Thursday, August 14, 2008
Dr. Horrible
Run, do not walk to http://drhorrible.com and watch Joss Whedon's web-based series about an aspiring super-villain (played by Neil Patrick Harris), his nemesis Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillian), and the girl at the laundry mat he's trying to get up the nerve to talk to (Felicia Day). Oh, and it's a musical. What are you doing still reading this?
Graduation, Blink, School Starts
The days of summer disappeared like Wiis at Wal-mart. I really thought there would actually be a summer, but, as always, my powers of prognostication underwhelm me. So, here I sit, facing the start of the school year, almost certain that it was just May a few days ago. I have some vague memories of June and July, but they seem more like the echoes of a dream: mostly pleasant with some vaguely remembered awkward bits.
The beginning of another school year is always an exciting time, because I really do prefer the campus full of students: it has an essential rightness about it. And beyond their collective presence, I find myself altogether too fond of the individual students I meet. Another God-created life, another story of joy and love, of pain and struggles. Another testimony to grace, even when the person doesn't see it him- or herself. No one is an island, not even hermit-wannabes like me. I am blessed by the students who are led to sojourn on our campus. I am grateful that some students still share their stories and grace with me via this crazy Internet thing. Much thanks to friends old and new!
New [School] Year's resolution: post at least once a week. Sadly, that would be a major improvement over my recent history. I can't guarantee the quality will improve, but quantity has to be worth something.
However... next week I won't be posting. I won't be exactly near the Internet, so let's just start this "once a week" business the first week of September. Sounds like a plan? Anyway, I hope some of you find your way back here (although, yeah, I'll write even if no one reads).
The beginning of another school year is always an exciting time, because I really do prefer the campus full of students: it has an essential rightness about it. And beyond their collective presence, I find myself altogether too fond of the individual students I meet. Another God-created life, another story of joy and love, of pain and struggles. Another testimony to grace, even when the person doesn't see it him- or herself. No one is an island, not even hermit-wannabes like me. I am blessed by the students who are led to sojourn on our campus. I am grateful that some students still share their stories and grace with me via this crazy Internet thing. Much thanks to friends old and new!
New [School] Year's resolution: post at least once a week. Sadly, that would be a major improvement over my recent history. I can't guarantee the quality will improve, but quantity has to be worth something.
However... next week I won't be posting. I won't be exactly near the Internet, so let's just start this "once a week" business the first week of September. Sounds like a plan? Anyway, I hope some of you find your way back here (although, yeah, I'll write even if no one reads).
New Slackware Logo!
My favorite Linux distro has a new logo, readable whether you're upright or upside down:
Friday, August 08, 2008
Shadows on My Own Personal Apocalypse
Sorry about the "long time, no write phenom." Summer got busy and then disappeared. Anyway, just one comment to record for my own journal (I suspect my readers have long since sought other places to waste their time).
Today my ex-wife is getting married.
Today my ex-wife is getting married.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Kung Fu Panda - Gateway to Heresy?
Cute movie, but inherently anti-religious (well, anti most religions, as well as all occult practices).
The kids wanted to see it, so we went. It was fun. We laughed a lot (and my son and I once again annoyed my daughter by insisting we stay through the credits).
***Spoilers***
There is no secret ingredient. There is no secret on the scroll. There is no secret to life. No news (good or otherwise) that you need to hear to make sense of life. As Faith Hill sings, "The secret of life is that there ain't no secret."
But (most) religions would disagree. There is a secret, in the sense that there is something you need to know in order for you to understand What's Really Going On. Christianity says that something is the good news of Jesus Christ. Christians try really, really hard to share the secret (compared to occult groups who save the secret for an inner circle of initiates). Pop psychology is an industry based on people believing that there is some secret, some simple (or not so simple) thing that if they just knew, they'd be ok.
Kung Fu Panda teaches us that there is no secret. Life just is, and you live it. In some sense, it's the message of the Zen masters and the existentialists. In this view of things there is neither hope nor despair, there is just what is. Knowing that God created us, loves us despite our sins, has died to save us, and has prepared an eternal home for us with Him... that's the kind of stuff that would need to be revealed, maybe written on a scroll. But the scroll is blank, worse, it is vaguely reflective. All the revelation you get is yourself.
Fortunately, my kids didn't take that away from the movie at all. For them, it was just a light-hearted diversion on a too-warm summer's day. And so, we have a lot of fun joking about anything I cook. "So, did you like the secret ingredient?" "Dad, there is no secret ingredient!" "Oh yeah..."
