Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
WHY I LOVE OKLAHOMA
THIS SUMS IT UP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6XK1pbC7Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH03cMlLuIY
GLENN <><
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6XK1pbC7Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH03cMlLuIY
GLENN <><
Monday, May 27, 2013
GRAHAM CREEK SABER TOOTH GROUNDHOG V.2.0
GRAHAM CREEK SABER TOOTH
GROUNDHOG
Science Fiction
“There!....
There!..... There it is!” Fourteen year Phillip was hardly able to breathe as
he excitedly jabbed at the scratched screen of his iPhone. “I told you it was
real!”
Phillip’s
father remained silent for several seconds and then hit the speed dial button
on his own iPhone that almost immediately connected him to the County Sheriff’s
office. “My son has a photo I think you need to send someone out here to
examine. …..No, it’s not about a meth lab or dead person…… It looks like a
50-60 pound saber tooth groundhog…..No, I’ve not been drinking……Ok, we’ll wait
for a deputy sheriff to come out…..Thanks.”
When the
deputy arrived he exclaimed, “If this is the real deal we have a problem that
makes that Hollywood Jurassic Park look like a petting zoo.” The deputy took
Phillip’s report of exactly where on the banks of Graham Creek he had
encountered this strange creature. Phillip said he had seen the creature at
about the same place at least three times before today’s photo was taken.
The deputy
gave Phillip’s father an evidence receipt and took the iPhone containing the
photo back to the sheriff’s office. Furthermore, he advised Phillip and his
father not to discuss the situation with anyone. “Fear and rumor are kissin’
cousins,” according to the deputy.
Back at the
Sheriff’s office, the sheriff, who was a better candidate for late night cable
TV Comedy than a candidate for the ministry, sarcastically remarked, “I’d sure as @*%*
not want to meet that *%$#& dude without plenty of &*^#$@ backup!”
Both the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources and a multitude of federal agencies
demanded more proof before they would take the sheriff’s pleas for help
seriously.
In
desperation, the sheriff called the Indiana University zoology department who acknowledged
they had received a half dozen similar requests from citizens all along the
Graham Creek watershed. They politely stated they would contact Dr. Yoshi
Kumasi, Tokyo University, who was the world’s leading expert in the field of
cryptozoology. Professor Kumasi would be contacting the sheriff directly. (The sheriff was not told this was the
weekend of the IU-Purdue game and the entire campus was more concerned about
the final score than some snipe hunt on the Graham Creek.)
Three weeks
later the sheriff, county commissioner chairman, and a member of the
Japanese-Jennings County Friendship Society met Professor Kumasi at the
Indianapolis Airport. The sheriff had been practicing his greeting bow and hit
it for a perfect ten, but immediately relapsed into his off color language.
“Welcome to $#@* Indiana and we sure as &(%$# hope you solve this $#%%&
for us.” Professor Kumasi, who earned his doctorate at UCLA, said, “Sheriff, I
sure as $%#@^ do too.” After a big group laugh the sheriff forgot all about
international protocol and slapped the distinguished professor on the back and
said, “Doc, this is going to be the start of a beautiful ^%$&* friendship!”
The sheriff
and Professor Kumasi located the 41 motion-sensitive cameras used by the Tri-county
Drug Task Force along both sides of Graham Creek for about two miles from where
the saber tooth groundhog was photographed by Philip. After two weeks, 11
different saber tooth groundhogs were captured on the digital cameras. The cameras clearly revealed the four to eight inch long saber teeth to be green with yellow tips.
A juvenile
saber tooth groundhog was caught in a box trap constructed by a local 4-H Club
member. Professor Kumasi took multiple blood and hair samples for DNA analysis.
He had earlier collected samples from all of the soil and vegetation near the
creek. The young groundhog chewed through the orange crate which served as a makeshift
lab cage and made his silent escape.
With the
help of the now interested, and Nobel Prize-seeking zoology depart at IU,
Professor Kumasi concluded the saber tooth ground hogs were as result of a
dormant primeval recessive gene being activated by the large amounts of herbicides
and ammonia nitrate that flowed into the Graham Creek from adjacent corn fields.
The groundhogs also ate the immature corn ears, which quickly produced gene altering alcohol, and within two reproduction cycles, the
saber tooth groundhog resulted. He estimated the saber tooth groundhogs would
double in size every other reproduction cycle!
The sheriff
asked the professor what could be done to reverse the looming disaster.
Professor Kumasi said he would have to return to Tokyo and study the data and
return with a definitive plan of action.
