Top 10 Reasons I Like Fall (a.k.a. Autumn)

10. It immediately follows summer.
9. It's the only season with two names.
8. It's a nice change of pace from summer.
7. It isn't winter.
6. It's a season of moderation, not extremes.
5. It's something nice to think about in the middle of winter.
4. It means summer has ended.
3. It's cooler than summer yet warmer than winter.
2. It's the most wonderful time of the year.
1. It isn't summer.

Is it fall yet? :)

Is your Starbucks closing?

I have a friend in Turlock who works at one of the Starbucks targeted for closing. I didn't realize they'd made the list public yet. Here are two URLs for the list, if you want to see if "your" store survived the cut:

PDF version/download

HTML version

The location I visit nearly every day isn't on the list, which is good news for me. But it's a bummer about the Turlock store.

Time to garden?

I've thought about creating a garden in my back yard to help cut down on food costs. Of course, "thought about" is a wildly different stage from "did something about." Came across this piece on cnn.com about growing gardens during tough economic times:

As American families try to stretch their food budgets during the recession, some are turning to the backyard, rather than the grocery store, as the place to look for produce.

Recession gardens are catching on with many first-time planters who want a healthy meal at an affordable price.

The gardeners are following seed-strewn paths laid by Michelle Obama and Eleanor Roosevelt, both of whom have used the White House lawn to show the value of a garden during tough times.

The scope of today's trend is shocking even to those in the gardening industry.

W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the largest seed and gardening supply store in the country, says it has seen a 25 to 30 percent spike in vegetable seed and plant sales this spring compared with last.

Look out for the Cult of Snuggie

I asked for one of these for Christmas but was denied. Just kidding. I don't think I'd ever be caught in public wearing a Snuggie... but some people in San Francisco didn't mind:

The faithful lined up, two to three deep at the bar, looking like Druids in electric-blue fleece. Tim Jester and Brian Griffiths, two young San Francisco guys in polo shirts, leaned against a railing, surveying the scene.

They had gone to the Rouge nightclub on Polk Street on a Friday night without any idea that it was the starting point for a 200-person Snuggie pub crawl and were a bit confused.

"I think they need more colors besides blue," Griffiths said. "It needs more diversity."

"It looks cultish. Very cultish," Jester said.

Dedicated wearers of the fleece-blanket-with-sleeves would have a hard time disagreeing with that statement, seeing as many of the hundreds of Facebook fan groups set up to celebrate Snuggies list it as a "religion."

The Snuggie is not the first product to imbue fleece with robelike properties - figure-obscuring leisure wear has been knocking around catalogs for years - but since hitting the market in October, Snuggies have hit a cultural nerve.

Twitter vs Facebook

I use both Facebook and Twitter, although for very different reasons. Twitter can be a fun immediate tool for finding out what friends are doing, but I have a lot more "friends" on Facebook than "followers" on Twitter.

Anyway, I came across this article on SFGate (website for the SF Chronicle) about the relationship/competition/overlap between the two networks.

Increasingly, Facebook and Twitter are overlapping, setting the stage for one of the biggest Silicon Valley rivalries over the next few years.

Both companies want to play a major role in how people communicate online, a potentially lucrative business but one that is hardly settled given the ever-shifting online landscape.

Although different in their approach, both services enable people to post updates about their lives. Did your baby make a funny face? Did you enjoy "Slumdog Millionaire"?

The budding rivalry between the two companies heated up last week when Facebook introduced a major redesign that makes it more of a destination for real-time posts, turf that Twitter is famous for.

There's gonna be a strike in Paris.

So, wouldn't you know it? I'm going over to Paris next week with my dad and stepmom, and it turns out that on Thursday there will be a major strike. If you read French, you can go here and see more. My French is about as rusty as a nail that's endured a dozen Minnesota winters. (I don't know how rusty that nail would be, but it sounded like a good analogy.) All I really know is that Thursday, March 19 will be a great day to WALK around Paris instead of using public transit. And who knows what else will be closed for the day!

I've returned to "my" Starbucks.

After a multiweek absence, I've resumed using a local Starbucks as my office. A few weeks ago, I decided to turn a vacant room in my house into a home office. Within a few days, a guy at church had asked me about the possibility of renting my empty room. After some words of wisdom from my girlfriend, I decided I would sacrifice the home office. With the new roommate's arrival just a couple weeks away, I figured I should get back into the habit of working from Starbucks.

