I've mentioned that we were moving into (yet another) new way of communicating. Over the last two years it's become clear that my reliance on e-mail was hampering my attempts to communicate with my youth. They were pretty clear that e-mail was not something significant in their lives. They might look at it occasionally.
So that wasn't helping. What they were into was texting. The problem is that texting doesn't lend itself to the kinds of information transfers that I normally do. A text is commonly less than 150 CHARACTERS. (As an example the last sentence was 44 characters long. So I can do three fairly short sentences.) And doing mass text "mailings" wasn't easy and usually was fairly expensive.
My first thought was a relatively new service called "Twitter". According to their website
"Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?".
The problem with Twitter is that I would need all my youth and leaders to sign up and then either add me to a list of Twitter-ers that they follow on their cell phones or regularly check their Twitter page for my "tweets" (that's what the individual messages are called). It just didn't seem like the answer I was looking for.
(I will note that at least one youth minister out there, Shaun Mayfield Student Ministries Pastor at Red Mountain Christian Center in Mesa AZ, has found a way to make it work that is kinda cool. I quote him from the comments page at YS Blog:
We have been using Twitter in our youth as a MAJOR feed for information for a little over a year. We use it during our services and during the week, I will explain both.
We knew the fight to stop phones in service would be a constant battle so fight fire with fire. I have an intern that has a copy of my sermon notes with certain areas highlighted and he sends out a twitter as I am saying that, about 5-10 during a service, there is a lot of reasons for this that is VERY positive, email me for more reasons.
I start of every message with a 30 second intro saying if you are new here pull out your phone and send a txt to 40404 and type follow eikonlive then if it is your first time then put in your name and you are all set up. Then throughout the week we will send you updates. We have nearly 200 people that are people that have been through our doors and several parents. The key is building a culture within your group/kids/parents.
Then we also send out updates/event details/ etc during the week, respecting the amount of txts.
As we explain it regularly it doesn't take time and it has created an AMAZING culture in that our kids are having conversations through twitter and responding to the tweets during our service asking questions or delving into the topic deeper.
You can check out their Twitter page HERE
It seems like a very creative use of the service but I was looking for something more straight forward (at least in my own mind!)
And I think I found it. JOOPZ This is a web based texting service that works with pretty much any cell service in the US or Canada. It offers "two way" texting, group messages, reminder notes, scheduled texts and more. The free service is pretty good so I looked to see what the Premium would cost me.
$19.95
A year.
I looked at that three times. Most of the bulk texting places charge that much or more a month. In fact I just re-re-re-checked because I'm still not sure I got it right.
Yep. $2.95 a month. $19.95 a year.
Joopz isn't perfect. The largest group I can create is only 10 people. Since I'm hoping to get at least 100 people signed up that means 10 groups. Which is still WAAAAAY better than most other options. I'm also more limited on my messages, only 100 characters. So two sentences. My youth will approve any limitations on me talking, lol!
Because it's web based I can access it from anywhere I have internet access. I can see this as a way to communicate at Senior High conference, at convention, at EYE plus routine updates on what's happening with applications, web updates, new e-mail(!) and more.
So I'm pretty excited. Now I just need to get folks to "sign up". I'm not going to just randomly cull cell #s and load them in. By my lights that would be wrong. So I still need people to "enroll". Which amounts to sending me their name and cell phone number. I do the data entry.
My promise has been that they'll only get a limited number of texts from me, maybe two a week, no more than 12 a month. It's all designed to point them towards other things of note.
At least that's my vision for the moment. We'll see how it works out.
Peace
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A mid week update
Interesting week so far. Not necessarily my most productive (so far, there's still time!) but interesting.
On the weight loss front I pushed through 190 pounds last week for the first time in years. And I stayed below it for this week's weigh in. I only lost a fraction of a pound more but I didn't bounce back up again. Which feels very good.
My volleyball team won their first match of the season. A 3-0 sweep! Very satisfying. Particularly because we played well and because we finally saw a team look at us with that "We can't beat these guys" look in their eyes. I served very well and wasn't awful otherwise.
Football pool! I continue to hang out in the 60-70% of points range. Unfortunately folks keep doing just a little better than that so I'm usually only top 20 for any given week. But I've been very consistent being right around the top 10 overall. In fact the weekly update e-mail from our pool leader said the following:
Jay . . . you've been in 9th, then 11th for 2 week, then 6th, 7th, then 12th, and then 9th, 11th, and now 10th. Dude, consistency is the name of the game!!! Way to go!!
Consistency was my goal for this year. Oh, and being in the top 10 too.
Got our first snow of the season. First "real" snow that is. Flurries, snow that doesn't stick, or can be swept with a broom are not "real" snow. We got about 8 inches Sunday night into Monday morning. Took the snowblower out but it was a mess. The ground is still warm underneath the snow (and will be for a while yet) so the bottom inch turns to heavy slush. Which clogs the snowblower. No fun. Rain tomorrow and temps in the 60s so it will all go away.
Found what I think is a great new service for communicating with the current generation of youth. I'll blog about that tomorrow or Friday.
Peace
On the weight loss front I pushed through 190 pounds last week for the first time in years. And I stayed below it for this week's weigh in. I only lost a fraction of a pound more but I didn't bounce back up again. Which feels very good.
My volleyball team won their first match of the season. A 3-0 sweep! Very satisfying. Particularly because we played well and because we finally saw a team look at us with that "We can't beat these guys" look in their eyes. I served very well and wasn't awful otherwise.
Football pool! I continue to hang out in the 60-70% of points range. Unfortunately folks keep doing just a little better than that so I'm usually only top 20 for any given week. But I've been very consistent being right around the top 10 overall. In fact the weekly update e-mail from our pool leader said the following:
Jay . . . you've been in 9th, then 11th for 2 week, then 6th, 7th, then 12th, and then 9th, 11th, and now 10th. Dude, consistency is the name of the game!!! Way to go!!
Consistency was my goal for this year. Oh, and being in the top 10 too.
Got our first snow of the season. First "real" snow that is. Flurries, snow that doesn't stick, or can be swept with a broom are not "real" snow. We got about 8 inches Sunday night into Monday morning. Took the snowblower out but it was a mess. The ground is still warm underneath the snow (and will be for a while yet) so the bottom inch turns to heavy slush. Which clogs the snowblower. No fun. Rain tomorrow and temps in the 60s so it will all go away.
Found what I think is a great new service for communicating with the current generation of youth. I'll blog about that tomorrow or Friday.
Peace
Monday, November 10, 2008
So Cool!
Yes, I'm easily amused. But I don't care this is just an amazing performance and piece of video. It's not deep or profound or spiritual but it's cool. Just admit it and move on.
This is Corey Vidal. And he's amazing. The song was originally created by the a cappella comedy group Moosebutter
h/t to Gman
This is Corey Vidal. And he's amazing. The song was originally created by the a cappella comedy group Moosebutter
h/t to Gman
Weekend Update November 10
The Weekend That Was - Happening weekend! Seemed to go very well. My lady wife was on team this weekend so it meant that I spent the weekend home alone with the cat. So I got a lot of "stuff" out of the way. The snow blower is ready to go, changed over the icicle lights on the porch, did some cleaning, baked some pumpkin pies and made some fresh hummus with roasted red pepper (as a surprise for my lady wife). I also cooked up some split pea soup, vacuumed the house and washed and vacuumed the car.Oh and had some fun cooking for myself. The best was the steak topped with Gorgonzola and onions caramelized in maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Afterwards my mouth leaned back and lit up a cigarette. It was that good. So it was lonely (everything is more fun with my lady wife around) but a pretty good weekend. In fact it was one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in a while.
The To Do List - I really need to get next summer's camp themes figured out, I have a radio program for my church that has to get produced, plus I need to get deeper into my to do list. There's some stuff that's been lurking at the second level way too long. (My to do list has four levels)
What Am I Procrastinating About? - The next video project. I'm probably over thinking the one aspect that is stopping me.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Still working on "The Irregulars" but I'm almost done. I'll take my first shot at Richard Brautigan next.
Did some concert video viewing over the weekend. And had two very different reactions to two classic documentaries.
First I watched "Gimme Shelter" The documentary of the 1969 Rolling Stones tour that ended with the infamous concert at the Altamont Speedway where an audience member was killed by a member of the Hells Angels. At least that's the classic synopsis. In reality the whole movie revolves around that final concert which took some of the joy away from the earlier concert clips (several of which struck me as rather flat anyway) The film is absolutely enthralling once the concert starts at Altamont. The stunned looks on the faces of Jagger and Grace Slick as the "security" slowly slides into madness. Sadly the movie makers didn't always have particularly good locations from which to shoot. They didn't like using telephoto lenses so sometimes they're actually too close to be able to see. I felt a little disappointed overall.
Quality of the film making is never a problem with "The Last Waltz" Martin Scorsese's tribute to the last concert of The Band. The Band is that rarest of all musical beasts a seminal, inspirational rock band that never really had a hit record (their highest single was top 30, they only managed it once) This was a band that worked with Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, and Muddy Waters. They had an amazing influence on music yet they only were out there for about 10 years. The movie features visits from Hawkins, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, the Staples, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ronnie Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John and more. Take great music (and The Band is about great music), great guest singers and great movie making and this may be the best concert movie of all time.
Next Up Will be launching a new mode of communication. I think I've found the answer, details later.
How Am I Doing Actually I feel pretty good. I wish I felt a little more focused on what the next "big thing" should be. And contemplating the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight with more on the way.
Peace
The To Do List - I really need to get next summer's camp themes figured out, I have a radio program for my church that has to get produced, plus I need to get deeper into my to do list. There's some stuff that's been lurking at the second level way too long. (My to do list has four levels)
What Am I Procrastinating About? - The next video project. I'm probably over thinking the one aspect that is stopping me.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Still working on "The Irregulars" but I'm almost done. I'll take my first shot at Richard Brautigan next.
Did some concert video viewing over the weekend. And had two very different reactions to two classic documentaries.
First I watched "Gimme Shelter" The documentary of the 1969 Rolling Stones tour that ended with the infamous concert at the Altamont Speedway where an audience member was killed by a member of the Hells Angels. At least that's the classic synopsis. In reality the whole movie revolves around that final concert which took some of the joy away from the earlier concert clips (several of which struck me as rather flat anyway) The film is absolutely enthralling once the concert starts at Altamont. The stunned looks on the faces of Jagger and Grace Slick as the "security" slowly slides into madness. Sadly the movie makers didn't always have particularly good locations from which to shoot. They didn't like using telephoto lenses so sometimes they're actually too close to be able to see. I felt a little disappointed overall. Quality of the film making is never a problem with "The Last Waltz" Martin Scorsese's tribute to the last concert of The Band. The Band is that rarest of all musical beasts a seminal, inspirational rock band that never really had a hit record (their highest single was top 30, they only managed it once) This was a band that worked with Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, and Muddy Waters. They had an amazing influence on music yet they only were out there for about 10 years. The movie features visits from Hawkins, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, the Staples, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ronnie Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John and more. Take great music (and The Band is about great music), great guest singers and great movie making and this may be the best concert movie of all time.Next Up Will be launching a new mode of communication. I think I've found the answer, details later.
How Am I Doing Actually I feel pretty good. I wish I felt a little more focused on what the next "big thing" should be. And contemplating the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight with more on the way.
Peace
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Confession time
Hi my name is Jay.
And I'm addicted to freeware and Open Source software.
I used to think it wasn't a problem. That I was on a budget. That I was just being part of the counterculture against corporate software. That I was an adventurer, searching for the new and the exciting.
Then I looked at the file where I keep my downloaded files. The dozens of downloads that I had no idea what they even were any more. Then looking them up again on the Web and wondering why I'd decided to download THAT?!?!?
I looked at my program folder and discovered dozens more programs that I'd never used after that first time right after I'd unzipped the files. I discovered multiple versions of some and multiple programs that all do basically the same thing.
It became obvious that I had a problem.
Astoundingly there is no twelve step program for me. No support group to turn to in those darks hours when yet another graphics program sings its siren song through my monitor. I must face the legions of DTP software, the armies of registry utilities, the hordes of anti-virus programs alone.
But I shall prevail.
First anything that I couldn't identify immediately I simply deleted. If I really need it I'll find it again. Then a quick sweep through Program folder ruthlessly deleting programs that I never use.
I freed up a rather amazing amount of space on the ole hard drive.
Now I begin with just the best stuff. And I thought I'd share with you. I promise you're not enabling my problem.
Open Office - I've been using this Office replacement now for about 5 years and I'd never go back. This is a great freeware, open source and cross platform productivity suite. Which means it has a word processor, presentation, database, spreadsheet and graphics applications. I've found it very easy to use, it's updated regularly and it has a good looking and easy to use interface. Look at what Microsoft's Office costs then compare.
Irfanview - when it comes time to look at your graphics and photos and do very simple changes (optimize, convert, size changes, some other basic but common functions) I've never found anything I liked better than this. And I'm not alone. It's got a huge following.
Firefox and Thunderbird These have become so mainstream it's almost strange to include them. I've tried most of the other web browsers and none impress me to the point of giving up on Firefox. I've used Thunderbird at home for two years and love it as well.
Audacity Freeware, open source, cross platform and just amazing. I haven't even scratched the surface of this audio recording and editing software. With all kinds of whiz bang effects available to download too. Everything you could need right up to professional usages.
Those are pretty well known ones. They show up on all the "Best..." lists every year. Here's a couple that may not be so well known:
Screen Monkey - This is show and presentation control software out of England. The ability to run videos, graphics, song lyrics, live video all that seamlessly through your computer's second monitor option. The big name software costs hundreds if not over a thousand bucks. This one? Free. Still being updated and works very nicely. PC only.
Free Serif Software Discovering this site was almost too good to be true. Another European company they offer older versions of their software for free. The older versions are still quite excellent. DTP, graphics (photo and paint), web publishing and 3D. All free. All very good. I've used PagePlus and PhotoPlus the most.
