Blogger vs. WordPress, and My Other Blogging Experiments

There are many blogging platforms out there. So far, I've only tried a couple. I started on LiveJournal around 2004. Loved it. The best part is their "friends" page. I can read entries from anyone on my friends list in chronological order. The closest I have ever come to this is a status update roll on MySpace, FaceBook, and Twitter. The LiveJournal templates aren't too bad either. There are a few I like, and some minor tweaking is possible. (Unfortunately, LJ now has ads unless you pay.)I tried out blogger because I friend of mine started...

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Making Headway on the Sci-Fi RPG

I've been working on a table-top roleplaying game with a friend of mine. Since we haven't exactly put our noses to the grindstones, it has been in production for about 3 years. I'm disappointed that it has taken this long. I figured a year, max. And it should have taken that. I guess lazy costs time.I believe it is nearing completion. Unfortunately, I don't want to say too much about it, other than it will be a sci-fi game with a unique system. The plan is to offer it as a website. We also want to have forums so that players could add to/modify...

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Score: 8.3

Okay, not really a score. It's my handicap in the pool league. I subbed a couple of weeks ago. I had to pick up 4 past games and play 8 games that night. Winning 8 out of 12 isn't bad, though I really should have won 11. And I would have, had I not continued to flake on the 8 ball. I need to work on consistency. That probably means I need to go back to setting up practice shots rather than playing complete games. Repetition, repetition, repetiti...

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Amazing Storytelling Through Art

There are very few theologians I can say I like.  Peter Rollins is among them.  On his blog, he has this amazing video.  Kseniya Simonova uses sand on a lightbox to tell the story of Russia's resistance of Nazi invasion.  As I watched, I sat stunned. &nb...

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Influencer is Good

It has been a while since I've read a good leadership book. Last Wednesday I picked up Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. It has surprised me. As you can imagine, it's all about how people are motivated to go in a different direction. I'm about a third of the way through it, and can't escape it. It is very pragmatic in its approach. While its understanding is relatively simple, it shows how difficult it can be to actually implement a...

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Still Awake

So, what does one do when still awake at 3am?  Start blogging.Better yet, I think I'll eat, then crawl into bed and watch Dr. Who Season 2.  I've been impressed by this remake.  The Doctors have been surprisingly good.  The storylines often remind me that there's supposed to be a horror element to them.  And the writers do an excellent job of making sure you're watching Dr. Who, and not some spinoff. &nb...

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New Q&A Site for ECF-Net

My internet side project is the Evolving Christian Faith Network (or ECF-Net), which is meant to be a voice for a revisionist alternative for Christians. My friend Gnarf just put together a StackExchange Q&A site for WoW called EpicAdvice. It's very cool. Since the StackExchange platform is in beta and free, I decided to put one together for ECF-Net. The Evolving Christian Faith Network Q&A page. The StackExchange platforms is very community driven. I've snagged a TED vid for the ECF-Net blog entitled "Clay Shirkey on Institutions...

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Behold, My Mighty Shaft of Power!

I've been playing pool for 3 1/2 months now. I figured out that I like the lighter sticks. I wanted blue (I call it my lightsaber). I wanted something between $50 and $150. Anything more than that and I would not be able to appreciate it.I finally found my stick of choice: The Viking G02, Blue.I love this stick. I've only used it a couple of times, but already I can feel the importance of having something decent to shoot with. A good investment....

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Akira, Evolutionary Energy, and Theology

My friend (LithiumInduced) and I are working on a tabletop RPG together. Recently, we've discussed how we want to create the religious system. That's when the old, old anime Akira came up. One of the main characters, Tetsuo, became a conduit for Evolutionary Energy, which made him a total bad-ass. So, we started to talk about the energy of "potentiality."That was last Tuesday. Just today while reading Werner Heisenberg's Physics and Philosophy...

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Where's My Xbox?

It was accepted at the post office on Wednesday. It should take 4-11 days. I'm impatient. I hope it gets here soon. Have I mentioned that I'm impatient.*taps foot vigorously*ETA: It has arrived! Yay!*jumps up and do...

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Welcome to the 20th Century: Halo on the Way

I finally did it. I broke down and bought an Xbox. No, not an Xbox 360. Just an Xbox. With a green "X" right on top.I love video games. The reason I haven't bought a system is that they are expensive, and I couldn't justify it. Why get a console system when computers are better. Now that I have a 32" Vizio, though, I have a reason to have one. If I wanted to spend a lot of cash on a system, I would buy another desktop rather than a 360. And...

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FAIL...again?

I think my cat needs lessons on how to be a cat. Last Sunday, she's tearing into the bookshelf in the living room at 11am (while I'm trying to sleep between night shifts). The entire bottom shelf cleaned off and spread out onto the floor. Okay, I think, "maybe she's after a bug." I move the bookshelf out a little. Lo and behold, I see a mouse tail. Aha! I put Annabelle on the left side of the bookshelf to keep watch. I grab a towel to start to press it into the right side (it's in a corner on this side). Annabelle comes over to the right...

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Being Sick Sucks

I think it's a flu bug. It has been building for a few days. Finally, last night it caught up to me. I had to bail on work. Today, I've been laying around watching TV. It may sound like fun, this laying around, but I feel like shit. On the bright side, I don't go back to work until Thursday. That gives me a few days to recover. Unfortunately, it means that my time off is lost to getting better. Oh well. I think I'll lay back down n...

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New Goal: Pool Shark

I've decided that I need to learn pool. Well, not just learn pool, really. I want to become a shark. Those who know me know that I usually don't just learn something new. I want to be good at it...really good. That applies to pool as well. Last week I came into the office on a day off and practiced shooting on the pool table for about 6 hours. Yes, I was sore the next day. But, in a game I shot a masse around one ball, into another, which in turn tapped my real target and knocked it to the edge. Unfortunately, it didn't go in, but I was...

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Application to the Evil League of Evil

I just picked up Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.  One of the extras is a set of video applications for the Evil League of Evil (ELE).  My favorite is the one by The Reverend.  I think this should be my applicati...

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Radar Detectors in Illinois

I've always believed that radar detectors are illegal in Illinois. The article "Illinois Car Insurance: Radar Detector Law & Legalities" says otherwise.Under federal law, the use of radar and lidar detectors is illegal in all commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds (see http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/radar.htm). For all other purposes, radar and lidar detectors are legal in Illinois. Whoda thunk it? That settles it. I'm getting one so I can make it to the parents faster.http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=10594074&...

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Weekend #2

Last week, I started my new weekend hours at work. On Saturdays, I now go in at 7pm and get out at 6:30am Sunday morning. I go home, play with the cat, go to bed and get hopefully 8 hours of sleep, get up, and get back in the office at 6pm for another over-nighter.Last week went relatively well. I didn't get a lot of sleep before the Saturday-Sunday shift, so I was tired. When I got home, Annabell went ape-shit. She was way too excited to see me. I spent some time with here, but after a while it was bedtime. She disagreed. I don't think...

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It Was Just a Little Thing

Last night I went to Mary’s Place and listened to a cool Reggae/Ska band. I almost didn’t go in. I’m not one for going into a bar when I don’t know anyone inside. But as I got ready to leave, my friend Nukem arrived. I changed my mind and went in. It was a great time. I’m glad his arrival prompted me to stay. The coolest thing, though, happened today. Nukem gave me a call to make sure I made it home safely. I’m not used to that. Normally, in my little world, it’s me looking out after others. It was really nice to be on the receiving end....

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The End of EVE

Yeah, I know, I just posted an entry. This one is different. It's about one of my pasttimes. I enjoyed playing EVE Online for quite some time. But now, I think it's time to draw it to a close. I just have too much to do. It's also getting a bit boring. I don't think I'll pick up on another MMO for a long time, if ever. I've come to believe that I'm more inclined toward games that have an end. Yes, it's fun to "advance." And it's more fun to finish and start ov...

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I Double Dog Down Dare You

The TV rocks! No longer do I have to get up every 2 minutes to jiggle the wire, in hopes of getting a picture or making the squealing noise go away. Now, I turn it on and leave it alone. What a concept!I can now start working out with my Yoga & Pilates DVD. I had already started with the basic situps, pushups, and weights. I won't stop with that. The basic working out gives me a different feel from yoga-pilates. I can't say I like one more than the other. Either way, I get that kinda fun, tender muscle feel. (*poke* *ow*, *poke* *ow*)Since...

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Presbytery of San Francisco says Princeton Theological Seminary = FAIL!

I hadn't heard Adam Walker-Cleaveland's story until yesterday while reading Tony Jones' Beliefnet blog. The short version is that he has jumped through all the hoops required for ordination into the PC(USA). Part of that is the completion of an M.Div., which he got at Princeton Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian seminary. He transferred his membership from his old presbytery to the Presbytery of San Francisco. Additional time in process was expected...

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Life is Strange

The unexpected abounds. I've had a series of ups and downs that have happened so fast that it really is like being on a roller coaster. Some of them, I think it's best not to relay. Others, I can.For the last two years or so, I've been working on saving so that I would be ready in case of a minor disaster. Finally, thanks to the income tax refund, I got there. I even had enough left over to decide to splurge on myself. For my upcoming 4oth birthday,...

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Bat & Wolf

My friend is a star! Richard created the story for Bat & Wolf, a comic about two old friends of an unusual sort: one vampire and one werewolf. And these aren't the uber-sexy kind other-worldly creatures either, unless you have a major thing for a comb-over. They're misfits. And their existence is about to get a lot more interesting than they expected.Check it out. It's a lot of fun....

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EVE Synopsis on Destructoid

I've been playing EVE Online for a while now. It's an MMO set in space. What I love about is is its realism. When your ship gets popped, you don't just get to respawn. You have to go buy another. That means spending hard-earned ISK getting back to where you were before the combat. There are consequences. If you don't want to play the price of replacing your ship when you lose in PVP, don't play the the PVP game.What I loath about the game is its...

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Facelift

I started this blog in 2005. Four years of the same look probably cries out for a redesign.I've been learning a little about user-experience-oriented web design, and thought I'd try a more crisp look. The banner is still a bit large, but I'm good with that. I don't think the white background is too hard on the eyes, since the entire page isn't a blinding white. Instead of a black page background, I went with a dark gray to tone down the white a bit (less contrast). The dark gray, blue, white, and black color scheme seems to work.I'm happy with...

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B&N Fail

Really?  They didn't! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Oh, and I think at work I may request my own offi...

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Cool Site: The Art of Nonconformity

Chris Guillebeau (no, I'm not quite sure how to pronounce it) is a new name to me. I happened to stumble upon it through an article on Seth Goddin's blog. I clicked the link, and ... wow! This is a great site. I mean, come on, how can I (of all people) not get the excited-fuzzies from seeing a PDF entitled "A Brief Guide to World Domination"? So far, Guillebeau's site is impressive. Ultimately, his message is to find a way to follow your passion and milk the most out of life. Don't let the world dictate to you how you will live. Your destiny...

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Baptism Liturgy

It's Easter. Traditionally, this has been a day for baptisms. As Christ is risen, so too are we risen with him. It's a significant day in the life of the church and in the lives of many individuals who symbolically express/experience their participation in the Divine Reality.I've recently been reading Nancy Chandler Pittman's Christian Wicca: The Trinitarian Tradition. She offers a wonderful portion of a baptismal liturgy.From Sinner to Saint, From Darkness into the LightYou are baptized into the Waters of LifeTo be submerged once again into the...

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PTO

I'm taking some paid time off Wednesday and Thursday. It's going to be nice to wind down with a 4-day weekend. It's amazing how quickly the time fills up. It's Tuesday, and already I have a million things that I want to fit in.~Work on RPG~Play EVE~Read a friend's story~Read some theological texts~Read about emerging systems~Sketch~Play with Annabelle~Try to finish watching Millenium~Cook corned beef and cabbage~Visit friends~Post a blog or 2 on ECF-Net~Clean the appartment~Do laundry~Slowly go through my Revenge of the Sith art book.It's almost...

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B-Net

Recently, I've tried to reconnect with BeliefNet. So far, not having any luck. Here's a link to my journal over there. I've called it a ghost town. It used to be quite active. My theory is that the vitriol is driving people away. Very sad. There are two blogs, though, that I may like enough to keep coming back. Tony Jones is a leader in the Emergent conversation. He is a theologian who tries to be cutting edge. For many, he is. So far, his blog is quite lame. (He seems to be currently caught up in an argument regarding "practical theology,"...

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Tool: Right in Two

This is a stellar song!...

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Frustrations with EVE

I've been playing Eve Online for a while now.  I have a love-hate relationship with it.  There are a great many things I like about the game.  However, they recently did an upgrade.  As a result, I don't think I can run it on my system.  I've finally gotten to a point where I can really do something interesting, and now I may have to stop playing.I am so very disappointed. &nb...

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Spring, Finally; Mousing, Finally

It's about time the warmer weather hit.  I was getting quite annoyed at the chill.  I'm ready for the days to come that allow me to open my windows.  I watched as Annabelle failed Mousing 101.  Good timing too.  I was wondering a couple of days before whether she would know what to do if she found a mouse.  She found it and I helped her catch it by moving things.  She played with it a while, until it wasn't moving anymore.   I had to leave the room because I couldn't watch.  Then a heard a rumble.  I...

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Ashes to Ashes '09

Ash Wednesday is my favorite holiday. I'm not quite sure why. I suspect that it has something to do with the ambiance that death lends to life. I like to walk through graveyards with well-crafted, yet aged stones and statues. There's something special about adorning death with art. Furthermore, I'm a night person. The veil of darkness adds mystery to my surrounding world. When done well liturgically, Ash Wednesday captures those feels quite well.My...

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"Legalism Destroys"

It's the old tag line from a site I used to frequent a few years ago. It served as a home for those who had been wounded by the church because of their cultural or sexual identities. Basically, it was a place for Christian (or otherwise) pariahs. Over time, activity dwindled, we moved to LJ, and the site withered away.A few days ago, I was asked by the founder if I thought it would be worth it to revive the site. Interesting question, especially since I had recently been thinking about it and what kind of potential it might have for today....

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Firefly

Recently I borrowed Firefly (again) from InvaderTim. Good series. When it was on TV, I wasn't interested. Now, I thought it would be a good series for inspiration while working on the sci-fi game.When I first saw Firefly, I had yet to see Buffy or Angel (also not interested while they were on TV). While watching Firefly this time around, I've noticed something. Angel and Buffy seemed to have a knack for not only telling a quick story, but also for...

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Transitioning

As I start to revive this blog, I suddenly realize a small problem. "Eclectic Mass" is now the name of the spirituality group I am trying to put together (Eclectic Mass). I turned my website into the group's site, and now I think I should do something with this blog. I might change the addy to "irreverance" and come up with another bann...

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Day Off

Ahh, if only I could get up whenever I wanted every day of the week. My plans:~meet with a friend ~continue reading Emergence: The Connected Life of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software, which is proving to be quite good~work on the game a bit~contact people about Walter Wink~and my cat insists that I play with herNot very ambitious. That should make for a good d...

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Seth Godin on Creativity

A very interesting blog thought. Maybe I needed the reminder that what is "creative" for me isn't going to be the same as what is "creative" for someone else. Creativity and stretching the sweatshirt.There are also some other interesting articles on the...

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Hey There Cthulhu: The Photomontage Video

Gotta love it....

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Reviving the Blog?

I think I just might do that. I haven't kept up well on my LJ. I like it, but I'm lazy. The original plan with this was for EclecticMass to be personal and ECFNet to be theological. I think I might try to do that. If I go there, I will want to go hunt down some old stuff for very late cross posting.It's just something I'm consideri...

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