lost in a found world

growing older, the new 52, and ramblings

2011-08-31T10:56:00.003-04:00

I admit, it has been way too long since I have posted on my blog, but come on... I have a 2-year old (who will be 3 soon), a 3 month old, and I am far to lazy to put effort in to anything else.
BUT..... since Facebook has been blocked and I have caught up on all my work, I figured I would write a blog...
GROWING OLDER
Recently I turned 33. My first thought... Jesus was 33 when He started His ministry... Was He 33 when they killed Him?
Other than that nothing really changed. I am still the same person I was back in 8th grade (though I can grow a mean beard).
NEW 52
DC Comics has changed all of their heroes. That took place today. sigh... It really makes me sad. I grew up Robin/Red Robin/Tim Drake... His story has been changed. Heroes are darker. Past stories no longer seem to matter. Wonder Woman wears pants and then she doesn't. Just seems to odd and to be honest, I think I have finally given up comics.
I know that sounds stupid. To be upset over something like that, but I am a comic book nerd.
RAMBLINGS
I have also struggled with the importance (or the lack thereof) of using the King James Version of the Bible. It is an outdated belief that God came down for the second time and breathed that Bible in to "being", but I am pretty sure if that was the case, then He is still doing it today. So why not use an updated translation? We have people who never went to church showing up and they seem confused by the weird language that is spoken only on Sunday. To be honest, I am confused as well.
I know most will think this is disrespectful to those who like the KJV, but it is not meant to be. Sure it maybe your preference, but how does it help someone who has never grown up in church?
When it comes to my thoughts on church, I kind of weird people out. I wish we could go back to the time when we just met at people's homes. That we didn't have to have a meeting to discuss everything. That we could sing whatever song we wanted and disagree with people and still be friends afterwards.
I think we complicate things too much. Maybe I do?
One thing stays the same... In all of the changes of age, comics, and church... I still feel there is and will always be an importance to love people more than I love my own theology...

NASCAR Prayer

2011-07-26T14:27:00.003-04:00

you just got to love people in Nashville...
" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E8EYTyACQk"

Pastor Joe Nelms: "Heavenly father, we thank you tonight for all your blessings you sent and all things give thanks. So we want to thank you tonight for these mighty machines that you brought before us. Thank you for the Dodges and the Toyotas. Thank you for the Fords. And most of all we thank you for Roush and Yates partnering to give us the power that we see before us tonight. Thank you for GM performance technology and RO7 engines. Thank you for Sunoco racing fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track. Lord, I want to thank you for my smoking' hot wife tonight, Lisa. And my two children, Eli and Emma or as we like to call 'em, the little Es. Lord, I pray you bless the drivers and use them tonight. May they put on a performance worthy of this great track. In Jesus name, boogity boogity boogity, Amen."

end of an era

2011-06-16T10:06:00.003-04:00

i believe i am giving up comics. it's not because i have matured and no, my wife isn't making me give it up. Jim the destroyer Lee is (seems like he would remember how bad his own comics failed).

re-writing history to make sales. changing DC Comics to look more like Marvel Comics.

i know it shouldn't bother me, but it does. i don't like to see the heroes of my childhood changed to be more darker and less about helping people.

(i found this picture last night when i was reading an old comic... i think this was prophecy.)

Bruce Wayne for President

2011-06-01T14:21:00.003-04:00

i hardly ever watch the news, but i know there have already been people throwing out their opinion who they think the next president should be... so i figure i would throw out my opinion. i know it won't count... kind of like my vote.

NO!!! why do they do this to me?

2011-06-01T10:06:00.004-04:00

Flashpoint is changing everything... it feels like May 21st all over again... DC is changing all of my comics... http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/05/31/jim-lee-i-wont-fk-this-up-plus-your-handy-dc-comics-reboot-roundup/

why oh why?

welcome to our world

2011-05-21T00:19:00.001-04:00

Grant Steven Hall...

getting ready for grant

2011-05-19T09:10:00.002-04:00

got the paintings for grant's room finished!!!

now if grant would just get here.

loving the elephant in the room

2011-04-25T14:55:00.007-04:00

3 times i have tried to write a blog about injustice, my anger, and the need to learn to love those i really wish were not part of my life...
during the many attempts to write my thoughts and feelings i discovered that my anger showed through too much.
that i have allowed people's actions control my life.
i know i need to forgive.
i know i need to love.
but it is never that easy.
i would like to say that after the 70th time i prayed that God took this feeling away, but He has not. i realize now i have to put more effort into it.
but i still have this nagging voice inside my head.
"is it right to just ignore the injustice that is still taking place?"
i don't think so, but until i learn to control the anger inside me... i don't think it would be right for me to confront the issue.
learning to love is a hard process. it's even harder when it is people you really want to hate.
and honestly... deep down i just wish i could tell a few people off.

how do you deal with injustice? turn a blind eye? do you say "it's not my place"?

never trust a thumbs up

2011-03-30T16:47:00.004-04:00

DC comics easter basket

2011-03-29T09:02:00.003-04:00

i know easter has nothing to do with a basket or a bunny.

it has nothing to do with candy, toys, and easter egg hunts...

trust me, i really do know this, but on easter day you may wonder....

but.....i honestly look forward to having an excuse to buy riley some super hero stuff. ang is really good with watching our money flow and i am really good at making sure it is flowing out of my wallet ( we make a great team)... i still think easter is a valid excuse to buy some toys for my boy.

so i have been working on an easter basket of DC comics super hero toys and movies. nothing expensive, but fun and exciting.

the only problem is most super hero toys are expensive. it seems that everything is considered a collectible. therefore the price is way up.... so what is a geek dad to do?

got any ideas? yeah, me either... so i am going to venture out one day this week and just hunt for a few items and small things to fill the easter eggs.

it's his last easter as an only child... i feel like that is also a good excuse to go a little over board.

besides, i need a few super heroes to act out the "battle for metropolis" infinite crisis in the easter basket.

monthly advice

2011-03-25T09:09:00.004-04:00

i realized that i am full of useful information.. so once a month i am going to give my advice.

never work for a board...
1. they are out of touch with the job you are performing.
2. they will have new ways to do things, but little knowledge of how to do it.
3. they have never been in your situation.
4. will never take blame when their ideas fail. it's because you didn't do it properly.

i give this advice because a friend of mine came to me talking about their problems at work. i used to work under a board and i also serve on a board... so i know it's never as it seems.

aquaman is actually kind of cool

2011-03-24T09:21:00.013-04:00

aquaman is not as lame as you may think...
but i may be.

i have been slow with blogging the past couple of months and i really have nothing exciting to write about. since i have become a father i live a fairly normal life. routine days i crave. throw anything out of the ordinary at me and i may get a little overwhelmed... or just a little whelmed (robin from young justice).

but that does not mean my thoughts are routine. i find myself thinking about the most random things.

as i sit here and write this i am thinking about my Bible college days. like the time i urinated in a guys tackle box because he set off a stink bomb in my closet. how some of us would "sneak" and watch buffy the vampire slayer after Bible study or the times i would sit on top of this hill and pray for understanding. it always bothered me that i never felt like i fit in with the rest of the students.

insecurity is a large part of my thought process.

i am insecure about a lot of things, but i know i am secure in my comic book knowledge. which i should be ashamed of. how many grown men in their 30's look forward to cartoons on friday night? wait- let me rephrase that. how many married men that don't live in their parents basement look forward to cartoons on friday?

i am behind on my chuck and fringe, but i never miss an episode of young justice, batman: the brave and the bold, and star wars the clone wars.

i am pretty sure my parents thought i would grow out of this, but now that i have a son and another on the way, i don't believe i will. i have been damned to a life of nerdy comic book ways... and honestly i think i am okay with it.

sure, it makes me have hardly anything in common with anyone else around me.

there was a time that i wished i was like everyone around me. to be a hunter and a nascar fan... middle school would have been a lot easier on me, but i don't think a gun rack would look good in my focus, but i did have a mullet.

i also thought by the time i reached 25 i would have being a Christian down pat. i would have learned to love people and forgive the people who have wronged me in the past. Wrong... if anything i have learned to hold on to my anger towards certain ones.

a few weekends ago i saw a person that had really made life difficult for me when i worked with a mission. he smiled and spoke to me. i just smiled and kept walking. i could barely force myself to look in his direction. then i go to youth group and talk to them about loving the unlovable... wow... have i really turned into one of those... do as i say, not as i do type of person?

yes sir, i have.

what am i doing to change it... hmmm... i guess i should pray about that.

i am also battling the desire to order more toys for riley.

one day i will complain about all of the toys in our house and the next i will go out and get him more. i am training my child to be a brat i think. ugh... i may not give him mountain dew in his toddler cup, but i am sure teaching him that he can get what ever he wants... forget the needs...

i feel like i just poured my heart out into my diary... now i feel less of a man...

okay, i just killed an ant... now i am a man.

aquaman is actually a cool character... don't judge him because he talks to fish... he is also super strong and can use his telepathy powers to make you have a heart attack.

i need to hurry up and plant my bamboo...

how bout a dream

2011-03-01T23:06:00.002-05:00

he gives me a reason to smile everyday.

my advice for 2011

2010-12-29T09:43:00.002-05:00

daily i am asked for my opinion. people seem to realize that i am full of useful information that can shape and form their lives into a work of art. so i figured i would share a small part of my great mind and insight on life. this will be a small list, but i promise you that it will help you in the new year to come.

1. always turn corduroy inside out to iron them.
2. always follow and apology with a lecture.
3. never buy a veggie tray from save a lot.
4. look around before you make fun of some one's face.
5. avoid friendships that take away from your story telling.
6. read a self help book and give people advice from the book and act like it is your own.
7. write run on sentences often.
8. "friend" people on facebook and then drop them right after they accept.
9. inform people that you are humble while checking yourself out in a mirror.
10. tell people you are dieting while eating large portions of red meat.
11. give parents advice on how to raise their children.
12. washing your face with sugar will remove dead skin.
13. check your zipper often.
14. never laugh at your own jokes.
15. always be negative, but add a colorful phrase at the end of your sentences. for example " i doubt i will live to see my 40's, but boy are the hills a live with the sound of music".
16. watch the sound of music with meat loaf's bat out of hell album playing... the music goes along perfectly with the movie.
17. lie to yourself... you really are good looking.
18. read batman hush.
19. wear underwear.
20. make a video blog.
21. write a pointless blog that has nothing to do with real advice.

what annoys me the most about Christmas

2010-12-01T10:37:00.003-05:00

i know that i write a lot of blogs about "what annoys me", but it's one of my favorite past times. to sit and think about what gets under my skin makes me all warm and fuzzy inside... so i figured i would write a small list for the holiday season... i mean, Christmas season... sorry my fellow Christians i didn't mean to offend or did i?

i hate shopping this time of year. no one seems to be happy. people fight over stupid things. angie forced me to go with her on black friday to wal-mart. i witnessed women fighting over barbie jeeps and zoozoo pets. i was really afraid that i was going to die.

i always feel like i have to give money to the salvation army walking in and out of the store. i always feel like they are judging me.

i hate when people go crazy over "X-mas"... the X means Christ! not the X-men... though that would be cool... i think beast would make a good wise man and cyclops would be a good shepherd.

i have a hard time writing out a Christmas list. i never can think of anything i really want or need...

bruce springsteen singing Christmas carols.

santa buddy the movie... someone kill that dog.

people who think they have to say "happy holidays" when you say merry Christmas...

honestly... this list is a lot smaller than i thought it would be, but one thing that does bother me about Christmas is how i feel bad for the families who can't afford to get what they want for their kids. i know Christmas isn't about what you get, but try to explain that to a kid who has nothing. we live in america and as americans we make everything about ourselves. so i get really sad when i go out shopping and see families struggling. my soft heart can't take it.

sigh...

this went downhill fast.

i hate veggie tales nativity sets! it's just wrong!!!

legalism

2010-11-06T10:35:00.004-04:00

i have never been one to keep my thoughts to myself about my feelings towards legalism.

it makes me angry.

it makes me sad.

it makes me laugh.

the problem with legalism is so much more then a list of rules. it is a person trying to earn or prove their faith.

there was a point in my life that i would look at someone and judge them by how they looked. i thought i had the gift of telling who was a christian by the shoes they wore and the Bible they carried.
wrong....

legalism made me feel holier than i really was. it was like a check list of how to be holy.

shirt nicely pressed. check

shirt tucked in. check

hair parted to the right (never the left). check

face shaved and smooth. check

KJV Bible under my armpit. check

chin slightly raised. check

i honestly thought this made me a better christian. that my outward appearance was what God looked at before He looked at my soul, but i was so far from the truth. i worked so hard to please the ones around me that i forgot that God could careless about my outward appearance. that my perfect hair and pressed shirt meant nothing.

i have moved beyond that point in my life. i now know that God cares more about my heart and love towards others.

yet, i still fight legalism. i have hate in my heart towards those who push it. i find myself wanting to take a cardboard sign and march around certain places proclaiming legalism is from hell.

i feel it would be a just battle, but the more i learn about God, the more i realize it isn't my battle.

that the bitter feelings towards former "teachers and preachers" is just as bad as their need for rules and order.

i will never like legalism, but i must learn to love (just vomited in my mouth a little) the ones who force it. this will be a struggle. to look beyond the outward and see their heart. to see that they are worth it.

how will they know the truth unless someone tells them?

and when i say "tell", i don't mean through negative avenues.

two years with my little man

2010-10-05T09:16:00.004-04:00

i find it hard to believe it has been two years since riley entered my life.

i have already forgot the feeling of dread the day i found out angie was pregnant. i know, i know... such a horrible thing to say, but i was selfish and i didn't want to give up any freedom i thought i had.

but the moment i held him in my arms i knew i would give up anything for him to be happy. i even let him play with my action figures...

the good ole' days

2010-09-29T09:32:00.004-04:00

as a kid i enjoyed watching re-runs of Batman (the campy live action show). they were fun and light hearted. i would laugh and wonder why Robin wore such short shorts.

that was my first connection to the characters.

they were bright and fun...

not until i grew older did i realize that this was not so in the comics.

Batman doesn't say "old chum". in fact he would rather throw a punch or a batarang.

he was dark and paranoid. he liked to put fear in people's hearts.

the Robin that was in the t.v. series had grown up and become Nightwing and the new Robin was annoying and soon to be dead.

as time passed, i couldn't stand watching the 60's Batman. it was not true to the comics.

wow, i now realize how big of a nerd i am .

why would i favor the darker over the lighter?

because i am a fallen man?

because i enjoy violence?

who knows.

what brought all of this on? while surfing the World Wide Web i found a book that talks about the influence Batman (60's show) had on a generation and on comics. it got me to thinking about sick days at home watching Batman and woody wood pecker. sigh... i hate getting older.

randomness seems to be flooding my mind today.

i can't connect my thoughts and i am just allowing them to spew onto the keyboard.

a dangerous thing this is (my inner Yoda is speaking). then i look down at my Chuck Taylor's and purple western shirt and wonder...when did i start dressing like a geek?

i think i am reaching that in between age. i am too old to wear the young men's t-shirts with skulls and i am too young to wear "members only" jackets with elastic waist jeans.

it's a bad place to be. it's kind of like middle school. you don't know where you fit.

i am afraid of becoming an adult who tries to act cool. what am i to do?

LIVE THROUGH MY SON!

that is what i will do. i will have my second childhood through him. he better be ready to watch super friends and play with he-man action figures.

btw: while cleaning out my basement i found a bunch of my action figures. there was one i always enjoyed playing with. his name was fistor (really odd name). he had a huge silver hand. why would Mattel name one fistor? just sounds so... umm... wrong.

plus: why did they have nipples?

think about it.

way back when

2010-09-23T15:57:00.002-04:00

i remember when this book was very popular. so popular that southland Bible insititue made a class around it...

i didn't need the class. i had already kissed dating goodbye... well, at least while i was there...

i remember promising my mom that i wouldn't date anybody while i was there and like a good boy.... i kept my promise...

you should read the book... it is really funny.

satan's playground

2010-09-22T15:19:00.004-04:00

i will not deny that i am a very intolerant person.

i don't like for people to ride my bumper. if you do i will slow down and when you are able to pass, i will speed up. it may seem rude, but i am sorry. i can't handle tail gators.

most of the time my intolerance is seen behind close doors. i will not allow others to know how close minded i can be or i guess i should say rude. it is easy for me to put a smile on in public and just think evil thoughts in my mind. what can i say? i am human.

but the behind closed doors way of life changed last night.

angie and i went to chick-fil-a for dinner . i enjoy their chicken salad sandwich and my gosh... those fries... my mouth is watering thinking of them.

it was the set up for a perfect quick dinner.

the only problem... that dang play land.

riley will not eat. he wants to play and ever seat in that building points to that area.

being the good husband that i am, i offered to watch riley while angie ate.

riley and i walked into the small room. there was about four 5-7 year old brats running around screaming. that shouldn't be a huge surprise. i should have known this would be taking place in this sound proof room. so i just smiled and let riley pick what he wanted to do first. what got me was the lack of parental supervision. i was the only adult in that room.

the screaming made riley a little worried, but he pushed through the fear of that little brat's battle cry. he climbed to the top of the slide and came laughing down.

i loved listening to him laugh and say "again". it was going to be the perfect father/son moment.

as he began to go down the slide again, this little girl started to climb up the slide... she sat there blocking riley's exit. i asked nicely if she would move. she just looked at me.

i took a deep breath...

"could you please let my son get by you?"

