Virginia
My encounter with a farmer
Jun 17th
I chatted with a farmer today. He’s probably around 80 years old, has a grip like iron, wears a hat and overalls, and has a bad back that aches him in the mornings, around noon, in the afternoon, and before going to bed. But every day he’s up before dawn (“I got up this morning before breakfast,” he said with a wink), tending the cows and chickens, then working the fields, then getting everything ready for the next day. One of his eyes don’t see too good no more, and he can’t really hear unless you holler at him. And his old tractor–always breaking down, always something to fix on it. He drives up and down the roads in an old beat-up truck that emits a little too much exhaust, but the engine keeps on going with a steady thumpa-thumpa-thumpa. You know when he’s coming because no one else drives that slowly, but the dogs bark and wag their tails when they see him.
He tells me I should get me a horse, one about ten years old. Don’t get one of them high-spirited ones though–you want to be able to ride them, and the high-spirited ones, you can’t even get the bridle on them sometimes. Why, he knew someone who gave co-cola to their horses twice a day, once at ten in the morning and once at two in the afternoon, and that’ll make your horse jumpy. You can’t ride them if they are too jumpy. You know how they do.
I expect that ten years from now he’ll still be working the fields, driving the same old truck, keeping the same old tractors running (at least to make it through the summer), and checking in with his neighbors now and then, usually on Sundays. And he’ll probably still be holding his bad back while leaning against the fence, looking out at his cows and surveying all the work he’s done that day. I expect too that after surveying his work, he’ll then head on inside and take his boots off, a little more slowly and with more effort than he used to. Then he’ll wash up for supper, kiss his wife–on her lips if she’s awake, on her cheek if she’s nodded off in her chair–then rest a spell before heading to bed, so he can get up early for the next day’s work.
And that sounds wonderful to me.
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Mushrooms grow where elves danced
Jun 3rd
They say that mushrooms grow where elves danced the night before.
I thought about this as I walked around our yard today. There were mushrooms everywhere–big ones, flat ones, brown ones, white ones, red ones, spotted ones, puffy ones. So I grabbed my camera and below are some pics, just so you can get a sense of what I saw.
But then I thought, wow, those elves must have had a really great party last night.
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good things come in threes, even turtles
Jun 2nd
Didn’t you know?
As many suspect, it’s turtles all the way down.
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things in trees
May 26th
It just so happened that within two days I saw some cute critters in some trees nearby.
The first pic shows two cats in the tree–not too unusual except they were pretty high up. One is facing away, but you should be able to spot both of them.
The second pic shows a baby possum. The photo is not that good because the little guy could really climb, and the closer I got, the higher in the tree he got. Also, it was in the woods, so I had to play with the brightness and contrast so you would actually see him due to the dim/weird lighting. Really just a little fluff ball on the side of a tree. But I think you can make out his face. I think he’s saying, “I’m scared. Go away, please.”
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what happens when a white cat takes a dirt bath
May 8th
Our white cat took a dirt bath today–you can see the result.
Oh, but look at those eyes!
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My story: “A Healing Place,” The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Apr 1st
My story, “A Healing Place,” is out in the April 2010 edition of The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature.
You didn’t know I was Southern? Well, I guess my Southern Legitimacy Statement proves it.
By the way, the April edition of The Dead Mule has one of their biggest fiction issues ever, along with their poetry, essays, and a book review.
So pull up a chair, sit a spell, and start reading!
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Review: In the Land of Believers, by Gina Welch
Mar 30th
The recent health care “debate” had both the blue team AND the red team stooping to lows of hysteria and vitriol, getting Americans riled up rather than taking advantage of an opportunity for understanding and education. So it is refreshing to see someone take the latter path, rather than the former, for a change.
Gina Welch, raised in a secular household in California, moved to Virginia to attend graduate school. Once here, she found herself in a rather different culture than what she was used to in California. She got interested in investigating the core of the differences in these belief/cultural/spiritual systems, and committed years of her life to this effort.
In her new book, In the Land of Believers: An Outsider’s Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church
Why Thomas Road Baptist Church?
Regionally, church membership was in the thousands and growing and Liberty University was fast becoming what the founder had hoped it would be: a Brigham Young University for Evangelicals.
The founder, of course, being Jerry Falwell.
Note, however, that the matter of Gina joining Thomas Road Baptist Church was not a trivial step. Says Gina:
I am a secular Jew raised by a single mother in Berkeley…. I cuss, I drink, and I am not a virgin.
She realizes that the people she wants to learn about would not be forthcoming if they knew she was writing a book about them, so she invents a story about herself. This deception allows her to join the church and make friends there, but comes back to haunt her in the end.
The book is mostly about her experiences in joining the church and developing relationships with people. But while in the church she witnesses several key events in the history of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, including the transition from the original church site to the new site (formerly the Ericsson cell phone plant) as well as the death of Jerry Falwell.
Also, in her journey she herself becomes changed, and discovers flaws in the caricatures the media paints of “Christian America”. There are actually real people behind those images:
And yet…against logic, as a liberal secular Jew, born to a Communist father, raised in Berkeley, educated in the Ivy League—I had been charmed by Jerry Falwell.
Gina takes a fair look at the church and its members, and, I think, all sides—the pro, the con, and the indifferent—can learn something from her experiences.
In the end, Gina has to deal with the deceptions she has committed, as well as the friendships she has created.
The result, I think, is a valuable insight into a segment of society where, currently, at the interface with the rest of the world, there is some distrust and misunderstanding.
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Publication of a short story!
Mar 11th
I just got word that a short story I wrote got accepted to The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature Journal.
I’ll let everyone know when it comes out!
Woop!
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12 Great Gift Ideas
Dec 3rd
Let’s face it. We want to pick out gifts that are meaningful, cool, intelligent, and interesting, yet there is only so much time in which to shop and choose. So below is a list of 12 gifts from which you should be able to pick that awesome gift for your significant other, family member, friend, or self. These are items that I have tested during the last year, so when I make these recommendations it is based on my happiness with the quality, value, and experience with each product.
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Amazon Kindle
This is the number one electronic gift for this season. If you want a smaller size, go for the Kindle 2 (my review). If you want a larger size, choose the Kindle DX (my review).
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tie or scarf from Mountain and Sackett
Established in 1957, Mountain and Sackett offers some of the best values in handmade ties and scarves. They choose the best fabrics from the best mills around the world, such as the finest English and Italian silks and wools, and then hand-make them for you. They even offer a line of ties and scarves where 60% of the sales are donated directly to Autism Speaks, a charity dedicated to aiding Autism. -
iPod Touch
So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch
have been the hottest devices around for a while now.
I chose the Apple iPod Touch
But I love the iPod Touch
Though I’ve been using it for a while, here’s my initial review of the iPod Touch
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Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner
I can only say that this scanner has been a real help in eliminating paper waste and aiding my productivity. For example, I often have a lot of paperwork that needs signing and then sending to another third party. With the ScanSnap Sheet-Fed Scanner
, I can simply sign the document, scan it in with the scanner, then email it to the intended recipient.
Moreover, after using this product for quite a while now, I’ve found that its small footprint allows it to be easily carried from one place to another and setup in a new location — i.e., it is small enough to be plopped into my book-bag, carried to another location, then setup and used without any delays or hassles.
Here is a link to my initial review of the Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner.
So resolve to eliminate paper clutter — simplify your life and your workflow.
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Gymboss Interval Timer
For such an inexpensive timer, I’ve been really impressed. I use this timer in just about every workout. It is really handy when doing interval workouts, timed sprints, or any activity where you need to count off the time with an audible increment.
For example, I may set the timer to chime once per minute for twelve minutes. Then I can do my workout pace of 20 kettlebell swings per minute, without having to watch the clock or count the time — I do my 20 swings, then rest until the alarm sounds. Rinse, repeat. This is one of the best cardio and strength workouts around (see below for my kettlebell recommendation).
But back to timers — it’s simple to use, and is small, functional, and robust — what more could you want from a timer? You can pick them up as stocking stuffers from the Gymboss website (and my review)
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AccuSharp Knife Sharpener
Unless you have specific knife sharpening needs, you can likely just forget about those expensive, complicated knife sharpeners and oilstones. The simple, and cheap, AccuSharp Knife Sharpener
will be the only knife sharpener you will need. Trivial to use, lightweight, easy to store — this is the best knife sharpener worth many more times its price.
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Kettlebell
One of the best ways I’ve found to get in shape, get strong, and ramp up the cardio capacity is to use kettlebells. Ya, take a look at the pic — it’s basically a cannonball with a handle. But this one piece of iron will replace a gym’s worth of fancy expensive equipment.
There are a lot of poor-quality kettlebells out there, so I would suggest you buy your kettlebell from the Dragondoor site — their kettlebells may be a little more expensive than other brand kettlebells, but the Dragondoor kettlebells are the gold standard, and the quality in the product will be worth more in the long term than any of the other inferior and more inexpensive kettlebell offerings by third parties. For example, I’ve used other brands of kettlebells that just shred your hands because of their poor-quality finish.
