tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312564073897177942012-02-15T22:35:13.769-08:00Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.comBlogger10091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-43790535947879146532012-02-15T07:20:00.000-08:002012-02-15T07:20:01.267-08:00

Last semester, I had a student who was very engaged, very enthusiastic, and very attentive. She was also obsessed with grades. When she discovered someone scored a higher grade than she on an exam, she pitched a fit. She misapprehends what the true purpose of college is, and college is part of the reason for her misapprehension. Like so many others I have seen, this young lady was headed into the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-2128533141116336502012-02-14T06:52:00.000-08:002012-02-14T10:17:23.162-08:00

A friend of mine who has previously worked as a professional surveyor has offered to come help me lay out the garden plots in my back yard. He has educated me a great deal about lines, borders, and marks, and although the scale of my yard is not big enough that it will make a great deal, I am aware consciously of the errors in my landscaping, and I would rather find a more perfect way. When I

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-14653133766001361102012-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:002012-02-13T21:34:10.346-08:00

One of my favorite movie franchises of all time is the Indiana Jones series (except for the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which I have not seen and never intend to see). Among other things, they actually dealt with themes of principle and virtue, albeit centered around action, and that is why I enjoy them so much. In that franchise, my favorite scene, and one I have referenced off and on for over

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-10600815219245593172012-02-10T06:56:00.000-08:002012-02-10T09:17:19.225-08:00

Over the last several days, I have been reminded of a pet peeve. Many people defend or define things by telling me what they are not. "What is cold?" "It's not hot". "What is rich?" "It's not poor". "Why do you like so-and-so?" "Because he's not like my ex." Tell us why you like it by making the case for it. Unless you can tout the virtues and qualities of something, I am not sure you really

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-84689332768808281742012-02-09T20:54:00.000-08:002012-02-10T11:18:10.756-08:00

It is with some trepedation that I anticipate the Utah Shakespeare Festival's return in 2013. For their fifth visit since moving to Vegas, they will do the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, which is a very wonderful play that is frequently poorly done. Many of my younger acquaintences dramaticize it as a sign of how they expect their love lives to proceed, but very few recognize the truths about the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-83128175399617335912012-02-08T06:42:00.000-08:002012-02-08T10:54:04.987-08:00

A few semesters ago, I came into class one night and noticed something different about a young lady in the front row. She was wearing a ring on her left ring finger, so I congratulated her on her engagement. Then she told me that she wears that to keep the creepy stalker guys away. I have news for you. That really keeps the best guys away. A man of good morals will immediately lose interest in a

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-49006886897003170952012-02-07T06:10:00.000-08:002012-02-08T10:53:03.505-08:00

Friday night, I went to see the Utah Shakespeare Festival's traveling production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Like the previous three years, they did a fantastic job, and I finally discovered why. What struck me most however was the theme of the play, and it bothered me. After the play, the actors discussed with the audience the 'moral of the story'. As they threw back and forth different

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-8456236269401218882012-02-06T17:23:00.000-08:002012-02-08T10:52:11.837-08:00

I know a little about Jonas Parker because I've been to his grave. He is buried under a marble marker in Lexington Massachussetts, no more than a few dozen yards from where he died. While we're talking about heroes, let's talk about him. In April 1775, Jonas Parker was suffering from a long-standing bout of tuberculosis. His younger cousin, John Parker- also suffering from tuberculosis, was

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-19357725445900701272012-02-03T06:45:00.000-08:002012-02-03T10:24:47.900-08:00

I am actually more inclined to support the Komen foundation since their divestiture from Planned Parenthood. I have always been empathetic, albeit not a participant. Pink isn't really a great color on me, although I have one pink shirt and once had a pink tie, and so I am more a supporter by proxy than by donation. However, my family is intimately involved and impacted by this, and so I have long

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-63759163797387004302012-02-02T12:44:00.000-08:002012-02-02T14:54:09.791-08:00

Over the past week, I've stepped up my efforts to counter rumors being spread over the internet. You see, Facebook has become mostly a file-sharing website where people pass on memes, rumors, and other rotgut rather than communicating with each other. It's become a clearing house, not for truth, but for opinions. With a hat-tip to the source, I present a reminder of 12 reasons why you should do

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-53033171081368915492012-01-31T07:26:00.000-08:002012-01-31T09:31:45.746-08:00

As people cry out about what isn't fair and what they think is fair, they frequently forget that in imposing their will, they're not concerned with everyone. In an attempt to fix things for some people they view as victims, they literally propose making other people victims in order to fix that for the first group of victims. Under no morality of which I am aware is it right to create victims in

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-18142955417926818592012-01-30T07:13:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:30:12.902-08:00

Saturday after I finally got home, I returned my grandfather's phone call. While doing so, my beagle hungrily munched away at his dinner (he really likes the new food on which I started him this week), and so my grandfather asked what the noise was. After finding out, he made some interesting comments, and they inspired in part this article. One of the best things my ex-wife did for me was force

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-10708589161107224422012-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:002012-01-27T08:03:35.794-08:00

