the times, my friend, they are a changin'.

now playing: all i know / caedmon's call... so smooth

Maybe I'm on my way to find you, or maybe I'm about to write the blog of my life. Man guys, life moves pretty fast. You gotta stop and look for it every once in a while, or you just might miss it. Ferris Bueller said that. And he wasn't dumb. Okay, that's debatable, either way, the validity of the statement stands.

So, tomorrow I drive to St. Kitts for Cookster's Wedding How exciting is that? I think everyone should listen to Caedmon's Call more, so that I can make more inside jokes. IE, wanting marriage like a hole in my head, needing it like a meal in bed. But, since none of you listen to CC, it sounds like desperation, instead of playing like a joke. Oh well.

So, I'm in the B-diggity, having moved away from my beloved Island home, and my crummy telecommunications job (it wasn't that bad, but the new job is better). It's kinda weird to leave your support system all behind. I do it far more frequently than I'd like. I think I shall try to avoid moving for a while. Although I suppose once every four or five years isn't that bad. Anyway, I am here, and here is where I live so I guess that means the carrot's gonna dangle, for at least another year. See, another CC reference. And you all sitting there going "WHAT?" Alright, i gotta go to bed. Cook and the Kitt, or bust. Keep on rockin' in the blog world (yep, yet another caedm... wait, no... neil young never did play with caedmon's call, did he? But, imagine if he did... aw yeah). G'night New York!

__________andymack

big changes

now playing: all the reasons why / downhere with not martel singing lead. cause when martel sings lead, i get annoyed. don't know why.

So, here's an update for bloggerdom. I'm currently in belleville for a job interview tomorrow morning with a custom publishing / media firm. I wouldn't have thought that I'd be here even up to 4 days ago, but here I am. This could mean some huge changes - from place of residence, to job description, to school plans in the short term (the long term would remain pretty well the same). But, I'm really pretty content with the idea. As much as I'd miss the ptbros, the opportunity would be simply phenomenal. We're talking a career move. Anyway, your prayers are appreciated. Not that I would rock the house, or get what I want, but that God's will would be manifest. That's all I need. Mack out.
Lord help me be the one You're making me.

now playing: Portrait of an Apology / jars

a post from cook
Now, don't get me wrong. I love cookster. But I have to disagree with him on this one. Certainly our favorites may shift slightly based on mood, but there are certain things that one can always return to. For example, my favorite movie will almost always return to braveheart or that thing you do. My favorite song: as long as I'm not married, it'll probably be Table for Two by Caedmon's Call, cause it describes my life. My favorite food: Lasagna, no matter how many days I eat it in a row. Even the cheap no name stuff. I know... sick, but true. Anyway, it is possible to have favorites. Now, if you catch me at the right time, I might say something else based on mood. I.E. movie / romantic mood / sabrina (harrison and julia). Song / Angry / Crazy Times. But, those variances don't disprove the rule. Anyway, always up for disagreeing with Cook. He's my favorite! ;-)
Alright... work is early tomorrow. I'll catch you guys later!
does this kid ever have anything to say?

opportunity knocks

now playing: world's apart / joc live

You know how sometimes you crack a joke about something that would be a dream... absolutely impossible. And then a week later, the very opportunity you cracked a joke about falls into your lap? Yeah. wild. Crazy when that happens. How to respond? Lord, let me in on this!

race cars

now playing: something on the belleville Christian station

So, I'm in Belleville. For probably another 2 and a half hours, then it's back to peterborough. I have a test assignment for the same publishing company my mom works for, so hopefully that'll go well. It's been a productive 2 days mentally and physically, and has given me time for spiritual contemplation.

So, as I raced up the 401, I was thinking about the life of fits and starts we all tend to live. (I think most guys have a thing for car analogies...) On the road of life, there are those who -- much like a long haul trucker -- go strong and steady. On the other hand, there are those who -- much like a drag racer -- fly along the road for 5.6 seconds, and then fizzle out thanks to the parachute they're dragging. Sadly, I think most of us are characterized by the latter How awesome would it be if we could all be consistent and sincere? That's my hope and prayer for our generation. Keep it real guys.
*car noises* briiiiiiiiiingdingdingdingding /end car noises

where ya been so long

now playing: corrina, corrina - bob dylan (YEAH!)

It's hard to go wrong, when one is listening to Bob Dylan sing classics. And contemplating God's goodness. I've decided that it's a good thing that God's character is the universal constant. I think i've spent a while trying to figure things out that might be constant. In fact, it's possible that many - nay most - futile pursuits can be boiled down to the pursuit of consistency. We'd all like to be able to depend on things, people, relationships, whatever. God's character doesn't change. You can bank on it. It's a sure bet.
also, bob dylan really does rock my face off.
he made it, why can't we?

now playing: closure / believing didymus

don't go looking for it, cause there's only like 30 odd copies of "puddlejumping" out there... it'll be gold if the guys from BD ever make it big. ;-) Here's one of my favorites though, for your contemplative enjoyment

how can I get closure on a never opened issue?
how can I cry when I should not have cared?
how can i feel stabbed when no knife ever existed?
why does life go this way?

___I just want to curl into Your arms
___And let the tears flow
___Even though I don't understand
___You reign here below
___And when I just cannot see
___I know Your plan will show
___cause Your love sustains me
___And You are good.

why is it always that my heart commits perjury?
and it seems like I am out, out to get me
was it something that I did, or was it in God's plan?
why is it that I never seem to understand?

(chorus)

Your ways are always higher than what I comprehend
Your love is deeper than the Marianas trench
and when I feel despair, I know You're faithful
You are the Holy God, the Rock unshakeable

(chorus)

sometimes a song transcends a situation, and becomes an encouragement, no matter what's going on. That's what "closure" has become. Ironically, the theme from deliverance does just about the same thing. ;-) Alright guys, rock and roll, I hope this moment from the past was as encouraging for you as it was for me!
andymack, signin' out.
andymack and the mack is back no slack

RC Sproul

now playing: God is great / sonic flood. still my theme song

Okay, so I'm pretty sure that R.C. is a net junkie or something. Here's why. When he was talking about philosophy, he was like: these philosophy teachers will pretty well do or say whatever they want, and as long as they do it in a hushed tone, everyone's like: wow, that's profound! So, that came to mind today as I did some reading amongst writers of my generation. Sure, we may not lower our voices (mostly because we're too lazy to figure out how to program that in HTML, or in PHPBBCode, or whatever), but often times we seem to have a desire to come across as being profound. So, we find big ways to say nothing at all. I'm definitely pointing the finger at myself, because the more I contemplate it, the more I see it. So, my challenge to myself is to learn to shut up except for when I can actually say something that matters. Anyway, for now, I'm gonna go watch a movie and do a development plan for work. Not that it'll matter, cause I'll probably be leaving there shortly anyway, but it's all good. Peace Out...side


wahoo... job change!

planning big

now playing: zach's song // school of rock (AWW YEAH!)

Hey kids, mack here. I just wanted to say, real quick: don't be afraid to think big, and plan big. We're such an apathetic lazy generation. Make loving God your number one priority, then... plan big, be bold, and obey Him. rad - iculous
mack out.
I'm gonna bust a guitar solo right there, if it's cool with you.

God is Great

now playing: God is great. hillsong version. love the song, hate the production.

God's goodness is a mighty powerful thing. Sometimes I'm so dumb as to forget it. and it's when things snap back into place at the end of a phase like that where i realize that I'm really just that dumb. Oh well, it's all good - a good lesson learned every little while is well worth a couple o' smacks upside the head with the celestial two by four -- it's big

Word. So, in other news... not much else going on actually. Work and sleep and sleep and work. And the occasional exercise. And ice cream outings today. Anyway, God is good. That's the one thing I know. And it's the only thing worth depending on. lucy: is he a safe lion? mrs. beaver (i think): oh no dear, he's not safe... didn't you hear what i said? he's a lion. but he's good!


lion of judah!

the blog about nothing

now playing: nobody loves me / dwebb | not a sympathy song, a song about speaking the truth, no matter what

Okay, so here's the question... how did those sienfeld punks pull off "the sitcom about nothing"? Cause honestly... when I don't have a topic, I'm just absolutely ridiculous when trying to write. How do you write anything without a topic? It's not even possible. Perhaps they were just random. Like duck burgers. Or flying washing machines. or something. Mmm duck burgers. So I guess I should be kinda depressed, since I haven't had any deep thoughts on my mind of late. pathetic, I know, but such is life. Keep it real folks, and I'll try to do the same.


before the shoe was, andymack is.

every new beginning

comes from some other beginning's end. now playing: closing time / semisonic

One reaches the end of the year, and looks back and wonders. "What if". The what ifs get me nowhere, so I'm going to stop what-iffing and just appreciate everything that you KLBC folk did to make the year as good as it was, and thank God that He's got even better in store for all of us. Carpe Diem guys... live every moment to the full, because every moment matters and every minute counts.

