I forgot that a few months ago a wrote an online article for the Christian Standard magazine. They assigned me a couple of texts and I did an accompanying lesson. The two texts had absolutely nothing in common, so I got a little creative. The article is based on an idea I published on this blog a couple of years ago. Yes, I am pro-recycling.
If you're interested, it can be found here [at least until Tuesday].
I am against cancer. But is Co-Co the Colossal Colon really a necessary tool in the fight against cancer?
So crawling through a enormous colon is supposed to make me get the five-hole checked out?
More than likely, it's gonna make me lose my lunch.
Let's just stick to graphics and charts in the future, OK?
We're watching Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew on MTV. We're probably not their base demographic, but the combination of DVR and the continued effects of the writer's strike pulled us in. Now we can't stop.
Anyway, the two groups we've loved throughout the show are the JabbaWockeez and Kaba Modern. Unfortunately Kaba Modern almost got kicked off tonight and both Kelly and I were rather angry. So much so that we violated the dreaded "we're-too-into-reality-television" line and voted for them online.
Guess what I'm looking for here is does anyone else watch this? And while I'm at it, how about the Celebrity Apprentice? I've been thoroughly embarrassed at Stephen Baldwin's attempt to be the poster-child of American Evangelicalism. But then again, I wasn't too worried as it seems we're the only people watching it anyway.
Man, I can't wait for The Office to come back.
On this date, in 1988, music brilliance was recognized and this song received the honor of being dubbed Billboard's number one song. Taste the greatness here.
This is why people love the eighties.
Not trying to go all Geraldine Ferraro here but, when I heard this song on the radio, I swore the guy was black.
Boy, was I shocked.
I've admitted my love of politics here before. As of late, I've been absolutely fascinated with Hillary verses Obama, so much so that I've added The Washington Post and The New York Times to my regular reading. So with no certain prejudice, I have to link to the following article just because it could be the best title I've read during this entire campaign:
SINBAD UNLOADS ON HILLARY CLINTON
Yes, that Sinbad.
This election is awesome.
With the car needing repairs, we were looking for the funds to get it fixed. Fortunately, we like tax time around here and the federal and state refunds we're due will take care of most of the costs. But still looking to defer a little more of that bill, I finally decided to get some of my money back from the state of Ohio.
When I was in high school, my father, an independent business owner, made sure his kids had their own car insurance policies. He was afraid that we'd get in an accident and someone would try to sue to get at the assets of his company [true story: my brother Chris was in an accident with some Iranians, one of which sued him for making him impotent. I guess my dad knew what he was doing].
The one thing that sucked was that, as a sixteen year-old male, the insurance was expensive. Fortunately, dad took care of the gas because the premiums were steep. As I've come to realize now, every now and then you're insurance company will kick you back some money because the company did better than they thought. Apparently, when I was not yet an adult, that money never made it's way back to me and went into some State of Ohio fund. This was one of those many "unclaimed funds" you here about the government having.
I've known a few years about this cash, a couple hundred bucks, that I never got around to claiming. But when I came across the Missing Money website, I finally got the process rolling.
But let me tell you why those funds go unclaimed: because the government makes it ridiculously difficult for you to get at it. In addition to regular ID I had to get proof of my old address [from 15 years ago], a memo from my insurance company that I was indeed insured through them back then, and get a Notary to sign off on my assertion that the money is indeed mine. Fortunately our friend Sheryl is a Notary, so she helped there, and I'll pick up a letter from my insurance company tomorrow. I'll drop it in the mail and [maybe] have that cash in hand in a few months.
Add that to the IRS letter telling me that the IRS will send me money in a future letter, and I say that I loves me some bureaucracy.
With the car needing repairs, we were looking for the funds to get it fixed. Fortunately, we like tax time around here and the federal and state refunds we're due will take care of most of the costs. But still looking to defer a little more of that bill, I finally decided to get some of my money back from the state of Ohio.
When I was in high school, my father, an independent business owner, made sure his kids had their own car insurance policies. He was afraid that we'd get in an accident and someone would try to sue to get at the assets of his company [true story: my brother Chris was in an accident with some Iranians, one of which sued him for making him impotent. I guess my dad knew what he was doing].
The one thing that sucked was that, as a sixteen year-old male, the insurance was expensive. Fortunately, dad took care of the gas because the premiums were steep. As I've come to realize now, every now and then you're insurance company will kick you back some money because the company did better than they thought. Apparently, when I was not yet an adult, that money never made it's way back to me and went into some State of Ohio fund. This was one of those many "unclaimed funds" you here about the government having.
I've known a few years about this cash, a couple hundred bucks, that I never got around to claiming. But when I came across the Missing Money website, I finally got the process rolling.
But let me tell you why those funds go unclaimed: because the government makes it ridiculously difficult for you to get at it. In addition to regular ID I had to get proof of my old address [from 15 years ago], a memo from my insurance company that I was indeed insured through them back then, and get a Notary to sign off on my assertion that the money is indeed mine. Fortunately our friend Sheryl is a Notary, so she helped there, and I'll pick up a letter from my insurance company tomorrow. I'll drop it in the mail and [maybe] have that cash in hand in a few months.
