dk-today.com

So long, and thanks for all the fish...

2006-01-09T16:31:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm leaving the country in a few hours and with it, I'm leaving Xanga, myspace, Blogger, LiveJournal, and all that too... I now have a website to call my own and do with as I please. Exciting, eh? Don't worry, I will still comment on all the sites that I usually do if I am so inclined.

I present:
www.dk-today.com

Any advice or recommendations on how to make this more user-friendly would be greatly appreciated. In other words, "feedback" is the word of the day.

Thanks for everything, everyone! I will see you in June. Prayer is priceless; code words will be needed in emails, etc., etc., etc...

Burning my cell phone

2006-01-06T16:46:00.000-06:00

Hey all, this is an announcement that my cell phone will be "burned" in a couple days. So, if you want to reach me locally for the last time in a few months, now would be the time! (I'll hopefully answer...)

And my new website is almost ready, I'll be redirecting everyone there soon!

Do you like Sigur Ros? Here's a two-hour live concert from when they played in Iceland:
Sigur Ros - Live - Iceland (windows streaming)

Japan Culture Lab - Sushi

2006-01-02T08:55:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder how to visit a Sushi-ya? Or how to order sushi? Or how to eat it? This video is a beautiful, yet hilarious instruction that will answer all your questions...and even ones you've probably never asked:

Sushi Video

The eye of a needle, eh

2005-12-29T15:42:00.000-06:00

I read this yesterday, "Is the love of money the same as the fear of none?"
Hmm.

Robbing the cradle

2005-12-25T13:44:00.000-06:00

Me and my cousin's daughter, Anna, on Christmas Eve's Eve.

And who can resist making fun of the Fox News Channel? Here's a fun little sound clip remix:
Big Screen Version.mov (found on cawley.typepad.com)

The Marshall Field's Display

2005-12-21T18:58:00.000-06:00

I got to visit the Marshall Field's display, finally! If you didn't know, this year they have recreated the Cinderella story with a Christmas twist and have taken out the part where the step-sisters' toes get cut off. : ) And if you aren't from the Minneapolis area, Marshall Field's puts on a display every year of animatronics that tell a random Christmas story. Last year it was Snow White... in 1991, it was Pinnochio. It has fast become a tradition for day-cares every where. (And college students)

At the end of the storybook "walk," this year, they had these little toy houses that kids could go in and have their pictures taken. I think they put them up for all the families who don't believe in Santa Claus, because that line was at the other end of the room.

Well, I was with my friends(two of which were guys), and we couldn't resist a picture ourselves. The girls went in flawlessly and got theirs taken, but I wanted to wait till the path was clear, you know- to avoid laughter, humiliation, and utter depression. When the path was clear, I backed my way into the little house and waited for Sarah to take my picture.
Then... out of nowhere, a little boy came running up and probably peed in his pants when he saw me. He turned around and said, "Daddy, there's a big kid in there!" What a understatement that was. I slowly made my way out of the house and startled the father when he realized that I was a really big kid, twice as big as himself.

Amidst the laughter, humiliation, and utter depression, we left. And that was only one of the awkward stories last night.

Party hearty-

2005-12-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

I ended up going to three different parties last night. 3! Is this normal? Does everybody go to 3 parties in one night? Call me odd. I, honestly, only planned on going to one. My friend d-dawg was speaking at a home church gathering of sorts. AND, many friends who I haven't seen in a while were going to be there too.

Then, my mother said that her college's party was the same night. There are also many friends there who I hadn't seen in a while. It started earlier than my other one, so I thought I'd stop by... I did! and I got free coffee from Caribou. Call me moocher.

Afterward, I made the long trek to the southside and heard d-dawg preach it up. He talked about unity in the entire body of Christ. Some pretty good stuff. (They had food there too!)

After THAT, we went to a Christmas party at Pastor Gary's house, the InterVarsity leader at Normandale. 'Pretty cool guy... And there, there were even more good friends. Gosh. Food, friends (I saw others who I haven't seen since before the summer), "dancing", awkward stories, mafia, white elephant gift exchanges- everything a good Christmas party needs!

I will never be normal.

It's Over, face it.mov (via jb.com)

Anna Melcon and Johnny Cash

2005-12-15T19:26:00.000-06:00

Apparently, my friend Anna Melcon just got a job as the new art director at Relevant... Yes, that's right, I read it on joshuablankenship.com so that makes it true. I'm so happy for her! That's the creme de la creme of design jobs, and no one deserves it more than her. She's got character and skills. Oh yeah, and she's got a blog too.

And in her honor, here's an amazing music video by Johnny Cash that was just put up on relevant.tv. Anna, this one's for you:
Johnny Cash - Hurt.wmv

Web 2.0 ...works for me! - A summary of online applications.

2005-12-13T18:24:00.000-06:00

A while back I had commented somehwere that Web 2.0 didn't seem much different than the first version and that I wouldn't be finding much use in it or of it. Well, I was wrong. I actually use it more than I thought! And since then, I've found that it's quite useful and all the new stuff coming out is crazy exciting.

So if you don't mind me getting a little techy, I'll explain what it is and dump a few links down 'her...

From what I've gathered from different blogs around the internet, Web 2.0 is most basically the "next wave" (er, current wave) of web applications and software. For instance, in the beginning we had 'personal websites.' Now we have 'blogs.' Before, advertisers charged by page view. Now it's per 'click' and even per 'pixel.' The internet is no longer just for displaying information, but is becoming a fully-functioning computer platform in itself. Here are some sites and applications that I've found useful:

Google.
Pretty much everything coming out of Google these days is amazing and beneficial. Maps. (Transit.) Talk. AdSense. Reader. Video. Next up, ____? Google OS?

BitTorrent.
'Have a big file you want distributed? 'Have a lot of users? 'Don't want to use a lot of bandwidth? BitTorrent's your solution then. The users that download your file or whatever help with the distribution, thus saving bandwidth in the long run and making everyone happy.

flickr.
Yes, a Yahoo! company, but still one of the best photo communities out there. They use a concept called "tagging" to group like photos together creating a huge web of pretty cool photos.

Pandora.
If you like music, you'll like this. It's a classification of thousands of bands and artists linked together from similar characteristics and sound. You can enter a band or song name and it'll play similar music! I've discovered some pretty good music this way.

Wikipedia.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to Basically Everything.

Firefox + extensions.
Let's face it, if you still use Internet Exlporer to browse the internet, you are way behind the times. I've been using Firefox for a year and a half now and have never looked back. It's definitely an overall better web experience. And the extensions possibilities are endless... Try me.

Writeboard.
Who hates group projects!? I do. No one ever seems to do the same amount of work, but you all end up with the same grade. Well, the hardest group project is when you have to write something as a group. I just used this application for the first time for a group presentation last week and it was really slick. It's a collaborative document software on the web that lets you specify users to add and subtract from documents. And it saves all of the previous editions! Ingenius.

Here's another video from Africa! It's the dancers from the Elephant Walk restaurant along with Chase and Jamison...
Dancing at the Elephant Walk.mov

Celebrating Advent

2005-12-09T22:55:00.000-06:00

One of my professor's hosted an open house party at his home last night for a couple of his classes. He has a lovely family and his three children were adopted from Vietnam. (Very cool!) The cutest kids ever. Anyways, there was food and fellowship and all that good stuff. BUT, the most exciting part of the evening was the time we all celebrated Advent together...

We turned all the lights off and lit the two current Advent candles. We said some things about expecting Jesus' birth and His return. We read scripture. We sang a carol hymn. It was beautiful.

I don't remember where I found this picture, but I like it... what do you think?

Here's a nice little slip up from some youth pastor some where. I saw this a while ago, but my friend Willis sent me a direct link. What's this guy thinking about!?
Pitch Your Tent.wmv

The Dragon House

2005-12-06T20:16:00.000-06:00

Last night, I had the privelege to go out with some friends from high school, Marie and Jesse. We went to the old Chinese restaurant off Central called Dragon House. Oh my goodness, some of the best food I've had in a while- and great preparation for my journey! If I haven't said it yet, I do plan on becoming a connoisseur when it comes to Chinese food. (Actually, I just like saying the word...) I had General Tso's Chicken and Gee Bow Gai. Delectable.

