How was your Christmas?

It's a question one can expect to hear often for the next few weeks. "How was your Christmas?" You will be expected to say that yours was good or great and it is probably true. Mine was very good. We did everything we were supposed to do: gifts, eating with relatives, time with the kids, the whole thing. Yet somethings not quite right. Almost, but not quite. I think with all the wrapping and cooking and even relaxing that I just did not pay enough attention to Jesus. I did not ignore Him at all. I even read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2 and also read some Old Testament passages predicting the birth, life and death of the Christ but it just wasn't enough.

You know, I don't think the Devil gets too worried when we go to church. I am sure he would rather we didn't but how many times have you been to church and your mind been a million miles away?

What about Bible-reading? Important, yes, but still I don't think Satan gets too concerned when we read scripture. I am probably not the only one who gets lost and confused by the words, old-timey customs and meaning of some of the stories in the Bible.

But I know what does scare the Devil. It is something I believe one cannot do half-hearted and do it right. That's the problem. Unlike going to church and reading my Bible, I find it impossible to truly pray and do anything else. Sure I pray when I am driving or at work and I pray before meals and I pray lots of "God help me" prayers but when I really pray, whether it's on my knees or walking around or sitting in a chair, it doesn't matter, I really have to concentrate and that is the part that I know scares Satan more than anything. Not because I am thinking it or because I am sincere or anything that I do or don't do.

James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. I love that verse. The first time I read it I thought "Well, now if I could just find a righteous man!" but I realized that God, because of what His son Jesus did, considers me to be righteous! So my prayers are more than sweet words meant to comfort myself and others. They are a powerful tool. The King James version uses the word "fervent prayer" and when I researched further that word "fervent" has the same meaning as a horse jumping over a fence or a baseball player stretched out to catch a ball. It takes some effort but the rewards are huge.

My Dad told me one time that he asked my Grandfather about how prayer works. My grandfather said he didn't know how prayer worked but he knew it did. That's interesting to me for several reasons. Both Godly men, both very smart and well-educated and both proving time after time their belief in something they did not know much about. That makes me feel better to know I am not the only one who does not understand prayer but it also concerns me. You see, I know upon reflection that the thing that was missing this Christmas for me was not something under the tree or on the dinner table but my own fervent prayer to the reason for this season. So, how was your Christmas?

The Eagles Ain't Country

OK, so what's the big deal with these guys? Have they just been around long enough that they have good connections? Is there a cult following underground somewhere? The Eagles were on the Country Music Awards the other day with Vince Gill gushing all over them like a chubby little schoolboy. They were singing their latest single about well...I don't know what it was about but the song held no attraction for me nor did the band. Now I'm not against the Eagles. They were good back in the day. Back in the 70's. I can appreciate Hotel California as much as the next guy. It's just that they aren't country. Vince Gill supposedly said the Eagles have done more for country music than Ernest Tubb. Exactly what have the Eagles ever done for country music Vince, you deep dish has-been? Get off the crack pipe and go buy a George Strait cd or Brooks and Dunn or Allan Jackson-all of whom were at this award show--not to mention the Tubbs, Waggoners, Williams and Cashs who are turning over in their graves thinking about the state of country music.

It could have been worse!

I heard Barbara Streisand once and thought I was going to die.

http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/gunsnroses.scares.teacher.2.610016.html

Why men are happier...

I never forward emails but this is pretty good. Ever since I was a little boy I have been glad to be male.

Your last name stays put.The garage is all yours.Wedding plans take care of themselves.Chocolate is just another snack.You can be President.You can never be pregnant.You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.You can wear NO shirt to a water park.Car mechanics tell you the truth.You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay.Wrinkles add character. Graying hair adds attraction.Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100.People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.You know stuff about tanks.A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public.You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.No wonder men are happier.

Senator Joe Biden

Senator Biden, how many times a day...is that a...What is that on your fingertip?

Terrorists are funny!

http://www.imao.us/archives/cat_lolterizt.html

Mike Huckabee

Hey, Mike, how many times a day do you and your friends read this blog?! Also, what is the chance in a million that you will get the Republican nomination?!

How offensive!

As most know by now, Gillian Gibbons, a volunteer schoolteacher in Sudan, was sentenced to jail but pardoned today for the crime of letting her seven year old students name the class teddy bear "Mohammed". Evidently the "real" Mohammed was offended by this and many of his followers wanted Gibbons to die for the crime. I am shocked at her lack of political correctness as is my dog Bohammed.

