Quiz time! It's a short one... and Kim, we're 83% compatible!
I'm a generally... conservative, not-too-generous, not-too-selfish, relatively well adjusted human being!
See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey
Another amazing film - this will be released to a limited number of theaters in January, to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of 5 American missionaries killed in Ecuador. The film focuses on one of the Indians they were trying to reach, and how his life intertwined with the missionary families, even after the murders.
This is one of the amazing films we saw at this year's Heartland Film Festival . A must-see - a documentary about the HIV crisis in Swaziland and some American teens who went on a short-term mission project to teach abstinence. The culture they discovered was surprisingly complicated and tragic. The film's name comes from a box they used in which the students could write letters and ask questions anonymously that they otherwise would not ask. Check it out; you will be moved.
A lot of viewers have come into the show recently and are asking for recommendations of earlier performances - mp3's and videos to find online. So here are my suggestions, in no particular order (and yes, I realize I left a few contestants out; they just didn't have anything that really stood out for me). One more disclaimer: I did not know a good portion of these songs before the show, so I couldn't compare them to the originals, so I may have liked them more than those who do know the originals. This covers the show through Week 9 (Sept 7) and does not include this week's Top 4 performances.
Ty - No Woman, No Cry, Heartbreaker, Everybody Hurts
Jessica - Purple Haze, Disappear
JD - California Dreamin', Cold As Ice, Come As You Are, Mystify
Deanna - Should I Stay or Should I Go
Suzie - Never Tear Us Apart (which she actually did twice; both are good), Bitter Tears, Bring It On Home, and Bohemian Rhapsody
Jordis - Heart Shaped Box, Man Who Sold the World
MiG - Lola, We Will Rock You, Live and Let Die
Brandon - Devil Inside
Marty - Lithium, Mr. Brightside, Don't Change, Wish You Were Here, Everlong
I'm excited for an awesome finale next week but sad the show will be ending. And, truly clueless as to who Our Band: INXS will choose!
Marty RockStar Casey!! Wow, the show *rocked* tonight!! Everyone was good, but JD and Marty's intensity and bouncy originals stole the show. Yay them!! (Or, as my Canadian friends would say, Good on them!)
RockStar:INXS, Week 9 - Top 5! (9-6-05)
JD kicked off the show with a mellow arrangement of Nirvana's Come As You Are, which really showed off his vocals (just gorgeous in the higher range). Then his original song, Vegas Pretty, which used the INXS bass/rhythm track from the songwriting clinic a few weeks ago. Great combination & flow of style; creative (sang w/a megaphone!), and had the audience totally involved from the intro. JD is BACK!
Suzie did an awesome, subdued I Can't Make You Love Me, sitting on a stool & just letting her beautiful voice be the focus. (For the 2nd week in a row, doing a song Constantine did, but differently enough that I can love them both!) Her original, Soul Life, was good... reminds me of something or someone I can't put my finger on. I believe she cowrote with Ty although that wasn't mentioned tonight.
MiG rocked the house with Hard to Handle & really slowed things down as he accompanied himself on piano for Home In Me, which is about losing someone (a death) and then moving on. The combination really show how versatile he is, and I would totally follow him as a solo artist because I like the soft rock/ballady style he seems to favor. The guys did comment, as they did for Suzie, that musically it doesn't 'go' with INXS.
Jordis redeemed herself a bit with We Are the Champions and her original, Try Not (cowritten with Marty, and Yoda). I thought she struggled w/the high notes in WATC, but Dave complimented her for that. I enjoyed Try Not - it didn't seem musically predictable to me, it held my attention - but Dave apparently didn't, asking if she'd lost her "fire." She admitted the song was about her struggles during the course of the show not to lose herself in the pressure. The band coddled and didn't end up giving any feedback, positive or negative (that was aired, anyway). It's just time for her to go home.
