Booyor's BLOGgh!

Yesterday I installed new training wheels on my oldest’s bike. Slade, if you’re observant, you’ll notice that it’s my old blue BMX bike painted pink.

And on the topic of journaling the mundane/remembering the little things (ones):

It’s been a while since I called that Hulu would rock digital TV. This is what I’m looking for – more people getting in on the deal. The more legal, streaming video options out there the more we can throw cable companies for a loop.

Check out Hulu’s show list versus Sling’s. Also note the addition of live TV through a funky box.

It appears to be the same voiceover guy. “The following presentation…”

Check Sling out, but know that they don’t have A River Runs Through It. (Or easy URLs.) What’s up with taking down Titan AE, though?

For those of us of the Casas persuasion – did you read about the shooting in Juarez? The government’s escalating its searches and highway checkpoints since over 4,500 people have died this year as a result of a cartel war.

Now more than ever we need to help the people caught in the middle between flooding and conflict.

Just like when I met with Norm Stockton, these are some thought-processings for myself. If you benefit, that’s cool.

Here’s the homework from Jeremy:

Band on the Run from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

• Maximize time – don’t overarrange – congregation says “Why is this taking so long?”
• Serve lyrics, serve congregation, maximize on given gifts of the band
• There’s a time to try out ideas, time to move on
• Democratic process doesn’t necessarily mean the best ideas win out – 3 out of 5 people could have a bad idea
• Instrumentation, dynamics, melodic lines
• Everyone listens like a producer – what needs to drop out here? Just because we’re up front doesn’t mean we have to be playing.
• Pre-made arrangement CDs are a curse when they don’t fit our context – don’t be locked into an arrangement
• Sound check most important part of rehearsal – you need to be aware of everyone else
• You don’t have to use everything from a CD – you can cut out bridges
• Wall of Sound sometimes makes it tough for the congregation’s voice to feel like an important contribution
• Bass guitar = foundation for the congregation to rest on
• Straight 8ths serve the song
• Off beat patterns can throw off the forward motion of the song – if drummer gets crazy on fills, bass simplifies to complement
• The Feel (ahem…groove) brings unity
• But not everything has a Feel – some songs can just be sung; you can add a Feel, but you don’t have to
• Adding a Feel to an older song can bring new focus to the lyrics
• Now how much we can do, how much we can serve
• They don’t need to know that I practice a certain amount of hours per day, but that Jesus is awesome
• Texture determined by how much of the story has already been told in the song
• Know the sounds/aural spectrum of your instrument /li>
• Everyone needs to think of the structure/sections of the song
• Aha! The Origin of the Pre-Chorus is at 54:20 in the video
• Listen to others as much as yourself
• Serve the lyrics, serve the King
• Humble servants of a gospel of a crucified King that has changed us
• Everyone playing whole notes on the chord changes does not sound bad – it may even sound better than what we’re playing now
• Play a part, not a chart
• Practice spontaneity
• Ultimately trust God to work in His Spirit and not in our arrangements. Our arrangements our tools but will never on their own change hearts.

Great video, J.

NEW YORK – Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down.

Criminal charges were possible, but identifying individual shoppers in Friday’s video may prove difficult, said Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, a Nassau County police spokesman.

Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries.

Hard to identify because of the human swarm? People bummed that a store closed because a worker died? Please don’t write this off as a New York thing.

PALM DESERT, Calif. – The shooting occurred in a crowded toy store on the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, but authorities say it wasn’t related to the bargain-hunting frenzy. Instead, two men pulled guns and killed each other after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said.

Here are the AP articles for New York and California.

Granted, in California they say it’s not part of the frenzy but was instead something that they had going on before they entered the store. I think with both instances it’s a trouble inside of us before we enter the stores. It’s the same trouble inside of us that leads to tragedies like what went on in Mumbai (and the constant trouble in Pakistan). Keep in mind that this trouble is not just overseas.

The question is, what are we going to do about this trouble? It’s something that’s tugging at the back of my mind this Christmas season.

(Don’t get me wrong. I’m still very much excited for the awesomeness of an Animal Crossing (even the website changes based on time of day) that I had missed the first time around. And yes, Slade, that includes fishing tournaments which I will drag you to.)

And Peter then says, “Oh, dear.”

Thanksgiving. Some may say that it was Lincoln who established it as a national holiday. Others may say it’s to remember people with belts on their hats and maize. But here in our alternate universe of The Realm, where the logic behind trekking the stars and the real benefits of 800 pennies in a sock are debated, a continuing story of Thanksgiving’s origins has been started…

It was a dark and stormy night for Miles Standoffish. He had been hired to protect a rag-tag bunch of peasants running from an evil empire who had a strict anti-headbelt policy. Tonight under the eaves of a maize hut, Standoffish considered his lot in life.

In the distance he heard a predatory cry pierce the New England forest.

Continue the story in the comments. Pass the story along.

Perspective.

I was (and still am) excited for $1.89/gal gas. That, in combination with 28mpg for the xB right now, and I’m happy. I was pondering the last time I had seen $2 gas. Was it elementary school? Nope. 2005. How quickly I forget. Still excited for cheap gas, hoping that the trend gets even cheaper.

The economy hit me today when I found out my neighbors can’t afford their house and are moving to a rental. I’m not a big fan of Jim Cramer right now. “I don’t want to create a panic.” Really…

My YA/Teen Lit staff development class got approved today. This was another example of sitting next to a computer hitting refresh, this time to let my staff know when to sign up.

Also – I traded in games at GameStop because they offered me better store credit than GameCrazy. Anyone have some insight?

Mike, 27 comments. Wow. The Awesomeness is already here. It was like we asked about Kirk vs. Picard.

But the real question:
If you had just been attacked by a deep space monstrosity, who would you want in Sick Bay?

The half-sober racist old guy who’s afraid of space travel

or

The first-run computer program who could malfunction/process a virus any time now

Since we are logical people here, we already disqualify

The woman responsible for bringing Wesley Crusher into the world

But I guess she’s trying the best she can missing Jack Crusher:

I admit that I have no clue about fashion. I do know, though, that designers are not necessarily creating styles for everyday use. I don’t think they’re for anyone’s use, really.

“Mr. Jones, the doctor will see you now for the root canal.”

Even gamers would be hard-pressed to wear these in public:

“I’m so glad we finally got tickets for Watchmen.”
“Hey! Down in front!”

I can’t even picture the craziest of Hollywood in these. – [insert joke about Power Pellet addiction devouring your friendships]

Of the doctors presented, all three are better than somebody in a giant monster head. I’ll be the first to admit my biases.

For the Driver family: you may like Palace of Mirrors.

I saw these yesterday in line for check-out at the grocery store:

Who do we believe? Do I trust Brad or not?

The X-Factor? teXt-wrap:


When it’s yellow, that means it’s xtremo. Not xtremed, not xtreme, and for sure not extreme. Xtremo.

Talking about fanboys, I think.

We’re all guilty, but I find that the discussion going on on Amazon about the Clone Wars DVD is insane. 2,170 reviews as of this posting. We had seen a commercial only advertising Blu-Ray and On Demand, and my wife was worried that Blu-Ray had taken over.

Not even close.

To put it into context, check out the number of reviews for Star Trek items. Merchandise Wars Trek.

Hey. At least it’s not Aquaman.