20100714

Wednesday Wickedness - 20100714

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked George Steinbrenner (who passed away Tuesday morning at age 80). Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

1. "But why shouldn't I speak out? Don't you speak out in this country?" Do you speak out as often as you should?
I tend to bite my tongue more often than not.  Growing up, and even as a young man, i found that my opinion was usually wrong or unwanted so now i prefer to keep my opinions to my self.  That is unless i am talking with my beloved... or blogging.

2. "I am tough. Sometimes I'm unreasonable. I have to catch myself every once in a while." Are you ever tough and unreasonable?
Just ask my Beloved. To be honest, i don't think i am.  In my opinion i say what i mean, and i mean what i say.  Sometimes what i will ask for is not fair, and i will share that i know this, but i still need it to happen and i appreciate the effort.

3. "I haven't always done a good job, and I haven't always been successful - but I know that I have tried." Do you believe that sometimes you learn more from a failure than a success?
Indeed i do.  If one succeeds to quickly the tendency will be to redo the same action as before and thus perhaps inhibit the desire to learn other ways of doing it.  One of the other ways can either lead to new discoveries, or a better way to make a widget.  Lessons can be learned from any result, if one is willing to take the time to evaluate the results.

4. "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next." Do you feel that you always have to win?
No sir i do not.  For me the only desired result i have when i am playing a game with friends is to enjoy their company.  The only time where i feel winning is important is in war.  When it comes to that it my objective to give the other side every opportunity to exercise their right to die for their country.  When the sword is unsheathed it should not be the objective to fight upon an equal footing, the objective to is to inflict as much violence upon the opposition so as to overwhelm it.

5. "It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk.” Do you think money always buys greatness?
Nope!  Well, i take that back.  The Yankees play in a sport where there i no salary cap and thus you can just look at the achievements Mr. Steinbrenner's money has bought.  However, if you look at the Washington Redskins, it becomes obvious that the owner there has NOT been able to buy such goals.  Money is a tool, and required in almost any long term goal, and can be misapplied.  However, if applied correctly, it goes a long way.

6. "I take my last phone call at home at about 11pm." What time is too late to call you?
Anytime after 2100 hours (9 PM for those not accustomed to the 24 hour clock).I prefer to rise early, get most of my objectives done by noon, and pretty much be winding up my day no later than 1800 (6 PM).  By 2100 i am winding down and wanting to close the eyes - or just spend quiet time with my family and/or my Beloved.

7. "Don't talk to me about aesthetics or tradition. Talk to me about what sells and what's good right now." Do you think tradition matters?
I LOVE tradition, i love the familiar, i love to be able to just enjoy the setting and atmosphere that the familiar brings.  However, there are times when one has to be (and i can't believe i am going to say this publicly) flexible.  Sometimes new things need to be tried and experienced in order to get to where you are going.

8. "And what the American people like is to think the underdog still has a chance." Do you tend to root for the underdog?
I do.  When the New Orleans Saints made it past the first round of the playoffs last year i was pulling for them to go all the way.  When the New England Patriots first started winning Super Bowls i was like, YES!  It is great to see an underdog overcome the Goliath because in all seriousness, if the Goliath had not been prideful, had been taking care of their own business - more often than not... the underdog is going home having not achieved the goal.  But when a "David" steps out on to the field, and the Goliath takes a moment to pause and not overlook the opponent, and the underdog still wins!  Just awesome.

9. "I don't think I ever could exceed my father's successes. He was a completely satisfied man, he knew what he wanted to accomplish and he accomplished it. I did do a lot, though, to try to please him." Do you ever feel that you want to exceed your parents successes?
When i was younger i never set a goal to exceed my parents.  I wanted to find out where i could go, what i could do.  Success is really a relative term.  At one point in my career i opted to take a 20% and a 2 paygrade cut in order to be able to be home with my family in the evenings.  To me, that is success.  To be honest, i am not even sure what my parents thought "success" was, or if they ever achieved it, and i am not one to really determine if they were successful or not.

