Hal Young's Blog, page 47

Driver's Ed Moments

We love Driver's Ed. In our county, homeschoolers join in the public school classes for driver's ed before they can get their learner's permit. This is great! Three hours a day for two and a half weeks of the state driver's education curriculum pretty much cures them of wondering if they are missing something by doing high school at home.

We love Mr. Woodard and Mr. Hooks, the dedicated men who have taught these yahoos to drive for decades. They do a great job keeping a huge class under control, passing on the wisdom these kids need, and then teaching them to drive safely and well. Whatever they pay them, it isn't enough.

Some of the students are another story, though. Every evening this week, our son Sam has had us all in stitches telling us what happened that day. Here's a small sample:

Instructor: "blah, blah, blah…magistrate…"

Student, loudly: "Midgets? Midgets? What was that about midgets, sir?"

Instructor to his assistant: "You've got this one for driving. I want to live another week."

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Student to group of homeschooled kids: "So, do you… [watch TV, play this Wii game, play video games, play with Playstation all day]?"

Homeschoolers: "No." "Not much." "At my grandmother's."

Student: "Then what in the world do you do all day???? Sit and twiddle your thumbs?"

Homeschool kid: "I go places and do things. I have a business. I have, like, a real life."  Unlike him, apparently.

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Another curious student to the same kids: "What kind of music do you like?"

Homeschoolers: "Oh, country." "Celtic." "Christian contemporary." "Classical."

Curious, stunned: "You mean like Bach."

Homeschooler: "Yes."

Curious: "Oh." Wish you could see the face that came with this one.

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Instructor: "So what do you do if there's a squirrel in the road and there's oncoming traffic."

Students: "Keep going." "Swerve anyway." "I don't know."

Instructor: "The point I'm trying to make is that your life is more valuable than a squirrel's. You don't agree???"

Student: "Sir, all life is equal!" Hoping I'm not crossing the street at the same time as a squirrel when she's driving!

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Instructor: "So General Eisenhower was very impressed with the German autobahn system and decided to press for an interstate highway system…"

Same Student: "Alpha Trion? Alpha Trion? Like the Transformers?" No kidding.

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Instructor, responding to dumb response: "Son, you'd better start shining up your bicycle, you're going to be riding it a very long time…"

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Asheville, N.C. – February 21

We'll be speaking at Simple Truth Bible Fellowship in Asheville, N.C. on Tuesday, February 21 !

Meeting Location:

Erwin Hills Seventh Day Adventist

50 Mount Carmel Road

Asheville, NC 28806

[Map]

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Contact:  Caroll Sue Priddy, 828-273-2933

 

What Happens When the Chef is Eleven Years Old…

That sounds like the start to a funny, or maybe even disgusting story, doesn't it? And we've seen a few of those, too. I don't think anyone will ever forget the Skittles in the rollups for lunch. They were, uh, memorable. Last night, though, was memorable in another way…

"Mom, can I make quiche for dinner?" I was head down in the taxes, so I didn't even really think about it. "Okay, whatever." He later asked if he could use the mushrooms in the fridge and a few chicken breasts. Soon, the most incredible smell came wafting out of the kitchen. It smelled like a fine French restaurant. Suddenly, I was starved.

Dinner was exquisite. Incredible. Wonderful. That eleven year old chef took a quiche recipe from my favorite cookbook and decided to adapt it, adding chicken and baby bella mushrooms. I was so enraptured, I posted about it on Facebook and someone asked, "How do you get an 11yo to have an interest in making dinner?"

Well, we assign him to, I told her with a smile. We go through a rotation of chores and chef is one of them (I love to cook, but am pretty swamped with the business/ministry tax stuff this time of year). The chef either helps me or does it themselves. Eleven to twelve year old boys are aching to become adults and would far rather do it themselves than help me. I also give them pretty wide latitude to decide to what to make within the confines of what we have on hand. They love being able to make decisions and be creative.

