Song In My Head: Call Me Al

Ever have Paul Simon stuck in your head?
Play this video and you will.

I spent some time searching around the internet looking for what in the world this song actually meant. I found nothing affirmative. A few theories though. Some were interesting.
Do you have any clue?
Nevertheless it's a fun song, and the video with Chevy Chase is great.

Is There An Illustration Here?

Firefighters 'chagrined' by station blaze

A team of firefighters were called back to their station after responding to an emergency because the station was on fire. Apparently in their rush to respond to the emergency one fireman left something cooking unattended.

I think there is some application here for Believers to glean.
Obviously I believe that we as Christ followers have been called to take the gospel message to the all people.
I also believe that The End is sooner rather later, so I attempt to passionately make Him know. Which means I understand the seeker sensitive churches, with seeker sensitive services and outreach ministries. I understand that and support that completely.
But this news story is a gentle reminder that there are certain responsibilities by Christ's followers to take care of before we can rescue others. In fact scripture teaches us that it is by our love for one another that we known.
Compassionate outreach ministries will be, and should be, always apart of what it means to follow Christ. But I'm curious if the church's compassionate ministries are getting lost or out shined by Extreme Makeover, Bono's work in Africa and just in general compassionate service by people, organizations and nations not tied with the church. (Which I'm certainly not advocating those cease by any means, please don't read that).
But if the church fails to love and serve within the church as well isn't anything we do outside the church negated? Yes Jesus stopped and fed the 5000, but when I read the book of Acts I see the church feeding the widows within before I read about the church feeding anyone outside of the community.
And I'm not talking about the health and wealth gospel here. That by joining the church we should see believers flurish financially and physically. Rather I'm suggesting that inclusion into the Kingdom should find a person cared for so that they capable themselves of caring for someone else.
I suppose I would try and summarize my thoughts in this way: Outward compassion without inward care is like polishing a car that won't start.
That's what I'm thinking about today.
Can anyone help me in my thought processes? Either correct or confirm so thoughts?

Youth In The News: Early Deaths?

Many teens believe they'll die young

 

This is an interesting study.  Up to 15% of students believe that they will die at a  young age (by the age of 35).  This information challenges the notion that teenagers engage in dangerous or risky behavior because they think they are invulnerable.  Rather it suggest that teenagers might actually see life as fragile and fleeting.

 

This is further evidence of teenagers needing a message of hope and purpose and passion for their lives now. 

 

Life may be short, but we have hope in an everlasting life to come.

Life may be short, but we have a mission from God to pursue with vigor and passion.

Life may be short, but we can entertain the notion of joy nevertheless.

 

Because life is fleeting we need not fear death it is coming anyways.

Because life is like a vapor why waste it with worry, rather let’s embrace trust.

Because life is passing we must pursue the Commission now.

 

Detention Slip

Okay, just because I think this is possibly the greatest detention slip ever doesn't mean that I think the joke is old and tired. Sure I laugh whenever Michael Scott says it, but that's because when he says it it's awkward, which of course is the actual joke.

When Does Creativity Cross the Line?

A North Carolina State student was arrested this month for creating a "monster" out of construction cones.

It's actually really clever and creative and I probably would have, had I been driving done the road he displayed his creation, given the construction zone more respect and caution.

So why an arrest over the creative output?

Well he did steal the construction barrels.

I love creativity. I believe it is a God-inherited quality.

But when does creativity cross the line?

Specifically in our churches when does creativity cross the line?

I ask myself this question because ask much as I'd like to be creative I'd give up creativity for clarity.

I want to be known more for clear presentations of Christ, more than creative ones.

I'd rather be known more for my passion for Christ than for my creativity.

But somedays creativity for the sake of creativity...well...that's just plain fun.

I was daydreaming today about how I'm so glad that I do not live in a world with comic book superheroes. So I decided to make a list of why.