In other just-as-applicable news, I've begun learning Mandarin Chinese. The library is a huge resource when it comes to learning a language and I checked out a few of their books and audio CDs. Let's just say that this task will occupy me for a good few years, probably the rest of my life... Their speech and writing are so much different than ours. What am I talking about!? It's completely different! I will hopefully know enough phrases to get me around when I get there, though. And if any of you know any tips on learning tones, let me know...

I love Christmas light displays. And here are some that have been put to music...and I've seen them all over the internet. (If only my neighbors did this!)

Wizards of Winter.wmv
Jingle Bells.wmv

Teen Mania's Heritage

2005-12-03T19:52:00.000-06:00

Alright everybody. I have struck gold once again. If any of you have any history with Teen Mania Ministries or Acquire the Fire, you'll appreciate this even more... I can only gather that this must be an old ATF video or promotional video that's being mocked. I laughed my head off! I mean- I laughed really hard....

(And I've come across the funniest video of Mr. Luce that I have ever seen in my life. It's on VHS, so I'll have to convert it to internet use here sometime soon... don't let me forget!)

Here it is!: Godstuff Episode #077.mov

Happy World AIDS Day

2005-12-01T23:28:00.000-06:00

Wait. I probably shouldn't say 'Happy'... The reality of AIDS was in front of me all day. The only thing 'happy' would be hope... There's always hope.

Today and tomorrow, people all over my school were wearing these t-shirts to represent the 15 million children around the world who have been orphaned and double orphaned because of AIDS. This issue is so serious, and probably the most pressing in our world today. Remember the awful tsunami last Christmas? Yeah, that's kind of hard to forget... Anyways, AIDS kills the same amount of people as were killed by the tsunami about every 3 weeks. Jim Wallis calls HIV/AIDS, "the silent tsunami."

Learn as much as you can about this disease and DO what you can to help. Mandela, a friend from Africa, said once that prevention is more important than a cure. What he was saying is that education and sanitation and help is what's it's going to take to save people. Some friends and I are going to be buying goats for Christmas. Goats are cool , but there are really many things you could do. Oh yeah, and get the word out.

Here's some websites with info, if you'd like:
World AIDS Day
Acting on AIDS
ONE.org
D.A.T.A.
etc., etc., etc.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a new music video by my man Bright Eyes:(it's pretty intense)
Bright Eyes - At The Bottom of Everything.wmv

Sufjan Stevens does Christmas

2005-11-30T15:09:00.000-06:00

If you are in need of some good Christmas music, take a listen to these downloads. They are about a year old, but it's Sufjan Stevens... 'nuff said. I found these links on the Irresponsible Journalism blog.
Sufjan Christmas - Volume 1 (.zip)
Sufjan Christmas - Volume 2 (.zip)
Sufjan Christmas - Volume 3 (.zip)

And check this video out! "They"'re re-creating The World off the coast of India! Invest now into some of the hottest vacation property out there...made up of little islands in the shape of the world. Other team leaders and I discussed this idea in Africa last summer. (Who knew it was really an option?) Who wants to buy Canada with me?
Welcome to the World.mov

Advent has begun.

2005-11-29T08:52:00.000-06:00

Three years ago, I had no comprehension of what Advent was all about. And for that matter, I didn't know anything about the Christian seasons. I remember having an "advent calendar" and that it had something to do with Christmas, but it didn't really mean anything...

Advent has fast become my favorite part of the year. It's celebrated the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. For me, I like to take this time to slow down and bring in the holidays with geniune anticipation. The spirit of Advent is to celebrate Christ's first coming and to look forward to His second, whenever that will be. It's a time to realize that hope for all the injustice in the world today can only be brought about by the grace of God.

But that's just me. There are many different ways to celebrate and there are actually many resources on the internet to help in your celebrations as well.

I'd like to apologize to all of the mac users who wanted to see the Africa video. Here's your chance! I finally figured out how to easily make Quicktime files...(I actually like them better for web use.)
Africa 2005.mov

Chicken Poop

2005-11-26T20:20:00.000-06:00

I thought this picture might go along with the last post. It was found through Doug Pagitt's blog. (Which, if you've never read, should probably go check it out...) The picture is advertising a new magazine for people caught on the "fringes of faith." Geez Magazine. I like the picture, at least.

And today's video is almost too funny to post. I think I could make it even funnier by adding some Jump5 moves, though:
Dancing Around The World

Bathrooms in Amsterdam

2005-11-23T23:50:00.000-06:00

In regards to the numerous inquiries I received about the bathrooms in Amsterdam, I'd like to dedicate this post to that exact topic. The bathrooms over there have won, "The Best & Worst Bathrooms in the World" award from yours truly. It is a very prestigious award.

On the one hand, the bathroom inside the YWAM building across from the train station was b-e-a-utiful. (As you can see from the first photo.) The commode was surroundered by luxurious tiles and colors. I felt like a king while I was doing my thing.
The Best:

On the other hand, the 'multi-faceted urinal in the street,' as we called it, was ghastly, visibly, and abhorribly uncuth. It was wide open and free. Is that how we should define postmodernism? The stud in the picture is my friend Bryan (sorry ladies, he's taken) and we were able to do the 'community' thing here...I hope you understand.
The Worst:

Today's video is the one I put together on my trip to Africa this summer. It includes some video I shot, and still pictures from alot of people on the trip. I finally got it up on the internet! It can be viewed or downloaded by going here:
Africa 2005 by Daniel Konold

Music by amesbury

2005-11-20T15:37:00.000-06:00

I'd like to make a shout out to some more good music. This time the band's called amesbury and two of the members are former classmates of mine... Very cool stuff. Darin, the lead singer and guitarist, was in my class and I hadn't seen him in years! We had much time to reminisce. And then there's Peter, the drummer, who was in the grade below me, who I also hadn't seen in a while. The other guys in the band were pretty cool too... An all-around quality mix of guys.

They were in the first round of the band tournament last week at Club 3 Degrees downtown and they totally rocked the socks of the judges- and the fans! I was rocked, at least. I don't even remember the names of the other bands performing...(I guess there was no competition.)

You can go take a listen to a few of their songs on their myspace and purevolume sites, but the real treat would be hearing them play live. They're supposedly 'regulars' at The Segue in Maple Grove, and they're playin' the 3 again on January 9.

And for today's video, we have an extravagant adult-aged pillow fight in Toronto:
Pillow War Flick.mov - All You Need Is Love

'Never Been To Confession

2005-11-16T23:22:00.000-06:00

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned... it's been 21 years since my last confession. Actually, Father, I've never been to confession at all.

Remember that post a while back about Brennan Manning? (link) In summary, he suggested I find myself a crucifix. I have never been shopping for a crucifix before, and I didn't feel right about stealing one from the Catholic church- but who knew they were so delicate and pricey? I decided it was worth it... so I got one.

And in an uncommodius coincidence, the chapter that I am reading in A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian D. McLaren just happens to be titled "Why I am catholic."
Here's a quote:

What does it mean to say that the one holy apostolic church is also catholic? The word doesn't mean Roman Catholic; it means universal... Actually, the Roman Catholic Church may be the most truly catholic denomination in the world, acknowledging since Vatican II that her "separated brethren" are at least brethren, higher status than some Protestant denominations will grant Catholics! (224)

And another:

But to be catholic means to find another joy: the pleasure of accepting and welcoming the poor, the blind, the stumbling, the crippled, the imperfect, the confused, the mistaken, and the different. It doesn't mean that we lower our standards of authentic discipleship, rather that we raise our standards of Christ-like acceptance. (225)

The author goes on to list some things about Catholicism that have enriched his life: Catholicism...is sacramental...is liturgical...respects tradition...celebrates Mary...knows how to party...can't escape from its scandals. Hmm.

Maybe I am more catholic than I realize.

Today's music video is a must watch!:
The "New" Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way

Get me to China!

China, here I come.

2005-11-14T22:53:00.000-06:00

It's official.

And I am a happy man. I know I've only been in the country for three months or so, but I'm ready to leave again! And leave I will.

On or around January 10, I'll be heading to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for a month of ministry and fellowship at theGOcenter. (I'm excited to get back there too! [I heard the song "Friends" by Michael W. Smith today... Hmm...I hate that song.]) Next, I'll be off to Wuhan, China, for about 5 months of study. The classes include some courses in Culture, Economics, History, and of course, Mandarin Chinese... The university is called South Central University of Nationalities and, I guess, 48 minority-people groups of China are represented there. Mission field, indeed. Apparently, I'll be getting my own room in the International Student Dormitory and most everything is included in the tuition cost. And regarding finances, it's looking like my student loans should pay for all of it, which is very much a good thing.

