Thoughts from a 380 pounder...

Genevans meet Dr. Dre?

2007-02-14T01:02:00.000-05:00

This is an example of a "secular" choir gone awry... Interesting that the kids at UCal would have the time to make this, but why did I just watch it twice? I'm not really sure -- maybe it's a combo of me liking Dr. Dre, rap, etc and the clash of me singing in choirs growing up... We never got to sing something like this ;)

This land is my land... this land is your land...er.. or is it?

2006-04-12T13:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay, so here the question of the day: Should we give amnesty to the 10M+ people living in our country illegally? And if so, why? If not, why not? Well, this is a tough question -- because you could place well thought out arguments for both sides. For example, one might say "yes, because they came here just like our ancestors did many centuries ago -- looking for the American dream -- a better life -- and they take the shit jobs that Americans don't want." Or if you are against, you might say "these people came into our country illegally and did not follow an established system of laws. They have worked in our country without paying taxes and burdened our system by not being legit, and have ultimately diluted what it means to be an American, especially if they are allowed to just plain stay here forever and become Americans."

Anyway, a friend of mine, Dave, from church posted this today which got me thinking and then a bit riled up. I mentioned to Dave that some of the signs at the rally's for immigrant rights (or rather, illegal misdemenour peoples) said "this nation was founded by immigrants" and I feel like saying -- no shit man, so was your country (Mexico, etc) by Spaniards, French, Portugese, etc and you don't see me illegally sneaking into your country -- so why ours? Also, when people migrated to America, they registered officially either at Ellis Island (in the 1800s-1900s) or wherever. There was a system in place -- we have a system today, so use it!

Regarding a lot of immigrants these days: your nation was founded under different doctrine and was not established under a God-fearing system... that's why it sux so bad that you want to get into ours and dilute those who have been blessed... it isn't your "right" to invade our nation illegally and then seek amnesty and guaranteed citizenship. What the hell is that? If we can't do that in your nation (not that we would want to) why is it OK in ours?

It really makes you think of "nationalism" and what that means -- and then you can look at all the countries around the world that are in crisis (like France) who now have about 20% of their population coming from Muslim countries -- and they come to FRANCE, an established SECULAR nation that was founded to be ANTI-RELIGIOUS and then get offended at intollerance of their religious practices, etc... it's like -- whoa dude, wait a sec -- u knew this coming here, so u don't like it -- then go back to your burning mounds of tires in Mogadishu or wherever that is overrun with druglords...

Which brings me to my next disgruntlement: when people discuss separation of church and state -- what they fail to realize is that the purpose or reason was not to remove Christianity from government or society -- it was to remove the government sanctioning of a specific CHRISTIAN denomination over another.. that's what brought people to the New World in the first place.. it wasn't religious persecution by secularists or Muslims.. it was religious persecution by Catholics or the Church of England (quasi-catholic) over Protestants in expressing the way they worship, practice, and interpret Scripture -- NOT religion vs. no religion. Or Christianity vs. another religion... the issue of our country being founded on Christian principles was not even worth mentioning at the time because it was KNOWN by everyone!

And when our country's founders discussed "one nation, under God" it was not Allah, or Buddha, but God the Father of the Holy Bible.. Anyway, that's all for now... more later!

God and Evolution...

2006-03-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's been a while... yes, yes, yes, but... well, I need to post more! So here we go. Starting off with something somewhat controversial, but I wanted to post a recent book review about a book my uncle wrote and published last year called "God and Evolution." and then a review or critique of that review by my father (also a writer) to give his perspective. My uncle, a professor of biology at Eastern College in Pennsylvania, a Christian college, is a known leader is his field, especially on the history of our ancestors using genetics, etc.

Before I post what they've been saying, let me say this -- yes, I believe science. It was created by God and both the historical accounts of creationism and theories on evolution do not have to be mutually exclusive. Quite the contrary in fact. To look up into the sky at night and see stars, whose light waves have been travelling towards earth for millions of years before they reach my retinas, I have to raise the red flag at a 5,000 year old earth as some believe. And it's not that it's a matter of weather one will go to heaven or not on this sort of a topic, but rather, the idea that a 5,000 year old earth DOES turn people away from the Gospel and the Bible because it's sort of a "flat-earth" theology, except we are in the 21st century and we know the earth is round.

So with science, again, created by God, is telling us the earth is billions of years, and that a day is like a thousand years to our Creator, who is outside of time, why does the world and the universe we know have to be created literally in 144 hours (6 days since God rested on the 7th)? I remember when it all clicked to me -- it became so clear. It was 11th grade Chemistry class and on the first day we were handed the table of elements... you know, from Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Berilium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen... and so on (I hope I got the first eight right in order!) Anyway, the whole balance of the atom and how protons balanced with electrons to keep the atom stable and neutrally charged, and they increased by one with each element made things completely in ORDER instead of CHAOS. Anyway, it was at that point that God and science to me made complete sense... and I remember looking at the chart with a smile saying to myself "God made this! How awesome!" Talk about his fingerprint... I mean, isn't it God who holds atoms together in the first place? :)

Okay, so now the discussion... here is what was just written about the book:

Review By Eric Severson(March 24, 2006)
God and Evolution: A Faith-Based Understanding
Author: David L. Wilcox
Valley Forge, Pa.
Judson Press, 2004.
136 pages.
$14 paperback.

It is common for teenagers who have been raised in conservative Christian churches to experience a disorienting shock when they take their first college science courses. No one better understands this phenomenon than David Wilcox, a biology professor and confessing Christian. He opens his book by quoting a 9-year-old girl, "I can't believe in both God and dinosaurs. So I
picked God." Wilcox writes God and Evolution to correct the false animosity toward science that so many Christian children learn in Sunday school.The book itself is clearly geared toward college students caught in the apparent tensions between evolutionary science and biblical faith. Though one can sense the author's concern with the particular theological mentality he repeatedly faces at Eastern College, he is not wrong in suggesting that people are struggling with these issues at all ages and in all places. Wilcox walks a thin line between discussing advanced scientific ideas and keeping his prose simple enough for his readers, occasionally drifting to either side of this line. The book does move systematically through most of the pressing and difficult questions in the dialogue between evolution and Christian theology. Wilcox strives to use the voice of a gentle mentor to guide the reader through a minefield of theological and scientific issues.One might question the "blank slate" philosophy that Wilcox uses to set up his work. With the cliché, "all truth is God's truth," he launches his attempt to reconstruct the dialogue for his readers. The impression he leaves is that his scientific explanations will be simple and straightforward "truth," free of the biases that have loaded this dialogue with tension and misunderstanding. His own biases, both scientific and theological, lie not far beneath the surface and should not be delivered under the guise of "God's truth." Still, for the most part Wilcox does succeed in presenting a helpful manual for Christians dealing with the apparent tensions between God and Evolution.

