Baseball's Back

The boys of Summer Return. For those of you who don't even care about baseball, I offer this entertaining piece of wonderfulness.



Aaaahhh, Spring....

Ben Stein: interesting guy

Take a quick look at this video.

General TravestShammockery

Seen over the weekend. This one might trouble me even more than the "Anybody but -fill in the politician-" sticker. Hope? Hope? From Politicians. Are you serious?

Don't Get me wrong. I like Barack. As a politician, I guess he's ok. I'll probably vote for him in the primary here, but mainly because I find him less obfuscating than one Hillary Rodham Clinton. And by less, I mean by just a very, very, barely intelligible margin. He is after all, a politician.

These people act like Barack Obama isn't a politician. He's been doing it for a while people. He's not different from these other people. He's a greedy power hungry, politician.

I know what you want to ask. It's ok. Go ahead. "Sam if all politicians are ethical degenerates in your book, what if somebody with actual character tries to change?" The short answer: it gets sucked out of them by the reality of our system. Our system is better than despot-led and starved countries in other parts of the world, but the reality is most all politicians are owned. Barack is no different. Change is not simply avoidable. It's nearly impossible. And Barack doesn't really care about change. He just wants to be president, so he can decide what does not change.

Hope in Politicians: Priceless.

Fun Time

The Gecko for Isaac

Because I can.

Further up and Further in, Part 2

Referencing an older post, a better picture has been found. Of late, the realization of life as a journey of transformation has become much more acute. Life as a journey to death which yields more life. It's a confusing idea that I'm just beginning to wrap my head around. Henri Nouwen does a much better job of describing it in his book, Life of the Beloved. He describes the process of death as one which should open us up even more to God and to loving other people. This is a difficult concept for me to grasp, though I think I'm getting better at it. Applying the idea to other areas, it's intriguing to see what "dying to oneself" looks like in myriad situations. Through some personal unscientific study by someone who knows very little about it, it's reasonable to say death yields life.

Good Stories

One of the better ones I've read/heard in a while is "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. You can read it through the link or go to the Classic Tales Podcast if you'd like to hear it for free. If you're an iTunes user, it's easily searchable at the iTunes store.

Ya, I'm engaged...what's it to you?

Amber has hindsight bias. She now thinks she knew it was coming. She didn't. I tricked her into marrying me, and now it's too late. If you want the story...man I'm tired of telling it but here 'goes.

We went out to eat at Gaetano's. If you don't know what it is, it's in Dunedin, FL and you should go. Great food, good time. Nice atmosphere. As we were leaving dinner, Amber had to use the restroom, so I went out to the car and put the ring in my pocket. I snuck it out while she was in the shower after our bike ride.

We stopped in dunedin and looked out over the water and talked about stars and tampa area geography. Next on the plan was going to the Botanical Gardens for the Holiday Lights. We walked around some of the other areas, and then went into the wedding garden. I asked Amber if she wanted to stand under the gazebo and practice. She said no, that's dumb. I was able to convince her. Then I tricked her into marrying me.

One of the highlights of the evening was a couple walking past charging us to make it last 40 years like they had. It's encouraging stuff.

We wound out the evening hanging out at the beach, letting some people (who were awake) know of the night's festivities.

2 people looking HOTT!

It's gonna be a fun life together.

Aardvark

The author has unilaterally determined that "aardvark" might be the coolest ever potential username for websites which require one. Simply attach some number of significance to it, and slap it on there. This idea did not come about through seeing said username. At work today, the author was lamenting his state when going to the copier/scanner to send some plans via pdf, and having to scan through multiple pages of first names which alphabetically come before the author's. The name must change!

It's also great for people who can't mind their own business.

Finally, stare intently at the aardvark, and in your best seinfeld saying "newman" imitation, say "aardvark!" a few times. If this doesn't make you smile, you might be taking yourself too seriously. Think about it.

I'll take what I can get, but....

I think there's been a mistake. Maybe it's because every now and then I write in the 3rd person and use terms such as "veracity of the claim", etc. Still, it's funny.

Bullet Grind

In an effort to write more frequently, the author hopes to make this a regular segment of PYHOOYB(pullyourheadoutofyourbutt). "It's fun to say too!" Brief ideas or jumping off points that have been found interesting either to the author, or to others and it has come to a more corporate attention. They might also turn into some rants of frustration as deemed necessary by said author's immediate sanity. As always, we here at PYHOOYB are visual learners, and seek to provide visuals for any and every idea. Hope you like it, and would appreciate and welcome comments.

