The Blog Less Traveled

I’m finding the Democratic Party, and Senator Obama’s campaign in particular, as becoming more and more disingenuous as time goes on. Today was certainly a low point in my mind. Their campaign has been constantly saying that they’re going to run a clean campaign and be different than the “typical” Washington-style variety. They’re all about change and this “new direction” that they’re going to take this country. What a joke! They’re as bad or worse.

Today, General Wesley Clark, one of Senator Obama’s military advisors, took cheap shots at Senator McCain’s military service. To say that because he was commanding an aviation squadron during a non-war period doesn’t count as executive responsibility is incredibly dishonest on his part. He was in the Army long enough to know the incredible responsibility and accountability given to commanding officers. It’s as demanding as any job you can ever find in the civilian world. If this came from someone who never served in the military, I might cut that person a little slack. However, coming from a retired Army general is, without a doubt, nothing but a cheap political shot. I’ll bet if you talked to any military man or woman without a political agenda, they would say that General Clark was a jerk. This man has lost any respect from me that he had earned from his military service.

If these are the people that Senator Obama is going to surround himself with, God help us if he’s elected to serve as our president.

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his cell phone and calls emergency services.

He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?”

The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies: “Take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard.

Back on the phone, the hunter says, “OK, now what?”

Staind is an American alternative rock band from Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1995. They’ve produced a total of five studio albums during this time and came out with a greatest hits album in 2006 titled, The Singles Collection. Their greatest hits album is definitely worth purchasing. Their best-selling album by far was their 2001 release of Break The Cycle. This produced several hit singles including the very popular, It’s Been Awhile. However, my favorite song, So Far Away, is from their fourth album, 14 Shades of Grey. They’re scheduled to release a new album later this Summer.

To see their So Far Away music video, click here.

For more information on Staind, click here.

Yesterday was a day of celebration and sadness. One of my sisters-in-law passed away recently and we were having a family gathering to honor her life and our memories of her. We spent a few moments along the dunes of Lake Michigan and spread her ashes there because it was a setting that she would have approved of and appreciated. Pat was the third oldest in a family of eight children. Her husband and only son survive her as well as all of her brothers and sisters.

Pat was a unique person – quite the character. She did like to talk a lot and I have to admit that at times she drove me crazy. However, above all, she was a good person. A true friend. She loved life and tried to enjoy every minute of it. The littlest things would bring her joy and a smile on her face. She always seemed to see the positive in a given situation. If there was someone in the room with a smile or having a laugh, more than likely it was Pat. Even in the end, she still carried that positive attitude. I didn’t know her as well as some of my brothers-in-law because we lived at opposite ends of the country most of the time. She was always pretty much game for anything and willing to go along with whatever others wanted to do. When we did visit her, she always made us feel welcome. While she lived in California, she especially enjoyed taking us through the wine country and visiting the vineyards and tasting rooms. She really enjoyed her wines.

Pat was a very unique person in her own special way. She made friends easily and would do anything for you. I wish I had appreciated her more when she was still around. I’m sure that for those who were closest to her, she will be sorely missed. However, I’m sure they’ll have a few good smiles and laughter when they recall their memories of being with her. We will all miss her.

Farewell, Pat!

Here’s a list of 25 bumper stickers you might enjoy.

1. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
2. My wife keeps complaining I never listen to her (or something like that).
3. Honk if you’ve never seen a gun fired from a moving vehicle.
4. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
5. My mother was a moonshiner, and I love her still.
6. Does anal retentive have a hyphen?
7. Jesus loves you! Everybody else thinks you’re a jerk.
8. What would Scooby do?
9. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on the list.
10. I don’t have a beer gut; I have a protective covering for my rock hard abs.
11. I am not infantile, you stinky poopyhead.
12. Honk if you want to see my finger.
13. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality.
14. Is it time for your medication or mine?
15. Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.
16. Wanted: Meaningful overnight relationship.
17. A day without sunshine is like night.
18. In America, anyone can be president. That’s one of the risks you take.
19. I need someone real bad. Are you real bad?
20. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
21. As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.
22. Keep honking while I reload.
23. Driver carries no cash. He’s married.
24. I drive far too fast to worry about cholesterol!
25. Vegetarian: Indian word for lousy hunter.

Well, nothing like another blog entry based on a bike ride out in farming country. The above picture was taken today while riding out in the country southwest of my home. The farmer’s field has pretty much been decimated by all the rain we’ve gotten over the past week or so. The only part of the field that was saved was the area that was located on an upslope. There were many fields along my ride that had succumbed to the same fate. A double-whammy is hitting farmers this year. The rising cost of fuel is increasing their cost to fertilize and plant their crops as well as increasing the cost to harvest and deliver them. Add to that the crop loss due to weather and you can see why our food prices are going to be even higher as Summer arrives.

