Lost Theories (yes i am obsessed with this show)

before i get to the some of the various theories... here are some links to LOST related sites/articles:

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE ATICLE ABOUT EVY LILLY (Kate)

DRIVESHAFT (Charlie's old band with his brother Liam)

LOST (ABC website)

FLIGHT 815 (cool site)

below are some theories i've found on the web...

from HYNES
I had read a theory this past week about the show that at first I thought was interesting, but sounded too simple for the show; though after watching the show I'm beginning to wonder if the theory isn't pretty much on the money.

Basically there's this theory that during the Cold War it's been documented that the United States run multiple secret projects through various branches of government. You notice all the logos on the items within the bunker state DARPA or something like that (I think the show changed the letters to slightly). Nevertheless there is a program called DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). I guess rumors are that during the Cold War some of the experiments that DARPA ran were to locate isolated, uncharted islands in the South Pacific and use them as sort of testing zones on reactions people, animal, and plant life have within a controlled environment. Meanwhile the scientific crew was below within a quaratined bunker observing results.

So the theory is that the island is one of these abandoned islands. It doesn't completely work because if the United States were to can something as Top Secret as this, they wouldn't just cut off its funding. They'd completely destroy any remant of its existence - so the timer that counts down (to what?) would have been removed.

Also how is it Desmond is getting fresh foods still? Is he restocked every several months? How and by whom?

This also doesn't explain why the plane crashed where it did and how it did. Some theorize that Desmond took down the plane to further the research at the island. I find that laughable, and you can see that by the almost fantastical way he acts toward the group. If he truly did know or try to down the plane, then why would he have acted so paranoid? So I think thats a big hole. Supposedly by the season's end, the director said we will know at least why the plane came down - which leads me to believe that there was a reason the plane crashed where it did. But how or who is another set of questions altogether.

I've also read many people say that it will take many theories to solve the Lost riddle, which I think is a completely double-speak statement. How can multiple theories explain anything? There might be multiple facets to a theory, yes, but you cannot multiple varying theories explaining the whole for a couple of reasons: 1) it just doesn't work like that in real life. You don't have multiple competing theories coming together to provide a harmonious look at the overall picture. By their very nature, competing theories rule out the other as a way in which circumstances we find ourselves within or around to be explained. Also 2) that just makes for distracting and shitty writing by having multiple theories that compete against each other. You don't have flow and ebb between episodes - and we all well know that this show does have that.

----------------

from MARK STEELE
THEORY #1: The island is not an island. (Brooke's note: JJ alludes to this in the DVD bonus - he says they made the island a character unto itself.)

There has been a long-standing conspiracy theory (in the real world) since World War II that the U. S. Government had several plans in place to prepare for the impending annihilation of mankind by atomic war. One of these "plans" is documented (though no one knows if the government ever really attempted it. This plan was to create a deep underground bunker (like NORAD) that would house a few men and women of great physical health. They would be given nutrients, exercise, and drugs that would maintain them so that, in the case of world destruction, they could begin society over as Adam and Eve. According to the plans, this underground bunker was to be disguised as a land mass (an island) that would perpetually MOVE to thwart off the enemy locating its whereabouts (erratic tides, anyone?). How would this land mass move? There would be an enormous MAGNETIC DEVICE in its center -- so powerful that the earth's core would repel it, causing the land mass to constantly move. Do I believe this government theory is real? No. Do I believe the writers of "Lost" used it as their basis? ABSOLUTELY. Why?

Because the name of this government plan is #4815162342.

And the plan was devised by two men named Locke and Rouseau.

So, what does this mean? Well, it would explain what Desmond was doing under there, as he told Jack in his flashback that he was preparing for a RACE (human race?) around the world.

The magnet would explain why the tides are erratic and why all compasses point inland instead of north. If the magnet is powerful enough to affect the electric synapses of the human brain, it would cause any human nearby to hallucinate their subconscious (whispers, shannon killed by monster, jack's dad, walt in the jungle -- basically anything someone experiences alone). Over time, the magnet would cause them to go insane (the sickness, the others, Rouseau, Desmond).

The moving land mass would mean that it could have drifted practically anywhere, including Antarctica (the nearest land mass), where a polar bear could have certainly just walked on.

So, now the question remains: why did our castaways crash? Why are they on this island?

THEORY #2: They were (almost) all put on that plane on purpose.

Most everyone on the island has some sort of mental power, whether positive or negative (Walt, Hurley's "Luck," Claire's baby, perhaps Jack's "miracle") even thought they do not all know it yet. I believe that they were gathered without their knowledge and put on the same plane to be a part of the advanced human race that would be developed in project #4815162342.

But why were they all put on the plane at once? Why the urgency? And here's the real whopper.

THEORY #3: The island is the new Noah's Ark.

The world has been destroyed, with the exception of those on the island. Creator Damon Lindelof said in Rolling Stone magazine that the number of total days the castaways were on the island in season one was VERY important to the big answer. They were on that island 40 days and 40 nights.

Perhaps project #4815162342 succeeded just in time. The world has been wiped away. All that is left of mankind are our castaways. This is why CHILDREN (the baby, Walt) are so important.When the castaways realize that rules and laws as they existed in the world no longer exist, just watch as enemies and factions form. It's "Lord of the Flies" time.

However...

There is one last wild card.

The emblem on Desmond's jacket.

This emblem is the EXACT emblem of another famed conspiracy theory. It was called Project Montauk. Google it. It also involves a project with a very large magnet.

A magnet that turned into a wormhole that ancient slave ships were rumored to pass through, Oh yeah -- one other thing passed through the wormhole.

An alien monster

----------------

more from MARK STEELE
I believe that what tore apart the plane was irrelevant (explosion, magnet, etc.) because I think the real reveal is that the only REAL purpose for Oceanic Flight 815 was to get these people onto the project island. I believe the whole thing was instigated, every person unknowingly "recruited" to be on that flight (with the exception of one character -- that will have to wait for another time.) So, I think the cause of the crash is likely an explosion that was set and intentional by one of the people on the plane that we have already met.

Who do I think set the explosion? We'll save that for another time.

So, basically, there's not a coincidental reason the plane landed on this island (addressing the question of how it could land there if the island moves). The plane was put there on purpose, by the people who knew where the island was.

I believe that Rouseau and her team found the island for the same reason -- the people behind the project WANTED them to find it and, therefore, sent out the signal.

I do think the page of script on the website is a red herring, though most likely explained by the hallucination theory. There is a LOT of Lost theory rumination on clones and twins (and i considered it because Kate is a "gemini,") but if that plays in, I think it is an additional part of the plot rather than THE plot.

The 108 reset:

Though the government took extreme precaution to make certain the island was undetectable to the enemy, they put a failsafe in just to maker certain. Every 108 minutes, one of the individuals in the Montauk project is required to enter the project code to keep the failsafe system from blowing up the island in case it fell into the wrong hands. If the enemy ever found the island, broke into the underground, and killed the inhabitants, all evidence of the project would be destroyed after a maximum of 108 minutes.

So, why would the government require a reset every 108 minutes if they wanted the new human race healthy and well-rested?

Because there used to be more than one person down there.

They have all gone mad. Desmond is the only one left. hence the question: are you him?

He thought Locke was his replacement.

And I believe that Locke, indeed, is.

***

I think I focus too much on small details, rather than connecting the puzzle peices. Mark's theories are big picture - they make sense because they can be revealed and added to over time, extending the longevity of the series. this last reply though is just a mean teaser (if you read this Mark - MEAN!!!) and I can't wait to see if they pan out.

------------------

some of MY THOUGTS
i read that in RS this week - however on Wednesday's (9.28.05) episode Locke tells Desmond the plane crashed 44 days ago... episode one & two of season two take place within 7 hours of the final moments of last may's season finale, so either Locke is lying to Desmond or Lindelof is wrong. [EDIT: in the RS article Lindelof isn't quoted as saying that season one took place in 40 days - the writer of the article, Gavin Edwards says "Also important is the number of days the castaways have been stranded each season: at the end of Season One it's forty days."] so Gavin Edwards may be wrong or Locke is lying.]

p.s. when i re-watched Season one on DVD - i tried to keep track in a notebook the number of days they were there. obsessive, i know, but i went back and counted the mornings/nights from Season one. i also have counted in any references to the amount of time they have been stranded.

