Satellite

We have been there.  And now some have brought death there.

I can't now count the number of times that I've read a news article and think, "Wow, that could have been me."

Does it really matter, though, that it could have been me?

I don't know.

But imagine that up to 9 people now have family who are asking, "Why was it them?"

We have got to give them a reason to have a good answer.

Not a lot of people hanging round

I want to be more than a thousand suns.

I want to be better than this terminal world.

And no more pushing ice around.

Standing ovation

I'm a little disappointed in myself and in America at times.

My wife is slowly eroding my resistance to reality tv. First it was "say yes to the dress" Next was Big Brother, slowly followed by cooking shows. Ok, Big Brother was dumb trash, but amusing. But now, she is slowly dragging me into the bachelor.

And every night, I weep inside for myself and for America. Because this is what gets presented to young men and women as the ideal of romantic love. What? Hyperreality at the worst possible time, the date. Is it any wonder that only one of the numerous couples on this show has had a relationship that has made it to a wedding? Is it any wonder that the women on the show go away a mess when they don't get picked? When love becomes reduced to a series of totally unrealistic dates and snatches of accelerated physical intimacy, and hearts are given away for ratings on tv... Is it any wonder divorce rates are so high? Is it any wonder that people from other cultures look at us and are repulsed?

Sigh. There but for grace go I. And all of this a molehill a mile high.

Is it a bear or a rabbit?

Yesterday, my wife signed us up to be phone spammed.

We were looking at insurance, and she signed up for an online insurance quoter. Within two minutes, she got called by three insurance agents. I was slightly upset by this, and chastised her a little bit. When she called about an hour later, we had figured out what we were wanting to do, so she told the agent that was unceremoniously hung up on.

So we hatched a plan to have fun with the next caller.

This afternoon, New Years Day, we were called by another insurance agent.

I answered the phone. After the initial greetings, the agent asked what we were looking for, insurance for just Diane or our family.

"Actually, we're looking for insurance for our entire family." I replied.

"So by entire family, that's you and your wife?" She asked.

"For me, my wife, and our stuffed animal." I said, in as straight of a voice as I could.

There was silence for about five seconds, and then she asked, "Is it a bear or a rabbit?"

"She's a bear."

The agent laughed and then said, "Happy New Year! Ok, so insurance for you and your wife?"

Stifling back laughter, I said, "Well, we really are looking for health insurance for our stuffed aninmal."

"Well, our insurance is for people who are animate, and your bear is inanimate. So, unfortunately, we won't be able to offer insurance for you."

I couldn't get out telling her that Ronden does talk to us regularly, so that I did think she could qualify as animate. Instead, I just wished her Happy New Year and thanked her for her call.

We are pretty awesome, I think.