टू अप्पेअसे मत्त फ्रांसिस्को...

wow, i had no idea the title would come out that way until i typed it! all i will say is that it says something about matt francisco. happy, matt?

so i have this dilemma. i like this whole blog thing. really, i do. except there's a certain amount of pressure that comes with it - pressure to be poetic/witty/brilliant, etc. i'm not sure i'm any of those things. this blog thing either a) reminds me of that fact, or b) makes me try to be those things. option b might not actually be such a bad thing, if you view it as simply bringing out all those wonderful qualities that lie deep in the recesses of my personality. what do you think? yeah, you're right. there's no way i'm witty...either way, in an attempt to appease the one person who tries to read this thing, i am doing a post of many references to things that have been popping up in life. even if i can't come up with something original worth reading, i'm certain other people can.

A as in allegory: www.pandora.com
am i the last person in the developed world with access to internet to find out about this thing? it's great - you get introduced to other bands that sound like your favorites and you get to listen for free!

B as in bobsyuruncle: The Books of the Bible
http://thebooksofthebible.info/main.php
i recently ordered this Bible online. in it the chapter and verse numbers are removed and the book order is set by historical circumstance, theological tradition and literary genre, to encourage better Bible reading. i mean, they haven't reinvented anything, but i like the idea.

C as in (kitty) CAT!: Fly Fusion Pentop Computer
www.flyworld.com
speaking of inventions, i am flabbergasted by this one. it has a built-in translator, math calculator, homework advice, mp3 player, games and spell check, AND converts whatever you handwrite to digital text! ridiculous. and kind of scary. is this another product of the Patriot Act?

D as in Darfur: Sign me up!
www.genocideintervention.net
i am now a volunteer! i went to the office of the Genocide Intervention Network Tuesday night to volunteer - something I hope to do every week. it was just killing me to not be able to do anything related with Darfur. then i remembered: i live in dc. so i folded paper for 2 straight hours. finger cramps abounded. but i was so happy about it! and, low and behold, the founder of GI Net and the founder of Sudan Divestment Task Force, who i just saw in the film Darfur Now (http://www.participate.net/darfurnow) walked by and said hey. da's crazy.

E as in Ethiopia: Covenant Life Church
www.covlife.org
if you ever decided to kiss dating goodbye, you're probably familiar with the pastor of this church. i visited the last sunday i was in dc and really liked it! it's led by joshua harris, and i'm excited to visit again this week.

F as in Friendcrush: Nor Veg: The Northward Route
I am Norwegian; did you know? 12.5% to be exact. So imagine my delight upon walking through Union Station today and finding the entire place decked out with tributes to the motherland! After speaking with some of the kinfolk, I proceeded to look up my geneology and find my geographic roots. [Ehem] I am a descendant of Kjetil Gunleikson Omnes, born in 1535/1555 in Sauland, Telemark, Norway. Apparently his birth took quite some time. My poor poor stor bestemor. To see the foothills of my predecessors: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sauland,+Hjartdal,+Norge&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title

G as in Goodbye: that's all i can come up with for now. i'm doing really well and am so thankful for what God is doing with me lately. He is good, and good to me, which is evidenced by your presence in my life.

adjø meg søt venner!