Kansas Bob

Are there really two American Dreams?

2012-02-14T09:44:00.000-06:00

Always interesting to read about a pop theologian who is reading one of the books by my pastor Adam Hamilton. Such was the case when I came across Brian McLaren's Naked Theology blog post titled "The Beloved Community vs. the Beloved Economy". Here is a clip from it:

Over the weekend, I was reading Adam Hamilton's book, and I couldn't help but notice what he said about there being two versions of the American Dream. One, of course, was Dr. King's dream of beloved community, of racial equality, of justice and peace and character and solidarity. It was a dream about a quality of life. The other was what we might call the Wall Street version, the dream of getting more and more stuff, faster and faster, with less and less effort—what we might call a style of life. ... So, here we are as a nation, caught between two American Dreams: Beloved Community and Beloved Economy. Here we are, torn between two pursuits—a spiritual quality of life and a materialistic style of life.

Interesting how he contrasts quality of life with style of life calling one spiritual and one materialistic. Causes me to ponder which dream I embrace the most and whether the two are really at odds with each other. I wonder if there is a moderate middle ground that embraces both dreams? Is it possible that the contrast is not that sharp? Can one own a large home and still care about the ideals of the Beloved Community? Is it possible for a person to value racial equality and still make a lot of money on Wall Street?

I think that it is possible but maybe not in the ways that we imagine. Because we all lose if those who fly the banner of the Beloved Community declare war on those who fly the Beloved Economy flag. And those who embrace the Beloved Economy can find themselves existing in a sad place if they reject the principles of the Beloved Community. So I suggest to you that there are really not two American Dreams because each dream needs each other. One dream without the other becomes a nightmare.

Why are Americans so Partisan?

2012-02-12T13:22:00.000-06:00

I think that the quote in this image could be applied to either side of the political spectrum. I am not sure that America is any more partisan than it has always been but it does seem that our differences have been magnified by the media - both the public and social varieties. Reading Facebook this morning I was appalled by the judgmentalism expressed in comments that some made about the death of Whitney Houston. People often accuse religious folks of being judgmental but I think that unbelievers are even more self-righteous.

Yet the question about our partisanship is a puzzling one. In many respects our culture has become more accepting of diverse gender and ethnic perspectives. But I think that the incessant bickering in DC and the inability to work together for the good of the nation speaks to a systematic brokenness in our country. Years ago it the words 'moderate' and 'compromise' were good words. These days they are portrayed in the most pejorative light. I believe that we are at a proverbial crossroads and the way forward may be the road less taken. At least I hope it is. A nation divided against itself can not stand.

When Every Day is Saturday

2012-02-11T08:04:00.000-06:00

The image below cracks me up - hits a little too close to home as I sit blogging today. :)

I retired in 2008. Here are a few things I have noticed since then.

Getting up early often means I went to bed early.
Going out for lunch is sometimes the motive for #1.
Every day seems like Saturday.
Don't have to go outside when it is snowing.
Like sweat pants more than I ever imagined.
Retirement plans are just plans.
Sometimes I like to talk to telemarketers.
Rarely need to wear long pants in the summer time.
Blogging sometimes seems like a job.
Food is sometimes a bit of a challenge.
Slippers are more comfortable that Nikes.
Discovered that I am a political junkie.
Freedom to do what you want doesn't mean you will.

Always looked forward to retiring but had very different ideas about it. See number 6! :)

Coffee is Good for Us?!

2012-02-10T09:19:00.000-06:00

I have been drinking coffee for over 40 years. I began sucking down the hot stuff when I worked off Wall Street when I was 18. Since then I have had it with cream and without - but I have always scooped a few spoons of sugar into the mug. These days I leave out the cream and save it for the occasional caffè latte.

