two more things

I want to add to my "things I like" list, just two things:

1. I really, really enjoy the bud light commercials where it shows the guy who just says "dude" in a bunch of different settings. It seems there are two of them now, and both are excellent. The one below is actually expanded from the one on TV. It gets more and more rich each time you watch:


Bud Light Dude - Watch more free videos




2. A friend of mine just put me onto Andrew Peterson's music - www.andrew-peterson.com. He's folky and a colorful song writer. He can be a little "over the top" in his artsy-ness. All around very good. How about these for some strong lyrics to begin a Christmas song:
"It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town"

That song also includes these fantastic lyrics:
"Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night

So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon"

That is good, good stuff.

Current Likes/Dislikes

Lists seem to be popular in media these days. So I'm in:

Elements of Life I Am Currently Enjoying:

1. B's insistence on calling the great fish in all the Jonah story books "a dolphin." I don't know why, but this is funny to me every time.

2. J had to give his preschool class a "tip" yesterday, his tip: "Don't stand up on top of the car."

3. Found a pretzel place near our house that cranks out fresh hot pretzels starting at 6am. Unbelievable.

4. Donna Reed in "It's a Wonderful Life"

5. Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life"

6. "Southbound Train" by Jon Foreman

7. I knew it:


8. The 76ers are really bad, but they have some young players who might turn into real NBA players.

9. My living room lit with Christmas lights.

10. Getting to listen to Sunday Morning Over Easy streaming over the internet on Sunday mornings from the finest radio station, 92.9WBOS in Boston.

11. Seeing some old China friends.

12. The knockoff NPR skit on SNL with Alec Baldwin. As with B and "the dolphin", Pete Schwedy and his balls are funny every time.



Elements of Life I'm Not Enjoying So Much:

1. No college football for a few weeks, except for the D-IAA and D-II championships, which I watched like they were the superbowl.

2. "Southbound Train" by Jon Foreman

3.

4. The fact that I haven't read a book for a couple of months.

5. Not getting to see more old China friends.


And there you have it. I'm sure more lists of likes and dislikes will surface in the days to come.

I feel the need, the need for extremes

Why must we move to the edges? In politics, entertainment, sports, and religion the tendency to label something/someone "all good" or "all bad" is obvious. The ability to discern something as both good AND bad (to use simple terms) is not often observed. I read an article a while back about how one of the original "hater" blogs - gawker - built an empire on labeling the world of NYC in extreme terms. It happens as well in the Christian community: emerging church is ALL bad, calvinists are ALL crazy, proclamation evangelism is COMPLETELY modern, and the list goes on.

I've seen it in the response to "The Golden Compass." The movie is ALL bad (if you're a religious type) or it is ALL good and harmless (if you are secular and want to rebut the religious nuts).

So what I am saying is that everyone should just calm down and become like me and see the world as I see it. Then everything will be ok and peace and justice will be restored....if I were king...

Look Kids, A Deer!

In the family tradition of the Griswolds, we got us a Christmas tree last night. Here are two equally true versions of the experience, one traditional and the other modern/urban.

TRADITIONAL: There was a light snow flurry in the air as we rolled off to the Christmas tree lot. We stopped to pick up some egg nog, and listened to the radio station that plays only Christmas music during December. The boys played with the pine branches that were laying around and we also purchased some small evergreen bushes to plant in our window boxes.

MODERN/URBAN: There was a light snow flurry in the air as we rolled off to the Christmas tree lot. We stopped at the light next to the railroad tracks, where the homeless guy keeps all his stuff. He looked cold. We sang "The Hannukah Song" by Adam Sandler, which was playing on the radio station that plays only Christmas music during the month of December. We searched for a nice tree under the pink glow cast by the neon lights of the neighboring strip club.

Merry Christmas season everyone. When I go home today, I'll be greeted by the great seasonal smell of the nice 8 foot tree in my living room. Until then, drink you gin and tonic-ahs and smoke your marijuani-cah:

College Football Musings

I have watched, and enjoyed, a LOT of college football of late. It was a wacky season, which was for the most part very enjoyable. Here are a few thoughts (this is therapy for the reality that I'll be without college football for the next nine months, save for the bowl games):

1. The powerhouses of the '90s are now lousy, e.g. Nebraska, FSU, Miami. It's nice to see them suck, but it's almost no longer enjoyable because they've been so bad for so long (this does not hold true for point number 3 below).

