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2008-06-20T22:33:00.003-05:00

This is the last post in the old blog using Blogger. The new blog location is http://www.kentkingery.com. All the old entries will be here until they get transferred into the WordPress archive on the new blog.

Join me in the new place, won't you? And please update your links appropriately!

Feed Weirdness

2008-06-14T09:59:00.001-05:00

I just noticed today that my feed stopped updating at some point in April. I'm not sure why, but I think I have it fixed now. If you were just deluged with posts, my apologies...

"The Happening" - Don't waste your time...

2008-06-13T22:23:00.001-05:00

Sorry for bursting anyone's bubble about this movie, but save your time and money. Even if someone pays your way, don't go. Your time is worth more than this experience.

Now, having set up the discussion, I'll say up front that I don't normally post to Chipotle. But consider this a Public Service Announcement from someone who loves movies and was absolutely appalled by this one.

I like M. Night Shamalayan. I think he can be inventive, quirky, and generally a good filmmaker. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Sixth Sense", "The Village", and "Signs". And "Unbreakable" ranks in my top 10 all-time favorite movies (where it enjoys some fairly prestigious company).

But "The Happening" was flat out awful. From the horribly stilted acting from the main players to the gratuitous violence to the weak, weak, weak story line to the downright offensive eco-nutso-weirdo ending, this thing stunk. Stunk like your old gym socks. Stunk like Grandma's cellar. Stunk like... well... like "Blue City" (which up until today ranked as the worst movie of all time in my book).

Sorry for the complete downer negative posting, but I just can't figure out how anyone thought this would be a good movie to release. After all the hype, I was expecting Shamalayan to redeem himself after the relatively unsatisfactory "Lady in the Water", but it was not to be. I'm going to have to watch "Unbreakable" in the next day or so just to remind myself that the guy did do some excellent work at one time. Maybe it's Bruce Willis that makes the good ones work...

Don't go see this.

Long-Overdue Update

2008-06-13T21:33:00.004-05:00

I realized today that it's been a little over two weeks since I last posted. My blogging tends to come in spurts as I juggle work, kids, music, and a dozen other commitments or interests. Now that summer is in full swing, I thought I'd post an update on various things...

Create in '08

I've been doing a lot of creative "stuff" lately, but it has mostly been without a lot of direction. While I'm perfectly comfortable with some "goal-less" experimenting, I always need some sort of target in order to really finish what I start.

Someting I did do in March (which I need to write about at some point) is go through an exercise where I listed out a lot of things I'm involved in and then tried to understand how they contributed to my overall journey (both personally and professionally). It was a valuable experience and led me to do some interesting things:

rearranged my studio to make it more efficient
weeded out a lot of books that I thought I wanted but never really looked at much
laid out some plans to work on my guitar playing over the summer (sorely needed!)
laid out some additional plans to work on some sample libraries I've been wanting to create for quite a while
experimented with some drawing and watercolor ideas that have been rolling around in my head (nothing to show yet but a bunch of color-streaked paper, but I have hope)
really buckled down and started to deal with the clutter in my life (both physical and mental)
committed to more time with God and more study time in the Bible (most important item on the list)

For some reason, over the last year or so, my normal hyper-attentive planning gene has been dormant. I feel like I've been wallowing or flailing or treading water or whatever for the last 12 months, and now I need to kick myself in the butt and get moving.

Fitness

I'm currently at 320.6lbs. I was 330lbs on May 21st, so I've lost a little over 3 pounds a week. Most of the loss comes from just cutting back on what I eat instead of any real progress on the exercise program. I'm walking a few times a week (2-3 miles at a time), and I'm doing some weights here and there. Frankly, I got discouraged after my initial workout because I overdid it and couldn't do much for several days.

But I feel like I'm making some progress.

Politics

Now we finally see the race come into focus. I really thought Hillary had a shot at taking the nomination, but she just couldn't seem to shake the old school approach to campaigning. Plus, I think that (regardless of what others may say) she's saddled with the Clinton name and image. She doesn't represent change for a lot of folks, primarily due to the fact that it would be Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton if she won. Does that matter? To some people, it probably does. The party machine certainly got out from behind her in a hurry after some ill-timed and ill-conceived public statements, and I think even the old guard was engaged by Obama. Whatever else he may be, he's certainly charismatic.

I still don't have a candidate. I'm leaning back to McCain given some of the Barack-isms that are emerging, but McCain still seems too old and too out of touch in some areas. I won't deny that he makes me comfortable about his ability to secure the country, but I wonder how he will handle some of the more pressing problems facing our economy. I don't expect any President to cure social ills, but I certainly want them involved in the financial factors that may exacerbate the social problems.

It's going to be an interesting race.

Church

We had a great Vacation Bible School this year. I don't know what the final tally was, but I know the projection was around 2,000 kids. I was at the church a couple of times during the week, and I felt like I was wading through a sea of grade schoolers. The program was great this year, and I really have to hand it to all the volunteers that made it happen. As many of you know, I would prefer a smaller church, but there's no denying the programs that are available at the larger churches.

I got to spend some time with some great folks this week and hear some great music. I also got to be around our youth choir (Puresound), and that is always something that boosts my energy level.

A great week indeed.

