Resource Review - Gives Me Hope

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


Gives Me Hope (.com) A website to brighten the day of you and your youth

OVERALL - A collection of submitted true stories designed to share some hope in all our lives.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? I'm a regular reader of a variety of similar sites like FML (F*ck My Life), My Life is Average, E-mails From Crazy People and others. My bet is your youth know at least FML if not several of the others. None of them has grabbed me as quickly and completely at Gives Me Hope. These are stories of people doing the right thing, making the right choices and making the world a better place. And there's a LOT more of them than you'd expect. Unless you have a heart seven sizes too small (you Grinch you) this will give your day a lift. And there are days when we all desperately need just that.

RESERVATIONS Hmmmm, sometimes the stories can be ever so slightly risque. Which might, maybe be a problem for middle schoolers. And I'm stretching even for that one.

RECOMMENDATION In a time when too many of our youth feel like the world sucks and there's no love in it for them having this kind of tool in your repetoire strikes me as a very good idea. I also see it as a great conversation starter as you read through the items. Even if you keep it for yourself it will put you into a brighter mood and make you better able to face your own rotten days. Thanks to "graduated youth" Sammi Jo Calabrese for tipping me to this great site.

View From the Phlipside - Ripping on Rudolph

These are the scripts from my weekly media commentary program on WRFA-LP Jamestown

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media. TV, Radio, the movies and more. I love 'em and I hate em' and I always have an opinion. Call this the view from the Phlipside

I will admit that I have a soft spot for the traditional Christmas movie slate. In fact, just to make sure that I can see them all each year I've hunted most of them down and bought them. A Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, the 1930's version of A Christmas Carol, The Walton's Christmas special, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life to name just some. I own them all. And December will be spent watching them all.

At the same time I'm aware of the cliche factor of it all. I know some of it is pretty cheesy. So I'm not above having some fun with it as well. Which is where the wonderful weird folks at RiffTrax enter the picture. If you're not familiar with Rifftrax then maybe you know them from their previous project Mystery Science Theater 3000. Or as it is known among the aficionados Misty Three K. The guys who made their fame by mocking bad science fiction films have turned their sights on Christmas. Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett will be joined by no less a loony luminary thanWeird Al Yankovic as they take on a variety of Christmas shorts, ads and a classic.

Oh, yes this time they're not sticking to lesser known movies that were just begging to be mocked and slandered. No, they're going for a classic of the season that, let's face it, is just begging to be mocked and slandered. Rifftrax Live - A Christmas Shorts-stravaganza will be taking on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And they'll be doing it live, broadcast to theaters all over America.

This is a relatively new thing that I've seen done for a couple other events over the last few years. You go to a theater (actually we'll have to go to either Erie or Buffalo. I don't see any theaters around here jumping on the Rudolph slanging bandwagon), you buy your ticket and you get to watch a live broadcast of the event. It's like the world's biggest big screen TV crossed with a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The show hits the theater next week, December 16, with an encore presentation the following day.

If you like your humor snarky and you're not squeamish about raking a great holiday classic over the coals (I mean they are going to murder this movie) then maybe it's worth the drive to Erie, Buffalo or Williamsville. If not then grab a copy of the DVD, snuggle up under the blanket and enjoy the story of an elf who wants to be a dentist and a reindeer with a big shiny nose. And let the Rifftrax boys worry about coal in their stockings.

Call that the view from the Phlipside

Sid the Kid doing it right

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby delivers season tickets and the Cup to a lady to who told him the Pens would win. Great video. Love her accent, it says home to me.

R.I.P. Harvey Korman

I grew up watching the Carol Burnett show, the last of the great TV variety shows. In the midst of the madness was always Harvey Korman. Korman passed away yesterday from complications following an aneurysm. He was 81 years old.

Korman was vital to the comedy of two of the great physical comedians of the 20th Century - Carol Burnett and Tim Conway. A truly great straight man will never get the credit he deserves. Korman was one of the greatest straight men of all time. He brought a suave, smooth presence to the outrageous work of his co-workers. It was clear that Harvey was up for just about anything.

Korman's career began in 1960 and stretched into last year. He was nominated for six Emmys and won four. He was also nominated for four Golden Globes and won once. Next to his work on The Carol Burnett Show his best known and loved work was in the movies of Mel Brooks. Hedley LaMarr from "Blazing Saddles" is a role worth watching over and over again. As always Harvey's character is the closest thing to a sane center to be found in the swirling insanity of a Brooks film.

