I got your back(up)!

It's a fact of life - computers break down. OSes goof up. Hard drives wear out.

I've lost data before, and it's not a pretty thing. We count on our computers now for everything from checking to saving once-in-a-lifetime memories. Once it's gone, if you're even able to get it back, it'll cost you beaucoup bucks.

That's why it's sooooooo much better to have a good backup.

Problem is, most of the time, backing up is a pain in the tuckus. Most folks just drag and drop important files onto a CD and burn them once or twice a year. The ambitious ones might try to use Windows' built-in backup program - not fun. In the end, it's just much easier to throw your hands in the air and resign yourself to whatever fate the digital gods might hold for your data... and try not to think too much about it.

You need to back up your data. Let me say this again: You NEED to back up your data. Now.

And it doesn't have to be painful.

After all that build-up, here's your answer (if you're a Windows user, anyhow): Drop ten bucks and get yourself a copy of Acronis TrueImage 8.0. I'll spare you the technical details (but you can read reviews to your heart's content here). I'll just say that it's extremely easy to back up your entire hard drive (including all your programs and Windows settings - just like having your own custom "restore disc"), or just certain files. If you have an external hard drive (highly recommended) it can even happen automatically for you while you're in bed.

For the more paranoid among us, there are still other precautions that need to be taken, of course. (What if that external hard drive dies at the same time as the computer? What if there's a fire, or a tornado, or a robbery that affects the computer and the backup drive? Multiple redundancy is paranoid, but good...)

But for most everyday computer snafus, there's nothing better for saving your bacon than a recent, complete backup. For ten dollars, you owe this to yourself. Don't wait - the clearance sale might not last long.

(Note: This isn't the most recent version of TrueImage, but it's one I've used and can still highly recommend for the price. There are some nice improvements in the newest release, but if all you want is to cover your butt and have a little digital peace of mind, there's no beating this offer.)

Simul iustus et peccator in real life

Several months back, Gretchen wrote on her blog about the nature of Christian ethics, the unfortunate hypocrisy of many churchgoers (splinter vs. log - or even just another splinter), and the role of God's grace and our good works. (What a surprise that I would fall in love with someone articulate and intelligent when it comes to matters of theology... *LOL*)

Anyhow, as much as I love her, this post isn't a paean to Gretchen, but to the church she attends. See, she quoted in her blog something her new church shares with everyone who wishes to join the congregation, and it really knocked my socks off. I don't think I've ever seen such honesty about the presence of sin and the power of grace within the walls of the Church before. How many congregations are brave enough to lay it all out like this?

Our expectation is that this church, and [our pastor] in particular, will let you down and disappoint you in some shape or form over the coming years (as you may let down or disappoint Jesus Christ and his church). Since we understand the church to be a feeble, broken vessel in the hands of an accepting, forgiving, and patient Christ, we only ask that you extend the same grace to your church as you expect Jesus Christ would extend to you. Our prayer is that you will accept us at [this church] just as we are, but that you would love us enough to help us become the very best church God is calling us to be.

People need to hear this about the Church and its pastors. But even more than that, I think the Church and its pastors need to learn to own up to our brokenness (even as we try to live faithfully) and to seek and receive God's grace and words of forgiveness from those to whom we minister, just as readily as we ourselves speak those same words and proclaim that same grace to our people.

It's unnerving to admit our weaknesses and failings - and perhaps even scarier still for institutions and their leaders to seek the healing that confession and forgiveness bring. Much safer to cling to structures of power and authority than to publicly recognize the simul in our lives!

There is something else to reach for, though, when the truth of the simul leaves us vulnerable and afraid: God's promise to the apostle Paul.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

When we cling to that promise, we are holding tight to the Good News - the forgiveness of God that makes sinners into sinner-saints, and in the fulness of time will turn all us sinner-saints into saints sans hyphens.

Gretchen's church gets that. I hope the wisdom (and gift!) of clinging to God's grace together will be a hallmark of all the congregations I'm blessed to serve, too.

The care package arrives

My care package!,
originally uploaded by Bob the Photo Guy.

