tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42249951603780946752024-02-19T03:55:55.843-06:00Some Mad Tea-party"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-38082569887751287532009-08-05T21:56:00.002-05:002009-08-05T22:04:35.720-05:00ThoughtsI'm dwelling on a couple passages tonight.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ezra+9">Ezra 9</a>:<br /><blockquote><p id="p15009001.05-1"><span class="chapter-num" id="v15009001-1">9:1 </span>After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009002-1">2 </span>For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race<span class="footnote"> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ezra+9#f1" id="b1" title="Hebrew 'offspring'">[1]</a></span> has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” <span class="verse-num" id="v15009003-1">3 </span>As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009004-1">4 </span>Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009005-1">5 </span>And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> my God, <span class="verse-num" id="v15009006-1">6 </span>saying:</p> <p id="p15009006.02-1">“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009007-1">7 </span>From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009008-1">8 </span>But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold<span class="footnote"> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ezra+9#f2" id="b2" title="Hebrew 'nail', or 'tent-pin'">[2]</a></span> within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009009-1">9 </span>For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection<span class="footnote"> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ezra+9#f3" id="b3" title="Hebrew 'a wall'">[3]</a></span> in Judea and Jerusalem.</p> <p id="p15009010.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v15009010-1">10 </span>“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, <span class="verse-num" id="v15009011-1">11 </span>which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. <span class="verse-num" id="v15009012-1">12 </span>Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ <span class="verse-num" id="v15009013-1">13 </span>And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, <span class="verse-num" id="v15009014-1">14 </span>shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? <span class="verse-num" id="v15009015-1">15 </span>O <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”</p></blockquote><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=psalm+32">Psalm 32</a>:<br /><blockquote><div class="block-indent"> <p class="line-group" id="p19032001.09-1"><span class="chapter-num" id="v19032001-1">32:1 </span>Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,<br /><span class="indent"></span>whose sin is covered.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19032002-1">2 </span>Blessed is the man against whom the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> counts no iniquity,<br /><span class="indent"></span>and in whose spirit there is no deceit.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19032003.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19032003-1">3 </span>For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away<br /><span class="indent"></span>through my groaning all day long.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19032004-1">4 </span>For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;<br /><span class="indent"></span>my strength was dried up<span class="footnote"> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=psalm+32#f2" id="b2" title="Hebrew 'my vitality was changed'">[2]</a></span> as by the heat of summer. <span class="selah">Selah</span></p> <p class="line-group" id="p19032005.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19032005-1">5 </span>I acknowledged my sin to you,<br /><span class="indent"></span>and I did not cover my iniquity;<br />I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>,”<br /><span class="indent"></span>and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. <span class="selah">Selah</span></p> <p class="line-group" id="p19032006.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19032006-1">6 </span>Therefore let everyone who is godly<br /><span class="indent"></span>offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;<br />surely in the rush of great waters,<br /><span class="indent"></span>they shall not reach him.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19032007-1">7 </span>You are a hiding place for me;<br /><span class="indent"></span>you preserve me from trouble;<br /><span class="indent"></span>you surround me with shouts of deliverance. <span class="selah">Selah</span></p> <p class="line-group" id="p19032008.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19032008-1">8 </span>I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;<br /><span class="indent"></span>I will counsel you with my eye upon you.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19032009-1">9 </span>Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,<br /><span class="indent"></span>which must be curbed with bit and bridle,<br /><span class="indent"></span>or it will not stay near you.</p> <p class="line-group" id="p19032010.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v19032010-1">10 </span>Many are the sorrows of the wicked,<br /><span class="indent"></span>but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>.<br /> <span class="verse-num" id="v19032011-1">11 </span>Be glad in the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, and rejoice, O righteous,<br /><span class="indent"></span>and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!</p> </div></blockquote>Man, I really don't want to be a mule...B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-65243224945528985322009-03-03T17:18:00.009-06:002009-12-03T15:21:22.862-06:00My handiness<p style="margin: 0; padding: 0 0 10px 0;">Are you a handywoman or handyman? Describe the most impressive thing you've built/repaired/duct-taped - this question answered via <a href="http://www.plinky.com/">Plinky.com</a>. Check out <a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2009/03/plinky-answer-to-bloggers-block.html">this post</a> about what Plinky does...it might help folks like me that never post anything.</p><p style="margin: 0; padding: 0 0 10px 0;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0; padding: 0 0 10px 0;">The quickest thing that comes to mind would be the thermostat I "MacGyvered" at work a couple years ago. My coworker and I were sitting right beneath the air conditioning vent, the thermostat was getting direct sunlight, and the boss was gone for the day (along with the key to the thermostat). So, I decided to affix plastic bags full of ice to the box around the thermostat. Sure enough, after a few minutes the a/c kicked off and stayed off.<br /></p><p style="margin: 0; padding: 0 0 10px 0;"><br />Of course, an hour or so later it started to get somewhat stuffy, and I didn't have a hairdryer to rectify the situation in the same fashion...</p><p style="clear:both; margin: 0; padding: 0; margin-top:10px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 24px;" class="plinky_badge_rid:4037"> <a href="http://www.plinky.com/mini/reroute/4037"> <img src="http://www.plinky.com/proxy/badge?id=4037" style="border: 0; padding-right: 4px; vertical-align: middle;" alt="" title="" /> </a></p>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-80794831179882980582008-12-15T15:09:00.002-06:002008-12-15T15:29:11.192-06:00106 BooksChelsea tagged me on this thing, then encouraged me to post it as well.<br /><br />These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread." As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded, but not to be read. A $ for the ones you own, * for the ones you've read, ** for the ones you read for a class, *** the ones you started but did not finish.<br /><br />Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell<br />Anna Karenina $<br />Crime and Punishment $<br />Catch-22 $<br />One Hundred Years of Solitude<br />Wuthering Heights $ **<br />The Silmarillion $ *<br />Life of Pi<br />The Name of the Rose<br />Don Quixote<br />Moby Dick **<br />Ulysses<br />Madame Bovary **<br />The Odyssey **<br />Pride and Prejudice $<br />Jane Eyre ***<br />A Tale of Two Cities $<br />The Brothers Karamazov<br />Guns, Germs, and Steel<br />War and Peace $<br />Vanity Fair<br />The Time Traveler's Wife<br />The Iliad **<br />Emma $ **<br />The Blind Assassin<br />Zatoichi<br />The Kite Runner<br />Mrs. Dalloway<br />Great Expectations<br />American Gods<br />A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius<br />Atlas Shrugged<br />Reading Lolita in Tehran<br />Quicksilver Exposition<br />Wicked $ *<br />The Canterbury Tales **<br />The Historian<br />A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man<br />Love in the Time of Cholera<br />Brave New World<br />The Fountainhead<br />Foucault's Pendulum<br />Middlemarch<br />Frankenstein $<br />The Count of Monte Cristo $<br />Dracula $*<br />A Clockwork Orange *<br />Anansi Boys<br />The Once and Future King<br />The Grapes of Wrath<br />The Poisonwood Bible<br />1984<br />Angels & Demons<br />The Inferno **<br />The Satanic Verses<br />Sense and Sensibility $<br />The Picture of Dorian Gray $ ***<br />Mansfield Park $<br />One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest<br />To the Lighthouse<br />Tess of the D’Urbervilles<br />Oliver Twist<br />Gulliver's Travels *<br />Les Misérables<br />The Corrections<br />The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay<br />The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time<br />Dune $ *<br />The Prince<br />The Sound and the Fury<br />Angela's Ashes<br />The God of Small Things<br />A People’s History of the United States<br />Cryptonomicon<br />Neverwhere<br />A Confederacy of Dunces<br />A Short History of Nearly Everything<br />Dubliners<br />The Unbearable Lightness of Being<br />Beloved<br />Slaughterhouse-Five<br />The Scarlet Letter $ **<br />Eats, Shoots & Leaves<br />The Mists of Avalon<br />Oryx and Crake<br />Collapse<br />Cloud Atlas<br />The Confusion<br />Lolita<br />Persuasion $<br />Northanger Abbey $<br />The Catcher in the Rye<br />On the Road<br />The Hunchback of Notre Dame *<br />Freakonomics<br />Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance<br />The Aeneid **<br />Watership Down<br />Gravity's Rainbow<br />The Hobbit $ *<br />In Cold Blood<br />White Teeth<br />Treasure Island<br />David Copperfield<br />The Three Musketeers $ *<br /><br />So, that's it. I guess there are many books out there that I haven't read. I hesitate to tag anyone to follow suit, because I'm pretty sure no one will read this. Clearly, you are reading this however, so feel free.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-49472802942675319972008-11-04T15:51:00.012-06:002009-03-03T14:50:32.260-06:00Election DayFinally...I'm just ready for this thing to end.<div><br /></div><div>You can track live results here.</div><div><script src="http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://general-election-2008.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/results-gadget.xml&up_state=us&up_race=President&up_countdown=1&synd=open&w=590&h=400&title=2008+Election+Results+from+Google&lang=all&country=ALL&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&output=js"></script><br /><br /></div>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-59789824967634060332008-10-08T17:30:00.004-05:002008-10-08T17:53:16.152-05:00SeasonsBaseball season is pretty much over. The NLCS and ALCS are getting ready to start, but my <a href="http://stlcardinals.com/">Cardinals</a> aren't involved (and neither is <a href="http://cubs.com/">anyone</a> <a href="http://brewers.com/">else</a> in the NL Central...). On the other side of the spectrum, the <a href="http://southernillinoisminers.com/">Miners</a> have been done for almost a month now. I'm usually somewhat saddened by the transition from summer to fall, and baseball season to football season. I love baseball. This year, however, I find myself wholeheartedly welcoming the change. This summer was a bit draining, moreso than last summer even. I'm not sorry to see it go. I'm enjoying spending more time with <a href="http://acrossthebrandywine.blogspot.com/">Chelsea</a>, though she is busier now with school, work, and myriad activities.<div><br /></div><div>My distaste for politics has ascended to another level, however. I'm ready for winter already, if only for the end of Election Season. Can I write in my vote for <a href="http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/">Dwight Schrute</a>, the no-nonsense candidate America needs?</div>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-23700325757555193982008-09-02T17:47:00.003-05:002008-09-02T17:52:29.455-05:00I love Macs, but...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQBqu7_OoPsHP5bh6NRq-RjJ6Cb7ID0YVBF-sldHSiQbWcxU3Ddenb_vOJA3bRiOj-9etwIehIIhLGp7fK-MWCbM6q2ENxB2QkQ7o2BPAMvocuO_prwBuIDArkPC4ynk3miYQ56g0l0Er/s1600-h/DSC01924.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQBqu7_OoPsHP5bh6NRq-RjJ6Cb7ID0YVBF-sldHSiQbWcxU3Ddenb_vOJA3bRiOj-9etwIehIIhLGp7fK-MWCbM6q2ENxB2QkQ7o2BPAMvocuO_prwBuIDArkPC4ynk3miYQ56g0l0Er/s320/DSC01924.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241560415361795778" /></a><br />...I'm still forced to live as a closet PC-user. Quite literally.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-24854720200728683012008-06-28T21:38:00.005-05:002008-11-13T12:43:19.829-06:00Hoos Coming for Dinner?<a href="http://acrossthebrandywine.blogspot.com/">Mrs. Hatter</a> was gone at Super Summer last week, leaving me all by my lonesome. I was fortunate enough, however, to have several opportunities (when not <a href="http://southernillinoisminers.com/">at work)</a> to spend time with some friends that I don't get hang with nearly enough. So, wherever you are out there, thanks fellas.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.challies.com/">Tim Challies</a> has a friend that makes homemade jewelry, and I happened upon <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5937266">her site</a> last week. One of her pieces struck me as one that Chelsea might like. So, I procured this one-of-a-kind <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=9207079">necklace</a> for her. Fortunately, she likes it! See?