Artweaver This one's from Germany I believe. A really outstanding graphics program with lots of options and capabilities.
Coffee Cup software This is another for profit software company (an exceedingly cool one in my estimation) that also offers some software for free. Some of it is pretty basic but they are fully functional and very useful. And usually have their very own quirky personality. My two favorites here are the Free Zip Wizard (I haven't used anything else for years) and the DHTML menu builder. Very nice.
Hmmm, I haven't even scratched the whole anti-virus/internet security field. Maybe next time.
And I'm addicted to freeware and Open Source software.
I used to think it wasn't a problem. That I was on a budget. That I was just being part of the counterculture against corporate software. That I was an adventurer, searching for the new and the exciting.
Then I looked at the file where I keep my downloaded files. The dozens of downloads that I had no idea what they even were any more. Then looking them up again on the Web and wondering why I'd decided to download THAT?!?!?
I looked at my program folder and discovered dozens more programs that I'd never used after that first time right after I'd unzipped the files. I discovered multiple versions of some and multiple programs that all do basically the same thing.
It became obvious that I had a problem.
Astoundingly there is no twelve step program for me. No support group to turn to in those darks hours when yet another graphics program sings its siren song through my monitor. I must face the legions of DTP software, the armies of registry utilities, the hordes of anti-virus programs alone.
But I shall prevail.
First anything that I couldn't identify immediately I simply deleted. If I really need it I'll find it again. Then a quick sweep through Program folder ruthlessly deleting programs that I never use.
I freed up a rather amazing amount of space on the ole hard drive.
Now I begin with just the best stuff. And I thought I'd share with you. I promise you're not enabling my problem.
Open Office - I've been using this Office replacement now for about 5 years and I'd never go back. This is a great freeware, open source and cross platform productivity suite. Which means it has a word processor, presentation, database, spreadsheet and graphics applications. I've found it very easy to use, it's updated regularly and it has a good looking and easy to use interface. Look at what Microsoft's Office costs then compare.
Irfanview - when it comes time to look at your graphics and photos and do very simple changes (optimize, convert, size changes, some other basic but common functions) I've never found anything I liked better than this. And I'm not alone. It's got a huge following.
Firefox and Thunderbird These have become so mainstream it's almost strange to include them. I've tried most of the other web browsers and none impress me to the point of giving up on Firefox. I've used Thunderbird at home for two years and love it as well.
Audacity Freeware, open source, cross platform and just amazing. I haven't even scratched the surface of this audio recording and editing software. With all kinds of whiz bang effects available to download too. Everything you could need right up to professional usages.
Those are pretty well known ones. They show up on all the "Best..." lists every year. Here's a couple that may not be so well known:
Screen Monkey - This is show and presentation control software out of England. The ability to run videos, graphics, song lyrics, live video all that seamlessly through your computer's second monitor option. The big name software costs hundreds if not over a thousand bucks. This one? Free. Still being updated and works very nicely. PC only.
Free Serif Software Discovering this site was almost too good to be true. Another European company they offer older versions of their software for free. The older versions are still quite excellent. DTP, graphics (photo and paint), web publishing and 3D. All free. All very good. I've used PagePlus and PhotoPlus the most.
Artweaver This one's from Germany I believe. A really outstanding graphics program with lots of options and capabilities.
Coffee Cup software This is another for profit software company (an exceedingly cool one in my estimation) that also offers some software for free. Some of it is pretty basic but they are fully functional and very useful. And usually have their very own quirky personality. My two favorites here are the Free Zip Wizard (I haven't used anything else for years) and the DHTML menu builder. Very nice.
Hmmm, I haven't even scratched the whole anti-virus/internet security field. Maybe next time.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Day 2008
I do not care for whom you vote.Just vote.
Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green.
Just vote.
Don't vote your fears.
Vote your hopes.
Don't vote your anger.
Vote your dreams.
Vote for the future. Whatever that may be to you.
This is the collect for an election from the Book of Common Prayer(1979) p.822:
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I find that first statement most challenging - "...to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges...". We are given more than anyone in the history of the world. The accounting will be likewise massive. Suddenly the childish play of party politics becomes so much less important. In fact it disappears. What defense can be mounted before the creator of worlds that begins with "I was a good Democrat/Republican"?
Think of the parable of the talents.
Think of the command to "Feed My Sheep"
Think of the question "Who was the better neighbor?"
Enable our nation to fulfill God's purpose.
Vote.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Weekend Update - November 3
The Weekend That Was - This was one of those "Wait, did a weekend just slip by me?" weekends. Halloween on Friday. Didn't see a lot of kids but a decent number. Had one kid totally reject our offerings (bags of chips) and one who acted as if it were his favorite treat of the evening. I had a meeting in Buffalo Saturday (it was a good meeting but it chewed up a chunk of the day), then church on Sunday, a Lutheran youth event (bowling! I rolled a 147, 127 and 112) then volley ball practice. Came home to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix on tape (congrats to Lewis Hamilton for his championship and Felipe Massa for a great year)
So it it didn't feel like much of a weekend but it was OK!
The To Do List - Got some tasks for Youth Commission to follow up on, notes to my Lutheran friends, some early camp details and I'm sure a bunch of other stuff too.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Still haven't gotten to that paperwork yet. Sigh. I hate paperwork.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? I'm
reading "The Irregulars - Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington" by Jennet Conant. I've always loved real life spy stories and the story of the British Security Coordination group has always been fascinating. That's the whole "Man Called Intrepid" thing plus where Ian Fleming (of 007 fame) got his start in spying too. Dahl is the well known children's author but was quite the playboy during the war as part of his spying. A lot of it is familiar ground for me but it's a good read.
Took the opportunity on Halloween to watch
"Frankenstein
" the 1931 Boris Karloff classic version. I realized I've never seen the whole movie beginning to end! Also never realized how much business in "Young Frankestein" was just ripped directly out of the original! It really still plays quite well. Some of the acting style of the day is a bit dated but it was great. And I saw the original uneditted version too. Very nice. Not much time to see anything else.
Don't know much about her but heard a couple tunes from Maria Dunn, a Scottish folk singer. Really liked the sound.
Next Up Lots of little projects at the moment. I don't think I have any bigguns.
How Am I Doing Football pool doing well. Looks like it'll be a breakthrough week for the weight loss program with a chance to put another milestone behind me. Food journalling is my new thing and it's just depressing. Job is OK, I'm still in post-major-project-let-down mode. Gotta shake that. The car just sucked another $300+ out my wallet but it's running pretty well at the moment. So I guess I'm doing pretty well.
Peace
So it it didn't feel like much of a weekend but it was OK!
The To Do List - Got some tasks for Youth Commission to follow up on, notes to my Lutheran friends, some early camp details and I'm sure a bunch of other stuff too.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Still haven't gotten to that paperwork yet. Sigh. I hate paperwork.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? I'm
reading "The Irregulars - Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington" by Jennet Conant. I've always loved real life spy stories and the story of the British Security Coordination group has always been fascinating. That's the whole "Man Called Intrepid" thing plus where Ian Fleming (of 007 fame) got his start in spying too. Dahl is the well known children's author but was quite the playboy during the war as part of his spying. A lot of it is familiar ground for me but it's a good read.Took the opportunity on Halloween to watch
"Frankenstein" the 1931 Boris Karloff classic version. I realized I've never seen the whole movie beginning to end! Also never realized how much business in "Young Frankestein" was just ripped directly out of the original! It really still plays quite well. Some of the acting style of the day is a bit dated but it was great. And I saw the original uneditted version too. Very nice. Not much time to see anything else.
Don't know much about her but heard a couple tunes from Maria Dunn, a Scottish folk singer. Really liked the sound.
Next Up Lots of little projects at the moment. I don't think I have any bigguns.
How Am I Doing Football pool doing well. Looks like it'll be a breakthrough week for the weight loss program with a chance to put another milestone behind me. Food journalling is my new thing and it's just depressing. Job is OK, I'm still in post-major-project-let-down mode. Gotta shake that. The car just sucked another $300+ out my wallet but it's running pretty well at the moment. So I guess I'm doing pretty well.
Peace
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Gulp!
One of the advantages of living in a quiet backwater of the blogosphere is a certain kind of Dutch courage. You figure no one is going to read your words except for a small group of friends plus the stray wanderer lost on their way to somewhere else.
But that's not always true.
Yesterday I mentioned Mark Matlock's book "Don't Buy the Lie" as a jumping off point for a commentary on Halloween.
This morning I wake up to discover a comment from, gulp, Mark Matlock! I mentioned that some of his approach "set me on edge" and Mark asked what that was. A fair question. Since I started it out here I thought I'd answer it here as well.
Let me be clear that I've read a total of about 9 paragraphs out of a book of 176 pages. It would appear that both Mark and I share a healthy skepticism on much of the occult stuff out there. His book did what good books always do - kick off some thoughtful consideration.
Sound like a case of energetic back pedalling? Not really. Think of it more along the lines of the natural Episcopal distaste for making guests feel uncomfortable or being caught in an unseemly spat.
So what put me on edge? Mostly from the section dealing with ghosts, parts of which I quote here:
The tellers are almost always people who heard it secondhand. In addition, people who claim to hear voices or see dead relatives almost always stop experiencing those things when they take anti psychotic medications. That suggests either that ghosts don't like medication or that people who are having intense emotional and psychological problems are more likely to see things that aren't there.
The Bible leaves little room for the existence of ghosts. It never, ever talks about the spirits of dead humans lingering here.
This is one of those moments when you're listening to someone with whom you basically agree then they suddenly say something uncomfortable. Not outrageous but just enough to make you squirm in your seat.
First, I challenge your assumption that there are virtually no first hand stories of encounters with ghosts. Curiously I heard just such a story this morning on the local NPR station. The lady believes she saw a ghost in a local theater. First hand. The genre has more than enough of these first hand stories to make me uncomfortable with this assertion.
Second, the pat statement about anti-psychotic drugs and folks who have seen ghosts is outrageous standing as it does without support. That some folks who are suffering from mental disorder are helped by drugs to eliminate unreal apparitions I do not contest. The way this is stated in the quote leaves the clear impression that ALL folks who claim to see ghosts (wait, aren't we supposed to assume that there really AREN'T any such folk?)would benefit by a quick dose of medicine to re-balance their minds. Again I think a great deal more support for the idea that folks who see ghosts are generally unbalanced needs to be offered.
Finally there is the "But it's not in the Bible" argument. Arguing (and I mean that in the rhetorical sense not the combative) from absence is one of the weakest approaches available. The Bible is silent on many things. The pure pursuit of this line of thought is the life of the Amish. I'm fairly sure that neither you nor I, being computer users, are ready to ride off in that direction.
As an Episcopalian I don't see the Bible as some sort of final word on things scientific. It spends very little time discussing how things take place (and in our more common belief does it in metaphorical terms rather than literal) and much more time telling us why. It is a book of faith that teaches us many important things. Through it we hear the voice and thoughts of God reduced to a manner which we are capable of understanding. It challenges us and in my experience very often surprises me. It is not a complete description of this world or the next. So we need to be careful about drawing absolute meanings especially from absences.
So those are my thoughts Mark. These are the places that made me uncomfortable. It may be that I've drawn an incorrect conclusion from an admittedly limited sample. I was only reacting to the passage provided. (For the record the excerpt was published in the Youth Specialties youth newsletter that I forward to the youth of this diocese in our diocesan youth newsletter. I noted my reservations as an editorial note there but thought that there was more than enough "good stuff" in Mark's words that I sent them un-edited.) Your thoughts triggered my thoughts and I appreciate that.
Thanks for checking in and leaving a comment!
Oh dear, it suddenly dawns on me that I'll probably be hearing from the Dutch embassy next! LOL.
Peace
But that's not always true.
Yesterday I mentioned Mark Matlock's book "Don't Buy the Lie" as a jumping off point for a commentary on Halloween.
This morning I wake up to discover a comment from, gulp, Mark Matlock! I mentioned that some of his approach "set me on edge" and Mark asked what that was. A fair question. Since I started it out here I thought I'd answer it here as well.
Let me be clear that I've read a total of about 9 paragraphs out of a book of 176 pages. It would appear that both Mark and I share a healthy skepticism on much of the occult stuff out there. His book did what good books always do - kick off some thoughtful consideration.
Sound like a case of energetic back pedalling? Not really. Think of it more along the lines of the natural Episcopal distaste for making guests feel uncomfortable or being caught in an unseemly spat.
So what put me on edge? Mostly from the section dealing with ghosts, parts of which I quote here:
The tellers are almost always people who heard it secondhand. In addition, people who claim to hear voices or see dead relatives almost always stop experiencing those things when they take anti psychotic medications. That suggests either that ghosts don't like medication or that people who are having intense emotional and psychological problems are more likely to see things that aren't there.
The Bible leaves little room for the existence of ghosts. It never, ever talks about the spirits of dead humans lingering here.
This is one of those moments when you're listening to someone with whom you basically agree then they suddenly say something uncomfortable. Not outrageous but just enough to make you squirm in your seat.
First, I challenge your assumption that there are virtually no first hand stories of encounters with ghosts. Curiously I heard just such a story this morning on the local NPR station. The lady believes she saw a ghost in a local theater. First hand. The genre has more than enough of these first hand stories to make me uncomfortable with this assertion.
Second, the pat statement about anti-psychotic drugs and folks who have seen ghosts is outrageous standing as it does without support. That some folks who are suffering from mental disorder are helped by drugs to eliminate unreal apparitions I do not contest. The way this is stated in the quote leaves the clear impression that ALL folks who claim to see ghosts (wait, aren't we supposed to assume that there really AREN'T any such folk?)would benefit by a quick dose of medicine to re-balance their minds. Again I think a great deal more support for the idea that folks who see ghosts are generally unbalanced needs to be offered.
