Thoughts

Busted!

2007-02-07T08:14:00.000-06:00

We got pulled over in the most unfortunate place this morning. Let me set the stage. I am in the passenger seat of our Ranger, asleep as usual! I wake up to Jenny shoving her mug at me as she scrambles to fasten her seatbelt. We see the lights on the street parallel to the school but do not pull over until we are 100 feet from the parking lot. We happened to arrive at the same time as 3-4 busses. Perfect! When asked why we got pulled over, I have been telling the kiddos that they finally caught up with us f0r that bank robbery we did last month.

On a much lighter note, why on Earth would the secretary at the District Court of Augusta answer the phone at 8:00 if they did not open until 8:30? Why is she even there at 8:00?

I made the suggustion that we sponsor a buisness math workshop for Officer 113 of the Augusta Police Dept. He wrote on the ticket that we in fact were traveling at the rate of 46 mph. He also noted that that was in a 25 mph zone. If math serves me correctly, 46-25 is 21. He, however, marked that we were only going 15-20mph over. Too bad, Augusta's loss. I know what some of you are saying already: "He was letting you off easy." My answer to you is, "No he wasn't, he just can't subtract." I know this because he was a jack hole from the beginning.

EDIT: I am in no way mad at my wife for this moving violation. It makes us even for my offense on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at the river. I LOVE YOU HONEY!!!

UPDATE: This infraction will cost us a sum of $190. Hopefully much less than that if we can bribe someone...

2007-01-24T14:58:00.000-06:00

Here is my research idea. What do you think?

Question:
How does living in a traditional home vs. nontraditional home affect state test scores throughout the school career?

The population would be k-12 students
Sub populations could include:
Mother & Father
Mother
Father
Mother & Step Father
Step Mother & Father
Grandmother & Grandfather
Etc.

A student once again...

2007-01-18T08:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight I will begin my course study in the Masters Program at ASU-Jonesburro. I will be taking classes at Beebe. I am taking Intro to Stats & Research. Should be fun. I opted not to purchase the $98 Software that comes along with the class. Hopefully the nerd who wrote the program did not have the forsight to protect it form piracy! Anywho...Wish me luck...

If you're not a gator then you're gator bait.

2007-01-09T17:00:00.000-06:00

Live from the Embassy Suites Business Center:

Noah, this ost is especially for you:

In your eyes UF might not have deserved to be in this game but as it turns out they were the team for the job, actually the only team in the last 19 or so games.

Yes indeed. Who cares what penn state, wisconsin, and others did. What happened last night was nothing more that a big fat shut your stupid mouths to all you no respect, big mouth, over confident, tunnel vissioned, big headed Big 10 Fans out there. Troy, you have your trophy but the Gator Nation has reclaimed its crown. 61 yards of offense in first half...give me a break. Oh no, you lost Ginn in the first series...was that your only plan? More poits scored than any other opponent since 1998? Oh yes. Your secondary had no solution to the onslaught of passing offense to 11,000yd passer Leak. I hope it stings, I hope it burns all off season. Any comeback on the OSU fans out there would be too little too late. I believe the challange to the SEC was to put up or shut up...well I believe the "Ole' Boys From Florida" did just that last night. To all you haters out there: "Hail to the 2-sport Ntl. Champions, the Florida Gators. Oh, It's Great to Be a Florida Gator.

I may eat my words for this...

2007-01-08T16:28:00.000-06:00

The countdown has begun...3.5 hrs or so...I predict an upset...Go Gators!

2006-11-16T15:48:00.000-06:00

Duck Season starts Saturday Morning. Whoo Hoo!

Things are turning out pretty interesting in College football. If the Hogs end up winning their next two games and win the SEC Championship they may have a shot at the Ntl. Championship...If several key teams lose between now and then. It may be a long shot but it is a shot.

In other news, we just got a Dish DVR. It is sweet. No more commercials...ever... Except during the superbowl.

2006-11-10T08:16:00.000-06:00

Queers, Ford, & Democrats

2006-10-30T09:10:00.000-06:00

WARNING: If you read this BLOG, please read this entire post.

The 5th Sunday at 4 Mile Hill has been reserved for question and answer night. The elders have asked that all questions be turned in ahead of time.

One of last night's questions goes something like this: Can a Christian support things like Walmart, Ford, or the Democratic party based on their stands with homosexuality?

I have to say, I saw this coming. People in Arkansas (specifically, Searcy) are typically sheltered people. For example, there is a Chili’s being built on Race St. Typically, Chili’s serves alcohol. I've heard people state what they believe to be fact on both sides of the alcohol issue. Some people say they will serve it, some say they aren't. To me it doesn't really matter one way or another. I grew up in a state where someone (if they wanted to) could buy alcohol 7 days a week. You couldn't really go to a restaurant that didn't serve alcohol unless it was fast food or a buffet style place.

The elder giving the answer to that particular question cited scripture from Rom 1, Eph 5, and I Jn 4. Rom 1 is clearly talking about homosexuality but then goes on to say in v 28-31

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:"

The latter part of Rom 1 is obviously talking about more than two guys bumping uglies. It is talking about folks who "did not like to retain God in their knowledge."

The real question comes down to verse 32: "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. by shopping at Wal-Mart, ford, or voting democratic are we, like Paul says in Rom 1:28 having "pleasure in them that do them"?

I think not!

I don't want to leave any of you with the impression that the eldership took a position on this matter. The elder said it is a matter that should be left up to the individual Christian. Something that should be prayerfully considered.

There are plenty of reasons not to shop at Wal-Mart
There are plenty of reasons not to shop at Ford
There are plenty of reasons not to vote for a Republican OR a Democrat
...but do any of these reasons have to do with decisions of a few high ranking executives?

They shouldn’t. Please, dear voter, try to ignore the right wing extremists and left wing radicals and decide what the pressing issues are for your community and vote on those issues. Gay rights and abortion are not major campaign issues in most stats on Nov. 7.

I ask you, reader, prayerfully consider the above. Think about it, use your common sense, and respond.

