2 Strep, 1 Gall Bladder

Sickness has crept up on MaryAnn and me. We both are suffering with Strep throats and all the accompanying side-affects: sore throats, body aches, chills, massive headaches, gas...wait, that part is normal.

And in conjunction with strep throat, I have had horrible gall bladder attacks causing me to consider the option of removing this pain through surgery.

Other than sickness, Life has been good.

At the very least, this has been a time in 'green' pastures and restoration for the soul.

Hmm...

About-face. A military term used to signal direction to another person. My life these few months have been nothing but 'about-faces'. In the last months I have recklessly expressed my opinion freely and casually to those whom have upset me. This has only led me to apologize to them. Not all of them, however. I mean, eventually I have apologized to all of them but some of them has taken me a few days to get around to apologizing to them.

I have found myself more insulted and pissed-off lately. I have a friend who thinks pissed-off is a bad word, so she uses vexed. Vexed-off doesn't have the same connotation. I want to use pissed-off cause it connotates and denotates exactly what I mean and feel! I could, I suppose, in an attempt to not sound so brash, say in a delightful manner that I am pissed off. How would that sound? Yippee..."I’m pissed off"...hooray! But to say it in such a manner would not express my true emotions. Plus, ‘delightful pissiness’ is better saved for characters like those in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory. There was some serious 'delightful pissiness' in that movie. Don't recall exactly where in the movie it happens, but if it were to happen in any movie, than it would be that one.

I have been angry lately and easily offended. Offended enough to tell the person who is offending me that they are doing so. But really, in truth, I'm not really telling them that they are offending me. Rather, I convey my offense to them by quipping some hurtful or tasteless, but morsful words at them. Sometimes, I resound back very non-threatening but direct words. Such as "don't contact me, I'll contact you...." Other times, I'm pretty damn insulting, and at the time, it feels good. And even in the heat of the moment of giving a verbal middle finger without actually using verbs that denotate and connotate my feelings, I know it is wrong. Now, I don't think I am willfully engaging in licentious behavior, altough, I do know, I have made choices to speak my offensive mind. Particularly when I can rationalize my behavior with "I was pissed-off and they hurt my feelings...." But then comes the counter point: were you loving your neighbor? Sure...I suppose so...damn it, I guess not. !@#$$ ... this sucks. Then follows another counter point: "was that truth in love?" Probably not, I reason. And then follows a third counter point: "were you really patient? Were you kind? Did you refrain from boastfulness? Were you long suffering? Did you refrain from rudeness? Were you prideful? And on and on....

Lately, seldom have I had 'about face' moments. Lately, I have reveled in untruths. Lately, I have become easily angered. Lately, I have not suffered for the cause of righteousness. Lately, I have not been honest with people and politely tell them how they are affecting me.

Prayer -- Reposting of an email

Hello All -

MaryAnn and I will be holding a time of prayer at our home for the Stokes and some other needs in our community. Please feel free to join us tomorrow evening (10/17) at 7 p.m. We plan on opening a time of prayer around 7:15 and going till 8, or whenever we feel led to stop.

In addition to praying for the Stokes, we would like to pray for our brothers in Iraq and their families. Also, JV recently sent out an urgent message requesting prayer for the fellowship of believers in India. They are being persecuted by local officials, who have threaten violence through a mob and are spreading false, malicious lies about the fellowship.

Feel free to bring specific things to pray for that may be near to your heart and/or to our community.

Please email me for directions. (razor7132 at gmail.com)

Thanks.

--Ramon and MaryAnn

A good, well statement.



I agree with her 99.99999%. Find myself confused on her 'purpose driven' line at the 2:30 mark, even though I'm not really a proponent of it since I have never read it.

Nonetheless, a statement of truth she gives. I like it.

Yesterday food intake was horrible

I thought I was eating a good breakfast at Denny's and come to find out, I ate over 1500 calories.

Then for lunch, I ordered at Grilled Chicken ranch BLT sandwich, only 550 calories, but they gave me fries too, so I ate them. Lunch ended up being nearly 1200 calories.

