Natural Law on Issues, Etc.

Natural Law is an area I'd like to learn more about. How does God and creation (nature) reveal certain moral truths aside from those contained in Scripture? Should every nation base its laws on Natural Law even if the citizens are not Christians? Can Natural Law "speak" to people in a post-Christian society?

I heard a good podcast discussing Natural Law recently by Dr. J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas on Issues, Etc.

The podcast on Issues, Etc is at:
http://www.issuesetc.org/podcast/265070309H2p.mp3

Also, Dr. J. Budziszewski has a book on Natural Law entitled "The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction." You can order the book through Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/m7lka5

August 2nd V-J Day Ceremony at White Chapel Memorial Park

White Chapel Memorial Park will host its 61st annual V-J Day remembrance event for veterans, their families and the general public. The event is to feature the Gold Star Mothers, who are scheduled to march down the flag-lined boulevard at White Chapel to the World War II Memorial, the site constructed for the 1948 V-J Day memorial in which 115 soldiers and sailors were buried.

The event is to start at noon Sunday (August 2) at the cemetery, 621 W. Long Lake Road. For information on the ceremony, call 248-362-7670.

Two Reasons I Like Vacations

Yes, I enjoy reading and taking a nap. We had a great vacation the week of July 11th at Paradise Lake in northern Michigan.

Here I am taking a nap in between short reads from "Moneyball" and "The Book of Concord."

Mises on the Role of Government

Another quote from Ludwig von Mises …

The maintenance of a government apparatus of courts, police officers, prisons, and of armed forces requires considerable expenditure. To levy taxes for these purposes is fully compatible with the freedom the individual enjoys in a free market economy. To assert this does not, of course, amount to a justification of the confiscatory and discriminatory taxation methods practiced today by the self-styled progressive governments. There is need to stress this fact, because in our age of interventionism and the steady “progress” toward totalitarianism the governments employ the power to tax for the destruction of the market economy. Every step a government takes beyond the fulfillment of its essential functions of protecting the smooth operation of the market economy against aggression, whether on the part of domestic or foreign disturbers, is a step forward on a road that directly leads into the totalitarian system where there is no freedom at all.

This quote is also from his book “Human Action.”

The Self-Deification of Government Interventionists

Here's a great quote from Ludwig von Mises...

All this passionate praise of the supereminence of government action is but a poor disguise for the individual interventionist's self-deification. The great god State is a great god only because it is expected to do exclusively what the individual advocate of interventionism wants to see achieved. Only that plan is genuine which the individual planner fully approves. All other plans are simply counterfeit. In saying "plan" what the author of a book on the benefits of planning has in mind is, of course, his own plan alone. He does not take into account the possibility that the plan which the government puts into practice may differ from his own plan. The various planners agree only with regard to their rejection of laissez faire, i.e., the individuals' discretion to choose and to act. They entirely disagree with regard to the choice of the unique plan to be adopted. To every exposure of the manifest and incontestable defects of interventionist policies the champions of interventionism react in the same way. These faults, they say, were the results of spurious interventionism; what we are advocating is good interventionism, not bad interventionism. And, of course, good interventionism is the professor's own brand.

This is from Mises' book "Human Action."

Christ Have Mercy by Pastor Matthew Harrison

Rev. Matt Harrison, Executive Director of LCMS World Relief & Human Care, has written a new book "Christ Have Mercy: How to Put Your Faith in Action."

Here's an excerpt...

Christ, have mercy! This is an unprecedented time of opportunity for the Church, and mercy is the key to seizing the moment. This book is written with the conviction that mercy—the mercy of Christ to and for us—and our demonstration of that mercy to those within and outside the Body of Christ is the key to the future of the Church. Mercy is the key to mission and stewardship. It is the key to living our Christian lives together in love and forgiveness. We desperately need to learn more deeply of the mercy of Christ so we may learn how to care for one another in the Church.