San Francisco thinking

Having been to San Fran lately, I am pretty sure fireplaces are the least of their worries. It's a shame some place so blessed with natural beauty can be so mentally and spiritually dead.

Old Memory...

OK, you will not really appreciate this like I do, I am sure, but please indulge me (Hey, it's my blog). I don't know why, really, but this memory just came back to me as I was thinking about Thanksgiving and all the family reunions we used to have around this holiday. I guess there is just too many of us now and too many places to go and things to do and blah, blah, blah, but my whole extended family used to get together every year, usually at my uncle and aunt's house in Houston. We always had way too much food, people and fun but the thing I remember most vividly was standing around the piano as Aunt Billie would play song after song and we would sing and sing. Sometimes just the aunts would sing or just the uncles and they always had their favorites: mainly old hymns that I am afraid nobody sings anymore. Then one of the aunts would beg all the cousins to come sing our song. We would finally all drag up there and sing "Eliezer Call". You can find the story of Eliezer and Isaac and Rebeccah in chapter 24 of Genesis but this is the song we would sing:

ELIEZER CALL

(1) 'Twas a day in early spring time by an ancient wayside well, Eliezer paused to rest his camel train. He had found a bride for Isaac, 'ere the evening shadows fell, For his weary journey had not been in vain. So, he took the fair Rebekah, decked in jewels rich and rare, Back to Abraham and Sarah far away, Where Rebekah loved her Isaac, and he loved Rebekah fair, Oh, it must have been a happy wedding day.

CHORUS

Oh, get ready. The evening shadows fall. Don't you hear the Eliezer call? There's going to be a wedding. Our joy will soon begin, In the evening when the camel train comes in.

(2) So the blessed Holy Spirit from the Father God above, Has come down to earth to find a worthy bride, For our Isaac over yonder has prepared our tents of love, For He wants His fair Rebekah by His side. We have left our kinfolks gladly, we have bade the world good-bye. We are going to a land beyond the sky. We shall soon behold our Isaac in that blessed eternity. What a happy, happy meeting that will be!

Thanks for the indulgence and maybe you just had to be there to appreciate it. I'm glad I was.

Is Gun Control hitting what you're aiming at?

I am very conflicted about this. Is it murder or self-defense or just protecting the neighborhood? What concerns me is that I am afraid that our confidence in "The System" (whatever that is) has degenerated to the point that we are rooting for the guy who just killed two people.

Salute to a Veteran

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2007. Most parades and celebrations and speeches will be today and today I want to thank all veterans with a salute to just one hoping I can honor all of them with his example. George E. "Bud" Day joined the Marines when he was seventeen years old and spent his career in the military. One can read his story here and here but beware it is a graphic re-telling of some of his more than five years in a Vietnamese prison camp.

Asked many times what sustained Americans in this environment, Colonel Day answers: "I am, and have been all my life, a loyal American. I have faith in my country, and am secure in the knowledge that my country is a good nation,responsible to the people of the United States and responsible to the world community of nations. I believed in my wife and children and rested secure in the knowledge that they backed both me and my country. I believe in God
and that he will guide me and my country in paths of honorable conduct. I believe in the Code of Conduct of the U.S. fighting man. I believe the most important thing in my life was to return from North Vietnam with honor, not just to return. If I could not return with my honor, I did not care to return at all. I believe that in being loyal to my country that my country will be loyal to me. My support of our noble objectives will make the world a better place in which to live."

Thank you, Colonel Day! I hope our children and our leaders read your words.

Short people

This explains all my problems!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23417115-details/Shorter+people+

I'm with Dr. Gray!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/gore-gets-a-cold-shoulder/2007/10/13/1191696238792.html

Mark this day on your calendar.

For once, I agree with Whoopi Goldberg!

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dd0_1192025762&p=1

Hilloween

Scary!!

Hillary's Socialism

Wikipedia says: Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community[1] for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation.

Hillary says: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8S5R35O0&show_article=1

and: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RULMJO0&show_article=1

and: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1662655,00.html

Why I do this...

If you haven't figured it out yet, I think I like writing this blog just to read the comments y'all post afterward!

Thomas Jefferson

As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body, and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.

What is he talking about?

I really don't understand what Obama means by saying, " I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth." Somebody please tell me. And while you're at it, explain why someone would vote for this guy to be president!

Don't tell my boss I posted this!

