As I drove into work this morning I happened to listen again to one of my least favorite radio programs. But, at 7:30am on a Saturday there's not much to listen to. It's the local open phone call in show and we were subjected to the religious pontifications of a caller. He was expounding on why the Trinity is so important in our lives. That's great.
He kept referring to the Bible like it was the only book he had ever read. I have previously given my thoughts on it's contents in this ramble and will not repeat them again, save to say I can't believe someone, or anyone would wrap their entire belief structure around the contents of a single book. Would you do it for any other piece of literature? I wouldn't.
What started me a'thinkin' was actually a scientific notion. What happens in fifty or five-hundred years when, as I believe will happen eventually, our human race discovers life on another world? It could be microbial, or fully developed and completely unlike ourselves. The Bible says God made man in his own image. Yes, I believe that. But what will happen to the belief structure of others who don't believe in evolution? Microbial or simple multi-cell life would possibly put a damper on that one but most assuredly a fully developed life form different from mankind would squash the beliefs of many.
I often think most Bible-thumpers have a much too narrow view of God. In His infinite wisdom He created us and most likely others as well. Don't let the narrow-minded printed word from a single book become your only view of God. Expand your thoughts and beliefs and you might just get a greater sense of majesty, awe and reverence for your Creator.
Ramblings of a 60 Year Old Man - My thoughts on just about anything, in no particular order; Robert Thomas - author.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
It's Not Like It Is Real Money
In today's mail I received a pre-sorted first class rate piece of mail from my friendly local US government, specifically the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau.
It is even stamped OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
My first thought was, I know the census form this year is only 10 questions, but it still felt a bit light.
Much to my surprise, this was not the census form I was expecting. It was a letter that told me to expect the real census (excuse me, Census) form in the mail in about a week, and I should fill it out and mail it promptly because my response is "important".
With all of the advertisements in the papers, on the web, and over the air telling me the Census is on the way, not to mention the huge UNITED STATES 2010 Census signs in my office!), I would have hoped my friendly local US government agency would not spend goodness-knows how much money sending these letters to every household (or maybe they just sent them to wanting-smaller-gummint folks like myself.)
If they are going to waste money doing this, just what else are they willing to waste it on?
That was a rhetorical question, by the way.
It is even stamped OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
My first thought was, I know the census form this year is only 10 questions, but it still felt a bit light.
Much to my surprise, this was not the census form I was expecting. It was a letter that told me to expect the real census (excuse me, Census) form in the mail in about a week, and I should fill it out and mail it promptly because my response is "important".
With all of the advertisements in the papers, on the web, and over the air telling me the Census is on the way, not to mention the huge UNITED STATES 2010 Census signs in my office!), I would have hoped my friendly local US government agency would not spend goodness-knows how much money sending these letters to every household (or maybe they just sent them to wanting-smaller-gummint folks like myself.)
If they are going to waste money doing this, just what else are they willing to waste it on?
That was a rhetorical question, by the way.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Cosmo Prophesies
No, not Kramer. I'm speaking of the all-knowing, all-seeing, all guy-interpreting women's magazine. They again are letting their faithful know what us guys really mean. This time lets see how well they really know 'guy-speak'.
Guy says...
1. Lets hang out sometime: Cosmo thinks it means he's afraid to ask you out for fear you'll say no. I'm not buying that one. It is just one way for guys who think they're cool to get a first step in. Either that or they're blowing you off in a polite way.
2. I'll call you later: Cosmo thinks it means he'll call you between now and three months. Well, that may have some legs but more likely he won't call you at all unless he gives a definitive time frame.
3. My Ex is crazy: Cosmo thinks it means I messed her up and she got upset. I don't even know what that means. Most guys I know mean their 'ex' is a lunatic.
4. That guy seems like a good friend of yours: Cosmo thinks it means, was there anything ever between you? Okay, they nailed that one.
5. It's a long story: Cosmo thinks it means its a story that makes me look bad. That's one possible explanation, but it could also mean that was a lot more hassle than it was really worth.
6. That's a new look: Cosmo thinks it means 'you look weird'. Here's where this one breaks down; unless you completely revamp your entire image and wardrobe most guys won't even notice.
7. Why are you being so emotional? Cosmo thinks it means 'why are you being psycho? That would be the high end of it but likely it means why are you overreacting to something so small?
8. That's not what I meant: Cosmo thinks it means 'that's what I meant but now I see you're upset and I shouldn't have said it out loud. That's one possible scenario and it could also mean you are twisting my words and/or throwing back something in my face that has absolutely nothing to do with what this discussion is about.
9. It's fine: Cosmo thinks it means it's not really fine but I don't want to talk about it now. I can live with that but most men say what they mean and it's fine means it's fine, no big deal.