Professor
Kumasi smiled, bowed and shook hands with each member of the Jennings County
send-off party at the Indianapolis Airport and proceeded to the security
screening area. As he put his shoes back on he thought to himself, “If those
@#$%^ Hoosiers think I am coming back to this $%#@ place they have another %$#@
idea coming. I’ve seen all of those %$#@^ Godzilla movies and I know how all of
this %$#% situation will end!”
---- Glenn
Saturday, May 25, 2013
The Song of a Summer Night
Venus and a growing crescent Moon silently sink in the west
On a seldom used road two lovers walk slowly in the new dark
His left arm upon her shoulders; her right arm rests on his back
A gentle squeeze from each communicates more than words
Nature displays its finest sights, sounds, and delightful smells
The lightning bugs in a field of hay flash code to their mates
A blue green meteor leaves a momentary trail of white smoke
Cassiopeia sits regally upon her "W" shaped sky throne
Crickets provide a continuous reassuring clicking melody
Whippoorwills come in on cue to give the song an alto lift
Frogs in a nearby pond boldly sing the repeating bass parts
Far away a seldom seen owl echoes the refrain in time
The fragrance of new mowed hay calms the stressed mind
Honeysuckle is without peer in delighting all the senses
A parallel creek emits smoke from a camp fire for boys
The aroma of a recent rain unites humanity with the earth
The young lovers are oblivious to summer night songs
Sight has narrowed to the flesh and blood next to them
They hear only the feelings within their bedazzled minds
Her Christmas perfume and his Dad's cologne fill the air
Nature smiles at their love song and Nature plays on
On a seldom used road two lovers walk slowly in the new dark
His left arm upon her shoulders; her right arm rests on his back
A gentle squeeze from each communicates more than words
Nature displays its finest sights, sounds, and delightful smells
The lightning bugs in a field of hay flash code to their mates
A blue green meteor leaves a momentary trail of white smoke
Cassiopeia sits regally upon her "W" shaped sky throne
Crickets provide a continuous reassuring clicking melody
Whippoorwills come in on cue to give the song an alto lift
Frogs in a nearby pond boldly sing the repeating bass parts
Far away a seldom seen owl echoes the refrain in time
The fragrance of new mowed hay calms the stressed mind
Honeysuckle is without peer in delighting all the senses
A parallel creek emits smoke from a camp fire for boys
The aroma of a recent rain unites humanity with the earth
The young lovers are oblivious to summer night songs
Sight has narrowed to the flesh and blood next to them
They hear only the feelings within their bedazzled minds
Her Christmas perfume and his Dad's cologne fill the air
Nature smiles at their love song and Nature plays on
HOT, MUGGY, SATURDAY AFTERNOON
It is a hot, muggy Saturday afternoon in central Oklahoma.
My memories as a teenager seemed to always include hot, muggy Saturday afternoons in the summer.
I always made a bee line for the library when we went to North Vernon on Saturdays. It was cooler there.
The hottest Saturday afternoons I can recall were in Madison. My brother and I tried to walk on the south side of main street underneath building awnings because there was some shade. We seldom got a soft drink or ice cream.
Some of the bigger stores had water fountains. Ingils (Sp) Drug Store actually had air conditioning.
I did a lot of fishing on hot Saturday afternoons, when I was not cutting grass or working in the family garden.
Maybe it is just me, but that's the way I remember it.
My memories as a teenager seemed to always include hot, muggy Saturday afternoons in the summer.
I always made a bee line for the library when we went to North Vernon on Saturdays. It was cooler there.
The hottest Saturday afternoons I can recall were in Madison. My brother and I tried to walk on the south side of main street underneath building awnings because there was some shade. We seldom got a soft drink or ice cream.
Some of the bigger stores had water fountains. Ingils (Sp) Drug Store actually had air conditioning.
I did a lot of fishing on hot Saturday afternoons, when I was not cutting grass or working in the family garden.
Maybe it is just me, but that's the way I remember it.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
THE SUN CAME OUT !!!!!
After several days of rain and tornadoes, the sun appeared just as Tuesday (5-21-13) was coming to a daylight conclusion.
This certainly helped buoy the spirits of the recovery personnel in Moore and our county of Pottawatomie.
This probably sounds trite; however, Oklahomans
are the most caring and helpful people I have ever been around. The outpouring of help in every form continues to astound the out-of-state reporters. But hey, that's what Oklahomans do best.
I have never felt prouder to be an adopted Okie !
This certainly helped buoy the spirits of the recovery personnel in Moore and our county of Pottawatomie.
This probably sounds trite; however, Oklahomans
are the most caring and helpful people I have ever been around. The outpouring of help in every form continues to astound the out-of-state reporters. But hey, that's what Oklahomans do best.
