New Widget

I've also added a new widget to my blog. My sister turned me onto Last.fm, so I made a playlist and have embedded it here because I've got mad tech skills. I also have bowstaff skills, break-dancing skills and Diet Dr. Pepper ingesting skills.

Friday Afternoon

I just realized I haven't blogged in a while, and I'm sure my family and friends are going into withdrawal as they wait with baited breath for that which they yearn for daily: some nonsense from me.

Well, here you go.

My wife is making fried okra tonight. She informed me that she's doing it, even if it "doesn't match" dinner. Since okra is jokingly referred to around here as "the poor man's veggie" I suppose it "matches" just fine. We dropped $400 at the auto shop to fix a rear wheel bearing this week. So I'm poorer.

We've just gotten some rain here in Idaho. It's changed from warm (yesterday) to cool and wet. It's like God pushed the "refresh" button on the Idaho home page. I love the smell of recent rain. As for the mud the kids track in, the jury is still out on that.

Speaking of jury: I got a duty summons a week ago. Apparently, Idaho now knows I'm here. I neglected to ask for a postponement, though--and my obligation is the same weekend as the MS ride in Santa Barbara next month. Maybe I'll remember to call. I wouldn't want to be held in contempt of Idaho court. That would be an interesting first impression.

How do you spell B.S.?

According to the Associated Press, an arbitration court has voted 2-1 to uphold tainted results of a tainted investigation by a tainted lab in tainted France.

I spell B.S. with four letters: W.A.D.A.

Why would Landis, an elite, oft-tested world-class cyclist take the easiest-to-test-for substance on the planet in the middle of the biggest race on the circuit?

(For that matter, why would Vinokourov do the same thing in 2007?)

This is a witch hunt. Unfortunately, they've convicted a phantom.

Here's the story of the ride that put Floyd into contention in the '06 Tour

Here's Floyd crossing the line in winning that stage

Lance Armstrong prophetic--unfortunately

Landis in yellow--where he belongs

Jimmah

I know my wife says I should blog more about the family, but it's early in the morning and I'm upset...actually, I'm just angry. I don't like Jimmy Carter. I think he's done more to upset peace in the world than just about any other alleged proponent of democracy in the history of the U.S.

From his loudmouth soapbox, and as president of the U.S., Jimmy did these wonderful things:

- Deposed the Shah of Iran; while not a great leader, by deposing the Shah, Iran got Ayatollah Khomeini, the U.S. embassy was overrun and we got a hostage crisis for more than a year. Do I need to remind anyone who was in that group of "students" who took the American embassy and its employees hostage? He'll be coming to New York shortly, and he's currently the "president" of Iran.

- Has routinely hung out with Fidel Castro, referring to him in very positive terms

- Oversaw the fraudulent Venezuelan election that brought Hugo Chavez to power. Chaves recently introduced "legislation" that would make him "president for life." Democracy in action.

- Wrote a book comparing the wall in Israel, designed to keep suicide bombers and terrorists out of Israel to apartheid in South Africa.

- As of this morning says that "I think it would be almost inconceivable that Iran would commit suicide by launching one or two missiles of any kind against the nation of Israel."

Can we get a judge to put a gag order on Carter? He obviously learned nothing in his four years in office. He had little grasp on the world back then--and what he may have had is obviously gone now.

...and I love my kids.

Don't TASER me, Bro!

I'm sure when you saw the title of this, you thought "oh, a dumb post on that Florida thing..." Well, I wasn't suckered by the moron in Florida. I smelled set-up right away and posted to that effect on a couple of blogs.

The purpose of this post is that I heard the origin and meaning of the acronym "TASER" this morning on the Dennis Miller radio program. Apparently, TASER derives from "Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle" from the Tom Swift books (circa early 1900s). Pretty keen.

Apparently the inventor was a fan of Tom Swift.

Fellow Cougar

I've been following this story for the past week-plus since Camille Cleverley is a fellow Cougar. My heart goes out to the Cleverley family as they bid temporary good-bye to their daughter. I thought her Dad's comment from the memorial vigil last Sunday was indicative of a family blessed with the perspective that faith offers:

"She's had some refining trials this past year, and she was prepared to meet her Savior."

I can't wait to hug my own daughter upon her return from school today.

Remember again.

