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11:45 PM - Presidential Debate (I) The president seemed to hold his own for the first twenty minutes or so, but after that he grew increasingly petulant and repetitive. The contender, by contrast, seemed to maintain a calm, almost presidential demeanor throughout, even when being sharply attacked. Style points aside, I did not get the sense that John Kerry has a clear and distinct vision for our foreign policy, and not for lack of trying. Since I am rapidly becoming more and more of a single issue voter, my primary goal in following this debate was an attempt to discern any genuine and specific In his first turn at the microphone, John Kerry claimed that "America is safest Way back in August the editors on the New Republic asked of the Democratic nominee, "does he honestly believe a 'fresh start' will induce countries to dispatch forces to a war they opposed to begin with?" It is a pointed question, and lead to an even more pointed statement, "If the Democratic presidential candidate knows of specific countries that would send their young to Iraq in the event of a Kerry presidency, he ought to stop waxing Nixonian and identify them." Thus far, we have yet to hear any specifics. Kerry went on to say that he will "fight the war on terror by strengthening our military, strengthening our intelligence, by going after the financing..." all Republican talking points which ring hollow when spoken by someone who has so often voted against funding such efforts. He spoke loftily of "reaching out to the Muslim world, which the president has almost not done," an interesting claim in light of Kerry's stringent critiques of the "Saudi-friendly Bush administration." Perhaps the Democratic contender intends to reach out to every part of the Muslim world other than its ideological heart and soul? In Bush's first turn at the microphone, he almost immediately hit upon what was to become the crux issue of the evening, "In Iraq, we saw a threat, and we realized that after September the 11th, we must take threats seriously, before they fully materialize. Saddam Hussein now sits in a prison cell. America and the world are safer for it. We continue to pursue our policy of disrupting those who proliferate weapons of mass destruction." Unsurprisingly, Bush did not go into specifics as to whether and how Iraq actually was the cause of such proliferation. However, he did go on to claim that "a free Iraq will be a major defeat" for terrorists and "their ideology of hatred." Kerry retorted that the "president has made...a colossal error of judgment" in waging war in Iraq, firstly by failing to "build a true alliance," and more secondly by choosing military invasion and regime change over earlier policies of inspection and containment. Bush countered the latter point first, noting that Kerry "looked at the same intelligence I looked at and declared in 2002 that Saddam Hussein was a grave threat." Presumably, Bush was alluding to the Kerry's remarks two years ago on the Senate floor, "I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security and that of our allies in the Persian Gulf region." Bush then addressed Kerry's accusations regarding alliances, "I went to the United Nations...hoping that, once and for all, the free world would act in concert to get Saddam Hussein to listen to our demands. They passed the resolution that said, 'Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.' I believe, when an international body speaks, it must mean what it says." The candidates then turned to the balance of resources between the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. Mr. Bush claimed that "Iraq is a central part in the war on terror," and that this is why "Zarqawi and his people are trying to fight us." Kerry countered that "Iraq was not even close to the center of the war on terror before the president invaded it." He then said that Bush "rushed the war in Iraq without a plan to win the peace." This is an interesting contention. If anyone out there is aware of Kerry's actual "plan to win the peace," please e-mail me a copy, as I've yet to find any substantive details at www.JohnKerry.com or anywhere else. John Kerry went on to make what was probably the single most inexplicable claim of the evening, "we've got weapons of mass destruction crossing the border every single day, and they're blowing people up." WTFO? If car bombs count as WMD, then Senator Kerry will have to retract all of his claims to the effect that we've not found any in Iraq. Perhaps, though, he is claiming that actual WMD are leaving Iraq? On the former interpretation, Kerry is delusional, and on the latter he is paranoid. Either way, I'm disturbed. The next question regarding Iraq was when it would be appropriate to pull out U.S. troops. Bush's answer was when "Iraq is ready to defend herself from these terrorists," once they have held elections and become "a nation that's free." The president's rationale for this criterion was that "A free Iraq will be an ally in the war on terror, and that's essential. A free Iraq will set a powerful example in the part of the world that is desperate for freedom. A free Iraq will help secure Israel. A free Iraq will enforce the hopes and aspirations of the reformers in places like Iran. A free Iraq is essential for the security of this country." By contrast, Senator Kerry's apparent answer was that "there was no viable exit strategy" and that our troops are "occupiers in a bitterly hostile