Little Boots

Why you should carry a purse.

Man bag, murse, messenger... whatever. Now that some of the hype is calming down and nobody is talking about Tom Brady's its time for you to embrace a truly utilitarian piece of daily luggage. Here's why.

1. Yes that is my scotch and no you can't have any. Some things make your life more comfortable. You like to be comfortable. These items should be with you as much as is possible. A magazine, a book, smokes, phone, web book, whatever. If having a bag of your favorite tea and a camera to take a picture of an art deco entry way you happen across add meaning to your life then you should enjoy them.

2. Life requires gear. Remember what boy scouts taught you. Be Prepared. A few simple items in a bag and you can take on the world. Afraid of the dark? Attracted to spaghetti sauce? Blackberry always dead? You're a mini mag light, shout wipes, and a short usb cable from world domination.

3. A growth isn't sexy. Is that a rabbit in your coat or are you just happy to see me? Pockets on clothing weren't designed to carry what we put in them. They weren't designed to contain and conceal an iPod, a cell phone, a wallet, and a sandwich for lunch. The stuff in you pockets makes you look misshapen. Bulges are only appropriate where you shouldn't have any pockets.

4. Its better than a string on your finger. When you can't seem to get some task done, an errand for example, its usually because you never have the information or document you need to complete it. If you keep all your open loops in the bag, then you're always prepared to close them.

5. 2 hours in line to vote... No Problem. More time each day than we'd like is spent waiting. It doesn't matter what for but more often than not its in a place that isn't ours. A waiting room, a restaurant, in line at the post office. Your bag is basically your personal mobile office. Skim a magazine/newspaper, work out some thoughts in a Moleskin, read the mail you hadn't gotten around to, listen to a podcast. Now all those options are yours because the stuff is with you.

So... you'll be more comfortable, be more prepared, look better, be more productive and less bored. And we haven't even talked about how great some of these bags look.

Christians and Alcohol

A few days ago a friend of mine attended a regular small group bible study.  During the discussion a woman made the claim that all or at least most of the references in the New Testament to wine use a Greek word reserved specifically for non-alcoholic wine or basically grape juice. First… that just isn’t true. There is no Koine Greek word that means non-alcoholic wine, at least not that used in the New Testament text. It simply isn’t present. More importantly, word meaning in translation is completely dependant on the context of the word. So if the the story makes the idea of non-alcoholic wine absurd then that would be more telling of the word’s meaning than any dictionary definition. Languages are fluid and alive and cannot be used without an understanding of context..For further discussion, consider the story of the water turned into wine. When Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana.

When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.

The passage only makes sense with alcoholic wine. The headwaiter is clearly claiming that normally poorer wine is served to save money once revelers have consumed enough wine to not notice the difference. This is the most obvious text to use against tee totalers because it isn’t a simple reference to the presence of alcohol. It is a description of the son of God producing and distributing alcohol which in Pastoral Urbania would get him arrested for lacking a license.

Technorati Tags: Religion and Ethics

Fatherhood, Natural and Assumed

Regardless of whether it has gone out of fashion in today’s society, deep in the heart of every man is a desire to protect his loved ones. To make sure that they feel safe when you’re around, like the calming presence of a strong lion protecting the rest of the pride. Though I’m sure that this instinct is there with boys as well, the strong conviction I have to protect my daughter is greater than nearly anything I’ve felt in my life. It isn’t a feeling that has to be worked up, it’s just there, like cement, daring someone to move it.

schaefer

I found this quote today and immediately knew the author's heart. He's correct that the instinct to protect is also present with boys, however it is different. The instinct to protect your son is usually tempered by a desire for him to learn and adapt. What I mean is that you want to keep your son safe enough. With daughters, fathers are much more willing to explain what could have happened in complete safety, rather than letting them actually fall and then rescue them.

What I find even more amazing though is that the instinct to protect a daughter is not at all biological. My daughters are not mine biologically. But I know of no possible way that my desire to protect them could be any more absolute. And as the quote says... There was no learning curve to ramp up... One day my oldest called me daddy and the desire to protect fell like a ton of bricks.

10 Things I Love: Relaxation Edition

10.The way a hardback book feels in your hand.

9. Watching my wife and daughter get ready in our single 10 square foot bathroom. (Oddly it doesn't seem to relax them the same way.)

8. Schmoozing with George. George is the owner of my favorite restaurant, he's 30 years my senior, Italian, and amazing. English is, I believe, his 12th language. There's nothing quite like listening to an Italian yell in German at an American football game that's on a Japanese TV.

7. Earl Grey tea.

6. My pipe. Especially with Sherlock tobacco. An unfinished Savinelli that my wife gave me. Just holding it relaxes me. Much to my youngest daughter's amusement, I have a tendency to carry it wherever I go even though I rarely smoke away from home.

5. The weight of my dog's chin on my knee when she needs her ears scratched. We have 5 dogs... That makes me tired just typing it... But Bella is the queen. Full Blood Boxer goodness and the sweetest dog to ever live.

4. A snifter of after work scotch. Especially Glennfiddich. You remember the old Calgon commercials? That's what my 5:07pm cocktail does for me. I stand in the living room, still in my suit, wafting the bouquet of my ambrosia while 5 dogs explain in full synchronized expressive dance how they missed our family all day, my wife and daughter prepare for whatever their evening's mischief will be, and my wife tells me about her day... not in rapid succession but at the exact same time. A guy with ADD has to have chemical assistance or the scene would make me pass out from sheer number of stimuli.

3. Working in the garden.When you work with technology and people who don't know how to right click all day... Dirt is very calming.

2. Enjoying the dinner my wife prepared with friends. The equation is simple. The event can never be announced before 5:45pm on the same night of the event. I will be sent to the local market for any necessities while C cooks. At least two visitors will arrive. There will be much wine, more talk, and my wife perfecting the whole gala in her amazing grace.

1. The 10 minutes of whispering with my wife in bed before I fall asleep each night.