movin...

i have transferred my blog to wordpress.... i like their interface a bit better.. and attachment support is better

new address is

http://optionalg.wordpress.com/

now to learn how to tweak that site... looks to be php.. so should nto be that bad ... mmm ... i loves me my php

slug bug....

honk honk... went the semi truck as my daughter pumped her fist out her window yelling and laughing at the truck driver to honk his horn on our way down from glenwood springs... (75% honk rate from eisenhower tunnel to home)

man... i remember all of the little games that you play when you are a passenger on a road trip greater than say... a few miles ;)

slug bug

license plate game (avec love taps)

i spy

holding your breaath for/until ...

who farted

make semi honk his horn

moon said truck driver if he does not

so... what are some of the memories and games that you played on road trips.

for the drivers... i think it is a guy thing... but 'the game' is something i look forward to when i go for any drive over 50 miles. 'the game' for me.. includes

get at least 2-3 cars 'in' the game

one car leads for at least 2 exits or about 5 miles

lead car drops to the back... letting the other cars lead for their alloted exits/miles

all cars run in the left lane (unless you have to drive right) and move in a pack

cars go at least 5 mph faster than posted speed limit.. or a bit faster than the normal flow of traffic

'the game' seems to amuse my wife... but i once had the best game ever on a trip out to california... basically hooked up with a car in green river, ut... and ran 'the game' to las vegas... it was sweet. there were some asyncronous gas ups.. but we paced each other for most of the time... note that this was between the hours of ~10pm -> 4am. we made it to aneheim in 13 hrs. the kids fell asleep in the car.. and woke up at disneyland. (average speed ended up being 74mph from denver to anaheim).. i guess that is one benefit of driving through the night

they gave...

today on memorial day.. i just have to remember...

"they gave their tomorrows... so that we could have our todays"

gratitude....

man.. vacations are expensive. we are up at glenwood springs this weekend and the 2 day trip will cost almost as much as an entire 5 day whirlwind trip we took out to san francisco a few years back...

we were on a strapped budget and booked hotels online and drove out and managed to keep the whole trip to just over $600. had a couple hundred in cash and some credit cards that had a few hundred each on them. i am still amazed that we were able to pull that trip off.. (with stops in san fran, las vegas, glenwood springs, winterpark)

we are doing 'more' stuff up here and not worried as much about things like food and entertainment... but still...

we got an annual pass to the fairy caves/trams and we will be taking the kids on a guided flyfishing tour ... but still...

for all the talk about weak economy and high gas prices... i see _a lot_ of people out here and most places that we tried to book rooms at were already sold out.

i am just so thankful for everything that we have and able to provide our kids with.. financially, time wise, memory building wise.

i think we all lose perspective some times.. on how good we have things... how good the rest of our lives are.. even if certain aspects r the suck... like health

as i am typing this up.. i am sitting next to a pool where the kids are swimming around... am on-call so had 1 email that i had to respond to real quick and push out a fix for, and just chillin

me thinks that we focus on what 'wants' God has not given in our lives and glance over the 'needs' that he is providing for each day

as we close in on memorial day (decoration day commemorating civil war dead was changed to memorial day for all fallen soldiers) i think we should all memorialize those that made our lives possible.. to be free and alive. maybe a trip to a memorial other than doc holidays will be in order tomorrow.... so the kids understand that there was sacrifice, pain, and suffering that goes along with the rewards of liberty and freedom... for those currently fighting and recently slain.

i just look around and see how much i have to be thankful and grateful for.. how much i _need_ to have gratitude to others for. how much gratitude God deserves for his provisions

faceplant

i got to catch glimpses of tivo'd shows -- the fox tv show 'so you think you can dance'...

Isaiah 3:9

The look on their faces testifies against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster upon themselves

what a freak show.... face plates, gender cameleons, william hungs of dance?

i think these realaity shows are a reflection of our society... the jerry springs, montels, maurys, temtation island, big brother, real world.. all show the breadth, length, depth that people have sunk to .. just to get their mug on tv...

displaying and doing things that most rational people would deem ludicrous.. and something offensive and best left private or road best left not taken...

the thing is... a lot of us carry most of the thoughts and feelings expressed on these crazy shows in our hearts and minds. although we do not show it on our faces.. we are still guilty. instead of being facedown in worship, we faceplant and feel the pain of our actions and those things that we carry with us on a daily basis

still can't believe that the ortho, hiphop, yarmulka wearing (that is the thing flying off his head), broke face dancer did nto make it

praisewell site....

wahoo... i think i have found a home for the server that the praisewell site adn my picture gallary were housed on.... it is going to go back to whence it came. the guy that came to my new company from my old company, is going back to our old comany ... and the server will be going back into that facility.

this should happen in the next week

wahoo

daily captivated

this is probably the most ironical messed up story in a long while... a grandmother gets custody of grandson after his parents die 8 years ago, she works as a counselor at jeffco detention center, and for a good while, she has been locking her grandson in a dog kennel, yes a dog kennel read more here

the 13 year old .. old enough to be home by himself would be locked in the kennel from 4pm to 2am each day.

how messed up is this kid going to be??? if losing his parents were not enough, he had a psycho grandmother that whilst going to work at a prision facility.. giving guidance to inmates.. here her own captive that she probably broke over a period of weeks/months

arrggg .. i just want to go jam that grandmother into that crate and have that be part of her imprisionment conditions.. that she spend 10 hours a day in a crate inside what will be a palacial 6ft by 8ft cell..

mac : windows : *nix

i personally use 3 types of operating systems on a daily basis. i have an hp with winxp, an ibook with mac osx, and desktops/servers/laptops running redhat|centos|fedora|solaris

these are my opinions about the platforms... not a commercial or endorsement of one or the other. each have their strengths and weaknesses and a lot of the hype is misguided.

microsoft gets a lot of neg press because they are everywhere and most of the viruses and worms are written to target the os with the most number of users.. not that the os is just riddled with holes. but if you think about it... most people use ms programs and os becuase for the most part.. it works pretty well. you can basically run anything on it and find apps to emulate or help you connect to mac and *nix machines via vnc, ssh etc...

on the mac side.. oooo the eye candy. the interface is nice and purdy... again you can find a lot of apps (including microsoft office) the notion that macs are less prone to viruses (like the new set of commercials with the 2 guys .. mac and pc) but it is just because mac has less than 5% of market share... and it is not worth it for worm/virii writers to try and get things to work on both pcs and macs. one thing that macs have on the down side is application support ... a lot of corperate type applications do not work well on macs... visio, vpn clients, active directory rules, ms exchange features... a double whammy is that being based off the bsd *nix distribution, there are worms and virii for these and recently.. apple released over 30 security patches for osx. you also have issues of applications like firefox browsers that introduce security issues as well.

on the *nix side.. you have the freedom of running a lot of open source applications... some really good and some not so good. strengths lie more in server utilization and basic desktop usage... you would be surprised how user friendly linux has become on the desktop. limitations lie again in corporate tools but functionality is similar to osx on the ms exchange support.

one nice thing about the opensource community is that they code for all platforms.. or run based on java so you _can_ run it on just about any machine... there are also a growing number of commercial apps that run on multiple platforms :: mozilla/firefox, freemind, acrobat, openoffice, feedreader, gaim/adium

there are also always going to be things that each system is 'better' at ... even for the same software .. where it will run on linux.. but runs better on solaris but was intended for windows

any and all of these systems can and do get compromised because people leave services and features enabled that do not need to be running in most cases... i had guys at work that were running web services off their machines and did not know it.... whilst generating a lot of traffic on the local network...

if people would take the time to learn more about features running on their computers... and really were careful about clicking on attachments (come on .. you know you have opened at least one virus) or the kinds of websites they visit (yes.. viruses, trojan horses can and are pt on machines by just browsing to a site)

simple tricks are to disable services, never open attachments (even from trusted sources without scanning for viruses .. athough some viruses can be started by the fact that the file is scanned/opened) and run a firewall .. zonealarm and kerio offer free software firewalls (kerio is mo better)

lots of choices out there... i think with bootcamp.. the new intel based macs are really good... have best of all worlds... only if i can get a raise so i can drop a cool $2.5k for one....

what os do you use.. and what features/applications can't you live without? what are some things that you would like to see cross over

8 days a week

not sure about you.. but i have always given 150% to work.. and with the nature of my work, i am 'on' all the time. i am the primary sysadmin and have and feel the obligation on having that workload... so.. even on weekends, i am tense and in _work mode_ all the time... i feel like it is a never ending cycle.. 8 days a week

Deuteronomy 5:14

4but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work.

over the past 2 days, i have had a mini vacation. mimi is doing some real estate stuff and the kids are out of school already

i have tried... and believe me.. it has been an effort not to pick up my laptop and start checking email, checking systems, coding...

and i think it was needed. i felt pretty good for the first time in a long time. my back felt a bit better, my migraine subsided, and some of the burdens and stressers that i had been carrying kind of sloughed off

i think that is what God intended... that we have mortal bodies and ones that have been heading toward death from the day was were conceived (think about it) and like a machine, a day of rest.. something that even God took, is what we all need.. are required to take to keep our bodies in tip top shape

i also note that it is 1 day out of the week.. not 2 like we in modern times have... we all look forward to the weekend after 5 days of work. but we also try to cram a lot into that weekend.... yard work, honey-do lists, activities with the kids.... i think a lot of tht constitues 'work'

how many times have we done all of the cruft on a saturday.. and just gone to church on sunday.. and try and veg out on sunday... do nothing.. watch some TV, read something, catch up on sleep by napping on the couch while watching tv, eating junk food, and reading your favorite magazine... i can't really remember doing that in a long time... i have been knocked out because of my back, but it was not true rest.

i also like the thing about the foreigners/aliens (which i r one) and not making them work either.... hmmm.. does that mean i can cash in 2 days of break?

i live in a neighborhood that is still in growth mode with new homes.. and i know that i have seen 'undocumented works|illegal immigrants' working on houses 7 days a week. i lke how some restuarants .. namely chick-fil-a ... lets workers have sundays off. i like that car dealerships are closed on sundays too.. mainly because of the states blue laws. it gives all of a chance to go check out cars with out having a sales person hovering over you... yes, we are trespassing but hey...

i recommend that all of you.. try and take a day off ... really take a day off and just veg out... with a healthy helping of drool

'rost' in transrations

continuing on the translation train of thought... it is kind of strange watching 'lost'... and hearing korean. they have even done nearly complete shows in korean -- for back stories on the couple

i guess the funny part of this is that the guy.. has one of the worst accents ... cause he grew up in the states. the lady was a big korean soaps type actress before being asked to do 'lost'

one funnier part is that when 'lost' first started... they did not do subtitles.. and my wife and i would look at each other and wonder if the budget was so bad that they could not afford to even do bad translation via google/babelfish and type words in.

even more funnier'r is that the subtitles are _still_ awful..

so the next time you watch rost... er lost... just mock the subtitles .. even if you don't understand.. cause we korean speakers are still trying to figure out how they get certain translations and leave out obvious words or get basic phrases wrong

where it loves goodbye

aarrrggg... i got an email from one of my aunts in korea (written in korean no less) and i thought it would be fun to see how well the online translation tools fared

ofuscation via google/babelfish is crazy. why can't they get the translation tools working properly. these guys have limitless resources and some of the smartest guys working for them.. but they can't translate a simple sentence

so... here is an example

our children the elder brother hanger were big plentifully and they were good-looking, under compared to.

should have been

my kids said that your son christian has grown a lot and is very hansome

well... what can you expect for free.

modern psalm 23

here is a version of psalm 23 that was part of last weeks sermon @ northernhills

Psalm 23 Antithesis (author: anonymous)

The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me into deep depression.
It hounds my soul.

It leads me in circles of frenzy, for activities sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task, I will never get it all
done,
For my ideal is with me
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.

They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines
My in-basket overflows.

Surely fatigue and time pressures shall follow me
All the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.

here is the _true_ version

Psalm 23 (The Message)

God, my shepherd!
I don't need a thing
You have bedded me down in lush meadows
You find me quiet pools to drink from

True to your word
You let me catch my breath
And send me in the right direction

Even when the way goes through Death Valley,
I'm not afraid when you walk at my side
Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies
You revive my drooping head
My cup brims with blessing

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life
I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

which psalm 23 do you live by?

to beat or not to beat

being a sysadmin.... i have one of my machines set to output random quotes/thoughts/sayings from a collection called fortune ... as my message of the day (motd)

today... it said

fathers, beat your sons daily. even if you don't know why. your son will.

although it was kind of funny and sad at the same time.. i thought of 2 different messages from the old and new testaments.
Proverbs 13:24

24 He who spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Colossians 3:21

21Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

as a kid... i was spanked often (mostly deserved... sometimes as the scapegoat for being eldest son)... but i think for the most part, it was beneficial. it put things into perspective and showed that there were consequences to my actions... i know that at the time that i was getting the business end of a belt/stick, i was resentful, but looking ack, i see how it helped shape who i am today... and prevented me from making the same mistakes twice

i love my kids.. but sometimes i think i cross into that range where i am crushing their spirits... by the looks i give them (sometimes that is all it takes), or the words that i use to embarrass them in from of their friends or neighbors, or the random and sporatic punishments that i dole out (grounding for not taking their walkie talkie that i got them so we can keep track of them... instead of giving them cell phones..) but i also love them enough to try and direct them in the 'right' direction and make sure that their behavior and how they act reflects greatly and leaves a lasting impression on those around them.