Music

I'm working on a personal project for the next couple of weeks. I'm finally creating demo tracks for a bunch of songs I've had sitting in my notebooks for the last several years. I'm not trying to get too fancy, just wanting to get melodies attached to words and have some sense of where they might go. God is continuing to move me in directions I never thought possible when it comes to music, and I'm trying to be still enough to listen most of the time.

Blog

I'm working on a couple of other blog ideas that seem more interesting than life blogging. Some folks can make that work, but it always seems to me that I don't stay focused and regular in posting, so there are chunks of context missing. I like to write about several different things but primarily about music/technology in worship (my main passion) and technology in the workplace (my profession). So, I'm thinking about separate blogs for each idea.

More thought is required, so we'll see...

Whimpering...

2008-05-29T22:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm starting to recover from my workouts this week. I haven't lost much weight (maybe a pound or so), and I'm hurting all over. Today I could finally walk up and down the stairs without a lot of pain, but it still hurts to sit down. Lunges are truly the Devil's work.

However, it's good to actually be back to doing something active. On Monday, I did my first real workout in a few years, and it hurt. A lot. Of course, it didn't help that I then moved a set of bookshelves and about 40 boxes of books to my new office. Even with the help of my wife, my daughters, and their friends, I still ended the day whimpering like a kicked dog.

I'd forgotten about these muscles in my legs. Oh, and being 46 probably doesn't help the situation any. Still, I press on...

2008-05-25T21:30:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, tomorrow is the start of my new fitness regimen. I have to admit that I'm apprehensive about this, but I'm excited about the possibility of feeling (and looking) better at some point. I hate that I've let myself go to this point and really want to try and reverse some of the damage I've done to myself over the last several years.

I spent some time this afternoon putting together a weight bench that has been sitting in a box since we moved to San Antonio. It was in the back of the garage and forgotten until recently when I started to think about this whole weight loss/fitness thing. It was a bit of a workout just assembling the thing, and now it sits in my garage like some torture chamber device. I think it is silently mocking my inability to put it together without huffing and puffing.

And I've been mentally preparing for the whole eating thing, trying to cut back on portions, thinking about what I'm going to eat going forward. I'm also psyching myself up to go to bed earlier each night because I know I'm not getting enough sleep. I'm fairly certain my lack of sleep has contributed to my general lack of wellness, too.

So, tomorrow it starts. Words of encouragement, derision, humor, etc. are all welcome. I'm going to need all the motivation I can get!

Saved by... Mario Lopez?

2008-05-21T20:50:00.003-05:00

(I was going to title this post "Lose Weight in '08", but but the year is almost half over.)

It sucks to be out of shape. All through my life I've struggled with my weight and fitness in general, and at the age of 46 I have high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and am generally a mess. I weigh 330lbs according to my wife's fancy digital scale. I hate the way I look and feel.

I'm still moderately active and can definitely walk up and down a few flights of stairs without collapsing, but I can't play basketball for four periods without some significant pain and suffering. I can't run more than a mile without throwing up. And I can't fit into this great pair of jeans that I've had hanging in my closet for years. Most of all, I know I'm hastening my death, and I really would like to stick around to see my daughters get married.

About ten years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and got into better shape by following the stuff in Larry North's "Get Fit". I joined a health club, went several times a week, watched what I ate, and did a reasonable job keeping up with it. Then, I went back on the road for work and became a couch potato again. And I gained back the weight and all the problems associated with it.

Each year as summer comes around, I tell myself I'm going to get back on a program. But I never do. I never get motivated enough to make the time to walk, ride my bike, run, lift weights, swim, etc. It's just easier to flop on the bed or in front of the computer, turn on Law & Order, and "blob out" as a friend of mine referred to it.

But this year, I've decided, it will be different. And what made me decide this is the turning point is a book by Mario Lopez called "Knockout Fitness".

For those who haven't realized it, this is the same Mario Lopez from Saved by the Bell. The same Mario Lopez who sits in for Larry King and Regis. The same Mario Lopez who hosts one of the weekend entertainment shows (can't remember which one). The same Mario Lopez that my wife still ~~lusts after~~ admires. In fact, she even told me that I should try "whatever Mario is doing".

And yes, I realize that by posting the picture of the book, I am likely to cause consternation among those of you who are wondering if this isn't simply some homoerotic thing going on (it's not). I'd be dishonest if I told you I wasn't sucked in by the picture, dreaming of having a similar physique, knowing that the reality is I'll probably never see this sort of modification to my own bulk. But I was. And the cover did what it was intended to do. It made me pick up the book in my local Barnes & Noble. And reading through it made me buy it.

The book appeals to me. It's written in a very conversational tone, the exercises are pretty much ones that can be done without a lot of fancy moves or equipment, and the whole investment is six weeks. At the end of six weeks, I'll either look and feel better or I won't. At the end of six weeks, I'll either know it was a good move or that it wasn't. But the point is that I'm motivated to do something about my predicament other than grabbing another flour tortilla.

So... I've decided (as have many others in the world of blogging) to be very public about this. I've decided to post updates about my progress, both good and bad. I've decided to try and make an entry here every day if only for me to have a personal historical record. Every entry will have information, and once a week (probably on Sunday) I'll post my weight and other pertinent details.

Monday is the big day for starting. Wish me luck!

Be Still My Heart

2008-05-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

Admit it. You didn't even know it was gone...