Which kettlebell to get? If you are a guy and in reasonable shape I might suggest starting with a 16KG kettlebell. Females who are in reasonable shape should probably start with a 12KG kettlebell. Note: meet with an RKC (see discussion below) to be sure though, since people often try to start with a heavier weight than they are capable of handling safely.
Along with your kettlebell, I would suggest you get the book Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secrets of the Soviet Supermen
. This book will show you some basic exercises with the kettlebell and gives you exercise programs you can follow, along with lots of helpful advice.
If you don’t learn well from books, and especially if you plan on moving up in weight, I would really recommend meeting with a certified instructor (RKC) to help you with your form. Here’s an article I wrote about my experience meeting with an RKC, and how it really helped me.
But if you can learn to use the kettlebell appropriately, then you have a lifetime of fitness gains and health ahead of you.
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Flip UltraHD Camcorder
So I’ve been using this Flip UltraHD Camcorder
for about six months now, and I’ve been really happy with it. This camcorder is easy to carry and easy to use — taking video and editing it on the computer (Apple — see below recommendation) is almost trivial, and uploading the resulting videos to YouTube or a website is very easy.
I am no video expert, but just by pointing and clicking I’ve been able to create high definition videos of those events I would like to remember. As an example, here is a sample video I recently shot with the Flip UltraHD
High Definition is where it’s at these days, and the Flip UltraHD
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Vibram Five Fingers
If you want to really strengthen your lower legs and feet, want a solid shoe for weight lifting, running, and cross-training, want to learn to run with a natural stride, or simply like to walk barefoot without having to worry about stepping on ouchy things, then you might want to consider getting a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes.
You may already have shoes or boots with Vibram soles, but Vibram also makes a line of shoes designed to allow the benefits and freedom of barefoot training without having to worry about the hazards of being barefoot (I’ve commented before on the benefits of barefoot running and the use of Vibrams).
I have really enjoyed the Fivefingers KSO model
. This version tends to Keep Stuff Out of your shoe when running outside, and the Velcro strap helps keep the shoe snug during a variety of activities.
Note that you *will* get asked about your shoes if your significant other allows you to wear these in public.
Oh, and if you want to wear your Vibrams during the winter, you may want to get these toe socks
.
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Shop Class as Soulcraft
For those who are searching for what it is they really want to do with their lives, their life’s ambition is likely something other than working for someone else out of a cubicle. Sometimes we end up in jobs not because it’s what we *want* to do, but because we *can* do it, and so continue on, though perhaps we are never quite happy because our true calling is never satisfied.
In Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
, Matthew Crawford takes us on an introspective journey into not only what it means to quit one career in order to do what it is you really want to do with your life, but the book also re-examines the benefits and satisfactions from manual labor.
This is sometimes a philosophical journey, ala the classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
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Apple Macbook Pro
Starting in 1986 I was a dedicated PC user, and put up with Windows because that was all I knew. But in 2004 I noticed that all my computer science security professors had Macs. Hmmm. So when my PC laptop died, I took that opportunity to switch to an Apple laptop, and I’ve never been happier with my computing choice.
Most recently I’ve been using the new Apple MacBook Pro
with Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System. The laptop itself is very rugged, built from a single block of aluminum. It also has a 7 hour battery, a beautiful, crisp screen, a multi-touch trackpad, a 500GB hard drive (I upgraded the drive), and the solid Snow Leopard Operating System.
You may pay a little more upfront than a similarly-configured PC, but you will more than make up for the difference in cost through increased productivity, decreased maintenance, hassle, and time-wasted costs, and increased satisfaction with your computing environment.
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Amazon Gift Card
Finally, if you can’t find anything from the above list of items, then you could always just get an Amazon Gift Card, and let the recipient buy whatever it is they want. Who would be disappointed to receive an Amazon Gift Card?
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The Cthulhu Mushroom
Nov 13th
It must have been the rain.
A rain that for days soaked deep into the ground, reaching far down to unimaginable depths, where it must have awakened something Old and Ancient. Something so horrible that I shudder, even now, to recall those fateful moments when, on that day, I journeyed too close whence it emerged. My footfalls fell too close, and I stumbled into a radius of unspeakable nightmares that will forever haunt my sleep.
It was only by Luck that I grasped within my hand the device with which to capture a representation of its Earthly presence—its shadow in this spectrum, if you will—if only to prove to the world that my sanity, upon recounting this tale, should not be held in doubt.
And so, with this post, you can behold this vision for yourself, and know the truth in my words when you regard this terror of terrors…The Cthulhu Mushroom!
