kyleandkelly.com

After much prodding from certain family members…

My “2006 Christmas list”:http://kadams54.backpackit.com/pub/328575.

written by Kyle

Hot diggity. Paige thinks I’m cute.

Hat tip to “cousin Dave”:http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Melchandra for finding the comic and kudos to “FoxTrot”:http://www.foxtrot.com/ for being such an excellent comic strip.

written by Kyle

Well, I finally did it. I got a new job. Starting on January 8, 2006 I will no longer know what I am doing. I will be a new neonatal (newborn baby) nurse. This transition is full of joy and sadness. I have long desired to work in this position but also have an intense interest in stroke patients as well. Seeing as I can’t have it both ways, I started in a neuroscience position as a stroke resource nurse and now it is time to explore another avenue. I will dearly miss my co-workers and Blodgett hospital, but I have prayed long and hard about this and God is leading me toward the world of neonatal. In the meantime I am trying to enjoy my co-workers and my patients as much as I can. There will be many fond memories of my years with these wonderful people.

written by Kelly

Insipired by Kathy Sierra’s exhortion to “build something”:http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/08/build_something.html, I and three like-minded geeks embarked on a 48 hour journey to create a video game.

We’re all hitting the sack (it’s almost 4AM) after the first day of programming. We’re writting an Asteroids game, and our game now displays a motionless asteroid in the middle of a black screen. Yay. Actually that’s pretty good progress for the first day.

My sleeping bag calls…

written by Kyle

Take this quote:

bq. “Organizations like this one across the country are gaining access to schools through the famous people and entertainment value and then using those opportunities to proselytize,” she said. “These organizations sometimes take advantage of the schools’ desire to provide compelling experiences for their students.”

What’s the context? Another Christian morals crusader railing against liberal Hollywood or violent video games? Hardly.

That’s Drewry Fennell, executive director of the Delaware chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. She’s talking about “a recent assembly at a public high school that featured two Philadelphia Eagles football players”:http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2205460. Tra Thomas and Thomas Tapeh apparently mentioned their faith during their speeches and urged students to attend a local Christian concert. Parents complained and the principle disavowed any knowledge that the speeches would have a Christian tinge.

School assemblies like there _are_ dicey ground for separation of church and state. With that said, I find it incredibly ironic that Christians are being accused of being too media and entertainment-industry savvy. Dang. Who knew? Furthermore, shame on us for using the innocent entertainment industry to spread propaganda! How dare we…

written by Kyle

For the football fans out there, see if you recognize the “Indianapolis Colts”:http://www.colts.com/ player I’m describing.

He incessantly studies game film. He has such rapport with his supporting cast that all it takes is a look or a gesture to communicate between them. He’s been on the cover of Sports Illustrated and industry analysts acknowledge him as one of the best players right now. His career is heading for the football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Peyton Manning? Well, OK, yeah, but I’m talking “about Dwight Freeney”:http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051014/SPORTS03/510140497.

written by Kyle

Kathy Sierra, an educational expert and technical trainer, has an excellent post on “the role of ambiguity in the learning process”:http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/10/the_best_thing_.html. If you’re not a technical person, don’t get thrown by the talk about “Web 2.0″ at the beginning–just know that it’s a new idea that’s still pretty vague and undefined. You don’t even need to read the article to continue on in this post, if you trust my summarization of Kathy’s points.

Kathy’s post relates a longtime frustration of mine that I’ve struggled to put into words: the illiteracy of American Protestants when it comes to visual art.

h3. The Backdrop

In the Western world, we spend a good portion of our education learning how to read, write, and interpret the written word (grammar, sentence structure, poety, interpreting allegory, the classics, etc.). Most American high school graduates leave school having gained some exposure to Shakespeare, Dickinson, Jane Austen and other masters of the written word.

Visual art, on the other hand, is an elective. You could easily graduate from high school without taking a single art class, without learning about the Renassiance artists or the Impressionists. This lack of education is further compounded by the historical absence of visual art from Protestant worship, due to the backlash against Catholic “idolatry” during the Reformation.

Consequently most American Protestants have little experience at interpreting visual artwork, due to lack of opportunities within the educational system and their church communities.

h3. Back to Ambiguity

So what does this have to do with ambiguity? Artists of all stripes know that (as Kathy puts it) “…if you’re trying to help someone learn, inspire them, motivate them, engage them, involve them, or just get some kind of a reaction beyond mental and emotional flatline, turn down the gain in strategic places.” “Turn down the gain” means to making something less than crystal clear. Nothing helps implant a concept in a brain like having to work that concept out on your own. This is not a revoltionary statement.

