mensa musings

Just for kicks, I clicked to find out how smart my blog is. (Gulp!) Either somebody lowered the standard, or Google really has made me smarter!

.

.

Golly, now that I'm genius and all, I will have to be diligent about maintaining new intellectual standards. How's this:

.

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within

Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.

Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:

Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.

Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke.

A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.

To spin! A wilde release from heaven’s yoke.

Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.

The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.

Verily, I say, ’tis what it’s all about.

.

Shakespearean Style Hokey Pokey absconded from Arcamax

ch-ch-changes

The times, they are a-changing!

.

How sad for people who do not get to experience the change of seasons like this. The drive to and from work every day is just exploding with wild-eyed wonder like this little pond (I stretched the photo wide for effect). I like warm sunny weather alright, but there are also rewards to living a little farther from the equator. The seasons don't fear the reaper. These colors were so glorious I had to pull over and snap a shot or two.

.

Seasons of change can be exciting. I am considering a change to this blog, and if you have an opinion, I'd like to hear your thoughts. After months of ignoring all this stuff about earning money through blogging, I am starting to think that it may not be a bad idea. How do you feel about that? Do you or would you use your blog to generate additional income?

caught in the Web

I want to answer TWO tags today. First, is Ted's meme from a couple weeks ago. Sorry for dragging my feet, Bro!

.

If it's okay Ted, I'll offer what I already did in May '07 (eight facts about me) and January '07 (five odd things about me). Check them out to see what I have to say about priesthood, peanut butter and lightnin'.

.

Now, our dear friend LL Barkat, author of Stone Crossings added another. No--she concocted another. Yes folks, this one is her very own invention.

.

The rules:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively.
2. Link back to the person who tagged you.
3. Link back to the parent post, so she can track the meme.
4. Tag a few friends or five, or none at all.
5. Post these rules-- or just have fun breaking them.

.5 Ways Blogging Changed My Life

1. I am learning how to talk to people. Those who know me, might not think that's a problem for me, but when I see that someone has joined a photo event, it's not enough to stamp "nice picture" on each and every entry. Plus, it's tempting to always talk about me, and I am trying to be less egocentric with my comments. I have found that it's easy to offend, so I try to be careful about what I say.
2. Initially, I thought blogging would bring more non-Christians into my life, and it has, but most of the Christians I know outside of the blogosphere are people who's doctrine lines up very close to my own. Blogging has provided a bridge to believers of varying stripes. I think I have learned from some, and hope that one or two have learned something from me as well.
3. Every now and then, I like to use a word that is specific to a situation or maybe punctuate something with a little pizazz. I'm no linguistic purist, but I just want my vocabulary to expand beyond the 500 most basic words in the commoner's tongue. While blogging, I have never once heard that phrase I dread: "Why don't you just speak English?" And when someone uses a word I don't know, it is sooooo easy to look it up, since I'm already online.
4. Did you ever pray with somebody real time, who is on a distant location of this planet? Praying with and for people is a wonderful privilege. It's special to be able to do that with someone who I never see face-to-face.
5. If my photographs were never viewed, but stealthily filed in a tiny chip, I doubt that I would be taking as many pictures and learning as much as I am now. The friends who take good pictures, and the friends who I take pictures for, these folks have sharpened my picture-taking skills far beyond what I would have done without blogging.

.

Let's see... I think we might like to hear from

Carletta, Halfmom, Kim, Louise, and Sandman.

Of course, anyone can join in, who feels so inclined.

Lime, are you game? :-)

tintiddle

Tintiddle. (That's when you think of the right thing to say... after the fact.)

.

It looks like Mr. Backwards Feet here, has the capability to do some serious back-tracking. A few days ago, I told the story where my son cheered in our car saying, "We're number two!..." Today I remembered that in the foggy preparation for writing that post, I wanted to give it the title: Craver, the Penultimate. I must have been seriously preoccupied, because good driver is such a lame title!

.

