best sandwich ever? The Hamburger Fatty Melt

It's a hamburger patty sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. (source)

Who wants some?

JUMP!

As church started this morning I couldn't help but notice that Becky and Evan weren't sitting in their usual spot. They can be a few minutes late from time to time [understandable when trying to mobilize 3 kids under 4], but when they weren't there after singing ended I admit I was a bit worried. Glanced out into the parking lot I could see our Odyssey wasn't there. I went to my office to check my phone and there was a message from Becky saying... the van is dead!

Our boys love to play in the van. They climb all over it, press every button and twist every knob. I usually go back through the van and turn everything back off but... oops. After lunch it was up to me to re-animate our lifeless beast. You should understand that I'm not a gear head. It's not that I don't care, but it was never part of my upbringing and even jumping a car is mildly intimidating. But I'm the man of the house and if there's a job to be done, I'm gonna do it.

First we backed the car up the driveway and into the backyard. Then we figured out how to get the van into neutral and I pushed it back out of the garage. [I felt like I was competing in the world's strongest man... that thing is heavy!] I got it all hooked up and managed to get the van back online with relative ease.

Here's a couple picture of me doing man things.

(Thanks Becky for your help)

Then I backed the van into the fence and scratched the bumper. Hooray!

love/hate

what is the deal with computers?!

They are really great for things like keeping in touch with friends, sharing ideas, playing games, and creating stuff.

But i hate computers right now. I've been spending hours and hours working on multiple video projects this week. And 2 of them are not completed through no fault of my own (unless not working on a mac can be considered my fault).

I have no idea how to fix the problems and i don't have time to fix them even if i did. PC's stink.

Only 1 day late

Showdown Countdown

... ok, i'm not actually tracking the minutes until the vice presidential debate, but I'm really eager to watch the veep candidates challenge each other, share their ideas, and critique one another.

Katie Couric's interviews have left Palin with a lot of ground to make up. I think if she bombs it tomorrow night the race is over for McCain. The race is too tight right now and she could be the deciding factor for alot of folks.

new music

I seem to follow a pattern of feast and famine with music. I won't listen to much outside of worship team for a month or so and then I'll flood my senses with new music. I am fortunate that my renewed musical thirst has coincided with the release of new music by Chris Tomlin and Hillsong.

I really like both of these cd's [yes, i still buy cd's. i download some music, but i prefer having a physical copy with the artwork and lyrics]. Hello Love is a bit more accessible, but the production of This is Our God is sooo good.

What else should I be listening to right now?

why i like kroger

kroger gas $3.52 - $.30 kroger card discount = $3.22 per gallon!

it's the economy stupid

It seems that Michigan's economy has spread across the nation. I know that the frozen financial market/spreading foreclosure/credit crisis is a huge problem to solve with no short term solution, but the government needs to keep working. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of the recently-rejected bail out proposal, but it's clear that the market needs to have some confidence restored.

We also need to do our part by not panicking and being personally responsible with our finances. The banks lent all that money to people. We can't just blame the banks for wanting to make more money. We're the ones who asked for it.

amazing race 13

the newest season of Amazing Race began tonight.

It was a pretty good episode. Good tension and good tasks. The first few episodes are always hard because you don't really know the teams and they have to share a lot of screen times. Becky and I enjoy debating strategy about how we would handle each obstacle along the way (somehow we manage to come in first every time:).

What's your vote on which team is most annoying...

The Frat Boys- Andrew and Dan

I'm not sure which is which, but they seem to get overexcited about everything and the one with glasses thinks he's an expert in everything.

... or...

Team Newly Dating- Terence and Sarah

All i can say is they are both crazy. not "fun" crazy, but emotional and psychological problems crazy. Reality TV gold.

endless

Becky and I were wondering today...

... how can our tiny house hold limitless items to be cleaned? Everyday we:

• wash dishes in the dishwasher
• wash dishes by hand
• wash clothes
• dry clothes
• fold clothes

and it never ends. it seems like there are time we get ahead, when at the end of the day there aren't as many things to wash and hope that there won't be anything tomorrow. However, there apprears to be some sort of dirty-ness tooth fairy, but instead of leaving shiny change under your pillow (or bills considering inflation) the magical sprite takes your clean clothes and dishes and leaves dirty ones in their place.

I know I'm an adult and responsibilities like this come with the territory, there are plenty of chores that we both do regularly that we complete even though we don't want to do them. But the dishes and clothes are relentless... demanding... exhausting.

Is it just us? or do these tasks own your home too?

Heroes Season 3

I just finished watching the premiere episode of the new season of Heroes. Before I share my thoughts, I should preface my review with the fact that i didn't get to watch every moment. I missed several scenes due to kids being put to bed, dirty dishes that required cleaning, and a crying son.

I didn't really like this episode. I think that my overall problem with this episode is my same gripe with the series as a whole: the creators and writers of the show seem to be willing to do anything in an effort to connect with and please the fans of the show. They don't have a vision and over-arching concept to which they are trying to stay true. Pacing is uneven, stories are overly complicated, and characters act in ways that are inconsistent.

Take Suresh for example, the first season he just wanted to complete his fathers research. He was vulnerable and confused, yet driven to solve the puzzle and mystery. Then the second season he was obsessed with Sylar, and acted incompetent one moment and aggressive the next. Now he doesn't care about any of the heroes that he has come across and is only concerned with becoming powerful. He changes from one episode to the next.

And I'm supposed to believe that Peter Petrelli travelled back from the future to stop his brother that he looks up to, loves, and has brought back to life and the method he chooses to stop him is to kill him by shooting him in the chest?

I'll probably watch the next couple episodes to see if things start to make sense, but i may be done with Heroes sometime soon.

