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We are the champions
2006-12-04 14:15:04 To get the new work week kicked off just right, here’s a Crazy Frog remix of the Queen classic, We Are The Cham pion s , dedicated to the OU Sooners football team in their victory over Nebraska in the Big XII Championship game as well as the Dallas Cowboys in their victory over the New York Giants (na na na na na) — pretend like the fútbol is really a football… More About: Hampi , Pions
For the stargazer geeks (like me)?
2006-12-04 14:15:04 From the University of Minnesota’s Star watch: Early risers can watch Mercury, Mars and Jupiter file into the eastern predawn sky. The three planets draw closer until the 10th, when they form a tight grouping just above the horizon about 45 minutes before sunrise. All three will fit in a circle just one degree in diameter, making this the closest trio of naked-eye planets since 1925 and until 2053. More About: Geeks , Geek , Like , Stargazer
Slowly getting back to ?normal?
2006-12-04 14:15:04 I’ve been away from blogging for a few days because I just wasn’t up to writing. Last week, I started feeling sick — either a bad cold or possibly a touch of the flu (I can never tell for sure). It pretty much zapped me of all my energy and made it very difficult to work. Fortunately, my sickness coincided with the winter storm, so I could justify staying home for two reasons. I was home all day Thursday and only worked a few hours on Friday. I didn’t do anything Saturday and Sunday. Now, it’s early Monday morning and I’m trying very hard to get back into the swing of things (because I have a backlog of projects to work on). But now my computer is conspiring against my best efforts. Neither of my two LCD monitors for my workstation seems to want to work this morning. I’m hoping that — and I may be ignorantly naive to think this — maybe they got too cold and they don’t want to illuminate. So, I’m working on Karla’... More About: Back , Slow , Normal
MMMM?.Empanadas!!!
2006-12-04 08:14:01 I had a wonderful lunch on Saturday. I had chicken empanadas. It was awesome. I ate all five of them. I enjoy them a whole bunch. I could eat them forever and ever I think! They are nice and crispy on the outside. They are brown and flaky as well. In the inside of the empanadas, there is a hot, steamy mixture of moist chicken and hot melted cheese. They are delightful! They are especially good when you have an appetizer of nice sized chips with salsa accompanied by a glass ful of Dr. Pepper. MMMMMM!!!! It was so good. I enjoyed the meal. One has to be careful when eating things like empanadas though because I got bits of empanada crust all over myself! One also has to be careful because of the hot empanada inside. You should try chicken empanadas sometime. More About: Nada , Empanada , Empanadas
We Wish You A Merry Christmas?
2006-12-03 20:13:04 Today I finished all my gift making/buying. We went to the Ten Thousand Villages sale. That is where people all over world share their crafts and treasures by sending them to different places that are having the sale. I got an authentic African (Kenyan) wire toy. It is a little wire man on a weird bicycle with a handle you can push it with. When you push the handle the wheels move and his legs go up and down. It is really cute. I also got some stuff for Sarah, Mommy, and Daddy. I also finished my homemade gifts, just from me. I actually didn’t have to buy anything, I used stuff I found around the house. They are toilet tissue rolls that have stuff inside of them and are wrapped in pretty paper to look kind of like huge candies. I cannot mention the stuff inside because I know some certain people will be reading this (Sarah, Mommy, Daddy). I can say there is not one thing the same in any of the four rolls. I made them for Sarah, Mommy, Daddy, and Khaylla, but I know Khaylla pro... More About: Christmas , Christ , Chris , Wish , Merry Christmas
The Sound of Silence
2006-12-02 02:11:07 Last night as I lay in bed, at 9:45 or so, I found myself listening to something that only happens when everyone is snow-bound. Silence . Normally around our neighborhood there are voices from across the street, cars and trucks driving around until 11pm or so, and an occasional train whistle or vehicle horn honking. But last night, as the city was hunkered down in their cozy abodes, under a blanket of snow, everything was silent. There aren’t many things as serene as silence on a winter’s night. It brings a peace that soothes the entire soul. It’s as if, for one brief moment, the world stops and wonders wide-eyed and close-mouthed at the freshly fallen snow. And it is in those brief moments that I find myself in awe of my Creator. The wonder that is a winter’s night makes me sit back and say “it is good.” And somehow, in that brief and fleeting moment, all seems right in my world. More About: Sound
