Catching Up

Wow! It's been over a month since I've posted here. I've been busy working on my office bookcases--I'm building and painting all the components before I install them, so that's taking a little more time than I would prefer. Hope to have that completed and have pics up soon.

Photography
I've let my photography fall by the wayside lately; gotten out of the habit of taking my camera whenever I go out. I did manage to take a few pics this past month. A couple of friends from high school and I attended the Doobie Brothers concert in Muskogee, OK earlier in June. Got some pretty good photos before security informed me that a "camera with interchangeable lenses was not allowed. The band considers that to be professional photography." Everybody else and their dog was snapping pics with their point-and-shoot cameras--in spite of the "no flash photography" signs posted everywhere. Oh, well. More Doobie photos here

Also went to the Hogs 'N Rods Rally in Collinsville. There were a lot more vendors this year than in the past. I don't own a motorcycle or a "hot rod," but I love looking at the paint jobs. More Hogs 'N Rods photos here.

Politics
Let's see, in the world of politics, BO continues to be hell-bent on taxing the dog-snot out of those of us that chose to get off our butts and work for a living. Funny, I thought he promised not to do that. While the rest of the country/world was going nuts over Michael Jackson's death, our self-centered Congress passed the "cap and trade" bill. It still has to make it through the Senate, but I'm not so sure there's enough "No" votes to shoot it down.

It cracks me up to listen to all the global warming people talk about how we need to save the planet...as if we really could. I think we should be good stewards of what we've been given, but there's nothing--repeat NOTHING, we can do that will stop the inevitable. The book of Revelation says this place is going to be burned up and replaced with a new one when Jesus comes back. Why would we want to save this dump? The new one has GOT to be better...especially without the politicians!

Happy Birthday, America
In spite of all of the silliness and greed that goes on in America, I still thinks it's the best place in the world to live. Sadly, I don't think we are far from collapse thanks to the "hope and change" we got back in November 2008. I hope I'm not here to watch it happen. Until then, Happy 233rd Birthday, America! Thank you to all the men and women who have and continue to serve and protect us...military, police, fire, etc. You guys are the real American heroes.

1 Corinthians 13

I've been busy with several other projects lately and have neglected my photography hobby. I got my camera out this afternoon and played around with "lighting" different objects. I know this one has been done before, but it was fun setting up and just playing with different angles, light, etc.

Friday Photo

I went to Las Vegas this past week for a couple of days to attend a work related convention/seminar.

 

I had never been to Vegas and I'm 99% sure I won't be going back. Several people had told me how "fun" it was. Most described Vegas as "different." I don't drink--not even occasionally--and I don't gamble, so that left a limited amount of things for me to do. Luckily (no pun intended), I was traveling with a co-worker that was pretty much in the same boat, so we spent our time outside of the work-related stuff, sight-seeing...and boy are there some "sights" to see!

We visited Hoover Dam one afternoon; most evenings we walked The Strip and watched the people. We took LOTS of pictures--my co-worker had just purchased a new camera. The lights, fountains, and shear magnitude of the casinos is incredible. And we ate good! I had always heard that food was cheap in Vegas, but we didn't see that...at least not in the area where we were staying. We ate at The Buffet at the Bellagio casino one afternoon. It's HUGE! One evening we took a cab to Freemont Street downtown--the "old Vegas;" the Golden Nugget casino is there.

I was amazed at the openness/lax attitude toward nudity/near nudity on the billboards and signs in front of the casinos and along the roads. I was also taken aback by the brazen attitude toward prositution. There were "clickers" everywhere--people that stood on the streets--in DROVES--slapping/clicking business-size cards with pornographic pictures on them and phone numbers for prostitutes. (The clicking gets your attention supposedly so they can hand you a card(s).)

From a logistical stand-point, Vegas is an amazing place when you consider the amount of electricity, water, food, lodging, etc. it takes to make the place run. It's a very sad place from a spiritual perspective--so much energy and money spent to provide temporary "happiness" in the form of sex, alcohol, and revelry. I felt like I needed to wash my eyes out the whole time I was there.

Friday Photo

I took this picture in our plate yard at work. These are "dished heads" used in fabricaing shell-and-tube heat exchangers (refinery / chemical equipment).

Friday Photo and Evangelism

We've been studying through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class this quarter. The central theme/verse of Acts is : ...and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Smaria and even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8b) Jesus spoke these words to the Twelve as a prophecy and a command. The words also apply to us today. As Christians, we are called to be witnesses, i.e. "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Cor 5:20), "salt and light" (Matt 5:13-16) and "the aroma of Christ" (2 Cor 1:15) in a lost and dying world. So how do we do that? Is there more than one way to accomplish our task? to obey Christ's command?

Mention the word evangelism, and many people panic. The image of going door-to-door, handing out gospel tracts immediately conjures up feelings of fear, anxiety, frustration, dread, etc. The idea of walking up to a total stranger and talking to them about their salvation (or lack of it) is usually not at the top of the list of "fun" things to do.

I know some people that LOVE doing door-to-door evangelism; they are very comfortable doing it...and they are good at it. That's great. BUT, that's not the only way we accomplish Jesus' command to "go into all the world (Matt 28:19-20) In fact, I'll just be honest here: I really don't enjoy this method of evangelism. I am one of those people that doesn't appreciate door-to-door salesmen or impromptu visits from strangers. In fact, if you happen to knock on my door and I don't know you, I'm just as likely NOT to answer my door. Sorry. I like my privacy.

I have no problem talking to people about Jesus/sharing the Gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection to pay the price for our sins. I've done the door-to-door thing, but I prefer a more "everyday" approach. As I interact with co-workers, people I meet at the store, etc. I try to show them Jesus Christ in the way I speak to them, treat them with respect or encourage them with a kind word. And, I look for ways to either include in the conversation, or steer it toward, something about my relationship with God. Nothing over-bearing like: "If you don't accept Jesus you're gonna fry like a sausage!" (I actually heard about a guy using this line). I try to let them know that Jesus Christ is real in my life and He can be real in their life, too. Some people respond positively; most don't. I don't press the issue, because I know that everyone isn't going to accept/believe what the Bible or I say. (Matt 7:14) Regardless, the "seed" gets planted. God will take care of the rest.

Friday Photo (a little late)

Friday Photo...Finally

It's been a while since I've blogged, i.e. actually sat down and wrote something of my own.

We're getting ready to go on a trip to Northern California...if it doesn't burn to the ground by the time we get there! We're pretty pumped--we're going to drive Hwy 1 along the coast. We've got reservations one night at The Tides Inn of Shelter Cove; we're also planning on visiting Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco. I've been cleaning up the hard drive on my laptop and formatting all of my memory cards for the camera in preparation for the trip. There are several lighthouses along the route we hope to see, as well the Redwoods. Lots of pictures soon!

Friday Photo

I shot this picture on my way through the Denver airport this past Spring. I was on my way to the Shepherds' Conference.

Hogs 'N' Hot Rods

Most Saturdays during the summer, my youngest son goes (actually I take him) to his grandparent's house and mows their lawn. They pay him, so he's happy about that. They still live in the same town (Collinsville, OK) where my wife and I grew up, so it's kinda fun sometimes to just drive through town and see how things have changed.

Main Street has changed quite a bit; where there used to be clothing and grocery stores, there are now "flea markets" and antique stores. Many of the "mom and pop" stores are long gone, victims of the Wal-Mart that was built right outside the city limits several years ago and due to a period where it seemed like everyone was moving away to other cities/areas. Butch Cribbett still has a hardware store on Main; it used to be a "Western Auto"--it's "True Value" now, I think. But, things are looking up. They have a young mayor (he grew up there as well) with lots of ideas for revitalization.

Several years ago--after we had moved to a nearby town, a bar/restaurant that catered to bikers came and set up shop on Main Street . I don't know much about the place or what made them think that Collinsville would be a good place to put in a business, but it's apparently worked for them. One of the things they did was start an annual event they call "Hogs 'N' Hot Rods." For the past few years, downtown (6 blocks) is blocked off and motorcycle and hot rod enthusiasts fill the streets. There are food and beer vendors and all kinds of booths with just about everything you can imagine, as well as "hog/hot rod" attire--related items. Both sides of the street are lined with hot rods and restored classic cars, as well as choppers and touring bikes. Some of the paint jobs on the choppers and cars is absolutely incredible.

I'm not a big bike or hot rod fan, but I couldn't resist taking a stroll through the festivities after dropping Alex off. I had thrown my camera in the truck just in case I stumbled onto something "photo worthy." I spent a couple of hours just walking up and down the street, admiring the cars and bikes and snapping pictures. Even bought myself a JUMBO corn dog. It was a nice, relaxing --and different-- way to spend the morning. Some of the pics are below. You can see more here.

