Is That All You Do

My household is starting to get the teenage syndrome and I can’t say that I am overly pleased. What happened to those wonderful children that used to want to please their parents? They have turned into teenagers that are focused on what they want instead of what their parents see as their best course of action. What makes it worse is that the oldest is gradually turning her sister to the dark side. My youngest, being a boy, is already ignoring what we want. I think it is genetic.

My wife and I have asked repeatedly for the children to do their chores before we get home. On a good day they are half heartedly complete. Normally, they are rushing to take care of them when they hear the garage door open. At least once per week, there is a large sucking sound as I open the garage door into the house. Everything is in complete disarray and the children are lounging in the living room, looking at me like I’m an alien.

Now, if I comment, I am yelling at them. What is up with that? They fail to start / complete the most elemental tasks and I am the bad guy? “All you do is yell at us.” Well what do you think the future is going to hold if you can’t complete simple jobs now? Do you think your college prof is going to say it is okay to be late with the paper? Do you think your boss is going to say it’s all right to sit around and watch Oprah instead of putting in more fries? Even better, what will your kids think when you fail to provide any structure for them to live by and they end up ignoring you just like you did your parents? What an ugly picture.

So the next time I hear, “Is that all you do is yell at us?” I will replace my look of disgust with a smile and remember that the game is afoot and I am the parent. Now pick up this room and get the kitchen cleaned up. Do you have any homework?

Icool

Cobb

Trident, It’s Sugarless

I had a Little Mermaid flashback and the kept hearing the powerful voice of King Triton yelling, “Ursula!” That movie, although it did not follow the fairy tale (which is really a tragedy) gives a great tale of growing up and a parent’s love. What I really wanted through the movie was that all powerful trident that King Triton wielded. Boy, could you do some damage with that.

Well that got me to thinking about the word trident. Of course, now we get to review the definitions so we know what a trident is.

Trident: adjective - having three teeth, processes, or points
Trident: noun - a 3-pronged spear

Now I can think of three things that involve tridents. The first is the classis Trident chewing gum. The second is as previously mentioned, the three pointed spear of King Triton or the god Neptune of Roman mythology. The third is the Trident submarines of the US Navy.

Trident sugarless chewing gum was originally developed with sugar but contained three enzymes that helped to soften dental tartar. The three enzymes provided the trident of the gums name. When artificial sweeteners came about, the formula was changed because sugarless gum would help prevent tooth decay.

Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology. He was copied from the Greek god Poseidon. Pictures of Neptune show that he always had his trident with him. As god of the sea, it represented how fisherman speared their catch and was his symbol of power.

Trident submarines are nuclear powered submersibles and a part of the US nuclear arsenal. They are the third leg of the US nuclear capability, with the other two being land and air.

I guess the closest I will ever come to King Triton’s trident is either a fork. I don’t think I am going to wield much power with it other than to not use it so much at the dinner table. Still fat, but getting better.

Icool

Cobb

4 Days Off

Well, Thanksgiving for 2005 has come and gone. The turkey carcass has been picked clean and for those who are into frugality, it has been boiled for soup or stock. Most of us overindulged at the table. I had two Thanksgiving meals, one at my mother-in-laws and one at my mothers. The food at both were excellent. The company however was a different matter.

Why is it that people cannot get along? When there is a family get together, someone always seems to make someone mad or we have to walk on egg shells because we don't want to upset someone. At my mother's meal, my sister and her husband (a Baptist preacher in a small church, both conservative Baptist Christians) were upset because we had wine with our meal. They do not approve of alchohol in any way, shape or form and were upset by the fact that we had wine at dinner. Now they have isolated themselves from the family by moving to Kentucky and we would have had wine with the meal if they weren't there.

My other brother-in-law made what I thought was a witty remark concerning the wedding celebration where Christ turned water into wine so the party could continue. He asked my Baptist brother-in-law if the anti-christ would have turned the wine into water. For some reason I was the only one to laugh.

