Sonnet 116

Can't get no R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

2012-02-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

The second installment of Love is a Battlefield:

Love is a Battlefield - Part 2 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Lots of good content in this week's message, as well as a couple of awkward moments...

Customize that Jeep!

2012-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

In the Valentine's spirit, Mr. Corner has been generously customizing Mrs. W's Jeep, adding lots of really cool gear.

However, I've noticed an accessory that he seems to have overlooked, that I believe would really make his and Mrs. W's Jeep stand out and stop traffic in its tracks:

El Chupacabra could operate this.

Here's a non-firing replica:

Non-firing. Sure, but what's the point?

If that's a bit much, though, here's another thought, snapped as I drove home from work yesterday:

That's right, a snorkel - accessory periscope sold separately.

Almost the weekend...

2012-02-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hey, Monday's a holiday!

Rain in the forecast, in time for the weekend. Bummer.
Don't you love doing business with companies whose right hand knoweth not what its left hand doeth?
Example: Last night, I went online to pay my cell phone bill, which is due today. A message popped up telling me the web payment system was down for maintenance, but I could call an 800# and a friendly associate would help me. I started to do just that, but when I reached the standard robot customer service tree, decided to just try on line in the morning.
This morning, the system back up, I logged on and paid without any problems, received a confirmation at the end of the session, as well as a follow up confirmation email.
About 1-1/2 hours later, I got a SMS thanking me for my payment. (It's nice to be appreciated.)
At lunch, another SMS, reminding me that I have a payment due today. (Hey, where's the love?)
Idiots.
And no, it wasn't a partial payment or in arrears in any way. I'm no database architect, but it seems they should fix that. I'd seen that happen before, so I wasn't concerned, but I can imagine some customers would be pretty offended.
My co-worker today provided a concrete example of how a wife bolsters a husband through affirmation, as per the prior post video.
Just before lunch (a group lunch, not just the two of us), she called him and was saying the sweetest things to him - genuinely, not manipulatively. I've never met him, but have talked with him on the phone briefly (he's a 'shooty' guy) and he seems a good guy, in addition to the good things my co-worker says about him.
I bet he felt like Superman when he got off the phone with her.
One of the retailers I shop does a lot of its sales by internet. Even though it has a modest network of retail stores, it does not offer a 'Ship-to-store' option, and the store selection is considerably more limited than their overall catalog.
Seems kinda dumb to me. They send me two or three flyers a month to try to lure me to their stores. They have trucks delivering to their stores once or twice a week. If I have to go to their store to pick up something ordered, I might just buy something else while I'm there.
Since I would've already paid online, there's no payment risk (any different from ordering for home delivery). If I don't pick up what I've ordered and paid for, they can put it on the sales floor, or on a future truck back to the distribution center.
I should note that this merchandise is not customized, perishable, or easily damaged in transit.
Like I said, it seems like a marketing mis-step.
True love ways? I bought a diamond...coated blade for the oscillating multi-tool, in preparation for some re-tiling projects on the showers. I've picked up some cool bullnose travertine strips, as well as some florentine-relief border tiles. Still trying to find some field tile [cheap] that I like.
Tuna casserole tonight - one of my best in a long time. Not a recipe I make often, but this one was pretty good - tuna and salmon, macaroni and shells.
I don't have trouble falling asleep, but don't always feel rested in the morning.
Recently, I bought some herbals with Melatonin, Valerian root, and Chamomile. If I take one of those at bedtime, I wake up the next morning and haven't moved a bit overnight.
I don't dare take two - might not wake up.
I've received a couple of ads for a nearby company called Wall Beds. The things you and I know as Murphy beds. I'd like to check those out.
But, I wonder if you can simply fold up an unmade bed? That'd be da bomb!
I'm not an overly enthusiastic bed-maker.
Co-worker today told me she'd had a significant life change after reading Charles Stanley's Landmines in the Path of the Believer: Avoiding the Hidden Dangers ISBN 1-4002-0090-3. May have to see if they have that at HPB.
~~101~~ 100 uses for a dead cat.
Hey, there may be hope for me yet!

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

As I'm certainly not imbued with any sage advice regarding relationships, other than reposting Keystone's first installment of Love Is a Battlefield, I thought I'd direct the discerning reader to Mr. Corner's blog - He and Mrs. W seem to have a good grasp on creating a successful marriage.

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

Incoming!

2012-02-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

This kind of series ought to be mandatory for anyone considering committing matrimony.

Love is a Battlefield - Part 1 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

No offense to CSN&Y, but Brandon's not talking about getting back to the Garden by playing your old 8-track of Déjà Vu.

(Yeah, I still have a copy...)

Cold Nights from Canada - Glühwein update

2012-02-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

As forecast, the freezing drizzle has begun - I heard it hitting the deck about a half hour ago.

So, as I was preparing a feast of sloppy joe's - not just any sloppy joe, mind you, this was ground lamb, with a full-size portobello/cappellone cap (sauteéd in olive oil), and swiss cheese - I heated some of the mulled wine, adding just the tiniest grace of clove and cinnamon (since I can't resist tinkering).

I can see why Clarence would've been fond of the stuff, it's really good - too bad there was only one bottle at the Kroger. If I ever had that cozy little cabin at the edge of a meadow (backed up to the forest) in Montana, I can imagine heating up a speckled porcelain cup of Glühwein on the potbelly stove before bedtime.

Of course, moderation is key - too much at night and I'd get lazy, sleeping late instead of chopping wood, and they'd find my frozen body the next Spring...

Here's another mountain selection, from a performer who's at the Grammy's tonight:

The Beach Geezers did a pretty good job at the Grammy's - Brian seemed kinda coherent. I was sort of hoping they'd invite Glen Campbell up on stage to perform with them, though. It was cool to see him [Campbell] get the Lifetime Achievement award - and also to see Mr. & Mrs. Joe Walsh dancing in the front row during the performance of Rhinestone Cowboy. Far out!

Oh wow - just looked out on the deck - solid white. Maybe I'll get to go in to work late in the morning.

Another cup of Glühwein, maybe?

Open wheel snow driving

2012-02-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

I hope that's the one with the heated leather steering wheel and pedals.

It's the weekend!

2012-02-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's cold out this morning - you'd think it was February or somethin'!

Spent a couple of days in Wichita Falls this week, glad to be home. While I was there, I was listening to their version of Jack FM - something I rarely do at home - probably because it's the same frequency, Kenneth, as a DFW preset in my car. Where else can you hear Neil Young - in both folk and grunge modes - mixed in with Danke Shön, Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, dance music, followed by George Strait's The Chair?
I don't know if all Jack stations play the same syndicated program - I suspect they do.
"And now for a bit of radio Spam..." was the introduction for Take it to the Limit. Spam?! Hey, Bucko, what in the memory of Randy Meisner are you suggesting?

Just kidding. Randy Meisner's still alive as far as I know.
But speaking of the dead, there are sure a lot of such folks in Wichita Falls - I've never seen so many large cemeteries. The Zombie Apocalypse could start there.
What if God Was One of Us?- another song from Jack's playlist. Maybe Luke chapter 2 can help answer this.
I may needa get me a new ride:

Rollin' wit da Donn Dogg

Consumer Dining Tip #3: China Star Buffet - between Maurine and Old Iowa Park Highway on southbound US 287/I-44, Wichita Falls.
The following is for a district Judge race - not sure it that's positive or negative name recognition:

At the hotel, I switched between Rick's Restorations (History Channel), watching a segment where they refurbished a War Between the States cannon, and Discovery's American Guns:

~~Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens~~ Women and guns - a few of my favorite things...

Good thing I don't have cable at home - I'd never cook or do laundry.
"...just a slob like one of us?" - Another line from Joan Osborne's song.
Well, it might improve my chances to really be holier than thou. And thou. And thou.
I desperately need a housekeeper.
How about some ~~Jimmy Fallon~~ Maple Leaf Rock?

No, it's the genuine article

Don't worry whether we do or don't need him around, just enjoy.
Fade to black.

Halftime in America?

2012-02-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

OK, there's a fair amount of discussion about the Halftime in America spot that ran during the Super Bowl. I like Eastwood, and the message was OK, if rather simplistic, as a 'rally the country' cheer - but we're in so doggone deep, that feel-good nostalgia, changing the quarterback (a must!), and even all the advice that this blog, Thunder Tales, and Todd the Pastor Blogger can give, don't much mitigate the fact that it's not really halftime - more like 4th quarter, 4th and 30, down by a TD, with five seconds on the clock. Leon Lett has the ball...

Pale Rider, we've been throgh a lot of good and bad, but things are sure looking ugly.

OK, I'll try to rest the analogies and metaphors for a moment.
I gotta get over to Carter Bloodcare this weekend - they called me this week, asked if I could drop by. I'm already due my gallon pin from last time (but they were out) - will never catch up to Todd the Pastor, who I believe has drained 9 more gallons than me.

When I picked up daughter and middle son last weekend, their mom sent a [home-made] sweet potato (I almost included an 'e', Dan Quayle style) pie. It was delicious.
Daughter and I watched a cute movie the other night: Gunless, about an old west gunslinger dude who survives a lynching attempt and ends up in Canada, eh. He is affronted by a local blacksmith, whom he subsequently calls to a duel, but the man has no sidearm. So, for a good part of the movie, our gunslinger sets about acquiring a sidearm (a Colt Paterson cartridge conversion - which BTW would not be my choice for a cartridge conversion as the frame design is inherently weak), in need of repairs. The blacksmith forges a hammer repair, but in the end the planned shootout goes awry, and both men survive.

