My other brother Donald

Well, not really.

This weekend I saw my best friend from high school - we've known each other since 4th grade - who presented me with probably one of the best birthday presents in the history of ever.

If you've read this blog for any time, you probably know that I don't need much prodding to include a Don Henley lyric (either from Eagles or solo works) phrase into a post, or in comments on someone else's blog.  Kinda like 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon', but different, I have a pet theory that just about any discussion, across a wide range of topics, can benefit from a Henley quote.  I was a huge fan from back in the '70s, graduated from NTSU (UNT to you youngsters), and firmly believe that his writing is at the pinnacle of the rock-n-roll genre.

So, to continue, awhile back my friend Mark learned that Don Henley was in the building where he works.  He retrieved a pair of CD covers from his office (serendipity), with a Sharpie, and asked Mr. Henley if he'd autograph them for a fan.  Which he did.  To complete the ensemble, my friend had the covers framed and presented them to me:

I was totally amazed and tickled.  Clearly one of the coolest gifts I've ever received.  As well, I appreciate that Mr. Henley took the time to sign the items.  And it's illustrative of my friend's thoughtfulness and generosity (there are many more examples) to seize the moment to do something really nice.

Thanks, Mark!

And, it'll go well with my autographed LP cover from my buddy Pete:

My wife and I stood in line several years ago, back when daughter was still in a stroller,

 at Virgin Music @ Grapevine Mills to get this autograph.

Just a typical Keystone service

YOLO!  I never saw this at the Methodist church.

Why not zipline onto the stage?


YOLO - Part 1: The Life We COULD Live from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Who says church should be boring?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it ABUNDANTLY.  John 10:10  (caps mine)

Sunday Morning Flashback

[McMahon, repeating]: Sunday Morning Flashback!
[Carnac - after sideways glace at McMahon]: What do you get after your Saturday Night Fever breaks?
[McMahon]: [Guffaws]

OK, continuing (and finishing out a theme), here's an oldie, across the Time Passages, by Al-Stewart, in the Year of the [Persian] Cat...



An excellent, extended piano version - too bad the sound engineering was just mediocre.

Up next, perennial Third World Country Music Award (TWCMA) winners...Al-Abama.

Taliban interview gone awry

Al-Gore, Al-Franken and Al-Jazeera didn't want this to air:


 

No word yet from Al-Roker and Al-Michaels.

h/t: John K.

Is this the Lair?

Over at Lagniappe's Lair, the blog host frequently shares stories of his latest rescue German Shepherd, [Audie] Murphy. Recently, the S116 production crew took the opportunity to drop in on Murphy's Law, in Dickens' A Christmas Carol fashion, you know, ghosts of the past and present, to see what was happening in The Lair.

Take a look:

 

Heaven forbid Murphy learns how to open his master's beer bottles!

Who am I?

No, it's not James Stockdale.



h/t: Art

RKBA shall not be in fringe?

In a comment on the prior post, reader Dew asserts that I can't keep and bear arms in fringe.

Well, why not?  Here's proof you are wrong, my friend:

Don't even think about messing with my surrey...

[Emil Litella-Newhart, on phone]:  "In fringe?"  "What-what's that - infringed?"  "Yeah, ah, sure, I have, a-a dictionary."  "Oh, yeah, uh, here it is - infringed."  "Okay, so, ah, so, what, what, what you're saying is that it's, actually, infringed, not, ah, not, in fringe."  "Yeah, I-I-I see that now...so, ah, never, uh, nevermind."

What's high capacity?

In The Rifleman, the most hallowed Western TV series in the history of ever, Lucas McCain fires 11 or 12 shots (depending on who you believe) from a loop levered Winchester in the opening credits.

Today's politicians, especially those in NY, Washington, Illinois, and San Francisco, would call Mr. McCain a psychopath, armed with a weapon of mass destruction, designed only to kill, because it fires more than seven or ten rounds before reloading.  Never mind that Lucas usually attempted to resolve issues peacefully before resorting to using his trusty carbine.  And I never saw it shoot all by itself.



The lesson though is clear: Don't *mess* with Chuck!

12 shots from an 11 round [tubular] magazine?  That's because he was truly that good...

Solid. Gold. Talent.

Paraphrasing Jimmy & Dash, these will never pass this way again:



If you get a chance, PBS has been running American Masters - Johnny Carson: King of Late Night.  Check local listings.

All roads lead to Rome?

Despite Waymore's advice that a man who understands wimmin (womyn for the politically correct minded)...is one, I sometimes get suckered into opening one of those links on AOL that gives 'relationship' advice - I guess in the hope that I can glean some intel about how the females of the species think.