School, Weddings, and Politics

2006-10-13T07:54:00.000-05:00

It has been a very stressful fall. When school started my assignment was to teach 6th grade everything. When after two weeks the administrator in charge of scheduling changed me to 6th grade math and science. Four weeks later I was given the responsibility to teach a 7th grade science as well. I am cool with all of that, I just feel bad for the kids having to get used to new teachers part way through the year. My principal has been great. I just approached him about getting some additional funds for the science class. I will purchase frogs, worms, and pellets. It will end up okay I guess.

Andy is getting married. I am real glad he has found a nice Christian woman to marry. Erin has been Jenny's good friend since childhood, now they will be sisters. I really hope we do not have any snow days this year. If we do, I will have to leave for the wedding then return to finnish the year on the following Monday.

I have not had any time to fish the last 4-5 months. I will have to hit it pretty hard the beginning part of November for the spawn. Duck hunting season starts November 19. It is cold this morning which makes me want to be out there in the blind! I really need a new pair of waders, but I may just have to make due this year.

Sunday night I was put into a wierd position. Someone from church asked me if I would place a political sign (someone for whom I do not plan to give my vote to) in by front yard. I politely declined. I think it is important to note that there are faithful Christians in both parties. Party line voters kill me! To say that Christians need to vote for a certian party is ignorant and wrong. I say, get out there, learn about the issues, and vote accordingly. Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green Party...There are faithful Christians running in each!

Uneventful summer...

2006-07-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

OK, so new plans. Instead of driving to Florida for a week, going back for a week for workshops and what not, then to Alabama to ride back to Florida with the rug rats for another week we just decided to extend out stay in Jax for a few days and show up early in Alabama a few days early. I figured it would save us a couple of bucks in gas. Not much has been going on the last few weeks. Before we came to Florida we went on a workshop for Arkansas History to Blanchard Springs Caverns. It was pretty cool.

(Jenny and I are not High in this picture...It was dark and the flash took us by surprise)

Scientists say these caverns were made when water and carbon dioxide (carbonic acid) seeped down through cracks in the bedrocks and deposited minerals on the roof of the former water table. They say it could take thousands or even millions of years. That brings up the interesting question. How long has the Earth been here, thousands or millions of years? When God created (or allow it, as some theistic evolutionist think) the Earth did he create a young Earth or an old Earth?

Often people will ask me, "Bryan, what to you say when the book discusses evolution?" Some people will ignorantly say, "well evolution is 'only' a theory." I smile and go on about my business. You see,

"the word 'theory' has a number of distinct meanings in different fields of knowledge, depending on the context. In common usage, people use the word 'theory' to signify 'conjecture', 'speculation', or 'opinion.' In this sense, 'theories' are opposed to 'facts.' In science, a theory is a proposed description, explanation, or model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise falsified through empirical observation (Wikipedia)."

When I teach evolution I do not teach it as truth. I like to give students an option. I want to give them a way out, so to speak. Who am I to TELL them that they evolved from a tiny nonliving protein? Who am I to tell them that they were created. Yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I believe God created the Universe in seven literal days. But why should I tell/make them believe anything? I hope that by my life choices, by my example, and by my nature they know by the end of the year what I believe without a doubt. You see before we begin the year I have a discussion about the ways of knowing. Before I only knew of 4: Science, Philosophy, Rationalism, and Religion. All four ways are good ways of knowing what is real. But for 50 minutes a day we are only going to discuss reality as it relates to science. That is not to say, I tell them, that religion is not valid, philosophy is not valid, or rationalism is not valid, They are! Science tries to explain things naturally and God is not natural. That statement usually gets them going. I quickly respond by giving the example of Jesus walking on water. That is NOT natural. So, I tell them, Science fails to explain how God can exist.

Anyways, ranted for far too long about that. For those two of you who may still be reading, After Blanchard Springs we were on our way to Florida after a brief layover in Fayetteville, TN to drop the bitches (er hem, dogs) off at the inlaws. We went camping with the parents and had a blast. One day dad and I went to the intercostal and went fishing. We did very well. I have pretty much gotten used to doing pretty poorly when fishing with dad but today was the day! We caught over 25 fish and dad landed a 26.5" Red fish. These are beautiful fish. If possible I will post. There is a slot limit on these fish; you can only keep them if they are between 19" and 27". So this one was at the max! Tuesday we are off to Atlanta then to Tennessee then to Alabama then back to Florida. The trip BACK down to Florida is the one I dread the most! 1 Suburban + 4 screaming kids = Pissed off Bryan. Anyway, for the one who is still reading this (who am I kidding?) my posts are few and far between simply because we can't get high speed where we live and I refuse to get dial up. So my posts come when I can bum a wireless feed from someone else.
Peace, I'm Out!

2006-06-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

Funny thing...I am sitting here at Wayne's house wasting time because my wife desprately wants to get online! She can hardly stand it...Although I do hear the faint sounds of my coach's whistle...

Can we all say "heck yes!"

2006-06-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

The bell rang to dismiss my students for the last time this school year and it was a glorious feeling. This year was the first year for me to have an actual homeroom class. It had its perks and downfalls. In the past I have not had a homeroom because 7th and 8th graders just show up and go to first period. Next year will bring several new and exciting challenges.

1. I will teach the same kids all day, every day. This is very scary yet exiting all at the same time. I will enjoy getting to get close to a limited number of students. I think it will make that relationship more genuine. I will be their 6th grade teacher. Not 3 others and I. It is scary at the same time. I think back on this year's homeroom and I would probably kill myself if I had to endure the crap that some of the students dished out each and every day. But next year I will have them. They will only have to get used to my personality and I will only have to get used to theirs. They will have one set of rules; one set of expectations; one teacher.

