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Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live…” — Deuteronomy 30:19
I must admit, this verse has been on my mind for some time, but it has especially come to the fore with the events of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
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Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
“All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.” — Casey Stengel
Truth be told, my dad watched a lot of sports when we were growing up, but I don’t recall him electing to watch nearly as many baseball games as football games. That may just be the fuzzy memory of youth, of course – a detail that at the time wasn’t important to note. He did watch baseball mostly so that he could have sports happening somewhere in the vicinity while he read. Baseball was, in his opinion, perfect for reading.
However, I do know that the sense of humor of men like Yogi Berra and Casey Stengel appealed to my dad, and he’d use their quotes frequently accompanied by a big grin as if he told the joke successfully himself. The above Stengel quote was a favorite of his – and Casey Stengel had plenty of good ones – and he’d use that on the kids’ soccer team he coached, eyes twinkling with amusement as grade school soccer players tried to figure out how to work this one out. Eventually, he’d let them off the hook. Eventually. Usually, when he was nearing the point he couldn’t contain the laughter.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
If you’re a modern gamer of any sort, and definitely if you are a gamer of the fantasy sort, you’ve seen the memes and complaints about armor designs for female characters. Namely, the complaint rests around how little the armor actually covers.
The images are common, although modern sensibilities and the increasing popularity of gaming among women has decreased the appearance of such outfits somewhat. The criticisms revolve around the idea that such outfits are made just to tantalize as such armor is of course impractical. These were common enough that Blizzard, which held a weekly WoW comic contest, nixed comics mocking male vs. female armor. Apparently, it got to be too common a theme. However, the familiar “chainmail bikini” look didn’t start that way.
“My massive pecs will protect me from the venomous serpent!” (Art by Frank Frazetta)
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
I haven’t liked summer for ages. Sorry, folks. I’m the guy who is stomping on everyone’s good time. I mean, let’s face it, ever since about high school I’ve hated it. Summer has always been hot and uncomfortable with the guarantee that there’s always a limit to how much of your clothes you can take off and be socially accepted. Not that I’ve tried. That anyone can prove. I’ve experienced dry heat and high humidity and just about all between and I can safely say it’s all bad. All of it.
I hated walking in Minnesota summers that felt like you were swimming in the air, hot and muggy and uncomfortable. I don’t like the high desert summers where the air sucks out every single ounce of moisture in you and brings the temperature in your car up to three digits. It makes people crazy, too. Just ask my totally existing detective friend who notes that all the crazy and stupid crimes go up in the summer. He’s an autumn/winter guy too.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
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Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
Or so says one of my best friends Jer, who claimed it was from a musical. As he follows musical theater, I assume he’s right but I’ve never heard of it nor can I find anything where that quote is from. He noted this while we were driving around the western suburbs of Portland, OR. I’d point to empty lots where housing would be built someday and explain that I designed the street lighting for that, and so on.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
O Lord, God of my salvation, …I cry out day and night before you.
Let my prayer come before you; …incline your ear to my cry!
For my soul is full of troubles, …and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit; …I am a man who has no strength,
like one set loose among the dead, …like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more, …for they are cut off from your hand.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
It began a couple decades ago with a misunderstanding. This took place when I was actively online using primarily text-based interfaces most of the time. Unlike my time here … on Ricochet … whatever. Anyway, I was chatting with one of my friends and she pipes up: “Do Canadians really like fighting matches or something?”*
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
I think I have shared several stories of the Christmases of my youth. In fact, I did several last year when I did a “Christmas Song of the Day” series. There is something youthful about Christmas, I suppose. I can see this now that I have a family of my own. My little girl gushes about each new addition to our Christmas decoration. She excitedly points out Christmas lights to us while we drive. She’s gotten her first taste of Christmas specials this year. In fact, she still randomly shouts, “Happy Birthday!” after watching Frosty the Snowman. It’s pretty infectious, if exhausting.
I can recall having some of that enthusiasm when I was a boy. We played John Denver and the Muppets’ A Christmas Together so many times I wouldn’t be surprised if my parents burned the album after we moved out of the house at last. Decorating the tree was a fun and fractious affair – strong branches were always prime real estate for our personal ornaments we had been collecting over the years. And of course, every year we broke out the nativity set.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
We’re living in humorless times. It’s not that things are particularly unfunny, it’s just that every joke we tell seems to be accompanied by a Greek Chorus explaining why it’s actually not funny at all, why we should feel bad about ourselves, and why killing Agamemnon was a bad idea.
Wait, scratch that last part; wrong chorus. Where was I? Oh yes. Our humorlessness is prominent. When a film asks the question Can We Take a Joke? and the apparent reply is “no,” there’s a problem. We now live in an age of neo-puritanism, where self-styled moral authorities inform us what activities we can and can’t do, and which jokes are not funny no matter how much you try to laugh. We even have neo-puritanical witch hunts where people are metaphorically burned at the stake for humor-crimes. Luckily neo-puritans haven’t given us ridiculous hats with giant buckles. How did we get here?
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
Growing up, games were always a part of family life. I think Sorry and Trouble caused more fights between us siblings than just about any other point of contention. I don’t specifically recall any fistfights over Candyland, but that doesn’t mean they never happened. If they did they were never started by me, that’s for sure.Of course, when it came to getting the whole family at the table, from kids to grandparents, card games were the go-to entertainment and, yes, they caused just about as many fights and probably even more laughter, and the occasional sullen sulk. There were no fistfights, though.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
In one of the less-reputable areas of Ricochet – you know, the areas your mother warns you about – a conversation went something like this… (Spoiler alert, this post gets nerdy so fast, all the other posts will threaten to take your lunch money just for reading the next sentence.)
Person 1: What races do you usually play in Dungeons & Dragons? (See? Told ya. Cough up that money.)
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” – Proverbs 14:12
If there’s a sentence in philosophy and religion that can sum up our times, it’s this. When I consider the path we take politically, culturally, and socially, so much today involves following the path that seems right. It’s why I’ve found standards so valuable. Many seem to want to do away with standards, but without them how can we even posit what might be the right course of action? For me, the standards I have held have been the Bible and those who have studied and gone before me. These are gifts not to be ignored, but to be embraced and referred back to frequently. Today it seems we compared ourselves with ourselves and are surprised at how far off course we are.
Born and raised in Oregon, I've lived most my life on the West Coast, save three years near Minneapolis, Minnesota. I survived four years in the hellish paradise that is Santa Rosa, another two in a land where "Keep Portland Weird" is the first commandment, and I am happily married and living in Utah. I am an electrical designer, Protestant, and a huge nerd. I am a brand new father, and I can't shut up about it. I abuse ellipses with wild abandon.
This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Get your first month free.
“All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.” — Casey Stengel
If you’re a modern gamer of any sort, and definitely if you are a gamer of the fantasy sort, you’ve seen the memes and complaints about armor designs for female characters. Namely, the complaint rests around how little the armor actually covers.
