I don't know anything about Niko Gruber who appears in this video except that I think he does a great job with it. While done in a funny way each of these examples are EXACTLY the kind of nonsense that too often passes for evangelism. You'll notice most of them feed the ego of the "evangelist". That's always a good sign that you're doing it wrong.
Warning - while there is nothing in the way of bad words or anything the humor is decidedly sophomoric.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Farewell Porky
This blog entry is only of interest to you if you're:
A: Into the history of rock and roll radio in its earliest days, and/or
B: Into Pittsburgh radio of the same era.
At age 90 the "Platter Pushin' Poppa", the "Daddio of the Raddio", the "Bossman"
Craig "Porky" Chedwick is leaving Pittsburgh.
Here's why this is important -
The Porkster is one of the great ORIGINAL rock and roll DJs. Never heard of him? Doesn't surprise me. The rock and roll historians tend to glide over the Pittsburgh native. You will find his name at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their display of the great early names of radio DJs. He's the only Pittsburgh DJ to make the cut. But if you ask the great acts and artists of those days THEY know Porky Chedwick. Porky was one of those daring young men who played black artists for white audiences. Put him right next to Alan Freed (if you don't know who Alan Freed is I'm going to have to ask you to leave this discussion right now. Go look him up. Only then will you be allowed back into polite rock history discussion society). Porky later was the father of Oldies radio as well.
His radio career isn't over yet despite the fact that he got started in the late 1940's. He's done over 7,000 record hops. Pittsburgh honored him two years in a row with his own "Porkfest" Oldies festival. He's been recognized for his history on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. His greatest years were with legendary Pittsburgh station WAMO.
And Porky was all about Pittsburgh. He's lived his entire life there. By the time I paid attention to the radio Porky was a "relic" but you still knew the name. He's as much a 'Burgh Thing as the Bucs, the Stillers or Iron City.
In August Porky and his wife will leave his hometown behind and head south to Florida. Not to retirement (as one commentator puts it "...Porky would never consider retirement because he can’t find a rhyme for it!") because he's got plans for doing his music thing down there too.
But it's the end of an era in my hometown and for the industry I loved and served for so many years. His "air chair" will never be filled.
Peace
A: Into the history of rock and roll radio in its earliest days, and/or
B: Into Pittsburgh radio of the same era.
At age 90 the "Platter Pushin' Poppa", the "Daddio of the Raddio", the "Bossman"
Craig "Porky" Chedwick is leaving Pittsburgh.Here's why this is important -
The Porkster is one of the great ORIGINAL rock and roll DJs. Never heard of him? Doesn't surprise me. The rock and roll historians tend to glide over the Pittsburgh native. You will find his name at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their display of the great early names of radio DJs. He's the only Pittsburgh DJ to make the cut. But if you ask the great acts and artists of those days THEY know Porky Chedwick. Porky was one of those daring young men who played black artists for white audiences. Put him right next to Alan Freed (if you don't know who Alan Freed is I'm going to have to ask you to leave this discussion right now. Go look him up. Only then will you be allowed back into polite rock history discussion society). Porky later was the father of Oldies radio as well.
His radio career isn't over yet despite the fact that he got started in the late 1940's. He's done over 7,000 record hops. Pittsburgh honored him two years in a row with his own "Porkfest" Oldies festival. He's been recognized for his history on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. His greatest years were with legendary Pittsburgh station WAMO.
And Porky was all about Pittsburgh. He's lived his entire life there. By the time I paid attention to the radio Porky was a "relic" but you still knew the name. He's as much a 'Burgh Thing as the Bucs, the Stillers or Iron City.
In August Porky and his wife will leave his hometown behind and head south to Florida. Not to retirement (as one commentator puts it "...Porky would never consider retirement because he can’t find a rhyme for it!") because he's got plans for doing his music thing down there too.
But it's the end of an era in my hometown and for the industry I loved and served for so many years. His "air chair" will never be filled.
Peace
It feels so good
Just to be "home". I discovered some interesting depth to that word today.
Today was my first day back in the office after EYE (which was great, more on that later). The office is a mess. All the stuff from Senior High conference was still all over the floor, then add in the stuff from EYE. Plus a backlog of camp registrations and other mail. I hacked my way through some of it for about three hours then I found myself getting up and walking away.
Down the stairs and out the front door. Across the courtyard and into the church.
And the first word in my head was "home". I didn't go in to pray or even to sit. I just needed to be in that space. The high vaulted ceiling of my English neo-gothic home parish. The Italian marble of the raredos and the brilliant colors of the stained glass. Just being there lifted my spirit and raised a weight from my shoulders.
If that's not home I don't know what is.
Peace
Today was my first day back in the office after EYE (which was great, more on that later). The office is a mess. All the stuff from Senior High conference was still all over the floor, then add in the stuff from EYE. Plus a backlog of camp registrations and other mail. I hacked my way through some of it for about three hours then I found myself getting up and walking away.
Down the stairs and out the front door. Across the courtyard and into the church.
And the first word in my head was "home". I didn't go in to pray or even to sit. I just needed to be in that space. The high vaulted ceiling of my English neo-gothic home parish. The Italian marble of the raredos and the brilliant colors of the stained glass. Just being there lifted my spirit and raised a weight from my shoulders.
If that's not home I don't know what is.
Peace
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Quick word from EYE
Well I've got just a second to catch up. We had a small adventure at the airport (five of us without seats at first) but that was quickly resolved. The youth are doing very well and getting into the event.
The major event has been that I've lost about 90% of my voice! I can hear the laughter from here. Yes, I have to shut up for at least 24 hours to try and give it a rest. The downside is that I can't SING!!!! And the music has been great.
I'm taking lots of pictures and video so I should have plenty to share.
Keep us in your prayers.
Peace
The major event has been that I've lost about 90% of my voice! I can hear the laughter from here. Yes, I have to shut up for at least 24 hours to try and give it a rest. The downside is that I can't SING!!!! And the music has been great.
I'm taking lots of pictures and video so I should have plenty to share.
Keep us in your prayers.
Peace
Monday, July 07, 2008
entre acte
Well Senior High is over and it went well. There were tons of little nitsy problems to start the week which threw me out of my routine. Because of that my all conference workshop wasn't as polished as I prefer them to be. The reaction seemed very good so it was good enough.
No major blowups, just a couple of medium sized ones that seemed to work themselves out well enough. So mark it down as a good week.
Now two days off and then on to EYE (Episcopal Youth Event There will be regular updates on the website on what is going on so join us via Internet). Things have been going smoothly till today. Went to download boarding passes for our group and discovered not all of us have seats at the moment. In fact we're FIVE seats short. I hate this bullshit from the airlines. They've oversold the flight as business insurance for themselves. Is there ANY industry out there has made sticking it to their customers as much a part of the basic business model as the airlines have? Every move they make is aimed squarely at the convenience of their customers.
How soon can we restart regular rail passenger service? I actually checked the railroads for this trip. It would have taken almost two days to get from Buffalo to San Antonio because of an enormous layover in Chicago I think.
On the plus side I'm really not in the panic mode that was a common part of my life a decade ago. We show up at the airport, we check in, we see what can be done when we get there. That's all I can do at the moment. The other adults travelling with me have already been notified of the glitch.
What a pain.
I'm looking forward to seeing many friends and having a good time between tomorrow and Sunday. Forecast for SA is low to mid 90s. Looks like it'll be humid though.
Pray for us travellers.
Peace
No major blowups, just a couple of medium sized ones that seemed to work themselves out well enough. So mark it down as a good week.
Now two days off and then on to EYE (Episcopal Youth Event There will be regular updates on the website on what is going on so join us via Internet). Things have been going smoothly till today. Went to download boarding passes for our group and discovered not all of us have seats at the moment. In fact we're FIVE seats short. I hate this bullshit from the airlines. They've oversold the flight as business insurance for themselves. Is there ANY industry out there has made sticking it to their customers as much a part of the basic business model as the airlines have? Every move they make is aimed squarely at the convenience of their customers.
How soon can we restart regular rail passenger service? I actually checked the railroads for this trip. It would have taken almost two days to get from Buffalo to San Antonio because of an enormous layover in Chicago I think.
On the plus side I'm really not in the panic mode that was a common part of my life a decade ago. We show up at the airport, we check in, we see what can be done when we get there. That's all I can do at the moment. The other adults travelling with me have already been notified of the glitch.
What a pain.
I'm looking forward to seeing many friends and having a good time between tomorrow and Sunday. Forecast for SA is low to mid 90s. Looks like it'll be humid though.
Pray for us travellers.
Peace
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Our newest family member
I meant to post this as part of the "Friday Cat Blogging" trend but the place where I store my photo files seems to have died (again!). So I had to establish a new place for the photos.
This is Zaphod. I award extra points for folks who catch the reference although that's costing me a LOT in points. It's not nearly as obscure as I thought. Which is kind of cool actually.
Zaphod is a long hair (sigh, not my choice. My two ladies picked her out and didn't check) all black kitten. I knew I was in trouble the day I picked her up. She was climbing the inside of the cage at the SPCA. Then when she was safely in her cat carrier on the way home she attempted to tear her way OUT of the cardboard carrier. No piteous mewings, no anguished yowlings. Just claws and teeth and full length extensions of paw and limb through the air holes looking for somethig to grab.
Since she's gotten home she's displayed all the usual kitten energy. Plus an absolute mania for climbing. Not just the usual though. She climbs like a lumberjack, wrapping her front paws around the newel posts of the stairs or even the door frames and kicking her way up. She's gotten well over five feet up the door frame several times. I have no idea where she thinks she's going. Fortunately she likes the scratching post I built for her (pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. Hand wound with 100 feet of sisal rope)
Our senior cat Amidala is less than amused by all this energy. Ami never had much of a kitten's sense of whimsey even when she was a kitten. Now she's a grumpy old dowager barely tolerating this tasmanian devil of activity. But no blood. Ami growls and swats when Zee gets too much for her. They've made peace at the food bowl so that's good.
It keeps life interesting for us all. Zee likes to announce her joy of life to me by rubbing, purring and licking my face each morning. Usually around 4 AM. I may be the one to draw blood.
Oh and a note on black cats. Black cats are a tradition in my family started by my father. We only had black cats all the years I grew up. They remain my favorite. I was very disappointed when we adopted our last two because there were none to be had at the SPCA.
This is Zaphod. I award extra points for folks who catch the reference although that's costing me a LOT in points. It's not nearly as obscure as I thought. Which is kind of cool actually.Zaphod is a long hair (sigh, not my choice. My two ladies picked her out and didn't check) all black kitten. I knew I was in trouble the day I picked her up. She was climbing the inside of the cage at the SPCA. Then when she was safely in her cat carrier on the way home she attempted to tear her way OUT of the cardboard carrier. No piteous mewings, no anguished yowlings. Just claws and teeth and full length extensions of paw and limb through the air holes looking for somethig to grab.
Since she's gotten home she's displayed all the usual kitten energy. Plus an absolute mania for climbing. Not just the usual though. She climbs like a lumberjack, wrapping her front paws around the newel posts of the stairs or even the door frames and kicking her way up. She's gotten well over five feet up the door frame several times. I have no idea where she thinks she's going. Fortunately she likes the scratching post I built for her (pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. Hand wound with 100 feet of sisal rope)
Our senior cat Amidala is less than amused by all this energy. Ami never had much of a kitten's sense of whimsey even when she was a kitten. Now she's a grumpy old dowager barely tolerating this tasmanian devil of activity. But no blood. Ami growls and swats when Zee gets too much for her. They've made peace at the food bowl so that's good.
It keeps life interesting for us all. Zee likes to announce her joy of life to me by rubbing, purring and licking my face each morning. Usually around 4 AM. I may be the one to draw blood.
Oh and a note on black cats. Black cats are a tradition in my family started by my father. We only had black cats all the years I grew up. They remain my favorite. I was very disappointed when we adopted our last two because there were none to be had at the SPCA.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Supreme Court Decision
It's the end of session for the Supreme Court and they're cranking out some big ones as per usual.
One from a day or so ago has been sitting with me. It was the ruling that said that
Man, I had a split reaction to that. I do support a carefully applied use of the death penalty. It is not a position arrived at lightly and it is one that I hold with a certain ambivalence. The concept of state sponsored murder doesn't sit well with me. On the other hand society needs to hold that ultimate punishment as a possibility for the worst crimes. That is my belief. As I said it comes with a certain burden of ambivalence.
So surely the rape of a child MUST qualify as among the worst crimes that it possible to commit. The court's logic that only death of the victim raises the crime to the level of capital punishment falls short for me. My heart cries out and my mind echoes the cry. While the murder is a terrible thing it is one with an end. It is a finite event. The results of rape go on long after the criminal "act" has been completed.
There are two other arguments that I find somewhat more comfortable. First that there is no overwhelming societal consensus on the issue. In fact quite the opposite. There is only a handful of states that have such a law and virtually no one other than the plaintiff in this case who has been sentenced for the crime. In fact no one has been executed for the crime of rape of a victim of any age since 1964. Capital punishment for the rape of an adult victim was ruled out by the Court in 1977.
The most compelling argument came from a surprising corner to me, advocates for children. They did not even the possibility of the death penalty because it would diminish the already minimal reporting of the crime. Sadly the most common perpetrator is a family member or close friend. People are more likely to turn in such a person even if they faced life in prison but are less likely if the death penalty is involved.
In the end I find myself resting uncomfortably with a decision on the death penalty. As a minister to young people my first impulse to protect those kids and yes sometimes at any cost. As a person of faith I am called to a path of redemption which can not be followed if the person needing it is dead. Politically I am concerned when the state has the authority to take the life of a citizen.
In the end we live in a broken world. I can only do what I can to make it work as best as it can.
Prayers for our Justices, for our children and for those whose lives have been so broken that they prey on children.
Peace
One from a day or so ago has been sitting with me. It was the ruling that said that
"the death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child."
Man, I had a split reaction to that. I do support a carefully applied use of the death penalty. It is not a position arrived at lightly and it is one that I hold with a certain ambivalence. The concept of state sponsored murder doesn't sit well with me. On the other hand society needs to hold that ultimate punishment as a possibility for the worst crimes. That is my belief. As I said it comes with a certain burden of ambivalence.
So surely the rape of a child MUST qualify as among the worst crimes that it possible to commit. The court's logic that only death of the victim raises the crime to the level of capital punishment falls short for me. My heart cries out and my mind echoes the cry. While the murder is a terrible thing it is one with an end. It is a finite event. The results of rape go on long after the criminal "act" has been completed.
There are two other arguments that I find somewhat more comfortable. First that there is no overwhelming societal consensus on the issue. In fact quite the opposite. There is only a handful of states that have such a law and virtually no one other than the plaintiff in this case who has been sentenced for the crime. In fact no one has been executed for the crime of rape of a victim of any age since 1964. Capital punishment for the rape of an adult victim was ruled out by the Court in 1977.
