In my last post, I said that Houston's lack of weakside help for Rafer Alston allowed at least 6 Utah points, perhaps 8 or 10. Then I got to thinking, "maybe they were slow because they didn't want to get called for a 'defensive 3-second violation' while sliding over to help."
Well, it's possible, I suppose, but I didn't see anyone even moving in the general direction of the penetration when it occured.
In any case, can someone PLEASE tell me why there's a "defensive 3 second" call in the NBA in the first place? When you teach man-to-man defense, one of the first things you try to get across is weakside help! When your guy is two passes away from the basketball, you take two giant steps toward the ball, keeping your man in one eye and the ball in the other. If the man on the ball gets beat, or if a cutter recieves a pass on the give and go, you leave your guy and stop that penetration. It's fundamental! So why is it against the rules in the NBA? Well, I know why they SAY it is; they don't want Yao, or Shaq, or whoever else plays 5 to simply camp under the basket all the time. Uhhh....that would be a zone, wouldn't it? A guy playing an area and NOT a man? I thought that zone was illegal in the NBA? Oh, I know they've allowed modified zones in the last several years, but a straight zone? I don't think so!
Here's what you need to do, NBA! Just let the fellows play basketball! You won't have to fuss about what kind of defense someone wants to play because ANY kind of defense is allowable! And then (are you ready?) MAYBE we can just watch basketball! It works in college; why not the pros?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Rocket report
Well, I called it the other day, but now it appears that the prophecy may come true sooner than later. The Rockets loss last night was UGLY and the game was not nearly as close as the score would indicate. Here's what went wrong:
1. Missed free throws. Free throws aren't called "free" for nothing. A professional basketball player has no excuse for not hitting at LEAST 80% of his free throws. The Rockets as a team are hitting more like 60%. This lack of concentration and effort is absolutely inexcusable.
2. Rebounding. Time after time, at least until Carl Landry came into the game, Houston got only one shot and there was NO ONE going to the offensive glass. I know that transition defense is at a premium against Utah, but NO ONE was going to the offensive glass. No one!!! What's worse, Utah got multiple opportunities WAY too often because Houston did not box out and protect its own defensive glass. The back-breaking straw there was the offensive rebound off of a free throw attempt that Houston allowed on the last possession. If Houston rebounds that basketball, they have the basketball with a 2-point deficit and at least have an opportunity to tie the game or go ahead. To allow an offensive rebound in that situation is absolutely inexcusable!
3. Help-side defense. I don't know how many times Rafer Alston got beat on isolation, but it was at least 3 or 4. Rafer's hurt, so it's not really his fault, but here's the question: Where was the help? No one came from the weak side to help out and, in a 2 point game, any one of those ties the game; stopping two of those penetrations wins the game for Houston.
4. Offensive execution. Houston loves the high screen. I'd call it the high "screen-roll" except that the screener NEVER rolls to the basket in Houston's version. Utah hedges every time against the high screen, setting up a mismatch for the roller IF the screener would ever actually roll off of the pick! I know there's weakside help coming to stop the penetration, which mean whoever Houston has on the weakside baseline has got to cut back door and look for a pass. Uh....basketball 101?! Houston hasn't figured it out, which means that we wind up reversing the basketball weak side around the 3-point line and settling for a poor shot when we could have done much, much better!
Okay....these are the things Houston has to fix if this series is going to continue. Here are the things the NBA needs to do:
1. Hire some referees who own a whistle and know how to blow it when there's a foul. Luis Scola is the new Yao Ming when it comes to "one-way" calls. He gets called for every little ticky-tack thing and he gets POUNDED on the other end and there's no call. Carl Landry got both arms taken out from under the basketball AND knocked down on one layup attempt and there was no call then HE was called for an over-the-back on the other end and he wan't within 2 feet of the guy he supposedly fouled! Uh....there are three officials calling NBA games for a reason; they're supposed to be in position to make the correct call! NOT to be in position is inexcusable! Get it right, NBA!
2. Change the rules to punish "flopping." In years past it may have been "smart basketball," but now its epidemic and guys fall over as if shot close range with a 30-06 every time someone breathes on them! A flop by Utah probably cost the Rockets game one and subsequent flops have sent Rockets players to the bench prematurely in foul trouble on several other occasions. Flopping is changing the fabric of the game and the league owes it to its audience to figure out a way to stop it before individual achievement awards in the league are Oscars.
Oh well. Maybe some of this will help the Rockets next year. I'm afraid its too late to change anything THIS year! - Dan
1. Missed free throws. Free throws aren't called "free" for nothing. A professional basketball player has no excuse for not hitting at LEAST 80% of his free throws. The Rockets as a team are hitting more like 60%. This lack of concentration and effort is absolutely inexcusable.
2. Rebounding. Time after time, at least until Carl Landry came into the game, Houston got only one shot and there was NO ONE going to the offensive glass. I know that transition defense is at a premium against Utah, but NO ONE was going to the offensive glass. No one!!! What's worse, Utah got multiple opportunities WAY too often because Houston did not box out and protect its own defensive glass. The back-breaking straw there was the offensive rebound off of a free throw attempt that Houston allowed on the last possession. If Houston rebounds that basketball, they have the basketball with a 2-point deficit and at least have an opportunity to tie the game or go ahead. To allow an offensive rebound in that situation is absolutely inexcusable!
3. Help-side defense. I don't know how many times Rafer Alston got beat on isolation, but it was at least 3 or 4. Rafer's hurt, so it's not really his fault, but here's the question: Where was the help? No one came from the weak side to help out and, in a 2 point game, any one of those ties the game; stopping two of those penetrations wins the game for Houston.
4. Offensive execution. Houston loves the high screen. I'd call it the high "screen-roll" except that the screener NEVER rolls to the basket in Houston's version. Utah hedges every time against the high screen, setting up a mismatch for the roller IF the screener would ever actually roll off of the pick! I know there's weakside help coming to stop the penetration, which mean whoever Houston has on the weakside baseline has got to cut back door and look for a pass. Uh....basketball 101?! Houston hasn't figured it out, which means that we wind up reversing the basketball weak side around the 3-point line and settling for a poor shot when we could have done much, much better!
Okay....these are the things Houston has to fix if this series is going to continue. Here are the things the NBA needs to do:
1. Hire some referees who own a whistle and know how to blow it when there's a foul. Luis Scola is the new Yao Ming when it comes to "one-way" calls. He gets called for every little ticky-tack thing and he gets POUNDED on the other end and there's no call. Carl Landry got both arms taken out from under the basketball AND knocked down on one layup attempt and there was no call then HE was called for an over-the-back on the other end and he wan't within 2 feet of the guy he supposedly fouled! Uh....there are three officials calling NBA games for a reason; they're supposed to be in position to make the correct call! NOT to be in position is inexcusable! Get it right, NBA!
2. Change the rules to punish "flopping." In years past it may have been "smart basketball," but now its epidemic and guys fall over as if shot close range with a 30-06 every time someone breathes on them! A flop by Utah probably cost the Rockets game one and subsequent flops have sent Rockets players to the bench prematurely in foul trouble on several other occasions. Flopping is changing the fabric of the game and the league owes it to its audience to figure out a way to stop it before individual achievement awards in the league are Oscars.
Oh well. Maybe some of this will help the Rockets next year. I'm afraid its too late to change anything THIS year! - Dan
Saturday, April 26, 2008
AWESOME Day!
Despite having to take a bank loan for the gas, MDB and I took a little road trip to Rosenberg today to go "antiquing." It was a blast!
We had lunch at "Texas Burger" in Pleak and then went on in to Rosenberg. We'd looked it up earlier; along 1st, 2nd, and 3rd street at Ave G, there are A BUNCH of antique stores. We started out at a store that I believe was "Old Towne Antiques." MDB likes green "Depression Glass," so I had my eye peeled for any that I saw. Actually, there were a few pieces that we saw that we'd like to have but most of them were a little bit steeper than Ebay, so we put them on the "next time" list. One of the funniest things (actually, the little free paper we picked up at Texas
Burger was THE funniest thing, but you'll have to follow MDB's blog to find out what that was about!) that happened was when MDB found some dishes she liked (the Franciscan "Ivy" pattern), or at least she liked them until I told her that it was the same pattern that my first wife started collecting when she found out that it was the pattern used on "I Love Lucy." MDB decided that she didn't care for it too much after all....I shoud've been quiet! Anyway, what was funny was that, all of a sudden, it seemed as though that pattern of china started popping out of every corner! Weird! From there we went to "Red Queen's" Antiques. It was a little more promising than the first place and they had several items that made the "next time" list. They even had a display case of coins, my own "antique" passion, so it's a definite re-visit for next time. Probably the best place was "Vogelsang's," a place that was more than likely a hotel in a former life. It kept going, and going, and going! Upstairs there they have a small live theatre that looked like a lot of fun. There couldn't have been 40 seats in the place and the "stage" was really just a spot in the middle without any chairs! It looks like a lot of fun! We've planned to make a trip back to see one of the plays when they do them! Also at Vogelsang's they had a Lane cedar chest for only $250! I don't know, but I'd think that's a pretty good price! On the way home, we stopped at a couple of more shops in Wallis but there wasn't much to see there.
