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.
Mike Arvin: “Used Car” August 4, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.13 comments
Here’s our third video, from the people who brought you “On Patrol” and “Post-It: I Love You.”
By the way, I have no idea why there’s a full minute of black at the end of this. If you sat around waiting for some kind of surprise at the end, I’m sorry for the disappointment. – Tim
Camping in the Smokies with George and Clem (Guest Post) August 3, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Friends.Tags: best friends, Black Bears, Camping
4 comments
[Ed Note: This is a guest post by a childhood best-friend of Clem. Any resemblance between Clem and the author of this blog is unavoidable.]
For a former Wyoming mountain and back-country guide, this is a story I wish I could forget. It does, however, demonstrate that in the absence of technical expertise, passion and desire will press on…along with a few good memorable laughs.
(more…)
To My Son: Prior to Graduation May 14, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.3 comments
One of the interesting things I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is the number of people who come across my blog after searching for something like “words to son for graduation.” A few years ago, I published something I wrote for my son, “To My Son (at Graduation),” and this seems to be a common introduction to my blog for many readers.
My oldest just finished his sophomore year of college, so it’s a bit early to be writing to him in anticipation of his collegiate graduation. My younger son is about to finish his junior year of high school, so it might seem a bit early for that too. Instead, I want to share something that I have already shared with both of my sons, and it’s something I wish someone had shared with me, long before graduation day. It’s called “What You’ll Wish You’d Known,” by Paul Graham. Enjoy.
Christians and the Problem of the FLDS Church April 30, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Christianity.Tags: age of accountability, FLDS Church, sexual abuse
8 comments
From ABC news coverage:
Outside the courthouse, where satellite trucks lined the street, a man who said he was an FLDS father waved a photo of himself surrounded by his four children, ranging in age from an infant to about 9.
“Look, look, look,” the father said. “These children are all smiling, we’re happy.”
As I read this, my reaction was “I bet slave owners in the South said the same thing to people in the North.”
The events at the polygamist FLDS compound in West Texas have haunted me, and for several reasons. First, it haunts me that parents would allow their children to have their minds and hearts twisted the way that they have. However, I’ve also been haunted with questions about what Christians do that parallels some of the FLDS parents’ behavior in disturbing ways. (more…)
What is My Job as a Parent? April 28, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Parenting/Children.Tags: parental role
2 comments
One of my friends puts it this way:
My role as a parent is to make myself unnecessary.
Is that really my role? I have to admit, it’s hard for me to argue with that, even though my heart wishes it were otherwise. I certainly want my sons to continue to talk to me, but if I don’t teach them to operate in complete independence, am I crippling them for life? What will their lives be like when the day comes that I’m gone?
At the time of this writing, my oldest son is 20 years old, and my youngest is 17. If something were to happen to me today, both of them have enough basic life skills to survive in the society that exists today. In that regard, I could probably claim that my work, as a parent, is finished. (more…)
Thunder is Coming… April 10, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.2 comments
Yes, bad weather is looming, but the thunder I’m looking forward to is strictly man-made.
You have probably seen a fireworks show before. However, if you live in the US and haven’t been to “Thunder,” you’ve basically seen a grown-up version of what your neighborhood association might do for the 4th of July.
From the official site description:
After more than a decade, the show remains the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. Seen by millions worldwide via a July 4th rebroadcast on the Armed Forces Network to more than 150 countries, it is the state’s pride. A Discovery Channel documentary on fireworks shows says it best, “Thunder is the Grand-daddy of them all!”.
The pic above shows both barges, which launch mirror-image shows on either side of the 2nd Street bridge across the Ohio river. Because of this (and the natural amphitheater the banks create), even the biggest crowds (upwards of 800,000 people) can have fabulous seating for an amazing show.
Oh, and this year will add a bonus: The countdown and ignition of show will be assisted by some “offsite” folks.
Three Rules of Public Speaking March 12, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.Tags: George Costanza, Mark Zuckerberg, Performing, Presentations, Robert Scoble, Sarah Lacy, SXSW
7 comments
According to Robert Scoble, the audience at SXSW that panned Sarah Lacy’s “Keynote Interview” with Mark Zuckerberg (founder/creator of Facebook) is “a bunch of Twittering Assholes.” Much has been made about what went wrong with this event, and some (like Robert) have even tried to be helpful by highlighting what should have been done differently.
Several people have suggested that the response has been overblown. Much has been made about the behavior of the audience at the event. Rather than rehash the various issues with that particular interview or taking the audience to the woodshed for their “childish” behavior, I’d rather approach this from the opposite side. What makes a good live presentation?
I have done a little public speaking myself (presenting at technical conferences and church/community groups with audiences of a few hundred to upwards of 5,000), along with other types of public performances/presentations (community theater, lip-sync/pantomime for live audiences and syndicated TV, singing telegrams, and so on). I state that here, not to try to impress someone, but simply to present some basic credentials. I’m familiar with both ends of the spectrum in terms of results: I have been successful in presenting to large audiences, and I have bombed.
I have noted that successful performances have some interesting similarities. I have identified three rules for a successful live presentation. (more…)
Beautiful, Dangerous, Frustrating, and Mystical February 22, 2008
Posted by Tim in Blogging.Tags: beautiful scenery, ice, pictures, snow, weather
4 comments
I suspect that, aside from Windows Vista, the words in the title of this post are not usually used to describe the same thing. This morning, those are the words that came to mind when I saw this:
and this:
and this:
Such is the scene along my commute and outside my office on the morning after a Kentucky ice storm.
Back to School: Year 2 August 20, 2007
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Celebrities, Coaching, Discipline, Exercise, Family, Fitness, Flatulence, Food, Football, Love, Nutrition, Parenting/Children, Sports.3 comments
Once again, we’ve taken our oldest son back to college, moved him in, and said our “goodbyes.” Though I would have presumed that sending him off to school would be easier this year, it wasn’t.
What made it harder? The myriad of ways we spent time together this Summer. (more…)
