So following my previous post on privacy and such, I have started a new one. Mr. Storage's Closet. I've moved over to the Wordpress host as I'm hoping to move my Twisted Christian blog to my own hosting and run it off a self hosted Wordpress platform.
At the school I worked in, the server room is in a room labeled Storage. And while, it's not a huge deal, it is kind of demoralizing to go to work everyday and have my office labeled "Storage."
When I asked if they could change it, I was told no, because it was a security risk. That they didn't want everyone to know that it was our central computer hub. I can understand that, though every kid in the school knows what is in this "Storage" room. All I wanted was my name on it. It didn't have to say Computer Tech or Server Room or anything.
On the first day of the year, when the grade 12's were giving groups of new grade 9's the tour of the school, they would pass my door and say "this is the server room" or "this is where the computer guy lives." It made me laugh. The "Storage" sign isn't fooling anyone.
The secretaries also thought it dumb that I didn't get my name on the door, and so they started calling my Mr. Storage. They'd use that when paging me, or calling me, and I even started introducing myself to some students as that. Though the first time some kid came up to me and called me Mr. Storage it took everything I had not to burst out laughing.
Please update your links (for those of you that link to me), as you will find me over in my storage closet. I will also be starting to bring all my archives over so it isn't as bare as it is now. I'm also playing around with the theme, so there'll be some changes over the coming days. And I know all the popular blogs write on a specific theme to draw in a particular crowd, but that's never been my way. I'd have a bunch of different blogs then, one for hunting, one for gardening, one for being a dad, one for bass playing, one for religion (well, I have that one, but it's more of a theological type one, which doesn't interest many, so I keep it seperate), etc.. So I'll just keep blogging about life, and if nobody new starts reading, no biggy, that's not why I started blogging in the first place. Though if I do pick up new followers, that's always fun as I like meeting new people and forging new relationships. :)
So come on over to Mr. Storage's Closet and see what I've been up to...
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Day One
I successfully made it through day one of my life as a SAHD.
I was a little nervous last night about how feedings will go, and I still am abit about tomorrow's, but things went okay today. He fed at 4:30 and then I woke him up at 9 for his next feeding. I probably could have let him go longer, but then I wasn't sure if he'd get enough feedings in today. For my effort, we drank all of half an ounce in the hour we sat in the chair "feeding." He did decide at 11 that he was hungry and ate the ounce and a half I put in the bottle and probably would have eaten more. I figured since Mama Bean was getting home around noon today I wouldn't worry about it. And as a great way to follow up that feeding, he went straight to sleep. :)
I do like the fact that Mama Bean doesn't work full time, and while that might take some credibility away from me as a straight-up SAHD, I think it is pretty awesome. It means we get to spend quite a bit of time together, and Bean gets lots of bonding time with the both of us.
Tomorrow will be day two where I take care of him for the afternoon/evening instead of morning, so I'm interested to see how feedings go.
I was a little nervous last night about how feedings will go, and I still am abit about tomorrow's, but things went okay today. He fed at 4:30 and then I woke him up at 9 for his next feeding. I probably could have let him go longer, but then I wasn't sure if he'd get enough feedings in today. For my effort, we drank all of half an ounce in the hour we sat in the chair "feeding." He did decide at 11 that he was hungry and ate the ounce and a half I put in the bottle and probably would have eaten more. I figured since Mama Bean was getting home around noon today I wouldn't worry about it. And as a great way to follow up that feeding, he went straight to sleep. :)
I do like the fact that Mama Bean doesn't work full time, and while that might take some credibility away from me as a straight-up SAHD, I think it is pretty awesome. It means we get to spend quite a bit of time together, and Bean gets lots of bonding time with the both of us.
Tomorrow will be day two where I take care of him for the afternoon/evening instead of morning, so I'm interested to see how feedings go.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Privacy in the Blogosphere
Since the arrival of my son, I've been doing a lot of thinking about privacy and the internet, especially as it relates to blogging and social networking. How much is too much? What sort of information is safe to share? What isn't?
When I started blogging, it was a way to keep in contact with friends back home while I was away at bible college. It was a way to keep in contact with friends who had moved away. I'd write about things that were going on, rant about things pissing me off, and pretty much write whatever I wanted. As time has gone on, it has remained pretty much the same. I write about what's going on, how things are going, and bitch about shit that pisses me off. Standard personal blog fare right?
So now that I'm a little older, a little wiser, a little more paranoid? I wonder how much is too much. I've never taken care to disguise names of myself, or family or friends. I've never worried about writing about where I'm living, where I'm working etc... I even post pictures of family and friends and my house. Maybe that's too much?
I'm thinking it might be. At least the mix of real names and pictures, along with the finer details of places and such that aren't really required in the grand scheme of things. Especially to readers of a blog. It's nice to know that I'm on leave to be a stay-at-home-dad and used to be an IT guy. It doesn't really matter where I worked. My wife is a Chiropractor and works in a small town practice. Does it matter exactly where that is? I have a son that's almost 6 weeks old, and a beautiful wife. Does it matter what their real names are? For the most part, the little things don't matter. People like stories, experiences, pictures. The finer details aren't required. Those are best kept to things like emails and personal messages. If someone was wondering where my wife works because they are interested in going to see her, send me an email and I'd be happy to tell you.
We live in an age of over-sharing. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, we just need to keep in mind that not everyone is interested in your latest recipies, or that little Isaac just learned to walk. They are rooting through your archives and looking for names, addresses, places of employment, and so on.
Identity theft is still a growing problem. It was huge news a few years back, but it seems to have quieted down in the news, and it isn't because it is any less prevalent. So just becareful what you post.
Now I have a lot of stuff online. I have stuff on facebook, linkedin, myspace, 3 seperate blogs, an old blog, a flickr and picasa account and more. But I figure it isn't too late to go through and make some changes. I'm going to go the route of changing names and removing extraneous details that aren't really required. I'm not sure how I'm going to do all that, but I think it is important. People that have been reading for a while will still know who I'm talking about, and new folks won't care.
I'm also going to start an offline journal. I am delving into the world of wordpress and am going to install it on my local computer. I've been journaling off and on for the past 8 years (since receiving my first journal from my wife, then girlfriend), though after I started my blog I wrote in it less, and online more. I miss having a record of things though. The personal stuff that I don't write online and don't get around to writing on paper. I figure WordPress is a nice universal product so I won't have everything I write locked into some weird program that I'll never be able to access when it goes extinct, as the purpose of my journal is to keep track of things so I can go back to it.
Now to come up with some fun names to use for folks. And me. :D
When I started blogging, it was a way to keep in contact with friends back home while I was away at bible college. It was a way to keep in contact with friends who had moved away. I'd write about things that were going on, rant about things pissing me off, and pretty much write whatever I wanted. As time has gone on, it has remained pretty much the same. I write about what's going on, how things are going, and bitch about shit that pisses me off. Standard personal blog fare right?
So now that I'm a little older, a little wiser, a little more paranoid? I wonder how much is too much. I've never taken care to disguise names of myself, or family or friends. I've never worried about writing about where I'm living, where I'm working etc... I even post pictures of family and friends and my house. Maybe that's too much?
I'm thinking it might be. At least the mix of real names and pictures, along with the finer details of places and such that aren't really required in the grand scheme of things. Especially to readers of a blog. It's nice to know that I'm on leave to be a stay-at-home-dad and used to be an IT guy. It doesn't really matter where I worked. My wife is a Chiropractor and works in a small town practice. Does it matter exactly where that is? I have a son that's almost 6 weeks old, and a beautiful wife. Does it matter what their real names are? For the most part, the little things don't matter. People like stories, experiences, pictures. The finer details aren't required. Those are best kept to things like emails and personal messages. If someone was wondering where my wife works because they are interested in going to see her, send me an email and I'd be happy to tell you.
We live in an age of over-sharing. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, we just need to keep in mind that not everyone is interested in your latest recipies, or that little Isaac just learned to walk. They are rooting through your archives and looking for names, addresses, places of employment, and so on.
Identity theft is still a growing problem. It was huge news a few years back, but it seems to have quieted down in the news, and it isn't because it is any less prevalent. So just becareful what you post.
Now I have a lot of stuff online. I have stuff on facebook, linkedin, myspace, 3 seperate blogs, an old blog, a flickr and picasa account and more. But I figure it isn't too late to go through and make some changes. I'm going to go the route of changing names and removing extraneous details that aren't really required. I'm not sure how I'm going to do all that, but I think it is important. People that have been reading for a while will still know who I'm talking about, and new folks won't care.
I'm also going to start an offline journal. I am delving into the world of wordpress and am going to install it on my local computer. I've been journaling off and on for the past 8 years (since receiving my first journal from my wife, then girlfriend), though after I started my blog I wrote in it less, and online more. I miss having a record of things though. The personal stuff that I don't write online and don't get around to writing on paper. I figure WordPress is a nice universal product so I won't have everything I write locked into some weird program that I'll never be able to access when it goes extinct, as the purpose of my journal is to keep track of things so I can go back to it.
Now to come up with some fun names to use for folks. And me. :D
Trips to Greyhound
Anytime we take a trip to the Greyhound station, I leave with a great story. My trip there on Tuesday was no different...
Checking the phone messages when we arrived home after church this past Sunday, I listen to a message from Greyhound informing us that they have a package for Bean waiting to be picked up. We are heading to the airport on Tuesday to drop my parents off after a great 4 day visit, so I figure we'll stop in then and pick up the package.
So we head to the airport, drop my parents off, and get to the Greyhound depot 20 minutes before they close. Mama Bean figured she'd wait in the car with Bean while I ran in and picked up the package, since we figured it would be pretty quick.
Walking in, there is one person in line in front of me, and one person at each of the two open tills. It was the couple at the till to my right that caught my attention. They wanted to ship a large suitcase and something wrapped in a plastic shopping bag, neither labeled, tagged or anything.
When the attendant said they couldn't ship something just sitting in a plastic bag, they removed the contents and put it on the counter. 2 packages of 12" square tiles. Okay, kind of a weird thing to ship, until they say there are 14 more packages in the suitcase! I don't think the attendant thought much of it, and taped the two packages from the bag together, put a shipping label on it and asked for the suitcase.
Now, this suitcase has 14 packages of tiles in it. Each package of tiles weighs about 25lbs (when he was weighing the package he'd made of 2 he said as much). So I'm not quite sure what he expected when he asked them to lift the suitcase and put it on the counter. That thing weighed around 350lbs! He explains to them that they can't ship packages over 100lbs, and that they'd have to take some out.
So the couple takes out 4 packages, and the attendant tapes them into packages of 2, and asks for the suitcase. Again, the couple tries to lift this thing, but as it still weighs about 250lbs (Was I the only one paying attention to the math here?) they were unable to lift it. So they take out 2 more packages, he tapes them together and they try to lift it again. This time they are able to lift it, but it is still 200lbs, which is double the shipping limit...
At this point the other attendant is free, and I head over to pick up my package while this couple, and the attendant proceed to pull all of the packages out, tape them together in packs of two, and create shipping labels.
Now they are shipping these tiles to a small reservation up in the boonies. Collect. That's about $450 in shipping for these friggin tiles. Not to mention, THEY ARE TILES! Tiles are fragile. I would NOT be shipping something fragile like that via greyhound up to the boonies. I've worked in Greyhound's depots, I used to do all the work on their conveyor systems in Calgary. Guaranteed a bunch of those tiles would have been broken before they even made it onto the bus.
When I finally made it to the attendant I told him who the package was for, and which unit it was it. He goes and gets it and when he returns he asks me for ID. Now this package is for Bean, not me. Bean is 5 weeks old and doesn't have ID yet. I tell him as much and he gives me a funny look. So I show him my ID, and that the addresses match, and with reluctance he gives me the package. Though I had to fill out a little form saying I was authorized to pick up this package for Bean, and put down all my contact info and everything in case there was a problem. Kinda weird, but it made me laugh.
As I left the other attendant was still taping packages of tiles together, looking very unimpressed.
Checking the phone messages when we arrived home after church this past Sunday, I listen to a message from Greyhound informing us that they have a package for Bean waiting to be picked up. We are heading to the airport on Tuesday to drop my parents off after a great 4 day visit, so I figure we'll stop in then and pick up the package.
So we head to the airport, drop my parents off, and get to the Greyhound depot 20 minutes before they close. Mama Bean figured she'd wait in the car with Bean while I ran in and picked up the package, since we figured it would be pretty quick.
Walking in, there is one person in line in front of me, and one person at each of the two open tills. It was the couple at the till to my right that caught my attention. They wanted to ship a large suitcase and something wrapped in a plastic shopping bag, neither labeled, tagged or anything.
When the attendant said they couldn't ship something just sitting in a plastic bag, they removed the contents and put it on the counter. 2 packages of 12" square tiles. Okay, kind of a weird thing to ship, until they say there are 14 more packages in the suitcase! I don't think the attendant thought much of it, and taped the two packages from the bag together, put a shipping label on it and asked for the suitcase.
Now, this suitcase has 14 packages of tiles in it. Each package of tiles weighs about 25lbs (when he was weighing the package he'd made of 2 he said as much). So I'm not quite sure what he expected when he asked them to lift the suitcase and put it on the counter. That thing weighed around 350lbs! He explains to them that they can't ship packages over 100lbs, and that they'd have to take some out.
So the couple takes out 4 packages, and the attendant tapes them into packages of 2, and asks for the suitcase. Again, the couple tries to lift this thing, but as it still weighs about 250lbs (Was I the only one paying attention to the math here?) they were unable to lift it. So they take out 2 more packages, he tapes them together and they try to lift it again. This time they are able to lift it, but it is still 200lbs, which is double the shipping limit...
At this point the other attendant is free, and I head over to pick up my package while this couple, and the attendant proceed to pull all of the packages out, tape them together in packs of two, and create shipping labels.
Now they are shipping these tiles to a small reservation up in the boonies. Collect. That's about $450 in shipping for these friggin tiles. Not to mention, THEY ARE TILES! Tiles are fragile. I would NOT be shipping something fragile like that via greyhound up to the boonies. I've worked in Greyhound's depots, I used to do all the work on their conveyor systems in Calgary. Guaranteed a bunch of those tiles would have been broken before they even made it onto the bus.
When I finally made it to the attendant I told him who the package was for, and which unit it was it. He goes and gets it and when he returns he asks me for ID. Now this package is for Bean, not me. Bean is 5 weeks old and doesn't have ID yet. I tell him as much and he gives me a funny look. So I show him my ID, and that the addresses match, and with reluctance he gives me the package. Though I had to fill out a little form saying I was authorized to pick up this package for Bean, and put down all my contact info and everything in case there was a problem. Kinda weird, but it made me laugh.
As I left the other attendant was still taping packages of tiles together, looking very unimpressed.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Why'd I move here again?
What's going on in this city? What the hell is wrong with this place?
Recent News Stories for Winnipeg:
1. Woman arrested in fundraising scam:
2. Teen cut with machete in home invasion
3. Cops seek purse-snatchers
4. Two injured in early-morning assualts
5. Shotgun toting thug menaces family
6. Suspects wanted in carjacking attempts (thwarted because they couldn't drive standard...lol!)
7. High-speed car chase
8. 16 year-old boy stabbed
And this doesn't include the kid arrested at school for having a taser, some kid that was arrested the next day for assault, and then another kid arrested a few days later for assault.
This city is nuts. Nobody seems to use guns though. Everyone just stabs each other around here.
Recent News Stories for Winnipeg:
1. Woman arrested in fundraising scam:
2. Teen cut with machete in home invasion
3. Cops seek purse-snatchers
4. Two injured in early-morning assualts
5. Shotgun toting thug menaces family
6. Suspects wanted in carjacking attempts (thwarted because they couldn't drive standard...lol!)
7. High-speed car chase
8. 16 year-old boy stabbed
And this doesn't include the kid arrested at school for having a taser, some kid that was arrested the next day for assault, and then another kid arrested a few days later for assault.