Then I wrote the post which immediately precedes this one (perspective). I think I said what I wanted to say, but I'm not sure that's how I wanted to say it. Where's the impact? It's so ho-hum. Maybe I need more sleep or something.

interview

I was interviewed at David McMahon's Authorblog. (Posted Sunday, March 30th.) I enjoy comments as much as anyone else, but if anyone from here hasn't been to his blog yet, you're missing out on a good thing (not my interview, David's blog)! Do yourself a favor, and go check it out.

true north

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to spend less time doing one thing for the sake of another,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are generally given the same twenty-four hours in a day. And prioritization is key as there will be some desirable things that cannot be attended to.

Such has been the patient sufferance of one or more of that which I claim to be a priority. They have been sacrificed here and there for the sake of blog surfing.

.

Therefore, the time has come to make a course adjustment. I don't know how it will play out exactly, whether blogging comments, visits or posts, but the bottom line is that I have decided to shorten the time I spend on this which has been a great pleasure to me. Whether we manage time well or mismanage it, we each only have 24/7 at our disposal.

.

Well, what do you know! America's founding fathers were so moved by the phrasing of this post that they patterned the Declaration of Independence after it. I'm blushing, Gentlemen; stop it!

distilled discourse

How long is your church service? Mine is about ninety minutes. I remember how once upon a time, I regarded twenty minutes as long enough for a Sunday sermon. The preaching does not last the whole ninety minutes, but neither can I recall the last time I had a quick twenty-minute "snack" of a sermon, either.

.

Switching gears. Some blogging posts have contained lengthier, meatier discourses, but I am of the opinion that this is not an ideal place for such a thing. I just don't feel like I can expect you to invest a good chunk of time on my biweekly or triweekly commentaries and occasional rants of silliness. Naturally, you have other things you want to do, and there are a few sites you want to visit before deciding what to say and whom to say it to.

.

Sometimes I have this itch to get wordy, though. For example, last week I studied Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. And can I tell you what would make me happy? I would love it if someone in a crowd would ask how my class went this Sunday, and then the whole group latch on for fifty minutes or so and still get as excited as I was about the lesson.

.

But my ramblings here are meant to be more like sipping short speeches from an espresso demitasse than the thirty-two ounce super big gulp drinks. (Oh wait, those are forty-four ounces, aren't they? That's insane! Who drinks those things?!) Where was I? Oh, demitasse. Yes; you sip and move on, and hopefully leave an occasional comment. (We like comments.)

.

My problem is that I can't distill a favorite highlight from the lesson. Or at least I don't want to. I wish we had time to drink in every little detail with the background, maps, cultural explanations, strategy, and the significance for today's people. I must admit, today I wish I could be exhaustively verbose! Do you ever feel like that when you're blogging?

.

**ding** Time's up; gotta go.

quick pix

This will probably make me sound old, but I'm amazed at how fast things happen these days.

.

A hot lunch is ready in ninety seconds. Just nuke it.

.

Who needs to mail belated birthday cards anymore, when you can send an e-card instantaneously? Plus, they're free!

.

I took a picture recently and an eight-year-old raced up to me only to notice that my camera did not have his image on the back. I use film Sonny... No, I this is not a digital camera. Yes Junior, I see that you have one on your phone, and your dad has more functions than Batman on his PDA... go play.

.

Now, I am warming up to the idea of generating my own images here, but things tend to fizzle if there is a delay between the original spark of inspiration and photo development. You know what I'm saying? I can sure appreciate the technology that allows someone take ONE picture and post it right away. Do you need to wait until the roll is used up? No.

.

What about lost rolls? AAAAaaagh! I had my smaller son pose for some soccer pictures in the spring. Where are those pictures?? I don't know. The pictures were probably never even developed. Maybe the dog ate the roll of film.

.

I took a picture of jelly beans today. When will you see the picture? Well, that depends on how long before I use up all the rest of the exposures. Let's see... right now I'm on... (looking) twelve. I have another twelve to go. Then, if I still have the gumption, I'll tell you the story behind the jelly bean picture.

.

It's a fine line between appreciation and coveting, but I'm not talking about consuming tomatoes out of season, I'm simply marveling at the ability to catch something at the right time... fruit in its season.

