Blog Archive

Dishonest or Forgetful?

When one finds oneself in a hole, one ought to stop digging. The esteemed Gary North has put in an order for more shovels. In his most recent article on…

A Biblical Defense of Open Carry

I recently received my new Blackhawk Serpa holster, and have moved from an inside-the-waistband (IWB) to an outside-the-waistband (OWB) carry. Obviously…

I've Been a Changin', As You Can Plainly See

I'm sitting in my office smoking a fat bowl and watching Doug Wilson's Q&A session on cannabis , posted soon after the news that Colorado and Washington passed…

Waking from a Dream

I am finally home from this last trip, and getting myself acclimated to normal life. A few friends have commented to me that they cannot imagine what's it like…

Travel and the Absence of Intimacy

I'm wrapping up a two week stint in The Hague, Netherlands, and I've been thinking through why this trip seems to be a lot more difficult for my psyche than…

A Defense of Bitcoin

Gary North wrote up an article today titled Bitcoins: The Second Biggest Ponzi Scheme in History . Having bought into the bitcoin "craze" about a year ago, I…

Open Source Ecology and the Increase of Knowledge

I feel like I need to defend myself before I can even start writing. As a disclaimer, I do believe in capitalism and competition, but I also believe that there…

Atlas Shrugged - Chapter 1, Part 1

After my (not-so-) recent post on Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged , I decided to start reading through the book again to write a real critique. I started writing…

Check Out "Beyond My Front Door"

Anwar is a good friend of mine, and probably my best travel partner. When my family was considering moving to Japan, he took time out of his schedule to trek…

Back on the Horse

I haven't posted in a while. It's been a long time. I think Facebook might have done some permanent damage to my ability to be able to read and write for…

Self Promotion is so annoying!

The internet is great and all, but sadly, too many people can go load up Wordpress, start a blog, and call himself a writer, or fire up their iMac, record…

Comments Activated

Weird. For some reason, comments were turned off on my site. I turned them back on, and am now looking forward for the onslaught of spam.

States' Rights and Cannibas

It looks like California is ready to pass a law allowing local governments the authority to decriminalize and even tax marijuana distribution. Of course, the…

Identifying a Problem Does Not Validate Your Solution

So, I made an odd discovery and a big purchase a few months ago. While on vacation in the Poconos, I was digging through a collection of books at an antique…

What Have I Been Up To?

Nothing much... Installing Zimbra . Messing with VirtualBox . Enjoying Sapporo. Preparing to travel to Colorado. Starting to invest using TradeKing and…

Northern Japan

It's been an awesome trip so far. Since I was able to meet with the landlord in Goshogawara on Monday instead of Tuesday, we were able to wrap up the…

The Smoking Car

So, this train isn't the idyllic means of transportation I was envisioning. Somehow, I must have missed the phrase "smoking car" on my ticket, and the Japanese…

Back in Japan and Heading North

We've arrived in Tokyo with no problems. Anwar was scheduled to fly in two and half hours before me, but his flight was delayed, so he was only an hour before…

Why We're Expatriating

Paul asked why I was looking for a job in Japan. I think a response is worth a separate post. My job has taken me to Japan quite a few times (I think my…

The Family is Moving to Japan

It's been a while since I've written. Ron Paul mania has died down, we're members of a new church where there's a little more peace and quiet, and my month…

Jeering Jesus on the Cross

"Having appeared on numerous conservative radio shows to promote other projects unrelated to foreign policy, I have had to tread lightly and watch my words…

I Pay for This?

Because it's the only thing in the bathroom, and I'm a captive audience, I started flipping through the March 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. I…

Ron Paul on Glenn Beck

Except for one really uncomfortable moment, Glenn did a really good interview with Dr. Paul [Embedded video no longer available]

Ron Paul DVDs

For those of you out there who like camping in front of the television, the Ron Paul DVD Project have put together some videos to watch on your DVD player at…

Ron Paul Tea Party 2007

Following the success of the last fund raising day, where we raised $4.2 million for the Ron Paul campaign in a single day, we're looking to try to double that…

Ron Paul spammer finally caught...here is a picture of the guy

The guy who has been repeatedly voting on every on-line poll has been caught and here is his picture read more | digg story

Supporting the Troops by Supporting Who the Troops Support

When one enlists in the military, one signs certain rights away. You essentially sign yourself up for indentured service to the country for a period of time…

But You? You Can Trust Me.

[Image no longer available]

Money for Nothing

For all you folks who say that Ron Paul has no chance of winning the Republican nomination, I'd like to see you put your money where your mouth is. Right now…

How to Win Over the Pro-War Republicans

I posted the following over on the Daily Paul . There is a common misconception amongst the people whom I talk to about Ron Paul that he's some sort of a…

Currently Reading

Sarah tagged me, so I'm therefore obligated to let you all know what I'm currently reading. I'm in the middle of a couple books right now... I started out…

New Ron Paul Video

I know I've been quiet for a while, but I wanted y'all to see a new independently produced Ron Paul video. It's 8 minutes, but I think it's worth it. (HT to…

Lessons Learned

Never try to dry beef jerky when it's 100% humidity. For some reason, it doesn't work very well.

Conservatives Against Fred Thompson

Good... seems like other people other there get it. Fred Thompson is not a conservative, but a neo-con globalist, and the Conservatives Against Fred Thompson…

Thomas and Tab on the Body Boards

We went to Hershey Park for the company picnic this year, and they had a new body board ride. Tab and Thomas both wanted to try the ride, even though we were…

Man With Horns

It makes me smile every time I watch it.

Better Than "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", That's For Sure

Many people who know me know that one of my pet peeves is when people try to pass The Battle Hymn of the Republic off as a Christian hymn. My blood pressure…

Ron Paul Article in the New York Times

As a young man, though, [Ron Paul] did not protest the Vietnam War, which he now calls “totally unnecessary” and “illegal.” Much later, after the…

Slapping Down the GOP Establishment

Hmm... my politics category is drowning out the others. Oh well. Good article by John Nichols talking about a political race that on the surface didn't look…

Fox Reports on Ron Paul Military Contributions

Finally, one of the big news channels is covering a Ron Paul news story. Could this be the dam breaking in terms of the apparent media blackout? For those of…

Conservatives, Beware of Fred Thompson

Richard A. Viguerie has penned an article on Fred Thompson asking whether he should be the choice for conservatives in the upcoming presidential election…

New Advisory System

Fred Thompson's Appeal?

Can someone please explain to me what appeal Fred Thompson has to conservatives? I've heard some people out there salivating at the idea of Fred running for…

Ron Paul Has More Money Than McCain

I can't believe what little coverage Ron Paul is getting in the "mainstream press". Running for political office seems to be a chicken and egg game, where the…

Ron Paul Chester County Meetup

A meetup group has been formed in Chester County to support Ron Paul's presidential campaign. The Chester County Meetup Group currently has 20 members, and is…

Standing in a Suit, Repeating Vows

I found a post by a guy I hadn't read before, linked from Mark Hornes' blog. It's comments on the recent PCA General Assembly, but I really loved his quote at…

Chinese Food and the Destruction of the United States

I'm going to lay out a couple of facts here, and then let you in on my latest theory. If true, this dire situation could lead to the destruction of the United…

The Mess of Pottage

Ron Paul aside, next year's presidential election looks like it's shaping up to be a extremely pathetic in terms of who will be on the ballot. From the RINO to…

Ron Paul Lawn Signs

I'm seriously considering putting in an order for Ron Paul Signs, (you can see them on display here ). However, they're running for $165 for a lot of 100 on…

The Decline of Western Civilization

Found an editorial in Crisis Magazine , linked off reddit , by Mark Shea called " Insensitivity Training: Facing the Crybaby Culture ". After spending a good…

Mr. Wizard Died Today

Mr. Wizard, the man who taught science to millions of geeks when we were kids, died today of cancer. read more | digg story

Taste of Sumo

[Image no longer available: 20002320] For those of you who have never seen a sumo match, load up your bittorrent client (I use Azureus ) and download this…

Ron Paul on Bill Mahar

I know, I know. I just got back from a Tokyo, spent a day soaking in an onsen, watched the sun come up in a shouchu bar, and watched the yokozuna get beat…

Celebrating the Life of Eliot Hartman Mooney

Stolen from a post on Tara Barthel's Blog , here is a true story that will cause you to appreciate every moment of your children's lives. The celebration of…

Ron Paul Invited to Next Debate!

The NH Institute of Politics announces that the Republican presidential debate will take place on June 5, 2007, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. "Sponsored by CNN…

Ron Paul Clips

Here's a youtube video produced by the Ron Paul folks that show some highlights from the recent debate on MSNBC, plus some endorsements from folks like Pat…

Giuliani's Ferret Fetish

You need to listen to these comments by presidential hopeful, Rudolph Giuliani, to a New York ferret advocate. Worse than displaying his sheer idiocy, his rant…

Republican Debate Tonight on MSNBC

A debate between the Republican presidential candidates will be shown on MSNBC tonight. Here's the list of candidates who will be participating tonight: Sam…

Flowering Weeds and Gardening Verses

This morning, I dug up every last dandelion in the back yard - and left all the wild violets behind. Does anyone else have a special place in their heart for…

5 Vegas Gold Robusto

[Image no longer available: 5vegas] Wow. I snagged a great deal from Cigars International , thanks to my new friends at the Club Stogie Forums . The first one…

2007 Memorial Day Pig Roast

[Image no longer available: Big Pig] This is the official invitation for the fifth annual Memorial Day Pig Roast at the home of Tom and Sarah Albrecht on May…

Did Gun Control Help?

I hate to be opportunistic regarding the recent massacre (there really isn't a better word) at Virginia Tech yesterday, but since the gun control crowd has…

Ron Paul for President

I realize it's early in the election campaign, but I'm already throwing in my endorsement. Actually, my endorsement was given before Ron Paul even announced…

New Email Address

Bad news. I got an email the other day from what used to by my Internet Service Provider, and is now simply my email service provider, Speakeasy . They were…

Miwaza's Photos

[Image no longer available: IMGP2648] Our friend Miwaza from Mitaka Evangelical Church took some beautiful photos of the kids ... mostly Leah, but she's the…

Darfur Crisis Mapped in Google Earth

I love when technology can take massive amounts of apparently meaningless information and compile and display that information in an intuitive, interactive…

Different in Japan - An Evolving List

Shoes are removed at the front door Windshield wipers both go in the same direction Electric operated shower toilets - plugs into the wall, complete with…

Tōkyō Pictures in Google Earth

I took some time yesterday to geo-reference some of our photos in Google Earth , so you can see where in Tōkyō some of the pictures were taken. Google Earth…

Tōkyō Pictures

[Image no longer available: IMG_4149.jpg] Some pictures are online - I haven't had time to do the captions yet. SJA

Earthquake

Quite simply, I didn't feel it. We're safe. I was on my way to church at the time. Apparently it was 6.9 magnitude quake that hit in central Japan and created…

Leftover Sushi Fried Rice Recipe

Last night, my hunter-gatherer brought home several pieces of sushi. The sushi came packaged with pickled ginger and wasabi paste. We all love sushi, however…

Family Trip to Japan

[Image no longer available: Hokusai] Looks like my last trip to Japan is going to be a big one. I took a job offer on a different program, so I won't be…

Teaching Children About Peacemaking

On the Tara Barthel's discussion board , someone asked about the Young Peacemakers material. I have not used it yet with my children (my mother in law has the…

RE: Autism - Shaming the Wise

I sat some of my children (ages 5,4,3) down to watch these interviews as well as the video that Amanda made. They have never knowingly observed someone with…

Autism - Shaming the "Wise"

This morning, as I was perusing the headlines at CNN online, I stumbled across the most fascinating interview series with Amanda Baggs, a woman who has autism…

Cheeseburger Champion

[Image no longer available: cheeburger] My dearest Tabitha has reached another milestone in her life. It's been a tradition, on the nights before I travel…

Excerpt from a Simple Love Note

There are two young sisters who are dear friends of mine, as is their mother. This morning, I collected a few things I had been saving for them and put them in…

Milestones

[Image no longer available: micah.jpg] Despite the illness over here (this past week, THE FIVE had chest colds, four of them along with ear infections), there…

How to Be Free from Bitterness

At some point in our lives, we're all either trying hard to forgive or counseling someone who is struggling to forgive. The result of unforgiveness?…

Coatesville's Ash Park Featured in NBA Street 4: Homecourt

Coatesville's Ash Park, a few streets over from my house, is featured as Rip Hamilton's hometown court in NBA Street Vol. 4: Homecourt . The Electronic Arts…

Mommy Tip: Medicine Dosage Chart

In effort to save money, I buy the store-brands of pain medication containing Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Motrin). When I called the pediatrician on…

5-year-old plays Dance Dance Revolution

This is why the Japanese are so much better than us.