If you'd like to stay updated through my mass emails that I'll be sending out, shoot me an email at

and let me know you'd like to receive those.

BUT, unlike Africa, the internet is pretty prominent in Asia, so I'll be able to update the ol' blog pretty regularly.

I'm also pondering starting a podcast or video podcast. Any thoughts on that? I'd have spoken word updates, on-site scenery clips and maybe some "interviews with friends" from the other side of the world. What should I call it? I have been told countless times to get into 'radio' and this may be my chance. Would anyone listen to it or download it?

And here's Switchfoot's new music video Stars-
Switchfoot - Stars

Invisible Children

2005-11-10T23:40:00.000-06:00

Hello all: I was just informed of a new documentary coming out about a hideous injustice happening in Uganda. The documentary's called Invisible Children. These three guys apparently stumbled into an underground ring of child soldiers, being kept against their will and being trained to kill. This needs to be stopped. It's unlawful and immoral. Even though it's hard to watch the videos, watch them anyway.

The hopelessness for these children has been going on for over 20 years. Let's not let it be any more. We can give them hope...live for more, and help stop the war.

Thank you andrea for getting the word out.

Harry Potter Tickets

2005-11-10T23:37:00.000-06:00

I got mine. 'You got yours!?

i am hard[to the]core

2005-11-09T03:07:00.000-06:00

Finally, I got to see Bradley Hathaway perform live. He was headlining with Mexico Mexico and My Rubicon at The Fallout. It was incredible and well worth it. (And The Fallout is one of the coolest places I've been to in a while. Check it out!)

In related news, I totally don't 'fit in' with the hardcore scene. And one of my friends politely brought up that I was probably the tallest one there too. What a dilemma- not hardcore, not straight edge, not emo... not a problem. Retrospectively, I'm completely fine with me.

And there was an amazing scenario that played out this evening that is too amazing to write on this blog. You'd have to ask for more information. It'll rock you off your rocker, fo sho.

A shout out to sarah g for introducing me to bradley...in africa.

My China Struggles

2005-11-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

I never realized how difficult it would be to get to China. Man, all I want to do [at the moment] is study over there for a semester. First of all, there weren't many programs that offered the type of program that I needed. (I should have just created my own!) Second, the program that I've been accepted to go with doesn't have enough participants. If they don't get enough by next week, I'll have to find a different one. The sad thing is that they only need 5 people to make the program happen. Come on now! Who wouldn't want to go to China!? And get college credit for it!? And spend a semester abroad with me!? YOU should come to China.

If you're in college, and you're studying culture or economics or Asia... you should totally come. It'll be great fun.

South Central University - Wuhan, China - Study Abroad Program

And to spite me, I'm sure, my family went to a nice Chinese restaurant for dinner.
Here was my fortune:

Great.

God's Creation Blog

2005-11-03T16:11:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered if God was a blogger? (I'm sure He is!) Here's a link to a page that has God's blog during creation... it's quite humorous.

Link

The Gods Must Be Crazy

2005-10-31T20:34:00.000-06:00

I finally saw the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy." It was actually for homework. Honest. In my Literature of Humor class, our assignment was to write a scholarly analysis of a comic film. He gave us a list to choose from, and this film was on it. I remembered all the staff in Botswana talking of this movie, so I jumped at the opportunity to see it for educational purposes.

Oh my gosh. I don't think I've laughed so hard in years. Alas, it's not for the easily offended. With tribal nudity, skimpy clothing, and cultured language, it's not for everyone.

BUT, the slapstick and ethnic humor is almost too much to bare. The setting is set in the Kalahari desert of Botswana, Africa. It starts with a little comparison of citymen and bushmen. Having experienced both cultures, it's very true to life.

The story starts when a Coca-Cola bottle falls from the sky into the bushmen's camp. They had never seen anything like it before and they thought the gods had sent it for their use. The bottle ended up causing more problems than good, and they couldn't figure out why the gods would send them only one. They decided to throw it off the edge of the world. On their way to the edge, a hilarious culture clash of sorts takes place.

Whether you've been to Botswana or not, you'd get a laugh out of this! People that have been to Botswana would assuredly laugh at the trucks breaking down, the trucks falling apart, the gates, the termite mounds, the campsites, the camp cutlery, the weather, the animals, the humongous thorns, TREE!!!, etc...

And in an effot to not be bias in my music genre choices, go here and watch Common's new music video- Common - Testify. One of the best courtroom music videos. No, it's Common, not Carman.

Helping an Ethiopian Family

2005-10-26T00:22:00.000-05:00

Words are just not seemingly becoming today. I'll use some of Mother Theresa's then: "There's a Calcutta everywhere; it's up to you to find it..." and "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. We must find each other." (Did you know that I'm in love with that woman? Well, I am.)

About a week ago, one of my professors stopped everything he was doing [in the middle of class] to tell a story. It was of an Ethiopian mother and her two young children who had to flee their home because of an abusive situation. The shorter story is that they got connected with an organization here in the Twin Cities that my professor's daughter, Jennifer, works for. They've been over here for a few months now, but apparently a few budget cuts have wiped out funding and the state is no longer able to give them support... Jennifer's been helping them out as much as she can, but they had nothing and literally nowhere to start.

After sharing that, he said that he felt like he should bring it up in class so we'd have an "opportunity" to live out what we were learning. (It was Christian Thought, by the way) He listed out a few specific things that they were in desperate need of: bed, bedroom set, basic kitchen supplies, etc. The weekend before this I had just started praying about where I should bring my old bedroom set to. I just didn't feel right about bringing it to the local thrift store and not knowing where it'd end up. Hmm, this must not be a coincidence.

Apparently many students also felt led to give some stuff. So, after class yesterday, twleve of us loaded up our cars and headed out on a mini-missions trip. The address was this huge high-rise off of I94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul that I've passed hundreds of times; I had no idea what it really was. Let's just say it's a very culturally diverse place. It was awesome! It even smelled like another country. Anyways, the lady's name is Hairut and she's a muslim. She was so thankful for EVERYthing. We could tell it was kind of overwhelming for her even.

This was a beautiful thing. Hairut and her daughter were beautiful too. Guys, you never truly live until you give. (I think that's something that Mother Theresa would say too...)

And in true African spirit, Hairut treated us to a native Ethiopian dish. It was called something like "shega ingria." I don't know, it was a kind of bread with a chicken leg and a hard-boiled egg covered in a spicy sauce. I loved it.

Find your Calcutta... There's definitely a few here in Minneapolis.

An experiment with Frapper

2005-10-22T19:32:00.000-05:00

So, there's this new website concept that maps out a group's location around the world using Google Maps. It's called Frapper. Hmm... Completely free to set up, so I did just that. The group's called "Cool people that read dktoday." That's our group name. (Sweet, huh?) We're going to find out where everybody lives... and anybody can add their zipcode! You don't even have to be a member.

Go here and add yer name and zipcode today!
http://www.risingconcepts.com/frapper/coolpeoplethatreaddktoday

(Thanks to j.b for the link.)

Dear Mr. Streetlight Pusher-Over

2005-10-19T22:46:00.000-05:00

Well...first of all- thanks for nothing. All I wanted to do last night was go for a nice little run, but nooooo, you had to go and push over the nice little streetlights. What were you thinkin'!? Ah, you probably weren't thinking.

Anyways, I was running along and came upon a fallen streetlight. I thought to myself: "Oh, that's odd." And I kept on running. Then, to my coincidental surprisement, another fallen streetlight lay in front of me. I could have lived with only one, but two... two fallen streetlights is pushing it, literally.

You need to understand where I'm coming from. You see, people that go running at night rely on these aforementioned streetlights. The suburbs can be a scary place, if you know what I mean. These little lights of ours- we need to let them shine! These little lights can't be hid behind bushes, they need to be set up straight and high on a hill for every runner to see. These lights cannot be grounded any longer.

I only tripped and fell once, so I'll let you off easy. But some words of wisdom to you, whoever you are: stop. quit. knock it off. shut down. restrain yourself. cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it.

Friends From All Over

2005-10-17T02:32:00.000-05:00

I got to see another friend from my team in Africa this summer! Maia was visiting her friends, who coincidentally go to my school, and seeing some shows down 'her. Twas great to see ya, Maia! Stay "strong," and never forget Africa. (Not that I think anybody would.) I figured it all out: make friends who go to my school and you're bound to run into me sometime! No, really, I'm easy to spot.

In other news, I was hanging out with a friend from high school this evening (sorry, no pictures) and we totally got kicked out of Starbucks! We weren't even disturbing the peace. We were actually trying to make the world a better place. 'Guess we can't do that at Starbucks anymore. GOSH. It was 45 min. before closing and the worker lady comes over yelling that "her machine" broke and that we needed to leave. Not realizing what was really happening, we obliged her wishes. We got back to the car and, "What does her machine breaking have to do with us quietly being there!?" Punk'd we were. Punks we were not. The girl probably just wanted to go home early and she didn't want to admit it. Sad times...yet very, very funny.

In honor of Maia getting her picture on my website, here are some music videos from the newly launched relevant.tv Go check 'em out! They've got some pretty hot music...

Blindside - Fell in Love with the Game
Underoath - Reinventing Your Exit
Project 86 - The Spy Hunter (be sure to watch this one to the end)

The drive w/ Brennan Manning

2005-10-12T00:28:00.000-05:00

Do you know who Brennan Manning is? He's an amazing author, for one, and for two, he unknowingly's played a huge part in my spiritual journey of the past couple years. Last Sunday morning he spoke at The Creek! Very, very exciting.

He spoke on loving and giving, referencing the story of Zacheus and Jesus and how Jesus' words of affirmation changed his life forever. He also tied in some incredible personal stories.

It was an honor to sit under Mr. Manning's teaching (he wore some pretty hot pants), but what happened after the service was even more memorable.

I was small talking with the "donut lady" when my pastor came up and asked me to drive Brennan Manning to his hotel. Of course I said I would... and I drove as slow as legally possible. :) We talked about his community in New Orleans and how his house was spared. We talked briefly about what he thought of the weather in Minnesota. We even talked about language and how his generation replies "you're welcome" when told "thank you," and how mine responds "no problem." He's thinking about switching.

Then I asked the question. The one I've been asking myself for a long while. I asked why I generally find it harder to love christians than non-christians. He smiled and said that it was because I thought I was better than them, because I thought I had a better revelation of the world than they did, and because I thought I was in God's will and they weren't. Thanks, Brennan.

I then asked what I should do about it. He continued by suggesting something that no one has ever told me to do before: He told me to find a crucifix. (A what!?) And to carry it around with me for a few weeks. He said to look at it every day and to really try to grasp and comprehend the death of our Lord. And to pray with diligence for His compassion; the same compassion that He held at the cross. Hear the words of Jesus, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." He told me that when you have the compassion of Jesus in your heart, the love will come. The love will come.

Exposed? I think so. In a way, I hate when that happens...
Before he got out of my truck to go into his hotel he added that I was asking the right questions. I said, "Thank you, sir." And he answered, "No problem."

Does anyone know where I can find a crucifix?

A Blog List of Musicians

2005-10-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hey! Here's a pretty nifty list of noted musicians who blog...

Link

Earthquake in India

2005-10-09T03:20:00.000-05:00

I got an email from Gospel for Asia. Disasters happen all over the world. Do we rarely find out about it?

EDIT: We found out about it. Will we do anything?

-----------------------------------------

As you may know, a major earthquake hit India's northernmost state of Jammu &
Kashmir on Saturday, and early reports indicate that hundreds were killed. Buildings were shaken as far away as Delhi.

We have received word that our Gospel for Asia Bible college in Jammu was severely damaged and is unusable. So far, reports indicate that all of our missionaries in the affected areas are safe, but we do not yet know the condition of our churches or believers there. I am in India and will be gathering more information as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, please pray for the survivors of this tragedy, for our missionaries and students, for the pastors and their people, and for those who will soon be ministering to the victims. To help you in your praying, you can learn more by clicking the link below.

May God bless you as you remember the suffering in your prayers.

Yours for the lost of Asia,

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President
Gospel for Asia

Hope For The City

2005-10-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

Questions I deal with often: "Why can't I freakin' be overseas?" and "What can I do in the here and now?" Well, I had a chance to help out at an outreach center called Hope For The City with a group from college. I'll just say that there's plenty to be done 'here and now' that even does, in fact, affect 'overseas.'

I had never heard of this place before! Their concept of outreach is so simple and profound all at the same time. Their slogan is, "Our surplus is their survival." Ingenius. Have you ever wondered what happens to all of those hospital beds that were the wrong color? What about your old dentist chairs? A lot of the sorts goes to Hope For The City's warehouse for re-distribution to third world countries that need those things. The guy who we were working with said that $400 million worth of goods went through their warehouse last year. And that's on a staff of 6 people.

They don't discriminate against religious affiliation either, so literally anybody can show up and help! You can be Buddhist, Hindu, Hmong, Christian, whatever... (Let's just say they're not a faith-based initiative.)

There's always hope...

I am Jack's Wonderful Weekend

2005-10-03T19:24:00.000-05:00

I am Jack's wonderful weekend.
That's right, I got to visit the mighty town of Chicago last weekend! (The 'Cloudy' -er 'Windy' City itself.) It was full of friends that I haven't seen in a long, long time. I needed to get away for a bit, and this turned out to be the perfect choice.

On Saturday, one of my friends from my trip to Africa got married! Congratulations, Michelle! Have a great life... AND my other friend Lauren from the trip accompanied me. I think it was actually more me accompanying her, though... Anyways, it was great to see both of them and to meet all the friends from ORU. ['Nuff said.]

After the wedding reception we drove downtown to Moody Bible Institute to spend time with some old friends from the Honor Academy: Dave & Alayna, Lamar, and Joe. A few blocks away from the campus lies a hypothetical goldmine. It's called " The 24-hour Starbucks." It was after midnight, and when I heard of this place we were walking to, I thought to myself that it might be a bit busy. We got there and it was packed! An even longer line than when I normally go. Then I thought to myself... "Why don't they do this back home!" Maybe someday.

Thanks for hanging out, guys! Twas great to reminisce.

And to top it all off, I got to stay at the amazing Dan the Man "TC" Goulson's pad in Aurora. We had a lot of fun meeting his new friends in the area, spending time with his family (who was also in town for the weekend), and going to his "interestingly, cool" church. Thanks for everything!

EDIT: I forgot to add the story about being pulled off the main road for a mandatory car search. Who does this!? It must be a Chicago thing. Every car on the street we were driving down was directed into this alley for a search. They even had some people get out of their cars to search them. Hmm...

I'm definitely doing this again.

Thailand Bucket Brigade

2005-09-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll... Did you know that it's the rainy season in Thailand? Well, it is, and the river's been acting up. They're pretty much having some of the worst floods that they've had in years. You should go join the bucket brigade today!

*please don't forget the rest of the world*

*please don't forget the rest of the world*

Link

A Night with Coldplay

2005-09-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

Music is powerful. And it most definitely affects culture. Coldplay, hands down, topped my all-time best concert list. I guess I haven't been around too long, but still. I'm a different man afterward. It was simply incredible. INcredible. You know how when you listen to certain music it somehow takes you to another place? (We'll call that transcendant music.) Well, Coldplay managed to do that with style and class. They transcended the physical arena and brought everyone with them. It was a great experience! [Thanks to BethN and Will for enjoying it with me! ha!]

The show started with an opening set from Rilo Kiley, which was also amazing, and a good segue to the main event, I might add. Coldplay opened with Square One, a track from their new album, and by the second song, Politik, one of my friends was in tears. (Moved to tears, eh?) They flawlessly played favorites like Yellow, The Scientist, and Clocks, which were great to see performed live. They even threw some good "oldies" in the mix with Trouble, and Green Eyes, which they said they hadn't done in a while. (You couldn't tell...) My favorite song of the evening was Everything's Not Lost. If you've never heard that song, I suggest going to iTunes right now! :) Towards the middle, they all joined each other at center stage and did a tribute to legend Johnny Cash. The song Till Kingdom Come was originally written by Chris Martin for Cash before he died, but he was never able to record it. And now it's easily one of the best tracks on X&Y. Then they did an improv cover of the Cash song, Ring of Fire. Beautiful. The encore was just as good as the rest finishing the night with Swallowed in the Sea, In My Place, and Fix You.

