Random Tuesday Thoughts

One of the things i struggle with as a writer is the process of proof reading and editing.  Both when others are helping me, and when i try and do it myself.  I know if you want to do quality work it is a vital part of the process, and yet i find myself being impatient.  Yeve Eeffoc has been a WWW acquaintance who has been an incredible encouragement and help in this area.  But, she has a life of her own and sometimes my stories get lost in the shuffle, etc.  Well last week i finished up my commentary (from a Christian "samurai" perspective) of Miyamota Musashi's The Way of Walking Alone.  I asked seven friends to give it a look over and get back to me if there is anything that needs to be corrected.  It's been four and a half days!  LOL  See what i mean about not being very patient.  One person is on vacation this week, four of them i "dropped" it on them, and the other two were aware i was sending it (and so did the one going on vacation), but like i said before... they all have lives.  But i really am anxious to know what they think...

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

Over the weekend i finished a personal project.  It was a small woodshed to store firewood for the winter.  When i mean small, i mean that is only a 1/2 cord of wood in there.  I am really happy with it...proud might be a better word.  I built it with the scraps from the deck project, with the only additional materials needed were some lag screws and a sheet of plywood for the roof.  It's a really simple project, and most anyone in the world can, and do, do much bigger and complex projects, so i am not really sure why i am so 'puffed up' over this.

The movie TRON is not due out for 4 months 27 days and 16 hours (as of when this blog post will post), and i am still really looking forward to it.  I know it is just a movie, and i am not like a giddy school girl waiting for the Beatles to come, but i am also aware that there is a very good possibility that it is not going to be as good as the hype.  But i am interested in a lot of the press releases and all.  but i think that a lot of my facebook friends are thinking i am over doing it.  But this is what i do... when i am interested in something i like to learn as much as i can, and even share it on facebook.  I know the movie is also only going to be 90 minute movie, and i also know it is only a movie... so... am i doing something wrong?  I did this with The Book of Eli, and The Hobbit Movie, and my interests in Shadowrun, Flair, MouseHunt, etc.... I think i am beginning to understand why people block me on facebook... I don't really care if people like what i like, i am not trying to make them like those things, i am not trying to annoy anyone, i am not trying to boast somehow... i am only trying to share my interests... i am just being... well... me.  Is that wrong?

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Random thoughts that i am finally getting out

Both of my boys enjoy Legos, and we get a monthly magazine for some kind of Lego club thing.  Sometimes i like to thumb through it, just to live vicariously through them.  Well, this past weekend i saw a new Lego Kit based off of the Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater House.  I don't know what it is, but this house speaks to me.  I absolutely love that house.  It's been many a year since i owned a Lego set of any kind, but i wouldn't mind buying that set some day.

This past Saturday i took THUMPER and my ASPIE to a Washington Nationals game.  I had not been to a Major League game since... well, in a very long time.  8)  I have to admit, this was not because my boys were bugging me to go, but because i wanted to go.  I was born in the Washington DC area, and i have lived in the area most of my life, so there is something about it that i would like to support.  Admittedly the recent rise of Stephen Strausburg has also stirred some interest for me.  My ASPIE was exhibiting signs that he was getting stressed before the game even started, but he was a trooper.  We enjoyed four and a half innings before the sun moved enough that we were getting quite warm.  Instead of waiting for him to completely lose it i took the initiative and we left the park.  I saw no need to force him to try and sit through the whole game just because i wanted to stay.  I had had a good time, and he was very good.  Over all we had a very nice family outing.

One advantage of leaving the game a little earlier than planned was that A) i was able to drop THUMPER off at a Day Concert and Fireworks display where his "young lady of interest" and our two families were, and B) i was able to take my ASPIE home with me where we both got showers and in bed early.  Once i was in bed i opted to (finally) watch my new The Book of Eli DVD.I think i am going to have to rewatch it, and take a lot better notes, but there is a lot of things i see in that movie that i like.

Solara: " Do you really read the same book every day?"
Eli: "Without fail."
Solara: "Will you read some to me?"
Eli: (recited from memory)"The Lord is my Shepherd, i shall not want. He makes me to lie to down in green pastures. He leads my beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for His namesake. Yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i will fear no evil, for thou are with me."
Solara: "That is beautiful." 