And my father's response to my uncle about the review:

I wanted to say that I thought the reviewer (Eric Severeid--from the grave??--further below) was out to lunch on a couple points. First, he used your remark "all truth is God's truth" in such a way as to imply that that was the sum total of your theological argument for what was to follow. On the contrary, you went to great pains to lay out clear biblical grounds for a God who remains active in His creation. That was your central (and obvious) theological point, but the reviewer didn't even mention it.

Second, regarding your supposed "bias just below the surface." Balderdash! I thought you were very evenhanded in your approach--not slanting the facts for the sake of your argument. When facts posed difficulties for a belief in evolution (such as those surrounding the origin of life itself), you were utterly honest and told exactly where science is up to--or not up to--in coming up with a solution. I thought your book was the opposite of one of those manipulative polemics put out by both sides of the evolution/creation debate today.

To me the clincher in answering the question, "Where are the facts proving that evolution actually happened?" was when you talked about the genetic markers that prove who descended from whom (or what). I'd never understood that before, and to me reading about it and then comprehending it was the equivalent (using your analogy) of looking through Copernicus's telescope. It occurs to me that a plain reason so many people might not take kindly to your book (and why they might be keeping quiet about it) is that it is, in a word, unanswerable. They'd really rather not have their neat systems disturbed.

Now, I personally haven't read this book or any others by my relatives... another of my uncles has at least a dozen books published through Princeton U. But I may now have to pick this one up... The reason for posting today? Last Sunday night, we studied the six methods of evangelism and we self-rated ourselves on each. Intellectual discussions were at the top for me, followed by relational and another. We are all quite familiar I'm sure with the most obvious of techniques -- confrontational -- those who go out and preach on the streets or face off against their friends or complete strangers. Jesus was confrontational at times -- like His rampage in the temple! But he also used intellectual arguments with the scribes in the temple, and relationships to confront those who were lost.

2005-12-23T02:08:00.000-05:00

Support our troops!

2005-12-23T01:53:00.000-05:00

Tom Ridge Meets The Ox

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

2005-12-23T01:46:00.000-05:00

...an Xbox360 fully loaded with all the fixin's -- actually, I bought that myself, well, then I bought two more and sold them on eBay for about $400 profit to cover the cost of the first one.

When the PS3 launches in 2006, I plan to buy 10-20 of them using my cousins, friends and as much family as I can find who will go to stores with me -- then I'll sell them all on eBay. I'm still kinda kickin myself for not having like 20 Xbox360's at launch to sell on eBay. They were going for over $1,000 -- and did I sell mine on launch day? Nope... I opened it and played it. There's enough money floating around in the world, but not enough Xbox's apparently. Oh well. I'd love to pick up $5k-$10k in profits from one day of driving around, picking up systems and shipping them out via eBay to some people who have to much home equity LOC cash on their hands to know what to do with it. :)

Peace out.

Back after more than a year...

2005-12-13T02:12:00.000-05:00

Well, what can I say? It's been about 54 weeks since I last posted. Wow. That kinda sounds like an AA introduction... how 'bout you? When was your last "post" or "blog"? What prompted me to post was an email I just received from Jeffrey Gitomer, his weekly "Sales Caffeine" column that conveniently is sent around 2am every Tuesday morning. For those who don't know, Gitomer is like the new "god" of sales theory IMHO. But it's not book crap, it's practical stuff and he holds no punches - that means he tells sales people to get off their asses, quit blaming others and work hard. Anyway, Gitomer talks about writing, not "authoring" and how he has surmassed 750 weekly articles in the last 14 years. Building a legacy by writing it down.

So much has happened in my life over the past year that a simple post can't explain it all, nor do I want to bore you with it all. In brief though, I got married back on May 21st, moved to Arlington with my babe, and continue to work for the same company but on to my sixth boss in less than a year. The last couple of weeks were a bit rough for me as my father in Canada found out he has oral cancer on his tongue -- lots of thoughts racing when I found that out -- we visited my parents for Thanksgiving and felt better after seeing him. He just got out of the hospital two days ago after surgery to remove a portion of his tongue and his lymph nodes in his neck, so he's at home for the rest of the month. He may have to follow up with radiation and will get the test results back in a couple weeks to see if the cancer metastasized. Dave, where you at?

Jeremy

The Origins of Santa Claus...

2004-11-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

I have much catching up to do -- I tend to write in spurts -- or at least, post in spurts. Maybe this is one of those spurts. Anyway, spent the weekend with Jess and her family for Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed it -- I came back to my place on Friday and Saturday during the day when Jess was working, but then picked her up and went back to her house. I could go on and on, but Thanksgiving is already behind us, so I'll focus on the present -- or at least, the near present. Over the weekend, I helped to setup the Dymczynski family tree. Her mother asked me if I wanted to be Santa Claus in December 11th (a Saturday) for a church outreach. I'm thinking about it -- I know I could do it -- I'll probably do it! :) Last time I played Santa was as a senior in high school... I'm a natural. <> That means cover your ears, all ye PG or Family rated Christians out thar... I mean, ya don't wanna fuck with Santa now do ya? Or he just might put you on the naughty list. That wouldn't be good now would it... Now be good my children, or this jolly ol' Saint Nick just might stomp on you with his size 14 boots and 380lb frame... no stuffing of the belly needed for this Santa anyway! Okay, so on with it you are probably saying...

The Origins of Saint Nicholas... like, where did this whole Santa thing come from anyway? I mean, every good conservative Christian boy knows that it's a pagan holiday to help people forget the true meaning of Christmas... I think I raised some eyebrows on the Dymczynski family couch the other night when I said that "Santa" is a pagan non-Christian who was the equivalent to the anti-Christ... well, that isn't totally true, but eliminating Christ from the Christmas season is... well... pagan, is it not? let's investigate...