On the whole, it was a wonderful day! We had to make a stop at Sam's on the way home. We tried to buy 400 pounds of rice, but they wouldn't let us (JK)! All that said, ANY day with MDB is a wonderful day, and it doesn't matter what we're doing! I was just glad we could get out and do something that I knew she'd enjoy together. - Dan
We had lunch at "Texas Burger" in Pleak and then went on in to Rosenberg. We'd looked it up earlier; along 1st, 2nd, and 3rd street at Ave G, there are A BUNCH of antique stores. We started out at a store that I believe was "Old Towne Antiques." MDB likes green "Depression Glass," so I had my eye peeled for any that I saw. Actually, there were a few pieces that we saw that we'd like to have but most of them were a little bit steeper than Ebay, so we put them on the "next time" list. One of the funniest things (actually, the little free paper we picked up at Texas
Burger was THE funniest thing, but you'll have to follow MDB's blog to find out what that was about!) that happened was when MDB found some dishes she liked (the Franciscan "Ivy" pattern), or at least she liked them until I told her that it was the same pattern that my first wife started collecting when she found out that it was the pattern used on "I Love Lucy." MDB decided that she didn't care for it too much after all....I shoud've been quiet! Anyway, what was funny was that, all of a sudden, it seemed as though that pattern of china started popping out of every corner! Weird! From there we went to "Red Queen's" Antiques. It was a little more promising than the first place and they had several items that made the "next time" list. They even had a display case of coins, my own "antique" passion, so it's a definite re-visit for next time. Probably the best place was "Vogelsang's," a place that was more than likely a hotel in a former life. It kept going, and going, and going! Upstairs there they have a small live theatre that looked like a lot of fun. There couldn't have been 40 seats in the place and the "stage" was really just a spot in the middle without any chairs! It looks like a lot of fun! We've planned to make a trip back to see one of the plays when they do them! Also at Vogelsang's they had a Lane cedar chest for only $250! I don't know, but I'd think that's a pretty good price! On the way home, we stopped at a couple of more shops in Wallis but there wasn't much to see there.
On the whole, it was a wonderful day! We had to make a stop at Sam's on the way home. We tried to buy 400 pounds of rice, but they wouldn't let us (JK)! All that said, ANY day with MDB is a wonderful day, and it doesn't matter what we're doing! I was just glad we could get out and do something that I knew she'd enjoy together. - Dan
Signs of the times (II)
Hey Dad!
I just thought of something else that would amaze you! In your day, computers filled rooms and did "slide rule" calculations. Today, I have more computational power in my lap right now than all of the government computers that sent men to the moon! Not only that, but we connect routinely with computers elsewhere and access information on a world-wide scale on a contraption called "the internet!" It's really quite amazing!
22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:22,23)
Of course, there'd be more room on the internet if it wasn't for spam e-mail, unbridled pornography, and everysort of "spyware" and virus trap imaginable. You know, if some people would put as much energy and inventiveness into legal and/or moral business pursuits as they put into illegal and/or immoral ones, they'd be lending money to Bill Gates. Oh, I'm sorry. He's like the richest guy in the world. He got that way in the computer software business. I told you it was big!
More later, Dad! - Dan
I just thought of something else that would amaze you! In your day, computers filled rooms and did "slide rule" calculations. Today, I have more computational power in my lap right now than all of the government computers that sent men to the moon! Not only that, but we connect routinely with computers elsewhere and access information on a world-wide scale on a contraption called "the internet!" It's really quite amazing!
22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:22,23)
Now I've read a report that, by the year 2010, the internet will be out of room and will be able to expand no more without substantial investment.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (Romans 1:28)
Of course, there'd be more room on the internet if it wasn't for spam e-mail, unbridled pornography, and everysort of "spyware" and virus trap imaginable. You know, if some people would put as much energy and inventiveness into legal and/or moral business pursuits as they put into illegal and/or immoral ones, they'd be lending money to Bill Gates. Oh, I'm sorry. He's like the richest guy in the world. He got that way in the computer software business. I told you it was big!
More later, Dad! - Dan
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sign of the times
Dear Dad,
You've been gone for nearly thirty years now, so I thought I'd fill you in on what's been going on. Today I paid $3.50 for a gallon of gasoline! I knew you'd be shocked! When you left in the very early 80's, gas was .40 and you thought THAT was ridiculous! That's not all, Dad! Food prices are going through the roof (the price of diesel fuel is higher than gasoline and, as you know, diesel is what delivers almost all of the commodities to market, so those costs are passed on to consumers via higher prices). Rice is in short supply in several areas of the world market, causing "rice riots" in several places over the last several days. Sam's and Cosco began to limit the amount of bulk rice any individual can purchase! Rice rationing! Can you believe it?
5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Revelation 6:5,6)
Oh, and I know you knew about Viet Nam and all, but we've had a few wars since then. In 1990, we fought in Kuwait to evict the Iraqis from there and then, in 2001, we were attacked by terrorists in New York and in Washington. One of the attacks was thwarted by brave passengers on one of the airliners used in the attacks; it crash-landed in Pennsylvania. Anyway, we retaliated in Afghanistan and later in Iraq; two places where we're still at war. I read today that an American cargo vessel had to open fire on an Iranian speed boat in the Persian Gulf and that the US believes that Syria is working with North Korea to develop a nuclear reactor (ostensibly for the purposes of getting "the bomb"). Naturally, we just had the same problem with Iran and a lot of people thought we would wind up at war with them before everything is said and done.
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8)
Anyway, Dad, you'd be disappointed with the progress we've made in space. I guess it was all worthwhile, though. Our space program and advanced technology drove the Soviet Union out of existence along with all the other "Iron Curtain" countries. The only communist countries left in the world are the Asian communists and they're not so much communist as they are totalitarian and capitalist! Oh, and you wouldn't believe the presidential races, Dad! The Democrats are running two main candidates in their primaries; the former First Lady (Yes, Dad! A WOMAN!!) and an African-American Senator from Illinois! The black guy's name is Barak Obama. He basically captivates his audiences wherever he goes. Most of the pundits think he'll win the nomination. The other day he made a comment about working-class people clinging to their guns and religion to alleviate their bitterness! Imagine that, Dad! A politician attacking religion and getting away with it!
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. (Daniel 8:9-12)
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to let you know if anything else interesting happens. I have a feeling it will. - Dan
You've been gone for nearly thirty years now, so I thought I'd fill you in on what's been going on. Today I paid $3.50 for a gallon of gasoline! I knew you'd be shocked! When you left in the very early 80's, gas was .40 and you thought THAT was ridiculous! That's not all, Dad! Food prices are going through the roof (the price of diesel fuel is higher than gasoline and, as you know, diesel is what delivers almost all of the commodities to market, so those costs are passed on to consumers via higher prices). Rice is in short supply in several areas of the world market, causing "rice riots" in several places over the last several days. Sam's and Cosco began to limit the amount of bulk rice any individual can purchase! Rice rationing! Can you believe it?
5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Revelation 6:5,6)
Oh, and I know you knew about Viet Nam and all, but we've had a few wars since then. In 1990, we fought in Kuwait to evict the Iraqis from there and then, in 2001, we were attacked by terrorists in New York and in Washington. One of the attacks was thwarted by brave passengers on one of the airliners used in the attacks; it crash-landed in Pennsylvania. Anyway, we retaliated in Afghanistan and later in Iraq; two places where we're still at war. I read today that an American cargo vessel had to open fire on an Iranian speed boat in the Persian Gulf and that the US believes that Syria is working with North Korea to develop a nuclear reactor (ostensibly for the purposes of getting "the bomb"). Naturally, we just had the same problem with Iran and a lot of people thought we would wind up at war with them before everything is said and done.
