Rhythm Method Beats Condoms

Although I am still surprised to see major media outlets mentioning the Standard Days Method, I am glad Georgetown is at least aware that NFP exists. The real meat of this article is the last paragraph which I will paraphase. The SDM is more effective than condoms. I was pretty sure about this and it is nice to see in the media, even if no one will pick it up beyond this story.

As always, I was disturbed by the casual mention of using condoms during the fertile time since that is not NFP but at least it's another avenue to move people past some contraception and towards a holy life.

Plan A

An excellent opinion piece in the Buffalo News was forwarded to me from the CCL Community. I simply love the closing line, "Plan B has failed. It's time to come up with Plan A." It's good to already know what Plan A is: chastity. I hope the world can learn quickly.

Annoyance Doesn't Sell

I learned a valuable business lesson from my wife yesterday. Annoyance doesn't sell. Even if you think you have an extremely useful product that will improve the quality of life of anyone who uses it, repeatedly telling them so will not help. Customers sell themselves; I only present the products.

As I believe most of my business lessons will teach me how to be a better Christian, I realize that respecting your customers and potential customers is just a variation on "Love Thy Neighbor."

Here Comes Everybody

The Lord has now blessed me with the greatest Easter gift of all, the conversion of someone whose writing and thought I admire. John C. Wright has joined the Church and I couldn't be happier. To paraphrase, Wayne The Great, "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

Humiliating Lent

I think the best lesson I learned from this humiliating Lent, is that I am completely undeserving of the joy of Easter. Lent definitely taught me humility, through my near total inability to offer a personal sacrifice for the Lord. Now that the joy of Easter is upon us, I realize how completely it is a gift from the graciousness of God.

It's Been One Week...

Since I've tried this Stunt of consuming the products which I have been trying to sell from my home-based business. So far, I don't have vast improvements in my health but I was pretty healthy to start with. I have noticed that I attain full consciousness more quickly in the morning, my hands seem softer, my eye strain headaches don't come immediately upon removing my glasses, and I'm moving more frequently. This doesn't amount to evidence yet, in my opinion, but it is promising.

Another Reason for Self-Employment

In order to develop my business, I need crazy amounts of support. Not only business support as I learn how do to it, but mental support since everyone seems to completely support the idea of working for a big faceless company. David Warren has offered some excellent intellectual support for self-employment by decrying the ever encroaching socialism of our times.

Silent Suffering

As Lent draws to a close, I thought it good to contemplate the silent suffering that some people in society are left to endure, due to corruption and greed. It is truly sad that those who reach out to these people are bad-mouthed in the public square. May God provide the necessary graces for all of those afflicted by abortion.

Feeling Green

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Customer Number 1

No, that is not a typo referring to Governor Spitzer. I have actual sold my own retail goods to a genuine customer. I am thrilled. I can't believe how excited I am about the chance to help someone improve his nutrition and, consequently, his health. So far, this business is great. Intellectually, I know I will have setbacks but this is a huge accomplishment for me. When I tried Quixtar, I only ever sold one item to someone besides myself and I gave her the wholesale discount so this sale was one of my test for seeing if I can actually succeed in this home-based business.

Drug Water

Here is another article describing some of the pharmaceuticals which are present in municipal water supplies. I wonder how much anti-epilepsy medication I may be consuming?

Socialism Comes Softly

This greatly disheartening story out of California has me demanding choice. How dare California force such rigid orthodoxy on its citizens! I pray that this ruling galvanizes the Home School Legal Defense Association to protest unjust laws which cut to the heart of parenthood. It is a shame to see minorities persecuted just for being different, isn't it?

My favorite quote is the last one, when a woman claims that homeschooling is not "being in a place daily where they [children] would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety." If parents don't have a duty to ensure the safety of their children, who else possibly could?

Farewell to Armatron

A recent archaeological dig in my parents' basement uncovered a long lost toy from the 80's. I played with Armatron for years, even using it in my sixth grade speech on robots. Sadly, it had bitten the dust and it no longer worked. It would have required, at least, a new electric motor and the schematics to reassemble it. After all these years, I couldn't resist taking it apart to see if I could repair it and it immediately fell apart, gears and parts everywhere, to the delight of my daughters.

I don't think I could have parted with it in any other season but Lent. I am constantly amazed at how attached I am to worldly goods, even non-functional worldly goods.

Things that I Wish Weren't Parodies

If these were real, I would so buy them.

How the Minnows Were Lost

Here is another story about the devastating effects of hormonal contraception on the underwater ecology. It seems scientists can crush the population of Canadian fathead minnows by exposing them to artificial estrogen at 5 parts per trillion. The male fish start producing eggs, instead of sperm, after two years of exposure and the population plummets. Who would have thought that the use of birth control leads to rapid declines in exposed populations?

Writing Yourself Rich

One of the other obstacles towards loving my neighbor that has fallen since I began this business journey is the objection, "He only got rich by writing the book on how to get rich." As I read various books, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the rich man.

OK, I'm retired at 38. Wouldn't it be great if I could teach all my friends what I know so that they too could be retired? Our kids could play all the time and maybe we could start up that Bible Study which we never can find a good time for.

For the first time, it seemed eminently logical and kind to write a book about success in business. I do want all of my friends to be successful, so why wouldn't rich guys want the same thing?

Unavoidable Smut

Even as I enter the business world, I detest many of its methods. For example, I recently received an issue of Watch! for free in the mail. I never had to take custody of my eyes from my daily post before this publicity stunt. I was completely vindicated in my decision to cancel cable television and I happily recycled the magazine for a donation to the church. At least my business will never stoop to using sex to sell. Viva la Revolution!

Loving my Neighbor through Business

As I launch my entrepreneurial ventures, again, I bring an awareness of morality to the research I am doing into finance, business, and investing. That sense of morality, as well as that research, was completely lacking the first time I tried to start a business. I have already experienced great rewards from the research I am doing.

The first observation that has been important to me is that people get rich by providing a service to others. I know that some services would obviously be immoral, such as pornography, but for the first time, I think that maybe some rich people are really good at serving people. After all, McDonald's serves millions daily. Most of the books that I read indicate a social awareness and a desire to meet the needs of people which plays a big part in being a successful businessman.

A major prejudice dropped when I realized how much I had assumed that businessmen were successful only through deceit, maybe some of the rich actually helped millions of people. I hope to help people through Reliv as well as providing for my family.