stories

When a friend died in Afghanistan in 2009 I felt like the world ended; we weren’t closest friends or even really close friends and it hit me so much harder than anything I can describe. For all his friends and family and his wife and his pals, the world ended when he left it.

A few days ago 30 American troops died in Afghanistan; and one by one the calls went out to the families, in a few hours call by call thirty worlds ended in fire and smoke and burning tears.

I wasn’t a part of any one of them, but dammit I don’t want to do anything right now but sit on the floor and cry my eyes out.

other

Not long ago 23 seemed really old and far away, practically knocking on codgerhood’s front door.

GIT OFF MY LAWN KID.

(gotta be ready for when codgerhood opens the door)

 

other

Lane groups from left to right correspond loosely to breast cancer stages one through four (at diagnosis).

Wow. Not a lot of words come to mind right now.

http://xkcd.com/931/

ideas

Have enough time in the morning to enjoy a second cup of coffee after breakfast.

ideas

Angry men shouldn’t be pastors

other

Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine that I would want a 16 year old girl I don’t even know, especially a rags-poor student with a scholarship, to test positive for pregnancy.

So what was the result?

Negative.

Which means that we don’t really know why she nearly died this week.

(I wrote this without editing because I only came to the office to grab my computer and head back to the house before the rain comes)

Edit:
Just to be clear, a girl in the sponsorship program got really sick, and after a lot of tests we were still inconclusive, then the doctor recommended a pregnancy test as a last ditch effort, and it came out negative. Right now he says it’s Anemia that nearly developed to Hepatitis A…not sure I buy it.

other

Yesterday the Sounders played one of their best games ever:

 

 
And today was a great but at the end sad game for the USWNT. The game was intense, but all that matters in the end is the penalty shootout.

 

funny, stories

Here in Guatemala, after the rain, these huge beetles come out. I mean, really freaking huge. And slow. Flying, slowly, loudly, seeking..uhh..well, I really have no idea what they’re doing at all. They come in numbers, too; we’re talking 5-8 at every street light, and who knows how many in the darkness in-between. The little ones are the size of a film canister, the really big ones would give your hands mass a good run for its money.

After living here for 9 months good dave gave in to bad dave, in a weak moment my goodwill caved in to crude desire. I punted a giant flying beetle.

So, did I mention that these beetles also have a giant Rhinoceros-like horn?

other

I was thinking about the times forgiveness and I have crossed paths, when was it easy and when was it not.

Entirely buttfuzz-in-the-teacup backwards of what would make sense, the toughest for me is to forgive is the idiot. The person who really had malice in their heart is easier to forgive. (Well, it could also be that I’m confusing forgiveness with willed forgetfulness)

One idea: maybe because there’s a good feeling to forgiving the bad person, kinda like being a martyr or giving money when folks are watching, but not quite.

I’m editing this draft from a few months ago, and having thought about it more, here’s another thing I think: the idiot who won’t admit (to others or themself) they’ve been an idiot is the really hard one to forgive.

 

ideas, other

So I watched this movie yesterday, and for the first third I’m like “hmm..if this guy is the hero for his ‘determinism’ and they don’t handle with his denseness and worthlessness I’m gonna be disappointed.

So then in the second third and I’m like OK, this is looking like they’re gonna handle stuff, this could turn out a great movie.

I’m thinking here that this movie could turn out to be a beautiful re-tone and refinement and media-shifted version of Shop Class as Soulcraft. I’m thinking that maybe, because these are some good actors and maybe the writer’s awesome, it could be not just a “rich suit guy finds meaning in using his hands” gig, but a hard hitting commentary on the meaning of human life.

So then the third third rolls around and I’m like yes, yes I think they may pin this. Maybe it won’t be as great as I want it to be, but we’re goin’ the right way here.

Then the scene on the docks, “these men knew their worth,” and I was like yes. Could’ve been better, I wouldn’t say it’s worth pinning Crawford’s book on, but hey it’s good, not going to whine.

And then a minute later the last scene happened and I found myself sitting in the couch half dazed, with just enough sense to be grumbling some unkind things directed at the directors and writers and producers and actors. Aw c’mon guys.

funny

Great photo that came in on my blog feed (blog: bubblevisor). Or maybe it’s not an out of control hippie van but an engineerhippie van.

 

out of control OR enginerd hippie van

I have one problem and it’s bothering me–what music would be heard coming from such an impressive vehicle?

Would it be bumpy piano hipster rock (Arcade Fire, Avett Bros,…) or heavy metal, old school classic rap (Gangster’s Paradise) or classical (if classical, what classical? Baroque? Romantic? Modern? Stravinsky?). Phillip Glass? Pink Floyd? U2? Classic rock?

Actually nevermind, dumb question. The obvious answer: