The Song of Moses

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New Website
2008-04-19 23:28:00
Hi everyone. I have put up a new website using Yahoo's Sitebuilder. It is a terrible tool, but the website is much improved. Check it out at www.revisionwc.com.If you know of anyone looking for a grant writer or a nonprofit organization needing fund development help, let me know, give them my phone number, or send them to the website.Best,M
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A Short Hiatus
2008-04-10 20:17:00
Hi.Sorry for the lack of posting lately. There are two reasons: a lack of time and a general lack of inspiration. I've been quite busy lately and haven't had much time to dedicate to creating fun blog entries.So, stay tuned. Once I finish grading nine million papers and knock out a couple of grantwriting contracts, things should be back to normal.My best to everyone!Cheers,M
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Simplicity
2008-04-03 06:48:00
Sometimes simple is nice. Simple is good. Simple is pleasing.I recently (in the last ten minutes) returned home after hanging out with friends. My wife was messing with her iPod in the office--making playlists and the like. I grabbed my Macbook and proceeded to put some new music on her iPod. We've been listening to music together for the last few minutes. Nothing fancy. Just sitting together listening to music.Sometimes the most pleasing times with each other are the moments we usually don't notice. Sometimes the greatest blessings are in the simple times.Here's to simple. 
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It's Hot At Tahoe
2008-03-26 00:04:00
A new study by UC Davis found that global warming is affecting Lake Tahoe .You can read about it here.For more information about the study and preservation efforts at Lake Tahoe, you can visit the website for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Center.

Once
2008-03-25 06:16:00
Here's another movie recommendation. Yes, it's another music-centered film.It's called Once. "Falling Softly," a song from the movie won best song at this year's Oscars. A dramatic, but touching film about a musician living in Ireland, Once is surprisingly good.I was not really in the mood to watch it this evening. I was still coming down off a binge of The Office. Switching from a bust-a-gut laughing television show to a more serious tome can sometimes be difficult.However, it wasn't so difficult tonight. The movie opens with our hero, the "Guy" (you never learn his name) singing and playing his guitar on the streets of Dublin. I don't want to ruin the opening to the movie, so just know the first two minutes of the film are funny, yet revealing.We soon meet the "Girl" (again, we don't learn her name). What follows after their encounter is a story that traces the arc of their relationship bonded through music. Exploring past relationships, forming a new relationship, the Guy ...

August Rush
2008-03-21 06:26:00
A couple of evenings ago we watched August Rush . Do not miss this fine little family movie. With strong performances from Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Terrence Howard, this movie is sure to charm your socks off.  The story of an orphan (I won't spoil you with background information) who discovers he is a musical prodigy, August Rush is a movie both kids and adult can appreciate.The movie does has an odd performance from Robin Williams (is it possible to bottle up his frenetic energy?) Named "Wizard," Williams does constrain his overacting and keeps it in line with what our character expectations are. Plus, he's exactly the right actor for the role.What you'll want to hear is the music. With a fantastic score and original songs, August Rush isn't only fun to watch--it's fun to listen to. I found myself tapping my foot more than once -- I even replayed one terrific scene involving Highmore and a guitar.Sure there are feel-good moments, but they don...

A General Lack of Time
2008-03-20 06:59:00
Hello my loyal readers -- all three of you.It has been a rough couple of weeks. My various endeavors have sucked all of my into a vortex of nothingness. I feel like Atreyu from The Neverending Story--The Nothing keeps coming and coming.Too bad Falkor the Luckdragon or the Rockbiter are not here to help.Well, to bring everyone up to speed...I am working two full time jobs as well as getting my nonprofit development company up and running. There are some exciting developments in the works and I should be able to share those soon.So, to keep rambling to a minimum, my posts should continue on a regular basis. I have a couple of good stories to tell.Stay tuned as further news bulletins warrant.M
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10 Gnomes
2008-03-16 03:25:00
Can you find the 10 Gnomes in under 10 minutes? I bet you can't.Click here for some gnome action.

