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Our Daily Thread 8-1-13

Good Morning!

I can’t believe it’s August already?

On this day in 1801, during the First Barbary War, the American schooner USS Enterprise captures the Tripolitan polacca Tripoli in a single-ship action off the coast of modern-day Libya.

In 1876 Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. state.

In 1907 the start of the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island began. It was the origin of the worldwide Scouting movement.

In 1957 the United States and Canada formed the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

And in 1981 MTV began broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles.

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Quote of the Day

“Then, in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke. Does not such a country, and such defenders of their country, deserve a song?”

Francis Scott Key

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First up today, it’s Adam Duritz’s birthday. He’s the front man.

It’s also Robert Cray’s, and the man can play.

And since videos pretty much started with this one…

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Anyone have a QoD?

67 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 8-1-13”

  4. Can’t be first every night 🙂
    School is busy. Had all but two of my parents come for Open House. The two that didn’t come, one wrote me a note of apology, very sweet and quite a godly man. I was able to see both as they came to pick up their kids today. I know that the most progress is made when you work with the parents.

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  5. Good morning, all. Today is Becca’s last day of tennis camp and elder daughter’s last day at church development conference. We head to Bandera tomorrow for my dad’s 80th birthday celebration. I have mixed feelings about this, but it will be nice to see my sister and her family and the rest of my siblings. Lots to do today to get ready for our planned departure at 8:00 mañana!

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  6. Good Morning, everyone.
    The funeral went well yesterday. For the most part everyone behaved. No one has found a will yet so things are still up in the air.

    Some time in all of the past month I started thinking about my mother’s first husband. I knew he had some sort of disease that left him crippled and that he and mother were never able to have children. I knew his name and where he was from. I even have her Bible from that time period with her name embossed on it.
    I Googled his name. I found a link that gave me an email address, so I emailed the guy in California and he emailed back that I really needed to talk to another guy and copied him in on that email.

    “Frank” emailed me almost immediately. He was sorry to hear that Aunt O had died and asked what I wanted to know. I explained that while I was not related to him I was curious about my mother’s first husband. We exchanged several emails and I sent him some information on Mother.
    He sent me photos of “J” and a little of his story.
    J was born in 1926, in 1940 while living in New Orleans he was stricken with Polio. He went to watch repair school and was a Precision Instrument Engineer with Brookley Air Force Base. He an my mother were married in 1959 (not 1960 as I had thought).
    Sometime in 1964 this gentleman and his college sweetheart eloped and came to Mobile for their honeymoon. They could afford one night in a hotel and were heading back to college when they went to visit another aunt and uncle who lived in Mobile. Mother and her husband were called to visit with the family as well. They had boiled shrimp ( 9 cents per pound!). When Mother and J found out the young couple were on their honeymoon they insisted that they stay in their new home for two nights and Mother and J stayed with the other aunt and uncle. (I have always known my mother would give someone the shirt off of her back–the problem was that often the shirt was bought on credit and it really wasn’t hers to give. Her desire to help people is often what got her “over-extended” and into trouble).
    As J was in the hospital dying he sent for his lawyer to get his affairs in order. He also sent Mother to buy a new Ford Fairlane as they had been discussing buying it.
    The family were gathered at the hospital when he drew his last breath. The nurses came in to check everything and sent the orderlies in to remove him. As they were doing so he drew a breath and scared them. The nurses were called and the family were able to spend a few more hours with him before he actually did die. The story has some dramatic details with J asking a relative if he had his pistol with him and to shoot the orderlies if they tried to take him too soon again.

    “Frank” was very gracious in his treatment of me. Their family has known about me for years and wondered about me. I am now added to their family tree as a “cousin by marriage”. He was sorry to hear about Mother’s alcoholism but said he hoped he gave me a good view of how she was as he knew her. I have photos of mother from that time period and even photos of her first husband. They are packed away but I have promised that when I can get to them I will send copies to be added to their geneology and family history.

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  8. Good morning. A while back I mentioned some conflict with my religious neighbors. I contacted their pastor (who replied in a civil manner) and much of the conflict (though not all) has been repaired. You have only my word for this, so believe what you want to believe (in all ways).

    Right now a like-minded man, Jason Heap, a man with degrees in religious studies has applied to be a religious chaplain. The Chaplains association and many in Congress are opposing this reasonable request. I know no reason why you should join me in supporting him, but I request that you contact your elected representative and ask that they support (or at least do not oppose) his candidacy.