Did you know that Saint Nicholas was born and lived his life in what is now modern day Turkey? 350 miles northwest of Bethlehem. He died on December 6th either 345AD or 352AD. He supposedly helped out three sisters who wanted to marry but had no dowry by leaving anonymous bags of gold in the middle of the night. The third sister, he climbed onto the roof of the house and dropped a bag of gold down the chimney which landed in a stocking that was hung to dry... hence the present day assocations. The Russian Emperor Vladimir visited Constantinople in the 10th century and liked the legend of the Saint so much, he made him the official patron saint of Russia, and the rest is history... his legacy spread through merchant stories and trade around the world into various forms of Santa depending on the country or region of course...

So where did society go wrong? Well... come on peeps... I mean, look at Easter and the Easter bunny... I mean, there are a lot of pagan symbols in our society -- let's not forget to keep Sunday holy and worship our Sun god on Sunday... or the Moon on Monday... or Saturn on Saturday... When I hear the argument that we should keep Sunday holy I beg to ask the question -- who's to say that Sunday is the Sabbath or that it's definately and unequivically the SEVENTH DAY on which God rested from creation. People that try to live by the letter of the law miss the point; one of the reasons Christ came down from Heaven for in the first place... to free us from that law so we could live in true freedom with Him.

The Sunday argument came up actually when my Christian softball team (part of the Frontline Softball Ministry) withdrew from the final tournament in which we tried so hard to qualify and make during the season because it was on a "Sunday" and "we should keep it holy" no less... Since when was playing softball unholy?? Like, what the fuck? Yeah, I said it. I mean, sure, I guess I could write WTF... but then wouldn't you all just be saying "what . . . the . . . fuck" in your head silently anyways? :) I thought I would save you a few brain waves on the symbolic translation of those letters. What a friend we have in JesusOfCanada... I'll get to that in a sec.

I was too busy .... or was it lazy? ... to bother contesting the Sunday argument. I just chose to respond with disinterest -- skipped all the dinners and get togethers with the other people on the team and in the ministry. It just left with me, as Dave would call it, a pretty big mouthful from a shit sandwich.

Anyway, back to the JesusOfCanada reference -- that's my Halo 2 screenname... so if you play Halo 2, just punch me in there and send me a voice message greeting. See ya (or is it shoot ya with a rocket launcher up your pie hole later!)

Trip to Canada and Tom Ridge

2004-11-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

So I was driving back from Canada with my girlfriend Jess this afternoon (met the parents, friends and walked around Toronto -- had a blast!) As we drove through Breezewood, PA -- I wanted to stop for gas and an MTO at a Pennsylvania classic -- Sheetz...

So I fill up with gas, we go in and order a couple MTO's and then as I'm walking towards the counter I walk by Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge... He walks by and starts making himself a large coffee... I tell Jess and then notice 2-3 secret service agents and Tom Ridge's wife, who walks into Sheetz.

I asked Jess if she had a camera and she said she had it in her purse! So as Tom Ridge comes up, I say "Governor Ridge!" and put out my hand and we start talking... We probably spoke for a couple minutes -- I got a few pictures with him (soon to be developed and uploaded) and then we talked about what was up -- I mentioned that I was heading back to DC and he asked me where I lived -- I said I lived in Falls Church with a couple roommates. He said he was heading back to DC after visiting his daughter going to college in Pittsburgh. I told him I graduated from Geneva College, and he said "really! that's in Beaver Falls right? That used to be in my congressional district... when did you graduate?" I told him '99 and that I moved to DC in 2001... then he asked me what I did... I told him I worked for Stratfor... "Have you heard of it?" -- He replied "no, what do they do?" My response: "geopolitical intelligence" I had to repeat myself... so he says -- "did you guys get the election right?" and I said -- "as a matter of fact, we did..." Then we talked a bit about the election results and how pleased we both were and that looking at a county-by-county map of the US, it was basically almost ALL red, with a few blue dots for metro areas... we were chuckling about how the Dems totally missed what America wanted... Then I said "how 'bout Thume??" and we chuckled some more about Daschle losing to Thume and how the final 10 days saw Thume pull a massive team together to campaign... Ridge was using terms like "full court press" and "blockin and tacklin" for Thume's campaign team -- definately a western Pennsylvania native talkin football analogies... :) I mentioned that my roommate had taken vacation time to fly out to work for Thume's campaign during the final week...

Anyway, I left the conversation with "great to meet you, by the way my name is Jeremy Wilcox" and I shook his hand one more time... Then on the way out to the car, Jess said she had my business card, so I went back but Ridge was in the restroom -- I asked his secret service agent to give the card to Ridge and that I worked for an intelligence company that offered something he would find useful and the agent said he would make sure he got it...

So that was pretty cool... ;)

A Journal Entry...

2004-10-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

So it's 5:10pm and I was about to sign off from work and head home but I figured I'd post a little bit of news... at least, what's been happening in my life, what I plan to do regarding travel for the rest of the year, etc.

I've been playing softball this Fall as a member of the Arlington Frontline co-ed team. Our game got rained out today (we've won our last six games and have a 9-5 record). My softball playing over the last two months has heightened my awareness for the sport, especially with the World Series happening this weekend and the AMAZING comeback by the Red Sox over the Yankees... Frontline, of course, is the church I attend Sunday evenings. Jess & I have attended the church together the last two weeks, and although I do enjoy the church, I'm missing the smaller community and connection I feel at her church. Unfortunately, we're into the busy buying season and Jess has to work at least one more Sunday before we get to go... I'm looking forward to going to New Life again, but I also would like to forge relationships with couples at Frontline... I'm thinking that might take place some time in the future, like if we attend the Young Couples service at 7:00pm... of course, the pre-requisite for that service is to be at least (muffled cough)...engaged...(muffled cough cough) :)

Anyway, this is gonna be a short post... but I'm planning on taking the first week in November off to drive up to Canada with Jess... she'll get to meet the parents and friends... and we'll also get to see the city... Niagara Falls, Casa Loma, Centre Island, the CN Tower... yeah... all good stuff! For Thanksgiving, it's looking like I will be spending the time with Jess' family in Warrenton, VA! And for Christmas, I'll head to Canada probably alone (unless Ben shows up for a day like he did last Christmas for 23 hours) for 10 days in Canada... that will be T E N days without Jess... Will I survive?? :) But I'm sure I'll be talking to her on the phone, and she'll be ca-razy busy at work anyways, so it'll give her a chance to go nuts and impress the higher ups... :)

Well, I said I'd keep this short (if you call this short)... so all is well... God is good... blessings abound... and love ya, Jess.. :) I hope this doesn't turn into some sort of sappy dear diary... SO.. here's a story for ya... two days ago, my boss told Dave to do 10 pushups because of wasting time on a phone call with a customer... basically, he told Dave to keep it shorter so he could make more calls. There is *some* truth to that, but oh well, I don't want to write a novel about the issue. Anyway, so Dave says "one arm or two" and starts doing one arm pushups... then I say something to the effect that I could do more than Dave... and could do 50 pushups... My boss says "if you do 50, I'll give you 50 bucks right now" so of course I had to try... made it to about 35 before laughing and having a red face... but of course, he wanted me to go way down like 4 inches off the ground, which I'm not used to... but anyway, more pushups than I'm sure anyone on the sales team could do.. and I weigh about 380lbs... so there you have it... :)

The Ox

2004-09-13T17:48:00.000-04:00

Jess and Jeremy

We Live in a "Don't Fuck with the Ox" World...

