Ed, Farrah, Michael...Billy?

Crazy week for famous people dying.

First, Ed McMahon. Yes! You are correct sir!

Next, Farrah Fawcett. She took feathering to a whole new level, and that movie where she burned her husband to death while he was asleep still scares the business out of me. Kinda puts the whole not letting the sun go down on your anger into a new perspective. Gotta make sure everything's cool with me and the wife before I lay my head down.

Then, Michael Jackson. King of Pop. Amazingly talented. Infinitely troubled. Loved his music. Envied his moves ('cause you know there's no way this boy can bust a move...white, Baptist boys must have the dancing gene removed in utero). I remember that performance at the Grammy's in '84. I remember thinking the "Thriller" video was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I remember getting in trouble for having the "Bad" cassette in my walkman. I remember Captain EO!

They say news like this comes in threes, but tonight I've learned that maybe it comes in fours because Tampa Bay Online is reporting that infomercial pitchman Billy Mays is dead at the age of 50. Billy, I hope you're in heaven, but can I just say that there's no way that Awesome Auger is worth a crap. I mean, that has to be one of the most shameless plugs ever. Dig post holes? Are you serious?? C'mon Billy, even you know that one was over the top.

So there it is. What a week. Ed, Farrah, Michael, Billy, and eventually, each and every one of us.

San Tan Valley!

I'm getting ready for my third zip code change in 2.5 years, all while staying in the same house!

The change this time, however, is a welcome one because our little unincorporated area will finally have a name - San Tan Valley! I love the name. It's the one I voted for, and it's marks our area's first step toward incorporation. It's exciting being a part of the early stages of this community's development.

I think this is a great area with lots of potential, but I was somewhat shocked and very saddened to see several comments regarding this area that were posted on the local newspaper's message board in response to this area's new name and aspirations.

Comments that reminded me of the snobbish cliques I endured during high school. Comments with no redeeming qualities. Comments that were made soley for cruelty's sake. Comments made by adults who should know better.

Here's a sampling (I'll keep the worst offenders off of my website):

They totally missed the mark! Red-Neck Village or maybe Apache Junction South would have been more suited. Lawless Acres is the real name. Thieves and country bumpkin whanabees live there! Buy a house for more than its worth, then (inappropriate term) about it! Nice!

Ticky Tacky TownshipAdevertising slogan:Featuring foreclosure ghettos, 2 hour commutes and blowing dust. Come join us and be a part of this masterfully planned cesspool.

We do stay away, I don't make it a habit to visit county dumps....

You can't polish a (inappropriate term).

how about BLANCO BASURA VISTAS (translated "White Trash Views")

And there were plenty more derogatory, offensive, racially tinged comments made - presumably - by grown-ups who should know better.

Note to everybody who needs to hear it:

If you make fun of people because of where they live (or what they live in), what they drive, what they can or cannot afford, how well they can or cannot dress themselves or their children, or what their current financial status is, you are one of the worst kinds of people on the planet, and your negativity and hate will poison everything in your life.

For the record, our San Tan Valley has clean air, very nice homes, new roads, shopping, a hospital, golf courses, new schools, parks, incredible views, and dark, night skies perfect for star-gazing. But really, that stuff is temporary, and it doesn't define who I am.

So, I'm going to take the advice of my former mayor and just "shake of da hate"!

Happy Birthday, Shiloh!

Four years ago today, Shiloh and I looked just like this! Life with her is amazing! I love that girl!

If you haven't heard it yet, here's a demo of a song I recently wrote for Shiloh called "When You Dance". Click on the player below or in the sidebar to listen.

'when you dance'

lying there dreaming
of places and things i've never seen
you don't know what you mean to me
you are my angel
sent from a God who knew my need
having you here i am complete

when you dance
every shadow is chased from the room
when you cry
there is nothing that i wouldn't do
when you sing
all my sorrows are lost in the sweet melody
when i hold your hand in mine
i'm alive

the first time i held you
close to my heart i seemed to know
that there'd be a day for letting go
until then i'll cherish
every sunrise spent with you
and all of your charms that pull me through

like when you dance...
and every shadow is chased from the room
and when you cry
and there is nothing that i wouldn't do
and when you sing
and all my sorrows are lost in the sweet melody
when i hold your hand in mine
i'm alive

these moments won't last i'm told
they are only a breath
soon another man's hand you'll hold
and i will be left

with sweet memories of when you danced
and every shadow was chased from the room
and when you cried
and there was nothing that i wouldn't do
and when you would sing
and all my sorrows were lost in the sweet melody
when i held your hand in mine
i was alive

Sick of Blogger

Tired of wresting with Blogger to get things to display correctly. This has been going on for years with no improvement. Guess Google's not putting much effort into the Blogger division these days, as this layout mess has been the same for years. Nothing renders the way it should. Photos mysteriously float across the page. Things are spaced peculiarly. Even tweaking a post via HTML editing is unreliable.