    Heap’s qualifications (I got this information from the stars and stripes website)

    “He holds master’s degrees from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University and Oxford University, and has almost finished a doctorate too. He has been teaching religious studies to teenagers in Britain for the last five years and has been conducting scholarly research on 17th century Baptist literature for longer than that.”

    After all, I bet even Roger Williams would swallow hard and then support Heap’s candidacy.

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  9. Hey, for those who like birds, these two short videos of birds of paradise are well worth watching. The first one shows several species of the birds in their amazing courtship displays; the second shows photos (mostly video, but a few still shots) of all 39 species of birds of paradise.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/266842/birds-of-paradise/

    http://www.smithsonianmag.com/video/All-39-Birds-of-Paradise-Species-Captured-on-Film-for-the-First-Time.html

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  10. Random, I suspect that the reason your friend’s application was not considered might be because he lack’s experience being a pastor or a congregation. The reason I say this is because I asked a chaplain about this while on active duty.

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  12. Glad things were straightened out, Random.

    Kim, very interesting about being about to track down connections to your mom’s first husband. The Internet can be an amazing tool for so many things. It really does “shrink” our world, sometimes in good ways.

    The cat continues to endure her indoor confinement — the wound looks good, she’s back to her normal self (pouncing on me this morning to get me out of bed), though her appetite is a little weak (but she is eating). All the blood work was good, so I guess she’s on the mend.

    Our area appears to be getting higher-than-normal West Nile activity this summer — the 78-year-old man whose family contacted us the other day reported that he died Tuesday night; and meanwhile another family called yesterday to say their 84-year-old mother/mother-in-law was now diagnosed with it in a local hospital and not doing well.

    Scary since there’s no cure or treatment for human cases.

    Wear DEET. I need to go buy some myself. I’m good about sunscreen but don’t pay much attention to insect repellant unless I’m out hiking where more mosquitoes might be. And we aren’t an area heavily infested with mosquitoes at all, being on the coast and relatively cool compared to areas more inland — definitely nothing like what you all probably see in the midwest and south.

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  18. Love that music, drivesguy. The military themes still make me choke up when they’re played at ceremonies I wind up covering. My favorite, of course, will always be Anchors Aweigh.

    Chas, maybe you need to make a video of your pet rock welcoming you home someday. It could be an internet hit. 😉

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  21. Same here, Navy hymn. The Sunday services at Pearl Harbor Submarine base chapel always ens with the Navy hymn and a reminder of those sailors still sailing (the subs that did not come back during WWII)

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  22. michelle, our maritime museum here is about to open a submarine exhibit.

    OK, here’s something I mostly agree with him on:

    “It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper. Now you have a few newspapers that make a profit because they are national brands, and journalists are having to scramble to piece together a living, in some cases as freelancers and without the same benefits that they had in a regular job for a paper. What’s true in journalism is true in manufacturing and is true in retail. What we have to recognize is that those old times aren’t coming back.” — President Barack Obama

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  23. Drives Guy, as with any job application, the eternal problem is, “If this job requires experience, how do I get enough experience to get started?” Of course, this is a government job, and everyone knows the expression, “Good enough for government work.” Not to mention, don’t get me started on separation of church and state, and putting religious leaders on the government payroll. Somewhere, Roger Williams is spinning in his grave and Jesus Christ is spinning on his throne in Heaven.

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  24. Nancy Jill. Serious answer. I am utterly lacking in faith in my heart. I do not find the universe numinous to any extent. Intellectually, my brain says, “Agnosticism makes the most sense.” Emotionally, my heart says, “There is no there, there. The universe is a cold, heartless, indifferent accident, and I will die alone (and probably miserably).” That day is getting closer, as I have had at least three ministrokes, and I have an appointment with my doctor (who is a Polish-Japanese American citizen theist who has served in the military in Afghanistan and treated Taliban prisoners) if he thinks there is still any one home (speaking of my brain). Anyway, (staying serious for a moment). I think faith in nothing is a weird kind of faith, and it qualifies my “faith” (for lack of a better word) as a religion.

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  25. Donna, thank you. They are about as “straight” as they ever will be between some very devout people and a very devoted atheist. As I say to my wife about our 47 years of marriage, “It’s a day to day thing.”

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  26. What keeps the local paper going is stories like the Times-News article about the rain washing out the local farmers, and the resulting increase in price of fresh produce this year. And that there will be a tax free “start to school” weekend this Fri, Sat., Sunday.
    And the headline on the sports page that a local guy has a baseball scholarship to NC Central University. You’d think he was going to be a Tar Heel, or such.
    It’s important to their radership.
    I wonder why they keep printing stock prices? Everyone who wants to know a stock price goes to the internet today.