land." He did not Thankfully, the moderator was unwilling to let Kerry off the hook on this point, since a few questions later he asked the question again and more pointedly, "Can you give us specifics, in terms of a scenario, time lines, et cetera, for ending major U.S. military involvement in Iraq?" Senator Kerry replied that "our goal in my administration would be to get all of the troops out of there, with a minimal amount you need for training and logistics as we do in some other countries in the world after a war to be able to sustain the peace." Once again, he did not provide any specific scenarios, time lines, or criteria, and once again Mr. Bush again failed to call him on it. Instead, both debaters digressed into argument over Prime Minister Allawi and the recognition that Iraq has now become a central part of the war on terror. I am not being entirely fair to Mr. Kerry, since he did elucidate at least one thing he would do differently in Iraq, that is, calling a "global summit" to bring world Bush has been critisized heavily and often for his conviction that we ought to "stay the course" in Iraq, but I must wonder why Kerry has not fallen under similarly heavy ciriticism for his insistence that we change the course, without laying out any substantive specifics on exactly how and why we should do so. Perhaps I've missed something? (
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September 29, 2004
09:29 AM - Mooning (as a matter of law) Here is an interesting passage which I came across in my reading today: Let it not be said that casebook editors lack a sense of humor. (
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September 28, 2004
11:45 PM - Contracts class We had our first interactive classroom session on contracts this evening, focusing on what constitutes a valid offer. My teacher is painfully enthusiatic and terribly sweet, completely unlike the traditional law school hardass who sees his/her job as culling out between ½-¾ of the first years. Somehow she manages to interact by text chat with several dozens of students simultaneously. I cannot imagine what that job interview looked like. By far the most entertaining case we covered tonight is the one in which two men go a bar, and then go to the Bar, having drunkenly hammered out a deal by which the plaintiff bought the farm. Case reading might be technical, but it is by no means dull. (
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September 27, 2004
09:19 AM - Daddy has two bosses My branch chief and my supervisor are at it again, much to my consternation. (
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September 25, 2004
04:16 PM - Distractions of everyday life My sole duty today was to keep Boo occupied while Mom learned how to save someone's life whenever they are dying on the table right in front of you in the emergency room. No doubt this means that her blog entry would be far more exciting than mine today, if only she had the desire and ability to maintain a blog. As it is, you are stuck with me. We awoke just after the digital clock started to make use of a fourth digit, which is really quite a feat for us. After fishing a dead mouse out of the dog's water dish, I had nothing left to accomplish at home so we left home in favor of someplace which I find less burdensome. We did not get very far, and spent the next several hours visiting chaos upon my mother-in-law's place (where I am sitting even now). Thankfully, my brother-in-law left his PS/2 here, so Boo had something to do until he suddenly passed out on the leather ottoman. The house is unusually empty at the moment, just Boo & I. All of the other tenants are out and about, thus freeing up time to write about nothing in particular. I do wish that I had something exciting about today, but probably that would only mean bad news. :p (
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September 24, 2004
11:22 PM - Galileo's As usual, I met up with a load of friends in the Paseo this evening. As usual, the cuisine was brilliant and the service retarded. This is to be expected, though. Places with good service are not nearly so welcoming to such a raucous caucas as ourselves. As usual, the libertarians and their sympathizers mixed it up with the progressives and their ilk. As usual, no one made a case for conservatism. :p Tonight was a bit different than usual, though. We had a handful of folks from OU on hand and another handful of folks from Tinker. Such a remarkably diverse group, with only metaphysics (and to a lesser extent epistemology) to hold them together. This left plenty of room for debate in areas such as politics, economics, and law. Also out of the ordinary was the unexpected appearance of a couple of folks whom (to all appearances) appeared (unexpectedly) to be a couple. I am flabbergasted and a bit concerned over this, but have plenty of my own problems with which to concern myself for now. Perhaps someday I can make a living worrying over the finer points of the UCMJ, but not today. (
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September 23, 2004
