Thursday, March 16, 2006

My favorite quote for today.


From The Quotations Page today:

“Actions lie louder than words.”
- Carolyn Wells

Monday, March 13, 2006

Trying a new blog tool


I’m checking out the beta version of MacJournal 4, a journal application that supports posting to blogs. I’ve been looking at it for a while, since MacWorld Expo, because this new version not only lets you post, but will also download all the existing entries from a blogger.com blog and let you keep them on your system. That’ll be useful if I ever decide to move off of blogger to some other tool.

I recently came across mention of WordPress, and have been impressed with its feature set. For the hardcore blogger who wants to blog with lots of multimedia, it’s looks like a good tool. And I found out that the hosting service I use for my own website has it available as a plug-in to an existing site. I may do that at some point, even though I don’t think I’ll get to doing multimedia stuff.

Why not, you ask? Why wouldn’t a dyed-in-the-wool technology addict like me want to add podcasting, video blogging, or at least photocasting to my site? Well, frankly, I’m just more comfortable working only in words. Besides that, I’ve got a great face for radio, and a great voice for silent movies. When I started my blog, started out by admitting that, “...the only reason a person blogs is because their ego succumbs to peer pressure.” If I decided that people wanted to see my mug and/or hear my voice, I think even my ego would laugh itself to death.

Anyway, this is my first post using MacJournal. I’m hoping it will make it just that much easier to write, so I’ll post more. ‘Cause my ego is telling me that you all want to hear more of my ramblings.

Mind you, it’s giggling when it says that. It must be watching something amusing on TV.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

A good pour...

[DISCLAIMER] I wrote this about four years ago, and sent it to my brother and my friend John. John reminded me of it today, and suggested that I post it. Such a smart boy. Now that I'm spending entirely way too much time studying and writing for another class at church, it seems even more appropriate to bring it out again.[/DISCLAIMER]

Last week, I took my reading for the class I'm teaching with me and went to dinner by myself. I decided to go to Harry's Hoffbrau -- the corned beef was calling my name. By the way, the horseradish sauce they serve there is done by Beaverton Foods (in the Portland, OR, area), and it kicks butt! Good burn, good flavor.

Anyway, I got my tray and went into the back area, then popped over to the bar to get a Guinness. The barkeep was in the middle of pouring two pints for other sots; he'd started a minute or so before, let the glass fill partway, let it settle, then came back to finish the pour. I was quite impressed with his style, and started drooling a bit. As he went to take the pints to the lucky slobs who'd ordered them, the guy who had dished up my corned beef came back behind the bar and said, "Okay, Sam, break time!"

AAARRRRGGHGHH! The chap smiled at me and said, "What can I get you?" I said, "Guinness, please," and prayed that he'd be as good at pouring the mahogany nectar... but, alas... he poured it as if it were just another glass of Bud.

Sam, however, had not left yet. As Bud-boy turned to ring me up, he asked Sam how to use that particular register (apparently a new, second one at the bar). Sam came over to help him, and fortunately for me, saw the freshly-mangled pint that Goofus had profaned, and asked him, "Have you ever poured a Guinness before?"

"Yeah, over in Mountain View," was the reply.

Sam didn't comment, but asked the offender to go get some change before taking over. The little turd oozed away, glad to be of help. I stayed, glad to have my pint of blessing back in the hands of someone who KNEW.

Sam said, "Let me see if I can fix this up." He proceded to pur out most of the top half of the glass -- all foam -- and then slowly to complete a very nice pour of Guinness. I said a tearful "Thank you" to him. He smiled and said, "Remind me never to go over to Mountain View."

Amen, brother. A-men!