This city is nuts. Nobody seems to use guns though. Everyone just stabs each other around here.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
New Books!
Okay, I'm going to dork it up here for a minute, but not with computers, with books. :)
I was directed to this amazing sale currently taking place at christianbook.com where there is a "Red Hot Deals" section with some awesome deals! And by awesome I mean some things are more than 90% off!
I picked up a 22 volume set of Calvin's Commentaries with a bonus copy of Calvin's Institutes for $99. This set is regularly $1200! That is a 92% savings!
I also picked up The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther in a 7 volume set for $45, and they regularly sell for $350. Yup, that's an 87% savings! How awesome right?I'm so excited to get them. I also picked up Zondervan's Handbook to the Bible for $8 instead of $40. It has some scathing reviews on the site, b
utthat's because it was reviews by a bunch of ignorant Christians who can't see outside the box, and probably also think Rob Bell is a heretic. ;) lol The book was used by my bible college as the text book for their Intro to the Bible class, so I figure there must be some decent info in it, and for 80% off, I can't go wrong.
So yeah, $1600 of books for $200 including shipping. It is my Christmas present to myself, and I'm so excited. There is a bunch of Luther's sermons that I'm pretty excited to read, especially the couple on The Sermon on the Mount.
So if you, or anyone you know, is looking for some amazing deals on Christian books, check out the Red Hot Deals at ChristianBook.com. (whom i'm not affiliated with, nor did they give me anything in return for this glowing endorsement, lol it's just an awesome sale)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Failure is not an option
It's amazing how this 9lb, 5 week old humanoid can make me feel so defeated.
Our foray into the world of bottle feeding has been a tumultuous journey. One filled with peaks and valleys. And it's only been a week.
He'll typically take at least an ounce from me, but after that, it can all go out the window real quick. It took us 2 hours to drink 2 oz. last week, but the next night he drank 4.5 oz when Mama Beanand I fed him together. Over the weekend Mama Beanfed him in public, at the baby shower with no problem, as he gobbled it down. Yesterday, he ate nicely from my mom, a good 3 oz. But today... today was back to the shitshow. In an hour he drank just over an ounce. Now we think that it might be that we overheated it and it broke down/got gross. But that can't be confirmed. All I know is that he is hungry because he'll suck on my finger, but the moment I give him the bottle, he'll suck 2 or 3 times, and spit it out and start crying.
It's been about 45 minutes since we gave it up, and Jo's going to breast feed him, which'll probably go fine.
Monday I start my new life as a stay-at-home-dad (sahd), and the only thing that scares me is feeding. People say he will eventually eat if he gets hungry enough, but I've read stories of kids that don't and have to go to the ER b/c they are dehydrated. Now I can't see that happening as Mama Beanis never away for more than 8 hours, but it still worries me. I'm so excited about being a sahd, but feedings like these just make me a little nervous.
I used to hate the saying "failure is not an option." Yes, it is an option. I can choose to pass, or I can choose to fail, it is my choice, and always an option. Until you have a kid. Then it isn't an option anymore. This little guy is totally dependent on me. I cannot give up. I cannot give him back and go home. I cannot hide in my closet when things go shitty. Now things have, for the most part, been pretty damn easy. We have a great kid who is friggin awesome. But when things do get tough, I can't give up. Failure isn't an option this time.
Our foray into the world of bottle feeding has been a tumultuous journey. One filled with peaks and valleys. And it's only been a week.
He'll typically take at least an ounce from me, but after that, it can all go out the window real quick. It took us 2 hours to drink 2 oz. last week, but the next night he drank 4.5 oz when Mama Beanand I fed him together. Over the weekend Mama Beanfed him in public, at the baby shower with no problem, as he gobbled it down. Yesterday, he ate nicely from my mom, a good 3 oz. But today... today was back to the shitshow. In an hour he drank just over an ounce. Now we think that it might be that we overheated it and it broke down/got gross. But that can't be confirmed. All I know is that he is hungry because he'll suck on my finger, but the moment I give him the bottle, he'll suck 2 or 3 times, and spit it out and start crying.
It's been about 45 minutes since we gave it up, and Jo's going to breast feed him, which'll probably go fine.
Monday I start my new life as a stay-at-home-dad (sahd), and the only thing that scares me is feeding. People say he will eventually eat if he gets hungry enough, but I've read stories of kids that don't and have to go to the ER b/c they are dehydrated. Now I can't see that happening as Mama Beanis never away for more than 8 hours, but it still worries me. I'm so excited about being a sahd, but feedings like these just make me a little nervous.
I used to hate the saying "failure is not an option." Yes, it is an option. I can choose to pass, or I can choose to fail, it is my choice, and always an option. Until you have a kid. Then it isn't an option anymore. This little guy is totally dependent on me. I cannot give up. I cannot give him back and go home. I cannot hide in my closet when things go shitty. Now things have, for the most part, been pretty damn easy. We have a great kid who is friggin awesome. But when things do get tough, I can't give up. Failure isn't an option this time.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Disrespect
I have a problem with the way some guys talk about their wives. Wives deserve a certain amount of respect, namely a lot of it.
Calling your wife, "the old lady" or "the wife," is not respectful. It is "your wife." Your friggin wife!
Why is it suddenly okay for a guy to talk about his wife like this when he's with his buddies?
I just don't think it's cool. And that wives deserve more respect than that.
Calling your wife, "the old lady" or "the wife," is not respectful. It is "your wife." Your friggin wife!
Why is it suddenly okay for a guy to talk about his wife like this when he's with his buddies?
I just don't think it's cool. And that wives deserve more respect than that.
Adam and Eve: Metaphor or Historically Accurate?
I came across an interesting forum topic yesterday where someone was asking whether the word "them" in Gen 1:25.
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Does the word "them" mean just Adam and Eve, or does it mean many people. I figured there was a question that superseded this one: Is the story of Adam and Eve merely a metaphor for the fall of humanity, or is it an actual historic recounting of events?
It isn't something I know a lot about, but it is something that interests me (all Christian Theology does to some extent). So I started reading through Genesis to see what I could find.
As I was reading, I found it interesting that there are two separate stories of creation, that of Genesis 1 and that told in Gen 2-3. And there are so many holes in the story if one were to take it literally. Something just didn't sit right with me thinking that this story was to be read literally.
Who did Cain, Able, and Seth marry? Their sisters? If others were created alongside Adam and Eve, wouldn't the others still be perfect and in the Garden?
To me, it seems like the story is more of a metaphor, and less of a historical recounting of events. Though I think the Bible is full of metaphorical stories, and not always to be read literally.
I asked the question on my Facebook status whether people thought the story of Adam and Eve was a metaphor, or if it actually happened.
So a friend of mine chimed in with an answer that provided some great insight and knowledge. (And it was cool to have someone with education and knowledge on the subject far superior to mine, validate and support my position. :) )
The following is from my friend Tim who has a Ph.D in Biblical/Theological Studies.
"It is a mythological account intended to represent the universal human condition. There are several textual indicators to point the reader (both ancient and modern in this direction). For example, 'adam is the Hebrew word for "human" (not even "man" ... there is a separate word for gendered human distinctions) and is derivative from the Hebrew word for "ground/dirt" ('adamah). These are meant to be universal persons so that we can each see ourselves in them. Moreover, the Adam/Eve story is a part of the second creation account (Gen. 2-3) which differs significantly from the first account (Gen. 1). In the first account, the humans are the last creation (after plants/animals) whereas in the second account they are created before the plants/animals. The first account begins creation in a wet, chaotic environment (hovering above the waters) while the second account begins in a dry, barren, desert-like environment. Also, the words used for God (Gen. 1: 'el and Gen 2: yhwh)are different in the two stories. These stories are intended to communicate different truths about God and creation. Neither is intended to be "historical" in the sense we think of it (a renaissance and enlightenment imposition upon the biblical text). My use of the word "mythological" to describe the Genesis 2 narrative is not intended to say "false" but rather indicate the literary genre through which its truths may be communicated (who is God? and who are we?). By far the majority of both Protestant and Catholic biblical scholars would agree to the basic outlines of what I've described above."
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Does the word "them" mean just Adam and Eve, or does it mean many people. I figured there was a question that superseded this one: Is the story of Adam and Eve merely a metaphor for the fall of humanity, or is it an actual historic recounting of events?
It isn't something I know a lot about, but it is something that interests me (all Christian Theology does to some extent). So I started reading through Genesis to see what I could find.
As I was reading, I found it interesting that there are two separate stories of creation, that of Genesis 1 and that told in Gen 2-3. And there are so many holes in the story if one were to take it literally. Something just didn't sit right with me thinking that this story was to be read literally.
Who did Cain, Able, and Seth marry? Their sisters? If others were created alongside Adam and Eve, wouldn't the others still be perfect and in the Garden?
To me, it seems like the story is more of a metaphor, and less of a historical recounting of events. Though I think the Bible is full of metaphorical stories, and not always to be read literally.
I asked the question on my Facebook status whether people thought the story of Adam and Eve was a metaphor, or if it actually happened.
So a friend of mine chimed in with an answer that provided some great insight and knowledge. (And it was cool to have someone with education and knowledge on the subject far superior to mine, validate and support my position. :) )
The following is from my friend Tim who has a Ph.D in Biblical/Theological Studies.
"It is a mythological account intended to represent the universal human condition. There are several textual indicators to point the reader (both ancient and modern in this direction). For example, 'adam is the Hebrew word for "human" (not even "man" ... there is a separate word for gendered human distinctions) and is derivative from the Hebrew word for "ground/dirt" ('adamah). These are meant to be universal persons so that we can each see ourselves in them. Moreover, the Adam/Eve story is a part of the second creation account (Gen. 2-3) which differs significantly from the first account (Gen. 1). In the first account, the humans are the last creation (after plants/animals) whereas in the second account they are created before the plants/animals. The first account begins creation in a wet, chaotic environment (hovering above the waters) while the second account begins in a dry, barren, desert-like environment. Also, the words used for God (Gen. 1: 'el and Gen 2: yhwh)are different in the two stories. These stories are intended to communicate different truths about God and creation. Neither is intended to be "historical" in the sense we think of it (a renaissance and enlightenment imposition upon the biblical text). My use of the word "mythological" to describe the Genesis 2 narrative is not intended to say "false" but rather indicate the literary genre through which its truths may be communicated (who is God? and who are we?). By far the majority of both Protestant and Catholic biblical scholars would agree to the basic outlines of what I've described above."
Monday, November 16, 2009
bottle feeding
Today I fed Bean from a bottle! Only 1 oz, but it was so cool!
With Mama Beangoing back to work in a couple of weeks, we want to get him used to taking a bottle, and with all the horror stories I've been hearing/reading about kids that refused a bottle, I was more than a little apprehensive about the whole ordeal. Excited, but a little nervous that I'd sit here for an hour with a crying baby that would refuse to eat.
I took him about 30 minutes before his next feeding would typically take place, and changed his diaper to wake him up a bit from his sleeping. We sat down in a room he doesn't normally equate with breastfeeding and with Mama Beandownstairs we gave it a try. He was a little hesitant at first, but once he got the taste of that sweet breastmilk, he was all over it.
It was pretty awesome feeding him. It is an amazing feeling giving hims something tangible, not just my love and hugs and kisses. :) He just sat there staring into the distance... it was so cute.
Tomorrow I'll do 2 oz., and we'll work up to three, so that we can cut out one of Jo's feedings. This will get him comfortable with the idea of how much a bottle feeding is for when she's back at work. this could also allow me to do say a midnight feeding letting Mama Bean sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time. Imagine that! I think she'd appreciate that.
With Mama Beangoing back to work in a couple of weeks, we want to get him used to taking a bottle, and with all the horror stories I've been hearing/reading about kids that refused a bottle, I was more than a little apprehensive about the whole ordeal. Excited, but a little nervous that I'd sit here for an hour with a crying baby that would refuse to eat.
I took him about 30 minutes before his next feeding would typically take place, and changed his diaper to wake him up a bit from his sleeping. We sat down in a room he doesn't normally equate with breastfeeding and with Mama Beandownstairs we gave it a try. He was a little hesitant at first, but once he got the taste of that sweet breastmilk, he was all over it.
It was pretty awesome feeding him. It is an amazing feeling giving hims something tangible, not just my love and hugs and kisses. :) He just sat there staring into the distance... it was so cute.
Tomorrow I'll do 2 oz., and we'll work up to three, so that we can cut out one of Jo's feedings. This will get him comfortable with the idea of how much a bottle feeding is for when she's back at work. this could also allow me to do say a midnight feeding letting Mama Bean sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time. Imagine that! I think she'd appreciate that.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Not such a big deal
It's amazing how everything is such a big deal right now. The frustration when he doesn't eat properly, when he doesn't sleep at night, when he cries, and when he's just generally uncooperative. And joys of having no idea what he wants when he fusses/cries/makes noise.
BUt in a few months, even weeks, everything will change. 3 months from now we'll have a whole new set of challenges before us, and these feeding issues will be put into perspective. Not that the next challenge will be that much more difficult, but we'll look back and see that it really wasn't such a big deal. It felt like forever that we were using that syringe system to feed him, but it was actually only about a week. And these sleepless nights, and fighting to feed him at night, while I don't know how long they will go on for is going to be put in perspective.
Though, I'll be the first to admit that it's tough to keep things in perspective when the lack of sleep amplifies every little problem. Everything seems so much worse with a lack of sleep.
I'm learning that it isn't just the sleep deprivation that is the real killer. It's the added emotional draining that his crying and fussing brings on.
There's so much to learn and experience with a new baby. I'm loving this being a parent thing, and as I type this (and wish I had a sling or something for him as typing with one hand is a pain) I'm noticing how much his face has changed. He is 4 weeks old tomorrow. It's kinda crazy. It seems like just yesterday I was freaking out because I had no idea what I was doing the day he joined us.
Being a parent is awesome. I'd highly recommend it. :)
BUt in a few months, even weeks, everything will change. 3 months from now we'll have a whole new set of challenges before us, and these feeding issues will be put into perspective. Not that the next challenge will be that much more difficult, but we'll look back and see that it really wasn't such a big deal. It felt like forever that we were using that syringe system to feed him, but it was actually only about a week. And these sleepless nights, and fighting to feed him at night, while I don't know how long they will go on for is going to be put in perspective.
Though, I'll be the first to admit that it's tough to keep things in perspective when the lack of sleep amplifies every little problem. Everything seems so much worse with a lack of sleep.
I'm learning that it isn't just the sleep deprivation that is the real killer. It's the added emotional draining that his crying and fussing brings on.
There's so much to learn and experience with a new baby. I'm loving this being a parent thing, and as I type this (and wish I had a sling or something for him as typing with one hand is a pain) I'm noticing how much his face has changed. He is 4 weeks old tomorrow. It's kinda crazy. It seems like just yesterday I was freaking out because I had no idea what I was doing the day he joined us.
Being a parent is awesome. I'd highly recommend it. :)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
No promotion for me
So I didn't get the job I applied for with the division. Didn't even get an interview. My boss had been talking up this position for months now, saying how she was leaning heavily towards hiring from within (something I'm a huge proponent of). But I received a call this morning letting me know that none of the internal candidates even made it as far as a first interview. Why? Because we don't have the certifications. Now no certifications were required, though they were considered favourable assets.
I'm not a fan of certifications. I think they are a scam. They do nothing but demonstrate someone's basic proficiency in a subject, and not always even then. They demonstrate someone's proficiency in regurgitating some shit they memorized in a book.
So we didn't get considered because we didn't have the certifications. No matter that we have experience of how shit works within the division already, we know the software we use, how our networks are setup, how we deploy images, and the list goes on. Of course there will be some stuff that we don't know, but there wouldn't be any more to teach me than will have to be taught to whomever they hire externally. I've never understood hiring externally over promoting from within. Especially when there are promising talent that are looking to move up.