I Might Be in Who's Who in America

So, I got a letter the other day saying that I'm going to be included in the next edition of " Who's Who in America ". I don't know what that actually means…

What did YOU have for dinner last night?

11879 Every now and then, Tom arranges a date night with a surprise destination. Last night's date almost didn't happen - Tom got stuck in traffic and we'd…

Fighting Cock Torpedo

[Image no longer available: fightingcock] I picked up a pretty good deal this week at Cigars International . They had a cigar called, oddly, a Fighting Cock…

Acrid and Foul

I'm flipping through the latest copy of the Cigars International catalog this morning, and I found a surprisingly honest review for Fat Cat cigars. Remember…

A New Stove

Christmas came early at our home today. Our last stove was dying, and my anger with it didn't help it any. With Sarah's busy schedule, the fact that our last…

A Fundamental Flaw

I'm writing this article in the midst of a lot of turmoil going on in our church right now. Many people who grow up in a certain lifestyle have difficulty…

Kiwi

Sad little animation, but I liked it...

A Waking Dream

Japan has started to become a recurring dream to me. I fall asleep, and feel like I wake up at 4am (like I did this morning). I take a shuttle down to the…

Republicans are Losing Libertarians

The Washington Post has written up an article confirming my earlier prognostication... the Republican Party is losing the vote of the libertarians , and the…

12 Rules for Promoting Harmony...

From PCA News Time Capsule : Twelve Rules for Promoting Harmony Among Church Members by Thomas Smyth To remember that we are all subject to failings and…

Blaming Congress for the War

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday. When Specter was on the radio pitching for Santorum, he was lamenting the fact that the people of Pennsylvania are…

Conservative? Really??

It's very difficult for us real conservatives nowadays. I was listening to Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Spector on the radio the other day. Santorum is in…

Upgrading Ubuntu to Edgy

Ubuntu 6.10* (a.k.a. Edgy) was released yesterday to great fanfare . Edgy is a "minor release", while their last release, 6.06 (a.k.a. Dapper) is known as a…

McNabb Can Play

100+ degrees in Tampa. The Eagles are losing. McNabb throws a touchdown, pukes, recovers, throws another touchdown. That's pretty cool.

A New Commission Forms

We received a package today from Grant McCabe, the Stated Clerk for the new Philadelphia Metro West Presbytery. The package contained a cover letter describing…

Pennsylvania Loan Rate Caps

I tried to get on loan recently on Prosper.com and found out an interesting piece of information. Pennsylvania actually limits how much interest one person can…

Regrouping

Currently, I'm working on regrouping after having baby #5. The Organized Home website - complete with free printables to help plan and organize everything from…

Where Did We Go Wrong?

I woke up this morning, and found out my new baby daughter had set up a myspace. http://www.myspace.com/poopiegurl06

One week later...

Leah's doing fantastic! She's eating well, very alert and much loved by her siblings. Everyone is asking "does she sleep through the night?" Um, no. Newborns…

Happy Birth Day Leah!

[Image no longer available: IMG_2881.jpg] I'm sure most of you know already, but since I've been lax keeping the website up-to-date, here's my "We had a baby!"…

Piper on Evangelism

Excerpt on Evangelism from John Piper (For complete text of the sermon "The Fruit of Hope: Love" and other Piper sermons, click on Piper's name): In summary…

Utterly Defeated Super Mario Brothers

Two weeks ago, my wife let me purchase a Nintendo DS for something to keep me busy during my long flights overseas. Today, I completed the New Super Mario…

The Eye of a Five-year-old

[Image no longer available: img_1310] I took the day off of work and took the family to the zoo yesterday. As I was getting my camera stuff together, I…

Peer to Peer Loans

A couple months ago, I came across an interesting concept on the Internet, and now that I've got a little bit of money to play with, I'm considering looking…

How to Make a Toddler Sandwich

While I like to encourage toddlers to eat without help, a problem they seem to have is gaging how much food to put in their mouth while taking a bite. I know…

You Made Me Sin

Hooray for cooler weather! "Red alert. Put the kettle on!" Instead of my usual coffee (which can be spiced up by mixing a dash of cinnamon with the grounds…

Nipping Biting

A friend called me today because her angelic soon-to-be two year old was suddenly misbehaving. “Daughter? What daughter? No... my daughter doesn't bite. We…

Quick Dinner: Ham, Broccoli and Cheese in Phyllo

Today I asked my grandma "What can I do with leftover ham besides adding it to maccaroni and cheese?" She suggested putting it in phyllo cups and adding…

Advice When Facing Spiritual Abuse

Almost a year ago, Tom highlighted an excellent blog post from the Wittenberg Gat e called "Controlling Personalities in the Church". This month, WG featured…

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

We are working on homeschooling. This is our first "official" year. Thomas is five and Tabitha is four. Although formal education isn't required for their…

Down to Kyoto

[Image no longer available: IMG_2684.jpg] After two wonderful days in Kyoto, Japan, we finally made it back to Tokyo... back to my laptop so I can write about…

Kid Quotes - Aug. 19

Tabitha : "Aiden, you're a domino! " Aiden: "No I'm NOT!" Tabitha: "Yes you are - you always fall down!" --- Tabitha: "I know everything. " Thomas: "Do you…

A Bloody Nuisance

Found on the Internets with no attribution... The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and Security threats and have raised their…

Awkward Motions

I was recently made aware of a recent motion by the Evangel Presbytery (PCA) regarding this whole Federal Vision thing going on in Reformed Churches right now…

Whispers and False Accusations

"Besides, since it is not at all fitting for us to be upset every time our doing well brings bad reports to our ears, so it is only those who are troubled by…

Cuban Cigars in Japan?

In Akasaka-Mitsuke , right down the street from the New Otani hotel, is an area where there are many small, expensive restaurants. Since it's not far from the…

Google Earth on Ubuntu

[Image no longer available: GoogleEarth] YES!!! Google has released a version of Google Earth for Linux , and it's currently running on my desktop. So far, it…

Non-Christian Cynicism

One afterthought on my last post . My friend that I mentioned in the last post commented that cynical humor is often the bailiwick of modern non-Christian…

On Cynicism and Humor

I had a conversation with a friend recently about my propensity towards cynical humor. If there is one thing I tend to be introspective about myself, it's how…

Seeker (In)Sensitive

Look... I understand all the critiques that a lot of Reformed folk have with the "seeker sensitive" churches . Sure, we can all tell those churches by their…

Punting Once Again

The Session of Olive Street Presbyterian Church (we changed our name) has once again decided that they are unable to try Sarah and me, and have referred the…

Two Quotes

Yesterday The children were playing and I asked them to stop and pick up a few toys before going on to the next thing. Tabitha: "Mom, we're still playing." Me…

Called on Account of Rain

So, last night's trial session was cancelled due to rain. We had some strong rain come through the area, and it knocked out the power at our prosecuter's…

A Haiku

green tea in my cup cold awakening my mind how i miss Japan

Stupid in America

Youtube has a video " Stupid in America ", a 20/20 expose of public schools in America. I know you all know my opinion of the public school system , but I…

The Trial Resumes... Again.

After sending in our last complaint to the Session regarding their having delayed the trial for 10 months, we received a letter from them saying that the trial…

You're Pitiful

Weird Al has posted his new song online, entitled " You're Pitiful ". It's a parody of that annoying "You're Beautiful" song.

Sumo Health Exercises

I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction. After all the lastest health fads like Atkins and Tae Bo , America is in need of a new health fad…

Interview with Ralph Smith

When Sarah and I travelled to Tokyo together (twice in the last couple years), we were blessed to be able to worship at Mitaka Evangelical Church . I found…

Asides

By the way, this is what an " aside " looks like. These are where I can put random little musings like the following: During my upcoming trip to Japan in…

Back in the Game

I've realized that I've let my website lie fallow for too long, and it was starting to looking aged. I changed the theme , updated my photo software , and…

Picnic Season : Biblical Fellowship

It's Picnic Season, here are some thoughts to prepare our hearts as we prepare those "side dishes to share". Thanks to my mother-in-law, Becky Albrecht, for…

Delay of Game

I received an email the other day from someone who has been following the issues that have been going on in our church , and wondering whether anything has…

Democratic Conundrum

Well, here's a pickle for you. President Bush has been pushing the whole democracy in the Middle East thing for the last couple of years. For a long time, he…

Quis custodiet custodes ipsos?

To security professionals, Bruce Schneier is considered a guru. His book, Applied Cryptography is considered the authoritative book on computer security, and…

Why Encryption is Good

After watching recent events regarding our Federal Government reading the phone records of American citizens , and the acknowledgement by the NSA chief that…

Memorial Day Pig Roast 2006

[Image no longer available: Big Pig] Once again, it's time for the (fourth) annual pig roast, and you all are invited to attend the party at the home of Tom…

Preparing the Heart for Giving Birth

This is a letter I sent today to a friend whose baby is due next week. I wanted to save it to remind myself of these things, and hopefully it will encourage…

Republican Lip Service

Every now and then, I read articles like these, which confirm my opinion of the Republican Party. I don't post all of them, since I don't want my blog to sound…

What's Your Beer Personality

You Are Guinness You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When…

Google Earth Plus

Since the kids have been asking to go treasure hunting again, I finally broke down and bought a GPS receiver, a Garmin GPSMap 60 . We're planning on going out…

But a Sub is Just Not the Same

Looks like some students at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee conducted a dialect survey , asking questions like how do you pronounce "coupon" (the…

He Must Play Darts

My boss and I were sitting in the business class lounge at Narita Airport. We had been out the night before at a bar on Akasaka-Mitsuke playing darts, and had…

Ubuntu Rules

You know, my life is busy enought with "normal" activities without the random emergencies that keep popping up. Somehow, my wife managed to get the…

The End of Dollar Hegemony

Ron Paul gave the following speech before the House of Representatives on February 15, 2006. It's amazing that such an honest man could ever be elected to…

Thanks for Lost Wallets

My meager poem about losing (and finding) my wallet and how it helped my perspective of my trip -- before it even began. Leaving for Japan. Will be gone for a…

Baby Announcement

I'd never imagine that I would congratulate Tom while he was in an airport terminal, but such was the case today. His flight was cancelled and he ended up in…

Super Tired Man

Thomas: "I'm Super Tired Man!" Dad: "Heh. And what are your powers?" Thomas: "I sleep AND I'm fast!"