Friday Photos

I mentioned yesterday that I had been in Florida visiting my parents. When you tell people "I'm going to Florida," they most always respond, "Are you going to the beach?" I'm not really a beach person. I've been to Florida and the beach more times than I can count. It's really no big deal to me, but when Dana and the boys go with me (they didn't go this time), we HAVE to go to the beach, which is usully Fort Walton or Destin, two of the most beautiful beaches you'll see in Florida. The "sugar sand" --as some people refer to it-- is so white, it's blinding to look at on a sunny day.

Florida looks much different where my parents live; they live near the town in the panhandle where my mother grew up. The area is primarily agricultural with large fields of wheat, cotton and LOTS of trees. My parent's property sits right next to a state forest, which is beautiful, especially in the early morning. My parents have a room at the back of their home that is dominated by windows which makes it a great place to sit and drink a cup of coffee and just soak in the scenery. This is basically the view from the "Florida Room."

Friday Photos
These pictures represent more of what people think of as "Florida." The first one is a crane that was sitting on the pier at Ft Walton. The second photo was taken from the end of the pier looking back toward the beach. I liked the different colored frames around the windows. You can view all of my Florida pics here.

Friday Photo (Early)

*** NOTICE ***

I hate to do this, but I have to be away for several days. I will be unable to "monitor" comments during this time--keeping the idiotic rants deleted on one of the posts that has gotten somewhat out of hand--so effective immediately, comments will be closed. Comments will be re-opened May 7.

Thank you for your patience. Looking forward to your comments next week. In the meantime, here's a "Friday Photo" a couple of days early.

Friday Photos

We spent last Sunday afternoon at Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve near Bartlesville. Woolaroc was established in 1925 as the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips. The ranch is a 3,700 acres.

View all Woolaroc pics here. I took more than this, but these are the ones I liked.

Not much else to report this week. Busy at work. Busy at home. Busy at church. Too busy.

Random Thoughts / (Friday) Saturday Photo

God's Sovereignty
Frank Turk from TeamPyro made the following comment (no.46) regarding "the Sovereignty of God:"

One of the real comforts of the Christian faith is that things happen to us on purpose and not because God’s not minding the store. I don’t have to know all the parts of the Rube Goldberg machine to have confidence in the things I don’t see or perhaps could never understand: all I need is the fact that God’s decree is still the principle upon which all things exist, and He is in fact doing good to me.

Actually, the post and comments are pretty good. What was intreresting--from what I read--was the congenial banter (for the most part) between the different camps.

I have a friend who is an Elder in a Restoration Movement Christian Church; I attend --for lack of a better label-- a reformed SBC. He and I disagree on this issue. Dale would most likely see God's sovereignty as "God could control everything, but decides only to influence...God’s sovereignty is self-limited. God could control things, but to preserve human freedom, he will not intervene in the affairs of men to the degree that the human will is decisively bent in one direction or another."¹ (Dale may actually lean some to the left of this statement.)

I would say that "God’s will plays a providential role in causing all things. In other words, all that happens happens because God did in some sense will it, but secondary causes are usually the instrumental cause behind the action. In the case of your socks, you chose them because you decided to, but it was also part of God’s will. God allows evil as it is part of his imperfect will to bring about a perfect end, but he is not the instrumental cause of evil."¹

Although we don't see eye-to-eye on this subject, we enjoy discussing it, questioning each other on the "finer points," and attempting to shoot holes in each other's theology. We are friends, brothers in Christ. We both put our hope in the atoning sacrifice of Christ's death on the cross, the power of His resurrection and the future, physical return of Jesus Christ to this earth to gather His saints. We are both Christians...we just disagree as to how we got to this point. Not a deal breaker as far as friendships go.

Marketing
I'm writing this post as I sit in McDonalds. It's Saturday morning and everyone at my house sleeps in. I can't stay in bed much past 6:30 AM, so, this morning, I got up, packed my laptop and camera and went out for "breakfast" (I use the term loosely when talking about McD's. REAL breakfast involves eggs, grits, and biscuits-n-gravy. I don't get that kind of breakfast very often, but when I do...it's GOOOOOOOD!)

Anyway, I'm sitting at McD's watching all the people come and go and I'm looking at their logo (on my coffee cup). Pretty simple. Not really that impressive...but it accomplishes exactly what they intended. It identifies them. You know a McD's when you see it--even half a mile away. In fact, you don't even have to be able to read to know it's McD's. Take any three-year-old in America, probably most of the world, and drive down the street and they'll pick out the McD's 10 times out of 10!