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8)
Anyway, Dad, you'd be disappointed with the progress we've made in space. I guess it was all worthwhile, though. Our space program and advanced technology drove the Soviet Union out of existence along with all the other "Iron Curtain" countries. The only communist countries left in the world are the Asian communists and they're not so much communist as they are totalitarian and capitalist! Oh, and you wouldn't believe the presidential races, Dad! The Democrats are running two main candidates in their primaries; the former First Lady (Yes, Dad! A WOMAN!!) and an African-American Senator from Illinois! The black guy's name is Barak Obama. He basically captivates his audiences wherever he goes. Most of the pundits think he'll win the nomination. The other day he made a comment about working-class people clinging to their guns and religion to alleviate their bitterness! Imagine that, Dad! A politician attacking religion and getting away with it!
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. (Daniel 8:9-12)
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to let you know if anything else interesting happens. I have a feeling it will. - Dan
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
We have a "Wait" problem!
And, if the truth were known, I have a weight problem as well! Short version of that - the doctor told me to increase my fiber and calcium intake, so I started eating a bowl of bran cereal with milk in the morning. In a very short period, I've put on 5 pounds! I told MDB that I can see it now; I'll go in and they'll say "Dan, your colon looks great, but you need to lose weight!"
Can't win for losing!
Anyway, back to the wait problem.
We had a discussion in "small groups" the other night about the differences in society now versus when we grew up. When I was growing up, if someone wanted something that didn't fit into their budget, they saved until they COULD afford it. Another alternative was trading stamps. Most remembered the S&H Green stamps. My mom saved "Top Value" stamps, but the principal was the same. For whatever your purchase at the participating retailer, you'd get "X" number of stamps, which you saved in books. When you had enough books, you went down to the Green Stamp Store (or the Top Value store in the case of mom and many others) and you redeemed your stamps for whatever you wanted to buy. Interesting concept - DELAYED gratification! Now of course, no one waits for anything. If you can't afford it, you charge it. If your cards are maxed out, you steal someone else's identity and buy it with someone else's money! It's a sickness, it really is! God said "Thou shalt not covet," not because He didn't want us to have nice things, but because He knew the greed involved would lead to exactly this sort of situation!
God's pretty smart! - Dan
Can't win for losing!
Anyway, back to the wait problem.
We had a discussion in "small groups" the other night about the differences in society now versus when we grew up. When I was growing up, if someone wanted something that didn't fit into their budget, they saved until they COULD afford it. Another alternative was trading stamps. Most remembered the S&H Green stamps. My mom saved "Top Value" stamps, but the principal was the same. For whatever your purchase at the participating retailer, you'd get "X" number of stamps, which you saved in books. When you had enough books, you went down to the Green Stamp Store (or the Top Value store in the case of mom and many others) and you redeemed your stamps for whatever you wanted to buy. Interesting concept - DELAYED gratification! Now of course, no one waits for anything. If you can't afford it, you charge it. If your cards are maxed out, you steal someone else's identity and buy it with someone else's money! It's a sickness, it really is! God said "Thou shalt not covet," not because He didn't want us to have nice things, but because He knew the greed involved would lead to exactly this sort of situation!
God's pretty smart! - Dan
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Well....it seems that the Rockets are toast!
On the way to work, I usually listen to sports talk radio. I like to get caught up on scores from the night before and see what people are talking about. Sports talk radio is funny. People seem to think that their opinions matter, as though the GM from whatever franchise they're railing about is on the other end of the phone and WILL make changes based upon their feelings on this topic or that. I hope getting that load off of your chest made you feel better, Mr. Caller, because that would be the only positive outcome of your call, thanks for playing!
In any case, the concensus right now seems to be that the Rockets are finished. They've lost the first two games of their playoff series with Utah and now must travel to Utah for the next two. I'd be inclined to agree, but I think they've basically played over their heads for the last several months anyway and that, with no presence in the middle once Yao Ming went down, they've essentially been done since that pivotal injury. Perhaps they'll dig deep and force a fifth game in Houston, but the number of teams (whole teams at that!) who've recovered from a 2-0 deficit can be counted without removing shoes! The team's poised to make a deep run next year if the wheels don't fall off again, but they're pretty much done for this season.
Meanwhile, my beloved Reds are struggling (again!) under new manager Dusty Baker. After a hot start and some surprising starting pitching, I thought they may actually challenge the Cubs for the Central Division this year. At this point, I'm glad I didn't spring for "MLB Season Ticket" again - I wouldn't enjoy watching anyway!
Well, that's all for now. - Dan
In any case, the concensus right now seems to be that the Rockets are finished. They've lost the first two games of their playoff series with Utah and now must travel to Utah for the next two. I'd be inclined to agree, but I think they've basically played over their heads for the last several months anyway and that, with no presence in the middle once Yao Ming went down, they've essentially been done since that pivotal injury. Perhaps they'll dig deep and force a fifth game in Houston, but the number of teams (whole teams at that!) who've recovered from a 2-0 deficit can be counted without removing shoes! The team's poised to make a deep run next year if the wheels don't fall off again, but they're pretty much done for this season.
Meanwhile, my beloved Reds are struggling (again!) under new manager Dusty Baker. After a hot start and some surprising starting pitching, I thought they may actually challenge the Cubs for the Central Division this year. At this point, I'm glad I didn't spring for "MLB Season Ticket" again - I wouldn't enjoy watching anyway!
Well, that's all for now. - Dan
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What's the best?
This morning in Sunday school, the question "What's the best way to win Christian converts?" was asked. A few folks said that your daily lifestyle was your best witness, and a few said that approaching people with acceptance, letting them know that God loves them, is the best way. One said that God's forgiveness should be pre-eminent, and another said that we need to make sure that there's no such thing as "too far gone" for church. It was pointed out that even the cannibal-murderer Jeffrey Dahmer found forgiveness in Jesus before he was executed. Are any of those things the BEST way?
I'd say there are some pretty good points there, but the best way is to simply share your own experiences with whoever seems interested. In my own experience, people will notice something different about you if you live your faith and they will inevitably ask you about it. You see, people are basically the same the world over. They have the same wants, needs, and desires regardless of circumstance. Some of us are a little hard-headed and we think we don't need Jesus to forgive us and we don't need the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit to find happiness. So, when the time is right and those fallacies are coming to realization, people will seek what they need and, quite naturally, they'll look for it in the places where it seems most likely that they will find it. That's where the Christian believer comes in! You have to be ready to share your witness when these "Holy Spirit moments" come up! I guess what I'm trying to say is this; our own personal witness of the power of His love and forgiveness in our own lives is our most powerful tool for the conversion of non-believers!
So, do we have to be some sort of super-saints or something to deserve the privilege of witnessing to others? Well, I never was! When someone would tell an off-color joke or let go with a string of expletives, I wouldn't show any sort of disdain or whatever, I'd just laugh and continue with my business. Now, I would never join in with that sort of behavior telling off-color jokes or using profane language myself, but I wouldn't criticize others or even worse, CONDEMN others for these sorts of behaviors. Many times, I think, we're way too quick to tell others that they're going to hell if they don't follow Jesus. Let me ask you; how would you feel if some muslim walked up to you right now and told you that you're going to spend eternity putting out fires if you don't follow the holy prophet? I'd immediately be on the defensive (well, if I were not a blood-bought born again believer, that is!) and I'd let the Sheik know right quick that his brand of religion doesn't play here and if he knows what's good for him, he'd better find someone else to sell it to! The key, dear friends, is to show the love of Jesus to the world and let them know that there is a better, more peaceful way to live. You don't have to have all that stress! You don't have to live with anxiety and fear! You don't have to worry about the future, because the future of a believer is assured! Just as it says in the bible, storms come to the believer and non-believer alike, but the believer has a life that is founded on the Rock of Ages and he/she will weather the storm!
That's my take, like it or not! I know it doesn't "take Jesus to the streets" or whatever, but that's not my talent in any case. If this little blog, or the various chat boards I've run, or my own personal witness finds someone in need, I'll be happy to share because Jesus has totally changed my life and has made me complete and filled with joy! Life has thrown me some pretty interesting curveballs since I met Jesus, but, just like God's promise says, I've weathered them and have come out happier and more complete than I was going in! God is good, people! - Dan
I'd say there are some pretty good points there, but the best way is to simply share your own experiences with whoever seems interested. In my own experience, people will notice something different about you if you live your faith and they will inevitably ask you about it. You see, people are basically the same the world over. They have the same wants, needs, and desires regardless of circumstance. Some of us are a little hard-headed and we think we don't need Jesus to forgive us and we don't need the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit to find happiness. So, when the time is right and those fallacies are coming to realization, people will seek what they need and, quite naturally, they'll look for it in the places where it seems most likely that they will find it. That's where the Christian believer comes in! You have to be ready to share your witness when these "Holy Spirit moments" come up! I guess what I'm trying to say is this; our own personal witness of the power of His love and forgiveness in our own lives is our most powerful tool for the conversion of non-believers!
