What I Know Right Now

Recently I have been trying to figure out what it is that I like to do. I have plenty to do, but in trying to simplify I have been taking inventory of what I both like to do, and do well.

Here's what I have so far:

• I love people. I am a people person through and through.
  
• Hosting. Probably goes along with the above, but I love having people at my house, and I love serving them.
  
• Food. I love to cook/bake, and from every response I've ever gotten from others, it would seem I'm quite good at it.
  
• Writing. Really, I love to write. I think and communicate best through writing. In general, I just love words.

I'm pretty good at the design work that I do. And I'm pretty helpful to people re: computer stuff. I can also sing and play the guitar/piano pretty well. There's some more, but that list seems to be pretty accurate.

So... a restaurant? Coffee house? Bed & Breakfast? Maybe just somehow become independently wealthy so that I can do all those things above just for fun?

... that would be cool...

This post is mostly for me, just to look back on and see what I was thinking in June of 2008. But, if you have any thoughts... you know what to do.

The Intricacy Of Us

I recently watched a Discovery Channel show titled 2057: Future Car or something like that. It's more than just about the cars of the future. Really it's about life 50 years from now. Projected by scientists and theorists who feel they are on the current cutting edge of technology and such sciences.

A good portion of the show was both fascinating and scary. It relates to the post below actually. The vision the makers of this show have of the future is a very, very "connected" future. Every aspect of life is interconnected to the others via a centralized network. Everything is known about everyone. The idea is that this makes life much safer, better, but... really? I think not. Maybe that helped me want to "disconnect" (see the previous entry).

Cars that automatically correct errors of human drivers, clothes that report your vitals to doctors every three minutes or so, cameras and GPS systems tracking everyone everywhere. Yikes.

Scariness aside, one segment that caught my attention was the part about robots. The documentary makers made no excuses in saying that robots are not ready for everyday use just yet. They are really hard to make work. There has been great progress, but it has been very slow-going, and very difficult. The interesting part to me was when they were trying to just get a humanoid robot to walk, the creators said, "It's incredible how sophisticated the human body is, even just the balance it takes to take a step."

How incredible we are! All these brilliant minds have spent years trying to make a machine that can do what a two year old can do! Amazing. It was fun to watch. I don't doubt that we will progress and make something that can mimic human life more and more... but God has already done that! Holy cow. He's just amazing, and I am blown away right now at his design, creativity, and his handiwork in general.

To think that there is no Designer, seems to me you are either just not seeing what I am seeing, or denying it, or maybe just stubborn. And I'm just talking about the intricacies of the human body and how it all works together. I don't know the complete process of how we came into being, but I have no doubt just from what I have observed that we have quite intricately & skillfully been designed.

I'm not trying to start any arguments here, but as always comments/thoughts are welcome. It was just another moment today when I thought, "How can anyone think this is a sequence of events begun by random chance?" I think some might credit a universal "Life Force" rather than a being (God), but it seems the prevailing scientific thought precludes the possibility of a Designer... and that just seems so crazy to me.

I love that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are just amazing.

Too Much

The word of the day in the Campbell home is "busy." It's been the word for many days, many weeks, and even many months. We know some of the causes (one being that we have five children, one of whom is an infant) but we just keep scratching our heads when we look at what life is now, and think about what it used to be. How did we get here?

I left the house this morning to take a quick trip to the library to return a DVD. My plan was to drive, but when I stepped out the door, I realized I had left my keys inside. I debated for a few moments whether to go and retrieve them, or to just go for the walk to the library I had originally wanted to take. (I had reasoned that feeling short for time, it would be better to just drive.) I eventually decided to just walk, as the circumstances seemed to dictate.

On my walk (which was begun at a hurried pace) I was greeted by our 4-year-old neighbor girl from her window where she was eating breakfast. I said hello with a smile, but kept on going. As I turned the corner, I was greeted by several more people just enjoying a nice morning sit on their porches. I began thinking, "Man... I wish I could do that..."

As I got to the library, I saw that they have placed a couple rocking chairs on the front porch. All I wanted to do when I saw them was sit in them with a nice book, and maybe a cold iced tea. Don't you? Why is there no time to just sit, relax, and enjoy some quiet time? Is it just me?

I don't think that it is.

These thoughts have been bothering me for a good long while now. We continue to feel rushed almost every day of our lives. Whether it's just taking care of the kids, or me trying to balance work for around fifty different clients, or any of the various other endeavors I have undertaken (my Buffalo Bills website, or this blog, among others)... there's always something to do. It can even be fun, relaxing stuff like home projects, just playing games, and/or visiting with friends and family, etc.

