Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road

What a cool hour PBS presented tonight. I can't even imagine what the ticket prices were for this concert at Abbey Road Studios.

William is sitting here, and he's figured out how to play and sing Blackbird on his guitar in its entirety, after listening to Paul play it. Then he transitions into I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow by the Soggy Bottom Boys. Crazy guitar player.

The coolest part of this concert was when Paul made up a song on the fly by looping himself playing drums, the piano, bass, and two guitar parts, then listening to William play a more interesting ad-lib lead guitar part than Paul's.

A good reason to support your local PBS station.

cotton candy

(afomft, cont'd.)

25. cotton candy

I love cotton candy. Yesterday we attended the annual school carnival and I couldn't resist (again). OK, I've actually given up trying to resist.

Unfortunately, after consuming a giant, purple, airy ball of delicious sweetness at the carnival, my stomach reached the 'tipping point'. A critical mass was reached with the last bite and a large effect was indeed felt (but fortunately not observed).

Beth doesn't care for the stuff, but a few years ago she and the kids gave me my own personal cotton candy maker which I need to pull out again. What a great gift for the cotton candy lover in your life.

changing lightbulbs

Wade Hodges had a post which reminded me of these 'how many ____ does it take to change a lightbulb' jokes from The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church by Carmen Renee Berry.

I started to just quote her Church of Christ version of the answer to that profound question, but to be fair, I listed all her versions of the answer.

Since I really have had little or no background with any 'group' beside the Church of Christ, I really don't get many of the other answers like others probably do.

---

Q: How many Churches of Christ members does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Where is the scriptural authority for a lightbulb?

---

Q: How many postmodernists does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Each and every one of us.

---

Q: How many Catholic nuns does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: The entire convent. The Reverend Mother to compose a homily for the occasion of the lightbulb changing while the rest of the nuns to raffle off the old one.

---

Q: How many Anglicans does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Five. One to screw in the new bulb and four to found an organization for the preservation of the old bulb.

---

Q: How many Calvinists does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: None. God will change the bulb when it's predestined to be changed.

---

Q: How many Southern Baptists does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: One to change the lightbulb, and 16 million to boycott the maker of the old bulb for bringing darkness into the church.

---

Q: How many United Methodists does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: This statement was issued: "We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a lightbulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that a lightbulb works for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your personal relationship with your lightbulb (or light source, or nondark resource), and present it next month at our annual lightbulb Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of lightbulb traditions, including incandescent flourescent, three-way, long-life and tinted--all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence."

---

Q: How many Assembly of God church members does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Just one--he already has his hands in the air.

---

Q: How many United Church of Christ members does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: How dare you be so intolerant! So what if the lightbulb has chosen an alternative light style?

Prayers needed

Please pray for my friend Walt if you happen to read this. Pray for full healing.

Thank you.

Vicky Beeching

I've got to stop listening to worship tunes at work.

I'm apparently too emotional to handle it at times, and my co-workers are wondering why my eyes are all watery while I'm slinging code. It's not just the bugs, even though I cry about those at times too.

I pulled this album by Vicky Beeching from iTunes and Captivated did me in...



Your laughter it echoes like a joyous thunder
Your whisper it warms me like a summer breeze
Your anger is fiercer than the sun in its splendour
You’re close and yet full of mystery
Ever since the day that I saw Your face
Try as I may, I cannot look away, I cannot look away…

Captivated by You
I am captivated by You
May my life be one unbroken gaze
Fixed upon the beauty of Your face

Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my gaze
I become more like You and my heart is changed
Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my view
Transform me into the likeness of You
This is what I ask, for all my days
That I may, never look away, never look away…

No other could ever be as beautiful
No other could ever steal my heart away
I just can’t look away…

Written by Vicky Beeching
©2005 Thankyou Music (admin. by worshiptogether.com Songs for the World, excluding the UK and Europe, which is admin. by kingswaysongs.com) (PRS)

Josh Hancock ... Too fat? Who cares?

So, the Reds just cut Josh Hancock... because he was apparently overweight... in spite of his 6-1 record in his last 23 appearances. He showed up at camp weighing 224, and they cut him.

Apparently Dave Duncan thinks he deserves a look.

The Reds are losers. Because of decisions like that.

I don't think the Angels will be dismissing Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon because of his girth (listed at 250, looks more like 270 to me).

And, I'm guessing that C.C. Sabathia will be back at camp in spite of his 290 pound girly figure.


And what about David Wells, Denny McClain, and El Sid?

And, my favorite portly pitcher of all time, Lee Smith, the all-time career saves leader, who fortunately spent a couple of years with the Cards. (He was kind enough to give me his autograph after a game against the Cubs back in '91.)


I'm not complaining. If the Reds are going to be in any division, I'm glad they are in the NL Central.

In spite of my genes...

...my 17yo son William scored a 32 on his ACT. I'm very proud.

Apparently, and thankfully, Beth's genes were more than capable of handling the void left by my own. Whew.

Humor is the great thing...

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place."

