25 Things About Me...

I know this is totally cheating or whatever but I am going to shamelessly recycle this Facebook thing that has been going around like wildfire and turn it into a quality blogpost. I'm all about recycling...

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. (To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I am an IT project manager supporting Tax systems on large corporate ERP systems...but I wish I owned a record store.

2. My biggest musical guilty pleasure is Pink...I cannot make myself change the station when one of her songs comes on.

3. I love to read more than almost anything but I don't spend nearly enough time doing it.

4. For a while, I went to the same church as Jeff Foxworthy and I got to meet him once. He's very down to earth.

5. I am an awful procrastinator

6. I have a blog (http://tbone323.blogspot.com) but because of #5 on my list, it rarely gets updated

7. I am terribly afraid of spiders...like if I was holding a baby and realized a spider was on my I would throw the baby to flick the spider off. Seriously, you probably better not let me hold your baby if you think there might be any spiders around because I will drop that little bundle of joy if my spider sense starts tingling. I'm not proud of this but it's the truth.

8. I used to watch Ghosthunters on TV but I don't anymore because I was getting too creeped out and couldn't sleep at night

9. My favorite TV show is "How I Met Your Mother"

10. My favorite food is Mexican (Pappasito's in Atlanta is the best in the world)

11. I have a Basset hound named Clementine

12. I am married to a wonderful woman and have 3 beautiful kids

13. The best book I have read in the past 10 years is "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

14. The best concert I have ever been to was Metallica in 2004 at the Kansas Colliseum

15. I have an uncle, an aunt, a brother, a sister, a former brother in law and a father who are either currently or have been police officers

16. My all time favorite movie is "The Shawshank Redemption"

17. I still get homesick even after living in Atlanta for almost 3 years

18. At this point in my life, I have more quality friendships than I have ever had before

19. I play the guitar but I don't put in the time to ever really get as good as I would like to be

20. Other than my admitted fondess for Pink, I am a bit of a music snob and I like the fact that I listen to bands that most people have never heard of.

21. I am pretty handy with a bbq grill

22. My favorite cocktail is a vodka tonic. A close 2nd is the Cape Cod (Vodka and cranberry juice)

23. Over dramatic people annoy me...save the drama for your mama please

24. I'm not sure exactly which religious denomination I fit in with these days. I'm kind of a square peg in that regard.

25. I have 3 tattoos and don't plan to stop anytime soon

Canadian Rock is What it's All Aboot...

My buddy Nate says that Amazon MP3 has a steal of a deal on some classic rock from "America's Hat" (that's Canada for those of you not in the know). Bryan Adams Reckless for $0.99. This deal is only good for today so download it now and spend the rest of the night skipping between Heaven and Summer of '69 while you re-live your high-school or grade school years in a haze of teary eyed nostalgia. Thank me later...

It's a new year...

Hey blog...how's it going? Oh, what you're not talking to me anymore? Just because I haven't posted anything on you since August?? Listen...it's not like we're married. I mean I've been really busy. Work has been crazy and I was out of town for like 3 weeks. To be honest I've been spending a lot of time with Facebook. Don't look at me like that. You're so judgmental. Why would I want to spend time with Facebook? Seriously? You're gonna make me say it? Ok... A) it's way less complicated than you and 2) like everybody I know is on it. If I post something out there...I know that it's going to hit at least 200 eyeballs. I mean, the stuff I used to post on you got like 15 or 20 page views...a month. You didn't know I could track stuff like that did you? It's a little thing called Google Analytics...look it up on Yahoo sometime. Oh I know all sorts of things about you my digital weblog friend. All sorts of things indeed. But that's not what this is about. I didn't come here to pick a fight. I know things have been weird between us and I want that to change. I really sort of miss you. I'd like us to start spending some more time together. Maybe not every day...maybe just a couple of times a week. Is that cool? Let's just take it slow and see what happens. Yes, I'm still going to be spending time with Facebook but you don't need to be threatened by that. I promise I'll do better about posting on you and not neglecting you for months at a time. Ok? I'm really glad we had this talk. I even got you something...a brand new theme. Pretty sharp right? I hope you like it and I'll talk to you again soon.

Donald Miller to Pray at the DNC Tonight!

Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz) will be giving the closing benediction at tonights Democratic National Convention. You can read the text of the prayer at Don's website where he will be posting it before he leaves his hotel for the convention center tonight. Should be interesting...

****UPDATE****
The text of Don's prayer tonight at the DNC has been posted. If you don't feel like making the jump, I've included it below.

"Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen."

Am I missing something...

...or does this kind of sound right?

“Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all” (A Call to Renewal). - Barack Obama

If I wasn't so disillusioned with the political process right now I would honestly be agonizing over who to vote for in November. There are things I really like about Obama. There are things I really don't like about Obama. There are things I really like about McCain...and things I really don't like about McCain. I honestly don't know what to do.

And in a move that will probably bar me from ever setting foot in my old church again...I am posting this website. I hope we can still be friends.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

I realize that it's not Christmas...

...but I came across this video that I made a couple of years ago and thought I would re-release it into the wild. It's been languishing on Youtube for some time now but I'm not sure if anyone ever really watched it. I edited the pics and video clips together using Windows Movie Maker. The music is by my lovely and talented cousin Wendy. Take a look and let me know what you think...

Dancing Queen...

Save the neck for me Clark...

All I can say is it's about freaking time...

Won't be the same without him...

May 7, 1950 - June 13, 2008

It will be mine...oh yes, it will be mine