There's just always a lot to do.

We have been pretty social of late. Whether visiting friends or family locally, or semi-locally (we have family about 90 minutes away) or even chatting with friends online or over Facebook, there are plenty of people to keep in touch with. It's amazing because, no matter how many people we get to spend time with, there are three more we didn't get to. So crazy!

When I saw the rocking chairs today, I just wanted to go back to a time when there was no internet. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the internet. I think it's just incredible. Instant information and communication right in your home. Really incredible. But I harken back to the days when the information you got was by word of mouth (so it traveled a bit slower) and the communication you had was with people within walking distance, or perhaps a horse-back ride's distance. Much simpler times.

I think I am longing for that. For simplicity. Are you? Do you feel like you are stretched incredibly thin? We do not have a cell phone (just an emergency one) because we don't really want to be accessible everywhere we are. But almost everyone else is. You can reach them anytime, anywhere. They are always "connected." If not by regular phone calls, then by text messaging over the phone. The iPhone sure looks like a fun toy to me - seriously, amazing device - but I am not certain I want to be "connected" everywhere I go...

I scan the bookshelves in my house and just long for a free afternoon to sit and read and soak in and think along with other thinkers. I long to just relax and enjoy a quiet read. I long to just sit, really. Not always be doing. I am always doing. Even if it's just fun.

So where does that bring me to? I haven't officially decided yet, but I think I might be approaching a cease and desist of some sort. Temporary, as far as I can tell now, but still quite complete. Complete meaning, whatever I choose to cease and desist, I really will.

It could be any number of things. Facebook. Instant Messaging. Reading blogs. Reading other websites. Watching DVDs. Playing vintage video games. Playing Facebook word games. :-) Perhaps even blogging. (Though, probably not. Blogging is usually a great and necessary outlet for me when I finally get a chance to "take in" again.) I might even set aside a certain time of the day to read/reply to emails. That takes up a lot of time, too. I get emails every five minutes or so. And I usually read them right away. Whatever it is, I think I might start the C & D as early as Monday.

Should be an interesting experiment.

Would love to hear from anyone reading this who feels the same way. Are we too connected? Too much to do. Too many possibilities, informationally, entertainment-wise, relationally, etc? Or, am I overreacting, and perhaps a relic from a time long gone? Your thoughts are invited. Post below.

This weekend, I will be pondering all of this very much.

Hopefully not too much. ;-)

[NOTE: Further proof that I am too busy? I began this post at 9:22 this morning. Distraction after distraction has kept me from finishing it. Argh.]

A-Social, or Hyper-Social?

I have been spending a lot of time using Facebook of late.

Whether just playing word games with friends, or making use of their live, instant message chat feature, or just keeping in touch with friends however possible - I've been there.

I am a people person (as I have said before) and so it would make sense to find me at a "people" site. But is connecting with people on Facebook really a social activity?

We were talking with our friends about social networking sites, and how in a strange way they are almost a-social. It's almost a way to keep from seeing people, and really interacting with them. By leaving a message here or there, or even using the real-time chat, some may consider that they are enjoying a relationship with another human being, and in a way they may be, but in reality, they are staying home and spending time on the computer instead of being with people.

My take on that was that I use Facebook to stay in touch with people I couldn't otherwise, and to just add to the other communication I have with friends who are local. It's another way to communicate.

What I noticed recently was that my time is spent very differently these days. I don't do a lot of things I used to do. I was talking with Jen about that... what has changed? And the only thing I could figure was Facebook. I've been using it a lot, and that corresponds with the time I have not been doing other fun stuff I used to do. And that's been fantastic. I have totally enjoyed keeping in touch with people I wouldn't otherwise have been able to talk to.

And that's what I think Facebook does for me. It actually is too social. :-) Maybe instead of a-social, Facebook is really hyper-social? You see, maybe we were only meant to relate to the people we could actually visit with in a given day? But now with electronic means of connecting - and Facebook makes that even easier! - I can have daily conversations with many folks I have met along the way in life.

That can fill up your time!

So, we're feeling a bit busy lately, and maybe that is why. We're hyper-social! Well, at least I am.

I may try a week or so without Facebook soon, and see what happens to my time. Could be an interesting experience.

