tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58936162008-07-05T12:08:18.279-05:00Musings of a Young PastorBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comBlogger695125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-308716657308881022008-07-04T23:57:00.003-05:002008-07-05T00:22:18.048-05:00Bombs bursting in airWith a subject like that, I'm likely to end up on some terrorist watchlist. ;)
I'm actually blogging, of course, about Evansville's Independence Day fireworks display. My beloved is visiting her family in Pittsburgh, where we enjoyed the annual July 4 spectacular together last summer. Since we couldn't share our fireworks this year, being 600 miles and one time zone apart, I decided to make my Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-22838624843751994092008-07-01T10:35:00.003-05:002008-07-01T10:39:24.757-05:00From my beloved comes this video, an a cappella tour of my video-gaming childhood:
Brilliant! 1-Up!Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-53655301849201624042008-06-29T23:16:00.000-05:002008-06-29T23:16:20.736-05:00Windows: RebootMore and more, it seems, the people I love are becoming Macheads.
My wife and way-back friend Shawn have been devoted to their Macs for as long as I've known them. My brother converted last year, and has been singing the praises of Steve ever since. He convinced our aunt to nab a Mac when the time came for her to get a new computer. (Which even I agree was probably a great choice for Nancy.) At Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-28261715312456893822008-06-23T14:26:00.001-05:002008-06-23T14:27:42.192-05:00'Cause everything is rent...I'll admit it - I'm not ready to be a homeowner yet.
I'm not ready financially. Gretchen and I have decades of higher education between us, and that comes with a cost. While she's still in school and we're living apart, buying a house would be crazy. Even once we move in together, it would be a tough sell, financially.
I'm not ready for the responsibility. I don't know how to fix minor plumbingBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-66369352024180291002008-06-11T11:47:00.001-05:002008-06-11T11:49:17.267-05:00Cow. Another cow.Wow. In a scene right out of Twister, the Fargo Forum is reporting sightings of flying cows, sent airborne by exceptionally high storm winds this morning, just north of Valley City. That's maybe half an hour from where I used to live!
(Registration may be required at the Forum's site in order to view the article - sorry.)Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-78631466675957762712008-06-05T14:47:00.003-05:002008-06-05T15:13:25.111-05:00Anna Carter Florence on the incredible, unbelievable gospelThe marvelous Anna Carter Florence, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary, reflects on the good news we preachers have to bring and its astonishing nature, by considering the very first Easter "sermon" and its reception. This is the five-minute version of a lecture she presented at the Festival of Homiletics two weeks ago. Well worth your time!
(Sensitive Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-31018313141006333182008-06-04T16:00:00.000-05:002008-06-04T16:01:29.345-05:00Big gain, local painThis is why it's so hard for government to make the hard choices on any number of challenging issues - the very real, large-scale benefits for the nation as a whole always come at the expense of a particular few on the local level.
GM announced yesterday that it will close four of its plants - including the one just down the road in Janesville - by 2010. Normally I'd be cheering the decision, Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-64516836339747134122008-06-01T19:39:00.002-05:002008-06-01T20:02:15.507-05:00Dean Kamen is my hero!Those of you who know me are probably aware of my fascination obsession with the Segway Personal Transporter. I can't walk past one without getting giddy, and I'd dearly love to spend an afternoon someday rolling around Chicago with Gretchen on one of the various Segway tours to be found in the city.
You may or may not be aware that Dean Kamen, the genius inventer-cum-mad scientist behind SegwayBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-31620986522539668412008-05-21T10:56:00.001-05:002008-05-21T10:56:33.106-05:00Festival of HomileticsI'm in Minneapolis this week for the annual Festival of Homiletics. It's a conference for preachers, a time for us to think together about the craft of preaching and to hear from many of the leading voices in our field. This morning, Walter Brueggemann and Jim Wallis. Good stuff.I'm prompted to write by a funny coincidence - I was recognized just now. One of my colleagues, noticing my name tag, Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-4839713687857242602008-02-01T09:34:00.001-06:002008-02-01T09:34:36.872-06:00Kickin' it old-schoolI'm back in school, at least for a day... As she was grading papers last night, Gretchen asked me if I'd like to come to class with her. (I secretly think she didn't consider it right for me to always get to sleep in while she had to go to school!)So I'm now sitting in in COM 318, and the illustrious Charlie Stewart is getting wound up. Time to pay attention, or I'll get busted and lose my phone.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-41625745917160041772008-01-18T13:49:00.001-06:002008-01-18T13:49:27.258-06:00Different day, same cabalYes, I'm doing Chinese two days in a row. ;) Different restaurant today, but the kitchen/cookie-maker nexus is in full effect, it would appear:"Did you remember to order your take out also?"It's true - the lo-meinati really do secretly rule the world...Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-47394451745277132212008-01-17T13:15:00.000-06:002008-01-17T13:16:35.789-06:00Extortion by cookie"Your fortune said you need to make a donation. Give it to the chef." I'm both amused at the cheeky creativity of this one and just a little offended at using fortune cookies to generate tips for the kitchen! Hmmmm...Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-54724522315727228562007-12-30T20:23:00.001-06:002007-12-30T20:23:53.943-06:00The honeymoonersWell, it's a lock - I'm now a very happily married man. :) Gretchen and I said "I do" a little more than 24 hours ago. Now, after a very delayed flight out of Indy, we're ensconced in our hotel room, and hungrily considering our dinner options. Hmmm... Chik-Fil-A and Krispy Kreme at the airport... Interesting...So, best wishes for the new year from the Schaefers in Orlando!Now I'm going to go andBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-3600490457941577702007-12-09T12:55:00.001-06:002007-12-09T12:55:37.483-06:00Honeymoon adventureThe latest from the AP indicates that the space shuttle mission scheduled for this month has been bumped back to January - Jan. 2, at the earliest. Funny - I know two someones who are going to be in the Orlando area right around the first week in January... With a little luck, maybe Gretchen and I will get to see a launch after all. :) Cool!Something to keep abreast of...Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-48657882385572932882007-12-07T15:03:00.000-06:002007-12-07T15:04:36.851-06:00Licensed to wed.......in the State of Indiana within the next sixty days. Yay!Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-77670229829684002242007-12-02T13:58:00.000-06:002007-12-02T13:59:09.405-06:00Fortune cookie disI think I was just taken down a peg... by a fortune cookie! "Today, your mouth might be moving but no one is listening."Xia xia ne ("thank you," apparently) to my cookie-author-slash-ego-adjuster. :P I so needed that.(BTW, my lucky numbers are 24, 16, 33, 11, 34, and 17. Use them wisely, and be sure to say xia xia ne if you win anything with them.)Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-31685576602677538422007-11-06T23:40:00.000-06:002007-11-07T10:00:39.718-06:00Multiple congratulations!First, to Shawn and Shawnee on the (early but flawless) birth of their first child, Natalie Rose. You guys'll be great parents!Second, to my beloved, who is now ABD - all but dissertation. Way to go, Gretchen! I'm so proud of you.Congrats to all of you - it's been a momentous day. :)Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-71888052170319724402007-11-02T21:53:00.000-05:002007-11-02T22:03:24.327-05:00Caption Contest 1While browsing and grazing at Sam's Club this afternoon, I came across this charming little tableau. Actually, not so little... the creche figures are from a $400 outdoor set, and Santa is a life-sized robot.
Anyhow, the scene cried out to be photographed and captioned. I've taken care of the first part - the captioning, though, is in your hands.
Please post your best captions either at the Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-15117777961708007962007-10-29T23:19:00.000-05:002007-10-29T23:30:11.985-05:00Rhombitruncated Icosidodecahedron
It's OK if you don't get what this is doing in my blog. Let's just say it's an enduring fascination of mine to do with 30 regular square faces, 20 regular hexagonal faces, 12 regular decagonal faces, 120 vertices, 180 edges, two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. At least the first part of that.
Thanks, Roxie - that, at least, has stuck allBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-59603823178804022392007-10-25T13:02:00.001-05:002007-10-25T13:10:08.049-05:00Swiss Army Knife Of Doom
Is it any wonder why I subscribe to ThinkGeek's mailing list? A mere $999 gets you this three pound, 85-tool special edition knife - there's not a tool available on a Swiss Army knife that can't be found somewhere on this sucker.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-58246721645421966082007-10-25T12:47:00.000-05:002007-10-25T12:55:53.566-05:00Technology-enabled clothing
How freakin' cool is this?!?
WiFi is all around us. My cell phone has built-in WiFi, and if I forget and leave the switch on when I leave home, it's not long before I'm alerted to the presence of the many home and business networks I drive past.
This is a good thing. I've happily mooched WiFi where I've been able to mooch it, lots of times. When I was moving into my new home a year ago, I Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-68080294830071463912007-10-20T19:17:00.000-05:002007-10-20T19:51:44.413-05:00Sweetest DayI'm loved by the most wonderful woman in the world... who ever saw that coming? *happy sigh*
Despite all the craziness of her last few weeks at school, Gretchen made a surprise trip to Wisconsin last night in order to visit me a little early for my birthday. It also turns out that "Sweetest Day," (a manufactured holiday, yes, but still fun to celebrate with your sweetheart) is today, making it Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-8179962840304533412007-10-09T00:00:00.000-05:002007-10-08T23:43:14.945-05:00Birthday greetingsToday's the birthday of my awesome Aunt Nancy - a round of applause, please! =) Hope your day is as great as you are, Nance.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-47836081160055379502007-10-08T16:36:00.000-05:002007-10-08T16:40:45.923-05:00Evansville gets a hotelThe rumors that have been circulating for some time have panned out - Evansville will be getting its first hotel next summer. From the sound of it, it will be a very nice property, with LCD TVs in every room and free WiFi - even four suites with jacuzzis. Although the original downtown location was unworkable, there's plenty of room on the east end of town where it's being built.
It's fun to seeBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893616.post-46477960094190531452007-09-28T13:29:00.000-05:002007-09-30T15:49:11.499-05:00In memoriam - Rev. Timothy MalandUPDATE: Visit Tim's CaringBridge page for more information and to leave his family your prayers and remembrances.
I got news this afternoon that Tim Maland, one of the two pastors who served Faith Lutheran throughout my growing up years, passed away a few hours ago. He was recovering from a heart transplant surgery earlier this week, and died of complications subsequent to the procedure.
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12401004872485756109noreply@blogger.com