Cindy's FYI--Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Note: "Cindy's FYI" is a new feature that I'm experimenting with. I'll try to consistently provide this small news report in the early morning...usually it will be followed by my regular blog post later. I'd love your feedback!--CSS


--No "Ave Maria"? The Rutherford Institute is representing a former high school student in Everett, Washington, because her wind ensemble wasn't allowed to play an instrumental version of "Ave Maria" at the high school's graduation last month. School officials claimed the song was "too religious" even without lyrics. (Check out my interview with the Rutherford Institute's John Whitehead about political correctness run amok.)


--Focus on the Family Action Senior Analyst for Bioethics Carrie Gordon Earll is condemning the U-S Senate vote yeterday to rescind the Bush administration's policy on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Says Earll, "President Bush has shown uncommon character and courage in his defense of the preborn in the debate over embyronic stem cell research. His expeced action to veto tihs bill will hopefully prevent the needless destruction of untold frozen embryos." Earll says senators like Bill Frist, Trent Lott and Mark Pryor should "know better" and calls their votes "beyond cowardice."

--Ads on your barf bags?--Yep, U. S. Airways has decided to start putting advertising on it airsickness bags. Airline spokesman Phil Gee tells AP the company is looking for new ways to counter rising jet fuel and labor costs.

Happy Birthday, John Glenn!

...and, I test my nerdiness factor



Today is the 85th birthday of American astronaut and politician John Glenn. Go here to read about the debt I owe John Glenn.

A couple of very cool blogging ladies are also celebrating birthdays today. Stop by Gayla's and Carol's and wish them happy birthday!

I am not a nerd...

...and this proves it:



According to the quiz results: "What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Definitely not nerdy, you are probably cool."

Actually, after taking the quiz, it seems more like I'm definitely not smart.

Hat tip for that one, by the way, goes to Good Brownie.

And by the way, I DON'T despise nerds.

Blogs of Summer



Another blog award competition, this one "all in good fun," according to host Bloggin' Outloud.

It's The Blogs of Summer, and nominations begin this Thursday, July 20th, and end Sunday, July 23rd.

Nominations will be taken in the following categories:

The Best of the . . .
1) Chick & Mommy Blogs
2) Humor & Satire Blogs
3) Milblogs and Military Support Blogs
4) Random Blogs That Don't Fit a Category
5) Kitty Kat Blogs (And Other Assorted Pets)

So, get over there and nominate! :)

By the way..don't forget to check out my new feature, Cindy's FYI. I plan to post some pertinent and/or interesting news tidbits as part of my early-morning news prep. Scroll down to see today's entry.

And please...COMMENT. I thrive on comments!

Cindy's FYI--Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Note: "Cindy's FYI" is a new feature that I'm experimenting with. I'll try to consistently provide this small news report in the early morning...usually it will be followed by my regular blog post later. I'd love your feedback!--CSS

--Girl Fight?--According to Plugged In Online's Culture Clips, the internet is a factor in disputes among young girls these days. "Dr. Cheryl Dellasega, who founded an after-school program called Club and Camp Ophelia that specifically targets the problem of violence between girls. 'Girls can be meaner online than they would [be] in person. And when they see each other at school the next day, an explosion can occur.' With the advent of picture phones, inexpensive digital cameras and easy-to-use video sharing Web sites, the Internet can also display this hostility to the world."

--The former president of World Vision has passed away at the age of 90. Ted Engstrom was also a past president of Youth for Christ and a close friend of Billy Graham. World Vision U-S president Richard Stearns: "The evangelical community has lost one of its most influential
leaders of the past 50 years."

--M. Night Shyamalan tells AP his new movie, Lady in the Water, is the reverse of Rosemary's Baby. Instead of evil, he says his plot involves people getting together to do good. Lady in the Water is about an apartment complex manager played by Paul Giamatti who tries to help a mysterious water nymph.

Related Tags: culture, Club and Camp Ophelia, girl fight, World Vision, Ted Engstrom, Billy Graham, M. Night Shyamalan, movies, Lady in the Water, Rosemary's Baby, Paul Giamatti, internet

The children of Iraq

Photo of an Iraqi boy taken by my brother

As I've mentioned here previously, my brother is in Iraq supporting and training Iraqi police officers, and working closely with our military as an independent government contractor. He wrote this is an e-mail:

"I did a joint patrol with an Iraqi Emergency Response Police unit the other day. Our patrol dipped into a neighborhood full of children. I had spent the day watching for roadside bombs, car bombs, or small arms fire.

"Suddenly I became distracted by the beauty of the children of Iraq. They waved as we passed. Some of them ran down the street behind us waving and jumping in the air. I saw a father walking carrying his little girl in his arms. Children playing around their parents in roadside shops.

"I have been blown up by IEDs and carbombs, had hundreds of bullets pouring over my head. Seen my friends covered in blood and dead. There is a lot of ugliness in this country. There is a lot of beauty in this country and it can be seen in the faces of the children, and of the brave Iraqi police officers as they risk their lives to try to build a better Iraq.

"A beautiful peaceful and democratic Iraq is not going to come about any faster than our American democracy. We ourselves experienced civil war, domestic terrorism, and institutionalized discrimination on our path. I may very well die here but if I do I can only hope that I in some small part have given these beautiful children a chance at some of the opportunities we take for granted back home. God bless our country and God bless these children."

Amen.

Cindy's FYI --Monday 7/17/06

A quick look at some things that are going on...

--A planning meeting for Pastor Rick Warren's preaching trip to North Korea has been delayed. Originally scheduled for today, the meeting has been postponed, perhaps to be re-scheduled later this week. However,the invitation still stands for Dr. Warren to speak at the first outdoor Christian event since 1945 to be held in a 15-thousand seat auditorium in conjunction with the 100th anniversary celebration of the Pyongyang Revival in March 2007.

When asked about the current standoff over recent missile firings by North Korea, Dr. Warren replied, "I am not a politician, I am a pastor. But I do know that in any conflict--whether in a marriage, in business or between nations--as long as the parties keep talking, there is hope. My plea to everyone involved in this diplomatic process, is to please, keep talking.

--Focus on the Family Chairman Dr. James Dobson is applauding an appeals court affirmation of marriage. After the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower-court decision and reinstated Nebraska's state marriage-protection amendment, Dr. Dobson said: "Today's decision is one of many that have come in recent days affirming traditional marriage and the rights of the people and their elected officials to define what it should mean."

--You didn't imagine the religious imagery in "Superman Returns." AP tells us that screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty acknowledge that the new film has elements of Jewish, Christian and Greek mythology. They say the original creators of Superman were Jewish writers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who used elements of the biblical story of Moses.

--Yahoo is launching a new finance feature today. Reportedly it will include more interactive stock charts and other such features.

Related Tags: Rick Warren, North Korea, religion, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson, marriage, marriage-protection, Nebraska, Superman Returns, movies, entertainment, Yahoo Finance

It's FRIDAY!!! Woo-hoo!!!!

Why the picture of Gerard Butler? Do I need a reason?

Just a few parting thoughts as we head into the weekend:

--Today is Divine Vinyl day over at Purgatorio. These old album covers never fail to crack me up!

