Wednesday, August 31, 2005

FYI, James Joyner‘s host is having serious problems. He’s got things going at Blog*Spot as a back-up.

I found last night’s show a little boring but that’s because I’ve been reading the live feed updates periodically. So I knew what had happened: who was nominated, who won POV, who got backdoored into nomination, and who won America’s Choice for the phone call from home.

According to Reality Blurred (and I read it in the updates), April and the other Girl Scout/Nerd Herders seem to think that we viewers stink. **Warning: I opted not to link directly to the article because of objectionable language, which shouldn’t surprise anyone since April has quite the potty mouth.** The shock on their faces when the America’s Choice winner was revealed was clearly evident. They didn’t believe that viewers would really pick anyone over a Nerd Herder. They haven’t been watching the live feeds or the show and apparently have no clue how ridiculous they really are.

Anyway, Ivette was devastated that she wasn’t selected to get the phone call and sobbed in the HOH room. This is when Maggie said she couldn’t believe that America didn’t select her since she’s the only one left in the house who hasn’t been HOH and therefore has had no contact of any kind from her loved ones. And the quote from RB - “Well, Maggie, basically we’re not fond of Ivette.” Right, because she’s a spiteful whiner who does nothing but hurl insults behind the backs of just about anyone and everyone she happens to dislike at that moment.

The Nerd Herders are going to be surprised, surprised, surprised when they get out of Sequesterville in September. I think they’re just now starting to get that the viewers don’t like them. And we couldn’t care less that they don’t like us.

I was going to attempt a fisking of Robert Kennedy’s ridiculous post from yesterday, but Colossus beat me to it and did a much better job than I would have done.

Go.

[Via Llama Butchers]

I’m reading through Acts in the mornings and today’s reading was chapter 13. In verse 13, Paul begins to preach the Gospel to the people in Pisidian Antioch. He’s talking to both Jews and Gentiles; reminding the Jews of their history of wandering in the wilderness with Moses and in verse 18 we get this:

18he endured their conduct[a] for about forty years in the desert,

The footnote says that some translations say, “he cared for them.”

There is a huge difference between “he cared for them” and “he endured their conduct” - so which is it?

If you know the story of the 40 years the Jews spent in the wilderness after being freed by God through Moses, then you know that “he endured their conduct” is probably as close to the truth as “he cared for them.” He did care for them - provided water and manna and safety. He did endure their conduct - their worship of idols, disobeying his commands to cross the Jordan. That disobedience is why Moses never saw the promised land himself.

Anyway, I don’t have any profound insight to add, no personal lesson or application. I was simply struck by the wording in that verse that I had always known as “he cared for them.”

The NFC (National Finance Center) website is still down. My Dad is certain that we will be able to do timekeeping on time next week. Being in the data center business as a contractor, he said he’d be surprised if the managers of NFC didn’t hit the road with the necessary back-up materials on Saturday/early Sunday when they were first getting word of Katrina heading for New Orleans. Every data center has contingency plans in place for this kind of thing. He also said that in his Navy days when he was with the Bureau of Personnel, they had a pay period when the system was not fully functional so they duplicated the previous pay period’s pay to ensure that folks did get a paycheck. They worried about fixing the over/underpayments once the system was back up. So I’m hoping for the best but won’t be surprised at the worst.

As far as I know, not all federal employees are paid through NFC. I know that all components of DOJ is and it’s why I’m posting about it. I wish I could remember the other agencies that I have seen listed on their website. I’m drawing a blank at the moment. If you work for a federal agency, take a look at your last paystub - if you get paid through NFC it will say so somewhere on the statement.

UPDATE (10:10am): No sooner had I clicked on SUBMIT when I got an email from our HQ contact. NFC is working on getting back-up sites going in Pennsylvania and Texas. So it’s looking good for being able to get our timekeeping data in. We’re being told that a schedule for transmittal may be dictated - seems reasonable enough. Given what the good folks with NFC are enduring, I’m happy to do whatever they want.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

This is by far the funniest thing I have read in a long, long time. I had to close my office door because I was laughing so hard - the wheezy, nearly silent laugh of the demented.

I’m only laughing near you, Jen. Really.

And I’ve finally gotten around to adding you to the blogroll.

[Via Eric]

If you’re having trouble getting to certain blogs today (Cootiehog and OTB being two I can name - one because Jaynee emailed me and two because I can’t get OTB to open and I know he has the same host), know that Hosting Matters might be their host and they are having technical issues.

1. Prison Break is interesting enough that I’ll give it a few more views. I have a couple quibbles on the plausability meter, but I watched Alias just fine (until it Jumped the Shark in season 3).

2. Jaynee, the finale of TAR4 airs tonight on GSN. That means that TAR5 starts tomorrow night. The season of Colin ("My ox is broken!") and Mirna-Schmirna ("I just got electrocuted!").  Woo!

3. BB6 is pre-empted on Thursday for football. My DVR caught the schedule change and has reset itself to record the show when it airs locally at 2:37am on Friday. You may want to check your local stations to see when they plan to air it.