2. At the start of my 4th year of teaching we will begin the 4th new change to the curriculum. I will be responsible for reading, writing, math, language arts, science and social studies. WOW. Those of you who know me and read my blog know that I will struggle with the language arts and writing aspect. I suck at that sort of thing. I type nearly everything and what I don't type and print I project on my computer. But I am gradually getting better. My handwriting is improving when I take the time to make it look good. When I write in cursive it seems to get better but that takes longer. My dad always told me to take pride in my handwriting and I never did. But with 15-20 pairs of eyes on me I will have to, especially if I will expect them to do the same.

3. Another thing that scares me is that I will have to teach Arkansas history. I have only been a resident here for a short while. I seem hardly the candidate for teaching such a subject but I will have to roll with the punches.

4. The last change I will mention does not worry me as much as the former changes mentioned. I will be moving rooms down the hall. It is a smaller room but I will have my own storage closet with a lockable cabinet in the room. The room has carpet which doesn’t make me happy but there is nothing that I can do about it so oh well. My moving opens up my former classroom as a lab that can be used by any class 3-6 for lab purposes. This will utilize the room far more than it has in the past.

This summer will be a busy one but a rewarding one too. I will have workshops scattered throughout the months of July and August (mostly in August). I am nervous about the changes brought on by these workshops but again; there is nothing I can do about it. I am very excited about the time we will get to spend with family. My parents will be coming to the great state of Arkansas twice; once for Daniel's summer orientation at HU and another for Andy's Graduation. We will be going there twice; once to go camping with my family and once to go the lake with Jenny's family. Jenny's parents are coming at least once to go camping with us at the spring river, which will be nice. Holly, Jason, and the kiddos are coming for a few days to hang out. It will be so much fun to see everyone.

I am saddened by the fact that Andy will be graduating this summer. We have grown close over the years and I now consider him to be more than a brother. I am glad Casey has a few more years and Daniel will be here in the fall as well. It is nice to have them around.

On Monday I packed up and went to Heber to wet some fly line. Third cast of the morning I heard a snap. When I looked in the water I saw that it was my rod tip. I was very pissed to say the least. (I might add that the previous sentence is quite an understatement.) That rod was important to me. It was a gift from my parents. I learned to become a proficient caster with that rod. Not to mention the hundreds of rainbows I landed using it. Well, I packed up early and stopped by Ozark Angler. OA is a Orvis retailer. Orvis is THE premiere brand of fly fishing accessories. Rods started at $250. I quickly turned my back and walked out to the car. (There was no way Jenny would think of allowing me to spend that kind of money on a beginners rod.) So I went on down the road to my favorite fly shop, the Little Red Fly Shop. To my surprise, they had a nice selection of premium rods at discount prices. I ended up getting a 9', 5 wt Lefty Kreh Signature Series. I am in love. I took the rod out on the lawn before purchasing it to cast it several times. Man oh man. Lifetime warranty. And when I say lifetime I mean lifetime. I can slam it in a door, break it on a fish (I wish), snap it over my knee, or run over it with the truck and within a week I will have a brand spanking new rod. In the mean time I will be loaned a Sage rod to fish with. A man cannot ask for better service when purchasing a new rod.

I have rambled on for far too long. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer weather you have to work, go to school, or whatever. Peace. I'm out.

Friggin whiners

2006-05-30T16:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the next to last day of school was filled with complaints...
What do they expect...grades are done...field trips are done...awards assembly is done...I put on a movie expecting them to be content while I finalize the move across the hall but all I get are complaints...Maybe tomarrow I will make assignments all morning...Piss me off.

Oh the thought

2006-05-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

6.5 days left(really 5.5 days now)...Kids will be gone on Field Trips on two of those days...I cannot wait!
On a lighter note...Isn't she beautiful...

Good News Today!

2006-05-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

I recieved an email this morning concerning the status of my Arkansas Teacher Licence:

From: Arkansas Dept. Education - Praxis III [mailto:ar@novatec-inc.com]
Sent: Thu 5/18/2006 10:33 AM
To: Bryan James McDonald
Cc:
Subject: Praxis III Assessment Results
Date: May 18, 2006

TO: Bryan McDonald

FROM: Donna Zornes, Coordinator, Office of Teacher Quality Paulette Blevins, Performance Assessment Program Advisor

On behalf of the Arkansas Department of Education, Professional Quality Enhancement Unit, we would like to congratulate you on passing PraxisIII Performance Assessment!

Your Summary Report is attached for your records. The Summary Report indicates your score for each of the nineteen (19) criteria that arefound in each domain.

The successful completion of this performance assessment indicates that you have the knowledge and skills required to effectively facilitate student learning.

Your Score: 53.5
Minimum Score: 40
Maximum Score: 57.0

This has really lifted a burden...I waited untill the last minute to do this and it really paid off!

Why I Hate Sonic Drive-IN

2006-05-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying that I worked in the food service industry for 4 years. I enjoied it very much. I met many people who I would have never had the chance to cross paths with ever again. I got paid $4.75/hour, yes, at the time that was $.40 below federal minimum wage. I did my very best. I made sure food was on the table in a timely manner. I made sure if drink was spilled it was wiped clean. I did everything a good server should do. Did I get tipped? No. Did I care? Not really.

Now, on to the point of this post: I HATE SONIC DRIVE-IN.

Car hops have a simple job description. If, perhaps, some cherry juice gets spilled on the side of the cup by either the lazy crack-head of a dirnk guy or the car hop him/herself, then take a wet cloth or napkin and wipe it off. DO NOT HAND A customer a wet, sticky, cup and recipt. Have some pride about yourself, your family, and your job, and please, for the love of Mike, wipe the cup off.

Pics from Branson

2006-05-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

2006-05-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

911 Loose Change

My opinion...

2006-05-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

2006-05-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

If it were a perfect world we would all be perfect...

Sadly, the world is not perfect. There are/is liers, murderers, rapist, drugs, insubordination, disrespect, cheating, law beraking, stealing, backtalking, laziness, molestation, adultury, fornication, immorality, sin, and the like. What are we to do about this.

Mat 5:48 (Bible in Basic English) Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.

I am not sure of the correctness of this rendering but I like it. Maybe Wayne orMark could add to this area.

