On Melanie Bettinelli's blog, the Wine-Dark Sea, she mentioned a link to a short movie which Dom had sent her.
Definitely worth watching.
11 February 2008
An unexpected source of self-discipline during Lent
Verizon's "customer service."
My phone line has always been problematic. It always goes out in rainy weather. The weather has cleared now, but no one can hear me when I speak on the phone, and there's the ever-present static.
So I can't report the problem using my own phone.
If you've ever tried to report an issue via the incredibly cluttered Verizon website, you know what I'm going through.
And I have time to work on this today, because I'm home sick.
Yeah.
Tell me again why deregulating the phone industry was a good thing ... ???
My phone line has always been problematic. It always goes out in rainy weather. The weather has cleared now, but no one can hear me when I speak on the phone, and there's the ever-present static.
So I can't report the problem using my own phone.
If you've ever tried to report an issue via the incredibly cluttered Verizon website, you know what I'm going through.
And I have time to work on this today, because I'm home sick.
Yeah.
Tell me again why deregulating the phone industry was a good thing ... ???
05 February 2008
Who's gonna win?
Karen Hall lays it out well, and I'm not going to try to improve on it, rushed as I am at the moment. She says that conservatives will be able to rally behind John McCain, because:
For me, it comes down to, what will the world think of whomever we elect? We can natter about family values and the sanctity of marriage all we want, but we need peace and prosperity at home to accomplish anything of worth, whether at home or abroad.
Those who decry the war might do well to remember that, after the Towers were bombed, it ended for us in our country. Some would say it was because of our exemplary TSA folks, etc. Perhaps. I'd like to think it was also because our media gleefully painted George W. Bush as a reckless, mindless, heartless cowboy - and there were those who - while perhaps not sure about that - were inclined not to test the theory, if you know what I mean.
(Instead, head on over to the Anchoress if you want to hear how it's really going ... the incredible gains the Iraqis are making towards independence, with our help.)
Barack Obama doesn't seem to have the, er, inner strength. It's one thing to get everybody yelling for "change", but can he lead this country if it is under attack? I don't know, and I don't want someone to learn on the job at a time like that. I think Hillary, on the other hand, could inadvertently start a war, by lecturing some intemperate world leader with that second-grade-teacher-ish voice of hers.
McCain isn't perfect. However, I believe he knows the true purpose of government, which is to defend the country so that we can live in peace and get on with our business, literally, which is what supports the world economy. The world leaders all know this. And anyone who stops to remember will know that, while he doesn't make a big deal about it, John McCain proved he has grit, determination, courage, and the kind of leadership ability that will see him through the worst of circumstances.
He also has the kind of resources and relationships needed to assemble a good working Cabinet, not just sycophantic hangers-on.
I'm glad he's still in the race. He has my vote.
(1) He's pro-life.Indeed. And not only against his contenders in the election.
(2) He's a war hero.
(3) He can win.
Many will narrow it down to #3.
For me, it comes down to, what will the world think of whomever we elect? We can natter about family values and the sanctity of marriage all we want, but we need peace and prosperity at home to accomplish anything of worth, whether at home or abroad.
Those who decry the war might do well to remember that, after the Towers were bombed, it ended for us in our country. Some would say it was because of our exemplary TSA folks, etc. Perhaps. I'd like to think it was also because our media gleefully painted George W. Bush as a reckless, mindless, heartless cowboy - and there were those who - while perhaps not sure about that - were inclined not to test the theory, if you know what I mean.
(Instead, head on over to the Anchoress if you want to hear how it's really going ... the incredible gains the Iraqis are making towards independence, with our help.)
Barack Obama doesn't seem to have the, er, inner strength. It's one thing to get everybody yelling for "change", but can he lead this country if it is under attack? I don't know, and I don't want someone to learn on the job at a time like that. I think Hillary, on the other hand, could inadvertently start a war, by lecturing some intemperate world leader with that second-grade-teacher-ish voice of hers.
McCain isn't perfect. However, I believe he knows the true purpose of government, which is to defend the country so that we can live in peace and get on with our business, literally, which is what supports the world economy. The world leaders all know this. And anyone who stops to remember will know that, while he doesn't make a big deal about it, John McCain proved he has grit, determination, courage, and the kind of leadership ability that will see him through the worst of circumstances.
