Discouragement

Some days just don't contribute to the type of positive attitude that one with the hope we have in Christ Jesus should exhibit. Yesterday was one of those days for me. It's tiring and discouraging; it feels like nothing is turning out as I hoped it would, both in a broad sense and personally. And try as I might, I just can't change anything about the outcomes.

For me, this often comes from caring too much about something. Its failure or languishing in mediocrity (one in the same in my book) that leaves me feeling as though I have failed. What is often even more frustrating about this kind of despair is that it is difficult to pull out of, and failures there lead to further frustration and discouragement.

There are days when I wonder if it's all for naught, and yesterday was one of those days. I know there's truth and hope in the Word, but it isn't ringing true for me right now, even though I know it is. I also know that this kind of despair smacks the blessings God has given me (like my wonderful wife, a job and good health to name just a few) in the face. It smacks God in the face as I get down over temporal difficulties despite knowing that I have ultimate triumph in Christ.

I know all these things...but sometimes it's still hard to see through the fog.

City of Angels

Although I am not personally a fan of the City of Los Angeles, we had a great time there spending time with family, watching Matthew graduate and catching up with an old friend. First, pictures of the happy graduate:

I love this picture of Matthew!

And here is the whole family together! It's been too long since we were all in one place. For anyone who doesn't know all of us, here's the lineup from left to right: Andrew (brother number 3), Me (number 1!), my lovely wife Kristen, Benjamin (brother number 4), Matthew (brother number 2), my Dad, John and my Mom, Laura.

After the graduation, we went and had a party for Matthew with an old friend of the family. Danny knew my parents before I was born, and we've been able to catch up with him intermittently as we grew up. The home we went to was in Carlsbad, CA, about an hour South of LA. The view was amazing (click to see a larger version of the picture).


Here is the family again, plus Danny and his son Adam (top row on the left).

The day after graduation, Matthew took us on a tour of Los Angeles. It was difficult getting pictures by car, but I managed to get a few good ones.

The infamous Chinese and Kodak Theaters...

Here's Sunset Boulevard with a nice view of the Hollywood sign in the background.

I'll close with some human interest/ridiculousness. First, a few nice pictures of Kristen and I.

Finally, the ridiculous. We flew into John Wayne Airport, so naturally there was a statue of John Wayne. So naturally we all had to pose in front of it...

It appears that the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile was also on vacation in LA, because it was parked in the lot of our hotel the whole time we were there. Here is my family (sans Matthew, Kristen and I) basking in the glory.

And last but not least, the "silly picture" that invariably occurs whenever you get the four Groves boys together...

I hope you enjoyed part II of our trip to California. Coming soon part III will be all about San Francisco!

The Tax Man Cometh...

Love it or hate it, the Microsoft Corporation is one of America's most successful companies. Despite a rise in the use of other operating systems, Windows continues to boast a market share of approximately 88%. As a vital part of the American economy, the company continues to be successful, with a hotly anticipated new operating system, Windows 7, set to come out at the end of the year. Employing 56,000 Americans, Microsoft is no small business. Unfortunately, all that may change, at least here in America.

Announced in early May, the Obama administration plans to close a loophole in business tax code that will cost Microsoft millions of dollars. Currently, Microsoft's effective tax rate is just over one quarter of profits at 26%. This is due in large part to development and licensing practices that allow it to avoid paying rates as high as 35%-40%. This rate, higher than many European and Asian tax rates, means that Microsoft can save potentially as much as 15% of their profits by moving overseas.

Thankfully, that's not Microsoft's plan as of now, at least not completely. However, Microsoft's CEO notes that these tax changes mean that US jobs are more expensive to Microsoft, and that adjustments will have to be made. He notes, “We’re better off taking lots of people and moving them out of the U.S. as opposed to keeping them inside the U.S.” Other companies, like software giant Symantec, maker of Norton AntiVirus and other programs, agree, stating that tax policies such as the one proposed would, "hurt domestic investment, reduce shareholder value and increase the cost of employing U.S. workers."

