George Washington on religion and morality

Sometimes I get this feeling that our country is at the edge of some important precipice that will determine our success or failure sooner than we think. Being a religious person myself, I believe that morality is at the root of it. When the majority of us have lost all sense of what is decent and right, we are in trouble as individuals and as a country. On that note, I want to share this very good George Washington quote. The man knew what he was taking about. Here it comes:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens… Let it simply be asked, where it the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education…reason and experience both forbid us that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

It seems clear enough for me. Morality can’t be maintained without religion, and our country can’t be maintained without morality. I guess we’d better rethink that quest to get rid of all things religious in our culture.

Geothermal

Amidst all the talk of clean energy solutions and renewable energy, I hear very little of geothermal energy. Some people seem to think solar, wind, and hydrogen are the only options we have. Maybe it’s that they don’t know much about geothermal energy, but it looks to be a very good energy resource if we’ll just tap into it.

Geothermal energy comes from heated underground water that comes to the surface as steam, which is then purified and used as power.  Sometimes there is water already there underground and other times you would have to re-inject water into the ground.

My father-in-law is big into geothermal.  He could write an extremely lenghy book about it with minimal effort.  Through discussions that I’ve had with him, I’ve learned that the western U.S. is full of geothermal hot spots just waiting to be explored.  His primary interest has been along the border of western Nevada and Eastern California, specifically in the Honeylake area.  He believes, and many others will back him up, that a geothermal plant could have huge success in that area, supplying a lot of energy every year.

I don’t how much energy, but I do know that there was a plant on his land that used to produce.  My father-in-law has been looking at either resurrecting that plant or getting investors to make new ones.  He has approached companies in California, Nevada, and Utah and is hopeful that soon they will see the value that he does in geothermal energy.

Geothermal is renewable, clean, and evidence of its success abounds.  The entire country of Iceland practically runs on geothermal energy.  If others can do it, and we have the resources, we should do it to.

Tags: geothermal energy, Honeylake geothermal, renewable energy, clean energy

A Call to Marvel

Marvel and DC fans have got to love the current superhero movie craze. We’ve been dumped on lately by so many of them that we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Most have been good – some have been outstanding.

Yet is it enough?  Of course not.  The more the better, for with every movie made, so increases the chances that one of the overlooked favorites will get a movie made about them.  Who do I have in mind specifically?  The one and only cajun, Gambit.  And why not, I ask?  He had his own comic book series.  He was and is well loved by any serious X-fan.  He’s got looks, attitude, a romantic story-line, etc.  I don’t think a mere five second appearance in an X-Men movie would do him any justice – he needs his own production.

I’d like to see some others in movies, though they may not appeal to enough fans to have thier own.  I’d like to see Omega Red, Apocalypse, Carnage, and Archangel, among others.  The Angel was good in X3, but Archangel would be so much cooler.  And they’ve got to follow the Phoenix story line so we can have an appearance there.

All I ask is that Gambit gets his movie.  And if not his own, then a very prominant role in another movie.  He is too good not to receive this kind of attention.

Tags: Gambit, X-Men, Marvel movies, Superhero movies

1776

Summertime always seems to bring out the patriot in people. I’m no different, so I usually try to do something to remind me of the importance of the Independence Day season. I just finished reading 1776, by David McCullough, a narrative of the events that happened in the American colonies/states during that year.

Everyone needs to read this book.  I understand that war histories aren’t everyone’s thing, as my wife reminds me, but this book is so much more than a history of some war that happened a long time ago.  It is about the birth of a nation in the midst of terrible and trying conditions.  It is about the faith and perseverance that the first Americans had to keep going in the face of seeming impossible odds.  And it is an eye-opener to how events really went down that decided the future of this country.

I’ve always thought any book that examines Washington’s life and decisions, if only in part, would be worth a read.  1776 does that, but it also shows us how without so many others and their decisions – officers and soldiers alike, the outcome of the war could have been very different.  You will view Nathanael Green, Henry Knox, and others in new light and with much appreciation for what they did to assist Washington.  And I view the common soldiers with new respect after reading about the conditions that they had to fight through and the courage that many of them had to stay with the army.

Possibly my favorite thing about the book is how McCullough makes note of events that happened during the war that could not be explained.  There were a number of occasions when fogs and storms appeared just when the American needed them.  Many people at the time attributed this to Providence, and I would agree wholeheartedly that that is exaclty what is was.  For those who believe that the founding of this country was made possible by diving intervention, as I do, there are parts of this history that are truly amazing.

It really is a great read that will have you appreciating our great country.  And what better time to read it.

Tags: American Revolution, David McCullough, 1776, Independence Day, George Washington