World Cup Recap

So I watched the painful US verses Ghana match this morning. I'm sure many of you don't care, but I need to get some stuff off my chest, so here are my thoughts:

• Bruce Arena will be fired. The talent level was too great for the result to be so poor. The Czech Republic actually played worse than US, because they should've won the division. But their misstep gave the team an incredible opportunity. If you had told me before the tournament that the US could go 1-1-1 and advance, I would've bet the house on them doing it. But they failed. Why? The formation they used [4-5-1] never fit the talent they had, the players weren't ready to play the first game, and there was no attacking presence until their last half of play. One goal in three games is sad. Too sad. Too bad for Bruce that had a good run there.

• The masses will want to blame poor officiating for the US's early exit, but this is just an easy excuse. True, many calls went against the Red, White, and Blue that were ridiculous, but if their level of play was at all better, they would be playing in the round of 16.

• Demarcus Beasley was the worst US player this year. Two reasons for this: 1) he found himself on the wrong side of a poor formation and 2) he wasn't as naive as he was in 2002. In Korea, he played all-out, moving like he had icy-hot in his jock strap; he was too dumb to realize how huge the games were. Four years later, he was back down to earth and played with total hesitancy. If you take his assist away [created when Ghana messed up], then he contributed nothing.

• Kasey Keller never had a chance. Too bad the best keeper in US Soccer history hung around for this.

• Claudio Reyna is the Peyton Manning of US Soccer. He has all the tools necessary to perform at the highest level but is unable to convert in the biggest games. This team will look very different in four years, and I think the US Soccer program will be better for it. In 2010 the tournament will be in South Africa and, most likely, the US will play better. Of course, that's in four years, like anyone then will care what I wrote about this now.

• I still have England to win, but it'll be tough without Michael Owen. As I reapproach what I think it will still happen but think Germany is looking more legit every match.

• In case you were wondering about my World Cup picks, with one day of games remaining, the worst I can do is 12 of 16, the best I can do is 14 of 16.

Razor? Only If It's A Phone

Don't ever accuse me of not being honest here at Beit Carr. I allow you insider info about my life that you're not going to get anywhere else. Face it: this is the Entertainment Tonight of what's going on in my life, so you gotta love it. I miss John Tesh. A few weeks ago I was stroking my ever growing soul patch ["your what?"] and decided it was finally time for a change. I lamented my concern about my facial hair a few months ago, whether or not it was still relevant, yet I was still leery of doing anything about it.

Here it is: the stubble beard

I know, I know, I'm about fifteen years too late on this fad. Exhibit A:

"Freedom. I won't let you down."

But, nevertheless, I'm committed. Here's why I'm still going for it:

1) Back when it was cool I was a freshman in high school, unable to grow the necessary hair for the look. Now that I'm able, I'm going to rock it for what it's worth.

2) Now that I've gone for the shaven head look, I can keep my hair will be the same length all the way around my head. Who doesn't like uniformity?

3) The most alluring reason I can find: I'll only have to shave every few days. I've always hated shaving, and now I won't have to. It's incredibly liberating, hence, "Freedom. I won't let you down."

The only time I've ever tried the beard was when I was Jesus in the church Easter Pageant [Haven't heard that one? I'll fill you in later]. It was constantly itchy, but it was a rather thick beard. I think if I maintain the stubble level, I should be just fine.

As a wise man once said, "You put the boom-boom into my heart. You send my soul sky high when your lovin; starts." So let it be written, so let it be done.

***I don't know what this has to do about anything, but here's a link for you.

Keep On The Sunny Side

I love my dad. We've always had a weird relationship, but to this day I look up to him. This afternoon he sent some of his guys over to the Walnut Hills church to wire the electric for the video projectors we're installing. And he donated it, saving Echo a considerable amount of money that can be spent on other projects. I called him up tonight to thank him, and he played it off like it was no big deal. It's humility, and the fact that he's not much of a phone talker. Anyway, one of the traits that I inherited from my father was optimism. My dad is the type of guy who would look at a mountainous pile of manure, grin, then comment, "start digging, there must be a horse in there somewhere." No matter how bleak the situation, my dad will avoid any negative thoughts and press on.