But I can't help but wonder if subtle messages like this are seeds cast into the soil of the young, and one day they will bear fruit.
PS - Shout out to my brother whose birthday is today! Happy Day!
The kids wanted to see it, so we went. It was fun. We laughed a lot (and my son and I once again annoyed my daughter by insisting we stay through the credits).
***Spoilers***
There is no secret ingredient. There is no secret on the scroll. There is no secret to life. No news (good or otherwise) that you need to hear to make sense of life. As Faith Hill sings, "The secret of life is that there ain't no secret."
But (most) religions would disagree. There is a secret, in the sense that there is something you need to know in order for you to understand What's Really Going On. Christianity says that something is the good news of Jesus Christ. Christians try really, really hard to share the secret (compared to occult groups who save the secret for an inner circle of initiates). Pop psychology is an industry based on people believing that there is some secret, some simple (or not so simple) thing that if they just knew, they'd be ok.
Kung Fu Panda teaches us that there is no secret. Life just is, and you live it. In some sense, it's the message of the Zen masters and the existentialists. In this view of things there is neither hope nor despair, there is just what is. Knowing that God created us, loves us despite our sins, has died to save us, and has prepared an eternal home for us with Him... that's the kind of stuff that would need to be revealed, maybe written on a scroll. But the scroll is blank, worse, it is vaguely reflective. All the revelation you get is yourself.
Fortunately, my kids didn't take that away from the movie at all. For them, it was just a light-hearted diversion on a too-warm summer's day. And so, we have a lot of fun joking about anything I cook. "So, did you like the secret ingredient?" "Dad, there is no secret ingredient!" "Oh yeah..."
But I can't help but wonder if subtle messages like this are seeds cast into the soil of the young, and one day they will bear fruit.
PS - Shout out to my brother whose birthday is today! Happy Day!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Blogging Is Dead
Well, if *my* blog is indication (which, let's face it, it isn't). You know how life swallows you up in busyness and you don't quite get around to doing all the things that you keep telling yourself you want to be doing? That would be my life at the moment. Can't actually explain it, since I can't think of a single thing I've been doing, but... there you have it.
Anyway, no deep thoughts, nor even too much minutiae to report (movies: I've seen Iron Man, but none of the other May blockbusters yet).
I know I'm tired and old. I think it's time for a mid-life crisis, but honestly, I don't have the time, energy, or money for one of those. Can I have a mid-life nap instead?
Oh, and happy birthday to my sister Amy and to our former blogger-in-arms Morgan!
Anyway, no deep thoughts, nor even too much minutiae to report (movies: I've seen Iron Man, but none of the other May blockbusters yet).
I know I'm tired and old. I think it's time for a mid-life crisis, but honestly, I don't have the time, energy, or money for one of those. Can I have a mid-life nap instead?
Oh, and happy birthday to my sister Amy and to our former blogger-in-arms Morgan!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
YAAD
The ship hung in the sky over the farm. It just sat there, motionless, silent, casting its vast shadow across the small house and the barn and a good bit of the vegetable gardens. Just like it had been doing for the past twenty minutes, ever since Jake Evans had come outside to stare at It.
Jake had been inside the house, watching Linda Thompson with the Channel 5 News at 5. Linda was an attractive woman in her late forties, possible early fifties. Not beautiful, but Jake was too old to be interested in beautiful. A simple, honest attractive was what he longed for. Like Linda Thompson. It was in the midst of this recurring reverie that he noticed they outside had suddenly gotten very dark.
At first he thought it was a sudden spring storm, but when he went to close the windows, he had caught a glimpse of it. A large bit of dull gray metal just hanging in the sky above the edge of the roof line, he quickly ran out to take a better look.
Outside he saw just how big it was. Or more accurately, how big It was. It was too terrifying, too wondrous, to be a mere it. It was an alien spaceship, that much was obvious. Although Jake had never, in all his fifty-seven years, ever seen an actual honest-to-God, not-in-the-movies alien spaceship, he knew with a deep certainty that this Thing that had come from nowhere and just hovered above his home, this was the Real Deal.
He was scared, but more than that, he was awestruck, like a child turning a corner on their way to school and meeting a giant. For almost half an hour he had watched this great Thing float there doing absolutely nothing. For his part, Jake had done nothing either. He had just stood there staring up at the ship in the sky.
