Merry Christmas

Blackfive, the best milblogging read on the Internet, put out the call for his fellow milbloggers to send their Christmas wishes to the troops via video. This is the result:



It is strange and heartwarming to see the likenesses and hear the voices of faraway people whose sites I've been reading for so long.

Also from Blackfive comes this Christmas Eve report from independent embed C. Blake Powers, known on Blackfive as "Laughing Wolf." It is good news: security, economy, and community are taking hold in Baghdad. The people are standing up for themselves, building infrastructure, creating art.

Laughing Wolf says it best: "Perfect? No. Much improved and continuing to improve? Yes. The people have security and hope, and appear to be making the most of it."

Hope is the best gift you can give or receive. Merry Christmas to Iraq, and to all of you as well.

How to Handle a Telemarketer

HT: Cube

Valour-IT: Give For A Wounded Warrior

This post will remain at the top of my blogs until November 11, 2007. Skip on down to the new stuff if you've already seen this...but please read on if you're new here.

Guide-dog-puppy-in-training Truman and I are big fans of the U.S. military; you might remember our care package posts, and you might also know that I am a Soldiers' Angels volunteer. Both my dad and my grandpa served during wartime, so this is a cause that's dear to me.

Many of our young men are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with devastating hand and arm injuries that result in isolation and frustration in addition to the physical pain of the injury itself. Think about it: is your computer your lifeline? Your source of news and entertainment? Your outlet for self-expression? Your means of earning a paycheck? If your hands were burned, bandaged, missing -- such that you could not even scratch an itch or hold a toothbrush, much less send an e-mail from your hospital bed to a faraway loved one -- what impact would this have upon your life?

Project Valour-IT exists for this reason. The project that serves our wounded troops by providing them with voice-activated laptops is having its annual fundraising competition, complete with a little good natured inter-branch rivalry.

I made a generic pitch/bleg last year, but this year I'm aligning with Team USMC, in honor of my adopted Marine (and because Truman also fancies himself a devil dog of sorts).

Will you take a moment to make even a small tax-deductible donation (via PayPal or credit card)? Every dollar counts, and every cent goes to the purchase and shipment of the laptops. This is a perfect opportunity to show your gratitude for the sacrifices made by our military (especially if you live in an area not directly connected to the military community), or to teach your children the value of giving, or to be a vital part of someone's healing process.

Help Team USMC reach our $60,000-by-Veteran's-Day goal! Please give by clicking on the thermometer graph in the sidebar.

Thank you. And now, back to our regularly scheduled random posts.

Cure for the Modern Bland-O-Lantern

You've seen them around the neighborhood: round, smiley, friendly, pointy-nosed. The typical boring jack-o-lantern. Maybe you've even carved your share of uninspired pumpkins.

Not anymore. Not after this.

Oh, the Irony of Saying This in a Blog Post

I've been wrestling with my schedule lately, trying to get a solid hold on how I'm spending my time and energy so I can cut things out or be more disciplined (this is my perpetual battle). Again and again, I come back to how much time I've been spending with my beloved Internet. Technology is beneficial only insofar as it serves us...but many of us have instead become its slaves.

Not that you'd know it by the infrequency of my blog posts for the last several months, but I really am spending too much time "plugged in." I don't have an iPod, and I'm not as much of a texting fiend or cell phone user as many people my age, but I'm almost certain I would be reduced to a quivering blob of jelly in the corner if someone were to take away my Web access for more than a few days at a time. It's where I get my news; how I stay in touch with friends, make social plans, and archive the goings-on of my life and volunteer work; it's how I *do* some of my volunteer work; it's even a significant component of my (ahem, actual PAID) job.

Certainly it's no coincidence that in the last few weeks -- since I've been praying for wisdom and insight into the problem of my technical difficulties, as it were -- I've run across three wise and insightful articles on the subject. Any of you wearing similar cyber-shackles would do well to get some perspective here:

* Joe Thorn on "unplugging"

* Joe Carter on taking an "Info-Techno Sabbath"

* Mark Driscoll on "Cell Sin"

(Too many HT's to list...everyone's talking about this topic!)

Anyone Else Feeling the Stress Already?

Is it Christmas?

www.isitchristmas.com

Why I Was in Minnesota

But seriously, folks...

