Hatchet is Gary Paulsen’s most popular book. I have listened to this on tape and still remember the encounter with the moose.

From the back cover:

Alone

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother has given him as a present — and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart ever since his parents’ divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair — it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

Well, I wonder what the qualifications are to be a blogger for a corporation. This is a job I would have liked doing out of school (yes they did have computers back then).

From Slashdot:

prostoalex writes “When you hear about blogging, you’re most likely to hear about personal journals, self-expression and youngsters sharing their daily routines online. However, as Wall Street Journal notes, the word blogger can now frequently be seen in corporate job ads. Blogging jobs pay anywhere from $40,000 to $70,000 and frequently require writing copy for corporate Web sites and ability to promote on the Internet. A search for blogger and blogging on one of the job meta search engines yields several hundred open positions.”

Being that my name is so similar to that of the children’s author, Gary Paulsen, I have compiled this list of links for those looking for information on him. If you know of any other links that should be included please let me know.

Some Links About Gary Paulsen

• Gary Paulsen @ Random House Publisher aka www.garypaulsen.com
  Features biographical information, interviews, list of current titles, and special information for teachers.
• Gary Paulson @ Internet School Library Media Center
  Biographical information on Gary Paulsen, popular author of stories for young adults. Includes resources for teachers.
• Learning about Gary Paulsen
  Biography, interview, reviews, and a complete list of Paulsen works and literary awards.
• Author Profiles: Gary Paulsen
  A biographical sketch of children’s author Gary Paulsen, written by Jim Trelease and excerpted from Read All About It!
• Gary Paulsen: A Writer of His Time
  Scholarly review of Paulsen’s work from the ALAN Journal.
• Gary Paulsen @Web English Teacher
  Lesson plans and resources for teaching YA novels by Gary Paulsen.
• Kidsreads.com - Gary Paulsen
  Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America’s most popular writers for kids
• Internet Public Library Kidspace: Gary Paulsen
  Gary Paulsen is a three time Newbery Honor Winner
• Scholastic.com - Gary Paulsen
  Meet the adventure writer and master storyteller who has raced twice in the Iditarod.

Some Books By Gary Paulsen

• Hatchet
• Brians Winter
• Brians Return
• Brians Hunt
• The River
• Soldiers Heart : Being the Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers
• My Life in Dog Years
• Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
• Nightjohn
• The Transall Saga
• Canyons
• Sarny
• The Voyage of the Frog
• Harris and Me
• Woodsong
• The Island
• How Angel Peterson Got His Name
• The Crossing
• Mr. Tucket

Just started reading Eric Svendsen’s Blog, “Real Clear Theology Blog”, and ran across this post asking “Where Did We Ever Get the Notion That the Lord’s Supper is a Funeral Procession?. This is just one post of 16 in his series on the Lord’s Supper. ( I like his tongue in cheek: “We do theology for you . . . So you don’t hurt yourself”)

Walk into any evangelical church when it is observing the Lord’s Supper, and what do you see? Sober mood, solemn faces; hands folded, heads bowed in silent contemplation; members engaged in self examination and somber introspection while focused on numbering and confessing their sins; wavering, hesitating, anxiety-laden hearts:

“Should I take the bread and cup or not? Have I confessed all my sins? Am I personally worthy enough to partake, or does last week’s sin disqualify me? I certainly don’t want to eat and drink judgment to myself!”

How true! And how sad. Eric then goes on to show how the early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

Now walk into a first-century church meeting of the Lord’s Supper, and what do you see?

“and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart” (Acts 2:46).

Read the rest of his article at: Real Clear Theology Blog

Also saw this in the February 2005 Spokes magazine:

10.Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.
9. Directions to your doctor’s office include, “Take a left when you enter the trailer park.”
8. The tongue depressor tastes faintly of Fudgsicles.
7. The only proctologist in the plan is “Gus” from Roto-Rooter.
6. The only item listed under Preventive Care coverage is “An apple a day.”
5. Your “primary care physician” is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.
4. “The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges” is not a typo.
3. The only expense covered 100% is embalming.
2. With your last HMO; your Prozac didn’t come in different colors with little “M”s on them.

And the Number 1 Sign You’ve Joined a Cheap HMO is:
1. You ask for Viagra; you get a Popsicle stick and duct tape.