After a while he began to wonder why none of his neighbors down the road had come over to investigate. Surely It was visible, even all the way down Route 23 into Lancaster, let alone a mere quarter mile over at the Anderson’s.
Shaking his head, he managed to stop staring at It and fix his gaze on the road. Nothing. He thought about getting in his truck and driving over to get Lou Anderson. Lou use to be a college professor. He might have an idea what to do.
But as he was thinking this, Lou and his wife Juanita came out of their house and climbed into their truck. Jake shouted, but they must not have heard him. They backed out of their drive and headed into town.
What’s going on here? Jake thought. They had to have seen It! But no, it certainly seemed like they hadn’t. If they had sped off into town full throttle, Jake might have convinced himself they were going for help, but no, Lou’s red Ford Ranger cruised down the road at a leisurely pace. Jake watched the little truck disappear over a slight rise in the road before turning his gaze back up to the ship.
Ten minutes later, Jake decided to call his friend David. Reverend David Ledgarden was the pastor at the little Methodist church Jake attended. The phone rang and rang, and finally the answering machine picked up “You have reached the home of Reverend Ledgarden, please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a blessed day!” BEEP.
“David, it’s Jake. You gotta get out here as soon as possible. The strangest thing is happening and I need a witness.”
Jake tried calling two other friends as well as his son, who lived three hours away in Carlyle. No one answered their phones. Glancing out the window, Jake could see that his land was still all in shadow, even while the land beyond was bathed in the mid-afternoon’s sunlight.
He went back outside and just looked at It. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen.
Finally, enough was enough. Jake went into the house to get the keys to his Dodge. He’d drag someone out here if he had to, but someone else was going to see this!
Casting a final glance up as he opened the door of the pickup, he spoke to the ship “I’ll be back.”
He hadn't even finished starting the engine when the ray shot out of the ship, blowing up his truck. It passed over the ground and hit his house, causing it to catch fire.
With the slightest of popping sounds, the ship disappeared.
Jake had been inside the house, watching Linda Thompson with the Channel 5 News at 5. Linda was an attractive woman in her late forties, possible early fifties. Not beautiful, but Jake was too old to be interested in beautiful. A simple, honest attractive was what he longed for. Like Linda Thompson. It was in the midst of this recurring reverie that he noticed they outside had suddenly gotten very dark.
At first he thought it was a sudden spring storm, but when he went to close the windows, he had caught a glimpse of it. A large bit of dull gray metal just hanging in the sky above the edge of the roof line, he quickly ran out to take a better look.
Outside he saw just how big it was. Or more accurately, how big It was. It was too terrifying, too wondrous, to be a mere it. It was an alien spaceship, that much was obvious. Although Jake had never, in all his fifty-seven years, ever seen an actual honest-to-God, not-in-the-movies alien spaceship, he knew with a deep certainty that this Thing that had come from nowhere and just hovered above his home, this was the Real Deal.
He was scared, but more than that, he was awestruck, like a child turning a corner on their way to school and meeting a giant. For almost half an hour he had watched this great Thing float there doing absolutely nothing. For his part, Jake had done nothing either. He had just stood there staring up at the ship in the sky.
After a while he began to wonder why none of his neighbors down the road had come over to investigate. Surely It was visible, even all the way down Route 23 into Lancaster, let alone a mere quarter mile over at the Anderson’s.
Shaking his head, he managed to stop staring at It and fix his gaze on the road. Nothing. He thought about getting in his truck and driving over to get Lou Anderson. Lou use to be a college professor. He might have an idea what to do.
But as he was thinking this, Lou and his wife Juanita came out of their house and climbed into their truck. Jake shouted, but they must not have heard him. They backed out of their drive and headed into town.
What’s going on here? Jake thought. They had to have seen It! But no, it certainly seemed like they hadn’t. If they had sped off into town full throttle, Jake might have convinced himself they were going for help, but no, Lou’s red Ford Ranger cruised down the road at a leisurely pace. Jake watched the little truck disappear over a slight rise in the road before turning his gaze back up to the ship.
Ten minutes later, Jake decided to call his friend David. Reverend David Ledgarden was the pastor at the little Methodist church Jake attended. The phone rang and rang, and finally the answering machine picked up “You have reached the home of Reverend Ledgarden, please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a blessed day!” BEEP.