Yet some might say my father is optimistic to a fault. There are times when, after an honest assessment of the situation predicts a grim future, he'll keep a Pollyanna outlook. This perspective can be damaging to the bottom line if your hopeful attitude is wrong.

And I'm just like my dad in this way. I don't want to hear your negativity. Just step back as I get the job done.

That being said, I wonder if I'm reading the renaissance of Cincinnati right. One of the reasons I was insistent on starting the church in the city is that I felt things were about to turn around. Then I read Emily's blog about her sister Melissa's assumed welfare status because she lives here in Walnut Hills, and I also read that Cincinnati's population is in danger of shrinking below an acceptable level, and I wonder if I was right.

***Do me a favor, you who are ready to use the comment option to post your "Cincinnati sucks and will never change" opinion: save it. That'll just piss me off and make me more resolute in carrying on. And I don't need that motivation.

But then I reflect on the night Kelly and I had with our daughter. We put Kaelyn in her stroller, walked over to Eden Park, sat on a blanket by Mirror Lake and read. We thoroughly enjoyed, along with a diverse group of urbanites, a beautiful summer evening. It's times like this that affirm to me that this place is changing.

Then there are the people I meet, new to the city, that love living here. They chose to live here, and make it their home. I might not be able to articulate exactly why I think the city's turning the corner, but I have this sense I have that we're in the midst of something great that's about to happen.

Or maybe it's just my dad's optimism that I just can't shut off. Either way, I don't care. Dad seems to enjoy life well enough.

My Two Kids

Weekend's over, so it's about time a write a post. Had a great first Father's Day Weekend, and I was ready to charge into this week with a fervor, but Kaelyn had other plans. Our Monday together was rather arduous, as she had no interest in doing anything but crying and vomiting. Mostly vomiting. By the time Kelly came home today, my green shirt was tinted in several areas with semi-digested milk. Happy Father's Day indeed. Right now I'm sorta preoccupied with numerous details of the Echo relaunch. Our website is being redesigned [it will look stunning], we're retrofitting the sanctuary at Walnut Hills Christian Church with new sound and video capabilities, and we're praying that our direct mailing will reach people who need to be a part of a community like Echo. I have a countdown on my Mac that informs me we're only 82 days away. I still feel like there's a ton of things to do, none of which are very pastoral.

With all these tasks, it's easy forget that I'm actually a pastor; my main focus is supposed to be on people. I did get to talk to some people this weekend that I've been trying to build relationships with [living here these past ten months is starting to pay off]. And we had a good group of visitors yesterday at church. I had a great week of talking with people about Echo and what we're trying to accomplish. That's why, sometimes, that to-do list ticks me off. I feel like it's pulling me away from my goal.

But then again, I realize that these tasks are all about people. We're trying to create an environment for worship where people can come and encounter God. Without the website and the mailings, people won't know that we exist. Without the audio/visual equipment, people who attend might struggle to see/hear the message. Without the structures in place for volunteers and administration, we won't be able to keep Echo going. In reality, it's all about people. I just get bogged down in the tasks and lose sight of the importance of getting them done.

How 'bout I bring this full circle: I want to raise my daughter to become the most incredible woman of God this world has ever seen. I want to teach and rear her so that she'll make wise decisions and make an impact in this world. It might not seem like it, but cleaning up her spittle actually contributes to that goal. Doing the little things to take care of her contributes to the larger goal. It's tough to remember that, especially when I reek of "eau de lactose," but I'm sure it makes a difference. Just like getting all these pre-re-launch tasks completed.

Plus, and this might sound crazy, but I almost view Echo as a child of mine. I feel like God has made me responsible for it, just like a parent. If I want it to mature into an acceptable representation of the bride of Christ, then I should eat up these little tasks.

While I was writing this, Kaelyn proceeded to throw up all over her freshly changed outfit. I wasn't holding her at the time, so I escaped unscathed. I'm sure there will be time Echo will puke all over me too. I just need to keep a burp cloth nearby to clean up the mess.

And I won't wear dark colors. The stains show up more when I do.