I have had enough!

Look for ragamuffinwriter.com to be moved in the very near future to a much more reliable, user-friendly location...far away from Blogger.


Grrrrrr.....

Good stuff from the hometown paper

Nice piece in the hometown paper today by columnist Wendi Thomas. You can check it out here.

Introducing the Beck of Pentecostal Southern Gospel

Special thanks to my friend and awesome musician Jeremy for bringing this gem to my attention.

www.myspace.com/benjammusic

I call him the Beck of the burgeoning Pentecostal Southern Gospel genre.

Enjoy.

Michael Heisley: NBA Slumlord

Picking up from where I left off in the last post, what is this sad, annoying little game I play with my brother every year? Well, it's something I like to call "Name the Former Memphis Grizzlies Who are Currently Playing in the NBA Playoffs for other Teams" or "NTFMGWACPITNBAPFOT" for short. Catchy name, I know.

See, my brother and I are Memphis Grizzlies fans. When I lived in town, we went to a lot of games together. We suffered through the early years, and we were there when the Grizz made the playoffs for the very first time. It was an amazing event! Hubie won Coach of the Year. The owner sang the National Anthem. The Logo was running the show. Life was good.

Only two years removed from being the worst franchise in all of sports, and the Memphis Grizzlies put together three straight playoff appearances, finishing 4th, 4th and 3rd respectively in the ridiculously tough Western Conference.

Let that sink in just a bit. In the 2005-2006 season, the Memphis Grizzlies had the 3rd highest seeding in the Western Conference!

And then it happened.

The owner blew up the team. A really good team. A really young team. A competitive team. A team that was only going to get better with time.

I know, I know. They were swept 3 straight years in the first round, but these guys were young. They were ahead of the curve even being in the playoffs. Everybody who knows the League knows NBA players don't hit their stride until about Year Seven. Well, maybe everybody doesn't know. Michael Heisley obviously doesn't know.

Or maybe he does know but just doesn't care. He orchestrated the dismembering of my Grizz. Frustrating West. Dabbling in evaluating talent. Ordering lopsided trades. Dumping salaries. Openly positioning himself as the worst kind of absentee owner. If he were a landlord, his properties would be uninhabitable. As it is, he's a sports franchise owner, and his team is unwatchable.

And so I'm left torturing myself with this "NTFMGWACPITNBAPFOT" game and wondering what might have been had the core members of the team been kept together. Don't get me wrong. I understand player movement is part of the game, and there were some pieces that needed to be moved (JWill, Stromile, Bonzi) and some that should have never been moved (Battier, Pau), and still others who should have never been there in the first place (Kwame).

Now, without further ado, I give you the 2009 version of NTFMGWACPITNBAPFOT, along with where they finished in the playoffs:

Pau Gasol - NBA Champions
Daunte Jones - Western Finals
Shane Battier - Western Semifinals
Kyle Lowry - Western Semifinals
Drew Gooden - Western 1st Round
Brevin Knight - Western 1st Round
James Posey - Western 1st Round
Lorenzen Wright - Eastern Finals
Kwame Brown - Eastern 1st Round

And for extra credit, how many rings have former Grizzlies won since leaving Memphis?

Answer: 4

Pau Gasol - 1
James Posey - 2
Jason Williams - 1

And somewhere in Highpoint Terrace right now, my brother is thinking, "Get over it, man. Let it go, already."

Data Dump

Random thoughts (primarily of a techie nature) for your stalking pleasure:

1. I did NOT get laid off, which is a good thing! Thanks to Darrell and Teela for the pizza celebration on Friday night. (Can food be a love language?) Now, comes the art of being persistant without being pestering in petitioning my supervisor to get my certifications scheduled with the State.
2. I LOVE Google's new version of Tasks. It's simple yet feature-rich, and it integrates seamlessly with my Google Calendar. Simplicity, functionality, and integration are the trademarks of Google software. Their stuff just plays nice with everybody else's stuff!
3. I'm not an Mac or PC fanboy and I don't bash either. They each have their place. They each have their strengths. They each have their weaknesses. Mac is definitely king of design and marketing, but PCs give you the freedom and power to do whatever you want! Until last week, MacBooks didn't even have SD card readers, and they still don't have HDMI ports! Macs are kind of like cult leaders in that they keep you in a "technology bubble" without you realizing that you are being kept in a "technology bubble."
4. Trying to get out of my current phone and into a new one at the promotional price. Don't even suggest the iPhone because I can't count on AT&T in the desert, and I'm locked in with Verizon. My buddy at work raves about his Samsung Omnia, and it is impressive. I used planetfeedback to voice my dissatisfaction with the LG Voyager. We'll see if that gets me anywhere (probably not). Looking back, I should have gone with a Windows Mobile device in the first place. There's just so much software being created for the platform, and version 6.5 looks sweet - overall, more functionality and freedom than the iPhone.
5. Bing. I hate the name. They should have stayed with Kumo. Or Live. Or anything else. That said, the search engine is good and growing on me. The marketing campain is great. And the photo backgrounds on the homepage...breathtaking. I know they've been doing it with Live for a while, but man, I have Bing set a home page just so I can see the new picture every day. Wish there was a way to make the Bing photos my daily wallpaper. Very nice.

Sorry this post was so exciting and interesting. Stay tuned next time to learn about a little game I made up that I'm sure my brother is sick of me playing.

"I'm still alive" or "This is the end"?

I find out either this afternoon or first thing in the morning if I'm getting laid off...again. I'm not scared or anything, just anxious to know since it's been hanging over my head since March. Can this day drag on any longer???

In the words of Jim Morrison, "This is the end...." Or is it? Maybe this time tomorrow I'll be Pearl Jammin' "Iiiiii - oooooooh - I'm still alive."

The department next to mine brought a bunch of food for the whole office. They're calling it "The Last Supper."

Therefore, I'm off to do what I do best - mooch some free eats!

The Taurus is dead

The Taurus-Dead in the middle of the desert.

Don't know much about prophecy

Let me preface this post with two comments.

First, I'm no eschatalogical expert.

Never claimed to be. Never will be. In fact, when I filled out the ministry application for the church I'm currently serving, there was a place on the form asking my view of eschatology, with what I thought was a rather generous amount of blank space for me to express my opinions. My only response was, "We win (Revelation 21:22-26; 22:20)!"

Don't get me wrong. I read my Bible. I study the texts. I believe by faith the essentials of the end time prophecies. I have some opinions about what I think some of the stuff means, but I'm not so arrogant or naive as to believe I've unlocked all the mysteries of the historic Christian faith.

Second, I'm very wary of anybody that thinks they have the End Times completely figured out.

You know the type. The ones who make it their personal mission in life to label all ten toes, ten horns, and seven heads. The ones who have definitively named the two witnesses, or even better, who claim to be one of them! The ones who have a simple explanation for the 144,000, and who, every four years or so, claim to have positively identified the Antichrist on the world stage. (Which should be easy, since we all know it will either be the Pope or a Democrat President. I'm kidding, people! Don't send letters.)

With that said, I can't help but read my Bible sometimes and say, "Wow God! Is what I just read talking about the 'here and now', because it sure sounds a lot like the world I'm in today?"

For example, shortly after my layoff, I was reading my Bible and came across two obscure passages that seemed to eerily parallel today's headlines, so much so that it made even a non-prophecy buff like me want to connect-the-dots. Whether or not they're applicable to today, I'll leave that for the End Time Gurus to decide.

The first passage I read was Zephaniah 1:12-13. For a guy who lives in Queen Creek, Ground Zero of the Foreclosure Crisis - where hundreds of homes in my subdivision are vacant, bank-owned, or in the process of being so - this verse takes on a very personal meaning:

"It will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their heats, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!' Moreover, their wealth will become plunder and their houses desolate; yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them." (Emphasis mine.)

The second passage I read was Habakkuk 2:6-7. Again, in light of the Global Credit Crunch, these verses surely ring true:

"'Woe to him who increases what is not his - for how long - and makes himself rich with loans?' Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, and those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them." (Emphasis mine.)

So, are the prophetic words of these passages meant specifically for today? Go ask the Eschatology Boys. What I hope doesn't get lost, however, is the underlying message of grace, mercy and restoration that permiate both Habakkuk and Zephaniah (Hab. 3:16-19; Zeph 2:7, 3:11-20). Those themes - I know with all my heart - are relevant, applicable, and eternal for anyone who runs to Jesus.

Six months in 1,000 words or less

On October 9, 2008, I asked the question, "Is the coming economic earthquake here?" 21 days later, I knew the answer to that question. The earthquake was here, and it rocked my world.

