I attended my first NBA game on Monday night. Someone at work had tickets, but couldn’t go, so I lucked out and got free tickets to see the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Sonics). And, even luckier in my opinion, I also had been given a “pass” to take Tuesday off from work, so I didn’t need to worry about staying out late for the game.
The game was at 7pm, so the wife and I got to the downtown area about an hour early to find parking. In case you’ve never been to Oklahoma City, let me tell you that parking is next to non-existant around the cluster of big attractions (the movie theater, the Ford Center, several restaurants and clubs, a baseball stadium, plus the ever-popular Bass Pro Shop). So parking took a while, but when we did find a spot (only a few block away), we made our way to the Ford Center. The Ford Center is owned by Ford–guess you could have figured that out on your own–and looks pretty new. When the OKC Thunder isn’t playing, there’s also a local hockey team (the OKC Blazers), plus I noticed quite a few pictures of Clay Aiken lining the halls leading to the seating area. Hm.
So on our way in, we had our tickets checked and we walked up to our seating area. Before we could go in, there were attendants giving out armbands. And me, being from a college town and used to armbands used as a marker for folks old enough to buy alcohol, well I thought “I’ll just skip these guys cause I’m not going to be drinking.” Well I was wrong about the purpose of the armband, because someone flagged me down and said I HAVE to have an armband to sit in our section… Whew, and here I was thinking they were trying to get me liquored up… So I was a little embarrassed, looking like I probably should be wearing a sign that says “YES, I AM NEW!”
Once we got seated, the actual basketball game started off pretty interestingly. The intro song for the team is AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and the accompanying video was well done, featuring some highlights from past games. Also, the opponent for this game was the Phoenix Suns, featuring Shaq and Grant Hill. Shaq is big, by the way, not just tall, but also physically imposing, kind of like a big bulldozer that sometimes makes layups. As for the Thunder, I didn’t really recognize any of the guys playing on their side, but that could be because I don’t follow basketball.
Which reminds me: basketball is really boring. I know there are some sports that take a beating for not being very exciting–like golf or bowling. Baseball is also pretty boring, but at least there’s variety and some obvious strategy involved. Basketball, on the other hand, looks like little or no strategy or variety–it’s just “we get the ball, score, other guys get the ball and score, repeat”. It’s like volleying during a tennis match, but without the excitement of random aces or near misses. During the Thunder/Suns game there were a few steals and dunks that got the crowd worked up, but on the whole the match was pretty lackluster. Had it not been for the constant music and commentary, I think the arena would have been pretty quiet. And this was a sold-out game, so that’s saying something, right?
Maybe I’m just not a big sports fan in general, so I guess I could be biased against all sports. But I know that’s not true because I do like football. And (commercial for football!) unlike basketball, football has something for everyone: there’s strategy, there’s athleticism, and there are big plays to keep things interesting. So as a general matter, I’ll take a lousy football game anyday over a “great” basketball match.
Since basketball is kind of dull, Cori and I did a bit of people-watching. Our seats were pretty decent, not stellar but also not in the nose-bleed section either. We were behind one of the goals, about midway up, and surrounded by about thirty Army guys in uniform. So most of our people-watching consisted of looking at thirty guys all dressed the same. And, as an officer and military service member, I have to say I was a little annoyed at this guys. Specifically, for some reason these guys chose to wear their uniforms to the basketball game, despite the general preference/rule that military members should not appear in public in uniform unless they are acting as official representatives of the United States, or otherwise authorized to do so. Despite the possible impropriety of wearing the uniform to a professional sporting event, these Army folks got lots of attention from the people running the cameras–we (and the Army guys) appeared on the center “jumbo-tron “at least five times (with the announcer saying things like “Thanks to all our men and women in uniform!”). It was also kind of weird because some of the cheerleaders–the “Thunder Girls”–came by to say hello to the Army guys and take pictures; seems like the ranking officer/enlisted person would have realized that this might give the appearance that the Army was somehow endorsing the NBA… Or maybe I’m just thinking too much like an attorney.
Army guys aside, we did have a pretty fun time at the game, and I’m glad we went. Next on our list is a hockey game–who knows what kind of random stories that will lead to?
I just finished reading “Watchmen” and first off, it is basically a big ol’ comic book (or graphic novel if you prefer). But, secondly and more importantly, don’t let that scare you away because it deals with some serious themes in a thought-provoking and fresh way.
“Watchmen” tells the stories of several has-been super heroes, including the stories of their origins and the eventual public outcry that leads to their being outlawed. While this is interesting, it’s also just the beginning of the bigger narrative, as entire nations move toward nuclear war and the former “adventurers” struggle to make themselves useful in a time of political unrest and intangible struggle. I won’t reveal too much about the plot, because it’s written as a bit of a detective story with the reader being guided through the various theories and dead ends of finding out if there’s a plot afoot to kill off former heroes.
As a story, much in “Watchmen” depends on pacing and revelation. To be honest, I was pretty unsure about both at the outset. I didn’t quite understand what was going on for the first few chapters, as there narrative takes time to develop background information (unlike what I’m almost certain will be a lengthy on-screen dialog information dump in the film adaptation…). But once a meaningful foundation had been laid, I was quickly caught up in both the intrigue and the generally realistic portrayal of the former super heroes.
