Double Delight

One of the newer patented roses is called Double Delight. Its popularity is well-deserved. This sunset version of it replaces the strikingly white petals with a creamy glow.

Hopefully, our lives will take on this golden hue when we arrive at our golden years. Hopefully, our family, friends and strangers will see a gentleness, a loving smile and kind heart when we reach our 'crotchety' stage.

May God's Spirit teach us to deny ourselves and selfishness and give to others as He has done to us. We'll have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Prime Property

Within a stone's throw of a spanking new shopping center and a freeway, this prime property graces travelers with its 21st century commentary on life in these United States. It could be anywhere, so I need not mention the city. Most likely, a version of it can be seen in or near your town as well.

These artists are motivated. "Graffiti writing breaks the hegemonic hold of corporate/governmental style over the urban environment and the situations of daily life. As a form of aesthetic sabotage, it interrupts the pleasant, efficient uniformity of "planned" urban space and predictable urban living. For the writers, graffiti disrupts the lived experience of mass culture, the passivity of mediated consumption." - Jeff Ferrell, Crimes of Style. On the other end of the philosophical perspective the blogger, Innowen, says, "Within this culture our name is what defines us. If you have a name, then you have an identity."

It's all about identity and protest. Identity in crisis --- the thrill of making a name for yourself while breaking the law vs. making a name for yourself lawfully (thrill included).

Personal blogs, websites, and e-mails are just lawful versions of this once-red house by the freeway. One uses a few words, the other uses a lot. One is usually meaningless, the other is usually understood.

Therefore, my solution to metropolitan blight: get these guys to start blogging! Correct spelling is optional.

May the Best Man Win

I know it's pretty early to endorse a Republican candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. Even so, my endorsement goes to Congressman Duncan Hunter, former Vietnam vet and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Strong on border security, fair trade, moral and Constitutional issues, he represents the conservative heartbeat of America. Oh, and he's also a strong and convincing speaker, unlike our current, 'uh,' President.

Hunter's support is getting stronger and stronger as people find out more about him. You can do that here: GoHunter08.com

Free Speech is Killing Us

Yet another judge, yet another ruling that ties more hands that want Internet porn, and specifically child porn, eliminated completely. Enough is Enough decried the decision as reported in the news this week.

When you visit the Enough is Enough website, please check out the Statistics page. This clearly reveals the 1000+% increase in child pornography and record-breaking sex crimes since the Internet became mainstream.

Apparently, to the legal beagles, 2+2 is no longer 4. Be prepared for mandatory GPS and Internet monitoring anklets for all your kids and grandkids. No free speech involved there.

360 Degree Fun

Our old Creston Park neighborhood circle had a nice hill that was great for anything on wheels. Marty and I would build homemade carts to experiment with and get a 5 second thrill before one of the wheels would fall off.

Honda's little 50cc mini-bike was a hit in the early 70's. George, Ronnie and I all owned one and gave them a workout by 'driving' them up the hiking trail at Willow Springs north of Piedras Blancas lighthouse. Other hikers couldn't believe their eyes --- or the noise! The hardest part was lifting them over logs and carrying them over the creek. This trek was never repeated, but brings back good memories of pristine forest with beautiful ferns, trees and spider webs.

Some of us would ride around the neighborhood, too. But not too far or too much. This bike had no license and the CHP officer, Gordon, who lived around the corner wouldn't have liked 'giving us a ticket.' Here you see Ginnie on one of her illegal ventures of speeding around the block. Nice hair, Gin!

Monte was too young to go it alone, but wanted to sit for a portrait.

Bad Science and Good Hype

James Cameron's latest and greatest film documentary about the discovery of the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem exudes with unfathomable faith. To conclude that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son named after Judas Iscariot is idiocy at its best and bad science at its worst.

But people love anything that contradicts the plain teaching of God's word in order to further deny a final judgment for their personal sins and their need to repent and fall at the feet of a forgiving Christ (who is more alive than any of us by the way).

Freedom of Speech

America's love affair with free speech can be seen everywhere in this great land, even in the boonies. If you ever drive north of Paso Robles on Hwy 101, you need to take Hwy G13 heading northwest from King City to Hwy 25 that goes north to Hollister. This is a way-off-the-beaten-path route through the valley just west of the Diablo Range and just east of the Pinnacles National Monument. You'll go for miles without seeing a telephone pole or electric line on a two-lane road that meanders through oak and pine trees, farm and grazing land, and a lot of brushy stuff. Nothing quite spectacular, but for someone wanting to get away from it all --- this is the place.



Our leisurely drive was punctuated with the blaring signage screams of another strict constitutionalist. This particular ranch house sported a high-flying flag and a decorated fence. And he had sent his little yapper dog to make sure you read the signs! Pretty entertaining for a hot-under-the-collar conservative.



Most of us conservatives don't exercise our free speech rights like this man (or woman?). We discuss the issues with our friends at work, our spouse and others. We read, hear and see the news through a variety of media. We all have our opinions and prize them and are thankful we live in a country that lets us get away with doing so. And we VOTE so we can complain all the more!

Long live freedom of speech, press and conscience!

