Like Family

Here's a picture of the newest member of our "extended" family.


Little Inigo* was born to M&M yesterday at 10:51 AM. He's 8lbs. He'll get a real name at his Briss. Slick and I are going to wait until the blood-relations all have a chance to visit before we plan our trip to Pittsburgh to see him.

* A place-holder name in honor of Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride. It's a favorite of theirs. The rabbi actually played the "Marriage" scene at their wedding. If it weren't for the amazement I felt being at an Orthodox Jewish wedding, I would have laughed my ass off.

Great Geek Gathering

I wanted to take a few moments and talk about my weekend plans. Several years ago, the great and powerful Avouz* decided that all us geeks that he's "acquired" should join together and relish in our geekiness. This event is aptly named the Great Geek Gathering** or G3 for short.

So what, might you ask, does G3 entail? Glad you asked...

Firstly, gather a bunch of geeks who have been friends for a long while but more than likely now live hundreds of miles apart....wait, you want a definition?

Geek as defined by Wikipedia is "an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity" who also likes all sorts of gaming, RPGs, comic books...all the good stuff that makes life worth living outside of sports and women...But I digress...

As I was saying...Avouz gathers us into a home for a long weekend. We pretend that we're still in our early 20's. We stay up late. We consume caffeine. A Halo tournament or two has been known to break out. Often a "one shot" RPG (Role Playing Game) is enjoyed. Some of us partake in some random collectible strategy game. Alcohol is consumed! Moments of RPG Nostalgia break out for all the usual reasons. And before the weekend is over, someone usually breaks Avouz.***

This year's event involves the largest number of wives/girlfriends in the history of G3. I believe we'll have 4. This year also marks the first time that some of us are opting for hotel rooms. (Look, I'm too old to pass out on someone's living room floor.) This year, we also have a pool. This frightens me. I'm not sure how much sun geeks are allowed to have. It can't be much.

Anyway, the difficult thing is that most of us play WoW. I'm not sure how we expect to survive in a house for an entire weekend when 70% of the guests are going through WoW withdrawal, but I'm sure it'll make for a good story.

Have a wonderful labor day everyone. If I don't make it back alive, someone go get my dog out of "doggy camp" and take him home!

* Avouz - Screen name of my buddy's most infamous D&D character. So infamous that I've never actually played with (or against) this character, yet can rattle off several of his exploits like I had actually been there.

** There is some discussion if it's Gathering or Get Together. I personally think it must be gathering since Get Together would make it G3T...but I digress.

***The breaking of Avouz is a simple but time-honored tradition. It involves copious amounts of Bacardi & Coke. Once enough is consumed, the goal is to make Avouz laugh so hard that he snarfs and possibly pukes. The puking is unfortunate, but the snarfing is priceless.

Summer Reading List

Sorry, it's been over a week since my last post. I had several bad days in a row and little I wanted to talk about. Feeling a bit better today.

In honor of "Back to School" season, I give you my "completed" summer reading list. Which ones do I recommend the most? Harry Potter, Empire & Princess of Wands.

Cat & Mouse by James Patterson
Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson
These books are smack in the middle of the Alex Cross saga. This is a great pulp-fiction, detective-thriller series. There are times when I admittedly get pissed off at Patterson for screwing Alex's life up so much. Thus, I tend to read it in chunks.

Alex Cross is a DC detective and an all-around noble guy. He believes in his community and his family. When bad things happen in his part of town, nobody cares except Alex and his friends. But, Alex's skills take him out of the "hood" and into international hunts for serial killers. Unfortunately, all too often these killers come knocking at Alex's door.

I have the next two books Roses are Red & Violets are Blue, but I'm saving them for later.

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
This book is supposed to be the be-all, end-all of modern day American Christian living. Horse-shit! Perhaps my liberalized Lutheran viewpoint is skewed too much. Perhaps, I'm just stupid. I couldn't stand him. The simple truth is that all his practices rest on a foundation of theology that I cannot agree with. As a one-time scientist, I can't agree with a theorem that's constructed upon a viewpoint I simply can't share. I hated the book. That said, it did drive me screaming to my next reading.