Gretchen's been hinting for a few days about a particularly "girlfriendly" package that would be coming my way, over which she endured a little bit of grief from a few folks. Can't see what they were laughing at... ;) But I'm thoroughly smitten, which means I think the whole thing is mighty sweet. She's a keeper, my Gretchen is!

Random thought of the night... (or is it?)

I've always preferred cookies to cookie dough. Never knew why. It all makes sense now.

Classic T-Formers... yeah!

Now here's the way to give the golden oldies a modern look (and take advantage of all the improvements in toymaking technology since the 80s) while staying true to the original character of each. I'm excited for this new line of toys, coming out a few at a time, starting this month... much more my thing than that new-fangled dude below!

Sub-Prime

I've been watching with interest as designs have been leaked from the upcoming live-action/CGI Transformers movie. Although this are admitedly early design concepts, I'm not exactly enthused. Michael Bay seems to be drawing as much on the look of Alien and Terminator as the original G1 Transformers that I knew and loved. Take the Big Bot himself, Optimus Prime:

Now, maybe when I see him transform I'll be completely wowed, but I really don't think Prime ought to come even close to creeping me out... and this look is certainly creepier than Optimus Prime should be!

And we won't even talk about Megatron (linked above)! Yikes...

I suppose it was naive of me to expect that the Transformers of 2007 would resemble the ones I've remembered fondly for twenty years. Maybe this will be a great reinterpretation of a classic toy for a new generation...

Maybe I can talk myself into believing that...

At any rate, I'm still gonna have to take Gretchen to the movie... I mean, it is the Transformers.

What the...? Pt. 3: The Final Chapter?

Ha - looks like I didn't search deep enough. There are actually hundreds of references out there to the "circles with mints" fortune! It's practically a meme... I'm gonna have to put it right up there with "All your base are belong to us." I feel privileged to have personally shared in this deep cultural experience. ;)

What the...? Pt. 2

It would seem that I've unwittingly joined an elite group of bloggers who have received the mysterious "circles with mints" fortune. *LOL* There's pretty widespread agreement that it's probably the best fortune ever... I'll go with that!

What the...?

Somebody please interpret my most recent cookie fortune for me - I'm at a complete loss!

Now is the time to make circles with mints, do not haste any longer.

My bad

I owe the Bushies a slight apology. It appears that their proposal for classified evidence does allow defense attorneys to see that evidence, but not the accused themselves. That's only a tiny improvement, though... how do you work with your client to defend against "evidence" that you can't ask your client about in the first place? This only partly mitigates my first objection (and even then, does nothing for my complaint about the doublespeak of Sen. Cornyn), and doesn't at all address my second concern.

So a slight mea culpa, a small retraction on my part. Unlike many powerful political leaders, I think it's good to fess up when the facts prove me wrong.

Reruns from the White House

I just believe that as a matter of principle that you don’t unnecessarily share classified information with terrorists in the course of a military tribunal.

- Senator John Cornyn

The White House has submitted its "new" proposal for trial procedures for so-called "enemy combatants," and - whouda thunkit - the "new" rules are are practically, to the letter, the old ones which the Supreme Court (and civilized people everywhere) rejected as unconstitutional, contrary to the Geneva Conventions, and in general barbaric.

If at first you don't succeed, right?

I can't help but marvel at the doublespeak of people like Sen. Cornyn, speaking in favor of allowing prosecutors to present evidence that neither the accused nor their attorneys are even allowed to see.

At first it sounds so reasonable, doesn't it? Of course you don't just share classified information with a terrorist! Who on earth would be stupid enough to argue for that?

Except:

1. The whole point of the trial is to determine whether the accused is a terrorist! Most accounts suggest that the vast majority of people being detained in US prison camps are not terrorists at all - and none of them has been accused successfully in a court. You might as well arrest the lady down the road and accuse her of plotting to blow up the Mall of America... and then refuse to share any of your "evidence" against her with her and her attorney, because who in their right mind would reveal to a "terrorist" the methods the authorities are using to catch terrorists? It's a catch-22, which is just how the Bush administration appears to want it.
2. Second objection - and this is just as basic, even if it appears slightly paranoid: How confident are we that the classification of evidence would be used fairly? The same people who are prosecuting the detainees are the ones who get to make the decisions about what is and is not classified. The Bush administration has a remarkable zeal for classifying things just for the sake of keeping them out of the public eye (old Cold War statistics about Soviet military capabilities that have been declassified and known to scholars for years are now being reclassified by the Bushies, just because). It doesn't seem unreasonable to expect that if classifiying a bit of hearsay (also allowed as "evidence" by the Bush rules) keeps the accused from showing why the rumor against him is ridiculous, and allows prosecutors to get the conviction they're after, that the system of classification can and will be abused to manipulate trial outcomes.

