The most dangerous man alive - an honest cop.

1
The most dangerous man alive - an honest cop.
In the 60's and 70's, there was a popular look that was scraggly and rather Jesus-like. This picture of Al Pacino as Serpico in the 1973 film is an example.

In 6th grade at Vernondale Elementary school on Wilkins Road in Millcreek, PA, our art teacher gave us an inventive project in one of our weekly art classes. She set out a box of magazine pages that had been cut in half; the images on them had been nearly symmetrical, so there were a lot half faces, half buildings, half martini glasses, etc.. The project was to choose a half and any medium to complete the other half.[1]

I loved that kind of project, as I excelled at pencil drawing and occasionally colored pencil.

(A friend, whose name was Robert, did the other half. He was in Mrs Roslanowick's class across the hall. We were both very artistic. I never saw Robert after 6th grade. His half of Serpico was slightly thinner than mine, as the art teacher didn't quite accurately halve the photo, and my Serpico came out a few pounds heavier, which I thought looked healthier.)

My mom liked my Serpico drawing so much, I mounted it on a piece of wood and it hung in our house for a while (as did other pieces of my artwork). I don't have the original anymore. She initially thought it was Jesus, but I pointed out the sunglasses, which are hidden in Al Pacino's curly locks.

[2012-09-14]

2
Build a house around this.

A few years ago, there was a company that made news during one of the economic downturns that are now common. This company made gold-plated plumbing fixtures and saw a decline in their business. The discussion around this was very serious. No one stopped to ask if gold-plated plumbing fixtures were practical or if it was smart to build a business around them.

A long time ago, when I was in college, there was a local TV ad for an all-you-can-eat steak house. They showed a very large man stuffing himself with steak and French fries until he looked like he would explode. My Calvinist roommate Mark Jorritsma said it was sinful, and not metaphorically, but it was truly an abuse of the body and God's bounty. I was new to Calvinism then and didn't understand that, but I do now and agree with him.

(I did not, alas, remain with Calvinism, though some Baptistic theology is Calvinistic and informed my spiritual understanding.)

[2012-09-05]

3
Old Baptist Joke

An old minister and family acquaintance used to introduce himself and his wife this way: "Hi, I'm Pastor Bob and this is my first wife, Betty."

Of course, old Baptists only ever have one wife; that's why it's funny.

[2012-09-26]

c0

[1]
In those days the art teacher visited each class with a rolling cart that carried all the supplies needed for the lesson. Her arrival was like an extra hour of recess for that day. I got lots of nice comments on my artwork. I chose unpretentious and fun subjects and simply enjoyed creating. I never did anything with my talent; to tell you the truth, I would have been a competent artist, but I wouldn't have been a great one.