The movie featured nary a curse word, substituted instead with 'minced oaths' or the like, earning points by me since I was watching with Daughter.
But the bloopers, which ran alongside credits, automatically, let fly several s-words and a couple of f-bombs. I found that odd.
Newsflash: Authorities now calling Susan Powell case murder. Awesome police work, guys!
Even though it is February, I was hoping for slightly warmer weather - if it gets really cold this weekend, I'll open a bottle of Glühwein, bought from the Kroger clearance rack ($1.79!) last week, and channel my inner Clarence: "...heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves. Off with you, me lad, and be lively!".
I'm flummoxed by all the emails wanting me to learn a new language - if I wanted to do that, I'd have a garage sale and speak Spanish by lunchtime.
For the first time in ages, I made perfect al dente spaghetti tonight.
A 46 year old woman is suing New York for $900 trillion. Yes, $900 trillion. I say give her an empty Coke bottle and a couple of dollars worth of subway tokens and send her on her way.
And from the other side of the carbonated drink aisle - this may just be my inner grumpy old man, but did I perceive in Dame Elton's Pepsi commercial an implicit endorsement of the OWS egalitarian ethos "Pepsi for everyone"? Hey, how about y'all brainless masses actually working for the rewards instead of just demanding them?
OK, maybe I was reading too much into it.
Now,how about a sunset beach walk on the beverage third coast? I didn't get too wrapped up in the Dublin Dr Pepper saga, in which the corporate giant snuffs out the small town independent bottler. David and Goliath was the general story, was it not?
As I noted, I didn't read all the articles, but - and please correct me if I get it wrong - I thought I read, more than once, that the Dublin group was in violation of selling its niche product beyond the geographical boundaries in its licensing contract. Also, that, despite the marketing cachet of being bottled in nostalgic little Dublin, most of the production was outsourced to a Belton bottling plant.

My sense is that the Dublin group overestimated the David v. Goliath spin.
I don't fault them trying to cast themselves as folksy small town producers - it's classic marketing - every mega beer company (AB, Miller-Coors, etc) has several supposedly 'craft brews' in its stable.
I took Daughter to my parents' house for dinner Sunday afternoon. Before the football game, Mom & Dad, Daughter, Sienna and I went for a nice walk, about a mile. Doesn't seem like much, but it was pretty cool.
License seen on a car on the drive home yesterday: CZ2DAY. Carpe Diem wouldn't have fit.
As for me, I didn't eat all of the al dente spaghetti - I left room to sieze some of the leftover sweet potato pie.

Have a needle that needs to be removed?

2012-02-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

Another blockbuster sermon.

There's No App For Self-Control from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Texas Rangers fans, hear what Brandon has to say about Josh Hamilton, at about the 33:48 mark.

In case of Zombie[s]

2012-02-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Zombies are all the rage these days. I am not the SME (subject matter expert) that El Chalupa Cabrito is, but I do know they can be downright pesky and difficult to dispatch.

So, to help matters, the good folks at Guns & Ammo magazine bring you a fine article about Mossberg's latest incarnation of its slide action shotguns, and a lever gun, specifically adapted to help you re-dead the undead. There's also a top 10 list of the greatest movie shootouts, if you're so inclined. Since it's shootouts, and not shooting, it doesn't have Tom Selleck's Quigley long-range Sharps shooting (pity!). And Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid missed the list, too. Although theirs was not quite so much the shootout as ambush. Same can be said for Bonnie & Clyde, I suppose.

Other than a campy movie [Undead or Alive: A Zombedy] I watched a couple of years ago starring Chris Kattan and James Denton, I don't know much of the history of zombies in the old west.

But, if I'd been in the 1880s, and had trouble with their kind, this is what I'd want:

This could be mine for just $39,500 (wholesale)!

Edit: As per the originals, this one is .45-70 Gov't. But I'm sure they could knock off a few Gs for a scaled down version in .380 ACP, in case of micro-zombies, bed-bugs or dust mites, huh?

I'll melt the butter

2012-02-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Scientists have found 'terrifying' giant crustaceans while exploring a deep sea trench.

I'll be ready for them:

Think things are bad now?

2012-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Just wait 20 years - here's our future:

Like, um, you know, what do they do for six hours a day, five days a week, nine months a year?

I hope the Finns are friendly, because academically they kick our butt.

Bad news on the doorstep

2012-02-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

3 February 1959

...and kibbles

2012-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

Sienna and I opted to sleep indoors last night when I found that the movers' blanket that I use to drape over my outdoor recliner (and under my sleeping bag and comforter) was drenched with condensation.
We went for a walk before bedtime. For once she didn't try to do anything rude in someone else's yard. I think we both need more frequent exercise.
Oldest son texted me this morning: 100 on his electrical schematic/symbols test last night. This was especially encouraging to me, since it has so far not been his favorite class.
It appears a concrete mixer truck may have overturned on 287 south of Bowie near the motocross track today, although it was upright when I drove by it.
The storm before the calm - me racing up on the roof to see why there was leakage around a PVC vent pipe. A small gap between shingles above the plastic/rubber flashing/boot.
Cut some fresh shingles and patched them in. In the dark. Before it rained. No broken bones.
Even cleaned up the shingle knife with mineral spirits, gathered and threw out the scraps, and put away the ladder. First time for everything, I suppose.
They stocked the pond with Rainbow Trout for a Kid Fish event two weeks ago. Two days later the rains probably washed every last one downstream.

Oldest son called as I was writing: 100 on shop practices test also.
He wants to buy a scooter (Ruckus or Zuma) to commute to school - thinks it'll save gas over his F-150.
Well, yeah. But I'm not exactly enthralled by the idea. Too many crazy drivers out there.
Sure, when I was a kid, I had a Suzuki Trail 80, a Yamaha 100 Enduro, a Honda CB 350 (in college, when I weighed about 165), and about 15 years ago, a Yama Virago 750 that sat in the garage for about five years - Why do you ask? But there weren't any texting drivers back then.
Renewed my Shooting Times subscription recently - received an issue yesterday, and one today. It's like Christmas!
The shooting press runs in cycles - they seem to be gaga about .380s again.
Seriously? I have one that I bought new in 1983 at the Grapevine Wal-Mart (before it moved to Southlake and back to Grapevine). No desire to buy another, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. I do kinda like the Ruger LC9 (with LaserLyte), as well as the new Beretta Nano, if I were to buy a 9mm.

Nano, not Nanu!

That's better.

The Nano would be über cool if it were .357 Sig, but I don't know if that platform can handle the pressure, and recoil profile.
The same ST issue features an article on .300 H&H in a Ruger #1. Very elegant cartridge, albeit way more than any of my present or anticipated near-term hunting requires. And am a huge fan of the #1 as well as its Dakota Arms cousin.

.300 H&H Magnum and .30-'06 Springfield

Kids [and Yankees], I said "Get off my lawn!"

Alright, you Yankees can stay.

My walking partner from last night apparently now thinks this is something we should do every night.
After listening to WBAP this morning, I'm cutting back on the sugar in my tea and coffee, and going to try to exercise more.
OK, Sienna, I guess it's the leash we can do...

Quick bytes

2012-02-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

The news makes my head hurt:

Government considering new regulations on sugar, possibly by taxation or by treating it like tobacco or alcohol.
Good grief! Hasn't government screwed up enough stuff already?
Last night, news outlets were 'leaking' that the other Donald was planning to endorse Newt today.
Today, he endorsed Mitt.
MSM credibility is about the same as government's.
Big brouhaha today about Susan G. Komen Foundation cutting off grants to Planned Parenthood. Liberals threatening to tear up and send in their pink ribbons.
My question: Why the heck were they giving money to PP to begin with? I thought their mission was to find a cure for breast cancer?
Fear Factor: reality TV is off the rails.

Hits and misses

2012-02-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

In no particular order, just as you'd expect:

Middle son got his College Station acceptance letter over the weekend. His dad is proud.
Great weather the past two nights - slept on the deck watching the clouds roll overhead.
Super Bowl this weekend. Meh.
Romney wins Florida, then places foot in mouth. I thought he was more disciplined than that.
If a woman offered to meet me at a bar (as if!), I would politely say 'no thanks'. Not. Into. Bars.
Another oddball profile on "Lots-o-Tramps" - woman advises prospective suitors that it woudn't be an exclusive arrangement, which is fine I suppose, as well as that she is not particular regarding gender, either.
I'll die single.
Watched Murphy's Romance, from 1984 or 1985, starring James Garner and Sally Field, with daughter a few weekends ago. In one scene, Garner's character asks divorceé Field about her love life - she mentions, twice, in her response, that she lives like a nun. 1985 audiences would've understood, but I doubt that today's would.
The way Hollyweird recycles movie concepts, am surprised they haven't remade/updated that movie, though today it would probably be Murphy's Bromance, combining the original with Brokeback Mountain.
A couple of weekends ago, we rented The Last Brickmaker in America, a [Hallmark?] made-for-TV movie starring Sidney Poitier and Piper Laurie.
This may have been the next-to-last brickmaker in America:

I'd like to check out the museum there sometime. At its peak, the town was the biggest, or one of the biggest, coal operations in the state. Now home to 25 souls.
Would also like to see what this is, across the Interstate. I think it's either a hunting lodge or a B&B (or Medieval Times - Thurber?):

Consumer Dining Tip: Mushroom & Swiss 1/2 Pound burger at the Shell station at I-20 and 281. You could put it up against any of the trendy DFW burger joints. Only $4.59, including chips.
You're welcome.
BTW, not opposed to alcohol (regarding the bars) - just bought a bottle of Jim Beam, and some vodka last week. They'll probably last through next year, or at least this one.
60 Minutes ran a segment last week about pending [Federal] legislation that would limit or eliminate exotic game ranch operations in the U.S., showing some exotic ranches near Johnson City that have, almost singlehandedly, restored the Senegalese Scimitar Oryx from the brink of extinction. PETA-types don't like it that the animals are hunted, for tens of thousand of dollars, in Texas, and would prefer they go extinct than to let hunting revenues and incentives provide for their restoration.
Twits.
While I prefer the fair-chase mode of hunting, I have no condemnation for the hunters or the operators of the high fence ranches - they are preserving and increasing numbers of species that, as the Oryx, are threatened elsewhere in the world.
And if the feeble-minded want to discuss the issue of fairness - I believe an Oryx, Kudo, Ibex, Aoudad, Sika, or Fallow Deer (there's one on my den wall) has a better quality of life on a 50,000 acre hunting ranch, living as a sovereign by its wits, than a beef steer that's penned, inoculated, fattened, and, ultimately, sent to the abattoir.
Not that I oppose that - see Consumer Dining Tip, above. Just that I think the exotic game animal has the higher quality of life. At least until he meets Mr. Nosler 140 grain boattail ballistic tip.

