Cam's Mom Should be Proud

There are only 5 people working in our square - Arny (our fearless leader, whose first year here was also my first year, so we go way back), Cameron (you know who he is), Eric and Will (here with the Concordia Irvine group) and me. The disadvantage our group has is that Arny gets called away occasionally to do survey work (mostly at the end of the day), and I get called away to do drawings (which has thus far been mostly at the end of the day, as well, but as more is revealed, I will spend less and less time digging and more and more time measuring and drawing). However, even with this "handicap" of being left sometimes with only three workers in the square, much dirt has been moved these past 4 days, as you have probably learned from Cameron's posts. What is more impressive is how many big rocks have been moved by these boys, and how far they have to move them (especially up) as the dirt gets lower and lower. And so, as I said, I believe Cameron's mom would be proud of how hard he is working and how many big rocks he can move (and his dad can use this information to get any yard work done at home, perhaps) - and I'm sure that while Cameron is proud of his "rolling-stones" skills, he is probably even more proud of the fact that he got a college degree and doesn't have to do this for a living.

Enjoy the videos. The first is the general "this is how big, heavy rocks are moved," and the second is Cameron and Eric rolling a stone through a doorway, then showing off their "manliness."

Blogger's Block

I haven't quite gotten into my groove yet. My posts are sparse and uninteresting thus far, and I keep hoping to make them better. Maybe I haven't adjusted to being here quite yet, maybe I am trusting that Cameron will take care of life on the blog-front, maybe I've been here too many times to be inspired by everyday things that we do here anymore? ... Nah! I think it's just a temporary "out-of-order" and I will be back on track soon. In the mean time... I'd like to leave you with the most important rule on the dig site: STAY HYDRATED!!!

First is the worst...

Before we left we took our nephews and niece to the park and the zoo. At one point we were "racing" and my youngest nephew kept singing "First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the treasure chest." Now, I remember this rhyme from when I was young, however we used to say "third is the one with the hairy chest." In the context of the dig so far I have to say I like his version better, and it seems much more appropriate as we made some neat finds today in our square. It should also be noted that the first day was not necessarily "the worst" and the second was not necessarily "the best," so all that really needs to be taken into account is the fact that, in respect to the first week, today was somewhat of a "treasure chest." Did you get all that?

The day started just like the first two days...cloudy, and somewhat comfortable for working in. The sun stayed away until breakfast, so we waited until then to put up our sunshade. Even before this we made a cool find - a piece of braided glass, probably some sort of ornamental piece, we will have to wait and see if we hear anything more about it.

After breakfast we made two more finds; a (formerly) round stone flattened on both sides. One of the sides had a groove cut into it. At some point it had been broken as one of the sides that should have been round was flat. There are still some questions as to what it is, or was used for, but the thought is that it might have been some kind of mortar stone. The other find, which came right at the end of the day, was a piece of a grinding stone. The stone was smooth and had been worked into a round shape. There was also a "foot" attached to it. At one point it probably would have had four feet to stand on...

The "wonderful" thing about all of these finds is the break from work that generally comes along with them. In some cases, most specifically with the important items, Kristina (the Assistant Director and Small Finds Registrar for the dig) has to come over and take field notes about positioning, etc. At the same time Dr. Schuler comes over to way in on what it may be and to photograph the item where it was.

In other news, we have been working this week with Arny (a dig veteran) and two guys from Concordia University Irvine, Eric and Will. Eric and Will have been a lot of fun to get to know and to work with. The have dubbed our group "Arny's Army" and come in every day humming the theme from The A-Team...

This post has gotten rather long, but I wanted to address a couple of comments from the past days. First, I changed the permissions on Flickr so that you should be able to look at all sizes of any given picture. Second, I will do my best to post photos, but I can't make any promises. It will depend on whether or not I remember to take some while we are up on the site, it's not always the easiest thing to do...

It's Windy...

I remember when we were here three years ago...the clouds in the morning were fleeting and the air at the dig site was generally calm. Thus far on the dig we have had rather mild weather in comparison. The clouds hung around and kept things nice and "cool" until nearly breakfast time, meaning we had nearly 3 good hours of work in the morning with almost comfortable conditions!

After breakfast the sun came out and it was torture, apart from the wind. The wind, which I never remember feeling much of on the dig. However, some could argue that I spent much of my time in a cistern and have no business commenting on the windiness of the dig. So, I will leave it up to you, the reader, to decide whether or not I am a trusted source.

In addition to the wind on the site there has been a constant wind moving east across the Sea of Galilee which I can say with some certainty was not "the norm" when we were here before. It makes life easier on the Kibbutz...and makes the Sea of Galilee, which is MUCH lower than three years ago, quite choppy.

In other news, my square, F8, was covered with debris from previous years when we first opened it yesterday. Throughout the day today we worked toward removing this fill in order to get down to the previous ground level. By the end of the day I would estimate we had about a quarter of a meter (everything is metric here, you will just have to get used to it) left to remove. We also found what looks like a doorway on the south side of the square - we should begin true excavation of the square tomorrow, so an update on the doorway (and possible room attached) could be forthcoming before the end of this week.

Food For Thought: How crazy do you have to be to pay (good) money to "volunteer" to work hard for 7 hours a day? (I was going to say "all day" but since we work from 5 - 12 it didn't seem quite right)

"Israel Romance"

It's amazing how very "at home" I feel at this kibbutz - coming on this trip 3 previous years will do that to a person, I guess. The best part, though, is within the first few days of returning, actually being recognized by people here. Ephrat is the woman who works to provide all volunteer diggers/"archaeologists" housing, food, laundry services, etc. for the month of the dig. If there is a problem, question or concern, she is the lady with all the answers. This afternoon at lunch, she came over and welcomed me back and congratulated Cameron and me on getting married. At dinner, she came over again and said it was a wonderful thing and stated, "I feel like we have played a part in your romance here." Although she thought we met on the dig (when we were both here 3 years ago), after we told her we were already dating by that time, she still insisted that this place has a history in us and she was glad to be a part of it and that it is a "wonderful thing." Well... she's not wrong! I suppose this place is pretty important to us, and I am very happy to be back here now sharing the whole experience with Cameron.

And... I just think it's cool that people remember me here!

In other, random news: one of the wheels broke off my big suitcase, so my goal is to get rid of enough stuff before we have to leave that I just don't have to try to cart a one-wheeled, lopsided heavy suitcase back home... hopefully I'll be able to condense and get creative with my packing!

Day One Done

Day one has come...and gone.

I awoke...early...at 3:00 AM, and was unable to get back to sleep before we met the bus at 4:45 AM. Similar to the first day of the dig three years ago, we spent much of the time before breakfast clearing the sight of loose rubble and vegetation that has grown over the past year. We also plotted out the squares (typically 5 meter by 5 meter areas) where teams will be working. There are so many people on site in these first two weeks that Dr. Schuler has opened up five squares to begin. As for Andrea and I, we will be in Square F-8. Although, very soon Andrea will be called upon to draw all kinds of rocks. I'm still impressed by the way she is able to focus all of her energy into her hand...

It is nearly 9 PM here, past bedtime for archaeologists...

So, here's my food for thought:


I would recommend going HERE to get a bigger and better view...

Hello from the Airport.

We are at Ben Gurion Airport. We've made it to Israel. We will be on the dig site in close to 12 hours...

Food For Thought: Please explain why an airplane with "No Smoking" signs everywhere, including the lavatory, and a smoke alarm in the same lavatory also has a small ash tray (like the ones you used to see in car doors)...in the lavatory. Inquiring minds (as in Andrea and I) want to know.

We're Off to See the...

Somehow wizard seems a bit of an odd word to use to describe the trip we are about to take. So, perhaps, we're off to see the Schuler?

Our final preparations are done. We re-packed last night to ensure everything is underweight, and I still think we are cutting it close with Andrea's bag. Luckily, when we return home we will have less to bring as some of the weight comes from tools that will be broken or left, food that will be eaten and clothes that will be ruined. I find it hard to believe that my first dig experience was three years ago already, and my bags were most definitely lighter on that return trip. I left much of what I had brought specifically for the dig at the kibbutz in the hopes that we would be able to return to the site. Unfortunately, we were sent home...Hippos and I have some unfinished business. I look forward to what we might find this year!

The next time you hear from me may be in a few hours (if I send a brief message from the airport in Tel Aviv), or it may be in a couple of days (as the internet may not be immediately available at the Kibbutz).

For some additional reading - since tomorrow is the Fourth please take a look at "4 More Forgotten Founding Fathers" on mental_floss.

Food for thought: I'm trying to decide if I should end posts that same way I did three years ago with a "food for thought" question. Any thoughts?

TRAVEL UPDATE; 5:51 PM Eastern: It pays to have connections. Andrea's sister and our nephew came to visit us at the Philadelphia Airport. Unfortunately, the airport doesn't offer much outside of security, so, using her sister's military status, we were able to come back through security into the USO area where we had some food, time to play and internet to use!

I wanted to update the luggage situation - Andrea's bag came in at exactly 50 pounds! What a sigh of relief that was, any heavier and we would've had to unpack something, or pay a $50 fee.

We need to be at our gate by 7:15, so we have a bit more time to hang out with family.

More updates will come when we reach Tel Aviv.

Being the Story of an Uneventful Drive.

Our drive from Billings to the Twin Cities by the numbers...

0 - Number of flat tires we suffered. Not that one should have assumed we would get a flat tire.
1 - Number of Kitchen Sinks we saw on the side of the road.
4 - Number of Road Construction False Alarms. Twice we saw an "End Road Construction" sign when there had been no Road Construction. AND the other two times there were signs warning about impending Road Construction that never came.
6 - AM that is, the time we got out on the road. Just as we planned!
8 - Central Time, when we arrived in the Cities.
11 - Number of hours my right ear was plugged today.
13 - Number of hours we drove.
47 - Number of miles we were actually in road construction. Very surprised it was so little.
852 - Number of miles driven today.

