October 31, 2011

What happened to fall?

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oday is Halloween—October 31. I remember going out on Halloween night and collecting candy from the neighbors. We used to rake in the candy. My sister and I used pillow cases—large pillow cases—to collect the candy. And we typically returned to the house to dump the candy out onto our beds when the pillow case was full. Then we headed back out to the place where we had left off to continue our tour of the neighborhood. We usually filled the pillow cases three times before our parents told us that it was getting too late to head back out again.

Another thing I remember about Halloween was the hope for a brisk, chilly fall evening. We knew we’d be dressed up in our costumes and would get hot pretty easily, so we always hoped for a cool evening to help dissipate some of that heat. Our hopes in that regard were seldom realized. In Virginia, the daytime temperature in late October is quite often in the high 70s and the evening temperature usually falls off to the mid 60s—not what you’d consider cool or crisp.

But fortunately for today’s kids, my generation has created enough of an impact on the world to develop global warming. You might have noticed global warming’s impact in the weather patterns. The indications of global warming are:

  • warmer temperatures than normal
  • increased storm activity
  • volatile weather patterns

Additional indications are:

  • cooler temperatures than normal
  • decreased storm activity
  • more stable weather patterns

An extensive study into the causes of these life-threatening changes/lack of changes in the weather has revealed that there are two primary causes for global warming (known as global climate change during cooler weather patterns):

  1. President George W. Bush
  2. people voting Republican

A third likely reason that is mentioned only when it has been proven that the other two reasons have no meteorological impact at all is George W. Bush. Although the third reason might seem like it’s the same as the first reason, it is usually stated as, “Bush’s fault,” thereby rendering it a completely different reason and who are you to question the obvious evidence of science anyway? you probably also believe in the 2nd amendment and God.

Anyway, it’s cold this year. So cold, in fact, that Virginia had the earliest snow storm I recall us ever having. And I’m really old, so I have a good collection of data on this. Here are some pictures I took this past Saturday morning showing the evidence of the damage George W. Bush has had on the environment.

My son standing in stunned amazement

The fall decorations on our front porch against the winter backdrop

The view from our back porch

My son’s tire swing (from the side porch)

Another beautiful fall tree (across the street)

October 30, 2011

People pictures

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nother portrait from my collection of my favorites. I met this wonderful young lady at Deloitte's IMPACT Day last year. At just 23 years of age, she established a college grant for orphans and has already helped to raise the needed funds to send many of those children to college. A truly inspiring person.

I took this photo in the hall as we were changing rooms to introduce her organization to a new group of people. I asked her to give me a quick smile and I snapped the shutter with very little attention to exposure, focus, lighting, etc. But the radiance of her personality shines through, in spite of the lack of attention to photographic detail.

October 28, 2011

Jerusalem

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s the air turns brisk, the nights and shadows lengthen, and the leaves become brightly colored, I near the end of a year that has been a unique leg on my pathway of life. It is probably good that this year is coming to a close—it has been a year of upheaval and odd twists and turns. But as the year draws to a close, I sense the sun rising on new frontiers. And this is good. God is good. God loves us even though we are so unlovable. Perhaps, because we are so unlovable.

This poem has nothing whatsoever to do with that introductory paragraph—it is simply a poem I read this morning and found interesting. Some Britons have expressed a desire for this poem and its accompanying hymn to become their National Anthem.

Jerusalem

William Blake (1757–1827)
Sir Hubert Parry (1848–1918)

And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England’s mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England’s pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England’s green & pleasant Land.

October 17, 2011

Perpetuum Jazzile - Happy Monday!

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t’s Monday, and we’re all in need of some great music to kick off the work week. So, with that in mind, I present my favorite choir: Perpetuum Jazzile:

October 01, 2011

Here Is Our King

David Crowder Band - Here Is Our King


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