Ridding Into the Sunset

See you next year.

- Peace

My Twelve Most Interesting Pics of 2006

as defined by flickr.

- Peace

3800 km done!

I passed the 3800 km point today, making my goal for 2006. :) Thanks to everyone who's gone riding with me this year and everyone who's shared encouragement on-line or in person.

BTW check out some more pics from my last ride of 2006.

My goal for 2007: 4000 km.

- Peace

Snow Riding

four wheels glide through fresh fallen snow still falling
two riders crank to keep commitments with end of year deadlines
they rejoice at the wilderness they otherwise would have avoided
on a day with storm warnings

Thanks Calvin.

- Peace

Christmas Dinner Birthday Candles

This year at Christmas dinner we put birthday candles on the Christmas pudding (read: cake) and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. This I think was more or less my two-years-old niece's idea.

Anybody have other special Christmas stories they want to share in the comments?

MS Ipod Parody

If Microsoft had designed the iPod packaging...

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday

One down side with having a birthday this time of year is people will often say 'Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday' and that's fine. I have caught myself echoing that back to people a couple of times today. I got some odd looks. I meant Happy New Year of course.

- Peace

Chirstmas Blur

It's fun but the blogging suffers.

3600 KM best year ever and …

the first year I didn’t meet my goal. At least that’s what I expected to be writing once I crossed the 3600 km mark for 2006. I started December at 3303 km, having only done 183 km in November I figured if things went ok I’d get to 3500 and match 2005’s goal. If things went really well I’d get about 300 km and make 2006 the best year ever by passing 3600, but still be 200 km short of my goal for 2006. Well I passed 3600 this morning, I’ve got nine and half days to go, so I need to about 21 km a day. If the weather, my health and the bike can keep it together I can make 3800. Stay tuned.

- Peace

Model Train Ride

My camera went for a couple of rides on a model train. This is the first one.

- Peace

Burn Disks with ITunes 7 and Windows x64

All you need it the Driver installer for AMD64 and Intel EM64T. :)

- Peace

Do Nothing Machine

Created by a mast woodworker who was displaying some of his work at Heritage Park. Reminds me of MC Escher.

- Peace

War on the Homeless?

When Calgary passed a new bylaw against spiting, urinating and other not so polite public acts, activists called it a war on the homeless. I thought they may have been overstating it. I'm not so sure anymore: Homeless man fined $115 for spitting.

- Peace

Merry Christmas from IdeaJoy

and nothing says it better than the traditional Canadian Christmas Moose!

- Peace

Over the Rhine Christmas MP3s

Over the Rhine has released two full length MP3s from their next album
Snow Angles. Hauntingly beautiful.

- Peace

Christmas / Birthday List

a Piglet or two!.

Sony's MDRNC11AW Noise Cancelling Headphones

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

iPod Nano 8 Gig. My 20 gig iPod died, not going the hard drive route again, but the flash based iPods seem to last.

X3

Blink

The Great Giveaway.

Songs For Christmas by Sufjan Stevens. MegaTunes (932 17 Ave. S.W.) should have it.

My Island by Star Flyer 59. (Christian Pub should have it)

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Epic Series, my weakness for bad sci-fi.

The Muppet Show Season Two will have till wait till 2007, it's not out yet.

Green Arch

Globalization of the Imagination

When a religion aggressively proselytizes and seeks to transform the world, its most important resource is its images. It is image that transforms the imagination, and it is imagination that engenders a lifestyle. And what globalization does better than anything else is transform the imagination. That is why the entertainment and advertising industries are the first wave of the emerging global consciousness.
...
What is at stake in globalization is not only the production and consumption of products, but more important the construction of a homogenized global consumerist consciousness. Globalization wants more than your pocketbook, it wants your soul.
...
In late capitalism we see an almost total comodification of life. And once everything is commodified - including beliefs, worldviews and cultural products - then the imperial hegemony of global capitalism has been established.

Quotes from Colossians Remixed's first chapter Placing Ourselves: Globalization and Postmodernity.

Alberta Conservatives, Canadian Liberals very much a like

Both the Liberal Part of Canada and the Alberta Conservatives picked new leaders yesterday. I couldn't help but notice the similarities. It goes deeper than just the fact that both Ed Stelmach and Stephane Dion were come from behind dark horse winners. Both men defeated front runners who were described in outsider terms.

In Alberta Ed Stelmack was the quiet cabinet mister who said he could bring together both corporate (Jim Dinning) and social conservative interests (Ted Morton). Jim Dinning has spent the last 10 years being an Oil Executive and quietly campaigning to be the Ralph's successor. Jim would prevent any further growth of the tiny Alberta Liberals by attracting the right wing of the Alberta Liberals. Ted Morton was on right and would attract those who had departed for the ultra conservative Alberta Alliance party or those where thinking of leaving.

Mr Dion is one of the few (only?) ministers from the Critien era who was able to win over Paul Martin. He defeated a front runner Michael Ignatieff who's spent most of his working life out side Canada and a former NDP Premier of Ontario Bob Rae.

I'm sure that no one will confuse the two winners or their parties, but right now I see a strong familiar resemblance.

- Peace

183 km, 3300 km

I manged 183 km of biking in Nov, 17 short of my goal. That was enough for me to pass the 3300 km point, 500 km short of the plan. 3300 does make 2006 my second best year so far passing 2004's 3200, but 200 km short of 2005's 3500. and 300 km short of making 2006 the best year ever at 3600 km. I'm still riding, but the conditions are challenging to say the least. I rode to work yesterday morning and it took two hours. Luckily I had most of the morning off due to a computer move. This morning I rode to Anderson station and took the ctrain from there, quicker, but cut my ride from 17.5 km to just under 7 km. Will see how this works out.

- Peace

Koi Cafe, Highly Recomended

Due to chain of events that involved cold weather, a fire and failure to communicate I spent Tuesday evening enjoying the food and environment at Koi with friends instead of feeding the homeless with the Salvation Army.