2. The underachievers of the '90s are now very good. LSU, Florida, USC, and Ohio State always had tons of talent and didn't win when it mattered. Weird.

3. Does anyone know which team Notre Dame is going to lose to in a bowl this year? Oh yeah, they only won three games. It is ALWAYS a treat to watch this arrogant program with an arrogant coach lose. Fortunately, because of their arrogant television contract, I got to watch them lose quite often this year.





3. Penn State plays A&M this year in the Alamo Bowl. We whipped them 24-0 several years ago, and I hope beat them again.

It's Friday

There was an informative article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, focusing on the monks in Belgium who support their monastery through sales of a highly sought after beer. I recommend indulging in the both the article and a cold brew:


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119628388037006909.html?mod=hps_us_mostpop_viewed

Cultural Observations

Below is a nice little article from theatlantic.com:




"The" way vs "a" way (Japan v China dept)
27 Nov 2007 02:40 am

This is not a scientific comparison, but when i saw one scene I remembered another.

This is the recent scene: yesterday afternoon, Naha airport, Okinawa, Japan. Line crew gassing up a Cirrus SR22:



Details to notice below: crew identically dressed in company uniform; complete safety gear -- hardhats, reflective chest straps with procedural checklist clipped on, puffy protective cuff to shield the plane's wing from damage. It's hard to see in the picture, but even the boots are part of the uniform: black, with red laces, and company logos on the back. Impossible to see in the picture: the coordinated shout and semi-bow toward the plane when the fueling was done.



Now, the scene I remembered and mentioned last year: Refueling the same kind of plane in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, China.



With usual caveats against sweeping generalization, what this made me think was: Japan is all about the way of doing things. Practice, ritual, perfectionism, as much fanatical attention to the process as to the result. China is all about finding a way to do things. Improvisation, little interest in rules, putting up with whatever is necessary to attain the result.

(Yeah yeah yeah, there are exceptions: perfectionist operations in China, loosey-goosey ones in Japan. Still.)

At the moment, I am feeling positive toward both approaches. The emphasis on the right way of doing things is re-surprising on each encounter with Japan. And the determination to do things in China, no matter what, commands respect, despite the obvious complications and problems it creates.

But when it comes to refueling the plane....

What Rallies Christians?

My question is: What issues bring a concerted response from Christians here in the U.S.?

Based on two emails I've received the past week, it appears that movies with an anti-God message (The Golden Compass) and large retailers who offer health benefits to the spouses of homosexual employees (Target) are two areas that Christians will get worked up about. This bums me out. Obviously, I don't mean to indict all believers of Jesus here in the U.S.--that would be overboard. But why do Christians get all whipped into a frenzy (and fire out forwarded emails) about a movie and a corporate decision about homosexuality? I'm developing my rant about "The Golden Compass" - that's for another time.

For now, my rant focuses on this: There are a TON of issues out there that demand Biblical wisdom, why would Christians "circle the wagons" around a movie and retailer? Why don't we fire out an email/article/blog/book/whatever demanding that true followers of Jesus do something about this:

"DETROIT - In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics....Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland Calif.; Camden, N.J.; Birmingham, Ala.; North Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Richmond, Calif.; and Cleveland.

The study ranked Mission Viejo, Calif., as the safest U.S. city, followed by Clarkstown, N.Y.; Brick Township, N.J.; Amherst, N.Y.; and Sugar Land, Texas."


While I have no basis for this, I am quite confident there is a greater percentage of Christians(as a percentage of population) in places like Mission Viejo, CA and Sugar Land, TX than there is in Detroit, Camden NJ, or Memphis. Let's get a Christian presence IN the city that rivals the presence of Christians that live OUTSIDE the city. My guess is the city-adverse Christian culture isn't just here in the U.S, it may be a global problem...sigh...

OK, enough on that rant, but it will most likely show up again. On a lighter note, if you can get your hands on the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," do yourself a favor and take it in.

A Few More Thoughts

I want to be mindful not to fall into a predictable template for blog postings, however I am going once again with the "random list of thoughts" post. I do have another post brewing for the next couple of days, but for now I am returning to the random list:

1. I now have greater insight as to why some hide their kids' names on their blog (see comments to my previous post).

I am catching grief from my wife, because she wants to be called "A." She thinks it's more mysterious.


