Have you noticed the change in the days lately? They're getting longer! Though I know this starts happening after December 21st, it's hard to actually notice until those lengthened hours of daylight start coinciding with landmark times of day like 7:00 a.m. when I'm barely up and 5:00 p.m. when we eat dinner. We're living in natural daylight again. Oh joy!!
We saw it last week on our walk to Elgin Park too. See this drab winterish scene. Nothing spring-like about it, right?
But wait. Look more closely at that green below the tree. That's no patch of winter-weary grass. It's snowdrops -- hundreds of them!
My garden is starting to respond to spring's call as well. Here is peony bud,
some spears of daffodil
and I'm not even sure what these are -- tulips maybe (although they look an awful lot like hosta)? We'll find out soon!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
something's coming!
Friday, February 20, 2009
frivolous friday
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
Via the email grapevine (a government-free zone).
Thursday, February 19, 2009
athiest supports cross-cultural missionaries
When Matthew Parris, British Times Online journalist and atheist traveled to Malawi in late 2008 to visit the small British charity Pump Aid, he returned to the country of his youth and was confronted again with the disturbing phenomenon that doesn't mesh with his belief system...
"...But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
"Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good."
And what of those who insist that Christianity introduced into these cultures is a destructive force? This is an aspect of missions that I've followed with some interest, especially since reading Spirit of the Rainforest. Here are Matthew Parris's observations in that department:
"There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.
"I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.
"Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.
[...] Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosophical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates."
Read all of As an athiest, I truly believe Africa needs God
pink
Wedding Bower
**********
Next week: JEWELRY (Ring, Ear Ring, Bracelet, Necklace, Watch, Precious Stones, Gold,...)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
book review: Holding Fast - The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy by Karen James
Title: Holding Fast - The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy
Author: Karen James
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 2008, Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1595551751
ISBN-13: 978-1595551757
As Kelly James lay alone in a snow cave nearly eleven thousand feet high on Mount Hood, he wondered, “Where the h— is Brian? Come on dude.” His climbing partner, Brian Hall and fellow climber Jerry “Nikko” Cooke had left Kelly a few days earlier to descend the mountain in search of help. It was December, and Kelly was stuck on a mountain in Oregon, far from his home in Dallas, Texas. What had started as a quick weekend trip to practice ice climbing in preparation for tackling Mount Everest had turned into a life-and-death situation unlike any that Kelly had ever faced….
So begins Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy by Karen James, Kelly’s wife. It is a harrowing tale, all the more so because we know how it will end. Yet James manages to not only hold our attention but inspire us through her retelling of a mountain climbing accident — and its aftermath — in a fierce winter storm.
The book is divided into four parts. In Part One, “The Man Behind the Headlines,” James starts with her imaginative recreation of Kelly’s last hours in the snow cave. Then she goes back in time to fill us in on Kelly’s life to that point, ending with a description of their happy life together just before the trip.
In Part Two, “The Storm of a Decade,” James details what happened during December 10-17, 2006 in chapters the very names of which tell a story: “The Phone Call That Changed My Life,” Our Arrival,” “Signs from Above?” “Give Us a Break,” and “The Worst Day of My Life.” The narrative in this section is divided by subheadings of date and time-of-day (e.g. Monday, December 11, 10:00 a.m.), slowing the pace and putting the focus on how time is passing as the search drags on without a clue of Kelly's whereabouts. James keeps us informed of the weather, what happened at the daily search briefings, and how the family is handling the wait and the media. It is a roller coaster ride of hope and disappointment.
Part Three, “Putting the Pieces Together,” describes the aftermath of finding Kelly’s body. James is amazingly transparent about her journey through grief. Though the story could easily have bogged down in self-pity here, it never does. Instead, in addition to a moving tribute to an exceptional man, it becomes a journal of grief recovery and a testimony to how faith in God can help one come through the darkest time.
Part Four, “A Legacy of Love,” contains Karen’s tributes to Kelly as her husband. In it she shares poems and letters he wrote her.
The hardback edition I read had a heft to match the mid-book color photo section, printed on heavy, glossy paper. There were black and white photos throughout the text as well. The photos and personal writings made the story and its characters come alive.