The Midwest has taken a real beating this past week. Compared to some areas in Iowa and Illinois, our local farmers got off lucky. Some of the news stories out of these states are unbelievable. Entire towns and roadways were literally swept away or so badly damaged to be beyond repair. It’s hard to imagine the destructive force that several inches of rain can have on a community. I don’t know how I’d handle my house being severely damaged or destroyed. Between sweat equity, cherished possessions and memories, it would be a bitter pill to swallow. My prayers go out to these people. Feel blessed if things are going well in your neck of the woods.

I was out biking in the country the other day and came upon the car you see above. It was just sitting there at the corner of a farmer’s field — in a way out of place but then again, maybe not. With the exception of the TR7, I’ve always liked the different models that came from Triumph, especially the TR6. When I saw this car, it reminded me that a long time ago I came within 100 dollars of buying a brand new Triumph Spitfire. The dealer wouldn’t come down and I wouldn’t budge so the car was never purchased. I always wished that I had given in but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Ah, but I digress.

I thought it was pretty cool what the owner did with this old frame. He took an ordinary corner out in the country and added a unique glimpse of the past. For those of us who have fond memories of the old days, this provided a little ride down memory lane. The flowers were a nice touch so that even those who don’t have any emotional attachment to the car can appreciate the beauty of the floral arrangement. It got me to thinking once again about taking the simple things in life for granted. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to appreciating the little nuggets that life is always throwing at us. I’m still recovering from my back injury and being in good health is definitely on top of my list of things that I really appreciate right now. It’s sad but true that we don’t seem to appreciate things until we lose them. That includes family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, health, a good job, etc.

Soooo, smell the roses, will ya?

Two women were playing golf. One teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. The ball hit one of the men.

He immediately clasped his hands together at his groin, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in agony. The woman rushed down to the man, and immediately began to apologize. “Please allow me to help. I’m a Physical Therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you’d allow me”, she told him.

“Oh, no, I’ll be all right. I’ll be fine in a few minutes”, the man replied. He was in obvious agony, lying in the fetal position, still clasping his hands at his groin. At her persistence, however, he finally allowed her to help. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, loosened his pants and put her hands inside. She administered tender and artful massage for several long moments and asked, “How does that feel?”

He replied, “It feels great, but I think my thumb’s still broken!”

Since next Sunday is Father’s Day, I thought I would select a picture that represents the occasion.

When I saw this picture, my first thought was that I wish I had one like that with my daughter. I do have many pictures of my daughter and me but none seem to capture the pure innocence quite like this photo. It’s such a great age for children. They’re little sponges of knowledge and still at the age where they think their Daddy is the greatest and can do no wrong. They’re just such a joy to hold and talk to.

What I really like about this photo is the fact that it is in black and white. There is definitely a time and place for color photography, but in this case, the photographer’s decision to use black and white was perfect. Not having color causes me to concentrate more on the character and emotion of the shot. I think color would have diluted the overall impact of the photo.

The name of the photographer who took this photo is Thomas Paul. He hails from North Carolina and is the owner of a wedding and portrait photography business in Charlotte.

To see a gallery of his recent work, click here.

To view a higher resolution image of this photo, click here.

The other day I saw a car with the bumper sticker you see on the left. It’s available from an atheist and agnostic organization called the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was the John Lennon song, Imagine. The second verse of the song’s lyrics goes something like this:

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

I assume the individual displaying the bumper sticker was making his opinion known that the world would be a much better place to live if there was no religion. I believe most atheists think that if only there was no religion, the world would suddenly become this global utopia, where we are one big, happy family environment. Certainly if one looks at the Crusades, the attempts at genocidal cleansing over the centuries and the current Islamic fanatics, you can make a case for this line of reasoning. However, in most instances, the people heading these endeavors were disturbed and/or evil in character and used religion as a convenient excuse to further their cause. Also, how do you explain the likes of Stalin, Lenin and Hitler? To my knowledge, there were no religious underpinnings to their slaughter of millions of people. They were basically atheists.

The same reasoning can be used to debunk the first line in the verse above – “Imagine there’s no countries.” Those that champion the idea that if we don’t have a country to show allegiance to we will suddenly solve the world’s problems because then people will have no reason to fight or kill each other. Sure, this sounds great on the surface. However, the human race, since the beginning of time has always tried to form some kind of common bonding. Whether it’s a small group of cave dwellers, a tribe, an ethnic group, etc., man will always attempt to form some kind of relationship. It’s in our DNA. Eliminating the country dynamic isn’t going to eliminate the problem. It will still manifest itself in another form.

Certainly there are numerous examples of people using religion for nefarious purposes. They definitely get more than their fair share of airtime on the networks and on the Internet. However, the vast majority of religious endeavors are made for the overall good of mankind. The bushel of religion has too many good pieces in it to throw it away because of a few bad apples.