*snicker*

"please move!"

she finally let riley slide by, but she kept doing it.

she kept getting in his face and blocking his way.

the rest of the kids were just back ground noise until this fat little boy pushed riley out of the way.

riley just looked at him and kept going, but i was ready to fight this kid. how dare he push my son?

i could feel my face and neck getting red. i started to look out the glass windows to try and figure out who gave birth to these little demons.

i think angie has a way of sensing when i am about to get upset. she came in and told me to go eat.

i sat down and ate my wonderful food, but there was anger growing in my heart.
i looked around at all of the parents just sitting there ignoring their little brats in the play land.

i found myself wanting to just stand on the chair and scream profanity's at them.

letting them know that they are responsible for their children. that they need to be in there with them and that i was pretty sure one of them crapped on themselves.

before i was able to step onto my chair, angie came out and told me she was ready to leave.

the absent parents were spared... this time.

i hate play lands. if i have my way riley will never go to another play land... and if he does.. he is taking his brass knuckles and i will be wearing my butt kicking shoes.

my home (you may hate it, but i like it)

2010-09-09T09:35:00.003-04:00

i once heard "beattyville is not a destination"...
to many this maybe true.
to many this is just a small town with nothing to do.
a poor community that is riddled with drug abuse and poverty.
a redneck town that is not in touch with the world outside of the mountains that surround it.
i am not going to lie. most of these thoughts are true, but if you look closer you will see more.
you will see a town that still has life it in. sure it may be a life hooked to life support, but it is still breathing.
and i am thankful for that.
i actually love my little town.
i love being able to walk down the street and have people speak to me. to have a real conversation while waiting at the bank.
to have a community that will support the newest person to battle cancer.
the list could go on.
i could never find this in a large city. to find such a close community or another woolly worm festival (i actually think there is another town that has one, but it's not the same...or so i tell myself).
i would never be able to walk out on my porch and look at the stars and that odd planet that looks like it is moving in a figure 8 pattern (long story, but i swear it is moving).
i will not deny that some times i wish we had more to do in this town, but i think that is the charm of this place. it forces us to go for a walk in the woods or to just slow down and sit on the porch and watch the clouds race over the hillsides.
beattyville may not be a destination, but it is my home.
it is the town that i want to raise my son. where i know that people will be watching his every move and run to tell me when he is doing some thing that he shouldn't.
i want to die in this town.
some would look at me with pity...
"there is so much more out there."
"why would you want to stay in a place that is dying?"
and my answer to them... because i want to.
i have spent a lot of time away from beattyville. i enjoy city life, but only for a short time.
i guess i am more country than i want to admit some times.
so if you are ever traveling through kentucky... stop by beattyville... i promise to buy you an ale8 and take you for a nice slow walk through the mountains.

twitter

2010-09-01T13:29:00.004-04:00

robin and i agree on some thing...

using twitter did feel a "bit weird".

i will admit. i fell into the twitter trap, but once i started (tweeting) using it i found out that it was making me more self centered. i was always talking about what i was doing. even if i was doing nothing i tried to make it sound exciting. then i started following people. ugh... some of them i did like to hear what they were doing through the day, but most were more self absorbed than me.

so i gave up twitter.

i have a blog and facebook to talk about myself... why add to the list?

can you believe in God and aliens?

2010-08-30T14:51:00.000-04:00

i want your thoughts on this!

gungor (best worship album i have heard in a long time)!

2010-08-23T13:16:00.009-04:00

i will admit that i don't listen to too much Christian music anymore. i have found that some of it is self centered and shallow, but once in awhile i will find a artist that will continue to encourage me to keep pushing myself to be a better person in Christ.

gungor's album beautiful things does this. the lyrics are simple in some ways, but they still hit home and make me wonder about my own walk with God.

some lyrics are thought provoking. the song cannot keep you had me questioning the way i view the Bible and the church. the song states

"We cannot keep you in a church, we cannot keep you in a Bible or it's just another idol to box you in. they could not keep you in their walls, we cannot keep you in ours either, for you are so much greater."

the Bible as an idol? at first i was offended, but the more i thought about it i realize how some people try to say that God will not work in ways that He once did in the Bible.

i once heard a speaker who said that God will no longer speak through a burning bush... why? because we have the Bible (the speaker said that, not me) and God no longer needs to speak to us through such things. hmmm... i have yet to find that verse in the Bible... it must be next to the no drum beat rule and kjv only section.

why can't He speak through a burning bush still? i have no idea why one would teach such a thing, but God is bigger than the Bible and what we believe. i know i am no where near understanding who God is, but i doubt i will ever say He cannot do some thing (i am still holding out for a thick head of hair).

i guess i say all of that to say, i love this album...

i hope you will give gungor a chance.

aquaman's history

2010-08-17T15:34:00.012-04:00

saw this on digg and loved it!

dear man at the urinal

2010-08-09T11:20:00.005-04:00

i do enjoy witty conversations and hearing about the weather and how years ago it was much hotter, but not at the urinal. not to mention you are not keeping your eyes straight ahead.
yes, i do enjoy summer time, but i don't enjoy your pee spraying on to the floor next to my feet.
okay, i know i am fun to talk to, but i really want to just wash my hands and get back to work...
oh, i don't need you to follow me back to my office.
have a good day and from now on i will use a different restroom and i hope your hay gets cut soon.

tommy

random facts about me

2010-08-07T09:57:00.003-04:00

-as a child i had a huge collection of he-man action figures. i would sit and play with them for hours and honestly still would if they had their arms and legs still attached.

- i lack will power and drive to workout. i want to get into shape and i can plan and write out everything i need to do, but when it comes down to it... i can't do it. i have no push. i can look down and see the view of my feet slowly fading by the gut that is forming in front of me, but still... nothing.

-i used to take adderall... not because i was adhd, but because i wanted to lose weight. it all goes back to the lack of will power.

-i will read one comic book over 50 times before i put it away in storage. i am not sure why i do this. it could be that it's all i want to read when i am in the bathroom, but some times you find some thing new around the 30th time around.

-i have almost all of my childhood toys in my basement and some times i go through them to remember the simple times and think about how i never got that lion-o action figure i always wanted.

-i secretly wish i knew how to work on cars. as a child my dad would try and get me to help him, but it was always hot in his garage and besides... it was interrupting my he-man cartoons.
now i wish i knew so i could take care of all the small problems that come up with my little focus.
maybe i should just wish i was rich. that would take care of everything.

-i used to want to be a rock star. i think i held on to that dream for a long time. i guess it is a good thing it never happened. due to the fact i am lazy with working out.. i am sure leather pants would just hurt my career.

-i can come up with an excuse faster than i can blink. i am not sure how i learned this talent, but i know it is a good one to have. it has saved me from a lot of boring trips to the movies and many uncomfortable conversations.

-some times i want to go back in time and tell people off. i am not sure if i am the only one who day dreams about that, but i would just love to just go back for one hour and just let some people know how i truly feel, but i am sure that if i was given that chance i wouldn't say anything.

-i hate being a people pleaser, but if you need any help, let me know.

-i am afraid of the long legged spiders that live in my basement. to help me over come this fear i am setting off a bug bomb some time this week.

-i enjoy making awkward moments, but hate when it is done to me.

i will end this long list by saying: i slept with a ewok doll until i was 10...

my newest project

2010-07-27T14:03:00.002-04:00

before riley was born i did several paintings for his room of the tiny titans.

now i have found something else to paint for him. of course it is still the tiny titans, but most important... it is of my hero robin.. i mean, his hero robin.

god hates nerds? (i am doomed)

2010-07-23T14:26:00.007-04:00

"They've faced down humans time and time again, but Fred Phelps and his minions from the Westboro Baptist Church were not ready for the cosplay action that awaited them today at Comic-Con. After all, who can win against a counter protest that includes robots, magical anime girls, Trekkies, Jedi and...kittens? Unbeknownst to the dastardly fanatics of the Westboro Baptist Church, the good folks of San Diego's Comic-Con were prepared for their arrival with their own special brand of superhuman counter protesting chanting "WHAT DO WE WANT" "GAY SEX" "WHEN DO WE WANT IT" "NOW!" while brandishing ironic (and some sincere) signs. Simply stated: The eclectic assembly of nerdom's finest stood and delivered.
As you can see below, the fantastic fanboys delivered the the church a humorous dose of sweet fan justice. ComicsAlliance was there to witness the spectacle in full, which you can indulge in yourself after the jump."

comicalliance.com

when i first read this i thought it was a joke, but then i realized it was not a joke. it was the work of a corrupted preach and his insane thoughts of who God hates. FRED PHELPS (DUM DUM DUM)!

it is preachers and "christians" like this that make the rest of us look bad.

the fact that someone would post signs at a soldiers funeral that they are glad they are in hell is sick to me. to post them at a comic book convention... hilarious and in need of attention

as a comic book nerd i find this funny.

as a christian it turns my stomach.

