Delurking Week

I've gathered from other blogs that it is national delurking week.

You know, I've never really liked that word "Lurking". It sounds like something dirty. All it really means is that you're reading what I wrote here, and I wouldn't put it up on the internet if I didn't want people to be able to read it. So if you want to "lurk" on this site, lurk away.

But if you want to introduce yourself, but haven't had as yet a decent opportunity, here's your chance.

In the spirit of delurking week, I thought I would mention a number of blogs I lurk on but, have as yet, not introduced myself.

When I get bored one of my first lurks is usually that of the other Chimsers linked off of Bork's or Phil's blogs. I was a staff writer for Chimes senior year, but not on staff, so I know most of these people vaguely but not well. Erin, Christian and Beth, Bierma (who I also know vaguely from high school)

Also via Tom from Guam I sometimes wander over to blogs from the old Boer Bennick gang: Jori at the Fungal Life, Chris and Athania

A lot of my friends have links to Pastor Mary. My only personal connection to Pastor Mary is that I saw her preach at Eastern once when I was visiting my Grandmother's church years ago.  (I think that was her.)  But despite not having any significant personal connection to her, I still enjoy her blog.

Via Sara Nelson's blog I've started reading Sarah DK's blog, again someone I was aware of vaguely in high school and Calvin, but have enjoyed the wit and insight on the blog.

Via Chris Powell's blog I started reading this blog of an ALT in Oita. I don't know him, but he writes with surprising frankness about his love life, so I started reading out of sheer voyerism.

Via my Cousin Dave's blog I started reading Bethany Keeler, after I noticed we were usually on the same team in the comment section. Apparently a former Calvin student, although after my time, but she's got a lot of unique insights.
And then I started reading her Dad's blog as well. He's a Calvin professor, and, if memory serves, he taught an Education 301-303 class that I was enrolled in. I wasn't in his class, I was in the sister class, but for guest speakers and such we would often combine classes. Anyway his blog is pretty cool. And it's always nice to see an educated man who is clearly just as addicted to blogging as I am.

Via Phil's blog: Andrew Hooghem (I don't know if this counts as lurking, because I did mention to him in person I occassionally read his blog when I last saw him). And his wife's blog, who I know from Dorm Cleaning days.

Often I read Jana's blog, but I introduced myself once already, so that probably doesn't count.

Jared Bentham is someone I'm pretty sure I know from the Calvin days, although my memory is so faded I don't remember how I know him.

As far as I know, I've never met Bad Christian. But we seem to have a lot of mutual friends. And I like his blog.

That's probably enough lurking confessions for one day. I should add I don't check all of these every day. Some of these I may go for a month without checking. But I have consistantly lurked on all of them.

Useless Wikipedia Fact
One of the most radical musical accomplishments of the song "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is its frequent shifts in rhythm. Beginning in 4/4 duple time, the song shifts to a 3/4 triple time for the guitar solo and the "I need a fix..." section. This gives way to an alternating 9/8 and 10/8 section in "Mother Superior..." before returning to 4/4 for the doo wop style ending. During Lennon's spoken-word interlude, the instruments continue in 4/4 except for a single electric guitar in 3/4. This is one of the few instances of polyrhythm in a Beatles song.

Link of the Day
Via Phil's Blog
this is the most horrible thing I've read in weeks.

Why are we funding terrorist paramilitaries in Colombia, to the tune of $600 million/year, so that they can run around cutting up 17-year-old girls with chainsaws? Supposedly it's to stop the flow of drugs into this country, but the paramilitaries are actually some of the biggest drug dealers in the world. So basically we're giving them military aid so they can, well, cut people up with chainsaws.

Well, here's the Amnesty page on Colombia, anyway, if you'd like to send someone a letter about this. But that's not enough. Dammit, I want to do something to stop this. I want to do something to stop this before the Nicauragan congresspeople who are investigating the paramilitaries get killed. I don't know what the fuck to do, but I want to do something. (One thing we could all do is participate in the Coke boycott and let Coke know we're doing so. Wipe that skeptical smirk off your face; a friend of mine once spoke to a Colombian trade unionist who said, "That boycott is one of the only things keeping us alive.") (read the whole thing here)