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