Gotcha

Michael Richard's (Kramer) tirade was caught on tape. Faith Hill's reaction to losing an award was recorded, and George Allen's words were recorded for posterity.

Everywhere we go, we are being recorded. A few years ago, this statement would be well within the confines of paranoia. Today it is an accurate pronouncement.

It is interesting to me how people react to this evidence. The reaction is often judgmental and self-righteous. The press runs with it and the public wallows in self-righteousness. I am not defending what Kramer did or any other inappropriate incident caught on tape. But come on folks, how would your life stack up if we could pull out the worst 10 seconds of your behavior and let the world watch?

Think of the words you have said in private to friends. Have you said things that were insensitive? Have you made fun of whole groups of people for a laugh? What have you said about others in anger?

Have you always done the right thing? Have you always been where you were supposed to be?

Are you proud of everything you have done and said?

This piling on mentality reminds me of grade school. "Teacher, he said a bad word."

Is there such a news vacuum we have to watch Paris Hilton having sex or read salacious IM's from a public figure?

I try to be a pretty good man, father, husband, son, Christian and citizen. Still, I have done things and uttered words that would embarrass the heck out of me if they were revealed to the public.

A person can say things that are inconsistent with their actions. However, in today's climate, one's words are used as iron-clad evidence of a man's intentions and the quality of his soul. Not the words the man in question says define him, but the words caught on tape in one of his low points.

How is it that an abusive parent is still loved by their children. Maybe the abuse is not the totality of the parent’s being. Maybe there is something loveable about them.

Most everybody has some endearing qualities. We are many faceted beings and should not be judged by a slip of the tongue, a bad day, or words uttered out of drunkenness.

How many folks carrying torches going to the lynching have asked for mercy for lesser offenses.

I wish things were different. I wish our private, embarrassing moments were not being laid out there for the world's entertainment, but that is not reality.

Instead I will have to hope people get their voyeuristic fill and begin to put some of these things in perspective. The perspective in what one person says about a topic they are probably not expert in and what that really means to the world.

It all boils down to someone's opinion. Why the big fuss? If we strip away self-righteousness, judgmental noses in the air, and political opportunism, all we have left is the words of someone who wished they had seen the camera before they started talking. I believe these words caught on tape are not the core of the person, but more often anger and frustration overstating a point.

Anger and frustration will make us say things to which our cooler heads do not agree.

The standards we use to judge others will someday be applied to us.

Until the next time
John Strain

Mississippi Coast Marathon

It was a beautiful day for running. The temperature was 37 when I woke up, but it was probably near 50 at the start of the race.

The Stennis Space Center is just into Mississippi from Louisiana and a 40-minute drive from our house in Covington.

I felt about as good as I could before a race. Training had gone well and I was shooting for a sub 3:30 marathon.

At 8:00 AM the starter horn launched some 200 to 300 runners on the course of a 5K, Half-Marathon, and Marathon, depending on what they signed up for.

My first mile was a 7:49. It was 26 seconds off of the 8:15 I had planned to run. I thought I was running easy and was surprised at the time. I thought maybe the course was marked incorrectly. Sometimes that happens; you get an unexpected time, make adjustments, and then get a bigger surprise on the next mile.

It was marked right though and my next mile was slower, but still too fast at 7:52. I ran the third mile in 8:02 so I figured I was on track to slow down and go on with the plan.

Then I started running with a guy who was running the half-marathon. I did a 7:55, a 7:48, and a 7:52. I began to think that I felt good and maybe I could maintain this pace and still speed up. Ha. You must respect the marathon.

I ran the first half (13 miles) in 1:43:03 instead of the 1:46 or 1:47 I had planned. I did maintain the pace, but it was getting more difficult. Mile 19 was run in 9:19 and I was scratching my head. How could I slow down one minute when I thought I was running the same pace? I had my answer after I ran mile 20 in 7:00 minutes. Those miles were mis-marked.

I was beginning to fade now. Mile 21 was an 8:54, then I had to start mixing 30 to 60 second walking breaks with the running.

Mile 22 - 9:41
Mile 23 - 9:53
Mile 24 - 9:40
Mile 25 - 9:45
Mile 26 - 9:26
Mile .22- 1:40

My last half of the marathon took about 10 minutes longer than the first. This is exactly opposite of how I should have done it. I was in shape to run a 3:30 but I didn't execute the plan correctly.

In retrospect, I should have slowed down and let my new friend go on, but I didn't.

On the bright side, I only had 2 people pass me from mile 21 on. I finished 11th overall and 3rd in the 45 to 49 age group.

Barbara walked the 5K and she won 3rd in her age group as well. We cleaned up on medals and plaques.

Here are a few pics from the event:

Here I am finishing the Mississippi Coast Marathon.
Boy does that finish line look pretty.

Recovery involves replacing carbs.
Carbs for my men and whiskey for their horses.

Barbara got 3rd in her age group for the 5K

Now I have to set my sights on Baton Rouge next weekend.

Have a nice weekend folks.

Until the next time
John Strain

Marathon Day

Today is the Mississippi Coast Marathon. I am strappin' up the old running shoes and getting ready for a nice Saturday morning run. The weather is perfect, clear and 37 degrees. It should be around 50 at the start and near 70 at the finish. Stay tuned - I will post my results later today. My goal is to run the marathon today and next Saturday under 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Until the next time
John Strain

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's to a happy Thanksgiving. I hope you get to spend it with someone you love.

Until the next time
John Strain and Bear

From the paws of Bear

by Bear

Hi everyone, it's me Bear.
If Daddy isn't going to write, I guess I will have to. Look at the treat Mommy gave me Sunday night. It is a brand new $5.00 bone; yum yum.

I love bones. They keep me busy. I even get obsessed. I chew and chew until I get one of the knobs off, then I may take a break. Sometimes I eat it all up at once, and then other times, I may take a couple of days to eat it.

I only eat it when my family is around though. For some reason, I just don't feel like eating a bone when my famiy isn't home.

Daddy put a new photo in his sidebar. It is a picture of him on the USS Constitution aka Old Ironsides. It is a US Navy ship that is in Boston. It is the oldest commissioned US Navy ship. It goes back to 1797.

Daddy said it was neat taking the tour. He said the canons shot 32 pound canon balls 400 yards. What's a yard anyway? Oh, if you click the photo of Daddy on the ship, it gets bigger and you can also see his brother; my Uncle George.

The last time Daddy posted was a real rainy day. He took me out to play in the rain and I had fun. I like to chase my ball and get all wet and muddy. Daddy throws the ball in the ditch so I can swim. The rain fills up our ditches and they are like my own personal swimming pools.

This week is Thanksgiving. I hope I get some turkey and good treats. I may get stuck at home by myself though, because my family may go to Vicksburg for the day. They will come back because the Chiefs are playing the Broncos Thursday night.

I better go. I will tell Daddy to get back to writing.

Have a fun week and I hope you get lots of good treats for Thanksgiving and that you get to be with your family.

Bye for now,
Bear