This left the meal very uncomfortable and the after meal conversation anemic. I understand that they do not approve of drinking alchohol and that their beliefs are such that they look down on those who do but their attitudes are not mine and the Christ I accepted into my heart does not frown on drinking wine. Christ accepted everyone, even sinners. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Love one another as I love you. Wow! Nothing new but it still packs a wollup..


Icool

Cobb

Let Us Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we are supposed to reflect on the bounty with which we have been blessed. As Americans, there is so much to be thankful for and so little to complain about but yet we still look at the glass and complain that it is half empty. With starvation and disease still rampant, with dictatorships and governmental oppression still occurring, with religious zealotry oppressing the right to worship, it is hard to see what we have to be thankful for.

We have people in our land of plenty that will have to stand in line at “soup kitchens” to be served the turkey and cranberries. People that have lost their homes, families, loved ones and all of their worldly possessions will be provided a meal that they can give thanks for on Thanksgiving. Some of those folks will actually be thankful for their meal while some will feel they deserve it because of the life they have been forced to lead. Making bad decisions and refusing to deal with the consequences of the actions resulting from the decisions makes us human and no less deserving of God’s love. It is just painful to see people that have so much talent, so much ability and potential reduced to “begging” when there is so much opportunity in our great land. “I can’t because” becomes an excuse rather than a reason in America. I would love to solve the much greater issue of the world’s hunger problem, but we have yet to solve our own. I can’t.

We have government agencies that feel it is there responsibility to affect people’s lives when the law says something different. Laws will pass by popular vote, some with overwhelming margins, only to have the court system put them on hold or declare them unconstitutional. I’m sorry, the people have spoken and the courts need to stick to what they were put in place for and not try to develop new rules to replace one’s they (the courts) do not like. The Supreme Court needs to stop sticking its nose into matters that are best left to the states. If the Constitution does not provide guidance on a matter, it is left up to the states. Butt out.

We have been denied the ability to pray in school or have manger scenes in town squares. I am trying to find anywhere in the Constitution that it says these things cannot exist. It says separation of church and state, not deny religious freedom. The purpose was to eliminate the possibility of a state sponsored religion not to deny freedom. We are being oppressed by zealots that would refuse us our constitutional rights. When the fundamental tenets that are the cornerstone of our legal system cannot be displayed in a court room due to over zealous citizens finding it objectionable, there is something wrong. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery are fundamental to any moral society. Let’s pray.

So as we give thanks for all the great things in our lives, remember that hunger, oppression and religious freedom are things that we as a nation still struggle to fix. As we look to the holiday season and spending time with families and friends at Christmas, remember that there are people in our world who do not have our opportunities. America is the land of the free and home of the brave, yet we have so much to do. So as you sit down to turkey and cranberries, oh you don’t like cranberries. Well don’t eat them. Your choice.

Icool

Cobb

Oh The Weather Outside is…

This week starts that slippery slope into the holiday season. The Christmas displays started going up the day after Halloween. I was at the local Meijer store on my way to work and they were tearing apart the Halloween candy displays and putting the candy on sale and at the same time the red and green M&M’s were being shoved out as replacements. On the other side of the store, the costume area was being removed to make room for Christmas trees.

We usually start our shopping early. I hate the pushing and shoving that traditionally denotes the spirit of the holidays. The endless stream of parties with the high calorie foods and drink are fun but by New Years Eve, it feels almost surreal. It is like all of the fun and excitement for the entire year is crammed into a 5 week period.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy this time of year. I didn’t use to but that is another story and is still being psychically unwound. Being married to someone who has fond memories of Christmas has helped me to get in the spirit and watching my children as they tear apart the carefully wrapped packages adds to that enjoyment. It is the one time of the year when our family can get together and enjoy each others company.

So as we head down that well trodden path to Christmas, keep a smile on your face and peace in your heart and remember reason for the season.

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed…..


Icool

Cobb

At What Price

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana.

