Planetsuz 3.0

Day 6 of keeping a 2012 resolution

2012-01-06T10:38:00.000-06:00

In business, they say to make goals specific, and then create tactical plans that will help you accomplish that specific goal. Like the majority of women, I want to get to a healthy weight, and that is more important and more long-term than any yearly resolution. However, I made a resolution for 2012 intended to help me in that area. The resolution is: No eating in my car.

I tend to eat a lot in my car and, I am ashamed to admit, it makes me a hazard on the road. I am one of those people who has tried to eat, drive and talk on the phone at the same time. (But no texting. I'm not a complete idiot.) How bad has it become? Well, I have eaten soups and salads while driving. I have peeled oranges while driving. I have driven while adding condiments to sandwiches and fries.

Yes, I have become a moving violation.

There are several reasons for this resolution.

Eating while driving is dangerous.
Eating while driving is messy. My car and my clothes attest to that fact.
Eating while driving doesn't let me enjoy the meal. I never enjoy food while I drive, I just wolf it down.
Eating while driving usually consists of fast food, which comes with problems like higher calories, big proportions, high salt, high sugar, etc.
Eating while driving mostly consists of eating out of boredom or emotion, not eating a legitimate meal or eating because I'm physically hungry.

This is a habit that will need to be broken. Five days out of the week, I eat breakfast in my car. I often eat on the go. It will take some conscious effort to get this done.

At day six, I've already seen some benefits to this resolution. I eat breakfast before I leave in the morning, and that has forced me to structure my morning better. I have decided not to snack in the car on a couple occasions, and that has saved me an estimated 1,000-2,000 calories and probably at least $10 dollars, just this week.

So far, so good. Now, I'm going on a road trip this weekend, and I have given myself a loophole that if I need to eat in the car on a road trip, I can. However, it needs to be a legitimate meal, at mealtime and I need to be legitimately hungry. If I can meet those stipulations, then it's allowed.

Anyway, this resolution is a challenge, but change is good.

A day in the marketing department

2012-01-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

Today I...

called three locations for permission to deliver flyers
delivered event flyers to said locations around neighborhood
compiled a 6,500 piece mailing list
sent two projects and mailing list to press
revised two projects destined for press soon
coded, designed and sent out an email blast
set up 15 future email blast templates
short standup meeting with boss about affiliated web site maintenance
picked up outdoor banner from a press
coded and published content for Facebook page
met with sales rep about creating radio ad content
personalized two product flyers for sales rep and emailed them
revised and published online form
sent out two RFQs and compiled data from three others into project proposal
plus sent out about 20 emails

Whew! and that was my day. Not typical.

Another cool date post

2011-11-11T18:01:00.000-06:00

I posted on 1-1-11 so I better post on 11-11-11.

Condescension

2011-10-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

I just was thinking about humility and our relationship with God. In order to interact with me, God is constantly condescending to my level, because of my lowly nature and his high nature. Condescension isn't insulting, it is a fact of reality. The fact that he chooses to condescend -- the ultimate expression of which is Jesus' birth, death and resurrection -- is an act of love on his part. The response to this condescension on my part is awe and love at the act, and joy to be an object of his attention.

Voyager is headed out of the solar system. Amazing!

2011-09-05T23:33:00.003-05:00

When I was in ninth grade, I produced a book report on one of my favorite subjects -- space exploration. In particular, I studied and wrote about the two space probes, Voyagers 1 and 2, which were true triumphs of technology and longevity. Both probes produced amazing discoveries about the solar system (rings around Jupiter, volcanic activity on Io, atmosphere on Titan) and also sent back images that were much clearer and brighter than their predecessors, the Pioneer space probes.

Anyway, my Voyager report was lengthy, and contained a detailed section in the back complete with pictures I photocopied from books and captions I wrote myself. A couple days after handing the report in, my english teacher (her name escapes me but I can see her face clear as day in my memory) took me out into the hallway. She was a humorless, short woman who tolerated no-nonsense in class and was a strict grader. She was also a stickler for perfect grammar. My goodie-two-shoes alarm went off. Uh oh. You only get ordered into the hallway for bad things! What's going on?

The teacher closed the door and then, with unusual affection, told me how much she enjoyed my report and how much she learned from my research. It's not often that you get to teach the teacher something, and I remember an intense feeling of satisfaction, and our shared appreciation for the subject matter.

I was reminded of this because I recently read that, 34 years after its launch (and what happens to be my age), the Voyager 1 space probe is still alive and kicking!

I highly encourage you to read this article about Voyager 1 and its current mission out of the solar system. How do scientists know the probe is on the way out? The article states that the probe's instruments detected in June of 2010 that Voyager 1 is in an area called the heliopause where the influence of interstellar matter negates solar wind from our sun. Holy cow, that is truly amazing. Also according to the article, the probe wasn't expected to reach the solar system's edge until 2015 at the earliest. Scientists now believe that the probe could reach "interstellar medium" any day now.

This is just truly fascinating stuff. The fact that this probe using 30-year-old technology and power cells to work is a feat in itself. And we can still send signals and commands to it and get data back is mind-boggling. This vehicle is beyond Pluto!

Some other amazing facts about Voyager 1 (but seriously, read the article):

it is currently the fastest man-made object in existence. It now flies at over 10 miles per second.
the last time it was commanded to rotate was in 1990, when it took pictures of the solar system. It has just been flying out there for 21 years, waiting for orders.
It still communicates with earth on a regular basis
Scientists expect Voyager 1's on-board power source to continue functioning until 2030.
Barring a collision, it will be the first man-made object to leave the solar system and explore interstellar space.
Both probes were originally designed for just four-year missions to explore the outer planets. Now, 34-years later, they're still both alive and kicking.

Truly, truly amazing.

I still have that ninth-grade report in a binder somewhere. I need to dig it out and add a new chapter to it now that Voyager 1 is about to break a new barrier in space exploration.

Article link: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/voyager-1s-great-escape-search-for-interstellar-space/

Check out this link to learn more about Voyager 2: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/thirty-four-years-voyager-2-continues-explore/

Discomforting

2011-09-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

My car has had a discomforting quirk since mid-July. Due to some water damage, the power locks froze up, and the alarm couldn't be disengaged. This meant that the car alarm was always on, except for periods about a minute long when I pressed the unlock button on the key fob. Result? Whenever I opened a door the alarm went off, unless I pressed the unlock button.

Also, another quirk presented itself. The doors would lock and unlock by themselves at random times. The first this happened I was in the coffee shop drive through, and I thought someone was pranking me. But no, it was another symptom of the water damage.

To get to the point, I finally had the car fixed this morning after four weeks of waiting for parts and appointments, and setting the alarm off at least once a day. Every thing is now ship-shape. However, I find myself cringing every time I open the car door, expecting the alarm to go off and the car to honk loudly. In my mind, I know it's fixed, but I've been conditioned now to expect the alarm to trip and scare me.

I'm hoping this conditioning goes away very soon. If I was more interested in psychology I would investigate this, but I'm not that interested.

Sullivan Ballou Letter Anniversary

2011-07-21T18:57:00.001-05:00

I just read about the 150th Anniversary of the death of Sullivan Ballou, a Union soldier who was killed on this day at the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War. Sullivan Ballou wasn't any major hero or achieved any heroics that we know of. We just know of his character from the letter, preserved by scholars, that he wrote to his wife on July 14, 1841.

Anticipating his own death, Ballou wrote some of the most poetic and beautiful lines about love of country, of family and God that have ever been put to paper. When I read the letter, I am struck by Ballou's sense of gratefulness for the life he had been able to live, the people in his life, and the gratefulness he had for the people who had come before him and sacrificed their own lives for his freedom. He felt a great debt to those who had come before, "how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution" and that he was "perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life" to pay that debt.

How does a man choose between his family and his duty? It's something that Ballou obviously had wrestled with and come to an "irresistible" conclusion. "Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield."

I was interested to find out that this was not the last letter Ballou wrote to his wife Sarah. In fact, there are other letters dated after this letter that reached her through the mail. However, the particular letter was delivered to her posthumously, after it was retrieved with Ballou's affects from the battlefield.

I encourage you to read the letter for yourself.

Thoughts for the Day - July 1

2011-07-01T16:03:00.001-05:00

"Never doubt in the dark what you have been taught in the light."

"True humility isn't trying to make less of yourself. True humility is making the most of others."

Thought for the day - June 23

2011-06-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."

Vilest of snowbanks

2011-05-19T07:11:00.000-05:00

A local website had a "Vilest April Snowbank" photo contest and the winning photo was pretty brutal. It brought me to tears of laughter. The editors of the site described the contest as a "remarkable appetite suppressant." I'm not going to link to it because it has some bad language in it, but wow! The winning photo of a dirt and refuse encrusted snow pile in the SunRay Mall parking lot was truly a sight to behold. All those nasty, clingy remnants of the past winter are gone now, finally, but they served as reminders of what a crappy and late spring its been.

And it reminded me of another reason to dislike Canada geese. I was driving home the other day on Wentworth, just before the Library, and saw five Canada geese picking through the grass on the spot of what used to be one of those gigantic, dirt-encrusted snow piles. I assume the WSP public works people use that stretch of land to pile excess snow from plowing. The pile there used to be a massive, black monstrosity.

So my question is this: what the HECK were those geese eating? Gross!

Cooking escapades

2011-05-08T21:10:00.001-05:00

On the menu tonight:

roasted cauliflower
teriyaki chicken breast
fried rice
black bean salad

Doing some cooking in prep for the rest of the week, and I'm learning a few things.

1. Munch, my little brown guinea pig, loves cauliflower greens. He's eating them so energetically and singlemindedly that when I walk past his cage he just keeps eating instead of running inside his pigloo. He's enjoying his food so much he's lost all sense of self-preservation. Hmmm, there's a lesson in that...

2. Thanks to my sister's awesome couponing prowess I have enough pasta in my house right now to open a small Italian restaurant.

3. I have just made and eaten the best, juiciest chicken I have ever made for myself in my life. Thanks to Sweet Baby Ray's teriyaki marinade (no high fructose corn syrup!) I have made some really awesome chicken. I had half a breast and nearly fell over at how juicy, tender and flavorful this meat was. I have no special skills at cooking chicken, so I think I have to give credit to the marinade. Wow, I'm hooked. Can't wait to try the lemon pepper variety that's still waiting in the cupboard.

4. The cauliflower greens that I previously mentioned came from the cauliflower that is roasting in my oven right now. I hate raw cauliflower. Even as I was preparing it for the roasting pan I turned my nose up at it. I hate how gritty it is, and I hate the smell of it. What an amazing transformation in makes after heat is applied. It is tender, smooth and delicious with a pinch of Parmesan cheese over the top of it. I can't wait to take it out of the oven.

5. I am in the market for a new rice/veggie steamer. I have decided that this device is a must-have for my personal kitchen. The one I have now is probably nearing 10 years of service, and I think the timer on it has finally given out. I'm cooking some brown rice in it for a fried rice recipe, and the timer has been at the 20 minute mark for at least 10 minutes now. It also leaks like a sieve.

I see these things all the time at thrift stores, but I think I'll buy a new one since you really need the instruction manual that comes with the thing in order to truly prepare things according to the individual machine. And the condition mine is in right now after ten years is rather gross, which I'm sure means the second-hand steamers I might find out there aren't going to be much better. They get a bit crusty and briny through the years.