2006-05-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

Go to Dr. Elrod's Blog for details about Harding's change in Code of Conduct. It is pretty lame.

Stupid people

2006-05-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

Police: Prankster Glued Man To Toilet Seat

(AP) SALISBURY, Md. Police in Salisbury are trying to find out who put the glue on a toilet seat at a local Denny's Restaurant. A Fruitland man became stuck to the seat when he used the restroom early Sunday morning. When he yelled for help, other customers called 911. Paramedics took the man to the hospital and the seat was removed. Police are wondering if putting the glue on the seat was somebody's idea of an April Fools Day prank. In a similar case, a Colorado man who found himself glued to a toilet seat at a Home Depot in 2003 sued the home improvement chain last year.

This is funny, yet sad. Why would one sit on a public toilet seat and not clean it and put paper on it first?

Chain of Command

2006-05-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

Lads to Leaders Pledge #6: I honor and obey my parents and respect persons in authority.

Not really thinking about it I have always strived to meet this pledge. I have not thought about this pledge (or any Lads to Leaders pledge) in some time now, but I strive to be the best person I can and "respect persons in authority." One thing I respect (maybe not so much as respect but like) about authority is the chain of command. It is simple: a line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed. A quick example (which has nothing, I assure you, to do with reasoning for this post): If my Department head tells me to do something, anything really I do it. Furthermore, if my principal or even superintendent tells me to do something I do it. One should not ask questions, make judgments, or have second thoughts about doing said orders. (Assuming the orders are legitimate and moral). Am I right? Should one question chain of command?

Now, lets throw a kink into the situation. Let's say that someone higher up in the chain gives an order that I have a question about. Not a logistics question, not a life threatening question, not a moral question, just a question as to weather or not this action would be the best way to solve a problem. Is it my duty to question the man higher up along the chain? I would think not! I may be wrong on this one. I concede that from the beginning.

Another example, one that can make a big difference. What if the commander in chief makes a war decision? He gives the order. The general decides to change it up a little. What do you think would happen? This general would be discharged from his position, would he not?

My point is this: I respect authority. All authority. I respect authority weather I agree or disagree with what they are asking me to do or not do (Please do not take this out of context, I am referring to simple commands which have no legal or moral bearing). When someone higher up gives me an order, I do it. Is it right for someone give an order, me to do it, and someone else, lower than the one who gave the order but still higher up than me, to get mad at me for carrying out the order because something went wrong (not in how I carried out the order, but with the order itself)?

*Note: This post has nothing to do with school, my department head, principal, or superintendent.

**Note: Sorry for the randomness of this post. I just wanted to get the thoughts out of my head onto the screen.

***Note the "Cost of War in Iraq" ticker at the bottom of the column on the right.

...ugh...

2006-04-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

I am having trouble finding a reason to care these last few weeks. Kids don't care enough to even turn in assignments, behave, or show any respect at all. I guess I am just really, really ready for summer. Anyone have any words of wisdom or encourgement?
On a much lighter note, we had so much fun this weekend with the fam. Taylor has changed so much dosen't she look astute?

Lynyrd Skynyrd

2006-04-17T13:01:00.001-05:00

The Skynyrd Concert on Thursday night was awesome! Andy scored 4 free tix and back stage passes but unfortunately we had already bought tix so we sold them for what we could get. My ears rung so bad for so long after the concert. A good time was had...

SLINGO

2006-04-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

I have found a new faming love. It is called Slingo and I LOVE it. Basicly it is a mix between Solitare and BINGO in s slot machine setup. You can play for free on the website or sign-up for a free membership to play other people at the same time. It is very addicting. I challange you to try it if you like that sort of thing.

Oh yeah...It was a rout...

2006-04-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

Parenting

2006-03-24T08:36:00.000-06:00

I have felt like a parent in many ways this week. We have been watching Mia' this week (which has been a blast). A few observations:

1. When babies cry they are not supposed to stop breathing
2. Babies should eat more at dinner so they don't have to get up at 2:30
3. Babies only have one set of parents
4. What is so hard about going #1&2 in the same diper
5. I suck at changing #2's...
6. Rubber gloves are a must
7. Babies need constant attention
8. There is no substitute for good parenting
9. Babies dont appreciate meds with codine (they will learn to love it soon enough)
10. Babies like to play with food, poop, and other things that should not be played with
11. Watching babies sleep is facinating
12. Watching babies wake up (by themselves) is funny
13. Babies don't appreciate tv
14. Babies dont like Jalapeños
15. I want to be a parent someday, I said someday, Jenny!

Out.

Testing Woes

2006-03-07T15:45:00.000-06:00

This week is our school's week to show the state and nation what our students have learned over the years. Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment, and Accountability Program, is what they call it. Ultimately, it is the school's report card. Who is this test really holding accountable? The Principal, the teacher, the student? WHO? Right now, it seems to be only for the teachers. If a student or students do not do well the teacher is to blame! This is assinine. I love that word! Back to the point. What is my point? Students are the ones who need to be held accountable. On rare occasion there are teachers who are, well, shall we say, worthless. The bulk, however, of the accountability should be on the students. The ones who are ignorant. The ones who need to be educated! Some states even retain kids who do not pass their state test. Florida students, I know, cannot recieve a High School Diploma unless they pass the 10th grade test by the time May of the senior year comes. A fellow teacher had a good idea the other day and I like it. Since the Republicans LOVE to spend money why not pay students who perform well on these tests as an added incentive (as if graduating High School is not enough). The only problem is where would this money come from? The republicans answer would be to rob social security. I am not sure where the Democrats would get the money. Maybe we should get some of these LAZY, working aged, able bodied people off of their butts and in the work force to free up some of the money tied to welfare programs. I know what you are going to say: "hey, there ARE some people who need welfare." Yes, I know that but you know as well as I do that there some who don't. So, there. That is my solution. Cut welfare and deposit money into a trust fund for college or trade school for students who make the grade on these state mandated programs. Better yet, let's give out cash. I'm OUT.