I actually went to Minnesota to attend the fifth annual Desiring God conference. This year's topic was endurance and perseverance in the faith, and each of the speakers was worth the price of admission.

You want perseverance? Try being a single woman in the mid-twentieth century, working as a medical missionary to the people of Africa, only to be kidnapped, beaten, raped and held captive for five months by Congolese rebels. Dr. Helen Roseveare -- who never married, by the way -- is in her eighties now, and still active in speaking, writing, and mentoring young women in her native England. What an incredible experience it was to hear her speak about the foundations of joy and hope, without a trace of bitterness or anger about the trials she's endured throughout her many decades of ministry. She radiates joy.

Why is perseverance important? So many people with an alleged assurance of their own salvation completely drop off the spiritual map, either by succumbing to discouragement in hard times or by leaning a bit too heavily (and selfishly) on the doctrine of grace and "freedom in Christ." Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason has an excellent, brief article on this subject that's worth your time.

Want in on what I heard and saw at the conference? All the sessions are now available online for free.

Things I Learned in Minnesota, Part 4 (Special "Mall of America" Edition!)

While you are not allowed to bring your gun to the Mall of America, you are allowed to do the following:

Ride a roller coaster!



Get married!





Raise up an army of frightening, Disneyfied, sparkly makeover preteen zombie girls!

Things I Learned in Minnesota, Part 3

Minnesota's full of saints!

And apparently it's also full of nature. This is part of the historic stone arch bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Anthony Main, the riverfront district. We walked around here for a bit, until it started raining:



Then there's St. Paul, of course. Here's the St. Paul Cathedral, as seen from across the street at the Capitol:



And here's the Basilica of St. Mary (America's first basilica, built in 1914):



The Basilica had a gift shop, which necessitated a visit. Amy wins the prize for finding the most offensive-to-good-taste affront to the Gospel -- a wee plastic idol of St. Joseph, which can apparently be used to help you with your real estate woes:





Though there were many other items in the gift shop that would remind you to "invoke" certain saints to help you with day to day tasks, St. Joseph wins this dubious honor because he was represented by an actual idol. An IDOL. For those of you who don't understand what the problem is with this (and who don't hear that whirring sound that is surely Martin Luther spinning in his grave), I'll let Amy explain.

Things I Learned in Minnesota, Part 2

My friend's sister, who lives near Minneapolis, was kind enough to pick us up from the airport on the day we arrived and drive us over to where the rest of our friends were meeting. We parked at the destination, got out of the car, and Amy and I stood at the corner of the intersection to wait for the traffic signal...

...while Sarah, halfway across the street, looked back at us like we were aliens.

"What are you guys waiting for?"

After exchanging a puzzled glance, Amy and I crossed with the just-turned light and caught up with her.

But it wasn't just Sarah. Turns out, ALL Minnesotans share this blatant disregard for pedestrian rules. The entire weekend in Minneapolis, we marveled as the tourists waited at the corner and the locals stepped right out into the street. Is it that the population isn't so dense that the traffic is prohibitive of illegal crossing? Amy's theory is that people are just too nice there, so drivers will courteously allow such strange behavior (a theory disproven when I, crossing legally, was nearly squashed by someone making an errant left turn).

Not that I have a photo to illustrate this further disproving of the politeness theory, but I must also note that everyone we encountered who worked in a customer service job was surly, slow, and seemed inconvenienced by our mere presence. The weather was beautiful all weekend; maybe Minnesotans suffer from some reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder that renders them unhappy in all but the coldest temperatures.

Things I Learned in Minnesota, Part 1

It's good for me to get out of Southern California every once in a while, to experience a different region, city, culture, maybe even a little weather. A recent trip to Minnesota proved both entertaining and educational.

For example, you are apparently allowed to carry a gun in Minnesota. But you are apparently not allowed to go anywhere with it.

Reasons Not to Mess With Texas

I don't like this, not one bit. And it just gets worse as you keep reading....

Your Nominations Welcome

Today's most excellent Yahoo! News headline:

"Scientists find parasitic star that feeds off nearby companions"

Narrow it down for those of us who live in L.A., guys! That could be almost anyone.

Tales From the Spam Folder

Spam subject lines I have loved (and the senders who sent them), categorized for your convenience:

VERY ENCOURAGING, THANKS
* (St. Maris) - I like you
* (Cordelia) - Why I Love You

SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS AHEAD
* (Conrad) - It’s ok. I can take it.
* (do you like me) - Nude modeling, business or art?
* (Summers Randolph) - He wasn’t sure about Sal.

