thoughtsbyglyn

2008-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

I recently started a new business... below are details. Be sure to refer me if you can think of anyone who could use such a service i.e. online advertising for offline businesses. Thanks.
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Welcome to BizWebPresence. This blog will give you useful tips on marketing OFFline brick-and-mortar businesses ONLINE for direct response. You can visit the website directly:

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but here's a brief overview of what we offer:

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4. Create an email opt-in method of online email address capture, so that customer
data can be retained

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6. Advise client on Google Pay-Per-Click Advertising options

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ONGOING SERVICE IF REQUIRED (monthly maintenance fee payable)

1. Host website
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5. Data capture and entry

To schedule a no-obligation initial discussion, contact us by email: bizwebpresence@gmail.com
or calling (714) 595 2051

2006-11-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Landon dancing

The last few days Landon has suffered from stomach flu with much vomiting. Never have I been through so many costume changes and towels in such little time...

Anyway, to help me remember happier days when Landon is not feeling ill...

.... Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present Landon's dancing premiere...

Click. Watch. Enjoy. Comment :)

Glyn

2006-07-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

2006-07-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hawaii pics

2006-07-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hawaii...

On Thursday 20th we returned from a 10 day trip to Hawaii. This at least I have learned. A vacation with a child (even with a helping mother-in-law) is a very different proposition from the romantic tropical getaway that Cathleen and I had previously experienced in Hawaii. To start with, Landon hated the rental car/rented car seat, so that meant any time we had to drive anywhere, he had to be forced into the seat with much tears and struggling (his, not ours... though, come to think of it...). And of course, we had to drive almost everywhere.

I've come to the conclusion that everything I've ever watched about KGB interrogation techniques is a load of c**p. All they need to do was play a tape of a screaming infant for 48 hours, and before you know it, you'll have the location of every missile site in N. America. Is there anything else that jars the nerves quite so effectively, even through earplugs (which I now keep in the car)?

To be honest, I'm much more relaxed now that I'm back than I ever was on this vacation. I admit, it wasn't all bad. There were some highlights such as a helicopter ride, snorkeling in the Molokini crater, a great dinner at Mama's Fish House, swimming with turtles, swimming in a waterfall, hiking in a bamboo forest etc., ... but this was easily offset by the general stress. Added to that there was some stuff happening back home in UP world that I needed to continue to deal with by email.

The irony is, sitting here looking at the pictures of the vacation on my computer is actually much more relaxing than being there!

I shouldn't be such an ingrate. In the end, it's all about expectations, and I had to adjust mine pretty quickly. It reminds me of my current life theme of The Gap, as in The Gap Between What Could Be, and What Is... what's your experience or expression of The Gap?

For what it's worth, here are a few pics of the tropical paradise :) Well, I thought there would be, and blogger says it is still uploading them, so perhaps they will appear...

2006-05-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

On the hazards of being an INTJ (Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory)

So I read something a couple of months ago that has been a window of revelation into myself and some of my reactions to things. Here it is in essence: because INTJs like myself often lack empathy, that intuitive sense of what someone else is feeling, they are particularly dependent on external cues like facial expression or tone of voice.

Wow. This was like a light coming on. Most, if not all, of my more extreme reactions are in response to a look which I may interpret as contemptuous, or a tone of voice which implies I am an idiot.

Since the INTJ needs to be competent, these stimuli are almost guaranteed to provoke a defensive or angry response. Because of my lack of empathy, I can place too much weight on these other sources of information, and sometimes be overly sensitive to them. The tricky thing is now that I know this, I still don't seem to be able to moderate my emotional response to those inputs.

I thought I would share this, since INTJs generally consider themselves a huge gift to the world, and now, having discovered a downside, I thought it only right to share.

So, what sets me off is when I feel that someone is implying that I'm incompetent, or an idiot. What sets you off?

2006-05-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

So, the CIA have offered me Porter Goss' job,

now that the poor man has resigned. As usual I went through the usual screenings and profiling to come up with what they knew already:

Yawn. Don't they know I've left that life behind me. When will they stop hassling me?...

008

2006-05-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Two bare bottoms...

I went along for a ride-along with a police officer friend of mine today, in the fair city of Anaheim. Eventually, he arrested a guy, who proceeded to have an anxiety attack just before he was booked into the jail. Accordingly, we had to divert to the local hospital so that he could be medically cleared before going to jail. Nothing like having a prisoner die on you to get you sued.

Anyway, the hospital had a special wing with four beds for "non-mainstream" patients. Our arrestee occupied Bed 4, and continued his quick breathing and anxiety attack. Bed 3 was occupied by a sweet, older man who just seemed a bit confused, and wanted to be sure that the nurse was aware that he needed to have a bowel movement. Bed 1 was a felon from the jail with appendicitis who was waiting to go in for his operation.