Cover endorsements from Sheriff Wampler and Steve Rollins, both involved in the rescue, where James’ description of the events is called “the most accurate I have heard to date,” and “the most detailed and inspiring I’ve heard,” encourage the reader to trust this vivid first-person account. James’ experience as a journalist shines through in her skillful storytelling.
I found Holding Fast a quick, absorbing read. It made me see my family with new appreciation and want to tell them so now, while I still have them. The story also gave me a confidence in God’s presence even in tragic situations when our most earnest prayers remain unanswered. James ends the chapter where she tells numerous incidents of feeling God’s presence (from the message she got in a fortune cookie to the name of the bulbs she was planting on the day she got the phone call from Oregon) with the statement, “I believe now more than ever that there are no coincidences and that there is a grand plan in which we all play a role.”
I recommend Holding Fast for the riveting story it is. But I recommend it too for the aftertaste of hope that lingers even after you’ve turned the last page.
Go to Holding Fast for Purpose to hear the song which inspired the book's title, see more photos, read chapter segments and more.***************
Book Courtesy Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program.
Monday, February 16, 2009
book review: Rich Is a Religion - Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth by Mark Stevens
Title: Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth
Author: Mark Stevens
Publisher: Wiley, 2008, Hardcover, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 0470252871
ISBN-13: 978-0470252871
In Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth, multi-millionaire Mark Stevens imparts his philosophy of wealth. He likens it to a religion with
…a view of money that vests it with far more substance than a simple trading commodity. It is a way of thinking about money that has greater connectivity to what most of us place at the top of life’s hierarchy of values: family, friends, fulfillment, enrichment, and independence. (p. 10)
The book is interesting, loaded as it is with stories that illustrate his points. It is easy to understand for even infrequent visitors to the world of finance (moi). And it is to-the-point.
In the nine chapters that comprise the main part of the book Stevens extends the religion metaphor (e.g. chapter titles like “The Vision,” “The Congregation,” “The Atheists of the Religion of the Rich,” and “Metamorphosis”) and gives instructions on how to convert. Despite the religious symbolism, he does not advocate the worship of money but rather a relationship with it that resembles one’s relationship with religion – one made up of deeply held and faithfully followed convictions. To the brotherhood he promises at least an improvement in financial position if not outright wealth.
Some of the tenets of Stevens’ religion of the rich include the need to respect money and handle it with discipline and a sense of fiduciary control. He eschews using money and what it can buy to impress others (“Don’t care whether you are perceived as being rich or poor” p. 40). He warns against greed and taking undue risks with one’s livelihood and home. He recommends simplicity, contentment, humility (“Recognize that the most important money you have is the money no one can see” p. 158), smart management (“I have learned to make money while I sleep” p. 61) and realistic caution (“Never bet the farm” p. 101).
And to what end do we gain this wealth? “…To maximize the gift of life” p. 5, to achieve contentment (“The most rewarding achievement in life is to be content” p. 16), “…to extract the maximum pleasure from life…” p. 84. If there is anywhere I would quibble with Rich is a Religion's ideas, it would be in these regards. For though this is a book that gives wise advice about how to accumulate wealth for one’s time on earth, it lacks an eternal perspective on riches. As I read it, I kept thinking of the words of Jesus: “Do not lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). It’s not that this book is against these things. Stevens just never mentions them, leaving it for the reader to make their own connection. I suppose the astute reader will, though it’s awfully easy to lose sight of that perspective in the midst of all the motivation to gain material wealth for the here-and-now.
Stevens has earned his reputation as an expert by reason of his experience and success. His father died when he was a teenager, leaving the family with the grand total of $84. The fact that he came from that to his current multi-millionaire status and position of CEO of MSCO -- a results-driven management and marketing firm — by using the principles he explains in Rich is a Religion: Breaking the Timeless Code to Wealth, speaks eloquently of their power. More of his advice is available through other books he has authored (Your Marketing Sucks, Your Management Sucks, God is a Salesman) and via his Unconventional Thinking Blog.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
how do you hear "I love you"?
Happy Valentine's Day!What does it take to get you to hear "I love you"?
- Help with baby or the dishes?
- Chocolates and roses?
- A heartfelt compliment?
- A dinner for two where you linger over coffee and conversation?
- Kisses, hugs and lots of cuddles?
Chances are you'd like some of them all. But if Gary Chapman is right, each one of us has a predominant love language.
This Valentine's Day why not review his description of the five love languages: service, gifts, affirmation, quality time and physical touch. Then say "I love you" in a way your significant other won't be able to miss.
- Take the 30-second love language assessment here.
- Of course Dr. Chapman talks about them in much more detail within the love language books he's written:
- The Five Love Languages of Teens
- The Five Love Languages of Children
- In case this day finds you in a spot where you and your love need to resolve some issues, check out the Five Languages of Apology. Good, good stuff.
Friday, February 13, 2009
frivolous friday
Here's a classic from the old Carol Burnett Show - starring Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. Even Harvey Korman can't keep a straight face.
Tim Conway & Harvey Korman - Dentist Skit
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
book of the month
Check out the 100 Huntley Street book of the month. I'm so proud to say it's authored by my friends and colleagues at The Word Guild.
Read a review of it here.
HAC also has its own web page with all kinds of interesting tidbits about the contributors and links to interviews and web sites.
If you want to order it from 100 Huntley Street online, the order page is here.
Monday, February 09, 2009
weekend treats
We've just had a totally fine weekend spent with family from far away. They have been easing out of their jet lag between Hawaii and Thunder Bay, Ontario by spending Friday night to Sunday with us.
Look where we walked on Saturday -- Derby's Reach and the Fort to Fort Trail.
Today we met more of their family in Chilliwack (a young couple whose first babe is due in about 10 days) and did a short walk through the woods to Bridal Falls.
Dan (of the Chilliwack relatives) introduced us to a great new song. It's called "Where the People Walked Backward" by Allen Levi (rootsy - similar to Bebo Norman; actually he has recorded with BN). It's a song that Andrew Peterson said was his kids' favorite from his ipod whenever they traveled somewhere. Allen Levi calls it his "gas station parable." (It reminds me of the Max Lucado children's story about the people with the spots.) Click on over and listen to it. You'll love it. Go. Now.
Friday, February 06, 2009
frivolous friday - yarn bombing
Ever heard of yarn bombing? Apparently it's making public art (a polite way of saying graffiti) only with yarn instead of a spray can.
I discovered this when I visited Jan's blog (from Oklahoma) today and saw this:
She linked here, which is the blog of two yarn artists from Vancouver -- my neck of the woods. The creators of this Yarnbombing blog -- Leanne and Mandy -- have a book coming out in September called Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti.
Indeed. Knitters unite! Let's put those spray can taggers out of business!!
To really get inspired, check out carolhummel.com for a very cool slide show of various yarn art projects.
I'm beginning to see the naked trees around here with new eyes too. I have spare wool - and needles. Imagine all the neighborhood tress, fancied up and toasty, and the sidewalks padded with granny squares.
clouds
********
Thursday Challenge
Next Week: CLOTHES (Shirt, Pants, Dress, Shoes, Hats, Gloves, Ties,...)
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
the dalits of india
Attending Missions Fest is always interesting. Last weekend was no exception. One of the seminars my husband and I attended was a documentary film on the Dalit people of India.
I had heard of the Dalits years ago, only under a different name. When we learned about India in school they were called the Untouchables - the very lowest of India's castes. I hadn't heard of them for years and thought they had disappeared as class of people. I was very wrong. Here is Wikipedia on the Dalits.
In the context of traditional Hindu society, Dalit status has often been historically associated with occupations regarded as ritually impure, such as any occupation involving butchering, removal of dead animals, removal of night soil (human feces) and leatherwork. One million Dalits work as manual scavengers, cleaning latrines and sewers by hand and clearing away dead animals.[13] Engaging in these activities was considered to be polluting to the individual who performed them, and this pollution was considered to be 'contagious'. As a result, Dalits were commonly banned and segregated from full participation in Hindu social life (they could not enter the premises of a temple or a school and stayed outside the village), while elaborate precautions were sometimes observed to prevent incidental contact between Dalits and other castes.
In the film, we saw all this in living color - and more. Young boys of 10 to 12 described how they worked as bonded laborers (slaves really - working for cruel bosses to whom their parents owed money under such payback terms their loans would never be paid off). Old women described how they had been taken as young girls and used as temple prostitutes. We saw footage of a whole community of Dalits living in the rejected cracked concrete pipes of a pipe-making factory. They had been tricked into coming to the isolated place to work in the factory. Now their children were growing up far from any schools and they owed so much money they would never pay off their debts even if they worked out the rest of their lives.
