Up and Down

Living in the Midwest we usually have 4 seasons of weather.  We know that the Winter is cold with snow, the Fall & Spring are nice with some rain in the Spring.  And Summer is hot and humid (sometimes called icky or yucky).

This year the Winter has been very warm with the temperatures usually above freezing.  In a normal Winter, we get use to cold weather so after a while it seems normal to have low temperatures.  But this Winter, we get maybe 1 or 2 days of normal cold and then the temperature goes up to the 40's with basically no snow, actually today we have a 56 F day.

So when the cold appears, which it does ever week or so, we are not prepared for it.

Where my son lives, the nights are 10-25F and the days are in the 50's for the Winter; where my daughter lives she basically just gets cold though it looks like it will be in the 40's fr a few days.

Up and down is not fun and leads to colds, etc.!


“Three feet of ice does not result from one day of cold weather.” Chinese Proverbs



“In India, "cold weather" is merely a conventional phrase and has come into use through the necessity of having some way to distinguish between weather which will melt a brass door-knob and weather which will only make it mushy.” Mark Twain



“Warm weather fosters growth: cold weather destroys it. Thus a man with an unsympathetic temperament has a scant joy: but a man with a warm and friendly heart overflowing blessings, and his beneficence will extend to posterity.” Hung Tzu-cheng



“Two women placed together makes cold weather” William Shakespeare


“Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not”



Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer we'd all have frozen to death.- Mark Twain



Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. John Ruskin


Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists? Kelvin Throop III


No matter how rich you become, how famous or powerful, when you die the size of your funeral will still pretty much depend on the weather. Michael Pritchard


Money is the opposite of the weather. Nobody talks about it, but everybody does something about it. Rebecca Johnson

Thinsulate™

According to the 3M website Thinsulate™ 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation is used in your jackets‚ pants‚ gloves‚ hats and boots to help keep you warm when it’s cold outside. The unique microfibers or fine fibers that make up Thinsulate insulation work by trapping air molecules between you and the outside. The more air a material traps in a given space‚ the better it insulates you from the cold outside air. Because the fibers in Thinsulate insulation are finer than the fibers used in most other synthetic or natural insulation‚ they trap more air in less space‚ which naturally makes Thinsulate insulation a better insulator. So we haven’t repealed the laws of nature with our thin insulation; we’ve simply improved them…to help keep you warm.    breathable   moisture-resistant both machine washable and dry-cleanable.

I have some Thinsulate gloves and boots.  But my gloves do not keep my hands warm for long periods, the length of time our early morning dog walks last.  I wonder what I am doing wrong?  The gloves are light and thin just not as warm as I would hope for.

*****

Revenge of the new car!

The car must have been upset with my blog entry about it.  The other day I was either getting in or leaning over to lock the doors; when I smashed my head on the door frame.  I think my older car was much higher or the New Car attacked me!

Response to State of the Union

I found this response to the State of the Union speech.  He makes a lot of sense in my humble opinion!!

The article was from HotAir and YouTube.:



Individual responsibility is the key!

Sir and Mr.

When I was in the Navy, I was an officer.

The enlisted crew members had to address the officers as Sir or Mr. or by title (Ensign, LTJG, LT or LCDR).  So there were older more qualified men calling me Sir!  When I was an Ensign especially, it seemed ridiculous to be "respected" in that manner.  After a few years with experience, it was perhaps a little more appropriate.  The officers were responsible for any problems with our areas. In general, I am a very informal type person so it was strange to be so formal; it was easier to call people Sir or whatever than to have it back at me.

So now-a-days I would rather call someone Sir then vice visa.  It seems that many people in the Y call me Sir when we talk (normally Good Morning, etc.).  I wonder if I'm getting old and they think I desire the respect.  It seems that the Hispanics especially do this.   Maybe they are being ironic.  But in general, I would rather be on equal terms!

