Scratch-n-sniff: A whole new way to enjoy the internet

Scratch-n-sniff technology is new, but as it improves it may become a regular feature on many web sites. You can try it out here. Simply scratch the image on your screen, lean in, and take a whiff.

Not working? Click here.

Bear with me while I experiment with different blog layouts

It's past time for a new look, so I'll be trying a few different layouts over the next few days. Please stand by.

Introducing my new "cartoon" blog

Yeah, I know. Another blog. But this one is different. It's old school, boasting material created entirely on a whiteboard. Not many bloggers can say that.

What kinds of things can you expect to see? This blog, entitled White Noise, will deal with all sorts of subjects, like social and political issues...

...general trivia...

 

...statistics...

...and just about everything else under the sun.

So be sure to check out White Noise, a blog featuring random sketches and musings from my whiteboard. Quirky, dry, satirical, and sometimes thought-provoking, there should be something for everyone. I hope you enjoy it!

Want to Be a Famous Blogger?

It's easy!

(Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.)

For Your Listening Pleasure

You may have noticed a new addition to the sidebar that looks like this:

This nifty little widget links you to my Last.fm playlist and allows you to listen to an eclectic soundtrack while you browse. To get started, simply click the big play button at the top, and the musical selections will begin playing in a random order. If you hear something you don't like (which, I'll admit, is VERY likely), just click the fast-forward button to jump to the next song.

But you may wish to navigate away from the main page or jump to another web site entirely. In that case, activate the pop-up player by clicking the little arrow symbol in the extreme lower right corner of the playlist box. It's that simple!

If you have any requests for songs to be added or removed, just leave them in the comments section of this post. I may or may not take them into consideration, but hey...it doesn't hurt to ask.

Happy listening!

Purgatorio Withdrawal? Try Thinking Inside the Box

All five semi-regular readers of Lemon Harangue Pie are familiar with Marc Heinrich's site Purgatorio, which treated us to "a panoply of evangelical eccentricities, un-orthodox oddities & christian cultural curiosities." As you know, Marc went on hiatus back in January, leaving a satirical void that desperately needed to be filled.

Well, thanks to the brilliant mind of Tom Slawson, we now have the Tominthebox News Network. It's been up and running for over three months, so here are a few of the stories you might have missed:

• Churches to Begin Offering Low-Carb Communion Options
  With the recent growth in popularity of diets such as the Atkins and Southbeach, churches across denominational lines are searching for new ways to get congregation members to once again take communion. ...
  
  
• Phelps Runs Out of People to Anathematize
  Known for his aggressive, provocative and often controversial style of "preaching," the Rev. Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, has found his "ministry" faced with a new problem. ...
  
  
• Fundamentalists Hope New "ePhod" Will Be a Hit
  In an effort to keep fundamentalist KJV-only teens from coveting, Pensacola Christian College announced that it will soon release its first ever electronic item called the ePhod. ...
  
  
• Net Finney Guards Families Against the Harmful Effects of Calvinism
  It is a situation that is becoming all too common. An unsuspecting individual begins to innocently search the internet for information on a particular subject and suddenly finds his or herself faced with the perils of Reformed theology. ...
  
  
• Church Goes "Glam Rock" to Attract "Old Rockers"
  ... And finally, when it seems that the building momentum can go no further in runs Pastor David Remington, face painted, hair-waving. He falls to his knees sliding to the center of the stage and air-guitars to an improvised solo by the church's praise band guitarist. ...
  
  
• NASB Onlyism Gaining New Momentum
  "You just can't be any more NASB than we are," said pastor Doug Holstein of Clearwater Baptist Church in Tacoma, Washington. "We believe that the New American Standard Bible is the absolute perfect and preserved Bible. There's no need to go back to the Greek and Hebrew to understand some kind of 'deeper meaning' of the text. It's all right there in English, in the New American Standard." ...
  
  
• Bob Jones University Starts "ThySpace" for Students
  Life at Bob Jones University can seem "strict" to some. Girls are restricted from wearing pants on certain parts of the campus. All dates must be chaperoned by one of the college staff, and under no circumstances are couples allowed to touch. Violations of these rules are strictly enforced, and those who accumulate enough demerits during a school year face expulsion. But recently rules regarding internet access on campus have been reevaluated. ...

Slawson also brought us Superbox I, the all-star showdown between the Alpha & Omega Ministries Calvinists and the Berean Call Arminians. If you missed it, you can download it here: 1st half, 2nd half.

Be sure to check out Tominthebox News Network. You won't be disappointed!

A Brief Word about Home Security

When it comes to hiding valuables, many people opt for "diversion safes." These clever devices look like real, ordinary household objects, but are designed to hold whatever you might want to keep out of the hands of a would-be burglar.

Perhaps the most original one I've seen is the Underwear Diversion Safe from eFindOutTheTruth.com:

The "Underwear/Brief Safe" is an innovative diversion safe that can secure your cash, documents, and other small valuables from inquisitive eyes and thieving hands, both at home and when you're traveling. Items can be hidden right under their noses with these specially-designed briefs which contain a fly-accessed 4" x 10" secret compartment with Velcro closure and "special markings" on the lower rear portion. Leave the "Underwear/Brief Safe" in plain view in your laundry basket or washing machine at home, or in your suitcase in a hotel room - even the most hardened burglar or most curious snoop will "skid" to a screeching halt as soon as they see them. (Wouldn't you?) Made in USA. One size. Color: white (and brown).

What gets me is not that someone dreamed up this idea -- as crazy as it is -- but that there are people out there willing to pay between $30 and $40 for it. I mean, why pay for something you could make yourself?

Like Dilbert said here....

Blogs are a great way for people to freely publish their views and comment on those of others, but sometimes they amplify how few people really have original ideas or the rhetorical skill to support them logically. I love the Dilbert cartoons from the last couple days:

See? You would realize the grievious error of your views if you would read the works of Scott Adams! But, of course, you haven't. Just like the Nazis didn't. You're such a fascist!

Mea Culpa Regarding Your Missing Comments

For those of you who dropped by once or twice and happened to have left a comment, you will notice that those comments have vanished. Sorry, but they are gone and won't be coming back unless you retype them.

If you look more closely, you may also notice that the URL has changed. If you got here by clicking on a link or by manually typing "leeshelton.blogspot.com" into your browser, you would have been automatically redirected here.

I thought about leaving it as it was, but I may be consolidating a few sites in the future, and I thought keeping that URL on hand for that purpose made more sense. So, there you have it.

Again, my apologies to all three of my readers. This site won't be moving again.

Carry on!