This is a copy of an email that my big boss who offices in Austin wrote to the entire workforce (thousands of people). Nifty and Special?? International Food Day? Historical Character Friday?? Hahahahahaha!! That's funny!

Okay, here's a thought.  It has been suggested that we might
want to do
something pretty nifty and special one Friday a month.  One group
suggested a kind of Football Friday.  I don't know, since
we have so
many dedicated LongHorns and Aggies - will we come to blows?
Could we
actually be disciplined enough????
I'd love to hear suggestions about something to be fun and
look forward
to one Friday each month - but not requiring any work!  That is the
whole point- to be fun.



So, ran this idea by the Directors, and boy, did I get a
ton o' ideas.



College sweatshirt day

A who's that baby contest - as well as other ideas
around babies

Picnic Friday- everyone brings sack lunch and
eats outside

Bingo in the cafeteria  (for cookies etc)

Hawaiian shirt day

Crazy hat or tie day

And of course the various holidays
throughout the year

Red White and Blue Day

50's day (I wasn't sure if that referred to age
or to the decade)

Tailgate Friday (bring stuff)

Ice Cream Friday

Keep Austin Weird

International Food Friday

Hippie Friday

Historical Character Friday

Karaoke

Survivor Competition

Treasure Hunts

Cutest Pet Contest (pictures)

Picnic on the Lawn

Physical Field Day (sack races
etc etc)

Cupcake or Cookie Decorating Fun Day

Wear your colors day - for your team etc

Opening day of hunting season- wear camo

Wrap your bosses car in toilet paper (I'm not
going to tell you where
that one came from!!)

Scavenger hunt

Cube decorating contests for the holidays

Holiday open house



AND LOTS MORE - but I ran out of typing
energy.....sorry.  But this just shows you the
range of great
ideas...and I would love to hear your ideas too.

Quick and Interesting

I have everything else. This is probably next.

Also, who wouldn't want to be #9?

The day after I blow the whistle on global warming!

Edwards Quote

First question: Is Presidential candidate John Edwards extremely racist or extremely stupid or both?

Quote: "we can't build enough prisons to hold all of the criminals or eventually there will be no black people left because they would either be in jail or dead."

Second question: Where are the "Reverends"? Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, where are you and why have you not started your march? Did your bullhorns get clogged up?

woo hoo

I know what you are thinking: "Gee, he doesn't look a day over 55!"

Even with the Ambien, I couldn't sleep. I have too much on my mind. Yes, it's my birthday but that's not really what is keeping me awake. Without going into great detail, I have found out lately that, as my doctor says, I'm just falling apart physically, and as my wife says, mentally. I'm just here trying to hang on spiritually! That is what is dogging my sleep.

I have had thoughts all week about different things that, on the surface, do not relate but I lay there this morning trying to go back to sleep but realizing they all fit together. Romans 12:1 says to present your bodies a living sacrifice. How does the music I listen to affect me? What is the best way to prevent my kids from making the same mistakes I did? David was running toward Goliath when he reached into his bag and took out a smooth stone and loaded his slingshot. What will heaven be like?

You try going to sleep with all that running through your head! I'm gonna take another Ambien! Wake me up when there is cake!

A Random Quote...

"If I had to chose between having Born Again Redneck as a neighbor or a vegetarian hippie peacenik, I'd pick the gun-totin' Redneck anyday even if he is a bit queer."

-- Anonymous

OK, here goes.

I am not the smartest person in the world or even the room for that matter but I am about to tell you something that I do not hear the smart people saying. Some people may choose to agree with me on this but I expect us to be in the vast minority. That is fine with me since nobody now is ranking me very high on the smart ladder, won't I look good when what I say turns out to be true? And if I'm not right, well, nobody expected it anyhow. You can choose to believe what I say or not but let me warn you, I have no facts, evidence, or even real intelligence to back this up. So, believe me at your own risk.

I believe what I believe and wish I could prove it or even make a good case but I cannot. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut and this is one of those times for me. I am very hesitant to acknowledge this publicly since I cannot prove it but I have to tell how I feel. I will look foolish now but my hope is for the future when I am proved correct.

Here it is: Global warming is a scam!

Al Gore would laugh. Countless books "prove" me wrong. Even the President of the United States is finally on the bandwagon. Who am I to say it's not happening? And why? I have never gone to the arctic or the desert or anywhere else for the purpose of measuring the temperature nor have I studied charts and graphs illustrating what the temperature was hundreds or thousands of years ago. How do I know then that global warming is a scam? To me, it's like saying there are too many fish in the sea. OK, now what? Number one: I cannot prove you wrong unless I start counting fish and so I have to take your word for it. Number two: so what if there are too many fish in the sea? Can you really do anything about it and should you do anything about it?

So how much warmer is the planet getting? One degree? Two degrees? I have heard seven-tenths of one degree is the increase. Are you kidding me? Not even one degree? Who cares? In fact, a little warmer weather sounds pretty good to me even in Texas! Also, I would think that warmer weather would be good news for places up north like Canada or Russia or Greenland. Longer growing seasons, better working conditions, and more time working on your tan all seem like good things to me! Also, if it is warming, are you really conceited enough to think man could change it one way or the other? As I understand it, the earth warms and cools in cycles and explains why most scientists thirty years ago thought we were heading for a global cooling crisis!

The real question, though, is why would everyone want to make a big deal out of a small amount of warming (if it is even warming at all--who was taking the temperature one hundred years ago and how accurate were their thermometers?!!)? I will tell you the reason people are making a big deal out of it and it is the reason anybody does most anything anymore. Money. Think about it. I guarantee you big business, government and Hollywood do not care about how the earth is being treated unless it makes them some money somehow and the more people are sucked into this lie the more money comes out of their pocket either in taxes or donations or through higher prices.

I am all for being responsible citizens on this planet God gave us. Saving our air and water and resources will save us money in the long run but I refuse to believe the inconvenient trash that pervades our society now and this is my stand against it. Prove me wrong. It might take five or ten or twenty years but until then I stand against the "facts" of global warming. But then again, what do I know?

We don't have any gays in Iran

What you need to know about me...

I shared with some friends the other day something of which I now think this audience should be aware. I shared a fact that I believe is important to knowing the "real" me. In the interest of complete disclosure, and so you can decide if anything else I write is worth reading based on your knowledge of my character, I want to reveal something here.

Ok, it's not really that big of a deal. It's just that I really enjoy milk! I'm not talking about enjoying milk in my cereal or in a cup of coffee, I mean I love to drink milk and I drink a lot of it! There is nothing better in this world than a cold glass of milk. It's good with breakfast, lunch and dinner and it's good for or with a snack. I love milk even when I go out to eat. Milk goes well with steak, hamburgers, chicken, not the greatest with pizza or tacos but good with french fries.

Something I will admit to that I am not very proud of is the fact that I sometimes drink milk right from the jug. It's hard to tell your kids not to drink from the jug when your lips are on the rim of the gallon container but it's hard not to do it! It satisfies like no other drink. I was taking a long swig of delicious milk the other day and had my mouth full so I set the jug down and my wife was looking at me. "You didn't make your noise", she said. I didn't understand. "What noise?" She said, "That noise you always make when you drink milk...You know...MMMMMMMMMM".

You are going to think I'm crazy when I tell you that I was drinking some milk the other day and was enjoying it so much it was almost a religious experience. Seriously! I had the jug tilted back with that smooth, white nectar flowing down my throat and I thought how much milk is like God. Now don't stone me before you hear me out. Milk is so satisfying. Have you ever been with God and left feeling satisfied? Have you ever realized that you needed to be filled with and filled up by God? It is scientifically proven that people who believe in God live longer than people who do not. God is good for you like milk! The slogan should be "Got God?".

I was hesitant to tell my comparison of God and milk until I read something in the Bible to back it up. Yes, it's true, and it's not a joke. Read Isaiah 55:1 and 2 where it says:

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

"Come buy milk" it says, and you will be satisfied! Milk is being compared here to God and I love it! God really is good all the time!

Theodore Roosevelt

When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer "Present" or "Not guilty".

Don't Taze Me, Bro!

Pot Calling the Kettle Black

For the life of me I do not understand how Jesse Jackson can have even one single follower when he is such a hypocrite. He has somehow made a career out of railing against racists and continues to prove how racist he is with statements like this. Am I missing something? Oh, and forgive me for not calling him "Reverend"! Pulllease!

Patriots Day

My computer crashed over a week ago and I have not been able to post anything but I had to borrow a computer today for Patriot's Day. I cannot imagine how it might have felt and still feels to have lost a relative on that horrible day in September six years ago but I know how I feel and the word is not "terror". In fact, mixed with my hate for radical Islamist terrorists (that's a mouthful!) is some absolute, well, "scorn", I guess is the word. On the heels of Osama Bin Laden's latest video tribute to the hijackers, I just have one question.

