it's pouring outside...

the evil bird left his poop upon my car
the evil bird left his poop upon my car
the evil bird left his poop upon my car
and the rains came tumbling down

bye, bye hot pink bird poo. while your fluorescent presence was certainly a curiosity, i bid thee farewell.

shat...

is there such a thing as hot pink bird poo? my car has been christened with such a substance, and i'm curious as to its origin.

regardless, it's gross. and fairly substantial.

when i finally get a job, the first thing i'm going to do is pay someone to clean the inside and outside of my vehicle. until then, i'm praying for rain...

recommended reading...

what could closure mean to a believer in an eternal soul? what could closure mean in the shadow of an all-seeing, all-remembering god? even to someone whose faith is as shaky as mine, it seems simply common sense that true stories do not end.

from vows: the story of a priest, a nun, and their son by peter manseau

a cornucopia of musical offerings...

ticketmaster is once again singing to me its siren song. listen to this...

• toad the wet sprocket - sunday, july 23rd at the uptown theater
• lyle lovett - tuesday, july 25th at the uptown theater
• laci's 30th birthday - saturday, august 5th (well, technically, that wasn't on the ticketmaster website...)
• ben harper - friday, august 25th at starlight theater

you have got to be kidding me. how in the world to choose?

happy birthday, trenda!

feliz cumpleanos, grace!

the jukebox in my head...

is currently stuck on one particular line of an alabama song.

i'm guilty of love in the first degree

you have got to be kidding me...

i am a sunburned moron who CLEARLY doesn't learn from her mistakes...

so when my mac died earlier this year, you would have thought that the threat of losing all of my thesis work would have made me religious about backing up my computer.

you would have thought that, wouldn't you...

well, monday i narrowly avoided DISASTER when the blue screen of death appeared on my PC. the PC with ALL my email on it. with EVERYTHING regarding brian's booking. the last time i'd backed that up was in january. do you know how many emails i've sent since january?

i said a very short prayer (over and over and over...) that if my computer would just start for ten minutes - just long enough for me to back this information up, i didn't care if afterwards it burst into flames.

it took about an hour and a half for my miracle to come, but god delivered in spectacular fashion. i now have a comprehensive set of backups. stuff i know i'll need, stuff i'll likely never need again. spare copies of it all.

perhaps you, too, might take the time to back up your computer today. no doubt there are files on it that you would be loathe to lose to the irretrievable ether of a crashed hard drive.

technology - i shake my fist at you!

kerrigan v. harding, the opera...

MEDFORD, Mass. -- When Tufts music student Abigail Al-Doory sought inspiration for her opera, she looked not to Wagner's "Ring" cycle but to the Olympic rings, where themes like power, envy and greed are plentiful.

In "Tonya and Nancy: The Opera," Al-Doory provides 18 movements on the scandal that turned the once-dainty sport of figure skating into a soap opera of whacking, wailing and time spent in jail.

Scheduled for two Tuesday night performances, the production portrays the skaters not as rivals but as a pair, singing for the audience's sympathy as the tawdry affair unfolds.

continue reading...

big shot brent?

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - With the San Antonio Spurs down by three points and time running out, Manu Ginobili drove the lane and made a perfect pass to wide-open Brent Barry in the right corner...

Spurs survive scare from Artest-less Kings

homeward bound...

houston, here i come! i'll see y'all when i get back...

jesus calling...

Need some inspiration every time your cell phone rings? Then get set up with a new Christian music ringtune from Cingular or Virgin Mobile.

Cingular customers can purchase ringtunes online or via handset. To download directly from a Cingular phone:

• Create a new text message from your phone.
• Text the key code "WT" to 7296.
• You will receive a new text message with a link.
• Select the link to see a list of available ringtunes.

You can also view Cingular's list of available worship and alternative Christian rock ringtunes online.

Virgin Mobile customers can get ringtunes directly to their phone by entering the keyword for any available track in the message body and sending it to 868. A confirmation message is received in return to complete the download purchase. For a full list of Virgin Mobile ringtune choices and song codes, visit hearitfirst.com.

Other cell phone service users can visit MidiRingtones.com to download inspirational ringtunes.

Finally, take our one-minute mobile survey, and we'll provide a link to Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year Chris Tomlin performing "Holy Is The Lord" at the Passion 06 conference. Now there's a deal that rings true!

i am SO BUMMED that i'm not a cingular or virgin mobile customer...

puke.

for the love of all things holy...

This five-part documentary series follows four young men through the emotionally wrenching final weeks that lead up to the most important decision of their lives - whether to become Catholic priests or not. Traveling with his brother to the Catholic celebration of World Youth Day in Germany, Joe also looks forward to reconnecting with Anna, the love of his life. In Columbus, Dan leads his youth group of high schoolers in protest prayer outside an abortion clinic, sparking a conflict with pro-choice college students. Mike is thrilled to see soul mate and girlfriend Aly, but her visit exacerbates tensions with his mentor, Father Pauselli. And Steve makes a nerve-wracking journey home, finally telling his best friends about his aspirations toward the priesthood.

and a response to this horrific display of exhibitionism, from my friends at SoMA review...

In the breathtakingly crass world of reality TV, “God or the Girl” stands head and shoulders above the rabble. Not because it’s better than the other dreck, but because it takes the biggest, boldest leap yet into the muck of shameless narcissism that has become the hallmark of the genre.

you said it, mary beth crain. read the complete article here.

and now if you'll excuse me while i go take a shower, throw my television OUT THE WINDOW, and sever all ties to the church...

go outside...

gold dust radio...

friends across america (and those currently on holiday in europe...),

barclay and his friend zachary ross are spending the next week(ish) playing parts of the great american west. they've already covered los angeles and phoenix and will hit the ground running in albuquerque tonight, playing the first of seven shows in six cities in seven days.

included in the whirlwind tour...

april 18
the cell theater, albuquerque
7:30 pm

april 19
the kachina, taos
9:00 pm

april 20
rock n' soul cafe, boulder
8:00 pm

april 21
cricket on the hill, denver
8:00 pm

april 22
coal creek coffeehouse, laramie
8:00 pm

april 23
avogadro's number, fort collins
8:00 pm

april 24
ziggy's saloon, denver
9:00 pm

barclay's got complete information (addresses and such) for each show on his myspace page, and you can listen to clips of both artists by clicking on the links above.

two options:
1. you, yourself, should go.

2. if getting yourself to a show is a bit of a stretch (perhaps you live in new hampshire - certainly a credible excuse for non-attendance), TELL YOUR FRIENDS! almost everybody knows at least one person who lives in laramie, wyoming...

you'll love it, i promise.

happy birthday, aunt katy!

i've searched everywhere, and there is nary a picture to be found. i guess salutations and good wishes will have to do!

happy birthday, amy wallenbeck!

amy's the one in the back...

happy anniversary, nikki and eddie!

he is risen, indeed...

learning to weep, learning to keep vigil, learning to wait for the dawn. perhaps this is what it means to be human.

from reaching out, by henri nouwen

peeps...

from the NPR series kitchen window:

When the white dogwood and pink cherry tree blossoms start to bloom along my street, I know one of my favorite springtime migrations is under way: Millions of fresh, newborn Peeps are making the great journey from their birthplace in Bethlehem, Penn., to destinations all over the world. This annual tradition has turned a classic Easter tale of rebirth and renewal into a kitschy celebration of spring. And every year, I make sure to spend some time chilling with my Peeps.

read the entire article (which includes a recipe for the chocolate and peeps pie seen above) on the NPR website.

i dare somebody to show up at their mother-in-law's house for easter dinner bearing that as their contribution to the family meal...