I went to school today to finish grading papers and tests. The semester is over and now it is the last days of finals and all of us teachers now have tons of grading to accomplish. I am just about finished with grading and only have 1 class left to finish up and then post all of the grades. It is always a relief when you submit the last of the grades and call it finished. With the end of the semester comes graduation time. My niece Rachel is excited about graduation this coming Saturday since she will participate. Congrats Rachel!! We love you and are proud of you.
This week the college is also hosting a dean candidate. So, along with finals and grading we have been trying to interview and get to know one of the dean candidates. With so much going on with classes and grading there were only 4 faculty members at a meet and greet today with the candidate. Tomorrow he is supposed to address the entire faculty in the auditorium. Usually they outline there management style, fund raising abilities and contacts, and strategies for moving the college of business forward. So far they have all been strong candidates and I don't envy the committee members who have to make the final call on who we offer the job to.
In other news the bulldozer guy was back out at my place today finishing the building site. It is now the proper size and should be ready for concrete as soon as the building plans are approved and the builders can get started. I'm hoping they will begin work in about a week or so. I'll post pictures as things progress.
Also a reminder that even though we don't know the exact date/day that Christ was crucified and then resurrected today is the day that the Cristian community celebrates and marks as the day of His ascension back to Heaven and to the right hand of the Father. Praise God for the gift of His Son, our Lord and Savior.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Stormy's Gravestone
It's been a couple of weeks now and I thought I would share some pictures of Stormy's gravestone. He was a good cat and a good companion for many years. I got Stormy in 1992 when he was a year old (he was about to be put down by the shelter/vet.). He moved with me from Woodbury in 1993 to Nashville. Then in 1995 I moved to Memphis to work for the Paralyzed Veterans of America and he lived there on Galloway Avenue. After that I moved to Pittsburgh, PA and he was there for 4 years. His last move was from Pittsburgh to Sparta, TN (back near his birthplace). He died earlier this year of renal failure. Ryan helped (actually did all of the work) me lay him to rest earlier this Spring. So being the wimp that I am couldn't let him go without some sort of remembrance. It is a small pet sized marker but will be a good reminder of ole Stormy cat and all the years he kept me company. I'll be able to look off of my front porch and see the grave site.
The bottom picture shows the pond in the background.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Expelled
I went to see the movie Expelled the other day. Of course those on the left are mad and indignant that anybody could question such a well established "fact". Most of the guys I met in graduate school (from biology and anthropology) who were honest with me admitted that Darwin's theories didn't hold water in most of the ways scientist try to use them to support the origin and evolution of man (evolution across species to generate a new species). Of course 5 minutes later that didn't prevent them from quoting it as fact when we started discussing details on the origin of man and how we came to be.
During the 4 years I spent at Pitt, I even had a couple of them admit that evolution" was a very faith based belief system/ world-view, but again only in private and not around other evolutionists. I guess I never thought that they could have been risking their livelihood by admitting this to another researcher (even if said researcher was in the business school and not in the hard sciences). The movie was obviously done to show a side that has not been revealed before so the claims of sensationalism and hype might be appropriate. It was however more balanced than any other recent "documentaries" I have seen or read about. Ben used the scientists actual words and let them hang themselves. It was especially ironic when they called Christians idiots, ignorant and insane to believe what we do and then turn right around and posit that we might have evolved on the backs of crystals or even been seeded by other beings from outer space who had evolved to a higher level than we currently are. As I heard them speak I thought ... "thinking themselves wise, they became as fools". Why will we humans believe anything, no matter how ridiculous sounding, just so long as we don't have to humble ourselves and submit to our Heavenly Father (our creator).
Anyway, I readily plead guilty to being one of the "ignorant" Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, and PZ Myers spoke about, since I believe that God, and God alone, created this little place each of us calls home for 75 plus or minus years (on average). I never really worried about what evolutionist thought about me or God but after viewing this film I am moved to pray more and try to be more understanding towards them. It was really sad to see how hostile many of them were towards God and those who serve Him. He really challenges their world-view.
