ENGLAND SWINGS

According to James Boswell, "When a man tires of London, he tires of life." Notice the good grad school stylistic device "according to"? Also notice I quoted Boswell, if not one of the greats, at least he was one of the goods? Even if the rest of the entry is terrible, I've shown I have a sense of style and acknowledge an almost great, along with giving him credit for the quote.

Now, having said all that or quoting a not-so-great, our 37th President, "let me make this perfectly clear," I'll now continue with this entry and my thought for the day. London is not all that appealing to me. Paris neither. I prefer Rome and Prague. But my favorite place is Jerusalem.

Oh, I like lots of places and I've been extremely blessed to be able to travel extensively. From Bar Harbor to Sydney; from Cape Town to Rio; from Hong Kong to Auckland, but there's no place like Jerusalem.

I mean how could there be? I guess I should expand it to the Sea of Galilee, Caperneaum, Nazareth, The Dead Sea, etc., but Jerusalem is the city to get excited about.

I've only been once, in 2006, but I'd love to go again. A tour is best, because no matter how much Bible knowledge you have, you just cannot grasp the history, the significance, without a well schooled scholar. One who knows book, chapter, and verse. One who can tell you whether you might just be walking where Jesus walked. And if you're not excited about that, then you might agree with Boswell or some other philosopher besides me.

BLADES

I'm a two-a-day shaver. I know, that's not the style at all. Growth, one to three days, is much more fashionable. But I can't stand it. That scratchy feeling of unwanted stubble.

Plus, most of my stubble and facial hair is gray, so it doesn't look too hot to have a face pocked with sand looking hair that itches. So I shave twice daily. The early evening shave with an electric.

So what kind of blades are the best? I've tried them all. They are getting expensive, too. One blade goes over $2. Some almost reaching $3. However, it's not one blade, but two or three that fit into most razors.

Currently I'm using a Bic that you buy in a four-pack. Three blades each for just over $8. I like it better than the Mac 3 or Mac 3 Turbo at $2.30 or so.

I usually get about 6 days out of one of the disposables. Same with the Gillette.

Now, I like some of the products that they sell at As Seen on TV. But you won't find me purchasing the Infinity razor in the ad. Assuming they're talking about a razor with a blade or two for infinity and not just the razor. The thought of the same blade(s), forever hurts me to think about it.

IS IT FAIR?

That President Bush gets raked over the coals for everything? For not having 20/20 hindsight? For the shape the country's in today?

Of course not.

Then how about revisionist modern history? How about flat out lies that he knew about, allowed it to happen, participated in the downing of the Twin Towers on 9/11?

Of course not.

How about the smallest comment blown up and reported? In today's San Diego Union Tribune an article criticizes the President for not taking seriously the housing problems in our country. He commented that the housing industry must be doing well in Dallas because Laura was shopping there for a house today. Thus, he's laughing at a huge national problem. Fair?

Of course not.

How about all the political cartoons he has been the butt of the joke? The caricatures? The attacks that he's dumb--he a grad of Harvard and Yale? Fairness?

Of course not.

And some people cry to the high heavens about a liberal magazine that dares to poke fun at Obama. Fair?

Not yet.

SO I NEED MORE ART CLASSES

I've always loved art. I've just never had the nerve to take a class where I might be a painter or a drawer. See, I do need help.

I had one in junior college and really liked it. Art Appreciation, that is. And I do appreciate art and the effort involved. But I feel there's so much more I should be getting out of viewing. (How easily I transitioned from my creating art to my viewing.) There's much more there than I got from a class forty years ago.

At least I think there is. In the picture at the left I see a pink flower with a deep orange bulb. What is the perspective? From above, I assume. What is the flower sitting in? I'm puzzled.

And then I search for deeper meaning. Is that really a small head that it's emerging from? Why? What is that saying? What is the title of the piece? Creation? A Beautiful Thought?

Then I look at color. What's unique, what's bold, or what's emphasized? Why those colors? Are they in the same prismatic family? Ok, I never had that thought.

Might I discern meaning later? Will it grow on me? Will it look good, uh, where?

Maybe that's why literature was more appealing. I could get most of it without having to analyze, to look for deeper meaning, to try to see what something concrete stood for and what it might mean in a different setting. I think I just conflicted myself. Art and literature are just about the same.

Maybe that's why I chaired the Language Arts Department at MTV High for 15 years. And, many times, didn't know what I was doing.

I'D HAVE TOMATOES TODAY

If I still lived in So IL. There are lots of things I miss about not living in Southern Illinois anymore. Family, friends, the best greens except for the practice green at The Phoenician I ever played golf on, high school football and basketball games, my home church. And tomatoes.

For whatever reason, no matter when we planted, we could count on tomatoes from our garden on July 22. Why that date, I can't say. But the 22nd is burned into my culinary memory. Beefsteak, Big Boy, even salad tomatoes would be ready on this date.

Then, as I've said many times, give me a thick slice of bologna on two fresh slices of white bread and one huge tomato, and I wouldn't trade that sandwich for a steak. Now after a few weeks of that delicacy, I just might. But it would take awhile.

Why the picture of the morning glory? Those little choking flowers liked our tomato plants, too. So along with having all the tomatoes ripen at the same time and having to find people who wanted our fresh tomatoes--gosh, we had so many--the fight of the morning glories in So IL sun and early morning dew would soak even a non-perspirant.

You know what? It was all worth it. I can still taste those tomatoes, even if I can't grow or even find a facsimile thereof out West.

HOW CLEAN WOULD YOU BE IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SHOWER?

I once asked a friend how old he would be if he didn't know. He thought the question silly. Although it was not an original question, I thought it thought provoking. He didn't. His answer; "As old as I am now". I guess he's a realist.

I know I would be considerably younger if I didn't know how old I was. Oh, I know. And that's painful enough. But if age is just a number, then my number should be a lot less.

I never look at or think about a member of our high school class without thinking of a comment made by another classmate at our twentieth high school reunion. "There's James," Tammy said. "He always wanted to be old, and now he is."

I would hope no one ever thought that about me. I know Tammy didn't or she would have said so.

But how clean would you be if it was not culturally ingrained and expected of us? If you weren't chided, if you weren't rejected for unkemptness, then how often would you bathe?

If you had access, but also choice of when to shower, then when would you?

For me, it would be easy. Daily, without a doubt. I have an extra sensitive nose. My wife, extra sensitive ears. So to her, the question might be "if you didn't have to speak, if it were culturally acceptable to remain silent and respond only when you felt like it, how much would you talk?'

Man, there are a lot of unanswered, or unasked questions out there.

PIP AND I-PHONES

I'm so behind the times. I'm so technology challenged. I don't have a navigator, a GPS; I can't use PIP on my tv; I have no idea how to text message or what an I-Phone does.

Only recently have I been able to play my DVD and then switch the tv back to VCR or cable. Only recently have I used my cell phone much at all. And I still don't carry it with me. It sits at home or occupies my console in my car. To be fair though, only after my recent lascik eye surgery have I been able to see it well enough to use it. That excuse won't hold up for any of the other gadgets.

I guess gadgets, doodads, and gizmos don't really describe all the advantages of modern conveniences. I mean, they are especially handy. I suppose.

But if you ever catch me wearing a BlueTooth or another of those beetle-like devices that attach to one of the ears, well, you'll know I've lost it. Because I never want to be that important or that busy or that much in need.