Rhyme and Reason with Tony Funderburk

I’m not a fan of hot weather conditions. Yeah, there’s a pun hiding in plain sight, there. But I’m not gonna pun-ish you, more, right now. If you’ve been staying inside to lounge in the coolness of air conditioning, believe me, I’m with ya man. And it IS a manly thing to do. Here’s why. Hot weather conditions can wring rhymes right out of the air. At least they...

I bet your name is NOT Titus. Because that’s not one of the more common names these days. At least not in English speaking countries. But, according to some information I found, Titus was once “one of the most common first names in the old world.” ( HEY KIDS : be sure to read through this whole post. Because, if you do, you can win a chance to get your name in one of my books of...

I remember watching certain kinds of sci-fi movies, way back in decades past, that showed unbelievable scenarios for the future. But here we are, IN that future, and some of those things actually came true. One thing, in particular, is how easy it has become to terminate people just because they annoy you. Yeah, it has become acceptable to terminate people of ALL ages. Starting in the womb. Your o...

Me: “Of course I’m pro public education. Why would you want to keep education a secret?” A friend: “Actually pro public education means you’re all for public schools.” “Wait, what?! Well, of course I’m not THAT kind of pro public education!” A friend: “Whew, thank goodness. I thought you might be a closet Brandon dude.” Yeah, that&#...

Have you ever made a rock? And how about a stick? Have you ever made one of those? Well, what about a drop of water? Surely you’ve at least made a drop of water in your life. And surely, somewhere, there’s a school science class where that has happened. Naturally, I don’t expect anyone to create a river. But surely at least one, single drop of water shouldn’t be that hard t...

Feelings change. It’s a fact of life. That was even true when I was a young whippersnapper, all those decades ago. I remember the first time I felt like I was in love with a girl. But, later, I felt like I was in love with another girl. It happened several times. What can I say? A red-blooded American boy is a boy after all. And your feelings will (or did) change many times, too. So, that&#8...

Gonna talk about truth and mercy right now. So, get ready to take some mental notes. Yeah, put away those silly tablets and other writing accoutrement. Because I don’t want your brain distracted by an urgent need to jot notes. The value of truth and mercy is too important to miss. So, before I go any further, I know your brain is already distracted by the grammar in my headline, “Truth...

Episode 929 of the Rhyme and Reason podcast is all about the demo. Back to the regular programming next time… The post All about the demo appeared first on Tony Funderburk .

Why, in the name of godzilla, would you ever want to identify with a lower creature? Why would you ever, ever, ever want, or claim to have, a lizard brain? And how would that ever help you tune in to your limbic arc? Or help you maintain balance in your emotional vectoring? Not to mention (but I will) your energetic posture. No reptilian brain is ever gonna benefit from a limbic arc. At least that...

The longest bridge in the world spans over 100 miles. Can you imagine driving that far, and it’s all on one bridge. Well, that’s all I’ll do. Because I’m never gonna drive on any bridge that long. Much less this particular one. Because the longest bridge in the world is in China. And I have no desire to visit China just so I can say I was on the longest bridge in the world....

This is something good to share with the kiddos. I talked about this over 10 years ago. But since this kind of nerve health is an ongoing issue, it’s just as relevant as ever. And here’s what I mean by “this kind of nerve health.” Have you ever heard someone say “you got a lotta nerve?” Usually they don’t mean that in a good way. It’s usually someone...

“The State of Colorado Will Compensate Local Residents To Go Solar as Part of a Statewide Program (RPS).” That was the headline to a short advertorial I recently read online. And I have a long history with Colorado, starting at birth, so it piqued my curiosity, of course. But when “they” say “Go Solar,” it’s not a suggestion. No, they’re not looking...

When I was a kid, way back before gigantic TV screens (and even remote controls), the Wizard of Oz movie came on once a year. I don’t know exactly what my parents thought about the movie. But the kids sure got a kick out of it. But who knew the Wizard of Oz had so many double meanings? I certainly didn’t. Plus, I just never gave it much more thought than how imaginative and colorful th...

