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American Idol Final 12 - Round 1

The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? [...]

[ More ] March 11th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in Entertainment |

Oprah, New Age, and You

Over the last week, I have been immersed in the controversy of New Age beliefs, where Oprah is headed and what that means to you and me. All of this started with my original post about Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, and their online “educational” collaboration, which you can read here. One of the observations that I [...]

[ More ] March 11th, 2008 | 5 Comments | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Faith, Lead |

American Idol - Final 12 Rankings (Pre-Game)

OK, tomorrow night kicks off the real competition. It’s time for the gloves to come off and the cleats (or pleats in this case) to go on. So in the spirit of competition, it’s time to roll out the power rankings. In other words, these are my predictions for who will leave spike [...]

[ More ] March 10th, 2008 | 4 Comments | Posted in Entertainment |

The Solution to D.S.T. Drowsiness

I posted this last week in my blog about Daylight Savings Time (which included some other helpful hints from USA Today), but some of you may have missed it. So like all good things, here’s your second chance.
By the way, you might want to keep an extra bag or two with you at all [...]

[ More ] March 10th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Humor |

Sunday Night Lights

We began our new message series today at The Grove that is built around themes found in the TV show “LOST”. Our tech team (you ‘da man Todd….you ‘da man too Jim) did an amazing job this morning pulling together a large number of elements into a pretty seamless whole. We had additional [...]

[ More ] March 9th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Faith |

The Answer to Your Prayer Just Might Be….YOU!

How many times have we all prayed that God would do…(fill in the blank)? I know I have uttered such prayers on numerous occasions. Well, I had an interesting observation on that prayer this afternoon.
I stopped by our church building at The Grove to take care of a few tasks in preparation for [...]

[ More ] March 8th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Faith |

Brett Favre - A Legend

Yesterday marked the end of an era. One of the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL hung up his cleats for the last time. He was great because he played full-out. He left nothing in the tank and everything on the field. He played to win. There are [...]

[ More ] March 7th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in Entertainment, Life |

American Idol - Final 12 Set

Well, we’re finally down to the real deal. My handicapping was pretty good for this week’s final cuts. Let’s review my previous comments:

[ More ] March 6th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Entertainment |

Burning Man

Fire is fascinating. Fire is consuming. Fire is attractional. Fire is mesmerizing.
And it is absolutely marvelous to see when when it is contained in a person that is on fire for Jesus Christ. Last week, Lesley and I had a chance to meet such a man. His name is [...]

[ More ] March 6th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Faith, Life |

American Idol Women - Sweet 16 Women’s Bracket

For the first time in several weeks, I’ll have a chance to watch the gals “live”. I’m usually occupied on Wednesday nights, so it’s typically a DVR situation. But TONIGHT, I’m free (or at least cheap). I’m not exactly what to expect from the gals tonight, but it HAS to be better than the dudes [...]

[ More ] March 5th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Entertainment |
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The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? Hook? Come on…that was pretty good). I think the four at the bottom of my power rankings (Cheezit, “Busted” Hernandez, Malubay Barbie, and KLC) are the most vulnerable which is why I placed them there. But there are always the potential surprises. Which is WHY WE PLAY THE GAMES! So, in the immortal words of Michael Buffer, “LLLLLLET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLE!

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The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? Hook? Come on…that was pretty good). I think the four at the bottom of my power rankings (Cheezit, “Busted” Hernandez, Malubay Barbie, and KLC) are the most vulnerable which is why I placed them there. But there are always the potential surprises. Which is WHY WE PLAY THE GAMES! So, in the immortal words of Michael Buffer, “LLLLLLET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLE!

Start uga_filter:

The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? [...]

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The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? [...]

Start uga_filter:

Over the last week, I have been immersed in the controversy of New Age beliefs, where Oprah is headed and what that means to you and me. All of this started with my original post about Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, and their online “educational” collaboration, which you can read here. One of the observations that I have come to is that anytime someones “Sacred Cow” is tipped, there is the usual rush to defend the “Sacred Cow” without investigating the truth. I don’t claim to be free from that sort of initial bias myself. However, truth must be what guides our actions and our directions. Unfortunately, in today’s world, truth can be an elusive goal. It often takes some determination to find it. Which is why so few of us wind up there, because it takes effort.