For dinner I ate healthy, but too big of portions. By this time, I was angry and mad, so I thought, might as well add some reduced sugar ice-cream to my day. And I did just that.

Probably ate over 3000 calories today. Argh!

Horrible.

Harsh. Cold. Nasty. Ouch. Messed up. Straight wrong.




Woman sets fire to ex-husband's penis

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A woman set fire to her ex-husband's penis as he sat naked watching television and drinking vodka, Moscow police said Wednesday.

Asked if the man would make a full recovery, a police spokeswoman said it was "difficult to predict."

The attack climaxed three years of acrimonious enforced co-habitation. The couple divorced three years ago but continued to share a small flat, something common in Russia where property costs are very high.

"It was monstrously painful," the wounded ex-husband told Tvoi Den newspaper. "I was burning like a torch. I don't know what I did to deserve this."


© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

For the story on Reuters website, click here

Things to be aware of at work

I went to the restroom on the third floor (near where I sit), while I was peeing I farted and I guess it was kinda loud cause when I came out, there was this pretty hispanic girl sitting in the reception area and, she gave me a half-cocked chuckling smile -- I think she might have heard me. I was embarrassed.

Note to self: be quieter next time.

Transformers
The movie

The movie was beautiful.

And even more beautiful was that my wife actually liked and enjoyed the movie.

Ahh.... :-)

Some of my niece's art

Click each photo to enlarge

This morning

Sometime this morning our friends leave for Indiana. Farwell, friends.


This Evening

Sometime this evening our house church will mourn the loss of our friends.

There's a good story behind this one, and I do mean "behind"

TRANSFORMERS
Their coming...yes!

Write.
Why journalist should stick to writing and only open their mouths to ask questions

On the radio, particularly NPR, journalists are often invited to read their writings, while others 'talk' about their writings.

Both should be banned!

I am utterly astounded by the moronic, mundane, absurd and trifle commentary often spoken by journalists.

Case in point, Frank Deford and Troy Patterson.

Deford reads his writing on air as if auditioning for a Shakespearean play.

Patterson mumbles and trips on every other word, making it very difficult to follow what he is saying.

Both writers need to stick to what they are good at and take advice from No Doubt's Rock Steady album hit song, "Don't Speak"!

--------------------

Frank Deford
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10204598

Troy Patterson
http://www.slate.com/id/2166212/

Us at the Hubbard's celebratory Party

Jerry Falwell dead at 73

CNN reports ...

...and more music

Bizet, Carmen Prelude to Act1

Pachelbel, Cannon in D

Allegro (Danza Pastorale), Salzburg Chamber Orchestra

Summer: Alegro Non Moltro, Salzburg Chamber Orchestra

Listening to today
Classical, Psuedo Classical,Operatic and Ambiance Techno

Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture

Vivaldi, Violin Concerto in F Major RV269 "Autumn"

Presto, Salzburg Chamber Orchestra

A Ghaoth Andeas, Soundecor Recording Company

Puccini, La Boheme - Comic Waltz

Right Mindfulness, Chinmaya Duns

Beethoven, Symphony No. 5

Bach, Air on the String

3-2-1 Contact

For the last couple of weeks I've been involved with an old IBM main frame and its Relational Data Base Management System.

Two of our developers have been giving me introductions into these systems, and as I deal with these systems and these individuals, I reminiscently think of that 1980's show 3-2-1 Contact.

I loved that show...what an awesome way to get kids involved in science and discover their surrounding world.

I love that show and love what I am doing right now...even though it can be T-E-D-I-O-U-S!

For your viewing pleasure:

Some things I heard

I'd like to comment further on what Jason Whitlock said in an interview for the Today show.

Mr. Whitlock said something of the sorts as ..."Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton asked for forgiveness when they morally failed ..."

My question to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson--both ministers of the faith that esteems reconciliation--have they first sought to forgive and set in place the steps toward reconciliation? Have they forgiven Don Imus?

If so, are the steps they are taking done so with the intent of reconciliation with Imus and others hurt?

I agree with Jason Whitlock

Please read entire article

COMMENTARY

Imus isn’t the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.

By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again....

For the complete story, click here