The one on the left and those in front of and behind the cedar, have horns.

The above are from a game ranch near Gordon.
Don't have any desire to hunt lions, tigers, giraffes, zebras or elephant, but I have always been intrigued by mbogo, the Cape Buffalo. Jumping off a mountain with a flying squirrel suit doesn't rev my engine, but I think that hunting mbogo, with a muzzle-loader, a Farquharson (Ruger #1), or a double rifle, could be a cool adrenaline fix.
A nice bespoke .375 Holland & Holland would work well, too, no?
Bwana Donald - The modern Frederick Courteney Selous!
OK, not quite.
Also on a recent 60 Minutes show: Qatar.
A mere generation ago, that country's people lived in tents and traveled by camel. With unbridled oil wealth, they now live in mansions and travel in jet airplanes - all menial labor is hired out to foreigners.
They're doomed.
Civilizations that hollow themselves out by losing touch with reality, including ours, put themselves at risk, and at the mercy of those that remain grounded.
An object lesson for our culture.

Expand my strength

2012-01-31T19:46:00.000-08:00

...for the size of the life You've planned for me.

There's No App For Depression from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

A couple of quotes I really liked from this sermon:

"Every pastor/mom/dad plays hurt."
"Sin is fruit forward, with a bitter finish."

For you adrenaline junkies

2012-01-31T16:46:00.000-08:00

Wanna try this?

Psalm 19:14

2012-01-29T20:03:00.001-08:00

Haven't posted any Linda lately:

With harmony vocals from the late Messrs. Kenny Edwards and Andrew Gold.

Taggers is just cold, man...

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

This is for Corner...

2012-01-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

A few feet from where I was parked one day this week.

Once again, I did not see him at the Stock Show (on a different day).

Well, isn't this special?

2012-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

As if anyone needed more evidence the Occupy movement are just a bunch of boorish hooligans.

Even a liberal PR flack should know that this won't gain much public support.

Idiots.

Is this the quick-build kit?

2012-01-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

How to build a 737 in under three minutes:

Sheer lunacy

2012-01-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

I have hiked mountain ridge lines like this, with a full backpack, and 100%+ grades on either side, near Innsbruck. A slip would have resulted in a fall/slide of several hundred feet or more.

Another song for you

2012-01-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Pursuant to Chupacabra's comment that composer Leon Russell's is the better version of this song, I hereby offer the dear reader the opportunity to make his/her own choice:

I do believe we can agree Mr. Charles has the better fashion sense, and he wasn't even looking at what he was wearing (I don't understand why he [Charles] used the Casio, when there's a real piano right next to it)...

Truth withholding nothing

2012-01-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

Of late, blogger Thunder Tales has posted quite a few Leon Russell clips.

Here's one of Leon's best, performed immaculately by the incomparable Ray Charles (I've kinda fallen behind in my posting of songs by dead guys...).

I heard Russell's version before Ray's, and Karen Carpenter's before that.

No App for Angry Old Men [or Women]

2012-01-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

This week's installment from Keystone:

There's No App For Anger from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

While you can't see it in the video (the auditorium screens are, well, off-screen, Brandon starts the sermon by playing 'Angry Birds').

Wanna trade?

2012-01-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

How about we fire the 100 idiots and their staffs in D.C. , and replace them with the residents (if there are any) of this community?

I bet we'd be 100 times better off!

An AntiqueStore

2012-01-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

Todd, maybe your buddy's been hanging out here:

Cultural Obsexxion?

2012-01-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Pastor Ed Young of Grapevine's Fellowship mega-church has followed up his advice to his congregation two or three years ago, where he suggested to his married congregants to practice boinking for seven days in a row, by staging a 24 hour 'John & Yoko' bed-in atop his church under the DFW air traffic flight path, to raise awareness of the importance of intimacy in marriages.

OK, I think it get that, kind of. But it does make me question whether it's about healing marriages or creating a bit of sensationalism in our already sex-obsessed culture. Pastor Young says that Church is the logical place to discuss sex, after the home, and I agree that it's surely a better place to hear God's plan for human intimacy than seeing it on TV, the movies, and the internet. I'm just not sure if God's trying to put it as much in the spotlight as Pastor Young is trying to do.

The pastor at my Church doesn't shy away from the subject, calling sexual intimacy between a man and a woman one of God's great gifts. But, so far, he hasn't challenged the congregation to a stamina-fest, passed out little blue pills, or made it the centerpiece of the message.

About three years ago, I signed up for one of those online dating services - never dated anyone from there (that I hadn't already met), and finally decided to turn off my profile. But, occasionally, I still get emails telling me I have new 'matches' that I should check out.

So, I logged onto the site, which displays thumbnails of the gals it thinks I would be compatible with. Some of the screen names lack images, but I notice one that has an image unlike the others - it's a tray of cupcakes with cherries on top of them. Of course I wonder "what's up with that?" and click on the link to find out.

The profile in question says the woman's 51 or 52 - no spring chick, but neither am I, so it's all good. The self-description is rather sparse, includes the typical caveat 'must not be looking for intimate encounter', and under Interests lists only 'ANR'.

ANR? Active noise reduction - is she a Dolby fan? Alaska NORAD Region - an Air Force vet?

No. I'll save you the Google search...it's apparently Adult Nursing Relationship - an alternate name for erotic lactation fetish. I guess that explains the Latte in her screen name, huh?

But, I was a bit confused, as back in my dating days, if one got so far as to, uh, you know, check out the nursing goods, one was probably as good as home to having an intimate encounter.

There's a whole world out there I know nothing about.

And, lastly (for this post anyway) on the subject of obsession, we hear that Steven Tyler has issued sort of an amicus statement in favor of curtailing the language and prurient content of broadcast TV.
As a libertarian/conservative, I generally favor minimal government intrusion into our daily lives. But, as Paul Harvey used to say "Self government won't work without self discipline." The producers of 'entertainment' on the left and right coasts seem to have little use for self discipline.

Many evenings I have the TV on, and hear a constant stream of (OK, I'm gonna sound like a prude here - get over it) trash from such programs as How I Met Your Mother, 2-1/2 Men, Whitney and others. Maybe I'm overly sensitive, since my daughter does not live with me, that I don't know if she's being exposed to this kind of fare.

The libs and Larry Flynt types will surely scream that they have a First Amendment right to fill our airwaves with as many of George Carlin's Seven Words (I've written elsewhere that as a high schooler, I could recite, spot-on, several Carlin and Pryor routines - ultimately, that wasn't much of an accomplishment) as they wish. I disagree - let them do as they wish on cable and dish, but as long as the airwaves are deemed 'public', then 'community standards' apply, and I'm part of the community.

Isn't it interesting that even Steven Tyler, who I think we can agree has more than a passing familiarity with Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll, says prime-time TV has crossed the line and needs to be dialed back?

What's this?

2012-01-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Seen the other day near Boyd, looks like a stage from an Atlas 5 rocket, but made of steel.

I'm thinking it's maybe a pylon base for a wind turbine - any other guesses?

When I was a kid, our first-order Metromess suburban neighbors across the street had a 'ranch' near Jacksboro (that's Jackistan for RPM), northwest of Barton's Chapel (Hwy 4 & FM 2210). It wasn't so much a ranch, as a little under a half-section, where we'd spend many weekends a year riding horses, motorcycles, or deer hunting (I never got a deer on that property, but did run over a rattlesnake with my Suzuki).

Never been there, but I want to vacation in Wizard Wells sometime.

Since 114 and 183 both ran through our town, we'd sometimes go out there via 114/380, and other times by 183 to 199 and 2210. Before I was a licensed driver, it was always a treat when Dad would let me drive from 380 south, or from 199 west, out to Tom's ranch. In the intervening 30-35 years, I've been out in that general area maybe 4-5 times. (To give you an idea how long it'd been - one of the last 'ranch' trips was an aerial visit in Dad's Sundowner, flying from Amon Carter/Greater Southwest Airport, before it closed to general aviation.)

So, last week, I'm out in that area, and looking south from 380, notice a line of wind turbines. Checking the Bing.maps birdseye from home that evening, I found that some of the eastern towers are on our old friend's former property, at the southern edge of a ridge/plateau line that, if my Texas hydrology hypothesis is correct, divides the Brazos and Trinity river basins.