During the 4 years I spent at Pitt, I even had a couple of them admit that evolution" was a very faith based belief system/ world-view, but again only in private and not around other evolutionists. I guess I never thought that they could have been risking their livelihood by admitting this to another researcher (even if said researcher was in the business school and not in the hard sciences). The movie was obviously done to show a side that has not been revealed before so the claims of sensationalism and hype might be appropriate. It was however more balanced than any other recent "documentaries" I have seen or read about. Ben used the scientists actual words and let them hang themselves. It was especially ironic when they called Christians idiots, ignorant and insane to believe what we do and then turn right around and posit that we might have evolved on the backs of crystals or even been seeded by other beings from outer space who had evolved to a higher level than we currently are. As I heard them speak I thought ... "thinking themselves wise, they became as fools". Why will we humans believe anything, no matter how ridiculous sounding, just so long as we don't have to humble ourselves and submit to our Heavenly Father (our creator).
Anyway, I readily plead guilty to being one of the "ignorant" Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, and PZ Myers spoke about, since I believe that God, and God alone, created this little place each of us calls home for 75 plus or minus years (on average). I never really worried about what evolutionist thought about me or God but after viewing this film I am moved to pray more and try to be more understanding towards them. It was really sad to see how hostile many of them were towards God and those who serve Him. He really challenges their world-view.
Monday, April 21, 2008
School's winding down
The last week of regularly scheduled classes is this week (finals are not week). Since all of my classes have a final that is a project rather than an actual test I will be winding down my classes this week. I have tons of grading to do but it is nice to know that I'll be finished in the next couple of weeks. I will then have about 3 weeks until my summer classes start up. I was hoping my summer classes wouldn't make but I have enough signed up for both classes that they will definitely make this summer.
The big news is that my niece Rachel will be graduating this year. Rachel's class is the largest in school history. Estimates are that graduation will last 3 hours or longer. I won't be attending graduation but will be going out to dinner in Nashville with Rachel and her family (mom, dad and brother Josh). Rachel's mom is my sister so it will be good to visit with them over the weekend as well.
School is almost over for the semester and I should be officially tenured when the TBR meets this summer to vote on all Tennessee higher education faculty tenure applications. The college and university both approved/recommended me for tenure but it isn't official until the TBR votes. I guess after this summer the school will have a harder time getting rid of me.
The big news is that my niece Rachel will be graduating this year. Rachel's class is the largest in school history. Estimates are that graduation will last 3 hours or longer. I won't be attending graduation but will be going out to dinner in Nashville with Rachel and her family (mom, dad and brother Josh). Rachel's mom is my sister so it will be good to visit with them over the weekend as well.
School is almost over for the semester and I should be officially tenured when the TBR meets this summer to vote on all Tennessee higher education faculty tenure applications. The college and university both approved/recommended me for tenure but it isn't official until the TBR votes. I guess after this summer the school will have a harder time getting rid of me.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Building Contract signed
As most of you know I suffer from commitment anxiety (the main reason I am single and 45 - well, other than not being able to find a woman who would say "yes") but managed to finally sign a building contract for my garage/hanger project.
The building will be 60 feet wide by 100 feet long. Along one side wall will be a 20 foot "porch" which will add 2000 sq feet of outside covered area. The building will be sandstone colored steel (with the bottom 4 feet in brick) and the roof will be a barn/brick red steel. I'm hoping the brick will set it off and make it look better than just a giant steel building would otherwise look. It is a little scary to commit to a building project (my first build ever) but hopefully it will be what I expect and will be home for the next few years.
The building will include a large 32 foot wide door on one end wall and 2 standard garage doors on one side wall ( 10 foot wide by 12 foot high garage doors with electric openers). The hanger door will be hydraulic and should yield a full 16 foot high opening to allow larger vehicles and airplanes to have access. If I ever sell, the large door will allow larger farm equipment to have access.
One of the neat things I am doing in this building is radiant floor heat in the entire building. It will have 1 system that will allow the whole floor to be heated and a separate smaller system that will allow the apartment to be heated. I will also insulate the entire building with radiant heat barrier and the apartment will be insulated with 6 inch walls filled with cellulose insulation to ensure a very energy efficient home. I also plan to install instant on water heating for the apartment. This should reduce energy usage for the building as well. I hope to drop my utility bills to almost nothing. I will have city water for the apartment but also plan to dig a well so that any outside water usage for lawn care and livestock watering will be from the well.
I will try to post pictures as things develop on the land. I'm still trying to figure out how to get time lapse pictures of the project and if I succeed will post some video clips showing things as they progress. The next step is trying to get a building permit approved and then we are off to the races.