RIP- Microsoft add campain

Have you seen the Microsoft ads with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld? They are the software giants response to Apple's incredibly popular "i'm a mac, and i'm pc" ads. If you haven't seen the Gates/Seinfeld commercials yet you won't be seeing them at all [on tv, at least]. Officially, Microsoft is moving into "phase 2" of their newest advertising campaign which no longer involves Mr. Jerome Seinfeld. Un-Officially, the ads have backfired and most people (or at least most active bloggers) think that the ads only confirm how out of touch Microsoft and Bill Gates are. (source)

Personally, i liked the first one...



i though it was off-beat, dry, and showed them both to be a bit more of "regular guys".

Then they dropped this bomb...



i think this video stinks. it seems to support the idea that these super rich guys don't understand the real world around them.

the newest ads have bombarded tv lately (presumably to erase the memory of the previous campaign).



Better than the last one, but the Apple ads are still the best.

What's your take? Is Microsoft over-reacting or did they totally waste $300 million dollars ($10 million alone for Mr. Seinfeld)?

maintainance

About 2 weeks ago I found myself tackling the endless task of managing our overgrown lawn. Our yard isn't huge, but it needed more than just a once over with the mower. Mow, Trim, Edge, Weed; all the steps to keep your grass healthy, wealthy, and wise.

I was reaching the point of clean-up when Evan and Aaron came outside and with no instruction began to sweep and clean up the sidewalk. I didn't ask them to do it and I could see that they enjoyed working together and helping me.

It was so cool to experience as a Dad. I got to see a bit of their potential as men, to see a bit of the fruit of all our lessons and teaching moments, time-outs and discipline. Don't get me wrong, we have great kids, it's not like they are uncontrollable hellions. However, you don't always see such clear evidence of your hard work.





I'm hanging on to that memory for a long time.

Dancing Christians

another classic

my new fav worship song!

i concur

My good friend Martha Wood recently posted a link or her facebook profile to a blog by Cameron Conant. I have no idea who Cam (if I may be so bold) is or how Martha is connected to him, but I really liked what he had to say about being pro-life.

read his thoughts here.

Being pro-life is not a isolated political checkmark, it's a worldview and perspective that values people... all people.

plenty to blog about... now

Just a two days after I blurbed about a desire for blog-spiration I found it in several places. First was the plea bargain in Kwame Kilpatrick's trial. Then John McCain gave his acceptance speech. Then Evan and Aaron spontaneous helped me accomplish some long over yard work. All great stories, but we've got to start somewhere... so let's catch-up on Kwame, shall we?

He plead guilty. finally. in open court. in front of the television cameras and the city of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick plead guilty to two obstruction of justice felony charges. He also plead no contest to assault charges in a separate case.

The conditions of his plea are as follows:

• Resign within 14 days
• Serve 120 days in jail
• Serve 5 years probation
• Pay $1,000,000 in restitution
• Surrender his pension
• Give up his law license
• Not seek office for 5 years

Immediately following the hearing I admit that I felt a sense of relief. I even felt a bit sorry for the man for all that he and his family had gone through.
Then he gave a televised statement later that evening and it all sympathy disappeared. He did accept responsibility for his actions... about 8 months after he got caught... at the last minute... when his only choices were 120 days in jail or 20 months in jail [there is no way he could have won that trial]. I understand that he would want to leave Detroiters with hope for the future of the city, that he would want to remind everyone that plenty of good things happened during his tenure; however, I felt that he was just so full of himself. I don't think he sees why the mistakes he made should keep him out of the mayor's office (the lies or the affair or the cover up and millions he cost the city).

I'm glad it's done. But unfortunately i don't think this is the last we'll be hearing the Kwame. I'm betting he's going to come up with a law suit of his own or spill some information (truthful or not) about someone else in office.

mccain

I'm about to watch John McCain's speech at the RNC.

Is it just me or did his intro video totally suck!? "mama's boy"?? the music was horrible and it seemed totally free of emotion. i thought those types of things were supposed to get you pumped up, not depressed.

inspiration

I've been looking at my blog dashboard trying to think of something to write. and nothing is happening.

Which brings me to my question for you bloggers out there... What inspires your writing? I'm not asking where you get your inspiration to take on the challenges that each day brings [it's probably a better question, but let's start with something simple]; I'm interested in the reason you create whatever you create.

There may be multiple reasons... share them all.

If you don't write a blog, which entries to you connect with (not necessarily exclusively on my blog)? Are you looking for humor? political opinion? reference to pop culture? sports rants?

This past Saturday I took part in my first LIVE fantasty football draft. I ended up with the first pick overall (which is alot of pressure btw) and chose LT. Here's my current team:

QBs:
Derek Anderson
Eli Manning
Jason Campbell

WRs:
Santonio Holmes
Calvin Johnson
Brandon Marshall
Marvin Harrison
Kevin Curtis
Bernard Berrian

RBs:
LaDanian Tomlinson
Steven Jackson
Ryan Grant

TE:
Donald Lee

K:
Phil Dawson

DEF:
Minnesota
New England

Not unbeatable, but I feel pretty good about my current roster. How's your team look?

flyin jazz

An Air Canada regional carrier has dumped their life vests in favour of fuel savings. [read about it]. Apparently 'Jazz' has decided that the 25 pounds of life preservers are not work their weight in gas.

They still have the flotation seat cushions and the only significant bodies of water they fly over are the great lakes. but is that enough to keep you feeling safe?

to me, it's not a big deal. I'm not afraid of flying and with the way they track flights these days i'm sure a rescue team would be deployed even before you hit the water.

What do you think? would this give you second thoughts before flying 'Jazz'?

mile high speech

i'm currently watching Obama's acceptance speech at the democratic national convention.

*he just mentioned michigan's autoworkers!!*

i'm not sure who i'm going to vote for, but i find the conventions fascinating. It's like an outrageous combination of: high school pep rally + promise keepers + all the political crazies you can find.

*he just said the "dignity of work"... what a great phrase*


the sight of the packed stadium is pretty cool though.

Dedication

What a great weekend! Becky, the kids, and I went to her parents place for the past few days. We watched the last of the Olympic games, played a ton of cards (which dad and I dominated), and best of all dedicated Ashlyn to God.

With parents for Pastors we have been blessed to be able to make dedicating our children a family affair. Becky's dad dedicated Evan, my dad dedicated Aaron, and Becky's dad had the great honor of dedicating Ashlyn. We did miss having my parents and Angela and Jared with us, but it was still a great time to commit her future and our parenthood to leading her to a daily walk with Christ.

olympic highlights

My dad recently shared his "high" and "low" olympic moments (so far) on his blog. It's a pretty good list, but he left out Usain Bolt from the "Highs".

His total domination of the the 100 meter finals was incredible. Not only did he destroy his competition, but he totally humiliated anyone who has run 100 meters and tried hard. Then he follows it up by winning the 200 meter sprint in world record time also (if you weren't impressed, just read Michael Johnson's reaction to Bolt's race). [his live reaction is great too, but i can't find the video].

Yeah, he's a bit of a showboat and appears to be a bit full of himself prancing around the track; but you gotta hand it to him... he backed it up (unlike U.S. sprinter Wallace Spearmon who was dq'd for stepping out of his lane).

Phelps' feat is still amazing, but Usain gets my vote for top olympic moment. What's your fav. moment?

btw: i'm totally going on the "Bolt diet" of chicken nuggets and plenty of naps before a big event, it seems to work.

Nehemiah

This past week in Sunday school our lesson was on Nehemiah.

I love the book of Nehemiah. It's one of my favourite books of the Bible (not that the others are bad... you know what i mean). It's such a cool story of God's design planted within the heart of a man. Nehemiah faces constant adversity and opposition, but continues to seek God and follow His .

I particularly like the opening prayer found in verses 5-11:

Then I said:
"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

"Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'

"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.

Such a cool prayer.

What about you, what is your favourite book of the Bible?

back to the drawing board

sad news everyone.... i didn't make the cut for "who wants to be a millionaire".

but i did get a t-shirt, magnet, and pencil!

and I did have fun. I arrived at the U of M dearborn campus at 6am (it started at 7) and found myself 171st in line. Around 400 people make it into the first round of testing with me and we filled out two 30 question tests, with 10 minutes to complete each test.

The tests were all multiple choice, just like the show, and i thought i did well. However, i knew i had just enough answers i was unsure of that i might not make the cut. Unfortunately, i was not among the lucky few to make the cut (about 20 people passed the first test and about 60 passed the second one; the guy next to me passed both). I was out of there at 8:30 and only drove 2 miles out of my way to get there, so i don't feel like i had to give up much to get turned away.

here's one question i did not know the answer to:

A Sirocco is:
a. a wind
b. a thunderstorm
c. a hurricane
d. a flood

what's your answer?

for jared: pressure point knockout

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

the next gamble

i was right about american gladiators. tim tore it up.

next finale... the mole. it's craig. i am completely sure it is him.
I thought it was alex until he got eliminated. craig is too much of a nice guy who happens to make alot of mistakes.

gladitor bets

the men are about to compete in the final eliminator of american gladiators.

my money is on Tim. that guy is lightning.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

I do.

And i may get my chance to get on the show. Becky saw on the news that there will be an open audition for the syndicated version on the University of Michigan Dearborn campus in about 2 weeks. I'm going to go for it. If i don't make it at least i tried and i only had to drive a few miles to get there.

So i've been trying to brush up on a few topics to prepare. I know i need to go over U.S. Presidents and the Constitution (stuff i didn't learn much about growing up in Canada). I'll also try to go over the basics of Shakespeare (titles, major characters, plot points).

Any advice? Any other areas i should study?

A lesson for all the kids out there

We get our internet and cable through comcast. We've actually been pretty happy with them, but our cable rate just jumped up because a promotional discount just ended. Our cost per month went up about $15, not a huge amount, but it's enough to make us reconsider where our money is being spent. I called comcast to see if they would be able to give us another discount, but i was told they couldn't do anything for us. Then using our comcast internet we researched rates for a rival cable company (WOW) which we discovered would save us a few dollars.

However before I made any deal with WOW i called comcast back to see if they would make us a better deal. I got ahold of the right customer service guy because he gave me a great deal where we are now paying $15 less per month than we had been paying. Don't settle for the rate increases of cable companies, keep calling until they give you a better offer. Hooray for persistence!

the dark knight

I went to see the midnight showing of the newest batman film on thursday/friday.

It was awesome. It's the best movie i've seen since the Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King. I really enjoyed Batman Begins and I knew this was going to be good, but it was even better than i expected. Chris Nolan has totally established himself as an elite hollywood director. Christian Bale continues to redefine Batman and raise the bar for modern actors. Heath Ledger blows Jack Nicholson's Joker out of the water. Heath's Joker is to Jack's Joker as Jack's Joker is to Caesar Romero's Joker.

This movie moves beyond the conventions of other comic based films; other superhero moves should be ashamed of themselves (i'm looking at you superman returns. not so fast spiderman 3). I highly recommend this film.

What's your review?

Are You Smarter Than A Four Year Old?

Evan is really into dinosaurs. So today I challenged him to think of as many dinosaur names as he could off the top of his head (we gave him a couple of hints). Think you have what it takes to challenge my son?

Take the next few minutes and name as many as you can. No time limit, but no cheating!







ok. How'd you do??
Evan got 25.

Gallimimus Stegocerus
Anklyosaurus Tyrannosaurus Rex
Euplocephalus Hadrosaurus
Stegosaurus Triceratops
Hypsilophodon Diplodocus
Velociraptor Dilophosaurus
Deinonychus Scloasaurus
Ichthyosaurus Tylosaurus
Pteranodon Apotasaurus
Corythosaurus Pachycephalosaurus
Pteradactyl Spinosaurus
Dimetrodon Styrachosaurus
Protoceratops

He eventually got tired of playing the game but here is a list of additional dinosaurs that we know he could identify by memory if he had a couple more hints or more motivation:

Brachiosaurus Archelon
Parasaurolophus Maiasaura
Rhamphorynchus Iguanadon
Camptosaurus Elasmosaurus
Troodon Allosaurus
Edmontosaurus Monoclonius

How'd you do?

Hamilton breaks All-Star HR record

I didn't watch the Home Run Derby last night. I forgot it was on. In a previous post i've shared with you that i don't follow baseball much, but i like watching the HR derby. Something about the power and beauty of the moment. I'm pretty good at wii sports home run derby. I am particularly saddened that i missed the broadcast yesterday because Josh Hamilton broke the record of most home runs in a single round with 28 long bombs (the previous record was 24). Unfortunately Josh lost in the final round.

I'm cheering for J-Ham because he has an incredible story of how Christ changed his life. I don't know all the details, but the story goes that he was drafted #1 by the Tampa Bay Rays in 1999, but drug and alcohol addiction nearly destroyed his life and career. Through the intervention of his Grandmother he found Christ and has redeemed his soul and his career. Here's an amazing article he wrote for espn the magazine.

If you don't read the whole thing, he shares this story at the end...

"... there is one story that sticks with me, so much so that I think of it every day. I was driving out of the players' parking lot at Great American Ball Park after a game in May, with Katie and our two girls. There's always a group of fans standing at the curb, hoping to get autographs, and I stop to sign as many as I can.

And on this particular night, a little boy of about 9 or 10, wearing a Reds cap, handed me a pen and something to sign. Nothing unusual there, but as I was writing the boy said, "Josh, you're my savior."

This stopped me. I looked at him and said, "Well, thank you. Do you know who my savior is?"

He thought for a minute. I could see the gears turning. Finally, he smiled and blurted out, "Jesus Christ." He said it like he'd just come up with the answer to a test. "That's exactly right," I said."

Now that's the kind of guy i can root for. Way to go Josh!!

1 degree of separation

Last week my parents were visiting us here at home and they were watching the reality competition "nashville star". I've never watched the show before and as they showed the various contestants i was suddenly struck when i recognized one of the contestants.

I know Coffey (pronounced "coff-ay").


He attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas during my year there as a Resident Director. I wasn't close to him, but we'd talked a few times. In fact, when i went to HPU to interview for the RD position, I went out to lunch with him and 2 other student leaders. I also recognized him when he was a contestant on American Idol (he made it to the Hollywood round) so it was surprising to see him as a finalist in another singing competition. Coffey is a really nice guy and he does have a great voice. I wish him all the best (i think he's in the final 6 now) and if you vote for the show, vote for Coffey!

I've also known another reality show competitor. I was also not very close with him, but I
knew who he was around campus (when i was an RD at Spring Arbor University). I am speaking about the infamous Josh Aspiranti. He was a contestant on Fear Factor and became famous for his Incredible Hulk-esque freakout during a "bobbing for rings in cows blood" competition. Seriously, it was a sight to behold.


I've tried to find a clip online, but no luck so far. I may still have it on tape at home, in which case I'll try to upload it.

Those are my two connections with anyone "before they were kind-of stars". How about you? any connection to someone before they went on to become famous (reality show or otherwise)?

Happy Canada Day!

O Canada!

Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

oh what a relief it is

Becky and I received a gift certificate for 2 free massages as a present this past Christmas. We'd put if off and finally needed to redeem them before they expired and I ended up going in this morning.

I think one of the reasons that I put it off was because I felt funny about going. I'd never received a professional massage before, but something about it just felt un-manly. Guys who get massages are models or big wig executives or the big wig executive of a modeling agency. Maybe i felt a bit like getting a massage meant that i had to admit weakness because I couldn't handle the stress in my life on my own. I think you see where this is going...

It was great. Really relaxing; just what i needed. I got a full back/shoulder/neck treatment.

Butykos Chiropractic in Dearborn Heights. You should go. Very professional, not shady or awkward in any way.

day 2

I finally got linked to the hospitals wireless network ( i had to uninstall mcafee). computers are great and dumb.

anywho... day number two has gone well. We've had a few visitors, but we've also had plenty of time for just the 3 of us. Ashlyn is sooo cute and she sleeps, eats, and poops like a pro.

Becky is doing great as well. It's been a more painful day, but day 2 is always the worst day following a c-section [day 1 you're still on the stronger meds, later days allow time for more healing]. We did have a little excitement today when our entire floor was asked to move into the hallways because of a tornado warning. We sat there for about 15 minutes in the most uncomfortable chairs they could find.

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us and prayed for us during this pregnancy. We love you and hope you get a chance to see us all soon.

Ashlyn Ann Teal

Time: 8:16am
Weight: 7lbs. 14oz
Length: 21in
Hair: Really Dark
Eyes: Beautiful

Mom is doing great, baby is great too! She's very quiet, but i'm sure that'll change soon when there are 2 other LOUD voices to compete with.

you can find more pictures on my facebook.


p.s.
Sorry it's taken so long to get the pix online, i can't seen to connect with the hospital's wireless network.

the final countdown

ba da ba buh, ba da ba bum ba, .... (you know you're singing it)

We are about 22 hours away from the birth of our baby girl and I couldn't be more excited. It's going to be great; and challenging! But i think there's often a direct correlation in life that an increasing amount of challenge corresponds with increasing amounts of greatness.

