For Crichton

It is a sad day for the Arnold family. I am writing this while waiting for a vet appointment this morning. I have to put our wonderful family Labrador Retriever, Crichton, down this morning.

Crichton is 13 years old and arthritis and Cushing's disease have taken too much a toll on her. She is just the best dog. We got her right after Anita and I got married and moved to Montgomery, AL. She and Anita were best pals. Until Maria was born, Crichton was Anita's companion when I was gone. Crichton offered a very special ministry to Anita during my 2.5 years in grad school at night while working full time.

Crichton loved to chase golf balls that Anita would hit in the yard. When Anita became pregnant with Maria, quitting work to be a full time mom, they would hit balls everyday rain or shine until the time when Crichton just couldn't do it anymore which started a couple of years ago.

Anita is very upset and Maria is so sweet and mature about this. "Mommy, it is alright. She will feel so much better now. She will get to be a puppy again in heaven and play with Tess." Tess was a Labrador stray that we adopted just before Maria was born and had to put to sleep last year due to health issues.

Right now I feel like both the father and the son in The Yearling.

Too Many Ways To Fall

I promised to get back to my original blog purpose which was sharing thoughts on discipleship and sometimes relaying external stimulus that inspires or speaks to me. Unfortunately, I have been in a period of little inspiration in regards to my blog theme. Compounding this is I have been very busy with work, church, and personal projects that focus my thoughts and reflections into those areas. I have had no lack of inspiration or thoughts, just not in the vein of this blog.

So, in order to assuage the blog drought I will use one of my crutches. I will post the lyrics to a song that jumped back into my attention. The song is from one my favorite CD's, Arc Angels by Arc Angels. I hope you enjoy the lyrics and I hope they spawn some comments or reflections from the readers who have not abandoned me.

Too Many Ways To Fall
(Charlie Sexton, Tonio K., Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon)

A mother has her baby boys and a father doesn't call
And from this saddening parody
Someone will have to crawl
Yes crawl through all the dark memories
Everyone and all

'Cause there's just one way that you can stand
Too many ways to fall

All we have is here and now
Tomorrow may not come true
There's a million people who walk this ground
Who might steal your wish from you
A million people maybe not
A human one at all

There's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall

Well they might be on the fire escape
They might be down the hall
They might be watching every move you make
Through the pinhole in the wall
They're sworn to their duty
And they stand so proud and tall
They say it's nothing personal
It's just a job that's all

The mother says now baby boy
You're gonna have to choose
There's good and evil, love and greed
And they're all inside of you
And just as sure as gravity
No one escapes the law

'Cause there's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall

So when you wake up in the bushes
Passed out on the lawn
And suddenly it dawns on you
That mother wasn't wrong
It all comes back like déjà vu
You just can't help but recall

'Cause there's just one way that we can stand
Too many ways to fall

Don Quixote Tilts His Windmill: TSA Part II

I have deviated from my original intention for this blog with a few non-faith and non-inspirational posts lately. I plan for today's post to be the last of these deviations for a while.

Regular readers may remember a post (rant) back in January concerning my being listed on the TSA Watch List, and my attempts to be removed from the list. Over a year ago, I found out my name had been added to the TSA Watch List which makes flying a royal pain in the posterior. At the time of the post I had just mailed a select distribution list an intense letter venting my concerns and frustrations about the List. I sent the letter to the TSA Ombudsman, TN Senators, TN Congresspersons, the White House, and Vice President Cheney. I received no response from the following: TSA Ombudsman, TN Congresspersons outside of my district, the White House, and the Vice President.

I did receive a response from the offices of my direct congressperson and the offices of Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bill Frist. Each requested additional info in order to help me. The Senators had someone call me directly from their offices. The first to respond was Ms. Jackson from Senator Alexander's Nashville office. She was polite and patient and seemed genuinely concerned about resolving the issue.

I provided the background and additional information she requested. In mid-February, I received a letter from the TSA stating that they had re-evaluated my records and decided a correction was warranted. I received this letter from Senator Alexander a few weeks later along with a copy of the TSA's letter to me:

Dear Anthony,

The Transportation Security Administration has responded to my inquiry on your behalf, and I have enclosed a copy of the response for your review. If you need any additional information, please call [Ms.] Jackson at [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. I hope my office was able to provide some assistance in this matter, but please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any further concerns.