Oh yeah, also, I got to jam with Todder tonight... hokey shmokes... I love his writing, and i love the fact that we learned each other's stuff in about 10 minutes, and then had a blast sharing it with people. Definitely something to pursue. If there was ever a time to rock, now is that time.
God is Great. Keep on rockin.
8 months off... AMEN!

free

now playing: just don't want coffee - derek

To that which went before: all the best. I am complete. To the one who lies ahead, probably far ahead, I'll do my best to grow up and to be worth while. To the One who makes it all make sense: Thanks. You are good... and tho "I am weak, You are strong. I know my pain won't be ignored... i have found the greatest cure is being weak in the Lord." (from a song by Sam Smith). God is good folks.

and I think I'm back. If there was ever a time to rock, now's the time to do it . So lets rock.
God gave rock and roll to ya!

why aren't His words teaching?

now playing: if we are the body // casting crowns

So, today was the first choir trip that I've gotten to go on this year - like bus rides and all (I did get to go catch them in bancroft one time... and the company was rad too). Anyway, the easter conference was a little ridiculous to be honest. I wonder what paul would say if he saw the level of teaching we have in the church today. I think he might say "I'm going home, y'all are pathetic", and walk out. Or maybe "And I thought the Galatians were cause for worry" (which is the polite greek way of saying "dumb"). I dunno, i think beg to be spoonfed all the time instead of ever wanting a real challenge. I'm sorry, but it is not a challenge to people to tell them that they "need to get back to the gospel". It's not a challenge because there's no telling what that looks like, or what difference it would make. It leaves everyone with warm fuzzies, and we think: "look at how I spent my good friday. Yep, I'm doing pretty good." And then we go on living life the exact same way as we always did. Disugsting guys. Digusting. Sorry, I don't mean to vent, but i've gotta wonder: when are we ever going to move past being asinine into being applicable? Alright, i'm done.

asinine: adj., utterly stupid or silly: asinine behavior.
Of, relating to, or resembling an ass.

it's about time!

now playing: satellite soul(album) // by satellite soul... now defunct

first off: CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS
Disease: Perfringens food poisoning
Source: "Buffet germ" that grows rapidly in large portions of food that cool slowly. It grows in chafing dishes which may not keep food sufficiently hot and in the refrigerator if food is stored in portions too large to cool quickly.
Symptoms (after eating): Onset: 8-24 hours; lasting only a day. Usually mild, but can be serious in ulcer patients, the elderly, ill, or immune-compromised.
Prevention: Keep food hot (above 140 degrees F) or cold (below 40 degrees F). Divide bulk cooked foods into small portions for serving and cooling. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 degrees F. Take special care with poultry, stew, soup, gravy, and casseroles.

Sound like fun to anyone? Huh? Huh? That's what I thought. Pretty sure that's what I had. Blech. a word to the wise: avoid buffets. that is all

Okay, so I'm putting away my laundry, taking advantage of the night off to reorganize my room a little (yay... an organized desk is the sign of an organized mind, and let me tell you, that explains a lot). As I was hanging up the shirts that I most commonly wear, I realized something tragic. My name is andymack, and I'm the wearer of bummy sweaters. Literally. Dressing for school? Where's that bummy sweater? Dressing for church? Oh, a nice blue bummy sweater. Dressing for hanging out? Pulling out the green bummy sweater. Or the other green... bummy sweater. Going in to work? Throw on uniform, top it off with... yep, gray bummy sweater. Holy cow. It's little wonder that I'm single. Looks like I need a visit from the fashion faerie god-mom. What do you want to bet that she's italian? that's it for now,
------------ andymack
must... avoid... lemon chicken. UGH!

hehehe... advice from the Smithy

now playing: space heater. I'm cold. Yep, it's spring, and my feet are cold anyway.

So, last night at work, Dave the LockSmith came through. Yep, master Locksmith. Named dave. Funny guy. (he'd be the Smithy referred to in my title). I think locksmiths probably have a fair deal of time on their hands, either way, this guy was very friendly, and pretty hilarious. From him I received some of the best advice that I've received in the past year. "Man, you gotta stop cutting yourself down. If you let people walk all over ya, let me tell ya, pretty soon it'll be your first, second, and third wives."

BAHAHAHAH! Okay, time for bed! goodnight!


insert hidden comment here

why I'll never be part of corporate north america

now playing: ghetto // POD from satellite. Didn't know I was that kind of guy, eh?

So, it was decided tonite that I'll never be a dumb little corporate punk. Why? Well, because. Because I don't like that type. See, I can be pretentious at times, I'm not going to lie to you. But I can't stand self importance like you see in the corporate type. You know, the type who are constantly talking about themselves like they are way more super important than they are? And who are nitpicky about everything. And who think that they're the Senior VP in charge of the axis that the world rotates on? Yeah. I hate that. We had a guy like that through work tonight. I wanted to punch him in the face, but I'm sure there's something in the corporate ethics guide about that (ah yes, the famous "don't punch your superiors in the face" clause). I will NEVER be a corporate yuppie dweeb like that. if I am, you can punch me in the face

So, yeah, work was okay. And life is okay. Lots of papers to write. And stuff to do. Always more stuff. Gotta learn to schedule better. Spring Cometh. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
for now,
_________andymack
+13 celcius RAWKS!

a quick note

now playing: valleys fill first // caedmons call

to those who may check this page from time to time, more is to come, guaranteed. for now, contemplate with me the aforementioned song.

This is the valley that I’m walking through
And if fells like forever since I've been close to you
My friends up above me don't understand why I struggle like I do
My shadow's my only, my only companion and at night he leaves too
Down in the valley, dying of thirst

__Down in the valley, it seems that I'm at my worst
__My consolation is that you baptize this earth
__when I’m down in the valley, valleys fill first

Down in this wasteland I miss the mountaintop view
but it's here in this valley that I'm surrounded by you
Though I'm not here by my will it's where your view is the most clear
so I'll stay in this valley it takes 40 years

And it's like that long Saturday your death and the rising day
When no one wrote a word, wondered is this the end
But you were down there in the well, saving those that fell
Bringing them to the mountain again

prayerfully, for now,

cold rainy nights

I don't have much time, a little homework calls, but I wanted to say that Cold rainy nights make me fall in love with folk music and tea all over again. God is good.
for now,
__________ andymack

somebody sound the helpless romantic alert!

this and that

now playing: Indigo Girls // shame on me

Sometimes I feel so useless. A hundred million things may be going wrong around the family, and all I can do is sit here and contemplate. When all I really want is to kick someone. Someone needs to find my future spouse and warn her: the guy has an insane sense of family, and needs some serious chill pills.

Argh, i'm tired and useless, so I think it's bed time. Keep 'er real folks.
for now,
_______________andymack

he'd consume the english with lightning from his eyes

now playing: american girls // counting crows

Wow, what a night. Got to hang out with a bunch of my favorite people at the BigMacFormal, then afterward at the Coverts. Been precisely four months since V-Day (if victory = freedom, that is), and I have to say, closure is a sweet thing.

What i've really been impressed with through the turmoil of the last 4 months is God's sovereignty in providing us our friends and acquaintances. My friends have provided me with more support and love than i could've ever imagined possible. My challenge to you, oh esteemed reader, is to be like my friends were. i can think of past situations (ie breakups, etc.,) where I didn't provide the kind of support that I've been so overwelmingly blessed by. And that truly is tragic . So let us set our minds today to be good friends and to provide for our friends when they are in need. For, what will you do without support? (little puny scotsman: we'll run, and we'll live!) Ay, run, and you'll live. But, many years from now when you lie dying in your bed, would you not look back and wish to trade every day from this day to that to come back here and stand and say to our enemies "You may take our lives, but you'll never take our freedom!!!!!!!!!!"

So, you'll never guess what justin and I watched. (Hint, read end of previous paragraph). I love Scotland. If I wasn't already of Scottish descent, I'd make a point of marrying a Scottish chick, for sure.

Anyway guys, I'm wiped, and its a weekend of work and youth group, so i probably ought to go. I'm so tired. T. I. R. E. D. Have a good night. Peace!(br) for now,
Hamish: Where you goin? Wallace: To pick a fight. Hamish (aside): at least we didn't get dressed up for nothing.

clarification and sarcasm from my mom

now playing: gone / switchfoot (stupid catchy bands!)

Okay, this is a quick clarification of yesterday's post. This is (insert big word for caused... can't think of it... argh!) by an email received from my mom, who typically is my biggest fan. She said " Yeah, you see that in the Bible all the time, don't you?

Uh---and where would that be? "
I received this email in the middle of a class (revelation to be specific, but whatever), and I have to say, I was maybe a little offended. And then I thought, "maybe she's right, maybe I need to clarify." So, here we are.

The phrase I used that so offended was "Love God, then do as you please." Now, had i just come up with this on my own, i would almost guarantee that it'd be dumb and misguided. Thankfully, I've never had an original thought in my life. The originator of this thought was none less than one of my favorites amongst the church Fathers, St. Augustine. (An aside for dave hunt (no relation to Caleb), no I don't think that augustine missappropriated Christianity and added greek philosophy to it... he took what was true from Greek philosophy and used it. It was a discerning process. //end tangent). Unfortunately, no matter how hard I looked, I could not find a direct source for the quote (although it is quoted up and down, left and right). That at least beats a "one writes", right? Anyway, Augustine originated the thought. What was his intent? That we do whatever we want? Honestly and sincerely, NO. In fact, not just no, but absolutely not! Paul refutes this idea all through Romans (esp. Rom. 6). What Augustine refers to with this little catchy phrase is the fact that if we order our lives correctly (ie. Love God), then the rest of our priorities will fall into place, hence: do what you please. If loving God is the priority, the central theme in your life, then what pleases you will be that which reflects your love for God. I think it's along the lines of Psalm 37:4. It is inaccurate to twist this passage into "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He'll do whatever you want." That is certainly not true, and is in fact an abhorrent notion. That God would ever submit Himself to doing whatever we wanted on a whim. Rather, as we delight ourselves in the Lord, what He wants becomes what we want. That is, our desires come into line with His will. At that point, the desires of our hearts are fulfilled because they are His will.
anyway, my point in quoting Augustine was not to embrace a pragmatic viewpoint, but rather to point to the fact that if loving God is first priority, then we are being transformed into His image, and the desire of our hearts may at that point very well be an indicator of what His will is.

