A Look at the Life

A step in the right direction (Part 1)

2012-01-14T08:27:00.003-05:00

A year ago I was single, no children. Now I am a husband, a father of two, and about to have my first child. Make sense?

My now wife was divorced and had two children from her first marriage. When I was single, the thought of marrying someone who was divorced or had children was something I never thought of. After meeting her, I knew I wanted to consider the idea.

In considering that idea, I research books, magazine articles, the internet, and the Bible. I found little. I knew that my position, while not common, wasn't unique. Yet, I wasn't able to find anything about people in my situation. There was lots about two divorced people remarrying, but nothing about the single guy. So I figured I would write some things on the blog for those who are in a similar situation.

One of the first questions I had from when our mutual friend who set us up first told me about her, why was she divorced?

There are many reasons people get divorced, some are justified, some are not. Society typically views any divorced as justified, unless it is a politician. The Church, well, it has lots of different thoughts.

Reading online, I found several people who claimed that a woman who is divorced should not remarry because she is denying women who are single and not previously married the opportunity to be married. Others said it was acceptable if the cause for the divorce was Biblical. Others said it wasn't an issue at all.

Let's go to the Bible for the matter.

Matthew 5:31-32 says

It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus gives us clear guidelines on divorce.

So if the cause of the divorce was Biblical, it can give the single man peace of mind. If it isn't? Luckily God also provides grace upon grace.

So if the divorce wasn't Biblical, one would examine if reconciliation was sought, or can be achieved. If it has been sought but cannot be achieved, has the person confessed their sins to God? God's forgiveness is for all of our sins, including divorce.

Can a divorced woman remarry? Absolutely. If it was in sin, the blood of Christ makes us new and forgives all sins.

We will continue examine other issues in the future.

Dublin Dr Pepper Blues

2012-01-12T18:35:00.006-05:00

Guy Clark sang Dublin Blues.

I read yesterday in a Dallas Observer blog,

If you have but a single can or bottle marked "Dublin Dr Pepper," don't open it. It's a collector's item as of this very moment. That's because as of 5 p.m. today there is no more Dublin Dr Pepper: From here on out, per a settlement agreement just announced in the case filed by Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group in June, the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company will now be known as Dublin Bottling Works Inc. And it will no longer manufacture Imperial Pure Cane Sugar Dr Pepper at its bottling plant.

To remember Dublin Dr Pepper, here is a write-up from a trip I took with a friend of mine in June of 2009 to Dublin to tour the Dr Pepper bottling plant. The same friend from this trip.

The Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant in Dublin is the only place in the world that still makes Dr. Pepper according to the original recipe. You can buy Dubin Dr. Pepper there, or you can be dedicated like my brother and trade in your empty refillable 10oz bottles for Dr. Pepper bottled in Dublin.

Crates upon crates of Dr. Pepper awaiting trade-ins. The bottles aren't made any more, so my brother buys his on e-bay. He found out I was going and sent me with all of his empties to trade them in. If you buy by the case, it is something like 40 cents a bottle.

They have an old fashion soda fountain with soda jerks who make you a Dr. Pepper, or my personal favorite, the Frosty Pepper, which is like a Dr. Pepper milk shake.

After I had my Frosty Pepper and my friend had her Dr. Pepper, we took a tour of the bottling plant. The tours are $2.50/person and you get a free Dr. Pepper during the tour.

The tour takes you through the plant and describes all the equipment. It ends in the museum which houses only 10% of their Dr Pepper memorabilia.

The 6 various drinks they bottle at the Dublin plant.

It was a great day trip for us. If you are looking to get out of the metroplex for the day, this is a trip that will not disappoint, unless you are a Pepsi drinker!

How did they do that?

2012-01-11T17:33:00.002-05:00

Recently, a US drone was reportedly captured by Iran.

Mehran Tavakoli Keshe, of the Keshe Foundation, explained how he led the effort to capture the American drone.

The Keshe Foundation is an independent non-profit and non-religious organization founded by nuclear engineer M.T. Keshe aiming to bring about new scientific knowledge, technologies and new solutions for the major global problems like famine, water shortage, shortage of electrical power supply, climate change, illnesses, where at the same time by the use of new types of plasma reactors giving the Man the real freedom of travel in deep Space.

He started by examining how many people argued that Iran was incapable of hacking the link to the drone. He concurred that he hadn't used hacking methods in bringing the drone down.

There is no Hacking , but the use of advanced space technology.

In the past in this forum and in my presentations around Europe and in my international interviews in the past months, I have explained again and again that the Keshe Foundation and Iranian spaceship program has the capability of radar blockage and capture of material in airborne condition.

The Islamic republic of Iran has the capability of capture and landing of any flying object irrespective of their size and speed as seen with capture of one of the most advanced flying crafts in these above videos and the request of so called the most advanced nation on earth for its toy back.

In this case, there has been no malfunctioning of the craft, but this has been a simple capture and landing of an object at high speed through advanced space programs.

He next examined why the craft didn't crash after being taken over.

The craft has been air-picked-up and been put down on its belly through the use of field forces.

Iran has and will protect its territorial integrity through the use of its advanced space technologies, which it has acquired through new space programme and Iran will not use this technology for aggression, but for only showing to other nations that the time of nuclear and so called western advance military technology has come to an end.

In my inputs in this forum over past years I have informed the readers of these capabilities of this new technology.

The size of the 27 meters of the craft is no problem to cover and the speed of the craft is child-play for this new space program.

He of coursed finished by praising the peacefulness of Iran.

We salute the advancement in space technology of Iranian scientists and thank them for the peaceful use of this new technology and I am sure we will see more in the coming near future how space will be a peaceful place with this technology in the hand of peace loving nation of Iran.

Here is a picture of the craft being captured.

Ground Control to Major Obama

2012-01-01T11:04:00.002-05:00

David Bowie sang the song Space Oddity.

Little did we know he was probably singing about Barack Obama, who according to this amazing news article, has traveled to Mars at least twice.

Two former participants in the CIA’s Mars visitation program of the early 1980’s have confirmed that U.S. President Barack H. Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and was among the young Americans from the program who they later encountered on the Martian surface after reaching Mars via “jump room.”

Andrew D. Basiago, 50, a lawyer in Washington State who served in DARPA’s time travel program Project Pegasus in the 1970’s, and fellow chrononaut William B. Stillings, 44, who was tapped by the Mars program for his technical genius, have publicly confirmed that Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and that each later encountered Obama during visits to rudimentary U.S. facilities on Mars that took place from 1981 to 1983.

Their astonishing revelations provide a new dimension to the controversy surrounding President Obama’s background and pose the possibility that it is an elaborate ruse to conceal Obama’s participation as a young man in the U.S. secret space program.

Mr. Basiago states that during one of his trips to Mars via “jump room” that took place from 1981 to 1983, he was sitting on a wall beneath an arching roof that covered one of the “jump room” facilities as he watched Mr. Obama walk back to the jump room from across the Martian terrain. When Mr. Obama walked past him and Mr. Basiago acknowledged him, Mr. Obama stated, with some sense of fatalism: “Now we’re here!”

Mr. Stillings states that during one of his visits to Mars, he walked out of the “jump room” facility and encountered Mr. Obama standing beside the facility by himself staring vacantly into a ravine located adjacent to the facility.

It explains why the President has reduced the manned space program. When you've been to Mars a few times, how boring is a routine trip in a space shuttle?

Posh life for free

2011-12-21T14:51:00.001-05:00

I often fly Delta, including a 16 hour flight to Dubai. As such, I rack up quite a few SkyMiles. I recently hit gold which gives me free upgrades to first class.

Some of the amenities are nice. Bigger seats, complementary drinks, getting off first. But the table cloth for the seat back tray? Now this is first class!

In case you don't know the words

2011-11-25T09:46:00.001-05:00

The Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat 5th Grade class in Quinhagak, Alaska has provided us with a music video of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, words included.

It is clearly out of sympathy

2011-11-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

that I can't stop watching this!

Blessed

2011-11-24T09:16:00.002-05:00

Lucinda Williams' new album Blessed includes the song Blessed.

At Thanksgiving, it is a good time for us to remember all that we have been blessed with, including those times that we may not even known it.

What happened?

2011-11-18T19:42:00.002-05:00

I have no idea what happened. And neither does my computer.

Atta boy, Blu!

2011-10-02T12:28:00.003-04:00

I've stayed in multiple different Radisson Blu's and they all use the same shampoo bottles. I've never liked the bottles as I found the tops poorly designed. There were two tops, one under the other. If you pried it off to use it, either the first top came off and you could squeeze the shampoo through a hole or both lids came off. Finally, after about 30 nights staying in these hotels, I figured it out. You twist the lid and the shampoo comes through a small hole in the outer lid. This thing is ingenious! I don't know whether to credit Radisson with the design or my amazing engineering skills for figuring out how to open it!

Reading Rainbow

2011-10-01T07:48:00.003-04:00

A few nights ago, my wife and I were watching old videos of shows from when we were young. One of those was Reading Rainbow.

I recently delayed starting to read a book because I would finish it too soon. The book, Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea by Steven Callahan, promises to be a great read. But if I were to start it, it would come to an end. An adventure begun would come to an end. I would know the outcome and the suspense would pass.

When you read a book, take your time, don't rush. If you do, the book will end soon and the only thing to do is to start another.

Hotel Room Art

2011-09-30T16:33:00.001-04:00

What does this even mean???

Once is enough

2011-09-24T21:19:00.002-04:00

I posted this song back in July 2010, though the topic was much different.

Here is Lyle Lovett singing Once is Enough.

This morning my wife and I went to eat breakfast at a restaurant that I had heard about on the radio, Gary's Hamburgers. The morning radio talk show host advertises for them, so I had wanted to go try their breakfast, though once is enough. The grits, my wife loved them, but the cheese was just a slice of cheese they laid on top. The eggs, she said, were only good with cheese on them. The hashbrowns were downright greasy. But the chicken on the chicken biscuit, very moist and delicious.

Advertising worked on me, but once is enough.

Roy's 75th

2011-08-20T08:38:00.003-04:00

Roy Orbison was born on April 23, 1936. To honor his 75th birthday, the Spring 2011 cover of Texas Music Magazine was dedicated to him. I'm behind on my reading, so I am just now getting to this magazine.

Now I knew who Roy Orbison was, who hadn't heard of the songs Pretty Woman or Only the Lonely? But I had missed out on a huge portion of his discography. Songs like Blue Bayou and Running Scared I had some how missed.

