I love to read anything by Robert B. Parker. His characters are so vivid, complex, and compelling that I just want to keep on reading even when the book is done. Spenser, a hardboiled but sensitive Boston PI, was one of my favorite characters of all time. But I’m beginning to love Jesse Stone, an alcoholic police chief of Paradise, Mass. As adept he is at understanding the crime solving process, he is inept at understanding his relationship with his ex-wive, Jenn.

But why I enjoy reading Parker is his mastery of dialog. Here are some examples from High Profile, his latest book. These are conversations between Chief Jesse Stone and one of his policemen, Suitcase Simpson.

After an interview with Conrad Lutz, who would later become a suspect in a multiple homicide:

“It means Lutz lied to us,” he said.

“Or at least left stuff out,” Jesse said.

“We maybe should ask him about that?” Suit said.

“Sooner or later,” Jesse said.

“First, you want to get all your ducks in a row?”

“I’d settle for getting them herded into the same area,” Jesse said. Read the rest of this entry »

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

As Pogo used to say, “Looks like Friday the thirteenth falls on a Friday this month.”

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

1. Eighteen holes of match play will teach you more about your foe than 18 years of dealing with him across a desk.
   –Grantland Rice
2. Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five.
   –John Updike
3. It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf.
   –Robert Lynd
4. If profanity had any influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is.
   –Horace G. Hutchinson
5. They say golf is like life, but don’t believe them. Golf is more complicated than that.
   –Gardner Dickinson
6. If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork as poorly as they do a golf club, they’d starve to death.
   –Sam Snead Read the rest of this entry »

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

Who is it that wants to negotiate with Syria and Iran even though those countries have no intention of yielding their positions on terrorism or nuclear activity or anything? Is it the same folks who will not negotiate with the President on war funding because they think the President won’t yield his position on pork and withdrawal?

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

Thanks to John at The Daily Detour, who mentions this video you can see a surprise reunion of an Iraq veteran with his son. This was on CNN believe it or not.

Don’t miss it, it will make your day.

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

Here’s a long list of golf facts and observations. I’ve found them to be true:

• Don’t buy a putter until you’ve had a chance to throw it.
• Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.
• When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.
• If you’re afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.
• The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about your golf swing.
• No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.
• The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors. If it ain’t broke, try changing your grip.
• Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot. Read the rest of this entry »

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

I’m watching The Masters tournament interview with Zach Johnson this year’s winner. It’s his first major tournament win and 2nd on the tour. He’s giving first credit to his Lord, Jesus Christ. Atta boy!

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

From Gary Varvel:

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

Relevant to yesterdays post, I found a post by Chris Elrod regarding music in the church. He’s got a point about the feminization of the church. Here are a few concluding paragraphs from his blog on the subject.

The songs of yesterday were hymns about blood, victory and battle put to the beer drinking tunes of the day. Manly stuff that makes me want to go pee in the woods just writing about. Today we sing about love, peace and joy put to music that sounds like The Wiggles. Excuse me while I go watch Oprah and hug myself. To top it off, most preachers seem to get their topical message ideas from watching one episode of The View. May God have mercy on our soul.

This is not an “I’ve-lost-touch-with-today-because-I’m-an-old-fart” or pro “Wild-At-Heart” cultural thing. I’ve heard these same views expressed by many unchurched, artistic 20-something men. Musically they want AC/DC and we give them Celine Dion. Lyrically they want Tom Clancy and we give them Danielle Steel. Spiritually they want Braveheart and we give them Sleepless In Seattle. Everywhere I turn there’s this…estrogen…feel to church. It’s all so safe, sappy and sad.

If the church is going to be relevant in the coming generations we’ve got to get back to reaching men…and helping them become Godly husbands and fathers. In order for the church to reach men we’ve got to have music on Sundays that has the lyrical depth of John Newton, the musical kick of Guns N’ Roses and led by a man that looks like Ted Nugent. In order for the church to reach men we’ve got to have sermons that hit like a NFL linebacker, spoken in a voice as bold as a WCW wrestler and led by a man that acts like…John The Baptist. If there’s one thing that today’s society of broken marriages and children with no father figure has taught us…it’s that we need more manly churches!!!

Happy Resurrection Sunday.

© 2007 – 2009, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.

It’s about time. Studies have shown that women are more attracted to the traditional church than men are. In Daytona Beach, FL, there is now a Church for Men.

Fox News reports:

The Church For Men meets one Saturday evening a month, drawing about 70 guys dressed in everything but straight-laced shirts and neckties. The service features a rock band, a shot clock to time the preacher’s message and a one-hour in-and-out guarantee.

© 2007 – 2008, J. M. Erickson. All rights reserved.