In all this there is a ray of hope. An organization called the Dalit Freedom Network, was formed in 2002 and has come alongside these people. One of their activities is to help Dalit children get an education. They do this by pairing Dalit children with donors who then pay for their education. Watch the YouTube movie below to find out more about the Dalits and how the Dalit Freedom Network is making a difference in the lives of these people who number 250 million.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
i guest blogged
on Kimberley's blog yesterday. Kimberley Payne is big into fitness. If you sit for hours at a desk, like many writers do, Kimberley is full of good tips for you. Hang around her site and you're bound to be healthier and fitter for it! (You may well ask, what am I doing guesting on her blog. Wander over and see...)
Monday, February 02, 2009
a good read
On browsing the stacks of newish arrivals at the local library on Friday I found Home by Marilynne Robinson (this is the same author who wrote Gilead -- one of my favorite novels.) Of course I signed it out.
Gilead is a much-acclaimed book about an old minister, Ames, who lives in the town of Gilead. In it he thinks back over the life he's lived. It's a gentle and thoughtful story of family, friends, faith and forgiveness. Gilead is one book I will keep in my collection in order to reread.
Home covers the same time-frame and events, but is told from the viewpoint of Glory, Ames' best friend Boughton's daughter. It deals with the homecoming of Boughton's prodigal son Jack.
What makes these books so special is author Marilynne Robinson's ability to flesh out the subtleties and intricacies of relationships and show how present interactions have their roots in the past. It's beautiful, perceptive writing.
The only downside is the little red sticker on the front of the book. It says "Bestseller Express Loan 7 days" and, in case I'm tempted to keep it longer, "Overdue fine $1 per day." Ouch! I have only five more days; not much for a slow reader like I. I'd better get reading.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
sunday quote - a hymn this time
I don't normally post hymns, but yesterday we were at Missions Fest - Vancouver and sang this grand old one. What a wonderful reminder of how God continues to work even when we're perplexed about where we are and what's next -- maybe especially when we're perplexed and finally still enough to let Him take over.
Be Still My Soul Hymn
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
Lyrics: Katharina A. von Schlegel - 1752
Music: Finlandia, Jean Sibelius - 1899
Below is a beautiful version of "Be Still" sung by Selah.
(To turn off automatic player click on '' of the Playlist - sidebar top right.)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
monochrome friday
Come visit Monochrome Friday for more of the world in black and white.
container
*************
Next Week: CLOUDS (Storm, Fair Weather, Foggy, Overcast, Smoke, Interesting Shapes,...)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
book review: The Last Jihad by Joel Rosenberg
Title: The Last Jihad
Author: Joel Rosenberg
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Forge / Tom Doherty Associates, Hardcover, 352 pages (December 1, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0765307154
ISBN-13: 978-076530
The political thriller, The Last Jihad by Joel Rosenberg is a little dated (Sadam Hussein was still around in 2002 and figures large on the book’s villain list) but a fast-paced and exciting read nonetheless. His fleshing out of the worst ‘what if” terrorist scenario, as witnessed by the political insiders closest to the fictitious U.S. president, is detailed, realistic and unthinkable.
The story is told in a fast-paced, almost cinematic way. The cat-and-mouse action switches from Denver, to Israel, to London, to Jerusalem to Air Force One within chapters. I must admit once in a while I wondered exactly where I was, with whom, and had to check the back story to remind myself of what they did.
Maybe the largeness of the cast and the flatness of the main actors in this plot-driven tale were partly to blame. No one sparkles, but why Rosenberg chose Jon Bennett, the most wooden of the bunch, as his main man is beyond me.
This is a book that is friendly to America, Israel and Christianity. Though Rosenberg handles the theme of having a personal faith in Jesus with subtlety, it comes through in the words and actions of the President and the main female character.
Another theme that pervades the book is Rosenberg’s obvious delight in food. From hamburgers consumed on the run to spicy roast lamb dinners served in exotic middle-eastern settings, his luscious descriptions of cuisine of all types practically jump off the page.
This Clancy-type thriller will probably keep you riveted into the night – though I can’t guarantee you won’t experience the occasional temptation to get up and check what’s to eat in your fridge.