So I was intrigued recently by an article in the Kansas Star titled "The many health perks of coffee". The piece highlights the musings about coffee by cardiologist James O’Keefe, a doc who specializes in heart disease prevention. Here are a few benefits that he sees for those of us who drink the dark stuff:

Moderate weight reduction. That’s due to the metabolic boost, plus a lot of people drink coffee as a substitute for beverages with calories. “A big part of what I like about coffee is it has no calories,” O’Keefe says. “Clearly, the increased consumption of sugary and high-calorie beverages is playing a major role in the obesity epidemic.”
Prevention or delay of Type 2 diabetes. Coffee-drinking, even fewer than two cups a day, was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, and four to six cups a day resulted in a “significantly reduced” risk. Decaffeinated coffee offered some risk reduction.
It could be the chlorogenic acid in coffee that’s responsible for improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, O’Keefe says. (Better insulin sensitivity means lower blood sugar levels.)
Lower risk of several neurological problems, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, dementia and depression. In several studies tracking neurologic effects, caffeine in coffee seemed to be one of the important ingredients. Increased caffeine was related to lower Parkinson’s risk. Three to five cups of coffee a day for middle-aged study participants was associated with a 65 percent decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Authors of a recent study of more than 50,000 women concluded that the risk of depression decreased with an increase in caffeinated coffee drinking. “This is the scientific data that’s the most compelling and fascinating to me,” O’Keefe says.

O’Keefe's commentary is balanced out a bit by reports that scientists view coffee as habit forming, sleep depriving, calcium draining and bad for pregnant women. But I suspect that folks who love the brown stuff (and show images of it on their blogs) are focusing more on the positives than the negatives. What do you think?

50/50 | ★★★★★★★★

2012-02-09T09:25:00.000-06:00

Ann and I watched this heartwarming flick last week. I think that it is an amazing treatment of a difficult topic but struggle to find the words to describe it. So I was glad to find a great review of it on Netflix. Here is a clip from it.

50/50 is a wonderfully honest look at early adult illness that, while funny, never strays from the truth of the subject matter. The film is written by a man named Will Reiser who based the movie off his own experiences with being cancer stricken in his 20's. This is a no frill look at the realities of the illness without trying to tug at anybody's heart strings. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is wonderful as a man who is angered and in disbelief about his cancer diagnosis and whose friends respond the only way they know how to at such an early age- with humor, marijuana and attempt to help him get lots of pity sex. Seth Rogen represents those friends and while he's still his standard Seth Rogen self, the film does a wonderful job of adapting Rogen's style to the most serious subject matter and letting his larger than life gregariousness take a back seat to Levitt's inner turmoil as he deals with a girlfriend (Bryce Roberts) who isn't prepared to take care of a sick spouse, a Hospital assigned social worker who is brand new in her job (Anna Kendrick in a performance that is sadly nearly identical to her role from 'Up in the Air') and an overbearing mother (Anjelica Huston) who won't leave him alone despite Levitt's desire to manage things on his own. Apart from the comedy, which is spot on and not distasteful, much of the medical jargon and Hospital scenes are scarily accurate, which makes sense given that the writer recently went through the events depicted in the film.

Be advised that the language is 'R' rated and there is a risque scene. On a scale of ten I give it ★★★★★★★★.

Are Hybrids Worth the Money?

2012-02-08T10:49:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about the Honda owner that sued the car maker because she did not experience the promised gas mileage for her Hybrid Civic Sedan. Here is a clip from Automobile Magazine that describes it:

Heather Peters made headlines last month when she took American Honda to California Small Claims Court. She accused the automaker of making false claims in regards to the fuel economy of her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. And she won.

According to Automotive.com, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan yesterday ruled in Peter’s favor, and awarded her $9867. Peters originally sought the $10,000 maximum allowed in a California small claim court ruling to make up for the extra costs she allegedly spent on fuel. She bought her Civic when it was advertised to achieve up to 50 mpg. Since then, a number of issues — reportedly stemming from a faulty battery — have caused her vehicle to rely more on the gasoline engine, which in turn has lowered her average fuel economy to no more than 30 mpg.

“It is a victory for Civic Hybrid owners and consumers everywhere,” Peters said.
“Sometimes big justice comes in small packages.”

Wonder if other non-Honda Hybrid owners have similar experiences? Makes you think twice about going green.

