Suppose you suddenly acquired a very large sum of money (as in a lottery) and were required to spend it ALL on one of the following items. Which would you choose? Each item would be a real, actual working model.
1. A Rocket Pack
2. A Light Saber
3. A Teleportation Device
4. An Invisible Jet
5. A Green Lantern Ring
6. A Little Green Martian Friend Like Fred Flintstone Had In the Later Episodes of the Flintstones.
Please, respond with care. This is a very important question.
29.11.05
My Man Purse
George Carlin use to say that all a guy needs is a place to put his stuff. I completely concurr. However, with the ever increasing necessity to be wireless, blue toothed and portable, a man now needs a place to put his stuff which can be thrown over a shoulder and hauled around town. Now I've got bags. I've got gym bags for the sweaty t-shirts and sneakers. I've got a padded bag to protect my powerbook. I've even got a great, old leather bag with buckles that looks like Indiana Jones dragged it all the way to the holy of holies and back. Problem: they are all too large to serve as an everywhere-all the time solution for my stuff storing and porting needs. When you need to bring your ipod, planner, notebook, pens and bible with you just about wherever you go, a large bag seems a bit cumbersome. Yet to leave the bag behind, means you either leave behind the essentials you may need or carry everything in hand. For me that's a instant recipe to have a missing ipod or planner. Or ipod. yikes.
Hence, a few weeks ago I undertook the search for a new bag in which to carry my stuff. An everywhere, all the time bag. A "man-purse" if you will. My search began on the internet and while I found some bags that were small enough to meet my needs, many of them were just plain ugly. Or worse, they were dull. Others had just the right pizazz, and the perfect size, but were outrageously expensive. I thought I had hit on something perfect when I found a scandinavian company that makes man bags from the remnants of semi-truck tarps. Each is an original and extremely durable as you might imagine. What I initially thought was a great price I soon realized was listed in euros, not dollars. It made quite a difference. Like 200 bucks!
That was not going to happen. So on my way home from work a few weeks ago I stopped iin at an army surplus store on High Street and found this great little map bag. It was twleve bucks. It is small and durable and even fits my powerbook. Plus, since it's from an army surplus store, it totally overcomes the feminizing stigma that can come with carrying a man-purse. (It does, doesn't it? I mean, it's pretty manly, right? Right? Wait here while I go smash a beer can on my head to re assure myself of my manhood...)
Alrighty then. My good friend Dan is starting a business that involves embroidery (because he is as secure in his manhood as I am) and so he said he would embroider something cool on my new murse for just being my friend- because that's how he rolls.
So here it is. The offical, public unveiling of my new man purse. I hope you dig it, cause I dig it. And no you can't buy one cause it's one of a kind. One might say it's "only begotten". (What can I say? It's Advent).
Hence, a few weeks ago I undertook the search for a new bag in which to carry my stuff. An everywhere, all the time bag. A "man-purse" if you will. My search began on the internet and while I found some bags that were small enough to meet my needs, many of them were just plain ugly. Or worse, they were dull. Others had just the right pizazz, and the perfect size, but were outrageously expensive. I thought I had hit on something perfect when I found a scandinavian company that makes man bags from the remnants of semi-truck tarps. Each is an original and extremely durable as you might imagine. What I initially thought was a great price I soon realized was listed in euros, not dollars. It made quite a difference. Like 200 bucks!
That was not going to happen. So on my way home from work a few weeks ago I stopped iin at an army surplus store on High Street and found this great little map bag. It was twleve bucks. It is small and durable and even fits my powerbook. Plus, since it's from an army surplus store, it totally overcomes the feminizing stigma that can come with carrying a man-purse. (It does, doesn't it? I mean, it's pretty manly, right? Right? Wait here while I go smash a beer can on my head to re assure myself of my manhood...)
Alrighty then. My good friend Dan is starting a business that involves embroidery (because he is as secure in his manhood as I am) and so he said he would embroider something cool on my new murse for just being my friend- because that's how he rolls.
So here it is. The offical, public unveiling of my new man purse. I hope you dig it, cause I dig it. And no you can't buy one cause it's one of a kind. One might say it's "only begotten". (What can I say? It's Advent).
Detail of Embroidery
Dan did this great embroidered burning bush on my man purse. He came up with the image by combining a bush from the old school Nintendo game, Super Mario Brothers with one of the fireworks explosions you see when Mario jumps off the stairs onto the flag pole. Pretty ingenious, I think.
The burning bush was an image often used by the protestant reformers to picture Divine Revelation, the Word of God. It is all about kerygma.
Super Mario Brothers is just really freakin' awesome.
I totally dig the combination. Thanks Dan, you are the man.
The burning bush was an image often used by the protestant reformers to picture Divine Revelation, the Word of God. It is all about kerygma.
Super Mario Brothers is just really freakin' awesome.
I totally dig the combination. Thanks Dan, you are the man.
Too Funny!
I found out today that my good friend KDNY has just been appointed to serve on his company's "Diversity Team". Those who know KDNY should get quite a kick out of that one.
Go gettum, Keithy.
Go gettum, Keithy.
Well it's about freakin' time!
Our good friends over at the "US Air Force" have finally invented a real, live, laser ray gun. Haven't we all been waiting on this thing to hit the market for the last half century? I know I have.
