It must have been very difficult for those guys who were following Jesus around listening to his teachings. Most of the time they had no idea what he was talking about. He basically told them that everything they knew was wrong, and it seemed impossible for them to think outside the box into which their minds had been placed. They grew up in a world where God was an all-powerful being who punished the wicked and rewarded the righteous right here on earth. If you were doing well, it was because God favored you. If you did badly, it was because God was punishing you. Good people prospered...

From a transcript of the popular PBS program, The Antiques Roadshow, being televised from Scottsdale, Arizona, March of 2010. Stephen Massey, Antique expert from New York City, New York: We have an interesting piece here, as you know, Mr. Klein. Why don’t you tell us a little of the history behind this. Mr. Klein: Well, there’s not too much to tell really. My dad, Ernie Klein, served in the army during the war, the big one, you know, WW2. Anyways, he’s in Berlin right after the war and this guy with a funny mustache tells him he’s trying to raise some quick cash....

Back a few years ago, a news story appeared regarding a lawsuit between Phillip Busch and the tele-evangelist Pat Robertson. Mr. Busch asserts that Pat Robertson used his image in the promotion of his protein shake without his permission. Busch had contacted Robertson’s show and informed them that he had lost 200 pounds using the protein shake. CBN used his before and after pictures some twenty times on the air to promote the shake. Busch claims he was not informed his images would be used and was not compensated by Robertson for their use. So Busch filed suit. According to Busch,...

I have to say that as a teacher, it is from time to time really frustrating when your students don’t get it. I mean, you go over something and you explain everything, and you try to make things clear, and most of the students get it, but there’s always some who just don’t get it. So you try to explain things yet another way. You draw pictures. You do whatever you have to do, and sometimes you just exhaust your mind, and they still don’t get it. This is particularly true when you try to teach ten-year-olds about fractions and how to add them. Kids have a hard time...

here is something come between us Unseen and yet as solid as a stone A voice that screams While words remain unspoken Regrets and dreams Pass for thoughts unknown I pretend that I don’t see it But it’s there, and it does not let me rest It pinches me Like a pebble in my shoe Has come to be A hunger in my chest I have crafted it stone by stone This wall between us solidly I built With what I’ve done And what I have failed to do And then I run Away from all my guilt There is no place for me to go This prison has been all my own design It was, you see A moment without thinking If...

I was thinking about how much time I spend watching television the other night. And I thought how weird the extra-terrestrials would think it that our race of somewhat sentient beings sits in front of a box that makes pictures hour after hour. And then I thought to myself, “Myself,” I thought, “I guess we just like stories.” We like to watch stories. We like to hear stories. We like to tell stories. As soon as we get together with our friends and loved ones, we start telling stories. Anyone who has been married or even part of a family knows that you will hear the same stories...

I’m going to tell you a nice story. It’s from the Bible. Now don’t go away, I promise not to preach or evangelize. I hate it when people do that. It’s just a nice story. And I think there something in it from which anyone can learn. You don’t need to know anything about the bible or Jesus, or anything. It’s just a nice story. You all know this much, that according to the story (remember, you don’t have to believe it) Jesus was crucified up on a cross and died. Then, after being in the tomb for three days, he is supposed to have risen from the dead. And then, after he rose...

It’s pretty easy to attack religious faith. After all, the stories you read in holy books are pretty far fetched. Those books are full of miracles and wonders and basically shit you don’t see on a day to day basis. When was the last time you saw somebody walking on the water, or talking to a burning bush (besides Karl Rove)? What makes things even harder to have faith are the holy rolling idiots who seem to think that the only way you can be saved is if you check your brain at the church door. Moreover, those holy books were all written long after any of those events took place....

Well, we just came back from our annual trip to Big Sur.  With the economy being what it is, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go again next year.  I hope we can.  It would be sad if we couldn’t  go.  We’ve been going up there now for twenty-three years.  We just love that place. For those of you who don’t know California, Big Sur is an area in the Ventana Wilderness about thirty miles south of Monterrey.  Monterrey is the setting for one of John Steinbeck’s most wonderful books, CANNERY ROW.    At one time Monterrey was the capital of California, back when we used to belong to...

Gather round children and I will tell you the sad tale of Lloyd Loar. Lloyd Loar was a genius when it came to designing stringed musical instruments. Today his instruments sell for in excess of $100,000. His F5 Mandolin, manufactured by the Gibson Company is the veritable Holy Grail of mandolins. Lloyd Loar was a modern day Stradivarius. Lloyd was born in 1883. He loved physics, geometry and music. After high school he went to study music at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Prolific on five musical instruments, Lloyd focused on the mandolin because that was what people wanted to hear. It...