You can order "Christ Have Mercy: How to Put Your Faith in Action" by clicking on this link:
http://tinyurl.com/ndegxn

You can listen to Pastor Harrison being interviewed about "Mercy" on "Issues, Etc" by clicking on this link:
http://www.issuesetc.org/podcast/262063009H2p.mp3

BSA National Jamboree 1969

Nostalgia strikes. In composing my blog posting last week on the Apollo 11 mission, I was curious to see if there was any historical information on the 1969 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in Idaho that I attended.

I can still remember a lot about the trip to Idaho and the actual Jamboree. Our troop (representing the Chief Okemos Council) took a train from Lansing, MI to Chicago. We then boarded a special train in Chicago that was just for Scouts who were on their way to the Jamboree in Idaho. The actual Jamboree was a lot of fun at the very scenic Farragut State Park in northern Idaho. What made it extra special was that Neil Armstrong was the first human being to set foot on the Moon during the Jamboree. Due to the limits of technology in 1969, we were not able to watch the Moon landing live at the Jamboree. We saw it 24 hours later by tape.

Unfortunately there's very little information on the Internet about the 1969 Jamboree.

I did find a link to photos of the 1969 Jamboree at...
http://family.webshots.com/album/559404683FHPLvR

2010 U13 Troy Jet Box Baseball Tryouts

The 2010 U-13 Troy Jet Box Baseball club will hold tryouts from 6:00 p.m – 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 30 at Smith Middle School (5835 Donaldson Dr, Troy). Registration starts at 5:45 p.m. The team plays in NOBF and in a couple of competitive local tournaments. Returning coaches are former college players that love the game and are dedicated to teaching it. Contact Coach Tom DiMambro at tdimambro@wideopenwest.com, 313-378-9654 (cell) or Coach Doug Bladecki at bladerpi@aol.com. Coach DiMambro will not be available after 7/21 as he will be coaching and promoting baseball in Greece. Info will be posted at http://www.jetboxbaseballclub.com.

Troy Planning Department Zoning Ordinance Interview

I've been invited to be interviewed next Tuesday as part of the City of Troy's Planning Department Ordinance review.

Listed below are questions that I'll be asked.

Please describe your level of knowledge or experience in using the City of Troy Zoning Ordinance.
What characteristics of the City would you like to see preserved or enhanced?
What characteristics of the City would you like to see diminished or eliminated?
Is there anything about the format of the Zoning Ordinance that causes you difficulty in using the document?
Is there anything about the content of the Zoning Ordinance that causes you difficulty in using the document?
What specific provisions would you like to see added to the Zoning Ordinance, and why?
What specific provisions would you like to see modified or eliminated from the Zoning Ordinance, and why?
What changes would you like to see that could help make Troy more competitive regionally and globally?
What changes would you like to see that would assist in furthering the policies of the Master Plan?
Do you have any suggestions you would like to be considered that could be applied during the development review process?

If you have any suggestions, please add your comments to this blog post.

Forty Years Ago Today

Do you know where you were 40 years ago today? On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

I was at the Boy Scout National Jamboree at Farragut State Park, Idaho. Boy, was that a long time ago!

Troy's July 2009 Citywide Blood Drive

To supplement critically low blood supplies in the area, the City of Troy, Troy School District, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church are sponsoring a citywide Red Cross blood drive starting Monday, July 20 and running through Thursday, July 23.

For more information, go to...
http://www.troymi.gov/CommunityAffairs/PressRelease/BloodDriveCitywide%20Jul2009.htm

Troy City Council Meetings Absent from U-Verse

Last year, I sent an email message to Troy City officials asking about the possibility of broadcasting Troy's City government signal on U-Verse. After an initial email response, I haven't heard any updates.

Is there a reason why this can't be offered?

Troy's City Council Webcast Needs Improvements

Trying to watch last Thursday's webcast of the Special City Council meeting was a major pain. Both the audio and the video were working poorly. Most of the time there was no audio and the video image was frozen.