Anyway, been a long day so far, no doubt it will get longer tho. Big Mac formal coming up. Had to replace a headlight. Got really angry at Peterborough drivers. Other various and sundry events. Keep it real guys, I'll try to do the same.
for now,
yeah... real.

tunes and coffeeshops

now playing: pirates who don't do anything // relient k

Relient K rocks my face off. They're so incredibly funny. I seem to be going through a bit of a pop/punk revival. Don't know where it's coming from, but it makes me laugh at myself, cause I'm so not punk. Oh well, no harm in trying :-) Ever stopped and thought to yourself, "self... maybe the reason I'm miserable is that I've never actually just chased one of the dumb ideas that come through my head that might actually work" ? I'm not going to lie to you, I have those moments all the time. To be honest, I wonder if it isn't true: love God, then do what you want. Logically, if one is loving God first, then all desires will fall into line with that. I don't know... I guess I just want to do something crazy but workable.
Okay, so my capability for logical thought is failing, which is a good sign that bed is calling. Peace out guys.
For now, you better Belize it!
ah belize... where wine flows like beer and women flock like skunks

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Ladies and Gentlemen, straight from somewhere in Eastern Europe, for those of us who just don't like the way norton, symantec, etc., treat us... avast antivirus. Auto updates. Serious live-on-the-fly email protection. Small memory footprint. Gotta love it. Best of all... FREE!!!! yay! Everyone should have good virus protection. Now you can. For free. GET IT NOW. Also, run ad-aware. I hadn't for about 4 months, and sure enough, unbeknownst to me, 70 new spyware objects. And I don't even run any file sharing stuff! Crazy! Anyway, take care of your computer, and it'll love you better.
for now,

still I'm not so sure that I know

now playing: trouble is // jars of clay from who we are instead

Ever felt like you were looking for something, but didn't know where to find it? Such is my day today. I don't have much to say. But, thats where I'm at. May you find what you're looking for.
for now,

where is my head?

now playing: say the words (remix) // dctalk ~ intermission

wow. What a day. It was like my synapses weren't snapping or something. I did stupid stuff all day today. Like, no matter what went down, whether selling a phone or trying to clean the sales area, I just did dumb stuff. My coworker pretty well laughed at me all day. Me, and the guy from the peterborough petes.

Okay, so it's the easter seal telethon at the mall where I work, and they've got these 2 Petes players signing autographs for people. So, toward the end of the day, one of the guys decides he's gonna wander the mall. As he's wandering, he's chewing on his autograph pen. Now, my coworker and I probably aren't the most athletic, and as is easiest for us "slightly quicker mentally, but not so quick on skates" types, we might have cracked a couple of jokes as we watched him wander (he's probably 6'4", huge... the kind of guy that girls stare at.) Anyway, he decides to look at cell phones, and so, as per company policy, my coworker greets him, and goes over to talk to him. So, they're talking about hockey, and phones, and all the while the guy is chewing on this pen. So, out of nowhere, my coworker says "Are you getting hungry?", obviously referring to the pen chewing. The guy says "Nope", and keeps on talking about whatever he had been talking about. HE TOTALLY MISSED THE JOKE!! Which only confirmed our "muscle bound jock" stereotype. I, being the good natured guy I am, burst out laughing when my coworker uttered the question. But my poor coworker had to keep up the conversation until the guy left. At which point, we looked at each other, I said "Yo, you hungry?" And all he said was... "uh... Duh." And we broke into hysterics. I dunno, maybe you had to be there, but it killed me.

So, i'm a little frustrated that it's snowing and stuff again. THIS IS WHY I HATE MARCH. So extremely inconsistent. March is like a woman. One day, warm and nice, the next... cold as ice. ;-) Just kidding!!! I'm being too harsh on the month of March. ;-)

Welp, I got some olde skool DCT playing, and a short little assignment to write, so i'm out. Cause I am down with the one who is known as the Son of the G to the O to the D never done... Peace!
for now,
this has been your surreal moment of the day

imperial bloggerdom

now playing: the space heater. dang its cold.

Hola mis amigos. Wow, what a flippin' long day. I think I've been home for a total of 40 minutes out of the 16 hours since I left for work first thing this morning. It's been long, but good. Although, i did get quite directionally lost in Trent's library. How bad is it when a man has to have it pointed out to him by a woman that he's headed the wrong way. I blame magnetics. I swear trent has a big electromagnet pointed in there to make guys think that north is south, and vice versa. Well, i fell for it once, but I won't fall for it again. Man, so many books. I can't wait until the Brewery has that many books. It'll rock. (and yes, by the brewery i refer to KLBC ).

Wow, i totally don't have anything relevant to say. So, for now I'll go. But I leave you with the words of Thomas Jefferson: Rebellion Against Tyrants is Obedience to God.
for now,
_________________ AndyMack
blogging is like resisting the empire in star wars. I don't know how, but I'm sure there's a parallel there somewhere.

logical consistency

CNN.com - Judge resigns over online racial remarks - Mar. 4, 2004: "'I am not a racist,' he wrote, according to the paper. 'I am a racialist. The difference being I don't discriminate against an individual, but I do recognize the fact that there are a lot of differences between races which I assume from a biological standpoint is caused by difference in DNA. "

Okay, go read this article. Now, I disagree with this guy, but i'm kind of impressed with his logical consistency. This is not something we see by and large today. If someone wants to believe things that contradict in today's world it isn't seen as a problem. This guy started out with a foundational premise that everything is determined by life. I.E. he is a materialist as are most people, at least on the surface. However, he at least took his premise to it's logical conclusion. IF people are merely genetically determined, then why couldn't there be certain racial tendencies based on biology? PLEASE don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't even start down this path. i don't believe that people are merely products of their genetics, and therefore totally disagree. All I'm pointing out is that this guy was consistent. And, for following the law of non-contradiction, and having dumb premises, he gets the ax. While I completely and totally disagree with his conclusions and his premises, I have to say, I do applaud him for consistency. The coherence theory of truth states that a statement is only true as far as it is coherent with the system it comes from. If this is true, then few of us can claim to actually believe truth, because few of us have logically consistent belief systems.
Conclusion: make the guy retire. He's wrong. WRONG, I say... wrong. However, take a challenge from this. How can we make our thought processes logically consistent? If we honestly tried to, I think we'd realize that a lot of what we believe is... well, to quote a cartoon... *musically* dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb. Keep it real.
for now,
_______________ andymack

cancelled show, venison, and SCO (yep, my title rhymes)

now playing: there's a stirring. cc from my calm // your storm. i think

Wow, I love the now playing line. It totally reminds me to load up my mp3 player when it's not playing. Very useful. It helps that I seldom get tired of my mp3 collection too. (yes, by Canadian law, legal, and even in the states, I own well over 2/3 of my music). Anyway, I digress.

the show at grassroots on tuesday is cancelled. Mr. Arnold didn't feel like he could go ahead with it, so we're not on. That being said... as far as music goes, if I were to describe where I'm at as far as that goes, I'd probably concur with what Micheal Johnston of the Smalltown Poets once said: If any one word could sum it up, it'd be anticipation. Hopefully some stuff will come together over the next little while that could make this whole music thing a lot of fun.

Yep. Venison. Steak to be exact. Brought to me by my good friend Dan. i've never had venison steak before, in fact, the only time I've eaten meat that someone killed was when I got to eat moose in a lasagna. So, this is a new experience for me. But I must say, it rocks most extremely. The only way it'd be better would be if I shot it myself. :-)

I have to say that lately, my interest has been quite captivated by the SCO case. For those who don't know, SCO is a company that bought Unix System V from Novell, who bought it from AT&T. SCO is now claiming that IBM and other companies who helped with the development of LINUX technically were giving away code that according to their UNIX SYS V licensing agreements belonged to Novell, which means that SCO's intellectual property is being infringed upon by EVERYONE WHO EVER USED LINUX. And so, they're suing. First, they sued IBM. Then they sued Novell (who has lines from the purchase contract that basically allow them to say "naw, SCO can't say that" with regard to copyright stuff). Now, they're suing Daimler/Chrysler and autoparts distributer AutoZone for infringinement. Now, I know that seems like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but I gotta tell you guys, from everything I've seen and read, the consensus by and large is that this is possibly the most groundless case ever launched in the courts (with the exception of that Mickey D's made me fat case). It's pretty neat to watch the technical side of the case develop. This is probably boringer than anything for most of you, but on the off chance that someone is curious, groklaw.net is a community of open source (of which Linux is a subset) supporters who are legally savvy, and logging their findings with regard to the case. Definitely interesting stuff.