“David, it’s Jake. You gotta get out here as soon as possible. The strangest thing is happening and I need a witness.”
Jake tried calling two other friends as well as his son, who lived three hours away in Carlyle. No one answered their phones. Glancing out the window, Jake could see that his land was still all in shadow, even while the land beyond was bathed in the mid-afternoon’s sunlight.
He went back outside and just looked at It. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen.
Finally, enough was enough. Jake went into the house to get the keys to his Dodge. He’d drag someone out here if he had to, but someone else was going to see this!
Casting a final glance up as he opened the door of the pickup, he spoke to the ship “I’ll be back.”
He hadn't even finished starting the engine when the ray shot out of the ship, blowing up his truck. It passed over the ground and hit his house, causing it to catch fire.
With the slightest of popping sounds, the ship disappeared.
Nobody to Believe In (in This World)
I’m more or less disgusted. Obama has all but given the Democrat nomination to Clinton
Or so I thought. After watching how he’s been handling the whole Reverend Wright fiasco, I am less than underwhelmed. And this is just a bit of a social scandal with his preacher. How would the man handle an actual emergency? (You know, like, oh let’s say, a war with
So, Bill gets to be the first First Husband. Well, I can appreciate irony as much as the next guy, but, sheesh, was Martha Washington this much of a mess? I don’t seem to remember any stories about her that I’d be embarrassed to tell my kids. Obviously there will have to be some ground rules. You know, no First Husband giving tours of the Oval Office and such. Love or hate Hilary, she comes with Bill, and that may be reason enough to pass.
There’s always McCain.
Um, yeah, right.
Ralph Nader? Harry Browne? Don’t I wish we lived in a nation free enough that candidates like these had a chance? Where is the Great Winged Monkey of Presidential Debates, that wily bazillionaire Ross Perot? Poor Al Gore. All things considered, this could’ve been his year, what with winning the No-bull Prize for Chicken Little Ecology and all. Before you smell blood and attack, I am not denying global warming. I’m just not yet convinced that things are as dire as the prophets are foretelling. Color me skeptical, or at least a contrarian, or, if you must, color me completely stupid. And if the Earth begins to burn before the sun goes nova, then let me state upfront that I was wrong. Sorry.
Where does that leave me, as a voter, come Election Day? Where it has every election since I turned 18: in a booth without a candidate.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Older Than Dirt, Apparently...
Yesterday while driving down to Southern Illinois for my daughter's school program, I stopped for a bite of lupper. I went into an Unspecified Fast Food workaurant and placed my order. The kid then rang it up and, without even asking, rang in the senior discount! This is the first time this has ever happened to me. And all I could think was, "Hey, I just saved 37 cents because I look old. Sweet!"
Anyway, it's funny. Mostly because I didn't think I looked that old, but what do I know? Here's hoping the rest of you don't look significantly older than you are :-)
Anyway, it's funny. Mostly because I didn't think I looked that old, but what do I know? Here's hoping the rest of you don't look significantly older than you are :-)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Quickly...
...since blogger is about to go down for an update and I probably should go eat supper.
I am still alive and well (the last point being more or less subjective, but we'll let it stand).
Ubuntu 8.04 is due out tomorrow (which is when, exactly? Isn't Mark Shuttleworth in South Africa?) Slackware 12.1 has reached release candidate 2 status, so my desktop machine will be looking at an upgrade Real Soon Now.
Work's been "fun" with my boss away in Central Europe for a bit. I really thought I'd be less busy, not more. Who was I kidding?!?
While I am emphatically not a big "blood and guts" film fan, I have a long time relationship with the Aliens franchise. But all the reviews of the latest installment, Alien vs Predator: Requiem, has me convinced that it's time to give up on the series without allowing this stinker to be the last taste in my mouth.
Speaking of series, my friend the naval commander is lending me Babylon 5, so I can finally see what all the hype was. So far, pretty cool. Not Firefly cool, but easily cooler than Voyager or Enterprise.
I've been waking up early, even without earthquakes. This morning I was out of bed at 4 am before I even realized what time it was. Very weird. I cut the caffeine off today at 11:00 am, so maybe I'll sleep tonight (although falling asleep and staying asleep through the night isn't a problem. I'm just waking up like an old person. Oh. Wait. I think I see the problem. Bloody aging process...)