Jesus doesn't want us to be jerks!

let me just be honest

2010-06-30T11:36:00.003-04:00

i loved the "nick" cartoon avatar the last air bender.

i am only saying this due to the fact the movie is coming out tomorrow. i have a few poeple in my life who will jump on the band wagon and i don't want to be looked at as one of those people.

i loved the story even if it was all Buddhist and stuff.

now you know how big of a geek i am...

i just had to get this off my chest.

list of things that annoy me

2010-06-24T11:20:00.006-04:00

preachers who tell you to say amen (umm... i would rather tell you shut up than amen).

people who give me "advice" on how to raise my child (i know your kid and they are a brat... so please keep your advice to yourself).

when some one's only way of communication is through sarcasm.

when people call and only talk about themselves.

slow turners ( you don't need to stop and then turn).

deer flies (they are not as cute as the name makes them sound).

door to door salesmen (i have been ripped off recently... i now know i am a sucker).

videos for babies (i am selfish... i want to watch what i want to watch).

mtv (i am sick of your reality shows and dangit you are rubbing off on vh1).

people who whistle.

listening to sports on the radio.

not being in control of the radio on a road trip.

old men who call me honey (that's just creepy).

poop cramps.

a hot bedroom.

the color violet (you are purple).

comb overs.

disney tween and teen shows.

vegans who have to talk about how they are vegans.

people who always talk in a yelling tone.

country music award shows.

cheap toilet paper.

silence in the middle of the night (i need a fan running at all times).

little kids that talk during a movie.

drive-in movies.

people who point out i am going bald.

road work.

my neighbors dog pooping on my porch.

normal water.

swimming with teenagers.

long toenails.

using public restrooms.

some one in the urinal next to me trying to carry a conversation with me.

man boob sweat.

the last twinkie.

people who post pictures of them drinking with teens.

twitter.

nazi tattoos.

when people get a "passionate" tone when they talk about God (that fake voice that makes them sound spiritual).

bluegrass music.

dear ellen

2010-06-22T15:25:00.006-04:00

today i realized how bad i wanted an ipad... so i thought i would write to the ellen show and ask for one.

"dear ellen,
i wish i had a heart breaking story about how my testicle was lost in a big wheel accident or how i rescued baby raptors from a burning building, but that would be bragging... so i am just going to be honest. i want an ipad. i live in the hick town of beattyville, kentucky and i want to be the first kid in my holler to have one.
i have done nothing to deserve your love or awesome gift from apple (which some people think apple is from satan because adam and eve ate an "apple", but everyone knows it was a mushmellon. just thought you would like to know that), but come on we both like women.
so please think of me as you hand out free gifts to screaming women while there is a man in overalls wishing he had an ipad to read david sedairs books like New Yorkers.

love and peace and all that stuff that is suppose to be free,
Tommy Hall"

what do you think? will it work?

"dislike"

2010-06-03T14:53:00.002-04:00

everyone knows i am a comic book fan. i don't hide this.

i love comics cause i can escape from reality and just get lost in the world of spandex and super powers.

some times the comic book world gets too real (i know it sounds impossible, but it is true) for me.

ever since i have become a father, i have become very sensitive to issues dealing with children being harmed. i sit in court and listen to horrible stories and see pictures of children being hurt. it sticks with me. something about the innocent being punished just gets me.

i am kind of like brian in that family guy episode when he finds out he has a son and worries over everything...

sorry josh, didn't mean to become like that.

recently dc comics has been doing a story on a character named roy harper aka: speedy, arsenal, and red arrow.

he had a little daughter named lian.

it was a neat twist on the character. he was a super hero, recovering drug addict, single father, and womanizer. he was hot headed, but loved his daughter.

so i found it distasteful to kill off his daughter. it didn't really bother me that much. it is fiction, but when i saw the images of him visiting his daughter in the morgue it made me sad.

i know.. how stupid is that. i am getting upset over a comic book.

i just can't help it.

to be honest... each night i pray for my son to always be safe. i pray that i would go before he would. it's just what parents do... i think...

i guess the point of this post is.... lighten up comics... i don't care if you kill off adults... it doesn't bother me and what i want is more important than a good story... i think...

not sure what to make of this

2010-05-24T16:57:00.002-04:00

my good friend, whom i will keep nameless due to the fact he is a shy guy, sent me a link with this picture and i couldn't help but post this...

a book that has changed my life

2010-05-20T13:09:00.002-04:00

i have read many books in my lifetime that have touched me in different ways, but none has changed my life as much as this little book.

i recommend that you pick up a copy and join me on this journey.

i want them all!

2010-04-29T10:18:00.002-04:00

for riley of course.

jennifer knapp

2010-04-16T08:46:00.002-04:00

she is one of my favorite artists. her song refine me, was the first song i ever played on the piano. some will never listen to her again. some will act as if she is no longer a christian artist. will you still listen to her?

click on link to read article.

[link]http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html[/link]

awkward moments in comic book history

2010-03-26T15:53:00.004-04:00

snuggle bunnies

2010-03-26T09:08:00.003-04:00

i have tried for the past couple of days to write a blog that would be funny or entertaining, but nothing seemed to come to mind, and if it did come to mind... i have had to stop myself from writing it.

i have found that some times i can write things that possible could hurt some people's feelings. it's not like i mean to (unless i really am setting out to make fun of a certain group), it just happens.

for example, a woman that i have known for a long time came into the office and needed some help. right after she left i wanted to sit down and write a blog about her and her family.

let me explain.

about 2 years ago at a relay for life, there was a three legged race. this lady's family had been winning everything. they weren't quiet about it either... so i decided that ang and i would enter the race. i am not very competitive, but for some reason i could not handle letting them win another game. the fact that they did the "suck it" move with their arms just made me even more annoyed. who does that? well, besides the wrestler all oiled up in a speedo... and that in it's self is wrong on so many levels.

so, ang and i tied my right and her left leg together. we practiced for awhile and i felt very confident. my wife is in excellent shape and i am on the fence with my physical abilities. still, i knew we could beat this family. i mean, the mom is in her forties (with a lot of..ummm.. we will call it baggage) and their daughter is only eleven.

ang and i stood ready.
the whistle blew.
we took off running.
we were way ahead.
then like every good athletic story...something tragic happens. angie falls.
what does one do?
in that split second i had to make a choice.
do i stop and help my wife up and let this family of loud mouths win or do i pick her up and keep running? i did neither.
they were quickly approaching...
so i did what i thought was best..
i just ran...
dragging angie behind me. sure she screamed and yelled. i even think she came close to crying, but crying is not for winners (of course i am not sure if that is even the truth... i rarely win).

we won that race... sure not without a price. angie had bruises for a few weeks, but the satisfaction of knowing that we beat that family... ahh... that was the best feeling.
sure they kicked my butt in turkey bowling right after that, but still.. they lost to me in the three legged race. to me... the comic book nerd that hates to sweat.

normally i would write a whole blog talking about that, but i am not going to.
i am going to work on my skills and not allow my past problems with others take over my blogging.

weary kind

2010-03-17T12:29:00.001-04:00

this is not my normal taste in music, but i love this song. such a good and powerful song.

KLF ft Tammy Wynette - Justifed & Ancient

2010-03-09T17:28:00.002-05:00

i annoyed my dad to no end with this song when i was in middle school. i am still not sure why i liked this song and i am still not sure why i still do. it is awkward and so is the video, yet i still searched a long time for this song.
i am sure you will also love this song as much as i do.
"bound for mu mu land".

girl scouts and broken kneecaps

2010-02-26T14:23:00.003-05:00

i have a habit of ordering girl scout cookies and forgetting when they are coming in or how many i have ordered. needless to say, i cause angie a lot of headaches and my stomach a lot of pain. the biggest problem is, i rarely carry cash on my persons (that is a little court talk).

today was the day the girl scouts hit you up for cash. think of them like small time mobsters. they seem sweet when they offer you their cookies (which i think were baked in hell's fire), but if you don't have the money to pay up, they will beat it out of you. i have had several friends who have been through this ordeal.

"she was all smiles as she broke my kneecaps. i still wake up at night seeing that grin and freckles. my blood getting on her sash." dave says while taking a drink of gin and tonic. he has never been the same since. mention shortbread cookies and he starts crying.

so imagine my horror when i saw the little girl scout on the first floor (i work on the 2nd floor). my heart began to race. i don't have any cash on me. i watched as she took people's money. their hands shaking.

i did the only thing i could think of. i ran. i ran for the bank. i tried to do the math in my head. i figured i had enough time to run across the street and back before she was standing in front of my desk with a box of cookies and a baseball bat.

my little legs took me as fast as they could. i avoided any conversations with the people i would pass on the street. one goal. live.

i raced back to work and as i turned the corner i met the little girl with her right hand thug, her grandmother. they smiled. my heart was beating out of my chest. i played it cool. i held the door open and followed behind them. they entered my office and began going through the orders. when they got to my name i acted surprised.

"i forgot i ordered cookies. it's a good thing i have cash on me."

the little girl looked at me. she could see the sweat running down my face.