But my favorite moments were when Harvey and Tim Conway worked together. You waited to see who would crack first. These are classic moments(And I'm not alone. Korman and Conway have spent the last couple years on tour together just being the kind of fall down funny silly they raised to a high art)

Thank you Harvey for so many laughs. What better way to remember him than a classic Harvey and Tim sketch "The Dentist Sketch"

Introducing Jesus

Interesting question. If you had Jesus physically here and wanted to introduce him to a friend of yours how would you do it? Steve Harvey (yeah, the comedian and TV star) offers this option (h/t to Stuart Delony):



Little flashy for day to day (I mean how often do you really get together with a couple thousand of your closest friends in a major auditorium?) This is just off the top of my head but I think I'd go much simpler.

I want you to meet someone who has really changed how I think and work and approach the world. And I can't even tell you how much of a comfort he's been when things have really gone in the dumper. He's laid back, never in your face but never plays games either. You'll always get the straight stuff from him. Just really comfortable to be around even when he's letting me know that he disagrees with me. He's cool, I really think you'll like him.

Peace

Why I love Youth Specialties

This is Tic and Marko, two "important" guys from Youth Specialties.
Two guys with serious reps in youth ministry.
Two guys who still get it.
These guys are my heroes (and yes even with the little bit of "off color" in the video. It's not a big deal to me but it may be to some so you have been warned)



Is it just me or does Marko have a look on his face that says "I can't believe I'm doing this in front of a couple thousand people?" But in true junior high ministry fashion he just goes for it.

Peace

All right if I don't blog soon I'll never catch up

It's been a busy couple of weeks here and I'm very much behind. So let me bring a quick update version of what's been going on:

Snow Lots and lots. Not in the same league as the folks in Oswego NY (where they are well past the 100 inch mark over the last, oh three weeks or so. Yes, 100 inches. And most of it inside a week's time. That's SNOW, baby!). We've had a lot of snow, as in several feet of the bothersome white stuff. As in I've run out of places for my snowblower to blow it. Eventually the piles get so high it just hits the side and then slithers back down into the drive way. Add the fact that my snow blower had its fuel line freeze and decided to throw a drive belt. Over and over and over. Temps are finally warming up and we should see some meltage soon.

Electrical problems We live in an all electric house. So when a baseboard heater in the kitchen and the water heater go within hours of one another it's a problem. Through various obstacles it took something like 9 days to get the electrician in to fix it all. No hot water while you're going through an exceptionally cold spell is no fun at all. I showered at the YMCA. But all is well now.

My birthday I turned 49. I got bifocals. Need I say more?

Add in several visits for youth ministry (oh yeah, THAT stuff) a trip to see the daughter in a one act play (had to drive back through white outs. What is it with the weather and her shows?!?!?!?), oh and just plain old life (my lady wife whacked the sideview mirror on her car and left it hanging by its cable. Thank God for our wonderful mechanic) it's been busy.

My office is at my home parish, rather than at D House and they've decided it's time to do some juggling of office space. I will take whatever they choose to give me because this congregation has been a wonderful support system for my ministry. In the end I'll have to accept...a LARGER office! I'll have a sometime roomie but as she's one of my favorite deacons in the whole wide world (I even liked her BEFORE she ascended to the diaconate!) that's not a real hard pill to swallow. Plus she's virtually NEVER in the office. Perfect roommate. When everyone else got what they needed the last office left is at the other end of my hall and is easily twice the size of this one. How small is my office? My rector refers to it as "Jay's closet". I can certainly use the space. It will feel weird to be somewhere else after 6+ years.

So there you go. I'm caught up. Time to go eat some Pancakes on this Mardi Gras!

Peace

What Theologian?

I'd never heard of Anselm before this so I looked him up. I like the quick view of what I see. Two examples from his wikkipedia entry-

"Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand."

"I hold it to be a failure in duty if after we have become steadfast in our faith we do not strive to understand what we believe."

Yes, I'll take Anselm. Not sure where Calvin came from though! I'm sure we share some theological points, even if no one else has every accused me of any Calvinist leanings.

Peace

You scored as Anselm. Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?' Anselm 80% John Calvin 60% Paul Tillich 53% Friedrich Schleiermacher 53% Augustine 40% Karl Barth 40% J�rgen Moltmann</font> 33% Charles Finney</font> 33% Martin Luther 27% Jonathan Edwards 13% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com