happy birthday, Cory glover!

Today is a great day because it marks the birthday of one of my very best friends in the world, Cory Glover.  Words cannot adequately express the love that overflows from my heart for this man.  So I will say here what I said at his ordination this past October: 

Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”  Cory epitomizes these words in my life.

Below is a picture of us after having dinner with our wives in February 2007.

I love you brother.  I miss seeing you on a weekly basis. Happy Birthday.

a new president

Congratulations and welcome President Obama.  You have my prayers.

Interesting how things work…

Just yesterday, a friend of mine texted me and asked me about Twitter.  He wanted to know what it was (I am assuming because he saw me mention it in a status update, but maybe I am making myself too important), and what one would use it for, and as I was link surfing on Twitter, I ran across this, and I have reposted it here – The 5 Stages of Twitter Acceptance.

Rohit has also recently added another stage that isn’t in the graphic, but I soon hope will be.

6: Collaboration
"Actual, meaningful relationships and collaborations have occurred out of my usage of Twitter"

Although I am not yet a Twitter all-star, nor have any aspirations to be I was able to quickly send some friends an important message – I miss them.  This was and example of Stage 4 for sure.

Welcome 2009!

After a short haitus for the holidays, fighting the flu/upper-respiratory-junk, and celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary (more on that later), I am saying hello to 2009.  Some changes will be afoot soon - exciting times!  I can't wait to share them with you when I am done catching up after being a sick person.

Many Blessings!

What a stupid phrase...

In watching (with interest) the discussion in the comments on another blog, I would like to officially announce that I think, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!" is a stupid phrase.

Seriously, it's stupid.

Would you ever throw out a baby with bath water?  Do you throw out bath water, or do you drain it like I do?  Moreover and again, would you ever throw out a baby with bath water???

I understand the point it tries to make:  Don't get rid of good things in the midst of purging bad things.  But in the 21st Century, especially in the United States, this is a stupid phrase even if you understand the etymology (which I do).

So, please for the love of God, please stop using this phrase until a baby winds up riding a tide of bath water that someone threw out in the backyard - even then, don't use the phrase, call Child Protective Services, the police, or the Darwin Awards.

Answers on Shuffle / Pretty Noose

So,  JT tagged me on Facebook, but I am responding here on my blog.  I am supposed to tag people with this meme, but I really don't feel like it (even if it is supposed to spread some silly fun).  However, I thought I would enjoy the exercise and I think it turned out pretty well.  Let me know if you actually try it, and post a link in the comments.

Here are the instructions that were important:

1. Put Your iTunes (or MediaPlayer in my case) on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

Here are the questions and my answers:

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?  "Can't Go Back" - Robbie Seay Band

How would you describe yourself?  "Headful of Ghosts" - Bush

What do you like in a guy/girl?   "The Very End" - Derek Webb

How do you feel today?  "Rescue Is Coming" - David Crowder Band

What is your life’s purpose?   "Fix You" - Coldplay

What is your motto?  "Homeward Bound" - Simon & Garfunkel

What do your friends think of you?  "Can't Be Without You" - Derek Webb

What do you think of your parents?  "Only Hope" - Caedmon's Call

What do you think about very often?  "Getting Out Alive " - Three Days Grace

What is 2 + 2??  "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson

What do you think of your best friend?  "A Boy Named Sue" - Johnny Cash

What do you think of the person you like?  "Spirit Waltz" - Something Like Silas

What is your life story?  "Starting Over" - Robbie Seay Band

What do you want to be when you grow up?  "Who We Are" - Lifehouse

What do you think of when you see the person you like?  "Wonderful Tonight" - Eric Clapton

What will you dance to at your wedding?  "Can't Be Without You" - Derek Webb

What will they play at your funeral?  "Last to Die" - Bruce Springsteen

What is your hobby/interest?  "Bark at the Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne

What is your biggest fear?  "Long Slow Goodbye" - Queens of the Stone Age

What is your biggest secret?  "I Saw the Light" - David Crowder Band

What do you think of your friends?  "My Engine is With You" - Bush

What will you put as the title?  "Pretty Noose" - Soundgarden

 See?  That was fun!

Fantastic Website

If you don't visit lifehacker.com at least once a week, you should start today - at least if you are a little geeky like me.  I love that stuff!  Gadgets, software, productivity, GTD, complete randomness - all meant to improve your life if you are so willing.

What Do You Believe?

While I don't know that it was done intentionally, because I don't want to believe that about Coldplay, the video below is an interesting watch.  I should say at the outset that I like both Coldplay and Satriani a lot - I own albums by both artists.  What I think probably happened is what I saw happen in my own bands time after time:   Someone is riffing on something, liking it, believing it to be completely original and that they hadn't ever heard it anywhere else when another person in your band chimes in and says, "Hey, that sounds almost exactly like...."  Maybe that just didn't happen here.

I don't want to hear disparagement of either side here, because unless someone says, "Yeah, I copied it,"  we will never truly know what happened.  What everyone should admit (at least if you like guitar solos at all) is that the segment below is a freakin' awesome mashup from two great artists!

Judge for yourself.

I don't mind you comin' here, and wasting all my time-time...

Either he was trying to be funny, or he didn't click on the link but I would like to thank my friend Mike Hunter for his comments on my last post (he made them on Facebook).  Although I had intended it as a semi-rant on email, he actually offered 5 sentences on how to be part of a solution.  Here's what he wrote:

Create. Try. Evaluate. Adjust. Relaunch.

That was just what I needed - it is probably going to appear in my office somewhere soon on a bulletin board or poster.  Seriously - I'm putting that everywhere.  It is such a good and helpful reminder

Oh, and thanks to Ric Ocasek and The Cars for creating such a catchy tune that it inspired the title of this post (if you don't already know, it is a line from the song).

Be A Part of the Solution

five.sentenc.es