It appears that the hospital rooms have wifi, so be watching for the baby pictures and info sometime tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for all your prayers.

tub time

Wow, time has really flown by since my last post. We're only a few days away from having our new baby girl and we've been preparing the house like crazy. Just a couple of days ago I was home alone with the boys and I was washing dishes in the kitchen while Evan and Aaron were playing together in the other room.

I was really happy because they were playing well together and i was able to get alot done. As i was finishing up i thought to myself 'i wonder what they're up to?'




They were busy moving half of their toys into the bath tub (and they would have brought over the rest if i hadn't have stopped them). I love how happy they are about their antics.

A little bit of mischief, but not too much mess; you gotta let your kids get away with something:)

you say tomatoe, i say salmonella

I am not a fan of vegetables. And by "not a fan" i mean that i hardly eat them at all. part of me wishes i did; for health reasons, yes, but mostly because in social settings i'd be able to avoid the "why aren't you eating your salad?" conversation. I'm not really embarrassed about it, it's just annoying to constantly have to explain my food peculiarities and then making people feel like they need to accommodate my food preferences if they have me over for dinner. So it gives me a small amount of joy to see that tomatoes have become a threat to our national security (threat level red).

It personally gives me even greater joy because my mom has a tomatoe story that has become part of our family lore (i'm sure your family has those types of stories). It is a "try new foods" lecture that is recited with predictable regularity. The short version is as follows:

As a child my mom disliked tomatoes. One day she saw her cousins eating raw tomatoes in the same manner that one usually eats an apple. Watching the juice drip down their chins (a key element to the story), my mom decided to retry the forbidden fruit. She discovered that she does like tomatoes and the rest is history (to be recounted ceaselessly).

Now i can just picture salmonella dripping down their chins and i'll never be tempted to eat a new food again.

Just did my duty

I'm sure you've been eagerly anticipating the outcome of my jury duty; we'll here's what happened...

I managed to actually wake up at 6:40 and was on the road by 7:00. Traffic wasn't too bad driving downtown, but with the major reconstruction of I-75 the detour added a bit of time. I was able to get to the "Jurors Lobby" about 5 minutes early and the waiting game began. I waited in that room with about 150 other people (i was surprised how many people were there) until 8:15 when they showed an orientation video. Then about every 1/2 hour they would call list of about 20 names who were then led to the various courtrooms for juror selection. My name was read at about 10:30 and i proceeded to the 8th floor of the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice (the Honorable Judge Hathaway presiding). I waited in the hallway outside the courtroom for 1 minute and the Deputy Sheriff told us that the trial had been resolved (someone made a deal) and we could all return to the jury lobby. After another hour of waiting, they read my name with about 40 others and told us we could go home. That was it.

I was disappointed that I didn't get to go further, as i said in my previous post, i think that serving on a jury would be really exciting. However I was really glad that I didn't get caught up in a lengthy trial with only 3 weeks until the new baby girl.

Have any of you readers gotten further than that?

just doin my duty

I have jury duty tomorrow. I was able to get out of it several years ago because i was in grad school at the time (students are exempt). But there's no escaping it this time around and I can't help but have split feelings about serving tomorrow.

On the one hand, it's my civic duty and an opportunity to be a part of the judicial system of our country. I am interested in the legal system and I think that being a part of a jury would be a really interesting. As a Christian and former member of the university discipline process i am intrigued and challenged by the balance of justice and mercy. I would be proud to be a part of making a difference in our community.

On the other hand, i really don't want to drive into downtown detroit and sit in a jury lobby all day. no cell phone, no laptop, no pda, no portable video games; what do they think this is...1980? I don't want give up a full day just to sit around and be told "thanks, but you're not needed". Plus, i've got to get up at the crack 'o dawn (6:40... in the AM!)

I can guess that I won't be allowed to blog about the specifics of whatever happens, but maybe I'll be able be able to share something of the process.

good news. he got hurt!

I'm watching game one of eastern conference finals (pistons vs. celtics). The game is currently tied 32-32 with 5:32 remaining in the second quarter. As i cheer on the 'stones i can't help but think that Chauncey Billups' injury in the previous series was actually a good things for the pistons. I mean, he's a great player and makes huge contributions to the team, but it gave Rodney Stuckey playoff experience and confidence and forced the rest of the pistons to step up their game.

and those of us that follow the pistons close enough know that Chauncey isn't as consistent as his tag [mr. big shot] would lead you to believe.

Here's hoping they can steal home court advantage!

spring cleaning

It's that time of year again. Time for us to clear out the junk that we've accumulated over the last few months (and last few years). It seems that we constantly are throwing away things we've been carrying around from house to house. Perhaps those of you who are not homeowners can relate, but we've been carrying around box upon box of items that we say will come in handy or be put to use once we have a home of our own, yet it stays boxed only to be discovered later as we say "why on earth did we ever keep this?".

In anticipation of our baby girl we have realized/admitted that we need to exorcise our basement. We've slowly been hacking away at it for a week and today i incurred my first (ever?) spring cleaning injury. I was hoisting some large wood panels up into the rafters of the garage to create some more floor space when i lost my balance and dropped the panel on my foot. I am currently rockin' a nice sized bruise on top of my foot. But the cleanliness will be worth the pain (i hope).

How's your spring cleaning so far?

conspiracy theory #4815162342

I noticed this for the first time just a couple weeks ago.

From a distance our air conditioner looks entirely inconspicuous.

But a view from above reveals...