2. People have been harassing me to watch the Marky Mark Eagles movie about Vince Papale's life. A very thoughtful friend bought us the DVD before our move, and we watched it over the weekend. The movie is solidly mediocre. Amy enjoyed it a bit more than I because she didn't know the story beforehand (and she likes Marky Mark). As for Philly-based movies, I still keep Rocky in my top 5 movies of all time (maybe top 2).


3. It is often said that there is no such thing as a "moral victory," I say that is crap. Our team did pretty good last night, even in light of the close defeat:

Day After Thanksgiving

It is now officially post-Thanksgiving and we are all granted permission to listen to Christmas music. I used to work with a dude who listened to Christmas music all year round-I found it troubling. However, I didn't find it as troubling as the Josh Grobin CD that my Mom just bought and listens to in the office. She loves him. I am not as fond of him as she is.

Anyway, a few more random thoughts for your Holiday enjoyment:

1. We've watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving each of the past two days. My boy J finds the scene with the fight between Snoopy and the chair to be somewhat scary. He also finds Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Train to be spooky at times as well. He has a low tolerance for scary-ness in videos. He is tough as nails, though, when we play tackle football.

2. Had a good holiday with my cousins at my aunt's, and it is always good to see all of them. My other son, B (I'm not sure why I can't post their full names, but I find that other bloggers just put the first letter) loves to eat pickles. He will eat pickles at any time, and with great vigor. Therefore, he loves Thanksgiving. He pulled up a chair to the obligatory plate of pickles, and proceeded to knock down several plates of them. He also loads black olives onto each of his fingers and eats them. He repeated this activity, often.

3. I've got to go get a bit of work done, so I can leave early and go home and watch Friday afternoon college football. Yet another treat of this great holiday weekend.

we'll be watching

After a healthy dose of family visits and pre-Thanksgiving work, I am back. Just a few random thoughts to take up a little of your time:

1. I dig the day before Thanksgiving--it's like a little holiday of it's own. Wednesdays are rarely exciting, but this one has a nice little buzz to it.

2. I work with both of my parents, and it's 9:45 and they're not in the office yet. I wonder if this is a work holiday that I knew not of. Maybe I could implement the old college rule where the professor got 10-15 minutes to show up late, otherwise you could bust out of class?

3. Amy and I went to a concert last week, and it was outstanding. Dude's name is Will Hoge and go google him and check out his stuff. He's got a nice, simple southern blues/rock feel. And we feel like we know him because he carpooled to school with a good friend when they were kids.

4. Lastly, we'll be watching this tonight:


Is there anything better than when snoopy gets in a fight with the chair?

My Man Pedro

Those of us who have lived overseas know the joy of watching some WorldSport on CNN International. Our main soccer man Pedro Pinto gets worked over here - watch to the end. Good times always follow anytime a reporter is headlocked and a microphone gets commandeered by hooligans.

Quick Pic

As I mentioned in my previous post, the old hometown was highlighted quite a bit over the weekend. The 20/20 special was pretty compelling, but that home makeover show is barely watchable.

Anyway, above is a pic of my boy J that Amy took when they went to see the house revealed.

Most Famous

View Larger Map

My hometown will be highlighted quite a bit this weekend. There is a bit on 20/20 tonight about Camden, NJ, it's a follow up report to a previous report on the downtrodden city.


However, the big buzz will be Sunday night on Extreme Makeover, as the family is from Camden. We watched the house go up over the summer, and Amy and J were at the unveiling.

Received this email from the church we attended in Boston, Park Street Church. Check this out:

The Protesters are Coming, the Protesters are Coming....

As most of you are aware from Gordon Hugenberger's sermon last Sunday, a protest is planned outside of our church from 8:00 - 8:30 am this Sunday November 4 by the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas. This group has traveled around the United States proclaiming God's judgment on the nation due to cultural and religious acceptance of homosexuality. Most recently they have been in the news because they have been held liable for $11.0 million for disrupting a funeral of a soldier who died in Iraq. One poster had written on it, "God loves dead soldiers." The church's website home page address is godhatesfags.com. That gives you an idea where their heart is. They plan to go from Park Street to several other churches throughout the morning expressing their hatred against those with whom they disagree.




I followed up with a friend who attends Park Street, and it turns out that they didn't show. The entire email quoted above was extremely well written. Made us proud to be Park Streeters, as we are still members there until we start membership classes at our church here in Philly.

