And I Quote:...

I read a fantastic article in The New Yorker today about quotes. It's worth taking a look at, especially when you consider the licentious audacity to alter a quote to make it more, well, quotable. I'm not liking this activity at all. "Whodathunkit?" Read the article here...

Why Believe?

Following are a couple of quotes from an interesting article I found a link to over on Arts & Letters Daily. I'll let the article speak for itself, but there are a number of things therein that have fluttered across my limited little brain in the past couple of years. It can all be summed up in the two words I've chosen as the title for this post: why believe? To read the article in its' entirety, click here. Now for the quotes of particular interest to me:

"In his 2004 book, The End of Faith, Sam Harris pointed out that alone of all human assertions, those qualifying as "religious," almost by definition, automatically demand and typically receive immense respect, even veneration. Claim that the earth is flat, or that the tooth fairy exists, and you will be deservedly laughed at. But maintain that according to your religion, a seventh-century desert tribal leader ascended to heaven on a winged horse, or that a predecessor had done so, without such a conveyance, roughly 600 years earlier, and you are immediately entitled to deference. It has long been, let us say, an article of faith that at least in polite company, religious faith — belief without evidence — should go unchallenged.
No longer. If recent books — many of them by prominent biologists — are any indication, the era of deference to religious belief is ending as faith is subjected to gimlet-eyed scrutiny."

Then...

"On the one hand, religious belief of one sort or another seems ubiquitous, suggesting that it might well have emerged, somehow, from universal human nature, the common evolutionary background shared by all humans. On the other hand, it often appears that religious practice is fitness-reducing rather than enhancing — and, if so, that genetically mediated tendencies toward religion should have been selected against. Think of the frequent advocacy of sexual restraint, of tithing, of self-abnegating moral duty and other seeming diminutions of personal fitness, along with the characteristic denial of the "evidence of our senses" in favor of faith in things asserted but not clearly demonstrated. What fitness-enhancing benefits of religion might compensate for those costs?
The question itself is novel. Social scientists, for example, have long considered religion as sui generis, not as a behavioral predisposition that arose because in some way it contributed to the survival and reproduction of its participants. For Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) as well as Daniel C. Dennett (Breaking the Spell), religion is primarily the misbegotten offspring of memes that promote themselves in human minds: essentially, religion as mental virus, thus something adaptive for "itself" and not for its "victims." Or it could be a nonadaptive byproduct of something adaptive in its own right. For example, children seem hard-wired to accept parental teaching, since such advice is likely to be fitness-enhancing ("This is good to eat," "Don't pet the saber-tooth"). In turn, this makes children vulnerable to whatever else they are taught ("Respect the Sabbath," "Cover your hair") as well as downright needy when it comes to parentlike beings, leading especially to the patriarchal sky god of the Abrahamic faiths."

"A World Between A Lilac And A Wall"

After a lapse of a few weeks, I finally dug into some more of Michael Pollan's oustanding writing again this week. This time, in My Two Gardens, he paints a great picture that includes, among other things, a child's fascination with gardening; a father's disdain for lawn maintenence; a grandfather's passion for neatness, tidiness, orderliness and an utter disapproval of weeds and beards (which, somehow, go together); and the effects the passage of time has on both gardens and families. I'm currently not in a position to focus on gardening, so I think Pollan's accounts are giving me a vicarious thrill...

I'm Not The Center of The Universe

"We assume our personal preferences are the standard by which all art should be judged."

Once again, Scott Adams has delivered a thought-provoking post over on his Dilbert blog. I've noticed this phenomenon many times & in a variety of ways, and I've come to my own personal conclusion that it's rooted in that God-awful trait called selfishness. This characteristic goes way beyond our judgment of art, and touches so many other areas of our lives. No, the fact is, there are billions of other people in the world, and I'm not the star that the rest of the world revolves around. This is good to know...

In Case You Planned On Being Appreciated Today

I make time to read the Dilbert blog (see my Frogroll to the right for the link), and also click over from there frequently to the daily comic strip. The one above is actually from yesterday, and I like it so well I just had to link to it because I really connect with it in a number of ways. I don't work or do anything in life expecting appreciation, but every once in a while I'll think someone may appreciate my gesture just a little. Yeah, well, my "false hope" has been flattened more than once! Life is grand, I love every minute of it...and that's a true story.

Borat

Well, I finally did it. I gave in and watched this insane film some friends had recommended entitled Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan I don't know that I'll rate it as one of the funniest movies I've ever watched, but it certainly has it's moments. Two such moments I've found on youtube, and included them here:

1.) The opening plus some deleted scenes. Check out the clip at 4:09 into it to see the deleted scene of Borat in the grocery store being introduced to Cheese. Click here.

2.) The part of the movie where Borat meets "Mr. Jesus" at a Pentecostal church service, and speaks in tongues. Click here.

I've read where Sacha Baron Cohen got sued because of the frat boys scene, which is what provided the final motivation to watch the thing in the first place. I just had to see what the fuss was about.

*****UPDATE*****
Click here for a United Pentecostal Church International take on the comedic intentions of Sacha Baron Cohen in their church service.