But then, would that be a-social, or even anti-social? Would definitely be some sorta "social". :-)

Hit-N-RunShawn Lynch

Now, I'm not one to make light of others' misfortunes (usually) but I have to share a funny line regarding Bills RB Marshawn Lynch and his alleged involvement in a recent hit-and-run accident resulting in a minor injury of a pedestrian:

"All his life, he was taught to hit people and keep running. Now it gets him into trouble."

Thanks, Chi. :-)

Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

I was noticing something quite strange last night...

At the boys baseball games last night, we met some friends of our friends last night, and that got me to thinking. They are friends with several of our good friends (we regularly hear their names in conversation), and so we were talking with them about how we all knew each other. Some kinda fun/random circumstances brought everyone together. Very cool. I'm certain that God was wisely directing all of that. (Or at least, none of it surprised him) :-)

When we started thinking about it, I noticed that most (maybe all?) of the people we spend time with (not just "know") are not people we met through any "institutional church" structure. That actually really shocked me.

One of the things that I do occasionally wonder about with us not attending weekend services anywhere is just how that keeps us "off the radar". Even though I find public gatherings quite lacking for any real connecting with people... it is at least a place to see them, and be seen. And I have always also had this (apparently false) notion that most of the people we hang out with we met through "going to church" together.

I guess I was wrong.

Does that mean that we just hang out with the bottom feeding scum who "claim" to follow Jesus but won't give up a couple measly hours on a Sunday morning to be with other believers? Perhaps. :-) But, I don't think so. A lot of the people we spend time with - speaking of believers - are part of weekend services and more in that setting. Now, definitely several of our friends are in the same place we are with all of that, but I would definitely say not the majority.

Could it possibly mean that such structures do not build the best, most lasting relationships? Could it just be that we did a poor job of doing that? Maybe both? Maybe something else? I really don't have the answer.

I know that our friends who just moved to Maryland definitely have some great, close, deep friendships with people whom they met via their "church". And certainly that can happen. I found it completely fascinating that it is not true for us. Most of the Christians we spend time with we met through various other settings and endeavors. So crazy!

There's really no point to this, other than to share that interesting observation, and to just throw that question out there to you. Could this show that good friendships with other believers not only can happen outside of the institutional church structure, but perhaps even be better? (Better doesn't really fit here as relationships are not really quantifiable, as that qualifier would suggest. I just mean, deeper, more lasting, going beyond conversations simply when you're in the same place.)

If you have any thoughts, please do post your comments.

Unique

For some reason I am often reminded that God made me unique. I'm a bit differenter than your average Joe. I mean, first off, my name's not even Joe. So, I'm different already.

But, as I'm sure I've mentioned here before, a friend of mine used to call me the "Curve Wrecker" because I was never what I was "supposed" to be.

And, another proof that I am different is that I'm totally OK with that. :-)

Tonight as I was driving I noticed three boys playing together, hanging out, and I noticed that they all had the same hair. The longish, curly, sort of unkempt hair that all of their other friends have too. It's an epidemic!

But that made me think, why are we so afraid to be unique? What is this compulsion to be like everyone else? I really have never understood it. I just am who I am. Maybe that's different from you, or maybe it's different from all of you... but it's just who I am. Why would I try to change that just so I wouldn't be different?

Talking with Jen about this later we remembered that young kids can be brutal when someone is different. Usually a difference from the group is made fun of right away - and often. Uniqueness is not tolerated. And yeah, that does make sense why you wouldn't want to be different. Who likes to be made fun of?

But I guess that's where love comes in. Where you're loved for who you are. Loved by parents, by God, by siblings, grandparents, even friends. It starts with our adoptive Father, who loves us completely, and shows us what love is... but it's modeled by other people who genuinely love us. Maybe I had that more (from my parents and family) when I was growing up? I definitely know it now, and God continues to show me more and more just how much he really loves me ... and you :-)

So if you're feeling weird tonight, or too different from everyone else... consider that a good thing. There's no one else who is like you. You are one of a kind, and you're that way because God made you that way. I'm pretty sure I can say that. But I am sure that I can say he loves you completely that way. And that's the most important thing... and what makes it OK to be unique.

So enjoy your uniqueness just like I have learned to, you weirdo! :-)

My Treasure

Today I was looking out the window at my kids playing with their cousins, and it was very clear where my treasure is.

I can’t explain it other than an overwhelming sense of love for my kiddos. As I looked at them, I just really loved them, and I knew that there was nothing more important, or that I loved more. I think it may have extended to my nieces as well, but there was a definitely defining in my heart of my “treasure”.