1 out of 2 Ain't Bad

Updates, friends, we have updates:

1. The drama of the lottery came down to the reality of 24 spots open with 109 applicants. As the 23rd name was called, I was bummed. However, the last spot went to my boy. I could only smile as one of the greatest struggles with our move to the city (schooling for our lads) was provided for against 1.17% odds. It's a good option, and we are so grateful that we can move forward with a good option "in the bag." What a blessing.

2. Apparantly, Dallas doesn't suck. They beat us like a rented mule and it was not pretty in the stands. I started a "Top 10 Inappropriate Things Yelled At Dallas Fans" list as I sat there, but it's much to salty to put here.

I did, however, very much enjoy the guy behind me who yelled "TASER HIM" every time security ran by to break up a scuffle.

Bummer

Wanted to follow up on my endorsement of "My Name is Earl" in a previous post. It figures that last night's episode was the worst that the show has offered. I still enjoy the general premise of the show, that being a guy trying to right all of his previous wrongs, but last night was lousy. Sorry to point you toward a crappy product.

Big Weekend

Two significant events this weekend in our little world:

1. We are in the lottery. Big drawing tonight at 7pm. Many of our efforts these past weeks have been focused on school options for J, our four year old. He starts K-garten next fall. Well, we have applied to a good charter school here in Philly, and the lottery for entrance is tonight. There are 200+ applicants for about 5-10 spots. When I heard the odds, I could only draw on the immortal words of Harry from "Dumb and Dumber"--"...so you're saying I have a chance..."

There's actually a public lottery, sort of like the NFL or NBA draft. I'm thinking about wearing a gaudy suit. Or maybe I'll paint my chest and bring a big foam finger....

2. The second big event of the weekend is the Eagles - Dallas football game. I am going with my brother and two other friends. There should be some solid fights in the stands, and I only hope the Birds fight just as hard on the field. But if I am not here next week, it could be because I was involved in an unfortunate incident at Lincoln Financial Field.

Thursdays

Thursday is an OUTSTANDING day of the week. I believe one begins to sense this in high school, because you know the weekend is coming. This sense is furthered in college, when most students try to schedule all of their classes to end on Thursday. Thus, Thursday becomes one of the biggest party nights on a college campus.

I still enjoy Thursdays, because I highly value Fridays. I also enjoy Thursday night college football in the fall, and it doesn't hurt that Thursday also brings us "My Name is Earl" and "The Office"--the finest hour of TV out there. So Happy Thursday.

I'm Blogging, I'm a blogger

Blogging is fun. Substitute "I'm sailing" with "I'm blogging" in the classic video clip. This is the joy of blogging, as it enables one to spend 25 minutes trying to figure out how to put a youtube video into the blog post. good times.

I'm worse than a "laggard"

The graph on the left is one that we used quite often in my previous organization. Basically, some folks jump on board early, some wait a bit, and others take a long time to jump on a certain method, fad, belief, etc... While pretty intuitive, many folks at my previous organization loved to talk about this thing at length. Many, many hours were spent "walking through this." Wish I had those hours back.

Anyway, here is why this is appearing on my blog: I'm not a laggard, as there has to be something later than a "laggard." I am just getting on the blog-fad. All that to say, I'm in the blogosphere, and you're going to enjoy it even if it kills me to spend 20 minutes googling the above curve and finally finding a site from which I could cut and paste the picture.

My lagging tendencies don't surpise me. I was the dude who started listening to Pearl Jam's "ten" album about 2 years after it came out, and I insisted on telling everyone how great this band was after they'd been on top of the charts for years.

So nervous

I'm anxiously typing this first post, because we have all visited the blogs of friends that begin and end with the obligatory "i'm just getting started/i wonder what this will be like/this is fun" post.

Additionally, I am quite critical of a lot of blogs. Honestly, I don't like the way people start waxing eloquent and try to adopt the style of Shakespeare on their blogs.

But I'm going to press on through my weird anxiety and do it. For one, I have a few folks around the country and world whom I'd like to keep informed of our little daily goings-ons. Also, my family and I just started a significant life change in that we moved to the city and we hope to raise our family there. It's already been full of challenges, and I'm sure there are more to come. I hope to bring others along in our journey, and perhaps even convince them to join us in our wacky endeavors.

Lastly, I just gotta be me. So I hope to talk about both the significant and insignificant and everything in between. Hopefully, I'll offend just a few, and maybe even encourage more than a few.