I have never felt prouder to be an adopted Okie !
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
UPDATE ON TORNADO DAMAGE IN OUR COUNTY/MOORE
UPDATE
ON TORNADO DAMAGE IN OUR COUNTY/MOORE
Pottawatomie
County officials have confirmed that
Sunday’s
tornadoes that tore through our county
killed two
people, destroyed 89 homes, and damaged
101 others.
The toll
from Monday’s vicious tornado in Moore, OK is still being
compiled.
Words are totally void in trying to describe the devastation.
Here’s a
couple of sites that show many photos:
Pray for the
families, especially those that have lost loved
ones.
Monday, May 20, 2013
HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT----DAY 2
TODAY, MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 A MONSTER, 2-MILE WIDE TORNADO ROARED THROUGH NEWCASTLE AND MOORE, OK.
The destruction, death and injuries are massive. Even the grass was pulled up as the buildings were destroyed. The search and rescue efforts at a school are going full force. Several young kids are missing at a Moore elementary school. Frantic parents are awaiting word on their children. The scene is beyond description. Reporters are near tears.
The tornado is being described as three times bigger than the May 3rd 1999 tornado which came through this same area.
Thankfully, the storm lifted about 15 miles from our city. We are safe---thank the Lord!
The destruction, death and injuries are massive. Even the grass was pulled up as the buildings were destroyed. The search and rescue efforts at a school are going full force. Several young kids are missing at a Moore elementary school. Frantic parents are awaiting word on their children. The scene is beyond description. Reporters are near tears.
The tornado is being described as three times bigger than the May 3rd 1999 tornado which came through this same area.
Thankfully, the storm lifted about 15 miles from our city. We are safe---thank the Lord!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Health and Safety Report
On Sunday, May 19, 2013 three powerful
tornadoes hit Shawnee. As of this Post only one fatality in Shawnee; however, much property damage and many injuries. Rescue efforts are continuing at full force.
By the Grace of God, my family came through with no injuries. We spent several minutes in our bathroom. My wife and the three grandchildren that live with us sure did some heavy duty praying.
The TV coverage is wall to wall. Tornadoes are often and violent in OK. When they get close it really gets your attention.
One concerned classmate called to check on our status. Sure made me feel very grateful and thankful for lifelong friends.
tornadoes hit Shawnee. As of this Post only one fatality in Shawnee; however, much property damage and many injuries. Rescue efforts are continuing at full force.
By the Grace of God, my family came through with no injuries. We spent several minutes in our bathroom. My wife and the three grandchildren that live with us sure did some heavy duty praying.
The TV coverage is wall to wall. Tornadoes are often and violent in OK. When they get close it really gets your attention.
One concerned classmate called to check on our status. Sure made me feel very grateful and thankful for lifelong friends.
A Stream of Dreams
I carry in the open front pocket of my memory the sights, sounds, and smells of a creek that is as dear to me as Mark Twain's muddy Mississippi River or Herman Melville's blue water oceans of the world.
In many ways Graham Creek, located in Jennings County, and several other counties, in Southern Indiana, was like a later day Eden to me in my years between seven and twenty. A few, all too short, visits have been made over the years of adulthood. Having passed the Biblical three score and ten age I painfully wonder if my last visit was indeed my last visit.
Many a happy moment was spent dreaming of doing a photo rich book about the Graham Creek during all seasons of the year. Time and distance has put a permanent halt on this ambitious plan.
Though it flows for miles, I doubt if I every covered more that five miles of its rocky cliffs and tree lined shore. I think I was in a boat on this stream of dreams only once. I waded large stretches on several days and even a few nights.
My love and fascination with flowing waters, great and small, is perhaps an inherited DNA trait from my maternal grandfather in KY, the place of my birth and early rearing.
The famous Green River in KY was the training laboratory where I was introduced to fishing with long cane poles and trot lines that caught catfish and turtles. Interestingly, my grandfather pronounced turtles as "turkles."
The trot lines were baited with large minnows (pronounced "minners" in KY), small panfish, frogs, baby birds, and even lye soap.
On one run of the trot lines a large turtle was hooked and thankfully came unhooked just as my grandfather attempted to lift the bushel basket size reptile into an 8 foot flat bottom boat. I guess my unexpressed glee cancelled out his extreme and vocal disappointment.
My grandfather caught several 5-10 pound catfish and could clean them either by skinning or scalding the skin off with a tea kettle of boiling water.
He once remarked that a channel catfish would stay alive in a wet gunny sack located under a shade tree. I never saw this attempted.