When I was younger, everyone at Church knew the story of Balaam. They knew it, not because of the principle it taught, but because they could talk about how "Balaam saddled his ass" and not get their mouths washed out with tabasco. Balaam is an archetype for many of us. He was a prophet in the land now called Israel, but he did not arrive there with Moses and his troupe. A rival tribal leader,

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-58702199952447636862012-01-26T06:26:00.000-08:002012-01-26T12:30:45.205-08:00

This morning, I have been battling people who think that things they heard on the internet are true. Over a year ago, I started discussing with folks the notion that the prominence of something on the internet is inversely proportional to its actual value. I will go so far as to say today that the more sensational a thing is, especially in the age of the internet where things go viral like

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-12434040953802655642012-01-25T07:24:00.000-08:002012-01-25T11:42:17.655-08:00

After a student went on Wikipedia Monday night using their iPad to look up something I asked in class, I gave them an impromptu lecture. While I appreciate the fact that they know where to look for answers, wikipedia is a source of dubious credibility, and smartphones and that industry quickly threaten us with a generation that doesn't know how to actually talk to other people. Last night, I saw

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-52489593705260133902012-01-24T07:17:00.000-08:002012-01-24T09:30:47.460-08:00

A lot of things have been racing through my mind over the last few days about this theme. The fact of the matter is that we're all born at the bottom in common circumstances. We're all naked, hungry, cold, and angry at having been ripped sometimes unceremoniously from the safety of the womb. Nobody knows at that point what we might become. Every great person who was ever born started exactly

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-76110032604434625122012-01-23T06:49:00.000-08:002012-01-23T12:40:07.716-08:00

Newt Gingrich's marital history has brought back into the spotlight the question of forgiveness and change. People are very reticent to treat him as a person who actually has reformed. Whether he has changed or not it not the point of this post. Rather, I wish to discuss whether or not we are willing to accept the atoning power of Christ in our own lives or in the lives of other people we

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-57462323540405785362012-01-20T07:44:00.000-08:002012-01-20T10:07:52.305-08:00

During a conversation last night with a friend in Louisiana, a random question came up. She asked me if we have ferns in Nevada. I suppose it might be counterintuitive for some to realize that we do have ferns here in a state that everyone thinks is completely desert. Although most of the state is sparesely vegetated, we have great mountains and small streams, and Vegas even has a ski resort. Yes

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-79809677832410827462012-01-19T07:05:00.000-08:002012-01-19T12:01:00.690-08:00

We're all just a bunch of regular people with opinions about the comparative value of people compared to ourselves. The problem with our judgments is that we begin with an incomplete set of facts. Also, it is presumed by each of us that we know what ought to be and that our opinions are superior. This allows us to pass judgments on others and either uplift them or condemn them. This really isn't

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-40846292150037422142012-01-18T06:38:00.000-08:002012-01-18T08:21:45.624-08:00

Among the blogs I read and follow, there is a consistent theme for which most of them blog. Most of them fall into two groups. The first group consists of people who use their blogs to update their friends and family as to their lives, a newsletter of sorts. The second group does it for the money. Now, if I were paid to blog, I would accept it, but I haven't earned a red cent to my knowledge from

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-35846336184841598612012-01-17T12:17:00.000-08:002012-01-17T14:51:42.390-08:00

Last night, I went to my library in search of something useful to tell to a friend. She has been wondering, as I have in the past and as perhaps you may have as well, if the 'love' upon which she thought she could rely in the representations of a young man she liked was ever real. I came upon an old book given to me a few years back by a dear friend and found something I didn't expect to find.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-21169363880714924472012-01-12T12:10:00.000-08:002012-01-17T14:52:35.501-08:00

An old high school friend passed on a link today about smartphone autocorrects. Rightly so, he asks the question about why this happens so frequently on Apple products when they at the company have the means and opportunity to correct it. What he has not possibly considered is what this indicates about our rhetoric and the character of civilized cultures. If you have not already seen the list of

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-66573000118241078852012-01-11T07:21:00.000-08:002012-01-11T09:26:57.922-08:00

Almost all of the problems in society come from a problem with our perception of our fellow men. No matter the arena of interest, our problems arise when we view other people as objects rather than agents. You see, objects are inanimate, and when we look at people as objects, we view them only as things upon which to act. As soon as we look at people as agents, we view them as things to act for

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-73866438121958701392012-01-10T07:15:00.000-08:002012-01-10T10:27:59.074-08:00

You will hear a lot this election cycle about the so-called right to privacy. It's something that was invented. I have heard journalists refer to it as part of the Constitution, even though in all the times I have ever read it I have never seen it mentioned. Monarchists do not care about privacy, unless it's keeping aberrant and abhorrent activities from the public eye. Don't believe me? Let me

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-17966011331420886582012-01-09T06:54:00.000-08:002012-01-09T13:23:28.454-08:00