If you look close/enlarge, you can see the turbines on the horizon.

Is this what defense cutbacks entails?

2012-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Recently, military spending cutbacks were announced.

Not to worry, there are many ways to practice for global preparedness that are cheaper than outfitting F4-Phantom II jets as R/C models and blowing them out of the sky.

Here's what our friends in India are doing (scroll past the India Gate video to the motorcyle stunt vid).

Yeah, that ought to work well if we ever have to fight the 'Battle of the Circuses'.

You know, India and Pakistan both have the Bomb. If they had a big-time war with each other, we could move tech support back to Topeka. I just wanna make sure to save Ranjit and Chad first, though - they keep my cellphone working.

Oh, and Johnny-5, too:

Speaking of Bakers...

2012-01-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Has the restoration effort stalled again?

And another...

2012-01-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

This could also be the guy who makes the doughnuts:

Dew, do you have this inflatable?

Seagulls or Pigeons?

2012-01-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know which, but this group was shopping at the Sam's Club in NRH a couple of weeks back.

It appears that a couple of them, with a good dry rub of jalapeño and sage, and wrapped in bacon, could make a meal. They're huge.

I tried to find some info on the interwebs, but it didn't help much:

Gulls are a taxonomic family while 'sea-gulls' are a generalisation based on morphological similarities in predominantly coastal and pelagic gull species.

The term ''sea gull' is erroneously used to describe many species of gull seen in both coastal and inland habitats. The gulls most commonly referred to as sea-gulls in the UK include the herring gull, the lesser black-backed gull and the greater black-backed gull. Worldwide there are probably many more such generalisations.

Pigeons are near-passerine (perching) birds and are not related to gulls except in the most distant sense.

I think they look like gulls. Maybe David Lee Roth knows...

Gov. Wm. J. Le Petomane Tollway construction?

2012-01-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

Is Mel Brooks behind this? Stop lights - in Cottondale? Really? Cottondale?!

Does the toll booth go up next week?

BTW/Consumer Tip - The breakfast burritos at the c-store in Cottondale are Mongo-excellent!

Mellow oldie...

2012-01-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

An interesting update to a very old song. I think Chicago X was my first CTA album - I used to mow the lawn of a family friend who was an executive with a record and tape distributorship - I'd get 3-4 LPs or 8-tracks each time I mowed for him. I later filled in my Chicago collection on my own.

The Apocalypse must be near...

2012-01-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

I was going to write that people are stupid, but that seemed overly broad.

However, this guy is stupid.

You are as shocked as I to learn that he was arrested for weapons and drug possession. It also seems Mr. Zopittybop-Bop-Bop lists among his favorite activities: Thinking.

I don't think so, Tim.

You're probably right if you surmise that when he's in trouble his mother calls him by his middle name.

Random Shots

2012-01-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

Culled from the cobwebs of my mind, and other places:

Noted über-geek Stephen Hawking, turning 70 (and I thought he had died) says that he spends most of his time pondering...women. They are a complete mystery to him.
Well, duh. They are a mystery to me, too. Wonder if that makes me a deep thinker.
Probably not.
The art of editing news stories seems to have died. Yahoo mobile news had a headline up all day saying that the dispatcher in Oklahoma said it was OK for the 18 year old mother to shoot an intruder.
The dispatcher specifically stated that she couldn't give permission, but advised the girl to do what she had to to protect her infant.
Pesky details.
On New Year's Day, Daughter & I missed going to church - we didn't realize they'd cancelled the 12:30 service. So, she suggested we go to Cabela's.
Love that girl!
She wanted to see the full size big game room and shoot in the arcade/gallery. She's a good shot. She asked if I would take her hunting - I explained that she couldn't shoot big game with a .22 - the only firearms she's shot so far.

No particular reason to mention this, but the LOP above is 11-1/4". ;-) Edit: OAL is 36-1/4"
I did some shopping the day after Christmas. Maybe it's the kind of stores I go to (I wasn't @ SLTS), but I think if I'd spent just a couple more hours shopping, I could be fluent in Spanish. Not saying that's a bad thing - just not what I would've expected when I was younger. It's a different world now.
On NYE, we went hiking in the woods to recon the 'campsite' we'd created over Thanksgiving break. We were able to find the site, but unfortunately, vandals had removed the two stumps and the 2x4 and plywood table we'd set up as a picnic table.
We later found the stumps where they'd been cast off in a dry creekbed, about 100 yards away, but never located the 'table top'.
Neither of us could understand why someone would do that, and besides, all of those pieces were pretty heavy to be carting or pulling through the mesquite and briars.

Our camp table, in November.

In the above picture, we had set up the table a couple of days earlier, and subsequently made two timed runs, on successive evenings, to see how quickly we could reach our 'site' from civilization, with no/minimal use of flashlights.
A week or so ago, there was some celeb dude who had some kind of writing on his torso, kinda like Megan Fox. I don't know what it said.
I've never had any desire for that sort of thing, but if I were going to do something like that, I'd put the 27 words - 2A.
But for now, since I can still remember them all, I don't have any need to make a cheat sheet of my armpit.
Oldest son starts college this month. He's very excited, and I'm very happy for him, though I wonder if he'll enjoy the night classes or switch next semester to day and find an evening job.
Middle son purchased an electric bass over Thanksgiving break, or maybe early December. Last weekend, he stayed up into the wee hours practicing with a small amp I put in his room.
No, he played quietly - no rattling the walls.
Daughter and middle son and I saw Courageous last Thursday. It's not Oscar material, but we all liked it - a lot.
Consumer Tip - I've said it before: I'm tight with a dollar. But recently, I bought WalMart brand Velveeta substitute. Mistake. Kroger brand is OK, but the WalMart brand misses the mark.
Thought you'd like to know.

A rock-n-roll gem

2011-12-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

If you're of my generation, look me in the eyes and tell me that this song doesn't transport you back to the skating rink, sandwiched between GFR's Locomotion and [ugh!] the BCR's Saturday Night, sometime in the mid '70s. This clip is from 2005, and it appears Eric and the guys can still bring it:

If you were fortunate enough to bring a date, or find one at the roller-arena, you maybe later slow-skated to Chicago's Colour My World.

Amiright?

A musical interlude

2011-12-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

Q: So what happens when the physical Christmas presents lose their luster?

A: They end up in the Second Hand Store:

Here's wishing you the permanent Christmas present (in addition to all the fun stuff you unwrapped).

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your loved ones all of the blessings of the Christmas season, and always.

Reflections

2011-12-24T11:19:00.000-08:00

Dinner and Christmas with the kids @ my parents' on Thursday was great.
Word has it there will be a special guest at Christmas Eve church services.
No, not Santa.
I have previously noted my disdain for the 'Occupy' movement - apparently a ragtag bunch of hippies and trust fund kids who have enough spare time to camp out in, and make a mess of, city parks across the country.
If you're gonna protest, put some coherent thought into it, and do it this way instead.
I can see, and, uh, understand their point[s].
One of the Kardashian brood is coming to north Texas. No black man is safe.
Awhile back I was going to write a post about the 'Kardashianation of America - Whoring Goes Mainstream', but figured I might end up in a Dennis Milleresque rant. Moi?
Baba Wawa interviews them and calls them 'talentless' to their faces, with which I agree. Nonetheless, is she not using them to drive ratings of her program?
And, in discussing the whole lot of them as part of the content of this post, I suppose I am complicit, as well.
Week before last, Daughter bought me a living Rosemary shrub trimmed like a miniature Christmas tree, since I told her I wasn't putting up a tree this year. I've so far used some of the leaves (a tiny portion) in some beef stew, and some spaghetti sauce.
Yum!
A light drizzle/freezing rain is falling outside my window.
Last Saturday I stopped at GV Mills mall on the way to Dallas to some friends' party, looking for something specific for Daughter. I loathe crowds.
I'm not tall - 6'1" - but with boots on am tall enough to be seen, and I was on a mission. With my reading glasses perched on my nose (giving a stern visage), I must've looked like Robert Hays/Ted Stryker from Airplane.
Too bad no hippies or Moonies approached me.
Yesterday, with more time, I went there again - actually managed to find some things on the gift list.
I'm what you call ~~'a value shopper'~~ cheap. Whenever I go to that mall, I cruise the food court because most of the places have someone out front handing out samples. Probably about 6 or 7 opportunities. If you snag something in both directions, you can skip a meal.
Yeah, I kinda do the same thing at Sam's Club.
Here is an odd story. And who uses a 9mm to shoot mice anyway?
Recently I was driving past the UPS depot in Fort Worth, just as the trucks were being dispatched - looked like an ant trail.
I noticed a couple of the trucks had integrated aerodynamic headlights - bet that adds a couple MPG to their fleet stats.
Medieval Times has a new show. Our family went there for my 40th birthday. I would think they should have a rotation of shows so it's not just a special occasion place to go.
Was doing some work around the house, listening to a Christmas CD of glass harmonium music by Denton native Donal Hinely (yes, I know that sounds similar to Don Henley, but it's a different guy). I first heard him play at the Scarborough Renfest several years ago. Very talented singer/songwriter, a showcase performer at the 2006 SXSW - apparently now based in Tennessee.
Of late I've sort of returned to the mode of doing housework on Saturday mornings, as I'd envisioned it when I was in college. Crank up the tunes, vacuum, dust, do laundry and dishes, put stuff away. Back then the house I had in mind looked something like Cardinal Puff's - wood floors and staircases, balconies. It was a SMU hangout/beer garden, off of Greenville Ave, back in my high school/college days. I Googled/Bing.birdseye'd it - now Ozona Grill & Bar - looks nothing like what I remember from back in the day.
I'm gonna try to make that more of a habit this coming year. And I still want that house.
Have a blessed, Merry Christmas!

