I grew up in North Dakota. It was often said (prior to the recent oil boom, anyway) that North Dakota had more bison than people. This opinion was most frequently intoned by East Coast “scientists” of overly-graviteous demeanor and overly-unctous, mournful tone. They would then follow up with their latest and most clearly brilliant plan to turn North Dakota into a wildlife preserve so the buffalo (another term for bison) could freely roam. Upon finding out that the latest of this string of earnest scientists was from the fine state of New Jersey, North Dakotans mumbled that they’d be happy [...] Read more »
Eternal life in heaven through social networking?
While growing up in Christianity—and as a practicing Christian throughout my adult years—I have heard numerous discussions regarding where we spend eternity and how each of us ends up getting there. Various Christians—committed people who thoughtfully practice their faith—have argued about these issues for literally millennia now. Despite the fact that these are committed people who thoughtfully practice their faith, traditions within Christianity have still differed on the levels of importance each facet of the Christian journey has, and how that in turn affects our hope of spending eternity with an all-wise, all-omnipotent, all-loving, and all-just God. As you can [...] Read more »
Free Lessons
I believe in lifelong learning. As such, I am going to share this rich gift of a free voice lesson with you. A friend on a social network shared this, uh, er, um, well, words simply don’t do it justice! At any rate, please do enjoy this free 5-minute voice lesson. And be aware that every voice teacher worth their salt will disagree with every single aspect of the ideology and the exercises and the explanations given in this 5-minute free voice lesson (courtesy of YouTube). But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the rich hilarity of it all. P.S. [...] Read more »
On Hosannas and Ammo Belts
In this season of Lent, I have recently been reminded that Palm Sunday can mean very different things to different people. Perhaps the Protestant Christian church has been slightly remiss in presenting the season of Lent (including Palm Sunday) with the kind of clarity that leads to understanding. Maybe Sunday schools could revisit how they are presenting and teaching this particular season of the church year. I submit this (possible) case in point: For some reason I think the “hosannas” have been a bit lost in translation on this one… Read more »
Don’t Let Your Skirt Fly Too High Today
Happy St. Patty’s Day, everyone! Stay safe and be courteous~ Read more »
On Easy Replaceability
My self-esteem has taken a real hit today, courtesy of that ever-helpful YouTube. Why? Because I now realize that anytime I need a sub for my job as a music teacher, I can just ask my dog Pugsley to step in for me. Now, as much as I love Pugsley and wish him every success, it’s still painful to realize that despite years of training and experience, I am indeed replaceable. By a dog, no less. The evidence can be found right here: http://youtu.be/hqtLD27iI_M Read more »
Monday Coffee Posting
Yup. Agreed. How about you? Happy Monday, everyone! ; ) Read more »
On Math as Violation of Separation of Church and State
I now know why teaching math in school is such a clear violation of the separation of church and state. But I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t realize this until after Calvin explained it so well. Here he is to explain why: Read more »
The Times, They Are A-Changin’
Yep, some things just aren’t what they used to be… Read more »
For All My ESL Students
I am very certain that all of the ESL students whom I’ve taught would wholeheartedly agree with this graphic. English can be really messed-up sometimes. Sheesh! : ) Enjoy~ Read more »
On Beloved Pets and Their Temporary Bouts of Insanity
We have a dog named Pugsley. We love Pugsley. Yes, we do. (I often needed to remind myself of that fact throughout this last week.) We recently moved, and our 10-year-old Beagle/Pug mix was simply beside himself. Since verbal articulation has never been his strong suit, we don’t know why he went into temporary insanity. Did he think he was going to lose his owners along with his home? Did he simply decide he wasn’t up for change? Since he’s a dog wildly given over to all textile comforts (he burrows into all pillows, blankets, soft furniture, clothing, and whatever [...] Read more »
On Chuck Norris
Yup. Just sayin’… : ) Read more »
On Prayers for Help
I came across this prayer recently, and I had to laugh. Yes. After all, the Christian tradition has given us thousands upon thousands of beautiful prayers: words of penitence, gratitude, joy, and sorrow covering every theme the human heart can articulate and many it cannot. The cries for guidance, help, and strength reverberate through the centuries and across the millennia in these prayers, reminding us that we are not so very different from one another after all. The prayer books and liturgical service guides for the various denominations often contain the very best of these. And yet none of these [...] Read more »
On Missing Important Dates
And you thought you were having a bad day. Life being what it is sometimes, I’ve had to miss a couple of events and meetings this week that I really wanted to be present for. But I had to laugh out loud at the scale of things here. The dinos below helped me put those missed events into perspective (well, mostly, anyway). As long as you and I aren’t watching an ark sail away, our missed meetings or appointments or rehearsals or life events are probably going to work out. Just saying… Read more »
On Anthropomorphism and Pugsley
I live with a dog who thinks he’s a human. A pug/Beagle rescue-dog cross, Pugsley sprawls on the sofa like a couch potato, expects tasty people-food morsels on a constant basis, and swats at us until he’s been petted satisfactorily so he can fall drowsily into the 5th or 7th of his 11 customary, daily naps. If my husband and I need to be gone, his enraged shouting greets us upon our return. Crouching on all fours, he glares accusingly up at us as he howls unknown epithets in our direction. Not until he’s finished with his frenzied scolding (about [...] Read more »