Plato

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."

Plato

Photo Caption Contest

Enter this exciting contest now! What is the best caption you can provide for this photo? The only contest rule is that your caption must be rated "G" for all audiences. Of course, the only prize is a "ROTFL" (rolling on the floor laughing) from your fellow readers. The background info is that this picture of a bird "condo" with two parrots was taken in a deteriorating trailer park outside Wetumpka that houses a predominately hispanic population. Most of the mobile homes are in very poor condition with some not having windows. That makes the contrast of this eloborate bird house striking. You may choose to focus on the clever use of the tree for hanging mops, stringing clotheslines and running electricity or you may choose to focus on the birdhouse with the "sunroom" addition. Or you may choose to focus on the ultra-modern track-lighting mounted at the base of the birdhouse. You probably can not tell, but the many small, colorful spots are plastic birds. Good luck with your captions!

Awareness Test

I received a link to this video a couple of weeks ago from a member of the local bike club. It was designed as an ad to encourage motorists to watch for cyclists. Follow the directions and see how well you do.










How did you do? Did you watch it a second time to see if the bear was really there in the original video? What does this tell you? Is it possible for you to miss something because you have been mis-directed? How does that make you feel about the media and political campaigns?

Dear Ford Motor Company;

I am writing in regard to your current rebate incentive on the 2008 Ford F 450 pickup. This seems to be a fine truck although it is larger than I need and there is no way I am about to purchase one. Still, it is the truck I am interested in because of the great $1500 rebate offer. I really have never paid much attention to the commercials advertising rebates in the past because I never buy new vehicles. Dave Ramsey said only an idiot would do that. Thankfully, my friends in the federal government have opened my eyes to endless opportunities with the new "Economic Stimulus Package". Did you know that the IRS is also offering rebates? That's right, they are going to send me a small portion of what they forced me to send them so that I will go out and buy a house. It is a great deal for everybody. But here is the REALLY great part; they are going to send a REBATE to people who didn't even pay any tax at all!!! Can you believe that? That is what got me so excited! Once I understood how rebates work, I really jumped on the bandwagon. In fact, not only am I applying for a rebate for the F 450, I am also applying to ALL the auto manufacturers for rebates. Did you know the list of companies that offer rebates is almost endless? Computer companies will give you up to $200 if you select the top of the line computers. Those are the only rebates I am applying for--the top of the line. I am not really going to have time for $10 or $20 rebates now that I have discovered that no purchase is necessary. Well, I have to close so I can apply for the 2008 Toyota Tundra $1000 rebate. I guess their rebate is less because it is a far superior truck. Actually, I don't really understand how you stay in business by giving away money and loosing the competition with foreign companies. But if the federal government is doing the same thing to "stimulate the economy" you must be on the right track. Thank you so much and please attempt to send my rebate check before April 15.

Sincerely,


Roxy

"I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes"

I am going to write a short paragraph in order to place the first picture in this post a little lower. That will enable you to decide whether you want to view it or not. Wouldn't it be great if all the posts and pictures could be of birds and spring activities like the two previous posts? I considered forgoing the posting of pictures I took today because they will disturb some folks. Really, though, it is just part of the experience we call life. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I left a management job to return to a craft position delivering mail in Wetumpka. You have also seen scenic pictures of spots along the Coosa River where I sometimes eat lunch or take an afternoon break. This afternoon, I stopped at one of those remote spots to walk along the river and eat my apple. As I walked along the water's edge and over the trashy sediment (branches, weeds, etc.) left from the high-water mark after recent heavy rains, I spotted this shape that contrasted with the straight lines of limbs and branches;

Even though his body was muddy and his head was hidden by leaves, I knew this was a cottonmouth moccasin.

