(Phone rings on desk at store, Indian with
thick accent named Nabil picks up)

Nabil:  Hello, this is Nabil, how can I help
you?  I am very pre-disposable to be
helping you out.

Customer:  Eh…heh heh… Nabil, you said?  I’m sorry, but I think that you mean predisposed…
saying disposable makes you sound like a trash container or something.

(next frame, Nabil is naively very irate)

Nabil:  Excuse me Sir!  Are you saying that I am resembling a waste container?  Do you think that because I work at a store
I am an empty unit for which you are to put in all your waste and crap-like
substance?

Customer
(shocked and trying to clean up the ‘mess’): 
Oh… no no, not at all.  That is,
you just said-

(next frame)

Nabil:  Or perhaps you think that because I am from
a country you think is impoverished you think that I have nothing better to do
than to serve you, whatever you may need? 
I have you know dat dis is not true! 
In my country we have a Burger King one street down from where my family
lives!

Customer:  …

(next frame, Nabil looks off thoughtfully)

Nabil:  Well, actually, it is not being a Burger
King anymore because in my home country monarchies are very outdated.  Due to cultural discrepancies it is now
known as “Burger Representative”.  Also,
it cannot serve cows, so the burger is actually a very nicely tasting soy
base…”

Customer: 
*silence, and then the dail tone*

(next frame, Nabil hangs up and looks out
at the reader, speaking with a British accent now)

Nabil:  You know, this is the one delightful thing about working in a department store while I wait to get a job that uses my PHD
in psychology.  I wonder if I should
write my doctoral thesis about this? 
Most amusing!  I cannot wait for
the next caller.

NOTE- I thought this up a while ago and just found it. If anyone happens to have talent in drawing and wants to actually make this into the comic I envisioned, feel free to give it a try.

Copyright 2006 Patrick F.

Be brave and don't cry

It's sometimes said in a clearly negative way- "You stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about", and just as often in a seemingly gentle way "I have to go, now don't cry- no, don't cry, it's okay, don't cry". It is frequent that whenever a child cries, we hear a response that says "Don't" for whatever reason.

I will not claim this to be conclusive or all-inclusive, but there tend to be two major types of crying: natural, and intentional (usually manipulative and while still somewhat natural, the child encourages it and builds up a cry/tantrum to get something). Intentional is usually selfish, natural could be either. I think a good parent can tell the difference. Intentional tends to be when things don't go their way. Natural tends to be when they are physically or emotionally hurt- now, things not going their way could cause emotional hurt, but most parents can tell the difference pretty clearly.

It's Alright to Cry

There was a rather cheesy song that they played in my kindergarten class I still remember- "It's alright to cry, crying gets the hurt out of you".

Well, I think that we need to reconsider what our motive is for telling a child not to cry. I propose that in many cases the motive is selfishness on our part, when the crying is natural and non-manipulative.

Crying bothers us- we either don't like to see the child hurt, or we are irritated by it in some fashion. Of course, while the absence of crying does not mean the absence of hurt- it means the absence of visible, tangible signs of it that we cannot ignore. Even if it is a positive motive- we're leaving on a trip, and we do not want to see a little one we love cry because we are going. Or someone dies, and we want to comfort them. I do not intend to say it is a negative motive- but I do propose that it is not necessarily in the child's best interest. This is, of course, my opinion and you are free to differ.

My Thoughts

Crying is a release for the body. It cleanses our body, it also cleanses our spirit. Many people feel an inherent embarassment and shame about it- when, in fact I feel that much of this shame comes from the fact we are so often as children told NOT to do it. My proposal is- distinguish the selfish and manipulative crying from the sincere hurt, and encourage our children to feel comfortable and safe letting out their tears if it is a hurt or pain situation. On the other hand, it is fine to make clear that manipulative crying is unacceptable. This teaches that it is alright to depend on others when we are hurt and to express our feelings and tears, but it is not alright to do so in order to manipulate others.

Psychiatrists and psychologists will say the same thing- it is healthy and normal for both children and adults to cry, and it is an emotionally necessary process. To repress this is to repress our emotions and can cause injury both physical and mental. I want to teach my son, just as I was taught, that he has a right to his emotions and to his tears- and unlike myself, I want him to always feel free to come to me for a hug and comfort when he needs to cry.

If you do not tell someone that Jesus Christ is the reason we should not do something (something that is sinful), do you think it is better not to tell them at all?