It's really amazing what our boys can accomplish when we're too tired to realize he just asked if he could make something complicated and messy! Bahaha

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Wondering how to inspire and engage your 9 to 12 year olds? Check out our exclusive, wildly popular, LIVE webinar series, Boot Camp 9-12: Getting Geared Up for the Teen Years, or go ahead and grab a seat in this exclusive group now, while you can get the early bird discount (all packages $15 or more off!). All five Mondays in April, starting at 8pm ET.

Thanks to Jessica of Hove, UK for the lovely quiche picture since we were so starved from smelling ours no one was willing to wait while we found the camera!
Brag on your guys at the Let's Hear It for the Boys! linkup at The MOB Society!

The Problem of Pain…Enjoying It

It's bothered us for awhile. We don't watch TV at home, except old reruns downloaded off the internet or DVDs, but we do watch sometimes when in hotels or visiting. One of the safer channels to watch is the cooking channel, so sometimes we'll watch the cooking competitions. We certainly don't have a problem with competition. After all, it is used several times as an allegory for the Christian life in the Bible: "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1-2) and "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." (1 Corinthians 9:24). What we do have a problem with is pain as entertainment.

A few years ago, we noticed an alarming trend in "reality TV." It seems like when another level of competition is reached, the emphasis should be on the winners and what they did right. The focus should be on giving them the honor and glory due them. Instead, after the unveiling of the results, even the cooking shows followed instead the losers, watching them walk dejectedly out and interviewing them afterward.

"How do you feel?"

"Are you disappointed?"

"What will your family think?"

"How will this affect your business?"

Question after question, zeroing in on and exposing their sadness, their disappointment, their pain. What was that about? Where were the winners?

As we thought about it, another form of entertainment, in another century, came to mind. It was like the Roman Colosseum. The gladiators fought until one was incapacitated. The winner looked up to the Caesar as the crowd went wild, "Kill him! Slay him!" or occasionally, "Spare him!" Finally Caesar would respond - thumbs up or thumbs down – and if down, the defeated gladiator would be slain as the crowd jeered.

Or, worse yet, as the Empire rotted from within, unarmed people, even women and children, would be cast into the arena to devoured by wild beasts. This was considered entertainment and a spectacle for the crowd. Their sinful hearts would enjoy the vicarious thrill of the terror of the victims.

We began to wonder if we are seeing our own culture turning in that unhealthy direction. Instead of leading our own lives and coping with fear, enjoying victory, enduring sadness all our own, we (as a culture) increasingly spend our free time watching other people pretend to have a life for our enjoyment. Just as lust is never satisfied, vicarious emotion isn't either, requiring an increasingly real experience and increasingly shocking peaks of emotion. So we move from situation comedies and real-life dramas to reality television which is becoming more and more raw, more and more focused on sin and emotion.

This was brought to the fore today by an article on last night's Super Bowl. We watched it with our extended family and we cheered for the Giants, mainly because none of our favorite teams had been playing and Tom Brady's recent remarks after their win over the Broncos were cocky and offensive. When I saw an article headlined, "Tom Brady in postgame daze of disappointment after another Super Bowl loss to the Giants" I thought, "What? Why an article about the losers?" When I opened it up and read it, it was even worse than I expected. It seemed written to make sure we could peer into and dissect every moment of misery Tom Brady was feeling. It was almost emotionally indecent, in the way photos can be indecent. Leave the guy some privacy. Give him a little dignity. And I don't even like him.

Let's watch out for this. Let's avoid the temptation to leave the realities of our own lives behind and life vicariously through others. Live your own life, folks!

Thank you to John Hughes for the lovely Colosseum photo.

 

 

Clear View Parenting Seminars

Do you live near the Research Triangle of North Carolina? We are starting a series of parenting workshops hosted by Southwest Wake Christian Assembly:

Clear View Parenting

Do you ever feel overwhelmed or unsure about parenthood? Come gain clear vision and encouragement, and learn practical tips for raising your children.

Award-winning authors and speakers Hal & Melanie Young will be the main speakers for the seminar sessions, sharing their excellent insight from years of experience raising their eight children. Other speakers will join the presentation as well!

Gain solid Biblical perspective on the rights and responsibilities of being a parent, proven principles for training up your children, and long-term vision for true success.