Village

A few years back, our area was incorporated into a new Village.  The reasons were to keep the adjacent towns from annexing us and to get water for parts of the area whose wells had dried up.

But whenever you have a new governmental office, it adds laws and regulations to restrict your freedom.

One of their great ideas: is to get our own zip code (now we share zipcodes with adjacent towns) < no matter the expense in having people and businesses change their mailing addresses, and there would not be a separate post office just a different number) - expensive and useless!

They pass ordinances like if you don't keep your grass cut they will come and cut it for you at $100+ a pop.  I don't want to live in a area that has a homeowner's group because I want freedom to do what I want without having to meet a group's idea of what is right.

Here is an example of how we must treat composting:


A. No landscape waste shall be stored on the property from which it is generated for more than seven (7) days unless composted as provided in this chapter.
B. All landscape waste to be composted shall be kept in a compost bin or turning bin either of commercial or home construction. Tree, bush or shrub branches in excess of one-half inch (1/2") in diameter shall not be permitted in a compost bin or turning bin.
C. Only one compost bin or turning bin shall be permitted on each property whether it consists of one or more legally described lots contiguous to each other or a parcel legally described by metes and bounds.
D. Compost bins shall not exceed five feet in width, five feet in height and five feet in length (5' x 5' x 5') and shall be constructed of permanent materials, such as wood, brick, block, plastic and wire or consist of a wooden or steel barrel or drum.
E. Turning bins shall not exceed three feet in width, three feet in height and nine feet in length (3' x 3' x 9').
F. Compost bins and turning bins shall not be located on the front yard. Compost bins and turning bins shall not be located closer than three feet (3') to either the side lot line or the rear lot line. On corner lots, compost bins and turning bins shall not be located on the side yard abutting a street.
G. Compost bins and turning bins shall not be located in a drainage easement or drainageway and no drainageway shall be blocked or impeded in any way by landscape waste or compost.
H. Compost bins and turning bins shall be maintained in good condition and not become unsightly, allowed to emit foul odors or otherwise be offensive to the neighboring property owners or the public.
I. Compost bins and turning bins shall not be located in a utility easement or other easement.
J. No food wastes, pet or animal feces, bones, fats, oils, fish or other animal products shall be permitted in compost bins or turning bins.
K. Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, grass clippings may be left on the lawn when cut. (Ord. 1990-O-1 § 1)


Government abhors a law vacuum!

Heinlein's "Waldo"

When I was younger my favorite author was Robert A. Heinlein,  He wrote science fiction books and won numerous Hugo awards (SciFi book oscars).  He wrote fun adventure stories until he got old and then (in my opinion) went off the deep end with his last few books.

Waldo was about a person who invented things because he had a degenerative disease which forced him to live in space.

The earth at that time used a radiated energy form to "fuel' their transportation system, but the failsafe planes, etc, were crashing.

They found out that the problem was that people stopped believing that the planes would fly and this caused them to crash.

The premise was that a strong individual or group of people believed that something would work caused it to work, e.g., if people thought that objects fall due to gravity they did.

So it was Sir Isaac Newton's belief that objects fall that caused that to happen.

Wouldn't it be fun to change the premises somewhat; just think of the possibilities!  People could fly!  We could move heavy objects with just our minds!

Robert Heinlein quotes:


"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."


"Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat."


"No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers."


"A government-supported artist is an incompetent whore!'


"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."


"To get anywhere, or even live a long time, a man has to guess, and guess right, over and over again, without enough data for a logical answer."


"Never insult anyone by accident."


"Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do."


"Elephants aren't human but they are very nice people."


"A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill."


"The difference between science and the fuzzy subjects is that science requires reasoning while those other subjects merely require scholarship."


"I never learned from a man who agreed with me."


"Taxes are not levied for the benefit of the taxed."


"Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy."

New Car II

Since we had our old car for 12 years; we knew how to work everything in it.

But with our new car, we are learning all the "advantages" of a modern car.