It is an interesting moral question a rather B movie called "Time Changer" raised recently- a Christian movie. And while the lead actor was rather poor at his work and the movie could have used some work, it brought up a very valid question. At first I strongly disagreed- we don't always have to say "Jesus says" with every moral statement, it is sometimes wise not to turn someone off right away, right? Well the movie asks that question- and the main character, who was going to publish something regarding that, is sent into the future. He experiences life here and sees how because we do not have a moral absolute- we know plenty about what is the 'right thing to do' but we do not do it, because we have no absolute standard. A girl steals his food, and he tells her it is wrong- and a sin- to do it, and she says "Says who?"

It is a rather strict interpretation but it is worth asking ourselves the question, after seeing the 'world' from the eyes of someone who has never seen our present culture before and comes from a more conservative one: are we numb? We say "Well, the movie I saw might blaspheme Jesus name, but there wasn't any blood in it- no sex or anything"... well, that's great, relative to other movies now. But what about relative to the Bible itself? What standard are we using besides God's standard, and are we compromising it based on what others say or the fact it is 'culturally obsolete' (that is, it is a culturally bound truth but not a universal one- that is the excuse many people use: "oh, that was just the way people of that time were, we have to interpret it based on our present culture").

What do you think?

Another Conor's First

Tonight, on the evening of Monday, November 6, 2006 Conor has officially taken his very first steps!

Earlier this evening Katrina noted that Conor had walked two steps on his own without help. Then, just minutes ago, he was leaning on the refridgerator before walking four entire steps without any help. According to Katrina he did not 'stumble forwards', but rather made the steps on his own before loosing balance.

Our son has officially learned to walk, just days before his first birthday!

Conor is the sort of young man that, similar to the stories of myself that my Mom always tells, thinks a great deal about something and builds up to it. Then, when he finally does try, he does it quickly and he does it right. He has built up the muscle and practiced his balance a great deal- he even forgoes crawling to practice trying to stand instead. I believe that he is going to begin taking off on his two feet very fast now.

He walks, he talks! Of course, his talking is still limitted to a variety of speach-like noises and "Muh-muh" and "Daa-daa", but I think that counts from what most parents say. I'll let you know as he reaches more big steps- like beginning to say words and clearly know what they mean. He has, however, officially passed the big landmarks of babyhood. The next big step? Eating food with a spoon- a whole meal, for example... perhaps drinking from a glass. And then, comes the biggy- potty training, but that is a ways down the road. Let's stick to better walking and talking for now.

-Patrick

I discovered the most wonderful thing today! Apparently my family had done some geneological research and discovered that I have Jewish blood on my Father's side! I am a gentile no longer!

Considering that I have long believed that, based on the Irish heritage from my Dad's whole side, Russian and Scottish from my Mom's side... well, it was clear to me I was pretty much a gentile through and through. In fact, most of my heritage was probably from the Vikings and Celts- at best, maybe some Roman somewhere in there along the line. But to find out I have some Jewish blood in me is very exciting. My Grandmother- who, being from the deep south apparently (I must admit, shamefully) has some prejudice in her- was horrified. It is on her side, too, apparently- her grandfather or something like that wanted to marry a girl and leave Kentucky, but she would only go if her sister came along. Well, that was a mistake, because he ended up having children out of wedlock with her sister- and she was a half sister at that, with a full blooded Jewish parent as best I can gather. My 'line' is descended from the product of their children. My Mammaw was about to have a heart attack it sounds like, from what my sister said. Not only was she Jewish, but it was out of wedlock too.

A Jew in Part

It's exciting, because of course as a believer in Jesus Christ I also believed until now that even though I was adopted into God's family, I still really had no part of the original 'chosen people'. Of course, many Jews would say I'm far, far, far too removed to really think it a big deal. But it says to me that somehow, somewhere, I have a connection that might lead all the way back to Israel and the ten tribes. That's a pretty cool thought, for someone whose always considered themselves purely a gentile- to read about those things and think "that's really cool, but all those promises to the Jews as a people aren't directly connected to me". Now, I can feel a special link to it. I am quite proud!

Note: The hyphens are to indicate where the beat falls in each line, to help make the lyrics easier to visualise as a rap.

Does He know Daddy loves Him?

I’m eating dinner here with my -baby -boy

He knows that he is Daddy’s little -pride
and -joy

Every time he gets some food to go in-side
his –mouth

I feel no shame in cooing, that’s what -I’m
-about.

Meanwhile your crew sittin’ is over -there,
I –see

Your snickering and making jokes -about –me

You think a man that’s doing this is –un
-cool

You’re making jokes at the expense of –this
–fool.

*

I have, something to ask you, I wonder if
you’ll humour me  -just a -sec

When you’re, hangin’ with your ladies, what
do you guys do –after-sex?

