I just finished watching Mutant Chronicles, which has not come out yet. I had the privilege of watching it before it comes out. Yes, I am that special. Not really, On Demand has it before it hits theaters (is it really going to be in theaters?).
Well the movie was pretty bad. Fortunately it was bad enough that I had a good time laughing at it. The movie is set in the future (2707), and yet the army looks like they are dressed for WWII. Also, the ship they use to fly to wherever they are going runs on coal. Seriously, it runs on coal. How the hell does a spaceship run on coal???
Thomas Jane delivers some pretty crappy lines, but none more so than this one: "I get paid to fuck shit up." In fact, he says this line twice. The only thing that was okay about this movie was Devon Aoki . She is kinda hot, right?
This week's GOTW is the very sexy Serinda Swan, who apparently is a professional poker player. I wish I played poker with girls that looked like this. Anyways, I discovered her tonight because she was on Smallville as Zatanna, who was my GOTW a few weeks ago! Amazing.
This episode had an awesome beginning and then an awesome ending. The middle was good, but no where near the level as the ending.
The Beginning The episode starts out with a young Sayid watching his brother kill a chicken. Anytime a chicken is murdered, I am happy. We then return to the present (1977) where a young Ben brings Sayid a sandwich, and asks him if Richard sent him and that he wants to join the hostiles.
Flashbacks During the flashbacks, we see how Ben told Sayid that everyone was now dead and Sayid could go back to living his life. The reason that Sayid is back in the US after telling Locke no is that Ben came to him in the jungle and said there was someone about to kill Hurley. Ben then tells Sayid that he is a killer.
Later, Sayid is in a hotel bar and a hot woman sits beside him. She is Ilana (who is stuck on the island in the real present), and she goes back to Sayid's room where they start making out. She then kicks him and says that she is a bounty hunter. She was hired by the family of the man he killed on the golf course. She is taking him back to Guam. When he sees some of the other group on the flight, he asks her if they can take another flight...
The End Sayid escapes the compound along with young Ben. After he knocks out Jin, he tells Little Ben that he now knows his purpose on the island. He then shoots Tiny Tot Ben in the chest, apparently killing him! Yeah, it was awesome.
That makes me wonder if that is the reason current Ben is lying in his cot when Locke sees him? Maybe he is in some kind of coma...or does the island heal Child Ben, which then causes him to become the new hostile leader? Sayid may have started him down his path, which would explain how Ben knew that Sayid is a killer at heart...
A news story this week caught my eye and jogged my memory. The story was about a new trend that has parents and health officials concerned. It seems that a growing number of children and tweens are "smoking," of all things, Smarties. Not only that, but they're posting their Smartie-smoking videos on YouTube. They crush them up in the cellophane roll, open both ends, inhale the crushed sugar into their mouths, and then blow out sugary Smartie smoke.
Ahh, kids these days. . . . oh. . . . wait a minute. . . what about kids in those days????
All this talk about Smartie-smoking took me back to my childhood fascination with smoking. You need to know that I grew up in a home where nobody smoked. No cigarettes, no cigars, no pipes. Nothing. However, I grew up in a neighborhood where plenty of my friends' parents smoked, and they smoked all of those things.
Lucky me. I had a bit of a childhood fascination with the smell of cigarette smoke. Yep, I was one of those weird kids who liked the smell. . . sort of like the smells I liked when we pulled into the gas station and my dad would roll down his window to tell the attendant to "fill 'er up with regular." Come on. . . I know I'm not alone in this. I also remember the smell of cigars. . . mostly the smell of collective cigars as that smoke mixed with the odor of watered down beer in the stands at Connie Mack Stadium. I still think about baseball when I smell a cigar. And then there were the pipes. I had a few friends whose dads had pipestands on tables next to their favorite chair. They also had those ashtrays that sat on floor pedastals next to their chairs. I remember sticking my nose into those pipe's bowls to grab a sniff of scented tobacco. I also remember a couple of neighbhorhood dads who would walk behind the lawn-mower with a pipe clenched between their teeth. It looked kind of like a steam-engine puffing through the backyard.
Not only did we have real-life flesh-and-blood examples showing us how to smoke everywhere we turned, but the world of marketing did a good number on us. Back then we didn't know as much about the dangers of cigarettes. Smoking was presented to those of us who were Christian kids as a moral risk (yes, there will be lots of smoking in Hell! Can you say "sin sticks?"), not the health risk we know it as today. On the other hand, smoking was presented by marketers as manly, adult, and even the sexy thing to do. Liberated women smoked and they even had their own brand. . . Virginia Slims. Marketers knew back then that to grow the cigarette business, they had to cultivate new smokers. Even the Flintstones - a cartoon I loved and watched faithfully - marketed cigarettes to kids like me. More recently, there was Joe Camel. I've heard lots of statistics over the years regarding kids and smoking. The tobacco companies know that 80% of adult smokers started before they were 18. And, the tobacco companies know that they have to develop thousands of new smokers a day to replace those who either die off or quit. So, it makes sense to go after impressionable young kids.