Hey, Osama, after how many seconds after you die will you be face to face with the only true God?

JD

Several people lately have asked me about JD and so I thought I would introduce you to him. It seems strange that I have not talked about him before as he was my best friend and confidant for nearly sixteen years. Like most Australian Shepherds, JD was very intelligent and was as close to human as a dog could be, showing almost human characteristics including shame, mischievousness, confidence, self-control, patience, and above all, friendliness.

I used to say that JD was like Will Rogers in that he never met a man he didn't like. He liked people and people loved JD! JD spent a lot of time with me when we worked at a feed store many years ago. He went with me every day and most of the time it was just the two of us. I remember a regular customer came in one day and I asked her, as I always would, if there was anything I could help her with and she told me, "No, thank you. I'm just here to see JD". She explained that sometimes when she had a bad day at work she would go get her hair done but other times she just came to see JD and he would make her feel better. I watched as she loved on JD for a while and then she just left. Just another day at the office for JD!

There are hundreds of stories about JD so bear with me as I remember him with a few more, most of which occur at that same feedstore in Arlington. A feedstore is a pretty good place for a friendly dog to be as he got lots of attention and more than his share of treats from people who wanted to give him "just one". That was fine with him and he would follow them around the store patiently. Many times people would sneak him a biscuit out of the open wooden bins, effectively stealing from the store, but what do you say when they just fed your dog?

That building did not have any kind of air conditioning so we always kept all of the doors open including the front, back and side overhead doors. JD was free to come and go and he always hung around close by, sometimes chasing a squirrel or a bird out the back door or laying under the big tree out back but one time I started to notice that JD was not around and would stay gone for several hours. He always came back, though, so I was not too worried but one day it came closing time and JD was not back yet. I locked the doors and got into the truck and went looking for him. I was starting to get pretty worried about him. I knew he was very smart and would even look both ways before crossing a street but this was not like him. I drove around the neighborhood for awhile and I saw this boy riding his bike so I stopped and asked him if he had seen a gray and white dog running around. He thought for a second and asked, "You mean the one at Accent Tire?" The owner of Accent was a good customer and I knew he did not have a dog like that so I drove the three blocks down to his store and went in. As I went through the door, I saw JD and he saw me. He was laying in the air conditioned office asleep! He gave a look and then laid his head down again and then jerked it back up as he recognized me with the double-take and came sheepishly over to me. I asked the owner why he let him stay here when he knew he was my dog. He said, "Well, he just loves these jelly donuts and we like him here!" No wonder he wouldn't eat his dog food.

The joy of JD's life was chasing cats and he was good at it. We once lived on a little horse ranch and the barn had cats in it. He would see one of those cats and stiff as a board and as slow as he could, he would turn around to me and look at me waiting for me to give the all clear. The "all clear" signal was "skit 'em!" and rarely would I get out more than "sk" and he would be a gray streak looking like his legs were hardly touching the ground. He monitored that barn like a sentry on lookout duty and nothing got passed him but he always waited for permission.

JD was the toughest dog I've ever seen. I used to kid him that when he died I was going to make a pair of boots out of his hide because he was so tough. One morning on that horse ranch we were getting all of the horses out of the gate and JD got too close to one and the horse kicked him right in the side of the head. He fell over dead as a post as I ran over to him. I just knew he could not have survived that blow and I was devastated. I got to him just as he woke up, stood up, shook himself off and with the most ticked off look on his face he ran after the horse that kicked him and barked and snapped at him until he was halfway into the pasture. It wasn't smart to make JD mad.

JD was a gentleman. He knew how to act when guests came over and he knew how to be gentle with little kids. He wasn't hyper but he had plenty of energy and loved to jump up into your arms when you would invite him. He loved to go to work and couldn't wait to jump into the bed of the truck to go somewhere. He would run back and forth between the wheelwells not wanting to miss anything. A friend gave JD to me when JD was four months old and he lived sixteen good, full years dying about two years ago of old age. He went everywhere with me including inside the bank and several times to church. He had a lot of friends and I appreciate it when they mention him. I wish you could have known him.

This just in...

You may want to be sitting down for this next announcement: Siegfried and Roy have announced they are gay! Thank goodness we still have role models in this world like Elton John and Rosie!

Great! Now I can't wear my white tiger print long-sleeved, open-front shiny shirt or people might think I'm gay.

What bugs me...