The building will be 60 feet wide by 100 feet long. Along one side wall will be a 20 foot "porch" which will add 2000 sq feet of outside covered area. The building will be sandstone colored steel (with the bottom 4 feet in brick) and the roof will be a barn/brick red steel. I'm hoping the brick will set it off and make it look better than just a giant steel building would otherwise look. It is a little scary to commit to a building project (my first build ever) but hopefully it will be what I expect and will be home for the next few years.
The building will include a large 32 foot wide door on one end wall and 2 standard garage doors on one side wall ( 10 foot wide by 12 foot high garage doors with electric openers). The hanger door will be hydraulic and should yield a full 16 foot high opening to allow larger vehicles and airplanes to have access. If I ever sell, the large door will allow larger farm equipment to have access.
One of the neat things I am doing in this building is radiant floor heat in the entire building. It will have 1 system that will allow the whole floor to be heated and a separate smaller system that will allow the apartment to be heated. I will also insulate the entire building with radiant heat barrier and the apartment will be insulated with 6 inch walls filled with cellulose insulation to ensure a very energy efficient home. I also plan to install instant on water heating for the apartment. This should reduce energy usage for the building as well. I hope to drop my utility bills to almost nothing. I will have city water for the apartment but also plan to dig a well so that any outside water usage for lawn care and livestock watering will be from the well.
I will try to post pictures as things develop on the land. I'm still trying to figure out how to get time lapse pictures of the project and if I succeed will post some video clips showing things as they progress. The next step is trying to get a building permit approved and then we are off to the races.
Monday, April 14, 2008
USA or USSR ?
I plan to do a little reflecting and then a little preaching...so move on if you don't want to read it.
As most of you who read this blog know, I teach MIS at a local college of business. One of my students did a technology update this week on the new spy satellite that the FBI is going to use to spy on citizens and visitors of the USA. I am amazed that we have allowed things to get this bad as far as giving up our rights all in the name of safety and security. Ben Franklin warned us that: "Those Who Would Sacrifice Liberty for Security Deserve Neither". Not sure if that is an exact quote since I found several derivations of the now famous words of one of our founding fathers. But, the intent and meaning (warning) is unmistakable.
We keep giving up more of our earned rights (thank the men and women who gave their lives for our enjoyed freedoms) all in the name of increased security. As my class discussed the topic it alarmed me that many of them were OK with giving up rights to increase our perceived security. I've said for years that we are not a democracy or even a republic but a socialist democracy ruled by the social and political elite who are supported by us who just want our "government check". As long as they throw us an occasional bone we remain happy and compliant (can you say sheep). It's taken years but the generation in college now (raised up and then taught by the baby boomer generation) are compliant and controllable and willing to give up individual rights and thoughts all in the name of political correctness, security, and tolerance. My question to those in my class (and whomever reads this blog) was/is at what cost to you do we gain this extra perceived security.
Issue two is with the influx of speed and red light monitoring cameras that are making their way into US cities and onto our roadways and byways. How is having a camera that can't fully capture the situation at any given time or place a good thing? The camera can't tell if somebody is coming up fast behind you and can't stop in time if you slam on the brakes to stop at the light changing from yellow to red. The camera can't tell if the owner of the car (registration is how they mail out the ticket) is actually driving the car. The camera can't read the situation and make an appropriate decision based on current weather, traffic and any other environmental factors. I thought our system of law claimed that a man or woman is innocent until proven guilty and yet these traffic cameras assume guilt and even demand payment before the owner of said vehicle goes to court (misses work and or school) to prove their innocence. You can of course elect to miss work and go fight the ticket but many won't and the cities who use such systems (and more importantly the companies that supply and operate the cameras) increase their revenue and claim they have enhanced safety. Too many times the systems have increased traffic accident rates and some cities have even been caught decreasing the traffic signal timing in order to "catch" more red light runners. I plan to fight it here in TN and I hope you will fight them in your state as well.
