What I Read?

I believe I have told everyone at least once I read. (Unfortunately, I have reading glasses now.)


"People" keep asking me what I have read. I can not tell you what I have read this year but I know from the pile next to my bed what I have read the last three weeks. Every month, or so, I redistribute the books amongst other Marines.


This is in no particular order:

Pop Goes the Weasel - James Patterson
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Little Boy Blue - Ed Dee
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Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
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Midnight- Dean Koontz
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The Watchman - Robert Crais
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Broken Prey - John Sanderford
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The Overlook - Micheal Connelly
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Bleachers - John Grisham
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Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die - John Piper
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Demolition Angel - Robert Crais
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The Bible Promise Book - NIV
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The Rainmaker - John Grisham
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Fear Nothing - Dean Koontz
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Four Past Midnight - Stephen King
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Without Fail - Lee Child
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The Green Mile - Stephen King

Iraqi Lizard

I have been meaning to post the Iraqi lizard for some time now.

This Iraqi is about 4 inches long and clinging to a wall.

Always out and about but hard to capture on film.

Too long to Comment

This is a post I expect either no one to read or a lot people will read in protest. I, being a blogaholic, view and read about a dozen or so blogs regularly with about five or six new ones for spice of life type feeling. Fridays, stateside time, I read a lot of church leader blogs. You could say it is my Saturday class before church. I write a comment on about 95 percent of the blogs I read. I am sorry for those I do not, but sometimes there nothing to say or I have something to say and it is not a "pretty" answer. So I abstain on occasion.

I keep reading items from church leaders that are male bashing. Sad. It really bothers me. You know why? I am classified as a Alpha male. I am a dying breed.

I believe in such things like, opening doors for ladies; buying flowers for ladies; reaching for or picking up some item. I do not do these things to demean anyone or think "she" cannot do these things. I do them because of "common courtesy." Traditions sometimes are a good thing.

I could easily split into a section talking about women ruling the world, but why? Why can't we rule the world together. I will never understand why not. I will meet you all halfway, but you need to come this way at least fifty percent or it is all not.

Earlier today I wanted to post something to this effect on many blogs. I hope I made my point.

RevGals Friday Five: The B-I-B-L-E

(Keep in mind, if the below answers seem to make no sense, it is because they don't.)
So, in the spirit of dealing with ways to help as many people in a community as possible engage with a scriptural text in preparation for Sunday worship, Mother Laura offers her first Friday Five.

1. What is your earliest memory of encountering a biblical text?

I was slightly higher than the knees of a grasshopper, but shorter than a grizzly bear.

2. What is your favorite biblical translation, and why? (You might have a few for different purposes).

I really don't know the answer to this question. If it has a glossary for some of those hard to use Hebrew words, that would help. I grew up with the King James version, I believe.

3. What is your favorite book of the Bible? Your favorite verse/passage?

Revelations is always a fun read.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

4. Which book of the Bible do you consider, in Luther's famous words about James, to be "an epistle of straw?" Which verse(s) make you want to scream?

I am not sure why James was not worthy of a gospel and not familiar enough with the Bible. As far as screaming, I scream at all books that scream at me first.

5. Inclusive language in biblical translation and liturgical proclamation: for, against, or neutral?

Does this really matter? Let there be light! It didn't work. Let there be sun! That didn't work either. I think I will just flip the switch...and behold there was light!

Bonus: Back to the Psalms--which one best speaks the prayer of your heart?

I think I covered this already. So does that mean I win a prize? Oh wait, Psalm 23 or Psalm 91. Not really sure which one I like better.

I Was Just Reading...

I was just reading the Stars and Stripes and noticed on page 18 of the October ninth edition a picture a young boy and his rabbit, Mr. Thumper. The caption is of the boy and his rabbit sharing the moment before they take part in the Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

This reason I post this, I think I read something similar in a blog somewhere about blessing animals very recent. To me the world just got smaller.

"That Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin there.
I said, "Your court house is kinda run down,
He said, "No, it will do for our little town".
I said "your old flag pole kinda leaned a little bit,
And that’s a ragged old flag you got hanging on it".
He said "have a seat", so I sat down,
He said, "is this your first time you been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don’t like to brag, but we’re kinda proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing
"Oh Say Can You See"
It got a bad rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson tugging at its seams.
It almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on tho.
It got cut with a sword in Chancellorsville,
Got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
"That Ragged Old Flag"

On Flanders Field in World War I,
She took a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low a time or two.
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
And here in her own good land,
She’s been abused, burned, dishonored, denied and refused,
And the very government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.

And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearing thin,
But she’s in pretty good shape, for the shape she’s in.
Cause she’s been through the fire before
and I know, she can take a whole lot more.
So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down every night,
We don’t let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thoughtI do like to brag
Cause I’m mighty proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"

Words to Ragged Old Flag By John R. Cash, © 1974 House of Cash, Inc.

History and Stories, Part II

Being me, and for those of you who now me, these statements should be self evident.

I believe that America as a whole has forgotten where they have come from and why they are here today(USA). I believe that Americans are not learning from the past. I believe that Americans are turning into a mob. I believe, if we the leaders of Americans do not teach and hold a higher standard to which we believe America is; then we will lose. That dream of America that we strive for will be lost and we will be America no more. We are beating ourselves and we are doing it to the youngest generation.

I do not want to lose. I want to Dream. I want the Dream of America to prevail.I want America to win. I am doing my part to ensure the future of that Dream.

Are you?

Wishing in One Hand........

If you link to my blog...

I will think about you regularly.

I will help in vitural solutions to your problems.

I will lend you my imaginary friend.

I will not call you names out loud or under my breathe.

I will take back all those means things I said about you.
(Unless you liked that.)

History and Stories

Reflecting on one's past.