****************
Watch his interview with 100 Huntley Street (October 2007), where he tells the story of how The Last Jihad, which was his first novel and spent 11 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, came to be written.
Monday, January 26, 2009
growing way too fast
We had a visitor this weekend. Our little guy is now 10 months old and growing up way too fast. He's not walking yet but getting around very well on all fours, so why spoil a good thing?
He's starting to mimic behavior. He made cow sounds when we dumped out the farm set and later made zooming motions with his hands to copy what his mom does with the spoon when she feeds him.
He hates hats, but when Grandpa plopped his birthday hat on Liam's head, he held very still so I could take the photo.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
sunday quote
"They were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia." (Acts 16:6)
It is interesting to study the methods of His guidance as it was extended towards these early heralds of the Cross. It consisted largely in prohibitions, when they attempted to take another course than the right.
.... Beloved, whenever you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. Say, "Blessed Spirit, I cast on Thee the entire responsibility of closing against my steps any and every course which is not of God. Let me hear Thy voice behind me whenever I turn to the right hand or the left."
In the meanwhile, continue along the path which you have been already treading. Abide in the calling in which you are called unless you are clearly told to do something else.
F. B. Meyer, Paul (Quoted in Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)
Photo: Footbridge over the Nicomekl River - Langley, BC - Closed earlier this month when rain and melting snow caused high water levels and flooding.
Friday, January 23, 2009
frivolous friday
These are from a book called Disorder in the Court, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you for real? Your Honour, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
__________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
_________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
_________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
_________________________________________________________
And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
************************
Thanks to my s-i-l Marilyn and her good old email chainvine for this.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
contest buzz
Big congratulations to Shelley Haggard, a fellow poet and member of MSA Poets Potpourri for having three of her poems included in The New Poetry - In Love - a collection of poems published by Copeland Books of North Wales, UK.
Way to go, Shelley!!
Maybe you're tempted to try your luck in a contest.
The Ontario Poetry Society sponsors several. Their Golden Grassroots Chapbook Contest has a deadline of April 30, 2009. All the details are here.
I heard from The Ontario Poetry Society about another contest -- today in fact. The results of the Open Heart Poetry Contest were announced a week ago. My poem "To Mother" placed among the top 19 (winners included one first place and 18 honorable mentions). This came in today's mail. (So sweet:)
For Christian poets, The 9th Annual Utmost Christian Writers Poetry Contest is now taking entries. All must be postmarked on or before February 28, 2009.
experimental
When you take pictures from inside a moving vehicle, you don't know what you're going to get. I like the painterliness of the hills upon hills and the soft peach-yellow of the sky in this scene. It's a view of Okanagan Lake from the road between Vernon and Kelowna, BC.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
faith stories: john bunyan
I first posted this in 2005. I re-post it today as part of the Wednesday series of life-changing stories.
Here are a few paragraphs from John Bunyan’s autobiography Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Part 2) telling of some of the events surrounding his conversion.
HIS CONVERSION AND PAINFUL EXERCISES OF MIND, PREVIOUS TO HIS JOINING THE CHURCH AT BEDFORD.
37. But upon a day, the good providence of God did cast me to Bedford, to work on my calling (he was a tinker); and in one of the streets of that town, I came where there were three or four poor women sitting at a door in the sun, and talking about the things of God; and being now willing to hear them discourse, I drew near to hear what they said, for I was now a brisk talker also myself in the matters of religion, but now I may say, I heard, but I understood not; for they were far above, out of my reach; for their talk was about a new birth, the work of God on their hearts, also how they were convinced of their miserable state by nature; they talked how God had visited their souls with his love in the Lord Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the temptations of the devil.
Moreover, they reasoned of the suggestions and temptations of Satan in particular; and told to each other by which they had been afflicted, and how they were borne up under his assaults. They also discoursed of their own wretchedness of heart, of their unbelief; and did contemn, slight, and abhor their own righteousness, as filthy and insufficient to do them any good.
38. And methought they spake as if joy did make them speak; they spake with such pleasantness of Scripture language, and with such appearance of grace in all they said, that they were to me, as if they had found a new world, as if they were people that dwelt alone, and were not to be reckoned among their neighbours (Num 23:9).
