So, what’s the Big Deal about this site??

From www.dictionary.com
n spectacles(spek-tuh-kuhls)

1. A pair of eyeglasses. Something resembling eyeglasses in shape or suggesting them in function.

[the implication being, if you look through them the world looks different, perhaps a little more interesting]


2: a blunder that makes you look ridiculous; example — “you certainly made a spectacle of’ yourself at the party your web site last night.” [ouw! that left a mark...]

An “infinitely weird” writer goes public
Just another meaningless drop in the Internet ocean? probably. Yet another “deep thinker” wanna be trying to break into the Wild Wild Web scene? sort of. Hoping to some day get sponsors, advertisers and a jy-normous book contract? Certainly not! …. well, I suppose I wouldn’t be totally opposed to it if the opportunity forced itself upon me. :-)

Truthfully, none of that matters, and the last thing I want to do is portray myself as yet another blogger who takes himself too seriously, as if the world should be in awe of his brilliant insights. And I’m definitely not a genuine writer, someone who excels in the wonderful art of the written word.

What drove me to create a web-log is really just one thing: I am a word-aholic.

“Hi, my name is Brent and I have been ramble free for … this is really hard… for 20 minutes!” (the support group claps enthusiastically) “Yesterday, when I was on the phone, I wanted to talk and talk, but I didn’t. I quit after only 78 minutes!” (cheers and more claps!) “It reminds me of the other day when I was driving to work… (Brent! sit down!!) “….. oh …. ok…”


A Few Well paid Testimonials
How do I describe what you’ll find at this site? I think I’ll let others do that instead.

“Pointing out God’s truth in every day life” –my wife.

“I call your articles ‘A Geek’s Guide to the Scriptures’” –Bryan, long time friend and Uber-geek (no, he is a *real* uber geek)

“Dad, are you done talking, cuz we want to watch the movie…” my sons

“Does your brain hurt from all those strange thoughts??” Randy, the airline pilot, and fellow volunteer at our church.

“You are infinitely weird!” –my wife again.

“You are a ‘pastor’ to computer geeks!” –Lee, long time IT guy and very long time member of our church.

“An ‘ent’ to all of us ‘trees’ (that is, a lay pastor amongst us)” Bill, another uber-geek and long time friend.

“Yet another Dave Barry wanna be” — Dave Barry

OK, I lied! Dave Barry never said anything about this web site, but he is an excellent writer and I firmly believe that if I work really hard, I might some day have as much talent in these here typing fingers (all 3 of them) as he has in any one of his toe nail clippings.

My journey towards blogdom (or all you never wanted to know about my urge to blog)

How did this all start?
In late 1996 I started a small email group, by sending out simple reminders to pray for our church’s mid week services. My thought was (and still is) that gathering in community for worship and teaching is vital to a church’s health. Over time I expanded the emails a bit, adding devotional thoughts, or a joke but usually trying to explain to a non-technical audience some cool bit of computer technology, and then make a spiritual point. Hopefully with a chuckle or two along the way.

In 1998 I designed a web site for my emails-turned-”articles”, figuring that I would develop some web design skills while finding a home for my newly acquired passion for writing. The site was pathetic.

Honestly, it wasn’t really a lack of aptitude on my part, nor the lack of support from knowledgeable friends, but my lack of time. Various plans for a new site faltered until I fell to the lowly state of … (choke, sniffle….this is so hard for a male) …asking for help.

Since I barely have time to write let alone build my own web site, I had to accept the idea that if I was ever going to get a web site for my articles, someone else would have to build it for me. So I got a friend to volunteer some of his time and we set to work on a strategy. But that approach didn’t work out either (he got too busy with his real job), so I fell to the utterly humiliating, grovellingly desperate option of “out of the can” blogs. Oh, the shame of it all!!

I set up www.thruthespectacles.wordpress.com using their “out of the can” site; it sufficed for the time being. It was actually a very nice place to create a blog with lots of good features. It’s just that my professional pride won’t let go of the issue. It keeps saying “you have stooped to the “Simplicity Pattern” of web site designing.”

Good location though that site was, it was a temporary home. I needed to introduce various customizations into the site that would work out best if I did them myself. So, here I am using WordPress‘ code housed at HostMonster.com. And now that my sons (age 14 and 12) want to help, I have all the more reason to have my own site. (Yes, Jedi Web Masters, your eminent domain has been breached by 12 year olds).

Only Three Kinds of People would have read this far…

IF you are still with me after all those words up there, then you must be one of three types of people:

A) BORED: you have way too much time on your hands. (“I can’t believe it, it’s only 3:26 AM and all of my IM buddies have gone to bed. What–Ever!… hmmm. What’s this site?”)

B) SUPER READER: you no doubt consume novels by Dickens, Mitchner, Jane Austin or GK Chesterton in a manner not unlike a teenager downs a manga comic. You probably read The Lord of the Rings in one sitting. My verbose style does not intimidate you (although my punctuation probably does).

C) MY MOM: you read everything I write because you’re my mom!

And the answer is: (C) Thanks Mom! (only a mother could have such perseverance).

And if you have read this far you have experienced another thing that you can expect from this web site: words, and lots of them. Maybe some day I’ll get my little essays down within the socially acceptable 350-400 word range, but don’t hold your breath. If you want a site with lots of quick hit, short, pithy articles with about as much content as a typical MySpace posting, look somewhere else.

On the other hand, if you are in the mood to slow life down a little by sitting back and relaxing with a nice hot tea or cafe mocha (my personal weakness) while chuckling at the lame attempts of yet another Internet reflectionist, then you have come to the right place.

Thanks for taking an interest in this site. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Eustice— Caspian’s Friend.