Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween, y'all

My exciting day (and evening) consists of dodging the hundreds of kids who flock to Wisteria Lane to trick or treat and parsing various bills comprising the water package that's up for a vote Monday in the Assembly. Woo!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Waiting

So after a literal lifetime of migraines, I finally had an MRI of my head this morning.

It was an open MRI, since I am claustrophobic as it turns out and had quite a, um, spell when I tried to do a closed one about two years ago.


Results should be to my doctor by Tuesday. I'd appreciate your good thoughts and prayers in the meantime.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Statement concerning Capitol Ministries

I worked for Capitol Ministries for nine months. Most of you know that I returned to legislative life in the State Capitol this April. When I made the change, what I shared here about it was that I wasn't comfortable discussing all the reasons for the decision, and that even as I left full-time vocational ministry, I loved CM, its mission, those it sends out and the dear brothers and sister in Christ with whom I was blessed to work. And I've encouraged friends who are fellow believers to support the ministry with their time and treasure both during and after my employment there.

Sadly, I can no longer do this. Following is an abridged version of a statement the elders of my church sent out to members about CM:

As most of you know, over the last few months there has been a difficult and grievous situation developing with Capitol Ministries and Ralph Drollinger, President of CM. Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA (John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher), where Ralph has been a member for many years and a sent-out missionary in his work with CM, recently issued a final statement regarding their relationship with Ralph and CM. With this final statement from GCC, and because of [our] long history and relationship with Ralph and CM, we believe it appropriate to pass this information on to you.

Our intent in sharing these things is three-fold:

1. To warn you, and encourage you to warn others, that Ralph Drollinger has been determined to be biblically disqualified for spiritual leadership by the elders of his home and sending church. Inasmuch as we agree with and support the determination of the GCC elders, we believe Ralph is not to be trusted or regarded as qualified to be in a place of spiritual leadership. Because Ralph is continuing in his role as President of CM, in spite of GCC’s determination, we believe he is a deceitful and divisive danger to the body of Christ (Rom. 16:17,18; Titus 1:10,11; 3:10,11). Therefore, neither Ralph nor any ministry endeavor he presently leads should be supported financially or otherwise.”

2. To encourage you to continue praying for God to be glorified in this situation, for God’s grace to be extended to Ralph in granting repentance, and for the Gospel to continue to go forward, particularly in capitols around the country and around the world. Likewise, please continue to pray for God’s sustaining grace to be provided for those directly and indirectly impacted by this situation...

3. To give you perspective and understanding regarding why Sean, Lynne, David, and Nora were compelled to resign from their full-time work with Capitol Ministries, why Pastor Greg resigned from the Board of Directors, and why we as a church no longer support or endorse Capitol Ministries.

GCC’s final statement follows some previous statements they had given concerning the situation. Here are GCC’s statements, which have been available to any who ask:

1. From July 17, 2009 –

“The elders of Grace Community Church have agreed to temporarily suspend our affirmation of Ralph Drollinger, pending the resolution of our inquiry into allegations made against him.”

2. From Sept. 24, 2009 –

“In the summer of 2009, five of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors resigned. These men are well known to us and we have no reason to question their wisdom, discernment, or integrity. One of those former board members, John Anderson, is a respected member of our church in good standing; the other, John Bates, is one of our elders. It is the estimation of these men that Ralph Drollinger is not biblically qualified for spiritual leadership.

“We, the Grace Community Church elders, stand behind the assessment of these former members of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors about Ralph’s disqualification from leadership in Christian ministry. The attacks Ralph has continued to make on the character and motives of these men, as well as our elders, regrettably affirms to us this determination.”


3. From Oct. 15, 2009 (this is GCC’s final statement) –

“After much observation of and interaction with Ralph Drollinger, we, the Grace Community Church Elders, maintain that he is not biblically qualified for Christian ministry. Consequently, we do not endorse Capitol Ministries under his leadership. Ralph Drollinger no longer has any relationship with Grace Community Church.”

These statements from GCC follow a lengthy process over the last 7 months which has resulted in the following within CM:

  • 4 full-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento have resigned;
  • 2 part-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento were effectively terminated;
  • 6 of 8 Board of Directors have resigned, leaving just Ralph and his father-in-law Dan Madison (Note: the 6 who resigned did not all do so at the same time, and 2 new members were added a few weeks ago);
  • 17 of 21 full-time State Directors have resigned.

....

P.S. The majority of former CM State Directors who have resigned have formed a new organization called The Capitol Commission, through which they purpose to continue their ministry in state capitols. If you have previously been financially supporting CM, we encourage you to direct your gifts to this new ministry.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Morning giggles

Via Manolo the Shoeblogger. I have watched this four times in a row and can't stop giggling.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

In which I am apparently not dressed correctly for the weather

Scene: I am approaching the corner of L and 11th streets. Like most work mornings, I am met by Anthony, a homeless guy who sells his art and newspapers to Capitol community members streaming in and out of the building. It is sunny, but cool.

N: Good morning, Anthony! How are you today?

Anthony: And where is your COAT?!

N: Uh....

Anthony: And your HAT?!

N: Uh. *nervous giggle* It's not quite cold enough for all that, is it?

Anthony: (grimly) Well, it's very DAMP.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Best headline ever

From nbcbayarea.com...

Skateboarder Cleared of Assaulting Homeless Physicist
Fission and quarks figure into quirky case

It's not every day that disputes over particle physics leads to assault charges.

But that's what happened when Jason Everett Keller, 40, joined a conversation about quantum physics in South San Francisco in March.

Keller was accused of attacking Stephan Fava while Fava and his friend were discussing physics in the Bay Area town.

The charges didn't stick, however, as Keller has been acquitted by a San Mateo County jury.

The verdict is still out string theory, however, so there's no indication that physics-related violence will abate any time soon.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Is anyone else's Google Reader freaking out lately?

For about the last 10 days or so, roughly every other day, my Google Reader reports I have 1,000+ unread posts. Like, an hour after I last checked it. It seems to be spastically refreshing, or something. Maybe?

Anyone else? Or is it the drugs talking here?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

All too true

Not sure of the source of this. Somewhere on the Interwebs.

I know a few people who could use this

Ha. Via challies.com, a postmodern apology slip. Click image to see it full size.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Seasonal repost -- Daisy's favorite thing: SnuggleSafe microwave heating pad

Given the recent storms and dramatic turn in temperatures, Daisy's Favorite Thing has come out of mothballs for the season. She just loves it so much -- I thought it was a topic worth reposting.

Our winters are mild in Northern California, but there's still winter. Cold, damp, gray.

And if you're a 14-and-a-half-year-old dog with short hair who weighs 11 pounds, you feel it. The house has wood floors throughout the downstairs, and while I can throw on my Ugg slippers and some sweats, neither is really an option for Daisy. When I was home more between Christmas and New Year's Day, I noticed her shivering at times, even while curled up in a ball on the (seemingly warm) couch. It was time to do something.

I read on the Interwebs about the SnuggleSafe, a microwavable pod that you can put in your pet's bedding. After being microwaved, it maintains a nearly constant 123 degrees for about 12 hours, and since there's no electricity or cords involved, it's safe for use without being monitored by a human.

And here it is. A solid Frisbee looking thing filled, apparently, with some sort of space-age gel inside.

And here it is in its Polarfleece cover. The surface of the thingy gets pretty warm, so the cover enables it to be moved and touched.

Five minutes in the microwave in the morning...

... and then it gets tucked into Daisy's dog bed under the "covers," where it gently radiates warmth throughout the day.

I was worried that Daisy wouldn't take to it, or wouldn't want some weird thing in her bed with her. But I needn't have been concerned.

It's her new best friend.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Stormy weather



The first major storm of the season blew in to the Sacratomato region overnight. The remnants of a typhoon, apparently, the storm's winds topped 45 mph throughout the area. Some 25,000 homes in Sacramento alone were without power and commutes into and out of downtown have been at a near stop all day.



It took me nearly three hours to drive the 15 miles from my house to the Capitol -- and I exited I-5 at the first opportunity and took back roads. Which were littered with downed trees, awash in surface flooding and plagued with nonworking street lights.



Rain is supposed to continue through tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009

New favorite thing: silica powder

I have oily skin. This is both a blessing and a curse -- a blessing, because oilier skins tend to show aging less, which as I get older is definitely a good thing. A curse because, well, I'm oily -- my makeup tends to break down and slide off pretty early in the day, I'm more prone to breakouts, and then there's the shine that I have spent literally years fighting.

Powder is an oily goily's best friend, and I think I have tried most brands' products to fight the shine. And -- hardly any of them really work. They do for a while, but eventually, the oil gets the better of them. MAC Blot is, to me, the best pressed powder I've used for touching up during the day, but for a loose powder to use in the mornings when I'm getting ready, I hadn't found one that I really liked.

Some of the makeup-type message boards that I visit have been showing raves lately for Make Up For Ever's HD high definition loose powder. Oily skinned folks in particular raved about this stuff -- that its main ingredient, silica, didn't make oiliness worse, stayed matte all day long and blurred fine lines and flaws in the process. It sounded too good to be true -- I've heard it all before. And at $30, I wasn't going to take a chance on a product I couldn't sample first.

But then, I stumbled on Coastal Scents. This website offers a lot of cosmetics at vastly reduced prices from department stores (or even drugstores, in some cases). And -- they have a loose silica powder. Same ingredient as the MUFE version, same translucent shade, but at a fraction of the price -- $4 for an ounce vs. $30 for .35 ounce. And they sell samples so you can try before you buy.

And -- it's all that. I now see what the silica hoopla was about. It keeps me shine free longer than any other powder I've used, it does blur imperfections as advertised and the translucent shade (which is a stark white in the container -- it looks like baking powder) doesn't change the color of my foundation underneath. And at $4 a pop, I can use it liberally. It's my new mainstay.