough under a military regime. If you have a couple minutes to sign a petition, check out the link below.

Brian

==========

Dear friends,

 The worst is happening - over the last few days,

Burma 's generals have unleashed terror on the peaceful monks and

 protesters shooting and beating many to death, and taking others away

 to torture chambers where at this moment they must be enduring the

  unbearable.

We can stop this horror. Burma's powerful

  sponsor China can halt the killing, if it believes that its

 international reputation and the  2008 Olympics in Beijing depend on

 it. To convince the Chinese government, Avaaz is launching a major global

 and Asian ad campaign on Tuesday that will deliver our message and the

   number of signers. Our petition has exploded to over 200,000 signers

 in just 72 hours, but we need 1 million voices to be the global roar

 that will get China's attention. If every one of us forwards

 this email to just 20 friends, we'll reach our target in the next 72

   hours. Please sign the petition at the link below -if you

 haven't already- and forward this email to everyone you care

 about:

   http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/q.php?cl=21180845">  http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/q.php

The petition will also be delivered to the UN

 Secretary-General, and we will broadcast the news of our effort over radio to Burma's

 people, telling them not to lose hope, that the world is with

  them. The Burmese people are showing incredible courage in the

 face of horror. The fate of many brave and good people is in our hands,

 we must help them – and we have hours, not days, to do

  it. Please sign the petition and forward this email to at least 20

  friends right now.

 With hope and determination,

Ricken, Paul, Pascal, Graziela, Galit, Ben, Milena and the

  whole Avaaz Team

PS – if you would like to join in the massive wave of

 demonstrations happening around the world at Burmese and Chinese embassies,

  scroll down our petition page for details of times and events.

Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get listings, and more!

–
Nate

–
Brian Rants
—
If you live to seek revenge, dig a grave for two.
Ancient Jewish Proverb

Jun

3 long awaited words for Irish fans

Posted by brianrants at 8:52 pm

Good

GOOD DEFENSIVE RECRUITING

I am loving Corwin Brown already.

According to this article, he is finally creating a defensive
recruiting scheme to balance out the offensive juggernaut.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/NDSports02/706260423/-1/NDSPORTS/CAT=NDSports02

–
Brian Rants
—
"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

« Previous Page