I was going to start this post by saying I'm not one to put my faith on parade, but if you pay attention to my posts, the fact is that I am a man of faith. Tim Tebow displays his in a much more obvious way, and that is the truth behind the attacks on him. People who are not sure what they believe are annoyed by people who have some confidence in their own convictions. Of course, there are

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-51967650846159192472012-01-06T17:30:00.000-08:002012-01-06T17:30:35.120-08:00

Today, I found out that Zooey Deschanel donates $1500/month to charity. Compared to her $95,000 monthly salary, that's a relative pittance, but it was illuminating. I remember that in the 2008 election we discovered that Joe Biden had donated $3000 in his ENTIRE LIFE to charity at that point. Of course, it's not really any of our business, and it's not really about how much or what we do but why.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-66978861018496924182012-01-05T07:03:00.000-08:002012-01-05T10:45:49.030-08:00

Years ago, after I left graduate school, it was difficult to get a job in my field. For some reason, I found it difficult to get any job, but I eventually obtained one doing manual labor for about $10/hour starting pay. I remember when I went in for the interview the person asked me why, with a graduate degree in biochemistry, I would want to work there. I told them that I was unemployed and they

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-24629100155645376182012-01-04T17:11:00.000-08:002012-01-04T17:11:00.395-08:00

The more I give positive feedback to folks about how they have influenced my life for the good, the more convinced I am that most people think they make very little difference. Some people get periodic feedback, and some small unfortunate portion of us may never know what we did to make a positive difference in the lives of other people. No matter how frustrating it might be when our efforts

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-2886726588952442542012-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:28:34.700-08:00

Especially today after the Iowa caucus, but also throughout the time during which I've paid attention to politics, I've heard much ado about how 'extreme' certain candidates are. However, the comparisons made are meant to create an emotional response rather than actually being extreme, and they never bother to explain to what they compare it to make it extreme. Apparently, these people lack

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-35896830207267316512012-01-03T07:22:00.000-08:002012-01-29T11:12:12.128-08:00

Last night after work, I brought home two new pieces of furniture. I finally bought a dining set, which is the first real table I've had since I was divorced, and a couch, which is the first couch I've actually ever bought. Over the weekend, I got everything moved and cleaned in preparation, and while I think they look nice and will make the house feel more like a home, I'm not really about

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-45332481935446745652011-12-29T15:48:00.000-08:002011-12-29T15:48:34.133-08:00

The day after my paternal grandfather passed away, I paid my paternal grandmother a visit. Despite being over 400 miles from her, since I was headed up at the time anyway, I had planned on a visit before hearing of my grandfather's passing. We talked of many things, well, mostly she did the talking, and during the course of our conversation, she came up with a phrase I really liked. For many

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-2352439448654676432011-12-26T06:52:00.000-08:002011-12-26T15:53:02.865-08:00

As part of our Christmas libations, we of course sat down to pray several times. In customary fashion, we ended the evening with a refreshment, and my sister took pains to mention it specifically in her prayer with the phrase “P.S. Bless the Food”. I found this interesting as I thought about prayers I have heard all my life. Too many people get caught up in fancy words, covering all the bases,

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-11480025535905654272011-12-25T15:44:00.000-08:002011-12-26T15:52:20.512-08:00

While reading the Christmas story in Luke this year, I noticed a phrase I had not seen before. Although I have read this section many times, the phrase had not registered like other small snippets have from other sections of holy writ. Luke tells us that the Shepherds “came with haste” to see the sight proclaimed by the angel, and that got me to thinking. When I receive commandments or

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-44524103206198882392011-12-22T16:25:00.000-08:002011-12-22T16:29:41.009-08:00

Obama likes to talk about how he never gets his way and how the GOP always stops him. Well, today, they folded again. If this kind of attitude had persisted at Gettysburg, the United States might actually be two countries today, one a tyranny and the other an agrarian democracy. I am a fascinated buff of Gettysburg. When I was 14, my father acquiesced to my request and took a detour during our

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-41235828750345114122011-12-21T07:07:00.000-08:002011-12-21T09:48:13.845-08:00

Mostly I ignore the discussion about a payroll tax holiday. As a NV state employee, I am social security exempt. However, that's not the only tax of interest or the most important one. Allow me to illustrate. While your Social Security withholding has dropped from 6.2% to 4.2%, my contribution to PERS (Nevada's version of SSA) has risen from 9.5% when I was hired to 12.1% this past summer. This

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-81090008935163177272011-12-20T07:23:00.000-08:002011-12-20T09:42:02.163-08:00

Over the weekend, I attended my first ever adults only Christmas party. The other thing about this party is that everyone was supposed to be single, not that you're not with anyone but that you're not married. It turned out to be mostly interesting as an example of good and bad hosts. I arrived two minutes early and knocked on the door. It has never been my disposition to invite myself into homes

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-52933485809417387512011-12-19T18:42:00.000-08:002011-12-20T10:08:08.794-08:00

Today was one of my state-mandated days off without pay. Most of my coworkers lovingly refer to the furlough days as FU-Days. I took the opportunity to go hiking. Since my friend and I have been up most of the normal trails, we set off up a random and unmarked canyon to see what we could see. Like most hikes in Nevada, this one was deceptive from the trailhead. The distant peak was a lot further

