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It was a beautiful Saturday in Blacksburg. The family was out and about, but I was stuck in front of the computer reconciling our financials. Fun.

So… I remembered “Gawker” – a time-lapse app that takes pics through your webcam at specified intervals. Here is the boredom that follows.

Working on Quicken from Jeff Noble on Vimeo.

Inspired by Jeremy, I dug up an old Facebook tag. For those of you used to expecting distinguished and profound posts from me, you’ll be so disappointed… For those of you who know me, this will assure you that I am still not distinguished and profound.

1. I intercepted a note in 5th or 6th grade that the girls in our class were passing around. It had every boys’ name in our grade on a sheet of paper with comments out beside their name like “He’s soooo cute” or “Adorable.” Out beside mine was “Eeeeww. Yuch.”
2. Probably as a result of that note scarring me, I didn’t have a steady girlfriend until I was a freshman at Ouachita.
3. I got my first kiss in a closet… from my next door neighbor in Marlowe Manor in Little Rock.
4. When she moved, my high school principal moved into the same house. It was quite a mental adjustment. He had two sons, and I could never bring myself to tell Rick Dowda (until now) that I got my first kiss in his or his brother’s closet.
5. I almost got suspended from high school (along with several other journalism students) for publishing an issue of the school newspaper that contained derogatory editorials about administration decisions.
6. I went to Arkansas Governor’s School and loved it. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to defend and dialog with others about my faith in Christ.
7. While at Ouachita Baptist University, I never knew where my car was going to wind up. My “friends” had keys made, and it would wind up on the student center steps, in used car lots, etc.
8. My favorite ice cream flavor is banana.
9. I don’t like tomato-ey foods. Gives me heartburn if I eat them after 4:00r 4:00
   English: World English Bible - WEB
   Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!
   
   WP-Bible plugin in the afternoon.
10. I used to have acid reflux really bad – even had to elevate the head of our bed – until I did the low-carb diet for 6 months. Lost 10-15 pounds, and have only had it in rare occasions since then.
11. I have “windows” in my sinuses. When I was young and into my teenage years, I would have to have my sinuses “washed out” by numbing them and having a large syringe full of warm salt water shot up my nose. Yum.
12. I was valedictorian of my high school class.
13. I have some of the greatest friends and accountability partners in the world.
14. I have a really hard time stomaching ultra-sports freaks.
15. At seminary, I got up early twice a week to drive over for classes (took me an hour to get there) and would arrive at 5:30 a.m. I joined Ben Phillips at a local bakery just south of seminary and got all my reading done there at the bakery before class.
16. Donald Duck is my favorite cartoon character.
17. I’ve been to China (twice), the Dominican Republic, Canada, Slovenia, Ukraine, Poland (twice), Maine, and Colorado on mission trips as a collegiate minister.
18. I once had my shorts jerked down to my ankles in the cafeteria line at Ouachita. I was standing in the main room with my tray in hand and had to shuffle off to the side and put down my tray in order to hastily jerk them back up. I’m pretty sure it was Mitch Bettis or Andy Dean. One doesn’t look behind you in that instant. One just acts.
19. I was part of a choreographed lip-syncing group with Mitch Bettis and Dennis Tucker at OBU. We were called “The Goobers.” We actually got requests to perform. Later, when Dennis decided his reputation was too precious to be soiled any longer with the epithet of “Goober” (though he was and I’m sure still is one in heart), Lon Vining took his spot for a last cameo of the group in the school cafeteria for a late-night talent show.
20. I drive a moped affectionately known as “The Batmoped.” That has nothing to do with being a Goober.
21. I have owned just about every video game system since the Atari 2600. Heck, before that, my dad brought home a large box one evening with two knobs on either end that connected to the TV. It was the first home entertainment “Pong” system. I rocked at that.
22. I have had a motorcycle wreck. Andy Dean was involved in that as well. Too little space here to detail.
23. I have journaled since I was in junior high.
24. I have had a large, painful butt boil before that I blogged about – to my wife’s horror.
25. I love life because of Jesus Christ.

I saw this entry over at Michael Kelly’s blog and wanted to ask you what your experiences with famous people are as well.

• Who’s the most famous person you’ve almost met?

Or…

• Who’s the most famous person you’ve met that you didn’t know was famous?

I have a famous person fetish. I don’t know why. Carolyn thinks I’m insane, but in my heart of hearts, I fear that there’s a paparazzi just dying to break out. My iPhone camera hasn’t helped things. I take shots of people who look like famous people secretly. Just last week, in Lefty’s in Blacksburg, there was a dead ringer for Mac Powell of Third Day.

I wrote a letter to Mel Gibson a few years ago asking him for an opportunity for a visit. I just wanted to pick his brain and find out what makes him tick. I just felt like I would really connect with him for some reason – in spite of the fact I’ve never produced a movie about Jesus, gotten a DWI or shown my butt in a film. It’s weird, I know. Maybe through the Twitterverse – which seems to connect random folks with each other – I’ll get that opportunity.

Just last year, I had Ryan Seacrest mention me in a tweet. Oh yes. And last week, Kurt Warner (who I hope wins the Superbowl this year if Brett Favre doesn’t) responded to one of my friends.

In a weird “six degrees of separation” experiment, Carolyn sat next to a man on the plane yesterday who noticed she was reading Mike Huckabee’s book A Simple Christmas. He told Carolyn he knew him, was friends with him, and promptly texted him that he was sitting next to a lady on a plane who was reading his book. His name for my former governor in his cell phone? President. Last night, a friend who had seen her tweet about the experience tweeted us that he and his wife had seen Janet Huckabee at the trade show they were attending in Dallas.

