This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Oct
31
2013
I wonder why this idea never became as popular as the penny-based idea:
Actually, let me modify that – only the first half of the sign was popular. Not many people took advantage of the second half of the sign.
For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.
Numbers 32:15
Oct
29
2013
The dentists and orthodontists around here will buy Halloween candy from kids so that the kids won’t eat it and they will have healthier teeth. Someone with a vested interest in unhealthy teeth should take advantage of that opportunity.
But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
Amos 4:6
Oct
24
2013
Our local electricity provider mailed us an informational flyer recently. They seem to have started a new program where they compare everyone’s electricity use and let you know where you stand in the rankings.
The last month’s ranking are deceptive, because we hadn’t turned the heat on much. The year-long comparison is better, because it shows our use across all seasons.
My first thought was We are winning! Our neighbors will never be able to catch up to us!
(Yes, I realize that lower is supposed to be better.)
I had many other thoughts next. I’ll try to make some semblance out of them and present them here.
2. I don’t care how much electricity my neighbors use. I use what I need, regardless of how much other people need.
3. We are a family of 6. I bet our grocery bill is significantly higher than average too.
4. Wait, isn’t the electricity company supposed to sell me electricity? Isn’t it counter-productive for them to persuade me to use less electricity? Is there a government requirement or incentive for them to do this?
5. That “Who are your Neighbors?” section is wrong too. There are not 100 nearby homes that have electric heat. Everyone I know around here has either natural gas or propane or wood stove or geothermal. We are the only ones with electric heat, which is obvious because the graph of the neighbors doesn’t change significantly in winter like mine does. Maybe the utility company is confusing geothermal with electric resistance heat.
6. I doubt the houses listed as “Most Efficient” are actually most efficient. They just happen to not use as much electricity. The utility is confusing volume with efficiency. We make good use of what we have, we just use a lot of it too.
7. It doesn’t really cost me $1707 extra per year, because the comparison doesn’t include those neighbors’ gas bills. Plus, maybe I get $2,000 worth of enjoyment out of my extra electricity. So maybe it’s a good deal.
I know we are efficient because our ranking during the summer months is right in the middle – and we are using electric oven and electric dryer and electric water heater and we are being compared with people who are using propane or natural gas.
But once the heating season starts, we will be ranked highest – 100 out of 100!
And your suggestions are nice, but if we really are $1700 over what we should be, a mere $300 savings won’t cut it. Do you have any suggestions for the other $1400?
Maybe if their campaign is successful, everyone will end up below average! That is their goal, right? Like the opposite of Lake Wobegon.
Moses also charged the people on that day, saying,
Deuteronomy 27:11
Oct
22
2013
At a conference/training meeting, I noticed the recycling bins in the break room
They look to be fairly typical, but – as someone who was in school during the 90’s – I felt something was missing. So, thanks to the magic of photo-editing software, I upgraded their recycling bins:
Also, I apologize for the grammar of the title, but if you understood the photos then you’ll understand why I wrote the title that way.
For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.
Job 34:37
Oct
17
2013
Today’s post was supposed to be a picture that I cobbled together, putting candy corn on a corn cob and calling it candy corn on the cob.
I wasn’t going to make a physical object, I was just going to edit some photos to make it look like it existed.
When I started looking up photos of corn cobs and candy corn, however, I found that some people had already made candy corn on the cob. That took the wind out of my sails, so I didn’t work on what I was going to do.
Instead, I read the post the Kyle wrote about how he made candy corn on the cob. It was interesting enough that I started reading some of his other posts. And before I knew it, Wednesday had come and gone and I had nothing ready for my own post.
Today’s post is rather lacking, for all it is is recounting how I wasted my lunch hour reading Something a Week.
It’s a good thing he stopped updating his blog (170 posts at one a week = over 3 years of making things), otherwise I might not have written even this much.
And while we are talking about corn on the cob, I must use this opportunity to educate certain people out there. When I was looking for pictures of corn cobs, many photos appeared that were not corn cobs. People were taking pictures of ears of corn and calling them corn cobs.
Those terms are not interchangeable. A corn cob is the part inside the ear of corn that you do not eat – it is what holds the kernels. Corn on the cob means the kernels are still attached. A photo of a corn cob should be an ear of corn with no husk and no kernels. In other works, corn on the cob minus the corn. Please keep that straight and label your photos accordingly.
Other interesting posts at that blog:
Real-life Mario coins
Punch in the face
French toast stick
The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work;
Proverbs 21:25
Oct
15
2013
For Alpha’s birthday party, we decided to celebrate somewhere new. My wife found a somewhat local fishing pond that provided full service.
They provide the poles,
Oct
10
2013
I have never heard the whole song “Red Solo Cup” but I have heard a short clip of it for some ad or promotion or something. From my understanding, it was a fairly popular song. At some point, Toby Keith (and his fans) are going to mature and settle down. Trade that Solo cup for a polo shirt. The song can adapt easily, I think.
And if you’re not familiar with the song, don’t worry about it. You can go look it up if you’d like, but then it becomes like explaining a joke after it’s told. Yes, you will get it but it won’t be as funny.
He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Genesis 44:12
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