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From the site:

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

While I am busy with my last week of teaching before winter break, here are a couple of great videos about the basic design behind the logo for Obama’s presidential campaign.

Part One

Part Two

Obama’s campaign may have set a new bar when it comes to the design and branding surrounding the candidate. Though there were a couple of missteps, Obama’s branding was strong, flexible, and iconic. While not a deciding factor, the branding of his campaign certainly helped the candidate and his supporters spread the momentum.

Tags: politics

This week has seen two interviews that rank among the best from The Daily Show.

Jon's interview with Lara Long is amazing, and it serves as a humbling reminder as to why it's important we keep hearing reports from the front lines. Regardless of your opinion or my opinion of the administration and the rationalizations that led to this conflict, our troops do deserve more attention and respect than they have been getting, especially in the mainstream media.

Tags: politics, media

For being billed as a "fake news" program, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is incredibly insightful, informational, and, yes, intriguing. (I knew I could get three adjectives beginning with the letter "i" in there!)

Take Monday, June 16, 2008 as an example. First, Mr. Stewart blasts the mainstream media for what he labels Baracknophobia: the fear of hope. While ceaselessly funny, it serves as a great commentary on how the mainstream media plays up silly, unfounded, and often false rumors about a political figure (Barack Obama in this case) and presents them under the guise of "fair and unbiased" reporting.



Later, Mr. Stewart interviews former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias who talks about his job and subsequent termination under the Bush administration. Those out there still arguing that this administration did nothing wrong and that there's nothing suspicious about those dismissals should watch this.



I lfind it intriguing that Mr. Iglesias speaks of using mob infiltration tactics in terms of prosecuting the Republicans responsible for this, but the best quote of this interview?

I thought I was working with the Jedi Knights, and I was working for the Sith Lords.

Keep in mind that this is coming from a U.S. Attorney who considered himself a Republican. Unfortunately, his sense of following due process and honoring the Constitution cost him his position. By the way, here's his book on Borders.com if you are interested.

Tags: politics, silly

I blogged about this a while ago, but I wanted to pull up a couple more comparison shots. Now that I'm testing Safari on my work computer (at least until the IT guys shut it out), the difference in browsing my site on IE versus another browser is more evident than ever. Check these side-by-sides out. Internet Explorer 7 is on the left and Safari 3 for Windows is on the right.


Here's my sidebar. I've since removed this picture of myself, but notice that IE7 renders the image at a much lower quality than Safari. I find this an odd behavior because it seemed to be unique to this single image. Also, the sidebar header is gargantuan in IE7 when compared to Safari.


This is my biggest pet peeve. Again, why does IE render the font so much larger than Safari? Firefox gets this right. Opera gets this right. Explorer is the lone browser out in this.

I can see why so many web developers become frustrated with Internet Explorer. If it demonstrates inconsistencies with other browsers in rendering something as simple as text, I can't image what hurdles one might have to jump through to ensure compatibility with truly complex websites.

(By the way, I'll be posting some impressions on using Safari on Windows pretty soon.)

Tags: browsers

I received a brochure for a company that makes custom t-shirts for school organizations at work today, and this was the first design I opened to.

I forgot who makes this. Link forthcoming.

This makes my day. I think "gnomealicious" has become my new favorite adjective.

Tags: silly

Depending on whether you are viewing this site in Firefox (Mac, Linux, Windows), Safari (Mac), or Internet Explorer (Windows), the sidebar behaves differently. I can barely see a difference between Safari and Firefox, but Internet Explorer sticks out like a sore thumb!


Internet Explorer 7


Safari


Firefox

Between Firefox and Safari, the only real difference is in the weight of the font. Safari is just a tad heavier, but IE renders the font much larger – so much so that on Simply Presentation the text goes off the edge! Why does IE render the font so drastically different, and, more importantly, does anyone know what I can do to fix this?

Tags: browsers

I don't drink, but if I did, I would have to make a shot game out of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Prelude to Dune novels (House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino). The rules would be simple. you would take a shot whenever:

• the adjective "surreptitious" or the adverb "surreptitiously" is used.
• the adjective "sinewy" is used.
• Prince Rhombur says, "Vermillion Hells."
• Kailea brushes her, um, bosom against someone's arm.
• "doe-like" is used to describe a female's eyes.
• "creamy" is used to describe a female's skin.
• "generous" is used to describe a female's mouth.
• a grown man begins crying uncontrollably.
• you feel like the next chapter should begin with the words, "And now for something completely different."
• a character fits into a shameless stereotype.

Okay, you can pick any two or three of the above conditions, and that should put you under the table within a few chapters. Really, I think Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have created some fascinating additions to the Dune universe, but those initial three novels...

(If you're like me, Jell-O cubes or a favorite candy make a nice substitution for alcohol. Read with a friend. It makes the game more enjoyable! Yes, I'm a geek!)

Tags: silly, literature

My fellow Americans and potential Americans, feast your taste-buds on the greatness of Ben & Jerry's truthy new flavor: Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream!

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With a face like that, how can you not love his ice cream?

The ice cream container (whom I feel to be fair and unbiased in my heart) claims Americone Dream is "sweeter than the Bill of Rights, colder than Valley Forge, and with twice as much caramel as the Louisiana Purchase." But I say it tastes like a spoonful of freedom swirled with the succulent nectar of liberty. I advise you to stay the course to your favorite ice cream vendor (that sells Ben & Jerry's) and liberate a pint from the oppressive clutches of the grocer's freezer.

If the goal is tastiness, this ice cream can claim, "Mission Accomplished."

(Wow, between this link and my Links tonight, I am absolutely on fire!)

Tags: silly, media

Some students and parents are protesting in Fort Worth on behalf of seniors who failed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Exam (aka TAKS). Even though the students will not receive diplomas, the protesters want the failed seniors to still have the chance to participate in the commencement ceremony. I think the sign below says it all.

Tags: education, silly

Our local Fox News station has started a new segment in the evening called "Survive Alive," and all I can wonder is "how can you survive in any state other than alive?"

Fox: ever appealing to some kind of common denominator.

Tags: silly, media

Okay, this nearby house's decorations are not terribly gaudy, over-the-top, blinding, or a particular eye-sore, but the lights give me the heebie-jeebies every time we drive past them


Yes, friends, what you see is the scripture, "The Word became flesh," in lights above a Nativity scene. To top things off, of course the word "flesh" has to be in bright red just above the baby!


I don't know. This doesn't give me feelings of comfort and joy. It makes me feel like Mary and Joseph are getting ready to feast upon the Baby Jesus, and that's just not an image you want in your mind for Christmas. To reiterate: Creepiest. Lights. Ever.

Tags: silly

I'm convinced stop signs have some kind of weird improbability field hovering around them.

Don't believe me? Case in point: I'm driving home late at night. No one else appears to be on the road ... until I reach a stop sign, that is. We both reach the stop sign at the exact same moment, and we both awkwardly wait for the other to go. FInally I go, and the same thing happens at the next stop sign. This happens at three out of four stop signs near our neighborhood.

It's unnatural, I tell you. This has happened before. Despite the absence of any other visible traffic, the laws of probability seem to bend around stop signs, bringing two improbable objects to a single point in space at the same moment. It's more powerful than the Reality Distortion Field that surrounds Steve Jobs, and I believe Douglas Adams had it all wrong – You don't need a hot cup of tea to make the Infinite Improbability Drive. You just need a stop sign!

Tags: silly

I can't help but be terribly interested that many of my favorite music artists (particularly the ones who get their start circa 1960) seem to have close connections with each other.

Let's start with the Beatles: Out of that group, which I like in and of itself, came John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, all of whom I liked individually before I knew they were all Beatles. (I'm sorry Ringo fans, I'm not a fan of Ringo Starr's solo career.)

Of course, Eric Clapton performed with the Beatles on "While My Guitar Gently Sleeps." Billy Preston performed in "Let It Be" and would also later perform with Clapton who has also performed with percussionists Ray Cooper and Phil Collins. Incidentally, Collins appeared as an extra in the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night.

Ray Cooper has also performed with Elton John, Pink Floyd, and performed on the Concert for George after George Harrison's untimely death. Ray Cooper has also been affiliated with Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame who were also avidly supported by George Harrison (who appeared in Eric Idle's All You Need is Cash.)

Speaking of George Harrison, he once belonged to a group called the Traveling Wilburys with Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison ("O, Pretty Woman"), and Bob Dylan! Bob Dylan and Clapton appeared alongside George Harrison in the Concert for Bangladesh as did Ravi Shankar (who Philip Glass studied under for a few years).

Of course, Bob Dylan has ties to Woodie and Arlo Guthrie, and Paul Simon's early works are clearly inspired by Dylan, and Bob Dylan and Paul Simon have performed together.

On an entirely separate note, Dave Matthews Band has featured Alanis Morisette on vocals in their album Before These Crowded Streets. Now if I could somehow tie Dave or Alanis back to Bob Dylan or George Harrison, my twisted musical web would be complete.

Though my immediate family has not been affected by Katrina that I know of, some members of my church family have. Times like this can be difficult, but we need to remember to encourage and uplift each other however we can. Despite the errors and difficulties that have arisen amid the chaos, It warms my heart to see how many people have reached out to help those they can.

Keep praying for the hurricane victims, and find ways to help if you can.

Tags: events

I really don't know what to say about these attacks, but I don't want to just ignore these events either. Those who were affected by the tragedy in London today will be in our families thoughts and prayers. I just wish people would realize that violence is not the answer and that reaction in and of itself is not validation for such atrocities.

Matthew 5:9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Tags: events