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6DLJl3Nm36WY7X63rMOMwwZ5QmiUO7w6DwwvIEK1w6k6yVmNg2N3s_tJwlbyKYHsIWuQE7vbxLjuaiRhbOXyMgIzjQeeM8zWd-GtmdtkDPKW_a8lIPal8KG0ILhxewTvXkYJXS8Eup74/s1600-h/il_fullxfull.30058476.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6DLJl3Nm36WY7X63rMOMwwZ5QmiUO7w6DwwvIEK1w6k6yVmNg2N3s_tJwlbyKYHsIWuQE7vbxLjuaiRhbOXyMgIzjQeeM8zWd-GtmdtkDPKW_a8lIPal8KG0ILhxewTvXkYJXS8Eup74/s320/il_fullxfull.30058476.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217133852270337986" border="1" /></a> <sp><sp><sp> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5MH3I7Qo-dSF9itYFqgYOx_WAoJFsc65J-9ndaLIX657zQeb-NxTRNflIru_wFw6H_Jw9PrIBc2YqehidF-GPJw6zeMLoHOSEh08ErtMKMY6vOw5kFSlkB_toVqMZaaa1W156gHgs6jw/s1600-h/DSC01892.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5MH3I7Qo-dSF9itYFqgYOx_WAoJFsc65J-9ndaLIX657zQeb-NxTRNflIru_wFw6H_Jw9PrIBc2YqehidF-GPJw6zeMLoHOSEh08ErtMKMY6vOw5kFSlkB_toVqMZaaa1W156gHgs6jw/s320/DSC01892.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217134182625071970" border="1" /></a></sp></sp></sp><br /></div><sp><sp><sp></sp></sp></sp></div><sp><sp><sp><br />Isn't she pretty? I'm glad she's home.<br /></sp></sp></sp>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-7869490716627316752008-06-17T21:33:00.002-05:002008-11-13T12:43:20.063-06:00Achtung!A quick addendum to today's thoughts: I love <a href="http://acrossthebrandywine.blogspot.com/">my wife</a>! She's great!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5bBETxbZ7FIRhgW_xrShn0m5y7SJtPFdevNbCjO_vvg5Ug_4Sdy5mRElXAHcsXAeDllZLN1YB3vIxYOXXUedkjRQgl2n5GITo1BT0ekiDrI760zq2w7bVSXJc5dI4yOk5gUQnVIAkpI0/s1600-h/n1909945_37621634_7415.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5bBETxbZ7FIRhgW_xrShn0m5y7SJtPFdevNbCjO_vvg5Ug_4Sdy5mRElXAHcsXAeDllZLN1YB3vIxYOXXUedkjRQgl2n5GITo1BT0ekiDrI760zq2w7bVSXJc5dI4yOk5gUQnVIAkpI0/s320/n1909945_37621634_7415.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213046005730072050" border="0" /></a><br /></div>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-40037374467582398122008-06-17T11:54:00.002-05:002008-06-17T12:15:33.448-05:00Firefox 3 Download DayToday is <a href="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/firefox3">Firefox 3 Download Day</a>, an international effort by the Mozilla Corporation to have as many unique downloads of the brand-spankin'-new final release of the third iteration of the popular open source browser as possible. Prepositions, anyone?<br /><br />So, chuck Internet Explorer and download Firefox. It's better. For those belonging to <a href="http://www.apple.com/">AppleNation</a>, the Firefox team has apparently spent much time and effort on Firefox 3 for Mac in order to improve performance and, perhaps more importantly, the look and feel of Firefox for OS X, which hasn't felt like a Mac program in the past. I am, however, still a fan of <a href="http://www.caminobrowser.org/">Camino</a>, the Mac only browser built on the same Gecko engine used by Firefox. It's limited in some respects, though, so we'll see what end up with for my everyday browsing.<br /><br />You may now return to your regularly-scheduled avoidance of this "blog."B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-79004472941762319292008-05-07T18:24:00.002-05:002008-05-07T18:30:46.325-05:00Hijacked!Hello all, Chelsea here. I am hijacking Kyle's blog because he has <a href="http://www.southernillinoisminers.com/">no time</a> to post anything and won't for a few weeks. So, to show him that I love him, I'd like to post one of his favorite You Tube videos. <br /><br />This little guy likes to write songs, and we like to watch videos of him. This is Kyle's favorite. I hope you all enjoy as much as he does!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LGCXtUlWkd0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LGCXtUlWkd0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-19593236822604915292008-04-12T09:51:00.003-05:002008-04-12T09:55:40.855-05:00What's your function?I have to work all day today, but I'd rather be at home watching cartoons...like this one.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkO87mkgcNo&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkO87mkgcNo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-82161333146363527132008-04-04T15:14:00.004-05:002008-11-13T12:43:20.487-06:00FlashbacksLegal ones.<br /><br />I'm amazed at how certain stimuli can trigger memories. I'm not even talking about significant memories or memories that bear any sort of meaningful impact...just everyday things.<br /><br />Last night, <a href="http://acrossthebrandywine.blogspot.com/">Chelsea</a> had her entire iTunes library on shuffle, which kicked out a number of "interesting" tunes. Lots of stuff from the 90's, most of which needs to stay in the 90's (in my opinion). At one point, the speakers started belting a song from <a href="http://www.switchfoot.com/">Switchfoot</a>'s 2003 album <span style="font-style: italic;">The Beautiful Letdown</span>.