Saturday, March 29, 2003

"Are we there yet?"
Sometimes I feel like our military leaders have taken the role of parents driving a cross country trip with a backseat full of kids. Metaphorically the "kids" are reporters. "How come we haven't won the war yet?" "Did you underestimate the Iraqi military might?".

What value are these questions? What value is such speculation? I can see how it's of value to Saddam.
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Leaving soon to go see another Winter Guard competition. Did I mention we are "charged" every time we go to see our child perform? Each time the charge goes up. Today it's 10 bucks each to watch Lisa for less than 4 minutes. To think I've seen her for free for all these years. Such a deal.
I may be overly optimistic, but I think this is the last competition she is in...hopefully forever. 10 bucks may be a small price to pay.
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On war front: Flipper come home!

Friday, March 28, 2003

Friday...very little else has to be said.

Dealing with a deadbeat who bounced a check to Amy...That means we're livin' lean till Monday... we've done it before, however usually it's our own doing not someone elses. Guess we'll be able to demonstrate grace and forgiveness...sure hope we can.

Very cute web page purporting to be a "Google search" on FRENCH MILITARY VICTORIES.

Thursday, March 27, 2003

Suffered through jury duty yesterday. It's a wonder anyone ever goes on trial in this country and even more of a miracle that juries don't convict everyone who does stand trial after having to suffer the indignities of being chosen for a jury and losing patience with the process. I wasn't picked for a jury but I still had the pleasure of standing in line several times and answering a prosecutor's question in a "restoration" hearing. A "restoration hearing" is when someone who has been ruled nuts previously returns from the rubber Ramada and prosecutors try to prove they're no longer nuts. The dribbling gentleman whose fate was nearly put in my hands was mumbling to himself and looking everywhere but at the potential jurors during my brief encounter with him. Looked like an act to me, but I might have been rushing to judgement since I heard zero testimony and don't even know what he was accused of doing. In any case, I was ruled "unfit" to determine if he was fit...I think it's best not to dwell on that. His name wasn't Wayne or Mohammed.

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UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: The urinal cake is gone. I diposed of it quietly, yet respectfully. No formal ceremony.

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Life's a ball ....SOMETIMES.

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On the war front....I found some web domains that, according to Yahoo, are still mysteriously available. For some reason no one has applied FOR THESE. .

Read into that what you will.

Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Prayer boundaries.

I usually set aside time to pray. What does God think about "non prayer" time?

It struck me as curious last night how I pray and then end with "amen" like that is God's cue, "Okay God, I'm done praying, you can go now." It's like I end my prayer by closing the door on God. Presumably God knows my thoughts after I stop praying too, though I guess it could be argued that God only goes where He's invited. Nonetheless, I think I'll keep the door open more. Amen.
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Onto the less relevant and reverent: The must have Michael Jackson souvenir.
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On the war front...more shots at France...Something of an assault from the rear.

This is a sweet scoop.


Monday, March 24, 2003

Urine Trouble

Psalm 143
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

Do we still pray to this God? Should we be ashamed to pray this way? At times like this I almost feel more comfortable in an Old Testament world.. I'm sure it will pass. Thank God for grace...I need it.

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Baghdad Bingo:
SAN DIEGO (Wireless Flash) -- A new drinking game is hitting U.S. barrooms and college campuses harder than Scud missiles in Saddam Hussein's palaces.
Boozehounds play the so-called "Baghdad Bingo" by watching the news and taking a shot every time they hear a journalist use buzzwords like "shock and awe."
Other lush lingo includes "embedded journalists," "weapons of mass destruction," "decapitation attack," and "bunker buster bombs."

Some folks are passing out before Peter Jennings says goodnight.

The urinal cake debate-Why do "urinal cakes" exist? First off, I don't want to think of urinals and cakes in the same sentence. I like to think of cakes in terms of festive events. I don't want to wear a party hat around the urinal.



In any case, I walked into the men's room at church on Sunday to be overpowered by this pungent aroma of "industrial cherry" or something. One of my fellow congregants took it upon himself to install a "urinal cake". He and his wife are wonderful "doers". They see jobs that need to be done and do them. We need more people in the church like them.
In addition to the pleasantly pink "cake", he also installed a "duel purpose mat" which serves to hold the "cake" and prevent cigarette butts from clogging up the urinal.

I love it when people in the church contribute...this contribution though didn't hit me right.

To make a long story longer, I ended up in this protracted email conversation asking about the origin of the church urinal cake and trying to politely explain that I didn't think it was necessary. I pray I didn't offend the "givers" but we agreed I would stick my hand in the dirty urinal and remove it. The duel function catch all mat is going too.

First time I've ever turned down cake.
Of course in this day and age of increased federal wiretapping and surveillance, maybe I should be more SUSPICIOUS.

Sunday, March 23, 2003

Ambivalence Sunday
Main Entry: am·biv·a·lence
Pronunciation: am-'bi-v&-l&n(t)s
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary
Date: 1918
1 : simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action

How does a word get a "date" anyway? Oh well, I'm feeling ambivalent today. We talked in Sunday school about how you weigh the "commandments" in the Bible and I was struck by how easily we seem to be able to be able to put our own values on God's.

We have two groups in our Sunday school class, the talkers and the non-talkers. I am among the non-talkers because the talkers talk over my head or talk too much. Perhaps our most learned talker says a lot but each time he does I wonder if he is helping me draw nearer to God or not. He has been "delivered" from piety, but now, to me, his irreverence too often seems counter productive to bible study. I'm not sure I want to doubt and question. I'm not sure I want to interpret and decide. I'm not sure there is so much gray. I am sure I don't need to let cynicism creep into my religious life. I'm cynical enough.

Maybe what I need is a "bible study" class the studies the basics of the bible. Maybe then I'll feel more willing to doubt, question and interpret its meaning.

I was hit by the 'ambivalence' of my church family in these discussions and even in prayers about the war. We seem to want to cover all the bases, remain open to 'options' and suddenly I was struck by the lack of definition of it all. I sometimes feel our church is too willing to "accept", and too willing to be the white line in the middle of the road...not sure over the long term that will attract any more than the equivilent of dead skunks. Sometimes I need more definition. This is what we believe. This is why we believe it. I believe we'd be stronger for it.

Time to go walk it out of my system..

By the way... The Dish Network is apparently being run by thugs operating from behind prison walls. They are most unpleasant. No one should ever subscribe to their service without reading up on them. You can start with my latest tirade.
Too much introspection these past few days...maybe it's war fatigue