Humanism and the Arts

Tonight we celebrated Humanism and the Arts at Church of the Restoration with a one-hour program. We used the talents of (mostly) members who are members of both the Church of the Restoration and HAT.

The program began with Joy Avery singing "Mi Amor" and accompanying herself on guitar. Next, Ms. Bismillah did a Spirit Dance to recorded music.

Next was a drumming ensemble of three drummers who gave a powerful performance. This was followed by Marilyn Clarke reading three poems by Billy Collins. Then Barbara Frey, now 85 years old, read a poem she wrote back in the early 60s.

Next Larry Roth read the first part of "The Ghost Beyond the Attic Door." Larry has been working on this short story to enter into a competition sponsored by Tulsa World. Then Will Poire played "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

This was followed by Gail and myself playing "Boogie Fever." Next Joy returned to sing two additional songs: "Be a Lamp Unto Yourself" and "Calm Soul." Finally, Gail and I played "Check It Out." Both pieces we played were written by Jeanine Yeager. We had a request for something by Scott Joplin, but I had no Joplin music with me. I promised that next time we would play some Scott Joplin.

Following the end of the arts persentation, we enjoyed refreshments. Immediately after this event was over, the film Avatar was shown. J and I stayed for a little of the film, but since the film ran for two hours, I did not feel like staying for the whole thing. It was a busy news day today what with the no fly zone being approved over Libya and the nuclear power plant disaster still unfolding in Japan. We came home and tuned in to MSNBC to get caught up on the latest developments.

There were about a dozen people at this event.

More on Colton Burpo

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but someone pointed out to me another thing to take into consideration regarding the story of Colton Burpo I had not realized before. 1 John 4:12 reads, “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

According to Pastor Burpo “God’s size clearly wasn’t scary to Colton, but it was also interesting to me that as eager as Colton was to tell about what God looked like, he was just as eager to tell me what god felt like toward us.”

These two citations put the Christian in a dilemma. Either the Bible is correct in saying “No man hath seen God at any time,” thus making Colton’s story suspect, or else Colton did see God, making the claim to Biblical inerrancy invalid. You can have it one way or the other, but you can’t have it both ways.

Another testimony

I found the following testimony on the Internet. I post it for your consideration.

I had something which is not really a NDE but very weird and profound like an NDE.

It happened when I was 13 years old (on my Bday I think). I was sleeping and I had a dream in which I was presented with a test. It was a picture of Jesus. As I saw it, I thought "what is this picture of the Son of God doing here? As soon as I said that I realized that there is only one true god who has no son, and that I had commited the greatest sin in the world, greater than even murder.

At that moment the earth shattered into tiny particles and I fell through darkness for what seemed like an eternity. But I did not have a body, it was just me, it's very hard to explain. Also everything was very real, much more real than me writing this to you right now. I had no body but it was dark and cold, I knew that I should be able to "see" but I realized there was a sort of barrier and I was not allowed to see.....I was being led to the grave where I knew I would spend an eternity away from Allah and I was terrified. That was pure terror, just imagine knowing you will never go to heaven or be alive again, only in a tortured state forever, it was immensely scary.

At that moment I instinctively knew that I would have to do something fast before it was too late and I was left there for all eternity and I would never see my family again and would not be able to warn them...so I screamed from the bottom of my soul "GOD (the only one god) SAVE ME!" and at that moment I woke up. The weird thing is that in the room where I was sleeping we were approx. 4 people and it was very hot almost unbearably hot, enough to make you sweat in your sleep, but I woke up freezing cold and clenching my teeth from the cold.

This dream was the driving force behind my quest for truth and subsequent reversion to Islam which is undoubtedly the truth. I am not making this stuff up brothers and sisters, this is the realest thing I have ever experienced.

Salam a leikum

I think this testimony shows how people are influenced by their culture, of which their religion is a part. While I came close to death myself in January 2007 (following emergency brain surgery), I recall having no near-death-experience.

Heaven is for Real?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7933292-heaven-is-for-real">Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3446736.Todd_Burpo">Todd Burpo
My rating: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/154455886">1 of 5 stars

I read this book because my father recommended it to me. It would have been more convincing had the author stopped writing sooner. You could imagine a little boy (indoctrinated by his Christian parents) being convinced he had traveled to heaven and back. But this testimonial goes way beyond that.

The visions of battles with horses and swords and breastplates, etc. is too Old Testament. Has there been no modernization in warfare techniques since Biblical times? Must people continue to hack each other to death with swords as in olden times? Why have they not advanced to bows and arrows, to say nothing of firearms? Why all the talk of killing and war anyway?

I have to also question the motive of the author/pastor. I can't help but wonder if he had a motive other than just telling Colton's story. Might there be a financial angle to telling this story? Why does Burpo feel compelled to explain the delay in reporting the story? Why does the story always conform to a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible?



http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1777864-dan">View all my reviews

Sunday and my events

The day began with my driving over to Church of the Restoration just on the north side of Tulsa. It's about a 25 minutes drive from my house. The service was lengthy with Betty Morrow speaking about three women who did a lot for our congregation. The other two lay leaders for the day were Vanessa and Mary. The subject of today's talk was "Our History Is Our Strength: Women's History."

I have a conflict in my schedule. On April 2, I should attend the Democratic Party Meeting for Tulsa County; also, I should attend the rehearsal for the chant group. Both events start at 10 am. I will probably go to the political event and skip chanting once again. Last time the group met, I had to miss due to a chronic cough I had. I will try one more time in May. If I have to miss that one, I will just give up. Sometimes I get involved in too many activities.

After church today I went to Wendy's and had a bowl of chili, a Dr. Pepper, and a Frosty. At 3:00 pm I was at Randy's for the Tulsa meeting of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I will post info on the meeting at the FFRF Tulsa blog.

Bill Maher on religion

Bill Maher is one of my favorite comedians. Here he speaks about religion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwK8oEvSd8

Another Mr. Deity episode

Here is the latest Mr. Deity episode:
http://www.mrdeity.com/deityrss.xml

Summary of the day

This morning we went walking at the Fitness Center. I did 2½ miles today. While I walked I listened to lecture 6 in the series of lectures on Robert and Clara Schumann. I checked the CDs out from the library and transferred the lectures to my MP3. I have two more lectures to listen to before I finish the course. I will have to see what other courses are available from the library.

I have been reading Heaven is for Real at the recommendation of my father. I'm just past the halfway point in the book. Once I have finished it, I will comment on the book.

Tonight I attended a meeting for the Democratic precincts for this part of Tulsa County. I live in precinct 856 and am now the chair for the Democrats in that precinct. I should receive my credentials in the mail soon. I have been following the attempt to cripple the unions in Wisconsin and have decided to become more politically active.

Unions dealt a blow

The standoff over union rights that rocked Wisconsin and the nation for weeks headed for a quick end Thursday, as Republican lawmakers were set to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from the state's public workers and deliver one of the strongest blows to the power of unions in years.