I really love that statement. It is what every parent tries to impart to their children. We all want to spare our children the pains and heartaches that we went through when we were growing up only to find that it is those mistakes that give us character. But those are the mistakes we can live through, that do not create life destroying events. Other mistakes have a direr outcome.

We try to teach our children right from wrong. Don’t smoke, don’t do drugs or drink and drive, practice abstinence should be the mantra of every parent. Some parents are successful and others fail to follow through with the mantra and end up with troubled children that create an unpleasant atmosphere for everyone involved. But that is family and we always seem to see beyond the mistakes of our family and love them for who they are. Most of the time, the mistakes that we make are not world altering events that have adverse outcomes for entire nations or even the world.

I grew up under the shadow of the mushroom cloud. The US and the Soviet Union were grappling with which ideology would reign supreme in the world. We were terrified of communists and their threat of nuclear annihilation and were supremely confident in our countries course. Thank you Ronald Reagan. President Reagan saw the chinks in the Soviet armor and helped to push the evil empire over. It wasn’t tough once it started. It was mostly rotted anyway. It took nearly 40 years to topple the Soviet Union and create a more orderly group of states that have the ability to pursue their own future instead of being ruled by a despotic dictator.

We are currently facing another monster. This time the enemy is not a nation state intent on spreading their bankrupt doctrine all over the world, but a group of religious fanatics that are looking for a scapegoat for the perceived slights to their way of life. They want everything to stay the same and are trying to force the rest of the world to stop influencing their culture and way of life. They are using different tactics than the Soviet Union. The Soviets tried to turn nations to their way of thinking. The present threat is terrorists, using small life altering events to focus the attention on what they want. They are not vocal about their demands; they are intent on striking at those who disagree with their way of life. They are not concentrated into identifiable units, but scattered into fragments around the world. They have one thing in common; they all practice the religion of Islam.

This does not make all practitioners of the Islamic faith bad. People are always trying to get their own way. I know a few professed Christians who preach the tenets of Christ but whose actions do not reflect those tenets. It is sad that we do not follow the teachings of our religion. Neither Jesus nor Mohammed’s lives reflect the path that is fanatical. Maybe for the time they lived, it was heretical but killing people to get your way in the name of religion is not part of either teaching.

It took 40 years for the US to destroy the Russian bear and we have been rooting out terrorists and trying to change the direction of the Islamic states for less that five. Providing people with the freedom to choose their own direction instead of having it forced on them by self serving dictators is a start to solving the problem. We have been at this democracy thing for more than 200 years and we are still struggling with the freedom it provides. How can you expect a nation that has never known freedom to get it right in such a short timeframe?

America was founded on Christian roots. Jesus gave us a very difficult path to follow when we deal with our neighbors. Take a look at the Sermon on the Mount for just how much our savior expects. First and foremost, we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The next verse describes the sacrifice that Christ made for us. It reflects how we are currently handling our neighbors in Iraq. Take heed.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Icool

Cobb

Hey, Define This

Lately, I’ve noticed that most of my postings are not been about exploring and expanding my knowledge of that which surrounds me. I really enjoy looking up obscure topics and finding out what makes them tick or why they are what they are. Most of my postings lately have been about what I am doing or thinking at the time. Of course, much of it is conjecture or just plain rambling so I guess I’m covered.

Now it would be a perfect time to launch into a definition of the word this, since it is in the title and would be the implied subject. However, I am not going there. I would rather talk about a comedy routine that I saw several months ago.

I have seen a lot of comedians on Comedy Central. I watched it in its infancy when it was mostly people on stage doing their routines. Although I no longer have Comedy Central on my TV buffet of channels (I have basic cable because there are 300 channels and there is nothing on), I was flipping through the 300+ channels and happened to stick on what was the last comedy routine I found funny and the first routine I though was good for quite a while.

