For those who know me well, I am a dedicated Christian and I make no apology for my beliefs. Nor will I engage them in debate. But I've never hesitated to "call out" members of my own faith when they fail to ACT like members of my own faith. Dharma launched a thread today citing a case of abuse that centered around a "devout" Southern Baptist family (an insightful piece...I recommend it). This, coupled with the other stories that have come out, and most importantly, my own firsthand experi...

Apparently, there is at least one joeuser who has a very serious problem with the content of my blogs. Fortunately, that user was swatted as effectively as I might down a gnat (thank you for the tools for this, Brad!). It did get me to thinking, though, as most critical posts do...and I quickly reached a conclusion. The conclusion I reached is, this is MY blog. While I will "play nice" while venturing on other people's threads, the topic and content of my blogs is something I choose. I ...

Well, sorry for another blog complaining about the heat, but it darn near kicked my rear end today. And the heat advisory now has been continued through tomorrow, which means AT LEAST another day in this miserable, wretched (but at least it's a DRY HEAT!) climate. I went through my 3.25 gallons of water by 1:00 (I work until two), and had to make a run for an emergency powerade supply. Before I hit the sack, I will drink another 3-4 gallons of water; it seems impossible to drink enough. ...

...and so it goes. Recently, we've been "blessed" with another new blogger who basically creates a caricature of all the decent, well reasoned liberals I know. The person basically is pure vitriol, and it amazes me how they can't see it. I won't give specifics, but there are so many contradictions to this individual it isn't funny. This brings me to the title of the post. While I have seen some rather antagonistic joeusers, the majority still "play nice", and will back down if they're g...

This is going to be one of my reflective posts, but I hope it to be inspirational as well. It has been said that what matters is how you've lived "the dash"; that is, the dash between the birth and death dates on your tombstone. While I intend to have a memorial marker when I pass (I intend to be cremated and have my ashes sprinkled in Lake Itasca, Minnesota --those who know me, know why, those who don't...ask). So I was stopping and thinking today about how I've lived the dash. I have ...

I have always appreciated intellectual discussion. It is truly enjoyable to see what our minds can conceive when we bounce ideas, suggestions, and questions off of one another. The great minds throughout history always had contemporaries who helped formulate and create their ideas; they didn't exist in a vaccuum. But intelligence can, in the wrong context, be a liability. It's not just the age old argument about the fine line between genius and insanity at play here; intelligence can be...

Well, despite my egress from the mine almost two months ago, I received the Teamsters Union newsletter today (I think they consider me valuable enough to hang on until after the election). Frankly, anything from the union is a slap in the face considering the working conditions we underwent there, despite being union, on paper at least. Here's the scoop: --$9 an hour for all positions, with no raises...at least not for anyone within their first two years of employment (remember, this wa...

Edgar Martinez, arguably one of the game's greatest designated hitter, has announced that he will retire at the end of this season, his 18th. Edgar is the last member of the "Lefebvre's beliebvres" club that began the turnaround of a team that was once the laughingstock of baseball into one that is well respected. For the purists, 'Gar was actually a decent third baseman, and could have remained so had the DH option not been around. But the way he hits can only draw comparisons to some of ...

Just picked up on the news that Fay Wray passed away. It is so rare that someone who is largely remembered for a single role is so embedded in the American consciousness like Fay Wray. Wray produced a large body of works, to be sure, but none really survived past their era; "King Kong", however, is timeless. Wray was 96. So long, Fay Wray signing off, Gideon MacLeish

For those of you who didn't read my earlier post, we finally got a Sonic drive in in town. Having lived in the upper midwest for 10 years prior to last December, I have not eaten at a Sonic drive in in nearly twelve years. Also as stated before, there are only two places where I will willingly down a hot dog (the other being at a ballpark). Something about knowing exactly what hot dogs ARE kinda ruins the magic. But I love Sonic's footlong chili cheese coneys, and that is exactly what I or...

Here's yet another in my blogs about "brushes with greatness". I have always loved to play the "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. My personal favorite moment was when I realized I'm THREE degrees from Kevin Bacon. The connection is as follows: I screen tested for a movie called "Come See the Paradise" (for those who haven't seen it, I highly recommend it) starring Dennis Quaid (I actually got a callback but the message wasn't relayed in time, throw that in the "what might have been" ...

OK, for those of you who actually read my thread on my friend who went into the lengthy discussion of the procedure to remove his boar's testicles (see "I don't care how bug your boar's testicles are), I was reading through the paper last week, and Lo! and Behold! Here's boar testicle guy on page 1. I have known him for some time, he is a prominent member of a strain of Christianity with which I heavily disagree, but I haven't let that get in the way of being friends with him. The article ...

Today, I am pleased to report that a brand spanking new Sonic drive in opened in our community. For the uninitiated, Sonic's food is the best of the worst; it's coney cheese dogs are to die for, and probably the only way that I will eat the compilation of pig lips and bovine rectums willingly outside of a major league ballpark or an appearance on "Fear Factor". I have many fond memories from high school of Sonic, as there was one three blocks from school. That being said, i have not liv...

I am a huge fan of the Darwin Awards, and pulled this little tidbit off their website: In Sheffield, England, in 2002, Kim Fontana, 32, and Paul Cowley, 40, decided the walk to their respective flats was a bit too long for them to fulfill their amorous intentions. So, they found a road outside the pub where the streetlight had gone out that provided the perfect cover of darkness. Despite three warnings -- one from a paramedic, one from a car driver, and another from a pedestrian, the co...

I am a huge fan of the Darwin Awards, and pulled this little tidbit off their website: In Sheffield, England, in 2002, Kim Fontana, 32, and Paul Cowley, 40, decided the walk to their respective flats was a bit too long for them to fulfill their amorous intentions. So, they found a road outside the pub where the streetlight had gone out that provided the perfect cover of darkness. Despite three warnings -- one from a paramedic, one from a car driver, and another from a pedestrian, the co...