"The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a canon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (the quote above) was the father of ... wait for it ... Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Dad was a prolific writer and colleague of some of early America's greatest authors, and son was a famous Supreme Court justice who, among other things, first used the term "clear and present danger." So no, it wasn't Tom Clancy.

I have to do the color sanding and buffing on the interior of the cab and deal with a problem or two in the new brake system I installed. After that comes a long list of tasks associated with connecting things inside the cab with things outside. I've started a shopping list of parts needed to complete those tasks and I'm coming across some problems. I can get an exact duplicate of the original clutch pedal return spring but not the pedal itself. Nobody makes one. I can find the seal at the cab floor for the steering column if I had a 3-on-the-tree, but not if (when) I have a floor mounted stick shift. Huh?

That giant sucking sound you heard this morning? That was the preacher's sermon.
Uff-dah.

The AZ Cardinals have lost to injury their starting QB, star wide receiver, and starting running back. And they're playing like it.

I regularly visit and often read articles on The Daily Beast, an online news site with a perspective to the left of liberal. Reading things I don't agree with is intellectually healthy, a good exercise for preachers who want their sermons to be reality based, and sometimes almost entertaining. They are the mirror image of Fox News and often just as silly.

This morning I read this article. You gotta be intrigued by an essay directed to evangelicals from a Jewish gay guy trained as a rabbi. It's not long, so if you have the time give it a read. I think there's lots there to think about, some that makes no sense, some that misses key points, and some that I think is spot-on. See if you agree.

I haven't been to the gym or done any kind of exercise for over six weeks. In mid-October I spent a week in Seattle visiting my folks and had my melanoma surgery the day after I got back. The dr. didn't want me doing anything that raised my pulse or BP because the wound had to stay open until they were sure they got it all. Then I couldn't do anything until the plastic surgeon closed up the site, or for a week after while his work healed. At that point I got this killer cold that ruled out anything more strenuous that sitting in my recliner.
Tomorrow I'm back to the gym. It ain't gonna be pretty or fun but there's no other way to get back to fitness. I've told myself to plan on three weeks before I'm working at something close to early October levels, and it might take longer. But I WILL get there. I need it for physical and mental health.

60 Minutes tonight did a segment on security breaches at major retailers. The expert said 98% of all big retailers and banks have been compromised. Seems like one more reason to shop and eat at local one-offs.