"here you go mr.hall. as always, a pleasure doing business with you." the words oozed out of her mouth like the lie from a serpent.

i survived the little green mob this year. i hope i learn from my mistake this year. keep some money in my desk and a gun under my trash can.

it has been a while

2010-01-26T15:12:00.003-05:00

i have been a little lazy with my blog.
it seems that i have grown up a little.
i spend most of my time actually working and by the time i get home i just want to spend time with my family.
YET!
i miss being goofy and just saying stuff.
i miss making people uncomfortable without taking my shirt off.

i am going to make an effort to do better.

wait, don't i know this guy?

2010-01-15T22:46:00.002-05:00

poor fakor

2010-01-13T10:02:00.001-05:00

he-man's clone never fits in...

Riley's # 1 favorite video of 2009

2010-01-03T15:27:00.002-05:00

Riley has had many favorite videos. his first favorite one was single ladies. then he moved on to michael gungor's "white man", but only one has kept his attention through the toughest of meltdowns... TEEN TITANS! this makes me proud.

the longest four days before Christmas

2009-12-24T18:28:00.003-05:00

last saturday evening i watched my wife and son walk through the gate to sit and wait for their plane. i watched as ang and riley took their shoes off to be x-rayed. i watched as my son smiled and my wife as she carried him out of view.
my heart broke. i never knew i could love two people so much. i never knew that i would be so sad.
angie's family is in st.louis and i had to work up until the day before Christmas eve. i was unable to travel with them to st.louis and so being the good husband i am, i wanted her to spend time with her family before Christmas (we are spending it with my family in harlan county this year).
i spent the week without my family watching cartoons and eating a lot. at night i would lay in bed praying that i would see them soon and falling asleep holding riley's blanket (weird i know, but love makes me mushy on the inside...so i guess the inside matches the outside).
now i sit in the airport waiting for them to walk out and give me a big hug. i look forward to hearing my son laugh and talk non-stop. i am excited to talk to my wife as we drive 4 hours to harlan county. i cannot wait to spend the next few days with my family all around me... no matter how annoying some of them can get. i love them all.
Christmas has a new meaning to me now. i don't care about receiving or giving gifts... i just want to be with the people i love.
thank you james for talking to me many nights as i watched king of the hill. i am sure you got sick of me talking about my family.
thank you cartoon network for playing batman the brave and the bold over and over again.
thank you dishnetwork for creating dvr.
thank you God for my family and this life. i never thought i could be blessed this much with so little money.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!

happy horror days!

2009-12-23T08:48:00.003-05:00

my good friend, co-worker, and official beattyville dork, tyler, showed me a scary myth of one of santa's unpopular helpers. he isn't a sweet little elf who makes toys out of wood. not a reindeer that flies him around the world... he isn't even the man who cleans up the stables... he is evil and will turn you into sausage.

"Krampus is a mythical creature. In various regions of the world – especially Austria– it is believed that Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children.

The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented by an incubus-like creature. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly on the evening of December 5, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells.In some rural areas the tradition also includes birching – corporal punishment with a birch rod – by Krampus, especially of young girls. Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell.

Modern Krampus costumes consist of Larve (wooden masks), sheep's skin, and horns. Considerable effort goes into the manufacture of the hand-crafted masks, and many younger adults in rural communities compete in the Krampus events.

In Oberstdorf, in the alpine southwestern part of Bavaria, the tradition of der Wilde Mann ("the wild man") is kept alive. He is like Krampus, but has no horns, is dressed in fur, and frightens children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells, but is not an assistant of Saint Nicholas.

In the aftermath of the Austrian Civil War the Krampus tradition was a target of Austrian Fascists allied with Nazi Germany."

leave it to germany to come up with this creature.

ARGH!!! HAPPY HALLADAYS!

2009-12-17T15:57:00.002-05:00

and this is my present to you... many crowns! this makes you a wise man!!!

we are not alone

2009-12-09T15:16:00.003-05:00

this past sunday night i watched war of the worlds. loved the tv show in the early 90's and i did like the movie, but it caused me to wonder if we are the only ones.
then i see the news report about the sight in norway...
makes you wonder... or it could be a wormhole to the multi-verse.

i have now found a good reason to carpool.

2009-12-07T09:54:00.002-05:00

derek webb.... oh how you have changed.

2009-11-26T20:52:00.002-05:00

i know that a lot of people have already posted this... i like this song, but he has changed a lot.

oh Christmas tree

2009-11-22T22:14:00.002-05:00

to avoid making my wife mad, i am going to suggest everyone who has a problem with happy holidays please read the article at relevantmagazine.com... this will make some of you shut up the next time you complain about holiday trees...

confession

2009-11-19T22:02:00.001-05:00

my frist confession by paint brush.

new list of the not so popular cartoons i watched as a kid.

2009-11-13T14:13:00.009-05:00

beetlejuice
shirt tales
silverhawks
woody woodpecker
wuzzles
dino riders

there is a whole lot more. i wonder if i should be ashamed of how many cartoons i watched growing up? nah... it has made me the man i am today.

mask

2009-11-12T10:36:00.002-05:00

i was never a fan of hotwheels or tonka trucks, but throw in a superhero team with cars that transform into other things.... i am hooked...
i had a lot of mask toys. i remembered i always wanted the kid that had the robot that turned into a scooter... i just never found him... ah... to be a kid again.

one of the coolest toys ever

2009-11-10T08:35:00.002-05:00

i remember the day i got castle grayskull... it was one of the best days of my life.
i still have it in my basement. i am hoping someday riley will also want to play with the coolest toy ever.

the coolest game ever!

2009-11-09T15:30:00.003-05:00

most of my friends loved street fighter and the sports games... not me... i loved mario bros type games. heck, i still do. so i was excited when paul told me about the remake of boy and his blob...loved this video game... now i just need to buy a wii.

the comic that changed my life

2009-11-09T09:12:00.003-05:00

i was a freshman in high school when i picked up batman 489. my life was forever changed. robin had always been my hero, but when i discovered he was no longer wearing underwear as a costume... i was really happy to start reading comics again. i just thought i would post the comic that changed my life forever... sad isn't it?

dell is the devil and the devil is bad

2009-11-05T08:58:00.005-05:00

i started having computer problems monday night. i was unable to look at my facebook page nor was i able to respond to e-mails. it would always cause me to log back in. with each new log in screen, my temper started to show.
the next day i thought i would let tyler (star wars nerd, computer geek, good friend, and co-worker) look at my dell pc.
for some reason the problem would not show it's self at work on the court's network.
tyler informs me that it is not a virus, but something else... something wrong with the software.
stressed and missing the freedom of sitting on my chair watching cartoons while surfing the net pushed me to call dell (dum, dum, dum).
i call.
i get several voice automated messages.
i listen to an annoying recording of a woman telling me i could get the answers online (i really hate that message. if my internet worked do you think i would call this freaking number?).
finally a man picks up. he is from india. i can barely understand him and due to my country accent, he can barely understand me.
i try to explain to him what is happening, but he will not listen. he then proceeds to push me off on the next guy.
i am on hold.
i feel the need to pee.
i go pee.
in midstream he answers.
"what is your service tag number?"
trying to finish ( side rhyme: no matter how much you jump shake or dance, the last two drops always get in your pants).
i tell him the number and try to explain what is going on.
this is when the devil shows his ugly head...
"sir, for us to help you fix this problem you must pay 120 for a one time fix or 200 for a year's help."
"what? i have a warranty."
"sir, that warranty does not cover your software. only the shell."
"what? that is it?"
"yes sir."
"but it is your software that caused me the problem. i bought the problem from you."
"sir, how is it dell's fault? you have been the one using it."
i hang up.
i send a few nasty e-mails.
i get an automatic reply.
the next day i decide to just delete everything and start fresh.
stupid.
i am unable to install everything properly.
i call dell again after sitting in silence wondering if it is worth it.
"please enter your service tag number."
i enter the number.
"thank you."
click.
click?
they hung up on me.
i try this two more times.
each time ends with a click.
i have pissed dell off.
part of me smiles out of pleasure.
the other part curses because my computer still does not work.

never again will i buy a dell computer... NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME DELL? NEVER AGAIN WILL YOUR CATCHY TUNES AND SLEEK ADDS PULL ME IN!"
now i know why you guys have the lollipop song in your commercial... you suck!

it's that time of year

2009-10-21T14:06:00.004-04:00

this coming weekend is one of my favorite annual events... the WOOLLY WORM FESTIVAL!
i encourage everyone to come in for this wonderful event. it is so wonderful that i am off work this friday. it is so wonderful that i will get to eat festival food even when i am not hungry. it is so wonderful that i am going to see old friends and people i don't even know who know my name.

there is going to be a woolly worm race, a parade, funnel cake, cheap toys, illegal copies of movies, knockoff clothing, and plenty of rednecks to make you feel better about yourself.

please come and enjoy... if you need a place to stay just ask!

the life of riley

2009-10-05T14:07:00.006-04:00

this time last year i was meeting my son for the first time. during the nine month wait i was dreading him coming into my world. i just knew that my life was going to change and as much as i like to promote change... i hate it sometimes. thankfully i got over that. now i am in love with my little man and i spend most of my nights praying that he is safe and happy throughout his whole life. the term "life of riley" means the good life. and that is what i am living because of my wonderful son. happy birthday bubby!

funniest birthday card

2009-10-04T17:05:00.002-04:00

riley getting ready for his birthday!

