Jill's Life Updates and Random Thoughts

Goodbye, Blogger!

2006-12-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. Alrighty, here's the deal. This blog and everything in it is moving. The new address is www.earstohearpodcast.com/blog. You can find all the archives and all new posts from this day forward at the new address. You should also listen to my music podcast, which you can find at www.earstohearpodcast.com. If you are already on the mailing list for this blog, you don't need to do anything. You will continue to receive email updates when I write a post. If you are subscribed in some other way (i.e. through Feedburner or Live Bookmarks), you will need to go subscribe to the new feed or sign up to be on the mailing list, which you can do on the sidebar of my blog. That's all! Let me know if you have any questions (jillmdblog@gmail.com). Have a good time checking out the new site...

Fondest regards,
Jill

WOTW 12/17/06

2006-12-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to the word of the week! I hope that this week's word does not describe you as we head into the joyful time of presents and candy canes (oh, yeah, and the birth of Saviors and whatnot). You'll probably be seeing quite a lot of people as the holiday festivities begin, so I expect that you will use this word even more than normal in your everyday conversations. Here it is:

-luctiferous (lŭk-tĭf'ur-us) adj. --> sad and sorry
Ex: Because nobody bought her presents for Christmas, the woman went to the store and stole gifts for herself. This caused her to be arrested, and she had a very luctiferous Christmas.

And now, this week's random fact, which is about a composer whose music I am currently learning:

In February 1935, violinist Fritz Kreisler confessed that he had been hoaxing the public for thirty years. For most of his career, he said, he had been performing violin selections which he claimed were composed by such masters as Vivaldi, Couperin, Porpora, Pugnani, and Padre Martini - but which he had actually written himself. He said he felt that audiences paid closer attention to his music when they thought it was by some famous dead composer.

Alrighty, folks, have a spectacular week, and be sure to listen to the first episode of my music podcast, Ears to Hear, which will be released in the middle of this week. I'll be back with more wonderful wordage on the night before Christmas...

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

No Blogging Allowed

2006-12-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

Hey folks. I know this is going to be painful to you, but I won't be blogging for the next week or two. I have to send my computer out to get fixed (because it's stupid) and I really want to focus on importing this blog to my new blog site and getting my website set up for my podcast. But fear not! You have our music contest to keep you busy while I am away. So go do that (no, really, please go do that... you pretty much have a 100% chance of winning gift certificates or CDs). Ok, have a great day... or week(s), I guess. Talk to you in awhile. Bye!

Your favorite slacking blogger,
Jill

WOTW 12/10/06

2006-12-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

Howdy, all! In honor of the recent onset of very, very cold weather here in New England, I have decided to bring back an old word of the week for your reading pleasure this week. Remember to use it as much as is humanly possible in your everyday conversations! Here it is:

-cheimaphilic (kī"mu-fĭl'ĭk) adj. --> fond of winter, or of cold
Ex: Because the man was not cheimaphilic, he departed from Alaska to live in the Northeast. He quickly realized his mistake and returned to Alaska.

And now, keeping with our winter theme, here is this week's random fact:

Mistletoe - the lover's leaf, the kissing plant - is a parasite. It grows high above the ground in the branches of a tree, and is totally dependent on the host for its survival. If that doesn't dampen your Christmas spirits, consider that the plant's name comes from Old English mistil tan which means, literally, "dung twig," since it was originally believed to generate from bird-droppings that had landed high up in the trees.

Alrighty folks, enjoy your week, and try to stay warm (unless you're one of those lucky people in a warm state. In that case, we are no longer friends.)! Bye.

With fondest regards,
Dr. J

(not) Boring Christmas Music

2006-12-07T20:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know the feeling very well. All you want to do is go to the grocery store. Or the bank. Or the doctor. But no matter where you go, you cannot escape the Christmas carols that make you want to pull your hair out and throw all the ornaments in the fire. Christmas music is annoying. This is why I have set out to find you the best, most original, most fun Christmas music to listen to this year. I have chosen three of my favorites to share with you today. Enjoy them! (They're really quite good, I promise.)

First of all, if you have never heard of Relient K, then you are missing out. Their Christmas album, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, is a great mix of both traditional Christmas songs (done Relient K-style) and original songs. Tracks like "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" are done in Relient K's traditional punk rock style, and they are great fun to listen to. They even do a funny version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that almost manages to not be annoying (but really, I think that song is inherently annoying). Their version of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" is just the way I like it - energetic and a bit manic! The two best tracks on the album are original Relient K songs. "I Hate Christmas Parties" is a subtle, piano-driven track that is a pleasure to listen to, even if the theme is a bit depressing. "I Celebrate the Day" is possibly the best Christmas song I've ever heard. It is heartfelt and beautiful; I'll be honest - it makes me cry a little, simply because its simplistic honesty draws such a beautiful picture of the birth of Jesus. It's great. Just great. The album is exclusively available for download online, either from iTunes or CBD.

Next up is Christmas With the Rat Pack. What do I really need to say about this album? It's Christmas songs, sung by members of the Rat Pack. Classic.

Find the album on iTunes or Amazon.com.

Lastly, my Christmas season would just not be complete without Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas. Throughout the 5 EPs contained in this boxed set, Sufjan mixes some traditional Christmas songs and hymns with some very original tracks. I know some people think that all of Sufjan's music sounds the same, and it's true that Sufjan has a very distinctive sound, but these albums really show quite a variety in styles. From the banjo-driven "Amazing Grace" to the piano version of "Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming" to the almost full-blown rock "Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time!", the albums present over two hours of music that never get boring. The second EP contains my favorite ever version of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", which is beautiful and a bit ethereal in its simplicity. "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" and "Did I Make You Cry On Christmas" are two of the best original tracks, maybe because they most effectively display Sufjan's distinctive sound. Don't buy this album on iTunes, because if you get the physical boxed set, it comes with some great extras, including a songbook with lyrics and short stories, stickers, and a poster of Sufjan. You can get the album from Sufjan's website. If you're looking for original Christmas music, this is about as original as you're going to get, so go get it! And enjoy!

Alright, enjoy the albums. Get in the festive spirit. In the words of Sufjan Stevens, "Come on! Let's boogey to the elf dance!"

Dr. J

Careless Christmas

2006-12-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

Tune in this week as we discuss my new web site, talk about Christmas goodness, and hear music from Fair and Sufjan Stevens. Enjoy!

Check out my Gabcast page (where you can download the episode)!

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:

Fair's Website
Download "Carelessness" free on a Tooth & Nail compilation
Download "Carelessness" free on a purevolume compilation
My new website: Ears to Hear
Music Contest
Sufjan Stevens
Buy Songs For Christmas!

Contact Me:
Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call: 203-437-4531
MySpace: myspace.com/jillmdblog

WOTW 12/03/06

2006-12-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, and welcome to the word of the week! In spite of the dark nature of this week's word, I hope you manage to use it as much as is humanly possible in your everyday conversations. Here it is:

-piacular (pī-ăk'ū-lur) adj. --> requiring expiation; very bad, sinful
Ex: We knew the cat was piacular when we saw the feral gleam in her eyes.

And now, for this week's random fact:

Nutritionists have calculated the number of calories used up in various forms of exercise, including the act of chewing. According to their figures, if you were to eat an eight-inch stalk of celery very slowly - taking over sixteen minutes to chew the whole stalk - there would be an over-all net loss of calories. You could eat celery forever that way and still lost weight.

Alrighty, folks, I hope you all have a very merry week. Be sure to check my blog often this week for some great music, Christmas music reviews, and a special surprise at the end of the week. Be sure to participate in our music contest, so you can win gift certificates and CDs!! Ok, bye.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Christianese and Creativity

2006-12-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

Here is yet another transcription of one of Derek Webb's podcasts (you can find the first one here). This one comes from Derek Webb's Podcast #3, which I'm going to break up into 2 or 3 parts, because it's really long. Please take the time to read this; he says some really excellent stuff that both Christians and non-Christians should think about. I know it's long, but it's really an easy read. Let me know what you think, and enjoy!

“I was raised in the church. I was raised going to church. But I think, like for a lot of people, it was more cultural. It was just something that we did. My parents raised us in the church, so I grew up knowing the language of it, which I think is maybe a little unfortunate, because people get so concerned with and so wrapped up in the words, knowing all the right words, using all the right words, that we don’t really understand what we’re talking about. I think Christians have a really hard time with a kind of exclusive language that we speak – many words that we don’t even know ourselves what they mean. And the language, the code only works when we’re talking to other Christians who also know the words. Even in the academic church circles, so much importance is put on learning all the right words and using all the right words. So if you don’t, we’re kind of concerned whether or not, you know, we should maybe pray for you, because you’re not using all the words we’re familiar with. That’s the thing I love about people in the church like Don Miller and folks like that who don’t use the words we’re familiar with and so it makes us a little uncomfortable, because they use plain language to say things that maybe we agree with, but in a way that we’re not used to hearing. But that’s kind of our job, not only as artists, but as people in the church, to say things in a language that people can understand, to speak in plain language. You know, there are so many words that are so confusing. I mean, the words like “justification”, “sanctification”, “atonement”, “gospel”, “witness”, “walk”. Many of us don’t even know what these words mean, but we use them. And I feel like it just puts up more of a language barrier between us and the people who we’re in this culture to love. We barely know what these words mean.

Our Christianity can’t be about winning people to our particular set of words. It can’t be about winning people to our particular way of thinking. It can’t be about winning people to listening to our particular type of categorized music or buying into our particular type of categorized politics. That’s not what Christianity is. It’s about recklessly, radically loving people. Just loving people. It’s about feeding people. It’s about putting clothes on people. It’s about finding jobs for people. It’s about putting houses around people who are homeless. It's about engaging with people in the way Jesus might have engaged with them, as Christians are supposed to be little Christs, ambassadors of Jesus. Jesus did not have a particular party line he walked when it comes to politics. He did not have a particular set of morals that he was hellbent against you breaking down. If anything, His most harsh language was reserved for arrogant church leadership, who was trying to put the weight of the law on people, and he was trying to set people free. Not to say that we don’t need the law, but our faith isn’t in the fact that we can live right, that we can vote right, that we can do right. It’s that one has done these things right on our behalf, and that liberates us to love people, to engage with culture, to engage with art, to engage with politics, all because we have a framework in scripture that liberates us to do so.

Jesus is Lord of all creation, and that liberates us to engage with all creation. It puts nothing out of the bounds of our creativity and out of our professional engagement. If you’re a businessperson, you don’t have to work at a church. If you’re an artist, you don’t have to go be in a praise band. You need to go engage with culture, engage with creation, because it’s our job to go into culture, into creation and redeem it for God’s glory, and I think that takes more than just mocking secular marketing and secular music and taking out all the things that makes it dangerous for us and risky, making it sugar-free and guiltless and putting Jesus or morality (or what’s the difference, as far as we’re concerned) into it for people… that’s not our job. It’s to go in and say, “all of art has intrinsic value, because we are artists made in the image of a God who is creative.” The whole first chapter of Genesis is devoted to our witnessing our creative God working in the world. It’s the first thing we learn about. In the beginning, God created. And we are made in His image, whether or not we are Christians or whatever faith we ascribe to. I mean, we’re all created in God’s image and therefore creative people. Even if it’s in the way that I can creatively lie to you, I’m a creative person. Even in the way that I pervert the image I’ve been made in, it’s still there. There still is something, even broken, that I bear as one created in the image of God."

Get Ready (Hot Machete)!

2006-11-30T11:50:00.000-05:00

Do I know what a hot machete is? Nope. Do I love this song? Yep. Will it make you want to dance? If you have at least one rhythmic bone in your body, then yes.

For those of you who think dancing is immoral, you might want to close your eyes and just listen to the music. Oh, just kidding, they also sing about dancing. I guess you'll have to close your ears too!

Jonezetta

2006-11-29T13:50:00.000-05:00

For the first week that I had Jonezetta's debut album Popularity, I could not stop listening to it. Honestly, I listened to this album to the exclusion of all other music. It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes this album so addicting. Popularity combines 11 brilliant indie rock songs that leave you with an overwhelming urge to dance. The underlying factors that drive this album along are the catchy beats of the drums and the rhythmic bass lines, which have the aesthetic appeal of a well-written melody line. The beautiful thing is that this album manages to really showcase these instruments without making them overwhelming to the listener. Kyle Howe's guitar lines expertly complement lead singer Robert Chisolm's vocals to create some of the catchiest hooks in any album I've heard this year. Beside all of this excellent musicianship, an undertone of electric vibes runs throughout the album, making it all the more fun. I have to admit that the vocals get slightly screamy at times, but this seems appropriate in songs like "Man in a 3K Suit" and "Backstabber", which have pretty angry themes. Mellower songs like "The City We Live In" really showcase the fact that Chisolm has a great voice with a very unique tone.

Now, I've read reviews of Popularity that say its lyrics lack depth. All I can say is that a statement like that shows sheer mindlessness on the part of the reviewer. Jonezetta manages to avoid cliche phrases about the meaning of life in order to delve into more honest, intelligent lyrics that really explore various facets of what it means to be human, including painful and joyful relationships, arrogance, loneliness, and, that's right... popularity. Some songs, like "Get Ready (Hot Machete)" are just fun, but who ever said you weren't allowed to have fun sometimes? I really appreciate the honesty and the depth of Popularity's lyrics; they show a maturity that is not often apparent in fairly young rock bands. Overall, I highly recommend that you check Jonezetta out. You can listen to a few of their songs on purevolume or MySpace, or you can buy the album on iTunes. This album is full of great songs, but here are a few highlight tracks: "Welcome Home", "Get Ready (Hot Machete)", "Popularity", "Imagination". Enjoy!

Please Help Me! (with WordPress)

2006-11-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

So I've been trying to use WordPress to set up my new website for my podcast, but I am so confused. All I want to do is be able to edit my template. Is that really so much to ask? No, but no matter what I do, they continue to tell me that my template is "uneditable". Surely there is someone out there who knows how to manipulate WordPress. If that is you, please help me before I rip all my hair out! Leave me a comment or email me at jillmdblog@gmail.com. Thankyou in advance (I already thanked you, so I guess you have to help me now!). Bye.

Frustratedly yours,
Jill

Love and Mannequins are Not Against the Law

2006-11-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

Tune in for a short show this week as we talk about podcasting and hear music from Telecast and Derek Webb. Enjoy!

Check out my Gabcast page (where you can download the episode)!