10. "I'm really 95 percent Mr. Rogers, and only 5 percent Oscar the Grouch." In terms of cartoon characters, who are you like?
That is an interesting question...  i really have no idea.  This would be a question better presented to friends and family than myself.  When i was younger Grover was my favorite Muppet.  I also felt a "kinship" (if you will) to the Elves in the Comic Elf Quest and Wolverine of the X-men.







20100713

Rambling for Ramblings Sake

My apologies, to those who come by this blog, for my diminished frequency that i post blogs of late.  So many things in the 'real world' are going on it is distracting, but it will contribute nicely to the ramblingness of today's offering.

To start off, i had a song that i wanted to use for my Music Monday 'feature', but i am drawing a blank trying to remember the title of the song, let alone the artist that recorded it. It went along with the sermon on Jonah that our Pastor was preaching on yesterday, and again next week.  I had it all written down and everything.  but then my notes got washed in the sink, so i laid it out to dry on our deck... gone.  I will still try and post it, because i really liked the song... so my Music Monday might not get posted till tomorrow... or Thursday...

Have i mentioned recently that i am really liking MouseHunt on facebook?  So far i have been able to feed two "addictions" at once.  For every new type of mouse i catch, i add a piece of flair to my collection, which is helpful in that regard because changes in my daily routines, etc., have somewhat limited my searching for new pieces of flair of late.  Right now i am hunting in the Catacombs where i am finding a lot of mice like the Terror Knight and Spider Mouse.  There are two more area to hunt in here, but from all of the advice i have been able to find, i am going to need the ACRoNYM (Arcane Capturing Rod of Never Yielding Mystery) trap.  This puppy is expensive, but like i've said before, this is not a game where things are just handed to you.  You must be patient, you must be willing to try and figure things out, and you must be willing to seek advice from more experienced players, and sometimes you just have to be patient and put in plain ol' time to get where you need to go.  In my case i need some gold for this next trap... and i know i am going to have to revisit an "old" location to get the last component.  I share this, not because anyone really cares, but because it's of interest to me.

For the past several weeks the area in which i live has been going through a dry-spell.  Some intense heat and little rain makes it for a brownish summer.  It is looking like we might actually get some today, but then i smelled that "rain smell" last week too.  We got some, but not enough.  I am glad only because i've not had to mow my grass in near 100 degree (Fahrenheit) heat.  Still, that smell is one reason i like Thunderstorms so much.  I am one of very few of those who prefer it to rain more than not.  Maybe i need to consider a move to Seattle someday...   Nah... i love the Shenandoah too much.


I have been slowly working my way through Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend, What is the Gospel, and The Path of the Warrior.  The first, and the last books, have been on hold as i have been focusing on just reading and meditating on the basics of my faith of late.What is the Gospel has been a very good down to Earth book for me.  As i walk out my faith in Christ i learn more and  more of just how awesome the grace of God really is.  You see, i am an addict to sin.  My flesh craves it.  Ever since i tasted my own piece of fruit from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" i have struggled with this fight.  It would seem that i am still learning what it means that in my weakness He is strong.  When the man who came out to fix my A/C unit we had a really good conversation about the things of God.  It also refreshed my desire to seek to know, and more importantly BE known, by God.  I do not want to walk through my whole life going this way and that, doing things in Christ's name... and never be known by God.  (Matthew 7:21-23)  How is a relationship developed, how is it maintained?  By spending time with one another.  Spending time in God's Word, by spending time in prayer with God.  To my shame, i have neglected that time with Him... but i am working on improving on that.  By His grace and mercy it is possible.