I was sorry to hear about this blow to labor. I have a feeling the story is not over yet, though. I am proud to be a union member. I have been a union member all my adult life, and even now in retirement, I am still a dues paying member ($2 per month) of my union. Solidarity forever!

My birthday - #63

Here I am on my 63rd birthday. J surprised me with a cake while the grandchildren were here. My son and his spouse came by and gave me gift cards to local restaurants. J and I will be going out for a special dinner tomorrow night. My cousin V. in Houston sent a lot of nice gifts and called me this morning while I was sitting in the barber chair. My parents called me this morning just after I finished with my morning walk.

You can tell my left ear is just about back to normal. Avoid spiders!

My weekend

Saturday I was feeling rather bad, having a constant cough. J slept in the front bedroom (now referred to as the playroom) so as not to catch whatever is was that I had. I felt better when I awoke this morning. I was able to go to church and give my talk to the congregation. Instead of the usual 8 to 10 in the congregation, this morning we had 25. There were two reasons for the increased attendance: (1) many of my humanist friends were aware that I was speaking this morning and attended to support me, and (2) Joy had invited many of her Muslim friends to attend.

This was a day when I stayed afterward to have a meal together. On the way to the church, I stopped by Wal-Mart and bought a chunk of sliced ham. I was not aware the Muslims would be there, otherwise I would have opted for another selection.

My talk, "Horror Stories from the Bible, Part 1" was well received by the congregation. When Rosemary's e-mail bounced back (she usually does the children's story), I went to the library Saturday and checked out a children's book, just in case. Good thing I did since Rosemary was not in the congregation today. I read a children's story (once we actually had children in the congregation) about a giraffe named Gerald. Then for the special music, Gail and I played "Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues."

I was feeling pretty bad on Saturday, but by today I think I have recovered. We will probably go walking again tomorrow after Gail comes by for piano practice in the morning.

Daily wrap-up

I took it easy today in an effort to get well. My left ear continues to get better but has a way to go still. We continue to watch it.

Ayla is spending the night with us tonight. Tomorrow is Movie Night but I don't know at this time if we will go.

Instead of going to chanting class, I will stay home and try to get well. I seem to be coming down with a cold. I slept for several hours today. I think it is now time to return to bed.

Quoted from an article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Harper, often referred to as "George W. Bush's Mini Me," is known for having mounted a Bush-like war on government scientists, data collectors, transparency, and enlightenment in general. He is a wizard of all the familiar tools of demagoguery; false patriotism, bigotry, fear, selfishness and belligerent religiosity.

Harper's attempts to make lying legal on Canadian television are a stark admission that right-wing political ideology can only dominate national debate through dishonest propaganda. Since corporate profit-taking is not an attractive vessel for populism, a political party or broadcast network that makes itself the tool of corporate and financial elites must lie to make its agenda popular with the public. In the Unites States, Fox News and talk radio, the sock puppets of billionaires and corporate robber barons, have become the masters of propaganda and distortion on the public airwaves. Fox News' notoriously biased and dishonest coverage of the Wisconsin's protests is a prime example of the brand of news coverage Canada has smartly avoided.

Zimmerman concert

Tonight we heard a concert by Roy Zimmerman. It was held in the Nightingale Theater near 4th and Peoria. At the intermission Roy was selling his CDs. I bought one titled "Real American." The concert was sponsored by Tulsa Atheists. Zimmerman is from San Francisco.

Busy weekend coming up

I went to the doctor on Monday again as a follow-up to the spider bites I received in Broken Arrow. She sent in a prescription (renewal) for more anti-bacterial medicine. The next day I went to the hospital for scans: both CTs and MRIs. I will hear the results next week.

I have had a reaction to the medication I have been taking for the spider bites (on my lower left ear). I broke out in blotches on my hands and chest. It looks a lot like the measles. I have had a fever off and on for several days now.

I have been sleeping a lot since the bites. I sleep eight hours at night. Plus I take a two-hour nap in the afternoon. However, today I slept even longer at naptime.

I hope I am doing better tomorrow for I would sure hate to miss the Roy Zimmerman concert. Saturday morning I'm planning on being at the cathedral to look into chanting. That evening, we have movie night at the Bradleys. Sunday, I deliver the message at Restoration. We have a busy weekend ahead.

Roy Zimmerman is coming to Tulsa

Later on this week Roy Zimmerman will be in Tulsa for a concert. His venue is small -- the Nightingale Theater. It seat about 100 people. I expect people will be turned away at the door. It might be a good idea to arrive early at the Theater.

Below is a link to Roy singing one of his songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ege_RBhh37A

Food and Fellowship and Handbell Choirs

Today was the day for the February Food and Fellowship which was held at Asian Cuisine in what used to be a Steak and Ale restaurant. Ten people were there. I had barbecued ribs and rice.

After we left the restaurant, we went to a nearby library to amuse ourselves while waiting for the clock to move closer to 3 pm. At 3 pm we were at the Spirit Bank Event Center in Bixby for a concert by the Tulsa Area Handbell Association. The group played eight songs mostly of a religious nature. Ringers came from 14 area churches. It was the largest gathering of bell ringers I had ever seen. We attended this event because my daughter-in-law was one of the ringers.

After the event was over we stopped at Sonic and ate. I had my usual -- a breakfast burrito with Dr. Pepper.

I continue to recover from the spider bites I received last week. My left ear looks gross. The swelling is down. My earlobe is brown and scaley. I just hope I get back to normal before long with no permanent effect.

World Clock

http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks/worldclock/

Click on the link above to see what is happening in the world and how fast.

Shopping at Lowe's

This afternoon, J had a doctor's appointment in east Tulsa. We drove over to the facility and heard what the doctor had to say. Afterwards, we went to the Barnes & Noble Bookstore on 41st St. After we left the bookstore, we went to a nearby Subway and shared a $5 footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich. Next we went to Lowe's where we bought several items. We bought some seeds. I also bought four four-foot pieces of 2 X 6 lumber and a dozen lag bolts. I will put these together to form a square. I intend to make a raised bed garden this summer.

We got back home about a half hour before the NBC Nightly News. I have been following the developments in North Africa and the Middle East, and also in Wisconsin. The times they are a-changing.

Tomorrow is the date of our monthly Food and Fellowship gathering. We will be meeting at a new Asian restaurant.

Army pictures

Here are a couple of pictures taken of me when I was in the army in Wurzburg. These photos were taken sometime between 1971 and 1973.

Cemetery in Germany

Here is a cemetery in Wurzburg, Germany. I was stationed here in the early 70s. One day I took a camera and visited the cemetery. The dead are packed in like sardines. Some graves are two-tiered, meaning one casket was laid atop another.

