Swords

In the tales of men, there is a long history of playing swords in the bathroom. I remember as a kid, whenever I had to pee, I was usually able to get a friend or one of my brothers to cross pee streams while calling it swords. Not sure why we did it, but it just happened. Well the genius that I am, I thought it would be a great idea to teach Trenton the concept of swords to encourage him to pee while standing up (one of the greatest advantages to being a man). Well the idea officially was put in the "poor decision" category today as when he had to pee he shouted lets do swords daddy. I said okay, but before I knew it Trenton had aimed completely out of the toilet and sprayed the shower curtain, wall, side of the toilet and the floor. Of course he thought this was funny and it was at this point that I realized two things. One, that it was going to suck having to clean that up. And two, maybe this is why all men struggle hitting the toilet water when peeing. So much for parenting ideas from dad...

Cordial & Productive Discussion

Diplomacy: "skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility"

Well crap

Well apparently my history degree not only puts me at odds in my current vocation but also puts me at odds with making any money. Crap. At least I have some sweet stories to shoot the breeze with...

Universal Health Care

A picture is worth a 1000 words. Nice job Michael Ramirez.

Why I Love Dilbert.

Story Time

So lately Trenton (my 3 year old) has been asking me to tell him stories. I have used the opportunity to open the Bible and tell him some stories from there. Thus far his favorite has been the talking donkey story - but today I told him the story of Zacchaeus. Later on in the morning I asked him some questions to see what he retained from the story. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: So who was the story about this morning?
Trenton: Zacchaeus
Me: Good job. What did he do?
Trenton: He climbed a tree.
Me: Why?
Trenton: Cause he was little.
Me: Good. Who did he climb down to eat dinner with?
Trenton: Jesus.
Me: What did he give away to all the poor people & people he owed?
Trenton: Apples, peaches, and chicken nuggets.

So he got most of it. Not really sure where the apples, peaches, and chicken nuggets came from - but close enough.

Am I?

Am I the last person in America to realize how hilarious and awesome "30 Rock" is? My glorious wife got the first 2 seasons on DVD for me, and I have been literally laughing out loud watching them. Tina Fey is a genius, and the actors/actresses in the show are perfect. Very funny show - excellent all around.

Home Run Derby

Each year it is fun to watch the HR Derby @ the All-Star Game for baseball. It is always cool to see guys just hit the ball a mile. Last year was really awesome as Justin Morneau (a Minnesota Twin!) won the contest. This year, for some reason Joe Mauer was selected to participate. He is my favorite baseball player so even though I found it odd that a guy with only 15 homers on the season was asked to participate, it was cool to see him give it a whirl. He did not even come close to winning (Prince Fielder did - including hitting one ball an estimated 503 feet!!!) but man his swing is amazing. Looking forward to seeing him bat in the 3-hole tomorrow in the actual ASG. Since I have been alive, the NL has only won the ASG 7 times (and haven't won since 96 in Philly!) so chances are the AL will win again but hopefully the game is fun to watch.

Old Hickory

I recently wrapped up a biography on Andrew Jackson which was absolutely splendid. I have been quite interested in Andrew Jackson for a number of years now, and this was a good read on his time as President. He was a man with many flaws and looking back at it him it is easy to judge him for his horrible decisions in the support of slavery and mis-treatment of different Indian groups. That being said, his staunch support of the preservation of the Union set the stage for Abraham Lincoln (who borrowed plenty of thought & action from Jackson) in the Civil War. What makes Jackson so likable is how regular he seemed to be for a President. He wasn't particularly educated (in fact most of his opponents attacked his lack of education), he was prone to a violent temper, and his life and friends were filled with suspect decision making at times. Despite all of his flaws, he somehow rose to the highest office in the land, was an incredible military general, and was one of the most well esteemed people of his time. Like him or hate him (and there were plenty of people on both sides of the fence) - he was just interesting. Meacham has not written the best book on him (Remini or Brands are probably more worthy of that title) - but it was an engaging book and an excellent piece if you are interested in learning more about the Presidency of Andrew Jackson.

North to the Future

I cannot begin to describe how incredible my trip to Alaska was. Everything about it was so absolutely perfect, from spending time with my best buddy Jesse to hiking to camping to river rafting to being outdoors in the the most spectacular, beautiful place in the world. It was so refreshing and renewing to be away from the desert (have I mentioned how much I hate Arizona? Does God really like deserts OR were they designed as places of testing & torture?). I spent the majority of my time in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. I hiked on a glacier on the Fourth of July. I spent 6 hours going down the Gulkana, Tazlina, and Copper Rivers. I camped right next to the Bonanza Copper Mine @ Kennecott - where close to 90 years ago mine workers spent their days. I saw more green, water, and actual signs of life then I have seen in a long, long time. I could not have asked for a better gift from God then that week. It is definitely the beginning of a long love affair - and I hope to visit again soon.

Balaam's Ass

"God spoke to Balaam through his ass, and God's been speaking through them ever since. So, if God chooses to speak through you don't think to highly of yourself."

-Rich Mullins-