Music also has a way of bringing people together. The crowd was the most diverse I've ever seen at a concert. Most of the time you can guess a specific group that'll be there. [i.e. Jump5 = pre-teen girls(and me) Liz Phair = 40 yr old men(and me) Conor Oberst = _____(and me)] Interesting, eh? I saw every color, every age, and every "scene," except the poverty-stricken of course, represented. From black to white, 10yrs to 80yrs, and drunks to straight edge. It was an honor to be a part of such a culturally diverse group.(I don't get that much at school or church, so whenever I see hope, it's refreshing!) I even ran into one of my pastors and his family!

Oh yeah, they didn't just make music, they made a statement. They genuinely care about the poor and the unfairly treated. All their merchandise proceeds go to HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa. Did I read that right!? Isn't merchandise what keeps tours on the road? I guess not. I wonder if any Christian bands or conferences would try this sometime... hmm...that'd be nice. They also continued their promotion of MakeTradeFair with MTF plastered on the piano.

beautiful music + powerful statements = social change (hopefully)

Project Pancakes

2005-09-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

The homeless sub-culture has always intrigued me; a sub-culture within our own that lives in visible abject poverty. Will I ever experience it firsthand? Probably not. I heard about a Core Advisor retreat that they used to have at Teen Mania where you would go and live on the streets for a period of time. You would try as hard as you could to relate in some way, but it was still only nominal. You had a dorm to return to. You'll always have your family and friends who care about your well-being and will support you if they need to.

I was walking downtown this weekend and was asked by multiple people for money, for dollars, for alcohol, for fill-in-the-blank, whatever. In high school, I was taught to never give out money on the streets- only give out tracts! You know those fake $20 bills with a 'tract' on the back? I hated those. There reasoning was that they'd only use the money to go get drunk anyways, assuming that all of these people were a threat to our beautiful society. Is that really what Christ would have done?

Then I got ahold of Donald Miller. He kind of brought the homeless community into perspective. He wrote about this Beat Poet guy who would simply go and feed the homeless in the cities and in the parks. Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick. Why don't we? "That's not a literal translation... blah, blah, blah." Anyways, a men's conversation group (bible study) that I'm a part of, read Blue Like Jazz this summer while I was in Africa, and without questioning they put to application what Jesus commanded us to do. They started this thing on Saturday mornings called Project Pancakes. They head downtown to Loring Park and feed whoever needs to be fed. They don't proselytize or preach. They just love and feed. And people are being touched....

I think I might join them.

(photo found on daily dose of imagery)

There will definitely be more on this subject in the future.

Jolene, Jolene

2005-09-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

I got to chill with the wonderful Jolene a couple of evenings ago. It was great and full of reminisces. She was on her way to Washington state with a friend. Can we say 'road trip'? Yeah, we can. After talking for hours about AFRICA, she told me about her new school experience. You see, it's not really school; it's more like a learning environment or some radical thing like that. You'd have to ask her about it sometime because I, obviously, am not doing a very good job explaining it.

Go show her some love... 'Don't know when she'll have a chance to check her stuff, though...

And speaking of AFRICA, here, finally, are some pictures... It's not all of them by any means (I have about 700), but it's a start! We'd have to hang out (like Jolene did) for you to see all of them...

www.flickr.com/photos/dktoday

And here's the newsletter I sent to my supporters:
Africa 2005 Newsletter.pdf

"Religious Left" Bumper Stickers

2005-09-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

Hmm...

Mmhmm.

Music Post

2005-09-10T17:39:00.000-05:00

Guess what I got in the mail today!? My tickets to Coldplay, at last... They haven't come through Minneapolis for a couple of years now and I missed their last show by that much! Oh well, I've refused to miss them again. Has anyone seen their show yet? I read the review of the Boston performance and I'm stoked. Yes, I said 'stoked.' That's the word of the day, apparently...

So, in honor of receiving those, here's a couple of links to quench your music taste buds:

Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body (video)

Listen to the entire Switchfoot album before it comes out: Switchfoot@VH1
(Thanks Chad!)

Delay The Real World

2005-09-09T13:35:00.000-05:00

Alas, here's my new favorite book:

It's all about not getting into the career/family routine right out of college, but rather taking a few years off and seeing the world! *and making a difference while you're at it. Very, very intriguing. I guess that's kind of what I've been doing in my summer times. I have a part-time job for a reason- because I know that I'll be gone during every break from school that I get!

Teach English in Thailand ◊ Take a road trip ◊ Build houses in a Mexican village ◊ Counsel at a children's art camp ◊ Work on a cruise ship ◊ Lead excursions in the Grand Canyon ◊ Intern at a wildlife sanctuary ◊ Bike (or drive) across America ◊ Guide snorkeling groups in Australia ◊ Hike along the Pacific Trail ◊ Create (and fund) your own service project ◊ Travel around the globe on one affordable plane ticket ◊ And much more!

(I like how the first thing on the list is teaching English in Thailand...) Some of these jobs even pay you! Wow. Who could resist!?
Anyways, I spent an entire afternoon looking over their website the other day. Go check it out at delayingtherealworld.com!

Northwestern College

2005-09-07T23:22:00.000-05:00

So, I transferred to a new school this semester. Northwestern College, Roseville, MN. And classes started a couple weeks ago already. I'm taking 17 credits including "Intro to Christian Ministry", "Honors: Literature of Humor", "Christian Thought", "Bible Study Methods", and "Basic Computer Applications." (It shouldn't be too bad of a load.)

I've met some neat people already. One girl smuggled Bibles into China but she got caught, so she didn't really, I guess. Another girl just returned from six months on a Mercy Ship in West Africa! Yeah-that's what I'm talking about! And then there's the Asian girls.

The professors are pretty interesting too...

My friends forgot to tell me how cheesy orientation would be, so I ended up going. BIG MISTAKE! : ) We played the infamous "Name Game." I'll just say it wasn't pretty. Don't deny it, you all know what I mean! Then we entered the auditorium for the first meeting and they were playing 'Who Am I?' by Casting Crowns. Classic. Truly classic.

This is what college students REALLY do all day: [10 pts for guessing correctly the masked sumo-ers]

Google Talk Beta

2005-09-07T00:38:00.000-05:00

Alright everybody, I'm very anxious to try out Google's new instant messenging program. I know, you're probably saying to yourself: "What the heck? Another instant messenger!? I've already got AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, etc...! Gimme a break!"

Well. I said that to myself too. Then I got over myself, and downloaded it. (google.com/talk) I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet! It spouts that you can 'talk through your computer but hear your friends as if they were in the same room.'

Let's put them to the test. Interested? I think so...

Mambo CMS is now Joomla!

2005-09-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

The Mambo development team, after splitting from Miro earlier this year, have come up with their new name for what I believe is the best open source content management system out there. Joomla!. Apparently, the exclamation point is part of the name? I kind of like it... In Swahili it means "all together" or "as a whole." Cool, eh!?

Project leader Andrew Eddie says on joomla.org: "This forthcoming release will be a celebration for everyone. It marks the continuation of one of the best open source software collaborations without commercial restraint or intervention. [...] Now the word is out and Joomla! has been born, we are focused on continuing our award-winning work and taking the project to new heights."

Version 1.0 of Joomla! is a rebranded release of Mambo version 4.5.2.3 combined with bug and security patches. It's scheduled to be out some time in September! I wait for it with eager anticipation.

They're off!

2005-09-06T00:07:00.000-05:00

This one goes out to my good friends Tim and Jamie...

They left for Thailand yesterday and will be greatly missed by many! I've said this before, but I'm officially jealous of their move. Why can't I move to Thailand!? Someday, someday. : )

Anyways, please keep them in your prayers and go support what they're doing. They're definitely in it for the long haul-

Website: www.thegocenter.com
Blog: www.thegocenter.com/ourstory

(Tim, Anne, and Jamie)

Hear & Speak No Evil?

2005-09-04T10:55:00.000-05:00

enter powerful advertising at the mall...

[edit] What do you think it means?

I Heart Asians

2005-09-03T01:17:00.000-05:00

I love this:

And I ask myself, "What the heck makes them do this whenever they take pictures?" We may never know. The beauty of inter-cultural study is the obsurdy of one thing in one culture and that same thing being a norm in another. I love it.

