Couple of cousins
This is a photo of me with my cousins Reggie and Andy.
Taken at my aunt’s house following my uncle’s funeral Mass.
I imagine that right now, youre feeling a bit like Alice.
From IMDB: Rabbit Hole – Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident.
Rabbit Hole was a good movie; very bitter sweet. It may be the most ‘real’ of any of the movies I’ve seen this season. I thought that Nicole Kidman did a great job… But so did Aaron Eckhart. In fact, I think I liked his performance better! I really don’t understand the Academy sometimes. But that’s ok.
My total count is now 23/56.
Scotty…
When teleportation is finally possible, where will you beam yourself first?
Inherent in the question is the idea that this new technology will allow me to go someplace that I really want to go or someplace that’s difficult to go to. I mean, why would I say, “The kitchen”? That would be really stupid and a waste. Will this technology be more cost effective than what we have now? You know, it is possible to purchase trips to space, to the international space station. Just takes money. Will teleportation cost as much? Will it be cheaper to drive or fly to any of the places I’d like to go? Will teleportation be a novelty and ultimately nothing more than a fad? I’m not one to jump on bandwagons for their own sake.
Let’s assume that it’s cheap/free to use this technology. When will it actually arrive? Tomorrow? Then I’ll go to Portland. 5 years from now? Then it will depend on where I haven’t gotten to by then. I’ll tell you what it will do if this is a cheap and ubiquitous means of travel. It will prompt me to live in a more remote area than I would currently accept. If I can get back and forth to people and services, why live in a crowded area at all?
Harrumph! You kids get out of my yard!
In general I consider myself an animal lover. Well, a dog lover anyway. I always try to say hello and give lots of attention to dogs when I encounter them. But I am really tired of dog owners afflicting their pets on me out in public. What is it that happens to people when they have pets? So many of them have no concern whatsoever about their dogs running up to me, barking, pawing at me, maybe biting. When my former roommate, Letitia got a dog, we used to walk Micky to the park. She thought nothing of letting Micky run free in unfenced areas. Who cares if he runs up on people or other animals? Hahaha! Just laugh it off. After all, Letitia knew that Micky meant no harm, and other people are supposed to read her mind and know that too, right? It always annoyed me. I’m a rather high self monitor I think. I often seem to be overly aware and concerned about how my actions may be affecting others around me. If only I could be truly anti-social and just not care.
Anyway, I hope I wasn’t like that when I had my dog, Chloe.
G’day Bruce!
Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Why or why not?
In theology/philosophy, there is a tension between the ideas of free will and predestination. The whole how can we have free will at the same time that God is almighty and has a plan for us debate. I really don’t see the contradiction here. To my thinking, we have absolute free will AND God knows exactly what and how we will choose and what the effect will be of that and every other choice. Really people, we cannot comprehend the massiveness, the awesomeness, of God. Anything we think we understand and know, it’s like nothing compared to the understanding and knowledge of God.
So to answer the question, I do believe everything happens for a reason. Because of choices that were made by someone or more likely many someones; because of the way God set up the universe, the laws of physics, nature. Even if we have to trace the cause of the thing back to the beginning of time, there is a reason.
Maybe what this question should have been is, “Is there meaning to everything that happens?” That, my friends, is a significantly different question.
Now for the rest of the story
Ok, so in my earlier post, I had arrived at the church. The church itself was sort of unimpressive but the campus was pretty nice. What was impressive was the number of people in attendance. There were so many people there who loved my uncle. That was really nice. Mass seemed haphazard and rather lazily put together. I won’t get into the specifics but it was a little frustrating and disappointing. My uncle had served in the army and received military honors at the cemetery. The Church could learn a thing or three from the military. These guys understand the value and power of ritual. The lone bugle playing Taps and the words spoken to my aunt when the soldiers presented the flag to her were the most moving moments I’d witnessed in some time.
Back at the house, there was a seemingly endless influx of people bringing food or coming by to spend some time remembering my uncle. It really was a wonderful celebration of Doug’s life. I got to spend lots of good time with family.
I did sneak in a nap, and when I woke up, almost everyone had gone. I and my cousin, and a friend of his finished up the evening playing some games.
I’d hoped and intended to leave to come home at 8:00 or so, but didn’t end up leaving until 9:30. I had something to be back in Modesto for at 2:00. I was an hour late. But that’s not too bad.
