I’m telling you, the new additions to the list just keep rolling in. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Larry and Julie Castle, king and queen (respectively) of The Daily Castle. Larry and Julie both serve at Community Baptist Church in New Boston, MI. I gotta say that, if it weren’t for my home in PA, I’d like to be from Michigan. I consider that state the second-best in the country…behind my home Commonwealth, of course.

Speaking of home, it felt wonderful today…reminded me of what fall should feel like. Temps were hovering in the mid 60s pretty much all day with a very nice breeze blowing. Today was the first time that I actually felt comfortable walking around in long sleeves. Keep this up!!!

To help you URL miners out there who are finding BJ Bloggers for the list, I’ve developed a new tool. Drag the following link to your bookmark toolbar and you’ll have a no-frills bookmarklet. When you find a BJ Blogger site, just click the bookmarklet, fill in the details, and submit. Should make it easier - now you don’t have to scurry back to my site or have multiple windows open. Cool?

Submit BJ Blogger

One Site - The Steadfast Half-Elf. One Webmaster - Carl Brown. One List to rule them all.

No, I still haven’t gotten enough sleep.

And the updates continue to continue. A little insight, if I may. When I find a BJ Blogger (like the newest one added to the list this afternoon, Shelly Jeffers, owner of Shelly’s World) I make every effort to contact the site owner before making the addition. This is a courtesy and not a requirement, because sometimes (like in Shelly’s case) I can’t figure out how to contact the person. (Tip of the day - leave an email address or a contact form out, huh?) Note that 1.) I don’t have to have your permission to add you to my list, and 2.) I don’t have to take you off my list if I don’t want to. It’s a free internet, and I’ll add you if I want to!

Okay, I’m better now. It’s just that I’ve had a few emails in the tone of “I don’t know how on earth you found my site but TAKE ME OFF RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT!!! YOU’RE INVADING MY PRIVACY!!!” I just needed to vent.

Speaking of vents, I need to fix my time stamps - they’re all looking like this: 2005/-0/9-, 29: 2:3:26:45. I’ll work on it.

Not even a hurricane can bring rain to Greenville. We’ve been under drought conditions (whether it’s been announced or not) for the better part of two months. No rain in that time. Even the tail of Rita, flying out of control towards the Northeast, failed to bring rain to the Upstate. We got a few sprinkles, not even enough to open an umbrella for. Looks like it broke apart before it hit us, and it was hit-and-miss. Some parts of northern SC may have been watered, but metro Greenville ( :snicker: ) got the “miss” part of the equation.

Philadelphia will be singing the praises of David Akers. Give him the Yo, Philadelphia! award. Give the second, third, fourth, and fifth-miler award. Throw him a parade. Throw him two parades. Give him the game ball, at least. The man was outstanding today. He came into the game against Oakland hobbled by a bad right hamstring. Opening kickoff he kicks, stumbles, and clutches his right hamstring. Penalty flag is thrown for an Eagles offsides. He kicks again, this time tripping and falling down, holding his hamstring. ANOTHER penalty. So we have Mike Bartrum, the long-snapper, squib a kick for a three-bounce kickoff that landed the Raiders 1st and 10 at midfield. They go to score a TD on the opening drive, and the Eagles have absolutely no way to kick off. All throughout the game, Bartrum three- or four-hopped the ball down the field for the kickoffs, and the Eagles’ D responded to hold them most of the time. But fast-forward through all the idiot plays McNabb called in the first and all the great plays he threw in the second. We’re down to 0:09 left in the game, score tied up at 20-20. Courtesy of a few gritty catches by T.O., Akers sets up for a 23-yard field goal. He limps onto the field, which is exploding with the noise of Eagles fans gearing up for what could be the game-winner. He sets, kicks, and…good!!! Now, under normal circumstances a 23-yard FG is nothing to write home about. It’s what announcers sometimes call a “chip shot.” But the fact that Akers could barely walk, let alone kick, says volumes about this kick. All the pre-game hype was centered around Moss vs. Owens - the top two receivers in the NFL going head-to-head. Who would come out on top? Owens, obviously - his catches were the keys to sustaining drives, while Moss’ catches were largely insignificant in the scheme of things. But Akers stole the show. Against all odds and in intense pain, he won the game. As soon as it went in, he raised his hands in victory and promptly collapsed on the field. He was helped off, tears streaming down his face. Joy or pain? Probably both. But he gave more than all he had, and the Eagles come away with the win.