Other than that, Carolyn and I both went to school with the gals from Point of Grace. I bumped into Bill Clinton (literally) on the streets in NYC when I was in college with a group from the journalism department. And Sam and I failed to get Dominic Rhodes and Tony Dungy’s autograph when we saw them at Disney World two years ago. But our DR football card has pen impressions from where our pen failed to write on the card.

I did get my picture taken with Donald Duck.

Soooo…. leave a comment her with your experiences. And if you know Mel Gibson…

Courtesy of Tweetstats.com.

ruminate |ˈroōməˌnāt|
verb [ intrans. ]
1 think deeply about something : we sat ruminating on the nature of existence.
2 (of a ruminant) chew the cud.

“Random Ruminations” may not necessarily be accurate because few of what you’ll see in this series will require deep thinking. However, it should make for some fun reading. I’ll be using it to post things I’ve seen and heard over a collection of days that caught my attention.

From Facebook:

Who you follow on Twitter has become “the bookshelf” of this time. Remember when you used to go to someone’s house and look at all the books they had on their bookcase so you would know what they were interested in? (Today it’s) Twitter followers. that’s where you see it now… (via Karen Erren)

From The Weather Channel App on my iPhone:

12/16/2009 -WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. * TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT IN THE WARNED AREA. VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED. * STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS AROUND A FOOT ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

(I also posted the above as my Facebook status and got this comment from Shane Glass:

I never understood why weather announcements are in all caps. I mean, they could be urgent, requiring you to assimilate the information as quickly as possible, yet they type in all caps, which, of course, is harder to read. OMG WATCH OUT FOR THAT TORNADO YOU WOULDVE KNOWN ABOUT IF YOU DIDNT HAVE TO READ ALL CAPS. ***

And from Twitter:

Oooow. My son just made me stab my brain through my nose. I was doing a pinky pick when he jammed my elbow. (Yes, this was my update, and it received a bunch of responses both on Twitter and Facebook where I posted it. My wife and mom were horrified.)

Word with Friends

This iPhone app is my new addiction. Basically, you can play Scrabble with folks from all over. It only allows for two-person games right now, and I’d love to see the ability to play with more, but it’s awesome.

From Flickr

Adelyn was in The Nutcracker which performed at Burruss Hall at VT last week. This is a shot of her makeup prep. It was her third straight year to be in the production (her first here in VA). Go here for more Flickr shots.

And for your viewing entertainment…

Yes, I resemble that remark. I love how the dad chuckles after the son tells him to stop twittering so much.

This thing just makes me laugh… Are you a butt dialer?

My mom sent me these in an email, and considering my new location, I thought I’d post them. It might help folks get to know me a little better…

Here are some ways to know if you’re a true Arkansan …if…

1. You can properly pronounce Ouachita.

2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are  sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look  for a funnel.

4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by

the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don’t have bags, they have sacks.

6. You’ve seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.

7. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

8. You measure distance in minutes.

9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

11. You know cow pies are not made of beef.

12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

13. You have known someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.

14. You aren’t surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, beer, and bait all in the same store.

15. You know that a Mercedes Benz isn’t a status symbol here – A Red Ford, F-250, Crew Cab, with Dual Wheels and Four Wheel Drive is.

16. You know everything goes better with ‘Ranch’.

17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

18. If you know who Slick Willy is and how he achieved his name.

19. If you have ever had this conversation: “You wanna Coke?” “Yeah.” ”What kind?” “Dr Pepper.”

20. You know that “Whooooo Pig! Sooie!” is Calling the Hogs!

21. You know where Fannie Fox Freeway is and how it was so named.

22. If you know what “Black Ice” is. (patches of ice on highway)

23. You know how to get to Toad Suck, and Petit Jean Mtn.

24. Why the state flag is diamond shaped.

25. If you’ve ever listened to Bob Robbins or Craig (Lips) O’Neill…

26. Ever been up the Pig trail and floated down the Buffalo .

27. Your summers are measured in consecutive days that the temperature exceeds 100 degrees.

28. If you know the horse track is in Hot Springs and the dog track is in  West Memphis.

29. If you ever bought earthquake insurance because you were once worried about the New Madrid Fault.

30. Deer hunting is considered an excused absence in your High Schools..

And Finally:

31. You are 100% Arkie if you actually get more than half of these jokes and are “FIXIN” to send them to your friends.

A recent Conan show featured Jerry Seinfeld. Here is the bit about the Blackberry and iPhone. Funny stuff.

One of the most entertaining parts of the trip – at least for me and Tracy – was our daily video updates. We called them Krakow Live, and it didn’t take long for them to become an evening entertainment staple for the team. One of the more popular featurettes was Tracy’s infamous Tuck and Roll video. 

He still claims it was carefully orchestrated. The girls claim he tripped. You decide.

Krakow Live Special Report: Tracy Reed’s Tuck and Roll from Jeff Noble on Vimeo.

You can view the rest of the Krakow Live updates at my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/jeffnoble.

OK, just for insanity and your viewing pleasure on this Monday morning… For what it’s worth, I think this would be a great thing for a welcoming committee at a church to do in the foyer once a month or so.

HT: Shane Vanderhart

OK, yes, I’d take one. No, I won’t pay for one until I’m eligible for a full upgrade. But this guy is my hero.

Run; don’t walk… over to Monergism’s site to enter for a chance to win a free Bible. Deadline is June 10. Click on picture below to be taken directly to entry form.