Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Praise the Lord for small favors.  Our TV in the living room “burnt out”.  It just did not work any longer.  When you turned it on, all your saw was a line or two in the center of the screen and there was, also, no sound.  I wanted to see our favorite show, “The Saint”, starring Roger Moore.  Every ten o’clock in the evening we watch it and then go to bed.

There was another color TV in the office we were not using so I quickly hooked it up to our antenna and “box” so we could watch it.  We found out the color was crisper than the old one and although the screen was smaller, it did not seem too small.

The next day I tried to figure out how to wire the DVD player and also the VCR to it.  I quickly drove to the nearest Radio Shack and they sold me something called a modulator, which enabled me to hook up a DVD to the old TV.

Now I had to figure out how to wire the VCR also.  I called my brother-in-law and he suggested a type of splitter, which I had.  I used it and now I was back into business:  both the DVD and VCR were now hooked up to the TV and worked.

Everything is by grace including advice by people and old TVs that still worked.  It even had a remote and now I can go back and watch my “Touched By An Angel” episodes again.  I know the latest thing is all these gigantic flat screens with brilliant color but I was happy to have this old color TV.

Tags: "The Saint", "Touched By An Angel", advice by people, antenna, brother-in-law, DVD player, everything-is-by-grace, flat screen TV, grateful, modulator, old color TV, old TVs, praise the Lord, Radio Shack, Roger Moore, small favors, TV, VCR
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It was a shock when I learned (via the internet) that John Dye died of a heart attack:  he was only 47.  John Dye was the angel of death in “Touched By An Angel”–a role he was perfect for.

He played the role on TV with such humanity.  The show ran nine years.  By the third he had become a regular.  His stance toward death was biblical but his touch was not heavy handed.

He left so many memories in that role.  Even in death he will continue to impact others who discover or view again the episodes of “Touched By An Angel”.  I am sure he is on the other side.

He did not bludgeon you with hell.  Sure it was a possibility.  He did not use that word.  He emphasized the positive–how much God wanted a relationship with you.  He was totally believable and he will be missed.

Tags: "Touched By An Angel", angel of death, Bible, Biblical, death, God, God wants a relationship with you, hell, John Dye, tribute, TV
Posted in death, God, time | No Comments »

We canceled our Dish and I got depressed.  We realized we were paying $600 a year for it.  Money got a little tighter the last few months and it was just too much money for that privilege.

Nevertheless I became depressed after we canceled that service.  On the upside we had lots of DVDs and old videos to watch.  There were plenty of films I have not seen.  I still have not watched Ken Burns series on jazz my wife got me for Christmas maybe five years ago.

All of that did not matter.  I still became depressed.  Like I lost a friend.  Something I took for granted.  And now it was gone.

Tags: Christmas, depressed, DVDs, films, jazz, Ken Burns, money, my wife, old videos, took for granted, TV
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I had an unexpected pleasure.  My daughter came over for New Years Eve and spent the night.  Her plans had fallen through and I suggested she come over and spend New Years with my wife and me.

We had fun.  And more than enough food.  The table was full of goodies from shrimp to cold cuts and a vegetable tray and that was only a partial list.

In fact, we still had plenty of food for the next day and still had some food left over.

We watched a Marx Brothers’ film, “A Night at The Opera”.  I laughed my head off at many of the scenes particularly the one liners of Groucho.  His comments were so silly and absurd that I roared.

My wife did not think the film was that funny but my daughter also laughed.  I do not think she ever saw the film before.  It was of course released before her time (and mine).

My wife really enjoyed the scenes of one of the brothers playing piano and of course the obligatory scene of Chico playing harp.  They must have been quite a musical family.  It was harmless slapstick.  I had not seen the movie in a long time.

My New Year I spent with my wife and daughter was quite pleasant.  We of course watched the New Year’s show on TV and the apple go down on the stroke of midnight at Times Square.  Finally I went to sleep 1:30AM.

Tags: "A Night at The Opera", Chico Marx, cold cuts, comedy, funny movie, Groucho Marx, Marx Brothers movie, midnight, musical family, my daughter, my wife, New Years apple drop, New Years Eve, play harp, play piano, shrimp, slapstick comedy, Times Square, TV, vegetable tray
Posted in art, children, God, humor, knowledge&learning, life, local, marriage, music, relationships, time | No Comments »

Love is not sex.  And sex is not always love.  Love transcends everything.  Sex can be love.  It is the physical part of love.  If you were to watch TV and movies you see portrayed casual sex all the time.

Sex is not casual.  It imprints at a deep level one person with the other.  It always has a price so do not be fooled:  there is no such thing as casual sex.

Yes, sex is physical yet it transcends everything so next time you are tempted to break your bond with your primary partner think twice and resist temptation.  There is always a price to pay if you stray.  It may be one you will regret.  Broken trust is extremely hard to get back.  And often you can’t regain it back so think awfully hard next time you are tempted.

Tags: break your bond, broken trust, casual sex, do not stray, God, has a price, imprint, love, love is not sex, love transcends, movies, physical, price to pay, regret, resist temptation, sex, sex is not casual, tempted, trust, TV, your partner
Posted in balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

I PODS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY

“Download your favorite TV program
On your I Pod,” the commercial implored.

Tell me?  Why would I want to do that?
I do not care how good the technology is.
Or how clear that 4 square inch screen is.
After all, it is only 4 square inches.
I have to squint to view the screen.

And another thing:
Who is going to stand
In one spot
For sixty minutes
Holding their I Pod motionless
Viewing their favorite episodes
Of “Sex and the City”
Or whatever?

Sure you can watch your favorite music video.
I have the same problem.
Who wants to hold it still
For three and a half minutes?
I do not care how crisp the clarity
Of the screen is.
How can you possibly make out
The minute figures in it?

Of course, you need headphones
Aren’t you risking hearing loss
If you “pump” the volume high enough
And long enough?

I prefer watching my TV programs
And music videos
On my 28 inch TV screen–
374 square inches NOT 4.

Yes, now you can
Connect your I Pod
To an electronic component with speakers.
In the confines of your home.
Excuse me,
Wasn’t that what
We used to call a stereo?
I prefer listening to my two feet high Bose speakers.

And the commercials are bragging
How much smaller and thinner
They are making I Pods (and other MP3’s)
(and cellular phones).

Now I even saw an ad
In a magazine
Boasting how
Your cellular can possess
Gazillions of memory
And still fit in the palm
Of your hand

The keys on the keyboard
Would be so tiny
How could you possibly use it?

Yah, I know there will always be someone
Who will buy the latest gadget
No matter how impractical the “play toy” is.

All I can do is shake my head.

Am I the only person who thinks
This use of technology
Is ridiculous?

Let me know?

Tags: cellphone, I-pod, MP3, music, small screen for viewing, speakers, stereo, technology, the latest gadget, TV, video
Posted in balance, humor, knowledge&learning, music, time, wisdom | No Comments »