Day 15 of 100 blogs in 100 days

I traveled down the west coast on my way to visit 100 blogs in 100 days and landed in Los Angeles (never been there).

They tell me that Los Angeles, City of Angels, is full of smog and heard to breathe in. I stopped in and visited Paige Pooler at Eyes Wide Apart and this blog is a breathe of fresh air! The illustration above is about love in bloom or blooming... And in my mind's eye, I need a break from text and black backgrounds and hollerin' to take in a stroll and view some talented artists in the blog world. When I use to work at LifeWay Christian Resources, one of my favorite lunch break activities was to stroll across the street and visit the Frist Museum for the Visual Arts for a mental break. My friends, here's a opportunity to back away from the keyboard and take a break!

The layout is clean, writing is crisp and as a "incessant doodler living in L.A.", Paige is a very talented illustrator. Paige loves "blogs, treasures, snippets of other peoples lives and interests and discovering wonderful illustrations and beautiful (funky) crafts..."

So do I! Stop by and visit - (and stretch those eyeballs wide apart).

Thieves (and trolls) from space

My first official rant? Let's just call it drive by observations on the internet... of thieves and trolls - (I'll talk about flamers and blog trash later)... that clog up the internet. Here are two examples:

# 1: HOW TO GET FREE DRINKS AT STARBUCKS

The blogger writes: During my years frequenting Starbucks, I’ve observed ways to beat the system and get free drinks. This is dedicated to your poor schmos who cant afford an affordable luxury. I pay for my drinks but have “accidentally” stumbled on these field-tested rules.

Comment: "Does anyone think that perhaps part of the reason the beverages are so expensive is that there are so many thieves stealing that it jacks up the price? That, and then having multiple employees, even at a low pay rate, means you have to sell a lot of stuff to break even, much less make a profit.

I'm in no way affiliated with this business, and actually only drink their coffee occassionally, but am of the mindset that a thief is a thief, no matter what you steal.

Think about that when someone steals something from you, big or small. Can't afford to buy your coffee? Drink public water then, or work somewhere that provides Coffee Butler for free."

link

My son and I ate recently at a Outback Steaks - The waiter had a waiter in training in tow; when asked how did I like my prime rib (after consuming 3/4 of the delicious prime rib - king's cut of course) "It's OK..." Well, the waiter in training offered to get me a new one - "No! I was just kidding!"

Upon further conversation, many people do try to beat Outback out of an extra cut of meat by eating half of the entree and then sending the meal back for correction - very sad - could explain why buffets are popular and why meals at Outback are expensive.

# 2: TROLLS:

An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset people.

Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity of the net allows trolls to flourish.

Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of courtesy or social responsibility.

Perhaps this sounds inconceivable. You may think, "Surely there is something I can write that will change them." But a true troll can not be changed by mere words.

link

One of my favorite news/forums in the electronic gadget space has been hijacked by flaming trolls. Every bit of industry news is met with skepticism, verbal assaults and posing as psuedo voices of reasoning. Even acts of charity, i.e. donations to the Tsunami or Hurricane Katrina are met with scorn and second guessing. I guess bullies in grade school are now residing on forums.

Ok, I need to chill...

The book cover? Cosmic Kidnappers, written in 1985 by E.T. Randall.
Library of Congress Summary: Drawn into a computer and out again into an alien spaceship, the reader must figure out a way to get back home.

What's in the box?

What's in the box?

open here

Day 14 of 100 blogs in 100 days

Today, on day fourteen of visiting 100 blogs in 100 days, I traveled to the Pacific Northwest and visited a physician who "looks at medicine, religion, politics, pets and passion in life."

I'm thankful that The Doctor Is In

Ever had the time to sit and talk to a doctor and ask him a lot of questions? Great questions that demand a great answer?