This statement is just an extension of knowing that the life lessons experienced first hand are the ones best learned. If we have to wrestle with something and work it out on our own, our brain isn’t going to lose the rewards gained at the end of the struggle.

h3. The Problem with Art

The problem is that, through lack of exercise, American Protestants have become lazy when it comes to wrestling with ambiguity in visual art. We don’t have the experience doing it, it’s hard, it takes too much time and thought, it’s not interesting… we just don’t do it. So when we encounter artwork that contains ambiguity, rather than attempting to work it out and thereby learn something, we just move on. Give us our artwork “Thomas Kincaide-style”:http://www.thomaskinkade.com/: nice and fluffy with no heavy mental lifting involved. All we really want is something easy on the eyes and pretty in the living room.

The whole situation reminds me of the Newsboys song, “Lost the Plot”:

When you come back again
would you bring me something from the fridge?
Heard a rumour that the end is near
but I just got comfortable here.

written by Kyle

I am always working when very interesting things are happening. The other day while I was at work, it was a busy day, but cerrtainly not chaotic. One of the staff nurses Jenny was going to lunch, so she went into the kitchen to heat up her food. She described to me once she got to the breakroom that while she was waiting on her food a creepy patient walked in the kitchen and continued to fill a bath basin with food and sliverware. She thought he was just really hungry. I was called out of lunch by the security guards at the hospital. Three security guards at the desk informed me that they knew this guy and everytime he is a patient he steals everything. I argued that stealing food isn’t really that big of a deal if it is a patient. Then they informed me that he steals much more than food. At first I was a bit shocked and expected to have to deal with getting wallets and personal belongings back. I went to his room to search it and take back any stolen goods. Here is what I found: Washcloths, towels, bedding, adult diapers, playing cards, patient gowns, food galore, random wires and cords to different medical equiptment, an IV pump, defibrilator pads, and a small mirror used to examine patients mouths. This guy was not only stealing he was a kleptomaniac. He then begged to keep each and every item, just in case he would need it some day. Wow, now I understand kleptomaniacs really do pick up everything.

written by Kelly

If you visit the site on a regular basis (yeah, all five of you), you may have noticed the site’s been a bit ill-tempered as of late. You get a cranky error when posting comments, pages are slow to load, etc. I apologize.

I’m working on a solution, but this site is a spare-time project, which I have little of right now. Hopefully in the next month or so the problems will be resolved. The downside is that it may get worse before it gets better. kyleandkelly.com may cease to exist for a couple of days in the near future. You’ll live.

written by Kelly

Here it is, nice and early. My Christmas list for those who like lists.

* “Reversible Down Vest size small color Rosebud/Deep Red”:http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=32944&shop_method=pp&catalog_id=KK. Item number kk44413.
* “Down Booties”:http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=43332&shop_method=pp&catalog_id=KK. size XS Color either the Cayenne or Chocolate Brown You Pick. Item number kk51712.
* “Essetial Rib Sweater zip-cardigan”:http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=42467&shop_method=pp&catalog_id=KK. Size: small. Any color except mulberry or cool mint. Item number kk50853.
* “Bean’s Cashmere Sweater V-Neck”:http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=34715&shop_method=pp&catalog_id=KK. Size: small. Any color, I’m desperate here. Item number kk45844.
* An awesome ice cream scoop
* Camp table
* “Duffle Bag any color”:http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=39542&from=GM&noDept=&guideId=5928&moduleId=5942&feat=gg380000.
* Wood clamps-good quality
* Cordless Drill - Craftsman
* Creative Memories stuff. Amy V. keeps a list for me
* Personally designed kitchen cart to match my potato box (Dad J.)
* Coffee Maker that grinds beans and has a timer
* “italk”:http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71807/wo/uq2SoyDPg6PD2d2ldvI2r3KSBNY/1.SLID?mco=EEA76CE7&nplm=T9635LL%2FA.
* “earbuds”:http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71807/wo/uq2SoyDPg6PD2d2ldvI2r3KSBNY/5.SLID?mco=EB4BD32A&nplm=T9616LL%2FA.
* Home Depot gift certificates for more landscaping bricks and plants and dirt.
* Guitar Capo and Foot rest
* “DKNY Be Delicious”:http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;jsessionid=4IR4ZFAF3AN0HLAUCLCBXCQ?id=P79615&cm_mmc=us_search-_-GG-_-br-_-dkaran%20DKNY%20Be%20Delicious&_requestid=57329.

Stay tuned, more to come!

If you purchase something off the list please scriblet “I bought something” then include your email so that others my contact you to find out what it is.

written by Kelly