Koi submerges you in art, the walls were covered with photography by a local photographer, the background music was world beat influenced ambient jazz (for lack of a better term) and the food was a master piece. Fore example we had amazing Yam wedges, and I don't like Yams as a rule. I'd try to describe the rest of the menu, but you really need to read it, try it for yourself.

BTW they also have free WiFi :)

- Peace

2,000 years after...

2,000 years after a resurrection we never witnessed, facing a future that seems more or less insoluble. We’re not deluded into believing we can return to the idealized modernism of the ’50s. And still we’re not yet willing to throw in the towel and succumb to nihilistic despair. We still hope beyond hope. We groan. We struggle. And we cry out—not defiantly into the void and not to some man-diluted, manufactured god who can’t satisfy. We cry out to the God we hope is actually here.

From 2,305 Words On "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Curt Cloninger in the Nov 2006 issue of Paste.

- Peace

I'm Very Gracious...

Kevin invited us over for American Thanks Giving. He cooked his first Turkey and made his first gravy paste. It was wonderful, a good time was had by all. We listened to American jazz, pop and W. quotes. This one fit the night:

Anyway, I'm so thankful, and so gracious. I'm gracious that my brother Jeb is concerned about the hemisphere as well.

Here's wishing all my American friends a Gracious Thanks Giving!

- Peace

Thank You...

I got a little bigger present than usual

My birthday present is a little bigger than usual this year...



My wife bought me a house.
I'm very happy, It's like I want to invite everyone on earth to the house warming.

We'll be packing over the next few weeks and a few days before Christmas we'll be in our new digs.

Dave, Kevin, Leighton, anybody reading this, colour yourselves invited!

Suckling on the Breasts of the Godess

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1st Peter 2:1-3.

While working through this passage at Xalt last night, I hit me for the first time that babies of course crave breast milk and that there was no other substitute at the time. Leaving us with the image of Suckling at the Breasts of the Lord. Now there are strong male images in the passage as well, so that leads me to the heretical thought that the image of God encompasses both Male and Female.

- Peace

Offended the Wheel god!

Broke a spoke on my way into Fish Creek Park, it jammed into the cogset rendering the bike unride-able. Had to walk 2km back to the house to get the Element, rescue the bike and drive to work.

After work I needed to fill up, after filling up the Element wouldn't start, having issues with the car battery. Had to call AMA.

Sigh.

- Peace

Michael's orthodoxy

Is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reason or the wrong thing for the right reason?
Answer: neither.
Scripture shows clearly that God cares not only what we do but why we do it, that we believe and what/who we belive in.

Mt 23:23 - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Notice the phrase "These you ought to have done" and that justice and mercy and faith were also matters of the law.

Mt 23:25 - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. (26) Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Notice the word "also". Yes we can be overzelous for the letter of the law (I think that's why Jesus warned us to beware the leaven of the Pharisees) but that doesnt diminish the law

The Pharisees had the outward appearance of orthodoxy but inwardly they ignored the word of God.

Isa 29:13 - Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Is it important what we believe? Just do a word search on "believe" in the new testament. (there are 16 references in John's gospel alone)

Is it important that this belief changes how we behave and how we think? Joh 3:3 - Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (3:7) Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

3150 km Sigh

After needing to put in a new front fork and upgrading my drive train I did some ridding yesterday and got past the 3150 km mark. That was my goal for the end of September. At this point I don't seem me getting to 3800 for 2006. I still have a slim shot at making 3600 and I'd be able to say that 2006 was my best year ever.

On the up side, I saw around 200 Canadian geese flying overhead yesterday. I also saw a deer in Fish Creek Park.

- Peace

10 Years of the 'Smart Fridge'

Is it just me or has the Smart Fridge been on the horizon for about ten years now?

- Peace

Like Dancing

Like Dave King, I am a big cycling advocate. This morning, if the rain freezes, the roads will be absolutely unridable. And at any rate it seems the wrong time of year to talk with most people about bike riding.

Nevertheless the story below was so unexpected and beautiful to me that I wanted to share it:


http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1108/p20s01-lign.html

On the Edge

The Long Winters MP3s and Video

From the Long Winters' MP3 page:

Clearly, it would be presumptuous for us to expect you to enjoy our music without having heard it. Thus, please help yourself to full-length, high-quality versions of our songs in the popular MP3 audio format. Provided courtesy of the band and Barsuk Records.

The mp3s are good but the video for Fire Island is the Long Winters at their best.

- Peace

Happy Hollowed Eve

From Goat Creek Trail

Geek Pun

If you don't get this it's ok, it just means you don't write code. A couple of guys were debugging code in the office today when

Jay: 'Where are my variables?'
me: 'Oh no, Jay's lost his variables!'
Jay: 'No if I lost my variables I would be a constant annoyance'

ouch. groan.

- Peace

Manufacturing Glamour

We're bathed in images of beauties that don't exist.

- Peace

Goat Creek

Five of us rode Goat Creek from Canmore to Banff and then took the transcanada back to Canmore on Sat. I'm posting pictures to my Goat Creek Oct 2006 set.

- Peace

Elbow in Motion

The Long Slow Wobbel

Rick Bass, a very good writer, is another Montana neighbor of mine. Besides being an excellent writer, Bass is a fervent environmentalist. Environmentalists care deeply about this creation, which is a good thing, but a lot of them are also pretty mean-spirited, angry, even violent—verbally if not physically. Bass is small of stature, elf-like, energetic, and laughing, it seems, most of the time. There's not a polemical bone in his body. He hosts parties for the loggers and the miners, working for common ground, developing a language of courtesy and understanding.

Bass wrote an essay recently that I consider required reading for anyone who cares about the contemplative life, immersed as we are in this impatient, shortcut addictive culture. He writes that when confronted with a complex and difficult task, he used to imagine himself laying down one brick after another, brick by brick by brick, to eventually accomplish his aims. But he's recently changed his metaphor from bricks to glaciers. A glacier is the most powerful force the world has ever seen. Literally nothing can stop a glacier.