The most compelling argument came from a surprising corner to me, advocates for children. They did not even the possibility of the death penalty because it would diminish the already minimal reporting of the crime. Sadly the most common perpetrator is a family member or close friend. People are more likely to turn in such a person even if they faced life in prison but are less likely if the death penalty is involved.
In the end I find myself resting uncomfortably with a decision on the death penalty. As a minister to young people my first impulse to protect those kids and yes sometimes at any cost. As a person of faith I am called to a path of redemption which can not be followed if the person needing it is dead. Politically I am concerned when the state has the authority to take the life of a citizen.
In the end we live in a broken world. I can only do what I can to make it work as best as it can.
Prayers for our Justices, for our children and for those whose lives have been so broken that they prey on children.
Peace
Monday, June 23, 2008
RIP George Carlin
There's a small handful of comedians that I would go back and listen to year after year. Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, Cheech and Chong (so sue me! They did some classic stuff that blew me away when I was in junior high) and George Carlin. At the very top for me were Cosby and Carlin. Each a classic story teller. Each with a sharp eye for the ridiculousness of every day life. Cosby was comfortable, Carlin had an edge.
George Carlin died yesterday at age 71. Comedian, actor, author. I was amazed later in life when I realized that he had not always been the counter cultural hippie comedian that I had grown to love. Prior to that Carlin had been a big name as a very mainstream comic. The photos of those early days with the short hair and the tie and suit always look wrong to me. Carlin for me would always be the Hippy Dippy Weather Man(which is actually from that earlier period) and all the stuff from "FM and AM", "Toledo Window Box", "Class Clown", "Occupation Foole" and more. What appealled to me was Carlin's love of words and word play. For all the youth who are sick and tired of me with all my word play I'm afraid they probably have to blame George Carlin (jumbo shrimp, military intelligence). At the center of it all was his amazing (to me at the time) and landmark routine "Seven Words You Can't Say on TV" also referred to simply as "Seven Dirty Words". For the boy in white bread Middle America it was astounding to hear an ADULT talking like that. That routine eventually landed at the Supreme Court after it was broadcast on the radio.
After 1981's "A Place for My Stuff" I found Carlin harder to listen to. His act went from having an edge to an anger and bitterness that I didn't find attractive or funny. You'll find a 10 minute bit on YouTube of him taking on religion. I'm not blind to nor am I silent about the failings that religious institutions and we religious folk have been heir to over the years. I'm just not sure I see the humor in what becomes a long diatribe against what I believe. Carlin was not a believer. That's fine. Calling me stupid (and that's the NICEST thing he calls religious people in the clip. The language is rough be warned. Carlin was never afraid to use all the words he knew) for ten minutes isn't the kind of comedy I enjoy. Plenty of people still seemed to like him and every once in a while I'd catch a bit of stuff that reminded me of the older Carlin. We needed his wicked rapier strikes at the shortcomings of our culture. As his life went on Carlin seemed to despair of the entire race.
Of course he was also the first host on Saturday Night Live, had many top rated HBO specials, appeared in movies as different as "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", "Dogma" and "Cars". Plus he was "Mr. Conductor" for several years on the children's show "Shining Time Station".
Addition to the original postI was reminded in the comments that I had a close encounter with Carlin a few years back. To help my brother celebrate his incipient decrepitude we had gone to Las Vegas. As we walked down the Strip birthday boy suddenly nudged me and said "Did you see who that was?". Glancing around I only saw some old dude with a gray pony tail and a baseball cap. I shrugged and said I didn't see anybody. Turns out the pony tail belonged to George Carlin who was working at the very casino we were passing (the Flamingo I think). A very cool moment for me. Thanks for the reminder!
He was a complicated and difficult guy in many ways. Without that he wouldn't have been George Carlin. I wouldn't mourn his passing so much.
George's questions about God have finally been answered. I hope they can figure it all out together.
Peace
George Carlin died yesterday at age 71. Comedian, actor, author. I was amazed later in life when I realized that he had not always been the counter cultural hippie comedian that I had grown to love. Prior to that Carlin had been a big name as a very mainstream comic. The photos of those early days with the short hair and the tie and suit always look wrong to me. Carlin for me would always be the Hippy Dippy Weather Man(which is actually from that earlier period) and all the stuff from "FM and AM", "Toledo Window Box", "Class Clown", "Occupation Foole" and more. What appealled to me was Carlin's love of words and word play. For all the youth who are sick and tired of me with all my word play I'm afraid they probably have to blame George Carlin (jumbo shrimp, military intelligence). At the center of it all was his amazing (to me at the time) and landmark routine "Seven Words You Can't Say on TV" also referred to simply as "Seven Dirty Words". For the boy in white bread Middle America it was astounding to hear an ADULT talking like that. That routine eventually landed at the Supreme Court after it was broadcast on the radio.After 1981's "A Place for My Stuff" I found Carlin harder to listen to. His act went from having an edge to an anger and bitterness that I didn't find attractive or funny. You'll find a 10 minute bit on YouTube of him taking on religion. I'm not blind to nor am I silent about the failings that religious institutions and we religious folk have been heir to over the years. I'm just not sure I see the humor in what becomes a long diatribe against what I believe. Carlin was not a believer. That's fine. Calling me stupid (and that's the NICEST thing he calls religious people in the clip. The language is rough be warned. Carlin was never afraid to use all the words he knew) for ten minutes isn't the kind of comedy I enjoy. Plenty of people still seemed to like him and every once in a while I'd catch a bit of stuff that reminded me of the older Carlin. We needed his wicked rapier strikes at the shortcomings of our culture. As his life went on Carlin seemed to despair of the entire race.
Of course he was also the first host on Saturday Night Live, had many top rated HBO specials, appeared in movies as different as "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", "Dogma" and "Cars". Plus he was "Mr. Conductor" for several years on the children's show "Shining Time Station".
Addition to the original postI was reminded in the comments that I had a close encounter with Carlin a few years back. To help my brother celebrate his incipient decrepitude we had gone to Las Vegas. As we walked down the Strip birthday boy suddenly nudged me and said "Did you see who that was?". Glancing around I only saw some old dude with a gray pony tail and a baseball cap. I shrugged and said I didn't see anybody. Turns out the pony tail belonged to George Carlin who was working at the very casino we were passing (the Flamingo I think). A very cool moment for me. Thanks for the reminder!
He was a complicated and difficult guy in many ways. Without that he wouldn't have been George Carlin. I wouldn't mourn his passing so much.
George's questions about God have finally been answered. I hope they can figure it all out together.
Peace
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I fall down now
Well the big day came today and I survived. The first of what I hope is several "loops" of the lake near where I live. The whole thing is about 41 miles with lots of hills of varying difficulty. Turns out only two of us were planning on doing the whole loop (wimps) but the other guy was obviously in a lot better shape than me. The good news (?) was he was recovering from knee surgery and needed to "take it easy". Excellent.
I'm quite happy to report that there were no major difficulties along the way. We made very good time (setting a personal best at 4 hours). The biggest problem came at the end when I had a small equipment problem.
It seems this little monster, known as the front derailleur, was slightly out of alignment. It seems a small thing right? Well the function of a front derailleur is to move the chain on the front gears. because of the misalignment I couldn't get into my 5 lowest gears. Which are extremely valuable when climbing hills. And the steepest hills are on the last leg of the loop. I managed to negotiate the hills without too much difficulty but by the end my legs had had it. I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it up the last incline to the parking lot. But I did. All because the derailleur couldn't move another quarter inch. It's an easy fix that I wish I'd caught earlier. Sigh.
Today marked the debut of our visiting clergy from Wales. Fr. Noel Carter and his wife Wendy joined us for the first of four Sundays while our regular rectors, Fr. Eric and Mother Susan, are in Wales, then England then France. A long distance pulpit swap. Fr. Noel's sermon was quite good and they seem very nice. So we're working hard to make them feel at home. We hope Eric and Susan (and the girls) are having fun. But not too much fun.
One week to Senior High Conference. Am I ready?
I'll assume that's a rhetorical question.
Must sleep now.
Peace
I'm quite happy to report that there were no major difficulties along the way. We made very good time (setting a personal best at 4 hours). The biggest problem came at the end when I had a small equipment problem.
It seems this little monster, known as the front derailleur, was slightly out of alignment. It seems a small thing right? Well the function of a front derailleur is to move the chain on the front gears. because of the misalignment I couldn't get into my 5 lowest gears. Which are extremely valuable when climbing hills. And the steepest hills are on the last leg of the loop. I managed to negotiate the hills without too much difficulty but by the end my legs had had it. I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it up the last incline to the parking lot. But I did. All because the derailleur couldn't move another quarter inch. It's an easy fix that I wish I'd caught earlier. Sigh.Today marked the debut of our visiting clergy from Wales. Fr. Noel Carter and his wife Wendy joined us for the first of four Sundays while our regular rectors, Fr. Eric and Mother Susan, are in Wales, then England then France. A long distance pulpit swap. Fr. Noel's sermon was quite good and they seem very nice. So we're working hard to make them feel at home. We hope Eric and Susan (and the girls) are having fun. But not too much fun.
One week to Senior High Conference. Am I ready?
I'll assume that's a rhetorical question.
Must sleep now.
Peace
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
And now back to the usual silliness
Thanks to Grandmere Mimi for this one
Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?
The folks at MSNBC give you the chance to see if you could do it. From the site:
When immigrants want to become Americans, they must take a civics test as part of their naturalization interview before a Citizenship and Immigration Services (INS) officer. The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 sample questions that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview (though the examiner is not limited to those questions). Some are easy, some are not.
I took the test and scored a 95% The one I missed doesn't surprise me at all (Question 19 which is about INS procedure. No doubt the folks who really take this test are familiar with it). So I would certainly pass this step in seeking my citizenship. Honestly other than question 19 which I took a total guess at the questions should be pretty simple. There was one question (#8) that gave me pause. Everything else was either obvious or easy to figure out.
So I throw down the gauntlet. See if it's as easy as I think it is. I missed one question. How 'bout you?
Peace
Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?
The folks at MSNBC give you the chance to see if you could do it. From the site:
When immigrants want to become Americans, they must take a civics test as part of their naturalization interview before a Citizenship and Immigration Services (INS) officer. The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 sample questions that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview (though the examiner is not limited to those questions). Some are easy, some are not.
I took the test and scored a 95% The one I missed doesn't surprise me at all (Question 19 which is about INS procedure. No doubt the folks who really take this test are familiar with it). So I would certainly pass this step in seeking my citizenship. Honestly other than question 19 which I took a total guess at the questions should be pretty simple. There was one question (#8) that gave me pause. Everything else was either obvious or easy to figure out.
So I throw down the gauntlet. See if it's as easy as I think it is. I missed one question. How 'bout you?
Peace
Sunday, June 15, 2008
And now for equal time...
A few days ago I wrote about a kind of mid-life crisis I've been having. Questioning what I've done with my life so far and the value of what I've accomplished.
In the days since I've been confronted again and again with little reminders about the other side of that coin. The comment posted on the first post, an e-mail, a message in the parish newsletter and last but certainly not least my rector's sermon today! With the exception of the comment none of them were direct responses to the post.
Coincidence? Or is someone up there trying to tell me something? Hmmmmmmmm.
So just to make sure that you don't think that I believe my life to be an utter waste and desolation let me talk about the positives in my life:
My wife. My friend, wife, partner, soul mate and advisor for over 30 years. We've gone through diagnoses of 3 chronic illnesses, one chronic condition, viral meningitis, several massive infections, two hip replacements, two periods of unemployment, a child born 2.5 months premature followed by 20 years of parenthood. We've lived in three different areas but have moved 8 times in 26 years. At the end of it we're still madly (my daughter would say nauseatingly) in love with each other.
I count that as a success(especially given my generations overall track record. In which case it's a world class success)
My daughter. Let's see. She's smarter than I am, more talented than I am, she's funny and articulate and brave. She's travelled more widely than I did at that age (or any age until very recently). The kid has been a wonderful child and is turning into a great adult who I hope will be my friend. Apparently my parenting skills are not so wretched that I screwed her up. Count that as a success.
Career - I've been blessed that with two careers at which I've had success. It's been my honor to work at things I care passionately about. For over 19 years I was a radio personality. Most of that time I was the morning man (at two different stations). I also wrote copy and did the news, recorded spots, chose music, did sports play by play and color, had my own talk show for a year, was the afternoon drive show three times and finished up in management. I worked hard, tried to be fair and gave my best every day. After that career ended I went to work as a youth minister. While I haven't succeeded at everything I've wanted to I'm not ashamed of what we've done. I've seen God move in the lives of my young people and I've had some small part in that process. I was able (with the help of some other gifted youth ministers) to re-start the youth ministry network in my province. I've worked at the local, diocesan, provincial and national level of my church and been respected at each one. Most of the people I've worked with have been sorry to see me leave.
I'm a pretty good photographer, a fair writer, not a bad singer. I'm learning to play guitar (oh so slowly!). I've biked up to 50 miles in a day after I was 40 years old (I'll do 42 more a week from today). I can fix things around the house that don't need to be re-fixed. I've designed theater scenery and built it. I've been the lead in a variety of stage plays over the years and done supporting roles too. They cheered at the end each time. I've learned something new every year of my life and there's no plan to stop that.
As my commenter(who I'm pretty sure is my brother) said I've had some adventures, things I'd never willingly give up. Not for just about anything. And I'm not dead yet.
I'm hard on myself. Always have been. At my last job review a couple years back I was marked down in only one area "Sets goals too high". My motto has always been "Good Enough, Isn't". I doubt that's going to change. God has given me gifts. I don't want to be the guy who buries his treasure to keep it safe only to have God say "But you were supposed to make it grow, stupid".
My parents always told me they were proud of me. That was important. I never wanted to let them down. I still don't. I don't want to let my brothers and the rest of my family down, I don't want to let my wife and daughter down. I don't want to let my friends down. I want them all to be proud to know me.
And yes I don't want to let God down. I want him to be proud of me too.
I'm afraid I'm stuck with my own high expectations. But it's good to remember that this has been a good life. That I've done things I can be proud of. That other people think well of me.
And that'll do.
For the moment. LOL!
Peace
In the days since I've been confronted again and again with little reminders about the other side of that coin. The comment posted on the first post, an e-mail, a message in the parish newsletter and last but certainly not least my rector's sermon today! With the exception of the comment none of them were direct responses to the post.
Coincidence? Or is someone up there trying to tell me something? Hmmmmmmmm.