And in preparing for the future, I've acquired this book:

I've heard from a good source that there's a tall Asian girl who attends the University of Minnesota. I decided to go scope out the situation. To my amazement, as I was driving down Washington Ave., there was a beautiful, tall Asian on the side of the road in a crowd in front of one of the cafes. And quess what!? She was wearing an "I Heart Africa" t-shirt! It was love at first sight. I continued down the roadway because I had to, but decided to take one last glance back. As soon as I turned, reality hit me like a hammer. I saw her jump down from a bus-stop bench returning her to munchkinity.

You may think I'm superficial. I think I'm just special.

The Rubics Cube

2005-08-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Leadership Cliches

2005-08-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

Over the summer, I learned a number of "leadership cliches", if you will. I'd like to share them with you. I searched for leadership on 'the most comprehensive image search on the web' and this cartoon was the first image on the list. Interesting, eh? I hope this wasn't me!

Don't sell yourself, be yourself.

Overcommunication is very underrated.

You can make an event out of anything. (This one goes out to Johnny B!)

Complaining is just like lying- It's wrong and I hate it.

Safety is relative.

The G8 Summit

2005-08-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

As I was going through all my emails from the past two months, I found this one on the G8 summit. I remember praying for it while I was in Africa. I remember hearing of the bombings in London at a secondary school's chapel service. I also remember the principal comparing littering to 'little acts of terror.' After that service, I remember trying to explain the G8 summit to my team. 'Couldn't find the words... So, here's some words:

"The 2005 G8 Summit took place against a background of tragedy. The attacks in London yesterday focused all of our attentions on the terrible waste that each and every life lost always represents. Our thoughts are with the friends and family of those killed and those who were injured.

At a time when terrorists have shown such disregard for our shared humanity, Make Poverty History is a living embodiment of it.

Never before have so many people stood in solidarity with the poor. While there is a great deal more G8 leaders should have done in Gleneagles, today they responded to our campaign for justice by making significant commitments to increase aid, cancelling some of the debts of some of the world's poorest countries, and saying they will apply fewer conditions to them. They also agreed to strive for access to AIDS treatment for all by 2010. These commitments will give hope and life to millions of the world's poorest people, and they're down to you.

Today's announcement marks a turning point in the human story, but it falls far short of the plan that would truly make poverty history. To do that, and secure a place in history, world leaders must go a lot further at 2 crucial talks later in the year - the UN Millennium Development Goals summit and World Trade Organisation talks - and we need your continued help to make sure they act.

Millions of people are trapped in the prison of poverty. Today the G8 chose not to do all that we have asked them that could set those people free. The people of the world are already on the road to justice. They expect their leaders to be with them. Today's announcement has shown that the G8 need to run much faster to catch up."

-makepovertyhistory.org

Missionary Conquest

2005-08-14T22:36:00.000-05:00

Don't miss this exciting game of laughter and strategy! Travel around the world as a missionary and learn to finance your trips with wise investments.

Good decisions and risks are major factors in this wonderful game. No Bible knowledge is required to play, win or to enjoy this game.

Visit Bible Games Company today!

Liquid Beats

2005-08-13T01:09:00.000-05:00

In my thirst for a live music performance, I ended up going to a "progressive" hip-hop show this evening with some friends - friends who I haven't seen in two months, I might add.

Being modest, though, it was pretty hot stuff! 'You ever heard of Liquid Beats? Neither had I. Until now. They totally rocked the party. If I was a professional band reviewer, I would definitely give them 4 thumbs up. But since I'm not a professional band reviewer and since I don't have 4 thumbs, I'll leave the specifics of the concert up to your imagination.

Pigeon John was there with DJ Maj too... They was all hot. After the show everyone got their groove on, including me. [Too bad I stink at limbo.]

Anyways, I stuck around until the deejay began playing the song "Shackles" by Mary Mary.

That's always my cue to leave.

Why I use PCs

2005-08-12T22:48:00.000-05:00

I found this link on brianorme.com. It's pretty much classic.

I am a Manly Man

2005-08-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

Africa was breathtaking. Pictures will be up shortly. Maybe some stories with the pictures....

This goes out to my friend SarahG whose spoken words spoke to me. Ha!

Time for Botswana

2005-06-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

Hey all-

I am in Texas meeting my new team and learning the AIDS awareness curriculum, etc. It's rather exciting! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

I won't be writing any more on this here thingy, but I have an email list that you can join that I'll be using to send out updates when I am able to. I'll be back in two months!

Join my email list!

You Might Be A Redneck Jedi If...

2005-06-08T02:56:00.000-05:00

Call me a geek, but I've only seen the new Star Wars movie twice. Instead of writing a review on what I thought of the movie, I'll make fun of it! And what better way to make fun of rednecks... Hey, it's okay, some of my best friends are rednecks. Hmm, Jedis too.

You Might Be A Redneck Jedi If...

-that "disturbance in the Force" was just last night's baked beans.
-your landspeeder has a gun rack.
-you use Jawas for drink holders.
-your Jedi robe is camouflage colored.
-you can easily describe the taste of an Ewok.
-your father has ever said to you, "Shoot, son, come on over t' the
-dark side...it'll be a hoot."
-you count B.O. as a Jedi power.
-you have ever used a lightsaber to skin a deer.
-you have a cousin who bears a strong resemblance to Chewbacca.
-you hear . . . "Luke, I am your father . . . and your uncle!"

more

Groups in GMail

2005-06-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

In leaving for my trip to Africa, I wanted to figure out a way to send an email from my GMail account to a predetermined list of people without entering all of their addresses separately. Well, I'll be... I did it. 'Very simple, actually.

On the Contacts page, click 'Add Contact.' In the Name field, write your list name. In the Email field enter all the addresses you want for your list separating them with a ">,<" without the quotations and without any spaces. It's that easy, and when you write your email, send it to the list name you specified! Pretty schnazzy.

AND, if you want to receive updates from me while I'm on my trip, let me know! I'll be gone a long while and won't be writing on this here blog thingy... (I don't promise how often you'll receive updates either; I'll be in the desert.)

Real Worship

2005-06-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

I found this on wittenburgdoor.com. One of my favorites.

Bless This Mess

2005-06-04T03:02:00.000-05:00

Being an avid reader of the Citypages, finding spiritual things discussed is always exciting. In the May 25 issue, Jim Walsh had an intriguing article.

Link

I remember a time back in high school when I went out evangelizing on West Broadway with some friends. There was this guy carrying some groceries and he didn't have time to talk, so I said, "God bless you!" He stopped, turned around, and replied sternly, "Bless you, you ****."

In my ignorance, I was completely disgruntled. How dare he use that kind of language with me!

I completely overlooked the fact that he actually blessed me back! This article asks the question, "Does God hang around casinos and Kenny G. shows?" Of course He does, He's God.

Download this!

2005-06-03T23:41:00.000-05:00

Hey- Go here and download the sermon titled "Change the World Sunday"...

I had to give a speech at my graduation tonight. Yeah, I talked about changing the world. The key-note speaker mentioned my speech when she got up there and added that 'Daniel', as a one man world-changer, won't change anything. That's where Jesus comes in. Thank you for that.....

"Wireless Broadband in church"

2005-06-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

I read this article this morning in BBCnews Wales. I just liked the quotes:

"I couldn't do my job without one and it has made me more aware of other people's needs."

"The church is a sanctuary for everyone, including business people with laptops and mobiles who may want to find a quiet area without lots of noise and loud music to sit in peace and do some work or just send an e-mail."

"It's fitting that people on the move can stop anywhere, even a city centre church, and access their e-mails in peace and quiet without wires."

My first Taste Test

2005-05-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to raise the last few bucks for my trip this summer and in my desperation I signed up for a taste test. Have any of you ever done this before? It was great!

On my way to work, I stopped at this fellowship hall place for an hour and ate food. I had to sign an agreement that said I wouldn't tell anyone what food I tasted, so, sorry for the suspense. Just know this that it was really good and I got $45 for an hour of eating.

'Great deal if you ask me. I'll do a taste test any day!

Who's in the HOUSE?

2005-05-31T11:12:00.000-05:00

Carman.

That's who was in the house Sunday night... You guessed it! I went to a Carman concert. Now, I honestly don't listen to this guy anymore, but I had a wonderful time of reflection while I was rockin' out. Why don't I listen to Carman these days? I could still quote every stinking song word for word. He used to be the only artist I ever listened to, in fact. Even more hilarious, I think his was the first music I ever listened to religiously.

