steve-o
Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr
,

City Living At It's Finest

,

We have some friends, Scott and Robyn Duebber, who are also invested in raising their family in the city. For those of us who grew up in a midwestern suburban concept*, city dwelling requires us to reevaluate how we view our lives. Almost nineteen months into this grand experiment, Kelly and I are still glad that we chose to live where we're at. We have many friends and family members who have chosen to raise their kids in the 'burbs, so I don't mean to offend, but there are plenty of obvious reasons to settle out there. So allow me offer another perspective: I think more people should consider establishing their families in urban areas. Sure, it's not for everyone but it's not nearly as bad as people envision it to be. Actually, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience for both parent and child.

The three major reasons that people cite against raising a family in the city is safety, space, and schools. Allow me just a few sentences to explain how we have approached these issues so far.

Safety: I know I've noted before some of the issues we've had down here, but I still feel safer in the city. Perhaps it's because 1) you're conditioned to be more aware of your surroundings and 2) there are always people nearby so you're never fully alone. Unfortunately, just yesterday a little girl was assaulted at the Kroger near our old house. When something like that happens it the suburbs, you struggle to deal with it because you view the suburbs as being safe. I guess you could say since we live in a continual state of heightened awareness that it's not as surprising when tragedy strikes nearby. You might think this is a more stressful existence but, honestly, it's not.

Space: I recently listened to a podacst that talked about how families deal with living in the city. One of the issues they brought up was this issue of space. We don't have a yard for Kaelyn to play in but we have a huge park that we consider our own. Apparently, when you dwell in urban areas, you begin to redefine how you view space. It's no longer just the extent of your property, but also shared community common places. And It's true that we had to dramatically downsize when we moved into the condo. We have a lot less junk than we used to. But it's nice to know that we have what we need to get by.

Schools: OK, so this is the biggest issue for families in urban areas. Whereas many urban districts have schools comparable to those in the suburbs, Cincinnati Public Schools is far behind. Sure, there are various schools throughout the district that receive high marks but it's not indicative of the CPS as a whole. Since we have a few years before Kaelyn starts school we're not worrying about this yet, but we're already thinking about the future. Many parents suggest the Fairview German Language school whose reputation is impeccable. Not sure how I'll feel about the little girl talking smack about me in Deutsch, but I'll get over it. And, as I've said before, Walnut Hills has one of the best secondary schools in the country.

Plus, there are so many advantages from being close to the city center, from the cultural diversity to all the amenities at our disposal it's just a great place to be. We're still figuring this thing out, but we're having a blast doing so.

So, if you're wondering, there are plenty of new places available down here and we'd love some new neighbors, so feel free to join us!

*It should be noted, however, that the term "suburban" literally means sub-urban, originally used to designate those areas that provided a lower standard of living than cities.

LEGEN . . . DARY

I was talking to a friend yesterday who alerted me to legislation out of California which would shut down churches because of what they preach. I doubted the authenticity of it and a quick Google search told me I was right; it was all a hoax. This story reminded me of something I used to deal with frequently. Although I don't get nearly as many of these rumors as I uesd to when I was employed by ye old megachurch, I still get the occasional email forward telling me not to flash my car lights in the ghetto lest I get killed. I've done it twice in two years and I still dwell in the land of the living.

I find it ironic that there are people of faith who decry gossiping yet don't think twice about sending an email to dozens of people that could contain slanderous information. Just because it sounds probable or even because you wish it was true doesn't mean that it's OK to send it out. Sending fake email forwards is just as sinful as lying, so if you're in the practice doing so you should stop. And no one wants to read email forwards anyway.

So before you push send on that email forward that you think will transform the world, just take the time to first check whether or not it's actually true. A couple of sites I use are Urban Legends @ About and Snopes. If you're going to use the  technology, use it to its fullest and fact check first.

And, no, combining pop rocks and soda won't kill you.

***And if you forward those chain letter emails ["forward this to ten people you love . . ."] then you need more advice than I can give you.

Father's Day 2

I'm basking in the glory of another Father's Day. Here at Beit Carr, we're not big holiday people, so nothing too special will happen today. Kaelyn was up bright and early and still a tad fussy from being sick this past week. As for me, I still gotta preach later tonight [from Zechariah 2, not exactly what you might consider a Father's Day text] but it's cool. Today isn't much different from any other enjoyable Sunday, except that it feels, well, easy . . . um, easy like a Sunday morning. So since the creation of the best Mother's Day gift ever, Kelly has been plotting how she could use her own creative abilities to express her love and appreciation of my fatherness. I've noticed her feverishly working on a project this week and this morning I finally was able to see the results. She opened up her laptop and showed me her project: a set of rather impressive photos.

