No More milkmanskid ?

So I'm thinking not keeping up this blog anymore. I've got three others still and it's getting time consuming to keep up 4 blogs.

If anyone reads these regularly, let me know. Or start keeping up with me on Xanga, Myspace or Facebook.

A Real Blog Update; Interesting News

Since The Brew is still down, I've some extra time on my hands. And so I thought, why not produce a real blog update? So here's some of the banal stuff I never put up on here when I have more important things to post.

The Brew is still down.

My new running shoes (bought before the car sucked all my money away) are working great. Ran about a mile and a half this afternoon around White Rock Lake (a beautiful lake and park in east Dallas) and loved it. I didn't do more because it was 95 degrees while I ran.

My two new roommates are both teachers at a small Christian school and are back to an early to bed, early to rise schedule. Whenever I close at The Coffee Chain That Shall Remain Nameless, I get up too late to see them (7:30 a.m.) and come home too late to see them (9:30-10 p.m.). It's like I've got a two bedroom all to myself.

I tried the new blueberries and cream 'beverage' with shots of espresso blended in. I woulda thought it'd be nasty, but I'm hooked now. It's really good.

I'm reading through The Man Who Was Thursday by Chesterton for the classics club at my church. It's great. When The Brew gets back to normal, I'll refer you to a great article about this book in the January issue by my bud Kevin.

I ate black beans and rice for dinner tonight. I'll probably eat the same thing tomorrow night again, since I have a new, my-car-sucked-all-my-money-away budget.

I can't go see Muse when they come to Dallas in September (again, the budget). But, MuteMath will be back here in November at the smoke-free House Of Blues. Hoorah.

My family decided to host another exchange student this year. So when I go home for Thanksgiving, I'll have a 16-year-old brother from China named Teng.

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Here's some interesting news stories I found this last week:

Aquafina bottled water comes straight from the tap.

Some messiness where TV journalism crosses the line into invasion of privacy and why NBC's Dateline program is in hot water because of their 'To Catch a Predator' series.

Tommy Nelson For Females on The Brew; Goodbye Mall Stores and New Milk

I just posted Kennedy Lewis' article "Nelson Hits The Mark With Series On Sex", a female perspective on Tommy Nelson's Song of Solomon sermon series, on The Brew.

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I worked my last day at the mall store of The Coffee Chain That Shall Remain Nameless. There were some cool people working there and I prayed that my last day there would not leave me cursing North Park Mall; I prayed that somehow working at this store could be a good experience.

I lost hope of that when the person who was to open up the store that morning was 45 minutes late. Then plenty of other small things not finished the night before compounded the lateness, effectively destroying my hopes of this being a good day.

But then the day went on and a good crew of people came in to work. As the store got busier, the crew worked well together and I could direct people around to slide the rush through the drink process and erase the line out the door.

The last two hours of constant traffic were enjoyable, and turned the tables on my mood. So I left happy and satisfied. I guess that's an answer to prayer.

And the Coffee Chain found yet another way to improve efficiency yet again. A co-worker (who laughed long and hard about this discovery) blogged about a new way of labeling milk. Check it out.

New Brew; E-news (without the celeberties)

I just posted "The MySpace-ination of Community" on The Brew by new author Jon Reisinger.

Also posted was the May editorial, which I forgot to link to earlier. The Brew's new look will feature each month's editorial at the top of the page, making it (and the the month's theme) more easily accessible.

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I found some very interesting news on how crazy the new online world can be and how even the military is trying to keep up with it.

A Wired story about the military previewing all kinds of electronic transmissions from soldiers on the field.

The Obama campaign conquers a MySpace page originally designed to support the candidate.

Had a conversation with a friend about different translations of the Bible. My thoughts came together as I was talking out my NAS but it ended up sounding truly together, smooth and...(trying to find a way to work in an ESV pun)....

So here's what came out: The New American Standard version came out in the 90s, and was kind of rigid and wooden, though more accurate than the NIV, which was published back in the 60s or 70s. I'm sure that since the NAS, everyone's understanding of the Bible and scholarship has matured and grown since then. I thought that perhaps the generation that each translation was produced in might have bearing on how that version is put together.

The example that comes to mind is how the ESV translates some pronouns, say he or she. The ESV has side notes whenever there is a pronoun which isn't necessarily masculine that says, 'he or she'. This made me wonder if this is according to the newest scholarship or evangelicals realizing past mistakes (?) in how they treated the pronouns.
So my spur of the moment conclusion is that there's surely some influence each generation has on newer translations.
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Dan's article on the Brew spurred some true dialog with lengthy comments and responses. Check 'em out after Dan's "Compassion and Theology" article.
Also, I posted another new author Lesley on the current Brew. She writes about the ambiguous future.
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Next month will be two years since a friend committed suicide. I've been trying to think of what to do and I think I'll post all that I've written on depression during March. So it'll be four or five essays I've written over the last five years on my experiences with depression.
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And to keep you guys from thinking that I'm too spiritual, I'll admit that I watched The Evil Dead last night, at my roommate's request ( he recently got the complete trilogy that ends with Army Of Darkness). The description on the DVD case said it was the most disturbing movie ever made. Though it stars funny man Bruce Campbell and contains the cheesiest horror effects from the 80s, it was truly disturbing. I'm hoping the middile installment (The Evil Dead 2) might be funnier. Chalk one up for truth in advertising.

Love and Chicago-Style in Dallas

In honor of Valentines's Day this week, The Brew is feature a three articles all on the subject of love, with the usual Brew style. First up is a penetrating look at abuse of the word love by Lonnie. Watch later this week for a social experiment involving co-workers at an online dating site and for finding where theology, love and ambiguity come together.
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Found a Chicago-style pizza place in Dallas. Chicago Rick's has a pretty decent pie. It's almost a light version of the real thing, with about half the crust and half the cheese, but still made upside down as it should be. I would've thought that Texans would've wanted a bigger, better, more gluttonous version of Chicago-style, but it seems that they can't even handle the real thing. So chalk one up for ol' Chi-town.
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The coffee-chain-that-shall-eternally-remain-nameless now only serves trans-fat free pastries. Including the silly cupcakes which are more trouble than they are worth, packaging-wise.
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Watched the painfully funny Series 2 of the Office this week. Sometimes the British-isms still needed translation but the awkwardness never does.

Writing...

Feb.'s come quickly.
I have an editorial and an article to write for The Brew.
I also volunteered to write four devotionals for my church's Lent Devotional book; and they're due on the 1st.
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Kevin's blog inspired me to share a recipe of my own.
This is a dessert you can get at that one coffee shop. The name has slipped from my memory for the moment but here's the recipe.

Gold Coast Tiramasu Wannabe
Get a French press of the Gold Coast Blend.
Get a slice of Marble Pound Cake.
Get a barista (who tows the company line of "Just Say Yes") to pour a shot of espresso over the pound cake.
Sip the Gold Coast and notice how well it pairs with the drenched pound cake.
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The film "Paradise Now" is intense, heartbreaking and beautiful.

Read this Kiekegaard quote this morning and couldn't stop thinking about it.

"It was said of Christ that he would reveal the thoughts of many hearts, and this he did. How? Simply by proclaiming grace. He who proclaims the law forces a person into something. People try to hide themselves when faced with the law. But grace, the fact that it is grace, makes them completely unconstrained. Face to face with grace a person really learns to know what lies deepest within. Tell a child to do something--this does not mean the child does it, nor do you really get to know the child's nature. No, but to say, "You are free, you may do as you please"--then you find out what lies deepest in the child." - Soren Kierkegaard's Notes and Journals.
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Beck's 'The Information' rocks the catskills.
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I posted my article on ending my newspaper career on The Brew. It's the first article I've posted to ever contain profanity.
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Beside the Oscars nominations being announced, the Razzie's were announced, too.

New Brew

I posted Dan's article on rethinking how one does church on The Brew.
I was hoping to go Chicago for Founder's Week this year but I ran out of money. Alistair Begg is preaching and that was the big draw for me. I can just taste a traditional Lou Malnati's slice. I can taste the smoothest mocha from Intelligentsia. Anyone's who still up there should grab one for me.

