Originally written September 16, 2004
Mornin' Everyone,
Thanks to Kirsten's insistance upon an update, I give you the Bachelor Auction Recap!
So I get to the Radisson Hotel outdoor lounge after quite a hectic work day, hair appointment, gasoline stop and paycheck pick-up. I'm a bit...okay...alot nervous, but I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't find my favorite jeans so I was stuck wearing my Sean John's which are about two inches too short in the legs. I do my best to shrug that off as I enter the outdoor lounge.
I hook up with the Emcee of the evening and the American Cancer Society (henseforth known as ACS) folks at the registration table where I hand over my Bachelor Application. They inform me that I'm supposed to "work the crowd" and mingle with all the ladies so they can see what they'll be bidding on before the auction starts. I replay that sentence in my head and for some reason my brain only registers, "Go strut your stuff and work your game on these ladies". Mind you, I work three jobs and am finishing my Meteorological Post-Grad...when do I have time to "work my game" on ANYTHING..let alone HAVE A GAME in the first place? I immediately realize that I have gotten in way over my head, but the story doesn't end there.
I didn't go screaming into the night or anything. Instead, I tried to keep in mind that if I just stuck it out the ACS would be that much closer to a cure for cancer. That kept me motivated (or distracted) enough to go and "work the crowd" for about an hour and a half. I actually met some cool people and had a good time with them. Not as bad as I thought really...it was starting to be kinda fun...until it came time to start the auction.
I was second on the auction block so I had time to collect my thoughts and try to stop sweating all over myself. It didn't work, because just like that the first bachelor was purchased and he went for $80! Eighty bucks is alot of money! Suddenly every ounce of self-confidence I ever had was drained from my 6'3" frame. "There is no way I'm gonna go for $80", I thought. I'd find out sooner than later because the Emcee had just called my name.
So, I'm up on this stage ALL ALONE in front of approx 150 girls and assorted bachelors. The emcee wasn't even up there, she was IN THE BACK of the room so I was really ALL ALONE! She read my little Bachelor Bio as I walked up the stage and the bidding began.
"Let's start the bidding at $50", she said, "do I hear $50".
Inside I'm screaming, "FIFTY BUCKS...LADY ARE YOU CRAZY", knowing that I'd never go for $50 right off the bat. But I did. Then with the auctioneer prompting $55, I got another bid from the other side of the room. The call came for $60 and the original bidder was back in the race. Miss 55 now wants $65, so it becomes a two lady race on opposite sides of the room!
By this time I'm really getting into it, I'm starting to work the room and get these bids higher and higher. Soon $65 would become $70 then $75 finally the call came for $80. I thought surely they would stop at $80 and not make the first bachelor be outbid so soon.
Well, then came $80 and we flew right on past it as the auction got hotter and hotter. Eighty dollars...eighty-five dollars...ninety dollars...ninety-five dollars...100 DOLLARS!
This was madness! Someone just bid $100 and the auctioneer was asking for $110! I couldn't believe it! This was great! The ACS was getting all this money and I had a "ripped from the pages of a citcom script" auction battle going on!
We sat on $100 for a while...looking at the other bidder to see if she would finally put that winning bid up for $110. Waiting...waiting..waiting. It never came and I was sold for $100!
So I'm going out to a fancy country club with a very nice person where we will be enjoying all the attention of a four star chef at his exclusive "Chef's Table". I'm looking forward to it, it should be fun!
There you have it. My worst fears melted away, I had a great time on the block, and the ACS made a C-Note for my little ole self. Everyone walks away a winner.
I hope you walk away with some laughs and good thoughts of charity after having read this. Take some time and think about how you could be serving others in different and unique ways.
You'll be blessed because of it!
Until I see you again,
Be good and be God's ~
Originally written December 30, 2005
Mornin' Everyone,
Every now and then, I get nasty-grams from viewers. You know, when I screw up the forecast or I'm not wearing the right color shirt or my hair gets too long...etc... a few folks like to get on the horn or the e-mail and let me have it. Just part of the glamour.
Today, I received one by mail. Evidentally, someone took offense to a statement I made about a month ago when I said that the earth is closer to the sun during the winter than at any other time of year. Well, someone decided to write and tell me how much of a moron I am. They clipped an article from a local newspaper regarding the earth's seasons and from that they deduced that I was wrong.
Actually, this is how they put it:
"You seem very smart, but what you said was not very smart. Before you go on air, get your facts straight please."
That wasn't enough. These folks were too cowardly to leave their names. They just signed the note, "Dedicated viewers". They even went so far as to cut their name off of the little return address sticker they put on the envelope.
Okay, that was enough for me. I decided to use a reverse search using their address and FOUND their names (and their ages too). I then wrote what you are about to read, USING their names. The following is the response I just mailed back to them. It will go out today. Please, enjoy this and share it with someone you love.
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Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so,
Thank you for being dedicated viewers of NewsChannel 5. We make it our goal to continually increase our effectiveness in bringing you the news, weather and sports information that is important to you. It is my personal goal to educate my viewers on the truth behind popular myths and "wife's tales" when it comes to meteorology, as well as adaquately prepare you for the day ahead. I also like to throw in a whole lot of fun, I mean, hey, how serious do you wanna be at 6 AM?
One of the most misunderstood concepts in astronomy is the concept of seasons and how the earth responds to seasonal changes thanks to its tilt (23.5 degrees). Usually, I have to explain the seasons in-depth for most folks. I'm very satisfied to know that you have grasped this concept. This will make my job in the following explanation much easier.
The statement you included in your letter was:
"You made a statement on the morning show...that the sun is closest to us now - I know for a fact it isn't."
I'm glad you said that. This alludes to the difficulty that most folks have in grasping the scientific reality of the Perihelion and the Aphelion of the earth's orbit. But don't worry, I love teaching. As you know, the Terra [axial] orbital (and all other orbitals for that matter, not just that of earth) is not a circle, rather is an ellipse. An ellipse has a major axis and a minor axis thus flattening the path so that there are two oblong points... one of maximum distance and one of minimum distance. I have included a diagram so that it will be easier understood.
Please note where it says, "Planet X perihelion". This position is the closest that a planetary body will come to the sun (in orbit). At this point, the earth is 147.5 million kilometers away from the sun. Thus, earth is closest to the sun here.
Also note in the diagram the "Planet X aphelion" position. This position is the farthest a planetary body will be from the sun (in orbit). At this point, the earth is 152.6 million kilometers away from the sun. Thus, earth is farthest from the sun here.
As it happens for earth, the perihelion (closest to the sun) is always around early January. This year it will be January 4th. Conversely, the aphelion always occurs around early July. This year it will be July 4th.
Therefore, with the northern hemispheric winter beginning on December 21st, it is true that the earth is closest to the sun during the northern hemispheric winter.
Here is a note from Scott J. Badham, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming.
"Although it may seem that Earth's relative distance to the sun would be a prominent factor in determining seasonal changes in temperature, it pales in comparison to the prominence of the planet's axial tilt with respect to controlling temperature, or more accurately, distribution of solar energy. It is the axial tilt (presently 23.45 degrees), in fact, which determines seasonality. During Northern Hemisphere summers, the north pole is oriented in such a way as to be pointing in the general direction of (not directly at) the sun; during Northern Hemisphere winters, the north pole is pointing away from the sun. I should clarify this by saying that the north pole points in essentially the same direction throughout the year (i.e. Polaris, the North Star), regardless of where it is in its orbital path.
Incidentally, it is for just this reason that the polar regions are immersed in full to partial darkness during certain parts of the year (i.e. the north pole during northern winters.) When a region of the surface of Earth is more straightly facing the sun (like northern latitudes do during northern summers), the amount of sunlight falling on that surface is greater than when that surface is more obliquely facing the sun (like northern latitudes do during northern winters.) This seasonal change in the amount of incident solar radiation per unit area on the surface of Earth is ultimately what determines the seasonal changes in temperature. Any introductory astronomy text will have illustrations that depict what I have described here, if the mental visualization is difficult (which it certainly can be.) I hope this explanation helps."
As always, thank you for contacting us at the AccuWeather StormCenter. If you have any more questions regarding the science of this earth, the stars, or of course meteorology, please fell free to let us know!
Me
Morning/Noon Meteorologist
NewsChannel 5 (CBS)
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I truly feel sorry for some people. It took me all of 10 minutes to research for quotes and find that diagram.
I am, by no means, an infalliable expert in science. I don't claim to be an expert in anything; not even the Bible, although I know more about it now than I ever did at Harding. But seriously, there is no excuse for ignorance when the internet is literally at your fingertips any time you want. Information is all around. All we have to do is take the time and exercise the patience to look for it.
~ Be good and be God's
Originally written September 30, 2004
Mornin' Everyone,
On Monday, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by a local paper for an article concerning the lack of involvement in church youth groups. This morning, the writer sent me an electronic copy of the article that will be included in today's (Thursday) issue. Thanks to Barb Knicely for the article she wrote!
I thought I'd include the article in it's entirety and accept comments, discussion points or questions:
We all can relate in one way or another to how busy and hectic our lives have become. We run from one event to the next as our lives pass us by in one big blur. Has all of this running with our children affected involvement in church youth activities? In talking with area pastors and youth ministers, the general concensus is, "Yes, it has!"
"People are forced to prioritize with busy schedules, and unfortunately church is not a top priority," Meadowbrook Church of Christ youth minister James Canterbury said. "You can only be proactive up to a certain point then it depends on how involved the parents want to be."
Parental involvement does play a key factor. Often it becomes more of a priority depending on the age of the child. As children become older and more involved in sports, start working, and begin driving it gets harder.
"One big difference is that so many teens have their own car," Freedom Southern Baptist Church Pastor Jim Sanders said. "It used to be families had one car and church was the social gathering place. Now kids are naturally inclined to go other places because they have the ability with their own cars."
According to Canterbury another factor is the larger emphasis put on giving children options. "Parents used to say, do it my way and it was done. Now the view on parental discipline has shifted and the children are given choices. A parent can ask the child, Do you want to play now and take a nap later or take a nap now and play later? Either way the parent wins, but it gives the child a false sense of equality."
St. Marks Lutheran Church Pastor Jim Caton agrees that children are busier these days. This makes it harder for them to participate in the church activities that they would like to do.
"The children have a desire to be there, but are faced with some tough decisions," Caton said. "I always tell them that as tough as it may be, the choice is theirs. I can't make it for them." He has found when they are struggling with these decisions, more often than not, they are present at the church activity, which is a positive side to this dilemma. "Sadly, these decisions sometimes make the kids who attend church seem odd."
I am sure it is difficult and frustrating to be a youth minister these days. Activities are scheduled and other events take precedence. What can be done about this constant struggle?
"We continue to plan activities and realize not everyone will be able to be at everything," Caton said. "We just go with who's available and make the most of it."
Canterbury feels it is important to spend time with the members of the youth group.
"Everyone is looking for someone to accept and love them for who they are," he said. "I am making it a priority to spend one on one time with them. This helps to form a bond that will help make church activities a top priority in their lives."
Pastor Sanders also thinks that relationships are what needs to be a priority.
"Building relationships is so important. Our nation seems to be having trouble understanding the value of a good relationship, and we are being driven by the wrong purpose. The kids need to ask themselves what will add fulfillment and purpose to their lives? What is lasting and what is temporal? A relationship with the Lord needs to be a priority in order for them to grow individually. Once this happens there will be a change of heart and their priorities will fall into place."
So, what does everyone think? Agree/disagree?
Until I see you again,
Be good and be God's ~
Originally written July 21, 2005
Mornin' Everyone,
Have you ever wondered where in the Bible it says that gambling is wrong? I sure have. So I did some checking this morning and found something rather interesting. The Bible doesn't say gambling is wrong. Furthermore, the Bible never mentions the word "gambling" at all!
So, if the Bible doesn't label gambling as a sin, where did we get this notion that gambling is wrong in the first place? I'm not exactly sure, but we do know that we are told to be good stewards of our money (1 Peter 4:10). Jesus told a parable about servants who are given some money by their master and are told to go put it to work for him. Two of the servants do so and reap benefits. One is lazy and does not do what his master tells him. The master praises the two servants but calls the other wicked (Luke 19:22).
So how did the two servants make the extra money? They put it to work for them, like investing it in something (Luke 19:15ff). Could it be that the stock market is a valid way to make money? Sure is...but isn't it a risk? You bet your belt buckle it is. That's why they call the stock market a gamble. Hmmm...so is the Dow Jones evil?
I've been told that games of chance are the foothold of the Devil because they are a method of gambling. The Bible speaks of a certain game of chance called "casting lots". The casting of lots was a random way to make decisions much like flipping a coin or rolling the dice. The soldiers at the foot of the cross cast lots to see who would get Jesus' clothing and the apostles cast lots after His ascension to choose Matthias as the new apostle (Acts 1).
Okay, so the apostles cast lots...am I saying the gambled? Yep, they most certainly did. Would the Holy Spirit use sin as an avenue to work through other Christians? If I understand the nature of God, then the answer is no. Therefore it appears that the simple act of gambling in and of itself is not wrong.
NOTE: I am not talking about addicted gamblers...just the act itself.
Be good and be God's ~