So just to make sure that you don't think that I believe my life to be an utter waste and desolation let me talk about the positives in my life:
My wife. My friend, wife, partner, soul mate and advisor for over 30 years. We've gone through diagnoses of 3 chronic illnesses, one chronic condition, viral meningitis, several massive infections, two hip replacements, two periods of unemployment, a child born 2.5 months premature followed by 20 years of parenthood. We've lived in three different areas but have moved 8 times in 26 years. At the end of it we're still madly (my daughter would say nauseatingly) in love with each other.
I count that as a success(especially given my generations overall track record. In which case it's a world class success)
My daughter. Let's see. She's smarter than I am, more talented than I am, she's funny and articulate and brave. She's travelled more widely than I did at that age (or any age until very recently). The kid has been a wonderful child and is turning into a great adult who I hope will be my friend. Apparently my parenting skills are not so wretched that I screwed her up. Count that as a success.
Career - I've been blessed that with two careers at which I've had success. It's been my honor to work at things I care passionately about. For over 19 years I was a radio personality. Most of that time I was the morning man (at two different stations). I also wrote copy and did the news, recorded spots, chose music, did sports play by play and color, had my own talk show for a year, was the afternoon drive show three times and finished up in management. I worked hard, tried to be fair and gave my best every day. After that career ended I went to work as a youth minister. While I haven't succeeded at everything I've wanted to I'm not ashamed of what we've done. I've seen God move in the lives of my young people and I've had some small part in that process. I was able (with the help of some other gifted youth ministers) to re-start the youth ministry network in my province. I've worked at the local, diocesan, provincial and national level of my church and been respected at each one. Most of the people I've worked with have been sorry to see me leave.
I'm a pretty good photographer, a fair writer, not a bad singer. I'm learning to play guitar (oh so slowly!). I've biked up to 50 miles in a day after I was 40 years old (I'll do 42 more a week from today). I can fix things around the house that don't need to be re-fixed. I've designed theater scenery and built it. I've been the lead in a variety of stage plays over the years and done supporting roles too. They cheered at the end each time. I've learned something new every year of my life and there's no plan to stop that.
As my commenter(who I'm pretty sure is my brother) said I've had some adventures, things I'd never willingly give up. Not for just about anything. And I'm not dead yet.
I'm hard on myself. Always have been. At my last job review a couple years back I was marked down in only one area "Sets goals too high". My motto has always been "Good Enough, Isn't". I doubt that's going to change. God has given me gifts. I don't want to be the guy who buries his treasure to keep it safe only to have God say "But you were supposed to make it grow, stupid".
My parents always told me they were proud of me. That was important. I never wanted to let them down. I still don't. I don't want to let my brothers and the rest of my family down, I don't want to let my wife and daughter down. I don't want to let my friends down. I want them all to be proud to know me.
And yes I don't want to let God down. I want him to be proud of me too.
I'm afraid I'm stuck with my own high expectations. But it's good to remember that this has been a good life. That I've done things I can be proud of. That other people think well of me.
And that'll do.
For the moment. LOL!
Peace
Friday, June 13, 2008
So what to do?
I'm going to confess (in short form) something that has been troubling me. I know at face value it sounds silly and perhaps shallow but it troubles me deeply. In simple terms it is this:
This is not the life I thought I was going to live.
Don't get me wrong. In some ways this is a much better life than I could have imagined. The imagination of an 18 year old or 22 year old really isn't up to the task of understanding what life at 30 or 40 or 50 is like. Since I'm surprised at what 50 has turned out to be I'll admit that I probably don't have the imagination to forecast what 60, 70 or 80 may be like.
The problem is that in some ways this life has been very much less than I had dreamed. My lady wife's illnesses has had a serious negative effect on the shape of our married life. It's affected career choices even though without it I probably never would have taken on my current job as a youth minister. So there is both good and bad.
But I had a vision. A vision of who I would be and what my condition in life would be by the time I turned 50. The opportunities I'd be able to give to my wife and child. And yes the things too. Don't read me that sermon, I know the words. In the end this is what I face:
I'm never going to own a house.
I'm never going to be able to treat my wife to the things I dreamed of.
I will not do better than my parents.
I'll be damn lucky to do as well.
It's quite possible that I will never be able to retire and enjoy the things my parents did.
If I'm lucky I won't leave my daughter any debts. The chances that I'll be able to leave her any kind of inheritance rapidly approaches zero.
Let me be honest. While my life falls well short of failure it strikes me as being resoundingly like mediocrity. And in my heart mediocrity IS failure.
I know my wife disagrees. She's told me so.
I know my daughter disagrees. She's told me so.
I'm sure folks who know me will tell me I'm being stupid or silly (again).
And I'm sure you're all right.
And I still feel like I've let my gifts down. I've let my family down. I've let myself down.
And I don't know what to do with this feeling. I've talked with my wife about it. I knew she would be hurt by some of it (and she was. And she's forgiven me already because she's entirely too good for the likes of me).
This isn't the life I thought I was going to live. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be at this point in my life. It has been noted before that I tend to expect a lot (some have even said too much) of myself. But I've been given several large gifts (I don't think that's my ego talking. I base that on what I've been able to do) that I don't think I've fully used.
I don't know. The longer I type the stupider I sound even to myself. Maybe what I see as mediocre is just normal. And maybe I'm just normal.
But that's not what I expected.
Peace
This is not the life I thought I was going to live.
Don't get me wrong. In some ways this is a much better life than I could have imagined. The imagination of an 18 year old or 22 year old really isn't up to the task of understanding what life at 30 or 40 or 50 is like. Since I'm surprised at what 50 has turned out to be I'll admit that I probably don't have the imagination to forecast what 60, 70 or 80 may be like.
The problem is that in some ways this life has been very much less than I had dreamed. My lady wife's illnesses has had a serious negative effect on the shape of our married life. It's affected career choices even though without it I probably never would have taken on my current job as a youth minister. So there is both good and bad.
But I had a vision. A vision of who I would be and what my condition in life would be by the time I turned 50. The opportunities I'd be able to give to my wife and child. And yes the things too. Don't read me that sermon, I know the words. In the end this is what I face:
I'm never going to own a house.
I'm never going to be able to treat my wife to the things I dreamed of.
I will not do better than my parents.
I'll be damn lucky to do as well.
It's quite possible that I will never be able to retire and enjoy the things my parents did.
If I'm lucky I won't leave my daughter any debts. The chances that I'll be able to leave her any kind of inheritance rapidly approaches zero.
Let me be honest. While my life falls well short of failure it strikes me as being resoundingly like mediocrity. And in my heart mediocrity IS failure.
I know my wife disagrees. She's told me so.
I know my daughter disagrees. She's told me so.
I'm sure folks who know me will tell me I'm being stupid or silly (again).
And I'm sure you're all right.
And I still feel like I've let my gifts down. I've let my family down. I've let myself down.
And I don't know what to do with this feeling. I've talked with my wife about it. I knew she would be hurt by some of it (and she was. And she's forgiven me already because she's entirely too good for the likes of me).
This isn't the life I thought I was going to live. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be at this point in my life. It has been noted before that I tend to expect a lot (some have even said too much) of myself. But I've been given several large gifts (I don't think that's my ego talking. I base that on what I've been able to do) that I don't think I've fully used.
I don't know. The longer I type the stupider I sound even to myself. Maybe what I see as mediocre is just normal. And maybe I'm just normal.
But that's not what I expected.
Peace
Friday, June 06, 2008
Movie news
I've bumped up against an idea several times now which probably means I need to do something with it. At our last diocesan staff meeting we were talking about increasing our usage of video (YouTube, etc). Our communications director had been to a meeting with Father Matthew Moretz from Rye, NY. If you've not seen "Father Matthew Presents" it's worth your time to take a look. Check out the "Father Matthew Channel" at YouTube. Serious subjects approached with a little tongue in cheek. It's been a fairly amazing response. In less than two years his channel shows just shy of 50,000 views.
So here I sit with a degree in Theater, decades of radio work, fully comfortable with public speaking and script writing and an office full of cameras and video editting software. Hmmmm, think someone is nudging me a little bit? So I have to think about what that may mean for me.
In real movie news let me finally get around to my review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. First let me say I enjoyed it. I have a great appreciation for the tradition that Spielberg and Lucas are honoring with this series. It's the old movie serials of the 1930s through the 1950's. It's action, adventure, outrageous villians and equally outrageous escapes. And this one does all of that. While not as good as either Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade it is better than Temple of Doom. ToD always suffered from over cuteness (Short Round) and a female lead with whom there was ZERO chemistry (Kate Capshaw). The biggest negative in this one is Cate Blanchett (maybe it's a Kate/Cate thing) as the villain. She's simply awful. One dimensional, flat and uninteresting. Really bad.
I've been interested in the very negative response from a lot of Indy fans especially with regard to the aliens from outer space. Somehow the complaint seems to be that this makes the movie less "believable". Which only makes me wonder if some folks aren't taking this whole thing a little seriously. Indy is older and wiser (he gets it right with Marion this time!) The script (which is a little uneven) tips it hat to many of the top icons of the time period, the 1950s. The Bomb, motorcycle gangs and UFOs. These movies aren't about believability, they're about over the top fun. And this one delivers. Plus they seem to be setting up for a possible baton pass to the next generation. We'll see if Shia LeBouef can carry the franchise.
Double Happiness This is a neat "little movie" from Canada. I have this whole category of "little movies". They're not made with a big budget, they usually have lesser known actors or actors better known for supporting roles in lead roles. And they are often wonderful discoveries. "Double Happiness" is the story of a Chinese-Canadian woman trying to find the balance between the new world life she wants and the old world life of her family. It's not always easy, it's often funny and it was fully worth the 87 minutes of run time. The star is Sandra Oh, best known from her role on TV's "Grays Anatomy". I'm reminded of my other favorite "little movie" Crossing Delancy
Ok that's it for now. Gotta figure out my own video calling.
Peace
So here I sit with a degree in Theater, decades of radio work, fully comfortable with public speaking and script writing and an office full of cameras and video editting software. Hmmmm, think someone is nudging me a little bit? So I have to think about what that may mean for me.
In real movie news let me finally get around to my review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. First let me say I enjoyed it. I have a great appreciation for the tradition that Spielberg and Lucas are honoring with this series. It's the old movie serials of the 1930s through the 1950's. It's action, adventure, outrageous villians and equally outrageous escapes. And this one does all of that. While not as good as either Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade it is better than Temple of Doom. ToD always suffered from over cuteness (Short Round) and a female lead with whom there was ZERO chemistry (Kate Capshaw). The biggest negative in this one is Cate Blanchett (maybe it's a Kate/Cate thing) as the villain. She's simply awful. One dimensional, flat and uninteresting. Really bad.
I've been interested in the very negative response from a lot of Indy fans especially with regard to the aliens from outer space. Somehow the complaint seems to be that this makes the movie less "believable". Which only makes me wonder if some folks aren't taking this whole thing a little seriously. Indy is older and wiser (he gets it right with Marion this time!) The script (which is a little uneven) tips it hat to many of the top icons of the time period, the 1950s. The Bomb, motorcycle gangs and UFOs. These movies aren't about believability, they're about over the top fun. And this one delivers. Plus they seem to be setting up for a possible baton pass to the next generation. We'll see if Shia LeBouef can carry the franchise.
Double Happiness This is a neat "little movie" from Canada. I have this whole category of "little movies". They're not made with a big budget, they usually have lesser known actors or actors better known for supporting roles in lead roles. And they are often wonderful discoveries. "Double Happiness" is the story of a Chinese-Canadian woman trying to find the balance between the new world life she wants and the old world life of her family. It's not always easy, it's often funny and it was fully worth the 87 minutes of run time. The star is Sandra Oh, best known from her role on TV's "Grays Anatomy". I'm reminded of my other favorite "little movie" Crossing Delancy
Ok that's it for now. Gotta figure out my own video calling.
Peace
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Time to be gracious
Here's another reason why I'm grumpy. But this only contributes a little bit.
Congratulations to the Red Wings and their fans. It was an amazing Stanley Cup Final
with some absolutely incredible hockey. It had pretty much everything that is not only good but great about the sport. Some astounding goaltending, wonderful virtually non-stop action, great hitting, come from behind action and tension literally to the final second of the final game.
I'm very proud of my Penguins. They never quit. They were facing the best hockey team of the last decade, playing at the top of their game. The Red Wings were
smothering. At times it looked like they were on a permanent power play with at least one more player on the ice than the Pens. The Penguin's stars were largely shut down and STILL the Pens refused to pack it in. They were in it till the clock ran out (even if that took FOREVER in game 5!!!)
The Penguins were good. Really good.
The Red Wings were great.
Hail the victor!
Congratulations to the Red Wings and their fans. It was an amazing Stanley Cup Final
with some absolutely incredible hockey. It had pretty much everything that is not only good but great about the sport. Some astounding goaltending, wonderful virtually non-stop action, great hitting, come from behind action and tension literally to the final second of the final game.I'm very proud of my Penguins. They never quit. They were facing the best hockey team of the last decade, playing at the top of their game. The Red Wings were
smothering. At times it looked like they were on a permanent power play with at least one more player on the ice than the Pens. The Penguin's stars were largely shut down and STILL the Pens refused to pack it in. They were in it till the clock ran out (even if that took FOREVER in game 5!!!)The Penguins were good. Really good.
The Red Wings were great.
Hail the victor!
A Horrible day so far...
Came in to the office this morning, fired up the computer and Firefox my trusty web 
browser won't work.
Actually it's spent the morning claiming it WAS working but that I just couldn't see it.
I've spent most of the morning at as many of the Mozilla help sites as I could find. None of them seemed to solve the problem. I've done everything I can think of doing, re-booting, going to a restore point (everything worked fine on Tuesday), deleted the profiles.ini file, finally broke down and deleted the program. Re-installed the program. Did several steps over again. Nothing.
(Thank God I had Opera as a back up.)
Finally got access to the Profile manager which let me get in under a default profile. Sadly it appears that several years worth of bookmarks are in the wind.
I can't imagine what happened yesterday that would cause this. The laptop went home with me to do some work, I couldn't connect to my home wireless network (still can't although my daughter can on her Apple laptop)and fiddled with some of those settings but using Restore should wipe those out.
I'm really angry about losing all those bookmarks. I'm hoping that since profile manager seems to believe my old profile is still here I might be able to snag them. Otherwise...
I'm going to be grumpy for the rest of the day.
Very, very grumpy.
browser won't work.Actually it's spent the morning claiming it WAS working but that I just couldn't see it.
I've spent most of the morning at as many of the Mozilla help sites as I could find. None of them seemed to solve the problem. I've done everything I can think of doing, re-booting, going to a restore point (everything worked fine on Tuesday), deleted the profiles.ini file, finally broke down and deleted the program. Re-installed the program. Did several steps over again. Nothing.