I hope all is well with those of you whom I know almost exclusively virtually, as well as my family and neighbors who may (or, more likely, may not) be reading this. On the off chance my darling sister is reading this: I know, I need to call! :-)
I am still alive and well (the last point being more or less subjective, but we'll let it stand).
Ubuntu 8.04 is due out tomorrow (which is when, exactly? Isn't Mark Shuttleworth in South Africa?) Slackware 12.1 has reached release candidate 2 status, so my desktop machine will be looking at an upgrade Real Soon Now.
Work's been "fun" with my boss away in Central Europe for a bit. I really thought I'd be less busy, not more. Who was I kidding?!?
While I am emphatically not a big "blood and guts" film fan, I have a long time relationship with the Aliens franchise. But all the reviews of the latest installment, Alien vs Predator: Requiem, has me convinced that it's time to give up on the series without allowing this stinker to be the last taste in my mouth.
Speaking of series, my friend the naval commander is lending me Babylon 5, so I can finally see what all the hype was. So far, pretty cool. Not Firefly cool, but easily cooler than Voyager or Enterprise.
I've been waking up early, even without earthquakes. This morning I was out of bed at 4 am before I even realized what time it was. Very weird. I cut the caffeine off today at 11:00 am, so maybe I'll sleep tonight (although falling asleep and staying asleep through the night isn't a problem. I'm just waking up like an old person. Oh. Wait. I think I see the problem. Bloody aging process...)
I hope all is well with those of you whom I know almost exclusively virtually, as well as my family and neighbors who may (or, more likely, may not) be reading this. On the off chance my darling sister is reading this: I know, I need to call! :-)
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Slackware Is On the Move!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
In Praise of Folly
with apologies to Erasmus
Happy April Fool's Day to you, one and all! On behalf of the Not-So Great Conspiracy of Moon Jesters and Frost Knaves, welcome to one of the most ridiculous excuses for a Holly day (you did call Holly today, didn't you?)
I thought a poem would be in order. But the one I wrote was HORRIBLY depressing, so then I decided for a joke, but since the "Holly day" thing didn't go over so well... I've decided on a mundane little update.
Reading: Lots of stuff, most notably Douglas Preston's latest novel, Blasphemy. Preston and Child, whether as a literary dynamic duo or doing solo projects, deliver The Most Excellent Scientific Thrillers. I think there's a link to their site under "Authors I Grok." I've also read a couple of "Get Your Life Together" titles: CrazyBusy and Making Peace with the Things in Your Life: Why Your Papers, Books, Clothes, and Other Possessions Keep Overwhelming You and What to Do About It. Interesting reads, since chaos and/or entropy and/or slackfulness keep me in a perpetual state of crazy.
I'm working my way through season 3 of Numb3rs, which rocks beyond all crime dramas because there's MATH involved!
Easter weekend and last weekend with the kids, so life's been pretty sweet on that front.
Anything else? Um, I need a haircut and to pick up margarine from the store on the way home tonight (hey, someone want to remind me of that around 5 CST time? Thanks!)
I hope that you all have enjoyed Winter, because, with God and His druids as my witness, Spring is about to make her debut :-)
Happy April Fool's Day to you, one and all! On behalf of the Not-So Great Conspiracy of Moon Jesters and Frost Knaves, welcome to one of the most ridiculous excuses for a Holly day (you did call Holly today, didn't you?)
I thought a poem would be in order. But the one I wrote was HORRIBLY depressing, so then I decided for a joke, but since the "Holly day" thing didn't go over so well... I've decided on a mundane little update.
Reading: Lots of stuff, most notably Douglas Preston's latest novel, Blasphemy. Preston and Child, whether as a literary dynamic duo or doing solo projects, deliver The Most Excellent Scientific Thrillers. I think there's a link to their site under "Authors I Grok." I've also read a couple of "Get Your Life Together" titles: CrazyBusy and Making Peace with the Things in Your Life: Why Your Papers, Books, Clothes, and Other Possessions Keep Overwhelming You and What to Do About It. Interesting reads, since chaos and/or entropy and/or slackfulness keep me in a perpetual state of crazy.
I'm working my way through season 3 of Numb3rs, which rocks beyond all crime dramas because there's MATH involved!
Easter weekend and last weekend with the kids, so life's been pretty sweet on that front.
Anything else? Um, I need a haircut and to pick up margarine from the store on the way home tonight (hey, someone want to remind me of that around 5 CST time? Thanks!)
I hope that you all have enjoyed Winter, because, with God and His druids as my witness, Spring is about to make her debut :-)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
So Long, Gary!
