How to Be a Model Citizen

Titus 3:1-3

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. NAS

Think with me for a moment about the world at the time of the birth of Christ.

It was a world of slavery

It has been estimated that there were 3 slaves to every 1 free man in the world at that time. Slavery was a common and flourishing aspect of society.

It was a world of absolute rulers

At the end of the Roman Republic, the Caesars took power and ruled with absolute authority. August was proconsul and tribune of Rome for life. He was the commander in chief of the military, he reigned over the Senate, and he controlled all civil-affairs.

The same thing was true in the land of Palestine. Herod was a puppet-King, not even a real Jew (he was an Idomite). However, when it came to his ruling style he was a ruthless man. Remember what he did to the children of Bethlehem? He had absolute authority over life and death (he in fact murdered nearly all of his own family).

It was a world of high taxes

When Jesus came into the world – taxes were exorbitant. Those who worked as tax-collectors had sold themselves to Rome for money and then they overcharged the people (i.e. Zaccheus – Luke 19). Why did Mary and Joseph have to travel to Bethlehem in the first place? To take a census in view of taxation!

It was world of persecution

At the time of Jesus birth, the Jewish people were considered as nothing. They were chattel for the Romans. They were underprivileged and oppressed, they had no voice in government and they had to bear a heavy burden of taxation.

In the world that Jesus came into, they did not have democracy, the opportunity to vote, or most of the freedoms we enjoy today.

Yet Jesus did not come with power and force to overthrow the Roman government. He did not seek social change by eliminating slavery or other issues. He did not come with a political or economic agenda. He did not come to bring a new government or even wave the flag of Judaism.

Rush Countdown - Pt. 2

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I am posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. In addition, I am ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. Albums and songs 20-16 can be found here.

Albums 15-11.

Album #15 - Caress of Steel - When released, Caress of Steel was considered a disappointment, largely because it marked a new direction for the band. Caress of Steel can be viewed as a "Tale of Two Sides." Side one has a more traditional format and contains the #18 song on my top-twenty, Bastille Day. Side two reflects the band's first attempts at "sci-fi," "concept," or "epic" music. I'm not a big fan of side two although, you really get a glimpse of the band's musicianship when you listen to it.

Rush Countdown Pt. 1

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (FINALLY, I might add), I am going to be posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. I will also be ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. If you follow this link you can find an interactive list of all 20 albums.

First, albums 20-16.

Album #20 - Power Windows (1985) - Ummmm...I hate this album, I can barely stand to listen to it. This album typifies everything wrong with their synthesizer phase. Next...

Book Review - Here's The Story - Maureen McCormick

The other day I was at the grocery store in Bakersfield, picking up a few things that my daughter said we needed. I was in the meat department and looking at pork chops. While browsing through the selection of chops I caught myself saying: "pork chops and applesauce, pork chops and applesauce." I started laughing to myself because ever since I was a child I always associated pork chops and applesauce together. Why? Because of an episode I saw on the Brady Bunch. Watch the video.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 8

In this series we have been looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here, songs 60-51 here, songs 50-41 can be found here and songs 40-31 can be found here.  In this post we will look at songs 30-21.

This group of ten songs reminds me of what was right and what was wrong with music in the 70s. There are a few good songs on this list, and a clunker or two, but mostly they are just meh. On the other hand, there is once again a diversity of styles in the list. Disco, classic rock, pop rock, and then there is Barry Manilow and Meat Loaf. I am just never sure how to categorize either one. The list looks like this:

30. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Meat Loaf
29. Dance With Me, Peter Brown
28. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late, Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
27. Can't Smile Without You, Barry Manilow
26. Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty
25. We Are the Champions / We Will Rock You, Queen
24. It's a Heartache, Bonnie Tyler
23. Love Is Like Oxygen, The Sweet
22. Hot Child In the City, Nick Gilder
21. Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione

30. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Meat Loaf - I am not going to lie, I like Meat Loaf. I guess I would call his style theatrical rock or operatic rock. Whatever you want to call his style, it is always entertaining. The lyrics to his songs on the Bat Out of Hell album were written by Jim Steinman and they are catchy and often ironic, like those in this song. I have the Bat Out of Hell CD and usually play it when I am on a road trip. Crank it up and let it rip, there is not a bad song on the album.

29. Dance With Me, Peter Brown  - Not a bad song, just not my favorite.

Book Review - Date...Or Soul Mate?