You're Not Wrong.

According to the world of science the earth is BILLIONS of years old. Also, according to scientific study, data from the past century and a half shows that man has had a direct impact on earth's climate. Now, frankly, I'm no rocket surgeon (to quote one of my favorite shirts on mentalfloss.com), but those numbers just don't seem to add up.

I've heard illustrations which state; "if the timeline of the earth were the length of your arm, man would have only been around for the tip of your fingernail." It would seem that it is scientifically irresponsible to "conjecture" that data collected only within the past two hundred years really has anything to say about how the earth has cooled, or warmed, over the course of a few billion years.

Now, a new report from NASA suggests that the problem of global warming is not as sinister as we might think...unless, of course, you're heliophobic.

For further reading:

NASA Study Acknowledges Solar Cycle, Not Man, Responsible for Past Warming

NASA Study Shows Sun Responsible for Planet Warming

My favorite quote from the latter article:

About 1,000 years ago, Greenland was warm enough for the Vikings to colonize and grow vineyards. Today Greenland is almost entirely covered in ice. Tell me: is the earth warmer today than it was 1,000 years ago? Did they have SUVs and coal power plants in the days of the Vikings? This isn’t tough to figure out, people.

The End is Near

This blog has served me well for almost three years. However, I find that as time moves on I am, more and more, neglecting it for long periods of time. Add to this the fact that Andrea and I are currently preparing for working overseas and have made plans to create a "Turkey-specific" blog and you should see the necessity for the retirement of this blog.

As such, this blog will continue to function through our trip to Israel, and upon our return our blogging priorities will move to The Stuffing: Two Years in Turkey.

The Illustrated Me

Andrea drew this one. It's quite fantastic, in my opinion - from a photo taken near Harriet Island in St. Paul.

And I drew this one...ummm, Andrea's a much better artist than me...

Police: Man Tries to Sell Stolen Items

The headline of this story seems inoccuous enough until you actually read the story itself:

GREAT FALLS - An employee at the Wal-Mart in Great Falls faces felony theft
charges for allegedly taking electronics from the store and posting the items
for sale on an employee bulletin board.

Remo Spencer was arrested Saturday at Wal-Mart.Spencer had posted an ad on an employee bulletin board indicating that he had several iPods and computers for
sale.

A manager became suspicious and reviewed surveillance footage, discovering
the thefts, police said.Police said Remo returned eight laptop computers and seven iPods valued at nearly $7,000.

Police said Remo returned eight laptop computers and seven iPods valued at nearly $7,000.

This reminds me of the part in Office Space where the guys have just discovered that they have stolen A LOT more money from the company than they meant to and Michael Bolton says,

"You know what I can't figure out? How is it that all these stupid neanderthal
mafia guys can be so good at crime, and smart guys like us can suck so badly at
it."

Although, I'm not sure which criterion fits the perpetrator of the above crime...

Thanks Riley (and Debbie)

My birthday was on Monday (April 6). I got a package in the mail today from my sister-in-law. It was, essentially, a birthday party in a box complete with cake, frosting, silly-string, balloons and other party favors...here are my two favorite things from the box...

First, these little "Sticky Wall Walkers" were apparently picked out by my nephew, Riley. Who, by the way, shares my birthday! Happy Fourth Birthday Riley (again)!!

Second, no party is complete without paper "blowouts!!" Thanks to Andrea for helping demonstrate how they work...

Oh, and also, thanks to Andrea for my new Flip Video Mino on which these videos were shot - I have a feeling this thing is going to come in handy when we get to Israel and Turkey...

For the Love of Obama

Well, this is an incredibly awkward-looking exchange between President Obama and British Conservative Party Leader David Cameron. Anyone else think it looks like Obama is going in for a kiss and Cameron is about to reluctantly accept?

Photo by Paul Rogers via msnbc.com/Getty Images

In the Interest of Something

I have been contemplating for days something worth posting; trying to delve something of meaning from the mundane tasks of my everyday life. So far, nothing... In the interest of bringing something from nothing I would like to call your attention to the theory of evolution.

(see what I did there?)

The Science of Sifting

Someday these will be a great tool for educators and parents...

Via Mental_Floss

The Hum of Conversation, or Why Does My Brain Hurt

Right now we are at Off the Leaf, a great new coffee shop in Billings. Actually, not so new, it's been open since late this summer. It has quickly become one of our favorite spots.

Andrea spent most of the time that we were here grading papers while I was reading about all kinds of different things. While I was sitting here, overwhelmed by the hum of conversation around us, I was trying to write (or finish writing) a post that I started a few days ago. The inspiration just wasn't there.

I've been reading a book recently called The Trouble With Boys by Peg Tyre. It is a fantastic and informative read for anyone who is interested in the modern education system.

- Note: The above was written at the coffee shop, everything that follows was written while sitting on my couch.

Before we left the coffee shop I typed and deleted text from this post multiple times, at one point I deleted an entire paragraph. I was asking myself on the way home why it was so hard to actually write, and think about publishing, what I was thinking about the book. The only answer I can come up with is that I don't want to come off as insensitive. The book has gotten me thinking about how different kids are treated today, how different schools are... Actually, how different everything is if you're a kid.

It really seems like kids are no longer allowed to just be kids. Parents expect their kids to bring home worksheets and homework in Kindergarten and first grade, sometimes even in preschool. They are expected to know their ABCs, be able to count to ten, tie their shoes and spell their name BEFORE Kindergarten. Whereas, I had a note sent home in First Grade reminding my parents to teach me how to tie my shoes. Kids in third and fourth grade, and probably younger, are carrying around cell phones, texting, instant messaging, joining online communities, etc, etc. I didn't use a cell phone until I was in high-school, and I didn't have my own cell phone until I started college! In an era marked by violence and war a boy's imagination has, by many, been deemed inappropriate. The game of tag has been "outlawed" on many playgrounds because the physical contact is inappropriate or has the potential to become too violent. Instead of simply focusing on inane and harmless topics, like numbers and letters, kid's shows now discuss politics as well (my sister-in-law brought this one to our attention).

Schooling in the United States is less about becoming well-rounded and educated and more about defeating your opponents; ie - other students. Students are expected to sit still, pay attention and "fly right," and there is no outlet. Art, creative writing, Music, PE and Recess are all being taken away and replaced by rote memorization and test preparation. If you cannot sit still or have trouble focusing on something then you must have an attention disorder - after all, it's not like kids learn differently or anything. It is no wonder our (public) schools are failing boys... it is no wonder our (public) schools are failing...

In the end, I believe it comes down to a simple solution: Let boys be boys, let girls be girls and let kids just be kids.

February 27; The Top Ten

Top Ten things that have happened in the past 365 Days.

1. February 29, 2008 - Andrea and I were married in the Chapel at Concordia University, St. Paul. We had discussed April 1, but I thought that was too close to my birthday. Then we realized that February 29 was on a Friday! Perfect! Only our immediate families and two friends were invited. The Drs. Schuler also played a big part.
2. March 6, 2008 - Having only been employed by the Boys and Girls Club for just over one month, I assumed the role of "interim Unit Director" while my boss went on maternity leave. I soon realized I did not want her job yet.
3. April 6, 2008 - I turned 23 and got a Wii (that rhymed)
4. Late April 2008 - Travelled back to Minnesota for the Jones' wedding. Hit a blizard around the North Dakota/Minnesota border. At one point, we spun around 720 degrees. Thankfully we ended up on the "authorized vehicles" access road. We were even facing the right direction.
5. Early May 2008 - My boss came back. I reassumed my original role as Program Manager.
6. June 10, 2008 - Summer Program at Castle Rock Clubhouse begins.
7. Mid June 2008 - Having taken, and passed, all required Praxis II exams (and doling out an extra $400 total) I, finally, recieved my diploma from CSP. I still think it's ridiculous that "taking the test" is a requirement for recieving your diploma. I understand the concept of taking the test, but you don't even have to pass it... I had better not get started on this... On to number 8.
8. August 8, 2008 - Summer Program at Castle Rock Clubhouse ends - THANK GOODNESS!!
9. December 2008 - Andrea and I interviewed for and were offered the position of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) educator at TAA (Turkish American Association) in Ankara Turkey.
10. January/February 2009 - Andrea and I accepted the position in Turkey and also committed to volunteering on the last year of the Archaeological Dig at Hippos, Israel. Concerning the latter, our decision making was made all the easier when Dr. Schuler said that he could pay Andrea's way if she would draw for him.

My Latest Post Ever

Andrea was wondering this evening about the origins of the terms "to boot" and "cold feet." It turns out "to boot" has absolutely nothing to do with your feet. In fact, it's actually an Old English term derived from the word "bat" which meant "good or useful." The Old English bat is also a root of the modern word "better."
In addition, according to the source below, there is no legitimate explanation for the term "cold feet."


For this and more phrase origins visit here.

A Weekend Away

As promised on Friday, here are some of the highlights from our weekend trip to Yellowstone.

Our first stop was at the Boiling River. The Gardiner river, near Mammoth Hot Springs, is heated by a hot springs flowing into it. 

As you can see in the above photos - the steam from the hot springs has frozen. It's amazing to the see the juxtaposition of heat and cold.

Mammoth Upper Terrace in Three Seasons - July, October, February

Just a couple of pictures of us - less than halfway through our FIVE MILE snowshoe excursion.

Coming Soon

Have no fear - new blog entry coming later this weekend complete with pictures... pictures that have not been taken yet, but will have been taken by the time we return from our overnight trip to Yellowstone/Gardiner, MT. 

Snowshoeing in the park tomorrow - relaxing by the pool at the motel tomorrow night. 

