So I was invited a year ago to teach at a Men's Retreat in Oct of 07. Did the retreat two weeks ago. Just got a job offer from the church tonight. Don't know what I'm going to do. We're only 8 weeks into the church plant; and while things have stablized, we're probably two years away from being able to bring me on staff.

In other more interested news, Sarah went to the doc on Monday and was told that we would probably deliver our baby sometime this week. That would be about 3 weeks early which they are not remotely worried about. So I may get to meet my son this week. How cool is that?

As soon as this device includes a web browser and instant messaging, I'm buyin'. (One often needs a web browser to loggin to public networks. And while we're there--just throw in IM for free. C'mon guys...)

Suck it up...

So you guys may or may not know that I'm in my 4th year towards tenure. I go up next year. During that year (the 5th year), the powers at be decide whether I get to keep my job, or if I'll get fired after the 6th year. It's a pretty big effing deal.

And I was on fire to tear up the research world--right up until my department exploded. Now--my workload has increased some 33% (w/ no extra pay), and my research has come to a screeching halt. (As have my publications.) On top of that, another university is threatening to sue me because they've patented using vowels relative to stuttering treatment.

So I met with the dean today, to see if everything would be taken into account during my tenure review. (i.e., added responsibility that I shouldn't have had in the first place, which distracts from personal productivity). Her essential response: No. Suck it up. Try not to fall on your own sword.

Hey Greg,

So I'm finally getting around to doing all the work needed to convert Tri-County from a PC based operation to a Mac based operation. I have all the needed software, etc... But what I don't have is tech support in terms of Parallels and installing Windows. You up for a conversation based upon your efforts? Let me know.

The latest people to get on the Huck Truck:

Jonathan Alter of Newsweek
Joe Carter (et. al.) of The Evangelical Outpost (and author of that Techno-Sabbath column)
... and last, but not least... Chuck Norris.

Students... I don't get to see a lot of the undergraduates. At all. I only teach one undergrad class, and it's at around 70+ students--so I only remember the people that cause problems or try to brown-nose in class. I do student advising twice a year though--and I actually like it, because it allows me to establish actual relationships with these girls...

Some girls are essentially doing nothing and going nowhere; and they mean nothing to me. Others, however, have their act together--and are academically successful. And these are the kids that I really enjoy; and I actively look forward toward their future success. One such student stopped by today; she's a senior and really doesn't require any academic advising, per se. This kid was born w/ a 4.0, and is pretty much on auto-pilot.

So here's the point of the story... This kid doesn't need to worry about being accepted into grad programs--she's that good; she'll get into any program in the country. What she's after is getting full-boat scholarships. Anyway--so I'm talking w/ her today, saying that if she gets a full scholarship, that could save (her dad) between 50k and 100k, depending on the school. Her eyes then lit up and said... "So I can have a fancier wedding!"

I dunno--just made me laugh...

Hey, if you liked Silent Night Deadly Night and you like zombies then you are in luck my friends.

Interesting piece of data: Out of my 2nd year grad students: Only the girls with husbands have high def TVs. (Makes sense, right?)

P.S. Am I the only guy that's teaching his wife to speak LOL Cats?

P.P.S. These three videos are Well Worth Your Time.

I think we're being a little hard on Tim here, folks. By the time that fine woman starts waddling/hopping down the catwalk, the video passes from awful to magnificently horrific. I must admit, by the end ... I was entertained. :-)

Hey Vladimir--I appreciate the threat and all... but considering how useful your military gear and tactical support has been to the Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis (a.k.a Sad. Huss.) and others... I gotta be honest--I'm not too scared.

And now for something completely different....and painful

Cool.

Joe Carter, the same guy that wrote the "Techno-Sabbath" article I linked to, is, shall we say, not a Rudy fan. His basic argument is that for those that are pro-life, Rudy and Hillary are indistinguishable, and a President Giuliani would be particularly disastrous for the pro-life movement, effectively leaving pro-lifers without a political party. He makes some interesting points... any thoughts?

Guys--playing around with SeeqPod may be worth your time. Until the RIAA catches on...

Dear Ex-Boss,

I'm really sorry that you got fired. But c'mon. You weren't doing your job. At all. And it was apparent to everyone but you; we all were even quite supportive of your delusional grandeur when you told everyone that you were fired because the dean viewed you as a threat. Although that may be half-right, because you were threatening the credibility of the department and the school. We're still getting calls from students (and their parents) asking if they've been accepted into this year's grad program (that started 2 or 3 months ago), and why they hadn't been given the courtesy of at least knowing their fate either way. And believe me--I'm not gleeful that I'm doing your old job. Sure it didn't get done when you were in charge, but at least it wasn't my responsibility. So when you're just providing me piles and piles of files that shouldn't have left the department building in the first place, don't give me attitude about how I am supposed to review them this very second. Because, quite frankly, I've got other things to do other than clean up your messes. Now please shut up and enjoy the fact that you're going to get paid all year for teaching 1 measly class. I hope you ask me to write a letter of recommendation, because your failed micromanagement style is something that needs to be discussed.

