A few resolutions for 2009

I’ve been thinking through things I want to get done this next year.

I’m hoping to keep things simple this year. I hope this year is less about me and more about others. I hope to simplify in areas where I can. I hope to love more and I hope to give more.

Here are a few other specifics I’m wanting to do this year.

  • Restarting – and completing the Flickr 365 challenge. One photo of me per day for an entire year.
  • Publishing my first book – St. Peter’s Brewery.
  • Read through the entire Bible again this year. (I plan to use YouVersion on my Blackberry to help me get it done.
  • Read at least 20 books this year.
  • Spend more quality time with my Life.
  • Ask her less annoying questions of my Life.

A few things I’d also like to shoot for but I haven’t moved into the “goal” category quite yet…

  • Finish paying off our consumer debt
  • Plant a garden
  • Recycle more
  • Consume less
  • Give 10% of my income away

What are your goals for the new year?

Microsoft Zune freezes — joins others world wide

My Zune
My Zune

So this afternoon, I got in my truck and turned on my 30 GB Zune, just like normal and the device froze on boot-up.

I figured it was a random fluke but later after letting it charge for a while, the same issue occurred. The device simply froze on boot-up.

A quick Google search showed me that apparently everyone around the world is having this same issue.

Microsoft has gathered that the issue is related to the way the internal clock handles leap-years (feels like Y2K all over again).

From Microsoft support ::

My Zune 30 is frozen on the boot screen, now what do I do?

You will need to reboot your device after noon GMT on Jan 1, 2009.

Please unplug your Zune (no AC or USB cables).

Because your Zune is frozen your device battery will begin draining, this is good.

The battery will eventually be fully depleted and the screen will go black.

After noon GMT on January 1 (that’s 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time) connect your AC power or USB cable such that the battery can begin charging again.

Once the Zune has enough battery to boot it should do so normally and you can go back to enjoying your Zune!

So, I’ll go without my Zune till sometime tomorrow and hope that fixes it all.

Of course, the mention of the issue on Twitter brings all the tweets from my friends to go out and buy an iPod.

But I’m also pleased to say it brought about comments from a Microsoft Techie as well ::

microsoft_cares @jdblundell We tried our best to repair the issue, but due to the nature of the problem even if a patch was released, no one could use it

So, while I started to write a post that bashed Microsoft for the malfunction and lack of an available patch, I’ll hope that their solution is a fix tomorrow and I’ll applaud Microsoft for taking notice and reaching out to their customers. Thanks!

read more ::
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The Blogger Bake Off

This looks cool.

bakeoff

from the website ::

Quite simply; bake bread, give dough. You can sign up for the campaign, make a donation, upload your bread recipes and document your culinary adventures in the media centre to spread the word. Bloggers can go even further by downloading our widget and tagging five other bloggers to do the same.

I haven’t extensively looked the site over yet, but I like the idea thus far. May have to bust out a bread recipe or two tomorrow.

How to get involved ::

  • Join our campaign.
  • Submit your bread baking recipe.
  • Make a donation to Breadline Africa.
  • Vote for your favourite recipe.
  • Bake a loaf of bread and blog about it.
  • Bake many loaves of bread and host a bake sale.

Anyone else checked the site out yet?

A Holy night

This may be one of my all time favorite musical versions of O Holy Night (except for the fact that you don’t hear the amazing lyrics when listening to it).


O Holy NIght from Marcus Hackler on Vimeo.
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O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels’ voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

May your night be holy. May you celebrate the birth of the upside down king and join him in the creation of the upside down kingdom. On earth as it is in heaven.

Why God?

On the street I saw a small girl cold and shivering in a thin dress, with little hope of a decent meal. I became angry and said to God; “Why did you permit this? Why don’t you do something about it?” For a while God said nothing. That night he replied, quite suddenly:

“I certainly did something about it. I made you.”

(http://invisiblepeople.tv)

Change the world for $10

Kevin Hendricks is always finding great ways people can make a real difference. And these two ways don’t take much at all.

“You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world for one person.”


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50,000 Shoes in 50 Days
Anne Jackson teamed up with Soles4Souls to issue a challenge: Buy 50,000 pairs of shoes in 50 days. $5 will buy you two pairs of shoes! Soles4Souls gets shoes to people who need them, helping to keep them safe and healthy. There’s less than a week left in the challenge and nearly 40,000 pairs of shoes to go.
Buy a pair of shoes now.

Dreaming of a Dry Christmas
invisiblepeople.tv is a great site telling the stories of real homeless people. The man behind it, Mark Horvath, is working with homeless people in Los Angeles and has seen a need for raincoats. Michael Buckingham of Holy Cow Creative wants to send Mark 100 coats. He’s dreaming of a dry Christmas. $4.29 is all it takes to buy a raincoat for a homeless person.
Buy a raincoat now!

Two great ways to change the world for three different people. Just as a note – I gave to both of these groups. How many of you will match me? What other gifts are you giving this holiday season that will make that kind of impact?

I’ll add one other way you can change a person’s Christmas for under $10.

Giving Christmas to Daniel’s Den
Josh got word last week that there are five women living at Daniel’s Den in Waxahachie, the only homeless shelter for women and children in Ellis County. These five women are not going to be getting anything for Christmas, but Josh’s wife and several other women are putting together several gift packages for the women and I do believe you can still help. Drop me an email to find out how you can participate.


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