See you on Sunday!

And yes, I did just take that picture with the MacBook - this thing rocks.

Countdown Begins

Groan Worthy

The amazing thing is that, even though I know the real words, all I hear is what is written on the screen.

I hope you enjoyed this, it's going to be stuck in your head all day.

Painting With Light

 This, to me, is absolutely incredible. 

Welsh artist Michael Bosanko creates the amazing light graffiti effect using only five coloured torches and by leaving his digital Canon camera on a long exposure.

The 39-year-old has spent the past five years perfecting his art which is created in a similar way to how people write their names with sparklers on Bonfire Night

For more of his artwork, and to read the full story - click here.

Found on the Upcoming Queue on Neatorama

I need a DSLR that can take long exposures - my camera thinks 60 seconds is long enough...

Happy Presidents' Day

It's the Third Monday in February and you know what that means...PRESIDENTS' DAY! Hooray!

I am a big fan of Presidential Trivia and, therefore, I really enjoyed this recent post on Mental Floss - The Quick Ten: 10 Weird Facts About Presidents

According to a recent poll conducted by C-SPAN James Buchanan was the worst President ever... In fact, there were three presidents who were ranked worse than William Henry Harrison. A fact that I find rather odd considering the fact that Harrison was only President for 32 days before he died of pneumonia. Ouch. The other two Presidents ranked below Harrison are, Franklin Pierce at number 40 and Andrew Johnson* at 41.

Not surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln was ranked number one.

Rounding out the top five were: George Washington, FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

Other notable rankings:

JFK was ranked sixth. Does he really deserve this?

John Adams was voted number 17. I find it interesting that Adams' Presidency was probably the "low point" of his political career.

And, George W. Bush was 36. Apparently, not "the worst ever."

See the complete list here.

*If they ever make a movie about Andrew Johnson, I nominate Tommy Lee Jones for the lead role.

Sunny Sunday

What a great day! Andrea and I went to Pioneer Park and played some Disc Golf. 

Definitely a little bit rusty - my disc was caught in a tree twice. The first time it was within my reach, the second time I had to throw another disc at it to dislodge it. 

My least favorite hole on the course - a straight shot down a relatively steep hill directly into the creek that runs through the park. My first shot, from the top of the hill, sailed high and was the second of two to get stuck in a tree. It took me a few minutes to get the disc out. Luckily the course wasn't very busy.

Andrea hit me with the frisbee on this one... to be fair I was standing behind the basket.

Pretty sure that Andrea made this putt.

Blank

My brain is tired.

According to Wikipedia: February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 321 days remaining until the end of the year (322 in Leap Years).

Labels

Do many people look at the labels on these posts? My best example of this concerns my post from a Feb. 10 concerning the switch to digital which was labelled sarcasm - still not sure if a certain person related to me through marriage was being serious when they commented on that post...

I find it funny that one of the suggestions for a possible label is "scooters." It makes me laugh quite consistently. I think maybe I'll start using it randomly.

TWO HUNDREDTH POST?!

According to my blogger dashboard this is the 200th post on this blog.  

The first entry was July 29, 2006 and read something like this...

"This is a test, it is only a test. Do not shut off your computer. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. This is only a test?!!!"

As you can see, the whole thing started out rather innocuously. Since then, its gone through some drastic overhauls. From my "completely random" phase to my "nothing but odd news stories" phase to my "getting a bit more serious" phase to the "I forgot about the blog, and I'm gonna start again" phase which happened about three times to now...which, I guess you could say is a conglomeration of all of the above (minus of course the forgetting about the blog). This blog has seen me, essentially, grow up. Since I started it I have; walked at college graduation, proposed to a girl, been told yes by said girl, completed my student teaching, received my diploma in the mail, gotten married on Leap Day (not many people can say that), gotten my first "real" job and accepted a position in Turkey as an English teacher. 

Pretty awesome, I'd say. 

In other news, here's a haiku I just wrote...

Persnickity Pete

Proudly Pontificated

Pure Profundity

Seven Days

Just in case you haven't heard, on February 17, 2009 TV makes the switch from analog to digital. This is just a reminder. I just found out... I mean, I don't know why they didn't advertise this sooner. The message scrolling directly across the top of the screen, in front of the character's faces, during the first five minutes of Scrubs was the first time I had ever heard of this new technology. 

I Can't Stop Thinking About This...

Every Pepsi is tainted for me now...

This is pretty entertaining though. I laugh whenever I see it. 

Link via Neatorama.

A Mystery

Today we went for a hike below the rims with my parents. As we were walking we came across this pipe which came straight down the rock face, curved around a few more rocks and then headed down toward the street. The purpose of this pipe is a mystery. Mom commented that "maybe there's a urinal up there somewhere." 

Is Fatigue My Muse?

It's after 1:30 in the morning and here I am, still at my computer, still looking at odd occurrences from around the globe, and wondering... why is it that, when I'm absolutely exhausted, I feel compelled to write. Not only that, but the later it gets the easier the words seem to flow; the more creative I become. 