<br /><br />I immediately hurtled back in time and was walking north on Goodwin Ave. in Champaign, then cutting behind the Nuclear Engineering Building, angling toward the Digital Computer Laboratory. It was pretty weird...it felt like I was on my way from ISR to DCL to work on a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu00fC9gRs5C4sQvGkFfjsifZj2gzSAdGtvjiQATx6z50bmcTPvpH_ngxm25HfroA9wlu5jMArbjE0BMHq8Ato8GkXLWpEL_G1rQVWqug9h_-qoVBshBFPHzPXMtQeq4SCp6ygPA8R-a1/s1600-h/UIUC_engineering.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu00fC9gRs5C4sQvGkFfjsifZj2gzSAdGtvjiQATx6z50bmcTPvpH_ngxm25HfroA9wlu5jMArbjE0BMHq8Ato8GkXLWpEL_G1rQVWqug9h_-qoVBshBFPHzPXMtQeq4SCp6ygPA8R-a1/s320/UIUC_engineering.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185511080967297602" border="0" /></a> project. I distinctly remember listening to that album on my iPod (back when it was new, shiny, and would play for longer than an hour) while making that trek across campus.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-70647308420903948672008-03-31T17:51:00.002-05:002008-03-31T17:54:49.130-05:00Goings on<span id="c-9x" style="font-family:Georgia;">I would probably have to say that my weekend was somewhat eventful. More or less.<br /><br />I had to work for a few hours on Saturday, and they ended up being very productive hours. I finished things that needed finishing, and there was much rejoicing. Saturday night we had dinner with my parents and watched <i id="bxye"><a title="Stranger Than Fiction" target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/" id="b33u">Stranger Than Fiction</a> </i>, which I enjoyed. I've seen it several times (and own it), but I think it's a pretty good film.<br /><br />Chelsea awoke with a killer migraine on Sunday morning. If you're fortunate enough to have never had one (I believe I've only had one or two), you're...uh...fortunate. Dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, and, of course, the pounding headache. So, I trotted off to <a title="Lakeland" target="_blank" href="http://www.lakelandchurch.org/" id="h-.v">Lakeland</a> by my lonesome and filled in for her with the little kids, where I had great fun getting marker ink all over my hands (some children-made kites were affixed to walls in the process). Pastor Phil expounded upon Numbers 30, regarding making vows to God. This is something God clearly wanted His people to recognize as serious business. Clearly, some of them got it.<br /><br />As we began reading the text, I mentally jumped forward in time to Judges 11, which I recall from previous study of Judges. Jephthah was leading the people at this time, and vows to the LORD, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering" (Judges 11:30-31, ESV). This, of course, has all the makings of tragic foreshadowing. Jephthah is victorious, and heads home only to see his only child, his daughter, come out to meet him. He is heartbroken and confesses to his daughter that he has made a vow to the LORD. Jephthah's daughter, though, reacts in a manner contrary to what would make sense to the unbelieving world. "My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites" (verse 36). She understood that God does not take vows lightly; that when her father made his vow, the law of the Creator of the universe required that he keep it. Jephthah was not only faithful to obey the LORD, but brought his daughter up to be as well.<br /><br />Sunday afternoon was most unexpected. While I fully expected Sunday to <i id="w7e4">have</i> an afternoon, I did not anticipate the direction it would take. Chelsea recovered from her malady with an unexpected vigor, and initiated a full-scale spring cleaning. We did an embarrassing amount of purging, making multiple trips to the dumpster laden like pack-animals. It was pretty intense, but we managed to get rid of a great deal of clutter, and will be donating a number of t-shirts and other seldom-worn items of clothing to Goodwill. That kept us busy all afternoon and evening.<br /><br />Then I slept. Then I went to work. Then the <a href="http://www.stlcardinals.com">St. Louis Cardinals</a> kicked off the 2008 season! Then the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead! Then came the rain delay! Then came the game postponement!<br /><br />Those last two statements should not be exclamatory.</span>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-6840494849529857352008-03-28T18:51:00.006-05:002008-03-28T23:20:44.691-05:00It is what it isHad an online observer happened to refresh this blog every couple of minutes or so throughout the course of today, he/she would have witnessed quite the roller coaster. The blog was unable to connect to the site where my CSS sheet is being hosted for a while this morning, so I decided to throw caution to the wind, follow <a href="http://jonathandavis.wordpress.com/">Johnny</a>'s advice, and switch to a new template during lunch.