In many ways Graham Creek, located in Jennings County, and several other counties, in Southern Indiana, was like a later day Eden to me in my years between seven and twenty. A few, all too short, visits have been made over the years of adulthood. Having passed the Biblical three score and ten age I painfully wonder if my last visit was indeed my last visit.
Many a happy moment was spent dreaming of doing a photo rich book about the Graham Creek during all seasons of the year. Time and distance has put a permanent halt on this ambitious plan.
Though it flows for miles, I doubt if I every covered more that five miles of its rocky cliffs and tree lined shore. I think I was in a boat on this stream of dreams only once. I waded large stretches on several days and even a few nights.
My love and fascination with flowing waters, great and small, is perhaps an inherited DNA trait from my maternal grandfather in KY, the place of my birth and early rearing.
The famous Green River in KY was the training laboratory where I was introduced to fishing with long cane poles and trot lines that caught catfish and turtles. Interestingly, my grandfather pronounced turtles as "turkles."
The trot lines were baited with large minnows (pronounced "minners" in KY), small panfish, frogs, baby birds, and even lye soap.
On one run of the trot lines a large turtle was hooked and thankfully came unhooked just as my grandfather attempted to lift the bushel basket size reptile into an 8 foot flat bottom boat. I guess my unexpressed glee cancelled out his extreme and vocal disappointment.
My grandfather caught several 5-10 pound catfish and could clean them either by skinning or scalding the skin off with a tea kettle of boiling water.
He once remarked that a channel catfish would stay alive in a wet gunny sack located under a shade tree. I never saw this attempted.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
"Help! I've Fallen.......
Letter I sent to local newspaper:
Letters to
editor:
Help! I’ve
fallen through a worm hole into an alternate universe and I can’t get back.
The
alternate universe where I now find myself is completely void of any historical
understanding of the reasons which motivated the early pilgrims to come to the
New World. Even most 5th graders know they came seeking freedom of
religious expression. The first amendment to our Constitution clearly states
this freedom from governmental control.
Yet, the
vice-president of this alternate universe urges religious leaders to make gun
control a moral issue and make this a topic of sermons and other religious instruction.
In my original universe I know of no religious leader who receives spiritual
guidance or message content from this vice-president or any other governmental
spokesperson. Ironically, these same government voices are deathly silent on
moral issues such as abortion.
Within this
alternate universe there is an explosive and growing scandal on the unthinkable
abuse of IRS power aimed at silencing political opposition. One questionnaire
sent to a pro-life organization seeking tax exempt status asked to describe the
content of their members’ prayers! At the very least, this intrusion shows
incredible insensitivity and at worst, seems to reflect an unwarranted and
dangerous assumption of Divine prerogative.
Neither
Dorothy nor Toto can get me home. My certain deliverance is best expressed,
“Lead me to that Rock that is higher than I.”
"NOTHIN' BUT A FINE TOOTH COMB"
WITH THE CONTINUOUS PARADE OF REPO TRUCKS AND LOST JOBS, THIS CLASSIC LOUIE ARMSTRONG SONG COMES TO MIND:
BILL BAILEY WON'T YOU COME HOME
BILL BAILEY WON'T YOU COME HOME
Well, won't you come home, Bill Bailey
Won't you come home?
I moaned the whole night long
I'll do the cookin; honey
I'll pay the rent
I know I done you wrong
Won't you come home?
I moaned the whole night long
I'll do the cookin; honey
I'll pay the rent
I know I done you wrong
Yeah! Remember that rainy evenin'
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
Well, won't you come home, Bill Bailey
Won't you come home?
I moaned the whole night long
I'll do the cookin; honey
I'll pay the rent
I know I done you wrong
Won't you come home?
I moaned the whole night long
I'll do the cookin; honey
I'll pay the rent
I know I done you wrong
Yeah! Remember that rainy evenin'
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
Well remember that rainy evenin'
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
I threw you out
With nothin' but a fine tooth comb
Yeah! I know I'm to blame
Well, ain't it a shame
Bill Bailey, won't you please come home?
LOVE
The ultimate book of love is the Bible. The ultimate expression of love is God giving His only Son. The ultimate gift of love is what Jesus did for mankind on the Cross.
Friday, May 17, 2013
THANK YOU DEAR READERS !!!
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL READERS OF THIS BLOG. STATS SHOW THERE ARE READERS FROM SEVERAL COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THOSE REGULAR READERS THAT ALWAYS SEEM TO BE THE FIRST TO READ EACH NEW POST.