The Large Catechism by Martin Luther
Ah brother Martin, how I love (Philia) you. I realize that Luther's writings read like a text book, but man it makes a lot more sense that the mushy crap that people spew today. Want to understand the 10 commandments, the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the sacraments? Look no further. If you only read the Small Catechism or if you read this years ago (like me,) pick it back up and read it.

Harry Potter IV-VII by J.K. Rowling
Yes, I read 4 Harry Potter books. Yes, I did it in under a week. Yeah, I was feeling like crap and sat in my chair for most of it. So what? It was great fun. No one paragraph can do Potter justice, so I'm not going to try. Let me just say that Neville is my favorite character.

The Icewind Dale Trillogy by R. A. Salvatore
The legend of Drizzt Do'Urden among D&D players starts here. Every idiot that ever rolled up a "good" drow then whined when their DM killed the character starts here too. I've read several series by Salvatore about Drizzt & his friends as they battled the forces of evil, but never the original. Set in the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, the story of Drizzt is a story of dwarves, elves, orcs, dragons and all that stuff. I read Salvatore's stuff like I read Patterson. It's just easy fun.

Princess of Wands by John Ringo
For years I've asked my buddy Bruce to recommend some books to me. He kept mentioning John Ringo. This summer, he gave me this book. I couldn't put it down. Great reading. Ringo has a knack for description and details. This book is like nothing else I've read. Set in modern day, it's about a "holy warrior" who battles the forces of evil, deals with the stereo-types of being a faithful Christian and still has time to pick up her kids from school. Yes, "her!" Barbara Everette is my new favorite action-hero!

Empire by Orson Scott Card
Imagine modern-day America. Imaging the far left & far right nut-jobs finally having enough of one-another. Imagine civil war in modern America. Can't do it? Neither could I. Card does a fantastic job of making impossible fiction a probable possibility. It does so and reminds us that the majority of Americans live in the middle. Bruce, you must read this book!

Books I'm still working on...

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
A very funny story about the end of the world. The anti-christ is born, but due to a mix-up at the hospital, he's missing. Now it's up to an Angle & a Devil to find him before their bosses do and stop Armageddon.

Marley & Me by John Grogan
A story about a couple and their insane dog. I've read a few chapters and it's funny. I just keep getting distracted.

Practicing Our Faith edited by Dorothy C Bass
This book was my father's answer to my complaints about Rick Warren. I'm reading it 1 chapter a week. I've already quoted it in this blog. It's about simplifying your life using Christian practices.

My Next Read...

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
So, I went to the library and accidentally picked up Empire instead. This is the book that ALL my friends keep telling me to read. It's the next one on my list. Just got to head back to the library to pick it up.

City of Cheesesteak wins PETA's ballpark award

I need confirmation...is this ironic?

Citizens Bank Park is voted the No.1 vegetarian-friendly stadium in America by PETA.

Get the F out! No way...

Meat of the Matter

I'll take mine "wit" no meat...lol

Transitions

This week marks the 3rd anniversary of our moving from our home in Pottstown, PA. Amazed at how time flies, I've decided to take a few moments to look back over the last 5 years.

For more than 1/2 our married lives, Slick and I have felt "transitional." It all started when we bought our first home in Pottstown. It was built in 1914, but had "modern" upgrades due to a fire in the early 90's. It was unique. It had all the charm of an old home, but had the amenities of a modern place. Sadly, it also had all the problems of both. Slick loved the house. I found myself treating it like a massive art project. Could I shape it to my will? Could I make it classic yet fill it with gadgets? It was a real love-hate thing. But in the end, the house won me over.

The house was supposed to be our long delayed "nest." We had a home, good jobs and a dog. After a fun but challenging first year, it seemed time. Then I was downsized...D'oh!

My IT job, acquired during the booming pre-Y2K run-up, was gone. I had survived the post-Y2k and 9/11 layoffs, but could not survive the post-merger cost-cutting that followed in 2003. It was ironic. I had been given multiple awards and bonuses for my personal efforts in the merger. I, in a sense, had worked myself out of a job.