In Bed 2 was a homeless man. This non-mainstream ward was not that hot on privacy, and the curtains were pulled back most of the time. I saw an old guy, maybe around 60 but looking older, hooked up to tubes and monitors. When they got him up to weigh him (presumably to make sure they got the medication right), he had wet the bed. Shortly afterwards, he was insisting that he wanted to leave. The nurse called in the doctor who told him that if he left he would almost certainly die since he had a serious medical condition. The man's response: "Good." He just didn't care. And I believe that he probably did want to die. The sores on his arms, the fluid gathering in his heart, lungs and bladder probably made him extremely uncomfortable. He was belligerent and rude to the nurse.

As he turned around to grab his meagre belongings prior to leaving, his hospital gown flapped open to reveal his old, saggy, wrinkled bottom. That's when it struck me, that this was the second wrinkled bottom I had seen today. I changed Landon this morning, and cleaned his pink wrinkled bottom and then bathed him.

What I thought in this moment was this: at one time, this old man's bottom probably looked like Landon's, when he was a baby, and hopefully with someone cherishing him and loving him, and cuddling him, just like I do my son. What had happened in between? What had life done to this man that now he didn't care if he lived or died? How far removed from feeling loved must you be to get to that point?

I don't know the answers of course, and I don't know what happened to that man. All I know is that no one should feel this way - and that someone, somewhere had failed. We can blame society, the man himself - but let us make sure that as far as it is in our power to communicate love, where we can, that we do it. End of sermon.

2006-05-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

Rain and chocolate and tea...

It's a gloomy, overcast day in So. Cal. today. I'm sitting here wondering if it will rain, and if I will get the chance to sit on my porch with a cup of tea, and a piece of chocolate and enjoy it...

Thinking that these three things go very well together. I discovered when I came to the USA just how well cookies and milk go together. I don't think I'd consciously tried the combination before...

So, over to you... what are your favorite combinations of external stimuli and taste, other senses?

Glyn

2006-04-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Dreams and Dogs...

1. A dream

So, this is somewhat risky to share, allowing you a window into my subconscious mind, but I had a very vivid dream on Monday night, which I thought I would share with you. In this dream, I approached a house on the corner of a busy main street. At first it appeared to be a colonial display house, with antique furniture etc., and I thought it was a type of museum. As I went in and went up the stairs to the top floor, it was arranged like a conference room, and someone was coming in about to speak. I sensed that this person was evil in some way, and that they shouldn’t be allowed to share, and somehow, I stopped them. Instead, I made my way around the gathered people, with a bag of diamonds in my hand, and asked each one this question, “Do you feel forgiven?” So many said no, and I then gave them a diamond that was symbolic of God’s free gift of forgiveness and they received them so gratefully.

Was God speaking through this dream? Do I dare an interpretation? This much was clear to me. Many need to receive the good news of God’s forgiveness, and would gratefully receive it, if only we were willing to offer it to them. Perhaps also, the fact that this came in the form of diamonds was supposed to imply that this is something incredibly precious that we have to offer – and that maybe we don’t always realize it, or are hesitant to share. This dream has embedded itself deeply into my mind, and has been the backdrop to this week – as I’m wondering who I’m supposed to give a diamond to.

2. A confession of a crime

Okay, I admit it. I think I technically broke the law this week. But it was for a good cause. Outside our office from 9am, a dog had been left in a car, admittedly with the windows cranked slightly open. I noticed the barking, and then by 11am, when the owner had not returned to the vehicle, I called Orange County Animal Control and told them that I thought this dog was in danger, since temperatures were supposed to be around 80 degrees that day, and dogs can die in cars when it gets that hot. When I came back after lunch I saw that OCAC had come out and had written a type of citation, which was now on the driver’s window, but the dog was still in the car, and I looked inside and saw that it had no water. So, I decided that action was necessary, effected entry into the vehicle (don’t ask how… all you need to know is that I used to work for the British Government, and a twig of just the right size was nearby J ) and got the dog out, brought it up to the office, gave it water etc. I then called the number on the tag, spoke to the owner who had left her beloved puppy in the ‘care’ of her boyfriend. With the help of Hope’s security, I tracked him down, told him off and returned the animal to him, with stern warnings not to do it again.

Was it criminal to break into this car to rescue the dog? I don’t know for sure. I didn’t actually “break” anything – and my compassion for animals compelled me. But therein lies the challenge. God says of us that we are worth “more than many sparrows” (Matt 10:31) and presumably more than many cute puppies too. I am reminded of what it cost him to rescue us (it took a lot more wood than a twig) and am reminded to be grateful this week that God would look upon me, sweltering in the heat of my sin and unforgiveness and do whatever was necessary to rescue me and give me living water. Thank you Jesus.

2006-04-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

TV that I love...