Dates: Fridays from February 3 through March 9, 2012 (6 sessions)

Time: 6:45 pm – 8:15 pm

Place:

View Larger Map 

W.E. Hunt Recreation Center (Community Room)

201 Stinson Ave

Holly Springs, N.C.

Cost:  Free! (donations will be accepted)

Children welcome! Space is limited.

To register, or for more information, go to www.ClearVisionParenting.com

Hal & Melanie Young are the parents of 8 children, and are popular speakers at many conferences from coast to coast. They also have written books, including the award-winning Raising Real Men. You can learn more on their website www.RaisingRealMen.com.

Sponsored by Southwest Wake Christian Assembly

Don't Blaspheme The President (Or Anybody Else!)

Is that a shocking statement from a conservative, evangelical Christian? It's meant to be. We need to hear it.

As I listen to the comments following the State of the Union, the latest debates and the primary voting, there is a lot of harsh rhetoric being hurled around. Last night one of my sons read someone's comment online, that if Candidate X wasn't the nominee, he simply wouldn't vote in November, because there wasn't a bit of difference between Candidates A, B, C, or Incumbent D.

Really? No difference? None whatsoever? Not in their experience, their policy positions, their personalities, their family life?

It struck me that Jesus had warned, "I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

And I thought, You know, I wouldn't want to try to convince the Lord that that comment was an honest, objective statement to make.

This is what someone dubbed "the silly season," the time for political grandstanding. It's like the early stages of the playoffs in stadium sports – everyone is encouraged to pick a favorite and cheer for their hometown celebrity and all that. Most of us guys understand the trash talk and ribbing before and after the game are just the spectators' share of the competition. All in good fun. Hating the Yankees is a family tradition and all that. Dad went to State so of course we boo for Tech, and so on.

But there is a serious difference in politics, and I'm not talking about the serious aspect of choosing leaders and lawmakers. In sports, you're cheering or jeering for an institution, the "team." In a campaign, you're talking about individual men and women. That's when you have to beware of blasphemy.

Huh?

It's just this: When Paul wrote to his associate Titus on the island of Crete, he said,

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Titus 3:1-2

That term "to speak evil" is the Greek word blasphemeo – "to blaspheme."  If you consider that the New Testament applies this word to men and angels as well as to God, it means something broader than dishonoring the divine majesty. Compare the other verses where it appears, and you realize that blasphemy means to make a railing accusation that impugns somebody's reputation – even if he deserves it. Blaspheming God means you deny His holiness and take away the worship He is due; you accuse Him of being less than He is. Blaspheming a man means you assassinate his character.  It's the difference between saying a man is acting foolish and saying he's a fool.

That's why this conservative Republican turns off some talk radio commentary he otherwise agrees with – because I am tired of slander which parades as analysis. And it's not a one-sided problem, it comes from all directions of the political compass.

As we pursue the privilege of choosing our own leadership this year, we ought to remember those warnings. There is a real need to consider the character and actions of men and women who want the honor of governing our country. There is a godly and constructive way to compare and contrast the alternatives – at times, to criticize them sharply or even ridicule them (think of Elijah).  But there is a limit, and past that line, we're blaspheming – and we will give account for it one day.

Thirteen With A Weird Request

A reader wrote in last week asking for help with a son's difficulty:

We are trying to "prep" our 13 year old son for an interview at our local history museum. He would like to volunteer there but they seem sceptical as to "why any 13 year old boy would want to" (according to the receptionist.) We will have our son speak for himself both in the areas of his knowledge of the Civil War but also for his character, to the director of the museum. Any suggestions?

My first thought is that of course a 13 year old who loves history wants to hang around a museum and talk about the Civil War all day. Makes perfect sense to me! It may not be "normal," I'll grant, but I tell our kids normal means "average" and I don't intend to raise "average" kids.

It struck me that this is a perfect example of one of our society's major failures — we don't think our young people are capable of doing something useful, unless it fits restricted categories of yardwork, babysitting, and fast food jobs (now that bagging groceries, pumping gas, and delivering newspapers have gone out of fashion).