So, do we have to be some sort of super-saints or something to deserve the privilege of witnessing to others? Well, I never was! When someone would tell an off-color joke or let go with a string of expletives, I wouldn't show any sort of disdain or whatever, I'd just laugh and continue with my business. Now, I would never join in with that sort of behavior telling off-color jokes or using profane language myself, but I wouldn't criticize others or even worse, CONDEMN others for these sorts of behaviors. Many times, I think, we're way too quick to tell others that they're going to hell if they don't follow Jesus. Let me ask you; how would you feel if some muslim walked up to you right now and told you that you're going to spend eternity putting out fires if you don't follow the holy prophet? I'd immediately be on the defensive (well, if I were not a blood-bought born again believer, that is!) and I'd let the Sheik know right quick that his brand of religion doesn't play here and if he knows what's good for him, he'd better find someone else to sell it to! The key, dear friends, is to show the love of Jesus to the world and let them know that there is a better, more peaceful way to live. You don't have to have all that stress! You don't have to live with anxiety and fear! You don't have to worry about the future, because the future of a believer is assured! Just as it says in the bible, storms come to the believer and non-believer alike, but the believer has a life that is founded on the Rock of Ages and he/she will weather the storm!
That's my take, like it or not! I know it doesn't "take Jesus to the streets" or whatever, but that's not my talent in any case. If this little blog, or the various chat boards I've run, or my own personal witness finds someone in need, I'll be happy to share because Jesus has totally changed my life and has made me complete and filled with joy! Life has thrown me some pretty interesting curveballs since I met Jesus, but, just like God's promise says, I've weathered them and have come out happier and more complete than I was going in! God is good, people! - Dan
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Butterflies
Recently, Edward Lorenz, author of the so-called "Butterfly Effect," passed away. His "chaos theory" is considered to be one of the major theoretical achievements of the 20th Century. What does the theory suggest? As I understand it, the theory basically says that no action exists in a vacuum; there is always a reaction of some kind. The "butterfly" came from the explanation, which was that, if a butterfly flapped its wings here, it could theoretically cause a typhoon on the other side of the globe! The "stone in the pond" allegory is often employed in description as well. You know, the ripples continue forever only getting further from the source.
So, why do I bring this up? Well, there was a toad sighting earlier and it made me think that our actions are a lot like that butterfly; the ripples from our wings go on forever and affect who knows how many. We tend to think only about the ones closest to us, but others we've left behind are often the most affected by what we do or do not do.
It's just a thought.
Anyway, from the outside looking in, it's a lot easier to see the affect than it is from the inside looking out. I've been behind the nozzle of a firehose; it's much easier to see where the water goes from the side than it is from the source. Perhaps our actions or inactions are the same way.
Just a thought.
When I first heard about the chaos theory, I thought it was ridiculous, but, from a purely physics standpoint, it has merit. I mean, "every action has an opposite and equal reaction," "Conservation of Energy," and "Conservation of Mass" aren't called "Laws" for nothing. They always hold true! So, theoretically, the idea that a relatively minor action could have major repercussions is possible.
A thought.
Suppose for a moment that people actually DID what Jesus commanded and loved one another as they do themselves. What would the ripple from that be like?
Think. - Dan
So, why do I bring this up? Well, there was a toad sighting earlier and it made me think that our actions are a lot like that butterfly; the ripples from our wings go on forever and affect who knows how many. We tend to think only about the ones closest to us, but others we've left behind are often the most affected by what we do or do not do.
It's just a thought.
Anyway, from the outside looking in, it's a lot easier to see the affect than it is from the inside looking out. I've been behind the nozzle of a firehose; it's much easier to see where the water goes from the side than it is from the source. Perhaps our actions or inactions are the same way.
Just a thought.
When I first heard about the chaos theory, I thought it was ridiculous, but, from a purely physics standpoint, it has merit. I mean, "every action has an opposite and equal reaction," "Conservation of Energy," and "Conservation of Mass" aren't called "Laws" for nothing. They always hold true! So, theoretically, the idea that a relatively minor action could have major repercussions is possible.
A thought.
Suppose for a moment that people actually DID what Jesus commanded and loved one another as they do themselves. What would the ripple from that be like?
Think. - Dan
Friday, April 18, 2008
Life is Good (Part 47)!!!
Hello again, blogfans!
Today's entry is a generic rambling about a lot of stuff; have patience!
The day before yesterday, I went in and had "Moh's" surgery on my nose. For those who don't follow along very often, I had a basal cell carcinoma discovered there about a month ago, so the surgery was scheduled to have it removed. Now, I'm told this form of cancer is not particularly virulent and seldom if ever spreads, so no one was very worked up about it one way or the other. Anyway, the worst part so far has been explaining to E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y why I have a bandage across my nose and why my eye is black! I almost just did up a sign to wear that explains it so I wouldn't have to anymore, but I decided against it. In any case, they said that they "got" all of the cancer and it shouldn't return (but I have to get checked out again in 3-6 months just to be sure; translation - we need to charge you for another office visit so be sure to come in so we can do that!). On that afternoon, I had a follow-up with the Proctologist (if you need to know why I had a follow-up scheduled, read the "translation" above!), who said that the type of Polyp they found during my colonoscopy is the kind that tends to become cancerous over time, so they suggested that I increase my calcium and my fiber intake. Toward that end, I started eating a bran cereal with a cup of milk in the morning instead of the Atkins "Morning Start" that I had been eating, so I hope that does the trick!
MDB has stayed home the last couple of days to work on her hurricane book. Every year, the Weather Service puts on this big hurricane conference. It's attended by all of the emergency managers in the area, safety directors of large companies, governmental officials of all sorts, emergency medical people, fire department personnel, etc., so it's a really big deal! Part of the preparation is the annual "hurricane book" that all of the above buy for their people. It's got all sorts of hurricane-related stuff in it and it's really very well done. In any case, MDB is the one who puts it all together and arranges for publication every year. She says it's her favorite part of her job, which makes me glad that her job is HERS and not mine! I would go crazy trying to put something like that together! Anyway, she does a really good job with it and the book is really very well done! I'm VERY proud of her! She's AWESOME!!!
Something happened the other day that doesn't happen very often. We were talking about species adaptation and one of the kids asked me if I believed that we had monkeys for ancestors. I said, "no, all of my ancestors were human; sometimes I wonder about the ancestry of OTHER people, but mine were all homo sapiens!" To that, he replied "I don't think I came from monkeys either, coach! You must believe in God!" I said, "well, as a matter of fact, I DO believe in God!" and several of the other kids in the room chimed in and indicated their approval. I don't get opportunities to voice my faith in school very often, so this was an unexpected and welcome surprise! As you may or may not know, INTRODUCING religion as a topic is a big time no-no! However, if asked, we CAN state our own beliefs without fear of reprisal, so it was good to get asked!
That leads me to another "burr in my saddle;" A "moment of silence."
What is supposed to be the purpose of THAT? Oh, I KNOW what it's supposed to be for; you're supposed to take the time to offer prayer to whatever deity you choose or NOT pray to whatever deity you choose to disbelieve in, but how many of us actually use it that way? You know, in muslim nations, everything stops twice a day and every person in the country throws down a prayer rug, kneels toward Mecca, and offers a public prayer to Allah. If anyone says anything, they're dealt with in the harshest of terms! Yet, here in this country, supposedly a Christian nation, we cower behind "moments of silence" for fear of offending someone who doesn't believe the same things we do. Uhhh.....what?! Whatever happened to "majority rules?" When did it become the right of the minority to dictate policy to the majority? I think we ought to operate a little more like the muslims in this case. "Hey! We're going to offer a prayer now! If you don't like it, or if you'd rather pray to the grass or your dead Great Aunt or whatever, that's fine, just don't do it around here!" How do you think that would play out?
Exactly!
It's fine if it's my rights that are being trampled, but I'd sure better not infringe upon someone else's rights!
Somehow, I don't think that "freedom FROM religion" is what the Founding Fathers had in mind!
Anyhow, I'd like to thank God right now for all of His blessings - continued good health, a WONDERFUL wife, a great job and salvation through my belief in Jesus! Praise God forever!
(sorry if that offended you!) - Dan
Today's entry is a generic rambling about a lot of stuff; have patience!
The day before yesterday, I went in and had "Moh's" surgery on my nose. For those who don't follow along very often, I had a basal cell carcinoma discovered there about a month ago, so the surgery was scheduled to have it removed. Now, I'm told this form of cancer is not particularly virulent and seldom if ever spreads, so no one was very worked up about it one way or the other. Anyway, the worst part so far has been explaining to E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y why I have a bandage across my nose and why my eye is black! I almost just did up a sign to wear that explains it so I wouldn't have to anymore, but I decided against it. In any case, they said that they "got" all of the cancer and it shouldn't return (but I have to get checked out again in 3-6 months just to be sure; translation - we need to charge you for another office visit so be sure to come in so we can do that!). On that afternoon, I had a follow-up with the Proctologist (if you need to know why I had a follow-up scheduled, read the "translation" above!), who said that the type of Polyp they found during my colonoscopy is the kind that tends to become cancerous over time, so they suggested that I increase my calcium and my fiber intake. Toward that end, I started eating a bran cereal with a cup of milk in the morning instead of the Atkins "Morning Start" that I had been eating, so I hope that does the trick!
MDB has stayed home the last couple of days to work on her hurricane book. Every year, the Weather Service puts on this big hurricane conference. It's attended by all of the emergency managers in the area, safety directors of large companies, governmental officials of all sorts, emergency medical people, fire department personnel, etc., so it's a really big deal! Part of the preparation is the annual "hurricane book" that all of the above buy for their people. It's got all sorts of hurricane-related stuff in it and it's really very well done. In any case, MDB is the one who puts it all together and arranges for publication every year. She says it's her favorite part of her job, which makes me glad that her job is HERS and not mine! I would go crazy trying to put something like that together! Anyway, she does a really good job with it and the book is really very well done! I'm VERY proud of her! She's AWESOME!!!
Something happened the other day that doesn't happen very often. We were talking about species adaptation and one of the kids asked me if I believed that we had monkeys for ancestors. I said, "no, all of my ancestors were human; sometimes I wonder about the ancestry of OTHER people, but mine were all homo sapiens!" To that, he replied "I don't think I came from monkeys either, coach! You must believe in God!" I said, "well, as a matter of fact, I DO believe in God!" and several of the other kids in the room chimed in and indicated their approval. I don't get opportunities to voice my faith in school very often, so this was an unexpected and welcome surprise! As you may or may not know, INTRODUCING religion as a topic is a big time no-no! However, if asked, we CAN state our own beliefs without fear of reprisal, so it was good to get asked!
That leads me to another "burr in my saddle;" A "moment of silence."
What is supposed to be the purpose of THAT? Oh, I KNOW what it's supposed to be for; you're supposed to take the time to offer prayer to whatever deity you choose or NOT pray to whatever deity you choose to disbelieve in, but how many of us actually use it that way? You know, in muslim nations, everything stops twice a day and every person in the country throws down a prayer rug, kneels toward Mecca, and offers a public prayer to Allah. If anyone says anything, they're dealt with in the harshest of terms! Yet, here in this country, supposedly a Christian nation, we cower behind "moments of silence" for fear of offending someone who doesn't believe the same things we do. Uhhh.....what?! Whatever happened to "majority rules?" When did it become the right of the minority to dictate policy to the majority? I think we ought to operate a little more like the muslims in this case. "Hey! We're going to offer a prayer now! If you don't like it, or if you'd rather pray to the grass or your dead Great Aunt or whatever, that's fine, just don't do it around here!" How do you think that would play out?
Exactly!
It's fine if it's my rights that are being trampled, but I'd sure better not infringe upon someone else's rights!
Somehow, I don't think that "freedom FROM religion" is what the Founding Fathers had in mind!
Anyhow, I'd like to thank God right now for all of His blessings - continued good health, a WONDERFUL wife, a great job and salvation through my belief in Jesus! Praise God forever!
(sorry if that offended you!) - Dan
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Uhhhh....WHAT!?!?
Recently, those of us lucky enough to live in or near Houston were treated to a story about Boris Miles, a State Representative from this area accused of pointing a gun at his wife during a Rocket's game and then doing something equally despicable later (pointing his gun at someone else later the same day while at a party after forcibly kissing another man's wife). If you've read the story, you've probably noticed that Rep. Miles is African-American, a fact that I would never point out if not for the point of this particular missive:
Where is Quantrell X and Shirley Jackson-Lee?
Oh, you know Quantrell. He's the Rev. Sharpton of this community. You know Shirley. She's the Maxine Waters of our town. Together, they manage to show up for anything that vaguely smacks of racism, usually finding it in places where it never existed! Together, they're the Laurel and Hardy of Houston; pratfalls and all!
In any case, here we have a clear case of a public official abusing the powers of his office by breaking the law wantonly and (probably) expecting his behavior to be dismissed because of his offical capacity. If this was a white guy, he'd have been strung up in the court of public opinion by now at the shear insistence of Quantrell and Shirley (actually, their real names are SHEILA Jackson-Lee and....well....who knows what Quanell X's real name is!? He adopted "Quannel X" in the tradition of Malcolm X, ostensibly because of his religious affiliation, but more likely because it attracts attention and publicity!) and would have been expedited to trial where his gun would have been confiscated, his office taken away, and his life left in shambles in some other locale far away from this place!
When the perpetrator is black, there is deafening silence from Shirley and Quantrell.
I long for the day that the color of the perpetrator is not considered; only the nature of the actor's crime.
Where is Quantrell X and Shirley Jackson-Lee?
Oh, you know Quantrell. He's the Rev. Sharpton of this community. You know Shirley. She's the Maxine Waters of our town. Together, they manage to show up for anything that vaguely smacks of racism, usually finding it in places where it never existed! Together, they're the Laurel and Hardy of Houston; pratfalls and all!
In any case, here we have a clear case of a public official abusing the powers of his office by breaking the law wantonly and (probably) expecting his behavior to be dismissed because of his offical capacity. If this was a white guy, he'd have been strung up in the court of public opinion by now at the shear insistence of Quantrell and Shirley (actually, their real names are SHEILA Jackson-Lee and....well....who knows what Quanell X's real name is!? He adopted "Quannel X" in the tradition of Malcolm X, ostensibly because of his religious affiliation, but more likely because it attracts attention and publicity!) and would have been expedited to trial where his gun would have been confiscated, his office taken away, and his life left in shambles in some other locale far away from this place!
When the perpetrator is black, there is deafening silence from Shirley and Quantrell.
I long for the day that the color of the perpetrator is not considered; only the nature of the actor's crime.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I just wish...
...that someone would channel Ronald Reagan and speak their mind for a change instead of taking 100 polls to find out what people are thinking and then saying whatever fits the crowd they're addressing at the moment.
There was a time that people chose a candidate based on that candidate's views and stands on issues; now they vote based on color, gender, and soundbites that are choreographed specifically for whatever group they're speaking to. Do you think Obama would've made his "bitter" comments to a group of steel workers from Pittsburg? Of course not!
People need to hear the truth, regardless of how it affects them at the time. Is there a candidate out there who fits the bill?
Sadly, I don't think so.
Here's a few of the things we need to hear:
Government needs to justify every nickel that it spends. "Earmarks," or "pork," or whatever they call it these days, needs to go away PERMANENTLY!!! Unless there is a Constitutional mandate for the spending or a specific law that requires it, Congress should only appropriate what MUST be spent to fund such items!
Someone needs to tell the unions of this country that the time is past for the rich deals they've always enjoyed. Ford, Chrysler, and GM will continue to exist, but they may very well take all of their manufacturing jobs out of this country where labor costs are more reasonable. The time for fully-funded health care, fully-funded pensions, and exhorbitant per hour labor costs is past. Our manufacturing concerns cannot compete on the world market with costs per unit as high as they are and, unless something changes and that right soon, the goose that laid the golden egg will be cooked and the last of the eggs will be gone.
One thing government HAS done well over the years is gather the best minds toward a common goal when times demand it. It's time to free America from the chains of foreign oil! Toward that end, we need a "moon mission" to develop an alternative form of transportation that is reliable, relatively inexpensive, and easily adaptable to our current infrastructure. Personally, I think hydrogen is the best bet, but who's to say? The fact is, huge sums of American money are moving overseas to pay for energy and foreign interests have us literally over a barrel. When it becomes more profitable to produce home-grown energy than to buy it overseas, American energy interests will do just that. We, therefore, have to make it so and that as quickly as possible!
Iraq was a lie from the start. When people found out that there were no WMDs, they tired quickly of the excuses for our staying there. We must formulate an exit strategy, communicate it to the Iraqis and the American people as well, and execute it with all due haste. It is time for us to see to American needs before we attempt to build states elsewhere. Instability in that part of the world is nothing new. In fact, if that part of the world WERE stable for a change, it would be highly unusual indeed!