The sudden reality was that I was let go in a perfect storm. My skills had not progressed enough to move to the next level, full sys-admin. My salary requirements were too high to return to the level below me, help-desk. And it was the level I had reached, on-site desktop support, was dried up.

Still, we were happy. My severance package was more than adequate. Our old home needed a lot of TLC. And, I could spend the next 4-6 months fixing my house and evaluating my long-term commitment to the I.T. profession.

Amazingly, we were at the end of month 6 when the other shoe dropped. I was making headway in the job market. I had a couple of IT job prospects and interviews. I was also interviewing with other companies for more "stability." Then Slick's company informed us that they were closing her office. We could move to North Carolina or she could find another job. It took us 4 days to decide. She took the relocation option.

And so, the next and most painful transition began. We had a buyer for our home in 4 days. We moved out before the end of August 2004. My tomatoes, that I had cared for all summer long, were about 1 week from being ripe. Slick stayed in PA to work in her office, while I went south to finalize our transition to the new house and re-start my job-search in Charlotte.

This is the part where one would think that things would become "normal." Yeah, not so much. Slick's company took 2 years to complete the transition. She worked out of offices in two states for 2 years. Sometimes staying in PA for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. My new job was great, but it also coincided with the onset of my medical condition.

Now, three years after the move we find ourselves the most stable. I still feel "transitional" because I'm still learning to cope with my condition and I'm not even considering work. Yet, this is the stable point. Five years after we began our first house-search, we are finally settled. Nothing is as we planned or wanted except that we are together.

Are we content with the situation? Hell no. Are we going to make the best of it? Hell yeah!

So what have I learned?

- I have learned to make long-term plans based on broad desires for health, well-being and a measure of financial security. Concrete plans are for this week, this month or this year.

- I have learned that the song "love the one you're with" is full of crap. Be with, wherever it takes you, the one you love. Let the rest sort itself out.

- I have learned that my condition, which still sucks, has been a blessing in our lives. It has forced us to re-evaluate our priorities...hopefully for the best.

- I have learned that the important stuff doesn't happen overnight. Life takes time to work itself out.

- I'm still working on patience and humility. While I seem to be making strides on the first, I wouldn't hold my breath on the second.

Who is my neighbor? Part II

In the traditions shaped by the Bible, offering hospitality is a moral imperative.
- Ana Maria Pineda from Practicing Our Faith, edited by Dorothy C Bass

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your GOD.
- Leviticus 19:33-34

You shall LOVE the alien as yourself! Amen

Who is my neighbor?

Several weeks ago, I heard a pastor preach on the story of the good Samaritan. It was an excellent sermon, but not the point of today's post. It simply put the question of "neighbor" in my head.

Today, I woke up feeling like crapola. My neck is torqued and painful. My hands and arms numb. My feet and legs achy. And sleep? Well, that was crap too. How rough is it to have a debilitating medical condition? It sucks!

And yet, God is good! Even as I struggled to put my shoes on, I knew that my life is blessed. Even as I strained to put the dog's leash on, I knew that my life is good. Even as the dog's movements sent waves of pain up my arm and into my neck, I knew that I am so very lucky.

I have a wonderful home. I have a wife and large extended family who loves and cares for me. When I feel like this, I can take it easy because I don't have to work.

There are many people who are not so lucky. There are people who daily risk their lives and even break laws simply to have the hope of a life like mine. They are illegal immigrants. And make no mistake, they are your neighbors. Here in the US, millions of Christians are clamoring for tough laws against immigrants. We don't want amnesty. We want walls. We don't want hope. We want presumed safety. We want to rest assured that we are justified in our hypocrisy. And while the immigrants may break our laws, it is we that are the voice of the devil. It is we who want our houses built cheaply and our produce out of season. We tempt them with cheap labor and then we call them criminals for coming to get those jobs that we don't want.

Christ broke the sabbath more than once for the sake of people. He knew that God's law was for God's people, not the other way around. If good men, women and children are willing to risk so much, what are we willing to risk to help them. It's not enough to put up walls. We have to, instead tear down walls.

