(usually barefoot) meg

(usually barefoot) meg http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/ The tags below will help you find my posts by topic. However, if you're not one of my contacts, then you'll only have access to about 1/3 of my posts. (I only accept contacts that I either know in "real life" or that I've gotten to know very well on Multiply.) Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:54:24 -0000 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:18:26 -0000 (usually barefoot) meg http://images.barefootmeg.multiply.com/logo http://barefootmeg.multiply.com 100 100 Yearbook Meg I took <a href="http://hopems.multiply.com/journal/item/127/Yearbook_Yourself">Hope's suggestion</a> and yearbooked myself. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/327/Yearbook_Meg Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:18:26 -0000 The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations There’s a movement in churches today, primarily in the UK and the States, called the Emerging Church, or the Emergent Church movement. (Sometimes those phrases seem to mean different things. Sometimes they’re used interchangeably.) I’ve heard the term Emerging thrown around since about 2000, but when I’d ask people what it meant, I’d get such mushy replies that I was often left more confused and unsatisfied that I was before. So I recently decided to delve a little deeper. I asked even more people (and sometimes the same people over again) what the movement was all about. After getting yet another set of wiggly mush out of them, I decided that I was just going to have to get serious about this. It was time to turn to the monolith of all worldly knowledge, Wikipedia. I looked up the entry there and.... Well, I’ve come across useless Wikipedia entries before, but usually it’s because there’s no content, not because there’s a copious amount of content that says nothing. The ent... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/reviews/item/30 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:36:29 -0000 Road Trippin' Back Home We left Traverse City at 8am on Saturday, a stunning feat given that the girls had been sleeping in till 8:30 or 9 all week and that we're traditionally late in most things that we do as a family. The skies were just beginning a soft drizzle of rain, a fitting farewell (that helped the kids realize that even if we'd stayed, we wouldn't be hanging out at the lake as they were wont to do). We gave our farewell hugs and toodled off down the peninsula on a Volvo and a prayer. We reached Grand Rapids just in time for lunch. I think I've only been to Grand Rapids once or twice before (on visits to see Bakkes and Wags) but I'd never been downtown. We parked on Ottawa Ave, which is roughly perpendicular to Monroe Center St. where I'd found 3 restaurants with positive ratings online. We walked to Monroe Center and found XO Asian Cuisine right off the bat. But since we didn't really want to haul leftovers in a car with no refrigeration, we thought we'd pursue the sandwich shops on my list ... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/157/Road_Trippin_Back_Home Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:33:00 -0000 Free Lectures in Honor of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing I'm a big fan of the Teaching Company. I've listened to several classes on tape and even reviewed a couple. (<a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/reviews/item/17">The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations</a> and <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/reviews/item/16">A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts</a>) The Teaching Company has made two lectures on the Olympics available for free download: Ancient Origins of the Olympic Games (Parts I and II) The downloads are free until September 4th. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/107/Free_Lectures_in_Honor_of_the_2008_Olympics_in_Beijing Sat, 9 Aug 2008 08:56:48 -0000 Tiger Stadium and driving north This morning we drove over to Livonia and picked up Mike, then drove on down to Detroit to visit with Vic. We had a Mexican brunch on Vernor street, just down the way from where I used to live. Then Vic took us on our yearly "State of Detroit" tour. We drove past the enormous amounts of construction on I-75, all leading up to the Ambassador Bridge (over to Canada). Then we went to see Tiger Stadium, which is being torn down. (The demolition company is doing it for free because they'll make enough money on the metal they recover to cover the expenses plus some.) After our Detroit visit we packed up all our stuff in Canton, shoved it into the car, and headed up to Traverse City. We enjoyed the trees along the way. (Though we've decided that Michigan seems to have more billboards than any other state in the Union.) We made it to Traverse City by 8-ish, where the kids shouted in exaltation when they saw the my aunt and uncle's house and where they ran like crazy people for a... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/322/Tiger_Stadium_and_driving_north Wed, 6 Aug 2008 02:51:09 -0000 Grandpa's Bird Houses Today we visited with my grandparents. My gramps used to make doll houses, but lately he's combined his love of bird watching and his love of putting small things together and started making cool bird houses. These are some bird houses that he has up around his house and one that he's still working on. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/320/Grandpas_Bird_Houses Tue, 5 Aug 2008 01:37:36 -0000 Road Trippin' <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SJZM-QoKCCIAAGPMhPc1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.barefootmeg.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SJZM-QoKCCIAAGPMhPc1/P1070286.JPG?et=knp9B2kHJq8k5Nq6kprZug&nmid=0" border="0"></a>Colorado corn fieldOn Friday morning, Rob rushed off at 7:45 to defend his technical paper.  (He took all his masters' level classes a few years back, but the paper took a bit longer -- especially since he's been working full time since then.) He was a bit groggy still, having just got in from San Francisco at 1:30 am, but he bravely stumbled out the door to discuss "The Governance of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act".  In the meantime, I packed, fed everyone, ran several errands and spent too long looking for Nathan's long lost glasses. Around 9:30, Rob called to say that his paper had been accepted and that he had a few more things he had to do to shove it through the system and then he would be home.  When all was said and done, we ended up leaving Fort Collins by noon. As we headed north on I-25, I snapped a photo of corn fields and Rob started rustling around for a map to glance at.  "Map?" I said, aghast.  Who needs a ... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/156/Road_Trippin Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:10:00 -0000 Robo-kitty This is Mr. Tibbs in full battle gear (made by Nathan http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/318/Robo-kitty Sun, 3 Aug 2008 20:34:26 -0000 The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels In Thomas Cahill’s second book in his Hinges in History series, The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels, Cahill explores the foundations of linear thought and progress. During the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the Patriarchs of Judaism), people believed that life was cyclical. Heroes, such as Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Ut-napishtim (who’s name I find ever so fun to say), would arise, seek to right the wrongs among their people, rile up the gods (who’s petty squabbles were also cyclical), and eventually die and the cycle would start up again. Because life was cyclical, rulers were often described in terms of these older stories since it was believed that they were simply living out those ancient stories again. But beginning with Abraham, a subset of Semites started changing the way they thought. As their stories were passed down and eventually recorded in the books of the Old Testament, it becomes clear that these stories a... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/reviews/item/29 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:25:58 -0000 Frozen Grand Central Over <a href="http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/">200 people freeze in place on cue</a> in Grand Central Station in New http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/48/Frozen_Grand_Central Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:35:34 -0000 Take a survey - get a free t-shirt <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.barefootmeg.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SIYqpAoKCCIAAHcGqYw1/shirt-banner.jpg?et=y4%2C0SiNACyPuyEaIwJuETA&nmid=0" border="0">Mocana is giving away free t-shirts to folks that take their online survey about connected devices.  If you're interested, click through to<a href="http://www.mocana.com/solutions-wirelessandmobility.html"> this page</a> and click on the banner to the left.  http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/155/Take_a_survey_-_get_a_free_t-shirt Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:41:00 -0000 Best Places to Live 2008 - from Money Magazine 1. Plymouth, MN 2. Fort Collins, CO 3. Naperville, IL 4. Irvine, CA 5. Franklin Township, NJ 6. Norman, OK 7. Round Rock, TX 8. Columbia/Ellicott City, MD 9. Overland Park, KS 10. Fishers, IN Other Colorado cities to make the list: Highlands Ranch (#12), Loveland (#33), Westminster (#44), Longmont http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/106/Best_Places_to_Live_2008_-_from_Money_Magazine Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:56:35 -0000 Where the Hell is Matt? I think I've finally found someone who travels more than <a href="http://danbirchall.multiply.com">Dan</a>!!! Here's the blurb Matt included with this flick, "I had a great time making this. Hope you enjoy it. www.wherethehellismatt.com http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/47/Where_the_Hell_is_Matt Wed, 9 Jul 2008 23:58:22 -0000 Half Indian / Half Mexican -- James Luna I just saw this picture in the Denver Art Museum mag. I thought it was very cool. If you check out <a href="http://www.jamesluna.com/">James Luna's website</a> there's some other very cool stuff there as well. (Sorry the pic is so grainy. It's much clearer in the Museum magazine.) Here's a bit of the blurb from the mag: "The self-portrait was intended to confront people's expectations about ethnicity. It is Luna's response to the prejudices about his mixed American Indian and Mexican heritage, and questions about who is a 'true http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/312/Half_Indian_Half_Mexican_--_James_Luna Wed, 9 Jul 2008 22:34:09 -0000 eMusic As Multiply started shutting down their music download system (which I had used as a great way to discover new music and ended up buying several albums because of - so fooey on you big record labels because now you're losing out on my cashola.) I started fishing around for other means to find great new music. I ended up joining <a href="http://www.emusic.com">eMusic</a> and though at first I was a bit chagrined at the selection, I soon started learning my way around better and over the last few months I have downloaded loads of FANTASTIC music. Some of my exciting finds are: Basia Bulat Andrew Bird Plants and Animals The Submarines The Weepies I also found musicians that I already knew and was listening to and I snagged even more of their work: Aimee Mann Elliott Smith Belle and Sebastian The Decemberists It's hard to tell if you'll like an album from the samples they provide. I downloaded an entire album of Alexi Murdoch because I liked the sound, but his lyrics are Awful!!!!!! So it's so... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/104/eMusic Fri, 4 Jul 2008 21:21:31 -0000 Blechkuchen This is a recipe straight out of the More-with-Less Cookbook, a cookbook put out by the Mennonite Central Committee. This was the first cookbook that I ever sat down and read like a book. They have great sections for each chapter describing ways to stretch a dollar and still eat well and thoughts on global hunger issues. The cookbook has this to say on Blechkucken: "Traditional among Prussian Memmonmites when guests come for Sunday afternoon coffee. "Blech" is a large baking pan." For awhile Rob couldn't remember what this was called and termed it "Blawken snawken." He's been making it regularly lately. It's great with some rhubarb thrown in. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/recipes/item/38/Blechkuchen Fri, 4 Jul 2008 18:26:25 -0000 2 New Items on My Amazon Wish-list (This blog entry was automatically generated by Multiply's Wish-list Cross-posting feature.) Below are items recently added to my Amazon wish-list. If you are familiar with anything below and have any comments or alternate suggestions, please leave a reply. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html/?ie=UTF8&tag=multiply-20&type=wishlist&id=1BE58BGIBR2LB">Click here</a> to see my full and current wish-list. <hr style="display: none;width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-New-Generation-Strategies-Tomorrows/dp/157383100X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D157383100X%26coliid%3DI2VX7VY43OB45U%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB"><img style="padding-right: 8px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CJ52VCRFL._SL160_.jpg" height="120" width="75" border="0"></a><big><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-New-Generation-Strategies-Tomorrows/dp/157383100X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D157383100X%26coliid%3DI2VX7VY43OB45U%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB">Reaching a New Generation: Strategies for Tomorrow's Church</a></big> Manufacturer: Regent College Publishing Price: $9.47 <a class="select" href="http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-New-Generation-Strategies-Tomorrows/dp/157383100X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D157383100X%26coliid%3DI2VX7VY43OB45U%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB">Learn More</a><hr style="display: none;width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Missional-Leader-Equipping-Changing-Leadership/dp/078798325X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D078798325X%26coliid%3DI7MIZQPL7NJ6A%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB"><img style="padding-right: 8px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZKD2XDVVL._SL160_.jpg" height="120" width="80" border="0"></a><big><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Missional-Leader-Equipping-Changing-Leadership/dp/078798325X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D078798325X%26coliid%3DI7MIZQPL7NJ6A%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB">The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World (J-B Leadership Network Series)</a></big> Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass Price: $13.31 <a class="select" href="http://www.amazon.com/Missional-Leader-Equipping-Changing-Leadership/dp/078798325X%3FSubscriptionId%3D1J3HCRRRA7MPKB447482%26tag%3Dmultiply-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D078798325X%26coliid%3DI7MIZQPL7NJ6A%26colid%3D1BE58BGIBR2LB">Learn More</a> http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/152/2_New_Items_on_My_Amazon_Wish-list Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:13:53 -0000 What kind of postmodernist are you? Your Result You are a Theory Slut. The true elite of the postmodernists, you collect avant-garde Indonesian hiphop compilations and eat journal articles for breakfast. You positively live for theory. It really doesn't matter what kind, as long as the words are big and the paragraph breaks few and far between.                                                                                                                                               &... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/151/What_kind_of_postmodernist_are_you Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:54:00 -0000 Crystal Sculptures Every time we go to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science we have to stop by the crystal sculptures. The other displays we may or may not visit based on our mood that day. But we're always eager to look at these sculptures again. To see what each sculpture is made of, click through to the picture just after it where the "ingredients" are displayed. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/306/Crystal_Sculptures Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:43:06 -0000 A bit of lizard love to brighten your day Young girl who hypnotizes lizards, then dresses them up in funny http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/39/A_bit_of_lizard_love_to_brighten_your_day Sun, 8 Jun 2008 13:53:07 -0000 Update on my dad -- Picks Disease: year 13 or so <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SEdwBwoKCCIAAEGTkmE1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.barefootmeg.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SEdwBwoKCCIAAEGTkmE1/P1050296.jpg?et=jIXSBP1DYD%2CdTYiwiJqRqA&nmid=0" border="0"></a>This is an excerpt from a letter I wrote today: My dad continues to get worse.  For a long time he seemed to stay about the same.  He was more active in the summer and a bit easier to deal with in the winter, but from year to year it seemed like he was stuck at a point where he could converse and do various activities, he just couldn’t remember very well and he occasionally did embarrassing things (like comment on how fat someone was within hearing distance).  But in the past two years there’s been a sharp decline to the point where now he hardly speaks.  He can read almost anything, but spontaneous speech is pretty much limited to a few lines.  (“Let’s go out the front door,” being the one that I hear the most often.) My mom sends him to adult day-care twice a week.  They’re really good with him and it gives her a breather.  She really should have sent him more often when he was harder to deal with, but any break, even now, helps.   He walks A LOT... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/150/Update_on_my_dad_--_Picks_Disease_year_13_or_so Wed, 4 Jun 2008 17:12:00 -0000 Fun at the spelling bee A funny moment at the Spelling Bee http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/37/Fun_at_the_spelling_bee Sun, 1 Jun 2008 14:05:09 -0000 More Kudos for Mocana Mocana just picked up another award. It's one of those awards you've never heard of (<a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/101/Mocana_is_one_of_the_top_100_tech_startups_in_North_America_--_Red_Herring">at least I'd heard of Red Herring before</a>), but hey, it's recognition and recognition, in general, is a good thing. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/102/More_Kudos_for_Mocana Sat, 31 May 2008 02:33:17 -0000 You know the apocalypse is coming soon when... <img class="alignright" src="http://images.barefootmeg.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SECAwgoKCCIAAHBrjt41/birdturd.jpg?et=njx5Pfg3wlLmuFqbGY39jg&nmid=0" border="0">I occasionally find that reading the paper in the morning is a bit of a surreal experience.  This morning was one of those times. Though <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/sports/othersports/30fight.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=ultimate%20fighting&st=cse&oref=slogin">the story about human cockfighting building army moral</a> was a bit odd (to my way of thinking, at least), it was the articles on trash bandits (particularly those <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/us/30grease.html?scp=1&sq=old+grease+restaurants&st=nyt">stealing used cooking oil</a>) and "the end of poop" (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/world/americas/30peru.html?scp=1&sq=peru+guards&st=nyt">Peru stands guard over islands of bird crap</a>) that make me go, "hmmmmm." I suppose this means it's time to start stock piling old french fry oil and dog turds? (And yes, the men in the picture are standing on mountains of bird turds... that they're worried won't last much longer.  I'm really not sure which of those facts is more disconcerting.) http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/149/You_know_the_apocalypse_is_coming_soon_when... Fri, 30 May 2008 22:23:00 -0000 A and O's Puppet Show The girls performed this for the school talent show. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/36/A_and_Os_Puppet_Show Thu, 29 May 2008 13:13:54 -0000 Mocana is one of the top 100 tech startups in North America -- Red Herring Mocana is a top 100 finalist in <a href=http://herringevents.com/northamerica08/redherring100.html#finalist>Red Herring's list of top tech startups in North America</a>. woo hoo! Here's the blurb from <a href=http://www.mocana.com/press2008-04-22.html>Mocana's website</a>. SAN FRANCISCO, CA – April 22, 2008 – Mocana, a security software company that delivers comprehensive protection for devices, today announced that it has been chosen as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Award, a selection of the 100 most innovative private technology companies based in North America. The Red Herring editorial board diligently surveyed the entrepreneurial scene throughout the North American region and identified the top 200 out of more than 800 closely evaluated companies that are leading the next wave of innovation. Mocana has been recognized because its device security technology is meeting a critical industry need as enterprises across all industries are placing increased pressure on device manufactures to provide equipment and services that are secure. By leveraging Mocana’s Device Security Framework, device manufacture... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/101/Mocana_is_one_of_the_top_100_tech_startups_in_North_America_--_Red_Herring Thu, 15 May 2008 20:21:28 -0000