It isn't just that I didn't get considered it's the fact that none of us did. And while I think I'm the most ideal candidate of the internal applicants (all 3 of us), any of us could do this job. The people I work with have been doing the same job for the past 5, 10, 15 years. We get yearly raises for the first 4 years, and after that there's nothing but the yearly 2-3% the union gets us which covers inflation. So these guys (and gals) have been working at the same job with no advancement opportunities, and when one finally opens up, for the first time in 5 years, they hire someone from outside the division. It makes me sad.
So while I'm really happy my boss but in a good word for me, she doesn't have the decision-making power, and someone higher up decided certifications were more important. I'm also really thankful she told me because I was willing to make a sacrifice on my parental leave if I was an ideal candidate for this job.
It's disappointing is all. And I shouldn't be surprised, but rejection is never fun right? Especially when it isn't from total strangers.
It’s funny how applying for that job made me change the way I did my job. I worked a lot harder to do things myself. If I came across a problem that I didn’t know how to do, or couldn’t easily find the answer to, I would dedicate myself to figuring it out. In the past I would have just called someone else, to see if they knew, and if not, sending the problem higher up the food chain to those that probably know. Now I don’t have that incentive. Why? Because I don’t need to. This isn’t a job that makes you strive to be better. That job was the carrot that was dangling in front of me that spurred me on and pushed me.
3.5 more weeks of work and I'm off for almost 9 months as a stay-at-home-dad, which is exciting. I'm loving being a dad, and Bean is just so awesome. I have a lot to get done at work, and I don't know if they are hiring someone to start before I leave of if their start date will be after I'm gone...hopefully not the latter.
I'm not a fan of certifications. I think they are a scam. They do nothing but demonstrate someone's basic proficiency in a subject, and not always even then. They demonstrate someone's proficiency in regurgitating some shit they memorized in a book.
So we didn't get considered because we didn't have the certifications. No matter that we have experience of how shit works within the division already, we know the software we use, how our networks are setup, how we deploy images, and the list goes on. Of course there will be some stuff that we don't know, but there wouldn't be any more to teach me than will have to be taught to whomever they hire externally. I've never understood hiring externally over promoting from within. Especially when there are promising talent that are looking to move up.
It isn't just that I didn't get considered it's the fact that none of us did. And while I think I'm the most ideal candidate of the internal applicants (all 3 of us), any of us could do this job. The people I work with have been doing the same job for the past 5, 10, 15 years. We get yearly raises for the first 4 years, and after that there's nothing but the yearly 2-3% the union gets us which covers inflation. So these guys (and gals) have been working at the same job with no advancement opportunities, and when one finally opens up, for the first time in 5 years, they hire someone from outside the division. It makes me sad.
So while I'm really happy my boss but in a good word for me, she doesn't have the decision-making power, and someone higher up decided certifications were more important. I'm also really thankful she told me because I was willing to make a sacrifice on my parental leave if I was an ideal candidate for this job.
It's disappointing is all. And I shouldn't be surprised, but rejection is never fun right? Especially when it isn't from total strangers.
It’s funny how applying for that job made me change the way I did my job. I worked a lot harder to do things myself. If I came across a problem that I didn’t know how to do, or couldn’t easily find the answer to, I would dedicate myself to figuring it out. In the past I would have just called someone else, to see if they knew, and if not, sending the problem higher up the food chain to those that probably know. Now I don’t have that incentive. Why? Because I don’t need to. This isn’t a job that makes you strive to be better. That job was the carrot that was dangling in front of me that spurred me on and pushed me.
3.5 more weeks of work and I'm off for almost 9 months as a stay-at-home-dad, which is exciting. I'm loving being a dad, and Bean is just so awesome. I have a lot to get done at work, and I don't know if they are hiring someone to start before I leave of if their start date will be after I'm gone...hopefully not the latter.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Sleeping Habits
Changing my sleeping habits/schedule is taking a little getting used to. We used to go to bed around 11, and I'd be up at 7 for work. That was plenty of sleep, and I could function great. Now it's get up randomly as he fusses and help Mama Bean out as she breastfeeds, or hold him in the times that he isn't feeding, but doesn't want to sleep. And of course in those times he doesn't want to be laying down, or at least I can't be laying down and holding him, even though he's in the EXACT SAME POSITION as if I am sitting or standing. But he's the boss, or at least won't shut up until I'm doing what he wants. And since we want to sleep, that means he's the boss. lol
Monday, November 02, 2009
here i sit at 3 am
it's 2:30 am and here i sit, under the rule of a 7.5lb dictator that rules with an iron baby fist. see he doesn't want to sleep. i don't know why, it's the middle of the night, it's quiet, he has a clean diaper, was just fed, and is sleepy. but he has decided he won't rest unless i am holding him, rocking him, in one arm while i remain in a seated position. yes, i can't lie down, nor even recline without him starting to fuss.
so here i sit at 3 am. tired. frustrated. i have to be up in 4 hours for work, but jo also needs the sleep as we have house guests for the next two weeks. this means an additional two people to look after during an already tiring time. it will get better, but after sitting here for the past hour with this grumpy dictator in my arms, i just want to sleep.
and i think i need one of those speech-to-typing programs as this blogging with one hand is really slow.
he really is a blessing, don't get me wrong. i love him dearly and he has increased the joy in my life by more than i know. everyday is new and exciting as he grows and changes and shows us something new,
so here i sit at 3 am. tired. frustrated. i have to be up in 4 hours for work, but jo also needs the sleep as we have house guests for the next two weeks. this means an additional two people to look after during an already tiring time. it will get better, but after sitting here for the past hour with this grumpy dictator in my arms, i just want to sleep.
and i think i need one of those speech-to-typing programs as this blogging with one hand is really slow.
he really is a blessing, don't get me wrong. i love him dearly and he has increased the joy in my life by more than i know. everyday is new and exciting as he grows and changes and shows us something new,
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Support is Important
Having a baby is challenging. It's hard work, but it's not the physical work that's tough (at least not yet), but it's the emotional side of things. The frustration of not knowing if you are doing something right, of not being able to tell what he wants when he fusses or cries. My respect for single parents has increased one hundred fold since becoming a dad. It's a tough job, and going at it alone is just unfathomable to me.
Our biggest challenge has been not having much in the way of a support network around us. At least not in the immediate vicinity. Both of our immediate families live multiple provinces away, and while we do have extended family in the city, I find it really difficult to ask for help.
I thought we were developing a decent support network here. Going to church, having a small group, making friends... but it has all seemed so distant these past two weeks. Bean was born two weeks ago today, and we've haven't had much in the way of visitors. I mean my parents surprised us with a visit the weekend after he was born, and what a HUGE blessing that was, and a couple of friends from out of town who just happened to be in town that weekend dropped in, but other than that, we've had no one.
I dunno, I guess I just expected more, which maybe I shouldn't, but I thought at times when there's a birth or death that the community comes together and helps those people out. I mean we've missed the last two Sundays at church and haven't heard a peep from anyone. That's not true, one person gave us a phone call and congratulated us which was really nice.
Maybe technology is getting in the way? When Bean was born I let everyone know on facebook, and posted a couple of pictures, and the messages and comments on my status poured in. It was really nice, but that's where it stopped. Other than from a couple of really close friends, nobody even called. Nobody offered to drop by with dinner or to visit (things i thought just happened, especially in churches). Maybe I'm being a little old fashioned, but commenting on someone's status is nowhere near the same as calling them on the phone, or dropping in to see them. But I think people have gotten comfortable sending greetings and congratulations from afar and the personal interaction has been left behind. It's so much easier to type "Congrats!" than to pick up the phone and call, or drop by and see how things are going.
Now, I know I'm just having a little pity party for myself over here, I just expected more. And maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe the relationships that we have cultivated just aren't at that point yet. Or maybe I just need to learn to ask...There was just so much love and support prior to the birth, I thought it would continue. I think it's the fact that the extent of most people's comments were a reply to a status update. That's not enough.
It'll get better though. Hopefully we'll make it to church on Sunday and reconnect with people there, and Jo's parents are coming in Sunday afternoon for a couple of weeks. It'll be a good thing, though I'm sure trying at times. ;) I love my inlaws, they just drive me nuts sometimes. But then most people do, and living with them for a couple of weeks just amplifies things. lol It'll be great for the love and support though, just what we need right now.
Our biggest challenge has been not having much in the way of a support network around us. At least not in the immediate vicinity. Both of our immediate families live multiple provinces away, and while we do have extended family in the city, I find it really difficult to ask for help.
I thought we were developing a decent support network here. Going to church, having a small group, making friends... but it has all seemed so distant these past two weeks. Bean was born two weeks ago today, and we've haven't had much in the way of visitors. I mean my parents surprised us with a visit the weekend after he was born, and what a HUGE blessing that was, and a couple of friends from out of town who just happened to be in town that weekend dropped in, but other than that, we've had no one.
I dunno, I guess I just expected more, which maybe I shouldn't, but I thought at times when there's a birth or death that the community comes together and helps those people out. I mean we've missed the last two Sundays at church and haven't heard a peep from anyone. That's not true, one person gave us a phone call and congratulated us which was really nice.
Maybe technology is getting in the way? When Bean was born I let everyone know on facebook, and posted a couple of pictures, and the messages and comments on my status poured in. It was really nice, but that's where it stopped. Other than from a couple of really close friends, nobody even called. Nobody offered to drop by with dinner or to visit (things i thought just happened, especially in churches). Maybe I'm being a little old fashioned, but commenting on someone's status is nowhere near the same as calling them on the phone, or dropping in to see them. But I think people have gotten comfortable sending greetings and congratulations from afar and the personal interaction has been left behind. It's so much easier to type "Congrats!" than to pick up the phone and call, or drop by and see how things are going.
Now, I know I'm just having a little pity party for myself over here, I just expected more. And maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe the relationships that we have cultivated just aren't at that point yet. Or maybe I just need to learn to ask...There was just so much love and support prior to the birth, I thought it would continue. I think it's the fact that the extent of most people's comments were a reply to a status update. That's not enough.
It'll get better though. Hopefully we'll make it to church on Sunday and reconnect with people there, and Jo's parents are coming in Sunday afternoon for a couple of weeks. It'll be a good thing, though I'm sure trying at times. ;) I love my inlaws, they just drive me nuts sometimes. But then most people do, and living with them for a couple of weeks just amplifies things. lol It'll be great for the love and support though, just what we need right now.
Using the command line to unpause/enable printers in Leopard
~~Nerd Content Ahead~~
With a recent upgrade to Leopard from Tiger, we're having a lot of issues where the computers are constantly pausing the printers locally on each machine. In Tiger, the user could resume the printer, but in Leopard the user requires admin rights to resume them. This is causing problems because student and teacher accounts in our division don't have admin rights. This means I have to go around to each computer and enter admin credentials to unpause them. This is a giant waste of time, so I want to use the command line or a script to unpause/enable them.
So after much research and fiddling, I finally figured it out!
I use three commands that I've put into a script, and send out via ARD with the UNIX command option. They will unpause/enable the printer so that users can resume printing.
Here are the commands:
#finds printers that are currently disabled and clears the queue on them
cancel -a `lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'`
#re-enable stopped print queues
cupsenable `lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'`
#checks to see that all printers are re-enabled. should return nothing
lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'
The only issue I've come across is that if the printer is being unpaused immediately following it being paused, then remove the top command which clears the queue, and just run the second two. This won't clear the queue, and unpause the printer so that the job goes through immediately.
I know there is a larger problem with the way our queues and printers are setup, so this is just a quick fix in the meantime, but I'm pretty proud of myself for figuring out this much as it is saving me a ton of work and headaches.
With a recent upgrade to Leopard from Tiger, we're having a lot of issues where the computers are constantly pausing the printers locally on each machine. In Tiger, the user could resume the printer, but in Leopard the user requires admin rights to resume them. This is causing problems because student and teacher accounts in our division don't have admin rights. This means I have to go around to each computer and enter admin credentials to unpause them. This is a giant waste of time, so I want to use the command line or a script to unpause/enable them.
So after much research and fiddling, I finally figured it out!
I use three commands that I've put into a script, and send out via ARD with the UNIX command option. They will unpause/enable the printer so that users can resume printing.
Here are the commands:
#finds printers that are currently disabled and clears the queue on them
cancel -a `lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'`
#re-enable stopped print queues
cupsenable `lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'`
#checks to see that all printers are re-enabled. should return nothing
lpstat -t | grep disabled | awk '{print $2}'
The only issue I've come across is that if the printer is being unpaused immediately following it being paused, then remove the top command which clears the queue, and just run the second two. This won't clear the queue, and unpause the printer so that the job goes through immediately.
I know there is a larger problem with the way our queues and printers are setup, so this is just a quick fix in the meantime, but I'm pretty proud of myself for figuring out this much as it is saving me a ton of work and headaches.
Monday, October 26, 2009
My New Bass!
Friday was an exciting day. On Friday I bought myself a new bass. :D
It'll look a little something like this (actually exactly like this one):
It is an Fender American Vintage 1962 Reissue Precision Bass in olympic white. It's absolutely gorgeous and I'm going to keep the pickup and bridge covers (the chrome pieces) on. I played one at the store the other day and it's such a beautiful instrument. I bought it from Bass Central down in Florida, and they shipped it via UPS this morning. So exciting! Hopefully be Friday!
I was looking at this one:
It's an Ernie Ball Dargie Delight Stingray. It's absolutely beautiful. The green is mesmerizing, and check out the martini glass inlays in the fretboard. It's one of only 25 made, and the guy only wants $1500. It's a sweet-ass deal, but I'm really looking for that vintage sound of a quality p bass. This stingray is such a quality instrument and so beautiful, but I guess I can't buy a bass strictly on looks, when the p bass has looks AND tone going for it. I like the looks of the Stingray more, but you can't beat a full package. :)
Oh, I can't wait! So exciting...
It'll look a little something like this (actually exactly like this one):
It is an Fender American Vintage 1962 Reissue Precision Bass in olympic white. It's absolutely gorgeous and I'm going to keep the pickup and bridge covers (the chrome pieces) on. I played one at the store the other day and it's such a beautiful instrument. I bought it from Bass Central down in Florida, and they shipped it via UPS this morning. So exciting! Hopefully be Friday!
I was looking at this one:
It's an Ernie Ball Dargie Delight Stingray. It's absolutely beautiful. The green is mesmerizing, and check out the martini glass inlays in the fretboard. It's one of only 25 made, and the guy only wants $1500. It's a sweet-ass deal, but I'm really looking for that vintage sound of a quality p bass. This stingray is such a quality instrument and so beautiful, but I guess I can't buy a bass strictly on looks, when the p bass has looks AND tone going for it. I like the looks of the Stingray more, but you can't beat a full package. :)Oh, I can't wait! So exciting...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
It's been just over a week...
So it's been an interesting past week and a half following the birth of Bean last Thursday. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride as we adapt to this thing called parenting. I spent the first couple of days on the verge of tears every time I looked at him. It was overwhelming to be responsible for this little creature, that I created, and having no clue how to do it. I mean, I know I have this innate knowledge about what to do, but it's all the other stuff that worries me. It's trusting that I can make the best choices for him and his future to maximize his potential in life.
It's fucking scary.
Things have gotten a lot better as time has gone by. I'm feeling a lot better about my role as a dad, and I'm becoming a lot more comfortable with Bean.
We had quite a bit of trouble feeding him, though that has also gotten a lot better. He wasn't breast feeding at first, so we were using this fake nipple thing and a supplemental nutrition system (SNS), which is a syringe that you fill with milk (forumla or breast milk) and feed it to him through the fake nipple. It was a royal pain in the ass, and it took both of us to feed him. This meant that every 3 hours we'd both get up and feed him, then go back to sleep. Since then, we've weaned him off of the SNS, and he is feeding exclusivly off breast milk. :D This means that it only takes one of us to feed him at each feeding, which makes life a whole lot easier. Well, for me anyway, Mama Bean still has to get up an feed him.
So while it is nice that I don't have to get up, I have been feeling guilty that she has to get up all night, while I just sleep. I'm going back to work this week, so it'll be a definite advantage to be able to sleep through the night, but it doesn't alleviate the guilt. I'm working hard to make her life as easy as possible, by cooking, cleaning and trying to do what I can to make her life easier while she does all of the feedings.
I go back to work tomorrow after being home since the birth. I sure Mama Bean will be okay by herself all day, and it's nice to know I'm just a phone call and 5 minute drive away in case there's a problem.
5 more weeks of work and then I'm a SAHD for the next 9 months. :)
Oh, and we posted more pics over at Bean's Picasa Album
It's fucking scary.
Things have gotten a lot better as time has gone by. I'm feeling a lot better about my role as a dad, and I'm becoming a lot more comfortable with Bean.
We had quite a bit of trouble feeding him, though that has also gotten a lot better. He wasn't breast feeding at first, so we were using this fake nipple thing and a supplemental nutrition system (SNS), which is a syringe that you fill with milk (forumla or breast milk) and feed it to him through the fake nipple. It was a royal pain in the ass, and it took both of us to feed him. This meant that every 3 hours we'd both get up and feed him, then go back to sleep. Since then, we've weaned him off of the SNS, and he is feeding exclusivly off breast milk. :D This means that it only takes one of us to feed him at each feeding, which makes life a whole lot easier. Well, for me anyway, Mama Bean still has to get up an feed him.
So while it is nice that I don't have to get up, I have been feeling guilty that she has to get up all night, while I just sleep. I'm going back to work this week, so it'll be a definite advantage to be able to sleep through the night, but it doesn't alleviate the guilt. I'm working hard to make her life as easy as possible, by cooking, cleaning and trying to do what I can to make her life easier while she does all of the feedings.
I go back to work tomorrow after being home since the birth. I sure Mama Bean will be okay by herself all day, and it's nice to know I'm just a phone call and 5 minute drive away in case there's a problem.
5 more weeks of work and then I'm a SAHD for the next 9 months. :)
Oh, and we posted more pics over at Bean's Picasa Album
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day 6
Over the past couple of years, I've read countless posts on how great babies are; about how much they love them, and how much they enrich the lives of their parents.
None of these posts come close to expressing the love and elation that I feel when I look down at my baby boy. And I'm sure the same is for the writers of those posts. They tried to capture what they were feeling, but there aren't words to describe the love.
Bean is in his 6th day of life, and already so much has changed. His eyes are starting to focus, and they move to look when he hears sound. The shape of his head is changing and widening a bit as the skull plates start to move into place.
Granted the lack of sleep is tough to take, but it's all part of parenting right? We take it one day at a time, and each day brings its own unique qualities. Each day different than the last, and all exciting.
I've always been told that your wedding day is the biggest day of your life. I disagree, I don't think anything can top the day I first became a dad.
None of these posts come close to expressing the love and elation that I feel when I look down at my baby boy. And I'm sure the same is for the writers of those posts. They tried to capture what they were feeling, but there aren't words to describe the love.
Bean is in his 6th day of life, and already so much has changed. His eyes are starting to focus, and they move to look when he hears sound. The shape of his head is changing and widening a bit as the skull plates start to move into place.
Granted the lack of sleep is tough to take, but it's all part of parenting right? We take it one day at a time, and each day brings its own unique qualities. Each day different than the last, and all exciting.
I've always been told that your wedding day is the biggest day of your life. I disagree, I don't think anything can top the day I first became a dad.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
I'm a dad!!
Ummm...so I'm a dad. :)
Mama Bean woke me up shortly after 3 this morning saying she was having contractions and asking if she should be calling the midwife. She went back downstairs (i'm not sure what else was said as I was half-asleep) but I didn't fall back asleep. I didn't think they were actual contractions, but maybe something like braxton-hicks as she hadn't actually had much in the way of them yet. Though despite my doubts, I still didn't sleep. I lay there thinking about all the things we still had to get ready.
As we were planning a home birth, there was lots to prepare. Mama Bean had gotten almost everything together, but as we'd had company the past 4 days, some things still weren't setup. Music wasn't on the ipod, the matress wasn't upstairs, there were no sheets on the mattress, the plastic to protect the floor and stuff hadn't been laid out, and the list went on. All of this was running through my head as I tried to fall back asleep.
Mama Bean came back in just before 4 and said that we should probably bring the mattress upstairs and set things up, and the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I still thought she was overreacting, but part of me was worried, so we setup the futon mattress on the living room floor and put down our dollar store shower curtain to protect things. By this time it was shortly after 4 and Mama Bean was having what looked like serious contractions. So since they fit the criteria of 511 (5 min apart, 1 min each, for 1 hour) we called the midwife and let her know. Our normal midwife has received a call shortly before ours so she was just heading out to another birth so she sent over Lisa, another midwife whom we hadn't met yet.
Lisa showed up about 4:30 and looked to have a mini-freakout session in her head when she realized just how far along Mama Bean actually was. Mama Bean was fully dialated and trying hard not to push. So Lisa quickly called another midwife to come over and help (as there always needs to be two for a delivery) and Kara showed up shortly thereafter.
By about 5:30 Mama Bean was pushing and her water broke around 6ish. At 7:17 we welcomed Bean into this world. Mama Bean is such a trooper doing this all at home, drug free. I'm so proud of her, and so thankful we had such awesome midwives.
The midwives were gone around 11:30 and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and recuperating.
More to come later... :)
Mama Bean woke me up shortly after 3 this morning saying she was having contractions and asking if she should be calling the midwife. She went back downstairs (i'm not sure what else was said as I was half-asleep) but I didn't fall back asleep. I didn't think they were actual contractions, but maybe something like braxton-hicks as she hadn't actually had much in the way of them yet. Though despite my doubts, I still didn't sleep. I lay there thinking about all the things we still had to get ready.
As we were planning a home birth, there was lots to prepare. Mama Bean had gotten almost everything together, but as we'd had company the past 4 days, some things still weren't setup. Music wasn't on the ipod, the matress wasn't upstairs, there were no sheets on the mattress, the plastic to protect the floor and stuff hadn't been laid out, and the list went on. All of this was running through my head as I tried to fall back asleep.
Mama Bean came back in just before 4 and said that we should probably bring the mattress upstairs and set things up, and the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I still thought she was overreacting, but part of me was worried, so we setup the futon mattress on the living room floor and put down our dollar store shower curtain to protect things. By this time it was shortly after 4 and Mama Bean was having what looked like serious contractions. So since they fit the criteria of 511 (5 min apart, 1 min each, for 1 hour) we called the midwife and let her know. Our normal midwife has received a call shortly before ours so she was just heading out to another birth so she sent over Lisa, another midwife whom we hadn't met yet.
Lisa showed up about 4:30 and looked to have a mini-freakout session in her head when she realized just how far along Mama Bean actually was. Mama Bean was fully dialated and trying hard not to push. So Lisa quickly called another midwife to come over and help (as there always needs to be two for a delivery) and Kara showed up shortly thereafter.
By about 5:30 Mama Bean was pushing and her water broke around 6ish. At 7:17 we welcomed Bean into this world. Mama Bean is such a trooper doing this all at home, drug free. I'm so proud of her, and so thankful we had such awesome midwives.
The midwives were gone around 11:30 and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and recuperating.
More to come later... :)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Quick Post
So I had a couple of other posts in the works about goose hunting, and thanksgiving, and how Mama Bean is doing and my visit with relatives until this morning...
Umm...I'm a dad.
After just 3.5 hours of labor my wife gave birth to a darling baby boy. His name is Bean and is 7lbs 4oz and 20" long. My wife is friggin amazing and I can't believe it went so quick.
Umm...I'm a dad.
After just 3.5 hours of labor my wife gave birth to a darling baby boy. His name is Bean and is 7lbs 4oz and 20" long. My wife is friggin amazing and I can't believe it went so quick.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
I need one
I've been wanting one of these for a few years now, and if someone wanted to get me one for my birthday or Christmas, I totally wouldn't mind. I have an awesome Last Supper one that I received for Christmas the year I started playing bass, and still use it. I'd like to add another awesome one to my collection. :)
Get'm Get'm.com has them. :)
Totally Awesome Site!
The Spoon Sisters is totally awesome!
Check out some of these awesome things we've been looking at on this site.
Butter Boy
Thumb Things (how genius is this?)
Calf and a half creamer
And so many other cool things. Check out the site.
Oh, and I'm looking for recommendations on a diaper bag. Something manly. :)
Check out some of these awesome things we've been looking at on this site.
Butter Boy
Thumb Things (how genius is this?)
Calf and a half creamer
And so many other cool things. Check out the site.
Oh, and I'm looking for recommendations on a diaper bag. Something manly. :)
Monday, October 05, 2009
My Deliver is Coming
This song gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. It makes me sad that Rich Mullins died before I even discovered his music. The man wrote amazing music.
GodTube.com - My Deliverer (Is Coming) - Rich Mullins - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Learning in the Kitchen
Normally I do pretty well in the kitchen, but yesterday I made a little oops with my beans.
I bought a package of dry lima beans the other day in hopes of cooking them myself and enjoying lima beans for much less than it costs to buy by the can. I read the directions, and left my beans to soak for 8 hours.
Somewhere around 24 hours later I decide to cook them. For some reason most of them had split open and the shell had come off of them, which they don't look like in the can, but I decided they'd probably be okay anyway. So I throw them in a pot and bring it to a boil. You are then supposed to turn it to low and let them simmer for 1.5-2 hours. And in the last 30 minutes add salt if you'd like.
Well I figured since I was already there, I may as well add the salt now and then let them cook for the next 2 hours. Boy, was that a mistake. :( 2 hours of boiling in salt water turned them into an inedible batch of beans. They came out totally infused with salt, it was like pouring salt straight into your mouth with each bite.
So, lesson learned. Add the salt near the end (or at the table) and avoid spoiling your beans.
Though now I understand how salt pork works. :D And I'm excited to make some one of these days.
I bought a package of dry lima beans the other day in hopes of cooking them myself and enjoying lima beans for much less than it costs to buy by the can. I read the directions, and left my beans to soak for 8 hours.
Somewhere around 24 hours later I decide to cook them. For some reason most of them had split open and the shell had come off of them, which they don't look like in the can, but I decided they'd probably be okay anyway. So I throw them in a pot and bring it to a boil. You are then supposed to turn it to low and let them simmer for 1.5-2 hours. And in the last 30 minutes add salt if you'd like.
Well I figured since I was already there, I may as well add the salt now and then let them cook for the next 2 hours. Boy, was that a mistake. :( 2 hours of boiling in salt water turned them into an inedible batch of beans. They came out totally infused with salt, it was like pouring salt straight into your mouth with each bite.
So, lesson learned. Add the salt near the end (or at the table) and avoid spoiling your beans.
Though now I understand how salt pork works. :D And I'm excited to make some one of these days.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Computer Joke
One of the teachers posted this the other day on a staff bulletin board. It's the same joke my prof taught me the first day of college. :)
I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Jaden, the 9 year Old next door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control, and asked him to Come over.
Jaden clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong?
He replied, 'It was an ID ten T error.'
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, 'An, ID
Ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again.'
Jaden grinned. 'Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error
Before?''
No,' I replied.
'Write it down,' he said, 'and I think you'll figure it Out.'
So I wrote down: I D 1 0 T
I used to like the little shit.
I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Jaden, the 9 year Old next door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control, and asked him to Come over.
Jaden clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong?
He replied, 'It was an ID ten T error.'
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, 'An, ID
Ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again.'
Jaden grinned. 'Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error
Before?''
No,' I replied.
'Write it down,' he said, 'and I think you'll figure it Out.'
So I wrote down: I D 1 0 T
I used to like the little shit.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Detox
On Monday I started a 4 week nutritional/physical detox. It's a mix of dietary changes and physical activity/stimulation.
I can't eat dairy, eggs, meat, wheat, or anything refined. So I'm eating a ton of veggies (lots of stuff we grew in our garden), fish, nuts and such. It is kind of cool, but I think I'm going to start to miss my sugar and meat and bread and such. It'll be especially tough with Thanksgiving right in the middle, but.../shrug
I think it'll be good for me. Maybe it'll help me get sick less often. I'm tired of getting sick all the time, and apparently something like this will help my immune system. I think it will also help me make some changes with the way I eat, though with a baby coming in 3 weeks things are about to get topsy turvy.
What I've noticed so far is an increase in bathroom visits, and a weird feeling in my stomach. I'm full, but my head doesn't think that a stomach full of veggies constitutes "full". We'll see how it goes though, I'm excited to see some changes, and the thought of cleaning out my system makes me happy.
I can't eat dairy, eggs, meat, wheat, or anything refined. So I'm eating a ton of veggies (lots of stuff we grew in our garden), fish, nuts and such. It is kind of cool, but I think I'm going to start to miss my sugar and meat and bread and such. It'll be especially tough with Thanksgiving right in the middle, but.../shrug
I think it'll be good for me. Maybe it'll help me get sick less often. I'm tired of getting sick all the time, and apparently something like this will help my immune system. I think it will also help me make some changes with the way I eat, though with a baby coming in 3 weeks things are about to get topsy turvy.
What I've noticed so far is an increase in bathroom visits, and a weird feeling in my stomach. I'm full, but my head doesn't think that a stomach full of veggies constitutes "full". We'll see how it goes though, I'm excited to see some changes, and the thought of cleaning out my system makes me happy.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Being a Dad
I'm ready to be a dad.
Current parents like to tell me that I have no idea what I'm getting into. Other prospective parents bemoan the fact that they have no idea what they are getting into. I feel like I'm ready.
The only thing that is scaring me/making me nervous is a selfish fear about how it is going to affect my "me" time. But I figure it'll totally be worth it. ;) The change in lifestyle will be huge, but it is a sacrifice that I'm more than willing to make. That's the only thing that worries me though.
Bring on the baby, I'm ready to be a dad. :)
Current parents like to tell me that I have no idea what I'm getting into. Other prospective parents bemoan the fact that they have no idea what they are getting into. I feel like I'm ready.
The only thing that is scaring me/making me nervous is a selfish fear about how it is going to affect my "me" time. But I figure it'll totally be worth it. ;) The change in lifestyle will be huge, but it is a sacrifice that I'm more than willing to make. That's the only thing that worries me though.
Bring on the baby, I'm ready to be a dad. :)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Disturbing
Does anyone find this image as disturbing as I do? It took me a minute to realize just what was going on. And it's kinda creepy. I mean the circle of what they are eating... There's something totally wrong about it.
I found it on the Suicide Food blog.
Furnace confusion
So yesterday we received a second quote for a furnace replacement.
And there was a HUGE difference in price. He quoted us $4100, as opposed to around $6000. Now, it's for a Ruud furnace as opposed to a Lennox (i have do idea of the quality difference) but I can't see it being a big quality difference since it is another big name furnace company. There is also a difference between the size of the furnace, the first guys said 70,000 BTU, and the second said 60,000 BTU.
So I don't know the difference in the service levels between the companies, and any of that kind of stuff, but seriously, a $2000 difference between quotes is insane. The second company is a small local company, as opposed to the big multi-national corporation that the first quote came from.
I have one more quote on Oct 5, which I'm looking forward to. It's a larger local company, and he seems to do a little more in-depth initial inspection to figure out what would be ideal for our house. He says he takes about an hour and a half, as opposed to the 20-30 min that the last two took.
So we'll see what happens. And hopefully bean comes early. :)
And there was a HUGE difference in price. He quoted us $4100, as opposed to around $6000. Now, it's for a Ruud furnace as opposed to a Lennox (i have do idea of the quality difference) but I can't see it being a big quality difference since it is another big name furnace company. There is also a difference between the size of the furnace, the first guys said 70,000 BTU, and the second said 60,000 BTU.
