This is a topic that I could easily write a lot about. But I’m attempting to keep myself in check. People seek answers in religion. But all I’ve found were more questions. Here are a few:
Christianity: If the path to heaven is through faith alone and our actions play no part, then why do our lifestyle choices make any difference? And if the path to salvation is only through Jesus Christ, then what chance did the dozens of generations before him have?
Judaism: Does it make sense that God would create a world where only people born into certain families or who worship him a certain way deserve his love and redemption?
Islam: Ditto.
Mormonism & Scientology: Ditto, but with hints at a lot of other questions.
Buddhism: You’re cool.
Atheism: I kind of agree your stance, but do you have to be so dickish about it?
I’m sure that some of this will piss people off, and I’m sorry for that – to an extent, I’m being glib. But also not. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, but I have trouble personally putting stock in any set of beliefs that minimizes any other group as less worthy of blessing, whether it be women, homosexuals, gentiles, non-believers, prostitutes, politicians, etc. I also have trouble with a belief system that cannot embrace reason and science as integral rather than contrary. We are all people, all born naked and alone in this world, all prone to falter, to fail, to fall. If there IS a God at all, and if he cares whether we succeed, then wouldn’t he want us to succeed together? But I guess that kind of questioning sets me apart from the crowd.
Intro: Thursdays I will try to write something brief – I call it Blurbsday (that’s all I’ll say about that).
Life is about balance. Imagine life as a see-saw: one end is the past, one end is the future, the middle is the present. If you sit at either end, you won’t get anywhere without the help of outside forces. If you sit in the middle, you can find balance – but only if you remain mindful of the ends of the board. One end or the other is bound to sway you. You need to learn to sway with it to keep things in balance. And no matter how hard you try, we all run out of board – make the most of your time on it.
They are too few and too far between, but this evening I took my wife out to dinner. We considered extending the evening by going to see a movie, but after paying the bill for our fancy dinner, we decided to call it a night. But it was at least nice to eat a meal together where we could eat and converse without outbursts, interruptions, or the frustrations of getting our children to sit still and eat something.
The reasons that we don’t do such things more often are many, but here is the short list: lack of time, lack of money, and lack of available sitters. On the issue of time, there simply doesn’t seem to be enough of it lately. I often don’t get home from work until 7PM, occasionally have to do more work in the evenings and weekends once I’m home, and the free time that we have together is always busy doing things as a family. We are lucky to manage to sit and eat three meals in a day at all none the less together and with significant planning. As for money, a single income only stretches so far. My wife is very sensible and frugal and stretches every dollar she has an opportunity to spend. But with a mortgage and 2 car payments, our entertainment fund is nearly non-existent. Finally, sitters – we have yet to actually procure paid sitter services. I know that there are sites where you can find and contact local and reputable sitters, but neither of us have the time to vet one properly and that would also have to come out of the entertainment fund. We do have access to some free sitter services, but schedules rarely align properly.
But tonight, things seemed to align – we had a willing (and free) sitter available, the kids were in good spirits, it was a nice day … and we had a coupon. So we got dressed up (ish) and headed out to a nice little Italian place (the kind with a fairly short menu and very few pasta dishes on it). We had a pleasant conversation along with good food from appetizers to dessert. And now that we have done so, my wife can feel less guilty next weekend when she leaves me with the kids to go camping with her girlfriends … on our anniversary (our 12th – what is that, silk? I can’t think of any camping items that should be made of silk). I kid – no guilt necessary. It is just a day after all. We celebrate the marriage every day. And the milestone will be no less important apart.
Hopefully we will make the time to go out more often in the future. Only time will tell. But expect to see more entries this week relating to my significant other and related topic. In retrospect, as important a part of my life as she is, I probably should be writing more along those lines all the time. The sentiments are there, just the expression seems too few and too far between. I’ll have to work on that.
It seems that I’m branching out. I’ve done something that I didn’t think that I’d ever do – I signed up on Facebook. I avoided it for a long time, but now I’m in and I can’t leave it alone.