I'm not talking about things that are wrong or things that make me furious with a white hot heat, this is just a list of some things that, well, bug me. Some bug me worse than others. Some I could just do without and some are so stupid I just have to mention them. For example, people who talk during a movie are mildly annoying if they are on the other side of the theater or it's my wife sitting on the couch next to me but people who talk while I'm talking are moving in on the danger zone! Somewhere in the middle of these extremes lie some pretty stupid stuff.

Church signs are some of the worst and come immediately to mind. I'm not talking about the ones that say the name of the church and the time when Sunday School starts. I mean the catchy sayings in changeable letters that say "Seven days without prayer makes one weak" or "God answers knee mail". Does this really do anybody any good? Does it make you laugh? If so, I really have some jokes to tell you!

Commercials, to me, deserve their very own place in Hell and commercials that say, "Buy our product because you deserve it!" should be burned at the stake and then have their charred remains buried in a landfill! Oh, sorry, I said I wasn't talking about things that make me mad but this one just slipped in like the slimey, worthless, putrid, stinking, waste of snake skin that it is. How do you know I deserve it? What if an axe murderer sees your commercial? Does he deserve your bubble bath after a long, hard day chopping up people? And if he does deserve it why should I buy something that even a blood-thirsty maniac deserves? C,mon people, think about it!

Who was it that gave doctors the right to keep you waiting for a scheduled appointment? You know what I'm talking about. Your appointment is at 10:00. At 10:20 the nurse invites you back to the exam room. At 10:50 the doctor rushes in like Kramer on crack, asks one question while he washes his hands and then yells over his shoulder at the nurse to write something down as he rushes out. You co-pay is $20. The time is 10:53. Two and a half minutes with someone you assume is the doctor after waiting for nearly an hour. I once complained to the nurse and she told me that the doctor was just over-booked. I'm sure he was but he was also over-booked yesterday and the day before and he has been for the last 27 years so you would think by now that they would know about how long it's going to take to see each patient and schedule the appointments appropriately. Naw, just cram 'em in and let 'em wait! And doctors are the only ones. Your lawyer, your pastor, even the tv repairman will at least give an approximate time. Man, I should have been a doctor. I bet even the classes to become a doctor start late.

Have you ever noticed how many commercials A.M. radio has? As I have gotten older and have become my Dad, I listen to talk radio a lot more. The problem is that since I refuse to listen to commercials and I change the station when one starts, I miss out on part of what Rush, Sean or Glenn has to say. F.M. radio has far fewer commercials, comes in clearer and has many more options. A.M., you're making it hard to be an old dude!

1) If you want to borrow something of mine, just ask. Chances are very good that it won't be a problem. 2) Put it back where it belongs when you are done. It greatly increases the probability that it won't be a problem next time.

Why is it that I am the only one that can start the lawnmower and keep it running?

Why does my neighbor refuse to use his weedeater?

Why do so many things bug me that did not used to?

I was complaining to a dear, sweet friend of ours the other day about some things that I didn't even mention in this list. I went on for a while saying that there are all these things that are problems and taken individually, they are not a big deal, but when added all together it was causing me a lot of stress. She sweetly listened to me gripe about one thing after another and I will always be indebted to her for letting me vent and for her kind words of wisdom. After I had spoken my heart, she gently spoke hers.

"Todd, I think what's bothering you is not so much the things you have related here, but maybe something else. Maybe you are coming to the age where you begin to really wonder about your life and where you are right now. Maybe that's what is frustrating you and not so much this other stuff."

Definition of mid-life crises by Wikipedia: A mid-life crisis is an emotional state of doubt and anxiety which usually begins between the ages of 35 and 50, in which a person becomes uncomfortable with the realization that they are likely to have reached the mid-point of their life. It commonly involves reflection on what the individual has done with his or her life up to that point, often with feelings that not enough was accomplished. The individuals experiencing such may feel boredom with their lives, jobs, or their partners, and may feel a strong desire to make changes in these areas. Physical problems may include tremors, eye-bulging or swelling, insomnia, heart palpitations, weakness, irritability, distraction, weight loss, hyper-active thyroid, arthritis, bags under eyes, loss of hair, acne, hair growth in strange places, shrinkage of rear end and manboobs . OK, I made up that last part but that could describe me!

My daughter asked her mother the other day what was wrong with me. My wife asked her if she thought I was mad at her and my daughter said that she and even some of her friends had noticed that it wasn't that I acted mad - but bored. Wow! I thought I was a better actor than that!