One of the fruits of my (not nearly enough) increased amount of time spent with the Lord, has been movement on a project of mine.  A while back i saw a special on the life of Miyamoto Musashi. He is considered the epitome of the samurai of ancient Japan, and while he is decidedly NOT a Christian, i have found some nuggets of wisdom from him, especially in his Book of 5 Rings.  Well, in this special i first learned of the a work titled "The Way of Walking Alone", written one week before his death of stomach cancer in 1645.  It is a list of twenty one "maxims" that he worked on summarizing up what it takes to be a master of The Way.  As i aspire to be a Christian samurai (i.e. i want to walk out my service to my Lord Jesus Christ in a way very similar to that of the devotion of the feudal samurai), i have been reading over and meditating on what God's Word has to say in those areas.  To be honest, some of it has been a challenge, but as i have meditated on God's Word and the 'maxim's', God has been showing me His Word and what it has to say.  Very good stuff in my opinion.  This has both been good for me personally, but bad for my blogging because it has taken up a lot of time, and we all know men only have a very limited number of words to share in any given day...   I am hoping to have the first contribution posted to share in the next two to three weeks (i am not only trying to get my thoughts down on the subject, but to have one or two people help me proof it before i post it).  I've also noticed that it has been interfering (in a good way) with my short story writing... thus also giving me more time to read Gav Thorpe's book so i can do more "research" on my characters.





20100711

Microfiction Monday - 20100712

Welcome to Microfiction Monday,
where a picture paints 140 characters, or even fewer.


I know i told that man to buy RED hair dye, this is obviously Chestnut.

"HARRY!  YOU GOT THE WRONG HAIR DYE!"

  "What?"

"YOU GOT THE WRONG DYE!"

"You want me to die?!?"

SIGH





*
Your Turn!
*
About Microfiction Monday

Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer.

Hate counting letters and spaces? Try Design 215's character counter, which will count for you as you type. Microsoft Word will count for you too, of course, as part of its word count feature under the 'Review' tab.
Photos will be from my own archives; illustrations are from Dover Publications' free clipart sample newsletter.

And finally, why 140? A whole new fiction market has arisen via mobile phone texting and Twitter, who limits 'tweets' to 140 characters including spaces and punctuation. It's fast, it's fiction, it's fun. 


20100707

Wednesday Wickedness - 20100707

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked Robert Pattinson. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

1. "I don't really see the point in washing your hair. If you don't care if your hair's clean or not then why would you wash it?" How often do you wash your hair?
Um... EVERY DAY!  And i keep it SHORT!  Like if icangrabitinbetweenmyfingersitistoolong short!  Don't get me wrong, i am not a prude about it... but for me i have to wash my hair every day.  If i don't, it itches!  If you are not going to wash your hair, and i can smell it, don't get offended if i start carrying around a perfume bag like they did in Colonial times either.

 2. "I take way too long to get dressed, like way too long. But only for things like shows or if I have to do public appearances. Like, I’m ridiculous, I’ll keep getting changed and getting changed and then I’ll just put on the same thing I wore the day before." Do you take longer to dress for a special event?
Indeed i do.  Especially if i am with my Beloved.  I want to make sure i am complimenting what she is wearing.  Other than that, i don't care.  I used to care when i was in uniform because then i was not representing just myself there either.  But just for me... i don't care.

3. "My dad's a car dealer, but I grew up in London, so I always say I don't drive…I get driven. I got a driving lesson in Oregon, and then I bought a car in L.A. and I basically learned how to drive by people honking at me. I'm terrible at driving." Are you a good driver?

LOL - i once read that 80% of drivers believe they are an above average driver.  We all know that cannot be the case.  I consider my self a good driver, but i have not always been, and i am not always now.  Driving is something that requires 100% of your attention, anything less than that there is a potential for disaster.

4. "I don't spend any money. The only thing I've really bought is my car, which cost $1,500 and keeps exploding. It would be nice to buy a house for my parents, but at the same time my parents are so comfortable where they live; they would probably just feel like it was a burden. I wear the same clothes every day and the only thing I used to splurge on was DVDs." If you had his money, what would be the first thing you spent it on?
I would pay off my mortgage. Right now that is the only recurring monthly bill (other than credit card bills, but those are paid off in FULL every month.  After that i would really like to set up 'recurring giving' accounts.  Basically accounts where the interest alone would be substantial amounts of money to be given, and then in the will what ever organization the account was for would get the account balance.