1. There are no superheroes in San Antonio, which means just like with MLB baseball I'd be living in a city without all the perks. Also I don't know of any superheroes who live in Texas.
2. It seems that those who live in the same cities as superheroes live with the constant threat of danger and death. And not the normal threats that you and I live with, but threats of nuclear warheads on a direct path to the vicinity of where you live and you have no time to escape or falling or broken building pieces from the flying battle royal between a hero and villain.
3. Also think about the car insurance. Cars are always being destroyed by superheroes as they save the day. So much so that it's probably not even worth owning a car.
4. It's bad enough living in a world with John Cusak, Tom Brady and the Brawny towel guy (gentlemen that the ladies think are so handsome), but throw in superhero dudes and myself esteem plummets to devastating levels.
5. If we had superheroes walking around in tights and capes it would probably be the expected fashion. I just think a cape would become burdensome throughout the day and that tights would be way to constricting.

Well that was some quick daydreaming I had so it's not a long list. Feel free to add to it.

Transformers

I haven’t seen the movie, I plan to wait until it’s out on DVD, but Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is getting the reviews I expected. 

And this review by James Rocchi at MSN is brutal. 

So much so that when an acquaintance from work said that there was a standing ovation at the end of the midnight showing I could only feel embarrassed for her.  And who gives a standing ovation at a movie?  Who are you applauding?  They can’t hear you.

 

Here are a few lines from James Rocchi’s review that stood out to me:

 

·         "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is not as bad as "Transformers"; somehow, in the face of long odds, it is actually worse.

·         And, to deal with the token objections of the film's defenders, I have an inner child; he's just not an inner idiot. And if how much money something made had any correlation to how good it actually is, doctors would recommend you get more cocaine instead of more leafy greens.

·         If Bay wanted to make a big, epic science-fiction battle, he failed by adapting a toy and television series made for kids; if he wanted to make a family-friendly adventure, he failed by larding it with violence and sex and smutty "humor" and dog-humping sight gags.

·         The worst thing is that ticket-buying masses will shower stupid spectacle with success one more time because they don't want, need or expect anything better from big Hollywood.

 

My only objection is that last line.  I do want and expect better.  I know I won’t get it with this film.  Gonna’ stay home and watch a ball game instead.

Middle Schoolers Are Fun

Check out this cool kid. I love how they all celebrate together. Just being there they feel like they actually made it. I wish I was there.

We've All Been There

Chris Brown pleads guilty.
This is an unfortunate photo. Not because Chris Brown beat up his girlfriend and ruined his career (whatever “ruined” means in the music business). No, this is an unfortunate photo because Chris is rocking a booger. I suppose once a [major] crack in his armor was exposed a bat in the cave ain’t no big deal.

Concept Art

Some photos from the upcoming Tim Burton production of Alice in Wonderland have hit the internet. It looks great. Check it out.

The Love Bug

Either Dean Jones or Lindsay Lohan works across the street from where I work. Awesome huh?

I wanna see this film

Brad Paisley said this past week something to the effect of "nobody ever got the girl by playing a toy, start a real band", mocking those who play Guitar Hero but not an actual guitar.
I don't play either, but I see want to see this movie.

"Believe"

What dreams do you have that need a little believing?

"If you want my love..."

I really like this song by Jars of Clay called Closer.
Specifically the lines in red (lyrics below the video).
If I sing along do you think she'll hear?


Well you thought you let go, but you’re still hanging on
Mother earth’s slowing down, she’s still spinning around
And we-eee, are gettin dizzy

I’ll drop out of the race for more personal space
Cuz the rocket’s we're in, get’s so cold and I miss your skin
that’s just how I’m feelin.

If you need more love, well you’ve got to get close to me
If you want my love, well you’ve got to get closer to me

No unreachable itch, if you hemorrhage I’ll stitch
You are tears, I’m a cheek,
I’m a pail on your boat with slow leaks
out to sea for weeks

If you want my love, well you’ve got to get close to me
If you need my love, well you’ve got to get closer to me
Oh, if you want my love

I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I want your kite strings tangled in my trees all wrapped up
I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I’ll be the comets that are fallin’ from the sky you light up…light up

You’re my shirt iron-on
I’m the tick, you’re the bomb
You’re the L and the V, I’m the O and the E
Am I speaking clearly?

If you want my love, well you’ve got to get close to me
Ooh, if you want my love…

I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I want your kite strings tangled in my trees all wrapped up
I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I’ll be the comets that are fallin from the sky you light up

Because I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I miss the shivers in my spine every time that we touch.

Recently Heard Sermons

Below are some sermons that I have listened to this week. 

How about you?  What preachers are you listening to?  What sermons do you deem worthy of passing on?