mmmMarty!!! Sang Everlong acoustic - Jim & Rafi on acoustic guitar, the 3 of them on stools, and Paul with some light keyboards behind them. Very, very good. He's definitely shown INXS he's willing to compromise & work w/their suggestions. I think with some vocal coaching and more encouragement to actually sing (instead of scream), he could have a really great (and versatile) voice! And wow he can sing with power in the lower range! What do I say about Trees? As Dave said, this could be a radio hit tomorrow! I totally see it fitting with INXS's style, and it's fun, catchy, about a guy "trying to get a girl to love him." Awww! He's so well-spoken & interacted w/the audience really well - he's also pretty much become the 'narrator' of the segments from the mansion! (Hmm, seems like all my favorites end up w/that role, interestingly enough - Justin, Clay, and Connie all did the same! And are all really, really tall too....)
Well I'd better go vote so that I can hear it again tomorrow night! I *so* do not want this show to end in 2 weeks! Sigh. Oh and the guys are giving all of their proceeds from MSN Downloads this week to the Red Cross for hurricane relief. So go get some music! And pass the Kool-Aid. ;-)
They're not great, but here's what I've got!
Constantine
More Connie
Vonzell
Anthony
Nadia
More Nadia
Anwar
Bo
Bo & Carrie duet
Group
Group
I’m getting a little fuzzy on song names, & was out of town (again), so I apologize for the delay. But here’s the rest!
Anwar started the 2nd half with Superstition at the keyboard. He is an awesome keyboard player!! (I read that he offered to play for / write with / produce several other idols’ albums, & I hope they take him up on it!)
Next Vonzell came out and Anwar played for her while she sang her first song (Karma), then he left. Just like on the show, I loved her slow, belty song (I Have Nothing) and didn’t like the fast ones at all (I’m Every Woman & The Best of My Love). For one thing they had her way too loud and she was yelling anyway, so it was a bit cringe-worthy for my ears. Honestly I think that was my least favorite part of the night, which surprised me. I guess I’d just heard so much good stuff I didn’t want to waste my time being bored (and deafened).
However, Anthony was next! My feelings for Anthony went up & down throughout the course of the show, and took a rocket to the stratosphere when I heard his part on the CD single "He Ain’t Heavy." (I think he sounds like Dennis DeYoung, whom I adore.) So I was really looking forward to hearing him live, and he didn’t disappoint! Sounded really good, though his voice cracked on a high note on his last song, and he looked startled & said something about how we (the crowd) "wore him out." He was somewhat belty too but it works for him & the sound was ok and it was lurvely. Oh yeah, and I had heard friends describe him as innocently adorable ("so cute you could just eat him with a spoon"), which I agreed with for the most part. But boy has hips that swivel on Marc Anthony songs, and took a few steps out of the ‘nonthreatening kid’ box for a while there. ;-) The girls in the front row were delirious when he came down and stood/danced right by them for the majority of his last song. He sang Every Time You Go Away, Can You Stop the Rain, and I’ve Got You.
Finally time for Bo! Huge crowd response, and here he came, hobbling out. He sat at the keyboard for Desperado; played some intro, sang the song, & played a few measures toward the end. Not sure why he wanted to play at all for just small parts of the song, but whatever. Very nice. Then he did Vehicle, and stood on our corner of the stage for a lot of it, but that song just doesn’t do a lot for me. Plus they had him a bit loud, and the higher stuff sounded too nasal, instead of his usual lower voice which is a bit husky. And then really jammed on Voodoo Child, playing electric guitar… on which he is awesome, & there were a lot of instrumental parts and funky red swirling lights all over the place, very appropriate for the 70’s rock feel. Except that I’m not familiar w/the song and couldn’t understand the words and didn’t get much enjoyment at all out of it! Boo. And then of course he ended w/Sweet Home Alabama, which was very good. Oh, and he had his hair back in a pony tail, which was nice, as you could see more of his facial expressions & he’s not a bad-looking guy either. He also told a few really bad jokes, as is his habit.
Lastly Carrie – I was actually impressed w/her stage presence (especially during the 1st song, Sin Wagon, she really moved around the whole stage, danced a bit, & wore/held a cowboy hat). But again the sound was too loud and while belting is what she does best, it was a bit much. She did Alone, Independence Day, and In Your Heaven. On the last one the entire cast came out and joined her, thus ending the regular part of the show.
I should also mention that every performer made a big point of thanking us all for being there, watching the show, and supporting them in general.
Encore!
Carrie & Bo sat on stools and played acoustic guitar while singing God Blessed the Broken Road. Their voices blend very well together. Then group numbers. These were a blast! I’ve attended every Idol tour, and while most of the vocalists this year can handle more solos, I do miss the cheesy group medleys with poorly executed choreography and ‘pointy poses.’ Anyway, they did Lean on Me and then R.O.C.K. in the USA. Both were much fun, and I tried to watch both Constantine and Anthony the whole time which was a challenge. Connie is such a ham and is just always entertaining! And he’s good at "embracing the cheese" and having fun… Anthony was having a blast too.
I was sad when it was over, of course. We got a good 2 ½ hours of music, and definitely worth the price tag (and 7+ hour round-trip drive). Now I guess I wait for their albums!!
One other comment, I’ve been to quite a few concerts over the years and it’s typical for the audience to scream/applaud at the beginning of a song when they recognize something they like. Well, I did this a few times, but the audience in general usually waited until the person started singing, or at least through much of the ‘intro’ to the songs. Is there a proper protocol on this? Just curious. Granted I knew a lot of the set list ahead of time, but something like "Desperado" is pretty recognizable right from the start, or so I thought.
Strange videos and a walking Pop-Tart were "provided" as we waited for the concert to begin (which was around 7:10). As far as the facility goes there were several things I liked: you can get to the floor seats from any entrance (in Indy you can’t); they not only allowed signs, they actually provided supplies in one area (no, I still didn’t make one), and the bag ‘search’ was just a glance. Then we were told only disposable cameras were allowed (they didn’t confiscate others just said to put them away), but they were lax on enforcing it & I even saw a security guy walk right past someone obviously taking video toward the end & he didn’t say a thing to her. Oh, also you could go up the aisle to take closer photos as long as you returned to your seat immediately thereafter.
We were in the center section on the floor, rows 19 (Gayl) and 20 (Gerry & I). Pretty good view, and we were on the right aisle so had an unobstructed view of that end of the stage. I saw a lot of Greek flags and all kinds of shirts for Connie, some for Bo & a few others. I did see signs for Scott & Carrie. Some for Anthony. But Con had the most. Also, at least in our section, there were a lot more adults and fewer kids & teens than I expected & than I’ve seen at previous Idol tours. Not sure why… the older performers attracted older fans? Or younger kids don’t do downtown Chicago on weeknights?? (I’ve never been to that arena before so I have no clue.)
First was Jessica who started w/her back (or should I say, her ‘bum’) toward the audience. She sang The Boys Are Back in Town, and sang it well. She was dressed conservatively (black pants, a tank or tee & jacket) & looks like she’s lost weight. They had the regular jumbo-trons at the sides and the big screen behind the stage had some special ‘rock star effect’ filter through which it showed the performer some of the time, & at others it showed their name, photos, or other things to go w/the particular song. She then did Shop Around which was also very good.
Anwar was next & was very, very good (I enjoyed him on the show too)! Started with House is Not a Home, mostly seated on a stool. Then What a Wonderful World. Very good. (And I’ll say that for almost everyone!)
Then CONSTANTINEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahem. EEEeeee!!! Ok, I think I’m done. ;-) Red jacket, black shirt & pants. My friends have said how skinny he looks but honestly with the black & black you couldn’t tell, & he still has the double chin. Not that it matters… hair was great, vocals were *amazing*, and all the performances were very, very good. Mind you that while I’m a huge fan of his, I’ll be the first to admit that his vocals were often less than pleasant on certain songs during the television show. Not true live. Strong & pure, lots of glory notes. Tons of audience interaction & a few times he gave the camera ‘the look’ for the Jumbotrons! Mentioned things like "slowing it down for the ladies" & took the jacket off to, of course, wild screams. Hard to Handle, My Funny Valentine, & Bohemian Rhapsody. All were wonderful. When he intro’d BR he said something about how we should listen to the lyrics because they describe what this past year has been like for him ("fantasy", etc.). Despite the release of this song on the Killer Queen album today, he didn’t mention it (I read he had in earlier shows, though I’m kind-of surprised since it’s not a 19E project; maybe they nixed his comments?).