...but you're glad it's back.

Barack and the Common Man

2008-05-02T16:38:00.002-05:00

Here's the other quote from today:

"A big part of why so many folks are struggling is that Washington hasn't been looking out for them." -- Barack Obama

What exactly is Washington supposed to be looking out for? And who exactly is Washington? President Bush? The Senators? The Representatives? Both parties? Only Republicans?

I'm reminded of Bill Clinton's first campaign, during a town hall meeting, when some guy stood up and said something to the effect that the people saw Bill Clinton as their father and that this guy wanted Clinton to view us as his children. In the words of my 10-year-old daughter, "EEEE-YEEEEWWWW!"

Washington wasn't watching out for me when a housing developer went under and took $500 of my earnest money when I was just starting out house shopping (almost 20 years ago). Washington wasn't watching out for me when I made some bad decisions about my career and ended up in some financial trouble. Washington sure as heck wasn't watching out for me when I went to work for a company that ultimately asked me to lie to a client and I decided to quit rather than work for them.

Oh, wait a minute. That's not Washington's job, right? When I read the Constitution, I don't find any references to Washington watching out for me other than the arguably vague preamble phrase "promote the general Welfare" (an area in which, depending on your definition of "welfare", Washington seems to have excelled quite admirably). The generally accepted definition of the word at the time of the writing of the Constitution was "health, happiness, and prosperity".

So... In order for me to be happy, I need a $500,000 home, a job that pays $250,000, and a Hummer (black, please). Oh, and an iPod Touch. Sure, I'm being ridiculous, and I know it's offensive to those who are underprivileged through no fault of their own. But equally ridiculous is the idea that a bunch of guys and gals in Washington are tasked with ensuring my well being. I mean, isn't that a lot to ask of an elected official?

And how do we decide just exactly what they have to watch? Do they need to watch my local electric company to ensure that my bills don't go too high? Do they need to watch my boss to ensure that he doesn't assign me so much work that I'm effectively being paid less than minimum wage even on a six-figure salary? Do they need to ensure that I don't overcommit myself on a mortgage? Do they need to monitor my library books and alert me when they are about to be overdue? Where does it stop? Am I no longer going to be responsible for anything?

And am I going to raise my kids to think this way? Of course not. Just as I don't want my kids laying around expecting me to solve all their problems and pick up their room and wash all their clothes and so on, I don't want my fellow Americans sitting around on their kiesters waiting for Washington to help them out.

I think the real truth is that many people are struggling because they allowed Hollywood, the media, starlets, reality television, and their peers to convince them they should have a lifestyle beyond their means. Many people are struggling because they bought houses they couldn't afford, cars they couldn't afford, clothes they couldn't afford, watches, computers, TVs, and other possessions they couldn't afford, and on and on and on. Detect a pattern here?

No one is immune. I've had my share of bill woes because I spent more than I should. But I'm not asking Washington to bail me out. I'm not looking for a program or plan or grant or rebate. Because all of those programs and plans and grants and rebates have to come from somewhere, and Washington isn't in the business of producing anything. All that money they so freely spend and give away comes from my pocket -- and yours.

I do a lot to help those less fortunate than me. But I do it through donations to programs that my church is involved with. I do it by assisting directly when I find a need. I don't expect Washington to do it for me. However, I'm aware that there are a lot of people who do.

And, frankly, that's what's really wrong with this country. People aren't looking out for each other. They are expecting the government to do it for them. And unfortunately, that brings along all the government mishmash, waste, and ineptness that have plagued everything from highway construction, public housing, and, in fact, the entire welfare system. Government botched the assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims, fell down on the job with 9/11, and so on. All the critics of the current administration can give you chapter and verse about how government has failed in helping people. So, why would a party change make any difference?

It won't. So, if you're expecting Washington to watch out for you, craft a new plan. Because sooner or later, the bill for minding your affairs will come due. And it won't be paid for by the same government who you're hoping has your best interests at heart.

Hillary and the Common Man

2008-05-02T16:10:00.003-05:00

There are two quotes I heard today on the news. I'll deal with the first one in this post and the other in a separate post. I started to take on both in one post, but I had a lot to say on each. So, here's the first one:

"I want the congress to have to stand up and vote. Are they for the oil companies, or are they for you?" -- Hillary Clinton

I realize that all of the candidates (yes, John McCain, you, too) are trying so hard to appeal to the "common" man. I mean, Hillary appeared at a John Deere store in North Carolina, for Pete's sake. I'm surprised she wasn't dressed in her bib overalls and gimme cap chewing some Red Man and spitting occasionally on the ground. Sheesh!.

Does Hillary actually think it's this simple? That we're voting on who we like more, the oil companies or ourselves? That voting "no" on the gas tax holiday is really going to matter even though when you work it out, it's like 30 cents a day of value to the average driver? Or maybe it's just John Deere drivers that forget that the oil companies are the ones investing in all the facilities to refine the stuff in the first place? Didn't oil prices plummet in the late 90s due to collapsing Asian economies? Would she have been willing to bail out one of the oil companies at that point?

I keep hearing about the "obscene profits" that are being made by the oil companies, but isn't that profit driven by our demand for gasoline? Are the car makers just a little bit to blame? How about the Saudis who are controlling the supply? Is she going to ask them to stop it right now and start producing as much oil as they can? Will she ask DeBeers to produce more diamonds? Will she ask farmers to grow more wheat/corn/whatever and stop paying them to not grow stuff?