##*## Hospitality in Community -

It's a lost art according to a study I recently heard of (sorry, no link, but I think you can determine this from basic experience). Some dude did a study showing how full service sit-down restaurants are declining, and fast food restaurants have increased by 100% over the life of the study. Most of these people eat in a car alone. People go to places where other people are, but remain alone. There are hordes of people starving for hope and companionship, even if just a little. It seems we need to learn to slow down enough to eat with people. It would probably make us healthier too.

##*## Insecurity in Religion -

Believers should be extremely careful about who and what they criticize. It's a dangerous thing to promote one's own understanding as the "only way." I'm ever amazed at others (and my own) propensity for attacking those against whom my battle is not. You will know my people how?

##*## Advent -

The advent season is one of expectant hope. A great picture is the history of Jews in captivity, waiting for the Messiah. The poverty and despair present in that time provides an interesting backdrop to Western Culture today. We are impoverished in our souls as we seek to light our own candles and find hope and peace within ourselves. Many are given over to their evil desires as they stand in defiance of God. Total depravity indeed. O Come Emmanuel. We need you.

There are 3 kinds of people in the world...

Those who can count, and those who can't.

Husbands, Fathers, Manhood

1. Load and Install iTunes on your computer.

2. Go to iTunes store and Podcasts.

3. Download and Listen to "Mars Hill Church Sermon Audio" - Get the one from 10/1/2007 "Fathers and Fighting"

4. Repeat as Necessary.

Sometimes people need a slap in the face. I think sometimes is fast becoming often in our brave new world (Oops).

Possibly the Funniest All-U-Can-Eat/Buffet Comedy Ever

If you're going to watch this, please commit the full time to it, because it gets the best at the end. Wow!

Reformation: sad, but certainly the source of some good theology in song

Good stuff right here. Even better considering people "trash-sang" each other with this.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,His kingdom is forever.

It's Division I Football!!

Ah, the joys...Sometimes as one travels around and runs into all kinds of totally irresponsible people who refuse to take any responsibility for their children, a little person in someone's head might mimick Dan Hawkins and say "You're a parent! Grow up! You're kid doesn't need a buddy! They need a dad/mom!"

The video below is pretty self-explanatory and pretty much just ridiculously funny. Check it out.

Why do YOU struggle with the Church?

Oh, I don't know, it just seems fake. hmmmmm. This is hilarious and saddening at the same time.

Facebook Stalking (or Myspace, or whatever)

"ok, educate me, please: how in the HECK would one "facebook stalk" a person?" -Sandy

For those of you who do not know, "Facebook" is a social networking site. On this site, you can post pictures, communicate with other people, update where you are and what you are doing, etc. Most people use this to stay in touch with friends, plan events, and keep their pictures online. Whenever you update something (unless you choose to change it in the privacy setting), facebook informs all of your friends that something has changed such as "Sam is now listed as in a relationship."

This is a new format of facebook that was instituted months ago. It is known as "Stalker Facebook." Not to be confused with Facebook stalking, which is when somebody who knows you (or might not for that matter) gets on your page and begins to learn all they can about you. Friends of a girlfriend get on your site and let you know they are "keeping an eye on you." You get to a wedding your girlfriend is in, and as the bridesmaids/matrons are looking out trying to find you, not your girlfriend, but someone you've never met (but who knows you from facebook) says "I think he's right there in the back." And she is right. This is the relatively harmless method of facebook stalking. There is a much scarier form where people really do use it to obsess over and stalk people (at least I would assume).

Facebook is a dangerous mistress for people who need to know what's going on with everybody. It's really quite funny to see how much people relate through this site. One friend (of Amber's) I met this weekend was even joking about it. "Now that I've met you it will be so much more fun to follow you on facebook." She then mimicked as if she were reading a screen as if it were a story about my life, and said "uh huh, uh huh." This was actually quite funny, and not really scary at all because as I've said previously, this is harmless facebook stalking.

There's a whole new universe out here, and it's called the internet (best read in George Bush Voice). We've gotta fight them there, so we don't have to fight them here.

Bloggage Update

I met this guy a couple months ago and just realized he had a blog as his wife was facebook stalking me. I'll Link to one of his funnier posts, but he's got some great commentary on being of Arab heritage in an anti-arab America. You can link to his home page here.

You mean I'm supposed to be real???

Chris Matthews gets a little more than he signed up for (read: accountability) from Jon Stewart regarding his new book. Priceless.





Lastly, is it just me, or does Chris Matthews laughing make you want to scrape the back of your eyelids with sandpaper?