… because I went to the gym on Sunday afternoon and instead of thinking about philosophy, I just cleared my mind, put on my headphones and admired the female volleyball players. For a whole hour.
Why I Am Not an Environmentalist
I just finished watching a two-hour special on the History Channel about the top seven things that could cause a catastrophic end to humanity. The program aired a few weeks ago, but I recorded it and only today felt sufficiently motivated to view it. For those who are curious, the seven — in ascending order […]
Mmm … spam
This blog has been in existence for about 11 months. In that time, I have had a grand total of 15 legitimate comments to my posts. As of this morning, my spam filter has cleverly intercepted 1,629 spam comments — almost all of which are for Viagra, Cialis, or some other pharmaceutical product. This means, […]
Mass communication
One of the latest fads to grace the conventional wisdom is the assertion (and I paraphrase) that unfettered mass communication is tantamount to the Second Coming. Whether it’s the credibility-shaking claim that the Time “Person of the Year” is “you,” or the deification of Wikipedia/MySpace/YouTube/Linux as the harbingers of a new and enlightened social consciousness, the message […]
Thank you, President Ford
I just watched the service inaugurating the viewing of President Gerald R. Ford in the U.S. Capitol. The speeches by Speaker Dennis Hastert and Vice President Richard Cheney were appropriate. I reside in Ford’s Congressional district. Much of Grand Rapids honors the man; we host the Ford Museum, the Ford International Airport, and the Gerald […]
Social reality
I made my first actual trip to the gym today. I joined a little before Christmas, but hadn’t had the time to really get into it until the urge hit in the early afternoon. Interesting mix of people — some older folks trying to stay in shape, some younger guys trying to bulk up, and […]
Merry Christmas
Ahh, vacation. I’ve been off work since last Thursday afternoon, not to return until the morning of Jan. 3. Twelve whole days off (sorta … I’m still on e-mail patrol). Not sure what I’m going to do with myself. Christmas celebrations with the family were quite pleasant. In all, the holidays have been pleasing. Still […]
A Tale of Two Patients
When your life has run its course, how do you wish to face your death? The question of mortality hit home today as I made my weekly pastoral care rounds at the hospital. The last two patients on my list were, for very different reasons, some of the most difficult patient encounters I’ve ever experienced. […]
The Cadillac Club
On Friday, I had the great pleasure of spending the evening with Tony and Emilie and Jon, to celebrate Emilie and Jon’s engagement, and Tony’s safe transition from the bowels of Fundamentalism into a law practice. We went to the Cadillac Club in Lansing, which is a converted bowling alley with a lounge singer and […]
Well, Golly
One of my favorite Dilbert strips features the Pointy-Haired Boss nattering on about change, to which Ted replies that he’s going to get a sex-change operation and move to Tibet (or something like that). Wally’s response: “I always wondered what would happen if someone listened to you.” Over the last couple of years, I’ve identified […]