We want everything fast today. I’m as guilty as anyone on this count. We want what we want yesterday. Today is not good enough anymore. I can’t even stand waiting for 2-3 minutes in the line at McDonalds anymore. And the the 2:30 wait for a bag of popcorn to pop seems interminable to me at times. We live in a 24 hour news cycle so that we never have to wait to know what’s going on or what the weather is in a part of the country we don’t even live in.

With that cultural template as our guide, we blindly accept most of what we hear and see without ever taking the time to personally dissect and investigate for ourselves. That is a dangerous place for us all to be in. Especially when it comes to questions that impact eternal destinies.

Thanks to the authors of some very helpful websites, I was able to find the following information for your consideration (stick with this to the end and you’ll find where Oprah enters into this discussion):

The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc. They often use mutually exclusive definitions for some of their terms. The New Age is in fact a free-flowing spiritual movement; a network of believers and practitioners who share somewhat similar beliefs and practices, which they add on to whichever formal religion that they follow. Their book publishers take the place of a central organization; seminars, conventions, books and informal groups replace of sermons and religious services.

Quoting John Naisbitt:

In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience…With no membership lists or even a coherent philosophy or dogma, it is difficult to define or measure the unorganized New Age movement. But in every major U.S. and European city, thousands who seek insight and personal growth cluster around a metaphysical bookstore, a spiritual teacher, or an education center.” 1

The New Age is definitely a heterogeneous movement of individuals; most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation. Recent surveys of US adults indicate that many Americans hold at least some new age beliefs:

  • 8% believe in astrology as a method of foretelling the future
  • 7% believe that crystals are a source of healing or energizing power
  • 9% believe that Tarot Cards are a reliable base for life decisions
  • About 1 in 4 believe in a non-traditional concept of the nature of God which are often associated with New Age thinking.
  • 11% believe that God is “a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach”
  • 8% define God as “the total realization of personal, human potential”
  • 3% believe that each person is God.

The group of surveys cited above classify religious beliefs into 7 faith groups. 2Starting with the largest, they are: Cultural (Christmas & Easter) Christianity, Conventional Christianity, New Age Practitioner, Biblical (Fundamentalist, Evangelical) Christianity, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, and Jewish, A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group. 2

New Age beliefs:

A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers; individuals are encouraged to “shop” for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:

  • Monism: All that exists is derived from a single source of divine energy.
  • Pantheism: All that exists is God; God is all that exists. This leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a sacred text or as exists in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire universe.
  • Panentheism: God is all that exists. God is at once the entire universe, and transcends the universe as well.
  • Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life as a human. This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is similar to the concept of transmigration of the soul in Hinduism.
  • Karma: The good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into either a painful or good new life. This belief is linked to that of reincarnation and is also derived from Hinduism
  • An Aurais believed to be an energy field radiated by the body. Invisible to most people, it can be detected by some as a shimmering, multi-colored field surrounding the body. Those skilled in detecting and interpreting auras can diagnose an individual’s state of mind, and their spiritual and physical health
  • Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience will lead to the acceptance and use of New Age beliefs and practices. Guided imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and (sometimes) the use of hallucinogenic drugs are useful to bring about and enhance this transformation. Believers hope to develop new potentials within themselves: the ability to heal oneself and others, psychic powers, a new understanding of the workings of the universe, etc. Later, when sufficient numbers of people have achieved these powers, a major spiritual, physical, psychological and cultural planet-wide transformation is expected.
  • Ecological Responsibility: A belief in the importance of uniting to preserve the health of the earth, which is often looked upon as Gaia, (Mother Earth) a living entity
  • Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many sadhanas (spiritual paths) to the summit. Some are hard; others easy. There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. They anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all current faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide
  • New World Order As the Age of Aquarius unfolds, a New Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty. Gender, racial, religious and other forms of discrimination will cease. People’s allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern for the entire world and its people

Now that’s a lot of info to digest there. But let me highlight the key phrases from that information:

  • Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc.
  • Most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation
  • Individuals are encouraged to “shop” for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:
  • A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group

Here’s the essential truth regarding NEW AGE beliefs - There is no ultimate truth. There is no text to read from and follow. Instead, there is an encouragement for you to “find your own way. Make up your own set of beliefs. Keep what you like and throw out what you don’t.” My friends, that is insanity. Truth is not a “pick and choose” sport. But that is exactly what New Age is promoting. So most people are apparently keeping some of their original faith teachings (but only the ones they really personally like) and adding a few others here and there. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of faith. Isn’t it wonderful? That’s certainly what practitioners would want you to believe. But what happens when the ingredients in the smorgasbord are not only tainted, but dangerous? How wonderful is it then? Sadly, according to this information, New Agers now represent approximately 20% of the population. And in today’s cultural climate of instant gratification and lazy approaches toward truth, that number is likely to grow.