The news also got me to thinking about the promised gas mileage of the cars that I have purchased. Makes me wonder if I should have taken the mileage claims a bit more serious. I know that my city mileage has always been pretty bad.

Have you ever experienced a wide disparity in the promised and experienced mileage figures?

Should Churches look most like Schools? Really?

2012-02-07T10:48:00.001-06:00

Donald Miller, the author of "Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality", wrote a compelling article that appeared in ChurchLeaders.com titled "Who Should Lead the Church--Plumbers or Scholars?" Here are a few clips from it replete with my comments:

"The church in America is led by scholars. Essentially, the church is a robust school system created around a framework of lectures and discussions and study. We assume this is the way it's supposed to be because this is all we have ever known. I think the scholars have done a good job, but they've also recreated the church in their own image. Churches are essentially schools. They look like schools with lecture halls, classrooms, cafeterias, and each new church program is basically a teaching program."

I find Miller's comparison of churches with schools to be very insightful. It explains why many Christians seem to think the Faith is all about the head and not the heart.

Church divisions are almost exclusively academic divisions. The reason I don't understand my Lutheran neighbor is because a couple of academics got into a fight hundreds of years ago. And the rest of the church followed them because, well, they were our leaders. So now we are divided under divisions caused by arguments a laboring leadership might never have noticed or cared about.

The influence of scholars and quazi-intellectuals on church splits has been so devastating. It is like these theologians believe that Christianity is all about the head and not the heart.

So why are we led by teachers? After all, the church and the school system are the only institutions in our culture led purely by academics. Well, the reason is the printing press. The government once controlled the church, but that ended when the printing press was invented and people could read the Bible for themselves. And the scholars were the only people who could read, so they got the job of church leadership by default. So church leadership went from fishermen, to government workers, to scholars.

These changes over time seem to be so subtle but in hindsight they make so much sense. Pastors these days are simply fitting into the mold set for them centuries ago. They seem to be attracted into ministry because of a love of books and study rather than a compassionate love of people.

Let me ask you this: Aren't you a little tired of scholars and pseudo-scholars fighting about doctrine? Is it worth it that you are divided against other denominations because scholars picked up their ball and stomped off the playground? If you are tired, then be the church. I'm not kidding; you don't know everything, but you know enough.

Miller's last appeal hits to the heart, not the head, of the faith. Unity is a heart issue - we will never unite in an intellectual sense. Yet I think that we can unite together in ministry when we shed our scholarly focused heritage and take up Jesus' command to love as He loves.

Is God your Cosmic Vending Machine?

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

I read that title phrase, "Cosmic Vending Machine", in a Fox News article that asks the question "Is it OK to pray for your team to win Super Bowl 2012?" Here is a clip from it:

A kind of religious transaction where he gives God the glory and God gives touchdowns. Or victories. Or Super Bowls. A fair exchange?

God ends up becoming a cosmic vending machine.

Everything is well and good until Jesus makes you fumble.
...
We love to think God takes our side. Roots for our teams. It’s part of our American DNA.

To paraphrase Anne Lamott: You know you’ve created God in your own image when God roots for all the same teams you root for (I’m looking at you Yankee and Cowboy fans).

Here’s my short answer. Based on Christian scripture and practical experience, the purpose of prayer is for God to win. Not for you to win. Or your favorite team. Even if you are from Cleveland—though if anyone has a shot, God just might be rooting for you, Cleveland.

Millions of people all over the world will tune into the Super Bowl tonight.

God’s probably not concerned with who wins the Super Bowl. God’s consumed by working on behalf of the usher who can’t figure out how to pay his chemo bill. Or the player going through a divorce. Or the assistant coach who lost his son to suicide. Or the trainer wrestling a gambling addiction. Or the recent immigrant, trying to pay one more bill by cleaning up the confetti that falls in Lucas Oil stadium.

God sees the whole stadium, not the final score.

I love that last statement. I think that we all know how foolish it is to pray for our team to win but I wonder how many of us think about praying for those who hurt the most? Maybe we will if we can see God as more than a Cosmic Vending Machine who exists to help us win Super Bowls?

Ben Gazzara, 1930-2012

2012-02-04T08:54:00.000-06:00

I was saddened to read that Mr Gazzara died yesterday of pancreatic cancer. One of my favorite movies was the courtroom flick “Anatomy of a Murder” that starred him and Jimmy Stewart. Also remember QB VII, a 70s miniseries that he starred in. Here is a revealing clip from a 1998 interview with Charlie Rose:

“When I became hot, so to speak, in the theater, I got a lot of offers.”
“I won’t tell you the pictures I turned down because you would say, ‘You are a fool.’ And I was a fool.”

I have a faint memory of “Run for Your Life,” a TV drama in the late 60s, but don't really remember much of his acting work. Seems like he played a lot of bad guys. Please join me in prayer for his family.

LBJ || thinking, voting, the presidency, etc.

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.

A man without a vote is man without protection.

A President's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.

Greater love hath no man than to attend the Episcopal Church with his wife.

I believe the destiny of your generation - and your nation - is a rendezvous with excellence.

I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help - and God's.

I'd rather give my life than be afraid to give it.

I'm the only president you've got.

I'm tired. I'm tired of feeling rejected by the American people. I'm tired of waking up in the middle of the night worrying about the war.

I report to you that our country is challenged at home and abroad: that it is our will that is being tried and not our strength; our sense of purpose and not our ability to achieve a better America.

Theodicy 101

2012-02-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

Theodicy is a word that gets kicked around every now and then when bad things happen like the Tsunami in Japan or the earthquake in Haiti. Here are a few words about it from Wikipedia:

Theodicy (from Greek theos - "god" + dike - "justice") is the theological and philosophical studying of the nature of God, in the face of evil in the world. Traditionally, theodicies attempt to resolve the evidential problem of evil and reconcile God's traditional characteristics of omnibenevolence, omnipotence and omniscience (all-loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing) with the occurrence of evil in the world. Although such arguments have existed for centuries, the term theodicy was coined in 1710 by Germany philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in his work, Théodicée.

Here are a few of the theodicies proffered over the centuries:

Leibniz attempted to demonstrate that the evil in the world does not conflict with the goodness of God and that, notwithstanding its many evils, the world is the best of all possible worlds. His view was that since Scripture clearly asserts both the perfection of God and the presence of evil, we must take up an attitude of acceptance in the face of their coexistence.
Augustine argued that evil exists as a result of free will of either humans or angels and, as a result, all evil is either sin or the punishment of sin. Aquinas agreed with Augustine and suggested that evil must exist for the appreciation of goodness: if there is no suffering, freedom from suffering cannot be truly appreciated.
Irenaeus argued that human creation was split into two parts: humans were made first in the image, the like likeness, of God. The image of God consists of having the potential to achieve moral perfection, whereas the likeness of God is the achievement of that perfection. To achieve moral perfection, Irenaeus suggested that humans must have free will. Therefore, evil exists to allow humans to develop as moral agents.

I tend to settle in on the Augustinian view yet I do see some merit in the idea that evil might be necessary to contrast with goodness and help us grow as human beings. My concern in all these views is how God is sometimes suggested to be the author of evil and when bad things happen he is blamed for the pain. What do you think?

Has love or pain changed you more?

2012-02-01T10:43:00.001-06:00

Joyce at "From This Side of the Pond" used one of my past questions (#2 below) in her Wednesday Hodgepodge post today. If you want to participate or read others' answers check out her blog. Here are the questions with my answers.

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?

My wife Ann does our taxes using Web Turbo Tax and I edit and review.

2. Which do you think has changed you more - love or pain?

Pain came into my life very early and made me bitter. Love came in about five years later and turned my world upside down. Fifteen years later pain hit again and made me more compassionate. Five years later love came in and wowed me to the core. Since then I think that my life has been changed more by pain than love. But I am open to love rocking my world in a major way. :)

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would I find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in some way in 2012?

I bought a yellow Chiefs cap last year. Don't see tangerine invading my life in 2012.

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly?

I am not a collector.

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one tasty heart healthy dish you like to prepare?

