a new reason to be clean

So today [Oct 21] The Wall Street Journal posted an article reporting some interesting research findings regarding marital intimacy. Apparently, couples that share housework have happier marriages and more active sex lives. Yes…according to the study, for husbands and wives alike, the more housework you do, the more often you are likely to have sex with your spouse. You can read the entire article yourself at The Juggle [WSJ.com on choices and tradeoffs people make as they juggle work and family]. I got to wonder, is this legit or is this just some industrial marketing ploy to sell more vacuums? Whatever the case, I’m guessing there are going to be a lot more cleaner homes in America for a while.

$50,000 text

Kate Moore, a 15-year-old Iowa HS student recently won $50,000 in the LG U.S. National Texting Championship. How did she get so good at texting? Apparently she owns a 14,000 texts-per-month habit. Get this — 250,000 people participated in the competition.

Moore’s winning phrase was “Zippity Dooo Dahh Zippity Ayy … My oh MY, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine Comin’ my way … ZippittyDooDahZippityAay! WondeRful feeling, Wonderful day!” which she completed flawlessly in less than 60 seconds.

Another 15-year-old girl from Staten Island, NY wasn’t so lucky. She recently fell down an open man hole cover while texting.

Wow — and I thought my kids text alot.  But so far, I haven’t seen any money and no serious injuries! afaik…bbs

popular Jesus

While organized religion may be losing popularity among the masses, Jesus apparently is not.  In a recently released public survey, 33% of polled Britons say Jesus Christ is the person they would most like to communicate with from beyond the grave. [FYI, Princess Diana came in second, Shakespeare third]

Intended to promote the third season release of ITV [Independent Television Authority] British sci-fi show Primeval on DVD, the survey surprised pollsters – how exactly the question relates to the show I’ve yet to figure out but I think it has to do with time travel.  One survey spokesman conceded, “These results show that Jesus Christ will always be the British public’s ‘Superstar.’”  I wonder how Americans would answer the same question – humm?

Jesus also showed up today in a Washington Times post by Julia Duin about a new Jesus book out called, “Journeys with the Messiah” by Michael Belk.  It’s a collection of photos of a Jesus with modern day Italians from all walks of life.  Belk told Duin, “I want people to see these images and say, ‘This isn’t about religion, it’s about life.’  The non-churched are frightened by anything that has ‘Jesus’ or ‘church’ connected with it.”

I’m not sure Belk is right about Jesus frightening anyone – but when it comes to ‘church’ that may be a different story.   You can see Belk’s project at thejourneysproject.com.

eternity

In case you were wondering…apparently there are a number of new and alternative ways you can spend eternity.

As high quality diamond: for a price, companies will extract carbon from your ashes and convert them into colored diamonds up to 2 carats.

In outerspace:  a rocket shop will launch your ashes into space or to the moon.

As a fireworks display: companies will mix your ashes with fireworks to create a 200-shell firework display set to music..spreading you all over the area.

As a coral reef: have your ashes mixed into a custom-made concrete reef which is lowered into the ocean or other body of water.

In a sporting venue: most Chicago ballparks will arrange for your ashes to be scattered on the playing field when the stadium is empty.  The big question here is – CUBS or SOX?

at a theater near you

Well it has finally happened. Tucker Max’s best selling book, I hope They Serve Beer In Hell, has been made into a movie and hits theaters in just a few days. Now, I read a lot of books — many listed on the NY Times best-seller list. And I’m the first to support an individual’s right to express themselves in whatever medium they choose. And normally, I refuse to critique books I haven’t actually read or movies I haven’t seen….but in this case I make an exception. This is just my opinion – but I cannot see anything positive or redeeming in the kind of reckless and remorseless debauchery that is apparently represented and promoted in Max’s literature or film. Clearly, Tucker Max disagrees. In the introduction to his book he writes,

“My name is Tucker Max, and I am an a******. I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging d*******. But, I do contribute to humanity in one very important way: I share my adventures with the world.”

Giving credit where credit is due, Tucker is at least honest about himself and his behavior. Alot of people will no doubt laugh at his degenerate antics but the notion that Tucker Max is somehow contributing to humanity is in itself a joke.