Oh, Dick!

2006-02-15T08:34:00.001-06:00

I wonder if this is the face that our Vice President made before shooting a 78 year old lawyer? It is kind of comical in a way. Don't get me wrong, I hope Mr. Whittington is okay in the end when it is all said and done. But common, Dick! Never point a loaded gun in the direction of another human. Doctors say that there may be anywhere from 6 to 200 shots left in this man. How many pellets are in the standard #4 Birdshot anyway? I wonder if he was using environmentally safe steel shot or the faster moving, heavier lead shot that could potentially poison Mr. Whittington's body?

Flying at Half Staff?

2006-02-08T09:23:00.000-06:00

After reading her biography on thekingcenter.org I have come to the realization that Coretta Scott King was not only an advocate for civil rights but an advocate for human rights. She was an amazing woman. She stood behind her husband, she raised her kids, and when her husband died she did not stop his mission. I have nothing but respect for such a person.

Flagspot.net:

In the United States the flag is flown at half-staff, by order of the President, to honor the memory of high ranking government officials upon their death.

USFlag.org:

The flag is to be flown at half staff in mourning for designated, principal government leaders and upon presidential or gubernatorial order. According to these sources, flags are to be lowered "by order of the president" to show mourning of "principal govenment leaders."

I do, however question why the flag was lowered to half staff. In my reading I did not find where she was a principal government leader. What say you?

2006-01-30T10:59:00.000-06:00

On Friday night I completed the Firefighter II course required for insurance purposes. Now I guess if I get hurt/killed someone else will be paying for it!

Part of the requirement for the class were certian Physical Excercises (PE's). One of those was the Spaghetti Drill (Described on the Dec 14 post). This time, after taking the class and learning several different things that helped me, I not only got through it once but went a second time because there was an odd number and someone needed a partner.

A miserable day

2006-01-24T07:31:00.000-06:00

I love to hunt and fish. Generally I have no problem getting up at 2:15 to cook sausage and biscuits for a duck hunt. In fact it is much easier to do that than get up for work. I have a motto: a bad day fishing (or hunting as it were) is better than a good say at work. Sunday, however, was one of the most miserable days to be outdoors. It was around 35 degrees and on top of that it was raining. I woke up and the sun had not even thought about coming up. I was smiling because I did not have to work. My plans were to hunt until 8 and be at worship by 9:20. It was sprinkling but I thought that it would let up. Boy was I wrong! I could not use my waders because they were wet from the last trip so I borrowed some of Jeremy’s. They were a canvas material, which means they absorbed some water which means they were about 2x as heavy. As I was trudging along I decided to take a shorter route to the boat, across an island of sorts. As I did I quickly realized the reason Jeremy and Gillson didn’t take that route. I sank deep into mud and when I tried to move a lost balance and fell face forward into the mud. It was not a pleasant experience. So now I am wet, my jacket is wet and I am miserable. I usually don’t complain about things but I really wanted to. I guess this is my way of complaining. If it were just me, I would have headed back to the boat and gone home. But we didn’t, we stayed until 8:30 getting the decoys, boat, and everything ready. It was a MISERSABLE day to hunt. I will definitely check the weather next time and if it is supposed to rain, I will just catch up on some sleep.

Welp

2006-01-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

DeShawn's funeral was today. I really don't like seeing dead people laying there. It is depressing because they are usually bloded and look totally different. I made an exception today. I went up there with a fellow teacher to view the body. I was glad that I did. Kadijah was there. It was so sad. She was in a wheel chair.

I have had a lot of fire training lately.
Every Saturday this month: First Responder
Last week: Intro to Firefighting
Next week: Intro to Protective Equipment
Feb 18: Extrication Course

By far the one I have looked forward to is the Extracation Course. We will be using the Jaws of Life, Saw Zaw and other kick butt equipment to cut apart a barnd new GMC.

Better News!

2006-01-13T08:11:00.000-06:00

Last night we visited the two mentioned earlier. They had been moved out of the PICU into the same room. They have been taken off the respirator and it appeared to me (keep in mind I have little medical background) that they were still on a feeding tube. The 5th grade girl could speak a little but the 8th grade boy was still asleep. Good news. Prayers are beginning to be answered in the affirmative. To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen!

Sad news

2006-01-12T12:28:00.000-06:00

We lost the baby. I was getting used to the idea of being a dad soon. Jenny took it pretty hard. I did the best I knew how comforting her but that is a hard thing to do. I mean she was carring it, not me. This has been a hard week for the two of us.

Perspective

2006-01-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

It is really amazing how something can change your whole perspective on things. On Friday afternoon I had plans to stay after and whip some boys in Madden 06, and I did. On Saturday I had plans to attend a class on first responders, and I did. On Sunday I had plans to go Duck Hunting, and I did. We didn't kill any ducks but had a great time untill about 8:00 when I recieved a phone call that there had been an accident involving three of my students. One student (a 7th grader) was killed, two other students were seriously injured. Later that day after worship we went down to Little Rock to see them. They were unconcious. It was the worst scene that I have ever seen. Two children laying there. Please remember these in your prayers. Also, remember their family as well.

In all the things going on everything seems to stand still when something like this happens. You forget your plans, your perspective definately changes.

2005-12-29T13:11:00.000-06:00

N29 51.597 W81 15.597

a VERY humbling experience

2005-12-14T09:37:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I am a member of the Gum Springs Volunteer Fire Department. I absolutely love it. It is a time for me to get to get together with some prety cool guys and gals. We meet twice a month to drive the trucks, practice, and, well, shoot the bull. My favorite part is driving the big trucks. Last night I drove the tanker, and let me tell you, there is nothing like braking with several hundred gallons of water pushing you. I also like fire, what can I say, I am a Pyromaniac. So putting fires out is fun too...if only we could set backfires.