I think these problems are a bit knottier than she'll admit or that the "common man" thinks. After all, I don't have a refinery in my backyard, and I've chosen to live where I'm reliant on an automobile for transportation. I choose to drive a bigger SUV for convenience and features, and so it's my own darn fault I pay close to $70 to fill the tank. I could buy a scooter that gets 100+ miles per gallon, but I haven't (and probably won't). No, the oil companies have me right where they want me, and I understand that. I don't like it, but I'm not suggesting that we storm Exxon Mobil or the other refining companies and take the gas from them.

This particular problem is all about supply and demand. If Americans didn't want or need so much gas, the prices would be lower because supply would far outweigh demand. The only kink in that theory is that the Saudis could then simply stop producing as much and still have a tight supply. And I'm sure it costs more to refine oil now because, let's face it, the refining process consumes some of the product in order to do the refining. We could drill in ANWAR, but we don't. We could be doing a lot more in alternative energy research, but we don't.

More importantly, the oil companies don't control the global market. And demand for oil is rising outside our own country. As India and China develop rapidly, which we assist with every day when we outsource work to those countries or buy their goods, there are more contenders for oil, causing the price to rise as long as supply stays static. It's simple economic theory, really.

But Hillary, like so many politicians (Republican and Democrat and Independent and Libertarian), knows that voters respond viscerally to these issues rather than analytically. Is the poorer person more affected than the richer person? Undoubtedly. Is that unfortunate? Yes. Are we going to solve it by penalizing the oil companies? No. Because the reaction from the oil companies, if saddled with fines, taxes, or other punitive measures, will simply be to diminish their operations. Which in turn will diminish jobs. Which in turn will make more poor people.

I realize this is a crude macro generalization, but it's only logical. Force McDonald's to charge less for a burger, and they will simply find a way to cut expenses in order to maintain their margin. They'll go to automated ordering systems (displacing counter help), cheaper ingredients (resulting in a poor-quality product), and eliminating the little playgrounds where even the liberals' kids play. Force McDonald's to pay more taxes on their profits, and they'll just pass the expense on to their customers. Heck, things might get so bad that they close their doors altogether.

Same for the oil companies. And then how would Hillary's entourage get around without gas...?

Love/Hate/Think/Believe/Feel/Wish

2008-05-02T12:55:00.002-05:00

Shaun Groves pointed to Twistori today on his blog. In response to that post...

I love...

Battlestar Galactica
my wife and kids
the feel of a new book
Fridays

I hate...

the word "can't"
Applebee's restaurant
being overweight
myself for not spending more time with God

I think...

Ableton Live is much better than I had imagined
life is better with Reese's peanut butter eggs
the office needs a new paint job
my daughters are growing up to be great people

I believe...

my mother has dementia
in myself even when others don't
the U.S. is long overdue for a recession
that Christ has freed me so that I can truly be alive!

I feel...

tired a lot more than I should at 46
worried about the world I'm leaving to my kids
lonely when I'm away from my wife
like a nut (sometimes... okay, most of the time)

I wish...

the year-round temperature was 71F
I could be more satisfied with where I am in life
there was a good-tasting sugar-free lemonade
my father would have lived long enough to meet my younger daughter

Sometimes less is more

2008-04-23T11:24:00.002-05:00

I've always been a big fan of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah". I love the melody and many of the lyrics, and I've performed the Lincoln Brewster version (Another Hallelujah) a few times. I prefer the minimalist covers to the more elaborate productions, and Jeff Buckley's version is among my favorites.

Check out Phil Wickham's video of just him and his guitar. Powerful stuff. Makes me wish I spent more time working on my acoustic guitar...

Jesus for President - Final Thoughts

2008-04-17T21:41:00.003-05:00

It's taken me a while to wade through Jesus for President. No, I'm not a slow reader (I was in the Roadrunners reading group in grade school). No, I didn't get distracted by other books (although I do admit to reading through some back issues of Future Music last week), and I did take a break on my birthday as previously noted. No, the reason for taking so long is that I actually did spend a lot of time ruminating on what I read.

I had wanted to comment more often during the reading, but I only succeeded in writing two posts. I wanted to say more, but I also didn't want these posts turning into some sort of New York Times book review. You can read more about the book elsewhere, but I do have some final thoughts.

As I mentioned in the first post, I really wanted to like this book. And to some degree, I do. Claiborne makes a compelling argument that we have embraced the "empire" more than Christ, and that hit home for me pretty hard. Around page 184 is where the book started to interest me more and annoy me less. To be sure, there are still loads of places where Claiborne's anti-Bush sentiments are made quite obvious. And I guess that's the problem I have overall with the writing, that it singles out individuals for condemnation (as though a trip to Iraq and a few well-placed barbs about war qualify the authors to judge any of the leaders he singles out).

Let's be clear. I'm conflicted about our involvement in Iraq. On the one hand, we have made a rather serious mess of what seemed to be simple at the outset. On the other, I'm guessing that there are some Iraqis who are happy (perhaps very privately) that we entered the country. Claiborne uses the term "invasion", a charged word intended to provoke. I get that he's anti-war, and I got it in the first few pages. And this is where I think the train jumped the tracks for me.

But the latter pages in the book do pique my interest. Discussions (as slight as they are) about Revolutionary Subordination (pp. 294-299), Alternative Economics (pp. 300-301), and Relational Tithe and A Village of Interdependence (pp. 302-305) stirred my curiosity and caused me to want to know more. Unfortunately, the very material I had hoped for (describing the practical living out of the ideas presented) is scant at best. Perhaps Claiborne will write more on these topics in the future or present better information in the web sites he references.

But too often, Claiborne has a tendency to throw in statements that I assume are intended to shock but instead leave me thinking that he's just another mouthy young person who reads too much Che Guevera. One such statement is this, in the passage about Relational Tithe: "Some of us who were pretty discontent with how the church was embezzling money belonging to the poor to build buildings and pay staff began to dream again what it would look like to reimagine tithes and offerings, which God intended to be instruments of a redistributive economy." It's the use of the word "embezzling" that bothers me, again a charged word that conjures up pictures of the Enron debacle and other white-collar crimes.

Are churches free from this sort of behavior? Absolutely not. Do we spend more than we should for buildings and furniture and fixtures and lighting and microphones? Undoubtedly. But do these things allow us to reach some segment of the population that needs to hear the message of salvation? Unquestionably. And when Claiborne makes these sorts of comments and talks about living off the grid and turning away from the "imperial" economy and says this -- "And of course any good movement has T-shirts, hip words, bumper stickers, and slogans (oh, yes, and wrist bands)" (p. 314) -- I have to laugh because I've seen the Jesus for President t-shirt and the bumper sticker (although not technically a JFP product but apparently closely associated with Claiborne) and, oh yes, the buttons (sorry, no wrist bands yet). Sure, he goes on to say that they recognize they have "entered into this process" by publishing the book, but they do so with "considerable trepidation". Huh?

In the end, I encourage everyone to read this book. Even with the inconsistencies and non sequiturs and language that borders on the militant (like encouraging people to leave the military and a rather bizarre little discussion of Timothy McVeigh), the book made me think. It made me consider what I'm teaching my kids about consumption and materialism and politics and our country. It made me think about how I can impact our society in positive ways as a producer rather than just as a consumer. And it made me hopeful that there actually is a better way than what we've so far created for ourselves, a way that we can live together in peace and harmony and under the grace of God in the way we were intended.

Perhaps the best way to do that would be to simply post the book for free on every web site possible and distribute it in the streets and on subways and buses and in restaurants and sporting events and everywhere else people gather. So, why isn't Claiborne doing that...?

Shame on the Home Buyer

2008-04-17T17:50:00.003-05:00

The "mortgage crisis" is a topic that comes up again and again whenever I'm in a group. And typically the conversation tends to focus on the evil lenders and the evil banks and the evil corporations. It's the poor homeowners, the poor borrowers, the poor mistreated and disenfranchised and uninformed.

For the most part, this is horse manure, pure and simple. Oh, I'm sure there are some cases where hopeful homeowners were duped by unscrupulous mortgage brokers. But I think what we have in this country is more an overabundance of greed and avarice fueled by self-delusion than a conspiracy of financiers looking to make their fortunes off the backs of the unsuspecting.

We've oversold the American dream. We've promised every single person in the country that they can live in a 3,000 square foot house and drive two new cars and own big-screen TVs, computers, stereos, and who knows what else. All on whatever salary they bring in. And I'm sorry, but that's just not possible. The reality is that $50,000 a year doesn't entitle you to (or even allow you to) purchase a home that costs $250,000. Oh, perhaps you can afford the payments for the first year or two on a seriously leveraged adjustable rate mortgage, but sooner or later it catches up to you.

Let's do some simple math. Assume you want to buy a $250,000 home in Texas and can get a rate of roughly 5.5%, you're going to spend about $1,600 a month on a 30-year fixed mortgage. (Yes, I know the numbers are rough and that you can find other rates and other mortgages and other options, but let's go with this for now.) $1,600 a month is $19,200 annually. Even if you're taking home 85% of your $50,000 (unlikely given current tax rates and so on), that's still a healthy chunk out of your annual income. Add utilities, groceries, gas (at $3.29 per gallon as of this posting), clothes, etc., and you are stretched thin any way you look at it.

The rule of thumb used to be that you looked for a house that cost no more than two and a half times your annual income. For the person making $50,000, that's $125,000 (yes, the higher math skills in this post will astonish you). That's half of the $250,000 home. And yet I had read stories of homeowners earning $50,000 who are buying $250,000 homes (and higher!) on some very aggressive mortgages. Sure, it's tempting to think that you can get into an ARM, live in the house for a few years while the payments are cheap, and sell or refinance before you get into trouble. But that's the self-delusion part. Wanting the $250,000 home in the first place is the greed part.

Pick up the paper, turn on the news, talk to your friends (and neighbors). You'll find story after story of people who have gotten in over their heads, seeking the good life and ignoring the voice of reason. Yes, shame on the mortgage broker who says there's no problem and spinning a good story of how the house is an investment and so forth. Yes, shame on the media for giving us TV shows and movies that focus on material gain and keeping up with the Jones (and Smiths and Taylors and Trumps).

But shame also on the greedy home buyer who wants to live beyond their means, throwing caution to the wind, sacrificing security for another bedroom or a media loft.