And to move on to my third issue for the day...at what cost to you do we give up or compromise our individual beliefs and morals so that those who practice degenerate actions can feel "normal" and "mainstream". How much do we compromise before we finally say, "enough already"? Silencing Christians
I am well aware that we are not a Christian nation as many claim (and many have fought to ensure) and yet many of our traditions and laws were derived from the Christian heritage of our founding fathers. But sadly, we have as a nation turned our back on God and have replaced Him with the god of new age relativism and secular humanism. What lie ahead is obvious unless we repent and turn back to the God of our fathers and make Him our God. When our leaders tell us that there are many ways to reach God and each is right in it's own way, I weep. How many are led astray and deceived by these lies? There is only one way to the God of the Bible and that is through the blood of Christ.
I pray that we Christ followers will remain strong in the faith and strive to reflect Him in all we say and do. I struggle with when to remain silent and when to stand firm and proclaim the truth not with arrogance but with the humble heart that only He can give. When I reflect on the truth that I am unworthy of all that He gives and that I fail miserably daily, I retreat and shy away from boldly proclaiming the truth - and am saddened when I do so. For even the sinner I am, knows the truth of Christ my Savior.
As most of you who read this blog know, I teach MIS at a local college of business. One of my students did a technology update this week on the new spy satellite that the FBI is going to use to spy on citizens and visitors of the USA. I am amazed that we have allowed things to get this bad as far as giving up our rights all in the name of safety and security. Ben Franklin warned us that: "Those Who Would Sacrifice Liberty for Security Deserve Neither". Not sure if that is an exact quote since I found several derivations of the now famous words of one of our founding fathers. But, the intent and meaning (warning) is unmistakable.
We keep giving up more of our earned rights (thank the men and women who gave their lives for our enjoyed freedoms) all in the name of increased security. As my class discussed the topic it alarmed me that many of them were OK with giving up rights to increase our perceived security. I've said for years that we are not a democracy or even a republic but a socialist democracy ruled by the social and political elite who are supported by us who just want our "government check". As long as they throw us an occasional bone we remain happy and compliant (can you say sheep). It's taken years but the generation in college now (raised up and then taught by the baby boomer generation) are compliant and controllable and willing to give up individual rights and thoughts all in the name of political correctness, security, and tolerance. My question to those in my class (and whomever reads this blog) was/is at what cost to you do we gain this extra perceived security.
Issue two is with the influx of speed and red light monitoring cameras that are making their way into US cities and onto our roadways and byways. How is having a camera that can't fully capture the situation at any given time or place a good thing? The camera can't tell if somebody is coming up fast behind you and can't stop in time if you slam on the brakes to stop at the light changing from yellow to red. The camera can't tell if the owner of the car (registration is how they mail out the ticket) is actually driving the car. The camera can't read the situation and make an appropriate decision based on current weather, traffic and any other environmental factors. I thought our system of law claimed that a man or woman is innocent until proven guilty and yet these traffic cameras assume guilt and even demand payment before the owner of said vehicle goes to court (misses work and or school) to prove their innocence. You can of course elect to miss work and go fight the ticket but many won't and the cities who use such systems (and more importantly the companies that supply and operate the cameras) increase their revenue and claim they have enhanced safety. Too many times the systems have increased traffic accident rates and some cities have even been caught decreasing the traffic signal timing in order to "catch" more red light runners. I plan to fight it here in TN and I hope you will fight them in your state as well.
And to move on to my third issue for the day...at what cost to you do we give up or compromise our individual beliefs and morals so that those who practice degenerate actions can feel "normal" and "mainstream". How much do we compromise before we finally say, "enough already"? Silencing Christians
I am well aware that we are not a Christian nation as many claim (and many have fought to ensure) and yet many of our traditions and laws were derived from the Christian heritage of our founding fathers. But sadly, we have as a nation turned our back on God and have replaced Him with the god of new age relativism and secular humanism. What lie ahead is obvious unless we repent and turn back to the God of our fathers and make Him our God. When our leaders tell us that there are many ways to reach God and each is right in it's own way, I weep. How many are led astray and deceived by these lies? There is only one way to the God of the Bible and that is through the blood of Christ.
I pray that we Christ followers will remain strong in the faith and strive to reflect Him in all we say and do. I struggle with when to remain silent and when to stand firm and proclaim the truth not with arrogance but with the humble heart that only He can give. When I reflect on the truth that I am unworthy of all that He gives and that I fail miserably daily, I retreat and shy away from boldly proclaiming the truth - and am saddened when I do so. For even the sinner I am, knows the truth of Christ my Savior.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The General
The General arrived on station on December 22nd and was an immediate hit with all of the troops. If you read my blog you know that The General is actually a Russian Blue cat named General Robin Olds (famous F-4 fighter pilot from Vietnam, F86 driver in the 1950s and P38 and P51 during WWII). I've always wanted to get a kitten and therefor be able to bestow a fitting name upon said beast. The beast answers to "General".
