partsofspeaking

I watched a significant part of this convention, on Fox of course because it was more likely to show the whole thing.  I watched Ann Romney's, Mike Huckabee's, Marco Rubio's, Clint Eastwood's, and Mitt Romeny's speeches.  I wanted to watch Paul Ryan's but was exhausted Wednesday night and just couldn't stay up.  Nor did I hear one of my heroes, Condi Rice, so I hope to watch those online today.  I was amazed, and not unhappy, with the snarkiness of it.  Some great lines, especially Ryan's on the twenty-somethings living in their parents' basements and looking at the faded Obama posters and wanting to get on with their lives.  I have one of those twenty-somethings (he is taking care of his grandmother now, as she is going through chemotherapy).  I am angry about his job situation.  He has three interviews for a job and is told . . . well, sometimes nothing.  This has happened at least three times, maybe four.  As to Clint Eastwood's, ...

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/july-august/the-cosmos-best-kept-secret.html

At the risk of seeming like a curmudgeon today, I am going to take issue with a common phrase, "giving back." Giving back means something that was given is being returned.  It is a common term for community service that is voluntary as opposed to court-mandated.  People use it with good intention, but as with most cliches they aren't thinking about the actual meaning. The people most likely to give back are people who haven't taken much in the first place, who have been giving all along, paying their taxes, making opportunities for others, teaching, working hard, building something.  It seems to me that the people who should give back would be those people who have lived off the community (or state) largesse for years, not those who are making the state largesse possible. Yes, we all benefit from the work of those before us.  Nobody is stupid enough to argue that we don't stand on the shoulders of giants or, more likely, normal people who worked hard and did...

On my Kindle I am reading this fabulous Dickens tale.  What's wrong with writing today is that we don't read enough Dickens.  But that is not the point of this post. Last night, against my better judgment, I had Hannity on TV.  Not a fan.  Strident, one-note, almost megalomaniac opposition to Obama.  The point of the show was to review/dissect/promote a documentary called "The Hope and The Change."  It is about people who voted for Obama talking about how disappointed they are and how they won't vote for him again. Well, my response to this is just plain "Duh."  I have three levels of criticism on this. 1.  Anybody who voted for Obama in 2008 and is whining now should just plain be ashamed and not have the nerve to get on a movie and be seen.  Those persons did not have the critical thinking skills to look at who Obama was then and is now.  The facts were there.  His political positions were not hidden.  They were taken i...

I've always thought Jeff Foxworthy was hilarious, but he's much deeper.  He also has (almost) a degree from Georgia Tech. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/august-web-only/jeff-foxworthy.html

I saw that on a bumper sticker yesterday, in Atlanta (or vicinity).  I like that.  I did not wait until I was retired to go to Europe.  I went five times, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003 (although I haven't been back since and haven't traveled much in general because of my son's education).   I am glad I did not postpone it, and I tell everyone they shouldn't wait.  Waiting until retirement to do everything is foolish.  I think living for retirement is foolish in general, but I have a better job than most people.  I love my job. 

I teach rhetoric.  That's public speaking, among other things.  Last night I head Dr. Russell Moore of Southern Baptist Seminary preach, for the second time.  Man, is he good.  That's preaching, old school yet very contemporary.