2004-09-13T15:42:00.000-04:00

Well... thought I would take a few secs from work. So I spent this past weekend at Jess's house. Saturday, I went over after shooting at the range and helped to dig 18" x 8" holes in their backyard that will eventually be filled with cement to support the fence they are putting in. Then, after eating dinner, we all went over and I ran the cotton candy machine at a neighborhood movie night outreach in nearby Gainesville. We joked that I had "found my calling" making cotton candy because I was so good at it... apparently, I was a natural and made it better than anyone else had done before.

Jess came back around 10:30pm from Missouri... and it was awesome... I just remember thinking that I was so happy that I had met her, that I loved her and that we were together :)

Here's the church that Jess and her family attends: New Life Christian Church

I've been attending for the last month for Sunday morning services... I've enjoyed them and I also have a few friends (Eric and Chad) attend as well who used to go to McLean Bible Church.

Jess and I are running into physical affection boundary issues. The best part is that we are both seeking Christ and want to have a Christ-centered relationship. This fact is new to both of us in relationships since we have been unequally yoked in past relationships. It's so much better when we can both pray together before we hang out or spend time alone so we stay on track and don't stumble. I'm also learning to become the spiritual leader and having a spiritual encourager like Jess is great... when she prayed the other night it was really great because I saw that she wanted the same type of relationship that I wanted. I really enjoy being with her!! I enjoy playing guitar with her and harmonizing with her singing and playing worship music... really great stuff!!

We're signing up for the Building Lasting Relationships seminar at my church at the end of the month -- and I've been communicating with people like my friend Eric from church, Dave in Pittsburgh... Randy... and with the Young Adults Pastor, Jim Supp at McLean Bible Church about a possible couple mentoring program with young married couples. God had the foresight to put me with 3 Christian roommates back in July who will hold me accountable at my home... and with Jess living at home, we have less opportunities to be tempted or place ourselves in tough situations.

Anyway, good stuff...

Of course... the cat is probably coming out of the bag with Jess's parents and her own female spiritual influencer (the wife of one of the pastors who I met and spoke with last night)... because Jess had made a promise not to kiss the next person until it was her husband on her wedding day. I will not call this promise "stupid" (although I jokingly may have made a comment like this last night)... It was a genuine commitment made to God and it was probably done at the right place at the right time... God is blessing her as a result.. I had actually made a similar promise to God saying that the only woman I would EVER kiss would become my wife -- my promise, coupled with the Wesslyan perfectionistic teachings we grew up with in the Fellowship led me down a road with my last relationship that attempted to make sense and justify one illogical action after the next based on a promise -- in the hope that things would work out and all the illogical decisions would some how come full circle and make sense or something because I had prayed about it and "believed" that I hadn't screwed up or made a poor decision because no warning bells had gone off initially, etc... -- which ended up to never be the case!

Anyway, it's easy to make a commitment to not kiss someone and pretend that temptation doesn't exist or has been thwarted as a result... we found that a "not kissing" vow was like putting up a single lane road block on a 4-lane highway... which basically makes it easy to avoid the physical affection "discussion" issues entirely and for other temptations to crop up because we leave them as a sidelined, non-discussed issue. Great idea on paper and in theory, but not very practical or realistic when actually in a relationship with someone you love and find attractive. So we are kissing, holding hands, hugging... talking very openly about the realities, challenges and expectations of it all... very open about the possibilities of marriage -- dating each other for a purpose -- and enjoying our relationship. Certainly, we don't want our physical relationship to be the focal point of our relationship and neither of us wants to hurt the other. I've had lengthy discussions with my friend Dave and with Randy about these issues.

Of course, Jess's parents right now and her friend and mentor (Lisa, the pastor's wife... who is also writing a book on women and sex coincidentally) are all thinking she is holding this vow, etc.. and it's going to make for some very interesting discussions in the days and weeks to come as the discussion opens up. Jess is worried that they will be disappointed in her decision to say it's "ok" if we kiss... My immediate question here is "what's in it for them?" I would really hope that people would be supportive in what ever boundaries -- and more importantly PRINCIPLES we put in place in our relationship to stay the course... and that we both have the same goals in mind. I waited until she said that she was okay with it, wanted me to kiss her and that God would want me to :) of course of which I just happened to concur... And so of course there could be a few tense moments, but I've been purposely staying close with her family, getting to know them and allowing them to get to know my character.. No point scoring intended (hoping to ease the tension though).. no hidden agendas..

So now we are into theology and I've really had some great conversations with Dave about this whole thing... especially the whole idea of courtship and not having any sort of physical relationship vs. dating / kissing etc of course with the realities that there's always a chance we could screw up and stumble... So do we live a "safe" life in a black and white world... trying to protect ourselves from the reality of it all? I'm agreeing with Dave that courtship and not kissing isn't very practical when we look at it in an "MA" rated society and reality that we are exposed to in everyday life. We live in a "don't fuck with the ox" world... We can set up safe communities or "bubbles" like Geneva or Ozark Christian College -- and these are great places... but we need to be careful not to censor or leave the potentially dangerous tools out of the students' toolbag out of fear of being hurt or injured. What would happen if a carpenter was being trained with tools, and all he ever had was a rubber mallet with rubber nails? Pretty soon, the student drops the mallet or hits a finger or sticks himself with a rubber nail... "Hmm.. that didn't hurt?" the student might say... and soon, poor habits develop.. One day, he gets to a real job and suddenly drives a steel nail through his thumb... SOOOO... I would quite frankly be scared to death not to be faced with these difficult challenges physically in a relationship because being sheltered from them is not realistic!

