SNOWPOCALYPSE HODGEPODGE!

1. When did someone last suggest you 'chill out'? Or, when did you last tell someone (or want to tell someone) to 'chill out'? Or, when did you last tell yourself to 'chill out'?
     I cannot remember when I was last told to chill or when I last told someone else to chill. I usually tell myself to chill when I find myself getting amped up over one thing or another, however nothing specific comes to mind.

2. What most recently caused your heart to melt? 
     Watching our granddaughters interact with SWMBO. She is such a great Granny and the girls absolutely love her.

3.  "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." G.K. Chesterton  

Your thoughts? When did you last experience either an adventure or an inconvenience? How did you see it at first, as an adventure or an inconvenience?  Does it feel the same in hindsight?
      If Mr. Chesterton is correct then the year 2015 has been an adventurous year so far. This week's snow storm just added to this year's adventures. I don't see inconveniences as adventure. I see them as being inconvenient!

4.  A Wendy's Frosty, root beer in a frosty mug, or a frosted chocolate cupcake...of these three, which one is your favorite 'frosty' treat?
     I have to go with the root beer in a frosty mug.

5. Would you say your life so far this year has been more like a circus or a symphony? Explain why.
     I'm going with "circus!" I am the ringmaster of the three ring circus that is my existence! Some days it feels like the animals are running amok!

6. Since it's a 'snow day' here, what's your favorite song containing the word 'white'?
      "Knights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues. Runners up would by "White Room" by Cream and "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane.

7. If you had to leave the city you currently live in, what would you find the hardest to leave behind?
     The peace and quiet! We live in the country and it is nice and peaceful where we live. I would miss that the most. When we moved here from the city I missed living near the airport and watching planes on their final approach to land. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.
     Have you been following the NFL tempest in a teapot that is "Deflate-gate?" During the recent American Football Conference championship game some footballs were found to be under inflated. The implication is that someone in the Patriots organization at the direction of Tom Brady deliberately deflated the balls to below NFL standards to give the Patriots an unfair advantage. The balls were inflated to NFL standards during halftime and the second half was played. The Patriots scored more points in the 2nd half than they did in the first half beating their opponents like a rented mule.
     It seems that the Patriot organization, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Bob Kraft are guilty until proven innocent. There is no proof that anyone did anything to tamper with the footballs. That didn't stop the talking heads from calling into question the character of Kraft, Belichick and Brady.
     We are way too quick to jump to conclusions with little or no evidence. I prefer to wait until there is empirical evidence before condemning anyone. Just sayin'!

TWO WEEKS OF HYPE HODGEPODGE!

     The two teams have earned their way to the 49th Super Bowl being played in Arizona on February 1st. So get ready for a mounting crescendo of increasingly hyped storylines from now until the game is played. 
     I like the Super Bowl not only because my beloved New England Patriots are in it but because it is the first death knell of Winter.  
     Well, it's time for another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Enjoy, better yet join in and answer the questions for yourself.

1. American Idol is back for a 14th season. Are you watching? Have you ever watched? If you were to audition for the show (or were made to audition), what song would you sing?

     I was never a fan of American Idol. I thought that Simon Cowell was a cruel, self absorbed jerk. I prefer The Voice. The judges are kinder and more constructive in their critiques of the contestants.
     I would absolutely rock Bob Seeger's "Turn the Page!" Another selection would be Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Who'll Stop the Rain?" Either selection would put me in the winner's circle...NOT!

2.  Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." 

     

So when did you last have to 'eat a frog'? Or two? How'd that work out? 

     I got nothing!

3. If you were going on safari, what is the number one animal you'd want to see?

     I would love to see a pride of lions in their natural habitat.

4. January 21st is National Granola Bar Day. I know. Do you like granola bars? Chewy or crunchy? Your favorite flavor? How about regular granola? Let's exhaust this topic in honor of the holiday okay?

     I do like granola bars. I prefer them with nuts and fruit. I also like regular granola in yogurt.

5. If only__________________________________________. 

     ...everyone in the world understood the love that God has for them. Perhaps they would respond to that love and experience the joy that inevitably follows.

6. You can add one item to your bedroom. What will it be? Keep it family friendly please.

     A king size Sleep Number Bed that inclines at the head.

7. What is one thing you've enjoyed about winter thus far? If it's not winter in your corner of the globe, what season is it, and what is something you've enjoyed about whatever season it happens to be?

