Month: July 2005 (page 1 of 5)

…and all is right in the world! The Atlanta Braves complete a sweep of the Washington Expos Nationals, and are in first place by three!

It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-George Eliot

Funny, but often true observation from Starbucks Gossip about what should be done with “those” customers. (And you know who you are!)

Check this out…

at that moment I realized that each Starbucks store needs a “Bad Barista” — a tough guy who wears a black apron and deals with the kind of Starbucks customers I don’t like.

I just re-discovered this famous quote from Ernest Hemingway’s preface to The Short Stories…

In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with. But I would rather have it bent and dull and know I had to put it on the grindstone again and hammer it into shape and put a whetstone to it, and know that I had something to write about, than to have it bright and shining and nothing to say, or smooth and well-oiled in the closet, but unused.

Actually, multiple “+”s for today…

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
-Albert Einstein

To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.
-T. S. Eliot

A person is only as big as the dream they dare to live.
-Unknown

What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this.
-Epictetus (55-135 AD) Roman Philosopher

Thanks to all who’ve prayed for my dad. My mom was pretty much amazed by and very grateful for the fact that people who don’t even know my dad were praying! (Side note to my brother: “Amazin’, ain’t it, Tom?!?!?”)

Anyway, they released my dad from the hospital yesterday after a CT scan didn’t show anything. They sent him home, forbade him from taking his daily aspirin, and they will see him sometime next week for that bladder scan thing. When I talked to my mom just a few minutes ago, my dad was washing dishes, and he had been out and about, pretty much as normal, except with a catheter.

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers. It ain’t over yet, apparently, but it ain’t immediately life-threatening right now, either.

I’m a dabbler, a dilettante, if you will, in a lot of things. Jack of all, master of none, you get the idea…

Anyway, I’ve always kind of liked photography, though I’ve never been real serious about it.

I started out with a Polaroid Big Swinger that I “inherited” from my brother. Graduated later to a Kodak Ektra 1 (remember 110 film and FlipFlash?). Then, one of our wedding gifts to ourselves was the Nikon FG-20.

Just this week, I inherited a Vivitar ViviCam 5385 – this time from “The Boy” who got a new one – but that’s story for another day – some people have all the luck.

Anyway, most of my photography has been snapshot stuff of family gatherings, drum corps shows, vacations, and the like. Nothing real profound or beautiful or whatever.

This morning, while looking for something else, I came across a link to LIFE Magazine’s digital photography feature, 100 Photographs That Changed the World. I’m not sure I agree with all their picks, but there are some pretty poignant and significant images there.

It is true, that old saying, how many words one good picture is worth…

Earlier this month, I posted that I was enjoying looking at listening to Diana Krall and her The Girl in the Other Room CD. It’s on again in the background this morning, and these lyrics from “Narrow Daylight” just grabbed me…

I ran up through the rocks to the old wooden cross
It’s a place where I can find some peace

Peace, indeed…

A lot of “church folks” are concerned about a lot of “church issues.” One of the hot-button issues in our tribe of late has been what the future looks like as one generation of leaders “passes the baton” to the next.

A lot folks are saying a lot of things, but what are they – we? – really doing about it?

Joe Thorn says at least seven good actions are taking place right now.

Thanks, Marty Duren, for the link.

Ah, the 80s! When Michael Jackson was still a talented young black man, instead of a washed-up, butt-ugly white woman! (Only in America…!)

Ah, the 80s! When MTV still played music! Like one of my favorite videos by Aha!

Watch what happens when Family Guy takes a trip back to an 80s video parallel universe. Too funny!

BTW, the MilkandCookies folks include the original “Take On Me” video for comparison. Click on the Aha! link above…