Today is the birth day of George Jetson according to Hanna-Barbera show lore.
Here's how the math works: The show first aired in 1962, but was set 100 years in the future. That would be 2062. During the first season of the show, George reveals that he's 40 years old. So 2062 minus 40, and there you go.
This morning our local news station ran a report about a flying car being developed for release in a couple of years.
Coincidence? I think not.
“You’ll not understand God until you understand this about Him, God is the happiest being in the universe.” - Dallas Willard
"To miss out on joy is to miss out on the reason for your existence." - Lew Smedes
"Joy is the serious business of heaven." - C.S. Lewis
"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - the Westminster Shorter Chatechism.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice." - the Apostle Paul
For All Mankind is an alternate history drama which asks, what might have changed if the Soviet Union had been the first to land a man on the moon. History begins to unfold differently with some really interesting results.
Each season takes place in different decades. The first season in the 60s, second season in the 70s and 80s, the third season in the 90s. It is a character drama with some hard science fiction elements, but is one people can enjoy without being science fiction fans.There is some action, but it's slower-paced and primarily about the wonderful characters. And it's beautifully crafted. It's almost more like a series of hour-long movies given the scope and cinematography. It's obviously a labor of love from the creators of the show.
I can't say enough good things about this series, but I will warn that it has some adult themes and elements, so is probably most appropriate for adults and maybe older teens who have an interest in recent history (recent being since the 60s).
My Grade: A
I've never been a big fan of any toppings other than meat on pizza, although I have recently begun to tolerate some black olives, peppers, etc. Not mushrooms, though. And certainly never pineapple. Who ever heard of pineapple on pizza? It's become a recurring joke on various TV shows where the nerdy person will want pizza with pineapple but the hip, cool people will always agree: pineapple doesn't belong on pizza. And I always agreed with them.
Until recently.
The local pizza restaurant in our town, Pizza Pub, used to have a buffet on Wednesday nights (pre-COVID). It was there that I sampled a number of different types of pizza. Their chicken alfredo pizza is excellent, and I've even learned to enjoy the Pub Special (pretty much every topping on the pizza) in small doses.
But then I tried their Hawaiian pizza. Pineapple and Canadian Bacon on a pizza seems like an unlikely combination. I'm sure you could Google who first invented it and where (My guess is that neither Hawaii nor Canada had a hand in it, but that's just a hunch.) I tried it, not really realizing what it was, as Pizza Pub puts the cheese on last, often disguising the pizza toppings.
I have to say, it was amazing. More than that - it was pretty phenomenal and has become my go-to favorite at the Pub. Pizza Pub has a spicy pizza sauce anyway, and the sweetness of the pineapple really counterbalances it nicely. Plus they have a decent amount of pineapple, but they don't go overboard.
I'm certainly not saying all Hawaiian pizza is good. I tried a slice once at Pizza Hut. Uh, no. Just, no. It was gross. And I can't speak for any other pizza place. I think I did try a Brew Pub Lozza Mozza frozen Hawaiian pizza and it wasn't bad, but probably wouldn't be my first choice.
My point is, if you're around Pine City and visit Pizza Pub, I'd suggest giving it a shot. Their Hawaiian pizza might just change your mind.
I remember enjoying these during my summers as a camp counselor at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp. They were perfect for carrying around because they never seemed to get drippy the way other ice cream treats did. Of course, they never lasted long enough in my hands for that to be a concern.
Unfortunately, they are really difficult to find around here, so I haven't had one in years. If they could have just gotten Walmart to carry them, the story may have turned out differently.
One senator suggested using the Defense Production Act to mandate the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos. Turns out he was kidding. Bummer.
Come on, Klondike. Rethink this decision! Change.org petition, anyone?
Is the stuff you keep sentimental? You think you might want to go back and revisit it again in the future. Or is it utilitarian? You keep it because it might be useful in the future.
Or is it an issue of sunk costs? "I paid for it, I hate to throw it away." Do you have piles of stuff that you don't want or need anymore, but you think, "Maybe I could sell it someday and get some of my money back that I invested in it?"
Or are you just too lazy to declutter?
At what point do the benefits of simplicity outweigh whatever your reason is for keeping it?
What struck me during the training is that the first thing you do in a crisis is to assess the situation. For one thing, you want to determine if the environment is safe. For instance, it doesn't do you or the victim any good for you to jump in and start CPR if there are, say, live electrical wires in the area. You get the idea.
