Lesson of the Week

I learned something very important last week.

When you spray whiteboard cleaner on the whiteboard to clean it, spray it toward the whiteboard, and away from your face (and eyes).

Chicken Poop on My Windshield or The Eternal Struggle Between the Flesh and the Spirit

I was driving to work this morning (or as it's technically 3 hours into Saturday, yesterday morning), and I got behind a chicken truck. You know, those trucks with 1,000 cages filled with 10,000 chickens, all crammed together on top of each other. I honestly started to feel sad for the chickens. That just seems like a crappy existence. But, as I was trying to get around the truck (which seemed to speed up every time I tried to pass), I received a white splatter across my windshield. I was taken aback. I was feeling sympathy for you, and you pooped on my windshield. I couldn't believe it. But then I realized that if they knew I was feeling bad for them, then they also knew that it wouldn't last. Feeling bad for somebody's situation does absolutely no good if you're part of what's causing the situation itself. And the fact that I'd probably be eating chicken hours later pretty much indicated that I didn't really feel bad for them.

I'm currently out of windshield wiper fluid (though it's been on my wife's shopping list for a couple weeks), so I got to drive with it for awhile. And it got me to thinking.

That's my whole existence. Thinking something one minute, then acting the opposite the next. Feeling bad for crowded chickens now, enjoying the fruits of the crowding while eating my next batch of wings. Thinking, what an awesome creation God has given us, while riding home the night before, then cursing the poor drivers who drive too slow on alternate 72 toward Tuscumbia. Machiavelli said:

...people are fickle by nature; and it is simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction...

It's so true. Paul said,

I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

Look at Peter. One minute he was attacking an entire crowd of armed men to protect Jesus, the next he was, with curses, denying he ever knew Him.

Jesus told us,

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I guess this is when we need to rely on His strength to overcome our weakness.

I think I may just leave it on my windshield for some time as a reminder.

Quote of the Day
My power is strongest when you are weak.
  -What God told the Apostle Paul when Paul prayed for God to take his limitations away

Batman, Soaps, and Hair

I thought it was pretty cool that The Batman won a couple of Daytime Emmys last Saturday (April 22) - Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing and Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.

But then I saw that they actually have an award for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling, and I was a bit less impressed...

Karma?

Back to the blog.

I've learned some important lessons recently about generosity. The first is that it comes back to you. The second is that, as a community of believers, it's how we are supposed to live.

I've had some interesting experiences lately. I recently lent my car to someone to drive to New Orleans. Since then, we've become friends, but at the time I didn't know him real well (Krista new him better than me). It was an important trip, and his car wouldn't have made it, so he would have had to figure out where to come up with the money to rent a car. So I let him borrow mine.

When he got back, he told me all the things that were wrong with it. It needs new brakes. The heater is broke. The back vibrates because one of the tires is messed up. The most interesting part of the story, though, is that he's a mechanic - a good one - and he offered to fix everything for the cost of the parts. So I gave him some cash, and he replaced the brakes (along with the drums and rotors), fixed my heater, and gave me an oil change, all for what the parts cost. (He couldn't find a tire the day he worked on it, but that was the most minor item that needed fixed.)

He saved me a lot more money than what it cost me to be without my car for a day. And isn't this how we're supposed to be living? I help you...you help me. It all comes around. Maybe that's what Jesus was getting at when he said,

Do to others what you would have them do to you...

Krista and I have been trying to practice this more and more. It doesn't come easy in this hoarding, keep-everything-you've-got, put-as-much-of-it-to-retirement-as-you can culture. We haven't been doing it to get a return, but a return is what we've been getting.

A small but significant example happened last weekend. I went and saw my first NASCAR (Busch) race. For the uninitiated a Busch race is like the minor leagues (hey - kinda what the Bush leagues used to be in baseball). Anyway, it was quite an experience. The cars, the food, the amazing 20,000+ crowd. There was a couple sitting next to us who had just bought season tickets. My brother and I were talking about getting my Dad a little something as a souvenir, and this couple had what looked to like a pretty cool Nashville Superspeedway cap (that's where we were, obviously). When I asked them how much the hat was, they told me it was free to anyone buying season tickets. Then they offered me the hat. The race was fun, but the trip was worth it just for that experience. People never cease to amaze me. Just when my level of cynicism has gotten full someone pulls a fast one and reminds me most people really are good.

Only My Daughter

Today Julianna turned 4 years old. When we got home she had a message from Geoffrey the Giraffe wishing her a happy birthday.

In response to the message she said,

I didn't know giraffes could talk. Is he from the zoo?

She's four, and she watches all sorts of cartoons with talking animals, but she's surprised that a giraffe left her a message on the answering machine...

No Time! No Time!

Ah, the stories I have to tell...of cars and generosity (and even NASCAR). But alas, they will have to wait...

Quote of the Day
Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!
-The White Rabbit

The Murder of Customer Service

Some days I feel like Customer Service is dying a slow and painful death. Other days (like today), I think there are a lot of folks trying to help it along.