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-47371292865334310642011-12-18T13:01:00.000-08:002011-12-20T13:22:20.558-08:00

Barack Obama likes to talk about how he has saved us from the most dire times this nation has ever faced. He talks about how he saved the auto industry, decimated Al Qaeda, prevented predatory banking, established a health care system that will prevent you from going bankrupt for medical bills, and brought the economy back from the greatest economic slump since the Great Depression. "I would put

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-67113947229870477382011-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:002011-12-15T09:21:15.452-08:00

I read a short summation yesterday of the conflict between Christians and Muslims. Many of you may even believe that the war was started by America, when it has actually been going on almost since the dawn of Mohammedanism. Not that all Christians or all Muslims believe in, support, or understand the rationale for this Holy War, but it is part of a longer protracted struggle between the church of

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-5157807708253590012011-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:002011-12-14T15:02:05.881-08:00

While finally putting the books onto shelves and cleaning up my 'Library' now that the shelves are all in, I watched/listened to the movie "Gettysburg" again. Longstreet passes on some intelligence from a scout named Harrison to Lee and reminds Lee that he knows Harrison. Lee is taken aback and asks, "We move on the word of an actor?" I found it odd to note that the Democrats continue to make the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-46964854172127317532011-12-13T06:54:00.000-08:002011-12-13T09:29:34.236-08:00

About a mile away from home last night, I saw a police car pull in behind me. I figured they were interested in me, as I had pressed through a light to make it and hit the intersection when the light was red. The pavement was slick, I slid into two previous intersections, and this was the last stoplight. I decided to push forward, didn't see the cop, and ended up having an unexpected chat. Much

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-37966308264487684602011-12-12T07:41:00.000-08:002011-12-12T10:07:44.941-08:00

A friend of mine missed church yesterday due to a rather severe cold, and so I called him up to chat. We ended up talking about a book, James Farrell's The Holy Secret, which deals very simply but very profoundly with the problem in our perception. You see, my friend and I both think that the problems in our world come from the misbegotten notion that we are better than other people. The simple

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-64651328004693125112011-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:002011-12-10T17:57:41.176-08:00

On my way into Kohls today, I was accosted by a young lady asking me if I'm registered to vote. I noticed the shirt she wore and wondered why in thunder she was an Obama supporter. Then again, I'm frequently mystified as to the choices of political involvement made by young people. Ron Paul is poised to win the Iowa GOP Caucus, and I have no idea why. Young folks tend to support people who think

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-57167367773096513672011-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:002011-12-08T10:14:00.151-08:00

On another blog I follow, I was introduced today to the concept of Dr. Jukebox. He's that expert witness who can and will, for a fee, testify in court that no matter what you did it was absolutely wrong and criminal. As Dr. Grumpy points out, Dr. Jukebox will sing whatever tune you like once you drop in the coinage, and it pays better than actually doing anything in the field. That's work after

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-3415300019318733272011-12-08T07:24:00.000-08:002011-12-08T09:48:21.751-08:00

One of the labs we teach is an environmental sampling lab. Students go out and swab environmental samples onto a regular growth media plate and a plate with antibiotics in it. We use this to show them evolutionary adaptations and the need for cleanliness. Some of them come up with unique sources to check. We have had couches, banisters, purses, spare change, and the dirt outside tested for

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-52685742683979733062011-12-06T18:27:00.000-08:002011-12-06T18:27:36.250-08:00

The time of the semester has come when I feel like an empty nester. Next time I see my students, they'll be taking their exams, glad it's over, anxious about their grades, but on their way hurriedly somewhere, somewhere else. We spend ninety hours together laughing, learning, and talking about things that matter both today and for all of their tomorrows, and then they move on. I know it's as it

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-90972714084334222942011-12-05T07:40:00.000-08:002011-12-05T09:04:00.301-08:00

I learned Friday night that fish have a memory that lasts about two minutes. For this reason primarily, it is easy to catch fish, even the same one if you catch and release, with the same bait, day after day, year after year. How ironic then that we believe ourselves a superior species when we also have such a short memory when it comes to political bait. Politicians count on our short memory

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-84858700469941187452011-12-02T09:05:00.000-08:002011-12-02T09:05:16.442-08:00

For most of my adult life, I have heard talk from members of my faith and others rationalizing their participation in sports on the Sabbath. What they do not realize is that this argument, this dilemma, is an old one, already handled, in a time no longer remembered by many yet on the earth. It was once a national sensation, but if you were born after summer 1924, you weren't even alive when it

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-44275559188767200342011-12-01T06:59:00.000-08:002011-12-01T10:09:54.414-08:00

I have previously written about my misgivings about academic advertising. Far too many decisions in education seem garbed in language that makes it sound like it's about the students when that is not necessarily the case. Last night for example I heard about a new initiative in higher education to promote people finishing their degrees. That's less about the students and more about the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-65412086558600037762011-11-30T22:48:00.000-08:002011-11-30T23:01:46.912-08:00