What I'm feeling is a complex combination of things and I don't like it! I think a big part of it for me is the physical. It seems like just two weeks ago that I was named Most Beautiful in the high school Miss Catastrophe contest. Now I look like a combination of a Pug and a Basset Hound. I tried to do some push-ups the other day and wound up crying in the fetal position. I used to admire a pretty woman walking down the road but now I admire her husband's lack of wrinkles and well-groomed eyebrows!

Mentally, I've been better. The funny thing is that I enjoy my job, I love my pretty wife and my kids, my church is everything I need, I have three dogs that make me laugh and I have some great friends. And what am I complaining about? Oh, pretty much everything. Nothing seems to be good enough for me lately. I've always had a propensity to get bored easily but it wasn't a problem when I was a kid.

The good news is that I do have great friends, family and church and everyone is being very patient with me, so that's good. So, I'll tell you what. In response to your kindness, patience and sometimes just giving me a wide berth, I will make you some promises. I promise to never cheat on my wife. I promise to never take for granted my good friends. I promise that I will grow out of this. I'll probably go into a nursing home the next day but I will grow out of it just as sure as I grew out of my Wranglers.

Good question, better answer

Exactly why is the U.S. deployed in Iraq, according to you?

Fine.

Let's stop mincing words.

We're in Iraq because Muslims have stated over and over and over that their only goal is to kill all non-Muslims.

After 9/11, we started taking them at their word, and since we didn't want to be killed, our only choice was to start killing Muslims before they killed us.

Iraq had Muslims in it, so it was as good a place to start as any. In fact, better than most, because it was in the heart of Muslim country, and having troops there gives us a credible force-projection threat throughout the entire putrid, corrupt, murderous Muslim region. It's easier to kill Muslims in other countries from Iraq than it is from Kuwait.

And now Muslims have two choices:

They can reform their vicious, degenerate religion so that it allows for peaceful co-existence with other religions and - after embracing this enlightened, live-and-let-live philosophy whole-heartedly - they can become productive members of the civilized world, much like post-WWII Germany and Japan.

OR

They can be exterminated like vermin.

All the rest of this junk about WMD's, and mass graves, and liberation, and oil fields, and insurgents is just so much political window-dressing. America is fighting for its life against an insidious, deadly ideology. The people who cling to that sick, 7th-century belief system must either change their minds or be killed.

I wish with all my heart that we had enough manpower to conquer every last Muslim nation on earth and root this virus out once and for all, but we don't. So we'll start in Iraq, dragging these barbarians kicking and screaming into the 21st century. After that, hopefully the rest of the Muslim world will get the point. If not, there will be further examples, nation by nation, until they do.

Then, when the Muslim world is either civilized or dead, the war will be over.

I hope that answers your question.

Dirty Harry

"Now that our troops are mired in a dangerous effort to defeat the insurgency and are also trying to help rebuild the country, Americans of all political persuasions simply want the United States to succeed and our troops to be as safe as possible." -- Harry Reid

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything." -- Harry Reid

Get over it!

Is Don Imus an idiot? Yes! Does he deserve to be sued by Kia Vaughn for being called a name? No! Kia Vaughn responded to being called a silly, schoolyard name in the worst possible, most detrimental and most opportunistic way. Did being called a "nappy-headed hoe" really hurt you, Kia? Did it really do damage to your character? Are you really afraid that because some DJ called you a name that people are going to say, "Oh, I guess Kia really is a nappy-headed hoe"? No, you are not afraid of that. The only thing you are afraid of here is that the opportunity to make a few cheesy bucks is going to slip away without you being able to glob onto it! Grow up instead of sinking to his level!

Gore was right before he was ever born. Or maybe not.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070814/NATION02/108140063

Somewhere in Afghanistan

Last week about 20 guys were going to a range, so they took some school supplies and toys with them. They said once the stopped and started to get out of the vehicles about a half dozen little kids came running to see them. So they loaded them up with as much as their little arms could carry.

The soldier that was telling me about it had a smile on his face the whole time. Said the kids all took off with their arms full of their new treasures, but one little guy was having a hard time carrying his stuff and running as fast as his little legs would carry him to keep up. He said they watched him run behind a little dirt hill and hide all his new stuff and than he came racing back to get some more.

Because of the generosity of people like you they had more than enough stuff so they gave him another armful. Well of course the other kids were intently watching this and when they saw he was getting more toys they sat their stuff down and came running back for more. From what I heard everyone seemed to have a great time. There were also some Afghani Army out there so we gave them some stuff for their families.