One show is very worthy of mention: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This is what we watch on Sunday nights when we're at home. It has always been a fun game for me to watch the show and see how many "religious" terms they end up using, because they can't help themselves. What they are doing is so inherently redemptive, that only religious language can do it justice. My game reached an ultimate vindication last week, when Ty actually prayed together with a family.

I think this team is such a beautiful picture of what a church can be, whether it is redeeming broken down houses or broken relationships. Redemption is beautiful in itself, and on this Easter Week, I'm conscious of what it cost to bring back beauty and wholeness to a broken world.

And unlike in the TV show, where the recipients are so very worthy, by virtue of the tragedy they have experienced, or the hardships they currently face... we are so unworthy, yet still recipients of wonderful grace.

So, kudos to Ty and team, love in action, redemption at work. It's definitely spiritual.

2006-03-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

The End of Poverty - video lecture

Jeffrey Sachs, the economist who wrote the above book, recently gave a 40 min lecture at Columbia University, where he outlined the main themes of his book, and his argument that we can end poverty by 2025. He's a compelling speaker, and I enjoyed listening to it. Check it out here:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/05/349_the_end_of_poverty/

Let me know what you think

Glyn

2006-03-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

World Water Day, Wed March 22

To find out about how much of the world does not have access to clean water (something most of us don't even think about as a luxury), check out the facts on the World Water Day website

http://www.worldwaterday2006.org/

Glyn

2006-03-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

Actors, politics and IAE (Inappropriately Assumed Expertise)...

Okay, I didn't really want to be political in this blog, but since I am political, and since this blog is supposed, to some extent, reflect who I am, I can't help myself. Here's my complaint: why is it that actors, who are known for excelling at pretending to be someone else, believe they have expertise when it comes to pronouncing on politics, current events, wars etc.? It is as if, since they have expertise in one area, they inappropriately assume expertise in another. The fact of fame gives them a platform from which to speak, and they expect to be taken seriously. The fact that the media give them such a platform show that either the media think they have something useful to say, or the media think that WE think they have something useful to say.

Of course, every citizen has the right to comment on public affairs, but we don't usually attribute expertise to them. Why then do we attribute expertise on politics to actors? I don't expect my dentist to know about banking, nor my doctor to advise me on mutual funds... but I'm willing to listen to an actor talk about politics? Martin Sheen may play a powerful, effective president on The West Wing, but do I really believe he could run the country? Or more worrying, does he?

Simply put, expertise in one area does not qualify you to spout forth as an expert in another. I am tired of bleeding heart actors arguing against the war in Iraq with (in my humble opinion) no real background understanding. What I would like to ask them is what their plan is for removing a genocidal dictator maniac like Saddam, who is proven to have tortured hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, and unleashed chemical warfare (poison gas) attacks on the minority Kurds in the country? What is their plan, or justification for allowing such tyranny to continue?

Yet they would also (rightly) complain about the human rights abuses in Darfur, Sudan. Either you accept tyranny and torture or you do something to stop it. If you decide to do something, that something might be war. Would anyone seriously argue that Hitler should have been allowed to continue rampaging through Europe?

What also galls me is their outcry when the public rebel against their politics. Tim Robbins has every right to state that he feels the war is unjust. But if those who hear his comments don't like them, and vote with their feet at the box office, then he must accept that, not whine about how he is being punished. If your career as an actor depends on public popularity, which it does, and you annoy your public to the extent that they don't want to see your movies (are you listening Tom Cruise?), then don't complain about it. Enjoy your principled stand, and the price you are paying for it.

Actors today are the most massively rewarded of all employees - there are few jobs where you can earn millions for two months work. By all means, let us applaud them for their expertise in acting, and reward them handsomely if we must. But actors, on your part, do some thinking. Don't just parrot anti-war slogans without thinking about what "not war" entails, about what unchecked tyranny might involve.

Senator McCarthy... where are you when we need you? ;)

For more on this theme, check out: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/smarter.asp which compares the relative education of the administration with famous actors who have commented on politics. I don't agree with the whole article, but it makes some good points.

2006-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Speaking of serendipity...

I thought I would share a remarkable experience of serendipity, or at the very least, marvelous coincidence. Cathleen and I had our honeymoon in Venice, Italy. Coming back one evening we were walking through St. Mark's square to our hotel, when a classical music quartet started playing the exact tango (from Scent of a Woman) that Cathleen and I had danced to at our wedding for our first dance. So, there we were, backpacks and all, dancing our tango in St. Mark's square, to the surprise of the onlookers. A magical moment. What's yours?

2006-03-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Opening Pandora's (music) Box,

I thought I would share a recent web discovery with you. Go to www.pandora.com. There you will find a website where you create your own radio station. You enter some bands that you like; it analyzes the styles of music of these bands (the music genome), and then creates a radio station which features similar music. You can make some wonderful, serendipitous discoveries, and find music you'll love.