12:34 PM - Mandarin Palace Within a twenty mile radius of our beloved cubicle farm, there are over ½ dozen restaurants with the which explicitly claim to be "Mandarin" in their name. Quite probably we have managed to find the very worst of these today, a little hole in the wall on Midwest Blvd. with delusions of grandeur so great that it calls itself the "Mandarin Palace," though it is in no sense palatial. Its competitors are more modest, preferring names such as "Mandarin Express" or "Mandarin Chinese Restaurant." Even the second-most ostentatious eatery only lays claim to the name of "Mandarin Garden." Now, calling this tiny rectangular hovel a "palace" is a stretch even by the advertising industry standards. Only the executive branch of the U.S. government can come close to this level of euphemism, having of late gifted the English language with phrases like "pre-emptive self-defense," "regime change," and "compassionate conservatism." Less recently but more flagrantly, the DoD gave us the "Daisy Cutter" and "Operation Just Cause," both of which were criticized for causing "collateral damage." I suppose no one can really hold a candle to the armed services when it comes to euphemism. (
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September 22, 2004
10:22 PM - Practical Liberty Got the chance this evening to dine with many of my libertarian friends and hear a brief speech from one Steve Brown, who has been using the foundational classics of libertarian literature (e.g. the Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, etc.) to teach eastern Europeans how to read and speak English at an advanced level. I've always wondered about folks idealistic enough to move to foreign lands to preach to the unconverted, but this fellow really seems to have achieved a zen-like balance between wild-eyed activism and down-to-earth pragmatism. He even went so far as to berate and belittle certain libertarian thinkers who cannot seem to bridge the gulf between theory and practice. (
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September 21, 2004
09:21 PM - Distance learning I must say sitting through an interactive lecture online with dozens of other students from across the midwest while lounging about outside of the Will Rogers Theater beats the hell out of sitting in the nosebleed section of a massive auditorium at a traditional brick-&-mortar facility. 08:00 PM - Deli at the Labyrinth There is nothing quite like the lure of the forbidden sandwich. I simply cannot resist lox & cream cheese. Unfortunately, though, it seems that most everyone else can, and so we had a very smallish crowd this evening. (
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September 20, 2004
04:16 PM - Bloviating Blowhard Bellows, “Bloody Blog Blockage Blows!” The folks at Tinker AFB have seen fit to deny everyone on base access to any URL that has the word “blog” in it. Even string searches like this one bounce back blocked. Blast! All my favorite blawgs are also blocked owing to the fact that the term “blog” typically appears in the URL. Naturally, this is going to make it a bit more difficult for me to continue updating this weblog over lunch, but I’m sure I’ll find a workaround somehow or another. 07:30 AM - Flag Detail If I accomplish nothing else throughout the remainder of the day (an admirable but unachievable goal on a Monday morning) at least I’ll know that I raised the flag this morning. Before September 11th, 2001 the base security forces were in charge of the various flag details around the base, but since then they have had their hands full with matter more directly pertinent to base security. Accordingly, the various tenant organizations on the base (such as the ALC) have had to provide their own morning flag details staffed out with volunteers, even downright scruffy civilians like me. (
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September 19, 2004
07:19 PM - Sunday Sermon (III) Today's sermon at HHBC was effectively a ¾ hour long altar call. The usual spiel, "You're a sinner...God hates sin...God loves you...accept Jesus & be saved." Dr. Newkirk went over the finer points in some detail but there was little to be gained for those who had already sat through the material thousands of times before. (
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September 18, 2004
06:18 PM - A Day at the Zoo After ripping through three lectures in a row this morning, I gathered up my son and we went to the zoo to celebrate Brenden's 6th birthday. Boo picked out a little car and a little card for him and I provided a highly decorative means of hunting non-placental mammals. The birthday party and the zoo were everything that my kid could have hoped for. He got the chance to play with older children and learn about snakes. As if my wife was not already icked out enough from the pelvic exams... (
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September 17, 2004
11:23 PM - Harold & Maude We visited the Carpenter Square Theater this evening to see a stage rendition of a truly bizarre love story about a young man on the verge of adulthood (Harold Chasen) and a vastly older woman (the Countess Mathilda Chardin, AKA “Maude”) set in the heyday of Cat Stevens, free love, moral experimentation, and Earth-friendly hippies driving Earth-unfriendly VW vans. Generally witty, often funny, and occasionally poignant, this play nevertheless left me feeling oddly hollow, much as Hollywood movies often do. I imagine this is because I failed to absorb any moral lesson of the story, if indeed there was one to be had. Upon further reflection, I would say that most probably the moral lesson was that words like “frivolous, or dangerous, or unbecoming” are merely “terms that the moribund use to keep the adventurous in tow,” as Maude put it. Then again, Maude also said that “a cliché today is a profundity tomorrow—and vice versa,” so perhaps the