Happenings

I went back to the doctor today for a follow-up visit. My poor left ear looks like it is sunburnt. The skin is pealing. However, it feels a lot better. The doctor did not know what caused this incident; I just hope it doesn't return.

While out I picked up two fluted dowel pieces for my door repair project. We had two pieces, which I glued in place yesterday. The holed are drilled for the other two pieces. I hope to get them in place tomorrow.

Gail come over for another practice session this morning. We practiced "Cotton Mill Blues," which will be the special music for Restoration on March 6.

In March, the Humanists will be holding a "Humanists and the Arts" session at Restoration on the 18th. For an hour, local humanists will entertain the gathering by playing musical instruments or reading poetry.

J bought a case for her Nook today at Wal-Mart.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Here I am in Park Grove Cemetery in Broken Arrow next to the gravestone of Ralph Blane. Blane penned the lyrics to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". This picture was taken on February 17, 2011. If you click on the picture, you can enlarge it and read the inscription.

Church and piano practice

I went to Restoration this morning. There were only five of us there: Mary, Joy, Edna, Larry, and myself. How long can this church keep going?

The weather has moderated. It was very pleasent today. The snow has melted.

This evening I played piano for a couple of hours. Then I studied Russian with the assistance of www.masterrussian.com.

My medical problem is much better. I still have some lingering pain around my left ear. I have a follow-up visit to the doctor soon.

A Strange Occurrance

Earlier this week we went to Broken Arrow. We drove there on Tuesday and returned Thursday. J took some insurance class which was held on the campus of Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow. While there we looked for some geocaches. We found four of the five caches we looked for.

Thursday afternoon, around 4 pm, I noticed my left earlobe felt different. By 8 pm my left ear was swollen. My lymph nodes behind my ear were also swollen. This morning I went to a doctor. I received two injections plus a prescription. I came home and slept. I got up only to see the national news. After the news, I returned to bed. Around 8 pm I started feeling better.

On Gregorian Chant

Tonight I finished reading a book about Gregorian chant. See the image to the left. Chant notation is written on a staff of four lines. There are a few other differences as well.

On the laptop

Tonight we are using the laptop. We seem to be having some connectivity problems. I will need to save often.

Yesterday, Monday, Gail and I had our usual Monday practice session. Afterwards, Gail went out to our front yard to our pine tree and took some clippings which she intends to use as decoration for some event she is hosting.

Today, we went to Barnes & Noble where J bought a Nook e-reader. While in the area, we went to Saied's Music Store on Yale. I bought a piano solo version of Floyd Cramer's song "Last Date." Earlier this day, I received the books I had ordered from Amazon. I am looking forward to taking part in Gregorian chant at the cathedral.

For our evening meal, we ate at the Stone Mill Barbecue Restaurant in Broken Arrow. I had the all-you-can-eat ribs for $11 plus change.

Quoted from a speech by Bill Moyers

He [reporter Joe Keohane] was reporting on research at the University of Michigan, which found that when misinformed people, particularly political partisans, were exposed to corrected facts in new stories, they rarely changed their minds. In fact, they often became even more strongly set in their beliefs. Facts were not curing misinformation.

Suffice it to say that, while "most of us like to believe that our opinions have been formed over time by careful, rational consideration of facts and ideas and that the decisions based on those opinions, therefore, have the ring of soundness and intelligence," the research found that actually "we often base our opinions on our beliefs ... and rather than facts driving beliefs, our beliefs can dictate the facts we chose to accept. They can cause us to twist facts so they fit better with our preconceived notions.

These studies help to explain why America seems more and more unable to deal with reality. So many people inhabit a closed belief system on whose door they have hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign, that they pick and choose only those facts that will serve as building blocks for walling them off from uncomfortable truths.
--------------------------------------------------

To read the entire speech, click here:

http://www.truth-out.org/bill-moyers-facts-still-matter67571

In support of Darwin Day

Below is a link with Roy Speckhardt explaining how you can support the effort to make February 12 recognized as Darwin Day.

http://vimeo.com/19803382

From the mail

It was another cold day in Oklahoma. Last night the temp got down to -31 degrees in Nowata. But soon the temp is supposed to get back to the 60s.

In the mail today I got another issue of The Oklahoma Observer. The cover story is about mental illness. Here are a few quotes from the article:

More than 35,000 mentally ill commit suicide annually.

The Mental Health Department reports that Oklahoma ranks No. 2 in serious psychological disorders in the adult population.

Oklahoma's mental health spiral began under Republican Gov. Frank Keating who signed executive orders closing Western State Hospital at Fort Supply and Eastern State Hospital in Vinita.

One in four adults have a diagnosable mental illness but less than 25% of older adults with mental illness get any type of mental health attention, let alone appropriate treatment.

In 1955 there was one psychiatric bed for every 300 Americans. Last year there was one psychiatric bed for every 3,000 Americans.

Let's hope tomorrow is a warmer day.

Four more inches of snow

With the temperature at 17 degrees now, I can report that we received four more inches of snow overnight. We are in hibernation mode once again. We are well stocked with food; we only go out for the newspaper in the morning.

I recall watching an episode of a Bill Moyers's program several years ago titled, I think, "Strange Weather." In this program Moyers interviewed the than head of the Environmental Protection Agency. At that time the head of the EPA was concerned about the effect of global climate change on the weather. The dumping of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (by automobiles and industry) is a chief cause of global warming, which in turn leads to erratic weather phenomena.

It is supposed to warm up starting on Friday. With each passing day, we get closer to spring.

I was just reading the January issue of National Geographic. There is an article on the earth's population in the issue. I notice that in 1948, the year I was born, the population of the Earth was between 2 and 3 billion. It is now approaching 7 billion. The magazine will be running articles this year on population growth.

Car gets stuck

Today we had planned to meet Nick and his family, along with Adra and Jon at Incredible Pizza near 71st and Memorial. School was canceled again for the sixth day, and with the approaching storm, it's likely to be out for the remainder of the week. The visit was a treat for Alya and Luke.

As I backed the '08 Saturn out of the garage (for the first time in a little over a week), I soon found myself stuck about ten feet outside the garage on my driveway. J urged me to take the '96 Saturn instead. So I put the '08 Saturn in park and left it on the driveway. We transferred to the '08 Saturn and took the Creek Turnpike to Memorial. I knew the '96 Saturn could get out of the driveway for I had just an hour earlier driven it to the nearby fitness center and back. While at the fitness center I walked 2.5 miles while listening to a lecture by Robert Greenberg on Robert Schumann and the Romantic period in music history. Greenberg is an excellent teacher; he is very knowledgeable and witty.