Il Manifestus Mio

2011-12-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

I've been making notes all week since I didn't have time to actually post - thankfully for you, I won't use them all at once.
Every time I saw a deer crossing sign this week, I had the urge to get some of those red LED bike flashers at the dollar store, drill a 1/4" hole through the sign with a cordless drill and mount the flasher behind the deer's nose.

Even though it's not specifically prohibited in the 10 commandments - I figured it was better to practice self discipline and go about my business.
TxDoT likely would not have been amused.
Regarding the researchers looking for the Higgs bosun 'God particle' - I have an idea for a sit-com pilot about the wacky travails of some geeky quantum physics scientists: Bosun Buddies.
Probably would still be better than 75% of reality TV programming.
Meanwhile, Japanese scientists are tagging and releasing wild monkeys near the Fukushima (do not repeat 5 times fast) nuclear reactor, to determine the propagation patterns of radioactivity.

May or may not be actual Japanese test subjects...

Of course, we know how that will turn out.

Time magazine has named 'the protestor' as its person of the year.
What, exactly, has 'the protestor' accomplished? He/she apparently doesn't do much work.
El Chupacabra wrote recently of an encounter with a woman whose husband didn't or wouldn't work. I see a fair amount of that these days.
He noted that work is what men do - work at something we may not like until we can get to something we can tolerate or even enjoy - but work nonetheless to put food on the table, gas in the cars, etc.
Here's a guy who worked:

Another guy who works, from before sun-up, in hot and cold, dust and rain, is Around the Corner, whom I had the honor of meeting this afternoon by coincidence at the sporting goods store as I was running errands.
Of course I was dressed like a bum since I had just gone out to get oil/filter @ Wal-Mart for an upcoming oil change and ducked into the sporting goods store to get a quick Christmas present for one of the kids.
Nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise to make W's acquaintance, though I regret that, in my haste to get to other stops, I missed meeting Mrs. W.
Rats!
Well, it's getting late, I gotta make sure my sneakers are dry for going to the car wash tomorrow.
As in, I get to go to the car wash tomorrow. ;-)

Put your hand in the hand

2011-12-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Brandon's father preached the message today:

Jesus Is ______ - Part 6 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

I'm not clear about what he's referencing between Wm. T. Sherman and Robt. E. Lee - couldn't locate any corroboration for that.

Yep. Dr. Thomas was right.

Randomosities, Part Deux

2011-12-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

A news tidbit on my Fox.mobi said Unsafe Sex More Likely After Drinking, Study Confirms.
Sheesh! Ya suppose? Wonder how much that study cost, and who paid. Nah, I don't really want to know.
After yesterday's pizza-fest, I thought today I'd aim for a lunch in the sub-thousand calorie range, so I drove to the Kroger near my office for a can of hundred-some-odd calorie vegetable beef soup.
On the magazine aisle, the Cosmo cover shouted "50 Ways to Kinky Sex", or something like that.
Nice. (Edit: Frequent/perceptive readers will note the sarcasm.)
In 1996, should've been Supreme Court jurist Robert Bork's book Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline was published.
Slouching towards Gomorrah? Slouching? I don't believe it.
We're running headlong towards it. Like that guy in the Impala with the jet engine.
The last Lockheed Martin F-22 rolled off the assembly line today. From a once projected build out of 750 aircraft, iteratively reduced to 438, 339, then 277 - the final count was 187. Wonder if they'll actually get used, or end up being too expensive to deploy, and, adding insult to injury, sent to Davis-Monthan to bake in the sun?

Are two UAV incidents in the past week coincidental to the end of the F-22, and threats to the JSF/F-35 program? Jet driver, author, patriot, blogger Thunder Tales is not so much the fan of UAVs replacing manned missions, but they are part of the arsenal, and will probably become more so.
In other aviation news, Southwest has ordered $19B worth of the latest, most fuel efficient B737s. Not that I have occasion to fly them on my current job, but I'm a fan of the airline.
Having brushed up a couple of days ago on Braniff history, though, I hope that Southwest's finances will support those purchases.
Scientists at CERN in Switzerland believe they are close to finding the Higgs bosun 'God particle', in the neighborhood of 114.4 and 131 gigaelectronvolts (GeV), using the 17 mile long Hadron supercollider. They specifically think it might be hanging out at 126 GeV.
That's probably not where I would've looked - but, hey, I spent an hour and a half Sunday and Monday nights looking for my second pop rivet tool since the first one was missing the proper nosepiece I needed for the mandrels I was using - so, who am I to say?
I'd hate to have their Reliant Electric bill for that search. And I found my riveter.

Bosun whistle

Couldn't they just whistle for it?
One more thing: I think they may have it backwards - God isn't the smallest thing in the Universe - He's the largest.
On History Detectives tonight, Wes Cowan and Professor Tukufu Zuberi (née Antonio McDaniel) follow a story about .45 caliber slugs that were allegedly removed from the bodies of outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. It turned out that they were not from the fusillade that ended the robbers' careers, but apparently had been used to exonerate Bonnie's sister of the murder of police officers near Grapevine, Texas.
I've been aware of the significance of that intersection, NE corner of Dove Road and TX-114 in current day Southlake, for about 25 years. Also, Clyde's sister used to be a regular exhibitor at area gun shows, selling books or memorabilia.
While I was blogging last night, I heard dry leaves rustling (Rustling leaves? Through the Vatican? Kinky.) outside my window, so I went out to investigate. I found a possum, probably about 6-8 lbs, wandering about. He ambled off, in no great hurry, when I was shining a flashlight in his eyes from two feet away.
I wouldn't hear him tonight, as the leaves are wet.
To further atone for yesterdays pizzapalooza, I had a baked potato with just a bit of olive butter and some julienne ham strips for dinner.

Randomosities

2011-12-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

"For $500, Alex: What do you call 70% of The Donald's thoughts and 90% of his blogposts?"
Well played, would-be Ken Jennings!
In today's HuffPo, conservative radio dude Michael Savage offers Newt Gingrich $1MM to drop out of the race, saying he'll "look like nothing more than what he is: a fat, old, white man."
And the point is? I'm fed up with the notion that in the 21st century, it's somehow verboten to run for office without some sort of diversity label. We've had two women run as VP candidates, and elected a half-black president (with a half-wit VP). I've been supportive of black candidates, Alan Keyes and Herman Cain, but I think it's pretty darn stupid that at a time when we're $15 trillion in the hole, this yahoo thinks that filling out the race bingo card is more important than putting forward the most qualified candidate.
Gimme a break!
Readers will note the return of eminent blogger Anobiter "Obi One & Only" That's All She Wrote on the left-hand column. Welcome back!
A guy recreates a Darwin Awards scenario with a 1967 Impala like my Grandmother had. I'm calling BS on the 750 mph bus story, though. In 1975 or 1976, my friend Larry and I and my cousins got in some trouble from my Grandfather for getting said Impala stuck in a muddy pasture after doing donuts and our best impressions of Baretta and Starsky & Hutch.

Well, that, and for having taken our .22 pistols with us after being told to leave them up at the farmhouse. Do I strike you as someone who'd do something like that?
My cousin Mike could've had a good career as a stunt-man, though.
After pulling the Impala out of the mud with his 4WD Dodge, and confiscating our sidearms, Grandpa, a few sheets to the wind, drove back toward the farmhouse. It was well after dark, and about halfway there, a few hundred yards from where we were, we saw his truck stop, and several shots were fired from our .22s.
Not knowing his intentions or direction of fire, we ducked behind the Impala until we saw the lights of the truck moving again.
A woman, again on HuffPo, of course, brags about how swell she and her husband are for not educating their four-year-old about God, stating "So, God, if you're out there, I hope you get where I'm coming from. I'm taking a pass for now."
Well, isn't that special? I know there was a big flap last Christmas about some local atheists' "Good Without God" marketing campaign. Know what? They're right. Folks can be perfectly good people, and do good stuff, with or without His help.
But those folks are missing the point. It's not about us. And while I can't say for certain, I don't think God is losing any sleep trying to get where [she's] coming from. I'm quite aware of Pascal's wager, but that's not why I believe. If she heard the same messages about God, and relationship with Him, as I do, she might feel differently.
What a gift that would be for her four-year-old.
I gotta stop reading Huffington Post articles.
Our office Christmas party was to have been Saturday night, but was cancelled due to the hostess having a family emergency. So, today we had a pizza luncheon in the office. With potato chips, cupcakes, cookies, crackers and cheez-whiz.
Cheez-whiz? I hadn't had that since college.

OK, I guess it was Easy Cheese - the dairy equivalent of Silly String.
So, considering the Lunch of Champions smorgasbord, I had chicken noodle soup for dinner and I'm drinking a cup of hot Yogi Detox tea as I write this post. No, I'm not going all new age on you.
Last Friday I had dinner with Todd the Blogger, and Dew, at the former's house. After, you guessed it, pizza, we watched Horrible Bosses. I don't know if it was on the Dish or the Blu-Ray.
My pastor occasionally uses short movie clips at the beginning of sermons - I don't think there was a two minute segment of that movie that Pastor Todd could use in his.
Does anyone else feel their intelligence being insulted by the Reliant Energy commercials, with Troy Aikman, saying Reliant doesn't need celebrity endorsements? As it happens, I was already a customer, but still feel it's a dumb premise.
Had been feeling a bit bummed about not having the kids this Christmas - break starts this Friday - until I got a text this afternoon from their mother offering them one evening next week so that we can do Christmas early.
Smile.