Another New Look for the Site

Some people do crossword puzzles when they're bored. Some people knit. I redesign my website. Actually, I stole the theme from another website and added my own…

Lynn Swann for Governor

Fox Sports is reporting that Lynn Swann, former Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Famer, is going to announce that he's running for the office of governor of…

Lessons in Sushi

For those of you who enjoy this foreign delicacy (and even for those who have not yet had the pleasure), this instructional video on sushi is one of the most…

Tyranny Retreating

One more shadow of prohibition has been thrown out the door. South Carolina is finally allowings bars to use full-sized bottles of liquor bottles , instead of…

Yucky Peas

2719 Bit of shameless self-promotion, but who cares. My wife has been working for the past few days on different clothing ideas, but so far, I haven't heard…

Coatesville a Biking Mecca?

I wake from my long slumber to post this interesting tidbit of gossip. According to CyclingNews.com , "The City of Coatesville in southeastern Pennsylvania is…

"If the doctor doesn't take off the lump...

...from your arm, mom, will your whole body turn into one big lump? Like if it just keeps getting bigger and bigger?" Serious question from a four year old…

I Feel Happy! I Feel Happy!

[Image no longer available: not dead] Since I last wrote, we went to Indiana and back. We have gone through ear infections, pinkeye, and colds. Thyroid problem…

Alito is Just Alright With Me

If we can judge a nomination by the fear it brings out of the liberal pundits, then Samuel Alito is a wonderful candidate. Liberal author David Corn seems to…

Australian Table Wines

I finally found the audio for one of my favorite Monty Python skits, the review of Australian wines (1.3 mb). Yes, it's stupid, but it's funny. I've got some…

Flock Released

True to form, I've jumped on new technology, and fully expect it to change the way I live my life. A new web tool called " Flock " has just been released in…

Sweet Satellite Hurricane Videos

[Image no longer available: Hurricane] NASA has a very, very sweet video made up of satellite images of the 2005 hurricane season . I had it playing at work…

Red Hot Coffee

[Image no longer available: Red Hot Coffee - photo by Sarah Joy Albrecht] What is small, red, round and is just what the doctored ordered? No, it's not that…

The Namesake of R.C. Jr's Son

One of my favorite blogs is that of Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. Reading it gives me courage to live a joy-filled life, not in fear of others (Gal 1:10 ) . He and his…

Sarah's Biscotti Recipe

[Image no longer available: Biscotti & Tea - Photo by Sarah Joy Albrecht] Since my post , I have worked to perfect my own biscotti recipe. (According to this…

Le goûter by William Bouguereau

[Image no longer available: Le gouter by William Adolphe Bouguereau] Today, while searching for a calendar to purchase for 2006, came across one that had a…

Emerging Unscathed

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been distracted by another project , and also been working long hours on a proposal at work. But, I saw this answer…

Casa Salad

One of my favorite places to eat in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is Casa's in Fort Wayne. Today, I was missing their Isalata Casaburo , and decided to make my own. It…

Pictures!

Click on the photo to see more in that set. fall2005/toetrying Micah, attempting to touch his feet The Garden Bunny (can you find the cricket?) fall2005/bunny1…

Squeamish About Sushi

[Image no longer available: Squeamish About Sushi] I haven't done a review in a while, but Sarah picked up a book at the library that I so enjoyed that I…

Gleaning Laws for the Modern Age

I take a perverse pleasure in seeing people discover for themselves wisdom that's been in the Bible for centuries. Leviticus 19:9-10 "And when ye reap the…

Biscotti and Coffee

This morning, I awoke early - for me, this is 6:00am - and could not go back to sleep. Before I awoke, I was dreaming that I was in a large library (we are…

The Trial Begins

Well, it seems that the prosecution in our case intends to use our blog as evidence in the trial, and we've received selected posts in our packet of evidence…

Quote of the Day; Penne Garden Alfredo

"EEeeww! Dinner smells like spider!" - Thomas, peering to a pot of boiling chicken broth made from our delicious "Chicken Stuffed with Garlic Butter" grilling…

Treasure Hunting

[Image no longer available: First Treasure!] We had a great day yesterday! After going to Uncle Andrew and Uncle Peter's soccer game, we took a borrowed GPS…

Trial Starts Tuesday

Our trial is now scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 27. There really isn't too much more information that I'm aware of, except for one major issue. Despite…

Controlling Personalities in the Church

An anonymous source sent me an excellent series on the Wittenberg Gate on spiritual abuse, and the techniques that abusive leaders will use to control the…

Google Trumps the Doctor

An interesting letter was posted on the Google Blog talking about a couple that used Google to save their premature twins from a dangerous medical procedure…

Mud Party

[Image no longer available] New photos online from last week's Mud Party. Click the photo to see more. This happened about 15 minutes before dinner was to…

Picture Yourself on a Stamp on a Package

[Image no longer available: u can do it at pictureitpostage.com] With your favorite hat and a marmalade tie. Today at the Post Office, I learned how to ship my…

He Never Ever Sinned?

Tonight at bedtime, both Thomas and Tabitha expressed fear about dying as I was tucking them in. Although we often talk about Jesus, this evening was different…

Love Seat Kiddie Jump

[Image no longer available: IMG 1143] Who knew a tipped-over love seat could be so much fun? Click on the photo for more pics.

Beware of Parents with Video Cameras

There are certain items which, when combined, create a noxious result. Combine a video camera and a young baby, and you get inane movies like this one. But, of…

Professional Do-gooders

Dr. Neill H. Payne posted this quote on the Reformed Theology Discussion List . It's appropriate in many contexts. Most of the major ills of the world have…

Servants of the Law

I love this quote from John Roberts during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing today: Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around…

Labor Day

[Image no longer available: IMG 1055] Labor Day this year was probably one of the most relaxing we've had in a while. The Carlson family, who are dear friends…

States' Wrongs

Get it? It's a pun. So, apparently, a hurricane came through down south somewhere, and people are upset. Lots of finger-pointing. Lots of people playing "the…

Thomas' Movie

Thomas was watching the trailer for Corpse Bride , and I was explaining to him how stop-motion animation works. He didn't really seem to be grasping the…

Aiden, mein schatz!

album05/aidenchoco1 album05/aidenchoco2 Mrs Gloop: [Augustus is drinking the chocolate] Augustus, mein schatz! That is not a good thing you do!

Overdue Incentive

Chester County Library is holding an " Operation Katrina " day on September 8, 2005. "All fines and fees collected on this day will be sent to the American Red…

Who's Fault Is It?

How sad is it that human natural always looks for something or someone to blame? We work so hard to prop ourselves up as gods, and when the true God comes to…

Cutie Pie Micah

Micah required a bath tonight. He was giggly afterwards and smelling like a clean, Johnson and Johnson baby. Couldn't resist snapping a few photos with him…

A History of Intolorance

"This was a central characteristic of progressive thought in the nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth. From Darwin, who provided the…

NPR Offering Podcasts

National Public Radio is now offering podcasts of many of their offerings, including Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know and their news summaries . The podcasts…

Google Earth New Orleans Overlay

I created an overlay of the satellite imagery from New Orleans . You need Google Earth , a free download, in order to be able to see it. It's amazing stuff…

Low Expectations

[Image no longer available: poorjudgement020be] Nero Bush fiddled strummed while Rome New Orleans burned flooded?

Wedding Anniversary

[Image no longer available: Kisses...] Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary. To celebrate, Tom and I went to a concert in Phily last night. Tonight, we took…

New Pictures

Daddy and Micah Spring05/109_0969 Spring05/109_0968 Tabitha's Rainbow Spring05/109_0965 Tom building his PVR Spring05/109_0963 Spring05/109_0961

Christian as Palace Guards

A question for God: If Christians have the same spirit, why do they disagree so much? I am really struggling with having patience with legalistic christians…

Pat Robertson is a Liar

So, you all saw that news that Pat Robertson , former presidential candidate, and now impotent spokesmen for disillusioned dispensationals, had called for the…

A Plea

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers…

I'm on Google Talk right now.

Google Talk is Google's new IM service that they're supposed to be announcing tomorrow. All you need is a Jabber client, and a GMail address (your id is going…

Google Earth

[Image no longer available: ANA Hotel from Google Earth] I'm surprised I haven't written anything about Google Earth yet, but I've only had a chance in the…

Sauce for the Goose...

Jonathan Schwartz , president and COO of Sun Microsystems, has written a very insightful post about a conversation he had with the CTO of a "big media…

Photoshop the Supermodels

Behold the power of Adobe Photoshop . This is the website of a photoshop artist who "retouches" photographs of models. So, if you ever thought that the…

Whatever You Do, Don't Think

Witness the idiocy of our public school system . Slashdot has the story of 13 Kutztown students who are facing felony charges for reconfiguring the laptops the…

Why I'm Cynical

Remember that story about the guy who was shot by the cops in London? Remember how the police say they were justified in shooting him because he was wearing a…

Free Online Graph Paper

For those of you out there trying to avoid hording graph paper around the house because you might need it someday, here's a link to a site where you can…

Why I'm on Trial

Sorry for this being protected for a little while. After I posted it without comment, I thought that perhaps it could get me into trouble. I put the password…

Cherries in the Snow

We're finally getting a chance to use the cherries that Sarah and the kids picked at Highland Orchards. The first beer is going to be a light ale called…

A Hug From God Through a Friend

Psalm 27:11-14 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false…

The Comforting Smell of Shaving Gel

Sarah-and-Tom/sarahtom2 After Tom left for work this morning, I went about my morning facial routine: Dove , cold water, a dab of Lubriderm . I noticed that…

Asian Chicken Salad

costumeparty/214300_R1_16_9A Photo of Susan & Timothy Carlson. Bet you didn't know that a traffic cone could hug a cowboy. Now you do. Below is recipe for the…

Ken's Salad Dressing Suggestion

They should have known better than to have a "suggestions" box ;-) -- My note: The other day, I was preparing a salad to take on the go. I poured the Raspberry…

Summer Rice Salad

Today I made a fabulous Summer Rice Salad, and even got to use some of the herbs from my garden! If you're looking for an alternative to pasta salad to bring…

Spring Breeze

I'm sure I'm going to embarrass myself in this post, but here it goes. On my last trip to Tokyo, I was coming through Shimbashi station when I ran into a group…

Baseball Players Ain't All Bad

While Rafael Palmeiro is lying to the Senate and ruining whatever respect baseball players have left, the Cincinnati Reds offered a bit of an antidote, and…

You Know You Want an Iced Latte

Too hot for coffee, but need a pick-me-up? Try this recipe from my friend Janine. Prepare in a pitcher that holds at least 2 quarts: Combine and stir: 1/2 cup…

Acting is a Sin

[Image no longer available: Acting is a Sin] Today, thanks to Netflix , I was watching Anne of Green Gables with the kids as I folded laundry. I love some of…

Strife

Main Entry: strife Pronunciation: 'strIf Function: noun 1 a : bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension "A *wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is…

My Tip for Newlyweds

Sarah-and-Tom/kiss One of the most comprehensive sites on Christian marriage and sexuality is The Marriage Bed . It is a ministry run by Paul and Lori Byerly…

Damning Smiles Found Easier

Check out the new photo album link on the masthead. Tom is a master at play.

First Meeting

Last nights meeting was a bit anticlimactic . After everything leading up to this point, the meeting lasted about a half-hour, with the crux being that Sarah…

The Art of Pettiness

On the eve of our inquisition , I found an article on Credenda Agenda by Doug Jones entitled, " The Art of Pettiness ". Sometimes, when I cry out to God about…

Didgeridoo and Tyler Too

I'm a sucker for street performers. When Bob , Billy and I were down in Australia, we ran into two guys with two didgeridoos and a drum machine performing near…

Mini Golf Video

Following up on Sarah's Mini-golf post, I've got some video online of our outing. It's kinda big, and I'm not sure how much this is going to kill my webserver…

Louisiana Presbytery on the Federal Vision

After the premature decisions by Mississippi Valley and Central Carolina Presbyteries, Louisiana Presbytery has actually adopted a lucid position, and…

Diet Blog

I've decided to lose some weight. My surgery last year has had wonderful results , so I have no more excuses for not getting back into shape. For those of you…

Blogging Personality

Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical You blog like no one else is reading... You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded…

1 Thessalonians 2:7

misc/nursing 1 Thessalonians 2:7 "But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children." This metaphor has much…

A Chick Hatches

Whose idea was it to read A Chick Hatches ?!?! Um, that would be mine. While Tom was gone, we would read it aloud every day to the nest on our porch…

Indictment Served

Jim Sauer and Dale Van Ness stopped by tonight to deliver the indictments and list of witnesses as required in BCO 32-3 . The packet included the revised…

Trial Postponed

It looks as though the Session has sought the wisdom of the moderator of the Heritage Presbytery, and thankfully, he has concurred with the interpretation of…

Would you pay for a dusty room?

"If you were paying for a hotel room on vacation would you want to pay for a room with dust? We are turning our homes into our own personal vacation retreat…

Mini Golf

This past weekend, we took the children to Boulder Falls Miniature Golf at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown . They had never been miniature…

Full Hard Drive?

misc/jdiskreport I hate it when my hard drive starts to fill up. Usually, there is just a bunch of junk laying around all over the place, and most if it is…

Kindling Strife

"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a…

Vague Generalities

In my last post , I quoted from Dr. Morton Smith's commentaries on the Book of Church Order. Sarah was reading through other areas of the commentary, and found…

Charges Filed

Heck of a way to start a vacation . Jim Sauer came by yesterday afternoon with a letter summoning me and Sarah to appear before the Session to "hear charges…

Sweet Vacation

I'm taking off work for a week (plus today and Friday). I need a break to spend time with the kids, brew some beer and relax. It's my birthday today, and I had…

Home Again

Well, as ususal, it was a long trip, but I'm back home. Sarah seems to be relieved to see me, and the kids remember who I am. It amazes me how much Micah has…

私

This is a test to see if I can create Japanese titles. 私はTomです。

Please Stop the Aid

You know, this isn't a typical blog. Most blogs tend to be the rantings and ravings of people who believe their opinions are important. My wife and I under no…

No Wonder He Was Screaming

misc/ear Just got back from the doctors. Aiden has yet another ear infection. He has been running around and screaming like a madman all day - unless he was…

Elijah Connor Albrecht

Steve and Diana had a baby boy this morning at 7:25 a.m, after a long labor. He weighed 8 lbs 3 oz, and everyone is reportedly doing well. We'll probably wait…

Ready to Come Home

Well, I'm ready to come home. I've been here for a little over a month, and that's quite long enough, thank you. The transition from exciting to mundate didn't…

Hang in There, Diana!

album17/IMG_0742 My sister in law, Diana, has been in labor all day. Contractions are finally 5 minutes apart. Hopefully, things will speed up for her. Just…

Failed Experiment

Just an FYI - to those of you who were curious : There simply is not enough vinegar in Cattleman's BBQ Sauce to cause a reaction when mixed with baking soda…

Keeping Track of Mommy

album07/IMG_0201 Me: "Tab - how many times have I told you to stop hanging off of the door handle?" Tabitha: "Ten."

Which Love Hina Girl Are You?

前原しのぶ You're responsible, sweet, gentle and lovable! You have a loving heart, a great respect for all creatures (human, great and small), and the…

Paper People

Celebrity paper dolls . Fun stuff.

I'm Still Alive

misc/800px_Fugu_in_Tank Well, after being here almost a month, I've experienced a new first. Myself and two other guys from work decided to participate in a…

What's in a Comet?

While us peons are all down here going about our daily business and tinkering with fireworks, NASA is looking to collide with a comet the size of Manhattan…

Fighting Walls

misc/anderson I'm fighting walls right now. Putting them up and tearing them down, piece by piece, at the same time. I am looking forward to Tom coming home…

Fireworks - A Conversation

album16/107_0759 album16/107_0800 "Go back to bed, Tabitha - they're just fireworks" "But I'm scared." "They're not going to hurt you, it's just a pop-pop…

Relaxing at Billy's

PicsOfKids/DSC07141 Our friends Billy and Jin had the kids and I over for dinner. Their daughter Ellie is a little older than Micah. There was a playground in…

Big Fish

misc/catfish You may recall the story and photo I posted about the record holding catfish that weighed in at 124-pounds. Well, the record has been broken…

Spontaneous as Rain

Oh Phooey. (Yes, I was looking for a chance to use that word.) We were spontaneous. We were excited. We packed coolers, lined up towels. We were "going to the…

Worst Headline Ever

" War of the Windows: Pic biz frets as B.O. fades & DVD usurp key dates "

Thank God for Friday's

JapanJune2005/IMG_0873 A long day today... I had plans to go try Fuji, but I discovered that the mountain doesn't open until July. Then, I thought I would head…

Picking Cherries in the Afternoon

[Image no longer available: Cherries!] ...with Tab-i-tha up on her step stool. (Twenty four pounds - yay!) Kerry Ann kept up the pace We each filled a whole…

The Röntgen Locksmith

Bet you didn't know that a key can be made from an x-ray .

Health Update

Today, Aiden's eardrum burst. Lots of blood all over his ear and neck. At least he's feeling better afterwards. Micah's still wheezing, but threw up a lot of…

Why Internet Explorer is Unsafe

I found a website called " BrowseHappy ", an advocate site for alternate web browsers like Firefox and Opera . One of the cool features of the site is that in…

Outfoxed

No... not the exposé of Fox News . Outfoxed is a plugin for Firefox that allows you to share your web experience with others. After you get the plugin running…

Nebulize Me, Please

I'm hanging in there! Thomas, Tabitha, Aiden and Micah all have Croup . We went back to the doctor today because Aiden's and Micah's cough worsened, plus…

Splendid Splenda?

misc/truth_about_splenda Someone posted the following links to the Frozen Assets yahoo list. What the heck IS Splenda anyway? truthaboutsplenda.com (Website by…

Earthquake!

At 1:16 this morning, I noticed that the room seemed to be shaking. It was like I was bouncing my legs, but I wasn't. Weird... I thought maybe I broke my chair…

Japanese Reggae

So, I'm watching MTV Japan over here, and this band, Fire Ball , comes on, and I'm entranced. It's got an urban reggae sound, but it's all Japanese. Anyway, I…

Vanity Fair

What a long day... I wanted to try something new in the city, so I tried googling for Tokyo , and found the Tokyo City Guide , which had articles on some…

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Tabitha-s-Random-Sleeping-Positions/IMG_0756 Stars shining bright above you Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you" Birds singin' in the sycamore tree Dream…

Kitchen Garden

misc/rosemary On Thursday, I planted an herb garden on the side of the house in an old flower bed. The weeds' root structure was so thick that I basically…

Diner Dash

misc/dinerdash_logo Yahoo Games has a new game called "Diner Dash" - of which I am addicted to after only an hour of game play. Tom was playing it during a…

Sideways Laundry

misc/sideways I can tell that it is 2:00am because my anti-virus / anti-spyware software just began a scan. I just got done folding more laundry than the legal…

That IS a Tasty Burger

misc/quentin3 For lunch today, I stopped at the Kua'aina burger restaurant in Omote-Sando. It's a Hawaian burger joint, and it was pretty good. I found out…

Ah, Brotherhood

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. I immediately ran over and said "Stop! Don't do it!" "Why…

Caution! Contents May Be Hot

[Image no longer available: Grilled bread, I guess] Just for your information, raman shops serve their noodles hot. Very hot. I forget every time, and every…

Morally Treasonable

I love this quote from Theodore Roosevelt. According to the source linked below, it's from an editorial Roosevelt wrote for the Kansas City Star on May 7…

June 12

I haven't talked to Tom online today. My guess is that he's enjoying his weekend being a tourist. I hope he's doing well and taking lots of pictures. What am I…

Life in the Alleys

JapanJune2005/IMG_0845 A coworker here coined an accurate description of Tokyo, when he said that this city lives in the alleys. For every main street, there…

Green Tea

I love iced green tea, uncorrupted by added sugar. It has a sweetness that perhaps only white tea could possibly beat. Sadly, Americans are addicted to sugar…

Burping Up Fish

misc/rosen_e One evening, after Sarah and I returned from an excellent sushi dinner here in Tokyo, she made the comment that she was burping up fish. Sushi…

The Valuation of a Dragon Sabre

CNET reported that Legend of Mir 3 player Qiu Chengwei, recently, IRL, murdered Zhu Caoyuan, another player, over a stolen virtual weapon. Qui and a friend had…

Norah Jones

Time to dust off the albums. Turn Me On from Come Away With Me Like a flower Waiting to bloom Like a light bulb In a dark room I'm just sitting here waiting…

S & O : Stuck in My Head

[Image no longer available: Josh Komorowski] Ever had a song stuck in your head? Start singing "Mellow Yellow" to our friend Jim and you'll make an instant…

Liz and Ben's Wedding - May 28

album17/IMG_0681 Photos are now online!

Freecycle

misc/freecycle Someone's trash is another's treasure - and with Freecycle the treasure is made to order. Simply post your request on the Freecycle message…

Little Things are Finally Coming True

One of the hardest parts of being out of town is the lack of communication. Yeah, there's email, but it's just not the same. So, on my last trip, Sarah and I…

Back In Japan

Once again, I'm back in Japan. For the first time, though, I'm not staying at the ANA Hotel in Akasaka. Since I'll be here for more than 30 days, I'm at the…

Andrew Bain is a Spammer

Many of you have probably been receiving email from a Mr. Andrew Bain . Whether or not I agree with his theological views, his methods of spamming his…

Star Wars and Immortality

Finally saw the newest Star Wars film, and I was pretty pleased with it. While the dialog was stilted (that's being kind), the visual effects were amazing, and…

Pig Roast Today!

The weather is beautiful! Pig was put on the grill about 7am this morning. Looking forward to this afternoon!! Grandma Nancie, Becky and Kate all helped clean…

Intoleristas

Looks like things are getting a little rough up in Moscow, Idaho, USA. Of course, it hasn't dulled Doug Wilson 's wit any. He writes the following about the…

Phew!

misc/NOTPreg Oh great. What if I am? How am I going to handle this? Well, at least I'll have nine months to think about it. Hopefully, Tom will have at least a…

Holy Catfish!

misc/capt_cx10405242112_big_catfish_cx104 Amazing! A man catches a 124 lb. catfish. Even more amazing is that, so far, the fish is still alive, and being kept…

Endorsement

A couple weeks ago, I bought a new wireless card for my laptop. I looked on PriceWatch for a good deal on a card that works well with Linux, and found the…

Advice to Professionals from a SAHM

Professionals came to my house this morning and salted their food before tasting - and I didn't even serve breakfast. Good manners also make good business…

Dr. Seuss Nursery

A friend of mine here at work is expecting his first baby in July. He's just finished up paining his Dr. Seuss themed nursery for the baby, and it's looking…

Poop

misc/poop When a couple sits down and decides that children are a good idea, generally speaking, they discuss how children are going to affect their lives…

Quote 0f the Day

"Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God." - J. Oswald Sanders

I Think He's Got It

Rev. Andy Webb has written a " brief thought " up on the Warfield List , in which I think he means to score some points in the FV debate, but really just shows…

Quote of the Day

"The best kisses are the ones that leave you wanting more. Now, go away, Sarah!"

Premature Departure

I received a press release in my mailbox last night from the Evangelical Reformed Presbyterian Church . "Who," you may ask? Well, the ERPC is the newest…

True Innovation

I don't which I like better... the fact that people are combining existing web tools like Google Maps and GasBuddy to create CheapGas , or that Google is…

True Conservatives

The Washington Times has posted an interview with Pat Buchanan. The man does not sound optimistic, saying that the "conservative movement has passed into…

Aslan is On the Move

World Magazine 's blog has a link to the teaser/trailer for " The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ". I will allow myself to be cautiously optimistic about…

How do you answer a fool?

Life's full of fools. Some verses for reflection: Pro 26:4-5 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. Answer a fool according…

My Battle Monster!

No Grasp of Your Reality is a Giant Mecha-Ape that looks like a Man in a Rubber Suit, controls the Weather, is Covered with a Thick Slime, and CANNOT BE…

Bathroom Break

misc/329_bathroombreak It's been a while since I've posted a new photo of the "week", but since the Star Wars movie, " Revenge of the Sith ", is coming out…

New Update to WordPress

Just applied a new security update to WordPress , the software we use to run our blog. It was literally a 10 second process. These guys are getting good! If…

BibleWiki

Been a little quiet here recently, since I've been working on a new project. The other day, I was looking for a Bible dictionary on the Internet, and couldn't…

Wordpress Plugins

Someone had written asking about the newly added email plug-in that I added, and I thought it might be cool to list the plug-ins that we're using, and give…

"Blessed are the pizzamakers...

...for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9" - Thomas Making-Pizza/IMG_0148

16 and 19

Sarah-and-Tom/s_t16_19 I was cleaning my dresser today and realized I only had one copy of this picture and wanted to scan it in to save. This is Tom and I in…

Emailing Posts

New features abound every day! If there is a particular post on this site that you'd like other to see, you can now email them to your friends. Just click on…

Happy Slapping Porn

Before I actually get into my commentary, I should first give you a little background. Today, Drudge linked to an article in the Guardian about the new…

Email Now Available

For those of you who would like to know immediately when we post a new article or story, we now have the ability to send an email whenever we submit a new…

Avoiding the Argument Party

Christianity Today ("Take the best and leave the rest", as my mother in law would say) has a number of newsletters available via email. One that I subscribe to…

Construction Ahead

We're in the process now of moving our hosting from our own server to an external hosting site. Hopefully, this should make things a lot quicker and more…

Who Owns Your Culture?

In 1990, Paul Simon released " The Rhythm of the Saints ", which continued his foray into world music which he started with "Graceland". The album was very…

More Catholic Than Baptist

Some people had commented to me about the relatively high score that Roman Catholic had scored on my recent denomination survey I had taken. Should it be…

Fat People Unite!

"Being overweight is nowhere near as big a killer as the government thought , ranking No. 7 instead of No. 2 among the nation's leading preventable causes of…

Fighting to the Death

One of the most difficult things that I have ever done in my life was to shoot an opossum. It was staggering around in our yard during the daytime, drooling. I…

Soda Tabs for Dialysis

My great-uncle Andy, before he died, went a couple times a week for kidney dialysis. I remember growing up, we'd all collect our soda tabs, because they could…

It's Official... I'm Reformed

Found this on the Interweb . It's a survey you can take to figure out where you stand in terms of Christian denominational preference . I'm not too surprised…

Washing Their Hands

Well, it's done ( again? ). The Session has handed over their jurisdiction to the Presbytery . The gist of what they're asking the Presbytery is contained the…

Ruling Elders Who Cannot Teach

I submit that the practice of ordaining people as "ruling" elders who are not able to teach is an evil curse on the Church.

Romance up in Smoke

Sarah-and-Tom/sarahtom2 Last night, I learned that many lit candles and incense sticks in an enclosed area lead to nothing more than fits of coughing, stuffy…

Micah

micah/IMG_0469.jpg Micah had his two month check up on Friday. He's up to 13.5 lbs. He's been smiling a little more, and is doing a good job of holding up his…

Afternoon Worship

We can't do it. Our family just cannot do this early afternoon worship service thing. Two of our four kids are physically used to napping at that time, and I…

Photo Update

I uploaded the pictures from the camera today: MKWedding/IMG_0421 Beer Making - April 16, 2005 Matt & Kate's Wedding Tom's Travel Pics - Australia - March…

Lovebite Weizenbier

From Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing . Mit hefe (with yeast), this is the real thing, and now homebrewers can make a superdeluxe version of…

April Status

I guess I should probably give an update as to where our family is in regards to our ongoing conflict with the IPC Session. We had received a letter from the…

For What It's Worth

There's something happening here What it is ain't exactly clear There's a man with a gun over there Telling me I got to beware I think it's time we stop…

Nothing is Safe - pt 2

April13/IMG_0449 The day had apparently just begun when I posted earlier. As I was cleaning up the clothing spilt from Thomas' dresser, I heard a loud crash…

Ikea Tax-Free This Weekend

Just found out that the Ikea in Conshohocken is having a tax-free sale this weekend. From the Ikea website: Don't miss the IKEA Tax Weekend Event from April…

New Golf Clubs

I received my new set of golf clubs that I got off EBay this week. There is a fundraising golf tournament coming up next week, and I was invited to play. I…

Comcast's DNS Problems

Great. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. For two evenings in a row now, Comcast has been having some serious DNS issues. It's so bad, Sarah and I…

Nothing is Safe

misc/jackjacksitter Within 20 minutes of getting out of bed, Aiden has already unplugged the telephone in the computer room, dropped Tom's laptop and pulled…

Spread the Fun...

misc/skippy ...all over the living room. A Nintendo game controller, two couches, a coffee table, a television screen and two throw rugs were unwillingly…

Verizon is Almost Gone

Well, I've switched over my home ISP from Verizon to Comcast . While I had to do a little hackery to get it to work, I am happy to say that all has been…

Sin City

Sarah and I went to see Sin City tonight with my brother and his new wife. I thought the movie was worth a review. First of all, the movie is extremely…

Ubuntu Linux

I'm currently downloading a torrent of the AMD64 version of Ubuntu Linux for my new laptop. I hate Windows XP (especially the "home" edition), but there are…

Memorial Day Pig Roast 2005

misc/pig05 It's that time of year. Sarah and I are preparing for the annual Memorial Day Pig Roast, and you all are invited to attend the party at the home of…

Heritage Presbytery 's PresWIC

Tomorrow is PresWIC (a gathering of the Women In the Church from all of the different churches in our Presbytery), and I'm really looking forward to attending…

Beer Brewing

Next Saturday, we'll be making our beer for the summer - to be unbottled for the first time at our Annual Pig Roast on May 30th. We'll be making an Irish Red…

Back in the States

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm back in the states. The trips were generally productive, but I'm looking foward to a few 40 hour weeks to relax.

Atlantic City

I went to AC last night with my brother for his bachelor's party. Had a pretty good time. It's amazing how dead the streets are at 10:30pm when we arrived, but…

Hairspray

misc/beard2_big Rainier Maute, a dashingly whiskered trucker from Albstadt, Germany, plans to compete in the Olympic Games later this year. It may be…

Quote of the Day

album06/IMG_0133 Tom (in the middle of installing a cable modem): "Thomas, you're touching me. Take a hike. Go play in another room." Thomas: "Dad.. this is…

Costume Party - March 23

[Image no longer available: Princess Sarah Miller] On Wednesday, the kids and I threw a costume party here! Costumes were required for children and moms! There…

Forgetting to obey

Always trying to improve. Here's a thought on parenting. If a parent gives a child a task to completed that is out of their range of sight, and the parents…

Mean Ladies Need Spankings; Naps

PicsOfKids/4kids2 Today, I took the children to get their picture taken. I had a coupon for a free sitting and free 8x10. Everything was fine until we got into…

Mono?

Right before I left for Australia, I found out that my friend and coworker Bill was really sick down here. He missed work a few days, and when he went to the…

Nice

The number one search string to find our website this month is "roppongi foreigners death" , due to this post . I'm actually the number #13 link on Google for…

Free Wireless at Narita

Now that's more like it. Remember when I was saying how the United lounge at Chicago O'Hare disappointed me because I had to pay for my wireless connection in…

Obligatory Pictures

album09/IMG_0343 I guess if one goes to another country, that one must take pictures of things. It's no lie to say that I haven't seen the sun in five days…

Sink Reflections - Chapter 2

misc/sink Chapter2: Let's Talk about CHAOS and Clutter I think the acronym Cilley uses, and the fact that it spells a word meaning what happens as a result of…

Status Report

How sad is it to be in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and not being able to take the time to enjoy it? I've been working 12-14 hour days for the…

Sink Reflections - Chapter 1

misc/sink I am really enjoying the book Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley, founder of FlyLady.net A few thoughts that stood out from the first chapter: "Your…

From Maintenance to Nurturing

Part II: So how does one move from maintenance to nurturing? First, we must realize that children are not ours, but the Lord's. Yes, we carried our children…

Do you know what causes children?

I recently subscribed to a Christian listserv called "QuiverFull" for parents of large families. I have found it very encouraging to hear everyone's ideas on…

36 Questions

Tom would kill me for posting this... except that he's not here! The monkeys have taken over the radio station. -- "Change all the answers so they apply to…

When Life Gives You Strawberries, Cover Them With Chocolate

Chocolate Covered Strawberries (& Topping suggestions) This is an EASY dessert that tastes and looks amazing with little effort! Great for parties or gifts…

Caring for Children is not Housework

Children create housework, but children are not housework. As I observe friends with children, particularly those who seem to be discouraged and overwhelmed…

A Busy Mind: Why doing housework simply isn't enough

Tom had made the following comment: As you can see from her previous posts, Sarah copes with separation the same way I do - by staying really busy. At least…

In Japan

I've arrived in Japan. Didn't sleep much on the plane, and I'm exhausted. Got the BBC on the television, and Soba noodles in my belly. Time to get some real…

Mom and Bethany's Visit

grandvisit/IMG_0294 My mom and my sister also came to visit - they were here last week! They, along with my friend Laura and her daughter, came to church with…

A Visit from Uncle Ben

No, we're not having rice for dinner. benvisit/IMG_0340 My brother Ben (who is 19 years older than Thomas to the day) was visiting friends in PA and came to…

On the Road Again

Nice. My new laptop arrived just in time for me to bring it on my trip. When I ordered it, the sales guy told me that it would ship on March 18, and arrive 5-7…

Happy Birthday Thomas!