And now, enter Oprah. She has become in some ways the worlds leading evangelist. Millions of people love her and trust her. That is a powerful to position to be in. And one of great responsibility. And where has Oprah decided to direct her millions of followers? Into the gumbo stew of pick-and-choose, find your own ingredients, faith. And if you should doubt that her latest venture is not, in fact, a New Age evangelistic outreach, here is the icon found at the bottom of the aforementioned website that provided the New Age information above:

Do not simply listen to me and take my word for it. Be a miner of truth. Find out where she is leading. Discern the truth. Take your time. Due your due diligence. She may be leading, but it is up to you to follow or choose a different direction.

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Ending uga_filter:

Over the last week, I have been immersed in the controversy of New Age beliefs, where Oprah is headed and what that means to you and me. All of this started with my original post about Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, and their online “educational” collaboration, which you can read here. One of the observations that I have come to is that anytime someones “Sacred Cow” is tipped, there is the usual rush to defend the “Sacred Cow” without investigating the truth. I don’t claim to be free from that sort of initial bias myself. However, truth must be what guides our actions and our directions. Unfortunately, in today’s world, truth can be an elusive goal. It often takes some determination to find it. Which is why so few of us wind up there, because it takes effort.

We want everything fast today. I’m as guilty as anyone on this count. We want what we want yesterday. Today is not good enough anymore. I can’t even stand waiting for 2-3 minutes in the line at McDonalds anymore. And the the 2:30 wait for a bag of popcorn to pop seems interminable to me at times. We live in a 24 hour news cycle so that we never have to wait to know what’s going on or what the weather is in a part of the country we don’t even live in.

With that cultural template as our guide, we blindly accept most of what we hear and see without ever taking the time to personally dissect and investigate for ourselves. That is a dangerous place for us all to be in. Especially when it comes to questions that impact eternal destinies.

Thanks to the authors of some very helpful websites, I was able to find the following information for your consideration (stick with this to the end and you’ll find where Oprah enters into this discussion):

The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc. They often use mutually exclusive definitions for some of their terms. The New Age is in fact a free-flowing spiritual movement; a network of believers and practitioners who share somewhat similar beliefs and practices, which they add on to whichever formal religion that they follow. Their book publishers take the place of a central organization; seminars, conventions, books and informal groups replace of sermons and religious services.

Quoting John Naisbitt:

In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience…With no membership lists or even a coherent philosophy or dogma, it is difficult to define or measure the unorganized New Age movement. But in every major U.S. and European city, thousands who seek insight and personal growth cluster around a metaphysical bookstore, a spiritual teacher, or an education center.” 1

The New Age is definitely a heterogeneous movement of individuals; most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation. Recent surveys of US adults indicate that many Americans hold at least some new age beliefs:

  • 8% believe in astrology as a method of foretelling the future
  • 7% believe that crystals are a source of healing or energizing power
  • 9% believe that Tarot Cards are a reliable base for life decisions
  • About 1 in 4 believe in a non-traditional concept of the nature of God which are often associated with New Age thinking.
  • 11% believe that God is “a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach”
  • 8% define God as “the total realization of personal, human potential”
  • 3% believe that each person is God.

The group of surveys cited above classify religious beliefs into 7 faith groups. 2Starting with the largest, they are: Cultural (Christmas & Easter) Christianity, Conventional Christianity, New Age Practitioner, Biblical (Fundamentalist, Evangelical) Christianity, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, and Jewish, A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group. 2

New Age beliefs:

A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers; individuals are encouraged to “shop” for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:

  • Monism: All that exists is derived from a single source of divine energy.
  • Pantheism: All that exists is God; God is all that exists. This leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a sacred text or as exists in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire universe.
  • Panentheism: God is all that exists. God is at once the entire universe, and transcends the universe as well.
  • Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life as a human. This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is similar to the concept of transmigration of the soul in Hinduism.
  • Karma: The good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into either a painful or good new life. This belief is linked to that of reincarnation and is also derived from Hinduism
  • An Aurais believed to be an energy field radiated by the body. Invisible to most people, it can be detected by some as a shimmering, multi-colored field surrounding the body. Those skilled in detecting and interpreting auras can diagnose an individual’s state of mind, and their spiritual and physical health
  • Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience will lead to the acceptance and use of New Age beliefs and practices. Guided imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and (sometimes) the use of hallucinogenic drugs are useful to bring about and enhance this transformation. Believers hope to develop new potentials within themselves: the ability to heal oneself and others, psychic powers, a new understanding of the workings of the universe, etc. Later, when sufficient numbers of people have achieved these powers, a major spiritual, physical, psychological and cultural planet-wide transformation is expected.
  • Ecological Responsibility: A belief in the importance of uniting to preserve the health of the earth, which is often looked upon as Gaia, (Mother Earth) a living entity
  • Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many sadhanas (spiritual paths) to the summit. Some are hard; others easy. There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. They anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all current faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide
  • New World Order As the Age of Aquarius unfolds, a New Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty. Gender, racial, religious and other forms of discrimination will cease. People’s allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern for the entire world and its people

Now that’s a lot of info to digest there. But let me highlight the key phrases from that information:

  • Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc.
  • Most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation
  • Individuals are encouraged to “shop” for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:
  • A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group

Here’s the essential truth regarding NEW AGE beliefs - There is no ultimate truth. There is no text to read from and follow. Instead, there is an encouragement for you to “find your own way. Make up your own set of beliefs. Keep what you like and throw out what you don’t.” My friends, that is insanity. Truth is not a “pick and choose” sport. But that is exactly what New Age is promoting. So most people are apparently keeping some of their original faith teachings (but only the ones they really personally like) and adding a few others here and there. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of faith. Isn’t it wonderful? That’s certainly what practitioners would want you to believe. But what happens when the ingredients in the smorgasbord are not only tainted, but dangerous? How wonderful is it then? Sadly, according to this information, New Agers now represent approximately 20% of the population. And in today’s cultural climate of instant gratification and lazy approaches toward truth, that number is likely to grow.

And now, enter Oprah. She has become in some ways the worlds leading evangelist. Millions of people love her and trust her. That is a powerful to position to be in. And one of great responsibility. And where has Oprah decided to direct her millions of followers? Into the gumbo stew of pick-and-choose, find your own ingredients, faith. And if you should doubt that her latest venture is not, in fact, a New Age evangelistic outreach, here is the icon found at the bottom of the aforementioned website that provided the New Age information above:

Do not simply listen to me and take my word for it. Be a miner of truth. Find out where she is leading. Discern the truth. Take your time. Due your due diligence. She may be leading, but it is up to you to follow or choose a different direction.

Start uga_filter:

Over the last week, I have been immersed in the controversy of New Age beliefs, where Oprah is headed and what that means to you and me. All of this started with my original post about Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, and their online “educational” collaboration, which you can read here. One of the observations that I [...]

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Over the last week, I have been immersed in the controversy of New Age beliefs, where Oprah is headed and what that means to you and me. All of this started with my original post about Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, and their online “educational” collaboration, which you can read here. One of the observations that I [...]

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americanidollogo_2.jpgOK, tomorrow night kicks off the real competition. It’s time for the gloves to come off and the cleats (or pleats in this case) to go on. So in the spirit of competition, it’s time to roll out the power rankings. In other words, these are my predictions for who will leave spike marks on whose back. (You never knew vocals could be so violent, did you?) So here goes:

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Calling preg_replace_callback: ]*?)href\s*=\s*['"](.*?)['"]([^>]*)>(.*?) Ending uga_filter:

americanidollogo_2.jpgOK, tomorrow night kicks off the real competition. It’s time for the gloves to come off and the cleats (or pleats in this case) to go on. So in the spirit of competition, it’s time to roll out the power rankings. In other words, these are my predictions for who will leave spike marks on whose back. (You never knew vocals could be so violent, did you?) So here goes:

Start uga_filter:

OK, tomorrow night kicks off the real competition. It’s time for the gloves to come off and the cleats (or pleats in this case) to go on. So in the spirit of competition, it’s time to roll out the power rankings. In other words, these are my predictions for who will leave spike [...]