Eli is not all that different from the "any man". He struggles with self doubt, he struggles with his own imperfection, but in the end he is doing what God has called him to do.  He reads the Bible ever day.  He perseveres in the calling God has placed on his life.  Not only all that, but he has a relationship with God - as evident with his ability to hear God talking to him.  I do not know the producer's or the director's view of Christianity as a whole, but i feel that if we step back from the setting, there is a lot to learn about our walk with Christ in and through this movie.

This made me think about my interest in Fallout 3 and MouseHunt, etc. "Funny", CJ Blogged about it just this afternoon.  I highly encourage people to go and read it: Video Games, Idols, and Your Child's Heart.  Here is a quick blurb:

Video games are one of the most influential and time consuming recreational activities in our society today. On average gamers spend 18 hours per week playing video games. This extensive time investment is reflected in the money invested in video game consoles and software. In 2009, $19.7 billion was spent on video games worldwide, $2.6 billion more than was spent on movies in both box office ticket sales and DVD sales combined.* Many parents are surprised to discover that video games generate more profit than Hollywood.

What this all means is that few children escape the influence of video games, and the temptation to idolatry.

So how can parents lead their children in such a media-crazed world?

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Ramblin Friday

This week has been absolutely insane in my real world life.  I barely got my Music Monday entry in, and Wednesday MEME is easier than coming up with all of it on my own.  I haven't had the time to add to my short stories this week either.  Fortunetly it gives me a whole lot to ramble about.

As i mentioned on Monday, my Beloved and i will be welcoming in a single mother (COWGIRL) and her two children (boy 13, girl 8).  COWGIRL has recently been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and she lives out West in a somewhat remote location.  Medical facilities are not stellar and there was limited access to top of the line Oncology resources. My Beloved and i reached out to her to offer our guestroom, etc. for her to come out here so that she can have access to Johns Hopkins and any other Oncology resources she might need.  They will be arriving tomorrow and her appointments begin in ernest next week.  Several friends have complimented my Beloved and i on taking this family in.  To be honest i am really confused as to how to respond to such praise.  It feels like this is what we should be doing, not that we are doing anything extraordinary.  God has blessed us with a home with a guestroom, and in close proximity to such resources.  She is also a close and dear friend, as opposed to a stranger.  I think i am embaressed by the praise... like it is putting the attention on me (and my family) instead of on her and her family.  And they are the ones who need the attention and support....  Not that people telling us "good job" is a bad thing... so when i try and divert the attention, and praise to God, i feel... what is the word... pious.  Like i am coming across "Holier than thou" type of deal... and, that is really not how i feel or want to convey... it's like how i feel about hugs... i guess i just need to accept them, say thank you, and move on.  In all things, to God be the glory, and i thank you all for your encouragement and support as well.

Music Monday has touched the "Big Time".  Big Mama has been granted and interview with Michael Gunger, and she is participating in a promo to give away a CD!  Click HERE to read the interview and enter in the contest.  Check it out! While i may have started this variation of a theme, Big Mama has really been a faithful participant and she draws from a much wider pool of life experiences in music.  Thank you Alise, and way to go!

With Tron Legacy coming out in December, and the possibility of actually being in Disney within a month of the release date, i am already feeling exceptionally geeky.  But, i have alse recently heard that Max Headroom is coming out on DVD for an official release on 10-August!  It is already sitting in my Amazon.com Cart, being saved for later.  I know all 100 of us here in the United States who loved this show, are pretty excited!  In my opinion Max Headroom was a major reason the Cyber Punk genre expanded as much as it did.

Speaking of DVD's, The Book of Eli is coming out on Blueray and DVD 15-June.  I really enjoyed this movie, but i have to be honest.  I will probably not buy this as soon as it hits the shelves.  Why?  Because I do not feel $25 is a good price for a DVD that does not have a whole lot of special features.  most of them are on the Blueray version - just another marketing ploy to get us to all upgrade to the newest technology.  And it does work, i can't blame it all on the manufacturers.  If we consumers would just unite some and get them to stop changing the market, etc.  Before the mid-twentieth century a lot of things stayed the same for a very long time.  If you bought the latest and greatest widget, it was most likely going to be good for as long as the widget lasted, or you no longer needed it.  Now, tech runs in 2 year cycles!  Even the IRS devalues company assets on IT faster than anything else!  If you buy a top of the line TV today, within 3 to 6 months you could have saved at least 25% on what you paid, two years your TV is "antiquated".  I am all for a free market economy, but i am seeing how and why my own father seemed so old fashioned when i was a kid.