The thing is, I’m not technophobic. Internet technology is my life and my work. I’ve been doing some form of social networking long before it had a name. In college, well before the majority of the world knew what a website was (mostly because very few people had seen one yet), I had found myself absorbed into a realm of online chat rooms and bbs sites and usenet groups – so much so that I nearly failed my second semester. Which is precisely one of the reasons that I have forced myself to be cautious of my involvement in such services since.
I use email and IM, but mostly only as needed and primarily reactively (many of my friends can attest to the fact that I’m not very good at keeping in touch). I’ve generally reserved my use of the internet as an information tool and avoided active engagement. Even this blog is something I do fairly casually and without any strong compunction to vigilance (readership is not a strong goal here – though I do thank those of you who choose to read).
So as I said, I took that plunge. It was initially not intended for dedicated use (I actually created my account to be able to test something for work). But I’m not it now and I’m connecting with lots of people that I haven’t talked to or seen in years (in some cases, decades). I try to limit the time I spend there (it can be addictive), but I’m there and I’m embracing it. I figure it will be an interesting way to learn some things about some of the people with whom I’ve crossed paths (and maybe they will learn a few things about me as well). Maybe my life will be profoundly effected by people I previously barely knew. Who knows. The least I can do is branch out there and see what happens.
I am partaking in a flavor blast from the past, and I hope it is a sign of beverage future. Specifically I’m currently drinking a 20 fl. oz. bottle of Pepsi Throwback. This seemingly retro beverage is a version of Pepsi made with natural sugar (I assume as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup).
This choice in beverages was no accidental happenstance, but a conscious choice to taste-test this product. I first became aware of it a few days ago while watching NBC’s Thursday-night comedy line-up. Pepsi had this spot for it during The Office that was all retro-ish (complete with some Isaac Hayes knock-off singing its praises). By the time the commercial was over, I knew I would have to try it.
I know what you are thinking – that I am some sort of uber-gullible consumer that can be wooed by a catchy jingle and a shallow promise. Not so! See, I have in the past years become a strong opponent to artificial food products in favor of more natural/organic/raw foods. And if I was mildly wealthy, I’d certainly be spending a good amount of that money buying only the most healthy and natural foods and drinks available. But being as I don’t have the time or the means to do so, I make the conscious purchasing decisions I can afford. And among the items that I avoid as much as possible are any sweetners other than natural sugars – no aspartame, no sucralose, no acesulfame potassium, no Stevia, and no high-fructose corn syrup (the latter being the most difficult to avoid). Most of this battle tends to revolve around beverages – specifically sodas – as it is somewhat easier to find food items that are more natural and what you can’t find you can make (to a degree). But I’m a working stiff and I’ve never been a big fan of straight water, so I try to find drinks that I like that come as close to natural as I can without costing too much.
So, as I said, I was quite eager not only to see how this new/retro Pepsi product tasted, but also to see it succeed in the market. While the commercial seemed to suggest that it was a limited time item, I for one hope that it is the start of a trend. See, there is a rift right now in America between health-consciousness and convenience. Those who want to swear off such artificial items as those found in a regular Pepsi have to look harder to find them and then usually pay a premium for them when they do. But if more of the big companies (hint-hint) started to make healthy variations on their products, then by simple market penetration they would be more accessible. And such accessibility will lead to higher conversion and a tide of greater demand for such products. But no matter how many hints I drop, the best way to point this out to the big food-makers is to show them there is a market. So I for one plan to buy as much of this stuff as I can and I encourage all of you to consider doing so as well.
How does Pepsi Throwback taste, you ask? It tastes like Pepsi – not particularly more or less sweet. Maybe even a little cleaner taste than a standard Pepsi. It is also satisfying to turn the bottle around and see only 6 ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, phosporic acid, caffeine, and natural flavor. I’ve got a couple of oz. left. And when I’m done, I plan to recycle the bottle. It does kind of feel like a sip of history, but not necessarily in the sense they may have intended.