A just and equitable society starts with being kind to your neighbor. And our neighbors are from places like Mexico, Cuba, and Haiti. And what of rules and punishment? Ask yourself that simple bumper-sticker question: What would Jesus do?

Saying Goodbye to Foxtrot

Today, I'm deleting Foxtrot from my "tabbed" comic-strip viewing. Several months ago Bill Amend announced to his readers that he was stopping the daily strip so he can pursue other endeavors. I begrudge him not, but the Sunday strips simply feel empty without the true genius of the weekday storys. Since "tabbed" means that I open all my comic links at once, the Sunday strip is a constant reminder of the loss of one of my favorite comic strips of all time. (Calvin and Hobbs being #1.)

This begs the pathetically mundane question of my comics reading list.

Favorite Strips
For Better or For Worst - by Lynn Johson - I've been reading this strip for so long that they feel like family
PvP (player vs player) - by Scott Kurtz - This is my favorite pop-culture, geek webcomic.
User Friendly - This comic is a throwback to my I.T. days.
Order of the Stick - by Rich Burlew - A (not daily) comic strip for D&D players.

Other daily strips I'm sorta reading
Frazz - Intelligent strip by Jef Mallett, a devote' of Bill Watterson. Frazz feels like Calvin grown up.
Get Fuzzy - by Darby Conley - An odd strip about a man and his pets. Sometimes great...always odd.

Non-daily web-only strips
Looking for Group - A strip "inspired" by World of Warcraft.
Dork Tower - John Kovalic - Love all things Geek? Read it.
Nodwick & Full Frontal Nerdity - Two strips by another gaming geek master...Aaron Williams

So, I'll pose this to my little group of readers...What's not on my list that should be? What am I not reading that I would absolutely love? You can post a reply or send me an email. Remember, the selection must be available online. I don't get a paper.

But Elmo intercepted no transmissions...

You will tell me how to get to Sesame Street!

Bishop Hanson's Message

Bishop Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA put out a message to all ministers on the 15th including a section concerning the assembly's actions on gays & lesbians. I'm going to refrain from further comment and instead simply post the message. Here is his message...

Bishop's Message

And here is an excerpt pertaining directly to the question of sexuality...

It is important that we accurately describe the assembly's various decisions regarding our current studies on sexuality and standards for rostered ministries. It is significant that the tone of our discussions was thoughtful and respectful, reflecting the commitment made by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly that we "concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements...." The following summary may inform your discussions:

• The ELCA Churchwide Assembly rejected resolutions that would have changed ELCA policy and practice to permit persons in same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders.
• The assembly affirmed the study process that will lead to the development of a social statement on human sexuality, voted to share with the study's task force the synod memorials on this matter, and directed the task force to address current policies precluding "practicing homosexual persons" from serving as pastors or rostered leaders as part of the recommendations it will bring to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.
• While voting on several occasions not to change the ELCA's constitution, bylaws, or policies, the assembly did take action to pray, urge, and encourage the leadership of the ELCA to "refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining" pastors and other rostered leaders who are "in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship" and are currently serving in this church, as well as congregations that call such otherwise qualified candidates.

Let me underscore that this third action is not a change in the official documents or policies of the ELCA. Attempts to make such changes were rejected by the assembly.

However, the assembly offered the advice and counsel described above to bishops and others in positions of authority as they make pastoral decisions on matters relating to discipline as issues of human sexuality are being studied throughout the church prior to action by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. The third action does not bind bishops to follow this requested course; rather, it expresses the sense of the assembly to encourage restraint in discipline during this time of deliberation.

As we prepare for a social statement on human sexuality in 2009, it is essential that leaders of this church invite ELCA members to participate in the current phase of the ELCA Studies on Sexuality. The development of social statements is participatory in nature. Responses to the third study are welcome until November 1, 2007. Watch for the first draft of the social statement in March 2008. Please encourage thoughtful response to it. You will find more information at www.elca.org/faithfuljourney.