As a practical matter, we encouraged this family to do what they already planned — to let their young man speak for himself and take the initiative in contacting the museum and meeting with the director.  They might want to do some practice interviews at home, and ask the most obvious, undesireable questions (like, "Why in the world would a teenager want to spend his free time hanging around indoors at the museum? Aren't you a little young to be talking with adult visitors?") so he can gain confidence and figure out how to answer the tough ones.

[Side note: My experience has been, if there is a question you find yourself praying, "Lord, just don't let them ask that," then that is exactly the question you need to be ready to answer. This is true whether it's a final exam, a job interview, or a session on the CBS Evening News - and I've done all three.]

I'd suggest the museum think about Albert Woolson's story. He was the last surviving veteran of the War Between The States, and he was just 14 when he enlisted as a drummer boy in the 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, in 1864. He had a lot of company then, on both sides of the field, but he was the last man standing when he died in 1956.  Admiral David Farragut of the U.S. Navy was a seasoned veteran by the time he reached The Battle of Mobile Bay, but he was an 11-year-old midshipman on the USS Essex during the War of 1812 … just another example.

Surely if a young guy could serve in his nation's army or navy at that age, don't you think one could handle himself at the local history museum a couple of afternoons a week? Or maybe this museum doesn't really need volunteers, to be so quick to turn one away?

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Do you or your son need a new vision of what young men can accomplish? Like some ideas for non-traditional jobs and projects that your student might consider? Our workshop "Do Real Things" might be just what you need. Order the CD for $5.00 and shipping.

Thoughts On A Shipwreck

There are few disasters as riveting as a shipwreck. Thankfully they are very, very rare these days. This weekend was one of the exceptions, as the cruise ship Costa Concordia struck a reef off the coast of Italy and sank in shallow water near Isla di Giglio.

It's too soon to know the full story of why the ship was off course and steering into the narrow channel. There are probably explanations of why the crew members initially told passengers to sit tight, it was just an electrical problem. Truth, rumor and conjecture get hopelessly mixed in an emergency, and compared to other events like an airplane crash or a building fire, a shipwreck happens in slow motion. Maybe there was an electrical problem which interfered with navigation and steering, and at the moment, some crew members had no better information themselves. Hopefully the truth will come out soon.

What is immediately disturbing though is reports that the captain left the vessel almost immediately after the collision, and that men among the passengers did not give place to "women and children first" as the call went out. What was expected as the duty of a gentleman in 1912 – as husbands and fathers, let alone unaccompanied men, gave up their places on the lifeboats of the Titanic – seems to be slipping away as the constant drumbeat of women-and-men-are-no-different erodes the biblical norms in our culture.

This "every man for himself" behavior happens when men are not taught from early years that their first responsibility in a disaster is not to preserve themselves, but to make sure that they use their strength and leadership to save others first. The greater the honor and position, the greater the responsibility — Jesus said,

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more " (Luke 12:48), and

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends," (John 15:13).

That's what makes the captain's action the most shameful. No one expects him to go down with his ship (and in the shallows, he'd have to dive overboard to make the gesture). We do expect that the commander makes sure his passengers and crew are accounted for before saving his sorry hide himself.

How should a young man look at an emergency?

1. First, a man needs to stay calm. When people lose their composure, they act foolishly and do things like run past escape routes, ignore empty lifeboats, and trample other people.  When men panic, it can frighten other people into losing their cool, too. Rudyard Kipling wrote about steadfastness in the face of catastrophe and he started his manifesto for manhood with the words,

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too; …

It's that important.

2. Figure out where you can help.  A young man by himself needs to look for someone who needs assistance. It might be an older adult or a family with children or a young person without a guardian. It may be someone injured or in need of comfort. Occasionally it might be help with the crew, holding a door or helping carry a piece of equipment or rescue supplies.

A young man with companions needs to look out for their needs.  Are you able to assist your mother, sisters, younger brothers, grandparents? Then do so as your primary responsibility. 

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

3. Women and children first.  The reports from the Costa said part of the problem was men unwilling to be separated from their families. This is totally understandable and indeed, honorable, if there's clearly room for all. In this case, the list of the ship made it impossible to launch many of the lifeboats and rafts.  The blessing was that the ship was plainly just a few hundred yards from the shore, and even a non-swimmer in a life vest should have been able to paddle his way to safety in the calm conditions. (Remembering Rule 1, stay calm.)