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  27. Funny cat video, Donna. I discovered the perfect way to get a cat to come running to you. You have a poptop can of cat food. Immediately when they hear the top go pop they will make a beeline to the sound. And it better be cat food in the can or you will be in for some bad looks and tail twitches. You can trick a cat in this manner, with another different type can, if you need to round the cat up to go somewhere, but you will face consequences that will make you wish you had not tricked the cat.

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  28. Our elected officials and school board members actions are enough to keep local papers in business in the areas in which we work and live. And where my brother lives there is more excitement with a wild happening with the school board. After a meeting some of the ladies were crossing the street and felt that the disgruntled chair of the board directed his car at them so they filed suit. Turns out they were jay-walking so he has filed a counter-suit as I understand the situation It must be something in the waters of the Chattahoochee River that is causing all these school boards to be afflicted. Education should not be so complicated. But when government and big bucks are involved it makes people get a little bit crazed.

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  30. Feeling a bit bereft today. My family had to put Dad in assisted living this week, and this AM, the oldest son is moving out to Colorado with his girlfriend. And no grandchildren in sight…

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  31. On the positive side, I heard Dad is getting needed attention and pampering. Hopefully Mom will now be able to get some peace and rest without Dad constantly interrupting and badgering her. And perhaps she’ll finally begin to recuperate from back surgery…

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  33. We’ve started a hymn-sing at our church on any Wednesday evening that is the fifth Wednesday of the month. I missed the first one, but last night was fabulous. About 45 people showed up and we sounded great. A quarter of them were young people (late teens to early twenties) and they were really into it – they stood for every hymn and put their hearts into it. Our music director brought an opera singer to lead us in a hymn that we aren’t familiar with. We closed with “Eternal Father Strong to Save.” The gentlemen who was leading us said that several years ago he was singing in a group that wanted to do it and he called the Naval Academy to get the “official” version. They told him they just sing it out of a hymnal.

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  36. AJ, one thing I cannot understand. When we want to compliment a cat’s personality, we say, “She’s really a lot like a dog” and yet we never say of a dog, “He’s a lot like a cat.” Why, then, don’t people only own dogs and have the real thing? 🙂

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  40. Actually, Cheryl, cats are more economical to own than dogs. So it’s all about the money! You can have the cat as a sustitute dog, much like having a zircon rather than a diamond. Oops! I probably stepped on some toes with that comment. 🙂

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  41. Cheryl and Janice,

    Because dogs don’t use a littler box. 🙂 I never have to take my cat out multiple times a day to potty in all kinds of bad weather. It’s a cat’s most endearing quality. 🙂

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  42. AJ,

    We have a fenced yard, so Misten takes herself out; I just have to open the door a couple times a day. I have to “pick up” after her when it is time to mow, but I’d far rather do that than clean a litter box. To me, a litter box is one of the HUGE downsides to owning a cat. I’ve catsat a time or two, and the experience confirms I’m not a cat person. A dog stays on the floor, if she’s trained appropriately she won’t beg while you’re eating, she doesn’t pester for attention or food, she doesn’t scare or kill the birds, and she goes potty outside. And I really just can’t stand the fact that cats reserve the right to scratch, bite, or eliminate in undesirable places if they get mad.

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  43. My cat is very dog-like, she also greets me when I drive up and is extremely social. She also is turning out to cost about as much as my dogs following that latest vet bill.

    But I just got off a phone interview with the owner of Keller Williams (one of our local residents near the beach) who watched in horror early this morning as a very big coyote killed and ate his neighbor’s cat on his front lawn, bones and all. Horrifying.

    Annie may be staying indoors almost forever from here on out.

    Make it Man, sounds like you’ve all had a very emotional week. Hang in there. Maybe the pampering will offset some of trauma of the transition.

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  45. There is no keeping a cat of whatever a cat wants to jump on, that’s for sure. Although years ago I came home to find my tall, gangly Australian shepherd mix named Mercy (a stray I’d only recently adopted) standing right in the middle of my dining room table.

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  46. Our Tom Cat used to be quite a leaper. When he was younger, he could leap from the floor to the top of the Refrigerator with ease. Since he has gotten older, he does not leap quite as high. He is 13 years old. I am not sure what that equates in human years. The female is older. She has arthritis in her hips. She is losing weight too so I am not sure how much longer she will be with us.