Was Moses High?
2008-03-06 18:29:00
Here at The Song of Moses , we do not condone the use of, take, or sell drugs of any kind--except the occasional Pepsi product.However, new research says that our namesake, Moses, was high on drugs when he received the Ten Commandments and when he encountered the burning bush. Benny Shanon, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jersusalem believes, "As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics." For the rest of the article, you can read about it here. Any thoughts?
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Stuff White People Like
2008-02-28 07:04:00
One of my associates introduced me to a blog called "Stuff White People Like." Check it out. It is extremely well-done; there are mini-essays that provide an explanation behind each item.You can find it by clicking here or on the title above.Be careful though. You might chuckle...more than once...
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Star Wars--As Told By A Three Year-Old
2008-02-26 21:52:00
I don't know if you have seen this video clip yet. It is of a three year-old girl retelling the plot to Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Be careful, you might actually say awhhhhhhhhhh....You can watch it here.
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Are You Smarter Than A Chimpanzee?
2008-02-24 03:16:00
I don't think you are. Click here to find out.Good luck.
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The Job Part II: The Fridge
2008-02-21 22:44:00
Many of you know that I have battled a past addiction to liquid cocaine.Pepsi. Dr. Pepper. Mountain Dew. Coke. Sprite. Ah heck, any softdrink beverage that is carbonated, has caffeine, and gets me all revved up after I drink it.I recently completed a fast from soda and have been feeling terrific. Soda no longer haunts my thoughts, gives me withdrawl headaches, or sounds particularly appetizing at 6:00 AM.Until yesterday.I walked into the kitchen area at my new office and saw two fridges."Weird," I thought.I opened the first fridge. It was a normal fridge filled with normal foodstuffs. I proceeded to open the second fridge.Oh my $&!#@*!!!I nearly wet myself when I saw what was inside.Row after row after row of soda. I'm not talking about ten or twelve sodas. I'm talking about six shelves of soda just beckoning to be had. I spent the rest of the day trying to forget about that second fridge.It's almost not even fair.
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The Job Part I
2008-02-21 22:27:00
I began my new job yesterday. First day on the job. Yup. First day. I was expecting the 7th level of cubicle hell. I was afraid I would end up like the character Peter Gibbons from Office Space.I can just imagine myself attending a session with a Occupational Hypnotherapist:Peter Gibbons: "So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."Dr. Swanson: "What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?"Peter Gibbons: "Yeah."Dr. Swanson: "Wow, that's messed up."Now, I don't expect to end up in a therapist's office complaining about my crappy job.Not at all.After my first day on the job all of my expectations were blown away. The office environment is -- how should I put this -- chill. My coworkers are extremely nice and my office area is great (I get TWO computer screens).The day went fast...
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U.S. Military Attacks Satellite
2008-02-21 05:41:00
If you haven't heard, the U.S. Navy used a gigantic missile to shoot down an inoperable satellite today. Experts were worried that the satellite would come hurtling to earth, burn up, crash, and release a cloud of toxic gas in an area the size of two football fields.Very cool stuff.You can read about it here.
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Juno
2008-02-18 04:12:00
It has been a while since I have posted a movie review, so please enjoy.My wife and I saw the movie Juno this evening. It is a terrific movie--deftly written by Diablo Cody whose dialogue crackles. Jason Reitman, who also directed Thank You For Smoking, ably creates a short (1 1/2 hour) film about Juno, a 16-year old who becomes pregnant. Although laughs are found in nearly every scene, Juno is an emotional and poignant story. The acting is superb and Ellen Page delivers a stunning performance as Juno.J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney play Juno's parents--caring and loving who support Juno's situation with warmth. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play a couple who cannot have children and want to adopt. They place an ad expressing their desire to adopt, Juno finds the ad and strange hilarity ensues.Like Thank You For Smoking, Jason Reitman displays some serious directing skills and doesn't allow the movie to lull -- each scene is well-crafted and adds another layer to a complex ta...

A New Job
2008-02-12 16:08:00
In recent days, I was offered an associate editor's position with a national online marketing and media content company. I accepted the job and I will start next week. I will work part-time until my semester of teaching ends and then I will transition into a full-time position.Hopefully, this position will be the stepping stone towards moving into an editorial position at a larger print/online publication or printing house.More updates to come.