Most impressive about Orbison is the influence he had on rock music. Bono said about it "The thing people don't talk about enough as far as I'm concerned is how innovative this music was, how radical in terms of its songwriting. As I become more interested in songwriting, you hit a wall where Roy Orbison is standing." He combined an amazing voice with a creativity he was not scared to use to produce some of the greatest and influential rock music.

Happy belated birthday!

Here are a few of his songs:

Running Scared

Mean Woman Blues

Blue Bayou

Song of the week

2011-07-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

This is an amazing number by Tyler Barabas, Laura Cheek, and Ian Latimer called I Know I'm Home.

To the head of the line

2011-07-24T18:22:00.001-04:00

I flew first class today. It was an upgrade because of my skymiles, not because I like to fly in style. The seat was bigger, there was an electrical plug so I could play unlimited Angry Birds, and my coffee came in a mug. Nice, but do people really pay for this?

Change for the better

2011-07-16T13:41:00.003-04:00

Not too long ago I was single. I traveled where ever I wanted to. I spent days and weeks on the trail climbing mountains or exploring the country.

Now I have a family. I'm married with two kids. I still travel and I still explore. But now, I have three wonderful people to join me in the journey.

And I wouldn't change it for anything.

How can you do that?

2011-07-04T07:35:00.003-04:00

One night I was hanging out with a group of people from church when a girl asked me, "if you are a Christian, how can you justify being in the military?" Fair question. Just a few months prior when I joined the Navy, an officer told our class that we have to be OK with the idea that we may directly or indirectly be responsible for killing someone. Certainly not something that seems too Christian.

Any Christian in the military should be able to answer this question. In talking about it with others I work with, most are of the opinion that is against Christianity but are still OK with it. For me, I feel justified that Christianity and military service are not inherently conflicting.

First, I think it is necessary to look at commands that say that killing is wrong. The most famous of these is the 10 commandments which states "You shall not murder." Another one would be Matthew 5:38-41, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." While these passages would seem to indicate that killing is wrong and that military action, even if in self-defense, would be unChristian. But I think taking these passages in context with the entire Bible will prove that these are commands on an individual level, not a government level.
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Service in the military does not entitle one to act upon his own in taking a life, but only while serving as an instrument of the government. As seemingly insulting as it seems, the US military is only a bureaucracy, serving at the whim and pleasure of the President. Any action one takes is an action taken not of their own volition, but on behalf of the United States. Any action taken otherwise is subject to punishment.

Romans 12:16-13:7 tells us "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Here, Paul makes it clear what we should do on an individual level, verses what is appropriate on a government level. As instruments of God's will, governments can carry out justice and punishment, even to the point of death. And as Christians, we know justice is a good thing. Micah 6:8 says "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Of course no government will always act in accordance with God's will, but Paul does tell us that they can carry out justice and we should submit to them. As Christians in a democracy, this makes our job as voters even more important. We must insure that our government officials seek God's guidance and act in noble and righteous ways, so that our country acts in accordance with God's will.

Can a Christian be in the military? Absolutely.

July 4, 1776

2011-07-04T07:23:00.001-04:00

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

I'm a man!

2011-07-02T18:04:00.004-04:00

I spent a few hours today working out in the yard, moving dirt, digging in the flower beds, mowing the yard, and the like. When I walked into the house, my wife said that I smelled like a man. I turned and yelled, "I'm a man! I spell M A N!" She was not impressed, so I continued to yell it periodically for the next 30 minutes.

The Place to Be

2011-06-21T21:45:00.005-04:00

My first job was working at Whataburger. I was a cashier. It paid minimum wage, but I got my meals half off and free drinks. A nod to the cook would get me a #5 at the price of 1/2 a Whataburger.

Now before I worked there I went to Whataburger regularly. After church on Sundays, lunch was at Whataburger. Before school, Whataburger was the breakfast of choice at least once a week in high school.

After I worked there, I continued to go to Whataburger. Many people say they wouldn't go back to eat at a place they worked because they've seen behind the scenes, but I was not that way to Whataburger.

I now live in a place with no Whataburgers, so going on a trip somewhere that has a Whataburger requires a visit. On a four day trip to Corpus Christi, I took my family twice. On a trip that has lasted two days to Florida, I've been twice.

#1 w/ cheese, ATW, grilled onions

Whataburger, just what a burger should be. Unbeatable, unbelievable, bigger better burger, Whataburger.

Sharpening the Saw

2011-06-19T07:33:00.002-04:00

In Stephen Covey's Book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he recommends that we continually sharpen our saw. He defines it as taking care of our physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.

The other day on the radio I heard about a new puzzle by Google called A Google A Day. Now this is my sharpening the saw! It may not take care of my physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual needs, but it is certainly taking care of my practicing my googling skills. If only it wasn't banned at work!

http://agoogleaday.com

Always anew

2011-05-19T09:08:00.001-04:00

A year ago I was headed overseas. Now, I'm a married man with two kids.

Less than a year ago I met a wonderful girl, now she is my wife.

A year ago I was thinking about what it would be like to single for my entire life. Now I'm a family man.

Who can know the future, not me! I can't see a year in the future. But I'm glad I am here.

Speaking the same language

2011-04-20T09:42:00.001-04:00

I was recently flying from Germany to the US. As we neared America, the flight attendant came over the speaker to talk about customs forms. She began with "Just some.information about your plane crash in America." I think something was lost in the translation.

Come fly the hungry skies

2011-04-19T10:57:00.001-04:00

Recently I flew through Charlotte. I was told this is one of the top airport restaurants in America. I tested it out with brisket, potato salad, and green beans. A beer to wash it down and a Cinnabun for dessert secured my vote for one of the top airport restaurants.

Friday

2011-03-25T03:37:00.001-04:00

It's Friday!

Watch "Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)" on YouTube

Life is tough and then you die

2011-03-23T11:25:00.003-04:00

In high school, I had a teacher who always told us that "life is tough and then you die" to express who lack of concern when we questioned the fairness of something. Her point was that bad things will happen to you so get over it.

Her philosophy is similar to that of those who say "it is what it is." And also those who express it in a more colorful manner that "crap" happens.

Sometimes it is not a bad philosophy. It is a great starting point for accepting the situation you currently find yourself in. But do not let that mean you have to accept that had to be in the position in the first place. To do so makes you a passive actor in your own life.

Do not accept that you have to be placed in a bad position because of others. Hold them accountable for their actions.

Do not accept that certain things will happen no matter what, stand up against it. Push for what the right thing is.

In order for the right thing to happen, someone must do it. That might just be you.

It is what it is, so find out what it should be and make what it is what it is suppose to be.

Necessity is the mother of all invention

2011-03-23T11:25:00.001-04:00

At the T F Green airport I bought a USA Today. While checking out the lady asked if I wanted anything else. Perhaps a drink? Have you seen our new texting dictionary?

Texting dictionary?!?! I'm fairly certain that if you need a texting dictionary you shouldn't be texting anyway.

To tell the truth

2011-03-21T22:41:00.001-04:00

I was posed an interesting question today, if you should always be confident, how do you know when to make something up on the fly and saying it in a believable manner verses saying I don't know.

I saw this question played out soon after, a guy was asked a question which he didn't know the answer to. He made up an answer and said it confidently. Someone retorted, "yeah? How do you know?" He didn't have an answer and was found out.

I've had times in my own life when I didn't know and made something believable up. Sometimes I got away with it, but it seems that I usually got caught. Maybe those are just the ones I remember. Usually some research could result in an answer, but I chose another way.

Maybe the answer is to just know all you can, then it isn't an issue, right? If only that easy!

I can't possible know everything, but I can anticipate what I might need to know and focus on those topics.

Perhaps that is the answer, learn all you can, guess on what you need to know.

The final chapter

2011-03-05T07:57:00.003-05:00

We've been following Dave Carroll's saga of attempting to right a wrong United Airlines. In the first song, he sung about how they broke his guitar and would not replace it. The second song focused on a developing relationship with Ms. Irlwig of United. The third song, a country breakdown, puts the issue to rest with the realization that lots of people have issues with United and the only one who can fix it is United.

Victory or Death

2011-03-02T09:42:00.001-05:00

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.

When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.

The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.

In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.

It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.

It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.

It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.

It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.

It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.

It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.

It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.

It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.

It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.

It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.

It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.

It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.

These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior. We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.

The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.

We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.

The Texas Declaration of Independence
March 2, 1836

Follow the Leader

2011-02-24T16:31:00.001-05:00

I'm reading a book by Steven Covey called Principle-centered Leadership. A most excellent book with lot of great ideas and thoughts on how to be a leader and how to get people to follow you. But how does one follow? Few people are leaders in business without a leader themselves. How do you follow that leader? What if the leader does not follow proper leadership techniques? Are you allowed to not perform to your best if the leader doesn't perform in a way that encourages and draws others to work at a higher level? Does knowing that you are capable of performing at a higher level mean that you are required to perform at that higher level, even if hampered by your leader? How do you follow? That would make an interesting book.

Responsibility

2011-02-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

What am I responsible for? I have a job description that says I am suppose to do my job. Sometimes I notice that others who do not work for me but work with me may not be doing their job correctly. Do I have a responsibility to correct it? If I notice it after they started doing it wrong, am I responsible to tell them? Am I responsible for not telling them earlier? If I notice something, it is right for me to tell them, but it might not be my responsibility. If it is right to do something, am I responsible to do it? This is why I can't sleep at night.

Mind your thoughts

2011-02-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

Our mind is very powerful. It controls our body. The thoughts that we have control our actions. If we let our mind focus or allow certain thoughts to stay in our mind, that is who we will become. When we allow ourselves to focus on things that are not of God, we will soon find that our actions, our being, will reflect that. If we allow ourselves to focus on things that are of God, we will soon find that our actions, our being, will reflect that. Focus on the world and we will remain of the world. Focus on God and we will become one of His children.

Listen to the radio

2011-02-19T01:49:00.002-05:00

Drew Kennedy has a song called AM Radio. Anyone who has been driving late at night, spinning on the radio for some music, only to find that the one good station you find faded to static 5 minutes later will appreciate it. In the chorus he says “say a prayer to save me from static, thank God for AM radio.”

