In 1975 the US Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act which set in motion the Metrication of the United States. I remember in school being taught the metric system and being given all sorts of little conversion charts and conversion devices to be able to understand how metric temperature, weight, length and so on compared. In the end we never really converted at all for a number of reasons. I believe we took the wrong approach by using an equivalency approach with tables and graphs instead of simply changing over and learning what 95 kph and 20°C felt like as well as what a liter of fuel should cost. At this point the US, Burma and Liberia are the only nations that have not fully adopted the metric system.
Filling The Silence
Written By: richardwcraver
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Jul•
19•14
For many years I have had Pastors and Teachers talk of the importance of having a quiet time. A time of Bible study, prayer and listening for the Lord to speak. Like most busy people in this age I find that very difficult. However when I changed jobs two months ago and found driving to Greensboro I determined that the 35 minutes of my morning drive would not be wasted time or spent listening to the goings ons of the world on the radio. I decided to spend my drive time listening to the Bible from the Bible.com app on my Android phone. (more…)
Why Do They Live In The Desert?
Written By: richardwcraver
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Apr•
27•14
I recently heard of a comedy routine by the late comedian Sam Kinison, and went in search of it on the internet. The name wasn’t familiar, but once I saw his picture I remembered him. There was a time in the late 80′s and 90′s when the Comedy Channel had a whole host of stand-up comedians. I remember Standup Spotlight where Rosie ODonnell, Paula Poundstone, Jeff Dunham and many others got their start. Sam wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, he was very loud and very foul. The story I had heard of was of one of the bits in his 1985 HBO Special where he addresses the issue of world hunger. Below is a redacted quotation I found over at Wikiquote:
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It is Finished!
Written By: richardwcraver
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Mar•
22•14
I came across a quote by Tony Evans on Facebook the other day, it goes like this.
Jesus didn’t say, “I am finished.” He said, “It is finished.” He was just getting started.
And although I suppose it was a line pulled from a sermon, which I have not heard, it got my mind spiraling, thinking of the implications of it. (more…)
Seven Months?!?
Written By: richardwcraver
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Mar•
10•14
Has it been seven months since I posted something? Yes, I guess it has. Wow, time has flown. Back in December of 2012 I posted I’m Not Dead, Yet. I had taken a second job trying to make ends meet, a year later I quit that job; the burn-out was phenomenal. About the same time I made my last post I had changed my full-time job. (more…)
Spiritual Vertigo
Written By: richardwcraver
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Aug•
11•13
On July 16th, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., son of the assassinated President John F. Kennedy as well as his wife Carolyn Bessette and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette were killed when his single engine aircraft crashed into the waters off of Martha’s Vineyard, Masachusetts. Weather was quickly sited as a factor in the crash as the conditions were hazy in Rhode Island Sound that evening. As the investigation continued to unfold it was revealed that John, although a licensed pilot was in the process of training for instrumented flight, however his instructors told investigators he was not ready for his instrument rating exam at the time of the crash. (more…)
Mother’s Day Blues
Written By: richardwcraver
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May•
11•13
Mother’s Day each year always leaves me with a lump in my throat. This September will mark 17 years since my mom passed away having lost her battle with leukemia and the effects of chemotherapy. She was 57 years young, just 10 years older than I am now. As in past years at Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas I took flowers to her grave and sat down for a good cry. (more…)
Archie Bunker, Cain and Abel, and Diane Feinstein. Really.
Written By: richardwcraver
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Apr•
21•13
From 1971 thru 1979 CBS television aired “All In The Family” which later became “Archie Bunker’s Place” which aired until 1983. It portrayed the fictional Bunker family from Astoria, New York; and it’s lead character was Archie Bunker played by Carroll O’Connor. It was a controversial show for the time, and I suppose still is, with Archie’s character being seen as a bigot by some and as a man true to his convictions by others. His daughter, Gloria, and her husband, Mike ‘Meathead’, lived with Archie and his wife, Edith. Gloria and Mike were stereotypical of the “hippie generation” and Archie was a product of “The Greatest Generation” that fought the World Wars and Korean War, so household conflict was inevitable. (more…)
Are You Ready For The Second Super Bowl Of 2013?
Written By: richardwcraver
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Mar•
30•13
Not quite two months ago Super Bowl XLVII was played in New Orleans, Louisiana. I don’t understand why they insist on using Roman numerals, the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, but there it is. On the field were the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49′ers, the game resulted in a win for the Baltimore Ravens. The details and the results are in the history books of the National Football League.
In the Christian world-view we celebrate the Super Bowl of the ages this weekend. It was played out approximately 2014 years ago in Jerusalem, Israel. The results have been forever sealed in the history of time immortal. (more…)