Neil Clark Warren. You may have heard the name, but you just can't put your finger on when and where. Let me help you out. Think eHarmony. No doubt you have seen him on one of the many eHarmony commercials that run on television. You know the guy, he's the one always talking about those "29 dimensions of compatibility." In fact, he is actually, Dr. Neil Clark Warren.

Dr. Warren is arguably one of America's most respected experts on relationships, marriage and mate selection. He is a bestselling author, renowned speaker and leading relationship psychologist. Dr. Warren spent 35 years counseling thousands of singles and couples on how to activate healthy relationships. Through his clinical practice and specialized research involving more than 5,000 married people, Dr. Warren has been able to isolate the key factors that contribute to a happy successful marriage.

Date...Or Soul Mate? is Dr. Warren's attempt to share with singles some of the wisdom that he has discovered through his years of counseling. This wisdom primarily is about learning how to tell if someone is worth pursuing for a possible long-term i.e. marriage relationship. In fact, the book is subtitled: How to Know if Someone is Worth Pursuing in Two Dates or Less. That seems like a bold assertion, but Dr. Warren backs it up with his research and practical experience gained from counseling all of those, primarily unhappily, married couples. The purpose of the book then, is to give singles interested in marriage a blue print or plan of action that will help them navigate the dating process and avoid many of the pitfalls that come when looking for a mate.

Is the Resurrection Important?

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Over the years no other Christian doctrine has been under attack as much as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is especially true in our world today. It is amazing to see the great lengths the skeptics, liberals and unbelievers will go to try and discredit the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Attempts to explain away the resurrection have been almost comical. In the name of a scientific world view they claim that Jesus body simply rotted away in the tomb.

 

What about the eye witness testimony of Peter and Paul and the other disciples? Peter’s testimony can be explained away by a subjective vision that resulted from his grief and guilt over denying Christ.

 

And the testimony of Paul? He had an unconscious “Christ Complex!”

 

Others have claimed that the tomb was indeed empty when Peter and the other disciples arrived on that morning, but not because Christ was resurrected, but because His body had been eaten by a pack of wild dogs…a fate they claim was typical of Roman criminals.

 

Many blasphemous books have been written over the years that have tried to explain away the resurrection. One international best seller “Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls” asserts that Jesus was buried in a cave by the Dead Sea but He was not really dead, he only appeared to be dead thanks to a slow-acting poison administered to Him on the cross.

 

This book goes on to assert that later, Simon Magus, a magician mentioned in the New Testament, gave Jesus a purgative and some myrrh to soothe His mucous membranes. Thus revived, Jesus went on to marry Mary Magdalene, father three children, divorce her and marry Lydia, whom we read about in the book of Acts. Eventually, Jesus would die in Rome.

 

As farcical as these explanations sound, they are representative of the predominant views of the day. Over the years various skeptics, theologians and others have been given platforms in premiere magazines and bookstores to promote their views.

 

So then we have to ask, is the resurrection important? To those of us who profess to be Christians, the obvious answer is yes!
 

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 7

In this series we have been looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here, songs 60-51 here and finally, songs 50-41 can be found here. In this post we will look at songs 40-31. I like this list of songs, it is my favorite so far.

40. Magnet and Steel, Walter Egan
39. Dust In the Wind, Kansas
38. The Closer I Get to You, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
37. You're In My Heart, Rod Stewart
36. Hot Blooded, Foreigner
35. Hopelessly Devoted to You, Olivia Newton-John
34. Last Dance, Donna Summer
33. Sometimes When We Touch, Dan Hill
32. Take a Chance On Me, Abba
31. Jack and Jill, Raydio

40. Magnet and Steel, Walter Egan was one of the many "One Hit Wonders" from the 1970s. I really like this song though.

39. Dust In the Wind, Kansas is a very talented progressive rock band. Their Left-Overture album was one of the first I ever purchased. This song, however, is a bit of a downer and my least favorite of their hits.

38. The Closer I Get to You, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. I think this is a beautiful song, maybe I am getting soft in my old age.

Who Is My Neighbor?

In his book “Intellectuals,” Paul Johnson reveals that Karl Marx, the self proclaimed defender and lover of the working class, never truly knew or associated with a single member of the proletariat (working class). In fact, as far as historians know, Marx never set foot in a mill or a factory or a mine or any other industrial workplace in his whole life. Rather, he himself preferred to keep company with the upper-crust of society. When he and Friedrich Engels created the Communist League, he made sure that the working class members were eliminated from any position of influence. It is also clear, that despite his supposed efforts to be the social benefactor of humanity, he truly disliked people.