Add that to the IRS letter telling me that the IRS will send me money in a future letter, and I say that I loves me some bureaucracy.
With the car needing repairs, we were looking for the funds to get it fixed. Fortunately, we like tax time around here and the federal and state refunds we're due will take care of most of the costs. But still looking to defer a little more of that bill, I finally decided to get some of my money back from the state of Ohio.
When I was in high school, my father, an independent business owner, made sure his kids had their own car insurance policies. He was afraid that we'd get in an accident and someone would try to sue to get at the assets of his company [true story: my brother Chris was in an accident with some Iranians, one of which sued him for making him impotent. I guess my dad knew what he was doing].
The one thing that sucked was that, as a sixteen year-old male, the insurance was expensive. Fortunately, dad took care of the gas because the premiums were steep. As I've come to realize now, every now and then you're insurance company will kick you back some money because the company did better than they thought. Apparently, when I was not yet an adult, that money never made it's way back to me and went into some State of Ohio fund. This was one of those many "unclaimed funds" you here about the government having.
I've known a few years about this cash, a couple hundred bucks, that I never got around to claiming. But when I came across the Missing Money website, I finally got the process rolling.
But let me tell you why those funds go unclaimed: because the government makes it ridiculously difficult for you to get at it. In addition to regular ID I had to get proof of my old address [from 15 years ago], a memo from my insurance company that I was indeed insured through them back then, and get a Notary to sign off on my assertion that the money is indeed mine. Fortunately our friend Sheryl is a Notary, so she helped there, and I'll pick up a letter from my insurance company tomorrow. I'll drop it in the mail and [maybe] have that cash in hand in a few months.
Add that to the IRS letter telling me that the IRS will send me money in a future letter, and I say that I loves me some bureaucracy.
I really don't want to talk about the mistake the governor of New York made, but one thing must be noted. On tonight's Daily Show they showed the prices said escort service charged to "rent a friend" for a day. It ranged anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000.
Seriously.
You could buy a car for that. Or a lot of other stuff. Or give the money to charity.
And you think gas prices are high.
Don't make me close the comments on this one . . .
In 2001 I realized a dream and purchased a truck. OK, it wasn't exactly a truck.
It was a 1999 Ford Explorer. I bought it used with 20,000 miles on it.
But it's basically a Ford Ranger with a truck cap.
We've been through a lot, me and that rig.
Had some issues with the engine not turning over in cold weather and found out it [thanks to my mechanically-inclined friend, Micah] it was the IAC. They're substandard on the Explorer, so a few years later I keep a ratchet set in the car with me and you tap on it to make it run.
Making a left turn onto Tylersville Road one snowy day I was t-boned by a careless driver and had to get some major front end body work done on it.
Right after we sold our house and were living in a friend's basement, the crankshaft inexplicably fell out of the engine. Fortunately, for the first time in my life, I took the extended warranty out on it and they replaced it with a rebuilt engine.
But through three dwelling places and as many jobs, that car has stuck with me. And we paid it off a few years ago which even makes it nicer. So even though the temperature/compass console no longer works, and my washer fluid won't come out, I've grown quite fond of that vehicle.
Last Monday night I could really feel that the Explorer was shaking in the rear. It had been getting progessively worse the past few weeks, but I chalked it up to all the potholes around the city. I finally got it into the shop and it needed major suspension work, new tires, and some minor exhaust work.
And they weren't going to do the work for free.
We discussed the possibilities of going to one car, but it just isn't feasible now with Kelly working and me in school. We briefly pondered if it was worth the investment to fix this car or if we should get a new [used] one.
But, in the end, we decided to put the cash into the vehicle. So they fixed it up, we picked it up right before the blizzard, and it sat on a sidestreet for a few days. I finally drove it around on Monday and it rides like a dream.
I'm excited about a few more years of my and the Explorer traversing greater Cincinnati and beyond.
I'm excited about March Madness. Three weeks ago, I would've said that UC could make the tourney and UK was out. Now the Bearcats need to be taken out back and shot while the Wildcats are playing for a higher seed. That should make me miserable.
I will say that, except the past couple weeks, I really enjoyed watching UC play. The kids were playing over their heads all year. I think it'll be realistic for UC to make the NIT next year, with an NCAA bid a long-shot. Still, after the death sentence imposed on this program [much like what IU fans will face the next couple of seasons] Mick Cronin has done an incredible job.
I didn't much like the snowstorm that hit during the past few days. Even though my office is out of the home, and we weren't caught out in the blizzard, I felt as if my productivity declined. Nary a blog post was produced as I just didn't feel like it. We only had about nine inches on the ground. Unfortunately the wind caused some drifts of close to two feet outside on our deck, so I spent the past few days shoveling. Still, it's pretty amazing to look outside now, as all the snow is melted, and realize our deck was fully covered just 72 hours ago.
By yesterday afternoon the roads were fine. One of the benefits of having church on Sunday nights is you have plenty of time to decide what you're going to do.