Oh well....that's a few of the things that we need to get going. I just wish we had a candidate who would stop taking opinion polls long enough to say them!
There was a time that people chose a candidate based on that candidate's views and stands on issues; now they vote based on color, gender, and soundbites that are choreographed specifically for whatever group they're speaking to. Do you think Obama would've made his "bitter" comments to a group of steel workers from Pittsburg? Of course not!
People need to hear the truth, regardless of how it affects them at the time. Is there a candidate out there who fits the bill?
Sadly, I don't think so.
Here's a few of the things we need to hear:
Government needs to justify every nickel that it spends. "Earmarks," or "pork," or whatever they call it these days, needs to go away PERMANENTLY!!! Unless there is a Constitutional mandate for the spending or a specific law that requires it, Congress should only appropriate what MUST be spent to fund such items!
Someone needs to tell the unions of this country that the time is past for the rich deals they've always enjoyed. Ford, Chrysler, and GM will continue to exist, but they may very well take all of their manufacturing jobs out of this country where labor costs are more reasonable. The time for fully-funded health care, fully-funded pensions, and exhorbitant per hour labor costs is past. Our manufacturing concerns cannot compete on the world market with costs per unit as high as they are and, unless something changes and that right soon, the goose that laid the golden egg will be cooked and the last of the eggs will be gone.
One thing government HAS done well over the years is gather the best minds toward a common goal when times demand it. It's time to free America from the chains of foreign oil! Toward that end, we need a "moon mission" to develop an alternative form of transportation that is reliable, relatively inexpensive, and easily adaptable to our current infrastructure. Personally, I think hydrogen is the best bet, but who's to say? The fact is, huge sums of American money are moving overseas to pay for energy and foreign interests have us literally over a barrel. When it becomes more profitable to produce home-grown energy than to buy it overseas, American energy interests will do just that. We, therefore, have to make it so and that as quickly as possible!
Iraq was a lie from the start. When people found out that there were no WMDs, they tired quickly of the excuses for our staying there. We must formulate an exit strategy, communicate it to the Iraqis and the American people as well, and execute it with all due haste. It is time for us to see to American needs before we attempt to build states elsewhere. Instability in that part of the world is nothing new. In fact, if that part of the world WERE stable for a change, it would be highly unusual indeed!
Oh well....that's a few of the things that we need to get going. I just wish we had a candidate who would stop taking opinion polls long enough to say them!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Intrinsic Value
It's Sunday morning and, because we're both exhausted and not feeling well, we stayed home from church. Usually, on the way out the door, we'd watch "Sunday Morning" on CBS, but today we watched the entire show. It was about a guy who was hitting a golf ball across Scotland for no apparent reason, an extremely eccentric artist who paints mostly birds, butterflies and monkeys (this guy has a HUGE loft in the middle of New York and two VERY impressive antebellum plantation homes in Louisiana. MDB and I had never heard of him or seen his work before, but he's apparently pretty popular with the art-buying public; they said his paintings go for as much as 100k!), the song-writing team of Ashford and Simpson, the Pony Express, and, the coup de'grace....license plates in Delaware.
Okay; why did they do a show on Delaware license plates? Apparently, in Delaware, it's a REALLY big deal to have a license plate with a low number on it. The Governor always gets #1, the Lieutenant Governor #2, and the SS #3. All of the other plates were issued in numerical order beginning with #4. Naturally, rich guys who were the first to buy cars way back when were issued those first plates. Anyway, buying and selling "low-number" license plates in Delaware has become quite the cottage industry. The story mentioned that one such plate sold for nearly 200k almost twenty years ago! Well, the centerpiece of the story was the death of a guy who owned plate number 6. Wow! #6!!! At auction, the plate sold for 3/4 of a MILLION dollars!!!! 750k!!!!! Several auction attendees were interviewed and they all said that buying such a plate was a "Great Investment!;" even better than the stock market!!!
Uhhhh.........................................................WHAT?!?!?!
I have two words for these fiscally-challenged soothsayers: BEANIE BABIES!
Yes, boys and girls, I remember all too well those heady days of driving all over hell's half-acre in search of the "latest" or "limited edition" stuffed animals that were going to be worth hundreds, even THOUSANDS more than we paid for them. All we had to do was protect those precious tags (by buying those pre-formed tag protectors) and watch the money come rolling in!
Some lessons are harder-learned than others.
Now, I have a box (oh...and not just ANY box; a small refrigerator came in this box) full of these "priceless" little commodities. I'd have to say that, overall, over a thousand dollars were "invested." If I could find someone crazy enough to overpay for the whole box, it's probably worth a buck seventy five altogether.
The recycled value of the cardboard would be half the price!
Anyway, for those clowns who really believe that a license plate is a better investment than the stock market, let me share the benefit of my expeience with you.
Things with no intrinsic value do not hold their "perceived" value after the trend wears off.
"But Dan!" you say, "There have been cars in Delaware for over a hundred years! This little 'trend' is still going after all of these years! Isn't that a safer bet than Beanie Babies?"
If you have nothing better to do with your overabundance of money than waste it on a license plate or a really bad painting of cockatoos, send me some of it, will you?
Okay...if you don't want to send it to me, how about sending it to help rebuild New Orleans, or to the tornado victims in north Texas, or to any of hundreds of other worthy causes?
Nevermind. If you're spedning large sums of disposable income on garbage, you probably wouldn't be interested in putting any of it into a worthwhile cause in any case.
Okay; why did they do a show on Delaware license plates? Apparently, in Delaware, it's a REALLY big deal to have a license plate with a low number on it. The Governor always gets #1, the Lieutenant Governor #2, and the SS #3. All of the other plates were issued in numerical order beginning with #4. Naturally, rich guys who were the first to buy cars way back when were issued those first plates. Anyway, buying and selling "low-number" license plates in Delaware has become quite the cottage industry. The story mentioned that one such plate sold for nearly 200k almost twenty years ago! Well, the centerpiece of the story was the death of a guy who owned plate number 6. Wow! #6!!! At auction, the plate sold for 3/4 of a MILLION dollars!!!! 750k!!!!! Several auction attendees were interviewed and they all said that buying such a plate was a "Great Investment!;" even better than the stock market!!!
Uhhhh.........................................................WHAT?!?!?!
I have two words for these fiscally-challenged soothsayers: BEANIE BABIES!
Yes, boys and girls, I remember all too well those heady days of driving all over hell's half-acre in search of the "latest" or "limited edition" stuffed animals that were going to be worth hundreds, even THOUSANDS more than we paid for them. All we had to do was protect those precious tags (by buying those pre-formed tag protectors) and watch the money come rolling in!
Some lessons are harder-learned than others.
Now, I have a box (oh...and not just ANY box; a small refrigerator came in this box) full of these "priceless" little commodities. I'd have to say that, overall, over a thousand dollars were "invested." If I could find someone crazy enough to overpay for the whole box, it's probably worth a buck seventy five altogether.
The recycled value of the cardboard would be half the price!
Anyway, for those clowns who really believe that a license plate is a better investment than the stock market, let me share the benefit of my expeience with you.
Things with no intrinsic value do not hold their "perceived" value after the trend wears off.
"But Dan!" you say, "There have been cars in Delaware for over a hundred years! This little 'trend' is still going after all of these years! Isn't that a safer bet than Beanie Babies?"
If you have nothing better to do with your overabundance of money than waste it on a license plate or a really bad painting of cockatoos, send me some of it, will you?
Okay...if you don't want to send it to me, how about sending it to help rebuild New Orleans, or to the tornado victims in north Texas, or to any of hundreds of other worthy causes?
Nevermind. If you're spedning large sums of disposable income on garbage, you probably wouldn't be interested in putting any of it into a worthwhile cause in any case.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Blowing off steam!
This morning, I had to get up out of my nice, warm bed and go to work. Thank God I have a job, but there was NO reason for me to be there; seriously! It was billed as an "AP and PreAP test preparation session," which I took to mean that AP and PreAP teachers would be separated and given some instruction on how to best prepare their students for their upcoming end-of-course examinations. Wrong! It was literally a prep session for AP students! Teachers, AP and PreAP alike, monitored the sessions, all of which were for AP level courses in high school. Uhhh...what's a 7th grade teacher supposed to glean from THAT? Exactly! Zilch! Nada! Nyet!
Can you tell I'm getting a little frustrated by this whole process?