I was at the Post Office today (the one on Wynn Drive in Huntsville). After exchanging e-mails with Yvonne Navarro (writer of the Ultraviolet novelization) while trying to find out whether or not the movie was based on a comic book, I decided to get a copy and ask her to autograph it. She'll autograph books if you send them to her with a postage-paid envelope to send them back to you.

Anyway, I was at the Post Office today trying to send the package. First I had to weigh the book in the envelope I wanted her to send it back to me in, so that I could put postage on it. Then I had to slide the whole thing in the package I prepared to send to her. Well, everything was complete - I had postage on the envelope to be returned to me, and I had it slid inside the package I was sending out. All I needed was to put the postage on that package, tape it up, and I'd be done. Well, when I asked for some tape (to tape the end of the package down), the guy behind the counter said he didn't have any tape except for Priority Mail tape, which I couldn't use unless I wanted to send it Priority Mail (which would cost twice as much). Well, the package was completely taped up with packing tape - I just need to tape one end (kind of like that last part of wrapping a gift, where you've just got that open end left to tape up). I saw the big roll of scotch tape behind him and asked if I could use that. Apparently it's against the law or something to put scotch tape on a package you're going to mail, so he wouldn't let me use it. I was just going to tape the end down - I didn't want to tape the whole thing with it; but I guess that doesn't matter

At this point I was looking forward to the fact that it was going to take 2 trips to the Post Office to send this thing (no wait, that would be 3, since I already went to the Florence Post Office this weekend and they were completely out of all sizes of envelopes, so I couldn't send it then). So I asked if I could just get the postage put on it and then maybe I could bring it back after I taped it. I don't know what I thought - it's not like it was going to fit into the mail slot, and I'd probably have stand in line again anyway. But at that point, he seemed to be confused by the fact that I wanted to get postage on it, and still take it with me. By now, I figured I didn't have any choice, considering the Post Office doesn't keep tape on hand for wrapping packages, so I put in my last-ditch effort, hoping against hope I wouldn't have to make another trip. Having seen that huge roll of brown tape at the Florence Post Office (you know, that 2-inch wide tape you have to wet first), I asked him if they still had that kind of tape (I know I had never seen it in Huntsville, but I was desperate). He stood there for a moment as if he was processing my request. Then (and I swore he let out a sigh), he reached underneath the counter in front of him, pulled out a roll of that brown tape, and said, "I guess we can use this."

I was a bit dumbfounded at that point. Was I taking his secret tape stash? Was there acid on the back of it that he was saving for later? Why, when I asked for tape in the first place, did he not immediately produce this massive roll? It was almost as if in training he was told, "Never, never, bring out the big brown roll of tape, except as a last resort." Maybe I'm just tenacious, and he figured it would get rid of me.

The world may never know.

The Bible and Popular TV

The other night, my daughter was going to bed, and Krista and I were going to watch some TV. Julianna asked what we were going to watch, so, in trying to explain the show Prison Break I told her it was about some people who went to jail, but they didn't do anything bad, so they were trying to break out.

She said, "Like Paul and Silas?"

(Paul and Silas, were of course, thrown in jail after being falsely accused of disturbing the peace and subverting Roman law in Philippi.)

Well, she's learning something in Bible class at church...

Christian Music Sightings on Popular TV

I've heard Switchfoot songs on Smallville, but then, Switchfoot's a bit more mainstream and their message is more subtle. So I was genuinely surprised Tuesday night when I heard these lyrics from Kutless's All of the Words being played at the end of Scrubs:

By Your grace You let me come talk to You
It's not that I'm worthy I thank you Jesus
For the love that You have shown

All of the words in all of my life that could never explain and never describe
All of my love, which is nothing to hide so I lift up my hands and I worship

(If you're not familiar with Kutless, the group is currently popular on Christian radio stations with songs like Strong Tower and Voice of God Speak.)

It really surprised me, since Scrubs isn't exactly the watchdog-group poster child for "family-friendliness" on television. [Of course, family-friendly basically means "this show doesn't have any anything that's on our Bad Stuff™ list.]

It makes me want to ask questions like, Who chose this music? Why this song? It's interesting to me when I see expressions of my faith so overt in popular culture. Of course, it's always there, as Greg Stevenson might tell you, but it does tend to be a bit more subtle.

Then I found out on the radio yesterday (Wednesday) morning that one of the contestants on American Idol performed the song Shackles sung by the duo Mary Mary. Of course, American Idol is a favorite of the family-oriented watchdog groups. That makes sense, considering their strong emphasis on outward appearance. Singing ability might be important, but if you can't look and act like a celebrity, you don't have a chance. That's the message I want my daughter to hear. OK - let me get back down off this soapbox.

As I was saying, Mandisa sang Shackles, so the entire American Idol viewership heard her share

Been through the fire and the rain
Bound in every kind of way
But God has broken every chain
So let me go right now

I just wanna praise you...