One hero in particular, Jon, a.k.a. “Dr. Manhattan” is both realistic and beyond anything I could imagine. While the other characters are closer to “mere mortal” status, Jon is honestly neither human nor mortal–as a result of a nuclear science experiment gone wrong, he is somehow aware of and able to manipulate matter on a sub-atomic level. He’s also aware of time as if everything were happening at once; this godlike perception of time means he is (almost) never surprised by anything, and yet he pursues his fiancée as if he didn’t know her eventual fate… Again, I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but trust me when I say that seeing things from Jon’s perspective will leave you wondering what an omnipotent God might have in common with this comic book character.
After finishing this graphic novel a few days ago I’m still contemplating the major themes it raises–namely, what kinds of extreme actions may be justified in the name of a greater good? If we may justify bad actions like a single death for the sake of saving many other lives, might we also justify the killing of many thousands for the sake of many billions? Are there times when choosing a lesser evil is justified, or must we always find a third alternative to avoid compromising our morals? And who should judge those who makes these kinds of decisions–in other words, “who watches the watchmen?”… Lots to think about here, especially in light of the U.S. “global war on terrorism” preemptive strike mentality (not to mention possible torture controversies).
So with that said, I highly recommend “The Watchmen” for comic book fans in particular, and more generally for anyone who enjoys creative thought-provoking fiction. And apparently Time Magazine agrees with my recommendation, as “Watchmen” is listed as one of their 100 Best Novels. Boo-ya.
The long Christmas weekend has made for a good time to catch up on a few movies over Netflix (streaming over the Xbox 360). One of the films I recently watched is the documentary “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”. In this documentary Ben Stein takes on the scientific establishment, examining the blacklisting of members of the scientific community who have problems with neo-Darwinism. Here’s a quick trailer to give you a taste of the film.
So I enjoyed “Expelled” and the wife and I have been discussing the movie off and on since we saw it a few days ago. Generally, any film that can provoke extended conversation is a welcome bit of edu-tainment, and “Expelled” is this and more. Still, I did have a few quibbles with this documentary.
First, “Expelled” initially presents itself as a discussion of freedom of scientific inquiry. At the beginning of the film Ben Stein talks at great length about freedom in America, and the nature of scientific inquiry, whereby one ought to be free to ask any question and free to poke holes in any theory in the search for greater knowledge. This is all well and good, but the film quickly transitions from this freedom-of-inquiry issue to the more specific issue of why neo-Darwinism deserves to be poked at. And here there is not enough discussion of the actual problems with neo-Darwinism as a scientific theory. Sure, Ben Stein walks us through the logical implications of neo-Darwinism as a philosophical matter–i.e., no God means no morals or greater purpose in life, thus leading some of the scientists in the film to believe in a Nietchean nihilism, or leading certain political groups (the Nazis in particular) to believe that purging the human race of undesirable traits was our evolutionary mandate. While I believe that logic and philosophy can provide instight into existence (including the origin of life or the role of morality), philophical inquiry is not the best tool to debunk Darwinism. Questions of meaning and morality are philosophical issues that are secondary to the science of Darwinian evolution. What I wanted to see was an examination of the hard facts, to demonstrate that neo-Darwinism simply cannot account for the complexity of life on Earth.
True, “Expelled” does delve into the problem of origins; namely, that Darwinian evolution simply cannot offer a satisfactory account for the origins of the very first form of life. But there’s so much more that’s troublesome! I don’t know if I’m qualified or have an audience interested in hearing me go any further discussing the problems of neo-Darwinsim. So for anyone looking for a more detailed scientific approach to taking on neo-Darwinism, I suggest Lee Strobel’s “The Case for a Creator” (which is admittedly biased in favor of making the case mentioned in the title, but a good intermediate level read nonetheless).
Intelligent design can be many things, and if you’ve never heard of this theory, then “Expelled” is a good introduction. And if you aren’t familiar with the distinctions between micro and macro level evolution (i.e., simple evolution within a species versus cross-species change/neo-Darwininism) or Darwin’s shortfalls in explaining the actual orgin of life, then you may also get a basic level of understanding from this film. To be fair, the movie doesn’t sell itself as a technical discussion of I.D. versus neo-Darwinism. The movie is a good place to get into the larger discussion, and the fact that I’m still talking about it should demonstrate how well it does this. I recommend “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” for anyone interested in intellectual honesty and upholding the right of freedom of inquiry, or looking for a basic introduction to the I.D./evolution debate.
There are a handful of websites I check from time to time, just to see what’s new. One of these sites is GraphJam.com, where various charts are posted with humorous commentary and information. Although some of the content is more “meh” than funny, there are occasionally some really hilarious things there. Here are a few of the ones I really like.