Since he was not moving, I took these two pictures. Then it was time to search for an appropriate weapon. As a kid going fishing with my dad, he would cut what I called a switch if he saw a moccasin or rattlesnake. That always made me nervous. Once we were working our way to a creek and he spotted a moccasin, cut a plum branch and went after him. The theory was that the small, limber switch would break his back and he would die quickly. This particular day the theory did not hold up. Dad got in a couple of good whacks before the snake slithered into the undergrowth and we could not find him. "Great" I said, "now you have spanked him and made him mad and we don't know where he is." I don't remember anything about fishing that day because my attention was on where I stepped going in and coming out. I personally subscribe to the Buford Pusser theroy; walk softly and carry a big stick. So I found and broke a limb about as big around as a softball bat and maybe 4 feet long. One blow was probably enough--but I gave him three. He will not be bruising anybody's heel. Here is the final picture showing that he is about 3 1/2 feet long and showing that he is still hated because his great-great grandaddy lied to Eve so long ago.

Bluebirds

Here are some more bird pictures. If you missed the previous killdeer post, please check it below this one. These pictures were taken by my mom. The bluebird house is in her back yard and these two adults spent time there Friday. While mom was enjoying her much deserved retirement time, she noticed the bluebird activity. This male seemed to be the "lookout" she said. He would look to the left,

then to the right.

Then left again.

And check the rear. In the picture below, you can barely see the female peeking out.

Then this AMAZING picture! The male bluebird is feeding the female! Soon after this sequence of events, both flew off and have not been back for a couple of days.

Will they return to finish the nest? Will there be tiny bluebirds? Will there be other romantic moments? Stay tuned--retired lady with digital camera is on the case (unless somebody plans a bus tour).

A Mother's Love

These pictures are from the Wetumpka Post Office grounds today. I wish you had audio with the pics.

Can you spot the Killdeer in the picture?

She came off her nest and began her shrill "killdee, killdee, killdee" as I approached.

Below, you see what she was protecting.

When I approached to take a picture of the 4 eggs, she spread her wings and pretended to be wounded while sounding a rapid-fire "dee, dee, dee" that certainly attracted your attention toward her and away from her eggs.

It is amazing to watch how God has designed these birds to protect their unhatched eggs. It seems to me that Darwin would have a difficult time explaining this quick sequence of events. The eggs are surprisingly exposed, but other Killdeer in the area laid eggs in an adjoining pasture that flooded in the recent hard rains and I am afraid that most of those will not survive.

Career Choices

One year from now, I make my transition to another full-time career. That is exciting, but with so many choices how do you choose? I am attempting to keep an open mind and look at areas that I had not considered before. On a website my brother alerted me to, (larknews.com) I discovered the following possibility. What do you think?


"GRAND RAPIDS — On Saturday night Jim Kendall swivels on his bar stool at the Belly Up Tavern, snuffs out his cigarette and says, "Gotta go, guys. I'm gigging tomorrow." The next morning at 10 a.m. Kendall, dressed in ironed Dockers and a Polo shirt, sings with gusto in the third row at Neighborhood Christian Center. "Praise God!" he shouts, lifting his hands and prompting others to chime in with "amen" and "glory." His infectious enthusiasm is just what the pastor ordered. Kendall isn't a Christian, but he and hundreds of other people across the U.S. are getting paid as much as $12 an hour by temp placement agencies to pretend to be exuberant worshipers. "Praise decoy work is great," says one worshiper for hire who has lent his skills to more than 50 church services. He doesn't mind sitting through services, and considers the praise movements "good stretching exercise, like Tai Chi." In the past five years, the worshiper-for-hire industry has flourished as pastors try to goose the energy level in dwindling churches. Temp agencies train decoys to clap, laugh and make affirmative noises during the sermon. Most prized is the ability to appear authentically engaged, but not overly so. "It's a subtle art," says William Talbot, 67, who has temped as a worshiper since his retirement nest egg petered out. Talbot, a Jew by birth, says he writes grocery lists and the week's tasks while pretending to take sermon notes. Pastors hire worshipers for various reasons, but most often to avoid the humiliation of empty pews. "I did it to encourage the flock," says a pastor who wished not to give his name. "Membership had slipped so instead of dropping a service, this gave us an interim solution until the staff and I figured out what to do." The worshipers for hire so enlivened his church that he hired them on a semi-permanent basis. Decoy crews rotate so the church's real members don't become suspicious. Back at the Belly Up on Sunday afternoon, Kendall is proud of his morning praise performance, and says he'll ask his agency for a raise based on his improved emulation of sincere worship. "I'd like to make a side career of it," he says, finishing his beer. "

How does that sound? Keep in mind--it is from the website LARKNEWS.com.