The boys and I recently read the story Jesus told us that says where our treasure is, that’s where our heart will be also. The cool part is that Alex has repeated the story and that line at least a couple times since then. He got it. He understands. His interpretation is to consider the eternal things his “treasure.”

Including all the people he loves and who love him.

Looking out the window today, I got a fun reminder that my treasure (and my heart) is in a good place. :-)

Expectations

That word - "expectations" - certainly has some baggage, doesn't it? I mean, even as I typed it for the title of this post, I thought, "That's not exactly what I'm trying to say..." But I think it is. I do believe there can be good expectations. (And I fully acknowledge that, relationally speaking, there are the bad sort of "expectations".)

But I was reminded again last night that sometimes it's good to "expect" more.

The four oldest kids joined me at a birthday party where we were to have dinner. I'll admit, it was a bit of a challenge to keep everyone in the same place when we first got there, amongst the many other strangers (we only knew the hosts, and had briefly met one or two others). But, the kids were great, and we eventually got some food and found a table to sit down and eat.

I got everyone set up eating their food, then went to go get drinks. They stayed there - they did awesome! - and just enjoyed their food, and I think Ian was chatting with the other people at the table.

After we had been eating for a while, the mom who was at the table said to our kids, "Why are you guys so good???" and then without pausing, said to me, "How do you get the baby to stay there???" Actually, when she said baby, I thought of Emma... but she wasn't there, so that confused me. Then I realized she meant Julia, our two year old. We've actually been working on moving past a few "baby" things with Julia (mostly of her own desire) so I responded (with Julia) saying, "Julia, are you a baby? Or a big girl?" She cheerfully replied, "Big girl!"

What the mom was noticing was that our four kids (with only one parent at that moment) were sitting, happily eating and chatting, while her husband was chasing their two year old boy all over the place. A little more conversation with this mother revealed exactly why there was such a difference between our kids.

She didn't expect anything from them.

Just to clarify, I completely understand that expectations can be laden with guilt and obligation and other unhealthy relational things. But also, I think a lot of parents are frustrated because their expectations of what their kids are capable of are far too low.

Kids are actually quite smart. :-)

Many people comment to me on the way that I speak to children. To ours, and to others. Apparently, I speak to them "like adults". I'm not exactly sure what they mean, but Jen has echoed those same sentiments (when spoken by others). Basically, I think most people talk "down" to kids. But I do not. I can see that they understand a lot more that we give them credit for, and I know they are quite able to choose (many things, at least) and so I give them the opportunity to choose "the right thing" and/or to exhibit some self control.

From that mindset, and with greater "expectations" from the start... our kids are (from my observation, and that of many others) a bit more "well behaved". Not all the time, certainly. They are still just kids, and though they are capable of self-control... do not have life experience enough to be great at exercising it. ;-)

That just comes with practice.

And, expectations of greatness accompanied by encouragement toward those higher expectations.

Failure will happen, and certainly "unmet expectations". But with encouragement along the way, and not only believing in the "best" from our kids, but helping them believe it as well, I think our kids will go far, with confidence gained by encouraging, supportive parents who root on their kids to the greatness they are capable of!

[Note: I had a discussion re: parenting ideas with a friend recently, and there was some misunderstanding as to the intention of the thoughts I shared. Parenting is near and dear to our hearts, and so, uninvited "advice" can come across as condescending. Such is never my intention, nor is it the intention of this post. Just sharing some observations. If you find them helpful, please incorporate them into your parenting philosophy. If not, please happily ignore.] :-)

I'm A People Person

There's no denying it now. I am officially and completely a people person.

This past weekend we kept our friends' three girls while they made a super-packed-full trip to their new home in the Washington, DC area. They dropped them off Thursday morning, and we had them until Sunday night. At first glance that seemed like a pretty long time, but I knew it would go really fast. And it did.

The best part was not the four days of two adults and eight kids though. The best part came on Sunday afternoon.

My sister and her husband and their four kids were on their way to their new home in the Buffalo, NY area, and were planning to stop by and visit. So, now we had twelve kids (ages 9 down to 1 month) and only four adults. But we didn't stop there! Later in the afternoon, our friend Laura and her son came to visit bringing the total up to 5 adults and 13 kids! All in our little yellow house!!!