The EPA released a study today that said apple juice contains unacceptable levels of arsenic. They want you all atwitter about how much a travesty this is so that you'll demand more government regulation. All the while, they'll talk about unrestrained capitalism while they hide the facts. Apparently, this is just another example of bad science. Unbeknownst to me until today, the acceptable water

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-50315890265477093242011-11-29T07:29:00.000-08:002011-11-29T09:05:28.402-08:00

After hearing about Colin Powell's weekend interview, I spent some time thinking about principles and men of principle. Before bed, I rewatched parts of two of my favorite movies: Chariots of Fire and A Man For All Seasons. As I thought about why I liked Eric Liddell and Thomas More, I realized it was because unlike Powell, these men stood on principle, even if it led to their death. Powell and

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-9619146562918429772011-11-28T07:45:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:12:27.361-08:00

I was first introduced to this concept by a girl for whom I betimes had feelings. At first, I resisted, because I understand agency, but she insisted it worked. I think the point is that it CAN work, if we keep in mind what's really going on here. No matter how positively you think, your positive thoughts must be in synch with the true energy of a system. No matter how optimistic you are, you

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-53038792977618687352011-11-26T09:05:00.000-08:002011-11-28T09:21:36.192-08:00

Jesus was frequently critical during His mortal ministry of the hypocrisy of the pharisees and saducees. He attacked them for observing the outward signs and ordinances despite the fact that their hearts were far from the truth of the principles supposedly signified by those acts of piety. In our day, the pharisaical attitude continues to prevail. People are happy as long as the outward signs are

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-49673732196652016642011-11-23T07:47:00.000-08:002011-11-23T09:04:05.545-08:00

As Obama touts more government spending, he brings up more shovel ready road construction. Forgetting that only 6% of the stimulus bill actually went to those kinds of jobs, many people, including my best friend, are caught up in the notion that we need infrastructure and buy the parliament jesters' puppet theater for the somnambulent public. Yes, that's true that we need roads. However, we

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-38682481764297445422011-11-22T06:51:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:57:37.150-08:00

At the beginning of the next semester, I plan to do this as part of my first lecture. See, I desire that they remember not only who teaches them but what, and I think this will do the trick. The story is told of a man who went to the market looking for a new beast of burden. He came to a stall where the attendant claimed that a particular donkey could and would do anything for the owner without

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-92047192270400878192011-11-21T07:22:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:29:50.225-08:00

Every time they bring up cuts to government, the Statists use the same techniques. They fearmonger. If we cut government, education and health care will suffer, and we can't have that. It's as if without government spending nobody will be educated or cared for. The fact of the matter is that most of the payments for those things do not come from government. Most educational funds come from the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-67466403169534205192011-11-19T13:06:00.000-08:002011-11-22T13:19:30.931-08:00

On a Friday in August of 2010, I came very close to death. While driving home from work, a tire blew out. Although I suspected something was wrong and had already begun to work my way to the side of the road, I was going 55mph at the time and lost control. The car careened to the right and headed towards a 5' tall concrete wall that separated the freeway from the adjacent onramp. As I drove

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-29277125130089213832011-11-17T07:05:00.000-08:002011-11-17T10:50:49.666-08:00

Over the last few weeks, we've heard about a lot of alleged atrocities. The trouble is that many of them are treated as if they occurred without any independent corroboration. Having some personal experience with this, I do not expect them to actually be treated as innocent until proven guilty. Most of the time, when police arrest someone, they have evidence that they have the right person.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-66967884159285498662011-11-16T07:21:00.000-08:002011-11-16T14:11:29.774-08:00

I had an unexpected conversation with a student after class yesterday that left her in tears. They were good tears, the kind you get when you realize there is meaning to life, a God in heaven, and a way out of the despair to a place of hope and peace. Just exactly why it's unexpected is because of who and what I am and do for a living. Most students will tell you that their professors don't

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-29843325434858109082011-11-15T20:03:00.000-08:002011-11-16T12:11:14.210-08:00

A few months ago, my leave keeper notified me that I needed to take 13 days off before the end of the year or lose them. This was particularly annoying as my work had denied my request for leave to go to Alaska this summer because they needed me around to help move into the new labs. While that turned out to indeed be true, it means I don't get to use the leave when I wanted to or how. Instead,

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-48804036579473203382011-11-14T07:09:00.000-08:002011-11-14T09:45:45.627-08:00

I attended Nellis AFB's "Aviation Nation" this Saturday for the first time since coming to Vegas. It was an interesting experience in many ways. What bothered me most was the behavior of the people I saw in attendance. This past weekend was, not only for the USA but also for the UK, our Veterans Remembrance. The words of a poem whose author remains as yet unknown to me come to mind:It is the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-60329441336055833702011-11-13T09:45:00.000-08:002011-11-14T09:51:40.853-08:00

