Bob's 50th birthday trip to Tuscany!

I have the best wife in the world.  For my 50th birthday she gave me a week in Italy!  For six days we experienced the heavenly sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the region known as Tuscany.  Check out our pictures and let me know what you think.

Innocence Lost

November 22, 1963.  I was six years old. Most people my age or older remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the tragic news of the Kennedy assassination.  I have a very detailed mental picture that comes to mind every time the subject is mentioned; the weird thing is, it is in black and white.

Quite different from what I remember about September 11, 2001.  I was at a Walgreens meeting at a hotel in Irving, just north of the airport.  I can remember the furniture in the room, each of the people I was talking to, what our conversations were...I remember everything.  I can even remember what the room smelled like.  They had just brought in fresh coffee and danish.  I can still see everything just as it happened five years ago...not just in a snapshot, but in full color streaming video.  I love  New York, Manhattan in particular.  We had stayed at the Marriott Hotel in the World Trade Center several times.  It was a special place for Regina and me.  We knew several of the employees there by their first names.  We were so glad to hear later that week that all of the hotel guests and employees had been safely evacuated before the towers fell.  We got home from FOCUS 2006 this past Sunday afternoon and I absolutely refused to watch TV because it seems like every channel was showing video of the smoke billowing from the towers and the carnage that came when they fell.  Why does it still bother me like this five years later?   I have come to the conclusion that I am still angry.  Angry because of the total disregard for innocent life and angry because the entire operation was conducted in the name of religion. I am probably most angry because it could happen again....anytime, anywhere.  I knew very little about Islam five years ago.  I'm no religious scholar now, but I do know this.  Islam is a selfish religion.  They want to be the only religion and are willing to sacrifice to make it so.  We ascribe the atrocities of September 11 to a fundamentalist, extreme faction of Islam, which in part, is true.  However, it is my personal belief that the peace loving Islam that we see here in the U.S. is a small minority.  The vast majority of Muslims in the world have a great disdain for the western civilization, the United States in particular.   This struggle is not over, not by a long shot. 

 So what do we do?  How can I get this bad taste out of my mouth?  I have decided to pray for muslims everywhere.  I want to be extraordinarily loving toward them and show them the love of Christ.  I want them to see forgiveness and compassion as they have never seen it before.   I pray that each muslim man and woman I meet will have visions of Christ and come to know Him as I do.   I can't help believing that if Christians were as passionate about our religion as Muslims are theirs, the world would be quite different. 

What do you think?

Sometimes it goes without saying...

Normally I find something on the news, in the paper or on the web, post a link to it and make some sort of commentary.   This particular post needs no explanation.   Click Here!

* Disclaimer* *The author of this post in no way endorses this product or the indiscriminate use of country music*

Paper Hat Syndrome.

Yesterday I went into the Braum's near where I work to grab a quick lunch. There is this big honking sign advertising 10 different combo meals they have.  Each comes with fries and some sort of drink.  My favorite is # 3, the 1/3 lb. Jalapeno Pepper Jack cheeseburger combo.  I was greeted at the counter by an employee in his mid to late 30's named James.  On his apron he proudly wore a 5 year service pin.  This is a transcript of our conversation:

James:   How may I help you today?

Bob:  (pointing to big honking sign)  I'd like the Jalapeno Pepper Jack Cheeseburger combo, please.

James:  Would you like cheese on that?

Bob: (again pointing to the afore mentioned sign) It's a Pepper Jack cheeseburger, doesn't it come with cheese?

James:  Oh, I guess it does.   Would you like fries with that?

Bob:  Don't all the combos come with fries?

James:  Yes sir, they do. How about something to drink?

Bob:  (now BOLDY GESTURING toward the big honking sign) I'll settle for the medium drink that comes with the combo. 

James: Ok sir, that comes to $6.57. 

Bob:  I don't think that is correct.  The combo is only $4.99 plus tax.  The tax should not be $1.58. 

James:  I must have rung something up wrong.  Let me start over. (He reaches for his register keys and voids the entire transaction)

Bob:  James, dude.  Don't you just have a button you push on the cash register which says combo # 3?

James: No, sir.  I wish our equipment was that sophisticated.  We have to ring everything up separately. 

At this point, a young employee who I am quite sure has not yet seen her 18th birthday walks over and punches a single button on the register and the display says combo #3.  She hits the total button and tells me my total will be $5.41.  James looks on in amazement.  Apparently James suffers from what I like to call "Paper Hat Syndrome." After working for 5 years in the same location doing the same mundane tasks day, after day, after day, he still has the "do you want fries with that" mentality.  

 Do yourselves a favor and stay in school.  Avoid paper hats at all costs.

And I thought I had a warped sense of humor...  

Click here to read how "Pranksters Play Hard Ball with Soccer Fans"