Despite the long road trip down south and the rapid turn-around to come home, nevermind the accompanying lack of sleep! this was surprisingly one of the most restorative weekends I’ve had in a while. Maybe it had something to do with it being a four day weekend. Or maybe it had more to do with seeing family. Maybe it was about who wasn’t going to be in the office when I came in this morning. But I actually felt rested when I went back to work today.
My crack dispenser
What’s one piece of technology you can’t live without?
I guess the obvious answer is the internet. It’s so useful for so many things. Certainly email and web browsing, but I use it all the time for playing MMOs, Lord of the Rings Online in particular. I spend hours and hours playing this game.
Another obvious guess would be my iPhone. Obvious in the sense that I can’t stop using it to check statuses and updates on facebook and twitter.
But I’ll make my official answer… my TiVO. I used to be running two or three VHS recorders multiple nights of the week. Keeping track of the tapes and making sure to watch them in the correct order to clear up space to do it all again was logistically challenging. TiVO was made for me! I recently upgraded to the Premiere box. 5 times as much storage, HD if I want it, download directly from Netflix and YouTube, and I can use it as my cable tuner box. Lovely! So TiVO gets my vote.
Sometimes I feel like the only cab on the road. But not in LA. Never in LA.
I went to bed at about 10:30 Thursday night. I set my alarm for 2 AM, but I woke up at 1 and knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. So I got up, showered, dressed, made a pizza, and departed for points south. At this point, I had ½ tank of gas and $20. My monthly paycheck hadn’t hit my account. So I had to take it on faith that it would before I really needed to fuel up.
I stopped for gas in Bakersfield. It was either going to be the $20 or…. I checked my account and my paycheck had hit! Yay! So I filled up and continued on.
I was actually making really good time despite the thick fog. I’ve had lots of practice driving in the fog. You do have to be more careful, but it’s quite doable. There were only three points at which I needed to slow down, but they passed quickly. When I hit the Grapevine, all fog disappeared. I was feeling very good about my ETA.
Then I hit LA traffic. Good God! I hate LA traffic! But at least I was still moving. Until I hit OC traffic! It was even worse!! It didn’t help that I was a little tired, and uncomfortable (I really had to take a bathroom break), but traffic was so thick that I couldn’t readily move over to exit in the right places and I ended up taking a couple of detours. Grr. So I was getting more and more physically uncomfortable. It was looking more and more like I wasn’t going to arrive in time. And I couldn’t see a place to stop and use a restroom. Finally, I took a chance and exited so that I could look for a stop. I found one but their bathroom was out of order! I am not too proud to say that at that point, I resorted to improvising.
Feeling much better, I contined to follow my iphone’s map to the church. Indeed I arrived at the appointed destination with 5 minutes to spare!! Only to realize that my phone had sent me to the wrong church. *Sigh* I reprogrammed the map ap, and quickly made my way to the correct location. I ended up being only about 10 minutes late. But it was only the rosary, so no biggie.
To be continued….
It’s just a good thing this island has electricity and the equipment to play a cd!
Today, by special request, I will try to answer the following:
If stranded on a desert island, and could only bring one music album with you, which would it be? What is it about this music that never gets old for you?
My initial thought is that I would bring the album, Some Great Reward by Depeche Mode. For many years, DM was my favorite band and this was the first album of theirs that I’d listened to. Not every song on the album is a favorite. Particularly, I’m not much a fan of Somebody or Blasphemous Rumours. But these songs are part of the album and so I accept their inclusion. I guess this album speaks to my youth; of that time when the world of music was really starting to open up to me. Of all the various ‘sounds’ that Depeche Mode has evolved through over the years, this represents my favorite period.
Other albums that are top-tier for me include, The Two Ring Circus by Erasure, Greatest by Duran Duran, Table Songs by David Haas, The Joshua Tree by U2, ABBA Gold by ABBA, The Commitments OST, Les Miserables – The Complete Symphonic Recording, Farewell to Ireland by The Dalraida Brothers, Sucessos de Verão by Roberto Leal, and Stunt and/or Everything For Everyone by Barenaked Ladies.
Google is your friend.
Postus Interuptis
I am with family today and I will be unable to write a proper post. I will double post tomorrow.
Apologies.