NUMBER OF DAYS SHOWN: 30

edisode 8: charlie says to hurley: "we've been here for 2 weeks" (at that point only 9 days had been shown)

episode 12: at the end of ep. 11, Locke & Boone find the hatch. at the beginning of ep. 12, it is said that Locke & Boone have been looking for Claire (actually investigating the hatch) for 4 days.

episode 13: Kate: "we've been here for over 3 weeks" [at this point, adding the days shown to the days made referenced to, they could have been stranded for 23 days]

episode 19: it is said that it has been 4 weeks since the crash... [however, that doesn't match up with days shown (27 shown by episode 19) + the days made referenced to]

assuming that in ep. 13 when kate says we've been here for over 3 weeks - and asuming that my calculation of that being day 23, by the final episode of season one, they have been there for 37 days.

Locke tells Desmond in episode two of Season two that they have been on the island for 44 days. acording to head writer Damon Lindelof, the first 3 episodes of season two take place within 7 hours of the hatch being opened (which happens at the end of season one's finale. since it is early in the morning when Locke tells Desmond this, this could be the 38th calculated day... meaning that if Locke is correct (44 days) then approx. 6 days are unaccounted for.


i am a freak. obsessed and a freak.

lost & zombies?

Lost, Burnt Thumbs & Suzanne Cryer

LOST - so this weeks episode was a little slow in parts but the scenes with Locke, Kate & Jack in the hatch were interesting. I am very curious to see how this season will play out. The dynamic has changed now that the hatch has been opened and the others are near.

BURNT THUMBS - so yeah, last night I burnt my thumb really bad on a piece of steamy, greasy hot bacon. yeah, that's right, i said bacon. it hurt pretty bad for about an hour. my wife told me to stick my thumb in milk to nuetralize the pain. oh yeah, the bacon tasted really good and i ate the piece that burned my thumb. Reveng is sweet.

SUZANNE CRYER - who is she, you ask? well last night i was watching ER. there was this couple who couldn't have children so eggs & sperm were implanted into this woman named Claire. The baby went in to distress... Claire didn't want to have a C-section, so the baby was born with little or no brain activity (lack of oxygen to the brain). The "parents' then didn't want the baby. The wife looked really familiar to me. I couldn't place it but i knew i had seen her in other tv shows. her voice was so familiar. I watched the credits but couldn't figure out who she was. After a little research (and after remembering that I thought i remembered seeing her on the show TWO GUYS A GIRL AND A PIZZA PLACE (later called TWO GUYS AND A GIRL) i found out her name was/is Suzanne Cryer (Ashley on TWO GUYS...). then after checking IMDB i saw that she was on SEINFELD. She was Marcy in the infamous Yada Yada Yada episode.

classic line: GEORGE: "you can't 'yada yada' sex... can you?"

Lost Season Premiere

what a great way to start off a new season. for the record, i accomplished my goal of watching every season one episode of LOST at 8 PM on WED, 9/21... basically just in time for the premiere of LOST. in 15 days i watched nearly 24 hours worth of Lost programming (including all 24 episodes, the commentaries and the bonus disc).

QUESTIONS:

1. did Shannon really see Walt and why was he talking backwards?
2. why did it say QUARANTINE on the inside of the hatch?
3. what was Desmond doing down in the hatch?
4. can the show get any better?

FAVORITE CHARACTER: John Locke

LOST (ABC website)
OCEANIC FLIGHT 815

lost

so 8 days ago, i purchased Season One of LOST. the season premiere of Season two is Sept. 21... a week from tonite. my goal is to watch all 24 episodes, all commentaries and special features before the season two begins. I wanted it to be fresh in my mind. I am crazy.

so far i am on episode 11.

there are so many redeeming values with LOST. i'm taking notes on the season one episodes. Expect a full rundown before next WEDNESDAY.

My son & Johnny Cash

My son, Micah, is 2 &1/2 years old.
The other day, I was playing Johnny Cash's live album 'At Folsom Prison'
and Micah just started dancing around the room. It was crazy! So i got out the video camera to capture such a special moment.

Who knew Johnny Cash could have such an impact on a 2 year old. Forget about Barney or Veggie Tales. Micah digs Cash!

Today, before I left to go to work, Micah started jumping up and down, yelling "Daddy, Johhny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash!"

what a great kid.

9/11... i remember...

September 11th will come and go, for me, without much fanfare. To be completely honest, my mind will be elsewhere. For starters, the NFL season kicks off, so I will be glued to the TV most of the afternoon. Then, later that night, my job as a Youth Director will have me leading a fall kickoff for our youth group. To be honest, it has been weird hanging up flyers, promoting a youth event with the date 9-11 at the bottom. I don't think anyone can look at those numbers, in that order, without thinking about that tragic day in New York four years ago.

I have not forgotten 9/11. Maybe it's that tramatic of a moment in my lifetime, maybe it's because I'm a history buff...I don't know. But I have to admit, a part of me is fascinated by it all. There are so many compelling stories regarding the events of September 11th, when terrorists knocked us down...but not out. I've done some reading and investigating on the events and that which led up to that horrible day. We (United States) missed a lot of signs and opportunities to prevent this. But on the other hand, we don't think like a terrorist. The idea of using people and airplanes as a means of destruction are foreign to us...

I will be busy on September 11th but I will not forget September 11th.

-----------

i remember where i was when i found out... we were having a staff breakfast, celebrating a co-workers birthday @ the Cracker Barrell when the waitress came out and said "a plane hit the Trade Center." It took me a minute to remember what and where the World Trade Center actually was. When we left, my dad turned on the car radio. Peter Jennings was on ABCNews Radio... a few minutes after we departed, the first tower fell to the ground...

Ironically, unbeknownst to us, Flight 93 was probably flying over head about that time, as it was picked up on radar over Northeast Ohio.

By the time we got back to the office, I decided to head home to see what was unfolding. Just as I got home, the 2nd tower fell... before my eyes, on national tv.

the world will never be the same...

american wasteland...pt. 2

"New Orleans firefighters walk through water as a looted sports store burns in the background..."


it continues. New Orleans, first a wasteland as a result of a hurricane is now a more tragic wasteland of degenerate, selfish people, more concerned about their so called needs of $100 Nike shoes and expensive NFL jerseys...


LOOTERS RAMPAGE NEW ORLEANS
"An operation to bus more than 20,000 refugees to the Houston Astrodome was suspended temporarily when shots were fired in New Orleans at helicopters being used in the evacuation, a local government spokeswoman in Houston said."

NEW ORLEANS EVACUATION DELAYED BY SHOOTING
"Authorities suspended an evacuation of New Orleans on Thursday after a reported shooting at a military helicopter..."

An angry Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco told reporters: "We will do what it takes to bring law and order to our area."

"I'm just furious. It's intolerable," she said.

"Elsewhere in New Orleans, gunshots repeatedly rang out and fires flared as looters broke into stores, houses, hospitals and office buildings -- some in search of food, others looking for anything of value."

I know it must be crazy being forced from your home, your possessions and maybe even your family, but these desparate acts are only making things worse and making things take longer. It's fuel to a fire already raging. It's lawlessness.

Last night an entire unit of ambulances stopped making runs because of violence against them and their crews. An ambulance was overturned, a generator was stolen as well as other communication equiptment. Add to that hopsitals being broken in to. That is the lowest of low. Civility must have been blown away with the hurricane-force winds...

TROOPS DEPLOYED TO STOP LOOTING

american wasteland...

it is a horrible tragedy. hurricane katrina (a deceitful name of such a deadly, devastating storm) has ravaged New Orleans, Mississippi & even Alabama. left in it's path: destruction... total destruction.

water has continued to rise in the Big Easy as levees have broken (cue When the Levy Breaks by Led Zeppelin), flooding 80% of New Orleans. State and government officials have ordered the remaining people to evacuate - if for no other reason than for their own saftey (in the midst of tons of debree, no electricity, no phones, no food, no sanitation & stagnant, polluted water which is harvesting disease as i write) and so that crews can clean up and fix the many problems caused by Katrina.