(Thank God I had Opera as a back up.)
Finally got access to the Profile manager which let me get in under a default profile. Sadly it appears that several years worth of bookmarks are in the wind.
I can't imagine what happened yesterday that would cause this. The laptop went home with me to do some work, I couldn't connect to my home wireless network (still can't although my daughter can on her Apple laptop)and fiddled with some of those settings but using Restore should wipe those out.
I'm really angry about losing all those bookmarks. I'm hoping that since profile manager seems to believe my old profile is still here I might be able to snag them. Otherwise...
I'm going to be grumpy for the rest of the day.
Very, very grumpy.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
What Sci Fi character are you?
Yoda
A venerated sage with vast power and knowledge, you gently guide forces around you while serving as a champion of the light.
Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not - for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminescent beings are we, not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you, everywhere.
Yoda is a is a character in the Star Wars universe. More Yoda information is available at the Star Wars Databank.
A venerated sage with vast power and knowledge, you gently guide forces around you while serving as a champion of the light.
Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not - for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminescent beings are we, not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you, everywhere.
Yoda is a is a character in the Star Wars universe. More Yoda information is available at the Star Wars Databank.
Friday, May 30, 2008
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"
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"
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
When in danger or in doubt...
Run in circles, scream and shout!
That's about how I feel right now. Curiously things are going very well at the moment. Let's see:
Had a staff meeting yesterday. My automatic reaction to the words "staff meeting" it moaning, rolling of eyes and other signs of profound suffering. The reality is that the staff meetings with this diocesan staff are usually on point and enjoyable. It's great working with people who appear to like me and respect my voice in the discussion. I come out of them feeling good. Just like yesterday.
That was followed by a "The bishop will be out of country later this year and what do we do if all hell breaks loose" planning meeting. I was encouraged that I was not only invited to sit in, my opinion was asked and the one small suggestion I made was received very favorably.
Damn, I enjoy working with these people.
Of course I was scheduled for two more meetings (on different topics) before I could escape! One of which has an amusing (at least to me) twist.
Each year we meet with a variety of TEC and ACC (Anglican Church of Canada)diocesan staffs. There are a total of five dioceses represented (WNY, Rochester,Niagara, Huron and Toronto). We simply refer to the event as "Quint Diocese" day. Well now the Diocese of Northwest Pennsylvania (NWPA) are joining us. Which makes it Sex Diocese day....um, no maybe not...
International Diocese day.
Got a new kitten. All black per my preference. Named Zaphod. Award yourself two extra points if you know the source of the name. I'll get a photo of her as soon as she stops zooming around harassing the senior cat (who is NOT amused!). She's exceedingly adorable.
Also got a new (for us) car for my lady wife. Her previous vehicle was a mistake from day one and cost me a lot of money for no apparent good outcome. It'll be sold as junk. Good riddance. I'll share a photo of that when I get one. It's having it's last few minor fixes being done, then tomorrow it's mine! Well actually hers but hey.
Been working in the garage to try and turn it into a real workspace. That's coming along nicely. Also using it to create a new scratching post for the cats. Turning out nicely as well.
I have defeated yet a SECOND groundhog! I'd always wondered if there weren't two of them but I never saw them together. Well a second, smaller one did indeed make itself known. And now it's been dispatched to the same woods as the first one. This one was MUCH more aggressive, fighting the trap and trying to get out. Now I have to seal up the holes before someone else moves in. I really want out of the critter gitter business.
Bought tickets for 15 people to travel to San Antonio in July for EYE. Always a frightening prospect to spend that much money. Managed to keep the cost under control (kinda sorta).
Plus today I checked in with my insurance agent, scheduled the OTHER car for a service visit(shocks, ball joint), made an appointment to get my hair cut, checked my mail, answered some e-mails, bought stuff for the next batch of chores around the house (new motion sensor light for driveway, sisal rope for cat scratch post, fencing for around veggie patch) plus I need to go buy some high density foam for the carry case I'm working on for our diocesan youth ministry communion set. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to glue the foam into the case, how I'm going to cut the neccesary spaces out or how I'll finish the case - I want it to look nice - but I'm working on it.
Plus I need to mow the lawn, practice my guitar, read two books, do the Soap Box Derby race on Saturday(I'm the race announcer), oh yeah and there's this whole long list of things to do on my to do list for the office.
So do I wave my arms in the air while I run in circles, scream and shout?
I want to get it right, of course.
Peace
That's about how I feel right now. Curiously things are going very well at the moment. Let's see:
Had a staff meeting yesterday. My automatic reaction to the words "staff meeting" it moaning, rolling of eyes and other signs of profound suffering. The reality is that the staff meetings with this diocesan staff are usually on point and enjoyable. It's great working with people who appear to like me and respect my voice in the discussion. I come out of them feeling good. Just like yesterday.
That was followed by a "The bishop will be out of country later this year and what do we do if all hell breaks loose" planning meeting. I was encouraged that I was not only invited to sit in, my opinion was asked and the one small suggestion I made was received very favorably.
Damn, I enjoy working with these people.
Of course I was scheduled for two more meetings (on different topics) before I could escape! One of which has an amusing (at least to me) twist.
Each year we meet with a variety of TEC and ACC (Anglican Church of Canada)diocesan staffs. There are a total of five dioceses represented (WNY, Rochester,Niagara, Huron and Toronto). We simply refer to the event as "Quint Diocese" day. Well now the Diocese of Northwest Pennsylvania (NWPA) are joining us. Which makes it Sex Diocese day....um, no maybe not...
International Diocese day.
Got a new kitten. All black per my preference. Named Zaphod. Award yourself two extra points if you know the source of the name. I'll get a photo of her as soon as she stops zooming around harassing the senior cat (who is NOT amused!). She's exceedingly adorable.
Also got a new (for us) car for my lady wife. Her previous vehicle was a mistake from day one and cost me a lot of money for no apparent good outcome. It'll be sold as junk. Good riddance. I'll share a photo of that when I get one. It's having it's last few minor fixes being done, then tomorrow it's mine! Well actually hers but hey.
Been working in the garage to try and turn it into a real workspace. That's coming along nicely. Also using it to create a new scratching post for the cats. Turning out nicely as well.
I have defeated yet a SECOND groundhog! I'd always wondered if there weren't two of them but I never saw them together. Well a second, smaller one did indeed make itself known. And now it's been dispatched to the same woods as the first one. This one was MUCH more aggressive, fighting the trap and trying to get out. Now I have to seal up the holes before someone else moves in. I really want out of the critter gitter business.
Bought tickets for 15 people to travel to San Antonio in July for EYE. Always a frightening prospect to spend that much money. Managed to keep the cost under control (kinda sorta).
Plus today I checked in with my insurance agent, scheduled the OTHER car for a service visit(shocks, ball joint), made an appointment to get my hair cut, checked my mail, answered some e-mails, bought stuff for the next batch of chores around the house (new motion sensor light for driveway, sisal rope for cat scratch post, fencing for around veggie patch) plus I need to go buy some high density foam for the carry case I'm working on for our diocesan youth ministry communion set. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to glue the foam into the case, how I'm going to cut the neccesary spaces out or how I'll finish the case - I want it to look nice - but I'm working on it.
Plus I need to mow the lawn, practice my guitar, read two books, do the Soap Box Derby race on Saturday(I'm the race announcer), oh yeah and there's this whole long list of things to do on my to do list for the office.
So do I wave my arms in the air while I run in circles, scream and shout?
I want to get it right, of course.
Peace
Friday, May 23, 2008
My latest dilemma
I was just trying to check out.
But suddenly a moral/ethical dilemma reared its head and I was stuck.
On the card reader at the check out was the question that had pulled me up short. I just wanted to swipe my card, buy the drain cleaner and oranges and get one with my life.
But it demanded:
"Was your cashier friendly today? Yes. No."
Ummm, well, neither actually. It's not a binary system. She wasn't rude. She didn't ignore me. At the same time she wasn't pleasant. It was very basic, very business-like. A few quick words to get the process through to it's mercantile completion all wrapped around the business of chewing her gum. Even that wasn't obnoxious. It was just there like a third player in this little drama.
You see the dilemma arises because I'm sure that the computer system will note the time, the station, the date. Will my answer affect her next job review? What if she's right on the edge and one more down mark will push her out the door? Do I want that on my conscience?
In the end I chose the coward's way out. If I just swipe my card I can avoid the responsibility of grading this woman's job performance. I can exchange our few words, grab my oranges and Drano and escape.
Maybe I should have taken a different tack on the decision. She wasn't UN-friendly. I could have just accepted anything short of overt hostility as meeting the minimum requirement for making the "friendly" grade. But that seems cheap to me. A quick look at an online dictionary tells me that friendly means:
"...favorably disposed, not antagonistic...warm, comforting..."
Well she made the grade on one of four concepts (I skipped over the part having to do with friends. We're certainly not friends so that doesn't have any connection with the situation. What if we were friends? Would I have given her the thumbs up no matter how she reacted? But that assumes she would reacted the same way to me even if we were friends. "STOP", I shout to myself. That way lies madness.) She only made a one in four, 25%, a failing grade no matter how much you tweak the bell curve.
Now I have no choice I must pursue this moral/ethical hare to it's burrow. What about "unfriendly"?
"...not disposed to friendship..." (No, we've ruled that concept out of bounds so we'll pass) "...indicating a bad prospect, unfavorable..."
Well. Now what?
I'm starting to like that "unfavorable". All it would have take was a smile, you know! How much would that have cost, huh? Just a smile and I'm free from all of this! Some people, you know?
"...indicating a bad prospect...", well no, not really. She did her job efficiently. I was on my way with my stuff in short order.
No, I made the right decision. In the end this wasn't my fault or hers.
It's the store's fault. With its binary, black and white view of the world. Here's a perfectly efficient employee who does her job quickly and without error. Sure she's not the most personable person this green planet Earth. But really, what would you rather have - some chatty cheerful type who messes up the job, or a sober serious worker who gets it right the first time.
I can feel my disdain for the store on the rise. Feelings of fraternity and solidarity for my oppressed sister rising in my breast.
Stupid store!
Next time I'm there I'm going to look for her and go through her checkout.
And choose "YES".
Just to screw with the man.
Peace
But suddenly a moral/ethical dilemma reared its head and I was stuck.
On the card reader at the check out was the question that had pulled me up short. I just wanted to swipe my card, buy the drain cleaner and oranges and get one with my life.
But it demanded:
"Was your cashier friendly today? Yes. No."
Ummm, well, neither actually. It's not a binary system. She wasn't rude. She didn't ignore me. At the same time she wasn't pleasant. It was very basic, very business-like. A few quick words to get the process through to it's mercantile completion all wrapped around the business of chewing her gum. Even that wasn't obnoxious. It was just there like a third player in this little drama.
You see the dilemma arises because I'm sure that the computer system will note the time, the station, the date. Will my answer affect her next job review? What if she's right on the edge and one more down mark will push her out the door? Do I want that on my conscience?
In the end I chose the coward's way out. If I just swipe my card I can avoid the responsibility of grading this woman's job performance. I can exchange our few words, grab my oranges and Drano and escape.
Maybe I should have taken a different tack on the decision. She wasn't UN-friendly. I could have just accepted anything short of overt hostility as meeting the minimum requirement for making the "friendly" grade. But that seems cheap to me. A quick look at an online dictionary tells me that friendly means:
"...favorably disposed, not antagonistic...warm, comforting..."
Well she made the grade on one of four concepts (I skipped over the part having to do with friends. We're certainly not friends so that doesn't have any connection with the situation. What if we were friends? Would I have given her the thumbs up no matter how she reacted? But that assumes she would reacted the same way to me even if we were friends. "STOP", I shout to myself. That way lies madness.) She only made a one in four, 25%, a failing grade no matter how much you tweak the bell curve.
Now I have no choice I must pursue this moral/ethical hare to it's burrow. What about "unfriendly"?
"...not disposed to friendship..." (No, we've ruled that concept out of bounds so we'll pass) "...indicating a bad prospect, unfavorable..."
Well. Now what?
I'm starting to like that "unfavorable". All it would have take was a smile, you know! How much would that have cost, huh? Just a smile and I'm free from all of this! Some people, you know?
"...indicating a bad prospect...", well no, not really. She did her job efficiently. I was on my way with my stuff in short order.
No, I made the right decision. In the end this wasn't my fault or hers.
It's the store's fault. With its binary, black and white view of the world. Here's a perfectly efficient employee who does her job quickly and without error. Sure she's not the most personable person this green planet Earth. But really, what would you rather have - some chatty cheerful type who messes up the job, or a sober serious worker who gets it right the first time.
I can feel my disdain for the store on the rise. Feelings of fraternity and solidarity for my oppressed sister rising in my breast.
Stupid store!
Next time I'm there I'm going to look for her and go through her checkout.
And choose "YES".
Just to screw with the man.
Peace
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Some catching up
Lots of things going on so let's do a quick catch up:
Las Vegas was great fun! I'll share a couple pictures as soon as I download them from the camera. Highlight for both my lady wife and me had to be the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton. She got her photo taken with a Klingon,I got to sit in the Captain's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise and I have my very own phaser now! Exceedingly cool. We gambled a little. She won a bit on the slots, I won a bit on blackjack and lost it on roulette (roulette is a sucker bet. But it's kind of fun). We saw the Grand Canyon, had dinner with old friends, walked the strip, gawked like tourists. We're looking forward to going back some day. Best deal is the monorail on the strip and the bus service, worst deal is breakfast. We spent more on breakfast several days than we did on other meals. It is possible to go to Vegas and not spend a ton of money. We stayed at a casino (Sahara) for $79 a night. You can do food pretty cheap (lots of chains and fast food available. Even eating at the casinos can be done with a little work for not too much). And you don't have to gamble at all and still have fun.
Seen two movies in the theaters in the last two weeks.
Iron Man - This was my boyhood favorite among the comic book heroes. Conflicted, not impervious to destruction and just the right amount of snappy repartee. So I was concerned about how it would translate to the big screen. About half of the comic book movies are just dreadful (Fantastic Four as an example). But I really liked this. Robert Downey Jr as Stark is great, love the rest of the cast. While I understand the complaints about Pepper Potts being a bit of a wilting female "oooh, save me Iron Man" I don't think it's too over the top. Besides Gwyneth Paltrow is stunning as a red head and I think I'm in love.
Also an interesting commentary on the American way of life and foreign policy. Highly recommend.
Prince Caspian -
The second Narnia movie is another highly recommend. The CG stuff is better, the movie is a faithful representation of the book. It did get a little noisy at times with all the girlie sighing coming from my lady wife and daughter every time Ben Barnes who plays the title role was on the screen. My whole family really like the first movie in this series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" but were in agreement that this one is even better.