Recently, I learned that another South Dakota Soldier who is deployed in Iraq is going to continue Operation Caring Hands there. I know I have told some of you where OCH came from, but for those of you that don't know, it wasn't an orginal idea of mine. When the 842nd (my home unit and the unit my brother was in when he was in Iraq) was in Iraq they took school supplies and toys to a local school. So before I came here I asked if I could do it here, using their same name. So I am really glad it is being continued in Iraq with another South Dakotan Soldier, since it began there. As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a 1000 words" As you can see our guys and the kids had a great day. So thank you again for everything....

Sincerely,

Brandy (last name removed for PERSEC)

Bagram Afghanistan

President Thompson

He's a Southerner. He looks Presidential (even without the usual President hair). He has a good, solid, easy-to-say name. He plays a good leader on TV. What more can you ask from a candidate? Well, except that he become a candidate! Run, Fred, run!!

Rubber-faced Fan

Hey, Jim Carrey, how many times a day...What?...You read Don's blog but not mine? Freak!

Far Out Fan

Hey, Toy Story toy thingee, Don wants to know how many times a day you read Blog? I thought you said Dog!

An Eastern fan

Hey, Sum Na So Yung Guy! How many times a day do you read Blog? I thought you said Dog?

Vote now

Here's the rules:

1) Read my last post entitled, "When the end comes".

2) Look at all of the pictures of terrorists such as these in a few of the previous posts and tell me if there is a contradiction in the character of the author in these pictures and in my last post.

3) Vote with your response. You may respond anonymously.

Reason: I was told that some of the pictures were vulgar or offensive and that they could hurt my witness as a Christian. I will not allow that as they are just stupid pictures meant to give a slight chuckle but if they are offensive it is not worth it. Please vote and please vote honestly. I need your help. Thank you, The Management

When the end comes

I am hardly what most would consider a fatalistic person but I was thinking about my funeral today. I do not usually think about things like that but it is natural when you are at a funeral to think about your own. My elderly next-door neighbor died and her funeral was this morning. I was glad I went as her daughters seemed genuinely glad to see me. My neighbor was a sweet woman and we talked fairly often when we would see one another in the yard. I knew her and her kids and some of her grandkids and, of course her dog Critter, and when not talking about her family or mine we would sometimes talk about church or even something about God but I do not remember ever having a conversation with the name of Jesus in it.

My neighbor's funeral was very well-done with everything one would expect to have including the beautiful flowers, friends, family and, of course, a preacher with good hair and a big Bible. I was impressed with how well the preacher did considering he said he did not know her and had only talked to the family for a while yesterday. He spent a good two minutes talking about how loved my neighbor was and how everyone loved her pecan pie. He said she was a Christian and enjoyed knitting. He then went on to talk about the love of Jesus and even shared the good news about the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and he did it smoothly, eloquently and truthfully. I was impressed and puzzled.

I was puzzled because after being around that family infrequently for years I am quite sure I never heard the name of Jesus nor heard them talk of church, God, or much of anything without a curse word in the sentence. Does that make them bad people? Definitely not. I enjoyed being around them and will miss my neighbor and her family when they visited. I could not help but wonder, though, why only at funerals and weddings is the name of Jesus spoken by most people. The preacher spoke of my neighbor and then he spoke about Jesus. He did not speak of what my neighbor said or thought about Jesus and that may be difficult for anybody but it made me wonder about what would be said at my funeral.

Will anyone even know I knew Jesus? Would there be someone there who would find it hard to believe I called Jesus my Savior or would His name and my name be interlinked so often and the people there so convinced that it would not take anyone by surprise? I have to insist that it be the latter. In fact, while I know I chicken out at many opportunities to share the Gospel, I have to refuse from now on to let anyone I meet for any length of time get away without me saying at least a word about what Jesus has done and continues to do in my life. Yes, it sounds kind of freaky and it is intimidating some times but I have serious regrets about the people, including my neighbor, who have left and I have not said one word about the peace and joy in this life and the future I have in Heaven. My sister says that she wants her funeral to be a party where we wear shorts and eat pizza! I love that idea and I think Jesus would approve! How about you?

Can they do this?

I think I'm gonna start doing this to people in my own way.

From Chaplain Jim Higgins

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07
LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad"

I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3" here at LSA Anaconda.
We have a large auditorium we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here, the 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start. Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers 'And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?' It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

From IMAO.com

From IMAO.com