Like all other kids, I wanted to appear grown up. In today's world, marketers call that age-aspiration, and they're experts at exploiting that desire in order to get kids to adopt values, attitudes, and behaviors that result in spending money on things. . . . including cigarettes.
Okay. . . so we never smoked Smarties. But we didn't have to. The world of candy-makers and toy-manufacturers set us up with far superior stuff. There were those thin candy cigarettes that came in those look-alike boxes. They were white sticks of sugar with a little red tip. Be careful! . . . and be sure to eat from the "unlit" end first. There were also bubblegum cigarettes. These were cylinders of the cheapest bubblegum known to humankind (think about three steps below baseball card bubblegum) wrapped in paper. A thin layer of powdered sugar on the gum allowed us to blow smoke out the other end of the cylinder. There were also the fake cigarettes that we could buy in packs that had no candy content. These weren't for eating or chewing. They were solely for "smoking." Made of paper, the "lit" end featured a piece of crinkled gold foil that protruded out, making it look like it was glowing with heat. Inside the paper cylinder was chalk that you would blow out past the foil. How did I know it was chalk? I inhaled a couple of times by accident. Oops. We also had those great bubblegum cigars. The label said "El Bubble." Yes, cubans! Why was there a Native American (or "Indian" as we called them back then) chief featured on the box??? And then there were the licorice pipes that we could eat, and the bubble-pipes that we could "smoke," or more accurately, "bubble."
So there I was. . . a conflicted young man. On the one hand, smoking was wrong. On the other hand, I was battling that universal childhood recipe that included one part curiosity, one part impulsivity, and two parts wanting to look grown-up. Marketing, adult examples, a load of tasty sweet tobacco treats, and my youthful impulsivity combined in a dangerous mix. . . . that of course, led to my first cigarette.
It's one of my most vivid childhood memories. It was early in the summer. I was playing at my friend Lisa's house. Her mom was a smoker. She kept cartons of Salem menthols in the end kitchen cabinet, right above the phone. She also conveniently stored loads of matchbooks in the same place. Her mom was out of the kitchen and we saw our opportunity. Too short to reach the cabinet, I pushed the kitchen chair over against the counter-top. Lisa climbed up, opened the cabinet, and grabbed a pack of cigarettes along with a couple books of matches. I can still see it. . . and feel it. Guilt has a way of serving to set the cement of your childhood memories.
We quickly snuck out of the house and through the narrow woods to the neighbor's property. It was a large piece of land with an old spring house sitting off to the side. It was a great place to hide. So there, hunkered down behind the spring house, we attempted to share our first cigarette. I say attempted because we encountered some fundamental problems. We had played with enough matches in our devious and sneaky young lives to have no problem getting the matches lit. The cigarettes were another story. I remember I would light a match for Lisa and she would do the same for me. Holding the matches in front of each other's Salem menthol, we would try to get them lit. We went through our two books of matches before we had to quit. The problem? We were too young and stupid to know that you were supposed to inhale and not blow out while lighting a cigarette! Consequently, our feeble attempts ended with us blowing out all of our matches. Today, there's a part of me that thanks God for the conditioning I got with those blow-through bubblegum cigarettes.
By the way - and this is absolutely 100% true - did I mention how old I was when this all happened? It was 1962. The summer of my sixth birthday. The summer between first and second grade. Yes. . . modeling, marketing, and the tendency to mimic those who are older is a volatile mix in our kids. Always was. Still is. I'm afraid the Smartie-smoking thing might figure into the mix for kids today.
Oh, I tried smoking later in life. I figured out how to light them up - cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. I even once tried a wad of Red Man. It wasn't pretty. Fortunately it was all just passing curiosity and none of it ever stuck. It was mostly a once-and-done thing and I never got hooked. But there were many lessons learned.
Now, I'm going to go celebrate with one of those El Bubbles! Why? Because I'm happy that I didn't turn out like. . . . this guy. . . .
Well another great start to a season and another dramatic drop after awhile. What happened? We started off so strong. Now, we are back to super-super conspiracies, someone close to the president trying to be a political bully (or a terrorist, if her daughter ends up being involved somehow with Starkwood, it would definitely not surprise me at this point), Jack going out of his way to do something ridiculous, and another member of the president's staff resigning.