I had great things in store…I was going to upgrade my wordpress installation to 1.5. But I decided that could wait until the next mid-semester break (much like I decided last April that upgrading to 1.5 could wait until the summer). I’m happy to announce that I’ve switched hosting services. Not that there was anything wrong with my old one, but I can now face-to-face the guy who runs my hosting because he lives two minutes away from campus. Hosting for mounty’s corner is now provided by Cone Enterprises. He’s not paying me for this (I don’t think) but I want to suggest that you folks out there who want hosting should call him up. Fast, dedicated server, quick response time…good stuff.

So, two additions to the blogger list to report: David Wenkel, owner of The O’Really Factor gets either positive points for a clever twist on a semi-popular news program or negative points for ripping the name off. Either way, I have to watch it - he lives three doors down from me. Also on the list is mpriley.com, run my Mike Riley, a recent grad living in Michigan. I’ve heard funny stories about him, but they wouldn’t make sense unless you happen to know the guy. Come to think of it, I don’t know him, so I actually only trust the suggestion that the stories are funny.

I’m alive and well. I’m travelling with my quartet, working until odd hours of the night in one Fine Arts computer lab, and…oh yeah, I’m taking classes in my spare time. Forgot about those. Speaking of the quartet, I learned that the big lesson in life is this: should you ever decide to stick damp wads of TP in your ears as makeshift earplugs, DO NOT use oil-based drops to clear them. No, the lesson is not “don’t stick damp wads of TP in your ears as makeshift earplugs” in the first place. Suffice to say I saw it happen, and it took all that was within me not to burst out laughing at the poor soul who attempted this. He’s fine now, and with that life lesson learned I think he’s set.

I was going to put up a notice that, should you have problems connecting, it’s probably the DNS entries filtering through from my change of address. But then I realized you wouldn’t be reading this anyway, so there went that idea. Kinda like the “if the power goes out call us to report it” sort of thing.

I think that’s all for now. I still have that tune to post, but it’ll have to come later. I just wanted to write this (not) quick entry to let my legions of adoring fans know I’m still alive and kicking.

Geeks all over noticed that Google, in its increasing bid to become Big Brother, has recently reinvented the wheel that is Technorati. The new tool is appropriately named Google Blog Search.

Google has for a while published information about how to create a search field that can be implemented to anyone’s site. In fact anyone with a little knowledge of GETs can do one search on Google Blog Search, then compare it to the hidden fields and junk that the regular farmed-out Google search button uses. Then, boom - your own Google Blog Search button on your page.

Here’s the code you’d need to insert into your web page. This code checks out as XHTML 1.1 compliant…the original one as supplied by Google isn’t really compliant with anything, I think. This looks and works just the same, only it’s compliant. Whee.

<form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/blogsearch">
    <fieldset style="width:500px; border:none;">
        <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" />
        <label>
            <a href="http://www.google.com/blogsearch"><img src="http://www.google.com/logos/Logo_40wht.gif" style="border: none; width: 128px; height: 53px; vertical-align: middle;" alt="Google" /></a>
            <input type="text" name="q" size="25" maxlength="255" value="" />
            <input type="submit" name="btnG" value="Search Blogs" />
        </label>
    </fieldset>
</form>


I decided to do this after I emailed Google and they said they didn’t have it running. I figured, how hard can it be? So here it is. Enjoy. And, Google, you might want to look at the standards-compliant code. Your old one was full of nasty tables and unquoted values and all sorts of stuff that the validator coughed on. You’re welcome.

I feel like a moron. After all the Bible and block classes, even after reading his blog everytime something new comes out and having his RSS feed in my Firefox Live Bookmarks, I never had Jon Kopp of CrossTraining added to the list.

And, astute observers (some of whom may have to hit Ctrl+F5 to refresh the page from the server) will notice the party hat on my b-a-n-n-e-r (sorry, filters can be so indiscriminate nowadays). Reason being…

JON KOPP IS THE 100TH BJ BLOGGER ADDED TO THE LIST!!!!!!!!