Cow secretions and bee vomit. Yum, yum. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be goin’ back for seconds. Oh yeah! But first, here’s my desire as I share a little something with you today: Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. I can’t (and don’t) take credit for that most pleasant...

Guy walks up to the bar and orders, “Gimme a Helix, bartender. And make it a double.” I know you’ve heard of the Double Helix. It packs a powerful punch. But there’s no hangover the next morning. Maybe that’s because it’s filled with Deoxyribonucleic Acid. “Yeah! Don’t be stingy with the Deoxyribonucleic Acid in my Double Helix, bartender!” Tha...

Here’s a list of words, found in a thesaurus, you can exchange for one other widely used word. I bet you can guess the word: develop , progress , advance , move forward , make headway , mature , grow , open out , unfold , unroll , expand , enlarge , spread , extend ; alter , change , transform , adapt , metamorphose , differentiate – Did you guess evolve? Yeah, evolve is the word of th...

You’ve probably experienced faith and doubt at the same time. It’s OK to admit it because it’s part of your human flaws. I know. How dare I say you have flaws, right? Easy. Because everybody does. I talk about the Apostle Paul a lot. And that’s because he’s the best example of where you and I are right now. And he expressed his concerns about his own ways when he wrot...

I’ve lived several decades on this little blue planet. And, as long as I can remember I’ve heard people talk about world peace. And I’ve heard and seen the world peace news on radio and TV. But the world seems to always snatch war from the jaws of peace every time. Have you noticed that? During my time on Earth there have always been wars. We’ve been fortunate here in Ameri...

Your life design is unique. No one else who ever lived, is living now, or will ever live will have the same life as you. But your life is also no different from anybody else either. Here’s what I mean. And why it matters. The DNA found in every cell of your body is incredibly complex and completely yours. The odds that it exists by chance are so small, you’d be more likely to win the p...

A perilous fight in perilous times will not sway these reasons and rhymes. My wife and I never had kids. But we love kids. And we enjoy their imaginative outlook on life. That’s why I write music for kids , ebooks for kids , and create illustrations and videos for kids. I want them to enjoy words and music and pictures and be safe and loved. But kids, today, are in for a perilous fight. Ther...

When you take God out of the equation, the question of “right and wrong” is a moot point. It isn’t objective morality at that point. It’s opinion. And guess what? If your opinion differs from mine, all you have to do to win the day is be the stronger one. That’s the “beauty” of natural selection in process. It’s interesting how often those who reject...

You can’t recycle away stupid. And today I’m gonna share a story you might’ve seen elsewhere. But it bears repeating. Because it shows the increased ignorance in younger people today. And it shows how, typically, the people who shout “don’t judge” the loudest are the most judgmental. Anyway. Here’s the story I saw. Feel free to recycle away. A young cashie...

I watched Brian Regan, one of the truly best comedians ever, do a bit about comparing anything you do to one of the astronauts who walked on the moon. It’s hilarious. When you get a chance, just do a search for Brian Regan man on the moon on YouTube. Yeah. How does your best accomplishment compare to being a man on the moon? Funny stuff. And I love how Brian doesn’t resort to profanity...

I can predict people will still be living on Earth a thousand years from now. And that prediction includes their ability to drink water, eat real food, and breathe fresh air. Yep, that’s right. I can predict the future. But, just because I can predict the future like that doesn’t mean much. No, I’m not a prediction savant. And I don’t play one on YouTube. So, just because I...

The idea of this post popped into my head during and after a three-mile walk through our neighborhood this morning. Because the many shades of green, the multitude of flowers, and all the birds, bunnies, and squirrels flitting and scattering around under a bright, blue sky stirred up the word, splendor, in my brain. It’s a word that means “magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur....