A recent blog entry by Joshia got me thinking about ways to deal with rising gas prices. In our responses to his blog, the readers debated the relative merits of hybrids and high MPG conventional vehicles.

Meanwhile, Alli and I are 2 months away from owning her car 100%, so as an American, my natural instinct is to sell that car and buy a shiny new one. In this dream scenario, the new toy would be a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. However, since I live in the real world (debatable, if you know me), I’ve been considering more economical approaches to the challenge of getting myself, my family, and our stuff from Point A to Point B. Amazingly-smart guy that I am, I’ve come up with the perfect solution.

Continue Reading »

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German,which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as “Euro-English”.

Continue Reading »

First: Straight from the Funky Presbyterian, a new iPod rumor?

Second: Click on this banner to help me win.

Third: Tell your friends to come over here and click my banner. If you help me, I might help you.

The wind is whipping through the trees right now, giving me a soundtrack of leaves rustling and earlier, there was the cracking of trees.

I’m working from home today, since Damon is under deadline stress and can’t stay home with Fuller. Staying home allows me the unusual luxury of keeping the TV on to check the news and see the pictures from the aftermath of Katrina.

The devastation is a bit much for me to get my mind around and I keep wondering what it is like in my SIL’s neighborhood. And her husband is a buisness owner, a Furniture Medic, who just recently moved the business from their garage to an actual warehouse space. I wonder what kind of damage they sustained.

I’m glad we have power so that I am able to work from home today. It is a luxury, to say the least. So many people don’t have anything right now.

One of the skills that Fuller has definitely mastered is clapping. And what is so cute about it is that when he is watching TV, say Clifford for example (and not Ellen, no not that ever) he will clap when the people on TV are clapping.

It is absolutely precious.

I have family members leaving both places.

My dad will be leaving Iraq soon and should be home with my mom by September 9th.

My sister-in-law and her family (including her inlaws) have left their home in Madisonville, LA to flee Katrina. They will have a hurricane party at Lake Martin, AL, at Damon’s parents house.

Thinking about both places and knowing that there is imminent danger can be kind of overwhelming. Knowing that the family that I love is safe now, or will be soon gives me calm.

I can only thank God for taking care of my family.