A logo is a powerful thing. It tells people who you are. It identifies your company. In less than a second, people associate you with --for example-- "they have food. Coffee. Cold drinks. Hamburgers and french fries. Salads (for the health conscious crowd) and sundaes (for the dessert conscious crowd). Take a look at the following logos. You should be able to identify everyone and know immediately what they sell. Don't tell me marketing/advertising doesn't work.

(L to R) (In case you need help): Nike, Target Stores, Radio Shack, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Shell Oil, Pepsi, Citgo, and Audi

Friday (Saturday) Photo

¹ For the sake of "full disclosure," the quoted definitions were taken from this blog post.

Telemarketers / Friday Photos

The caller ID said: "Unknown Name, Unknown Number." Normally I wouldn't answer the call, but my parents live out of state and sometimes their number doesn't show up. It was late in the evening, and my dad's health isn't all that great--it might be mom calling. Phone calls late at night are sometimes bad news--not that I'm looking for bad news, but you never know. On top of that, my mom has had some surgery recently, so I figured I'd better take the call...just in case.

"Hello."
[Muffled talking in background]
"Hello" (again).
"Uh, Mr. Whitfield?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Whitfield, I'm calling about your wireless service. Could you answer just a few questions for me this evening?"
"I suppose so." And the monotenous questions began.

What was supposed to be "just a few questions" turned into endless "How would you rate your wireless service? Very satisfactory. Somewhat satisfactory. Sorta satisfactory. Just satisfactory. Sometimes satisfactory. Satisfactory. Rarely satisfactory. Never satisfactory. OR, I hate it so bad I could scream?"
"What was the third one?"

I finally stopped the guy and asked: "How many more questions do you have. Honestly, I was just trying to be nice, but I really don't have time for much more of this."

"Oh, it'll only be about five more minutes," he replied. FIVE MORE MINUTES?! I hung up. I don't care if my wireless service knows what I think about them. Actually, they already do know--I've called them four times in the past three months and told how bad they are. Lot of good it will do. My contract doesn't end until December 2023, or something like that.

Friday Photos

 

Contextualization / Big Oil / Friday Photos

It is not the business of the church to adapt Christ to men, but men to Christ.-- Dorothy Sayers

Contextualization
Lately, there have been several blogs devoting space to the topic of "contextualization," specifically contextualization of the Gospel. In many cases, the subject was/is prompted by comments John MacArthur made during this year's Shepherds' Conference:

I believe that byword has become a curse. “We have to change the way wedress, look, sing, in order to ‘contextualize,’ to connect with people at the level of their exposure to broader culture...”

He states a little later--"...Some people ask, why do I wear a tie? Because I have respect for this responsibility. I wear a suit because this is a more elevated experience for people. I’m trying to convey what people convey at a wedding: this is more serious than any normal activity. This is the most serious occasion anyone will attend in their life: the preaching of the Word of God."

The "suit" comment really set some people off. People like Tim Reed and Michael Spencer¹ decried MacArthur's comment, insinuating he was condemning any other dress code than that of a suit and tie. I was there--at the conference--and that was not the tone or the point. The point was that the Bible doesn't need to be changed to adapt to its readers. We don't need to dumb it down for people to understand it. And we certainly don't need to make the Bible more entertaining or palatable.

Church/preaching of God's Word is serious business and shouldn't be approached lightly. God certainly didn't mince any words in His instructions to Moses as to how the Levites should not only present themselves, but carry out their duties. MacArthur wasn't saying "you HAVE to dress a certain way to come to church." He's smart enough to understand that everyone doesn't own a suit. The crux of his statement was about attitude, honoring God in the way we approach Him and worship Him. (NOTE: I do find it interesting that the same people that would scream and holler over a dress code--for lack of a better phrase--think nothing of showing up at church in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, but they will go to the trouble to wear their best clothes to a funeral or wedding.)

Phil Johnson--in his presentation at the SC--defined contextualization as the "practice of altering either the terminology or the content of our message in order to employ the language, the cultural tokens, the styles, the values, the preoccupations of the culture or sub-culture we're trying to reach." He goes on to state the obvious, paraphrased, we understand the necessity of translating the Scriptures in such a way as to make them understandable to the audience, i.e. verses referring to "sheep" won't make much sense to Eskimoes that have never been around or seen sheep! (The same idea goes for phrases such as "whiter than snow." Pretty hard to press the point for someone that's never seen snow!) What we are speaking against is utilizing crude language--for instance--to present the Gospel to people, simply because "that's the way they talk."

Contextualization today, according to Johnson—and I agree—involves “flout[ing] as many taboos as possible, unlike Paul who wanted to avoid anything that was considered impolite or uncouth so that the Gospel could be heard without unnecessary distractions. The contextualizers of today actually want to maximize the ‘shock and awe’ effect, thinking that’s going gain them a better hearing with the ‘Southpark Generation.’"

What we have here folks is a gang of potty-mouthed pastors/bloggers (and I use the term "pastor" loosely) that believe it's their duty and right to assimilate into society in order to be a more effective witness, when the Bible clearly teaches the opposite.

I may have more to say on this topic later. In the meantime, here's a couple of links that I DO endorse:

• Paul on Mars Hill - Part 1
• Paul and Culture
• Coffee Klatsch

Big Oil
Well, it seems that Congress is upset with the "Big Oil Companies" for posting some hefty profits in recent months, so they've sat them down and told them "what for." Idiots! The government, in large part, has caused the mess we're in re: our dependence on foreign oil. The oil companies/refineries have been hamstrung from building any new refineries in the past 20 years or from drilling in "protected areaa" where we KNOW there are massive amounts of oil just laying there for the taking!

We can drill without disturbing the environment; we have the technology. There are other processes aside from refining crude oil that we could use, if we were allowed to expand and build new/newer facilities. Coal-to-fuel technology (look up "Fischer-Tropsch") is just one of those processes that could wean us off our dependence on foreign oil. Hitler used this same process to keep his air force going during WWII.

Frankly, I'm trying to figure out where multi-millionairs get off telling oil comany CEOs how much profit is TOO MUCH! Hillary Clinton received a multi-MILLION dollar advance for her memoirs, and yet she says things like:

The other day the oil companies recorded the highest profits in the history of the world. I want to take those profits. And I want to put them into a strategic energy fund that will begin to fund alternative smart energy, alternatives and technologies that will actually begin to move us in the direction of independence.

I'm all for "alternative smart energy," but were in the world does she get off talking about TAKING profits from companies?! Tell you what--take the profits, take away the tax breaks, etc. and you are in for one BIG shock at the pump my friends.

Believe it or not, like it or not, the price of gasoline is STILL a good deal. Gasoline really begins to look like a bargin when we compare it to other liquids we buy on a regular basis. Consider the "per gallon price" of the following:

• 2% Milk = $3.99
• Minute Maid Orange Juice = $6.99
• Propel Fitness Water = 7.68
• Dawn Dish Detergent = $11.43
• Starbucks Frappuccino Iced Coffee = $20.48
• Ragu Pizza Sauce = $30.17
• Krazy Glue = $2322.29

Friday Photos

¹Tim Reed is a pastor and blogger that seems to take exception to pretty much ANYTHING MacArthur says. He did not attend the Shepherds' Conference, so he relies on the blogs and statements of others to support his diatribe against MacArthur. He also appears to have no problem with himself or others using crass, filthy language to express themselves under the guise of "relating" to his audience--exactly the thing that MacArthur, Phil Johnson and other speakers at the conference were addressing.

Spencer, aka the "Internet Monk" (from what little I've read) seems be of the same ilk as Reed. The Monk, responding to MacArthur's statments (the Monk wasn't at the conference either) stated: "That suit keeps all kinds of men from ever entering a church. Probably less than 3 [percent] of the men in my county have ever had on a tie, much less a suit. Where do I stop them and say it’s Biblical and 'serious' to wear a suit? It would be completely OUTSIDE of the Gospel for me to do so." He missed the point and would rather focus on the "suit" than the actually point: you don't dumb-down Scripture to make people feel more comfortable about church.

I'm not providing links to either of their blogs. I'm not in the habit of making up quotes, etc. so you can believe me or not. I just can't bring myself to send any more traffic their way.

Purple

Purple is one of my favorite colors. This farm is located about 2 miles from my house. I'm still playing with the settings on my new DSLR.

 

Good Friday / Friday Photos

Good Friday
Today is "Good Friday," the day that many (most?) people believe Jesus Christ was crucified. Prior to sunset that day, his body was taken down from the cross and places in a tomb...but Sunday morning, when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John came to the tomb they discovered that the stone covering the tomb had been rolled away and Jesus' body was not there. He had risen just as he said he would!