Ask Dr. Bob -

• As a doctor, what would you recommend [for an emergency medical kit] for usually healthy laymen?
• Does contemporary medicine emphasize the management of symptoms over the diagnosis and treatment of underlying causes?
• So, if it were your job to implement a “quality assurance” system in health care (or specifically in your part of the health care system), where would you start?

and questions on transparency, loss and God's grace...

Many years ago, as a very young Christian, filled with intellectual arrogance, baseless self-confidence, and the fading embers of a newfound faith, I discovered God on a most terrifying and unplanned journey. I was a legend in my own mind: hot-shot intern, selected above my peers for a prized specialty residency, smart, handsome, talented, affable–and of course, immensely humble. I knew all the Bible answers, memorized Scripture, had God figured out. I was passionate about medicine, and perhaps even more so about music, having written and arranged for a fusion band with whom I played guitar. Creativity was my gig, but since time for music was short, I turned my interest to woodworking, having long admired furniture craftsmen who graced hardwood trees into elegant expressions of functional beauty. rest of the story

Dr. Bob is a physician in the Pacific Northwest, the fortunate husband of his wife of thirty years and father of three remarkable children. Blessed by the grace of God with the great priviledge of knowing His Son, and having experienced the limitless depths of His mercy, patience and forgiveness, he desires to serve Him and others well.

Dr. Bob's entries are lengthy, full of insight, grace and wisdom... reach for the mouse and make an appointment now to bookmark his blog. Well worth the wait...

Potato Love!

potato love (c) Kerry Woo

Does God love me or what!
I'm fixing supper and out pops this expression of love from a 5 lb sack of potatos...
Should I place this on eBay or in the offering basket at church - comments welcomed...

Life is not FAIR!

Life is not FAIR! (but the FAIR only comes once a year)

Osman is having a very bad day... but he will be eligible to take his driver's license test again in seven to 30 days...

and...

Kolonie was fired from her $7-an-hour job at the Family Dollar store in Spring Hill after taking time off to rescue two younger siblings from hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, she says...

Life is such a carnival... (and unFAIR)

Saw a man with the jinx in the third degree
From trying to deal with people--people you can't see
Take away, take away, this house of mirrors
Give away, give away, all the souvenirs
We're all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world
The flat old world
The street is a sideshow from the peddler to the corner girl
Life is a carnival--it's in the book
Life is a carnival--take another look

- The Band

phot source: time

A Dozen Thoughts on the Katrina Crisis Thus Far

A neighborhood damaged by Hurricane Katrina sits flooded Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath)

Jim Jewell of Rooftop Blog has articulated A Dozen Thoughts on the Katrina Crisis Thus Far

Although I've been paying attention to our national disaster, I have been too busy to write much, partially because I have clients that are responding to the Katrina devastation.

Here are 12 thoughts on the hurricane-force disaster, responses, and politics.

1. Recognize Personal Responsibility: Perhaps the most important lesson of the last week is that we are all responsible for ourselves and for our families, and in a society that works people take care of their neighbors. We should not expect the government to come to our rescue; although it may be able to, it is by nature a slow-moving bureaucracy.

It will be years before people ignore hurricane warnings again. The people in New Orleans who were the greatest victims were those who chose not to act responsibly, and those who were unable to leave. The fact that friends and relatives did not help the old and disabled-and that there were more looters than good neighbors--reflects the utter failure of community.

2. Make Changes at FEMA: FEMA chief Mike Brown must resign because he is now a symbol of a bureaucracy caught acting like one. I'm sure he's a fine guy and that he didn�t intend to harm anyone, but he is in now as politically toxic as the New Orleans sludge. Politics is largely perception. The foot-dragging at FEMA costs lives--this reality is heartbreaking and the political perception is even worse. Brown's resignation should be on Bush�s desk shortly; and Bush should accept it with all the right regrets. There is no reasonable alternative.

3. Look to the Private Sector. Salvation for the victims of Katrina will come from the good people of the nation driven by a moral impulse to help those in need, and from the private institutions they support—-from local churches to large agencies such as The Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse. These private groups can pull together the “little platoons” of compassion and head to the gulf for a weekend of building or a decade of support.

4. Don’t Forget Mississippi: The most old-fashioned hurricane devastation is not in Louisiana, but the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Biloxi and Gulfport are virtually destroyed and need massive assistance.

Read the balance here

Day 13 of 100 blogs in 100 days

Day 13 of my endeavor to hang out and visit 100 blogs in 100 days...

Express thyself! Tim W. has a way with words... His blog, Mother Tongue Annoyances is: "A weblog devoted to sharing my literary and linguistic pet peeves with the English-speaking world at large."

This blog entry from Tim caught my attention:

"Some blog authors tend to swear quite a bit in their blog posts. Cuss, in other words. Or use profanity. Or use expletives. Fill in the blank with whatever euphemism you care to supply. I tend to prefer the noun expletive, as its definition, according to Answers.com, is "a word or phrase that does not contribute any meaning but is added only to fill out a sentence or a metrical line.

That definition is chiefly why I choose not to use profanity in this blog. In most cases, these four-letter words do not add anything substantive to the message that I am trying to relate to you."

Thank you Tim! I would say to bloggers that cuss a lot - TAKE a CHILL PILL ... we're not in kindergarten anymore...

Besides Tim's little editorial, there are short essays on neologisms, colloquial expressions, use of the term of endearment "dude" and anecdotes. Before you tune out, I look at this blog and Tim as the English class and teacher I wish I had back in school. The English language has been butchered over the years, and I think it worthy to celebrate our use of words in a proper way... Fo' Shizzle!

Photo source: under current art

Quit your yapping...

Day 12 of 100 blogs in 100 days

Day twelve of 100 blogs in my travels to visit 100 blogs in 100 days. (and I didn't go far...)

There is more to homeless people than being homeless. The Homeless Guy Kevin Barbieux writes "I had 15 minutes of fame two years ago when I started a blog about my homeless experiences. I became un-homeless on the 4th of April, 2005. I now live in subsidized housing with income generated by my blogs."

Want to walk with Kevin and see what he sees?

Kevin writes about panhandlers:
"Then there is the issue of food. Should you give a panhandler food. That depends on your approach. All panhandlers have to eat. And, they will use some of the money you give them to eat with - TacoBell is a favorite. But, when you give them food, then they can save that much more of their panhandling money for drugs and alcohol. Still, if you use the excuse of feeding a panhandler to develop a relationship with him, then you should. Don't just give him money and then walk away. Take the man into Taco Bell with you, and eat with him. Engage him in conversation. Become his friend. Find out what his real needs are - perhaps he needs a better pair of shoes, or perhaps he needs eye-glasses, or perhaps the chance to call home. This is how you provide for the real needs of the homeless. Know that homeless people have lost most of their love of self and others, and that by others showing genuine concern for them, they will begin, again, to care about themselves - a first step in the journey out of homelessness."

and privacy: "When you are homeless you have almost no privacy. As you have no place to call your own, you spend almost all your time in public places - libraries, sidewalks, parks, etc."

and rest: "Rest is something you don't get very much of when you are homeless. And a lot of that is due to the fact you can't get any privacy. When you live at a shelter, they are always waking you up early - 5 to 5:30 EVERY morning - 7 days a week. "

and food: "Although homeless people can get enough food to eat, the food usually isn't that good, or healthy for them. Most of the really cheap food is unhealthy, like Bologna. Homeless people get a lot of Bologna sandwiches and other fatty food. "

Kevin has a good heart and throughout his blog, there is no fingerpointing or judgement. He takes the time to gently help us understand that being homeless is not something one desires... "being homeless takes work - a lot of work. Being homeless is much more difficult, physically and emotionally, than conforming to the demands of society. So, to be homeless is not a state of avoiding work."


Resource: Why Are People Homeless? Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, child care, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income, that must be dropped. Being poor means being an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.

more from: National Coalition for the Homeless