After the concert, I went over to Starbucks and hunkered down for a bit to read a certain debate that I had printed out. The debate was between Douglas Wilson and Jeffrey Ventrella on the topic of "Contemporary Worship." (Link) Wilson is a 'postmillenialist' and he believes in the progression and maturing of the church as times and generations go on for the furthering of the gospel.
"The prevailing musical culture of the contemporary church is trite and superficial. Since God must be worshipped with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28), the soundtrack that goes with this worship should match." Very interesting terms. Later on he states that he's a beginner when it comes to playing the guitar, but that even he can play well-known contemporary worship songs. Should musical worship to the Almighty only be done in extravagant choruses by professional musicians? Hmm.

So, in reading that, I figured out my I don't listen to Carman anymore. It's pretty simple. I've grown and matured over the past 21 years and my taste for music has done the same. I don't get the same thing out of Carman's music that I did when I was 10. He's still great and wonderful and all, but more often than not I'd rather listen to Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Damien Rice, and Miles Davis, etc...
(I wonder if this is a rip on Carman.)

EDIT: I still listen to Jump5.

The Interpreter

2005-05-29T01:07:00.000-05:00

'Don't know how I'll be getting to sleep tonight...

I just got back from watching The Interpreter. I recommend anyone who cares about what's going on in the world to go see this movie. The last two hours were so emotionally and morally riveting, I had to remind myself it was just a movie. Maybe it's because this is what I want to do with my life: help stop crimes against humanity. Gosh, this touched my heart.

Matoba may be a fictional country, and Ku may be a fictional language, but genocide is not fictional at all. It's real. Along with AIDS, tsunamis, disease, extreme poverty, prostitution rings, and unjust wars; they're all real, and going on in our world today.

Here's a link to some real, non-fiction photos: (they're pretty intense)
Link

Eshe de David de Hasselhoff

2005-05-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

Speaking of David Hasselhoff... did you see the finale of American Idol? This isn't a show I normally watch, but this evening I was drawn to the music. It was classic. They had the Top 10 Worst Auditioners and everything. Why did you bring up Mr. Hasselhoff, you ask!? Well, there were these two guys way back at the auditioning phase of the show that weren't very good singers at all. Randy asked one of them where he got his inspiration. The guy answers, "Baywatch." Baywatch? He then asked why he would ever watch Baywatch. The guy now answers, "David Hasselhoff." Ah, it all makes sense now. David Hasselhoff had that CD that I'd never heard about, but was apparently huge in Japan and that's what inspired this guy to take a shot at singing. It didn't work out very well and he was rejected before he was even done with his routine. As a courtesy to the fellas, they brought them to the finale show. And then, in classic reality television, David Hasselhoff appeared out of the crowd and surprised the heebie jeebies out of them. It was great.

David Hasselhoff will always be my American Idol.

Modern Evangelism

2005-05-24T23:59:00.000-05:00

Them: Knock, knock

Me: Who's there?

Them: Jesus.

Me: Jesus who?

Them: Looks like you're going to hell...

Oh man.

'Good as gold!

2005-05-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

I struck gold today. I found a long lost Wal-Mart gift card! Talk about hidden treasure!

I am now able to acquire some much needed supplies for my trip. They sent out a packing list last weekend and here are some interesting things listed on it:

>Sunscreen/Aloe for bums (Will my bum even be in the sun?)
>Small scrub brush for clothes (Scrubbing my own clothes, eh?)
>Sleeping pad for bumpy ground (Yeah, that's right.)
>Money (Where can I get some Zimbabwean & Botswanean cash?)

I accept donations too.

Linux by Libranet

2005-05-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

I recently acquired an old computer. In deciding what to do with it, I concluded to take the Linux plunge. My whole life, I've been a Windows PC user. Boy, have I been missing out!

Libranet is a pretty nifty operating system. I made a bootable cd out of the downloaded 'iso' file and started her up. It installed everything automatically- and very smoothly I might add. The drivers loaded fine too. So, here I am, starting my new life in a linux environment. We'll see where it takes me. Here's some shots of what the desktop looks like:

Screenshot Link #1

Screenshot Link #2

Books to read

2005-05-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

I have so many books to read in these 'last' three weeks. (That's libros for all of my Hispanic readers.) One more week of classes and those books will be over with, but then there's the leadership, understanding your future, spirituality, African culture, emerging church ones that I'm wanting to start.

If anyone would like to read some books for me and let me know what they're about, etc, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Growing up

2005-05-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

Okay. People can officially stop asking "what are you going to do when you grow up?" I'm not going to answer it the way they'd want. We've been asking that wrong question for decades. It's such a modern question anyways. The person asking it wants to know 'what' you want to do as in the works/formula side of things. (I want to figure you out by judging on WHAT you want to do...etc.)

If you really want to get to know someone, ask a deeper question. Don't just find out the 'what.' Find the 'why.'

"So, why are you going to do what you want to do when you grow up?" What an awesome question. This gives all the room needed for real passion to come out and less room for judgment. In building relationships, actual relate-ability is key. In learning different cultures, the same thing is true. Relating the other culture to yours is the only way to really understand it. With every language I hope to learn in the future, I'll always relate in English. No matter what. That's my culture.

I want to do what I want to do when I grow up because there's an overabundance of social injustice going on in this world and I need to do something. I need to go somewhere and do something. I don't plan on ever 'growing up' either...

Top 10 - Musicwise

2005-05-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it here on this blog thingy, "The iPod [or mp3 players in general] is the best invention since the printing press." I stand by my man.

Amount of music files on my computer: 30gb

The last CD I bought: Anika Moa's Thinking Room

Song playing right now: Revolution by The Beatles

Top Ten Most Played songs on my iPod:
1. Kelly Clarkson - Since You've Been Gone
2. P.O.D. - Find My Way
3. The Zutons - Railroad
4. John Mayer - Daughters
5. Kenny Chesney - Keg In The Closet (in honor of Big Country Truckin')
6. Gavin DeGraw - Belief (acoustic)
7. Seventh Day Slumber - Caroline
8. Mutemath - Control
9. Shawn McDonald - Gravity
10. Haley Bonar - Drinking Again

I am shamed at this list. Carman came in at a close "11."

This goes out to phil @ philcrissman.com who passed me the musical baton. I pass it on to you.

TechDirt Wireless

2005-05-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

I subscribed to TechDirt's Daily Wireless email list and they send me blog entries every day. Lately, they've been writing about the fuss brewing about mobile television on cell phones.

Mobile television on cell phones!? Just what we needed! So, I'll give my opinion now... I think it stinks. I barely watch TV in the first place, and to have another application on my cell phone would be too much. The line needs to be drawn somewhere, and I think the mobile television issue is a good place to mark it.

When it starts going the other way, then we know it's really gone awry. I mean if we go to the store and buy an MP3 player with a cell phone on the side... What does that tell ya?

Life on Suopark: Part 1

2005-05-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

External link

10 pounds in 10 minutes

2005-05-16T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hey! I'm half the way to my weight loss goal for the month... All I had to do was visit the Cheap Chop Shop and get a haircut. My hairdresser said that I lost ten pounds. Ten more to go.

Pentecost Sunday

2005-05-15T23:40:00.000-05:00

I went to a Seventh Day Adventist Church today. It was great! Christ Community Church meets in their building on Sundays. Very cool. An evangelist from Poland was speaking and he shared about ministry to alcoholics, drug addicts, and the homeless. I'll have to make my way to Poland one of these years.

Anyways, being Pentecost, be sure to remember the Holy Spirit's work in the earth. That's what they said at church this morning. At least I think so...I was a little tired.

The Amazing GrrRace

2005-05-13T23:04:00.000-05:00

I wrote this for composition class...(not the verse, of course)

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24
Life is like a huge reality television show. It has everyday people participating, it’s unrehearsed, and the most important part- it’s real. The Amazing Race is the most exhilarating reality program of them all. The ability to relate to the contestants is unmatched. Eleven teams of two from differing backgrounds and with different relations compete in a race around the world for a million dollars. At the end of each episode, the last team to arrive has the potential of being eliminated. I won’t lie, it is pretty amazing. The truly beautiful part of the whole thing is what’s called the “non-elimination round.” The non-elimination round is pretty much a flawless portrayal of what the grace of God is like in our lives.