As I have said before, how often does someone on the presidents staff resign? There are two today (somehow the Chief of Staff will end up not resigning). This happens at least two or three times a season.
Her daughter has become a silly character. She almost dies, and not two hours later is trying to push people under a bus by selling them out to the media. Hopefully Jack shoots her just out of principal.
So, Starkwood wants to end terrorist by supplying the country with it's own personal army to hunt terrorists. They mean to achieve this by launching a terrorist attack on the country? Seems like a pretty good plan.
The entire idea of Jack and Tony not calling Larry at the FBI about the WMDs is kind of stupid. The reason: they will not be believed. If that is the case, why not call Larry and say, I surrender, but you better send a team down here right away. I have a bunch of guns and explosives and I am SUPER CRAZY!!! There is a city wide manhunt for Jack at the moment. They would probably send a small army to catch him.
Instead he just wants to steal the truck and deliver it to Larry himself. Great plan Jack. The end was pretty cool however, with Jack being briefly exposed to whatever weapon was in the truck (I say briefly in a very sarcastic manner, if the weapon is so deadly how come people were not dying on the streets while he was driving and letting it blow through Washington? Maybe it is the kind of poison that only affects you mildly, it gives you a cold or something) and needing a little medical attention. Obviously he will be fine.
Another nice part was Jack having that touch of humanity, saving the guard's life. That guy will probably somehow tell Agent Walker, which will cause her to want to bang Jack even more...
Imagine if the show was still being written with no end date in sight. If BKV had not come on board and helped get the writers and the show back on track. I believe that the third season (which I liked regardless of what most people say, but can understand people's frustration), shows what happens when the network starts to have input on the creative end. Do I know this for a fact? Absolutely not, but I would bet that once the show was popular, ABC told the writers to drag the story out. If this were still the policy, the Oceanic Six would have taken until the end of the season to return. Instead they are back now (unfortunately they are in 1977 with Sawyer and the gang) and we get to see where everyone goes from there.
Some interesting things we get to see back in 1977. Jack gets a nice job, as a janitor (Workman, didn't the group find a jumpsuit with that on it a few seasons ago?) Amy names her child Ethan. He will someday grow up and kidnap Claire. Circle of life...Also, a very young Ben meets Sayid. I wonder if Ben remembered that the first time they met?
At the end of the episode, Sun and Frank go to the Dharma barracks and meet Christian Shepherd. He shows them the photo of the group back in 1977. I have some thoughts about Christian. Did Hawking tell Jack that Locke would have to replace his father on board the plane in order for them to return? I think she did. Locke is alive and well now. Everyone keeps seeing Christian. Did he return from the dead during the original crash? Or is he some kind of ghost? He told Locke that he could not help him up, at first I believed this to be because he is not real, but now I am having doubts. Or has the islands personality manifested itself as Christian? I have thrown the idea out there before that the island is somehow "alive" or that it at least has some kind of consciousness. We have heard Locke, Ben, and Richard all say things like this before.
Like all things in life, Twitter isn't a bad thing. Hey, we even jumped into the Twitter-sphere here at CPYU. What we're hoping, however, is that we use it in the right way. I've blogged about this before so there's no need for redundancy. And, with everything else in life, this is a new technology that's here to stay and that has to be used thoughtfully in a God-glorifying rather than self-glorifying way. How we choose to use Twitter says alot about who we are. How we choose to use Twitter models for our kids who they should be. We've got a responsiblity here. That said, somebody sent me something yesterday that's equally funny and sad. I think it captures a bit of what happens when we are consumed by something we should responsibly consume. Give it a look and let me know what you think.
As most of you know, I am not a big video game guy. However, that does not stop me from watching G4's Attack of the Show (yeah, I know it's not just about video games, but I tend to just avoid G4 unless Lost reruns are on)...The reason to watch AotS is to see this week's GOTW: Olivia Munn. She is geeky, funny, and very sexy. I would do very bad things to her.
Every once in a while a film comes along that I have to recommend to everyone who knows, loves, lives, or works with teens. About a year ago, I heard about a new independent documentary set for release in July, 2008. The film, American Teen, follows five Warsaw, Indiana High School seniors and their peers as they experience their last year on campus while planning for what comes next.
Sadly, American Teen saw a very limited theatre run in just a handful of cities. I was communicating regularly with the production company to schedule an exclusive showing at a theatre here near our CPYU offices. It never worked out. Since then, I've been looking hard for a copy of the film so that I could not only see it myself, but to schedule a screening and discussion. The good news is that American Teen is now out on DVD. And finally, we've been able to schedule a screening, lunch, and discussion here in the Central Pennsylvania area on Thursday, April 2. If you're considering joining us, you can check out the details here.