“The way of a fool seems right to him.” -Proverbs 12:15

Keep it simple

The notion of simplicity keeps showing up in my life, work, reading, discussions, etc. By and large, it remains just that…an idea – because few things are simple these days. In an age where advancing technology and global communication is supposed to streamline and uncomplicate all the confusion and make things easier and faster to accomplish – in many ways it just makes matters worse.

I don’t think I’m alone in this. It seems people today are hungry for simplicity in life because the world around us has become so incredibly complex. Simple is not easy, but it sure sounds appealing to me.

Quotes on simplicity…

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. [Leonardo da Vinci]

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary can speak. [Hans Hoffman]

To be simple is to be great. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Out of complexity, find simplicity. When the solution is simple, God is answering. [Albert Einstein]

Got to get back to something simple just to save yourselves…keep it simple nowadays and that’s just that. [Van Morrison]

mapping national sin

Most people have heard of the 7 deadly sins [pride, envy, wrath, sloth, gluttony, lust, greed]. Well now it is possible to see them or at least where they are most prevalent. Geographers from Kansas State University recently created sin maps of the US by plotting per capita stats on things like theft [envy], killings [wrath] and STDs [lust], etc. While the actual science behind the mapping is questionable, the results are interesting. FYI – red represents the more sinful – blue less so – beige the more saintly.

Sick of health care

Yeah, I realize it’s an important issue but — am I the only one sick of hearing about healthcare reform? Granted, we need reform but I’m not convinced allowing our government to serve as a national healthcare provider/insurance company is a particularly wise idea. We already have a postal service which – according to the President himself is “always having problems.”  i.e. it loses money and isn’t run very well.  In addtion, the current Cash for Clunkers program has also been less than stellar – some suggest it’s a growing debacle.  The program offers up to $4,500 to shoppers who trade in vehicles getting 18 mpg or less for a more fuel-efficient car or truck. Dealers pay the rebates out of pocket, then must wait to be reimbursed by the government. But administrative snags and heavy paperwork have created a backlog of unpaid claims. Hundreds of dealers our getting out. Hence my concern. If the government can’t handle letters and clunkers what would make me believe it could handle the vast and personal intricacies of healthcare? Sorry…I’m just a bit cynical.

An ancient Hebrew proverb says, “good news gives health to the bones.” I don’t know about most Americans, but I know my bones could use some good and more reasonable news about healthcare reform alternatives.

my latest fascinating read

Malcolm Gladwell has done it again. After writing about how little things make a big difference in THE TIPPING POINT and about the power of thinking without thinking in BLINK, Gladwell’s latest NY Times bestselling book is entitled OUTLIERS in which he examines the not so obvious elements of success.  An outlier as defined by Gladwell is something that is situated far away from or classed differently from a main or related body; a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the same sample.

With that definition in mind, Gladwell examines the less than obvious reasons behind the success of such people as Bill Gates, The Beatles, top NY city lawyers, professional athletes, etc.  Factors of generation, family, culture and class play a greater role in human potential than we may realize.

Anyway, it is an extremely fascinating read. It seems to me that the book’s popularity reflects how badly people want to experience some level of success [however they might define it] and grasp some greater purpose in life.   Isn’t that true for all of us?

Whether or not you agree with Gladwell’s thesis is obviously up to you but as in previous works his research and style of presenting his case is compelling. 

Malcolm Gladwell, author of OUTLIERS

 Frankly, I really enjoy reading his books but given his picture – I’m confident he won’t be writing on hairstyling any time soon…but that opinion comes from bald guy who is perhaps a tad jealous of Gladwell’s wild and outstanding fro.

Who knows maybe hair does indeed have something to do with success?

homeless students

Struggling with poverty is not merely an adult problem.  For example, the trend of increasing homelessness in the Chicago suburbs has not spared students from the experience of having no where to call “home.”  For us living on the outskirts of the windy city, we should know that statewide the number of homeless students is up 48% over last year with our own suburban DuPage county showing a mushrooming increase of  75% .   That is a troubling reality.