Apparently, I'm one of the "Norms" for this location. They still remembered the details of the drink I buy (venti unsweetened iced green tea, with 5 splendas), and I feel right at home once again. For three days straight, "my" spot has even been open. Sweet!

I need to buy a CD...

In a few weeks, I'm making an international trip, and I need your help. One of my personal traditions is to buy a CD before a trip overseas and listen to it a LOT during that experience. Then, once I'm home, I've made an emotional/memory attachment between that CD and that trip.

The first attachment was accidental, during my first trip with the fam to Europe back in high school. I only had 2 tapes with me (CDs recorded onto tapes, old-school style), so I listened to those 2 tapes for the entire trip. It's been 20 years since that trip, but anytime I hear either CD, I'm reminded of the experience.

So, I'd like your suggestions on a recent/new CD that I should consider buying for my trip in mid-March. No boundaries, no rules on the suggestions. Maybe I'll pick a suggestion that falls way outside my usually tastes. We'll see!

Blogging from the NYMC.

Apparently I'm part of the "official" group of bloggers from this weekend's National Youth Ministry Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Josh Griffin has the whole list on his blog, where I previously made this short, simple statement:

Rob C
i’ll be there but no guarantees on how much blogging or twittering i’ll be doing…

In any case, I'll try to post a few things during the weekend. I'm going to be doing some behind-the-scenes type work, so I don't know how many sessions or workshops I'll be attending. In any case, I'm looking forward to the weekend, seeing a bunch of youth ministry friends, making some new connections, and seeing God do some cool stuff in people's lives.

A cartoon for addicts.

ht to my dad for this cartoon...

Snowy Yosemite.

Yep. A storm came through. That means I must post new pics from the webcams up in Yosemite. Enjoy.

If you Twitter...

Interesting stuff on CNN.com about some awards given out to top Twitter users. If you're like certain people I know, you'll love this info. And if you're like other people I know, you'll run to the hills to avoid it.

LPP: Language Pet Peeves

OK, this won't be a daily item (I hope), but every now and then I run into personal pet peeves in people's language. I'm pickier about written language than spoken language, and a news article is the source of today's LPP:

Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deliberately covered up its financial role in backing Proposition 8 by failing to file timely campaign finance reports as required by California law. Karger said it's possible the church spent millions more than it actually reported.

"I'm calling this Mormongate," Karger said. "I think there's been a massive cover-up."

My comment has nothing to do with Mormonism or Prop 8 or anything along those lines.

I get annoyed by the use of "-gate" for political scandals. It's one of the most cliched phrases out there. Yes, Watergate was a significant event in American history. But come on. Do we have to slap the "-gate" suffix onto every big scandal? Want to see how bad it's become? Check out this link on wikipedia with a whole long list of the "gate" scandals. Absurd, people. Stop it. Now.

Home values stink.

Found an interesting article online this morning. If you don't like reading about bad economic news, don't read this or follow the link to SFGate.com... just a warning.

More than half (57 percent) of 1,573 homeowners surveyed now believe that their home lost value in 2008. That still lags the reality that 76 percent of all U.S. homes declined in value in 2008, according to Zillow's figures.

A full quarter of homeowners had the sunny view that their home's value had increased; in reality, 20 percent of homes did increase in value during the year, according to Zillow's reckoning. Another 18 percent insisted their homes' value was the same, while only 4 percent of homes actually kept their value, Zillow said.

Previous surveys showed homeowners mired deeper in denial, convinced that their own homes were immune to the nationwide plunge in real estate values that started about 2 1/2 years ago. Just six months ago, only 38 percent of people surveyed believed that their homes were declining in value.

AP Stylebook

I bought a new Associated Press Stylebook online today. For those of you who know what the stylebook is, my purchase probably seems odd because I no longer work in the newspaper business. But I need an updated copy because I do freelance for a company that uses AP as the go-to style (not Chicago Manual of Style), so I need a new one readily available.

And for those of you who care, yes, I bought the spiral-bound version.

Is my Starbucks closing?

I've heard a lot of people asking this since the January 29 announcement that Starbucks would be closing 200 stores here in the United States. I found this info today on the company's website.