Don't Feed the Animals!!!

Well, as I scan the news for March 12, there is much that begs comment. The New York governor that resigned because of the revelation of high-priced prostitutes, the Texas woman who threw her two sons off an overpass, into traffic below and jumped after them (all survived), Barack Obama proclaiming that this is the greatest country in history and he can't wait to change it (?), and many other bizarre, troubling stories. The one that begs attention the most, however, it the following;

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are considering charges in the bizarre case of a woman who sat on her boyfriend's toilet for two years — so long that her body was stuck to the seat by the time the boyfriend finally called police.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said it appeared the 35-year-old Ness City woman's skin had grown around the seat. She initially refused emergency medical services but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.

"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."
Whipple said investigators planned to present their report Wednesday to the county attorney, who will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend.
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."
He told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.

Now friends, if you are in the counseling profession and look up "enabling" in the DSM IV, you will find this boyfriend's picture. Who is really most crazy, a woman who will sit on a toilet for two years or a boyfriend that will bring her food for two years? Why not sit the food on a chair in the next room and lure her out? Say, after 2 days?
And one more thing--does anybody else find it hilarious that "Mr. Whipple" is the sheriff that had to solve this "two years on the toilet crisis"? Do you think anybody made any "please don't squeeze the Charmin" jokes?

Answer the Phone

Well, this is something I never thought I would do. I am posting a link to an ad designed, paid for, and run by the campaign to elect Hillary Clinton to the office of president of the United States. Why? Because the ad asks a very important question. Obviously, Ms. Clinton assumes she knows the answer. I believe many will reach a different conclusion. But....I have been wrong on politics many, many times before. What is your answer? Who do you want to answer the phone?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M70emIFxETs

Hair Cut

If you ladies are looking for a beauty shop, the folks at Upper Cuts Salon asked me to send them some business. So I boldly took this picture of their "official uniform". The rest of the comments that come to mind, I will leave to you readers. What do you think?

Blackbird Day

Forget Groundhog Day! Today is Blackbird Day. No, it is not on your calendar. But it is here. I knew it as soon as I stepped out this morning. There are THOUSANDS of returning blackbirds and, to me, that signals the end of winter much more than a rodent's shadow in Pennsylvania.

ps. Don't park under the trees.

Praying Tree

First of all, kudos to the elders at Vaughn Park Church of Christ for beginning the process to select additional elders by bathing the process in prayer. Members of the congregation signed up to pray for an hour at a time and we quickly covered all 24 hours of 7 straight days, ending tonight. For my dedicated prayer time, I wanted to be isolated from people, phones, and traffic. I chose the base of these two oak trees near where I work. It was very quiet, except for the mockingbirds, and peaceful. The grass is green under the drip-line of the trees because the limbs protect it from frost.

This dead tree was next to the two live ones.

After my prayer time, I walked across a pasture to this wooded area with a great little stream and these "hugging trees".

A small underground stream formed a tiny waterfall underneath the roots of this tree.

This tree, in the middle of the pasture, was open on the back because of decay. If you look closely, you can see barbed wire that has grown deep inside the tree and the original nails are still attached to a small piece of the tree! Well, maybe you can see it.

Then, as I headed back to my truck, I looked toward the two original trees where I sat to pray.

Maybe it is corny or maybe you had to be there or maybe it was a frame of mind--but the two trees just struck me as looking like two praying hands reaching to heaven and the light is ALMOST breaking through the clouds.

Religion and Politics

If you are looking for heated debate, either religion or politics serve as kindling. When combined, the debate can become explosive. However, in the aftermath of "super Tuesday" I feel compelled to ask one question. If Mitt Romney's followers' assertions that "an individual's religious beliefs should not matter" then how do you explain that he had mediocre results yesterday everywhere except Utah. In this predominatly Mormon state he received NINETY PERCENT of the republican vote! Does it matter to the Mormons?

Likewise, Huckabee won most of the southern, "evangelical Christian" states, although by only a couple of percentage points in most.

Does what a person believes about God, creation, and why we are here matter? It does to me.

What's the point?

Just last week another person asked me "Why do you carry a 45 pound backpack loaded with tent, sleeping bag, food, clothes, and supplies for a week up and down mountains to sleep outdoors?" As a master of the quick retort, I am always at a loss for a short answer. In fact, when I am struggling up some of the mountains, I often ask the same question. I guess you have to be there....

...where this is home for the night.

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...and your Christian friends share thoughts on God's handywork.

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...and this is how you start breakfast...

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...after a morning stretch....


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...and reflection on the day ahead...

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...then you DESCEND into the clouds...

No, I really can't explain it. I guess you just have to be there. And getting there involves some work.

Mr. President?

Mike Huckabee made a visit to Montgomery today for a pep rally on the campus of Faulkner University. Regardless of your politics, it is a little exciting to have a contender for president of the USA visit OUR little campus. It was fun to participate and it is fun to speculate on where the process is heading. Allow this disclaimer; I am no politician and since I am part of what Hillary calls the "radical right-wing extremists", my views clearly are not mainstream America in 2008. So what is going to happen? I do not have a clue. But still, it is like the speculation that builds in the final few weeks of college football season. It is fun to guess and imagine scenarios when you can find someone that can discuss it without feeling personally attacked if you can't agree. I favor Huckabee among the 5 candidates that seem to have a realistic chance at this point. Next Tuesday will clarify matters significantly. Clinton and Obama may go down to the wire. Whether the Republican race is between two or three may be decided Tuesday. It will be interesting when running mates begin to be announced. That will likely include some of the drop-outs. Don't forget, one or more independents can still jump in after the Republican and Democratic nominee is selected. Who would that help or hurt most? Too early to say. One thing that Huckabee is saying at these local gatherings is "Don't let the media dictate who will be president." Clearly, we are all influenced by the media--especially t.v. One indication that Huckabee fully understands that is his traveling companion and supporter, Chuck Norris. It could be troubling for Huckabee that the "Texas Ranger" gets louder applause and more autograph requests than the Arkansas Govenor. I thought LaWanna was shaking Chuck Norris' hand a little too long and I almost gave him a swift blow to the throat. Apparrently he sensed this and moved on.

Here a couple of pictures. Maybe you can make out Helen and LaWanna in the corner just left of the speaker. Also in the pictures are Gwen Chapman and Debbie Norris. Sorry the pictures are not better.

NKOTB

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?! The New Kids On The Block are reuniting? After 14 years? Will the young girls still squeal and buy NKOTB lunch boxes? Will the grown women who were young girls back in the day? Can they still be called "New Kids"? All of this remains to be seen. One thing for sure, I bet this little girl will be excited;





Don't you think so, Lindsay?

A guy walks into a bank....