     I've enjoyed the fact that we have not had a huge amount of snow like we had last winter.  It has been cold and we have had more rain than snow. You don't shovel rain and you don't shovel cold. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     "American Sniper" is the story of Navy SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle. A movie based on that book was recently nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture. The actor who portrays Chris Kyle, Bradley Cooper, has been nominated as Best Actor.  The movie set records for ticket sales the weekend it opened.
     Michael Moore, a film maker of dubious character and credibility, took to calling Chris Kyle a coward. Seth Rogen, an actor, took to Twitter and compared the movie to Nazi propaganda.
     No one who becomes a Navy SEAL and serves several combat tours can be called a "Coward." A movie that celebrates the life of such a true American hero can never remotely fit the definition of Nazi propaganda. Both Moore and Rogen are ASSHATS that deserve our utter contempt. Chris Kyle has sacrificed more for the citizens of these United States than either one of those ASSHATS or their like-minded colleagues.
     I stand without qualification with Chris Kyle and other heroes like him. I will never support these vile ASSHATS by watching their movies...period! 

COLDER THAN A WELL DIGGERS SHOVEL HODGEPODGE!

1. What's your best piece of advice for a newly married couple? I'm asking for a friend.
     Make God an integral part of your marriage. Love each other as He loves you. Forgive each other as He forgives you. Care for each other as He cares for you. It is simple, however, it is not easy. God bless and good luck to the newlyweds!

2. Before we're too far into the new year I wanted to post a question Teresa submitted during the December giveaway. Teresa blogs over at Being Refined As Silver, so everyone go say hi.

Teresa asks, "What were you doing on December 31st, 1999?"and "Did you or your family make preparations for Y2K?"
     As I recall I worked that night. I was tasked with watching our computer server at work to see if it transitioned into the new year without any glitches. Interestingly enough it did. 

3. According to Global Language Monitor, the most used word of 2014 isn't a word. It's the heart emoji. Huh? How can something that's not a word be the most used word, but I digress. What do you think was your most used word in 2014?
     I agree with Joyce's puzzlement that the word of the year isn't a word but a symbol for a word. I don't know which word I used the most. "SWMBO" comes to mind because I do talk about her a lot. "God" is another for the same reason. "Bugga" is another word I use a lot. I used to use less appropriate words to express anger, disappointment or dismay. I changed to the innocuousness of "Bugga" usually expressed in three's like "Bugga! Bugga! Bugga!" This is not to be confused with the similar sounding British vulgarity. I certainly do not mean to say anything remotely like that.

4. Speaking of words, it's that time again. Time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2015. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's top vote getters are-

bae (before anyone else), polar vortex, hack, skill set, swag, foodie, curate/curated, friend-raising, enhanced interrogation, cra-cra (as in crazy), takeaway, and -nation (a suffering sports suffix).

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?
     As a matter of principle I don't want to banish any words. One of the most odious things to be foisted onto the American people is Political Correctness. I have the right to be as offensive, as crude, as insulting as I want to be. You are under no obligation to listen to me. If you find my choice of words unacceptable then you are free to walk away or you may try to persuade me that my choice of words is improper for the occasion or venue but I will never allow anyone to censor what I say or write. Other than that I have no strong feelings on the subject.
     Having said that, any words which are acronyms like "bae" or which are truncated like "cra-cra" strike me as nonsensical. I'm okay with the other words on the list.

5.  January is National Hot Tea month? Are you a fan? Do you like flavored teas? How do you take your tea? Have a favorite cup or teapot? How many cups of tea do you consume in a given day?
     I do enjoy a nice "cuppa tea" from time to time. Having been Stationed in England with the Air Force exposed me to proper tea. PG Tips is my favorite. I take mine with a smidgen of sugar and sometimes with a little cream too. I don't have a favorite tea cup or tea pot. If I did they'd take away my "Man Card." 

6. Whatever happened to________________________________?
      Personal Pride in a Job Well Done? It seems that manufactured products which used to be well made are less so. I recently had the starter replaced in our car. The thing lasted a day and a half. It was replaced free of charge but that's hardly the point. I was talking to a friend who is in the auto parts business and he told me that a lot of parts sold to consumers are defective and that what happened to me is not so unusual. That's a sad commentary on the state of manufacturing today.
    
7. What is one book on your must-read list this winter?
     I already read it. It's called "American Sniper." It's the story of Chris Kyle who was a Navy SEAL Sniper who did four combat tours of duty and was so effective at his job that there was a bounty on his head by the enemy. My next book is going to be "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. He was a Navy SEAL also and was the only survivor of a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan. I really admire and appreciate our Special Operation Warriors. Navy SEALS are at the top of that list.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
   This year the church began a journey of reading through the Bible in two years. We opted for two years because the readings consist of being 1 - 3 chapters per day which fits in with most people's busy schedule. You know the old question "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bite at a time. This year we are doing precisely that, eating that elephant of reading through the Bible one bite at a time. We're fourteen days into it and so far so good.
     Another advantage of this method is that you have time to focus on what is being said and often new insights jump right off the page. Sometimes you see new things in passages you have read many times before. It is well worth the effort.