Gary Gygax passed away Tuesday morning. For those of you who might not know, Gygax was the co-creator of a game called Dungeons and Dragons. His name graces all of the 1st edition core books, back when the game was Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.
There are a handful of events that strongly shaped who I am today. One of them is D&D. D&D introduced a science fiction geek to the world of fantasy (and through that to the works of Tolkien and Lewis, as well as Moorcock, Kurtz, Leiber, Aspirin, and many, many others). D&D also provided a social locus for my high school friends and I. We did a lot more together than just play a game, but the game provided a point of contact.
I never got around to going to a convention and meeting Gygax. I had always meant to, to thank him for making a phenomenal game, for giving me some of the best friends of my life, but, good intentions...
I've read articles by him and interviews with him. He was one of us. A sixty-nine year old geek. Still rolling dice and kicking kobold butt. And for me, the world is a little less fun knowing that he's gone. My prayers and sympathy go up for his family and friends.
There are a handful of events that strongly shaped who I am today. One of them is D&D. D&D introduced a science fiction geek to the world of fantasy (and through that to the works of Tolkien and Lewis, as well as Moorcock, Kurtz, Leiber, Aspirin, and many, many others). D&D also provided a social locus for my high school friends and I. We did a lot more together than just play a game, but the game provided a point of contact.
I never got around to going to a convention and meeting Gygax. I had always meant to, to thank him for making a phenomenal game, for giving me some of the best friends of my life, but, good intentions...
I've read articles by him and interviews with him. He was one of us. A sixty-nine year old geek. Still rolling dice and kicking kobold butt. And for me, the world is a little less fun knowing that he's gone. My prayers and sympathy go up for his family and friends.
Monday, March 03, 2008
So Long, Larry!
Every Christian I know has people who helped them grow when they were young in the faith. Some of those people you know personally, and you form very close bonds of love with them. Others you know through their books, others through their songs.
When I was a young whippersnapper, moving from a religiously varnished humanism to a deeper relationship with my Creator and Redeemer, one voice that spoke to me through the headphones on my Sony Walkman was Larry Norman. Larry was one of the early of the so-called "Contemporary Christian musicians." His music moved my feet, and his lyrics moved my heart. I spent, literally, hundreds of hours listening to Larry, stopping the music to pray or reflect on something, and then hitting "play" and going back to some strange blend of worship and entertainment.
Larry has been sick for a long time, including some serious heart problems (which is weird, because no one can say the guy didn't have a big heart). Anyway, Larry has gone on to sing for his Lord in a face-to-face kind of way, or, more prosaically, he died, last Monday. He's undoubtedly happy, jamming out with the heavenly band. But, as is typical of us fallen people on this side of the vale, we're faced with loss and more than a bit of sadness. I'm not a huge fan of "Christian" music, but Larry's music truly brought me into a state of mind where I realized I was a fallen human living by the grace of a wonderful God. God bless, Larry, I hope I'll see you in Heaven.
When I was a young whippersnapper, moving from a religiously varnished humanism to a deeper relationship with my Creator and Redeemer, one voice that spoke to me through the headphones on my Sony Walkman was Larry Norman. Larry was one of the early of the so-called "Contemporary Christian musicians." His music moved my feet, and his lyrics moved my heart. I spent, literally, hundreds of hours listening to Larry, stopping the music to pray or reflect on something, and then hitting "play" and going back to some strange blend of worship and entertainment.
Larry has been sick for a long time, including some serious heart problems (which is weird, because no one can say the guy didn't have a big heart). Anyway, Larry has gone on to sing for his Lord in a face-to-face kind of way, or, more prosaically, he died, last Monday. He's undoubtedly happy, jamming out with the heavenly band. But, as is typical of us fallen people on this side of the vale, we're faced with loss and more than a bit of sadness. I'm not a huge fan of "Christian" music, but Larry's music truly brought me into a state of mind where I realized I was a fallen human living by the grace of a wonderful God. God bless, Larry, I hope I'll see you in Heaven.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
More Than You Want To Know
Someone bulletined me this on myspace. Since I rarely use MySpace, I'm posting my answers here (sorry...)
1. Do you eat a lot of fast food?
Yes, quickly
2. Can you execute an acceptable cartwheel?
No
3. Have you kissed anyone in 2008?
Sure, I've kissed some one every year I've been alive.