Today felt long, probably because it was. I woke up, as is customary on Fridays, at 6 AM and went to early morning Bible study. Came home, watched Sportscenter and then went to work. After eight hours of the "same ol' thing" I headed to our DCE's house for a "guys night." Finally got home around 11:30. Andrea was talking to her old roommate through Skype. She had been watching Oklahoma, but paused it. When she was done talking, she turned it back on... and fell asleep on the pull out couch watching it. Now I'm sitting here, not really paying attention to it and wondering why in the world I'm still awake. Well, at least tomorrow's Saturday. Oops, I meant to say... today...

One of These Things.

Yesterday at work our art coordinator had the kids do an activiy where they had to make as many words as possible using only the letters from the word "rainbow." See if you can pick out the incorrect response from the following list...

RAINBOW

1. bow
2. rain
3. in
4. ran
5. bin
6. nab
7. brown
8. row
9. now
10. on
11. ban
12. rib
13. kitty litter
14. rob
15. no

Clever kids make the day so much more interesting...

How many words can you make? Check the comment thread to see if you can beat me.

How do I become an Odor Investigator...

NYC's mysterious syrup smell tracked to New Jersey

NEW YORK – City investigators have tracked down the source of a maple syrup smell that has puzzled New Yorkers several times in recent years. No offense, New Jersey, but it was you.

The harmless but long-confounding smell, which has drifted through swaths of the city at least nine times since 2005, was traced to a facility across the Hudson River that processes seeds for use as artificial flavorings.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that a team of odor investigators — environmental protection, health department and emergency management workers — "put our noses to the ground" to identify the culprit after another whiff in early January.

Read the Full Story.

Touche Google...Touche

Try this, type "worst band in the world" in as a Google Search and press enter.



Here is the page that you will end up with.



Notice anything? Look closely at the bottom. According to Google, Creed is the worst band in the world.

According to the urban dictionary;

Definition 1: Worst band in the world - "Creed" according to Google. Although it's fixed now, you used to be able to type in "the worst band in the world" in Google and search it. "Creed" would be seen everywhere.

I've got news for you, it's not exactly fixed.

P.S. - Don't bother with the youtube videos, you'll just be depressed.

Zombies on Road?

Pranks with Electronic Road Signs Stir Worry
COLLINSVILLE, Illinois - Hackers are messing with electronic road signs in some U.S. states, warning of zombies and raptors down the road. Traffic safety officials aren't amused.
The latest breach came during Tuesday morning's rush hour near Collinsville, Illinois, east of St. Louis. That's where hackers changed a sign along southbound Interstate 255 to read, "DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES."
Similar pranks have been pulled in recent days near Indianapolis and in Austin, Texas.

Via - MSNBC

KABLAM! Magnetic Poetry!

You gotta love magnetic poetry. Our fridge is covered with it. 

Most of these are leftover from a Christmas party that we had around, well, Christmas time! One of them could be even older than that! And one of them I just made tonight. If you think they don't make sense, I have just one question for you - are they supposed to?

How Poignant.

I have posted an image of my iGoogle fortune cookie before, I thought that this was really poignant for two reasons.

 ONE: In my current position I am, at some points, "handling" up to 200 kids ages 6-18 (not the only adult in the room, but in charge nonetheless). 

TWO: Andrea and I have accepted the position of English Teacher in Turkey - I assume we will be working with large groups of people, mostly adults. 

THANKS iGOOGLE!!

The Vanity Card

One of my favorite shows on TV is The Big Bang Theory. It's intelligent, clever and incredibly well acted. 

Andrea is a big fan of it also, and one of our favorite things about the show are the "vanity cards" at the end of every episode; some are completely random, some are clever rants about life, some have some connection to the episode that preceded them, most of them are really funny. 

It turns out that, Chuck Lorre, the creator of Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma and Greg, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory has made a habit out of putting these short, clever paragraphs at the end of each episode AND, even better, the entire collection has been archived here!!

Follow the links to see a couple of our favorites from this season of The Big Bang Theory, and if you have the chance, check out an episode of the show here. 

First Aired: Nov. 24, 2008

First Aired: Jan. 19, 2009

My New Favorite TV Pitch Man

While the products are legitimate, something about these ads seems more like satire to me... 

Slap Chop

Two things: First; celery, radishes and carrots do NOT constitute a salad. 

Second, a hard-boiled egg, pickle, green onion and ham all diced up together for breakfast?!

ShamWOW: Made in Germany, so you know it's good!

Ugly Car

A game invented by us to pass the time in the car...(inspired by Slug Bug)

The rules are as follows:

Choose up to 4 cars that you deem to be ugly. These cars are worth one point each.

For example; right now our four cars are:

• Scion xB
  
• Honda Element
  
• Pontiac Aztec
  
• Hummer

Each player also chooses one "dream car," or car that they would like to own, that is common enough to be seen on a somewhat regular basis. In other words, you would not want to pick a rare car like a Lamborgini. These cars are worth one point to the person whose dream car it is and two points to any one of their opponents. 

