Imagination Starts Here!

Color me inspired. Folks who paint with their mouths like Jack Reich (left) wow me.

For further wowing and to read a bit about Jack please check out Jack's website.. appropriately the site is titled Imagination Starts Here.

Jury Duty Story

Is this cartoon a hoot or what? I think that it so represents the attitudes and thinkings that people bring to the jury box. With all of the legal drama stories on TV and Film I think that people bring a very wide diversity of opinions to the courtroom when they show up for jury duty. I guess that is why the lawyers sometimes take a long time to select a jury.

My Facebook friend Bill is waiting today to be picked for a Jury out in Bakersfield, California. It reminded me of the one and only time that I have been selected to actually serve on a jury. Here is my memory of my week of service in a courtroom in downtown Houston in the spring of 1976:

Jury duty started on Monday and by Tuesday we were empaneled in the courtroom where we sat hearing the evidence for a few days. From what I remember the case was about a guy that was hit by a truck owned by a fairly large company - don't ask me who they were.. don't remember. If recollection serves me right the company's insurance company did not want to pay as they felt the truck driver was not at fault.

The courtroom part was over on Wednesday and we were released to the jurors' room on Thursday morning where we began to discuss the merits of the case. From what I remember at least 11 of the 12 of us had to agree on the verdict.. one person could not hang the jury. Pretty quickly 10 had come to the decision that the truck driver was not at fault - I and one other person did not agree with the rest and would not be convinced other wise.. it is the way that we left the courthouse late Thursday.

Friday morning seemed a bit different.. jurors started saying things like "I can't get off work next week" or "My company isn't paying me for this" - and an odd shift of opinion began to occur.. by early Friday afternoon I watched all but one juror change their opinion about who was at fault in the accident. It was a very weird turn of events. By Friday afternoon we had decided against the trucker's company and we were dismissed by the judge. And no one had to come back on Monday.

I wonder how many trials are decided this way. Surely criminal cases are not. But I do wonder how many decisions by juries are rushed because of the schedules and priorities of the jurors. I know it shouldn't be that way but people can be pretty pragmatic.

Have you ever served on a jury? What are your recollections? Any lessons learned?

Funny Cars

These images from ZDNet put a smile on my face this afternoon.

Can you imagine riding in around in that chicken mobile?

Anyone have a clue about how an old guy like me would get into those bottom two cars?

What do you figure it cost to make these special mods?

Makes me remember some of those other funny cars like The General Lee, The Love Bug and The KITT Car.

Any other funny cars come to mind?

Remembering Jill

Last night heaven became a bit more glorious. My cyber-friend Jill Hollis passed away and suffers no more from ALS. Jill is free of her wheelchair and now walks and runs on the streets of heaven. To commemorate her passing I thought that I would offer a few brief thoughts about a woman that I only knew through her blog writings and a few email messages that we exchanged.

Jill was one of the most inspirational people that I have ever had the privilege and pleasure of meeting in cyberspace. Her joy in the midst of suffering sometimes overwhelmed me. Her overcoming attitude at times humbled me. While experiencing excruciating pain Jill would often write about other people.. her love and care for her family and friends was so exemplary. To give you a sense of her spirit I offer you this excerpt from her blog:

My greatest fear is not death; my greatest fear is that I will live a long time like this. My faith continues to sustain me, but it’s changed. I’ve gone from a “woo hoo” kind of faith to a deeper and more intense one. Cliff and I both strongly believe that our testimony in all of this is that you can love God (we do) and not like what you’re going through (we don’t).

Every time I visited Jill's blog I came away inspired. Her courage, genuineness and transparency were so convicting. She never sugarcoated her pain but so reflected the glory of Christ as she walked through it. Jill's life so honored God. I was blessed to be her friend.

Please remember Jill's husband Cliff and her children Megan and Joel in your prayers.

Taxes at the Pump

Just a brief afternoon note (for no good reason) about taxes on gasoline. For years I have been crossing the state line from Kansas to Missouri to buy gas because of the difference in the tax on a gallon of petrol. A few observations from the map:

• Alaska: 26.4¢/g - the lowest tax.. no other state is close
• California: 67.0¢/g - the highest tax
• Hawaii: 63.5¢/g - second highest tax
• Kansas: 43.4¢/g - haven't bought much gas there lately
• Missouri: 35.7¢/g - why I rarely buy gas in Kansas
• New York: 63.3¢/g - overtaxed state of my birth

Interesting to note where the blue, gold and red states are located on the map.
I feel pretty fortunate to buy gas cheaper because Missouri doesn't overtax us at the pump. Where does your state fit? Above or below average tax rates?

Shared Sacrifice

Saw an interesting interview this morning on Morning Joe with NY Times columnist Bob Herbert about his recent column titled We Owe the Troops an Exit. Here is the way that Herbert ends the piece:

One of the reasons we’re in this state of nonstop warfare is the fact that so few Americans have had any personal stake in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no draft and no direct financial hardship resulting from the wars. So we keep shipping other people’s children off to combat as if they were some sort of commodity, like coal or wheat, with no real regard for the terrible price so many have to pay, physically and psychologically.