Sincerely,
Your colleague.

Picking up where we left off ...

So would Sarah and I ever consider "this?" If, by this, you (Greg) mean working with officially neglected and semi-neglected children, the answer is a qualified yes. "Why qualified?" you ask. Well, put simply, we have two children with a third on the way; and we are not in a position where we can financially keep Sarah at home. Unfortunately, "professional" ministry pays very poorly; and thus we need to keep Sarah in the work force. So, given that situation, we are extremely diligent in making sure that the time we have with our children is neither passive nor second-rate. In other words, right now, given our current circumstances, we would not choose to work with neglected children. For by doing so, we would be neglecting our own in the process.

But - and this is a very big but - we would consider adopting a child outright. In that case, we would be bringing another child into our home; and he/she would become part of our family - not something we did external to our family time. You see, for me, I don't think there really is a half-way point of engagement. If you and Court are going to actively spend time with children and if you choose to actively open yourselves up to improve their lives, it is almost an inevitability that AT LEAST one child is going to respond to your efforts. And than, at that point, you are going to have to make a decision. Will you continue down the natural path and allow the relationship to continue to build or will you pull back because you're not ready to make the commitment, so to speak.

I guess in some ways, I kind of look at it like dating and marriage. Back when Sarah and I were leading the young adult ministry, I used to talk to kids about dating all the time. And I used to tell them that dating is not an end in and of itself. Dating is the means to discovering whether or not one desires to be married to that individual. Once that discovery is made, action is required. If this is the one, than you need to pull the trigger because dating is not the natural state. Likewise, if this is not the one, you need to end the relationship NOW. Because while you may realize that the two of you are going nowhere, there is no guarantee that he/she is feeling the same way. And the more time you spend together (without the other person terminating the relationship), the more likely it is that the other person is growing more and more attached. And that's why I believe that the moment you know that this individual is not the one, you put an end to it. It's the merciful thing to do.

Same kind of deal here, my friend. If you and Court decide to do this, it is very likely that you will find yourself in a place where a kid takes to you. Even more likely is the probability that multiple kids will take to you. Why wouldn't they? They have NOTHING. The only people that have ever played a significant role in their life have left them for dead (so to speak). So why wouldn't they desperately try to latch on to someone - anyone - who shows them attention and affection? So you will be in the position of power in terms of the dating metaphor. The question is, are you interested in marriage or not. Because this once a week, once-every-two-weeks kind of relationship is not really the norm. It's an in-between state that leads to heart break unless parameters and fences are CLEARLY ESTABLISHED from the outset.

Hey guys--you'll get a kick out of this. You all probably know some of the abuse that I endured while struggling through a PhD. (And for the record, I still have insomnia--something that I did not have until I experienced all that I did there.)

And you guys may have picked up on how I've been researching and developing a sub $50 dollar anti-stuttering prosthetic. The faculty at ECU put one out that costs $5,100--none of which is covered by insurance plans. It's $5,100 all out of pocket; the device costs between 700 and 900 to manufacture. So I figured that if I could make a device that was about as good, but for 1/100th of the cost--then that would be a moral victory.

So today I was notified that they're threatening to sue me for patent infringement. I'll be served w/ papers soon, I'm told. (I'm covered legally through the university, however.) I know the patent in which they are citing, and it's a stretch to say the least; I doubt it would hold in court, but I don't think it will get that far. I guess ECU doesn't want there to be an inexpensive fluency enhancing device.

Question: What is the difference between ECU and a venereal disease?
False: It's a trick question. There is none.

On Thursdays, I spend the day at a local elementary school in rural Miss. And it's been a pretty interesting, humbling and good experience both personally and professionally. One thing that's really impacted me is when I work the carpool line, I see a blue and maroon van pick up a passel if kids. Some kind of after-school program, I assumed.

So I inquired, and found out that the kids are orphans, and the vans were taking them to their "Baptist Village" (i.e., an orphanage run by the southern baptist church). Some of the kids are legitimate orphans, and others are kids that have been surrendered by their parents (for whatever reason). Oddly enough, these latter kids aren't adoptable; they've been surrendered by their parents--just not 100% surrendered. (No, I don't understand how this works.)

So I see these kids every Thursday, and it's become harder and harder for me to continue to ignore the plight of these unwanted children.

Scott-what's your take, being that you've been involved w/ this population? We think we may get involved in some of these kid's lives...

Does anyone have plans to download Bill's new (digital) album? Apparently, it was recorded (all 1st take) in his kitchen. And if I deliberately choose *not* to buy it, what does that mean relative to my own maturation?

To my audiophile ears, the recorded background hiss is annoying. Maybe they left the kitchen sink faucet going?