random

All Things British

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

I have a confession to make. Like most people, I talk to myself. Out loud. But I take it one awesome step further. I like to talk to myself in a British accent. It kinda makes me feel smarter and more suave.

I love accents of all kinds. British, Irish, Scottish, Austrailian. . . . it doesn’t matter. I like ’em all. There’s just something about an accent that’s not American that appeals to me, probably because I don’t hear it every day.

I’m not saying I’m particularly good at accents. When I talk to myself in my British accent, it sounds like I’m from all over the country. One moment I might sound gentrified and upper-class, one moment I might sound Cockney. It just depends on what movie I’ve been watching lately.

One day, I will make it to England and Scotland and Ireland. I hope to visit some of the villages and smaller towns and take in the scenery and have bangers and mash and fish and chips and (if I’m brave enough) even haggis. But I’ll stick to my own American accent, so no one gets embarrased.

I wonder sometimes if someone from England ever walks around talking to him (or her)self with an American accent, although I can’t imagine why. What would be the fun in that?

A Day in Downtown Franklin

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I think I’ve made it clear that one of my happy places is downtown Franklin, especially on a weekened where there aren’t too many folks wandering about. Another is whenever I’m sitting down and Lucy the wonder cat is in my lap, but that’s for another blog for another day.

I started off with a meal at McCreary’s Irish Pub, probably my favorite place to eat in downtown Franklin. It wasn’t the best meal I ever had there, but it was good. I had fun tipping the server more than I paid for the meal. I hope she was pleasantly surprised.

I sat in an old church while a guy was playing organ music, probably in preparation for Sunday. I think I heard a little bit of heaven then.

I went over to check on my favorite house there. It’s a stone cottage with a red door. It says, “You need to live here.” Or more accurately, “You need to win the lottery or have a very rich relative kick the bucket and leave you gads of money so you can afford to live here.”

I was standing on the corner of Main Street just in front of Starbucks when I looked up and around and noticed that I was in an entourage with Toby Mac and Gabe-Real and a few others. I was the proverbial fly on the wall (or in this case, fly in jeans and a cool t-shirt).

I love the fact that they’ve fixed up the old Franklin Theatre to show old movies (and some newer ones, too). I love seeing the classics on the big screen. I even have tickets to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Sunday and The Artist next Friday, if anyone is in the area and wants to join me.

Is there a point to all this? Not really, unless it’s a plug for historic Downtown Franklin. Maybe it’s just a reminder to stop and smell those roses every once and a while. I actually did that recently (with an actual rose, no less). You should try it.

Go and live in the abundant grace of God that never ceases and still continues to amaze.

 

What’s on Your MP3 Player?

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I have a Zune MP3 player. I think they’ll be the next big thing and eventully rule the competition. Of course, people said the same thing about Beta-Max and HD-DVDs. Not to mention New Coke, which I actually liked back in the day.

I have my Zune set on random, so I get a very interesting variety of music on any given day. For example, I listed 20 songs that came up in order:

1. Heaven’s My Home- Sam & Ruby

2. Low- Coldplay

3. The World’s Not Falling Apart- Dar Williams

4. Coconuts- Widespread Panic

5. Boom Boppa Boom- Jimmy Vaughn

6. Easy to Love – Ella Fitzgerald

7. You Ain’t Going Nowhere- Bob Dylan

8. All I Can Do Is Write About It- Lynyrd Skynyrd

9. Jigsaw Falling Into Place- Radiohead

10. In God’s Country- U2

11. The Night Time Is the Right Time- Creedence Clearwater Revival

12. Only a Memory- The Smithereens

13. Stone in Love- Journey

14. Eight Days a Week- The Beatles

15. Thriller- Michael Jackson

16. Let the Mystery Be- 10,000 Maniacs

17. 10 Rocks-Shelby Lynne

18. Able- Needtobreathe

19. Better Days- Robbie Seay Band

20. Journey into the Morn- Iona

I have an eclectic mix of classic rock, oldies, Christian, and Americana music. I also have 40’s big band, easy listening, country, rap, folk, disco, pop, and a few other styles of music represented.

What are you listening to on your iPod or other MP3 of choice? If you selected random mode and hit play, what would be the first 10 songs that would come up?

Inquiring ears want to know.

20. ion

The Inner Laptop Monologue

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

 

If you grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons like me, then you remember the ones where the main character was in a moral dilemma. Poof! An angel would appear on one shoulder with heavenly advice, and a devil would appear on the other, urging naughtiness (but not too naughty since this was Saturday morning television in the 80’s).

I imagine in my debate over whether to get a Macbook or a PC laptop that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs magically appeared on either side of me. I’ll leave it to you to decide which of the two is the angelic one. I’m staying out of that one.

I imagine the following conversation:

Bill: “Get the PC. They’re so much more affordable.”

Steve: “Anyone can go for cheap. Go for quality. All the hip and trendy people have Macs.”

Bill: “Seriously, Steve? Like you would know about hip or trendy. But think of this. Everything is so much easier with a PC. You never have problems with a PC?”

Steve: “Ahem. Need I remind you, Bill, about that imfamous Windows 98 debacle? Most people learn to cuss from working with a PC.”

Bill: “So they have to buy PCs more often. But you still end up spending less in the long run. Haven’t you ever heard of a sale?”

Steve: “Sales are for weenies. If someone wants a good product, they’ll pay to get it, whether it’s on sale or not. I could sell umbrellas to a desert mystic.”

Bill: “And such the modest man you are, too. Buy the PC. At least that way you can skip all the crappy parts of American Idol and watch the good parts.”

Steve: “Buy the Mac. Yeah. American Idol is weak this year.”

Bill: “By the way, Steve, aren’t you dead?”

Steve: “Hey, this isn’t my inner monologue. Why don’t you ask this crazy blogger guy to make up his mind about his laptop so I can go rest in peace and figure out how to get reception for my iPhone from six feet under.”

Thanks a heap, guys. That was helpful and informative. Oh wait. No it wasn’t. Guess I’ll just eat some chocolate and call it a day.

 

Laptop Hunting

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 7 Comments

I’m finally entering the wonderful world of laptop computers. I admit I’m a little green when it comes to shopping for one of these gizmos. I think I may have turned green when I saw the price sticker on one of the first laptops I looked at that was super compact and super skinny and probably had a Tommy Hilfiger designer processor.

I found one I liked, although it was not on sale and the price was a bit steep for me. I think it reflects my personality and would look really good in one of those laptop bags strapped over my shoulder as I walk into a Starbucks to order my mocha latte and sit down to do some existential ponderings over wordpress.

I think I need a laptop. I think the universe is ready for me to have a laptop, ’cause the universe is getting rather tired of waiting on my super-slow desktop to load up my facebook page. Not to mention that extremely annoying hourglass that pops up and causes me to have very un-Baptist thoughts.

Ideally, I would love a Mac, but I’m not quite ready to sell one of my kidneys for technology just yet. Maybe in 5 years, not not now.

So in the meantime I am forced to type my blog on a desktop that may or may not be possesed by Linda Blair and definitely cramps my style. I could be so much cooler and popular with a laptop, not to mention more mobile and more fun at parties.

Just for the record, any typos you find are not my fault. Blame Linda Blair.

Bye-Bye, Borders (Farewell to Another Favorite Bookstore)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

Dear Borders,

I’ve read the news and seen the signs. You’re going away forever soon, and that makes me sad. Soon there will no longer be any more Borders.

You were my second favorite bookstore.  #1 bit the dust when David-Kidd went away, and now #2 is going bye-bye. I guess that leaves Barnes & Noble as my new favorite by default.

You were a place I could go and walk around when I needed to detox from a stressful day. You had books, music, movies, and those weird novelty gadgets to browse that made killing time such a pleasure. You had the cafe with those oh-so-good freshly baked cookies. Where will I get those now?

I confess sometimes I would see one of your products and go find it online cheaper. I feel bad about that now. Maybe if I had paid a few more dollars a few times, you might still be around after September. Or maybe not. Who knows?

I still have my Borders card, which is pretty much useless now, but I think I will keep it on my keychain for a while to remember all the good times I had with you. Even that weird night with all the older ladies wearing red hats. That was a little awkward.

I discovered some good music. I found some good movies. I even bought some hand soap (it was 75% off). But most of all, you were my happy place. You were the place I went to where I knew I would be happy for a little while.

Now I have one less happy place.

Thank you, Borders, for making my life a little better and a little happier. You were a little pricey and sometimes you didn’t have what I was looking for, but you made my inner book-nerd very happy. I always joked that I could put a hammock in one of your aisles and live there.

Now you’re going away. I will miss you and all your booky goodness. Thanks for the memories. The next time I read a good book with a freshly baked cookie, I will think of you.

More Randomness And Late Night Weirdness

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

Sometimes, I think my cat looks at me when I’m leaving for work and thinks, “In order for you to miss me, you have to go. I really like you and all that, but the sooner you head out the door, the sooner my nap gets started. So bye!”

I had a couple ideas for really good blogs, but I forgot to write them down. I always have these genius ideas when I am no where near a pen or paper, or in my car, or otherwise not in a position to capture these ideas for posterity.

Somedays, the best thing you can say about your day is that you avoided personal injury and homicide. Kinda like that old saying, “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of all those I had to kill because they really peeved me off.” Not that I would ever kill anyone or condone killing anyone. I might just wish them a really bad case of  hemmorhoids if they annoyed me enough.

Somedays, it’s good to not go anywhere or do anything special. Somedays, the agenda might involved some old movies and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Rest is a good thing. Especially if you’ve had one of those long weeks that never seemed to end.

God reminded me again that my life is a good life. He showed me again that what I thought were crises were just bumps in the road. He never gets tired of telling me that no matter what the middle chapters of the book might look like, the ending is already written and it’s a happily ever after. And He should know. It’s His book.

And FYI, the Ben and Jerry’s flavor was cheesecake brownie.

This is Your Brain on Tylenol Sinus Nighttime Medicine

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I have oddly disconnected and random thoughts tonight. Such as:

1) Both Sarah Palin and Nancy Pelosi get on my nerves, so I guess that makes me an Independent. I think I’d rather vote for Marge Simpson.

2) As my boss said, “Anyday without a toe tag is a good day.” I made it through another day still alive and kicking with all my extremeties and all my teeth, so I’d call it a good day.

3) I heard a pastor talk about how you go to someone’s funeral and say how they look natural. As if that person slept in a coffin every day of his life.

4) I know reality TV is in, but I still like my television to be as unrealistic as possible. Give me vampires, ghosts, aliens, and Buffy any day over survivors and batchelorettes. I get enough reality from real life.

5) Diet Mountain Dew is a great invention. At 7:30 in the morning, it is a Godsend.

6) I like the new morning show on Way-FM, but I still miss Mornings with Brant. Especially Malarkey. I miss that most.

7) I found my cat Lucy taking a nap on my suitcase underneath the bed this morning. I think she doesn’t want me going on any more trips this year. Either that or she wants to go, too.

8) Lucy the aforementioned cat is named after Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia, in case you wondered.

9) This Tylenol Sinus Nighttime stuff works. I am uber-sleepy. Good night.