If your kitchen lacks a steamer, I highly recommend getting one. They are fantastic for cooking rice, making hard-boiled eggs, and of course steaming lots of vegetables and potatoes. They add some welcome humidity to the air during the winter months and they are truly a "set it and forget it" type of appliance. I set the thing up, then go off to do whatever it is I need to do, come back later and have a meal ready to go. The only drawback is time; it does require a bit of time. Potatoes take 40 minutes. Rice takes a hour. But you never have to concern yourself about pots boiling over or boiling down. I don't worry about burning rice and ruining pots anymore or babysitting a stove top when making these items.

Holding on to uncomfortable truth

2011-04-30T12:55:00.001-05:00

I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
-- Isaiah 45:6-7

From The Works of God blog:

"To know that our Father in heaven has ordained our pain is not a comfortable truth, but it is comforting. That our pain has a loving and wise and all-powerful purpose behind it is better than any other view—weak God, cruel God, bumbling God, no God. To know that in his hands 'this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison' (2 Cor. 4:17) is profoundly reassuring. And yes, 'light' and 'momentary' meant, in Paul’s case, a lifetime of suffering. The excruciating 'lightness' of his suffering was light compared to the weight of glory. And the interminable 'momentariness' of his suffering was momentary compared to the eternality of the glory."
-- John Piper

"You may not understand what is happening to you; it may seem to you all wrong. Trust yourself to (God). Believe when you cannot prove. Hold on to his constancy, his justice, his eternal purposes for you in Christ. Regard these as absolutes, which can never be shaken, confident that ultimately all will be made plain and all will be well."
-- Martin Lloyd-Jones

As a Christian I need to repent of my belief that my religiosity solves all my problems, blessings have to be material to be blessings, and that I never wrestle with the future. Christianity's greatest truths come to light in response to the suffering I endure in this world. Suffering and pain does not disprove God, it brings His truth to the forefront. It shows that all the world's solutions and protections don't mean anything in the end, especially when I claimed them instead of God's truth.

I need to repent. I need to claim allegiance to the eternal truths of God, and believe them to be true regardless of my circumstances.

Good Friday 2011

2011-04-22T21:46:00.003-05:00

This Good Friday
candles
hold off the darkness,
the tenebrae,
our true love, says John the disciple.
His gospel read aloud
and candles then snuffed,
leaving those assembled in
tenebrae.
The light gone,
our plans and betrayals
encroach, smother us like
tenebrae.
A washbasin,
a damp towel,
a bloody ear,
a bloody sword,
silver coins,
a sturdy branch,
the taut noose.
Our true love,
terrifying, lonesome
love,
we sit, holding our
breath, waiting in
tenebrae.

Pride and the Scientific Community

2011-03-21T12:59:00.001-05:00

I was reading through a blog I frequent and came across a post with this paragraph in it attached to an accompanying video. The last sentence makes me sad.

Last week, I spoke with research psychologist [NAME WITHHELD] for [SITE WITHHELD]—a weekly feature that records interesting conversations between science bloggers. Unsurprisingly, the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis in Japan were on both our minds. But I think you'll find [NAME WITHHELD]'s take on this stuff particularly interesting. He studies the human tendency to believe in the supernatural, and he had a lot of thought-provoking things to say about that instinct, how it affects even unbelievers during disaster situations, and why belief was useful to our ancestors, but isn't necessarily something that we need today. (emphasis mine)

I have not watched the accompanying video, but I don't feel the need. My purpose here is to comment on this last statement. We don't need belief. The supernatural has been debunked and fallen into disuse since we've discovered DNA, exoplanets and quantum theory. Or, at least, that's the prevailing mindset of the scientific community. I find that viewpoint prevailing everywhere on the Internet: I have evolved beyond the need for "belief".

More evidence of this. I recently watched a video that interviewed several university physicists and had them explain certain principles of everyday physics. Fascinating stuff. But then, the video shifted to asking several physicists if they believed in God, and why or why not. Of the five that were interviewed, all of them said no, and four of them pretty much scoffed at even being asked the question. One man, who told a story from his childhood, described how he had been disciplined for asking to use science to verify his faith. The negative response from his teachers led him straight to atheism. The fifth man said he didn't believe, but he appreciated those with belief. Conclusion: Four out of five physicists think your faith is an object of scorn.

I feel sad that our scientific communities have completely rejected belief in the supernatural. The pride and hubris that exists in this rejection is amazing. Not only is there an outright, personal and professional rejection of belief, it is seen as a negative, devolved aspect of society that needs to be purged, or at least placed on a reservation.

I love science. I love learning about new scientific discoveries and observations. I am a casual observer, of course, but I am fascinated by space exploration, astronomy, biology, etc. But I feel sad that leading, modern-day scientists worship at the altar of atheism, materialism, or something just as empty. Belief with a capital "B" is something to be mocked, scoffed at, filtered out or, by obvious extension, forcibly suppressed.

"We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles," 1 Cor. 1:23

I will keep my foolishness. It has brought more intellectual and emotional satisfaction to me than any pill, text or factoid produced by science ever could.

Unreasonable?

2011-02-20T19:02:00.000-06:00

"The Republican law would make state workers contribute more to health insurance and pensions. It also would end government collection of union dues, let workers opt out of unions and require unions to hold recertification votes every year."

Does this sound unreasonable? How is this unreasonable?

Unions care about unions

2011-02-18T08:02:00.000-06:00

As a former Teamster member let me say this, unions care about unions. You're as much a cog in the machine in a union as you are in a company.

They could care less about individual members, except for their dues. I went through two hotly contested union elections and never even received a ballot. I went through an unfair disciplinary review and my "union rep" sat there and said nothing.

Sorry for the rant, but this union stuff in the news bugs me. Unions are examples of power without accountability.

Words I want striken from the English language

2011-02-17T22:00:00.000-06:00

Two words I want struck from the English language. Take them out behind the woodshed and do away with them.

Epic.

Fabulous.

Take these away forever please.

My great love

2011-02-14T22:59:00.000-06:00

I spent Valentine's Day with my great love: food. Actually, I had a ton of chicken laying around so I took it out of the fridge last night and trolled the Interwebs for some chicken recipes. I tried two, which turned out pretty well since I didn't have all the ingredients for either one, and then the final recipe was a last minute improv that turned out excellent.

The first recipe was for chicken breasts stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese with a corn-meal breading. I had the tomatoes, but not the goat cheese, so i substituted feta. I also didn't have the white wine to cook with, so I substituted white wine vinegar. I'm sure these didn't turn out quite as the recipe maker had in mind, but they are good tasting none-the-less.

The second was spinach and cheese stuffed chicken. Again, I didn't have the right kind of cheese. I substituted cheddar for swiss, and I used fresh spinach instead of frozen. Light bread crumb breading worked out very well. Again, the dish turned out delish, and surprisingly light.

Finally, I had three breasts left over, so I tossed them in a pan, poured some light parmesan-oregano dressing over them and sprinkled the last half-jar of some roasted red peppers and let it bake at 450 for 40 minutes. This might be my favorite of all. The chicken turned out super juicy and flavored with the red peppers, so lightly sweet with the tang of the dressing. Very good. These will be perfect for salad lunches for the rest of the week.

Speaking of food, I tried out a new restaurant in the 'hood on Saturday night, and I wish I had and I hadn't. I arrived and knew something was up, even though I'd never been there before. It turns out that the place was having a Valentine's Day special before the holiday, which meant a limited, specialized menu that was on the gourmet side (with prices to boot) of three entrees...and that's it. Nice, but not really what I was looking for. I decided to stay anyway. I paid way too much money for chicken and potatoes that looked pretty on the plate, but were incredibly bland and boring. The roasted veggies were the best thing of the meal, with a flavor that I enjoyed but couldn't quite place.

Anyhoo, I think there were others who didn't appreciate the special holiday meal choices. There was an older couple that sat at the table next to me. The lady ooh'ed and aah'ed at the special menu, but her date didn't reciprocate. "I don't understand. All I want is a hamburger," said the gentleman. He wasn't interested in the roasted eggplant main course either. I could tell.

I'm not sure how their evening ended because I wanted to get out of there to study up for my class the next morning. Some times, love just wants a hamburger. Nothing fancy.

Dream: The snake bite no one cared about

2011-01-29T11:09:00.000-06:00

Had a dream last night that I was bitten by a cobra (it didn't look like a cobra) and I was demanding people take me to the hospital because I was going to die. Ah, the things I remember about my dreams

I encountered an extreme LACK of concern from everyone whom I asked for help -- friends, family, co-workers, strangers. So it seems like everyone in the whole world of my dream didn't really think the situation was life threatening. I got the impression everyone was humoring me. Jerks.
I distinctly remember chopping the body off the snake and carrying around the head in order to take it with me to the hospital, holding it between my forefinger and thumb. The goofy thing is the head kept biting me. The pain sensation in the dream was very real. The other goofy thing is I never let the head go out of fear that it would get away and bite me or someone else.
A firetruck came instead of an ambulance, but I never remember seeing an EMT come to help me. I just kept wondering around, asking for help, and I kept getting bitten over and over again.

Interpret how you like, but it's obvious that I'm stressed right now. I think I'd like to go back to my usual recurring dream when I'm stressed (the final exam in college that I didn't study for dream). This thing of getting bitten by a snake repeatedly is not as much fun as sweating out the ire of a disappointed professor and an empty exam paper.

Worth Seeing in the Theater: The Way Back

2011-01-22T11:55:00.003-06:00

An excellent film about the human desire for freedom and forgiveness. Film reviewers are complaining that this film is too long and plodding. Well, what did you expect a film about people walking 4,000 miles from Siberia to India to be like? Set in Stalin's Russia, six political prisoners, one criminal and one young woman trek through unforgiving natural extremes for one thing...to escape the oppression of Communism. A revealing (paraphrased) exchange:

"Most of the men won't survive the journey," says one character as plans are made to escape the gulag.

"Then they will die as free men," says the lead.

From the murderous cold of Siberia, to the deadly arid plains of the Gobi desert, the film tells the tale of what these characters WON'T do in order to survive, meaning fall prey to baser human desires. And maybe that's why people don't like this film. The depravity that is so common in films now days is implied to be the part of the communist captors, not the men who are fleeing their false imprisonment. Depravity appeals to the fallen human nature. This is a tale of humans triumphing over that nature, and it's starkness and simplicity makes it compelling.

And what is driving the lead character? Why is he desperately trying to reach the free world? Not revenge, but so he can forgive the one who sent him to prison.

It's an inspiring and touching tale, and I had to gulp in a couple of places to hold in my emotions. Case in point: after months of walking through the wooded landscape, the party stops at a stream to rest and the eldest character reveals his rotten, bloody, mottled feet. Without a word, the young woman takes up a cloth and washes them, bringing the man to tears.

Support this true story on film that reminds us just how oppressive and destructive Communism was, and the lengths that people went to escape it.

Thought for the day

2011-01-11T20:40:00.000-06:00

"We have enough people who tell it like it is -- now we could use a few who tell it like it could be."

I want to post on the date of 01-11-11

2011-01-11T20:36:00.001-06:00

Because it is a cool date.

End the madness with silence

2011-01-10T13:07:00.000-06:00

Want to be famous in America? Have little or no talent? Get a gun and shoot up some citizens, and maybe a politician, and you'll have instant fame.

I am ashamed of our media.

An idiot with a gun shoots up a grocery store in Arizona, hitting a congresswomen and several citizens, killing and maiming. What does the media do? They turn him into a celebrity. They publish his personal history, psychoanalyze his past, interview his associates, put his family on display, highlight his communication to the world.

Do you realize that this is exactly what this sicko desires?

I was listening to a local morning radio show and the breathless, brainless host said, "Go to our website now. We've posted links to all of his YouTube videos!"

You, sir, are an idiot.

