FOUND! - JJ's tuan

And he is in Lafayette!

Last week at the Tippicanoe (pronounced tip a stupid-indian-boat) Co. Court house durning some press confrence, JJ Lesko's Tuan was found.

Check out his smooth moves!

JJ Lesko - The Indiana version (still in beta testing phase).


(if you're a windiws media player junkie and don't have quick time, get it here: www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ )

NQS News - Iraqi Elections Devastated by Thousands of Hanging Chads

- rkstormer -

The much anticipated elections in Iraq have been all but brought to a halt by militant groups determined to stop the elections. Insurgents have launched dozens of assaults aimed at the voting citizens of Iraq. These so-called "Butterfly Attacks" have caught the US military totally off guard. US General Gary E. Luck went on the record earlier today saying "Car-bombs we were prepared for. For hundreds of crazed AK-47 wielding militia we had a contingency plan. But this... There is no way we could have foreseen so many poorly designed ballots.

US Ballot Expert PHD examines an Iraqi Ballot. Looks like this one is going to Saddam

It has been over four years since the world has seen ballots this confusing. "The attacks were swift and disastrous," said US Colonel Major Jack Hammond "When the votes were first tallied Iraqi Heavy Card Printing Services won by a two-thirds margin and a hyphen was to be vice-president." "It was to be a weak political party all around," agreed Major Colonel Richard Fife. General Luck added that he was relieved that so far the city of Najaf has not been attacked with any force as the US's strength the that city is currently "...weaker than a June Bug in November."

In an unrelated Story, Palm Beach County Florida was rocked by numerous suicide bombers and frequent outbreaks of gunfire. Governor Jeb Bush has requested $80 Billion in military aid in order to train Floridians to defend their state.


[Any additional info on these breaking stories will be appreciated]

24some

So how many of us are watching 24? I'm hoping we have enough to get some 24 discussions going here maybe. I'll avoid any spoilers in this post, but the comments are fair game.

If you are NOT watching 24, start now! So far this season has been at least as good as any other season (which is quite good IMHO). The first mini arc of the season was completed this past Monday and they are (asumably) moving into the main arc now so it's a perfect time to start watching. It's on FOX on Mondays from 9:00 to 10:00 (here in Indy). You can catch up with an episode guide (though it's probably not really necessary).

tvtome has short summaries: http://www.tvtome.com/24/season4.html
Or tvrules has detailed summaries: http://www.tvrules.net/modules.php?name=Search&topic=22&category=26

If someone is REALLY dying to see the six episodes that have shown so far I do have them all recorded on VHS and could probably rip them to divx or something and make them available, or you could probably find them on the p2p networks.

People who are watching it, how do you feel about the almost completely new cast? I was shocked. It's pretty much just Jack left now. Wonder why they didn't bring back more people.

I hear that there is a short extra episode included on the season 3 DVD set that bridges the gap between the 3rd and 4th seasons. Has anyone seen this? Do you know where else I might be able to get it? Alas, I can't use p2p apps to get anything big (dial-up at home and firewalled at work not to mention it'd be too risky) but if someone else could get it I'd really like to see it.

Chat Board

- rkstormer -

Hi all. I know this is weak for my first posting but I wanted to point out the little chat thingy we now have on the right of this blog page. Just enter your name and a message and submit. It works in real-time so it can be used for instant chat or a message board.

The idea is this gadget can be used for chatting (if multiple people are on the site) or just misc. witty banter that doesn't fit into a post/comment. I thought we'd see if such a thing would be used or not.

Let me know if you have any trouble with it or questions or have a burning desire to request additional emoticons.

Skin Graft at Seventy-Five Miles Per Hour

It is I, the magnificent Tuan! I have been called out by Maddog to join this thing and I figured that if Maddoggy were behind it that it just had to be a good thing. I suppose that I could post the usual summary of my life outside of college but instead I will highlight the most interesting events since graduation. Since last May I have survived a tornado, waded through flood waters, broken down in New Jersey, shoveled a public road to escape a snow drift, and switched from nVidia to ATI. True story.