American Teen offers a wide open window into the rapidly changing world of today's youth culture. It's a fascinating film featuring some very lovable, insecure, and conflicted teens. If you view the film through eyes of faith, you will be moved by what you see. American Teen also offers lots to discuss and lots we need to answer through our ministry and parenting efforts.
I know that only a limited number of you can join us as we watch the film together. If you aren't able to watch with us, set up your own viewing and discussion party. We'll be posting some more information on our website very soon, including a 3D review of the film, and a list of helpful questions to guide your discussion.
Please give American Teen a good, long, hard look. It will open your eyes to a world and teenage experience that's different from the one you knew.
This episode did nothing for me. Except for the fight scene at the end, it was a pretty dull episode. Jack goes to the Senator, who knows about Starkwood, they piece together what must be happening. The Senator is killed, Jack is blamed. The end.
Now, we get to see Jack and Tony team up and take on some bad guys. Sometimes I think this show would be better off being 12 episodes. Obviously it would not be 24 then, but it seems like they always start off so strong. Then they have to throw in more stuff to fill out the rest of the season. After Jack stops Starkwood, he will then have to stop an army of mutant gypsies from attacking the Pentagon...
Last Thursday I spent a few minutes catching up with one of my tweenaged nieces via text-messaging. She likes to communicate with me that way. She lives several hundred miles away so I don't get to see her too much. I went through my normal litany of questions about school, family, etc. At one point in our conversation, she confessed to multi-tasking as we were texting, and broached a new subject when she told me that she was online trying to find out if Rihanna was taking Chris Brown back.
Just like that, her text message opened the floodgates on a host of cultural issues. I was reminded that pop stars are front and center in today's world. . . . even if yesterday they were virtually unknown. I was reminded that pop stars are made. . . . and that these manufactured pop stars develop quite a following. That following is young, very young, pre-teen in fact. Consequently, they're very, very impressionable. And, I was reminded that our children and teens increasingly lead very broken and confusing lives. . . Rihanna and Brown are both still very, very young. I've taken a special interest as I had written in the last couple of years about Chris Brown's music and story, and how he became a pop star.
Which leads me to the felony and abuse charges against Chris Brown. Just 19-years-old, Brown allegedly battered his girlfriend Rihanna fairly severely. The result - as it should have been - was felony charges filed against Brown. For the last several weeks, the soap opera has played out all over the media as fans and curious onlookers wonder if they're relationship is on, off, on, or off. Sadly, this horrible reality is good for those in the celebrity gossip mill who need these high-profile stories to keep their following growing and satisfied. Last week, Oprah (the most powerful woman in America) had Tyra Banks and others weigh in on the situation. The editorial page of yesterday's local paper had commentators dissecting and responding to the case as well. Once again, abuse is front-page lead-story news.
If we care about and love kids, then we need to do something with this story. On the one hand, we must avoid at all costs the temptation to follow the media culture's lead that can lure us into assuming the gossipy voyeuristic posture that discusses fact and rumor void of discernment or perspective. On the other hand, we must seize this as a cultural reality that we can use to shape the future reality of our kids' lives. But how?
First, we must realize that we live in a culture that both fosters and encourages actions like Brown's. He's a kid. A teenager. He's grown up in a media world that's been saturated with no-holds-barred sexuality, entitlement, misogyny, violence, relativism, and narcissism. The great irony in all of this is that while he most certainly should be held accountable for his immoral actions, who can blame him? Really.
Second, we must realize that just like Brown, our kids are kids growing up in the same world. Until we wake up and do something to stem the tide of this stuff at it's source, well. . . it's going to be more widespread, more common, and more severe.
Third, our responsibility is to address the reality that exists. . . prophetically. This is our greatest responsibility. We must know God's will and way as revealed through His Word and speak that way of living in God's world in contrast to the world's way of living. This prophetic influence is exercised by following the teaching example of Jesus, proclaiming the "you have heard it said that" with the "but I tell you." Our kids need to know that there is not only another way, but that that other way is the right way.
Fourth, we must address the reality preventively. This requires that we not only build strong families and teach kids how to think Christianly about the messages that constantly bombard them from the media, but to instill in them a sense of right and wrong that leaves them with the ability to quickly and clearly look at behavior like Brown's and say, "Not for me." We need to instill in them coping mechanisms and alternative, God-honoring ways of living in relationships with others.
