On the Third Day of Christmas

I haven't even had a chance to read the comments on the last entry yet (nor fix some new bugs in SAFARI), but I didn't want to miss the next Blog of Christmas.

We started out with Michael, and now we move to the co-creator of the Cranium Leakage family of sites to which Michael's site is a member: Christopher and What in Tarnation. Christopher is one of two bloggers that really helped me get started in the blogosphere. He always has amusing stories from his adventures as a third grade teacher, among other interesting things. Plus, as of a few days ago, he added a theme to his site that features the beloved logo of yesteryear that I've so often bugged him about. Christopher is the second of three blogging friends from Missouri among my stroll through the blogroll (the first, chronologically). Check out his site — it'll make you say “inside cheke and cimble” in five seconds flat. Thanks for sharing your stories, Christopher.

Anonymous Posting

Sometimes I wish blogging was a bit more like a forum. There's a few posts I might write if I could post them under a pseudonym or anonymously that I won't or can't post under my real name (yes, in case anyone ever suspected otherwise, I really am Tim Butler). I could start up a second blog, but that wouldn't have the same readers and blogging isn't anything, in my estimation, without the community of other bloggers and readers that comment.

When I use to be on some forums, on occasion I would create an alter ego to ask questions I couldn't have tied to my name. (For instance, I use to post on several web hosting forums and when I went to shop for a new web host, I didn't want my old one to know that I was asking about other hosts.)

For now, I'm stockpiling these entries in case I get a good idea what to do with them. Hmm.

Still Here

It occurs to me that the last week was probably the biggest gap in my blog that has existed in over a year. I'll be back to full speed soon. I have something new to post about tomorrow.

Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and support with regard to my grandmother's passing.

Michael Makes a Move

I mentioned Christopher's blog-in-exile (BiE) yesterday; another one of my blogging buddies from Cranium Leakage, Michael Morgan, has also started a BiE, which you can find here. Tell 'im Tim sent ya, so I get my referral fees.

Psssst: Christopher, you said you were paying me $20 per person referred, right?

What the Freak!?!?!

It seems the Cranium Leakage gang is having a bit of trouble at the moment. I talked to Christopher, and he pointed me to a Spare Change entry he posted, which links to his blog in exile, What the Freak. I'm hoping this gets resolved quickly for them.

405

You just have to watch this. It is only three minutes long, so don't read the synopsis on the download site before loading it. You can view it in Windows Media Format, QuickTime or MPEG-1 (click Windows Media on the selection page to get to the MPEG version).

Smell the Color 9

I would take “no” for an answer
Just to know I heard You speak
And I'm wonderin' why I've never
Seen the signs they claim they see
Are the special revelations
Meant for everybody by me?
Maybe I don't truly know You
Or maybe I just simply believe 'Cause I can sniff, I can see
I can count up pretty high
But these faculties aren't getting me
Any closer to the sky
But my heart of faith keeps poundin'
So I know I'm doin' fine
But sometimes finding You
Is just like trying to
Smell the color nine

And, for the complete “Music Stuck in Tim's Head” chart for this week:

1. Chris Rice - Smell the Color 9 (Smell the Color 9)
2. Casting Crowns - Who Am I? (Casting Crowns)
3. Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter (O)
4. Michael W. Smith - All I Want (Healing Rain)
5. Andrew Lloyd Weber - Hosanna (Jesus Christ Superstar)
6. Evanescence - Tourniquet (Fallen)
7. MercyMe - Spoken For (Spoken For)
8. Sixpence None the Richer - There She Goes (Sixpence None the Richer)
9. Meredith Wilson - Lida Rose / Will I Ever Tell You? (The Music Man)
10. Dido - White Flag (Life for Rent)

Of Large Cats and Fuzzy Penguins

Well, I finally admit it on my public soap box at Open for Business: I'm a Mac user. Read my story of how I ended up using a Mac at OfB.biz. The article is part three in a series of columns on the desktop, beginning with “Debate Without End: KDE and Qt Licensing” and then followed up by “I GNU It”.

To Cast a Pod?

I'm pondering if I should dip my toes in the Podcasting waters. Tonight I worked up an entire 20 minute podcast and put it all together in GarageBand — including music — in about an hour. It was rather fun. But I'm not sure if I can commit to regularly taking out the time to do a podcast; unlike a text entry like this, podcasting requires a larger block of uninterrupted time (even if it might not require more time as a whole). When I'm writing a blog entry, I might be interrupted every few minutes, but if I'm recording myself, I cannot be interrupted as easily.

For that matter, I've listened to a few podcasts, and beyond the enjoyment I've gotten at putting voices to the words of the bloggers who are podcasting, I have not found myself becoming a regular listener. It is not a matter of whether the podcast was good, but I've found I simply do not have a lot of periods of time in which listening to a podcast is convenient (unlike text blogging).

Those two reasons make me think perhaps I won't publish my first (and perhaps only) stab at podcasting.

Tomorrow

I wrote up a nice post tonight, but I did not get it quite done, so I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for it. Sorry. I'm refunding a portion of your monthly subscription fees in exchange.