39. At this I felt my own heart began to shake, as mistrusting my condition to be nought; for I saw that in all my thoughts about religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter into my mind, neither knew I the comfort of the Word and promise, nor the deceitfulness and treachery of my own wicked heart. As for secret thoughts, I took no notice of them; neither did I understand what Satan's temptations were, nor how they were to be withstood and resisted, &c.
40. Thus, therefore, when I had heard and considered what they said, I left them, and went about my employment again, but their talk and discourse went with me; also my heart would tarry with them, for I was greatly affected with their words, both because by them I was convinced that I wanted the true tokens of a truly godly man, and also because by them I was convinced of the happy and blessed condition of him that was such a one.
41. Therefore I should often make it my business to be going again and again into the company of these poor people, for I could not stay away; and the more I went amongst them, the more did question my condition; and as I still do remember, presently I found two things within me, at which I did sometimes marvel, especially considering what a blind, ignorant, sordid, and ungodly wretch but just before I was; the one was a very great softness and tenderness of heart, which caused me to fall under the conviction of what by Scripture they asserted; and the other was a great bending in my mind to a continual meditating on it, and on all other good things which at any time I heard or read of.
42. 'By these things' my mind was now so turned, that it lay like a horse leech at the vein, still crying out, Give, give (Prov 30:15); yea, it was so fixed on eternity, and on the things about the kingdom of heaven, that is, so far as I knew, though as yet, God knows, I knew but little; that neither pleasures, nor profits, nor persuasions, nor threats, could loosen it, or make it let go his hold; and though I may speak it with shame, yet it is in very deed a certain truth, it would then have been as difficult for me to have taken my mind from heaven to earth, as I have found it often since to get it again from earth to heaven.'
more...
(Complete index for Grace Abounding)
For more ‘Faith Stories,’ check postings and links at Rebecca Writes
Monday, January 19, 2009
my floater
The Grinch, Nature or Old Age gave me a gift on Christmas Eve. I first noticed it as a darting spot on the computer screen when I checked my email.
What?!
I rubbed my eyes, blinked numerous times then looked at the monitor again. It hadn't gone away. Instead it hovered right beside the words I was reading and then, the second I moved my eyeball to see what it really was, darted away like a mischievous child.
Now I'd had visual impostors before. Floaters, they're called. Always in the past they had drifted through my visual field - occasional lazy black snowflakes that just disappeared. This was different.
Since I had no pain and could easily function I ignored the nuisance through a hectic Christmas day. However, when it was still there on the 26th I decided to do some deeper sleuthing.
Googling "visual spots" and "retina" yielded some alarming possibilities - retinal tears, detachment, blurry vision, vision loss. Frightened, I made an ASAP appointment with a local optometry clinic.
The result was a relief. A floater it was, though a big one, the optometrist said. The bad news, it will hang around indefinitely. More good news, our brains typically weary of registering such non-objects, learn to ignore them and we become oblivious to their presence. Unfortunately my brain isn't there yet.
This constant companion brought to mind a little poem I memorized as a kid. Here it is, modified just a tad to fit my situation.
My Floater
(With apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson)
I have a little floater that goes in and out with me
And what can be the use of her is more than I can see.
She is very very jumpy like a little black fruit fly
As she swoops and flits and quivers 'round the corner of my eye.
The funniest thing about her is the way she never stares
me full face-on but rather lurks beside me unawares
like a glass chip in a window, cobweb fragment, spot or thread
she’s a bit of protein darting through the humor of my head.
She hasn’t got a notion of how floaters shouldn’t stay
within one’s line of vision but should gently drift away.
The way she hovers near me, paranoia it must be
I’d think shame to stick to anyone like floater sticks to me.
Perhaps one morning early when my desktop is alight
I’ll rise and find my page displays without a spot in sight.
My annoying little floater will be nowhere about
because my brain has finally figured how to tune her out!
© 2009 by Violet Nesdoly
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I called the quackdoctor
This morning while putting together soup and dessert for Sunday lunch, I had the radio tuned to CKNW. Good choice for a Saturday morning if it's between 10:00 and 11:00 because you get to listen to Wise Quacks - the funniest medical information and phone-in show I've ever heard.
Drs. Dave Hepburn and Rob Sealey are masters of turning serious medical issues into yuck-yucks. But while we're laughing, we're learning stuff as well.