It was a Thursday morning. I got to the office a little after 7am, and my boss was already there (strange for him). I passed the private conference room on my way to get a cup of coffee and noticed the HR manager sitting in there alone (strange for her). By the time I got back to my desk and before I had the chance to get that first, glorious sip of caffeinated bliss, my boss popped out of his office and asked to see me. Okay, so far.

But then it got scary.

He didn't take me into his office. He started down the hallway, away from our area of the building, and I instantly knew something was up, but I had NO IDEA what it could be. When our path took us toward the private conference room, my heart started to pound REALLY hard.

My boss asked me to have a seat, and before I could get situated in the chair, he began with what seemed like a well-rehearsed statement.

"Mark, due to the economic downturn, we are being forced to make some very difficult, drastic changes."

It instantly got about 30 degrees hotter in the room. I couldn't breathe.

"Unfortunately, one of those changes means the elimination of your position, effective immediately."

I heard it, but I didn't. The best way to describe it is that I felt like I was floating above the conference table, watching them let go of someone else - a total out-of-body experience!

"Your responsibilities will be reassigned to several other people throughout the company."

Still floating, but now the room was very cold.

Then the HR manager chimed in.

"This in no way has anything to do with your performance. You have been an outstanding employee, but company-wide we are being forced to do things we never thought we'd have to do."

Then my boss - and it really looked like he was about to cry - continued.

"If there's anything we can do to assist you in finding other employment...references, a letter of recommendation...I'll be more than happy to do so."

And then they led me to my desk, handed me a box, watched me pack my things, and escorted me out of the building. No severance package. No goodbyes. No clue as to what would happen next. Still floating.

The next few weeks were crazy. Faith, family, and friends got and continue to get us through. We've yet to miss a bill payment or a meal. We still have a house. I've still been able to continue leading worship at our church. It hasn't been easy, and at times, it's been nothing short of miraculous.

In the six months that have followed, I've been blessed with a great job - half the pay but plenty of potential down the road. I've done really well, gotten great reviews, and learned a lot.

But June 12th is looming.

See, I work for the government now, and they've announced big layoffs for June 12th. Those who don't get laid off on June 12th will likely be rewarded with a pay cut on July 1st.

Crazy times.

Our family has always operated on a budget. I've never abused credit cards. I've always lived within my means. I've done the Larry Burkett thing since Day One. Still, our home has lost half it's value. I've endured gas at $4.25 per gallon and a commute of 80 miles a day. I've lost my job, and I might lose it again. I've incurred about $16,000 worth of unanticipated medical bills. Life happens.

Following Larry Burkett or Dave Ramsey or whoever doesn't mean your finances can't fall apart, any more than observing all the traffic laws will prevent you from being hit head-on by a stupid teenager, any more than saving yourself for marriage will guarantee you a good sex life.

But hear this: NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME (See Acts 20:24)! Despite what you hear from most pulpits on Sundays, God's will for my life and for your life isn't necessarily full of riches and health and sex and whatever else our minds can conceive on this side of eternity. The will of God for our lives is our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). God's will for our lives is that we rejoice always, that we pray without ceasing, that we give thanks in everything (1Thess. 5:16-18).

So there's six months in a nutshell. I'm still floating. Next Friday will answer some questions, and it will raise some others. But either way, life goes on. It's hard. It's unfair. It's almost more than I can bear.

But sometimes it's wonderful...and it's always worthwhile.

I'm Baaaack!

Like Jimmy Chitwood, I figure it's about time I started playin' ball again.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time off, as the blog was becoming quite a drag to me (and my readers, I'm sure), but I'm not going to throw away five years of stellar blogging under a killer domain name, with all those insane number of ego boosting hits and the fame and fortune that comes with it.

There's something more worthwhile, wordwide and webby about blogging that neither Facebooking (which I do) nor Tweeting (which I will NEVER do) can achieve at this point in the game. Blogging makes me think. Micro-blogging makes me comatose.

Long live the blogs!

John 3:16

So, Tim Tebow writes "John 3:16" under his eyes last night, and this morning it's the hottest search item on Google Trends. How cool is that!

For those of you who don't know Tebow, you can read more about him here. He's a MK (Missionary Kid), a homeschooler, and the youngest person ever to win the Heisman trophy. He's the real deal, on and off the field.

And for the record, John 3:16 says:

For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotton Son
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish
but have everlasting life.

Amen!

Needleman's Case Against Mac

Hey, I enjoy the Mac/PC commercials as much as everybody else, and they are very effective. They're just not a very accurate portrayal of either a Mac or a PC experience. I've been tempted to make the jump from PC to Mac, but Rafe Needleman's recent article on cnet.com has reminded me once again that it's not going to be happening for me any time in the near future.

Needleman does a tremendous job of dealing with the Mac/PC debate in an unbiased, non-fanboy way. Check it out here.

the only way i know (take two)

In this recording, I'm still using the $9 microphone and the cheap laptop, but instead of running Audacity, I'm recording on a trial version of Mixcraft.

Mixcraft is the closest thing to Garageband for Windows that I've found. This recording is one take, with a couple of standard effects added with very little effort. The difference in quality is dramatic.

Mixcraft is nice, but Garageband is still much more robust and easy to use. Maybe Santa will bring me a new Mac, a good mic, a midi keyboard and a drum pad for Christmas!

In the meantime, enjoy the demo!

the only way i know

Click here to listen, or right-click to download and save! (6MB)

Buckypaper!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93SBGCO0&show_article=1

Is 'The Coming Economic Earthquake' here?

US debt clock runs out of digits

US considers taking ownership stakes in banks

World looks to G7 in crisis

IMF draws up emergency bail-out plans for countries

Pope: Financial crisis shows wealth a 'house built on sand'

"We see it now in the collapse of the great banks that money disappears, it's nothing," the pontiff said Monday at a conference of bishops at the Vatican.

Looks like Larry Burkett may have been correct when he wrote The Coming Economic Earthquake way back in 1991. Dr. Leonard Gaston of the Foundation for Economic Education wrote an excellent, unbiased review of Burkett's book. You can find it here.

Without 'Game Changer', McCain's best is an Electoral tie

The more I run the numbers, the more convinced I am that John McCain cannot win on November 4th.

The McCain camp needs a "game changer", and they need it now. Barring a) an October Surprise (possible), b) decisive victories in the last two debates (unlikely) or c) a massive case of Election Day jitters about pulling the lever for the enigmatic, elusive Obama (a distinct possibility), a decisive Electoral and Popular vote win for the Democratic ticket is inevitable.

In fact, as things stand right now, I think the best McCain can do is force an Electoral tie, 269-269. This scenario would require him to hold onto every state he currently leads, plus win Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida - and the kicker - New Hampshire; a daunting task, but not impossible.

For an old history major like me, the possibility of an Electoral tie would be like a second Christmas! With the newly elected House selecting the President, and the Senate picking the VP, we could very well end up with an Obama/Palin White House. Wouldn't that be fun? Click here to learn how Electoral College ties are broken.

McCain's only hope at an Electoral College victory is if he can manage to win Colorado, a state in which he consistently and currently trails in every major poll.

Here's what you should look for on election night. If Obama can win any one of either Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, or Florida, then the Republican ticket is toast. It will be over.

Looks like the Straight Talk Express may come to a screeching halt before it ever crosses the Continental Divide.

Want to generate your own Electoral scenarios? Head over to 270towin.com and realclearpolitics.com and play the pundit.

Bankruptcy, not bailout is the right answer

So says Jeffrey A. Miron, a senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/29/miron.bailout/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Our First Meltdown

We managed to survive a 750 mile trip and almost six days before I had any real behavior issues with the hobbits, but Thursday the streak ended. Still not sure what I did to set her off, but Shiloh was not too happy with me yesterday afternoon. Fortunately, she photogenic even when she's furious.

More Beaver Creek Fun

Day 1 & 2 (in pictures)!

More pics and stuff to come soon. This will have to do for now, as I am currently panhandling technology.

is there a hunger

Time to share another demo. This one, like "have you ever...", was recorded at Posey's studio. As before, lyrics are posted in the comments.

is there a hunger

Click here to listen, or right-click to download and save! (5MB)

the only way i know

The next songwriting demo I want to share with you is a little tune I wrote for Lincoln. It's based loosely on one of the prayers of St. Francis.

Last time I mentioned that not all of my demos are of a studio quality. Well, this is one of those lesser quality recordings, but considering that I'm using a $9 microphone from Target and a free digital audio editor on an old Windows notebook, it's not altogether terrible.

Hey, I should show you my custom, portable studio (see photo). That's right, it's portable. Sometimes it's set up in the closet. Sometimes it's in the den. Sometimes it's in the bathroom. Today, it was on Brandi's side of the bed.

The links below will lead you to melodious magnificence and lyrical loveliness! You may partake freely and share with others!

the only way i know
(Updated recording - 10-25-2008)
Click here to listen, or right-click to download and save! (6MB)