So I don't know the difference in the service levels between the companies, and any of that kind of stuff, but seriously, a $2000 difference between quotes is insane. The second company is a small local company, as opposed to the big multi-national corporation that the first quote came from.
I have one more quote on Oct 5, which I'm looking forward to. It's a larger local company, and he seems to do a little more in-depth initial inspection to figure out what would be ideal for our house. He says he takes about an hour and a half, as opposed to the 20-30 min that the last two took.
So we'll see what happens. And hopefully bean comes early. :)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Furnace Woes
So we need to get a new furnace. Well, we don't NEED to, but ours is not the best. It was put in around 1970/80 and it has about a 65% efficiency rating, meaning for every dollar we pay for natural gas, 35 cents go up the chimney. Not to mention the electric motor that circulates the air and costs about $500/year to operate.
A new furnace would save us about 30-40% on our monthly heating bills, and the new electric motors in them run for about $50 a year instead of $500. And considering our winter heating bills hover around $300, a 30-40% savings would be significant.
I had no idea what a furnace would cost us. Some people said they paid less than $3000, while others have paid over $8000. That's quite the spread, so I was a little worried when Winnipeg Supply came today to give us our first estimate. The sales lady gave me two options, both 96% efficiency ones, one was $6138, the other was $5799. Ummm...WHAT!? When I talked to Mama Bean before she left for work this morning, we figured we could go up to $3000. *jaw drop* Then she showed me all the rebates, which softened the blow quite a bit. $200 Lennox rebate, $245 Manitoba Hydro Rebate, $790 ecoRebate, and the Canadian Home Renovation Tax credit which knocks off another $800 or so. In the end it brought the prices down to $4075 and $3831. Still quite a bit more than we expected to pay, but a whole lot nicer than the pre-rebate prices. Though in order to qualify for the $790 hydro rebate we have to pay $250 for an eco inspection, so it's only like $500 off. But since we also want to get our attic re-insulated, it will be worth it, because if we get our attic re-insulated we could potentially get 100% of the cost back in rebates.
I have 2 more guys coming out to give us quotes so we'll see what the differences are. The lady that came out today said they wouldn't be the cheapest, but they also won't be the most expensive. I've heard lots of good stories about their service and install, so that's part of why I called them. I don't want to just pick the cheapest because I don't want to deal with the headaches of a shoddy install.
So we'll see how the next couple of quotes go. There's another first thing in the morning, so that'll give me a better idea of how reasonable today's was.
Oh, the best part? The eco inspection is Oct 16th. Yup, 4 days before Jo's due date. Which means the furnace install and insulation work can't be done until after that. And the furnace has to be installed prior to Nov 1st to qualify for the Hydro rebate, and we aren't going to want guys putting in insulation much into November as there will be snow by the end of October. :p So yeah. This should be interesting. Maybe bean comes early? *fingers crossed*
Have I mentioned that I want to go to school in January? Too bad I don't go to a church that can afford to help students that are going into ministry. lol
A new furnace would save us about 30-40% on our monthly heating bills, and the new electric motors in them run for about $50 a year instead of $500. And considering our winter heating bills hover around $300, a 30-40% savings would be significant.
I had no idea what a furnace would cost us. Some people said they paid less than $3000, while others have paid over $8000. That's quite the spread, so I was a little worried when Winnipeg Supply came today to give us our first estimate. The sales lady gave me two options, both 96% efficiency ones, one was $6138, the other was $5799. Ummm...WHAT!? When I talked to Mama Bean before she left for work this morning, we figured we could go up to $3000. *jaw drop* Then she showed me all the rebates, which softened the blow quite a bit. $200 Lennox rebate, $245 Manitoba Hydro Rebate, $790 ecoRebate, and the Canadian Home Renovation Tax credit which knocks off another $800 or so. In the end it brought the prices down to $4075 and $3831. Still quite a bit more than we expected to pay, but a whole lot nicer than the pre-rebate prices. Though in order to qualify for the $790 hydro rebate we have to pay $250 for an eco inspection, so it's only like $500 off. But since we also want to get our attic re-insulated, it will be worth it, because if we get our attic re-insulated we could potentially get 100% of the cost back in rebates.
I have 2 more guys coming out to give us quotes so we'll see what the differences are. The lady that came out today said they wouldn't be the cheapest, but they also won't be the most expensive. I've heard lots of good stories about their service and install, so that's part of why I called them. I don't want to just pick the cheapest because I don't want to deal with the headaches of a shoddy install.
So we'll see how the next couple of quotes go. There's another first thing in the morning, so that'll give me a better idea of how reasonable today's was.
Oh, the best part? The eco inspection is Oct 16th. Yup, 4 days before Jo's due date. Which means the furnace install and insulation work can't be done until after that. And the furnace has to be installed prior to Nov 1st to qualify for the Hydro rebate, and we aren't going to want guys putting in insulation much into November as there will be snow by the end of October. :p So yeah. This should be interesting. Maybe bean comes early? *fingers crossed*
Have I mentioned that I want to go to school in January? Too bad I don't go to a church that can afford to help students that are going into ministry. lol
Josh and Keira
Last night I had the pleasure of chatting with my little niece and nephew in Calgary. We left Calgary a little over a year ago, a Josh was 3 and Keira was just about to turn 1.
I've talked to Josh once since leaving and it was so cute. I couldn't believe how much more he could talk and that he still remembered and missed me. Tonight I got to talk to them again, and I got to talk to Keira! She just turned 2 this weekend and I can't believe she can talk! She said "Hi, Uncle Chris," and "I love you." It was so cute!
I miss them. They are a big part of what I miss in Calgary. We got to watch the first years of their lives, and now I feel like I'm going to miss out on watching them grow up, which makes me sad. (mostly i'm just selfishly afraid that they will forget me and i'll cease to be josh's favorite uncle)
My brief conversation with them really made my evening. I'd been feeling pretty shitty all day, so it was a really nice high-point. They'll be here in 3 weekends, as Josh pointed out to me, which I'm pretty excited about. Josh even asked me where the baby was, and why I didn't have it yet. :) Seriously... so cute!
I've talked to Josh once since leaving and it was so cute. I couldn't believe how much more he could talk and that he still remembered and missed me. Tonight I got to talk to them again, and I got to talk to Keira! She just turned 2 this weekend and I can't believe she can talk! She said "Hi, Uncle Chris," and "I love you." It was so cute!
I miss them. They are a big part of what I miss in Calgary. We got to watch the first years of their lives, and now I feel like I'm going to miss out on watching them grow up, which makes me sad. (mostly i'm just selfishly afraid that they will forget me and i'll cease to be josh's favorite uncle)
My brief conversation with them really made my evening. I'd been feeling pretty shitty all day, so it was a really nice high-point. They'll be here in 3 weekends, as Josh pointed out to me, which I'm pretty excited about. Josh even asked me where the baby was, and why I didn't have it yet. :) Seriously... so cute!
The Amazing Preggo Wife!
My wife amazes me with her patience when it comes to things pregnancy/childbirth/parenting related. And not just the physical act of being pregnant, but all the mental abuse from others.
She is constantly bombarded with parenting advice, and stories of other peoples experiences, whether we cares or not. She does an amazing job of taking it all in stride and remaining rather non-judgmental.
We aren't following the norm when it comes to bean. We are doing it at home with a midwife. We aren't sure yet about vaccinations. She's hoping to breastfeed and pump while I stay home and she goes to work. I'm going to be a stay-at-home dad. We have made educated choices about our upcoming child, that we think are right for us, but she doesn't use any of them to make herself superior to people that don't make similar choices. As I browse the internet reading about parenting and childbirth stuff, everyone is a nazi for their side of the argument. And it's really easy to get that way. It is natural to want to defend your choices. But Mama Bean does such an amazing job of staying above that.
We try to stay away from the conflict, the judging, and all that good stuff that comes with contentious issues. I'm not always good at that. I'm a bit of a shit-disturber at times, and not always great with keeping my mouth shut. Mama Bean is much better at this than I am, and she's doing such an awesome job of keeping the peace.
She is constantly bombarded with parenting advice, and stories of other peoples experiences, whether we cares or not. She does an amazing job of taking it all in stride and remaining rather non-judgmental.
We aren't following the norm when it comes to bean. We are doing it at home with a midwife. We aren't sure yet about vaccinations. She's hoping to breastfeed and pump while I stay home and she goes to work. I'm going to be a stay-at-home dad. We have made educated choices about our upcoming child, that we think are right for us, but she doesn't use any of them to make herself superior to people that don't make similar choices. As I browse the internet reading about parenting and childbirth stuff, everyone is a nazi for their side of the argument. And it's really easy to get that way. It is natural to want to defend your choices. But Mama Bean does such an amazing job of staying above that.
We try to stay away from the conflict, the judging, and all that good stuff that comes with contentious issues. I'm not always good at that. I'm a bit of a shit-disturber at times, and not always great with keeping my mouth shut. Mama Bean is much better at this than I am, and she's doing such an awesome job of keeping the peace.
Monday, September 21, 2009
School Sticker Shock!
So I got a bit of a shock yesterday when I looked into going back to school. I just want to go back part-time, 2 or 3 classes per semester, and finish my Theology degree so that I can go on to become a Pastor. Seeing as how September is quickly drawing to a close, I figured I'd start getting the details on applying for school and getting the ball rolling. Then I saw tuition costs. I'd looked at the University of Winnipeg (UofW), and Manitoba (UofM) in the past and tuition for a 3 credit course (standard) was just under $300 which was fine and I figured we could afford for me to take 2 classes come January.
Then I look at Canadian Mennonite University's tuition, $590 for a 3 credit hour course! That's double what it costs to do a degree at either of the other universities in town. So then I look a little closer at the other schools to see if I'm missing something. It turns out that while a 3 credit hour course in the Faculty of Arts is only $285, a 3 credt hour course in the Faculty of Theology is $585. Umm... what?!?! How does that work? The only people going into the Faculty of Theology are potential ministry candidates; people that aren't looking to make a lot of money. So why does it cost double to get a degree to go into ministry as it does to get a normal Arts or Science degree. And then seminary ends up being $900-1300 per class.
It was a bit of a kick in the nuts. So I'm figuring when it's all said and done, we'll be shelling out about $1500 for me to go back to school in January. Which is a good $500 more than we had planned on spending. I know we can make it work, and we'll just make some cuts in other areas. We, like most people, aren't always the greatest with our spending habits, but I like to think that we've really improved over the past couple of years.
So, I guess we'll make it work, it just really sucks. It'll cost me just as much to become a pastor as it would to become a doctor, and I'll make less than a third. Now I know people don't become pastors for the money, but that's a HUGE debtload to take on for a career path that pays a mere pittance in comparison to an equally costly education. No wonder there is a pastor shortage, not many people are going to accept a debtload like this for such little monetary pay off. It's not like it is buying me a ticket to Heaven; that's free and available to anyone.
Prayers would be greatly appreciated as we make some pretty big transitions in the next few months. Mama Bean is due in about 4 weeks, I'll be off work for 9 months starting December 1st, and I'm hoping to be taking a couple of classes starting in January. It's going to be a busy time, but I'm really looking forward to it all.
Then I look at Canadian Mennonite University's tuition, $590 for a 3 credit hour course! That's double what it costs to do a degree at either of the other universities in town. So then I look a little closer at the other schools to see if I'm missing something. It turns out that while a 3 credit hour course in the Faculty of Arts is only $285, a 3 credt hour course in the Faculty of Theology is $585. Umm... what?!?! How does that work? The only people going into the Faculty of Theology are potential ministry candidates; people that aren't looking to make a lot of money. So why does it cost double to get a degree to go into ministry as it does to get a normal Arts or Science degree. And then seminary ends up being $900-1300 per class.
It was a bit of a kick in the nuts. So I'm figuring when it's all said and done, we'll be shelling out about $1500 for me to go back to school in January. Which is a good $500 more than we had planned on spending. I know we can make it work, and we'll just make some cuts in other areas. We, like most people, aren't always the greatest with our spending habits, but I like to think that we've really improved over the past couple of years.
So, I guess we'll make it work, it just really sucks. It'll cost me just as much to become a pastor as it would to become a doctor, and I'll make less than a third. Now I know people don't become pastors for the money, but that's a HUGE debtload to take on for a career path that pays a mere pittance in comparison to an equally costly education. No wonder there is a pastor shortage, not many people are going to accept a debtload like this for such little monetary pay off. It's not like it is buying me a ticket to Heaven; that's free and available to anyone.
Prayers would be greatly appreciated as we make some pretty big transitions in the next few months. Mama Bean is due in about 4 weeks, I'll be off work for 9 months starting December 1st, and I'm hoping to be taking a couple of classes starting in January. It's going to be a busy time, but I'm really looking forward to it all.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Innate Parenting
Are we born ready to be parents? Do we have this innate knowledge, from birth, that prepares us for being good parents?
Part of me thinks so. Part of me thinks we are all born with the innate knowledge of how to be parents, of how to raise a child. I think it is then up to us to make the choice whether we want to be good parents or not. I think it's innate to all creatures, not just humans. Animals in the wild know how to take care of and raise their young, so why is it such a stretch to think that we, these intellectually superior creatures, aren't born knowing how to raise children?
Don't you love those people that ask you a question just so they can tell you a story? Mama Bean and I are finding this happening more and more when it comes to expecting a baby. They ask how the pregnancy is going, and don't really pay attention to, nor care about, the response. All they want is to tell their story. All parents have stories, it's part of having kids, but not everyone wants to hear your story every time you have an opportunity to tell it.
Part of me thinks so. Part of me thinks we are all born with the innate knowledge of how to be parents, of how to raise a child. I think it is then up to us to make the choice whether we want to be good parents or not. I think it's innate to all creatures, not just humans. Animals in the wild know how to take care of and raise their young, so why is it such a stretch to think that we, these intellectually superior creatures, aren't born knowing how to raise children?
Don't you love those people that ask you a question just so they can tell you a story? Mama Bean and I are finding this happening more and more when it comes to expecting a baby. They ask how the pregnancy is going, and don't really pay attention to, nor care about, the response. All they want is to tell their story. All parents have stories, it's part of having kids, but not everyone wants to hear your story every time you have an opportunity to tell it.
My Schools
So, I'm an IT guy for a local school division. There are 8 of us for 25 schools, and we are each assigned 2-6 schools. I'm one of those with 2 schools, though one of them is the biggest school in the division by over double the size of the next closest school.
My other school is an alternative school. It's a high school for kids who can't cut it in normal school. This could be due to emotional issues, psychological issues, and behavior issues; it has a very 'Dangerous Minds' feel sometimes. They only have about 100 kids, with another 40 on a waiting list, but it's a pretty cool setup and it's really awesome that they give kids a second chance who otherwise wouldn't get an education.
The one school I have is a total princess school. It is the "flagship school" of our division. They get the most money, all the cool new things, and all the prestige. I'm pretty much there full time, even though I'm also assigned to another school, and they are used to getting almost an almost-instant response when they submit tech requests. Last year, this resulted in me neglecting my other school and doing quick in-and-out jobs there and never really giving them a fair share of my time.
So this year I am determined to give everyone their fair share. So I am taking the time to visit my smaller school on a regular basis. Even if they don't have a super-urgent tech request, I'm still going to take the time to go over and give them some face time, which I'm learning is important. Schools only been back for 2 weeks now, but already I'm noticing a difference. People like being made to feel important, and I like making people happy and feeling special. It's good times.
My other school is an alternative school. It's a high school for kids who can't cut it in normal school. This could be due to emotional issues, psychological issues, and behavior issues; it has a very 'Dangerous Minds' feel sometimes. They only have about 100 kids, with another 40 on a waiting list, but it's a pretty cool setup and it's really awesome that they give kids a second chance who otherwise wouldn't get an education.