For an example of their humor, here is part of the 2009 Lifestyle Inventory quiz found on the Wise Quacks site:
With the year 2009 upon us, it behooves us to take inventory of just how healthy our lifestyle is. How do you score?
* Realizing that donating blood actually decreases your chance of a heart attack, you donate blood every three months +50 pts
... While playing hockey -35 pts
... For the Leafs -99 pts
* Your LDL cholesterol is low and your HDL cholesterol is high +50 pts.
* Your blood pressure is low and your hemoglobin is high +60 pts.
* Your prescription medicine is unexpectedly low and your roommate is high -75 pts.
...and on it goes.
Today the topic was body stones. We've all probably heard about gallstones and kidney stones, but I had no idea there were prostate stones, saliva, tonsil and cochlear (ear) stones as well. Apparently wherever an organ is a channel for fluids, stones can develop.
Wise Quacks broadcasts on the Corus radio network across Canada. Times and stations are listed on the Wise Quacks website too. If it broadcasts in your area, give it a listen. Visiting a doctor was never this much fun before!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
many
(seen on Telegraph Cove whale watch trip
off Vancouver Island, BC)
*************
Next Week: EXPERIMENTAL (Interesting Photographic Effects, Failed/Strange Photos, Blurry, Overexposed,...)
that would be a C
Of course I'd liked to have scored higher. But when I plugged in one of the best written blogs I read, Cerulean Sanctum, and found my blog rated higher, let's just say I take these results with a largish grain of salt.
Want to find out how your blog rates? Go here, plug your blog's url into the search line and click on "search blogs." If it hasn't been rated, you can ask for a rating.
What are ratings based on? "Editor reviews provided by professional editors on the basis of frequency of updates, relevance of content, site design, and writing style."
Hmmm - 'Relevance of content?' - Wonder how they judged that? As far as I'm concerned, if it interests me, it's relevant! Anyone who reads here knows this blog is unapologetically all over the place.
life-changing stories wednesday - hearing voices?
Time for another life-changing story. This time we'll hear from Marcia Laycock, writer and minister's wife from Blackfalds Alberta.
Marcia writes:
It was on the road to Mayo, Yukon. I was going to visit a friend, determined not to think about God or religion or any of the baffling questions my husband kept bringing up. But no matter what I tried, my mind would not rest. The question of God’s existence and what he had to do with me would not go away. In desperation, I pulled my vehicle into a lookout point about the Stewart River.
The beautiful river valley stretched out below, but I barely saw it. In turmoil, I challenged God to do something to prove He was there. Then I realized how foolish I was, talking to a God I did not really believe existed...
Read Marcia's story "The Day God Laughed".
Saturday, January 10, 2009
exploring canada's poorest postal code
E. and I went on a field trip today - to the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.
A little about the Downtown Eastside (DTES). It's about a 10-block-square area which is home to approximately 16,000 people of which 4,700 are intravenous drug users and 1500 are homeless. There are apparently as many people on the streets as there are in shelters. Police report that 50% of calls they get from the area involve mental illness. The DTES has the dubious distinction of being Canada's poorest postal code.
Today we went with a group from our church. CLA's history of helping out on the Downtown Eastside began most directly when a former pastor (Gordon Wiebe) decided to go there as a missionary. Sometime in the early 2000s he resigned his position and moved from his home in Langley into one of the DTES rooming houses. The story of what happened is told more fully here.
Now, seven years later, he lives in the Dodson Hotel and through Community Builders helps run three rooming houses - the Dodson, the Jubilee Rooms and Powell Rooms. In the last year people from our church have been going down the Dodson (25 East Hastings) every two weeks to lend a hand. They work on building relationships with the residents as well as helping with upkeep (cleaning rooms, plugging mouse holes, fixing plumbing etc.). In the last few months they've also helped with a renovation that will see the former pub converted into a kitchen and a meeting room.
This very rainy cold day started out as we boarded the bus at 9:00 a.m.
Even some politicians were in attendance (Mark Warawa our MP and Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender).
Thank you to Lisa who was an amazing tour guide. She filled our drive into Vancouver with interesting facts and stories about her DTES experiences and helped us debrief on the way home.
Lisa
Gordon Wiebe
When we got to our destination, Gordon Wiebe boarded the bus for a few minutes and talked about the "Ten Competing Forces in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside." (I really like the list he gave us of ten helper types with their various philosophies - like harm reduction, missions, social housing, activism etc. It has given me a set of pigeon holes into which I can now file the things I hear about the DTES.)