I turned the dial in disgust to another morning radio show where the host was talking about the victims of the attack in Arizona and the heroes who subdued the fiend. The host said, "I will not mention his [the attacker's] name. His name will not be spoken on this show."

I cheered.And I continued to listen.

Let the names of the monsters who attack their fellow citizens due to their deranged beliefs be removed from public record. If they live, let them be dumped into a dark locked corner of the world, removed from the society that they rejected, visited only by ministers concerned for their souls. If they die, let them be buried in unmarked graves. Let their manifestos go unread, their videos unwatched, and their photos hidden. Let their names never be spoken of again.

That's how to end their madness.

The Fanatic

2011-01-09T10:28:00.000-06:00

"Fanaticism is sticking true to my interpretation of my destiny instead of waiting for God to make it clear. The fanatical line is, 'Do something.' The test of faith lies in not doing."

-- Oswald Chambers

New Year Greetings and Blessings

2011-01-01T11:49:00.000-06:00

A happy new year to all!

(Confession time: I wanted to post because the date is neato and I want it in my blog history that I blogged on 1-1-11.)

There's so much possibility wrapped up in the new year. I spent lunch yesterday with college friends, and so much of our conversation was focused on disappointments, rather than our accomplishments.

However, we have accomplished much, and should be reminded of that continuously. We've gone on trips to new places, progressed in our careers, made strides in our personal lives and goals, had our hearts broken and mended, realized new spiritual truths, and survived life in general.

We're a special group of women, and I'm so glad that we're alive, in love with God and making great strides in our separate but connected dramas.

I wish sincere hopes and blessings to everyone I know. May this new year of 2011 bring you success and love in the passions of your life, manageable conflicts and quick recoveries from mistakes, and a greater revelation of God and his amazing love for us.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."

-- 2 Thess. 3:16

Book or film? It's just not a contest.

2010-12-25T09:44:00.000-06:00

After seeing the latest Narnia movie, Voyages of the Dawn Treader, I've been thinking about the whole book versus movie debate. It's a debate that has raged since the invention of the moving picture. What's better? Film or book? Unfortunately, film doesn't stand a chance. It's a "chicken or the egg" issue really, since a majority of films come from books, and I can count on one hand the number of movies that are better than the books -- Jaws being an example that pops into mind. (That book is a downer.) The Harry Potter films also come to mind, mainly because they are so bad you know the books have to be better.

Great books tend to be great books exactly because they are books. They contain these intangible scenes that are almost impossible to recreate from the page to the stage.

Of course, there are plenty of examples of bad film translations of books, but a personal one for me is the Disney adaptation of Johnny Tremain -- a story set in the beginning of the Revolutionary War. This is one of my favorite books since I first read it in the pivotal fifth grade, and it still stands up today. I have a copy in my bookshelf. We watched it in class before a holiday break. I remember being so excited to see this movie since I loved the book so much.

You can imagine the result.

As I watched it, a realization made its slow, creeping advance on me just as as the filmstrip advanced through the projector. I didn't like Priscilla Lapham, the character that I resonated most with after Johnny, of course. Her portrayal was much too buoyant and beautiful to fit her status as the shy, plain, least-favored daughter of a poor Boston silversmith. The actress delivers Priscilla's lines with this ridiculous effervescence that irked me, even at age 10.

My disappointment reached a critical point in the movie during an early scene. In the book, Priscilla teases Johnny about his pride (one of the book's main themes) in front of her sisters and makes the comment that "when the meek inherit the earth, Johnny won't even get a divot of sod." The teasing provokes Johnny into an almost violent rage. It's a pivotal moment between them because Priscilla knows that she's gone too far and possibly damaged a relationship, and Johnny realizes that his pride is an easy target for intellects he (mistakenly) perceives are beneath him.

How does the movie interpret this scene? Johnny and Priscilla are alone in the silversmith shop and she says the dialogue in a moment of flirtatious glee. Johnny's response? He laps up her attention like a dog.

At this early point the movie lost me, and I remember the rest of it being a patriotic whitewash. Now, don't get me wrong. The book is patriotic, but it is unapologetic about the cost of freedom. The movie lacks this strong thematic center and instead adds in scenes like gathering around the Liberty tree and singing patriotic hymns. This scene also irked me because it wasn't in the book!

When the lights came up and the filmstrip was flapping around the spent reel, I remember feeling cheated and angry. I wanted my favorite book to be up on the screen, scene for scene, and give me the characters and interactions I loved. For some reason, I remember being angry at Disney. Maybe that was an early indicator that I wasn't a normal child. What ten-year-old gets mad at Disney?

I was too naive and young to know that movies just can't work that way, and that 200-plus page books faithfully adapted to the screen are rare enough to be considered improbable, if even possible.

Twenty years later, the movie seems to be in the dustbin of cinema history, and that the "stars" of the show all have gone on to B-list acting careers without achieving much fame. You can buy this movie on DVD, or for the less committed you can rent it from Blockbuster (but not Redbox).

I suggest that instead you pick up a copy of the book by Esther Forbes and enjoy it.

And more on the Dawn Treader movie later.

Merry Christmas to all

2010-12-25T08:09:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone in 2010! God's blessings to everyone, everywhere as He intended.

The end of the first year of the second decade of the new millennium is just upon us. Let's count our blessings and be glad!

A Mac trick that has made my morning!!

2010-10-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

Do you have a Mac? Do you use the column view in the Finder window? Are you annoyed to the point of ripping your hair out that you have to resize the column every time you use it because it is so narrow it cuts off the names of your files?

SOLUTION!!!

1. Open a Finder window and switch to column view.
2. Press your Option button down and then drag the column to the width you want.
3. Open a folder or new window and try column view again.

The width size is retained! Hoorah!! Praise Steve Jobs from the rooftops! One petty annoyance has been solved!!!

Thanks to Macrumors.com for this tip. It has made my morning!

Pig Pile: An unfortunate email list flub

2010-10-18T13:14:00.000-05:00

There's an unfortunate email list flub that's happening in my Inbox right now. A small-time local band promoter has an automated email list service that is on the fritz. For some reason, the list is sending out "Unsubscribe" requests to the entire list, instead of just the admin.

And, of course, every time one of these is sent out there's a chorus of "Don't send me your [blankety-blank] emails!", and then a chorus of "Your [colorful curse] email is going out to the whole list, dude." in reply. And the people whose ire is raised about the whole mess are sending out more Unsubscribe emails, and the entire cycle just starts again.

The cacaphony of emails is amusing. I do feel their frustration because it seems like the list manager has absolutely no clue what's going on and, since this has been happening for a week now, there seems to be no solution.

I have not added a message of my own mainly because:
1) the list manager has to be aware of the problem (he/she probably has friends who subscribe and have told him/her about the problem via a channel other than email)
2) the list manager is probably a non-techie who is paying for the lo-budget email marketing plan, and has as much idea on how to fix this as I do on how to dance the fox trot
3) the tech support for the lo-budget plan tech support probably has no such support, or is farmed out to a foreign country, or is horrifically slow, or starts the support session with "Have you restarted the computer?"
4) there is no point in adding my email to the pig pile where it will likely be deleted by an automated program rather than read by a human being.

This reminds me of the time when I was testing out the broadcast email feature on Microsoft Word, and accidentally sent an email out to my entire list of contacts (both corporate and personal from lives and jobs long-past). It was an awkward way to reconnect with people I hadn't contacted in years, including the fact that the subject of the email had absolutely nothing to do with most of them.

So, red-faced, I emailed everyone who replied a sheepish explanation of the error, a quick biography of the life in the last 12-months, and the half-hearted promise to get together with them some time in the future in the guise of a phone call, lunch meeting or personal contact other than the electronic variety.

Automation is so convenient, and so awkward when it breaks down. I feel for the manager of this email list, and I hope the error is found and corrected, but until then...

...UNSUBSCRIBE ME!!!

Nature is not always graceful

2010-10-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Why I laugh? See below.

Efficiency is overrated.

2010-10-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

So says this blog post:

"Chris Guillebeau over at Psychology Today has discovered that efficiency can be really overrated and finding an adventure really where you're better off."

It says there are times where you should reject practicality for something a little radical, or maybe a lot radical.

"In learning to embrace change, we create the possibility of adventure. Part of adventure involves letting go of the attempt to live the most optimal life. Instead, do whatever you can to live the most meaningful life."

If money were no object, what would I do with tomorrow, the next week, the next year of my life? An intriguing question.

Feeling Clutzy

2010-09-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

Feeling clutzy today.

Bought some salsa and was trying for the life of me to open the jar. I grabbed my handy-dandy jar opener, but all the cranking in the world did nothing. I smacked the bottom of the jar with the heel of my hand and tried to open it again with just my hands. Now, imagine one of those trick peanut jars with spring-loaded snakes inside going off, but instead the snakes are made of chipotle garlic salsa. Delicious, delicious snakes.

Anywho, I wound up with salsa all over the stove, two baking sheets, the floor, the coffeemaker, my left sleeve, the spoonrest and a bit on the wall. Messy. I kind of stood there stupidly, looking at the mess, and the first thought in my head is, I should take a picture of this. Then I lamented the cleanup job it would take to mop it all up. And then I weighed the possibility of letting the mess sit. No dice.

Seven paper towels, one washcloth and one mop job later, the kitchen has been restored to order and I started on the last half of the salsa. And I can't find the lid for the life of me. It's in the picture, but where is it now? Conspiracy.

The clutziness continues.

I am enjoying a nice fire in the fireplace, staving off the need to start the furnace this early in the season. I want to roll the ashes so I open the door and reach for the poker. Instead, my hand bumps the poker, which tips the heavy metal object over so it strikes my violin, knocking the bridge completely off, scratching the wood above the right f-hole and gouging the feet of the fine tuners into the wood beneath the tailpiece. Could have been much worse, of course.

Of course, my expensive violin is the one that gets slightly damaged. The cheapie violin that's worth nothing was sitting right next to the expensive one, but the cheapie one is unscathed. Fate is a music-hater.

I need to go to be before something worse happens. Next thing you know the house will burn down, or something. (I just knocked on wood...violin wood.)

On The Case

2010-08-29T17:28:00.000-05:00

The video below was inspired by a photo and a song. First, this photo was taken of my two nephews, Gee and Jay, and they look like two guys ready to take on the world.

And then the song. When I heard it for the first time, it was on another YouTube video. It is "Junior Kickstart" by the Go Team!, a group that uses 70's TV show tunes, peppy music and schoolyard chants. Anyway, I heard this song and thought that making a "buddy cop"-type video using footage of my nephews would be fun. And the result is "On the Case" a bit of fun that I hope you enjoy.

I make the best popcorn in the world

2010-08-28T16:58:00.000-05:00

Well, no I don't. The best popcorn I've had was this last July at the cabin. My cousin Eric and his wife Becky erected a camp stove setup and popped a mess of popcorn over that stove that was some of the best I've ever had in my life.

I make the second-best popcorn; the stuff I get out of my microwave comes a very close second, and it puts all those bagged popcorn brands to shame. I'm now spoiled. I don't want to make or buy bagged corn anymore. I love the stuff I make too much.

The best popcorn in the world requires, of course, specific ingredients. Start with the popper. I have a Nordic Ware popcorn bowl, the beige one with a clear plastic lid. The bowl has some heft to it, and it is becoming "seasoned" with popcorns popped from years past. Strange note though: one night I placed the lid on the bowl incorrectly, and the lid warped and the popcorn burnt, badly. This has made me a little anal when I place the bowl in the 'wave these days. I don't want another session of, "The microwave is going to explode!" with the smoke and the smells and the panicking.

Second, the oil. You can make up popcorn in the bowl without oil or butter and get a perfectly good portion of "air-popped" popcorn. I do like to use oil for my popping pleasure. I use extra virgin olive oil and I like the taste of the result. Nothing fake-tasting or heavy about it.