5. "I aspire to be Jack Nicholson. I love every single mannerism. I used to try and be him in virtually everything I did, I don't know why. I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when I was about 13, and I dressed like him. I tried to do his accent. I did everything like him. I think it's kind of stuck with me." Who is your favorite actor?
Over all Tom Hanks is my favorite actor.  With the exception of "The Road to Perdition" (i couldn't make myself watch him be a bad guy) i have loved every movie he has done.  "Forrest Gump", "Saving Private Ryan", and even "Cast Away".  "From the Earth to the Moon" - excellent series.  Nothing is coming to mind that this man has touched that i do not like.  No one is perfect, and i am not saying he is perfect, but i just really like all that he has done.

6. "Someone stole my shoelaces once from my shoes. I still wear them and never put laces in them - they're like my trademark shoes now!" Have you ever changed your appearance because of a random happenstance? 

I now love to wear my Tilley hat.  A couple of years ago i was at Hershey Park and a really hot and sunny day, when i saw a woman wearing one.  My Beloved was not sold at first, but she has come around.  It is now known as "The Hat".  I wear it almost all the time when outside.

7. "I never really considered myself attractive. I was always kind of gangly in school." Do you consider yourself attractive?
No, not really.  I have these eye brows that are incredibly thick... and at odd angles (IMO).  If you ever saw Van, from the TV series Reba, do his faux smile thing... you'd get the idea.  My smile is also weird, and my laugh...  not good.

8. "I definitely want to record an album, direct a film and start my own religion. I definitely wouldn’t have to pay taxes anymore.” If you started your own religion, what would it be like?
This is not an option to me.  My "religion" (which Webster's defines as
"a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as thecreation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and oftencontaining a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.") is Christianity.  My beliefs are not surrounded by, or about, me.  Now, if you are talking about a denomination of Christianity, i would not have to create my own because i so believe in the what Sovereign Grace Ministries, 9 Marks, Together for the Gospel, and Desiring God are doing that i would be able to forgo my career in order to find a way to plug in more directly with them.

9. "I do bear some similarities in the sense that I’m not good at romance. I also think I lack basic finesse when it comes to women. I give up too easily even if I’m very attracted to someone." Have you ever given up too easily in the game of love?
I don't think so.  The reason i say that is because i am so in love with my Beloved i cannot really see how it would have worked with any of my previous "failures" (all three of them).  There are times when i feel i am not giving enough of effort to my Love now though.

10. " I don’t want to disappoint girls who might think I’m very cool and smooth, which I’m not, I’m afraid. I’m still quite shy, although that seems to be something of an attraction for women." Are you, or have you ever been attracted to shy people?
Um... i am not really sure as i've not really thought about it.  I don't mind shy people, and i believe i give them a little extra latitude when i interact with them.  If they do not "warm" up i do eventually give them the room they seem to desire.

20100706

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?

20100704


Welcome to Microfiction Monday,
where a picture paints 140 characters, or even fewer.


Ok, look, we've only got a few seconds until they're on to us.  Do you have the data?

Transferring it now.

Next time, head to the rendezvous!

There better not be a next time!



*
Your Turn!

*
About Microfiction Monday

Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer.

Hate counting letters and spaces? Try Design 215's character counter, which will count for you as you type. Microsoft Word will count for you too, of course, as part of its word count feature under the 'Review' tab.
Photos will be from my own archives; illustrations are from Dover Publications' free clipart sample newsletter.

And finally, why 140? A whole new fiction market has arisen via mobile phone texting and Twitter, who limits 'tweets' to 140 characters including spaces and punctuation. It's fast, it's fiction, it's fun.