aaronmerrick.com

My sister is pretty proud of her kids. Ryan is Emily’s husband. With the help of son Barney Funk, 20, and Ryan Walker, the teacher in Chevak, Funk’s creating a new nonprofit to put flight instructors in village schools across the state.

“When you consider what an enormous windfall gain it is to be born in America, it is painful to hear some people complain bitterly that someone else got a bigger windfall gain than they did.”

His ‘Random Thoughts’ columns always have good stuff in them. Here is his latest.

The implicit assumptions by which we operate.

In Dr. Bob Wood’s book, “Business the Bible Way: Christlike Communication Within Corporate Culture” he refers to a UCLA study that concluded “that only 7 percent of the general populace has the natural ability to communicate. Only half of those who have the natural ability to communicate ever develop those skills in their lives. So 3.5 percent of the general population decides what the other 96.5 percent do.” While I suspect that some of us that can’t communicate still control others…I do believe that communicating well is something most of us believe we do better than we do it. I’m just starting into the book, but so far, it’s good stuff!

One of the undeserved benefits of my position is that I got invited by SAP to attend a dinner with Oliver North last week. He spoke until 10pm to about forty of us, spellbound. He is a genuine American hero. Along with the standard photo-op, I got an autographed copy of his book “American Heroes, In the fight against radical Islam”. On the back of the book cover is a photo taken by North, standing in a medical helicopter, of a medical corpsman carrying his third casualty to the ‘copter for treatment and movement to safety away from the fighting. In the background of the photo is Bagdad, smoking. The Republican Guard has launched an attack on the advancing unit. If you look closely, the carried man is not in a US military uniform. A bystanding Reuters newsman yelled at the corpsman, “Can’t you see that’s an Iraqi?” The corpsman responded, “Can’t you see he’s wounded? We’re Americans. That’s what we do!” My eyes moisten with pride in a country that truly is different. I’m glad to have heard the story from one who was there. Here’s my pic if you’re interested. Oh yes, I asked him to ink in the book his favorite verse. He looked at me and said, “I have many, but here’s a good one.” Rom 10:9. Indeed it is.

Oliver North and me

Rousing rendition of Baba Yaga. Not so scary as the witch is portrayed in fiction. That sort of fiction is no longer politically correct.

Now we are supposed to think they are good. Not a bad idea to go back and check their historical reputation.

The Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 is delightful. I do enjoy good piano.

Yes, I’m live blogging. At Miller Outdoor Theater, not in Jones Hall!

Now intermission. I need to find a recording of LVB’s No 3. It is a great piece of music.

Remind me to tell you of Hayden and Strauss, The Philosophers and Till of the Owl Glasses. But for now I’m going to sit back and listen and enjoy.

Behold the Saviour of mankind, nail’d to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined to bleed and die for thee!

Hark how He groans! while Nature shakes, and earth’s strong pillars bend!
The Temple’s veil in sunder breaks, the solid marbles rend.

‘Tis done! the precious ransom’s paid; “Receive my soul,” He cries:
See where He bows His sacred head! He bows His head, and dies.

But soon He’ll break Death’s envious chain, and in full glory shine!
O Lamb of God, was ever pain, was ever love like Thine?

Audrey Jo, a few years ago.

She’s the best girl, without alloy.
She’s a better girl, than any boy.
She’s the best girl in all the world.
And I think all the flags should be unfurled!