*

Do you stay and give your ladies all the
-care they -need

Do you think about the consequences -when
you-breed

Do you know there will be lots of little
-mouths to -feed

After you are finished playin, spreadin’
-all your –seed

Do you stay around and see your dirty
-deeds -through

Do you let your little boy -know about -you

And I even gotta ask you, then, -if you –do

Does he get enough affection coming –from
–you?

*

Does he know Daddy loves him

Does he know you can hug ‘im?

Does he know, that you’re there

Does he know that you care?

Does he have Daddy feed him

Are there books Daddy reads him?

Does he know, that you’re there

Does he know that you care?

*

My little boy I’m teachin’ him –how to
–walk

And even though he doesn’t yet know –how to
–talk

He knows that he’s the guy that I -hang
-with

Don’t care where I -go,

-no,

-not

go-nna play –fifth

I’m confident about my mascu-lini-ty

I don’t need to prove to anyone I’m –man-ly

The most important thing about –how I –act

Is to think about the way it’s gonna
–im-pact

*

I think, lots about my anger, doing all I
can to keep it –in –check

I want, my baby to grow up, living in a
house full of –re -spect

*

You think its fun to joke about a-fec-tion

So I’m askin’ you to use your recol-lec-tion

I wonder when you think about your -young
-life

How your Daddy treated you and -his -wife?

Cause the things you’re doing now with
–your –son

Start a chain that rarely breaks once its
–be-gun

You see I want to love all over my -little
-guy

That’s the legacy I’ll leave behind when -I
-die.

Does he know Daddy loves him

Does he know you can hug ‘im?

Does he know, that you’re there

Does he know that you care?

Does he know Daddy loves him?

Does he know you won’t cuff ‘im?

Does he know, you’re aware

That he is even still there.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Eiric

There's no such thing as luck: God has everything under his control. There is still a certain idea of 'chance'- God doesn't always  plan every detail around me or what I did or did not do. That is rather self-centred to think the world revolves around me. Sometimes things just happen- so there is some chance, but not 'luck'. If there was, I'd say this evening I had 'bad luck'- as it is, it was really crazy chance and I'm sure God had something for me to learn from it. Maybe it will prevent an accident or even worse experience later?

I left my parents house this evening, my Mom specifically remembering both headlights were working- I got pulled over just five minutes away by the handy, vigilant Chapin town police officers. When he came up I asked if I had been doing anything illegal- he responded my left headlight was out. I was shocked- it had been dim lately, but out? I had them BOTH replaced in the last year- and headlights, as you probably know, can last for years upon years. He said I could get out and look for myself- I did, and what do you know, it was out.

So, after the usual stuff, he came up and said that he was giving me a ticket for just that item- I noted later 'just that item' was $230-something dollars!! He said that if I brought in proof of repair by December 7, along with the ticket, to the Chapin town hall the ticket would be dropped. So, whew, that was fair- and I stated so.

Still, it was just annoying- my headlight goes out and in the same FIVE MINUTES of that very trip I get caught for it! AAAARGH. How annoying is that? Some people drive for months like that... which is probably why he made such a step. The last time mine went out, I got pulled over in the SAME town- but he let me off with just a warning. Maybe it was that warning on my record that had him write one like that? Hmph. Another fact could be that since that warning, I've moved my residence from Chapin (on my liscence) to Columbia where we actually live (the library here is far better, and I wanted to use it like my Wife). Bleh.

Music Styles

It is always interesting to see how new music sometimes curiously blends the new trends with elements of the old. A new artist quickly gaining popularity, whom I discovered on Yahoo music, does an incredible job of blending styles. Have you ever imagined what it would sound like if you blended 80's style funk/pop with 21st century hip-hop?

Well, wonder no more. Singer Nelly Futado brings her song Maneater to the stage and in a curiously addictive way (listen to it twice to get the full effect- make the second time a look at her music video, available free on Yahoo music) blends not only 80's tones rhythm's in her song's chorus with modern hip-hop chants and verses, but also does the same thing in her music video which is reminiscent of an 80's type Michael Jackson video mixed with a new hip-hop artist. Most amusing of all, she's white- although she doesn't necessarily sound like it. Would you also believe she is from Canada, eh?

Take a look at her video here, by going down her yahoo page and looking under 'music videos'- click on the first "Maneater" link. Warning- it's definitely a modern music video, so be prepared for raunchy dancing and tight shirts just incase that stuff isn't your preference.

Some Fun Songs

Wierd Al is back, he's rappin it up sharp like a true white nerd!

And if you want to see him less nerby, listen to this inspiration song about the morality of downloading music.