playwright would not want us to attach too much import to even the most profound lines in the script, preferring instead that we view the play as a gestalt, drawing our lessons from the interplay and development of the characters rather than the particular lines they speak. Certainly Maude’s character lives up to the lesson that one ought not shrink from behavior that society would characterize as frivolous, or dangerous, or unbecoming. She regularly drives stolen vehicles without a license at unsafe speeds, resists arrest, and liberates both flora and fauna from their rightful owners. While I agree that a seal would probably thrive better in the wild, a tree would probably thrive better in a public park, and that people thrive better when unfettered by useless and archaic social norms, I cannot condone her actions or relate to her character, and probably this is why I failed to draw any significant insight from the play. I’m sure that many would simply say that the lesson of Harold and Maude is to remember each day that “this too shall pass away” and thus to “live life fully” as Maude does. The problem, of course, is that those of us even moderately more experienced than Harold Chasen have all known someone who has attempted to live out the Mathilda Chardin life plan and ended up addicted, broke, confined, delinquent, enervated, or felonious; guttering away – even as they ought to have been burning steadily and brightly. In a final act of utter irresponsibility and disregard of others, Maude takes her own life during the evening of her 80th birthday. Now, I’ve no problem whatsoever with the idea that people ought to be allowed to die the dignified death in a manner and time of their own choosing, but Maude died just as she lived, without any evident consideration for those around her. She does not so much as warn her lover Harold, who is clearly smitten for the first time in his short life and was well known to have a bizarre fascination with death and penchant for suicide in particular. The audience might well presume that Harold would thereafter finally consummate the suicidal act which he had so often rehearsed, and perhaps this Colin Higgins never ventured to pen a sequel. In short, Maude’s chant to “L-I-V-E” rings hollow, an admonition born not of reflective wisdom, but of the reflexive foolishness which has characterized the baby boomers for whom this play was originally written, so many of whom have yet to realize that there is more to life than simply pleasing themselves. 12:12 PM - Chump at the pump On the way back to work today we stopped at no less than ½ doz. gas pumps in search of the ever elusive “pay at the pump” feature, in working order. I simply refuse to pay to pump unless I can pay at the pump. I do not think this is too much to ask, but evidently standards are low enough in Midwest City that the gas stations simply do not bother. (
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September 16, 2004
11:23 PM - Pee wee football, etc. Spent the evening in Mustang, reading up on intentional torts and watching pee-wee football. Where I grew up, the kids did not wear pads or tackle each other at least until middle school or so, but here in Sooner country they start a bit earlier. The parents seemed not to know the difference between a field of play and a field of battle, as they shouted instructions to their grade-schoolers which would have sounded more apt on a battlefield than a football field. So much for sportsmanship and the simple joy of playing a good game. After the game, we reconvened at my brother-in-law’s home, where we were uniformly ignored by the more raffish, churlish, and downright plumpish elements of the extended family. Personally, I could not care less and would just as well be left alone, but I am concerned that my brothers-in-law have both bought into the myth that one must choose between familial and romantic love. Perhaps there are times when this is necessary, but it is truly pathetic to see healthy and constructive relationships edged out by unhealthy and destructive ones. 02:37 PM - Word for the Day Tortfeasor - A wrongdoer who deliberately or carelessly causes harm or loss to another's person or property. (
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September 15, 2004
11:59 PM - OCU Law Library Owing to a fault of mine in ordering textbooks, I must needs visit the OCU law library to keep up in my readings on tort law. What a marvelous place! Almost makes me wish I could afford an ABA-accredited legal education. Oh, who am I kidding – I cannot bear to spend that much time away from my family, at least not until Cael stops being so adorable. (
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September 14, 2004
11:23 PM - The Amazing James Randi Some friends and I had the rare opportunity to attend a lecture by none other than (the amazing) James Randi this evening at OCU. (http://www.okcu.edu) Presumably, the composition of the student body at Oklahoma City University is more diverse and educated that that of Oklahoma City in general. I cannot feature a typically Oklahoman audience applauding the notion of “supernatural nonsense” or laughing at the remark that the combo on his briefcase happened to be the number of the beast. I do not have as much of a beef with the phonies and fakirs as does Mr. Randi, since I am off the opinion that it is for the best that a fool and his money are soon parted. If fools have too much money, the free market would not allocate resources efficiently. Better to concentrate money in the hands of a clever but unscrupulous fellow than those of the most morally upright ignoramus. Nevertheless, I was greatly impressed with Randi's debunking of pseudo-scientific nonsense like homeopathy and psychic surgery. I think it a bit quixotic (at best) to try to enlighten those who do not take the effort to enlighten themselves, but I certainly cannot fault him for trying. (