-- Mark Twain

"The Island"

After having passed this rental a few times, expecting it to be another copycat sci-fi action bore, I rented it on a recommendation from my friend Monty.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

An interesting, fairly plausible, futuristic plot sprinkled with some humor. And some interesting ethical and moral implications to tickle your brain.

(And Obi-Wan did a good enough acting job to make me forget he was Obi-Wan.)

Hurray for unexpected movie finds.

He's back!

Seeing photos of a healthy Scott Rolen on the field is a site for sore Cardinal fan eyes.

Go Cards!

I apprecated this self-correction:

"...He said he sweated like a pig before correcting himself, because pigs don't sweat."

Smart guy.

Spring training is one of the most exciting times of the year. Fans are excited everywhere because this is another year, another fresh start. Every team is ready to start the long journey toward October and the post-season. Rookies are in camp, trying to make the team. More fresh starts.

"I don't actually hunt baby seals ... I buy them canned"

Rory is a Microsoft developer.

I laughed and laughed some more at this post about canned seals and vegan baby seal sandwiches, and how far he takes the practical joke with this poor vegan animal activist girl.


Tonight I laughed some more about his lengthy review of a "How To Iron a Shirt" Video.



I can only imagine what a great literary work Rory might produce if he could channel his writing ability toward something significant.

High school dance competition survival

We returned yesterday from a High School dance competition in Fort Worth. Hannah and her team did great, winning everything that could be won in their class.

I survived... the competition AND the marathon awards ceremony. (I'll be able to last at least another month without hearing a gaggle of high school girls scream like wild banshees.)

One of the funniest performances was by a team of pre-K girls.

Lindsey Jacobellis

I'm still sick at my stomach, as I'm sure most Americans are who were watching the Olympic ladies snowboard cross last night.

All across this country, we were cheering for the USA as Lindsey Jacobellis was fighting for position, then taking the lead. Cringing as we watched two of the four crash and fall on the course, but still cheering for the United States.

Another gold medal was inevitable.

But, a little celebration grab, and the certain gold was a certain silver.

I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing.

I'm sad for Lindsey Jacobellis, but looking forward to watching Lindsey compete again in four years. And, I'm still a bit nauseous remembering her fall.

Dick Cheney

If there was ever any question that the mainstream media caters to the left, this accidental shooting by Cheney makes it even more blatantly obvious. Cheney did exactly the right thing by waiting to make any kind of national statement.

Give me a break. The man has just shot a very close friend in the face in a hunting accident. Can you fault him for not immediately announcing all the details to the national press? Does this affect his job as our VP in anyway? Only as it would any normal person like you or I... time, trauma, sadness, guilt, etc.

Should it affect us other than with concern and prayers for the man and his family? No. Unfortunately, we've all been subjected to the media stories of 'cover ups', 'veil[s] of secrecy', etc. Hours and hours and hours of media coverage. Makes me want to vomit.

The man showed a lot of wisdom in his interview with FOX...

Before Wednesday's interview, the vice president's office issued two brief written statements acknowledging the shooting on Monday and Tuesday. Cheney said he and Armstrong agreed to let her take the lead.

"I thought that made good sense because you can get as accurate a story as possible from somebody who knows and understands hunting," Cheney said. "Then it would immediately go up to the wires and be posted on the Web site, which is the way it went out. I thought that was the right call. I still do."

...

"Katharine suggested, and I agreed, that she would go make the announcement. ... First of all, she was an eyewitness, she'd seen the whole thing. Secondly, she'd grown up on the ranch, she'd hunted there all of her life. Third, she was the immediate past head of the [Texas Parks and Wildlife Department], the game control commission in the state of Texas," Cheney said.

Later, Cheney said of Armstrong, "I don't know who you could get better as the basic source for the story than the witness who saw the whole thing."

And he finally hits the nail on the head...

He later added: "I had a bit of the feeling that the press corps was upset because, to some extent, it was about them — they didn't like the idea that we called the Corpus Christi Caller-Times instead of The New York Times."

Kent Melton

My cousin Kent is an amazing artist/sculptor. He's done work for several blockbuster animated movies over the last 10 years.

When we were kids, my Grandma Melton would put pictures we drew on her refrigerator. Kent's were always in a class by themselves, even at an early age.

I was telling someone at work yesterday what kind of stuff he did, and while searching I found a book called "Makin' Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies", and found some fairly interesting biographical info on Kent.

He's a pretty quiet, humble guy the few times I've been around him recently (usually funerals unfortunately), and really the only news we hear about his work comes from my uncle.

Here are some of the 'maquettes' he created for The Incredibles:


And here are his very first maquettes...

"Nacho Libre"

Here's my 'must-see' summer blockbuster hit...

"Jack Black stars as Ignacio (friends call him Nacho), a Mexican priest who moonlights as a lucha libre wrestler to raise money for his orphanage. "

What a great story line. I'm laughing already.

soccer weekend

(afomft, cont'd.)