I'm so ready for spring.
If you didn't catch it this past Sunday, those in the Cincinnati audience should set the DVRÂ for our PBS station, WCET, on Saturday March 8 at 4pm. The show Sacred Spaces, filmed in HD, examines the history of houses of worship in our city. Watch it and learn a little about architecture and local history. It is most excellent.
It's an honest question. One of the things I've noticed living next to Eden Park is how many people from the 'burbs to enjoy it for free. I don't have a problem with that but I do when those same people who consume the greatness of our city insult it for being dangerous and despicable.
This article in the Boston Globe, written by a PhD from Harvard, notes that urban areas are participating on an uneven playing field than suburbs, forced to deal directly with poverty and environmental issues created by suburban sprawl. For instance, Dr Glaesar asserts,
"Urban poverty does not reflect urban failure, but rather the enduring appeal of cities to the less fortunate. Poor people come to cities because urban areas offer economic opportunity, better social services, and the chance to get by without an automobile. Yet the sheer numbers of urban poor make it more costly to provide basic city services, like education and safety, and those costs are borne by the city's more prosperous residents."
There's a lot I could add here but I'll refrain and open it up to see if you guys have any thoughts. HT: CityKin
Not that anyone cares, a few notes about yesterday's election:
Even though it seems insane, I'm going to hold to my prediction that the contentious Democratic selection process will give McCain the presidency by default. And if he can do it with George W. actively campaigning for him, then he is a genius.
We had our Theology Pub tonight, and our men began a study of a new book by Tim Keller out of NYC called The Reason For God. It appears to be a stellar read and I might even start a Blogger blog to detail some different aspects of our study.The thrust of the book is that there are indeed some definitive reasons for doubting the existence of God that Christians should struggle with; yet, conversely, there are very many reasons that support the existence of God that skeptics need to acknowledge.
Our conversation tonight was enlightening, perhaps a little liberating. It always makes you feel good to be able to admit in a safe place that you have doubts.
Even as a pastor, I have moments of doubt about my faith. [if you're a Christian and you don't, then I would suggest you either stop lying or see a mental health specialist]. But at the end of the day, I inevitably return to the side of faith.
It's a little deeper read, but I'd suggest picking up a copy.
As UC basketball's postseason hopes are all but non-existent now, I'm more focused on Spring Training and the Reds right now. So bear with me as I give a few thoughts on the ball-club about a month before Opening Day:
In short, I'm excited about baseball already.
Obama or Hillary? Apparently that's the only question being asked of us. I guess since we live in a predominantly Democratic district, McCain and Huckabee aren't interested in our votes. I guess it could be that the Republican nomination is already decided but, still, the Dems are working overtime on us.*
We had two different groups knock on the door in the last three days to shill for their presidential candidate [a group of canvassers were from Lexington, Kentucky].** We have numerous mailers and door hangers that went straight to the trash. A few month ago, both Kelly and I received phone calls from candidates as well.
I'm ready for this to be over with.
Oh, but this is only the primary. Even more fun for the general election this fall.
I've been thinking lately how passionate people are for their candidate. They'll spend money and personal time to work . Sure I respect them for getting involved in our country's political process, but I wonder what our world would be like if people were as involved in the social causes they want their candidates to solve.
Sorry, just a smidge of skepticism here on election eve.
*If you do vote the Democratic ballot tomorrow, you should know that it won't just be Hillary and Obama listed. You still have your choice of all the Dems who were at one point major candidates. So if you want to stick it to the party, you can always vote New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
**I love how these people knocking on my door want to know who I'm voting for. Like I'm going to tell them. I use my clergy status as an excuse, but I still wouldn't tell them. Thanks for asking, though.
As someone who started a church, I feel a certain camaraderie with guys who try it too. Tomorrow I know of two different church's having their first Sunday services, and I'd like to share a little about them. The first church is in Lexington, Kentucky. I know about Catalyst Christian Church because my in-laws [Dave&Bev, as well as Scott&Jess] are helping to get it started. I emailed Catalyst's lead pastor Dave Kibler this week to encourage him and let him know that people are praying for them.
The second church is in Kansas City. I played fantasy football this year with Troy McMahon, who is leading the new Restore Community Church. Troy picked up his family and moved straight to KC without knowing many people to start Restore. I'm sure things will go well there also.
Good things happening all around the country. Very exciting stuff . . .
This one goes out to the Dale, who is responsible for sending my blog readership numbers in China through the roof. Dale's on another one of his extended business trips there. I believe that he's in the city of Guangzhou, the third largest city in the country. They speak Cantonese there, which always makes me think of Wayne's World [there's a scene where Wayne is learning Cantonese by tape and says the phrase, "Eatz, Ah, Bean, Du-ah!" Wonder if that was really Cantonese . . .]. As a result of the Dale's readership abroad, you will notice that I have refrained from any complaints about the forthcoming Beijing Olympics, as I would like for the Dale to return to Cincinnati and not be imprisoned there.
Hang in there, man.
