Interview

Christine at Quiet Paths interviewed me recently. If you would like to be interviewed, let me know in the comments, and I'll pass the favor along.

You spent a good deal of your earlier years in India. What do you miss the most about this amazing part of the planet?
The food, and cricket. Unfortunately, I can't eat most of the food now (dairy allergies) but can cook some of it when I get the time. It's just not the same, though. And, of course, live cricket coverage is hard to come by, unless you have satellite service (and then only in some markets).

Do you speak another language and if so what is it?
In school, I had to learn Hindi (spoken in many parts of India) as well as the state language, Marathi. I didn't really like learning either one. Later on, I studied French and enjoyed that. I can speak enough Hindi to get by, but have lost a lot of the vocabulary through lack of use over the years.

What are the five writings you have read in the last 3 years which have spoken to you most?
This is a tough one...going from memory. As you can see, my reading has largely been fiction of late. Not profound, but often inspiring to me as a writer-wannabe.

1. The Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
2. A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth
3. The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
4. The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson
5. Nemesis, by Isaac Asimov

What three genres of music do you listen to the most each week?
The Christian radio station is always on in the car, so that would be the first. I have a fondness for rock, not just "classic" rock but music that breaks down boundaries. And lastly, I enjoy the nostalgia of 70s and 80s pop (back when there was actually such a thing as good pop music!).

Where is your favorite place to go in the summer and what do you do there?
This is an easy one, because we don't go anywhere for the summer :) So my answer would probably be, "anywhere with air-conditioning"!

Happy silver anniversary!

Twenty-five years ago, the Macintosh was born. It changed lives then, and it is still the world's best computing platform today. The world was introduced to the Mac through this commercial, which itself is a cultural icon.



There will be no special Macintosh model released to mark the occasion, as there was for the twentieth anniversary. Perhaps it's an indication of how Apple and the Mac have evolved, gaining market- and mind-share along the way. Read more...

Blogging award

Stratoz very kindly awarded me a "Friends Award" and it's my turn to share the bounty. Here is the citation:

"The Friends Award isn't about being the most popular blogger or having the most read blog. It is just because you consider the author a friend. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Always the nonconformist, I will break the rules by not nominating eight other blogs. If you're among the nominees, feel free to participate, or not, as you choose.

1. The blogger who encouraged me to create my own blogging space, and whose blog continues to inspire and refresh. She also happens to be a friend IRL (in real life): Bitterroot and Bergamot.
2. The blog that reminds me that the Holy Spirit is alive and well, and continues to work in our lives, even though I no longer belong to a Pentecostal church: Singing Owl.
3. This blog makes me laugh, when I most need to: Presbyterian Gal.
4. Another friend IRL, who shares some of my geek traits, and love of writing: LJ.
5. A place of inspiring photography, prose, and poetry: Quiet Paths.
6. A friend who has encouraged me from the early days of blogging, by continuing to visit and comment: mompriest.
7. And of course, I would be in serious trouble if I omitted this one: Chartreuse Ova.

Update from ONE

Read more...

Musical Monday: One person at a time

Much has been written about today, and much more will be written tomorrow. I'll keep my thoughts brief.

I used to think that one person could not make a difference in the world, for better or worse. Strictly speaking, that's true: it's impossible for one person to change anything, without his or her actions touching and inspiring others. Each person who has changed the world also acknowledges the efforts of others who have gone before, blazing a trail.

Today we celebrate the birthday of one man whose vision inspired generations, and who gave his life in the process of ensuring that his children and grandchildren could look forward to a better world.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

We still have much to do, but tomorrow we will recognize that, as a nation, there is at last a majority who believes in that dream.

In contrast...

...to my last post, good things happen where you least expect them. The president who has done the most for marine conservation is:

George W. Bush

I guess it's never too late.

We are a country...

...of sleazeballs. Slimebuckets, too:

Apple could face lawsuits over Jobs' health

Just leave the guy alone, and let him focus on his health. Which, by the way, is no concern of anyone else, shareholder or otherwise. As one commenter said:

Only in America could such ridiculous things occur. Do you find it both a little strange and EXTREMELY obscene that there are people ready to sue Jobs and Apple over what has been quite reasonable disclosure of his poor health, while at the same time no one seems to be pushing to sue Bernanke, Paulsen, Bush, Madoff, Huld and the other criminals who are still bankrupting America and destroying the world economy? I don't see anyone suing Wagoner and GM, Ford, Chrysler etc. Why are we even talking about this non-issue?

Musical Monday: Seeking the light

It has already been a long winter, with record-breaking snowfall last month. We missed getting to church the last few Sundays, thanks to the weather.

Yesterday, our church began a new series on "Christianity's family tree," which covers some of the history and traditions of various church denominations. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, but just being there with a group of people in worship was uplifting. Although I enjoy quiet times of prayer, and solitude, there is something about worship in community that feeds the soul. I could write more, but will let the light shine through this song.

Of hedgehogs and passion

At my boss' urging, I've been reading Good to Great by Jim Collins. It's an interesting book, although I'm not sold on all of it as yet.

One chapter in particular stood out, called the Hedgehog Concept, and it's appeared in numerous other books (although in different form). In a nutshell, the key is determining the intersection of the answers to three questions:


It's a challenging process to go through as a company, but it's equally applicable at a personal level, or even at the church level. The only problem is that I'm having a difficult time finding something that I'm truly passionate about. (Maybe I need a vacation, or a brain transplant.) So I started thinking, "Can I find three things I would do if I didn't have to worry about earning a living?"

The answers surprised me a little:

3. Travel and write (not necessarily about what I experienced while traveling).
2. Not travel, and write.
1. Work for free at the local Apple Store.

I guess #1 requires some explanation. I have been a Mac evangelist for some time now, and have discovered that there's nothing I enjoy more than helping other people discover what I have known for many years: Apple makes the best computers on the planet (and cell phones, and music players). No other company even comes close to the superlative integration of software and hardware that Apple manages to pull off so effortlessly. I'm not a salesperson by any means, but when I am absolutely convinced of something, it doesn't take much work to convince someone else.

I'm not sure how this lines up with what God is calling me to do with my life, though. Maybe I need to add a fourth circle to that diagram...

Edit: Saw this on Michelle's blog, and thought it was perfect timing. So much for that PhD in molecular biology...

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?