So, this morning I see an article about when a chick should dump her dude.  And I think, "Self, why don'tcha  read this to make sure you don't do sumthin' wrong, if maybe sometime in the future you fall under the spell of a woman-folk?"

I clicked the link. Four Reasons to Dump Him.

What followed was a misandric, Sex and the City-ish, rant, cloaked as relationship advice.  This was not about covenant love, but a [hidden] contractual relationship (yeah, I suppose that could be another term for whoring) where any unknown mis-step a guy might make - and the list was long enough to ensure that no [straight] guy could be immune - becomes the basis for dissolution of the relationship.  According to the list, if a guy is: not supportive enough, cramps his gal's style, places any expectations on her, or interferes with her 'girlfriend time' - he is to be dumped (hence the post's title).

Well, isn't that special?

Although most men I know are making a good faith effort to understand their wives/girlfriends, and live the proper role of a man, it seems that this type of thinking is fairly common among today's women.  So, dudes, even before the first date, you might want to administer a pop quiz just to make sure you're not courting the next Samantha Jones.

Postlude:  Following the Socratic advice to not live the unexamined life, I often run tests to make sure my 'grumpy old man' curmudgeonliness is not besting me.  I was pleased to find that many of the comments that followed the article corroborated my view.

Giving

I won't lie - I am not there yet.

CA$H: Giving from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

It's a bird, it's a...

You gotta be kidding me!

Lois Lane inflator available at extra cost...

Always have a sense of adventure

El Chupacabra recently posted pics of some adventures with his young son.

I kinda thought the real estate looked familiar, so I went looking through my xD card, along the way finding a lot of fun memories of adventures Daughter and I have had - plus a random picture or two:

Near the rappelling walls.

Not actually at the park, but the local high school.  Uh, yeah, just

beyond the sign that says 'no rollerblading on tennis courts'.

Well, they're not rollerblades...

A campsite area (on city owned land) that we'd been grooming, sort of

off the beaten path.  We created this makeshift camp table and were

 considering clearing a tent site - a dicey proposition for the tent and air mattress

 due to all the mesquite growth.  Within a week, vandals had carried off the table top

 (we'd salvaged it from the nearby creek), and had discarded the stump bases

 in a ravine a few hundred yards away.

On the plus side, it prevented a citation for illegal camping.

On the way to adventures somewhere, we stopped at the Ft. Worth Library 

and met F-105 Thunderchief & F-4 Phantom flying ace, noted author, and distinguished

blogger (Thunder Tales) Ed Rasimus, who was kind enough to oblige a photograph.

The goofy looking guy on the right needed some Just for Men for Beards, but

opted for a triple bladed Wilkinson razor not long after.

Also while we were at the library, another oddball

guy in orange with a white beard.

Not all of the fish in our backyard pond come from PetSmart.

Built in 1925, it still dominates the surrounding landscape, but the ravages

of time haven't been kind to this grand lady.  Various attempts at renovation

have either been boondoggles or pipe-dreams.  Though I never financed any

projects of this scale, my brief research found that new hotel construction, 

from scratch, in New York City, on owned land, runs about $192/sf.  

(Compare to typical southwest cost of around $150/sf or less).

The latest renovation proposal for the Baker projected about $255/sf.

It's really a shame.

Not even a bite.  I generally only enjoy fishing when you can at least get

a nibble on every, or every other, cast.  Like striper fishing on Lake

Texoma - at least that's how I remember it as a kid.

Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer say you don't need these for duck hunting.

They're right - they would be lousy for hunting ducks.

Benjamina Franklin.

The same bend in the creek where we'd earlier salvaged our table top.  

She was lucky that turtle didn't take a finger off...

Bison - higher in iron content than beef.

Like George Benson, lost in This Masquerade.

At one time, this was probably a pretty snazzy entrance.

The perimeter fence is about as secure as you'd find at the U.S. - Mexican border...

...or at our embassy in Benghazi.

Daughter was sad when this picture was taken, because just minutes earlier

I'd told her we couldn't take in the stray dog we'd encountered near the

Brazos river bridge.  The old Oliver Loving ranch is a beautiful property.

Cannon - not just that fat, balding '70s TV detective

(and original radio voice of Marshal Matt Dillon).

The featured artillery piece is a meticulously crafted 1861 replica.

And finally - no pic-a-nic at the local park pavilion 

would be complete without root beer!  Or our favorite mutt.

I may need this

Saw this on the news this evening - the ostrich pillow.

The holes on the side are to put your hands if you want to sleep face down on your desk.

I suppose it wouldn't be politic for me to wear it in the office, though...

YOLO¹ - try to do it right

I know I've got adjustments to make, but at least I'm sure of the most important part.

 
Happy New Year! from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Happy New Year!



Edit: ¹ Unless you're Shirley MacLaine, of course.