I think both movies would make great starting points for discussion with youth groups.
Wow, I'm way behind on movies so let's do it quickly:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind This is a well written, well acted, well directed,nicely filmed movie...that I didn't like at all. Weird, huh? The problem is that I don't much like either of the two main characters. It mirrors my feelings about "Lost in Translation". Plus I'm appalled at the way Netflix describes some of these movies. This one was described as a "romantic comedy". Romantic, yes. Comedy? Not even. Saw it. Moving on.
Gandhi - A movie I've seen several times before. Stunning, wonderful and powerful. Love everything about it. Even it's astounding length.
Ten Items or Less - Now here's a quirky little movie that I loved. Morgan Freeman is on my list of people I'd watch doing just about anything. And Paz Vega is on my list of people I'd just watch. Period. Funny, silly, a little off center. Really enjoyed it.
Forrest Gump - I'm always amazed at the folks who take pot shots at Tom Hanks as an actor. He takes risks (come on he's playing a mentally challenged person in this role who has to carry the whole freaking film!)and he creates lovable, believable characters. Really enjoyed this movie. Has a great supporting cast too. I completely understand the 6 Oscars it won.
Schindler's List - This one blew me away. Especially the final scene (which comes as a wonderful surprise so I won't spoil it) Powerful and challenging. Great cast and great performances. Yes, it's another very long movie (two discs) but well worth the time.
Looking back any of these movies would be a great discussion point for youth ministry. Even "Eternal Sunshine". I'd just never watch it for enjoyment.
My pace for watching movies has slowed. I've been watching a BBC production called "Foyle's War" which I've been enjoying too.
Ok, now I'm back.
Peace
Las Vegas was great fun! I'll share a couple pictures as soon as I download them from the camera. Highlight for both my lady wife and me had to be the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton. She got her photo taken with a Klingon,I got to sit in the Captain's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise and I have my very own phaser now! Exceedingly cool. We gambled a little. She won a bit on the slots, I won a bit on blackjack and lost it on roulette (roulette is a sucker bet. But it's kind of fun). We saw the Grand Canyon, had dinner with old friends, walked the strip, gawked like tourists. We're looking forward to going back some day. Best deal is the monorail on the strip and the bus service, worst deal is breakfast. We spent more on breakfast several days than we did on other meals. It is possible to go to Vegas and not spend a ton of money. We stayed at a casino (Sahara) for $79 a night. You can do food pretty cheap (lots of chains and fast food available. Even eating at the casinos can be done with a little work for not too much). And you don't have to gamble at all and still have fun.
Seen two movies in the theaters in the last two weeks.
Iron Man - This was my boyhood favorite among the comic book heroes. Conflicted, not impervious to destruction and just the right amount of snappy repartee. So I was concerned about how it would translate to the big screen. About half of the comic book movies are just dreadful (Fantastic Four as an example). But I really liked this. Robert Downey Jr as Stark is great, love the rest of the cast. While I understand the complaints about Pepper Potts being a bit of a wilting female "oooh, save me Iron Man" I don't think it's too over the top. Besides Gwyneth Paltrow is stunning as a red head and I think I'm in love.Also an interesting commentary on the American way of life and foreign policy. Highly recommend.
Prince Caspian -
The second Narnia movie is another highly recommend. The CG stuff is better, the movie is a faithful representation of the book. It did get a little noisy at times with all the girlie sighing coming from my lady wife and daughter every time Ben Barnes who plays the title role was on the screen. My whole family really like the first movie in this series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" but were in agreement that this one is even better.
I think both movies would make great starting points for discussion with youth groups.
Wow, I'm way behind on movies so let's do it quickly:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind This is a well written, well acted, well directed,nicely filmed movie...that I didn't like at all. Weird, huh? The problem is that I don't much like either of the two main characters. It mirrors my feelings about "Lost in Translation". Plus I'm appalled at the way Netflix describes some of these movies. This one was described as a "romantic comedy". Romantic, yes. Comedy? Not even. Saw it. Moving on.
Gandhi - A movie I've seen several times before. Stunning, wonderful and powerful. Love everything about it. Even it's astounding length.
Ten Items or Less - Now here's a quirky little movie that I loved. Morgan Freeman is on my list of people I'd watch doing just about anything. And Paz Vega is on my list of people I'd just watch. Period. Funny, silly, a little off center. Really enjoyed it.
Forrest Gump - I'm always amazed at the folks who take pot shots at Tom Hanks as an actor. He takes risks (come on he's playing a mentally challenged person in this role who has to carry the whole freaking film!)and he creates lovable, believable characters. Really enjoyed this movie. Has a great supporting cast too. I completely understand the 6 Oscars it won.
Schindler's List - This one blew me away. Especially the final scene (which comes as a wonderful surprise so I won't spoil it) Powerful and challenging. Great cast and great performances. Yes, it's another very long movie (two discs) but well worth the time.
Looking back any of these movies would be a great discussion point for youth ministry. Even "Eternal Sunshine". I'd just never watch it for enjoyment.
My pace for watching movies has slowed. I've been watching a BBC production called "Foyle's War" which I've been enjoying too.
Ok, now I'm back.
Peace
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Clear your schedule
Traces of the Trade web site
Movie trailer
This movie is so amazing, so moving, so challenging that I'm just going to tell you to schedule nothing for its broadcast date, Tuesday June 24 @ 10 PM on PBS. Get in contact with your local PBS station and let them know you want this to air and find out when it will air locally. Tell your friends. Contact everyone you know. Spread the word at work and church and the gym and your local coffee shop.
I saw the rough cut of it at General Convention 2006. It was unbelievable. I was reduced to tears several time. Afterwards we were invited to make comments to the filmmakers. The subject of weeping had come up in the film and my only response was "How can I not weep?" The challenge posed at the end of the trailer about white people getting not "pissed off" about slavery is a valid one I think.
Don't miss this movie. Not "Gee, I really liked it and think you should see it". No. DON'T MISS THIS MOVIE! Don't schedule events that evening, reschedule meetings, die some other day.
Don't miss this movie.
Peace
Movie trailer
This movie is so amazing, so moving, so challenging that I'm just going to tell you to schedule nothing for its broadcast date, Tuesday June 24 @ 10 PM on PBS. Get in contact with your local PBS station and let them know you want this to air and find out when it will air locally. Tell your friends. Contact everyone you know. Spread the word at work and church and the gym and your local coffee shop.I saw the rough cut of it at General Convention 2006. It was unbelievable. I was reduced to tears several time. Afterwards we were invited to make comments to the filmmakers. The subject of weeping had come up in the film and my only response was "How can I not weep?" The challenge posed at the end of the trailer about white people getting not "pissed off" about slavery is a valid one I think.
Don't miss this movie. Not "Gee, I really liked it and think you should see it". No. DON'T MISS THIS MOVIE! Don't schedule events that evening, reschedule meetings, die some other day.
Don't miss this movie.
Peace
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
I am VICTORIOUS!!!!!
A year long battle with my furry, four footed foe has come to a glorious end!
I have met the enemy on the field of battle and victory is mine. After careful skirmishing by both sides I succeeded in out flanking him and have banished him from the field of honor.
Yes, it's true.
I outsmarted a groundhog.
Yes, there he is - Marmota Monax of the family Sciuridae. Known to friend and foe as ground hog, woodchuck, whistle pig, land beaver or bunnydog (I swear to you). This one had taken up residence under my house. His travels took him under my bedroom, dining room and kitchen and his primary entrance ran directly under the bath tub. He has destroyed the insulation under the floor in the crawl space, dug holes under the foundation to the front porch and it sounded like was gnawing on the floor joists.
I tried discouraging him by blocking his holes as fast as he dug them but since digging was his full time job and filling was only part time for me he took round one.
As woodchucks are rather lacking in imagination (put your own comic simile here) he refused to take a hint. Making loud noises did nothing. He was also rather particular in his eating habits. I obtained a live trap from a fellow parishioner who is a local animal control officer and used several foods recommended to me - carrots, celery and apples. My cunning foe passed them by with out a sideward glance. I watched him do it!
But in the end it was the higher functions of manly memory that did him in. I remembered that last summer he had shown special affection for my tomato plants. So last night I baited the trap with a large juicy tomato. From my long observation of the enemy I knew he was a mid-day forager so I went off to work.
When I returned I saw his utter defeat. Safely locked in the confines of the cage trap he submitted with rather good grace to his fate. I transported him some 7 miles away to a wooded area that I know is frequented by others of his clan. Upon release he gave me one swift, malice-free glance and raced off into the woods.
The taste of victory is sweet.
I have met the enemy on the field of battle and victory is mine. After careful skirmishing by both sides I succeeded in out flanking him and have banished him from the field of honor.
Yes, it's true.
I outsmarted a groundhog.
Yes, there he is - Marmota Monax of the family Sciuridae. Known to friend and foe as ground hog, woodchuck, whistle pig, land beaver or bunnydog (I swear to you). This one had taken up residence under my house. His travels took him under my bedroom, dining room and kitchen and his primary entrance ran directly under the bath tub. He has destroyed the insulation under the floor in the crawl space, dug holes under the foundation to the front porch and it sounded like was gnawing on the floor joists.I tried discouraging him by blocking his holes as fast as he dug them but since digging was his full time job and filling was only part time for me he took round one.
As woodchucks are rather lacking in imagination (put your own comic simile here) he refused to take a hint. Making loud noises did nothing. He was also rather particular in his eating habits. I obtained a live trap from a fellow parishioner who is a local animal control officer and used several foods recommended to me - carrots, celery and apples. My cunning foe passed them by with out a sideward glance. I watched him do it!
But in the end it was the higher functions of manly memory that did him in. I remembered that last summer he had shown special affection for my tomato plants. So last night I baited the trap with a large juicy tomato. From my long observation of the enemy I knew he was a mid-day forager so I went off to work.
When I returned I saw his utter defeat. Safely locked in the confines of the cage trap he submitted with rather good grace to his fate. I transported him some 7 miles away to a wooded area that I know is frequented by others of his clan. Upon release he gave me one swift, malice-free glance and raced off into the woods.
The taste of victory is sweet.
Monday, May 05, 2008
So tired
Well the Happening weekend went very well. If you're not familiar that's a major spirituality retreat program in the Episcopal church. It's a time when our youth can dig a little deeper into their relationship with God and what that means. The weekend is also a lot of fun.
For the folks on the team that run the weekend it's also exhausting. I was the "Head Pop" (lead adult male) for our Prayer team which is much less stressful than doing the Visible team portion. But as a very strong Myers-Briggs introvert all that face time with the team just wears me out. Good team and a great weekend.
Oh yes, and our video rocked!
This is going to be a busy week as I prepare for some vacation time next week. Lots of ducks that need to be ordered into rows and the like.
Then we're off to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas is none of your
business! We'll check out the Star Trek exhibit at the Hilton, maybe catch a show, hang out by the pool at the hotel. I don't advise trying to reach me. At all. Just go away and leave me along, thank you very much. This will be my second trip there, the first for my lady wife. We're both looking forward to it.
The Happening weekend put a hole in my weight loss program. I've got to figure out how to survive at youth events when I will be surrounded by junk food. And inevitably the kids will congregate there, so if I want to talk with them I end up standing next to the chips, and the queso dip and the pizza....
Four pounds this weekend! I put on FOUR pounds!!!
Not much else to say at the moment, just trying to get squared away on a Monday.
For the folks on the team that run the weekend it's also exhausting. I was the "Head Pop" (lead adult male) for our Prayer team which is much less stressful than doing the Visible team portion. But as a very strong Myers-Briggs introvert all that face time with the team just wears me out. Good team and a great weekend.
Oh yes, and our video rocked!
This is going to be a busy week as I prepare for some vacation time next week. Lots of ducks that need to be ordered into rows and the like.
Then we're off to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas is none of your
business! We'll check out the Star Trek exhibit at the Hilton, maybe catch a show, hang out by the pool at the hotel. I don't advise trying to reach me. At all. Just go away and leave me along, thank you very much. This will be my second trip there, the first for my lady wife. We're both looking forward to it.The Happening weekend put a hole in my weight loss program. I've got to figure out how to survive at youth events when I will be surrounded by junk food. And inevitably the kids will congregate there, so if I want to talk with them I end up standing next to the chips, and the queso dip and the pizza....
Four pounds this weekend! I put on FOUR pounds!!!
Not much else to say at the moment, just trying to get squared away on a Monday.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
What Spice am I? Oooooh, spicy!
Your Score: Saffron
You scored 75% intoxication, 50% hotness, 100% complexity, and 25% craziness!
You are Saffron!
Those other spices have nothing on you! You're warm, smart, and you make people feel really good (and with no side-effects!). You can be difficult to get to know and require a lot of those who try, but you're so totally worth it. *Sigh*
| Link: The Which Spice Are You Test written by jodiesattva on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(jodiesattva) |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Hannah Montana "thing"
SIGH.
Ok, the latest celebrity girl moment that America is losing its collective marbles over are the photos of Miley Cyrus for Vanity Fair. As my daughter is a little older I didn't have to survive the whole Hannah Montana thing. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pokemon were more than enough, thank you.
So how then, as the father of a daughter and a youth minister, do I feel about this whole flapdoodle? Let's do it point by point:
1: Are these photos terrible/horrible/obscene - In a word, NO. They were taken by one of the finest photographers of our time Annie Leibovitz. As always they are beautifully crafted and tasteful.
2: Was the one photo a good idea? Again, and in my opinion, NO. I'm talking about the one of her wrapped apparently only in a sheet. Word comes now that she was not in fact nude or in bed. But clearly the intent is to give that impression. It's a classic (almost cliche) sexy pose that's been done by a couple thousand models over the last 50 years and more. The problem I have is that Miley Cyrus is 15. And my question is - do we need to continue the trend of increasing sexualization of under age young women? The great thing about Miley was that she was cute and fun and cool without being overtly sexy. She has been about being a young woman, not a sex object. And that was really cool in an age when every other female teen star seems to feel the need to be stupid. So it's unfortunate.
3. Is it time to beat on Miley then? For the third time - NO. If I'm disturbed by anyone it's all the ADULTS who had to give the nod to this shot, starting with her father. Just really stupid and short sighted by them. Miley was working with this incredible photographer who was going to make her look fabulous, guaranteed. Annie Leibovitz could make ME look fabulous just imagine what she can do with someone really attractive!
4:What about the OTHER photos? I'm only referring to the ones taken of her with her then boyfriend not the multitudinous number of fake photos and videos. Seen them. And I've seen ones just like them done by hundreds of girls that age. Are they silly and embarrassing when you realize the whole world is looking at them? Yep, as she's acknowledged (and so do most of the other girls with these kinds of photos). She's being a silly, flirty teenaged girl who is exploring her sexuality and physicality. Not the smartest way to do it but a long way from the end of the world. She'll learn. We all do.