--It's going to get HOT this weekend in the good old Forest City. If it's hot where you are, remember to:

1) Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
2) Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you don't feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
3) Eat small meals and more often.
4) Avoid strenuos activity. (Amen!)
5) Stay indoors when possible.
6) Be a good neighbor. Check on elderly friends and relatives, especially if they don't have central air.

--The unrest in Lebanon concerns me, as I have many pleasant memories of the few years I spent there in my childhood. I still occasionally see Edgar Feghaly, a dear friend from our Lebanese days who still does mission work in the middle East, including Iraq. He is going to keynote our church's missions conference in November, and I so look forward to seeing him again.

--Why no picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby Suri yet? It's getting kind of weird.

--Mr. T wore bling before we knew it was bling. But as he gets ready for his advice show, I Pity the Fool, he's shedding the gold.

--I'm looking forward to SLEEPING IN tomorrow. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Let me know in my comments section!

And have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Thirteen random (but interesting!) things...

1) My "Cindy Swanson, CyberSnoop" radio feature was about this picture today. Check it out (it's only a minute-and-a-half long):



2) James Taylor a wuss? I beg to differ! The "sensistive folk-rocker," who happens to be one of my favorite singers, topped Blender Magazine's list of the 25 biggest wusses ever. I totally disagree. Next on the list are Dan Fogelberg, Boyz II Men, Peter Cetera, Kenny G, Rascal Flatts, Babyface and Chris Martin of Coldplay.

3) I tend to like M. Night Shyamalan movies...although I never can remember how to spell the man's name...and I'm intrigued by The Lady in the Water.

4) Did you read about that AP/Ipsos poll about lying? Wow, some mixed signals there! So it's never OK to lie...except when it's OK to lie? Hmmm.

5) The recent terrorist bombings in Mumbai, India, concerned me because I do some voice-over work for a company headquartered there. Fortunately, my colleagues are fine.

6) I'm currently reading Randy Alcorn's Dominion. The book is several years old, but it was apparently sent to me because Alcorn is soon to release a new fiction book called Deception (the first in the series was Deadline, which I really liked.) Dominion is great fiction, but I must confess it's been rather intense for me. It deals heavily and extensively with the subjects of racism, gangs, drugs, and spiritual warfare. Definitely not escapist fiction.

7) Vote for some of your favorite female bloggers at the Blogs of Beauty Awards. Voting continues through July 17th. Some terrific blogs there!

8) I rarely get to actually listen to the terrific programs on Radio 91, but I really enjoy when I get to hear snippets of the late Adrian Rogers' Love Worth Finding, Focus on the Family, and John MacArthur's Grace to You.

9) Whenever I get a chance to listen to Kathy and Judy on WGN, I almost always find it highly entertaining.

10) Also on WGN, news director Wes Bleed hired me here at 101QFL 25 years ago. (I was a mere child. :))

11) Sometimes I will just put on George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, for the sheer joy of listening to it.

12) Have you been following Katy Raymond's blog, fallible? Katy and her husband Doug are on an intense campaign to tighten their belts, both financially and dietarily. The results have me both fascinated and envious--am I capable of doing that???

13) And last...but definitely not least...I am going to be a grandma!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



Related Tags: fire rainbow, James Taylor, M. Night Shyamalan, movies, entertainment, music, George Gershwin, Mumbai, radio, WGN Radio

My blogging advice

for what it's worth...


La Shawn Barber happens to be one of my blogging heroes, so when La Shawn speaks, I listen. La Shawn is now dispensing some blogging advice, along with the wonderful Sister Toldjah (is that one of the greatest names for a blog, or what?)

La Shawn has also asked fellow bloggers to share their advice to newbies. So here goes:

I entered the blogosphere on October 10, 2003--about a month before La Shawn did--and her rise has been meteoric, while mine has been less so. I seem to waver between Marauding Marsupial and Large Mammal status in the TTLB ecosystem these days, and I can't seem to put my finger on what causes the wavering. (My radio co-host, Darren Marlar, says I'm the only woman he knows who actually WANTS to be called a Large Mammal.)

However, I'm happy for the readership I do have, and I'm constantly trying to build that readership. Here are my tips, some of which you may have heard before, but they bear repeating:

1) Make your blog interesting, both in appearance and content.--Good writers are a dime a dozen in the blogosphere. You have to stand out in some way. Many of us have the same Blogger templates--if that's true in your case, jazz it up with personal photos and colorful graphics, judiciously used (not too "busy," please.) I actually would like to look into a more attractive template for this blog, and hope to do so sometime in the future.

Blog about what interests you, and it will probably interest other people as well. If your unique personality comes through, so much the better! I know some people like the pundit-type blogs that just spit out facts and links, but I'm much more drawn to blogs with personality. Take La Shawn, for instance. She's right on top of the news, but her unique persona is all over her blog.

2) Blog consistently.--It's OK to take the occasional break, but try to post SOMETHING on a regular basis. If people keep stopping by and there's nothing new, or if their blogfeeds don't show you as having posted recently, they could give up on you.

3) Link to other blogs, mention other blogs, comment on other blogs, trackback to other blogs.--The more you talk about other blogs, the more attention you'll get. I know some bloggers look down on "memes" and participation in things like the Thursday Thirteen, but the truth is, I've gotten a lot of new readers from participating in those things. And I think they're fun!

4) Participate in showcases like the Christian Carnival.--Such "carnivals" showcase your best work, and attract new readers to your blog as well. I've slacked off in carnival participation, but this reminds me to get back into it. Here's more info on the Christian Carnival.

5) Join blogrolls with people of common interests and beliefs.--I'm part of The Church Directory, Christian Women Online and Family Friendly blogs, to name a few...see my sidebar for links.

Most of all, BE YOURSELF and stay true to what you want your blog to be about. I determined from the beginning that my blog would primarily focus on faith, family, fiction and entertainment. That's a wide field, and I reserve the right to blog about anything I want--politics, current events, moral issues, whatever.

However, no matter what I'm blogging about, I want it to be filtered through my faith and my Christian world view.

As I told Jason Janz of SharperIron when I interviewed him, "The way I look at my own blog, I just hope that it's a little grain of salt and a little ray of light in the blogosphere...I let it be about anything I want it to be, but it's always out there that I'm a Christian, and the stand that I take. And my blog is just a tiny little segment of the blogosphere, but that's my prayer for it, is that it will be a little bit of light, a little bit of salt out there, because there's so much ugly stuff on the Internet."

Related Tags: blogging, blogging advice, blogging tips, La Shawn Barber, Sister Toldjah

Goodbye, June Allyson

October 7, 1917--July 8, 2006

Gather 'round, children, and you shall hear of a day when there was no cable television, no TiVo, no Netflix, not even a Blockbuster. There was only the Movie of the Week, the Late Show, and maybe the Late, Late Show.

We're talking about my childhood, and many's the time my sisters and I would sit up late on a Friday night, or every night during the summer, to watch the old movies from the 1930's, '40's and '50's. We loved the old black-and-white movies with their old-fashioned values and morals combined with the elegance and glamor of Hollywood's golden years.

June Allyson was a featured player in those years. When I found out this morning that she had passed away at the age of 88, I felt a quick pang of sadness. It's funny, though--I couldn't remember one specific movie in which June Allyson starred. She was just this presence in the the movies of my memory--a raspy-voiced, all-American girl-next-door perky, sparkly-eyed, smiling presence.