Another Dharma station?!

boom goes the dynamite

This afternoon I was driving south on Telegraph Road (a major city street) when traffic came to a dead stop. It was 5:00 and I thought that perhaps it was just rush hour congestion, but then i noticed that we were all sitting still for several minutes. Through some strategic lane changes i was able to take a nearby exit, but there were many cars that were past the exit with nowhere to move. I called Becky to tell her i would be a few minutes late when she told me that they had shut a large section of telegraph to all traffic.

It turns out some guy reeled in a WWII era bomb from the detroit river on wednesday. He then took it home as the ultimate conversation piece, but was convinced to turn it over to the authorities. He brought it to a Dearborn Heights fire station (which is a couple blocks from our church). The fire station evacuated several homes and closed down a large section of telegraph. They safely disposed of it in a municipal incinerator.

He had this bomb sitting in his house for over a day. Dumbest guy ever.

[Here's the story]

Maybe you should loosen up your schedule, sneak in 40 more winks

Our society is so sleep depraved. It seems that every product advertised these days has some energizing capacity.

Here are a few of the products I've noticed recently:


Dove Invigorating soap (there's also one made for men too, but i can't remember the brand). I thought just showering was supposed to wake you up.



There are a ridiculous amount of energy drinks flooding the market.




These waters both contain caffeine. WATER... with CAFFEINE in it. Seriously?!?

It seems we'll do anything to keep our energy up, as long as we don't have to slow down to do it.

Sometimes we treat our devotions/prayer the same way. at least, I do sometimes. I act as if it's supposed to be a pick-me-up to get me through the day. something to give my spiritual battery a temporary jolt.

Maybe there is more to devos than getting through the day. It's great when you get inspiration to face the days challenges, but i think meeting with God should be more about him, less about us.

We celebrated Evan's fourth birthday today. (Happy birthday to Becky!)

The weather was beautiful today and we had tons of fun with family and friends.

Here are a few photo highlights:





[You can see more pix on my facebook]

HUGE NEWS!!! (relatively speaking, of course)

Guillermo del Toro has officially signed on to direct "the Hobbit" films (yes, they are making 2)

Rumors have been circulating for a while, but rumors mean very little in hollywood (but then again, where do they mean much??). Although i am disappointed that PJ is not directing I am pleased about this decision. I think GDT is the next closest director with the ability to handle this project (he's most famous for directing the oscar winner "pan's labyrinth"). I was not interested in having Sam Raimi (spiderman 1,2,3) direct the films. he's very talented, but cheesy, and i don't think he could manage the huge size of the film (see spiderman 3).

I am encouraged not just because of Del Toro's experience in fantasy film-making, but his interview with theonering.net confirms his positive relationship with PJ and his perspective on staying true to the fellowship trilogy.

[you can read the article here]

just how big do you think this news is??

lazy pistons

(rip hamilton hangs his head in shame during friday's game)

i couldn't watch the game last night. not that i wasn't home or that i had some other obligation to attend to. i couldn't watch because the pistons were playing horribly. miserably. brokenly.

and i think i know what the problem is. They believe that they work best with their backs against the wall, but they don't.

It's just like a teenager who procrastinates on his or her homework. The teen claims that he/she work best under pressure, but the truth is that they are constantly forced to work under pressure because of a lack of planning, time management, and self- discipline. He doesn't work his best then, he's just forced into that position. She would do much better if she did had a strong commitment to discipline.

The pistons don't have a sense of urgency. They don't work hard because they are overconfident of their ability to work under pressure. And they are going to lose this series. they aren't going to turn it on until it's too late. i hate to admit it, but i don't think the pistons will beat the 76ers.

the habs are back

I've not followed hockey for several years. Ever since the 04-05 lockout i've not really cared about the nhl. It doesn't help that my favourite team (montreal) has stunk lately. but that's all over now. The canadiens have had a great season, but they nearly blew it in the first round of the playoffs. They were up 3-1 in the series and then lost the next 2 games, bringing the exciting/terrifying game 7. as sean baligian mentioned this morning on his radio show (am1130 wdfn) a game 7 is incredibly exciting as a fan of the sport, but it's dreadful if your team is playing in it. i was really worried that they were going to lose (especially after watching the pistons lose the other night), but they decimated the bruins and can move forward. stanley cup here we come!

Here comes the Pope, all dress in... bope?? fope?? soap-on-a-rope??

I'm a frequent viewer of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I love the blend of humor, pop culture, and political commentary. Tonight's guest was Peter Steinfels, a professor of religion and columnist for the New York Times. He brought up a really interesting thought about the pope.



He said the only time we pay attention to what the pope says is when his messages intersect with hot button political and cultural issues. We only care about using his comments to support or criticize the war, abortion, homosexuality, or any other polarizing topic. When the pope shares messages of hope and love, forgiveness and grace (the true messages of the gospel, imho) we ignore him.

I think the professor is right. The pope speaks messages to gigantic crowds all around the world, and the only parts i ever hear about are a few sound bites condemning the war in iraq. While i personally have never looked to the pope as a source of spiritual inspiration perhaps it's because i'm overlooking the real message that he is trying to communicate.

april fools!... oh wait, you aren't kidding; oh snap.

Lately I've found myself thinking of ideas and encountering stories that i'd like to blog about when i'm away from my computer, and then when i'm online I totally forget about it.

I don't know if you heard it in the news, but around April first a story was released about national high school graduation rates. Once again the city of Detroit is numero uno. And once again, it's in the worst category. 75% of all high school students in the city of Detroit drop out. it's a number so ridiculous i have to write it again. 3/4 of detroit high school students DO NOT graduate.

i find that unbelievable. seriously, i cannot even imagine what that would look like to only graduate with a quarter of the students you entered high school with. I don't know how the city of detroit is going to be able to recover from the mess that is currently is in. It has half the population that it had four decades ago, but with a much larger and more complicated (and aging) infrastructure to support. Detroit business are failing or leaving entirely. The local economy is completely in the tank. It leads the nation in crime rates. It takes homes an average of 50 months to sell (in the freep yesterday). and the mayor is under criminal investigation for lying under oath.