And finally, we must redemptively address the "dragon" of violence and abuse that will rear its ugly head in the lives of the kids we know and love. The Chris Browns we know must be surrounded by the church and get long-term help. The Rihannas we know must be led to help, be told to forgive, and be told to move on.
Perhaps this redemptive step is the one that forces us to face some very confusing dynamics that must be understood more deeply and struggled with in terms of our practical response. I'm still trying to figure this one out. I know that God is a God of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. I know that the God who can move mountains and still storms can move the mountain of one's collective past and command the seemingly endless storm of abusive behavior to cease. But what about all the evidence that seems to point to the stranglehold that sexually and/or violently abusive patterns hold on perpetrators? The "I promise to change and never do it again" all too often is followed with victim's laments of "Why did I believe him/her?". . . and then the cycle repeats itself one more time, and one time after that, etc.
Have you talked about this stuff with the kids you know and love? If not, why not? If so, what have you told them? If you start your day with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, how have you spoken the former to the latter?
Tonight was the season premiere of the new NBC show Kings. I had not heard anything about it until a few days ago. I saw the preview and figured, "eh, why not?" I liked Ian McShane in Deadwood, so it could not be all that bad. None of the new shows out this season really did anything for me, could this be another crapfest? The show was pretty good. I will continue watching.
The premise is that a modern day monarchy exists. They seem to be a major world power and none of the other places they named sounded real. There is a definite religious element to the show. The main character's name is David Shepherd (David from the Bible), who stood up to Goliath (a type of tank from a nearby kingdom) and saved the King's son.
The story is a retelling of how David became King, and how Saul (Silas on the show) lost his power. As most of you know, I studied the Old Testament in college, so this show definitely interests me.
It is that time of year folks. College basketball's glory time. March Madness baby! Offord has set up a bracket over at Yahoo. We have decided that it is $10 to play. Obviously there is a difficulty in paying us directly, so we have come up with a few solutions. Either you can send us the money (or hand it to us directly if you are close enough), if you do not give us the money, you can still play, but you will not be eligible to win any of the money. Offord, Kern, and myself will be collectors.
Here is the information for anyone interested. We would love to have as many people play as possible...
Holy crap it's Friday! I seriously thought it was Thursday for some reason. Anyways, this week's GOTW goes out to the super-sexy Megan Fox. I could seriously post 10,000 pictures of her, and it would never be enough. Instead I will just use this fake poster of her as Wonder Woman...
I have started writing this review three different times since seeing the film on Monday. I do not want to sound like every other comic book geek out there and start railing away about the differences in the comic and the movie. I expected this to happen. I will probably have a spoiler or two in here somewhere.
People kept trying to say that Snyder would be able to do with Watchmen what he did with 300. I am sorry, but that could not happen. 300 is like 50 pages long. Watchmen is like 2000000 pages long.
As I usually say before reviewing a comic book movie, I am not the type of person who goes in expecting it to be exactly like the comic. I hope that they can get the essence of the character and story right, and whatever needs to be changed, should benefit the story.
With that being said, the next question should be: what did I think of the movie? I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to watch it a few more times. However, did it blow my mind? No. Did I leave the theater and think to myself: "wow, that was the greatest movie of all time." No.
Major complaints I had about the movie really falls into the acting category. I think Billy Crudup is an awesome actor, but he did not pull Dr. Manhattan off. This being is all powerful, his voice needs to command a little more power behind it. Matthew Goode, who was decent in other movies I have seen, was absolutely terrible as Ozymandias. He seemed too detached, whereas you would expect a guy who is about to kill millions of people to be a bit more passionate about his project. Also, the movie itself did a bad job of selling to us that Ozy was a really good guy. In the comic, when you learn he is the bad guy, it is a pretty big reveal. In the movie, it seemed pretty obvious.
On a positive note, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) was amazing. He carried every scene, I only wish they could have done more interviews with the shrink. That was always one of my favorite things in the book, how the shrink starts to see the way Rorschach sees. Oh well.
Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the fight scenes were identical to 300. The slow motion thing is really cool, but Snyder is becoming a one trick pony.
The opening scene though, with the Comedian getting beat, then tossed out a window, may have been the best opening scene ever. This was one of those things about the comic that I never understood how they would make into the movie. Flashbacks, done in red, pretty much every other panel. Snyder reinvented that perfectly.
There were plenty of little things that were directly from the comic, which was definitely cool. I can understand why people who did not read the book, were a little lost though. Maybe this will cause people to rush out and buy the book...