Last night at drill we did an obsticle corse of sorts. What they did was turned out all the lights and had 1,000 feet of hose strung out all over the garage. Yes, that is almost one fifth of a mile of hose. We had to crawl through the corse as if looking for victims in full turnouts which include: Jacket, pants, boots, nomex hood, helmet, oxygen tank, oxygen mask, and gloves. All in all I weighed over 120 pounds more than I usually do. It was very heavy. I think that last sentence was an understatement. To crawl one fifth of a mile in jeans and tee shirt would be tough enough but immagine doing it with 120 extra pounds on your back while making sure you had ahold of the pant leg of the person in front of you.

When it was my turn I got on my knees and started to crawl. A great coach once told us (well more than once) that there are only two things you do on your knees and I was definately praying! There were flashing lights and the whole bit. When I got about half way through the corse I began to feel light headed and dizy. We stopped for a moment to find out if everyone was okay. I definately was not but I am not the kind of person to speak up in these situations. I kept going untill the Asst. Cheif made me get up.

I have never quit anything in my life. When I was in middle school I hated my wrestling coach and wanted to quit but my dad would not let me. He instilled in me values that would not let me quit. As much as I have wanted to quit at some things I always finnished. I did not want to quit last night but was, for the first time in my life made to. I was very disappointed in myself. I wanted to just throw the stupid O2 tank down and yell. But I didn't. I went off by myself and thought. The Asst. Chief came up and started talking to me and made me feel somewhat better. "No one finnishes," he said, "that is the point." I was relieved. I finnished more than some people did. Others would not even do it, I later found out.

I woke up this morning with a massive headache and pain in my shoulders and a sence of wanting to make myself better. Wanting to get into shape. Wanting to lose weight. Wanting to finnish the next time we do that drill. Wanting to be the best.

I am thankful for my parents for many reasons. I will never, ever be able to repay them for the values which they instilled in me at such a young age. They have stuck. Thanks, mom and dad.

The Lord's Property"?

2005-12-01T07:27:00.000-06:00

I consider myself to be slightly to the left of center when it comes to politics and middle of the road when it comes to religion. Many religious things puzzle me. Recently we gathered with the saints to worship and study the Bible. The topic of study was differing the institutional and non-institutional churches of Christ, but mainly incidentals and gathering for the purpose of eating in the “Lord’s Property.” My question is, what is the “Lord’s Property?”

An incidental, he described as something that happens with out planning. The first example he used was if some of the saints gathered with the purpose of cleaning and repairing the “Lord’s Property” in a workday. “At noon,” he said, “surely we will hunger and one might say, ‘I am going to McDonald’s do y’all want anything?’” The main purpose for the gathering was for a workday and eating was incidental to the cleaning. A second example of an incidental is if a preacher came to the building to study and he brought his lunch in a brown bag. He came to the building with the purpose of studying and his hunger was incidental to his main objective.

I can see the reasoning to a certain extent. The teacher made the generalization, which I believe to be wrong, that all institutional churches invite the community to participate in these fellowship meals. Ephesians 5:11 tells us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” I agree we are not to invite the community of sinners, the unfruitful works of darkness to fellowship with the saints. Are we not to be “in the world but not of the world.” How can we fulfill the great commission if we cannot as much as have a common meal with those in the world. If it were a sin to have a common meal with in the “Property of the Lord” than the vary Son of God would have been in violation of the will of God. Wait, how can God in the flesh sin? How can Jesus violate the will of his father? (Mat 26:39, John 5:30) He can’t.

That brings me to my next question: what is the Lord’s Property? Lets review some scripture, shall we? I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King (Isa 43:15). For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Rom 1:20). In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth (Gen 1:1). If God is the creator of the heavens and earth, is not everything in the heavens and earth the Lord’s Property? If God is the creator what are we? Borrowers? Tenants? How is a building where the saints meet any different than a house, a school, a field, or a river? My point is that it isn’t any different. No one is gathering on the First Day of the week to have a common meal together. We gather on the first day to break bread as the disciples in the first century did. As for a social get together in the building where the saints meet, it is just another building, yes, it is the Lord’s Property, but so is everything else. These arguments are nothing more than ludicrous.

Harding Hazing

2005-11-17T07:31:00.000-06:00

So I was sitting with my lovely wife watching TV when the preview for the Fox 16 9:00 news came on and it perked my interest just a bit. Apparantly no one will have to put up with garbage from the Kappa Sigs, for they have been disbanded for hazing. You can see the entire article below. But first a small excerpt (my favorite):

"For a Christian university they are very unforgiving. If Jesus was a Harding student he would have been kicked out a long time ago," said a student. [keep in mind this student would not show his face]

...so, to the Kappa Sigs, we bid you adue!

Harding Hazing

Posted on 11/16/2005 9:27:58 PM by Sandra Kirk

Members of the Kappa Sigma Kappa social club are forced to disband. A social club is similar to a fraternity or sorority. Harding University does not allow greek houses on campus, but it does allow social clubs. However this social club was found guilty of hazing and has been shut down.

The Kappa Sig's, one of the oldest and most popular social clubs, is no more. The university began investigating the social club last week after it received a tip that the Kappa Sig's were hazing their new members. We tracked down two "former" members of the social club.

They tell us; not only are these charges ludicrous, but that the rules governing social clubs are so strict they could hardly exist. Both students, fearing retaliation from the university, have asked us to conceal their identity."

Harding University has 32 male and female social clubs consisting of almost 50 percent of the school's population. Kappa Sigma Kappa is no longer one of them. According to the students we talked to Harding began it's investigation last week by interviewing the new members for more than seven hours.

"Harding's rules are so strict anything could be ruled as hazing," said a former Kappa Sig.

According to one former Kappa Sig, the club was disbanded because it allegedly gathered together with out approved adult supervision.

"If there is more than eight members gathered anywhere, let's say Mazzio's if they wanted to be that picky, without a school sponsor you could be disbanded because that would have been a social event without a sponsor,” said another Harding student.

"We list Arkansas state law on hazing and we mirror that," said David Crouch, Director of Public Relations.
Harding would not release the details of the hazing, but did tell us more disciplinary action could be pending.