 

Mark Moore                      Blessed are the Persecuted

Mark Moore                      Pure Religion

Mark Moore                      Spiritual Discipline of the Word

 

Series - Underground

Mark Moore                      Underground: Introduction

Mark Moore                      Underground: Jesus

Damien Spikereit             Underground: Worship

Mark Moore                      Underground: Physical Persecution

Damien Spikereit             Underground: Social Seduction

Damien Spikereit             Underground: The Earth Has No Fury

Mark Moore                      Underground: Real Life Hookers

Mark Moore                      Underground: The Tale of Two Cities

 

Series – Chill

Jon Weece                          Chill: The Panic Button

Jon Weece                          Chill: The Pause Button

Jon Weece                          Chill: The Send Button

Jon Weece                          Chill: The Easy Button

 

Series – Behind the 8 Ball

Jon Weece                          Behind the 8 Ball – The Transformed You

 

 

 

 

 

 

SF 49ers

People who know me know that I am a huge San Francisco 49er fan. 

If I was being honest I cannot say I always have been.  Because I was born at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I assumed at a young at that I had to be a Denver Bronco fan. 

This changed on January 22, 1989, Superbowl XXIII, when I saw Joe Montana lead the Niners to a victory of the Cincinnati Bengals.  More specifically the moment Montana hit John Taylor in the end zone with 34 seconds still on the clock to take the game winning lead.  I thought that was the most incredible thing I had ever seen (as far as football went, baseball is a whole other story) and as of this year I have been rooting on “my Niners” for 20 years.

This year’s schedule was recently released:

Sept 13                 @ Arizona

Sept 20                 vs. Seattle

Sept 27                 @ Minnesota

Oct 4                      vs. St. Louis

Oct. 11                  vs. Atlanta

Oct. 18                  BYE week

Oct 25                   @ Houston

Nov 1                    @ Indianapolis

Nov 8                    vs. Tennessee

Nov 12                  vs. Chicago (a Thursday night game)

Nov 22                  @ Green Bay

Nov 29                  vs. Jacksonville

Dec 6                     @ Seattle

Dec 14                   vs. Arizona (a Monday night game)

Dec 20                   @ Philadelphia

Dec 27                   vs. Detroit

Jan 3                      @ St. Louis

RED = 2008 Losing Record

GREEN = 2008 Winning Record

BOLD = Finished 8-8

Underlined = A playoff team

 

This should be a tough first half of the year, but the second half could see the Niners making a playoff push.  They finished last year at 7-9, and I have to believe that this year should see them finish at least 8-8.  If some aspects of their game find themselves just “clicking”, like it can sometimes happen for a team, they may actually take a game or two and make the playoffs.  It would be nice to see them play an extra game this season.

We've All Been There...

Tattoo gone wrong: Stars and gripes forever?

Belgian teen says she requested 3 stars on face — but woke up to find 56

 

How bad is it of me to see her photo and start laughing?

I laugh because…well we’ve all been there.

 I mean really, who hasn’t fallen asleep at the tattoo parlor while you face is being pricked with a needle only to wake up and find your intended “small” tattoo has been exponentially multiplied.  I know I have.

You see this goes along with my post from yesterday.  Unless some responsible adults begin to see the need for youth being mentored into right decisions this is what could happen.

First it starts with an innocent enough decision to watch High School Musical, and maybe even believe that it was good.  But that only spills into sequels and HSM3’s. 

Next you’re foolishly saying statements like “Twilight is a good movie” or “I love when Lady Gaga comes on the radio”.

And now we can say that this behavior leads to star tattoos all over your face.

This is clear science people.

Universal Man Truth

"I once loved a girl who almost loved me, but not as much as she loved John Cusack."
— Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto)

Teens Need Mentoring

Teenagers need help!

They need the positive influence of adults in their lives.

Not only do they need adults who say to them “follow me as I follow Christ”, but in this crazy world filled with so many poor substitutes we need adults who can help teenagers navigate the murky waters of all areas of life.  Including pop culture.

And let’s be honest friends.  Teenagers are failing in this area.  And there are adults in this world who are only encouraging their poor decisions.

Two examples.

1.        Lady Gaga.  – I usually try…try…to find the pop culture relevance of the fashion of the day, but having listened to several of Lady Gaga’s songs over the past few months, I just can’t see it.  Her songs sound like anything else I’d hear in a club (not that I go clubbing much…ever…but that’s where her style of music seems to fit).  The lyrics to her song are just dumb (for example).  And her pant-less style seems more like a substance-less stunt than any real fashion.   And yet she’s a major pop culture figure right now, why?

2.       Twilight – Recently it ruled the MTV Movie awards, and this week it dominated the Teen Choice Award nominations.  Now I can’t say much beyond the first book and movie, but I did read and see the first.  And it was dumb.  Sappy, predictable, formulated and without any real creativity.  It’s just not a good or original story. 

I implore you to get involved in the life of a teenager and help direct them to good entertainment. 

 

Living Dead

Wanna watch the entire movie Night of the Living Dead?
Of course you do, zombies are awesome, and this is there movie origin.
Here it is. Isn't Youtube amazing.

Potential 2009 Summer Reading List

These are the books I am currently looking at reading this summer (and throughout the rest of the year), or at least the ones I want to read.
I've currently read 33 books this year (view the list of titles on the left side of my blog page), and will definitely reach my year goal of 40 (I'm going to have to set that bar higher next year).
Obviously I won't read all these book below this summer or thru the end of the year. But these are some that look interesting, at least when I judge them by their cover.
Feel free to purchase me one if you'd like, or if you have one, or some, of these...may I borrow them and save myself a penny. Thanks.
But first, to the library...

Digital Reading

Govenor Arnold Schwarzenegger is considered a plan to reduce the number of educational textbooks at California continues to address it's $24.3 billion dollar deficit. As the textbooks phase out the internet-based learning materials will increase.
About time huh?
Now I love books. And pages. And bookmarks?
I love libraries and book stores.
I love smelling brand new books and finding rare, interesting copies of favorites.
When I think of a dream home the first thing that comes to my mind is built in bookshelves.
However, when thinking about our nation's education systems: textbooks are out of date. Information evolves and updates at such a rapid rate that the average textbook is out of date in no time at all.
It is only obvious that as school systems continue to battle squeezing budgets, the paperless world of the internet can dramatically free up the funds for expensive textbooks and redirect them to more significant educational concerns, like adequate funding for teachers, administrators, etc.
Yada, yada, yada.
Oh...check our BookGlutton.com for some books online, to see the developing possibilities of digitial reading.
I say all that to pass on this following quote from Clive Thompson's thoughts on the Future of the Reading in the Digital World; he says (and i think it's interesting and exciting):

The technology is here. Book nerds are now working on XML-like markup languages that would allow for really terrific linking and mashups. Imagine a world where there's a URL for every chapter and paragraph in a book—every sentence, even. Readers could point to their favorite sections in a MySpace update or instant message or respond to an argument by copiously linking to the smartest passages in a recent best seller.
This would massively improve what bibliophiles call book discovery. You're far more likely to hear about a book if a friend has highlighted a couple brilliant sentences in a Facebook update—and if you hear about it, you're far more likely to buy it in print. Yes, in print: The few authors who have experimented with giving away digital copies (mostly in sci-fi) have found that they end up selling more print copies, because their books are discovered by more people.
I'm not suggesting that books need always be social. One of the chief pleasures of a book is mental solitude, that deep, quiet focus on an author's thoughts—and your own. That's not going away. But books have been held hostage offline for far too long. Taking them digital will unlock their real hidden value: the readers.

www.facebook.com/tsharrison

Facebook now allows you to personalize your Facebook URL. I'm not exactly sure what this does for me, but I suppose it does allow me to direct people to me on Facebook easier.
Are we friends?
If not, find me here: facebook.com/tsharrison.
Revolutionary? Maybe not.
Cool? I don't know.
New? Definitely.
Nice and shiny.

Apparently if you visit my Facebook page you can meet Christian Women easily. So I guess my Facebook page is helpful in some respects.

Big Win

I'm just stoked about this win tonight. I would be thrilled if the Rangers can actually take this series from the Dodgers. I think it might legitimize the ball club this year. And I still believe that this is a team that is still going to improve once some of their prospects make their way up to the big. (Sorry Julie)

Confused by My Jealousy

Does anyone other than me think it’s weird that I would actually be jealous of a 14 year old boy who was hit in the head with a meteorite?

