misc ramblings n' thoughts...
|
|
| james' blog... misc ramblings n' thoughts... |
|
|
Semi-Annual Update... Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. I was actually reminded of this blog from a friend who stumbled upon it - and reading all those old Jeopardy posts inspired me to put something new up. So here's the update since the last time we met. I work at EY now, had a perfect softball season (in more ways than one), got married, had 3 kids, started doing steroids to match Jwoo's strength, among many other highs and lows. Ok, really my past half year can be summed up in: family, friends, softball and work. That's pretty much my life right now. And I like it! In the spirit of Jeopardy and the season coming to an end, I present today's topic - ET softball players. Remember the rules - one guess per two hours and half points of question off per incorrect answer! 100 - After a year off to a different system, this rangy shortstop has returned to help anchor an infield in need of a veteran leader. 200 - These two ex-Lions were reunited on the I's this year, after respective sabbaticals led them back to play together. 300 - This lanky Oracle has matured greatly in now his fourth year on the team and in the league, showing much more intelligence in the field and sporting a bigger bat by improving from his singles-only ways in the past. 400 - This player is considered a bit below average in terms of skill but is best remembered for snagging an insanely hard line drive, hitting into a pretty double play and his overall good nature and for his trash talking mouth. 500 - These two ladies made their return to ET softball after a couple years off - playing for the first time on a senior team. Good luck and have fun! posted by jamescl | 10:22 AM Merry Christmas... 'Tis another beautiful day after an evening of fun, fellowship and good times with great people. Here's to a very special birthday. Today's Jeopardy can be answered an unlimited number of times: 100: This is your favourite Christmas memory - past or present. Have a blessed holidays. Cheers! posted by jamescl | 2:24 AM A Few of My Favourite Things... So the other day, I decided to take a step of faith. To be adventurous. To go where I had never gone before. Dare I say it...to...wear blue jeans for the first time that I could remember. Many asked how I felt that brave day. A little tight, a little funny, even a little blue...but overall, a good time. Thank you blue jeans, for adding a bit of spice to my life. Well, Maria enjoys raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but these are a few of my favourite things: - APC's awesome Christmas concert with hero singers - playin' badminton - WarIII Frozen Throne custom games - laughing at Nickelback's Photograph [both meanings] - tons of EA Sports games w/JW - job offers - ET's silent service and the reminder of the truth of His grace and forgiveness - RT's cube - the innocence of a child and their desire to learn - [spoiler alert!] - Danni winning on Survivor - second chances - Goo Goo Dolls' Better Days - tasty Maxim cakes - the anticipation of Christmas with family and friends No Jeopardy today folks (AK's got that covered today!) - just a question for the ol' comment message board instead - 'What are a few of your favourite things? posted by jamescl | 3:03 PM Happy Day... ...happy day/when Jesus washed/my sins away. Back when I used to visit a lot of my friends getting baptized at different churches, they used to sing this song during or after every single person got dunked. I have to admit, it's a pretty happenin' song. I mean, to rejoice and to proclaim to the world what a great day it is because Jesus has washed away your inequities to such a melodic and cheerful tune - who can not love that? Baptisms are part of what makes Christmas great for me. It's not just celebrating by remembering the birth of Christ - it's also celebrating a birth of Christ in a dear brother or sister's life. This year, at ET, one of my great (yes great, not just good) friends, Mr. Richard Tsang is declaring to the world that he is a Christian and that makes for many good times. (I don't think WJ reads this blog or I'd give him a shout out too.) I've known Richie for a great deal of time - and by great deal of time, I mean about a year or so. But throughout this time, I've been honoured to witness his growth as a Christian and as a person. His enthusiasm and zest for life is contagious and unrivaled; his humour and generosity (lately pertaining to his 'cube-of-games') really make him stand out as a individual and great friend. Ok, at the risk of making the poor chap e-blush (I just made that up, I refer e-blushing to blushing at the screen), I'll stop there. Another great baptism story this Christmas (and actually the inspiration of this blog) comes from my dad's sister (my aunt) and their family out in San Fransisco. None of my dad's side of the family is really Christian (except one cousin) and after years and years of my parent's prayers for their family, they are the first ones next to our family to pronounce their faith in Christ. There's actually a much more storied history behind this story, so ask me if you're interested. My favourite cutie of a cousin and my aunt and uncle are all getting baptized this Christmas, hence the celebratory blog. Just goes to show you that persistent and consistent prayer can really work and make an impact. It really is a happy day for my family and I! Ok, since I can't really ask too many questions about my aunt/uncle/cousin that none of you know, I will instead ask about my dear friend Richard. So today's Jeopardy is on Richard Tsang. Obviously Rich you can't answer nor can KL who helped supply me with the questions. $100 - The number of year's Richard's played CCSA. $200 - This is Richard's high school. $300 - This is Richard's birthday. $400 - This is Richard's favourite Mario character. $500 - This is Richard's middle name. Some of these are pretty hard, especially if you don't know Richie that well. Do what you want to try to extract this information out of him:  ...don't worry, he said it's okay! posted by jamescl | 3:04 PM Let's Go... ...let's go (echo), Blue jays...Blue jays (echo), let's (let's)...play (play)...ball!!! (Anyone remember that from the seventh inning stretch at a Jays game? It was freakin' good times!) [Warning: This is a sports blog. If you hate sports, hate baseball, hate the Blue Jays, or love the Raptors, please stop reading now! (Sorry, every sports blog must contain at least 3 obligatory Raps-suck comment and 2 outrageous bold predictions.)] So more big news today from the Toronto Blue Jays as they sign free-agent Burnett to a $55 million deal, just a week after signing Ryan to a $47 million deal (both five years). Captain Obvious says - that's a heck of a lot of money to pay to two semi-proven pitchers! Granted, as a fan, I'm very happy we get two younger pitchers to bolster our staff. I mean, would you rather have Ryan or Batista? Burnett or Lilly? Araujo or Iguodala? [Obligatory Raps-suck comment 2, check.] I've been a fan of the Jays ever since watching Nixon bunt to Timlin for the final out of the '92 Series. (Side note: who freakin' bunts on the last out of the World Series? It's the World Series!!! Why are you bunting Old Man Nixon?) Even when the Jays had their rebuilding process in the early part of 2000, they were still an exciting team to watch, had good marketing campaigns that brought out fans and actually had good prospects and a savvy GM, which is much more than I can say for the strategy-and-future-planning-challenged Babcock of the Raps. [Obligatory Raps-suck comment 3, check.] Anyways, this is exciting news for the Jays, who after a few years of drafting and trading for prospects, have built from within a reasonably strong team. Adding more pieces to the puzzle and the continued development of their young guys (look for guys like Hill and Rios to get better this year) will only make this team a more exciting team to watch in '06. I believe that we'll finally move up from our perennial 3rd place finish. [Obligatory bold prediction 1, check.] And in the next 3 years, I believe that you'll see the Jays in the World Series. [Obligatory bold prediction 2, check.] At the very least, you'll see them in the playoffs light years before the Raptors! [Bonus Raps-suck comment 4, check.] I'm a little bummed that they didn't get Giles because I really would have loved to see him in a Jays uniform and now JP really needs to work the phones to pick up a big bat or two. With all this newfound Jays talk, I thought it might be nice to revisit some of the old Jays that helped abet in my love for baseball in the first place. With that, today's Jeopardy topic is '92 World Series Blue Jays - that is, Jays from the first ever Canadian World Series. $100 - This oldtimer sent a scorching drive down the left-field line that drove in two runs that would eventually win the Series for the Jays. $200 - He hit a two run homer off baseball's all-time saves leader, Jeff Reardon in the ninth inning of game 2. $300 - He was the key to victory in game 4, combining with relievers to pitch a five-hitter. $400 - His near-costly error on fielding a ground ball in the 11th inning of game 6 nearly allowed the Braves to come back in the last inning to win the game. $500 - These three infield Jays helped to secure a near-triple