tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45728046726113681342024-02-18T21:51:31.594-05:00arcollinsEveryone's got one... here's mine.A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-85769134252386767592009-01-14T14:38:00.004-05:002009-01-16T10:05:39.256-05:00finding my wayYet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;He rises to show you compassion.For the LORD is a God of justice.Blessed are all who wait for him!O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. Howgracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answeryou. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water ofaffliction, your teachers will be hidden noA R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-38126980009503791252009-01-07T20:49:00.006-05:002009-01-16T10:06:20.181-05:00standing on the cliffAgain, the devil took him to a very high mountainand showed him all the kingdoms of the world andtheir splendor."All this I will give you," he said,"if you will bow down and worship me."Matthew 4:8-9 I believe that at certain times we are led to the cliff where we must decide who we are and what we are willing to do. For some, the cliff is a pivotal moment where we either live up to our potentialA R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-60703674752336951602008-11-02T19:03:00.008-05:002009-01-16T10:06:32.768-05:00the divine measureFirst, let me say that I'm not Jewish. Still, the thought of any man (or council of humans), finding me or you acceptable unto God (or a religion) troubles me greatly.JERUSALEM -- Raised without religion in Maryland, Shannon sought to make a new life for herself as a Jew in Israel.In a rigorous conversion process, she studied religious law for a year, took a Hebrew name and changed her wardrobe A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-49355125714947993112008-10-31T21:39:00.005-04:002009-01-16T10:07:04.322-05:00sugar baby mamaHere's a simple question. Should a teenage girl who's about 6 months pregnant go trick-or-treating in a short dress (really a tee-shirt) that says "sugar babies"? (The question is not rhetorical... she came to my house tonight!)A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-17829583010543757722008-10-31T21:28:00.001-04:002008-10-31T21:28:33.235-04:00We (at least some of us) decide!MSNBC has a nice widget and since I'm a geek...A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-27931786519369702382008-10-31T19:34:00.008-04:002008-10-31T21:22:47.441-04:00Vote for GodI've posed this question on a number of forums and it is met with complete, unadulterated silence. Post about Obama's economic plan and you'll get a flood of responses. Mention Sarah Palin's latest outfit and again a storm of replies. But suggest "God for president" and you may get two or three sheepish replies and neither will seriously address the post.Here's the suggestion in a nutshell:...A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-1880729261733017822008-08-28T17:39:00.006-04:002009-01-16T10:07:17.075-05:00Readin' Ritin' and RemingtonsA school district in Texas (where else?) has recently decided to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons on school grounds. (Link to full article.)The district superintendent, David Thweatt, says the move is a proactive protection measure. He adds "Country people are take-care-of-yourself people. They are not under the illusion that the police are there to protect them."But the police are here A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-7770031137568523572008-08-25T20:44:00.007-04:002009-01-16T10:07:30.541-05:00meningitis fearmongeringA relatively heavy ad campaign has recently been launched to promote Menactra, a meningitis vaccine. The ads show bright-eyed, smiling pre-teens and tells us what they want to be when they grow up. (See their web ad here.)Aeesha wants to be a pop-star. Chad wants to be a ocenographer. Kiera wants to be cartoon animator. Micheal wants to be a hedge fund manager (if you can believe a 12 years old A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-42973356741544917302008-08-22T17:03:00.009-04:002009-01-16T10:04:36.018-05:00new musicIf you're looking for some new tunes in the Nu-Jazz and Neo-Soul genre then check out Esperanza Spalding's self-titled release, Hil St Soul's Black Rose, and Layla Hathaway's Self Portrait.Esperanza is a surprisingly good jazz album that also stretches into R&B/Soul. What makes it so surprising is that Spalding is only 24 years old. Many talented young artists seem to show their youth with A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572804672611368134.post-50168734009793560742008-08-21T20:46:00.003-04:002008-08-22T21:32:25.294-04:00signature constructionThis is one of St Pete's new luxury high rises, the Signature, under construction a few months ago. (Details at Signature sales web site.)I know many people consider them evil and the bane of all that is good and sacred downtown, but I personally like them. It's a sign of change rather than stagnancy. And you'd certainly rather have people moving in to town rather than leaving.This one in A R Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07194920541183604631noreply@blogger.com0