So are the remaining people leaving in the midst of this national catastrophe? no. why? because they are looting. LOOTING!!!

i don't get it. i mean, do these people have no souls? it's not like they are looting bottled water or food to eat... no, not the essentials... they are looting jewelry, tv's, clothes and shotguns. there are reports that police and rescue officials were being shot at last night. what the wtf?

Is this what our society has come to? strike that. i dread to think and believe that what i know in my heart is true. no morals. no ethics. one man's catastrophe is another man's fortune. people are sick. I'd like to think that people are good hearted and compasionate, but i guess when given a choice to either
A. help fellow mankind, either with clean up or transportation of elderly/injured, etc, or doing whatever is asked of you by authorites... or,

B. steal stuff that isn't yours.

too many people chose B.

their punishment just might be disease or malnutritian or even death. i hope it was worth it. you can't take it with you, you know...

Lord, come quickly...

give me some shout outs

i never know how many people actually check out my blog... well if you are checkin, please let me know and post a comment. you must, if for no other reason than to boost my self esteem.

meat loaf for dinner

there has been a lot of things that have happened since i last blogged.
like, i went on vacation and well some other stuff, too. for some reason blogging just isn't in me right now.


OUT.

check out my wife's story of how we met HERE






p.s. i had meat loaf for dinner last nite.

church signs

Happy Anniversary: George Brett Pine Tar Incident

22 years ago this week, George Brett hit a controversial 2 run home run off of Goose Gossage, the New York Yankees 'unhittable' reliever in the top of the 9th inning. Yankee manager Billy Martin protested, saying that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat. The pine tar rule was originally written into the baseball rule book, early in the century, as a means to conserve pine tar. The ump then ruled Brett out which then lead to Brett storming out of the dugout after the ump and Martin.

I remember this moment vividly. As a kid, I wanted to be George Brett. Happy Anniversay, George!

For more on the story, click HERE.

The game was protested, then, by the Royals and was later finished almost a month later. The Royals won 5-4. This was and is just one of many reasons to hate the New York Yankees.

down with the sickness

so this week, jen & I have been sick... sore throats, congestion, you name it. it blows (n o pun intended). we even both had a fever for a short while.

i am not a fan of it, being sick, that is. frankly, i'd rather not endure the sickness.

oh, and on tuesday we had a tornado warning.


here are common causes of sore throats...




i just coughed. fun.

30 Days / Homosexuality

last night i was watching 30 DAYS, the show on FX, created by Morgan Sperlock (the guy who made Super Size Me - see my blog on Super Size Me HERE). 30 Days is a great concept for a show... it takes individuals and places them an a strange (to them) or uncommon environment for 30 Days to see what they learn. Episodes have dealt with Living on Minimum Wage, Being a aprt of an Eco-farm community and last nights episode which dealt with a heterosexual Christian man living in an all gay community in San Fransisco.

At one point during the show, Ryan met with a pastor of a homosexual church called Metropolotian Community Church. Her name was Penny Nixon.

After viewing the show, I decided to e-mail her. Below is what I wrote. [i am not posting this to start a controversy in any way]

Penny,

I saw you on 30 Days last night. I wanted to point out that you mispoke (or at least that which was shown appeared to be a mis-statement). When you were talking to Ryan you said to him something like this: "The Bible says 'Thou Shall Not Kill'. How do you justify carrying a weapon in combat?" Most modern translations of the Bible say "You Shall Not Murder." There is a difference between the two, wouldn't you agree?

Websters Dictionary says that there is a difference.
murder: the crime of unlawfully killing someone, especially with malice aforethought.

kill: to deprive of life. to slaughter for food.

If we take Exodus 20:13 out of context, then it was a sin for David to kill Goliath, for the Israelites to kill in combat and for lambs to be sacrificed. It would also have been a sin for our forefathers and military soldiers to 'kill' as a means of protecting themselves and their country or for a police officer to use any form of force to prevent or stop crime.

A distinction between murder and death in battle is apparent in David's statement in 1 Kings 2:5.

Therefore, your question to Ryan was unfair and was used as a means (it appeared) to show that if Ryan was going to choose to accept carrying a weapon in combat was 'O.K.' then he was contradicting the Bible. This, possibly used to then argue that homosexuality is not 'detestable'.

What do you make Leviticus 18:22 & Leviticus 20:13? Forgive me for being so blunt. I have had limited contact with the homosexual community. Also, what do you make of Genesis 1:28: "be fruitful and multiply?" Homosexuals can not naturally procreate. I just don't see how homosexuality is in line with God's plan for his creation (as seen in Genesis and throughout the scriptures). Maybe you could help me understand.

What do you make of those people who have left the homosexual lifestyle and are now straight? Were they born gay or are they just confuesed? (www.exodus-international.org)

You also said 'I think God cares more about what we do with our resources as aposed to what we do with our genetalia. The fact is, you don't know, nor do I know what God 'cares' about more or less. I do know that the scriptures say that a sin is a sin in the eyes of God... There is no hierarchy of sin... lying, lust, stealing, sexual sin, etc... all equally detestable.

Let me close by saying this: although I am a Christian, I do not feel that gays/lesbians should be discriminated against in any way. Also, I do not feel that God Hates Fags. I believe God loves us all equally, no matter what we do or who we are. His desire is for all of us to come to a personal saving relationship with him and to turn from a life of sin. Fred Phelps is an idiot and will pay, in the long run, for his actions against Gays/lesbians. Lastly, I do not doubt that you love your family.

May we both continue to seek God's guidance when it comes to this 'hot topic.'

God bless... politan
Community Churches

Don't Forget about Micah!

a few weeks back, we took Micah to Tuscora Park down in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Micah had a great time with his cousins, Gabe & Harper and with his grandparents. He rode the train 4 or 5 times, played on the playground and even rode the car ride (where small cars go around in circles) all by himself.

It was a hot day but Micah had a good time none the less. The afternoon ended with a downpour which cooled us off nicely.

more Addie 'Beth (one month)

Addie 'Beth

State of Mind...

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Cedar Point

So yesturday was a good day. it began with a 120 miles per hour journey up 420 feet and back down again with an inverted twist, ta boot.

Yesturday, we took a group of 46 to Cedar Point, the greatest amusement park in the world.

Here is a rundown of my day:
10:20 am - tix in hand, the group is released to a day of enjoyment.

11:30 am - after only an hour wait, we ride Top Thrill Dragster.

12:05pm - we ride the Magnum - at one time, it's 209 ft. first hill was the tallest in the world. This is always one of my all time favorites. It was my first real roller coaster that I rode back in '89. Wait time: 25 minutes.

12:33pm - up next is the Gemini... the classic wooden racer. Wait time: 15 minutes.

1:00pm - lunch back at the pavilion.

1:35pm - we get in line for the Raptor (a feet dangling suspended roller coaster with many inverted loops.

2:25pm - Raptor rules the sky! i actually got dizzy. We were all really dehidrated so we went back to the pavilion to get some water. wait time: 50 min.

3:10pm - i had never ridden the Disaster Transport. It is an indoor ride that is air conditioned. Since it was 95 degrees, this ride was perfect. wait time: 20 min.

shortly after, a Mountain Dew was needed.

We headed next to the Mantis, a standing roller coaster, with a series of inverted loops.

4:20pm - We ride The Mantis. When your legs are tired, and you've been on your feet, who would want to ride a roller coaster in which the rider is requred to stand? Oh well, it was a good ride. wait time: 55 min.

Nest we rode the train over to Fronteer Land so that the youth could ride the water rides.
Bryan and I sat these out and rested in the shade.

5:50pm - Bryan and I head back to the pavilion for supper. I wanted to get Chicken fingers but it would have been a 10 min. wait. I then got a foot long hot dog and some fries in stead.

7:45pm - the final ride of the day is The Millenium Force - a fast ride that starts our with a 300+ ft. incline and descend. This ride is like riding a motorcylcle really fast. It was a great way to close out the day. wait time: 70 min.

we left Cedar Point, on our 59 passenger Dutch Transit Tour Bus at around 8:45pm.

It was a great day and we didn't have any major problems. My love for amusement parks grows after each trip!

my new toy

i have joined the iPod revolution. my new U2 iPod arrived on my doorstep this morning at 9:38am.

the first song to ever play on it was Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy in New York City" @ 6:56pm.

->to steal a line from that song: Hey- I've got nothing to do to-day but smile...






word.

ap

abandoned places...

sORRY bOut yOUr Luck ChuCK!

you know you're having a bad day when...

this happens

ugly dogs

U-G-L-Y
YOU AINT GOT NO ALIBY
YOU UGLY

CYF 2005

so for over 10 years i've been serving on staff for a week long summer camp called CYF. we used to meet up at Lakeside, Ohio (on Lake Erie) but this year we took a giant leap of faith and moved to the Malone College campus in Canton, Ohio.

my role this year was Worship Coordinator.

to be honest, going in to this years camp, i was being puleld in many directions. My wife and i just had a baby a few weeks back, but we had made arrangements for me to spend as much time as i needed over at CYF (about a 15 minuted drive from home) as her mom was visiting to help with the baby. I was able to come home in the afternoons and at night to see my new little one and to help out.

in addition to that, i had been in a rather dry place spiritually. i've had no problem 'feeding' my sheep (i serve as a Youth Pastor) but had not been fed myself in quite some time.

what happened this past week was AMAZING. i've seen the move of the Spirit before. I've seen God move before... but not like this. It was supposed to be a difficult transition. We expected it to be a challenge. God is stronger and wiser, though. Thankfully, we, as a leadership staff, wholly put our trust in Him. God did the rest.

Not one technical glitch.
Not one injury.
Not one instance of conflict amongst the 100 teens in attendance.
Not one instance of a teen sneaking off or a couple messing around.
Heck, not even one instance of a girl (or girls) flaunting their stuff (in other words, the girls all dressed modestly).

i've never seen an event prayed over more. God taught me so much in that. my prayer life has definately ben rejuvinated as a result.

After most camps, you leave on a spiritual high, only to gradually fade... On Friday morning, we challenged the teens to finish strong... to finish the race... to answer the call.

i could go on and on...


basically, i am so thankful that God has given me the awesome privilage of mentoring, teaching and befriending teenagers. i am so glad i answered the call he placed on my heart. i count it an honor to be placed in such a position. but it's all God. When i rely on my strength, i fail. I realized that again this week. But when I (we) rely on God for all things, many things can happen... things that can not be planned or contained.

God is so much bigger than my measly thoughts of what he can do and how he can do it. Praise & glory to the One who sacrificed it all even if for only me.

-tim

Explosions in the Sky / Sigur Ros

in honor of the Forth of July, I am listening to nothing but Explsosions in the Sky. I've added Sigur Ros to the rotation 'cuz my brother in law just got back from Iceland.

power

so today the power went out for like 3 hours.

man, life sure is dependant on electricity. it was about 97 degrees, i think, too.
micah and i hopped in the car and drove around, listening to a new mix CD i made just prior to the outage.
we saw a horible trafic accident with this car upside down with a power poll & transformer on top of it. maybe that was why we were without power.

we had fun.

we saw the ice cream man. everything was closed, except him. he probably made lots of cash today.

BOOM GOES THE DNYOMITE

BOOM.

Baby on Board

excellent. that is how i would describe this experience. wonderful. magnificent. unbelievable. miraculous. heavenly.

last Thursday afternoon (June 16th, 2005) @ 12:56pm the Lord delivered to us a bountiful blessing in the shape and size of an 8 lb 4 oz, 20 inches long beautiful baby girl.

ladies and gentlemen, i present to you the most beautiful baby in the world:

Addison Elisabeth








Adore Her!

p.s. Mommy & baby are doing great! And i've managed to surprise myself... having a girl is not half as scary as i thought it would be...yet...

p.s.s. Micah is already lovin' on her... it took a little bit, but now he is very curious and likes to help out!

What a blessing she is!!!


My legs felt like...pt. 2

so i went out running again, yesturday morning. my legs didn't feel like cement blocks...until after about 3 minutes. i kept running though... ran for about 10 minutes... walked for about 5. all told, i ran/walked over a mile. no big accomplishment, i know, but it's a start.

Worship: Louie Giglio Article

Check out this interesting article about the beginnings of the Passion movement with Louie Giglio.

My legs felt like cement blocks

So as I have gotten older, and since I turned 30, my metabolism seams to be slowing down. By looking at me, you'd still think I was a skinny guy, but alas, I have added a nice gut. Right now, I might weigh 166-168. For ten years I weighed the same thing... 150 lbs. I hit 30 and the gut emerged!

so my bro-in-law, Jerry, who is a distance runner, mind you, talked to me over Memorial Day weekend about running. I said I wanted to lose a few pounds and at least get into shape. He gave me a running strategy:

>start off running a few times a week, for 10-12 minutes.

>gradually increase length of running time and number of times you run each week.

>in two to three month's, you will feel a lot better and lose 10 pounds.

So yesterday, after a long evening of installing car seats and assembling stroller, I decided there was no better time to start running. I set out to run for 10 minutes. As soon as I took my first steps off of the back porch, my legs felt like cement blocks. I knew I was in for a rough start. I ran eight minutes and walked for three. Rough start, but at least I started.

I hope I can keep it up.

yesturday.

so yesturday we made many of the final arrangements before the baby comes. this is our second, so you'd think we have it down pat. things that yesturday tought me:

1. It was a blessing in disguise that when assembling our new double stroller, that a piece was broken - meaning we'd have to return it to Babies R' Us. Turns out the stroller was recalled and is now off the market. So we bought a new dobule stroller & traveling system. This one is nicer and easier to fold, manouver, handle, etc. Plus, Micah approves.

2. Even with the LATCH system, car seats are impossible to get in to a car. You can never get the dumb straps tight enough.

3. Having a two year old means finding crumbs in places one never thought possible. While installing the new baby's car seat, we vacuumed out the car. Crumbs were everywhere, it appeared.

---

Things that need to be done before next THURSDAY - the day Baby # 2 arrives:
1. Pack bags. Last time, even though my wife was overdue, I still forgot to pack bags for the hospital for myself.

2. Before we can pack bags, we need to do laundry.

3. Clean up the house, so that it is nice and ready for the return from the hospital.

cre8ive

some ART projects of mine

and another...

walking in mist.

"Quit telling your God how big your mountain is, and start telling your mountain how big your God is."


this morning, while walking to work in a beautiful mist i stretched my arms out wide and embraced all of the cool, all of the wet, all of the refreshing mist. i love a misty morning. i truly have fond memories of playing soccer in the mist on Saturday mornings when i was 16. some of my best games of golf have been played in the mist. just two weeks ago, i participated in a huge dodge ball tournament (using finger blasters) on a beautiful misty afternoon. I was sore the entire next week, as my hamstring and other muscles were stretched just as much, it seemed, as the rubber band inside the mini-nerf-rocket launchers we used for our games.

there is something beautiful about mist. it is refreshing (just like the drink). Maybe misty mornings are God's way of telling us "be clean. Embrace the cleansing power of forgiveness."

this morning i enjoyed walking in the mist.

nuthin to say

i have nothing to say. don't read this.

oh. o.k. you're not.

Fiddy Cent

I'ma say Fiddy Cent is the wahcked out greatest lyricist of alls time.

I aint trippin. you know it be tru.




whatever... i'm lyin. just saw the Lil Bit video this morning and thought "this is crap."

dreams I've had over the last four days...

one. [FRI. NIGHT/SAT. MORN.]
I had borrowed my dad's truck. It's a Ford Ranger 4x4. I took it to the library, only the library had moved itself next to a sports bar off of US-62. My wallet and cell phone were in the truck. After coming out of the library, the truck was missing. I went to the bar next door and ran into an old high school friend, John Butler. The truck was stolen and I was screwed. He said that there had been a string of car thefts in the area.

two. [SAT. NIGHT/SUN. MORN.]
I was on the Apprentice and I was making it pretty far. While participating in the reality show, I realized that I didn't really want to leave my job as a Youth Director, so I tried to lose on purpose. Only Donald Trump pulled a fast one, and during one board room meeting, after which I had remained totally silent, with hopes of losing), Trump looked at me and said "You're Hired!"

The rest of the dream was spent thinking of how I was going to spend all of the money I had won from the Apprentice. I remember deciding to buy a $400,000 house on Lake Erie, @ Lakeside.

three. [SUN. NIGHT/MON. MORN.]
{proof that you should write down one's dreams immediately upon awakening in the morning... I seem to have forgotten Sunday night's dream. But I know it was vivid. It's just not vivid now. If I remember, I will respond in kind, as I know you, the reader, wait with baited breath for my dream.}


four. [MON. NIGHT/TUES. MORN.]
I went to an Arena Football game with some guys that I'm not even friends with, but knew in Junior High. At the game, I ran into some old family friends, and they invited me up to their private box. There was a lot of food and plush chairs. I said "in your face" to the guys who weren't really my friends.

If anyone wishes to interpret my dreams, please do so.

The annual MAY blues

So as a self proclaimed TV sloth, it's come to that time of year where I get all depressed and stuff because my shows have all hit their season finales. What will I do with my time now? I guess I could play with my kid (and soon to be kids) and all.

Allow me to recap the highlights of this year's finales...




Carrie Underwood wins American Idol 2005! The thing is, she really cared about winning. You could sense it. So what will become of her? Does she have the most opportunity to "make" it because of her cross-over appeal between country and pop? Who knows. But I do know that I'm a sucker because my wife and I watch the show. The draw you in and for some dumb reason, I sat through two hours of fluff last night, anxiously anticipating a winner.


LOST
I taped the two hour finale of Lost, so that we could watch AI. The more I watch Lost, the more I love the show. I think it is absolutely one of the most creative shows on television. I can't wait to get Season One on DVD September 6th. I told my wife last night that I planned on watching the entire first season in some sort of 24 hour marathon before Season two begins in the fall.


[EDIT: piece of crap... i had typed a whole bunch more about LOST, 24 & DEADWOOD but somehow it's now gone when I went to fix the font size!}

How I would Fix the Star Wars Prequels

so here is how i'd have done the prequels... scrap the current Episode I and start the thing off with Anikin being at least a teenager. The death of his mother could have been just as powerful if he were that age. merge that storyline into the existing story displayed in Ep. II. Keep Ep. III as it is, except with the changes already noted on this thread - only then, Ep. III would be Ep. II. Then, the new Ep. III would intail a new struggle of hiding the twins (Luke & Leia) and begin to develop a storyline showing how the Rebel Alliance came to be. With that story, things would NOT have to be so predictable. Also, they could have then showed a little back story on Han Solo... maybe even having him cross paths (inadvertantly) with Leia's family or something... or show his earlier run ins with Jabba.


someone should make a new set of trilogies, i think.



by the way, When the showed the Death Star being built at the end of Ep. III why did it take 19 years to build it?



Check out my friend MATT's full reviews of Episodes I-III HERE

Thoughts on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

so here are some of my thougths on the movie...

first off, i must point out that i went to the 12:01 showing late last Wednesday night @ Tinseltown Cinemark 14 with my friends Gary & Fritz. The hype & anticipation made the movie experience worth it. I arrived at the theatre at around 10 PM. It was showing on 6 screens. I contemplated buying something to drink, but saw that it was gonna cost me $3.25 for a bottle of water. I could get a case of 32 bottles of water for that price at the Sams Club next door. Screw that!

So regarding SW EIII:ROTS, i was entertained. I thought it was the best of the prequels. Sure, it had some horrible diologue and mediocre acting, but the visuals were stunning and it tied up a lot of lose ends.

here are some added thoughts I wrote on a message board:
Let's be honest, dialogue has never been Lucas' strong suit. it should come as no surprise that Episode III had shoddy conversations. rewatch the original trilogy. The dialogue blows, BUT the chemistry between characters makes you forget. That chemistry makes the original story stronger. That chemistry is what has been missing throughout episodes I-III.



now, for all of you harsh critics out there who say it sucked: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? YOU SAW THE FIRST TWO, DIDN'T YOU? There is only so much you can do to a movie that we already know the ending to. The Star Wars movies have never been the kinds of movies to watch with a critical eye - becuae if we did, we say a lot of crappy things about the entire series.

episode I-III is a back story. Everything was revealed already in episode IV-VI. That alone will leave us all disapointed.

unfortunately, Lucas made a lot of mistakes that can not be reversed (casting Anikin, Jar Jar, lack of chemistry, having a 6 year old fly a space ship in Ep. I, Hayden's hair in Ep. II, etc.)

SPOILERS:

As far as Episode III goes:

1. the reason for Anikin turning to the dark side wasn't believeable enough
2. Hayden and Natalie Portman had ZERO chemistry.
3. How did Padme instantly become 9 months pregnant?
4. Dooku was killed off too early and easily.
5. Grievious was a big metal hack and an all around stupid character.
6. The Jimmy Smits character needed to be in it more... he was one of the most believable roles. He should have had more of a role in an attempted overthrow of Palpatine.
7. Vader should have fought someone in the suite.


regardless of that, I still enjoyed the movie. It brought things full circle. It was another fun experience. Even with its shortcomings, it ranks better than Episode II and far better than Episode I (the biggest mistake of all 6).

We shouldn't have expected more. Fool me once. shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Added thoughts:
Questions:

Why doesn't Obi Wan Kenobi recognize R2-D2 and C-3PO in Episode IV?

Who's bright idea was it to hide Luke Skywalker at the home where Anakin's mother once lived???? And why did he keep his name, SKYWALKER????

i wondered that too. was Vader dumb enough to possibly believe that the baby inside the womb of Padme died with her? Surely the Emperer would have had Vader search the galaxy for a possible child.

another good question:

supposedly only 19 years separate Ep. III & IV. my oh my... Obi-Wan sure does age a lot!!! in ep. IV he looks at least 70, i'd say.

also, Leia looks older than Luke in IV.

lastly, good ole Anikan/Vader looks frightenly old when his helmet gets removed in VI.

no wonder nobody looks at my blog.

it's cuz i don't update enough. i'm such a loser. oh well.

enjoy Jello Pudding Pops.

REVIEW: MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH: chapter three

CHAPTER THREE: TEACHER TO FACILITATOR


Somehow, over the centuries, knowledge has become king. We've effectively said that knowing about God will ultimately help us know God. As a result, we often focused more on the Word than on the Word become flesh. And yet, A.W. Tozer pointed out, God cannot be contained in any object or that object will become our god. Could it be that we've created an idol and have actually begun to worship Christian education or the Bible? - spencer burke

This quote got to me while reading chapter three. [for some interesting discussion on this, read this]

In our search for knowledge, we’ve made things so comfortable that some have rejected that comfortableness. Burkes asks “is it possible that the seeker-sensitive movement has backfired?”

I’ve never been a fan of the “seeker” service. How dumb do we have to make the gospel? Apparently pretty dumb because apparently those seekers are dumb.

Here’s the thing: maybe it’s o.k. that we don’t have all the answers. But mankind is not stupid. Whether I’ve grown up in church or not, I can still find God, without you dumbing it down for me. According to a recent study, people are leaving the church because it is to similar to their everyday lives.

Could it be that one reason people are drawn to God is because of the mystery that surrounds Him? Is that mystery a bad thing? I don’t have to know all the answers, I just have to know Him who gave his life for me.

Later in this chapter, when reverting back to the leadership aspect of the church, Burke reminds us of the encounter between Ghandi and E. Stanley Jones. Ghandi said “I don’t reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It’s just that so many Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Burke says “we need to be willing to see ourselves as others see us – no matter how much it hurts.”

Part of this chapter jumps around. There are briefs conversations (from Ooze) about preachign style, alternative worship, and the like.

REVIEW: MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH: chapter two

Making Sense of Church
CHAPTER TWO: TOUR GUIDE TO TRAVELER


This chapter deals mainly with leadership. As part of the book, Burke includes commetns left on the Ooze message board dealing with the topic of each chapter. One comment that stuck with me said this: “Leadership schmedership. Why are Christians so obsessed with leadership? What ever happened to followership or servanthood, the greatest being the least, etc?”