Finally there is the "But it's not in the Bible" argument. Arguing (and I mean that in the rhetorical sense not the combative) from absence is one of the weakest approaches available. The Bible is silent on many things. The pure pursuit of this line of thought is the life of the Amish. I'm fairly sure that neither you nor I, being computer users, are ready to ride off in that direction.
As an Episcopalian I don't see the Bible as some sort of final word on things scientific. It spends very little time discussing how things take place (and in our more common belief does it in metaphorical terms rather than literal) and much more time telling us why. It is a book of faith that teaches us many important things. Through it we hear the voice and thoughts of God reduced to a manner which we are capable of understanding. It challenges us and in my experience very often surprises me. It is not a complete description of this world or the next. So we need to be careful about drawing absolute meanings especially from absences.
So those are my thoughts Mark. These are the places that made me uncomfortable. It may be that I've drawn an incorrect conclusion from an admittedly limited sample. I was only reacting to the passage provided. (For the record the excerpt was published in the Youth Specialties youth newsletter that I forward to the youth of this diocese in our diocesan youth newsletter. I noted my reservations as an editorial note there but thought that there was more than enough "good stuff" in Mark's words that I sent them un-edited.) Your thoughts triggered my thoughts and I appreciate that.
Thanks for checking in and leaving a comment!
Oh dear, it suddenly dawns on me that I'll probably be hearing from the Dutch embassy next! LOL.
Peace
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
On Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner. And with it comes a fair bit of noise from the faith community. Just recently I got an e-mail from the folks at Youth Specialties which quoted a book they publish "Don't Buy the Lie" by Mark Matlock. Mark is taking on the interest in the occult that has grown quite a bit in our culture over the last 10-15 years.
And that's not a bad idea really. We need to treat spiritual matters carefully and with careful consideration. It's just how he approaches the subject that sometimes set me on edge. So I noted my reservations and invited the youth to whom I send this information to spend some time and think for themselves.
I am absolutely NOT here to trash Mark Matlock. I've only seen a short passage from his book and I've never met the guy. But he did get me thinking.
So here's what I think about Halloween. These are just mine and kind of off the top of my head.
I don't get the folks who are in full "Halloween is Satan's playground" mode. Like ANY human activity evil can use it for its own ends. Little children dressed up as Spiderman or their favorite Pokemon character getting sugary treats really is not all that sinister.
On the subject of vampires, werewolves and ghosts my thoughts are as follows:
Don't exist.
Don't exist.
Might exist and that makes me sad.
A ghost seems to be a spirit of a person who has for whatever reason not let go of its time in this world. Because I do believe in Heaven (which for me is simply to be in the presence of the Creator with nothing standing between us) the idea that a soul refused to go is sad. The idea that not all souls will go to Heaven (and I believe that many will not choose to go) is equally sad. I've never understood my fellow believers who seem to get their jollies knowing that some folks will end up in Hell, whatever that turns out to be. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what Heaven and Hell are like. I spend that time thanking God for grace.
Cause I need it.
So what about the Big Fella himself? Satan, Lucifer, the Devil. I do believe that there is a force of evil, a malignant drive in the world. For simplicity of talking about it I'll call he/she/it Satan. I have no better idea of what that "person" is like than I do for God. I see glimpses, shadows, results of actions. In the end however what I "know" is much more what I "believe" and far too often nothing more than pious fiction. Too many of us are still caught up in the horns, pitchfork and form fitting lycra bodysuit to make any headway. There is an evil power in the world. My study of it says it's much subtler than it is often given credit, and it's not as all pervasive as it is often accused of being. Folks out there get very caught up in the "spiritual warfare" mind set where every thing that goes wrong is the Devil striving against them. I'm afraid I find that point of view rather egotistical. It validates what we're doing because look Satan himself opposes me!
I think Satan is more than happy to take credit for our own stupidity and brokenness. We provide more than enough working material for the evil in the world. It usually doesn't seem to take more than a nudge for us to suddenly veer off into actions that are selfish, hurtful or worse. While it would be great to think that Satan really has to work hard to boost the evil levels in the world I think it's just a cop out answer to get ourselves off the hook.
To expand out the circle a little more I don't believe in horoscopes, or fortune tellers. You can only "Tell the Future" if it's a fixed thing with the end already determined. Since I reject predestination that's pretty much out then. I believe that Ouija boards and tarot cards are likewise hokum. Seances require that I believe that spirits that have gone to the "other side" still have calling privileges to this world. It seems unlikely that a soul in the presence of the Divine really has much interest in this world. And the ones in the "other place"? Do you really want to talk with them? What that leaves is our old buddy the Devil playing games with our heads. Thank you, no.
I also believe that any of these can be very dangerous. Because they can quickly become tools that lead people away from God. Rather than trying predict or control the future get out and create it. Things that need to be done in the dark are rarely a good idea. Live in the light, let the next world take care of itself. Live your life to the best of your ability and thank God for grace to cover the rest.
Oh yeah, and make sure to get in some trick or treating.
Mark's Blog
"Don't Buy the Lie"
Peace
And that's not a bad idea really. We need to treat spiritual matters carefully and with careful consideration. It's just how he approaches the subject that sometimes set me on edge. So I noted my reservations and invited the youth to whom I send this information to spend some time and think for themselves.
I am absolutely NOT here to trash Mark Matlock. I've only seen a short passage from his book and I've never met the guy. But he did get me thinking.
So here's what I think about Halloween. These are just mine and kind of off the top of my head.
I don't get the folks who are in full "Halloween is Satan's playground" mode. Like ANY human activity evil can use it for its own ends. Little children dressed up as Spiderman or their favorite Pokemon character getting sugary treats really is not all that sinister.
On the subject of vampires, werewolves and ghosts my thoughts are as follows:
Don't exist.
Don't exist.
Might exist and that makes me sad.
A ghost seems to be a spirit of a person who has for whatever reason not let go of its time in this world. Because I do believe in Heaven (which for me is simply to be in the presence of the Creator with nothing standing between us) the idea that a soul refused to go is sad. The idea that not all souls will go to Heaven (and I believe that many will not choose to go) is equally sad. I've never understood my fellow believers who seem to get their jollies knowing that some folks will end up in Hell, whatever that turns out to be. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what Heaven and Hell are like. I spend that time thanking God for grace.
Cause I need it.
So what about the Big Fella himself? Satan, Lucifer, the Devil. I do believe that there is a force of evil, a malignant drive in the world. For simplicity of talking about it I'll call he/she/it Satan. I have no better idea of what that "person" is like than I do for God. I see glimpses, shadows, results of actions. In the end however what I "know" is much more what I "believe" and far too often nothing more than pious fiction. Too many of us are still caught up in the horns, pitchfork and form fitting lycra bodysuit to make any headway. There is an evil power in the world. My study of it says it's much subtler than it is often given credit, and it's not as all pervasive as it is often accused of being. Folks out there get very caught up in the "spiritual warfare" mind set where every thing that goes wrong is the Devil striving against them. I'm afraid I find that point of view rather egotistical. It validates what we're doing because look Satan himself opposes me!
I think Satan is more than happy to take credit for our own stupidity and brokenness. We provide more than enough working material for the evil in the world. It usually doesn't seem to take more than a nudge for us to suddenly veer off into actions that are selfish, hurtful or worse. While it would be great to think that Satan really has to work hard to boost the evil levels in the world I think it's just a cop out answer to get ourselves off the hook.
To expand out the circle a little more I don't believe in horoscopes, or fortune tellers. You can only "Tell the Future" if it's a fixed thing with the end already determined. Since I reject predestination that's pretty much out then. I believe that Ouija boards and tarot cards are likewise hokum. Seances require that I believe that spirits that have gone to the "other side" still have calling privileges to this world. It seems unlikely that a soul in the presence of the Divine really has much interest in this world. And the ones in the "other place"? Do you really want to talk with them? What that leaves is our old buddy the Devil playing games with our heads. Thank you, no.
I also believe that any of these can be very dangerous. Because they can quickly become tools that lead people away from God. Rather than trying predict or control the future get out and create it. Things that need to be done in the dark are rarely a good idea. Live in the light, let the next world take care of itself. Live your life to the best of your ability and thank God for grace to cover the rest.
Oh yeah, and make sure to get in some trick or treating.
Mark's Blog
"Don't Buy the Lie"
Peace
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I'm Feeling Better!
The title is to be read with Monty Python and the Holy Grail in mind.
With the big weekend out of the way (and it went pretty well), that's lifted my spirits some. Plus today I went and saw my "financial advisor". Now I put that in parentheses because it still feels weird to say that. Like I have a lot of money hanging around. I have a small investment portfolio that I inherited from my folks and that includes the advisor. My dad picked them out and they've done wonderful things for us over the years. Once a year I go down and talk with them.
This year I was in a bit of a panic. That small investment portfolio is a LOT smaller than it was just two months ago. But I came away feeling pretty good. One fund actually MADE money in the last year even with the last two months included. Overall we actually out performed the market. I have very little understanding of what he says to me even though he talks very slowly and uses short words. We talked about our plans for our personal finances and he said we were on the right track. Oh and he believes the worst of the market fluctuations are behind us.
I'm just telling you what he said. Made me feel better.
What doesn't make me feel better is my whole weight thing. I'm stuck at 193 pounds. Have been for months. So today I added a food journal. I hate doing stuff like this cause it's boring. Then I saw today's totals! I was more than a third over my goal. With no exercise to speak of since I was on the road for 7 hours. Hmmmm, I may have stumbled onto something here.
Also interesting to note that after getting used to eating healthy the fast food burger I grabbed today (I know, I know, bad decision!) sat in my stomach like a lead weight.
Football pool was pretty good. 79% on picks good for 13th on the week and up to 9th for the year. I never broke Top 15 last year and spent most of the season in the 30s as I remember. The Miami loss killed me but I did (gulp)choose the Giants to win.
But in the end I'm feeling better. And that's nice for a change.
Peace
With the big weekend out of the way (and it went pretty well), that's lifted my spirits some. Plus today I went and saw my "financial advisor". Now I put that in parentheses because it still feels weird to say that. Like I have a lot of money hanging around. I have a small investment portfolio that I inherited from my folks and that includes the advisor. My dad picked them out and they've done wonderful things for us over the years. Once a year I go down and talk with them.
This year I was in a bit of a panic. That small investment portfolio is a LOT smaller than it was just two months ago. But I came away feeling pretty good. One fund actually MADE money in the last year even with the last two months included. Overall we actually out performed the market. I have very little understanding of what he says to me even though he talks very slowly and uses short words. We talked about our plans for our personal finances and he said we were on the right track. Oh and he believes the worst of the market fluctuations are behind us.
I'm just telling you what he said. Made me feel better.
What doesn't make me feel better is my whole weight thing. I'm stuck at 193 pounds. Have been for months. So today I added a food journal. I hate doing stuff like this cause it's boring. Then I saw today's totals! I was more than a third over my goal. With no exercise to speak of since I was on the road for 7 hours. Hmmmm, I may have stumbled onto something here.
Also interesting to note that after getting used to eating healthy the fast food burger I grabbed today (I know, I know, bad decision!) sat in my stomach like a lead weight.
Football pool was pretty good. 79% on picks good for 13th on the week and up to 9th for the year. I never broke Top 15 last year and spent most of the season in the 30s as I remember. The Miami loss killed me but I did (gulp)choose the Giants to win.
But in the end I'm feeling better. And that's nice for a change.
Peace
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sermon on Youth Minister
This past Sunday I was asked by my home parish to talk about the concept of a paid youth minister. We are thinking and praying about whether this is the next step for us. At times our youth ministry has been outstanding and at times it barely exists. So we are in the discernment process and I was asked to help.
I tried to lay out why youth ministry is important and why at a certain point getting a full time person is important.
This is the audio recording from the video we shoot of our 10 AM service. We're having a little trouble with levels so it buzzes when the audio signal peaks. My apologies, I'm still working on the problem. There is no print version because I was working from notes and speaking largely off the top of my head.
A couple notes about things you'll hear but may not understand:
First, I begin with "Can you hear me now?". My wireless mike had a dead battery. This is embarrassing because I'm actually kind of in charge of the sound system!
Second, you'll hear noise in the background when I say that the most important place for youth ministry is right here. That's me hitting a pew with my hand for emphasis.
Third, I take a little dig at Fr. Earle King. I want it known that I have the greatest respect and affection for Fr. King. He is a delightful priest and person and my comment is meant entirely in the spirit of brotherly teasing.
The sermon runs very long for me, just a fraction over 20 minutes.
10-26-08sermon.mp3
I tried to lay out why youth ministry is important and why at a certain point getting a full time person is important.
This is the audio recording from the video we shoot of our 10 AM service. We're having a little trouble with levels so it buzzes when the audio signal peaks. My apologies, I'm still working on the problem. There is no print version because I was working from notes and speaking largely off the top of my head.
A couple notes about things you'll hear but may not understand:
First, I begin with "Can you hear me now?". My wireless mike had a dead battery. This is embarrassing because I'm actually kind of in charge of the sound system!
Second, you'll hear noise in the background when I say that the most important place for youth ministry is right here. That's me hitting a pew with my hand for emphasis.
Third, I take a little dig at Fr. Earle King. I want it known that I have the greatest respect and affection for Fr. King. He is a delightful priest and person and my comment is meant entirely in the spirit of brotherly teasing.
The sermon runs very long for me, just a fraction over 20 minutes.
10-26-08sermon.mp3
Reasons why I love my church
This was published on Sunday in the local paper. It's our local response to George Will's column on the Episcopal church from last week:
To the Editor
In the Sunday, October 19 Post-Journal I read with dismay George Will’s syndicated column, a column I usually enjoy. Mr. Will simplistically and falsely accuses the Episcopal Church of being “’progressive’ politics cloaked – very thinly – in piety.” I would like to reassure readers of the Post-Journal that since 1834 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown has been and continues to be committed to the historic orthodox Christian faith as expressed in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. We do provide a bridge between Catholic and Protestant Christianity because we base our authority on Scripture, Tradition and Reason in balance and harmony. We are proud to be a church that wrestles honestly and openly with difficult and sometimes divisive issues. And I personally am very sad that some have left the Episcopal Church over those same issues. Only together can we truly discern the mind of God.
At St. Luke’s we are focused on preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, deepening our faith in Him, and sharing that faith with others. We are committed to living out that faith in service to our community through ministries like the Thrift Shop and Fourth Street Café. Did you know, for instance, that every dollar raised by the Thrift Shop (after expenses) and at the annual Shoppers’ Luncheon in November is given away to local outreach? In addition, members of our church are active in virtually every service organization in our community. We are not a ‘liberal’ church or a ‘conservative’ church, but a diverse church of Republicans and Democrats and Independents, who come together because of our shared faith in Jesus. Don’t take George Will’s opinion, come check us out in person or online at www.stlukesjamestown.org.
Eric Williams
Rector of St. Luke’s Church
To the Editor
In the Sunday, October 19 Post-Journal I read with dismay George Will’s syndicated column, a column I usually enjoy. Mr. Will simplistically and falsely accuses the Episcopal Church of being “’progressive’ politics cloaked – very thinly – in piety.” I would like to reassure readers of the Post-Journal that since 1834 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown has been and continues to be committed to the historic orthodox Christian faith as expressed in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. We do provide a bridge between Catholic and Protestant Christianity because we base our authority on Scripture, Tradition and Reason in balance and harmony. We are proud to be a church that wrestles honestly and openly with difficult and sometimes divisive issues. And I personally am very sad that some have left the Episcopal Church over those same issues. Only together can we truly discern the mind of God.
At St. Luke’s we are focused on preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, deepening our faith in Him, and sharing that faith with others. We are committed to living out that faith in service to our community through ministries like the Thrift Shop and Fourth Street Café. Did you know, for instance, that every dollar raised by the Thrift Shop (after expenses) and at the annual Shoppers’ Luncheon in November is given away to local outreach? In addition, members of our church are active in virtually every service organization in our community. We are not a ‘liberal’ church or a ‘conservative’ church, but a diverse church of Republicans and Democrats and Independents, who come together because of our shared faith in Jesus. Don’t take George Will’s opinion, come check us out in person or online at www.stlukesjamestown.org.
Eric Williams
Rector of St. Luke’s Church
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Update October 26
The Weekend That Was - This actually turned out pretty well. Convention went well. My report was very well received. The new version of the video seemed to be well received. My job is still in the budget. Really, all good. I put together some notes for my sermon on Sunday and just tried to accept that I was going to go extemporaneous. Turned out very well, got great reactions from people. Then went to volleyball practice and that went pretty well too. Both the Steelers and Bills lost so that's the only downer.
So it was a pretty good weekend!
The To Do List - Got some jobs from convention to follow up on plus the next batch of projects. Plus a trip to Pittsburgh to consult with the family financial advisors (that sounds SO much more impressive than it really is).
What Am I Procrastinating About? - I've got some paperwork at home I need to just do and get over.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? "Humboldt's Gift" is finally in my past. Three weeks to read a book of less than 500 pages. Unreal. Normally a book this length takes me about 3 days, maybe a week. It's a Pulitzer prize winner written by a Nobel winning writer. And I don't recommend it to anyone. It's a tale of a spineless wimp, an idiotic gift and it largely lacks a point. Charlie Citrine, the main character, spends his time making excuses for his list of leech like friends while allowing them to continue to bleed him of money and life force. He also prattles on about Anthroposophy (which has nothing to do with the plot except to show what a nitwit Citrine is)and, oh yes, spends a fair bit of time considering writing an extensive piece on the subject of boredom. And you get lots of details in the book. Citrine is apparently based loosely on the author. Which does nothing to recommend the author to me. It will take a lot for me to ever read anything else by Bellow. A total waste of my time. Seriously.
Watched a fun little British film tonight called "Keeping Mum". It stars Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith, Kristen Scott Thomas and Patrick Swayze. I don't want to give away any of the suprises but it turns out Mum is a bit of a cheerful serial killer, all to protect her family. Wonderfully dotty and fun.
Not much in the music world at the moment.
Next Up Hmm, not sure really. Need to completely re-do the To Do list.
How Am I Doing The stress is over for the moment and I'm feeling quite good. Nice feeling for a change.
Peace
So it was a pretty good weekend!
The To Do List - Got some jobs from convention to follow up on plus the next batch of projects. Plus a trip to Pittsburgh to consult with the family financial advisors (that sounds SO much more impressive than it really is).
What Am I Procrastinating About? - I've got some paperwork at home I need to just do and get over.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? "Humboldt's Gift" is finally in my past. Three weeks to read a book of less than 500 pages. Unreal. Normally a book this length takes me about 3 days, maybe a week. It's a Pulitzer prize winner written by a Nobel winning writer. And I don't recommend it to anyone. It's a tale of a spineless wimp, an idiotic gift and it largely lacks a point. Charlie Citrine, the main character, spends his time making excuses for his list of leech like friends while allowing them to continue to bleed him of money and life force. He also prattles on about Anthroposophy (which has nothing to do with the plot except to show what a nitwit Citrine is)and, oh yes, spends a fair bit of time considering writing an extensive piece on the subject of boredom. And you get lots of details in the book. Citrine is apparently based loosely on the author. Which does nothing to recommend the author to me. It will take a lot for me to ever read anything else by Bellow. A total waste of my time. Seriously.
Watched a fun little British film tonight called "Keeping Mum". It stars Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith, Kristen Scott Thomas and Patrick Swayze. I don't want to give away any of the suprises but it turns out Mum is a bit of a cheerful serial killer, all to protect her family. Wonderfully dotty and fun.
Not much in the music world at the moment.
Next Up Hmm, not sure really. Need to completely re-do the To Do list.
How Am I Doing The stress is over for the moment and I'm feeling quite good. Nice feeling for a change.
Peace
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weekend Update October 20
The Weekend That Was - Bleah. I've been putting in a lot of time on this video project. Got it all done in time to present to Youth Commission. And the reaction from everyone has been positive but without enthusiasm. The idea of the video is get adults enthused about sending kids to camp. And the video, while good from a technique point of view, doesn't do that. So it fails in it's primary goal. It was the kid, my darling daughter, who hit the nail on the head. She said it was too academic/intellectual. Just emotionally flat. Here's my best comparison. Have you ever watched real attorneys in real court rooms? They're almost NEVER the kind of inspiring, heart racing performers we see on TV shows. It's reality versus TV. I forgot that I was doing TV and did reality. And now I have four days to fix it.
Other than that I spent a lot of time running around doing chores. Some shopping, drop off the recycling, put the deck stuff into storage for the winter. Try my hand at baking bread (let's just say it came out much like the video.)
Oh one good piece of news. The sunroof on my lady wife's car spontaneously fixed itself. We kept trying the button, praying that we could at least get the fool thing shut. And it did! So it will stay shut till the spring at which point I'll have our garage start looking for the wiring short. Which is what it has to be.
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top with a new complication thrown in. I need to duplicate a lot of very large files for someone and they need them immediately so it's going to be a long week.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Mostly raking leaves. Don't know if I'll get to it this week or not.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? "Humboldt's Gift" is still getting plowed through. Books NEVER take me this long. But I'm within 200 pages of the end and I keep hoping it'll get better. No music, no movies this week. Awful.
Next Up Video repair, sermon for Sunday, materials for Convention, radio techniques class I'm teaching on Wednesday. Sigh.
How Am I Doing I did in fact gain weight last week (sigh). I hope to at least be back to where I was this week. Our volleyball team continues to be winless. And the teams on the other side of the net seem to be getting better. The car situation is at least a little better (see above) and the stock market has settled down to merely twitchy rather than in full breakdown mode. So I'm stressed.
Peace
Other than that I spent a lot of time running around doing chores. Some shopping, drop off the recycling, put the deck stuff into storage for the winter. Try my hand at baking bread (let's just say it came out much like the video.)
Oh one good piece of news. The sunroof on my lady wife's car spontaneously fixed itself. We kept trying the button, praying that we could at least get the fool thing shut. And it did! So it will stay shut till the spring at which point I'll have our garage start looking for the wiring short. Which is what it has to be.
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top with a new complication thrown in. I need to duplicate a lot of very large files for someone and they need them immediately so it's going to be a long week.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Mostly raking leaves. Don't know if I'll get to it this week or not.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? "Humboldt's Gift" is still getting plowed through. Books NEVER take me this long. But I'm within 200 pages of the end and I keep hoping it'll get better. No music, no movies this week. Awful.
Next Up Video repair, sermon for Sunday, materials for Convention, radio techniques class I'm teaching on Wednesday. Sigh.
How Am I Doing I did in fact gain weight last week (sigh). I hope to at least be back to where I was this week. Our volleyball team continues to be winless. And the teams on the other side of the net seem to be getting better. The car situation is at least a little better (see above) and the stock market has settled down to merely twitchy rather than in full breakdown mode. So I'm stressed.
Peace
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Isn't Life a laugh?
I thought I'd reached the point where I could just laugh. That point when the sadness and the bad news either tip you over into the dark night of the soul or into a crystalline realization of the absurdity of it all.
All the stuff from last week. Followed by a really good Monday in the market and an OK Tuesday. Then a calamitous Wednesday. Then the sunroof in my lady wife's car decides to stop working, with the roof cracked open. And her transmission is acting strange. And my car has worn out a wheel bearing. Then the shop calls to say the wheel bearing is actually a wheel HUB because it was built as one big, expensive piece ($259 just for the part) and oh by the way your front brakes are SHOT. 600 dollars later...
I thought I'd found the tipping point into laughter.
Then an e-mail. A friend. A fellow youth minister. A fellow diocesan staff person from not that far away. His position has been eliminated. He'll be out of work with a mortgage and a new baby just in time to greet the New Year.
And my brain shut down. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.
So I do little things. Things that keep me busy without asking too much from my resources. I'm sorry all lines are busy. Your request is still being processed. I send a quick note to my friend, reaching out in what small way I can at this moment. I do futzy little office things. Things that need to be done but are simple. I take a walk only to discover it's too damn cold for a walk with no jacket. So it's a short walk.
I'm sorry but when does this shit storm end? Yes I'm almost ready to lay in a stock of food and water, board up the windows and post the sign "Keep Out - trespassers will be shot".
My lady wife won't permit it. I know her and that answer is just not on. She's told me that she believes we'll be OK, no matter what. And she's so sure. And I want to believe. Maybe this is how it's supposed to work. She's here to be strong for me when I quail before the darkness. When she was so sick I tried to be strong for her. We weathered that storm together.
I keep remembering the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat in the storm. And they woke him crying "Don't you care that we're going to die?!?". And he calmed the storm and asked them "Why were you afraid?".
I don't know Lord. But I am. And I waiting for the storm to calm.
Maybe then I'll laugh.
Peace
All the stuff from last week. Followed by a really good Monday in the market and an OK Tuesday. Then a calamitous Wednesday. Then the sunroof in my lady wife's car decides to stop working, with the roof cracked open. And her transmission is acting strange. And my car has worn out a wheel bearing. Then the shop calls to say the wheel bearing is actually a wheel HUB because it was built as one big, expensive piece ($259 just for the part) and oh by the way your front brakes are SHOT. 600 dollars later...
I thought I'd found the tipping point into laughter.
Then an e-mail. A friend. A fellow youth minister. A fellow diocesan staff person from not that far away. His position has been eliminated. He'll be out of work with a mortgage and a new baby just in time to greet the New Year.
And my brain shut down. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.
So I do little things. Things that keep me busy without asking too much from my resources. I'm sorry all lines are busy. Your request is still being processed. I send a quick note to my friend, reaching out in what small way I can at this moment. I do futzy little office things. Things that need to be done but are simple. I take a walk only to discover it's too damn cold for a walk with no jacket. So it's a short walk.
I'm sorry but when does this shit storm end? Yes I'm almost ready to lay in a stock of food and water, board up the windows and post the sign "Keep Out - trespassers will be shot".
My lady wife won't permit it. I know her and that answer is just not on. She's told me that she believes we'll be OK, no matter what. And she's so sure. And I want to believe. Maybe this is how it's supposed to work. She's here to be strong for me when I quail before the darkness. When she was so sick I tried to be strong for her. We weathered that storm together.
I keep remembering the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat in the storm. And they woke him crying "Don't you care that we're going to die?!?". And he calmed the storm and asked them "Why were you afraid?".
I don't know Lord. But I am. And I waiting for the storm to calm.
Maybe then I'll laugh.
Peace
Monday, October 13, 2008
Weekend Update - October 13
The Weekend That Was - My first impulse is to say not a lot went on but...
Saturday we drove up to see the kid at college so we could all go out for a birthday dinner for my lady wife. We tried a new restaurant near the kid's university that had an incredible view of the Niagara gorge, the food was fabulous and so was the bill! Suck it up for my lady. Plus we were finally told how much the semester abroad next summer is going to cost. My beloved daughter obviously saw my thoughts on my face. Expensive. But we'll make it work. Then Saturday was off to a Conference Assembly with my ELCA brothers and sisters. It was fine for what it was, a big official meeting. Then came home prepared to watch the Formula 1 race on video only to discover that SPEED channel was running off schedule (due to a long race right before the Japanese GP) and I hadn't set up a big enough recording window. So I missed the final 20 laps or so. The long weekend ended with me just futzing around the house working on some recording work.
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top with a new complication thrown in. I need to duplicate a lot of very large files for someone and they need them immediately so it's going to be a long week.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - I don't think anything actively at work, a couple things at home.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Still hacking my way through "Humboldt's Gift" the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Saul Bellow. I am exactly half way through the book and we may finally be told what the gift is. This has become a challenge. I will finish this book. But I may never read another thing by Bellow.