In college, I would often drive from College Station back home to Corpus Christi. Just south of the halfway point along the drive was Victoria. In Victoria was arguably the greatest radio station, certainly that I've ever heard, 98.7 KTXN, Steve Coffman's Texas Mix. He called it the 100,000 Watt blow torch broadcasting Texas music up and down the coast. In high school this station came on the air wave and I was lucky enough to have spun across it on the dial. I found that late at night or early in the morning I could tune in this station in Corpus. I also found oddly enough that as I went south on Padre Island that the station came in clearer. Around Big Shell the station came in as if I was in Victoria. One day my Senior year of high school I over heard my English teacher talking to another teacher about a radio station he found that would only come in late at night or early in the morning, but was really good. He was speaking about Texas Mix. Old and young alike would shift their sleep schedule to listen.

On the drive between Corpus Christi and College Station I would look forward to listening to the Texas Mix. I would begin trying to tune in as soon as I crossed the Harbor Bridge out of Corpus and usually could get the station by Refugio. I would spend the next several hours listening until I reached the dot on a roadmap of Swiss Alps, just north of Schulenburg. It was at this point I would lose the station. Jut as I crested a hill by some antennas I would lose the station. My joy of listening to great music would turn to fists shaken in anger a I would spin the dial, trying to find a descent radio station to listen to, only to be met with static.

Run away!

2011-02-18T11:15:00.001-05:00

Dr. Tim Walker, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, once said in his sermon that he found that when he talked to people at previous congregations that they never remembered what the subjects of his sermon's were, but they always remembered his stories.

In one of his sermons, the subject escapes me, he told a story a football coach and how to make decisions. The coach said that when faced with a 3rd or 4th and short situation that he found the best way to call the play was to turn around and get a drink of water and not look at his quarterback. This way the quarterback would be forced to decide the play on his own and the coach escaped having to make the call.

I find that when a tricky decision is needed to be made immediately or a task is about to be handed out that I don't want to undertake that it is a great time to take a coffee break.

I am Burj Khlafia

2011-01-11T09:29:00.011-05:00

Today we will explore the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

First we must get tickets at the Dubai Mall. They are 100 AED if you buy them early.

The entrance to the Dubai Mall

The store on level LG where you buy your tickets and begin your tour

Now that we have tickets, we can begin our tour.

A model of the tower

Stats on the building

Moving walkway to the Burj Khalifa from the mall

The elevator is the fastest in the world at 10m/s, yet you feel almost no movement. It will take us up the 124 stories to the observation deck in about 60 seconds.

The view from the top.

There is also a store here, that sells clocks, polo shirts, and travel locks to remember your trip by.

Time to return to the ground.

Our Kind Shall Not Pass This Way Again

2011-01-06T04:36:00.010-05:00

Lawrence Millman wrote a book called Our Like Will Not Be There Again. The book is about rural Ireland, but I have always liked the title and associated myself with it, especially in the outdoor setting, though I usually get the title wrong and call it Our Kind Shall Not Pass This Way Again.

I worked two summers at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I was a Ranger, preparing scouts for their trek, teaching them wilderness survival skills, camping techniques, and going with them on the trail for the first few days. Philmont had been a scout ranch since 1938 and I enjoyed looking at the old photos of scouts, hiking in their uniform, though they were usually posed.

Perhaps easily impressed by their sharp appearance, I acquired a 1960's scout uniform and began wearing it on the trail. I would only hike with an external frame, usually opting to not use the waist strap, trying to mimic the ruck sacks the scouts use to use. I would often read about life at Philmont in the early days and would often times go hiking to explore some of the earlier camps.

Wearing 1960's Scout uniform and an external backpack while working on orienteering with a crew. Note bedroll instead of a sleeping bag and lack of use of chest strap.

Posing with black bear in 1960's Scout uniform

On one of these expeditions, I went to a place called Stony Point. Stony Point had been a day camp, a hiking destination for the scouts, back when Philmont was called Philturn. The only thing remaining of Stony Point is some old firepits and tin cans. While exploring the area, a Rocky Mountain Big Horn walked out. These were known to be in the area as the state of New Mexico had released some in the Wheeler Peak area just west of the ranch,. According to the Camp Director however, this was only the second sighting of one on the ranch he knew of. The big horn ewe came out, saw me, walked a half circle around me, and settled on a spot about 10 yards away, drinking water from the rocks. I sat there with the big horn for 15 to 20 minutes before I spoke to it, half expecting it to speak back to me with some message from these scouts of old. The ewe just looked at me, so I got up, walked a half circle around her, then departed from Stony Point, following the path of an old Jeep trail, back to the modern era.

The area was also home to several towns that were centered on mining or lumber. One of these towns, Ponil Park, exists today only as a ghost town. There are a few foundations left, the bed of the old railroad, and the graveyard. I often times visited the graveyard, studying the stones, taking pictures, and thinking about the people who lived there. Another graveyard existed in a canyon appropriately named Graveyard Canyon. I visited this graveyard, photographing it and mapping it. I once took a group of scouts to another other graveyard in the Valle Vidal near Seally Canyon that existed, though I know not what the place was called. After doing so I felt as if I had disgraced the site and verbally apologized to those who remains laid there, as if they needed it or could hear it.

Railroad bed in the North Ponil Canyon

Gravestones in Ponil Park

The land was also home to the Anasazi. There was a cave that was well rumored to exist in a box canyon that contained several artifacts from the Anasazi. I set out on an expidition to find the cave, taking information with me from those who claimed to have been there before. The expedition failed, I never found the cave, but did feel as if I was closer to these people who once called the land home.

Anasazi Petroglyphs

Wearing these clothes, choosing to not utilize the gear that modern technology offered us, and hiking in their footprints, I felt connected to a group of scouts I had never met or even seen. Perhaps connected to the people who lived on the land before the UU Bar ranch was created. Perhaps to the people who lived here before the Europeans arrived. Knowing few would tred in these footsteps again, I felt like I was the last of a people passing, as if our kind would never pass this way again. I felt I was a member of a group of people, as if only time separated me from them, as if I was born too late.

Grassy Creek in the Valle Vidal

Little Costilla

View from Mountain Lion Canyon Meadow

Our kind will not pass this way again, or perhaps our dreams will not create this reality again.

What is sin?

2011-01-05T18:13:00.001-05:00

What is a sin? The question came up with the classic question, if you were harboring Jews and the Nazis came to your door, would you lie? We both agreed that lying in this case would be justified, but for different reasons. His justification was that while the person was sinning as the Ten Commandments say thou shall not lie, they would be able to repent in the future. So by sinning, lives would be saved and the person could repent for their sin. I argued that the person did not sin in lying. My justification for this is that while the Ten Commandments do say to not sin, Jesus reminds us of what the goal of the Law was, to love God and to love your neighbor. Jesus broke several commandments, for which he was called out on. He justified himself, in one instance saying "is it better to do good or evil?" Perhaps by not lying I could feel that I had not sinned, but I did evil by allowing innocent lives to be taken. But if I lied, I would be doing good by protecting the innocent lives.

So what if a person was on trial, and I knew that this person was evil, that if they were not in jail that they would harm people, and that they were on trial for something that they were innocent of. Would I be justified in bearing false witness to make sure this evil person did not do harm? I would be saving innocent lives, but I would not be justified.

Micah 6:8 tells us that we are to love justice, give mercy, and walk humbly with God. To lie in this situation would not be loving justice. This does make an assumption that our justice system is just, we will operate under that assumption. To intentionally lie in this case would be against justice. While this person would get what was coming to them, we would not be justified because we went against justice. We should instead stand up for this person who was falsely accused, for then we would be supporting justice. But in doing so, we would have to find a way to protect the innocent lives we know are at risk.

To lie in the first case is justified because the government was unjust. To lie in the second case is not justified because the government is just. I think. We must ensure that we love justice, give mercy, and walk humbly with God for this is what he desires.

So given this, how was Rebekkah justified in telling Jacob to lie to Isaac that he was Esau?

Who do we follow?

2011-01-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

My freshman year of college I had a professor who recommended that we read biographies. I'm sure he even had us read one, though I don't recall what it was. He said we should read biographies because people before made mistakes and we might as well learn from them instead of repeating them.

Based on his recommendation, I read the biography of Ben Franklin and Nelson Mandela. Learning from the mistakes of others made sense, and I saw the principle applied in my work. In teaching, I would seek out the research of others, those who had tried things in the classroom, in order to see what techniques worked and what did not. In the military, I often read the reports of others to gain ideas about what to put in future reports or recommendations to make about operations. Little work is of my own, perhaps the processing part, but the ideas come from others.

In life, when faced with a new problem, it is easy to find someone else who has gone through the same thing and seek their advice. But what happens when you go through something and can't find that person? What if you were doing something you knew many others had done before you, but you didn't know any of them and no one else you knew knew them. What if you had to do something and had no idea what was about to happen?

Perhaps in the future someone else will follow this same path and I can lend them my map, the path that I took to arrive at where I am now. It won't be perfect, I made mistakes. So did those before me. I tried to avoid their same mistakes. If you are coming behind me, heed my stumbles, find another way around. Perhaps we are meant to go alone sometimes.

At least we're all OK

2011-01-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

One morning at Sunday school at a United Methodist church, a lady talked about how a local Methodist school was having to reduce its services because their donations had decreased with the recession. The class all agreed that it was a shame this was happening. One member commented that it was a shame that people wanted us to send our money overseas when we had such a great need at home. Most agreed. The church was about to start an $8 million construction project to build a new sanctuary, a local Methodist school reduced its services due to lack of funding.

UFO

2010-11-20T13:35:00.003-05:00

Jim Sullivan was a unique musician in the 1970's. In 1974, he was convinced to go to Nashville to start a career. He was driving for 15 hours straight when the police made him get off the road. He ended up in a hotel in Santa Rosa, NM, then later got back on the road and drove 26 miles down a dirt road into the wilderness. He had an encounter with a family, then was never seen from again. His car was found abandoned.

Here is Jim Sullivan's UFO.

Lyrics.

Shakin like a leaf on the desert heat,
his daddy's got a bog that's hard to beat
Bought me a ticket got a front row seat.
I'm checkin out the show
with a glassy eye.
Looking at the sun dancing through the sky.
Did he come by UFO?
Lotta tricks were pulled in a book I read.
Only man I know that got up from the dead.
Lotta people living by the words that he said.
I'm checkin out the show
with a glassy eye.
Looking at the sun dancing through the sky.
Did he come by UFO?
Think he'll ever come again a different way
and maybe he has come and gone while I was away.
Too much goodness is a sin today.
I'm checkin out the show
with a glassy eye.
Looking at the sun dancing through the sky.
Did he come by UFO?
There is something happening that isn't too clear.
Just a little different than in previous years.
I think that happiness is getting very near.
I'm checkin out the show …
with a glassy eye.
Looking at the sun dancing through the sky.
Did he come by UFO?