For example;

• Mini Cooper
• Xterra

Other Eligible Vehicles:

• A MILITARY USE Hummer is worth two points
• A Hummer Limo is worth three points
• An Original Beetle is worth five points

Rules of Play:

1. Play begins with the players deciding upon a timeframe for the particular game; it could be a few hours, days or even weeks. 
2. Play continues with competitors "slugging" each other to attain points. The player with the most points at the end of the agreed upon time period is the winner. Prizes CAN be determined before gameplay begins. (For example, we are currently playing a game in which the loser has to do something "ridiculously romantic" for the winner on Valentine's Day).
3. If both players attempt to "slug" each other at the same time, the tie is broken by a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with the winner receiving the point(s). 

Additional Rules:

1. If a VW Bus is "played" two things can happen:
   1. One - if the player who is losing at the time "wins" the bus they swap scores with their opponent; 
   2. Two - if the player who is winning at the time "wins" the bus then they have effectively protected their score from being stolen by their opponent
2. If the paint-job on the car detracts even more from it's appearance the player can "lobby" for an additional point.
3. A car covered in company logos is automatically worth two points.
4. Any eligible car painted pink ends the game, immediately, no questions asked.
5. If a Pink Hummer-Limo is played, the games ends FOREVER. Seriously, could you imagine a Pink Hummer-Limo?! It can't be beat...

We have been playing this game for a while now. I think we came up with it our Junior year of College. Every time someone rides with us while we are in the middle of the game they look at us like we are crazy... Which, is probably not too off-base... 

"Someone" commented on your status

I guess it's not such a bad thing that I rarely, if ever, open emails from Facebook...

Bryan Rutberg's daughter was among the first to notice something odd about her dad's Facebook page.At about 8 p.m. on Jan. 21, she ran into his bedroom and asked why he'd changed his status to: “BRYAN IS IN URGENT NEED OF HELP!!!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rutberg isn't sure how criminals got his password, but he thinks he probably did fall for a phishing e-mail. Because Facebook regularly contacts its users through e-mail, and includes links in those e-mails to login pages, the format is ripe for phishers. It's easy to imitate Facebook e-mails and simply send users clicking to a look-a-like login page that steal passwords.

If you use Facebook, I highly suggest you read the Full Story - MSNBC

I think one of my favorite things about this is that the scam in question is simply called "The Nigerian" among other things. Sounds like a good, slightly ambiguous, name for a movie about a scam artist...

Jesus is the Fresh Prince?

On Friday mornings I get up early (6ish) and go to a small group Bible study with about six other men from our church. We've been meeting for a few months now, but something that happened this morning made today's study the most memorable of these meetings. By far!

The point of these studies is to discuss the readings that will be heard in church that particular week. This morning, one of these readings was Mark 1:21-28. I'll trust that, if you are curious, you can follow the link to read it for yourself.

Anyways, getting back to the point, we were discussing verses 27-28 which talk about the people's response to Jesus driving an evil spirit out of a man while they were gathered at the synagogue in Capernaum. Verse 27 says, "The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."

We were talking about the difference between what Jesus was teaching and how it differed from the Pharisees teachings. What did the people mean by "authority?" Our DCE (Director of Christian Education), who organized the study, alluded to Jesus being a kind of wunderkind (obviously?) and how some people must have been thinking "who is this thirty year old?!" At this point, one of the other men in the study piped up and said, "Here comes Jesus strolling into Galilee like the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire."

I just have one question, if Jesus is the Fresh Prince, who is Jazzy Jeff?

That's One Way to Get Out of Jail

Plead incompetence...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Two prisoners who were handcuffed together as they fled a courthouse foiled their own getaway when they ran to opposite sides of a light pole, slammed into each other and fell to the ground.

Jailers nabbed them as they struggled to their feet.

Their escapade Wednesday was captured by a security camera at Hastings District Court on New Zealand’s North Island. The footage shows the two men trying to make a break for it — but apparently forgetting they were joined at the wrist.

See the Video Footage here... deserves to be watched MULTIPLE times

This One's For Mom

Apparently you can put anything on YouTube, and apparently... people will watch it.

A Call for Change (The Money Kind)

My wife is like a whirlwind, and I'm just kind of along for the ride sometimes! She's constantly moving, shaking...talking... Even as I write this she is standing behind me acting like she wants to be offended, but saying in that coy tone; "You're not wrong...I can't be tamed."

Four years ago, she had the amazing opportunity to work on an archaeological dig in Israel. She worked as the technical illustrator, and for a few hours a day focused all of her energy into her fingers as she created grids and drew all of the stones from the church being excavated to perfect scale.

The next year her trip was paid for, and I accompanied her. We were sent home two weeks early because of the fighting between Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah). This was an adventure that I never would have experienced had I not known her.