Third, the corn. I've tried yellow, white, and the expensive black kernels and after several taste tests I have found that white corn is my favorite. Yellow corn is chewy and tough. The black corn pops up too small, has a poor yield, and is a bit too airy for my tastes. Not enough crunch. White corn is big, fluffy, yields a lot for 1/3 cup scoop, and has a satisfying snap when eaten. Alas, white corn is getting harder to find these days and it's priced about 50 cents to a dollar more than yellow. But it is worth it.

Fourth, the salt. This will sound pretentious but I have discovered that salt matters. Right now, I'm using Himalayan (seriously) pink salt crystals from Trader Joe's in a convenient grinder. This salt is fantastic. It grinds very fine so you aren't left with large salt deposits on your fingers while you're eating. It also has a understated flavor that goes well with the corn and the oil. Also, the taste melts away in your mouth, instead of lingering and making you thirsty. There's nothing wrong with dumping a good old fashioned shaker of Morton's over your corn, but I think it is good to know that even salt has its range of options, and that they do taste distinct from each other.

Fifth, the serving bowl. Yes, I have a specific bowl designated as the popcorn bowl and I don't put anything else in this bowl except popcorn. For some reason, having popcorn out of this bowl is satisfying, and adds to the experience.

"Add-ons" are possible. If simple salt won't do, then I suggest herbs and spices. I'm not a butter fan, so leave it in the butter dish and try sprinkling on half a packet of taco seasoning, straight out of the envelope. I've tried mesquite and hickory BBQ rubs on popcorn with okay results. I've also tried dill and rosemary on popcorn, with satisfying results. I don't recommend mixing the two though. There's a Taco Lime flavor I like from Mrs. Dash, but too much can ruin an entire bowl. I've also tried cinnamon and sugar, but I'm not a huge fan of the sugary stuff.

When you add seasoning, technique matters. As soon as the corn is popped, dump it into your popcorn bowl. Don't eat it from the popper because the bottom kernels get oily and oily popcorn is chewy popcorn. Add your spice or salt immediately while the corn is still warm and shake three or four times to mix. Over seasoning can ruin an entire bowl. Act like a chef or baker and be precise with spice. Use a measuring spoon when you experiment with spice, and get the right proportion down in order to enjoy the flavor the next time you pop.

I store my unpopped kernels in an airtight container in the cupboard. I've heard refrigerating the kernels is a good idea, but I never experienced any difference between the chilled and non-chilled corn. I also read on the Internet that adding water to your corn will increase size when popped. I added water, and I wound up with a bunch of sprouting corn kernels. I should have popped them to see what would happen, but I wasn't that brave. I dumped the crop of tailed mutants into the trash.

I've tried adding seasoning to pre-popped popcorn, thinking that that is how it comes in the microwave bags. Those attempts were mediocre and usually just made a mess of my Nordic Ware bowl. I've also had some major failures, like trying to pop corn in corn syrup or caramel. Doesn't work. Everything just burns.

That's my popcorn opinion. While writing this I polished off another bowl of perfect popcorn, and I might have another later. I can't think of any other satisfying snack in the world. Enjoy!

Thoughts I wish I'd thunk first - Pixar & Toy Story 3

2010-07-17T15:48:00.000-05:00

A post from Libertas blog:

"Pixar stands athwart the cynical, noisy, sexualized nonsense of the mall culture, and says, effectively, “None of this is necessary.”

"Toy Story 3 is steeped in heart and soul and memory, with time itself – as in all the greatest works – somehow the nemesis."

"Pixar has no patience with touchy-feely delusions about human nature....With the gang now headed toward a demonic abyss of fire, Woody points Lotso toward a big red stop button. Woody assumes, just as we assume, that Lotso, having been touched by the magic wand of love, is now a good guy. But no! Without the least hesitation, Lotso sends the whole gang into the fiery maw of hell (rescue arrives from other quarters). The point seems to be that some people really are evil and we had best take their evil seriously."

From childhood dreams to reality.

2010-07-11T16:37:00.001-05:00

Who ever thought a truck could be a celebrity?

(For some reason, this embedded video just doesn't want to work. Click on the YouTube window to view it.)

More gems from Chambers

2010-06-10T08:23:00.001-05:00

I'm writing these down because I want to remember them. From "My Utmost for his Highest" entry for June 10:

"...it is a humbling business to knock at God's door..."
"Are you thirsty, or smugly indifferent - so satisfied with your experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a gateway, not an end."
"The more you realize yourself the less will you seek God."
"There is no strand of self-pity left, but a heartbreaking affliction of amazement to find you are the kind of person that you are."

Obama Administration celebrates Earth Day - by creating a load of pollution

2010-04-24T07:54:00.000-05:00

Read this post. It's hilarious.

The hypocrisy is monumental, almost to Al Gore-levels of nonsense.

As usual, leftist ideals are given lip service, but not practiced. Modern-day pharisees.

Good word from Oswald for today

2010-04-24T07:42:00.002-05:00

"Our work begins where God's grace has laid the foundation; we are not to save souls, but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God's sovereign grace; our work as His disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God. One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit."

My Utmost for His Highest

The trial of going blond, or at least blonder, hopefully

2010-04-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

Going blond, or at least a little more blond, for the summer. (Blond jokes, ahoy!) It's been a while since I've used permanent hair color on myself, mainly because I can't stand the stuff.

I just *love* those "excellence" commercials with Andie McDowell on them. She looks angelic, as usual, with her hair all wrapped up in a foamy bouquet on top of her head as the dye does its magic in her chocolate brown curls.

I don't look angelic. I'm squinting because the foam burns my scalp, and I stink like I've eaten a bowl full of ammonia stew. My forehead itches, but I don't want to scratch and break the skin in such close proximity to the chemicals. And enduring the stink for 30 minutes isn't much fun.

15 minutes in...

...it feels like a giant hand is gripping the crowd of my head and squeezing. Is that normal? Eyes burning. Man, I should just get this professionally done. I'm an idiot.

30 minutes and we're done...

...um, not that impressive. And my stupid gray hairs above my forehead are still visible. These are like, the gray hairs that will not die. No matter what I do to them, they shine on.

Lots of stuff happened on this day in history

2010-04-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Abraham Lincoln died of his wounds suffered the day before. The Titanic sank. Leonardo di Vinci was born. See what else Wikipedia has to offer...

Lark News has Christian satire on the nose.

2010-04-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

Enjoy these headlines with me, will you?

NASA upset at astronaut's "prayer walks"
Pastor's blog just recycled sermons
Christian radio found to be on continuous loop for past 20 years
Youth group votes down fauxhawk
Anti-christ watch group names Schwarzenegger top contender

There's so much more at www.larknews.com. I laughed so much at some of these my stomach hurts.

No such thing as a moral holiday

2010-04-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

From Oswald Chambers (www.myutmost.org):

"You no more need a holiday from spiritual concentration than your heart needs a holiday from beating. You cannot have a moral holiday and remain moral, nor can you have a spiritual holiday and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and this means that you have to watch to keep yourself fit. It takes a tremendous amount of time."

Our relationship with God requires our entire lives and our entire selves.

I fear that I am not up to the task. I fail so often and so repeatedly. I love God because he loves me first. I also love God because he is so patient. I need forgiveness daily for believing I can have moral holidays.

There are no "mardi gras" in the Christian life.

Leader got lost

2010-04-15T09:23:00.001-05:00

I used to own a device that would sync up with my computer and coordinate my schedule and calendar. It let me view Word docs and PDFs and I could download maps from the internet onto it for use in my car.

There was a huge website where I downloaded free or purchased "apps" for all kinds of things, from games to work apps to diet trackers. I had an MP3 player program on it to listen to music. I could download news and movie reviews and dictionaries onto it. At one point in time, I had the entire New Testament on the thing for easy reference. With the 512MB card slot, I had lots of memory to spare for music, or even use as a portable hard drive.

What was this device? Not an iPhone. Not a Droid.

It was a Palm Pilot Zire Z31. Granted, it didn't have WiFi and it couldn't make phone calls, but it had the whole "app" concept up and running circa 2002. I loved using that thing. I had every appointment, contact and internet password at my fingertips, and I used it everyday.

So Palm, what the heck happened? How could you have the entire business model down seven years ago, and then bungle it and lose it in seven short years? Why did you let Apple snatch it away from you, repackage it, and make it so much better. And what were you thinking with those creepy naked chick commercials?

And, more importantly to me, what happened it my Palm Zire? Well, Windows Vista came along and Office 2007, which no longer synced with my device. I scoured the internet for some kind of software fix, but my posts on tech forums were ignored. None of the fixes I found worked, and so the Zire became a brick. It was useless to me because it couldn't keep up with my schedule. I haven't used it since.

It's a bummer, because that thing was pretty cool. And what a bummer for Palm, the leader who got lost.

There's lightning on Saturn

2010-04-14T21:27:00.001-05:00

Wired.com reports that, for the first time, we have video evidence of extra-terrestrial lightening. The video on the site shows lightning flashes from a storm that is currently 1,900 miles across.

All this to say, I'm disappointed that the federal government has decided to gut NASA and essentially take the U.S. out of the space race. The Wall Street Journal, in a poorly written summary article, says that Obama wants to turn manned spaceflight over to private enterprise, something which I find highly dubious. The man is working as hard as he can to take over the private sector, and suddenly he's turning spaceflight over to private industry? Color me not convinced.

It is a shame that this national point of pride, which we have dominated for 50 years, is now going to go by the wayside.

It is a shame, really.

To my hero

2010-04-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

To my hero, Jesus Christ, who died in my place, who suffered all the punishments I deserve, so I can experience the true happiness and joy of being a child and heir of God. I deserve none of his grace and goodness, but he gives it to me anyway and asks me to be a hero like him.

Lord, thank you for being my savior and my hero.

****

"All heroes are imitators of Christ." -- John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

****

Jesus the Heroic in the face of the mob -- John 18

Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?"
And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)
Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Jesus the Heroic, in the court of a corrupt ruler - John 18

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Jesus the Heroic, facing death - John 19

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle...

...Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Facial Explanations

2010-03-22T20:25:00.000-05:00

I got hurt this week and had a visible wound. I considered putting a bandage over my stitches, but it looked even weirder so I decided against it. However, I didn't want the look of it to upset my nieces and nephews. My nieces are old enough to take it in stride, but the nephews are younger and I didn't want my stitches to worry them. And so here are a few anecdotes on my attempts to soothe their concerns.

Tuesday: The injury occurs and leaves me with a small bruise under my nose and four stitches above my lip.

Wednesday: At church I visit my nephews in the church nursery. They look over my wound and I tell them that I have a little caterpillar on my face. They accept this explanation with curious stolen glances. My niece calls me and leaves a voicemail, asking to speak to the caterpillar.

Thursday: Little nephew Jay calls me at work and asks me, "Are you okay, Suzy?" Awwww.

Friday: At niece's piano recital. Nephew Gee looks over my face, wrinkles his nose and says in a serious tone, "You still have that bug on your face." Niece Cece tells me that my face looks gross. She takes several pictures of it with my camera. At the end of the recital we name the caterpillar Gus. At 9:30 p.m. Cece calls my cell phone and leaves me a message asking to speak to Gus.

Sunday: My dad gets me a new knife for the kitchen, a gigantic foam one.

A Night Without Grace (subtitle: How I bashed my face in on Tuesday)

2010-03-17T22:42:00.005-05:00

"Life is dangerous." That's what they always say on a local radio talk show. At any moment, circumstances can change and take a rather bizarre turn. That's what happened at my house on Tuesday evening when I got home from work.