4thBD/IMG_0314 Thomas turned four on March 2nd!! (Click on pic for more party photos.) I had started to write a blog entry on his birthday, but didn't get it…

March "To-Do" List

While Tom is traveling, I like to think of fun and fruitful things to do to help pass the time. Here are some goals on my itinerary. I am hopeful that our…

On the mend

Hooray! Finally a break in the clouds. Aiden's doing much better than yesterday. He actually ate dinner tonight as opposed to balking at everything except for…

BBQ Pulled Pork - Crockpot

This is our favorite Barbecue Pulled Pork recipe. It's just the right amount of spice, sweet, and sour. Perfect for potlucks, parties and picnics. We just made…

Aiden's Woes

Aiden woke up screaming and didn't stop all day. Tylenol wasn't much help. I took him to the doctor, and they confirmed what I suspected: a double ear…

Like We Didn't Know

Found an online nerd test. Like we didn't know what the score was going to be. Take the test and post your scores in the comments... UPDATE: I didn't know that…

Dig Any Holes Lately?

Every now and then, you see stories that are so deliciously ironic that you have to laugh out loud. Today, I found one… Annette "Flirty" Stevens, president…

Sick! Pt. 2

One of my favorite authors, Nancy Wilson, devoted an entire chapter to "When the Kids are Sick" in her book "Praise Her in the Gates: The Calling of Christian…

Sick! Ugh...

I'm sick. It's horrible. Major head congestion, sore throat, inflamed sinuses and a fever. First, Thomas got sick - fever and a cough. Thomas also gets crazy…

One Complaint Upheld by Presbytery

Just got back from the information meeting with the Heritage Presbytery Judicial Committee Commission over our recent complaints . The summary is that they…

Knife Holder with a Message

misc/stabbykniferack I guess you wouldn't get your spouse this knifeholder for a present. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself, but this…

Intellectual Property

I've created a new category to organize my thoughts on intellectual property, copyrights, and their relationship to Biblical ethics. As I said in a previous…

Discernment

Saw this quote originally written in Christianity Today by Lewis Smedes : Seeing reality for what it is is what we call discernment. The work of discernment is…

Or It Could Be Swollen Tonsils

Young Tilly Merrell, a seven-year-old girl from England, had never eaten solid food, since she was diagnosed as a child baby with Bulbar Palsy , a condition…

My New Laptop

Sarah and I had been going back and forth on the status of our computers. She's been spending more time writing in the past few months, and we've started to…

Sin City

From the Consular Information Sheet on Japan : Concerns Regarding Roppongi, Tokyo: We note that an American Citizen was murdered in early December 2004 in the…

New Church Members?

A week ago Sunday, we had a couple guys in our church stand before the congregation and answer the "membership questions" that our pastor asks all new church…

Money Where Your Mouth Is

misc/3mmoneyglass Here's putting your money where your mouth is. 3M has created an ad in a bus stop advertising their security glass. It's not all cash, but…

Make Your Own Crime Scene

misc/crime Downloadable from Microsoft Templates is "Crime scenes with shapes" for Visio, complete with dead bodies, pools of blood and murder weapons. It…

15 Feet of Snow

We got about an inch or two of snow last night. Nothing major, with just a little accumulation. Compare that to India's portion of Kashmir, which this past…

Homskoolerz

misc/639ls Ah, the old "abuse masquerading as homeschooling" argument has reared it's proverbial ugly head again, this time in the form of a political cartoon…

Micah's Week in Review

It is hard to believe that today is the beginning of a new week. So much happened last week, it seems as though much more time has elapsed. Last Saturday, at…

Federal Vision Repository Online

Grace Fellowship Church is now posting and editing a repository of documents dealing with the Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul, and it's "…

Photo of the Week

misc/i_beat_anorexia I've decided to start doing a "photo of the week" to find the best of the photos I see in a week. I'm starting off with one I saw a few…

Yankee or Dixie

Find out whether you're a Yankee or Dixie on this easy quiz. It'll take you 5 minutes to get through, and you're learn some interesting regional terms and…

Microsoft's Guide to Being Cool

Microsoft has posted a guide to "133t5p33k" (aka "elite-speak"). Now, you parents can understand why Johnny keeps saying that the IRS has o\/\/n3d you. It…

Bible Link Test

I added a new plugin that will automatically link scripture references to The Bible Gateway . Below are a couple tests to see if they link up correctly. Romans…

The Narrower Catechism

This is good for a laugh. I'm sure this'll upset a few friends and one or two relatives, but it's still pretty danged funny. Without further ado, here is The…

Baby Name Tool

This is a pretty neat tool I found out there . It's an interactive java tool showing name trends over the last century . Turns out my name is on the decline…

Upgraded Blog Software

Wordpress released version 1.5. I have a psychological need to run the latest version of any software, so I upgraded. Now I need to move over the custom stuff…

New Baby Boy!

album10/IMG_0244 Awesome! Micah Stephen Albrecht introduced himself to our family this evening. Both Sarah and baby are doing just fine. Sarah was amazing! We…

Mmm... Italian Pork

misc/item_cheesesteak I didn't know until very recently that Philadelphia has two sandwiches vying for official Philly sandwich. Of course, one is the Philly…

It's For Your Own Good!

The Fare Inspectors tried to prevent me from taking photos under threat of citation. When I refused to stop, they tried to cite me but couldn't find any…

The Businessman

Another parable blatently stolen from Doug Wilson : Once there was a man who would not write anything down. This was only a mild nuisance when it came to…

Kate's Bridal Shower

BridalShower/IMG_0233 Kate's bridal shower was this afternoon! Great Grandma Trudy , Becky, Liz, Diana, Tabitha and I all rode up together. The winding and…

Central Carolina Also Speaks

Following close on the heels of the actions of the Mississippi Valley Presbytery , Central Carolina Presbytery has passed the following motion: Whereas on…

More from Mississippi

More quality discernment from our Mississippi brethren : Additionally, leading pastor-theologians in the Reformed and evangelical world have raised concerns…

Lines Being Drawn

Mississippi Valley Presbytery has unanimously adopted this study ( WARNING: PDF ) of the Ad Hoc Committee on the "New Perspective on Paul", "Federal Vision"…

You Cannot Deny Evil Exists

Our pluralistic society didn't like it when Bush referred to certain countries as an "Axis of Evil". To call something "evil" means that we're placing an…

David Prowse is My Hero

misc/dprowse I've mentioned before that I think George Lucas' decision to change the Star Wars movies was one of the dumbest ideas ever, and totally destroyed…

Instant Messenger

I usually don't blog about work too often, but I thought it was worth mentioning that Lockheed Martin rolled out the Microsoft Windows Messenger client to all…

Who Out There?

This is pretty cool. A blogger in London has set up a database for associating geocoordinates with websites called " GeoURL ". You can register a website, and…

Grammar Lesson

From the AP Stylebook : Affect, as a verb, means to influence : The game will affect the standings. Affect, as a noun, is best avoided. It occasionally is used…

Gifts and Ministries in the Church

This is a post that I made to our church's "unofficial" Yahoo! listserv . In reality, we are all part of the same body, and there is no such thing as…

Aiden's New Era of Freedom

Aiden has learned to climb in and out of his pack-n-play crib. We have a second pack-n-play in the living room and, this morning, I walked into the living room…

Christian Prenups

In the past few months, there have been discussions going on in certain circles about Christian marriage, and specifically about prenuptial agreements and…

Christian Women's Magazines: pt 1

I love reading women's magazines. Okay, back up. I love life and I am inspired by its every aspect. I love to hear about what other people think, feel, and do…

Tumble-Bumble

album05/IMG_0421 Aiden fell down this morning. Anyone who knows my son also knows that falling down is not newsworthy enough to write about. This was…

New Format

Never one to be satisfied with anything, I was up until 1am changing the layout of the weblog. I decided to go with a three-column layout, so the left side was…

Photographic Test

PicsOfKids/110_1006 Just wanted to test adding pictures to our blog entries. It looks like it's simply a matter of a few clicks, copy and paste a filename, and…

Conservative?

"To say that someone is a conservative does not tell us what he is interested in conserving. Within our lifetimes, we have seen hard line communists trying to…

Words Without Definitions

I've been reading over George W. Bush's inauguration speech he gave on Thursday. After reading it, I think I'm starting to understand why so many evangelicals…

Nothing to Cough At

This week, at the high recommendation of some close friends, we made the brave move to take our children to a new pediatrician . Not only was the practice…

Of Mice

Winter-2004/brownmouse The other night, while the ladies were at our house for Bible study, Tabitha, who has a terrible cold, decided she no longer wanted her…

Collapse of Society

Our society is collapsing around us. Basic concepts of civilization have slowly eroded to the point where we have simply lost any sense of intelligence as a…

Tsunami Rainbows

Rainbow over Indonesia Rainbow over Sumatra Islands Rainbow over tsunami relief supply station Genesis 9:8-17 "I now establish my covenant with you and with…

Oh, Bill!

Bill Gates. Teen Beat Magazine. 'nough said . (via BoingBoing ) Turns out, the photos were real, but the attibution was wrong. According to Snopes , they were…

Commission Meeting

Yesterday, Sarah and I met with the Judicial Commission from Heritage Presbytery over our recent complaints . It was difficult for me to imagine it possible…

How Many RIAA Lawyers?

Q: How many RIAA lawyers does it take to screw in a light blub? A: We at the RIAA think we will never really know, as we are fairly sure that each lightbulb…

Rubies and Bottles

Quotes of the day from the kids: During lunch, we had red grapes today (instead of the usual green - the red were much fresher at the store this week). After…

Bookcrossing

Sarah and I spent our Saturday weeding our book collection. Instead of taking them to the library, or (God forbid) throwing them in the trash, we've set up a…

Lost Humor (part 1)

My wife gave me an early Christmas present, since she thought it would approprite for some of the conversations I've been recently been participating online …

Comments Fixed (Again)

I upgraded our blogging software, and didn't realize that it broke the ability for y'all to comment. I found out from a reader, and I've got the comments…

Fear not the well-fed long-haired men

The highlight of my Christmas is when Tom and his long-haired brother, Andrew, were up for the game point in the James Bond Edition of Scene-It . They had tied…

A Christian Response to Jonathan Swift

It sometimes amazes me that out of the same pen can come amazing tales and immoral treatises alike. I am sure that many of my readers know and love the book…

Handbook of Scripture to Grow On

From my Amazon page . Handbook of Scriptures to Grow On is an indispensable book for Christian parents. It is a thin book, just a little over 150 pages, of…

Read What You Sign

salguod just posted a scan of his register receipt from his local video store. Apparently, in signing the receipt, he agreed to "surrender [his] soul for all…

Pretending to Please Your Guy in Bed

This week, I went to a routine doctor's appointment. While I waited to be called, a woman sat across from me reading a 'how to please your man in bed' article…

Free Speech and Dissent

Lawrence Lessig has invited Geoffrey Stone to guest blog until Saturday while he's away in Italy working on Creative Commons stuff. Geoff is a professor of law…

Truth and Laughter

"The truth of the gospel leads inexorably to laughter. Those who want to glower as they cling to truth want something that can never be. Whatever it is they…

My First Scam in German

While I've received over a hundred of the Nigeran Scam emails, today marked a turning point, as I have received my first email in German. I assume it's one of…

Why not a red fern?

Thanks to the help of some kind scientists, when a loved cell phone dies it turns into a sunflower .