I posted a Kay Jewelers commercial not long ago; it was not a very good ad. This, on the other hand, is probably the best commercial I’ve ever seen for jewelry. It doesn’t actually make me want to buy diamonds (probably because I’m not exactly rolling in extra cash), but I do appreciate the simple, sweet, message. It’s also one of the few commercials that my wife consistently tells me she gets misty-eyed over. Hope you like it too (even if you opt for the non-material advertised item).
I couldn’t resist posting this. I’m a big fan of the Charlie Brown Christmas movie/special, though I’m always a little surprised by how “in-your-face” this clip is. I doubt a movie like this could be made today and still make it into a yearly prime-time showing on a major network like ABC. Nevertheless, I do like this clip and it’s nice to be reminded on Christmas Day just what we’re celebrating.
Today is Christmas Eve, and I’m thinking about all the folks I know who have a birthday today. My nephew, an uncle, a step-uncle, and Cori’s grandma all have birthdays on Christmas Eve. This has got to be a statistical anamoly for so many people with the same date of birth to be so closely related. At any rate, these are the folks who get the short end of the stick… Probably the only worse day to have for a birthday is Christmas Day–cause who’s going to get you two gifts for the same day? Not me, that’s who. I got bills to pay. Wah-wahhh. So happy birthday to all the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day babies, good luck having a special day just for you; it’s kind of hard to compete with the Savior of all mankind, but I hear he’s pretty generous…
I’ve been working as an attorney for the Air Force for about a month-and-a-half. The first few weeks were pretty slow, handling some pretty basic stuff like shadowing more seasoned attorneys, working on wills and legal assistance for military members, and drafting legal reviews of low level issues. But things have gradually been picking up, and lately I’ve been handling some more “sexy” legal things. Specifically, I’ve gotten to draft two motions for criminal cases, in response to motions from the defense. Both of these motions required lots of research (reading cases, Military Rules of Evidence, etc.), and lots of careful writing. I really enjoy doing the necessary research and writing for these kinds of motions, which is kind of surprising given that it’s so much like law school exams. So, I don’t think I need to rehash law school or any of the subtopics associated therewith…
But I will say that crafting a solid legal argument is very satisfying. There’s just something tangibly rewarding to be able to look over all the law and argument in a well written motion and be able to have a complete picture of what the issue is and how it ought to be resolved. I almost wish I could share some of these motions here, but a) they’re still attorney work product and not public documents, and b) they’re probably incredibly boring to anyone who’s not a lawyer.
So I’ve been busy lately, but it’s the good kind of busy (much like the good kind of random).
Part of being in today’s Air Force means being prepared to deploy–and for me the likelihood of facing a deployment during my first two years is pretty low. But in order to get me prepared for any eventual deployments, I have to go through certain training, and be issued certain equipment. One bit of training deals with chemical warfare, so I have to be issued a gas mask. Because I normally wear contacts I have to be issued glasses and gas mask inserts (you can’t wear contacts with the gas mask for extended periods because the environment inside the mask is very very dry…). So this post is basically a way for me to say that the issued glasses and gas mask inserts are not very pretty. In fact you might even call them the opposite of pretty. It cracks me up just how ugly these things are. The glasses are nicknamed “BCGs” which is short for “birth control glasses”–because when you wear them you don’t have to worry about birth control… And the gas mask inserts, they’re just plain ridiculous; they’re the front part of plastic glasses, minus the legs, and with the addition of a heavy duty rubberband to secure them to your face (kind of like swimmer’s goggles). Luckily I don’t actually have to wear the gas mask inserts very often–just on the rare instances that I also need to wear a gas mask. And as for the BCGs, those are just backups for my regular contacts and personal glasses. Still, they are… special. Here’s a picture of some BCGs; I couldn’t find any images of gas mask inserts, so just use your imagination to visualize the BCG equivalent of sports goggles…
So I blogged a few days ago about the new computer Cori and I got to replace my deceased 3 1/2 year old (deceased) laptop. I also mentioned in the comments section of that post that I was having some trouble with the replacement, and that I was contemplating exchanging it for a different model. Yesterday I did just that, and the folks at the local Best Buy were both helpful (which was a nice change after the difficulty with our initial buying experience), and very quick to allow the exchange. The new laptop, er, the newest laptop, is an HP dv3510nr, and I will skip the posting of technical specifications in favor of a video review from CNET.com. Here ya go.
I am secretly a fan of zombie movies. Not all zombie films, but I enjoyed the spooky realism of “28 Days Later”, and I somehow managed to both laugh and be scared during “Shaun of the Dead”. So my interest was piqued in the video game “Left4Dead” when I saw this trailer (and the idea of posting the trailer came from my friend Peter’s blog). Here’s the full introduction to the game, which apparently is really all the story you need to make your way through this team-based shooter.
I am a HUGE Hurley-sized fan of Lost. One of my first posts was on how Lost is probably the best show to watch as a couple, because there are so many plot twists and subtle back-stories to rehash during and after each episode. Lost has great philosophical undercurrents, plenty of moral quandaries, and I think a creative small group could easily make discussion of this show the backbone of weekly meetings. Anyway, fanboy gushing aside, here’s a trailer for the upcoming season 5, which starts January 21st. Gives me chills just to think of it!