Our new car does not allow you to lock the car with the key fob still in it and the car off.  This morning we left my wife's fanny pack in the car, we tried to re-closing all the doors and the hatchback.  I tried to lock it using the car handle, using the lock inside the car; but all we got was a nasty whiny sound and the doors would not lock.  Eventually, my LW noticed a message saying a key was still in the car and she noticed the fanny pack and we were "allowed" to lock the car.

When my LW came back from a meeting at Church; the rear windshield wiper was still on.  We tried looking in the 600+ page manual for some help but we too busy to figure it out.  The windshield wiper stem when moved down or up controls the front windshield wiper, but the rear is controlled by a rotating knob on the stem.  Eventually, we figured it out.

Our car beeps at us!  When we lock the doors from the outside with the outside handle and when we use the key fob to lock the doors or unlock them, sometimes it is a beep, other times 2 beeps or the whiny when we have done something wrong (like the rear door seat belt caught in the doorway another adventure)!  To unlock all the doors, we have to push the Unlock button on the fob twice, once only unlocks the driver's door.

Our key fob is a smart key, so to start the car, we don't put the key in the car but just have to have the fob with us.  To start we must have the brake pedal pushed and push the Start button, to go into Drive or Reverse from park we have to have our foot on the brake.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure we are as smart as the key!  Also, our car says hello to us when we pass close to it with the fob on us (the lights go on inside the car)!

1 reason I hate IL

When IL Governor Pat Quinn was elected he promised no more than a 1% increase in the state income tax then raised it 2% to 5% (a 67% increase); he lied.  When Governor Walker of WI was elected he promised to not raise taxes and reduce the deficit and he did it; for doing that he is facing a recall election due to his state employee labor bill.

IL would probably reelect Quinn, it is a very blue state and any democrat would be elected.  Here is an article from Hot Air which shows how well the IL Gov & Dems are doing!


    Though too few noticed, this month Moody’s downgraded Illinois state debt to A2 from A1, the lowest among the 50 states. That’s worse even than California. The state’s cost of borrowing for $800 million of new 10-year general obligation bonds rose to 3.1%—which is 110 basis points higher than the 2% on top-rated 10-year bonds of more financially secure states.


    This wasn’t supposed to happen. Only a year ago, Governor Pat Quinn and his fellow Democrats raised individual income taxes by 67% and the corporate tax rate by 46%. They did it to raise $7 billion in revenue, as the Governor put it, to “get Illinois back on fiscal sound footing” and improve the state’s credit rating.


    So much for that. In its downgrade statement, Moody’s panned Illinois lawmakers for “a legislative session in which the state took no steps to implement lasting solutions to its severe pension underfunding or to its chronic bill payment delays.” An analysis by Bloomberg finds that the assets in the pension fund will only cover “45% of projected liabilities, the least of any state.” And—no surprise—in part because the tax increases have caused companies to leave Illinois, the state budget office confesses that as of this month the state still has $6.8 billion in unpaid bills and unaddressed obligations.


Another state tackling debt and budget issues went another direction, and Moody’s noticed the difference — and the WSJ warns Wisconsin voters to take a look at the alternative:


    In contrast to the Illinois downgrade, Moody’s has praised Mr. Walker’s budget as “credit positive for Wisconsin,” adding that the money-saving reforms bring “the state’s finances closer to a structural budgetary balance.” As a result, Wisconsin jumped in Chief Executive magazine’s 2011 ranking of each state’s business climate—moving to 17th from 41st. Illinois dropped to 48th from 45th as ranked by the nation’s top CEOs.


    Yet Mr. Walker, who balanced the budget without new taxes, is the governor facing a union-financed attempt to recall him from office this year. If Wisconsin voters want to see where a state ends up without the kind of reforms that Mr. Walker made, they need only look to the Greece next door.


Dan Mitchell says that the Illinois approach only exacerbated the problem by feeding the spending addiction rather than starving it:


    In other words, higher taxes led to fiscal deterioration in Illinois, just as tax increases in Europe have been followed by bad outcomes.


    Whenever any politician argues in favor of a higher tax burden, just keep these two points in mind:


    1. Higher taxes encourage more government spending.


    2. Higher taxes don’t raise as much money as politicians claim.


    The combination of these two factors explains why higher taxes make things worse rather than better. And they explain why Europe is in trouble and why Illinois is in trouble.

Infidelity

There has been a lot of  Newt's infidelity in the news lately.  I just can't understand it (infidelity).  When I was in the Navy and we visited foreign ports (especially in Japan), it was as if many sailors' marriages did not exist.

The sailors would visit bars and give the girls "Cherry Drinks."  After the port visits (I was in submarines), we would have to set aside special toilet facilities for the sailors that had caught a disease.  Sailors included officers and enlisted.

When I married many years ago to my Lovely Wife, I made a vow that I would be faithful and I have.  I can't understand why people do it; have they not married the right person?  Do rules not apply to them? Do vows not matter? Is go with the flow the mantra of modern people?


“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.” Thomas Paine



“Physical infidelity is the signal, the notice given, that all fidelities are undermined.” Katherine Anne Porter


IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If man's notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from, and nowise dependent on, their consequences — then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind. (DD)

What Parents want for their kids

I was thinking about the above subject during my morning walk with Frisbit.

My list includes : better life than us, good health, good spouses, intelligence, a religious background, and happiness. I'm pretty sure that our kids have most of the above.

Both of them are more intelligent then me (I'm not too dumb either).  Both have excellent spouses who great parents in their own right.  They both belong and contribute to their churches.  They both seem to be happy (son in making beer & his kids, daughter with her kids & activities).  They both are fairly healthy.

I wish I could take more credit for how they turned out, but my wife is more responsible then I am.

I decided to use the internet and search for "what parents want for their children" and found some interesting (for some reason I type intersting when I want interesting, interesting huh?)  things.

What Kindergarten Teachers Wish Parents Knew : 

1. Your job isn’t over when you drop your little one off at school; it has only just begun.
2. This is not your grandfather’s kindergarten.
3. The more self-control your child has, the more successful he will be in school.
4. Make yourself known. Come in. Look around.
5. Your child needs lots of opportunities for play outside of school.
6. Reading to your child once a day is not enough.
7. Writing exploration at home is critical
8. Homework is an opportunity for talking, sharing, and listening
9. Television and video games use up valuable playtime.
10. First-hand experiences are another teacher for your child.


Here is a list of the top ten things students around the world said they remembered and loved most about their mothers.
Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.
At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
At night talk to me about about anything; love, school, family etc.
Let me play outside a lot.
Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
 Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.

Ephesians

We are attending a Bible study on the book of Ephesians.

Paul or someone else (remember the joke about Shakespeare was not written by Shakespeare but by someone else named Shakespeare) wrote the book to Ephesians 1: 1"To God’s holy people in Ephesus."

It is amazing to me how much of the Christian faith has been defined by Paul.  When you consider, he was: Acts 8:3: But Saul (Paul) began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.


Probably the greatest contribution was Ephesians 2: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


It is nice to think that our entrance fee has been already paid for!

Debt Level

I receive a email about Thrifty Hints and this was a part of the recent one :

A healthy debt ratio, or at least an average debt ratio, is about 35 percent and below. Ideally your ratio should be about 15 percent, but if you're not above 35 percent then you're in good fiscal shape. Regardless of whether or not you have a lot of money, what you do have is under control and ready to go where it needs to go.
A debt ratio between 36 and 42 percent is where you should start being concerned and figuring out a financial plan so you can start paying some of that off. If your ratio is between 43 and 49 percent start expecting significant financial difficulties in the near future. 
If you can work your debt ratio down to 35 percent or lower then you'll qualify for the loans you want and the interest rates you want as long as your credit score is also in good shape.

