Today's Fickle Finger of Fate Award goes to the Houston Texans.

Good morning and welcome to the early show, here on this channel, coming to you via the electronic impulses that fly here and there throughout the world wide web, on this Thursday edition, October 27, 2016. The Houston Texans are not a good NFL team. Their recent games are pretty much unwatchable. The local fan base thought coming out of an undefeated preseason, the next stop would be the Superbowl. Then J.J. Watt re-injured himself and is now out for the entire season. Then they discovered the $72 million, 6'-7+" quarterback may not be ready for prime time. I know it is easy to say after the fact, but, I said early on they are not so good. That didn't go over so well. It's not a told you so reflection. Folks are deflated like one of those collapsing air balloons because of the lack of on-field performance. In some ways, the Texans have become the butt of jokes around the league. The local folks are unmerciful. One Facebook posting declared there had been a $72 million dollar heist in Houston and they have few leads in what to do about it. How soon the Superbowl fever has faded. When Les Miles was unceremoniously fired from LSU, many of his ardent supporters lamented his departure. He did, after all, win 77% of his games while at LSU. Yet, three weeks later the team is winning and now the headlines read, 'This is not your Les Miles style of football'. The interim coach has become a superhero. And, so it goes. Win a few preseason games, sell a lot of merchandise, sell out all the home games, and then pretty much stink up the joint when it counts. No naysaying here, just some 'wake up and smell the coffee' observations to get our day started. Remember the old Mennen Skin Bracer commercial? When the guy was slapped in the face with some of the skin bracer he would always respond, "Thanks, I needed that."

I am officially designated as a Baby Boomer. That's because I was born in 1946, (part of the post-WW2 baby boom), and the first year of eligibility for that distinction. I suppose if I had been born a year earlier, 1945, I would have been in the last of those counted in the Greatest Generation. I sure didn't deserve to be connected to those who gave so much for our freedoms. I will admit that being in the very first year makes me somewhat of a transitional boomer. I not only like the sound of that, I thought it might explain a lot. The other day I saw a posting from a preacher that I am friends with on Facebook and he was attending a conference dealing specifically with ministering to Boomers. He is retired from being a senior pastor but on staff at a Church as the Senior Adult Minister. That translates into the older folks in case you are not familiar with the nomenclature. While at the conference he put up some photos of folks who were on the podium. He said he was there to learn from them because they were experts. Most of them had white hair. Wait just a minute here. This is what we have come to? Since the word 'boom' has to do with the sound made by an explosion, that means we who are designated as boomers are a part of a generation that exploded onto the scene. It seems like we woke up one day and found out that we have become the folks that require special ministry because of our age. As if I needed to be reminded. Here's a little quip I read from a child of boomers. These folks are referred to as Generation X: "If I had a dollar for every complaint about my generation by the Baby Boomers I would have enough to buy a house in the market they ruined." Respect. It's hard to get these days. Hard indeed!

I know I must come off at times as the opinionator at large. You know, one who mostly observes and comments on any and all things as opposed to doing something. I plead partly guilty to that characterization. While I do comment on a whole lot of stuff, I, when I have my head and heart in the right place, I do try, with God's help, to make a difference in the corner of the world where He has placed me. I've dealt with a lot of consultants in my business dealings over the years. I've even been a paid consultant at one time. I will tell you what people used to say about consultants. The joke was how those who can't do end up teaching others how to, as in consulting. I've met many of those who well mirrored that sentiment. I also did my best not to have that said about me. I'm not saying it wasn't said, but, I worked hard not to be what we used to call, an empty suit. That would be the equivalent of Paw Paw Mac's admonition for me to use my head for something other than a hatrack. I've said all of that to mostly fill up this last paragraph but it's to also remind myself how much easier it is to be a critic than it is to get off the sidelines and into the fray. However, someone mentioned to me that it would be a whole lot easier to endure a whole lot of insults if I knew I had $72 million coming to me. Now that my friend is what I call an astute observation. Take care now and enjoy the day that God has given. See you next time, Lord willing. Amen. ....More later.