A glacier is formed by the falling of snow that collects over a period of time. As the snow deepens, the weight compresses, ice forms, then more snow, then more ice, year after year— and nothing happens. Nothing happens until that glacier is 64-feet thick. Then it starts to move and nothing can stop it.

Bass notes that one theory about the origin of glaciers is that they are "the result of a wobble, a hitch, in the earth's rotation. . . . Glaciers get built or not built, simply, miraculously, because the earth is canting a single one-trillionth of a degree in this direction for a long period of time, rather than in that direction." And then this comment: "When I am alone in the woods, and the struggle seems insignificant or futile, or when I am in a public meeting and am being kicked all over the place, I tell myself that little things matter—and I believe that they do. I believe that even if your heart leans just a few degrees to the left or the right of center, that with enough resolve, which can substitute for mass, and enough time, a wobble will one day begin, and the ice will begin to form, where for a long time previous there might have been none. Keep it up for a lifetime or two or three, and then one day—it must—the ice will begin to slide" (The Roadless Yaak, Lyons Press).

Transparent Lives by Eugen Peterson.

This story also appears in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Peterson.

- Peace

A Calgary Tradition

Kevin Bike Elbow

Lunch With Jordon (the Oracle) Cooper

Jordon is on his way to so-cal to meet some rebel friends and subvert the empire. On his way back he's stopping at the Calgary Airport on Monday Oct 16th for lunch. Anyone interested in joining him? We'll be at Montana's Cookhouse Saloon from noon till one.

For those who don't know Jordon is an emergent guru, A-List blogger and moisture farmer from Tatooine Saskatoon. He's also one of the founding members of Resonate.

- Peace

A Short Film

Things You Can't Do When You're Not In A Swimming Pool - Part of the Paste Rock N Reel Festival.

- Peace

Reminds me of a couple verses

I was just going to post this as a comment but I think it stands on it's own
Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
58:7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
25:43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
25:44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
25:45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Hard words but we all need to practice comapassion and hospitality

Rejection and the Cornsertone

If we refuse to host strangers
in the house of God
where the cornerstone declares
to the glory of God
then the cornerstone declares
that we are the strangers
to the house of God.

In respose to Mike.

- Peace

All the different shapes of kindness (from Fruits Basket)

Tohru:
... But think of all the girls at school who like you and say you’re really nice
Yuki:
But I’m just being nice because I WANT them to like me. It isn’t how I really feel. Really I’m just selfish. But you Tohru are a nice person.
Tohru:
Well maybe I’m just being nice because I want you to like me. Maybe I’m the one being selfish.
Yuki:
You couldn’t be even if you wanted to.
Tohru:
Well I don’t know about that. Mom said anyone can be selfish sometimes.
When we’re born all we know how to do is want. We want food, we want attention. It’s just instinct I guess… but kindness,..
We aren’t born with it. It grows inside us like our bodies do…
(Tohru’s mom in flashback)
Not everyone has kindness but I think everyone has the potential. Sometimes it’s hard. You’ll find someone who doesn’t seem to have it but if you look really hard you’ll find it.
Tohru:
That’s why I always try to find the good in people. So I can see all the different shapes of kindness and sometimes that’s all it takes for someone to find the goodness in themselves.

Ok, ok, I’m a big sucker for this stuff.

Seven Adults and Twelve Children, Inn from the Cold

We hosted seven adults and twelve children at with Xalt and Inn From the Cold latst night. Here's the scary part. One family moved here from out of province, the father is better educated than I am and has a full time job in his proffession. Finding an affortable place to live has been impossible, so they're moving from Church basement to Church basement with Inn From the Cold. That helps explain this CBC headline: Nowhere to live in Calgary, activist tells migrant workers.

- Peace

The Last 1000 km

I passed the 2800 km mark this morning, so I'm now working on my last 1000 km towards my goall of 3800 km in 2006. The last couple of weeks of Sept I only got 100 km in, being sick, bad weather and a couple of flat tires killed me. I don't know 1000 km in Oct/Nov/Dec that's a tall order.

- Peace

Google Gadgets Anywhere

Now You Can Have Google Gadgets on Your Webpage. Like the 70's flashback on the left, MindMaster. Coming to a blog near you. - Peace

A Canadian Wedding eh?

Cafe, Live Music, and WiFi

Things that make McNally Robinson stand out from other bookstores.

Sawyer Project - is the jazz duo, most enjoyable guitar and percussion.

- Peace

The Indirection of Thom Yorke

I always have to be aware when it comes to writing and when it comes to music, you don’t just come and say, ‘I want to put this in the song.’ It naturally evolves, and it’s naturally a part of what’s going on. … Anger is an energy source for me, especially lyrically when I’m presented with something I consider utter madness. … My writing is a constant response to doublethink.

Thom Yorke, Dancing In the Dark.

- Peace

Wheat, Woman

The Aim of the Person of Faith (Peterson)

The aim of the person of faith is not to be as comfortable as possible but to live as deeply and thouroghly as possible - to deal with the reality of life, create beauty, discover truth, act out of love.

Eugene H. Peterson, Run With the Horses, Letter to the Exiles.

I wish got more of the perspective on faith from the Christian sub culutre. For instance how we see our gathering times, do we see them as spiritual pick me ups, all postitve and glowing. Or do we see them as times that will comfort, confront , love , scare and dumbfound us with the great and terible beauty that is creation and the Creator?

- Peace

JavaScript is the New Metal

I'm at NFJS Calgary this weekend. Was talking with a local consultant about some of the Java Frameworks that allow you to code in Java and generate JavaScript. The Google Web Toolkit or DWR being examples. During this conversation he said.

Of course you can get down to the metal and write JavaScript by hand if you have to.

I had to laugh, we're so abstracted that JavaScript, running in an unknown browser on an unknown operating system on arbitrary hardware is the new bare metal. I won't name my friend to protect the guilty. He claims I'm quoting him out of context, but it was a moment that crystallized where we're at.

- Peace

Who Reads What Update

OK fore those who care WRW has been down for a week, got interupted making some changes and I only have the one version at the moment. I know very amaturish. The new version should render much faster, making it almost useable in IE. so please give it a spin.