play after Devon White snagged a 400-ft drive in the fourth inning of game 3. Good luck and remember, no Google, only memories! posted by jamescl | 1:45 PM Worship... Last Friday, I picked up the ol' guitar and with the help of Rich and Stella, led worship for the first time in a very long time. It was actually for the children because there was a youth missions night at ET and the kids weren't really part of that worship service. So I dusted off the old binder with chords and transparencies (you know it's and old binder when it has hundreds of pages of transparencies) and strummed along humming many of the old tunes that I used to know and love in preperation for leading worship. I really love a lot of the new worship stuff out there but those that know me will attest to my love for nostalgia and the "old school" on occasion. Rummaging through all those oldies but goodies really put a smile back on my face and reminded me of the core and simplicity of my faith, when those songs were sung for a first time from my heart. Sometimes, things nowadays are too jazzed up that we neglect how beautiful it is to hear a group of kids sing "I Love You Lord" acapella while praising God with their whole hearts. Too bad most my kids were too naughty and didn't like singing that much. With that, onto this edition of Jeopardy with the topic being Old school worship songs focusing on ones that I grew up to that haven't been done in a while. I've extracted one small section of the lyrics and you must guess the song - remember, no Google! $100 - "You're my friend and You are my brother/even though you are a King." $200 - "My heart's one desire/is to be holy/set apart for You Lord." $300 - "I lay all of my burdens/down at your feet./And anytime that I don't know/what to do..." $400 - "And when the dark clouds come/and bring down the rain/I know that you will sustain me Lord." $500 - "Teach me your holy ways oh Lord/so I can walk in Your truth./Teach me your holy ways oh Lord/and make me wholly devoted to you, oh oh whoaaa" Good luck, and remember, only HALF of the value will be taken off for wrong answers (ie. answer 100 wrong and you will only lose 50 points!) Have a great weekend! posted by jamescl | 10:28 PM Sisters... So some of you have been asking who bp (the blogger who posted "Double Jeopardy" in the post below) is. There are a handful of awesome women that I've met who have become super great friends, and with time, have developed into 'sister' figures in my life, seeing as how I lack a biological sister. Some are older and wiser and have given me advice and taken care of me and guided me when I was younger. Some are younger that I've been blessed with opportunity to share and get to know and help out on occasion. 'BP' is one such sister who has helped to fill up my blog when I have neglected it, among many other things. With that, today's Jeopardy question is on five wonderful "sisters" in my life. $100 - We hold an annual joint birthday party together every year (minus last year) - she used to take care of me when I was sick and even signed up for a first year class to watch out for me when she was in her fourth year. $200 - She's grown up to be a wonderful woman of God, leading youth and university movements and fellowships, with an evident passion for revival and outreach - even appearing on TV and international conferences. $300 - She plays LW for a championship winning hockey team and enjoys programming geek language and writing technical manuals. $400 - She's a lawyer who recently got married and attends ETCBC. $500 - She loves french, biting her nails, is extremely absent-minded and aspires to be a french teacher. Happy Jeopardy and the new rule of the day is - no posting for a clue if YOU are the answer to the clue (or technically, the question to the answer)! posted by jamescl | 10:27 PM Double Jeopardy Category: Names For $200: the middle name of this blog's primary blogger. For $400: the middle name(s) of this blog's guest blogger(s). posted by b.p. | 2:10 AM Mario... A lot has happened lately. And by a lot, I mean nothing. And by nothing, I mean nothing I really want to share. Well, not explicitly anyways. I still feel up and down about many things - days range from amazing to okay, but generally I've been trying to keep my optimism level up. To focus on the truth that every good and perfect gift comes from God. And that He gives and takes away. Anyways, onto something lighter. Much of the fun this past weekend has come at the expense of Tracy and Richard's respective Gamecubes. Those lovable Nintendo characters sure know how to take your mind off the harsh realities of the world. With that, it's time for this week's Jeopardy. One