-Patrick

I do not really forward things very often, so the few times I actually do surveys or question sorts of things I tend to post them here. This is not very often, even then. This is the first for-fun survey I have done like this in over a year, so enjoy.

1. Do you still talk with the person you
LAST kissed?
Every day!

2. Have you ever seen your best friend naked?
Yes. My best friend right now would be my sister- I saw her naked occasionally as a
kid. It happens, get over it. We still walked around upstairs (our two rooms were the only upstairs rooms) in our undies all the time as teens. Big deal.

4. What was the last thing you ate
Frosted mini-wheats… for an afternoon snack, no milk.

5. Did you get any compliments today?
I don’t think so.

6. Where are you going on your next vacation?
Probably to visit my Wife’s family in New Mexico and Colorado.

7. Are most of your friends guys or girls?
girls

8. Do you own any furniture from Ikea?
What is Ikea?

10. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
The ability to heal other’s wounds and illnesses.  Second would be the most popular answer- mind reading.

11. Where have you lived most of your life?
South Carolina, though I’m not sure if I’m happy about that. I was born in
Washington DC.

13. When was the last time you took a long drive?
In August, to a beach house at least three hours or more each way.

15. Are you moody?
Yes, though I am pretty stable in relating to others.

16. What is your most favorite movie of all time?
Lord of the Rings

17. Have you ever done anything hurtful to a classmate?
Yep, although I think it was a long time ago.

18. Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?
Never… I regret that.

19. Have you ever toilet papered someone's house?
No.

20. Have you ever had a crush on your sister's friend?
Yes, hee hee. I even gave her a play kiss… but that was in third grade.

21. Have you ever gone to a nude beach?
Yes, by accident. I did linger, however… I was fifteen for crying out loud.

22. Have you ever gone streaking?
I don’t think so.

23. Have you ever had a stalker?
 No. Any sexy, female volunteers?

24. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
Yes.

25. How many hours a day do you watch TV?
If you mean any TV/cable stations at all, less than one hour on average. I ONLY
watch heroes, and some “The Today Show” in the morning since Kat has it on. I
don’t have much choice, or I wouldn’t watch anything BUT Heroes.

26. Have you ever gone to a party?
Yes, but only formal ones or birthday type things.

27. Have you ever been in love?
Yes. Definitely.

28. Have you ever been betrayed by your best friend(s)?
Yes. Sadly, yes, though it was when I was in elementary school- it kind of
sticks with me, and is probably the reason I had so few long term friendships
afterwards.

29. Have you ever been out of the U.S.?
Yes. Many times!

30. Have you ever thrown up from working out?
No- I always stopped when I became nauseated.

31. Have you ever gotten a haircut so bad that you wore a hat?
Yes, but it really wasn’t THAT bad.

32. Have you ever eaten 3 meals from 3 different fast food in one day?
Yes, before I knew how bad it was.

34. What’s one item you never leave home without?
My cell phone- second to that is my PocketPC.

37. Who was the last person who texted you?
I don’t do cell phone text messaging. The last person to IM me, though, was a
fellow writer from my favourite writing site!

38. When was the last time you slept?
Eleven hours ago.

39. What are your plans for tonight?
Relax at home, watch some computer (DVDs- I never use the TV anymore unless it
is to watch with Kat)

40. Who will repost this survey?
I have absolutely no idea. That’s a silly question!

The Sound of Rain

How do you feel, when you are sitting back while you are in the bathroom and hear the soft sound of rain on the roof and walls whilest there? Is it relaxing? Do you just not think about it usually?

Well, I heard it today- it was a little relaxing at first, until I realised that it was a sunny morning and definitely not raining at all.

Of course, while I still felt a little unease, I knew what it was. It was in the shower next to me, coming from the bathtub.

Ah yes, nothing like relaxing to the sound of 'rain', then getting up to go and peeking in the bathtub...

To see thousands of insects crawling around.

Hee hee, quite the Halloween treat, isn't it? Actually, that is how it normally is- though it is at its most crowded point. Our cricket-hotel (a ten gallon tank) is presently at full capacity with our recent 2 thousand cricket shipment. They don't chirp much most often, so instead you hear... the sound of rain, really. Or the sound of thousands of insects crawling about on egg cartons. It doesn't really bother me as much if I can look in and SEE them, because not seeing is worse than seeing. You get used to it. But generally, I try to keep them covered with the shower curtain.

We have two bearded dragons, and of course they eat: crickets. Lots of them. So many that if we did not get them cheaply online, shipped to us, we'd be up a creek financially. Easier to pay one or two cents a cricket.

Next time it rains while you are in the bathroom, just make sure it IS raining...

-Patrick