Deep Thoughts Friday

About being a Protestant Christian in Cincinnati: be familiar with what's going on in the Catholic Church. First, let me state that I hate calling myself a Protestant because I'm not currently protesting the Catholic Church; that was the name given to those who split from the Catholic church after Luther's Reformation in the early 1500's. I'd rather be known for what I'm for instead of what I'm against, but I really have no choice. Living in this city demands that I differentiate between my faith and that of practicing Catholics who are now too use the simplistic "Christian" title. So if I tell someone around here that I'm a Christian, they ask, "Protestant or Catholic." So I don't like it, but I accept it because the argument isn't worth it; I've got bigger fish to fry.

Now that I have that out of the way, let me get to what I wanted to deal with.

One of the things I appreciate about being a Protestant, and more specifically a non-denominational Protestant, is that I don't have to fear a decision coming down from above that will rock my theological world.

Quick non-Catholic example of this: this past week was the Southern Baptist Convention, where they vote on a bunch of junk for the next year. Apparently they had their own "hanging chad" controversy where a Vice President lost an election he should've won. I find this laughable. I'm sure God would've preferred electronic voting machines, or casting lots, or something like that.

But back to the Catholic Church. Yesterday in Los Angeles, America's bishops voted to revise the English translation of mass that our country's Catholic churches use. While some people think the change is miniscule, others contend that the new change is earth shattering. The LA Times describes possible changes:

"For instance, at present, when the priest says, 'The Lord be with you,' the congregation responds, 'And also with you.' Under the new translation, the response will be, 'And also with your spirit.'"

An important distinction there, huh?

This move by the bishops was made in order to adhere to new Vatican rules "designed to make liturgy more accurately reflect the original Latin of the Roman Missal." The focus is on making worldwide masses as identical as possible. But what it's really going to do is confuse people who, throughout their entire lives, were told that the old liturgy was God-ordained. And the last thing the Catholic Church needs right now is additional confusion among its followers. In my humble, non-Catholic opinion, it's not a good move.

Even though I appreciate the deep history of the Catholic Church, I find my contentment in Sola Scriptura [the rule of "Scripture alone"]. True, it's not as cut and dry as liturgy, and it requires sound interpretation and more involved pastoral leadership, but that's what the Holy Spirit is for [guidance from God in our efforts]. Also, we can still use any liturgical elements/readings we find relevant while not being chained to those parts we care to ignore.

I guess what I'm saying is it's unfortunate that so many people feel chained to a system that is extra-Biblical. It's the same environment that Jesus came to destroy.

One local Catholic bookstore owner, when asked about the confusion the liturgical changes will being, offered, "If we trip over our words, I'm sure God will understand as we try to muddle through somehow."

I think He will.

Perfect Strangers [emphasis: strange]

A couple of weeks ago, my buddy Aaron Levering came down to Cincy to speak at a men's banquet at my home church. Aaron and I were roommates in college for two [non-consecutive] years. It was great to catch up with him.

After school he went down to minister to a small church outside Williamstown, Kentucky. There he met his wife Tia, and promptly moved to a small town outside of Oklahoma City to preach. Most recently, they moved to a church in Richmond, Indiana. They have two boys, with one baby on the way.

Aaron and I are total opposites: He's a Browns fan, I'm a Bengals fan. He's a small-town guy, I love the city. He's less filling, I'm tastes great. Despite all of our differences, we had [and still have] one thing in common: the love of preaching. All throughout school, we talked about our craft and how we would use it. It's cool to know that we both have been able to stick with it. Whereas Aaron had the guts to take small town preaching jobs, I waited until Echo [seven years post college] to finally get started doing it.

So here's to you Aaron. And I'm thankful that Kelly doesn't have the same Marvin the Martian obsession that you had.

Don't Bet On It

The Cincinnati casino won't happen. Why? Because it's all about the Benjamins. True, I have nothing to back up this conspiracy [which would make me guilty of irresponsible journalism], but I'm sure someone could prove this true:

1) The Learn and Earn Group [who want casinos everywhere in Ohio EXCEPT Cincinnati] knows that having two similar issues on the ballot is confusing to voter. Confusion usually leads to a "no" vote. They want to sacrifice a Cincinnati casino for statewide gambling.