Okay, I've got youth group to plan for, and sleep to catch. Busy weekend ahead. Keep it real, y'all.
for now
_______________ andymack
insert witticism here

what, is this the day to not blog?

now playing: ballad of san francisco // dwebb on LLOL

Okay, so I know this may sound pathetic, but I logged onto my internet account, launched a microsloth product, and started surfing my favorite blogs. I have to confess, I was pretty bummed to find that only ONE of the 5 or 6 that I read everyday had been updated. It makes little sense, but somehow, I enjoy this. Funny enough, I was planning on skipping today too... I have a paper to write like a.s.a.yesterday. Oh well. It can wait a couple minutes while I write this. Not really that much to tell you about, but I do have a couple of web sites to recommend:

the shotgun rules Most of us are college students. Most of us bum rides. Now, the definitive work on calling shotgun. Read it. Know it. Live by it.
breedlove guitars These guys caused me to get my first ever parking ticket. See, I was going into musicland (which I hate, cause they never have anything good. Ever). And, there was no parking that was "legal". But, since i was only going to be in there for a minute, reconfirming that they had nothing good, I figured... "what the heck? i won't get a ticket". So, i go in, and the owner asks "can I help you find anything?" So, I figure... I'll give 'em a shot. I tell him what I'm looking for, price point and all, and he goes... yeah, we have an alvarez for 750 that is kinda like that. I play it, I see it, it's crap. So, I'm getting ready to leave (time in store... 1.5 min), and he says: "Have you ever played a breedlove? I forgot all about this one..." And pulls down the most unbelievable looking guitar ever. I says to myself, if it plays as beautiful as it looks, then it's going to be awesome. And he hands it to me. And there were a couple of key things I noticed as I played it. A) Volume. For a concert sized body (slightly smaller than a dreadnaught, preferred by clapton, and myself) it was LOUD. B) Action: wow, it was mint. Like, taylor mint. C) Finish / Woods: Again, wow... mint. D) tone: my current guitar is a little on the treble-y side of balanced. This guitar is perfectly where I would want it. E) Electronics. Yep. Fishman. Classic IV. Can't beat a fishman. I firmly believe in their products. They tend to be pretty hot as far as signal level. I remember one time plugging in after a guy with some generic active pickup set up, and feeding back the whole system. Fishman rocks the hizz-ouse. So, I may be a little star struck by this guitar, but man... wow. great looking, plays amazingly, worth keeping for the rest of my life. We'll have to see. Oh right... the story. Anyway, i play the guitar for a while, and think to myself, wow... this is great. I talk to them about where the brand is from, woods, upkeep, etc... everything sounds great. They're trying to push an immediate sale, I'm like... no deal raj. Anyway, I finally say "well, I might be back in a few weeks", and walk to the door (time in store: 30 min). And as I open the door Reality kicks in. I'm illegally parked, and just spent a half hour in a store. So I rush to my car, and sure enough, AndyMack got his first parking ticket. and now you know... the rest of the story.

Anyway guys, that paper calls. Keep it real.
For now,
___________________________ AndyMack

fine and dandy... must be andy... andymack

sandals. yep.

now playing: love song for a saviour // jars from self titled

You know it... what a day. I got to pull out the ol' flip flops. So comfortable. It was almost warm enough to pull it off too. If I was a little tougher, or a little less puerto rican, I'd be able to do it. (Clarification, I really have struggled with the cold since returning from Puerto Rico. I know I'm not officially, genetically, or legally Puerto Rican, but if you grow up in a place, it's bound to impact your life). Anyway, life is good when the sandals are out. Now if I could only get my hands on a pair of Reef Brazil sandals.

Today was a long day. Some days, some classes just take everything out of me. Today was one of those days. I just feel like falling asleep. Maybe I ought to. Naw, too much work to do. That being said, i'll get to it. I'm excited tho... neat stuff happening. Stay tuned.
ooh... subterfuge... skitch, your girlfriend just walked in.

whitewashed walls

hey guys. This is a little out of the ordinary, I'm having a bit of a melancholy night, and I'm playing through some old songs. I thought I'd share one with you, at least the lyrics of it. It's a song I wrote in... shoot, the summer of 2000, just under 4 years ago. Life was simpler then. But, the same issues tended to plague. And that's where this song came from.

Sometimes I find it easier
To change what I project
Ignore what's on the inside
Who sees that anyway?

Chorus:
And I know that it's just a waste of my time
To spread another coat over the grime
And I don't want to be just another white washed wall
Help me to be more than a white washed wall.

V2:
I fall into my own trap
Religion over relationship
But still I know it's futile
Cause the white wash starts to chip

so, that's kinda what's on my mind. Take from it what you will.

first bike ride of spring... or... wow, it's wet out there

now playing: hands of the potter (radio mix) // cc.. yep, shesa bootleg

Hey guys. Well, today has been a good day so far. Although, it's had its moments. (And for homestar fans: if it's supposed to be possessive it's just i t s, if it's supposed to be a contraction, it's i t apostraphe s... scalawag). I got it right in the preceding sentence. Gotta confess, I hate akward moments, and wish I could avoid them altogether, but sometimes some good comes out of them. One of those akward moments got me really down today. But then, I got to drive home, and as I pulled in I thought: I'm old, out of shape, and completely a bum. And now I drive, so I get absolutely NO exercise, time to pull out the bike. So, I up and went for a bike ride, which served dual purposes: expressing agression, and getting a little bit of a work out. Didn't make it too far (because I really am that out of shape. Wait, out of shape assumes I was ever in shape. Which I haven't really been. One day though). When I got home, I realized that... hey, it's still spring. The world is beautiful, we're starting to see grass again, work is going good, and the Spirit is at work in my heart. What a wonderful time to be alive. So, my outlook is much rosier now.

I open for Andrew Arnold this tuesday (March 9th) at the grassroots cafe (corner of Hunter and Alymer). We'd love it if you all would come and help us pack out the place. Tip your waiters ;-) Check it out. Anyway, i'm out. Gotta love spring tho!
sure beats a pile of snow

spring, and lotteries

now playing: sea of no cares // great big sea

Hey guys. It's been a couple of days, my bad. Getting lazy in my old age I guess. Either that, or my car is my new best friend, and the blog falls to the wayside. The car doth treat me well, and God is good.

I love the 'Borough in spring. I was driving home tonight, and I fell in love with this city again. Something about rain, and warmth, and just... man, i love it. As an M.K., it's hard to know where home is. Is home Puerto Rico? Is home where my parents are? It's maybe a little illogical, but I have so many good memories of this city, and of friends in this city, and of different events that mark growing up in this city that I think I've found the place that I can call home. All this because of Spring.

Lotteries. Dumb. But, it's that time of year. The time of year for the one lottery I played. Know which one it is? That's right... it's roll up the rim time! Gotta love it! I'm gonna win me a plasma tv. Or something. They keep you coming back on the chance that you just might win. Darned lottery. Remember everybody: gambling can be an addiction. Play roll up the rim wisely ;-).
I'm out for now. Homework to do. Righ...tuh. keep 'er real.
wow. what a great day.

the heart

now playing: crazy mary, fm static

First of all, I want to say: I've had this wicked eye twitch for two days, and if it doesn't go away soon, I'm going to lose it. Man, it's so frustrating. SO I SNAP!!! But, I digress.

So, i'm listening to my "relationships" playlist. Which totally is proof that I need to be able to listen to cds in my car. And also to get some two way tape for my chiuaua. Again, I digress. The point is, my playlist reflects my mindset. Sometimes, I manage to pull the VOL, and be "happy being lonely, lonely being happy." Right now, i'm just lonely. That's it. Lonely. Blech. Loneliness is interesting tho. It's not always for a specific person. In this case, I'm lonely for stability, and dependability, and all those great things. Sometimes being single is a good deal. But othertimes, you gotta wish that life would get a move on. Anyway, that's what's on my mind.
hmm. women ARE trouble.

sympathy... empathy... something

now playing: in the background, season finally of the bachelorette

Okay folks, I just want to say, to this matt guy (if you watched the season finale of bachelorette you'll know who I mean. This is the first episode I have watched, but either way... he was the one of the two final bachelors, and he got dropped). I'm with ya buddy. Sometimes life just don't make sense. But one day. one day, the girl we give our hearts to will actually handle with care. one day. that's it for now.
dumb girls

bellevidy - belleville

now playing: nothing. yep, nothing. argh! where are the tunes? well, pi-rats of the caribbean is playing in the background

So, I'm in belleville. Yesterday morning we picked up the car. We had it back in peterborough by 2:45 after a little running around by the dealer (who was stuck giving me a free break job and exhaust job, b/c we had signed papers for a certified / e-tested car. Good deal for me. Anyway, driving the 401 made me very nearly sick, but I managed to pull it off. And what a great car. Really peppy, good gas mileage, decent colour, I'm thrilled. Wait 'til Starsky and I get some detailing done. Anyway, last night at work I got a call from my little brother saying "why don't you come up tonight instead of tomorrow morning?" So I did. I'm out for now, just wanted to update, remember kids, only you can prevent forest fires. go do something with your family!
family rocks... the glue that keeps society together

an epic

now playing: standing still // pre-fall jewel. moment of silence. that's enough. thanks.

