In the spirit of lifelong learning and of becoming, a new vision has arisen.
The vision relates to expressing and sharing on various ideas, notions, and experiences. It is a vision for "The Bohemian Outfit". A business that offers brief books, various ponderings, a personal perspective on college football, and personal experiences traveling to be closer to Christ. Below is a snapshot of the vision:
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According to the United States Conference of Bishops, "The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas."
This Advent has been special for me. Perhaps, it is because I am a year "older" (74). Perhaps, it is because our late fall and early winter weather has been so moderate with above normal temperatures and I have been able to enjoy the outdoors frequently. Whatever "reason" I might suggest for this Advent being special, the reason is God! I feel God has been "directing" me to spend more time in prayer, in thanksgiving for the blessings I enjoy, and time in thought about the important things (love, family, health, friends, and most importantly, the gift of faith and of the reality that through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God dwells in me. I am looking forward with excitement and anticipation for this Christmas. God will be present with us as we celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' birth, as we let unimportant things die, and as we welcome the second coming of Jesus into our lives. Merry Christmas!!! As a fan of college football for over 65 years, I am struggling with some of the recent changes that impact the game.
Specifically, the "Transfer Portal" and "NIL"! While I believe college football players create value for the university they play for and that they should be able to be rewarded for the value they create, I believe there need to be "some type of guardrail system" in place to sustain fairness and stability. It seems to me that the use of contracts is called for (after all, college coaches perform under contract and there is basis for commitment from both parties, coach and institution). Given the current state (and lack of control) around the Transfer Portal and NIL, I am concerned that only a select few of universities will be able to sustain football programs. And, I believe the quality of play will suffer and that the value for loyalty will diminish. Well, the bottom line is that given I have no power to do anything about the current situation, I simply need to decide on whether or not the investment (time, attention, and small amount of season ticket costs) is worth continuing to be a fan. Earlier this summer we gained access to high-speed internet service (Centranet) for the first time.
For the past 18 years we have used Direct TV satellite service and had gotten along pretty well with it. However, our Direct TV bill was running near $100 per month and some simple research led me motivated me to look around at what streaming services might offer. So, for the past two months we have been using YouTube TV ($72 per month) and found that it has all the channels we have been watching on Direct TV plus many other offerings of TV shows and Movies. We learned fairly fast how to use our new Firestick and how to explore YouTube TV, MAX, Prime Videos, and other apps and arrived at the decision that YouTube TV offers greater value than Direct TV satellite. We haven't fully cancelled our Direct TV service but, if they don't respond with an offer that meets our budget and needs, I plan on cancelling soon. Oh, and, by the way, this old dog seems capable of learning new tricks even at 73 years of age!! It has been months since I last posted on this website.
Lot's of reasons for my absence (including that my wonderful wife fell while playing with our young black lab) but, let it be sufficed with the fact I am now back. We have had a long hot streak of above average high temperatures and with very little rain. Good news is that this past week brought us some relief. Temps in the 70's and over 1" of rain. College football is underway and, as in general, I am enjoying watching several games. Oklahoma State is 2-0, winning both games without looking real good but, the bottom line is that we have given three different quarterbacks and several different defensive players a lot of game experience. Also, I am back teaching at Northern Oklahoma College (Intro to Business and Business Ethics) and thankful for the opportunity to respond on my true vocation. So, though I have been away from posting on this site, I am glad to be back!! From the time I was around 4 years old football has been important to me.
A few years ago I took the time to write about how football strikes a special "Chord" for me. If you are interested, you can access and read what I wrote by clicking on the link button below. Change is inevitable and college football fans are faced with choice as to how to react to the big change created by NIL (Name Image and Likeness) and Transfer Portal for college football.
My theory is that we typically resist change that is imposed upon us and that we are impatient for experiencing potential "benefits" of change that is our idea (which, is perceived as change being imposed by others impacted by our change). Given this theory and the fact that NIL and Transfer Portal are now a part of college football, some fans are tempted to panic or feel frustrated as individual players may choose to leave the current program they belong to for a different program. My suggestion for college fans is that they learn to be loyal to a particular program and team rather than to any individual player or coach. Pro football provides reference for the basis of this idea. Personally, I have chosen to be "Loyal & True to OSU" (Oklahoma State University Cowboys)! Go Pokes! Our new puppy, Zella, is adjusting well to her new home and our family. She eats well, plays hard, and sleeps hard. And, better yet, she is being accepted by our older Lab, Pearl.
Just like Pearl, Zella likes to rest sleeping on her back or lying close to the rocking chairs on our front porch. We are thankful to have Zella and for the joy she and Pearl bring every day. |
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