There’s this team. They have been running and pushing and trying their hardest the entire show just like all the other teams…but they come in last. In terms of the rules, they lose. They weren’t fast enough and ultimately, they weren’t good enough. The host utters those dreadful words, “I’m sorry to tell you, but you guys are the last team to arrive.” There’s a long pause, undoubtedly added for dramatic effect, and he continues, “But I’m happy to say that this is a non-elimination round, and you have NOT been eliminated from the race.” Much rejoicing ensues, but reality follows shortly after. They have to give up all of their money and possessions to continue on in the race with nothing to their name.

All of us are like that team who deserves elimination. The Apostle Paul worded it great when he said that our lives are worth nothing unless we finish God’s task of telling the world about His grace. Even though we are all sinners and screw up all the time, God’s amazing, unlimited grace is always there telling us that we’re not eliminated and that we can still finish this race.

Congratulations Uchenna and Joyce for winning the 7th Amazing Race! You've made the fans proud...

Link

They fixed Firefox

2005-05-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

For all you Mozilla Firefox users out there, the developers have fixed the critical security flaws that were found by this guy in Denmark last week. Download the newest version here. This is obviously very exciting and not just because I work with computers. Everyone who thinks that Microsoft has monopolized the Internet browser market should be excited. There's competition! I heard they've just reported their 50 millionth download. Go them.

And it's still free... I heart free stuff.

The boys of News

2005-05-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

I'm probably just being critical.

Starbucks Blues

2005-05-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

I was determined not to visit my "home" Starbucks this afternoon. It turns out, though, that it's the only one in the area. So after driving around for about an hour, I ended up attending my normal one anyways. I could have gone in one of those small ones in Target, but it just wouldn't have been the same.

They had a new drink. It's called the 'Mint Mocha Chip - Frappacino Blended Coffee'. Now that I've thoroughly given them enough free advertising, I didn't like it at all. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Way too minty.

And isn't Starbucks' cocoa made with the sweat of Central American child labor? Hmm...

Addendum: My new friend who used to work at Starbucks said that they were one of the most socially responsibly companies she had ever seen. She also mentioned the one Fair Trade Blend that they had. Is this biased?

2nd Addendum: A friend of a friend who has a friend says, "They used
to import their beans primarily from Chiapas, Mexico for about 40 cents
a pound. Most fair traders know that farmers need about 60 cents a pound
in order to break even...Last I heard, they
had raised their wages to about 80 cents a pound, which is a lot better
than it had been. 1.20 is the standard that they would have to meet in
order for the farmers to really make a living, but 80 cents is sure
better than 40." More bias, I suppose.

Edgar

2005-05-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Alright... I'm gonna lose 20 pounds this next month. Yep. I just ran 2 miles to prove it to myself. AND, I just ate 5 homemade chocolate chip cookies as a reward... This last month before I leave should be mighty fun! : )

After church on Sunday, I met this guy named Edgar. Earlier in the service, I had gone up front and shared a little about my trip and everyone prayed for me. He came in at the end of what I was saying and wanted to find out more. I told him. He then started sharing with me about this program that he had started in the inner-city schools downtown St. Paul five years ago. It was designed to curb violence among youth. Kids would come to his program after being expelled from other schools. He said it was so hard at first because these students were so accustomed to fighting their way through things. But he said the concept began to catch on. They didn't need to fight! He also said they began to realize how powerful words were and that using them instead of their fists was a better way to live. When new kids got sent to his program, it got to a point when he wouldn't have to do anything to convince them not to fight anymore, the other students did it themselves! Someone would start to fight, and kids that have been there awhile would step in and start mediating.

I was amazed at this story! Go Edgar! What a legacy... Then I opened my mouth. I asked, "That's so cool! How's that program going now?" As politely as he could, he replied, "Umm, the program got cancelled in the last budget cut. I've had to start from scratch without government help. So, it's going slowly these days."

It's one thing when I hear stories on the news, another when someone tells me firsthand. I don't know what to say about this one.

This cartoon is depicting President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" Act. It's pretty hilarious. ->

What's going on?

2005-05-05T22:21:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen the movie, Hotel Rwanda? Well, it's a true story. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed by government-backed genocide. This image reads President Clinton's public apology to the people of Rwanda for our lack of movement in the mid-90s. He promised the world that America would not let it happen again.

It's happening again. Darfur, Sudan: 400,000 people dead - 2,000,000 people displaced - 200,000 have fled. In the aforementioned movie, one of the 'guys in the media' responded to a question about why he wouldn't put footage on international television. "We can put it on TV, but it won't change anything. People will see it and say, 'Oh, that's terrible...', and go on eating their dinner."

Politics are so sticky sometimes. (Pretty much all the time, actually.) You can say that our president is doing so much good in the world already and liberating so many people as it is... I say, why not at least provide some provisions for our neighbors in Sudan? Being American, I have mucho responsibility in our neighborhood, the world. Being a follower of the Way, I have mucho mas responsibility.

Put your dinner down and do something.

What CAN you do? Great question. Situations can be talked about all day, but solutions are what's needed. Nicholas Kristof, of the New York Times, said that it will take public pressure from both Republicans and Democrats alike to drag President Bush into this dier situation. The Red Cross and other organizations need people to help with the humanitarian aid. Refugee camps in Chad need medical help. The people need your help. Start pressuring your government to do something. Send money to relief centers. Go yourself. It sounds redundant, but it'll make a difference in someone's life.

Email President Bush today!

One.org

2005-05-05T11:39:00.000-05:00

thoughts?

The Ultimate USB Drive

2005-05-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

This goes out to all you consumers out there: The Swiss-Army knife with a built-in USB flash drive from ThinkGeek.com. If you're someone who has to have all the latest gadgets, you'd better jump on this one. It's a winner. The next iPod... I promise.

Is it materialistic or just helping out the economy? Is it really useful or do people who usually carry around knifes want to carry around flash drives as well?

"There are a lot of things to complain about. There are also a lot of people who need our help."
-Rob Bell

A Tribute to Meredith & Gretchen

2005-05-03T21:51:00.000-05:00

These two people have been the epitome of some amazing grace on the current run of "The Amazing Race." They have been the oldest couple to make it to the second to the last leg. They were spared from elimination back in Africa and had to give up everything but the clothes on their back. The allegory here is almost too much. They kept going. When I get on the show, I will remember forever the fortitude of Meredith and Gretchen. (They got eliminated from the race this evening.)

Link

I love these guys.

Bright Eyes

2005-05-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

I was watching Leno tonight, mainly because I heard that Bright Eyes would be performing. At the beginning of the program, Jay mentioned that he (the singer who is "Bright Eyes") would be singing a controversial single referring to President Bush's actions as of late. My ears perked up even further. This was going to be interesting... "When the President Talks to God."

"Are the conversations short or long?" "Does God suggest an oil hike?" "Is every issue black or white?" "Does he agree with which convicts be killed?" "When the President Talks to God." "Do they pick which countries to invade?" "Can Muslims still be saved?" "When the President Talks to God." [just some snippets from the song]

You can download the single for free through iTunes:
http://www.saddle-creek.com/bands/brighteyes

I should have written this song. People say all the time that they've heard from God. A lot of the time, what they hear doesn't sound like something God would say. Maybe it's that other God...or something.

What's to think?

My strange life

2005-05-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

I spent the weekend in the woods. St. Croix State Park to be exact. I needed to get away. Focus. The overwhelming became much less so. The questions that I had had fostered many more. Bring it on Africa. On the way home, I stopped for dinner and locked my keys in my car. The police station told me to call Bruce. Bruce was a locksmith. Bruce drove a white hearse.

Bruce used to be a professional wrestler. Bruce charged an arm and a leg. I got out of there with my socks...

I have officially won the "Strangest Life" award for the white American male category.

This one too...

2005-04-30T00:25:00.000-05:00

"I felt like a fourth-rate Bono. Later on I felt like a third-rate Bono, and hopefully it'll escalate until I feel like a full-on Bono."
-Chris Martin

My trip to Mexico

2005-04-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

*.wmv file...
Music by Sixpence None The Richer, delirious, Marcos Witt, and Sandi Patty

Poverty's real

2005-04-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

800 million people live in needless poverty... someone dies because of it every three seconds...

help makepovertyhistory.org

Horseshoe nail

2005-04-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

*.wmv file...

Accompaniment provided by The Killers