Life isn't black and white... if we make it black and white, trying to protect ourselves from life's "gray" areas -- in essence trying to stop the potential for screwing up and/or suffering, it's just not gonna work, and as my good friend and mentor, Dave discussed with me this morning on my commute into the city... that trying to usher in a binary society of rights and wrongs will fail because of the total depravity of mankind... That's reformed theology at its best anyways...

And I look at the fruit in a relationship .. and whether Jess and I are both drawing closer or further apart from God... that's the essence of having a Christ-centered relationship. And I can say that setting up boundaries is a good idea... however, the more do's and dont's or created lists we come up with -- does not supplant the need for Christ to remain the focus and source of our inner strength and desire to remain pure. Rules can be adhered to... I'm a master at following written rules -- and finding loopholes -- it's actually one of my creative personality traits... I'm in sales... ever heard of maximizing commissions from a compensation plan??? So there are general "logical and practical" principles we will follow -- like... hey... we both made the decision to kiss because it was the right thing to do for us... it got us to address our physical relationship, reign in passions and vocalize our feelings.

Peace.

I'm back... and some changes are coming...

2004-09-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

I'm going to be changing the style and direction of my site in coming days and months. From time to time, I may write about topics and subjects that I have in the past, but in these days of transition, I'm be writing on a wider array of issues and topics. To begin, let me start with what happened today...

This morning, I was telling my friend Ron a funny story (I'll recollect that in a later post) about picking up my girlfriend Jess for church and he mentioned McLean Bible Church -- which led to a discussion about church and I found out that one of my close co-workers attends McLean Bible Church sometimes. In fact, all three of us "sales" guys working today have regularly attended McLean in the past year. This could produce some interesting dynamics for the future -- I'm going to invite my co-worker to come with me to Frontline this Sunday. My co-worker mentioned that he liked the senior pastor, Lon Solomon...

Anyway , so I was walking back from Rochester's Big & Tall this morning after buying a new belt and as I came around the corner of CVS in front of my office, a lady with a Jews for Jesus shirt was handing out tracts. I decided to walk past and told her that I already "had one" -- but as I continue walking, a short guy comes bouncing towards me with tract and in a familiar voice says "hey buddy, I've got something you should read!" And it's none other than Lon Solomon himself... very cool. Right in front of my office handing out tracts wearing a Jews for Jesus shirt -- the senior pastor of a 10,000 member church... in the trenches for Christ, leading by example...

So as he approaches wearing this big shades in shorts and a t-shirt, I smile and shout "LON SOLOMON!" and stick out my hand... totally caught him off guard... he probably was wondering if he knew me... anyway, he asked who I was, and after a few words, he told me to take a tract and to pray for them. I prayed.

Reflecting on these events, I remember how Christ has called us all to lead by example, to be lights in this world... to be servant leaders (a running theme in my business courses when I attended Geneva College). It's interesting to compare this encounter with a recent article published on the front page of the Washington Post entitled "A Pastor With A Drive To Convert" which is an article all about Lon Solomon and the mega-church that he built, McLean Bible Church.

As I sit in my cubicle at work, I think of the leaders both past and present at the companies I've worked for... how many leaders were in the trenches with their people? How many Herb Kelleher's were there? How many Andy Grove's? Did they stoop into the trenches and get their hands dirty? Did they really know what it was like? And then I realize that of the three struggling companies I have worked for since graduating college, I can only name one out of twelve who met this criteria. Does Lon Solomon know what it's like to be a Christian? To stand up with his hand raised saying "I believe in Jesus" regardless of the consequence? No editorial could do him justice... I think his actions answered those questions this morning. And then it all comes into focus. . .

Lead by example... be genuine... serve others...

Peace.

FIVE MONTH lapse...

2003-09-23T01:50:00.000-04:00

FIVE MONTHS... Unbelievable. So much has happened, it's difficult to recap without writing a novel. I'll skip ahead through the "attack of the Z-man" where I took an L with a fractured eye-socket when his phone seemed to irresponsibly and "maliciously" I might add, connect with my face repeatedly.

Last weekend, went down and visited Big E at his folks pad in Atlanta. Had a blast down there going out for dinner with the family and being in "rare form" at the dinner table. Hit a Steeler bar on Sunday and played with a parrot that someone brought to the bar. Picture a huge guy who's 350lbs with a parrot on his shoulder... Yeah... "Ya best start believin' in ghost stories - 'cause you're in one! Harrrr!" Pirate Ox behind the wheel of the SS Hooptie, headin back to the pad. Big E says he broke a finger somehow at the bar - not sure how, but considering the steel pole that used to hold his car phone is snapped in half - could be a possibility...

Oh yeah, also established a relationship with a new doc in ATL that likes to go to the root of problems. Ya know, those docs that just hate to "sit and watch" when you tell them what your symptoms are, etc... I could never figure out why my blood pressure was always pretty high, and no one seemed to care. Well... now all that's taken care of.

More to come...

Boddington's, Benjamin's & Being Big...

2003-04-21T01:31:00.000-04:00

Well, my last blog didn't post and so I haven't blogged in a couple weeks. So what's new? Well, as The Ox watches the millions of bubbles in his Boddington's transform into a creamy, golden lager, he can't help but recall the most recent developments. Two weekends ago, Ben's co-worker and friend, Anne, turned 33. We all went out to Sequoia's and then on to 1223's for an evening of bump 'n' grind... We had VIP access and got in for free since one of his co-worker's cousins is an owner. The beds converted into couches / tables on the third floor was pretty interesting. Fast-forward another week and we all went out to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner... Then Terry and I headed over to Sine's for a few brewskies. I've been to Sine's about 5 times, but already the bartenders and waitresses are knowing my name. Sine's is a great place because it's right across the street from my house, my gym, and on the way back from the metro. It's easy to sit down, grab a sandwich and listen to some live music. The big projection screen is also great for sporting events. In any event, the night was a Boddington night - a new English brew that I discovered that's kind of like a creamy golden version of a Guinness. Later in the evening, a big guy who was seriously bigger than me (450lbs?) and his side-kick were pouring shots of Sambouka into their mouth, tipping their heads back, and igniting their shots with a match! Pretty cool. Well, later in the evening, I got recruited when the stocky side-kick who was noticeably wasted came up and started to pick a fight. He got cut off completely from the bar. When a common bond of playing rugby became apparent, he couldn't help but be impressed - and continue to want to fight me. I'm looking at a bruise on my left bicep from when he grabbed my arm (at which point I locked both of his arms, picked him off the ground and told him I would drop him on the floor and kill him if he didn't knock it off.) Anyway, all was forgotten when I did about 3-4 Sambouka shots in a row. The blue colored flame is pretty cool in a dark bar, believe me! That's all it took to watch our tab get reduced by the bartender for being good "entertainers" I'm sure...

