What a big neighborhood!

Kelley has gone and linked me in her Cul-de-Sac again! And to my bagpiper post too. She makes me haaaaaappppppppyyyyyyyyyy! Thanks Kelley! The round up is great this week!

Blogging observations from Electric Venom

Venomous Kate has some excellent advice and observations on blogging now that she's been doing it for six months. On this semi-anniversary of hers I want to say that Kate's blogging was one of the things I found most inspirational to me starting my own blog.

Kate's blog was the first I found in this neighborhood. I stumbled on to her via The Agonist, of all places. This was during the bit where Sean-Paul Kelley's plagerism hit the fan, and everyone was on him like white on rice, among other metaphors. Kate either posted a comment or pinged him with a post about it, essentially saying to all the finger pointers: 'lay off, yeah it was stupid, but aren't you people able to find something better to talk about' kind of attitude... I'm heavily paraphrasing, and from memory too which is dangerous.

However her attitude about it was the first I agreed with and exactly how I felt. I had been reading the Agonist as a source of news during the war, but was growing weary of all of the liberal whining on his bulletin boards, and the trolls, it was sometimes hard to avoid the agony of the Agonist at all. So I started reading Venomous Kate. And Kelley, of Suburban Blight. Inspirational women.

Composer in our midst

Among his many talents, I didn't know that David also writes music. Download the MP3 and have a listen. I really liked this!

Racism from different perspectives

Well it happened again. I got sucked into a Dean's World Vortex of a great post followed up by a healthy comment section by other Dean's World fans. Go and read "He's Not Bad For A Nigger", and don't forget to read the comments. There are some fine bloggers participating in the discussion.

How'd that happen?

Don't know how it happened, but I am now the lowest form of a Marauding Marsupial.

Maybe a wombat, a bilby or a tasmanian devil perhaps?

Greek God anyone?

Hecate


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Advice

Advice. We all get unsolicited advice, but these pieces of advice are useful.

From Curiosity

I don't care how hungry you are, do not eat half a jar of jam in 60 seconds.

From David at Sketches of Strain, quoting his friend:

"If you outlive me, make sure that no one aside from the people named in my will are allowed to speak at my funeral. At all."

From Candy Universe, this good advice for parents:

Second, and this is merely an extension of the first rule, don't ever, on pain of public flogging, bring a baby to a movie theatre. I don't care how well-behaved it is, you know and I know, that the laws of the universe state that babies don't sleep through movies. Ever.

New Blog Showcase Vote

In the interest of the Alliance, FrankJ, and the fact that I really like Snooze Button Dreams, I'm voting for this post in the New Weblog Showcase.

Celebration Day

Finally, with my video problem solved, I may share this with you. Thanks to Rob who posted a very helpful tip for me! It turned out to be something related to how I was referring to my archive path.

Play the video rm wmv

Play the video rm wmv

Play the video rm wmv

On Sunday, September 7th, Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church joyfully celebrated the consecration of a new sanctuary for our worship. This building program has been going on for a few years at our church, and many people have worked very hard to see this project's phase be complete. St Margaret being Scottish, we always have a bagpiper on St Margaret's Day, but on this celebration day we had a troupe. It was great.

Of course the Bishop was there to perform the consecration. There were hundreds of people who turned out to see the event and it truly was joyous. Having worked in construction a number of years, I am compelled to point out that this is the only project I have ever seen come in on time, under budget, where the architect and and the general contractor worked extremely well together. We had almost no contingency, and didn't need it. Project superintendents labored on the weekends on their own time out of love for the project. It was a fantastic effort.

The church has been on the same site for many years. Originally it was on the opposite side of the parking lot, where our Thrift Shop now stands. All of the proceeds from the shop go to outreach in the community. Their building was rebuilt first, about 2 years ago. About 20 years ago (I think) they moved the church from that end of the site to where it now stands. We tore down that sanctuary after the Thrift Shop was complete, and rebuilt the church.

Now we can go out and do what we wanted to do in the first place - have more space to worship, educate, celebrate and perform our ministries. What a great day!

The service started with all of us lined up between the new building and the Thrift Shop. The pipers marched the processional in, and the service began with a blessing at the Thrift Shop. Then, we all processed around the church, even on to the main street, and then the pipers again led all to the door of the new church. The shots below are all of the processional to and from the Thrift Shop.

