I Am a Civilized Man (Mostly)
One year ago, I put on my first pair of no-line bifocals.
Forty-five years ago, I was born during Kennedy’s “Camelot.”
Like King Arthur, I must remind you that I am a civilized man.
With occasional lapses.
Un. believe. able.
Tomorrow, Number One Son, Eyegal and I will head down to Tuscaloosa so that he can tour the University of Alabama campus, one of the schools that he’s considering attending next year. Since he’s a National Merit Semifinalist he gets the so-called “V.I.P” tour (well, la de da!). It will include a tour of the campus and the new honors dorm, free food and other goodies, meetings with professors and advisors, and even a tete-a-tete with the President of the University, Dr. Robert Witt. That last one was enough to send even me for a haircut the other evening.
To add to the fun, we’ll be there on the Friday of Iron Bowl weekend with Bama hosting long-time archrival Auburn this year.… Read the rest
You Gotta Have Faith
Time magazine recently hosted a debate on God and science. The participants were scientist and committed atheist and philosophical materialist Dr. Richard Dawkins, author of the recently released book The God Delusion, and Dr. Francis Collins, committed Christian and Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.
It’s worth reading all of this if you have the time since it’s very uncommon to see two such articulate spokespersons on opposite sides of a contentious debate actually talk to each other rather than past each other. I think you’ll agree that this article represents a rare sighting of civility in the American public square.… Read the rest
Running From The Reaper
My father died of his third heart attack at the age of 47. His brother had the first of several heart attacks at age 50. For a long time now, I’ve known that I’m going to have to run a little harder from The Reaper than most. If there’s one thing you can’t deny, it’s your DNA.
I’ve always worked hard to maintain a decent weight and I’ve been running regularly all my adult life. But since I turned forty, I’ve noticed the pounds creeping up and last winter after an extended bout of bronchitis and inactivity, things really got out of hand.… Read the rest
Hey Alabama! Back Off Would Ya?
“This lawsuit is the equivalent of the Catholic Church suing Michelangelo for painting the Sistine Chapel.”
–Keith Dunnavant, author Coach: The Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant
The bubbas-turned-pundits have been wracking their Bud-addled brains trying to figure what’s wrong with the Crimson Tide. Presently, Alabama is on the fast track to a less-than-acceptable .500 season unless they can turn things around and knock off archrival Auburn this coming weekend in Tuscaloosa. After Tiger losses to Arkansas and now Georgia, hopes are up a wee bit that Auburn might be beatable. But they might be sky high were it not for that little fact that in order to win football games one must actually score touchdowns when in possession of the ball inside the twenty.… Read the rest
The Battle of the Bisons(es)
Two schools, one a Division I, one a Division II. Each with a Church of Christ affiliation. Both with founding fathers sporting beards (one of whom looked like one of the guitarists from Z.Z. Top). A shared nickname (what’s the deal with old guys with long beards and their affinity for large, bovine prairie animals?).
It’s the Battle of the Bisons(es). It’s going down.
Or, I should say, it went down last night at Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Our family made a mad dash north on I-65 last night to witness the first meeting between the Lipscomb and Harding basketball teams since 1976.… Read the rest
Where Have We Heard That Before?
Another beauty from the “Where Have We Heard That Before” collection:
“We intend to lead the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history.”
–Nancy Pelosi
(yawn) I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning.
Going Home
We had the pleasure recently of attending Homecoming festivities at our alma mater (Hail!) Harding University. Here are some shots of the recently retooled campus quad, including the old administration building, the revived and functioning-once-more Lily Pool and the gleaming edifice of the renovated American Heritage Center:
Number One Son had a chance to look around again as he continues to mull over his college choices, and Eyegal and I had a chance to see old friends and make new ones. I had the pleasure of meeting in person for the first time fellow blogger Full Professor Mark Elrod over a delectable (and dirt cheap) breakfast at Bobby’s Family Restaurant on the courthouse square.… Read the rest
The Eyeguy’s Guide to Voting in 2006…
can be summed up nicely with a favorite quote from a favorite movie:
“There! I have you! You’re completely dished. Do you not know that in the service… one must always choose the lesser of two weevils?”
Anybody got a clothespin I can borrow?
Politically Confused
I am not a strong political partisan; I think I’ve made that abundantly clear in a previous post. Yet over the past week, my senses have been assaulted by those who are, people who believe that they alone possess capital “T” Truth and are, without a doubt, politically correct.
I’ve watched a constant stream of venomous TV ads (one Democrat suggested that his Republican opponent’s ineptness resulted in a little girl’s leukemia). I’ve listened to the sound of my phone ringing off the hook, followed by the inevitable voice message promising that if I elect conservative so-and-so, then the “good old days” will return in all their clear-cut, black and white predictability.… Read the rest
I Can See Clearly Now
There’s nothing like a 12-mile run in sub-30 degree temperatures to open up the mind and clear out the cobwebs.
I can see clearly now, the fog is gone.
Or maybe it’s just the endorphins talking.
Evidence of Humanity on Planet Earth
It’s been quite a week. If you’re like me, you might be feeling a little world-weary.
We’ve had increased violence and more death in Iraq, more nuke aspirations in the Middle East, a ratcheting up of pre-election rhetoric and shenanigans, a “botched joke,” and now a nationally renown evangelical leader who admits that he bought meth but “never used it” and called a gay “escort” for a “massage” but “no sex.” And if all that weren’t enough, we only had 10 trick-or-treaters stop by our house.
Enough quotation marks already! All in all, it’s enough to make you want to crawl back under the covers.… Read the rest
A Kindred Spirit
My post-Halloween depression is shared by a kindred spirit out west.
Kate, aka “girlfriday,” waxes eloquently (as she often does on a variety of topics) on the dearth of trick-or-treaters in her neck of the woods. I particularly like this quote:
“Packed like sardines into pre-fabricated, self-contained villages, we’re buried in gadgets designed to give us more time but we don’t seem to use it to meet the souls that live 15 feet away from us.”
I’m buried in gadgets too, and maybe it’s time I took a stroll around the block and try to make some eye contact with a few of my neighbors.… Read the rest
They’re Gonna Rub Me Out
In the past 24 hours, I received hits from two visitors, one from Little Rock and one from Abilene, who reached my blog via the following Google search term:
Anybody know a good witness relocation program?
Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?
There’s a bowl nearly full of Halloween candy on our kitchen counter. It’s not supposed to be that way, you know. But last night, we had a grand total of 10 trick-or-treaters knock on our front door and accost us for candy. What a bummer.
When we moved into this neighborhood 11 years ago, our street was the place to be on Halloween night. The sidewalks were packed with moms and dads escorting cute little ghouls and goblins from one house to another. It was one of the few times when everybody was out–a block party if there ever was one–and the spirit of community mingled freely with the other shades and shadows conjured up on those crisp, moonlit fall nights.… Read the rest