J and I got in at the senior discount rate (about $5) and found our family inside without much difficulty. I should say that Incredible Pizza is in a large building which is subdivided into many smaller sections. I think the building was at one time a Venture's store. There is a large games room in about half of the store, which includes a nine-hole miniature golf course, a miniature bowling alley, a racing track with about a dozen small cars, an area for bumper cars, and a few other things. At the back of the store is a place where you can redeem the coupons you win for prizes. In the front half of the builidng are three large dining areas. In the area between the dining areas and the games room is an area where pizza is served. Diners help themselves to all the pizza they can eat. In addition to pizza, there is spaghetti, barbecued chicken, ice cream, and more. We were there for three and a half hours, eating and playing games.

When I got back home, I shoveled out the car and got it back in the garage. That took about 20 minutes. For dinner tonight, we had chicken and dressing, cranberry sauce, baked sweet potatoes, but all I ate was a sweet potato. I was still stuffed from all the pizza I ate at Incredible Pizza.

I played a few pieces on the piano tonight (Gail and I had to cancel our Monday practice because of the snow) and later studied Russian vocabulary for about an hour. I find that I am engaged in three activities on most days: (1) walking, (2) playing piano, and (3) studying Russian.

Weekend review

We got out of the house for the first since we had the record-breaking snowstorm last Tuesday. Some of the snow has melted, but much remains to melt away. What a blessing it is to be retired and not have to get out in this mess. For six says we just stayed put and kept warm. We had plenty of food on hand and found we had no need to get out for anything.

I got in my '96 Saturn today, and it started right up. I backed up a little and then pulled back in. Then I got a shovel and shoveled a path from the street to the house. When J came out, we got in the car and drove to Braum's. We got some milk and a few other things, and then drove home. Braum's had plenty of milk. We noticed others remarking that they had gone to several stores to get milk and they were out.

A grader had gone down our street and cleared a path for cars. Sometimes that does not happen. The schools are closed in the area for tomorrow. Some schools were affected by broken water lines.

Nick called tonight to check on us. We told him we were doing fine.

J and I worked the crossword from the paper tonight. We do pretty well when we work together. We both have knowledge that the other lacks; and that helps in solving crossword puzzles.

I hear that there is another storm coming this week. We could get another 5 to 10 inches of snow. Gail called just a few minutes ago to cancel our duet practice we normally have on Mondays.

I ordered a few books from Amazon yesterday. Two books I ordered contain spirituals of black Americans: Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit by Gwendolin Sims Warren and African American Heritage Hymnal published by GIA Publication, Inc. The Warren book contains the music and lyrics of 101 best-loved psalms, gospel hymns, and spiritual songs of the African-American church.

The African American Heritage Hymnal looks like any church hymnal. The 700 + page book has responsive readings at the beginning follow by some 700 songs. At the end are a few indexes, nine in fact. The hymnal is compiled for Protestant Black American churches. I recognize many hymns from the Baptist Hymnal. There are additional hymns such as "Life Every Voice and Sing" and "We Shall Overcome" which are especially meaningful to black people.

Two other books I ordered are A Beginner's Guide to Reading Gregorian Chant Notation by Noel Jones and Liber Cantualis by Monks of Solesmes.

Contest answers

Here are the answers to the quiz of February 2.

Scene A - This picture was taken an Ayr, Scotland. It is the birthplace of Robert Burns, who, among other famous lines penned, "Oh, would some power the gift give us / To see ourselves as others see us." The famous poet was born in the room at the far end of this picture.

Scene B - High atop this hill is the beginning of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. The street goes down to the Holy Rood Palace. It is lined with shops and restaurants.

No one correctly identified either photo.

Getting out

I got out of the house today for the first time since Monday. We got 14 inches of snow on Tuesday. Today was the first day we had mail delivered since the big snow. When I went out to the mailbox, it was snowing again. Below are some pictures J shot of my trip to get the mail. You would think that four days' mail would be more than two pieces. It was junk mail at that. We must have more mail somewhere else.

Shakespeare quiz

Быть или не быть -- вот в чём вопрос.

Above is a quotation from Shakespeare's Hamlet. It is in Russian, but you do not have to know Russian to figure out what it says. Just think about famous lines from the play and look at the structure of the sentence.

Ка́жется, он зна́ет об э́том.

It was another day at home today. We were both notified that our two churches have cancelled services for Sunday. I phoned Gail to let her know there would be no church service this Sunday. That's okay with me. Attendance would have been low, and I would have been speaking to just two or three people probably.

We got 14 inches of snow on Tuesday, and not a lot of it has melted yet. Most likely the Gregorian chant rehearsal I was planning on going to on Saturday will not meet. I will check on it tomorrow. In any case, I probably will not go. There are too many hazards between here and the cathedral in downtown Tulsa. Many events have been cancelled due to the snow. There are two more storms headed this way. The first one should bring us another inch of snow. The second one should bring more snow than the first one.

New photo contest

Below are two scenes I visited some 40 years ago. Can anyone identify the scenes? Use the comment feature at the end of this posting to leave your reply.

Scene A

Scene B

February calendar

February 2011 Calendar of Activities for Freethinkers
(Events are subject to cancellation due to snow and ice.)

Sat., Feb. 5, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Gregorian chant practice, Holy Family Cathedral (basement), 122 W. 8th. Laudamus Schola is seeking men and women to join the group.

Sat., Feb. 5, 7:00 pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 5607 E. 54th St.

Sun., Feb. 6, 11:00 am
Service at Restoration is cancelled.

Fri., Feb. 11, 7:00 pm
Poetry Group, Border’s Bookstore, 2nd floor. Discussion of poetry by Coleridge.

Fri.., Feb. 11, 8:00 pm
Drinking with Atheists, Elote Café, 514 S. Boston.

Sat., Feb. 12, 11:30 am
Metropolitan Opera Simulcast of Nixon in China, Cinemark Theater, 71st St. and Mingo.

Sun., Feb. 13, 1:30 pm
Humanist Discussion Group, Herb’s house, 3414 E. 85th Pl.

Sun., Feb. 13, 4:00 pm
Baby Shower, for Cathy and William Poire, 8017 S. Peach, BA

Wed., Feb. 16, 7:00 pm
Atheists Mid-Month Social, Umberto’s, 3228 E. 21st St.

Sat., Feb. 19, 2:00 pm
HAT Chapter Meeting, Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard

Sun., Feb. 20, 1:00 pm
Bible/Bable Study, Robbin’s Nest Bookstore, 305 S. Muskogee, Tahlequah

Sat., Feb. 26, 11:30 am
Food and Fellowship, Asian restaurant at 51st and Vandalia, formerly Steak and Ale.

Sun., Feb. 27, 1:00 pm
Tulsa Atheists Meetup, at Agora Coffee House in Fontana Center.

Sun., Feb. 27, 3:00 pm
Dream Group at Marilyn Clarke’s, 4917 S. Maplewood

Sun., Feb. 27, 3:15 pm
Atheists Post-Meeting Social at Rib Crib, 5025 S. Sheridan


Questions? Call Randy (622-6975) or Dan (798-3629)

Snowbound

I stepped outside just long enough to snap the following three pictures. The first picture is looking at our mailbox. The planter to the side normally is about a foot off the ground. Here you can only see the rim.