The one school I have is a total princess school. It is the "flagship school" of our division. They get the most money, all the cool new things, and all the prestige. I'm pretty much there full time, even though I'm also assigned to another school, and they are used to getting almost an almost-instant response when they submit tech requests. Last year, this resulted in me neglecting my other school and doing quick in-and-out jobs there and never really giving them a fair share of my time.
So this year I am determined to give everyone their fair share. So I am taking the time to visit my smaller school on a regular basis. Even if they don't have a super-urgent tech request, I'm still going to take the time to go over and give them some face time, which I'm learning is important. Schools only been back for 2 weeks now, but already I'm noticing a difference. People like being made to feel important, and I like making people happy and feeling special. It's good times.
Friday, September 18, 2009
My First Hunting Trip
So yesterday, out of the blue, my cousin sends me an email saying he's talked to his wife's best-friends husband and got me permission to hunt on his farm land near Morden. It's only 1.5 hours away as opposed to 2.5 where the other land is. He tells me it is "very good deer hunting property" and that there are guys that hunt it during rifle season that already have tree stands up and stuff. This is great because it is a step ahead for me because they'll have them strategically placed along existing game trails.
I'm kind of excited to get out and scout the land and get a couple of weekends of hunting in before the baby shows up.
My first hunting trip a few weeks back was more of a 4 day camping trip as opposed to a hunting trip. It was a great experience being out in the bush for a couple of days. The guys I went with are pretty awesome and they showed me a lot of stuff. It was amazing sitting 15-20 feet up in a tree and watch the sunrise and set. We'd be in our treestands by 6am and sat there until 9:30-10ish and then again in the evenings from 6-8:45ish.
It's so cool to watch the change in the woods from night to day and then from day to night. We didn't see any deer, because it was just too hot out, but the birds were so much fun to watch. I was doing particularly well one evening as I sat there in my tree stand, perfectly still, and a little chipmunk stopped on a branch not 3 feet from my head. I slowly turned my head toward him and whispered, "boo!" She started chattering at me and then ran up the tree and then started dropping things down at me. It was hilarious and a pretty cool feeling. I mean I was sitting way out in the bush, and was so still, that a wild animal was unaware that I was there.
It was a little disheartening that we didn't see any deer though. Well, one of the guys saw 2 deer the first morning that were about 100 yards away, but since we are just bow hunting our max range is 30-40 yards. Part of me wonders if they were closer and he let them walk because it was first thing in the morning on opening day. The guys I went with were more out there to be in nature and away from it all for a few days. They made it very clear that hunting wasn't their priority and that being out there was. Which was a little annoying because I was out there to hunt. I was out there to be one with nature and snag me a deer to fill my freezer.
But it was all good. It was my first time hunting, my first time bow hunting, and my first time multi-day camping with no showers, running water, etc, for 4 days. It was 25-30 everyday, which was way to hot. And the mosquitoes were out in full Manitoba fashion. I must have gotten 100's of mosquito bites over the few days we were out there and I was literally bathing in repellent. It did eventually get to the point that I just started to ignore them and as long as you didn't scratch them, they weren't that itchy.
All in all, it was a decent enough trip, but more camping than hunting. I'm hoping to get out a few more weekends, and hope to go out after work on a Friday, sit in a tree until sundown, sleep for the night, get back into my tree first thing in the morning, and then either hang out all day and go back into my treestand that night and Sunday morning, or else head home Saturday morning after sitting in the tree.
There is one thing that worries me about hunting alone. Gutting and skinning the deer if I get one. I'm more than comfortable with my archery skills, but when it comes to gutting it, and most likely quartering and skinning it to take home, I'm not so familiar. I've been watching videos on it, and reading about it, but I still think I need to buy an actual instructional book and video. And take the book into the field with me. This way I'd have a reference guide to help me. :) lol
I found this great site, Heartland Bowhunters, that does a great job of getting me excited to be back in the bush looking for deer.
I'm kind of excited to get out and scout the land and get a couple of weekends of hunting in before the baby shows up.
My first hunting trip a few weeks back was more of a 4 day camping trip as opposed to a hunting trip. It was a great experience being out in the bush for a couple of days. The guys I went with are pretty awesome and they showed me a lot of stuff. It was amazing sitting 15-20 feet up in a tree and watch the sunrise and set. We'd be in our treestands by 6am and sat there until 9:30-10ish and then again in the evenings from 6-8:45ish.
It's so cool to watch the change in the woods from night to day and then from day to night. We didn't see any deer, because it was just too hot out, but the birds were so much fun to watch. I was doing particularly well one evening as I sat there in my tree stand, perfectly still, and a little chipmunk stopped on a branch not 3 feet from my head. I slowly turned my head toward him and whispered, "boo!" She started chattering at me and then ran up the tree and then started dropping things down at me. It was hilarious and a pretty cool feeling. I mean I was sitting way out in the bush, and was so still, that a wild animal was unaware that I was there.
It was a little disheartening that we didn't see any deer though. Well, one of the guys saw 2 deer the first morning that were about 100 yards away, but since we are just bow hunting our max range is 30-40 yards. Part of me wonders if they were closer and he let them walk because it was first thing in the morning on opening day. The guys I went with were more out there to be in nature and away from it all for a few days. They made it very clear that hunting wasn't their priority and that being out there was. Which was a little annoying because I was out there to hunt. I was out there to be one with nature and snag me a deer to fill my freezer.
But it was all good. It was my first time hunting, my first time bow hunting, and my first time multi-day camping with no showers, running water, etc, for 4 days. It was 25-30 everyday, which was way to hot. And the mosquitoes were out in full Manitoba fashion. I must have gotten 100's of mosquito bites over the few days we were out there and I was literally bathing in repellent. It did eventually get to the point that I just started to ignore them and as long as you didn't scratch them, they weren't that itchy.
All in all, it was a decent enough trip, but more camping than hunting. I'm hoping to get out a few more weekends, and hope to go out after work on a Friday, sit in a tree until sundown, sleep for the night, get back into my tree first thing in the morning, and then either hang out all day and go back into my treestand that night and Sunday morning, or else head home Saturday morning after sitting in the tree.
There is one thing that worries me about hunting alone. Gutting and skinning the deer if I get one. I'm more than comfortable with my archery skills, but when it comes to gutting it, and most likely quartering and skinning it to take home, I'm not so familiar. I've been watching videos on it, and reading about it, but I still think I need to buy an actual instructional book and video. And take the book into the field with me. This way I'd have a reference guide to help me. :) lol
I found this great site, Heartland Bowhunters, that does a great job of getting me excited to be back in the bush looking for deer.
Looking for a Book
Growing up there was this book in the library that we used to love, but I have no idea what the book's name is.
It was about some kids, brothers I think, that were on a farm and they decide to build an airplane. They build it out of parts they find around the farm. An old car for the body and engine, a big old prop from something and wings out of boards.
I think the cover was blue. There were no words, it was just pictures. Has anyone seen this book, or have any idea of what I'm talking about?
It was about some kids, brothers I think, that were on a farm and they decide to build an airplane. They build it out of parts they find around the farm. An old car for the body and engine, a big old prop from something and wings out of boards.
I think the cover was blue. There were no words, it was just pictures. Has anyone seen this book, or have any idea of what I'm talking about?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
End of the Week Music
I've been liking these songs lately:
So Beautiful by Jarvis Church - from the Philosopher Kings and is way to old to be in a video like this. catchy though.
Say Hey by Michael Franti - the kind of song that makes you want to chill out with a little ganja.
Unconditional by Simon Collins -Son of Phil Collins, Canadian, and video was filmed in Vancouver.
Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas -This dude continues to put out quality tunes.
Summer Girl by Stereos -So cheesy. So lame. But one of my current favorite songs. Fav. Lyrics: "check it, check it boouow (probably bounce, but it is more of a noise" The dudes are so creepy fug, but it's so awesome. We listened to some other stuff by them and it all sounds the same. Which is awesome. Because if I like one song, it means I'll like them all. :D Oh, and the use of auto-tune is unbelieveable(ly awesome).
So Beautiful by Jarvis Church - from the Philosopher Kings and is way to old to be in a video like this. catchy though.
Say Hey by Michael Franti - the kind of song that makes you want to chill out with a little ganja.
Unconditional by Simon Collins -Son of Phil Collins, Canadian, and video was filmed in Vancouver.
Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas -This dude continues to put out quality tunes.
Summer Girl by Stereos -So cheesy. So lame. But one of my current favorite songs. Fav. Lyrics: "check it, check it boouow (probably bounce, but it is more of a noise" The dudes are so creepy fug, but it's so awesome. We listened to some other stuff by them and it all sounds the same. Which is awesome. Because if I like one song, it means I'll like them all. :D Oh, and the use of auto-tune is unbelieveable(ly awesome).
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Work Frustrations
My job isn't so much stressful as it is frustrating. All summer it has been 3 steps forward and 2 steps back; slowly gaining ground while simultaneously wasting a whole shit-load of time. I'm not sure if it is like this every summer/fall, but it's pretty bad this year.
Typically we sit at about 100-120 open tickets between all 25 schools in our division. Right now we are just over 400, with over 25% of them being from my school. My school does NOT make up 25% of the population of the division, but it does include about 25% of the princesses.
There are a lot of things that can be improved on, and should have been done years ago, but for some reason we run around in circles with our thumbs up our collective asses. I mean, at the very least we should have a test environment. We are a large organization, how can we not run changes through a test environment before going live? No large organization roles out huge server, system, and software upgrades without thoroughly testing it. I mean seriously... It is so frustrating some times.
Today, just as I thought I was starting to get ahead, someone makes a change and sets me back hours of work. I had already been there almost two hours longer than I was supposed to be there when it happens. I've been going in an hour early everyday to try and get caught up, but I keep getting kicked back.
My goal is to have less than 50 tickets by the end of the week, so we'll see. I'll keep working hard, and get shit done and that's about all I can do.
Typically we sit at about 100-120 open tickets between all 25 schools in our division. Right now we are just over 400, with over 25% of them being from my school. My school does NOT make up 25% of the population of the division, but it does include about 25% of the princesses.
There are a lot of things that can be improved on, and should have been done years ago, but for some reason we run around in circles with our thumbs up our collective asses. I mean, at the very least we should have a test environment. We are a large organization, how can we not run changes through a test environment before going live? No large organization roles out huge server, system, and software upgrades without thoroughly testing it. I mean seriously... It is so frustrating some times.
Today, just as I thought I was starting to get ahead, someone makes a change and sets me back hours of work. I had already been there almost two hours longer than I was supposed to be there when it happens. I've been going in an hour early everyday to try and get caught up, but I keep getting kicked back.
My goal is to have less than 50 tickets by the end of the week, so we'll see. I'll keep working hard, and get shit done and that's about all I can do.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Football
I can officially say I'm not much of a football fan.
I went to my second-ever CFL game today, and I must say that it was a bit of a snoozefest. Seriously, 5-10 seconds of action followed by minutes of boring inaction, during which the clock is stopped, so it isn't even like time is still counting down so that the game will end already.
Sure the action is kind of interesting, and mildly exciting, but it just doesn't balance out.
That and it doesn't help when the home team loses 55-10. lol
It amazes me at the number of people in my life that love football. NFL or CFL, there's this love for the game that I just don't understand. Maybe someone can explain to me what I'm missing.
Then again, I don't tend to get into most sporting events. I laugh at those people that sit in the bleachers, and in their armchairs, saying how dumb the coach is for calling such-and-such a play, and what a shitty throw that was and how so-and-so could do better, or heck, even they could do better. I've never understood that attitude.
I went to my second-ever CFL game today, and I must say that it was a bit of a snoozefest. Seriously, 5-10 seconds of action followed by minutes of boring inaction, during which the clock is stopped, so it isn't even like time is still counting down so that the game will end already.
Sure the action is kind of interesting, and mildly exciting, but it just doesn't balance out.
That and it doesn't help when the home team loses 55-10. lol
It amazes me at the number of people in my life that love football. NFL or CFL, there's this love for the game that I just don't understand. Maybe someone can explain to me what I'm missing.
Then again, I don't tend to get into most sporting events. I laugh at those people that sit in the bleachers, and in their armchairs, saying how dumb the coach is for calling such-and-such a play, and what a shitty throw that was and how so-and-so could do better, or heck, even they could do better. I've never understood that attitude.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Naked Gospel Comments
So I'm taking part in another group blogging project. This time it is on the book, "The Naked Gospel" by Andrew Farley. It's a pretty cool book, and I'll write more about it later.
Today was my part, where I reviewed/summarized/commented on Part 3 in the book. I'm not super impressed with my writing this time, but it works and I got the general gist of my ideas out.
And you know what is super cool? The author responded! Now I know just because they wrote a book it doesn't make them super special or anything, but to me having the author of a book that I just reviewed comment on my review is pretty friggin sweet.
I tried my best to be respectfully critical with what I wrote as I really like his book and everything it has made me think about, but some of the ideas he has are a little far fetched, even for me, so I tried to express that, while maintaining that I like other parts. And he responded and actually cleared some things up for me. It is just so cool.
It's pretty awesome when someone you look up to, or who's writing you read and admire, takes the time to talk to you. I'm finding this more and more on Twitter. I follow some pretty influential people in the Christian world, big-name pastors, authors, etc... and when they comment on something I say, or respond to a comment I make about something they've said, it's a pretty cool feeling.
Oh, and if you are interested, you can pick up a free copy of The Naked Gospel in ebook format from his website thenakedgospel.com. It's an interesting read, and while I'm not on board with everything he says, it gives a lot of great things to think about.
Today was my part, where I reviewed/summarized/commented on Part 3 in the book. I'm not super impressed with my writing this time, but it works and I got the general gist of my ideas out.
And you know what is super cool? The author responded! Now I know just because they wrote a book it doesn't make them super special or anything, but to me having the author of a book that I just reviewed comment on my review is pretty friggin sweet.
I tried my best to be respectfully critical with what I wrote as I really like his book and everything it has made me think about, but some of the ideas he has are a little far fetched, even for me, so I tried to express that, while maintaining that I like other parts. And he responded and actually cleared some things up for me. It is just so cool.
It's pretty awesome when someone you look up to, or who's writing you read and admire, takes the time to talk to you. I'm finding this more and more on Twitter. I follow some pretty influential people in the Christian world, big-name pastors, authors, etc... and when they comment on something I say, or respond to a comment I make about something they've said, it's a pretty cool feeling.
Oh, and if you are interested, you can pick up a free copy of The Naked Gospel in ebook format from his website thenakedgospel.com. It's an interesting read, and while I'm not on board with everything he says, it gives a lot of great things to think about.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Flin Flon
Mama Bean and I are currently hanging out in Flin Flon, MB.
It's pretty much in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, but it is out vacation for the weekend. It is a long weekend, so we decided to drive up here today, and will be driving back on Monday. It's a 10 hour(ish) drive with breaks for meals and pregnant-wife-stretching, and actually pretty decent. We didn't get to leave until around noon today because Mama Bean had an acupuncture appt, so we didn't get up here until 10pm.
It was mostly my idea to come up here, as it isn't some place Mama Bean would just decide to come up to. But I grew up here, and wanted to come back and check it out. We lived here for the latter half of grade 1 and grades 2 and 3, before moving to Yellowknife for grade 4 in 1991 so it's been almost 20 years since I left here.. We lived in Flin Flon for the part of grade one before moving to Denare Beach (a little cottage sort-of town 20 minutes from Flin Flon).
I have so many memories of this place, and I've been wanting to come up here for some time now and check it out again. I'm really excited to look around and check things out and take a lot of pictures. My parents will remember more than me, so they'll really appreciate the pictures, but there are some things I really want to see. My old school, our old house, the route I used to walk to school from our apartment in Flin Flon, our beach in Denare Beach, etc... It's going to be awesome.