How to manage this? I think the key was probably to recognize separation was almost certainly just temporary. If the men had agreed with their wives on how they would make contact on shore, they could have escaped by separate ways with less anxiety. In this case, agree to stay with the group as much as possible, or if separated there too,  leave word with the police on shore when you make land. In other circumstances, you might agree to meet at the car, or the restaurant across the street, or at the mailbox at the corner – any landmark in the area, a little ways from the emergency. Beside the anxiety over possible loss of life, the simple worry of being lost and alone is frightening.  Having a plan, even one improvised at the moment, is a great comfort.

Emergencies do happen, and we've found a young man with a clear head can be a rock to those around him. It can mean the difference between life and death sometimes, without rushing into the teeth of danger but just by finding the safest way out of it.  This disaster, with its great drama but limited tragedy, is a terrific opportunity to talk about how to handle the ultimate stress as a real man should.

 

PHOTO: Roberto Vongher, Wikipedia 

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Boys need heroes, and they'll seek them out if we don't provide them. Our workshop, "Where's Roy Rogers When You Need Him?" has practical ideas for finding worthwhile role models in real life, history, and the culture, and help you teach your whole family how to be more discerning about what they see in the media!  CD is just $5 plus shipping.

The State of American Manhood 2012

Every year I try to collect a few things from the news that speak to manhood — either a great example of true, noble, God-honoring masculinity, or a cautionary example of how easily we men fall victim to our own weaknesses.  Every year, there are plenty of examples of both types. We don't claim these are the biggest or most significant, but we offer them as items which caught our eye.

Respect For Women: Boys Don't Fight With Girls: In Iowa, a contender for the state high school wrestling championship defaulted a tournament round because he believed it would be wrong to fight a female competitor. "[W]restling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times," Joel Northrup, a sophomore with a 35-4 record, told the media." As a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner."  Read Al Mohler's column on the decision, and the repercussions.

The Importance of Self-Control: Legendary Coaching Career Ends Because of Another Man's Lust:  When former Penn State coaching assistant Jerry Sandusky was caught committing homosexual acts on young boys in the college locker room — on several occasions — the failure of head coach Joe Paterno, as well as the university president, the athletic director, and the head of campus security, to respond in a timely and forceful manner led to the firing of the veteran coach and the arrest of others. So many failures and falls, by so many men, at so many points along the way. Our editorial on the unfolding scandal drew the highest response of any this year.

Stand For What You Believe In:  Rookie QB Saves the Season, Credits the One Who Saved Him:  Tim Tebow was already an interesting character, a clean-cut, homeschool grad from the University of Florida, with a Heisman Trophy on his shelf. His outspoken faith in Jesus Christ and endorsement of pro-life and pro-family causes got a second look when the NFL rookie stepped into the starting QB role for the Broncos, mid-season. While nobody claims Tebow is the greatest athlete in his class, his enthusiastic leadership turned the moribund Denver team into playoff contenders.  God bless him.

Responsibility: Real Men Face The Music:  On a December Saturday night, Administrator J. Randy Babbitt of the Federal Aviation Administration was arrested for drunk driving in Fairfax, Va.  No one questions that he was drunk, driving dangerously, and breaking the law.  What impressed me is that rather than waiting around to see if lawyers could smooth it over, Babbitt requested a leave of absence the next day in the office, and one day after that, tendered his resignation. "Serving as FAA Administrator has been an absolute honor and the highlight of my professional career," he wrote. "But I am unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by my colleagues at the FAA."  Aviation Industry News reported on the story recently.

On the other hand, Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain saw his candidacy sink below the waves when multiple women complained of sexual misconduct or harassment in the past. When he suspended his campaign, he said he would be the first to admit when he was wrong, but he never fully explained how an honest man could justify sending money to another woman for thirteen years and keeping it a secret from his wife. Sounds fishy to me, and I really wanted to like him up till then.