Two years ago, she went to Israel alone again. We were both preparing for our student teaching, and had begun to wonder about what was going to happen with "us." One day while conversing through instant messenger she asked me "would you ever want to teach overseas." Without thinking I said yes... She has stated many times that this was the turning point in her thinking about marrying me. I am so grateful that I said yes.

Now we are on the verge of another whirlwind summer, and another great adventure... We have committed to teaching English for two years, in Turkey. We will be starting some time in August. We have also committed to returning for the last year of the archaeological dig at Hippos which will take up the whole month of July. Andrea has been invited back to be the illustrator, and her ticket is already paid for. My ticket will definitely not be as easily secured, but somehow we will make this happen. It seems like things just always fall into place... we will make this happen.

With that said, does anyone have around $4,000 or the need for a 1994 Chrysler LeBaron suffering from some kind of automobile leprosy? We will accept change...

*Edited at 11:43 PM, January 29, 2009 - My Brain Won't Shut off Tonight!!

The Offense of "No Offense"

Have you ever noticed that whenever someone is going to say something that they think could cause discomfort or anger they will preface it by saying something along the lines of "no offense, but..." or "not to be mean or anything." What does this mean? If you are planning on saying something that you think could cause "offense," here's a thought... DON'T SAY IT! And if you still feel compelled to say it, or you truly feel that it must be said, then say it without the preface. The preface, in my experience, only serves to add to the "offense" that may have otherwise occurred. I like to think that I can take, and utilize, constructive criticism. But again, it has been my experience that nothing "constructive" comes directly after the aforementioned phrase. I will be working hard over the next few months to completely strike this phrase from my daily use.

With that said, no offense, but here's a picture of Andrea upside down...

WII FIT...and beer...

After a long day at work, I sit down for a beer.

After a long day at work, Andrea decides to do some Wii Fit...

Snuggie: The Blanket...WITH SLEEVES!

Why didn't someone think of this before?! Wow...I'm amazed...

One unfortunate side effect of the Snuggie...

When you wear it, you look like you belong to some odd cult...

(Another) Resurrection

I'm bringing this blog back...again...for the fourth, fifth, sixth? time. It seems that, just when I think I might actually have time to keep up with it, something happens and I lose interest. The last couple of times, I've lost interest incredibly quickly... However, now I have an immensely important reason to finally bring it back. Later this year (sometime in August) Andrea and I will be moving to Turkey. Ankara to be exact. We have committed to be there for two years, and will be teaching English. 

So, let's hope that this new development will be enough to motivate me to keep those (very few) people who read this updated on what is happening...Andrea might even post a few entries, if I can convince her and if she has time between preparing lesson plans!

New Direction

It's May and I realize that I have, again, neglected this blog for far too long. It's been over six months since I last posted anything. In that seemingly short amount of time I've finished student teaching, finished school, moved back to my hometown, found a great full-time job and gotten married. My life, as you may see is moving in a new direction; a more adult direction. For the most part this blog had been my place to post the interesting, strange and obscure, but my interest in that, although still there, seems to be waning, and I ask myself why. No answer occurs to me. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I don't have hours during the day to simply sit at a computer and search. Then again, perhaps I am simply...heaven forbid...growing up. Both seem viable, but I much prefer the former. With that said, I (fingers crossed) recommit myself to this blog and to the vision which I initially had for it. However, in addition to this and when time permits, you may find me inserting my own opinion on certain issues. If I get really brave I may even share something I've written. So, to the few people who still read this, and the few who may eventually stumble here, I am back...again...

Simply

Beautiful.

How Profound...

One of my favorite things about having Gmail is the ability to set up an "iGoogle" homepage. I love the personalization of it.
I have installed on my homepage a few fun gadgets ranging from interesting photos on flickr to a hangman game. One of the most random gadgets I have is a fortune cookie gadget which today revealed this amazingly profound nugget of knowledge...



It truly was all so different...before everything changed...

The Prodigal Son Returns...again...

Six months hiatus;

1. May 11, 2007 - College "Graduation,"
2. July 7-14, 2007 - Built a house in Juarez, Mexico
   
3. August 4, 2007 - Got engaged (and set a date - February 29, 2008)
4. August 4 - 21, 2007 - Fort Collins, Colorado - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   
5. August 29, 2007 - Moved to Kalispell, MT
6. September 4 - October 25, 2007 - Student taught for eight weeks in the fifth grade classroom at Trinity Lutheran School
   
7. October 29, 2007 - Started six week experience in sixth grade at Trinity Lutheran School

So, what's new with you?

RIDGWAY, Pa. - It's furry and walks on all fours. Beyond that, about the only thing certain about the critter photographed by a hunter's camera is that some people have gotten the notion it could be a Sasquatch, or bigfoot. Others say it's just a bear with a bad skin infection.
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"It appears to be a primate-like animal. In my opinion, it appears to be a juvenile Sasquatch," said Paul Majeta of the bigfoot group.
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"There is no question it is a bear with a severe case of mange," Feaser told The Bradford Era.