"Canada Huh?...Almost Made It"

I was reminded of this movie today, so I decided to post about one of the greatest scenes in all of comedy movie history. It's the opening scene to Super Troopers, and you just haven't lived life to the fullest if you haven't watched it.

I've viewed this part of the movie time and time again, and for some reason, it never gets old...

Enough Of The %$*& Nonsense Already!

Okay, first off I need to say that this is not a vote of support for Don Imus. Perhaps I'm just not enough in-the-know when it comes to radio personalities not named Limbaugh or Stern (and I don't listen to either of them), but I don't recall ever hearing of this guy prior to the events I'm writing about today.

Last week Mr. Imus made some comments that really have pissed off a boatload of people. He called the basketball players from Rutgers women's team "nappy-headed hos". He's since offered to meet the team and offer another apology. In reference to this meeting, one of the players, Matee Ajavon said: "“I could say that we honestly don’t know what to expect from Don Imus and what we will plan on asking him is his reasons and how you could just say things that you have not put any thought to? Right now I can’t really say if we have come to a conclusion of whether we will accept the apology. What I can say I think this meeting will be crucial for us, the state of New Jersey and everybody representing us.” (Read the article here.) First of all, Matee, I should point out that these were comments made during an (apparantly) unscripted interview, in which case it's quite common to say things you haven't put a lot of thought into. Secondly, Matee, who among us says things we've completely thought out 100% of the time? I'd venture to say it's mighty close to none of us. From time to time we say things off the top of our head without thinking much about it. Does that make hurtful things excusable? No, of course not, just like it doesn't mean every cotton pickin' thing said is right. Sometimes we say hurtful, and incorrect things. So what? It's a part of our rights contained in the 1st Amendment..."freedom of speech".

Now, my biggest question is this: why is Don Imus being given such a hard time while, say 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg who "never hesitate to shoot a ho", Chingy who asks "got his money ho?", & Ludacris who proclaims "youza ho" on his hit song, "Ho", are selling records like there's no tomorrow, all the while offering up "ho's" and "nigga's" on nearly every track?

In all honesty, I (a white male), would pay money to hear any of these artists (all black men) sing, and I own albums by each and every one of them; and, it bears repeating, I don't listen to Don Imus (a white male) at all. But, is it okay for some to say "ho" while others should be castigated? Don't mind me, I'm just rapping out loud...

*****UPDATES*****
(Added 4-17-07)
Here's an interesting article from ESPN.com's Page 2, entitled Imus shouldn't give hip-hop a bad rap. Perhaps I've been corrected...

(Added 4-24-07)
I've been posting a lot lately from Scott Adams, but in his most recent Dilbert Blog post he offered an interesting take on the highlights of this story. I have to agree with him...

The Innocent Man

While on vacation a couple of weeks ago I finished John Grisham's latest book, The Innocent Man. I've read every book published by Grisham, in order, so I'm quite experienced with his writing style and ability. This is his first non-fiction legal thriller, and in my opinion it is a splendid read. If you like his novels (my fav is The Partner), then you'll certainly be entertained by this one that, though minus the wonders of created characters, is just as compelling and full of suspense.

In a related bit of news, I read this article yesterday about a man in Texas who is going to be exonerated because of DNA testing in his case. James Curtis Giles (not the evangelist, Jabel) is being helped by The Innocence Project which I first read about in the Grisham book.

With the rise of CSI and other crime-solving shows, the focus on forensic science is at an all time high. Crime scene investigation, though, is not fool-proof, and the ethics (good and bad) of the investigators seems to play a much larger role than what I ever considered. I always thought it was pretty cut and dried, but alas, once again, I was wrong...

*****UPDATE*****
4-23-07
Another Innocence Project victory, it seems. Click here.

"Keep Moving Forward"

Friday night I took my yahoo's to see the new Disney animated feature Meet The Robinsons, a retro-futuristic film, that, in my mind, was a little Back To The Future-esque. It's a thrill a minute going to see a film at the theater with my guys, and when we see something as action-packed and adventurous as this one, it's an even cooler experience, it seems. I'll give my thumbs-up to the film, even if it doesn't quite reach Toy Story or Shrek status. I was much pleased with both the animation and the story line. I have to make a soul-baring confession, though. The feel-good ending got me all choked up, and when the central theme and lesson of the movie, "keep moving forward", was revealed to be drawn from a quote by my new-found hero Walt Disney, I had tears in my eyes. The movie closes with this profoud quotation:

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”–Walt Disney

I applaud the Disney desire to motivate and encourage us to reach forward and achieve great things...this is a beautiful motive. I'm elated to see that forty years after Walt Disney's death, his great company is carrying the torch he lit onward to a new generation of young people surrounded by their own struggles and difficulties. I'm about 60% of the way through Neil Gabler's biography of Walt, and I've read time and again how he overcame great obstacles and personal hardships to create this imagination factory we still recognize today as one of the greatest companies of all time. Knowing Walt Disney was a determined, hard-working, persistent individual, quotes like the one above have an even more profound impact.

The movie began, quite interestingly, with a short of Mickey, Donald & Pluto building a boat, entitled Boat Builders (Note: this hyperlink takes you to the page on bcdb.com, which is for the "Big Cartoon Database") I've been reading about the Disney shorts and the impact they had on the world of animation, and about Mickey and the impact he's had on the world, so although I've seen a boatload of the cartoons before, I'm watching now with a brand new enthusiasm.

Mickey specifically out of all of the Disney characters seems to be the most like Walt, what with his "pluck", aw-shucks persona and win-at-all-costs determination. Also found at the beginning of this latest Disney feature was a snapshot of Mickey in Steamboat Willie. As I was driving home the other night (we watched the late show, so it was after 11 p.m.), and my boys had dozed off, I began using my imagination a bit and wondering if there wasn't something to that interesting title, "Steamboat Willie". It was the first sound cartoon to gain widespread appeal, and thus was a pioneer in the world of animation. It was also early in the rise of Mickey as a national icon, and was enjoying great success when America was nearing the unprecidented financial crisis which was the Great Depression. In my mind's eye the other night, I quickly broke down the title and realized it was made up of all kinds of "keep moving forward" ideas.

1) "Steam..." I need not go into great detail, suffice it to say one of our more recognizable motivation phrases is "full-steam ahead".

2) "...boat..." Is there a stream, a wide-river, an ocean even in your way? No fear, build a boat and float across the depths until you reach your goal on the other side.

3) "...Will..." One dictionary defines "will" as "diligent purposefulness; determination". Cliche', yes, but I still love "where there's a will, there's a way".

4) "...i..." In a time where blaming others on our problems and dire circumstances is seemingly running rampant, it's quite important to realize that if we are to make it in life, we've got to depend on ourselves. There's a lot of power in having an "I can" attitude.

5) "...e" Finish it off with a little "e for effort", and we've got ourselves a veritable motivational address in two words that's enough to fuel the fulfilment of our dreams for the rest of our days.

In spite of failures, disappointments, setbacks, hardships, & difficulties...keep moving forward.

Cayman '07 Post 7

Yeah, it was hard to sleep Thursday night, knowing that it would be my last in paradise for a while. The windows were open, the constant and stiff ocean breeze filled the rooms with a pleasant ambiance, and should’ve been just the tonic for a perfect rest. Alas, my mind would have none of it, and was actively recalling every sandy step on the beach, every salty splash of the sea, every tingle of sunshine, and every smile and nod from my fellow countrymen and the locals throughout this past week. Driving away from the resort was done with a palpable content, realizing I’ve been afforded a most enjoyable excursion that isn’t enjoyed by everyone, and for that I’m very appreciative. One last trip along the coastal highway and my level of satisfaction rose to euphoric levels…once again, windows down, music up.
Check-in at the airport after dropping off the rental car was mostly smooth, if not just a smidgeon too long and involved. I was a bit miffed about having to pull out my passport 3 times for review prior to getting back to my terminal waiting area, but hey, that’s one of the prices of freedom and protection from terror, I presume. Or, perhaps more likely, it adds to my sense of security, whether I’m actually any more safe with all of these procedures is anyone’s guess.
My first golden moment of the day was when my youngest son blurted out “Big Black Dick” loudly in the food court area of the George Town airport. I glanced over, and sure enough, he was right. Right out in the open is a 7 foot statue (pic above) of some pirate named Big Black Dick, and there’s a variety of rums that bear his name. I’d forgotten about him…my God, stop already!
A little later my 2nd “oh yeah!” moment happened, in the duty-free liquor store called “Bodden Freeport”. I walked in, and the attendant was an oriental chick. What got me was what was playing on her radio: Eric Church’s song Guys Like Me! He’s one of my fav modern country artists, and that song specifically I like to think I identify with (minus the “best blue jeans have Skoal rings” part-I’m not that tough, it seems…) I came out to my waiting spot and pulled out my DJ and plugged in the album Sinner Like Me, my first listen of this one all week long. I swiftly determined it’s a perfect soundtrack for my pre-flight home to the good ol’ Midwest of the the U.S.A. Yip, you can take the boy outta the country, but you can’t take the country outta the boy! (Man, was that cliché or what?...)
Oh, my…after going through all of the international travel procedures, we finally made it back to American soil not a moment too soon. A brief encounter with the drug-sniffing beagle (relax, by encounter I don’t mean getting caught) at Tampa caused us much amusement. I guess I expected all security dogs were supposed to look menacing, but alas, there is a job for the apparently harmless ones, too. The airport there is much roomier and modernized, with loads and loads of things to do to occupy the tedium of a layover. I had just pulled out my computer and said to myself something about there needing to be free wi-fi in places like that when, true story, I heard the tinny voice over the intercom say it was offered. I quickly jumped online and goofed off a bit…and listened to some more Eric Church.
The last leg of out return trip was fine, except the plane leaked, the furnace was stuck in the off position, and there were no free peanuts. But we made it home safely, and the trip was enjoyed by all...(Note: the pic above is from Rum Point, one of our fav haunts on our journey.)

