Risky Business

It's a mystery as to how the tree limb came to rest in that odd position, sneaking out of the snow at a 15° angle, perhaps three feet of exposed wood and who knows how much buried. Another six inches of snow would have safely covered it; six inches less would have made it more obvious. The limb was stripped of bark, smooth and as big around as a man's leg...the part of the leg just below the knee joint. The upper part of the tibia, to be more anatomically specific, because sometimes specificity matters.

I suppose that we all undertake activities that others might consider to be risky, and we mentally chide them for being so timid. Perhaps we've done those activities so often and so successfully that they are no longer risky in any practical sense or we simply don't view them as dangerous. Or we've grown comfortable with the "worst case scenario."

Only thing is, the worst case scenario is something that, well, happens to someone else.

Tom and I had been skiing together for the better part of a decade. He's a better skier than me -- unlike him, I have no natural athletic ability -- but not by much, and we've been able to keep one another challenged but not humiliated. (You guys may understand that better than the girls.)

Over the past few years we've developed a fondness for skiing between the groomed runs, which, if you've spent any time on a ski slope you'll understand to mean "through the trees." We're not fast in absolute terms, but we are quick and [generally] precise, the latter being measured by some arbitrary scale that involves the avoidance of contact with immovable objects. We both enjoy the thrill of picking out a line through a forest and improvising when that line proves to be impractical. The trees are usually much less crowded -- sometimes, our tracks are the only evidence of human intrusion -- and a bit less noisy (we would confess to being skiers of the shouting persuasion).

And so it was that on our first morning of skiing at Lake Tahoe's Heavenly Mountain Resort we naturally gravitated (clumsy pun intended) to the line of trees separating two intermediate runs named Liz's and Jackpot (the latter actually has an exclamation point but that's too cute to type), and another line separating Liz's from a black diamond run called Express Line.

After three runs, we were getting warmed up (meaning that I was growing accustomed to falling) and also getting our bearings on a mountain which was completely new to us. (As a parenthetical note of self-defense, let me say that my propensity for falling is not my fault, not really. In its natural pose, my right foot makes a 45° angle to whichever direction I'm facing, and I couldn't stand straight and touch my knees together if my life depended on it. These peculiarities are simply symptoms of the way my bones developed as I grew up, and, frankly, it's amazing that I can ski [or run or bike] at all. Just wanted you to know that.) The sky was that deep blue color you can see only at 10,000 feet of altitude; the snow was packed and occasionally icy, with the last deposit more than a week old. It made for fast and sometimes tricky maneuvering.

Does God have an opinion about our risky activities? Are we exercising faith or are we failing to use the intelligence He blessed us with when we undertake potentially dangerous business? Is it OK to pray for safety before setting out on such things? How should we react when the answer to such prayers is "no"?

Tom and I alternate leading ski runs. It's generally easier for the one following, if only because fewer decisions are required. We're close enough in ability that if I see that he can make a certain turn or clear a certain obstacle, I'm confident that I can as well...all other things being equal. Sometimes the leader can warn the follower about a potential hazard, but that's rare. We try not to follow so closely as to lose escape routes.

I'm leading the fourth run down the mountain, and I'm beginning to exercise a bit more command over that wayward right ski that often seems to have a mind of its own. Sure, I've fallen four times already, but all but one came in the middle of groomed runs, not in the trees. Anyway, like I said, I'm leading...but Tom's not following. He wants to follow, but the newness of the runs has caused us to periodically lose contact. At one point, I see him on the other side of Liz's; he's in the trees, but not the same ones I'm in. I yell at him, he slows up and we regroup. This scene plays out a couple of times. It's not our usual mode, although it's also not a problem.

The run named Liz's winds to the left but if you keep going straight, you find yourself in a steep chute called Sky Canyon. It's smooth and icy...and for some reason, we've never noticed that we've missed the bottom part of Liz's and instead ended up on a black diamond run. Did I mention that the trail signs at Heavenly are sometimes confusing? But that's neither here nor there. What's relevant is that on this particular run I'm approaching the end of the trees on the right side of Liz's, and I've already decided to pull up once I'm in the clear to contemplate continuing onto Sky Canyon.

As I approach the open area, I spot no obstacles that serve as a warning to slow down, so I keep my ski tips pointed downhill. Just as I'm starting to relax and prepare to turn to the left and start slowing up, I see a tree limb inexplicably coming up from the shaded snow, the thick broken end pointed left and rising to a level approximately even with the ankle of my boot. I reacted -- twitched, spasmed, whatever -- and somehow willed my left ski tip up over the limb at the last second. I instantly realized I had dodged a bullet, so to speak, and my heart was pounding as I came to a stop some twenty yards away and down to the left. I turned around to see if Tom had stayed on my trail, or if he was again improvising somewhere else.

The Heavenly ski area is a monster: 4,800 acres spanning two states (Nevada and California); a max top-bottom descent of more than 5 miles; 92 runs and 30 lifts; 7 on-mountain lodges. More than a million people ski at Heavenly each year, and its lifts can carry more than 50,000 people per hour to the tops of its peaks.

Heavenly also has a fully-equipped medical clinic complete with x-ray machines at its base. The clinic is associated with South Lake Tahoe's Barton Memorial Hospital, and it has its own television ad campaign. Something along the lines of "we hope you don't need us, but if you do..."

I turned and looked back uphill just in time to see Tom left leg slam into the protruding limb. His momentum lofted him headlong while the limb sent him into a 360° flip. His skis flew off somewhere around the 90° point. He hit the ground -- not hard, thanks to his forward momentum -- and he slid down toward the point where I was standing. He was clutching his leg even as he slid to a stop. I yelled, pointlessly but without thinking, bounced off my skis and ran to him.

There's no point in laboring through the rest of the day and the week. My friend had sustained a compression fracture of his tibia. In effect, the bone had been driven up, past the knee into the femur, which sheared off one side of the tibia, and sent a fracture line all the way across it. The laceration of the tree limb against his skin was not serious but it had the unexpected and unwelcome effect of delaying the necessary surgery until it heals, which will be another week. In the meantime, he has to live with a broken leg, and the understanding that he will likely never ski again.

It was his only fall of the day.

This shouldn't be about me, but I can't help it. There are so many "what ifs?" Some of them I couldn't control -- What if he'd been just 12" higher or lower on the trail than I was? What if he'd been closer and had seen what I did to avoid the limb? But some of them still haunt me, justified or not. Here's the biggie: What if I'd had the presence of mind to yell out a warning to him?

Skiing is an inherently dangerous sport. You have to sign a piece of paper acknowledging that fact before you can even rent a pair of skis. At times it seemed as if half of South Lake Tahoe was wearing a cast, a brace, a bandage. The emergency clinic had five injuries before 9:00 a.m. on that Wednesday. Theoretically, the mountain doesn't open until 9:00 a.m. In the global scheme of things, a broken leg is not a matter of life and death.

But, I gotta tell you, it sure seemed like it at the time. Still does, for that matter. That was Tom's last ski run...and mine, too.

Well, that was awful...

We're back in town but far from settled. Thanks for stopping by periodically to make the place look lived in while we were gone.

I hope to have some details and perhaps even some photos from our trip to Lake Tahoe within the next day or so, provided I can dig through the scores of client emails, but I'll leave you with this as a teaser. This was the "Lunatic Texans on Skis Tour" swan song. It didn't start out that way, but something happened last Wednesday that redefined our future winter vacations.

Anything new with you guys?

Taking a Break

Be back in a week (or so)...

Note to Recent Commenters

If you've recently left a comment on a Gazette post, I want to first thank you for taking the time to do so -- they mean a lot to me -- and then to apologize for my lack of response. We've had a lot going on around here and I just haven't been able to make the time to reply as is my habit. Rest assured that I've read all of them, but please pardon my silence and don't take it personally. I'll try to get back in the groove when we're back on the 27th.

Going to the Big Dance

Tonight's our public debut in the wacky world of ballroom dancing as we're attending our first dance sponsored by the Permian Basin Ballroom Dance Society.

This is a formal affair, or as formal as it gets in Midland, Texas, US of A. We understand that there may be a few guys wearing tuxes, and some women in formals, although coat and tie are the nominal requirements for the men. MLB has a new dress and shoes (Say, why is it that whenever we get involved in things like this, the invariable outcome is significant enhancement to her wardrobe, with accompanying significant depletion of our bank account?) while I have, well, neither, not that I'm interested in having the former or need the latter. In fact, I'm fixing to pull out the 20+ year old suit, which may well be back in style...somewhere.

Anyhow, we're a little nervous about the prospect, although we're encouraged that our dance instructor will be there and she's promised to provide little tips (such as, "this is a rhumba" or "this is a mambo" or "never, ever do that again!"), and a few of our other beginner classmates will also be present. We've been assured that knowing the basics is plenty good enough to feel at home, but, of course, seeing is believing. At the very least, the band is supposed to be excellent and so we'll enjoy the music.

Now, all we have to do is go back through seven instructional DVDs for last minute practice. T - A - NGOoooo, T - A - NGOoooo

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammo

I realize that we've had quite a few recent posts on the Gazette dealing with guns, but I hope you'll indulge me at least one more.

Someone who I consider to be a friend, even though I've never met him, sent me an email last week in which he commented on the potential inconsistency between my faith in God and my plans to get a concealed handgun permit for protection, primarily while my wife and I are riding our tandem bike in remote areas. He described his satisfaction at how he'd successfully relied on God's protection while working in various hostile and hazardous environments.

I didn't take his observations in a negative way, nor did he mean them to be. Friends can raise questions like this without damaging relationships. And I have to admit that I have occasionally engaged in some introspection about my motivation and about what kind of message I might be sending to others. But I've never really felt that I'm either lacking in faith or betraying it by owning firearms and having them available for protection.

Perhaps this is a clumsy analogy, but I carry a spare tire in my Durango. I would never set out on a long trip without it, yet I've never used it in all the years I've owned the car. If I left it at home, went on a drive and had a blowout, I'd feel pretty dumb. We could argue until the cows come home about whether the flat tire was due to my lack of faith or something else, but I'd still be hitching a ride back to town to retrieve the spare.

That's how I view carrying a handgun in certain situations: it's a precaution that I likely will never need or use, but I'd feel pretty silly (or worse) if the need arose and I was without it. This goes double when I consider that I'm responsible not only for my own safety but also for that of my wife.

In any event, I think it's important to understand that I grew up around and with guns; I understand and respect them, but I don't revere them. A firearm is a tool, albeit a very powerful one. Consequently, my decision to buy a new one for concealed carry purposes carries about the same psychic weight as deciding to buy a new lawnmower. I realize that this attitude will be completely alien to some who are reading this, but that's more than likely due to the differences in our upbringings rather than a chasm between our respective moral, ethical or religious outlooks.

I do think it's important that each person work this out for themselves. For Christians, it's also important to consider the words of the apostle Paul, found in his letter to the Corinthian church, where he observes that while "all things" are lawful, they're not all edifying...some can be stumbling blocks to others. This, too, needs to be worked out with God, but the thinking about it is a good first step.

In closing, I'm reminded of the old joke about the guy who appeared before God after drowning in a flood. The guy had waved off a helicopter, then a boat, stating that he was relying on God to save him. He was ticked off, accusing God of ignoring his prayers for a miraculous rescue. God asked, simply, who do you think sent the helicopter and the boat?

Dealing with ED

It's a relatively common malady that strikes men of a "certain age," and its effects are embarrasing and socially crippling. Pleasurable activity that was taken for granted in one's youth is difficult, if not impossible. The wife is also affected, obviously, and while her initial reaction is one of sympathy, it doesn't take long for the gesturing and shouting to take over, and the times of intimacy become agonizing trials. The temptation to resort to extreme measures is great because professional help is often not forthcoming and self-treatment takes a while, with varying results. Yes, ED can be devastating and humiliating, but it's time to stop hiding and share my story in case my example can help others.

It's true...I suffer from ED: Earwax Deposits.

What? What did you think I was talking about?

Anyway, it's about to drive me crazy. Everything's muffled and it's starting to affect normal conversation. But I'm not about to go back to the doctor's office, nosireebob. They stick that water-pik down your ear canal and you feel like the stream is going to come out the other ear. Nope, it's the old eardrops-over-a-period-of-three-days protocol for me. It's not fun, but it will eventually solve the problem, and my wife can finally stop yelling at me during conversations (well, at least she won't have that excuse for yelling).

Whew. I'm glad I got that off my chest. Sorry if it wandered into the area of Too Much Information, but sometimes these stories need to be told.

She's gonna have to get a wider business card...

MLB took the fourth and final part of the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam this morning and she just called to report that she passed! She can now tack on "CMA" behind "MS" and "APA" on her business card.

Since it requires just one more exam and it's quite relevant to her job duties, she's contemplating studying for the Certified Financial Manager accreditation, after which, she claims, she plans on never learning another thing for the rest of her life.

As a prime example of a disciplined, intelligent, beautiful, and loving woman, look no further than MLB, CMA!

Snowboard Cross: When the BMX wheels fall off

I've decided that my favorite winter Olympic sport is Snowboard Cross. It's like downhill cycling without brakes. The only way it might be improved is if they gave the competitors batons (or swords) to duke it out during the jumps.

Sweeeeet!

(OTOH, the women's snowboarding half pipe is boring beyond imagining.)

Mac OS X Virus...Not

Apparently tiring of the Cheney-as-shooter story, the "Media" is now hopping all over reports of a "virus" that affects <gasp> Macs running OS X. And, as usual, the reports of Apple's vulnerabilities are greatly exaggerated.

Oh, I suppose you could call this a worm or a trojan horse, but, really, the same description might well apply to any bit of malware that a user has to go to the trouble of installing, configuring and executing. It's much more likely that folks are going to do harm to their systems or their data by inadvertently dragging a file into the trash and emptying it.

And, as the folks over at Ambrosia Software are quick to point out, "It does not exploit any security holes; rather it uses "social engineering" to get the user to launch it on their system." This alludes to the use of Apple's iChat software to transmit the offending program, which shows up as a file named "latestpics.tgz."

Given the steps the user of the potentially-infected computer has to go through to actually activate this poorly written piece of code, this observation by one of the commenters on the linked thread seems appropriate: "This seems a bit more like an IQ test than a proper worm..."

Technorati tags: Mac OS Trojan | Oompa Loompa Worm | Apple

Defiant Saddam Wears Bunny Suit

AP - Baghdad - Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein appeared in a Baghdad courtroom today wearing a pink bunny suit and matching bunny slippers to show his contempt for what he called "the Great Satan's loutish court." He later told reporters that he got the idea after seeing his half-brother and co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim wearing a long-sleeved undershirt and long underwear to show his rejection of the court.

"I spit in the camel-like face of all the judges of this court, and wear my traditional bunny suit in honor of their contempt," a defiant Saddam shouted as he was escorted out of the room by a pair of Iraqi soldiers who were having obvious difficulty concealing their laughter.

Technorati tag: Bunny Suits

The Recognition We Deserve

Lake Tahoe beckons, and next week we answer its siren song. And so I'm pleased beyond words (almost) to note that someone just came to the Gazette by Googling "Lunatic Texans on Skis", a captivating phrase for which the Gazette is now and evermore shall be #1 (if there's any justice in the world).

If you're late to the party, here's the origin of the phrase, which fits so well it's scary.

Swimming with Sharks

The death of Jaws author Peter Benchley turned my mind to sharks, which I suspect isn't an uncommon occurence at the mention of Benchley's name. However, unlike the rather scary associations that sprang from the movie, my shark thoughts were much more pleasant.

In 1989, MLB and I traveled to the tiny Caribbean island of Saba. Saba is one of Windward Islands in the Dutch Caribbean and is little more than a thickly forested mountain jutting out of the sea. It's also a coveted destination for scuba divers, which is why we and a traveling companion named Flo found ourselves on the island during the first week of July.

We did encounter some remarkable diving during the week, but it was on the fourth of July that the truly memorable dive took place. I hauled out my travel journal; here's the description I recorded later in the evening.

Contrary to the picture painted in movies like Jaws, sharks are a welcome addition to almost any Caribbean dive experience, and sightings are actually pretty infrequent. I've never yet met a diver who wasn't exhilarated by a shark sighting, and they're much less threatening when you're down there with them than when you're floating on the surface, letting your imagination run wild.

Saba is also where I found myself in the middle of a Sunday evening street dance wearing nothing but flip-flops and a Speedo...and the only white skin (other than that of my companions) in sight. Sorry to leave you with that mental image; another time, perhaps.

New Local Blog (From Odessa!)

From time-to-time we Midland bloggers wonder about the apparent dearth of bloggers in Odessa, which -- for those of you not fortunate enough to live in west Texas -- is located just fifteen miles to the west of Midland and in which there's no reason to believe that just as many intelligent, charming, and insightful people reside. Yet the Odessa blogging community seems to be practically non-existent, and that's puzzling to me.

Well, I'm happy to report that I've just learned of a new blog originated from Odessa, West Texas TV. According to the subtitle, the author's primary goal is to help educate the people of West Texas about this new Digital Television thing. And I may, from time-to-time, post about the technical or asthetic qualities of specific broadcasts. As a final word of caution, I'm not above off-the-wall comments...

As much as I'd like to know more about the state of digital TV in our area, I hope Les will be true to his word and also provide commentary about other topics. Some of us are getting tired of making stuff up about Odessa...and the truth is often stranger than fiction anyway. ;-)

Open Season?

Did you ever think you'd hear this question?

From today's White House press briefing, during which I have no doubt that had Scott McClellan had access to a shotgun, Dick Cheney would have been shoved to page 6 in tomorrow's newspapers.

Technorati tags: Dick Cheney | Hunting Accident

"Firewall": Rooting for the Viruses

Firewall is a humorless slog without a single original thought. Much as today's TV crime sleuthing shows use as crutches the ubiquitous safety nets of DNA testing and surveillance cameras that yield vivid images at 5,000% magnification, Firewall invites us to believe that laptop batteries never die, wireless internet access never fails, cops are dumber than stumps, and $100 fax machines can be made into high-speed, high-resolution scanners when connected to iPods.

Did I mention this movie is humorless? OK, that's perhaps a bit harsh. Anyone who knows anything about computers, networks, electronics, cell phones or electricity will find things to laugh at, although I'm pretty sure that's not what the script writers were going for.

Or you could just laugh at the stupid evangelical Christian guy who was the token "gullible white male" needed to make part of the plot work. This plot element might have been a wise choice by the writers. After all, if you feel the need to mock people of faith, Christians are the obvious choice, since they're not likely to set anything on fire in protest.

In the end, Harrison Ford isn't too old to fake being an action star, but I did figure he was too smart to get involved in something like this. Apparently, we both made errors in judgment.

Ant Rating:

Trivia Notes: Dell and Chrysler apparently had the product placement contracts for Firewall, although Ford's architect wife did have a 30" Apple Cinema Display in her home office.... The home featured in the movie bore a striking resemblance to the one featured in Elektra, another underwhelming Hollywood effort... The closing scene in Firewall was evocative of the last scene in another "family hostage action movie": The Sound of Music. No, really.

Post-Level Realtime Chat?

Would you use this?

I'm highly skeptical of its worth.

Be sure to skim through the comments*, as they add quite a bit to the value of the post.

Um...which, I assume, would be lost if they had been submitted via chat.

*I especially like the comment about people releasing "features" in the guise of "companies." snark

Technorati tags: 3Bubbles | Blog Chat

Newsflash: Man Bytes Dog!

Five new photos have just been inserted into the "Many Moods of Abbye" rotation. I figure a couple of hours of clicking the reload button ought to be sufficient to see them all via the random display. Well, you could try to hack the URL, but what's the fun in that?

WTF?

No, it's not even my acronym, it stands for "What The Font?" and it's very cool. It's the free font identification tool found on the MyFonts.com website.

Simply browse to a scan of a text sample or an image from a website (either stored on your hard drive or an uploaded URL) and WTF will process it and provide you with some possible matches for the font used in the sample. I used Photoshop to create four test images (in JPEG format) and WTF correctly identified three of them (the fourth was a font named "Haettenschweiler" that I didn't even know I had and which I've never used; WTF didn't recognize it, but provided several very closely matching alternatives). It did recognize Copperplate, Skia and Mistral...putting each one at the top of the list of potential matches and alternatives.

This one's worth bookmarking.

Tip o'the hat to Gervase over at Hacking for Christ.

Technorati tags: Font Recognition | What The Font?

IE 7's Security

The release of the public beta of Internet Explorer 7 is the subject of much discussion around the web. Most reviews I've read are from the perspective of web developers and how the new version seems to conform (or not) with current standards, especially CSS. Those reviews are mixed -- some important flaws have been fixed; others seem to still be present -- but everyone acknowledges much can change between now and the release of 7.0.

The biggest gripe about IE, at least among those who care about such things (which should be but amazingly isn't everyone) has always been its woeful security. And when it comes of matters of security, the go-to guy is Bruce Schneier, and he's weighing in with a first look at how 7b2 addresses some of the known vulnerabilities. As with CSS, the report card is mixed.

Even if you don't plan to use IE, the post is interesting because it explains in layman's terms some of the generic security problems that browsers confront. And Schneier also describes some new initiatives Microsoft is considering that may well find their way into other browsers.

Unfortunately for Windows users, IE is still so closely integrated with the operating system that certain vulnerabilities simply can't be fixed, and this will continue to be the case until Vista comes on the scene.

Technorati tags: Internet Explorer | Browser Security

Oh, yeah...she'll be just fine...

The first request from The Niece following her surgery: "Can you go get my cell phone?"

"Why can't you use the phone here in the room?"

"I need to see who's called me."

More Grits

Wednesday's post about grits and grace generated a pleasing amount of discussion, and some provocative questions. Some of that discussion has been extended offline, but I'd like to bring it back onto this page because I think it will be edifying to others.

A friend and former co-worker, Sherry, emailed some additional thoughts for which I sought and she graciously granted permission to share:

Sherry's "borrowed" prayer is one that all Christians should take to heart, and to God.

Snow? Are you kidding me?

I just glanced out the back door and noticed these tiny white flakes floating down from an almost cloudless sky. I had to go outside, stand in the middle of the yard and stare up at that sky to confirm that they are, indeed, snowflakes.

Temps are still in the upper 30s and the humidity is only 60%, so this is a meteorological aberration of the first stripe. In fact, I suspect that even most Midland residents will think I'm hallucinating as they'll never know it happened.

But it did. And I'd have the photo to prove it if Bigfoot hadn't obscured my camera lens just as I snapped the pic.

The Niece Goes Under the Knife

It's never good news when the phone rings before 6:00 am* and it's not a wrong number. And so it was this morning when my sister-in-law called to say that The Niece had just been taken into the operating room for emergency surgery.

It wasn't a complete surprise since they had gone to the emergency room yesterday evening, but you can never anticipate how these things will turn out. In her case, the laparascopic surgery started out as a diagnostic procedure to determine the cause of intense abdominal pain. It ended up being an appendectomy, and the prognosis is for a speedy and complete recovery.

The Niece takes after her mom (who will be reading this, and nodding) and thus, for the sake of the hospital staff, I hope she's able to go home quickly, as those middle-of-the-night visits will inevitably end badly, as anyone who's been around teenaged girls will attest.

*I'm not sure what kind of sign it is when you're up and dressed and can answer the phone on the second ring, while your wife is well into her treadmill workout...and it's her day off!

Book Review: "Plainsong"

One of the biggest surprises last Christmas actually arrived a few days afterward, when an unexpected A-to-Z logo'd box arrived in my mailbox, small and mysterious and completely without context. Surely I'd remember if I had ordered something from Amazon...?

Inside was a slim volume accompanied by a gift receipt. The volume was Plainsong by Kent Haruf, and it was a gift from my blogger pal in PA, Jim of Serotoninrain fame. Quite unexpected, and very much appreciated, it was.

I vaguely remembered Jim's review of the book, and to say that he liked it would be a crass understatement. But Jim's, well...you know...a sensitive guy, and I wasn't sure that the book would have a similar appeal for me.

I finally finished the other two books I had started and read Plainsong over a period of a couple of days. It's right at 300 pages but it should read faster than that...only Haruf's writing often requires that you read passages more than once, not because they're incomprehensible the first time around but because they're exquisite and fascinating and once just isn't enough.

Jim describes the book better than me; read his review. I didn't like the ending; it feels unfinished, too many issues left unresolved, and I suppose this is intentional given that Haruf continues with the characters in Eventide, which Jim also reviews here. Haruf's habit of omitting all quotes to indicate dialog borders on cuteness and takes some getting used to. But I have to tell you that the scenes with Victoria, a pregnant teen and the two aging, never-married rancher brothers she moves in with after she's evicted from her home are among the most moving and true-ringing passages that you'll ever lay eyes on. Those chapters alone make the book worth the modest investment.

I've already thanked Jim privately for the thoughtfulness of the surprise, but I want to also acknowledge his generosity publicly, and give a plug for a book that he feels strongly about. As a complete, standalone work, it didn't "exalt me" (as the New York Times quote on the cover seemed to promise), but the brilliant and moving passages were more than sufficient to make it memorable.

I feel the need to point out that Plainsong is not a book for children or those who are easily offended by "strong language and adult situations." Some might also be dismayed by the realities of life on a working ranch.

Technorati tags: Kent Haruf | Plainsong

Glock Watcher

OK, it's decided: the new firearm will be the seriously lithe Glock 27, a 27-oz pistol with a 3.5" barrel and packing eleven .40 caliber S&W rounds (or nine; I'll have to check our local laws about that. This being Texas, I'm sure it's eleven. ;-).

I came to this momentous decision after a couple of discussions with a recently retired FBI agent; he was quite enthusiastic about the Glock. I had almost decided on a 9mm pistol, but he advised me that many law enforcement professionals had switched to .40 caliber ammo, the latter having a bit more power while still being compact enough for high capacity magazines.

Next up -- A concealed handgun licensing course, for me and MLB. We've a couple of friends who want to take it at the same time, so it will be something of a social event, not unlike our dance classes, although with a bit more kick. (Ha!)