...and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. --Luke 24:46-47 NASB

Easter Traditions
One of the Easter traditions people observe is to go out and buy new clothes to wear to church on Easter Sunday. Well, most people buy new clothes. We knew some people years ago that had their own "tradition." They had several children and didn't make a lot of money, so each Easter they would go a department store and "purchase" Easter outfits for the family on their credit card. Easter morning, they would go to church in their pretty new clothes, being very careful not to soil them...then, yep you guessed it...they would return the clothes the next day for a credit on their card! Mission accomplished! Everyone got to wear something new on Easter and it didn't cost them a dime. The mom was quite proud of herself for devising such a cost-saving solution. I just thought it bordered on stealing.

Friday Photos
Three photos this week in celebration of my new toy.

Friday Photos

I haven't had much time this week to write about the Shepherds' Conference. Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend or next week. Simply stated: It was a great week--encouraging, restless and tiring at the same time. The worship times were unbelievable. Clayton Erb is by far the best Worship Leader/Minister I've ever seen.

One of the week's highlights is the "book give-away" on Thursday. Good stuff. Another plus, the Conference has two bookstores amply stocked. Needless to say: I like books--so I bought some! There were three of us that went to the Conference together; we bought so many books (plus the freebies) we had to ship them home via UPS. The books arrived this past Wednesday--it was just like Christmas!

I took the picture below on my way home from work this week. Some churches really know how to market themselves--and Jesus' resurrection. 'Nuff said.

flickr: Friday Photo Group

A Typical Friday Night

flickr: Friday Photo Group

Valentines Day

Friday Photo

I realize I'm a day late with the "Friday Photo", but I couldn't resist posting this one. These are the flowers I sent my wife for Valentines Day.

flickr: Friday Photo Group

Friday Photos

It's been a while since I posted Friday Photos. To be honest, I haven't taken that many pics since the ice storm a couple of months ago. Anyway, the bird pic was shot through our patio door--Dana made a "bird feeder" from a pine cone. The bird apparently thought it was delicious. The second pic was taken this week during a snow storm that was supposed to dump 6 to 8 inches on us...we got 1.5 inches. It was still pretty.

 
 

flickr: Friday Photo Group

Weekly Wrap Up / Friday Photos

What a Pile of...
What do the two pictures above have in common? They're both a pile of...well, you know. The "pile" on the right is one Cardrico Lajuan Nash who was arrested this past week for leaving his four children--ages 3 months to 7 years-- in his car...parked outside a local topless bar...at 1AM...in near freezing temperatures (35 degrees according to the Tulsa World)!

Nash had picked up three of his children earlier in the evening after having not seen them in a year according to Tulsa Police Captn Rick Helberg. The mother of two of the children was working at another Tulsa strip club; the mother of the other two children was at home. Nash has been booked into the Tulsa jail on four felony counts of child endangerment. He already has felony convictions for "failing to provde for a child, false impersonation and possesion of a firearm while under Department of Corrections supervision." He is also facing a Jan 23 jury trial on a felony drug-trafficking charge. Bail was set at $25,000. (Source: Tulsa World)

Several observations re: this story--

• This guy ain't up for the "Father or Citizen of the Year" award!
• There are two VERY STUPID women out there who should have kept their clothes on around this idiot.
• When you haven't seen your children in a year, your first thought after picking them up should never be--"I think I'll drop by Suds-N-Jugs and leave the kids in the car!
• Cardrico Nash is my choice for the 2007 Support the Death Penalty Poster Child.

Microwave Instructions
I was heating up my lunch today, reading the all important instructions when I noticed the last sentence: "...remove product from microwave. WARNING: container is hot!" Of course it is! Isn't that WHY I put it in the microwave in the first place?...so it would get "HOT!" I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Road Trip
Loaded up the fam last week and went to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO for their "Old Time Christmas" celebration. They claim to have over 4 million lights--I lost count around 956, 228. They whole town is decorated for Christmas and there are several stores/areas that have been revamped especially for the holidays. Our favorite places are still the glass blowers shop, the candy shop and the woodcarvers.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at one of the restaurants in the park and then spent the evening just walking around, looking at the lights and enjoying the fragrances and sounds of Christmas. We returned the next day so the boys could ride the roller coasters, etc. while Dana and I did some shopping...and EATING! (The photos directly below and the one above are from the SDC website. Click on the thumbnails for larger view)

  

Friday Photos

flickr: Friday Photo Group