I sent an email message to Cindy Stewart and John Szerlag raising concerns about this issue.  Assistant City Manager John Lamerato responded with a message stating: "I totally agree with you and I will be meeting with Cindy & Gert to address this issue. It was unfortunate that with such a important issue being discussed that the web casting was so poor."

Thank you, John!

During the webcast, I also posted a complaint on Twitter. A former City employee saw it and gave me some technical information on the problem. When the signal is poor, that means the City is close to maximum capacity in web viewers.  That capacity  is 20 web viewers. It was a cost saving move and set up that way at a time when demand wasn't high.

In this day and age, I would assume that more than 20 people will be watching City Council meetings on the web.

The 15th Annual Food Fight on Big Beaver

The 15th Annual Food Fight on Big Beaver (and Beyond) is coming to town Monday, July 13 through Friday, July 24. Area businesses, companies and individuals are encouraged to donate to this food-drive program that benefits Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan. Food collection bins will be placed in City Hall at the east and west entrances (500 W. Big Beaver), the Troy Public Library (510 W. Big Beaver) and the Troy Community Center (3179 Livernois).

For more information, go to:
http://www.troymi.gov/CommunityAffairs/PressRelease/FoodFight2009.htm

Brian Murphy Leaving Troy?

Is Troy Assistant City Manager Brian Murphy leaving Troy to assume a position in Plainfield, IL? According to the Plainfield Enterprise, the Plainfield Village Board on July 6 authorized Mayor Michael Collins to execute an employment contract with Brian to become the new village administrator.

Twitter Milestone

I now have 100 followers on Twitter. You too can follow me on Twitter.

Go to http://twitter.com/DALambert

Troy City Council Decides to Offer Job to Szerlag

Instead of selecting one of the five finalists, the Troy City Council decided to offer the City Manager's position to John Szerlag. He was not one of the finalists and, in fact, didn't even apply for the job.

Szerlag is the Interim City Manager. He is also a former Troy City Manager. If he accepts the offer, it's doubtful that John will serve in the position for a lengthy period. I believe his current career aspirations lie in the area of becoming an independent contractor who offers his services to municipalities as an interim City Manager.

Troy's Next City Manager to be Selected Tonight

Troy City Council will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Council Boardroom, City Hall, 500 W. Big Beaver, for the purpose of selecting a new City Manager.  The meeting is open to the public.

One of the individuals pictured below will be selected.

Left to right: Steven S. Ault, Jane Bais-DiSessa

Left to right: James C. Payne, Pamela Weaver Antil, John M. Gabor

Vote for Brandon Inge for 2009 MLB All-Star Game

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Twitter Posts from DALambert

DALambert: Disappointed with the Tiger's lack of hitting. Not only do they lose to KC, they get out-hit. Wonder if Dombrowski has a trade in the works?

DALambert: @WhiteHorseInn We sang a couple of patriotic songs. I'm very patriotic but not comfortable singing these songs during the Divine Service.

DALambert: Saw CUNA economist’s estimate - US economic recovery may be in 4th qtr 2009 from the previously predicted 3rd qtr: http://tinyurl.com/lejwzm

DALambert: Believe that the US should support the rule of law in Honduras. Why has reason gone AWOL at our State Department? http://tinyurl.com/qfgpqz

DALambert: RT @MICreditUnions Great resource available for foreclosure prevention. You can watch the video on the Web site. http://bit.ly/Koobj

DALambert: RT @sanuzis On this day in 1854, the Republican Party held its first state convention, in Jackson, Michigan. #tcot #migop #rnc #rightmi

Independence Day and John Adams

Here are a couple of poignant excerpts from the HBO special "John Adams."

Troy Announces Revised Finalist Candidates for City Manager Position

The revised finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Pamela Weaver Antil, Michigan
Steven S. Ault, Michigan
Jane Bais-DiSessa, Michigan
John M. Gabor, Michigan
James C. Payne, New Mexico

For more information, go to...
http://www.troymi.gov/CommunityAffairs/PressRelease/CityAnnouncesManagerFinalistsRevised.htm