2009-10-01T21:05:00.002-04:00

morning

2009-09-30T15:21:00.002-04:00

oh mae, what has happened to thee?
you pulled me into your everglow
but now your music i don't want to know
you released the morning
and i had such great hope
but giving it away
would be a crime
for this time i must say
thy music doth suck
it's like having a drill in your mouth
or a butt that won't cease burning
leaves me in pain and burning with anger
yet, i will still loveth thee
for my heart you stole
with the everglow

christianity (is nothing original anymore)

2009-09-28T15:05:00.003-04:00

"Creator Dismisses Criticisms of the New Program Being Called Sordid, Disturbing
LOS ANGELES, CA --- Fed up with the mainstream media's promoting homosexuality among young children, conservative Christians have come up with their own chidren's cartoon hero: Elijah BiblePants. Gay characters, such as SpongeBob Squarepants, Bob The Builder, and Barney, are always cheerful, never lose their temper, and they encourage children to use their "imagination". Not so Elijah BiblePants! Creator Chad Jackson says Elijah is dour, angry, and "strictly literalist".

Jackson, whose Biblical comic tracts promising eternal damnation can be found in laundrymats and subway cars, says his new cartoon character may somewhat resemble SpongeBob -- but that's only as far as looks are concerned.

"I promise you, there is nothing gay or otherwise filthy about Elijah BiblePants," he said. "Elijah is not happy, and he is not friendly! Because when it's a matter of everlasting Hellfire, you've got nothing to be friendly about."

Elijah BiblePants is inspired by Second Kings 2:23-24. In that passage, the prophet Elijah invokes the Lord and curses a throng of children who have teased him because of his baldness. As a result, a group of enraged bears charges out of the woods, tearing to pieces forty-two of the insolent brats.

The hero of this new Christian cartoon series delivers moving Hellfire and brimstone sermons. He also organizes book burnings and public stonings of homosexuals, adulterers, and heretics.

But mainstream media have shied away from airing the program.

"Elijah BiblePants is a sordid orgy of violence and hatred," one network executive said, pale and visibly shaken. "Certainly not appropriate for kids. Some of the things I saw on that tape ... I don't think I will ever get them out of my head."

Jackson admits that his uncompromising children's cartoon has been a tough sell even among Christian broadcasters.

Said Sherman Marcus, CEO of The JesusChannelNetwork, "When we choose programming for young kids, say, ages 2-11, we look for stuff that is more along the lines of, say, Veggie Tales. You know good, healthy food teaching good, healthy lessons about, say, Christian values. While we do acknowledge that homosexuality is sinful, we don't think that graphic depictions of violence against, say, homosexuals are something that children ought to be exposed to."

Jackson disagrees.

"Yeah, I'm sure Veggie Tales stands a chance of competing with shows like Barney and South Park," he said, smirking." -associatedcontent.com

this is what is wrong with Christianity today. do i need to post the "white man" video again?

R is for Riley or Robin

2009-09-24T14:00:00.002-04:00

i ordered riley's costume for Halloween.
i was really excited to find my favorite hero's costume for my favorite son...
i am determined to make my son the great man that i am.

my father-in-law steve, the great teacher

2009-09-23T15:21:00.005-04:00

i have learned a lot from my father-in-law.

as a teen he taught me a lot about God and how to work paddle boats.

as a young adult he showed me how to change my oil.

even how to put up with the worst in people.

these things have stuck with me. he has always been a good example...

BUT

one thing he never taught me was how to dress...

thank you steve for everything you did and did not teach me.
(this is not an actual photo of steve, but trust me... he owns the outfit).

a fun fact i have learned from danny

2009-09-21T08:53:00.005-04:00

danny: "your haircut looks the best five days after."

that is why i always cut my hair five days before a big event... thank you danny. your wisdom will take me far.

beard no more

2009-09-18T13:56:00.003-04:00

a week or two ago i wrote a blog about how i was going to grow a beard... well that lasted a week.

i got beyond the itchy phase.

i got beyond the awkward look of it.

i just wasn't able to get past my wife hating the feel of it. apparently it hurts when you kiss someone with a beard. so, being the good husband that i am, i shaved.
and lets be honest... i looked like a bum with the beard. not the greatest look for an old man like me.

so... i am going to stick to the scruffy look.

things here have been kind of slow. nothing really major to talk about.

sigh... the life of a normal man...

the beard challenge

2009-09-02T14:42:00.004-04:00

i have discovered a website all about beards...beards.org.
i must admit at first i was making fun of the success stories, but something clicked... what if a beard made me a richer man?
therefore i am going to grow a beard and become a better man.

weekly i am going to blog about this (i hope to at least).
to be honest the beard is itching me to death, but to become a man, you must endure hard times...

so join me my brothers (and some sisters) and grow a beard with me!

title="Visit beards.org!" alt="Visit beards.org!" width="400" height="80" />

learning to love the town whore

2009-08-31T22:22:00.002-04:00

since i was in middle school i have heard, made jokes, and laughed at our town whore. i should have known better. i was always taught to love. to look beyond the outward appearance and see their heart, yet it never stopped me from saying words to make people laugh at her expense.

the town whore ( i will call her freckles) is a short woman who is mentally slow. she is poor and is preyed upon by older men in the community. she is often seen walking the sidewalks with a cigarette in her mouth and wearing a blue jacket with cutoff shorts.

she has had several children (whom were all taken away from her). she is the only woman i have known in our town to be "fixed" by court order.

needles to say, she has seen and felt pain that i will never know.

a few years ago the women at our church were making gifts for people in the community. they were to pick someone and give them the gift. my lovely wife angie has a soft and honest heart. she had also heard the jokes about freckles and decided to giver her gift as an outreach to her.

she wrestled with the notion. always feeling nervous and afraid. it is never easy to approch someone that you don't even know with a gift... let a lone someone who has been the butt of jokes for many years.

this didn't stop ang from reaching out.

that was the first time it hit me.

freckles needs love too.

i made great effort to stop making fun of her. to pray for her.

a few months ago i actually had a conversation with freckles. she had been harassed by a man in town and wanted to know what she could do about it. i told her legal options and went on my way. little did i know that short conversation would cause her to trust me.

every time i see her now she speaks to me. we have a few short sentences and then she is on her way. each time we talk i see a little bit more of her heart and her broken life.

the way she has been used over the years has had to cause many scars and trust issues. to have her children taken and to never truly know them must be pain beyond belief.

once upon a time i would pass by her and laugh. wonder how could anyone love her? how could anyone sleep with her? how could she not know she was the town's joke?
but all of that has changed. now i see a soul in search of love and one that needs to be loved.
i see my heart loving her. loving her the way i was meant to. to look beyond the mess and dirty old men she fills her time with.

it's the way i want to be loved. beyond my failings and faults.

my problem with ms.pac-man

2009-08-28T09:13:00.006-04:00

here lately i have been playing a lot of ms.pac-man between court files at work. i have enjoyed mastering the skill of dodging ghosts and eating fruit. though stuck on level 30, i still find joy in playing the game.
but something this morning caught my attention.
between certain levels there is a little title.
they meet.
the chase.
junior (which appears more than once).

this started to sink in.
ms.pac-man supports premarital sex and naming numerous babies the same name.

as i parent i am appalled by the teachings of this video game. what has our world come to?

so from here on out i am no longer going to play ms.pac-man... i am boycotting this evil sexual driven game!

who is with me?

no toys allowed (unless mommy say so)

2009-08-24T14:40:00.003-04:00

friday night ang, riley, and i headed to lexington. we figured (i mean... i figured) i would pick up my comics and find a few things for riley.

while in target i thought i would see if i could find riley a table for him to play on. once i entered the toy section he started going crazy. crying really loud. so i handed him a little laptop for babies. he was quiet as he played.
ang and i both know how much he likes to play with my laptop, so i figured i would buy it for him.

i found ang in the food section and showed her my great find. i puffed my chest out with pride and smiled for how well i knew my son's needs.

she told me to put it back.

her reasoning was "we don't need to buy him things he will only play with a few times."

so i took it back.

it broke my heart to know that he would not be leaving with something... so i picked up a little stuffed toy.

she told me to take that back (she claims she is not that bad of a nag...).

our next stop was babies r us.
we found some nice clothes and some cute little shoes.

while ang was looking for some more clothes, i thought i would take him to look at the toys.

yelling, and crying followed...

i tried my hardest to keep him happy, but he wants what he wants.

ang came and offered to take over while i looked at some clothes for him.
the next thing i know i see her walking towards me carrying the same laptop i wanted to get him.