Looking now at Wikipedia, I see there are some specific movies I remember--"Little Women," "Till the Clouds Roll By," "The Glenn Miller Story," "My Man Godfrey," to name a few.

She died over the weekend at her home south of Santa Barbara, her husband at her side. And with her goes another little piece of my childhood. Goodbye, June Allyson.

Related Tags: June Allyson, movies, entertainment, Hollywood

OK, so whatever happened to Chris Christian?

and I answer today's Monday Madness...

My post about Andrae Crouch apparently stirred up a lot of early-CCM memories for some of you. And my mention that when I saw Andrae in concert in Springfield, Missouri in the late 70's, Chris Christian opened for him, got me wondering...so whatever happened to Chris Christian?

Well, I know what he's been up to in fairly recent years, thanks to Wikipedia. According to their article: "In 1992 Christian acquired The Studios at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. The Studios have been used by film makers to make such films as JFK, RoboCop, Leap of Faith.... Christian also started the LCS Music Group, Inc., which is now the holding company for music companies such as Bug and Bear Music and Home Sweet Home Records. Home Sweet Home is now based in Dallas, Texas."

[Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christian"]

So...intrepid and curious reporter that I am...I decided to try and call Christian at The Studios at Las Colinas. However, a perky Texas-accented female voice informed me that Christian is no longer with The Studios. She kindly gave me a number where she thought he could be reached, and no one answered that number. I left a message, and may try again later.

Apparently, Chris is involved now with Dallas-based CCEntertainment, which judging from their website, seems to be doing quite well. There are even some pics of Christian that indicate he's still a very nice-looking man. In this pic, Chris is steppin' in some pretty high cotton.


Monday Madness!!!

Here we go...

1. What is your favorite framed object in your house?--Not counting pictures of my beautiful children? That would be the picture that I blogged about recently that hangs over my fireplace.

2. If you had a choice of being a carnivore or a herbivore, which one would you be, and why?--Please don't make me choose! I love a good steak, but equally love the salad that goes with it. :)

3. Who do you think should have won the FIFA World Cup? Or, don't you care?--I didn't care...I'm really not into soccer. But I will say that USA Today has the cutest picture today of the Italian team right after their victory. I couldn't find it online, but check it out if you can.

4. What's your feelings on stormy weather?--I love it IF I feel assured that it's not going to do any serious damage. As long as the fireworks are confined to the skies, I love a good whopping bout of thunder and lightning.


5. Do you believe in "time out" chairs?--I never used them when my children were small...they hadn't really come into vogue yet. If they work, though, why not?


6. Have you ever bought or sold anything on Ebay?--Not yet. I keep saying I want to sell my collection of Coca-Cola stuff, but I don't have a digital camera and I understand pics are necessary. My sons have sold stuff, I believe.

I leave you with this clip of Weird Al Yankovic singing "eBay" to the tune of the Backstreet Boys' "That Way."

An honor for Andrae Crouch

You know how David Cassidy once said that the Beatles wrote the soundtrack to his youth? Well, sometimes I feel that Andrae Crouch wrote the soundtrack to my college years.

I can vividly recall my sister Lisa and I tooling around Springfield, Missouri in our little red Monza Town Coupe with "The Best of Andrae" 8-track (yes, 8-track--I'm old), blasting away (she with her Dorothy Hamill haircut, me with my Farrah 'do, in all our glory.)

Working in Christian radio in Springfield, I even wangled free tickets to Andrae's concert at the John Q. Hammons Center, circa 1977 or '78. (The opening act of the concert was Chris Christian. Now, there's a "whatever happened to....?")

Tonight in Grapevine, Texas, Andrae Crouch is being honored with International Worship Institute's Cherub Award. Past winners include prolific Christian songwriters Bill and Gloria Gaither.

So many great songs. "It Won't Be Long," "Bless His Holy Name," "Soon and Very Soon," "I Don't Know Why Jesus Loved Me," "(I'm Gonna) Keep on Singing"...the list goes on and on.

Our family sang together as we traveled around raising support when my dad was a missionary. My dad was a lover of music, and although he didn't have a lot of use for much contemporary Christian music, he fully appreciated--and so we sang--songs like "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory," "Through it All," and "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power." So those songs, especially "Through it All," will forever make me think of my dad.

The Andrae music I had as a youngster was all on vinyl records or 8-tracks, so as the years passed, I lost track of those wonderful songs. At one point, though, my sister Lisa gave me a cassette tape of "The Best of Andrae"...and my kids were introduced to his music. Recently, Justin obtained a CD of Crouch songs, and we're falling in love with them all over again.

Andrae Crouch is now 64 years old and pastors the California church founded by his parents. This Sunday, he will sing a medley of his songs at the Franklin Graham crusade in Baltimore.



And Andrae is recording again! After an eight-year absence, he's out with Mighty Wind. USA Today gave it 3 and a half stars out of four.

I'm delighted that Andrae's getting some well-deserved recognition for his enormous contribution to Christian music. Songs like "Through It All" and others have found their way into hymnbooks, and will stand the test of time, continuing to stir Christians to praise for years to come.

Go here to listen to soundclips of music from "The Best of Andrae."

Related Tags: Andrae Crouch, gospel, music

More great quotes!

The quotes were such a hit last week, I thought I'd do it again. Thirteen more terrific quotes ( by the way, a few of these are from my own cache of "Quotes o' The Day" written by fellow bloggers!)

"We have become so engrossed in the work of the Lord that we have forgotten the Lord of the work. "-- A.W. Tozer

"We are drifting toward a religion which consciously or unconsciously has its eye on humanity rather than on deity."--Alistair Begg

"I really wouldn't want to be a dumb bimbo. (I'd love to be a hot genius, though.)"--Julie Anne Fidler

"While the Supreme Court debates whether or not to allow the Ten Commandments and other religious displays on public property, let us not forget our freedom to display them on private property, discuss them over coffee, and proclaim them from our pulpits."--Don Elbourne

"The church is the only outfit I know that shoots its wounded."-- Chuck Swindoll

"In Montana, a policeman will pull you over because he’s lonely."-- Rich Hall

"In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk."-- Rita Rudner

"There aren't very many 'Oprah picks' that I have liked. Although every one of them I've read have been beautifully written by writers of superb talent, they have also been stories that left me depressed when I finished them. I am a pragmatic person whose life has been touched by trials and tragedy. I don't need anyone to point out to me that life can be hard and unfair. But I am also a Christian who knows that God is just and righteous, and I have a Father who has given me many promises. My worldview is infused with hope because I stand on the Rock. That worldview infuses my books as well."-- Robin Lee Hatcher

"True worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship." -- John Piper

"You once admired my courage to speak boldly for conservative values. The same courage allows me to speak boldly for the biblical view of the Gospel. If I’ve lost favor with you, so be it. But the courage is still the same, and it will cease for no man."--La Shawn Barber

"I love to go to Washington, if only to be nearer my money."--Bob Hope

"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."--Yogi Berra

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."--Jack Handey


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I interviewed author Melanie Wells

and looking back on a Fabulous Fourth

I recently blogged about reading--with avid fascination--When the Day of Evil Comes and Soul Hunter, Christian suspense/spiritual warfare novels by Melanie Wells.Well, I had the pleasure of interviewing Melanie last week, and you can listen to this approximately 2 and a half minute excerpt from our interview. In it, Melanie and I talk about her very likable protagonist, Dylan Foster:

The 4th was amazing!!