- Peace

Breakfast Round Up

Had a great time with Rudy and Steve. Here's a random recap of some of the topics of conversation. Rudy, Steve; feel free to add more in the comments.

Rudy as instigator
Web design, or lack there of at IdeaJoy.
Rachel of Cred8Design
Agile Software Development
Ruby on Rails
taking risks
abundance thinking vs zero sum game thinking
taking the out the thorn in the Lion's paw
short feedback loops
the spiritual connection between Blacks and Hispanics
Rex Murphy, cause he was there.
RCMP, yes they're still mounted police when in cruisers and how few of them there are in Banff
incarnational blogging vs focused blogging
John Perkins
IVCF
Bibles that Rudy's been involved with
family
betrayal
forgiveness
the time gap between the resurrection and Peter's restoration
The rejection of Christ, or why Christ rejected a few people vs why we do
Urbana 93
Cold Canadians and Starbucks Coffee
Emergent
Peterson, doubt and the Great Commission
Resonate
My Loving each other as the way to save the world rant
Politely Disconected
Jordon Cooper
A Heretic's Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke
Making Students cry
Error Messages
Celebrity Breakfasts
Leighton Tebay
book reviews
Scott McNight and Jesus Creed
blog comments
The history of South Meadows
criticism learning from it and ignoring it
special effects in Jesus movies
Salvationists
Growing up Baptist
Xalt
Fundies
Cornerstone
PBS cartoons on the American Revolution
Rob Bell
meet ups
weather and acclimatization
Chinooks
LA Public Transit
Cell Phone Cameras

Oddly we didn't talk about Peter Case, P.O.D. or U2.

Thanks guys, it was great.

- Peace

Memories of Summer

It was only a couple of weeks a go, but it feels longer than that.

Rudy Carrasco Celebrity Breakfast

Ok so the adventure to hunt down Rudy in Banff has been called off and
Rudy's coming to us on Wed. We're meeting at the Compass dinning room
in the Calgary Airport Delta at 8:30 am. If you're interested in joining
us please drop me an email.

- Peace

Meet up with Rudy Carrasco, Banff

Hey Rudy Carrasco of Urban On Ramps is coming to Banff, and I'm headed up to meet with him Tuesday night, from 9 till 11. Yeah I know it's late but Rudy's a fascinating guy who works in LA. Read his bio.

If you're interested in tagging along I have space in the Element for 3 more, or you could drive up and meet us. Drop me a line and we'll arrange details.

BTW I'm in Regina till Sunday night, so don't be offended if my response times are bit longer than normal.

- Peace
Dave

Updated: Banff is out, breakfast is in.

Vas

from Sunday's Flickr Meet.

- Peace

2600 km, 12 days behind

I passed the 2600 km mark for biking in 2006 this morning. That puts me 12 days behind the plan.

- Peace

Not Our Plans

Jeremiah 29:4-14 (The Message)

4This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, to
all the exiles I've taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5"Build houses and make yourselves at home. "Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. 6"Marry and have children. Encourage yourchildren to marry and have children so that you'll thrive in that country and not waste away. 7"Make yourselves at home there and work for the country's welfare. "Pray for Babylon's well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you." 8-9Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God: "Don't let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don't pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They're a bunch of liars preaching liesÂ?and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me." God's Decree! 10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out, plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you" God's Decree! I'll bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.

I don't know why I hadn't really noticed it before. This passage is famous for the lines about how God has plans to prosper us. It's good news indeed. But it's not the news the people in the story were longing for. They wanted to go home. They didn't want to stay and settle down. You'd think it was obvious, but I missed it.

- Peace

Daisies Stones

Got to Love Fire Fox

So I tested Who Reads What with IE today, and it's slow... It's alsmost instant in Fire Fox.

- Peace

The Return of Who Reads What

Who Reads What is back. It now tries to read all sites within two clicks of the Resonate Blogs page. I know it's not getting everyone, as blogs listed here at IdeaJoy don't appear in the list. It's a work in progress.

- Peace

Google Juice for Memory Express

I have no idea why one of the most popular computer stores in Calgary is so hard to find via google. So here's some google juice for http://www.memoryexpress.com.

- Peace

Good Man - King Straggler

Check out Good Man, now playing on King Straggler's my space page. As heard on the 23rd Paste Sampler.

- Peace

August KM Report

I did 608 KM, making August 2006 my best month ever. At least I can't remeber passing the 600 km point in one month. I know I've hit the 580s or 590s before but never quite got past 600. The brings my total to 2338 for the year, 262 short of the plan goal of 2600 km. At 600 a month that's less than a couple of weeks of ridding. If I can keep up the pace for Sept and Oct then I have shot of making my goal for the year.

- Peace

Passed 300 Cars today

A head wind and rain and it was still a good day to bike to work today. I passed at least 300 cars heading north on Elbow Drive between Southland and Glenmore Trail because of this:

AM770 CHQR - A traffic nightmare for motorists in southwest Calgary began Wednesday night. Northbound 14th Street had to be shut down Heritage Drive and 75th Avenue, after a tractor trailer unit crashed into the pedestrian bridge in that area at about 9:15pm Wednesday. Director of Roads for the City of Calgary, Mac Logan, says the bridge suffered major structural damage, and may have to be torn down. He says engineers will try to determine the best way to fix the bridge, but he adds it will be closed to pedestrians for several months.

Elbow drive is the next north/south road way east of 14th Street so it was getting a ton of extra traffic this morning. I was able to use the side walk for those blocks and passed cars that were just sitting there or moving 15 km/h for a few seconds at a time.

- Peace

Ice Cube

Really Need to view at Large Size to get the full effect.

It's Nice to be the Hero

Kim need to pick something up at a store and I stayed in the Element. There was a black Jetta parked in front of me. The Jetta started to roll forward. It took me a second to prorcess that it was empty and rolling towards two women packing their car. Of course a rolling car makes litle noise and the women had their backs to the car. I started to beep my horn rapidly and the women took notice and jumped out of the way of the Jetta. There was no harm done to either car, but bumpers are desinged for such things, legs are not.