Marx lived his life in an atmosphere of verbal violence, quarreling with anyone whom he associated with including his own family. He also fathered an illegitimate son with his wife’s maid and then refused to have anything to do with him. He spent the last two decades of his life in comfort with no less than two servants waiting on him!

So what?

All humans find it difficult to live up to what we espouse intellectually and often those who proclaim their ideas the loudest are the same people who will not hold themselves to that which they are perpetrating on others. It is after all, easy to love the idea that you love people, without actually living a life of love for others. This is especially true of our ruling/political class.

You see, love for people or the lack of it, reveals the true quality and effectiveness of the philosophy or belief system that we hold to. For us as Christians, our love for others is even more revealing, because it actually indicates the authenticity and the health of our relationship to God. All of which is made clear in a passage of scripture that I want to examine.

Luke 10:25-37 is a great passage that deals with the dual emphasis of Loving our God and Loving our fellow man. It is the case that the two are intricately connected together, because if you truly love God as you should, then you will love your fellow man as you should. These two things should be as basic to the Christian as a football is to a football team or as a half note is to a musician or as a book is to a librarian. My friends, if we truly love God then we will truly love our fellow man.

Can't Sleep Cinema - Into the Night

Ever had one of those nights where you can't sleep. No doubt you have. What do you do when you find yourself up late at night and wide-awake? I suppose you could read, or try counting sheep, or you might even try a warm glass of milk, and if you are really desperate to sleep, a pill may be an option. When it happens to me, I generally flip on the television in search of a rerun of something I've seen dozens of times before (especially a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood flick). Usually, I end up just flipping channels until I fall back asleep. However, on a few rare occasions, I wwill come across something that catches my attention. You know, one of those movies that you have never heard of, but once you started watching you can't stop. One of those little gems that I found several years ago on one of those can't sleep nights was an off-beat little John Landis film called, Into the Night.

Plot Summary:

Ed Okin's life is not what he expected it would be. He has a dull job, his friends are boring, his marriage is in a funk and he is on a fast track to nowhere. In addition, to all of that (or because of it), he is suffering from insomnia. One day while in a meeting at work, his insomnia affects his performance, so he is sent home early. Upon arriving home, he walks in on his wife having an affair. That night he gets in his car and starts to drive through Los Angeles where he finally ends in a parking garage of L.A.X. Moments later a beautiful young lady being chased by four Iranians jumps onto the hood of his car and asks Ed for help. What follows is a wild chase through the streets of Los Angeles and ultimately back to the Airport again. It is this wild ride through LA that makes the film so entertaining. Here's the original trailer.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 6

In this series, I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here and finally, songs 60-51 are here.  


In this post I present to you, songs 50-41. Like most of the songs in the top 100, this section brings an assortment of styles and genres. From the hard driving pop of Thunder Island to the Disco/Funk of The Groove Line. From the blues/folk of Slip Slidin' Away to the soft rock of Goodbye Girl. From the R & B of Used Ta Be My Girl to the novelty of Short People. This list has it all! 

50. Thunder Island, Jay Ferguson
49. The Groove Line, Heatwave
48. Slip Slidin' Away, Paul Simon
47. Goodbye Girl, David Gates
46. Love Is In the Air, John Paul Young
45. An Everlasting Love, Andy Gibb
44. Love Will Find a Way, Pablo Cruise
43. Our Love, Natalie Cole
42. Use To Be My Girl, The O'Jays
41. Short People, Randy Newman

#50 - Thunder Island (Jay Ferguson) - Who wouldn't want to be stuck on Thunder Island?

#49 - The Groove Line (Heatwave) - I have to admit that I like this sound. It is very danceable and not strictly disco but really on the funkish side. And...if you watch the video, it's pretty cool to see everyone including the musicians dance together, in sync.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 5

In this series, I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here and songs 90-81 can be found here. Songs 80-71 are posted here. Songs 70-61 are here.

Now let's look at songs 60-51...

#60 - Here You Come Again - Dolly Parton
#59 - You Belong To Me - Carly Simon
#58 - This Time I'm In It For Love - Player
#57 - Back In Love Again - L.T.D.
#56 - Come Sail Away - Styx
#55 - On Broadway - George Benson
#54 - Disco Inferno - Trammps
#53 - My Angel Baby - Toby Beau
#52 - Still the Same - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
#51 - Imaginary Lover - Atlanta Rhythm Section

This is an interesting and diverse list of 10 songs. It just reminds me of the variety of musical genres that we got to experience during the 70s.