Lamar

Despite the positive response, I was skeptical. The TSA letter contained this wonderful little caveat:

TSA cannot ensure that your travel will always be delay free as this redress process does not affect other standard screening procedures in place at the security checkpoint. For example, an individual may be selected by TSA for enhanced screening in order to resolve a walk-through metal detector alarm, because of random selection, or based on certain non-identity based factors reflected in reservation information. Additionally this process may not eliminate the need to go to the ticket counter in order to obtain a boarding pass.

This last statement in bold was the main problem I was attempting to solve. It was that part of the process that made flying, especially on Southwest, cumbersome. In addition, it was that part of Homeland Security that was undermining the millions of dollars spent by the airlines to unclog the check-in process via kiosks and on-line boarding passes. (BTW, Southwest's recent announcement that they are seriously evaluating a move toward seat assignments is their attempt to solve the problem that the TSA has created for their customers).

Based on this caveat, I did not immediately respond with thanks to the Senator's office nor post my results here. I wanted to see if I was truly free of the tyranny of the TSA based on the results of my next flight.

Several weeks ago I had my first flight since the TSA redress, and it was on Southwest. In an even better test of the resolution, I was riding to my destination with someone already driving and booking a one-way ticket back. In today's security laden environment, one-way tickets are to be avoided if possible--a true red flag.

The great news is that I was able to print my boarding pass 24 hours in advance using on-line access at my hotel. Further, I had no problems with security at the airport despite forgetting to remove my laptop and having to have my carry-on personally inspected (way to go dumb-dumb).

Funny thing is that my security issue seems resolved, but on this one-way, direct flight Southwest lost my check-in bag. Southwest has never lost anything of mine before. I was irritated at first, but upon quick reflection, I didn't care. This Don Quixote was celebrating the slaying of his first windmill!

P.S. Use your Senators and Congressperson. They are in office to serve and the system does work, although not always efficiently. I am proud that Senator Alexander is a Tennessean and Vanderbilt alumnus. I voted for him in every election for any office, and I will continue to do so. Here is the thank you letter I just sent to Sen. Alexander:

Dear Senator Alexander,

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your help in resolving my listing on the TSA watch list. Please also accept my apologies for the delay in thanking you as the TSA responded positively in March. ... I decided to wait until I flew again to determine the exact nature of the TSA's re-evaluation.

To my great relief I was able to print my boarding pass electronically. Moreover, this particular business trip was a one-way flight and I assume under tighter scrutiny in the system. I am also grateful to [Ms.] Jackson in your Nashville office for her diligence and attention. I have thanked her personally, but wanted you to be aware of her attention to your constituents. Again, thank you for your personal attention in this matter and also for all the service you provide to our great state of Tennessee and to our nation.

Language Soapbox Part II

I just had to post a recent experience related to me by a blogging cohort. I am not providing identifying information to semi-protect this person's anonymity. To my friend, if you wish me to remove this post, just email me or comment me to do so, and I will remove the post.

Actual experience of a friend:

This is one of my current rants--for so many reasons. I recently called a customer service center for student loans and never got an explanation of what was going on. I could not understand the *english* they were speaking (accent was horrible) and they could not understand me. I had the call escalated 3 times--and finally asked where they were. They were in Jamaica. When I asked to be transferred to headquarters in the US (after about 1:45 hours on the phone)--the person in Utica, NY took care of my problem in less than 5 minutes! Is is good customer service to get your customers so frustrated?

Then, my REAL issue with all of this is my own office--we are under scope--and I suppose will all loose our jobs so that someone in the Phillipines can do our jobs. Is it really cheaper when the people you are trying to help are totally frustrated?

Excellent example of the problem and some other effects we might not consider.

Language Soapbox

Please forgive me for using my blog to get on a soapbox today, but if I do not I am going to explode with frustration.

The forth coming comments having nothing to do with the current immigration debate or any racial or cultural bias. It has everything to do with common sense, business sense, and putting your customer first.