4. Were you happy when you woke up today?
Always happy to wake up
5. Have you ever streaked?
In real life?
6. Are you an understanding person?
No. Not at all.
7. What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
The Chipmunks
8. Did you pray before you went to bed last night?
Yes
9. What did you last get upset about?
Filling out Internet surveys
10. Do you eat candy on a daily basis?
No
11. Who were the last ten different people to comment you?
How should I know?
12. Does it make you happy to get letters in the mail?
Duh!
13. Who was the last person you hugged?
Kara
14. What are you looking forward to this summer?
Outdoor slacking
15. Who was the last person you ate with?
Me
16. Besides your mouth, where is your favorite spot to get kissed?
n/a
17. Do raisins belong in cookies?
No
19. Walking into a party, what's the first thing you notice?
Who's wearing yellow socks
20. Are you currently taking a science class in school?
No
21. You've just won a free vacation to either South America or North Korea.
South America
23. Would you rather have chicken or steak?
Steak
24. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?
For money
25. What's one thing you've learned from a good friendship gone bad?
Trust no one
26. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Myself
27. How often do you see your exes?
Every other weekend
28. Who was the last baby you held?
Couldn't tell you...
29. Would you ever donate blood?
Yes
30. How many snack machines are in your school?
Not enough
32. Are there deer heads covering any walls in your house?
Deer? No.
33. Do you believe in karma?
Sort of
34. Have you ever been asked out?
Yes
35. What did you do on the last day of school?
There's a last day for school?!?
36. Are you good at telling jokes?
No (can't you tell?)
37. Have you ever driven without a license?
No
38. The person you're in love with moves across the world, what do you do?
Blow up the world
39. How is your ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend doing?
Depends on which one we're talking about
40. Do you wish you had smaller feet?
No (but hairer and tougher, like a hobbit, that'd be cool)
41. Have you ever had a best friend who was of the opposite sex?
Sure
42. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Yes, just not to bed
43. When ordering sushi, what do you get?
Nothing, much like when ordering elf tongue
44. How many of your friends have seen you naked?
More than I'm comfortable with
45. Do you write in cursive or in print?
Both (I *did* graduate from grade school, you know!)
46. Would you rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend, or friends with benefits?
A non-world-conquering AI would be fine
47. Who was the last person you sat next to?
The spirit of a dead Viking (I don't speak Old Norse, so the conversation went nowhere)
48. What were you doing at 10 am?
Working
49. Are you different now than you were six months ago?
No, I never change. Ever.
50. What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?
Water
1. Do you eat a lot of fast food?
Yes, quickly
2. Can you execute an acceptable cartwheel?
No
3. Have you kissed anyone in 2008?
Sure, I've kissed some one every year I've been alive.
4. Were you happy when you woke up today?
Always happy to wake up
5. Have you ever streaked?
In real life?
6. Are you an understanding person?
No. Not at all.
7. What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
The Chipmunks
8. Did you pray before you went to bed last night?
Yes
9. What did you last get upset about?
Filling out Internet surveys
10. Do you eat candy on a daily basis?
No
11. Who were the last ten different people to comment you?
How should I know?
12. Does it make you happy to get letters in the mail?
Duh!
13. Who was the last person you hugged?
Kara
14. What are you looking forward to this summer?
Outdoor slacking
15. Who was the last person you ate with?
Me
16. Besides your mouth, where is your favorite spot to get kissed?
n/a
17. Do raisins belong in cookies?
No
19. Walking into a party, what's the first thing you notice?
Who's wearing yellow socks
20. Are you currently taking a science class in school?
No
21. You've just won a free vacation to either South America or North Korea.
South America
23. Would you rather have chicken or steak?
Steak
24. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?
For money
25. What's one thing you've learned from a good friendship gone bad?
Trust no one
26. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Myself
27. How often do you see your exes?
Every other weekend
28. Who was the last baby you held?
Couldn't tell you...
29. Would you ever donate blood?
Yes
30. How many snack machines are in your school?
Not enough
32. Are there deer heads covering any walls in your house?
Deer? No.
33. Do you believe in karma?
Sort of
34. Have you ever been asked out?
Yes
35. What did you do on the last day of school?
There's a last day for school?!?
36. Are you good at telling jokes?
No (can't you tell?)
