Various Randoms

First off, a big ol' thank you goes out to Natty ... ok, I take back all the evil threats I proffered on the possibility of my special day being forgotten. Thanks for the wishes, fun, and phone calls!

Couple prayer requests:

1. Eastbrook Mobile Home Park ~ the hardest hit area by the 1:30 AM Evansville tornado. Latest count is that Eastbrook had 18 of the 23 deaths reported; as of 6 PM, they were still looking for information on six missing residents.
2. A good friend is having surgery tomorrow morning for endometriosis (I think). She's more concerned about the unknown factors; "the pain I can handle." She says it's easier to face the monster once she knows what it looks like ... so prayers that they don't find anything bad in the process.
3. All my kids have all sorts of various prayer requests -- friends with cancer, friend's parents dying, parents getting divorced, bitter custody disputes -- plus the ever-unexpected (for high school girls) reaching beyond themselves to pray for larger-scale situations.
4. All the folks on the streets as we get into the winter months and the holiday season ~ all the various "other" needs in the world (floods & famines, tsunamis & tornadoes), coupled with the anticipated high costs of gas and heating, will quite probably put a crimp in people's holiday giving. Too bad the "poor are with you always" -- then they don't get noticed like the out-of-the-ordinary things.
5. Whatever other things that I had that I'm not thinking of right now.
6. And, my favorite intention that was introduced to me by my awesome youth group kids back home ..... "For all those who don't have anyone to pray for them."

And some random wonderings (I'll wrap up the Weekend Ones tomorrow):

• If "We Do Not Torture" ... then why does "Cheney Fight for Detainee Policy" ... particularly for an amendment that provide CIA exemption from an amendment banning "torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners"?
• I know this happens, and it's all very high-tech now, but yesterday morning when I went online to find out info on the tornado, seeing the CNN headline: Cruise Liner Outruns Armed Pirate Boats .... well, it just didn't seem right. Especially to be having rocket grenades and machine guns. And I know this is serious business and all that, but still, when I see "pirates" I think "ARRGH!" (Peg legs and parrots not included; eye patch is extra).
• Of course, that then made my friend and I think about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the correlation between the decrease of pirates in the world and the increase of global warming. Of course, I think they're talking about pirates in the traditional swashbuckling walk-the-plank sense of the word -- none of this new-fangled shrapnel and bazooka stuff!
• The Book came Saturday. Not to sound like a total idiot or anything like that, but I think the most thrilling part about it was that it's a Real Book, with an ISBN and everything! I mean, it was a cool idea and all that, but to then hold it in my hands, a real book just like any other on my shelf, and my name's in it --- WHOO-HOOO!
• A little less than two months ago, I posted a nice little bit of excitement about my hometown team turning around the rivalry with those evil evil D-people. Well, there was a comment awaiting me a few days later from a blogger now known as Sophia, wherein she seemed to imply -- no, wait, she actually stated, and I quote: "Eagles. There are no other teams." Well, Ms. SheWillSing .... is that still your tune? Perhaps maybe you'd like to read this ... or this .... or how about this? Not that I would ever gloat about something so minor and insignificant as a football game .... just wish I coulda seen it.
• Unfortunately, as I was looking for the links, I came across this story ... Sex at School Increasing. Kills all the fun of my random ramblings.

And, on that note, I think I'll go attempt to deal with the ever-growing-yet-never-graded stack of papers that have journeyed with me to and from school on a regular basis. And figure out what I'm gonna teach tomorrow .... and figure out how to structure my next couple classes so that I'll have something to say on their mid-quarter progress reports next week.

Oh, and don't forget to Frappr yourself .... let me know where ya are!