The Number Song

Reviving the blog

2010-11-10T08:36:00.003-05:00

It has been suggested to me by a wise person that I start a blog to talk about my travels to exotic locations such as Italy, India and Erie. If I am smart on future trips I will bring my memory card reader so I can load photos while on location (I sound like a news type person). Sadly, I am in India and do not have my memory card reader. Actually, it's probably for the best that people not see the photos of India until I get home. I kind of envision this revival as a way for me to share my experiences, talk about travel tips I learn and otherwise talk about my life traveling ~~as a spy~~.

The only thing I will post about the debate

2008-10-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

Since every channel in the hotel had the debate except the ESPN's. So, in the interest of staying current, I had the tv tuned to the debate and occasionally listened when I wasn't in the bathroom trying to wash off the crap that was coming through the tv. Anyway.... one thing about Barck Obama really struck me. It was his voice. The pitch, the cadence, the inflictions, they all reminded me of someone. The Rock. Seriously. Listen to the Rock when he's not speed talking during his promo's and it's very similar. All of this got me thinking. How awesome would it be if Barack started using some of those catchphrases. Really, what would the reaction have been if he finished the debate going "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" Even better, if he just started referring to McCain and Palin as "those two jabroni's". I know he'd catch flak for doing that but there is no way anyone could focus on McCain if he Obama went that route.

Hiking on Grandfather Mountain

2008-10-06T17:43:00.000-04:00

Thought on a chilly night during election season

2008-10-02T23:24:00.003-04:00

As I'm sure most people are aware, I am not much of a fan of politicians in general and really despise the parties. I have recently rediscovered the writings of someone else who does not like the parties. In his own words:

Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

The answer to the question I am sure you are asking is that the writer is George Washington. This is just a small section of his farewell address. It is scary to me that those words were written over 200 years ago and that: a) he was so right, b) very few people knew he said those words , and c) even fewer people recognize how right we was. Here is a link to the full address: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm

The Gaul(ey) of it all

2008-09-16T21:27:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I went up to West Virginia with a group of people from work. It wasn't a work function, just a group of us that get along and wanted to do some rafting. We drove up on Saturday and camped at a campground near our rafting company. It was an enjoyable night just to hang out with everyone, cookout, have some drinks and just have fun around the campfire. We had to be at the rafting company by 8 the next morning so we didn't sleep in (much to the chagrin of those who had too much to drink the night before).

The reason we decided to go to West Virginia for rafting is that last weekend was part of what is known as "Gauley Season". What that means is that there is a dam at the top of the run and the Army Corp of Engineers increases the flow of the river for Labor Day weekend and the five weekends after that. The extra release helps to create some of the best rapids on the east coast. The stretch of the river we did was the Upper Gauley which contains five Class V rapids. To our surprise, no one from our group of twelve (two boats of 6) ever fell overboard. We ended up pulling a few people out of the river from other boats that did capsize.

To describe the rapids is tough. Time through the five Class V rapids seemed to both fly and stall at the same time. What I do know, is that it was an amazing time. One of the craziest things I did was on the last set of rapids for the day. Our guide (who was great, maybe another blog post just to dissect his performance) described the last set of rapids as a high Class III or maybe a Class IV. Anyway, what I did was sit at the bow of the boat, kind of leaning over it. This allowed me to really see every hit we were about to take and to take a bunch of waves to the face. The biggest wave crashed over me, so much so that I was completely under water. What a great way to end the day.

I plan on returning next fall for another run.

Random Dream

2008-09-10T08:21:00.002-04:00

A little background first. As most of you know, I travel a lot for my job and some people joke with me that my employer is just a cover and that I'm really a spy. Well, that finally made it into a dream last night. I'm not exactly sure if I was really a spy or if the firm had started a hit squad. Either way, I was training in the woods with some other people for a mission where we were going to take someone out.

Questioning Myself

2008-09-07T20:44:00.005-04:00

Recently I have been spending a lot of time in my head and trying to determine the motivations for what I do. It's tough to discern the true motivation for anything I do. Where I get screwed up mentally is when I think I am doing something that seems like it would be what God would want me to do but at the same time I can see some selfish motivation behind it. Am I really doing those things for God or is it for me? I have recently started to struggle with an even worse possibility. What if I am so self-centered that my thinking it is pleasing to God is simply me deluding myself into that belief? I don't really see this as a crisis of faith so much as a crisis in discernment. Have I drifted in my faith so much that I can no longer discern the proper path and desires?

Looking on the brighter side

2008-08-14T18:20:00.002-04:00

At least I was wedged into the window instead of sitting between the two people that needed seat belt extenders
At least the crying child was a few rows back instead of right behind me
At least said child was only crying for half the flight instead of the whole flight
At least the flight was only two hours
Most importantly, at least I made it home safe and don't have to fly out until the latter half of next week.