Cayman '07 Post 6

Exhaustion...sun-wearied (and a little burned)...missin' the ones we love...yep, it's pretty obvious the vacation is almost over, as the signs are becoming obvious. Our stingray excursion was indeed cancelled today, and we found out the catamaran will resume visits out there tomorrow at 9 a.m., at which time we'll already be on our way to catch our flight back to America. Oh well, spirits are still very high all around, these aforementioned challenges notwithstanding. I've asked my boys at least a dozen times today I guess if they were still having a good time, and if they're glad they came, to which they both answered in the affirmative with much enthusiasm each time. We headed to Rum Point again, this time taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine to spend some time on the beach up there. We worked on sandcastles, ate lunch, chilled in a hammock and even scouted a couple hundred feet out into the sea (by far our furthest such adventure of the week). The drive back (about 30 minutes) was another good time of sea-side, wrong side of the road driving with the windows down and the tunes' volume up. We've heard a lot of Justin Timberlake down here, and my yahoo's are picking up quite a liking for him. His latest single (though I haven't heard it on the states radios yet) is Summer Love, a song I immediately started to dig when I got the Future Sex/ Love Sounds album a few months back, has been on frequent rotation here. I predicted to a couple of friends when I first heard it that it would be a big hit, probably hitting number 1 about summertime. Well, here's my chance to see if everyone else likes it as much as me. I noticed it's not in the Top 40 yet, but I see that two others from the album are this week, My Love (22) & What Goes Around (2). While I'm on the subject I might as well give a plug: go buy this album, it's awesome.

After getting back we chilled a while and then went down to the pool area and wound up playing shuffleboard (which is right next to the easternmost pool) for an hour or so. We then ventured down the beach to the neighboring resort so the boys could try to find their friends from Illinois, Tim & Tom, who played b-ball with us the other night, but to no avail. We then took a quick drive for soft drinks and snacks to the local gas station, and looked around at some of the side streets a bit. We noticed that although there is plenty of opulence and grandeur along the coast line with the resorts and mansions, there is also plenty of the squalid variety of living quarters as well. I doubt there's much of a middle class here...ya either got it or ya don't, it seems! On the way back, as we we're pulling into the resort's parking lot the radio began playing Daughtry's Home, and I was thus afforded a golden opportunity to show my boys how music can run parallel to life so closely sometimes. I think they'll think of our little conversation everytime they hear that terrific song from here out. By the way, it really is a great song, even when you're not watching Idol.

To wrap up the night we went back out to the beach, lounged back on the beach chair's and looked at the stars. We quickly found the big dipper and the North Star, and then my boys dazzled me with the story of love lost but not forgotten concerning Orion. I was quite impressed as they showed my Orion's Belt and told me all the details they knew...it was enchanting. After an hour and half or so out there we came back in and started packing for the travel day we have tomorrow.

So, as I wind down for the last night of sleep in paradise, I'm wrapping up my thoughts with the proverbial "bittersweet" emotions. I'm sad it's all gone so fast; I'm terribly gloomy over the fact that I'll not be able to spend time with my boys like this for some time; on the flip side, though, I'm very thankful for the opportunity that I've had, and I think I've got my batteries recharged and am ready to hit the ground running when I get back home; also, I'm thrilled at the thought of seeing the ones I love again and getting back in the groove with all my friends and family and know that I'll have a blast telling them all about our trip. I know one thing is for sure: I have no regrets for the place we chose to spend Spring Break this year, and I'm determined to work as hard as possible to ensure it's not a one-time experience. To keep my spirit's up upon arriving back home I'll make sure I spend a lot of time at Cheeseburger In Paradise and not a few hours watching the Pirates of the Caribbean series, both experiences with a lot of Cayman memories...

Cayman '07 Post 5

We saw a shirt earlier in the week that said something like: "The pirate alphabet begins with Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr". Well, today was pirate-y from start to finish, and I think my yahoo's loved it. The day started with "Pirates of the Caribbean" day at the Kids Club at the resort. The boys joined the expedition today from 8 till noon and spent their time searching for treasure and making pirate crafts and such. I used the time alone to do my favorite oceanic activity...walking the beach jammin' to some tunes on my DJ. An interesting thought crossed through my noodle while strolling along the edge of the sea. I wonder if everyone else is like me when they have headphones on, and feel like they are in a music video. As I pass people sometimes I think I look at them like they can hear the music that's in my head. They probably think I'm nuts, and sometimes I think I agree. Anyway, I chose Kenny Chesney's "Be Here (Songs From An Old Blue Chair)" to get me started. Call me crazy, but I've waited the entire trip to plug this in and listen to it straight through when I was by myself. It's quite the introspective album, and I just knew I'd like to be able to let it soak in while I was focused. A chick from Minnesota I talked to 1 or 5 times this week called it "thinking your own thoughts" when she was giving her goodbye today before she flew back with her fam to the frozen north. I couldn't agree more, and that's exactly what I do when I'm out on the sand: I narrow it all down to and have a meeting with my own mind, and try to get things settled. Few people know it, but it was on the beach in Ft. Myers, FL, all alone a few years ago when I first made the decision to make some huge changes in my life...and I don't regret the counsel I got from the crashing waves. I don't believe I made any earth-shattering decisions today, but I did enjoy the time to chill a bit. I moved on from the KC album and it's focus on introspection and found myself listening to one of the greatest "couple" albums of all time, Darren Hayes' "Spin". Sweet and lover-focused, I've listened to it at least 4 times since I've been on holiday, and it affects me every time. He's a terrific singer, but it's the lyrics and subject matter that carry this album beyond just an entertaining listen. It's def a fav of mine...