And I could not have been happier. :-)

I looked around at one point at the four families represented in my living room and just smiled. I couldn't help it. That is what I want my house to be. The place where people hang out. Come, visit, hang, for no reason ... just to be together. It was wunderbar.

Later that night, our friends came back to retrieve their kids and ended up sticking around to sample the good food from the day (cinnamon rolls and chicken wings and skyline chili, etc) and taking in an episode of the Knight Rider. It was a great ending to a fun day and a great weekend.

But then...

On Monday, Jen's parents came over with our nephew to spend a couple fun days with our kids and Jen (while I was here working). They were gone most of yesterday, and are gone again today now doing some fun things around our area. I'm glad for the kids. They are having a blast. But it's really quiet here.

I have officially discovered that I am a "people person". Fellow people people seem to need "down times", but I can't get enough. I miss those little girls we had here for the long weekend. A lot. I certainly miss my family right now. And last night, the two boys spent the night with Grandma, Grandpa & their cousin... and it just wasn't right. The house felt empty, though we still had the three girls here with us.

I am definitely a people person.

[Tangent... Last night when we just had the three girls, I thought to myself, "This seems way too easy!" I felt like it was "parenting-lite". I guess the hardest part of parenting these days is not the feeding and cleaning that we mostly do for the three girls (ages four and down) but the relational and life-training that we are doing with the boys (and probably Kirstie, too). So without that "challenge"... I felt like we had the night off! :-) Tangent over...]

So, I am incredibly grateful to God for the big family he has placed me in, and look forward to it growing if that's what He's got in mind. I'm super blessed to be part of a great extended family, too (my mom & dad, sister & fam, my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even all my in-laws).

Guess that's probably why I'm a people person. :-)

Which Way Did They Go?

One of the stranger things from our three days here at the hospital has been watching the migration of the Canadian geese. Thousands - definitely tens of thousands - of these cool birds (that resemble Klingon birds of prey as they descend to the water) have been flying past the big windows in the room where Emma was born.

Oddly enough, though in March geese should be flying north, it sure seemed like they were flying south. We figured they knew what they were doing... so we accepted the direction of their giant goose arrows as north, against our better judgment.

Even more oddly...

This morning when we woke up, the geese were all flying back the other direction! Ha! And, that direction was what I originally thought was north. Sweet vindication! :-)

A nurse (who seemed equally fascinated by them) reminded us that the lake is maybe just a mile south of us, and that was their southerly destination.

It all makes sense now. And it's still incredibly cool! Just watching SO many animals working in concert toward the same goal, same destination. Watching what God has designed into His creation is just a reminder of how beautifully simple and complex it all is. I won't elaborate now, but there have been many reminders through the whole process of the birth of Emma at how simply mind-blowing God's creation is, and how evident it is that he made it, and holds it all together.

Even the Klingon geese. :-)

Pondering

There are a few things that I am currently pondering regarding life with God and his church. I thought I'd just jot them down here, in a sort of short hand way. Perhaps you are pondering them as well and might add to my ponderings, but really I am putting them down here to look back later and see what I was pondering in 2008. :-)

• Worship:
  Do we need to publicly and corporately set God apart from all else, with or without musical aid?
  
• Evangelism:
  Should I have more of an urgent desire to help people know they are loved by their Father?
  
• Praying:
  With other people, I mean. How do I make an ongoing conversation with God easily flow into conversation with other believers - and my family.
  
• Communion:
  It's important to some people. Really important. But to me, just meaningless. Does it matter? How?

The things I am beginning to understand more: (and usually write about here)

• Freedom:
  For me, and giving freedom to others.
  
• Grace:
  For me, and treating other people with grace.
  
• God's love:
  Again, for me, and learning to give that to others.
  
• Reality of God's presence:
  Learning to live with Jesus every day.
  
• Who Jesus is:
  The Word of God, my brother, God in flesh, "watching" him interact with people in the stories of the gospels

When I look at those lists, the first one mostly just seems silly, but to many people - including me for much of my life perhaps? - they are not silly but almost essential. Funny how perspective changes. Who knows the lists might change again after a while. They might be completely different. We'll see.

[Things That Are Weird] Wiper Fluid Containers

Does anyone else wonder why windshield wiper fluid is sold in a container/amount that is only slightly more than fits in your empty windshield wiper fluid dispenser in your vehicle? I have never understood this. And I don't believe I ever will.

I will often just hand a container like this to the nearest person in the parking lot and say, "Have some wiper fluid!" (It is usually received well...) :-)

If it were a lot more, then I would understand. But it's just a little bit too much. Very, very strange.