That really got to me. I thought about how I am trying to build up leaders in the youth group in which I lead. I began to think about my goals for them and how we go about developing leaders. I have come to the conclusion that you can’t be a leader of men if you are not (1.) HUMBLE or (2.) EMPATHETIC TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS. I tell my youth, if you aren’t able to understand what it’s like to ‘walk in another man’s shoes’ then you aren’t ready to be a leader.

Has a right concept of LEADERSHIP been abused in the modern church? Have we placed too much emphasis on “the point person”? Every church needs leadership, but not every church gets it. Some think they have it, but might they be wolves in sheep’s clothing?

Burke goes on to speak a little bit about HONESTY. Honesty is a hard thing to come by in the church. What an odd thing to say, but it is true. If we can’t be honest with ourselves, with God or with others then we can never be the Christ-like leader God may be calling us to be. Until that happens, the church (and the world, frankly) will continue to struggle to meet the needs of those we come in contact with.

In order to become a traveler instead of a tour guide, we must be willing to veer off course, not worrying about taking a wrong step. Wrong steps will come. A traveler is able to love and be loved exactly as they are.

A traveler is:
1. On a journey
2. Learning from you
3. Open to finding new ways to do things
4. Doesn’t have to have it all figured out.

REVIEW: MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH chapter 1

So I wanted my blog to have something useful in it. Now is a good time to start. After all, I've only had a blog for 8 months.

I hope to sparingly give feedback on books I'm reading, music I'm listening to, movies I've seen, as well as share ideas and insights related to worship, youth ministry and anything in between.

The weekend of Easter, my wife and I found this outlet mall in Aurora that had this discount book store. I found a plethora of gems inside. Among the 24 cent CD's there were some good books that I have been anxiosly waiting to start and finish.

Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church
by Doug Pagitt {completed last week: review coming soon}

Postmodern Youth Ministry
by Tony Jones

The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups
by Joseph R. Myers

and...
Making Sense of Church: Eavesdropping on Emerging Conversations About God, Community, and Culture
by Spencer Burke
{you can read portions of the book HERE}


Here is the start of my chapter by chapter review of:
MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH
chapter 1 - Reality Check: metaphors for transition
[i guess this is more of my thoughts that have come to the top as a result of reading this book]

One of my primary goals in writing Making Sense of Church is to connect people in the established church with those who are “emerging.” - Spencer Burke

There has been much debate on the thought of "should the church be relevant?" This is a question that I have admittingly flip-flopped on. There was a time a few years ago that I would have said "Heck Yeah!" But a few months ago I began to question myself again. One of the conclusions I came to this time was this: without love, the body of Christ can not be relevant. [more thoughts on this HERE]

Burke points out in this first chapter that being postmodern with our faith only means that we are willing to think long and hard about why we do the things that we do. This goes for the established church and (more importantly) how we live our daily lives. He equivicates a postmodern faith as one that does not attack, but "unwraps".

"Postmodern Christianity ultimately will retain at least one absolute: Jesus Christ."

He goes on to briefly set up the idea of PLAYING BY NEW RULES & EXPLORING NEW IDEAS meaning one must respect the past (learning from those who have gone before: Constatine, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc.) but at the same time embrace the future. Sort of a "you can't know where you are going if you don't know were you've been" type mindset.

[more thoughts on MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH and other books, etc. to come]

the weekend that was (a.k.a. why am i blogging this?)

So this past Sunday [Mothers Day] we drove up to my spouces parents home to spend a few days. Here are the various instances of pure happenstance that took place between the hours of 11:45 am Sunday through 10:35 pm Monday.

• My wife's family is infamous for being on what they call "Coffman Time". We arrived shortly before noon hungrily awaiting a nice Mother's Day meal. Lunch came 4 hours later. No bother, though. A ham & cheese sandwhich held me over.
• My father in law was having trouble with his Cub Cadet riding lawn mower. So he purchased this new FERRIS riding mower. This thing can go! It has the coolest steering controls and was/is fun to ride. So he goes out to mow the grass. He got the mower stuck not once, not twice but three times. The first time, it was stuck in a ditch. The mower engine is in the back, and extends about a foot beyond the rear tires and is relatively close to the ground. We got the truck and pulled it out. Later, when mowing along a stream along the back acreage of woods, the mower got stuck in the mud. We were able to get the old Cub Cadet fired up and the Ferris was pulled out with no problem. A marshy area still saturated with water (so much so that ducks had made a nest there) from the winter dethawing was te final resting place for the brand new mower. This time, the Cub Cadet could not get it out. The neighbors tractor did the job, though. The moral of the story: don't mow anything wet with a Ferris.
• After a lovely chicken dinner, we all went out to Cold Stone Creamery. On the way we saw what was the most idiotic driver. She would not leave the left lane of Interstate 90. Her speed varied from 45 to 85. At one point she drove off the road, swerved through the grassy median and back onto the highway, coming inches from hitting another vehicle. I have no idea how she regained control of the car. At one point, as we passed her on the right (ever so carefully) we noticed a young baby in a car seat and another toddler without a seat belt on. How irresponsible! Later, she swerved from one lane to another, repeated by the slamming on of brakes, etc. I only wish I had gotten her plate number, as I would have called it in.
  
• Most of the weekend was spent in front of the computer, trying to fix a computer filled with viruses and pop ups and spy ware.
• On Monday, we enjoyed sitting out in the sun, as Micah (our son) chased Jesse (the dog) all around the yard.
  
• Later we headed out to Verizon Wireless, Starbucks & the Record Den (my fav. record store). Then we stopped by my wife's uncle's house and killed some bees.
• For dinner MONDAY night we had burgers and brats cooked on the grill.

This was a really dumb, pointless post. Amusing to myself and none other none the less.

05.05.05

5 ways to change your world on 5.5.05


SEEK
TRUST
PRAY
LOVE
ENCOURAGE


word.

ch-ch-ch-changes

GUESS WHAT? I changed the look of my blog. Hope you like it. Call it the Extreme Home Makeover edition of Fantastic distraction.

Speaking of changes... the other day, I went to change the laundry (as it is my duty as husband to do laundry in our house - especially since my wife is preggo and shouldn't be doing heavy lifting - and if you've been to our house, we procrastinate and let our laundry pile up until it becomes a mountain. I had just changed the clothes from the washer to the dryer. It was a load of whites. Sometimes I thrown it all in together and take my chances, but today, I had separated the colors. So the whites were in the dryer now. When the buzzer went off 30 minutes later, I went to go and fold but to my dismay, the whites had somehow become greens in the dryer, no less.

My 2 year old son, who likes to color and watch Dora the Exlporer and play with Thomas the Tank Engine had put a green crayon in his pocket.

[the evidence]

This lovely crayon melted in the dryer and turned everything green... socks, boxers, shirts, jeans, etc. I panicked and yelled for my wife. Now I've had a history of laundry issues... ruining numerous pairs of clothing including my wife's favorite pair of overalls and the like. So there I was, waiting to take my punishment for what became known as "The Green Crayon incident". Alas, it wasn't my fault. So I immediately put the blame on my 2 year old and made him scrub all of the clothes by hand. Just kidding. of course.

So thankfully, the illustrious green crayon (or "cran-on" as Micah calls it) was a washable crayon, thanks to grandma, who got 'em for Micah at Easter. After a few washes, all the green was gone.

Funny, though, green chunks of crayon were melted onto the innards of ye old dryer. Did I mention that it's not fun sticking your head in a dryer scrubbing green crayon off? (If I had a cat, I'd like to put it in the dryer... for research purposes, of course.)

Even funnier was the fact that my wife was nervous about placing anything white in the dryer for fear that excess green crayon chunks may have remained, so she let the clothes air dry on the clothes rack. The next morning, I found brown lines from the wooden clothes rack on five of her shirts. I laughed. Thankfully, stain stick got that out, and alas after yet another wash, no green or brown remained.

for my wife's account of this story, click HERE.


dot dot dot

I don't have anything meaningful to say. The unmatchable ability to enter in to a state of unintelligible, nonsensical madness has over taken the chicken coop, so to speak. Only these chickens have large talons. Chaos is mildly amusing and none-the-less, a sham. To elude greatness from the finger tips to the keyboard is sometimes a lost cause. One might be better spending their time reading the news from the morning paper or watching Maury on channel 8. I, however, will do nothing more and nothing less.