We have always spent less than we make.  We live in a paid off house (not a great one by any means) and the only debt we have is our credit card bill which we pay off every month.  So our debt ratio is very small.

I like the last paragraph of the above quote : work your debt ratio down to 35 percent or lower then you'll qualify for the loans you want. 


So they are saying if you get your debt down you can borrow more to get your debt ratio back up!

Maybe this is why everyone is so far in debt, don't save up for what you want, get it now and borrow, borrow, borrow!

Football Playoffs

Until the last game of the playoffs, the home team had won every playoff game.

All of my favorites lost.  Since the only team that I am a fan of is the Lions none of the other games was that disappointing.

I was hoping that Denver would win since I was hoping the Tebow effect would continue, plus my som is in the Denver area.

I hoping Houston would win, since they were playing their 3rd string quarterback.

I was hoping that New Orleans would win because Drew Brees is a fun quarterback to watch; though I also like the SF 49ers story.

I was hoping GB would win, since we live fairly close to the team and their broadcasters are fun to listen to.

In the overall scheme of things, sports is not that important; as we Lion fans like to say wait to next year!


I could have been a Rhodes Scholar, except for my grades. -- Duffy Daugherty


On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job. -- Lou Holtz


If hockey fights were fake, you would see me in more of them.-- Rod Gilbert


The only way to stop Jim Brown was to give him a movie contract.-- Spider Lockhart


Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.-- Shug Jordan


You can observe a lot just by watching.-- Yogi Berra


They say a tie is like kissing your sister. I guess that is better than kissing your brother.-- Lou Holtz


We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!-- Pat Williams


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.-- Source Unknown


I'd run over my mother to win the Super Bowl.-- Russ Grimm


Quotes from : http://www.quotemountain.com/quotes/sports_quotes/funny_sports_quotes/

Give or Take

Give is a very conservative notion.  Conservatives give a lot more money to charities than do liberals.  We like to choose who we support, we don't like others to decide who we must give our money to.

Liberals tend to believe that the government can take our money and give it to the chosen ones.  The government gives our money to Solar panel companies and loses it because the Solar industry can not compete with China (Solyndra - $500 million down the drain); they want to support High Speed Rail which will cost billions of dollars and have next to no ridership (CA High Speed Rail - some states want to go ahead with it to get the "free" federal money matches).

Free federal money is not free, it is paid for by all of us.  I always thought it is more blessed to give.


“If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy” Proverb

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” Jim Rohn

“Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.” Benjamin Franklin

“Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.” Bo Derek

“Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort.” Helen Gurley Brown

I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart. e.e. cummings


If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again; it was probably worth it.


If you want to say it with flowers, a single rose says: "I'm cheap!" Delta Burke


Don't marry for money. You can borrow it cheaper.  Scots Proverb


Money can't buy happiness; it can, however, rent it.

MONEY, n.   A blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it. An evidence of culture and a passport to polite society. Supportable property. (DD)

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow is loved or hated by many people; the above video explains why so many liberals hate him. He dared to make a pro-life superbowl ad.  He shows his Christianity outwardly and this also turns some people off.  I wish I was more able to show my Christianity outwardly.

As a football player, he is not perfect but his teammates appear to believe in him and he has always won, College champs, etc.

Here is why Steeler fans hate him!

Snow, Glorious Snow

Frisbit in the Snow

The path we used for the morning walk snow filled it in

This year, we have had very warm weather with next to no snow.  Finally we got some snow yesterday and last night; only 3-5 inches, but every little bit helps..  Of course, everyone has forgotten how to drive in the snow; so we were much more cautious driving to the Y this morning.

Another good thing about the snow is that the Y had very few people there at 0600 when we arrived.  This meant I could get my favorite locker and favorite swim lap lane (I swim 52 laps in the 25 yard length pool when we go to the Y).