That’s right. As of 10:19 pm EST, on September 14, 2005, mounty’s corner has hit 100 active bloggers. This means that you can find 100 current, former, and/or graduated BJU students who blog - all at this site. To celebrate, I spent no small amount of time that should have been spent sleeping coming up with the party hat banner. Also, I’m opening my site up to guest bloggers. Seems the fashionable thing to do nowadays, anyway. In one week’s time, or whenever I get enough submissions, I will post YOUR articles on MY site. The topic: what does it mean to be a blogger? No extended epistles, please…but feel free to elaborate on what it means to be a blogger - why do you spend that time in front of the screen typing out your thoughts? Submissions go to me - mounty at mountyscorner dot com - and I make the decisions/posts. Send those ideas in! And to all you current BJ bloggers out there, thanks for your thoughts. Keep them coming!

A few music recommendations while I take a break from homework. First, I highly recommend what I’m currently listening to, Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem. The actual recording I’ve got going at the moment is recorded by Robert Shaw and the ASO, a recording, I might add, which includes Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem as well. I first performed Fauré’s requiem in the Bruton Parish church in Williamsburg, VA, in a candle-lit concert hall. Magnificent organ and stone church - sounded absolutely stunning. I would also recommend Franz Joseph Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, especially if the CD you find it on includes the Te Deum in C major. I regret that the recording I have is consistently one quarter step sharp the entire way through, owing (if I remember correctly) to the director’s insistence that the instruments be authentic period instruments and tuned (sharp) as such. Since I will be singing in a production of that piece next semester, I intend to go out to Barnes & Noble and purchase a better copy, one that’s in-tune.

I have Dan Kreider (not the Steeler’s RB) to thank for getting me absolutely hooked on the Duruflé, and Dr. Chris Gilliam of the choral department for giving me reason to get the CD containing the Lord Nelson Mass.

Great stuff!

After a week’s hiatus, during which I wanted to poke my head in at least three times, I finally found a few spare minutes to do so. Word to all the people who have recently said to themselves, “You know, I haven’t seen/talked to/heard from him in a long time…” I’ve made up to most of you, and the rest are on my list.

And speaking of the list, Dr. Josh Alley has submitted his site, the alley, to that selfsame list. (Yes, I just used that word in normal conversation. Woo hoo!) If his website is any indication, he’s a trauma surgeon (?) in San Antonio, TX. For the more aged of readers (just kidding…) he was here between 1994 and 1998. Click for more…

Welcomes are extended to Lincoln Mullen, current senior and owner of ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ (”historia” for all you non-greek people out there)! It shows up on the list as “ιστοÏ?ια” instead, since it’s lower-case Greek characters. Also, look for him at the top of the list - my sorting scheme puts international characters first…and I know that iota should come after alpha, not before, but it comes first nonetheless. His site is at the top of the list, not under I or H where one might expect. Sorry. If anyone knows a way of programatically sorting based on transliteration, I’m all for it.

1. Removed a non-BJ person from the list. Begone!
2. Added a grad to the list - Brad Wilson of the Baritone News Network has an impressive resume. Props to Barbara H. for pointing him out.

I like zero-sum equations. Especially at 9:15p when I’m too tired to keep my eyes open. Looks like the Fine Arts lab will have to wait until tomorrow evening…maybe…

http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,122432,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp

Read this at PCWorld this evening. Most Trojan virii out there try to steal confidential information or just plain make it impossible for you to use your computer. This one is apparently the prototype of a new forced Internet filtering package that will install itself without any permission from you. Interesting, I suppose…

We could call this “When a Moralist Writes a Virus.”

Addition: Will Gray, author of Explorations has been added to the BJ Bloggers list. That list now stands at 97 bloggers!

Correction: there really is a good way in and out of the other G-ville. If one wants to go forty miles out of the way, one can take 11E southbound out of Greeneville, TN (correctly spelled) for 20 miles and meet up with I-81, then go south on I-81 for another 20 to I-40, then take I-40 eastbound for about 60 miles to I-26. I know the numbers don’t add up; I was wildly guessing, because it was after midnight when I did this…actually, it would have been this morning. Still, the trip took 2.5 hours, same as taking 25/I-26 all the way up. Only difference was the lack of badly-laid curvy roads that I had coming in. Substitute them with the well-planned strip of 30 miles of curves in I-40 coming into NC, and oooooh.