<br /><br />Well, I had a few that I liked all lined up. I tried template <a href="http://aspire-template.blogspot.com/">number one</a>, but couldn't quite get a few of the kinks worked out. So, I went with option <a href="http://foliage-for-blogger.blogspot.com/">number two</a>, which I primarily like for the AJAX effects (click where it says "Pull"). It didn't work right away, and I decided not to fiddle too much with it. So, I'm back where I was when the day began.<br /><br />Thank you all for your feedback. I'll be sticking with this for a while, and hopefully making use of this space, so that I can <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">earn</span> the right to change my template sometime down the road, should I so choose (thanks, <a href="http://toberelevant.blogspot.com/">Chase</a>). I really do enjoy the layout...I think I've just been itching to tweak (it happens sometimes).<br /><br />So, that's that. Stay tuned.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-52174068972990911452008-03-27T17:39:00.002-05:002008-03-27T17:52:02.374-05:00What to do...Throw a question mark in there, and you've got it. Clearly, I've not been feeling very "bloggy" lately. Additionally, in retrospect, I've decided that there's probably a good reason why I've never heard anyone say "bloggy" before. It's not good. I don't like it. I shan't attempt to use it again.<br /><br />Back on track now.<br /><br />I really like the idea of blogging. I rarely utilize this blog, however. Maybe it's a discipline thing, or maybe I just don't feel like I have anything good to write about. I'm thinking though...when I remember to think.<br /><br />Please, all three of you, answer me this question: is this current template simply too spectacular to change? I like it, but I also like change sometimes. The idea of something new sounds nice.<br /><br />Plus, I can always change it back.<br /><br />So, type on your keyboards and input me an answer.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-28648188074260714812008-02-13T16:32:00.002-06:002008-02-13T16:42:02.769-06:00Whether you're a LOST fan or not...<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">...there's amusement to be found in this video.</span><br /><br /><object style="font-family: georgia;" height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h94qKfWy0ZA&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h94qKfWy0ZA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Seriously, Sayid, why haven't we seen any of these moves on the island?</span></span>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-63273405983736414992008-02-06T16:47:00.000-06:002008-11-13T12:43:20.778-06:00That time<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Yes indeedy...it is in fact <a href="http://somemadteaparty.blogspot.com/2007/09/one-month-later.html">that</a> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://somemadteaparty.blogspot.com/2007/08/once-upon-time.html">time</a> again. Time for me to post something in this abandoned space that Blogger has provided to me. It's been quite a while this time...I'll refrain from referring to any of the seemingly myriad warnings I've uttered in the past with regards to posting irregularity. I don't believe there are too many individuals out there that have been simply chomping at the bit whilst waiting for me to post something again (Disclaimer: this statement is not intended to generate any self-perceived necessity to leave a comment. Disclaimer disclaimer: please feel free to leave a comment).<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmP07dsWBLGhFIbAXN4X_x60qyoPkTWigS12KX34RoUtGje95BYVBM3kivpaUQXz2sMI03Q3ybMAyySWz1Xh3F69FJO2Y07Tp3ZZ3TdTrES-8mx2h3uJIiIJeOlVWcOBFl18jA5M6LwZJ/s1600-h/chicago08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmP07dsWBLGhFIbAXN4X_x60qyoPkTWigS12KX34RoUtGje95BYVBM3kivpaUQXz2sMI03Q3ybMAyySWz1Xh3F69FJO2Y07Tp3ZZ3TdTrES-8mx2h3uJIiIJeOlVWcOBFl18jA5M6LwZJ/s320/chicago08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164008391350841010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As those of you that have any sort of semi-regular interaction with me likely already know, I am once again in the employ of the <a href="http://www.southernillinoisminers.com/">Southern Illinois Miners</a> baseball team. Whereas last season I interned in the box office, I am now the Box Office Manager. All things considered, I have a challenging seven months ahead of me, but have been given a great professional opportunity regardless of where my career path meanders over the next several decades. I started last week, but spent the entire week at a ticketing conference in Chicago, where I promptly took ill. Those be the breaks. In any case, I'm in the office this week and pushing on a snowball that will get considerably larger in the coming months, metaphorically speaking. Literally speaking, I have had my fill of snow and would like few things more than to not see any for the next nine months.