"should we get this for him?"

what?

needless to say... he has a laptop now.

angie admits that it was my idea, but i know now how it works...

mommy has to say it is "ok" before riley can have any fun...

that's ok... i plan on making sure he loves cartoons more than math. that will teach her.

the aftermath

2009-08-14T14:48:00.003-04:00

the aftermath

fire in beattyville

2009-08-13T13:24:00.005-04:00

jack's iga, rose brothers, and the beattyville enterprise is no more. sad day... it was heart breaking to see the owners and workers watching the fire. my poor little town.
thankfully no one was hurt.

the genius next door

2009-08-10T10:24:00.002-04:00

i am in love with this song. i have no clue what it is talking about, but it is awesome.

regina spektor: genius next door

Some said the local lake had been enchanted
Others said it must have been the weather
The neighbors were trying to keep it quiet
But I swear that I could hear the laughter
So they joke, and they nicknamed it "the porridge"
Cause over night that lake had turned as thick as butter

But the local kids would still go swimming, drinking
Saying that to them it doesn't matter

If you just hold in your breath
'Til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath
'Til you've thought it through
You fool

The genius next door was bussing tables
Wiping clean the keptchup bottle labels
Getting high and mumbling German fables
Didn't care as long as he was able
To strip his clothes off by the dumpsters
At night while every one was sleeping
And wade midway into that porridge
Just him and the secret he was keeping

If you just hold in your breath
'Til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath
'Til you thought it through
You foolish child

In the morning the film crews start arriving
With donuts, coffee and reporters
The kids were waking up, hung over
The neighbors were starting up their cars
The garbageman were emptying the dumpsters
Atheists were praying full of sarcasm
And the genius next door was sleeping
Dreaming that the antidote is orgasm

If you just hold in your breath
'Til you come back up in full
Hold in your breath
'Til you thought it through
You foolish child

a new way of life

2009-08-10T09:18:00.004-04:00

soon i will be turning 31... ugh... oh how i hate to get older. many of you know i am not a fan of becoming an old man, but i think i have found a way i can stop from feeling my age.

this past weekend i realized how much weight i have actually gained (i am not going to say the amount). i am no where near the heaviest weight i have been in the past, but i am on a fast track there.

i believe it all started when i stopped taking adderall (thanks james!). my body no longer had the artificial speed to keep the weight down. sure i am a lot happier of a person and i am not getting moody after 10 p.m. ,but i miss being skinnier. sure i still fit into my 33 size pants, but i can feel them getting tighter everyday.

so this morning i started my new weight loss plan...
i am going to vomit and take laxatives.

not really.

i am just eating better and working out a lot more.

that is how i plan to feel younger. i want to be able to take my shirt off when i mow. i want to be able to wear my superhero t-shirts without my belly button eating the shirt. i want to sit down and not feel my man boobs resting on my gut (ok.. that hasn't happened yet, but trust me it is coming!).

so i figured i may start blogging about my progress... may even put a few pics up... ehh.. better not.

just push the knife deeper...

2009-07-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

it is no secret that i am a comic book nerd. i enjoy watching cartoons... who cares?
while surfing the net at work i discovered a quote from one of the creators of my favorite cartoon "batman: brave and the bold".

James Taylor quipped "Batman goes further than 1989." He also described the show as being intended for "Nerd dads and their kids."

nerd dads? oh how that hurts.

i guess i will still watch the show, but i will be pumping iron and punching bunnies while watching it!

nerd... phhhh...please... would a nerd leave a comic book out of it's protective cover? i think not!

"i am somebody"

2009-07-28T08:43:00.002-04:00

i have said this a few times, " i miss working at camp", but last night really made me miss it.
this is the last week of camp and to top it all off it is sunshine camp (mental and physically handicap). my favorite camp. it can be hard and trying, but there is nothing better than taking care of someone else who loves you without any thought.
the campers believe like Jesus told us to believe - child like faith.
they are so honest and they really do care about the people around them.

i miss seeing and feeling that.

thankfully angie is playing the piano for chapel and i tag along. i get to sit in chapel and listen to them sing "i'll fly away" and the "butterfly song". they clap and dance (something that i have never felt free enough to do) as the music fills the air.

i sat there taking it all in. then they started singing a new song.

"i am somebody, because God loves me, i am accepted just the way that i am."

not to get mushy, but i almost started to cry. it was beautiful. most of them couldn't even sing it, but it still sounded so perfect.

too many times we forget that we are accepted just the way we are. we try to form ourselves into something we will never be.

there was a time that i did this. i tried my hardest to be the perfect little christian solider. i packed my Bible under my armpit (which i doubt God liked too much), i listened to only christian music, and i learned to put down other people around me. for some reason i thought that is how God wanted me to act, but i was way off.

last night i think i realized that i am the handicapped person.

google finaly gets it

2009-07-23T13:48:00.001-04:00

DC comics is way better than marvel...

not a fan

2009-07-22T23:10:00.002-04:00

a few weeks ago someone asked me why i was not a fan of southland.
hmmm...
so today why i was going through some old posts, i discovered something that reminded me why i need to learn to let go of childish things... so i am going to re post something from 2006.

7 years ago i finished my college. college life was hard. not cause of the work, but because of the school i attended. it was a very legalistic school. i was not a model student of southland. i listened to christian music with a drum beat. i went to a public high school. i went to dances. i didn't part my hair. i also loved sinners. i made it through, but there were a lot of emotional scars left. it took years for me to even go back there to visit. i would never tell someone to look at the school, but it did have a special place in my heart.
yesterday the school sent out a news letter. it talked about the former students who have went on to server God in the ministry. there were a lot of names. ones that i had went to school with. there were even some of my co-workers. yet i didn't see my name. i am in the full time ministry. it didn't really bother me at first, but the more people talked it hurt.
i saw one of my teachers at a funeral (odd place to see them). a friend brought up the article. the teacher looked at me and said "oh please, did you really think that they would put you on that list? "
i was shocked.
"think of your attitude."
my attitude? is free thinking a sin?
i couldn't believe this. i was cut from the list because i did not buy into the fake salvation that they teach. i didn't believe their truths. the laws that they believed would make them stronger.
i am hurt, but i am free. one way i believe to truly become free would be to burn this bridge. i have no need for this college nor the people there. i just pray that i never become the christian to cause pain.

i can see how my words could hurt the people i speak about. i believe that God wants me to continue letting go of the past, but remember His will is more important than a person grading me on how i dress or putting me in a newsletter.

i think that is the problem with ministry some times. we try too hard to please the people around us and not God.

bosco and bloody pavement

2009-07-22T09:09:00.003-04:00

about six months ago i rescued a dog from the courthouse steps. he was a cute little mutt. he was only a puppy (his boys hadn't dropped yet) and was very happy to please his new found friend.
after the death of wondergirl i never thought i would have another dog, but bosco soon found a place in my heart. he is an overly friendly puppy and stays close to home (unless the neighbor's dog cookie comes over to lure him to the other side of the hill). so i was surprised when i received a phone call from my neighbor at the end of the road telling me she heard a gun shot and a dog scream.
angie and i first figured it was some other dog. bosco doesn't bark or growl at anyone. not even at other dogs. so why would anyone shoot him? i stepped outside to see if my neighbor's fears were correct. i looked down and saw bosco slowly walking towards me. his little body was in pain. he was whimpering and i could smell the blood. i reached down and he just fell into my arms. part of me wanted to find the person who shot him, but i knew the most important thing was to stay by his side.
i washed his wounds and bandaged him as good as i could. he just laid there. i was afraid i was going to lose another pet, but thankfully it only broke the skin (in several places. bird shot. ugh)and the vet gave him some pain killers and antibiotics.
now i find myself spending a little more time with bosco in the evenings. rubbing his belly and trying to warn him about stupid people with guns.
the only problem is, now i want to find the idiot who shot him. i have a few guesses to who this person or people could be (with their tobacco filled cheeks), but i feel like i should just let it go. what would i do if i caught them? give them a stern talking to? make them apologize to bosco?
i just hope they realize that my family no longer feels safe walking on our road at night.

"a must read blog"

2009-07-16T23:22:00.002-04:00

"a must read blog for all of the dorks out there!" -Tyler Phillips
"my husband wears women's clothing, but dang he loves this blog." -Donna Phillips

(the last wedding i will have to perform this summer).

what has happened to me?