John McClain is back. And the Mac guy too. Let the bodies hit the floor.

For you to understand this picture, you must understand this.

Truly, there's more than meets the eye.

I'm very impressed that she of no Photoshop experience took the time to learn and create me such wonderful gifts. No necktie or set of golf balls would mean as much as this.

So thanks, Kelly and Kaelyn, for making my life as a dad an enjoyable one. It's too easy . . .

,

Sadness/Gladness

,

"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team. No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragment and support . . . I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together. We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her horribly, and look forward to the day I can join her in heaven."

- Billy Graham

Pobrecito

The occasion of my nephew's birthday is what brought about the Backyardigan Massacre. I didn't get my brother Chris a birthday present, so I hope a video of the incident helps. Watch it over at the YouTube. By the way, it should be noted that I love a good pinata. I used to buy pinatas for people I used to work with when they left their job. They're a perfect metaphor for life if you think about it: if you really want something, use a stick to beat the crap out of whoever has it.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Tweak

Still figuring out how to best take advantage of my Wordpress set-up so I made some site changes on the blog tonight. If you look at the right side of the red toolbar you'll see a new Javascript feature that allows me to hide some clutter on the front page. That's where I'll keep categories and archives. And there's now a link to my Flickr stuff there too. Eventually I'll add a few more pages to the toolbar, like books I'm reading/music I'm listening to.

I'm pretty satisfied . . .

100 Things

Emily is killing her list of things to do before she turns thirty. In light of that, notice that today's Enquirer offers up a list of 100 things to do in Cincinnati before you die. While some of them are just lame ["have your picture taken in front of the "Florence Y'all water tower"] I think I've done over half of them. The one thing I think I really need to do is see Jimmy Buffett at Riverbend. Never have.

I could add my own smart-alec ones like, "Make crystal-meth in a trailer in Morrow," but I'll refrain.

So-Social Networking

Although I like to think I'm relevant, sometimes I'm resistant to change. In college, the fashion statement that is sandals reemerged [well, at least men wearing them too] and I held out as long as I could. Just didn't want to go there, exposed toes and all, thinking it would be a passing fad. I bought yet another pair a couple of weeks ago.

Same thing with web trends. I knew about Myspace for awhile and wanted nothing to do with it. Although I still sorta hate, I check it out four or five times a week.  And I've known about Facebook, even writing about it last September. I predicted that going public to non-college students would be its end. What do I know, anyway?

So now that Facebook is on the rise, it seems everyone is ready to make the switch over. In my longing to realize the "if-everyone-else-jumps-off-a-bridge" reality I decided it was Facebook time.

But within some parameters.

You see, when I finally entered the social networking realm, I started a Myspace for Echo as well. But I soon realized that I sucked at keeping up-to-date with the Echo account. To look at it I would have to sign-out of my personal account, log-in, then remember to log-out and log back in to my personal account [I know, I sound like a whiner here, but how many of you are ticked when you have to continually log into webpages you frequent?]. In addition to all my other web exploits, this was way too much work.

So this is where I am: maintaining a personal Myspace page while creating a new Echo Church Facebook. This way I can streamline my efforts and enjoy life. Who knew making friends was so much frickin' work.

So if you're into this kind of thing, go ahead and befriend us at the Echo Church Facebook page. And if anyone wants to give me advice on how to bling out the Facebook for maximum effect, I'd appreciate it.

Regardless of whatever trends come and go, I vow that I will never wear Crocs. Ever.

Still Another Reason Why The NCAA Sucks

The NCAA and I aren't BFF; I've made no secret of it. So whenever they do something really dumb, I feel obligated to make sure everyone I know recognizes it. A reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal had his press credentials revoked for live-blogging a regional championship baseball game. Realize what the NCAA is trying to do here: they want to monopolize the decimation of their games, controlling not only television and radio, but internet game casts. So they have a policy prohibiting live internet updates from venues of championship events. That's why they kicked the blogging journalist out.

The paper's attorney explains this situation rather well, "Once a player hits a home run, that's a fact. It's on TV. Everybody sees it. (The NCAA) can't copyright that fact. The blog wasn't a simulcast or a recreation of the game. It was an analysis."

Think about that statement. It's not intellectual property that is being stolen here; it's the reporting of an occurrence. Who else thinks that they can control the reporting of facts?

The real issue here is that the NCAA is oblivious to the changing world around them. The internet affords them an ally to help promote their sports but they just don't get it. While they're worried that they're losing pocket change with people not purchasing their internet gamecasts, they forget that these blogs are actually promoting their product. How much money do those gamecasts really make anyway? It's not like it's Major League baseball, which is struggling itself. It's freakin' regional college baseball. They need all the help they can get. What does this prove?