AGE HAS NOT NECESSARILY MADE ME SMARTER; HOWEVER, AGE HAS BROADENED MY SCOPE OF INTERESTS AND IN SOME CASES, DEEPENED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS THAT SEEM INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I READILY ADMIT THAT SOME POSTS BORDER ON THE SILLY AND NONSENSE. YOUR CONTINUED FORGIVENESS IS APPRECIATED.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THOSE REGULAR READERS THAT ALWAYS SEEM TO BE THE FIRST TO READ EACH NEW POST.
AGE HAS NOT NECESSARILY MADE ME SMARTER; HOWEVER, AGE HAS BROADENED MY SCOPE OF INTERESTS AND IN SOME CASES, DEEPENED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS THAT SEEM INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I READILY ADMIT THAT SOME POSTS BORDER ON THE SILLY AND NONSENSE. YOUR CONTINUED FORGIVENESS IS APPRECIATED.
A PRETTY GOOD YOU TUBE SUMMARY OF EARLY ROCK & ROLL
CHECK IT OUT, NOT BAD, GO TO YOU TUBE AND CHECK IT OUT. INSERT THE FOLLOWING"
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Get Me A Cap and Gown !!!!!!!
Our oldest grandson graduated from high school this week. Our daughter from Boston came in for her nephew's big night. Outside the auditorium after the graduation ceremony was completed, she told me, "Dad, a man just gave my nephew a $100 bill."
I immediately said to her, "Get me a cap and gown!!!"
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Day My Youth Went Away
Try as I might I can't recall the day
When my powers of youth went away
Could it be years that caused decline
When passion and vigor were sublime
It seemed once time was suspended
Things of mind and body never ended
Like air leaking from a bright balloon
The effervescence was lost too soon
"Tomorrow might never be mine"
Sunday, May 12, 2013
"A SONG OF SUCCESS"---Robert Service V. 2.0
Here is another poem that captures the very essence of growing from youth to old age. This is another reason I so enjoy the poems of Robert Service. Please read and see if it applies to you:
A Song Of Success
Ho! we were strong, we were swift, we were brave.
Youth was a challenge, and Life was a fight.
All that was best in us gladly we gave,
Sprang from the rally, and leapt for the height.
Smiling is Love in a foam of Spring flowers:
Harden our hearts to him -- on let us press!
Oh, what a triumph and pride shall be ours!
See where it beacons, the star of success!
Cares seem to crowd on us -- so much to do;
New fields to conquer, and time's on the wing.
Grey hairs are showing, a wrinkle or two;
Somehow our footstep is losing its spring.
Pleasure's forsaken us, Love ceased to smile;
Youth has been funeralled; Age travels fast. (Emphasis mine)
Sometimes we wonder: is it worth while?
There! we have gained to the summit at last.
Aye, we have triumphed! Now must we haste,
Revel in victory . . . why! what is wrong?
Life's choicest vintage is flat to the taste --
Are we too late? Have we laboured too long?
Wealth, power, fame we hold . . . ah! but the truth:
Would we not give this vain glory of ours (Emphasis mine)
For one mad, glad year of glorious youth, (I would settle for a few weeks)
Life in the Springtide, and Love in the flowers.
This poem is very much like looking into a mirror for me. It captures where I am in life and how I feel. Poetry that appeals to me always causes me to ask, "How did anyone know how I felt?"
Youth was a challenge, and Life was a fight.
All that was best in us gladly we gave,
Sprang from the rally, and leapt for the height.
Smiling is Love in a foam of Spring flowers:
Harden our hearts to him -- on let us press!
Oh, what a triumph and pride shall be ours!
See where it beacons, the star of success!
Cares seem to crowd on us -- so much to do;
New fields to conquer, and time's on the wing.
Grey hairs are showing, a wrinkle or two;
Somehow our footstep is losing its spring.
Pleasure's forsaken us, Love ceased to smile;
Youth has been funeralled; Age travels fast. (Emphasis mine)
Sometimes we wonder: is it worth while?
There! we have gained to the summit at last.
Aye, we have triumphed! Now must we haste,
Revel in victory . . . why! what is wrong?
Life's choicest vintage is flat to the taste --
Are we too late? Have we laboured too long?
Wealth, power, fame we hold . . . ah! but the truth:
Would we not give this vain glory of ours (Emphasis mine)
For one mad, glad year of glorious youth, (I would settle for a few weeks)
Life in the Springtide, and Love in the flowers.
This poem is very much like looking into a mirror for me. It captures where I am in life and how I feel. Poetry that appeals to me always causes me to ask, "How did anyone know how I felt?"
