IF IT'S ALL ONE COLOR




From those who know, I'm told the best way to spot a dye job is to see if the hair is all the same color. Not like this gal pictured, though, I think, when it comes to women's hair it may be a different story. Somewhat.



What I mean is their hair texture makes it easier for today's dyes to work and look more natural. Men's hair somehow, for some reason doesn't do as well.

The streaks you see in our hair, my hair is natural frosting. Or frothing. In fact my froth outweighs my dark brown color by 2-1 these days. Salt and pepper? No, more like sea salt and specks.

But you'd think with all the baby boomer money out there just burning holes in deep pockets that someone could invent a hair dye for men that covers those patches or whole crops.

I once taught with a guy who was 24 years old and completely gray. He said his hair turned that color after a tour in Viet Nam. So here was this very young looking guy with completely gray hair. A definite disconnect. It reminded me of my freshman health teacher, Coach Benny Purcell. A young guy with a blond flat top. I thought he was an old guy with a military haircut.

The guy I taught with didn't mind his grayness. He said it helped with his classroom discipline. Coach Purcell didn't need any help. Whether it was blond or gray, no one messed with him. Not even my 6'7" buddy Gary Jones who never even took one dribble after grabbing a rebound. He just looked around for a guard to throw the ball to. Or be at the mercy of Coach Purcell.

THIS IS....AMERICAN IDOL

What a phenomena! What a show!

Ok, maybe I hyperbolize a lot. But I generally watch. Unless I'm doing something a whole lot more interesting. Which is practically anything else. But tv being what it is today, and me being what I am (read too lazy to do much of anything else), The Idol and I are old friends.

I got started late, maybe Season 4 or so. Carrie Underwood was my first Idol year. She later dated a roommate of a former student of mine. She really seemed sweet to me, but he, a nice guy, really didn't like her very much, so I'm sorta ambivalent about her. She also got pretty skinny since Idol. I've known others that lost a lot of weight and I seemed to like them better heavier, too. Misery loves company, I guess.

But from the start, I have been unimpressed with this year's performers. For awhile I liked the big guy, but he's peaked. I'm starting to like the 16-year old, but I don't even know his name, so I guess he's not too great to me, but I've seen growth. The two remaining women are just too spooky for me. The guy from Mount Pleasant,IL, is ok in a Daughtery kind of way, but I don't see a lot of variety in him either. Casey: ditto. (And they talk bout Tim smiling too much.)

If I've missed anyone else, it's simply because they're non-descrip to me. Thankfully that goofy Andrew bit the bullet two night ago. I only saw a little of "Hound Dog" but I don't think that Hung guy could have been much worse. Horrible. As far as Katie, I can see her more successful that any of them. She, too, at 16 made great strides and with some maturity and an exercise program a la Carrie, she could make it.

Judging as usual. Randy, I like; I think he's helpful, but I don't aways agree with him. Ellen, I was prepared to dislike. Early in the season I thought she was better. Now she tries to go for the laugh ("Money can buy you love") and I hope she doesn't return. Kara is good and tries harder than any of the others to be helpful to the contestants. Simon--he's the one on the money for me. I don't want to agree with him, but probably 80% of the time, I do. Seacrest is a punk. He seems to like the contestants, but I just think he's outlived his time on the show.

So there you have it from me. I think after all is said and done, most people will remember "Pants on the Ground" longer than any of the other contestants, for this season wasn't idyllic.

ON THE TRAIL

Last Summer we hiked the Appalachian Trail. Not like Bill Bryson. We didn't have the time.

But we had our two oldest grandkids along with us and a group of people to catch up with, but we had a taste, a sip of the old trail.

A few people, not in our group, we encountered along the trail. Lots of them dog walking. One fairly young couple, early 40's (Wow, and I just called them "fairly young") with their dog, an indiscriminate breed like most. His name was Arty. Maybe with an ie, who could know.

Not forty-five minutes had passed when we saw them on our way back into Harper's Ferry. "Hello," I said and added, "How ya doin', Arty?"

"How'd you know the dog's name?"

"We just met you. Remember?"

Silence and puzzled looks from both man and woman.

"Just as we were walking by the river," I pressed, unable to let it die.

"Yeah, ok."

But I could see they had no recognition of any of us or the initial meeting.

And that's the end of the tale. Except, if you go out on the Appalachian Trail and you meet up with a couple...

SO WHAT DOES A MANTIS PRAY ABOUT?

Pastor Rick Warren reminds us in a daily devotional that "hurry kills prayer". Good point. When we go to God as a ritual that we have to do but we have other things we want to get to, well, you see what he means.