Your Homeland Security dollars at work: Bomb-sniffing bees
2006-12-01 06:52:04 I wouldn’t have believed it as a work of science fiction… PHOENIX, Arizona (Reuters) — Scientists at a U.S. weapons laboratory say they have trained bees to sniff out explosives in a project they say could have far-reaching applications for U.S. homeland security and the Iraq war. Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico said they trained honeybees to stick out their proboscis — the tube they use to feed on nectar — when they smell explosives in anything from cars and roadside bombs to belts similar to those used by suicide bombers. Researchers in the program, dubbed the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project, published their findings Monday. By exposing the insects to the odor of explosives followed by a sugar water reward, researchers said they trained bees to recognize substances ranging from dynamite and C-4 plastic explosives to the Howitzer propellant grains used in improvised explosive devices in Iraq. “When bees detect the p... More About: Security , Dollar , Home , Work , Your
Winter Wonderland
2006-12-01 06:52:04 This morning I woke up to the sound of one of the morning news anchors saying Edmond Public Schools were cancelled. I was kind of happy and kind of dissapointed at the same time. I wanted to go to school because I love school a whole bunch. I also wanted to stay home and stay cozy and warm though. I went to go look out the window and I couldn’t. The window was covered in ice! I was in heaven. I love days when it is terrible outside and it is all cozy and warm inside. I stayed in my pajamas all day long. I got kind of bored in the middle of the day though. I watched Season’s Eatings on Food Network. I love Food Network in the holiday season! I love the holiday season! I watched Paula Dean and Giada DeLerentes. It was a good day. I am happy how the day went, but I was really looking forward to going back to school tomorrow. A few minutes ago I learned that school is cancelled again tomorrow. I really wanted to go to school! More About: Winter , Inter , Wonder , Land
Do?Re?.Mi
2006-12-01 06:52:04 I am so nervous. The week after next, I will have two important recitals. I have one in Chorus and one for piano. The one for chorus is for school. I really don’t think my class is ready. We just started one of the songs we have to do yesterday. We are singing three songs: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Season’s Greetings, and Parade of the Tin Soldiers. The other recital is for my private piano lessons. There will be other performers doing it, but I still get kind of nervous that I’m going to really mess up. It is not as bad as last year though, because I had to play the Star Spangled Banner first. This time I am playing Santa Baby and Silver Bells. Atleast today I get to practice since there’s no school due to the snow and ice. I should be going to practice piano and singing. ~Ashley~
0 to 12 inches of snow possible
2006-12-01 06:52:04 The weather forecasters in Oklahoma are pretty darn good when it comes to predicting springtime severe weather. They are pretty darn bad when it comes to predicting winter weather. Yesterday, I saw a forecast of up to 1 inch of snow with the winter storm system moving into the state. This morning, they said 1 to 3 inches in our area and the northeastern part of the state getting more. Just a while ago, Karla came into the office and said they were talking more along the lines of 6 to 12 inches of snow. WHAT??? That’s a pretty significant difference for Oklahoma. People here just don’t handle snow very well. You might as well be talking in feet instead of inches. So, a 1-inch forecast is manageable, a 3-inch forecast raises a few more concerns (and some begin their panic). A 12-inch forecast will paralyze Oklahomans with fear. Having learned to drive in Indiana and Illinois, I’m a little less intimidated by the snow — except for all the other idiots on the roa... More About: Snow , Inch , Ossi
?The Big Chill?
2006-12-01 06:52:04 A cold front is moving in as I type this. The temperatures have dropped about 30 degrees since this morning and Oklahoma is preparing for what one local channel is advertising as “The Big Chill ”. We don’t get a lot of snow and ice around these parts, maybe a few times each winter, so when we do, the news stations play it up for days before, acting as if we live in the Northwestern Territories of Canada’s Arctic Region. The general consensus between the three news stations here is that we should get several inches of snow out of this storm. We’ll see. That’s not what they’ve been saying all week, but suddenly they are changing their tunes. I tend to believe it when I see it, when it comes to Oklahoma weather. Now if they turn out to be right, I’ll be as prepared as I can be, but I also won’t be holding my breath. Speaking of the Northernwestern Territories of Canada’s Arctic Region. I saw a car this morning with a license p... More About: Hill
Wayback Wednesday: Could?ve Been
2006-12-01 06:52:04 Here’s a classic 80s song by Tiffany, a contemporary of and often confused with Debbie Gibson. More About: Back , Wednesday , Been , Wayback
Overheard
2006-12-01 06:52:04 Girl #1: My brother drives between Alaska and Colorado once a year. It’s a really long drive. Girl #2: Wait… I thought Alaska wasn’t connected to America. Guy: It’s connected to Canada. Girl #2: So, there’s like, a bridge? Guy: No. It’s connected to Canada. Girl #2: No, it’s not! It’s an island. Canada breaks up over there. Guy: I swear to god, it’s connected to Canada. Girl #2: No! – Coffee shop, Mercer & 3rd, via Over heard in New York More About: Hear
My big, fat, expensive wedding
2006-12-01 06:52:04 This is why eloping sounds more and more like an attractive alternative to a traditional wedding… especially as the father of two daughters… Julianne Mitrovska, 21, of Taylors Hill in Melbourne’s west, was working for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union when she began siphoning union memberships, including a $118,000 membership from Toyota, into her own account. … Mitrovska planned an extravagant wedding for 500 guests, which her traditional Greek Orthodox parents could not fully afford. She owed more than $50,000 for her share of the wedding costs and borrowed more money, spiralling into a debt of more than $100,000. Mitrovska had pleaded guilty to eight charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception. Her crimes occurred between January and April this year and were uncovered in May when the union discovered it had not received Toyota’s payment. More About: Wedding , Pens
Dr. Phil?s Top Ten Signs Your Family Is Nuts
2006-12-01 06:52:04 More About: Family , Your , Signs , Top Ten , Sign
Biggest Loser Update
2006-12-01 06:52:04 Regular readers will recall me talking about my Biggest Loser diet program. Today is day 4, but the diet looks much different than what I had originally planned. As I visited with family this weekend and did more research, I discovered that my plan lacked sound science and wisdom. My original plan was to resurrect a self-prescribed diet that I used about 16 years ago, which encompassed a radical 1000-calorie diet of oatmeal and Slim-Fast shakes plus daily exercise. I lost 34 pounds in my first three weeks, and then I transitioned back into regular eating, but smaller portions while maintaining the exercise. I keep the weight off successfully (without much trouble) for the next few years until I began enjoying the comforts of marriage life — i.e. I took things for granted and let myself go. That was then, this is now. My family lovingly convinced me that I wasn’t 21 anymore and that things were different now. Then there were genuine concerns about how a drastic diet might... More About: Update , Biggest Loser
Would Jesus be elected if he ran for office in 2006?
2006-11-04 04:18:01 Becky Garrison examines how Jesu s might fare if he were a candidate in this campaign season: As we gear up for the upcoming presidential election battles, once again Sojourners reminded me that God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat. In lieu of the plethora of partisan propaganda I often receive from both the Religious Right and the progressive left, I welcome their biblically based voting guide that outlines the Christian principles on a range of social issues. Even though I want to cast my vote for God’s Politics, I have to ask myself, could our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ever be considered a viable candidate for public office? The answer is, alas, a resounding, ?No.? According to conventional political wisdom, casting a vote for Christ would be akin to going green in 2000. For starters, the Sermon on the Mount speech (see Matthew 5-7) would lose the Soccer Mom, the NASCAR dad, and whatever other idealized demographic pollsters have determined must be placated in order for... More About: Office , Would
FRIDAY FAVORITES: Torn ? LIVE!
2006-11-04 04:18:01 Several weeks ago, I featured a YouTube clip of a comedian who pantomimes to Natalie Imbruglia’s hit song, Torn. Today’s featured clip features another performance by that comedian to the same song, only this time Natalie joins in halfway through the performance. The hilarious routine makes it today’s Frida y Favorite ! More About: Live , Favorites
A sad day for evangelicals
2006-11-03 16:15:04 When this news first broke yesterday, my jaw literally dropped. I didn’t want to believe it and was willing to give this pastor the benefit of the doubt. He is someone that I have met and whom I respected, even if I disagree with some of his political activity. But this morning, an update on this scandal made my heart sink: A sudden about-face in the scandal facing New Life Church’s pastor. After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church’s Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them. Thursday morning, Jones went on a Denver radio talk show and said Pastor Haggard paid him for sex over the past 3 years. Jones also claims Haggard used drugs with him. Rig... More About: Angel , Evangelical , Evan , Evangelicals
Greatest Hits, ?Whose Line? style: No. 5
2006-11-03 16:15:04 More About: Great , Style , Greatest Hits , Test , Hose
Campaign ads this year ?worse than ever?
2006-11-03 16:15:04 Writing for Slate.com, Jacob Weisberg examines this season’s negative campaign ads and finds that they go beyond negative to being outright dishonest. And he says that both sides aren’t equally to blame. Here’s an excerpt from that article: Newspaper stories about attack commercials usually include a sampling of harsh Democratic spots in an effort to appear evenhanded. But there’s really no comparison between what the two parties and their respective surrogates are doing. According to factcheck.org, a respected site that reviews the accuracy of various ads, “the National Republican Camp a ign Committee’s work stands out this year for the sheer volume of assaults on the personal character of Democratic House challengers.” Negative Democratic ads tie Republican candidates to President Bush, and to the Iraq war, or accuse them of being in the tank for the oil or pharmaceutical industries. But Democratic ads do not charge that their opponents R... More About: This , Ever
I?ve got the 2 week jitters!
2006-11-03 10:15:01 There is only two weeks left until our school musical Oklahoma! Everyone in the cast is really excited and I think we all have some jitters as well. The set looks great! We have all of our props together. Every rehearsal is running smoothly. We even have the curtain call done and it’s the earliest the Performing Arts teachers have ever gotten it done before. I am so excited about the show. I am even in the front of the group songs and dances. I also have a two liner! It’s really awesome for a chorus girl. I do hope to get at least a lead part in our spring musical. I can’t wait until showtime! More About: Week
Frank Schaeffer: I should be supporting Allen. Instead, I?m
2006-11-03 10:15:01 The GOP has become its own worst enemy with some of the campaign tactics its supporters have employed in the waning hours of this bitter campaign, causing it to lose its base rather than adding to it. One such disillusioned Republican explains what he found so offensive in this op/ed for the Dallas Morning News: I’m a Christian, a writer, a military parent and a registered Republican. On all those counts, I was disgusted by an e-mail I just received that’s being circulated by campaign supporters of Republican George Allen, who’s trying to retain his Senate seat in Virginia. The message goes like this: “First, it was the Catholic priests, then it was Mark Foley, and now Jim Webb, whose sleazy novels discuss sex between very young teenagers. … Hmmm, sounds like a perverted pedophile to me! Pass the word that we do not need any more pedophiles in office.” Democrat James Webb is a war hero and former Marine, wounded in Vietnam and winner of the Navy ... More About: Rank , Port , Support , Fran , Stead
Sometimes you?re left with no better alternative than ?anybo
2006-11-02 16:12:01 First, let me apologize in advance to those readers who come here for the more light-hearted posts. The following promises to be a very long post as I clarify a previous post that has been misinterpreted and distorted to mean something it did not. A chronically nettlesome antagonist of this blog (and a self-appointed arbiter of the merits of anyone’s opinions) chose a tongue-in-cheek post of mine from earlier this week to illustrate the ills of the American electorate’s mindset — well, at least the errancy of the mindset of that (majority) portion of the American electorate who doesn’t support the direction this country is going. He seems to imply that voters who subscribe to an “anybody but” voting strategy cannot have thought things through or simply don’t care enough about the issues to vote intelligently. My post was not a reflection of a non-contemplative, ignorant voting strategy; rather it was an obviously failed attempt at wryly veil... More About: Time , Alternative , With , Left , Times
Greatest Hits, ?Whose Line? style: No. 4
2006-11-02 16:12:01 More About: Great , Style , Greatest Hits , Test , Hose
Evangelical group: Many in the faith community feel ?used? b
2006-11-02 16:12:01 The following comes from a press release issued by the conservative Christian Defense Coalition: WASHINGTON (Christian Newswire) — There is a strong feeling that the Republican Party courts evangelicals to vote in elections but fails to act aggressively on fulfilling campaign promises. Many are also asking why they should work so hard for republican candidates when after years of controlling the House, Senate and the White House Republican leadership has accomplished so little? The 2006 mid-term elections are demonstrating to the Republican Party they can no longer take the faith communities vote and support for granted. Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states, ?If republicans lose the House or Senate, they only have themselves to blame. They have failed to energize and empower faith and value voters which provide a critical base of support for the Republican Party. Many evangelicals I have talked with feel used and taken for granted ... More About: Faith , Community , Angel , Muni , Evangelical
Name That Tune
2006-11-01 22:06:01 Last night we played one of our favorite family games. Name That Tune has become a family pasttime around our house. We are all music lovers and listen to tunes quite often. Brad is always the “host”. He sits with his laptop and goes through his iTunes list, or sometimes YouTube videos and randomly picks out songs to play snippets from. Since Brad and I grew up in the 80s, our songs typically have an 80s theme to them. But just for fun he also throws in current hit songs as well. We are required to name the song title and the artist who sang it. Sometimes he will give us a clue. If the song was featured in a movie, we also have to name the movie it was from. Ashley is quite good at this game. There are many songs she can name with just a note or two played. It goes to show that she is somewhat of a music brainiac. Sarah knows a lot of songs too, even those from the 80s that she’s listened to all of her life. I tend to not be able to name artists very well. Or I wil... More About: Hat , Name That Tune
When Christianity is a hoax?
2006-11-01 22:06:01 This very provocative statement headlines a thought-provoking and sobering testimony posted by a fellow Chris t ian blogger. She hits the nail on the head on one of the issues that grieves me most about today’s American Church. Here are excerpts from a piece that is worth reading in its entirety: If this headline caught your attention, that’s exactly what I intended. This article from the Christian Post is a breathless account of yet another leadership conference sponsored by Willow Creek. Thousands upon thousands of leaders will get together and hear hip, new ideas to “reach the world” for Christ. Everyone is networking, and sharing ideas and strategies and marketing savvy in their quest to evangelize everyone. Frankly, I believe that they can pull the plug on the electronic media, re-box all the how-to books, send everyone home, turn out the lights and lock the door. They will be doing the Kingdom of Christ a favor. Why do I say this? Am I not concerned for m... More About: Christianity , When
Wayback Wednesday: Lost In Your Eyes
2006-11-01 22:06:01 This week’s featured classic video is dedicated to my brother, who developed a major crush on this teenage singer when this song was at the top of the charts. More About: Lost , Eyes , Your , Back , Wednesday
Abandoning An American Soldier
More articles from this author:2006-11-01 22:06:01 This truly makes me sick… While the media is obsessed parsing the ad libs of someone on no ballot this fall, something truly ominous has just happened in Iraq. The commander-in-chief has abandoned an America n soldier to the tender mercies of a Shiite militia. Yes, there are nuances here, and the NYT fleshes out the story today. But the essential fact is clear. In a showdown for control of Baghdad, the Iraqi prime minister took orders from Moqtada al-Sadr, and instructed the U.S. military to withdraw from Sadr City. The American forces were trying both to stabilize the city but also to find a missing American serviceman. He is still missing. […] The U.S. military does not have a tradition of abandoning its own soldiers to foreign militias, or of taking orders from foreign governments. No commander-in-chief who actually walks the walk, rather than swaggering the swagger, would acquiesce to such a thing. The soldier appears to be of Iraqi descent who is married to an Iraqi ... More About: Band , Soldi , Soldier 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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