Still not watching many movies. Starting to bum me out. Don't know how I missed this movie all these years but finally watched "Miller's Crossing". Given that I generally like both Coen Brothers movies and movies about organized crime it's a strange oversight. The movie is dark and typically Coen in so many ways (although there's virtually none of the usual cast here other than John Turturro). It was fascinating, and grim. I kept thinking "film noir, film noir, film noir". And by the end your brain is twisted all around by who betrays whom and which story is a lie and which one is the truth.
Next Up I must complete or very nearly complete the current video project. It is the ONLY thing on my list this week. Oh, how I wish that were true.
How Am I Doing Well, if I'm lucky I won't have GAINED any weight this week. The big rebound on the stock market takes some weight off my shoulders. I'll believe that things are better when we put together at least a full week of stability. We continue to get slaughtered at volleyball but I'm really having a good time. Out the door in about 40 minutes.
Peace
Saturday we drove up to see the kid at college so we could all go out for a birthday dinner for my lady wife. We tried a new restaurant near the kid's university that had an incredible view of the Niagara gorge, the food was fabulous and so was the bill! Suck it up for my lady. Plus we were finally told how much the semester abroad next summer is going to cost. My beloved daughter obviously saw my thoughts on my face. Expensive. But we'll make it work. Then Saturday was off to a Conference Assembly with my ELCA brothers and sisters. It was fine for what it was, a big official meeting. Then came home prepared to watch the Formula 1 race on video only to discover that SPEED channel was running off schedule (due to a long race right before the Japanese GP) and I hadn't set up a big enough recording window. So I missed the final 20 laps or so. The long weekend ended with me just futzing around the house working on some recording work.
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top with a new complication thrown in. I need to duplicate a lot of very large files for someone and they need them immediately so it's going to be a long week.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - I don't think anything actively at work, a couple things at home.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Still hacking my way through "Humboldt's Gift" the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Saul Bellow. I am exactly half way through the book and we may finally be told what the gift is. This has become a challenge. I will finish this book. But I may never read another thing by Bellow.
Still not watching many movies. Starting to bum me out. Don't know how I missed this movie all these years but finally watched "Miller's Crossing". Given that I generally like both Coen Brothers movies and movies about organized crime it's a strange oversight. The movie is dark and typically Coen in so many ways (although there's virtually none of the usual cast here other than John Turturro). It was fascinating, and grim. I kept thinking "film noir, film noir, film noir". And by the end your brain is twisted all around by who betrays whom and which story is a lie and which one is the truth.
Next Up I must complete or very nearly complete the current video project. It is the ONLY thing on my list this week. Oh, how I wish that were true.
How Am I Doing Well, if I'm lucky I won't have GAINED any weight this week. The big rebound on the stock market takes some weight off my shoulders. I'll believe that things are better when we put together at least a full week of stability. We continue to get slaughtered at volleyball but I'm really having a good time. Out the door in about 40 minutes.
Peace
Friday, October 10, 2008
A deepening sadness
I'm still not sure that I should write this post. But it seems I am so I'll go ahead.
This has been one of the most...
And then I stop. I can not seem to find the words to describe how I feel. Saddened? Yes but that's not all. Worried? Yes that too but still doesn't cover it. There's an aspect of spiritual gloom that has descended on me that I struggle to describe. It is a great weight upon my mind and soul and heart.
Last weekend the the diocese where I grew up voted that they no longer wished to be part of the Episcopal church. It wasn't a surprising move, they've been telegraphing this punch for years now. I respect their point of view theologically even as I utterly disagree with it. I believe their attempt to leave as a diocese is without meaning. Dioceses are creations of General Convention and have no independent existence. They can leave individually but not as an entity.
Even though I knew the vote was a foregone conclusion it still saddens me. Sad beyond the deepening rift in my denomination. Sad to my core because this is the diocese of my baptism (St. Andrews, New Kensington), my confirmation and marriage (St. Thomas in the Fields, Gibsonia). It is where my parents ashes are interred. I don't know if that congregation will decide to stay as have 19 other so far. I can only imagine this is how children of divorce must feel. Torn by our affection for both sides but feeling that we are being forced into making a choice. It has been a darkness on my heart.
Then came the announcement that some folks are leaving us here in Western New York. Some of the clery and congregation at St. Bartholomew's Tonawanda have informed the bishop that they too will be departing TEC. Again, not a surprise. The folks at St. Bart's have been open about their disagreement, have kept the channels open for discussion and in the end have made their decision. They will walk away and form a new congregation in a new building. I have the highest respect for these folks. They have walked what must have been an incredibly difficult path and done it with honor and dignity. The words fail me on how much I respect and honor this hard and painful decision. I am truly sorry to lose them and I wish them well. But it is a further darkness on my heart.
Finally I must admit the financial crisis frightens me. Each day my small investments portfolio is devastated again. My financial situation was tight but manageable before. Now I must admit that the first touch of fear has descended. What will be left? How bad will the economy get? How hard will our diocesan budget be hit. Will I still have a job? How will I care for my family? Yesterday when I saw the final numbers for the Dow I literally became light headed. I can not deny it any longer.
I am afraid.
My faith tells me to trust in God. But I am not one who can just lay back and hope that God will make it all better. My belief is that God expects us to be involved in creating our own lives. I have no faith in predestination, nor a micro-manager deity. God has given me life, and gifts and love. Now I must make of them what I am able. I must ask God to help me hold this fear at bay. I will ask him to lift, at least a little, the darkness that oppresses me. And yes, foolish inconsistent mortal that I am I will ask him to micro-manage just a little bit in my favor!
I will not give up. I will not give in. I will continue to live my life and follow my calling.
And I will pray. A lot.
God watch over us all.
Peace
This has been one of the most...
And then I stop. I can not seem to find the words to describe how I feel. Saddened? Yes but that's not all. Worried? Yes that too but still doesn't cover it. There's an aspect of spiritual gloom that has descended on me that I struggle to describe. It is a great weight upon my mind and soul and heart.
Last weekend the the diocese where I grew up voted that they no longer wished to be part of the Episcopal church. It wasn't a surprising move, they've been telegraphing this punch for years now. I respect their point of view theologically even as I utterly disagree with it. I believe their attempt to leave as a diocese is without meaning. Dioceses are creations of General Convention and have no independent existence. They can leave individually but not as an entity.
Even though I knew the vote was a foregone conclusion it still saddens me. Sad beyond the deepening rift in my denomination. Sad to my core because this is the diocese of my baptism (St. Andrews, New Kensington), my confirmation and marriage (St. Thomas in the Fields, Gibsonia). It is where my parents ashes are interred. I don't know if that congregation will decide to stay as have 19 other so far. I can only imagine this is how children of divorce must feel. Torn by our affection for both sides but feeling that we are being forced into making a choice. It has been a darkness on my heart.
Then came the announcement that some folks are leaving us here in Western New York. Some of the clery and congregation at St. Bartholomew's Tonawanda have informed the bishop that they too will be departing TEC. Again, not a surprise. The folks at St. Bart's have been open about their disagreement, have kept the channels open for discussion and in the end have made their decision. They will walk away and form a new congregation in a new building. I have the highest respect for these folks. They have walked what must have been an incredibly difficult path and done it with honor and dignity. The words fail me on how much I respect and honor this hard and painful decision. I am truly sorry to lose them and I wish them well. But it is a further darkness on my heart.
Finally I must admit the financial crisis frightens me. Each day my small investments portfolio is devastated again. My financial situation was tight but manageable before. Now I must admit that the first touch of fear has descended. What will be left? How bad will the economy get? How hard will our diocesan budget be hit. Will I still have a job? How will I care for my family? Yesterday when I saw the final numbers for the Dow I literally became light headed. I can not deny it any longer.
I am afraid.
My faith tells me to trust in God. But I am not one who can just lay back and hope that God will make it all better. My belief is that God expects us to be involved in creating our own lives. I have no faith in predestination, nor a micro-manager deity. God has given me life, and gifts and love. Now I must make of them what I am able. I must ask God to help me hold this fear at bay. I will ask him to lift, at least a little, the darkness that oppresses me. And yes, foolish inconsistent mortal that I am I will ask him to micro-manage just a little bit in my favor!
I will not give up. I will not give in. I will continue to live my life and follow my calling.
And I will pray. A lot.
God watch over us all.
Peace
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
What spiritual type are you?
Spiritual Type test
You are a Sage, characterized by a thinking or head spirituality. You value responsibility, logic, and order. Maybe that's why you were voted "Most Dependable" by your high school classmates. Structure and organization are important to you. What would the world be like without you? Chaos, that's what! Your favorite words include should, ought, and be prepared. What makes you feel warm and fuzzy? Like Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof it's tradition! tradition! tradition!
Because you love words, written or spoken, you enjoy a good lecture, serious discussions, and theological reflection. Prayer for you usually is verbal. You thrive on activity and gatherings of people, such as study groups. Sages on retreat likely would fill every day with planned activities, leaving little time for silence or solitude.
We need Sages for your clear thinking and orderly ways. You pay attention to details that others overlook. Sages make contributions to education, publishing, and theology. You often are the ones who feel a duty to serve, give, care, and share with the rest of us.
On the other hand, sometimes you seem unfeeling, too intellectual, or dry. Can you say "dogmatic"? You may need to experience the freedom of breaking a rule or two every now and then. God's grace covers Sages too, you know!
Famous Sages:
Mr. Spock | Dilbert | Elrond
Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Maya Angelou | Linus (Peanuts)
Yoda (Star Wars) | Andy Griffith | Mr. Miyagi
The Buddha | Rodin's The Thinker | Moses
Ross Geller | Matthew (the Gospel writer) | Tiger Woods
Read about some Saints who were Sages
(h/t to Gman)
You are a Sage, characterized by a thinking or head spirituality. You value responsibility, logic, and order. Maybe that's why you were voted "Most Dependable" by your high school classmates. Structure and organization are important to you. What would the world be like without you? Chaos, that's what! Your favorite words include should, ought, and be prepared. What makes you feel warm and fuzzy? Like Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof it's tradition! tradition! tradition!
Because you love words, written or spoken, you enjoy a good lecture, serious discussions, and theological reflection. Prayer for you usually is verbal. You thrive on activity and gatherings of people, such as study groups. Sages on retreat likely would fill every day with planned activities, leaving little time for silence or solitude.
We need Sages for your clear thinking and orderly ways. You pay attention to details that others overlook. Sages make contributions to education, publishing, and theology. You often are the ones who feel a duty to serve, give, care, and share with the rest of us.
On the other hand, sometimes you seem unfeeling, too intellectual, or dry. Can you say "dogmatic"? You may need to experience the freedom of breaking a rule or two every now and then. God's grace covers Sages too, you know!
Famous Sages:
Mr. Spock | Dilbert | Elrond
Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Maya Angelou | Linus (Peanuts)
Yoda (Star Wars) | Andy Griffith | Mr. Miyagi
The Buddha | Rodin's The Thinker | Moses
Ross Geller | Matthew (the Gospel writer) | Tiger Woods
Read about some Saints who were Sages
(h/t to Gman)
Update plus 12 seconds
Quick update:
I lost another pound. I can see the next milestone! With a good week I can be below 190 pounds by this time next week.
I had an excellent week on the football pool. I missed only 3 picks this week and still finished tied for 5th place. I move up to 6th overall just 19 points behind the leader! Yeah baby!
Volleyball was good and bad last night. Played fairly uninspiredly but we won our first game. Still haven't won a match yet but at least we didn't get shut out.
Something new! Call it 12 seconds a day with Jay (yes I'm going to try and scratch out 12 seconds every week day at least to do this). It should be an interesting challenge. Let's see how this works embeded on the page. This is a flash program.
And so it begins on 12seconds.tv
Let me know if this works for you. It's being squirelly.
I lost another pound. I can see the next milestone! With a good week I can be below 190 pounds by this time next week.
I had an excellent week on the football pool. I missed only 3 picks this week and still finished tied for 5th place. I move up to 6th overall just 19 points behind the leader! Yeah baby!
Volleyball was good and bad last night. Played fairly uninspiredly but we won our first game. Still haven't won a match yet but at least we didn't get shut out.
Something new! Call it 12 seconds a day with Jay (yes I'm going to try and scratch out 12 seconds every week day at least to do this). It should be an interesting challenge. Let's see how this works embeded on the page. This is a flash program.
And so it begins on 12seconds.tv
Let me know if this works for you. It's being squirelly.
Monday, October 06, 2008
It's terrible news!!!
It is the end of an era. A great personal loss. I can not imagine how I'm going to go on. You'll find me weeping inconsolably in the corner.Opus is going away. Forever.
One of my all time favorite cartoons will finally come to a complete halt. It began with Bloom County, which gave way to Outlands, which finally came down to just Opus. And as of the beginning of next month it will all be done. Berkeley Breathed the man who brought us Opus and Milo and the Radical Meadow Party and the Starchair Enterpoop is finally ending the entire series. He's announced there will be a final ending for Opus that will truly be final. One that won't let him bring Opus back but that will leave Opus as he always has been. The perfect naif. The ultimate innocent.
I enjoy the funnies, I read them most days even now. My all time favorites are a select group. Peanuts (the first one I went out of my way to read), Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County. Three of them are gone (though Peanuts is in re-runs).
The clip above is from an early version of the strip and one of my all time favorite episodes. So I'll leave you with the punch line. If you've never seen the strip it will make no sense at all.
But that's OK.
Pear Pimples for Hairy Fishnuts.
I truly will miss you Opurt old buddy. Stay away from the late night infomercials.
Peace
Monday Update - October 6
The Weekend That Was - Hmmm, interesting and sad. I have volunteered as race announcer for the local Soap Box Derby for something just shy of 20 years I think. They had a "rally" over the weekend and I did the first day's announcing. It was rather cold and I actually got a bit wind burned. So my face is red and covered in dry skin. Not fun. The racing went well. I look to be in very good shape this week on the football pool. I think I've picked 9 out of 14 correct so far with Monday night to go. Picked the Washington game which I was pretty proud of, most of the experts had that game the other way. Of course the Diocese of Pittsburgh voted at its convention to leave the Episcopal Church. Count me among those who don't believe that dioceses can leave but that's for another day. It is profoundly sad for me. My roots are very deep there and it is very painful.