Well, tomorrow's a new day. It's the first day I'll be working in the new office with my new associate that I was able to hire. Should be a good day!

Updates on the dating and workout fronts... My doc could tell I had been working out. I was noticeably "bigger" which made me appear to have lost weight, even though I'm well over 340lbs. That's what happens when you focus on building muscle! I need to start doing cardio though - the only way I'll burn fat and get lean... I went to buy a suit the other day and I tried on a 58XLong... which I was told was TOO TIGHT in the arms and shoulders!! Which puts me at a 60... with a 47" waist... a 60 is sold with a 54" waist so there's no chance that I'll be able to get a suit... Lewis recommended that I go with a plain navy that I can mix and match and it won't destroy the fabric... forget about patterns... go with solids... But anyway... a 60" jacket because my shoulders and arms are too big make me quite proud I must say... It's not every day that you roll into a Big & Tall and are told you're just plain too big! For workouts - I'm putting up 85s for 15 -- which I might add are the largest weights they have at the gym... it wasn't more than 2 months ago that I struggled to put up 60s and wanted to quit... My muscles have responded to the stimulus and the supplements I have been taking. The Cell-Tech, Glutamine and Arginine are making my arms fill out with a massive fullness that downplays my fat.

Now as far as the dating is concerned, I never got a call back from my date - so what's the guff? I'm 0 for 2 in leads from this service and have nothing to show for it... It just goes to show ya that it's easy to fool someone - but the more you spend with someone, eventually the truth comes out. I really hope that I get to know the next person I date a lot better. But I also feel free to be myself and find out who I like to be with... The only way I'll know is to meet lots of women - anyway, time to draw this to a close.

Happy Easter everyone. Let's remember why we celebrate this time - when our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

Big E, Diamond Doug and The Ox...

2003-04-07T14:01:00.000-04:00

Supp homies,

Just got off the horn with Big E. He's in a fat corporate pad for the week near BWI while he waits to confirm a new job in DC. Hopefully he'll get an offer this week so he can move closer to Norhern Virginia and we can start lifting at a heterosexual gym with the other men, instead of these curiously experimental / alternative lifestyle, flaming gyms that have cropped up around the country. It facinates me to find that these publicly traded companies here in the US can promote these "havens" for filth, pushing their liberal rainbow agendas. I haven't seen any incidents in recent weeks, but then again, I haven't been hanging around in the "red light" men's change room after dark. Wish those fools would get busted and spend a night in the pokey for their grevious crimes of misconduct. If their behaviour is any sign of the times, we'll see the Lord return to reign judgment on these Sodomites dans le Bally's in years to come. It's quite unfortunate that our culture is growing more "european" in its tolerance of such acts and abnormal behaviour... Some liberals even cringe at the word "abnormal" as if those that are "normal" are passing judgment or are intolerant. I'll tell you what's tolerant: me not putting my steel-toed shoe up one of the offenders butts after catching them in their compromising position. That's being tolerant. Sort of like being called "intolerant" for demanding that students or players stand and face the flag in school or at sporting events. By remaining seated or turning one's back on the US flag at a game is considered one's "choice" then maybe the freedoms provided by said flag and the blood shed by our descendants should also be considered a privilege and not a right to those citizens who live here in the US.

Now, last week Diamond Doug from the 'Burgh made an appearance in Maryland's state capital for a few days. The Ox also made an appearance and went out for a night on the town with Big E. At one point, Arrogant Adam, after losing a $50 bet on a beer chase told Doug and company to get out of his town. Well, just a second there professor... It seems like Adam was quite mistaken. Now, given that he didn't actually place a bet at all, I'll give him that much for arguments sake, but for a 140lbs youngster to step up to the likes of Diamond Doug, Big E and The Ox (a combined weight of nearly 800lbs I might add) was probably not in his best judgment. Let's just say that after a few tense seconds, the bouncers had to step in to keep Mr. Adam from hitting the floor for a 10 count. Just before The Ox stepped out for a little karaoke rendition of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" the crew moved on for $0.10 wing-dings - which I might add, were very tasty. The Ox noticed a political figure with two secret service agents by his side at the restaurant. Donning his custom made "Ox" hat with Canadian and American flags, The Ox stepped out in rare form to talk with the gentleman.

Now, I'm not sure what the gentleman was interested in, but apparently he was probing The Ox to see if he could hook him up with some "entertainment." Being the largest patron in the joint, I seemed to excude a commanding presence. Anyway, later in the evening, I saw the silver-haired politician in his gray suit embracing a young female patron (maybe it was his daughter?? ) by his Mercedes. We soon left the establishment and moved on across town looking for a cabbie to take us home. An Indian driver picked us up and we headed back to the hotel. Upon arrival, Big E and Diamond Doug proceeded to jump from the vehicle and head for the locked establishment, leaving The Ox to pay the cabbie.

Of course, I didn't have any cash (which I seldom do in these high-tech days) and because my credit card was one of 7 million cards stolen when a kid hacked into a major database, I couldn't remember my new pin. The cabbie came up with a solution: *thick Indian accent* "Buy me some smokes and we'll call it even." So we headed over to a gas station and I proceeded to purchase five packs of Marlboro regulars with my bank card. The total came to $20.85 (the cab fare was about $14.00 at this point) so although the cabbie came out ahead, it was a fair barter for cab fare. The night had come to a close.

Yesterday, I went on my first date... I have to say I really enjoyed it. We met at a Starbucks and then headed over to the Spaghetti Factory for some appetizers and a glass of red wine. We have similar interests and I have to say she was attractive and charming. I definately hope to see her again. We talked about our pets (she has a 90lb dog) and things we like to do. We both took racketball classes in college, so maybe we'll play a game some time in the future. She lives about 40-50 miles away, so we'll probably be able to spend a Saturday or Sunday from time to time in the outdoors - maybe go horseback riding or go for a drive and picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then there's the Luray caverns and the beach to throw into the mix. Great Falls State Park could be another option. I was motivated to head to the gym last night and eat a healthy meal today - so that was positive. It was just nice spending time with someone with a sweet smile who also enjoyed my company... More to come?

I'll keep you posted.

Sodomy at Bally's...