Right now, Explosions in the Sky is filling my ears with blissful enjoyment. It happens everytime, you know. Like clockwork, you can always count on EITS to make a melancholy day as bright as a rocket's red glare. I think if I listened to nothing but EITS, I would accomplish all of my dreams; my dreams to write a screenplay, to open up my own diner, to get my wife a Digital Rebel, to have my own editing suite in the den of my house (which I do not own), to make a documentary about the downtrodden effects of war on a G.I., to get involved with a Christian fellowship that thinks outside the box, to get out of debt, to get back into shape and to eat healthy, and lastly, to provide for all of the needs of my family.

And so my right brain is functioning in overload, double-secret-probation mode. The stars at night are big and bright. Deep in the heart of Texas, you know.

Did you ever want to go back? Go back to an era that was great but you didn't know how great it was until that era had passed? Some friends and I were talking about the greatness that abounded in 1988-1989. For true Hip Hop connoisseurs, that is an era filled with nostalgia. Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, Run DMC, EPMD, Boogie Down Productions, The Beastie Boys, Slick Rick. Remember the cassingle (or cassette-single)? For like $1.99 or so, you could pick up cassingles of your favorite song. Essentially, cassingles replaced the 45 record. I had cassingles of my favorite rap songs: fight the Power - Public Enemy, Hey Ladies - The Beastie Boys, Cha Cha Cha - MCLyte, etc. I wore these tapes out. Also, I'd rush home from school every day to watch Yo MTV Raps! That was an elite era of greatness, long forgotten.

And so this journey of randomness expelled from head to fingers to screen is about to conclude. My impoverished mind is empty and I must return to normalcy. One day, I'll go back. One day I'll reach all of my goals. One day, after a long talk with my high school guidance counselor, I'll choose the right path. But for now, my 31 year old body must retire to things of yore. Remembering how and then fulfilling the future by doing things in the present. Because we be to rap what key be to lock, cuz I'm cool like that.

love peace and chicken grease.
i'm out like the gout.

Wesley Test

These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley's Holy Club asked each day in their private devotions. This was over 200 years ago.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I'm better ......than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees ......who despised the publican?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what I am doing about it?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

finger lickin' good

so you heard about the woman who found this finger in her chili at Wendy's? suprise! it might have been a hoax or better yet, a scam to get a settlement from Wendy's. turns out the finger might belong to the dead aunt of the woman who 'found' it in her chili.

the question is, was the finger disattached from the aunt before or after she was dead? and why'd she single out Wendy's... the one and only, truly great fast food chain?

check out the story here.

tv show obsessions with no apologies

SUNDAY
AMERICAN DREAMS (NBC - since moved to WEDNESDAY and had it's season finale last week) - Always a compelling story of life growing up in Philadelphia in the 1960's amidst racial tension and the Viet Nam war.
THE CONTENDER (NBC 8-9PM) - the most underrated reality show on TV... lots of drama, lots of gut-wrenching drama
DEADWOOD (HBO 9-10PM) - I really enjoy this show. I love the wild west. Deadwood is definitely wild. I usually tape this show and watch it at a later time. I can't watch it when my 2 year old is awake... don't want him learning the words they speak on this show.

MONDAY
24 (FOX 9-10PM) - Jack Bauer has got to save the US from terrorists. My wife reminds me that the action is far-fetched - as everything takes place in one 24 hour period, but none-the-less, it's got good cinematography, great complexity, decent writing and compelling actors.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND - (CBS 9-9:30PM) - That Barone family is nuts. only four more episodes left! Peter Boyle (Frank Barone) steals the show.REAL WORLD/ROAD RULES CHALLENGE - THE INFERNO II (MTV 10-10:30PM) - I've pretty much watched every one of these challenges. Don't know why. I think because it's fun to see people make fools of themselves and lose all of there credibility and character. They take themselves too seriously.


TUESDAY
AMERICAN IDOL (FOX 8-9PM) - Shut up! You watch it too!
THE OFFICE (NBC 9:30-10PM) - A copy of the BBC hit. Just as good as the original, I think.
COMMITTED (NBC - had it's season finale a few weeks ago, before THE OFFICE started airing.) - not like any other situation comedy on TV.

WEDNESDAY
LOST (ABC 8-9PM) - This is the greatest show on television. Every week the writing, suspense and mystery get me hooked to the point that I can't wait until next week. The most creative show on TV right now.
AMERICAN IDOL (FOX 9-9:30PM) - Shut up! You gotta find out who got voted off!

THURSDAY (the most anticipated night of TV viewing)
JOEY (NBC 8-8:30PM) - My wife and I saw every Friends episode. Of course, we watch Joey, then. The show has improved since it's start. It is getting better each week.
SURVIVOR (CBS 8-9PM) - I've seen every episode of every Survivor. I was hooked from the start when it debuted 5 years ago. It is the reality show. Everyone else copied off of it.
THE APPRENTICE (NBC 9-10PM) - Another reality show that has us hooked.
ER (NBC 10-11PM) - This is another show that I've watched from the beginning. Because of that, I just can't seem to not watch.

FRIDAY
LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY (NBC 10-11PM) - The only L&O show we watch. (My parents and parent-in-laws watch every form of L&O). I like the process of the courtroom (a result of an exciting jury duty a few years back). Maybe I should have been a lawyer... or a judge.
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (HBO 11PM-MIDNIGHT) - I love to hate this guy. The discussions are always interesting. He speaks his mind openly and makes you think about things... or he just makes you hate him more.

So there you have it... a moderate TV obsession. I don't watch every one of these shows every week, but the magic of the DVR helps me... That way I (we) can watch shows at our convenience.

Scandel Rocks American Idol

no, Paula Abdul is not having Simon's baby.
check this out:





from the SMOKING GUN
"An "American Idol" finalist was once arrested for domestic violence after roughing up his infant son's mother during a Valentine's Day fracas, The Smoking Gun has learned. According to police, 28-year-old Scott Savol, one of the remaining nine "Idol" contestants, was busted following a February 2001 confrontation with Michele Martin at the woman's Ohio home."
FULL ARTICLE HERE

I don't know watch American Idol, but I do.

LISTENING TO:

for 3 years now, I've been logging every CD i've listened to at work...

since MAY 13, 2002 i've listened to 2,431 CD's. There have been roughly 144 work weeks since the start of my logging. That means while working I listen to roughly 17 CD's a week (3.4 CD's a day). Most CD's listened to are listened to in their entirety, but some get ejected before the disc completes.

MOST LISTENED TO ARTISTS:
U2 - 87
Radiohead - 60
Sigur Ros - 53
Underworld - 46
Switchfoot - 44
David Crowder Band - 43
Sixpence None the Richer - 39
Delirious? - 43
Coldplay - 32
Manic Street Preachers - 32
Starflyer 59 - 30
Linkin Park - 29

2005 MOST LISTENED TO ARTISTS:
The Appleseed Cast - 12
Explosions in the Sky - 12
Underworld - 9
Interpol - 8
Manic Street Preachers - 6
Ilya - 5
Lovedrug - 5
The Shore - 5
U2 - 4

hello matt

my friend matt has a Mlog. check it.

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God Made Me

THE SUNDAYS - God Made Me
from the album BLIND

looking for an insult there's a trickle in my head
seeing it's worth the effort I forgive myself
talks that we had are becoming a blur
if only I could love my neighbour

waiting here for the next time with a bottle in my hand
doing it for the exercise I forget myself
the face thet you had is becoming a blur
but how was I supposed to know that?

because God made me
that's all they told me before
& how about you?

& it's off to work we go now
you can forget about a labour of love
it just won't wash anymore
we'd love to be good but we'd rather be bad
but how was I supposed to know that?

because God made me
that's all they told me before
& how about you?
because God made people
that was the luck of the draw
we do what we want

God made me
what's what they told me before
who knows what they'll say today?
because God made me for his sins
imagine my eyes when I first saw we can do what we want

How could I know? How could I know about it



THOUGHTS ON THE SONG... based on a conversation about it with my wife.