Getting Busy

I'm starting to get busy again. It's been a while and I almost forgot what it was like. Gauging your time and seeing what you fit into a given day. I'm in a book club at church; helping lead a movie night and discussion for the college group at church; writing articles and organizing the magazine; etc. etc. It's almost like I'm back in school again.
Something that's taken up some of that time is www.freeshow.blogspot.com . Don't visit the site unless you want to waste some time.
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There's plenty more Brew articles coming for January. I just posted Jamie's article on losing a parent today. Many more are to come more frequently.

Add Another One To The Lists...

So I got a Facebook site today. It's pretty shnazzy, technologically speaking. So whenever I post here, it will automatically post the same thing on Facebook. Pretty cool, huh? I'd link to my site but I guess you have to have a Facebook to look at other's page. So if you have one, look me up.

As promised, the Real Crime Story is coming.

And I'm thinking of putting together a satire issue of The Brew in the near future. Any takers? Let me know. I'd like the issue to be sharp, and smart. Writing that is both of these is not easy to produce; nor does it come quickly. If interested, email me and let me know.

The inspiration for this is a book I'm reading: Serrated Edge. It's a biblical defense of satire. So all those who don't think this kind of writing appropriate, I stick my tongue out at you.

Consolidating...

So I started a Myspace account to help promote The Brew. That makes my blogs three-strong and me content-weak. So I'm not going to try to keep up three (which means neglecting one or the other to maintain them all) but post the same things on all of them.
So if you don't like blogger, I'm at
www.xanga.com/sonofa3

www.myspace.com/sum

And coming soon, how I fared whiled driving to Ohio for Thanksgiving.

Check Our the Picayune's Contributing Writers

In order to better serve our readers ( and give props to fellow bloggers) the Picayune Editorial Board would like to take a moment to recognize (plug) our contributing writers.

A Table For One-Master of Creativity and generous blog creator from Boston but living in Chi-town.

backdrop- Smart, grad student in Chi-area (I'll let you figure out where)

dia blogue-Master of a self-run design company who will kill if you mess with Texas

Lesniewicz Weekly-Polish native heading to Uganda but currently interning at the Beach Picayune and doing some other stuff in Chicago

Nelmezzo-Master of Theology (or soon to be) in Chi-town

Pathos From the Mind's Eye-One of many alias for my roommie

Redemption-Produced by Jameson(not the whiskey) but headed for Perth, Australia

seadonkey21-Sweating over espresso in Minneapolis (ask about the name)

Skofinopolis Recorder- Master Yank in King Charles' court

Touchstone-A great magazine

Two Luther's Collide-Yet another alias

In The Throes of The Winter Blues

It hit me hard last week. In spite of the mild winter in Chicago with 40 degree days at least twice a week and intermittent hours of sunlight. In spite of all that I’ve learned over the last four years about this time of year.

I got depressed and I blamed it on the winter blues. The shorter days and shorter hours of actual sunlight and shorter amount of exposure to natural light which produces melatonin in the brain. With less melatonin, the chemicals in the brain can become unbalanced and make a person more susceptible to depression.

So there I was with the realization that I’d been depressed for a few days. I swore in my head and tried to figure out what to do with it. Go to a tanning bed, said a friend of mine. Tanning is one solution to not getting enough natural sunlight. I haven’t read anything official to say that it is medically proven but I’ve heard people swear by it and others who aren’t so sure. Even black people do this in the winter to help out, said that same friend.

I didn’t have the cash to shell out for this and I leaned more on the skeptical side as to whether or not the bulbs of a tanning bed could be equal to the rays of the sun when it comes to melatonin.

So I did what anyone else in my situation is left with doing: figure out what is screwing up your brain and try to fix it. Although it’s not always easy to get to this point while under the blanket of the winter blues, it is the most effective way to throw off that blanket. What am I thinking that is keeping me from getting up and moving on? Do I feel like there’s some kind of situation that I can’t do anything to change? Is there some person to whom I can’t express how much of an ass they are?

There’s a million questions to ask yourself. There’s also actions that can help out. Put all your strength or effort into getting out and doing something physical. Go work out, swim, run or play ball. Do something to get your blood flowing faster than it normally does. Somehow, a quicker pulse can help out the brain and all the chemicals that are inside. Maybe it adds more oxygen or more chemicals or circulates something else besides blood through your stagnant gray matter. Somehow, it works.