Here is a little test though, if you want to watch a comic book person struggle. Ask them to tell you what Watchmen is about. I bet they give you a whole bunch of buzzwords, like "deconstruction, realistic approach, political commentary..." And yes, all those words (and plenty of others) describe the book. But, ask them to just outline the story for you. Go ahead, those of you who have read it, try it. Now, ask yourself, does that sound like a very good story? The reason that Watchmen is considered one of the greatest comics of all time, is the amazing job that Moore and Gibbons did...obviously.
Anyways, let me know what you thought about it. Comic Book Movie Grade: A-
When we moved from Philadelphia to Elizabethtown over 17 years ago, we faced a dilemma we had never before encountered. Because our house was built on farmland in a semi-rural community, there was no public water service in our neighborhood. We had to rely on a well. Years of farming left the water in danger of high nitrate content. A neighbor told us about a little store front not far from our house where we could purchase purified water. Each and every week, we'd load our car with gallon-sized plastic jugs and pockets with quarters before heading to Crystal Pure Water. It was a small little business started by a local man named Ray Diener. He had three coin-operated dispensers (25 cents a gallon!) in his shop.
For over 17 years now we've continued to go to Crystal Pure Water about once a week. Oftentimes Ray would be in his usually unattended store cleaning the machines, restocking bottles, and chatting with customers. A gentle and unassuming man, Ray was always pleasant and loved providing this service for his neighbors. Few knew that Ray's generosity extended far beyond our own community. He was actively involved in providing water purification systems for needy communities in under-developed countries around the world. In fact, he was instrumental in starting numerous mission trips and service projects.
Two years ago this coming May, our community was shocked when Ray Diener was murdered one evening on the front step of his home. He died in the arms of his wife. Not long thereafter, the police arrested four local teenagers and charged them with murder. Earlier this week, the then 18-year-old trigger-man, Abraham Sanchez, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder. This morning, our paper's headlines informed us with the words "Killer gets death," that the same jury voted for the death penalty for Sanchez, the son of a pastor.
All last week our newspaper reported on the high profile trial. The three young accomplices - who all have yet to go to trial themselves on charges of criminal homicide - told the horrific story of what happened that night in May 2007. The four were driving around Elizabethtown looking randomly for a home to rob. They saw Ray Diener through the window, sitting in his house. They knocked on the door. Diener came to the door and they asked to use his phone. Soon after Diener brought them the phone, Sanchez pulled a gun and according to one of the guys, Ray Diener knew what was about to happen. He was shot three times while pleading for his life.
Today, my morning paper was filled with lots of other bad news. I read about a young gunman in Samson, Alabama who killed 10 people then took his own life. I read about a 17-year-old teenager in Winnenden, Germany who went into his old high school and killed 15 people, before taking his own life. And, I couldn't help but think about the Illinois pastor who was shot and killed last Sunday during a worship service.
How are we to make sense of all this? I would never posit easy answers. I can only go back to the "this I knows" that give us some limited knowledge of what goes on. Providentially, I've been committed this year to reading through John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion with a small group of people. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, our assigned reading has taken us through Calvin's systematic description of humanity's fall into sin, and the depravity that effects us all. This morning I skimmed back over some of what Calvin wrote regarding how the Scriptures define this universal condition. He writes things like "A true knowledge of ourselves destroys self-confidence," "sin overturns the whole man," "no one is permitted to receive God's blessings unless he is consumed with the awareness of his own poverty," "only damnable things come forth from man's nature," and we "have all been overwhelmed by an unavoidable calamity from which only God's mercy can deliver" us. The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (Jeremiah 17:9). The prophet Isaiah tells us what we should already know. . . that violence is in our hands, that our feet rush into sin, and that we are swift to shed innocent blood (Isaiah 59:6&7). When we truly understand all this, we must lament with the Apostle Paul over our wretchedness. And, we should rejoice in the life-giving coming of our Savior.
When I read this morning's account of Ray Diener's last minutes on earth, I was struck by the fact that his killing was random. Could his killers have looked in my window that night and chosen me? Sure. Maybe it's safe to say that I was fortunate. Should my horrified look at Abraham Sanchez and other cold-blooded killers include pats on my back of self-admiration because "I would never do anything like that"? No. If I know the human heart. . . . my heart. . . then I know that I'm only one bad decision away from doing the same myself. It's only by the grace of God that I'm not there. The fact is, the more I look at the Scriptures and see myself through the light of God's word, there but for the grace of God go I. I can't be one of those people who says of others or myself, "He's not the type of person that would do something like that." If we're really honest, we're all pretty messed up.
And so as I read the local headlines this morning, I'm forced to think about human depravity, its depth, and its extent. I'm grateful to the God who has given me the "life sentence" I don't deserve. And, I'm grateful to all the people who he's used over the course of my life to serve as signposts, pointing me to that life-giving place known as the cross. That cross can only shine as bright as it does, when seen in the midst of the total darkness of our sin.