Honestly, how cool of a story would that be.  Sure the meteorite was only the size of a pea after it deflected off his noggin and implanted itself in the earth, but it was still a meteorite.  It fell from the sky only after passed by the moon after visiting Mars, Jupiter and Venus. 

I am so jealous.

Wipe in Comfort

I dare someone to order this. I double dog dare you.

1,000,000th Word

The English language, which adds about 14 words per day, is the largest language on the planet.  And at 5:22 a.m. ET the one millionth words was added.  It was…(drum roll please)…“Web 2.0”.  

Really? 

“Did I hear a niner in there?”

A word shouldn’t have numbers in it. 

Wouldn’t Web 2.0 be a name or a phrase?  But not a word.

 

And it’s amazing what does get classified as a word.

Obamamania.

n00b.

Wardrobe Malfunction.  Isn’t this a phrase? 

Carbon neutral.  Again isn’t that a phrase?

 

If combined words count as a word, shouldn’t we have at least a million words just in numbers?  Twenty-one would be a word. One-hundred twenty-one would be another. One-hundred-thousand two-hundred twenty one would be another.

 

And what about words with multiple meanings are they counted multiple times?

How about bat, as in the noun describing a baseball bat?  Is that one?

And what about the verb bat, describing what you do with a baseball bat?  Is that two?

Also, there is the verb bat, as in when a woman bats her eyes at her beau; is that three?

There is also the flying nocturnal mammal; would that be four?

And does the combine words baseball and bat (baseball bat) count as another?

 

And to make it even more confusing and asinine take the word Jai Ho.  It’s a Hindu word used as an exclamation for victory.  It a word from another language.  We complete took a word from another language and made it our own.  Why not just take every word ever spoken, from any language and make it our own.  We’d have a few million words then.

 

You know what, forget it.  I was going to throw a great big party in light of the one millionth word, yea! for the millionth English word, but no more!   

Counting our English words is just stupid.

 

Oh.  One more thing.  I like how the article (Linked above but re-linked for your convenience.  I know I’m a nice guy.) made it clear that the English language contains more words “than any other language on the planet”.  That’s awesome!  An article on the English language leaving the possibility of life on other planets open.  Because we wouldn’t want to offend the intelligent life on other planets who have a larger vocabulary than ours. 

 

Good grief.

This Had Better Not...

...be anything like the last movie. Because as much of a Spider-Man fan that I am, that movie was a complete let down.

Currenlty nothing has even been set in stone, but at a recent convention this poster was displayed in order to attract toy distributors and other movie tie ins (i.e. fast food restuarants, video games, etc.)

So without a scene filmed and without an actor having officially signed on (although Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are attached, along with director Sam Raimi, according to the IMDB website), this poster was released.

And I'm not going to lie to you. I am already really excited about this film.

Beautiful Bella

I finally saw bella tonight. Actually, tried to watch it once before but was unable to finish it because something came up and I ended up having to return it before I finished.
Beautiful film and a great soundtrack.

Three's Company for this Chuck

So recently I moved into a home with my sister Chelsy. Her husband, Mickey, has been deployed to Iraq for 12 months. Since she didn't want to stay in El Paso, where they have recently been station before his deployment, moving here to San Antonio and us sharing a home together just made sense. Also, for the summer my other sister Cayla is staying here with us before returning to Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX where she will finish her senior year of college.
So it's only obvious that I would hear several snickering remarks about how I'm living a Three's Company kinda life. Of course I'm not partial to this because, and only recently did I figure this out, that Jack was passing himself off as gay in order to share the apartment with the two ladies. I am not trying to pass myself off as gay, nor, for the record, am I of that persuasion. Plus I don't trip over couches, and I could never work as a chef at a restaurant.

I say all that because this past Sunday while chit chatting with a former student home from her first year of college I mentioned this recent life change and she referred to me as Chuck Bartkowski. Now this made me laugh. Although I don't work at the Buy More, nor am I handy with computers, I do have daydreams of secret missions.
Plus if I was living a Chuck Bartkowski life...well...allow me to introduce you to my girlfriend. (She's the one on the left.) Okay, so I'm not actually dating anyone at the moment, but life Chuck I'm clumsily pursuing my options.

Plus I could have a cool theme song and a wrist watch walkie talkie.