I like salmon but tend to eat it with a loaded baked potato.

6. When was the last time you had car trouble?

Last month I replaced my 11 month old battery. Odd because the battery had a 5 year warranty.

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less?

Less. Retirement has given me perspective about priorities.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Why be something to everybody when you can be everything to somebody? -GK Chesterton

If you want to participate or read others' answers check out Wednesday Hodgepodge.

The Politics of Birth Control

2012-01-31T12:21:00.000-06:00

I was surprised to see a commentary piece, titled "An open invitation to Rick Santorum" by Aimee Patton in the Saturday edition of the Kansas City Star that referenced a post from my blogging friend Shane. Here is the Santorum quote that she cited:

“One of the things I will talk about that no president has talked about before is I think the dangers of contraception in this country. … Many of the Christian faith have said, well, that’s OK, contraception is OK. It’s not OK. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”

I really did not know that candidate Santorum had such a political position on birth control. Most of the Roman Catholics that I know (evidenced by the size of their family) do not seem to have this view. Yet it reveals to me how this view (i.e. that sexual intimacy in marriage is all about procreation) is still alive and well on planet earth. I do not agree with that view but suspect that some of you might or maybe know a person that holds that view. Even so, do you think it odd that a candidate would make an issue of it?

Super PACs and the SCOTUS

2012-01-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

Many of my conservative friends are whining these days about the influence that the negative ads, sponsored by Super PACs, are having in the Florida GOP primary election. My thinking is that this huge dollar door was opened up on January 21, 2010 by a landmark decision of the conservative led United States Supreme Court holding that the First Amendment prohibits government from placing limits on independent spending for political purposes by corporations and unions. Here is a clip from the wiki on the topic:

The decision reached the Supreme Court on appeal from a January 2008 decision by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The lower court decision had upheld provisions of the 2002 act, which prevented the film Hillary: The Movie from being shown on television within 30 days of 2008 Democratic primaries.

The Supreme Court reversed the lower court, striking down those provisions of the McCain–Feingold Act that prohibited all corporations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, and unions from broadcasting “electioneering communications.” An "electioneering communication" was defined in McCain–Feingold as a broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that mentioned a candidate within 60 days of a general election or thirty days of a primary.

Conservatives say that the court was correct because the issue was free speech. Others are not so adamant about this sort of free speech because they understand that the influx of huge amounts of money in the election process often results in an unhealthy exertion of power. I mean really, does anyone think that campaign finance reform is bad. Does anyone think that large corporate entities are people and, as such, have the same rights that you and I have with regard to "electioneering communication"?

The Grey | ★★★★★★

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-06:00

This review comes, with my thanks, from my Facebook friend Gary ...

I have a very mixed reaction to the movie. On several counts it was done very well. The acting was actually pretty decent all round. The portrayal of working class men and their crass and crude manner was spot on. Most of the movie was within what I call "plausibility". The exception was the plot where they are relentlessly stalked by a pack of wolves. I have never heard of such a thing and don't think that would ever happen in nature. Contrary to what folks think, that wolves don't attack people, they do. It's rare but it happens. I think they should have used Grizzly bears instead of wolves for the antagonists. However, if you overlook that small detail, the story becomes one of survival and who will fall by the way more quickly than others. Some people really do seem as if they were made to be prey. There is also the question of religious faith in this movie and I personally did not find it as satisfactory being a person of faith. The movie seems to take the view that God is not there but it's man's noble purpose to fight to the end out of self sustained courage. There is a subtle existentialist flavor here.

Overall, I guess it was a good movie but not the best movie either. There are lots of references to the lead character played by Liam Neeson where his wife had died tragically and he was in deep mourning over this. The similarities to Neeson losing his own wife are there and it makes his portrayal all to convincing. I particularly liked the theme of inner pain and suffering and the consequent despair which is overcome daily (barely) and the will to survive even though there might not be much reason to. Not every character decides to go on under even less grim circumstances as Neeson's character. There was the hoped for cleverness of sturdy men finding ways to use what they had in hand to survive which I always like to see. The plane crash was particularly well done and how it must seem to those in the cabin. I would rate this movie a 6 out of ten. I recommend it but with reservations. Don't expect to walk away happy. The ending was not well received by the audience or yours truly. This movie is clearly in the genre of the realism school. Because of that you won't feel the same as when you watched "Jeremiah Johnson" or "The Edge". This is one movie that is best watched with thoughtfulness. It holds up well to reflection and understanding and in that way most satisfactory. Go see it.