Moving on, we left after the Kids Club outing and headed to Geore Town to pay a visit to the Jolly Roger, a pirate themed ship on which we rode out a ways into the Caribbean and enjoyed pirate antics. The pic above is of us trying to get on our sea legs and keep from falling overboard into Davy Jones' locker. Since I'm writing this, we evidently made it...or did we? Sorry, that was weird. The whole adventure was fun, and the boys fo' sho' enjoyed being able to jumb off the side of the ship into the warm sea water.

After returning to land we were powerful hungry, so us scurvy dogs piled into a corner booth at the Hard Rock Cafe, Cayman Islands. We enjoyed the fare and atmosphere, then headed back on the coastal highway trip to the resort. After a short stint at the hot tub, it soon became time for us to get our weary bones back to the room and prep for the nightly crash. Our day tomorrow was supposed to be our exciting trip to Stingray City, but the wind has made for some extremely rough seas this week, and on the radio we heard of an "incident" with a stingray and a profusion of jellyfish in the water, so, um, yeah...that trip has been cancelled. Not by me, but by the coastal authorities, so I guess we'll have to try that again next time. So, I guess we'll just have to spend our last day on the beach. Arrgggghhhhh;)

Cayman '07 Post 4

"Seven steps and to the ocean" "Set, hut, HUT"...Ahh, Peyton Manning himself has probably never called a play that brought him more excitement than this one brought me. I promised I'd snap a photo of the magic football (if you're in the dark, then get with the program and read back a few posts, would ya!?!?), so here 'tis. Um, yeah...that's the Caribbean Sea in the background...and, yeah, that's the world's most perfect football in the foreground. I wouldn't trade this ball for a Manning autographed official Roger Goodell N.F.L. pigskin, 10 of 'em, in fact. Yep, today had us out on the sandy gridiron once again, and yep, it was a blast. But, I'm gettin' ahead of myself, so let me get back to keeping with the chronology.

We got up this morning, and after a healthy breakfast that I'm sure included Oreo's and Skittles (among other, more nutritious things...though I can't recall their names right now) we headed out and played shuffleboard. Oh, my...if you think it's a sport reserved for old farts on cruises, you've got another thing comin'! It takes some serious skill and athleticism to push the two-pronged three mile long stick into the edge of the hockey puck on steroids apparatus across a scalding hot, green concrete rectangle with painted triangles of nonsensical number combinations and not mess up previously struck apparatuses. I had to surf the www just to find the rules for the fool game, but once I did and taught it to my boys, they saw it as just another sports challenge, and well, let's just say the apples haven't fallen far from the tree with these two. You should see the pics I snapped of them playing the game. You'd think they WERE Peyton Manning leading a closing-minutes-of-the-Super-Bowl-drive with his team down by 5...just...gotta...score...one...more...time. Yeah, it was fun, even for me...but the best part was watchin' them get so involved. Nothing makes me as a dad any prouder than seeing them give 110%, whether it's the basketball court (hang on, I'll get to THAT in a bit), the baseball diamond, the soccer pitch, and now, the shuffleboard ?, whatever it's called.

After that we hit the room for a snack or three and then headed out to play some big time football by the sea side once again. It was quite hot by this time so the game only lasted about 20 minutes, then it was time for the pools.

While we were at the pool some dude shook down a coconut and used his machete (yeah, I'm certain he shaves with it) to cut it open for some folks across the way. They must've saw the skin and bones on me and my yahoo's b/c they sent over a nice young lady ;) and she offered us a few bites. I was not impressed with the coconut.

It's been windy as all get out around here this week. I mean, Kansas tornado windy. We spent most of the day in the pools, and the cool thing is you almost don't even need a towel when you get out. I mean you're almost dry by the time you get from the water's edge to your towel, so the towel is just a formality (seriously, how totally UNCOOL would you be going to the pool without a towel? c'mon, now). Anyway, we swam, they swam more, and I read and listened to music all day (mainly Rascal Flatts...they're unbelievable).