John Thompson, chairman of Symantec, noted that he personally felt that raising taxes was counterintuitive to the government's stated desire of fostering an economy of innovation. He stated, “It is a little bit ironic that most of our most significant trading partners and partners globally have taken the tack that they’ll reduce corporate tax rates to stimulate economic growth and not raise corporate tax rates.”

It's in vogue to demonize business in the current economic climate, and at times with good reason. But it's poor economic policy to increase taxes on responsible businesses that contribute both to our economy and to innovation. Higher taxes mean lower profits, and lower profits are a demotivating factor in job creation. Lower profits also mean less incentive and fewer resources for innovation. In an economic climate such as this, with unemployment hovering above 9%, the last thing we need is more jobs moved overseas- the last thing we need is more taxes.

Sources: pcmag.com; bloomberg.com

The Scenic Route

It is often said that the Grand Canyon is one of the few things that, when you see it with your own eyes, it doesn't disappoint. Having seen the Grand Canyon, I must agree with that assessment. However, on our recent trip to California, I found myself with that same feeling as Kristen and I drove down California Highway 1, otherwise known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Beginning in Los Angeles and extending North to Olympia, Washington, the PCH merges with several other highways on its scenic journey northward. We knew it was going to mean a longer trip, but we figured it would be worth it. We were right.

Leaving LA, we came upon the scrubby hills as valleys of southern California. I was reminded of the geography described by the incomparable John Steinbeck in books like The Pastures of Heaven and East of Eden. In fact, the whole trip showed me the California that's beautiful, the California that Steinbeck loved.

I thought these mountains were beautiful, not realizing the stunning views that were to come.

After driving through the scrubby foothills for a while, we emerged along the coast near Santa Barbara.

We stopped at this spot to take a few pictures. It was postcard material for sure!

Next we entered the more wooded and rocky section of the highway. The road was one lane each way, and some of the curves were very sharp. Nevertheless, the view was unbelievable.

This section brought us through the Los Padres National Forest and the Big Sur area. We passed Redwoods and perched high along ocean cliffs. The view was stunning.

My parents were gracious enough to allow us to use their rental car for the trip to San Francisco and to find our way around the town. While it was a great vehicle for moving 6-7 people around, the heavy, wide GMC Yukon was a chore to drive on the narrow mountain roads. It made the trip all the more interesting!

Our last stop before heading inland at Monterey was at the Bixby Bridge near Carmel, California. When I was researching the PCH to determine if it would indeed be worth driving, I came across a picture of this bridge, and was convinced by that photograph that the scenery of the drive was worth the extra time.

This is probably my favorite picture from the drive. Views like this made the 10 hours completely worth it.

This was only the beginning of this section of our trip. I'll post pictures from San Francisco and Los Angeles sometime soon. When I think back on this trip, I can't help but be reminded of the importance of taking the scenic route. Most of the time we move to fast and bury our free time with a barrage of electronic messages...it's worth it to take the time to get away from it all and see the beauty of the Creation of God.

To all my faithful readers...sorry for the long absence in posting. I will be posting more this summer, and hopefully I'll finally get this blog template put together.

My Old Kentucky Home

I've lived in Kentucky now for almost 8 years, and the longer I am here, the more I fall in love with the commonwealth. The rolling hills, twisty country roads and hometown cities make this the kind of place that I really like to live.

Every year on the first Saturday of May, a field of horses from all over the world comes together here in Louisville, Kentucky on one afternoon to run for the roses, each one hoping to become the next winner of the Kentucky Derby.

I remember even as I kid in South Florida, watching thoroughbreds run in the warm Kentucky afternoon. I remember the chill that went down my spine as the pack rounded the fourth turn and the announcer shouted, "AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!" It's something that, for as long as I can remember, I waited for and watched with great anticipation. There really is nothing like watching horses run like they do at Churchill Downs.

Today the Derby runs for the 135th time, and although I will be sleeping during the day, I'll set my alarm and get up early, just to watch horses trained by Bob Baffert, Nick Zito and D. Wayne Lukas do what they were born to do. Will we see the start of the first triple crown run since Affirmed in 1978? Or perhaps Secretariat's track record of 1:59:40 from all the way back in 1973 will finally be broken. That would be a shock considering the probable condition of the track, but if time has taught us anything about the Derby, it's to expect the unexpected.

