TJ: Dad, I have to do a science project.

DAD: Ok, What do you need help with.

TJ: I don’t care what we do, but I have to do a report on it. I can’t do the baking soda and vinegar volcano, but I want something to blow up.

DAD: Ok, let me get on the internet and find out how to blow something up… ok…. TJ I found one that makes soda explode.

TJ: Yeah Dad! Let’d do that!

DAD: Fill out the form and tell your teacher what we’re going to do.

….

TJ: Dad. I have bad news. Our science experiment got rejected. My teacher said our hypothesis was not good enough.

DAD: What?

TJ: Yea, she wants us to do an experiment watching radishes grow. Here it is.

DAD: Um, we’re not doing that. Here, take this note to your teacher. Brief note summary (my kid wants me to blow something up in the name of good science and you want me to grow radishes? Can we just come up with a new hypothesis?)

…

TJ: Dad, she says she still doesn’t get it, but if can make a hypothesis, we can do it.

DAD: Sweet. I’ll make something up. You make the list to give to Mom to buy and lets blow up some soda bottles.

TJ: Sweet.

….

End result: bottom photo is what happens when you dump 10ish mentos all at once into a freshly opened bottle of diet pepsi. Shoots up higher than my kid and creates a science memory he actually will care about. I’m sure someone is supposed to watch radishes grow. Just not an 8 year old boy.

Mabe we’re raising a future pyro-technics man.

I am sick. I am tired. I could list a lot of things I’m sick and tired of in me and the world. But that would be pointless and endless. But maybe it would make me feel better. Doubt it. Right now it should suffice to say that I have a sore throat and sleepy eyes. I’m going to take medicince and go to bed… someday. After my stinkin seminary paper is done.

Ok, so I’ve become kind of a podcast junkie. I subscribe to several. I listen to them while I drive- almost exclusively now. Most are long so I have to listen to them in 15 minute intervals… but I kinda like it. I listen to one that’s basically the audio of ABC news nightline. Like watching the news without the pictures. Kinda wierd. Kinda cool. I wish my church did one so I could listen to the messages too.

Anyway, I subscribe to some that are silly, some from my friends, some from preachers, and one from Relevant Magazine. Which is fast becoming my favorite. It’s professional and spontaneous too. This last one I really enjoyed. It has a great conversation among friends thinking/debating the issue of how much financial success is it ok to enjoy as a Christian. Very interesting. I really enjoyed being a fly on the wall in the discussion… though I think it missed a huge piece of the puzzle by not discussing how the way I live and the choices I make with my own money affects the poor and hungry around the world. I really wrestle with that a lot myself. But it was great stuff anyway. I think it’s worth playing in a small group or with some friends to provoke a quality discussion and react/respond to it while looking at some key passages from the Bible.

So, if you want a great listen download the Relevant Magazine Podcast episode dated 5.19.06 off of itunes and give it a listen while you drive.

One more thing… one of the guys in the podcast team (Tyler) won a karoke contest by singing a Johnny Cash song at a local bar where a radio station was hosting the competition. It’s really funny. Plus, if you enjoy Karoke… they’re challenging others to a duel. I laughed. Perhaps you will too.

2:30pm:
“Dad, can we please stay up and watch a movie tonight?”

“Ok, if you guys take a nap today, you can stay up till 9:30 pm.”

9:00 pm…
“you guys want some popcorn?.”

Never mind. I’ll just go get the camera.

I just got back from seeing Mission Imposible III tonight with Shannon and her cousin who’s staying with us this weekend. It’s non-stop shooting and running and bad guys and plot and well…

…whenever I walk out of one of those movies I keep waiting for someone to try and jump me on the way to the car. I carry my keys between my fingers confidently as if I could kill an army bare handed with them if I needed to. Then I get in my car and try and drive home on lanes I make up while checking my rear view mirror to see if we’re being followed. I’ll probably wake up tonight in a cold sweat with a pistol in my hand and a bad guy dead at my childrens door step only to discover it’s the dog.

Now I’m going to go check my phone line to see if it’s tapped and erase my hard drive cuz all of this is being tracked by that new CIA head guy the Senate/House are all up in arms about. Surely I’m being watched- my blog gets hundreds of secret CIA hits a day. Don’t worry though- I’m ok. Jack Bower is on my side. I think all of Capital Hill must have seen this movie and a few too many seasons of 24 too.