.

But since I have an SLR with film, I must learn to take the occasional picture and practice patience. Why do I hate waiting so much?

.

Image by: wikipedia.org

Cuckoo's gift

I was tagged by Cuckoo. She asks: What Does Blogging Mean to Me!

.

Rules of this tag:

.

1. Name the person with link who tagged you.

2. Complete the questionnaire without changing the questions.

3. Tag 6 or more people.

.

I was tagged by Cuckoo.

.

Q1. Are you happy/ satisfied with your blog, with its content and look? Yes, I’m happy with Blogger. The look and content represent me well. I like the very clean, uncomplicated template that allows for a light, quick read. To me, Blogger feels more honest, and even less hormone dependent (if that makes sense) than other media.

.

Q2. Does your family know about your blog? I find it surprising that some of the people I am physically closest to, don’t have the least interest in being a part of it. My wife has been looking into it more frequently, though, and I really appreciate that.

.

Q3. Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing? Wha…? If it was meant to be private, there are ways to do that. Leaving comments all over creation says I’m a social bugger and privacy is not my biggest concern. The more, the merrier!

.

Q4. Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts? Absolutely. For example, I am more careful to avoid making fun of people. Playful teasing may be fine in some cases, but I try not to bash people whose ideologies clash with mine.

.

Q5. Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself? Due to time constraints, my commenters definitely get priority, but I occasionally enjoy burrowing into the sidebars.

.

Q6. What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog? Did you ever say something out loud at a gathering, only to find out no one was paying attention? I use the site meter just to know that someone was listening, but I do not post the numbers and try not to let the stats rule over my content.

.

Q7. Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures? I use a real photo of myself, and although I wish I knew what everybody looked like, I respect their privacy, and even enjoy the mystery of knowing a mind, but not a face.

.

Q8. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging? Many! Expanding your horizons, learning from people, receiving a blessing as well as being a blessing.

.

Q9. Do you think that bloggers’ society is isolated from real world or interacts with events? It definitely has the potential do either. I try to use the blog to interact with head and heart issues rather than use it for regurgitating news highlights. Others, like David are best at turning those stories into good coffee table conversation.

.

Q10. Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it’s a normal thing? I try not to take myself too seriously; taking criticism is a tricky thing. The ego that is never shaken is quite possibly out of control, but an ego can certainly be too fragile if criticism is always received negatively. I like to think that I am somewhere in the middle… sometimes apprehensive, but usually bouncing back quickly in a healthy way.

.

Q11. Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them? I generally avoid them. There is simply not enough time to be a part of every special interest group. Even the ones that I agree with.

.

Q12. Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers? Some bloggers certainly ought to get arrested, but I wouldn’t mention any names… Martin! (Just kidding.) I have not heard about this arrest, but I believe we should be held accountable for our words. Does anybody have more details on this?

.

Q13. Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die? After I die, all my writings will be taken totally out of context. People will start reading it backwards and supposedly find messages there. The readership may even multiply to like, a couple dozen readers and sadly, I would have missed it all. There is a lump forming in my throat right now. Next question.

.

Q14. What do you like to hear? What’s the song you might like to put a link to, in your blog? Nothing at all. I like music and have perfect hearing, but it’s a form of distraction. I never turn the sound on when I use the computer. When hovering through the blogosphere, I am exclusively in visual mode.

.

Who shall I tag now? People, I won't be offended if you don't play, but rules are rules, so I'm tagging: Sandman, Oz Lady, 23 Degrees, Halfmom, Llama in Need, Taliesin and Pete

.

Image by: Paintfloats

going batty

I've been itching to put up a fresh post, but things have been kinda hectic lately. Plus, instead of clinging to my own roost here, I've been hanging out at Lorenzo the Llama's. There were some fascinating tangents going on related to bats and creation (a critique of literal interpretation of the Bible). The original post was about composting, and the comments section went past one-hundred. Congratulations, LtL! If anyone goes there from here, please be nice, regardless of your position on any of these matters.

.