It's pretty much in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, but it is out vacation for the weekend. It is a long weekend, so we decided to drive up here today, and will be driving back on Monday. It's a 10 hour(ish) drive with breaks for meals and pregnant-wife-stretching, and actually pretty decent. We didn't get to leave until around noon today because Mama Bean had an acupuncture appt, so we didn't get up here until 10pm.
It was mostly my idea to come up here, as it isn't some place Mama Bean would just decide to come up to. But I grew up here, and wanted to come back and check it out. We lived here for the latter half of grade 1 and grades 2 and 3, before moving to Yellowknife for grade 4 in 1991 so it's been almost 20 years since I left here.. We lived in Flin Flon for the part of grade one before moving to Denare Beach (a little cottage sort-of town 20 minutes from Flin Flon).
I have so many memories of this place, and I've been wanting to come up here for some time now and check it out again. I'm really excited to look around and check things out and take a lot of pictures. My parents will remember more than me, so they'll really appreciate the pictures, but there are some things I really want to see. My old school, our old house, the route I used to walk to school from our apartment in Flin Flon, our beach in Denare Beach, etc... It's going to be awesome.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Hunting!
Tomorrow I leave to go hunting for 4 days. I'll be totally off the radar until Wednesday night, being a "bambi killer" as the ladies at work now call me. Though I like to think of it as doing my part for wildlife management (but that's for another post).
Well, no matter, I'm going to be enjoying myself out in the woods for the next few days and hopefully I'll come home with a doe to fill our freezer. :D
So until Wednesday night...
Well, no matter, I'm going to be enjoying myself out in the woods for the next few days and hopefully I'll come home with a doe to fill our freezer. :D
So until Wednesday night...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Daddy Blog - What's in a name?
What's in a name?
Choosing a name for a baby is a daunting task. A name is a powerful thing. It is your identity. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to know if we've chosen a name yet.
No, we haven't chosen a name yet. We know we are having a boy, and that's narrowed things down greatly (though I have a million more girls names that I like, and a paltry few boys names), but we are still a very long way from making a decision. Mama Bean would like to name him after he's born, an idea that I at first found preposterous, but is now growing on me, but we definitely need to get it down to 3 or 4 name sets (first and middle).
There are so many things to consider:
How many ways can it be misspelled?
How many ways can it be twisted into something that can be made fun of? Are those possibilities acceptable?
Is it too heavy or formal?
Does the first, second, and last name flow well? Is the cadence nice?
Is the name difficult to pronounce?
Do we like the shortened version of the name? (I'm a big fan of Tobias, but not so much of Toby)
I don't want a name that my child is going to have to constantly spell out for people, though with everyone wanting their baby to have a "unique" name, they are twisting even the simplest names into some monstrosity. For example, the name Madison. It is a really cute, simple name. But those who loved the name, yet wanted their child to be unique came around. Madison/Madysyn/Madisyn/Madyson/Madesen
Madesin...seriously? That poor child is going to be correcting people for her entire life. Why would you want to do that to your child?
I am a fan of older names, but you have to be careful of the weight that name carries, and the history behind it. For example, the name Moses. Moses is a pretty heavy name; it carries a lot of weights, especially in the Judeo-Christian culture that is North America.
Many names also carry some serious history. Names like Adolf, Jesus, etc... are not really names you want to give your child.
Names of popular TV and movie characters are also things you need to take into account when choosing a name.
We've started writing names on our bathroom mirror that we like. And linking them to those that work well together as first and second names. It gives us time to try them on for size and see what we think without forgetting. :)
I'm really excited about our little bean, and am confident we will choose a name that suits him and that he'll be proud to wear.
Choosing a name for a baby is a daunting task. A name is a powerful thing. It is your identity. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to know if we've chosen a name yet.
No, we haven't chosen a name yet. We know we are having a boy, and that's narrowed things down greatly (though I have a million more girls names that I like, and a paltry few boys names), but we are still a very long way from making a decision. Mama Bean would like to name him after he's born, an idea that I at first found preposterous, but is now growing on me, but we definitely need to get it down to 3 or 4 name sets (first and middle).
There are so many things to consider:
How many ways can it be misspelled?
How many ways can it be twisted into something that can be made fun of? Are those possibilities acceptable?
Is it too heavy or formal?
Does the first, second, and last name flow well? Is the cadence nice?
Is the name difficult to pronounce?
Do we like the shortened version of the name? (I'm a big fan of Tobias, but not so much of Toby)
I don't want a name that my child is going to have to constantly spell out for people, though with everyone wanting their baby to have a "unique" name, they are twisting even the simplest names into some monstrosity. For example, the name Madison. It is a really cute, simple name. But those who loved the name, yet wanted their child to be unique came around. Madison/Madysyn/Madisyn/Madyson/Madesen
Madesin...seriously? That poor child is going to be correcting people for her entire life. Why would you want to do that to your child?
I am a fan of older names, but you have to be careful of the weight that name carries, and the history behind it. For example, the name Moses. Moses is a pretty heavy name; it carries a lot of weights, especially in the Judeo-Christian culture that is North America.
Many names also carry some serious history. Names like Adolf, Jesus, etc... are not really names you want to give your child.
Names of popular TV and movie characters are also things you need to take into account when choosing a name.
We've started writing names on our bathroom mirror that we like. And linking them to those that work well together as first and second names. It gives us time to try them on for size and see what we think without forgetting. :)
I'm really excited about our little bean, and am confident we will choose a name that suits him and that he'll be proud to wear.
It's my birthday!
I enjoy my birthday. Today, I turn 27. Now that may not seem very old to some, but it kind of scares me. Well, it doesn't really scare me as much as it makes me a little more aware of my place in life. Where am I? What am I doing? Am I where I thought I'd be 10 years ago? 10 years ago I'd be just about to enter grade 12. There were big plans and grand ideas floating around in my head of where I'd be by now. Plans and ideas that often changed with the direction of the wind, but plans and ideas nonetheless.
I woke up early this morning so that I could sit and watch the sun rise.
Last night, as I was showering, I decided that I wanted to wake up and watch the sunrise on my birthday. It'll by my last one before I become a dad and want to start recording things.
Some things that I learned this morning before 7:
- A large French Vanilla Cappuccino and a toasted everything bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese is $3.81 at Tim Hortons.
- Though it says sunrise is at 6:30am, the sun is above the horizon by that point. It is already starting to get light out at 5:50am.
-
I woke up early this morning so that I could sit and watch the sun rise.
Last night, as I was showering, I decided that I wanted to wake up and watch the sunrise on my birthday. It'll by my last one before I become a dad and want to start recording things.
Some things that I learned this morning before 7:
- A large French Vanilla Cappuccino and a toasted everything bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese is $3.81 at Tim Hortons.
- Though it says sunrise is at 6:30am, the sun is above the horizon by that point. It is already starting to get light out at 5:50am.
-
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Almost my birthday
Tomorrow is my birthday.
Is 27 the end of the mid-20's or is it the beginning of the late 20's? Either way, that's what I'll be tomorrow. It feels kinda weird. It feels more grown up. Not as much as 28, but certainly more than 26. 26 is definitely mid-20's. 27 is a little more ambiguous. More is expected of you. But that's okay, I give enough to take me through into my 30's. ;)
A lot is going to happen during my 27th year. Big things. I'm going to become a father not far into it. I'm going to go on parental leave and become a stay-at-home dad, breaking lose from the societal norm. Though I don't often fit in there anyway. I'm hoping to get back into school and get things rolling on my Theology degree. I will celebrate my third wedding anniversary with my wife, and our 9th together as a couple. It will mark my 7th year blogging, read: airing my dirty laundry for the world. It will be a good year. I'm really looking forward to all the planned, and unplanned, events that will happen.
It's nice to have people to share them with as I go. :)
Is 27 the end of the mid-20's or is it the beginning of the late 20's? Either way, that's what I'll be tomorrow. It feels kinda weird. It feels more grown up. Not as much as 28, but certainly more than 26. 26 is definitely mid-20's. 27 is a little more ambiguous. More is expected of you. But that's okay, I give enough to take me through into my 30's. ;)
A lot is going to happen during my 27th year. Big things. I'm going to become a father not far into it. I'm going to go on parental leave and become a stay-at-home dad, breaking lose from the societal norm. Though I don't often fit in there anyway. I'm hoping to get back into school and get things rolling on my Theology degree. I will celebrate my third wedding anniversary with my wife, and our 9th together as a couple. It will mark my 7th year blogging, read: airing my dirty laundry for the world. It will be a good year. I'm really looking forward to all the planned, and unplanned, events that will happen.
It's nice to have people to share them with as I go. :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Movie Review: Shortbus
So right now we are watching Shortbus.
It's a little strange, but there's something very real about it.
But a disclaimer about this movie. There is a lot of sex in it. Real sex. Not the kind of sex typically seen in movies. It's porn sex. But not even porn sex, it seems realer than that. But it's not just straight sex. There's gay sex. And lesbian sex. And masturbation. And group sex. And fat naked people. And cross dressers.
There's A LOT of cock. And vagina.
But it's so WEIRD. Like beyond weird. But maybe that's just because I'm unaccustomed to this sort of stuff. Maybe this shit's normal, but... not in my realm of comfort.
It's not porn, it's artistic. But seriously. It's porn. But porn, interspersed with indie film. But it's not porn like porn you'd watch to masturbate too or anything, but porn like artistic porn.
Artistic, not erotic. One of the reviews I read sums it up nicely, "Porn tries to titillate, this movie only tries to stimulate your thoughts and feelings, not your libido."
I'm a monogamous kinda guy, so I'm not a big proponent of promiscuity, but that's just me.
Oh, and the "couples counselor' is Sook-Yin Lee, a Canadian actress and host of CBC's Definitely Not the Opera.
It's a little strange, but there's something very real about it.
But a disclaimer about this movie. There is a lot of sex in it. Real sex. Not the kind of sex typically seen in movies. It's porn sex. But not even porn sex, it seems realer than that. But it's not just straight sex. There's gay sex. And lesbian sex. And masturbation. And group sex. And fat naked people. And cross dressers.
There's A LOT of cock. And vagina.
But it's so WEIRD. Like beyond weird. But maybe that's just because I'm unaccustomed to this sort of stuff. Maybe this shit's normal, but... not in my realm of comfort.
It's not porn, it's artistic. But seriously. It's porn. But porn, interspersed with indie film. But it's not porn like porn you'd watch to masturbate too or anything, but porn like artistic porn.
Artistic, not erotic. One of the reviews I read sums it up nicely, "Porn tries to titillate, this movie only tries to stimulate your thoughts and feelings, not your libido."
I'm a monogamous kinda guy, so I'm not a big proponent of promiscuity, but that's just me.
Oh, and the "couples counselor' is Sook-Yin Lee, a Canadian actress and host of CBC's Definitely Not the Opera.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Baby Blessing
Ever since Mama Bean and I first found out that we are expecting a little one, we've been overjoyed. A little overwhelmed at some points, but mostly just full of joy.
One thing I am learning, is how blessed we are. From the moment we started telling people that we were expecting the love that has been flowing our way has been amazing and unceasing.
We have been blessed with amazing friends, an amazing church family, and amazing family. We've been given so much, and offered so much more.
Danny and Des (Jo's brother and sister-in-law) gave us a ton of clothing that our little nephew Josh grew out of. There's a good 2 dozen onesies from newborn to 12 months. Almost as many sleepers, some hats, booties, socks, pants and shirts. There's also another box full of clothing 12 mo and up. Jo's parents will also be bringing out a few more boxes when they come out when bean is born.
(yes, we've been labeling the drawers with sizes)
Deb and George from church supplied us with a matching crib, change table and dresser, that also happen to match the existing decor in the room. They also gave us an exersaucer, high chair, swing, and more.
This is our new nursery. :)
Dan and Des also gave us an infant car seat (below, left), some toys, a jolly jumper and more.
Jeff and Char (also from church) gave us another car seat (above right) and stroller. It just so happens that the two car seats have matching bases so that we can put a base in each car and that seats can cycle between them. They also both fit on the stroller, which is so awesome.
And finally, here is the stuff that we bought. We picked up a crib set from Sears which happened to be 20% off. It's a pretty cute set, and I can't wait to see bean in it.
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of Jo's 32nd week of pregnancy. In about 8 weeks we will be blessed with a great little boy who will become the center of our lives. Jo's doing really well and planning on working until October 16th, 5 days before the estimated due date. She's planning on taking approximately 6 weeks off of work in hopes of putting in a few weeks of work before we head back to Calgary for a couple of weeks for Christmas with family and friends.
Effective December 1st, I will be taking advantage of this wonderful program that our government offers and turn in my laptop bag for a diaper bag. I will be on paternity leave for 37 weeks, and take on the responsibilities of a stay-at-home dad while Mama Bean continues to grow her chiropractic practice. I'm really looking forward to it, though I'll miss my job. Taking paternity leave is a bit of a bittersweet sort-of thing, as there's talk of an opening that is taking place in the central IT staff with the division. I'm one of the school-based techs and they'll be hiring from our group for this central position. It's a huge step up, and would be an almost $20k/yr raise. It would be an Apple Specialist position, where I'd get some amazing training, and could easily move on to bigger and better things in the Mac world. It's an opportunity that I'm pretty sure I could get if I worked for it over the next few months, but I'm passing it up to raise my family; a sacrifice I'm more than happy to make.
One thing I am learning, is how blessed we are. From the moment we started telling people that we were expecting the love that has been flowing our way has been amazing and unceasing.
We have been blessed with amazing friends, an amazing church family, and amazing family. We've been given so much, and offered so much more.
Danny and Des (Jo's brother and sister-in-law) gave us a ton of clothing that our little nephew Josh grew out of. There's a good 2 dozen onesies from newborn to 12 months. Almost as many sleepers, some hats, booties, socks, pants and shirts. There's also another box full of clothing 12 mo and up. Jo's parents will also be bringing out a few more boxes when they come out when bean is born.
(yes, we've been labeling the drawers with sizes)Deb and George from church supplied us with a matching crib, change table and dresser, that also happen to match the existing decor in the room. They also gave us an exersaucer, high chair, swing, and more.
This is our new nursery. :)
Dan and Des also gave us an infant car seat (below, left), some toys, a jolly jumper and more.
Jeff and Char (also from church) gave us another car seat (above right) and stroller. It just so happens that the two car seats have matching bases so that we can put a base in each car and that seats can cycle between them. They also both fit on the stroller, which is so awesome.
And finally, here is the stuff that we bought. We picked up a crib set from Sears which happened to be 20% off. It's a pretty cute set, and I can't wait to see bean in it.
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of Jo's 32nd week of pregnancy. In about 8 weeks we will be blessed with a great little boy who will become the center of our lives. Jo's doing really well and planning on working until October 16th, 5 days before the estimated due date. She's planning on taking approximately 6 weeks off of work in hopes of putting in a few weeks of work before we head back to Calgary for a couple of weeks for Christmas with family and friends.Effective December 1st, I will be taking advantage of this wonderful program that our government offers and turn in my laptop bag for a diaper bag. I will be on paternity leave for 37 weeks, and take on the responsibilities of a stay-at-home dad while Mama Bean continues to grow her chiropractic practice. I'm really looking forward to it, though I'll miss my job. Taking paternity leave is a bit of a bittersweet sort-of thing, as there's talk of an opening that is taking place in the central IT staff with the division. I'm one of the school-based techs and they'll be hiring from our group for this central position. It's a huge step up, and would be an almost $20k/yr raise. It would be an Apple Specialist position, where I'd get some amazing training, and could easily move on to bigger and better things in the Mac world. It's an opportunity that I'm pretty sure I could get if I worked for it over the next few months, but I'm passing it up to raise my family; a sacrifice I'm more than happy to make.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
OneSmarmyMama's Parenting 101 Advice
Becoming a parent for the first time can be more than a little overwhelming. What do I need to buy before the baby comes? What can I live without for a while? Money is a little tight, I don't want to end up buying a bunch of crap that I don't need, but what if there's something I'm missing that'll make life a million times easier? There are a million options when it comes to strollers and car seats, how do I know which is best for me? I want to minimize my impact on the planet, how can I do that while bringing another one into this world? Are cloth diapers worth the hassle for the savings?
Everyone likes to think they have it together, but secretly (or not), all first-time parents are a little nervous. Here are 4 amazing posts that I would (and do) recommend to all my friends that are having babies, or have recently had one.
Last month, my friend over at onesmarmymama.com wrote a series of posts labeled, Parenting 101 about things you'll need to know (or will find quite handy) following the birth of your child. They are super informative and helpful, especially for first-time parents.
1. Car Seats: She gives a great rundown on the different types from travel systems up to booster seats. She gives pros and cons of each, as well as her opinions as a mom who has done this before.
2. What you NEED, What you DON'T need, and What you WANT: A very informative post on the various items you'll need when you have a baby.
3. Going Green (and staying green) with Baby: How to do your part while raising your child to minimize your impact. Great stuff for those that don't live much of a crunchy granola life, and those that do.
4. Cloth Diapering and SLEEPING!: All about cloth diapers, and how you will not be sleeping much once that little one comes. :)
Everyone likes to think they have it together, but secretly (or not), all first-time parents are a little nervous. Here are 4 amazing posts that I would (and do) recommend to all my friends that are having babies, or have recently had one.
Last month, my friend over at onesmarmymama.com wrote a series of posts labeled, Parenting 101 about things you'll need to know (or will find quite handy) following the birth of your child. They are super informative and helpful, especially for first-time parents.
1. Car Seats: She gives a great rundown on the different types from travel systems up to booster seats. She gives pros and cons of each, as well as her opinions as a mom who has done this before.
2. What you NEED, What you DON'T need, and What you WANT: A very informative post on the various items you'll need when you have a baby.
3. Going Green (and staying green) with Baby: How to do your part while raising your child to minimize your impact. Great stuff for those that don't live much of a crunchy granola life, and those that do.
4. Cloth Diapering and SLEEPING!: All about cloth diapers, and how you will not be sleeping much once that little one comes. :)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Healthcare discussion/debate
What happened to the days of being able to have a decent debate or discussion with those whose views don't align with our own? Why does ignorance have to get in the way?
America is currently in the throes of unrest due to a bill on the table to create a government controlled healthcare, socialized healthcare. There are a lot of people that aren't too thrilled with this idea, mostly those well off enough to afford health insurance and Christian's who get hung up on the idea that socialized healthcare will pay for abortions, and that means the world is going to end. :p
I took part in a group blogging project a couple of months ago and it was hosted by a great guy, Dan King (aka: bibledude). He recently did a post on why Christian's shouldn't be surprised that socialized health-care is happening because there is a void, Christian's should have filled it, we didn't, so the government stepped it. You can read it here.
I commented on this post in the comments section, as well as on his facebook status promoting it, as there had been a couple of other comments there as well. I was hoping to start a decent discussion, but all I got was defensiveness and what I will call ignorance. Now I've been learning a lot about diplomacy over the past little while, and am learning to exercise it when possible to allow things to flow smoothly. I don't always do so well, but I like to think that I'm getting better. Here's the conversation: (i've included extra comments in italicized brackets)
H: I completely agree with the article...If we want to be
Christ-like...we should be feeding the poor, caring for the sick, and taking in the orphans. The basic principlwe is that if we all contribute we can accomplish more. Also, Christians can't just be Pro-Life without addressing the needs of the lives of children that are saved, but still need care. If anything this a call to the church to be more self-less. How about being more concernend about others than ourselves for a change! (great points, it's nice that someone else is acknowledging that if you choose to be pro-life, you need to address the needs of those you are "saving")
A: Interesting & great thoughts! The problem is, if the government gets its way, it won't matter how much money a church raises for a person's illness. The socialistic turn of the US will cause people to be denied healthcare depending on their heath situation. Just downright scary. The church does need to be concerned about these issues and proactive. Pray! (why do so many american's automatically think the word "socialized" is so evil?)
Me: I do not understand all the controversy and fear-mongering that is taking place in the US surrounding socialized health care. The would "socialist" is thrown around like it is a bad thing. Everything about socialized health care is Christian, heck Christianity is more like Communism then Democracy.
I don't think the church has the scope, nor the ... Read Moreability (at least not in it's current or past state) to do what the government is able to by creating socialized healthcare. Sure it would be great, and in theory it would work perfectly. I just don't think the structure is in place, nor could it be in the foreseeable future.
I don't understand why people figure that turning to a socialized system will result in denial of care for those who need it. Right now the system results in the denial of care for all that can't pay. I don't see how this can make it worse, it is going to change so that anyone who needs it has access to it, not just those with the money.
S: I couldn't disagree with Christopher more! As Christians we, should be adamantly against what is going on in Congress right now. If you read the bill, you will see that this will allow the government - our tax dollars - to pay for abortions! Not to mention that EVERY country that has a plan that looks like this one in failing in all aspects. I live in Michigan and can tell you that Canadians come here when they need the critical care their government denies them. (Think about that, your government saying you can't get that pace maker - or whatever. How Christian and loving is that?!?!?) Contrary to what the president is saying, you will not be able to keep your own insurance plan! As soon as anything changes, like your premium or any detail of your coverage, you will be forced to take the government plan. I don't know about yours, but my plan changes a little every year! This is not fear-mongering... this is all STRAIGHT from the bill. I encourage you to read it!
Me: I live in Canada, I know what socialized healthcare is like. I've read what the bill is about, and what they are going to do. People don't cross the border because the government denies them adequate care, they cross because they can afford to pay out of pocket for speedier service. For those that can't, healthcare is more than adequate.
The negative side-effect to socialized healthcare that I regularly experience is that of longer wait times to get in to see specialists and for things like MRI's. But I would take this over having a huge chunk of population that doesn't have access to adequate healthcare just because they can't afford it.
And yes, it will pay for abortions, but the world isn't going to end because your tax payer dollars pay for that.
The only people complaining about socialized healthcare are those that can afford privatized. The big thing here, that everyone seems to be forgetting, is that EVERYONE will have access to healthcare.
(trying to keep things lighthearted)But the nice thing about living in a Democratic society is that both sides get a say. People get a vote. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and each opinion is valid. :) I appreciate that.
S: Well in the REPUBLIC in which we live, I have the right to say where I want MY money going and I do NOT support nor will I PAY for someone to take the life of an unborn child. IT IS WRONG! As wrong as someone not being cared for who needs it! Which is why NO ONE in our country is denied healthcare - that is the fear mongering LIE that our government is spreading! The majority of the people who do not have health care insurance are choosing to not have coverage. Those who cannot afford it are covered by Mediaid. We are taking care of our sick and poor! I agree that insurance needs to be reformed, but this is NOT the way to do it.
The other difference is that your system in Canada is not being headed up by a man who during his short political career voted FOUR times to deny care to babies who were aborted in the third trimester. These are babies who, if given care, were viable human beings. But instead, they were left to die in a janitor's closet a slow and agonizing death. That is not the Christian love and compassion that I want making decisions about my health care and who deserves to receive it!
Me: (quoting S)"The majority of the people who do not have health care insurance are choosing to not have coverage. Those who cannot afford it are covered by Mediaid. We are taking care of our sick and poor!"
I'm not sure where you are getting this info, but my research would show otherwise. Approx. 60 percent of poor Americans are not covered by Medicaid(1), and "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007."(2)
45 million people aren't "choosing to not have coverage," they can't afford it.
While abortion is a hot-button topic, and a contentious issue at best, I don't think it outweighs the fact that millions of people are without adequate healthcare. And yes, while you live in a republic, it is still a democratic nation, so while you get your vote, the majority still says where your money goes.
I'd love if there was a way Christians could supplement the healthcare system, in every country, not just the US; there sure are enough of us. As Dan mentioned, Relational Tithe is a great idea. So is no longer paying pastors 3 figure salaries.
While I don't think the Church is in a place to do much in the healthcare realm, I think it could be done with a lot of hardwork, dedication, and heavenly help.
(1)http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml
(2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid
(I worked my butt off to stay diplomatic here, and not use the word ignorant. I thought I was laying things out nicely and was hoping for a decent rebuttal.)
S: Show me in the constitution that it is the GOVERNMENT'S job to provide health care. I agree that we need to look at healthcare and reform to take care of those who cannot afford it. But that is NOT what the government is supposed to do. With the bill the way it is written, not only will the poor not receive care - NO ONE will!
And this is where is ends. I'm not going to reply to that, as she's just getting worked up, and this discussion can't go anywhere productive. I was hoping for more, but sadly, am leaving disappointed. I was initially a little annoyed that it ended this way, but such is life, and I will continue to engage folks in discussion other places. :)
Can someone please tell me why people don't seem to think that "it's not the government's job" to take care of the sick and needy? In my books that's the perfect thing for the government to do, but what do I know, I live in a "socialist" country. :p
What do you guys think? Yes or No to socialized healthcare?
America is currently in the throes of unrest due to a bill on the table to create a government controlled healthcare, socialized healthcare. There are a lot of people that aren't too thrilled with this idea, mostly those well off enough to afford health insurance and Christian's who get hung up on the idea that socialized healthcare will pay for abortions, and that means the world is going to end. :p
I took part in a group blogging project a couple of months ago and it was hosted by a great guy, Dan King (aka: bibledude). He recently did a post on why Christian's shouldn't be surprised that socialized health-care is happening because there is a void, Christian's should have filled it, we didn't, so the government stepped it. You can read it here.
I commented on this post in the comments section, as well as on his facebook status promoting it, as there had been a couple of other comments there as well. I was hoping to start a decent discussion, but all I got was defensiveness and what I will call ignorance. Now I've been learning a lot about diplomacy over the past little while, and am learning to exercise it when possible to allow things to flow smoothly. I don't always do so well, but I like to think that I'm getting better. Here's the conversation: (i've included extra comments in italicized brackets)
H: I completely agree with the article...If we want to be
Christ-like...we should be feeding the poor, caring for the sick, and taking in the orphans. The basic principlwe is that if we all contribute we can accomplish more. Also, Christians can't just be Pro-Life without addressing the needs of the lives of children that are saved, but still need care. If anything this a call to the church to be more self-less. How about being more concernend about others than ourselves for a change! (great points, it's nice that someone else is acknowledging that if you choose to be pro-life, you need to address the needs of those you are "saving")
A: Interesting & great thoughts! The problem is, if the government gets its way, it won't matter how much money a church raises for a person's illness. The socialistic turn of the US will cause people to be denied healthcare depending on their heath situation. Just downright scary. The church does need to be concerned about these issues and proactive. Pray! (why do so many american's automatically think the word "socialized" is so evil?)
Me: I do not understand all the controversy and fear-mongering that is taking place in the US surrounding socialized health care. The would "socialist" is thrown around like it is a bad thing. Everything about socialized health care is Christian, heck Christianity is more like Communism then Democracy.
I don't think the church has the scope, nor the ... Read Moreability (at least not in it's current or past state) to do what the government is able to by creating socialized healthcare. Sure it would be great, and in theory it would work perfectly. I just don't think the structure is in place, nor could it be in the foreseeable future.
I don't understand why people figure that turning to a socialized system will result in denial of care for those who need it. Right now the system results in the denial of care for all that can't pay. I don't see how this can make it worse, it is going to change so that anyone who needs it has access to it, not just those with the money.
S: I couldn't disagree with Christopher more! As Christians we, should be adamantly against what is going on in Congress right now. If you read the bill, you will see that this will allow the government - our tax dollars - to pay for abortions! Not to mention that EVERY country that has a plan that looks like this one in failing in all aspects. I live in Michigan and can tell you that Canadians come here when they need the critical care their government denies them. (Think about that, your government saying you can't get that pace maker - or whatever. How Christian and loving is that?!?!?) Contrary to what the president is saying, you will not be able to keep your own insurance plan! As soon as anything changes, like your premium or any detail of your coverage, you will be forced to take the government plan. I don't know about yours, but my plan changes a little every year! This is not fear-mongering... this is all STRAIGHT from the bill. I encourage you to read it!
Me: I live in Canada, I know what socialized healthcare is like. I've read what the bill is about, and what they are going to do. People don't cross the border because the government denies them adequate care, they cross because they can afford to pay out of pocket for speedier service. For those that can't, healthcare is more than adequate.
The negative side-effect to socialized healthcare that I regularly experience is that of longer wait times to get in to see specialists and for things like MRI's. But I would take this over having a huge chunk of population that doesn't have access to adequate healthcare just because they can't afford it.
And yes, it will pay for abortions, but the world isn't going to end because your tax payer dollars pay for that.
The only people complaining about socialized healthcare are those that can afford privatized. The big thing here, that everyone seems to be forgetting, is that EVERYONE will have access to healthcare.
(trying to keep things lighthearted)But the nice thing about living in a Democratic society is that both sides get a say. People get a vote. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and each opinion is valid. :) I appreciate that.
S: Well in the REPUBLIC in which we live, I have the right to say where I want MY money going and I do NOT support nor will I PAY for someone to take the life of an unborn child. IT IS WRONG! As wrong as someone not being cared for who needs it! Which is why NO ONE in our country is denied healthcare - that is the fear mongering LIE that our government is spreading! The majority of the people who do not have health care insurance are choosing to not have coverage. Those who cannot afford it are covered by Mediaid. We are taking care of our sick and poor! I agree that insurance needs to be reformed, but this is NOT the way to do it.
The other difference is that your system in Canada is not being headed up by a man who during his short political career voted FOUR times to deny care to babies who were aborted in the third trimester. These are babies who, if given care, were viable human beings. But instead, they were left to die in a janitor's closet a slow and agonizing death. That is not the Christian love and compassion that I want making decisions about my health care and who deserves to receive it!
Me: (quoting S)"The majority of the people who do not have health care insurance are choosing to not have coverage. Those who cannot afford it are covered by Mediaid. We are taking care of our sick and poor!"
I'm not sure where you are getting this info, but my research would show otherwise. Approx. 60 percent of poor Americans are not covered by Medicaid(1), and "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007."(2)
45 million people aren't "choosing to not have coverage," they can't afford it.
While abortion is a hot-button topic, and a contentious issue at best, I don't think it outweighs the fact that millions of people are without adequate healthcare. And yes, while you live in a republic, it is still a democratic nation, so while you get your vote, the majority still says where your money goes.
I'd love if there was a way Christians could supplement the healthcare system, in every country, not just the US; there sure are enough of us. As Dan mentioned, Relational Tithe is a great idea. So is no longer paying pastors 3 figure salaries.
While I don't think the Church is in a place to do much in the healthcare realm, I think it could be done with a lot of hardwork, dedication, and heavenly help.
(1)http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml
(2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid
(I worked my butt off to stay diplomatic here, and not use the word ignorant. I thought I was laying things out nicely and was hoping for a decent rebuttal.)
S: Show me in the constitution that it is the GOVERNMENT'S job to provide health care. I agree that we need to look at healthcare and reform to take care of those who cannot afford it. But that is NOT what the government is supposed to do. With the bill the way it is written, not only will the poor not receive care - NO ONE will!
And this is where is ends. I'm not going to reply to that, as she's just getting worked up, and this discussion can't go anywhere productive. I was hoping for more, but sadly, am leaving disappointed. I was initially a little annoyed that it ended this way, but such is life, and I will continue to engage folks in discussion other places. :)
Can someone please tell me why people don't seem to think that "it's not the government's job" to take care of the sick and needy? In my books that's the perfect thing for the government to do, but what do I know, I live in a "socialist" country. :p
What do you guys think? Yes or No to socialized healthcare?
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