This guy can write!

Linked is a very long article from Esquire -- no really, Esquire! -- Anyway, it's an excellent bit of reading for all my evil, liberal, educated Bush-bashering readers. You know who you are...

Greetings From Idiot America

The first part is a really solid review of the farce known as Intelligent Design. This leads into a really good review of how modern-American culture has been dumbing down science and reason for the sake of emotional "truth" and the Bush presidency.

Anyway, it's long and any summary by me will not do it justice.

Fear the mighty power of dog hair

So, my dog sheds a lot. It's interesting because he doesn't have a lot of dander and thus, I'm not allergic to him like I am to other dogs. Anyway, the house is in a constant state of needing vacuuming. I could vacuum every day and not remove all the hair. So foolishly, I just let it pile up for a while until one day Slick and I realize that the floor isn't fit to walk on and I break out the vacuum.

The vacuum, a Hoover, was bought when we moved here and it wasn't cheap. You know that commercial for those Dyson vacuums where the guy talks about loosing suction, well within a year this one did. I constantly took it to the garage to remove hair from the rollers. And still it was forever clogged with hair. Then --- dun dun dun -- 4-5 months ago it started to smell when I ran it. Shit! So, frustrated that it was overheating because of the clogs I would run it in "spurts." That wasn't helping. So, not only would I run it in spurts, I cut back on the cleaning even more. Now that a dog-hair jungle started to crop up, I realized I had no choice but to crack it open or go to a repair shop. Feeling cheap, I got my tools.

All I can say is, I wish I had done it sooner. The rollers are easily removed. Now, the bad part. One end of one of the four rollers is completely chewed up because of *gasp* dog hair. The hot smell was from the plastic being rubbed off like it was in a grinder. And hair was in the junctions so thick and compact that I, at first, thought I was looking at dirty plastic washers. So, the damage to the brushes is complete, but they are usable and perhaps replaceable. I still marvel at it all. Still, had I known about the ease of removal, (6 screws!) I could have done this every few months!

Anyway, off to do the first test-run and then maybe I can shave my dog! Nair anyone?

A final word of my discontent for memorial "E"

Well, it's been several days since I saw the news about the ELCA "memorial" about G&L pastors. I had a long talk with my father about my complete and utter contempt for the way the church failed to utilize their website in this matter. But thus far the whole thing seems to be blowing over. Shame too. Chaos can be a good thing!

The result seems to be that the church didn't do anything new. The official position hasn't changed. Leadership just went ahead and put something in writing to help protect G&L pastors from witch-hunts.

A good friend and extreme liberal told me once that the real reason conservative Christians persecute G&Ls is because they think it's "icky." I believe that there's a great deal of truth to his point. Still, I can not deny the prayerful deliberations of my fellow Christians just because I think them wrong. Nor can I begin to close the divide between the two camps on this issue.

And yet, it is my fervent belief that the current rules of our faith marginalize members of our community. This stands in stark contrast to the will of Christ. We do this, not out of desired principles, but out of sin-induced hypocrisy. Anyone can proof-text very convincing arguments against homosexuals and just as easily commit sins of sexuality. The simple and inescapable truth is that we all fall short of the grace of God.

What concerns me the most is that the "body" of the ELCA needs all it's parts. Liberals need conservatives to keep us from going over the proverbial deep-end of pluralism and permissiveness. The Conservatives need us to keep from becoming like the scribes and pharisees. I find it interesting that Jesus' actions spoke volumes to this very problem. If a situation demanded that he break a rule, he did so. But never did he stray from the intent of the rules of his faith.

Admittedly, I offer no answers here. I wish I did. I trust the Holy Spirit and I try to act accordingly. Perhaps, the ELCA will continue to exist as a both/and. We will, depending on geography & population, be a welcoming place for our G&L brothers & sisters. We will also not be so. I can't decide if this is a broken, sinful element to our human-made institution OR a joyful spirit-inspired act by Christ's Church.

