Comma Dot Comma

Back in December I predicted that there would be giant potholes in the road by this time, with partly visible orange warning cones stuck in them. Due to snow and salt and municipal negligence.
Well, shut my mouth and call me a fluffy monkey

because I was way off. I haven’t seen snow round these parts since I wrote that, until this morning.

Snow was falling as I trudged past the Pepsi warehouse to the Light Rail station. But it was coming down so apologetically, you almost couldn’t call it snow. More like winter dandruff. I’d have tapped the sky on the shoulder to recommend a good zinc shampoo if I had known where the sky’s shoulder was.

My freelance friend Betsy (No, she’s not on contract to be my friend, she just does freelance writing) needs your help!

Betsy writes:

“I’m working this month as a consultant for the USA Network, researching local ‘characters’ from around the country–finding them more like–among the station’s 66 city markets and beyond.  Do you know of an interesting character in your town or another city you’ve lived in or visited?  A name’s ideal…but just a vague detail or two would help me lots.  I hope to locate 100-200 eccentric characters by Jan 30th.

A character is anybody who’s interesting/unusual in appearance or hobby or career…  No rules here!  I’d love to know who’s interesting to you. In San Antonio, there’s an old guy who runs a toilet-seat cover museum–he paints scenes from history on these covers, hangs them in his big garage.  In L.A., you’ve got Angelynne the 60-year-old surgically-enhanced bombshell who drives her pink convertible Corvette in low-cut dresses.  No druggies or alcoholics, please…but all clean special types welcome.

Thanks for your help! Send me an email by clicking this link: Betsy Boyd“

First, there hasn’t been a pic up here in awhile. I strongly believe that the first time you put a picture of yourself up on the web, it should be extremely flattering. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression! That’s why I picked this one of me and my youngest brother at the beach on Christmas Eve.

Second, I have been alerted to the presence of a new online journal related to Christianity and Culture: This Land. The only thing I’ve read so far is this cool retelling of the story of Raven stealing light from where it is kept in a box: Tradition, Intuition, Epiphany. It was written by my friend Nate, who posits that this myth prefigures the coming of Jesus. It’s interesting to think about. More on this later.

The latest issue of Salt is out– Christian commentary and creative writing, edited by a friend of mine in Chicago. This month’s theme is “Beginnings.” I like it because a) they let me write stuff for them and b) they always have survey quizzes.

Also, the latest issue of Larknews, whose lead headline is “Warren to Buy Saints, Build Purpose-Driven Field.” Ha ha ha!