2003-03-21T01:45:00.000-05:00

Okay.

Now this is pretty disgusting. I just got back from Bally's Total Fitness and witnessed something taking place that I wish I could take out of my memory. After working out, I walked into the locker room and witnessed one male performing oral sex on another male. It went on for about 30 seconds, about 10 feet from me - and finally, after I stood there and stared, they stopped and the guy pulled his shorts back up. It was DISGUSTING. I couldn't believe what I was witness to. I informed the Assistant Manager on duty and he said he had heard rumors of stuff like this taking place but since a manager didn't see it happen, it would be my word against theirs. They couldn't do anything. I called the police on the advice of Big E and met with an officer in the parking lot who informed me that they couldn't do anything because they were not witness to it.

Oral sodomy is a FELONY in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a maximum imprisonment of up to 5 years. I could understand if one's lifestyle is their own business and these acts are commited in privacy, but to do this in broad daylight is RIDICULOUS. I sent an email to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News and we'll see if he picks up on this story. I'm calling for a national boycott of Bally's for their lack of enforcement of this indecent, criminal act. The officer said that I would not be a victim, but the Commonwealth would be a victim. I've read stories where police arrest people for the mere SOLICITATION of sodomy - and in this case, I witnessed the act taking place firsthand right in front of me. I can't believe this... You will not hear the last of this. I think I'll call the BBB, the corporate Bally's headquarters, maybe a lawyer, and will see if a local news station would like to pick up on the story. I know O'Reilly is into boycotts and after watching some of his shows, I've seen people appear on shows with stuff like this happens to them, so we'll see what happens.

Anyway, that's it for me. Gotta get some sleep and hope for heterosexual dreams or something.

Wassup doo?

2003-03-19T14:15:00.000-05:00

Wassup doo? Ox is in da house. Keepin it real wit his mind on his money and his money on his mind. I wanna give a shout out to all my homies in da 'Burgh, in DC and in Annapolis. Also a shout out to ma folks north of tha border in Canada - a country that came out opposing the war that the US will wage against Iraq. Now that the Brits are on board, I'm sure we'll see an about face, but the jealousy and disconnect of the Canucks is still felt down here in the States. It's days like this that I'm proud to be an American. Terror alert levels were raised to "high" and I've been working from home this week - probably a good thing since DC traffic was a nightmare over the last two days since a guy drove a tractor into the reflection pool claiming to have explosives complaining about farmers in America or something. Who knows. I haven't been following it. Well, da Ox has a date at some point in the next two weeks. We'll see how this plays out. She's a mechanical engineer and works for the DOD in missle testing/technology. Sounds intriguing.

The move to Pentagon City is happening this weekend. Looking forward to living closer to everything. Last night was St. Patty's Day and spent the evening at Sine Irish Bar in Pentagon City. There was a line out the door the whole night. It was pretty cool. Met a few servers there and got hooked up with free drinks after I tipped one of the servers a few times and spent the $20 I had in my wallet.

Also, went to the gym two days ago. Now that I'm some what back to working out, I did chest and put up 80s for 10 reps on my 8th set. Last week I only attempted 70s. Next week, I'll do 85s. I need to get in shape for this date and for future dates for that matter.

Let the bombing begin in Iraq I suppose...

Dre-ism of the Day:

"Smokin veggies, big fella" - We're not talking about carrots and celery sticks here. Phrase used by certain people to describe their current activities who partake in a self-prescribed, brain-cell killing, plain ol' pathetic medicinal lung inhalation activity with a certain green leafy plant.

MacGuyver invention of the Day:
1 altoids tin, 1 hammer, 1 screw driver, 1 soda can, 1 safety pin.

In transition...

2003-03-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

On another note, this past weekend was interesting. I went out to see "The Hunted" with my mother and brother Friday night -- more blood than I can remember in a movie, but I liked it a lot. After the movie, I went back to my office and was going to clean out my office, but then realized that the main doors were locked and I would have to carry my stuff a great distance, so I decided to wait until the morning when I my boss and associate would join me in clearing out the offices. Saturday morning, I was greeting with war protestors and my office was blocked off by police covering a 2-block span around my office. Luckily, one of the entrances was open and I made it in. I loaded up my car, and then got stopped by security on the way out who INSISTED that they record all of my serial numbers on everything we were removing from the building. I hope Big Brother doesn't come knocking in a few years... It was my personal equipment and it doesn't make sense to me that I give them my serial numbers -- we don't give serial numbers when we carry a laptop, which is virtually the same as a desktop and monitor... Stupid red tape. On Saturday night, I went to a birthday party with about 30 friends and stayed out until 3am. Had a lot of fun -- slept all day Sunday and woke up at 6:30pm and went to church. Then, I wasn't tired, so I lay in bed for an hour and then got up and went to the gym and worked out. Now I'm back at the pad working from home for the next two weeks. I move into my new apartment at the end of the week, so I've got a lot of loose ends to wrap up...

War is upon us...

2003-03-17T11:49:00.000-05:00

Well, we are going to war. With the UNSC breaking off talks, diplomacy has ended. Bush will address the nation tonight at 8pm EST to give Saddam a final chance to leave the country or face certain war. Either way, there will be US troops and armor in Iraq within the next 48 hours. Since I work for an intelligence company, here's my point of view of what is to come...

We will launch the war beginning on Wednesday of this week between 3pm - 5pm EST. It will be a war that we have never seen before. We will witness the new 23,000lb bomb dubbed "AHAB" along with satellite and guided bombs with precision accuracy - something we didn't see in 1991. We will directly engage troops in southern Iraq and they will set fire to their oil fields near Basra in the south, creating a smoke and heat shield. I believe the two Republican guard divisions in the south will sustain heavy casualities but will surrender within 48 hours, along with about 100,000 general army troops. We will sustain minimal losses > 100 troops... Then sweep up to Baghdad by Saturday/Sunday and engage the city directly and secure the airport in Baghdad so we can airlift support troops into the action... More to come...

An introduction and explanation...

2003-03-15T02:45:00.000-05:00

First, let me start by addressing the question that I know is on your mind: "Why is Jeremy using such a vulgar statement as his website URL? Jeremy's a Christian and he's being a bad witness. The site URL is completely offensive... I never knew Jeremy even USED vocabulary like this -- this isn't the Jeremy I know... Yada yada yada." Well, I wasn't going to use this URL. I wanted to just use plain old "ox" or "theox" but those were taken. And then I realized that this is all about "blogging" and since I am new to this site (my father sent me a link to his newly created blogger site: HENCE, I have followed in my father's footsteps, much like I did when I picked up the guitar in college and came home singing and playing the latest tunes by Third Day, Caedmon's Call, and the like. Okay, now I have half of you saying "who??" and the other half saying "get thee behind me, Satan... this guy's off his rocker!" But actually, those who really know me will say "yup, keep talkin' brotha" and so I will...