Speaking of movies,  i have been itching to go watch Iron Man 2 with my friend RAM and DS1.  Life just keeps "getting in the way".  Meaning there are just higher priorities to heading out and seeing the latest film.  Now with COWGIRL coming in and all, maybe i can get all of us and the boys out to see it next week.  Another friend, PETRA, wants to come along as well.  I am starting to think i might be able to finagle a group discount or something. If we don't get out to see it soon, i may have to wait to see Robin Hood when it comes out on DVD.

I am going to have to wrap this up for now with a wave of thanks to my friend MOUSE, who provided me with a new/used 5 burner grill.  MOUSE is a great Chef, but he also has connections.  He will sometimes review and test items from companies.  They send him things like, oh... say a 5 burner grill, to test out and blog about, for free!  He also has at least two or three connections with food companies where they fly him out and he makes meals up and tries them out.  Simply awesome in my opinion.  I've been a blessed recipiant of his concoctions many a time.  Very tasty.  When my Beloved was pregnant with DS1 he would often come over and help us out by preparing meals.  He's been a really good friend over the years.  I was honored to be the Best Man at his wedding.  The Groom's gift to me was an engraved pocket watch.

God has indeed blessed me and my family with some wonderful friends. Life is not easy, the fall has made it so, but God gives us friends - sometimes in unlikely ways and places, in order to fellowship with.  To share each other's burdons, and to enjoy life's successes with.  I am not one to solicite prayers for myself, or even others, but i do continue to ask that you lift up COWGIRL and her family in your prayers.  I have no idea how long, or how dark this valley will be for them, but i am praying for a miraculous recovery.  A delay in the transition from earth to heaven, but if that is not what God has in mind, i pray for a peaceful transition and for grace/mercy/ and protection of her children.  That they would grow up in the fear of the Lord, and that they would be reunited in front of the Throne to worship the Savior together again.

The Ramblin' Roamer has Returned

About ten days ago now i learned that my last Grand Parent had passed away.  She was 82.  Last Friday was her funeral.  With the gracious support of my coworkers and my beloved i took off Thursday and Friday and made the nearly 1,000 mile round trip in my little 2000 Toyota Echo.  When i looked up the route via Mapquest and Yahoo Maps, i had three alternatives.  The first two took me via Pittsburgh and the Northern PanHandle of West Virginia, the last one took me through the heart of WV.  I've taken each of these paths at various points in my life and i opted for the more scenic - the latter.  Because the driving time was so long (in the end i had spent almost 20 hours - just driving) i purchased a copy of "The Lord of the Rings" on CD.  As i drove through the wooded hilly terrain i came to realize just how beautiful West Virginia is.  It made me think that both the Elves and Dwarves of Tolkien lore could live there in harmony because there would be something for both of them.  Sure, the Appalachian Mountain range is not as "grand" as the Rockies, but they are rugged in their own right.  Legolas and Gimli could live there.  One word though... make sure your tank is full, and you have snacks a plenty if you are choosy where you fill up and eat at.  While there are still quite a few options for either, the stretch between I-79 and Parkersburg was a little sparsely populated.  I am too used to seeing what is available from the highway when i am thinking about exiting. 8)

When i got back home on Saturday i was able to hang out at home with the family before heading back out to meet up with a bunch of friends for a "Guys night" that had been previously arranged.  (I had to miss the Redleg reunion breakfast that morning - also previously arranged. 8( ).  After a quick bite at Ruby Teusday's we went over to the theater to watch The Book of Eli. I was really impressed with this movie overall.  No human expression or witness will ever be perfect, but i feel that Denzel Washington did a very good job through this mainstream movie release.  There are some things i did not like in regards to my faith in Christ, and somethings i was really glad to see in there.  If you don't mind 'hard' movies, and you are a Christian, i highly recommend this movie.  I want to see it in the theater again, and i would like very much to pick this up on DVD when it comes out.



Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti last week, people have been incredibly generous to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  This was the first time i heard of being able to make a donation via a text through your cellphone.  You can donate $10 to the Red Cross simply by typing "Haiti" and sending it to 90999.  But the one that is closer to my heart is the ability to donate $10 via the same method to Habitat for Humanity.  To donate to Habitat type "Habitat" and text it to 25383.  The Red Cross does an outstanding job getting into places and helping people through the initial shock of such disasters, but Habitat for Humanity will help those who survive recover and get back to "normal" over the long haul.  Please prayerfully consider a donation today.

Lastly i would like to share a really cool video i first saw over at my fellow ADHD blogger's site, Monkeys are Funny.  While i do not think the "H" (Hyper) part really applies to me, i definitely have trouble paying attention.  When i saw this video i was like "THAT"S IT!" This young lady really explains what it's like having ADHD.

I used to dread being "labeled", which is why i have probably never tried to seek official diagnosis.  But the more i learn about what i (and others like me) go through, the more i see it as a blessing from God.  One outlet for me is writing - which i have already gone over before - and a cousin also explained it to me that it is an expression, or a display, or my Creator's gifts in me.  He has made me to be able to 'delve' if you will, to express things, to 'dissect' things visually with my mind.  I may lack in other areas (empathy with others for one), but God has shared a 'piece of Himself' if you will.  And in that i will rejoice.

Ramblings for a Tuesday

Ok, i know i was not alive when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, but how many of you all are not intrigued by all of the conspiracy talk? I have been to Dealey Plaza and the conspiracy museum there. I have watched countless specials on the History Channel and to be honest i still have no clue as to what truly happened on 22-Nov-63. In many ways i feel that we are still feeling the repercussions of that era in our political climate today. With all of the J. Edgar Hoover and FBI investigations that preceded it, and the conspiracy whispering it has bred a fed a level of distrust between the major political parties of America, not to mention the somewhat distrust of the American government and the people. I have my own thoughts as to the why and how, but the truth is i don't know for sure. I am even more unsure how this land will ever heal completely. Our little "experiment" is idling pretty rough of late. It's no wonder a Russian professor has declared that America will collapse by 2012 (read a Wall Street Journal article here). Democrats and Republicans often go at it both overtly and covertly. There are many citizens who are so deeply rooted in their belief in one party or the other they spew "poison" to anyone or thing aligned with the opposite party. Perhaps the spiral began during the Cold War right after WWII. Until we can truly get some kind of consensus in this country we will continue to lose our influence around the world. I don't have the answers, but i know what i feel... and i am not liking what i am feeling in regards to the state of my country. Ultimately my security is not found in my country, or even on this Earth. I do pray for my President, my country, my leaders, but mostly i pray for my family. That God would reveal Himself and that He would draw them close to Him. This past Sunday "my" Panthers pulled to within seven wins to make this all i'd hoped for before the season began. They managed an ugly win over a severely struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneer team. I am still not booking additional seats on the bandwagon. The next three weeks will probably set the tone of my expectations throughout the rest of the season. They host the Bills this Sunday, then they travel to Arizona and New Orleans. If they can pull of a win in 2 out of 3 of these games i may believe they will pull out a 9-7 season. This Sunday i was able to listen to the game via the NFL Mobile Live application on my cell phone. I hooked up some old computer speakers to it, and of course it was plugged into the wall for power, and listened to it while i painted DS2's room. Really cool. So, last night i am finishing up the little chores around the kitchen and i glance over at the computer to make sure it's turned off when i see that IMDB had a link to a new Book of Eli trailer! All i can say is i am even more interested in seeing this movie when it comes out in January. I know there are a lot of ways that this can spin badly for me as a Christian... but i must admit i am hooked and will most likely drop some of my money down to see it opening weekend. I have just read back over my blog for today... wow. I even took my Strattera this morning. Especially that first paragraph. I may have to limit these rambling blogs to just one or two topics at a time. In closing i did want to share that i have begun noticing an increase in my passion for the things of God of late. I hope that it has been coming through in my blogs of late.