10. Can we talk about this later? Cosmo says it means I never want to talk about this again. More than likely it means my argument at this particular time sucks and I need to rethink it if I'm going to win this.
All in all I would rate their advise to women on this as a C- at best. We as men have come to realize when it comes to dealing with women unless we are in a totally hopeless situation we usually say what we mean.
Guy says...
1. Lets hang out sometime: Cosmo thinks it means he's afraid to ask you out for fear you'll say no. I'm not buying that one. It is just one way for guys who think they're cool to get a first step in. Either that or they're blowing you off in a polite way.
2. I'll call you later: Cosmo thinks it means he'll call you between now and three months. Well, that may have some legs but more likely he won't call you at all unless he gives a definitive time frame.
3. My Ex is crazy: Cosmo thinks it means I messed her up and she got upset. I don't even know what that means. Most guys I know mean their 'ex' is a lunatic.
4. That guy seems like a good friend of yours: Cosmo thinks it means, was there anything ever between you? Okay, they nailed that one.
5. It's a long story: Cosmo thinks it means its a story that makes me look bad. That's one possible explanation, but it could also mean that was a lot more hassle than it was really worth.
6. That's a new look: Cosmo thinks it means 'you look weird'. Here's where this one breaks down; unless you completely revamp your entire image and wardrobe most guys won't even notice.
7. Why are you being so emotional? Cosmo thinks it means 'why are you being psycho? That would be the high end of it but likely it means why are you overreacting to something so small?
8. That's not what I meant: Cosmo thinks it means 'that's what I meant but now I see you're upset and I shouldn't have said it out loud. That's one possible scenario and it could also mean you are twisting my words and/or throwing back something in my face that has absolutely nothing to do with what this discussion is about.
9. It's fine: Cosmo thinks it means it's not really fine but I don't want to talk about it now. I can live with that but most men say what they mean and it's fine means it's fine, no big deal.
10. Can we talk about this later? Cosmo says it means I never want to talk about this again. More than likely it means my argument at this particular time sucks and I need to rethink it if I'm going to win this.
All in all I would rate their advise to women on this as a C- at best. We as men have come to realize when it comes to dealing with women unless we are in a totally hopeless situation we usually say what we mean.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
I'm paid to like this
Recently another sponsor of Tiger Woods decided to drop him from their advertising. In this case it doesn't seem to have (on the surface) anything to do with his recent troubles. Gatorade began phasing out his products back in '09 before his revelations.
That begs the question I have often considered, what makes a spokesman attractive to the general public? Many times it is recently newsworthy persons. I am quite sure there will be many Olympians showing up on commercials during the remainder of this year. I'm also very confident in saying you likely won't see any of those still on endorsements by next year. That type of celebrity seems to have no staying power. On occasion someone will breakthrough and is able to launch themselves on to something else. But that is the exception to the rule.
I can't think of any product that I ever purchased because someone famous or newsworthy endorsed it on a commercial or in any other form of advertising. I don't buy Subway because Michael Phelps swims through concrete. I never purchased a bottle of Coke because (back in the day) the high profile Bill Cosby was a Coke guy. I understand companies attractions to jumping on the latest celebrity bandwagon but that doesn't work for me. How little does it say about us as a culture or a people that we purchase a product simply because a noteworthy person is paid to endorse it? Do we really believe that product is their favorite just because we see it in advertising? That's what the advertisers want us to believe.
Endorsements are a funny thing. Companies pay celebrities millions of dollars to promote their products that they rarely would otherwise use, but we wear their name proudly across our *ss free of charge. Who's the stupid one in that scenario?
That begs the question I have often considered, what makes a spokesman attractive to the general public? Many times it is recently newsworthy persons. I am quite sure there will be many Olympians showing up on commercials during the remainder of this year. I'm also very confident in saying you likely won't see any of those still on endorsements by next year. That type of celebrity seems to have no staying power. On occasion someone will breakthrough and is able to launch themselves on to something else. But that is the exception to the rule.
I can't think of any product that I ever purchased because someone famous or newsworthy endorsed it on a commercial or in any other form of advertising. I don't buy Subway because Michael Phelps swims through concrete. I never purchased a bottle of Coke because (back in the day) the high profile Bill Cosby was a Coke guy. I understand companies attractions to jumping on the latest celebrity bandwagon but that doesn't work for me. How little does it say about us as a culture or a people that we purchase a product simply because a noteworthy person is paid to endorse it? Do we really believe that product is their favorite just because we see it in advertising? That's what the advertisers want us to believe.