I couldn’t get into the blog to note this yesterday, but I knew it was going to be a potential problem when they were saying Katrina was headed for New Orleans. And I’m thankful that we federal employees submitted our payroll last week before Katrina hit. Here’s the problem, the federal government payroll is processed by a little department called the National Finance Center, which happens to be based in...New Orleans. *sigh* There are plans to move those operations to Kansas City, but not until next summer. So the upshot is that it is very possible that we may not see a paycheck for a couple of pay periods if the damage to the NFC is extensive. And I’m expecting it to be so.

I discovered that the NFC website, which we use for transmitting our data, was down yesterday morning when one of our contract guards called to complain that she hadn’t received her pay. Her specific problem is not tied to Katrina, but it could be a while before we can resolve the problem since NFC is out of commission. I feel for her and I’m glad that this isn’t her full time job.

The potential good news is that there is a back-up site in PA. I’m hoping that the back-up will be usuable next week when it’s time for us to process our Time & Attendance data again. I’m skeptical that NFC send current back up tapes to the site on Friday though since it didn’t seem that New Orleans would be targeted by Katrina. And I also note that the date of the GCN article is from June 2005.

Good thing I’m mooching off of my parents, right?

[Link via Kevin]

I did 40 stems last night alone. I believe that I’m at about 150 total stems so I’m making good progress. I’ve got a good rhythm going and I’m not doing 50 in an hour, but 40-50 in a two hour session every evening is pretty good.

Mom and decided to add a couple of additional colors to the bouquets to add depth. So I ordered the sapphire (dark blue) 6mm beads for the bridesmaids bouquets and a smoke colored 6mm bead (called black diamond) for my bouquet since the beadwork on my dress is clear and silver. I’m hoping they will arrive by the end of this week.

I inquired about the backordered 8mm clear beads for my bouquet and I was assured that they will ship in late September-early October. That’s good. In the meantime I’ll do all of the other beads and I’ll be able to assemble the bridesmaid bouquest and the groomsmen bouts. Which reminds me, I also ordered pinbacks for the bouts with the bead order.

Finally, I ordered more wire. I ordered a little less than I think I need since they ship it so quickly and I can space out the expense. Because I’ve decided to use cheaper florist wire for the stems we’ll give to the florists, I don’t think I’ll need as much of the more expensive wire. If I do, then I’ll order more when the time comes.

I have taken more pictures and I will post them tonight if I get a chance to download them.

Seems my blog was running “a large number of active apache processes to the point there are too many open, many are in a stuck state because of on the server side of things, called a segmentation fault, usually its an issue in php scripts that cause this” according to the tech support person who worked my help ticket last night.

Techies, anyone have the time or inclination to help me figure out where I have out of date scripts that may be causing this?

Monday, August 29, 2005

I’ve been relistening to Fernando Ortega‘s Hymns of Worship CD. Today’s Song of the Day is from that collection, Children of the Living God. Click over to his page and you can listen to the song.

Children of the Living God

Children of the living God
Come and sing, sing out loud
Children of the living God
Sing to the living God.

Sing of the wonders he has made
But in flight, falling rain
Sing of the wonders He has made
Sing to the living God.

Chorus:
How He loves us with great love
He who sits enthroned above
For our lives He spilled His blood
Sent His Spirit like a flood
Children of the living God
Sing to the living God.

Sing of His gentle, healing hands
How they found the lowliest man
Sing of His gentle, healing hands
Sing to the living God.

Sing of the mercy that He gives
Though we sin, He forgives,
Sing of the mercy that He gives
Sing to the living God.

How He loves us with great love
He who sits enthroned above
For our lives He spilled His blood
Sent His Spirit like a flood
Children of the living God
Sing to the living God.

Sing for the morning star when He comes
In the clouds, glorious Son
Sing for the morning when He comes
Sing to the living God.

How He loves us with great love
He who sits enthroned above
For our lives He spilled His blood
Sent His Spirit like a flood
Children of the living God
Sing to the living God.

Also, today’s verse is from this morning reading in Acts, chapter 10, verses 34-43:

34Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Good news!

Today is Beau’s first day of school - back to the grind of teaching and grading papers.

Three of my former small group gals matriculate today at his campus. I know that one of them tested out of the required course he teaches. The other two might have as well, but I don’t know. How weird would it be if they were in one of his classes?

I pray your first day back is a good one, sweetie.

So how long are we going to have to wait for season 3? I love this show and last night’s finale opened up a whole new slew of questions.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Undoubtedly the most fun, nicest, most deserving to win and yet they didn’t Amazing Racers from all seven seasons. They have their own website, too.

FloZach - still loathe Flo for the uber-whiner/quitter who shouldn’t have won and yet did Amazing Racer that she was. Zach rulz - how he managed to put up with her is a complete mystery. $500K wasn’t enough to compensate his troubles in that season of TAR(3).

I’ve rewatched all but the finale this weekend while working on the beads. Awesome television and I think it’s my favorite season of TAR.

And it makes me ready for season 8, even with the families. Bring it!