<br /><br />In addition to my well-(self-) documented issues with irregular blogging, I also tend to be an irregular blog reader. I have, however, been better about that of late (thanks in no small part to the valiant efforts of <a href="http://www.google.com/reader">Google Reader</a>). I am hoping this will transition into more fruitful and frequent blog commenting and posting.<br /><br />Until next time...and may it be soon,<br />Madly Hatter<br /></span></span>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-54708021090916876352007-10-27T23:39:00.000-05:002008-01-27T00:04:00.522-06:00I'm no calligrapher...Indeed, I am a much better typist than handwriterist. I never received "A's" in handwriting in grade school. I generally prefer typing to writing. Much faster, much more legible.<br /><br />That said, I do have favorite pens that I enjoy writing with. They are manufactured by the Japanese company <a href="http://www.gellyroll.com/">Sakura</a>. The fine folks at Sakura are the inventors of gel pens. They have many pen and marker-type products for art-type people. They also have a dedicated fan base that use some of their writing utensils for everyday use.<br /><br />A few years ago, I accompanied my <a href="http://www.xanga.com/chelseaj85">then-fiancé</a>, <a href="http://acrossthebrandywine.blogspot.com/">now-wife</a> on a trip to Michaels in Champaign. I was wandering the store and happened upon these pens, where I purchased one on a whim. It seemed to write well and looked pretty decent. Sakura has provided my writing utensil of choice ever since.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/scrapbookcreations_1974_56608130"><br /></a>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-65890113581597321322007-10-16T22:45:00.000-05:002007-10-18T18:02:51.912-05:00Futalog-wha?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44179000/gif/_44179905_dino203x152.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 172px;" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44179000/gif/_44179905_dino203x152.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>As per <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7046223.stm">this article</a> from the BBC, apparently some science-types in that other hemisphere found some new dinosaur bones. Isn't that great? Obviously, they're calling it the "futalognkosaurus" (pronounced foo-ta-long-<br />koh-sohr-us). I mean, the really good names are already taken.<br /><br />The diagram to our right displays the bones that they found, leading to such exclamations as "It's like a whole lost world for us," and "It's among the biggest dinosaur finds and the most complete for a giant dinosaur."<br /><br />I'm counting six bones over there. Six. That's all it takes to be one of the "most complete for a giant dinosaur?" We really have lowered our standards...back in my day, we had to assemble an entire limb of a paleontological find before we started including it in the upper echelon of completeness for "giant dinosaurs."<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-53776866647156082472007-09-30T18:10:00.000-05:002007-09-30T18:41:02.343-05:00One Month LaterOk, yeah...I know. I've done it again. Here we are, a month since this page was last active. Let's see...in the past month the <a href="http://www.stlcardinals.com/">Cardinals</a> went from sneaking back in to the playoff race to a colossal nose-dive back to third place. Bummer. <a href="http://www.fightingillini.com/">Illinois football</a> is enjoying its best start since 2001, however. Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois!<br /><br />I've been working, which is good. It's not the type of thing I'd really like to be doing, but God has been gracious to provide for us. Our families have been tremendous blessings to us over the past month, helping meet our needs. We are very, very grateful to them and thankful for them. Most of all, we praise God and thank Him for meeting our needs each and every day. I am reminded of the Israelites and their trek through the forbidding desert after their exodus from Egypt. Each day, the Lord provided manna and quail for the people to eat. He provided enough for the day, with explicit instructions to take only what was needed, rather than trying to stockpile. The people of Israel had to trust God <span style="font-style: italic;">each</span> day to meet their needs.<br /><br />Our needs are being met on a daily basis, and then some. We are thankful that God has blessed us so much.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-90585702072534682302007-08-31T12:34:00.000-05:002007-08-31T13:29:53.901-05:00So that's how it works...I like Gmail. It's definitely my favorite free webmail service, hands down. The folks at Google made an informational video showing exactly how my electronic mail is delivered...