To preface this, if you are a fan of "The Simpsons" I ask you to turn your memory back to the episode titled "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" and the sequence at the end involving the French waiter's near-demise, bouncing around the kitchen like a ping-pong ball into various pain-inducing traps. (I tried to find YouTube video of it to link here, but no luck; you'll have to dig into your DVD collection or vague memory to recall it.) When I think of how I must have looked when all this happened, I think of that scene and envision myself in the waiter role. (I however don't pronounce 'chowder' like 'show-dere'.)

I got home from work at about 6:30 p.m., turned the TV on and started to make dinner. I was going to have a meal of potstickers and salad and took everything out of the fridge for prep. I put the frozen dumplings on my George Foreman grill and started it up. I set the timer for ten minutes to give me crispy dumpling goodness. I then took out the spinach and couscous for the salad. The spinach leaves were fresh from the supermarket and rather large so I got out the cutting board and knife and started chopping them up.

In the blink of an eye I slashed through a bunch of spinach and clipped the tip of my left thumb, slicing through the nail. Ouch. It was bleeding quite a bit so I grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it up. I examined the wound and noticed the injury wasn't just a cut, but a little bit of the tip of my thumb was actually sliced off. It was at that moment that I felt a little light-headed. I internally teased myself about fainting at the sight of blood, but the feeling didn't go away. I went into the living room to sit down, but I rapidly started to feel worse. A deep wave of nausea flooded over me, fast and furious, and I was shocked at how bad I felt in so short a time.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a pan to catch the vomit I thought was sure to come. I went back to the chair and sat down again.

Now the rest is a bit of a blur, and the best I can recollect.

I don't know why I got up again, but I must have stood and started to walk toward the TV. My next memory is waking up lying on the floor. It was like waking up from sleep. I raised up to a crouching position on my hands and noticed that blood was dripping onto the floor from my face, and there was blood on the lenses of my glasses, which were laying on the carpet. My teeth hurt, as did my mouth. I looked at the TV and thought it was strange that it was now off, and ticked that I was missing "The Office". I took the paper towel from my thumb and wiped my face. I heard a beeping noise. It was the timer for the potstickers.

I put my bloody glasses on. My overwhelming desire was to keep the potstickers from burning, so I wandered into the kitchen.

(Aside: Why was I more concerned about not burning dinner than figuring out why I was waking up with a bloody face? Hmmm. Can I plead insanity here?)

I remember next waking up on the kitchen floor, drops of blood dripping onto the linoleum. I stood up and again my mind was fervently focused on not burning my dinner. I fumbled with the grill, realizing that I must have already turned it off. I turned off the timer, noticing that it had been beeping for over a minute.

And the next thing I remember is waking up on the carpet in the kitchen doorway. There were a couple drops of blood there as well. I still had the original paper towel with me with my thumb blood on it. I used that on my nose, wandered back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

I was sitting there for a couple of minutes, wiping up the blood and trying to collect my fuzzy thoughts. What had just happened? How did cutting my thumb suddenly turn into a blurring, patchy sequence of memories and a bloody face? I tried to put things together.

The first time I blacked out, I must have fallen over and landed on the TV table, landing first against my arm (big blue bruise on my bicep) and then on the right side of my face. I think that's why I didn't knock any of my teeth out -- the arm took the brunt of the fall.

I sat there, realizing what must have happened and thinking back to the last time in my life that I had blacked out. I was 12 or 13, watching my uncle, a veterinarian, do surgery on Rufus, the family dog. I had felt a little woozy when he starting pulling out bits of intestine and thought it best to leave the OR, and then promptly dropped to the floor right outside.

In the present, I noticed my left hand was coated in quite a bit of blood, and the paper towel had quite a bit on it too. I wasn't in much pain, but I felt a gash inside my mouth where I must have bitten my lip. I touched my hand to my face and felt a gash just under my nose, and fought the urge to touch my lip. I was afraid it might be split open. I didn't think I had the presence of mind to deal with that reality at that moment. Getting up to look in a mirror was also not an option.

Realizing how many times I had fallen down, I decided to stay put. I touched my face again, looked at the bloody towel and decided I should probably call someone. Calling 911 never crossed my mind. My mom and brother promptly showed up, saw the bloody scene, and decided I should go to the hospital. (Continued below.)

In the end, after a six-hour wait at the hospital waiting room with my mother, I finally got four stitches under my nose, a tetanus shot, and a cat scan to check for damage. My nose wasn't broken, thank goodness, just badly bruised and swollen, and I had no signs of a concussion.

After all of this, I'm so thankful that I didn't knock out any of my teeth, that I didn't have a concussion, and that I got that stupid tetanus shot out of the way. The stitches were painful, but I had experienced stitches like that when I was a kid and got bit in the face by a dog. The worst part of it is the anesthetic shots (3!) they put right into the wound. After that, the actual stitching wasn't too bad.

The doctor said there probably wouldn't be a scar. The triage nurse said there probably would be a scar. Who to believe? I don't know. I think I'm just resigned to adding another interesting feature to my face. Que Homer Simpson:

I'm sitting here on the couch now, typing this all out, with two aching arms, a swollen lip and nose, a cut up thumb, and thinking that it would be really funny to see myself falling over, and over, and over, so desperately trying to shut off that stupid grill. But it hurts to smile, so it's probably good that I won't see it. I will go to bed tonight, Advil PM singing me to sleep, and confident knowing that...

...I saved the dumplings.

Why is correct spelling important on the Internet and everywhere?

2010-03-16T12:07:00.000-05:00

One simple spelling error certainly gives unintended meaning to this recipe for Irish Soda Bread:

Step 5. Pour mixture into pain. Sprinkle with flour and with a sharp knife, cut an "X," or cross, across the top.

Ouch.

Want to save a girl's life? Oppose the "gendercide" of abortion

2010-03-14T16:36:00.001-05:00

It's a horrific, tragic irony that all the feminists out there who think they are "protecting" women's rights by supporting abortion are actually making sure there are entire generations of women will never be born to enjoy any kind of rights at all.

Read this article to learn more.

And then read this.

I just don't understand how anyone can be pro-choice, and I don't understand how any feminist can read news like this and still support it.

Adoption people! Thank you to all those out there who adopt, and thank you to those who have made the hard choice to give birth, and give a child up for adoption. You are all magnificent people.

What is usefulness?

2010-03-09T13:03:00.003-06:00

Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub,
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel,
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there,
Usefulness from what is not there.

What laptops are used for...

2010-02-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

It is so true.

Blue Sunday Debut

2010-02-10T12:28:00.001-06:00

Come to the debut of the blues band that my brother sings with. The name is Blue Sunday. Love it.

Feb. 20, 7 p.m. at Riverview Baptist Church.

Good stuff.

http://www.bluesundayband.com/

Wearing out music - Kandi

2010-01-30T11:48:00.005-06:00

Heard one of the saddest love songs ever on the radio last night.

"You've been my queen for longer than you know."

Kandi - by One Eskimo

"Don't want you to think that I'm running away."

The fickle woman, the broken-hearted man.

"Why did you need him? Where was I?"

Delicate acoustic, familiar riff, to go with the delicate situation.

"He called you 'baby' all night long."
"He called me 'baby' all night long."

This song makes me ache.

Life without a home.

2010-01-15T19:45:00.003-06:00

Life without a home. It's very hard to imagine. It's hard to think about not having my own bed, my own food, a comfortable and familiar place to sit, eat, work. To imagine not knowing where I'm going to sleep, bathe, eat, or relax, is a very frightening prospect for me. But it's a possibility for everyone and anyone.

My experience working in a homeless shelter last week was eye-opening. This was an excellent program (...in my experience; I know other volunteers had varied experiences) that helped families stay together. I stayed overnight twice last week. My duties were to make sure the place was locked down after bedtime, to keep things tidy, and then to get breakfast ready for our guests the next morning. This was not a difficult task and mainly involved putting out cereal, bowls, a toaster and some fruit.

The many families that stayed at the shelter seemed thankful for the warm place to stay, the food, and the attention we payed to their children. All were well-mannered and it was a joy to serve them.

The children, of course, were huge bundles of energy and joy. They played with the toys, with volunteers' cellphones and with each other. The first thing I saw and heard as I came in were the laughs and shouts of children running down the hallway. When I walked into the dining area a little girl slipped her hand in mine. She'd never met me before but we were instant friends. She wanted to read books together and she did most of the reading with help from me every once in a while. It reminded me of the orphanage in Jamaica, where you were nearly tackled by children wanting your attention.

Being homeless is not an easy life for the kids or adults. The kids woke up before 6 a.m. in order to catch a bus to take them to their school bus stops. They ate breakfast in a groggy way. Many were in danger of falling asleep in their cereal bowls! The adults were visibly tired, and it was hard for them to get comfortable in a place they couldn't call their own.

I couldn't feel any judgment for any one in this program, just a desire to help in whatever way I could. It was a great experience and I look forward to the chance to volunteer again.

Prepare for a creep-out

2010-01-09T13:19:00.004-06:00

If you want to have a good creep-out session, the visit this blog. It gave me goosebumps and shivers and made my skin crawl.

Looking at this, all I can think of are the many signs in socialist, communist and fascist countries of the past who have deified their leaders. It makes me very sad that this kind of worship is happening to our country, especially in praise of such a mediocre leader.

Hey all you supporters out there, are you really in favor of all this? When you see this stuff, do you think, 'Wow, that's cool.'?

Can you imagine any other contemporary leader of our nation depicted this way?

I'm getting icky shivers again.

Weather Report

2010-01-02T15:09:00.000-06:00

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I know its going to be a good new year already!!

2010-01-01T00:13:00.002-06:00

Okay, I already know 2010 is going to be a wonderful year.

Why?

Soundgarden is getting back together. Yes!! After 12 years, they're back!!

Harshing on the people

2009-12-30T10:56:00.003-06:00

"I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses,
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,"
declares the LORD.

Amos 4:10

I'm reading through Amos, and there's some hard stuff in there. This is probably one of the first books of the Bible you'd want to throw out if you were picking and choosing verses to supply the warm fuzzy genie God that we seem to want these days.

The end of this verse is a killer: "You did not return to me." Wow.

God says, I beat you down, I stole your stuff, I gave you disease, I killed off your younger generations so its doubtful your race will survive, I made your life a living hell and I rubbed it in your face. And you don't return to me. It's like God is saying, What is wrong with you? What does it take to get through to you? How much suffering will you endure until you repent and obey?

Verse 13 ends the chapter and it is awe-inspiring:

For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
and declares to man what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!

The God of the Universe is awe-inspiring. When evil happens to us, it is a sign for us to seek him desperately.

All the single ladies

2009-12-30T08:38:00.002-06:00

I went out with some friends of mine from college. We're all single ladies and we talked for nearly four hours. It was great. We were rather boisterous for the dimly-lit coffee shop we were at, but no one complained or told us to shut up, so good.

I had a raspberry chai that tasted like liquid cookie. Delicious!

There's nothing like long, fun conversations to make you feel warm and fuzzy. And the chai helps too.

International politics is easy

2009-12-29T12:28:00.004-06:00

Since this is the time for all those stupid lists of the previous year's events, here's another: the top 10 Obama foreign policy gaffs of the past year. There are a couple others missing as well, blunders both small and potentially earth-shattering (literally).

Come on, even you liberals can admit this is not a good start. It's as if Obama is surrounded by people who have no clue about the basics of international protocol. If they can't handle that, can this administration handle the big stuff? Hmmmm, if this list is any exmple then we're in for a dangerous three more years.