Full Recovery

I forgot to mention this! I stopped by the surgeons last week for a followup check to my recent surgery , and I got a clean bill of health. Praise God, the…

Grim Calendar

I found out that Cryptome.org has a detailed chart of American soldiers dead in Iraq (when, where, and how) . There's been a lot of talk about removing…

Joke of the Day

Q. Why does a chicken coop have two doors? A. Because if it had four doors it would be a chicken sedan.

Crazy Bus Comeback

Lately, my children have been singing the Crazy Bus song from the PBS kids show, "Arthur" . They run the loop between the kitchen and dining room, screaming…

Holiday Peacemaking

This week, I received a mailing from Peacemaker Ministries that included an "Operation Peace on Earth" calendar with thought-provoking daily assignments for…

Blinded by the Beam

This story made the CNN headlines today. A father in New Jersey called the police to report his 16 year old daughter, who stumbled in 'drunk and unruly' around…

Power Outage

Sigh... power went out this morning right after we left for church. Didn't get back home until this evening, which means the system was down for over 12 hours…

Locus Ab Auctoritate Est Infirmissimus

Well, our complaints about recent actions by the IPC Session have finally been received, and Sarah and I are meeting with a committee from Heritage Presbytery…

Orthodox and Catholics Together?

The schism between the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church make the Protestant/Catholic split look like a minor disagreement. It surprised me, then…

If the Federal Vision Were a Beer

Doug Wilson has posted a review of Guy Waters' new book, Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul , and he seems to agree with the author who seems to…

So, What Do You Really Think?

While I have no plans on seeing the movie, this review of Alexander in the Marin Independant Journal has probably cemented my resolve not to go. The reviewer…

Quotes on Thanksgiving

"When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with…

Protect Yourself This Thanksgiving

While the Thanksgiving holidays have traditionally been a celebration of the blessings that God has given us, and a yearly time set aside to thank our Provider…

Electrical Bananas

This morning, between 4 and 5 AM, the power went off and on at least three times. It actually woke me up. It was the whole block, not just our house. I stood…

Everyone Needs the Gospel

This is... interesting. I stumbled on Molatar's Castle from BoingBoing . The site has the goal of "spreading the Gospel in the werewolf and furry communities."…

Parenting in 2004

I don't recall my parents ever saying this... perhaps it might have helped. My son, Thomas, is now prone to sneaking into the office to use the computer. I…

They Didn't Know?!

One one hand, this story has a "well, duh..." element about it. On the other hand, it's dumbfounding how disfunctional our federal government, and how we…

Japanese Food

TokyoNov2004/PocariSweatad Food in Japan is unlike western food - where everything is segregated on the customer's plate. Things are piled on top of each…

Helping God Along?

Have Premillennial Dispensationalists become discontent with simply watching the prophetic events unfold around them, and decided to help try speed up God's…

But We All Knew That

Take the "How Do You Use Magic?" test! Written by Brimo

When Will They Learn?

You would think after the embarrassment caused by the "faulty intellegence" we had on Iraq and their weapons capabilities, that the Bush Administration would…

As a Whistle

On noticeable difference between Tokyo and Philadelphia is cleanliness. It was almost freaky to wash my hands after our first day of touring. After countless…

Meiji Shrine

TokyoNov2004/898_9861 On our second day here, Tom took me to see the Meiji Shrine. If you look through the photos from Tom’s first trip here, there are a…

Internet Explorer, You're Fired

An editorial in the Washington Post has endorsed Firefox as their browser of choice. Looking at my logs, I can see that many of you are using IE... perhaps the…

Far away and close together

TokyoNov2004/IMG_9834 Ahhh.. Japan. I’m having such a pleasant visit. I had hoped to write more in my blog, but have not had much time to just sit and write…

Bush is a Neoconservative

Well, President Bush has won reelection, and I cannot say that I'm disappointed. The idea of John Kerry as President kinda scared me, especially since I…

New Blog Title

You may have noticed that we've changed the name of our weblog. The title deserves an explanation. In his classic (and sadly underrated) movie, The Adventures…

Back in Japan

Sarah and I have arrived safely in Japan, after a really long flight. Door to door, it took 23 hours to get here. For the first time, I flew in the back of the…

Countries I've Visited

Cool! Go to World 66 to make a map of the countries you've visted! My map is below. Here are the states I've visited... Actually, World 66 looks like it could…

Will the North Secede?

BoingBoing has an interesting article , calling for the secession of the yankee states. Even Chris Matthews noted on Tuesday night how the states that voted…

Specter and the President

Blatently stolen from the National Review Online . ----- A Liberal Republican Senator from Pennsylvania and a President -- both running for reelection -- need…

Bleed Until Bankrupt?

I never actually calculated how effective the 9/11 attacks were financially for the Al-Qadea attackers. According to Bloomberg , the tactic of financially…

Halloween Mushroom

While I really don't care much for Halloween, I thought this was a pretty cool design. Combine pumpkin carving with classic video games , and you get... 1upkin…

Voices from the Desert

I could understand former Congressman Bob Barr's thinking when he wrote the following recently: Voting for president used to be so easy, at least for a…

Gospel of Grace

10.30.2004 Gentlemen, A friend gave me a copy of the bulletin, and let me know that they have missed our family in our church recently and had been praying for…

Can You Admit When You're Wrong?

I think one of my bigger gripes is that so many excuses that are coming from Bush Administration about the whole Iraq war, and no one can just admit "We were…

Truly Mighter Than the Sword

As I start to reach middle age, I'm starting to take notice of life's smaller pleasures. Take, for instance, my Zebra Sarasa gel pen. Before I can explain the…

One Major Point for Peroutka

Just received this email from an associate of mine on the Reformed Theology Discussion List . In a previous post , I asked to see "just see one person in the…

Doug Wilson Seems to Agree With Me

As a matter of settled policy, Bush has observed Ramadan in the White House, conducted a polytheistic worship service in the National Cathedral, offered…

Hold Your Nose When You Vote

The election looms ever closer, and I'm realizing that I need to make a decision who I'm going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election. For those of…

On a Rice kick

I'm currently on a Damien Rice kick and you should be, too. And while you're copying me, have a mug of Double Spice Chai Tea with milk and plenty of sugar…

Peace

Recent personal study on Peace: --------------------------------- Why do believers have a spirit of peace? Because they are reconciled through Christ's blood…

The void filled by Rick Warren

This is a recent online post I made to the Reformed Theology Discussion List . It took me more than five minutes to write, so I thought I'd stick it in my blog…

Jon Stewart on Crossfire

You need to see Jon Stewart on Crossfire . Tucker Carlson looked like his head was going to explode. You can download the BitTorrent here . You can also read…

Limited Scope?

How many times have we heard that the "insurgent/terrorist" attacks in Iraq are limited to particular areas of Iraq (i.e. Fallujah, Sadr City, Ramadi, etc.)?…

Voices from Prison

Amazing words from an inmate down in out in America's prison. It will truly bring a tear to your eye.

Why Kerry Can't Afford New Programs

"A plan is not a litany of complaints, and it's not laying out programs you can't pay for,'' Bush said during the last debate. I wonder why it is that Kerry…

I'm a moderate freak

Disorder Rating Paranoid : Low Schizoid : Low Schizotypal : Moderate Antisocial : Low Borderline : Low Histrionic : High Narcissistic : High Avoidant : Low…

I am a Freak!

Another one of them danged online tests , this one to determine my personality disorder. It's good to know that I'm a paranoid narcissist ! Disorder Rating…

Paedo? Credo? Other?

Mark Horne has posted another good commentary on baptism in the Reformed Churches, and their common tendency to become credobaptists when it comes to baptizing…

An Open Letter to George Lucas

Dear Mr. Lucas, Despite your best efforts, my acquaintances and I have managed to procure a copy of the original Star Wars movies in a format superior than the…

Comments Are Now Working!

Well, it's good to know that this personal injury time wasn't a total waste. I decided that I was going to fix a frustrating problem once and for all, and…

The Great Awakening, and the Infant Casualties

I am currently half-way through Lewis Bevens Schenck's " The Presbyterian Doctrine of Children in the Covenant" . So far, it's been a very good read. The book…

I Had a Bad Day Today

So, my surgery went Ok, and the doctor seemed happy about both the surgery and my recovery from the anesthesia. After all the horror stories that others have…

Love without affection

Remember that a love without affection is like An unbreasted mother; And that unnurtured child will die. I liked this line, but not the poem in its entirety.

What is worse than running with scissors?

Running with them in one's mouth. This was the scene I entered last night as I walked downstairs. I had gone up for only a minute to collect stray bottles for…

Why We Cannot Win

by Al Lorentz Before I begin, let me state that I am a soldier currently deployed in Iraq, I am not an armchair quarterback. Nor am I some politically…

An Open Letter From the President

Dear Presidential Debate Commission: I did not like this experience at all. It was scary. I have instructed Karl Rove to look into whether debates are…

A Letter from Iraq

I heard an educated Iraqi say today that if Saddam Hussein were allowed to run for elections he would get the majority of the vote. This is truly sad.

The 2004 Presidential Drinking Game

Stole this from the Chicago Tribune By David Martin. September 29, 2004 Let's face it. The presidential debates are a nuisance. But for whatever reason, most…

Uneducated and Docile

You gotta love The Memory Hole . While many of us realize that the design of the public school creates an assembly line type of "education" system, where…

Surgery Tomorrow

Sigh.... don't read this post while you're eating. I'm going in for surgery tomorrow. For the last nine years, I've been living with a pilonidal cyst in my…

Advice for Church Leaders

Recently, historians have discovered an old letter from Presbyterian Elder Screwtape to a young elder, Wormwood. It's a short letter, and provides a lot of…

Cuban Cigars May Not Be What They Once Were

As any cigar affectianado knows, Cuban cigars are considered the ultimate in forbidden fruit. Since the embargo was enacted on Cuba in the 1960's, their cigars…

Performance Art

Amazing! Simply amazing. The French obviously have too much time on their hands.

In case you were curious, a horse is not a vehicle

To the tune of the Mr. Ed theme song: --------------------------------------- "A horse is a horse, of course, of course, but the Vehicle Code does not divorce…

Compassion or Guilt?

I would hope that as Christians consider the issues, they truly consider their Christian brothers around the world, and the solutions to the poverty that…

Which OS Are You?

Well, I took another one of those stupid online quizes. Which OS are You?

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

A gang of us went to see Innocence last night, and, well, I wasn't too impressed. The visual imagery was incredible, and the story was pretty involved, but as…

What is RSS?

You may have noticed the RSS links at the bottom-right side of this website, linking to some weird XML data. These links contain the feed data for our website…

Death and Burial

There are many aspects of life that we often take for granted, culturally, without considering them from a Biblical perspective. I take a certain pleasure in…

Cigars at Midnight

Wow... I am smoking the strongest cigar ever. "Buzzing" is too weak a word for what I'm going through right now. It's called a " La Aroma De Cuba ", which…

Musings from Genesis

I have decided to read through the whole Bible, from start to finish. I was very excited to see that even as God created the earth, He had a plan for it. For…

Hypocracy and Other Bullshit

Matt 5:22b "Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." I love the…

Public School Teachers More Likely to Send Their Kids to Private Schools

Surprise, Surprise! Who best would know about the conditions of America's public school system than the teachers who work there? If their opinions of the…

Name Calling

Instead of calling people "jerks", which was our three year old's name-calling word of choice, a word we frown on here at the Albrecht house, why not just call…

The common good

We have learned to put things, issues, problems, yes – even sin in compartments with labels. It is more convenient to put a label on something and quietly…

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf said the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, was "unreasonable and not supported by substantial evidence." What the…

What Happened to Expository Preaching?