my wife and i asked them how many of the friend they hang out with have the original mom/dad living together as a family units.. and sadly.. they only knew of one family that was intact... the rest were from broken or mixed homes and sometimes were free to roam and behave in any many they chose. filthy language, topics of discussions, tv shows that they watched, video games they played.. were all above their age grade. 8 yr olds talking about how hot some guy is... 11 yr olds finding condoms at the neighborhood park... by the swing set... teen age arsonist lighting playground wood chips... just saying... if any one of us would have done that when we were younger, we would have paid with a pound of flesh or loss of priviledges for a long long time

i look at society now.. and i don't see parents doing the disciplining that we all got when we were growing up. i think it has something to do with our decision not to repeat our parents' mistakes or the line of thought that 'my kids are not going to have to go through what i did when i was a kid'

there is a sometimes a fine line between discipline and abuse.. and i think that parents are scared to even _try_. yes.. there is a difference between corporal punishment and a good ol beat down or hitting your kids as the only form of discipline

i just wish that there was an easy answer to disciplining our kids and not crushing their spirits or making them resentful... but like the struggle that we all go through, i think that coping with our pasts and preventing future hurts is a crutch and can cause just as much pain, damage and turmoil. sometimes a good beating is all we need

oprah confuses me...

i am not sure about you.. but oprah confuses me...

i caught a blip in her 'hey look at me - honoring women that I think are important - ball/tribute thingy' and heard her use some words in combination that i thiink should be reserved

glory, honor, praise

in describing the 15 woment that she had selected as her role models and women that had paved the way... she said " i wanted to give glory, honor, and praise to these women" ... whaaaaa ??? glorify tina turner and dionne warwick? i respect their work along with corretta scott king, rosa parks, and dr angelou.. but i don't think any of them deserve glory.

later on, they had a praise brunch and it was a great scene of having some church up in here. and oprah again said something that i guess falls in the 'where 2 or more are gathered' catagory... but she said something to the effect of "when shirley caesar and gladys knight come together... there ain't no way that jesus does not show up'

i understand that oprah is a highly 'spiritual' and 'religious' figure in american society.. but her theology has been very pluralistic. i just remember reading an article the blew my mind .. the church of o

my old church also had a sermon called what would jesus say to oprah

for someone that has the power and influence by recommnding something like a cook book and it becoming a best seller.. we need to be careful about the brand of spirituality that she peddles to tens of millions of people. where she is mixing traditional christianity, mentioning jesus and god.. but then also shows hints of other religions and starting to lean more and more toward the new age

in the world.. not of it

as you may have noticed, theTunes is full of christian artists only... this has to do with one of the milestones in my life... when i gave up on most secular music in 1993. it was a crazy summer and after a retreat where i had re-dedicated my life (for the 18th time) and felt that to be in the world but not of it entailed giving up one something that kept me in the world. 2 corinthians 5 and 2 corinthians 10

to me... this meant giving up on worldly music and listening to almost exclusively christian music... so.. i gathered up _all_ of my non christan CDs and tapes (roughly 250-300) and the youth group and had them help me break all of the CDs and tapes. they thought that i was crazy.. cause this was about $3000 worth of CDs... including the complete depeche mode collection (including the 3 box set of singles) and an autographed copy of infrared roses (jerry garcia came to cu-boulder to pick up his soon to be step daughter) but through it all.. i felt better with each CD i broke. i was left with about 6 CDs.. ugggg

but you see... back in the day... there was not much variety and the christian music scene was not as diverse and mature as it is now. my choices were michael w smith, steven curtis chapman, amy grant (all in thier crossover hayday), michael card, steve camp, and praise music

i started to sift through and search out all christian music i could and started to run into jems like jars of clay (praise in the rockies), pfr, dc talk, newsboys, and heavier offerings like shawl, mortal, deitiphobia

i knew that christian music had come when i got one of the 20 copies of the thrid day EP tape that had been sent to denver...

since then... i have for the most part listened to christian music only.. with some exceptions (odd.. but eminem struck a chord)

i have started to re-think my position of christian music only and not listening to secular music. i have wondered if my seperation and isolation is a good thing... or if by holding to my CxN music only stance.. and having guys at work wondering what band i am listening to... that i am creating opportunities for discussing faith issues.

in recent months, i have finally grown enough gumption to have CxN related reading material on my desk at work (currently 'face down' and 'jesus freaks')

i still think that supporting CxN artists and listening to CxN themed and based music is still best for me... it helps keep God on my mind .. even if it is subliminally or as i am cutting people off and honking at the guy going too slow for me in traffic.

i understand that people that say that by isolating and insulating yourself from worldly music and secular artists.. that you lose perspective and some fall into using CxN music as a crutch. it also helps perpetuate the perception that christians are out of touch with world and too sheltered.

i often think that it might be ok to start listening to more secular music.. but then i find that the music and content are not to the level that i get from some CxN musicians. i also think that you don't have to lift the sewer cover to know what is underneath. we get enough exposure secular music from TV, movies, resturants and elevators... and i still prefer CxN artists.