Unbelievable
2008-02-07 16:58:00
If you haven't been following the story this week, a senior football player at Fernley High School has gotten himself in a spot of trouble. He held a press conference and announced that he was going to sign a letter of intent to play at the University of California-Berkley.Fantastic news for him, right?No.Upon hearing about the player's commitment, different recruiting services and universities he named in his recruiting process began asking questions.Why?The Cal Bears had never recruited this player. After the questions were raised, the player claimed that he had a paid a recruiter--a middle man between the player and schools--to help him get a scholarship. As the investigation continued, a bombshell was dropped:The player made up the entire story.You can read about it here.
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Back to School
2008-01-24 18:28:00
In the tradition of Mr. Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) in the movie Back to School , I am going back to school. I'm taking an introductory class at the Meadows Bible Institute. Has anyone taken a class from the Meadows? And, if so, what were your experiences?
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The Church of the Jedi
2008-01-24 01:05:00
As many of you know, I frequently write about Star Wars. Well, today is no different. I found an interesting story on RGJ.com  about two brothers in England who want to start a church based upon the philosophies found in the Star Wars trilogy. As the article says--all the interested members are men. Surprise, surprise. They do offer light saber training though. I guess when you're attacked in a dark alley, knowing how to use a light saber would come in handy.You can read about the article here.
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First Day of School
2008-01-22 17:14:00
Today is the first day of school for the spring semester. In honor of procrastinating students everywhere, I'd like to share a story called "The Chemistry Test."One year there were two guys who were taking Chemistry and who did pretty well on all of the quizzes and the midterms and the labs, etc... such that going into the final they had a solid A. These two friends were so confident that the weekend before finals week (even though the Chemistry final was on Monday), they decided to go up to University of Virginia and party with some friends. So they did this and had a great time. However, with their hangovers and everything, they overslept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Duke until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, what they did was to find Professor Bonk after the final and explain to him why they missed the final. They told him that they went up to U of VA for the weekend and had planned on returning in time to study, but that they had a flat t...
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Another Opportunity to Preach
2008-01-15 05:09:00
I am pleased to announce that Pastor Dan gave me another opportunity to preach while he and the mission team are in Chile.Dan assigned the Gospel of John, Chapter 11 as my topic. Yesterday, I shared my sermon with the church and everything went well--at least that is what people are telling me.Adam led worship and we decided to change how things are normally done. We moved worship to the end of service and took communion directly after the message. It was a wonderful time and the worship service was a moment of grace as it fit so well with the message.I'm blessed that God gave me another chance to preach; hopefully, I'll get more chances in the future. For the curious, the message should be posted to our website some time in the next few weeks. You can check out Outlook Christian Church by clicking here.
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The Most Helpful Phone Call Of All Time...I'm Not Kidding!
2008-01-15 04:59:00
As many of you already know, I've embarked upon a new adventure.I became a small business owner.I formed a Limited Liability Company called reVision writing and consulting, ltd. My company (me) provides nonprofit development, business writing, and academic consultation services.Things have been progressing nicely lately and I have started learning the game. However, I have one problem. I suck at math.That means, I suck at figuring out my taxes.This morning, I placed a phone call to the IRS. (Insert deadly theme music here).But lo and behold, I had the greatest 1 and 1/2 hour phone call in the history of customer service phone calls. After being on hold for 2 minutes, I was transferred to the Small Business department where a nice gentleman answered the phone. After taking down my reason for calling--figuring out my taxes for the business--he proceeded to spend the next hour and a half taking me step by step through the tax process. He left no stone unturned and even answered my stu...
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The Jedi In The Bookstore
2008-01-03 08:52:00
I would like to relay an incident that occurred--oh let's say--about two months ago. Now, I have had public encounters with so-called Jedi Knights before. If you cannot recall the Wal-Mart incident, you can read about it here.However, nothing prepared me for what happened at the Zephyr bookstore. My wife was getting her haircut and I had a couple of hours to kill. I headed over to Zephyr to peruse their fine selection of used books. I browsed and browsed, flipped through numerous pages, and finally settled on three books.I placed them under my arm and continued to meander through the store. I moved towards the back of the store; here, you'll find a small counter that the store owners converted into a quasi coffee shop. Round tables with uncomfortable wooden chairs pepper the store--a coffee shop indeed.I digress.Next to the coffee area is the Juvenile section. I began glancing through the titles to see if anything would be of interest for my wife. Not that she reads at the middle ...
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I'm Back
2008-01-03 08:48:00
Dear friends and readers,After a LONG hiatus, I have returned to the blog. In the interim, I have been teaching at the University of Nevada and starting a new business. Well, things are finally slowing down and I'll be posting on a regular basis.Stay tuned boppers....stay tuned.
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Back To School
2007-08-19 08:26:00
The new semester is upon us....Let the English students recoil in fear of long lectures, boring essays, and horrible reading assignments.The mad professor wrings his hands in delirious delight of the torture he gets to inflict....
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The Crystal Lounge
2007-07-21 09:33:00
For the past couple of weeks, we've frequented the Grand Sierra Resort.Since purchasing the property from The Hilton Corporation, GSR has completely renovated the interior of the hotel/casino.In an area that was never utilized by the former Hilton, GSR has built a new lounge called The Crystal Lounge . There is a nightly performer named Chris Costa -- a vibrant and talented musician. Costa sticks to the classics -- to artists and bands that actually made good music. Not today's crap.You've got to see his Ray Charles impersonation -- it is unbelievable.There is a 20' x 20' dance floor, which is busy for Costa's entire 4 hour set. What struck me the most about the lounge is during our visits, we've noticed that we are the only people under the age of 40, let alone 30 in the entire lounge area. We watch the dance floor with awe as the other visitors dance the night away. Most of the people dancing are beyond their 40s and most seem to be in their late 50s early 60s. These people ...

Sad Song
2007-07-21 09:25:00
If you haven't heard of him, Fredo Viola is an intriguing musician. I highly recommend you visit his site (www.fredoviola.com) to watch his video, "Sad Song ." He shot 15 second movies on his digital camera and combined them into a creative video.Check it out.

A Word From the Pope
2007-07-20 19:03:00
Apparently, the Pope has approved the release of a Vatican document that argues Catholicism "provides the only true path to salvation."You can read it here.Any thoughts?
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A Thought About Writing
2007-07-20 08:57:00
As an English Instructor, I love writing innocuous comments about grammar on my students' papers.They hate it.I still dream of a day where all of my students write in complete sentences, finally figure out how to use a semi-colon properly, and understand short subject/verb sentences are highly effective.
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