Thursday, May 9, 2013
// THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT //
OK. I'M A SUCKER FOR KIDS SHOWING OFF SOME SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT SKILLS.
RECENTLY, AT OUR GRAND DAUGHTER'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD THEIR SPRING TALENT SHOW. YES, OUR GRAND DAUGHTER WAS IN IT. ALL KINDS OF ACTS:
* SINGERS
* MUSICIANS
* STAND UP COMICS
* DRAMA SKITS
* DANCERS
The show stopper was a 2nd grade girl who did a great tap dance routine. Circumstances worked out that I got to talk with her and her grandmother. A very sweet and humble girl that has loads of talent and may have a possible future in the entertainment world.
Yes, I have a bias toward kids that have the courage to try to stretch their comfort zone and try something different.
RECENTLY, AT OUR GRAND DAUGHTER'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD THEIR SPRING TALENT SHOW. YES, OUR GRAND DAUGHTER WAS IN IT. ALL KINDS OF ACTS:
* SINGERS
* MUSICIANS
* STAND UP COMICS
* DRAMA SKITS
* DANCERS
The show stopper was a 2nd grade girl who did a great tap dance routine. Circumstances worked out that I got to talk with her and her grandmother. A very sweet and humble girl that has loads of talent and may have a possible future in the entertainment world.
Yes, I have a bias toward kids that have the courage to try to stretch their comfort zone and try something different.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
"Trying to get a Glimpse"
I started loving Southern Gospel music hanging around my cousins while in grade school.
My family and I have logged many hours at Southern Gospel concerts. Our all time favorite GRedral Quartet from Stowe, OH.
My family and I have logged many hours at Southern Gospel concerts. Our all time favorite GRedral Quartet from Stowe, OH.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Y2K AND HORROR STORIES WITH IT
TURN YOUR MEMORY TAPE BACK TO THE DAYS JUST BEFORE Y2K MIDNIGHT.
THESE ARE TRUE STORIES FROM THAT EVENT.
1. There were dire predictions prior to Y2K: Planes would fall out of the sky. Banks would not work. All computer and security systems would fail. All electric power would be lost. Anything electric was predicted to fail. Civil unrest was sure to follow on the heels of Y2K.
2. In the county where we live there was a para-military group that the sheriff and his deputies thought was just waiting to take over the county when mass outages would occur. Of course none of this happened. I knew a deputy that was in on the response team.
3. A very educated and rational couple and their children moved to an acreage in the country that was near a ready made supply of wood to power their wood heating and cook stoves. They had thousands of dollars invested in the stoves and survival gear. The folks were not nut jobs. I know the woman had an advanced degree and was as sure as her husband that we would be near the end of civilization.
4. Our son-in-law was the IT guru for the US Senate Credit Union in D.C. (Yes, they have their own credit union.) The ATMs were sure to lock up and our son-in-law had a safe full of money in the trunk of his car that he was prepared to deliver to our senators should they not be able to get money out of the ATMs. He worked 30 straight hours for a crisis that never happened.
5. Finally, (there are witnesses to this) about 9pm on New Year's Eve a man and some of his family members were out driving when they spotted a group of about a dozen teenagers walking harmlessly on the sidewalk. The driver was so keyed up about the Y2K predictions he exclaimed to all in the car, "There goes a band of undisciplined youth!"
THESE ARE TRUE STORIES FROM THAT EVENT.
1. There were dire predictions prior to Y2K: Planes would fall out of the sky. Banks would not work. All computer and security systems would fail. All electric power would be lost. Anything electric was predicted to fail. Civil unrest was sure to follow on the heels of Y2K.
2. In the county where we live there was a para-military group that the sheriff and his deputies thought was just waiting to take over the county when mass outages would occur. Of course none of this happened. I knew a deputy that was in on the response team.
3. A very educated and rational couple and their children moved to an acreage in the country that was near a ready made supply of wood to power their wood heating and cook stoves. They had thousands of dollars invested in the stoves and survival gear. The folks were not nut jobs. I know the woman had an advanced degree and was as sure as her husband that we would be near the end of civilization.
4. Our son-in-law was the IT guru for the US Senate Credit Union in D.C. (Yes, they have their own credit union.) The ATMs were sure to lock up and our son-in-law had a safe full of money in the trunk of his car that he was prepared to deliver to our senators should they not be able to get money out of the ATMs. He worked 30 straight hours for a crisis that never happened.
5. Finally, (there are witnesses to this) about 9pm on New Year's Eve a man and some of his family members were out driving when they spotted a group of about a dozen teenagers walking harmlessly on the sidewalk. The driver was so keyed up about the Y2K predictions he exclaimed to all in the car, "There goes a band of undisciplined youth!"