2) Now why wasn't Cincinnati include in the original Learn and Earn petition? Because the folks at Argosy are willing to pay whatever it takes to protect their business. A Cincinnati casino would render Argosy useless.

Money: the world's most powerful language.

Is This News?

About the double-edged sword that it the internet: it gives people a voice, but some voices are best never heard. All a person has to do is find a computer with web access and their unedited thoughts can be on display for the entire world to see. Think of it as digital graffiti. But since it's a newer medium, some people struggle how to react to it. Should all views that hit the world wide web be taken seriously? Of course not.

But apparently one "journalist" from Pittsburgh thinks the world wide web is a legitimate source for a news story.

Check out this article by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Trash-talking NFL fans waste no time reveling in Roethlisberger's misfortune.

This has to be one of the worst newspaper articles I've ever written. This guy went to the internet, looked up the worst stuff people wrote about Ben's accident and published it in the paper. I'll admit, I'm ticked off about it. So much so, that I wrote an article to the reporter. Here's what I said:

Mr Fittipaldo, My name is Steve Carr, and I am I lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. I rarely write letters to journalists from my hometown paper, so you can understand that your recent Post Gazette article, "Trash-talking NFL fans waste no time reveling in Roethlisberger's misfortune" must have struck a nerve with me if I decided to write to you, a journalist in Pittsburgh.

I am a Bengals fan, which means that I loath the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure I respect all the franchise's accomplishments, including their most recent Super Bowl victory, but they are a division rival. I would prefer that they lose every game. Brutal, but honest.

That being said, your article about Bengals fans rejoicing in Ben Roethlisberger's accident was way out of line. Using the internet as a resource for how Bengals fans feel about Roethlisberger's injury is irresponsible. The internet allows anyone with a computer the opportunity to post unfiltered thoughts for the entire world to see. Doing a Google search for the worst comments you could find and putting them in print is nothing but lazy journalism. There's a never-ending supply of racist, insensitive fodder on the internet, but it doesn't make it into most newspapers because journalists know better.

Your article was in no way helpful, but most likely supplied legitimacy to the people who wrote this garbage. These bloggers do not reflect the majority opinion of the people of Cincinnati. Roethlisberger was a star at local Miami University. Despite his current NFL team affiliation, many Bengals fans struggle to root against him because of his local history. There are many people who've wished him the best through this rough time, and are praying for his recovery. And I'm sure some of these well-wishes were posted on the internet. But no mention of that was found in your article. I wonder why . . .

Perhaps it's because you were using this internet trash talk as way to fuel the fire of Cincinnati hatred. That's the only motivation I can find in this article: to make Bengals fans look insensitive to this tragedy and give Steelers fans cause for additional ill will. If that is the case, then you should be ashamed for using Ben's accident as an excuse to increase civic pride.

Nowhere in this piece was it stated that this was an editorial. That's the only excuse I could see for this drivel. I'm disappointed, to say the least.

Sincerely, Steve Carr Cincinnati, Ohio

-----

In case you're so moved, his email is rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com

This One Belongs To The Reds

Today was huge. My early Father's Day present: Kaelyn's first Reds game. It was a great day, which the wife described on her blog. Elizardo Ramirez pitched a gem of a game that went scoreless until the 11th when Adam Dunn hit a home-run [with runners on base, believe it or not] to walk off and win. It was too cool. Here are a couple of pics:

With Mom.

With Dad.

When I Think Of My Niece . . .

Congrats to my brother Chris and his wife Heather on the birth of their third child. It's a little girl named Lorelai Marie. I can't help but sing the Styx song whenever I say her name, but I'm sure that'll wear off. We had the chance to see her tonight and the girl's a little beauty. Here's a picture of Kelly holding her: Quote of the day goes to my five-year-old nephew Samuel who asked my brother, "Daddy, how will the baby get out?" To which my brother replied, "The doctor will get it out." Frustrated by this response, Samuel complained, "You and mommy know, but you're just not telling me."

True, Samuel, very true.

