Misty Monday Morning Musings

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Random thoughts running through my head…

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Though we’ve flirted with it in the past, this is the first year that I can say without hesitation that we Americans bypassed Thanksgiving entirely and went straight to Christmas. Boy, doesn’t that say it all.

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I don’t see many leftover Obama/Biden signs. You’d think the pair lost considering how quickly their signs vanished. On the other hand, McCain/Palin signs remain rooted in yards like oaks. I guess some people still believe.

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I predicted this years ago, but few heeded the call. What does it say that we are caught flatfooted again?

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My indulgent snack of choice are Frito Lay Cheetos. I got the last two 10-ounce bags at my local grocery store. The new bags are 8.5 ounces.  Sigh.

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The truly countercultural Christians? Those who are making a vow to pray daily for the new president-elect rather than grind their teeth over his election while plotting his overthrow.

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Charismatics—a group with which I am closely associated, if only as being seen by some as an insider contrarian and quintessential wet blanket—blew it on Lakeland. Then they blew it on the 2008 election. Somewhere on this planet, rational, God-fearing charismatics still exist. I’m beginning to think they are an endangered species, though. Blame it on a reckless inability to test prophetic revelation against Scripture and a misunderstanding of the basic message of those same Scriptures. Add in a complete fascination with using politics to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven while ignoring the Great Commission altogether and you’ve summarized the entire state of far too many charismatic leaders, churches, and followers. God help us if we don’t wise up.

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I simply don’t understand why the online prices of some retail stores are  often lower than their own brick-and-mortar incarnations. Case in point, why does it cost so much more to buy a book at a physical Barnes & Noble location than from their online store? I mean, how dumb does it sound for me to ask a store clerk, “Uh, your price online is 20 percent less for this. Will you match your own online price?”

Another killer:  I need a digital voice recorder for my work now that my old microcassette recorder flaked out on me at an inopportune time. And I need it now. So I walk into a half dozen brick-and-mortar stores; they all have the same price on the model I was considering, $100. What kills me is the average online store is selling the same model for $20-25 less. I’m sorry, but that’s a big, deal-breaking difference. You feel robbed if you buy it from the brick-and-mortar. So I didn’t. I guess I’ll have to make do with flaky and pray really hard. I find it inexplicable that the big box brick-and-mortars, all things considered, can’t get within $10 of the online price at Joe Bob’s Gizmo Shack.

The fact that I’m worrying about the cost of a digital voice recorder when people are living in squalor in much of the world troubles me. I just don’t know what to do about it.

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Children do grow up fast. Especially when you don’t see a particular kid day in and day out. One day they’re teething and the next they’re texting.

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Spotted: $1.69/gal. for gas. It’s like 2005 all over again—except without the hurricanes.

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Am I the only one who thinks that Russia is looking scarier and more unhinged every day?

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I heard on a radio program discussing the economy that China needs to create 24 million new jobs each year to prevent its economy from collapsing. Get this: Employment in China is in a freefall. Say it with me: “Uh-oh.”

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My son asked for one toy for Christmas. One. This weekend only, every discount store cut the price of that toy from $25 to $10. And you guessed it, every store I visited had a gaping hole on its shelf where that toy would have sat. As much as I really hate consumerism, there’s something about that gaping hole that makes one feel like a lousy parent.

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Is it just me or are Lego construction kits the greatest toys ever created for boys?

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Apart from Lego, my son doesn’t seem to like any of the toys I liked as a kid. That would send most dads into a shopping black hole, I think. It’s worse for my wife; she grew up with two sisters and no brothers.

On that same note, my son just started Cub Scouts and my wife drew me aside to ask if the level of mayhem that often ensues at meetings is common with boys under the age of 10—to which I gave the classic “Jack Benny stares into the camera knowingly” pose.

BTW, thank you to all who contributed their comments to my “About a Boy” post. I appreciate the insights.

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One of the greatest American success stories of the last 50 years: Frozen pizzas are W-A-A-A-Y better than they used to be.

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Hey, I know some of you have your own businesses. A few weeks back, I offered to help you promote your business free of charge by increasing your links through my Employ the Body! page. Since Google loves backlinks, here’s your chance to ramp up the visibility of your business’s site, so check out the link.

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My church held its annual Thanksgiving feast yesterday.  Due to enormous containers of food stretching over a dozen full-length folding tables, no one left hungry. The hall was warm and filled with healthy people. No state police broke in and arrested anyone while we prayed. Father God, thank you so very much.


22 thoughts on “Misty Monday Morning Musings

  1. Bruce Dickey

    Dan, you couldn’t sleep either, ay? Enjoyed your “not quite Will Rogers musings”. He was a favorite, long gone, but not forgotten. Hmmm, I just wonder if his stuff made it to YouTube.com. I’ll let you know. I hope you are wrong about Thanksgiving. First time caller, Bruce in Arkansas

    • Bruce,

      I actually write almost all my posts in advance and then schedule them to post. I was assuredly in the process of getting to sleep when this actually posted.

      Will Rogers was a great wit. Can you imagine him at the same dinner party with Oscar Wilde? People would die from laughter.