Next our assignment was to break into small groups and:
1. do a walkabout, looking for examples of the ten forces listed on our handout.
2. eat lunch (we were issued a list of eateries).
3. make our way to the Dodson for a brief tour.
It was about 11:00 a.m. when we got started and we were in the capable hands of "orange shirts" Kevin and Esther, who are frequent helpers at the Dodson. Kevin piloted us to the Carnegie Center where we used the clean public washrooms.
Then we braved the rain again and walked several blocks past the Jacob's Well (one of the DTES missions) to The Jubilee Rooms.
Jacob's WellOutside the streets were pretty quiet, but it gradually grew livelier as the noon hour passed. Though many locals carried umbrellas or wore jackets with hoods, they still looked cold, waterlogged, and miserable.
Community garden
A reminder to even the most stoned
The Dodson - the building with the starThe trip gave us lots to think about. Issues are tough and solutions are complex. Would you be able, in good conscience, to run a rooming house where people don't have to be off drugs to be allowed to stay? What are the options? We had a long discussion when we got home (all the while giving thanks for creature comforts - coffee, muffin and the cozy fireplace).
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
night
**********
Next Week: MANY (Lots of People, Lots of Space, Lots of Things: Buildings/Candy/Toys/Animals, Countless,...)
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
life-changing stories wednesday - "Something Tugging At Me"
Story time!
There's nothing quite as interesting and inspiring to me as hearing how God draws people to Himself and works in their lives. In the weeks ahead, I'd like to share a few of these life-changing stories. I'll introduce some with a few paragraphs and a link, others will be told in full here.
Jan Keats is a fellow Canadian writer. Her story titled "My Two-year Journey to the Lord," begins:
My husband and I lived in Fort McMurray in the early 1980’s. Our 3 children were born there. After awhile I began to feel desperately lonely. I wanted my children to be surrounded by family and the only way that could happen was to move back east. With some persuading my husband did agree to take the risk but now it meant that my husband had to look for employment elsewhere.
Soon after our move back to NL, my mother-in-law suggested that I take my children to Sunday school. Like a good Mom I sent them with someone else. It wasn’t long before I was going along to watch my children’s performances in choir and other events at the church. From the very first service I felt something within me that I hadn’t felt before. I couldn’t describe it because I didn’t know what it was. But it made me curious enough to want to go back and try to decipher the experience....
Read the rest of "My Two Year Journey to the Lord" on Jan's blog.
Do you have a life-changing story to tell? Either email it to me, or post it on your blog and leave a comment here with the URL and I'll link to it in a future "Life Changing Stories Wednesday."
Monday, January 05, 2009
warning - compact fluorescents on premises!
We just saw a very disturbing story about compact fluorescent light bulbs - those curly bulbs with which we're told to replace all our incandescent bulbs (in fact, incandescents are set to be banned in Canada by 2012).
Global's investigative journalism show 16:9 exposed compact fluorescents for causing an unsightly rash in some people (the bulbs don't block UV rays) and for causing migraines in others (due to what is called 'dirty electricity' - i.e. some emit radio waves way higher than is normal with other light bulbs).
Even more disturbing is the unwillingness of Health Canada or any other regulating agency to talk about these CFL finds. The show's investigative team finally got some straight answers when they talked to researchers in England.
I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of this.
Related:
Saturday, January 03, 2009
winter reprieve
For a few hours yesterday we had a reprieve from winter. After having lunch with dear friends, the sun came out so we decided to go for a walk at the beach.
White Rock was bright and gorgeous - with no snow (well, a few rotten piles in the parking lot, but nothing to speak of)! We enjoyed the walking ease, blue sky, boats and birds.
This morning it all seemed like a dream. Back here the snow never disappeared. This morning the sky was pregnant with it again and all day the white stuff sifted down. We are in a world of white. The temperatures are supposed to warm overnight bringing us rain -- days and days of rain.
Am I ever glad we squandered our one clear afternoon at the beach!
Friday, January 02, 2009
frivolous friday
...or starting the new year off on the right foot
(though I did not write the poem):
I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer 'yes.'
He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.
I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work..
I didn't mean to 'click.'
But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into.
I was into it all night.<