37. Have you ever driven without a license?
No
38. The person you're in love with moves across the world, what do you do?
Blow up the world
39. How is your ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend doing?
Depends on which one we're talking about
40. Do you wish you had smaller feet?
No (but hairer and tougher, like a hobbit, that'd be cool)
41. Have you ever had a best friend who was of the opposite sex?
Sure
42. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Yes, just not to bed
43. When ordering sushi, what do you get?
Nothing, much like when ordering elf tongue
44. How many of your friends have seen you naked?
More than I'm comfortable with
45. Do you write in cursive or in print?
Both (I *did* graduate from grade school, you know!)
46. Would you rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend, or friends with benefits?
A non-world-conquering AI would be fine
47. Who was the last person you sat next to?
The spirit of a dead Viking (I don't speak Old Norse, so the conversation went nowhere)
48. What were you doing at 10 am?
Working
49. Are you different now than you were six months ago?
No, I never change. Ever.
50. What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?
Water
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The New Frontier
Tuesday, Justice League: The New Frontier came out on DVD. I've been waiting for this since I saw the preview on Superman vs Doomsday. JLNF is the DVD adaptation of Darwyn Cooke's amazing graphic novel of the same title. Cooke has re-imagined the League in the time after World War 2, with the social issues of the time (racism, McCarthyism, the beginnings of the space race) providing the environment which shapes the heroes sensibilities as they band together for the first time to save the human race. The voice talent is very impressive including David Boreanaz voicing Green Lantern, Neil Patrick Harris as the Flash, Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman, and Kyle MacLachlan as Superman. The art is amazing, perfectly capturing the feel of the era. Definitely recommended for anyone who like super-heroes!
Monday, February 25, 2008
From This Morning's Cataloging
An extended quote:
What shall you teach about Genesis? Teach the truth of God, the truth which the writer of Genesis put there. Do not waste a moment of your really precious time worrying about adapting the Bible "to this intellectual age." If you hear or read about the sensitive intellectuality of this cultured age, you put the writer or speaker down as an intellectual snob, blind to his own generation outside his own little circle. You teach God Almighty's truth for living men. You will have a big enough job to do without attempting to reconstruct the history which produced the Bible, and then reconstruct the Bible from the history you have produced. Such work is for men who have more time to play in their libraries than they have passion to help Christ save children from sinning and men from sin. For any immature mind---even in a theological seminary---to approach the study of the Bible from the standpoint of some historical criticism is practically equivalent to spiritual paralysis. There is truth in Genesis and the Pentateuch, truth that "is able to make wise unto salvation" them that find it, teach it, and are taught it. "Take heed unto your self and unto your teaching."
--Robert Perry Shepherd, The Christian Lesson Commentary : A Religious Study of Genesis and the Beginnings of Jewish History. For the Use of Teachers and Advanced Students. Notes on the International Uniform Lessons for 1913. 28th volume (St. Louis: Christian Board of Publication, 1912), iv.
What shall you teach about Genesis? Teach the truth of God, the truth which the writer of Genesis put there. Do not waste a moment of your really precious time worrying about adapting the Bible "to this intellectual age." If you hear or read about the sensitive intellectuality of this cultured age, you put the writer or speaker down as an intellectual snob, blind to his own generation outside his own little circle. You teach God Almighty's truth for living men. You will have a big enough job to do without attempting to reconstruct the history which produced the Bible, and then reconstruct the Bible from the history you have produced. Such work is for men who have more time to play in their libraries than they have passion to help Christ save children from sinning and men from sin. For any immature mind---even in a theological seminary---to approach the study of the Bible from the standpoint of some historical criticism is practically equivalent to spiritual paralysis. There is truth in Genesis and the Pentateuch, truth that "is able to make wise unto salvation" them that find it, teach it, and are taught it. "Take heed unto your self and unto your teaching."
--Robert Perry Shepherd, The Christian Lesson Commentary : A Religious Study of Genesis and the Beginnings of Jewish History. For the Use of Teachers and Advanced Students. Notes on the International Uniform Lessons for 1913. 28th volume (St. Louis: Christian Board of Publication, 1912), iv.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Finally, Something Worth Coveting!
This is ABSOLUTELY the coolest laptop I have ever seen. Ever.
Wishing I had true Skills and Artistry... (still, it thrills my heart to know someone, somewhere has the Ability and Desire to fashion this very device!)
Wishing I had true Skills and Artistry... (still, it thrills my heart to know someone, somewhere has the Ability and Desire to fashion this very device!)
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