Go West, Young Man

Had a great time tonight with the youth group of Impact Church. Jason Bast [shout-out to his wife Jennifer who wasn't there but is a regular Beit Carr reader] invited me to come back to my homeland and speak to his kids. I couldn't turn down the opportunity to return to the westside to impart some homegrown wisdom on my brethren [and sistern?]It was awesome to see such a diverse group of teens; everyone is welcome there, no matter what "clique" they belong to. And everyone who comes into the group gets a nickname such as Tree, Bouncy-ball, or Squirrel Hair. The kids are then forever known by those names. So tonight, whenever I introduced myself to one of the teens, they always responded by telling me their nickname. Sounds crazy, but it was rather entertaining. And the kids love it. I'm sure, if I'm ever invited back, there'll be twice as many kids there. It could be because everyone wants to be like Larry. Or it could be because the westside rocks. Or maybe it'll be because of God. You decide.

Plus, I had a great conversation afterwards with a girl named Adrienne. She lives in Clifton, just graduated from Walnut Hills High School, and will be attending a prestigious university out east this fall. It was encouraging to meet an articulate Christian young lady whose parents raised her in the same environment in which we'll raise Kaelyn. It made me smile.

All in all, it was time well spent. Good stuff.

You Can't Do It

I always hated The Electric Slide at weddings. I don't like large group dances [i.e., The Macarena], so I abhor the thought of one step left, two steps back, cross your arms, then slide. And what I learned today makes me vow never to do the slide again for fear of litigation. Apparently Ric Silver, choreographer of The Electric Slide, has a copyright on all uses of the dance. You can read all about it on his website. Silver warns that,

"All rights, including performance of any kind or nature by professionals or amateurs, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio or television broadcast, cable television, videotape, audio recording, motion pictures and rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. Any performance, copying (including photocopying), arranging, adapting, inserting or storing in a retrieval system, transmitting in any form by any means whatsoever, including mechanical or electronic, of any portion of this material without the prior written consent of the copyright owners is an infringement of copyright thereby entitling the copyright owners to injunctive and other relief to the full extent of the law."

So remember, it's all fun and games until you get sued for doing the Hokey Pokey.

HT: Cincinnati Beacon.

Easy, Rider

I'm not a jerk. I hope Ben Roethlisberger is OK. But I gotta say: he's not too bright. This guy thinks he should be running a no-huddle offense? If he doesn't know riding a motorcycle is crazy, he's not ready to call his own plays at the line of scrimmage. Don't get me wrong, I understand the allure of hogs; This is the time of year that I get really tempted to get one. Who wouldn't? The weather is ideal, the gas mileage is killer, and, being honest, it makes you look like a stud. But all it takes is a Big Ben-type story and I come back to reality that it's a dangerous hobby.

All it took to convince me was to have a friend get into an accident. Larry's brother Brad had pins in his arm, teeth knocked out, and could very well have died after getting into an bike accident at the expense of careless driver. And Brad is one of the smartest guys I know. It's not even about wearing a helmet or being an experienced rider. As unpredictable as motorists are, I sometimes feel unsafe being in an SUV, let alone fully exposed on a bike.

I have some really close friends who are bikers that are going to get pissed at me for saying all this, but I wish they would find a safer hobby.

Just had to be honest.

WE SUCK!

There's still 25 minutes left in the match, and I'd love to have to eat these words, but this is the worst US performance I've seen in 8 years [including the '98 in France where the US didn't win a game]. This was supposed to be the best US team ever assembled for a Cup, but they looked pitiful. DeMarcus Beasley was atrocious and Landon Donovan was invisible. There was no offense being generated from the wings, and the Czech's held strong in the middle. Pathetic. If they play like this throughout group play, they won't win a game.

Postscript: Yes, we ended up losing 3-0. Yikes. It was nice to hear Coach Bruce Arena echo my thoughts about Donavan and Beasley. With Italy beating Ghana 2-0, there's still a chance that we could advance to the next stage. But I watched their game and I'd be absolutely shocked if they pulled off two wins. It's all really too bad because this result is going to play right into the hands of American media's bias against the sport. I will give the post-game quote of the day to Woody Paige at ESPN who said, "The United States still might not have won a [World Cup] soccer match on European soil, but at least we won two wars there."