24. Watching my kids play soccer

'Twas a good soccer weekend for most of the Carr's, in spite of the below-freezing temps here in Tulsa. Sam's TSC team won the first 3 games of the tourney to advance to the finals, but took 2nd place, after losing 1-2 in very physical match with Owasso that could have easily gone either way.

Third game of the tourney, Sam faced his old teammates, the Nationals. He was as nervous as were we. Both teams were undefeated and vying for a spot in the finals. We pulled out a 2-1 victory, as Sam scored both goals, which was especially sweet considering it was against his old team.

I really enjoy watching soccer at this level, and seeing the boys develop as a team and as friends. After having watched William play in older leagues, I'm excited to see these boys grow up and play at a higher level.

The Idiot Principle

David Bau discusses the findings of a recent group decisionmaking experiment, and comes to the conclusion...

"...if you don't talk with people who disagree with you, you are better off not talking with anybody at all.

Or, in other words:

The only way to get smarter is to talk with idiots."

This assumes you're not an idiot.

"The Other Side of the Keyboard"

I'm reading Milton Jones' book, The Other Side of the Keyboard. It's a short read, written in a conversational, easy-to-read format.

I'm very encouraged that Milton took the time and energy to write this.

After being a cofC-lifer and an involved member of a cofC for over 9 years that acknowledged a cappella worship as a traditional heritage (not a matter of salvation), I still believe the mistake we made was not enough open study about what is still a very sensitive subject to many good people in the congregation. And secondly, not being consistently bold in our recognition of a cappella worship as a tradition.

We made the mistake of trivializing an issue that probably should be trivial IMHO, but shouldn't be made so by leadership without some very clear and upfront communication with members.

At any regard, this book is probably a great basis for a study.

Btw, Milton is a speaker this year at the Tulsa Workshop, and at one of his sessions he'll talk about the merger of the Northwest Church of Christ and the Shoreline Christian Church in Seattle.

Another Super (?) Bowl

Grant Boone does a great job of summing up the game. Especially this insight:

"But blowing the biggest game of the year by constantly interrupting the flow of the game and sucking the life out of one of the contestants by overofficiating..."

That hadn't bubbled to the top in my gray matter, but it now seems obvious.

I'm always a bit amused at the reasons people give for rooting for a team, when their team isn't participating. From the SB gathering we attended last night, here are some I heard:

- Seattle: Holmgreen's wife and daughter missed the game because of a mission trip
- Seattle: The Steelers would tie Dallas for most championships (5, along with SF)
- Pitt: AFC affiliation (from KC fans)
- Pitt: Respect for Cowher and bluecollar Steeler fans

Is it possible to simply root for a good game without picking a personal favorite? I tend to root for teams whose leaders have high morals (reason #1 above), but who am I kidding? There are so many people involved with each team, that I'd actually need to get details about each person on each team, and use their combined 'team morality rating' to decide who to root for (I'm being facetious of course).

The biggest problem with the SB is the depressing realization that there will be no worthwhile football, or for that matter major sporting events for a month or so (sorry NBA doesn't count for me) . I told Beth after the game that they should make the SB last 120 minutes just to help it live up to all the hype. I figure tired players would equate to big plays & more scoring.

And finally, Mick and Keith need to hang it up.

The good news is that catchers and pitchers report in less than a month.

TRAVEL TO TURKEY

Sweet! I received the following personal email today for a travel agent that could hook me up with just the right package for my dream vacation to Istanbul! How did they know I'd always dreamed of visiting Istanbul?!?

[I can't stop chuckling about this delusional spammer.]

TRAVEL TO TURKEY

1st day:
Arrive Istanbul, meet and assistance.
* Balikli Church
* Patricium
* Bosphorus tour by bus
* Dinner with Traditional Turkish Shows

2nd day:
Full day classic Istanbul tour.
Blue Mosque
Hippodrome
Agia Sophia
Underground Cistern
Topkapi Palace
Lunch in a local restaurant
Grand Bazaar

3rd day:
Full day cruise to Princess Islands tour to Heybeli
island and Big island Including the visits to Ruhban
School, and to the church. Lunch on the island. Overnight.
4rth Day:
Dolmabahce Palace, Spice Bazaar. Transfer to the airport.
INCLUDED
3 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION IN A 4 STARS HOTEL IN TAKSIM SQUARE
3 BREAKFEASTS
2 LUNCHS IN A LOCAL RESTAURANT
ALL CITY TOURS
ALL TRANSFERS
CRUISE TICKET TO PRINCE ISLANDS
ANY LANGUAGE GUIDE SERVICE

A good dog

(afomft, cont'd.)

23. A good dog

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself." - Josh Billings

Dave's Quick Search Deskbar Thingy

DQSD is a nifty little bag of bits that I've become quite dependent on over the last 4 years:


http://www.dqsd.com/

I did some development on the thing, got to know David Bau a bit (now a Google employee), and enjoyed it.

I hadn't touched the code in a couple of years (even though I still use it every day), but last night I finally become annoyed enough about a dictionary search to tweak one of the searches.

The Merriam Webster search now displays a nice lightweight popup window instead of throwing up a full browser window...




Flippin sweet.