Snow makes a much prettier picture then when it rains; of course, shoveling is not as much fun as it might be!

*** 

(The stars mean a new subject)

Last night, we watched a movie called "Christmas Lodge."  It did not have great acting or a complex plot, but it was a good (predictable) movie which the entire family could enjoy (which we did) plus it actually mentioned God and his guidance. It was refreshing having a movie that morally was right.

“Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway."”   Maya Angelou

The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. Doug Larson

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along. J.W. Watson

A year of snow, a year of plenty. ~ French Proverb

Where does the white go when the snow melts?

A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!

Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean. ~Confucius

There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s. ~Clyde Moore

I love snow, snow, and all the forms of radiant frost. ~P B Shelley

Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.  Alfred Hitchcock

Snowflakes are kisses from heaven. Unknown

Snowmen fall from heaven....... unassembled.

Movies

A pastor, we had, said "The Neverending Story" was one of his favorite movies of all time.  I found it boring and a little frightening.  Many people like movies that are meaningful and full of symbolism, great acting and beautiful sets, etc.; but I'm afraid the movies I like have few of those things.

Some of my recent favorites are R.E.D. ,  Knight & Day, Star Trek and The Incredibles.  Pretty much I watch movies to escape; to experience a little humor & some action & not any R rated "love."

Another irritating thing is when they make a repeat of a old classic, almost always the newer version is not as good; it usually has more sex and less plot.  I would think that someone in hollywood could have a new idea (perhaps the definition of an oxymoron - hollywood & thought).

Sequels are sometimes OK, for instance the second Star Trek movie was much better than the first.  And yet they don't make sequels of some good movies like the latest Star Trek movie which is ripe for a sequel.

Nights

When it was unbearably hot this summer, the night sky was always cloudy and kept the heat in.  Now that it is winter, the night skys are almost always clear.  Why does this happen?

NASA has some beautiful pictures, here are some with the links after them:

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA03519.jpg

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA14872.jpg

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA12826.jpg

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2000-001437.jpg

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2000-000877.jpg

AAADD

I was talking to the newspaper delivery man this morning during Frisbit's morning walk,  He asked if I had "Senior Moments",  he had gone to the same address twice having forgotten that he had already delivered the newspaper there.  Which reminded me of this YouTube video:

Even though I feel a lot of the prescriptions that young kids get (for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD or AD/HD or ADD; mainly boys who are only acting like boys) are ridiculous, if only there was a cure for AAADD!

Sunday

It is back to a normal Sunday.  The Trinity United choir is singing again.

We have been off for 2 weeks since the Christmas program on Christmas Eve.  I enjoy singing, I'm not that good at it but I try.  Plus we get to wear choir robes and don't have to worry about what to wear!

Our choir director is Josh, he makes singing fun.  He says after we have practiced a piece "that will be fine";  however, we are not so sure especially me.  It seems at the practices that we sound bad, but during the singing in Church we do sound fine (or even sometimes good)!


All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir  By Bill Staines
All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing low, some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands, or paws
Or anything they got.


“I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that.”  Paul McCartney


“The first time I sang in the church choir; two hundred people changed their religion.” Fred Allen


“I wasn't a cheerleader or in the choir. I didn't have loads of friends.” Gwen Stefan


“She marking them begins a wailing note And sings extemporally a woeful ditty; How love makes young men thrall and old men dote; How love is wise in folly, foolish-witty: Her heavy anthem still concludes in woe, And still the choir of echoes answer so” William Shakespeare


“Oh may I join the choir invisible / Of those immortal dead who live again / In minds made better by their presence.” George Eliot

Frisbit

Frisbit 2000

Our dog is named Frisbit.  He is over 14 years old (98 dog years), he was picked out by our youngest son from Orphans of the Storm when he was about 10 weeks old.  On the way home our son taught him to sit and some other easy tricks when we stopped.  He is named Frisbit because or youngest son thought if he got a dog he would name him Frisbit!