I’m here in the Charray Inn, in Greeneville, TN. Nice big room, huge bed, high-speed internet, and ESPN. At the moment Georgia Tech holds a slim lead over Auburn, 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the half. My only complaint is - for a city the size of Greeneville, why is there no good way to get here? Click for more…

The above title has the added benefit of being able to be pronounced two ways - “AW-gust” and “oh-GUST.” I prefer the second way.

Total number of hits: 30,148

Most Popular Post
Addition, which surprised me until I realized that it was either trackbacks from Austin or the Pop vs. Soda map. Total views: 269

Most Popular Browser
Firefox: 6,067 (61.92%)
IE: 3,263 (33.3%)
Netscape: 355 (3.62%)
Safari: 61 (0.62%)
Opera: 29 (0.3%)
Konqueror: 23 (0.23%)

Once again, I believe I have a very discerning clientele. Thank you, friends.

Most Links From
Corporate (sort of): SharperIron.org with 325.
Personal: BJU Bloggers with 51.

This is starting to get skewed, so this particular section may not last. I’ll have to figure out what to do with it. And now for the section that I’m sure everyone looks forward to (or not)…

Searches

• live bookmarks accumulate in firefox - yes, they do, don’t they?
• joel mounty - a relative I never knew I had?
• “dan kreider” piano - actually, he’s a lineman or running back or something for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Really. Here’s his player page.
• English (reasding passages) - looks more like Engrish to me.
• Red Presedential Phone - no, you can’t have mine. George told me to keep it to myself.
• sihk mounty - sometimes I wonder if people just insert a random word before “mounty” and hit search. sounds like fun…
• Free JPG image rednecks appalachian - now why would anyone want jpegs of that? at least they got appalachian spelled right.
• SEVEN SURE STEPS TO SUCCESS DR JACK HYLES TEXT FORMAT - STOP YELLING!!!!! and that’s a book I wouldn’t want to read.
• melody crossway what where you york looks address phone - wow. I had to read it three times to get it right.
• terrell owens disrespects the star in dallas - yes, and what an absolutely beautiful thing it was, too.
• what gospel hymn has the same tune as”Oh Danny Boy” - not sure offhand, but I know SMS men’s group did it.
• allentown pa ghetto - probably not, though we have our share of crime.
• blog and arlington and rob and andrew and classical singer and friend and new york city and charleston and vacation - any other search terms you want included?
• hindi poetry, poems, for love, friendships in hindi - and you can here why?
• “I love microsoft” - I’m sorry.
• origin phrase “blindingly obvious” - if you have to ask…
• K.K. Beard Choral Music in print - dunno, but that’s a really funny name
• cat on fire falling from airplane - got pictures?
• tackle and touch football sermon - football evangelism…gotta try that…

So that’s it for now. From hot-as-all-get-out Greenville, SC, where gas is as cheap as it’ll get for the next week or two ($3.19), have a fun, safe and speeding-free Memorlal Day Weekend.

Or perhaps unreal. Check out this quote from Louisana Governor Kathleen Blanco as cited on rediff.com:

Governor Kathleen Blanco called the looters ‘hoodlums’ and issued a warning to lawbreakers: hundreds of National Guard troops hardened on the battlefield in Iraq have landed in New Orleans.

“They have M-16s and they’re locked and loaded,” she said. “These troops know how to shoot and kill, they are more than willing to do so and I expect they will.”

Maybe it’s just the way the copy was said…but the idea that we’re bringing in our own military with shoot-to-kill orders against our own citizens is, frankly, disturbing. I know, desparate times and measures and all that good stuff, but couldn’t we at least use rubber bullets and beanbag shotguns? Haven’t enough people died in this storm and its aftermath without the most powerful military in the world killing more?

This list was posted today on our internal info server - it’s a list of at least some, if not all the BJ grads pastoring in the areas of Mississippi that were hardest hit by Katrina: Click for more…