Things That Disgust

It's a rare Friday afternoon that I don't catch part or all of Ira Flato's scifri radio show. His latest guest was a scientist,Rachel Herz, who studies smell and taste. Ira said surely there must be universal smells that are considered revolting. Skunk smell. Rachel disagreed and said behavioral influences alter smell from childhood. Don't play with that, it's dirty, or don't touch that, it's dead. She never heard that skunks smell bad, and likes the smell. A caller said she too likes the smell of skunk. Ira asked what's the point of the skunk exhibiting it's awful smell if predators aren't deterred by it.
Our bodies do respond universally to things that are bitter. We spit them out because in our hard wiring, bitter signals poison. If given something bitter tasting, a baby makes the same facial expression as do adults.

Pain

Lately it seems that pain and joy are all around, and seem to be joined as twins. Mary's death was preceded by immense and insidious wasting of her body. Cancer sucks. I'm hopeful mom will face her treatments head on with courage and fortitude as daily blessings from above. I'm often thinking of dad without realizing it at first; he is and willing be living emotionally burdened, that much seems certain.
Katie visited with little Ben last week. He is one beautiful and gregarious little baby. He brought joy to our home just by being. Paris can be a pain, but she licks Joel's hands and keeps him company, and is a non-human example of palliative care, seriously. Despite several setbacks Joel experienced, God is near, a calm in the storm, even when I'm not thinking of him. Blessings.
A friend going through a divorce has taken the time to be the hands and heart of Jesus to Joel and his family, as have so many others. Words can be elusive, but a smile, card or meal speak.

Faithful Presence

James Davison Hunter is a professor of religion, culture and social theory at the University of Virginia. His new book "To Change the World" challenges me, as in the glimpse of his thinking in an interview I read in Christianity Today, and has lead me to want to read his book. It has three main essays, the first having to do with the common view of "culture of ideas" which he views as being characterized by idealism, individualism, and pietism. His second essay argues that the public witness of the church has become too much of a political witness. And in the third essay, he presents a third alternative, and different paradigm, where "faithful presence" is faithful to God, and a fulfillment of His command to love our neighbor. I really want to read this book. Maybe Christians, of all stripes, will read and discuss this book.

Heard it on NPR

Some guy in the metropolitan area entered a coffee shop to have a latte or whatever and decided it was necessary to pack heat. He had his sidearm strapped to his hip for all to see. Others in the coffee shop were interviewed. Some didn't care, one hadn't noticed and some were enraged. The gun toter referred to his right to carry arms and then said this ridiculous statement:" some people carry cell phones so I don't see carrying a gun as being any different." That's just what I need, to take my sons to a Starbucks where we might be in the presence of armed civilians, because it's their right. These are times I really miss my homeland. It's full of imperfections, but the 2nd amendment hysteria is not one of them.

Tire Purchase

In the past 20 some years, I purchased whatever tires my mechanic would recommend. Recently I deviated from the norm, and purchased tires based on a $70 savings advertisement on four Michelin tires at Costco. I've never had Michelins before and have always heard they were reputable wheels. Well, Costco fills their tires with nitrogen air, none of that regular air for them. They don't tell you if your brakes are near death, what your rods are doing, whether you need a wheel alignment or what the new ride will be like with the new wheels. The brakes died soon after installation of the tires. All of my tires have had to be filled with nitrogen air multiple times since late November. One wheel has lost up to 15 pounds of pressure in a week's time. Today I had these Michelin tires rotated and supposedly the errant tire fixed. The ride is still kind of rough. Now why would Michelin tires be so crappy? Were they made in China and that's why Costco could sell them for cheaper prices?I almost never have had trouble with my previous tire purchases other than the occasional low pressure and accidental nail in a tire. This will be my last experiment with either a) Michelin tires, b) Costco installed tires or c) both a and b.

Gold Medal Match

The Canadian angst is over. Canada won at least one gold medal while hosting the Olympics and got that monkey off their back. And, Canadian hockey fans are ecstatic to see the women's and men's hockey teams win gold!
Now I can get my blood pressure back down to normal levels. Jordan and I imagined running down the street with a Canadian flag, but laughed at the thought of our puny flags rustling in the wind, so small that neighbors might need binoculars to see them.