22 Words

Shake and shimmy to avoid the dreaded tissue.

Abraham Piper — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:06:07 +0000

Morrow started wiggling as a game, but now it’s how he avoids getting his nose wiped.

You can see it almost works:

Posted in Personal

A great review of my brother’s work

Abraham Piper — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:30:34 +0000

Some customers of Piper Construction have written a glowing review.

If you’re around the Twin Cities, join the crowd of happy customers!

Posted in Recommendations

Rap in an ordinarily non-rap church is good. Now let’s spread the open-mindedness.

Abraham Piper — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:40:33 +0000

I dislike rap, but I’m glad we occasionally feature it at church.

Now I think a metal band should get a chance.

Posted in Following Jesus, Music

What’s the most you’d pay to see a musician, and who’s that musician?

Abraham Piper — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:25:18 +0000

I probably wouldn’t spend over about $10 for a concert.

Except for front row Lyle Lovett tickets. Then I’d pay $15.

You?

Posted in Music, Questions

More weirdness from the previous tenants

Abraham Piper — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:17:24 +0000

Along with other odd things we’ve found, outside I continue unearthing “leaves” from a fake tree that was planted in the yard.

Posted in Personal

Is a blog with comments somehow a truer blog than those that have comments off?

Abraham Piper — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:13:24 +0000

Occasionally, I encounter the opinion online that a blog isn’t a real blog if it doesn’t have comments.

What do you think?

* * *

• A question for non-commenters
• An idea to improve commenting
• On derailed comments

Posted in Blogging, Questions

Unlike taking notes, Twittering requires more concentration and self-consciousness.

Abraham Piper — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:38:41 +0000

Despite twittering’s similarity to note-taking, it demands more attention from the writer:

Tweets are for an audience, while notes barely require coherence.

(Inspired by some responses to Josh Harris’s and my dad’s posts.)

Posted in Blogging, Constructive Criticism

Recommend a beverage for the season. Here’s Molly’s and mine:

Abraham Piper — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:07:49 +0000

Thanks to a friend’s sleuthing, we had smoothies tonight using the same mix as Dunn Brothers.

With heavy whipping cream, of course.

* * *

• 4 very short recipes
• How about a virtual potluck?

Posted in Food, Recommendations

The Key to Writing (in any genre): Steal well.

Abraham Piper — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:10:07 +0000

Rip off ideas subtly enough that no one knows where they came from specifically, but obviously enough that they’re still worth hearing.

* * *

• Let your readers be discovers
• An alternative to Strunk & White
• Make every sentence count

Posted in Writing

Why we can’t all be poets

Abraham Piper — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:16:11 +0000

The reason my father did not wax lyrical about warm spring nights…was that he wasn’t a poet, he was a topic.

-Kincaid Chance in Duncan’s The Brothers K, 125

* * *

• I want to read your favorite poems
• 22 contemporary poets worth reading
• The thanklessness of being inaugural poet

Posted in Literature, Quotes

Irwin Chance on the difficulty and value of biography

Abraham Piper — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:42:55 +0000

Full grown adults get darn complicated when you set their life down on paper end to end. Yet it’s almost worth it…

The Brothers K, 123

Posted in Literature, Quotes, Writing

A false idea about ideas of Jesus, but it’s good to remember some people feel this way.

Abraham Piper — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:18:37 +0000

It’s strange the way everybody has their own pet notion about Jesus, and nobody’s pet notion seems to agree with anybody else’s.

-Kincaid Chance in Duncan’s The Brothers K, 60

Posted in Following Jesus, Literature, Quotes

A newish blog to check out: Ten Digit Lumber

Abraham Piper — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:14:50 +0000

I recommend Jessica Melling’s blog.

It’s funny, often punny, and concise (without any ridiculous, arbitrary limitations like some people have).

Consider subscribing.

* * *

• 4 blogs I read but haven’t mentioned here
• Recommend blogs you bet we’ve never heard of

Posted in Recommendations

I’m mildly disappointed with Target’s new diapers.

Abraham Piper — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:13:55 +0000

With the recent overhaul of Target diapers, not one of the 3 reasons why I used to like them is true anymore.

Posted in Parenting

4 things I’m going to do today instead of being on the computer.

Abraham Piper — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:23:56 +0000

1. Shop at my new favorite store.
2. Plant plants.
3. Demolish a wall.
4. Eat brats.

What will you do with your computer off today?

Posted in Personal, Questions

OK, so there is one time you shouldn’t use they/them/their as a singular pronoun.

Abraham Piper — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:25:09 +0000

Don’t go gender neutrally referring to a pregnant lady’s baby as “them.”

Because, no, she isn’t having multiples, thank you very much.

* * *

• Masculine nouns can be gender neutral.
• 3 pronoun options for replacing singular they.
• A grammar book said this sentence is correct.

Posted in Language

Happy 30th Birthday, Molly!

Abraham Piper — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:36:49 +0000

I love you for giving me most of your twenties.

Here’s a couple of your favorite people saying they love you too:

Posted in Personal

Thabiti Anyabwile lists 9 things he appreciates about my mom’s new book.

Abraham Piper — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:36:59 +0000

Thabiti Anyabwile got my mom’s new book today and wrote a kind, perceptive review.

Also, he taught me a new word: phenotype.

Posted in Literature, Recommendations

If you wouldn’t make a kid feel ugly, fat, or stupid, don’t make them feel disfluent.

Abraham Piper — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:37:30 +0000

When you correct children’s language, it’s similar to remarking on their skin or weight or intelligence.

Do it carefully, if you must.

* * *

• If you speak, you know grammar.
• Beware the oversimplification of grammar.
• How to deal with irritation at others’ grammar.

Posted in Constructive Criticism, Language, Parenting

Putting our sin nature to practical use

Abraham Piper — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:09:06 +0000

Put ‘gently used’ stuff [out] with a sign “free” on it…no takers. Put “for sale” and it was stolen by morning.

-Derek Sanford

Posted in Miscellanea, Quotes

“Does disability and disease dominate our home? In a word, yes.” But…

Abraham Piper — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:28:23 +0000

John Knight responds to NPR’s interview with Karl Greenfeld.

They offer very different perspectives on the effect of disability on a household.

Posted in Love, Parenting, Recommendations

What’s the last interesting (though perhaps trivial) thing you’ve learned?

Abraham Piper — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:44:23 +0000

This morning I discovered that the earliest plural of dwarf is dwarfs.

Dwarves was popularized by Tolkien.

What have you learned recently?

Posted in Language, Questions

No, son, I won’t read you that book, but I can use it to teach you a new word: inane.

Abraham Piper — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:30:21 +0000

I won’t read Orison Scooby-Doo.

My mom wouldn’t read us Curious George.

What books are too annoying to read to your kids?

* * *

• 22 of our favorite picture books
• Using kids books to teach literature

Posted in Literature, Parenting, Questions

Jesus Follower, Christians are your family. Are you going to disown them?

Abraham Piper — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:20:24 +0000

Self-applying the term Jesus follower for accuracy or lexical variety is good.

Doing it to distance yourself from other Christians is cowardly.

Posted in Constructive Criticism, Following Jesus, Language

Don’t judge something’s value by whether or not you can live without it.

Abraham Piper — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:37:27 +0000

When you take a break from something and you don’t miss it, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not valuable in your life.

Posted in Constructive Criticism, Love