It wouldn't be so bad if the kids in my preAP classes were all preAP type kids. Easily half of them have no business being in an accelerated class, which, of course, drags the whole class down such that the preAP classes are scarcely more advanced than a general-ed class, if that. Naturally, since they ALL have to take the end-of-course test and have not had anywhere near enough preparation for it, they're all going to bomb it and make me look bad. Set up for failure by factors beyond my control. What a concept!
The other big story this week was our "OCR/TEA" (Office of Civil Rights/Texas Education Agency)visit. We got about a two-week notice of their impending arrival, so the school looked really good when they arrived; walls decorated, doors decorated, classrooms pristine, etc. I saw a teacher from another one of the Intermediates in the district this morning and she said the same thing; lots of notice and LOTS of preparation. No WONDER the powers that be think everything is hunky-dory! If this is how they inspect every school they go into, they never see anything but the "best foot!" I wonder what they'd have thought if they'd have come in two weeks before completely unannounced? Oh, it's not that the school looked bad or anything; it just wasn't the model campus that they saw two weeks later, that's all. Anyway, they came to our campus on Thursday. We were ordered to be in our "highly professional" attire for the whole week, so it was the fourth day I'd had to answer the question "why are you wearing a tie, mister?" I'd shortened it to "a visit from corporate," but most of them didn't know what that meant. In any case, they came, they saw and they conquered (I guess). We were told via e-mail that the campus looked great and the inspectors were favorably impressed, but we have no formal report as of yet. I guess we'll know what they thought well after no one cares what they thought. By the way, I did not see any of the inspectors personally, but I was assured that they did in fact visit. In that way they were very much like Sasquatch or the Abominable Snowman. We've got "reliable" reports of their existence, just no verifiable proof!
See you next year, Yetti!
Thursday was a LONG day. Jack did one of his "over the gate" tricks and woke me up with his barking at 4:30 in the morning. I never did get back to sleep. The first track meet was also on Thursday, which means I didn't get off work until nearly 6:30 at night. 14-hour days are for guys much younger than I am. I'm still recovering. Maybe that's why the "total waste of time" seminar I had to go to this morning rankled me so. I needed the sleep that I missed much more than the Sominex injection I was treated to. Maybe tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I came home from that debacle to surprise MDB and she's not home! Evidence of CDM (#1 son) is apparent, but no persons on the premises. He's here for his birthday celebration a little early b/c he gets to go to China for his company. I got to go to Baton Rouge for my company once. Anyway, MDB baked him a cake and MDB's parents are coming to share in the celebration. We're grilling steaks to go along with her delicious vegetables she's preparing! It ought to be good!
Well, I think I'll mow real quick before anyone sees me goofing off! - Dan
Can you tell I'm getting a little frustrated by this whole process?
It wouldn't be so bad if the kids in my preAP classes were all preAP type kids. Easily half of them have no business being in an accelerated class, which, of course, drags the whole class down such that the preAP classes are scarcely more advanced than a general-ed class, if that. Naturally, since they ALL have to take the end-of-course test and have not had anywhere near enough preparation for it, they're all going to bomb it and make me look bad. Set up for failure by factors beyond my control. What a concept!
The other big story this week was our "OCR/TEA" (Office of Civil Rights/Texas Education Agency)visit. We got about a two-week notice of their impending arrival, so the school looked really good when they arrived; walls decorated, doors decorated, classrooms pristine, etc. I saw a teacher from another one of the Intermediates in the district this morning and she said the same thing; lots of notice and LOTS of preparation. No WONDER the powers that be think everything is hunky-dory! If this is how they inspect every school they go into, they never see anything but the "best foot!" I wonder what they'd have thought if they'd have come in two weeks before completely unannounced? Oh, it's not that the school looked bad or anything; it just wasn't the model campus that they saw two weeks later, that's all. Anyway, they came to our campus on Thursday. We were ordered to be in our "highly professional" attire for the whole week, so it was the fourth day I'd had to answer the question "why are you wearing a tie, mister?" I'd shortened it to "a visit from corporate," but most of them didn't know what that meant. In any case, they came, they saw and they conquered (I guess). We were told via e-mail that the campus looked great and the inspectors were favorably impressed, but we have no formal report as of yet. I guess we'll know what they thought well after no one cares what they thought. By the way, I did not see any of the inspectors personally, but I was assured that they did in fact visit. In that way they were very much like Sasquatch or the Abominable Snowman. We've got "reliable" reports of their existence, just no verifiable proof!
See you next year, Yetti!
Thursday was a LONG day. Jack did one of his "over the gate" tricks and woke me up with his barking at 4:30 in the morning. I never did get back to sleep. The first track meet was also on Thursday, which means I didn't get off work until nearly 6:30 at night. 14-hour days are for guys much younger than I am. I'm still recovering. Maybe that's why the "total waste of time" seminar I had to go to this morning rankled me so. I needed the sleep that I missed much more than the Sominex injection I was treated to. Maybe tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I came home from that debacle to surprise MDB and she's not home! Evidence of CDM (#1 son) is apparent, but no persons on the premises. He's here for his birthday celebration a little early b/c he gets to go to China for his company. I got to go to Baton Rouge for my company once. Anyway, MDB baked him a cake and MDB's parents are coming to share in the celebration. We're grilling steaks to go along with her delicious vegetables she's preparing! It ought to be good!
Well, I think I'll mow real quick before anyone sees me goofing off! - Dan
Friday, April 11, 2008
Just when you think America is beginning to figure it out...
...they throw you a curveball and make you shake your head once again. To wit:
There are STILL people supporting Hillary "never let the truth get in the way of a good story" Clinton, despite the fact that she's been shown over and over again to be a pathological liar.
There are still people who think Barack Obama's glorious lack of judgement isn't enough to disqualify HIM from contention!
People have turned "American Idol" into the worst sort of popularity contest. Oh, I know...it's a package deal. The one who can sing, AND dance, AND tell jokes, AND play an instrument, AND support the needy children in Biafra, is the one most likely to win. Uhhh....I thought it was a singing contest?! Silly me! Two years ago when Taylor Hicks beat Chris Daughtry, I swore I'd never watch it again. I know....Taylor who? He's the guy who looked a lot like Jay Leno without the chin. The only reason I'm watching it this year is that MDB likes to watch it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any problem leaving it alone altogether. Anyway, last night they voted Michael Johns off the island. It was his first week in the bottom three and his last appearance, all in one week! Meanwhile, the country and western girl, the dreadlocks guy, and the Whitney Houston wanna-be girl, all of whom are one-trick ponies the best I can tell, managed to stay on the show! Uhhh....were the phones out of order in Australia, or what happened there? One really good thing DID happen; their "group number" that they always do to lead off the show was "Shout to the Lord," which is one of the all-time great contemporary praise/worship songs and a personal favorite. I think someone has had a change of heart since a few years ago when the woman sang a gospel song (I can't remember her name, but she was the one that Simon made fun of for being somewhat overweight, quipping that the stage was going to have to be enlarged for her) and Simon said it was "Self-Patronizing" and out of place. Anyway, I really enjoyed it a lot!
Here's hoping that "Idol" voters figure it out before another Taylor Hicks gets the title.
Taylor who?
There are STILL people supporting Hillary "never let the truth get in the way of a good story" Clinton, despite the fact that she's been shown over and over again to be a pathological liar.
There are still people who think Barack Obama's glorious lack of judgement isn't enough to disqualify HIM from contention!
People have turned "American Idol" into the worst sort of popularity contest. Oh, I know...it's a package deal. The one who can sing, AND dance, AND tell jokes, AND play an instrument, AND support the needy children in Biafra, is the one most likely to win. Uhhh....I thought it was a singing contest?! Silly me! Two years ago when Taylor Hicks beat Chris Daughtry, I swore I'd never watch it again. I know....Taylor who? He's the guy who looked a lot like Jay Leno without the chin. The only reason I'm watching it this year is that MDB likes to watch it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any problem leaving it alone altogether. Anyway, last night they voted Michael Johns off the island. It was his first week in the bottom three and his last appearance, all in one week! Meanwhile, the country and western girl, the dreadlocks guy, and the Whitney Houston wanna-be girl, all of whom are one-trick ponies the best I can tell, managed to stay on the show! Uhhh....were the phones out of order in Australia, or what happened there? One really good thing DID happen; their "group number" that they always do to lead off the show was "Shout to the Lord," which is one of the all-time great contemporary praise/worship songs and a personal favorite. I think someone has had a change of heart since a few years ago when the woman sang a gospel song (I can't remember her name, but she was the one that Simon made fun of for being somewhat overweight, quipping that the stage was going to have to be enlarged for her) and Simon said it was "Self-Patronizing" and out of place. Anyway, I really enjoyed it a lot!