Book Review - "Why We Get Fat" - Gary Taubes

*One of the things I have committed to do this year is to read at least 20 books. I used to love to read, but after what was essentially seven straight years of college (finishing my Bachelors and then obtaining my Masters Degree), I was burned out on reading. Not a day went by during those seven years that I didn't have an assigned article or a textbook with me to read. Since completing my Thesis last March, I haven't done much reading other than what I have read on the Internet. So, I have some catching up to do, starting with the stack of books on my bookcase. I just finished my first book last week. It was so good, I wanted to share with you my thoughts about it.   

I'm not a Dietitian, I just play one on TV. 

I may not be a Doctor nor a Dietitian, but what I am is a person that has struggled with my weight for most of my adult life. In 2006 my weight had ballooned to 284 lbs. I was starting to experience the health issues associated with being over weight and it scared me. I wrote about my situation more extensively here, so I don't want to rehash the gory details in this post. As a reminder, over the course of 18 months, (from November 2006 to May of 2008) I lost 115 lbs. My weight went from 284 lbs to 169 lbs (before and after photos can be seen at the link above). It was such a personal blessing for me to lose that weight, and of course, I fully believe a life saving one as well. I have not been able to keep my weight at the lowest level I reached, but I am happy to report that I have not gained too much of the weight back. It seems strange to say this, but it has been much more difficult keeping the weight off, than it was to lose it in the first place.

Prior to my efforts in 2006 I had attempted several different ways to lose the weight. None of them worked very well. One "diet" I had tried previously, did give me good initial results, however, I did not stick with it. It was the Atkins low-carb plan. When it became clear to me in 2006 that I needed to do something, I decided to give Atkins another try, this time, i modifed it slightly to what worked for me AND I made a serious commitment to follow through.  This was really an attempt of last resorts, as my family was pushing me to get gastric bypass surgery and my doctor wanted me to try a pharmacological approach. I want to try neither. For me, it was an issue of self-respect. I needed to do it the "right way," as hard as it might be. The rest, as they say, is history.

Album Review - El Camino - The Black Keys

I don't think it is a secret that I like music. Music has been a big part of my life over the years. However, when it comes to music, I tend to like the "classic" stuff. You know, classic rock, classic R & B, classic Christian and classic country. You might say I tend to be a little "old school" when it comes to my musical tastes. One of the things I have tried to do lately though, is listen to some "newer" music. This has not been easy for me since there is so much new stuff on the market. Where do I start?

One of the best things to happen to me is dance lessons, especially the West Coast Swing classes. Our instructor plays a lot of "contemporary" music. Whenever I hear a song I like, I ask Josh (the instructor) for the name of the song and the artist/group. I then go home and youtube the artist and listen to some other songs from their discography. I discovered Adele this way. I love her 21 album.

Another way I have discovered some of the newer music is through Facebook. I have friends that post music videos regularly and I try to listen to the stuff I am not familiar with, just to see if I like it. I also see what my twenty-something sons are listening to, they both generally have good taste in music. Although, there are some genres they listen to that I don't care for (mostly hip-hop), I have gained appreciation for some contemporary music through them. My son Aaron put me onto Mumford & Sons. Their Babel album is excellent.

And finally, I read a lot about culture and entertainment online, so I pick up information about new artists and groups that way as well. That's how I discovered John Legend. I love his music. His Once Again album should be on every ipod! I also learned about the Black Keys by reading about their Grammy Awards. I recently downloaded their El Camino album and can't stop listening to it. It is VERY good.

In light of my recent musical discoveries, I wanted to review a few of the albums I mentioned. I hope some of my, how shall I say, "more mature" readers will check out the music! First up is El Camino by the Black Keys.

Valentine's Playlist

In honor of Valentine's Day, and since I have nothing better to do, I thought I would recommend some songs for my friends in relationships. I am pretty sure if you play these songs tonight you will get lucky!

This song is a great cover of a Bob Dylan tune, but the video makes it special.

 
No one sings it like the Minister, Al Green.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 4

In this series, I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here and songs 90-81 can be found here. Songs 80-71 are posted here. In this post we will be looking at songs 70-61.

