Unemployment, Week 2 March 5, 2009
Posted by Tim in Workplace.Tags: unemployment
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I’m now several days into this unemployment thing, and a couple of things have caught my attention. I’m still processing this, but felt that the observations were worth noting. (more…)
The Road Not Taken (Before) February 24, 2009
Posted by Tim in Self-Worth.Tags: unemployment, work
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Last Friday, I joined the ranks of the unemployed.
This was not by choice. (more…)
Into the Ether: Early Morning Christmas Daydreams December 25, 2008
Posted by Tim in Christmas.Tags: daydreaming, melancholy, quiet
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The house is quiet, save the heater clicking on and off, and the mysterious clicking that the ductwork makes as it heats up and cools down. The dog is back in the house now (still alive, which I might add is remarkable, give the hour of the day he chose to wake me), he’s been fed, and the chill of stepping outside to hook (and subsequently unhook) him to his chain has finally passed. (more…)
Online Security and Safety December 17, 2008
Posted by Tim in Security.Tags: AdBlock, AVG Free, Firefox, HOSTS file, NoScript, Sandboxie, Secunia, Security, SteadyState, Windows XP
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Instead of just telling everyone the same thing over and over, I’ve tried to codify my recent advice about keeping your system safe and secure online into one document. I’ll be moving this to my “Protecting PCs” page soon.
Please note that this advice is primarily intended for home users. Much of this applies to businesses, but there are some additional things a business should do that aren’t feasible for the home user. (more…)
Fire, Brimstone, and the Republican Party November 4, 2008
Posted by Tim in Politics, Religion.Tags: Conservativism, FUD, Negative Campaigns, Theology
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Fire and Brimstone from John McCain
At the time of this writing, most voters in the United States who are going to cast a ballot have probably made up their minds who they’re going to vote for in the Presidential race. In my case, my work was going to take me out of town for Election Day (today), so I cast an absentee ballot last week. (No, I’m not going to reveal who I voted for. You’re free to make assumptions and guesses, but one of my favorite aspects of the voting process is its anonymity and privacy.)
As the title suggests, this post concerns the campaign of Arizona Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for President. Being the representative of the Republican Party, the expectation in the US is that he will be supported by social and theological conservatives, generally known here as “the Right.”
In recent days, I’ve started to notice that Senator McCain’s campaign is starting to take on some of the attributes of lesser-known elements of those on the theological Right, both in tone and substance. As a registered Republican, I’m not particularly happy or comfortable with this development. (more…)
The Church Service was 8 Hours Long October 26, 2008
Posted by Tim in Church.Tags: Jesus, Service Worship, Worship, Worship Service
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No, the preacher didn’t get an extra wind, but there was a meal provided, we sang songs, and we were encouraged to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way. Today, my church went to a local park at 10:00am, removed the shingles from the roof, did some roof repair, demolished some old bathrooms that were no longer needed, and made their pavillion area suitable for use by the public.
Hammer Worship
Evil Enough? – Evil League of Evil Application October 12, 2008
Posted by Tim in Humor.Tags: Dr. Horrible, Evil League of Evil
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In case you’ve never seen “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Video Blog,” I highly recommend it. In the same spirit, the Evil League of Evil has posted a request for new applicants. Here’s my application:
The Impoverishment of America October 10, 2008
Posted by Tim in Morality, Politics.add a comment
Below is from a comment to the Washington Post. I don’t agree with the tone, but this comment struck a chord with me that needed to be struck.
Amazingly, Christians have supported the behavior described below, and called it “conservative.” I’ve been guilty of supporting some of these behaviors myself. Now, I’m not naive enough to think that the Democratic Party is better–I’m just tired of giving the Republican Party a blank moral check, and trusting them to behave in a manner that pleases God. Being pro-life on abortion legislation doesn’t mean that the GOP values life the way God intends. One could argue that, based upon the demonstrated behavior of the last eight years, the opposite is true.
I’m more and more convinced that God will hold me accountable for not speaking out long ago… for not saying to the GOP “You will no longer be allowed to associate yourselves with people of faith. You’ve demonstrated that you’re not morally better, and in countless ways morally worse, than the liberal Democrats you so willingly demonize.”
I may not vote for a Democrat in November, but I’m feeling quite certain that I won’t be voting for the Republican ticket. They just don’t deserve another chance.
What Happened to the Palin Post? September 28, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.add a comment
At 7:15 PM EST, I noted an article on Google News, originally published on Fox News:
Fox News Story on Google
Unfortunately, if you click the link on Google, Fox News tells you that no such story exists. Is this yet another example of Fox News being “Fair and Balanced”? Did someone at the top see the link, and bury the story?
We’ll never know. If you search Fox News’ election site, you’ll find no such story exists anymore.
Interesting.
Has Your Preacher Jumped the Shark? September 26, 2008
Posted by Tim in Religion.Tags: politics in the pulpit instead of where it belongs, preachers talking about subjects they know nothing abou, room temperature IQs, things that make you wonder if evolution really happens
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First, Fonzie jumped over a shark in that fateful episode of Happy Days, and the show lost it’s following and whatever credibility it might have had with its audience as something worth watching. Since then, the digerati have begun referring to the phenomenon of fading into irrelevance as “Jumping the Shark.” Here’s a way to tell if this has happened to your preacher. From today’s New York Times:
“I would say endorsement is a strong word,” he said. “I’m planning to make a recommendation. I’m going to evaluate each candidate’s positions in light of Scripture and make a recommendation to my congregation as to which candidate aligns more so.”
Let me be clear. I have no problem with anyone publicly endorsing a candidate for any office, and doing everything in their power to influence others to support that candidate.
Jumping the Shark from the Pulpit
My first problem is someone wanting all the benefits that come with being a 501(3)(c), but also wanting to be a political entity. The purpose of the existing law was to ensure that political influence didn’t make its way through the financial channels of a charitable organization. Granted, you can argue that even with the existing law, a huge number of organizations, both on the left and the right, have successfully circumvented this law. That hardly suggests that preachers should take advantage of that fact. (more…)
