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Smells Like Old People

When did you finally feel like an adult?

I've noticed a change over the last 9 months or so. I feel older, more responsible, more naturally inclined to do the things that an adult/father/husband should do. Less likely to screw off. But I still don't feel like an adult. Or at least what I think an adult would feel like. I certainly don't feel like the way I think my parents feel about themselves.

I watched an old tape of me from 11th grade. Part of me still very strongly feels like that's me. Obviously it is me, just a younger me. But somehow I still feel like I'm that age.

Anybody pickin' up what I'm laying down?

Get Yer Mitch

It's been almost a year since Mitch Hedberg died. If you weren't fortunate enough to see some of his standup, you can now. Comedy Central just added a bunch of stand-up routines to the iTunes Music Store. Here's Mitch.

I should mention that he does use some "naughty" words.

Sinlog

I came across a post that covered some ground that I think I always should be mindful of. I liked it, so I thought I'd share.. An excerpt from the post titled "The Spiritual Danger of Blogging":

One can sit in one's underwear, or in a darkened corner of a Starbucks, and throw out all kinds of suggestions about the actions and motives of others, under the guise of "looking for comments" from the blogging world. And one can build quite a blog presence that way. Be the place where everyone can go to find that delicious morsel of bad news or, even worse, paint oneself as a martyr-blogger standing against the conspiratorial machinations of "The Man," and one can attract as many onlookers as the little old lady who always knows who hasn't been tithing lately. Gossip still attracts those who love it. It's just not the local president of the Woman's Missionary Union shelling out these days, but a thirtysomething sitting in a Starbucks all day with a laptop, a latte, and a microchip on his shoulder.

I read a few blogs like the one described (and you know you do, too!), and this post reminds me to be very wary to not become like that. And that maybe I should stop reading those blogs. :-)

Of course, this is part of the bigger issue of conforming our lives to Christ, which is not limited in any way to the Internet. Gossip has been around since Satan whispered in Eve's ear.

"Ya know, Eve... I heard that God doesn't want you to eat of that tree because He doesn't want you to be a smart as He is. I'm just saying."

Speaking of which, how did "I'm just saying" become the phrase of self-absolution? Like we're no longer responsible for what comes out of our mouth because we're "just saying".

The bottom line is--gossip is sin, even if it might have a smattering of truth to it (and the best gossip always does). It hardens us to compassion and mercy and grace. Gossip hinders forgiveness and allows sin to fester. It divides people. No matter where it's spewed, it's always nasty. And on the Net, the nastiness is just going to infect a lot more people.

You Can Thank Me Later

Guinness Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

1/2	vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1	cup whole milk
1	cup heavy cream
2/3	cup Guinness stout
2	tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
4	egg yolks
1/3	cup sugar
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Add the pod, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stout and molasses. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture, then slowly whisk in another 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Stir the beer mixture into the cream mixture. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

5. Strain the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

All recipes adapted from ''Sunday Suppersat Lucques" and hoaked from The Boston Globe

Things That Make You Go WTF?!?

I'm looking online at a bunch of games for youth groups, trying to get some ideas for Wendesday night. And I come across this one. Starts out innocently enough...

Egg-ceptional Trust
Submitted By: Tonya Berry
Take seven eggs and boil six of them. Leave one raw. Get seven boys to stand in a row. Tell them that six of the eggs are boiled and one’s raw. See how much they trust their friends. Have each boy, one by one, break the egg over the guy’s head to his left. When you get to the end, make sure that boy #6 has the raw one! That way the last boy gets raw egg all over him and nobody gets chased. Then you can talk about either drugs or premarital sex or whatever and how much of a gamble it is, how you trust your friends but you never know when something is going to backfire on you like getting pregnant or an STD or getting in a car crash or overdosing.

What is going on in your youth group, Tonya!? How did we so quickly get from "Hey, I can't believe you cracked an egg over my head!" to "Hey, I can't believe you gave me an STD and crashed my car because you OD'ed!"

Is that even the right way to punctuate the past-tense of "to OD"?

Deep Thoughts. By Ali.

So Laura is holding Ali in the rocking chair the other night. Rocking her to sleep. As rocking chairs are good for that. Ali was saying she was scared of something, so Laura prayed that Jesus would protect her from scary things.

Ali: I don't want to go to heaven. Ever. Never.
Laura: [pause to think of something appropriate] Well. Where would you like to go?
Ali: Chick-fil-A.
Laura: I'm sure they have Chick-fil-A in heaven.
Ali: I hope so. Because then I can have some deee-licious food. And I hope they have a macaroni-and-cheese place. And a brownie place. And a...

And so it went.

4xDoug

Ripped straight from Roland's blog...

Four jobs you've had in your life: Substitute Teacher, Circuit City Salesman, Copywriter, Youth Director

Four movies you could watch over and over: The Matrix Trilogy, Star Wars (IV-VI), Lord of the Rings, So I Married An Axe Murderer

Four places you've lived: Quito, Ecuador; Miami, FL; Brea, CA; Orlando, FL

Four TV shows you love(d) to watch: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, George Lopez, Veronica Mars

Four places you've been on vacation: North Carolina, Alaska, San Francisco, Hawaii

Four websites you visit daily: PvP, FinHeaven, Mere Comments, AdRants

Four of your favorite foods: Pizza, Burgers, Oreos, BBQ

Four places you'd rather be: home, playing basketball, woodworking in my garage, CA

TPQ Friday

I've been a neglectful blogger the last few days. I'm sorry. So busy. To make up for it, I'll post TWO trivia questions. Get yer brains started...

#1
Category: Science & Nature
Question: What South American nation suffered a record 325 days of rain in one year, and also a record 14 years without it?

#2
Category: Wild Card
Question: What rotund rocker became the first star to sit for an online chat, on Prodigy in December of 1989?

Oh. Look At That.

Must have been National Proofreader's Day Off when this one went to press.

HT: Copyranter

Honda UK

Could Honda's UK division be putting out the coolest ads on the planet? First the Goldbergian "Cog" and now this one (no idea on the name), featuring a human choir "singing" the sound effects for a Civic ad. Very cool stuff.

Even cooler is that it's being "aired" as a podcast, complete with "Making of" featurettes. And, of course, the obligatory microsite.

Hat tip to Adrants.