Two Issues

There are two issues I want to address. One is the new iTunes 4.9 which comes with Podcasting capability. If you have not upgraded or are not using iTunes as your MP3 manager, stop what you are doing and download by going to www.apple.com.

Two quotes I have read this week in TIME that have bothered me. The first is from Tom Cruise who was criticizing Matt Lauer after the Today show host questioned Cruise's earlier disapproval of Brook Shields for taking antidepressants: "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do." I understand Tommy boy is all into Scientology, but give me a break. My brother posted on his blog, "If I were the Head Scientist (or whoever their Pope figure is), I would have a frank convo with Cruise and let him know in no uncertain terms that he is not longer allowed to don the lab coat. In other words he is out. Put up the beakers and move on Tom. Anything redemptive that movement had going for it, Cruise has officially destroyed."

The second quote is from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She said "Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory." TIME says she made the comment "in a dissenting opinion in the 5-4 ruling that local governments may force property owners to make way for private development when officials decide it would benefit the public, even if the property is not blighted and the project's success not guaranteed." Wow! (Thank you for your service Sandra, it is sad to see you are retiring). I am all for progression, but this decision on property rights seems harsh and that there is no choice in the matter of government seizure. If the government wants your house, it's theirs. Obviously they will buy it from you, but without your say in the matter. I find this extremely difficult to swallow. This decision could be on the same level as abortion. What do you think?

Hawaii Five-Noooo!

I saw a few funny incidents in my trip to Hawaii. Someone's sail boat was not sailing anymore. Apparently this captain didn't get the memo that you actually do have to pay attention to where you are sailing. Or maybe his curiosity of the little rubber stopper in the bottom of the boat finally got the best of him.




Can you figure out this math from the sign on the right? I have tried 100 different ways to see why I would be getting a better deal if I bought the six pack.









The infamous NeNe. Ironically this sign is posted where the most active volcanoe in the world resides. I don't think I would be concerned about them getting run over. I'm not sure if this picture on the right is a NeNe or not, but if it is, I fear that I killed it by feeding it Fruit Loops. Now there are only 999 left.



I actually saw a small earthquake happen as I was looking at the siesmograph. It freaked me out.

Hawaii Five-O

Well, I'm back. I just experienced a week long trip to Hawaii. It is quite an amazing place, and I encourage you to place it on your top ten. The beaches are very nice and so are the people.

We were on a cruise boat called The Pride of Aloha which took us around to 4 of the islands in Hawaii. I don't know how many of you have been on a cruise boat before, but this one was a little different. I made a few observations about the service on the boat that I found rather interesting. A few times while in a buffet line about to fix my salad, they insisted on doing this for me. Question 1: Who wants to be in a buffet line and have someone fix their salad for them? Doesn't this defeat the point? They could never know how many cucumbers I want (3) or how much salad dressing to put on (1/4 cup) or that I like raisins on it. One time I was in the buffet line and they wanted to fix my hotdog for me. I ended up with more sauerkraut than hotdog. Every time I went to get a drink at the drink station, they wanted to fix that for me also. So if I fixed my own, they would stand right beside me and watch. Can you say awkward? I wrote the Captain and said that instead of the crew staring at me while I fixed my own drink, maybe they should walk around to the tables and get drink orders...kind of like a normal restaurant.


Anyways, the boat was pretty cool...like a hotel that floats. It was crazy to think that there were 3,000 people all living within 900 feet of each other. Good thing I have gotten over being a germ freak. More to come later.

Religion...Or Something More

"We humans, somewhere along the way, seem to have picked up the bad habit of trying to get life on our terms, without all the bother of God, the Spirit of Life. We keep trying to be our own gods; and we keep making a sorry mess of it. Worse, the word has gotten around in recent years that "spirituality" itself might be a way of getting a more intense life without having to deal with God - spirituality as a kind of intuitive bypass around the inconvenience of repentance and sacrifice and putting ourselves at risk by following Jesus in the way of the cross, the very way Jesus plainly told was the only way to the "abundant life" that he had come to bless us with.

The generic name for this way of going about things - trying to put together a life of meaning and security out of God-sanctioned stories and routines, salted with weekends of diversion and occasional erotic interludes, without dealing firsthand, believingly and obediently, with God - is "religion." It is not, of course, a life without God, but the God who is there tends to be mostly background and resource - a Quality or Being that provides the ideas and energy that I take charge of an arrange and use as I see fit. We all do it, more or less."

By Eugene Peterson in the forward for Church: Why Bother? by Philip Yancey.

As I read these paragraphs this morning, I was stopped in my tracks. I am not sure where this will lead.

Mushrooms & Houses

I read today that "There is a giant mushroom in Oregon that is over 2,400 years old, covers 3.4 square miles of land, and is still growing!" (www.hookedonfacts.com) Is this real? If it is, have you been there? I once saw a booger the size of a small meatball, and even after seeing it I still couldn't believe it.

I have been thinking a lot about houses lately, mainly because we are looking for one. I believe the next great reality show would be for me to let you vote on the house I buy. Whatever you decide is what we will do. So, every week I will show you three houses, and whichever house receives the most votes will make it to the next round where I will add three more. So, here are the first three:

House 1 first picture & second picture. This house even has a built in entertainment center and comes with a free truck!
House 2 first picture & second picture. This is more of a fixer up.
House 3 first picture & second picture. This one comes with a guest house (see second pic)!

Now it's up to you and all your friends to vote!

Persistence Wins

Okay, so I understand I have been a total slacker since my last post. I have been really busy...my wife is interested in looking for a house. What an all consuming process! I can't imagine being a Nomad...looking for the next best spot of land to lay down on everynight.

There are a few exciting happenings this month. We are taking an incredible cruise around Hawaii. I will also be starting my MBA in Marketing at LeTourneau University. I still can't believe I am going back to school, but it will be a great experience.

Update: Sears Auto Center decided to reimburse me for my car rental and all of the labor which totaled about $180 (see 2 for 2). I am also being reimbursed by my financial advisors because they gave me misleading information (which I had documented). In both cases, persistence & integrity won out. My new issue is with Roundup. I am taking pictures of the weeds I sprayed two weeks ago that have shown no signs of dying (and are probably growing). Once I send the pics to them and hear something back, I'll let you know. I have also updated the website of the week. Please give me some feedback on this.