My most recent favorite website

2009-12-29T11:14:00.004-06:00

www.walletpop.com

It has a little bit of everything. Some financial news, marketing tidbits, bargain notices, financial and budget advice. The layout is simple enough that it's not tough to navigate and there aren't 20 million flashy ads to distract you.

They have an article, the 10 worst ads of the decade. This is a dubious list since the ads are all TV ads, and every ad appeared within the last couple of years. A decade might as well be 100 years ago in terms of an Internet editor's memory.

I've seen most of the ads except one or two that qualify in their minds as "worst" and while I agree that these aren't winners, there are certainly more heinous ones that come to mind (I'm talking to you, Burger King!).

Regardless, this is a neat site. Give it a go.

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T11:09:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to all relations, friends, acquaintances and strangers.

Thank you, Jesus, for coming into the world and saving us.

Thank you, parents, for life and for being role models.

Thank you, siblings, for your friendship.

Thank you, friends, for your grace.

Thank you, co-workers, for making me look good and putting up with me nine hours a day.

Thank you, boss, for keeping me around.

Thank you, pastor, for imparting truth.

Thank you to myself, for waiting for the haze to clear.

Let's wait for the future together through Christ, so we can know and be known.

Worthless Christmas Decorating Fact

2009-12-22T12:51:00.001-06:00

Did you know the Electric Christmas Light is 127 years old? Invented in 1882. Wow. Even those folks back then were wired.

So, so, so true!!

2009-12-19T12:23:00.001-06:00

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Thoughts on a Saturday

2009-12-19T11:43:00.003-06:00

I love this blog so much. It has a homey feel. It's probably the thing I've spent the most time on since I started becoming an Internet user. Facebook, schmacebook. Twitter, McSmitter. I love my blog.

I've linked up Facebook and Twitter to this blog in the hopes that my blog posts will become central to my internet life. I also probably gave away a ton of privacy to do all this linking, but oh well.

There is no such thing as privacy on the Internet. Cookies abound. I wonder why they call them cookies? Probably so we wouldn't clear them out of our browsers. Who wants to get rid of cookies? If they called them cankers they'd be so gone in seconds. Okay, enough Seinfeldian observations.

****

I'm already prepping for my New Years Resolutions. How about that for working ahead? I'm such a dork.

****

If you have an hour to kill and you are older than 18 and care at all about nerdy stuff, then you should watch these videos. http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/17/watch-this-70-minute-video-review-of-star-wars-the-phantom-menace/

This is rated R mainly due to language and some disturbing imagery that comes at you out of left field, but it is an interesting comparison, a film-appreciation 101 explanation, and some dark humor to boot.

In some places it succumbs to the weakest forms of humor -- sarcasm and ridicule -- but most of it is not only funny but pretty insightful into what makes a great story, and in turn a great movie. And I think it says a lot about what's wrong with movies these days.

The movie industry out recent figures saying that this was the most profitable year ever for movies. Don't believe it. The price of tickets have sky-rocketed, but the all-powerful BIS stat (Butts-In-Seats) says otherwise.

****

For some reason when I got home last night it felt extremely satisfying just to be in my livingroom. Maybe it was all the holiday decorating (I didn't do any decorating last real except a neglected Christmas tree that still gets its revenge by stabbing me with left over needles in the carpet). Maybe it was coming in from the cold to a warm, inviting place. But I really like my home. I need to find a way to afford it. Anyone need a place to live? I'm open to a roommate!

****

Whenever I read Christmas letters from family and friends, I'm amazed at the good writing that is in them. Compelling stories, good sentence structure, few spelling errors. Perhaps I'm just surrounded by good writers, but for some reason the latest crop of letters have been terrific. Keep it coming people.

****

About three weeks ago I went to the Louvre display at the local museum of art made by dead people and soon to be dead people. I love being the same room with things created by di Vinci and Michelangelo. It just seems almost magical to have that connection to the past. And to marvel at their craft.

Since I've been doing a lot of graphic design work lately rather than writing, I was interested to note that I viewed many of these works with a perspective that wasn't familiar. I found myself paying attention to details that I don't normally think of.

It's hard to articulate what that mindset or feeling was, but as I was trying to think about what was different, I realized I was viewing these pieces more from an artist's perspective, rather than for aesthetic value. Since I've been manipulating graphics on a daily basis, there's different kind of mindset you have when you go to a gallery like this. Again, I don't know how to describe it, but I could tell something was different in my perception, and it was weird to know that about myself.

****

Read the poem below. It was given to me during a leadership seminar a few years ago, and I've kept the piece of paper. It puts into words things I can't begin to express. Poetry is truly an amazing thing. When I read it again when I sat down at my desk I felt intimidated. I feel like art is so beyond me some times. How could I ever think that I could be an artist? Well, I suppose it is a lofty goal.

Foreseen in joy

2009-12-19T11:12:00.001-06:00

Whatever is foreseen in joy
Must be lived out from day to day
Vision held open in the dark
By our ten thousands days of work
Harvest will fill the barn; for that
The hand must ache, the face must sweat.

And yet no lead or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap
Great work is done while we're asleep.

When we work well, a Sabbath mood
Rests on our day, and finds it good.

--Wendell Berry

Unusual site on a Friday night

2009-11-14T22:57:00.003-06:00

Clarity.

I was driving over the High Bridge at 10:30 p.m., coming home from a party, and saw an unusual sight -- a cyclist riding a large unicycle up the bridge in the dark. It brought about so many questions to mind, but the actual sight was obvious. The cyclist was making his way home.

I deeply desire to be able to articulate myself so much better when I talk about what I believe. I want to be able to say things that cut to the quick, and are sound in both theology and logic, but I fear I come off as shallow.

I wish I had the knowledge to convict and convince. I want to speak eloquently, but also without pretension or hubris. I don't think I have that talent, but I admire it greatly.

I want to be clear. I desire understanding unhindered by pride and motivated by altruistic conviction. I don't want to rub other people's noses in my perspective, I just want clarity.

As clear as the bike lane up the High Bridge late on a rainy Saturday night, in front of a unicycle.

Talks me out of it

2009-11-13T18:45:00.002-06:00

Got a haircut today. Went to the same stylist I've been going to for about five years. That isn't saying much because I only get haircuts once a quarter, if that. I'm like a man that way. Not very womanly.

Anyhoo, I bought one of those haircut magazines. I went through and marked the ones I like and the ones I thought would be realistic. And I clipped something that I kind of liked but not really. I thought I could talk the stylist through to make it work for me.

It was a modern style, kind of daring. I went to the salon, and saw my stylist and told her what I wanted, and she talked me out of it. She wanted to try something else and said it would be good. And she was right. I think she's talked me out of a lot of bad hairstyles.

I gave her a big tip.

Not one for the scrapbook

2009-11-03T22:39:00.003-06:00

I hate self-pity. It's self-indulgent. All I want to say is that this is not a birthday that will go in the scrapbook.

I would say that being sick on your birthday certainly is an excuse to lay around, but no one wants to say the next morning at work that they spent their birthday on the couch. Hacking cough, ringing ears, pain in the chest, sore throat. Alone, in my livingroom, covered by my stinky, pilled comforter, nose dripping, face breaking out for some reason.

Had dinner at a restaurant that I didn't want to go to. Just watched a DVD TV show that didn't live up to my expectations.

Candles and birthdays go together. Lit a bunch of candles, thinking it would make things more special. Partly right. Candlelight is beautiful, but not when pitying yourself.

Sitting here, wondering where I'm going wrong at work and what I can do to do better.

Enough.

Friday thoughts on snow, movies and junk

2009-10-23T17:04:00.003-05:00

I can't believe there is a pile of snow in my backyard that has decimated my peony plants. They have been crushed under the weight of the snow...in October. October 23rd to be exact. In honor of there being snow so early I think my faint SAD is going to turn into full SAD. I'm not sure what to do about this. I have increased the number of lamps in my home in order to bring the light level up, but I fear that this constant grayness is going to lead to some dark days ahead.

Keep thinking happy thoughts. Sunshine. Rainbows. Summer...which is only another ten months away. Oh crap.

******

Blockbuster has two strikes with me. I'm paying for the monthly home service, but I'm really getting annoyed with them. It used to be that I could return one movie and have another in my mailbox within 28 hours. Now, I stick a movie in the mailbox on Monday and I don't get another until Friday. That isn't good enough, and it certainly doesn't justify the 13 bucks a month. And now, they just sent me the movie that I sent back on Monday.

Two strikes, folks. I'm going to email and complain about this, and hopefully things will get better.

If not, then hello Netflicks.

******

Got my licensed renewed today. To my surprise I didn't have to wait in line. No one was even in front of me at the counter at the SSP DMV. Nice. Things went well. I paid the fee. There was some drama during the eye test though, because my hair and glasses were blocking the little lights in the peripheral vision test, and I suddenly felt a bit concerned about passing it. The lady told me to take my glasses off, and then I saw it fine. Phew!

I was not prepared for the picture, although I did practice smiling in my rear view mirror on the way there. I was wearing my jacket, scarf and had just pulled my hair out of a ponytail. This will not be good. I'll find out in 10 days I guess.

Watch the Twilight Zone - all of it.

2009-09-26T20:35:00.001-05:00

Tripping Banality - Part 3

2009-09-22T13:16:00.007-05:00

Tuesday - Oh, the banality.

4:33 a.m. - I awake thinking my cell phone alarm sounds really weird. I look at the clock and see the time. Then I hear someone talking. A recorded voice is telling me an alarm has been tripped in the building. The alarm voice tells me to wait for instructions. I wait. The alarm and voice repeats itself several times. I get up and peek into the hallway. Empty. I get back into bed. I wait for instructions. No instructions come. After five minutes, the alarm turns off. No instructions. I go back to sleep.

6:30 - Cell phone alarm goes off. Hit snooze.

6:50 - Get up and shower.

7:25 - Walk to conference area. Forgot my name tag. Crap. Go back to get it later. Have a hard time walking in my heels on stupid cobblestone flooring in main eating block. Vow to do something about it.

7:30 - Conference session. Major info dump, but all good stuff. I take notes and jot down some ideas. We need to try some new things.

10:15 - Break time before breakout session. I hobble back to my room. Check email, grab name tag. Grab flipflops and stuff heels into laptop bag. I don't want to fall down on those stupid stones. Ride up conference center escalator and put heels back on. Gah.

11:00 - Keynote speaker. Interesting. High energy. Good message. Glad I went back to get my name tag or would I have felt stupid!

12:45 - Lunch. Tortellini salad? No. Wild rice? No. Au Gratin potatoes? No. I stick with the veggies and meat. Sit with the other young people and chat about insurance. Pretty Young Thing next to me knows she's all that and a bag of chips. Friendly conversation. The Canadian Fraternal guy is quiet and out-of-place here, like lots of us. He's friendly.

1:30 - I decide to splurge and have a piece of cheesecake. Oh gosh. Yum.

1:55 - Finished cheesecake, drinking water and chatting with Pretty Young Thing. Keynote speaker comes over. Sits and chats with us. Very friendly guy, but of course that's his business. Casual cursing. Put on flipflops and walk back to room with Pretty Young Thing, feeling super full. She criticizes my timing to switch shoes. Yes, I should have waited until we were by the escalator. Last time I will talk to her the whole trip.

2:15 - Another panel discussion. Again, presenting quality varies, but it's all right. Breakout sessions start, and no one shows up to the session. Bummer. Speaker walks out, bummed. I go to other session and listen in. Not much to say.

3:30 - Another breakout session. I skip it and instead hang out with co-worker chatting with session speaker. He says people will never use the Internet to buy insurance. I say nothing.