<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qKAInP_tmHk"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qKAInP_tmHk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-12947609900103450182007-08-28T11:57:00.000-05:002007-08-29T11:22:35.700-05:00BustedThanks to <a href="http://jonathandavis.wordpress.com/">Johnny D.</a> for the head's up...obviously my blog here is experiencing some technical difficulties. Something managed to get a little off with my css coding, so it'll need some fixin'. Bear with me, faithful readers! HA! Like I have any of those.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll try and fix it when I get a little more time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE (8/28):</span> Well, I appear to have gotten things worked out. To be honest, I took the long way around, but got lucky in the end. Hopefully it'll stay put this time.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-73702735611843094162007-08-12T18:29:00.001-05:002008-11-13T12:43:21.096-06:00Danger: My (other) middle name<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydjc_weWpI45zBwU88On0lj_fhrDc-oU8rLngC1bo5C2lft0vBr7DUxQFArp0OIeDxGZUC5IB5HdHnveEyiMwEW6K8fnPhWU2LUgr3oJyTJHAwprh0G6ErUT2cZXkvr8m2PbAIIMAnGTL/s1600-h/0061243582.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydjc_weWpI45zBwU88On0lj_fhrDc-oU8rLngC1bo5C2lft0vBr7DUxQFArp0OIeDxGZUC5IB5HdHnveEyiMwEW6K8fnPhWU2LUgr3oJyTJHAwprh0G6ErUT2cZXkvr8m2PbAIIMAnGTL/s320/0061243582.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097961504111950018" border="0" /></a><br />As some of you readers (assuming I have any) know, my <a href="http://www.xanga.com/chelseaj85">wife</a> and I are celebrating our 1st anniversary today. Huzzah! One year of marital bliss...I love her quite a bit. It's true.<br /><br />As you may also know, the first anniversary is the "paper" anniversary. With this in mind, Chelsea gave me a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dangerous Book for Boys</span> by Conn and Hal Iggulden. It's a pretty nifty publication that she heard about on Dr. <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/">Albert Mohler</a>'s radio program. It has also been featured in <span style="font-style: italic;">Time</span> magazine, so <a href="http://toberelevant.blogspot.com/">Chase</a> may know something of it.<br /><br />The book is chock full of useful information and tips. It includes chapters titled "The Greatest Paper Airplane in the World," "Building a Treehouse," "Spies - Codes and Cyphers," "Girls," "The Ten Commandments," and several chapters of "Understanding Grammar." There's some pretty great stuff in there...I wish I had this book about 12 years ago. Though I have yet to peruse much of it, I've found some pretty valuable passages. Take, for example, this advice about girls:<br /><br /><blockquote>If you see a girl in need of help -- unable to lift something, for example -- do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, while surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation.</blockquote>B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-10093411486614528612007-08-09T23:00:00.000-05:002007-08-09T23:23:51.545-05:00When Babies Attack!I had the privilege of seeing some good friends at the <a href="http://www.southernillinoisminers.com/">Miners</a> game tonight. Thanks for being my friends...you know who you are.<br /><br />Apparently, <a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/weesherweesh/bekah-outside7.jpg">this little girl</a> is on a big high-fivin' kick right now. I'm proud to say that I was on the receiving end of her first high-five-through-the-slot-in-a-box-office-window. It was pretty great.<br /><br />During the game, our roving camera man got a great shot on the video board of Bekah on <a href="http://jonathandavis.wordpress.com/">papa</a>'s lap. Attack of the 20-foot tall Bekah!<br /><br />Thanks for all of your prayers.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224995160378094675.post-74333107752918679492007-08-04T13:33:00.000-05:002007-08-04T13:47:20.242-05:00Once upon a time......I had a blog. I'm pretty confident that this was it. The site accepted my user name and password, so I'll take that as confirmation. Maybe I'll start posting here more often as baseball season comes to a close. It's been an exhausting last few months, but I've had some great experiences. Hopefully I'll be able to utilize some of these experiences to get a job at some point. Hopefully that some point isn't far from this point.<br /><br />Apple Inc. has found two more happy converts. We are enjoying our new Macbook. Incentive to blog more frequently? We'll see.B. Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02934805891252826222noreply@blogger.com1