Only recently have I begun praying before I read scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what I should be noticing specifically. Like learning a new word, I start seeing it everywhere and wonder why I had never noticed it used so many times before. In God's Holy Word, there may be verses I've seemingly read twenty, fifty, even 100 times in my life, but never was cognizant of something that had been there all the time. From what I've learned is that I simply wasn't ready in my spiritual maturity for that truth in scripture. Or it could be better applied to my life just at that moment and that's why it was not revealed to me in earlier readings.

In both cases, it may have been not entering into the presence of the Lord in the right frame of mind. Having the wrong focus, which is very easy for me to do. Never one to be task-oriented, I most often prefer to complete a task to be able to get to what I want to do. It should never be that way with God. Slow down and enjoy. As Rev. Warren suggests, take a deep breath before praying to relieve the troubles of the world and devote (as in devotional) your full attention on the Lord.

Learn from the supplicating mantis. Pray often. Bend that knee and get into the position of offering worship to The Creator. Praise Him and be thankful. Confess, ask forgiveness, and repent. Then you can petition Him with asking for blessings. But don't get in a hurry. Take your time, especially on the praise and thanks parts. Finally, make your requests specific. Oh, God knows what you desire, but verbalize them to Him: it will help you see what you truly need.

I don't know a lot about the stick bug or praying mantis or even if a stick bug is the same thing as a praying mantis. But I figure he's a good bug with a good heart.

AND THIS IS BARDOT

Not the way I remembered. Not that I ever knew much about her. She was French. She was called a sex kitten. I was in junior high so I didn't know what that meant. I'm way past that now. To be honest I still don't know what that means.

I remember she was in some of those movies that I couldn't see. I imagine today, her movies could be on prime time tv. I don't think they were too explicit.

One movie from back then I remember I couldn't see was A Town Without Pity. The only reason I wanted to watch it was because I liked the song by Gene Pitney. It made me think I shouldn't like Pitney because maybe he wasn't a good guy. There was a distinction back then. Now lots of people like bad guys.

I watched the movie years later. It was about a girl who was raped. It would be a PG movie today. Nothing visual. I watched it because I could. I was an adult. I still like the song and forgave Pitney years ago.

Bridgette Bardot wasn't in it. I never saw her in a movie. But I remember her looking a lot prettier than the picture.

She was popular in the 60's and '70's. About the time actor Dale Robertson made the great quote, "When I used to go to the movies, they were great. It was like a warm bath. Now when I go to the movies, I feel like I need a warm bath after I've watched one."

And that was 35 or so years ago. When BB was on the big screen. And probably quite tame by today's standards.

WHAT'S THE WORST THING YOU EVER ATE FOR BREAKFAST?

A young friend of mine in her twenties shared on Facebook her breakfast for last Friday. Chips, salsa, and a four dollar latte. That stung.

It brought back memories from when our children were at home and some of the concoctions they'd devise for the most important meal of the day. Their favorite was left over cold pizza. And yes, that, too stung.

I still recall the horror I felt when I was in my twenties and a friend would eat watermelon for breakfast. Not just a little with some other fruit, but a big wedge of watermelon. That maybe leaves a tingle now, but back then when I really needed coffee for breakfast (I probably still do) it stung. Maybe I just assumed his drink of choice was also coffee. Not a good mix.

When we've seen people in other countries eat baked beans (France, especially) for breakfast, it hurt me. Lox and other fish and bagels injure me as well.

One of the horrors of my college days was to see friends drink a can of beer for breakfast at 6 AM. I think that's my all time biggest shudder.

I, a ham and egger kind of guy, even get a little nauseous at grits, but at least they would be on my breakfast pyramid somewhere.

Not chips and salsa, cold pizza, fish, and beer.

I may have just found a way to squelch my breakfast appetite.

RIOTOUS




Si. com is a daily of mine. Far too East coast for me, I sometimes wonder why. Then I come across the picture on the right courtesy of their website and I know why.



Upon close observation and with the help of PowerPoint drawn arrows, one can see that when Gordon Heyward shot the final shot of this year's NCAA Tournament that at one-tenth of a second left on the official game clock, the ball was still on his finger tips. The 00.3 shown by the left arrow was the arena clock--unofficial.



Now let's suppose the shot is made giving the hometown Butler Bulldogs the championship. Of course it would have to be reviewed. Overturned by copious eyes.

Bedlam in Indy I'm afraid. Shades of the 1972 Olympic basketball game when the USSR stole the gold medal from the US due to poor, poor officiating and the handing of the game clock.

Only this was on Butler's home court, basically.

I announced high school basketball for 10 years. On more than one occasion I observed officials tell the timekeeper seated right in front of me, that as soon as the horn sounded, they wanted an escort off the floor and into the locker room. Fortunately, there were no incidents in my tenure when the games were over.

But I'm certain that had that scenario transpired, there would have been a mob scene in Hoosierville.