This is a 1st ammendment issue that the NCAA will lose. Why they choose to continually embarrass themselves like this is beyond me.

H-O-M-E-S-C-H-O-O-L-E-D?

Yeah, I went there. Here's a CNN interview for you that explains that title. So please, wonderful friends who lovingly homeschool your blessed children, I have two requests: 1) understand that I'm not ripping on you, however, 2) do not, under any circumstances, let your kids end up like this kid. Normally it would be wrong to laugh at a kid like this but he did win the National Spelling Bee, meaning that he will probably go on to attend M.I.T college, design software that will take over the world, and force me into indentured servitude.

So he'll get the last laugh.

Paris In Captivity

A quick search of my Wordpress archives showed that I've only written the words "Paris Hilton" once and that was in a post pleading for people to stop consuming these non-newsworthy news items. But seeing as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and heck, even the Cincinnati Enquirer all list her re-incarceration as the top news story of the afternoon, I thought I should chime in about the situation. What good is nailing her prosecuting her to the fullest extent of the law helping the general public? I'm pretty sure that all the controversy surrounding this trial/incarceration has cost tax payers much more than Paris' punishment is worth. Do you actually think that Paris will spend any prison time among the general population? Doubtful. It's just too much cost for not enough return, especially considering that Los Angeles is notorious for releasing non-violent criminals from prison without serving their full terms.

Look, I'm not saying that she doesn't deserve to be punished, but all this is doing is creating a media frenzy and, additionally, perpetuating Paris' unearned fame. You know Mark Burnett already has the reality series drawn up for Spring 2008: Celebrity Big-House with your host Paris Hilton. It would have to be on Fox.

Actually, house confinement would've been a perfect solution. They could've extended it to make up for the comforts of home. But now we'll have to endure a month and a half of updates about this crap. Thanks, LA.

May I never have to type "Paris Hilton" again.

I'm Evil

Thanks to the heads-up from DG we had the chance to hit a preview of Evan Almighty last night. Kelly did a great run-down of it over on her blog, but I just have to make a sad confession: I don't like being in public with large Christian groups.

Last night, the theatre [British spelling] was packed and it was teeming with awkward we're-in-public-but-we're-around-Christian-people-so-it's just-an-extension-of-Sunday-School actions last night.

For instance, in what other setting would you see people in their 40's hurling popcorn at people three rows away [true, Tye?]? Where else would you find a group of people who decided to order a pizza in a theater [American spelling] and ask the person in charge to make sure they would personally seek them out to get it delivered? In what public gathering would you witness people reserving huge blocks of seats? And who else would attend a free screening of a film that won't be released for another few weeks but want to get their $2 parking validated?

And although the movie was rather entertaining, there's no way that it would elicit those kinds of boisterous laughs among a more secular audience.  It was all somewhat . . . embarrassing.

After an experience like this you can fully understand those churches that stress relevance and being cool as a number one priority. They too have been in such a setting and want to make sure their friends don't think Christianity is lame [is it still hip to say "lame"?] so they start a church that has a rockin' band, slammin' video, and totally rad relevant sermon.

So are our choices as Christians between hipster shallowness and nerdy insightfulness?

I don't think so, but I really wanted to write that sentence.

Let's just make a deal [or for hardcore Biblical believers, a covenant]: next time you're out in a crowd with a large group of Christians, let's all remember that there's more to a good witness than a KJV Bible, Stryper t-shirt, and WWJD bracelet.

Just play it cool, boy . . . real cool.

Happy _________

I know much in my mind. I remember a slew of phone numbers, passwords, and security alarms stored in my cranium. For instance: 24-16-22. If you can figure out where to put that, you would gain access to man yriches.

I have countless musical lyrics committed to memory, such as one I was able to recite tonight during class: "With the lights out, it's less dangerous, here we are now, entertain us."

I've memorized many pointless sports statistics, including the fact that Terry Steinbach of the Oakland A's was MVP of the 1988 MLB All-Star Game. Additionally, it's the only All-Star game in 20+ years in which the Home Run Derby was cancelled due to rain.

And, I usually remember all the important family dates on our calendar.

Well, except for two.

June brings two days that I just can't seem to keep straight. My parents were married 37 years ago today while, tomorrow, my brother Chris will celebrate his 34th birthday. I had to ask Kelly yesterday which one was which. At least I remember that it's one of these two dates.

So Happy Birthday/Anniversary Chris/Mom&Dad, regardless of what day it is.