Relaxing on the porch

2008-07-29T22:19:00.002-04:00

If I had to pick a perfect evening that I could recreate most of the time, this would be it. The temperature is in the mid 70's and slowly dropping. I am drinking a fine belgain style beer and smoking a cigar. The only thing puzzling me as I write this is how there can be so many flying insects without their being any bats around to eat them. It would be an all you can eat buffet for the bats if they just showed up. Anyway, all my troubles (besides the flying insect kind) just seem to melt away when I'm here in the porch.

It has been a great few days. I have not thought about work, relationships or anything else that could cause me stress. My only stress has been what I have put on my legs in hiking 30 miles. Four of those miles were killer. They felt like they were close to straight up and ended with me being close to 6000 feet above sea level. The view from the top was amazing and made the struggles to get there worthwhile. I need to keep that in mind with struggles on a daily basis, regardless of the type.

Getting my church on

2008-04-13T08:44:00.002-04:00

I'm so thankful for TV while I'm in the mountains, I can get my church on without even leaving the cabin. Today I decided to watch Joel Osteen. Amazingly I made it almost 10 minutes before I had to run out of the room to vomit. On the plus side, I now know that as long as I am faithful (which was never defined) and live a life of integrity, God will pour out his blessings on me. I will become partner at the firm or I will go on to start my own company or become wealthy in some other way. I am so glad that the only time I will struggle or face hardship is when I am not faithful. Forget that whole relationship with God.... it's all about being a good person and I'm set! And some people wonder why Christianity is dying in this country......

Mountain Man

2008-04-12T10:33:00.002-04:00

Day two in the mountains. Yesterday was pretty exhausting. I am not conditioned for a thirteen mile hike but I did it anyway. I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm nearby which is so relaxing, just hearing the thunder rumble as it echoes through the valleys. Then as I was drinking my coffee on the porch, I see a turkey walking down below. I went inside to get my camera but the thing saw me and flew off. So much for people saying the turkey is a flightless bird. Maybe the ones mass produced by Butterball can't fly because of all the crap they feed them. This one though.... flew very well. I'm off to do a few more miles of trails.

Checking in

2008-04-02T12:59:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a while since I have written anything and I will make an effort to post something of more subtance soon. However, I just had to post this link as it is a great article on the impact of racial bias in sports. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/080401

It's the most.. wonderful time of the year

2007-11-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

This past Friday was the official start of the holidays for me. Too bad we have already been experiencing the ads, the displays and in some places, the songs for close to a month. I guess I'm still burned out on Christmas after working retail in high school and college. All the marketing people that think it's a great idea to get a jump on Christmas advertising in stores need to work in their own stores during that time and subject themselves to their own water torture. After hearing Feliz Navidad for the fifth time in an hour people begin associating "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas" with "I want to wish you life of torture". Not having worked for a church, I can only imagine it's the same way there. Well, the same but without Feliz Navidad, unless the pastor is a sadist. Actually, I kind of know it's that way. My mom is in charge of the children's choirs at her church and she always seems on edge until they are finished singing on Christmas Eve. I know other who work(ed) at churches and it sounds like all the additional work drives the Christmas spirit out of them as well. It's not like any of us WANT to be annoyed by the holiday, we just are. What is sad to me is that even though I am no longer working in retail, I am still jaded about the holidays. Part of it is a conditional response after the six years of retail. The other part is just a growing sense of bitterness towards the commercialization/exploitation of such a wonderful day. So far this year, the bitterness has been relatively tame, I am hoping it stays that way.

Huh?

2007-11-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, a magazine I received had an article about a high profile environmentalist that was hired by Wal-Mart to do some consulting for them. Obviously it was to help them in their sustainability efforts, but the guy is catching all sorts of crap from his supposed friends for "selling out". I read the article, pretty interesting stuff on some of the things they're trying to do. But that's all beside the point. Last week I received the new issue and there were some lettors to the editor about the article. All but one were positive. I just couldn't fathom the negative one. The writer seemed ANGRY at Wal-Mart for pursuing a good sustainability. Their main issue was that they weren't doing it because it was good for the planet, but because it was good for their profit margins. Now, if they were acting evil like they normally do to increase profits, it would be understandable for anyone to be upset. This isn't the case this time. In fact, I believe that anyone that cares about the planet, regardless of their feelings towards Wal-Mart, should be celebrating what they are doing. Why? Because they are showing that doing the right thing can be a win-win situation. The environmentalists should be happy with less pollution and the shareholders should be happy with increased profits. What do I know?

Seasonal Thoughts......

2007-10-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

Fall as my favorite season. There are just so many great things about it. The weather finally cooling off... finally...... stupid global warming, the colors of the trees and in the world of sports there is something for everyone: World Series, Football regular season, the start of both Basketball and Hockey, NASCAR's Chase for the Cup, I'm sure I'm missing something but that's all that ESPN has been talking about. Then there is all things pumpkin that comes out; ice cream, pie, cannoli (my coworker made some tasty ones) and most importantly pumpkin beer.

On a completely unrelated note, the NC Art Museum is having a photo contest this fall. There are four themes, the first theme is "Your Point of View". Here is my submission for the theme.

2007-10-22T11:06:00.000-04:00

Last week at my Bible study group we discussed John 10:22-42 where Jesus is asked by the Jewish leaders "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." In some translations, "Christ" is interpreted as "Messiah" and that got us discussing the historical context of what was expected of the Messiah. According to some scholars, the Jewish leaders of the day were expecting the "Messiah" to be a geo-political savior, not a spiritual savior. It is easy to see how the leaders back then could think that way. They were God's chosen people, they were supposed to rule their area as long as they were faithful, hence the Messiah was supposed to restore that kind of glory. I'm not trying to excuse them, Jesus provided plenty of evidence to the contrary. Sadly, there is a vocal sect of Christianity that is now like the ancient Jewish leaders. It is my belief that the supposed leaders of the Christian movement, the Religious Right, the whatever name the media is using this week are the modern day pharisees. What troubles me is that these are the people the majority of the population thinks of when they hear the word "Christian" even if they know others. I wish that more people would see this article from the Wall Street Journal editorial page about the "evangelical power elite". It's nothing amazing, it's just an article about leaders of companies or political figures that are active followers but do not make stump speeches about it. My hope/prayer is that people start to hear about these quiet followers than the loudmouth gasbags.

I'm tired......

2007-10-08T16:54:00.000-04:00

I'm tired, and not just because I stayed up late playing Halo.

I'm tired of acting like I have it together. I'm a nutcase. I'm insecure about most everything. I feel like I'm a fraud living someone else's life and I will be busted at any point now.

For that matter, I'm tired of being insecure. I have a hard time seeing how blessed I am to have the life God has granted me. I have a great family/friends, a good job, I don't live in a place where I should fear for my life every day..... why is it so hard for me to be happy with that?

I'm tired of idiot drivers that don't realize they're idiots. How hard is it to NOT be in the left hand lane if you're driving the same speed or slower than people to your right?

I'm tired of people feeling like they have to fill the void of breaks in conversations.

I'm tired of handing things over to God only to take them back the next month/week/day/hour/minute. Why can't I give up control? I do give up control, but it's only when I'm tired and beat down mentally. It seems that I only want to pass the load over to someone until I feel strong enough to carry the burden again.

I'm tired of the hot weather. When the heck is it going to be fall?

I'm tired of being tired.

Premiere Update

2007-09-28T07:43:00.000-04:00

I watched Big Shots last night. I won't be watching again. It's like they tried to make a version of Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City but with guys...... which is sad because I liked the cast. I just couldn't get into it. I might give it another try but it's going to be one of those instances where I'm just bored.

This story could come right out of a TV show. I'm thinking the marriage is already over.

Season/Series Premieres

2007-09-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

Heroes. Good start to the new season. Of course there were no questions answered, just more posed. As a coworker said, they're not good about answering questions, just setting up cliffhangers. The new characters weren't that impressive. The South American brother and sister team is only intriguing in seeing how they get into the US. The girl's powers seem cool but I'm wondering where they go with that. Claire's new friend is just creepy. Kind of stalkerish. I'm personally holding out for Veronica Mars to show up.

Life. New show starring Lt/Cpt/Major Winters from the Band of Brothers mini-series on HBO (if you never caught it, I suggest watching it, amazing series). Looks like a decent series.

Office. Ok, this is the one that I was waiting for. Freaking awesome. Jim and Pam are dating... they try to hide it, but they get busted. Just like Michael does when he's changing in his office and Pam walks in and sees him.... well...... naked from the waist down. Jan is now unemployed and living in Michael's condo and just overall mooching off of him. Dwight kills Angela's favorite cat Sprinkles (Godspeed Sprinkles, we'll miss you) and calls it a mercy killing. I mean really, if you like the Office, you watched the show and you loved it. If you didn't watch it, what were you thinking?

Shows I'm looking forward to premiering:
30 Rock - good show, premiere has Seinfeld has himself.
Big Shots - Ok, maybe I'll watch, maybe I won't but the cast looks pretty impressive
Cavemen - Just making sure you're paying attention. There is no way I am possibly watching this show.

Snacky McSnackAttack

2007-09-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

Today is one of those days where I just can't eat enough which is bizarre considering the past week I haven't been that hungry. I think it started with me picking up 5 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the client and of course... I had to have one. But they were hot.... so I had two.... that was it for the morning. Well maybe a Starburst or two but those don’t count. Then off to lunch with the partner and some other co-workers at the Duck and Dumpling. I get back, and immediately go for more Starburst. And of course, there is the siren’s call of the remaining doughnuts….. Snacky McSnackAttack strikes again.

Life without cable

2007-09-26T14:43:00.000-04:00

With the departure of my roommate and the full load of all utility expenses on my shoulder I have decided to cut off my cable. I took in the box to their service center this past Saturday. I was thinking that TimeWarner would be slack and take their time in sending a tech out to actually turn it off..... I had previously disconnected service with TimeWarner at an old apartment and they never got around to turning the signal off. I was thinking that would happen again...... Well, I get home yesterday and there is no cable. It's hard to realize how ~~addicted~~, ~~dependent~~ comforted we are by things in our life until they are no longer there.