I do not remember the comics name but he was a story teller with a big Brooklyn accent. His routine revolved around his moving around the country with his family and the relatives that lived in each of the areas. He had a cousin in Brooklyn with a restaurant named “Hey, Eat This” and an Uncle in Chicago with a gas station named “Hey, Pump This”. There were several other relatives that had places named Hey, “fill in verb” This” and it culminated in his Uncle who lived in New Jersey. He owned a vacuum cleaner shop. At that point, the audience was laughing hysterically. He said, “You know what the name of it was, it was Sal’s Vacuum Cleaner Sales. Whad you think I was gonna say?”

Icool

Cobb

Clowns to the Left of Me

That’s right, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you. I heard that song on the radio over the weekend and it sure was fun. It was released by a group called Stealers Wheel in 1973 and was destined to become their one trip to the hit parade. However, the master mind behind the song “Stuck in the Middle with You” went on to release another great song “Baker Street.” Gerry Rafferty released “Baker Street” in 1978 and it did very well on the charts, topping at #2. Its great saxophone licks mournfully lamenting about the day in a life and the people in it. The guitar solo crying out for all of those who just couldn’t hack the frustrations and anxieties of every day living.

Way down the street there's a light in his place
He opens the door, he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been, you tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything.

He's got this dream about buyin' some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down, it's a quiet little town
And forget about everything.

But that never happens. He can’t seem to get his life together enough to finish anything he starts. Another lost soul that we chance to meet that adds to the tapestry that is our life. Now this is only a song but I am sure that we can all think of someone similar to that person that we have come across. Someone that we befriended that we just knew was not going to make it. I had two guys across the hall from me when I attended the University of Oklahoma. They were room mates that had met each other at the University clinic before they knew they were rooming together. Both of them had contracted gonorrhea before arriving at school and were getting treated. What a way to meet. Both of them struggled in class and partied too much and I pretty much assumed that they were not going to last. Alas, I left there before they did and I never knew what happened to them.

Maybe they settled down in a quiet little town and forgot about everything. But while I knew them, we had clowns to the left of us and jokers to the right.

Icool

Cobb

Too Far Ahead

Sometimes I get ideas in my head and write several blogs ahead. This is great when the creative juices are flowing because you can get some thoughts down and have some idea which direction you are going for the next few days. One of the bad things about writing ahead is that it may be a week later and you are writing in first person about an event that does not make sense in that context.

I like to publish what I write in chronological order. It seems to be orderly and keeping to a routine is what the mature adult realizes is the best way to organize and manage the every day events. I guess that sometimes, it is best to shake things up and not be as orderly and predictable. I think that becomes harder to do as the routines become more ingrained. Maturity has its drawbacks.

Even with the drawbacks, I much prefer being able to find my shoes and wallet any time I want to. Knowing where my keys are and not being locked out of a hotel room are one of the added benefits of ordering your life. So I have become predictable, it is not the end of the world. It just means that most of the time I can be anticipated. My kids can pretty much anticipate what I am going to say and do depending on the situation. It is not fool proof as they end up being grounded or given extra chores every so often. As long as you can throw a curve every one in a while, you are still in the game.

Icool

Cobb

So Much Ado About Nothing

Our annual national election day has come and gone and what has actually changed? My taxes will certainly go up because some people do not understand that government must also be fiscally responsible. They just go ahead and vote for levies against the price of their houses instead of asking themselves just why the local government needs more of their money. The city certainly does not ask permission when the local municipal thieves reassess the price of your house and get more money. Well, at least we got to vote.

I know that the big three auto makers were forced to pay their UAW represented employees to stay home to vote. I am sure by the tremendous turnout, that most of them spent their day ferrying people back and forth to the polling stations. It is just another perk that the UAW has negotiated that increases the cost of your cars and really provides no additional benefit. I work 10 hours per day and drive 90 minutes round trip for work and I still managed to perform my constitutional privilege. Maybe it is not a matter of patriotism but of time management. I am sure that the members of the UAW were very busy on their day off.