Well, if a fighter pilot is known for brashness and leaping into a situation without hesitating, General indeed has a fitting name. He is the only cat I have ever seen who will not twist to land on his feet if dropped upside down(on his back). He doesn't care and simply lands on his back and then looks at me and rolls over onto his feet. At first I thought it was simply because I tried the twist test with him above my soft water bed - but then I tried the floor and he did the same thing. He made no effort to twist around to land on his feet. He is also just a big lug, he jumps and lands hard unlike most cats I have been around who are very nimble and light-footed. It sounds like he is wearing lead boots as he runs around the house at night.
He has survived the early years and continues to grow and mature. He turns 6 months old here in another two weeks and I have to make the dreaded decision whether or not to have him fixed. He is an inside only cat but I know that he will continue to mature and will most likely exhibit the typical male cat tendencies like spraying territory etc. My vet said to wait until he turns 6 months old to have him fixed and I am leaning towards going ahead and having him fixed on his birthday. What a nice present, huh??
As he grows his hair is turning darker gray and the ends are starting to get their silver tinge. He really is a pretty boy and has a great if not sometimes aggressive personality. He is so loving one moment and then turns into attack cat scratching and biting everything in sight. I'm hoping as he matures some of the aggressive biting will tapper off. Anyway, just a little update on The General and his well being. This picture was taken last week.
Well, if a fighter pilot is known for brashness and leaping into a situation without hesitating, General indeed has a fitting name. He is the only cat I have ever seen who will not twist to land on his feet if dropped upside down(on his back). He doesn't care and simply lands on his back and then looks at me and rolls over onto his feet. At first I thought it was simply because I tried the twist test with him above my soft water bed - but then I tried the floor and he did the same thing. He made no effort to twist around to land on his feet. He is also just a big lug, he jumps and lands hard unlike most cats I have been around who are very nimble and light-footed. It sounds like he is wearing lead boots as he runs around the house at night.
He has survived the early years and continues to grow and mature. He turns 6 months old here in another two weeks and I have to make the dreaded decision whether or not to have him fixed. He is an inside only cat but I know that he will continue to mature and will most likely exhibit the typical male cat tendencies like spraying territory etc. My vet said to wait until he turns 6 months old to have him fixed and I am leaning towards going ahead and having him fixed on his birthday. What a nice present, huh??
As he grows his hair is turning darker gray and the ends are starting to get their silver tinge. He really is a pretty boy and has a great if not sometimes aggressive personality. He is so loving one moment and then turns into attack cat scratching and biting everything in sight. I'm hoping as he matures some of the aggressive biting will tapper off. Anyway, just a little update on The General and his well being. This picture was taken last week.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Van's back in Action
Randy came out to the house on Friday morning to pick up the Sprinter to try and get it working for me. He replaced an internal part in the opening drive mechanism and adjusted /aligned the chain. It seems to be fixed and is now working well. Let's hope it keeps working for a while.
I've been looking into new vans and the leading candidate so far is a replacement Sprinter van with the new V6 MB diesel engine. The mileage should be comparable to my current van (around 22-24 mpg depending upon how fast I drive on the freeway). One of the nice things about the newer Sprinters is that they have a factory optional power sliding door. My hope is that with the factory power door option I won't have any issues with the door opener like I have had with my current vehicle. If I decide to go for a replacement Sprinter it won't be until the new 2009 model makes its appearance. I might go with Navy blue this time instead of the silver color I currently have.
I've been looking into new vans and the leading candidate so far is a replacement Sprinter van with the new V6 MB diesel engine. The mileage should be comparable to my current van (around 22-24 mpg depending upon how fast I drive on the freeway). One of the nice things about the newer Sprinters is that they have a factory optional power sliding door. My hope is that with the factory power door option I won't have any issues with the door opener like I have had with my current vehicle. If I decide to go for a replacement Sprinter it won't be until the new 2009 model makes its appearance. I might go with Navy blue this time instead of the silver color I currently have.
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