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:

Listen to Telecast on purevolume
Buy Telecast's EP The Documenter
My upcoming podcast: Ears to Hear
Download Mockingbird at FreeDerekWebb.com!
Derek Webb's Podcast

Contact Me:
Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call: 203-437-4531
MySpace: myspace.com/jillmdblog

WOTW 11/26/06

2006-11-26T01:25:00.000-05:00

Hey folks. Welcome to the word of the week! Please remember to use this week's word as much as is humanly possible in your everyday conversations. Without further ado, here's our word:

-depredicate (dē-prĕd'ĭ-kāt) v.t. --> to publish, proclaim, announce
Ex: The woman loudly depredicated her decision to quit her job due to her dislike of leaving the house in the frigid weather.

And now, for this week's random fact/quote, which is in honor of our turkey-eating tradition:

Two years after the bald eagle became the official bird of the United States, Benjamin Franklin wrote this to his daughter: "I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the Representative of our Country; he is a Bird of bad moral Character; like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America. He is (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worst emblem for that) a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on."

Alrighty folks, I hope you have an amazing week. Please be sure to participate in our music contest, where you can win a $10 gift certificate or a CD! It's insanely fun, I'm not even kidding. OK, I will write to you all in the very near future. Au revoir!

Your favorite physician,
Dr. J

Talented Treadmill Dancing

2006-11-24T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here is the band O.K. Go dancing to their song "Here it Goes Again" on treadmills. Crazy. Full of talent. Very entertaining. Thanks to Laura for letting me know about this video. Enjoy!

Music Contest (aka You Can Win Stuff If You Read This Post!)

2006-11-22T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Here's the deal: I review a lot of music on my blog, and I am passionate about this music. I want you all to listen to it, so I have devised this music contest as a ploy to get you to do just that.

Here's how it works: I am posting a couple lines of lyrics below from 6 different songs by 6 different artists. All you need to do is tell me the name of the song and the artist that these lyrics come from. All the songs are available to listen to (full-length) for free on websites that I have linked to on my blog. The posts with these links are available here, here, here, here, here, or here (these posts can all be found in the "music reviews" category of my blog). So this is really easy. You don't have to do any searching for music or anything. The only thing that will take a little time is that you'll have to listen to quite a few songs to find the right ones. If you don't want to or don't have time to find all 6, feel free to only do a couple. If nobody gets all 6 by Christmas, the person with the most right will win the prize!

Here's what you can win: So I'm sure you're thinking, "Why on earth would I do this?" Well, if you are the first person to send me the names and artists of all six songs, you will win either a $10 gift certificate to the online retailer of your choice (eg. Amazon.com, iTunes, Barnes and Noble) or one of the CDs that the songs in the contest come from. I'll even throw in a little bonus: if you win, you can do a post on my blog on whatever topic you want (text, audio, video... anything!) Super-exciting, I know. Alright, here are the lyrics:

I don't need to know right now;
All I know is I believe
In the very thing that got us here
And now I can't leave.

Come on, can I dream for one day?
There's nothing that can't be done.
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone?

If good won't show its ugly face
Evil, won't you take your place?
Nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes
By itself.

All the glory when he took our place,
But he took my shoulders and he shook my face,
And he takes and he takes and he takes.

August evenings bring solemn warnings
To remember to kiss the ones you love goodnight.
You never know what temporal days may bring;
Laugh, love, live free and sing.
When life is in discord,
Praise ye the Lord.

I've been thinking 'bout the meaning of resistance,
Of a hope beyond my own,
And suddenly the infinite and penitent
Begin to look like home.

You may not like every single song that you listen to, but there's a good chance that you'll find something you like if you listen to all the music. When you get your answers, whether it's all 6 or just 2 or 3, email them to me at jillmdblog@gmail.com. And tell anyone who might be interested about the contest... this could be fun! Feel free to post a comment or email me if you have any questions. If you get really stuck on some song, let me know, and maybe I'll give you a hint. Alright, go to it and have fun!

Your prize-giving, blogging friend,
Jill

Can MySpace Make a Better Me?

2006-11-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Tune in this week as we talk about the evil and the good of MySpace, discuss a contest on my blog where you can win money, and hear music from The Classic Crime and Brent Cashell.

See my Gabcast page (where you can download the episode)

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:

The Classic Crime
Listen to The Classic Crime on purevolume
Download "The Coldest Heart" from Tooth & Nail Records
My MySpace Page
Brent Cashell on MySpace

Contact Me:
-Leave a comment here!
-Email me: jillmdblog@gmail.com
-Call my voicemail: 203-437-4531
-Be my friend on MySpace: myspace.com/jillmdblog

WOTW 11/19/06

2006-11-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everybody, and welcome to the word of the week! This week's word has three definitions that are all slightly unrelated. In other words, we have a very versatile word this week, so you should be able to use it often in everyday conversation. Here it is:

-cellidh (kā'lē) noun -->
1. a visit
2. a private conversation
3. an evening's musical entertainment
Ex: Our cellidh was interrupted by a cellidh from a musician who was part of the cellidh. (Got all that?)

And now, for a random fact:

The lowly glowworm has been called the most efficient producer of light known to man. It gives the coldest light of any in the world - only about one percent of its energy is lost as heat.

Alrighty, folks. There won't be a lot of posts on my blog this week, but the ones we will have are worth checking out. Come back tomorrow to hear a psuedo-podcast with some fantastic music, on Wednesday to learn about our music contest where you can win a $10 gift certificate or a CD, and on Saturday to see an extremely funny video. Alrighty, folks, have a great week!

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

I Have Cute Nephews

2006-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Conversations heard in my house today:

Liz (aka Mommy): Keith, where are we going tomorrow?

Keith (age 2): KMart!

L: [laughs] No, not KMart. Where are we going?

K: Gramma's house!

L: No. Where are we going with all the people? Where everyone sings?

K: Jesus' house!

Luke (age 6.5 months): Gaa! [followed by incomprehensible dinosaur noises]

Christian Music is Silly

2006-11-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

I think this video is pretty self-explanatory. And sadly true. And pretty funny. Let me know what you think...

Mute Math

2006-11-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Mute Math's self-titled album manages to expertly combine all the things I look for in music: originality, honesty, great vocals, insightful lyrics, energy. Oh, and they sound good. I have heard Mute Math described as "electro-alt rock", and that is perhaps the best way to simply describe their sound. The truth is that they sound unlike anything I've heard before. The album starts with the energetic, drum-driven, instrumental "Collapse" before moving smoothly into "Typical", which is the first in a long line of songs that combine catchy melodies with great guitar lines, subtle but well-crafted drumming, and extremely talented bass-playing; this is all enhanced by various electronic sounds and intruments. There is an amazing amount of energy on this album, so it easily maintains interest throughout a number of rather long songs. These great, dynamic rock moments are balanced by a number of mellower, more introspective songs, including "Stare at the Sun", "You Are Mine", and "Stall Out". "You Are Mine" is especially notable for its haunting musical qualities and remarkably honest, fresh lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, this album contains some of the best ones I've heard in quite a long time. A stark sense of honesty pervades the entire album, and they manage to be crafted subtly and artfully enough to be enjoyable to anyone. The reason for this accessibility is that the guys in Mute Math are writing about things that everyone has experienced or wants to experience; and they are writing about things that are larger than just the mundanities of everyday life. There is nothing more refreshing that that. If you are not yet convinced that Mute Math is amazing, then you can go listen to some of their songs either on MySpace or on purevolume. Or you can go buy the album on iTunes (who also throws in a free live EP). This is undoubtedly the best album I've heard this year. That's right, the best. There is not a bad song on this album, but here are some highlight tracks: "Typical", "Chaos", "Noticed", "You Are Mine".

Enjoy them! They are amazing!

Jill

Get Behind Me, Sinuses!

2006-11-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Hey hey hey! It's been a super-long time since I've done one of these, but it's time for a random life update! I know, I know, exactly what you were hoping for. But for the two of you who care, here's what's going on with me...

As of right now, I go to work, I go to school, I have a sinus infection. Work is good good good (almost always). School is ok, but a little boring, and I am very very behind in all of my classes. I usually have a perpetual sinus infection throughout the winter. But no more! I'm going to ask the ENT Dr. to remove my sinus cavities. That should solve my problems, right?

As for the future, I will be working even more full-time than I am now next semester, and I will be taking only 1.5 classes. Those classes would be biology and web page design (which is a non-credit course, and therefore only counts as half a class). Sounds fun, right? Right. I will also be getting some beautiful new equipment and starting a real music podcast. And I'm sure you all will listen. Maybe you can help me think of a name for it. I have one in mind, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. What would you call a podcast that plays amazing music that is usually by Christian artists but that isn't particularly Christian music? You tell me.

In other news, I'm sick of Christians. Yes, I said it. It's not that there aren't a lot of people who are Christians who I absolutely love (just like there are a lot of non-Christian people who I absolutely love), but I'm sick of the big thing (for lack of better terminology) that is Christianity. Now let's get one thing straight. I'm not denouncing Jesus... not at all. In fact, I want a relationship, and a radical one, with God now more than ever. I just don't want to do it the way I've always done it. Boringly, comfortably, safely... the way I almost always see it done around me. (Don't start sending me hate mail if you are a Christian that I know... I know that there are quite a few of you that are doing Christianity radically and are really following Jesus). But the truth of the matter is that the whole system of Christianity: the music, the "new laws" (hmm, you might have to listen to this week's pseudo-podcast to catch that reference), the church buildings, the fakery (yes, it's a word), the unoriginality - these things are not working for me or for Christians or for our oh-so-"Christian" country. So I want to do it differently. But I'm not entirely sure how to do that. So I'm just kind of stuck here. Again. But unlike other times when I've run away from God, this time I feel hopeful. I will not settle for less than all of God this time. I won't settle for the watered-down, feel-good Christianity that every church I've ever been to has tried to cram down my throat. I will base my relationship with God and the way I live my life on actually talking and listening to Jesus (Gasp! Shocking concept!). Alright, enough deep, pondering nonsense.

Now go leave me a comment. Shameless groveling for comments didn't work, so I'm trying a more imperative style of speech. I hope I get my point across. Ok bye.

Fondestly,
Dr. J

PS - I apologize for the lack of grammatical correctness in this post. As you can see, these really are the unedited ramblings of my overtired mind.

Let's Communicate About a New Law

2006-11-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tune in today as we discuss some albums that you should preorder, talk about blogging, and hear music from Jonezetta and Derek Webb.

View my Gabcast Page (where you can download the file)

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:
Jonezetta
Hear Jonezetta's music on purevolume
Preorder Sufjan's Songs for Christmas
Stream (listen to) Songs for Christmas
Preorder Switchfoot's new album, Oh! Gravity
Listen to Switchfoot on MySpace
FreeDerekWebb.com

Email Me: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call my voicemail: 203-437-4531

WOTW 11/12/06

2006-11-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

Howdy there. How's everyone doing? Good, I hope. Well, my friends, this week we have a word that I rather enjoy. And you will probably enjoy it also. So be sure to use it as much as is humanly possible in everyday conversation, because then people will know that you are a smart cookie. Here it is:

-balbutient (băl-bū'shunt) adj. --> stuttering
Ex: The teenage girl spoke balbutiently when she crossed passed with the latest celebrity heartthrob.

And now, for this week's random fact:

A raisin, dropped in a glass of champagne, will rise and fall continuously in the glass.

Congratulations! You are now 13.6% more enlightened than when you started reading this post. Be sure to check back on this blog often this week for a super-amazing pseudo-podcast, a random life update, a music review of the best album of the year, and a funny funny video. Enjoy (and go leave me a comment!).

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Are the Monsters Really Good?

2006-11-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

As I said, I went to see Jars of Clay, Matt Wertz, and Kate York in concert on Thursday night. Let's start at the very beginning...

Up first was Kate York. She had a really nice voice - rich, melodic, passionate. But I'll be really honest, her music made me want to crawl out of my skin... or fall asleep. I don't know; she sounds fine, I guess. She just seems to sound like every other female Christian singer with a guitar that I've heard. All the songs just blended together into one very large made-me-want-to-sleep fest. But you might like her, so you can listen to her music on her MySpace page.

I think I'm a little bit in love with Matt Wertz. Not because he's particularly attractive or because his music is brilliant. Why then? Firstly, I have a weakness for men with guitars. Secondly, he was simply charming onstage. He played with his other guitarist friend, Justin I believe it was. Or maybe it was Jason. Either way, they interacted very well together, and they just seemed to have a great time with the music. He was funny and spontaneous and personal, and they got the audience involved really nicely. The music itself was good - it's very upbeat, very pop-like, very danceable. Like I said, not brilliant, but I particularly enjoyed it. You can listen to some of it on MySpace, or just find the album on iTunes. And I was just kidding, I'm not really in love with Matt Wertz. I just appreciate charming, guitar-playing men. That's all.

So after all the loveliness of opening acts, Jars of Clay came onstage. If you're new to my blog, you may not know that Jars of Clay is very possibly my favorite band... ever. So it doesn't really need to be stated that I was terribly excited to see this concert. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and no. The band was great. They were full of energy, some crazy dancing, some great (and a couple not-so-great) song choices, and funny/insightful conversation. The part that I didn't particularly enjoy was the audience. There were certainly exceptions, but the audience just didn't seem very into the concert. Maybe this is because Christians are boring and don't like rock concerts. Maybe they just didn't know the music. Maybe everyone was tired. I'm not sure of the reason, but the lack of audience enthusiasm slightly dampened my spirits about the show. But the truth is that the Jars guys were awesome. The best songs they played were "Love Me", "Flood" (of course), "Surprise", "The Eleventh Hour", and probably others that I just can't remember. The consensus? Great band, good show, I would most definitely go see them again if I got the chance.

Alrighty, folks. It's late and I must go. Have a great day!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Jars of Clay Pictures

2006-11-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I saw Jars of Clay (with Matt Wertz and Kate York) in concert last night... Here are just a couple pictures from the show. I'll write a full description of it tomorrow. I know these aren't super-fantastic quality, but enjoy them anyway...

The mysteriously lit stage before the concert started (boy, they sure had a lot of guitars!).

My dear friend Mindy and I were terribly excited to see the concert!

Here is a rather poetic picture of Jars of Clay performing.
By poetic I mean fuzzy.

This is Dan Haseltine, lead singer and tambourine-playing member of Jars of Clay.

Alrighty, be sure to check back tomorrow, and I'll tell you all about the excitement of the night. Have a great day...

Fondly,
Dr. J

Chaos

2006-11-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a little video that might give you the slightest picture of how amazing Mute Math is. Shh, don't tell anyone, I stole it from their video podcast! Enjoy...

Oh, and what's up with 0 comments on my last 3 posts? Dude, go leave me a comment!

Mute Math? More like blow-my-eardrums Math!

2006-11-08T08:15:00.000-05:00

I went to a ridiculously loud rock concert on Monday night. And it was amazing. Now this wasn't just any old concert. We're talking about 100 people crammed into a little room about the size of my bedroom with a very small stage and 3 very loud bands. We're talking getting very close to band members and just a little too close to those very loud speakers (now you'll know what happened when I ask you to repeat yourself 57 times). So what made this the best concert I've ever seen? Let me tell you...

First up was a fairly new band called Jonezetta, and they sounded good. 2 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drummer... this looks like your typical rock band, but Jonezetta manages to sound very unique, a little angry at times, but great for dancing (or going deaf to, either way works). They brought some great energy to the stage, and they managed to be nice and funny without being cheesy. My favorite part? The guitarist Kyle Howe's wonderful mix of great playing, lack of facial expressions, and beautiful hair. You can listen to some of Jonezetta's songs on purevolume, and I highly encourage you to do just that.

Up next was The Whigs, who I'm not going to talk much about, because they weren't very good. The music wasn't too bad, but it lacked originality, and the lyrics seemed kind of pointless. And the guys seemed kind of boring. I've heard positive reviews of them, but I found The Whigs to be only mediocre.

However, all the mediocrity in the world couldn't have dampened the glory that was hearing Mute Math live. I haven't reviewed Mute Math yet (I will next week), but let it suffice for me to say that I am very much in love with this band. Their album is fantastic. Their live show was just as good as their album, but magnified about a million times. Was it loud? Yes. Were they crazy? Yes (think jumping on furniture, making plaster fall from the ceiling, sweat literally pouring off of them). Did they involve the crowd in a wonderful way? Yes. Were they genuine? Yes. Were they humble and absolutely incredible at the same time? Yes. Does Paul Meany play the keytar? Yes. Can Christians write excellent music that everyone can connect to? Mute Math has shown that the answer can be a resounding yes. The energy of this show was insane. And it was a beautiful thing, because these guys are writing beautiful, honest, original music. Please, if you ever get the chance, go see Mute Math. And go buy their album. Or just go listen to some songs on purevolume. If you have even remotely good taste in music, I assure you that you won't regret it.

Alrighty, folks, only one more concert left in concert week. But let's make the glory last... leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite concert has been. Or better yet, leave a voicemail at 203-437-4531 and tell me what your favorite concert has been. Who knows, maybe I will play your call on my pseudo-podcast, and a whopping 10 people will hear it. This just might be your chance to have 15 minutes of fame. Or, you know, 2 minutes, depending on how long your message is. Alright, I'll leave you to it. Bye for now!

Dr. J

PS - Check back tomorrow for an amazing live Mute Math video (not my own video, just like those aren't my pictures, but who said stolen stuff can't be amazing?)!

Watching Concerts with an Ocean View

2006-11-07T00:20:00.000-05:00

Watching Concerts with an Ocean View

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Tune in this week as we introduce new recording software, discuss the irony of Christian concerts, talk about people's favorite instruments to listen to, and hear music from Half-Handed Cloud and Starlit Platoon. Great music and great sound quality this week, so enjoy!

Links to things discussed in the show:

Half-Handed Cloud
Half-Handed Cloud on MySpace
Audacity
Large Christian Concerts
Casting Crowns
Starlit Platoon on purevolume
Starlit Platoon on MySpace

Contact Me:
Leave a comment!
Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call: 203-437-4531

WOTW 11/05/06

2006-11-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it's late this week, but welcome to yet another wonderful WOTW. This week's word is extraordinarily easy to remember, so I expect that you will use it even more than usual in your everyday conversations. Without further ado, here is our word:

-acousticophobia (ă-koos"tĭ-kō-fō'bĭ-u) noun --> fear of noise
Ex: When the acousticophobic girl went to the loud rockish concert, she curled up in the fetal position and screamed until the band stopped playing.

And now, for the random fact of the week:

The twentieth-century American horticulturist Rudolph Boysen crossed a blackberry, a raspberry, and a loganberry and created a new fruit named, naturally, the boysenberry.

Alrighty, folks. Have a great week, and be sure to check back at this blog often this week, because it's concert week!! 11 bands, 3 concerts, 1 week... pure joy. Be sure to listen to my audioblog on Tuesday, because now it costs me money and I really put quite a bit of work into them (and did I mention that the music is awesome?), so I would appreciate it if you would listen and let me know what you think. Alrighty, enough shameless self-promotion. Have an amazing week... au revoir.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Music or Ministry?

2006-11-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I know you never listen to the podcasts I recommend, but I really feel like this is one you need to hear, so I transcribed it for you. This is from Derek Webb's Podcast #2. I took excerpts and cleaned it up a little for easier reading. I know this is really long, but this is purposefully a light text week on my blog and it's an easy read. I really highly recommend that you read the whole thing, because he's got some really insightful comments, and trust me... it's not easy to transcribe a 14 minute podcast! Read it, and then let me know what you think.

“The thing I love about artists like Elliott Smith, or like Bob Dylan, for instance, is another guy I can’t leave home without, or even U2. The thing about them is that they’re so honest, with no care for their reputations, they’re just so unbelievably honest. And there’s something about listening to an Elliott Smith record, for me, a guy who was an addict, a guy who was a recluse; he had a lot of issues socially and was really terribly insecure, and I really appreciate, when I listen to the records that led up to his death, that you see that all over those records. You hear all about what he’s struggling with and the things that are just killing him. I mean, while it was tragic, it was no surprise to people who followed his music. And the difference between that and people in my industry, more in what’s categorized as the Christian music that’s out there, is that right before the big tragedies in the marriages and in the personal lives of the people in my industry; it’s a shock, because we’re not hearing about it. Because we’re not honest about it. Because we’re so fearful that people will know who we really are. Because more is wrapped up in trying to look like Jesus that to look like people who need Jesus. Which I think is a tragedy. I’m not like Jesus. I’m not at all, actually. I’m a wreck of a person. And I need him; without him I’d be lost. And I would rather people see my potential losses than people see my made-up, kind of fictional righteousness. It doesn’t get me anywhere. Cause if that’s all I show to them, then they’re gonna be shocked when they find out that I’m kind of a wreck of a person. That’s who I am, and I’d rather there be no pretense about whether I’m a good person. Whether or not I’m someone you should really listen to. I’m not at all. But I know a guy.

“I think one of the reasons that it’s important for artists in the church to be more concerned with making good art than with making explicit art is because for one, art is the primary way by which people engage each other’s world views. And I’m afraid as artists in the church, if we’re not making good art, we’re not going to get invited into those worldview discussions. Because where those are happening are in the Billboard Top 200. You know, those discussions are happening on the bar circuit in our towns and our communities. It’s happening on MTV. There are a lot of artists with a lot of world views who are making great art, and therefore have a platform to discuss their worldview. As Christians, the reason that people aren’t listening to what we have to say about the world is not because they don’t want to hear us because our faith and because of Jesus. It’s because our art is terrible. It’s because we’ve got to put more importance on making good art. Nowadays, the church is about five years behind pop culture, and it’s no wonder the church is seen as kind of irrelevant and one-dimensional. I really don’t think it’s overstating to say that is because our art is substandard. I think if the church was behind making better art, we would find a place where we could discuss our worldview and culture. I really do. I don’t think it’s going to take better programs, or better methods or multi-million dollar buildings to draw people in, to see what we’ve got. I think it’s going to take, first and foremost, our artists going out and making really respected and good art. Excellent art; doing it with excellence. Not all artists have to engage in full-time ministry. Some simply need to make great art. And I think it’s a double standard, if you play music, immediately the word ministry comes into it… “I love your ministry.” What do you know about my ministry? I, like all Christians, have a desire that disciples would be made and that people might come to faith, and that’s something I concern myself with that in my community and my personal life, but I’m a singer/songwriter. I’m just trying to make great art. I don’t really see this as ministry. I see this as the work that I have to do and use the gifts God has given me to do it. And as an individual, I do care about making disciples, just as you do in your work, but this isn’t full-time ministry for me. This is my work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need to have eyes to see the way that God might work in the world, and it may not be by way of all the categories that we put on Him.”

An Interesting Technique

2006-11-02T07:50:00.000-05:00

Here is a video of Justin King playing the guitar in one of the most interesting fashions I have ever seen. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't, but he certainly has talent. Thanks to Liz for sending me this video.

The Future of Christian Literature?

2006-11-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

This is really funny, especially if you're familiar with the sad story that is modern Christian literature. Some of my favorites are numbers 9, 16, 21, 23, 39, and 40. Enjoy!

50 Potential Christian Bestsellers from purgatorio1.com.

If the hyperlink doesn't work, here is the URL: http://purgatorio1.com/?p=536.

Calculators and Conversations

2006-10-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

Calculators and Conversations (use this link to go to the Gabcast site, where you can download the episode for use on your m3p or CD player)

On today's episode, we discuss a Lowercase People article, get some new contact info, and hear music from Telecast and Mae. Sorry it's kind of long this week, but it's good stuff! Enjoy and let me know what you think...

Telecast
Conversation Between Mute Math and Mae
Mae
Download sample from Tooth & Nail (including Mae's "Someone Else's Arms")
PrivatePhone

Contact me: jillmdblog@gmail.com or 203-437-4531

WOTW 10/29/06

2006-10-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

Howdy. Welcome to the word of the week, which I trust you will use responsibly and often this week. Enjoy!

-nefandous (nĕ-făn'dus) adj. --> unmentionable, unspeakable
Ex: The cause of his illness was nefandous, so onlookers were kept in suspense about why the man had four feet.

And now for a random fact:

Early astronomers thought that each day of the week was ruled by its own heavenly body, and as a result every day is named after an object in our solar system. It's easy to see how Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon are commemorated in Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The other four days, Tuesday through Friday, get their names by a more roundabout route, from Tiw, Woden, Thor and Freya, the Anglo-Saxon equivalents of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. Feminists will be happy to note that we should thank a goddess it's Friday.

That's all I have for you today, folks. Stay warm and well-informed in the upcoming week (mainly by reading my blog!). Au revoir.

Fondly,
Dr. J

PS - I should note that most of the random facts presented in the WOTW are brought to you courtesy of Scot Morris' excellent Book of Strange Facts and Useless Information, which is unfortunately no longer in print. So thankyou Mr. Morris.

The Strangest Music Video You'll Ever See

2006-10-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, they are a real band. Yes, I do listen to them. Find out more at www.danielson.info.

Would you like some cream cheese with that mold?

2006-10-26T08:15:00.000-05:00

Note: This post contains graphic depictions of sporaceous fungi. Please use discretion; you may not want to read this while eating if you are of the squeamish type.

Alright, so the other day I was looking in the cabinets for a little evening snack. I found some chips and salsa and thought that sounded good, so I looked for some cream cheese to go with my salsa. I was very excited to find a big container of luscious Philadelphia cream cheese in the fridge. But when I opened it, do you think I found this...?

Oh no. No creamy delicious cream cheese for me. Instead, I found this...

Anyone up for some mold?

Mae I Tell You About Some Great Music?

2006-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a review of The Everglow by Mae. Mae is an inde-
pendent (though soon to be signed to a major label) rock band whose name stands for "Multisensory Aesthetic Experience." Lead singer Dave Elkins has a lovely voice; it has an almost conversational quality about it, and it is very pleasant to listen to. The music on this album generally uses pretty basic rock structure, but they sound very good, and they make excellent use of the piano. The lyrics on the album are always very good, sometimes excellent. The Everglow is bookended by an outdated but clever "Prologue" and an "Epilogue," which contribute nicely to the feeling that this is an entire listening experience. The first song, "We're So Far Away," is definitely the best track on the album and is the best song I've heard this year. It showcases a beautiful blend of vocals, piano, and strings. This track has a great transition to "Someone Else's Arms," which is the next best song on the album with great rock guitar and soaring vocals. "Suspension," the album's first single, is very catchy, probably because it has more pop influence than other tracks. The next four songs (from "This is the Countdown" to "Breakdown") start off nicely, but they each get a little bogged down and a little boring after a minute or two. "Painless" is the best of the four with some great piano moments. The album picks back up with the pretty, ambiguous "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" and then continues with four songs that are lyrically, vocally and musically excellent. The album ends with "The Sun and the Moon," which is almost as beautiful as "We're So Far Away," but runs about two minutes too long. You can listen to quite a few of Mae's songs on purevolume or on their MySpace page, or you can buy the whole album on iTunes. Very highly recommended overall. Highlight tracks: "We're So Far Away", "Someone Else's Arms", "Cover Me", "Anything"

Amazing Radio and Rich Young Rulers

2006-10-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

Amazing Radio and Rich Young Rulers (this link takes you to the Gabcast page, where you can download the file to listen to on a personal audio player)

On this episode of audioblogging goodness, we discuss the best internet radio around, changes to my blog, and we hear music from Half-Handed Cloud and Derek Webb. Better sound quality this week too!

Half-Handed Cloud
Pandora Internet Radio
Derek Webb
Get your free download of Mockingbird at FreeDerekWebb.com!
New Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com

Blog Evaluation...

2006-10-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

It's that time again. It's time for me to remind you that you can sign up to receive email updates every time I post on this blog. You now have two ways to do this. You can either go to our Google Group site and click "Join This Group" (you need to create a Google account to do this) or you can just tell me you want to receive them and I'll add you to the list. To do this, leave a comment or email me at jillmdblog@gmail.com (the new special blog email address!). You should do it. It's fun to get email.

For our second order of business, I am asking you to talk to me. Evaluate me. Tell me what you like and what you would like to see different in this blog. Do I post too often? Too infrequently (yeah right!)? Are posts too long? Too short? Is there too much text? Too much video/audio? What do you most look forward to? What do you skip? What would you like to see me write about? How do you feel about the site layout/color scheme? Please let me know, so that the work I put into blogging will be enjoyable to you! You can leave a comment with your suggestions or email me (again, it's jillmdblog@gmail.com). I look forward to hearing from you...

Fondly,
Your favorite blogging doctor

WOTW 10/22/06

2006-10-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Welcome to the word of the week. I hope you enjoy using this word in your everyday conversations. Remember that this will help you to cement the word in your memory, and it will share this wonderful knowledge with the rest of the world! Here it is, folks, our newest WOTW:

-hypobulia (hī-pō-bū'lĭ-u) noun --> difficulty in making decisions
Ex: I experience hypobulia when choosing beverages. Coke? Diet coke? Coke with cherry? Caffeine-free diet coke? Coke zero? Coke with lemon? Diet coke with lime? Ahh! This is why I drink water.

And now for this week's random fact (it's kind of a story, actually, but oh well...):

During Prohibition, a popular (and legal) consumer item was the "wine brick" - compressed grape concentrate sold in a dozen varieties such as Bordeaux, Riesling, and even Champagne. The sly "warning" on the package made everything clear: "Do not dissolve this in a gallon of water and let sit for 21 days. If you do, it will ferment and turn into wine. That would be illegal."

Alrighty, folks, have a great week. Bye bye bye.

Dr. J

Naptime, anyone?

2006-10-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

That's one tired cat. Pretty cute, though.

We Love Trees in This House

2006-10-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Hey hey hey! Now that fall is upon us and the trees are looking lovely, I thought it would be a good time to do a little tree tribute. I love trees. I love these pictures. You will too. So enjoy.

Mela knows how to have a good time.

Red trees are my favorite.

Kiwi Trees (aka Tree-covered and snow-covered moutains in New Zealand)

This one is poetic.

This one is poetic too.

Beautiful Irish trees and sky. Makes you just want to hop on a plane and go there, doesn't it?

So there you have it - beautiful trees. If you live in New England, go outside today and enjoy the changing leaves before they all fall off and turn brown and it's too cold to go outside. If you don't live in New England, I'm sorry for your loss. Have a great day anyway. Bye.

Your leaf-eating friend,
Jill

Sufjan Stevens

2006-10-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Note: I usually do 3 music reviews in one post, but I'll be focusing on 1 artist per post for the next few music reviews, because they are mmm mmm good (and I am running out of money to buy music with)!

Sufjan Stevens is a musical genius. Genius! There is no scale that could measure the originality of Sufjan's music. The very nature of it defies categorization - I haven't heard anyone that sounds quite like Sufjan. I have heard people call Sufjan Stevens the modern Mozart. I don't think I would compare him with Mozart (who I love), but his albums are like grand compositions that are unheard of in modern music. If you can think of an instrument, there's a fair chance that Sufjan has used it in his music. He has guitars, pianos, trumpets, strings, glockenspiel, a chorus of voices, and that is only a small sampling. His 2005 album Illinois is the second in what will be a series of albums about states (the first was Michigan). It has 24 tracks, some very short (6 under 1 minute) and some very long (9 longer than 5 minutes). 7 tracks are instrumental (a couple have vocals with no words), and the rest have Sufjan's voice and often a chorus of women's and (sometimes) men's voices. Illinois is like a history of Illinois mixed with Sufjan's own personal history, and it is a masterfully woven story. There's a pretty good chance that, like me, you won't love Sufjan the first (or 2nd, or 3rd) time you listen to his music. It is really an acquired taste, but this music is brilliant and refreshing and I encourage you very highly to give listening to Sufjan a fair chance. You can listen to some of his music on purevolume or you can buy the whole album on iTunes. This is an album that really should be listened to as a whole, but in case you are impatient, here are some highlight tracks: "Casimir Pulaski Day", "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us", "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhh!" (I love those strings!), "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother!", "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"

Did I Step On Your Trumpet?

2006-10-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Did I Step On Your Trumpet?

On this edition of audioblogging, I talk about a great online magazine, discuss when the world will end, and play music by Danielson and Switchfoot. Sorry about the static in the beginning - it goes away after about 40 seconds. Just in case you didn't know, you can stream (listen to) this audio post directly on the site... just click the little play button.

Danielson (the song is "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?" from the album Ships)
lowercase people
Switchfoot
"Daylight to Break"

Good Ways to Spend Your Spare Change

2006-10-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Today I'd like to share with you a couple organization that I support and that I really believe are doing some great work.

The first organization I want to talk about is Gospel for Asia, which is a group that trains native missionaries to minister in Asia, primarily in India. A native missionary is someone who is originally from the region, so they already speak the language and know the customs, and they are more readily accepted than a foreign missionary would be. These missionaries are ministering in the 10/40 window, which is home to 97% of the people in the world who have never heard the gospel. There are many other facets of GFA's work, including building schools for young children, radio ministry, printing Bibles, and providing clean water for villages. One of the things I love most about GFA is that 100% of money you send for any of these things goes straight to the field. They are a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), so you can be sure that they are being held financially accountable. If you would like to learn more about GFA, you can visit their website, where you can also request a free book, Revolution in World Missions, which explains more in depth GFA's purpose and vision. If you think GFA sounds great, then feel free to check out Missionary Sponsorship for $30/month, or you can sponsor a child through Bridge of Hope for $28/month. This is an organization whose vision is really in the right place, so I hope you'll take a little time to learn more about them.

The other organization that I'll be talking about today is Blood:Water Mission, which was established by Dan Haseltine and the other members of Jars of Clay. Blood:Water Mission's website states that they are "committed to [providing] clean blood and clean water to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, to build clean wells in Africa, to support medical facilities caring for the sick, to make a lasting impact in the fight against poverty, injustice and oppression in Africa through the linking of needs, talents and continents, of people and resources." They break it down like this: one dollar provides clean water to one African for one year. Not bad, huh? And I love the fact that the guys from Jars of Clay have actually spent (and will continue to spend) a significant amount of time in Africa, actually working with the people there. From what I've read, they really seem to have their hearts in the right place in this endeavor. Blood:Water Mission is also financially accountable - they are a registered 501 (c) 3 organization, and no more than 20% of the funds they receive are put towards administrative tasks. Check out www.bloodwatermission.com, where you can donate your money or your time towards a great cause! You can also check our their MySpace page to learn more (and hear some great music!).

I know that a lot of us feel like we can't (or don't want to) give money to charitable organizations, because we don't know if they're reputable or we don't have enough money. Well, I just gave you 2 groups that I promise are reputable, so there goes one concern. And I promise you that every person reading this can spare some money to help other people. It might mean giving something up - your morning coffee, digital cable, name-brand food and clothes, your addiction to buying music (oh, or maybe that's just me)... I'm sure the list could go on and on. What has worked for me is putting aside 10% of my paycheck to spend on organizations such as these two. I get it direct-deposited into a separate account, so I don't even notice it's missing. So what I'm trying to say is that there are ways that we can be global-minded and sensitive to the needs of other people, even if we can't go to Africa or India to help people out. Let me know if you can think of other ways to contribute to great causes or any organizations that you love, because I know that there's a lot more I could be and should be doing. Alright, have a great day!

Jill

WOTW 10/15/06

2006-10-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yo... here it is, the most wonderful part of our weeks - the WOTW! I like this week's word, because it gives us language to describe something we do quite frequently. Remember to use this word as much as you can in order to share your knowledge with your friends and neighbors! Here it is:

-litotes (lī'tō-tēz) noun --> the use of understatement to avoid criticism or for dramatic effect
Ex: When she lost millions of her company's dollars, the woman employed litotes and told her boss that she had "misplaced a few dollars".

And now for the random fact of the week:

A filet mignon should taste better in San Diego than in Denver: human taste buds are more sensitive at sea level than they are at higher altitudes.

There you have it, folks. Have a wonderful week and don't forget to eat your vegetables!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Meow

2006-10-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some more funny kitties for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Clean Hands or Death?

2006-10-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, I lied. I said I was going to talk about Purell hand sanitizer today, and while I am going to talk about hand sanitizer, my main target will not be Purell. We are now entering the season of cold weather and dry hands, and I'm sure we all wonder what we can do to keep our hands moisturized. Here's one thing you should not do: do not use hand sanitizer. Now, I'm a big fan of clean hands... I work in a daycare, I need to keep my hands clean. And that means washing my hands about 789,083 times a day. You would think that using a nice little hand sanitizer would protect my hands from getting dry, but here's the thing - even a "moisturizing" hand sanitizer can be comprised of over 60% ethyl alcohol. Here are some more disturbing facts that I will let speak for themselves. The facts come from the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for a generic sanitizer and the MSDS for Purell. One MSDS labels two of the main ingredients in the sanitizer as "Hazardous Ingredients". Another MSDS states that "chronic exposure can result in skin irritation and contact dermatitis." Aren't we supposed to use it every day? One MSDS contains an entire, long section about "Fire Fighting Measures". For hand sanitizer. In a work environment, the suggested PPE (Personal protective equipment) when using hand sanitizer is goggles and gloves. Gloves? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Here's one more quote: "After working with this product, be sure to wash before eating, smoking, drinking, or applying cosmetics." So don't use hand sanitizer to avoid the drying hand-washing process, because you'll need to wash them anyway so you don't spontaneously combust. Now you know: hand sanitizer is bad; hand-washing is good.

Book Readings and Music

2006-10-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

Book Readings and Music

Sorry that the sound quality isn't great on the music; recording on a phone obviously has drawbacks (like my arm gets tired from holding it up to the speakers). But go listen to the good version on purevolume...

www.purevolume.com/mae
www.whatismae.com
www.purevolume.com/sufjanstevens
www.sufjan.com

The Brothers Karamazov

2006-10-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

Hola, mes bons amis. This is blog book review numero uno. If you know me well, then you now that I've always loved to read. You might wonder, then, why I haven't done a book review before. The reason is this! I haven't actually finished a book in months. This can be attributed to a couple factors; one is that my book was over 700 pages long. Another is that listening to podcasts is generally far easier than reading, so I haven't been doing a whole lot of reading lately. But yesterday, I finally finished the grand, enormous The Brothers Karamazov by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky.

In this novel, Dostoevsky sometimes takes the first person view as an eyewitness to the actions taking place and sometimes just uses the limited third person, focusing on various different characters. In fact, he combines these two voices quite seamlessly. When writing in the first person, Dostoevsky speaks with humility, and treats the reader as an equal in watching the events of the story unfold.

In most fiction novels, the plot is the main focus. That is not the case in The Brothers Karamazov. In fact, the plot of this book is really quite slow and lacking in action. There is really one major plot development, which only occurs after about 400 or 500 pages of character development. Another unique aspect of this novel is that Dostoevsky pretty much lets you know what's going to happen in the plot well before it actually happens. In fact, there is only one unanticipated plot point in the book, and it is not particularly vital to the overall story.

Like I said, there is very extensive character development in this novel; in fact, that is the main focal point of the story. This book has an exorbitant number of main characters. Really, you need detailed graphs to keep them all straight. Well, I figured it out after a few hundred pages, but it is confusing at first. The great thing about Dostoevsky's character development is that he doesn't portray any characters as simply evil or good. Every character contains attributes of goodness and evil, and Dostoevsky spends countless pages examining his characters' moral and spiritual ambiguities. In spite of the lack of plot, this book was extremely entertaining, because of the way it looks at people and relationships. The major themes of this novel are romance, familial relationships, crime and punishment, religion and theology, sin and redemption. I very highly recommend The Brothers Karamazov if you are prepared to make a deep emotional and temporal commitment.

Ok, that's enough. Check back tomorrow for an audio blog with a brand new server. Ok, have a great day! Au revoir, mes petits chemins de fer.

Jill

Keith's Party

2006-10-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

My (not so) little nephew Keith just turned two yesterday! Here are some picture and video highlights from his party...

My sister is such a clever cake decorator...

Mother and Liz

LUKE!

So many presents for such a little boy!

Kim (smiling) and Andrea (not smiling)

Mmm... Keith loves cake...

...but he loves presents more!

How many people does it take to get a toy out of the packaging? The world may never know...

Keith wasn't very interested in the police coat & hat I got him, so I wore it instead. Just call me Officer Jill.

Sabrina and Keith (I really like this picture)

And last but not least, here's a little video of everyone at the party. Great fun...

You can see more videos from the party on my YouTube account. And if you're in a video and don't want to be posted on the internet, send me a really compelling argument and maybe I'll consider doing something about it. Alrighty, folks. I hope you all have a great day. Check in tomorrow for the long-awaited book review! Au revoir...

Jill

WOTW 10/08/06

2006-10-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hey folks. Welcome to the word of the week... we are back in full force this week with a wonderful word and an insightful random fact. Remember, as always, to use this word as much as possible in everyday conversation in order to enlighten the masses. Here's our fantastic word, friends:

-fedifragous (fĕd-ĭf'ru-gus) adj. --> treacherous, deceitful
Ex: Telling your mother you brushed your teeth when you really didn't is a fedifragous (and unsanitary) act. (Not that I ever did that as a child!)

And now, for our beloved random fact:

A single cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in just seven years.

Alrighty, I'm off (to see the wizard), so I hope you all have a super-fantastic week. Leave me a comment and tell me a little-known fact about yourself. C'mon, we're all friends here. :) Ok, the end.

My fondest regards,
Dr. J

PS - Yep, these pictures are of a hot air balloon that I just happened to see floating through town today, so I followed it and captured it on film. Pretty cool, huh?

Activate

2006-10-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all... I was going to do a book review today, but I haven't finished my book yet, so I thought I'd post another video from the music I reviewed. This is "Activate" by Stellar Kart - it happens to be one of their songs that I really enjoy. And it's a funny video, so I hope you enjoy it too. Au revoir!

Day Late Friend

2006-10-06T07:10:00.000-05:00

Here's is Anberlin's "A Day Late". I'm not generally a big fan of music videos, and they all look kind of spastic in this video, but I thought this would give you a quick and easy way to listen to some of the music I reviewed. Enjoy...

Two Gems and a Headache

2006-10-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

Hey hey, here are some reviews of music that I have bought and listened to lately. I will put links for all three of them to places where you can go and listen to some songs for free, so be sure to check them out! Ok, let's get into it...

First up today is Derek Webb, whose most recent album, Mockingbird, was released late last year. Webb's music is classified as "folk rock," and I think that's a pretty fair description. Musically, there is not much variety on this album, but this style works very well for Derek Webb. Think lots of acoustic guitars, soft drums, piano, and a smattering of various other instruments. Webb has a voice that is very easy to listen to. It's not perfect, and it won't blow you away, but it's very nice; somehow he manages to be both mellow and passionate. Perhaps the passion comes from the deeply honest and emotional lyrics, which are undoubtedly the best part of this album. Webb isn't afraid to bring tough subjects to light, and he forces his listeners to make decisions about topics such as social justice, materialism and war without pointing fingers at anyone but himself. In fact, Webb is so committed to the message of his music that he is offering the entire album absolutely free until December 1, 2006. You can get it at FreeDerekWebb.com. You do need to tell 5 friends about the album to get it, but feel free to use my two email addresses (jilllawton@sbcglobal.net, laji123@optonline.net) if you don't want to send it to other people. Or you can check Derek Webb out on purevolume, where you can listen to a few songs before deciding whether to download it or not. This is free music at its best, people... go take advantage of it! Highlight Tracks: "A New Law", "A King A Kingdom", "Rich Young Ruler", "My Enemies Are Men Like Me".

This next album is one that I was very excited about getting. In fact, I spent $12 on it on iTunes (I don't know why it's more expensive than everything else; it only has 13 songs), and it has probably been my biggest musical disappointment this year. It's Stellar Kart's album We Can't Stand Sitting Down. Now, I should be fair; in small doses, Stellar Kart sounds very good and is very fun. Stellar Kart's website describes the music as "fun, frantic, frenetic music," and that is a very accurate description. Ironically, lead singer Adam Agee described the album as "diverse," but nearly every song on this album sounds exactly the same. You get 12 pop punk rock songs that never give your ears a break (with the exception of the heartfelt "Angels in Chorus"); even the songs that try to be ballads never quite succeed. I'm sure that Agee has a good voice, but this album does nothing to showcase it, as he manages to shout his way through most of the album. As far as lyrics go, these are meaningful and well-phrased, but they present nothing that we haven't heard before. With all that said, this is an entertaining album to listen to, but you have to be in a very high-energy mood to get through the whole thing. You can listen to some of Stellar Kart's songs on purevolume, or you can find the whole album on iTunes. Highlight tracks: "Activate", "Always Waiting", "Finding Out", "Angels in Chorus".

Last up tonight is an album that is quickly becoming a personal favorite: Anberlin's Never Take Friendship Personal. This is alternative rock music at its best. This album is full of sweeping melodies, catchy choruses and magnificent guitar action. It's very nice. Lead singer Stephen Christian has a great, unique voice, and he actually sings his music (except in the dark "The Feel-Good Drag", in which he very effectively utilizes the screaming technique). This album's lyrics show a level of maturity that is rare in modern music, and they choose to write about real material without falling into sugarcoated nonsense. Their songs discuss love, with both its joys and its dysfunctions. I'll break it down a little for you: the first 8 songs on the album are excellent, really high-quality music. Then comes "Audrey, Start the Revolution", which isn't a bad song, but the lyrics feel a little disjointed to me. The intrumental "A Heavy Hearted Work of Staggering Genius" is the only song on the album that I dislike; it just seems kind of pointless and is not particularly enjoyable. Luckily, the album ends on a strong note with "Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen", which clocks in at 7:06, but which is yet another slab of musical genius. You can listen to or download (for free!) some of Anberlin's songs on purevolume, or you can find the whole album on iTunes. Highlight tracks: "Paperthin Hymn", "Stationary Stationery", "A Day Late", "The Feel-Good Drag".

Ok, this is long, so bye.

Jill

2006-10-04T19:59:00.000-05:00

Podcasts are Fun

2006-10-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Howdy. If you are a new reader to my blog, or if you weren't paying attention last time I wrote about podcasting, and if you are not technologically savvy, then I better give you a quick definition of podcasting before we start. Podcasts are a lot like radio shows, except that you download them from the internet and listen to them at your convenience. There are podcasts about pretty much any conceivable topic, so you're sure to find something you like. I use iTunes to find and download my podcasts, but you can also use a website like Podcast Alley to find podcasts. I'm just going to review two podcasts today that I have really been enjoying lately.

Just in case you haven't noticed, I am a word lover. I was in a state of ecstasy when I found this podcast. It is a podcast by three men, Dave, Howard and Howard. They are all teachers, and they are all very intelligent, and they too love words. So they sit around and talk about words and language and the way we use language. Sound boring? Well, it's not. These guys are really entertaining... they use relevant real-life examples when discussing language, and they incorporate music into their show that is relevant to the topic. Their one consistent, weekly segment is "the rude word of the week", which is sometimes very rude, but more often than not, it's pretty benign. They give the show a rating each week (eg. PG, PG-13, R, etc.) to let you know if they are going to discuss offensive or vulgar language. These guys really offer great insights into language; they make you think about the ways you use your words, and they teach you a lot without making you feel like you are in school! They just changed from podcasting every week to every couple weeks, but they are still going strong. Check them out at www.thewordnerds.org or on iTunes.

Maybe you listen to the Bored-Again Christian, and you wish you could hear Just Pete talk more. Maybe you like to listen to people talk about random things. Maybe you like to laugh. If any of these things are true for you, then you should listen to Illinoise!. It's basically just a couple (Just Pete and NASA Janet) from a small town in Illinois talking, but they are so insanely funny. They have some very funny bits, such as Robot Theater, Haiku Reviews, and Bad Science. And they play music. And did I mention that they're funny? They haven't put out a new show in a couple months, but you can find all the old shows on their website or on iTunes. I would recommend checking out the first few shows, anyways. I just crack up when I listen, and my family thinks I'm crazy, because they can't hear the funniness. Hahaha...

Ok, go check those out and be enriched and laugh a lot. Have fun.

J-dawg

Wedding Pictures

2006-10-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone... this weekend, my family and I traveled to a very remote village in NY for the wedding of my cousin Nathan and his now-wife, Tamara. It was a very beautiful location, and the service, though cold, was very nice, and the reception was a lot of fun (with excellent food!). Here are some picture highlights...

Keith and I when we took a break during the ride.

This is the cabin we stayed in - it was right on a lake with mountains in the distance.

Lloyd, Mother and Lukey getting ready to go to the wedding.

This is where they had the wedding... you can see the stuff left where the ceremony was in the lower right corner of the picture.

The groom (my cousin) and mother of the groom (my aunt) dancing.

I know this one's kind of fuzzy, but it's Keith dancing with "Potta". You can see the bride (Tamara) in the back.

Mother, Ann, and Memere enjoying the reception.

Keith was the life of the party! He's a dancing fool (look at that face!).

My Aunt Shell and Uncle Paul came in from CA for the wedding.

Getting ready to go home again - Lukey is such a doll! (He's almost always this happy, I swear)

Mom, Luke, Liz, Keith, and me in front of the "scenic overlook".

Here are the mountains at the scenic overlook... too bad it was cloudy, so you can't see how beautiful it was. It was beautiful, though.

Ok, that's all for now. I bet that looking at these made you feel like you were there, didn't they? But then again, if you're reading this, there's a pretty good chance that you were there. Alrighty, if you were someone who was there (or if you just really like random photos) and you would like all of the pictures, just let me know, and I'll email the whole album to you. Buh-bye, my friends.

Jill

WOTW 10/01/06

2006-10-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

Hi guys. I'm very tired tonight, so this will be very short. Just remember to share this word as much as you can this week! Here it is:

-inficete (ĭn-fĭ-sēt') adj. --> dull, unfunny, deadly serious, humorless
Ex: Driving in a car with screaming babies is inficete unless you create impromptu rap songs with your sister.

Ok, thanks for reading folks. Check my blog tomorrow for some pictures of the wedding (and some very nice mountains!). Have a nice day...

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Driving Interview

2006-09-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

Talking Cats

2006-09-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

C'mon, who doesn't love cats now?

Life in the Loony Bin

2006-09-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Hey all... I apologize for the lack of posts in the last couple days. I've been super-busy, and YouTube is being stupid and won't let me put any videos up. But anyways, it's time for a random life update! I've had a really nice last couple of days. Work has been surprisingly pleasant and pretty quiet (or as quiet as a room with 5 toddlers can be), and school has been interesting, with activities such as a field trip, outside "play", and charades! This is a relief because of the insane amounts of homework I have this week. It's also a relief after a rough weekend. I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'm crazy, because my tiredness and hungriness and overwhelmedness and sad spiritual condition made me act like a person who belongs in the loony bin. Luckily, church has been good for me, if for no other reason than that it forces me to open my Bible and think about God. And surprise! I talked to Jesus a couple times this week. Here's a verse I read that has affected the way I have been talking to and interacting with God...

"Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool's voice is known by his many words."
*Ecclesiastes 5:2-3*

This is like a foreign concept to me, because lately when I talk to God, all I do is go on and on with excuses and with reasons why I'm the victim and why He should feel sorry for me. You have no idea how great a relief it is to be able to quiet myself and sit instead in reflection of God's great attributes. To peel my eyes away from myself, even for a moment, allows me to see a glimpse of something so much bigger and infinitely more exciting than this life, this existence. And Jars of Clay expressed it so well when they said that "we are bored of all the things we know". I am bored with my computer, my schoolwork, my music, the type of Christianity I see all around me. So, while trying to let my words be few, I asked God to allow my relationship with Him to go to a place, to be something that I have never experienced before; I want a relationship with God to reflect all the magnificence and excitement that He is and that He wants my life to be. And all He said to me was, "Change your attitude." So, as Shane & Shane so melodically put it, my anthem right now is, "Lord, I know if I change my mind, you will change my heart in time. Sovereign Lord, this time's from you, so I sit in the waiting room of silence." Thanks for listening to the unrestrained blabber of my mind. Have a nice night/day/afternoon/evening.

Quietly (in spirit, anyway! ),
Jill

TV TV TV

2006-09-25T08:33:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This post in no way advocates the evil practice of watching TV. Ok, maybe it does, but in a perfect world there would be no televisions.

Now that the new television season is upon us, I thought I would tell you about a couple of my favorite shows.

My favorite TV show of all time is Lost... this is a show that manages to be intelligent, intriguing, and entertaining all at the same time. If you don't know the premise, it's basically that a plane crashed on this remote island, and the story is about the 48 survivors. But there turns out to be a lot more to the island that they think originally. The show contains a very large cast of main characters, and most shows pick one character and show his or her flashbacks from life before the island. This is the kind of show that you really need to watch from the beginning, because it's a very linear story line. But trust me, watch one or two episodes, and you will be hooked! It's very easy to get hold of past episodes. If you have Netflix, you can rent the first 2 seasons that way, or if I know you, you can just come to my house and watch my DVDs. Or you can buy the shows on iTunes. Or I guess you can rent them at an actual movie store, but really, who does that anymore? The 3rd season of Lost premieres on October 4 at 9 PM on ABC. Go check it out!

The other show that I will be watching this season is Medium; this is a show that is based on a completely unrealistic premise (because, let's be honest, you can't communicate with dead people), but it is about this woman, Allison, who is a psychic. The show is both linear and episodic at the same time. Each episode focuses on one "case" that Allison is working with (she works with the DA - also unrealistic, I know), and it usually wraps that up nicely by the end of the hour. The linear part is the ongoing relationships between Allison, her family, and her coworkers. The show is based on a true story (although who knows how true the story is or how based on it the show is). It's entertaining, sometimes it's kind of creepy... you know, the kind of show that makes me not want to brush my teeth at night, because Samara might crawl out of the shower and attack me from behind. But it's a fun show. It's usually a nice relief from all the stupid crime shows and reality shows that are ravaging our televisions. The acting is really good, and the stories keep you wanting to come back for more. You can check Medium out on Sunday nights at 10 PM on NBC (the start date is kind of fuzzy as of now, but I'm guessing it will be in the next couple weeks).

Some shows that I enjoy, but don't have time to watch this year are House, Cold Case, and of course, American Idol. Alright, I have to go go go, have a great night!

Jill

PARTY WOTW! (09/24/06)

2006-09-24T18:09:00.000-05:00

That's right, people! It's party time! Welcome to the official third anniversary of the word of the week! This time, I put the power to choose the word into your hands, and those of you who voted chose this week's word pretty decisively. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mindy, Danna, and Leslie, the three people who won free song downloads in our little contest and who also happen to be three of the coolest people in the world. Honorable mentions go to my mom and sister, who also sent correct definitions to me, but who didn't get free music. I guess I should do something special this week for our party, so here's a brief history of the WOTW in haiku form:

first had three readers
now we are just so famous
because words are fun

Not only is the WOTW fun to read, but we are also in the business of changing lives. Most of the feedback that I get is from people who say that they would be lost, just lost without a word to pull them through the weeks. No lie. Now, since I don't want you to feel lost in despair, it's time to present you with the very special WOTW, which won with 57% of your votes. Let's go:

-kamalayka (kŏ-mŏ-lī'ku) noun --> a waterproof shirt made from seal guts
Ex: As we journeyed through Antarctica, we wore kamalaykas in order to go from swimming to walking with no discomfort.

And what would the WOTW be without our beloved random fact? Here's the best part of the party - you get two random facts this week! One relates to our word, and one has to do with words in general. Here they are:

1. The word "scuba" is an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus."

2. The word mussel is derived from muscle, because of the strength with which these molluscs can keep their shells closed. And muscle, in turn, can be traced back to the Latin mus, or "mouse," because of the picturesque notion that a rippling biceps suggests the image of a mouse scampering about underneath.

Alrighty, folks, this has been fun, but it's getting late, and even a great party has to end eventually. Let's keep the dialogue open in this little endeavor... tell me if you have a WOTW-worthy word or if you come across a particularly random fact. I'll be getting a new poll up on my blog tonight or tomorrow morning, so come back and check it out! Have a superbly amazing week!

Avec beaucoup de joie,
Dr. J

My Job

2006-09-23T11:23:00.000-05:00

Hey all. This is going to be a long one, so enter in at your own risk. I thought I would talk today a little more in-depth about my job. I have mentioned that I work in a child care center and that I particularly enjoy it, but I haven't really talked about what I do or what it's like. And perhaps you're interested in the inner workings of the daycare system. I'll be focusing mainly on the infant/toddler aspects of the center, because that's where I work. So here we go...

First of all, let's get one thing straight. I'm not just a babysitter who sits there and plays all day. Certification to be a teacher in a good child care center involves quite a lot of schooling and skills. In fact, the early childhood education classes that I am taking are some of the most involved and require the most work of any classes I have taken. As early childhood teachers, we seek to take care of and form the whole child. This does involve changing diapers and feeding the children, and it also involves teaching the children... language, encouraging inquiry, math and science, social skills, and moral behaviors (which we do whether we intend to or not). Teaching these things really require a thorough knowledge of how young children learn and how we can encourage their inquiry. It's tough stuff, trust me.

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I say that there are quite a few disadvantages to placing one's child in a child care center. In the case of young infants, consistently being in a daycare setting for long days can cause some serious separation problems as the child starts to grow up. In all age groups, there is an almost inescapable problem of the children getting less individual attention than is ideal. This problem gets less severe in smaller centers, but it's very hard for a teacher to give a child a lot of one-on-one attention when there are 3 or 7 or 15 other kids to keep track of. These are problems that pervade even high-quality centers; low-quality centers are often much worse than this. They usually hold teachers with few or no qualifications, they have large class sizes, and toys and materials may be in a state of disrepair. This may sound like an unreasonable place to put your child, but high-quality centers are very expensive, so many people, especially those who need childcare the most, have to settle for low-quality centers. One of the other problems that I see in childcare is the parents. Now I don't want to present all-encompassing steretypes; I know some parents who are amazing and who I love to talk to; for the rest, I don't pretend to know all of their situations or motives, but I become rather infuriated with them sometimes. Some parents leave their children with us for 10 or more hours a day, even when they are not working or even when their children are sick (it takes a lot of force to convice some parents to come retrieve their sick child). My favorite thing is when parents don't spend any time with their kids, and then they try to dictate our every move at work. Here's my advice: if you want to control every minute aspect of how your kids are raised, then raise your kids!

In spite of all the disadvantages of child care, there are some advantages. High-quality centers with small class sizes and highly qualified teachers really give young children great opportunities for social interaction and the ability to learn a great deal. The first few years of life are some of the most vital in shaping the way children will learn in later years, and good teachers can be invaluable in promoting a child's exploration and independence in learning. Studies have shown that positive early learning experiences really do affect the achievements of children in elementary school and beyond. My job is a very important one, and it is also very rewarding, because I get to see the progress that the kids make over time. If everyone got the sense of purpose and joy that I get out of my job, then I'm sure that the world would be just a little happier.

I happen to have the privilege of working in a really high-quality center. We are pretty small... we have 4 infants, 8 toddlers, and up to 20 preschoolers, and our staff is comprised of great, highly-qualified teachers, most of whom have been there for a few years already. I can tell that all of my coworkers are there because they love children, and we have a great rapport with the families of our children. I don't think I could choose a better place to work. In spite of my love of my job, though, I wouldn't want to put my kids in this center, or in any other center. I really believe that a young child belongs with his or her parents, at the very least for the first few, vital years of development. I understand that it's necessary for some people to put their children in child care, but in general, people use it unnecessarily and miss out on the best years of the kids' lives. On that note, I better go read some more about the way the minds of small children work. I hope this post doesn't sound too bitter... I really do love my job, I swear!

Thanking you for reading so much blabber,
Jill

Rock Canon

2006-09-22T06:56:00.000-05:00

My mom found this video and I thought you might enjoy it. This isn't the original guy who arranged the piece, but he is absolutely amazing on the guitar. How would you like to play this at your wedding? :)

There's a Thief in our Midst

2006-09-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, we've all done it at some point in our lives. Maybe we just downloaded that one song or burned that one CD for a friend... it doesn't matter what it was exactly, but we know that we've all stolen music. I'm here to tell you that all forms of music theft are illegal. Think of it this way... would you walk into a music store and just take a couple CDs without your conscience hurting you? If you say yes, then you have a problem that I can't fix on my blog. I'll admit it, once in awhile I do burn a CD for my sister or a close friend, so I guess you can just call me Dr. Thief.

Hopefully the music you listen to is of high enough quality and is original enough that it required the artist to pour a lot of effort and a lot of themselves into writing it. When an artist does this, he or she deserves the fruits of their labor... seriously. If you don't think that your stolen music would be worth paying for, then it's time for you to find some new music! If this is the case for you, or if you really can't afford to buy music, then there is a great alternative for you. There are a lot of free, LEGAL music downloads available from independent artists online. While there are some low-quality independent artist, there are quite a few who are producing entertaining, original music. I'm going to start reviewing some of these artists on my blog in upcoming months, but if you want to search for yourself, here's some places where you can get started.

My favorite place to search for new artists is purevolume.com. They have tons of artists, who can put up songs for you to either stream online or for you to download free. They have some brand-new artists and quite a few artists who are fairly well-known in some circles. It's really a user-friendly website, and a great place to find great music. You could also check out Indieheaven, which contains exclusively Christian independent artists. Another alternative is to listen to music podcasts, which are free and in which they find the good music for you! I guarantee you that there are many other websites that offer similar services; these just happen to be the ones that I use. So go find some good music that you don't have to steal! Alrighty, I better go because I'm going to be late for work (again!). Au revoir.

Fondest regards,
Dr. Thief

Email Updates?

2006-09-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Maybe you're not like me. Maybe you don't obsessively check all the websites in your favorites list 37 times a day. Maybe you have a hard time keeping up with the blogs you love to read. Maybe you love to read my blog. If this is true, then maybe it would be helpful to you to receive email updates every time I put up a new post on my blog. I've noticed that page views peak on my site on Sundays, when I send out my WOTW email (and remind people to read my blog), and then they taper off during the week. Well, I put quite a lot of thought and time into making this blog enjoyable to read, so I would like it if you would read it consistently. If you do want email updates, just leave a comment here (if I already know your email address) or email me (jilllawton@sbcglobal.net) and let me know you'd like to be on the list. If you decide later that you don't want the updates, you can just let me know, and I'll take you off. It's that easy.

While you're at it, let me know what you like and what you don't like about my blog. Tell me how I can make it better and what you would like to see me blog about. Maybe I'm a total blogging dork, but this is a hobby I really enjoy, and I would like it if someone enjoyed it along with me! Alright, so let me know if you want to get email updates... I'll try to get them going in the next couple days. Have a fantastic day!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Yogurt is Yummy!

2006-09-19T20:05:00.000-05:00

www.stonyfield.com

WOTW 09/17/06

2006-09-17T20:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings, friends and family! Welcome to the word of the week. I'll keep this brief: just remember to use this word as much as is humanly possible in your daily conversations in order to share your higher knowledge with the masses! Here we go:

-bamblustercate (băm-blŭs'tur-kāt) v.t. --> to embarass or confuse
Ex: Slipping on a banana peel bamblustercated the man until an altruistic stranger helped him to his feet.

And now, for this week's random fact:

If Columbus had emptied a glass of water into the ocean, and if that water were now thoroughly mixed in all the rivers and oceans of the world, then every glass of water you take from the kitchen tap would contain up to 250 molecules that had been in Columbus' original glass.

I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed this time of enrichment and enlightenment. If you have not yet voted for our special anniversary edition WOTW, do so in the poll on the right side of this page. And then send me an email with the definition of the word you choose, and I will send you a free song download. Do it now, while there is still time! Please tune in next week for our 3-year anniversary edition word. It will be an occasion to remember.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Music Blast From the Past

2006-09-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

Alright, I'm lying. This music isn't really from the past; it's all very current artists and albums. The title just means that this is music that I used to listen to a great deal, but now I only play it occasionally. This is the first and probably last time I will review female singers on this blog. I just don't generally like listening to women sing. Don't ask me why. Well, you can ask me, but I won't know the answer. Alright, let's get into it:

First up is a fairly new artist from New Zealand, Brooke Fraser. I got turned onto her music when I was (surprise surprise!) in NZ. Her first and only album so far, What to Do with Daylight, is a fairly eclectic mix of songs. She heavily utilizes the guitar, the piano, and some great strings to a lesser degree. The songs are generally mellow, but they range from upbeat jazz to stirring popish melodies to powerful, soaring ballads. Brooke Fraser has one of my favorite female voices that I have heard; it is rich and full of emotion and extremely easy to listen to. Overall, this is a very strong album that manages to transcend the fleeting trends in music that get old so quickly. Highlight tracks: "Arithmetic", "Indelible", "Mystery"

Next up is Tree63, a South African worship band. I'll be looking specifically at their album The Answer to the Question. Like I said, Tree63 is a worship band, so their music does talk quite overtly about Jesus. But it's not cheesy Christian music. This album is one that got a lot of play time when I first got it. It is comprised primarily of rock music; it may not be musical genius, but it is good. The tunes are a mix of upbeat songs and softer ballads; they are all very catchy, and as far as "worship" lyrics go, these rank at the very top of the line. If you are bored with the same old worship music, you should definitely check these guys out. If you don't like or have never listened to overtly Christian music, this is probably a good place to start. I'm going to go ahead and say that this is the best worship album that I've heard. The expanded edition of the album also comes with 3 very nice acoustic versions of their songs. Highlight tracks: "King", "You Only", "So Glad", "Paradise" (they are really all good, though).

Third tonight is another female artist, Bethany Dillon. Bethany is only 18 years old now. She started putting out music at 15. She has two albums: her self-titled debut and her second album, Imagination. Bethany is an extremely talented musician. Her lyrics show a maturity that is lacking even in many older artists today, and her songs are very relevant and have a poignant message for our generation. Bethany Dillon has a great voice, and it definitely continues to mature as she gets older. The music is very guitar-driven; the first album's music isn't particularly profound, but Imagination's music showcases more variety; the upbeat songs are more intense and the slower songs and much quieter and more personal and moving. On a side note, I met Bethany, and she is really very sweet and genuine... she seems so much older than 18. And she supports Gospel for Asia, and anyone who does that gets high marks in my book. And she has a great website. I very highly recommend these albums. This isn't the type of music that I usually listen to, but it is very refreshing and very beautiful. Highlight tracks (both albums): "Revolutionaries", "Why", "A Voice Calling Out", "Hallelujah", "Vagabond", "Be Near Me"

Alright, I was going to do a fourth band, but I changed my mind, because this is alredy too long. Ok, I hope you all have a great day. Come back soon to see the WOTW! It's a really nice word this week. Au revoir, mes chiens.

Your friendly neighborhood music aficionado,
Jillus

My Life in Pictures

2006-09-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. I was going to do a meaningful blog tonight, but I'm too lazy to actually write anything, so I thought I would show you who I saw, where I went, and what I did today with some pictures...

Baby #1

Baby #2

Ma soeur, Liz

Bookstore

Flowers

(Note: this didn't actually involve going outside. I don't do that.)

My mom loves puzzles and wine

Me and Demon Kitty

The ever-elusive Matilda caught on film!

My Life in Pictures Part 2

2006-09-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

All the pictures wouldn't fit in one post, so here's the end of this interesting epic...

Too much schoolwork

Where is my pen?

No seriously, where is my pen?

There it is!

Goodnight.

PS - I apologize for being a freak.

Kitties Are Insane

2006-09-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Here are some silly cats for your viewing pleasure!

Skype

2006-09-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

I just came to the realization that my computer has a built-in microphone. Very exciting news. I've been waiting to sign up for Skype until I bought an external microphone, but now that I have an internal one, I went ahead, and now I'm an official Skyper. Except nobody I know uses Skype. If you don't know what Skype is, it's basically an internet-based way to call people. It's free to Skype someone else with Skype from anywhere in the world. Pretty awesome. So go sign up and then search for me... my username is just jill.lawton; and then Skype me and we'll chat. And it will be awesome. I also put up a link on the right side of this page that you can click if you have Skype... it tells you if I'm available to talk and it will connect you right to me. So go do it. Sorry that this is a mildly disjointed post. Ok, bye.

Always yours,
JML

PS - iTunes just released new version 7.0. It's pretty cool... now you can get movies and games and the new setup features are pretty awesome. Go check it out.

Evil Water

2006-09-13T21:29:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you don't drink your water straight from the tap. I personally use a Brita filter for my water purification, but I also enjoy bottled water from time to time. Except for Dasani water. Why is that, you may ask? Let me tell you... First of all, Dasani water is made by the Coca-Cola company. If you haven't figured out yet that Coca-Cola is the embodiment of evil corporate America, maybe this will illustrate my point: In the 1990s, Coke teamed up with Olive Garden restaurants for a campaign called "Just Say No to H20"; they offered rewards to waiters who could convince the most number of people to buy a beverage other than water with their meal, and they counted it a success when numbers of water-drinkers at Olive Garden declined. And then, Coca-Cola decided that it would really be more advantageous to make a profit from increasing numbers of water drinkers, so they introduced our beloved Dasani water in 1999. Let's get the basics straight first... Dasani's ingredients include magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, and salt. If that's not alarming enough, then you should know that most brands of bottled water get their water from natural springs (i.e. Poland Spring), but not Dasani. Oh no, Dasani water is simply tap water that had been "purified". Now this is my favorite part: over 500,000 bottles of Dasani water in the UK have been recalled, because they were found to contain illegally high amount of bromate, a cancer-causing chemical. According to Wikipedia.com, "bromate was not present in the tap water before Coca-Cola's 'purification' produced it from the tap water's harmless bromide." So pretty much what I am trying to tell you is that Dasani is stealing from you by marking up tap water prices about 300,000% (no exaggeration), and they are aiming to kill you while they're at it. Really, folks, just go buy a filter and do it yourself. It's cheaper, it's healthier, and it makes the world a better place. Thankyou for your time and concern.

Yours for a better tomorrow,
Jill

Audio Goodness

2006-09-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

PS - Sorry I said "um" so darn much in this post.

WOTW 09/10/06

2006-09-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

Hey guys. Sorry this is so late tonight. We lost power for a couple hours tonight and I got all thrown off. And I drank soda tonight and so I'm all loopy and wired on caffeine. Wow, it's been a really long time since I drank anything besides water. Alrighty, well, I suppose what you all came for was the superbly magnificent word this week. Here it is:

-aeolistic (ē-u-lĭs'tĭk) adj. --> long-winded
Ex: Since she had no friends, the girl was aeolistic when speaking with her cat.

And now for this week's random fact:

Bananas are picked while still green, not to preserve them during shipment and storage as most believe, but because they become unfit to eat if allowed to ripen on the tree. If they grow to yellowness unplucked, the starch will not turn to sugar and the banana will lack taste, its skin will break open, bacteria will enter and the fruit will rot.

And now for some exciting news: Apparently only 3 people have seen my new poll space (on the right side of this page), but maybe this will be some incentive for you to check it out. Right after I publish this post, I am going to create a new poll with a choice of 3 or 4 potential words of the week. In honor of the WOTW's 3rd anniversary, you all get to pick the word for 09/27/06! And here's the best part... if you either email me or leave a comment with the definition of the word you vote for, you will receive a credit for 1 song download (on iTunes or whatever service you use)... or I can just give you the $.99 if you prefer. And maybe I'll even feature your name in the anniversary edition WOTW! So go vote and start searching for those definitions! Remember, you have 2 weeks, until 11:59 PM on Saturday the 23rd to vote! Bonne chance!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Technology Talk

2006-09-08T23:40:00.000-05:00

Bonjour, mes amis. I hope you are doing well. I know my posts have been really long and drawn out lately, so I'll try to keep them shorter. Today I want to talk a little bit about the word technology. Lately, most of the people I know, including myself quite frequently, use the word technology when we really mean electronics. We say technology to refer to our computers and cell phones and digital cameras, when really the word technology has a much broader meaning. My American Heritage Dictionary actually does define technology partially as "electronic or digital products and systems considered as a group," and the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines technology as "the practical application of knowledge". The easiest way to explain technology is this: technology is the way humans use the resources available to meet their needs. This means that technology has always been around, and that it changes constantly. The "technological evolution" of mankind includes everything from making primitive tools, preparing food, and harnessing wind and water as energy forms to building cars and creating cell phones. The idea of defining technology as machinery began very recently with the industrial revolution in England, and has evolved as we have created more advanced forms of machine technology. Even now, our technology is not just computers and digital cable; you use modern technology when you do laundry or flush the toilet. So you don't necessarily need to stop calling you electronics technology, just be aware that you are using a very narrow definition of the term and know the roots and full meaning of the word. Thanks for your time and your brains, folks. I'm off to exercise mine with some homework, because I'm a slacker and haven't done any in the last 5 days. Alrighty, have a great day!