Strategy

Immigrants of History

Analogy

Lacrosse

I believe this photo was taken in the summer of '97. I am fairly sure we were golfing the Scarlet course at Camp Lejeune. The goal keeper is Eric, a former Marine, who I have lost touch with.

Fuzzy Apples

I am coming to the fast approaching realization that everyone is more cuckoo than I. The only difference is some people are better at hiding it. I am not saying I am "crazy", in my mind I am the most sane individual there is. Everything in my head makes complete sense, it is the venture that worries me.

The Council of Trent

I really wanted to label a post "the Meaning of Life" or the "Answer to the Ultimate Question", but I knew everyone knew the answer was 42.

I am looking for answers to questions that I haven't asked. Without any sillyness(spelled right), I am looking for a direction. I have been having a reoccurring dream and it is not a good one. (So if it seems that the last few posts do not make sense, that's okay, they might not.)

Roles of People in a Community

(I am not saying I want to be a preacher, this just thoughts that need clarification.)

My understanding of "preacher" is to be a leader in the "community" and translator of "God's" work.

On someone's blog ( unfortunately, I do not keep track of every blog I visit) I listed some traits of a pastor that I believe he or she should have. That post or link would have been good here. Hindsight is 20/40, right?

Part I - Please tell me what your thoughts are on the role a preacher should have on her/his
congregation or community.

I posted some time ago about some of my thought at that time about God. HERE.

Part II- What is your thought on God, in other words, what purpose or role does God have?

The Many Facets

Death is always bad when speaking generally about youth.
Life is always bad when speaking generally about those who terrorists in nature. (I do not like to use that word in the previous sentence, but people only seem to connect lately with that one.)
The Armed Forces of any nation rely heavily on youth to deal out death with the political view of that nation.

What brings me to say these things?

For some reason, many people including Americans are forgetting that it is the youth of the world that is trained how to inflict pain and or death. You can disguise it any way you want but that is the simple fact.

The Great American Football

It is not like the Great Pumpkin or even Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, but is is as special. The lengths in which some of us will go to watch our preferred or any football game for that matter.

Last night I spent about six hours rerouting some coax under and over and through some pretty disgusting and hard to reach places. My signal still isn't good and it looks like I won't be able to see the Packers play again this week.

That is it, the Green Bay game, it lasts for 3 to 4 hours a week, with a bye week in late October, for seventeen weeks. Potentially another month when they reach the play-offs.

My guess is, the majority of you do not understand the mind of cheesehead. Do not fret, many have tried and many have failed to realize We are a different breed. The type that will tailgate in a blizzard six hours before the gates open in a stadium. The type that will pass season tickets in their will. The type that never leaves even when the team looks grim and may have been losing. The type that remains true no matter where they may be in the world.

Searching For Myself

I have to blame More Cows for inviting me to search for myself. That is okay, using Google I find me and Hitler and some World War Two pictures. Here is the explanation:

I have a relative(I don't know my family tree well enough to explain how) that was a General in Hitler army. If fact this guy, is the guy who surrendered in Berlin after Hitler's death. Well, that should explain the WWII pictures and Hitler.

The pictures of me are quite simple I own a website that I use as a scrapbook of sorts. There is just a little bit of everything in my website.(Been on the web since 1997.)

Now, when searching for my "nickname" I find More Cows and other RevGals. I also find some video that I posted on MySpace from Japan. Of course, there is also a picture from my website.

Six Year Old Rant

I am a bit ticked off at ELCA? I am not really sure if I am focusing my anger in the right direction.

For about six years now I have been trying to recieve an annulment from my second failed marriage. From the pastors that I have talked to personnally, say I have a good case, but that is where it tends to drop.

Nothing really is gained as far as monies or rights, by the act. This marriage was the only one done in thoery in a church sanctioned by the church.

I am not expecting any comments on this post, I just felt I needed to get this off my chest.

I thinking of deleting this post. I may end up moving it to a different "time."

Rain

It has been raining today and tonight so far. I believe the last time it (sky) has rained was Aprilish.

The rain here does something strange to dry moon dust around here. The ground becomes one of two things, either it will became pasty or slushy. I suppose it hinges on the amount of rain, but since this is a first for quite awhile it is becoming pasty.

Also, instead of smelling dust, we smell wet dust! Yea! I would have to say the smell of rain normally is a good thing, but not here. It is reminder of another obstacle of fun!

Fortunate Son

Okay, I think it is obvious by now that I am an American. I would call this the "duh" factor. I am a proud American and would like other Americans to be proud. I think that is simple enough. So this post will be simple in that I will link a few places that may help in remembering and acting like an American.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244988,00.html
- This story is about buying a bunch of European airplanes instead of Made in the USA airplanes.

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/
- Supporting American-Made Products and Services from American-Owned Companies

http://www.madeinusa.org/
- American Made: Products and Services - Made in USA

http://www.usstuff.com/
- A listing of products made in America

http://anymarine.com/
- One of many outlets to support groups of Marines

There is many more great sites, in which you could find yourself. This is just a little reminder. I will close with the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Friday Five: Thankfulness list

The RevGals and there questions or lists on Friday seem to be a learning of one self. Side Note: I am going to try keep doing these.

List at least five things (people, places, graces, miracles...) for which you are thankful.

A) Mom - without her I would probably be up in shit creek and/or stuck there.

B) Scruples - not the game, but the few brain cells rumbling in my head that seems to be working

C) Friends - I know it seems generic, but the ones in question know who they are. Without my friends I would have lost all my scruples in shit creek by now.

D) Not Here - the place when you go when get away from here. Again it seems generic but it really isn't.

E) Dreams - the collective of the love my Mom has given me while not being here with some friends doing something with my scruples. It is an awesome feeling.