Be still! It's a man

2010-11-19T16:49:00.005-05:00

I love the outdoors. Whether it is kayaking down the river, hiking through the mountains, or watching birds in my backyard, I love seeing nature. Seeing life as it is without man.

But it seems that nature does not like man. Most animals as soon as they catch the scent of a man, freeze or run off. Marty Robbins captures this perfectly in a song, Man Walks Among Us. The beauty of nature, and the fear of man.

Going it alone

2010-11-13T09:17:00.002-05:00

I've written in the past about my desire to have a mentor. Someone to help guide me in life, to give me advise, to be candid about how I am doing. To have someone like this, one must be willing to submit to them. I am willing to open myself up to a mentor, to allow them to look at and analyze my life and give recommendations. But I haven't found anyone willing to be one.

I approached a person once about being a mentor and their response was that I didn't need one, that I was doing just fine. I knew the answers, I just needed to act them out.

I recently was talking to someone about life and the desire to find advise for some decisions I was making. I had been unable to find anything from pastors, books, or online. He said that maybe God just wanted me to depend on Him for the decision.

Perhaps he is right. I have had a mentor the entire time, God.

Missile away!

2010-11-10T18:58:00.003-05:00

Everyone has been freaking out about this supposed missile launch off the Pacific coast.

Is it an airplane? Is it ours? Is it the Chinese? Is it the Virginians?

In Virginia, two drivers got in a fit of road rage when one cut the other off on I-95. The victim chunked yogurt at the offenders vehicle. The offender responded by brandishing a handgun. Both then called the state police who directed them to pull of the highway where they were both arrested. The offender was charged with being a bad driver and brandishing a handgun. The yogurt chunker was charged with felony “throwing a missile at a vehicle.”

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Road-Rage-Yogurt-vs-Handgun-106917938.html

Sittin' right under the X in Texas

2010-10-31T23:25:00.009-04:00

Here is Hank Wangford and the Hankerchiefs performing Under the X in Texas.

The X in Texas is in the center. The center of Texas is just north of Brady. Let's check it out.

Our first stop is the heart of Texas, the city of Brady. The most important and interesting building in any county is the courthouse. This one proves to be no exception.

We have a few minutes to kill, just let's go check out the furniture store across the street.

Nice.

North on US 377 about 20 miles will take you to the Heart of Texas Park.

This is the ceremonial Geographic Center of Texas. The actual center is about 5 miles away, but who's counting?

The park has picnic tables like any roadside park, but also includes this tower.

Now, I'm not really sure why there is an observation tower here, but I guess it seemed appropriate for the center of Texas. So let's check it out!

The view from the top.

The graffiti on the tower.

This one is interesting. He scraped the paint off so it rusted and stands out quite well.

Robert W wrote his name on every step.

Jordan wrote his name in gum. Impressive!

That's it. The center of Texas, under the X, smack dab in the heart of Texas, thank you Ma'am.

Conspiracy in the sky

2010-10-24T22:26:00.004-04:00

Saturday as I was driving down the highway, I noticed these clouds.

Now, one might assess that they are contrails from aircraft as I was near the busiest airport in the world. But who are we kidding, we all know they are chemtrails.

[cue coast to coast intro]

Song of the week

2010-10-17T19:46:00.001-04:00

I love this song.

Guy Forsyth's If I was sick

A day in West Virginia

2010-10-11T21:03:00.008-04:00

This past Sunday I was traveling back from Ohio with a friend of mine. Our travel took us through West Virginia. Not being in a rush, we spent a few additional hours exploring the state. Our first stop, Charleston to see the Capitol.

We parked to the east of the capitol and both my companion and I needed to use the facilities. A public building like the capitol seemed as good as any place to find a restroom.

Parking on the side of the building, we came first to the side entrance.

The side entrance to the capitol was locked.

We followed the sidewalk around to the front. We found a statue of General Stonewall Jackson along the way.

At last we came to the front of the building and the statue, Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.

All the doors to the capitol were secured and we had to go to the Exxon nearby to find a restroom.

Our next stop was the New River Gorge Bridge. We took US 60 and WV 16 to get there. It was a beautiful drive.

Arriving at US 19, we turned north to cross the gorge.

The bridge doesn't seem too exciting from the car.

You would have no idea you are driving over this.

We pulled into the Visitor Center and checked out the exhibits, as well as the observation decks. They have one by the Center for looking down the gorge, as well as a walkway leading to great views of the bridge.

The bridge replaced the Fayette Station Bridge which is visible down in the gorge.

Speaking of Fayette, did you know Fayetteville, WV is the coolest small town? It says so on the sign!

Of course driving through West Virginia, we sang some John Denver!

I forgive you

2010-10-07T23:25:00.003-04:00

It is rare that we say the words, "I forgive you." We are certainly familiar with the words, but how often do we use them? When someone wrongs us, sometimes they apologize for their actions. Our usual response is "it's OK." No it isn't! It isn't OK! If it was OK there would have been no need for them to apologize! They are apologizing because they wronged us and when we says "it's OK," or "no worries," we are acting as if they never wronged us in the first place.

Try to say "I forgive you" the next time someone apologizes. The meaning behind it is much different. We aren't excusing the actions, we are acknowledging the actions, accepting the offender's apology, and no longer holding the action against them. We are forgiving, not excusing.

Try it!

Love and sorrow in Pensacola

2010-09-30T19:27:00.002-04:00

I was in Pensacola, Florida for the night last night. The highlight of my visit was getting to go to Whataburger for breakfast. Living in a state that doesn't have Whataburger, it is a big deal to get to go to one when the opportunity arises. That opportunity was this morning.

I had a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit for breakfast. I cried tears of joys.

I read the ketchup package that said "MFG for Whataburger San Antonio, Texas." I cried tears of sorrow.

My love of Whataburger was slightly tarnished when they left Corpus Christi and moved the headquarters to San Antonio. But the shine returned as I bit into the HBCB, with honey butter dripping off my chin and oozing off my fingers. Oh the goodness of Whataburger.

Momentous Moments

2010-09-26T21:06:00.001-04:00

I missed two momentous moments in my life the other day. One, my truck turned 90,000 miles. Two, I turned 10,000 days. How could I have missed such important milestones?

Time Machine

2010-09-08T20:01:00.003-04:00

The Internet Archive has a program called the Wayback Machine. Using the Wayback Machine, you can view how websites looked in the past when the machine cataloged the pages. I find the news websites to be the most interesting, to see what the headlines were on a specific day, especially since I know how the story turns out.

Today I was looking for a file on my computer when I came across an old profile that was setup on my computer when I first got it. When I first got my computer, it had Windows XP home addition. I had bought Windows XP Professional for the computer I had prior to this one so I thought I would just upgrade it. It seemed like an easy process until I executed it. I put the CD in the computer and said "upgrade." The computer said that since the version already installed was newer than the "upgrade" it would have to erase the OS and reinstall the new one. I said, sure! What's the worst that can happen?

Well, the worst that could happen was the OS was deleted and all my drivers were gone for my computer. The computer didn't come with restore CD's, instead it recommended using Windows Restore. Well, that doesn't work well when you erased the OS! Dell offered to fix the problem for a subscription fee of around $100 and Microsoft left me on hold for over an hour. I almost gave up hope until a friend recommended the Help Desk at school.

They did it! Not only did they diagnosis the problem in minutes, they even offered to download all the needed drivers from the internet and burn them onto a CD for me, all for free!

I thought I had lost everything, that my files were lost forever. Little did I know that lurking on my computer was that profile from the first few months of my laptop.

One of the files I found was a drawing a friend of mine made of his girlfriend. He had met a girl and started dating her and since I was out of the state for the summer I asked him to send a picture. Not having any pictures, he made a drawing. Spitting image!

They don't teach this in school

2010-08-25T21:07:00.001-04:00

In school they teach things like reading, writing, and arithmetic, but why is it up to the Cesspool Brothers to teach children to not play with dead things?

Render to politics what is politics

2010-08-22T17:37:00.003-04:00

In Sunday school we are studying 1 Thessalonians. Today in our discussion, the question came up of how the people of Thessalonica were able to chase Paul off when he was in other towns. What kind of jobs did they have that they could take time off and leave? The pastor immediately responded, "They were democrats."

Diversity?

2010-08-08T19:16:00.002-04:00

Diversity is constantly harped on in education, the media, the work place, and from our government. Last week on the news, I heard that Georgia Tech's incoming freshmen class would be the most diverse ever. They then listed the stats the prove it. The stats were based on race and gender. Is this really all diversity is? How we look? Why not our backgrounds, how we think, our personalities, our traits, our characteristics, our abilities? Things that really make us different, not just how we look. Sometimes I truly wonder how far we have come since Dr. King said he had a dream. Reports like this make me think not very far.

Float On

2010-08-04T19:07:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty content with my life as it is. If the rest of my life continued as it is today, I would do just fine. I would lack for nothing. Even when things go wrong they work out OK. But what if I changed a few things. Would it make it better? Would I later regret it or would I think how could I have done before without this? Would I just be content with the future no matter what?

Kayne's Right

2010-08-03T22:06:00.001-04:00

Kayne West may be right, this may just be what I need in my life.

It's the best one yet.

Love in the hot afternoon

2010-08-01T18:51:00.003-04:00

Couple of timber rattlers decided to make love in my backyard this afternoon.

The girlfriend waiting for her lover.

Here comes the boyfriend

Him saying sweet nothings to her

The following are not for children to see!

Couple of voyeurs

Song for the week

2010-07-13T19:49:00.003-04:00

I have unfortunately only seen Sam Bush perform once, but what an amazing performance it was! He played with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at Bass Music Hall in Fort Worth. During the performance Lyle had him perform this song.

What an amazing song.

I use to be, but once was enough

2010-07-11T14:10:00.002-04:00

I use to have a very Type A personality. I was always in a hurry to get things done, always looking for a fight, and always wanting to take an authoritarian lead.

I thought I was pretty good at this. I could pick fights with customer service representatives and even once got an order for a t-shirt for free that had been back-ordered indefinitely. I was always read to argue with the teacher or anyone else who I knew was wrong. However, I found this method often left bridges burned that didn't need to be burned. In a desire to be tough and bring the hammer down I sometimes dealt with others in a way that ostracized them from me instead of addressing the actual issue. The Type A techniques tended to attack the individual instead of the issue. I burned bridges with people and had to deal with issues on my own instead of just working with them to solve the issue.

Now, I take a different approach. It is certainly not a Type B personality, but a mixture. I am more authoritative in my leadership and dealings with others. I am more deliberate in my dealings with others and issues. I also try to keep the focus on the issue and deal with things in a way that doesn't attack the person. Instead of getting mad at the customer representative on the phone, I express my thoughts and concerns about the actual issue. This seems to actually solve the issue better than just yelling on the phone. It also makes things much less stressful. There is still the time when one must draw the line and be willing to cut loose on a relationship or business contract, but those times must be deliberate and appropriate. Not just because you want to be tough. I think I may have had an easier time dealing with people under a type A personality, it is easy to be a jerk, but I enjoy being around people much more now.

Once was enough.

Time Won't Let Me

2010-07-09T15:09:00.002-04:00

In 1966 The Outsiders saw their single Time Won't Let Me hit #5 in the charts.

The key line in the chorus is "time won't let me wait that long."

Someday I will probably have to make some decisions about things I have been putting off. It isn't that I am afraid to make a choice, I just never felt that it was time. I may have to make choices soon, I can't wait forever, time won't let me wait that long. But then again, I just might let myself do so.

I might not know, but who will know?

2010-07-05T21:15:00.004-04:00

Terri Hendrix has a song called Be Willing. You can hear it on her myspace page.

It is a simple song that talks about being willing to go out and seek answers in life. To be willing to have an open mind to the world around you. To be willing to admit that you can be strong enough to know you don't know everything. Several lines stick out, the chorus especially, with the line "you're old enough to know nothing at all."

I agree with her. There is a certain peace in admitting that you know nothing at all. To always be seeking out answers.

I might have some ideas that I have learned along the way. I know they might not be the correct answer but I will share them with you. But that doesn't mean that you know the answer. I may not accept your answer, but I will listen. Yet, I will also continue to seek out the answer. Sometimes I might just be seeking the person who will tell me that my answer is indeed correct.

Will you accept my answer if it is correct, even if it is just for me?

At least we can laugh at it

2010-06-30T20:46:00.002-04:00

I found a blog today, Stuff Christian Like. I enjoyed Post #550, Surviving Church as a Single. I would like to share a few of the 40 things that happen to singles in the church.

1. Your church doesn’t have a singles ministry. = + 1 point

2. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s combined with the college ministry which creates opportunities for conversations like this:
Student: “My roommate bought a microwave for our dorm room. I love being a Freshman!”
Single: “My 401K is underperforming.” = +2 points

3. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s a triad that combines college, single adults and divorce recovery. = + 3 points

4. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s the dreaded quad, combining college, single adults, divorce recovery and retired widowers that refuse to move to Florida. = +4 points

How true is this one! The church I currently go to has a singles ministry. I went for a few months but me and one other person were the youngest by 30 years and the only ones who had never been married. And this is a church of 2,000 people!

7. At church, people give you weird looks if you refuse to sit in the “singles” section of the sanctuary. = +1 point

We don't have one of these. I just get looked at funny for sitting by myself no matter where I am!

11. People are constantly volunteering you for things because, “you’re single, you’ve got so much free time.” = +1 point

I almost got in a fight over this one once, but at work! I was in charge of a meeting and had made a handout for it. As I was passing out the handout a co-worker said "figures you are single since you had time to make a handout!"

21. When friends invite you to their church they start the invite by listing both the quantity and hotness of the singles that go there. = +1 point

I've been told they are in Baptist and Non-denominational churches.

25. The person that leads the singles ministry at your church got married in 1964. = +10 points for each decade they’ve been married.

"Me and my wife lead the singles sunday school class. Would you like to join us?" At least he asked me if I was single and not if I was married.

30. Your best friend of 15 years gets married and then suddenly acts like a magical gap has opened up between you and decides that until you get married too you can’t be close again because you just don’t understand each other anymore. = +3 points

I was told by a friend of mine that it would be very hard for him and I to remain friends since he was married and I was single.

31. To justify giving a four week marriage sermon series to a congregation that is 60% single, the pastor throws out one blanket statement like this at the beginning of the series, “And you single people listen up to this too, this well serve you well when you get married too.” = +2 points

I run out of fingers to count on when I think about the number of times I've heard this comment.

39. You’ve developed highly sensitive, “They’re about to throw the bouquet” radar and know exactly when to leave a wedding. = +2 points

I do this for the garter toss.

We may be single but we still can laugh together!

Enough already! I'll buy your music!

2010-06-26T18:23:00.004-04:00

I gave in to Ross King and bought his music today. I didn't buy Rhymes with Orange but the pretty good one that isn't for children, Perhaps I've Said to Much.

I am buying this CD on the heels of receiving another CD of his, Big Quiet Truth.

Now, I first bought Big Quiet Truth in High School when it was brand spankin' new. Somewhere since then it was lost/stolen/misplaced/sold, whatever. I didn't have it anymore but still remembered several of the songs on it.

The main songs I remembered were As Much for Me and Foolish to You, both great songs. As Much for Me is a song about how God's grace is just as needed by Ross as it is by those who have committed horrendous crimes. It can be easy to be like the Pharisees and raise our noses and say "at least I didn't kill anyone!" Yet God still holds our sins against us. A forgiven sinner gets into Heaven while the unrepentant proud good guy gets left outside. Foolish to You is based on 1 Corinthians 1:18-29 and John 14:6.

As soon as I got the CD I threw it into the player and played those two songs. I then let the rest of the CD play and a flush of memories raced back as I heard the songs that I knew in my youth.

I first met Ross when I was in High School. He was the worship leader one summer for the summer camp my church had. Being on the worship team I worked with him in planning evening worship. Several years later I attended Community Church in College Station. The first Sunday I walked in, Ross was sitting at a table in the back of the hall by the door. At the time Community Church met in the Hilton. As I walked in, Ross welcomed me then said that I looked familiar. I told him where we had met before, but as I walked away I told my friend who was with me that there was no way Ross recognized me from that. You know what, maybe he did.

As I listened to the CD one song in particularly hit me, Long and Lonely Fall. This song is great on so many levels. First, it just a good song to listen to. It is a simple guitar and mandolin with a drum and tambourine, but it is pleasant to the ears. Second, the poetry! Now, anyone who has read my blog knows that my taste in poetry is pry lacking, but I think Ross has some good lines in the song. Check out this one, "I wonder how Columbus felt when he landed on the show and knelt to pray/ think about it/ he had found America/ but he didn't know that India was so far away/ has my journey ended hopelessly?/ or have I made some great discover?/ all I know is/ even though there's peace my stomach say's I'm not OK." Maybe it isn't poetry, but it is a great line. Finally, the message of the song is amazing and hits me exactly where I am in life today.

The song is based on three pieces of Scripture, Psalm 43, 1 John 4:18, and Job 23:10.

Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?

Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.

Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

A while back I wrote about another Ross King song in my post, Not seeing is believing. In the post I wrote about how I might have spent my life planning for something that may never happen. I have come to the realization that this may be true. The plans I have been making for years have not been carried out the way I planned. I know I am better for the plans I made, but I am not where I planned to be. But through out it, these words ring true, "I don't want to put too much weight on this thing/ but sometimes it's a bit disheartening/ so I will trust You for the ending/ cause there's no use in pretending that I know/ oh Lord I need You so."

I do not know the ending, I only know where I am right now. I planned on one thing but ended up elsewhere. I continue to trust in God and this experience has only made my trust greater. I may feel down because my plans didn't pan out, and they were good plans!, but I have stayed faithful to God and I know that he remains faithful to me.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

What does it mean?

2010-05-29T03:05:00.003-04:00

I once went to the Bahrain National Museum.

The museum included several art exhibits in addition to the cultural and historical exhibits.

I usually take time to look at art work, though I rarely understand what it means. If it has any abstractness to it I am usually at a loss for meaning. When the art is only shapes and colors with no discernible objects, I might as well be staring at a wall. I even saw one exhibit yesterday that I couldn't decide if it was art or if they had a blank spot on the wall and just stuck a blank canvas up to cover the spot!

Photography, paintings that illustrate a person or event, I can understand these. But abstract art or sculptures, I am usually at a loss. But this one, even I could understand the meaning beyond Bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy at the Bahrain National Museum

Let us not forsake one great commandment for another

2010-05-26T16:01:00.000-04:00

When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”he responded with two commandments, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. He then says that upon these two commandments hang all the laws and prophets. Clearly these are fundamental in determining how we should behave as Christians.

Before Christ ascended into the heavens, he told the Disciples go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all things that he commanded them.

I have several friends who are currently in the mission field. Now, granted all Christians are “in the mission field,” but when I say they are in the mission field, I mean that they are out acting with the sole intention of spreading the word of God. Now this should be a goal of all Christians, but many of us do this in conjunction with our daily jobs or lives. We wouldn’t call our jobs mission work, it is just something we do in life where we have the opportunity to spread the Word. For many this is in subtle ways, such as lifestyles or actions, though the occasional opportunity arises where one can have a talk with someone else about the Gospel. But for missionaries, they are “doing God’s work” so to speak.

When many people think of or talk about missionaries in the mission field it seems that there are two types. One group is made up of people who are like preachers whose job is only to convert people to Jesus. The other group is made up of people who do medical work or construction work, who do good things for people but never actually speak the word.

My friends who are missionaries have shown me through their lives that while the avenues of spreading the Gospel may be different, both commandments can be fulfilled. One may use the love of neighbor as a way of expressing the love of God to someone or to create the opportunity to spread the Gospel. The other uses the Gospel as a way of getting close to someone to love them as themselves.

In our daily lives one should not forsake one commandment for the other. Love of God and love of neighbor are both commandments that we are to live by. They are not exclusive of each other, but must both be done. We love others because God first loved us. If we love God but not our neighbor, we accomplish nothing. If we love others but do not share the love of God, we are doing it for our own glory.

Too Cool To Wear

2010-05-26T08:38:00.004-04:00

Whenever Steve Coffman would announce a Lucinda Williams song on the radio, he would refer to her as "the sweet, sweet Lucinda Williams." Here is the sweet sweet Lucinda Williams singing 2 Cool 2 Be Forgotten.

Back in the 90's when I was in high school, a buddy of mine gave me a pair of Umbro shorts that were too small for him. This worked perfect as I had a pair that were too small for me.

I still have these shorts as they still fit.