Where's Dave Ramsey when you need him...

Get Your Praise On - Remix

2008-04-16T13:48:00.003-05:00

Our children's choir ministry at church is amazing. My younger daughter has grown up in this program, and I never cease to be surprised and delighted (yes, real men can use the word "delighted") when I see the programs these kids put on.

This weekend is the spring program, entitled "Get Your Praise On - Remix". It's called remix because this is continuation of a story begun in another presentation and contains the same characters. Great fun, great music, and a good message for people of all ages.

The kids in this poster are our kids, not some stock photo from somewhere. Our actual kids. They sing, they dance, they act, and they shine out the light of Christ in a way that even we adults have a hard time matching.

Come see 'em!

New Digs

2008-04-15T22:06:00.002-05:00

I've moved my personal site to Fat Cow after hosting a few other sites with them for several months. I'm impressed with the service, the price, and frankly the ease at which I have been able to juggle multiple sites under a single account.

I've been a 1&1 customer for several years, but in the last year or so I've gotten the impression that it's simply an inconvenience to them for me to be a customer. Unanswered support questions are the norm, inflexible site management, etc. Plus, Fat Cow is roughly half the cost of equivalent (actually lesser) service from 1&1.

So, if you're seeing this post, it means that you're accessing the new hosting provider. Next up is a move to WordPress for my blog which I hope to have done by the end of April.

Improbable Phrases

2008-04-14T19:01:00.001-05:00

Tonight at dinner, my younger daughter informed us that "My milk smells like dog sweat." I rank this right up there with the classic phrase you are likely to never hear...

"Hand me that piano!"

The ten-year-old mind is a goldmine of interesting stuff...

Haves versus Have-Nots

2008-04-09T11:02:00.003-05:00

Paul Soupiset writes today on "Crime, Vandalism, Frustration". He asks the pointed question...

"what is our response when the growing gap between the haves and have-nots creates criminals?"

I had written a very long response which I subsequently round-filed because it didn't answer the fundamental question. So, here's my short answer.

Luke 6:27-36

Is it hard? Yes (particularly verse 30). Will it solve our problems overnight? Only if every single person on the planet adopts it (or some other ethic of reciprocity) as their basic operating creed. Will you or I die trying to live this out? Possibly. Does it offend our sense of "fairness"? Quite probably.

I wish I had a better answer. I don't. But neither do you. And once we all agree that none of us has the answer, maybe we can work a little harder toward trying to come up with the solution together. Unfortunately, cooperation and focusing on the actual problems is not our strong suit in this country. There's more perceived gain to be made by fomenting divisiveness than there is in sowing contentment and harmony.

The Candles Are Out

2008-04-05T00:03:00.005-05:00

Well, my birthday is now officially over, so let's review the day based on the agenda I posted earlier:

The breakfast tacos were quite a treat, and Taco Cabana never disappoints. However, Annette said that I forgot to remind her (again) how bad the coffee is. Considering there is a Starbucks literally next door (and we're not talking about 'across the parking lot' next door but really only about 50 feet down the sidewalk), I'm not sure why she doesn't just go down and get her 17-word coffee drink before entering the T.C. Must remember next time to reminder her about the "swill".

We did unload the 10 boxes of books at Half Price (and a few more than had piled up in the front hall during the last couple of weeks). I love Half Price Books because you never know what you're going to find in each store. Today's drop off was at the Huebner Road store, conveniently located next to the Flying Saucer (although it was too early to stop in for anything refreshing).

I ended up with a book on DirectX, another on XNA programming (which I'm really starting to get interested in), and a book on digital cartooning. I also picked up John Sanford's "Dark of the Moon" since it features a character that has some connection to the current Sanford book I'm reading, "Invisible Prey". (If you haven't read the Prey novels, you really should pick up the first installment and give them a try. I love the Lucas Davenport main character, almost as much as Special Agent Pendergast in the Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child books.)

I also discovered quite a selection of 12" singles in the vinyl section and treated myself to several including some Wu Tang Clan bits. I'm no longer much of a DJ, but I do occasionally find beats and hits that I like and use as inspiration for some of my own pieces. I don't tend to sample too much any more, but I have been known to lift and warp a snippet here and there.

Border's is right around the corner (well, down the road a bit and around the corner) from Half Price, so I dropped in to pick up my Moleskine watercolor notebook. I was tempted by the new soft cover version of the ruled notebook, but I have pretty much dropped the ruled books altogether since having a discussion about it with Jeff DeVerter last year. I almost fell victim to the economy of the sketch book instead (100 pages versus the 72 pages in the watercolor notebook), but I remember how much trouble I had with some of my inks bleeding through the sketchbook pages (and even worse through the regular unruled notebook).

I also found the April issue of Computer Music on the stand (surprising since it normally is a couple of weeks into the month before that month's issue shows up since it is coming from the UK). I subscribe and/or buy off the stand almost every one of the electronic music publications. My favorites are always the UK magazines (Future Music, Music Tech, and Computer Music) because of their in-depth articles and generally better coverage. Plus, each of the aforementioned comes with a DVD full of samples, demos, and video tutorials that are more than worth the price of the magazine.