As I’ve mentioned in past posts, the wife and I are new to the Oklahoma City area and we’ve been conducting a “church search” since we got here. I’ve also mentioned that some of the places we have visited were a little… unsatisfying. Of those unsatisfying visits I have already blogged. What I have not yet blogged about was the visit that was actually enjoyable. This enjoyable visit, or more accurately “visits” since we’ve been there twice, was at Bridgeway Church, and here are some things that I really liked about it.
First, the music was really pleasant, contemporary (not in the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) sense of the word, for those who may be oversensitized to that designation) and original. Literally. I think one of the worship leaders for the church tours with the Passion conference (though this is an as-yet unsubstantiated rumor–hearsay upon hearsay, if you will…). I had never heard some of the songs before, and sometimes that can be a little tough to deal with, but these songs were written well enough and simply enough that I was able to pick up on the lyrics and chord progressions (this 3/5/7 is for all the music majors out there!). And the worship service was also appropriately traditional; there was a liturgical prayer read, which was then explained for the non-main line Bapti-costals like myself in the audience. I think understanding our Christian heritage and tradition is very important and too often passed over in many local churches, so this liturgical element was a very welcome touch.
The music was nice, but that’s just noise if we don’t have the right attitude; so I was glad to hear the worship leader point out important functions of worship and take time to explain relevant lyrics between songs. He even read a short reflection on some scripture, which may or may not be the norm, but I really enjoyed the emphasis on proactively thinking and being engaged during worship. I struggle sometimes to not be overly critical of how much emphasis is placed on emotions during musical worship (I think I have mentioned in the past that chord changes in worship songs mean “everyone raise your hands, ’cause this is the exciting part of knowing God!”). What helps me deal with my critical/cynical side is being reminded that our emotions can be used for good, just as much as they can be used for ill, and knowing that balance is key. So it was refreshing to see that Bridgeway’s worship service offers this balance between emoting and thinking about worship.
After the musical portion of the service there was some housekeeping business, where one of the deacons/elders had some announcements about upcoming events and also about the fiscal side of the church as part of the year end budget review. Even though this could probably have been accomplished after the formal service, I actually kind of liked to see how Bridgeway was so open about what their monthly budget and income. I am troubled sometimes by the amount of money local congregations pour into buying “cool” stuff to make folks feel welcome, that ultimately is wasted. I’m not advocating that local congregations have to meet in converted dumpsters and sit on old paint cans, but I do think that greater oversight is needed to keep churches accountable to congregants and to ensure that those with actual physical needs like food and shelter are being taken care of, per the command of Christ. So, anyway, I noticed that there were a few nice material things at Bridgeway–and I guess I should say I don’t know how local churches generally acquire things (donations from congregants or local businesses…)–but there was also enough kind of shabby stuff (like old CRT tvs for song lyrics, rather than ultra new, ultra expensive flat screens) that I feel like there’s probably a good, practical hierarchy governing cash expenditures.
I’ve also noticed that Bridgeway seems to have a real commitment to local and worldwide ministry, and not just in the “convert the Asian/African/South American/Martian heathens” sense. I’m not sure how this commitment plays out on a practical level, but I have heard their ministry philosophy discussed on our first visit. Maybe this is church-infatuation speaking, but I have high hopes for what this local congregation has going on in OKC.
So, back to my somewhat chronological narrative, when the “preliminaries” were out of the way, the pastor came up. He’s a older-but not old guy, probably in his early fifties, and he was wearing a sweater vest over a long sleeve checkered shirt, with pleated front khakis. I couldn’t see, but if I had to guess I’d say he was probably wearing penny loafers or some shoe with leather tassels on top. Even though I would almost never allow myself to be dressed in this way, it was comforting to see a pastor actually dress his age. One of the faux-cool churches we visted earlier this month had a pastor in the same age range, but who wore all black and seemed to think he was thirteen, judging by his haircut and clothing accessories… So Paster Acts-his-age was a welcome sight, and, more importantly, a pretty good preacher. Pastor Sam, as he’s more appropriately called, spoke on missiology based on John’s Gospel account on the first visit, and Isaiah 9 on the second visit. Both times his message was based on taking a particular passage of scripture apart, but still topical enough to jump into as a visitor. There are a lot of podcast sermons up on the church website, so I’ll try to learn more about the church’s approach to sermons that way… and maybe any of my readers can share some tips if you’re into listening to sermons during your commute/free time.
This is not our new church yet, but it could be… The homepage for Bridgeway Church is here, and I’d appreciate comments if anyone has heard of this church, or if you have suggestions for churches in the OKC area that we should check out.
That’s right, we have a new laptop–a Toshiba “Satellite” U405D-S2874 to be precise. It’s running Windows Vista, which I’m having a little bit of a tough time getting used to, and it’s missing all the fun stuff my old laptop had (like Open Office, Firefox, NES emulators, music, and pictures), but I’m slowly personalizing it.
Our new laptop. Her name is Sheeba.