And the future of detroit is giving up on their education. It seems there is little hope for the future of this desperate city.

Deeetroit Basket-Ball!!

I just got back from the Pistons game and enjoyed watching them pwn the Wizards. I took 18 of our youth (including a few adults) and we had a ton of fun. It was a total blow-out game (pistons 102, wizards 74), but i still enjoyed it none the less. Going to a game isn't always about the score or even the sport, it's about the experience. of course, it's better when your team wins.

I'm excited about the pistons chances in the playoffs this year. Their bench is much stronger than in years past and i think last years disappointment has given them something to prove.
Jason Maxiell has been playing particularly well (he had 28 points and was player of the game tonight). I was able to even walk away with a free maxiell jersey and pistons hat. i'm going to keep my eyes open for some playoff tickets.

oh, and the family directly 1 row in front of us won a chance to win a new house. Go Gregory!!!!

scramblicious

Hi my name is Alex and I'm an addict. I cannot stop playing the game Scramble. It's a version of Boggle that's connected to facebook. I started playing games just with my family, but i've moved on to the live games. Even when i'm not playing my mind continually breaks down every word i hear. (hear= her;are;ear;era) thankfully it's not affecting my work right now, but i stayed up way too late last night.




wanna play??

Is membership right for you?

Here's a video that i put together to promote church membership. Join us today!



[Sorry about the poor visual quality]

if the text don't fit... you must acquit!

(this slogan is posted on a wdfn 1130AM billboard along I-94 on the way into detroit)

Anyone else sick of stories of dirty politicians? i mean, no one is perfect, but we seem to be continually uncovering mess after mess across the nation among our elected officials. And as elected officials they should be held to the highest standards and ought to be accountable for all their actions.

I am reacting to the news that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been formally charged with perjury (amid other counts) for [allegedly] lying during a wrongful termination lawsuit last year. It has seemed at every stage along the trials, testimonies, and public speaking engagements that Mayor Kilpatrick has denied his involvement and responsibility to tell the truth.

It is true that Mr. Mayor has not yet had his day in court (at least regarding this particular suit), but it appears to me that he clearly believes he is above the law. His lies have cost the city of Detroit millions of dollars and his actions have brought shame to himself and his office.

And, i fear, the city that is finally beginning to recover after years of decline will be deeply hurt by Kwame's divisive commitment to stay in office.

what's your take on text-gate?

ten days

It's been a while since i've posted anything. So what have i been up to for the past ten days?

hung out with sister and brother-in-law
drove to sterling heights to pick up a popcorn machine
bought super smash brothers brawl
hosted the worlds biggest wii partii
laughed on stage during sunday morning service
visited some great friends in spring arbor
learned a new dance move from evan

what's new in your part of the world??

poll results 2: return of the answers

Once again in an effort to de-clutter my blog i will post the results of the last several polls here so you can see where you stand in relation to my other readers. [and yes, de-cluttering my blog takes priority over de-cluttering my desk:)]

If you could win an oscar in one category, what would you want it be?
Director 1
Lead Actor 3
Supporting Actor 1
Special Effects 0
Music/Score 1
Documentary 0
Cinematography 0

What is the gender of our 3rd child?
Male 6
Female 11

Have you ever voted for a reality tv show?
yes, American Idol 1
yes, Dancing with the Stars 1
yes, other 1
no 1

What was the best part of your Christmas vacation?
the gifts, duh 1
the people 3
the food 0
the time off 3

What time is it now?
8am-12pm 2
12pm-4pm 2
4pm-8pm 2
8pm-12am 1
12am-8am 1

movie madness

Becky and I subscribe to the Sunday edition of the Detroit Free Press. It's a good paper, but we really only get it for the coupons. However, I was browsing through it when I came across a really good article by Mitch Albom. He reflected on the current trend in the awards ceremonies (and in the media) to celebrate movies that are dark. Not in the sense that Saw IV is getting nominated for an oscar, but that it seems that you have to be "edgy" to be considered good. You have to push the envelope somehow or you just aren't relevant. You can read his article here.

I agree not only that it happening, but that it is an unfortunate trend. I think that it's even more evident in Television. It seems that the only series' which are regularly nominated each push the boundaries of language, sexuality, and morality.

I'm not against this content in film or television. The world is a messed up place filled with messed up people and media should have the freedom to reflect that. However, it doesn't mean that programming that does not push those boundaries are of lesser quality. You don't have to be dirty to be real. A film can be uplifting and oscar-worthy.

Let's hope that in 2008 we can get more quality movies and tv shows made and nominated.

jammin' tunes

I just purchased the new Passion CD and just like MickyDeez "i'm lovin' it" (i should apologize for the poor quality of that joke, but it's too late... it's already on the internet).

Anyway, the songs that immediately stand out to me are "God of this City", "Sing, Sing, Sing", and "We Shine". I really recommend this CD to any fan of the Passion worship movement.



What music are you listening to?

A few 'sippi highlights

I mentioned a few posts ago that i'd try to put up some pictures of our mission trip, so without further ado...

Our Team

(Paul, Josh, Angela, Katrina, Michael, Marty, J.D., Nitin)
(Alex, Janet, Joy, L.J., Evan, Sarah, Melanie, Nick, Kellie, Liz)

Sunset over N'Orleans

9th Ward, New Orleans

9th Ward, New Orleans

Workin' Hard

Sunset on the Gulf

It's a Girl!!!

The result of my poll was 11 votes girl to 6 votes boy, but the the doctors visit was decidedly conclusive... we are having a girl. We are very excited and very scared. I think I'm scared because I feel like we know how to raise boys, how do you raise a girl? At least we've got a little bit of time to figure that out.

