Sunday, December 28, 2008
Lake Erie
I try and get down to the lake every time I'm home. Even though it is all of 5 minutes away, I don't get there every time, but I couldn't pass it up while I was home over Christmas. The wind was crazy and I've never seen the waves this good, not up close anyway. Here's some pictures that Rob and I took at Barcelona, Ripley Beach, and at the end of 20 Mile Creek.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Technology... Argh!
I do not get along with technology. I don't like it. It does not like me. Nine times out of ten it makes things more difficult, not easier. I like dish washers. And clothes washers. And cameras. I like my cell phone because it was free, is cheaper than a land line, and I am capable of leaving it unattended for long periods of time. I think that completes the list.
What brought on this rant? I'm glad you asked. I just spent the last hour trying to put a new picture in my blog header. I should have known better from past experience. I can never get the pictures to fit, nor can I figure out how to re-size the window, or how to center my picture ... As you may have noticed, I finally was able to put up something presentable, but its not exactly what I was hoping for. Someone please help.
What brought on this rant? I'm glad you asked. I just spent the last hour trying to put a new picture in my blog header. I should have known better from past experience. I can never get the pictures to fit, nor can I figure out how to re-size the window, or how to center my picture ... As you may have noticed, I finally was able to put up something presentable, but its not exactly what I was hoping for. Someone please help.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas at the West house
Making sure they all work!
A crooked picture of our stockings hung with care
Rob being a dork (I may have made him) and decorating the tree
A crooked picture of our stockings hung with care
Rob being a dork (I may have made him) and decorating the tree
I tried to fit as much of our decorations as I could into one picture
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Winter Storm
I love lots of snow! I can't wait to start snowboarding, I should be able to get out after Christmas. I get a really good deal because Rob is an instructor, so he can ride for free whenever he wants and I get a really cheap season pass!
We've had some pretty good storms that past few days. Unfortunately I think it is all supposed to melt next weekend, so enjoy it while it lasts!
We've had some pretty good storms that past few days. Unfortunately I think it is all supposed to melt next weekend, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Rob working hard while I watch ( :
Outside our door
Monday, December 15, 2008
one more thing...
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning
Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on displ ay at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved ! down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too... But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little diffe rent: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... Terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when yo u start sendi ng messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on displ ay at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved ! down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too... But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little diffe rent: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... Terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when yo u start sendi ng messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
Saturday, December 13, 2008
music city
We finally got internet in our house yesterday. This is the first time I've had my own internet since living with Jenn umpteen years ago. There are definitely downfalls to having it in the house, but we won't dwell on those. I have been enjoying one of the good things today. Pandora.com. I know this has been around for awhile, but it was never convenient for me to take advantage of it in the library (where I was always in a hurry) or with the poor wireless signal we used to get from our old apartment (which was also from the library). So anyway, a new obsession had begun. Today I've listened to endless Pandora. First Christmas music, followed by blues, Irish/Celtic, country, and then my self created (sort of) Norah Jones, Grateful Dead, and John Mayer radio (not all at once) and now back to Christmas.
Genius.
Genius.
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