The Skies, They Are A Changin'

Our weekend visit to Paso Robles unearthed, or I should say, "unskied" a new phenomenon --- man-made clouds. When I took this picture, I counted 15 contrails extending south to north. Their dispersing vapor was covering most of the sky.

There are folks who think this increase in air traffic is contributing to the greenhouse effect because of all the 'cloud' cover.

Of course, this was Super Bowl Sunday and there were a lot of people who could only see the game while sailing along at 30,000 feet.

The Science Wars

Stem cell research and global warming data and theories are waging bloodless wars as ideologies clash around the world. We can hear the bombs in the distance. We've joined the armies of one side of the issue or the other. We guard our cache of ammunition. Our weapons are up-to-date and clean.

Is anyone asking, "Did I join the right side?" Are my communication lines being hacked? Is my commander telling me the truth?

Inanity T.V.

This recent appetite for broadcasting all things "YOU" has exploded online and on-screen in a sort of visual diarrhea. Little is sacred, including any nobility of man. Wannabes, absurdities and vagaries abound. Profanity, nudity, and depravity ply their trade to you . . . and your kids and grandkids.

This is MySpace on crack, for sure.

So if you want to waste an hour, visit YouTube.com and start browsing some innocuous category. See what you wished you'd missed.

Expert Error

I was happy to hear the little pitter-patter of raindrops falling on the roof this morning before dawn. Just a sprinkling, but enough to keep January from going into the record books a "The driest January ever." It won't lose any weathermen their jobs, but maybe some pay cuts are in order!

We all goof things up at work. The perfect employee has yet to be hired by any company we ever worked for. Enormous amounts of bottom line cash are lost every day due to this imperfection, and business spends millions of dollars trying to prevent it. Quality control, Process Improvement, Total Quality Management, The Deming Philosophy, and the ever-famous craze, ISO 9001 (2000 edition) are samples of a plethora of jargon-filled attempts to achieve the impossible: Eliminating human error.

I led a team of various department representatives in the early 90's that focused on improving our work ticket process. Too many errors were being made when the job was written up. We collected the data from 'process customers' in the shop; we analyzed the data; we identified the culprit areas; we brainstormed improving the process; then we implemented our suggested changes. A 24% error rate was reduced to about 2% to 4% within a short period of time. We were ecstatic; corporate was ecstatic; things were changing!

We enjoyed other process improvement team successes. We reported them to corporate. We got raises. Corporate started pushing for all facilities to become ISO compliant, starting with the largest in Seattle. That was over 10 years ago! We're still on the waiting list for completion here. Someone has been dropping the ball while dealing with the red numbers in the past few years.

Seriously, even with the certification, employees will do things the way they always have unless management is standing there with a clipboard in hand. If there aren't dire consequences for breaking the 'rules' people could care less. The idiot philosophy that everyone wants to do the best job they can is nonsense. Some employees just don't care if they make mistakes. And they certainly won't go the extra mile to communicate, help, and look out for one another.

And do you try to weed these people out? Now we're talking about management! And that's a totally different and unmentionable story.

Where's the Rain?

We've set a record here: No rain in the month of January. There are a few more days to go, but the paid experts nix any hope that's floating around out there.

No rain emphasizes the low temperatures. Rain = warmer weather! It's a simple equation that I've never appreciated much before this year.

I took this picture this evening as rain skirts the California coast but refuses to venture inland. These are the frilly edges of this needed storm.

Winter continues.

Cake 28

Yes, it's another birthday for our only favorite and wonderful daughter, Elizabeth. Happy Birthday, sweetheart, but I'm afraid you're not making me feel any younger.

The years are starting to flash by with increased speed as my Bonneville Salt Flats racer passes the 400 mile an hour mark. Still plenty of G-force left to take me to the finish line not too far down this blurring white lake bed.

Life's Greatest Aversion

There's nothing people hate to discuss, admit or even think about more than their own dirty laundry. There are entire people groups that don't even have a word for it. In English, old and new, it is spelled S-I-N, pronounced sin and defined as 'sin'.

Hated or not, it is a really important issue. A life-or-death issue, actually. My understanding of what it is and how it affects me is crucial to my existence. Whatever I may think of its importance or unimportance, I need to know the truth about it and base my opinions accordingly.

Most opinions center on the 'don't-do' list, like don't murder, don't steal, don't lie. But those are only outward symptoms of the disease. There is a far-reaching, deeply rooted core of sin called 'attitude' that is labeled as bad or worse than the outward act of pulling the trigger.

This linked message is almost 50 years old, written in London by a doctor/pastor, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He deals with this subject humbly, honestly and boldly.

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin

Let's Face It

The local children's museum provides the paint and brushes. Imagination plays its part as faces are transformed into all sorts of animals, insects and birds. My generation missed this rather recent phenomenon, having to wait until Halloween or a school play before redesigning our faces. Our 21st century America thinks this (and removable tattoos) should be a regular event and fashion for everyone under the age of 10.

So where am I going with this? Art appreciation? Self-centeredness? Poor self-image? Peer pressure? Love for Grandpa?

Yeah, must be the last one.