Now we've got to think about baby names. Evan's suggestions so far are "h" and "baby jesus". I'm leaning towards "h", but there's just something about that other name.

loving mississippi

i am currently sitting in pass christian, mississippi 10 feet from 2 amish ladies playing a killer game of ping- pong. seriously, they are good. and seriously, i'm in mississippi.

i'm leading our youth group on a missions trip to help the rebuilding effort following hurricane katrina (2 1/2 years later and there's still so much to do).

We made the trip down here in just under 18 hours (amazing travel time for 2 vans full o' teens). Yesterday we went to new orleans and walked the french quarter in beautiful 70 degree weather. Then we drove through the devastated 9th ward... it was a really powerful experience.

Today we have our first full work day and it was tiring, but great. I'm really excited about what God has in store for our team this week. i'll try to add some pictures next time.

What's it gonna be???

On February 18 (just over 2 weeks away) Becky and I have an ultrasound appointment and will be finding out the gender of our unborn child!

I've opened up a new poll for you to guess what it's going to be (or actually, already is). You can only vote once so make it count!

Chewbacca gets Tazed

The title says it all.

Tomorrow Night!

I am soooo pumped right now!

Tomorrow night is the season premier of the show we've all been waiting for... ELI STONE.

Ha ha ha. Fooled you! You thought i was looking forward to some stupid show with the guy from Hackers. No, i'm really looking forward LOST. I'm watching the season 3 finale right now on ABC, and i'm still blown away by what an amazing episode it is.

If this new season is able to continue the storytelling of the last episode we may just be in store for the greatest season of television EVER!!


p.s. if you call me during the hours of 8pm and 10pm tomorrow, i will not answer the phone for any reason.

Sasquatch is Real... and he lives on Mars!!!

No wonder we can't find him on earth anywhere. This photo was taken by the NASA rover on Mars 4 years ago. I blew up the image in the photo so you can see it, but i have not altered it in any way. This is for real!!!! You can find the original photo at http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/207495main_Spirit.jpg



It matches the grainy 1967 footage taken by Roger Patterson at Bluff Creek, CA.




I think we should give this guy a new name. Here's a few suggestions:

Spacefoot
y.E.T.i
Marsquatch

I just got back from our Senior High winter retreat at SpringHill camp in Evart, MI. It was a great weekend and i came back really tired (the ravages of old age). It was really, really cold... during the day it hovered around a brisk -12 degrees F. i had flashbacks to walking through lakeview park on my way to school as a kid in Saskatoon, SK.

In addition to the weather, another highlight was the speaker for the weekend. Ben Glenn is a really funny guy and he does some amazing drawings using chalk to illustrate his themes.

Here's a couple clips of his stuff from youtube:





hope you had a good weekend too...

Maybe Australia isn't that different after all...

This interview is hilarious. Here's the set-up:
A teen in Melbourne, Australia throws a party while his parents are gone on vacation. But this party gets out of hand when around 500 people show up and start causing trouble. So the police have fined the kid nearly $20,000 to fix the damage done by his friends.

The reactions of both the teen and the newswoman interviewing him are priceless.

Top anticipated albums of 2008

I've been doing some research to read up on which bands are releasing new music in 2008 and I've had a new idea. In the previous lists i've laid out the top titles that i am looking forward to in the next year. This time, i'd like your advice. Any suggestions are welcome... What music should i look for in the new year??

Top Ten New Video Games to play in '08

Another day, another top ten list. This time around I'm ranking the top ten video games that will be released in 2008 that i am waiting to play. I might not buy them all (or any due to "new baby budgeting"), but I'm excited to play them. This list does contain a couple games which currently don't have release dates, but they're supposed to release this year (also a game which hasn't been announced yet). I'm also limiting myself to games for systems that i currently own, which means they'll strictly be games for the Nintendo Wii (with one exception). Here we go:

1. Starcraft 2 (this is an easy choice for the top spot, but it might not be released until '09)
2. Wii Fit (the balance board seems like a really fun peripheral)
3. Mario Kart Wii
4. MX vs. ATV Untamed
5. Smash Brothers Brawl
6. Guitar Hero IV (not yet announced, but there have been strong hints from inside the company)
7. We Love Golf!
8. Samuri Warriors Katana
9. Star Wars: the Force Unleashed
10. Ghostbusters

What games do you want to play?

Top Ten TV Shows to see in '08

This is a much tougher list to compile than the movie list due to the ongoing writers strike. There aren't alot of options for the spring season and there is no way to tell what's going to happen in the fall. Therefore my criteria is that i can only choose a show which i know will be airing new episodes (either from a current running season or new season). It was easy to pick the top 5, the others aren't must watch, just the shows i think will be most interesting:

1. LOST (easy choice)
2. American Gladiators
3. Amazing Race
4. Daily Show with Jon Stewart
5. Colbert Report
6. Survivor 16 (1 tribe all-stars, 1 tribe newbies sounds cool to me)
7. Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles
8. Mythbusters
9. BattleStarGalactica (i've never watched it, but i keep hearing really good things about it)
10. American Idol ( i hate to admit it, but there's nothing else on)

what do you want to watch?

Top Ten Movies to see in '08

Happy New Year!

I had a great holiday season (i hope you did too) and I'm looking forward to great things in 2008. I've been considering how to start off the old blog for the new year and i've decided to generate a series of lists of the things that i am most looking forward to in the new year. Here is my list of the top 10 movies which are being released this year that i'm excited to see:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Prince Caspian
3. Iron Man
4. Cloverfield
5. 007
6. Be Kind Rewind
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
8. Star Trek 12
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Jumper

Honorable Mention:
- Wall*e
- Get Smart

What new releases are you looking forward to?