Saw a funny bumper sticker yesterday:

"AT LEAST I CAN STILL SMOKE IN MY CAR"

I'm not a smoker but I sympathize for people who do smoke, with all the restrictions now in place. Of course it's a terrible habit but the ones who are addicted have little choice once they're hooked.
We see them all standing outside their offices in the freezing cold, puffing away. It's hard to believe it was just a few years ago when people were allowed to smoke inside the building. Today they are kind of like unofficial greeters, nodding at everyone who walks into the business. They also sort of remind me of birds -- their different sizes, stances, gestures... maybe a veteran birdwatcher could come up with a list comparing smokers to birds most like them.
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I started reading the latest Dean Koontz novel. What an amazing writer. His choice of words and his descriptions are always so deeply thought out and yet so breezy and fluid.
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Josh Groban's "Noel" Christmas album is breaking records. I liked it, but it's a little too syrupy and traditional for me. The most poignant song is "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which includes spoken words from U.S. soldiers, stationed overseas, to their families back home. Very touching.
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My daughter is going to look at a puppy tonight. She is so excited... It's a mix of a miniature schnauzer and a shih-tzu... If she likes it, it'll be the new addition to the family.
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I was reading I Corinthians 4 this morning and came across a memorable verse from St. Paul, verse 13b: "Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world."
That's the verse that inspired former Toledoan Mike Sares to found the Scum of the Earth Church in Denver. It caters to skateboarders, punk rockers, and other radicals/rebels/outsiders. That church has a great bumper sticker:

"OUR DEACONS CAN BEAT YOUR DEACONS"

Read more about Scum of the Earth Church here.
Toledo, Ohio
December 18, 2007