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top but I have work to do for my Lutheran brothers and sisters, preparations for the next Youth Commission and, oh yeah, diocesan convention at the end of the month!
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Nothing too much, lots of things just a little.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Haven't listened to much of anything new, lots of my favorites on the ipod. Working on "Humboldt's Gift" the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Saul Bellow. This is part of my ongoing attempt to broaden my reading a little. I use the list from "1,000 Books You Have To Read Before You Die" as a jumping off point. The Bellow book is #332 (arranged by date). To be honest I'm finding it a bit slow. But I keep hoping.
Not many movies either. Watched "Ringers - Lord of the Fans" a documentary on fans of the Lord of the Rings, both books and movies. Plus the impact of the books and movie on popular culture. If you're into LOTR it's not too bad. If you're not there will be nothing here to amuse you except the chance to mock folks with more time on their hands than sense in their heads. These folks (called Ringers) are right up there with Trekkies or Trekkers (whichever you prefer) and Star Wars fanatics. Clearly the person having the most fun was Andy Serkis who played Gollum. All he has to do is break into his Gollum voice and the fans go wild!
Next Up Videos and more videos. Tonight is volleyball (I did pretty well last week and the team thinks I might be worth keeping around) and the next weigh in. Down a pound last week probably not much more than that this.
How Am I Doing I'm feeling rather down about the vote in Pittsburgh. I'll probably break my silence on the "issues" of the day later this week and write about it. Otherwise things are going pretty well. I'd be happier if the economy would start turning around!
Peace
The To Do List - Videos remain at the top but I have work to do for my Lutheran brothers and sisters, preparations for the next Youth Commission and, oh yeah, diocesan convention at the end of the month!
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Nothing too much, lots of things just a little.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Haven't listened to much of anything new, lots of my favorites on the ipod. Working on "Humboldt's Gift" the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Saul Bellow. This is part of my ongoing attempt to broaden my reading a little. I use the list from "1,000 Books You Have To Read Before You Die" as a jumping off point. The Bellow book is #332 (arranged by date). To be honest I'm finding it a bit slow. But I keep hoping.Not many movies either. Watched "Ringers - Lord of the Fans" a documentary on fans of the Lord of the Rings, both books and movies. Plus the impact of the books and movie on popular culture. If you're into LOTR it's not too bad. If you're not there will be nothing here to amuse you except the chance to mock folks with more time on their hands than sense in their heads. These folks (called Ringers) are right up there with Trekkies or Trekkers (whichever you prefer) and Star Wars fanatics. Clearly the person having the most fun was Andy Serkis who played Gollum. All he has to do is break into his Gollum voice and the fans go wild!Next Up Videos and more videos. Tonight is volleyball (I did pretty well last week and the team thinks I might be worth keeping around) and the next weigh in. Down a pound last week probably not much more than that this.
How Am I Doing I'm feeling rather down about the vote in Pittsburgh. I'll probably break my silence on the "issues" of the day later this week and write about it. Otherwise things are going pretty well. I'd be happier if the economy would start turning around!
Peace
Friday, October 03, 2008
Because it's important
For the years that I was a morning man in radio one of my recurrent themes was the importance of voting. I'm a firm believer that if you don't vote, don't complain. You abdicated your responsibility as a citizen of our nation. Vote for whatever party, vote as a protest, write in Mickey Mouse, Homer Simpson, right in MY name, whatever. But for the love of God vote.
You can still register to vote in the state of NY through at least October 10. So make sure you're registered. If you're 18 or older get registered. And then vote. Check out the video. It says it as well as I can think of any way to say it. Yes, they're all celebrities (except for Julie) but even celebrities are right some times. Oh and be warned some of the language is pretty raw. Not a lot but some.
But the message is important enough to use that language. Copping out on voting is not an option I believe for people of faith. It's not an option for people who care. Is the system messed up? Sure it is, you have to be an idiot not to understand that. Even Winston Churchill said "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (House of Commons speech on Nov. 11, 1947) If enough people care enough to vote the system can, does, has and will change.
Get out and vote.
You can still register to vote in the state of NY through at least October 10. So make sure you're registered. If you're 18 or older get registered. And then vote. Check out the video. It says it as well as I can think of any way to say it. Yes, they're all celebrities (except for Julie) but even celebrities are right some times. Oh and be warned some of the language is pretty raw. Not a lot but some.
But the message is important enough to use that language. Copping out on voting is not an option I believe for people of faith. It's not an option for people who care. Is the system messed up? Sure it is, you have to be an idiot not to understand that. Even Winston Churchill said "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (House of Commons speech on Nov. 11, 1947) If enough people care enough to vote the system can, does, has and will change.
Get out and vote.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Just some random stuff
I studiously avoid airing my political views here. But this is a candidate I could absolutely get behind:
I approached the football pool results for this past week with fear and trembling. Out of a total of 91 possible points I got 56. Figured my standing would take a hammering. Turns out the weeks champ had a total of 66 points! Stupid Broncos. So I remain in 11th place. Not sure I like this coming week any better.
Weight loss contest - down 1 pound. But hey it's DOWN a pound. Any weight I lose from here on out is territory I haven't seen in over 20 years. Kinda cool when I realize that I will have no choice soon but to buy new clothes. My current wardrobe is starting to hang on me like I'd just gotten over a long illness.
Added a new recipe to my repertoire! Homemade spaghetti sauce. It's very close to the classic "Godfather" sauce (which legend says is actually the Coppola family recipe) and it was delicious! I was little worried because spaghetti is one of my lady wife's favorites and she can be a little picky (just a little). She's happy to make the homemade sauce our regular. Very cool.
And I pulled off a little car repair spiffiness too. I swapped out the door jamb switch on the driver's door. Now I not only have the interior light come on when I get in but the "lights on" warning chime now works too! Took all of five minutes. But oh so satisfying.
Later today I'll launch the first youth ministry video (actually this would be youth ministry videos v.2. We tried last year and had some technical problems) It's just a quick collection of memories from EYE but it's nice to have one up and running.
I approached the football pool results for this past week with fear and trembling. Out of a total of 91 possible points I got 56. Figured my standing would take a hammering. Turns out the weeks champ had a total of 66 points! Stupid Broncos. So I remain in 11th place. Not sure I like this coming week any better.
Weight loss contest - down 1 pound. But hey it's DOWN a pound. Any weight I lose from here on out is territory I haven't seen in over 20 years. Kinda cool when I realize that I will have no choice soon but to buy new clothes. My current wardrobe is starting to hang on me like I'd just gotten over a long illness.
Added a new recipe to my repertoire! Homemade spaghetti sauce. It's very close to the classic "Godfather" sauce (which legend says is actually the Coppola family recipe) and it was delicious! I was little worried because spaghetti is one of my lady wife's favorites and she can be a little picky (just a little). She's happy to make the homemade sauce our regular. Very cool.
And I pulled off a little car repair spiffiness too. I swapped out the door jamb switch on the driver's door. Now I not only have the interior light come on when I get in but the "lights on" warning chime now works too! Took all of five minutes. But oh so satisfying.
Later today I'll launch the first youth ministry video (actually this would be youth ministry videos v.2. We tried last year and had some technical problems) It's just a quick collection of memories from EYE but it's nice to have one up and running.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday update - September 29
The Weekend That Was - I guess it was OK. My lady wife was at a Happening teaming then went to visit the kid at college so was gone basically all day. So did a few chores around the house and goofed off. Then Sunday was church and an ordination (Yay, Mother Cathy!) at the Cathedral. Then I dropped off something at the kid's apartment too. Didn't get home to a little late so that was basically the whole weekend. Did watch the Formula 1 race in Singapore. A first ever night race under the lights. Just amazing. Even more amazing was Ferrari's TERRIBLE day (they scored ZERO points). Really weird.
The To Do List - The video stuff remains at the top of the list. I started work on the big video last week only to have my computer develop some kind of brain cramp. I spent the weekend trying to massage that out. We'll see if that changes anything.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Just stuff in my personal life. I need to buckle down.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? I've pretty much given up on "The Ice Diaries". Don't know why but it's not grabbing me. I am reading "Storming Las Vegas" a real life story about a Cuban, Marielito refugee who had been trained in his previous life as a Soviet era special forces "Spetznaz" trooper who robbed a string of Las Vegas armored cars and casinos (including the Bellagio) back in 1999 and 2000. It's been fascinating so far.I haven't listened to much music nor seen any movies this week. Depressing. Did bump off three "Speaking of Faith" podcasts over the weekend. They were "The Business of Doing Good" which looked at businesses that are trying to change the world and thrive as businesses. Which was very interesting. "Brother Thay - A Radio Pilgrimage with Thich Nhat Hanh" This is a well known Vietnamese Buddhist teacher who is very interesting. Sadly the show eventually became a lot of interviews with his students who all said what a great teacher he is. Got a bit boring. And finally "Evangelical Politics - Three Generations". How about Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd and Shane Claiborne on the same stage talking about the relationship between church and politics? All three had great things to say but it was Claiborne that really spoke to me the most.
Next Up The videos! The videos. The videos. Oh and another weigh in on the new weight loss contest is tomorrow. I'm not sure I've lost anything this week. Oh wait! I start playing volleyball with the parish team tonight. Last time I played volleyball I was in high school. (Yes, volleyball's been around THAT long!). So I may post tomorrow from a hospital room.
How Am I Doing Meh. I've had a sore throat all weekend. I woke up all froggy voiced this morning. I've tons of things to do. So I'm feeling a little stressed right now.
Peace
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Bits o news
Been a strange week so far:
A very dear friend at church passed away yesterday. It was not unexpected in any way but it's still sad. She was a special lady and will be missed. Funeral tomorrow.
Had to take our older cat to the vet yesterday because she had pretty much lost all interest in anything. She barely flinched when the kitten would jump on her and gnaw on her head rather than growling and hissing per usual. And she wouldn't even budge when my lady wife came into the house. This cat has always treated her as the "goddess" and needs her undivided attention for at least 20 minutes at the end of every day. The last three days? Didn't even turn her head. The early word is not good -liver damage, kidney damage. She's a very sick kitty with a very poor prognosis. She's in the animal hospital for the time being.
In news of lighter note and less importance -
My first weigh in on my new contest put me in the top 5. I doubt I'll stay there. Lost just over 2% of my initial weight. I would really love to drop below that next 10 pound milestone. Just four pounds away.
Dropped out of the top 10 in the football pool. It was a wretched week. Come on the Dolphins beating the Patriots? And a serious case of tail whoopin' at that. A couple other teams let me down as well. So I fell to 11th place. Still picked something like 10 out 16 games last week but got several high point games that I missed. Need a better week this week. Only 13 games to pick.
I've spent most of the day waiting on a software download that I need for the big project I'm sitting on. So everything has been on hold. Doing lots of little things.
Peace
A very dear friend at church passed away yesterday. It was not unexpected in any way but it's still sad. She was a special lady and will be missed. Funeral tomorrow.
Had to take our older cat to the vet yesterday because she had pretty much lost all interest in anything. She barely flinched when the kitten would jump on her and gnaw on her head rather than growling and hissing per usual. And she wouldn't even budge when my lady wife came into the house. This cat has always treated her as the "goddess" and needs her undivided attention for at least 20 minutes at the end of every day. The last three days? Didn't even turn her head. The early word is not good -liver damage, kidney damage. She's a very sick kitty with a very poor prognosis. She's in the animal hospital for the time being.
In news of lighter note and less importance -
My first weigh in on my new contest put me in the top 5. I doubt I'll stay there. Lost just over 2% of my initial weight. I would really love to drop below that next 10 pound milestone. Just four pounds away.
Dropped out of the top 10 in the football pool. It was a wretched week. Come on the Dolphins beating the Patriots? And a serious case of tail whoopin' at that. A couple other teams let me down as well. So I fell to 11th place. Still picked something like 10 out 16 games last week but got several high point games that I missed. Need a better week this week. Only 13 games to pick.
I've spent most of the day waiting on a software download that I need for the big project I'm sitting on. So everything has been on hold. Doing lots of little things.
Peace
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
On being disliked
It came up again the other day.
Some people don't like me.
That's always kind of, well, puzzled me. I suppose it shouldn't. I know for a fact (because she's told me so) that my lady wife didn't like me much at all when we met in college. I know also that my academic advisor was hoping I'd transfer preferably to a different college (He actually got his wish for a semester). As a young man I protected myself with an facade of nearly unbearable bravado. I behaved as if I were supremely confident to cover my utter lack of confidence.
Do I still do that? I don't think so. Many, many people seem to like me. I've worked hard to lower my guard and be myself. It's taken years of work but I do believe that I'm pretty good at several things I do.
So why don't people like me?
My thoughts would include:
1: Because I am a confident person. I've been fairly successful at several things over the years. I know what I'm good at. I don't brag about it (any more) but I'm not going to be falsely modest either.
2: Because I'm smart. No, I don't think I'm bragging. My IQ has tested consistently well above average. I'm fairly well read and I read widely. Consequently I know a bit about a great many subjects. I know, like and use big words sometimes. Because they're the best words for the moment I believe. Traditionally American culture doesn't like smart people. The anti-intellectual strain still runs deep. You can be a second rate jock and be a "regular guy" that everyone loves. A brilliant nerd will always be the butt of jokes.
3: Because I believe what I believe. I try not to hold opinions without some basis. Because I do try to get a deeper understanding before I take a position I'm not likely to give up that position easily. I am open to having my mind changed. You will need to have a COMPELLING argument to do it and you can expect that I will challenge the basis for your argument and question you on the details. People don't like that.