OK so it's hero in the totaly no risk to the hero sense of the word. Still it felt nice.

- Peace

The Black Night Inn WiFi

The Black Night Inn in Red Deer has free WiFi in the lobby and banquet salons.

- Peace

Post Post Modern

It's offical I'm Post Post Modern.

- Peace

Eugene Peterson on Spiritual Theology and the Laity.

An Interview with Eugene Peterson by Richard J. Foster.

RJF: Who is the primary audience for this book?

EP: Richard, as you know, I've written a lot of books for pastors trying to communicate this same message.

They've been well received, and people have given them the dignity of reading them. I can't complain.

But to tell you the truth, and I don't know if you're going to want to put this in your publication . . .

RJF: We'll make sure our readers see it.

EP: I've kind of given up on pastors, so I've deliberately not used any references to pastors or other leaders in this book. I have written this book for the lay person. They're in the forefront of what's going on in our churches, in our world, and I think if spiritual theology has a chance to make an impact in the Church, it's going to come mainly through the laity.

As seen on Ian's Messy Desk.

- Peace

Don't Download This Song

Cause if you do, you may rekindle a latent love of Weird Al Yankovic as he parodies the music industry. Weird Al's latest single is currently available to download here. But don't do it!

- Peace

Columbia Ice Cube Tours

Thanks Mike :)

Ice Cube Stack

2050 km, 17 days behind

passed the 2050 km mark today, that was the goal for the end of July so I'm 17 days behind the plan. That's beter thans the extra 20 days it took to get the end of June goal.

- Peace

MXPX, Calgary I'm there.

From my inbox:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - AUGUST 17, 2006

MXPX with guests
SEPTEMBER 11 at MacEwan Ballroom, Calgary AB
doors 7 pm - all ages - general admission

TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY AUGUST 19 AT UNIONEVENTS.COM, TICKETMASTER.CA, CHARGE-BY-PHONE 777-000, MEGATUNES AND SLOTH RECORDS - OR BUY HERE

- Peace

Fruits Basket and Mike's Twin

Dave made me blog it.
Fruits Basket, A story of redemptive grace.
(Wiki has a link here)
Sometimes I just fall in love with an anime…
Fruits Basket is the story of a young girl who, in spite of great tragedy in her own life, maintains an extraordinarily positive outlook. Not only that but when she meets a family beset by a strange curse she responds with kindness and love even when they treat her badly. Her love begins to change the entire clan and they begin to treat others with kindness.
Yup, I’m a sucker for a story in which love conquers all.

Mike's Twin?:
My hat,..
my glasses,..
my size,..
plays guitar a lot like me too.

Are Sheep Spiritual?

I have nothing against sheep, I think counting sheep is cool. But are they inherently spiritual? Last night at Xalt we spent an hour for about an hour talking about bikes and the spiritual life. Afterwards one woman remarked that she was surprised by how much of the spiritual life could be described in terms of bikes. I'm guessing if I'd spent the time on shepherds and sheep no one would be surprised. Are sheep inherently spiritual or have we lost the habit of understanding the spiritual in everyday terms?

- Peace

Would you spend a weekend with these guys?

Jadon

Kevin

Darcy

Michael

Leighton

I did and I'd do it again.

- Peace

Speaking at Xalt on Sunday

I'll be doing my Bike Parable / Half Sermon at Xalt this Sunday. Just in case you were interested.

- Peace

1900 km, half way

It feels good. You need to think James Brown when you read that.

- Peace

The shame of not being ready

Leighton played a bit of a conference MP3 from Wolfgang Simson that talked about house church as a return to a more biblical model of the Christian life. In a summary a church that was relationally driven instead of event driven (Church once a week on Sunday being an event not a relationship)

I wasn’t ready.

I hold somewhere in my head the echo’s of Ephesians 4:14 (Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.) So whenever I hear about a new movement or a new way of doing things in church I’m sceptical. That’s not all a bad thing but I think I take it too far. It wasn’t Wolfgang’s words on the tape so much as reading through much of his book “Houses that Change the World” that made me change my mind. After Constantine, the church changed forever becoming an official political instrument. The reformation overturned much of the bad doctrine but kept the hierarchical power structures. The historical 1st and 2nd century church was small and simple, meeting in peoples houses not in cathedrals or even “church buildings”. Wolfgang sees a new reformation by returning to this simpler way of doing church. Nothing wrong with that, right? So why do I resist?

Here’s what I think is going on in my mind. An over adherence to Ephesians 4:14 (above) and not paying attention to Mark 7:7-8 (These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.' For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions.") The church has developed a whole range of apologetics defending the way of doing church as biblical (which it is) without looking at other ways of doing it that would also be biblical. We have ignored our own history and attempted to cover our mistakes.

My Problem.

I’m still not ready. I’m not ready to give up on church as I know it. Even though I agree that it is not the only biblical model for fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship. I’m just not ready and that’s a shame because if those five things are the important ones then I have to confess we are not doing any of them very well or in a way which is easily multiplied.

Someday I hope I can leave my cocoon of safe, “politely disconnected” (as Dave calls it) church and allow myself to go where He tells me, when He tells me, and how He tells me.

Home

Aurora
Originally uploaded by Kevin Saff.

Well I think a good time was had by all. Not sure how you sum up a weekend road trip ... but Kevin saw his first northern lights and captured some fantastic shots.

LT introduced us to his pasion for the house church movement
We also met his wife and family.

Need to find URLs for the wonderful guys we met this weekend.

We talked, we ate, we listened to music, we drove.

I'll be posting pics soon.

- Peace

Heading Out to Chitek Lake

Michael J. Fox
Originally uploaded by Jordon.

Well must get some sleep so I can drive Kevin and Mike to Chitek Lake and see LT. Be back Monday.

Picture of Mike by Jordon Cooper.

- Peace

Community and the Story

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciplesÂ?when they see the love you have for each other.