This is not the beginning of a joke, however, it is the beginning of a bizarre story. On Monday, 1/28/08, at 9 a.m. the employees of RBC Centura bank, located at 743 Main St. in Wetumpka opened the doors for business. The first customer had been waiting in his truck for several minutes for the bank to open. When he walked to the teller he told her to give him all the money. He needed it because his family was being held hostage. Apparently, the cheaper grades of "crack" inhibit your creative forces. The man left in his white Chevy truck with an "undisclosed amount of cash". That short story has some drawing power because of the "my family is being held hostage" element. But what gives the story enough punch to land on my blog is the timing. At 8:54 a.m. on Monday, 1/28/08, I parked my mail truck right next to this nutcase and walked to the door, knocked, and waited to hand the mail to the employee with mahogany-colored hair. I walked back by his truck and gave a wave as he seemed to be reading something and went on my merry way. That is why, when Lee, the UPS guy asked me about 30 minutes later if I had robbed that bank, I did not know what he was talking about. I just admitted that I did because the USPS does not pay nearly as well as UPS and kept trucking. Only this morning when I heard the description of the vehicle did I realize that I had parked next to the dude. You would think that would be enough "it's a small world after all" element to this story. But nooooo, there is more. The photos of the guy that were shown on the evening news last night (I missed it because I was up a tree next to Chubbahatche Creek) were so clear that the man was instantly identified and turned in via the Secret Witness hotline. He was arrested this morning in Eclectic, according to Chief Ledbetter of the Eclectic Police. It is hard for me to say "Chief Ledbetter" because, to me, he still seems like Mal, the softball player.

So here is the really short version; I drove from my Montgomery home to work in Wetumpka. At my first stop on the mail route, I parked next to a guy who (6 minutes later) robbed the bank. Less than 24 hours later the thief was arrested by a man I have known for 35 years.

It is a small world.

Tresspassing 101

I admit it. I am a tresspasser. No harm is intended and no harm is done. I leave no trace and take only pictures. But I will walk across property lines and climb over fences to capture a picture that is calling to me. Here are some I took on private property today;

But I didn't tresspass here;

No, there REALLY is not a $5 bill! There was one there last week. I DID NOT take the $5.

Thank You, Cornbread

How do you pay tribute to a little boy you have never met? Young Bronner Burgess, 2 1/2 year-old son of Rick and Sherri Burgess drowned Saturday evening in the family pool. What does that have to do with me? Why would I write about it? Bronner (nicknamed Cornbread) is the son of Rick of the Rick and Bubba radio show. It affects me because I am one of countless thousands that enjoy listening to the show for several reasons. One reason is that the guys are just plain, simple, southern, uneducated fun. But not ignorant fun. Their humor is always with a perspective of living in God's sight and attempting to glorify Him. Those two ingredients, genuine humor and a Christian perspective on life make listening to the show enjoyable and allows me to proclaim myself a fan without embarrassment. I do not have any inside connection but rather am just like the many thousands who have come to feel like family to Rick, Bubba, Speedy, and Don Juan, as well as their families.

On Sunday evening I received a cell phone call from my daughter, Laura, just after our small group finished our Bible study. This is unusual for several reasons. I do not carry my cell phone to the Bible study most days and often forget to turn it back on when I do carry it. When she told me that Rick's son had drowned, it felt like a member of my family had suffered a great loss. That is difficult to explain if you are not part of the Rick and Bubba army. Rick was in Tennessee speaking as an ambassador for Jesus when the accident occurred. Bronner slipped out of the house while mom (Sherri) took a shower and somehow fell into the pool. This morning I listened as Bubba and Speedy soldiered on with the show. Their message was right on target and powerful; 1] Don't let the evil one have a foothold with doubt, guilt, and accusations and 2]

Use this terrible time to communicate faith and the need to "set your house in order". Rick is scheduled to speak at his son's memorial service tomorrow at 2 p.m. The testimony of this group of Godly men is powerful. You don't ever wish for a tragedy such as this and the pain will be present for a long time. But still, the tragedy offers the opportunity to demonstrate faith in a way that good times could never provide. The short life, sudden death, and the response to it by the family have served as inspiration to me, as it has to thousands more and will continue to for years. These sudden events will make Rick a more powerful ambassador for Christ the rest of his life. Thank you, Cornbread. You can run and jump without restrictions in your new home. Swing your light saber with reckless abandon. Mom and Dad will be there soon. And I look forward to meeting you in person.