Your word-loving doctor,
Jill

More Jars of Clay Goodness

2006-09-05T23:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe they are a little strange, but you have to admit that it's pretty funny.

Good Monsters

2006-09-05T21:41:00.000-05:00

That's right, Jars of Clay's new album has been released for your listening pleasure! It came out at midnight last night, and I'm one of those people who started downloading it at 12:01. I have been eagerly awaiting this album, and it is not a disappointment. I've only had a chance to listen to the whole album a couple times, but here are my first impressions: one of the things I love about Jars of Clay is that none of their albums sounds like any of the others, and Good Monsters is no exception. It's so difficult to put this album into any concrete music category... if ever an album had a truly unique sound, this would be it. As always, their lyrics are absolutely stellar... introspective, honest, hopeful, poetic, just beautiful. Even in all of its simplicity, this album sounds like a majestic epic. Trust me, I listen to a lot of music, and I like a lot of music, but there is absolutely nothing that I like more than Jars of Clay, and Good Monsters ranks up there as one of the best Jars albums there is. Highlight tracks are "Work", "Dead Man (Carry Me)", "Oh My God", and "Surprise" (oh yeah, and all the rest of them). So do yourself a favor and go download it on iTunes or buy the CD on CBD. It's good stuff. Alrighty, have a great day!

Jill

Crazy Kitties

2006-09-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

At least now we know that Mela's not the only insane cat out there.

WOTW 09/03/06

2006-09-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

Hey folks! As I know you've all been waiting eagerly for this week's word, I will skip all of the rambling and get right to it. This week's word is the first in a long time to have a 2-part definition, so enjoy the double-dose of word goodness! And don't forget to share this word with all of your friends and family and mild acquaintances!

-abstemious (ăb-stē'mē-us) adj.--> 1.Eating and drinking in moderation
2.Sparingly used or consumed; restricted to bare necessities
Ex: It is very difficult to be abstemious when I have Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream in the freezer.

And now, onward to this week's random fact:

Calico cats are almost always female. If a male cat is calico (an orange and black blend, usually mixed with patches of white), it is probably because of a genetic deficiency and he will probably be sterile.

Alrighty, my friends, I hope you enjoyed our time together this week. Keep your eyes peeled in upcoming weeks for all kinds of WOTW activity, including polls and prizes! Have a super-fantastic night.

Your favorite word-loving doctor,
Dr. J

Church Hunting 101

2006-09-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I'm sorry that it has been a couple days since I've written, I just didn't have a whole lot to say. Of course, my first weekend after starting school is jam packed with homework, mostly reading. But it's alright, most of it is pretty interesting. This is the easy part; I'm a little nervous about all the upcoming assignments. I have to do all kinds of observations for my ECE classes and speeches for my communications class... what fun. The exciting point of my weekend was that I actually went to church this weekend, which is something I haven't done in quite a few months. I've kind of been looking for a new church for various reasons, so today I went to the church of a friend from one of my classes last semester. I tell you, in my church hunt, I've visited churches with big fancy buildings, small run-down buildings, lots of technology, no technology, huge congregations and small congregations, charismatic services and very conservative services, and probably most other churchy adjectives you can think of. And in spite of all these variables, all these differences, I usually see the same thing. I see sedated people sitting in orderly pews and staring into nowhere. Sometimes we'll raise our hands and close our eyes, or interject some random "amens", but we're really just going through the motions. Our churches are impersonal. The fatal flaw of the church in America is this, that I can walk into a church service and sit by myself and then walk out without ever uttering a word to anyone, without connecting or being moved at all. In case you were so terribly misguided, I better tell you that this is not at all how any of the earliest Christians ever intended the church to be. I really firmly believe that the church of Christ should be small groups of believers who live life together and keep each other accountable and actually connect. Both the secular and religious sects of our nation are becoming more and more connected electronically while we disconnect ourselves emotionally and physically and spiritually from other people. And then we complain (especially me) because we don't have anyone to help us in our spiritual/emotional crises. Now I'll step off of my soapbox and tell you about the church I visited today. I can't claim that it's radically different from other churches I've visited, but it definitely felt warmer and more alive than many that I've seen. I spent most of my time there just observing and taking in my surroundings. The relationships between the congregants seemed open and friendly. It was fairly formal, but not rigid. I have to say, this is one of the only churches I have been to where the music actually sounded good. That was refreshing. I didn't really know any of the songs, but they actually managed to sing praisish songs without succumbing to the horror of cheesy, watered-down, unimaginitive modern praise and worship music (think "Here I Am to Worship" or "The Heart of Worship"). So there's one tally point for the church. The announcements, etc, were very brief. Add another tally. The pastor's sermon was very long but very good. He was dynamic and personal, and yet he remained grounded in the Word and in facts. And he actually kept my interest. Add about 1284 tallies to my little checklist. Ok, but then this service that started at 10:30 got to 1:00 and showed no signs of ending. Everyone was praying. Too much praying for me. So I left. But I'm going back next week. Because it was good, very good. And then I went to Staples, and that is probably my favorite store in the world, right after Pier 1. And now I need to go to my madre's friend's house for dinner and then I have 3857696 hours of homework to do. Ok, thankyou if you are still reading this insanely long post. The end.

Fondest regards and salutations,
Jill

PS - The WOTW will be up later, so come back and check it out.

This is the super-happy post!

2006-08-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

Life in a Nutshell

2006-08-29T08:50:00.000-05:00

New Week, New Schedule

2006-08-28T08:46:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I thought I'd do just a quick post, because I need to leave for work in a few minutes. Today is the day I start school. Let's see, I have Intro to Early Childhood Education and Music Theory tonight, and tomorrow I have Science and Math for Children and Intro to Communication. Terribly exciting, I know. The music class is the only one I'm really looking forward to. The upside to all this new scheduling is that I don't have to go to work until 10:30 on most mornings. But I probably won't be getting home from school until 9ish. That's alright, I'll just "look to my eskimo friend"... sorry, I'm listening to Damien Rice. I love him - he's great. My mom likes him too. Right, sorry, I'm getting all off topic. So this weekend I made highly detailed schedules for my entire fall. I'm such a loser. I need to go find some friends! :) I've decided to put some limits on my computer, etc. use, because if I don't, I won't do my homework and I won't go to bed until 1 AM every night. So I'll be using my computer for only 30 mins a day and my iPod only in the car. I'm not setting any TV limits, because I'm really not addicted to the TV at the moment. Ok, as interesting as this is, I am probably going to be late for work now (again). Come on, people, leave me a comment. Just write "hi" if you have nothing else to say. I have planned some exciting things on here for the upcoming weeks, but I'd like to know that someone cares before I put effort into it (yes mother and Liz and "that girl", I know you're reading). Ok, enough nonsense. The end.

Jill

WOTW 08/27/06

2006-08-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Greetings, everyone! I must interrupt this rainy Sunday afternoon to bring you the WOTW. Be careful with the pronunciation of the word this week, as it is trickier than it appears. Don't forget to use this word as much as you possibly can in your everyday conversations, in order to cement it in your memory and to spread your knowledge to the world. Alrighty, here it is:

-cerebropathy (sĕr”u-brŏp’u-thē) noun --> hypochondria resulting from too much thinking
Ex: The healthy man thought about his hypercenesthesia so much that he developed a severe case of cerebropathy, which caused his whole body to ache.

This week we have a very practical random fact for all the ice enthusiasts out there:

Ice cubes will be clearer if you fill the tray with warm, rather than cold, water. Warm water prevents the formation and entrapment of tiny air bubbles during freezing which, aside from mineral impurities, is the usual cause of cloudy cubes.

Ok, my dear amis, I hope you have a wonderful week. I was just pondering it, and I realized that the word of the week has been in existence for almost three years now. The quality and humor of the words has been steadily declining for the past year or so. Maybe we can plan some kind of three-year celebration and return to the wonderfulness that the WOTW used to be. Let me know if you have any ideas to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, it's time to cut short the rambling. Au revoir, mes petites aubergines.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

The Music Part 2

2006-08-25T16:58:00.000-05:00

Howdy all... I hope everyone is doing well. Let's see, what's exciting here? I have a couple days off from work right now just to relax before starting up school on Monday. Yesterday I took little Keith to Barnes and Noble... we played with their "choo choo train", Keith found a riveting book about tractors, and I got Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens for 50% off. Doesn't get much more exciting than that. Today I went hiking, in the rain... yeah, not such a good idea. I got really wet. And then I went and spent a week's worth of pay on textbooks. And now I am typing to you fine people. And let me tell you, I am very excited about our topic today. I've got some music updates for you... some new artists, some not so new artists, some music news. So let's get into it.

First up on the list today is a band I've mentioned before and that, for the moment, has lodged itself in a very close second position behind my favorite band. This really amazing band is none other than Switchfoot. I bought their album The Beautiful Letdown and really enjoyed it. Then I bought Nothing is S ound and all I can say is wow. What a great album. Musically, it's very similar to The Beautiful Letdown, but it is definitely a step up lyrically and emotionally. The thing that really gets me about this album is its honesty. That raw, frank honesty is the thing that makes the beautiful music and the beautiful lyrics even more poignant. This album is about everything from the deeply personal to the nature of our entire generation, but the whole thing just talks about real life, real problems, real emotions, and a very real hope. Lead singer and songwriter Jon Foreman describes the album like this: "Maybe that's what this record hopes to be: a simple bitter pill of truth that steps outside of our hamster wheel and looks up at the stars and beyond." It's not always a cheerful album, but it's just great. Absolutely one of my favorites. Go listen to some of the songs from the album (for free!) on purevolume.

Ok, up next is an up and coming solo artist named Brent Cashell. He doesn't quite have an album put together yet, and the music's production quality is sometimes rough, but the positive side is that you can download his songs for free on his MySpace page (yes, I oppose MySpace, but I'll make an exception this once). His songs are very simple, pretty much just him with a piano or guitar, but he has a great voice, catchy tunes, and stirring lyrics. I particularly recommend the songs "Better Me" and "Wrap Me In Your Love". I'll let you know if he puts out an album or puts new songs up or anything.

Next up is a very different type of music from Hawaiian artist John Keawe. John Keawe writes and plays a type of guitar called slack key guitar. If you like listening to acoustic guitars as much as I do, or if you like mellow acoustic music, you will like this. I don't actually have any of John Keawe's albums, but his music is featured pretty often on the HawaiiUp podcast. From what I've heard and read, I recommend his album called Keaweualani. Unfortunately, he only has a couple songs available to download on iTunes, and the albums are pretty expensive, but if this is a problem, just listen to past episodes (especially episode #35) of HawaiiUp and you can hear him.

Last but certainly not least is the ever-changing but consistently great band that is Jars of Clay. First of all, I recently purchased their latest album Redemption Songs. This is not my favorite Jars album, but it is very very good if you are a fan of hymns. This is the band's most overtly Christian album, in which they have "reworked" old hymns. Basically they took the words and basic tunes of these hymns and gave the music a modern, slightly rockish twist. I guess I should say if you don't like hymns, you won't like this album. I would actually more highly recommend the EP they released after this album, entitled Roots and Wings, which I haven't been able to find anywhere except on iTunes. It has only 4 songs, 1 one which is found on Redemption Songs, but they are all good songs, so check it out. And now, I have some super-exciting Jars of Clay news. They just recently released another EP entitled Mini Monsters, which is also almost exclusively available on iTunes. It only has three tracks, but I highly recommend that you download "Love Me" - it's a very good song. Ok, but now for the real news. Jars of Clay new album, Good Monsters, will be released in only 11 days, on September 5. I've listenened to previews of it, and I can tell you for certain that this is going to be yet another excellent album from this excellent band. So go check it out - you can pre-order it on Amazon.com or christianbook.com or on iTunes (starting on Aug. 28). Do it! Preorder your copy! Fall in love with Jars of Clay - it's so worth it.

Ok, enough shameless advertising. I swear, these bands should start paying me. Or give me free music. I have found quite a few new artists lately whose albums I really want to buy, but I am broke for the next couple weeks due to all the money I'm spending on Lost DVDs and guitar lessons. Maybe you love my music reviews so much that you want to send me an iTunes gift card, so I can get a new one out sooner. Maybe not. ;) Alrighty, folks, I have to go away now. Have a great day!

Ever yours,
Jill

Welcome back to my life...

2006-08-24T21:28:00.000-05:00

Maybe I've been the problem,
Maybe I'm the one to blame.
But even when I turn it off and blame myself
The outcome feels the same.
-Stars by Switchfoot

Wow, hi. It's been a very long 2 weeks for me without being able to type to you wonderful people. But really, it was a very long, boring, hard 2 weeks for me. And maybe you're thinking, "C'mon, two weeks really isn't that long to go without your computer and iPod." But it was long, and that probably says a lot about me and the state of my heart. If you've read my previous posts, you know that I'm really not into deep, reflective, journal-esque blogs, but for this one time, I'm going to tell you a little bit more deeply about me and my relationship (or lack thereof) with God, because that is really will be the only thing I will ever blog about that really matters. So here we go, hiatus talk sprinkled with some reflective babble. Enjoy.

My hiatus actually started out really well. For the first couple days, I was excited to be getting so many useful things done. I was reading a lot more and practicing my instruments and it just felt good to feel like I was accomplishing something instead of staring blankly at a screen all day. But then things started to get rough, because I didn't have my computer to turn to when all my pent-up thoughts and emotions descended upon me. I guess this is the part where I tell you that I haven't really talked to God in months. Well, sometimes I talk to Him, but it never really ends up going anywhere. And I won't even start giving you reasons why, because they would go on for pages and pages and they are really just sorry excuses. The reason my electonics hiatus didn't "work" is because my abuse of technology is only a symptom of a much deeper, darker cause. I wish I could ask you for sympathy, but I walked into this with my eyes wide open. I told God that I was sick of working and that life would be more fun if I just did what I wanted without worrying about right and wrong. But what have I done with this "freedom"? Absolutely nothing of worth.