And then I try to do something with God. My relationship with Christ is one of the best ways to get my mind moving again. I intake a little bit of the Bible and stimulate my brain to think of the theology behind a verse or think through why God saved me. I then remember that all who have been saved from themselves by God’s gracious gift were bought so that they could testify to what God has done in their lives. The idea that God is bringing someone through the winter blues or any other hardship or depression so He can show off His power over even psychological ills is one that is encouraging and sobering. I get a little bit of hope from that thought.

And that little bit of hope is what can help me to wake up the next morning and go for a swim or try to tackle my seemingly unconquerable thoughts.



Publisher's Note: For more on Winter Blues, check out Sonofa3

Also, Thanks to Chris K. for all the work of stealing someone else's template and redesigning The Beach Picayune. Check out Chris at A Table For One.

New Look Amazes All

Thanks for your patience while waiting for our construction to finish. The new Beach Picayune will be revealed shortly. Meanwhile, die-hard readers can get their fix at www.xanga.com/sonofa3 by reading, "A Coffee-Chain-That-Shall-Remain-Nameless Moment."
The Beach Picayune Editorial Board

New Startup Publication Peaks After a Year

So it's already been a year that the Beach Picayune has been in circulation. And thanks to the solid readership and advertisers who kept the Pic going during a time when the printed page seems to be on the out.

A new year brings new offerings and outlets for the Pic. A plan is in the works for readers to subscribe to the Picayune and receive new issues via email. Keep reading for details. And a new look is also under construction by the New Look Development Department.

Future issues that will satiate the insatiable appetites of the Pic readers include:Adaptations, a review of the book Blue Like Jazz, Reflections on Qtting Journalism, City News Days and further flashy, but never, never trashy, content on the Pic's younger sibling publication: www.xanga.com/Sonofa3.

COMING SOON

Due to a sprained ankle suffered while chasing down and apprehending some young punk who stole tips from the coffee-chain-that-shall-remain-nameless, The Beach Picayune was unable to be published for the last month. The editorial board regrets this lapse in coverage but pledges to return the thankless work of publishing the Picayune.

The Editorial Board of the Beach Picayune

BORED WRITER WRITES

Chicago--Chicago world wide web servers crashed on Jan. 1 when a record number of readers accessed the Internet to read the newly-published Beach Picayune online.

Internet service providers worked for fourteen hours on the first day fo 2005 to restore an overstressed system that shutdown at 12:01 a.m.

"It was like Y2K fear, only real," said Roger McSturm, CEO of SBC for the Chicago land area. Hundreds of millions were reported to have accessed the Beach Picayune website at the stroke of midnight, causing an evenutal shutdown of the internet.

The shutdown continued for nine hours as each time zone in the United States attempted to access the Picayune website at midnight.

"We just underestimated the popularity of this middle child reporter and his website," McSturm said. "Who would've guessed that people would want to read what some bored writer writes about as an armchair critic."

"I just couldn't wait to read the news in the Beach Picayune," said Susan Housewife, of Des Moines, Iowa. "The sharp reporting on the role of the religion in everyday life is enthralling. And the editorials are so affirming to middle children all over the country."

Chicago area readers remained in front of their computers Dec. 31, rather than patronize a New Year's Eve celebration or watch the fireworks launched near Navy Pier. Millions sat with mouse buttons poised on the "Refresh" button to restore the web page which was unavailable until midnight.

"I've seen enough fireworks in Chicago," said Rogers Park resident Stan Stanislaw. "I couldn't wait for the fireworks that would burst into my heart after reading true or not-so-true stories of what goes in Chicago police stations. And what better way to support a bored writer than to visit his website and stroke his creative genius ego."

"I'm still amazed that the Beach Picayune could shut down the Internet for fourteen hours," said McSturm. "I may even start reading it just to see what everyone else is reading. I get the feeling that anyone who is in the know will be reading the Beach Picayune on a weekly basis, even if there's been no new articles posted for a month."

SBC plans to spend millions to strengthen it's networks to better support the Picayune wesite over the coming months.