Here's hoping that "Idol" voters figure it out before another Taylor Hicks gets the title.
Taylor who?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The Olympic torch
Am I the only one who has more to do with my time than worry about the status of the Olympic torch?
Where are all of these protestors coming from? Do these people not have jobs, or what?
Look....I'm just as disappointed about the human rights record of China as anyone, but I don't think I'll voice it by trying to chase down some stupid symbol and put it out with a fire extinguisher. I think I'll refuse to buy anything that says "made in China" on it and hit 'em where it hurts!
If we're so disgusted with China, why did the IOC agree to allow China to hold the Olympics in the first place?
Uhhh....the same reason that we'll keep buying their goods.
Money.
Where are all of these protestors coming from? Do these people not have jobs, or what?
Look....I'm just as disappointed about the human rights record of China as anyone, but I don't think I'll voice it by trying to chase down some stupid symbol and put it out with a fire extinguisher. I think I'll refuse to buy anything that says "made in China" on it and hit 'em where it hurts!
If we're so disgusted with China, why did the IOC agree to allow China to hold the Olympics in the first place?
Uhhh....the same reason that we'll keep buying their goods.
Money.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The best of their era
Hello again, blogfans!
I just read an article by Ian O'Connor on FoxSports.com, the contention of which is that Tiger Woods is already the greatest golfer of all time. Sorry, Ian, but I don't agree. I'll agree that Tiger is the best of his era, but ALL TIME? That's a difficult assertion to prove and one that certainly cannot be proven beyond all reasonable doubt.
Tiger uses state of the art clubs with metal heads, graphite shafts, gigantic "sweet spots," and golf balls that have all sorts of exotic "super ball" centers that make them fly farther and straighter than anything any golfer before his generation had the pleasure of dreaming of, let alone holding! Previous greats, such as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, etc., played with far inferior equipment than what's available today. Given the same equipment, would they have been equal? It's hard to say. No, wait; it's IMPOSSIBLE to say! That's why this sort of article rankles me so!
Who was a better home run hitter; Babe Ruth or Henry Aaron? Or should we compare the Babe with Mark McGuire or Barry Bonds? Well let's see...if the Babe had steroids, the benefit of the "live" ball, and the watered down pitching of today, he may have hit 100 home runs in a season! But then, we'll never know, will we? Babe did it on hot dogs and beer, a dead ball that you could throw further than you could hit, and pitching that was like facing the other team's #1 every single night!
Here's the problem - you see these sorts of comparisons all the time. Was Shaq better than Bill Russell? Was Rod Laver Andy Roddick's superior? Maybe Fred Flintstone was better than those Geico cavemen?! Who knows?! They were from different eras with different rules, different teammates, and different equipment!
Are apples better than oranges?
It's a matter of taste. - Dan
I just read an article by Ian O'Connor on FoxSports.com, the contention of which is that Tiger Woods is already the greatest golfer of all time. Sorry, Ian, but I don't agree. I'll agree that Tiger is the best of his era, but ALL TIME? That's a difficult assertion to prove and one that certainly cannot be proven beyond all reasonable doubt.
Tiger uses state of the art clubs with metal heads, graphite shafts, gigantic "sweet spots," and golf balls that have all sorts of exotic "super ball" centers that make them fly farther and straighter than anything any golfer before his generation had the pleasure of dreaming of, let alone holding! Previous greats, such as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, etc., played with far inferior equipment than what's available today. Given the same equipment, would they have been equal? It's hard to say. No, wait; it's IMPOSSIBLE to say! That's why this sort of article rankles me so!
Who was a better home run hitter; Babe Ruth or Henry Aaron? Or should we compare the Babe with Mark McGuire or Barry Bonds? Well let's see...if the Babe had steroids, the benefit of the "live" ball, and the watered down pitching of today, he may have hit 100 home runs in a season! But then, we'll never know, will we? Babe did it on hot dogs and beer, a dead ball that you could throw further than you could hit, and pitching that was like facing the other team's #1 every single night!
Here's the problem - you see these sorts of comparisons all the time. Was Shaq better than Bill Russell? Was Rod Laver Andy Roddick's superior? Maybe Fred Flintstone was better than those Geico cavemen?! Who knows?! They were from different eras with different rules, different teammates, and different equipment!
Are apples better than oranges?
It's a matter of taste. - Dan
Sunday, April 06, 2008
What did you expect?
We had an interesting discussion in Sunday School this morning about the first few verses in John 14:
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Now, we, as Christians, have no trouble with the assertion of Jesus in this passage; that there is no other way to heaven other than by believing in Him. However, non-Christians, atheists, agnostics, and others, have a REAL hard time with this concept! They say we're arrogant to say that one must be Christian to inherit everlasting life. They contend that "karma" makes more sense, or that "religiosity" gives one the right to earn a place in heaven. They contend that only a horrible God would send His children to everlasting hell! Frankly, these arguments remind me of the kids at school - "Mister! Why did you fail me the last 6 weeks?" I usually respond, "I didn't fail you; YOU failed you! All I did was keep track of your progress!" God doesn't send ANYONE to hell, however, when we, the obstinate, selfish beings that we are insist on going there, He's more than happy to oblige! Also, it's not as though we're making this stuff up just to make you feel bad! These are the words of Jesus, not ours! We're more than happy to tell you what He said, but the "only way is Jesus" concept came from Him! So, don't say that we're arrogant or whatever when we tell you what He said! We're just passing along crucial information!
Actually, our main conversation this morning centered on the statements of Philip, who asked to see the Father. Jesus replied that if you had seen Him, you HAVE seen the Father! What were they looking for? The Pharisees kept asking for a sign, as if raising the dead, healing the sick, making the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear was not a sign enough! To me, it all boils down to a "spiritual existence versus a physical existence" thing. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would restore the earthly kingdom of David and give them political power on earth. They're still looking, BTW. However, they're not the only ones. Certain "Christian" sects deny the divine nature of Jesus and insist that their non-belief in Him is inconsequential. There's a verse in John 4 that gives a really good clue about the nature of God:
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is a spirit! He exists in the eternal and He's mainly concerned with our spiritual welfare and that on an eternal basis! That's not to say that He cares NOT about our day to day lives, but it IS to say that, in the big picture, our little aches and pains here are just a radar blip compared with the rest of eternity and where we wind up in that circumstance! Jesus came with this in mind and setting our eternal salvation in motion was His mission here on earth! I thank God that He came and set us free and I'll proudly proclaim that Jesus IS the only way! Sorry if that upsets your karma! - Dan
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Now, we, as Christians, have no trouble with the assertion of Jesus in this passage; that there is no other way to heaven other than by believing in Him. However, non-Christians, atheists, agnostics, and others, have a REAL hard time with this concept! They say we're arrogant to say that one must be Christian to inherit everlasting life. They contend that "karma" makes more sense, or that "religiosity" gives one the right to earn a place in heaven. They contend that only a horrible God would send His children to everlasting hell! Frankly, these arguments remind me of the kids at school - "Mister! Why did you fail me the last 6 weeks?" I usually respond, "I didn't fail you; YOU failed you! All I did was keep track of your progress!" God doesn't send ANYONE to hell, however, when we, the obstinate, selfish beings that we are insist on going there, He's more than happy to oblige! Also, it's not as though we're making this stuff up just to make you feel bad! These are the words of Jesus, not ours! We're more than happy to tell you what He said, but the "only way is Jesus" concept came from Him! So, don't say that we're arrogant or whatever when we tell you what He said! We're just passing along crucial information!
Actually, our main conversation this morning centered on the statements of Philip, who asked to see the Father. Jesus replied that if you had seen Him, you HAVE seen the Father! What were they looking for? The Pharisees kept asking for a sign, as if raising the dead, healing the sick, making the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear was not a sign enough! To me, it all boils down to a "spiritual existence versus a physical existence" thing. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would restore the earthly kingdom of David and give them political power on earth. They're still looking, BTW. However, they're not the only ones. Certain "Christian" sects deny the divine nature of Jesus and insist that their non-belief in Him is inconsequential. There's a verse in John 4 that gives a really good clue about the nature of God:
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is a spirit! He exists in the eternal and He's mainly concerned with our spiritual welfare and that on an eternal basis! That's not to say that He cares NOT about our day to day lives, but it IS to say that, in the big picture, our little aches and pains here are just a radar blip compared with the rest of eternity and where we wind up in that circumstance! Jesus came with this in mind and setting our eternal salvation in motion was His mission here on earth! I thank God that He came and set us free and I'll proudly proclaim that Jesus IS the only way! Sorry if that upsets your karma! - Dan
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