Until about sunset, that is. I gathered up my fellers and volunteered them for a walk down the beach at sunset. I told them that it was one of my most favorite things in all the world to do, and they were totally wearing a look of "yeah, whatever dad, uh-huh, that's nice" on their faces. Somewhere about paragraph three of my beautifully poetic discourse on how pleasant it is to walk on that part of the beach where footprints disappear in the surf, it happened. With no less excitement than a pig in poop (thanks, Michael Pollan), my boys saw a basketball goal. About 100 feet from the water is a fenced-in turfed area with a hoop! "Can we go see it, daddy, please please please?" "Are you kiddin' me, we're Hoosiers for crying out loud, of COURSE we can go see it. If you're nice and quiet and reverent, perhaps you can even touch it...go ahead, it's okay..." Yeah, we walked up to it, and yeah, we found ourselves in a little 3 on 3 in just a matter of seconds. At this point I need to mention that my team went 3 and 0. Never lost a game. Nope, not one. I even played barefoot (with a cut on my left big toe to bring home and brag about like a war wound), and we still won. My outside shot was non-existant (because of the wind, of course), but my drive to the bucket and lay-in was on, big time. 3 & 0...woo-hoo! Okay, those of you who know me are wondering what's up, since I'm not really this bragadocious about anything. You're right, you saw right through me. What I failed to mention is that the court on which we were playing was the sea-side end of the infamous tennis court where I suffered two of the most crushing tennis defeats of my life the last time I was here. Three years ago I got to talkin' to some high school kids from Chicago, they found out I played in High School, and one thing led to another. I bet a kid named Jimmy a drink that I could beat him, and well, just to rub it in he beat me twice. I think I won 4 games in the two matches (I really do know how you feel, Jabel), so the hurt has been with me for these three years. I lost a piece of my pride then, but tonight, I got it back. B-A-C-K! So what if it was a basketball game against 1) my brother (skills? well, Kobe he's not, but a worthy adversary nonetheless) 2) my oldest son (skills? yeah, but he's almost 2 feet shorter) & Tim (skills? definitely, but he's 13). It still felt good to win on that court, for once. But as I walked off the court I could've sworn a Jimmy in apparition form whispered: "loser". Perhaps it was just the wind.

So went our day...tomorrow is pirates, pirates, pirates and Thursday is stingrays, so we'll be away from the athletics for a while and learn that there is more to life than sports. But when all that other stuff is out of the way, I'm sure one of us will pick up a ball and suggest to the others it's time to get back to bidness!

Cayman '07 Post 3

Our first order of bidness today was another fantastic football game on the beach (I'll try to snap a photo of the magic ball in the sand and post it tomorrow). After gettin' all sweaty and covered in sand and scrapes it was off for a brief repast in the hammock, just to chill. Then we journeyed over the "the pool with the island" where we spent the next few hours, loungin' and goofin' off. The pools are not so full of people this week because the water is frigid in all of them. We've noticed that if you dive in and get soaked all at once it's not so bad, but if you try the "dip your toes in first" method, you'll freeze to death somewhere around mid-thigh. If this sounds like a complaint, trust me, it's forced. The cool water is a perfect contrast to the burning sunshine, and offers a pleasant refuge from the heat. A lot of music and reading for me, interspersed with splashing and dunking games aplenty with my yahoo's was my course for the day...ah, the simple things are best, for sure.

The evening was supposed to be festive at the resort with a fire-eater and limbo party, but the wind and forecast for rain forced a postponement. After petting the iguana, and feeding it flowers, we headed back to Rum Point for the sunset. The pic above is of us on the deserted Rum Point beach where we goofed off and laid low before heading back to the our place. On the way back we ate at Over The Edge Cafe, an interesting, pirate-y atmosphere of an eatery that is, quite literally, built over the edge of the shoreline and looks out on the Caribbean.

Overall we've had another spectacular day, a lack of extracurricular activities notwithstanding. I mean, seriously, we're on a beautiful island in perfect weather...what more do we need? I've got my boys, my cell phone is turned off, and I feel at once attached and detached at the same time. Everything else in life is put on hold for a few days, and my fellas get all of my attention. I'm not quite sure they know it, but I can't imagine anything I'd rather be doing in all the world than having them close to me. If I'm dreaming, don't wake me just yet...

Cayman '07 Post 2

Just another day in paradise... It's been quite busy and relaxing today. Oxymoronic? Nope, not when you're in a place like this, where it seems the busier I am the more relaxed I feel. Which just goes to show it may not be the busy-ness of the rat race back home that saps my energy, but rather the surroundings...perhaps I really should check into employment on the island...

Anyway, my two yahoo's and I took a quick trip out to Rum Point first thing this morning and checked out the scene up there. This 2nd picture is of me and Brit somewhere 'tween here and there at a spot close to the ocean. The panorama at this site was quite spectacular, and the boys just had to stop so they could snap some shots of it on their cameras. I, quite unreluctantly, obliged them and we had a grand time just looking around and taking it all in. The drive along the coastal highway (which is like a two-lane, country highway back home in Indiana, except the shoulder of the road is the Caribbean...just a small difference, right?) with the windows down and the music blaring was perfect. It was one of those times I have with my kids from time to time where I just don't want it to end. I wanted the road to go on and on and on, but that's just a dad's wishful thinking, I presume, and quite impossible. It was perfect while it lasted, and I predict the memory will last a lifetime. At the Point we meandered through the island shops, eateries and walkways and wound up out on a long pier (at which I snapped the 1st pic above, of Boston) surrounded by the turquoise sea. It's beautiful in pictures, but seeing the color of the clear water in person was breathtaking. After some time we wound up back at one of the drinking holes and enjoyed some smoothies by the sea side, and watched the people parade past on a myriad of unknown adventures. It was a spectacular morning.