He also has the kind of resources and relationships needed to assemble a good working Cabinet, not just sycophantic hangers-on.
I'm glad he's still in the race. He has my vote.
02 February 2008
This article makes me sad, too
"Even great sex can end in post-coital blues."
What if the emotions are real? Some (I suspect many) men are suffering from a couple of issues: 1.) their emotions are separate from their selves, and entirely ignored unless they cause a problem - in which case, the man just wants to fix it, like a broken alternator, and just move on; and/or 2.) men are persuaded at every turn that sex is good and necessary, and it has nothing to do with love, permanence, etc.
But inside, we know the difference.
Men talk a good game, but I suspect that most want a loving home, too. This man is engaging in behaviour which the wisdom of ages says is best reserved for husbands and wives in the context of home life. When he doesn't have that, his body may be satisfied, but his soul cries out in loneliness and grief.
In fairness, Brian alludes to this by writing, "We communicate other things with sex, too, like satisfaction, bonding and commitment. If we aren’t emotionally invested and ready to communicate those, however, repenting in the car might seem like a great idea."
He does, of course, stop short of the obvious: "If we aren't emotionally invested and ready to communicate those with someone to whom we've committed ourselves in marriage, then we shouldn't write checks with the body that the soul can't cash," or something like that.
And he does point up gently the questioner's apparent immaturity: "By the way, if you try explaining any of this to a lover who asks what’s the rush, you might want to avoid calling her a 'chick.' Just a thought."
Great sex isn't just what happens in bed. Great sex is talking and paying the bills together and reluctantly making time to visit the folks and walking the dog at oh-dark-thirty when the mate wants to sleep. It's getting up in the morning and resolutely going to work, whether that's to an office, a construction site, or the kitchen. It's looking into the eyes of your child in one of those moments when it hits you just who that child is, and how he or she came to be. Mere sex alone is nothing compared to that, and going through the motions just to have physical closeness and nothing more is sad.
Maybe the man will figure that out one day. Maybe it's the Spirit, working on his soul. Let us pray for him to know what's really best for him and for the women he is now merely using.
Q: I’m male, 33, and wonder why the majority of times after sex with a chick I feel depressed. It could be the greatest sex ever, but afterwards I'm depressed and can’t wait to get away from her. As soon as I’m back in my car and on the road I feel better. Any insights?Brian Alexander, the column's author, replies with some quotes from literature, then serves up the obligatory scientific reason:
There may actually be a scientific reason why this happens, though I like the poetry better. It involves the hormone prolactin...But ... but ...
What if the emotions are real? Some (I suspect many) men are suffering from a couple of issues: 1.) their emotions are separate from their selves, and entirely ignored unless they cause a problem - in which case, the man just wants to fix it, like a broken alternator, and just move on; and/or 2.) men are persuaded at every turn that sex is good and necessary, and it has nothing to do with love, permanence, etc.
But inside, we know the difference.
Men talk a good game, but I suspect that most want a loving home, too. This man is engaging in behaviour which the wisdom of ages says is best reserved for husbands and wives in the context of home life. When he doesn't have that, his body may be satisfied, but his soul cries out in loneliness and grief.
In fairness, Brian alludes to this by writing, "We communicate other things with sex, too, like satisfaction, bonding and commitment. If we aren’t emotionally invested and ready to communicate those, however, repenting in the car might seem like a great idea."
He does, of course, stop short of the obvious: "If we aren't emotionally invested and ready to communicate those with someone to whom we've committed ourselves in marriage, then we shouldn't write checks with the body that the soul can't cash," or something like that.
And he does point up gently the questioner's apparent immaturity: "By the way, if you try explaining any of this to a lover who asks what’s the rush, you might want to avoid calling her a 'chick.' Just a thought."
Great sex isn't just what happens in bed. Great sex is talking and paying the bills together and reluctantly making time to visit the folks and walking the dog at oh-dark-thirty when the mate wants to sleep. It's getting up in the morning and resolutely going to work, whether that's to an office, a construction site, or the kitchen. It's looking into the eyes of your child in one of those moments when it hits you just who that child is, and how he or she came to be. Mere sex alone is nothing compared to that, and going through the motions just to have physical closeness and nothing more is sad.
Maybe the man will figure that out one day. Maybe it's the Spirit, working on his soul. Let us pray for him to know what's really best for him and for the women he is now merely using.
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