All Day I Dream About Steve

It's probably not a big deal to a lot of people but I'll admit that I was a tad disappointed this morning when I read that UC will be switching over their athletic uniforms to Adidas [read acronym above]. I write this while wearing my Jordan [Nike subsidiary] UC basketball shorts which, by the way, are freakin' awesome. This move was sure to happen once Huggins was tossed, and I look forward to seeing if K-State gets Air's company to do their new uni's. Here's some irony: I spent all of last college basketball season ripping on how ridiculous Louisville's basketball jerseys looked. Of course, they were designed by Adidas.

I'll do my best to reserve judgment, but I hope they don't screw-up a good thing.

Saturday Afternoon Confessions

• The new U2/Mary J Blige version of "One" makes me want to puke. And it has nothing to do with U2 or the song.

• The Belmont is sorta anti-climatic. This has been a rough racing season. Not sure I'll watch the race.

• Watched a lot of World Cup this weekend. England looked horrible. Peter Crouch is not the answer up front. "Help me, Wayne Rooney, you're my only hope." Speaking of which . . .

• I played horrible in my games this weekend. I'm not sure it was as much me but that my teams were crushed. It was ugly.

• The Reds lost a heartbreaker last night, but they played horrible. So maybe they can start another 8 game win steak tonight.

MTV Movie Awards

I watch these award shows because they're a great way to get a pulse on pop-culture. And I do like to share, so I feel it wasn't wasted time. I guess the main observation of the night [shocker here]: sex still sells. I can't wait for the year when Amish is in. A secondary observation: MTV has no idea what their demographic is. While they wheel out all these teeny-boppers, they still put Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, and Keanu Reeves out there. It's confusing. They either need to pander to the first MTV generation who refuse to go quietly into the night [and watch VH1*] or kick us to the curb. I wonder when the station that prides itself on relevance will one day become irrelevant. Other thoughts:

• I guess Jessica Alba is now the "it-girl." I find her rather obnoxious, but I'm not a teenage boy either. A couple of their staged bits were humorous. And whenever they bring out Flavor Flav, it's an instant classic.

• Here's [still] the verdict on Christina Aguilera: great voice, embarrassing sex pot.

• Who is Gnarles Barkley? I'll give you a hint: Chumbawamba, Gerardo, and Right Said Fred.

• If you were curious, T.I. was there, and no one was shot.

• Jaime Foxx totally ripped on Jessica Simpson's sans Nick-ness and got away with it. Is he becoming untouchable? That's a long way from In Living Color. Speaking of which . . .

• Jim Carrey won a lifetime achievement award and I realized that the only one of his movies I haven't seen is Me, Myself, And Irene. And that omission was no accident.

Really, this might have been the worst show they've ever done. Or maybe it was the best because I'm really not in their demographic.

*I guess I've almost made the VH1 transition, because I never miss Best Week Ever.

2,000 Words

A couple of unrelated pics for you, taken by my father-in-law with his freakin' awesome camera. A good photographer with a good camera gives you great pictures. He just wishes he had the camera when he was in London, Paris, and Sydney. First, here's a picture he took of Clemens single A warm-up with the Lexington Legends. I swear, this could've been published in the paper.

And the second one I've had for a few weeks. Last time we were in Lexington, Dave and I were out and saw this church sign. We laughed and he said he's get a pic of it. I'll leave it up to you to interpret what it really means.

First Video: The Roll-Over

Figuring out how to use our digital camera to shoot short video clips. Just in time as Kaelyn decided to try rolling over today.

I still have no idea what I was saying when she finally did it. I was so shocked I think I made up a word.

It's the little things. Good times . . .

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Happy Birthdays are out today . . . - To elder my brother, Chris-toff [remember The Truman Show?], turning the double "3". You are now as old as Jesus was when he died. Congrats.

- To Duebber, worship leader at Impact, now halfway through his twenties. To you I say, life gets no better, you are beginning to deteriorate, so pray for death.

-To Martha Hill, mother of Emily and Melissa, turning a distinguished. . . yeah, I'm not that dumb. I'll just save the sarcastic remark so you still think I'm a gentleman.

-And to my nephew Samuel [a day early], hitting a nickel. Since you're unable to read yet, I say to you, "Your father is wasting away your college fund at Argosy with your imaginary family, so pee on his computer."

Aren't birthdays a blast?