He is getting grayer and is not as active (like his people).  At Christmas time, he was very sick and didn't eat and threw up what he did eat.  Plus he could not walk in a straight line.  We took him to the Vet expecting the worst, but the Vet gave us some "pain pills" and a shot plus a arthritis medicine and he seems to be doing much better.

Frisbit 2011

When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem.  Edward Abbey

The more I know about men, the more I like dogs.  Gloria Allred

I bought my grandmother a Seeing Eye dog. But he's a little sadistic. He does impressions of cars screeching to a halt.  Larry Amoros

It's no coincidence that man's best friend cannot talk.

If your dog thinks you're the greatest person in the world, don't seek a second opinion.  Jim Fiebig

Say something idiotic and nobody but a dog politely wags his tail.  Virginia Graham

A dog desires more affection than his dinner.—Well, almost!  Charlotte Gray

If your dog doesn't like someone, you probably shouldn't either.

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise.

In dog years I'm dead.

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

DOG, n. A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world's worship. This Divine Being in some of his smaller and silkier incarnations takes, in the affection of Woman, the place to which there is no human male aspirant. The Dog is a survival — an anachronism. He toils not, neither does he spin, yet Solomon in all his glory never lay upon a door-mat all day long, sun-soaked and fly-fed and fat, while his master worked for the means wherewith to purchase the idle wag of the Solomonic tail, seasoned with a look of tolerant recognition. (DD)

New Car continued

I have decided to give my old car to C.O.O.L.  (Christian Outreach of Lutherans), which is where I gave our last one (12 years ago).

In general, I like to buy American cars, but the only hybrid other than the Prius that I would consider is the Ford Fusion.  The Ford costs about $5000 more and doesn't get as good mileage,

I refuse to consider buying a GM (Obama Motors) car.  Other then the Chevy Volt burning down garages and houses (link,  link2); we lost a lot of money when Obama gave the company to the Government and the Labor Unions (who were instrumental in causing the trouble)  and I will not support any company that  was bailed out.

Chrysler is owned by a foreign company and bailed out.

And Japan was ravaged by the weather and came back without any help from our government.  So buying a Toyota helps those who help themselves.

Bread Making

I am making some bread with our bread machine.  I rotate between Whole Wheat bread and a Cranberry Walnut bread recipes.  Now I'm making the Cranberry Bread.  The recipe calls for Walnuts (see the title) but we substitute Raw Sunflower Seeds and add more cinnamon then it calls for.

The Whole Wheat recipe follows:

1 1/8 cup water

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1/3 cup of homey

1 TBS of dry milk powder

1 1/2 TBS shortening

1 1/2 tsp of active dry yeast

however, I use Milk instead of the water & milk powder and canola oil instead of the shortening.  Plus we add 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 to 3/4 cups of Raw Sunflower seeds.  It tastes very good but is rather dense.  Plus we don't add the salt (since it isn't good for us).

I enjoy making the bread since it is so easy and we save on the store prices and the high fructose corn syrup that is added to most everything in the store.

A person who steals bread during a famine is not treated as a thief.  Cat Stevens

A poor man with nothing in his belly needs hope, illusion, more than bread.  Georges Bernanos

A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities. Thomas Jefferson

Acorns were good until bread was found.  Francis Bacon

Advertising is the 'wonder' in Wonder Bread.  Jef I. Richards

At my age, I don't buy but a half a loaf of bread, you know?  Merle Haggard

Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one.  Nikolai Berdyaev

Top Stories

We live in the Midwest.  In the winter, it gets cold out and it snows!

The top stories for all the local TV stations were that it is cold out!  So far this winter it has been mild, but yesterday and today the temperatures are in the 5-20 degrees F range.

It always amazes me that people think cold or snow is unusual in the winter.

It is like the idiot reporters in hurricane weather broadcasting in the rain & wind or the news cast that basically says that an event has happened with no details, but they have a reporter in the area reporting that there is no news.