But it wasn't well-received by the judges. Randy (while praising her singing) questioned her choice of songs; Simon called it indulgent (not sure what he meant by that), and while Paula loved the singing, she seemed ambivalent about the song itself. (I don't watch American Idol, but luckily my brother and sister-in-law record it, so I was at least able to watch this segment.)

V for Vendetta Commentary

Short commentary.

V for Vendetta is an excellent film. I know Alan Moore (the writer of the original comic) hates it based on the script, but I think the film is extremely well-made. However, this isn't about how good I thought it was...if you even care about that, you can read my mini-review. Here, I just want to note a few of my thoughts after watching it.

In the film, the main character is trying to release Great Britain from the hold of a tryannical chancellor. It made me better appreciate our Constitution and the freedoms that we have, because whether the president is Bill Clinton or George W., we are still allowed to speak our minds regarding how we feel about him.

I guess I could be wrong, by I don't think Will Ferrell's ever been kidnapped and beaten by agents of the government for mocking the president.

Of course, if you're a female entertainer who airs your griefs on foreign soil, you might get hate mail and death threats from his supporters, but at least they're not from the government.

I realize it’s a fictional story, but regardless of what you think about the film itself, or the main character's actions, I'm not sure how you could watch this film and not come away with a greater appreciation of the freedoms that we have.

Health: Week 10

Ok, it's more difficult than I thought.

I've gone back to old eating habits. I've started working out, so I think they balanced each other out, but I'm kind of disappointed in myself for falling off the wagon.

I've also come to understand, just a little bit, why Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread. Was it wrong for Jesus to eat? Maybe, but just because he had made a commitment to God to not eat.

Thank God for grace.

Off to bed so I can get up early and exercise.

Woohoo.

Current Weight: 263#
Total Weight Change: -10#

V for Vendetta

It's late, so I just want to note that I just got back from the movie.

It was a fascinating experience.

I can't wait to see it on IMAX.

That's all I have to say about that. I'm going to bed.

Corpse Bride

In this age of computers, it's exciting to watch films that use reality more than virtuality to create the look they're trying to achieve. Don't get me wrong - some of my favorite films are animated by computers. Toy Story would probably rank in my top 10 favorite films of all time, and Jurassic Park is somewhere high on the list. But there's something about the texture of real life that can't always be captured by animation. I think this is why I'm so drawn to films that still draw on realism to express a mood. I still love stop-motion like Corpse Bride and Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and films like Mirrormask that involve more live-action puppets than animated ones. Of course, it doesn't hurt that these films are helmed by creative geniuses like Tim Burton, Nick Park, and Neil Gaiman, but that quality of reality is still there. Even with a traditional live action film, there's something about makeup that trumps digital effects. (Though I do realize that in this age of computers, they are heavily involved in making just about any type of movie.)

Of course, maybe I'm just fooling myself and couldn't tell the difference if I didn't already know, but we can pretend.

So yesterday morning, before the rest of family woke up, I dragged my tired body out of bed, made a pot of coffee and watched Corpse Bride, since my daughter Julianna is probably a bit young for it (she'll be 4 next month), and my wife Krista just isn't as interested in non-live-action films as I am.

And I loved it. It's a great film, with awesome visuals and a sweet love story. It's is also an interesting study in contrasts. More a contrast between the world of the living and the world of the dead, as opposed to Burton's previous stop-motion venture, Nightmare Before Christmas which contrasts Halloween and Christmas. As a matter of fact, Nightmare is equally as fascinating as Corpse Bride, but on different levels. Now if I could only convince my wife to watch it with me.

Opening weekend

I'm going to see V for Vendetta tonight - nothing like seeing a comic book film on opening weekend! I'm looking forward to see if it's bad as Alan Moore thinks.

Quote of the Day
They were written to be impossible to reproduce in terms of cinema. And so, why not leave them simply as a comic in the way that they were intended to be? And if you are going to make them into films, please try to make them into better ones than the ones that I have been cursed with thus far.
-Alan Moore on the comics and graphic novels he's written (From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, V for Vendetta)

Mirrormask and Comic Book Movie Stuff

I saw Mirrormask last night - truly an amazing film. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean at their best. Another film I'm kicking myself for not seeing at the theater. Gaiman weaves an exotic tapestry of a story and Mckean applies it to canvas. [Did I mix too many forms of art there?] Dark and bright all at the same time, it's the kind of film that leaves you awestruck. Rent it or buy it or something...just see it.

Here are a couple of interesting articles intertwining Mirrormask and Comic Book Movies:

'$1m a minute to film? No problem' by Neil Gaiman

Best quote from the article:

Comics are one step in the digestive process of Hollywood eating itself.
-Alan Moore

It’s not always who draws wins by Dominic Wells

Best quote from the article:

Basically, it’s the work of two thwarted and impotent liberals who want to say how annoyed they are with their President, but want to do so in a safe way — by setting it in a fantasy Great Britain.
-(again) Alan Moore, describing the film V for Vendetta - the Wachowski-adapted version of the Moore graphic novel of the same name