Jesus as quoted in John 13:34-35

That's the core verse for the call to live in community, the core of why we can't do this on our own as individuals. To understand it fully you need the rest of the Gospel stories, we need to know how Jesus loved thediscipless so we can follow his example. We don't need to look far for a start.

John 13 is where Jesus is found washing his disciples' feet just before telling them that he will be going away and gives them his new command. The next thing that happens is this exchange.

Simon Peter asked, "Master, just where are you going?"

Jesus answered, "You can't now follow me where I'm going. You will follow later."

"Master," said Peter, "why can't I follow now? I'll lay down my life for you!"

"Really? You'll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times."

Mattheww 26 recordes the same prediction, but precedess it with the famed last supper.

Taken together John 13 andMattheww 26 show Jesus washing his discipless feet, especiallyPeter's, and brining them into communion knowing that Peter would deny him three times by morning.

Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This isn't easy, cause the Church is still made up of Peters like me who will deny even knowing you by morning. Yet knowing that we're called tod love and serve one another as Christ has loved us.

- Peace

Not User Friendly

I've seen people come to a complete stop at this sign on the Glenmore Reservoir pathway. I know a couple who had an argument about what it meant. While it makes logical sense it's not intuitive. Do they ever test these things with people before puting up the sign? Green Circles telling people what path to take would be much clearer.

- Peace

Barnyard: a review

Somewhere in the multiverse there is a dimension between fisher price world and the Far Side; a world where cows have opposable thumbs and two genders: cow and man cow. Bull is an distant cousin of some form. In this world is a Barnyard where a Lion King / Batman story arc takes place - cause it's a story that gets played out in every world. Barnyeard is laugh out loud funny in places, there's some brilliant product placement, many sight gags, a pun or two and a couple of politicaly incorect comments. It's a good set of gags and animation wraped around a well worn story. The kids at the preview enjoyed it and I wasn't the only adult laughing. It was more fun than Super Man Returns and about as deeply spiritual.

And yes I got two free tickets to see this movie.

- Peace

Pelicans at the Weir

The Good The Bad The KMs

The good news is I made my 550 km goal for July. The bad news is I'm 322 km short of my toal goal of 2050 for the end of July. That's a ton of exta kms in Aug, Sept, Oct, and Nov to avoid riding in Dec.

- Peace

15 Songs

Been loading the ipod with a mix of music for the Pilgrimage to Chitek Lake. It's heavy on the Lost Dogs and related bands and Five Iron Frenzy with a bunch of other stuff thrown in for good measure. Here are 15 songs chosen at random by ITunes.

1 UltraDust - Fold Zandura - Ultra Forever
2 Maybe Tomorrow - Sixpence None The Richer - This Beautiful Mess
3 Altar of Pain - Rez - Innocent Blood
4 Mercy Now - Mary Gauthier - Paste Sampler 14
5 Mathew 25 - Sherri Jongeward - Take Time To Listen Vol. 2
6 Faking Life - Five Iron Frenzy - Upbeats & Beatdowns
7 Superpower - Five Iron Frenzy - Proof That The Youth Are Revolting
8 Guitarras de Amor - P.O.D. - Satellite
9 Peace - The Choir & Friends - At The Foot Of The Cross v1: Clouds, Rain, Fire
10 Ghost Train to Nowhere - Lost Dogs - Gift Horse
11 Against The Grain - The Altar Boys - The Collection
12 Firefly - Over The Rhine - Drunkard's Prayer
13 What Was In That Letter - The Seventy Sevens - More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be
14 Scar - Missy Higgins - Paste Magazine Sampler 20
15 Dr. Jones & The Kings Of Rhythm - Guardian - Miracle Mile

If that's doesn't totally freak you out and you like the idea spending the long weekend with a bunch of geeks talking/praying/ranting about Church, Faith and whatever else comes up we have space in the element for one more.

- Peace

New Comic Strip: Heaven's Love Thrift Shop

My favorite Comic Stip artist Kevin Frank has started a new strip: Heaven's Love Thrift Shop. If you've ever worked in a Thrift Shop, know someone who has or just spent time and money at one then check it out. My favorite so far.

- Peace

No Sleep Fast Ride

I couldn't get to sleep last night till after mid night. Then both Sarah and Kim woke me up between 12:30 and 1 am. I woke up at 4:30 am for no reason and then just as I was getting back to sleep the alarm went off at 5:30, Kim has miss set it. I finally climbed out of bed after 8 and didn't get out of the house till almost 10. I got on my bike, cause I'm behind on my km.

Strange thing is I flew to work. My average speed was 21.2 km/h the best I've ever done on my ride to work. The wind was calm, so no tail wind pushing me along. I did have yesteday off from biking as Pedalhead was putting on a new drive train. Maybe a day of not riding and new drive train is the key. Whatever the reason it was fun. Just over 50 minutes of ride time to work, previous best this year was 54 Still I hope to get some sleep tonight.

Last year I promised to blog when I broke 21 km/h average speed to work. Will let you know when I hit 22.

- Peace

I Heart Nerds

I've seen this TShirt around town on some very trendy looking young ladies. Not sure what the source of the craze is. Could be that nerds have become cool with trendy young women. A quick google turned up some threads where that theory had been tested with less than satisfactory results. Glad to know that the younger generation of nerds is still clueless with women. The other theory is that's it's 80 throwback reference to nerds candy, like Atari or Autobot tshirts, but without the nerds logo that seems to be a stretch. My guess is much like Jesus is my Homeboy some where it sincely but many with a sense deep sense of irony.
- Peace

1500 km - 20 days late

The Plan called for me to pass 1500 by the end of June. Just passed
it tonight. At the end of the month I'll know how many km I'm behind. For those not following along, broke a bike frame in June.

- Peace
Dave

The Right Thing the Wrong Way

or Why Spiritual Formation Is Not An Option - a lecture given by Eugene Peterson in MP3 format. Contains two of my favorite sections from Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places and the best ideas from Eat This Book.

ALLELON Radio has lectures from Dallas Willard and NT Wright as well. Thanks Jordon.

- Peace

Third (Almost) Annual Pilgrimage to Chitek Lake

Back in 2003 LT announced a get together to talk about Church in a Post Modern Context at his Cabin on Chitek Lake. I called Road Trip to Mike and off we went. The rest as they say is history. LT has posted the details for 2006 and Mike and I are headed up there again. It's a great time of sharing ideas, a bit of music, prayer and hospitality. The Element seats four, so I've got two spaces left. Kevin Saff has right of first refusal on the third spot. Spot four is available and if you want to call Kevin's bluff for spot three, go for it.

- Peace

Iron Springs Trail

Did the Iron Springs Trail on Saturday.
Just under 14 km of foothills goodness.
See my Iron Springs photo set.

- Peace

Smoke Free Calgary 2007?

From my Alderman:

Hello everyone,

On Monday, 2006 July 17, Council will consider a Notice of Motion that I've brought forward together with Aldermen Hawkesworth, Burrows, King, Farrell, and Ceci to amend Calgary's current Smoking Bylaw 00M92 to make all public places smoke free by January 1, 2007. In order for this to happen, we will require the majority of Council to agree, that is, we require two more votes.

I encourage you to share this email with your friends and colleagues and have them contact their Alderman asking that they vote yes. I've posted the Notice of Motion on my website, www.aldermandiane.ca; click on 'Priorities', then 'Smoking'. I've also posted an on-line poll that I encourage you and yours to participate in as I would like to share the results with Council on Monday.

Again, I would like to thank you for all of your support in this very important public health issue.

Sincerely,

Diane

Diane Colley-Urquhart
Alderman, Ward 13

What she doesn't say is this would move a Smoke Free Calgary one year closer, from 2008 to 2007. I'm all for that.

- Peace

The Wounded Worshiper - Michael Card

We can’t worship God without recognizing our woundedness. We have a worship revolution going on in the U.S., but we’re not worshiping. There is no woundedness in it. True worship celebrates God’s worth, and without experiencing woundedness, you don’t know his worth. You don’t have that experience of God’s presence over God’s provision. You experience his worth in the wilderness, not in the picnic grounds. “Amazing Grace” says, “I once was lost, but now am found.” Without that acknowledgment of loss, what do you have to worship him for, unless you’re just worshiping feeling good? Lament is the lost language of worship.

Michael Card - CT Article. As seen on Bene Diction Blogs On.

The Commercial Returns

I saw Superman Returns a couple days ago.

My wife and I have a tradition at movies to make a prediction before the screen goes dark on how many commercials and previews they will show before the movie.

We were both WAY off.
23 Minutes.
Nearly 1/2 an hour of commercials and previews before a 154 min movie.

I mean REALLY! Don't we go to the movies to get away from commercials?

Was the movie good? Yes it was a worthy addition to the Superman franchise. They seemed to go out of their way to find actors who looked like Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder.

Low Flow Toilets Report

Maximum Performance (MaP)
Testing of Popular Toilet Models
A Cooperative Canadian and American Project


We found the report very helpful in finding a dual flush toilet. We're redoing the floors, so the toilets had to be taken out, so we figured this was a good time to go green and go low flow. Wanted to go dual flush as that saves the maximum amount of water. Thing is I'd heard that some work well and others was more water by requiring 10 flushes to do that Job. We went with a Toto Aqua rated at 800 in the report and so far so good.

- Peace

T Bone Burnet on Comedy and Tragedy

Comedy is all that’s left for us now in the West because tragedy demands conscience, regret, repentance and things like that. We don’t have that any more. We have ‘Kill ’em and let God sort ’em out.’ That’s nothing but raw comedy. One of the things I’ve learned from working in the theater is that events would take place that some people would laugh at and some people would gasp at. Some people would be horrified at the same thing that other people found amusing. It made me realize that there really isn’t a line between comedy and tragedy. Both things are happening at once in life at the same moment. Tragedy depends on whether or not you feel like there’s some redemption to be had from the moment. If you feel that, it’s tragedy. If you don’t, you perceive it as comedy.

- T Bone Burnet June/July 2006 Issue of Paste.

- Peace

God, Lego and Pestilence

While preparing my Sermon on Sunday I was struck by a new (to me) in sight on a verse that tends to come up as one of the most disturbing.

Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the Israelites, and Yahweh said to Moses, 'How much longer will these people treat me with contempt? How much longer will they refuse to trust me? I shall strike them with a pestilence and destroy them!'

Numbers 14:10-12. I was reading the story in the Brick Testament, a standard research tool I know. I was struck that just a few panels/verses before the Israelites were muttering

All the Israelites muttered at Moses and Aaron, and the whole community said to them, 'If only we had died in Egypt, or even in this desert!' Why has Yahweh brought us to this country for us to perish by the sword and our wives and children to be seized as booty?'

In this context God's response make much more sense. The Israelites were saying it would be better to die than have to face the giants who occupied the promised land. God's response is along the lines, of 'yeah I can arrange that.'

- Peace

Preaching on Sunday

at South Meadows, 10 am. Just in case you were interested.

- Peace

Feeding Google - Pizza

We all know Google eats links but some folks I know are planning on feeding them Pizza. No I don't know why. See the trailer.

- Peace

Rail Wood Legs

Best viewed large (click on the image)
I think this is my best shot from Sunday's Flickr Meet.

- Peace

The Homeless Guy TV

Kevin explains what he's doing to some guy off camera. Welcome to the future.

- Peace

Brodie Ridder No More

My knees have been bothering me so I extended my seat post on my bike. Problem is I forgot to double check the min line on the seat, I had over extended it. Not good Friday on my commoute through Fish Creek Park, the top part of my frame snapped while I was ridding on some single track. I wipedout into the grass. Some scrapes and sore muscels for me, but the bike frame is toast. I've had two previous Brodie frames die on me, but this one was clearly my fault. Glad it died in the park and not in traffic.

Been ridding Brodie since 1997 but they don't make 20.5 inch frames any more and I'm looking for something bigger. Was thinking about a custom frame, but that will take a while. In the meantime I'm getting a Scott 21" Reflex 20 frame via Pedalhead Edmonton. And yeah they need to update their web site.