Since this was an off year for elections, no new Earth shattering events happened. Ohio kept liberal election reform from creating additional bureaucracy and providing more government cronies jobs for life. The Michigan town of Hillsdale elected an 18 year old mayor. Talk about getting into politics early. Other than that, it was a very non-descript election. I was happy that we did not take up the Iraqi practice of dying the finger purple as verification that your vote was cast. I am sure that in the last presidential election, they would have had to exhume a few people to look at their fingers.

Icool

Cobb

Damn You’re Fat III

Well, if I’m writing a third entry, it must be important. My calves are killing me. I did the stairs my first two days. The third day morning I was walking with glass imbedded under my skin between my knees and ankles. Well, not really but it felt like it. I know that I started out too fast but you have to start somewhere.

I was going to do the weight lifting portion of my routine the next night but found an excuse not to do that. Gilmore Girls was on (the only show I watch on TV) and I thought I would lift after that. Well, by then it was 9:00 and I didn’t want to get all hot and sweaty and take a shower right before bed. There has to be a way to manage this. If I do it right after dinner, I might be successful.

I was supposed to do my aerobic portion this morning but I want to give my calves one more day of rest and hope that they are open for a solid 20 minutes of up and down steps.

On the meal front, I am doing well. That is a routine I can easily get into. Breakfast is easy, lunch requires a little planning but all I have to do is stop by Meijer on the way to work and pick up a bag of salad. Take a couple of yogurts and an apple and lunch and snacks are in the bag. The tough part is evenings. It requires thought and portion control and a lot of water. Why did they have do develop Little Debbies and potato chips?

I pray that putting my thoughts down will provide the spark that keeps this life change heading down the right path. This is the one thing that I have not had on my previous attempts to get and stay healthy. I am sure you will see more of my trials and tribulations in the coming days.

Icool

Cobb

New Dog

I will be honest with you. I do not like cats. I think it is because it was ingrained in my early memories that cats are not pets. Cats are something that dogs love to chase catch, but have no use as pets. As I grew older, I came to realize that a cat it is not just a toy for dogs but also a great way to mess up a house sale. We have purchased several houses and have done extensive house hunting. There are two things that make me walk out of a house immediately. The big one is the smell of stale, infused cigarette smoke and the other is the stench of cat pee. Both smells leave me dashing for the door.

Now that you know my pet preference, I need to tell you about the newest addition to our family. We adopted a dog in September of 2004 from the local pet adoption agency. Her name is Oreo Cookie and she is a Border Collie/Whippet or Greyhound mix. She is jet black with white boots, a white star on her chest and white hairs on the tip of her tail. Gentle as a lamb and more personality than most people I know. She has been great but we wanted to get her some companionship.

Fast forward to October 2005 at the same place and we are once again looking at dogs. We find an almost exact replica of Oreo. She was four months old and caged with her brother at the pet adoption event. We got her out and spent some time with her but the lights were burning bright and the dog was not home. So we put her back. As I opened the cage, her brother reached up with his paws and grabbed my hand. I did not want a male dog but that kind of response gave me pause.

We took him out of the cage to get a better look. He was more of a hound colored almost like a Holstein cow but with cute little brown eyebrows. He was alert and paid attention to what was going on. This was a dog in search of a place to live. Well, we got him and brought him home. His name is Snicker Doodle. We name our dogs after cookies. Our first dog was Brownie. Now Snickers is not potty trained so we have a challenge but he is coming around. He is also gentle and loving which is what you want in your house.

I recommend getting your pet at an adoption event. They are spade or neutered and have seen a vet. The foster parents are very up front about the traits and habits of the animals. You can spend time with them and see if they are right for you and they are all in need of a good home. And yes, they even have cats.

Icool

Cobb

Damn You’re Fat Part II

Well, I started my new life yesterday, again. I woke up at 7:30 and started my exercise regimen. I prefer the low impact kind of work out so I walk stairs. On one of my previous new life starts, I subscribed to Men’s Health magazine. I provided all kinds of great work out and health tips, many of which were for young, single, adventurous type and not married, middle aged men with a paunch. One of the tips I remembered and put into practice was an aerobic work out involving steps.