Not only is this tragic, it is profoundly disrespectful. These are real men and women, courageous and mostly uncomplaining human beings, that we are sending into the war zones, and we owe them our most careful attention. Above all, we owe them an end to two wars that have gone on much too long.

I may not agree with everything in Herbert's column but I do agree with the idea that there is no shared sacrifice in these wars.. sadly our troops and their families bear the brunt of these wars. Truthfully, the Vietnam War was ended because of the backlash against the national draft that somewhat forced a shared sacrifice in that war.

I think that this is true in many issues of life - Americans, and people in general, do not always want shared sacrifice. We may feel sorry for people who have lost their jobs but we are not very happy when someone asks us to sacrifice our own comfort to help them out. Many times we complain about welfare programs not understanding why folks cannot just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. About that, I thought that this Facebook comment on bootstraps from my friend Brian was insightful:

"What is wrong with the pull yourself up by your own bootstraps mentality is that no man is an island. We are all dependent on each other. We, who are successful didn't get here on our own. The United States is a wonderful land of opportunity and we get to partake of the fruits of others labor that has provided us with education, a healthcare system, etc. that allows us the opportunity to thrive.

I don't have an "someone owe me something" mentality, so I'm not here to defend that. What I do have is an "I owe something back" mentality."

I liked the idea that "I owe something back".. that I have an obligation to help others in this generation, and the next, because people from this, and previous, generations have helped me. In a sense the shared sacrifices of previous generations have provided opportunities that we now currently enjoy. Maybe that it the whole point?

Can you think of sacrifices that others have shared to enable your current success?

Tapping into Frustration

I remember the unofficial mantra of the 1992 Clinton Campaign - "It's the economy stupid!"  It was an effective slogan that took hold of America when videos of then President Bush surfaced of him seeing a grocery barcode scanner for the first time. That slogan and that image tapped into a deep frustration that many Americans were experiencing. In a sense it was not the economy at all.. it was the frustration that many were feeling about the economy and the seeming ineffectiveness of the government in dealing with it.

This kind of frustration has been winning (or is that losing?) elections for a long time. My first recollection was of Jimmy Carter beating Gerald Ford - people were frustrated about Watergate and his pardon of Richard Nixon. Four years later Ronald Reagan ousted Carter - people were frustrated with his inability to deal with the Iran hostage crisis. In 1992 Bill Clinton ousted President HW Bush as people struggled with the frustration of the economy.. and third party candidate Ross Perot didn't help. Eight years later folks frustrated by the Lewinsky scandals narrowly elected George W Bush.. and 8 years after that an America frustrated by a war overseas and economic woes elected Barrack Obama.

Many outside of governmental leaders have also tapped into this frustration. Squawk Radio and Cable TV have really tapped into this frustration. The celebrity hucksters.. you know who they are.. have made millions of dollars fueling these frustrations. In a sense these folks would not be in business if it were not for our frustrations. Sadly they rarely offer antidotes other than some form of revolutionary rhetoric that instructs us to get rid of the bums in power.. as long as we keep their bums in power.

I guess what I am trying to say is that frustration may not always be the best motivator to take action. I know that I have made some bad decisions when I am frustrated.. not that they have all been bad.. it is just that, in retrospect, decisions made out of frustration are usually subject to second guessing. Maybe there are more positive ways to deal with frustration? Maybe refocusing on something positive would crank down the frustration a bit? Maybe listening to music would be a good alternative to Squawk Radio? Maybe it is time to turn off Squawk TV and watch a movie? Maybe?

Are you frustrated? What are effective ways of dealing with frustration?

The Joy of Bitterness

Ever wonder why some people seem to get a perverted sense of joy out of the negative things in life? It seems that witnessing the hardships of other makes them happy. There is a verse in the Psalms that speaks to this.. it goes like this:

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

It reminds me of a time in my life when I was not getting along with my boss at work. It seemed that she did not like me and was always picking on me. One day I was praying about this situation and I became aware.. aware of how much bitterness I had amassed towards her. I was cut like a sharp sword by the news. I began to pray and started to renounce with tears the bitterness that had captured me. As I prayed I asked God to fill me up with love towards my boss. And something happened - my attitude began to change and my relationship with my boss improved.

I think that bitterness is such a deceitful emotion.. the way that it grabs hold of us is so subtle.. the feelings of self-righteousness that accompany it are so powerful. Often when we are hurt or in pain we long for justice.. we want restitution for the unfair ways that we have been treated. And when justice does not seem to come we create a perverted form of justice and welcome bitterness.. and soon bitterness grows from a root to a full grown tree. Once bitterness gets a hold of us we find that it enraptures our life with perversion - and no one can share in it's perverted joy.. even though we freely share it.