Nikko came out next, & I felt a little sorry for his having to follow Connie, but he was really good too (started with Incomplete). Chatted quite a bit, asked people to dance w/him on Part-Time Lover, & then did a Justin Timberlake song with lots of well-executed choreography (Like I Love You??). Threw his Cardinals cap into the audience at one point; I was hoping he’d take the jacket off for his dancing but alas, he did not. (He would get more screams of his own if he did!)
Scott sang Against All Odds; not horrible, but not great & his voice cracked on the high notes. He had some chatter about how he wasn’t going to dance like Nikko, and how all his songs were low-key so that people could mellow out & sit for a bit, kind-of like a commercial. Then he said it was ok because people still get paid to do commercials. After that he started singing Total Eclipse of the Heart and Jessica came out for their duet, which, as everyone says, is fabulous! That song is beyond perfect for her, and she sang it beautifully. Scott then did one more song, She’s Gone, with a lot of background vocals on the track (smart move).
Nadia came out rocking on her guitar and sang The Power. And she still has the power; she is *soooooooo* good! I loved her on the show and thought she left way too early, and the live vocals cemented that opinion. Commanding stage presence and girl is a Rock. Star. She also did You Don’t Have to Say You Love and ended with Try a Little Tenderness. I also have to compliment her wardrobe, a black miniskirt with loose, flowing top over a rhinestone bra. Very flattering to her body shape, giving the illusion of, well, more than is really there. ;-)
I love Nadia!!
Intermission.
Part 1: the trip up
I left home around 9 am Monday, went to Sam’s Club for gas (still, ouch) & got to Gayl’s apt. at 9:30. We made great time & got to downtown Chicago in under 3 hours! Lunched & found the arena but the box office wasn’t open yet. So we headed toward American Girl-ville, or so we thought… Turns out Gayl’s computer had been down & she hadn’t been able to get specific directions or a map. Neither of us knew downtown well enough to wing it, but we tried, oh, we tried! ;-) And now we know Chicago much, much better, lol! After much ado, buying maps (that didn’t show the street we were looking for), turning around, surviving several one-way streets (I only turned the wrong way into one for about a block, and the cop right in front of us – eek! –apparently either didn’t notice or didn’t care), and starting to call her friend back in Indy, we found it! So we had just enough time to shop a bit, & were both good & didn’t spend any money! (I went to a clothing store & Borders.)
Then we headed back toward the arena & our dinner meet-up place. Found a decent enough parking lot and Gayl headed back over to see if she could buy a ticket… returning with a seat in the row in front of me and just 10 seats over!! Then for more coincidences, that purchase delayed our getting to the restaurant just enough that we literally arrived within 2 minutes of my other friend, with whom we cell-chatted as she parked and we all walked from different directions toward the place! Too funny. We had a nice meal and also talked to the waitress about the Clay concert her mom was dragging her to next week! “Somehow” she had found out we were Clay fans as well….
And speaking of that, this is out of chronological order - *gasp* - but Gerry & I were sitting right in front of, & got to meet, the girl Clay brought up on stage to sing with at last year’s Indiana State Fair!! Gerry also ‘ran into’ Bo’s grandma, which brings me back on topic, yay!
(to be continued...)
Since I already have this typed up & won't have time to think of much else about which to post until I'm done reading HARRY!, let's talk teevee music shows! I'm quite hooked on Rock Star. So here we go...
Rock Star Recap - Week 2 Performances:
Marty - "What I Like About You" - I just love to watch him! You can really tell he's an experienced performer. This was a bit harder rock style (so closer to what his band does).
Daphna - "I Hate Myself for Loving You" (Joan Jett) - Apparently Heather had wanted this song but let Daphna have it as a birthday present! It was less 'strange' than her other performances (which to me is a good thing), & she definitely responded to the band's comments last week by showing a more feminine/sexy side (& outfit). They like it; I thought it was just ok.
Ty - "Somebody Told Me" - one of 2 current hits done tonight. I thought it was awesome (as usual), though he sounded a bit out of breath toward the end (showing that while he can do a good rock performance, he's less experienced at it than several others). Comments were confusing… Dave asked if he had a lot of theatre background, & then just said "it shows." (Is that a good thing or a bad thing?!) INXS said that he acts like a solo performer but needs to remember they're a band looking for a lead singer, & then that they'd like to see more diversity from him. I think he was kind-of blindsided, just said "Thanks" & walked off w/a blank, surprised expression. Part of me is hoping they're as smart as Simon (did I just say that?) and are being extra-critical because they see so much potential. Then other parts of me remind myself that these middle-aged guys seem really excited at the prospect of watching a hot young female singer in front of them every night and probably would not think of &/or do the reverse psychology thing.
Suzie - "Roxanne" - weird arrangement, I wasn't sure if she missed her entrance (again) or not. Not a lot of words to remember; good & the band liked, but I *really* think she needs to do a different genre.
MiG - "Walk This Way" - He did it! I thought he might've missed some words in the 3rd verse, but the band thought he was awesome (several mentioned they were "impressed"). While he was obviously focusing very hard on the lyrics, he still looked comfortable on stage and interacted w/the crowd (& the band, I think?). Marks of an experienced (I would guess, don't know for sure) and talented performer. Played up the sex appeal too. Definitely a forerunner and my 2nd favorite behind Ty.
Neal - "Summer of '69" - He started out well, played guitar & had great stage presence & audience interaction. You could definitely hear his voice better on this, & I thought he might've been a bit flat on the higher notes. The band reminded him of their request to hear something "more melodic" & asked him if he thought he did that, to which he replied, "Oh yeah! And I rocked it!" erm, ok then. Having read that interview w/his band I understand his response a bit more - they really emphasize just liking simple, basic rock & have no desire to do songs w/deep meaning (or depth of vocal/musical range, apparently). Still.
Heather - "It's Only Rock & Roll" - good & showed off her voice, but I find her stage presence lacking. The band liked it (she was wearing a tank & did some sexy dancing, which *may* have been factors, ahem).
JD - "One Hand in My Pocket" (and the other flipping off his formerly friendly co-competitors?) - Performance was really, really good. Stood still at the mic which is very different for him & still had great stage presence. However… one of the band commented that he sensed JD is focused "on the prize" & the competition, to which JD replied that, while not meaning to 'dis' the lovely & talented people behind him, "they're learning INXS songs, but I know them because I love them." I'm still in shock that he said that, as, obviously, were several other contestants (of course the camera focused on their reaction). JD's gonna have a lonely night at the mansion, I'm thinking.
Tara - "Paranoid" - I'm not familiar w/the song, but I thought she did a very good job vocally. She seemed to be trying a little too hard to be sexy (& "rocker-y"), but the band liked it. Of course. ;)
Deanna - "The One I Love" - Started out mellow & rocked it up after that, which was good, but the band (after explaining they're really good friends w/REM & that the song has great emotion as written) said she should've stuck w/the mellow.
Jordis - "The Reason" - the opposite of Dave, I *love* this song. Perhaps because of that & because I adored her last week (I missed her 1st performance), I was disappointed. It was very good & better than several others, but she set the bar high! ;) Guys loved it.
Jessica - "Purple Haze" - Awesome! IMO by far the best female performance of the night. Awesome stage presence & the style really seemed to fit her. Interestingly the band said it was too similar style-wise to her previous songs.