The second picture is of my car. Notice the snow drift beside my car.

The third picture is looking to the left outside my front door. My neighbor can be seen shoveling snow off his front porch.

Winter Storm Approaches

It is thundering now. It's not too often you hear thunder in winter. The weatherman has predicted 6 to 12 inches of snow for our area.

Gail came over this morning for our weekly piano practice. We practiced our piece for this Sunday at Restoration plus several other pieces. I will be giving the talk, but with the weather the way it is, we will just have to wait and see if we even have a service. This Sunday's talk will be the first of a three-part presentation. The first Sunday of the month is always Humanist Sunday at Restoration.

Saturday night the Methodist Church had a chili competition. There were several kinds of chili to choose from. There was even chicken lasagne, which is what I ate (plus a bowl of chili). For desert, I had three pieces of chocolate covered peanuts (homemade).

We made a trip over to Tulsa this afternoon for a doctor's appointment. Afterwards we ate at The Cheesecake Factory. Our next stop was Hardesty Library where J got a book, and I checked out some CDs from the Teaching Company on the music of Robert and Clara Schumann. The course is taught by Robert Greenberg. I have heard other music course by Greenberg, an excellent teacher.

Ice is starting to coat the surfaces of anything it falls on. This brings the danger of power lines breaking and the loss of electrical power.

Toward a Naturalistic Spirituality

The following text is copied from the World Pantheist Movement web site.

In the WPM we revere and care for Nature, we accept this life as our only life, and this earth as our only paradise, if we look after it. We revel in the beauty of Nature and the night sky, and are full of wonder at their mystery and power.

By spirituality and spiritual we don't mean any kind of supernatural or non-physical activity - we use the terms in a wider sense. We mean that part of our lives that relates to our deeper emotions and aesthetic responses towards Nature and the wider Universe - to our sense of our place in these, and to the ethics that these feelings imply.

We take the real Universe and Nature as our starting and finishing point, not some preconceived idea of God. We feel a profound wonder and awe for these, similar to the reverence that believers in more conventional gods feel towards their deity, but without anthropomorphic worship or belief that Nature has a mind or personality that we can influence through prayer or ritual.

Our ethics are humanistic and green, our metaphysics naturalist and scientific. To these we add the emotional and aesthetic dimensions which humans need to cope with life's challenges and to embrace life's joys, and to motivate their concern for Nature and human welfare.

Our beliefs and values reconcile spirituality and rationality, emotion and values and environmental concern with science and respect for evidence. They are summarized in our Belief Statement, which embodies the following basic principles:

Reverence, awe, wonder and a feeling of belonging to Nature and the wider Universe.

Respect and active care for the rights of all humans and other living beings.

Celebration or our lives in our bodies on this beautiful earth as a joy and a privilege.

Realism - acceptance that the external world exists independently of human consciousness or perception.

Strong naturalism - without belief in supernatural realms, afterlives, beings or forces.

Respect for reason, evidence and the scientific method as our best ways of understanding nature and the Universe.

Promotion of religious tolerance, freedom of religion and complete separation of state and religion.

Grave of Franz Liszt

Here is the grave of Franz Liszt in Bayreuth, Germany. This picture was taken sometime in either 1972 or 1973.

At Stan's place

This picture was taken five or more years ago. Seated at the table (L to R) are Bettye Visher, Dawn Bradley, Randy Bradley, myself, and Marie Staley. Marie is from Jones, OK and used to drive up to Tulsa to attend some of our meetings. I haven't seen her in several years.

Stan would occasionally host a dinner at his place. Sometimes afterwards he would show a movie. This is one of several tables at his house.

Contest results

Tonight I announce the results of the "name the pictures" contest from a few days ago. Scroll down my blog to have a look at the two pictures, if you are unfamiliar with this contest. My parents correctly identified the Eiffel Tower in Paris as the first picture. The second picture was taken in England, but they could not narrow it down more than that. Likewise, my granddaughter recognized the Eiffel Tower in the first picture, and she said England was the locale of the second.

The second picture is of the roman bath in the city of Bath, England.

Thanks to all who participated. Another name the picture will be coming soon. By the way, I was the photographer for both of those pictures.

Last night I typed a reply to Galen's blog, but for some reason when I went to save it, it disappeared. Oh, well, I will just send him an e-mail.

The web site "GoodReads.com" where I record the books I read was down when I tried to log on just a few minutes ago. I will try again later. I finished reading Atheism: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Baggini last night. It was a free download from Kindle. There is a whole series in the "Very Short Introduction" books available to Kindle readers. There are 100 books in the series, from Classics (1) to Evolution (100).

This morning we returned to the fitness center where I got in my morning two-mile walk. Next we went by the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, and then it was to the day old bread store for some buns.

I received an e-mail from Larry Roth (new Sec./Treas.) that he had opened up a new P.O. Box for HAT in Tulsa, not far from where Randy lives. I will soon go close the box we have used the last several years.

Day's events

This morning we went to the Fitness Center and for 40 minutes I walked around the basketball court. We returned home and in the afternoon I took a nap.

After dinner, we watched the State of the Union address. It was more civil than some past addresses I can recall.

After the President finished his speech, I finished reading Atheism: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Baggini. It was a free download on my Kindle. The book concludes with these words:

Atheism is about moving on and taking the opportunities that life affords, and that carries with it risks of failure and the rejection of reassuring illusions.

It is this realism that means atheism cannot ever be presented as an undiluted, positive joy. Real life is about accepting ups and downs, the good and the bad, the possibility of failure as well as the ambition to succeed. Atheism speaks to the truth about our human nature because it recognizes all this and doesn not seek to shield us from the truth by myth and superstition.

Brief summary of the day

Here at the end of this day, I will summarize what happened today. First, Gail came over and we practices piano for two hours. Next, we went to the SA Fitness Center. I walked two miles there. Next we went to Subway for lunch. In the evening we watched Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. Then I studied Russian for a while.

Is this Earth your true spiritual home? (from WPM site)

Is this Earth your true spiritual home?

Are you searching for a path that focuses on this Earth rather than some imaginary beyond, that makes saving the planet its focus not saving your eternal soul, that respects individual choice rather than pushing prejudice down people's throats, that values reason rather than fanaticism? Do you find it impossible to believe in supernatural beings, and difficult to conceive of anything more worthy of reverence than the beauty of Nature or the power of the Universe? Do you feel a deep sense of peace and belonging and wonder in the midst of Nature, in a forest, by the ocean, or on a mountain top? Are you speechless with awe when you look up at the sky on a clear moonless night and see the Milky Way strewn with stars as thick as sand on a beach? When you see breakers crashing on a rocky shore, or hear wind rustling in a poplar's leaves, are you uplifted by the energy and creativity of existence?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you will feel thoroughly at home in the World Pantheist Movement.

From the DemoOkie web site

Comment found on DemoOkie web site:

If religion wishes to interfere with public education by teaching God-driven science, maybe public education could return the favor by teaching religion. A good introductory course could be an introduction to the Biblical canon--how the books in the Bible came to be there, who wrote them, what changes were made, how people who disagreed with the church fathers were treated, etc. There's lots of controversy; so the course could be a perfect complement to what Kern is proposing.

Q. Who wrote Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?
A. We don't know who wrote them. The names of the authors were attached to the books long after they were written.

Q. How many original texts of any parts of the Bible do we have?
A. None. The earliest texts we have are all copies of earlier texts.

Q. Were transcription errors made?
A. You bet. There were the unintentional and, more importantly, the intentional. As one example, the Trinity doctrine (God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit) is questionable as such wasn't present in the earliest manuscripts.

Q. How many changes have been made to the New Testament?
A. More changes than there are words in it.

Books from Amazon

Today I received a shipment of books which I had ordered from Amazon. Two of the books were music books: Hymns with a Classical Touch arranged by Cindy Berry and Hymns with a Touch of Jazz arranged by Phillip Keveren. I had been playing the piano when I saw the mailman drop off the mail. I went out to the mailbox and saw the box from Amazon.

I opened the box and looked through the contents. I had ordered a few instructional books on the Russian language, plus the two music books. I used the gifts cards I received during Christmas and still have $25 remaining.

I will continue this tomorrow.

Scene 1

Contest: Can you identify the location of the picture above (Scene 1) and also the location of the picture below (Scene 2)? Send answers to me at djnindex at aol dot com. I will wait a few days and then announce the results.

Scene 2

Journey of the Universe

Click on the link below to view a trailer for "Journey of the Universe."

http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/film-trailer/

Approaching 30

Here is a picture of me taken when I was about 28 or 29.

Passport photo

I was 25 years old when I took this photo for my passport.

Rescuing Christianity from the Christians

Listen to Frank Schaeffer speak with Rachel Maddow on the evangelical subculture:

http://www.skeptical-science.com/religion/crazy-god-author-words-theocons/

Library, Borders, and more

Today we went to the library where I had some books waiting on me to pick up. After we got home, we got back in the car and went to Border's in Tulsa to get a gift for my son whose birthday is coming up shortly. We were going to get him a book, but we decided it would be better to get him a gift card. That way he can pick out what he wants to read.

While there, J looked at the eReaders. She is thinking about getting one. I still love my Kindle. I spend time with it every day. I take it with me and read it while waiting for appointments.

Do you know about the World Pantheist Movement? You can read about it at http://www.pantheism.net/. I find that it fits in well with my outlook on life. Take a look at the site. You might want to join.

Tonight I worked on some talks which I will be presenting at Restoration starting in February.

Stand By Me

Here is a collection of voices singing "Stand By Me."

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

Dinner together

Nick and his family came over for supper this evening. Nick and Jen brought over chicken and rice. All six of us enjoyed a meal together. They left soon after the meal was over. Luke was not feeling well this evening. Normally, he is a firecracker. This evening, he languished.

I placed an order with Amazon for two books of solo music and four books on the Russian language. (As Christmas gifts, I received $85 as gifts to buy items from Amazon.) Forty years ago I had some minor proficiency in speaking Russian, but I have not kept up my skills. As a New Year's resolution I intend to become more proficient in the Russian language.

View from the motel

This is a picture taken from the hotel we stayed at in the summer of 1963 during a biology field trip to the Gulf Coast. In the background you can see the pier going out into the water. Far off in the distance, you can see an island in the gulf. We traveled out to this island to collect specimens by means of using a seine.

Poolside, Summer 1963

The man on the right in this picture is Danny Joe Maxey, my high school biology teacher. I took biology in the summer of 1963. All summer long we mowed yards to raise money to pay for a trip to the Gulf Coast.

The woman in the center of the picture is Maxey's wife, whose name I don't recall. The boy on the left is a fellow classmate, Tommy Cummings, who wore a leg brace due to having had polio when younger.

Frolicking in the pool, Summer 1963

Biloxi, MS motel pool, Summer 1963

At the pool, Summer 1963

Walking to the motel restaurant

Jerri Lowrimore, Summer 1963

On the Beach, Summer 1963

From Bernie Sanders's Newsletter (Jan. 2010)

Today, in the United States, while the middle class collapses and poverty increases, the richest people in our country have never had it so good. In 2007, the top one percent earned 23 percent of all income in our country – more than the bottom 50 percent. The top one percent also owns more wealth than the bottom ninety percent. While in recent years we have seen a huge increase in the number of millionaires and billionaires in this country we continue to have, by far, the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world.

In the deep freeze

It was cold here today. Temperatures for tonight are supposed to get down to 5 degrees.

Tonight we watched as the President spoke at the memorial service in Tucson. It was an impressive ceremony.

Also, tonight I played some pieces at the piano. The pieces I played were from the book Classical Hymns by Cindy Berry, who is a native of Lawton, OK. Selections from this book would be appropriate to be played at Church of the Restoration. I also practiced some of the pieces that Gail and I play together.

I went out to the library and picked up a book which had come in for me. On the way home I stopped at Braum's and got milk. We like the taste of Braum's milk so much better than any other brand.

Snow falls

We got our first snowfall of the year today. Today was Monday -- the day for our weekly piano duet practice. Gail came over and brought with her a meal for J and myself. We had lemon chicken with scalloped potatoes and jello with mandarin oranges in it. I would say what the occasion for the gift of the dinner was, but I can't do so just now. Anyway it was delicious, cooked by Gail herself. It was sufficient for two meals.

The repairman from the service company came shortly after noon and fixed our washing machine. A part had broken. The part was replaced with a new part -- a circular piece about the size of a silver dollar right at the bottom of the washer in the center.

It was too cold to get out today. I only went out to move the trash cart back to the side of the house. We had blowing snow but very little accumulation. I watched the inauguration ceremonies at the state capitol on TV today.

Time to catch up

It has been several days since I posted my previous blog. I need to get caught up.

Something significant happened this past Wednesday, but J will not let me write about it. So I will move along.

Yesterday, I was washing clothes when all of a sudden the washing machine started making a strange noise. We shut the machine off, and I took the clothes that needed washing to the Prattville Laundromat. Monday we will call a repairman to come fix the washing machine. We have had this machine for several years. It may be time to get a new one.

I finished reading another book on my Kindle tonight: Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins. I can now move it to my archives. I gave it four out of five stars on http://www.goodreads.com/. It seems I read more books on the Kindle than I do in conventional books. I still have two books on my "To Be Read" shelf on Good Reads. They have been on that shelf for a long time. I need to finish them up.

In addition to reading books on the Kindle, you can also play games. One of my favorite games is "Every Word." In this game, the player is given six or seven letters from which you form as many words as you can. You have to solve the longest word to advance to the next level (10 levels in all). Your score is tallied as you play. My "High Score" is 33,440.

New YouTube video

This morning Gail and I recorded this YouTube video. The piece is titled "Walnut River Rag" and it was written by Melody Bober.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-U8MYoujk

First post of the New Year

This is my first post of the New Year. Fireworks are still exploding as I type these words. We have made it to 2011.

While in Springfield this past week, I downloaded several books to my Kindle: a book of chocolate chip cookie recipes, Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope, Jean-Christophe by Romain Rolland, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne, One Hundred Best Books by John Cowper Powyrs (the inspiration for the downloading spree), Vanity Fair by Thackeray, and The Wisdom of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton. These were all free downloads.

This coming Sunday is Humanist Sunday at Restoration. Dr. Visher will be speaking at the 11 am service. Gail and I will be playing a piano duet. I have a few other parts I will try to assign tomorrow.

Back from Springfield

I guess this will be my final post of the year. It has been a week since I last put anything on this blog, so I have some catching up to do.

On Christmas Day we went over to the Dobbs for a Mexican meal. (Next year will be a shrimp boil.) There were about a dozen people there. We played Dirty Santa. I was excited to win a waffle maker, but Jonathan took that off my hands. What I ended up with was much less impressive, so unimpressive that I do not recall now what it is.

As we opened the presents we tossed the wrapping paper into the fireplace. That my not have been the best thing to do for soon we had a roaring fire in the fireplace which set off a chimney fire. We all evacuate the house, and someone called the fire department. Soon they were on the scene with three trucks and a police car. It reminded me of the story by Dylan Thomas A Child's Christmas in Wales -- although it was not as funny.

On Sunday we observed Kzanzaa at church. Three drummers played African drums. Due to our guests, we had a larger than normal congregation. The three drummers plus their families added significantly to our small numbers. We must have had at least a dozen people there for the service.

On Monday, Gail came over and we practiced the duet we plan to play for the service this coming Sunday. The title of the piece is Walnut River Rag. We also played several other pieces which we might play at future services.

On Tuesday, we left for Springfield. J's brother Rick along with five others were heading for Springfield on something of a vacation. My son Nick was already at Branson on vacation. We all met in Springfield and took a picture of the four generations of Nerrens.

We ate lunch/dinner at the Golden Corral around 2:30 that day. There were 14 of us. The Golden Corral is always busy no matter what time of day you go there.

Rick and his wife both work at the auto assembly plant in Kansas City. They have plenty of money which they lavished on the grandchildren. A. was so impressed with Rich that she asked for his autograph. One day, Wednesday I think, we went to Branson and attended a show. We saw a group of singers by the name of New South. It was an all male quartet, but they had others as part of their act. Altogether they probably had a crew of a dozen. They sang a variety of music. They are basically a south style gospel quartet, but they also sang some Elvis songs, plus songs made popular by the Everly Brothers, James Brown, and more. It was 10:30 by the time the show let out. We went to the candy shop for a free sample of fudge. Nick and his family were staying in the hotel associated with the act.

We spent Thursday night with my parents at The Abbey. We drove home today. It is always good to get back home.

More photos discovered

As J was getting out the Christmas tree a few days ago for its annual resurrection, she discovered a batch of photos. Most of these photos were taken by me when I was in Germany (1971-73). I have just a few more of my grandparents on the Andrews side to post. Next I will post pictures from Germany.

Three aunts and grandparents

In this picture (L to R) are Walter Andrews, Reno Russell,

Bobbie Presley, Willie Andrews, and Billie Gibson.

Latest adventures in a nutshell

Tonight we opened presents at Nick's house. The Dobbs (Jennifer's parents) were there also. Before that we attended the Christmas Eve service at the Methodist Church. Earlier in the week we viewed a video of the NBC choir singing a Christmas program. That's about it for tonight.

Walking at the community center

This afternoon I went walking at the community center. The basketball court was closed due to some other kind of activity going on there. Some group had set up a few tables with gifts on them. About a dozen chairs were set up also.

This was the first time I had gone walking in a while. It was good to get some oxygen flowing again. The weather was chilly, but it was not too cold.

Merry Christmas to You

And now, my favorite vocal ensemble wishes you a Merry Christmas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqhHL7kMS9g&feature=related

A busy four-day weekend

THURSDAY
On Thursday, I was going to attend the Music at the Mansion program, but J said I had better conserve my strength for the evening concert we have been waiting on for several months.

That evening, we went to a concert at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa. This was our first time to attend an event there. We got there early to be sure we could find a place to park. We parked in the parking garage near the BOK Center. Near the Center was a giant Christmas tree next to an ice skating rink which had been set up as a temporary thing.

To get out of the cold, we went inside the building and waited for the doors to open. At 7 pm, the doors opened and we went inside and found our seats. The group we saw was the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. You might think from the name that the TSO was an orchestra that played classical music, but it was more like a rock band. I counted 20 members in the group. Out of the 20, twelve were local musicians which had been hired for the event.

The concert engaged all of the senses. The light show was fantastic. Each piece played was accompanied by banks of lights which flashed on and off in a variety of colors. Streams of pencil-thin laser light shown just overhead. You could feel the heat when the gases on stage were ignited. At one point it started snowing inside the BOK. Snow drifted down and fell on the audience or the floor.

I was glad I had brought ear plugs for the volume was deafening. Musicians strutted about on stage and above the audience by means of floating walkways suspended from the ceiling by cables. The concert went on for two and a half hours. Attendance exceeded 10,000. Judging from the price of the tickets, this one show brought in more than a quarter million dollars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqJ1fSOgCqo&feature=related

FRIDAY
The Tulsa chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation had a special guest in town over the weekend: Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF in Madison, Wisconsin. On Friday evening, we attended a reception for Annie Laurie at the Dusenberry home. There were about 15 people there -- all members of the local FFRF chapter. I took my camera and came home with several pictures of the event. I will post some later. Annie Laurie thanked me for the indexing work I had done for them back in the 90s. The Dusenberrys providing lodging for Annie Laurie while she was in Tulsa in their half-million dollar home.

SATURDAY
We began Saturday by going to the campus of Oral Roberts University. There is a giant statue of praying hands just as you enter the campus. I brought my six-foot banner with the words "NOTHING FAILS LIKE PRAYER" on it. We stood beneath the statue with our banner unfurled for photos. Next we went to the prayer tower and were going to tour it, but it was closed for the Christmas holidays.

I returned home and got ready for the 2 pm HAT meeting. I went through the listing of members and gave each a reminder call about the meeting. The previous day I sent out an email to each to remind them of the meeting.

About 30 people showed up for the meeting at which Annie Laurie spoke for an hour and a half. She spoke about the recent history of FFRF litgation dealing with church/state separation. Annie Laurie once again mentioned my role in providing the Foundation with indexing of its newspaper, Freethought Today.

