Monday, July 31, 2006

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

Friday, July 28, 2006

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

Thursday, July 27, 2006

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

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

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

Monday, July 24, 2006

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

Thursday, July 20, 2006

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

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

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

Monday, July 17, 2006

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

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Iron Springs Trail

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

- Peace

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

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

Saturday, July 08, 2006

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.

Friday, July 07, 2006

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

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

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

Monday, July 03, 2006

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