The videos were taken with my new toy, a Canon S50. I'm no sharpshooter or producer either, but the camera is pretty forgiving. The windows media files are fatter but produce much better sound, at least to me. Enjoy the pipers!

Where did he get that picture?

Wizbang has a great caption contest picture up, you must go and read the entries.

link via Mind of Mog

Better late than never

Well I'm behind on this geek thing going around, but here we go - I think the results are true. My whole job is to relate geekdom to normal people and get the geekdom to work for them.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

link via Argghhh!

Poetry, Strained

Sketches of Strain has sent me with this one, an Ode to Venomous Kate. Well written David, and true!

Oh, coiled and mighty Venom Queen,

show mercy on us lesser beings.

Do not bite us with your poisonous wit,

Or smother us in coils of it.

Go and read the rest.

The Newsboys

Click for a larger image. This pic is © by the Newsboys I'm sure, I got it from their site, so here's the credit!

Next Tuesday, I'm going to take my 7yo to the fair to see a concert where the Newsboys are playing. He just loves them - they're a Christian Rock band that did a bit of work on the recent Veggie Tales Jonah movie. We saw the video on the DVD and bought their recent CD and my son who is pretty spiritual for a 2nd grader really digs them.

Here's a clip [realone] if you're not too scared to hear it. I have a Christian friend who absolutely refuses to hear Christian rock, or go to it live. I think he thinks we break out in snakes and chanting and stuff, or who knows. Pretty funny.

I'm excited because I just live for live music and Frankie's never been to a live concert before like this. I can't wait!

Heads down

Well, it's been a bit of a heads down time for me. There are very few minutes of the day leftover right now after work, kids, house, rest. And rest. Rest rest rest. The problem is that it takes like 2.5 times longer for me to do everything, and so there is no time left to write. I'm glad for folks who are still stopping by. Sometime soon I'll be back to daily but for now a couple of times a week will be it.

I continue to be just overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity from my parish. 3 nights a week for over the last 2 weeks, a different person has indeed brought dinner to my house. A complete stranger from church arranged to come over and give me a break from the laundry, bath and kids and dinner thing on Thursday, she did everything for me and it gave me some much needed one on one time with my older son.

I actually marked some improvement at the end of this week in how I walk, which still looks pretty damn funny but I'm getting over it. I was actually walking just a little straighter yesterday. I think I really am going to get better.

Now on to more fun stuff. Remember what's important you guys, don't be worried about your perfect momness, your job, or how much stuff you've got. None of it matters when you can't pick up your baby when he starts crying. None of it.

Hey Mom I love you

Dawnolsen.com has a wonderful post about loving your mother, and what mothers mean to us. So Mom, you've got to click this link and go there to read it. Here's a little excerpt:

But their is something unique and special about being held to your mother's bosom and letting all of your fears, sins and sadness melt away into a person who bore you into this world and carried you in their body, heart and soul before you took your first breath.

Yeah, it's like that. Thanks Mom!

If women ruled the world

In yet another great email from my Mom, she sends me these pictures of what it would be like if women ruled the world (wait, don't we?):

So that explains it

I wondered about the craving for licorice and bubblegum.

My inner child is ten years old!

The adult world is pretty irrelevant to me. Whether
I'm off on my bicycle (or pony) exploring, lost
in a good book, or giggling with my best
friend, I live in a world apart, one full of
adventure and wonder and other stuff adults
don't understand.


How Old is Your Inner Child?
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link seen everywhere, including Electric Venom and Margi Lowry.

Video file help?

Madness madness. (BANG BANG <---- the sound of my head on my desk)

I have some cool video I want to link to from my site in an entry, and I have tried but cannot get the *.wmv file to kick off a helper app when you click on the file. A plain pic I have in the same directory is available via a direct link so I know it isn't a permissions thing.

Anyone have any ideas?

Good news

I got some great news at my neurologist's office yesterday. I was worried that I would be handicapped like I am now for life.

However it looks it will be many months before I get better, but I WILL get better.

Also I showed some improvement in a strength test, and I didn't even know I was better. AND he told me I could take Tylenol PM to sleep (or generic) and I did it last night. Sleep is a good thing. Instead of worrying everything all night I actually slept for many hours, the first time in weeks.

Hurray! Thanks for all your support in prayer.