POINTS FOR CREATIVE VARIATIONS ON TIRED SUBJECTS
* (Sales) - Your weenie will thank you ;)
* (Abdul K. Holman) - Big your piano, be a real man
* (daytime) - Classy drugs at very low prices!
* (Deana Cooper) - Make fab, not fat

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION?
* (Britney’s bra) - Britney’s bra: Not for sale
* (David O) - discover the madness of Davido....

ONE I WAS ACTUALLY TEMPTED TO OPEN:
* (anarchist@ff.com) - announcement

FANTASTICALLY UNINTELLIGIBLE
* (Cameron) - Recreational hacksaw
* (Neda Whitten) - weedy armpit gegenschein
* (Luisa Clinton) - Bangui range range

BEST USE OF A SERIES
* (bias) - Hi sweety! Remember me? cupid
* (elastomer) - Hi sweety! Remember me? yogi
* (cluj) - YO Superman! Remember me? transvestite

Cubicle Confidential: Uh-Oh

As overheard through the cubicle wall I share with the I.T. Guy....

(phone rings)

"This is [I.T. Guy]."

(momentary pause)

"... um ... the whole Internet?"

Mustaches...for Kids...?

Heaven help me, I am simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by facial hair. Bring me strange, true tales of groups of men dedicated to the cultivation of their soul patches, mutton chops, handlebars...I am captivated. This is my proverbial train wreck. I cannot look away.

I don't even know how I find these things. They seem to leap into my path. Remember this post on the World Beard Championships? Today brings another gem: Mustaches for Kids.

Brings to mind a sort of Locks of Love-style image, no? Okay, not quite. But this is indeed a legitimate, charitable organization. It raises money for children. And it is indescribably compelling.

From their website:

At the end of the Growing Season, each Mustaches for Kids chapter hosts a Mustache Competition, which is a cross between a beauty pageant, dog show, and police line up. During the Competition, Growers, often in Mustache-enhancing costumes, are put through a test of mind, body, and Mustache and allow their facial hair to be evaluated by an independent panel of judges, and one Mustache is declared to be the "Sweetest."

They have chapters, bylaws ("No Hitler Mustaches are allowed"), and an absolutely stunning FAQ. Trust me, check out the site. If anything on Earth could ever persuade me to go against my principles and encourage people to grow mustaches....

A Warrior Poet and a Call to Action

I'm away this weekend volunteering with Soldiers' Angels at the Marine Corps Family Conference.

All U.S. servicemen (and women) deserve our respect and gratitude for doing the unglamorous, often thankless, life altering work they do (that most of us, let's face it, would never step up to do ourselves)...but there is something particularly extraordinary about the Marine Corps.

Today, out in Iraq, there are currently 3,000 Marines in desperate need of your support, and Soldiers' Angels is looking for people to adopt them. If you have ever considered adopting a soldier, if you have been on the fence about it, now is the time to show that you know the meaning of sacrifice.

One card or letter per week costs just 41 cents. Flat-rate Global Priority Mail packages cost only $8.95 to ship, and if you are creative, not a lot of money to fill with necessary and morale-boosting items.

How much do you spend on lunches at work? Could you bring food from home once a week and put that money toward providing a few words of encouragement and a comforting touch of home to a Marine who is serving this country with the kind of passion and dedication exhibited in this video?

Pet Peeve Du Jour

If I introduce myself as "Jenny," that is not an invitation for you to call me "Jennifer."

Hey Sailor

I went out swing dancing last week at the club down the street, and one of the regulars there is a war vet named Saul. He is the rare person who will actually attempt intelligent conversation during a dance, so in between spins and swingouts, we were chatting about his service ("Navy. I was a flyer.") and about other places he goes to dance during the week.

He said, "I went down to Alpine Village on Monday night, and suddenly remembered why I stopped going there ten years ago. Too many old people!"

Did I mention when Saul served? He's an octogenarian WWII vet.

These Are the People in Your Neighborhood

Or maybe just in my neighborhood. I see this tree every morning when I walk the beastie. Around it, there is wrapped what appears to be a homemade swing, the bottom of which has been artfully and pragmatically rendered in Sharpie: