Intense Debate
Happy Halloween (or Harvest … don’t want to offend) and here is a treat.
A while ago I mentioned switching to a new comment system that was just acquired by the folks at Wordpress. I use Wordpress to run this blog. I finally got the invitation code!
But, I hate waiting so …. I am doing the switchover right now :). So, if you don’t see your comments that’s because they are being imported into the new system. This might take a little time but hang in there. You can already go ahead and leave new comments if you like. It works better than disqus (in my opinion) and looks to have more bells and whistles.
Of course, I am sure Ellie will give it a thorough testing :).
Update: Intense debate did not work. Maybe when they fix some things I will try them again but … they have a lot to fix. All comments made while on ID will be imported sometime soon.
Seven Days And Counting - Election ‘08 Needs to Be Over
October 28, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Bible, Culture War, Current Affairs, blogging
Are you “done” with this political season? I am. I wrote the following in response to a friend who lives in Canada about his Facebook message concerning the election coming up …
I am *ready* for the election to be over. The whole process is very important but I am finding myself getting disgusted with the whole thing. Just really tired of it all.
I will continue to blog about it and do the “liveblog” of election night but I have to admit … I am sick of it all. I am watching people, friends, opponents all pay much more attention to this than their own lives. Some of the things coming out of the mouths of pundits are just horrid. There is a way to make these substantive arguments without having an emotional melt down every 8 minutes. ::: sigh ::: I am even losing the will to go into this too deeply.
1500 Blog Posts And I’m Home … Woot!
October 27, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Asides, Photography, Travel
The problem is that I am on MDT … time … and used to staying up till Midnight.
I have to go to a management retreat tomorrow morning …
Three days of meetings after traveling across the country for four days worth of meetings makes for …
::: tired :::
You know … they say that if your blog reaches a 1,000 posts you are now officially a blogger. This is my 1500th post.
I am blogger 1.5
Regular blogging shall resume this week.
*Picture is my farewell to Pike’s Peak picture taken yesterday morning.
Blogability Factoritis
It has been quite a busy few days! We are here for the Love Won Out Conference. I came early to have some face time with some of friends at Focus On The Family.
I also attended meetings with some of the local ministries and our staff that live west of the Mississippi.
To top it off, I also had a 2.5 hour meeting with a friend I haven’t seen in 23 years!
I have been a little busy.
The hotel that I am at has free wireless but they won’t let me upload photos or blog. I have to do everything I can (even sending emails …AND this post) on my iPhone.
Busy + lack of access = less blogging
The problem is of course that there is a ton to blog about! Everything from the 2012 Letter published by Focus to the lady who faked her own mugging to stigmatize Obama.
Plus, did you catch the part where I said I met a friend I haven’t seen in 23 years? I have been tremendously and personally blessed this week as well.
All that to say that I have a number of posts coming down the pike once things start getting back to normal in the next couple of days.
Be blessed!
False Prophets Phelps Clan Become Bloggers
October 18, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Activism, Bible, Christianity, Church, Culture War, Current Affairs, Ex-Gay, Gay, Homosexuality, Jesus, Scary, Sexuality, Tragedy, blogging
These people claim everyone else is suffering from a “god sent delusion” but their only true god is their hatred projected into thin air. This is from one of their posts, I don’t recommend reading their blog or clicking through the citation link. My thoughts after the jump …
From The Cleft Of The Rock: Who Could Call Themselves Servants Of The Most High God And Then Be Afraid?
I have a one man show interview request - would you be willing to answer a few questions?
Sure - the answers are below, immediately after your questions.
1.) How did you feel about HIV/AIDS when it first came on the scene in the 80s-90s (where it came from, why it was here, etc.)?
I thought it was an awesome God Smack upon a nation that was heading down a dreadful path. A nation that was heading down the path of Sodom, et al. I thought it was a wake up call to anyone that would pretend that when God says a conduct is an abomination that you can call him a liar and say - WRONG - it is OKAY to be gay. It was righteous, and in keeping with the terrible promises to the Children of Disobedience.
Breaking Up is Hard To Do
It is with sadness that I left my previous webhost provider. I needed to for several reasons that you all would probably go HUH? and get bored with. There were problems in the background (customer service on the technical end) that just got to a point that I needed to move. I was staying with the service simply because of my loyalty to the owner not because of the quality of the hosting service.
I am such a weirdo. I am literally sad about this 
I won’t even mention their name because I don’t want to send any negative vibes that way :). However, old web-host provider, you are still the absolute best web designer out there and I know I will be knocking on your door when design needs come up.
So dear blog reader, my blog was out of commission for about four hours last night as the migration happened. However, all of that should be invisible to you. The permalink structure and everything is exactly like it was before changing services. That said, let me know if you see any strangeness other than the regular content on my blog :).
Also, this new service has a bit more freedom for me (space/bandwidth-wise) so I might have some new blog toys soon :).
Please Support ETC: Everyday Thoughts Collected
The last time I promoted the fact that I had a donation button on this blog was 2 years and 9 months ago …
I seriously thought about posting about this again last week. I dismissed the thought thinking “nah … I’m not that kind of blogger.” Not meaning anything negative but I blog as a hobby and not for a living. But the idea wasn’t leaving me. And then, out of the blue, someone made a donation today! I think it is the first one since that last posting :). I took that as inspiration to go ahead and craft this post.
Like most of us I am trying to find ways to cut spending and save money. This blog isn’t very expensive to maintain … maybe $250 to $300 a year (host, Flickr pro, URL renewal and misc.) However, with increased traffic and using up my space on the server this expense might need to go up a little (not much) next year. At the same time I put a lot of work into this hobby. So, if you would like to support this blog please donate.
Also, tell me your honest thoughts/advice/criticism about this type of post in the comments.
McCain Vs. Obama - LIVE Blogging the Third Presidential Debate
October 15, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Current Affairs, blogging
Join us here at 8:30 pm Eastern for pre-debate banter with the big show (Third Presidential Debate at Hofstra University) starting at 9pm Eastern. I know that Mensley and Ellie will be panelists and waiting to hear from Cat.
Will McCain whip Obama’s “you know what?” or just call him a decent man with terrorist friends whom he just happens to disagree with?
While we had fun live blogging the last two debates let’s pray that this debate is a little more substantive, and yes … exciting … than the last one.
Don’t forget, you can join in on the live blog by sending comments through the box above. An input form will appear once we go live.
McCain vs. Obama - LIVE Blogging the Second Presidential Debate!
October 6, 2008 by Randy
Filed under Current Affairs, blogging
We had so much fun last week LIVE blogging the VP debate that we are going to do it again! it will be the same cast of characters as panelists (CS, Mensley, Ellie and Moi … still waiting to hear from George) and we might add a surprise panelist this time around :).
WifeBoat: Help for Women in Crisis
My very sweet and VERY smart friend, Renee Dallas (wife of one of my heroes Joe Dallas), has started a blog called “WifeBoat: Help for Women in Crisis.” She writes about her own story of struggling through the divorce of her first marriage caused by adultery in It Happened to a Nice Christian Girl .
No warning signs; no red flags. Years into our marriage, we’d just had our first child when he broke the news, along with my heart: I’m seeing someone else, and I’m not breaking it off.
Crash! And nothing would ever be the same. But rather than dive into all the gory details (you didn’t think this was one of those blogs, did you?) let me share some questions my 24 year old self asked then, and the answers my older-but-won’t-tell-you-her-age self would now give to that frightened, crumpled young woman who wailed, “This wasn’t supposed to happen to a nice Christian girl!”
[From It Happened to a Nice Christian Girl — WifeBoat: Help for Women in Crisis]
I am so happy that Renee is blogging. She has much wit and wisdom to share. I pray great blessings over her, her efforts and the women who will find a safe haven in WifeBoat .