LIKE A BIRD OUT OF A CAGE
My guess is that most of the readers of this Blog have had limited contact with persons who are incarcerated.
My duties as a pastor regularly bring me into contact with convicts and ex-convicts. Several of our church kids have relatives that are behind bars. The pain on their little faces is heartbreaking.
Recently, a lady who had just been released from a state facility attended the church where I pastor. Her joy on being on the outside is hard to put into words. Her eyes and smile said it all. A million dollars could not purchase a smile like she had.
I pray I will approach each new day with the same excitement and wonder she is now experiencing.
Each day is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father.
My duties as a pastor regularly bring me into contact with convicts and ex-convicts. Several of our church kids have relatives that are behind bars. The pain on their little faces is heartbreaking.
Recently, a lady who had just been released from a state facility attended the church where I pastor. Her joy on being on the outside is hard to put into words. Her eyes and smile said it all. A million dollars could not purchase a smile like she had.
I pray I will approach each new day with the same excitement and wonder she is now experiencing.
Each day is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father.
Friday, May 3, 2013
A PROFOUND AND IMPORTANT MESSAGE !!!!!!!!!
While waiting at a SONIC drive-in for my large vanilla diet coke, with very light ice, I picked up a book of Robert Service's poems that I frequently carry in my car. In his "Sentimental Shark" poem there is the following line that stabbed me in the heart:
"Time sorta makes you get used to you"
(Emphasis mine)
At the age of most of the readers of this blog it is well for each to ask ourselves if we are prepared for life's ultimate destination. Simply stated: All of our best efforts will not warrant spending eternity in Heaven. (See Ephesians 2: 8-9)
I think I mentioned in an earlier Post that I once heard a black pastor pray, "Lord, save me from me."
Glenn <><
"Time sorta makes you get used to you"
(Emphasis mine)
At the age of most of the readers of this blog it is well for each to ask ourselves if we are prepared for life's ultimate destination. Simply stated: All of our best efforts will not warrant spending eternity in Heaven. (See Ephesians 2: 8-9)
I think I mentioned in an earlier Post that I once heard a black pastor pray, "Lord, save me from me."
Glenn <><
THE CUT-OFF NOTICE
Bad news, even expected bad news, never arrives without considerable regret
Forgiveness comes from family, friends, and even total strangers we just met
Forgiveness comes from family, friends, and even total strangers we just met
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Bad Economy & Reality Hits Kids Toys V. 2.0
BE THE FIRST KID ON YOUR BLOCK TO REPO ALL THE TOYS ON YOUR BLOCK !!!
Matchbox has a new die cast Rollback Repo Wrecker Truck.
Just think of the possibilities.
A young boy can repo his brother's Matchbox cars
and trucks while his brother is sleeping, outside playing, or otherwise distracted. (This is just like the real world!)
When the brother complains and cries, the boy with the Repo Matchbox can say, "I am sorry, you missed too many payments!"
This one is even better: While on a sleepover the entire box of toys of the host boy can be repoed and again when he complains, just like the real world he can say, "I am sorry, you missed too many payments!"
Matchbox has a new die cast Rollback Repo Wrecker Truck.
Just think of the possibilities.
A young boy can repo his brother's Matchbox cars
and trucks while his brother is sleeping, outside playing, or otherwise distracted. (This is just like the real world!)
When the brother complains and cries, the boy with the Repo Matchbox can say, "I am sorry, you missed too many payments!"
This one is even better: While on a sleepover the entire box of toys of the host boy can be repoed and again when he complains, just like the real world he can say, "I am sorry, you missed too many payments!"
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
WHAT IS OLD COUNTRY MUSIC ABOUT? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED
IN A FEW WORDS. IT'S ABOUT
- BARS & CARS
- PLANES & TRAINS
- FIGHTS & BIKES
- CHEERS & BEERS
- GALS & PALS
- BLAMES & GAMES
- SADS & GLADS
- RIDDLES & FIDDLES
- TEARS & BEERS
- DYING & LIEING
- RINGS & THINGS
- SWIMMIN' & WOMEN
- MEN & GIN
- BETTIN' & SWEATIN'
- WORKS & JERKS
- BOSSES & HOSSES
- TRUCKS & BUCKS
- FISHIN' & WISHIN'
- TRACTORS & ACTORS
- WALKIN' & TALKIN'
- SMOKES & JOKES
- RHYME & WINE
- LOOKIN' & COOKIN'
- RACIN' & PACIN'
- CB'S & CD'S
- NEON & LEON
- STRAYIN' & PRAYIN'
- SURVIVAL & REVIVAL
- GLASSES & PASSES
CRAZY UNCLE WALTER "GK" GIVENS v.2.0
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION
Uncle Walter
“GK” (Grassy Knoll) Givens was not your typical atypical crazy uncle that seems
to be standard issue for each American family. No sir! Uncle Walter came to
earth from his own alternate universe. Sadly, he spent much of his life
attempting to find the worm hole portal through which he must have transited
enroute to a troubled sphere called Earth.