"But these are bad people!" some folks object. "They aren't the lady down the road."

And how do you know that these are "bad people"? Because the authorities tell us so. And don't you suppose that if that neighbor lady were hauled in for her "terrorist plan" that you'd be hearing all about what an evil person she was?

If we're willing to accept that everyone the Bush administration claims is "evil" actually is evil, then it's really silly to waste all this time with trials in the first place - just shoot 'em dead and be done with it... another evildoer leaking brains on the floor, and good riddance.

But if we care at all about justice, that's nowhere near good enough.

Justice depends on those with the power of the state proving their accusations before an unbiased third party. That raises high standards for the state. It isn't easy to to follow these standards if we intend to convict someone... nor should it be.

But it is just.

It is right.

It is American.

True.com or false?

So one of the things that dating web site True.com promotes is that it's a safe place to find a mate:

Background screenings for felons and married people
We can't guarantee criminals won't get on the site, but we can guarantee they'll be sorry if they do.

So I'm a little perplexed by the ad that popped up on a humor site my friend linked me to...

I looked at the code behind the page, and it looked like a legit Google-served ad, but I'm no expert... it could be someone trying to soil True.com's reputation. Think I'll have to e-mail True.com to find out their side of things. If I hear anything back, I'll post it. Too weird!

Boy, am I glad I don't have to deal with dating sites anymore. =)

Beware - Minnesotan packing heat

As a Minnesota expat, I've been watching with some mixture of horror and amazement as "my" state passed law after law turning the parks and streets and libraries into a twisted concealed-carry wild West. Churches have had to fight in court to keep concealed handguns out of their sanctuaries; whether they can ban guns from their parking lots is still up in the air.

At least I'm not the only one who's troubled over this metamorphosis:

Minnesota is only one step away from requiring every citizen to carry a gun and use it when provoked... This is what I’d expect of Florida, which recently passed a “shoot first” — also called a “shoot the Avon lady” — bill. I’d expect it of Texas too. But Minnesota? I grew up thinking of Minnesota as a socially progressive state. After all, it was home of the D.F.L. — the Democratic Farmer Labor Party — and a place where local control and common sense had strong roots. Like my family in Iowa, Minnesotans were gun owners because they hunted pheasants and rabbits and deer. But then I’m thinking of a time when the leadership of the National Rifle Association resembled a band of merry sportsmen and not the paranoid cabal it is today. Whether this was also a time when a legislator could vote his conscience, and not his gun lobbyist’s orders, I was too young to know.

Congratulations, Whitney and Mark!

Wishing you a wonderful day today with your friends and family, and a blessed life together! Lifting a glass in your honor tonight.

Quiet weekend

I'm in for a pretty low-key weekend up here. The Bob Dylan concert that the Schaefer men are catching in Fargo is next weekend, and not tomorrow, as I'd somehow deluded myself into thinking. Gretchen's in PA for her best friend's wedding, and hopefully having way too good a time to be telling me about the good time she's having. ;) (But we really gotta do something about that always = bridesmaid / never = bride business, hon!)

So with a holiday tacked onto the end of my weekend and very few distractions, maybe I'll actually both be productive and relax a little. I've got a few big projects to tackle in the next handful of weeks, as some of you know, so healthy doses of relaxation and productivity will be just the ticket.

It's very cool and a little bit rainy up here... maybe fall's starting to come to Litchville. The leaves across the street are about a third yellow, and the youth group boys are knocking (helmeted) heads on the football field. Before we know it, the best month of the year will be upon us - October, with its gorgeous, crystal-clear skies and crisp, cool air. Bring it on!