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  47. Cheryl: Birds of Paradise reside in Papua New Guinea and are very difficult to see or find. It is the national bird and is on the flag.

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  49. Uh, oh. A dog-owner/cat-owner fight! That could almost be as dangerous as a real dog/cat fight. But not as serious as a Yankees/RedSox (or whatever sports rivalry you can think of) fight.

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  55. My two cents worth on the dog/cat fight. Dogs have to be walked. Cats only have to be occasionally moved off the furniture. Barking is annoying. Purring is nice. Dogs have to be bathed. Cats are self cleaning. Living with a cat is like living with a buddy. They’ll hang out with you but you stay out of each others business. Living with a dog is like living with a relative. There is drama and guilt and emotional scenes. And lastly it’s fun to watch a cat embarrass itself. Nothing embarrasses a dog. I’m a cat person.

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  57. Yes, but nothing like a dog, “You’re home, you’re home. I thought you’d left me forever or been killed by the meter man. How could you leave me after I gave you the best months of my life. I love you so much.”
    “Settle down dog. I just wen to get the mail

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  58. As for medicine, the last pill I gave Chasey was dipped in bacon grease, wrapped in cheese and buried in her dog food and she still managed to eat around it without so much as the writing on the pill being blurred. .

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  60. When I was young and very foolish I told my best friend I would pet sit for their Pekingnese (sp?) dog while they vacationed. That meant I had to put ointment into it’s ulcerated eye. An unforgettable chore worth more for the memory than the money earned. I should have known I could handle most anything in life after success in putting the med in that dog’s eye.

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  62. KBells, I trained Misten not to give that overly emotional scene when I walk in the door. (I simply ignored her for the first couple minutes I was home when she was a puppy.) So she greets us with her tail wagging but no pushiness unless we’ve been gone extra long (12 hours or so).

    And she is self-cleaning; some breeds are. She needs a bath now, but she hasn’t had one in more than two years and she doesn’t have doggie odor. Mud just dries and falls off her, and she licks her own paws clean.

    And her monthly heatworm pill, I just feed it with her breakfast and she eats the pill first.

    So it really depends on the breed, and the dog, and the training. My husband is very pleased with Misten, as she’s generally calm and obedient, and if we take her anywhere in the car she just lies down on the backseat. She does bark a little too much, but not like a yappy terrier or anything, and part of the point of having a dog is barking when someone comes–it’s good protection.

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  63. Cheryl, seems like Hubby told me to do that once. He says it reinforce your higher rank in the pack.
    I gave Chasey a bath last week and she already smell as bad as ever. However she doesn’t seem to mind a bath like my border collie did. Generally I just point at the tub and she hops in and stay till I’m done. Being a lab I guess she likes water.
    I do love my dog. I just prefer cats in general because they are just less trouble.

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  64. Yeah, Labs are oily and thus never quite clean (in my opinion), and they also like mud, while Misten goes around puddles or jumps over them. I personally don’t like petting them because the fur isn’t soft and then your hand smells doggie. But collies can be susceptible to separation anxiety, and that’s why the suggestion of ignore the dog when you come and go. Later I also read that helps the dog know you’re in charge, because leaders come and go without seeking permission, and followers have to seek permission. Overall, it makes for a calmer dog. And when she does get hyper, I make her lie down. I think that does two things: Physically it makes her act calm, which probably helps calm her, but it also tells her I’m in chrage and I know there is no reason to be upset, so she should trust me and calm down.

    Since collies are known to be “easy” dogs, I’m never sure whether the tricks that have worked so well with her would work for a different breed, but I do know she has been a really good pet, and I’d gladly get another collie. She’s affectionate without being clingy (she’s in the other room right now, for example); she’s playful and somewhat stubborn but willing to submit; and she’s beautiful and pettable. And she barks when people come, but is gentle as a lamb, and knows instinctively to be extra gentle with little children and old people.

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  65. It used to be that when I came home from work my little girl and boy would come running to me yelling “DAAADDDDYYYYYYY!!!!”.

    Now 20 and 16, they mostly don’t notice I’m home, and I often don’t see them until dinner. So it’s my dog’s job to give me the over-the-top welcome.

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  66. Kevin, I admit I would actually like the over-the-top welcome sometimes, and enjoy it when coming back from vacation. But it’s healthier for a people-centered breed like the collie if it can be calmer about human coming and going and not stress itself about it.

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