Maybe the song is dealing with the sinful nature...
-how we do wrong even when we were made for right
-how we keep going and going and move farther from God
-his love doesn't seem so forgiving
-i think it is someone who has moved away from God and they look back at how they told well "god made you"
-he allows me to do wrong and i keep doing it- cause it commonplace and b/c I can
-and now because i'm so far away it seems that his love doesn't offer redemption...

transcriptions from the inner workings of the right brain

i pour my life into my job. i have no apologies for that. i don't see how i could do it any other way. It's all of my heart or nothing at all. my wife and i are expecting our second child this june. funny, in some ways, as a youth worker, i already have dozens of kids. i probably see some of my youth more than their parents see them. there isn't any one thing that i wouldn't do for my 'kids'. and yet i am constantly bothered by the thoughts of 'i could and should do more.' but alas, there are only a handful of hours in every day.

my family at home has to be my priority and i strive to keep it so. it is pure joy every day to walk thru the door and to be greeted by a loving 2 year old son. being a father is great... much more than i ever expected.

so i am surrounded by people that i love. it takes a lot to take away that joy. working in a church isn't always peaches and cream. the church has its share of ignorant individuals who can't see the forest for the trees. regardless, i persevere... keeping on keeping on, waiting patiently for my next challenge and my next reward.

OUT.

CIRCLE 6 MAGAZINE

I heart CIRCLESIXMAGAZINE

a car crashed into another car. this car lost. we were in line at the drive thru at McDonalds when it happened. the guy she hit was leaving McDonalds. i think he ordered a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but i have no proof of this. 

this is a macaroni noodle that got lodged up my 2 year old son's nose this week. we couldn't get it out. 10 minutes later, he sneezed and it went flying across the room, landing on the carpet.

The Story of How I met My Wife

a message board inspired me to write about this...



my story:
July 1998
I was a counselor at a church youth camp for a week in late July/early August. There was this girl, Jen, who had recently graduated and was a camper for the last time. At CYF camp, I helped coordinate the audio/visual for worship and the afternoon recreation (soccer, to be exact). During the worship sessions, I noticed young Jen sitting oh-so-close to the sound board. Occasionally, I would notice out of the corner of my eye a dead stare coming from the eyes of one fine girl. As a counselor, I quickly put the "this girls hot" thoughts out of my head.

Jen signed up to play soccer and somehow always manged to get on my team. She was very quiet, but she made her presence known. during one game, she threw the ball in to me and I headed it into the goal. We gave each other high-5's. That was our first physical contact. Her younger brother was in my cabin and she was sort of looking after him and tha gave her a reason to talk to me. So throughout the week, we would talk a little and she even managed to sneek into a few pictures with me. I found out that she was going to be leaving for college in a few weeks and was going to be attending my alma matter (Asbury College).

August 1998
Jen had written me a letter after camp, talking about her camp experience and her brother and her anxiety and excitement about leaving for college. I decided to write her back.

August 24 1998
Jen had already started college down in Kentucky when I was sent on a business trip to do some video editing at my alma matter. I arrived there on the 24th (a Monday). I ran into Jen and two other mutual friends almost immediately. We met up that night to play euchre.

August 27, 1998
After a a few days of meeting up each night, I was hard at work in the editing suite when Jen brought me over some homemade cookies. Later, I would find out that she had burnt the first batch. I had finished up editing around 6:30 and Jen and I decided to go for a walk. We walked up to the softball field, on a big hill and watched the sunset. We talked for a very long time. Jen and I both view this date, that day, as a monumental day in our 'relationship'.

Labor Day Weekend 1998
I made up some excuse to head back down to Kentucky and thus another 6 hour journey was necessary. I had two sisters living in the area and they just had to be visited... in reality, I was there to see Jen. I had asked her and her friends to go hiking. When I went to pick them up, it was only Jen. I think she told the others not to come. She wanted some alone time with me. I didn't complain, by the way. That night, I walked her back to her dorm... we could have kissed for the first time... but we didn't. That would have to wait.

Oct. 24th 1998
I had returned one more time to work on an editing project. Jen and I had been talking a lot on the phone but I was at a crossroads. I was 24 and she was 18. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I seriously contemplated cutting things off... just because of the difficulty of having a long distance relationship. We went out that Saturday night and saw Dead Man on Campus followed by dinner at Ruby Tuesday, a strole through Joseph-Beth bookstore and then to Wal Mart. Everything about that October night was right. It felt right. True love was blossoming. We connected with each other. That night, I kissed her for the first time.

Thanksgiving 1998
I went to meet her family and to see her the day after Thanksgiving. I drove an hour and a half, walked up to the front door, rang the doorbell and when she opened it... I knew she was the one. She was wearing a red Old Navy v neck sweater , jeans and red socks. We were engaged a year later, on the day after Thanksgiving... married August 12, 2000.

Does a CD spin when you listen to it?

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO AND ENJOYING WITH MY WHOLE BEING
(a.k.a Bands You Should Check Out For Yourself)


The Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl: Volume I


The Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl: Volume II


Interpol - Antics


M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us


The Innocence Mission - Befriended


Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place


Autolux - Future Perfect


Earlimart - Treble & Tremble


Kasabian - s/t

my wife's dream-like state last night.

so last night, after what seemed like hours of sleep (but was really only probably minutes) my wife sits up in bed, doesn't say a word and just stares at me. I wake up and ask her what was going on and if everything was o.k.

"Oh my gosh! We forgot to put the cookies away!" she said.

then she rolled over and went back to sleep like nothing happened.



she had made a chocolate chip cookies earlier.

i recognized this guy from American Idol from Trading Spaces and from this stupid gameshow called Taboo that lasted all of a couple of months

so i recognized this guy who said he was a nanny on American Idol this week. he's been in a couple of commercials and on Trading Spaces. He's a big dork. I'm a bigger dork for recognizing him. He said his name was Christopher Noll (I suppose that is his real name) but he may be better known as Chris Wylde. He's had a show on Comedy Central and has been in a few movies, including Joe Dirt and some other crap.

yeah. I watch American Idol.

today is my birthday.

just thought you should know. by the way, i chipped a tooth last night while eating a salad, of all things, at the Golden Corral. I don't think anyone should have to work on your birthday. I think I would like presents. Somebody give me an iPod. Somebody else could pay off our bills. Regardless, I will probably pick up some CD's because I am obsessed with music. It's my birthday, afterall.

I think my wife and I are going to go see Million Dollar Baby this weekend. I shall post a full review if that happens. (Last year on my birthday we went to see Along Came Polly. That was a waste of money. ) We may also go to Steak N' Shake or Bennegins. By the way, does anybody know what's up with Chi Chi's? That used to be a somewhat fancy restaurant with a long wait. Now they are all closing down. Sorry 'bout their luck, I guess.

I remember when I was 10. I had a birthday party at our new house. Donnie & Mike Carsner and David Hickman and Monte Macecko all came. My mom made a cake. I got some GI Joe's and a walkman cassette player. I was allowed to buy a tape, too. I ordered Police - Synchronicity. It came in the mail and the case was cracked. Later on that year, Donnie spewed chunks of Chicken McNuggeets in the hallway next to the bathroom. I remember playing a lot of ping pong back in those days. We had a table in the basement. Also, we all played baseball out in the back yard. One time my friend Billy ran into the clothesline and almost had a concussion, except he didn't. The guy who lived behind us used to skin deer in his garage. To this day, I remember the stench that would accompany us during our baseball games.

I plan on having a vanilla milkshake later today, 'cuz it's my birthday. Honestly, I am just happy being alive and having a wonderful family and a wonderful child in waiting. There is nothing more rewarding than that. That is the best thing a 31 year old man could ask for. Plus, my wife is hot, too and my 2 year old son is the coolest kid in town.

Memories, music, family and ice cream... not a better thing to have on my birthday.

do you work out?

somebody asked me if i worked out recently.
i said yes.
i do 20 sit ups a week.
i work out here