2009-07-16T12:58:00.002-04:00

i pride myself for being a big kid. i feel honored when my little cousins ask me about cartoons. what i write next will make the strongest heart feel weak. you are about to witness a man break down and admit that he is maturing.

i spent 3 hours on tuesday night watching the history channel (i didn't even know we had it). i watch with great wonder until i drifted off to sleep on the couch (like an old man). i woke up at the end of the program with angie wondering why i was watching such a grown up channel. i had no words.

last night i purchased a weed eater (big deal you may think, but it gets worse). the problem with the weed eater is that it's electric (Boogie woogie, woogie). most old women own such things... cars passing by stopped and stared as i pulled the extension cord behind me. i felt like i should have been wearing a flowered print shirt with white gloves.

so tonight i am reclaiming my youth. i am going to watch 3 hours of cartoons and pull the weeds up by hand. i may even pull out some old he-man toys and play with them in front of the tv. who knows....

too many t-shirts

2009-07-02T08:23:00.002-04:00

i am not the best at clothes shopping. i will buy something and think it looks good at the store, but get home and discover that it was the worst purchase ever. my wife accuses me of never looking at the price and just buying. one of her biggest annoyances is all of the t-shirts i have. i claim that all of them are not public viewing t-shirts due to the fact they fit funny (i am made funny. i have big shoulders and a small frame. i am kind of built like a penguin).
yet last night i bought another t-shirt. it is a cool looking batman tee that fits perfectly over this round body. i was happy with my purchase and i figured my wife would be as well.
i was wrong.
she first accused me of already having the shirt and when i proved her wrong, she began counting my shirts. i tried to defend myself, but there is no way to satisfy angie when she thinks she is right.
so my goal for the next month is to avoid buying t-shirts.i will just start wearing the ones that show off my man boobs and the short ones to show off my bum...
that will teach her and everyone else around me!

oh the summer

2009-06-30T08:26:00.002-04:00

i like to pride myself in being one who can handle change, but the truth is--- some change bothers me.
this will be hard for me to admit, but i miss my summers at camp.
camp was always a time for me to get away from the rest of the world and look out for the youth that surround us. to just have fun and not worry about paper work and such.
yet that is no longer a part of my life. i no longer get to spend my afternoons sitting by the pool life guarding (i miss having a tan. i am so white), or listening to kids talk about their lives with a camp fire roaring in front of them.
don't get me wrong. i love my job, but camp was part of my childhood. i just can't wait til riley starts going to camp so i can live through him.

the bright side is... i don't miss camp food.

i love this art

2009-06-26T11:55:00.004-04:00

joshboston.com

angie's great grandfather and danny's talent for writing

2009-06-10T22:42:00.004-04:00

my brother-in-law wrote this note on facebook after finding out his great grandfather had passed away.

"My great-grandpa died in his chair today.

My grandma asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee this morning and he said yes, but he didn’t live long enough to drink it. I think he was ninety-six.

He was a quiet man most of the time I knew him, but certain subjects would get him pretty animated. When he got started on a tangent he was hilarious. I only wish I could have been on the phone the time he got the call from the city saying he had to paint his shutters or something like that. He called my uncle in a rage cussing and complaining about the Ferguson Gestapo.

He liked to tell us about how poor he was as a child. So poor, he said, that he wasn’t allowed to shoot a rabbit for dinner unless there were two lined up and he could kill them both with a single shot. So poor, he said, that his excuse for being late to school was that he was last in line to use the toothbrush.

I was probably 10 or 11 when a few of us sat on his back porch eating popsicles. He told us to just make sure we didn’t eat the sticks. “One time,” he announced, “I ate a bunch of popsicle sticks and pooped a two-by-four!”

Great-grandma: “Pa!”

Great-grandpa: “Well it’s true!”

His house was heat, an uncomfortable couch, a magnifying glass on the newspaper, underwear in the recliner, and Wheel of Fortune turned up to 11. He was married to my great-grandma forever as far as I’m concerned.

When we’d visit for Christmas he’d play Silent Night on the harmonica. Other times he’d disappear into his room and come out and entertain us with an accordion he found in a barn as a teenager.

His and my great-grandma’s house was notorious among the cousins for having a candy bowl on every table. When we finished a Starburst and took him the wrapper he’d fold it into a little boat. As we got older (or smarter, or both) he taught all of us how to make one for ourselves. When I think of my great-grandpa I always think of Starbursts, and when I see Starbursts I always think of my great-grandpa. I still make a boat every time I eat a Starburst.

He had a mean streak that I never saw. He has pictures that show him as strong. He was a good man, and now he’s gone."

you will be missed. if only we all could live a life like yours.

facebook polls, bat's in the courtroom, and why i need to keep my mouth shut

2009-06-09T11:32:00.002-04:00

facebook:
i am really getting sick of people posting their opinions on facebook polls.
wait.
let me rephrase that.
i do no like when christians have to force their views on facebook with a poll.
the most recent poll to annoy me is the "same sex marriage" poll.
why post that? we already know you are against it.
do we have a poll for people against adultery, gluttony, laziness, pride, should i keep on going? because if you want i will make a poll to cover every sin that all of God's children (including myself) commits.
it seems to me that it is easier for us to point the finger when we are not willing to admit that our own gut is a sin.

bat in the courtroom:
during court a bat started flying around. it was funny watching all of these tough guys run out of the courtroom because they are afraid.

why i need to keep my mouth shut:
this does not need to be explained.

4 years of putting up with me

2009-06-03T13:15:00.007-04:00

tomorrow will be angie's and my anniversary. it doesn't feel like it has been 4 years since we got married, but i hear that is a good thing.
i have been blessed to have a perfect wife. she puts up with my comic books, annoying music, leaving my underwear on the floor, my depressing moments, me talking about movies she could care less about, and my spending habits.
what can i say... she got a winner.
i figured i would post a few pictures. the first one is when we were engaged. the next one as you can tell is our wedding day. the last was taken on easter.

once again with the comic pics

2009-06-02T14:43:00.006-04:00

i really can't help myself. some of these pictures are just too funny.
one warns us about the dangers of going to the creation museum.

aunt & riley

2009-05-22T16:44:00.004-04:00

this was taken by my twin sister while she was watching riley for us. this short video shows what riley loves the most. be warned...seductive dancing movements are in this video.

my wife is the coolest nerd ever!

2009-05-11T08:45:00.001-04:00

this is one of my wife's math videos. this is one of the many ways she forces math onto today's youth.

i do not practice what i preach

2009-05-08T13:22:00.002-04:00

i am a huge fan of preaching God's love and how we should show it to everyone (not just the ones we would like to offer it to), but i failed this week after arguing my case this past sunday.

some of you may not remember that my blog address/ name used to be enoch the hitch hiker. i picked this name because i have always picked up hitch hikers. i found their company some what enjoyable. some would tell stories of how they are down on their luck, how God is still a big part of their life (right up there with pot), or how they are walking across this beautiful state. some times they even brought along a turtle or snake they had found on the side of the road.

but here recently i have been avoiding picking up hitch hikers. since i have started working here, i have picked up at least 3 people who i have seen sent to jail and knowing what they have done makes it really hard for me to help them out. mix that with me being a father and the fact the higher ups at work tell us that we are not to socialize with the criminals.

when i drive past them i hurt. i hurt because i want to help them. i don't want to let fear stop me from helping them.

so i become like the type of christian i cannot stand... i pray for them and go on.

God is love... did you hear that church?

2009-05-03T22:26:00.003-04:00

my fellow brother, who survived ministry, chad estes posted a YouTube video called white man. fun song that made my soul feel a lot better after dealing with backwater theology and the troubled teens in youth group. it is good reminder who God really is.

boys (lesson one)

2009-04-29T08:51:00.005-04:00

this past weekend i bought jars of clay's newest album "the long fall back to earth". it is a different sound for jars, but i really love it. there is on song that i really love. boys (lesson one). it is a song to a son.
since i have become a father a lot of things have changed in me. i am really happy with life and i really want my son to be happy and to always know his father is there for him.
i didn't always feel that way. before riley was born i was not too thrilled about becoming a father. it meant i was going to lose what little freedom i had, but the moment i saw him take his first breath things changed.
this song is exactly what i want to say to him when he is old enough to understand. i am not going to be the distant father, but the father that is a best friend.

lesson one do not hide
lesson two- there are right ways to fight
and if you have questions we can talk through the night
so you know who you are
and you know what you want
i've been where you're going
and it's not that far
it's too far to walk
but you don't have to run
you'll get there in time
lesson three- you're not alone
not since i saw you start breathing on your own
you can leave, you can run, this will still be your home
so you know who you are
and you know what you want
i've been where you're going
and it's not that far
it's to far to walk
but you don't have to run
you'll get there in time
get there in time
in time, to wonder where the days have gone
in time to be old enough to wish you that you were young
when the good things are unraveling, bad things come undone
you weather love and lose your innocence
there will be liars and thieves who take from you
not to undermine the consequence
but you are not what you do
and when you need it most
i have a hundred reasons why i love you
so you know who you are
and you know what you want
i've been where you're going
and it's not that far
it's to far to walk
but you don't have to run
you'll get there in time
get there in time
if you weather love and lose your innocence
just remember, lesson one.

best song ever!

2009-04-25T22:43:00.001-04:00

thank you tyler.

so very sorry for another pic

2009-04-24T11:53:00.001-04:00

this made me laugh out loud at work.

google at work

2009-04-24T11:42:00.002-04:00

i hate chocolate too!
i do have a lot in common with him.
even if ang does stop me from wearing my underwear on the outside of my clothes.