I wore them the other day to go to the gym to work out. My buddy who was going with me laughed and said "the 1990's called and they want their shorts back!" My friend, please, how can a pair of free shorts ever be too cool to wear?

Wandering in the sky

2010-05-24T09:13:00.002-04:00

I flew yesterday on a Airbus 330-200 owned by KLM. In the headrest in front of me was a screen. The screen allowed me to access music, movies, television shows, games, and a flight tracker. Between this, a letter I was writing, and a book I was reading kept for occupied for the 15 hours I was in the air. Now, most important to me is the music. In perusing the music selection, I found some Johnny Cash. Now, I know a ton of his music and own several albums, but one song managed to have slipped from me. Luckily KLM had it in their selection. The U2/Johnny Cash song, The Wanderer. I really enjoyed the song and listened to it several times to try to determine what it meant. I got nothing.

Not seeing is believing

2010-05-12T22:05:00.002-04:00

In Ross King's song Better Days Await, he sings "Give to me the chance to see the thing that I am gonna be and I will trust in You. If it were that easy right now I'd be fine. But faith is more than living for the things that we can see in store and look so forward to. So maybe I'll just have to wait upon Your perfect time."

What if I spend my entire life counting on something to happen that never happens? Now, counting on it means that I have been preparing for it and doing what I can to see that it happens, but I cannot control it. I cannot make it happen. It may never happen.

Is this bad? I think I am better for it. I think the preparations have made me a better person. But what if my preparing for one thing causes me to miss another?

How easy it would be if God would just tell me what will happen in the future. I could then make the correct preparations and not miss the opportunity. Instead, He has told me to have faith and to trust Him.

The chorus of the song is "And I'll be fine, life is great. Better times await"

I'll be fine, life is great. Better times await. I trust in the Lord.

Should Christians remember Jewish holy days?

2010-05-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

Most Christians do not celebrate the Jewish holy days and festivals, much less even know what they are. Should this be the case?

With Passover, we know that Jesus remembered the Passover every year and that the early Church celebrated it as well. God says to Moses in Exodus 12, "This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance." and "You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance." Moses relays this message to the elders of Israel. And as we know, the Jews continue this ordinance even until today.

Now, as Christians, most of us are not biological descendants of Israel but are Gentiles, yet Paul writes that we are grafted into the same tree. In Romans 11, he writes "If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you."

So these ordinances of God should be for us as well. Now, Paul does excuse Gentiles from portions of the law, such as the food requirements, because we are of a different culture. (Personally, I think this could/should be seen as John Wesley viewed sin, that it should not be a stumbling block to God's grace. That God's grace is so great that we must bring everyone to it and we can worry about the other stuff later. That receiving the grace of God is not dependent on following the commands of God, but one who receives the grace of God should follow the commands of God.) But I do not think that this would carry over to us not remembering the festival of Passover.

How many of us remember the Sabbath and keep it holy? "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." I know that I do not, I regularly work either at work or at home on the Sabbath, whether it is celebrated on the Jewish Sabbath or on Sunday.

Christians are often the strongest proponents of displaying the 10 Commandments, yet how many even make an attempt at following them?

Perhaps someone could help me with understanding Yom Kippur. I know that it is the Day of Atonement, as ordained in Leviticus 16. It talks about that the people will be atoned for their sins, so I am not sure if it would continue into Christianity as we celebrate (should) our atonement whenever we gather with the partaking of the Lord's Supper. However, in Acts 27:9, we see that it was still done by the early Church.

With Hanukkah, I believe we see that Jesus celebrated it as described in John 10:22. (The festival of Dedication is Hanukkah, correct?) But I guess it is no surprise that a Jew celebrates a Jewish holiday. But are those who are grafted in exempt?

We see a very important reason in keeping these festivals and holy days, God says that we are to do it to remember what He has done. Could we remember it by another way? Sure, but God has told us how He wants us to remember them. When you go through the Bible, we see the words remember over and over and over. God remembers us and His promises and tells us to remember what He has done. Christians are not exempt.

It was just a joke

2010-05-09T18:00:00.002-04:00

This morning at church, the worship leader was pandering to the crowd as he got ready to lead singing. He announced "Happy mother's day!" The keyboardist said "same to you." Mr. Keyboardist, I was the only one, but I got it. I loled.

In Sunday school, I was teaching and opened up with the following quote from a study. "Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility. There is also evidence that many young people are moving toward embracing the idea of serial marriage, in which a person gets married two or three times, seeking a different partner for each phase of their adult life." After saying how jacked up that was I announced "I think I'll just stay single." I wasn't the only one, they got it. They loled.

It's on the internet so it must be true...

2010-05-03T18:48:00.003-04:00

It must be true that North Korea attacked the Deepwater Horizon in order to force President Obama to use the only known method to stop the oil spill, detonating a B83 (Mk-83) strategic thermonuclear bomb in the middle of a UN nuclear conference, because I read it on the internet.

US Orders Blackout Over North Korean Torpedoing Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig

Daddy's Little Fatty

2010-04-27T18:42:00.003-04:00

In 1946 Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded Fred Rose's Roly Poly.

Today I had KFC's Double Down.

This thing doesn't even look edible.

But don't let that fool you, I'm gonna be a man someday.

Where's my wifi?

2010-04-26T21:59:00.002-04:00

I am currently between ISP's. It is quite sad. I'll have the internets again next week, but until then, think about this. Is there wifi in Heaven?

When in Houston

2010-04-18T21:03:00.005-04:00

This weekend I was in Houston, Texas. I had a rental car and found 106.9, The Point on the radio. It was an 80's station and had a decent selection. One song that it played that I hadn't heard in ages was When In Rome's The Promise.

The chorus of the song is:

I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise)
But if you'll wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise, I promise you I will.

I have often expressed that I am quite poor at verbal communication. Given enough time I think I might find the right words to say, but chances are I'll probably just mess them up anyway.

Why not?

2010-04-13T18:22:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I was in Xania, Crete. We made friends with a waiter at a nearby restaurant and regularly ate there. He would bring us extra food and beverages even when we didn't request them. He always comped them, but sometimes I would tell him "nothing for me." He would respond, "More food, more beverage, why not? why not!" I didn't have an answer so I partook.

So why not more music now instead of waiting until Friday? I lack a response.

This band is Five Iron Frenzy. A friend of mine introduced me to then about 5 years ago. I loved their music then and my love has only grown. Here is Oh Canada and Banner Year.

Shaver in the Court

2010-04-09T21:31:00.003-04:00

In a news story that is only fitting for a country song, Billy Joe Shaver was acquitted in a Waco court today after testifying that he shot a man in the face outside a bar while acting in self defense. Willie Nelson and Robert Duvall went to support their friend. His attorney was the same attorney that represented David Koresh.

Steven Krytak tweeted from the courtroom and provides a very interesting take. You can read his tweets on his twitter. It includes great tidbits like "He may be a honky tonk hero and he may have written a lot of wonderful songs... but on that day, he was a honky tonk bully," Toben said or Toben asked if Shaver was jealous Wanda was talking to Coker. "I get more women than a passenger train can haul, I’m not jealous," Shaver said and Prosecutor Beth Toben is questioning Shaver. Asked him if he had broken his neck in a barroom brawl. Shaver said it was a friendly thing.

Here is Billy Joe Shaver and his son Eddy.

Breaking Free

2010-04-07T21:51:00.004-04:00

The church I currently attend is named after the founder of the religion, John Wesley. However, my church has seemed to decided that we will no longer follow the methodical practices that Wesley taught in the Methodist Societies, though we will keep the name Wesley.

What Wonderous Love is This

2010-04-01T21:27:00.002-04:00

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Oh Sudoku, how I love thee

2010-04-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

On a long flight the other day I decided to do one of the "Very Hard" labeled Sudoku puzzles in my Sudoku puzzle book. This isn't just any Sudoku book, this is The Original Sudoku book by Nikoli Publishing.

They say that not only are these puzzle all hand made with the designer planning your every move, they also encourage you to admire and appreciate the beauty in the symmetrical layout of each puzzle.

OK, that's good and all, I just want to do the puzzle. Now, it took me a while to do this very hard puzzle, a little over an hour, and I can only attribute that to my being distracted by the beauty of the puzzle. Toward the end of the puzzle I hit what I thought was an impasse. I even went as far as writing the possible numbers in the corner of the box which I try to normally not do. Even after doing this I could not figure out the next move. I was about to quit and mail the puzzle back to the publishers, telling them I found the puzzle to be impossible, but then I saw it, the move that the book calls "Master Pattern 2." As I chuckled to myself for having missed such an easy pattern I realized that the guy who wrote this puzzle was also chuckling at me. Nikoli, you really did anticipate my every move.

North Country Map

2010-03-06T18:36:00.005-05:00

The creak of the cabin door opening woke me from my sleep. It was another beautiful cool morning in the North Country with the clear skies brilliant with stars. I asked the other Rayado Ranger who was opening the door what time it was. 4:30 AM. It was time to get the Rowdies up. While standing up on the porch of French Henry Camp, I accidentally stepped on a Rowdy who was sleeping under the bench I had been sleeping on. He woke up and said “Are you trying to leave?” I responded “No, it’s 4:30, and it’s time for you to get up!” We got the rest of the crew up and left French.

I had the privilege of being a Rayado Ranger during first session Rayado in 2004 for crew Rayado Men 3, RM3. The crew consisted of 7 Scouts from all across the country. Rayado, a descendent of the Kit Carson program, is a 3 week special trek which teaches youth, called Rowdies, advance backpacking skills, teamwork, and leadership, by challenging them physically, mentally, and spiritually. It was my second summer to work at Philmont Scout Ranch, having also been a Ranger the previous summer. We had hiked to French the day before and had originally planned to camp at the Aztec Mine; however, a rainstorm caused us to change our plans and instead crashed on the porch of the cabin. The Rowdies were sleeping on the porch while Will and I slept on the benches. They had bedded down expecting a good long sleep. Little did they know, today was going to be a long day.Leaving French Henry in the dark at about 5:00 AM, we made our way to Copper Park and took the old Greenwood Canyon Trail. Will and I had taken the trail earlier in the summer during Ranger Training when we hauled supplies up for the new repeater tower. The 25% slope trail wasn’t bad with just a pack on compared to hauling concrete in packs and batteries strapped to litters for the tower up. We stopped for breakfast on the ridge and Will informed the crew that our first destination was Baldy.