It made me think of how often we skip that step in other parts of our lives. We jump right in and try to solve a problem, or interject in a conversation with our solution before we have a good grasp of the situation.
I imagine we can all think of a time we leapt before we looked. Sometimes, after looking, we may realize we don't really need to leap at all.
We ended up a little closer to the screen than I usually prefer, but with the reclining seats we didn't have to strain our necks. We could just lay back and relax and focus on the show.
It's a little further than the theater I usually frequent (GTI Theater in North Branch), but the cost is still only $5 for a matinee. Plus they have free refills on their soda and popcorn! And it's great to be able to support a locally owned business rather than another large chain.
While not at quite as good as Thor: Ragnarok, I did enjoy the two hour ride. That's basically what it was - a fun Thor adventure with some good laughs. It was an opportunity to catch up with some beloved characters, but overall it felt as little light on significance as far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. There's nothing wrong with that, though. It was just an enjoyable summer diversion on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's not necessarily one I'll seek out to re-watch multiple times, but I would see it again if someone who hadn't yet seen it wanted to go.
Interestingly enough, opposite of me, Jonah had heard rave reviews and was slightly disappointed that the movie wasn't more substantial. I do think the movie suffered due to the lack of Loki's presence.
Nevertheless, I predict that if you enjoyed Thor: Ragnarok, you'll like this one just (or at least, almost) as well.
My Grade: B+
The book itself wasn't bad, really, it just wasn't that great. It held my attention with occasional bursts of good writing and interesting concepts, and the hope for a satisfying conclusion. But it didn't deliver. Turns out it was only part one of a three-book series. I'm not interested enough to stick around for the conclusion. In fact, I'm a little disappointed that I invested the amount of time that I did into something that was so mediocre.
What is it about us (maybe just me, but I'm guessing some of you are the same way) that we stick with something because we are completists, even when the content is only average. We all have a limited amount of time, but we stick it out with books, TV series, etc. because we think, "Well, I started it, I might as well keep going to the finish."
Is it optimism that it will get better? Or is it a fear of missing out?
Is there something to be said for persistence?
Are we just worried about sunk costs?
I don't know. I'd love to hear some comments from you. In the meantime, I'm going to try to be better about cutting bait (so to speak) and jettisoning the average so I can invest my time in the above average or the excellent.
But then I saw this picture (above) on their web site. Who is doing their photography? Could that burger look less appealing? It's kind of sad with it's generic bun and dry-looking burger patty. At least the background is dynamic, I guess.
I checked out the Google reviews for the place and they are all uniformly good, which says a lot because most of the time people post reviews when there is something they don't like. So I'm going to give it a shot, in spite of the picture above. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised. If nothing else, they have a large variety of milkshakes.
If it's good, I'll update this post with the name of the place.
But it makes me think about first impressions. What is someone's first impression of your church or business? What pictures do you have on your website? What does the building or product look like in person?
Are people pleasantly surprised when they actually visit? Is that a good thing? How much do you want to under-promise and over-deliver?
[Update: The restaurant closes early enough that I wasn't able to visit this time to test actual product. Next time I'm in St. Cloud I'll have to give it a try and let you know.]
Writers will often cite something called Writer's Block as a reason they are unable to write. All artistic or creative people have felt something similar - the lack of a creative impulse. Or their "muse" went on vacation or something.
Seth Godin argues that Writer's Block isn't real. The problem isn't that you aren't coming up with good ideas, it's that you aren't coming up with enough bad ones.
Isaac Asimov published 400 books(!) by getting up, going to his typewriter at 6:30 in the morning, and typing until noon.
Every day.
He said, "It doesn't matter if it's good nor not. I just got to keep typing."So subconsciously he was telling himself, "Well, if you're going to type anyway, you might as well type something good." And so something good came up. But he refused to bargain with the self-consious ever and say, "Oh, I'm dry. I'm getting up." Nope. Type.
What could you create if you would just show up and keep at it?
(For a great podcast on this, check out this week's Akimbo podcast with Seth Godin: "No such thing as writer's block")
That's the way true (corporate) worship is: the melding of music and spirit. The gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ. You can watch it on video or over the internet, but unless you are there in the room or at the event, you'll never really be able to appreciate or recreate the experience.