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Calling preg_replace_callback: ]*?)href\s*=\s*['"](.*?)['"]([^>]*)>(.*?) Ending uga_filter:

OK, tomorrow night kicks off the real competition. It’s time for the gloves to come off and the cleats (or pleats in this case) to go on. So in the spirit of competition, it’s time to roll out the power rankings. In other words, these are my predictions for who will leave spike [...]

Start uga_filter:

I posted this last week in my blog about Daylight Savings Time (which included some other helpful hints from USA Today), but some of you may have missed it. So like all good things, here’s your second chance.

By the way, you might want to keep an extra bag or two with you at all times for the next few weeks. Which is advisable since there is a buy two, get one free special for this week only!

Caution: May cause excessive hyperactivity. But if that irritates your co-workers, so much the better.

(Catheters are extra)

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Calling preg_replace_callback: ]*?)href\s*=\s*['"](.*?)['"]([^>]*)>(.*?) Start uga_preg_callback: Array Get tracker for full url Start uga_track_full_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Start uga_is_url_internal: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Start uga_get_option: internal_domains uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: internal_domains (markdoebler.com) Checking hostname markdoebler.com Match found, url is internal Ending uga_is_url_internal: 1 Get tracker for internal URL Start uga_track_internal_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg, Start uga_get_option: track_files uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_files (1) Tracking files enabled Start uga_get_option: track_extensions uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_extensions (gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc) Checking file extension gif Checking file extension jpg File extension found Absolute URL, remove hostname from URL Start uga_get_option: prefix_file_links uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: prefix_file_links (/downloads/) Start uga_remove_hostname: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Stripping everything up until and including first / Ending uga_remove_hostname: wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Checking file extension jpeg Checking file extension bmp Checking file extension png Checking file extension pdf Checking file extension mp3 Checking file extension wav Checking file extension phps Checking file extension zip Checking file extension gz Checking file extension tar Checking file extension rar Checking file extension jar Checking file extension exe Checking file extension pps Checking file extension ppt Checking file extension xls Checking file extension doc Ending uga_track_internal_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Ending uga_track_full_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Adding onclick attribute for /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/coffee-iv3.jpg Ending uga_preg_callback: Ending uga_filter:

I posted this last week in my blog about Daylight Savings Time (which included some other helpful hints from USA Today), but some of you may have missed it. So like all good things, here’s your second chance.

By the way, you might want to keep an extra bag or two with you at all times for the next few weeks. Which is advisable since there is a buy two, get one free special for this week only!

Caution: May cause excessive hyperactivity. But if that irritates your co-workers, so much the better.

(Catheters are extra)

Start uga_filter:

I posted this last week in my blog about Daylight Savings Time (which included some other helpful hints from USA Today), but some of you may have missed it. So like all good things, here’s your second chance.
By the way, you might want to keep an extra bag or two with you at all [...]

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Calling preg_replace_callback: ]*?)href\s*=\s*['"](.*?)['"]([^>]*)>(.*?) Ending uga_filter:

I posted this last week in my blog about Daylight Savings Time (which included some other helpful hints from USA Today), but some of you may have missed it. So like all good things, here’s your second chance.
By the way, you might want to keep an extra bag or two with you at all [...]

Start uga_filter:

sunday-nite-lights.jpg

We began our new message series today at The Grove that is built around themes found in the TV show “LOST”. Our tech team (you ‘da man Todd….you ‘da man too Jim) did an amazing job this morning pulling together a large number of elements into a pretty seamless whole. We had additional dramatic contributions of our flight attendant “Kiki” (you missed your calling Janet) and our Captain “Please fasten your seat belts” Proud. And that’s not to mention some creative script writing from Paula. My son, Zach, even contributed some great sound effects. It was a monumental effort this morning to create an environment that was conducive to crashing a plane. And so many people this morning made great contributions. Here are some highlights from the message:

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => false, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_a