Just now I changed the background wallpaper from the default “Toshiba” design to some pretty mountains. Amazing. Something else that’s amazing is that I can cut-and-paste the product features from Best Buy’s website, for any tech-heads out there that actually care–these are included below. And as for buying a laptop at Best Buy, I’ll say this: the experience left much to be desired.
First, the high school-ish sales people working the store are obviously not working on commission. I looked at laptops on display for a good 45 minutes without once being asked if I needed any help. This was while several sales reps buzzed back and forth helping other customers. I understand that the holidays are a busy time, and apparently this particular store was short staffed; but still, it takes like two seconds to say “Hi, I’ll be with you in a moment.” The Best Buy sales folks didn’t do this, and I had to flag down a manager to actually get anyone to offer to help. In short, very unprofessional salesmanship. But aside from the lack of help from Best Buy’s employees, the purchasing process was very streamlined, from picking out the model we wanted, to being escorted to the in-store tech center (I feel cheesywriting “Geek Squad”), where all the “free” software on the computer was removed and the initial startup process was taken care of for us. So it wasn’t a horrible way to go, but if I had to make a recommendation one way or the other, I’d say that buying online from the manufacturer is probably the best way to ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for–like a better battery than what comes stock with the lappy (ours is projected to last for “up to” 3 1/2 hours, which means realistically closer to 1 1/2 to 2 hours with music, internet, and bright screen all running…). The trade off with buying online is that you have to be willing to wait a few days to get the laptop–plus you have to actually have internet access from a working computer… which is something we lacked during our shopping period.
So, we got a new laptop, I’m not sure I love it, but at least it works well enough to get internet access. Here are the specs for those who care.
Product Features
AMD Turion™ X2 RM-72* dual-core mobile processor
For true multicore processing; HyperTransport™ 3.0, AMD PowerNow!™ and AMD CoolCore™ technologies to extend battery life; improved security with Enhanced Virus Protection**.
AMD dual-core technology
Enables you to work or play with multiple programs without impacting performance; AMD64 technology provides simultaneous support for 32-bit and 64-bit computing; 1MB L2 cache memory for efficient processing.
4GB PC6400 DDR2 SDRAM
For multitasking power.
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media; supports DVD-RAM.
13.3″ WXGA TFT-LCD widescreen display
With TruBrite technology and 1280 x 800 resolution provides native support for 720p content.
250GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
Provides plenty of storage space and fast read/write times.
ATI RADEON 3100 graphics
With 256MB-1519MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory for impressive video performance; built-in stereo speakers.
CD/DVD controls
Make it easy to enjoy your media (play/pause, stop, previous track and next track buttons).
Built-in webcam with microphone
Makes it easy to chat with and send video mail to family and friends.
5-in-1 bridge media adapter
Supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card for easy digital photo transfer.
i.LINK (IEEE 1394) interface and 2 high-speed USB 2.0 ports with sleep and charge
For fast digital video, audio and data transfer; 1 eSATA/USB combo port.
Built-in Atheros high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
Gets you connected to the Internet without wires.
10/100 Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector
Along with a high-speed 56 Kbps modem for easy Internet access.
Weighs 4.5 lbs. and measures just 1.4″ thin
For lightweight portability.
Long battery life
Of up to3 1/2 hours to give you more time away from an outlet.
Fusion finish with horizon pattern
For a sleek and stylish look.
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition 64-bit operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled
Software package included with Ulead DVD Movie Factory and more; 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Professional 2007 also included.
This post is a quick update to say two things: First, we got a new laptop to replace my recently deceased 3 1/2 year old Gateway. I’m using it to type this, and thus far I have been a teensy bit confused and frustrated trying to understand Windows Vista (the Gateway was on XP), and also trying to figure out how to make this computer the admin for our wireless network, since all the software for our wireless router was on the dead lappy. More on this new laptop later. Secondly, we may have found a church. It’s not set in stone, but after two visits we’re pretty happy with Bridgeway Church in OKC.
I’ll blog more on these and other *exciting* topics soon… For now, thanks to everyone who posted on my “Church Search” posts, and the “Eulogy” as well. I’ll have some comments coming soon, thanks again for the thoughtful feedback.
Well my laptop has died. It’s been over three years since my happy wide-screen Gateway came into my life, and it has been the work horse that got me through law school note-taking and exams, burning many a mix CD, and blogging here. I am sad to say that the Gateway is dead. I just bought a new battery for it too (back in May), and it wasn’t exactly a cheap upgrade. As for the laptop itself, I can’t even get the thing to turn on–the power light comes on, but there’s no boot-up whirring sounds. Sad. And I’m pretty bummed that all the documents, music, and photos on my harddrive are inaccessable. I’m hoping that there’s some way to repair the laptop, at least long enough to get all the valuable files off it… For now I’m using Cori’s giant ten-pound laptop, and it’s prone to overheating and shutting off–so I’ll end this here. Pray for my laptop!
This is a sort of guest post on my blog–I got the idea from Erica. Here are her words (from a facebook message to me) about this video.
“Micah, I think you should blog about the new Kay Jewelers commercial with the hearing impaired woman getting a gift from a complete moron of a boyfriend that obviously doesn’t even know sign language. Ridonkulous. That is all!