  2. Peter P

    How does one comment on a dozen or more different musings except to say:

    Lego rocks! I was a member of the official Lego Builders Club when I was little…..

    and I’m so thankful for the religious freedom we have. We’d better not be complacent or unthankful for it – we could lose it in the blink of an eye!

    • Peter,

      Lose our religious freedom in a blink of an eye—you mean like Canada has? Give that country another dozen or so years and they’ll be breaking up church services.

      Lego hit the US about the time I was born, so I grew up with them. Sadly, this was before the builder’s club.

      • Peter P

        How did you ever cope growing up with out your lego club magazine and your new pin every year?

        Somehow you seem to have grown up reasonably well adjusted, which is surprising without being a member of the Lego Builders Club!

        🙂

  3. Dan,
    Hello! I’d love it if you could promote my newly published book on your website. I’ve been reading your blogpage for awhile now.

    I saw that you have Comments Closed at your “Employ the Body” post.

    So, I have two links here for my book. As well, you can check out my blogpage. I’m an in love with Father, Son and Holy Spirit Christ-follower.

    The links to my book are:
    “Orphaned Into Belonging: Finding Life and Living It”

    http://www.lulu.com/content/4781677

    OR

    http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2551659

    Thanks, Dan. Again, wonderful website here!

    Blessings,
    ~Amy 🙂
    Walking In The Spirit
    http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com

  4. Bruce Dickey

    What’s up with Canada? I ‘aven’t a clue. The reason I ask is a Canadian Christian is calling for a chat tonight and this strikes me as an unusual coincidence that I would hear this today. He’s stressed over something?

  5. if only as being seen by some as an insider contrarian and quintessential wet blanket

    From one contrarian to another: when the fire’s getting out of control, a wet blanket can be just what the doctor ordered!

  6. Diane R

    You should not feel guilty about getting something for your work. If this will help you make more money, or even enough money, then you can take care of your family and maybe even give some to the poor.
    By the way, I was also looking for a new digital recorder and wanted to buy the same one (if Sony even makes it anymore) as I had before for $29.95. But no one has that one ..they have another one that looks and sounds the same to me but a different code number and it costs $49.95. Sigh….LOL

    I agree that Legos have to be at least in the top 3 great toys for boys. it really helps them be creative.

    I write you from choke..choke…cough..cough…S. California where the fires are all around me but thank goodness not here…..yet.

    • Diane,

      When we moved to Silicon Valley, I laughed that California had nearly every form of natural disaster possible. The natives then joked that they never saw snow, hail, or tornadoes. In the 3.5 years we lived there, we got hit by snow, a hailstorm, and even a tornado that hit the town we lived in dead center.

      I should have made them pay us to leave!

      The deluxe set of Spirograph wheels and shapes was also a kickin’ toy that kept us entertained for hours. The Spirographs they sell today are pale imitations of that master set.

  7. Deborah Jacobs

    LEGOS were/are wonderful – BUT – there was another building toy that was AWESOME.

    CONSTRUX – we had two VERY LARGE boxes full of them and our four sons built the most AMAZING things – huge ships and buidings and spacecraft – they even had glo in the dark parts – they were wonderful – this would have been around 1985-1990 and you cannot find them any more. at least we haven’t ever found any. we left ours behind somewhere when we moved back down south, i think – but that makes me sad – they were so cool. we have pics somewhere of some of their creations – sigh…………………..

    dj

  8. Bruce Dickey

    What’s up with Canada losing rights as Christians? Why is their freedom in jeopardy? This is news to me.

    And yes, there is some original Will Rogers stuff on youtube.com, but more by will rogers impersonators. Well at least they are keeping his work alive.

    We had Lincoln and Erectors, always fun to visit my cousins, as they had more disposable income at their place, hence more goodies.

  9. Brian

    Yes, real wooden Lincoln Logs with green wooden roof boards. The only plastic was the roof triangle frame supports, and maybe the chimney. Not like the set they sell at Sam’s now, where the whole roof is one piece of plastic.

  10. GeorgGeorge

    Things cost more in a bricks and sticks store because you need to pay for the rent, the staff, the inventory, the shipping to the store, the insurance, the local business/property taxes, the utilities, and whatever else. While these expenses also exist for a centralized on-line store, they are far lower per-order than in a hundred stores around the country because they’re concentrated/minimized. You end up paying more because the seller has brought a sample of touchable choices to your neighborhood. Back at THE Ohio State University they describe this as place-utility, the value of providing something where you are as opposed to somewhere less convenient.

  11. Random thought: It used to be one declared bankruptcy when one no longer had enough income to pay off debts. Now one declares bankruptcy when one no longer can borrow money to pay off debts.

  12. Skipping Thanksgiving… Not only do we not say “Christmas” at my work, but today management is bringing in turkey and stuffing for a “Fall Feast.” Apparently the term “Thanksgiving” is too divisive…

  13. Phil Smoke

    “The fact that I’m worrying about the cost of a digital voice recorder when people are living in squalor in much of the world troubles me. I just don’t know what to do about it.”

    Oh, brother, first rejoice that you are actually troubled by it!

    And hey, every little bit helps – at least when we’re as rich as we are and others are as poor as they are. So first cut all the spending and consumption that you can, and then pinch pennies on the things you do need to buy. So if the voice recorder is in the latter category for you, then worrying about its cost might be the exactly right thing to do.

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