5: So what about the FUROR? Sigh. Let's see I've seen people say "It's no big deal, why not leave her alone?". Because it contributes to an environment that's detrimental our our girls. She could have helped and instead she hurt. Beyond that the rest of the comments I've seen have been idiotic and not worth repeating here. Once again American media and the nation conspire to create a tempest in a teapot over nothing. At best(worst?) this deserves an "I'm disappointed in Miley Cyrus and her advisors. I hope she does better in the future". Other than that it's a shrug and yet another chance to discuss body image and how we treat each other as humans rather than sex objects with our kids.
To everyone out there who is running around like their hair is on fire over this I ask these simple questions:
Are you stupid? Don't you have more important things to worry about?
Peace
Ok, the latest celebrity girl moment that America is losing its collective marbles over are the photos of Miley Cyrus for Vanity Fair. As my daughter is a little older I didn't have to survive the whole Hannah Montana thing. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pokemon were more than enough, thank you.
So how then, as the father of a daughter and a youth minister, do I feel about this whole flapdoodle? Let's do it point by point:
1: Are these photos terrible/horrible/obscene - In a word, NO. They were taken by one of the finest photographers of our time Annie Leibovitz. As always they are beautifully crafted and tasteful.
2: Was the one photo a good idea? Again, and in my opinion, NO. I'm talking about the one of her wrapped apparently only in a sheet. Word comes now that she was not in fact nude or in bed. But clearly the intent is to give that impression. It's a classic (almost cliche) sexy pose that's been done by a couple thousand models over the last 50 years and more. The problem I have is that Miley Cyrus is 15. And my question is - do we need to continue the trend of increasing sexualization of under age young women? The great thing about Miley was that she was cute and fun and cool without being overtly sexy. She has been about being a young woman, not a sex object. And that was really cool in an age when every other female teen star seems to feel the need to be stupid. So it's unfortunate.
3. Is it time to beat on Miley then? For the third time - NO. If I'm disturbed by anyone it's all the ADULTS who had to give the nod to this shot, starting with her father. Just really stupid and short sighted by them. Miley was working with this incredible photographer who was going to make her look fabulous, guaranteed. Annie Leibovitz could make ME look fabulous just imagine what she can do with someone really attractive!
4:What about the OTHER photos? I'm only referring to the ones taken of her with her then boyfriend not the multitudinous number of fake photos and videos. Seen them. And I've seen ones just like them done by hundreds of girls that age. Are they silly and embarrassing when you realize the whole world is looking at them? Yep, as she's acknowledged (and so do most of the other girls with these kinds of photos). She's being a silly, flirty teenaged girl who is exploring her sexuality and physicality. Not the smartest way to do it but a long way from the end of the world. She'll learn. We all do.
5: So what about the FUROR? Sigh. Let's see I've seen people say "It's no big deal, why not leave her alone?". Because it contributes to an environment that's detrimental our our girls. She could have helped and instead she hurt. Beyond that the rest of the comments I've seen have been idiotic and not worth repeating here. Once again American media and the nation conspire to create a tempest in a teapot over nothing. At best(worst?) this deserves an "I'm disappointed in Miley Cyrus and her advisors. I hope she does better in the future". Other than that it's a shrug and yet another chance to discuss body image and how we treat each other as humans rather than sex objects with our kids.
To everyone out there who is running around like their hair is on fire over this I ask these simple questions:
Are you stupid? Don't you have more important things to worry about?
Peace
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
All My Friends Have Flaws
(This is my column from our diocesan newspaper for the month of May)
When I was growing up I was in awe of all the perfect people. Well, maybe they weren't really “perfect”, even back then I knew how impossible that was, but they were really, really good. Had their lives in order, did things they way there were supposed to, treated everyone fairly all the time. I saw those people in a lot of places but I really saw a lot of them in church. And not just right then but all those apostles and disciples too. They had this whole saint thing going on.
Then there was me. I was constantly getting things wrong. And I was constantly getting into trouble. Mostly little stuff but I just couldn't seem to keep my feet on the straight and narrow. In the middle of church service instead of thinking about God and praying and all that stuff everyone else seemed to be doing I'd be thinking about baseball. Or riding my bike. Or that cute girl I knew (that came a little later). I was a total flop at being a good Episcopalian. As far as living up to the Disciples (I always saw that word with a capital letter in my head. They were that good) I could just forget it. Clearly they were on a whole other plane from me. I was never going to get there. It really made the whole church thing a bummer.
As I got older and read the Gospels some more I realized that there was something very wrong with my thinking. Jesus was surrounded by a truly amazing group of screw-ups. He had people who didn't listen, or didn't do as they were told. They got caught up in power struggles and argued with each other (even with Jesus sometimes). They were scared when they should be brave.
The other thing that jumped out at me was that Jesus clearly didn't care. Yes, he corrected them when they were wrong. But he never bailed on them. It didn't matter if you had some nasty illness, if you were someone that “nice people didn't associate with”, even if you held a job where you treated people badly for your own profit. He talked and taught and loved old people and young people and rich people and poor people. In fact Jesus goes so far as to say it's the people in trouble, the people who are messed up, the people with flaws that he came to help.
The great thing about understanding this is it takes the pressure off of everybody. It's OK that I have flaws. It's OK that my friends have flaws. Because Jesus loves us and is here to talk with us and teach us. That's to help us deal with the flaws. In fact now I'm suspicious of people who try to pretend that they're too perfect, that they don't have any flaws. The very best, finest, most spiritual people I've ever met have flaws. A few less than I do probably but they still have flaws. Now I can see them as people just like me working on dealing with those flaws. Now I don't have to feel like I'm some failure because I didn't make perfection.
Then and now the followers of Jesus are real live human beings. Which means we have our stupid days and our clumsy days and our selfish days and our mean days. With a little help from God, and a little help from our friends we get over them. If we keep working at them maybe we don't have those bad times quite so often, or they don't last quite so long. Along the way we get the chance to help our friends and everyone else we meet work on their flaws too.
All my friends have flaws.
Thank you God!
Peace
When I was growing up I was in awe of all the perfect people. Well, maybe they weren't really “perfect”, even back then I knew how impossible that was, but they were really, really good. Had their lives in order, did things they way there were supposed to, treated everyone fairly all the time. I saw those people in a lot of places but I really saw a lot of them in church. And not just right then but all those apostles and disciples too. They had this whole saint thing going on.
Then there was me. I was constantly getting things wrong. And I was constantly getting into trouble. Mostly little stuff but I just couldn't seem to keep my feet on the straight and narrow. In the middle of church service instead of thinking about God and praying and all that stuff everyone else seemed to be doing I'd be thinking about baseball. Or riding my bike. Or that cute girl I knew (that came a little later). I was a total flop at being a good Episcopalian. As far as living up to the Disciples (I always saw that word with a capital letter in my head. They were that good) I could just forget it. Clearly they were on a whole other plane from me. I was never going to get there. It really made the whole church thing a bummer.
As I got older and read the Gospels some more I realized that there was something very wrong with my thinking. Jesus was surrounded by a truly amazing group of screw-ups. He had people who didn't listen, or didn't do as they were told. They got caught up in power struggles and argued with each other (even with Jesus sometimes). They were scared when they should be brave.
The other thing that jumped out at me was that Jesus clearly didn't care. Yes, he corrected them when they were wrong. But he never bailed on them. It didn't matter if you had some nasty illness, if you were someone that “nice people didn't associate with”, even if you held a job where you treated people badly for your own profit. He talked and taught and loved old people and young people and rich people and poor people. In fact Jesus goes so far as to say it's the people in trouble, the people who are messed up, the people with flaws that he came to help.
The great thing about understanding this is it takes the pressure off of everybody. It's OK that I have flaws. It's OK that my friends have flaws. Because Jesus loves us and is here to talk with us and teach us. That's to help us deal with the flaws. In fact now I'm suspicious of people who try to pretend that they're too perfect, that they don't have any flaws. The very best, finest, most spiritual people I've ever met have flaws. A few less than I do probably but they still have flaws. Now I can see them as people just like me working on dealing with those flaws. Now I don't have to feel like I'm some failure because I didn't make perfection.
Then and now the followers of Jesus are real live human beings. Which means we have our stupid days and our clumsy days and our selfish days and our mean days. With a little help from God, and a little help from our friends we get over them. If we keep working at them maybe we don't have those bad times quite so often, or they don't last quite so long. Along the way we get the chance to help our friends and everyone else we meet work on their flaws too.
All my friends have flaws.
Thank you God!
Peace
Monday, April 28, 2008
Loserocity
Why I love these guys...
I did complete the competition, looking forward to tomorrow's announcement.
I did complete the competition, looking forward to tomorrow's announcement.
Friday, April 25, 2008
End of the contest!
Just some stuff:
Ok, I'm an old person. But if you're an old person (particularly one who kinda likes new tech toys)this is just hysterically funny. Assuming you speak Spanish. And ever made a mix tape. And have a twisted sense of humor like mine:
Neat little Star Wars touch too.
Well the Bigger Loser than Marko contest is now over. We've submitted our final weights and it appears that in fact no one is a bigger loser than Marko! (His staff warned us of his immense loser-ness, lol) Marko is the head honcho over at Youth Specialties and lost 60 pounds in just 12 weeks. Truly amazing. Here's his before and after photos:
Props to him for an amazing effort. For myself in 12 weeks I lost 21 pounds. That's 10% of starting body weight. I still need to lose another 15-20 pounds but now I believe I can. The formula was one I outlined at the beginning:
Eat good food
Eat less
Exercise more.
Rule #1 was I wasn't going to eat nasty tasting food that was "good for me". Food should be enjoyed. If the only way to be slimmer was eating horrible things I'll die fat thank you. Well it isn't. I gave up NOTHING. I ate chocolate and ice cream and pasta and bread and drank wine and everything. I chose better quality foods (brown rice instead of white, whole grains instead of refined) and ate less than usual. Add in several days a week at the gym doing cardio, weight lifting and swimming and the weight came off.
Slowly, sometimes very slowly but surely. And I feel great. Other than my socks and shoes none of my clothes fit any more. I have more energy, my brain works better (keep your comments to yourself) and my outlook is brighter. It's been great. And I'm not sure I would have done it without Marko's challenge. So thank you Marko. From the bottom of my heart.
Ok, I'm an old person. But if you're an old person (particularly one who kinda likes new tech toys)this is just hysterically funny. Assuming you speak Spanish. And ever made a mix tape. And have a twisted sense of humor like mine:
Neat little Star Wars touch too.Well the Bigger Loser than Marko contest is now over. We've submitted our final weights and it appears that in fact no one is a bigger loser than Marko! (His staff warned us of his immense loser-ness, lol) Marko is the head honcho over at Youth Specialties and lost 60 pounds in just 12 weeks. Truly amazing. Here's his before and after photos:
Props to him for an amazing effort. For myself in 12 weeks I lost 21 pounds. That's 10% of starting body weight. I still need to lose another 15-20 pounds but now I believe I can. The formula was one I outlined at the beginning:Eat good food
Eat less
Exercise more.
Rule #1 was I wasn't going to eat nasty tasting food that was "good for me". Food should be enjoyed. If the only way to be slimmer was eating horrible things I'll die fat thank you. Well it isn't. I gave up NOTHING. I ate chocolate and ice cream and pasta and bread and drank wine and everything. I chose better quality foods (brown rice instead of white, whole grains instead of refined) and ate less than usual. Add in several days a week at the gym doing cardio, weight lifting and swimming and the weight came off.
Slowly, sometimes very slowly but surely. And I feel great. Other than my socks and shoes none of my clothes fit any more. I have more energy, my brain works better (keep your comments to yourself) and my outlook is brighter. It's been great. And I'm not sure I would have done it without Marko's challenge. So thank you Marko. From the bottom of my heart.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Expelled
Not me, at least not yet.
Rather the movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed". It opened last weekend to a modest response (just under $3 million in it's opening weekend. In comparison 3 other movies that opened that same weekend rang up $21.4 million - "The Forbidden Kingdom", $17.7 million - "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", and $6.9 million - "88 Minutes". Expelled ended it's opening weekend as the #9 movie nationwide for the weekend).
I have to admit that I had hopes for this movie. Since his role in Ferris Beuller I've had a soft spot for Ben Stein who "stars" in this "documentary". I thought it could present a great chance to discuss with our young people how we see the intersection between faith and science. Is it one of conflict, agreement, mutual avoidance?
(Just for the sake of transparency, and without trying to push my understanding on anyone let me say that I don't see much conflict between faith and science. To me they are two ways of trying to describe/understand the world. They are not mutually exclusive but use very different methods to describe what they "see". Consequently faith relies on belief in things unseen while science requires that things be testable by experiment. My personal belief in the truth revealed by science doesn't destroy my belief in the truth revealed by faith. My understanding of the Divine allows for a God subtle enough to create the world through the device of evolution. What appears "random" to us may have a deeper complexity than we are capable of understanding. Science, for me, is our explanation of how God did and does it.)
So my hope was that "Expelled" could provide a way to discuss what we as individuals and the larger church have come to understand about faith and science. History shows that we've taken some very firm and very wrong stands in these debates in the past (Galileo as an example). How do we find the balance between scientific knowledge (limited as it is) and faith filled belief (limited as it is)?
Sadly the more I read about the movie and the point of view it presents the more disappointed I become. For a movie that touts the legitimacy of Intelligent Design it appears that it never clearly defines just what it means by that. It claims that communism was the result of Darwin's theory of evolution (Karl Marx "Communist Manifesto" published 1848. Darwin's "Origin of Species" published 1859!). The list goes on from there of facts that are distorted, quotations that are edited in a manner that changes their meaning without notification that they're edited. And apparently the camera angles and lighting for the scenes with renowned atheist Richard Dawkins fall just short of Darth Vader-esque.
Do we need to have discussions about what we as people of faith believe in relation to the creation of the world? Of course we do. A knee jerk dismissal of intelligent design/creationism is as intellectually dishonest as a knee jerk dismissal of evolution. On one side is "Everyone knows that" and on the other is "The Bible tells me so". In fact, at least in this case, neither is true. Our youth have fairly refined B.S. monitors and we lose credibility when we can do no better than this. We must be able to discuss these kinds of issues intelligently with each other and most especially with our young people. Otherwise we support the point of view that religion is for the unthinking, that it is the opiate of the masses.
It's sad that so much attention will be paid to this movie. It's sad that in all likelihood the shortcomings of "Expelled" will result in a very short run. Not that I want a badly made movie to continue to be screened but because in contrast a well made argument could begun much better conversations. If you want to see it or take your youth with you I recommend you do it soon. I doubt it will be easy to find even a month from now.
