MIss Manners

Miss Manners gives her idea of the perfect new year's resolution which to live within one's own means.

I guess it is a sign of getting old, but when I read her column I just wanted to jump for joy. I envision going to a wedding (or in the LDS world, a wedding reception) where in the foyer there will be an ATM from Target where all one has to do to is run one's credit card through the reader and select a present for the bride and groom.

From my dad: Robin on Obama

Not for the easily offended. Of course, the Robin is Robin Williams, enough said.

Kwanzaa

Yesterday at church we celebrated Kwanzaa
and I was asked to carry in one of the seven candles at the beginning of the service. John was with me at church yesterday, so I asked a friend if John could sit with him until I finished my part of the program. While I was out in the foyer waiting to go in, I could hear John clearly explaining to my friend about his Winnie the Pooh DVD collection. The nice thing about taking John to church is that we end up talking to a lot more people than when I go with him.

Speaking of Winnie the Pooh, after church we stopped by a video game store, John wanted to see if there was a Winnie the Pooh game for Nintendo Wii. He didn't find one, so he decided to check for Mortal Kombat for Wii (which seems unlikely for some reason). Talk about going from one extreme to another.

Christmas 2008

We had our usual chaotic Christmas celebration today. We were very happy to have Rachel along with Russell and his lovely wife Sarah Jane with us this year, along of course with John. James and his family were celebrating together in Idaho Falls and they were very much missed.

Early in the afternoon Russell, Rachel and Sarah Jane went to the airport, Rachel and Russell to LA to attend a friend's wedding Saturday, and Sarah Jane to Pittsburgh to spend some of the holiday's with her family (I know, we are her family also, her family of origin). From LA, Rachel will go back to Washingington DC. It is always wonderful to have Rachel home for a visit though she may wonder how welcome she is at times with John telling her that she needs to go to the airport. What she doesn't hear of course is John counting down the days until Rachel comes to visit again.

I was happy to attend a candle light Christmas Eve service at my church last night. It was just what I needed to get me centered and focused on Christmas.

If we must have an officiating priest at the inauguration, we can do much better than Rick Warren. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine

Interesting editorial by Christopher Hitchens on Slate today. I am bothered by president elect Obama's odd choice of Rick Warren to give in invocation at the inauguration for a lot of reasons. Warren has managed to piss off homosexuals, Mormons, Jews and Muslims all at the same time.

Money quote from article:

"Will the American people be prayed into the next administration, which will be confronted by a possible nuclear Iran and an already nuclear Pakistan, by a half-educated pulpit-pounder raised in the belief that the Armageddon solution is one to be anticipated with positive glee?"

Facebook status

I am now on Facebook, in fact, when I post to this blog it also posts to my Facebook account. How cool is that?

I am probably too old for Facebook, let alone Twitter. The other day I changed my status on Facebook so that it said something like 'David is in Pain.' I got a couple of emails, so I figure I should probably explain.

Several months ago, in an attempt to keep John from smashing his head against a wood chair, I tried pulling him away from the chair. It only took a moment to realize that wasn't a good idea, not that letting John continue banging his head was a good idea, but that pulling him the way I did wasn't a good idea.

I had a instant flash of pain in my left shoulder and upper arm. I figured it would go away in a few days, but as luck would have it, the pain has only got worse as time has gone by. Last month I made a trip to my friendly orthopod and he suggested that I spend some time in physical therapy and see if it would get better or not. So far, it has got a little better but I am afraid I may have to go back and schedule a slice and dice on my shoulder.

Anyway, that explains the pain. It is physical, not emotional. Sorry I wasn't more specific.

Let it snow....

There is just something wrong about having snow in Austin. Last Tuesday we had a high of 81 and then we got hit by a 'blue norther.' The next morning everything was covered by a light dusting of snow. Much to the dismay of school children in the greater Austin area, schools were not closed.

Clean shaven

Where to start. I usually wear a goatee (or more properly, a Van Dyke.) Here at the office a bunch of us started off clean shaven at the beginning of November for a mustache growing contest as part of an effort to raise money to fight prostate cancer. We had the results of the contest on Dec 4th (I did not win). For most of November I grew out a beard, but I was asked to change it into just a mustache. It was for a good cause I suppose, but for the time being I think I will keep my face shaved until I get tired of doing that also.

The contest is over, but it is never too late to donate money.

John Murdock Christmas List

John
Murdock’s Christmas List

1. 

   
   

2. Sonic
   T-Shirt http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2766915

   
   

3. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Paddington-Bear/dp/B0017SBDYG

   
   

Answered prayers

In the last month or so, John has been waking up in the middle of the night and banging his head against the headboard. This is an old behavior that we hoped was behind us, but it isn't.