Ridonkulous indeed. Any other suggestions for blog topics are welcome, by the way.
Just as a caveat, please know that I love the Church as the Body of Christ on earth, and that I am happy to see any local church try to reach the lost and hurting. Stylistic preferences are not always universal and I think that’s ok. Diversity is necessary in any healthy organization, and if you disagree with my perspective please grant me the grace to be different or even wrong. Ok, on we go.
I posted yesterday that I prefer expository preaching (going slowly through scripture, studying the meaning of each verse or passage) to topical preaching. In case you’re wondering what’s driving my hunger for non-topical sermons, I’ll tell you. (“He’s going to tell, he’s going to tell…” cue the Mony Python in-jokes…)
Topical sermons, in my mind, are most often the preferred approach of churches that are very seeker/non-believer oriented. Some of these local churches do what they do very well, and I think God can and does use them to minister to a very real need of a very large segment of society. But then there are other churches who try to be culturally relevant without the necessary grounding in Biblical reality. You might think of these churches as similar to folks who buy gym equipment and workout clothes but who don’t actually work out. Still don’t know who I’m talking about? Well… These are often the faux-cool churches with a non-traditional sounding name, a really flashy website (which may or may not rely heavily on Flash…but it probably does), and the Sunday service generally comes off as youth group for grownups. Not to be too hard on these churches, I will grant that at least they try to present the message of Christ in a way that most folks can understand. But they are also often guilty of oversimplifying the complex nature of our relationship with our Creator.
In the few weeks that we’ve been in Oklahoma City, we’ve been to three churches, two of which were trying really really hard (and failing) to be cool, hip, and Jesus-y without being religious-y. And, unfortunately for them, I’ve had it to here with soulless faux-cool churches. These “cool” churches go out of the way to offer the hippest series on subjects, like prayer (which, apparently, is “just like txting God”). I don’t want to sound too cynical or critical, but I mentally feel tired just looking at some of the sermon titles at the churches we’ve been to lately. I’ll spare you any examples, but I will say that most of them are both cute and memorable, while also suggesting a certain level of, I don’t know…low-brow juvenility? And the titles are just the tippy-top-tip of the iceberg.
This past Sunday the wife and I attended one of the many “.tv” churchs in OKC. This one was probably the biggest church I’ve ever been in, and I’m sure some folks would consider it a very successful enterprise. I will admit that there were some things that seemed to be done very well. On the one hand, there was a lot of welcoming stuff in the lobby when we first entered: there was a staff of greeters, a coffee bar, an information table, a “next step” table with a free gift for first time visitors, and even a table with free chips and soda to snack on during the service. Still, despite all this welcoming stuff, we didn’t feel very welcomed. No one even looked at us, other that the obligatory “hello” from the semi-professional greeters. And I’m not going to hold it against anyone that we were just more anonymous faces in the crowd; this church probably has over a thousand visitors each Sunday, so there’s a very good chance that we didn’t see any actual “members” during our brief visit. So, in short, the fellowship aspect of church was basically absent–but hey, real friendships take time, and we were still church shopping anyway.
So we made it to the sanctuary/big room. And in case you were wondering, yes, people did bring Solo cups of soda and baggies of corn chips into the service, and yes, they did eat them. Loudly.
Speaking of decibels, let me tell you, this church takes worshiping God REALLY SERIOUSLY…if by “really seriously” you mean “God loves loud music!” I’ve been to my share of dirty, sticky-dried-beer-on-the-floor club concerts, where you don’t so much hear the music as you feel it, like deep in your belly and in the (sticky) soles of your feet. So I know how to deal with loud music… But I don’t know how to deal with loud worship music–am I supposed to be screaming along, or should I just kind of head bang for comedic effect? And forget whispering anything to your neighbor–talking during worship is just not possible. [Here I come to the part of the narrative where I tell you just how much I disliked this "cool" church.]
We walked out during the worship service. And the reason why we walked out? Well it was a myriad of reasons… But before I go further I must address a tangent that’s been bugging the heck out of me. Why is that so many “cool” churches spend so much money on things that don’t matter? I personally find fog machines to be fascinating devices, especially when used in haunted houses; but WTF does a fog machine have to do with worship? And do we really need strobe lights on stage to usher us into the presence of the Almighty YHWH? Also, what’s with all the plasma screen TVs the “cool” churches place around the stage; does having five or six LCDs showing, not the song lyrics which might actually be helpful, but spinning psychadelic guitars increase the likelihood that life-changing decisions will be made among the congregants? Spending money on things like this is bad stewardship, plain and simple. There are people in the rest of the world literally STARVING TO DEATH, and the thousands of dollars wasted on unnecessary technological flair could be better used to bring the love of God to these people in need. Whew, tangent-rant done. Now back to our reasons for walking out of that church.