There's so much I want to blog about that I don't know where to begin... I guess I could go back to addressing my URL selection, which I'm actually now feeling quite proud of at the moment. Of course, it's late and almost 1am -- prime time for my creativity -- which peaks at about 4am and suddenly rolls into another "VO on the pillow" episode... I can tell I'm really going to like this website and hope it becomes my journal of sorts that I have never kept in the past. Before I address the URL, let's go one step back to one of my nicknames: The Ox. I have to give credit to the low-life "scumbag-of-a-sales-rep", Jason, a.k.a. "tool", who worked with me at AT&T Wireless a few years ago with coming up with this nickname. I think the name originated with the fact that I was built like an Ox, and my last name ended with "o x"... At first, I didn't like it, but I think the name stuck after Jason was fired about four weeks later, and when new friends Big E and Lewis jumped on the name with authority, it began to grow. In fact, within a year I had a customized Pennsylvania license plate sporting "THE OX" (which I might add, helped me get a speeding ticket reduced a few years ago when the officer pulled me over doing 77 in a 55 and approached my car with a smile saying "are you the owner of this vehicle?" and after affirming, simply stated "then I guess that makes you The Ox" ) The ticket was reduced to 65 -- still cost me 2 points, instead of 3-4 and a heftier fine, so already The Ox was beginning to work for me. I think my friend Eric coined the phrase "Don't fuck with the Ox" one night... I can't recall the actual moment, but there would be situations in which this statement would be used to capture a moment or action.

I am going to have to watch what I post on here since I like to sound off. Maybe I should make this site "private" so that only those people who truly know The Ox will read what I have to say. There was a recent situation with "The Bob's" in my life in which this term was used to legitimize an action that was taken and followed through with. I recall speaking to my parents on the phone and stating simply at one point: "They should've known not to fuck with the Ox." And another one with my friends: "Don't fuck with the Ox or you're gonna take an L."

So welcome friends, family members, and "the astonished and offended." Prepare to be enlighted by The Ox in the coming days, weeks, and months. This "crazy Ox" has an adventure each day, and we never know when he'll encounter another "Don't fuck with The Ox" situation, but I'm sure it will come up from time to time. I could write about the "four-point stance" incident (I think only one person reading this will don a smile) but we'll leave it at that for now.

Before I sign off, let me write about language. Invariably, as we grew up as kids, we might remember the first time we came across someone speaking another language. I can't remember my first situation because I was surrounded with people from all walks of life from an early age... Usually, the white kids were the minority. There was no "majority" as you have it - unless you call less than 50% a majority... let's just call it the biggest piece of a fairly sliced up pie. So growing up with friends from every continent in the world became a natural reality and skin color, race, religion and language faded into a non-issue. My friends in high school consisted of athiests, Christians, sheiks, hindus, muslims, agnostics... you get the picture... My friends were my friends because we had similar interests, we "clicked" and there was never a second thought about discrimination or racism, etc until I was exposed to the American culture when I moved to the States seven years ago. Each group of friends typically has a common "language" and "vocabulary" that is used in everyday communication. With my friends from church it might include: "God Bless" and the types of statements that brothers and sisters of faith only understand... We see a vocabulary expressed in popular rap and R&B albumns, as this new "language" continues to change and evolve over time (specifically among the black artists who, with the exception of the Dr. Dre managed white rap phenomenon, Eminem, dominate the innovations taking place in music, and thus, mainstream culture -- which has been going on for MANY MANY years now...)

My friends and I have coined a lot of phrases and terms over recent years... I began to learn a new language, when in the 'Burgh, I was referred to as "tits" - a term that soon became synonymous with a group of friends that I had been introduced to. Now here we go again with the "vulgarity" some of you are saying... You are using a slang term for a woman's breasts. But believe me, it was all in fun. "Tits" was usually used in the introduction of a phone call or meeting of friends... and then of course, there were nicknames for those in the group... a few of them were "tough-tits" "hoff-tits" "buff-tits" -- you get the picture -- you could pretty much throw tits on the end of your name or nickname. I think one of the funniest moments with this terminology was when Big E thought Meatball was calling him, and answered with "What's up tough-tits??" and it turned out to a be a female client calling! She apparently was stratled by the statement, but soon chuckled after the strange introduction was explained to her. No harm done.

So on to current terminology used... Let's call this "The Ox's Dictionary of Slang" for the soon to be educated. I'm not claiming ownership of these creative catch phrases, just compiling them, and will leave the meanings up to you to think about and mull over... There is a sub-set of terms that I have coined "Dre-isms" after picking up on vocabulary used by a former co-worker. Note that the spellings will emphasize the pronunciation, pitch and tone of the voice when saying the phrase or word... Maybe we can refer to them as "Ox-bonics."

Dre-isms:

"Sssup doo?" - Usually used to introduce yourself on a phone call. The term is said repeatedly a few times, regardless of what the other person says in response. English translation: "What's up, dude?"

"Uma make i' haaaapen" - Spoken with a scruffy voice with no particular meaning, but used to say that you are going to get something done. English translation: "I'm going to make it happen."

"O? K" - A way to recognize or agree with a friend's statement. Can be used pretty much at any point in a conversation. English translation: "Okay."

"He's ball-assted!" - When you see and acknowledge to your friends that someone who has had too many "beverages" in a social setting, restaurant or pub. English translation: "He is intoxicated."

"Naaaaah doo" - Used to express a disagreement or responding to a comment or question as "no." English translation: "No, dude."

"Yeah doo" - Used to express agreement or responding to a comment or question as "yes." English translation: "Yes, dude."

And some non-Dreisms...

"He's VO on the Pillow" - Used to state that someone has slept in and is not in the office, but rather, is in bed. English translation: "He slept in." VO: Virtual Office -- ie. you are "working from home"

And then of course, a lot of statements from a very famous movie filmed in Austin, TX by Mike Judge...

"Ah... Just a second there professor." - Used to express your disagreement - a way to clarify or offer your differing opinion.

I'll stop for now... time to pack up my office and head home...

- Jeremy