Vision

Inspired by others who have taken some amazing HDR or High Dynamic Range Imaging photographs, I’ve decided to jump in and try my hand at this. Below are some photos I shot this morning. Comments and critical analysis are welcome.

Telephone Pole

St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church - Arlington, WA

St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church - Arlington, WA

Bridge on Highway 530 - Arlington, WA

Bridge on Highway 530 - Arlington, WA

I’ve never heard a harmonica played this way. Truly outstanding! First saw it over HERE.

I was teaching a 76 year old man yesterday how to use his iMac computer and he asked me a very good question.

“What does the word ‘default’ mean?”

I had to think for a second, because even though I’m always setting defaults in the BIOS or resetting IE to defaults, I didn’t pay much attention to the term before. So, I said, “Well, defaults are the setting that came with the computer, the way the designers, manufacturers and computer software engineers designed it to be before you customized it”. The answer seemed pretty satisfactory, but it got me thinking about the defaults in our lives. What defaults has God programmed into us, or are there no defaults, just continuous variables? I’ll have to think about that one some more.

In other news, I’ve been checking out the TNIV version of the Bible that was completed two years ago and which has been recorded by a whole cast of professionals in audio format. It’s going on sale this fall. I’ve got half a mind to get it. It sounds pretty amazing.

This video is about a topic that has been hashed out many times, however the graphics and simplicity of its message is arresting.

Well, last year I wasn’t able to go due to having recently moved, working at a new job, and all that. But, this year looks much more promising. Below is the announcement from the website for Charity Ministries. So, if you are planning to go, get yourself signed up either by applying online, or downloading an application form and sending it in via snail mail.

Youth Bible School Ephrata, PA November 5 - 11, 2007 Sponsored by: Charity Christian Fellowship & Ephrata Christian Fellowship Location: 400 W Main St, Ephrata, PA 17522 Daytime Sessions: The Two Kingdoms by Dean Taylor Living Hope Christian Fellowship Terre Hill, PAThe Pursuit of Godlines by Denny Kenaston Charity Christian Fellowship Leola, PA Book Study Speaker to be announced Chorus Director: Earl Fox Ephrata Christian Fellowship Ephrata, PA Evening Speaker: Mose Stoltzfus Ephrata Christian Fellowship Ephrata, PA Eligibility: Youth ages 16 - 28 Registration fee: $75.00 Lodging: Provided with the local churches’ families. Schedule: Three sessions each day, beginning at 8:50am, plus a time for prayer and sharing. Revival meetings Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings at 7:00pm. Lunch and supper will be provided. Application: Due to the size of our facilities, we may need to limit the number of students enrolled. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please apply no later than September 22. Click here to apply online! or Call us at 1-800-227-7902 or (717) 721-7775 to request an application or Click the icon to download and print the application form.

If you thought it was an invasion of privacy for people to see your backyard with Google Maps Satellite View, think again.  Here’s a still from Google Maps Street View of someone walking toward San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Bridge (barefoot I might add).

Start laughing (or crying) whatever suits you.  I’ve decided to again move my personal web log or blog. 

<begin tech rant>
This time, I decided to go all the way and host it on my own site at http://www.joshchampagne.com/blog   I can now control every nit picky aspect of my Wordpress installation as well as having access to all the wonderful plugins that I’ve been wanting to try out. 

The other thing is, I can now successfully cross post to xanga!!!  Matter of fact, I wrote this post in Performancing which posted it to my Wordpress install on joshchampagne.com/blog which in turn cross-posted it to xanga.   Now that’s what I call Web 2.0!   
</end tech rant>

That’s all that comes to mind at the moment…

I have been perusing a truly wonderful site focused on Christian character building and discipleship.  Noblecall.org has some incredible articles including: Three Elements of a Noble Calling, Training a Genius, Making Your Home a Ministry Center, and much more…  If you have the time, I encourage you to check it out.  You will come away the richer for it.

I was deeply saddened along with everyone else who has heard of the recent rash of school shootings, especially the one where no one would have dreamed of such an event taking place—a rural, one-room, Amish schoolhouse. (Google news results available HERE. Wikipedia article available HERE.)

As the world hears the news story developing, the questions are sure to fly. What was the motivation? Why would someone without a criminal record, a husband, a father, one who had suffered the loss of a child personally, bring himself to commit such a crime? What happened 20 yrs ago that this man was not able to be healed of emotionally, mentally, and spiritually? A grudge? Something perpetrated against him which he was not able to deal with and find resolution? He would have been 12 years old, barely an adolescent. Why did he choose an Amish school to vent his 20 yrs of unresolved hurt? Only God knows the answers, though the next few months will be filled with seeking out a reason, some logical conclusion for the criminologists and investigation teams to explain WHY.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased, Naomi Rose Ebersole (7), Marian Fisher (13), Lina Miller (7), Mary Liz Miller (8), and Anna Mae Stoltzfus, (12), as well as the families of the others who were wounded during the ordeal.

Over the last 3 days I’ve been afflicted with acute nasopharyngitis, ie the common cold. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately it:

• is the most common communicable health problem that can afflict humans.
• causes Americans to spend $2.9 billion on over-the-counter drugs to dampen its effects.
• results in a loss $20 billion due to work loss in the US.
• has no known permanent cure.

Thankfully, it is not fatal in most cases and only lasts 3-7 days on average. For further info and some more depressing statistics click HERE (wikipedia article).