Thursday, January 29, 2009
Statement regarding recent additional store closures announcement

As part of an ongoing, rigorous evaluation of our global store portfolio, Starbucks announced plans to close approximately 300 additional under-performing company-operated stores in the U.S. and international markets. Approximately 200 of those stores are in the U.S. with the remainder in international markets. We do not at this time have specific details about locations of stores that may be impacted by these announcements. A list will be available once it has been finalized and once all impacted partners have been notified.

This is where I'd like to be today...

Inauguration Day: Post 9

A few memorable and noteworthy phrases from Obama's inaugural address:

• We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.
• Greatness must be earned.
• We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.
• What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.
• Without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control.
• We are the keepers of this legacy. (NOTE: I think this is the standout phrase of the speech.)
• We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
• The world has changed, and we must change with it.
• Let it be said that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end.

Inauguration Day: Post 8

Humbled. Mindful. Thanks President Bush for his service to the nation.

44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath. Riding tides and still waters. Every so often, gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, carried on not just because of skill and vision but because we the people have remained faithful to the vision of our forebearers.

So it must be with this generation of Americans. Homes lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Each day brings further evidence that the ways we bring energy threaten our adversaries and brings our planet closer to crisis.

Nagging fear that Americas fear is inevitable. Lower its sights. The challenges we face are real. They will not be met easily. They will be met. We gather because we have chosen hope over fear. Worn-out dogmas. Strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but the time has come to set aside childish things. Carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea. The God-given idea that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their measure of happiness.

Greatness must be earned. Not a journey of shortcuts or for the fainthearted. It has been the risktakers, the do-ers, the makers of things. Carried up the long rugged path toward prosperity and freedom. For us, they toiled in sweat shops and settled the west. For us, they fought and died. Time and again, these men and women struggled and worked until their hands were raw.

We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, protecting narrow interests has surely passed. Must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.

Everywhere we look there is work to be done. Foundation for growth. Restore science to its rightful place. Harness the sun and winds. Meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do, all this we will do. Some suggest our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what our country has already done. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.

The question we ask today is whether our government works. Held to account to spend wisely, end bad habits, do business in the light of day. Without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. Cannot favor only the prosperous. The reach of our prosperity, extend to every willing heart. Surest route to our common good.

Reject the choice between our safety and our ideals. Assure the rule of law and the rights of man. We will not give up those ideals. We are ready to lead once more. Earlier generations faced down fascism and communism, not just with missiles and tanks. Our power grows through its prudent use. We are the keepers of this legacy.

We will not apologize for our way of life. Those who seek to use terror, we say our spirit is stronger. We will defeat you. We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are shaped by every language and culture. Because we have tasted the bitter swell of civil war and segregation, we cannot help but believe the old hatreds shall pass. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward. To the people of poor nations, we will work alongside you. We can no longer afford indifference to those outside our borders. The world has changed, and we must change with it.

A willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. It is this spirit that must inhabit us all. It is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people on which our nation relies. Those values upon which our success depends on are old. What is demanded is a return to these truths. A new era of responsibility. Duties we seize gladly. Nothing so satisfying to the spirit than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and promise of citizenship. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed.

Remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. America in the face of our common dangers, let us remember these timeless words. Brave once more the icy currents. Let it be said that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end. Eyes fixed on the horizon, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it to future generations.

Inauguration Day: Post 7

Wow, gotta love Aretha Franklin's voice. She could sing the theme song to Friends and make it into a meaningful, emotional experience. Well, OK, maybe not THAT song...

A close-up of a tear down someones face. So cliche...

Well, Biden has taken his oath of office. 3 minutes until noon EST.

Is John Paul Stevens wearing a bowtie? Cant tell. Does Biden get to pick which associate justice administers his oath?

Its 1 minute before noon. Apparently they ARE running a few minutes behind.

Seriously? Someone is using a blower in my neighbor's yard just as yo yo ma and itzhak perlman are playing music. Horrible timing, folks. Horrible timing.

This music seems so calm and soothing and stirring, right before the oath of office for Obama. Very creative and effective. I could listen to yo yo ma and itzhak perlman all day. Seriously. Let them play whatever they want and it'll be incredible. Not sure who the pianist and clarinetist are but they're good too.

Officially, Obama became president 4 minutes ago. But now time for the official swearing-in ceremony.

"Everyone please stand" is funny because everyone out on the National Mall has been standing for hours.

Oops, some mess-ups on the oath. Underlying tension between John Roberts and Barack Obama?

It's official.