5:00 - Sessions over for the day. Co-worker and I agree to meet in lobby at 6:30 for dinner. Up to room. Check mail. Research places to eat nearby. I want to get out of this hotel! Read. Watch TV. Beautiful room to be bored in.

6:30 - Dinner time. Jump into cab and head to "historic" St. Charles. Wander street searching for place to eat. Stop outside Rumples Pub and lady sitting on the bench says they have great burgers. We go in and sit in the window seat. Order fried oysters appetizer as two young guys set up instruments at the back of the place. Order "Franken Burger" and side salad. Oysters are good, but not terrific. Salad is blah, but veggies are veggies. Burgers arrive and young guys start singing in the back. Music is okay, but makes it difficult to continue our conversation. Burgers arrive and are terrific. Mine is spicy and juicy. Can only eat half. I box it up and we head outside.

8:30 - Everything in "historic" St. Charles is closed up except the eateries, which are nearly empty. What else do you expect on a Tuesday night? Call for a cab and head back to hotel.

9:30 - Gym is empty again. Yes. Treadmill time. Listen to iPod. Fireplaces out in pool area are burning brightly. Surprising that few people are out there enjoying the place. Very beautiful.

11:30 - Time to sleep.

Tripping Banality - Part 2

2009-09-21T23:34:00.000-05:00

Warning, more trip banality below!

Monday

7:05 a.m. - Wake an hour late. Alarm didn't go off. Need to figure out how it actually works. It's an iPod alarm clock so I plugged it in, but my iPod said, "No dice." and didn't go off. No big deal because I've got nothing to really do until noon.

7:30 - Down to the gym. Lady on the treadmill is singing to herself. She has a nice voice. Walk on treadmill. Teenagers come in, lift a couple of dumbbells, run too fast on the treadmill, leave after six minutes. That's exactly what I would have done as a teenager. Walk for 30 minutes.

8:05 - Shower in fancy shmancy shower.

9:00 - Walk to Walgreens listening to Allister Begg. Buy juice, cheese stick, eyeshadow. Wander mall. Too early for anything to be open, and not much there to begin with. Eat cheese. Walk back to hotel.

9:30 - Snag a chair in the pool area and read my book. Depressing story, but illuminating.

10:00 - Check work email. Complaint email from customer received that's just this side of ridiculous. Hmmm. Interesting. The snappy part of me wants to write a sarcastic response along the lines of: "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?!"

11:00 - Go downstairs to find a decent cup of coffee. The hotel "bakery" serves Starbucks. It'll do. Still getting used to cigarette smoke indoors. It's been so long.

11:30 - Drink coffee, surf 'net and watch Star Trek: Enterprise. Remember why I hate this show. Turn to costume drama. Not much better. Glenn Close is really pugugly.

11:50 - Time to get dressed and register for conference. Lunch? Not really hungry. We'll see.

12:15 - Check in and wandered around. Mostly old white men in suits. Take a seat next to co-worker. Still mostly old white men in suits. My co-worker feels underdressed. Glad I decided to bring mostly work clothes.

1:00 - Attend opening session. Very good presentation. Taking notes on the parts I liked for my own presentation in October. Relevant. Real world examples and metaphors. Relaxed energy. Inspiring. I take lots of notes. Second presentation is the exact opposite. High energy with absolutely no substance and tons of generalities. And he gets paid to do this elsewhere? The entire powerpoint essentially said, "Communication is telling someone what you know, and other people won't know what you know unless you communicate." Genius!! Cut that man a check! I'm filling my notepad with notes on projects back in the office.

3:00 - Break with warm soft pretzels and mini glass bottles of Diet Coke. When was the last time I drank Diet Coke out of a glass bottle? Probably never.

3:15 - Breakout session with like-minded others. Good chatter, but we barely get going when it's time to be done.

4:00 - Panel discussion. Bad presenter guy is back and adds more worthless generalities to the mix. He could buy and sell my butt a thousand times over. He's that great a sales guy, but communication? Nope, nope, nope. Makes awkward jokes and laughs at inappropriate times. I feel uncomfortable for him. Panel ends. Another presenter adjourns session and tells all assembled to dress more casually tomorrow. Wish I could.

5:00 - Small reception with bar and those tall, unbalanced tables that you stand at. Ours pitches back and forth like a drunken sailor. Yummy little food selection. Brie! and fruit, more shrimp, little salami. Chat it up with other frats. Older woman next to me rips apart shrimp with her fingers and eats it in pieces. Weird. Make dinner plans.

6:30 - Meet the other frat folks down in the lobby and we go to the hotel sports bar and restaurant, mainly because everything else but the buffet is closed and no one really knows where else to go, and we aren't interested in piling the four of us into a cab. Mondays! Others get fajitas and ribs. I get shrimp pizza. What's with me and shrimp on this trip? Not sure. "Individual" pizza is gigantic and I still have half of it left over. Way full. Cold shrimp pizza for breakfast tomorrow? Sounds like a plan.

8:30 - Check work email. Nothing important. Spend two bucks on a 20 oz. Diet Coke. It better last me. Started watching Ghosttown in the middle. Funny. I like Tea Leoni. Need to put it in my queue so I can see from the beginning and it will make sense. Still really full.

10:00 - Head down to gym and find it empty. Yay. I hate getting sweaty in front of other people. Hop on recumbent bike. Run for a bit on the treadmill.

10:40 - Go back to room and shower. Tired. Hear a kid yell out in the hallway.

11:30 - Crap. Once Upon a Time In Mexico is starting. I cannot watch this. It is too late and I'll be up for hours. Time to sleep.

Tripping Banality - Part 1

2009-09-20T23:59:00.002-05:00

Warning! Banality ahead, in detail!

Sunday

5:00 p.m. - Arrive and check in at hotel. Marvel. Lots of fancy lights. Go to my room. Swanky. Marvel.

6:00 - Meet coworker for dinner. Buffet. Yikes. Eat salad, shrimp, fried rice, salmon, crab, and strawberries. Full.

8:00 - Wander through the casino. Amazed at the garishness, and the robotic way people press the buttons on the machines and stare. Card tables are a bit more lively, but still feel no desire to take part. Wander around a bit more. Go back to room. Head back downstairs and trade room keys to coworker. Our cards were switched at dinner. Whoops. Back to room.

9:30 - Check out gym. Empty. Good. Hop on treadmill. Notice recumbent bike. Want to buy one for myself so I try it out for 10 minutes. Nice. Back on treadmill.

10:00 - Hop into fancy tub for warm bath. Read book. Sad story of self-destruction. Think about my own struggles.

10:30 - Email and internet check. Worried about security on the open wifi network. Oh well.

11:00 - Watch Mission Impossible three. Remember why I dislike this movie. It has J.J. Abrams' style all over it, especially the montage when he drops out the sound in favor of ambient music to make the moment all the more SO POIGNANT! Works in Lost, not in anything else.

12:00 - Sleep

The never ending fount of media hyposcrisy

2009-09-01T12:48:00.002-05:00

I'm going to say something that is hard for me to say:

Cindy Sheehan has more integrity and legitimacy than the majority of news outlets in this country.

Why would I say that? Because that left-wing, 15-seconds-of-fame war protester is still protesting against the war, while the media have moved on. She isn't targeting Bush anymore, but the current administration. And since that's just not acceptable to them, they have moved on and cast her aside.

Read more here.

Their hypocrisy is pathetic.

Glorious, violent birthday party

2009-08-31T12:29:00.003-05:00

My nephew's fourth birthday party was yesterday. Being the playful young whippersnapper that he is, he received several presents of the weapon variety. They included:

a foam ball shooter
a play bow and arrow set
another bow and arrow set by Nerf
a set of Nerf swords

Now, we can't open these presents and just let them sit around, especially on a gorgeous, crisp day like yesterday, so the weapons were brought to the backyard and chaos ensued.

Many mighty battles were fought and won. Many children were shot in the face by foam arrows. Many pretend wounds were sustained, limbs slashed, and play-death was rampant! Advances and retreats! Age was not important. All fought and fell.

I have some funny video that I will post later.

Ah, violence. The great uniter!

My new motto

2009-08-31T12:28:00.003-05:00

I don't remember where I saw this, but I think it's the new motto for my life:

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

The Purpose

2009-08-28T06:20:00.001-05:00

"We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself."

-- Oswald Chambers

My new favorite movie reviewer.

2009-08-15T11:29:00.002-05:00

My new favorite movie reviewer. Tio Chano is a shuttered old guy who lives with his nephew's family in LA. He borrows the family car once in a while to see movies. He then gives his review, and usually finds some poignant political angle to throw in as well.

I love the accent.

Breakfast on earth before the moon

2009-07-16T06:09:00.003-05:00

What did the astronauts of Apollo 11 eat for their last breakfast on earth before they headed off to the moon?

You guessed it: steak and eggs.

God bless America.

We Choose the Moon - Blasts Off Today!

Testimony: God provides

2009-07-15T08:27:00.002-05:00

When I feel like God has blessed me and then I don't tell people, I've let him down somehow, so I want to share this not to glorify myself but to glorify him.

I've had a lot of unexpected expenses lately, mostly related to my car. I was able to pay them, but barely. The rest of the month is going to be pretty lean for me, and I'm not good at living lean so this is a good lesson for me. At one point in time I was a bit distraught at what I was going to do until the next paycheck. But even as my checking account dwindled due to the bills, God was providing and working in his timing.

The big expenses happened to come along last week, a week that I was scheduled to do some overtime work. Most of the car repair bill will be covered by the money I earned through the extra work I had been scheduled to do months ago. That was terrific timing...God's timing.

Since I was running low on funds, but thankful that God was providing in his way and in his time, I felt led to give on Sunday. Again, I don't want to toot my own horn. I am not a very regular giver. It is a spiritual discipline that I struggle with. I wrestled with it, then took out my checkbook, wrote out my gift and gave it to the usher, ultimately feeling thankful that I had money to give to my generous God.

Last night, I was doing a little bookkeeping and saw that I had a letter from my mortgage company in the mail. Feeling pessimistic, I opened it up and saw that rather than bad news, it was great news. My escrow balance was paid up, which meant my mortgage payment was going down $100 a month. Wow! What perfect timing! God's timing again.

I'm so amazed when these little details fall into place, because I feel really unworthy of God's attention and blessing.

We choose the moon

2009-07-14T17:10:00.002-05:00

If this isn't the coolest thing ever, then I don't know what is.

We Choose The Moon

They're recreating the Apollo 11 mission on a website to celebrate the 40th anniversary. Neat!

What's yellow, wet, full of holes and 10 years old?

2009-07-14T14:16:00.006-05:00

No, it isn't your favorite pair of tennis shoes. It's Spongebob Squarepants.

Spongebob creeps into my blogging once in and while. Here. Here. Here.

I haven't been keeping up with the show since the movie and since I got rid of cable. I feel like it's lost something, a sort of sweetness, in the latest iterations. But I still enjoy popping one of the DVDs in from time to time since DTV has obliterated my network TV viewing habits.

My favorite episodes are "Bubblestand" which has to be one of the most perfect character studies ever created in fiction; "Frankendoodle" because only an episode of the Simpsons can compare to the non-stop funny puns, sight-gags and humorous uses of sound effects; and the one that I can't remember the name of, but it's when SB takes home a wild jellyfish and hilarity (and dancing) ensues.

It is a show with a lot of sweetness, which is pretty rare these days. I'm not sure if the later episodes are as much fun, but the first three seasons are terrific. And Plankton is just the best villain. "Not the face!"

Here's something my dad clipped out of the newspaper for me a couple months ago.

Looks like Spongebob isn't going anywhere, even if he's full of bacteria.