Endorsements are a funny thing. Companies pay celebrities millions of dollars to promote their products that they rarely would otherwise use, but we wear their name proudly across our *ss free of charge. Who's the stupid one in that scenario?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
If I could speak to you
As we travel down this road, we often just slip by others who we never have a chance, for whatever reasons, to get to know. It could be that person is of a different generation or a different religion or you just are in a different place as you pass them by, even if that different place overlaps for a time. How many do you look back upon and wish you had a chance to talk with them one more time. I don't mean sit and shoot the bull, but learn about and from them. What was their history, what makes that person who he/she was?
I lost one of those persons this past week as he passed away at age 88. He was older, in roughly the same generation as my parents. I met him on occasion but mostly I knew him from afar. His name is John Brown.
Now, Mr. Brown had a hold on me nearly from the start. He was one of those people you just say "there's something about him." He was tall and handsome and obviously took good care of himself. I remember him as having large hands and never once from any of my encounters with him did I ever see him without a smile on his face. He had a pleasant demeanor with always a kind word.
I learned several things from his obituary, one being his employment which explains his rather dapper appearance. He worked in customer service and sales which often takes a fairly thick skin. All the more wonder for his continual smile. He had a 'bearing' about him you don't see in most. I also discovered he was a retired Sergeant Major of the US Army. That position says much about anyone who holds it. It is respected by both enlisted and officer. When a Sergeant Major speaks, privates and generals alike listen.
Over the years I began to understand it took a tremendous person to impress my Sainted Mother. I do believe she was slightly infatuated with Mr. Brown. He exuded class and grace. In her last year he would stop in to see her. They may pray together or simply sit and talk. She died of cancer but in her last few months she always looked forward to his visits. He came under the guise of coming from the church but I think it was more than that. They were friends who shared a history of being the same age, living through the same turbulent times and sharing a love of their God. But, he was that type of fellow.
As I have grown older there are few I have run the same path with for a time that I would wish I could go back and have a conversation with. Often you hear the question posed, if you could talk to anyone in the world for thirty minutes, who would it be? Sadly for me, John Brown would be on my short list and now I will never have the opportunity back that I didn't take in life.
I lost one of those persons this past week as he passed away at age 88. He was older, in roughly the same generation as my parents. I met him on occasion but mostly I knew him from afar. His name is John Brown.
Now, Mr. Brown had a hold on me nearly from the start. He was one of those people you just say "there's something about him." He was tall and handsome and obviously took good care of himself. I remember him as having large hands and never once from any of my encounters with him did I ever see him without a smile on his face. He had a pleasant demeanor with always a kind word.
I learned several things from his obituary, one being his employment which explains his rather dapper appearance. He worked in customer service and sales which often takes a fairly thick skin. All the more wonder for his continual smile. He had a 'bearing' about him you don't see in most. I also discovered he was a retired Sergeant Major of the US Army. That position says much about anyone who holds it. It is respected by both enlisted and officer. When a Sergeant Major speaks, privates and generals alike listen.
Over the years I began to understand it took a tremendous person to impress my Sainted Mother. I do believe she was slightly infatuated with Mr. Brown. He exuded class and grace. In her last year he would stop in to see her. They may pray together or simply sit and talk. She died of cancer but in her last few months she always looked forward to his visits. He came under the guise of coming from the church but I think it was more than that. They were friends who shared a history of being the same age, living through the same turbulent times and sharing a love of their God. But, he was that type of fellow.
As I have grown older there are few I have run the same path with for a time that I would wish I could go back and have a conversation with. Often you hear the question posed, if you could talk to anyone in the world for thirty minutes, who would it be? Sadly for me, John Brown would be on my short list and now I will never have the opportunity back that I didn't take in life.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday is wiener day
As a child, as I have said in the past, we didn't have much growing up and what we did have was simple. My parents did the best they could with what they had and as children, we didn't know we were poor. Often meals were a creative concoction of what they had they could work into a serviceable meal for seven. To this day many of my eating habits from those days have not died.
Saturdays were for simple meals. Beloved Father cooked little through the week and Sainted Mother had most of those duties. Let's just say she was 'fair to middlin' and let it go at that. She did her best and she loved us. I guess until you get older you don't have a valid basis of comparison. On the weekends Beloved Father had the supper duty. Saturdays were often goulash (which none of us can to this day duplicate, a sad thing indeed), hamburgers or sloppy joes. My normal afternoon lunch would usually consist of hot dogs, a habit I can't break to this day.
Unfortunately for me, the vaunted wiener has changed over the years. Many are just mushy and it has made me a very finicky hot dog eater. And wow have they soared in price. One brand was 6.49 for a twelve ounce package. That's nearly $8 per pound. Some steaks don't cost that much per pound. Come on guys, these are hot dogs! They are supposed to be cheap and simple. I'll take a simple firm dog over any of those spiced-up foot long mush pockets any day. I guess until it comes to the day I can't afford them any longer. And that may not be long down the road at the rate they're going.
