IT AIN'T TEXAS BABY

It's Arizona. Anthem, AZ just a few miles north of us. We just came from there as we finished up our Xmas shopping. Now, of course if you think I would ever write Xmas, you're right. It bothers me. I just like to think those who do, have written sloppily and the x was the cross that just fell down. I might not be too opposed to CrossMas because that would stand for the cross of Christ--the reason He came to earth in the first place. To die for us sinners and provide salvation for us who believe in Him.

But I never did explain what was in Anthem besides a huge outlet mall. The nation's tallest fresh cut Christmas tree. 110 feet tall held up by three huge guy wires. Decorated beautifully and topped off by a three-foot copper star representing the state of Arizona. Maybe a little on the secular side; pride in statehood is not necessarily a good thing. But it is a beautiful tree.

And while addressing pride, how about Dubai? They must not have heard of our tree in Anthem. Their tree is the most expensive tree topping out at 11 million dollars. Complete with real diamonds and solid gold ornaments.

Anthem and Dubai have come a long way from Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. Which has also gone commercial and is on sale at Macy's.

Have a Merry, Merry One in 2010. No matter the size, cost, or decorations of your CrossMas Tree

LEMME SEE



I think I have it right.

But it's kinda gross. If you want to skip today's blog and tune in tomorrow, well it may not be a bad idea. Now that I have your attention.

It seems there's a bacterial disease of the colon that's going around. (Now aren't you sorry you didn't skip? It's not too late.) It seems that even the most potent antibiotics cannot eradicate the disease.

Some doctors out East decided to try to get good bacteria to fight bad bacteria. So they injected healthy fecal matter from a donor into the infected colon of the one suffering. They have had success and claim that it is no more uncomfortable than a colonoscopy.

But the thought.

Maybe I should stop here. But you know I won't. Too many possibilities. So I'll start with a tough one right off the bat. We've all heard of those who have "sh&t for brains". Does that mean a cranium injection could possible alleviate that problem?

Where do we get volunteers to produce the good bacteria? Will there be a movement (I simply couldn't resist) like the organ donors where one can sign on his driver's license? It could go something like this--"I'm active in recreation and contact sports. I pledge that if I ever get the sh&t knocked out of me, that it can be donated to a person with a colon disease in need of my good bacteria."

If it's true that people who have brown eyes simply are full of sh$t that is stacked that high, and if they can be persuaded to donate several stools, then could their eyes change colors? In just a few generations, could "beautiful, beautiful brown eyes" simply cease to exist?

Of course, as usual I have only questions; no answers. But one final thought. If they give blood donors orange juice to drink after they give blood, would they serve the defecaters beans after their donation?

ELLIPSIS

I love the use of the three dots or ellipsis. You just don't know how long had elapsed between each clause.

The implications of each is also worth close examination. Even the title. Why should a man's prayer be different than a woman's prayer? Why? Because of the male gene, as some have called it. Submission, even to God seems tougher for men. It means that as a man, he cannot handle everything that comes up. He needs to let go and let God, as the saying goes. But his pride, his ego, his sense of self often times doesn't allow.

"I'm a man." The very statement shouts, "so deal with it." I am the way I am. Accept it. Defer to it. Expect me to be like a man should be. Macho. Assertive. Controlling.

"But I can change." I'm big enough to adapt. I'm open-minded. Somewhat. I'm not so set in my ways that I can't take on something new. I can adjust. I can even re-evaluate. I can change. Honestly.

"If I have to." That says it all. If I am made to. But I'm perfectly fine the way I am. I can make it on my own. But if forced, if given an ultimatum, then I can be strong-minded enough to change.

"I guess." Beautiful. Not certainty, some doubt. "If absolutely necessary", is the implication. Like eating those vegetables when I was a boy. I can take my medicine. Well, maybe.

What will he be like after making these changes? He might just not be recognizable.

SNOW DAYS

and why Archie and I disliked them.

I also never liked "Act of God" days. All days are acts of God. He created them; He created us;He created all things according to scripture. So why stick Him with a bad weather day?

But back to why I didn't like them. It required me to shovel the stuff. For my wife to be able to get to work. Businesses don't have that luxury. Then I had to drive in it to shovel my parents' driveway. Even if they had no intention of driving, they neither one could stand to have snow piled high and deep.

Another reason is that the kids would want to play in the snow. Not me. Building a snowman, sledding, snowball forts and fights. Un Uh. Chapped hands, frozen fingers and nose, well, I can't think of too many things I'd rather not do.

And if I can't be outside in comfortable temperatures, then I'm usually grumpy. So what's there to do? Read and watch tv or clean closets? I can read outside in good weather. Sit by the fire? Sitting in the sun is more fun for me.

Archie didn't like it either. Well, I suppose he didn't. This is a picture of Mr. Archie Ferbus from Johnston City, IL taken in 1935. No, I don't know him; I just found the mugshot on-line with the caption that he'd swallowed his nose. It is a great face to make, I guess, if there's any demand for that.

The worst reason for having a snow day, and the one apparently that most forget is the day has to be made up. In May or early June when the weather's a whole lot better.

I say have school and those who can make it go. Those who can't stay home, enjoy the snow, but no make up. That's how much I didn't like snow days: I'd rather go to school and let others stay home and play in the white junk than take a snow day that had to added to the school calendar deprving me of one of my Summer vacation days.

ALASKA ON TV

TV being what TV has become, I haven't spent much time lately in front of it. Commercials being what commercials are, I don't even do much channel surfing anymore. But last night I caught Sarah Palin's Alaska show on TNT.

Not bad. She killed a caribou and help dress it out. She hiked, she tented in bear country. She even talked like a guy using the word "frickin'", I believe. I know she used "flipping" a time or two in the vernacular, cussing without actually cussing way.

Sure it took her seven shots and two rifles, but hey, she did it. She even had a nice way of quoting Ted Nugent about how the caribou had had a good life and now he was going to provide food for a good family for the Winter. I liked that.

I like Sarah. Not enough that I think she should be Prez, but she's a tough gal to take all the guff that comes from the territory in the political arena. Certainly she was mishandled by her party in the 2008 election, but she's more popular and more disliked now than then. I have no idea what her tv show will do for her reputation and standing. But I'll tune in again.

People seem not to like her because she represents more traditional women than most. Yet this show, which also highlights some halibut fishing reveals that she's not a prima donna.

When I listen to her speak (she has some weird kind of twangy, nasally accent that I don't like) and hear her "Ubetchas", I recoil. But when I think of others in the public eye, Sarah Palin's not all that bad in comparison. Yeah, I guess you could say I like her.

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