OP on Letterman

2009-07-07T00:09:00.002-05:00

Okay, too many OP posts lately, but this was funny. Here's an MP3 of OP on David Letterman. I can't believe I'm still up this late doing this. I cut out number six because it was a bit vulgar.

Wow, I love that voice. I swear I was brainwashed as a child to love that voice.

Top ten things that sound cool when spoken by a giant robot

"Man, do I love me some 'taters."

Economics 2.0: The cost of Free

2009-07-06T08:28:00.001-05:00

This is such an important article to read. To capture the evolving mindset of our culture and especially the younger generation you need to read this. I'm thinking of buying this book very soon.

Happy Independence Day, 2009!

2009-07-04T14:17:00.005-05:00

We still live in the greatest country on earth. Just ask all the people in Iran, North Korea and other places still struggling under tyranny. We have it good people. Happy July 4th. Happy Independence Day!

Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

If entertainment went backward

2009-07-02T12:25:00.004-05:00

This is the latest internet meme out there. I didn't write any of these, I just thought they were pretty funny.

So what happens if we watch all this stuff backwards?

If you watch the movie 'Jaws' backwards, it's about a shark that keeps throwing up people until they have to open a beach
If you watch MacGuyver backwards, it's about a guy who finds the toothpick, paperclip, stick of gum, or aluminum foil that's holding some amazing machine together, then he takes it out.
If you watch Titanic backwards, it's about the citizens of the lost city of Atlantis finally escaping to the surface in a giant iron clad boat.
If you watch Rambo backwards, it's Sylvester Stallone healing people with his magical bullet vacuum.
If you watch Alice in Wonderland backwards, it's about a girl who lives in a funny surrealistic world but then falls asleep and has a really boring dream
If you watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy backwards, it's a saga about a little guy who gets a cool ring from a volcano and spends the rest of the films walking home.
If you watch Fight Club backwards, you see Ed Norton turn from a crazy street person into a successful productive member of society.
If you watch the entire Star Wars series backwards, George Lucas develops into a brilliant writer.
If you watch Alien backwards, a large monster gets tiny and climbs inside a guy's chest, calming down a panicking crew.
If you watch the Sound of Music backwards,a woman gets so tired of listening to children sing that she runs away to become a nun.
If you watch WALL-E backwards you'll see a robot landing on earth and making a big mess.
If you watch Rocky backwards, it's about a guy who gets beaten up so severely that he's forced to marry the ugliest girl in town.

And finally...

If you watch LOST backwards you realize it's the same thing as if you watched if forwards.

Some thoughts during Monday lunch

2009-06-29T12:03:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to post for a while now, and haven't. It's time to get some thoughts down just for the heck of it.

***

For all the hype, marketing and derision they get, Apple computers will still have my loyalty. My three-year old laptop was on the fritz. The power wasn't working right, despite the fact that my power adapter was less than 6 months old and the batter was less than a week old. I brought it into the "Genius Bar" at my local Apple store and they were able to replicate the power problem. They also discovered I still had a month left on my extended warranty. Excellent. Worth every penny. They said the 'top would be shipped to Texas for repairs that may take 5 to 7 days. I left it on a Tuesday during lunch. By Thursday afternoon the Geniuses called me to tell me to come pick up my computer.

Computer service in less than 48 hours! The thing is fixed and plugging away fine. Apple, you've got another loyal customer. There's a reason why people love their Macs, besides the fact that they are superior machines.

***

I will no longer patronize Burger King. They have a five-year streak of tasteless, sexualized and stupid advertising campaigns going on, and they've pushed the envelope again. I'm not going to describe the current ad that they're running, which is morally offensive and misogynistic. I'm just going to vote with my dollar. That chain can be boiled in their own french fry grease until they shape up their public image and realize that they're peddling food to every day people, not adult film stars.

***

Today is missing on my Kitty Calendar. I'm bummed. It's not in there. "Kitty Calendar?" you say as you roll your eyes. Yes, it is a personalized Kitty Calendar. For example, yesterday (which is also serving today) has a cute picture of a little girl on it with a cat rubbing up against her. The caption is "Women. Children. They all must die without mercy."

Now, you know that the cats are thinking it. This calendar just tells us the truth. Wherever you are June 29, I'm missing you.

***

I think Twitter is truly the most over-rated form of communication that has ever existed. While it has some good aspects, I find 99% of the content to be worthless, out of context nonsense. I'm just wondering how long it will last before to goes out of fashion, like the horrible mess that is MySpace? Is anyone still on MySpace? Anyone who matters?

I'm experimenting with Twitter, just to see what happens. I've already rejected three followers who were pron stars, dumped one guy I used to follow because of his use of language that isn't fit to print anywhere, and I'm trying to wade through posts from a celebrity writer who spends almost every single Tweet responding to a conversation that no one else can see.

Twitter is too much work.

***

Saw the new Transformers movie. So many good things, and yet so many bad things. Why oh why does something that has the potential to be so fun, have to have so many disappointments? I wish I could recommend it to people, but this film has to be about a inch away from an R rating due to sexual content. Does that make any sense? A film about giant robots rife with a football-in-the-crotch joke every five minutes? The film is really doing well at the box office, so maybe the third one will have a sex joke every two minutes, since it appears that's what audiences want. Kinda sad to me.

Wonder why subscriptions are going down?

2009-06-24T10:19:00.002-05:00

Latest news gem from Time Magazine's Twitter feed:

"Is an ugly baby harder to love?"

And people wonder why magazine and newspaper subscriptions are going down.

Roombas take over

2009-06-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

This is what the world would look like if Roomba robots take over and start chasing a Hasidic Jewish rapper.

Beware

2009-06-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

"Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something that you have never been."
-- Oswald Chambers

Another reason why I like baseball

2009-06-05T14:21:00.002-05:00

Gomez (Twins) vs Lee (Indians) on June 3 from MLB.com:

MINNEAPOLIS -- Carlos Gomez's penchant for bunting has never sat well with Cliff Lee.

That was the case again Wednesday, when the Twins center fielder and Indians pitcher got into a verbal dispute in the fifth inning...

The two players jawed at each other after Gomez flew out to right field for the first out of the inning. As he walked back to the dugout, Lee and Gomez exchanged words. Indians first baseman Victor Martinez held Gomez back and ushered him toward the Twins dugout. Both benches emptied in the process, but things remained relatively calm on the field.

"He said to take it easy, play the game," Gomez said of Martinez. "'This is not baseball.' I said, all right."

Twins lost 10-1.

Saturn isn't going away. Yay!

2009-06-05T08:57:00.001-05:00

So says CNN. Click here for link.

"Twitter Tracker" is the funniest thing on Conan since Triumph's Nerd Roast

2009-06-04T11:18:00.004-05:00

If there was ever anything to point out the banality and worthlessness of most Twitter postings, the Late Show's "Twitter Tracker" was it.

The voice over was perfect, the graphics were hilarious, and Conan's interactions were icing on the cake. This is comedy, people. Take the ridiculous aspects of modern life, and reveal them for what they are.

I'll try to post a link soon.

Update: Here's the link on Hulu.com

The "musical reminiscence" moment

2009-05-31T22:22:00.004-05:00

You know those scenes in movies where a character (or characters) has the "musical reminiscence" moment? Someone gathers around a radio, usually in a car, and hears a song from the past, gets all nostalgic or teary-eyed, or rocks out to some song to prove how rebellious they are? The one that comes to mind for me is that scene in Witness when Harrison Ford turns on that old 50s song, and dances around with the Amish woman. (Wow, out of context that sentence would sound weird, or hilarious. I can't decide.)

Generation X directors are taking over Hollywood now. My evidence? Because those "musical reminisce" moments from the movies this summer are all using music from when I was in high school. No more motown or sixties rock, just flannel-wearing 90s alternative now. I have two examples.

First, in Terminator: Salvation there's a "musical reminiscence" moment when a car's radio comes to live in the post-nuclear war future and for some reason Rooster by Alice In Chains comes on, and the lead character gets all misty-eyed and says some line about his brother liking the song, or something. That's a rather obscure musical reference, since Alice In Chains was popular among my generation, but if you weren't a young adult in the 1990s you probably had no idea what song it was.

Second, the infamous and improbable chase scene in Star Trek when young James Kirk races a hot rod down the road straight into a canyon (because Iowa is just teeming with deep canyons, don't you know) and jumps out at the last second. To punctuate the scene with attitude, teenage bad boy Kirk turns on the radio and blasts "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. I don't want to be hypocritical because that song is a dissonant guilty pleasure of mine, but I don't think it added anything to the scene, except the FIRST F-BOMB in Star Trek movie history since they didn't use the censored version of the song.

It's just interesting that you can guess the age of the directors of these films by the music they put in the movies as part of the "musical reminiscence" moment.

Generation X, the forgotten generation, the generation that is half the size of the generations both before and after it, is starting to seep back into mainstream culture.

Don't go, don't go

2009-05-30T17:33:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry to see Saturn go out of business. My L200 has been a terrific car for the last seven years, and Saturn is a great car company. I was hoping, and still hope, to get a Saturn VUE as my next car. We'll see what happens.

As a former employee and current owner, it's a sad day. My family has a lot of ties to the Inver Grove dealership, and they have treated us well.

Goodbye Saturn. What a bummer.

Inspired my music purchases

2009-05-30T14:59:00.002-05:00

I'm amused by the recent rash of YouTube censoring by some music companies. They are moving soundtracks from uploaded videos under the guise of protecting their copyrights. The companies have every right to do so, I suppose.

The question I have is, why? The last four purchases I have made on iTunes including one today, and probably another five others in the last year, have been directly inspired by watching a video on YouTube, then going immediately to iTunes and purchasing the song. And I'm sure I'm not the only one with this expensive habit.

Instead of looking at YouTube as another selling channel, some companies are just choosing to silence the music. Others are popping up those useful, but annoying, ads for the songs when they appear in videos. This is the perfect compromise.

Why aren't other companies jumping on board with this practice, instead of silencing the songs? Seems like a poor, shortsighted business decision to me.

Being the bad guy

2009-05-25T20:22:00.003-05:00

I spent the last 24 hours being the bad guy. It's not fun.

That's what happens when you take a trip with my mother and my two nieces. And when hair-brained schemes and constant spoiling are cooked up by both my mother and the two munchkins, I suddenly default to my sister's perspective and I think, "What would Rachel do?" And that's when I start to say things like,

• "You want to do what?! Bring 30 live tadpoles back 150 miles in a bucket? In my car?!"
• "Oh my gosh! It's 10 p.m.! Bed time was an hour ago! Let's get out of here!"
• "No, you can't watch a movie! It's 10:15! Go to bed!"
• "No, you can't use that flash light! It's 10:30! Go to sleep!"
• "No, I don't know what tadpoles eat. Seriously? We're bringing them with us?"
• "Stop picking the wildflowers. It's illegal."
• "Stop digging your foot into the ground and be quiet. This is a memorial service."
• "Stop stepping on the footstones. Step around the footstones."
• "You're buying them dolls? Have you not seen their playroom?"
• "Those tadpoles are not going in my car without a lid."
• "I can't believe you bought them those dolls."
• "All right, stop fighting over the dolls. Five minute time-out."

And so on. When I dropped the kids off at my mother's house today, I didn't even get a goodbye from any of the three, let alone a hug. Bad guys get no love.

I'm not writing this to get pity, I'm writing this to make sure that the situation is as ludicrous as it seemed to me during the last 24 hours.

Yeah, it still is.

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-25T20:19:00.002-05:00

A big "Yay!" that my former co-worker Jodi Krause is back from Iraq safe and sound. To Jodi and all who are serving or have served, thank you can't begin to express my gratitude.