There was a survey done of thousands of Christians at a church. They were asked, "Which fruit of the Spirit would you most like to grow in?" More than 50 percent said patience. In other words, more people felt like they needed to develop patience than all the other eight put together.
There area lot of reasons why this might be: the pace of our world, technology and screens creating short attention spans, and so on. (I could probably list more, but who has time for that?) As a result of our society and just our fallen human nature, we get hurried and impatient.
The problem is, when we are caught up in busyness and hurry we don't have time to really love people. We don't take time to notice them. John Ortberg put it this way: Relaxed people look. Hurried people overlook.
Who can you slow down and notice today?
I was skeptical when Star Trek first announced an animated series that would be humorous. Yes, some of the best Trek episodes incorporated humor, but comedy is a funny thing (no pun intended) and very subjective. I was worried that the series might mock or make fun of Star Trek.
I am happy to say that my fears were completely unfounded. Instead, this has become one of my favorite series as each episode is a love letter to Star Trek. It's set in the time of The Next Generation and each episode features tons of references to TNG, Deep Space 9, Voyager and the Original Series. Even Enterprise gets the occasional shoutout.
Lower Decks follows the various missions and adventures of the "lower deckers" (low-ranking officers with menial jobs) on the USS Cerritos, one of Starfleet's least important starships. It's hard to describe unless you've seen it, but if you are a Trek fan at all, you'll be delighted by these half-hour episodes. They not only have a lot of humor, they have a lot of heart.
Season 2 BluRays are on my Christmas list and I'm looking forward to season 3 premiering August 25 and Season 4 next year.
My Grade: A+
I was also lamenting the loss of statesmen like Ronald Reagan. One of the great things about him was that, even if you disagreed with him, you respected him as a person. Sure, he made some mistakes, but it was never from a sense of malice or ill intent. He was a man who loved his country and tried to do what he believed was best. You don't get that sense from many politicians nowadays. Actually, you don't get that sense from a lot of people in general anymore.
What about you? Do people respect you as a person, even if they disagree with you?
If not, what might you need to change?
I've liked DQ's burgers in the past when I have been able to enjoy them, and so I was looking forward to sampling their new offering. I tried the "Loaded A.1.®Steakhouse 1/3 lb. double Signature Stackburger" which, according to the description on their website, "features two 100% seasoned real beef burger patties, topped with A.1.® Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce, creamy peppercorn sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, perfectly melted Sharp American and crunchy onion rings. Served on a soft and toasted bun."
I found the burger to be really tasty and something I would definitely order again. The patties don't reach the state of awesomeness found in the burgers at Culvers or Shake Shack (two of my favorites), but they are really good. The creamy peppercorn sauce gives a nice flavor and nicely balances against the tang of the A.1. sauce. I actually would have been good with a little more of the peppercorn sauce as they weren't quite as generous as the promotional picture might imply. There was also a little less A.1., but that was okay because a little goes a long way. The bacon and onion rings on top were a great way to finish the burger.
Is it gourmet? No, but that's okay. It's a good, solid offering in the burger category - a cut above most fast food out there - and something I would definitely order again.
My grade: A
I've done this Fun Run several other times in the past. One year I did the 10K, but mostly I just do the 5K. There's a little medal you get if you finish in the top three of your age group, but that's not why I run (which is good, because I usually don't get a medal unless there is a low turnout in my category). You do get a "free" t-shirt, which is nice, but certainly not a reason to run.
I run for a couple reasons. First, I enjoy the camaraderie. It's fun to be out with so many other runners, and I enjoy meeting other people who share my passion.
Second, it gives me something to look forward to and to keep in shape for. That motivation is especially helpful when the weather gets hot and humid and you don't really want to run.
The nice thing is that, although it's technically a race, it's more about the journey than the destination.
It's a lot like life that way.
I'm always excited because when Prime Day first came about there were some incredible deals, including discounts on actual physical books. (Turns out Amazon started out just selling books. If you're under 30 you probably don't remember that.)
No deals on books this year, but there is a three-month trial of Audible for $4.99 that was a good way to pick up a few audiobooks not carried by my local library (the new Dresden novella, read by Jim Butcher, for one). I also grabbed a couple little odds and ends, but either there was nothing big I needed or Amazon didn't have it as a deal. (And they don't sell HVAC units, which is a pity because we could use a deal on a replacement for our AC and furnace!)