A final note: My father pointed out (without any statistical backing) that the bulk of ELCA leadership (pastors and lay-leaders) are liberal while the bulk of membership lean conservative. It makes me wonder then if the will of the Church can ever be accomplished if those who make decisions do not represent the hearts and minds of those whom they represent. But then, if the job of leadership is to discern the will of Christ... Church politics are simply screwy.

Cheating at Video Games

I found an article at Slate today that I wanted to share. It's about video game cheating.

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, B, A

If you know that code, you had a Nintendo in the 80's! The article is dead-on about the acceptance of cheating in "old-school" video-games and the problem now with cheating in the new era of MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games.)

But "up, up, down, down, left, right, b, a" takes me back. It was 20 years ago, when Elie and I would sit in my kitchen on snow-days surrounded by junk food and engage in marathon sessions of games we rented at the local video store. Ah, those marathon sessions of Contra & Super Mario Brothers! Always with the cheat codes and extra live tricks were there to keep us going!

In college it was "god-mode" for 1st-person shooters like Dark Forces, Castle Wolfenstein and DOOM! Nothing better than playing DOOM "god-mode" at 2am in your dorm room when you should be writing that history report! Chainsaw FTW!!! (for the win!)

Now, not so much. There are times when I miss the days of cheat-codes and actually "winning" a video game instead of the constant, endless pseudo-reality of World of Warcraft. Ah, nostalgia...

up, up, down, down, left, right, b, a

Another News Story

This one is from the Chicago Tribune and is much clearer than the Reuters story from yesterday.

Lutherans ask bishops to keep gay clergy in ministry

Interesting...

edit

Here's another one...

Lutherans vote not to punish gay ministers

Nope, still not sure...

So, I've been pouring through the section concerning sexuality in the ELCA "memorial" documentation that went out before the national convention and I'm still scratching my head. It's either a well-designed bunch of legal-mumbo-jumbo or the national standardized reading test for 3rd graders. Either way, Huh?!? I'm linking it, but don't try and read it!

Report of the Memorials Committee

Anyway, I know as much as I knew before I looked at section "E." The ELCA, just like the rest of the world, is divided on human sexuality. I do, however, take comfort in a few things. "We" do, at least in print, strive to be accepting of the sinner even if we actively can't seem to discern what to do with the sin. In other words, everyone agrees to refrain from gay-bashing. Everyone actively wants to be welcoming....sorta.

My biggest frustration is that this HOT issue isn't front-page stuff on the ELCA home page. Hasn't anyone gotten any clue that this is the story that the new-people will run with? Hasn't anyone looked and seen what's happening to the Episcopalians? Dude, seriously! In the absence of real information and serious communication, people (like me) are gonna make shit up. This...and many other reasons...is why I stay out of church politics.

Sigh! Stupid is as stupid does!

Huge News in the ELCA?!?

For those who've been hiding under a rock or have just tuned in, I am a Lutheran. Specifically, I'm a member of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.) Anyway, some big news appears to be happing at the national assembly. A story just hit Reuters News service a few hours ago and I found it on MSNBC...

Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships

"The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in 'faithful committed same-gender relationships.'"

Now, hold on a minute...There's the news and then there's what happened. I'm still working on the second. I am truly hopeful. Too often "the Church" in it's many forms has turned away or evenly abused people because they have been deemed unwelcome, unworthy or unforgivable. Christ's church is supposed to be a place of refuge and hope for everyone. Perhaps, this marks a step in the right direction. But I ramble...I'll let Charlotte Elliott do the talking:

Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown Hath broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Dvorak Likes Mac!

Most of you won't recognize the name or care about this post, but today I unearthed an article from John Dvorak saying nice things about Mac! John is editor of PC Mag, a famous tech-blogger, member of the TWiT network & their token Mac-basher. In the following review he speaks about his recent experience using a Mac. And *gasp* he likes it...

Me and My Mac

Cool!