I regularly read Charles Johnson's blog Little Green Footballs. I'm newer to it, though, and was unaware of this story from 9/11 survivor Tilly. I suggest you read it.

Click here and when done reading, click on the "195" at the top. Then scroll down through a series of four additional posts to LGF.

It's riveting and I hope it kindles in you the feelings it should.

Remember.

I probably couldn't have been more geographically distant from New York, the Pentagon and that field in Pennsylvania six years ago today. I was on my way to work in Orange County, California, having just finished teaching an early-morning seminary class to a group of high school-aged youth at my church. As was my custom, I listened to KFI640 on the way to work. I heard about the first plane on the radio news as I entered Carbon Canyon. As the news came in, I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. Were we under attack from an army? Who was doing this? Was it an accident? Multiple accidents? An aircraft controllers glitch? I remember actually turning the radio to 97.1 FM KLSX, because I knew they ran the Howard Stern show in the morning--and I knew he broadcast out of New York--that he was there.

I remember later that week, still not fully understanding who or what did this--as I drove up the hill towards the freeway with my wife and daughter in the car--telling my wife as tears welled up in my eyes, "if they need me, I'll go and fight. I'm ready to go." In retrospect I knew that the spirit was more than willing--but the flesh was old, out of shape and ill-prepared. In this war my physical abilities have not been called upon, but in the years since September 11, 2001, my confidence in this country and in its leadership has not waned. It is not the popular road, but I believe it to be the right one.

Now I have three kids, and we don't miss an opportunity to thank the men and women in uniform: armed forces, police, firefighters, for the service the render on our behalf. Last year we brought homemade cookies to the local police and firefighters with the kids; earlier this year, our daughter collected Girl Scout cookies and delivered them to the local National Guard troops--the day before they deployed to Iraq.

However you remember today, remember that real human beings lost their lives on 9/11--not reds or blues, conservatives or liberals, real human beings--our brothers and sisters. It was fratricide on that day. With that in mind, I wholly support the efforts of freedom-loving people everywhere who, when faced with the choice of us/freedom vs. them/radical enslavement, choose us.

God bless the memory of those who have died fighting in this war against evil. May God grant His grace to accompany those who died innocently six years ago this day--and those who had just enough information to die as heroes--thereby showing all of us that greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

On This Night, One Sleeps.

We lose. Heaven wins.



My wife says classical music is "just trying to sound like a hymn." I think she'll make an exception in this case as the only musical instrument created by God without man's interference shows its true capacity to resonate and inspire the human soul.

Thank you Giacomo for writing this. Thank you Luciano for sharing it with us mere mortals. I'm sure Puccini has written some additional material for you while he was waiting.

Pope John Paul II's Cause of Death SCOOP!

Most of the U.S. gets their news from the MSM: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, etc. When you want hard-hitting journalism on the issues that matter, however, and don't want some candy-coated "died of old age" story for a prominent Western religious figure, you turn to where all clear-thinking individuals turn: The Weather Channel.



How (c)old was the Pope?

B4YF Contest

This is a first here at Bicycle for Your Fish: A contest.

If you can tell me what the heck this man is going on about, I will provide you with one quarter pound of smoked Alaskan salmon.

The Nater #1

Where I go to church, on the first Sunday of the month, congregation faithful are given the opportunity to take the podium and share their thoughts, feelings and convictions about their faith. It's known as "testimony meeting." It's really a neat concept, as we learn, grow and gain strength from each other on this special day.

Enter my son.

He's four, and informed us mid-meeting today that he would like to "bear his testimony" to the congregation. Mind you, this is the same guy who just this morning while tossing a sponge ball around the living room, hit Jesus's picture and remarked, "I wanted Jesus to play catch with us...he's good at catch." Mom and I talked briefly to him and surmised that he was sufficiently able (to not say something inappropriate) to share his feeling with the congregation.

He bounded up to the pulpit and walked with conviction to the microphone. He started off with "I'd like to bear my testimony..." and then took a half-step away from the mike and said (audibly for the congregation): "Actually Mom, I don't want to do this" as he broke into tears.

My wife, being the great mother that she is, met our son as he rushed off the stand and carried this cute, handsome, brave sobbing little boy out of the meeting for some one-on-one love. I couldn't have been more humbled by my son today. I think he's probably one of the bravest little four year-olds I know.