I'm picking Pioneerof the Nile as the horse I hope to win. With a race record of 8-5-0-1 and a recent win at Santa Anita in California, the colt is no slouch, but has never run on anything but synthetic and turf, so he's a bit of an underdog in the dirt (make that mud) of Churchill Downs. He's Bob Baffert's horse, a trainer synonymous with horse racing, and one I've always liked.

Nevertheless, the field is crowded with low-odds favorites: Friesan Fire, Dunkirk and I Want Revenge all could easily win the Derby, with Hold Me Back, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the jockey that rode Big Brown to victory last year, a possible spoiler.


But Pioneerof the Nile is my ride, and I wish him all the best today. If the current weather is any indication, the track will be sloppy at best, so they'll be plenty of mud flying as they tear for the finish. Post time is around 6pm EST on NBC so tune in to watch the 2009 run for the roses!

What Holds My Attention These Days

Despite my almost uncontrollable urge to blog, I will most likely be absent for the next week and a half. There are so many things to blog about: the swine flu, GM's impending bankruptcy and my reading in I Samuel to name just a few. Unfortunately, all you'll get to read right now is the list of things I have to complete by the end of next week:

Biblical Counseling:
Response Paper (2 pages) - 5/8
Case Study (4-6 pages) - 5/8
Final Exam - 5/8

Greek Syntax:
Learn Bibleworks (2 hours minimum) - 5/5
Textual Criticism Worksheet - 4/30
Analysis of Phil 2:5-11 - 4/28
Final Exam - 5/5

Preaching:
Complete Reading - 5/7
Final Exam - 4/28

Person of Christ:
Complete Reading - 5/6
Kenosis Paper (12-15 pages) - 5/6
Final Exam - 5/6

It's going to be a long week and a half!

Must See TV

There's very little good television left on the networks these days, and if you can find your way through the morass of reality television garbage, what remains is scant, and quality is virtually nonexistent. No network more exemplifies this than the great NBC. Gone are the early days of ER and Law and Order, when NBC ruled the ratings with a bevy of well written dramas with top-notch acting. Now, across all the networks, cheap thrills and jumping the shark are the order of the day, with most Americans preferring the dissonant tones of American Idol auditioners, the flat jokes of 30 Rock or the emaciated forms of Survivor contestants over the few tired or overwrought dramas left. One of NBC's more recent offerings, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, was one of the best shows NBC has had in a long time, but it was quickly canceled after a ratings drop resulting from NBCs lack of faith and patience.

Enter John Wells' newest drama, Southland. Wells' record has been spotty as of late, running ER off the rails the last few seasons with ridiculous stunts passing for drama, draining the last three seasons of The West Wing of decent writing, but having relative success with his show Third Watch before it too moved from the sublime to the ridiculous. Nevertheless, Southland shows more promise than anything else NBC is airing this season.

The show follows a rookie, training officer, beat cop and several detectives in South Central LA. The premise seems too stock to be interesting, but Southland has a grittier edge than has been seen on network television in quite a while. Additionally, the show is character-driven, a distinctive all but lost in modern television. It has a story that is told so that it grabs you, and the moment that pulls you in. The characters are dimensional and varied: a kid with something to prove, a detective balancing life and work, a woman trying to become something no other has and a quiet detective with a lot going on inside. I'll admit that I enjoyed the first episode with anticipatory reluctance; I wanted the show to succeed, but didn't really believe that it had the legs to do more than put together a good pilot. Episode 2 proved my fears wrong, and while it's certainly too soon to tell, I think it could easily develop into an excellent example of what television could be. Whether that means it lasts beyond a season and can find an audience is another matter all together.

The show's not perfect, but it's compelling, and that's enough for me. If you're not already watching Southland, check it out Thursday nights at 10pm on NBC. Support the good TV that's out there, and enjoy the drama of a good story with developed characters told well.