If Thomas Edison invented electric light today, Dan Rather would report it on CBS News as "candle making industry threatened".  Newt Gingrich


The one function that TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if it were. David Brinkley

I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers. Mahatma Gandhi

Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists. Norman Mailer

Some people continue to pretend that anchor people are reporters. Peter Jennings

To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea.  Henry David Thoreau

I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that the TV news personalities make sad faces for sad stories and happy faces for happy stories. Dave Barry

He who laughs has not yet heard the bad news.  Bertolt Brecht

Typing

When I was in High Schoo; (School),  I did not take typing; instead I took as much science and math as I could.

This has led to some very strange typing from me.

I commented on my son's Facebook entry and typed: "How more real can it hey?" when I meant "How much more real can it get?".  As you can see above "Schoo;" vs. "School."

When I ypye (type) interesting I usually type "intersting."  If I didn't have the Speel (spell) check, the Lord alone knows what might be put out by me!  Of course as above "Speel" is a real word, it is fortunate I noticed it.

I use a modified all finger technique where I try to make the right letters come out.  In addition, my close vision is getting pretty bad so I mess up that way also!

So if you get any emails or comments from me; BEWARE!

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of very part of your life.”  Brian Tracy


“I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top”


“Real Programmers don't write in PASCAL, or BLISS, or ADA, or any of those pinko computer science languages. Strong typing is for people with weak memories.”


“To this day, I get rewrite offers where they say 'We feel this script needs work with character, dialogue, plot and tone,' and when you ask what's left, they say 'Well, the typing is very good.'” John Sayles


“I heard someone tried the monkeys-on-typewriters bit trying for the plays of W. Shakespeare, but all they got was the collected works of Francis Bacon.” Bill Hirst



Writing can be a very solitary business. It's you sat at a desk typing words into a computer. It can get lonely sometimes and lots of writers live quite isolated lives.  Paul Kane

New Year, New Car

Every 10-12 years, we buy a new car.  Well, it has been approximately 12 years since we bought our Voyager; so we bought a new one!

We bought a Toyota Prius.

It is interesting, at the dealership, everyone thought we should be ever so happy & joyous that we have a new car.  It is nice to have a new car, but we don't get over-hyped, a car is just a means to get places not a trophy or symbol of my manhood.

So now we have a Voyager to get rod of, only about 82K miles; anyone interested?

funny Bumper Stickers

4 out of 5 voices in my head say Go For It!

As a matter of fact, I do own the road.

Back Off! I'm a Postal Worker

Beat rush hour, leave work at noon

Come The Rapture Can I Have Your Car?

Cover me! I'm changing lanes.

Don't follow me. I'm lost too.

Don't piss me off! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.

Driver carries no cash. He's married.

Forget About World Peace. Visualize Using Your Turn Signal!

God is Coming and is she PISSED

I'm a nice guy. My car is evil.

I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to work.

I'm only driving this way to piss you off.

I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

I am not a bum. My wife works!

I brake suddenly for tailgaters

I don't care, I don't have to.

I have good Brakes, Do you have GOOD Insurance?

I Haven't Lost My Mind, It's Backed Up On Disk Somewhere.

I just let my mind wander, and it didn't come back.

I may be slow but I'm ahead of you!

I respect your opinion. Just don't want to hear it!

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

If everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane!

If we call it tourist season why can't we shoot them?

If you can read this, I've lost my trailer.

Invest in America. Buy a Congressman!

Jesus is coming look busy.

Lord give me patience... But Hurry!

My other bumper sticker is funny.

Politicians & Diapers need to be changed... often for the same reason

Somewhere in Texas there's a village missing an idiot

Sorry if I look interested, I'm not!

THE EARTH IS FULL GO HOME

This Is Not An Abandoned Vehicle

Work harder!! Millions on welfare are depending on you.