Random Thoughts 4/4/06

• There's an interesting article floating around that says you'll live 2-3 years longer if you attend religious services regularly. The truth is that attending church adds 10 years but the potluck dinners and board meetings take 7 or 8 years back off.
• The vote for the stadiums is going on now in Jackson County with reports of a good turnout. We'll see. And by the way, the teams aren't leaving. It's an empty threat.
  
• Last month our troops in Iraq suffered the fewest deaths in over two years, about half of an average month. Wounds are also dramatically down in recent months. Why doesn't this make the news?
• Whenever we see a soldier in uniform I have my boys go up and say thank you, especially if I spot one with a unit patch on his right arm (indicating he's served in combat with that unit – increasingly common these days). Living near Ft. Leavenworth gives us some regular opportunity to thank these men and women and I hope it makes an impression on my boys.
  
• How awesome is the leadership at our church? Both of the ministers got a call Sunday from the Board Chairman saying, "Hey, you've got a meeting Monday night and Wednesday night church, why don't you give me your stuff for the Tuesday Night Deacon's meeting and you stay home with your families." That really means a lot to our wives.
  
• Haven't you heard? Jesus didn't actually walk on water, he walked on ice! Rare, invisible, one-in-a-thousand, small patches of ice that only happen once every ten thousand years. Yeah, that's it.
• A new squadron of RQ-4A Global Hawks has been activated. These are truly robotic planes and not merely remote controlled. They takeoff, fly a 24 hour mission and land without human intervention. The Global Hawk just takes pictures but it boggles the mind that this robot flies missions for our Air Force. Fascinating.