Anyway, I didn't mean to get hung-up on bats. Today, I want to talk about something else that's on the sonar. There are too many social networks that require membership. I do not want to create any more accounts. I cannot remember any more passwords. I do not have the time to make clever profiles with pictures in each. It's bringing me down because on the other side of those barriers are people. People that I want to know better and enjoy conversation with. I wish I had the time to explore each opportunity, but it is mathematically impossible to do that without dropping something else, and unless social networking becomes my full time job, I will have to use my wings and flee.

.

Image by: banniya

gettin' aLAWNg

Comparing your site to a room in your house, which room would it be? LL Barkat lets us hang out in her living room, and Charity sees us in her kitchen. For me, it's probably my front yard.

.

I enjoy standing in the grass with my neighbors, friends and relatives, talking about whatever. I prefer to have a conversation out there, than even inside the house or in the backyard.

.

At home, I have experienced a certain unspoken etiquette about front-yard conversations. We can discuss all kinds of things, but I have never had a heavy front-yard debate. Most of the discussion is light, but that does not necessarily exclude profound exchanges. In fact, right there, in my driveway, one of my neighbors prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

.

Yeah, this blog reminds me of my front lawn. Simple, neat, not argumentative, but casual and occasionally (albeit rarely) profound.

.

Only two people have ever provoked me to use the delete comment option in the blog. Er... it doesn't work quite like that out front, though. But yes, in case you're wondering, I have had conversations in both places where someone and I disagreed and we were still able to keep things civil and polite.

.

Image by... me! (That's my real house.)

benchmark

Here we are! This is the 100^th post on this blog. Whether you are a browser or commenter, I appreciate you for sojourning with me.

.

Though many other bloggers have posted much more, it seems like some kind of reflection is in order, doesn’t it? I feel like this is a good place to pause and contemplate; “What have I learned so far?”

There are different ways to blog, and I have always had a vision that this would be an expression of community. To that end, I am quite content as I look back on the journey.

.

It has been a goal to speak the truth in love and maintain the type of environment where people engage freely in dialog, but at the same time, being careful to avoid unnecessarily harshness and circular or unresolvable conflict. (I have had to apologize a few times, but not a lot.) 1^st Timothy 4:6 talks about a different kind of craver: “…he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions…” I don’t ever want to be that kind of craver!

.

One of the hardest lessons has been on the subject of letting go. For example, Wanting to say a lot, I would select just a portion and leave the rest, hoping somebody brings it up in a comment or maybe I could address it on a future post. Or seeing that someone has not been persuaded to see things my way, I simply accept that we are not on the same page at this time and move on to the next post. Or wanting badly to burrow into the blogosphere, reading and commenting instead of eating, sleeping, mowing the lawn… there comes a point, when I just had to trust that they would still be there whenever I got around to their blogs.

.

There's more that I wanted to say, but I'll let it go, and save it for later.

i don't dance

Quite accidentally, I came upon this ancient manuscript, where it appears the disciples were learning to do the Macarena…

.

Personally, I have a litany of reasons for not dancing, even though Puerto Rican stereotypes have raised people’s expectations. No, by the time I hear about a popular cultural thing that all the cool people are doing, either it has ceased being the “in” thing or I just kill it dead.

.

It’s not that I don’t feel like dancing, but if you’ve ever seen me “move” without inhibition, you would know that it just ain’t right. Some things just ought to be left alone.

.

The blogosphere doesn’t shelter me from this awkward sensation. I will sometimes find a fun exchange of ideas, and when I put my two cents in, the conversation just stops. That’s not what I mean to do, so I beg your forgiveness if I’ve ever thrown a wet towel on your work.

.

I sometimes think of comment threads the way I think of non-competitive volleyball, badminton or ping-pong games. If I’m playing for fun, my goal is to keep the volley going for as long as possible. The longer the volley, the better. So, when I end up being the last commenter, a little voice inside says I “fouled out.”

.

I’ll stop babbling now. It’s silly; it’s shallow. But then, so is the Macarena. ;-)

.

Picture from artbible.info