Older family
members summarily dismissed the Star Trek explanation for his bizarre behavior;
instead, they point to a head first fall from Miss Carrie Sutton’s prize apple
tree when Walter was six years old. He was in a coma for nine days and when he
awoke he told of a fantastic voyage from somewhere in the night sky to Earth.
He, and the people that knew him, was never the same.
At age 12 he
created a firestorm by writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper by
stating there was a huge conspiracy between Santa, the Tooth Fair, and the
Easter Bunny and the seven dentists in his town. Later, at age 16 he accused
the TV and radio weathermen of getting a kickback from area grocery stores each
time snow or other bad weather was forecast. To prove his point he went from
grocery store parking lot to grocery store parking lot counting cars after a
forecast of bad weather. He stated there was an almost 100 percent correlation.
As he grew
older his conspiracy theories grow bolder. He believed in December, 1963 the
JFK assassination involved a second shooter on the grassy knoll.
Much of what
he learned about conspiracies he picked up from the late night “Coast to Coast
AM” radio broadcast. He slept until 11am most days.
A year after
the tragedy in Dallas, when ZIP codes were implemented, he knew the codes were
a sneaky communist plot to sub-divide the United States into easy to rule cells
after the USSR defeated the USA in a threatened preemptive nuclear strike.
In addition
to conspiracy theories, he made several “outside the box” deductions. One was
to reduce the school dropout age to 14 from the present 16. His reasoning went
like this: When a student drops out of school at 16 they realize their mistake
later but are too embarrassed to return to school at 18 or 19. Therefore, if
they drop out sooner they will be more likely to come back to school later!
School dropouts
were of major concern to Uncle “GK”. He read a study that said many boys left
school early to work full time so they could keep a car on the road. Well, why
not have the government subsidize teen car owners to keep them in school? He
said it could be called Medi CAR!
Since UFO’s,
Greens, and Greys, are real we need to start communicating with them. But how?
Uncle “GK” figured the only universal constant is the mathematical concept of
Pi. He convinced a couple of dozen true believers to join him on a hilltop
outside of town to use their car headlights to flash “3.14” in International
Morse code for two hours each night for a week. No answer ever came. It appears
he had not thought this through too well---why would an advanced civilization know
or even care about the International Morse code?
Of course
the moon landing was faked, Elvis was alive and owned a Krispy Kreme donut
store in Detroit, and alchemy was a subject that should be taught in every high
school and college.
He believed
the government was keeping secret the radio power transmission experiments of Nikola
Tsela to protect big oil and the electric industry. He made a feeble attempt to
duplicate the experiments and only succeeded in knocking out power to all the
homes in three blocks around his old two story home.
One of his
prize projects was trying to develop a biodegradable bubble gum. He field
tested his work in most of the parking lots in town. All of the bubble gum
remained as planted. The only outcome was four letter words from men and women
walking to and from their cars in the parking lots.
At one
family reunion he brought a bologna covered cheese and macaroni casserole.
Strangely enough the kids loved it. No adult would try it.
His best suit of clothes was a ‘70s lime green
leisure suit. He always wore the suit to weddings, funerals, and when he was
called for jury duty. He was called three times but didn’t survive the first
round.
This poster
man for crazy uncles never married. He had one date while in high school. Late
at night, almost every night, he thought of the girl of his one night date and
wondered if she had married, had children, grand kids and whether she was happy.
He hoped she was as happy as he was. His only regret in life was that he had
never kissed any female but his departed mother. This nightly fleeting thought
was always quickly replaced by his current project or an idea that no one had
ever thought about. Crazy Uncle “GK” slept the sound sleep of a happy man and
looked forward to each new day.
Glenn
<><
"Kinda of a clinger to old sad songs"
Once more I confess to being an unabashed lover of Old Country music. George and Dolly combine to tell George's life story in song.
If you liked George Jones and/or Dolly this is for you. The instrumentals are super.
Check it out and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV_1y5diNEo
If you liked George Jones and/or Dolly this is for you. The instrumentals are super.
Check it out and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV_1y5diNEo
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