Just spent the weekend in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for a Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) meeting. Eddie Emmett from Atlanta, GA spoke at one of the seminars I attended and made the comment that it is not other agents or even the internet ‘direct-writers’ that are the competition - it is the Killer Bees - Beer, Barbecue, and Blockbuster.

This is very true. Right now the number of auto insurance policies we write at our office is way down. There are not fewer drivers or fewer uninsured drivers but the price of gasoline has gone way up. And when one has to make a choice between going to work so one can afford Beer, Barbecue & Blockbuster - or paying for insurance - well, guess which one wins?

On page 6 of his Spokes newsletter for February 2005 Eddie attributes this to Steve Harrison of First Acceptance:

Steve also recognizes who is his real competition. It’s not the direct writers who advertise “cut out the middleman”. It’s not the local independent agent. It’s what Steve calls “The Killer B’s” - Beer, Barbecue & Blockbuster.

In other words, it’s the portion of a person’s income that is not spent on essentials. Our customers decide each month which is more important, pay the insurance premium or enjoy some of life’s little pleasures.

In a past issue of Credenda/Agenda, Joost Nixon’s article, Blogitelling, gives some good advice for bloggers who consider themselves Christian.

Blogging is governed by the same biblical principles that govern our speech. This seems obvious, but to read the blogs of many young turks, they either don’t get it, or they refuse to bridle their tongues. Blogs can be used for great good, but like any speech, it must be bridled in order to bring grace to those who hear. Godly blogging begins with the right metaphor. Many young bloggers write as though they are scribbling ugly secrets into their private diaries. Because their blog-thoughts are just them “thinking out loud,” they think their grumbling lawful—as if our thought-lives aren’t under the Lord’s dominion. The fact that the “diary” metaphor is faulty only multiplies the destruction of sinful speech. Blogging is a form of diarizing, but one written expressly for others to read—or else why the public forum? But blogging is like reading one’s diary over NPR. Bloggers should reflect on whether they really want such a public forum. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment (Jas. 3:1).

They will know we are Christians by our love… not our ability to parse Greek verbs or quote Calvin or the latest Calvin Jr.

If you have a blog, don’t take yourself too seriously. Few people—even those “struggling with low self-esteem”—really think more lowly of themselves than they ought to think. The opposite sin, however, is pandemic (Rom. 12:3). Everyone wants to be taken seriously, but beware of losing a sense of proportion. Many bloggers come across as the “lonely poet” — misunderstood, outcasts from the world, shuffling miserably along life’s highway. Their problem is pride, and their favorite subject is themselves. But the snivelings of some disgruntled teenager do not make for edifying reading. What about joy? And where did Christ get lost in all of this?

Want to gain a large following fast? Attack, Attack, Attack.

JollyBlogger has come up with a pretty good start on his You Might Be a Presbyterian If . . . post. Here are the ones I thought hit the spot:

You might be a Presbyterian if . . .

2. You can spell supralapsrian , suprlapsarian, suralapsrian, supralapsarian.

3. When asked to name the twelve apostles you say Matthew, John, James, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel, Phillip, Simon, Thomas, Augustine, Luther and Calvin.

7. When the spirit comes upon you in power, you don’t raise your hands and shout Hallelujuah, rather you scratch your chin, turn to your neighbor and whisper “hmmm, . . . that was a good point.”

8. You think fencing has something to do with the Lord’s Supper instead of swords.

10.  When someone asks you a question about the Bible, you answer, “Well, the confession says . . . ” or “the catechism says . . . ”

16. You think the phrase “chosen frozen” is a compliment.

He then asks others to join him -

in poking fun at their own denomination, theological tradition or group.  We could have a “you might be a charismatic if . . .”, “you might be a dispensationalist if . . .” and so on.

Go visit his site to read more and to contribute.

Matt was considering having some kind of Close In Weapon System (CIWS) for his goal of pedalling the 16 miles to work each day.

I just ran into this info about the Ultimate Water Gun.

“It is not easy, using mere words, to describe the feeling of power you get when, merely by squeezing your hand, you send a powerful jet of water whooshing from the top of your head, shooting 75 feet or more in whatever direction you look, but I will try: It is cool.”

—Dave Barry

Hat-Tip to Boing Boing