(I am also the proud owner of a sweet ninja sword and a throwing star)

Life in the Winter Land to the North (also known as Wisconsin)

Hello everyone and Greetings from Milwaukee. Since graduating from Taylor I have moved back home and I am currently pursuing my MBA (finance concentration) at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. I have had the wonderful experiences of taking courses like, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Operations Management, Multinational Business Finance, Corporate Budgeting, Business and Technology, and several other lofty sounding courses. I have found the courses to be challenging (basically because I have no "real world" experience, and everybody else pretty much does). Despite the difficulties, I have been able to post a pretty good grade point in my first semester and I hope to continue that this semester.

I must say Grad School feels more like the "Real World" than my undergraduate studies at Taylor. I am in classes with people who are mostly two to fifteen years old that me (you know, like Bruce's age) and have a full-time job. They all pretty much have several years of job experience and they are able to contribute to concepts we are leaning in class. I find this quite helpful, because it gives the classes some "real world" context.

I am currently trying to find a part-time job this spring. I am looking for a position with a local business, so I can gain some sort of experience. I am also looking for a summer internship in the Milwaukee area, so I'll keep myself busy this summer.

I have made several trips back to Taylor this past fall. It is always nice to go back. Especially since I still know a lot of the guys on the Floor. It is nice to see everybody again. Friendships have been sparse here at home, so it is really nice to see old friends.

I am excited to read posts from all of you. It will be nice to be able to see what each of you is doing and what your plans are for the future.

Later.

- J.J.

Big News!

[From the Life of Joel...]

Let me share a quick story with you. About two weeks ago, while trying to shut off my car radio, I accidentally tuned into a preacher named Dr. James MacDonald. I only heard the last few minutes of his sermon, but those few minutes were important. MacDonald spoke about throwing our nets over to the other side of the boat-- how when we least expect it, sometimes a miracle is only 14 feet away.

In my heart, I knew he was right. So that night, filled with the uncertainty of finding a full-time job, I fervently prayed that my nets would be thrown to the other side. I had not yet found a calling to any particular church, yet I was quite ready to catch some fish. For all I knew, there could be a God surprise waiting for me.

The next day, I received a phone call from Harvest Bible Chapel. The coincidence, whether natural or supernatural, was intriguing because of the combination of the sermon snippet, my prayer that night, and the church's connection to the preacher. Even more interesting, though, was later that night, I spoke with a couple I had not seen in five years. By chance, they now attend HBC, and they encouraged me to explore the opportunity. All of this reminded me how one of my favorite mentors felt God's calling "most often through coincidences," and in my heart, I knew I should pursue the possibility.

So, about a week ago, I travelled 4 hrs. southeast to visit the church. I met with the pastor, watched a Pacers game in the 8th row (which was quite cool), practiced with the worship team, and led their music on Sunday morning. I tried to be myself, not putting on much of a show, just to see if they could accept my music style, and their response was amazing. Without taking any credit for the sound, it would be fair just to say that the church and I are a good match. They hear music the way I do!

So what happened? Well, great news! Today, I am happy to say that the church offered me the job! The church is located in Shelbyville, Indiana, which is just outside of Indianapolis, and I will be working as a full-time worship leader. The pastor is only 33, and I will be the second staff member, so there will be lots of opportunities for me. In a few months, some youth and teaching responsibilities will be added, such as starting a new service or teaching membership classes. (As an extra blessing, the offered salary is well above average for my age and experience.) Without a doubt, it will be exciting! I plan to start in 2-3 weeks, so right now I am searching for housing in the area.

As some encouragement for everyone, I went through a month of depression (thinking that no church would ever want me), then a month of confusion (when 3+ churches wanted to interview me), before I ever cast my nets to the other side. I am sure that many of you have or will go through the same emotions, so just make sure and hang in there. I didn't handle my emotions too well, and I doubt many men do, but God is powerful and faithful. If He can land a job for a chap like me, He can do it for anyone! May He be with you as well in your future endeavors.

Peace.


-joel