June has been a near write off for ridding: rain, hail, a broken shift cable, rim cut tire, two bike computers one died the other lost and one dead frame. sigh.

- Peace

New Sufjan Music

The Asthmatic Kitty website is streaming the first quarter of The Avalanche, Sufjan Stevens' Illinois outtakes collection. They'll be unveiling a new piece of the album every week up until July 11, the album's release date.

as seen on Thunderstuck and Pitchfork.

- Peace

A Toast to the Hurricanes

Let's raise a cup to the Hurricanes, they've joined a fine group of NHL teams with their first Stanley Cup, a group that includes the Flames and the Lightning. May they have a long run with this group. It would have been nice to see the Oilers win number six, but it was not to be.

The odds were against them, the last time a team came back from being down 3-1 in the final it was the Leafs in 1942. Whenever you're talking about the Leafs and the Stanley cup you know you're talking about something that just doesn't happen any more.

Go Oilers!

- Peace

Eat This Book: A Review

Eat This Book will probably be my least favorite Peterson book. In most of his books Peterson spends his time connecting us with the stories of scripture, pointing out the connections, teaching us the rhythm of things. He teaches us how to read the scriptures by example, he never stops and explain what he's doing, he just does it. It's very powerful cause it creeps up on you, engaging your prayerful imagination. In Eat This Book Peterson explains his view of the Scriptures and how we are to read them. It's great stuff. Peterson knows what he's talking about; but it's like listening to Tigger Woods talk about golf theory. It's just not the same as watching him play.

In the third and final chapter Peterson tells the story of how the Message came to be. He brings in discoveries in archeology that showed that Tyndale, not the King James had it right. Most of the Scriptures were written in the language of the plow boy not of the high court. In the final chapter Peterson is back to doing what he does best, telling stories and making connections. Worth the read, just don't make this your first Peterson book.

- Peace

10 000 KM of Blogging

OK so I know Kilo Meters is a strange way to measure blogging, but I've been loging my bike KM since the second month of blogging. Started back on June 1st, 2002, my goal for the year was 1000 km, in 2003 it was 1200 km. I started 2004 with a goal of 1600 KM and did 3200 km. Last year I hit 3500 km. So tonight as I headed out from work I passed the 1100 km point for 2006. I can now say for certain that I've blogged my 10 000th KM. I'm hoping that somtime before 2016, I'll be able to say I've blogged enough KM to have taken me around the world - 40076 KM.

- Peace

Canadian Firefly Parody

Mosquito: Behind the Scenes Preview is a comedic parody of Joss Whedon's sadly short-lived "Firefly" television show. Clips and interviews with the cast and crew accentuate this humorous sneak peak at another up and coming, yet doomed to failure, science fiction/western series.

Based on the DVD featurette "Here's How it Was," this short was filmed and produced by a crew in and around Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, between May 9th and June 15th, 2005.

Very funny, a must see for any FireFly fan. Download. As seen on Wired News.

- Peace

Goat Creek

More Pics from Goat Creek on June 3rd. Thanks again to everyone who came out, it was a hoot. Will aim to do the ride again in Oct.

- Peace

Go Oilers!!!

I was an Oilers fan before I moved to Edmonton, and I'm still a fan after moving to Calgary. Course I became a fan, cause growing up in NB it got me out of the Bruins / Canadians debate. Oh you just like the Oilers cause they're winning, what do you know? Truth is not much, I heard about Gretzky breaking records on the news, I never watched the games, still don't. I've watch half a game so far this year.

I do find the culture fascinating, for instance in 2004 the Flames made it to the Stanley Cup and people in Edmonton were genuinely rooting for their arch rivals. It's 2006 and the Oilers are in the final two and most Calgarians are trying to ignore the few Oilers fans here. What gives? In 2004 it had been ten years since a Canadian Team had made the Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers didn't even make the 2004 playoffs. Edmonton has won Lord Stanley's Cup five times.

In 2006 Flames fans thought their team had a good shot at winning their second cup. The Flames were favorites going into the playoffs, expectations were high. Those dreams were killed by the Ducks, a team Edmonton later beat in five games. This brings back many bitter memories for Flames fans. It's just like the old days when Edmonton won those five cups. If the Oilers win it will widen the gap between the two teams, that's a much harder pill for fans here to swallow than for Oilers fans to see Calgary get one cup closer to Edmonton.

Go Oilers!!!

- Peace

Technorati Profile

Just trying some magic to set up my Technorati Profile.

- Peace

Prayer

Ten of us headed to the Drake Inn after our day of biking. Cathy asked if we should pray, I said yes and prayed

Lord,

Thank you!



Amen


Sometimes you just don't need to say more. It was a good day, a very good day.

- Peace

xmen 3: two line review

The ideas get a much deeper treatment than in X1 or X2, the issues aren't black and white.
The movie doesn't seem to hang together as well as X1 and X2 did, X3 is not a great mutation.

- Peace

Done: KM Goals for May

Last night I passed the 550 km mark for May and this morning I passed the 950 km mark for the year. The means I'm in synch with the plan. That's good news cause even though we didn't get the traditional freak May snow storm, we did get wet cold weather at the start and end of the month and I was still able to hit the 550 goal. The best month I ever recall was 585, so 550 every month is a challenge, but that's what I was looking for.

I had some fun yesterday taking pics of me ridding through some water on the trail in Fish Creek. Click on the pic for a better view.

- Peace

Relax and Receive

Eugene H. Peterson on Contemplation

The imposibility of evaluatiom, at least self-evaluation, releases us into a great freedom as we read these Holy Scriptures and struggle toenjoy and receive them. We will not try too hard. We will not set outselves perfectionist goals. We won't take over. We won't inist on themeasured progress. We won't compete. Having read and meditated and prayed and continuing to read and meditate and pray, we will step backand bless, love and obey, and breathe "let it be to me according to your word." Relax and receive.

Eat This Book, page 116.

- Peace

Park, City, Sky