Hey guys. Wow. WHAT A DAY!!!! Imagine this: a trip to Toronto, to check out cars. The Gurr(Starsky) and Myself. And dealership options out the wazzoo. And by that I mean 4 within the area we were going to, two that were within a block and a half of each other. and this is where we meet our hero, Starsky. We pull up to Standard Auto at about 10:30. We get out, and we begin to look for the 2 or 3 cars that we wanted to check out. Immediately, we checked a corolla, and then went inside and looked at a jetta (which was hot, but maybe a little overpriced). Anyway, we go back out (keys in hand) to look at this little Mazda protege for 2490 etested and certified, which I decide I don't like (why? We don't know). Anyway, we go in, and decide to at least run the jetta, even though it's higher than we wanted to go. Won't start. Won't idle. Not very promising. They pull it outside, and make a comment about the idle motor, and that it's been sitting for 3 months (promising, we think... they'll need to move it). Anyway, it still won't run, so we say "we'll be back to see it... going to check some other dealers." And, we walk up the street. To a dealership called "International Union". While here, we talk to a guy who I'm sure is named Samir, and he shows us an 89 camry with some horrible rust problems. But, he says he'll give it to us for 2000, etested and certified, and he'll do all the body work. It runs like a charm too. Beautifully. However, being a camry, it wouldn't get the greatest gas mileage (which is a concern, cause it adds up) and, it was a little older, and quite beat up. But, with the work, we thought it'd be a good deal. The Jetta was still in the back of my head, and now we had dealing material: "the guy down the road has a camry for 2 flat". So, we return to our friends at Standard Auto, who have done nothing for the jetta but drop a little more gas into it. However, it seems to be running better, so we go for a test drive. It's pretty shaky, but okay. Starsky and I had decided that we'd probably go 2200 etested, and certified, and so, Starsky starts to go at it with the guy, as we drive. The guy thinks he could sell it quick, if he'd just advertise it right. He drops to 2400, plus etest and certification for like 199.99 So, not really dropping at all. So, Starsky's like (as we get out): naw, we'll go talk to the guy about the camry. At this point, Standard Auto dude decides that there is a car he can drop on: the Protege. Yep, we step out, and he drops the protege a full 490 bucks. I was like... wow... lets check this out again? So, we do. And as we head over, Starsky says: remember, you gotta LOVE it, or it won't be worth it. Obviously, anything I bought was going to be less than perfect, so his point was, if I wasn't going to love it for what it was, i'd never be happy with it. So, we walk over. And yeah, it's a very rad colour. And it's a decent size inside (actually, rather more than high enough for us tall guys, which is good). And the stereo worked, and it only had 210k kms on it. And it was actually in good shape. And boy did it run. As in, the first thought through our heads was: "how do you budget for speeding tickets"? There were a few problems with it (missing door handle in the back, lock that didn't work, a couple of lights out, etc.) But, we brought them up, and he said "yeah, I'll do it all.". And I looked at it, and I saw nothing but promise. This was it. It was destiny, or fate, or... something. So, we said "can you do it by 3?" (at this point, it was just before 1pm) and he said... I think so. So, away I went, to call insurance, and to get money from the bank. (side note: Upon calling insurance, I found out that the last company I decided to call (last ditch) was going to insure me for a LOT less than my next best quote. Yeah, I'm saving 150 bucks a month!!! //end side note) Anyway, we went back, and long and short of it, they didn't have it ready by three, but tomorrow morning, I'm picking me up a protege. My very own car. YAY! I have to say, everything happened so providentially, from the jetta incidents getting us a discount, to the insurance, to even the guy at the bank with whom I withdrew a lot of money. It all went so well, it was unreal. God is good. So, pray for safety for Starsky and I as we go back up to toronto in the morning, and for me as I drive 401 for the first time. What a good day. What a providentially led day. Rock on! Keep it real folks.
photo journal on getting a car to come.

mornings

now playing: the legend spreads // the braveheart soundtrack... it must be morning!

just wanted to say: it's crappy when you wake up and realize that you set your alarm for 7 pm instead of 7 am. Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb... where are my war pipes? shoot, this is faerie music... hold on. There we go... I am William Wallace, and I see before me an army.... okay, I'll leave it there. You all have a great morning, I'll catch you later.
when I'm ruling the world!!!

church and loving Jesus

now playing: she must and shall go free(album) // derek webb

A rather appropriate album to be listening to, given the direction of my thoughts throughout today. This morning I was at church for the first time in a while (due to work schedule, not apostasy). My church is far from perfect, however I realized today that the church is the way that God has chosen to organize His people, and to work. It's an honour to be a part of that, and an honour to serve Jesus with other people. To quote a line from Derek, from the perspective of Jesus if you love Me you must love the Church.

I also realized something about theology and philosophy. I can kind of see where Solomon was coming from when he said "excessive devotion {to books} is wearying." It is easy to slip into a state of mind where God is not an active, moving being who is changing His people, but rather a guiding principle to the world. See, here's how it seems to work. We realize a problem: in this case, a low view of God. So, we strive to change it, not realizing that aspects we relate (correctly or incorrectly) to that low view of God (His personal involvement in our lives, the fact that as well as King and Creator and Master and Saviour, He can be our friend) are true. And then, in correcting the low view of God, there's a tendency to throw these good things to the side. And then one becomes enbroiled in the same problem: an inaccurate view of God. Trouble one way, or trouble the other. I hate the word balance, but I will argue that we too often throw out the baby with the bathwater, and when we are correcting problems in our view of / relationship with God, we need to be careful not to become unbalanced to the opposite extreme of where we were when we began. And that was a run on sentence.

So, that's about it for me now. More on the reading break car challenge later. We're fighting the empire (used car dealers) to find freedom (a car), using no weapons but our wits and the force (autotrader.ca). Wish us luck.
Who's darth vader? Ah, yes, the e-test.

the walking dead

now playing: the anthem // good charlotte... i know, i know, not my usual fare. its one of those times where I need to laugh at myself.

Wow, i veritably fell off the face of the planet for a couple days there. Between work, midterms, papers, and what not, it's just been a couple of days since I sat down to do this. DIDYAMISSME?

What a day. What a couple of days. I've sold 6 phones in the last 30 hours. Yea, that's about right. maybe as much as 36, but I think that's gratuitous. It was a crazy night friday night, and a crazy day today. Work is good, let's just say that. Except for the parts where stuff goes wrong and I get frustrated instead of just taking care of business. Always take care of business. Frustration can wait until later.

So, anyway, i don't really have much to go on right now. Life is good, it's reading week, and I'm hoping to have a car by the end of it. Bed calls. peace.
andrew

cars rock

grumpy-ness... grumpiness?

now playing: all the reasons why // downhere from the self-titled album.

Know what you're thinking... you're thinking "man, a bowl of chocolate ice cream would do me real good right now." But, as soon as you're done with that thought, you'll think "andymack? grumpy? no way!" Sure enough, I'm just not at the top of my game tonight. I'm frustrated, and testy, and grumpy. It makes no sense, had a blast with gurrsy, just got done my study sheet for "big exam from very hot place" tomorrow. Part of it is definitely relational blahs. I love my affianced friends, but sometimes being around them can be rather condusive to jealousy, envy, and a general desire for something relational - something for which i am not yet prepared. "On this journey, give us grace... as we follow lines Your hand will trace." Hmm. yeah. Downhere. Their first album. Rocks. Take a lesson from me guys, its well worth the wait to find the paths that God's hand has traced. "You call us to a crown - but for a time to taste the ground". Yeah, following God ain't always easy, but darned if it isn't always good. Be encouraged. I know I am. He's a good God. "Safe? No child, He's not safe! But He's good!" (the Beavers, LW&W, Chronicles of Narnia) outta here for now. Keep it real folks!

fine and dandy, must be andymack

The MacKay Mind: a note from family history.

now playing: Amazing Grace // bagpipes.

The MacKay Mind:
Reading up on some family heritage, found the following in a paper by Dr. R.L. Mackay, linked to above. Thought it was rather interesting and indicative. "Most writers produce books of Sermons, Theology with a Presbyterian slant and Philosophy. Some way behind, and in about equal numbers are three groups, namely Legal subjects, Local and General History, and Poetry. Thereafter, in diminishing frequency come Education, Economic and Social Reform, Science, Engineering, Geography and Travel. The writing of novels is inconspicuous. War, as distinct from History, is rather rare. Almost absent, alas, are Music, Drama, Painting, Illustration, Crafts of Mankind. Stranger! If you think of marrying a Mackay YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! "

BAHAHAHA!!! YES! There it is, a warning! Keep it real!

Bagpipes in the Morning

Nothing like it. Nothing. Care to disagree? You and what army? That's what I thought.

kraziclean

now playing: Jesus is still alright // dc talk from the album "free at last"


Well, good day class! How goes it? It's a beautiful day out, I got to go for a coffee run this morning with Big Stever, and then I got to run down to Canadian Tire on my own: As my penance for driving JGurr's car, I cleaned the upholstery in around the driver and passenger seats. Looks and smells pretty good actually. It's unreal, they sell this stuff in a can that you just spray on, scrub in, and wipe off: even builds in a layer of protection: how cool is that? K... K... Crazy cool, if you ask me. (yeah, i was going to spell crazy with a K back there, but then thought that if the CIA is watching this sight, they might've thought it to be a coded reference to some involvement with a rogue white supremacist group. And I have no such involvement. A rogue Scottish supremacist group maybe, but then, there's nothing to fight for, we're already supreme.)

Work calls shortly, and hopefully some guitar playing calls between now and then, so I'm gonna run. Point to Ponder: did Napolean's desire to rule the world come from an inferiority complex due to being so short? If so, does that mean that the people to be worried about in the world are the short people? I thought so... I thought so.
short people got... no reason... what a great song.

fickleness and fancy

now playing: the long day is over // norah jones from come away with me

Fancy. Fancy that. I fancy that. I fancy that. Hmm, such an interesting word to have dropped from usage almost altogether. The concept behind it used to be "being inclined toward someone/thing". Today I am frustrated. A good friend of mine has repeatedly quoted to me that "Purity of heart is to will one thing". Man, we stink at this! We have set our fancy on so many things. Whether it's possessions or people, or position, or (insert another p word, so as to make this sentence sound like the thesis from a brethren sermon), our desires are so varied and so divided! You know, in days past, one whose loyalties were divided was called a TRAITOR and could be summarily executed.

Think about that. Traitor. Deserter. Coward. These are words that once sparked intense hatred and general derision. And now, we are all guilty of it. What got me thinking about this was the whole realm of interpersonal relationships. We're fickle about them. But, as with everything, the various paths that my mind take ultimately lead me back to the fact that, as faithless as we are sometimes with our friends, significant others, etc., we are ever so much more fickle when it comes to our dealings with God. I think it'd be good if we could regain our hatred for divided loyalties, fickleness, and the like. ONLY IF we can develop the hatred for it in ourselves first and foremost. I can so easily point out the sliver in your eye, but darned if I can see the log in my own.

Class was good today. And, I even managed to write the first draft of my Churchill paper this afternoon. Which is good, since it's due tomorrow. Which means I have to revise it when I get home from work.

So, did you hear what happened to Laura and Amy this morning? They showed up late, and I'm sure that, like me, you had to stop and wonder what went down. Now, the average person would go "hmm, they don't want to talk about it, so I'll leave it alone." But, i've never been the average person, have I? (Look at the size of that nose!) So, in the time honoured tradition of Sherlock Holmes, Bill O'Rielly, Paul Harvey, and Encyclopedia Brown, I did some investigation. The following may be shocking, especially to those of you who live in the nice (i.e. East) part of town.
Our story begins with Laura not locking her back door last night. In life, it's the little things that end up making the big problems (and by little things, I do mean not locking the back door, not Laura herself). Now, as those of you who live anywhere but East City know, the North/West end is the hive of mob activity in the 'Borough. Not everyone is so privileged as we Village dwellers are. Anyway, last night, issues between Uncle Carlito CVII (west end Mob boss) and his nephew Carlito CVXXII blew up. As a result, both of Carlito CVII's sons (Carlito CVIII and Carlito CVIV) were out chasing Carlito CVXXII, along with some chap named Bernard. Unfortunately for Carlito CVXXII, we all know that you can mess with the mob, but you can't mess with some chap named Bernard. So, Bernard got the drop on ol' CVXXII (yes, that is pronounce cee vee ex ex two I). Now, interestingly enough, Bernard needed some place to store the body. And, a Mercury Topaz' back seat is more than enough room to store a body in. And, as he was working for the West-end mob king, the location of Laura's Topaz (half way North, halfway West) was rather ideal. So, Bernard stored CVXXII in the back seat of Laura's topaz, fully intending to deal with the body by sunrise.
Of course, if you mess with CVXXII, you mess with all his friends. Unfortunately for Bernard, CVXXII's friends included Leonardo Di Caprio. Wait... he's not dangerous at all! He's kinda girly, actually! Oh yeah, that's it... his girlish looks caught Berny (can I call him berny?) off guard. And so, Berny got a new pair of shoes. Cement shoes, if you know what I mean... Anyway, this morning, Laura and Amy get in the car to go to school. And, as they turn onto Brealy, they realize that there's a dead guy in the back seat. (That they didn't notice until now can be forgiven, since the topaz is such a big car that it's hard to see everything in there). So, they dumped the body at Tim Hortons, since everyone knows that Tim Hortons is the place to dump dead bodies (kinda like the cities of refuge from the Old Testament, but with more caffeine). Thus, they were 15 minutes late. (Which, by the way, is a new mob record for getting rid of a body... Amy and Laura, if you read this, Carlito CVII would like you to give him a call... he said (and I quote) "you gotta do somethin' for the family") And now you know the rest of the story.

Anyway, i gotta get ready for work. Selling cell phones... a lot of them, I hope. I wish you all a wonderful evening. Until next time, keep it real.

the above account of events was conjecture. Except for the tim hortons part. And the fifteen minutes late part. And maybe some other minor details. I'll leave those up to you to guess (hint: watch obituaries).
that wasn't even funny

yetisports2

yetisports2 Holy Cow. Check it out! And you thought penguin smashing was good! Props to Caleb for finding it first!

Freedom, Choir, and some such

now playing: forget what you know // caedmon's call from my calm//your storm. key line: "your sin is not an ax that can fell the sacred tree." THINK ABOUT THAT!

Justin left me his car keys while he was gone. Hokey shmokes, talk about nerve wrackingly great. It was so nice to be done class, and to decide "I'm going home!", and then be able to follow through on it. Wow. God is good. Still watching the car market, we've got some good ideas we're looking at. Honda Accords, Toyota corollas, and the like. Exciting stuff. Also, since I got home so early, I cleaned my keyboard. It was a little gross after 2 years of dorm / college life. I think there was more bbq sauce under the keys than there is on the average half dozen chicken wings. yikes. All better now. And my 7 and 8 buttons don't stick anymore!

So I went and checked out the KLBC Choir Talk about a blast. They did a rockin' awesome. I have to confess, highlights for me were the trio by Bruce, Affleck, and Jenkinson on "Free", as well as being MegMur-ized by MegMur's performance of "Offering". Wow, and I bet all those brethren folk in the crowd thought we'd be passing a plate or something. ;-) Anyway, to those Choir members who may or may not read this site, you rock, and as one who has been in the two previous choirs, Our hats go off to you guys. You have more talent than we did, so be encouraged! It's all stage presence now guys. Seriously.

Next time you see Erin, ask her about McDonalds in Bancroft. That's all I'm gonna say, cause I've already told the story enough. Hehehe... Anyway, it's gonna be a long week: 32 hours of work, 2 midterms, and 1 paper. I guess I should start writing that. But first, this room HAS GOT TO BE CLEANED! God is good, guys. And He works all things together for our good. And that ROCKS! Keep it real.
andymack almost sounds like his old self... look out world!

norah, me, a cup of tea.

now playing: norah jones, in the morning, from feels like home (and i'm pretty sure she just used the line "tea and sympathy"... as if that's not plaigarism... i'm calling jars of clay as soon as i'm done here)

Yeah, so another day of work done. Can I make a recommendation to everyone? When something goes wrong with something you bought over a year ago, the person who sold it to you probably can't do much to remedy the situation. Generally, sales people don't have too much to do with warantee coverage at all. They can probably give you a phone number to call, but little else. And no, standing there crying or ranting isn't going to get you any further. Just something to keep in mind.

I have to say, I don't believe in God's sufficiency like I should. Like, situations come up and I think "oh, I've gotta exploit this for all it's worth" instead of going "God'll take care of it, chill out, and let Him work". Anyway, that's abstract, but I won't go into further detail. I'm gonna split for now. Y'all have a rockin' night.






note. The above WAS indeed posted on February 14th. No mention of love. No mention of the holiday. Not bad, eh?
why didn't he just leave it alone?

loan

done. That's right. Done. Tuition to be paid: monday morning. Yay! Now to find a car.

best valentine ever, and other snippets

now playing: what you want // caedmons call, from long line of leavers

So, let me tell you a story. On or about Tuesday, February 10th, I checked my mailbox at school. In it was a valentine, which read quite simply "To Andrew, from one who is watching from far off, hoping that one day you'll notice me." No signature, no nothing. Now, my initial reaction was, of course, to think that it was written by nicole or affleck, or someone who enjoys messing with my head like that. However, I checked it with nicole, and it wasn't her. Further, it wasn't Affleck's handwriting. In fact, it was rather stately and well written, unlike any I really recall seeing from any of the girls I know. Anyway, I asked a couple trusted friends to keep their eyes open to similar card / writing. Meg told me that if it was legit (and she tended to think that maybe it was), the girl probably had someone else write it for her. I was like "oh shoot". Because, seriously, the last thing that I really need right now is some sweet girl thinking I'm the biddy. (Business, for those who don't speak Bretterson). However, I just kinda decided to leave it alone. Anyway, today, nicole did send me a freak note (addressed to Foxy Mackay). In it's wake came the revelation of who it really was. Nicole was joking with me about it afterward, when into the room walked the esteemed J. Stephen Yuille. He overheard nicole say secret admirer, and said "you've got a secret admirer?" and I said, no just nicole, but... and told him the story above - people kinda came and went while I told him. Anyway, he was like, oh that's pretty sweet. To which I responded, no it's a little disturbing, cause I don't really need it at this point in time. He asked if I knew whose handwriting it was (at this point cook walked up, and a bunch of people were coming up the stairs). I was like... no, we checked it against some, couldn't find it. He says "Stop, cook I want you here for this.



That handwriting was... Allison's." Yep, he had his wife write it. His line + her handwriting = one confused andymack. I have never felt so had in all my life. I turned about twelve shades of red too. I couldn't believe I had bought his story so completely. Wow. The war is on. stay tuned for more info

In other news, the Valentines breakfast for the girls was great. We managed to pull it together rather brilliantly. I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all. Except for that part where the waffle was in the microwave for 4 minutes, and there was smoke everywhere. Cause I thought we were going to get killed on that one. Oh well.

Anyway, work all weekend, gotta go get ready for my first shift. I'm tired. 530 in the morning is grossly early. Oh well. God is good, I'm just so lazy. May you all have a peaceful weekend, and may the activities you partake in ROCK. Peace
Yep, it's a fact... whipped cream between two hot waffles... melts. no way around it.

The Valentine Cactus

now playing: she is fading // vol from summershine.
news of note: say it ain't so... karbie broken up.

Today, while out shopping with my friend Gurr, we were at a flower counter. Why? I don't know, lets see if you can figure it out... would I be buying flowers? Probably not. So that leaves? Anyway, they had a pile of cactuses, which led him to crack a joke about giving one to a girl, and how bad that would come off. This led to potentially the greatest product idea since DeBeers decided that every girl should have a diamond ring on her finger to show that she is engaged. You guessed it, the perfect gift for the (recently broken up) single on your list, the valentine CACTUS! Cause sometimes, life really is that thorny. We're going to sell millions on this one, guarantee. Hallmark's going to wish they had thought of this one. Oh, I hate Hallmark... with their wee beady eyes, and that look that says "Oh, you're going to buy my cards".

Anyway, that pretty much is it for me for today. long day, lots of shopping, family get togethers and that jazz. Early morning tomorrow, cookin' breakfast for the ladies of KLBC. Gotta hit the hay. Peace!

Churchill

now playing: forget what you know, caedmon's call from my calm//your storm

worth a read: dude swims to shore with shark biting leg

So, a good part of my day today was spent reading "Winston Churchill: An Intimate Portrait" by Violet Bonham Carter, under whose father Churchill first became a cabinet minister. She knew him as a friend, and writes in a rather captivating manner. The purpose of my mentioning this is not to make you go out and read the book (although it is great), but rather to make a comment on the quality of man that Churchill was.

It's not that he was super human, but that he did everything he did with all his heart, and with little concern for what others thought (although some historians might quibble about the latter statement). Reading other historical comments on the lead up to World War II, this is evident as well. When almost the entire House of Commons in Britain wanted to appease the Germans, good ol' Winston sat there, chomping his cigar, and stating in eloquent terms the fact that appeasement would avail nothing.

Let me back track a little though. At key periods in Churchill's life, he felt that he needed to gain knowledge in certain areas. For example, when he took his first undersecretary post, he was appointed to a position that required a thorough knowledge of economics. And he learned it. In 8 weeks, no less. When he felt that his knowledge of poetry was lacking, he read and MEMORISED large parts of classic poetry. When he felt something was lacking, the man would set about learning with his whole heart. When he decided something was right or wrong with regard to policy, he would pursue it with his whole heart, regardless the sentiments of his constituents (//aside... that should be how representative government works. You elect someone based on the kind of person they are, trusting that they will make the best decisions, not the decisions you like. //end aside) This tendency to ignore popular sentiment led to the poor guy being defeated numerous times. He wasn't necessarily the greatest politician. Benham Carter says that he was too sincere for that. But man, when a war had to be fought, there was no one better to have on your side than Churchill... if he believed in the cause, he went all the way.

So, I'm sure you're going "what's the point andymack, what's the point? Here's the point: We're such halfway people. It HAS to change. We don't ever pursue anything with our whole being, even if we claim to believe in it. That's why I can honestly say that Winston Churchill is one of my heroes. There's a lesson to be learned from him. Apply it to Christianity: we're called to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind" (Mt. 22:37). We need to do it with reckless abandon, regardless what other people think. Churchill lived a life of reckless abandon based on political ideals, and he managed to turn the empire on its ear, and save his country (and Europe too). Could you imagine if we really lived a life abandoned to God, and based on absolute truth? That's my desire for our generation. That's the kind of life we need to be disciplining ourselves to.


And now from the sublime to the simple... a short note on napping. Today, as I was reading, I think I fell asleep for 10 minutes. I can't remember really. All I remember was the clock saying 1:50, reading about 4 pages, rather slowly, and next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes at 2:15. So it could've been as long as 20 minutes, I guess. All I know is, usually I'm the type who doesn't nap. If I do, I try to get an hour. But this aft, with just the 10-20 minutes, I felt better than I would've had I slept for an hour. So, maybe power napping is the way to go. All I know is, I felt like a million bucks. And looked like it too, but what else is new? ;-) Ah, arrogance... such a wonderfully disgusting thing to read on paper, no? Anyway folks, time for the mack to go... thanks for reading, really. It gives me a chance to refine my thoughts, and to try to present them in the best possible wording. So, I appreciate it. You can send me your comments too, if you like. click here to send mail! Grace and Peace!
man, what's with the war heroes... must be a warmonger!

a good day? could it be?

now playing: not enough // caedmons call, from their self-titled album.

exciting news on the web: Track List for Caedmon's Call's greatest hits.

Right! So, today was a fine, fine day, let me say. A bit of a rough start, but tonight, at work, everything seemed to come together. It was like: whoa. I managed to sell, got commended for treating a customer well, and, well... it was just a good night. Which was good, cause frankly, sometimes work can be tough / frustrating / annoying.

Which is, of course, mostly an attitude problem, I know. The Puritans (or Steve Yuille) would kick my rear for even saying that I have a problem with work. They had this great doctrine whereby work was your calling from God. So you embraced it. And while I believe that with my head, I must confess that sometimes, especially working in a mall like I do, I find it hard to accept with my heart. Which is really a self condemning statement: what, God isn't powerful enough to put me where He wants me? Is that it? Because wow, THAT'S FLIPPIN' HERESY!

Outside of that, life is pretty good. I'm trying to be a little more laid back and content. Because lets face it, it's the laid back people who have the most fun. And who handle things best. Maybe I should become a hippie. No, that's a dumb idea. Alright, I'm out... peace!
eat at subway

i wanna be a butterfly

// now playing: Seven Day Jesus / Self Titled... you read it right... OLD SKOOL!

I love pulling old cds out: or in this case, old mp3s. (aside: a good policy is, when you find a cd you love, rip it immediately. I did that two years ago when i picked up the SevenDay cd on a fluke considering as how they broke up in like 96, and now, while the cd is eaten up (by some freak Puerto Rican mold), i can still rock out to a cd that, in all likelyhood, I'll never come across again.) There are a lot of good memories associated with this stuff. And yes, I do wanna be a butterfly.

So, right now, clickest thou here and go read Caleb Hunt's blog, cause it rocks, and also, cause I got a reference for what I am about to propound. Yes ladies and gentlemen, step right up, for you will now hear... or read, as it were... andymack's thoughts on relationships.

WARNING: what follows are the sometimes tongue in cheek, sometimes not so, musings of one who tries his best to be bitter at the world, but does a pretty bad job of it. END WARNING

Okay, so relationships... ARE DANGEROUS!!! This was the realization that founded a great, grass roots organization that I'll introduce you to in a bit. Don't you go getting me off track now. Where was I? The price of tea in china? Wait... different web-identity. ;-) Relationships are dangerous. Now, reasons why? Well, probably because inevitably, there's gonna be a girl involved. And girls are dangerous. And unpredictable. And generally understand us more than we want to confess. Which is scary stuff. Plus, the chance exists that you may experience colossal rejection. Or worse, that you'll get dumped. All these are reasons why i recommend that every man join The NoMackPack © ®. The NoMackPack © ® stands on a very basic purpose statement: Stay Free, Stay Strong, Stay Single. Started in the Summer of 2000 by two young men (who quickly left the fold, then rejoined, then left, and now have rejoined again), the NoMackPack © ® exists to call young men to a higher standard. To Stay Free: free from gossip, free from flirting, free from stupid entanglements, free from anything that hinders us. To stay strong: strong in the fight, strong in character, and strong in commitments. And finally, To Stay Single: Not permenantly. There's nothing strange going on here. We, the founders, understand that at some point the man will reach the point where it is a GOOD THING for him to pursue the right girl. But, we stand with Elizabeth Elliot in recommending that you not awaken passion before it's due time. BECAUSE YOU END UP GETTING HURT, MEATHEAD. Or worse, you end up hurting someone else.

Ah, the NoMackPack. The sweater order will be going in sometime around April, so let us know if you'd like one. That ended up being a lot more serious and a lot less funny than I thought it would. I think the reason for that is that I'm over the whole bitterness stage from my last relationship, and am moving on to the... be careful where you step stage. It's a hard world to be an upstanding person in. It's so easy to fall into umpteen different kinds of sin. This is a call to men: to those who are single, let's be upstanding gentlemen to all the girls we interact with. To those who are Not Single, first, allow me to offer my best wishes and encouragment. It's a wonderful thing to be in a good, God honouring relationship. But, the challenge to you is: not only do you have to be an upstanding gentleman to all the girls you interact with, you have to be an upstanding boyfriend / fiance / husband to the girl you are with. Double Duty.

I really think that the area of our treatment of women is a place that guys have really lost a step in. And it's always good to (as Lenny said right before the Oneders rocked out a Villapiano's) pick it up a little! So, lets do it guys. Let be gentlemen. Lets uphold honour and truth in our dealings with everyone.

Okay, so now I'm gonna go. I've gone from wanting to be funny, to being contemplative about the state of mankind. Which means, time to write some philosophy papers! Just a general recommendation: if you have 5 lessons of philosophy due, don't leave them until the day before. It's a bad idea. So, this one goes out to G.E. Moore. "Here is my right hand; here is my left hand. Therefore, an external world exists." You got 'er buddy. I just hope you held up the correct hands when you said it.
wow, this guy is so random with his mood swings.

editors

Just a quick post. To say PFFFT!!! to everyone who tries to blog without an editor. That's right (note to editor, I just used an apostrophe correctly), a full fledged editor. It helps that she's related to me, so she has to read it anyway. :-) Thanks Mom!

Oh, and as to typical editing problems, to quote StrongBad: "If you want it to be possessive, it's just I T S, but if it's supposed to be a contraction, it's I T Apostrophe S. Scalawag." Man, i'm so bad at that!

So, what would you think of a meeting that got moved earlier because of the Grammies? Would anyone else be frustrated? Cause I know I was. Oh well, everyone has their thing, I guess. The Grammy Awards just aren't mine. With that, I'll say GOOD NIGHT!
if I had a girlfriend, she'd think I was real cool

Freedom Hath Four Wheels

Yes folks

freedom has four wheels. I decided this yesterday, when my parents were down and I could steal their car for my own purposes. As nice as I'm sure it is to have passengers, man... riding around, on your own, doing what you want to do (ie, stopping to grab some Pepsi Vanilla , going to Timmy Ho-Ho's (on the east side)) is unbelievably cool to one who has never gotten to do so before. So, freedom has four wheels, and yesterday its name was tempo.

That being said, my own situation isn't far from being resolved. Banks will be banks, and they will put things off as long as they can (unless those things happen to involve you paying them a large amount of money: were that the case, I'm sure they would expedite the process. And have the undertaker for one of their repomen. And probably Noel Gallagher from Oasis for the other. That'd be quite the pairing). However, my purchasing agent and myself should have a good idea of where we're going to pick one up once the loan comes through, and insurance gets figured out.

It's been a slow weekend mentally... I'm pretty well dead. There is no sleep for the weary, nor for the lazy, tonight.

I'd like to thank the academy for this chance to speak. The preceding has been brought to you by: the number 4!
have you driven a ford lately?

a good day? could it be?

Live From Studio B - A Special Rich Mullins - Part 1

Live From Studio B - A Special Rich Mullins - Part 1

Okay guys, you know I'm always one to be pushing people that I think are good musicians, and granted, I probably do it far more often than I ought to. However, if you never listen to me about another music recommendation after this, I'll be okay... as long as you go watch this right now. Rich Mullins was the man. I think you'd be hard pressed to find any musician who is a Christian that is more incisive and well written in the history of the world. Honestly.