Better yet sit down with your youth and start the discussion about science and faith. The conversation is likely to be surprising.
Peace
Rather the movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed". It opened last weekend to a modest response (just under $3 million in it's opening weekend. In comparison 3 other movies that opened that same weekend rang up $21.4 million - "The Forbidden Kingdom", $17.7 million - "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", and $6.9 million - "88 Minutes". Expelled ended it's opening weekend as the #9 movie nationwide for the weekend).
I have to admit that I had hopes for this movie. Since his role in Ferris Beuller I've had a soft spot for Ben Stein who "stars" in this "documentary". I thought it could present a great chance to discuss with our young people how we see the intersection between faith and science. Is it one of conflict, agreement, mutual avoidance?
(Just for the sake of transparency, and without trying to push my understanding on anyone let me say that I don't see much conflict between faith and science. To me they are two ways of trying to describe/understand the world. They are not mutually exclusive but use very different methods to describe what they "see". Consequently faith relies on belief in things unseen while science requires that things be testable by experiment. My personal belief in the truth revealed by science doesn't destroy my belief in the truth revealed by faith. My understanding of the Divine allows for a God subtle enough to create the world through the device of evolution. What appears "random" to us may have a deeper complexity than we are capable of understanding. Science, for me, is our explanation of how God did and does it.)
So my hope was that "Expelled" could provide a way to discuss what we as individuals and the larger church have come to understand about faith and science. History shows that we've taken some very firm and very wrong stands in these debates in the past (Galileo as an example). How do we find the balance between scientific knowledge (limited as it is) and faith filled belief (limited as it is)?
Sadly the more I read about the movie and the point of view it presents the more disappointed I become. For a movie that touts the legitimacy of Intelligent Design it appears that it never clearly defines just what it means by that. It claims that communism was the result of Darwin's theory of evolution (Karl Marx "Communist Manifesto" published 1848. Darwin's "Origin of Species" published 1859!). The list goes on from there of facts that are distorted, quotations that are edited in a manner that changes their meaning without notification that they're edited. And apparently the camera angles and lighting for the scenes with renowned atheist Richard Dawkins fall just short of Darth Vader-esque.
Do we need to have discussions about what we as people of faith believe in relation to the creation of the world? Of course we do. A knee jerk dismissal of intelligent design/creationism is as intellectually dishonest as a knee jerk dismissal of evolution. On one side is "Everyone knows that" and on the other is "The Bible tells me so". In fact, at least in this case, neither is true. Our youth have fairly refined B.S. monitors and we lose credibility when we can do no better than this. We must be able to discuss these kinds of issues intelligently with each other and most especially with our young people. Otherwise we support the point of view that religion is for the unthinking, that it is the opiate of the masses.
It's sad that so much attention will be paid to this movie. It's sad that in all likelihood the shortcomings of "Expelled" will result in a very short run. Not that I want a badly made movie to continue to be screened but because in contrast a well made argument could begun much better conversations. If you want to see it or take your youth with you I recommend you do it soon. I doubt it will be easy to find even a month from now.
Better yet sit down with your youth and start the discussion about science and faith. The conversation is likely to be surprising.
Peace
Monday, April 21, 2008
Just some bits and pieces
Well I'm into the final week of my weight loss contest. I haven't posted much about it because quite simply I got stuck at about 15 pounds lost. Just couldn't budge from it. Strangely adding yard work to my days seems to have unstuck me. As of this morning I'm down 20 pounds. The contest ends Friday and I'd like to drop 4 pounds this week which would put me under 190 pounds for the first time in I can't remember how long. I'd still have about 10 pounds to hit what is probably only my first weight goal. I'm betting my doctor says that she wants me to lose another 10-15 more next time a see her. Another hard to please woman in my life, sigh. (That was a JOKE! Don't bombard my lady wife with notes telling her what a cad I am. She already knows)
Reasons why, though I love Canada and Canadians I will never move to Canada. This picture was taken YESTERDAY from the front window of Tim Chesterton's
house in Edmonton. Tim is a Family man, pastor, storyteller, musician, songwriter and an interesting blogger. He's also something he calls an Anabaptist Anglican. I've never been able to wrap my head around that concept yet. But then I don't care. I have a soft spot for folk singers.
I have a long list of blogs that I check on a regular basis. A good portion of them deal with the news in the Anglican Communion and I posted comments on them semi-regularly. But I've slowed down on that recently. I find that I'm schism-weary. I'm tired of being blasted for a whole host of supposed failures. I'm tired of it all. So I'll keep watching but I think I'll stay in posting "hibernation" for a while longer.
Busy month coming up. My next "free" weekend (meaning all to my own is about six weeks away. Shortly thereafter I have camp starting. It's a busy time of year. The good news is that I get to spend most of those weekends with the kids. They give me a tremendous energy boost, spirit boost and joy boost. With all due respect and affection to my fellow adults, most of you just make me tired.
Back to the salt mine...
Peace
Reasons why, though I love Canada and Canadians I will never move to Canada. This picture was taken YESTERDAY from the front window of Tim Chesterton's
house in Edmonton. Tim is a Family man, pastor, storyteller, musician, songwriter and an interesting blogger. He's also something he calls an Anabaptist Anglican. I've never been able to wrap my head around that concept yet. But then I don't care. I have a soft spot for folk singers.I have a long list of blogs that I check on a regular basis. A good portion of them deal with the news in the Anglican Communion and I posted comments on them semi-regularly. But I've slowed down on that recently. I find that I'm schism-weary. I'm tired of being blasted for a whole host of supposed failures. I'm tired of it all. So I'll keep watching but I think I'll stay in posting "hibernation" for a while longer.
Busy month coming up. My next "free" weekend (meaning all to my own is about six weeks away. Shortly thereafter I have camp starting. It's a busy time of year. The good news is that I get to spend most of those weekends with the kids. They give me a tremendous energy boost, spirit boost and joy boost. With all due respect and affection to my fellow adults, most of you just make me tired.
Back to the salt mine...
Peace
Friday, April 18, 2008
R.I.P. Danny Federici
Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici, longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen died yesterday following a three month battle with melanoma.
Regular readers know that I'm a huge fan of Springsteen and the E Street Band. Federici was an outstanding keyboard player and was highly respected in the music business. He was equally at home in Jazz, Polka, Classical, Blues and Rock. He played piano (and its various electronic variations), accordian (his first instrument) and glockenspiel.
It was interesting that he was such a self effacing performer in a band filled with big personalities - Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, Little Stephen Van Zandt. Even drummer Max Weinberg has a higher profile than Danny. Federici was an original member of the band going back to 1972. His death leaves on Springsteen and Clemons from the very first E Street Band.
The band has postponed two concerts today and tomorrow in Florida. Federici last played with the band on March 20 in Indianapolis after having been on medical leave since November of last year.
Springsteen fans everywhere are in mourning today.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The questions of our young people
Click image to enlarge. Courtesy of "The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus"
For our youth these are the normal questions of their age. I grow increasingly worried about how we are failing in our job in helping them answer those questions.
I see two major reasons for our failure:
We Want To Tell Them the Answers - We know who you are and where you should go! So just do as you're told and all will be well. That hasn't worked for several generations now so I'm amazed that some folks insist on trying it. We do it through badly done teaching styles where to goal is to impart knowledge/wisdom/tradition rather than share in an exploration of them.
We Want Them to Find Out For Themselves - Here's the deal. I'm going to drop you into the middle of someplace you've never been and have no referents for. You don't really understand what's going on, if you ask for help people will tell you to figure it out for yourself and you'll be entirely on your own. Do this where the language is kinda strange to you and with your perceptions changing very quickly of yourself and everyone else. The concept is idiotic but we're trying this one as well.
Is there a didactic portion to what we must do? Yes but we must guard zealously against pedantry(def. -a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules). We must allow our young people to question and to search, to even take the lead in that exploration. But we must also be there with them, prepared when asked to help them find the right direction.
This method of faith sharing is harder. It requires us allowing them to make decisions that will turn out to be wrong, to explore paths that have already been tried and found wanting. It means shutting up sometimes, waiting to be asked, walking next to them rather than leading them. Unless we do that we will share with them a faith that is not intrinsically theirs. It will be a shallow, thin veneer that will peel away under the least of stress. We must teach by how we live, how we make decisions, how we treat them and each other. It's always fascinated me that in one of the epistles the greatest burden, the greatest penalty for failure is placed on the teacher.
How we choose to answer those questions above is important not only for our young friends but for ourselves as well.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Rather amazing
This is a video from the Kinetic Church in Charlotte NC. In early March of this year someone stole a trailer that contained most of their church stuff. They hold their services in a theater and have loud rock music from the sound of the description. So they're not everybody's cup of tea. At the same time they offer communion (their word) every week. I'm not sure I'd become a member but I think I'd be happy as a visitor. Kinetic Church
I just know this is the way it's SUPPOSED to work.
I just know this is the way it's SUPPOSED to work.
Incredibly frustrated
A while back I read something that I really wanted to use later. Since it was right there at the top of my pile of "stuff" I wasn't worried about it, I could find it quickly.
Well, then a backed up schedule and a bunch of other projects all jumped the line. I shoved everything else to one side and buckled down to get caught up. Now I need to get back to that previous thought and it's gone.
I was reading something, most likely online. It was talking about young people and how several traditional points of "structure" for them have been moved/eliminated which, if memory serves, is increasing their level of stress. The thrust of the article struck me as consistent with some other work I'm doing on what I see as needed changes in how the church interacts with youth.
But I have no idea where I saw it, what it came from, or where to even begin looking. Unfortunately I read SO MUCH in any given week it could take weeks to even cover a small portion.
Aaargh.
By any chance does this sound familiar to anyone?
Update - In fact it took me about 30 minutes to track it down. Where had I read it? Oh yeah it was a link in one of my own newsletters! Check out "The Great Family Meltdown" at the Center for Parent Youth Understanding. I've now SAVED a copy of that article onto my hard drive. Whew.
Peace
Well, then a backed up schedule and a bunch of other projects all jumped the line. I shoved everything else to one side and buckled down to get caught up. Now I need to get back to that previous thought and it's gone.
I was reading something, most likely online. It was talking about young people and how several traditional points of "structure" for them have been moved/eliminated which, if memory serves, is increasing their level of stress. The thrust of the article struck me as consistent with some other work I'm doing on what I see as needed changes in how the church interacts with youth.
But I have no idea where I saw it, what it came from, or where to even begin looking. Unfortunately I read SO MUCH in any given week it could take weeks to even cover a small portion.
Aaargh.
By any chance does this sound familiar to anyone?
Update - In fact it took me about 30 minutes to track it down. Where had I read it? Oh yeah it was a link in one of my own newsletters! Check out "The Great Family Meltdown" at the Center for Parent Youth Understanding. I've now SAVED a copy of that article onto my hard drive. Whew.
Peace
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Buried
So consider this a note from the bottom of the pile.
It's a busy time of year for a diocesan youth minister. Camp/summer programs are at the top of our lists. There has to be about 10 gazillion details that have to be handled.
Add into that my trip to the provincial network meeting and I'm trailing the curve rather than ahead of it. Last week I blew off a couple personal options to make time to get a little closer. I have to admit it worked and I can at least see the break even line again. Of course it keeps moving on me.
On the weight loss side after weeks of being stalled I've started losing again. Spent a session with a personal trainer who kicked my workout intensity up. So I'm only 2 pounds away from the 20 pounds lost level and need only 1 more than that to hit the 10% weight loss. Both very exciting. 3 pounds beyond those 3 pounds and I drop below another milestone. But I don't want to start thinking about that yet. I need these first three.
Speaking of milestones I crushed one on Friday. I've been swimming on Friday and making good progress. A couple weeks ago I managed 36 lengths (18 laps) which is just over a half mile. I couldn't swim last week so I wasn't sure how I'd do when I got back in the water. My plan was to try for 3 sets of 12 lengths. That's a pretty easy prospect for me at the moment. At the end of the first 12 I felt good so I did two more. And two more. And two more. Now my personal best of 20 was in sight so I decided to go for it. At the end of 20 I still felt good and thought "Set a new best". Two more. And two more. And two more. Now 30 is in reach. Once I hit 30, still feeling pretty good I knew I had to go for it all. 36 lengths in approximately 34 minutes. Best of all I felt like I could have done more.
I "read" two really neat books during my drive to and from the network meeting. Normally I hate being read to but on long drives books on CD are great.
The Greatest Player Who Never Lived by J. Michael Veron. If you love golf (as I do. I do terrible things to my love but that's the way of it. She does terrible things in return) this is a book that will grab you. Veron clearly understands the passionate attachment so many of us have for the game. It's a great story and well told. And you don't have to know squat about the game (though you'll know more when you're done) to enjoy the story. Might make a neat movie.
The Quiet American by Graham Green. This is one of the great novels to come out of the Viet Nam era. It's not particularly flattering to the American mind set in the foreign policy arena but that doesn't mean it's not pretty close to the truth. It is sad and cynical as it explores naivete, and culture clash. I found the characters to be disturbing and enthralling. This one's been made into a movie twice.
So still lots to do. I have several faith related ideas for posts kicking around in my head and I really need to get them down. I feel like I'm neglecting that part of this blog.
It's a busy time of year for a diocesan youth minister. Camp/summer programs are at the top of our lists. There has to be about 10 gazillion details that have to be handled.
Add into that my trip to the provincial network meeting and I'm trailing the curve rather than ahead of it. Last week I blew off a couple personal options to make time to get a little closer. I have to admit it worked and I can at least see the break even line again. Of course it keeps moving on me.
On the weight loss side after weeks of being stalled I've started losing again. Spent a session with a personal trainer who kicked my workout intensity up. So I'm only 2 pounds away from the 20 pounds lost level and need only 1 more than that to hit the 10% weight loss. Both very exciting. 3 pounds beyond those 3 pounds and I drop below another milestone. But I don't want to start thinking about that yet. I need these first three.
Speaking of milestones I crushed one on Friday. I've been swimming on Friday and making good progress. A couple weeks ago I managed 36 lengths (18 laps) which is just over a half mile. I couldn't swim last week so I wasn't sure how I'd do when I got back in the water. My plan was to try for 3 sets of 12 lengths. That's a pretty easy prospect for me at the moment. At the end of the first 12 I felt good so I did two more. And two more. And two more. Now my personal best of 20 was in sight so I decided to go for it. At the end of 20 I still felt good and thought "Set a new best". Two more. And two more. And two more. Now 30 is in reach. Once I hit 30, still feeling pretty good I knew I had to go for it all. 36 lengths in approximately 34 minutes. Best of all I felt like I could have done more.