Upon returning to the resort we played shuffleboard (what's the point, anyone? I haven't a clue about that game...) and then headed to the pool for a spell. They swam, I read, and all was grand in my own little world once again. I'm still convinced reading is fantastic anywhere, but in the sun it is a pleasant revelry unknown to most, otherwise there'd be more books in the hands of the sun-worshippers. Try it once, you'll be hooked...

One of the things we've been anticipating for months is playing football in the sand. We have been privileged to own the world's most perfect football (bought, of all places, at Old Navy for $2.99 about three years ago), and I'd almost swear it's magical. I plan on putting it on display someday when my boys outgrow it, and I may even charge admission for folks to see the enchanted thing! Anyway, we brought it and sure enough, it's magic works here just like it does at home. With the ocean as one sideline and the edge of the beach volleyball court the other, we trudged through the sand and played a magnificent game. ESPN wasn't filming, but if they had just an inkling of an idea how great it was they'd be upset they missed it. Covered in sand and having to wash it off in the warm sea water was another euphoric hour we shared today.

After all of this activity, little tummies were growling again so I got the champs back to the room and let them shower and change while I fixed them something to eat: a bowl of cereal for Brit and some Oreo's and milk for Bos (it's a guy trip, you should've seen our shopping cart at the grocery yesterday!). While they settled in and relaxed over some Disney channel (thanks to Neil Gabler, I'll look at all things Disney with much respect and admiration), I made my way out to the hammock with my mp3 player and the much referenced Walt Disney biography. I decided to plug in Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, for who better to serenade here than the island boy himself? With the strong sea-breeze blowing, and the hammock holding me suspended twixt heaven and earth, Kenny's songs took me away to a season of bliss rare and wonderful. Every song on the album is terrific, but I had to pause and do some soul searching when I heard A Lot Of Thing's Different. I recalled a conversation I had with a gal pal earlier in the week in which she talked about how she wishes sometimes she'd have "let go" a little more on a Spring Break from years ago. In the hammock I thought of many times in my life I'd also have let go, and a helluva lot of times I'd have held back...yeah, I'd have done a lot of things different too, Kenny. The daylight was nearly gone and the stars were beginning to creep out, and the palm trees holding up my resting spot were swaying seemingly in time to the gentle rythms of the music when I got my next lyrical jolt from this album. Never Gonna Feel Like That Again hit me in the gut. Check this out:

It was my life and it was fun

Another season of my life is done

Another race I'm glad I got to run

Another chapter of my life is over

No I'm never gonna feel like that again

Time's rushin by me like the wind

Never be as young as I was then

No I'm never gonna feel like that again

How true, how perfectly said. I have a lot of memories of feelings I'll never recapture, but thank God we're designed to be able to hold on to the remembrances in our minds. I felt connected once again. Connected to my past, attached to every person and every event I've encountered, and eternally linked to every moment of my life by a string of memories. Yeah, life is grand.

A sudden island squall nearly upended me out of my hammock, so with the wind to my back and the rain pelting me horizontally I mosied back to the room and watched it within the safety of the structure. I've lived another day in my dream world, and I'll pillow my head tonight with recollections of it preparing me for my return to the real world in less than a week. Yes, I'm not oblivious to the fact my reverie will end soon enough, but I'm trying to grasp as much of it as I can to take home with me...

Cayman '07 Post 1

My first night and day in the islands with my boys is in the bag, and Paradise finds us in a sense of wonder and awe at how splendid life is here. As I write this I'm sitting on our beachside back porch, looking out over the Caribbean and enjoying the brisk but pleasant ocean breeze. It's a perfect 83 degrees and the outlook is for a remarkable week.

The trip didn't have such an auspicious beginning, though. Upon landing in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to connect to our Cayman Air flight we were told that the airline no longer hosted flights to Grand Cayman. Nice of them to tell us, I thought. No, we couldn't fly out of Ft. Lauderdale but they'd be happy to let us fly from Miami a little later in the evening, they said. Great, I continued thinking to myself, we'll just hitchhike down I-95 and hop a jet outta Miami, then, no problem. Besides, it's smack dab in the middle of rush hour, getting the 30+ miles down the road should be no problem at all. Whatever! Well, long story short, a hefty-priced cab ride and a whole lotta testing of my peacable, quiet, patient manner later had us in Miami, and we caught our flight...just three hours later to the island than expected. I thought it was all better once we got on board, and was making my plans on picking up the rental car at the airport and driving the 45 minutes to our resort. Wishful thinking that, I would soon find out. After disemabarking, hustling (surprisingly!) through Imigration & Customs, and venturing out into the beautiful Grand Cayman night I strolled over the the rental car counter. Yep, they were closed...and had been for 2 hours. What!?! Luckily, one of the guys at the competitors counter had come back into the office, bedecked in a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped out lookin' more like he was ready to ride his bike across town than rent me a car, and kindly hooked me up. The drive was magnificent, and I thought to myself at least 63 times about how much I really want to live here, no Wal-mart notwithstanding. We arrived at Morritt's around 11 p.m., and alas, the pearly gates had been opened.

