a little of this, a little of that
Posted in Random Thoughts on Jun 16th, 2008
In my youth, my mother never let us kids have fizzy drinks at home. There were plenty of other junky options, including the ever-present pitcher of red Kool-Aid in the fridge. But if we went out for dinner, we could order a “soft drink”, meaning Coca-Cola, Seven-Up, root beer, or any of the [...]
Posted in Random Thoughts, video on May 28th, 2008
Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are needing to tell their stories to deal with the trauma. It’s the story that no one wants to hear, but the hard and painful truth is that war is hell for everyone. A recent conference allowed returnees to tell their stories, and America needs to listen [...]
Posted in People, Random Thoughts on May 26th, 2008
A boy stands in the FEMA Diamond travel trailer park May 23, 2008 in Port Sulphur, Louisiana. FEMA federal trailer parks that house many Hurricane Katrina victims are set to close May 31, prompting fears that people will be forced into residences they can’t afford or will be left homeless. Most residents will receive a [...]
Posted in Random Thoughts on May 10th, 2008
If you can handle the heights, this video is amazing, but I had to grip my chair to watch it.
Originally built in 1901, this walkway now serves as an approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro, in Andalusia, Spain.
Posted in Inspiration, People, Random Thoughts on May 7th, 2008
It’s a horrible word and a horrific act. Rape is violence, without a doubt, and yet it is confusing to those of us who have never had to deal with it or its after effects. Confusing because the violence is sexual in nature and, in my mind anyway, violence and sex are polar [...]
Posted in Inspiration, Random Thoughts on Apr 23rd, 2008
There’s a blog I’ve recently discovered that really fascinates me. One Sentence is a collection of true stories told in, yes, only one sentence. We never know the fuller context–and that’s part of the appeal, I guess. Some of them are captivating and make my mind wander to what might have happened [...]
Posted in Olmsted Community Church, Photos, Random Thoughts on Mar 20th, 2008
…these late winter snows. But glancing out my office window yesterday, I was shocked—shocked, I tell you—to see big, fat, heavy flakes coming down. It was snowing like crazy for most of the afternoon and evening. The trees in the park and around the church looked like they’d been dunked in the [...]
Posted in Community, Photos, Random Thoughts on Feb 27th, 2008
Teachers and students huddled around TV sets in the early morning hours the past two days, hoping and praying their school system had called a snow day. For Olmsted Falls schools, there were two in a row. The church office follows school closings, so we’ve had a break too. It looks like [...]
Posted in Random Thoughts on Feb 16th, 2008
The U.S. Government, through FEMA, admitted this week that the travel trailers in which they housed thousands (millions?) who lost homes during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are toxic with formaldehyde. People who have lived in them–even for short periods of time–have become sick. We’ve known this for quite a while. It’s a story [...]
Posted in Family, Photos, Random Thoughts on Feb 12th, 2008
When I was young, my aunt took family pictures with her special camera. Polaroid cameras provided an instant picture. Pop a flashbulb on top, look through the little viewfinder, and push the button. No focusing, no finishing the roll, no waiting for developing at the drug store. She snapped the picture [...]
Posted in Inspiration, Random Thoughts, Scripture on Jan 25th, 2008
This is a visualization of cross references within the Christian scriptures. It began as a study of Bible passages that refer to other passages, and was developed in a graphical way that has its own sense of majesty and beauty.
From the website:
Due to the extremely high number of cross-references, this lands more on [...]
Posted in Photos, Random Thoughts on Jan 11th, 2008
Most of these sweet gems come from Spain, and each year I look forward to buying a little crate of Clementines. They start appearing in the grocery store in mid-autumn, but they’re at their best in December and January. Because they peel easily and are mostly seedless, they’re a good, healthy, portable [...]
Posted in Community, Random Thoughts on Jan 9th, 2008
I’ve learned that if you subscribe to cable, your older TV will work just fine. Apparently the cable companies convert the signal for you, and you won’t need a digital converter. About the only folks who will need the converter are those who receive television through rabbit ears or rooftop antennae. And, though I shouldn’t [...]
Posted in Random Thoughts on Jan 2nd, 2008
The federal government has decreed that broadcasters begin ‘casting with a digital signal in 2009. Many older television sets are analog-only, meaning that they will need a converter to process the digital signal, much like the box that cable companies charge for when you order digital cable service. Newer sets that are digital-ready [...]
Posted in Random Thoughts on Dec 5th, 2007
Leo, a blogger over at ZenHabits and an excellent writer, recently posted about his achievement of becoming debt-free. With so many people crippled (or at least stressed) by the amount of debt they carry, I want to pass along his tips.
An important factor was the creation of a spending plan for each paycheck:
I don’t like [...]