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September 13, 2004
09:03 PM - Have a nice Monday I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have officially declared Monday to be my day off. No readings, case briefing, or lectures - just relaxing & enjoyable pursuits like grilling chicken, mastering MX Unleashed, and updating my blog. (
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September 12, 2004
12:12 PM - Sunday sermon (II) Today's "sermon" invovled a real live sacrificial lamb, among other things. It was not so much a sermon as an hour long call to repentence and worship, interspersing prayer, homily, and song. I'm just glad they did not actually kill that poor little lamb. Imagine what that must have been like for the ancient Hebrews to slaughter their animals with the knowledge that their deity may only forgive their sins when satisfied by the lifeblood of an innocent victim. If that does not create some cognitive dissonance, I cannot imagine what would do so. (
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September 11, 2004
10:22 PM - Football and homework Mostly we hung about the house today, doing homework and catching up on assigned readings. I realised that it is not impossible to read and watch football simultaneously, since football is mostly interruptions. I also realized that OU football will never be as it was back when all the Stewarts gathered under one roof to enjoy the game and each other's company. Now that the Mustang branch of the family has effectively alienated themselves from the rest, it will never be quite the same anymore. We still have family gatherings every now and again, but they are forced and unpleasant. Ah well. I'm taking my family back east anyhow. (
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September 10, 2004
09:10 AM - Allergies are OK Woke up sneezing my nose off at around 4am this morning. I could not seem to get back to sleep on account of post-nasal drip and other unpleasant allergic symptoms. Instead of tossing in bed, I watched a lecture on tort law and then the better part of a debate between third party presidential candidates on C-SPAN. Since neither of these managed to put me back to sleep, I gave up entirely on the idea and got in the shower. Ergh. (
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September 09, 2004
01:13 PM - Under where? I dressed in the dark this morning, as is my habit. It is rare that my wife and child awake before I do and I usually try not to wake them, despite the fact that I would sometimes love to do so (mostly this is motivated by sheer jealously, but partly it is due to the fact they often do not get sleepy early enough in the evening for my tastes). In any event, I pulled on my underpants this morning without the benefit of much light or consciousness, and I have discovered upon further inspection that I am wearing a pair of my wife’s boxers, which were evidently playing the role of imposter in my underwear drawer. I suppose it is just as well, since I am otherwise clean out of clean undies, and since the trousers I am currently sporting are overly tight and uncomfortable in any event. Had I worn my favorite briefs, I would have been only slightly less uncomfortable than I am now. Wearing overly tight pants is not without its advantages. I am reminded throughout the day that if I gain any more weight I will cease to have a 34-inch waist, and this motivates me not to overeat. Then there is the fact that the pants go from uncomfortable to downright intolerable after a heavy meal, which helps explain why I’ve eaten naught but protein bars and salad today. (
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September 08, 2004
05:17 PM - Tuning out Toward the end of my brief drive home from Freeb's place I ejected The Faith of George W. Bush end the end of chapter three (in order to mark my place) this giving me the opportunity to recall why I do not listen to so-called "bullshit radio music" anymore. Both KHBZ (modern rock) & KATT (butt rock) and were playing the same damn song at the same damn time, and what is more, the damn song did not rock. No doubt I'll hear it again soon and have the chance to bitch about the band, the label, and the entire institution of corporate rock. 04:19 PM - Unfit for Command Got my hands on a borrowed copy of Unfit for Command today. Among other things, the authors charge that Senator Kerry's Purple Hearts were all awarded for minor injuries which required no hospitalization, that his Senate testimony regarding American war crimes encouraged the torture of American POW's, and that he earned himself a place of honor in the Communist war museum in Ho Chi Minh City. I look forward to reading this book, as I look forward to reading any thoroughgoing attempts at debunking it. (
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September 07, 2004
10:18 AM - Damion's first day of classes Today marks my official first day of legal studies. I've many chapters of assigned reading which I am eager to do and several lectures to view. Now if only I can find some way to interest my child in those ridiculously expensive learning games for the PC, then I can easily spare the time to get down to business. (