I think I'll keep this as a recurring theme here at GregsHead.net. Stay tuned for more Things That Are Weird.

Seat Belts

I know this is silly, and probably has already been discussed too much, but the reason for this page was to share (and document?) my random and wandering thoughts. So...

This weekend I was returning from a visit to the grocery store that is less than a mile from our house. I was in a hurry (had to get something for the dinner I was trying to be making at that very moment) so I hadn't fastened my seatbelt, and really wasn't going to. It's such a short trip it kind of feels like just driving in my own driveway!

As I wrestled (very briefly) with whether or not to tether... I realized how insane it is that my state (yea, even my country) tell me that I have to wear it. Really? Should the government be regulating stuff that affects just a person's own life? Does not wearing a seatbelt affect anyone but the wearer? (Or, non-wearer, I suppose...) :-)

If pressed, I do say that I am libertarian (meaning, I don't think the gov't should be telling me what to do with my life) and in this I definitely am. Run campaigns, annoy people to no end, but do not make a LAW that makes them live up to a level of safety that some "larger group" thinks is "necessary" or should be "required". That kind of thinking is truly anti-American - anti-liberty.

OK. Down from the soap box. For now.

Mister(s) President(s)

I almost put a question mark at the end of that title, but used my superhuman will power to resist the temptation. (Really. It was very tough! Not sure why I've been on a question-in-the-title kick of late.) :-)

I was watching NBC's Meet The Press this week (Via podcast, of course. I don't really watch anything live these days...) and the episode was an interview with Senator Ron Paul, who is a Republican candidate for president. I watched a bit with my wife (before she fell asleep) and we both thought he was making some good points, but several things made it hard to really envision him as president, let alone think of actually voting for him.

(Mainly it was his whiny voice! Holy cow!)

I do like Mike Huckabee. When I hear him, he makes some good points. But there are a few financial things I'm not too sure about. I got to hear Mitt Romney. Not sure I like much about him, but he made some decent points. The interview I saw with him he was mostly just fighting off Mormon questions. Hey, I even like John Edwards and some of the things he has to say. (Can't say I'd ever vote for him for president, but he has a few decent ideas.)

All of this just has me frustrated that I have to pick one of these guys (and maybe none of the ones I mentioned!) to be the next (one) president of the United States. I don't think I like any ONE guy enough to vote for him in all good conscience.

That got me thinking...

What if we elected a group of three presidents or something? One from each party, and an independent one. I suppose that's why we have the three branches of government... a similar idea. But I mean... how is one man supposed to represent all the people? Again, perhaps that's the role of the congress... I'm just trying to land on a candidate I like, and the truth is there isn't one. I like a lot of things about a few of them, but don't like some things too.

Glad we still have 11 months to go...

Remote Control = God?

I remember when I was a kid, one of the coolest things in the world was remote control cars. I mean, you could make it go... even though you weren't touching it! How cool is that?!?

Well, last night I noticed that remote control is still one of the coolest things.

I was walking away from our vehicle and needed to lock it as I was going out of sight of it, and all I had to do was press a button on the little key fob and ... voila! It was locked! Like magic!

When I was able to do that, I realized that remote control is a bit like being God. You can manipulate things outside of yourself, like magic. (I know... it's not magic, but... it looks like it is!) Whether it's a toy car, or a boat, or a plane... or a real car that you can lock, unlock, or even start! You say it, or click it, or whatever... and it happens!

And there's so much like that these days! The whole world is going wireless. Cell phones, GPS thingies, satellite radio, key fobs, Wi-Fi computers and other devices... everything is wireless. On our home network, I can log into Jen's computer from my laptop, and send files from there to my computer in the office... without being on either computer! I can even do a "screen sharing" thing where I can use other computers as if I were right in front of it. I can print stuff in the office from any computer... WIRELESSLY.

We have some pretty amazing powers these days... :-)

So, just a little observation. I still believe the next computer interface (probably Mac OS X 10.6) will be a spoken interface. So not only will things be "remote control", but we will speak and it will happen.

And Greg said, "Let there be e-mail" ... and there was e-mail.

Weird. :-)

Routine

It's pretty funny how routine can be a good thing. I usually think (and talk about) how routine = a rut. But today, when my routine (most would not call it a routine...) was modified a bit, I was having trouble getting back on track :-)

So, routine is not always a bad thing. Just thought I'd say that.