What an enjoyable Independence Day!

It started out with our radio station's Patriotic Prayer Breakfast yesterday morning, held at the lovely Sinnissippi Music Shell. There was plenty of great patriotic music and the weather was perfect...but the absolute highlight of the event was the keynote speaker, Cheryl McGuinness.


Cheryl McGuinness
Christina N. Elbers Photo for Rockford Register Star

Cheryl is the widow of Tom McGuinness, the pilot who was forced to fly into the north tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Her message was moving, passionate and inspiring. Her ministry is called Beauty Beyond the Ashes, because Cheryl feels God has brought beauty out of the ashes of her personal 9/11 tragedy. Cheryl was without a doubt one of the best speakers we've ever had for a Patriotic Prayer Breakfast.

After a delicious cook-out with family and friends, I headed to downtown Rockford to ride in the parade with 101QFL and Radio 91 staff members. Then I met up with my family and friends at our favorite fireworks-watching location. The fireworks were absolutely stupendous. Rockford has the best fireworks show in Illinois, and my friend Teri, who has lived in Dallas, California and Tennessee, says they were the best she has ever seen in her life.

Of course, all the festivities made for a late night, so I'm paying for it by being zonked out today. But you know what? It was worth it! I hope all of you had a terrific Independence Day.

The Rockford Register Star's article about the Patriotic Prayer Breakfast

Related Tags: 9/11, Cheryl McGuinness, fiction, books, spiritual warfare, suspense, Melanie Wells, patriotic, Rockford

Monday, Monday...

and I do the "Monday Madness" meme...

1. Have you ever traveled outside of your own country?--Yes. When I was a little girl, my parents were missionaries to Beirut, Lebanon. During our 2 and a half years in Lebanon, I also visited Jordan, Syria, and (very briefly) Turkey...and there was an airport layover in Rome, if you can count that! Later, while I was in college, my parents were missionaries to Mexico, so I was there pretty often. And I've made the obligatory crossing into Canada...even saw Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.

2. If you could be any animal, which animal would you be, and why?--Oh, wow. I SO would not want to be an animal. But if I had to, I think I would be either the very pampered puppy of a rich and famous celebrity, or a bird--so I could fly, of course.


3. Do you read manga?--No, and dummy me didn't even know what it was until I saw this question and followed the link. I thought it might be an Italian cooking magazine with the "i" missing. :)

4. Are you doing anything special to celebrate Independence Day? (For those of you who don't live in the U.S., did you do anything special this past weekend?)--Well, my plans right now are to go to the Patriotic Prayer Breakfast tomorrow morning; to cook out with friends and family; to ride in the 4th of July parade along with other Radio 91 and 101QFL staffers, and then to watch the fabulous, unbeatable, magnificent Rockford fireworks!

5. How many memes do you participate in regularly?--I will fairly regularly do Monday Madness, the Thursday Thirteen and occasionally the Friday Feast. Last week, for the first time, I participated in Works for Me Wendesday. Hey, when creativity is sluggish, memes sometimes act as a sparkplug!


6. How much is a gallon of gasoline where you live? Have you cut down on your driving since the prices have gone up?--Gasoline is around 2.97 to 2.99 a gallon, pretty much. Occasionally you can find it in the 2.80's. (Isn't it pathetic that THAT is something to get excited about?)

Unfortunately, we've cut down on driving only minimally. Not enough to balance out the huge leap in gas prices.

Answer the Monday Madness either here in my comments section, or on your own blog! come on, it's fun!

I have a website

a little-known fact?

My description of myself on the banner of this blog includes the words "aspiring writer." I guess I should have said, "aspiring published writer," because the truth is, I am a writer.

I even get paid for writing. It's a big part of my radio station job. So, I haven't written the great American novel yet...or any novel, for that matter. I'm constantly writing, and I've always wanted a platform for it.

I guess that's why, when my very web- and cyber-savvy friend Don Elbourne suggested I have a website, several years ago, and offered to help me, I jumped at the chance.

There were a couple of problems, though. 1) I didn't know anything about putting together a website, and 2) I didn't have any extra money.

So Don found a free hosting site, kindly put together a lovely template for me, and graciously gave me some basic HTML lessons (via e-mail. Don lives in New Orleans; I live in Illinois.)

I was hugely excited about having my own website, although everything I added to the site was done laboriously because I had to manually change everything I wrote to HTML.

This was 2002, and the concept of blogging hadn't really entered my consciousness. I remember Don actually suggested it. "You know, there are these things called weblogs--blogs. You can just type in your entries, as easy as posting on an internet forum."

But a blog seemed somehow less official. And why would I want an online "diary"? I wanted a REAL website.

Well, the website is still there, and will probably remain there as long as crossspot.net allows it to be there. I still occasionally add a book review to the reading section there, and there's a lengthy bio, and a couple of stabs I've made at short-story writing, and a few other things.
I would love for you to check it out; it gets very few visitors now, because I now concentrate on my blog.

You see, once I discovered blogging, I took to it like a duck to water. I found it could be much more than a diary or a journal of the mundane things that happen in my life (although there's certainly plenty of that in my blog as well.)

But the thing I really love about my blog is that it's my own little platform, easily updated and managed, from which I can give my opinions on things, let people know about wonderful books, add another dimension to the things I talk about on the radio, and just give vent to my creative side. I really, really enjoy it.

However, I do have a website. If you have a moment, I'd love for you to visit it.

Do you have a website, separate from your blog? What purpose does it serve for you? Please leave a comment.

Thirteen Great Quotes

When I want to read a novel, I write one.--Benjamin Disraeli

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.--Mahatma Ghandi

If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up some place else.--Yogi Berra

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.--Dorothy Parker

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.--Jim Elliot

God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.--Elisabeth Elliot

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.--C. S. Lewis

This book (the Bible) will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.--D.L. Moody

The true gospel is a call to self sacrifice, not self fulfillment.-- John MacArthur

Practice the "First 5 Minutes". The first 5 minutes occurring between people sets the tone for everything that is to follow. For example, a public speaker is given very few moments to convince his audience that he really does have something worthwhile to say. This simple principle relates to family members as well. The first 5 minutes of the morning might determine how a mother will interact with her children on that day. It concerns the sheer power of words." -- James
Dobson

People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you'll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.--Erma Bombeck

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?--unknown

During the Middle Ages, probably one of the biggest mistakes was not putting on your armor because you were "just going down to the corner." --Jack Handey


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Works For Me Wednesday

More on head lice---(eeew!!!)

OK, this is the first time I've participated in "Works for Me Wedneday," so be gentle with me.

My WFMW post is actually an afterthought to that of Rocks in My Dryer, who posted about the admittedly disturbing phenomenon of head lice.

If you've been a mom for any length of time, you've encountered this horrendous nightmare. I have. And few things strike more terror into the heart of a mom than the sight of living things crawling around in the hair of your beloved child.

Rocks in My Dryer gives some really good pointers on getting rid of the nasties, including coating the hair and scalp with vaseline. I've also heard that mayonnaise works. But I can tell you about something that works just as well, and is not as hard to get rid of as vaseline nor as gross as putting the same thing on hair that you put on tuna.

OLIVE OIL.

Yep, coat the hair and scalp generously with olive oil, wrap the child's head up good and keep it on for several hours. It does also take quite a bit of washing out, but your child's hair will be luxuriant once it's all over with.

As I understand it, the oil suffocates the lice. (By the way, I'm not a cussin' woman, but if anything could have driven me to cuss a blue streak, it would have been head lice.)

Someone could make a ton of money by having a nit-picking business. I know I would have paid good money for someone else to have done the honors!

No one wants to find out first hand what is meant by the saying "nit-picking." But while you're dragging those suckers down every strand of hair (and believe me, if it had been my sons they WOULD have gotten buzz-cuts), just remember, "This too shall pass."

A year ago this week

A blast from the past

Time only for a fly-by today, so I thought I'd institute something I've been thinking of doing for awhile--utlizing some of my archived posts once a week.

Let's face it, we bloggers put a lot of thought into some of our posts, but when they vanish into the archives, who really looks at them?

So I begin "A year ago this week" by re-posting my answers to a musical meme, originally posted on June 29, 2005. Enjoy!

*****

OK, Marybeth has tagged me to do the musical meme, and as I said earlier, it's extremely difficult for me to encapsulate the vast spectrum that comprises my musical tastes. I love music almost as much as I love breathing, and I like the best of most musical genres. But I'm going to give it my best shot here:

Total volume of music files on my computer: N/A. The computer I use the majority of the time is not my own.

The last CD I bought was: The Phantom of the Opera movie soundtrack, as a surprise for my daughter (but knowing I'd get to listen too!)

Last acquired:: My Radio 91 co-worker, Charmel, handed me Newsong's Live Worship & Rescue the other day. I haven't listened to it yet.

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:

OK, this was really, really hard, so I'm going to have to tack an addendum onto the list. But here's a shot (in no particular order):

~"And Can it Be," lyrics by Charles Wesley, music by Thomas Campbell. The powerful picture this hymn paints, and the spiritual import of its message, never fails to move me:
"Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee."

"I woke, the dungeon flamed with light"--Wow. I love that. [Note from the present: yes, I just used this passage in my "Friday Feast" this past Friday.--CS]

~"The Hallelujah Chorus," by Georg Friedrich Handel. If this is only a fraction of the glory of angel choirs in heaven, I can't wait to hear them. Although this song is often trivialized in comedy, it's one of the most sublime pieces of music on this earth. Just about transports me to the heavenlies.

~"The Star Spangled Banner," by Francis Scott Key. Yeah, I don't care if the tune was originally a tavern song and it's ridiculously hard to sing. The very sound of it, anytime, anywhere, is pretty much guaranteed to choke me up with emotion and love of my flawed but beautiful and amazing country.

~God is God, by Steven Curtis Chapman


Perfectly captures the fear and uncertainty we as Christians will all face at one time or another,("when the questions without answers come and paralyze the dancer") but reassures with the knowledge Job gained through his tragedies--"God is God, and I am not. I can only see a part of the picture he's painting."

~"Submission," by C. Austin Miles and Mrs. R. R. Forman (circa 1934)

"Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go,
For who am I that I should choose my way?
The Lord shall choose for me,
'Tis better far, I know,
So let Him bid me go, or stay."

My late father's signature song, the one I often requested him to sing, and just remembering his beautiful voice singing it brings me to tears now.

And here's an addendum, which still by no means covers the gamut of my musical loves:
~If I Stand, by Rich Mullins


"So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home"

Possibly my favorite Rich Mullins song. Simple, poetic, beautiful...says it all.


~"Where the Streets Have No Name," by U2
Haunting and majestic. Speaks to something deep inside my soul.

~That Kind of Love, by PFR
"Oh, where does that kind of love come from?
They say that it runs in His blood..."

I just love the symmetrical harmony and subdued but meaningful vibe of this song.

~"Rhapsody in Blue," by George Gershwin. I can remember lying on the floor as a child and listening to my parents' LP of this amazing concerto, and just getting lost in it. Beautiful, whimsical, cool, soaring, powerful, pretty...rhapsodic.

~"Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth," by Burlap to Cashmere. Three minutes of pure, exuberant joy!

~And just about anything from the voices of Larnelle Harris, James Ingram and James Taylor.

Books! I read books!

From Salzburg symphonies to spiritual warfare

I was privileged to receive an advance copy of Nancy Moser's Mozart's Sister. I was delighted to be able to offer some endorsement comments prior to the book's September 1st release.

I plan to review the book shortly, but in the meantime, let me tell you it's well worth reading.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is fascinating anyway--composing his first pieces for the keyboard at the age of 5! But I had never realized that his sister Nannerl was also extremely talented, but forced to take a back seat to her brother because of her gender.

The book makes compelling reading, and Nannerl's longing for affirmation and fulfillment is something to which we all can relate.

This book marks a real change for Nancy Moser, who has previously written only contemporary fiction. She initially resisted writing the book, but she's glad now that she did.

And am I the only one noticing that Nancy and Nannerl share the first two syllables in their first and last names? Cool.

Stuff you may want to check out:

My interview with Nancy Moser
My review of Nancy Moser's "The Seat Beside Me"
My review of Nancy Moser's "Time Lottery"

And when I finished "Mozart's Sister"...

...I hopped into When the Day of Evil Comes, by Melanie Wells.

What a leap--from the sedate parlors of eighteenth-century Austria, to present-day Dallas, Texas, where psychologist Dylan Foster is finding her world unraveling in the shadow of evil forces.

I'm OK with spiritual warfare novels, but they aren't my favorite genre. And I'm spooked fairly easily, especially because I totally believe in angels and demons. And to be honest, I don't think I would read this book if I was going to be alone during the night!

But it's to Melanie Wells' credit that she balances the novel's darkness with plenty of light--including the pleasant, humorous personality of her protagonist. Dylan's personality (and the story is told in the first person) actually reminds me a little of one of my favorite characters, Kinsey Milhone of Sue Grafton's alphabetized murder mysteries.

Another guarantee that a book has me fascinated: I stayed up WAY past my bedtime because I had to finish it. All in all, a terrific read. And I'm happy that I already have the sequel, Soul Hunter, because I plan to delve in as soon as possible!

FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

If you ever bought Christian record albums back in the late 60's/early 70's, you've got to check out Marc Heinrich's Purgatorio today. I absolutely love his "Divine Vinyl" feature!

Today's going to be a busy one for me. Tonight, there's a rehearsal dinner for my niece's wedding, in which my husband and I are singing, and there's stuff to do today to get ready. So you'll forgive me for using a "canned" post today. I give you the Friday Feast! Feel free to answer the questions on your own blog or in my comments section.

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you like your job?--I would have to say at least a 9. I really love my job...the only things that would keep it from being a ten would be that I'd like to get paid more, and I wish I didn't have to get up at 4 AM.

Soup
When was the last time you think you were lied to?--Hmmm...this one takes a little thought. OK, I think it was recently when a drugstore employee told me they didn't carry a certain product, and another employee found it immediately. I think the first employee lied because he just didn't want to be bothered to find it for me.

Salad
Share some lyrics from one of your favorite songs.--

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
--from "And Can it Be?" by Charles Wesley

Could there be a more vivid, stirring word picture of salvation?

Main Course
What do you do/take when you are in pain?--Usually Tylenol or a generic form of acetomenaphine. Occasionally ibuprophen.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: My _daughter_________ is very __lovely________.


Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Thirteen random things

Floating around in my brain:

1) Now that weapons of mass destruction have actually been found in Iraq, do you think we'll hear any apologies from those who basically called President Bush a moron and denigrated our intelligence-gathering? Uh, don't hold your breath.

2) Is there some law requiring that cash advance loan stores have to have ugly, gaudy signage? Glaring yellows and reds seem to be colors du jour. Come on, people, tone it down. We see you already!

3) Yes, I've known that Michelle Malkin is awesome, but I would often forget to read her blog. Now I'm hooked on her video "Hot Air" vents. Very cool lady.

4) According to my 101QFL morning show co-host, Darren Marlar, today is Soap Microphone Day. Do you sing in the shower? I often do, but I don't use the soap as a microphone. My daughter frequently uses a hairbrush as a mic, so our station engineer gave her an old mic that was going to be thrown away. She loves it!

5) Today is also Stupid Guy Joke Day. I confess I've been guilty of passing along those funny but sometimes mean-spirited e-mails, but I actually think guys are (for the most part) pretty cool. So in lieu of a stupid guy joke, I give you Darren Marlar's Way to Early in the Morning to Understand the Punchline Joke of the Day: The Husband Store.

6) My latest culinary delight: veggies on the grill. Lately I've been slicing up summer squash and zucchini, onions, carrots, and tomatoes; sprinkling them with pepper and some seasoned salt; sprinkling them lightly with extra virgin olive oil; wrapping them up in a foil package and putting them on the grill for 20 minutes or so. Would that all things good for me tasted SO delicious!

7) My lovely niece Lindsie is getting married this Saturday. This freaks me out a little, because Lindsie is not much older than my daughter Elizabeth. The two have been close since they were born. Lindsie's marrying a great guy, and I pray all of God's richest blessings on them!

8) Do you enjoy quenching your summer thirst with Sun Tea? Well, you may want to re-think your tea-brewing habits. My "Cindy Swanson CyberSnoop" segment today confirmed an e-mail rumor that brewing sun tea could generate harmful bacteria. Check it out here.

9) Have you ever looked into your archives to check out what you were blogging about one year ago today? On June 22, 2005, I was blogging about the American Film Institute's Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time, The Princess Bride, and Evie Tornquist Karlsson. How about you?

10) I still try to do the Rockford Register Star's cryptoquote everyday--I LOVE cryptoquotes!--but I still haven't succumbed to the soduku craze.

11) I've found some of the stories coming out of the Presbyterian and Episcopalian national conferences this week very disturbing. Joel Griffith says it better than I could.

12) On my bookshelf: a preview copy of Nancy Moser's "Mozart's Sister." It's a fascinating look at the woman who was also remarkably talented, but because of her gender, had to take a back seat to her genius brother. Great reading!

13) I haven't watched TV all week. Not on purpose...just haven't had the time or inclination. And you know what? I haven't really missed it.

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So you think you're a good speller?

Hat tip for this one goes to Angela Hunt, who is not only one of my favorite authors but always seems to come up with the coolest things on her blog!

Try doing this electronic Spelling Bee and let me know how you do on it. Out of 42 words, I got 34 right, spelling eight of them wrong, and I consider myself a really good speller.

And I could kick myself for a couple of them. All my life, I've thought it was spelled "sacreligious." Uh...nope!

It all goes to prove that you learn something new every day.

Finally!!!

A song about me.

Could you wear the same dress for a year?

This woman is.

According to her website, Alex Martin is "... making one small, personal attempt to confront consumerism by refusing to change my dress for 365 days."

Martin has been wearing the same little brown dress for almost a year. Yes, she takes if off to sleep, bathe and swim. She'll mend it if need be, wash it regularly, and add layers for warmth if necessary. But for an entire year (July 7th is the day she gets to "undress"), she's wearing the same...

brown...

dress.

Folks, I don't think I could voluntarily do that.

I can see the point Martin is trying to make, but I couldn't be the one to make it.

While I don't consider myself a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination...and I've had a love/hate relationship with fashion for years (partly because I've never been, and probably never will be thin "enough")...I DO LOVE CLOTHES.

My wardrobe is not very extensive. I don't have a great deal of money to spend on clothes, and I buy off of sales and clearance racks. I don't need a huge closet. I wear the same things frequently.

BUT I choose my clothes carefully, trying to buy only things I really like and that I think I will enjoy wearing and that will hopefully look good on me. I love pretty colors, and fabrics that are nice to touch.

I've come to realize that I can usually get a much better quality article of clothing at an expensive store from a clearance rack, than I can at a discount store...yet some of my best and most enduring articles of clothing have come from places like Target.

I generally avoid trends, as well as anything frou-frou and juvenile (things that tie in back are pretty much out for me.) But I don't discount the occasional frivolous touch, as long as it's just a touch.

I'm still learning. I used to avoid, like the plague, wearing brown. I thought it would make me look like a baked potato. But recently my sister talked me into getting a dark brown top, and I love it.

But I couldn't wear it every day for a year!

And now, just for fun, take this Fashion Quiz and find out just how much you know about fashion. (I got an 80 per cent score.)

So how important is fashion to you? Let me know in my comments section!

I am a patriot

Why I disagree with Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks

(From Merriam-Webster.com) Main Entry: pa·tri·ot
Pronunciation: 'pA-trE-&t, -"ät, chiefly British 'pa-trE-&t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French patriote compatriot, from Late Latin patriota, from Greek patriOtEs, from patria lineage, from patr-, patEr father
: one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests

Yep, you can call me a patriot.

I was irritated when I read the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines' most recent comments about patriotism: " 'The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism,' Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. 'Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism.'"

My knee-jerk reaction is to grit MY teeth and grouse that Maines is once again revealing the "wide open spaces" between her ears.

I've had a few days to think about this, though, and some thoughts are emerging.

First of all, is it ironic to anyone else that Maines enjoys the freedom to make just this kind of remark BECAUSE of patriots who valued their country enough to fight for its freedoms?

Maines can say whatever she likes about her president, her government, her views on patriotism or the lack thereof. She might lose some record sales in some quarters, but no one is going to haul her into jail for making those comments. Why? She's an American.

Secondly, Maines' comments made me take a look at my own patriotism. There's no doubt I'm a dyed-in-the-wool patriot. I unashamedly love my country. I literally get choked up at a baseball game when the national anthem is sung. I've been to quite a few other countries--even lived in one--and I think America is still the greatest nation on the face of this earth.

Why am I a patriot? I don't know where it came from, this love of country that has been there as long as I can consciously remember. Yes, I grew up in a conservative Christian home, but so did a lot of other people who aren't particularly patriotic and some of whom have even totally rejected their parents' patriotism. No one ever waved a flag in my face and commanded, "You WILL love your country!"

It's just there, a flame that burns within my soul.

It's not blind, unquestioning jingoism. Sometimes the flame is low, because there are times I'm ashamed of my country's actions.

I have never completely agreed with any president in my lifetime; I question things. I love the military and support our troops, but I'm bothered about reports of cruelty and inhumane treatment (although I think such reports should be investigated before a knee-jerk opinion is formed). I'm ashamed of the vast number of abortions committed in our nation on a daily basis. I'm ashamed of unethicalism on the part of politicians on either side of the aisle.

But sometimes the flame burns brighter and stronger than ever. As it did on 9/11, when the American spirit rallied together in defense against the evil that had invaded our shores.

And when I see pictures of American soldiers giving food and treats to little Iraqi children.

And when I watch the solemn changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and am once again reminded of how many people shed their blood and gave their lives so that I can enjoy the very liberty that allows Natalie Maines and people like her to say the things they say.

Tammy Bruce says it much better than I have here. I like this quote particularly:

"Ms. Maines exemplifies the Ugly American--someone who completely takes for granted the extraordinary life the American ideal has given to people like her. She noted "you can like where you live and like your life..." but like a classic MalNar simply can't see beyond herself.

"I would suggest she move to Syria or North Korea or Mexico, and see exactly how much she'd like her life in those pits. Perhaps she could also make a short visit to one of our citizen swearing-in ceremonies and chat with those people who have braved all to become American citizens. Those are people who, unlike Ms. Maines, understand the importance of joy and freedom, have fought to live it, and know that it is only in America where dreams come true."

Michelle Malkin also has a terrific post on this subject, including several pictures that would turn Natalie Maines' stomach, and link to something really cool called Project Prayer Flag.

And here's a poem that Natalie Maines would hate.

And on a different subject...

I didn't blog about Father's Day, but I would be remiss if I didn't say a huge thanks to my wonderful husband, Doug, for being (among other things) a wonderful, loving, godly dad to our three children. Honey, you're the best! :)

"It's a Wonderful Life" most inspirational

The American Film Institute has come out with its list of the 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, and "It's a Wonderful Life" tops the list.

I could kick myself for not remembering to DVR the CBS TV special about the list last night. My daughter and I went to hear Michael Reagan speak (it was excellent, by the way).

Anyway..."It's A Wonderful Life" happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time...maybe my favorite. I agree that it has a very inspiring message. Just how much does one person's life affect those around him? It's a soul-searching question, and the movie itself is--well, wonderful.

I adore Jimmy Stewart...he and Donna Reed are at their very best in this film. And Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without watching it.

Donna Reed, by the way, was an actress who aged very gracefully. She still looked very lovely when she starred in "Dallas" toward the end of her life.

So, the other movies on the list?

Let's look at the top 10:

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. To Kill a Mockingbird (I haven't seen it!!! Although I have read the book...)
3. Schindler's List
4. Rocky
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
6. E. T. (most inspiring? really? But, I haven't seen it, so really can't comment)
7. The Grapes of Wrath (haven't seen it...hated the book, found it really depressing)
8. Breaking Away (again, really? I've seen it years ago, thought it was a good movie and a funny movie...guess I can't remember the "inspiring" part)
9. Miracle on 34th Street
10. Saving Private Ryan

A couple of my other favorite films were way farther down on the list: Gone with the Wind (43); Braveheart (62) and Chariots of Fire (100).

A few of the choices are also head-scratchers for me. Thelma and Louise? Uh, yeah. It was really inspiring to watch two women drive off a cliff.

Feel free to disagree with me in my comments section. :)

Related Tags: movies, entertainment, AFI, most inspirational, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed

"Did I do that?"

Rumors of "Steve Urkel's" death are greatly exaggerated...(Paul McCartney's, too!)

Each week I do a radio feature on 101qfl called "Cindy Swanson, CyberSnoop." I take a look at an e-mail rumor and either de-bunk it or verify its truthfulness, using resources like Snopes.com and Truth or Fiction.com.

This week, the rumor I tackled was that actor Jaleel White--Steve Urkel on the erstwhile TV show, Family Matters--had committed suicide.

It seems that every couple of years, a rumor goes around about a celebrity dying. When I was growing up, there was the rumor about Paul McCartney being dead—and he's very much alive and still thriving (even the father of a small child) at age 64. Now, with everyone having access to e-mail, it's even easier to spread such rumors.

Well, you'll be happy to know that in the case of Urkel—or should we say, Jaleel---the rumor now circulating e-mail inboxes simply isn't true. Jaleel White is alive and well.

The fake AP story goes into great detail, claiming White was pronounced dead on arrival at an LA hospital, listing his acting credits, and even quoting his castmates from Family Matters as being terribly upset about their supposed loss. It "quotes" the dad on the show, Reginald VelJohnson, as saying, "We have all lost a dear, dear brother."

And the story claims White left a suicide note saying simply, "Did I do that?" –a popular catchphrase from the show.

Well, according to my sources, the story is a hoax.

Snopes says, quote, "Although Jaleel has been out of the public eye for a while, he is alive and well. No news outlets, including the Associated Press, the purported source of the article, have published accounts about Jaleel White's death."

White also responded to a website called TVsquad.com with this note, quote: " I'm very much alive and well. Thank you to all who have chosen to spread the truth about my mortality.

Jaleel"

Why fabricate celebrity deaths?

Who knows why the public feels the need to spread false rumors of celebrity deaths…but White isn't the first one. As I mentioned earlier, there was the Paul McCartney rumor years ago, and more recently (quoting Snopes again) "there have also been death rumors about William Hung of American Idol fame, Subway pitchman Jared Fogel, children's television host Steve Burns of Blue's Clues."

Now, about that Paul McCartney rumor...



How well I remember when that rumor made the rounds, back when I was in junior high. Supposedly, all sorts of clues about McCartney's death could be found in Beatles albums (none of which I owned.)

It really gave me the creeps, just as things like "backward masking" and even that ghost voice phenomenon thing does--even though I think both are hooey.

According to Wikipedia: 'Paul Is Dead' is one of the best-known examples of an urban legend or hoax (it is often unclear whether proponents spread the story as a joke or as a real conspiracy theory). The rumour has been the topic of much sociological examination because it is unusual in the way its development, growth and debunking took place very publicly, due to the Beatles' enormous popularity."

Some people think the Beatles themselves orchestrated the whole thing in order to boost their lagging popularity at the time.

But hey...if you really believe the rumors are true and Paul McCartney is dead, you need to see this video, in which Chris Farley gets the scoop from McCartney himself. :)

The fascination of Amish life...

...the pleasure of Beverly Lewis books

I finished The Englisher, by Beverly Lewis, last night, and am I frustrated!

Why? Well, the book is the second in a series called Annie's People...and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, so I can find out how everything turns out.

Lewis' depictions of Amish life near her home territory of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are fascinating--richly authentic and captivating tales of a people who are as interesting as they are puzzling.

This is the third Beverly Lewis series I've read, and I never fail to enjoy them. The Amish really do puzzle me, though. It's hard to believe that a group of people who are so devout and pious are actually NOT encouraged to read the Bible, and assurance of salvation is regarded as a sin of pride, worthy of shunning.

With all their rules and regulations, the Amish know nothing of God's grace. How sad!

From Beverly's website: "Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev’s tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, 'Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time.'"

I totally agree.

Monday Madness

I haven't blogged in a few days, and Monday Madness is as good a way to slip back into blogging as any:

1. I have a picture of ______The Phantom of the Opera logo_____ on my computer desktop.
2. There are __four ___ pictures hanging on my living room walls.
3. My big goal for this week is to ____exercise_____.
4. I plan to visit ____too many_____ blogs this week.
5. The weather we're having right now is ___absolutely gorgeous!____.
6. I really should ___exercise____ more often. (do you see a theme here?!)