4: Because I expect people to work as hard and care as much as I do. Not about everything. If baseball bores you, more power to you. But if we work together, I work hard. I expect a lot of myself and I don't see any reason why you should get paid to do half ass work. Now I acknowledge that we need to be judged by the quality of our gifts. I don't expect you to match me in areas where you are not as gifted as I am. Or vice versa. But I expect you to work hard to achieve whatever level you are capable of achieving. You'll have my support and I expect yours. I once told a group of my former co-workers that the company had given us everything we need to succeed and if we didn't they should fire us all. They complained to the boss who, astoundingly to me, TOOK THEIR SIDE!!! I was told I expected too much of people. I don't think so.
5: I don't kiss butt. I avoid playing office politics whenever possible. That cost me a job once. I'm not going to pretend just to make you feel better. When I've been a supervisor I've tried to be as gentle and caring as possible when I have to chew someone out. But they get chewed out.
As a younger man it bothered me tremendously that people disliked me. I will admit it still bothers me a bit. But I am who I am. I am flawed but I'm working on those flaws. Otherwise I'm comfortable with who I am. I'll take whatever comes because of it. I walked out after losing my last job with my head held high. I left honorably and without compromising on what I felt was important.
In the end I need to look at myself in the mirror, I need to face my family and friends and be able to say I did what I thought was best. I did what I believed was right.
And if you don't like me? I sincerely ask that you sit down with me and tell me why. Offer me the chance to explain or change. I will listen as openly as I am able. If our differences are too great then at least we can part with honest understanding between us.
Peace
Some people don't like me.
That's always kind of, well, puzzled me. I suppose it shouldn't. I know for a fact (because she's told me so) that my lady wife didn't like me much at all when we met in college. I know also that my academic advisor was hoping I'd transfer preferably to a different college (He actually got his wish for a semester). As a young man I protected myself with an facade of nearly unbearable bravado. I behaved as if I were supremely confident to cover my utter lack of confidence.
Do I still do that? I don't think so. Many, many people seem to like me. I've worked hard to lower my guard and be myself. It's taken years of work but I do believe that I'm pretty good at several things I do.
So why don't people like me?
My thoughts would include:
1: Because I am a confident person. I've been fairly successful at several things over the years. I know what I'm good at. I don't brag about it (any more) but I'm not going to be falsely modest either.
2: Because I'm smart. No, I don't think I'm bragging. My IQ has tested consistently well above average. I'm fairly well read and I read widely. Consequently I know a bit about a great many subjects. I know, like and use big words sometimes. Because they're the best words for the moment I believe. Traditionally American culture doesn't like smart people. The anti-intellectual strain still runs deep. You can be a second rate jock and be a "regular guy" that everyone loves. A brilliant nerd will always be the butt of jokes.
3: Because I believe what I believe. I try not to hold opinions without some basis. Because I do try to get a deeper understanding before I take a position I'm not likely to give up that position easily. I am open to having my mind changed. You will need to have a COMPELLING argument to do it and you can expect that I will challenge the basis for your argument and question you on the details. People don't like that.
4: Because I expect people to work as hard and care as much as I do. Not about everything. If baseball bores you, more power to you. But if we work together, I work hard. I expect a lot of myself and I don't see any reason why you should get paid to do half ass work. Now I acknowledge that we need to be judged by the quality of our gifts. I don't expect you to match me in areas where you are not as gifted as I am. Or vice versa. But I expect you to work hard to achieve whatever level you are capable of achieving. You'll have my support and I expect yours. I once told a group of my former co-workers that the company had given us everything we need to succeed and if we didn't they should fire us all. They complained to the boss who, astoundingly to me, TOOK THEIR SIDE!!! I was told I expected too much of people. I don't think so.
5: I don't kiss butt. I avoid playing office politics whenever possible. That cost me a job once. I'm not going to pretend just to make you feel better. When I've been a supervisor I've tried to be as gentle and caring as possible when I have to chew someone out. But they get chewed out.
As a younger man it bothered me tremendously that people disliked me. I will admit it still bothers me a bit. But I am who I am. I am flawed but I'm working on those flaws. Otherwise I'm comfortable with who I am. I'll take whatever comes because of it. I walked out after losing my last job with my head held high. I left honorably and without compromising on what I felt was important.
In the end I need to look at myself in the mirror, I need to face my family and friends and be able to say I did what I thought was best. I did what I believed was right.
And if you don't like me? I sincerely ask that you sit down with me and tell me why. Offer me the chance to explain or change. I will listen as openly as I am able. If our differences are too great then at least we can part with honest understanding between us.
Peace
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday Update - September 21
The Weekend That Was - Fairly quiet weekend. My lady wife was away on Saturday (she's on Happening team for the next weekend) so I cleaned. Don't know why but when she's gone I have an uncontrollable desire to clean. She finds that odd but a perfectly acceptable odd. Sunday was our first Youth Commission meeting of the new program year. The big news was the beginning of our camp re-examination process and the first of a set of recommendations for change. All of which was met very positively. Which was cool. Then the Steelers game. We shall not speak of that.
The To Do List - The video stuff goes to the top of the list (you mean it stays at the top of the list you slacker!) plus a few other smaller chores.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Nothing at the moment.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To?
I'm reading two books right now - The Ice Diaries - written by Capt. Wm. Anderson, the second commander of the nuclear submarine Nautilus. Nautilus was the first ever nuke sub, went under the artic ice cap and a bunch of other cool stuff. I will admit that what grabbed my attention first was that the dust cover on this book only covers the bottom half of the book itself. Never seen one like it before.
The other book is "Free For All" by Don Borchert. This is about one of my favorite places in the world, the public library. Written by a Los Angeles area librarian (be warned, librarians know a lot of "naughty" words!) Borchert pulls no punches about some of the folks who use the library and how they are run. As I checked it out the librarian told me she had read it and loved it so I'm guessing it's not far from the mark even in my little corner of the world.The movies for this week were:
Midway - caught this on AMC. An all-star cast in a really creaky WWII film about one of the great naval battles of that war. The dialogue was truly wooden. But it's a fun movie to play spot the stars on. It was OK.
Garden State - This was a much better movie! Funny, kinda quirky, fun cast (Zach Braff, Natalie Portman and Ian Holm) about a New Jersey boy who comes home for his mother's funeral, faces some of his personal demons, re-discovers the ability to feel and, oh yeah, falls in love with Natalie Portman. Some guys have all the luck. Another great little indie film.
Next Up The videos! Must make progress on the videos! Plus get the camp stuff rolling. Oh and the first weigh in on the new weight loss contest is tomorrow.
How Am I Doing Better. The meeting went well, I have an excellent weight to report, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Which means I've forgotten something.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Aaaaaarrrrrr! It's talk like a Pirate day!
I first came across this bit of silliness years ago. 
It's just too much fun to pass up.
So Ahoy mateys! Welcome aboard my Pirate ship the "Poison Sabre of Hell", (name generator)
I am your captain: Iron Sam Kidd
"A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!"
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
The original "Talk Like a Pirate" website.
So greet the day with an Arr or I'll have the lot of ye keelhauled!
It's just too much fun to pass up.So Ahoy mateys! Welcome aboard my Pirate ship the "Poison Sabre of Hell", (name generator)
I am your captain: Iron Sam Kidd
"A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!"
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
The original "Talk Like a Pirate" website.
So greet the day with an Arr or I'll have the lot of ye keelhauled!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Something for the middle of your week
Really, this was just too much fun to pass up. As someone whose personal piety balances between the catholic and protestant this just cracks me up. then I think about it and realize how sad it makes me. The number of people in America who have no real understanding of the language they speak each day just appalls me. I had a co-worker back in the day who insisted in substituting the word 'mute' for 'moot' which drove me bonkers. The list is endless. I will confess that upon occasion I misuse a term, we all do. It's folks who insist on using words about which they don't have the slightest inkling of comprehension that makes me crazy.By the way this is from the site "Not Always Right" which is now a regular vice for me. If you've ever worked in retail you'll love. And you'll probably love even if you've NEVER worked in retail.
Football pool update - I'm up to NINTH place after this week! I got the same number of games right but got more of my high point games so I improved by a handful of points. Top 10. We'll see how long that lasts. Next weeks Steelers game isn't going to be fun to pick.
And the weight loss thing - Matthew McNutt is firing up another weight loss challenge and I'm in. The Biggest Loser debuted the new season last night and I was moved as always. It makes my goal of losing 20-30 pounds seem pretty pathetic. They have TWO contestants who are medically restricted to only 30 minutes of exercise a DAY. If they can lose the weight surely I can too. My official starting weight is 198 pounds, which is actually a couple pounds heavy. I had my photos taken to start the competition then realized I had omitted something and had to re-take them at the end of the day after dinner. So I'm going to get a first week boost of a couple pounds. But I've been losing and re-gaining those 2-3 pounds all summer. And I'm being honest about it here. I did in fact weigh that much at the time I had to get the weigh-in photo. That's about 5 pounds above my ending weight after the last one.
Same plan, eat smart, eat less, exercise. We'll see.
Peace
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday Update - September 15 2008
The Weekend That Was - Well my adventure in self injury is detailed elsewhere. Went to the ordination and installation of a new priest just down the road. Got a great turnout from all over the diocese which was cool. Over 150 packed into a pretty small church in Randolph. Quiet otherwise. Steelers, Bills and astoundingly Pirates all came up winners. Watched some TV and relaxed. Nice weekend actually.
The To Do List - Still have video work to do, I have a very important fax to send, some calls to make, and prepare for Youth Commission on Sunday.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Pretty much all of the above. I'm pathetic, lol!
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To?
Still working on the Sci-Fi collection, watched an episode of Foyle's War a British mystery set during WW II. I love the characters and the acting and oh yes, there's Miss Honeysuckle Weeks (that's her REAL name NOT the character!) who I much enjoy watching as well.Do not expect me to be ashamed of enjoying God's good work. She is easy on the eyes AND can act. Even my lady wife agrees.
Next Up The next big thing is Youth Commission. But there's also a car appointment too. Oh yes and as of tomorrow I begin the next weight loss contest. As of today I've gained back 5 of the 25 pounds I lost in the spring. Yes, it feels good to be this light. How much better will it feel after the next 20? Oh and I've decided to play on the church volleyball team at the YMCA for exercise too.
How Am I Doing I'm grumpy about those returning pounds.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
How embarrassing
I'm afraid I've done myself an injury.
It's really rather embarrassing.
You see I've given my big toe on my right foot a rather solid whack. Hurt like blazes. It's swollen a bit and turning rather black and blue.
How did I do it you ask?
Well that's the embarrassing bit I'm afraid.
I dropped a pound of frozen hamburger on it. From chest height. Slid out of the freezer. And I don't wear shoes around the house much.
It is absolutely amazing how much that hurts.
So I'm icing it down, taking some aspirin and hoping for the best. Doesn't appear to be broken, which is the good news.
I get injured in the most ridiculous ways.
Sigh.
Peace
It's really rather embarrassing.
You see I've given my big toe on my right foot a rather solid whack. Hurt like blazes. It's swollen a bit and turning rather black and blue.
How did I do it you ask?
Well that's the embarrassing bit I'm afraid.
I dropped a pound of frozen hamburger on it. From chest height. Slid out of the freezer. And I don't wear shoes around the house much.
It is absolutely amazing how much that hurts.
So I'm icing it down, taking some aspirin and hoping for the best. Doesn't appear to be broken, which is the good news.
I get injured in the most ridiculous ways.
Sigh.
Peace
Friday, September 12, 2008
Oh where to even begin!?!
Story
Here's the headline:
Dad chases nude boy from daughter's room with pipe
I'm the father of a daughter.
My first reactions were - amusement and understanding.
Yes, if I'd ever caught a naked young man in my daughter's bedroom I would have reacted badly. I readily admit it.
And yes, this seems funny at first blush.
Here's what's not so funny:
Dad didn't even know darling daughter HAD a boyfriend.
Dad didn't know this had been going on for a year.
Dad opened up naked boy's scalp with that pipe.
On the last one I have to give him a partial pass. He heard a noise and found a naked stranger standing in his daughter's bed. My first reaction to that is "Daughter in danger. Must kill person putting daughter in danger". I'm sorry if that's not terribly PC, or evolved or whatever. If I think you're hurting my family you're in mortal danger. Period. End of sentence. Discussion over. I'm willing to bet that it's the same for the vast majority of guys.
No the real problem is that Daddy and daughter clearly have a communication problem. Daughter doesn't feel like she wants or can share with Daddy. She also feels safe enough that Daddy's not going to wander by while she and naked boy get on whatever form of whoopee they favor. There's a year's worth of evidence to support that point of view.
Since I don't know anything about the family I'll pass on trying to judge who's at fault. In my experience it's usually a bit of everyone.
In the end the lies and the lack of connection between parent and child ended up putting a young man in the hospital and may put Daddy in prison.
Call it a cautionary tale.
Peace
Here's the headline:
Dad chases nude boy from daughter's room with pipe
I'm the father of a daughter.
My first reactions were - amusement and understanding.
Yes, if I'd ever caught a naked young man in my daughter's bedroom I would have reacted badly. I readily admit it.
And yes, this seems funny at first blush.
Here's what's not so funny:
Dad didn't even know darling daughter HAD a boyfriend.
Dad didn't know this had been going on for a year.
Dad opened up naked boy's scalp with that pipe.
On the last one I have to give him a partial pass. He heard a noise and found a naked stranger standing in his daughter's bed. My first reaction to that is "Daughter in danger. Must kill person putting daughter in danger". I'm sorry if that's not terribly PC, or evolved or whatever. If I think you're hurting my family you're in mortal danger. Period. End of sentence. Discussion over. I'm willing to bet that it's the same for the vast majority of guys.
No the real problem is that Daddy and daughter clearly have a communication problem. Daughter doesn't feel like she wants or can share with Daddy. She also feels safe enough that Daddy's not going to wander by while she and naked boy get on whatever form of whoopee they favor. There's a year's worth of evidence to support that point of view.