Access my movie reviews webpage by clicking on "Movie Reviews" above.

Australia loves KC BBQ

2012-01-28T10:33:00.000-06:00

I was surprised to see an article about Arthur Bryant's BBQ Restaurant in the Travel and Indulgence section of The Australian newspaper. This cartoon appeared in the KC Star when Arthur passed away in 1982. The restaurant was reopened the following year and has kept the BBQ tradition alive.

My thinking is that you all might want to take the advice of The Australian and come to Kansas City to taste the BBQ. I'd love to be your tour guide to the best ribs in town. :)

The Relational Aspect of an Apology

2012-01-27T10:35:00.001-06:00

Never quite thought of an apology in this fashion. On one hand we do not want to live like a doormat always apologizing when we are not in the wrong. On the other hand I think that we are often called to be humble even when we are right. Either way I think that the person offering an apology is often the stronger person.

Do you agree? Can you relate? Care to share?

Should Capital Gains Tax Rates be Higher?

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been rife with discussion of Mitt Romney's fourteen percent tax rate that he has paid on his investments. Paul Krugman speaks to this issue of why gazillionaires pay so little, percentage-wise, in an editorial titled "It's hard to justify low tax rates on the rich". Here are a few thoughts from it:

The main reason the rich pay so little is that most of their income takes the form of capital gains, which are taxed at a maximum rate of 15 percent, far below the maximum on wages and salaries. So the question is whether capital gains - three-quarters of which go to the top 1 percent of the income distribution - warrant such special treatment.
...
When you hear about the low taxes of people like Romney, what you need to know is that it wasn't always thus - and the days when the superrich paid much higher taxes weren't that long ago. Back in 1986, Ronald Reagan - yes, Ronald Reagan - signed a tax reform equalizing top rates on earned income and capital gains at 28 percent. The rate rose further, to more than 29 percent, during Bill Clinton's first term.

Low capital gains taxes date only from 1997, when Clinton struck a deal with Republicans in Congress in which he cut taxes on the rich in return for creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program. And today's ultralow rates - the lowest since the days of Herbert Hoover - date only from 2003, when former President George W. Bush rammed both a tax cut on capital gains and a tax cut on dividends through Congress.

There is a rationale that says that capital gains rates should be low because people who reap dividends from stocks and bonds are partial owners in entities that already pay taxes. My thinking is that these gains are not all that much different from the dividends and interest that is paid on savings accounts and should be taxed as ordinary income. And looking at the chart above it looks like gazillionaires once paid higher tax rates on capital gains.

My Take on the Oscar Nods

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Oscars nominations came out yesterday and I thought that I might give a bit of commentary on the movies and actors that I actually saw ...

Moneyball | best picture.
Really? I gave it seven stars out of ten. It was pretty good but I cannot imagine
how anyone could think that it deserved to be "the best".
Brad Pitt | best actor in Moneyball.
I like him okay but did not think that he was all that great.
Meryl Streep | best actress in The Iron Lady.
The movie trailer has me convinced - but I am a huge fan of Streep.
Jonah Hill | best supporting actor in Moneyball.
He was okay but I think that others would have been better.
Melissa McCarthy | best supporting actress for Bridesmaids
Bad movie and a lame performance. Nothing like her Emmy winning Molly.
Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo | best screenplay for Bridesmaids
Cannot believe that this bad movie got any recognition.
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin | best screenplay for Moneyball
Not sure what to think about this. The script was okay but it needed a lot of editing.
Moneyball | best achievement in editing
Hard to believe this one. Some scenes just seemed to linger way too long.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes | best achievement in visual effects
The chimps, monkeys and apes did seem a bit believable. :)

You can view all of the nominees at the IMDB site. I am hoping that some of these are not representative of the quality of the awards this year. Please chime in if you have seen any of the nominated movies or actors.

