I've been ordained a minster recently, married a few friends and got a quick write up in the Cyberscene about it.
Choose the extended package which came with a doctorate entitled "Universal Philosopher of Absolute Reality" or Dr. Uproar for short.
Call me and I'll be there!
Chris and Betsy came up to visit last weekend. We had fun going to the U2 concert w/ Tom O'Neil. The weather up here's been amazing, it was 83 yesterday and all kinds of green. I love it when Spring is here. I promise I won't go off on a daffodil tangent like last year though.
I've been doing a little traveling for work, got to hit San Fran a few times, Miami and Las Vegas. I dig San Francisco, it's a neat town. But crazy crazy with the rent and prices. Nice place to visit.
John's graduating this summer, so we are going to take some time off and visit back East. His parents are in SC and the rest of the family in Ohio. We are doing great. He's such an amazing person, we are so much alike, or more to the point we compliment each other well and communication like I've next experienced. We kick it about, do stuff locally and play parents to our 3 cats. You should see me it's funny..here lil' kitty kitty come play with me. Ok, I'm not quite the creepy lady at the end of the street with a ton of cats. I got a man to set the balance straight.
Our new fun traditional is Dim Sum for brunch on Sundays and then we go for a walk in the Chinese or Japanese Gardens locally. They are so calm and relaxing. The Chinese one is newer, it was build downtown with all the materials from our Chinese sister city, it's got a tea house and everything.
The Japanese Garden's are located in the Rose Gardens in Washington Park. John was taking a classes on Eastern Civilization last semester and when up there for the full day's events. Good boy that he is, he brought me back a present, lil' harmony bells. The park has a theater in the round and I hear they put on plays in the summer outside. It's all in Washington Park including the zoo, we got a membership over the winter, they light the place up and you can ride the train through it at night time.
It can buy a Mattress
But not Sleep
It can buy you a Book
But not Knowledge
It can buy you a Position
But not Respect
It can buy you Medicine
But not Health
It can buy you Blood
But not Life
It can buy you Sex
But not Love
So you see money isn't everything.
And it often causes pain and suffering.
I tell you all this because I am your Friend,
and as your Friend I want to take away your pain and suffering.
So send me all your money and
I will suffer for you.
Cash only please.
I have been a member of many online communities since I first fell in love with the technology. From BB's to the Well and GeoCities to email groups, all of which are more active than some cocktail mixers or networking events I've been too. After a particularly heated discussion in a technology group I got an email from a fellow member "We all have different experiences and different points of view; all are worth hearing."
While I agreed in part, I wanted to talk a bit about community etiquette. So I replied:
Very well put. I agree about fostering discussion. I think communication is
a very valuable thing. Second only to compassion and honesty. My point
however mangled it might have come out, was to open the communication
channel, to engage in discussion, to listen. It just started to sound like
"bickering" on the list, not communicating.
There are a lot of things I love, hate, disdain and like in this world and
that includes certain people's point of views. However, I will always
listen, even if I don't understand or agree. It is very important to have
that. I'll be the first one to admit there are certain cultural
idiosyncrasies I am not partial to, hell some flat out disgust me but its
for reasons like that I'm glad to be alive. It's all about striking a
balance.
I don't want to bust out on a moral tangent but I give and get enough to
people that enables me to look myself in the mirror each day and still walk
away smiling. I don't let people label me good/bad, right/wrong or
otherwise. If you feel guilty, righteous, empowered or lame, it's because
you made the decision to feel that way. You can't control what other people
do or say, but you can CERTAINLY control the way you react to it or feel
about. Empowering yourselves; you might find it quite liberating, I do.