Chase Utley, the Man-Crush and wondering about who reads my blog

So, here I am on vacation. My brother-in-law and I got into one of those glass half-full/empty conversations about the Phillies this morning (thus the previous post about Pat the Bat.) Anyway, after lively discussion about pitching we came to our All-Star second baseman, Chase Utley. He exclaimed that his wife (my sister) has been suggesting that he has a "man-crush" on Chase. So, I told him -- as my wife rolled her eyes the way she does -- "So do I!" I mean, he may become the best hitting 2nd baseman of all time. What's not to like?!?

I think this is funny enough that I'm gonna post it on the blog for a laugh, but then I get distracted by my book, the pool, my niece and all the usual distractions of vacation. Between the morning and the afternoon an interesting thing happens; I read my sister's blog. She's *gasp* linked me!

A horde of her weird friends and readers might glance at my blog. Should I clean the floors? Maybe run out to the store and buy some wine? Cheese? WWGD (What would granny do?) Get a hold of yourself!!! OK...

Do I even want company? Don't most of my friends and family just humor me by reading my posts? Wait, my posts! Have I said anything offensive? Too PC? Not PC enough? Will any of her radically liberal fruitcake friends be offended by my "man-crush" comment? Wait, will they be more offended by being called fruitcakes or my sister's friends? Wait, wait...do I care?

Admittedly, yes...of course I care! Not so much to run out and put a fresh coat of virtual paint on the walls, but you get the idea. The reality of my life is that Clark Kent looks at me and says, "wow, he's mild-mannered." I'm about as radical as sliced bread. The most controversial web-site I frequent is Slate.com. Sure, my family's activist tendencies have rubbed off enough for me to work at a habitat house once or twice. And yes, I'm a member of the bleeding heart liberal democrat voting block. (I once considered voting for a republican for 0.05 seconds, but I was worried that lighting would strike me down.) But that's about the end of it. I like my middle-class suburban lifestyle and the "no politics" rule that goes up when our friends get together.

So, where does that leave me? Well hopefully, I've got a somewhat funny post to welcome some new readers and a feeling of relief that Chase will hopefully never know how I feel! Besides, how could I compete with my brother-in-law...he's taller than me!

How to be the best AND worst player on your team all at the same time

The trick is in being inconsistently consistent.

Take Pat "the Bat" Burrell...

Monthly Averages
April - .292
May - .179
June - .129
July - .435

Put these together and what do you have? A solid average of .268! This is amazingly above his career average of .259.

Game By Game 2007

On the Road Again

Well, after less than 2-weeks at home after heading north to my grandmother's funeral, I'm off to the annual family gathering in OBX. "Annual" means that it all started about 6 years ago when my parents & uncle decided that we all lived too far apart and needed to do stuff together. I still remember how Slick and I suggested OBX (having gone there with her family & with my college gang.) "They" (my family) all said it was too far and looked for alternatives for weeks. We've been going every year since.

This week (starting today) is my Christmas. It's the week I look forward to every year. I know this because I couldn't fall asleep until midnight and woke up at 5:30am. The car was packed by 6:30am! (We don't leave until 8:30am) Given our vacation schedule, this is it unless they come to visit us (HINT!!) My father constantly says things like "when are you coming up?" And it causes my frustration to no end. He's really saying, "I miss you," but it really only serves to remind me about the miles between us.

But still, this really works. Having 3 pastors in the family, I hate trying to visit them for Christmas. That never works. It's always hours of travel punctuated by hours of sitting around waiting for them to finish writing sermons or lead multiple worship services (none of which are ever at the same time!) Often we use this week to hand out little presents to the family. There's always an excuse...birthdays...arbor day...but really it's just Christmas!

This year I did a stupid STUPID thing. My mother always asks me to bring supplies and that usually means a Costco run. I usually try to weasel my way out, but this year I took a different approach. I bought everything! This is dumb because it requires two coolers. That wouldn't be so bad, but we've also be wrangled into picking up my God-mother at the airport (mid-way.) So, the escape is packed to the roof. There should be enough room for her and her stuff in the back seat...I hope. My father suggested strapping her to the roof. Since, I don't have WWI-era fighter-pilot goggles to give her, we'll have to make do!

Next year, I buy the beer, wine, soymilk & that's it! Mmmm...beer!