I "read" two really neat books during my drive to and from the network meeting. Normally I hate being read to but on long drives books on CD are great.
The Greatest Player Who Never Lived by J. Michael Veron. If you love golf (as I do. I do terrible things to my love but that's the way of it. She does terrible things in return) this is a book that will grab you. Veron clearly understands the passionate attachment so many of us have for the game. It's a great story and well told. And you don't have to know squat about the game (though you'll know more when you're done) to enjoy the story. Might make a neat movie.
The Quiet American by Graham Green. This is one of the great novels to come out of the Viet Nam era. It's not particularly flattering to the American mind set in the foreign policy arena but that doesn't mean it's not pretty close to the truth. It is sad and cynical as it explores naivete, and culture clash. I found the characters to be disturbing and enthralling. This one's been made into a movie twice.
So still lots to do. I have several faith related ideas for posts kicking around in my head and I really need to get them down. I feel like I'm neglecting that part of this blog.
Friday, April 04, 2008
April 4, Shot rings out in the Memphis sky...
April 3, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech that includes on of the most stirring paragraphs I've ever heard. Add to it just a frisson of foreshadowing:
Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
The nation lost a great leader.
Peace
BOGO Jesus
This is my column from the April issue of our diocesan newspaper
Sometimes I lean back in my chair and close my eyes (just to rest for minute) and I have the strangest dreams:
The Marketing Man burst into my office, filled with great ideas.
“I've got some great ideas about getting out your message about faith and ministry and all that other stuff”.
He seemed really excited as he paced back and forth across my office. His eyes were focused on some far distant place and his hands cut great swathes through the air as he gestured grandly.
“You gotta grab their attention. Hit 'em where they live, really slide right into what they're already thinking about. I'm thinking we make this whole church thing sexier. Some hot models in church shaking their...”
“Whoa”, I cried, “We really try to avoid the whole 'shaking' thing. Faith is about the fruits of the spirit, not being bootilicious”.
He paused a moment to ponder that idea. With a shrug of his shoulders he went on.
“Well if you insist. Then maybe we need to go high tech. Yeah, that's it. Lasers and big screens and speakers pumping out the 'bompa-bompa-bom-bom' till the windows rattle.”
“Well,” I responded, shaking my head , “I love the high tech toys as much as anyone. But lasers and big screens don't translate well into everyday life. We need to make sure they can carry their faith with them everywhere.”
A smile appeared on the Marketing Man's face.
“You're a tough one my friend. You're tough. OK, I've got it the perfect pitch for today. It's all about the price point. We go with a buy one get one offer. It can't miss!”
I almost felt like I was letting him down. The Marketing Man was trying so hard, working up all these ideas just for me. I stood up and putting my hands on his shoulders I looked the Marketing Man straight in the eye.
“I know you want to help but you don't seem to get the concept. A life in faith is about treating other with respect, caring for the individuals around you. Sometimes it happens alone, sometimes it happens in big groups. Sometimes it's flashy and colorful and sometimes it's just you all by yourself. It's not about some marketable event or product. It's about how you live your entire life. And the buy one get one thing? There is only one. And we give it away.”
The Marketing Man looked stunned and then he looked sad.
“I'm not the one who doesn't get it my friend. Taking care of OTHER people? Being respectful? Long term thinking over short term gratification? And giving it away?!?!?! That'll never fly”
He muttered sadly to himself as he gathered his briefcase and walked out the door.
I opened my eyes with a realization.
It's not about what program or curriculum we use. It's not about the latest music or video or podcast. It's not about being “hot” or “relevant” or “high tech”. It's about the love of God that surrounds us and warms us. It's about how we share that love with everyone around us. It's about how we live our lives as an expression of that love.
And then I turned to my computer and I began to write.
Peace
Sometimes I lean back in my chair and close my eyes (just to rest for minute) and I have the strangest dreams:
The Marketing Man burst into my office, filled with great ideas.
“I've got some great ideas about getting out your message about faith and ministry and all that other stuff”.
He seemed really excited as he paced back and forth across my office. His eyes were focused on some far distant place and his hands cut great swathes through the air as he gestured grandly.
“You gotta grab their attention. Hit 'em where they live, really slide right into what they're already thinking about. I'm thinking we make this whole church thing sexier. Some hot models in church shaking their...”
“Whoa”, I cried, “We really try to avoid the whole 'shaking' thing. Faith is about the fruits of the spirit, not being bootilicious”.
He paused a moment to ponder that idea. With a shrug of his shoulders he went on.
“Well if you insist. Then maybe we need to go high tech. Yeah, that's it. Lasers and big screens and speakers pumping out the 'bompa-bompa-bom-bom' till the windows rattle.”
“Well,” I responded, shaking my head , “I love the high tech toys as much as anyone. But lasers and big screens don't translate well into everyday life. We need to make sure they can carry their faith with them everywhere.”
A smile appeared on the Marketing Man's face.
“You're a tough one my friend. You're tough. OK, I've got it the perfect pitch for today. It's all about the price point. We go with a buy one get one offer. It can't miss!”
I almost felt like I was letting him down. The Marketing Man was trying so hard, working up all these ideas just for me. I stood up and putting my hands on his shoulders I looked the Marketing Man straight in the eye.
“I know you want to help but you don't seem to get the concept. A life in faith is about treating other with respect, caring for the individuals around you. Sometimes it happens alone, sometimes it happens in big groups. Sometimes it's flashy and colorful and sometimes it's just you all by yourself. It's not about some marketable event or product. It's about how you live your entire life. And the buy one get one thing? There is only one. And we give it away.”
The Marketing Man looked stunned and then he looked sad.
“I'm not the one who doesn't get it my friend. Taking care of OTHER people? Being respectful? Long term thinking over short term gratification? And giving it away?!?!?! That'll never fly”
He muttered sadly to himself as he gathered his briefcase and walked out the door.
I opened my eyes with a realization.
It's not about what program or curriculum we use. It's not about the latest music or video or podcast. It's not about being “hot” or “relevant” or “high tech”. It's about the love of God that surrounds us and warms us. It's about how we share that love with everyone around us. It's about how we live our lives as an expression of that love.
And then I turned to my computer and I began to write.
Peace
The Movie List
Saw this first at Mindi's then at McNutt's and thought - Gotta do it. I'm surprised at the ones they HAVEN'T seen but then I'm a movie geek. This is the American Film Institute’s 2007 list of the top 100 American movies; I’ve put the ones I’ve seen in bold. I've included only those movies that I've seen the whole way through. There's a bunch here of which I've seen part or most of but I don't count those:
1. Citizen Kane, 1941.
2. The Godfather, 1972.
3. Casablanca, 1942.
4. Raging Bull, 1980.
5. Singin’ in the Rain, 1952.
6. Gone With the Wind, 1939.
7. Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.
8. Schindler’s List, 1993.
9. Vertigo, 1958.
10. The Wizard of Oz, 1939.
11. City Lights, 1931.
12. The Searchers, 1956.
13. Star Wars, 1977.
14. Psycho, 1960.
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968.
16. Sunset Blvd., 1950.
17. The Graduate, 1967.
18. The General, 1927.
19. On the Waterfront, 1954.
20. It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946.
21. Chinatown, 1974.
22. Some Like It Hot, 1959.
23. The Grapes of Wrath, 1940.
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982.
25. To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962.
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939.
27. High Noon, 1952.
28. All About Eve, 1950.
29. Double Indemnity, 1944.
30. Apocalypse Now, 1979.
31. The Maltese Falcon, 1941.
32. The Godfather Part II, 1974.
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975.
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937.
35. Annie Hall, 1977.
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957.
37. The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946.
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948.
39. Dr. Strangelove, 1964.
40. The Sound of Music, 1965.
41. King Kong, 1933.
42. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967.
43. Midnight Cowboy, 1969.
44. The Philadelphia Story, 1940.
45. Shane, 1953.
46. It Happened One Night, 1934.
47. A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951.
48. Rear Window, 1954.
49. Intolerance, 1916.
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001.
51. West Side Story, 1961.
52. Taxi Driver, 1976.
53. The Deer Hunter, 1978.
54. M-A-S-H, 1970.
55. North by Northwest, 1959.
56. Jaws, 1975.
57. Rocky, 1976.
58. The Gold Rush, 1925.
59. Nashville, 1975.
60. Duck Soup, 1933.
61. Sullivan’s Travels, 1941.
62. American Graffiti, 1973.
63. Cabaret, 1972.
64. Network, 1976.
65. The African Queen, 1951.
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981.
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966.
68. Unforgiven, 1992.
69. Tootsie, 1982.
70. A Clockwork Orange, 1971.
71. Saving Private Ryan, 1998.
72. The Shawshank Redemption, 1994.
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
74. The Silence of the Lambs, 1991.
75. In the Heat of the Night, 1967.
76. Forrest Gump, 1994.
77. All the President’s Men, 1976.
78. Modern Times, 1936.
79. The Wild Bunch, 1969.
80. The Apartment, 1960.
81. Spartacus, 1960.
82. Sunrise, 1927.
83. Titanic, 1997.
84. Easy Rider, 1969.
85. A Night at the Opera, 1935.
86. Platoon, 1986.
87. 12 Angry Men, 1957.
88. Bringing Up Baby, 1938.
89. The Sixth Sense, 1999.
90. Swing Time, 1936.
91. Sophie’s Choice, 1982.
92. Goodfellas, 1990.
93. The French Connection, 1971.
94. Pulp Fiction, 1994.
95. The Last Picture Show, 1971.
96. Do the Right Thing, 1989.
97. Blade Runner, 1982.
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942.
99. Toy Story, 1995.
100. Ben-Hur, 1959.
Hmmm, that's only about 60%. Now I need to get the rest of these. A couple will be tough because they're so old (Intolerance, The General).
1. Citizen Kane, 1941.
2. The Godfather, 1972.
3. Casablanca, 1942.
4. Raging Bull, 1980.
5. Singin’ in the Rain, 1952.
6. Gone With the Wind, 1939.
7. Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.
8. Schindler’s List, 1993.
9. Vertigo, 1958.
10. The Wizard of Oz, 1939.
11. City Lights, 1931.
12. The Searchers, 1956.
13. Star Wars, 1977.
14. Psycho, 1960.
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968.
16. Sunset Blvd., 1950.
17. The Graduate, 1967.
18. The General, 1927.
19. On the Waterfront, 1954.
20. It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946.
21. Chinatown, 1974.
22. Some Like It Hot, 1959.
23. The Grapes of Wrath, 1940.
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982.
25. To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962.
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939.
27. High Noon, 1952.
28. All About Eve, 1950.
29. Double Indemnity, 1944.
30. Apocalypse Now, 1979.
31. The Maltese Falcon, 1941.
32. The Godfather Part II, 1974.
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975.
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937.
35. Annie Hall, 1977.
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957.
37. The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946.
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948.
39. Dr. Strangelove, 1964.
40. The Sound of Music, 1965.
41. King Kong, 1933.
42. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967.
43. Midnight Cowboy, 1969.
44. The Philadelphia Story, 1940.
45. Shane, 1953.
46. It Happened One Night, 1934.
47. A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951.
48. Rear Window, 1954.
49. Intolerance, 1916.
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001.
51. West Side Story, 1961.
52. Taxi Driver, 1976.
53. The Deer Hunter, 1978.
54. M-A-S-H, 1970.
55. North by Northwest, 1959.
56. Jaws, 1975.
57. Rocky, 1976.
58. The Gold Rush, 1925.
59. Nashville, 1975.
60. Duck Soup, 1933.
61. Sullivan’s Travels, 1941.
62. American Graffiti, 1973.
63. Cabaret, 1972.
64. Network, 1976.
65. The African Queen, 1951.
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981.
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966.
68. Unforgiven, 1992.
69. Tootsie, 1982.
70. A Clockwork Orange, 1971.
71. Saving Private Ryan, 1998.
72. The Shawshank Redemption, 1994.
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
74. The Silence of the Lambs, 1991.
75. In the Heat of the Night, 1967.
76. Forrest Gump, 1994.
77. All the President’s Men, 1976.
78. Modern Times, 1936.
79. The Wild Bunch, 1969.
80. The Apartment, 1960.
81. Spartacus, 1960.
82. Sunrise, 1927.
83. Titanic, 1997.
84. Easy Rider, 1969.
85. A Night at the Opera, 1935.
86. Platoon, 1986.
87. 12 Angry Men, 1957.
88. Bringing Up Baby, 1938.
89. The Sixth Sense, 1999.
90. Swing Time, 1936.
91. Sophie’s Choice, 1982.
92. Goodfellas, 1990.
93. The French Connection, 1971.
94. Pulp Fiction, 1994.
95. The Last Picture Show, 1971.
96. Do the Right Thing, 1989.
97. Blade Runner, 1982.
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942.
99. Toy Story, 1995.
100. Ben-Hur, 1959.
Hmmm, that's only about 60%. Now I need to get the rest of these. A couple will be tough because they're so old (Intolerance, The General).
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
From the sublime to the ridiculous
This is from Lark News:
Inner-city ministry trip confirms youths’ worst impressions
CHESTERFIELD — A youth group from a suburban mega-church traveled to inner-city St. Louis for a ministry trip which confirmed their preconceptions about urban poverty.
Full Story
Before anyone has a coronary Lark News is a parody news site.
And don't miss THIS:
Episcopal Church named official denomination of Major League Baseball
Here's some exciting news that's breaking this first day in April:
baseball
(by email)
As a part of opening week festivities, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced today that the Episcopal Church has been designated the Official Denomination of Major League Baseball. The move was announced today in a teleconference with reporters.
Full Story from Episcopal Cafe
What day is it again?
Inner-city ministry trip confirms youths’ worst impressions
CHESTERFIELD — A youth group from a suburban mega-church traveled to inner-city St. Louis for a ministry trip which confirmed their preconceptions about urban poverty.
Full Story
Before anyone has a coronary Lark News is a parody news site.
And don't miss THIS:
Episcopal Church named official denomination of Major League Baseball
Here's some exciting news that's breaking this first day in April:
baseball
(by email)
As a part of opening week festivities, Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced today that the Episcopal Church has been designated the Official Denomination of Major League Baseball. The move was announced today in a teleconference with reporters.
Full Story from Episcopal Cafe
What day is it again?
What a tribute!
I've mentioned my friend G-man before. Well just recently he heard God's call to move on from his ministry job. At the moment he's kind of in limbo since where God wanted him to go next wasn't clear (yet). I applaud his courage.
He recently posted this tribute video done for him by his church. What a great tribute to the work he did there. Wouldn't we all like to be remembered this way.
Congrats!
Peace
He recently posted this tribute video done for him by his church. What a great tribute to the work he did there. Wouldn't we all like to be remembered this way.
Congrats!
Peace
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