#70 - What's Your Name - Lynryd Skynyrd
#69 - Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John
#68 - Hey Deanie - Shaun Cassidy
#67 - Baby Hold On - Eddie Money
#66 - Count on Me - Jefferson Starship
#65 - Reminiscing - Little River Band
#64 - Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King
#63 - You Needed Me - Anne Murray
#62 - Peg - Steely Dan
#61 - Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt

What's Your Name - These guys know how to rock...and with a name like Lynyrd Skynyrd they better be good!

Summer Nights - I was forced to listen to this song while riding the bus to school every day, at some point, I started liking it.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 3

In this series, I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here and songs 90-81 can be found here. Going back and listening to these songs bring back lots of memories for me, both good and bad! Let's look at songs 80-71.

#80 - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda
#79 - Falling - LeBlanc & Carr
#78 - Sentimental Lady - Bob Welch
#77 - Serpentine Fire - Earth, Wind & Fire
#76 - You and I - Rick James
#75 - Always and Forever - Heatwave
#74 - Copacabana - Barry Manilow
#73 - Every Kinda People - Robert Palmer
#72 - Because the Night - Patti Smith
#71 - Don't it Make my Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood was first recorded in 1964 and has been recorded several times since, with the best-known version recorded by the Animals in 1965. This version, with a disco spin, is recorded by Santa Esmeralda. Interestingly, Santa Esmeralda also did a disco version of "House of the Rising Son" also a song made famous by the Animals.

Falling a song by the first of the one-hit wonders on our list. I actually like this song, but maybe I am getting sentimental in my old age? Nahhhhh...

2013 Kern County Homeless Census

On any given night in the United States there are about 636,000 homeless persons. How do we know this? Because the Federal Government actually requires local jurisdictions across the country to go out and count the homeless.

After months of planning, recruiting and strategizing, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative started conducting it's biennial Homeless Census. This census is a point-in-time count that gives our community a snapshot of homelessness in our area. Beginning today at 4:00 p.m., volunteers and agency personnel started counting those folks spending the night in the shelters. You can read more about tonight's Shelter Count here.

Starting tomorrow morning, over 120 community volunteers and agency personnel will be dispatched throughout the County's 8200 square miles to accomplish the task of counting those that spent the previous night unsheltered. They will be looking for individuals and families who spent the previous night on the street, or in a car, or in a park, or in an abandoned building or in any other place not meant for human habitation.

So why do we go to all this effort? For a number of reasons.

• It helps us to determine the extent of homelessness in our community
• It helps us to gather important demographic information regarding the homeless (how many women are homeless? Children? How many homeless Veterans do we have? etc.)
• It provides an opportunity for direct contact with this segment of the population
• It helps us to track trends and strategically plan to target specific services and housing opportunities for the homeless
• It positions us to apply for as much as $4 million annually in federal funding to provide new transitional and permanent supportive housing projects.

No matter what our census tells us, there will always be those who were not counted but they exist on the edge of homelessness.

They are either doubled up or "couch surfing" with friends and relatives, or paying extremely high proportions of their limited resources for rent or motels just to have a roof over their head and a bed in which to sleep. Many are facing homelessness because of the effects of the foreclosure crisis and high unemployment rates in Kern County. Because of their current circumstances, these people are at imminent risk of homelessness.

I do know one thing, the agencies represented by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative do an amazing job working to address the issues involved. I am so thankful that I am able to work alongside so many wonderful caring people. I will post the results of the census as they become available.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 2

In this series I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here. In addition to some great song titles in this list, there is some quality music as well. Now let's look at songs 90-81.

#90 - It's So Easy - Linda Ronstadt
#89 - You Can't Turn Me Off (In the Middle of Turning Me On) - High Inergy
#88 - I Love the Night Life - Alicia Bridges
#87 - Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh
#86 - Sweet Talking Woman - Electric Light Orchestra
#85 - Get Off - Foxy
#84 - Fool If You Think It's Over) - Chris Rea
#83 - Whenever I Call You "Friend" - Kenny Loggins
#82 - Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
#81 - Bluer Than Blue - Michael Johnson

Linda Ronstadt had poor taste in boyfriends (Governor Moonbeam), but she had good taste in music. Plus, she was kind of cute back then.

Gotta love the song title to this one.

I have to confess that many "disco songs" have grown on me over the years, this is one of them. Although, Alicia Bridges looks scary to me...sort of a female version of Billy Idol.