Another excellent episode. All sorts of fun stuff happened. Where do I begin?
-Well Bill took the ultimate sacrifice by diving into the safe room and dying. I always liked Bill, even though sometimes he was a bit of a moron. He would watch Jack do all sorts of crazy shit that saved the country, but then he would make a stand and say "Jack, I cannot let you do that!" Why?
-Agent Walker gets fired. Sorta.
-Slater from Dazed and Confused is Jon Voigts assistant. Very cool.
-One of the things I love about this show is that when something bad happens to Jack (such as the guy using a nerve agent then killing Burnett and framing Jack), instead of doing the obvious thing: such as wait for Larry and try to explain everything. He just bolts, making himself look guilty, then calls Larry to explain. For Jack, the simple solution is never the best.
-This means we get Jack on his own doing badass things. He will bring another terrorist group to it's knees.
-Did anyone noticed that one of the sites for attack was Oil City, PA? Unfortunately, it was located way south of Pittsburgh, almost near Washington, PA. Did I see that right?
I try not to be a morbid person, but sometimes I just cannot help it. That being said, the one form of death that truly scares is dying in the shower. I started thinking about it the other day when I almost slipped in my shower. I then began to wonder how long it would be before anyone noticed.
I imagine Kacie would be the first person to become truly worried, since we talk every day. Sometimes we do not actually talk, but at least we call each other. She would definitely think something was weird if she kept calling and I did not respond. I imagine after a day or so she would probably call my mom and ask if she heard from me. That would prompt someone to make the trip down here to find out what was wrong.
If I missed work, I am sure my boss would keep calling. If I did not show up the next day, he would probably call the corporate office and get my emergency contact, my mom, and give her a call. Which, would prompt her to find out where I was.
I wonder if my neighbors would think the shower running for 24 hours was weird? Probably not. I really have no one who stops over for a visit very often, nor do any of my friends or family back home have contact information for the people I know here. Think about that for a second. If I die in my shower, I could be in here for a few days before I am found. Most likely getting fired in the process. I would be one of the few people fired for being dead.
Do not worry, this is not me being sad or depressed, just thinking out loud...
You thought I forgot to watch it? Do not be silly, I have written about every single episode of this show, and I do not plan to stop.
-I completely forgot about Micah. He must be Rebel. I wonder if this will make his character any more interesting? Probably not.
-How does Parkman blowing up prove that the government needs to hunt down people? Seems like a stretch to me.
-So Angela and Mr.B are working some angle here, and now Nathan is in with them. Does it really matter?
-Sylar's dad has the telekinesis power that Sylar stole from his first victim? And his father uses that power to kill people the same way that Sylar does? Why? Granted, at least this storyline is interesting.
-Claire kissed Aqualad. Then the Puppet Master guy shows up and tells her that Rebel said she could save him. Why? Let him get captured. Rebel did not seem to care when the company was holding the guy in the dungeons, what difference does it make now...
-This is the bitch that is chasing Claire. Taylor Cole (her name is Rachel on the show, and apparently she has a power...)
At last, the moment you all have been waiting for: my baseball predictions! I have put serious thought into these (six minutes) and think you should definitely bet money on them (if you want your knee caps broken by a bookie)...anyways, here we go.
NL East Phillies Mets Marlins Braves Nationals
Every year I take the Mets to win the division, and every year they choke at the end. So, this year I will take the Phillies and hope that I am wrong...
NL Central Cubs Cardinals Brewers Astros Reds Pirates
Well, this division was easy to predict who would be in first and who would be in last. The other teams have way too many variables. Oddly enough, all of them are starting pitching...
NL West Dodgers Diamondbacks Rockies Giants Padres
Yes, the D-Backs have an awesome rotation, but no offense. I have to give the edge to the Dodgers. And apparently, Manny is god or something.
NL Wildcard: Mets NLDS: Mets over Cubs, Dodgers over Phillies NLCS: Mets over Dodgers NL MVP: David Wright NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels NL Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin Pirates Record: 71-91
AL East Yankees Red Sox Rays Blue Jays Orioles
I typed and retyped this division three different times. This could be a very close division all season. Very exciting...
AL Central Indians Twins White Sox Tigers Royals
Remember last year when we were all talking about how the Tigers had the greatest offense we had ever seen? How they were going to be the World Series winners and all that? That was a bad call. I believe the Royals could be a team to surprise people. No, not like the Rays did last year, but I mean surprise people by not finishing last in the division...