Ask Me[n]

2011-12-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

This article comes from Ask Men via Fox News, posing the question: "Are we faced with too many choices in modern society?"

I would venture to say that we are, at least speaking for myself. I have also pondered similar questions regarding the over-saturation of the market share of the mind.

Not suggesting here that people should have their choices limited, but acknowledging that for ADD folks like me, the best approach may be self-discipline to cut to the bare basics and try to live [deliberately] as simply as possible. It also explains why I don't/shouldn't have cable/dish/FIOS - way too many things to watch - I'd go into meltdown.

I'd be starry eyed from watching Mythbusters, Top Shot, How It's Made, Storage Wars, and Dirty Jobs (I do watch cable at the hotel, having nothing better to do, when I have to travel for work).

The Living Vine

2011-12-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tarzan could not have found a better vine.

Jesus Is ______ - Part 5 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Can you QSL WB6ACU?

2011-12-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've recently wondered, if the economy/society craters locally/nationally/globally, then how will people communicate? After all, cellphone networks, upon which we've all become reliant, would likely have their service interrupted.

One answer might be amateur, 'ham' radio. Shown here is radio operator WB6ACU:

I understand he also plays the guitar...

Dating Doldrums with Dr. Donald

2011-12-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I'll click on an online article about 'relationships', just to see if the other side is totally nuts, or, possibly if I am. Today's article, by a gal named Jill Di Donato, has lists of qualities chicks look for in guys, and also, what she thinks guys look for in women. Here's an excerpt, from the latter list:

Is she promiscuous?
Does she give another guy more attention than she gives me?
Does she have a good relationship with her family?
Does she have her own sense of happiness?
Is she intelligent?
Is she overly jealous for no reason?
Does she display good manners?
Does she not answer my calls, especially at night?
Does she put effort into taking care of herself?
Is she an ethical person?

I guess that's a start - some are deal killers (promiscuity), others might not be so much on my list.

I'd also include "Does she text/call every five minutes?" When I was married, my wife would occasionally call me at the office with a question, but would always start with "Oh hey, I hate to bother you at work, but..." The truth was that, in fact, it was never a bother, and I enjoyed hearing her voice. I've known other guys whose wives call(ed) them incessantly and my brief post-divorce dating experience suggested to me that there weren't enough hours in the day to both work and respond to texts.

The online dating sites seem to be chock full of gals with all their girlfriends at every bar in town, usually displaying [I assume] fake gang signs and such. Pass.
Another observation is that it's not so much women not taking care of themselves, but those whose wardrobes and cosmetic procedures would pay for a nice 4WD or a modest lake cabin, that would be a beat-down. But women in frayed jeans and Metallica or Kenny Chesney concert t-shirts would also get a thumbs-down from me.

Some common interests would be be a plus: Antique refinishing, home DIY, boating, hiking/camping, travel, concerts, museums, shooting sports. I don't really consider the ubiquitous "fine wine, dining, cuddling, movie watching" to be really interests - those are things to do after doing something else. Don't know if I speak for all guys here, but would really like to find that biblical 'helpmate' who'll stand by my side and help as partner - and, yeah, I have learned in recent years and fully acknowledge that I would be obliged to reciprocate (I, uh, may have lacked this latter insight several years ago).

Spontaneity - my ideal mate probably should have less of it than me, someone who'll reign in my crazier impulses. But not a total stick-in-the-mud, either.

Well, there you have it. Looks like no wedding bells in my near future. Guess I can save some money by not having to buy a second clawfoot bathtub overlooking the lake sunset.

Oh, and on Cialis/Levitra/Viagra, too.

RIP Harry Potter

2011-12-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

OK, that's Harry Morgan, aka Officer Bill Gannon/Col. Sherman Potter.

(I took that picture about six months ago, figuring to use it in some sort of M.A.S.H. context - didn't know this would be it.)

Getting into the mood...

2011-12-10T09:10:00.001-08:00

Golden Gord

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Why not, eh?

Return to Resurrection

2011-12-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Another awesome installment.

Jesus Is ______ - Part 4 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

I like the observation about the instant replay/reverse angle review - I often find in my life that things are not as they initially appear.

Carl Sagan coulda told you

2011-12-04T21:16:00.001-08:00

OK, it's not the Eagles, but the guy does a reasonable interpretation of Don Henry.

Back Home Again - Life's Wonders

2011-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

After the better part of the week in our ~~nation's~~ ~~republic's~~ state's capital, it's good to be back home. Being away from the blogosphere for a while gives some time for reflection.

A few weeks ago I had dinner with my daughter on a Thursday night. She'd brought along her homework and, after eating, we worked on her lessons there in the BBQ restaurant. Following some math exercises, she moved on to another subject, which asked her to list things of wonder.

She, in turn, asked me about things of wonder in my life.

My list included:

Witnessing my children being born. (Actually, I was not in the delivery room for one, but was able to see him shortly after delivery.)
Enjoying the beauty of my wife as she carried said children. (I always believed she was beautiful, just more so at those times.)
Having parents who are still alive, and married.
Living half a century in good health - I know, it doesn't seem a big thing, but not everyone does.

I guess a lot of times I'm possibly more inclined, or at least as much as, to carry a mental list of the hurts or disappointments - to what purpose? So, I appreciated the opportunity, in this season, to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings in my life.

Pistol packing pastor

2011-11-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

It's a true statement that sometimes, in order to protect his flock, the shepherd must employ force to ward off the predators - at least I think that's where Brandon was going with this:

Jesus Is ______ - Part 3 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Not a pastor (but close), Paul Harvey often said: "Self Government won't work without self discipline." (A similar quote is also attributed to Alan Keyes). We frequently speak of "unlocking our potential", but we engage in activities that act as roadblocks to our success. If we change our thinking from God being the cosmic killjoy, and instead come to understand that as our Shepherd, His guidance, and following in his design for us, we will have the abundant life we desire.

Vintage Genesis

2011-11-27T07:15:00.001-08:00

Forgiveness and Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T16:10:00.001-08:00

November 22

2011-11-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

Actually, this pic was taken yesterday.

Middle son and daughter trust dad (who in turn relies on a

sacrificial pedestrian up-street) to warn them if traffic is coming.

I am about two weeks younger than John Jr. [was], so I don't have any direct recollections of the assassination, and we had not yet moved to north Texas. However, as a child I remember reading the Life Book Four Days cover to cover several times, so that most of the images were etched in my mind years before I ever set foot in Dealey Plaza.

(Another photograph, from an alternate angle, may or may not have been taken from the left side of the frame...)

The deer huntress...

2011-11-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

(Embiggen bei klicken)

At one point she was within 20 feet of them...

Not all banking centers are alike?

2011-11-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

I guess not. This one is Cool!

Paul Bunyan-sized guitar talent

2011-11-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen such a line-up of axe-men onstage?

A rose by any other name

2011-11-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Good for you, Tony! Nobody knows where the heck 'Wheatland' is anyway.

Everybody knows Whiskey Flats!

Our Daily Bread

2011-11-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

The sermon begins around the 7:00 mark, after some administrative comments.

Jesus Is - Part 1 from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Waymore, here's how he done it...

2011-11-12T19:13:00.001-08:00

I don't use Mother's Best cornmeal - I have an affinity for Morrison's, having driven by the Morrison's Corn Kits plant every morning on the way to my college classes (at NTSU).

Another thing to worry about?

2011-11-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering how we devolve into chaos - this might be one way.

And, it might indirectly make the case for getting your CHL - you might need it when the Occupy Your House squatter, with your gun[s] inside said house, refuses to exit.

1919-2011

2011-11-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

Nice Boat

2011-11-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Navy commences testing of the USS Fort Worth:

I'll bet that sucker could pull 50 skiers!

Wonder if the Coasties would like some of those?

Photo Editors

2011-10-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

God bless their little hearts (and smaller brains).

Over at Huffington Post, aka AOL News, we get this photo atop today's supposed 'gotcha' article about Presidential candidate Herman Cain's alleged inappropriate innuendo, language or gesturing back in the early '90s.

To give gravity to the article, which posits that the Cain Train is in danger of derailing over this, the photo editor runs the following pic, which I will posit was not taken in conjunction with any questioning of the candidate about this issue, but which appears to show him perspiring under the withering glare of media scrutiny.

Innocuous photo illustration? Or deliberate subliminal messaging?

Allesandro Volta

2011-10-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

...if he were alive, would possibly be suing General Motors today for using his name in conjunction with their electric car (GM does not call it a hybrid since the gas engine is not mechanically coupled to the drivetrain).

After reading a post over on Thunder Tales about the Volt, and having taken a brief test ride (with #1 son driving) in one last weekend at the airshow, I thought I'd do a little analysis of this vaunted new 'green' car technology, since I am (and so are you) kind of a shareholder in the company that makes this vehicle.

The car itself is inoffensive, and not uncomfortable - about the same form factor as the company's Cruze. But, selling at a price point about $15-20,000 more than a comparably equipped conventionally powered Cruze, the question arises: Is it worth it?

Chevy says the car has a range of about 35 miles on a charge. Go beyond that, and the gas engine kicks in to power the generator to run the electric motors - becoming, essentially, a 35 mpg car, which is not too shabby. But, for the sake of the analysis, we'll stick with the assumption that one's daily driving is roughly equivalent to the car's battery range.

The table below shows annual fuel spend for gas powered vehicles, based on average daily (7/365) miles driven, at various fuel efficiencies.