What is nice about Prime Day(s) is that other retailers followed suit again this year with some good deals, including Saucony with discounts on their current Endorphin line of shoes in preparation for the new model year that they will be rolling out (running out?) shortly. It's a good chance to stock up on some great shoes at an incredible price. REI, the Running Bin, and some other retailers also have their Endorphins on markdowns.
It made me think: If you run a business (or a church), is it better to be the trendsetter or the trend-follower? If the former, what are you doing that other people will want to copy?
I just finished rereading a novel by one of my favorite authors, Timothy Zahn. The Icarus Hunt came out in 1999 and I read it back then - at least I think I did. I'm pretty sure,... but after twenty-three years I didn't remember a lot about it. I will say that I enjoyed it thoroughly again (or for the first time?)
I decided to read it (again?) as he has a new book that just came out, The Icarus Plot, that isn't a direct sequel but takes place in the same universe. I thought it would be good to refresh my memory on the first one and I'm glad I did. Zahn is a master of both character and plot. If you enjoy science fiction, a little mystery, and some great adventure, you'll like this book. It has a great twist at the end and is a lot of fun. My grade: A.
I'm looking forward to getting a hold of The Icarus Plot next.
There is a big controversy over the best format for consuming books. Hardcopy paper books have their aficionados, while others prefer ebooks, and still others audiobooks.
Audiobooks are great and definitely have their place. I particularly enjoy them on long trips. But they will never completely replace the written word for me, partly because you are so dependent on the interpretation of the reader. If you have a great reader like James Marsters, the experience of the book and story are enhanced. But others are less effective or even distracting.
I love both hardcopy books and ebooks. I often prefer the hardcopy because it's easy to flip back if you forget a plot point or something about a character, and paper books are easier to read if you happen to be outside in sunlight. Plus they are enjoyable to display and browse, although they do take up space in your home or office if you have too many (is that possible?)
Ebooks have some great advantages, as well. You access them wherever you go through your phone or tablet, and after moving several times and having to pack and lug boxes of books from site to site, I appreciate the portability a great deal. Plus they are super easy to search, which is very helpful in non-fiction books. You can also highlight or copy the text easily if needed.
I did just read an interesting article about the advantages of paper books over ebooks, though. Here is a portion of an article by John Stonestreet at the Colson Center:
We might tell ourselves there’s no difference between reading on paper and reading on a screen. But as Dr. Martin Tobin writes, “Our eyes lie to us.”
“Cognitive scientists have discovered that reading is not only a visual activity, but also a bodily activity,” Tobin writes. “A book is a physical object . . . you see and feel the texture of its pages. Leafing back and forth provides a mental map of the entire text, aiding comprehension …and recall.”
And, of course, when we read a book, we’re not tempted to check email, voicemail, Facebook, texts, and on and on.
So, that's a good argument for paper books.
The irony, of course, is that I came across this article while scrolling through Facebook posts on my phone.
Actually, I hate having to memorize them and then having to type them in every time you visit a web site or sign in to an app or something. Annoying.
That's why I love password managers... actually just this one: a free password manager called BitWarden.
BitWarden is a browser extension for your computer and an app for you phone that allows you to store password information on a any site requiring a password and then will fill in those pesky blanks for you. It will generate secure passwords for you or store ones you come up with yourself. And it will remember those passwords across devices, so if you create a password on your desktop, it will remember it on your phone. Plus it will remember your credit card info if you want it to so that you don't have to keep entering all those numbers each time.
I won't bother explaining it all here - you can quickly Google around and find out details. But trust me, if you don't use a password manager now, you are missing out on some great functionality.
Plus, did I mention, it's FREE!?
As best as I can figure, it's because...
What I am always willing to jump in and lead in prayer, I sometimes wonder if I am doing a disservice by perpetuating the stereotype that the prayer of a pastor is somehow better or more effective than that of any believer. Maybe it's an artifact of Roman Catholic teaching that you need a priest to mediate between you and God or something.
When I pray I don't use extra-flowery terms or phrases anything ("Our most gracious and benevolent Heavenly Father, we do beseech you by Thine infinite mercies...") I just pray like I'm talking to another person (which I am).
I wonder if people hear me pray real casually and end up going, "Gee, I could have done that!" Which would be a good thing, after all!