What you need for this exercise is a flight of stairs. You start going up one and down one. Then up two and down two and so on until you get to the top. You then reverse your course with say up twelve, down twelve, up eleven, down eleven. We have 13 steps from the basement to the first floor and a set takes about 5 minutes. For the standard 20 minute workout, I do four reps and if there is time remaining, start another rep. According to the Body for Life the aerobic workout is every other day but I think I will do it every day. It starts the morning and provides a feeling of accomplishment.

The other days you do weight training and I have the set up for that but it is an evening routine due to the hour it takes to complete the series.

There are two other adjustments to this new life I started yesterday. The obvious one is a change in eating habits. Low fat, low sugar, portion control is the key to eating healthy. Body for Life recommends things like a 4 egg scramble with only one yolk in the mix and two pieces of whole wheat toast. Not bad and filling. They also recommend that you eat a healthy snack between meals like fruit or low fat yogurt. That only makes sense. We should all know how to eat healthy but the temptations of the sugar and fat demons are ever present.

The not so obvious change is one of thought. You have to want to do this and get results. Most people are armed with the right exercise routines and diets but they fail in the mental planning. I know, I am a victim of poor planning. Will power alone is not enough to drive the change. It must be a desire to want to lose the weight and get into shape; to be healthier and have more energy. Does this sound like a pep talk to you? I am tired of being out of breath to put on my socks and I want to wear all of the clothes that say size 38 waist. I would even settle for buying size 36 pants as a reward to achieving my goal. I don’t want to bulk up and look like a gangsta rapper all buff and full of myself. I just want to feel better about my choices in life and treat my body like I treat my mind.

Icool

Cobb

Sword of Truth

My mother is an avid reader. I don’t think that she read much while I was growing up but she has lately developed a thirst for the written word. My father was always reading something and the amazing thing is I think it is the only hobby of his that I kept. Well I guess there is gardening also.

Anyway, my mother has turned me onto the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series. It is a series of books about an alternative Earth, pre-technology, where magic is present, wizards and sorceresses are both good and bad and the two main characters are a wizard/king and his beautiful magical queen. So far there are 10 books and I am reading the seventh. At times you cannot put them down and like any series you find areas that drag. Thankfully those are few and far between.


I think the reason I am enjoying the series is that Terry Goodkind has provided an arena of both good and bad and explores the nature and results of both. What one group perceives as good, another may think bad and vice versa. He allows for good character development but goes to what I think are the extremes of human capacity to make them. I guess that is what makes a superhero.

Each book introduces a new Wizards rule to live by and the 1st book, Wizards First Rule, starts out the list. The following books each explain another rule and they tend to build on each other. Of course they are common sense rules to live by but presented from the viewpoint of a person with magic, it adds to the allure.

I have been reading them for about 60 days and hope to finish the series by the end of the year. It is only about 8000 pages total depending if it is in paperback or hardbound. If you need a good vacation book, look Terry Goodkind up and enjoy your stay at the beach.

Icool

Cobb

Damn You’re Fat

Now that is something no one wants to hear. It is bad enough that some of us have to look at ourselves in the mirror every day. I know that I am carrying around a few too many pounds lately. I go in spurts where I will reduce my calorie intake and start to make some progress but then fall right back into the routine that led me to get where I currently am. Something is going to have to change. I cannot continue to slowly but surely creep up the scale (ha, ha) until I am in need of a new wardrobe.

I recently went on Herballife. It was a weight loss plan that worked really well for me in the past. I lost about 30lbs when I went on Herballife the first time. For those not familiar with the milk shake for breakfast and a handful of pills, a shake for lunch with another handful of pills and a sensible dinner of anything you want to eat, it starts with a fanfare and ends up awful. I got to the point that I could not even stand the taste of the shakes and would gag every time I had to swallow the pills. Not exactly the kind of diet I am looking for. It is a temporary (here we go again) substitute for what I really need to do.