I know that I don't usually go to these places here but today I wanted to share this with you because I know the perverted joy of bitterness. I still find myself having to deal with bitter thoughts towards friends and bitter feelings towards God. I wish it were not so but I have found that hardship and difficulties can still set me on a dark path of bitterness. Happily my spiritual radar is a bit more sensitive to bitterness and I find that I deal with it a bit sooner.. but it still sometimes sneaks in under the radar.

If you find yourself caught up in bitter thoughts I suggest that you do what I did.. renounce the bitterness.. call it out and repent of it.. and ask God to fill you with love. Love may not come over night.. sometimes I have prayed many times.. sometimes bitterness is cut down a branch at a time.. sometimes bitterness is defeated one loving act at a time. The good news is that the bitter tree will fall.. evil will be overcome.. as we pray.

TV Watching Nostalgia

Sadly, I am old enough to remember a time when our family did not own a television. This cartoon reminded me of that day in the mid-fifties when that gigantic blonde-wooded console TV arrived in our house. Back then there were five TV stations in New York - ABC, CBS, NBC and two independent stations. Everything was black and white.. and would be until I left home in 1968 for military service. Of course nobody in my neighborhood had color TV.

Initially the TV shows I loved to watch were all on Saturday morning.. there was My Friend Flicka (Peter Graves first TV show - way before Mission Impossible).. Sky King (a show about a rancher that flew airplanes).. Roy Rogers (ever heard of Gabby Hayes?).. Gene Autry (the singing cowboy).. and the Lone Ranger (I loved this one the most). During the week my sister and I loved to watch the Mickey Mouse Club.. I remember liking the Mouseketeers and having a Mickey Mouse hat with the big ears.

On Sunday afternoons I can remember watching Shirley Temple movies.. yes, this 6 year old really loved watching her.. I did not realize how old those movies were and how old she actually was when I was watching those movies on TV. The big Sunday evening event in our house was the Ed Sullivan Show - wow, does that bring back memories of Beatlemania.. I can still hear my sister screaming at the TV.

The 1960s brought a few memorable shows.. The Twilight Zone was a favorite - my sister and I would watch it every Friday night.. American bandstand came on every weekday after school - Dick Clark never seemed to age. Sitcoms like I Love Lucy, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Dobie Gillis, the Danny Thomas Show, Leave It To Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet and Father Knows Best.. to name a few.. reflected a simpler and more naive time in America.

I think that I could go on and on regaling of life before cable TV. Life seemed simpler.. maybe the fewer channels on the TV is reflective of that simplicity? Maybe color TV and UHF stations brought a bit of complexity with them? Not that I would trade where we are today.. but it would be interesting to know what life would be like if we only had 10 TV stations.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. What are your earliest TV memories?

Hate Crimes

This week brought the issue of people assaulting people based on hate front and center as we all heard this story:

Michael Enright, a 21-year-old aspiring filmmaker, faces charges of attempted murder and assault as a hate crime after being accused of slashing a Manhattan cabdriver after asking him if he is Muslim.

The story brings back memories of one in Kansas from last year as the news of the murder of an abortionist began to unfold. This news also surfaced this week:

Three of the seven Long Island teenagers who admitted to being part of a gang that targeted Hispanics for violence were sentenced to seven-year prison terms Wednesday for their roles in the 2008 killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant.

The issue of hating peoples on a wholesale basis is an age old one. Even the bible tells us about the hatreds that existed between Jews and Samaritans in Jesus' day. Wars based on ethnicity have plagued the world for ages. The whole issue of prejudicial hate reminds me of an experience that I had in a public speaking class in the early 80s.

The teacher was a pretty famous acting coach from New York who was teaching our class of about 10-12 Ma Bell employees. I took him out to lunch one day at my favorite New York style deli and got to know him a bit.. as we talked I shared with him that I was taking night classes at a local bible college. When we got back to class he put me on the spot and asked me to share an impromptu sermon with the class - yeah he was a bit ornery.. many of us New Yorkers are. Here is the gist of my mini-message that day.

A verse from the Old Testament popped into my mind as soon as he asked me.. it was the one from the sixteenth chapter of first Samuel where the prophet Samuel is sent to Jesse's house to crown a new king of Israel. As the prophet sees Eliab, one of Jesse's good looking sons, he feels that he has seen Israel's next king. It is then that Samuel hears the voice of the Lord saying:

"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

My message to that small group of fellow employees was that we ought not look at the superficial aspects of a person like their outward appearance. To get past prejudice we must get past the externals. We must do all in our power to be like God in this.. we must try know each other at a heart level. If we do not then hate is lurking and waiting for us.

When I think of 21-year-old Michael Enright all I can feel is sad. How is it that a man this young has embraced a hate so deep? What possesses a man just starting his life to do such a vile thing? How is it that Michael has missed God's message of love? It reminds me of where hate can lead us when we embrace those hateful messages that some proclaim.