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September 06, 2004
10:22 PM - Inlaws and Outlaws (II) Spent the evening with the in-laws, yet again. Probably I could have enjoyed it but for the behind-the-scenes bitching, backstabbing, and gossiping. I’m none too good at insincerity, and I was too often tempted to speak my mind. I often wish that they did not have longstanding tradition of bringing along significant others to their little family get-togethers. Then we’d all catch a break, myself included. Ever see a man henpecked to death? It is a slow and agonizing way to go, and you do not even realize you are perishing until it is too late. So it is with the Stewart boys. I do not think I’ve ever witnessed such a pair of domineering and manipulative women in my entire life, and it is a great misfortune that the one is now rearing the other, and that both of them are so enabled by their respective lovers. We’ll see how that all turns out in the end, but I’d much prefer to watch from a reasonably safe distance. If I was a betting man, I would wager that the younger of my brothers-in-law will realize that he has quite literally "fallen in love" as a result of circumstances carefully arranged by the women that have conspired to rule his life, and that these same women do not care enough about him in order to help him succeed. (
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September 05, 2004
04:16 PM - Sunday sermon (I) This morning's sermon was preached by the same fellow who officiated our wedding and who was our youth minister and counselor for years prior to that. The underlying theme of the sermon was that "better is life out there with God, than standing here...without God." To illustrate the point, an old man dressed up as a goat herder came out on stage and prattled on for some time about his head and heart not being in sync with his feet and other such nonsense. The remainder of the sermon was straightforward enough, that is, until the tearjerking multimedia presentation of the plight of impoverished children in China, followed by the completely unexpected and downright startling revelation that the Associate Pastor of Ministries and his family would be putting their faith into action by becoming missionaries to China starting next year. (
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September 04, 2004
04:16 PM - A Man for All Seasons Watched the 1966 Academy Award Winner for Best Movie today, at the suggestion of Professor William I. Weston and writer/director Kevin Smith. Certainly it was a good flick, but I did not personally find myself drawn to the character of Sir Thomas More enough to really get into it. Rather, I found myself relating to his family and contemporaries, who were too pragmatic to lose their heads over the matter of oathtaking and oathbreaking. (
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September 03, 2004
05:17 PM - New eye glasses! Showed up on my porch today via UPS. I am thrilled with the price, quality, and service of theyedoctor.com and I must remember to send them an e-mail to that effect. (
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September 02, 2004
10:22 PM - Inlaws and Outlaws Instead of attending the OU student group meeting to which had been greatly looking forward for some time, I altered my schedule in order to spend some time with my wife’s family tonight, since her elder brother has just returned from Iraq on furlough. As usual, I found my time with the in-laws less than satisfying. Both of my wife’s brothers have chosen for themselves domineering women who feign sweetness whenever it suits their needs. Stewart women are (by contrast) not nearly so good at playing nice, and the Stewart men are (by nature) happily oblivious to the tensions playing around themselves, their kin and kith. Predictably, the interaction between the lot of them seemed to me to be affected, annoying, and at times downright anoxic. Eventually, I had to go out for some fresh air. It seems such a shame when I come to think of it. Individually, my in-laws are downright likable people; as a group they are downright intolerable. Thankfully, I was armed with a good book on legal theory and practice, and a GameBoy to boot. As is often the case when dealing with them, I stifled my inner extrovert, empowered my outer introvert, and ended up wiling away the time reading in the car. (
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September 01, 2004
04:16 PM - Boo's (2nd) 1st day of school The kid went to the Goddard school for the first time today, once again. I'm not counting his first experience there, back when the kids wore diapers and bit each other. From his perspective, that is the distant and all-but-forgotten past and this is his first real chance to flourish with other toddlers. Evidently, he had a wonderful time of it, what with his characteristically outgoing personality and charm. Word has it that he tried to make friends with everyone and is unclear on the meaning of the term "shy" which my wife used to explain their seemingly cold responses. He does not understand why other children do not make friends as readily as he does. Most probably his extroversion will cause him some consternation later in life, as mine did. Hopefully, though, he can put that off for awhile. |
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