As I've said before, I don't feel a need (or have a desire) to pack heat everywhere I go, but I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere on our bicycle with nothing but a tire pump and my secret government ninja moves for protection.

Technorati tags: Glock 27 | Concealed Handgun Permit

Lunch with SSG Will & Family

The lunch I was being so coy about earlier today was with none other than SSG. Will and his charming wife and drop-dead gorgeous baby daughter. They came through Midland on a road trip that took them through San Angelo and which will eventually end up in Oklahoma visited members of both families. I was so happy they were able to stop and let us meet them and express our appreciation for his service and the sacrifice their family has made on behalf of our nation.

We were joined by Jeff McDonald and his wife, and MLB. As you may recall, Jeff was running Will's reports from Iraq on the KWES-TV website thereby giving many more people an opportunity to read first-hand reports from the war.

Will is obviously happy to be home with his family, and will return to his civilian job on March 1. He's not saying goodbye to the military, having re-enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard for another tour of duty. However, if things work like they're supposed to, he won't be eligible to be tagged for combat duty for three years. I know he's willing to serve in that way if called, but we're all praying he'll be able to serve in other ways closer to home.

It was great to finally meet the family for which we'd been praying for such a long time. I took the occasion to officially retire the HeroBracelet I'd worn in his honor, and presented it to him. In turn, he promised to send me an M1 Abrams tank just as soon as a spare became available. ;-)

The next best thing about lunch -- a very nice one, by the way, at Venezia -- was that Jeff picked up the check. Jeff, if you think that gesture is sufficient to put an MSMer back in the good graces of this blogger...well, it's a wonderful start!

"You don't order grits, honey, they just come."

I've been musing lately about the parable Jesus told involving the workers in the vineyard. You're probably familiar with it; it's the one where the vineyard owner hired guys throughout the day, and when it came time to get paid at the end of the shift, the ones hired last -- who worked only a couple of hours -- got paid the same wages as the ones hired first, even though they had put in a full day's work. The latter were a bit torqued, even though they received exactly what was promised them. You can read the parable in the first part of Matthew, chapter 20.

About 2,000 later, a guy named J. Stacy Adams figured out a label for the phenomenon Jesus described. Adams called it the Equity Theory of Satisfaction, and in a nutshell it holds that employees decide how satisfied they are with their work based at least partly on how fairly they think they're being treated, and a great deal of that fairness is assessed based on whether they perceive their fellow employees are being treated better or worse than them.

If you take the Equity Theory seriously, you can even come up with a scenario in which an employee is being treated horribly -- overworked and underpaid, for example -- but who will still decide that things aren't really all that bad because he perceives that his co-worker is being treated even worse.

Jesus was the second management consultant in history (you have to go back into the Old Testament, book of Exodus, to find the first...that's your assignment for the day), and he really knew his stuff. Well, I suppose it's pretty easy to be an effective consultant when you know your clients' every thought and feeling, so he did have that going for him.

But this parable is not really about how to run a business. It's about how God deals with his children. It's about grace...unmerited favor. It's about getting what's not coming to us, at least not as our human minds and spirits would work things if we were in charge. Grace is why the thief on the cross got the same kind of cool digs in heaven that John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul dwell in.

Anyway, while refreshing my memory on Adams's Equity Theory (it's been a long time since grad school) I ran across the text of a sermon by Dr. George R. Sinclair, Pastor of the Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Alabama. He titled the sermon "Grace Unequaled," and I recommend taking the ten minutes or so it will take to read it. It's funny, insightful, challenging, encouraging and it nails the truth up for all to read. And, it will explain the title of this post.

When it come to God's grace, we shouldn't worry about whether someone else is getting more than their share, because none of us has done anything to deserve any of it...and yet we all can have all of it we want, just for the asking. That's a management theory I can get behind.

Exciting Day

Later this morning I'm meeting and then having lunch with some very special people who are passing through Midland. I hope to have a brief report and perhaps a photo posted this afternoon.

Regular Gazette readers will be able to guess who it is...

Them's some good preachin'

If you're not watching the TV coverage of Coretta Scott King's memorial service going on as I type this, you're missing one of the most moving and uplifting programs you'll ever see. This is a worship service, a time of praise and honor, with Mrs. King's life as being the excuse, but with the Lord of the Heavens as the true focus.

The music is awe-inspiring, the eulogies magnificent and emotional, the audience charitable and expressive.

I think Dr. and Mrs. King are watching and nodding with approval. I wish the generous spirit of unity that's being expressed in that Georgia Baptist church could spread to the ends of the earth.

Update: It's now after 3:00 pm and the service continues its glacial pace...but, unfortunately, it did not continue its inital "high road" path. The Usual Suspects took their opportunities at the podium to score political points in ways that I don't believe the Kings would have condoned. We continue to understand that class knows no color boundaries...nor does lack of it.

Technorati tag: Coretta Scott King

"End of the Spear" - Behind the Scenes

In posting about End of the Spear I intentionally avoided mentioning the fact that the lead actor, Chad Allen is not only openly homosexual but a "gay activist" who campaigns for gay rights and marriage. While I didn't understand -- or agree -- with the casting of a person with these beliefs (Allen also professes to be a Christian) in this particular role, playing characters (father and son) who wouldn't have approved of his lifestyle, I also didn't see the need to make a big deal out of it considering the overall positive impact the movie was having. And none of that has changed.

What has changed is that I now understand how this situation came to be, thanks to this article in Christianity Today, and I think it's an interesting and instructive story about personal integrity.

I still don't understand why Allen chose not to reveal his homosexuality when first presented with the opportunity, nor do I understand how those doing the casting missed Allen's appearance on a gay-themed show on VH-1 in 2003, but what's done is done. God's purposes are ultimately redemptive, and we've yet to see how this will all play out and what those purposes might be. And none of this should detract from the important message of End of the Spear.

In fact, it perhaps makes that message all the more relevant...for those on both sides of the issue. Some will point to the example of forgiveness and mercy, but we shouldn't overlook the equal importance of bending one's own will to that of God.

Update: Just for the record, in this interview with Genre Magazine, Allen tells a somewhat different story about his "coming out" to the makers of Spear than we read in the above-linked Christianity Today article.

Tip of the hat to Andy over at Godverbs.

SB Ads - Catch-up

OK, I see that I did miss some good ads that aired during the second quarter of the game, including three that I'd add to the Four Ant category:

• Bud Light's "Guys on the rooftop"


• Sprint's "Crime deterrant cell phone"


• Dove's "Girls' self-esteem"

The last one's generating a lot of buzz due to the seriousness of the message and the light touch of the ad. I had seen a preview of the ad last week and figured it would be well-received. I do wonder if we really need a special fund set up by a soap maker to improve the self esteem of young girls; it's a sad commentary on our family and social lives if we do. (Sorry about the preaching; couldn't help it.)

In the end, I still didn't see anything worthy of the coveted Five Ant Award. Maybe next year.

Technorati tags: SB Commercials

Grey's Anatomy - Much ado about nothing?

So a guy's laying on the operating table with a live bazooka round in his belly (don't ask). It's not a nuclear warhead, folks. You don't evacuate an entire multi-floor hospital for that.

Do you?

Well, it seems a bit overly dramatic to me, anyway.

I think it would be scarier if they found Howard Dean in his belly, but that's just me.

SB Finale

That's the game. Bill Cowher's crying like a little girl on the sideline...and he's the winner.

OK, I missed most of the second quarter. Perhaps that's when all the good commercials aired, but otherwise, this was a disappointing outing for ad fans. I counted zero five-ant ads and just four four-anters. But here's my lineup of winners:

4. Sierra Mist's "Fake Security Wand Mouth Noises"


3. Bud Light's "Magic Fridge"


2. Fed Ex "Dinosaurs and Cavemen"


1. Budweiser "Little Clyde"

Feel free to leave your top picks in the comments, especially if there were some good ones I missed.

It's been fun. Let's do it again in, say, 12 months.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 14

Outback's "both times I was thrown out, I came back" ad...

Ant Rating:

I don't care if they hired Elvis Costello and taught him to speak with an Aussie accent, it still doesn't work.

Seattle has 1:51, no times out (timeouts?) and the ball on its own 20. Why am I telling you this? I don't know. It's just what I do.

Abbye's getting a bath. She's about as happy as most Seattle fans.

The Seahawks are down to their last, um, down. Completed pass for a first down. Time to do something dramatic. Madden says throw it into the end zone, and if you don't get it, kick a field goal. Why am I telling you this?

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 13

Just under five minutes left in the game. We're now analyzing the timeout call. I tell you, the tension is palpable. Or peripatetic.

OK, Steelers just ran a beautiful shuttle pass play to Randall El, the same guy that threw the touchdown pass earlier. Well, The Big Bus Guy called it a "dump pass," and I'm in no position to argue. Seattle's burning timeouts now, the last desperate act of a team that's about to lose its first SB appearance.

Bettis is battering the line. (That counts as a cliche, doesn't it?)

Seattle's out of timeouts. There's the two minute warning, but the 'Hawks need two scores to win. Ain't gonna happen. Turn out the lights...

Jeff's in full tilt boogie mode.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 12

The fumble call was overturned, just as I guessed. Fortunately, not many disputed calls in the game thus far.

Still don't get the feeling Seattle's got the comeback in 'em.

"Seneca Wallace" is a great football name, isn't it?

Yep, that was Howard Stern.

Big sack by Pittsburgh. Ouch.

The Seattle punter is the busiest guy on the field. 21-10 Steelers. Still.

Oh, here's a baseball commercial. The World Baseball Classic.

And here's GoDaddy's...13th? 14th?...submission...the one that ABC finally approved. Double-meh.

Ant Rating:

Sleaze can sometimes work when it's a surprise. Now, for GoDaddy, it's just sleaze.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 11

That's the game...Randall El throws a 40-something yard flea-flicker TD pass. Steelers up 21-10. First TD pass ever thrown by a wide receiver in a SB, according to the brainy guys in the booth. Boy, do they know their stuff.

Just before that play, I was reading a comment by one of my three readers, and thought I heard something about the Steelers running seeing Elaine on the field. It occurred to me that she must be some gutsy chick, then I realized that what he was really saying was that he saw "a lane on the field." Ah, you just had to be there.

Budweiser "spectator cards" ad...

Ant Rating:

Would have been better except I suspect it was all digital.

Seattle fumbles. I think they'll review and overturn it.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 10

OK, Seattle returns the favor by throwing an interception at its own end zone. Pittsburgh (all together now) dodges another bullet.

Degree Deoderant "stunt city" ad...

Ant Rating:

Not bad, especially for an underarm product.

Emerald Nuts "machete and Druid" commercial...

Ant Rating:

A commercial that Napoleon Dynamite could love. Unfortunately, Nappie's not watching.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 9

Third-and-15 for Seattle. Wonder what they'll do? Oh look, a pass, which is short of the first down.

I've never watched "Grey's Anatomy," but the commercials for the post-SB episode look intriguing. Is it a bomb? Is it a rapidly mutating virus? Is it Howard Dean? We shiver with anticipation.

Oh, by the way. Did you notice that Tiger Woods won another golf tournament today? He won the Dubai Desert Classic, and this was the 10th country in which he's won a tournament. He won only $400K, but he reportedly received a $3 million (!) appearance fee.

Pittsburgh just let Seattle out of a hole...uh, "out of the shadow of their own goalposts." (Sorry, I momentarily forgot my pledge to employ overused sports cliches.)

Is Howard Stern suited up in a Steelers uniform? Just going by the hair...

End of the third quarter. 14-10, P'burg. Jeff's toes begin to tap again.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 8

That interception return by Seattle was the longest in the Extra Large history of the Super Bowl.

Seattle's uniforms are boring. They could use some color contrast.

Another Steeler 3-and-out, one of the ways football is similar to baseball, now that I think about it.

Commercial break. Gillette Fusion...five blades on one razor, plus a trimmer blade. Man, do we live in great times or what?

The Toyota Tacoma "pickup in the tide" commercial was good; I'm a sucker for those "live home video" spoof ads:

Ant Rating:

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 7

The "Robot-Monster Hummer offspring" ad wasn't funny last year.

Ant Rating:

Here comes a big, big play, says Al Michaels, and I believe him since the Steelers, instead of scoring a touchdown, give up an interception which is returned deep into their own territory, 76 yard return, to be exact. Jeff's dance just wilted.

Touchdown, Seahawks, who now trail 14-10.

Ah, here it is...the "working with a bunch of monkeys" commercial, courtesy of Careerbuilder.com. Now it's got a bunch of jackasses to make it even lamer.

Ant Rating:

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 6

Budweiser "little Clydesdale, I won't tell if you won't"...

Ant Rating:

Very nice, just what we've come to expect with this series of ads.

OK...I'm the last guy to be worried about my sports prognostication reputation, but I'm gonna call this game right now for the Steelers. I think Seattle's playing like the visiting team, and Pittsburgh's defense is too much. So there.

What was dessert? Angel food cake with fresh strawberries, blackberries and blueberries, topped with Coolwhip-from-a-can. Mmm, mmm.

Steelers are gonna score another touchdown here in a couple of minutes. Jeff's probably doing a really ugly living room dance. ;-)

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 5

Ameriquest "don't judge too quickly just 'cause there's a strange woman in dad's lap" ad...

Ant Rating:

Should have been funnier, but somehow doesn't work with Ameriquest being the sponsor. Probably a better beer commercial, for some reason.

Sharpie retractible "pirate with hook" commercial...

Ant Rating:

Meh.

Oh, in an earlier post, I referred to "Geico cavemen"; I think that should be "Progressive cavemen." I always get those insurance companies confused.

The game? Seattle's already down in Steeler territory, but how many times have we seen that? They're not finishing up their drives.

And Generalissimo Franco is still dead.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 4

OK, so where were we? I see that the Steelers have managed to eke out a slim lead. 267 offensive yards between the two hardly makes for must-see TV.

Ooh, but Parker just ran 75 yards for a P'burg touchdown. Yikes.

SB - Halftime

OK, I'm back...and where's the 17 minute delay when you need it? The Geriatrock halftime show is a definite snoozer; I've always felt that the Stones were one of the most overrated rock groups in history, and they've not improved with age.

Oops...not really back, after all. I hear dessert...

Later.

SB 3

Fed Ex "dinosaur and caveman" commercial...

Ant Rating:

Incorporates several amusing suprises, but look for a backlash from the Geico caveman watchdog group.

Bud Light grizzly bear ad...

Ant Rating:

That was pretty lame, sort of a variation on the old "I don't have to be faster than the bear; I just have to be faster than you" joke.

Another three and out for the Steelers, and Seattle ends up with good field position.

More commercials...

Diet Pepsi with Diddy, or whoever...

Ant Rating:

How embarrassing for Pepsi.

OK, we're out for a while...

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB 2

Sierra Mist "fake security wand mouth noises"...

Ant Rating:

OK, this one's funny...but the next time the Sierra Mist website locks up Firefox, I'm downgrading this ad.

Bud Light "magic fridge"...

Ant Rating:

...as is this one. Much better, BL.

Seattle's on the move, by the way, deep in Pittsburgh territory but they just got a holding call on a third down. Bet they don't convert, and bet they miss a scoring opportunity.

ABC has two female announcers covering the sidelines today, by the way. May be a Super Bowl first...?

I was right; Pittsburgh dodged a bullet (I'll try to throw these sports cliches in every now and then).

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

SB - First Commercial Break

Bud Light "barbarians at the office" commercial...

Ant Rating:

What's next? Working at an office full of monkeys...?

Burger King "Whopperettes"...

Ant Rating:

I was going to rate the BK commercial lower until the end when they started flopping the girls onto the burger pile. That managed to take some of the pretension out of the concept.

The game thus far? Typical sloppy play for early in a big game...

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | SB Live Blogging | SB Commercials

And we're live...

Well, we're going to get a start on the game, although we may have to leave on short notice.

Just tuned in prior to the National Anthem, and saw Jessica Simpson doing a pizza commercial. *yawn* Was it Pizza Hut? Domino's? Can't even remember.

Ant Rating:

Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville did a pretty good job of covering the National Anthem, although I'm pretty sure Neville messed up the first couple of words.

Um...about the Super Bowl...

Life is what happens while you're making other plans. We've learned of an unexpected and tragic death in the family of a very close friend in town, and we're trying to get in touch with them to see how we can help. The big game -- which never really was that big to begin with -- is even less so now.

Anyway, I may or may not get back to the original plans for this evening. I trust you understand.

Super Bowl Extra Large...with Fries

Gosh, is it time already for another Super Bowl? It hardly seems like basketball season is over. Well, anyway, one of the longstanding traditions here at the Gazette ("Published continuously since 2002") is to pretend to imbue the Ultimate Football Game with significance far in excess of its grasp (Cowboys running back Duane Thomas was rarely accused of having moments of clarity, but he did nail it when he asked the immortal question, "if it's the Ultimate Game, why do they play it every year?"), and blog about the more interesting aspects of the event. Those are, of course, primarily the commercials.

In a neverending effort to imbue this blog with significance far in excess of its grasp, we're introducing a new commercial rating system this year: the Ant Rating. The Ant Rating will be assigned to every commercial which falls under the baleful Gazette eye, and will give you a clue as to the reaction you should consider if you see the commercial again in the wild, so to speak.

Here's the Official Ant Rating Key:

Ant Rating:

One ant signifies a commercial that was obviously influenced, if not completely designed and executed by the advertiser's Human Resources Department. Be advised that viewing of this commercial will likely induce narcolepsy, with occasional outbursts of nausea.

Ant Rating:

A commercial meriting two ants was likely signed off on by Howard Dean, meaning that while one viewing won't kill you, the fun will wear off pretty dang quickly.

Ant Rating:

Three ants indicates an ad with good creativity or eye-catching production values, but not both. Think of it as dressing Jessica Alba (or Clive Owen, for you ladies) in a burkha: the overall effect is, well, sub-optimized.

Ant Rating:

Four ants is starting to edge into memorable territory. These commercials are why you tuned into the Super Bowl to begin with. Think Mastercard's "Badger the Lost Dog" series, or the AFLAC duck.

Ant Rating:

This last category is the Mt. Everest of TV Commercial Achievement. Frankly, I don't expect to give out any of these, but it's nice to have it around in case grade inflation rears its ugly head.

OK...that's it for the pre-game show (don't you wish the real thing was this short?). Hope you'll check back here starting just before kickoff -- if I can figure out when that will be -- and then weigh in with your own comments and opinions as the game progresses.

As for the game itself...I don't think the Eagles stand a chance.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl | Super Bowl Commercials

Big Houses, Big Prices

Forbes has an article about the most expensive homes in the U.K. It's really fascinating, in a head-shaking sort of way, but here's the money quote (emphasis mine):

I'm pretty sure that if I had paid $35 million to an architect and builder and found during my final walk-through that the home was featureless, I'd be peeved. (Is that the proper British term?)

My preferred anti-spam weapon

I was going to post this as a concealed carry satire, but I just got off the phone with a worried client whose website email form is being hijacked by spammers. I would really, really like to introduce those crackers to my leetle fren, the Dillon Aero M134D-T Titanium Gatling Gun:

With a firing rate of 3,000-4,000 SPM, I think I could convince them of the error of their ways, and set them upon a path that would make the world in general a more congenial place to live.

Doff of the shooter's muffs to Deb over at Write Lightning, who never ceases to amaze me.

Technorati tag: Gatling Gun

Blogger is Buggered

This is a public service message. The silence you see (?!) on your favorite blog(s) is likely due to the fact that Blogger is doing its well-honed imitation of Generalissimo Franco, who, as we all know, is still dead.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled...whatever.

Light! Photoshop Plugin

Next to fonts, Photoshop plugins are my favorite "add-ons" in a design toolkit. Most plugins are created to extend the capabilities of the program to allow the user to quickly achieve effects that would otherwise be difficult and time-consuming to replicate.

Some plugins are about as subtle as a sledgehammer; that doesn't make them any less fun, but they aren't always practical. The truly useful ones are more ethereal in their impact, and "Light!" by Digital Film Tools is a fine example. This plugin allows you to choose from almost 600 lighting patterns and integrate them into a photo. Here's a crude example I cooked up:

You can also use Light! to add colored gel effects to photos, or to simulate Fog and Mist filters and Glow effects...just like photographers used to do in the "old days" with actual stuff that mounted on their camera lenses. Can you imagine having to do that?

The Digital Film Tools website has some much better examples of how this plugin can be used to subtly enhance a photo; you might start here to get a feel for the natural effect that can be achieved.

Light! incorporates the lighting patterns catalog created by GAM Products, Inc.. GAM is an interesting company itself, specializing in special effects projection and lighting equipment and resources. The Light! plugin is reasonably priced at $50, and you can download and try it out in demo mode before purchasing. It's compatible with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements for Mac and Windows, and some other Windows-only apps.

Technorati tags: Light! | Digital Film Tools

"3rd Rock" Rocks

So I'm watching the boxed set of the first season of "3rd Rock from the Sun" and I'm having a hard time staying on the treadmill, I'm laughing so hard at John Lithgow, French Stewart and Kristen Johnston. I know the show suffered the inevitable decline in quality as it ran its course, but the early episodes were some of the funniest stuff in the history of TV. It's easy to forget that John Lithgow is a comic genius, when cast in the properly ridiculous role (like his current soup commercials, for example...oh, that's not comedy, is it?).

But there's historical significance, as well. For example, it's hard to argue that a certain someone who now holds a very important office in the federal government wasn't doing a little moonlighting back in '96, as proven by this indisputable photographic evidence:

Sure, she'd have you believe that her name was actually "Simbi Khali," but that's such an obviously made-up name, and really just too close to what we now know is her true name. You'd think she'd at least have changed her 'do.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. We all have things in our past we'd like to forget. "3rd Rock" shouldn't be one of them if you're a fan of inane TV comedies.

Bonus question: This episode is the one where Dick learns to smoke and gets trapped in the stairwell, and ends up reciting poetry and arguing with a sock puppet over that poetry's origin. It's also notable because of the complete absence of one of the primary characters in the series. Who never appeared in this episode?

Making the Web an Artsier Place

Every now and then I actually get paid for designing a website (did you catch that, Wallace?) and we went live with one of those this afternoon. This site was commissioned by award-winning impressionist painter S. Burkett Kaiser. If you're skeptical that it's a big deal, try Googling her name.

Kaiser currently resides in Malibu, California, so you might wonder how she ended up with a hick designer in west Texas. Fair question. She found the website belonging to my other Big Name Artist client, Charles Sovek, who also lives on the coast -- the East coast in this case, in Connecticut. She liked the overall style of Sovek's site and came to the logical conclusion that whoever did that site could also capture her vision. (The really interesting story is how Sovek found me; another time, perhaps.)

Artists are fun to work with on projects like this. They see things in ways I'd never consider, left to my own devices, and I invariably get stretched -- in a good way -- during the project. For example, I can't tell you how many color schemes we burned through before settling on the one you see. It's occasionally frustrating, particularly when you're working 2,000 miles apart and can't just point to the screen and say, "see, this is what I'm talking about..." but it's a great feeling to finally hear the words, "that's it! That's what I want to see!"

Anyway, I'm pleased to have this one up and running. Visit her site if you get a moment; she'd be thrilled to know that people are seeing it.

Technorati tag: S. Burkett Kaiser

Pesky Clients!

I have all these people actually expecting me to do some work in return for their money. The nerve, the sheer unmitigated gall. As a result, you'll likely be blessed with some silence on this page for a while.

Feel free to visit amongst yourselves.

Expanding the Neighborhood

I don't make additions to "The Neighborhood" section of my blogroll very often, and it's almost unheard of to put two new blogs in there on the same day, but today was the happy exception. I discovered that two more of those "friends I've never met" -- a husband and wife, in this case, and regular visitors to the Gazette -- have started blogging, and I want to introduce them to you.

Brian and Jennifer live in Ohio, along with their kids and dogs. They've been married about ten years, making them newlyweds in my book. I'm also proud to claim them as a brother and sister in Christ, and their commitment to serving God in every aspect of their lives is both an encouragement and a challenge to me.

I'm sure they'd appreciate your dropping by and leaving a greeting. Jennifer's place is called "Jennifer's Nest" (and you might recognize the bluebirds in her header graphic from this post from last March). Brian is blogging over at "BeanQuest" (a reference which you Veggie Tales fans may recognize), and I think you'll find the reason he started blogging quite fascinating. Jennifer has actually been blogging for several months (I'm a bit slow on the uptake) and Brian just fired his up a week or so ago.

Brian and Jennifer, welcome to The Neighborhood, amigos!

Raptor in the Yard

The little guy in the photo below is, according to ace Midland naturalist Burr Williams, a Sharpshinned Hawk. He (the hawk, not Burr) has appeared in my backyard a couple of times in the past few weeks, and both times he's been busy dismantling the carcass of one of the countless dove which inhabit our neighborhood. You can see the dove detritus scattered about him in the photo (and I apologize for the lack of clarity; my camera's anemic 3x zoom would barely reach through the glass door, and the subject is much too skittish to get any closer).

The little hawk is an entertaining character, in a gruesome way. He clamps both claws on the carcass, grabs a tasty bit in his beak and pulls with all his might. His efforts sometimes result in both feet and carcass coming off the ground.

Burr, who is the executive director of the Sibley Nature Center and also a blogger, describes this particular hawk thusly:

In my experience, the term "dumb" could apply to every member of the dove population. How else would you describe the behavior of an animal who often roosts in the middle of a residential street? Fortunately for them, the dove-to-hawk ratio around here is approximately 1 billion-to-one.

Burr left his comment on a copy of this photo that I uploaded to the Sibley Center's image gallery, which is a great resource for those living in this area who want to either show off their nature photography skills, or who need some help identifying the subjects of those skills.

Newsflash: NBC Still Clueless

NBC apparently decided that the recently canceled "The Book of Daniel" wasn't "edgy" enough for its Christian viewership, so they're going to try this approach.

Obviously I've not seen this episode of "Will and Grace" (a show that's not on my watch list anyway), but from reading the description I'm at a loss to adequately quantify the number of ways this could turn out badly for the network.

I'm also at a loss as to how to tag this post. There actually are some visits I'd just soon not get.