Breakfast on the ridge above Copper Park

After failing to impress our Rowdies with the repeater tower, we followed the ridge to the top of Baldy. As the day progressed, several thunder storms began to move into the area. We took in the beauty of the approaching storms from the exposed ridge top as we climbed up to the peak. On the peak, the scouts took pictures and took in the scenery while I took a nice Ranger Nap. After being woken up by my Rowdies, we left the peak just before the storms rolled in. We ended up dodging thunderstorms and hail all day. We had lunch on the saddle while the first storm began to roll over the peak. We were lucky enough to miss the 3 thunderstorms which rolled across the North Country that afternoon.

Storms from Baldy Saddle

Baldy Summit

Touch-me-Not from Baldy

After lunch, we let the Rowdies know that our next objective was to climb Touch-Me-Not. Our Rowdies loved the opportunity to bushwhack the mountain. After successfully climbing the peak, they enjoyed more scenery and took group shot on top of the peak.

RM 3 on Touch-me-Not

It was about 5PM when we headed down from Touch-Me-Not to begin going to Maxwell Camp, our camp for the night. The scouts had been talking about wanting to go to Baldy Town all day, so we gave them the option of taking the trail to Baldy Town or ‘shwacking to Maxwell. Much to our surprise, they decided to ‘shwack. We followed a creek that looked like it would be an easy 5-6 kilometer hike to Maxwell. About an hour later we had dinner in a nice meadow and continued our hiking. The Rowdies were enjoying the hike and one of our Rowdies, Scott, gave his usual response to everything on Rayado, that “it was amazing.” Darkness soon began to set in and we were forced to climb over deadfall and make probably a thousand stream crossings with only the aid of 4 working flashlights for the 9 of us. It was quite an adventurous hike, climbing over logs, under dead fall, and wading through the creek, all while trying to find a trail that crossed the creek. At about 11PM, we finally found the log bridge that crossed the creek for the trail which went into Maxwell. So much for the short 5-6 km hike! We got into camp shortly after and attempted to find the bear cables. Our Rowdies had been level-no-trace camping or crashing porches every night so far (including what I believe to be the first crew to camp in Mountain Lion Canyon) and had only used LNT bear rope techniques. After a 10 minute unsuccessful search, our Rowdies hung their bear rope between two trees and called it a night. They remained in good spirits and Scott as usual said “it was amazing.” After I took off my pack I realized that I had lost my North Country map.

When I hiked, I normally kept my map tucked into the hip belt of my pack for easy access. I had been using it on the shwack to read the topography of the creek to estimate our location. Somewhere along the hike, it slipped out. I figured I would never see the map again and felt somewhat guilty for breaking the Wilderness Pledge. Luckily we were headed for Sawmill the next day, and then continued south through the ranch so I would not need my North Country map. I borrowed an extra map from a fellow ranger upon my return to base camp and used it for the rest of the summer.

Later that summer, I had a crew from Fort Worth, TX. It was a great crew with a Ute Springs - Devil’s Wash Basin itinerary. Several of the scouts talked about how they wanted to come back and work on staff. One of those scouts, Keith, returned to Philmont as a Rayado participant in 2005 and made his dream a reality, becoming a ranger in 2006.

In fall 2006, I received a letter in the mail from Keith. He wrote about a hike-in that summer he had with another ranger. They had dropped off crews at Pueblano, hiked Wilson Mesa, crossed over to French Henry, ascended Baldy and went over to Touch-Me-Not. On their way down from Touch-Me-Not, they thought a nice ‘shwack was in order and followed a creek that flowed down to Maxwell. As I read the letter, I could see all of the places he talked about, because I had hiked those same paths, including the creek down Touch-Me-Not.

The letter that Keith sent me came in a large envelope. On the back on the envelope was written “I think you dropped this…” In the package with the letter, was the map. Keith had found the map while hiking the creek where I had lost my map 2 years earlier. The map was still is fair condition, considering that it had spent 2 years exposed to the elements. It was slightly faded where the sun had shined on it, and the ends were chewed on. My marks were still visible on the map where I had marked wells, meadow crash sites, and Stony Point. Also still clearly visible was where I had written “Clinton Woods, Ranger 2003.”

I Wanna Go Back to Philmont…

Happy at Home

2010-03-04T00:10:00.002-05:00

The title of this translates as "I am very happy because I am finally back home."

Perhaps something is lost in the translation, but this is still strangely appealing and entertaining.

How to impress people

2010-03-03T19:23:00.006-05:00

A few years ago, I was put in charge of a committee to determine the new mission statement for the school I was a teacher at. The first thing I did was read a text book from college that had a chapter dedicated to writing school mission statements. In the chapter it recommended using the phrase "prepare students to be ethical global citizens." The main justification for using the phrase was that administrators would be impressed with it. I included the statement with my proposal to the group and was able to preserve it until the draft was presented to the principal. The principal wrote back to the group that she liked the proposal, but really really liked the line "become ethical global citizens." When the proposal was sent out to the entire school faculty, the biggest response was to remove the line about global citizens as it didn't make much sense. The book was correct, the administrators were impressed, however it failed to mention that the statement was worthless.

There are lots of ways to impress people without actually having to be productive. I'll share a few of these.

First, when you give a presentation, use a pie chart. Your presentation doesn't need to require the pie chart, but including it will impress people. A friend of mine was giving a presentation and gave me a rough draft. I recommended that he add a pie chart. He said he didn't need it, which I agreed with. However, he conceded when I told him that people would like it. He added a pie chart that was quite meaningless and added nothing to the presentation. When he gave the presentation the feedback included the statement "great pie chart."

Second, make spreadsheets. People are impressed with Excel. Spreadsheets can be intimidating and therefore demand respect, so when you are able to use Excel, you are clearly one who must be listened to. It is highly recommended that when you prepare the spreadsheet that you do not organize the working portion of the spreadsheet. Leave that part messy and confusing. It adds to the intimidating aspect of spreadsheets. But make a highly organized, really neat box at the bottom with the results. They will also be impressed if you can insert inputs into the spreadsheet and have all the numbers change at once. It makes for a great show. If you find that the spreadsheet is not very necessary, add color to it. Everyone loves color. I created a pretty simple spreadsheet once that calculated how many teachers were needed to teach a subject based on the number of students taking the course. I could have just used a piece of paper to divide the number of students taking the class by the number of students allowed per teacher by the state, but instead I made a complex looking spreadsheet with an input and output box with some colored arrows decorating the blank spaces. The department head was so impressed with the Excel sheet that he recommended that I take over his position.

Finally, add Macros to your Excel and Word documents. The Macros needn't be necessary, they will be highly impressive for the very fact that they are Macros. If you don't know how to write Macros, find a document that already contains the desired Macro and cut and paste it. That is already more than most people can do, so you will be able to impress people despite your inability to create Macros. I once made a cover sheet that included a Macro that would determine the length of the underscored line in the "From:" line based on the length of the originator's name. This could have been done by using ctrl+u, but I used a Macro that I copied and pasted from another document I found. My boss was so impressed with the Macro on the cover sheet that she mandated that everyone had to use my cover sheet.

Utilizing these three easy methods will insure that you impress people without having to do anything productive.

Questions to Ponder

2010-02-27T17:43:00.002-05:00

This past week I met with a pastor. He asked me questions that no pastor had ever asked me before, yet are questions that my pastor should ask me.

Where are you in your walk with God?

What do you struggle with?

What can the church do for you?

Perhaps another question might be, why hasn't your pastor asked you these before?

Listening to Classic Literature

2010-02-26T18:33:00.002-05:00

A few years ago I first heard this song Odysseus by Brian Keane.

Now I have never read read Homer's Odyssey, but thanks to Brian I am familiar with the story. Listening to this song might be as good as reading the Cliff notes on the book. The moral of the story is the same whether you read the book or listen to the song, Homer's Odyssey is jacked up.

Reliving War

2010-02-20T21:09:00.007-05:00

Today I went to my first civil war reenactment, the Battle of Aiken.

The Battle of Aiken took place in February 1865 during Sherman's March to the Sea. General Kilpatrick led his troops into South Carolina and sought to take and then destroy Aiken, followed by moving in on Augusta, Georgia. However, the Confederate troops, led by General Wheeler, stopped Kilpatrick at Aiken.

The reenactment today staged the Rebels and Yankees on the battle field.

As expected for the area, the crowd cheered when the Confederates advanced and were able to take advantage on the battlefield. Confederate flags and uniforms abounded in the crowd. But in a way that may only be understood by Southerners, cheered loudly for both the Yankees and Rebels as they made their final passes to thank the crowd. Proud to be American and proud to be Southern.

Besides the reenactment, the reenactors had exhibits set up to talk about their craft, the life of a civil war soldier, and the weapons of war.

There were also some exhibits of more modern American warfare.

The gentleman on the right is wearing a WWI-era wool army uniform. At the exhibit, he showed up the gas masks used by soldiers in WWI and WWII.

I also spent some time talking to a Confederate Chaplain.

We talked about the life of a civil war chaplain, life in Antebellum South, and a book he is writing involving a plantation called Wexford.

It was very enjoyable and educational. Certainly a sad time in American history as brother fought brother, but let us never forget our past and the bravery exhibited by those seeking to ensure their rights and those fighting for their country.

Letters in the Mail

2010-02-18T18:35:00.004-05:00

Bill Carlisle and Bobby Gregory wrote a famous song called No Letter in the Mail. Here it is performed by some Canucks, the Spinney Brothers.

I got a letter in the mail today. It was a very nice letter, a length correspondence from a friend of mine. This is the first personal correspondence I have received in the mail in a month. Now, I probably have received personal correspondences in the mail at a greater frequency in the past, but certainly never more than once every two weeks. Two summers I worked in a place that did not have regular internet access and I didn't have regular access to mail. There, I received hand delivered personal correspondence on almost a daily basis.

What is it about a physical letter that is so special? I receive personal correspondences in emails on almost a daily basis. I enjoy them and get excited when I see I have an email waiting for me from certain people, but not like when I get a letter in the mail. Emails may stay in my email inbox for a few days, possibly even months, but will soon be deleted. Currently in my inbox, the oldest personal correspondence is only 6 months old and will probably be deleted soon. But of letters that have been mailed to me, I have some dating back to 2003 and have no desire to ever throw them away. Why are they different?