Brandon - "Sweet Home Alabama" - Why, Brandon, why? Are you really trying to remind people of Bo? The arrangement was *exactly* like the original, so I found it uninteresting & the most (well, only) karaoke-like performance of the night (though I wasn't familiar w/all the rock songs so for some I can't say). I *love* his voice, but not this performance. He also played guitar, though we never got to hear him. One of the guys noted that his timing was much better this week, & probably because he was playing too, so said he wanted to see him lose the guitar next week but keep the good timing.
I predict Neal, Tara & Jessica for the bottom 3, with Neal leaving. It's getting harder though!
Did you ever notice that there's an arrow in the FedEx logo?? Well I hadn't, and I think it's pretty cool!
Now it's your turn... point out something fun or useful (or both!) that's usually overlooked. And I'll try to think of some more to add.
Well this is a silly reason to post, but at least it's a post! I've heard this song on our Top 40 station (to which I guess I'm admitting I listen occasionally): a remake of "Listen to your Heart," by a female singer that's really good. Who is it? And yeah, that's basically the post.
Unless I decide to ramble about remakes, or singers, or remade singers. Or singers trying to come back, which brings me to "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Ok if anybody else actually watches it... who out of tonight's lineup did they think was worthy of making it a spectacular "season finale" (of what, 4 shows?)?! I thought tonight's was one of the weakest weeks. And I missed last week's which was supposedly pretty good. I like the concept of the show, but it'd be a whole lot better if most of the people actually still sounded decent. As it is, it's kind-of like... well I can't think of a good analogy, but it's been disappointing. As it's progressed there've been more artists I've never heard of, and of the ones I do know, I keep hoping they'll be worth listening to but more often than not, they're not. Oh well. I guess we get a break for a while.
I am, however, very pleased with "Dancing with the Stars," though it has nothing to do with singers. I suppose it has something to do with remade songs though, because they do things like taking an 80's pop hit & trying to pass it off as a Latino dance number. Just. no. Anyway I'm just thrilled that Kelly & Alec, the duo of hotness, made it to the finale! She was just so crushed by the judges' comments at the beginning, & has obviously worked very hard (and probably has the least 'free' time of all the contestants). I think John should & will win, & maybe that'll help him get some other tv gig through which he can entertain me. I'm one of the 3 people on earth who never watched Seinfeld so had never heard of him, but now adore him.
Back to songs... my dad said that one of the reasons he'll never (pick one:) like/watch/understand shows like American Idol is that a song always sounds best by the original artist, at least (or especially) if that artist wrote it. And that he likes artists because of their sound & individual style, not their mimicking of someone else's. Well, I disagree with the first statement, because there are several songs that I really liked before, but now like even better by Idol contestants. And if they're good, you can tell what a contestant's own style is like through cover songs, at least to a point.
At which point I've run out of things to say. Not bad though, for something that started out as one silly question. Which I really do hope someone can answer. ;)
Fun! I picked this one because I'm tired & sleepy, and it looked cozy & soft. My 2nd choice one is really not me, & this one seems pretty accurate, so I'll take it!
 You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval. |
I wanted to create a guest book of sorts, just to have a place for a new visitor to say hi or post a general comment that's not related to a specific post, or ask me a question. So here you go! Welcome, look around, leave a Comment, & hopefully I'll get my act together and start posting more frequently so there's something about which to comment, besides my favorite movies. ;-) If you're not a Blogger but have a website you don't mind sharing let me know that too & I'll come visit yours.
Thanks and have a great day!
I'm sure there are countless other blogs expressing opinions and arguing sides regarding issues surrounding Terri Schiavo's situation. I know better than to try to address all of the factors involved, but I do have an opinion, and am incredibly grateful for the *privilege* (it's not a right) I've been given to express it.
Dignity. What is dignity? Why do we value it? Why do we consider it a right? Is it something we earn? Is it something we "deserve"? And if so, who determines that? Does every human being deserve it, or only some? Do animals? Trees? Or only those beings "created in the image of" God?
Does God value dignity? Does God exhibit dignity? On this day, Good Friday, above all others, I think we are reminded of the Truth. Dignity may be important but it is certainly not the most important thing there is. Love is more important. And Life is more important.
God Himself was whipped ("scourged," actually, which is in reality so much worse than even depicted in last year's controversially 'violent' movie about Christ's Passion and crucifixion), stripped, insulted, and spat upon, all in public view, not secluded in a hospital room. He had nails hammered through his hands and feet, and thorns crushed into his scalp. The only "food" offered him was a vinegar-drenched cloth, which would only increase, not quench, his thirst. There might be a few methods of dying in which there is little suffering, but most would agree that being deprived of oxygen (which the position of crucifixion makes inevitable), food or drink are among the most horrid.
How can someone say they value dignity, yet cause someone to suffer that much, for so long (Terri has been without her feeding tube for a week now)? Also, are not the same advocates of her death the same political group who champion rights of the poor and [because of economic or related reasons] food-deprived?
God the Father, the greatest giver of love in existence, allowed his Son to suffer an incredibly indignant, public death. God the Son endured said indignity for our sake, without one complaint or balk or last grasp at anything that He - rightly - deserved.
Do we deserve more than He?
No, there are no easy answers. But there are examples. And when we do not know the answer, should we not err on the side of caution? On the side of protecting life, protecting the life of someone we love, regardless of personal (i.e. caregiver) costs?
I would also like to share a story I just read, written by a woman who recovered from a 2-month coma and struggles herself with these difficult issues: While I Was Sleeping - Today's Christian. I have 2 acquaintances who have suffered brain damage in automobile accidents; one has recovered and to my knowledge leads a full, "normal" life. The other, whose accident was more recent, faces a long road toward recovery and I can only guess that her husband faces some of the issues that have faced Terri's husband over the years.
May those of us who seek to Glorify God and reflect His values seek His Word and His example in forming and expressing our personal convictions. And may we reach out to any personally affected by and struggling with these issues.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal Life." - John 3:16
A toy? A sickness? A sick toy? 
Yes, that's right, Giant Microbes. I think I first saw them in a magazine article, and then that meducational tv that runs in doctors' offices had a bit on them. I don't know; I understand the desire for a teaching tool to represent something to small to actually see. But if you want to teach your kids these things are bad, is putting arms on them and playing with them the way to do that?
And then there's the even more pressing question: Why has my microbiologist friend Kim not written about these yet?!?
Eep! I knew it had been a while, but didn't realize it's been *this* long since I've posted! I promise to make this more interesting, soon. You know, for the three dustmites who are the only ones reading. Ah, The Dustmite Song... but I digress. And apparently 3:30 in the morning is a good time for me to post, because I'm actually thinking of stuff to say.
I craft. I used to cross-stitch, and could spend hours poring over pretty patterns, most of which I knew I'd never have time to actually make. Well, now I scrapbook and make cards. And guess what? I spend hours poring over layout & design ideas, as well as the pretty, pretty new products, most of which I know I'll never have time to actually make or use. I was going to list some of my favorite companies, but (a) I don't want to take the time to link to them all, and (b) seeing as how I actually work for one, I shouldn't really be promoting the others! heh. Suffice (now there's a word that's seen better days) it to say that there's some really fun stuff out! I love collage, distressing, mini brads, printed twill, fibers!, letter stickers, and anything that coordinates with other stuff. And there's the whole digital arena... so I download all the free elements I can find, in hopes that someday I may use one of them. Except whoo-hoo, I actually did use one of them today! In making my husband a fun little bookmark with his name & little pictures of things representing his interests, as I made for my coworkers for Christmas. I suppose I should do one for myself, but I have way too many interests. And no American Idol clipart. ;) Segue!
I'm also addicted to American Idol. Again. Except there's actually a decent amount of talent, and quite a few people not painful to look at, and even some in both categories simultaneously! So at least I'm addicted to something of some worth, as opposed to just 'interesting people a few of which might have an iota of talent.'
On that 'note,' I really, really should go to bed. I do actually have a lot of things to post about, so hopefully instead of just spending hours thinking about topics, I'll take the time to actually write them. Soon. I promise.