Why God Can't Be Trusted

2012-01-24T10:04:00.000-06:00

Heather Koop blogs at Sober Boots. Recently she wrote a touching piece with the same title as this post where she struggles with the tension of praying and not seeing answers. I suggest that you read it in full here. This passage from it reveals her thinking about the question:

After we hung up, I couldn’t help wondering how long he could hang on.

Or how long I could. Sitting there in my office chair, cradling the phone, something about this whole prayer-of-faith formula—at least as I’d been practicing it—began to enrage me. I just couldn’t bear the responsibility of praying hard enough to save my son anymore. Neither could I deny any longer the betrayal I felt about the very idea that I had to twist God’s arm harder to make Him care more.

I began to cry. More truthfully, I wailed. I told God that I was sick and tired of feeling like I was being forced to repeatedly watch my child about to fall off a high cliff, knowing that no matter how fast I got there, it would not be soon enough to catch him.

And then I felt myself being led where no mother wants to go—deep into the territory of worst-case scenario. In my imagination, and more important, in my heart, my son died. I cried and keened and wrestled with God. I don’t know how long this went on, but I finally arrived somewhere outside of and beyond my faith.

For the first time, I realized that I could not trust God to keep my son—or anyone’s son—out of harm’s way. Because God can’t be trusted to deliver a particular outcome. He can only be trusted with, or in spite of, any outcome. He can only be trusted no matter what.

But “no matter what” is a dagger to a mother's heart, because it means that your only hope is to surrender all hope. “No matter what” is a place you never want to go. Now I saw clearly that it would have to be everything or nothing. Either I trusted God with Noah’s entire life (and his death if it came) in a way that surpassed my understanding of what is good, or I didn't trust Him at all.

That morning, I decided to place my son and all my hope in the hands of a God whose love is so vast and incomprehensible that it encompasses everything— even tragedy. I decided to put my hope in a God so good that one day, if only in eternity, even death and suffering will make some kind of beautiful sense.

Of course, I didn’t resolve all my questions about prayer that day. But something shifted. I determined that I would no longer pray to a God who was a puppet on a string, His will being tugged this way or that, depending on how hard people prayed or if they managed to stay awake.

I still pray. I still ask God to intervene. I still think that kind of prayer has a place. Why else would “Help me!” fall from our lips so often and so naturally? In fact, my entire recovery from alcoholism rests on my belief that God does intervene, that He can and will do for me what I can’t do for myself.

Man Up Mitt!

2012-01-22T14:24:00.002-06:00

Rough week for fans of the Bain Capital man. I do not know about you but I am sick and tired of listening to the Blowhard in Chief brag about his debating prowess. Like beating Obama is all about out-talking him and giving a better speech than he does. Here are a few things I would like to see Romney do this week:

Release his taxes. Explain to people why he made so much money and not apologize for being successful. If he does not he will go down in flames.
Explain how he is different from so many executives in that he actually started something rather than simply working the system and rising from the ranks.
Delineate himself from the other three career politicians who have not held a job in the public sector for over thirty years.
Speak clearly about his story. I have seen him connect with people when he speaks of his wife and her disease. Being faithful should not be a liability.
Take the gloves off. Get some passion in his voice when he speaks about his successes. Unashamedly debate his accomplishments.

It is time for Romney to man up. The election has turned into a bit of a street fight. People like Newt's passionate bravado. Mitt needs to find a way to unapologetically communicate his passion without the bravado.

Moneyball | ★★★★★★★

2012-01-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

I sincerely hope that the management of Kansas City Royals have taken a few hours from their schedules to watch (and perhaps study) this movie. The movie paints a picture of what goes on behind the scenes in Major League Baseball and how teams acquire and fire players. It is based on the true story of how Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), the General Manager of the Oakland A's, changed the way that players were chosen with the help of a character (played by Jonah Hill) that was based on real-life baseball guru Paul DePodesta. I found it fascinating how a team with limited funds used an algorithmic approach from a young nerdly guy to revolutionize the team and the sport. That said, I did think that the movie dragged a lot and suffered from a lack of hard editing. Even so, I much enjoyed and recommend it to you. On a scale of ten I give it ★★★★★★★.