Well, the PCA web-magazine, By Faith Online may actually have restored a little bit of my faith in it. For a while, it seems that the magazine has been…

The Evils of Pietism

So, what is pietism, and why is it evil? Doug Wilson defines it by saying, "though piety is nothing more than simple godliness, pietism is a thorough-going…

God the Dangerous

Credenda Agenda has a new issue online with a powerful photograph on their front cover of a coyote's corpse dangling on a barbed wire fence. The author then…

blogs

Is not a moment of reality more interesting than all of the blogs in the world combined?

The Nature of Marriage

As Sarah and I were driving home this past Sunday from my sister-in-law's wedding, we were discussing the nature of marriage. I think the conversation came up…

Are Government Redactions a Joke?

The Memory Hole wrote up a quick little investigation into an instance of the United States Justice Department 's attempt at hiding information. "Redaction" is…

We're Home

I'm a little bit upset with my Internet setup at home. While I was down in Australia , I discovered that the website went down. As if that's not enough of a…

How to Blog

Simon World has an informal list of dos and donts for bloggers. Some of the interesting ones include #15 "Learn to spell or how to use a spell-checker." and…

Long Trip to Indiana

On Friday, August 27th , the children and I drove to Indiana . It took exactly 12 hours, including at least four stops. We didn't get lost or have any trouble…

I Broke My Camera!

I can't believe it! I was out at Pebbly Beach today with Bob Becker and Larry Butler, and I got hit by a freak wave. My camera was soaked, and now it won't…

Wonderful Evening in Canberra

Today I experienced a "Australian" evening. We went to the Wig 'n Pen Brewhouse , and spend a good two hours there with the site guys after work. Had a great…

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD…

Eban Brown

Out of the blue, Eban Brown saw my Yahoo! profile and sent me an instant message. As if he needs an introduction, Eban was lead vocalist for the Moments in…

Rugby Match!

Today, Bob and I went to a Raiders game, which is Canberra's local Rugby League team. We heard from the onsite guys that the Raiders generally weren't very…

Thoughts from Australia

Sorry I haven't really had a chance to write, but the internet connection for my website is extremely flaky, which is why anyone who has tried to post comments…

Who Should Prevent Genocide?

With the ongoing situation continuing in the Darfor region of Sudan, it looks as though both the U.S. and the U.N. are reluctant to step in to prevent the…

Verses of the Day

Psalms 38:12-16 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long. But I, like a…

9/11 Commission

While I was cleaning tonight, I caught about three hours worth of the 9/11 Commissions discussion with a senate panel regarding their findings on the state of…

John the Baptist's Cave Discovered

This is a very interesting news story on the discovery of John the Baptist's cave by British archaeologist Shimon Gibson. Be sure to check out the pictures…

Some Early Aussie Pics Online

I've got some of my first pics up online. It's a bit chilly down here, and it's rather dry, so while it can be mild during the day, at night, it'll quickly…

Writing in the Airport

Airports are amazing places. I usually fly Northwest, but they don't fly down to Australia, so I needed to pick a different airline. United was my only choice…

Magician's Apprentice

Christian magician Charles Wormsley was the guest during our Sunday School hour this morning. Thomas and some of his little friends stood right up front so…

Saturday night

Damn it, Tom! Why did you have to go and leave? Yes, a rhetorical question. I teeter between being just fine and being on the verge of tears. The only thing…

Julia Child Died =(

I just sat down to check my email and Tom's flight status and I read that Julia Child died! Check out her obituary . I do love how real she was in the kitchen…

Holding down the fort

Here we go again! Another business trip. Last night, at about two in the morning, we had a bat in our house. Tom was showering and I went downstairs to lock…

She Was Alive?

Have you ever heard about the death of some really old celebrity and the first thought the pops into your head is, "She was still alive?" Fay Wray died this…

Short Notice

Well, I found out today that one of the guys who was supposed to be leaving for Australia today ran into snags getting his visa, and needed a quick…

Confidentiality?

PittsburghLIVE.com has a story about an obscure but amazing law in Pennsylvania. Apparently, doctors in Pennsylvania are required to notify the PA Department…

I Hate Verizon

I hate Verizon with a passion. It amazes me that a company would deliver technology like DSL right to my door, and then put a lock on it so I can't use it for…

Prozac in the Water

Boing Boing has a link to a BBC story describing that the Brits are consuming and... er... expelling such large amounts of Prozac, that the water tests are…

Sick Kids; Sick Parents

Aiden woke up yesterday with a runny nose, and as Sarah and I feared, more of the kids woke up with the sniffles this morning. There's been a rather sudden…

The Shipwrecked Presbyterian

Doug Wilson has posted a quaint little story on his blog. Although, as one person observed, it wouldn't be a very good presbytery with only one church.

Friends in the Church

Ray Doreian stopped by today to see how Sarah and I were doing, and to pray with us. I appreciate that he took the time out to talk to us, instead of judging…

New Weblog

Due to the pain caused by losing a month of weblog entries, I've decided to switch to a more... robust weblog. I've heard good things about WordPress , so this…

Lost Journal Entries

We attempted an upgrade of the journal module of our website and we accidently saved the wrong file instead of the old journal entries. Anyways... rather than…

Beer and Civilization

Fark had this link to a pretty interesting article on Beer and Civilization . While the author makes some questionable statements ("Noah carried beer on the…

Quote of the Day

"Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates…

Financially Supporting Michael Moore

So, Michael Moore 's new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11 , is coming out this Friday, and I'm really interesting in seeing it. Now, being as his last movie, Bowling for…

Arrrrgh!

So, I came home from work a few days ago, and my monitor wouldn't come up. The light was green, so it was getting a signal from my computer, but nothing came…

Some Rights Reserved

You may have noticed at the bottom of all the webpages on my side, that there is a "Some Rights Reserved" icon. Clicking on it will take you to the Creative…

Insomnia, clutter, and inspiration

It's amazing how quickly insomnia kicks in for me when I'm pregnant. Some women sleep like a baby. This baby resembles more of a newborn - up every two hours…

So, I Laughed

Normally, I believe that the bedroom is a sacred (read "set-apart", not "holy") room; a private area dedicated to the special, personal relationship between a…

Dads and Daughters Dinner

The Dads and Daughters Dinner went so so well. The food was great, the location was set up for us before we got there, the flower arrangements were beautiful…

Pregnant

After a while of feeling queasy and very tired -- to which brushed off as Tom's being away and not eating or sleeping properly -- I had a positive pregnancy…

Cute?

[Image no longer available: Muqtada Al Sadr] How am I supposed to react when my wife says that this guy is cute? She also says I'm cute! What does that say…

Home From Japan

Well, last night I made it hope from Japan. I had a busy last couple days over there, and I didn't really have to write about them here while they were…

...and Now I Can Rest

Tom is home! We got stuck in traffic from some sort of dress-up occasion at Coatesville Highschool. Lots of police, baracades, limos, balloons and prom-like…

In The Morning

Psa 69:15-18 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. Hear me, O LORD; for thy…

Meiji Shrine

Tony Rogers, Bob Grawl, and I had a day off today, so we took a trip down to the Meiji shrine in the southwest part of the city. We started out the morning…

Insanity 101

What a day. Kids lied. Escapes were made -- out the front door, the back door, and through the fence. Teeth marks were inflicted upon children by children…

Nursing Home

Thomas just back from visiting the nursing home. Our church does a service there, one Sunday a month. He went with Becky and Tom. He reported that there were a…

June 5

Today was an interesting day. Off to a slow start, after a late night of killing time. The kids and I pretty much played all day in doors -- it was pouring…

Food!

The food is so expensive here! You have to look hard to find a place that will sell you a decent, filling dinner for less than $20. Last night, we went to the…

There and Back Again

I made it home from England, and I'm back on the road again. This time, my travels take me to Japan, home of samurai and Hello Kitty. I was able to wander…

Lost in Translation

Ben and Liz came over tonight. We rented Bill Murray's Lost in Translation . Sofia Coppola has a sort of Wes Anderson style of directing, of which I have a…

...

The memorial day party was amazing. Food and drink were excellent. It rained, but thanks to Mary Judge's canopy, the food was safe and dry. We had about 80…

I Don't Like Daddy

Well, sooner or later, kids say things like this. They don't mean it, but it still hurts to hear them say. These were the words that came from Thomas' mouth on…

Thoughts On Three

It is good time to do things to reinforce that they are still special and loved.

Life-giving reproof

Proverbs 15:31-32 "He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens…

Skittles

It takes flying over to England to learn me a new game. The Cross Keys has, in addition to pool and darts, an interesting game of skill called Skittles …

Tales From Overseas

Well, I've got a little break from work, so I'm writing up a quick journal entry. I arrived safely, and spent a day touring London, exhausted. I couldn't sleep…

Hula skirts, thoughts on evangelism, and general whatnots

Today was a good day, despite the obvious Tom-vacuum. As I write this, I think, "how do I measure a good day?" These things certainly are factors: -Things on…

Fleeting Velvet

You know, today was a good day. Tonight, though, just plain sucks. I hate not having Tom to talk to. The Judges were here today -- they're great kids! Thomas…

Sat, May 15

Well, if you are keeping up with Tom's journal, you know that he's away. When he's gone, it seems I become this superwoman -- able to get things done. My life…

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'll be leaving tomorrow for England on a business trip for work. The job that we're doing there seems a lot more "open" than most of my recent work (when I…

Excellent Day Today

Every once in a while, a day goes really well. Children behave for the most part, "to-do's" are crossed off and we even manage to have fun in the process…

Perseverance of the Saints

Barry, our benevolent dictator on the RTDISC list, had written the following on the list, "The doctrine of perseverence is not to be used as some sort of…

Retractions and Clarifications

I've been digging through the archives of the Reformed Theology Discussion List , and after reading a lot of my old posts, I posted the following to the list…

Irish Stout Opened

Just opened my new bottle of Irish Stout. I'm drinking it and typing at the same time. I haven't chilled it, but just pulled it right from the case in the…

Wish List

For those of you who care, I updated my Amazon wishlist today.

Tues - May 4

Early this morning I went out for a run. Our home is on a very steep hill. The streets going vertically are numbered, and the streets horizontally are named…

Tiring Day

Spent about 4 hours this morning over at Janet Hobson's house doing a lot of "spring-cleaning" maintenance to her house. Eric Vannoy organized the excursion…

Travel

Found out today that I'm going to be spending a couple weeks in England at the end of May, followed by a couple weeks in Japan at the beginning of June. I've…

Got Polled Last Night

Last night, I got called by the Quinnipiac University poll about the Specter - Toomey Republican Senatorial Primary in Pennsylvania. The last poll called 431…

Sunflowers Planted

Thomas and I planted the sunflowers just outside the fence in the backyard. I dug the hole, and Thomas planted the seed. I covered the hole over, and Thomas…

Mandrake, Take 2

As part of my ongoing quest to educate myself on the different linux distributions available, I'm going to be wiping out my Fedora build and putting Mandrake's…

Drinking With Calvin and Luther by Jim West

If you have ever gone to a good brewery or pub, you may know that for a small fee, the bartenders will be happy to pull into a small glass a sample of whatever…

Face to Face by Steve Wilkins

At just 142 pages, this book may not take long to get through – but it can hardly be dubbed a "light read". Face to Face: Meditations on Friendship and…

Our New Site!

Tom had an idea to put up a family site. I'm really excited about keeping it up to date. A fun and useful tool ;-)