You would think that they would be able to invent like a waterproof ebook reader or something. I would definitely be interested in that.
Maybe I could do a waterproof case and use one of my old cell phones as an ebook reader. I don't think I would trust any cases with my new cell phone or tablet.
In the meantime I guess I'll just stick with audiobooks.
When we moved to our house the only thing that was available was CenturyLink DSL (which I think was Qwest at the time). CenturyLink DSL was terribly slow but it had the advantage of being the only thing available for us!
Then, about a year and a half ago, a T-Mobile store employee talked me into trying T-Mobile home internet. I was sure it was not going to work for us, but I was - happily - wrong. We went from a speed of about 3 or 4 Mbps to 30-50 Mbps, and occasionally more. It has been a lifesaver for our family over the past year and we've been generally quite pleased with it, although we've maxed out the speeds at our location.
However now that Midco cable has finally brought fiber to our house we are looking at speeds much greater (and more consistent) than what T-Moble 5G was able to offer.
I'm still very, very thankful for T-Mobile Home Internet. I'd highly recommend it to anyone without a fiber or cable option. The T-Mobile people have always been great to work with. Plus at only $50 a month, it is very reasonable.
How do you know?
Paul tells us in Galatians that if your spiritual life is going well, you're going to see fruit. Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. If you find yourself becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, etc., you can know that the Spirit is at work in you.
If not, what's getting in the way?
You are going to have to diagnose the problem before you can begin to find a solution.
A new novella dropped today from my all-time favorite author, Jim Butcher, in my all-time favorite series. It's called The Law - A Dresden Files Novella. I'm very excited to get it.
If you haven't read any of The Dresden Files books before, I'd highly recommend going back and reading through them from the beginning, starting with Storm Front. The Dresden Files are Jim’s first published series, telling the story of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard private investigator. It's a noir-ish detective series in the urban fantasy genre. I'm normally not a fan of fantasy, but this is an amazing series.
Actually, if you get a chance, listen to the audio books which are read by James Marsters. It's a whole other level of awesome. I've listened a couple of times through the seventeen books (and several short stories) in the series so far.
Someone described them as Harry Potter for adults, and there's some truth to that. They do have some adult themes, so I wouldn't recommend them for children, but adults will love them.
As a country we are spending the day celebrating our freedom. Yesterday in church we were treated to a message by Andy Stanley called The Other Side of Freedom (you can watch it here.) In it he reminds us that freedom is not just "freedom from" but "freedom to". To what? Here's how Paul puts it:
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
We are free to love others by serving.
That's very different from the kind of me-centered idea of freedom we usually have.
Imagine if everyone were to approach freedom from that point of view. Not, "I'm free to do what I want to do," but "I'm free to do what I ought to do."
That seems to be a (maybe the) real difference between someone who has lived a long time and someone who is "old". The question you have to ask yourself is, "Am I willing to keep learning?"
Therein lies the secret staying young.
So go learn something new today.
[After writing this I found the quote from Henry Ford in the above picture. I didn't know he said this. I guess I learned something new myself.]
This is a wonderful romp full of humor and action, complete with a wonderful soundtrack by Craig Safan. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a teenager living in a trailer park who is recruited by the Star League, an alien defense force, to defend "the Frontier" against Zur and the Ko-Dan Armada. In order to recruit top pilots, they use a video game called "Starfighter", which Alex beats, leading to an encounter with these aliens and a trip to outer space. It's the Excalibur story retold for the modern age.
This movie was one of the first to use computer generated
images (CGI) and though they may look a little dated by today's
standards, they were wonderfully realized for the mid-80s.
It's a wonderfully fun adventure and if you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it. Even if you have seen it - go watch it again and enjoy! I've watched it at least a dozen times and am due for a rewatch.
My Grade: A+
I was never a morning person until I became a runner. I sill would much prefer to stay up late and sleep in most mornings, but heat and humidity is my kryptonite when it comes to running, so in the summer the early runs are a necessity.
But they're also a joy.
I've discovered that mornings are the best times for me as a runner. Maybe some people do better later in the day, but I'm certainly not one of them. The longer I wait, the more challenging the run.
I love to put on a playlist of upbeat worship music and head out at first light and watch the sun rise over the horizon. Especially when the air is crisp and cool (it was in the mid-50s today). It's mornings like this that remind me why I love it so much.
Plus it's a great way to start your day.