I guess we felt compelled to leave for a few reasons. Partly because the music was causing inner-ear damage. Partly because of the clearly misused resources. But mainly we walked out because that service was like a microcosm of everything that I think is wrong with the faux-cool, almost-seeker-friendly, not-quite-emergent, hip-and-not-your-parents’-church experience. In these kinds of churches there’s just sooo much emphasis on making folks feel welcome, like they’re doing something normal such as going to a concert or the movies, that we forget that people don’t want more of the same; they want something DIFFERENT. You might even say that this kind of other alien-ness, this peculiar different-ness is what Christ-followers should be known for… if you’re into that sort of thing.
And this, in a very large nutshell, is why I’m tired of topical sermons and the faux-cool churches that overuse them. And just to be clear, I don’t think all “trendy” churches fall into this faux-cool category; but there are enough that I am frustrated and I think Believers need to be cautious of what we invest our time, money, and energy into. I welcome any feedback on this post; anyone want to step up for the aforementioned church group, or just temper my views?
The wife and I have been searching for a local church in the Oklahoma City area. In anticipation of this search I blogged a while back on some of the criteria I think are important in a church. Just to reiterate the big items, I’m looking for Biblically grounded teaching, discipleship, outreach, fellowship, and authenticity. While I haven’t been able to experience much in the way of fellowship or outreach, and although I don’t really have much insight into congregation-wide authenticity, I have been able to evaluate the teaching/preaching at a few churches.
One of the things I’ve struggled most with in our search for a local church is topical preaching. On the one hand, I appreciate the need to get folks up to speed on what God has to say about spiritual disciplines, sex, money, marriage, friendship, children, etc. Taking a topical approach is probably the fastest way to explain to new or non-Believers what the Christian worldview encompasses. At the same time, as a person who has grown up in church, I feel very strongly that topical preaching can lead to 1) boredom from both congregants and the pastor, and 2) the pastor’s views taking precedence over scripture. As for boredom, I think it’s fair to say that in-depth teaching through an entire book of the Bible offers plenty of material, apart from the usual topical grind. And on the more important subject of pastor-opinions, expositional preaching still offers an opportunity for the pastor to stress what he/she thinks is most important in a particular passage, while also offering a much more balanced, structured approach.
I guess I’m trying to say that I’m okay with some topical preaching… But I think a better approach is expository, where the pastor walks the congregation through a particular verse or passage, slowly (over months or years) taking apart an entire book of the Bible. And thus far, the only church I know of that uses this expositional approach is Mars Hill Bible Church. If I could, I would attend services at this church; unfortunately it’s located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it’s not only really cold but it’s also about a thousand miles away.
So you guessed it, I’m still looking for a local church with expository preaching. More on what’s driving this search later…
Ok, ok, this is a little weird, but it’s also very sweet. And yes, it’s probably more weird than sweet. But still… I like it. Non-video game aficionados, what do you think?
I blogged not long ago about Cox, the cable, internet, and phone service provider we’re using in OKC. I mentioned I had no complaints at the time of the post. But, after a week or two I think I have changed my mind about Cox, or more specifically Cox’s digital video recorder. Like Comcast (the cable provider we used in Tally), Cox has its own set-top DVR cable box. Also like Comcast, the Cox box (that’s fun to say, even if not fun to use) tries but falls short of the ultimate DVR standard–the TiVo.
One of my former roomates in Tallahassee owned a TiVo. This friend–we will call him Randall–loved his TiVo. And I learned to like the little DVR, because it made TV watching a leisure activity that I could do on my own time, rather than have the networks schedule how I could spend primetime. “Randall” loved the TiVo so much that the DVR was given a name–Travis–and also given it’s own little birthday cake. Ok, the birthday cake bit is not true, but the naming part is. But I can see why a person might want to name the TiVo–I mean look at the logo, it’s just begging to be cuddled with… So Travis was loved by all, and taught us to watch less TV in general, while also allowing us to keep up with the shows we really wanted to watch, when we wanted to watch.
I tell of Travis the TiVo because I am so frustrated with Cox’s DVR. Cori and I are fans of Heroes, and we’ve managed to watch every episode so far–either online, via the Xbox Marketplace, or our Comcast DVR. Since we’ve had Cox, we have missed the last five minutes of Heroes, because Cox’s DVR will not let us manually adjust the time stop recording. It boggles the mind to think that a DVR, which is sold for the sole purpose of allowing users to control what shows to record and when to watch them, is made with software such that the user is totally unable to fine-tune the recording process.
I suppose the bottom line here is that Cox’s DVR is rubbish, in the most British-y sense of the word, and that it’s not worth the plastic and metal components it’s made of. I will gladly pay for a TiVo and the subscription even though Cox has already provided me with theirs… And as far as cost-benefit analysis goes, I justify the added expense of buying a TiVo (versus renting the Cox DVR) by reasoning that if we’re moving every two years for as long as we’re in the Air Force, then having our own DVR will guarantee we don’t have to keep relying on sketchy local cable-provided digital video recorders.
This commercial is a few years old (the add touts the casette player…), but I saw it the other day on a VH1 countdown of 80s videos (it was shown because of the effect it had on the resurgent interest in “Mr. Roboto”). So I’m wondering who the guy in the car is, because I think he looks an awful lot like Tony Hale, aka Buster Bluth from Arrested Development. Anyone else want to venture a guess?