A few weeks ago in church I decided to write John's name on a prayer card and then placed it in the offering basket when it was passed around. I figure, the more people praying for John, the better.

That night I woke up just before John started banging his head again.... and then I got a flash of insight that I suppose should have been obvious. That is of course, why was I sleeping in my bed when I should be sleeping with John in his bed.

I haven't had the most restful nights sleep for the last couple of weeks, but I have been able to intercept John before he starts hitting his head. He had a nasty looking wound on his head that is now pretty much healed up. I am not sure how much longer I am going to have to keep doing this, but it is certainly much easier on all of us when John isn't injuring himself.

I was touched when some of the people I know at church came up to me to reassure me that they are remembering John in their prayers.

Saw this today, and it fits

The Zen Buddhists have a pithy saying: “Big expectations lead to big disappointments, little expectations lead to little disappointments, and no expectations lead to no disappointments.”

No on Prop 8: Home Invasion

I guess this could have also been titled Gestapo Mormons.

Happy Movember

Hi All,

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'm growing a Moustache. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about tackling men's health issues and being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer.

To donate to my Mo you can either:

1.
Click this link and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account, or
2.
Write a check payable to the 'Prostate Cancer Foundation', referencing my Registration Number 1444556 and mailing it to:

Prostate Cancer Foundation
Attn: Movember
1250 Fourth St
Santa Monica, CA, 90401

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The money raised by Movember is donated directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation which will use the funds for high-impact research to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer.

Did you know:

* Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in the US with one in six American men developing the disease and more than 28,000 men dying of the disease every year.
* African American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease and should have regular annual testing starting at 45. All other men should commence testing at 50.
* Prostate cancer is 90% curable if detected and treated early.

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the details at:
[ Fundraising Outcomes ].



Thanks for your support,

David.



More information is available at http://www.movember.com/.

Movember is proudly grown by Canadian Club and Philips Norelco.

Movember is proud to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Turtle

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Sarah Palin is a post turtle.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top,
that's a post turtle.'


The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain.

'You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with.'

Opie Andy Griffith Fonz Endorse Barack Obama!

Very clever and nostalgic.

Dear Abby: Forgiveness

----------------
Now playing: Daniel Rodriguez - How Great Thou Art
via FoxyTunes

I thought about this all day today. My own take is that forgiveness is more for the giver. I used to think that giveing forgiveness was also giving license to someone to do the same thing over again. Of course I have got passed that, I know now that there is nothing wrong with protecting myself.

DEAR ABBY: What is "true forgiveness"? I said some terrible things to a friend in anger and didn't hear from her for a few weeks. Recently, I received an e-mail saying she "forgave" me but no longer wants to keep in touch, adding that it is important for her to know that I am happy.

I wrote back saying I still want to stay in touch and remain friends. I apologized profusely for my lapse in judgment, but she hasn't responded.

Abby, I thought forgiveness meant to absolve, to cease to feel resentment -- to "wipe the slate clean." Am I wrong to feel that? Isn't she still holding a grudge against me? I realize it's up to her to communicate, but I'm confused how she can claim she forgives me while still harboring bad feelings. Can you help? -- PERPLEXED IN SOUTH DAKOTA

DEAR PERPLEXED: To forgive someone does not mean that you develop amnesia. While the woman you hurt may not be holding a grudge, she may consider you too "dangerous" to allow back into her life. May I offer a word of advice to you? Continue moseying on down the road of life, and in the future watch your mouth, or eventually you may find yourself friendless.

Perfect Joke

A cowboy, who is visiting Wyoming from Texas , walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, 'You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time.'

The cowboy replies, 'Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona , the other is in Colorado . When we all left our home in Texas , we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself.'

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, 'I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss.'

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

'Oh, no, everybody's just fine, ' he explains, 'It's just that my wife and I joined the Mormon Church and I had to quit drinking.'

'Hasn't affected my brothers though.'

The new McCain campaign advisor

The ever funny Betty White.

PC World - The 10 Most Overrated Products

Kind of fun to read. I will have to check out the Photoshop replacement at http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64533/description.html
PC World - The 10 Most Overrated Products: "Hype springs eternal. Lots of technologies, products, and services don't merit the praise heaped on them. Here are 10 tech items that don't live up to their billing--and 10 that deserve respect that they don't receive."

SNL - The VP debate

Very funny, very brutal, though I do hope that Tina Fey does not have an eight year run on her character.