@ $3.25/gallon	25 mpg	30 mpg	35 mpg	40 mpg
25 miles/day	1186	989	847	741
30 miles/day	1424	1186	1017	890
35 miles/day	1661	1384	1186	1038
40 miles/day	1898	1582	1356	1186

Basically, we see a range of $741 to $1,898, at today's typical unleaded gas price of $3.25 per gallon.

Chevy's website advertises "about $1.50 a day" for charging the batteries on the Volt. Their assumption of 12¢/kWh for electricity, found in the footnotes, appears to be reasonable. So, if one's driving is within the range delivered by the battery only, the annual anticipated spend (for electricity), would be $548.

Subtracting the electricity cost from the range of conventional vehicle fuel costs, we get $193 to $1,350 as the cost penalty for driving a gas-powered vehicle - but [even for non-business majors], does that penalty, extended over a typical six year ownership ($1,158 to $8,500), justify a front end premium (and/or interest carry) of $15-20,000 of your family's hard-earned money?

Doesn't look like it to me.

Here's a suggestion...

2011-10-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

The whole notion of disproportionate sharing of the bounty...well, it's a disgrace.

Whether it's 99% vs 1%, or 90/10, 80/20, or even 71/12.5, it's the principle that's important.

Money, gravity, or Gummi Bears, it doesn't matter - fair is fair.

And get the heck out of New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Oakland...etc!

Actually, I may be a genius - we could get rid of the dirty, smelly hippies AND put furloughed NASA employees back to work!

Wheel of Words...

2011-10-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

And now, a new feature at Sonnet 116 - Wheel of Words:

_ _ _ , _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

Now, I suppose that looks a little daunting, doesn't it? Also, I should point out that this is a before, after, and in-between/same name puzzle. I'll throw in the standard RSTLN E if it'll help (although, for this help, I added a couple more words):

_ _ _ , _ e, e r n e s t, _ _ l _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ e _ _ l l _ _ _ _ n _ _ t _ e s _ _ _ _ l _ _ r _ _ _ l l _ _ _ l _ _ t.

Just for good measure, here's some clues: There goes Rhymin' Simon - Southwest Cuisine - in vino veritas - bad kid - TR.

Vowels, just five dollars.

Wish I had a Vanna...

Can you identify?

2011-10-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

I have seen these decals, sporadically, for about three or four years - have never determined what they mean.

Anyone know?

Don't wax on/wax off

2011-10-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the more I get used to the notion that there are a ton of things about which I'm clueless.

I know, you already knew that.

Take the following, for instance - Eyebrow Threading:

So, what the heck is eyebrow threading? Turns out it's an alternative, used mostly in Indian and Asian cultures, using a fine cotton thread, to tweezing and waxing to remove unwanted hirsuteness. (I think Todd the Blogger had this done to his entire head.) The link was where I googled it to save you the effort - I suppose since I have the MetroPCS phone service, I could've just called my buds Chad and Ranjit to ask them. I wonder if those dudes would help me curry favor with some up-and-coming Bollywood beauties?

Apparently there's a similar procedure, using high tensile strength aircraft grade wire rope, to help Italian women remove their moustaches.

FTW Alliance Airshow 2010

2011-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, oldest son mentioned the Airshow and invited me to go with him. So today we drove out to the airport and enjoyed a beautiful North Texas day outdoors.

This airplane was rebuilt from a worthless hulk, for the purpose of educating the public about the Tuskegee Airmen. It crashed in 2004, killing its project leader, Don Hinz. In testament to Mr. Hinz' dedication to the mission of telling the story, it was rebuilt again, and appears as you see it here, together with an IMAX type theatre trailer showing Rise Above, at various venues to educate new generations about overcoming circumstances.

The duct below the P-51 is for the radiator (to cool the Rolls-Royce Packard Merlin V-12). Something I learned today - The Meredith Effect: I did not previously know that the heated air after the radiator, creates additional thrust, in excess of the drag created by the duct, similar to a jet engine.

Spacewalk, anyone?

A restoration project completed by an Aero school in Tulsa:

Son was disappointed to see most people pick up the infantry arms and immediately put their fingers on the trigger - even though these have been rendered inert. I agree (didn't become an NRA certified firearms trainer for nothing.)

Where are those prairie dogs?

B'Gosh!

You know I'm an Eagles fan:

F-15 Eagles

CAF Mitchell B-25 "Devil Dog" and North American P-51 Mustang

In the air...

...and on the ground...

Jim Cavanaugh's TBM-3E Avenger ("Poppy" Bush '41' flew one of these)

Note B-25 "Devil Dog" tail in background.

...and in the air.

That's not my Dad's Bonanza.

The end of a perfect day, son poses in front of his idol, aerobatic pilot Sean Tucker's biplane.

'Tis the Season...

2011-10-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

...for ZOMBIES!

Be careful - be prepared:

Thanks to Shannon R for sending this!

Taste and See

2011-10-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is a frequent refrain at my Church. The notion being that Christianity is not an abstract concept to be simply studied - rather, we are designed to actually connect, all-in, with Christ's purpose.

This morning's service began with ushers circulating with trays of Hershey's kisses (and cups of water) during the meet-and-greet your neighbor segment. As I prefaced last week, some would see this as gimmickry, but it's just another small way that congregants are drawn in - not just to observe, but as participants in the service.

God has an exquisite table set for us. I don't want to read Bud Kennedy's food review of the banquet - I want to sit down and dig in!

ALL IN: Taste & See from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Bon Appétit!

Not so Mean Green

2011-10-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

~~Dork~~ Studly dude hopes that tonight's lawn mowing was the last for the season.

Said dude is not actually that short - lacking a proper tripod (it's around here somewhere), photographer (also the photographee) improvised a makeshift perch for the camera, and crouched accordingly.

Little Pink Riding Hood

2011-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma, what big teeth you have!

Because dressing up the dog in pajamas never grows old.

The Commies are coming...

2011-10-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess we should have known that in November 2008, but that's beside the point. Apparently, pinkos have been emboldened since one of their own was elected to the highest office in the land.

Comes now news that Lynchburg, Tennessee, the storied home of a certain popular libation (marketed with the imprimatur Lem Motlow, Proprietor), is faced with some budget woes.

Who isn't these days?

The town, like other cities, counties, states, and the federal government, apparently has problems funding its schools and infrastructure repairs.

But a Lynchburg resident is now trying to get the town council to slap a $10/barrel tax on the output of the town's largest employer, because, “We are entitled to more money from the only industry in the county – Jack Daniel’s distillery,” said Charles Rogers, a 75-year-old retiree and self-described “concerned citizen” of Moore County.

This sounds a lot like William Francis "Willie" Sutton Jr.'s justification for robbing banks: "Because that's where the money is."¹

Mr. Rogers goes on to attempt to rationalize his expropriation scheme by suggesting that the distiller's marketing use of imagery related to the quaint town is somehow a windfall to the company, and that the worldwide fame of Lynchburg (created solely by the Jack Daniel's distillery) puts an unfair burden on the town due to the quarter million visitors it draws every year.

After telling Mr. Rogers something like: "Sir, you are a peterhead!", I would explain to the twit that where I'm from, cities and regions spend large amounts of money trying to lure people to the area, believing that those people will spend larger amounts of money that will help the local economy. The supposition isn't without flaws, but, seriously, can this guy not see that Lynchburg is getting free publicity and a huge potential customer base, courtesy of the distillery, that other locales would thirst (and have to pay) for? Maybe he should try to convince the Moore County commisioners that being a dry county surrounding the home of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey is not a successful mixer for economic success.

The more I see stories like this, I am convinced that Pat Buchanan's latest book title may be right: Suicide of a Superpower.

¹ Mr. Sutton disclaimed the quote in his autobiography stating it was made up by a reporter, but it is nonetheless attributed to him in popular culture.

Ripley's Believe it or Not?

2011-10-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

A heartwarming story is making the rounds of an elderly Iowa couple, who, with mortal injuries sustained in a car crash, conclude their 72 year marriage, and time on earth, holding hands, expiring within a hour of one another. One version of the story even has the husband, who passed first, continuing to show a pulse on the monitor - the pulse of his wife, whose hand he still clasped.

Upon hearing this story on the radio this morning, I was already thinking of this song, just about the time one of the on-air personalities mentioned it.

Of course, my other thought was of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart...

How are you McFeelin'?

2011-10-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

As a former subscriber to various woodworking magazines such as Woodsmith, Fine Woodworking, Workbench, and This Old House, I get more than a few online adverts from the likes of Rockler, WoodCraft, and McFeely's - the latter offering a ton of specialty fasteners for home woodworkers and production cabinet shops, furniture makers, and boat builders alike.

Yesterday, I opened the McFeely's ad and briefly perused it. Part of it caught my attention:

I'd sure hate to have technical difficulties on that web catalog, as it would be very awkward to have to contact the webmaster: "Uh, yeah, McFeely's? I'm trying to access your screw portal and I can't get in."

Seems they could have worded that better...

Earworm Be Gone!

2011-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

You know what I'm talking about - that snippet or phrase of a song that just keeps repeating in your head.

And for antedeluvian persons like myself, whose memory may or may not be slipping, it's made worse when one can't identify the song whence the phrase came.

So, for the past two days, a bridge with the choral refrain of "I know, I know...I know, I know...I know, I know" with a slight bass roll thrown in, has been mocking my mind, cluttering my consciousness, psearing my psyche. I spent about 45 minutes this evening scouring my MP3 and WMA files, searching for the intrusive several bars of music.