"We are a Christian University and we believe our students should rise above even the minimal levels of the law," said Crouch.

"For a Christian university they are very unforgiving. If Jesus was a Harding student he would have been kicked out a long time ago," said a student.

A social club is not like a fraternity, and the students can go join other social clubs. But that has to be approved by the dean.

My Source

Opening Morning

2005-11-16T09:37:00.000-06:00

November 19 will mark the opening morning of duck hunting season. I am very excited about this. My morning will start at 2 am when I wake up to leave for Jeremy's house. We have to be at the WMA at 3 am to put our boat in to leave the launch area at 4 am. 30 minutes before sunrise marks shooting hours. The pure adriline of thinking about it makes me sutter at the excitement. We took target practice last week and it is looking like the mallard population will be pretty safe this season with my bad shot. Last Saturday I went to Gander Mountian to load up on supplies. I was shocked at the price of shotgun shells. The price ranged from
$4 per box for lead target shots all the way to $18 per box for high speed steel shot. I decided on the $6 per box. I had to buy steel because lead is not leagal to hunt migratory bird with because of the pollution problem.

Fun times...

2005-11-11T13:27:00.000-06:00

I took my 5th grade class on a field trip to good ole HU today to collect leaves for a project. It was a good, no, great, time! First of all, my 6th graders were pissed because they did not get to go. So when we got back I made them write a paper including three things they could have done to get to go on the trip. Back to the trip... were on the front lawn doing our "Field Work" and several hot chicks stopped to talk to my boys. They loved it and I was proud for them. I think they actually thought the girls liked them. After they colleced their samples we ate in the cafeteria. Oh, my! I think they ate every piece of pizza they had prepared. They ate so much...pizza, hamburgers, french fries, ham sandwitches, waffeles, cookies, cake, pie, ice cream, really, anything and everything they could find. I am really glad they got to experience that! It did my heart good to see those kids get to enjoy that kind of experience. As a former HU student, I know that I hated the cafe but seeing kids that don't get to eat out a lot was good.

Dazed & Confused

2005-11-08T08:14:00.000-06:00

The past several days have been a daze to me. It started on Saturday night, I believe. It all started when I took the last of my Hydrocodone to help go to sleep at 2:00 am. I woke up Sunday morning with a mild sore throat. The sore throat progressed into an achy body and going from hot to cold very quickly. I have never had the flu, so I am not sure if this is it. For the next days, leading up to today I have taken Nyquil (the greatest stuff ever, but I do not recommend the original flavor) at night and Tylenol Sore Throat. It is supposed to be non drowsy but it sure does leave you with a good feeling. The only down fall is that you are not supposed to take them together because they both have Acetaminophen, a drug that can cause liver damage. Hopefully I will be able to get a doctors appointment today to get some real meds and maybe, just maybe start to feel better.

2005-10-31T09:34:00.000-06:00

Tuesday was a day of firsts. It was the first time I got my grades done and on report cards before the day of parent-teacher conferences. It was the first time I really understood why a particular student thinks everyone is out to get him. More memorable though, Tuesday was the first time I dressed out in full turnouts (Pants, Jacket, Boots, Nomex Hood, Helmet, Oxygen Tank, and Mask) and got timed for it. It was exciting. I could feel the adrenaline running throughout my body with anticipation. At first we were told to put our turnouts on just to see how it feels to breathe through the mask. It was definitely weird. We walked around the station for 15 minutes or so trying to keep the censors from going off. It was time. The first guy that was timed did it in 1 minute and 45 seconds. I was impressed. It would take me over 5 minutes to do it, I thought to myself. Whew. It was my turn and all eyes were on me. I wanted to do it in under 3 minutes to avoid embarrassment. I ended up doing it in 2 minutes and 47 seconds. The next morning I woke up with legs that felt like jello. It was worth it. I felt good about my time.
Friday after noon I came home and got a page. Not a medical page, but a real page. I had been anticipating this for months. It was my first fire. I arrived on the scene too late to be able to drive a truck so I had to drive my own. I was in full turnouts minus the oxygen tank. I was pumped. I had to walk what seemed like 2 miles but in reality was less than 1 mile. I was on the scene from 4:30 until 7:30. It was only a grass fire. The farmer was bailing hay and the baring on his bailer got too hot and began sparking burning over an acre of hay field. It was so much fun!

Dirty Money

2005-10-21T07:14:00.000-05:00

Well, isn't this just peachy. I love it when republicans, or anyone for that matter, make fools of themselves. Here we have the former house majority leader, Tom Delay arrested on charges of conspiracy and money laundering. Heh, heh, heh. The thing about campaign finance is that it makes it nearly impossible for the average Joe to run for public office, even local ones without taking a serious hit on their check book. What did they do back in the good ole days when there was no TV campaign? They made the whistle stop tour around the country, appealing to the farmer and factory worker. Now days the American worker, most of the time, knows little about the cantidate. Ah, well, dirty republican money. I am glad someone finally got caught. Now if we can just do something about Halliburton

The one that got away

2005-10-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

I have become quite the conservationist. When I fish, I release what I catch. I enjoy seeing other fly fisherman catch fish. The success of a fishing trip is not determined by how many fish that I catch but rather somtething that transcends mere fish caught. I am not sure, however, what it is. I don't know if I am not sure if I have ever had a bad trip. Even when I am not catching something, I can focus on technique, posture, and the sights on the river. On Saturday I had an excellent trip to my beloved Río Rojo (Little Red). I caught and released eight rainbows in a two hour span. I was beginning to hunger and dicided on one last cast for the day and had a huge strike. I battled with the German Brown for what seemed like hours, but in reality was over twenty minutes. I stripped line and then let it run. I reeled line and would let it strip line. Back and fourth for what seemed like an eternity. It was worth every minute of the excitement when I first layed eyes on her. A beautiful brown girthy with antisipation of the upcomming spawn later this month. After beholding her I attempted to pick her up and the blood knot broke with my heart, for the brown will likely die with the #12 Olive Wolly Bugger lodged in her throat. I was saddened but quickly retrieved my 5x Flourocarbon Tippett to repair my line. After second thought I packed my gear and headed home with head hung low. Later that afternoon I returned to the fly shop to get some education offered by Jed Holland on knot tying. He taught me a much simpler way of tying leader to tippet, a double sergons knot.