Alright, so the technology hiatus didn't break my addiction to the computer or fix my relationship with God. I should've known better. But it did give me a little time to think about my sorry heart, and here's my conclusion: I will always be a slave to the things I want. That's great if the thing I want is God, but right now, all I want is the newest and the best stuff. And the best part is that I can't even tell you why I want these things or exactly what I am hoping to accomplish with them. If you asked me what I want to do with my life, I would tell you that I want to be a missionary to the unreached people in China. This really is what I want to do, but am I making any strides towards this goal? Am I working to gain the qualities that will fill me with the Spirit of God and actually allow me to bring something of value - some real hope and peace to the people I say I want to minister to? The short answer is no. All I have been allowing to grow in me lately is apathy. I consiously numb my mind and seclude myself and then I wonder why it's getting harder and harder for me to care about anyone but myself.

Wow, that's depressing. I better end this now before we all start crying. No, but seriously, if you have any advice for me, let me know. I've been wondering if all this blogging is really worthwhile, since judging by the comments I've gotten, only about 4 people are reading this. So if you are reading this, just leave a little comment; tell me what you love, tell me what you hate, tell me what you ate for lunch today, just let me know you're reading and that this isn't a total waste of time. Ok, my dear friends, I need to go to sleep. Tune in tomorrow for another post about music - this should be good. I've got some great artists to share with you. Alrighty, au revoir.

Reflectively,

Dr. J

WOTW 08/20/06

2006-08-20T14:42:00.000-05:00

-acyanoblepsia (a-sī”u-nō-blĕp’sĭ-u) noun --> inability to distinguish blue; blue-blindness
Ex: While his entire family admired the sparkling ocean and clear blue sky, the acyanoblepsic man sulked in a corner.

Random Fact: The eel is so chemically sensitive to alcohol that it can detect a quantity equivalent to one teaspoonful poured into Lake Superior.

WOTW 08/13/06

2006-08-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

-hypercenesthesia (hī”pur-sĕn-ĕs-thē’zi-u) noun --> an exaggerated sense of well-being Ex: On the infamous "opposite day", the hyponchondriac displayed strange signs of hypercenesthesia.

Random Fact: Expelled air from a sneeze travels at about 100 miles per hour.

Hiatus Talk

2006-08-07T19:54:00.000-05:00

Bonjour! I hope everyone's doing well. Not too much exciting news from the last couple days. I went hiking yesterday and saw about a gazillion frogs. Seriously, they were everywhere. There were just a lot of bugs in general, too. But that's not exciting. I had my final chiropracter visit today... I'm going to miss getting cracked, but that's ok. Doctors are too expensive.

So anyways, maybe you remember my mention of doing a technology hiatus a couple posts back. Well, it starts at midnight tonight and runs until 12 AM on Wednesday, 08/23. Here's what my hiatus entails: no computer, no TV, and no iPod. For those of you who don't spend much time around me, you may not know that I am pretty much constantly connected to one of these three things. It's a sick addiction. I've outlined 5 goals that I have for this time off. Here they are:

To break my addiction to these things.
To give my brain a rest from constant stimulation.
To have a time to just read and do others things that actually nourish my mind.
To cut out (at least some) distraction so I can listen to/talk to God.
To have time to do things that actually matter!

So there you have it. I obviously won't be blogging for the next two weeks, but since I am still allowed to use the phone (one thing I'm not addicted to... maybe because my sister's the only person who ever calls me), I will be calling in an audio post for the words of the week on Sundays. But that's all you'll be hearing for the next two weeks. I know, that's no great tragedy for you, but I'm really going to have a tough time without these things. I can feel the withdrawal shakes starting already. :) Alrighty, folks, I don't really have a whole lot else to say. I guess this is the end. I'll be back in a couple weeks with a nice, long, reflective post about hiatusville. Au revoir, mes petits chemins.

Dr. J

WOTW 08/06/06

2006-08-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I hope you had a good week. I’ve spent my time this week searching the world far and wide to find a wonderful word to bring to you. As always, remember to use this word as much as is possible in everyday conversation in order to imprint the word in your mind forever and to improve the intelligence of the masses. Without further ado, here is the word of the week:

-heterolalia (hĕt”ur-ō-lā’lĭ-u) n. à the occasional interpolation of meaningless or unintended words
Ex: When I was mehaij driving home from work monsters yesterday, I went above meow the speed gaickle limit.

Now, for this week’s random fact:

Why is the fish a symbol of Christianity? Because in early Christian writings Jesus was referred to with a long title: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”; or, in Greek, “Iesous Christos, Theou ‘Yios, Soter.” The initial letters of these words spelled ichthys, the Greek word for “fish” (the study of fishes is still called “ichthyology”). Whether by coincidence or design the acronym was memorable and the fish quickly came to be a symbol for Jesus Christ.

Ok, dear amis, have a super-fantastic week. Je ne pense pas que je peux taper plus, parce que dois me coucher à une heure raisonnable ce soir. Bet you didn’t know you’d be getting a French lesson tonight, did you? Ok the end.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Podcasting Palaver

2006-08-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

Bonjour, mes amis! Today was a good day... I got to sleep late, see my nephews a lot, and my madre and I went blueberry picking. There's nothing better than having 9 pounds of fresh blueberries that are just begging to get eaten. Alright, enough digressing. I'm sure you are all eager to get into podcasting news. In case you are still living in the stone age, a podcast is very much like a radio show, but you download it online and you can listen to it absolutely any time you want to. There are podcasts about every subject that you can think of. Oh, and did I mention that podcasts are absolutely free to download? You can search for podcasts on my personal favorite, iTunes, or you can go to a web-based site like Podcast Alley. I started listening to podcasts before I got an iPod, but if you do that, it means you need to spend a lot of time in front of your computer (I used to listen while I was eating), or burn the podcasts to CDs and listen wherever you have a CD player. But really, you should just spend the $300 and get an iPod. It's so worth it. Ok, but the point of this post is really to share some of my absolute favorite podcasts with you. So here we go...

My favorite podcast of all time is without a doubt The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack. Yes, it is a podcast about Lost, so if you don't watch Lost, you won't care. But, during the summer they also put out a "Ramblecast", which you will enjoy whether you like Lost or not. I'm not going to say a whole lot about the show, because you should just go listen to it yourself, but basically they do Lost recaps, talk about Lost theories, and really incorporate a lot of listener feedback. And they're very funny. And they put out two shows a week. So go listen to Jay and Jack.

Next up is a podcast called HawaiiUp with Ryan Ozawa. I first found Ryan's podcast through another Lost podcast that Ryan and his wife Jen did for awhile. Why do I listen to a podcast about Hawaii? Well, I started when I started considering going to the University of Hawaii, and I found that it's just an all-around good show, whether you've been to Hawaii or care about Hawaii or not. He does put in some Hawaii news, but he also talks about his family, he and his wife do entertainment reviews, he does food reviews, and he plays some music (some great, some not so much). It's fun... some podcasts get boring after listening to them a lot, but HawaiiUp is always varied and interesting.

The last in my top three podcasts is a show called The Bored-Again Christian. This is the only all-music podcast that I listen to, because it's the only really interesting one that I've found. The show's host, Just Pete, is a guy who decided that he was bored with the same old Christian worship music, so he finds really good music from Christian artists who you won't find on the beaten path. Some of the music is overtly Christian, some is more subtle; I fall in love with some songs right away, others are just not my thing. All in all, though, this is a great podcast if you love music, even if you are not a "Christian music" fan.

Ok, so those are my three favorites. Here are some other notables: The Switchfoot Video Podcast, which is kind of random but really funny and The Official Lost Podcast, which is another only for Lost fans. I listen to a few others, but I don't really think they're great enough to recommend to you. So there you go. I've only been listening to podcasts for about five months, so I'll keep you updated as I find new ones that I enjoy. Let me know if there's a podcast you love that I didn't mention. Ok, I'll cut this off now. Go check out some of my favorite podcasts or find some of your own! I promise that there's at least a few things out there that you will enjoy. So start enjoying! Bye.

-Jill

What's Wrong With These Pictures?

2006-08-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

Why I Don't Think About the Meaning of Life

2006-08-04T22:37:00.000-05:00

Hey folks. I had a lovely day today. This morning at work, the preschoolers went to the zoo, so we had a total of 6 kids with 4 teachers in the whole place. And I was with the babies, who are very easy. Unless they're hungry of course, and then I just feed them. One of our babies is 10 months old and he already weighs almost 30 lbs. I swear, that kid eats more than I do in a day. It's a good thing he's so adorable. The only unpleasant thing about work today was having to stay an extra half-hour to wait for a late parent. But I guess it's not so bad to get paid time and a half to watch 1 child.

I had my first guitar lesson last night. It was pretty good. My teacher seems nice. Don't ask me why I've started playing the guitar. I haven't been doing too great lately at practicing the instruments that I already play. But I just love listening to people play the guitar, so I thought I'd give it a shot. They really make you put your fingers in some awkward positions, though. I always thought that the violin felt unnatural to play, but it feels great compared to contorting my fingers on the guitar. Supposedly it gets easier. I'll let you know...

So maybe when you think of personal blogs you think of someone journaling their deepest thoughts and pondering their existence for all the world to see. Maybe you're wondering why I don't do this. Well, since I'm just dying to satisfy your curiosity, here are a couple reasons. First of all, I pretty much think it's the most boring thing ever to read the unrestrained, unedited ramblings of someone's brain, and I don't want to subject you to that pointless torture. And secondly, I just haven’t been doing much pondering lately. Why? Simply put, I am too addicted to my iPod. Sound ridiculous? That’s because it is. I am turning into one of those people who needs constant electronic stimulation. So I can’t do anything without having my computer or my iPod or the TV or anything that distracts me from thinking. Of course, I didn’t start listening to my iPod with the intention of escaping my thoughts, but lately I’ve found myself scrambling to fill every silent moment with some music or podcast or anything. I feel like I’m scared of what will happen if I have to be alone with myself… are my thoughts going to attack me? I suppose it’s very possible, and then I will have to face up to the way I’ve been living my life lately, which is not at all the way I want to be living. So in case you all didn’t notice, this is a problem. So here’s my solution… I’ll be taking a two week hiatus from my electronic stimuli. That means no computer, no iPod, no TV, no radio from 12 AM on Tuesday the 8th to 12 AM on Wednesday the 23rd. Can I do it? I guess we’ll find out…

Go ahead, re-read the previous paragraph, and take particular notice how I state at the beginning that I’m anti-pondering in blogs and then see me ponder away later in the paragraph. Inconsistency… it’s a wonderful thing. Ok, I have better things to be doing than rambling, like sleeping. Keeping with my theme of iPod addictions, stay tuned for a post about my all-time favorite podcasts tomorrow. Bye.

Your crazy rambling friend,
Dr. J

News? Not so much...

2006-08-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

Hey you. Yeah, you. I really don't have anything to say today. Work is just work... boy, those toddlers are just so... I don't know, vicious? After getting kicked, pinched and bitten (and that's just from one kid!) all morning, I look forward to spending the afternoon with the babies. Babies are nice. I swear, there's this one toddler who thrashes around like he's demon-possessed when he's angry. At least work is never boring. What else is news? Hmm... my gas tank is on E! But gas is on sale tomorrow, so it should only cost me about $185937 to fill my tank. I start guitar lessons on Thursday. I've never played the guitar before, so we'll see how that goes. Keith Jr. got all his hair buzzed today. And he's sick. Poor child. Luke is good... he is very happy except when you stop bouncing him. :) Alright, folks, you're probably all as bored reading this as I am writing it. I promise to think of something more interesting next time. Maybe I'll talk about how we never have anything to make for lunch except PB&J. Yum. Ok, this is the end for real.

JML

WOTW 07/30/06

2006-07-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

Hola, my friends and neighbors! I trust that you all had an excellent week spreading the news of last week’s WOTW and that you will continue to do so this week. I am so very excited to bring you this week’s word, as it is one of my personal favorites. So I’m just going to cut the rambling short this week to bring you the word of the week:

-dendrophilous (den-drof’i-lus) adj. --> loving trees, loving them so much as to live in them
Ex: My dendrophilous nature caused me to abandon the humdrum life of roofs and beds and make my permanent abode in a lovely forest.

I am also excited about this week’s random fact, as it pertains to my favorite animals, which do have vocal chords. Here it is:

Giraffes have the same number of neck bones as people do.

Alrighty, folks, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you today, and I hope that the week ahead is relaxing and energizing, all at once. Ok, à toute à l’heure!

Dr. J

Irukandji and Méla

2006-07-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

Hey all 2 people who are reading this! Welcome to the super-amazing all-animal blog! My first subject of discussion is of a very serious, life-or-death nature. I need to alert you about a very real threat that faces us. This threat is none other than Irukandji, the deadly Australian jellyfish. Though this jellyfish is only a minute 2 cm long, it's venemous tentacles inject a venom that cause excruciating pain and sometimes even death. So please, my friends, take extreme precautions next time you are swimming in the perilous waters near Australia, or at least bring some vinegar with you, which may reduce the pain slightly by deactivating some of Irukandji's stingers.

Alrighty, with that disturbing yet imperative warning out of the way, let's move onto the more exciting news about my dear kitties, Méla and Matilda. Méla continues to be an unintelligent, dirty, doglike companion who I love dearly. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting Méla, she is my 2-year-old cat who is incapable of cleaning herself, likes to play fetch like a dog, gets stuck in trees, and is probably the most affectionate animal in the world. Sometimes she's happy and dumb, and sometimes she's evil and dumb. Either way, she's my wonderful kitty... it's not her fault that she lacks intelligence, anyway. She was accidentally slammed in a door as a kitten by someone who will remain nameless... :) But anyways, she's good as usual. She has managed to avoid getting hit by a car in spite of sitting in the middle of the road, and she has been getting vacuumed regularly to reduce the amount of grime that she can't seem to clean on her own. Matilda is, as usual, skittish, skinny, and starved for attention. And she drools. Gross. Ok, I need to go do something about the spit-up, drool, and snot that was smeared on me today. Oh, the joys of working with babies! Ok, friends, have a great night!

Fondly,
The crazy cat lady