Sunday was Beloved Father's masterpiece. He would sing to records in the kitchen overcooking some meats but generally giving us a dinner we couldn't wait for the rest of the week. For a guy who had no sense of smell he sure could season things. I'm not sure how he managed that. And then there was frozen salad, a treat to be had as often as possible.
A grand thanks to The Mustache for that treat at Christmas. It's been years. For the uninitiated, don't try it at home, it's not what you think.
Saturdays were for simple meals. Beloved Father cooked little through the week and Sainted Mother had most of those duties. Let's just say she was 'fair to middlin' and let it go at that. She did her best and she loved us. I guess until you get older you don't have a valid basis of comparison. On the weekends Beloved Father had the supper duty. Saturdays were often goulash (which none of us can to this day duplicate, a sad thing indeed), hamburgers or sloppy joes. My normal afternoon lunch would usually consist of hot dogs, a habit I can't break to this day.
Unfortunately for me, the vaunted wiener has changed over the years. Many are just mushy and it has made me a very finicky hot dog eater. And wow have they soared in price. One brand was 6.49 for a twelve ounce package. That's nearly $8 per pound. Some steaks don't cost that much per pound. Come on guys, these are hot dogs! They are supposed to be cheap and simple. I'll take a simple firm dog over any of those spiced-up foot long mush pockets any day. I guess until it comes to the day I can't afford them any longer. And that may not be long down the road at the rate they're going.
Sunday was Beloved Father's masterpiece. He would sing to records in the kitchen overcooking some meats but generally giving us a dinner we couldn't wait for the rest of the week. For a guy who had no sense of smell he sure could season things. I'm not sure how he managed that. And then there was frozen salad, a treat to be had as often as possible.
A grand thanks to The Mustache for that treat at Christmas. It's been years. For the uninitiated, don't try it at home, it's not what you think.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A wave of a flag
The winter Olympics is upon us, a season I do like. We get to see sports we usually wouldn't watch no matter what. It also gives us time to get the vibe on other athletes from around the world and a bit of background. Another stirring moment is the national anthems played for the gold medal winners. Here in the States we usually only see those ceremonies for the Americans. One aspect I do like is to see the flags of other countries as they are hoisted.
There are many fewer countries in the winter games than the summer and many are from the older established elements of the world, Europe, Eurasia, Scandinavia and the like. As a rule, they tend to have some of the more boring flag designs. I'm sure not all countries had a Betsy Ross sitting around coming up with a fabulous design for her Napoleon. Most of the older flags are uninspired designs, often just three bands of color either horizontal or vertical (France, Italy etc.). Some I can't distinguish from one country to the next. All the Scandinavian countries use a version of an off-centered cross with varying colors. I had heard it was a St. George's cross. I don't know however if that is factual. It is however the central element of the flags of the United Kingdom (and virtually any country they ruled throughout their long history of colonization.
Some of the 'newer' countries have flags of much more interesting designs. As a major country Canada's flag is very new having come about in the sixties. I like it's design. And of course the US has a very unique and powerful design. (OK, so I'm a homer). Zambia and Zimbabwe have colorful and unique designs. They are however not in the winter games. Not much snow there I guess.
Surprisingly, the web site CIA.gov has a very neat page on world flags with a description of them. I was quite surprised. So if you ever want to know why the Isle of Man has three feet on it, its there.
There are many fewer countries in the winter games than the summer and many are from the older established elements of the world, Europe, Eurasia, Scandinavia and the like. As a rule, they tend to have some of the more boring flag designs. I'm sure not all countries had a Betsy Ross sitting around coming up with a fabulous design for her Napoleon. Most of the older flags are uninspired designs, often just three bands of color either horizontal or vertical (France, Italy etc.). Some I can't distinguish from one country to the next. All the Scandinavian countries use a version of an off-centered cross with varying colors. I had heard it was a St. George's cross. I don't know however if that is factual. It is however the central element of the flags of the United Kingdom (and virtually any country they ruled throughout their long history of colonization.
Some of the 'newer' countries have flags of much more interesting designs. As a major country Canada's flag is very new having come about in the sixties. I like it's design. And of course the US has a very unique and powerful design. (OK, so I'm a homer). Zambia and Zimbabwe have colorful and unique designs. They are however not in the winter games. Not much snow there I guess.
Surprisingly, the web site CIA.gov has a very neat page on world flags with a description of them. I was quite surprised. So if you ever want to know why the Isle of Man has three feet on it, its there.
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