The internet is great, it connects me to people, information, and allows me to do things that in the past would have required more time. Some of the people I am connected to are friends who are separated by distance, one of which is 6600 miles away and that is going over the pole. Even though we might talk about the exact same thing in an email, I value the physical letter that I get in my mailbox. The email will be read, probably several times, but soon deleted. The letter will be read multiple times, then placed in a box where I will every so often retrieve it and reread. Why the difference? Could it be that though the internet keeps me connected to those who I can not be physically with, I still value physical proximity? Could it be the physical letter brings me closer to the person than a virtual email could do? Could I just be old fashioned?

Everything's Round

2010-02-04T18:06:00.002-05:00

Several years ago, I heard a song on the radio called "Hey Woodie Guthrie." The song was by a band called Leftover Salmon. Reading more about the band, I learned that the song was unique for them as they usually didn't go into such politic realms in their music. The great thing about the band though was that since they made up their own genre, Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass, they can do whatever they want.

I picked up their album Leftover Salmon and loved every song. One of them was Everything's round, written by Vince Herman, a member of the band.

Here, Vince performs Everything's Round and Mountain Top, both most excellent songs.

When all else fails, think!

2010-02-03T18:10:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading a book called Aircraft Down! Evading Capture in WWII Europe by General Philip Caine. The book is a collection of 6 true stories of Allied pilots and aircrew that went down in occupied Europe or Italy and evaded capture and made it back to friendly forces. It does a great job depicting the loneliness they felt, their heart-felt thankfulness to the Europeans who risked everything to aid them, and describing their journey from the beginning of their final flight to their ultimate return home.

In the final chapter of the book, General Caine writes about what made the evaders successful. The success comes down to a few common traits, to will to survive, trust, patience, ability to adjust, confidence, perseverance, positive attitude, good judgment, and thinking. His assessment is very similar to the assessment in the National Geographic Adventure article, Terrorists at the Tea Party. The ability to think and control one's mind and body is vital in emergency situations.

I like to think that I have many of these characteristics, but it is hard to know until one is tested by fire. If anything, I at least acknowledge the need to have these skills and characteristics. Now I just have to wait until all else fails and see if I can think.

Thinking without knowledge

2010-02-01T16:54:00.001-05:00

I found these statistics from England interesting.

33% of school children think their teacher is an alien
75% of school children think aliens exist
72% of school children think aliens are friendly
< 10% of school children can name all 8 planets in the solar system

They are thinking, but do they have knowledge?

Looking in the mirror

2010-01-28T18:12:00.002-05:00

When I was younger, I use to think that people in their mid to upper 20's looked uglier than they did in their teens and 30's. Looking in the mirror at myself, I still agree with my assessment.

A Song to get Dressed to: This Week's Song of the Week

2010-01-15T08:47:00.003-05:00

It is once again Friday and time for our somewhat weekly Song of the Week. How could this week's not be General Larry Platt's original song, Pants on the Ground?

USA Today has a great article on the General, General Larry Platt: A Closer Look. The General is a civil rights worker with quite a storied past. September 4, 2001 was even Larry Platt Day in Atlanta to honor his work.

A great song and certainly an even greater man.

It's OK to Think

2010-01-14T18:40:00.002-05:00

Todd Snider has a song called Keep of the Grass. The song is about a world full of rules. You can read all of the lyrics here.

We have a lot of rules in life. Anytime something goes wrong, it is almost a guarantee that a new rule or law will be made to correct what happened. Is our problem a lack of rules?

In New York City, they have rules on what can be used in food. Now granted some rules should probably be used,The Jungle showed us that. But New York's rules go further than just not allowing people to be ground up and sold as lard. Restaurants in the city cannot use trans fats. They are currently looking at reducing the amount of salt that can be in food. Now, yes these things may be unhealthy, but do we really require a rule to be healthy?

With all these rules, we are missing two very important ones. The first rule, law, or instruction should be "Think." It is very easy for people to get by without thinking. After all, when something goes wrong, we just make a new rule. There wouldn't be a need for a new rule every time if people think. The second rule should be "Do what needs to be done." This would require the person to do for themselves what needs to be done and to do for others what needs to be done. If one thinks and acts, the rules become unnecessary. With these extraneous rules, it removes and even impedes thinking as the person is not required and sometimes even punishes the person who thinks because they act outside of the rules. Things would still go wrong. This would be OK though, as long as the person thinks. As with any rules though, they must have some sort of enforcement. The enforcement would be simple, "A person will be responsible for what happens because of their actions."

It should be OK to think, however, it seems that we would rather just have rules and laws.

New Year, New Trail

2010-01-02T23:34:00.007-05:00

This year for New Years, I went hiking. Two years ago, I went hiking at Big Bend for New Years. I now live about 1,500 miles from Big Bend, so I would have a hard time going there this year, but I do live about 10 miles from Sumter National Forest, so I went hiking there. I hiked that Wine/Turkey Creek trail along with a friend of mine.

The trip began on Thursday with a call to the Long Cane Ranger District. Not having hiked much in the east, I was not use to their customs. The Forest Service requires a camping permit so luckily the call was made. I made the short trip to Edgefield to get the permit and then packed and prepared for the trip.

We left Friday morning and drove to the trail head at the end of Forest Service road 617A. The maps show that you turn onto 617 from highway 138; however, you actually turn onto Forest road 619. Forest road 617 is just off 138 on 619. From the trailhead, the trails drops to Stevens Creek. The trail then follows the creek to Turkey creek. It continues along the western bank up Turkey creek to Wine creek. At highway 283, the trail hits the old Key Bridge. It was the second of three bridges at the road. We spent the night along a side creek just south of highway 283. We had a campfire, one of the great things about camping in a National Forest instead of a National Park and saw gorgeous stars in the sky. The moon was so bright there was no need for flashlights. This morning, after a slow start because of the cold weather, we hiked back down Wine Creek to Turkey Creek, up Stevens creek, and back to the trail head. A great hike.

Stevens Creek

Creek along trail

Turkey Creek

Creek at campsite

Hiking the trail

Key Bridge

You'll fly the way we want you to fly

2009-12-27T16:27:00.008-05:00

I enjoy adventures and this week was full of adventures in the skies.

I took a plane trip from Georgia to Texas, including a leg of flying between Hartsfield-Jackson and DFW. The day I flew to Texas, there was a bad weather system over Dallas. The storm dumped snow, created ice on the roads and runways, and had heavy winds. As a result, the airport was reduced to one runway and we were delayed 4 hours leaving ATL. Once in the air, we proceeded to DFW. Upon arriving in the airspace, we were informed that the airport had closed its last runway and we were put in a holding pattern making left turns out east of Dallas. After an hour, the captain informed us that we were out of fuel and were being diverted to Houston Intercontinental to take on more fuel. We landed in Houston, took on fuel, and were told that DFW had reopened one runway. We flew to DFW and landed, 8 hours late. Since it was so late, my rental car company was closed and I had to find another rental. I left DFW about 9 hours later than planned.

I returned to Georgia today. Leaving DFW this morning was delayed by about 45 minutes because a part was broken. They ended up swapping out our plane. We made it to ATL and the captain came over and said he would appreciate it if those who did not have to make an immediate connecting flight remained in their seats and let those of us who did go. I had 45 minutes to make my flight, so I stood. I remained standing for 15 minutes on the plane. The jetway broke and they had to bring in an electrician to fix it so we could deboard. Now with 30 minutes to make it, and 4 terminals to go, I hot footed it to my connecting flight, making it after the entire plane was loaded. I got to the gate and couldn't find an agent, so I walked down the jetway to find one. I found one, but she was not happy to see me. I was chastised for walking down the jetway. Returning to the counter, I gave her my ticket and she then admonished me for being late. Finding that my explanation that I was looking for an agent and I was late because of multiple mechanical failures involving my last flight was not satisfactory for her, I promised to not do such things in the future and boarded the plane, just as they locked the door.

I love adventures!

The Saga Continues

2009-12-21T20:14:00.003-05:00

In July, we met Dave Carroll and the Sons of Maxwell who sang United Breaks Guitars, a true song outlining the frustrations they experienced when Dave's guitar was broken on a United flight. The story continues with another song by Dave. This chapter focuses on his relationship with Ms. Irlwig of United. Ladies and Gentlemen, United Breaks Guitars Song 2!

How did you do? Terrible

2009-12-21T19:47:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday I taught Sunday school. The lesson went well and afterwards, many people gave me positive feedback, including a round of applause that broke out. But if you asked me how it went, I wouldn't give such positive feedback. I would instead think that it didn't go well and that it wasn't a good lesson.

This is a typical response of mine whenever I give any sort of presentation or have my work critiqued. As a teacher, I rarely felt a lesson went well, even if the students responded well or if teachers or my principal were present and gave positive feedback. I always felt I could do better and that what I presented was not good. When I take tests, I rarely walk out of a test feeling that I did well or knew the material, even if I do exceptionally well on the test. Sometimes it even seems that the better I do at something, the lower my view of my performance is.

I tend to think that this response is OK if not even good. I think it prevents me from being overly arrogant of my work. But if it prevents me from doing things that I am capable of, it is counter-productive. It is an odd balance of humbleness and confidence.

I do a terrible job at it.

It's all about the music

2009-12-05T08:25:00.004-05:00

I love the Christmas season. The decorations, the cool weather, but mainly, the music. I really like a lot of Christmas music. A lot I do not! Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas is a song that causes me to turn off the radio or run from the stores playing it. Santa Baby is a very creepy song. But there are lots of good songs. Let's take a look at some of them.

I enjoy some secular songs that have little to do with Christmas. They either are about Santa or the weather. But I do like them.

One is the Overture from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.

Another secular song I really enjoy is Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride.

I really like some of the songs that truly are about Christmas.

One of these songs is commonly song during Advent, the season leading up to Christmas. O Come O Come Emmanuel.

Another one has had its name change. Here we will listen to it in the original name, that is Good Christian Men Rejoice. This version is in Latin.

Another song I enjoy is God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.

Finally, a song that for a long time I didn't know what a Christmas song. I first heard this song in middle school when we played it in band. I loved the tune, but had no idea it was a Christmas song until I heard it with its words last year. I wrote about it at the time. Here is, I Wonder as I Wander.

As great as the music is though, isn't it really all about Jesus?

I Don't Understand You

2009-11-29T21:32:00.002-05:00

I have a hard time understanding people. I do not do well when I try to anticipate what someone will do or try to find the hidden meaning in what they say or do. I have tried to get better at this and to spend time analyzing their actions and to be able to anticipate their next action or to determine how they feel about something or to perhaps even read their mind. What I end up with instead are guesses that are based on preconceived notions that have a very low probability of being right. I do not understand why you do what you do and I will not be able to know what you will do next.