After the meeting was over, I returned home and took a nap. At 8 pm, I was at Randy's. Many people were there. I would estimate we had 30 people there. Will and I sat in the Bradley's entertainment center and played music. Will plays guitar. I played the electronic keyboard which I had brought with me. I was recognized for the small role I had played in the Foundation and given a "Founding Father" t-shirt.

SUNDAY
This morning I went to Church of the Restoration. There were just six and a half people there. The half person was Larry's five year old granddaughter who spent about half the time in the sanctuary and the other half outside the sanctuary. She was in and out quite a bit, but we are such a small church that no one cared about her comings and goings. Joy read a lengthy children's story. The main part of the message, delivered by Mary Rounds, pertained to the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water, and the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.

Quote?

"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine."
-Abraham Lincoln

from The Oklahoma Observer and sent to me by Larry Hicks

Sights unseen until recently

Mysteries of the universe:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=11463115

Go to full screen and have sound on.

Maternal grandfather

This is Walter Andrews standing in front of his house in Carbon Hill, AL. This photo dates from around 1955.

Quote

The chains men bear they forged themselves. Strike off their chains and they will weep for their lost security.

--John Passmore, philosopher

Ft. Gibson visit

Over the weekend we made a trip to Ft. Gibson (near Muskogee). We went with Gail and Glenn Storey. We stopped for dinner at Los Cabos in Broken Arrow, but the place was packed. We went to a nearby Steak and Shake and ate there instead. By the time we left Steak and Shake, it too had customer waiting to be seated.

We arrived in Ft. Gibson. Tours were leaving the fort every 15 minutes. We had reservations for a certain time, which I don't recall right now. The tour consists of viewing re-enactors (actors) playing parts from the history of the area. Each room we went into had three actors going through dialogue about life in the area around 1830-40. It was quite enjoyable. Cold, but enjoyable.

Pappy with Aunt Billie

Aunt Billie with Pappy in the lush garden surroundings of the yard in Carbon Hill, AL.

Walter and Willie

These are my grandparents on my mother's side of the family. Their names are Walter and Willie Andrews. This photo was taken in Carbon Hill, AL.

Grandfather and aunt

Seen in this picture are my grandfather, Walter Andrews, and my Aunt Boots, Martha Plemmons.

Willie Andrews outside of house in Carbon Hill

Standing in front of the white picket fence is my maternal grandmother, Willie Andrews.

Go, Bernie, Go

Here is a speech by one of my favorite U.S. Senators, Bernie Sanders of Vermont:

http://bernie.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263:video-sanders-floor-speech-the-war-on-the-middle-class-cspan&catid=39:audiovideo&Itemid=96#scroll

Mammy Andrews and three daughters

In this picture are (L to R) Reno Russell, Willie "Mammy" Andrews, Martha "Boots" Plemmons, and Billie Gibson. This photo was taken c. 1955 in Carbon Hill, AL.

Christmas Shopping

Today we went Christmas shopping in Sapulpa. We went to a Dollar Tree store and bought several items. When we got back to Sand Springs, we went to Morrow-Gill and then to Atwoods.

When we returned home, J climbed up on the roof to glue down some shingles which had been disturbed by the weather.

Today I read the first 11% of A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. All I can say about the book so far is that it is off to a slow start. I also worked on an "Every Word" puzzle on my Kindle.

More on reading

I finished reading The God Virus this morning. It is the best book I have ever read explaining how religion works. Everyone could benefit by reading this book, be you a Christian, Muslim, or atheist. Everyone is familiar how religion works like a virus in at least the most simple way. The author goes into much detail fleshing out the particulars of the analogy.

Knowing that people are reluctant to read material that disagrees with their worldview, I intend to quote snippets from the book occasionally on this blog. It's a sneaky was to expose you to material from this book.

Tonight I downloaded another book to my Kindle. It is Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins. It is a free download from Kindle. This book was originally published in 2001. From "Angels, From the Realms of Glory" to "White Christmas," the book tells the stories of the writing of 31 Christmas carols.

It begins,

There is a treasure of inspiration to be found in these pages. If you love Christmas, then this book is going to bless you time and time again. You will laugh and cry, and history will come to life. You will learn and understand things you didn't know before, giving you a much richer grasp of the music the makes this season so very special. You will probably also want to rush out and tell someone you know one of these stories.

After I read this book, I might want to download More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, which is also a free download for the Kindle.

But next I want to get into Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I had intended to start this book weeks ago but never got around to it.

Earlier today a friend, William, came over and we went through some music we might perform later on this month at Randy's annual Solstice Party. William plays the guitar. He is quite talented.

Maternal grandmother

This is my maternal grandmother, Willie Andrews. The picture was taken c. 1955 in Carbon Hill, AL. Do you remember that swing in the background?

Reading

I am currently reading a book by Darrel Ray by the title The God Virus. I am at the 91% point in the book, which I am reading on my Kindle. One thing about the Kindle -- you always can tell where you are in a book you are reading.

I am really impressed by The God Virus. The book deals with the subject of religion, and it is probably the best book I have read on the subject. If you have a Kindle, you should at least download the free sample.

This book is tightly written. Each sentence is important. I have been using the underline feature of my Kindle, and I find I have underlined about 5% of the book.

I should have the book finished sometime tomorrow. Maybe I can say more about the book then.

William is the new leader of Tulsa Atheists. He also plays guitar. I expect him to come over tomorrow so that we can rehearse for a meeting we will be performing at Saturday after next.

Today is Sunday

This morning I went to Church of the Restoration. This being the first Sunday of the month, today was Humanist Sunday. The "sermon" was given by Marilyn Clarke. Gail and I played the special music, which was three arrangements of "Silent Night." Various others had other parts to play in the service. Following the service, we had a meal together at the church.

Following the church service, I went to Randy's for a meeting of FFRF Tulsa. We made plans for Annie Laurie Gaylor's visit a couple of weekends off.

A volkswalk and a movie

This morning J and I drove out to Lake Keystone and walked the volkswalk which is set up out there. I also looked for and found one geocache, the only geocache inside the park. This cache is located along the fitness trail. It was a small cache. Small caches are easier to find than micros.

On the way back home we stopped at Subway and got a sandwich which we took home to eat.

This afternoon we went to the movies. We saw a thriller named "Unstoppable." It is the story of a runaway train in Pennsylvania. The main characters are the engineer, conductor, dispatcher, plus several other railway workers who get into the action. It is a thrill-packed adventure with much of the camera recording the trail speeding through the countryside or showing the outside from inside the engine. There is some great camera work in this film.

Below is a trailer for the movie.

http://www.unstoppablemovie.com/

Pappy and Bobbie

This is my garndfather, Walter Andrews, standing next to my aunt Bobbie Presley.