During the day on Halloween, I ran a few errands. I had the day off because I felt like taking it off, and I took the opportunity to do some things around the house like shovel rocks, pull weeds, change my oil, and buy groceries. I know; exciting day off. One thing that has stuck on my mind since then occurred when I went out for lunch. I found Christmas decorations already up. People tell me

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-55036117076017497752011-11-11T19:14:00.001-08:002011-11-11T19:14:19.857-08:00

Today is the first day of Nellis AFB's annual "Aviation Nation". It is also the first time in several years where Veteran's Day actually coincides with the event without being observed to a Friday. As I shoveled and scooped and pulled weeds, I heard the planes fly overhead. I looked around and saw nobody flying the flag. So, I texted my father and thanked him for serving in the USAF. It has

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-62578007357999426522011-11-10T19:08:00.000-08:002011-11-11T19:14:44.893-08:00

I tell my students that all I ask for is that they speak the truth to me. You see, we all make decisions based on the information given to us, and if it's not based on truth, nobody arrives at a good destination except by chance. Whatever is true as you understand it, give it to me. That way I won't waste any time. During graduate school, I made a great nuisance of myself. When I attended

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-84618483825034096602011-11-08T06:50:00.000-08:002011-11-08T09:33:16.512-08:00

People are divided about how to regard me. A lot of people think I'm amazing. Some other people disagree. I once told a Bishop in my Faith that "I don't really do anything special. I just do what I ought." I have been blessed that fortune has favored my boldness. One of my themes in 2011 has been "Truth Will Out". As a consequence, I have been more interested than normal in Hermann Cain's current

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-76432805758762492762011-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:002011-11-07T15:23:13.157-08:00

Last week, I received an email from a student. This particular student is doing VERY poorly in the class. Even if she scores 100% on everything left, she might not manage to get a 'C' in the course. She never talks in terms of participating, although she often talks and laughs with the girl next to her, with whom she is ostensibly a close friend. Often disruptive, they don't seem to want to be

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-77436763844210266452011-11-03T07:36:00.000-07:002011-11-03T10:59:07.290-07:00

Yesterday, the President of the United States claimed that God wants Americans to have jobs. He's partially correct, and he's partially involved in priestcraft by that assertion. God indeed wants people to work, for as He told Adam that by "the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground", it does not presume that work is the end God had in mind. God uses work as a

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-42237883486507066172011-11-02T07:49:00.000-07:002011-11-03T10:47:24.928-07:00

This week, I've had several conversations about education, educational standards, and educational prospects. Generally speaking, I see the same problem inherant in every aspect of education. We do not begin with the proper end in mind, and therefore as garbage goes in, garbage comes back out. Monday night, a woman in front of me in line opined her son's inability to get a job. Apparently he

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-899954455810607962011-11-01T07:14:00.000-07:002011-11-01T13:14:34.878-07:00

Over the weekend, there was a lot of chatter about the Kardashian divorce. Quite frankly, I'm surprised we care about that family. As far as I can figure, they became famous because she looks good naked in some sex video she made, not that I would know. I don't happen to find her that attractive actually. Yet, they have bazillions of dollars for the reality show about their lives and other crap.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-91554204646490463382011-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:002011-10-31T17:39:35.931-07:00

Seventy years ago today, Mount Rushmore was completed. I tried to imagine what people hundreds or thousands of years from now will think of the faces carved into the stone. Today at the bank, a woman didn't know who John Hancock was or the reference when I signed some paperwork. What would Lewis and Clark have thought to find something like that carved into the mountain as they explored? This

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-64092560964132699332011-10-27T06:51:00.000-07:002011-10-27T11:03:33.380-07:00

Most of the time when I'm driving, since I'm not forced to look at the outside of my car, I forget how it looks. Yesterday, I was passed by a guy driving a Ferrari who looked at me as he drove by with a look of disgust on his face. At first I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong. Then I figured it out. It is the disposition of almost all people to compare themselves to others. We get a new

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-24676709466281259102011-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:002011-10-26T12:33:45.260-07:00

As Barack Obama attempts to bribe students for votes with student loans, I see a problem. Loans are part of what got us in trouble in the first place. Work is the solution, but giving people loans, particularly people who take out loans without intending to repay them, doesn't encourage work. There are great numbers of professional students who never get productive jobs. There are great numbers

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-74985910078919503302011-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:54:56.035-07:00

Within two hours of waking, I had heard from two people already commenting on how crappy their lives are. Another friend pointed out that people frequently equate things with happiness that don't make it so. Just because you have money or gadgets or love doesn't mean you are happy. Some things aren't real. Society is in many ways a fraud. They are trying to sell you a Ming Dynastic Vase, telling

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-71675009942419959522011-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:16:14.874-07:00

I am actually rather fortunate. I have a good friend and a best friend, someone who knows about what's going on and someone who's also gone through things with me. I have very few associations. While at the surface that sounds lonely, it also means there is no deadweight. A few of the people who are gone are people I'm glad to see go. A few are ones I miss and miss dearly. There are competing

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-15375765511225284922011-10-19T07:19:00.000-07:002011-10-19T11:22:03.983-07:00