Now... where's my rocket pack?
Now... where's my rocket pack?
A Theologian Weighs in On File Sharing (sort of)
Thanks to Joe Haack over at joehaack.blogspot.com (and by "over at" I mean about fifteen feet away in the other room) for drawing attention to this fascinating article. Score one point for guy named "Vern".
Current Score/
Guys named Vern: 1
Record Industry: 0
Current Score/
Guys named Vern: 1
Record Industry: 0
28.11.05
Have you heard?
Spoon. Click the link for a free donwload of thier great tune I Turn My Camera On.
By the way, I sing this song to the boys when I get them ready for bed, but we change the words to "I Put My Jammies On". So there you go.
Put Spoon's album Gimme Fiction on your Christmas list.
By the way, I sing this song to the boys when I get them ready for bed, but we change the words to "I Put My Jammies On". So there you go.
Put Spoon's album Gimme Fiction on your Christmas list.
26.11.05
For to Us a Child is Born
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
-Luke 2:7
25.11.05
23.11.05
How NOT to love people of other faiths.
Dear Christians,
The link attached to this post will take you to a video clip which I hope you will watch. While one naturally desires to elevate positive examples of how to relate with respect, tolerance and love to the broader culture and people of other faiths, occasionally there comes along a negative example so perfect, that we must drag it into the light and gawk at it.
This is an example of how NOT to be a Christian. Please familiarize yourselves with it. Laugh if you can, cry if you must, but please try to remain calm.
Thank you,
FP
_______________________________________
Dear Persons of Other Faiths,
As you watch this film clip please accept our apologies on behalf of Christians everywhere. For too long we have allowed wrong headed and un-Christian thinking to exist in our churches, classrooms and homes. This clip displays one very extreme instance of what happens when Christians are less than loving, tolerant and thoughtful in their application of Christ's example to their lives. (Plus this woman seems to have other "issues" as well).
I believe I am speaking for the vast majority of Christians when I say that we truly love our non-Christian friends, families, and neighbors very deeply and yet we often struggle to find appropriate ways to express that love in light of our deeply held religious convictions. In may ways we have been very poorly equipped to treat others with tolerance, while holding to our faith with confidence. Fortunately, the record of Christ's life still stands in the New Testament. For a better picture of what most Christians strive to embody, consider reading the Gospel of John and note Jesus' interaction with non-religious, or non-Judaic people.
While it may seem that the most appropriate action for us to take as Christians with regard to people with these quite un-Christian tendancies would be to disown them and to distance ourselves from them. To be honest, this is our temptation. Ironically this would be exactly the opposite of what ought to be done. We don't condemn her or people like her, though we strongly assert our confident belief that she is way, way off base in her conduct and attitude towards people of other faiths. Those who seek to be truly tolerant and truly loving, must tolerate and love even those who fail miserably at tolerance and love. And so, we Christians must show this woman (and others like her) patience, tolerance and love. We'll pray for her and hold out hope that God will bring people into her life to correct her misconceptions and inexcusable behavior.
We also hope that the next time a Christian in your life attempts to speak with you about religous issues, that you will extend to them the same grace and tolerance that you desire.
Thank you for your patience with us.
Peace,
FP
The link attached to this post will take you to a video clip which I hope you will watch. While one naturally desires to elevate positive examples of how to relate with respect, tolerance and love to the broader culture and people of other faiths, occasionally there comes along a negative example so perfect, that we must drag it into the light and gawk at it.
This is an example of how NOT to be a Christian. Please familiarize yourselves with it. Laugh if you can, cry if you must, but please try to remain calm.
Thank you,
FP
_______________________________________
Dear Persons of Other Faiths,
As you watch this film clip please accept our apologies on behalf of Christians everywhere. For too long we have allowed wrong headed and un-Christian thinking to exist in our churches, classrooms and homes. This clip displays one very extreme instance of what happens when Christians are less than loving, tolerant and thoughtful in their application of Christ's example to their lives. (Plus this woman seems to have other "issues" as well).
I believe I am speaking for the vast majority of Christians when I say that we truly love our non-Christian friends, families, and neighbors very deeply and yet we often struggle to find appropriate ways to express that love in light of our deeply held religious convictions. In may ways we have been very poorly equipped to treat others with tolerance, while holding to our faith with confidence. Fortunately, the record of Christ's life still stands in the New Testament. For a better picture of what most Christians strive to embody, consider reading the Gospel of John and note Jesus' interaction with non-religious, or non-Judaic people.
While it may seem that the most appropriate action for us to take as Christians with regard to people with these quite un-Christian tendancies would be to disown them and to distance ourselves from them. To be honest, this is our temptation. Ironically this would be exactly the opposite of what ought to be done. We don't condemn her or people like her, though we strongly assert our confident belief that she is way, way off base in her conduct and attitude towards people of other faiths. Those who seek to be truly tolerant and truly loving, must tolerate and love even those who fail miserably at tolerance and love. And so, we Christians must show this woman (and others like her) patience, tolerance and love. We'll pray for her and hold out hope that God will bring people into her life to correct her misconceptions and inexcusable behavior.
We also hope that the next time a Christian in your life attempts to speak with you about religous issues, that you will extend to them the same grace and tolerance that you desire.
Thank you for your patience with us.
Peace,
FP
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