Without the kids in tow, I was able to spend quite a bit of time with the Korg Oasys today (while Annette went down to Starbucks for her caffeine fix). The Oasys is, quite simply, one of the most amazing keyboard workstations I have ever seen. It's hard even to describe all the features, so I'll leave it to the curious reader to visit the Korg site and have a listen to some of the examples. If I were ever to go into film scoring full time, I would buy one of these babies in a heartbeat. It's that good (even at almost $8,000). For now I'll have to be content with my Radias and my software version of the Wavestation (both of which are excellent bits of kit as well). I spent a bit of time catching up with Cheryl (my favorite sales person from the old Hermes days before Guitar Center bought the location) and also looked at some new monitors (but ultimately decided that my M-Audio BX8s are just fine when coupled with my Yamaha NS-10Ms).

I didn't get to the garden planning as I had hoped simply because I ran out of time (probably due to drooling over the Oasys for far longer than I should have). Perhaps in the morning...

The studio time was well spent today, and I got the basic tracks finished up for five different songs for my new project. It helped that I had already done most of the synth programming, percussion loop selection, and song structure layout in prior sessions. So, I was able to focus on the basic rhythm beds today (along with a couple of scratch vocals that frankly sucked but gave me some other ideas about how to handle the lyrics).

The track lighting in the studio is still flaky, so I had some "horror movie strobe light" moments before I finally shut the lights off altogether. I hate it when pesky stuff like this gets in the way of my creativity (which may be why I'm not "creatin' in '08" as much as I had hoped). My air conditioner needs to be replaced as well, so it's time to finally call in a handyman and turn this stuff over to him.

Dinner was chicken parmigiana at Carino's (always a personal favorite). We did end up watching "August Rush" (without the kids because my younger daughter was too tired and my older daughter had already seen it), and I was simply blown away. The plot is improbable, but the story is wonderful all the same. And the music is grand. If you haven't seen this and are a fan of love stories with multiple threads that fall together perfectly at the end, this is a movie for you. I'm sure there are many reasons to dislike this film, but I loved it.

I did read a bit (more "Jesus for President" and a few pages of "Invisible Prey"). I also caught up on a few magazines that have been on my desk for the last couple of weeks.

Sorry for the overly long post. It was a busy day but one of the best I have had in a long time. No work phone calls, no work emails, no real thoughts about anything other than enjoying myself (a very rare occurence for me as anyone who knows me well will attest).

I need to have a birthday more often...

Closer to AARP

2008-04-04T08:29:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to me! It's #46 today, one year closer to AARP membership and drinking Ensure every day. At this very moment, I'm watching one of those awful "Viva, Viagra!" ads and thinking "Do grown men actually sit around and sing songs like that?". Sheesh!

As I do every year, I briefly considered that it is now high time I started acting my age and being more responsible. And as I do every year, I waited for the feeling to pass (which it did) and planned my day. I try to take the day off on my birthday whenever I can because it is, after all, the only day of the year I can really call "my day".

So, here's the agenda for today.

Have breakfast tacos at Taco Cabana (bacon & egg and potato & egg)
Browse at Half-Priced Books (and drop off the 10 boxes of books that have been sitting in my Jeep for the last month)
Pick up a new Moleskine watercolor notebook at Border's (using my birthday 25%-off coupon)
Play the Korg Oasys at Guitar Center (while trying to figure out how much blood I would have to sell in order to get one)
Plan (yes, plan, not plant) my new garden that will go on the hill above the fountain in my back yard
Work in the studio (finally settling down on my next project)
Dinner & movie (probably "August Rush") with the family
Reading, reading, reading

All in all, a great set of activities. Have a great day yourself!

Jesus for President, Part II

2008-03-31T23:37:00.002-05:00

Tonight I reached page 115 in Shane Claiborne's Jesus for President. I stopped on this page to write this post because of something that caught me up short.

Pages 114 and 115 purportedly illustrate how Jesus' politics "came to life through healings, miracles, and exorcisms". To make the point, Claiborne recounts the story of Jesus casting out a man's demons (Mark 5:1-20) into a group of nearby pigs. The point is made, perhaps accurately, that the man's utterance of his name ("Legion") and the number of pigs involved (around 2,000) are direct references to the occupying Roman legions in the area. Okay, fair enough since this interpretation has been made before.

But why, at the end of page 115, does Claiborne feel the need to insert a picture of a snippet of paper on which is typed the following:

Army Combat Suicides (per 100k)

2003 - 60 (12.8%)
2004 - 67 (10.4%)
2005 - 83 (19.9%)
2006 - 99 (20.4%)

RAW DATA FROM DOD
MORE INFO @ THERAWTRUTH.NET

1 out of every 4 non-combat deaths is 'self-inflicted'

First, why is this information even here at this point in the book? Second, how do we interpret the numbers shown here? Third, why is the domain name for more information registered to Dr. Leslie, a self-styled weight loss, health, and fitness expert? Why, oh why?

I did a bit of research (which is what prompted me to find out about Dr. Leslie when I tried to visit therawtruth.net). According to several stories (USA Today, Washington Post, etc.), there were 99 confirmed suicides in 2006 among active-duty soldiers. This works out to be a rate of 17.3 per 100,000. So, what do the numbers in the book mean? The chart appears to state that it was 99 soldiers out of every 100,000 that committed suicide, which doesn't appear to be the case at all. And what does the percentage mean after the number for 2006? And why can't I find therawtruth.* (.com, .org, .net, whatever) to see the data Claiborne references?

It may seem like a trivial thing to criticize, but here's the point: it calls into question the very impetus for the book. I'm starting to get the impression that this is a rather poorly disguised anti-military, anti-American, anti-Bush, anti-rich, anti-lots-of-things piece of writing wrapped in the mantle of Christian concern. As I said in another post, I want to like this book. I want to get some thoughts about how we should relate to the political system as Americans, as Christians, but what I'm getting is how imperialist we are and how wrong we are and how military-focused we are.

I'm holding onto hope that this is going to get better, but I'm not holding my breath. I am willing to be disappointed, but I'm not willing to pass out...

Jesus for President

2008-03-30T14:06:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I learned that some of Paul Soupiset's drawings were going to be included in Shane Claiborne's latest book, Jesus for President. I had already considered purchasing the book since I have also been reading through Jim Wallis' The Great Awakening and because I tend to "theme read" (much to the chagrin of my wife who can't understand why anyone would want a single book on politics, much less ten). After flipping through the book looking at all of Paul's artwork, I finally settled down to read the book itself.

So far, it's been a little slow going because I'm also reading through a couple of other books including the latest John Sanford. I also made a pact with myself to reduce the magazine piles, and that means reading through a few issues each morning and evening. I'm up to page 70 (out of 355), and I can't necessarily say I'm enjoying it (for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the book itself).

Claiborne's The Irresistable Revolution made me similar "squirmy" as I used to say to my kids. I found myself doing a lot of self-examination after that book (again, much to the regret of my wife who is already handling my mid-life crisis with dignity while seeing me struggle with the search for the deeper relationship with Christ that I thought I already enjoyed...). So goes it with Jesus for President. I am reading some things that challenge my thinking up to this point, and that's always good for me.

I'll post more about the book as I get further through it. One criticism I have already, though, is that Claiborne takes what I feel are unnecessary swipes at business, the government, the military, and so on (and this is in the first 70 pages). I'm sure he doesn't like Bush, doesn't like McCain, doesn't like our system of government, and really feels that America has dropped the ball on everything that matters. Perhaps I'll have a different view once I finish the book because I really do want to like it and feel I will get a lot out of it.

I just wish Claiborne didn't have to stoop to the same level I suspect he abhors in the first place. I'm hoping it's all to lead to a greater point...

He Lives!

2008-03-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

1975 years ago. My pastor's words are still ringing in my ears as I get ready for our last set of Easter services today. 1975 years ago the church started with a supernatural event, and it continues with supernatural power today. For no other reason than His incredible love for all of us, Jesus allowed himself to be seized, beaten, ridiculed, scorned, and ultimately nailed to a cross so that we could be rescued.

Rescued from ourselves, rescued from the Enemy, rescued from this world to eventually spend eternity with Him. Frankly there's nothing more exciting, more overwhelming, more incredible than this.

He lives!!

Barack & Me

2008-03-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

I've been busy the last couple of weeks since I returned from MIX '08. I love going to conferences because I always come back with a notebook full of ideas, inspiration, and to-do items. Of course, I hate going to conferences for the exact same reason -- somehow that notebook lays on my desk and mocks me until I finally start to categorize the stuff in it and build a plan for acting on all that fodder.

This past week has been the run up to Easter and spring break for the kids. Plus, we're trying to get ready for the next launch phase of a site for one of our clients, and that has generated some work-related "stuff" as well.

To the point of this post... I pushed the whole presidential campaign issue to the back burner. The situation with Jeremiah Wright didn't surprise me as much as it disappointed me. I had assumed that Barack was pretty well scrubbed of anything that would be Howard Dean-ish, but I was so wrong. Now I long ago stopped believing in most "leaders", but I had hoped against hope that Barack was going to restore some of my faith in... well... hope.

So where do I go now?

I don't for a minute believe that any candidate is so squeaky clean that we won't eventually see the "mad aunt in the attic" moment. Heck, I voted for Ann Richards in the Texas gubernatorial race many years ago (only my second Democratic vote after Mark White pulled the wool over my eyes with "don't pass, don't play"...) after Clayton Williams stupid statement comparing bad weather to rape. That slip was much less of a gaffe than Jeremiah Wright's comments, but in fairness the remark did come directly from the mouth of "Claytie".

I'm adrift in the presidential race now. There's really no one running that I'm currently willing to support. I've reluctantly stopped talking up Barack to my friends even though I still am stirred by his words. Unfortunately, most of his words will now by necessity be used to defend himself against all sorts of accusations and innuendo ranging from the Wright flap to the comments of his wife to the fact that he doesn't wear an American flag on his lapel or act appropriately during the Pledge of Allegiance.

What's a middle-aged white Republican-turned-independent to do?

Windows Music

2008-03-11T20:39:00.002-05:00

My wife and I often joke that you can find anything on the Internet. Heck, we found operating instructions to our sprinkler system timer right after we moved into our house. From pictures of the Green Man to recipes for cooking dog meat, the Internet is a vast storehouse of (mostly useless) knowledge.

It is with that in mind that I share this video I found while prowling around today. All the music was created with sounds from Windows 98 and XP loaded into a mod tracker. Pretty amazing...

Enjoy!