President Obama and the Democrat Party are mistaken to embrace the Occupy movement and project it as representative of the country. They are not as random of a sampling of the population as the media would like us to believe. They are a representative random sampling of the type of kooks who typically support monarchists in a Representative Republic. They also project things onto regular folks at

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-71893188317765434062011-10-18T07:12:00.000-07:002011-10-18T08:20:37.275-07:00

It has fascinated me to hear that Obama insisted, despite widespread popular opposition to Obamacare, that Obamacare was good for the people. What he never mentioned however is which ones will benefit most from it. Like so many other Monarchist machintions, it is garbed in clothing to be beneficial to the people. Although that might be true, that is not the reason why they press it; it is

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-81748560286562045652011-10-17T07:47:00.000-07:002011-10-17T11:13:33.772-07:00

I completed one of the longest hikes at Red Rock NCA on Saturday morning. For the last mile or so of the hike, rather than take the trail that parallels the road, my friend and I walked along the road. Suddenly, he turned around and shook my hand, thanking me for being one of those people who get out of their cars. It kind of took me back. Truly, lots of people see only that part of life they can

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-20708721056720794792011-10-14T16:43:00.000-07:002011-10-14T16:43:56.552-07:00

I know so many people who are told they are not normal. Sometimes this is done to affirm them, but sometimes it is done to discourage them. It is frequently assumed that normal is synonymous with good, which is not necessarily true. For example, in prison it is normal to have committed a crime, which is not good. Two of my favorite books are prescient to this discussion. The first comes from

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-26193978673185349552011-10-13T07:48:00.000-07:002011-10-13T11:02:42.280-07:00

Tuesday, when I posted some good news to the internet, I did not expect someone to accuse me of bragging. I had a lot of good news in a short period to report, and people who know me well know that I usually report little because it's either blase or bad, and so it was high time I did this. However, I began to think about this duplicitous standard and the envy of those angry with my good fortune.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-41816878829613298542011-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:40:07.455-07:00

Over the last several months, I have become aware of how we blast people with stereotypes. We hear about how Walmart discriminates, how the rich are greedy, how protestors are miscreants and how women mature faster than men. Honestly, if you look around, you may find that some people you know fit those stereotypes, but it's very difficult to find any group to which the terms "always" or "never"

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-48812952838740297122011-10-10T06:56:00.000-07:002011-10-10T11:32:22.790-07:00

I haven't really taken the Occupy Protestors very seriously. Especially today, when I discovered people are showing up just for the free food or for comedy skit insertions, I wondered at the effectiveness of this particular method to create the intended response. Imagine my surprise to discover over the weekend that they haven't really got a message yet. Normally people get together to work out

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-10791794579692720192011-10-07T17:06:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:26:19.291-07:00

One of my favorite random memories of Austria involves their Museum of Fine Arts. Elder Dodge and I were more interested in the paintings than some of the others with us and ended up on our own in an outlying gallery. Dressed in suits, fluent in other languages besides English, and confident in our gait, people would stop and ask us questions. I guess they thought we worked there. What makes a

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-46689838845735154372011-10-06T07:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:52:23.343-07:00

I have a meeting with the new department Chair on Friday. I am a little nervous. When people have good things to discuss with you, they usually will volunteer that it's good information or a formality or something like that. The department chair for whom I teach told me a week ago about how my evaluation as a new professor in their department was 'good stuff' and not to worry, and so I'm at peace

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-37123496372237233732011-10-05T06:53:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:27:46.141-07:00

I'm not sure who decided that gold was valuable. To some people, it really isn't. Last night, I spoke with a student who told her that she inherited gold jewelry from her mother in law. She kept only one piece as a sentimental momento and traded the rest for things she valued more. Yet, hardly a day goes by during which I don't hear an advertisement encouraging us to buy gold with the prediction

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-47484814775054299712011-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:002011-10-05T08:35:31.699-07:00

There once was a very powerful man in a powerful and wonderful country who was given a great stewardship. Despite his lack of experience and young age, the people of that country entrusted him to look after their money and to ensure their work. He had great plans and made great promises, and as his power and influence grew, he came to believe that he was steward of all. After a few years, the

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-52482825938522853392011-10-03T06:48:00.000-07:002011-10-04T09:04:41.629-07:00

At the end of the Floridsdorf Subway line in Vienna, there is a bakery. I stopped at this bakery often whenever my journeys in the 21st district took me past it at a time that coincided with freshly baked wares. Before I left the area, I had a companion photograph me sitting out front, to remember the memories and to remember their slogan. "Every life needs an anchor", the banner proudly

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-50683229836710325322011-09-30T06:12:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:29:58.924-07:00

Let's give credit where credit's due and be honest about a few things. Scientists and politicians have been talking for most of my adult life about the panacea of solar energy. Plants are really good at it, and it's partly the reason why we exist. Otherwise, the solar rays would probably wipe out all life on earth. However, as I told my students, even the carotenoid-chlorophyll based antennae

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-1605309810442458272011-09-29T06:53:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:11:30.949-07:00

As we head towards mid terms, I hear the same complaints from students. They think we should get together so that everything doesn't hit at the same time and make their life harder. Well, I have a message for these young folks- when things hit the fan, they hit at the same time and when it's not convenient. This is a life lesson college teaches. Contrary to popular belief we don't get around and

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-86467869512186813692011-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:002011-09-28T08:45:33.895-07:00

Most people ask, when given the option, that you give them something that will maintain peace rather than be completely true. Some of them want truth, but not all of it right this minute. See, we all recognize, I think, that when we make decisions based on half truths and whole lies that the end turns out more difficult than the beginning. When I was younger, my parents, like yours, told me to

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-61399045342071420742011-09-27T17:29:00.000-07:002011-09-27T17:29:29.978-07:00

I actually tried to buy a new(er) car today. Yes, honest to goodness, I almost bought a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. The husband was a nice guy; his wife was somewhat intransigent. She is a businesswoman and a haggler. I came prepared with what I thought it was worth, because no matter what you think, the things you have are really only worth what people are willing to pay for them. She insisted that

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-41184370969767290202011-09-26T07:44:00.000-07:002011-09-26T08:46:11.392-07:00

When folks I know to whom I desire to give a gift get married, I insist on delivering the gift personally. See, it's not really something that conforms well to the anonymous pile of presents or to a standard thank you note. In fact, to this day I have actually only been thanked once for this particular gift. Unlike all the others, my gift comes with a message because it has deeper meaning than

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-3321519400507074122011-09-23T17:01:00.000-07:002011-09-23T17:01:22.175-07:00

On a blog that I follow, a fellow I know did some research into what happened in American history today. Today was the day John Paul Jones coined the phrase "I have not yet begun to fight". Read about it here and remember that there are many treasures that have no monetary value but matter anyway.

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-79870701212557797562011-09-23T07:28:00.000-07:002011-09-23T13:02:25.544-07:00

I took some flak yesterday for disagreeing with Candidate Elizabeth Warren. In her video, she claims that nobody got rich on their own, with the premise that your stuff isn't really your stuff, because people you never met played a part you never saw them do and have a right to it. What she essentially argues is that other people have a right to what you have if you have something, but what she

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-89424253774020787052011-09-22T18:39:00.000-07:002011-09-22T18:39:12.839-07:00

Before the first exam of the semester Tuesday night, I had a brief exchange with the students. Among the topics not on the test that came up was the subject of encouragement and echoed sentiments. I left those who listened with an upgrade I choose to discuss here. It is the more common advice to say something that is subconsciously countereffective. We tell people "don't panic", having forgot

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-7634101800913084902011-09-21T06:55:00.000-07:002011-09-21T13:42:03.055-07:00

When I was a student, they made the hard sell for 'where the big money was' in science. When I graduated, I found it hard to get any salary in my field at all, let alone the kinds of money I had been led to expect. Today, I read an article that finally made the mistake of adding a word that put everything in perspective and may help you make better decisions. In mathematical comparisons, they use

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-82668531263071232882011-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:002011-09-20T09:03:03.690-07:00

Many of the young people today claim to be living in the moment when they are really living for the moment. They frequently use 'spontaneity' as an excuse to be lazy and as a bullwark against any kind of commitment. At the same time they claim people need to do more to help people, they concentrate more for themselves. They are in pursuit of something that, even if it yields pleasure, will not

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-51632003458805048042011-09-19T07:03:00.000-07:002011-09-20T09:23:50.980-07:00

Over the weekend, I did some thinking about what really made the difference between me and others in my age bracket. I realized that there is a common theme that stretches across almost the entire next generation that has transformed their thought, culture, and values. People refer to my generation as Generation X; I think the next generation, which begins basically in 1980, is best referred to

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-11078053601732965632011-09-16T06:54:00.000-07:002011-09-16T10:38:05.983-07:00

I'm an extraordinary teacher. Most of my students like me. This is not to toot my own horn, but rather because I come at teaching with a different perspective. Although typically called life science, biology is really the Science of and for Life. Last night I told my students that Chemistry is the rules, Physics is the mechanism, and Biology is the practical application and results when the rules

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-12409518593902956322011-09-14T12:54:00.000-07:002011-09-14T12:54:08.974-07:00

Tuesday afternoon in class, I offered my glasses to a student who forgot hers. She took them, put them on and immediately removed them. "Wow, you're blind" she said. Thus begins my exercise in logic and rhetoric. They say that love is blind.If I am blind, does that make me love incarnate?They say that God is love.Does that make God blind?If I am blind, and love is blind, and God is love, does

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1831256407389717794.post-49742977133017798232011-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:44:20.335-07:00

Why are they so against things that actually will create jobs like drilling oil, mining coal, making electricity, building SUVs, when these are things Americans buy. Obama is the one stopping job growth. At the same time, he says he needs more time, more money, and more leeway to get things done. He assumes of course that we not only tolerate but endorse both the means and the end. Too many

Doug Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863655932950821217noreply@blogger.com0