Once your radio station is up and running, you can further refine it by giving the thumbs up or down to whatever songs it presents to you. Lots of fun. My favorite song I've discovered so far is one called "Joining You", a Lenti cover by Alanis. Enjoy!

You can also email your radio station to others so they can enjoy it too. If you want "Female Easy Vocal" or "Glyn's Pop Radio," let me know :)

2006-03-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

Join me in reading a book...

So, I just started "The End of Poverty" by Jeffrey D. Sachs. I saw Sachs interviewed (well, sort of interviewed) on The Colbert Report, which is another one of my "news" sources along with The Daily Show. Sachs was so compelling and passionate in his belief that ending poverty is possible, that I decided I would buy the book.

Now I am only 30 pages in, and horrified. I'm already thinking of what I need to give up (appropriate for the Lenten season) and how I can influence the course of world poverty. I am pretty sure, even at this early stage, that my life is going to look different a month from now.

A stunning claim that Dr. Sachs made in the interview was that the US spends DAILY on military spending, the same amount that it has dedicated FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS on poverty relief around the world.

Some of the solutions are simple:
• bed nets to prevent malaria, (between 1 and 3 million African children die of this completely preventable/treatable disease every year);
• wells to provide clean water - a well to supply a whole village costs about $6000
• AIDS drugs - in Malawi, AIDS drugs cost a dollar a day, but the government can't afford it, so most of the 900,000 (except maybe 25,000) infected simply go to hospitals, lay down 2 or 3 to a bed and die.

This is not going to be a comfortable read. We wouldn't let it happen here. And if we believe that an African life is of the same value as an American, or European life...

Please read this book with me. Let's think about what we can do. Let's scheme together and maybe make life better, one village at a time. (And I was worried about napkins...)

2006-03-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

A confession: I am a news snob

Although I am prepared to admit with pride (where shame might be more appropriate) that I come from a country that once took over the whole world and called it the British Empire, there is one thing about my country that I am proud of, and that is its news coverage. If you ever tune into BBC America and catch the BBC World News, you will find that it is just that - world news.

Maybe it's because we once occupied these far flung regions, or maybe Britain is so small that we need to look elsewhere for good news, but I enjoy the global perspective, delivered in that crisp BBC accent.

So, I endure American news. I manage to tolerate it only be telling myself that The Today show, on NBC in the morning, with Matt and Katie is not news. It's more like a magazine, and you may occasionally find a tidbit of news in there, but don't expect too much.

I admit, I could try and read a local newspaper, but there's so much of it... and I'm really not that interested in a lot of stuff that passes for local news.

So, my snobby solution is simply this: I read The Economist, a weekly magazine that is not just about economics, but in fact, seems to be, in my humble opinion, the best, most thoughtful, global, informative news magazine that exists. To get a taste of the coverage, go to the website (www.economist.com) and read some of the Backgrounder articles, to give an overview of, for example, the Arab-Israeli conflict. I love this magazine. I feel smarter when I've read it - and I do read almost all of it.

The only thing it lacks is real entertainment news. I cannot find in The Economist who has had the latest nose or boob job; what two names of dating celebrities have now been combined to describe their relationship (Bennifer? Tom-Kat??), or anything else that someone who lives within 30 miles of Hollywood should care about... so strange that they would overlook this...

2006-03-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

Of Napkins.

To answer my good friend Michelle's question about napkins in nice restaurants... here's the thing. A napkin has three functions, only two of which are particularly relevant to this discussion:
1. It makes the table look nice
2. You can place it on your lap to catch any food you inadvertently drop on your nice trousers.
3. You can wipe your mouth on it.

While I can live without 1., or rather enjoy it temporarily before deploying the napkin, items 2. and 3. seem mutually exclusive. Either you keep the napkin on the table, for ease of mouth-wiping, in which case, food can drop in your lap with no problem, OR you place it on your lap, which means, if you have to wipe your mouth, you bend over double and look like you're kissing your knee.

So, this is the start of the "Give me 2 napkins" campaign. Are you in?

2006-03-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. What a strange, wonderful book. Miller looks at Christian spirituality, and is just so refreshing. He finds it troublesome that so much of Christianity divides people into 'in' and 'out' groups. He experiences non-judgmental love with a group of hippies that are not Christians, and wonders why Christians do so badly at it. After reading it, I get the distinct feeling that Miller puts his finger on some aspects of Christianity that are deeply disturbing to those of us who want to be loving, embrace diversity, refrain from judging... his treatise on the fact that we use love like money, doling out affection to those who act in ways that are pleasing to us, is convicting.

Definitely worth a read. It makes me feel like I want to be a Christian like Donald Miller is a Christian, and I'm always inspired by people who seem to be getting it right, without being arrogant about it. If you've read it, tell me what you thought. If you haven't, then read it, come back and comment. Thanks.