So here we are. The pic above is of me and my yahoo's, Boston (10) & Britain (8), at one of the resort's 3 pools catchin' some rays and ready to get wet. I'm kind of a camera hog most of the time, so it's rare I make it into any pics, so I was sure to get my brother Cory to snap this one before I got completely outta control with the digi-cam. The boys are havin' a terrific time, and I'm finding the relaxed pace is giving me plenty of time to catch up with them.

It's been 3 years and 1 devastating hurricane since I've been here, but I was thrilled to look out the back window and see that the hammock I spent so much time in back then is still around. It may be a different bit of material, and perhaps even different trees (for all I know), but the location is close if not exactly the same. I've spent time there again already, and there'll be a "jeremy" print in it before the week's out, I'm sure. I brought 3 books: John Grisham's latest (and first non-fiction legal thriller) The Innocent Man, the Gabler biography Walt Disney previously mentioned in another post, and then, of course, my current Harvard Classic volume. Boston told me earlier today: "C'mon, dad, quit readin' and get back in the pool...you're on vacation, don't ya know!" I replied: "Son, reading IS a vacation for me...", and then got in the pool with him because there's nothing I'd rather do than hang out with him and his brother.

So, there you have it. Day 1 & 2 has supplied me with a cargo ship full of reflections, and I've narrowed it down to the realization that I relish most the simple things in life; relationships, reading & roamin' close to the sea. I may just have to do some job-hunting while I'm here...

Hooters...Modified

Sometimes you read the news, and an article just gets right up in your face and won't move. Yeah, well, I read one of those yesterday. It's this piece I read about the opening of a Hooters restaurant in Israel. Something about that just cracks me up. Perhaps it's my inability to think of Isreael in any other frame of mind than Sunday school, and therefore an article like this makes me think thoughts like "God is really gonna be pissed about this".

If you've never been to a Hooters restaurant, just know that it's not an owlery. No, birds are nowhere to be found there, and you'll not be viewing any Blue-footed booby's (though the ones with white tennis shoes you'll see aplenty). Anyhow, the point of the post today is how hilarious the line in the article that said the owner expected there'd be "some minor modifications to meet Israeli tastes".

Hooters...modified.

What will they change? Boobs are boobs are boobs are boobs. Will they be wearing shirts that aren't as tight? Will their shorts be a shade longer? Is there really any point? I don't plan on going to a place like Hooters to see waitresses dressed like they're at Applebee's...I mean, that's the whole point, right? Oh, I almost forgot...we all go to Hooter's for the hot wings. My bad.

Now according to Holy Writ, this is not uncommon in Isreal. In David's time they must've had a similar establishment, at which place a sultry server named Bathsheba was employed. It all makes sense now...the king of Israel was just hungry for hot wings when he inadvertently stepped into the dressing room of the local Teats (thank you, King James). Bathsheba was new, mistook the job description that told her she was supposed to give service, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Teats was the place for the deer-hunter, though, as Solomon so wisely pointed out when he told one of the servers:

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.

I could go on and on, but I think it's best I stop for now. Just make sure somebody remembers that I predict the rise of the Antichrist very soon, now that the Holy Land is hoe'ing it up BIG time.

Association of Former Pentecostals

Once again, Jabel has put me on to a worthwhile resource. I've added a link to my Surfin' the Pond section to the website of the Association of Former Pentecostals. My family has had a connection to the Pentecostal Holiness Church, an independent group of pentecostal Christians, for many years. I have a few memories from my childhood of experiences in pentecostal churches, and a large portion of my life from my mid-teens to late twenties was spent involved not just in membership, but in leadership in various capacities with them. For a number of reasons I have completely severed myself from any and all personal linkage with pentecostalism. I do have a number of friends & family, though, who are currently or formerly involved with them, so discussion about the group is quite frequent. I'm well aware of the lasting effects Pentecostalism leaves on those who choose to depart, and the tenor of this website offering "support" is not an exaggeration-that's exactly what many need.

Hollywood's Hottest Blonde

According to In Touch Weekly Christina Aguilera has been voted #1 on the Hollywood's Hottest Blondes list. I guess they haven't been reading my blog (shocker!) or else they would've realized that as the Hottest Woman On The Planet (HWOTP) she is number one regardless of her present choice of hair color. Now, since I'm sounding like a gossip mag I may as well continue the vein with a couple more comments about the bombshell blonde and say that apparantly her hair color is a reflection of her life-mood at the time. A while back when she sported black hair (hot!), evidently she was in a "sad" stage of her life. But, of course, all that changed when she met and wed her sweetheart (and all the girls say: "awwwww"), so she decided to lighten up her hair to reflect the lightening of her heavy heart.

Anyway, now that I've completely emasculated myself and joined the sissyish ranks of the gossip crew I'll sign off with an admission. My fascination with CA is strictly due to my man-ness...she's gorgeous!

Oh, by the way, in case you're wondering here's the top ten hot blondes list:

1. Christina Aguilera

2. Reese Witherspoon

3. Kate Hudson

4. Hayden Panettiere

5. Pamela Anderson

6. Gwyneth Paltrow

7. Scarlett Johansson

8. Paris Hilton

9. Heidi Klum

10.Gwen Stefani