Canada takes over?

Imagine: A Canadian Tropical Paradise. So, Gurrsy and I were discussing this, and I didn't really know what he was talking about. Now I do. And I'm thinking: wow, why aren't we all over this already? WE COULD HAVE ISLANDS! Forget Newfoundland. Forget PEI, Forget Baffin Island, we're talking Turks and Caicos baby! So this morning, I'd like you to call your MP, tell them... GO GET ME TURKS AND CAICOS!

spinnin' around, putting out fires... with gasoline

Currently in my cd player: Summershine by VOL.

yep, for those who know, I owe them credit for the second half of the title of this post. But, I must confess, I am hijacking their idea and applying it in a way that makes sense in my life.
Ever just had stuff that seems like a spot fire? I've felt that way emotionally of late. Everything that pops up (discontent mostly), I treat like a spot fire. But, to quote VOL, I'm putting out fire with gasoline. You know what I mean? You try to deal with it, but instead of quashing it, you make it worse? Yeah... not fun.
Here's the real question of the day: is discontent bad? I think that with my current definition of contentment, no, discontent isn't bad. Far too often I allow myself to think of contentment as just "letting go, and letting God." But, that's not really true. No where in the Bible is passivity equated to contentment. You don't just let go and lay back. There is a constant pursuit of a goal (ie... 2nd Timothy 2... read the analogies). I think that's my problem right now: I'm not really pursuing anything. I've got this Laissez Faire attitude about everything that is just really sabotaging myself.
Anyway, I've got to find stuff to be proactive about. So, that's the challenge: be proactive. Pursue a goal. Or several.
Anyway guys, until next time, call it like you see it!

E.T. Phone Home. Like, now, moron!

This Silly Melancholy

Funny how it can be the little things in life that really mess you up. It doesn't even have to be necessarily tangible things, just a sub-par day, coupled with a chance run in, add a little intro/retro-spection, and next thing you know, you've gone all psycho on everything. Or maybe that's just me. But somehow, i imagine that everyone has those days.


However, it's not my intent for all this to be whiny. Cause whining isn't fun. A little self-satisfying sometimes, but certainly not fun. Tonight, I must confess, I'm struck by the impact that sleeping in can have on a day. To quote John Bunyan "He that sleeps is a Loser" (p. 41, Pilgrims Progress). And this morning, I was a loser. Actually, let me be honest, it was the last three mornings running. And the whole thing just dulls one's senses. Not sense of smell or sense of sight (although my eyes are a little bleary... is that a word? I don't know, I can't read it, cause I've been staring at this screen for the last 8 hours), but kind of "spiritual senses". I guess one could probably just call it the Affections, with the Puritans (and my favorite Professor), and probably be talking about the same thing. Diligence (or, digilence to my cell group... sorry guys, i can't read, I'm not going to lie to you) is a great trait to pursue with regard to the affections. Why can't I convince myself to wake up at 615? Mostly because I'm one lazy punk. Even when i KNOW that it's not good for me. It's a Romans 7 thing. A large part of life is spent in Romans 7. I remember a smart man I grew up listening to saying that. And I see that it is true. Which is NOT to say that there isn't growth. If we read 1st John, we see that there HAS to be growth (1 Jn. 3:6). But a large part of life is spent engaged in a struggle to change. 'Cause the old man, he's still living. But, we're putting him to death. That's the meat of life. Couldn't do it on our own, but thankfully we've got a Helper that is Always Greater.

Anyway folks, that's all I've got. Life is good, because God is. Until next time, that's the way I saw it today.
play martin sp+ strings

Used Car Salesmen

For those who don't know, I am a cell phone sales person in my other life, as well as being a fulltime student. I just wanted to express my indignation regarding the fact that truly, we cell phone salespeople are becoming the world's new version of the "used car salesmen". All on account of the few who aren't upfront about what your contract is. Or who try to stick you with a bad phone. I honestly have never heard any one of my co-workers intentionally mislead a client. Furthermore, if you have a problem with my company (which will remain unnamed so as to protect them, and myself), they are typically VERY easy to deal with. Anyway, we're not used car sales people! Or like them! AT ALL! Where's the love?

Currently on my playlist is mostly Nickel Creek and a newish Christian band called Alathea, which is greek for something. Both folk bands. Both talented bands. I tend to like male vocals better, so Nickel Creek is a little more up my alley, but allow me to recommend either of these CDs, if you're looking for a little more folk / americana exposure. And you know that you can never get enough folk music. Right? RIGHT!?

Okay, bed time approaches. Sorry this wasn't deeper. Or at least funnier. Or maybe both.
drink pepsi vanilla

snow

So,

I just got in from shoveling snow, and I'm realizing that it really could be an olympic sport. To think, I get winded shovelling 3 inches of snow, whlie my grandfather (74) will get out there every morning, whether its 3 inches or 32. I feel pretty put to shame. So, from now on, i'm going to be up early enough to beat him to it.


Also, I go outside, and I'm shoveling snow, and I'm noticing that the snow is actually magnificently packy. We're talking so packy that I almost took the hours it would require to make a snow man. Yes, I know, not a very worthwhile pursuit for a young man. But, if I had someone to do it with me... anyway, the preceeding thoughts ran through my mind, and drove me back to thoughts on the human need for companionship. And let me just say, I don't get it. This stuff sure ain't easy. Sometimes I've gotta wonder (prepare lightning bolt) why God didn't just create us to be cut off individualists who don't care about anyone else. And then I realize, that would've been boring! God definitely does everything with a good and perfect person, and I am DUMB to think I know better than He.

all that for a snowman.

Anyway I do believe it's time for this young man to show some self discipline, write an email or two, and go to bed. Before 11:30. I know, crazy isn't it? Organization is key. Discipline, discipline, discipline.

the proof of desire is in pursuit

If that's true, then what does my life show my desires to be?

of banks and wars

So, another fine day where the mack has to go to "the work". But, I had a call today from some chick at the bank who needs me to come fill out some forms. Forms at the bank? you ask. Yes, forms at the bank. Having to do with them giving me money. Apparently I have to give it back one day. But they were fuzzy on those details. Funny how that works. Anyway, this should mean being able to pay tuition in about a week. That'll be sweet. And who knows, you may hear me spinning my wheels sometime in the near future. I hope.


So yeah, wars... I'm sure I had something deep to say about wars. Wait, no, it wasn't about wars at all. It was one of those nemo...pnemo... mnemonics? I'm not sure. Anyway, it was reminding me of the fact that I'm turning into one of my good buddies. He'll remain unnamed, but boy can he cook. My date book is so unorganized that i committed to help lead a war games activity on a night that I work. Funny that earlier today I was giving another an admonition to be organized. To he who is strong, beware lest ye stumble also. So, my challenge to myself is to:

ORGANIZE

The British amongst us may prefer organise, either way, I've gotta get my act together. So, a challenge to you all too: if the price of freedom is discipline (Elton Trueblood said that... I can't remember who he is, but it sounds good), can we be disciplined about our schedules?


stay free, stay strong, stay single.

                 NoMackPack. est. 2000

on chip-ped teeth and chip dip

So, you ever been sitting there, drinking a cup of tea, when all the sudden, your approach is all wrong? It's kind of like on Top Gun where they're learning how to do the carrier stuff, right? Your mug is approaching the ramp (ie. your mouth), and somehow, you're just lined up a little wrong? And, smack, the airplane touches down with a bang instead of with a bump? Know what I mean? Yeah, i managed to slightly chip my tooth on a porcelain mug. And not even a Tim Hortons mug, just a regular ol' homebody mug. How depressing is that? It's not noticible, but it's rough. And that frustrates me.

Next time you're at the store and buying a bag of chips, don't leave after the chip aisle. Make your way over to dairy and pick up some Philadelphia Cream Cheese dip... wow, that stuff rocks. I had the dill pickle dip today, and man... it was dilly. And pickle-y. Mmm Mmm good. And (to quote my buddy matt) if when you die and go to heaven, they offer you regular heaven and pie heaven, take pie heaven, cause it might be a joke, but if it's not... mmm, pie!

Lastly, a challenge to the gentlemen out there... one day, you and I will probably be fathers. I'm not sure what the likelyhood is, but since this isn't a betting pool, it doesn't much matter anyway. As fathers, we're probably going to have certain things we'd like to see when a young man comes to try to steal the hearts of one of our daughters (I myself intend to have theft deterrents along the lines of mean dogs, cyborg protection agents, and portable land mines to prevent just such an occurrence, but to each his own). Anyway, my challenge to you guys is to contemplate that. Even the way we approach the lead up to dating would probably be vastly different if we took this into consideration. So, stop. Think about it for a minute. And not to be overly cheesy (I know it's easily possible), but consider the fact too that whoever it is you're pursuing bears the image of the Holy, Righteous God. And that's an even more serious Dad to mess with than yours truly will ever be.

for a friend

To: All Men
From: AndyMack
Re: being spineless wimps

Okay guys, maybe when we were fourteen, being spineless wimps about telling a girl we liked her was okay. Those long conversations skirting the issues, and what not? Yeah, but we were fourteen.

newsflash!!!! It's NOT COOL ANYMORE!

It's nigh about time that guys started acting like they were leading on this one. We've really dropped the ball, and it's a little frustrating. How can you ever love a girl like Christ loved the church when you won't even get up the nerve to tell her straight out that you like her?

So in closing, if you're going to bother to try to stake a claim on a girls affection, at least be straight forward about it. You save the girl a difficult situation, and you save yourself some trouble, too. Especially if I hear about. Cause I'm not a nice guy to mess with. So, listen up!