Answer the questions yourself, here or on your own blog!


Oh, and...

My review of Reconstructing Natalie is here at Infuze Magazine. (You may need to register; it's a short and painless process.)

No one mourns the wicked

Zarqawi is dead

"No one mourns the wicked..."

That phrase from the Broadway musical, Wicked, was the first thing that popped into my head when I heard that Abu Musab Al Zarqawi had been killed in a U-S air strike.

I can't muster up any sympathy for Mr. Zarqawi, who as the Al Qaeda leader in Iraq was responsible for so many cruel and tragic suicide bombings and beheadings.

I don't kid myself that this will even begin to end anything (even though several of Zarqawi's top aides died along with him.) The hostilities and unrest have been going on in the Middle East for thousands of years; the death of one terrorist, major though he was, isn't going to put an end to that. (Remember the old Imperials' song, "There will never be any peace until God is seated at the conference table"?)

But I hope and pray that it strike a blow to the central nervous system of the grotesque monster that is terrorism.

Phone calls with my brother, who is in Iraq working with a private contractor supporting Iraqi police officers, underscore just how serious is this war. I spoke with him this past weekend and at one point was bemoaning the war. My brother told me, "Be a conservative! Support your president."

Once again I was reminded of how important it is to support, and pray for, our troops. Truly they have a thankless task, but I agree with the saying, "Home of the free...BECAUSE of the brave."

Related Tags: Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, US troops, terrorism, Wicked

"Reconstructing Natalie"...on surviving breast cancer

I occasionally review books for Infuze Magazine, , and in that capacity I will sometimes receive a book in the mail that they'd like me to read and review.

When Laura Jensen Walker's Reconstructing Natalie arrived in the mail the other day, I must confess, I didn't know if I really wanted to read it.

The first line of the book is "I'm obsessed with breasts." Come to find out, the 27-year-old protagonist, Natalie Moore, can't stop looking at everyone else's breasts because she's about to lose her own. She's just found out that she has breast cancer.

I don't know what I expected from this novel, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although it doesn't sugar-coat breast cancer, it's funny and poignant and uplifting. It also gives me immense admiration for the many women who battle breast cancer with faith, courage and yes, laughter.

And Laura Jensen Walker has been there. She is a breast cancer survivor herself, and also the author of the nonfiction book, Thanks for the Mammogram!: Fighting Cancer With Faith, Hope And a Healthy Dose of Laughter.

I'll let you know when my review of the book comes out at Infuze.

Meantime, massive kudos to my husband's Aunt Nancy, who is a breast cancer survivor and who walked in last week-end's Avon Breast Cancer Walk in Chicago. The walk raised 8-point-2 million dollars for cancer research...a record amount for Chicago walk's four-year history!

And a heart-felt thanks to my cousins Kathy and Janis, who participated in a Relay for Life walk in Hobbs, New Mexico last weekend in memory of my father and my Aunt Sandra, who both died of cancer.

Kathy wrote: "We have done this for the past few years, but this year especially, we are honoring our Aunt Sandra and Uncle Pepper. As fundraisers, they sell luminarias (sacks filled with sand and a candle in it) and we fixed 3 each for Sandra and Pepper. We made copies of their pictures and have their names and a special message on each one. They line the walking path and will be lit at 9 tonight. So as you walk you can read the name of people who are being honored or survivers, who are also being honored. It's really an emotional thing and it is a fairly new thing of adding pictures. (I think it really makes it more personal)."

The luminarias are pictured below:



My Aunt Sandra was a lovely, vibrant lady who was taken from us suddenly just recently. She often commented in my blog, especially when I reminisced about my family. Aunt Sandra is deeply missed by all of us who loved her.

What a wonderful tribute! Again Kathy and Janis, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I interviewed Michael Reagan

"He [Ronald Reagan] never looked at the mirror and said, 'Look at me, I am wonderful, I am great.' He always gave credit to other people. He always believed that he was put on this earth by God to do whatever God's will was. And when he became president, and accomplished the things he accomplished, he believed it was God's will, not his will, that was taking place. I think most of us need to start living what God would like us to do instead of always saying, 'Me, me, me...' but 'God, what what you like me to accomplish today?' And my dad would say that, each and every day of his presidency, 'What would you like me to accomplish today? Whatever it is, I want you to be there, God.' And you know, God blessed this nation because Ronald Reagan was president, and he blessed this nation because Ronald Reagan asked for God's help and guidance each and every day of his life." --Michael Reagan in my interview with him

Talk show host and author Michael Reagan, eldest son of the late president Ronald Reagan, is coming to Rockford June 14th to speak at the Rockford Rescue Mission's annual spring fundraising event. In advance of that, I interviewed Michael for my show, Weekend Rockford, today.

I found him pleasant, self-effacing, and knowledgeable. And his story touched my heart.

Michael was adopted by Ronald Reagan and movie star Jane Wyman. His parents divorced when he was a very small boy, and he says he grew up, not so much as Ronald Reagan's son, but as the son of Jane Wyman, who was a very well-respected and well-know actress in her day.

Michael told me that divorce is tough on a young child. He says it's like going into a child's room and breaking everything, then expecting the child to put it all back together.

He does have fond memories of time spent with his dad while he was growing up.

Childhood trauma

However, something happened to him at the age of 8 that forever changed and influenced his life. He was sexually molested by a day camp counselor. Pornographic pictures were taken of him, with threats to make them public.

He lived many years with the guilt and shame that accompanies such childhood trauma...thinking he was somehow responsible, even thinking it had happened to him because he had been born illegitimate.

Michael tells the story of how faith in Christ changed his life, in the book Twice Adopted.



An unrehearsed speech

I told Michael how impressed I was with his words at his father's memorial service at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and with his heartfelt and articulate expressions of his and his father's faith.

Amazingly, Michael told me he used no notes when he spoke at the service. "I gotta tell you, you've really got to give credit to God for that. I had no idea what I was going to say. I don't write speeches...that just doesn't work out well for me.

"...What was interesting, is we were flying back from Washington D.C....Ron and Patti were working on their speeches, and they had written them, they were practicing...and I thought, 'Well, maybe this time I should really write something. I've only got a short amount of time and I want to get it right.

"And I started to write something. But I kept on throwing papers away, throwing papers away. And my 23 year old daughter Ashley said, 'What are you doing, Dad?' I said, 'I'm writing something for Grandpa's eulogy.' And she looked at me and said, 'Oh, don't ruin it!' She said, 'You don't write speeches; don't start today!
Put down that paper and pencil just relax, you'll do OK.'

"And when I got off Air Force One, and got into the car to go up the library, a friend of mine, Mark Larson, and another friend of mine from church both had left prayers for me on my cell phone, and had just prayed that I would find the right words to say when I got up there, because they both knew I was going to be the
first one to speak.

"And as we're driving up the library, it was like God talked to me and said, 'You know, all week long we've heard about a president...why don't you tell them about your dad?'

"And that's what you got."

The Michael Reagan Show is heard daily on over 200 radio stations in the U-S and internationally on www.radioamerica.com.

Michael Reagan will speak at the Rockford Rescue Mission's annual spring fundraiser June 14th at First Evangelical Free Church. For more information, go to the mission's website.

Related Tags: Reagan, Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Rockford Rescue Mission