From Blueberry to Grape

From Blueberry to Grape

I’m taking karate lessons. I have for years, but for one reason or another, I’ve never been able to make it to black. I’ve been "stuck", then, at blue (or blueberry, as my boys like to call it) for quite some time. In my current class, the instructors, while honoring my belt, wanted me to …

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My votes this Tuesday

My votes this Tuesday

This Tuesday, Oklahoma, along with much of the rest of the nation, will head to the polls to select governors, congressmen, senators, and a smattering of state officials ranging from the obscure to the seemingly trivial. In Oklahoma, in addition to the slate of elected officials, we have 11 state questions on which to cast …

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National Coffee Day

National Coffee Day

It’s National Coffee Day, so I thought I’d (re)share the Beantat Creed: It is by coffee alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire trembling, the trembling becomes a warning. It is by coffee alone I set my mind in motion

“Shame”

“Shame”

Another old favorite of mine, “Shame” by Crystavox, came up in my play list today. It’s a great song about the divide we make in our lives. On one side, we have our daily life, and on the other, we have our faith. At any rate, the chorus says this, So many times we’ve crucified …

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“I So Hate Consequences”

“I So Hate Consequences”

One of my favorite Relient K songs is “I So Hate Consequences,” and my favorite part of that song has to be the outro: When I got tired of running from you I stopped right there to catch my breath There your words they caught my ears You said, “I miss you son, come home” …

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Mark Steyn and the New Spectator Sport: Taxes

Mark Steyn and the New Spectator Sport: Taxes

Here’s a great quote from Mark Steyn on how many Americans pay no taxes at all: And yet for an increasing number of Americans, tax season is like baseball season: It’s a spectator sport. According to the Tax Policy Center, for the year 2009, 47 percent of U.S. households will pay no federal income tax. …

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Income Tax and Privacy

Income Tax and Privacy

In light of the government takeover of personal health care, there’s been a lot of chatter, from those that care about such things, about the inevitable rise of taxes to pay for this massive expansion of government control and power (yes, I’m deliberately loading my language with as many scary words as I can reasonably …

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Thoughts on My Dad

Thoughts on My Dad

As many of you may know by now, my Dad passed away on January 4th after a five month battle with cancer. In the days leading up to his death, and certainly in the days after, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on my Dad – who he is, what he stood for, and what …

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My First Karate Tournament in Years

My First Karate Tournament in Years

I’ve been taking karate lessons off and on for years now. I started with my Dad and my brothers… at some young age, and have tried to continue those lessons as life has permitted. For the past year and half, I’ve been taking lessons at my church. Saturday, I competed in my first tournament in …

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About That Birthday…

About That Birthday…

In a recent Twitter/Facebook post, I mentioned that my birthday, while good, was emotionally exhausting and promised an explanation. If you don’t want possibly too much medical information, you may want to move. Otherwise, here it is… As some of you may know, my Dad has been fighting esophageal cancer for some time now. He …

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