Since I don't know anything about the family I'll pass on trying to judge who's at fault. In my experience it's usually a bit of everyone.
In the end the lies and the lack of connection between parent and child ended up putting a young man in the hospital and may put Daddy in prison.
Call it a cautionary tale.
Peace
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
And the latest update is...
Had a little adventure today trying to leave Binghamton.
The car I drove doesn't have a functional "dinger" (warning chime I believe is the correct terminology but everyone I know says "dinger") for leaving the lights on. When I got to Binghamton yesterday I'd had them on for visibility but it was a bright shiny day and I never noticed. So they got left on.
For 20 hours.
Can you say "dead battery"? Oh, so very dead.
Bad words, bad words, bad words.
So my very good friend Debi Clarke from the Diocese of New Jersey agreed to give the battery a jump. Actually Debi said I could use her car for the jump because she knows nothing about cars and in many ways would be perfectly happy if cars didn't exist. That was fine because routine stuff like jumping batteries was something I learned early from my dad.
First problem - Debi has never actually popped open her own hood and isn't sure how to do it. Now this may sound like I'm picking on Debi but the truth is I looked at the owner's manual, looked where it was supposed to be and I didn't see it either! A black plastic handle up against a black plastic wall just kinda disappears. Eventually we figured it out together.
Second problem - The battery in her VW (Jetta I think) is actually HIDDEN! It's in a weird place (behind the engine compartment just below the passenger side windshield) and it's actually covered with a sliding panel! There is a symbol for the battery impressed into the panel but again - black on black. We figured it out.
Third problem - Note I said it's on the PASSENGER side of the engine bay. The only available slot next to my car was on MY passenger side. Yep, jumper cables came up about 18 inches short.
At this point I began to laugh. I sent my lady wife a text telling her my departure was being delayed and why. I could hear her laughter right across the state.
So now my good friend Kep Short, also of the Diocese of New Jersey, pulls his car up. The hood pops open, the battery isn't hidden and IS on the traditional side and all is good. As my battery charged a little Kep took a second look at his own engine bay and discovered the last tech to work on it left one of those rechargeable flashlights sitting just behind the air filter. Had probably been riding around that way for a couple weeks maybe?
All this as Binghamton drizzled on our heads.
Car started. Deb and Kep headed east. I headed west. The rest of the trip was wonderfully boring.
On another front I've hooked back up with the football pool I did last year. I won't bore you with too many details but the first week went OK. I got 11 out of 16 games right. I picked the Colts, Chargers, Lions (against a rookie QB!), Titans, and Bengals. The Colts, Chargers and Titans are probably anomalies (not positive about the Titans) and the Bengals and Lions are probably going to be just awful this season.
After week one I'm listed in 20th place although places 18,19 and 20 were all identical. But 20th is still much better than where I spent most of last season. This coming week looks like a complete field of landmines. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Good to be home.
Peace
The car I drove doesn't have a functional "dinger" (warning chime I believe is the correct terminology but everyone I know says "dinger") for leaving the lights on. When I got to Binghamton yesterday I'd had them on for visibility but it was a bright shiny day and I never noticed. So they got left on.
For 20 hours.
Can you say "dead battery"? Oh, so very dead.
Bad words, bad words, bad words.
So my very good friend Debi Clarke from the Diocese of New Jersey agreed to give the battery a jump. Actually Debi said I could use her car for the jump because she knows nothing about cars and in many ways would be perfectly happy if cars didn't exist. That was fine because routine stuff like jumping batteries was something I learned early from my dad.
First problem - Debi has never actually popped open her own hood and isn't sure how to do it. Now this may sound like I'm picking on Debi but the truth is I looked at the owner's manual, looked where it was supposed to be and I didn't see it either! A black plastic handle up against a black plastic wall just kinda disappears. Eventually we figured it out together.
Second problem - The battery in her VW (Jetta I think) is actually HIDDEN! It's in a weird place (behind the engine compartment just below the passenger side windshield) and it's actually covered with a sliding panel! There is a symbol for the battery impressed into the panel but again - black on black. We figured it out.
Third problem - Note I said it's on the PASSENGER side of the engine bay. The only available slot next to my car was on MY passenger side. Yep, jumper cables came up about 18 inches short.
At this point I began to laugh. I sent my lady wife a text telling her my departure was being delayed and why. I could hear her laughter right across the state.
So now my good friend Kep Short, also of the Diocese of New Jersey, pulls his car up. The hood pops open, the battery isn't hidden and IS on the traditional side and all is good. As my battery charged a little Kep took a second look at his own engine bay and discovered the last tech to work on it left one of those rechargeable flashlights sitting just behind the air filter. Had probably been riding around that way for a couple weeks maybe?
All this as Binghamton drizzled on our heads.
Car started. Deb and Kep headed east. I headed west. The rest of the trip was wonderfully boring.
On another front I've hooked back up with the football pool I did last year. I won't bore you with too many details but the first week went OK. I got 11 out of 16 games right. I picked the Colts, Chargers, Lions (against a rookie QB!), Titans, and Bengals. The Colts, Chargers and Titans are probably anomalies (not positive about the Titans) and the Bengals and Lions are probably going to be just awful this season.
After week one I'm listed in 20th place although places 18,19 and 20 were all identical. But 20th is still much better than where I spent most of last season. This coming week looks like a complete field of landmines. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Good to be home.
Peace
Morning in Binghamton
On the road for the Province II youth network meeting. I really enjoy meeting with these folks. Being a diocesan youth minister is a very small "club". There are fewer than 100 of us so a chance for us to get together and share. Plus looking at doing some great things on a provincial basis. The plan (I'll have more details soon) is to do a provincial youth mission trip down to Gulf Coast to continue the process of rebuilding post-Katrina. I'm very excited about the possibility.
One of the traditions of these meetings is dinner out. We laugh and eat and just have a fine old time. These are really special people. It's worth the time invested.
The drive from home is about 4 hours and yesterday was a great day to drive. I popped a book on CD into the player (Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" - which I'm REALLY enjoying). I'll finish it up on the ride home. Which will be in the rain. Sigh.
Well back to the office tomorrow. So much to do.
One of the traditions of these meetings is dinner out. We laugh and eat and just have a fine old time. These are really special people. It's worth the time invested.
The drive from home is about 4 hours and yesterday was a great day to drive. I popped a book on CD into the player (Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" - which I'm REALLY enjoying). I'll finish it up on the ride home. Which will be in the rain. Sigh.
Well back to the office tomorrow. So much to do.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Monday morning update
OK this was not intended to become the entirety of this blog. Can't believe that I only posted once last week. I'll do better I promise.
The Weekend That Was - I suppose I should include all of last week too. Truth be told that not much happened. Work began on some of the video projects but was stalled because the computer was being stupid. Things cleared up by the end of the week. The weekend was very quiet, stayed at home with my lady wife. Caught the F1 race at Spa, watched the Bills put a whupping on Seattle, Steelers were great, the Pirates were awful. Watched some movies. Very nice.
The To Do List - I have some e-mails to respond to, I MUST get some serious video work done, Diocesan Council meeting, oh yeah and the Provincial youth network meeting which starts later today in Binghamton.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Creating my To Do List actually, still.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Gonna push all these into one category. Not listening to much this week. I finished the 1919 book, pretty good. I'm onto the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 2. Been a while since I really dove back into SF, a lifelong passion. So far so good.
Two movies this weekend:
The Whole Nine Yards - This is a silly, very funny movie about a hit man moving in next door. Matthew Perry does great physical comedy and Bruce Willis is a great borderline nuts but kinda heart of gold hit man. And Natasha Henstridge is just glorious to look at. We really enjoyed it.
Under The Tuscan Sun A wonderful romantic movie that I really loved. I love the look of Tuscany and the looks of Diane Lane (so shoot me). Funny, poignant, all about love of many different kinds. Makes me want to run off to Tuscany with my lady wife, cook and bask in that wonderful light.
Next Up I have to get out the door here very soon to head to Binghamton for the Province meeting. Then back for a day, the D Council. OY.
How Am I Doing Feeling a little stressed actually. I'm tired of feeling stressed.
The Weekend That Was - I suppose I should include all of last week too. Truth be told that not much happened. Work began on some of the video projects but was stalled because the computer was being stupid. Things cleared up by the end of the week. The weekend was very quiet, stayed at home with my lady wife. Caught the F1 race at Spa, watched the Bills put a whupping on Seattle, Steelers were great, the Pirates were awful. Watched some movies. Very nice.
The To Do List - I have some e-mails to respond to, I MUST get some serious video work done, Diocesan Council meeting, oh yeah and the Provincial youth network meeting which starts later today in Binghamton.
What Am I Procrastinating About? - Creating my To Do List actually, still.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening To? Gonna push all these into one category. Not listening to much this week. I finished the 1919 book, pretty good. I'm onto the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 2. Been a while since I really dove back into SF, a lifelong passion. So far so good.
Two movies this weekend:
The Whole Nine Yards - This is a silly, very funny movie about a hit man moving in next door. Matthew Perry does great physical comedy and Bruce Willis is a great borderline nuts but kinda heart of gold hit man. And Natasha Henstridge is just glorious to look at. We really enjoyed it.
Under The Tuscan Sun A wonderful romantic movie that I really loved. I love the look of Tuscany and the looks of Diane Lane (so shoot me). Funny, poignant, all about love of many different kinds. Makes me want to run off to Tuscany with my lady wife, cook and bask in that wonderful light.
Next Up I have to get out the door here very soon to head to Binghamton for the Province meeting. Then back for a day, the D Council. OY.
How Am I Doing Feeling a little stressed actually. I'm tired of feeling stressed.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Monday update - delayed
The Weekend That Was Actually pretty quiet. The end of last week was no fun. We went to get a key made for my lady wife's car which has the Ford Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) which means duplicate keys are very expensive (cost us $75). And the key doesn't work. Took hours to get it done (much longer than normal) and now it doesn't work. Ford is going to "take care of it" for me today. Plus my doctor's appointment was no fun. My blood work was bad (good cholesterol down, bad up, etc) and my BP was up. My doc (who I like a great deal) wanted to change and add medications. I got her to agree to a 3 month waiting period to see if my summer "lifestyle" was the culprit. She admitted it was likely. So I will be creating a new regime both food and exercise for camp next year.
So a quiet holiday weekend was cool. I did install a new motion sensor light on the garage that works perfectly!
This week's To Do List Um, never did get to really making my to do list last week and the computer was messed up so no video editing got done. So this week.....
What Am I Procrastinating About? Oh, most things.
What Am I Reading?
Knocked off John Grisham's "The King of Torts" which was pretty good although the ending was TOTALLY predictable and safe. Working on "The World on Fire - 1919 and the Battle with Bolshevism" by Anthony Read. It's an interesting time in history (and not one of America's brightest since it includes the Palmer Raids). The book's tight focus on a single year feels a little constraining however. Interesting so far.
I'm also working through Krista Tippett's book "Speaking of Faith" with a book group. Deep but interesting. See more below.
What Am I Listening To/Watching? I'm listening to mostly podcasts at the moment from "Speaking of Faith" with Krista Tippett. I started with the podcasts a long time before the book. She ranges VERY widely in the world of faith covering everything you can imagine - prayer, voodoo, all the major religions to the poetry of Rami and more. I really enjoy them.
Watched the movie "Failure to Launch" which I generally enjoyed. My question is why do some movie makers insist on adding something stupid? There's a story line about how Matthew McConaughey's character's lifestyle is "rejected by nature" which is shown by some really stupid interactions with animals. The rest of the movie is realistic in style and then the animals are out of some kid's movie. Dumb. Two particular thumbs up to Cathy Bates who has a small role but is wonderful as the mom and Terry Bradshaw, yes #12 from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who is hysterical as the dad. Oh, and naked. You get several really good looks at his naked butt. It's gonna take a long time to get that image out of my brain.
Next Up? Gotta get some stuff done this week before next week's trip to Binghamton for the provincial meeting.
How Am I Doing? Feeling pretty good. Took my BP at home last night and it was wonderful. The sun is shining and I feel pretty good.
So a quiet holiday weekend was cool. I did install a new motion sensor light on the garage that works perfectly!
This week's To Do List Um, never did get to really making my to do list last week and the computer was messed up so no video editing got done. So this week.....
What Am I Procrastinating About? Oh, most things.
What Am I Reading?
Knocked off John Grisham's "The King of Torts" which was pretty good although the ending was TOTALLY predictable and safe. Working on "The World on Fire - 1919 and the Battle with Bolshevism" by Anthony Read. It's an interesting time in history (and not one of America's brightest since it includes the Palmer Raids). The book's tight focus on a single year feels a little constraining however. Interesting so far.I'm also working through Krista Tippett's book "Speaking of Faith" with a book group. Deep but interesting. See more below.
What Am I Listening To/Watching? I'm listening to mostly podcasts at the moment from "Speaking of Faith" with Krista Tippett. I started with the podcasts a long time before the book. She ranges VERY widely in the world of faith covering everything you can imagine - prayer, voodoo, all the major religions to the poetry of Rami and more. I really enjoy them.
Watched the movie "Failure to Launch" which I generally enjoyed. My question is why do some movie makers insist on adding something stupid? There's a story line about how Matthew McConaughey's character's lifestyle is "rejected by nature" which is shown by some really stupid interactions with animals. The rest of the movie is realistic in style and then the animals are out of some kid's movie. Dumb. Two particular thumbs up to Cathy Bates who has a small role but is wonderful as the mom and Terry Bradshaw, yes #12 from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who is hysterical as the dad. Oh, and naked. You get several really good looks at his naked butt. It's gonna take a long time to get that image out of my brain.
Next Up? Gotta get some stuff done this week before next week's trip to Binghamton for the provincial meeting.
How Am I Doing? Feeling pretty good. Took my BP at home last night and it was wonderful. The sun is shining and I feel pretty good.
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