Everyone knows what they need to do but it is so difficult to do it. There are so many enticements that tempt both the soul and taste buds which makes adhering to a form of dietary discipline virtually impossible. I know that the extra weight I am carrying around is causing me to snore more, putting greater stress on my heart and makes by butt look big. The last item is not a bad thing for a tall white guy. But what I need to do is find a program I can live with that provides some flexibility, entices me to exercise and provides something other than a chalky drink and bitter pills.

I used to get up every morning at 4:00AM and exercise. It was relaxing and there was no one but me up to enjoy the solemnity of me dripping with sweat and slightly out of breath. What I found it that I was eating into my sleep time and after two months or so, I started getting sick. So I would stop until I got well enough to start again and the cycle would repeat in ever diminishing cycles. I would finally be sick from work for a week while my body caught up on sleep. By that time, I just wanted to keep from getting sick, so, I did token exercising until I stopped completely. I need to find some way to break that cycle and stay healthy before I outgrow everything I own and am forced to visit Omar the tent maker for my wardrobe needs.

My wife found something called Body for Life and my doctor recommended it. I started it last year in one of my short cycles and it seemed to work. I thing I will give it another whirl to see if it is something the entire family would benefit from. I get the exercise and they get a healthy diet that isn’t a powdery substance mixed into a watery shake along with a handful of vitamins and herbs.

Icool

Cobb

The Tyger

I love history. If I ever go back to college get a Masters degree it will probably be in history. I am also a struggling Christian, trying to understand my place in God’s creation. There is something about exploring historical events that helps one gain a better understanding of the future and what can happen. I was looking at the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution and this William Blake poem jumped out as a prime example of what happens when God is the center of your life as the entire structure of the world is changing. The Industrial Revolution replaced man with machine and removed the individual artist to eventually create mass produced consumer good. Blake put God at the center of it all as the creator of everything, from the Tyger burning bright to the innocent lamb. From the most ferocious beast known at the time to the symbol of everything pure and good in the world, God has his hand firmly at the helm.

God of power and might. Heaven and Earth are full of Your Glory. What perfect symmetry! Read on.

William Blake - The Tyger

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

What Blake writes about on a grand, epic scale is what happens throughout our lives. It is our variousness (see previous post). Gotta love it.

Icool

Cobb

Various

I love definitions. It helps to define things into what is and what isn’t. I realize that the world is really shades of gray but every one loves to try to make things black and white. That way we can label things for easy identification and satisfy our desire to prejudge. It makes life so much easier when we have to just look at something and already “know” what to expect. Of course, we all know that what you see, is not usually what you get.

For some reason, I had the word “various” pop into my head this morning and it has been playing dodge ball from one neuron to the other. Merriam-Webster defines various as follows:

1 : of differing kinds : dissimilar in nature or form :
Unlike animals as various as the jaguar and the sloth
2 : having a number of different aspects or characteristics
a various place a various talent
3 : of an indefinite number greater than one

Dictionary .com defines various in this way:

1 : Of diverse kinds: for various reasons.
2 : Unlike, different
3 : Being more than one; several

Most people already know the definition of various. It is a rather common word but it really has two definitions. One is diverse, unlike or different. The other is an indefinite number greater than one. It is like the box of chocolates that Forrest Gump is taking to Jenny. There are various filling in the chocolate and you never know what your gonna get.

Life is full of little variouses. How to turn an adjective into a known by making it plural. We have tried to find ways to ensure that these variouses do not create life altering events. It is great when you have a plan and life goes as you expect is should. We never expect the life altering events to occur but there is always the death in the family or the loss of a job. It could be a house fire or an earthquake. Is there any way to adequately plan for those events? Sure there is life or home insurance to cover the financial burden imposed by such a loss, but there is no silver bullet ready to remove the mental damage of life’s little variouses. How we respond to the changes in life is what defines us. If we collapse under the weight of the stone, it becomes a greater struggle to get up again. It creates the illusion of failure which if not altered becomes a self fulfilling destiny. If we pull ourselves together and continue forward, finding a new or different path to follow, we allow ourselves to heal and grow instead of letting life flow around us as we’re “dragged down by the stone.” Thanks Pink.