I’m currently reading Anne Lamot’s “Traveling Mercies.” In case you don’t know, Ms. Lamott is religiously inclusive/progressive, politically very liberal, and doesn’t always seem concerned with notions of orthodoxy. So I came to this book ready to hang a question mark over everything. But so far, after reading over halfway through, I’ve been very impressed by both how honest the narrative is, and also by how much of Anne Lamott’s insights transcend politics and doctrine. Much of the first half (the half I’ve read) is bitter-sweet, melancholy, and poignant. Anne Lamott tells about her childhood and beyond, and her struggles in coming to faith and better understanding God. Sometimes folks accuse Christians of being hypocrites, hiding behind a veil of religion and pretend-piety. I think, though, that Anne Lamott would be the last person to pretend to be pious. As an author she is believably self-deprecating, wise and also understandably flawed–she’s basically the same messed up convert every Believer is on some level. I’ve mostly enjoyed the book so far, despite one or two reservations. I would tentatively recommend it for anyone looking for religious nonfiction that’s heavy on narrative and light on organized theology or doctrine.
For those who don’t know, Burt Reynolds and I have something in common–and no, it’s not a love for mustaches. We’re both Florida State alums. And apparently we’re also fans of the Xbox 360.
Check out this commercial for one of the Xbox 360’s party games (that means that Erica might like it!); it’s pretty funny, even if it does raise the level of sketchiness by a few hundred degrees.
I’ve been blogging since August 12th, 2008. Since then I’ve had some mild success (I think) in addressing serious issues like why the Xbox 360 is better than the Wii (and what to do if you find yourself wanting to buy a Wii), or how Don Miller is probably the best Christian writer of my generation. I’ve managed to attract a few readers, and I’ve moved from an average of 20 to around 150 hits per day. I was mildly shocked when I attracted nearly 1,000 readers in one day, when I blogged on where to find results from the Florida Bar exam, because it was quite a large jump in a very short time span. More recently I’ve been watching my stats creep up, and within the past 48 hours I rolled over into quadruple digits–into the 10,000 range. I think most of this traffic is attributable to my post on “Surfing vs. Bodyboarding” (which has over 4,500 hits), due in large part to the fact that the picture I used for this post is in the top three results you’ll see if you search for “surfing” on Google images. But I think I also have a few dedicated readers–and you know who you are–to whom I am very appreciative for their comments and continued readership. So this is me saying “thanks” to all the folks who read my (almost) daily posts, or who maybe hit refresh a few hundred times while visiting my blog–this blog’s for you!
Before I go any further I have to admit that I did not come up with this title; but I am not above poaching a clever phrase when the opportunity presents itself. So, on we go.
I have debt from law school. Not as much as some attorneys I know, but still enough to be a bit of a pain to deal with. As a general rule, I think getting into debt is never a good thing to do, kind of like it’s never a good thing to start a war. But sometimes it’s a necessary evil–or perhaps the lesser of two evils–on the way to obtaining a particular goal. Were it not for loans, there’s basically no way I could have paid for law school. It’s just way too expensive, and most law schools forbid first year students from working–so “working your way through school” is not a realistic option, at least if you want to be a full-time student.
I heard someone say that law school debt is like the little house that you will never live in–and I laugh every time I hear that–but I also think that financing a professional degree is a worthy investment. It’s not a 100% safe bet, but even if you don’t wind up working in the legal community, having a law degree only increases your worth as an employee (provided the employer values good communication and analytical skills). So having a juris doctor degree is a good thing, even if having so much debt is not… Right?
I took out loans, and I took out enough to both pay for tuition and also support myself without working during the school year. I probably could have taken out a little less… But I think it’s better to take out too much money than too little when it comes to paying for tuition and living expenses. Now, though, I’m paying (literally) for not working during my 2L or 3L years. My first payment to the lender is due in December, and it’s not a huge minimum payment, but it is as much as some folks pay per month towards their mortgage (or towards a really ‘$pensive car). So I guess it is like owning a house that you can never live in. But it’s also a bit like putting money into a savings account and not making any withdrawals for a long time; it’s just a different kind of investment. Right?
Sigh. Ok, to be totally honest, this post is a bit of a pep talk to myself and any other folks with grad school loans: law school is tough, and paying off the debt is tough, but at least you don’t have to work as an indentured servant to the lender. Unless the lender happens to be the federal government… who you also happen to work for…
Posted by Micah McMillan 
Posted by Micah McMillan 
While the other characters are closer to “mere mortal” status, Jon is honestly neither human nor mortal–as a result of a nuclear science experiment gone wrong, he is somehow aware of and able to manipulate matter on a sub-atomic level. He’s also aware of time as if everything were happening at once; this godlike perception of time means he is (almost) never surprised by anything, and yet he pursues his fiancée as if he didn’t know her eventual fate… Again, I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but trust me when I say that seeing things from Jon’s perspective will leave you wondering what an omnipotent God might have in common with this comic book character.
Posted by Micah McMillan 