If you are going to develop and sell a complicated software product, and you are going to market that product almost exclusively to an English speaking nation, and your business is incorporated in that same English speaking nation, I firmly believe you should ensure that your customer support network strictly adhere to the following policy:

1. Personnel must be able to speak and understand English fluently.
2. Personnel must be able to read and write in the English language at least at a high school level.
3. Personnel must not assume they understand the customer's problem or a have solution before the customer is finished with a sentence.

Furthermore, I do not believe that I am being an arrogant American when I say that I should not have to be fluent in Indian or any other accent or language when buying a complicated software product developed and sold by an American company.

I don't want to be rude to other cultures that I enjoy and appreciate, but when I cannot communicate with anyone over a period of days involving online chat, emails, and telephone calls, who has even the most rudimentary ability to communicate in English, I get very frustrated and angry.

Say what you will, but I feel reasonable in my expectations of the products I purchased. If I were in India and bought an Indian product, I would not expect the company support staff to handle English well. I would assume that I have to find a way to converse with them in their language.

Excuse me now as I must go and dispose of all the hair I have pulled out.

Bitter Sweet Weekend

I am out of town this week on business so a very short post before I leave. It was a bitter sweet weekend for me. Mostly sweet though.

On Friday evening, my daughter, Maria, and I watched the Vanderbilt baseball team beat UK. The winner of this weekend series would lead the SEC east. We had great seats, 2nd row right behind the plate compliments of Ingram Industries. However, Vandy lost Saturday's and Sunday's games. But they are still in the hunt and have great chance of making the College World Series. They barely missed last year. There were a lot of pro scouts there watching our sophomore pitcher David Price, arguably the best pitcher in college baseball. Two scouts from the Arizona Diamondbacks sat next to us (World Series rings are very, very big). They were very nice and let Maria use the radar gun to track Price's pitches. When she was doing it, he pitched 3 consecutive pitches at 93 mph! They want to sign him this year. I hope he stays. They say Price will get $2-3 million just for signing his name to a contract. This is separate from the actual contract amount which will be very large.

Vanderbilt quarterback and this year's SEC Player of the Year, Jay Culter, was picked 11th in the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. This is a great place for him. Can you imagine being 23 years old and about to sign a contract for $10s of millions? Jay is a great guy and very down to earth. Many experts thought he was the best quaterback for the pro game in the draft this year.

Saturday night I saw one my guitar heros and one the greatest players in the world, Steve Howe. Unfortunately, his almost entirely acoustic set was at the Exit/In and would have been so much better at TPAC or some comparable venue. The setting did not lend itself to his beautiful style but nonetheless it was an incredible show. Steve Howe is the guitar player for Yes but has issued a large number of solo albums. He can play any style on any stringed instrument.

The most bitter sweet moment this weekend was last night. We had our last college life group. My wife and I have hosted a college life group for Otter Creek in our home for the last 4 years. Anita fixes them a meal each Sunday evening, ~3 times per mo. We grew very close and 6 of our college kids, as Maria calls them, have been with us for all 4 years and are graduating this weekend.

We had a wonderful time together sharing, singing, praying, and reflecting. These students brought the Holy Spirit into our house each week and provided an example for Maria that only God could provide us. I will miss the deep studies we have had that surpassed any adult life group I have ever been in (and I have been in some really good ones). Most of all we will miss them as our family. They leaned on us and we leaned on them. One of the young men has become my closest friend.

As I write to you how much Anita and I love these young men and women of God, I am shedding tears. Please pray for their lives, that God will lead and protect them. They are as spiritually mature as any group I have ever known and my family will always have a small hole without them in it.

Sobering Glimpse into Pergatory and God's Mercy

I was toying with a couple of blog ideas for this week, one being how I have seen the blog world used as a tool for Christian ministry and spiritual growth. I was going to write about several blog friends I have formed (see my links) in which our spiritual dialogue and debate has benefitted us all, and use the example of us starting the Mere Discipleship Discussion blog which has led to the podcast of Lee Camp's Sunday AM class at Otter Creek.

Well this morning I received an email that committed me to such a post. However I am going to focus on one single situation that touches my heart to the point of tears. For my blog friends, if you question whether your blogging is serving the Kingdom, I hope today's post convinces you that God will use you. Here are excerpts from communications with the mother of Pergatory Penman.