new rule after receiving numerous complaints: you can only answer one question every two hours per user, so "buzz in" only for the ones that you're sure of first or the big money ones. Category: Mario Characters $100 - This plumber has the same first name and last name and was originally named after an Italian landlord $200 - Originally known as "Koopa", this ultimate Mario villain is infamous for his power and his unintelligent one-liners. $300 - He is the oldest and most loyal of Peach's servants and is seen constantly with his cane. $400 - His arcade game spawned the birth of Mario and was originally a villain against Mario but with time, his popularity changed that perception. $500 - This is the original name of this brunette turned blonde who is now called "Peach". Ok, that's it and happy guessing - and remember, only one guess per person every 2 hours! posted by jamescl | 4:50 PM Jeopardy 2... Due to overwhelmingly popular demand, I've decided to continue on with Jeopardy. In these times of serious blogs on depression, difficult circumstances and horror stories around the world, I figure that some lighter reading may do the heart and soul some good. After all, isn't laughter often the best remedy to many problems? Instead of awarding arbitrary non-existent prizes, I shall keep a running total of the cold hard cash earned by each individual. The rules are simple. If you answer correctly, you are awarded the monetary amount of the question – if you are incorrect in your answer, you shall be deducted that amount and cannot guess again for that particular clue. Each clue can only be answered once correctly. Lastly, there will be no notification of when Jeopardy blogs are posted, so those who check most frequently and consistently have the best odds of “buzzing in” first. With that, let’s get to the game! Today's category is "ET CCSA Softball". $100 – In the ‘o5 playoffs, this monster bashed 6HRs knocking in an astounding 16RBIs while batting .857 and slugging a gross 2.500. $200 – This individual holds the record for most career MATs for an ETCBC player. $300 – This individual is the only person to ever hold a head leadership position without being a regular ET-er. $400 – This individual ended the ’05 season with the highest batting average. $500 – This individual ended the ’05 season with the most singles in all of ET – she also set a modern day record (since stats were first recorded four years ago) for most singles in a season for a female. Please refrain from checking your stats if you have them and make this game fair for everyone. Cheers! posted by jamescl | 10:52 PM Passion... "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." - Isaiah 26:8 For me, passion is an unquenchable thirst and desire for an object, individual or just for something. Last night was the reminder of just what our desire and our passion really should be - His name and his renown. A reminder of the smallness of man and the bigness of Majesty. A reminder how trivial and frivolous our concerns are at times compared to the vastness of His splendour. posted by jamescl | 12:58 PM Jeopardy… Growing up in an age of “Wheel of Fortune” and “The Price is Right, one of my consistently favourite game shows has been Jeopardy. Perhaps I enjoy entertainment that also stimulates the mind and requires some sort of intellect – and yes, I’m sure that does make me somewhat of a geek. I’ve always preferred mind games such as Cranium, Taboo, Scategories, Mastermind and Trivial Pursuit to games based on chance or accumulation of fake monies. So in the spirit of entertainment and making this a blog not just about me but also of all you faithful readers, I present to you Jeopardy, a la James. The category is Famous ET People and a tremendous prize shall be presented to the winner. The rules are simple – be the first to correctly identify all five clues (don’t forget, in the form of a question!) and you win. Simple enough? Let’s play! $100 – His love for laptops, bats and Korean pop singers are second to none. $200 – She has the uncanny ability to pick out a flat but is oblivious to a fart. $300 – This proud father has a jovial and passionate only child who leads a fellowship and captures the heart of many. $400 – He has a fine place of residence, plenty of neat toys, and a penchant for belting a note or two. $500 – His name is synonymous with a luxury car, a chain of luggage stores and an “Illuminator”. Good luck and happy guessing. Note: Prizes have no [cash] value and may be withheld at the discretion of JL. posted by jamescl | 1:56 AM | |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ppls were here.
Thanks to my buddies for adding colour to my otherwise dull life.