On The Battle Lines: Some Fight for Freedom, Others Want Free Things.  As President Obama shut down the war in Iraq, veteran David French summed it up well:  "While the cost was very, very great, our accomplishments were real. The Iraqis may or may not have liked us (opinions were mixed) or shared our values (the cultural differences were vast), but no child should live under the terror of beheading or execution, and when we left hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were free men and women."  Meanwhile, a group of similarly-aged Americans adopted military language for a protest movement that seemed to focus on setting up alternative governments on public property and demanding release from personal debts and contracts.

When the Red Light District is in Your Living Room

[image error]When we were young, a boy had to led astray by an unruly friend or find an ungodly uncle's stash to be tempted by pornography. Not so, now. Now, it's lurking in the sidebars when he checks the football stats and is emailed to him by spammers. Boys don't even have to go looking for it; it comes delivered straight to them. A guy can hardly avoid being tempted by it…every day!

It's pretty horrifying looking at your little guy and thinking about him sitting in front of the computer screen looking at garbage like that, but the research is showing that boys are being exposed to internet pornography earlier and earlier, and more and more seriously. We've heard of boys as young as ten getting their fathers in trouble at work by looking at porn on their dads' laptops. How can we protect them? How can we keep them out of the red light district when it's right there in our own living room?

Here are a few things that you can do to protect your sons as much as possible:

Talk about sexuality with your boys early and often, in the course of normal life, and always in the context of God's law, marriage, and family. "Yes, son, that lady is dressed inappropriately. She's showing parts of her body God meant for her husband alone. I wonder how he feels about that?"
Warn them that temptation lurks out there and they have an enemy who desires to harm them and their future wives (Porn is not a victimless crime, it harms the watcher, the watcher's mate, the subjects, and their families). Show them how to shrink a window to hide a sidebar, remind them to think carefully what they are searching on, tell them never to guess at a url.
Install accountability software on every computer your family has access to. We like Covenant Eyes, we've used it for years. It will email you an easy to check report on each user in your family each week. Just knowing they are bound to get caught is a great deterrent.
Teach them how to fight temptation when it comes. Here's an excerpt from our book that explains how we do it:

A Fist to Knock Away Temptation

We do our best to protect our sons from temptation, but we know it is impossible to avoid it entirely – our own hearts provide temptation! Sons need to know what to do when they face the desire to sin. We tell our sons to use five important tools to fight off immoral thoughts:

1. Leave the situation. This is so important. If you are in the bathroom, get dressed and get out. If you are in bed, get up. If you are at a friend's house, go home. Leave a situation that tempts you.

2. Pray and ask the Lord for forgiveness and help.

3. Read your Bible. The Word is a light to our feet and will guide us to do what is right.

4. Sing praises or hymns to God. Sometimes music can break through the coldness of our hearts.

5. Go to your authority and ask for help. Our sons have each done this more than once. They say, "Mom and Dad, I just keep having bad thoughts. Will you pray for me?"

We lift a finger for each of these as we remind them, then close all five into a fist and say, "Five ways that make a fist to knock away temptation." We remind our sons of this often, because it is important that they realize that they are not helpless before temptation, but that God always gives a way of escape.

Raising Real Men, pp215-116

[image error]It's a scary time to raise a boy. The enemy seems more determined than ever to embroil our sons in sin that will affect them all their lives. The worst thing we can do in the battle to protect our sons' purity is to pretend there's no battle at all. That leaves our boys unarmed and unprepared. Instead, we have got to overcome our own shyness, face the battle head on and prepare our sons to be warriors instead of victims. God hasn't left us and He gives us all we need to follow Him. We want our boys to grow up to be truly knights in shining armor for their princesses.

For more on this topic, check out our hourlong workshop, Shining Armor: Your Son's Battle for Purity. Use the link above or the discount code raisingrealmen to receive a free month of Covenant Eyes – and help support our ministry.

Hal & Melanie

[image error]Hal & Melanie Young are the authors of Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys, Christian Small Publishers' 2011 Book of the Year. Check out their own blog, join them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

Copenhagen photo by Electra Stavrou

Originally Published at the MOB Society