Access my movie reviews webpage by clicking on "Movie Reviews" above.

Endorsing Herman Cain in SC

2012-01-20T10:00:00.001-06:00

I am recommending Herman Cain in South Carolina to all voters that are fed up with with the current field of candidates. After the events of this week I think that I could vote that way. I think that it might be a good message to send the GOP?

Is God a Micro-Manager?

2012-01-19T09:49:00.001-06:00

I am not sure that I have anything conclusive to offer by way of an answer to the question I pose in the title of this post. Perhaps I can start out with a definition from Wikipedia:

The notion of micromanagement can be extended to any social context where one person takes a bully approach, in the level of control and influence over the members of a group. Often, this excessive obsession with the most minute of details causes a direct management failure in the ability to focus on the major details.

Interesting how the words obsession and bully are used. I have worked for micro-managers and can relate to the obsessive bullying aspect in this description. That said I think that the word bully may be a bit unfair in that a manager may sometimes need to be very detailed oriented in his approach.

Back to the divine question. Perhaps we can frame it best by asking if God's approach is more like Mozart, Bernstein or Heifetz? Is his approach more like the great composer Amadeus Mozart imaging the notes that others will play? Or is it more like the New York Philharmonic conductor Leonard Bernstein who directed the activities of virtuoso violinists like Jascha Heifetz? Or is it most like Heifetz who brought out the best of an inanimate object?

Perhaps it is a bit of each? Perhaps the Great Composer is a way to see the Father as one who has a beautiful plan for the universe. I think that we see glimpses of that plan in the bible. And maybe in Christ we see the head and conductor of a great body of diverse musicians who each have a different role in the orchestra. Yet possibly we understand God best as the Holy Spirit who quickens an inanimate object and brings beautiful music from it?

Back to the divine question. Is it fair to call God a micro-manager when the term relays such a pejorative connotation? I think that it depends on your view of the composer, conductor or violinist. If you have been exposed to negative images of these types then perhaps you would not want them to be involved at all in your life. But what if you have felt your life come alive at the touch of the virtuoso's hands? Or had your eyes opened to the beauty of your life? Or maybe felt the presence of a divine conductor in desperate times?

My thinking is that the answer to the question posed in the title is more about us than it is about God. I feel that we are reticent to call God a micro-manager if we have a difficult time with the way that our life has played out. When we experience difficulty and pain we do not want to attribute those things to God. Yet when things are going well.. when we are experiencing beautiful music.. we love to credit him for the score, the conducting and the instrument. It is a matter of perspective.

What is your perspective? How would you answer the question?

Above and Beyond

2012-01-18T13:34:00.002-06:00

Damon is a member of the Monday morning men's group at church that I attend and I wanted to share this great letter to the editor, titled "KC Police go Above and Beyond", that appeared this week in the Kansas City Star. Kudos to him and Detective Cassady. I think that we just do not hear enough stories like this one ...

I left my Apple iPad in the seat pocket on a flight I took recently.

Fortunately I have the “Find My iPad” application, and one week later my missing iPad was located at an apartment complex near the Kansas City International Airport.

Based on the location, I guessed that someone who works at the airport had picked up my iPad so I called the Kansas City Police Department for help.

I explained the circumstances and gave the location of my iPad to Sgt. Damon Hayes, who was helpful and very professional. He sent Detective Mark Cassady out to the apartment complex.

Apparently Detective Cassady is tenacious and very persuasive.

He figured out quickly enough which residents worked at the airport and after knocking on doors, he somehow persuaded the person to return my property.

Here’s the lesson: If you own an iPad or iPhone, get the locator application.

But even more important, when it goes missing, hope it is located in a jurisdiction with a police department like Kansas City’s.

I hope you are lucky enough to encounter professionals like Sergeant Hayes and Detective Cassady.