Geena Davis plays an assassin in the move The Long Kiss Goodnight. She tells her daughter after an ice skating fall the “life is pain, get used to it.” Well, life is pain and happiness and all the other variouses that we live through on a daily basis. Don’t focus on the pain, it may sustain you but you don’t go anywhere.

Icool

Cobb

Aurora Borealis

The northern lights have been a source of beauty and mystery since man first laid eyes on them. They are the product of the collision of material from the solar winds colliding with the molecules from Earth’s ionosphere. Of course you need to be at or above the Arctic circle (or the Antarctic circle for Aurora Australis) to get the best view. What you get is a look at how beautiful nature can perform. Each performance different yet all provided by the same artist. Here are some examples of how magnificent lights can be.







I was just moved by the beauty. As I drove into work today, the leaves were shedding the green summer shine for the dazzle of their short lived autumn coat. What a glorious display of artistry. This is God in all of His glory letting us know that we are but part of His creation.

Icool

Cobb

When Dinosaurs Roamed the ….

When I was growing up, there seemed to be a rather large gap in what my parents liked, watched, and listened to. My mother liked Elvis but was a country/western fan. My father liked Tom T. Hall and Marty Robbins. I can still hear Marty Robbins crooning, “Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl.” Scary isn’t it. But not as scary as when I was listening to my music and he would come home. “TURN THAT (fill in your favorite word for excrement) OFF! What I considered to be classic, was no more than noise to my parents.

I have found that some of the music that my children are exposed to is what I would consider noise. Some of the more obnoxious rap songs that are a festival of four letter utterances while others are nothing more than chanting about banging. Sup widat? No one needs to hear lyrics that are nothing more than an excuse to cuss or be rude and vulgar. If that is art, I must be deaf.
Most of what my kids listen to is nothing more than the pop songs from years gone by. The angst of failed relationships or of chasing the girl that will never look at you have not changed since music was invented. Each generation invents our own way of saying the same thing and puts a slightly different beat on it. Most of the music my children listen to is at least listenable. There is some stuff that I dislike but for the most part it is good.

What I like better is that I have turned my kids onto the stuff I listen to and they have responded by stealing it and playing it in their rooms. That is a little victory for me. My parents pretty much forced their music on us by playing it despite our protests. My kids are actually listening to my music because they like it. They have even turned me onto a few groups that peak my interest as their style is similar to the groups from days gone by. Jet and Nickelback are prime examples of groups that I would buy or even go to a concert. I don’t think I could say the same about Gwen Stephani but I just don’t care for powder faced bleach blond with scowls. I still listen to her on the radio when she comes on.

Icool

Cobb

Timbuktu

I listen to Bob and Tom in the morning. For those who are unfamiliar with them they are a morning radio show that borders on lewd and bawdy but are funny and frivolous. Lately they have been advertising an electronic trivia game. Part of their spiel is asking questions from the game like; where is Timbuktu? Well, inquiring minds want to know so I looked it up. Though it was interesting and here it is.
Timbuktu is located in the country of Mali on the African continent. It is historically important as a Saharan caravan route and a Muslim learning Center. It was founded around 1100 AD as a seasonal camp and grew into a major trading center by the 14th century within the Mali Empire. It prospered until it was conquered in 1468 Sonni ‘Ali, the Songhai ruler. The Songhai empire ruled West Africa around the area of the Niger River.
The city was conquered by Morocco in 1591 and went into a state of decline. The city of Timbuktu has been conquered by several peoples until the French finally captured the city in 1893. It became part of the Republic of Mali in 1960. Timbuktu has remained an isolated city. It has air service but is most easily accessed by either camel or boat.

Icool

Cobb