"Life's Been Good to Me So Far" is a classic, Classic Rock song, with a great intro. I never get tired of listening to it. Joe Walsh was a former member of the Eagles, and while he doesn't have the great vocal chops of a Glenn Frey or Don Henley, he can sure play the guitar.

Sweet Talking Woman is the second ELO song in the top 100.

Ahem, well, it was the 70's...

This is one of those songs that you don't appreciate when you're a teenager, but is much more meaningful when you have a little bit of life and love under your belt.

I was never a big Kenny Loggins fan, but this is a good song.

Running on empty is another one of those songs that gets more meaningful as you get older. Plus, it's another very good Classic Rock song.

For some reason, this song makes me want to slit my wrists...

Well, there you have it, songs 90-81...what do you think?

World of Wonders

These locations are beautiful! You can only view the slideshow below while listening to Louis Armstrong sing, What a Wonderful World.

World wonders

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 1

The other day I was in my car listening to a rebroadcast of a Casey Kasem countdown of the top 100 hits from 1978. When I returned home I did a quick Google search for the list and thought it would be fun to share the countdown on my blog. It was the year of Grease and Saturday Night Fever, so songs from both those movies are on the list. Disco was also still very big. However, there are other genres represented as well. Many of the songs on the list bring back memories for me of working at Miners Drive-in Yakima, especially those songs from the summer of 1978. There are also a few titles on the list that I couldn't remember. I hope you enjoy the countdown. Here are songs 100-91.

#100 - Deacon Blues - Steely Dan
#99 - Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
#98 - We're Alone - Rita Coolidge
#97 - The Name of the Game - ABBA
#96 - Ebony Eyes - Bob Welch
#95 - I Can't Stand the Rain - Eruption
#94 - Turn To Stone - Electric Light Orchestra
#93 - Don't Look Back - Boston
#92 - Flashlight - Parliament
#91 - Native New Yorker - Odyssey

There were four songs on the 100-91 list that I couldn't recall. In my defense, all but one were disco songs so that explains my unfamiliarity with the titles.

I love Steely Dan, and Deacon Blues has always been my favorite of their hits.

"They call Alabama the Crimson Tide, call me Deacon Blues"

2013

³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13-14

I wouldn't consider myself much of a planner, at least not in an anal, obsessive way. That's not to say that I never take time to think about where I want to go and where I've been. It's just not my favorite thing to do. I believe there are people in this world that have their lives so planned out that they miss out on the joys of the journey. These people are so focused on the destination that they forget that life is not just about where you are going, but also about how you get there. So, one of the things that I am trying to learn in my older age is that both the journey and the destination are important.

Some people think that the goal of self-improvement is becoming prepared for the destination, but I have come to believe that it is really more about being equipped for the journey. Maybe, a better way to say it is this: Only by becoming the person that we want to be, can we truly enjoy and appreciate the journey. As I seek to improve myself as a human being and as a man (i.e. male), I have determined that there are some areas in my life that need some special attention in 2013. These are not New Year's resolutions, but priorities that will help me to become the person I want to be, so that I can enjoy the remainder of my journey. So with that, here are my personal priorities for 2013.

2012

I've never been the contemplative type. For me, what happened, happened and what's done is done. I don't make it a habit of looking back over the past because it's generally not worth dwelling on. However, as I look back over 2012, I realize that in the midst of the busyness that this past year has brought, I have a great deal for which I should be thankful. For personal (and probably therapeutic) reasons, I wanted to write about those things and share them with my family and friends. You might even consider this that long letter that family members stick in their Christmas cards (without the actual card!). So here goes.
 
In February, I celebrated my one year anniversary with the Wasco Housing Authority (WHA). If you would have asked me two years ago if I would ever work in Wasco again, I would have responded with a resounding NO! My plan such as it was (more on that in my next post), was to look for my next job in Southern California where I would be closer to my grandsons, and...that was only when and if I ever left United Way of Kern County (UWKC). I truly enjoyed my position at UWKC, although I was frustrated with some of the dynamics of the job. I only applied for the position at the WHA on a whim. Looking back on that decision now, I can see that the WHA is where I was meant to be. I love my job and the people I work with, I have been truly blessed.

For the last three years I have been working on my Masters Degree at Cal State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). I finished my Thesis in March and graduated in June with my Masters Degree in Public Administration. It has already helped my career and I am very proud of that accomplishment. While I was not the oldest graduate in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, I was close (I was definitely an outlier). Not bad for a 50 year old guy.