As with so many other things, you find what you're looking for...when you're not looking. I'd gone to the kitchen to make dinner, when inspiration struck -

ELVIS!

Elvis? Yes, Elvis. No, not that one. Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus.

COSTELLO!

Since you already know about earworms, you also already know that the only way to rid oneself of one is to foist it on others - so, dear readers, I present Elvis Costello: Accidents Will Happen.

I like the part in the video where Kal-i-for-nia falls off into the Pacific.

And, in case you were wondering - Yes, I have this on vinyl from when I was in high school.

¡Picánte!

2011-10-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

From the Food desk:

I've said it before - I'm a pot cook. No, not a dopehead, just someone who throws ingredients together to create something tasty. And in so doing, I rarely use any measuring devices, other than to determine how large or how many containers I need to store or freeze my latest creation. I don't do baking, because it's much more exacting as to amounts, temperatures, and time. Women can do baking.

Tonight's was an especially good batch of homemade salsa, yielding about a quart and a half. Here's what went into it:

8 Roma tomatoes
5 seedless black grapes
3 Serrano peppers
3 small garlic cloves
2 Anaheim peppers
2 sweet banana peppers
1 gold bell pepper
1 tomatillo
1/2" slab of sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 nectarine
1 Bosc pear
1 chunk dried mango from Sprouts
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies & onions (the preservatives help the fresh batch keep longer - although I drain off part of the juice)
1-1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
Dash of lemon juice
Sprinkle of dried cilantro
Coarse black pepper

I chop most of it fairly coarsely, running the remainder through the blender. Because I have a healthy respect for the e coli, salmonella and other nasties (even though I thoroughly wash all the ingredients before cutting them), I heat the whole batch to about 180° for several minutes before putting it into glass jars and refrigerating.

This stuff is so good that tortilla chips are just a delivery mechanism. The flavor profile starts off a bit sweet, but then the fire kicks in - but not too much. ¡Muy sabroso!

Thoughts from the News

2011-10-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

An occasional feature, exclusively on Sonnet 116:

Over the weekend, an interweb news article pronounced Herman Cain's Presidential aspriration to be in trouble, because he is said to have connections to the billionaire Koch brothers.

Gasp! Has there ever been a confluence of money and politics before?
I could go for the easy quip and ask "What's the matter with brothers helping a brother out?"
OK, I just did.
But seriously, the article implied that having billionaire friends/supporters was a stain on Mr. Cain's character.
Are you kidding?
Do the names Soros, Pritzker, Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, George Lucas, David Geffen, Ken Griffin, Steven Spielberg somehow give no stigma to the incumbent President? I'm not mentioning Gates and Buffett, as their political giving is not so partisan as the earlier group.
Seems like the pot calling the kettle.
On the Road Again - Obama takes a bus tour to North Carolina to stump for his $447 billion Stimulus II, er, jobs bill. The President claims that independent outsiders say it could create up to 1.9 million permanent jobs.

That's a lot of people - a bit more than live in my whole county.
To give credibility to what I'm about to share, I have to disclose that I had a 750 Math SAT.
(Middle son got a 780 over the summer - 'course it's not as hard now as it was back in the 19XXs - we were only allowed a pocket abacus and our fingers and toes. ☺)
If the jobs plan performs to expectation, each created job would cost us, the taxpayers, a mere $235,263.
Now, I didn't attend Harvard Business School - I only have a pedestrian BBA from NTSU, um, UNT. (My original diploma, which got misplaced years ago, said NTSU.)
In any event, it doesn't sound like a very good ROI.
Confession: I used a scientific calculator from the Dollar Tree to do the Math. Does that make me a divider - not a uniter?
With that kind of loopy logic emanating from the bus tour, I can't help wondering: Is the President borrowing Willie Nelson's bus?

Cheers Church - Where No One Stands Alone

2011-10-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have to pinch myself sometimes. I attend a church where the lead guitarist sang Johnny Cash's Man in Black this morning prior to the sermon, and the pastor played the Cheers theme song as the congregation sang along, following with a snippet from '80s band The Smiths (as you know, I am not of the '80s, so it was unknown to me).

A casual visitor might conclude that this is not a 'serious' Church, or that the pastor is a good entertainer/comedian. Traditional it is not, but the truth is that this Church uses the language of the people to reach them where they are and tell them the Good News.

ALL IN: We Let No One Stand Alone from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

Rogue antelope

2011-10-10T19:02:00.001-07:00

It's not just the rogue pachyderms that'll get you:

Edit: After I had already posted this, I saw that it was also on the Pied Piper's blog.

Economics 101

2011-10-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

You know, if a lot of people abused the system like this guy, I'm thinking it might could hurt the economy:

Here's a strange...

2011-10-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Seen somewhere in the vicinity of Ridglea - I have no idea what that's about - maybe a band?

I even tried the Google - no luck.

Driver's Edge

2011-10-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

I commented over on Combat Kevin's blog the other day that my middle son had taken a driving course at TMS last weekend. Here's some pics:

Yeah, he thought it was cool to get to drive a BMW.

No, he didn't get to drive this.

Hey, that's not factory stock, is it?

It's had some work done.

This is probably what they would've had me driving.

The absurdity of media

2011-10-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

...is fully established when you have a white, middle-aged [self-described] socialist interviewer, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, taking businessman and Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain to task for allegedly not being active enough in the Civil Rights movement.

Mr. O'Donnell, the point of the Civil Rights movement was to ensure that equality of opportunity applied to everybody. Mr. Cain found his opportunities and worked hard to become a success, and an inspiration to others - irrespective of skin color - showing that work and playing by the rules are the way to achieve the American Dream. Who the heck are you to presume to lecture him and tell him that he should've been protesting on buses and attending marches, simply because he was a college-age black male in the 1960s?

As John Stossel would surely say, "Give me a break!"

WWJD?

2011-10-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

As in - What would Jesus drive?

I've read a lot of conjecture that he would eschew gas guzzlers and ostentation, and would instead drive something 'green', like a Prius or a SmartForTwo or Mini-Cooper.

Or a Honda.

Can you imagine my surprise this morning when I was passed by this crossover utility vehicle bearing the license plate (I couldn't discern the state) CHRIST?

Pure speculation on my part, but I'm thinking it's not His first Honda - probably upgraded after being cramped with the Disciples, altogether in one Accord.

But I'm still trying to get my mind around the vanity plates...

This makes some sense

2011-10-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

I normally shy away from celebrities' advice on social issues, health, nuclear engineering, politics, and economic theorties, mostly because there seems to be an inverse relationship between 'star' fame and intelligent discourse. I figure that if they've put in the time and effort to rise to the top of their celebrity field, they might not have a strong grasp on matters of greater import.

On the other hand, to be objective, that Greek dude So-crates from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, once tweeted that "the unexamined life is not worth living" (East Texas philosopher Henley paid homage to the concept: "...it's too long we've been living these unexamined lives."). Examining mine, I conclude that I do my job pretty well, and I reserve the right to express my opinions - so I ought not begrudge the celebs voicing theirs - if I want my ideas to carry more weight, then I need to work to become more famous, or come up with better ideas.

So, expecting little but keeping an open mind, I read the following story about a project John Ratzenberger (Cliff from Cheers) is working on, warning that the U.S. is on the precipice of becoming a third world country by having lost its productive capacity. Ratzenberger co-founded the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness of skilled trades and engineering disciplines among young people.¹ So, he's underscoring what Lido Anthony Iacocca tried to tell us a generation ago: That becoming a service/information economy of financial advisors, manicurists, barristers and burger flippers is ultimately not sustainable and won't work. We have to re-connect with reality and produce something, or become subservient to those nations that do (hint: Mandarin is not easy to learn).

Ratzenberger is apparently out of step with the left coast entertainment crowd, inasmuch as he is a Republican. He has also, supposedly, been asked to run for Joseph Lieberman's Connecticut U. S. Senate seat in 2012.

¹ The Wikipedia

Come as you are...

2011-10-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

The sermons at my church are always good. Today's was a tour de force.

Todd the Blogger has many times told the story of an old cowpuncher who moseys into the Lord's House, only to told as he leaves that he needs to clean up before he returns. This is repeated a time or two, culminating in an elder or deacon or usher or such reminding him: "Hey, didn't I tell you to go home and talk with God about the way you're coming into this house?"

The punch-line, of course (and Todd tells the story much better than I), is that the old guy replies: "Yep, sure did. He says He's never heard of this place."

I think that anecdote would've felt right at home at about the 28:15 mark in the video:

ALL IN: We Are Soft on the Edges & Strong in the Center from Keystone Church on Vimeo.

The Aussies are coming, the Aussies are coming!

2011-10-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Though I am often in Weatherford, until yesterday I could not have told you what was the high school mascot.

Today, I think Ronnie Millsap could tell you.

Even the employees at a local truckstop/square hamburger place had blue streaked hair and "ROOS" temporary tattoos on their faces.

Happy Birthday Wishes

2011-09-29T05:01:00.001-07:00

To the mother of my kids, and to Todd the Blogger, who share the same birthday, two or three years apart.

How could they not know?

2011-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

An Ocala, Florida ice cream store has discontinued using the following mascot, after some area residents complained that it resembled - can you believe it - a KKK robe.

While I've never seen a Grand Wizard with sprinkles (heck, I've never seen an actual Grand Wizard or any Klan member in person, for that matter), there's no way they wouldn't have recognized the similarity.

Knowing just enough about guerrilla marketing to be dangerous, it's my considered opinion that this was intentional, and got them free pub the two month old store would never have had the capital to afford.