Quote of the Day: 28 February 2018

“Power may indeed corrupt... but most of the people in power were corrupt long before they ever became powerful.” -@ThalesLives

Quote of the Day: 27 February 2018

“There is no such thing as an ‘open marriage.’ That's just adultery.” -Matt Walsh

Quote of the Day: 26 February 2018

“A good deed does not die.” -Teshoo Lama, Kim

Quote of the Day: 25 February 2018

“The hard things in our lives should come as no surprise. One of the earliest covenants we make with the Lord is to live the law of sacrifice.” -Stanley G. Ellis

Quote of the Day: 24 February 2018

"It is a misfortune, inseparable from human affairs, that public measures are rarely investigated with that spirit of moderation, which is essential to a just estimate of their real tendency to advance, or obstruct, the public good; and that this spirit is more apt to be diminished than promoted, by those occasions which require an unnusual exercise of it." -James Madison, The Federalist No. 37

Quote of the Day: 23 February 2018

“Doing an armed robbery is not like the flu: you just don’t catch it but grow into it.” -Miguel Gonzalez

[It is the same with most violent crime. The perpetrators rarely spring into existence fully formed. Rather, they progress from minor violations to grosser crimes.]

Quote of the Day: 22 February 2018

“It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.” -George Washington

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 21 February 2018

Here is this week's selection from the log of local police activity.

February 12* A night shift officer stopped a vehicle on the outskirts of town that had been reported stolen. The driver and passenger had some disagreement about who was responsible for the vehicle and alleged theft; officers cleared it up by arresting both on multiple charges.

This demonstrates a problem solving mindset. Thinking outside the constraints of a flawed problem statement, and resolving the dispute in a novel manner. Good on the local police force for this exhibit of lateral thinking.

Previous installment of this series found at the link earlier in this sentence.

Quote of the Day: 21 February 2018

“What really teaches man is not experience, but observation. It is observation that enables him to make use of the vastly greater experience of other men, of men taken in the mass. He learns by noting what happens to them.” -H. L. Mencken

Quote of the Day: 20 February 2018

“We're at a point where people believe in this right where they're guaranteed that nothing bad will ever happen to them. Ever.” -Joseph Zucofski

Quote of the Day: 19 February 2018

“We must eternally smite the rock of public conscience if the waters of patriotism are to pour forth.” -Calvin Coolidge

[Happy Presidents Day. Though I personally prefer to honor individual presidents rather than all of them.]

Quote of the Day: 18 February 2018

“With so many appropriate and inspired uses of technology, let us use it to teach, inspire, and lift ourselves and to encourage others to become their finest—rather than to portray our idealized virtual selves.” -Gary E. Stevenson

Quote of the Day: 17 February 2018

“Nothing says Progressive like convincing people your ideology is right by filling graves with everybody that disagrees with you.” -J. Kb

Quote of the Day: 16 February 2018

 “It’s nearly impossible to get a right answer when the question itself is wrong.” -Kathy Jackson

[Learning to ask the right question is a critical skill to learn.]

Quote of the Day: 15 February 2018

“The first duty any government owes – is to its own people.” -Dave Freer

[Though, there seems to be some confusion on this point amongst some in the federal government.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 14 February 2018

Here is the selection from this week's edition of the log of local police activity.

February 4* A neighbor reported a loud, possibly physical altercation between a man and a woman in a neighboring residence. Officers located a husband and wife who were enthusiastically watching the Super Bowl.

I love hearing about cases of things mistaken for fighting, and in this case, it's super easy to visualize.

The previous edition in this series is found at the link.

Quote of the Day: 14 February 2018

“It's not easy to be in love. It's easy to be in lust, though.” -Robb Allen

[The thread this comes from is good. You should go read it.]

Quote of the Day: 13 February 2018

“Giving leaders enough power to create ‘social justice’ is giving them enough power to destroy all justice, all freedom, and all human dignity.” -Thomas Sowell

[I don't understand how people cannot think ahead to when their favored politician is no longer holds the power they want to give him, and the consequences of giving that power over to someone else.]

Quote of the Day: 12 February 2018

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” -Abraham Lincoln

[Happy commemoration of the birth of Mr. Lincoln.]

Quote of the Day: 11 February 2018

“It is the very essence of religion not to have a sure answer to every question, for this is one of the purposes of faith.” -Ian S. Ardern

Quote of the Day: 10 February 2018

“To answer your question, Mom, no - this isn’t embarrassing at all…” -Mike Rowe

[Haven't we all felt this way, at least on occasion?]

Quote of the Day: 9 February 2018

“If you have faulty data, your solutions will be faulty. They won't work, or worse, will compound the problem.” -Michael Doyle & David Straus

Quote of the Day: 8 February 2018

“Sometimes I think I am but the imperfect instrument of that which writes through me.” -Sarah Hoyt

[This was great in context, and loses nothing as a stand alone sentiment.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 7 February 2018

Here is the selection from the log of local police activity for the week.

January 28* Police received multiple calls during the week about gun shots heard on the outskirts of town. It's duck season.

It is good to know that people around town hearing gun shots do not just accept them as part of the natural course of events around here.

One more this week, since last week's was so weak.

January 31* A caller reported a coffee shop employee offered to sell her something that "would really keep her awake," possibly drugs. Officers explained the coffee shop legally sells a product that, by definition, delivers similar effects. 

I do not patronize coffee establishments, because I am not a coffee drinker. However, if I were, I doubt I would theorize that the employee's statement was anything other than an offer of the establishment's wares.

Previous entry in the ongoing tale of a small city's police force can be found at this link.

Quote of the Day: 7 February 2018

“Gun laws are impotent in the face of those already planning to commit the most heinous crimes.” -Massad Ayoob

[As are all laws to those intent on breaking them. They provide only the prescription of the punishment to be meted out to those who break them.]

Quote of the Day: 6 February 2018

“The Culture War is actually a sort of Cold American Civil War. If current trends continue, it's likely to go Hot sooner or later.” -@ThalesLives

[Several posts in that thread are worth reading.]

Quote of the Day: 5 February 2018

“Good and evil are not subject to identity politics.” -Courtney Kirchoff

[As much as some would like them to be.]

Quote of the Day: 4 February 2018

"True worship transforms us into sincere and earnest disciples of our beloved Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. We change and become more like Him.

"We become more understanding and caring. More forgiving. More loving." -Dean M. Davies

Quote of the Day: 3 February 2018

“Non-Westerners do not magically become American by arriving on our shores with a visa.” -Karin McQuillan

[It takes a desire to acculturate. You don't become American by your presence here, and there are many natively born people who are not truly American in their hearts.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 2 February 2018

This week's selection from the log of local police activity is a little late.

Monday, Jan. 22• A man reported that two juveniles were following him along a busy road, filming and giggling at him. Officers located no one matching the description.

This is the best of the stories included this week. And the only commentary I have is that it would not be my first instinct to call the police if I found this happening to me. In fact, notifying the police would fall very far down the list of possible responses. Well below ignoring it.

Last week's selection from the police log is found at the link.

Quote of the Day: 2 February 2018

“Well, it's Groundhog Day... again…” -Phil, Groundhog Day

[Happy Groundhog Day, y'all.]

Quote of the Day: 1 February 2018

“A government, at bottom, is nothing more than a gang of men[.]” -H. L. Mencken