Tony, I am the mother of Jeffrey Wallace, purgatorypenman. Thank you so much for the CD that you sent. You've gotten it back, I'm sure. They are not allowed to have electronic machines, contrary to the gossip that permeates our society which details instances of inmates having cell phones, TV's, etc. I guess that right only exists in the federal facilities where Martha Stewart and Michael Milken spent time. Thank you for allowing others to view his gifts by directing them to his blog. I truly believe God has a purpose for him in this life yet.

I really would appreciate your writing to Jeffrey. We set up the blog for my son even though, of course, he does not have access to a computer and cannot view his own writing nor make comments to others in real time. He sends the articles to me; I transcribe them to the blog; then, I print them out, along with any comments that might be left there, and send them to him. This way, he is participating in everything about the blog.

He begged me to set it up because it seemed a good way to disseminate information about his situation to the world--to tell his story. Under the subject matter of Christian Analysis and Discussion, I found your blog and others of the same ilk, leaving comments and asking for communication. God was leading me that evening because those people whom you directed to Jeffrey's blog have helped so much to raise his morale. And, of course, the things you have said have meant so much. It is my plan to publish some of my son's articles in either a devotional booklet or some similar publication. Your comment started me thinking along those lines.

My son has always been very religious but has waxed and waned in his walk with God over the years. His faith is very simplistic--isn't that what Jesus called for? He really thinks that God intervenes directly in the lives of His children, and circumstances have often proved his belief. [However], at intervals, he [feels] depression and despair--a function of the place in which he finds himself.

[Jeffrey] is very intelligent, and ... it is such a pleasure to discuss and analyze important subjects with him. This was true even when he was very young. I loved to go on automobile trips with him because they would give us a lot of time to converse. He is constantly pointing my thinking into new directions that I would never have thought of on my own (especially in the realm of spirituality) and I consider myself to be fairly intelligent. I knew he would have something to contribute to interaction among people searching for Biblical knowledge. That is why I contacted you and your friends through your blogs.

I am a retired educator from Memphis who has moved to the country [in] Tn. I bought 101/2 acres and moved up here just before Jeffrey's tragedy happened. It is necessary for me to drive to Florida every three months, at least--more often for special occasions. Much of my time is taken up with writing to officials in the Florida DOC, Jeb Bush, my Congressman John Tanner, Senator Frist, and anyone else who might be able to resolve whatever situation is critical at the moment for my son. I, also, do some freelance writing, garden, sing with groups at church, teach a SS class, do other church work, and even substitute teach at times. My son's situation is, of course, the number one priority for me these days.

May I please ask you again to write to him? It was so nice of you to send the CD. Sometimes, things like that can be directed to the facility's library. Otherwise, any books or periodicals must come from the publisher or well-known booksellers. I send many through Barnes and Nobel where I can order Online.

Please pray for Jeffrey and for all our family members who must live with this situation every day and still try to function effectively in our complicated society of today. Thank you again for being a real Christian and giving some of your time to reading Jeffrey's blog and making thoughtful comments. You have definitely been an answer to my prayers. It is good to make your acquaintance.

Sincerely,
[Ms.] Wallace

I am constantly astounded by the exuberant thanks people express for acts I and others have done that seem so miniscule, so trivial. I often don't feel as if I did anything and yet it seems so important to them. I say this not to call attention to myself, but to call attention of to how God uses the smallest of actions, words, and gestures to make an impact in the lives of others--mustard seeds. Every now and then we actually get to hear or see that impact. How many unknown situations are you being used in by God? On the opposite side, our negatives actions must have equal impact and we never know how we have hurt someone.

I encourage those that read this blog to pray continually for Jeffrey and his family and to read and comment on his blog at Pergutory Penman. On his blog is his address. I encourage you to write him a note. The most occassional contact can sustain a soul.

KEEP BLOGGING ALL YOU CHRISTIANS.

Nashville Reminiscing and Trivia Answer

First, the results of the trivia: 3rd place Jettybetty w/ 1 star; 2nd place Amanda w/ 2.5 stars (the half is for the Madonna remix fact); 1 st place SistaSmiff with 4 stars.

Answer: "the day the music died" was from Don Mclean's American Pie written about the day the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) were killed in a plane crash.

Nashville Reminiscing
Thanks to Brittney of Nashville is Talking for linking me the other day. My 15 seconds of blog fame! Reading through some of the comments at Nashville is Talking leads me to this quick post today.

Nashville is so different from my child and teenage years. There are many good changes, but so many things I miss.

I miss:

• NO TRAFFIC!
• KDF Rock--Nashville airwaves have never been the same since.
• The old Tennessee Theatre downtown (saw Cheap Trick on the Dream Police Tour there--awesome)
• The Belle Meade Theatre
• Opryland (like we needed another mall--more traffic thank you very much)
• Having the run of Radnor Lake natural area because it wasn't a trendy hiking place.
• Jim Coursey's Barbecue -- the best ever and the greatest sauce known to man, and corn cakes that were like Manna.
• Low Property Taxes !!!!
• Carmen's family restaurant at Hwy 70/100 split. Some of the best Italian food ever--the pizza was gourmet before gourmet pizza became a marketing buzz word.
• Kids could run free in their neighborhoods without fear.
• Seeing Sara Cannon smiling and laughing with anyone at H.G. Hills, the post office, etc in Green Hills (Minnie Pearl)
• H.G. Hills
• Walter Nipper's Nashville Sporting Goods downtown store. It was to kids and sports what Phillips Toy Mart was to kids and toys. (correction: still there, but I miss going; will have to visit.)
• No lines at the Pancake Pantry

If you want a great list of wonderful things that are no longer visit Nashville Memories.

Some things that are better:

• The return of the Ryman as a main venue.
• Rivitalization of Lower Broadway
• Coffee Houses
• No more Ray Blanton (but his legacy lives on in the state legislature it seems)
• TPAC and now the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Classic Rocker Memory Test

Okay, based on some dialogue from my previous post I decided to post a non-serious blog this week. If you think you have an answer to the question posed at the end of the commentary (confession) below, post your answer without reading other comments first, that way you don't cheat.

JMG felt old because music from the late 80's is put in the classic genre by some. Well how do you think I feel? I actually remember when WKDA-AM added WKDA-FM rock (1972) later to become KDF 103 The Rock (1976), the best rock station in the south if not east of the Mississippi. Carl P. Mayfield was the long time DJ for this hard rock station. Did anyone have a Trans AM with the big black and yellow KDF sticker on the back window? Or a guitar case or music equipment with that sticker? Here is a history link for this great station: KDF History.

I also remember when KDF switched formats from hard rock to classic rock and now it is a country station. All those Carl P characters you country people know came from his KDF Rock days.

Among Nashville rockers, the day the music died was when KDF went country.
OK...that should test the old folks. What song is the bold phrase from and to what did it refer in that song? If you know the artist, you get bonus kudos for being old but still have a great memory...for meaningless minutae.

Have fun.

Tony

The House You Live In

As I was driving to St. Louis from Nashville last week, I was listening to some music that I had not listened to in a long time. One of the songs really spoke to me that morning and related to the simplicity of Christian discipleship. It is the simple things about discipleship that we gloss over that have the greatest impact. Much too often we gloss over them and tackle the theologically tough issues because it is actually easier to debate unclear points than to execute the simple and clear points. I hope you find the song as refreshing as I did.

The House You Live In

Go first in the world, go forth with your fears

Remember a price must be paid

Be always too soon, be never too fast

At the time when all bets must be laid

Beware of the darkness, be kind to your children

Remember the woman who waits

And the house you live in will never fall down

If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

When you're caught by the gale and you're full under sail

Beware of the dangers below

And the song that you sing should not be too sad

And be sure not to sing it too slow

Be calm in the face of all common disgraces

And know what they're doing it for

And the house you live in will never fall down

If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're out on the road and feeling quite lost

Consider the burden of fame

And he who is wise will not criticize

When other men fail at the game

Beware of strange faces and dark dingy places

Be careful while bending the law

And the house you live in will never fall down

If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're down in the dumps and not ready to deal

Decide what it is that you need

Is it money or love, is it learning to live

Or is it the mouth you must feed

Be known as a man who will always be candid

On questions that do not relate

And the house you live in will never fall down

If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

And the house you live in will never fall down

If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

Gordon Lightfoot from Summertime Dream 1976