AL West Angels Rangers Mariners A's
I hate to bet against the A's, I think the last time I did that they won the west, unfortunately I do not trust any team that relies on a pitcher who has 5 consonants in a row in his last name. I am almost tempted to believe Ryan and his Mariners love. If the rotation can stay healthy and perform anywhere close to expectations, I could see some wins coming...
AL Wildcard: Red Sox ALDS: Angels over Indians, Yankees over Red Sox ALCS: Angels over Yankees World Series: Mets over Angels AL MVP: Josh Hamilton AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters (if get does get called up, also because everyone else has already handed the award to David Price) Number of Wins the Third Place Team in AL East Will Have: 94 (2 more than the Indians)
I know that many of you will not participate (those of you that have put up your picks over at the Pancake are excused), but it is fun to look back during the season and see if any of us were even remotely close.
Well Watchmen opened tonight. I could not make it to the midnight showing. I am sad, but do not fear people. The GOTW goes to Malin Akerman, the sexy girl who plays Silk Spectre.
This is the episode where we learn what happened to the folks still on the island. Locke is able to stop the flashes. Unfortunately they are stuck in the 70s. Sawyer saves a girl from being shot, which turns out she is a member of the Dharma Initiative. She was also Michelle on 24, but that is beside the point.
The group is taken to the Dharma compound, where Horace asks Sawyer who he is. Sawyer lies and says he is a salvage boat captain that got in a storm. They washed ashore on the island. He says his name is Jim LaFleur. Horace says they will leave on the submarine the next morning. This does not sit well with Sawyer.
Later, Richard shows up saying that Dharma violated the treaty. Sawyer talks to him and explains about the nuclear bomb and Locke. Richard believes him and agrees not to disrupt the truce.
The show jumped back in forth between 1974 (the year they arrived) and 3 years later. By the third year, Sawyer and the rest of the gang are working for Dharma. "LaFleur" is the head of security, Jin is driving around looking for the returnees. Juliet works as a mechanic. This is also where Danielle must have met Charlotte, and where we saw him helping to build the energy thing...
In the 1977 time, Amy (the girl Sawyer saved) goes into labor. They were supposed to take her to the main land to deliver, but she is too early. Sawyer makes Juliet deliver the baby, which will obviously raise some eyebrows. At the end of the episode, we see Sawyer and Juliet living together and that they love each other. Sawyer tells Horace that three years is enough time to get over someone...
Then, he receives the phone call from Jin. Sawyer leaves and tells Juliet that it is nothing. He then goes out to a remote point and meets with Hurley, Jack, Jin, and Kate. Obviously he is not over her.
Poor Juliet. She gets screwed over by Kate all the time. Anyone have ideas on the statue?
I know. I know. We're a week late on announcing our winner of the Sam Van Eman book, On Earth As It Is In Advertising. And the winner is. . . .Kane. Here's the ad he submitted:
I'm not sure the ad's a winner (long arm hair on anybody - ewwww). . . but it won Kane a book. Hey Kane. . . to claim your prize you need to email Derek at dmelleby(at)cpyu.org with your vitals (I'm not sure why, but Derek told me to write it like that).
Now, for the second winner. Have you heard the new U2 disc? I don't need to say anymore. And for my winning track, check out the four coolest Irish boys in the world last night on Letterman. This is just the way it's supposed to be. Enjoy. . . .
Who would have thought it could last this long? 500 posts? Well technically 499, this would be 500. So as I type this there are still only 499...although, I had to delete a few posts, so that means this is really 502. Whatever, this says 500th post, it shall be the 500th post.
I ask this question a lot, but who all is reading this out there? There are a few people I know of because they comment (and that was really the whole idea behind this, I liked the features better than live journal, and figured the people who enjoyed that would enjoy this). I know that there are people who read, but never comment, which is okay I guess. Anyone else out there?
Any suggestions for the next 500 posts? Aside from more hot pictures of girls...
I do not know how I feel right now. The episodes were cool, but I feel like I know exactly what is coming...
Juma will escape the White House with the President. Jack will naturally volunteer to follow, which Senator Meyer will be against, but everyone else will realize he is the only man for the job. Jack will rescue the President (probably in two or three episodes), they will realize there must be someone else involved. He will then go after Jon Voight. Or does that set up a villain for next season? What is the big, mysterious shipment he is receiving?
The bad feeling I am getting is that they will set us up with some surprise twist. And it will suck. Like, Jack's daughter will turn out to be in league with Juma...that will make me angry.
Anyways, do not get me wrong. I was pumped and excited about the episodes, but I can see it going down a bad path right now. Please let me be wrong...