Tornado

2005-09-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Scary stuff Saturday night. We were eating at Doc's for Jenny's B-Day and sirens began to go off. I was like man this would be a cool place to die. We would definately make the news. But everyone else didn't think so. So we went to Jeremy's house to go to the storm shelter. By then the storm was past.

I love bottle rockets. I love A&W rootbeet in a frosty mug. A bit of advise: dont mix the two.

Google Earth - Products

2005-09-12T12:21:00.000-05:00

Google Earth - Products

This may just be old news, in fact I know that it is but I like it anyway. With this program you can view satellite images all over the world. This is amazing technology!

FOXNews.com - Politics - FEMA Scraps Debit Card Program

2005-09-09T18:52:00.000-05:00

FOXNews.com - Politics - FEMA Scraps Debit Card Program

Woah, wait one minute. Debit cards for hurricane victims? That hardly seems um...What's the word...Thought out...? Don't misinterpret me. I am all for helping out the victims of this horrific natural disaster, but with free money, money to do what ever they want to with it. Hardly seems economic. The way I see it is there are two kinds of people left victim in NOLA: idiots who did not heed warnings to get out and those who are too poverty stricken to do so. The the later are most likely in that situation because of poor money management decisions to begin with. Lets help them all we can. Put them up in hotels/apartments for a while until they can find jobs, feed them, cloth them, educate their children, do anything possible to help their truly unfortunate situation but why put cash money into the hands of people who will most likely abuse it. What is next, passing out cash to those on welfare? Who is to say they won't squander the money on expensive cloths, over priced food, tobacco and alcohol products, and God forbid drugs. It seems to me that there must be a better way to handle the situation. Surely the government can buy food, cloths, etc. At a much lower cost. I just don't see why our tax dollars should go to potentially abusive people. I do not meen to sound unsympathetic with any of this, I just think there is a better way to handle the unfortunate situation. I know some of you are saying, "You effin moron, did you forget what you posted only a week ago?" My answer is, no, I have not for gotten. I simply want the best for these people, and I think they can have better (and more) if the government handled the purchasing in this situation for the same reason I do not support privatizing Social Security.

Changing our way of thinking

2005-09-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

When I see the pictures on CNN (and the only reason it is CNN is because the basic Dish package dosen't get Fox News) of the disaster in New Orleans I am at a loss of words. My first thoughts when I saw the first pictures of the people who were stranded were that they were just stupid for staying in the wake of such a huge storm. Then I realized that these people (for the most part) could not leave. They were poor to begin with. My thoughts then changed to...well, I cannot really think of the words to use. I guess pity. I was talking with a friend about how meaningful it would be to go down there with the flat bottom boat and help people to safety but the roads are blocked off. My next thoughts were of rage. Rage for the media insulting the feds for taking too long to get food, water, and medical aid. If ever there were a media event pushing racism it would be this event. All they show is black men looting. Rage against the ignorant people shooting at rescue helicopters rescuing those who need help the worst. I then had thoughts about myself. How I might react to such an event. How gas prices were going to affect me. I was discussing gas prices with a friend at work and she said something that really made me change my way of thinking. There have not been many people that have been able to do that as I am much closed minded when it comes to things (yes, I realize this) but this person did. She said, "at least we can pay for gas." I stopped thought and then immediately made a resolution to not complain about our situation, no matter what it is. We could have it worse...A lot worse! I have been blessed. I have a car, a house, a wife and family that loves me (most of the time). I have been blessed. Another friend said something that made me mad. She said maybe god is destroying the city for its sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants all men to be saved. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. That's all there is to it. They may have done something to deserve utter destruction, but haven't we all? I believe there are good people in that city and I believe they will be stronger people after surviving such an event! My attitude has changed. I will do my best (and I hope you will help me) to be thankful for the blessings that I have. I will do my best to consider what others are feeling and not selfishly only consider what is best for me and my corner of the world.

Life's Brevity

2005-08-30T07:18:00.000-05:00

I have recently been reminded of life's brevity.

The Brevity of Life

What is man, but a vapor?

A mist eaten by the rising sun

He is born in the morning

And by noon his life half done

By twilight his time is full

With the setting of the sun

And ere the light recedes

The sun and man fade as one

Quit yer whining

2005-08-29T12:21:00.000-05:00

An article form Arizona State University's student news paper is very interesting. Although it does not talk down on harding it does contrast the differences between it and a state school quite nicely. My thing about Harding is this: If you chose to attend (key word being CHOSE) Harding than you choose to adopt the rules, like it or not. Yes you are 18, you can legally purchase cigarettes, yes, you can legally purchase porn, yes you are 21, you can legally drink, yes, you are old enough to sleep around if you wanted to. But remember, you chose to attend Harding. So stop wining and complaining about Harding. It is a choice and you made it.

First week of school

2005-08-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

Its been a relatively short week considering Jenny is gone for a week. The first week of school was great. I enjoy my home room for the most part. There are a few students who could pose a problem later on down the road if I don't nip it in the bud. I did things a little different this year. I spent the first full week going over rules and procedures for the classroom and the lab. On Friday I gave a test. It wasn't a very hard test but I wanted them to know the rules! Monday will be the first real day of classes. We are doing a kind of an introduction lab on measurement.

Fifth Graders

2005-08-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Fifth graders are great. They are not near as concerned with popularity and the social pecking order as are sixth graders. I love the fifth grade.

Time for a change

2005-08-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

Not sure why but I have decided to slowly make the switch to this blogging service. I guess there are a number of reasons:

1. The basic service on blogger is like xanga's pay service.
2. It looks semi professional.
3. You can link other blogs that are not blogger, i.e. Xanga, Live Journal, etc.