My First March

Growing up on the westside of town- a blue-collar, non-activist kind of place- I was never involved in any sort of protest. One time I refused to eat my mother's Brussels sprouts for dinner, but that's about as confrontational as I've ever gotten. It was a tad surreal, therefore, as Saturday I found myself marching down a street repeating phrases yelled out by a guy into a megaphone.

Last weekend there was a march here in Walnut Hills organized by a group called Ceasefire Cincinnati. For the past five years, two of Cincinnati's most violent neighborhoods have been Avondale and Walnut Hills; the communities, which sit adjacent to each other, continually swap the top spot. I should admit that it's not like Walnut Hills is an incredibly violent neighborhood. Most of the violence committed centers around the drug trade which has increased here with the gentrification of Over-the-Rhine.

In 2007, Ceasefire started their first campaign in Avondale and have seen some amazing results. Their goal is to establish community presence in order to dissuade criminal activity. They accomplish this by getting a group of people to show up at the site of any crime scene where firearms have been used, attempting to do so within 48-hours of the occurance.

By itself, I'm not sure that's something I'd want to be involved in. I get a little leery when it comes to causes. As in this case, I'm not anti-gun, by any means. Although I don't own any guns, I believe in the right that the Constitution gives people to have them. And I'm not sure that Ceasefire is really anti-gun as much as it's for taking a stand against crime. But they do more something even more than even this.

They pray.

Now I can get into that.

So as Ceasefire celebrated their expansion of operations into Walnut Hills, I was there, marching down East McMillan. And I did so with a diverse group of people excited about taking back their community. I'll admit that I wasn't into the chanting and stuff, and when the local media were filming I steered away from the cameras, but I was glad to be there. It was inspiring to see how many people, on an absolutely abysmal day, came out to support the kickoff. It makes me feel even better about the community in which we live.

I'm not sure how successful this program will be but, like I said, praying for our community can't be a bad thing.

So, for now, I'm in.

The Word of 2008

. . . is "misspoke." Note the use of it here, here, and even here.

A New Yorker article [that I haven't fully read] describes the legs this word has.

Think about it: it's a very convenient excuse.

If I misspeak, then it's not necessarily a lie. It means that I knew the truth, but somewhere between my mind and my mouth it wasn't articulated You cannot really criticize someone for a daffy idea when they misspeak, as it's not necessarily representative of their views.

And now that a couple politicians have used it somewhat successfully, it'll be all the rage for a long time.

Keep your eyes out for it and you'll notice it.

It Was Bound To Happen . . .

Check out Stuff Christians Like.

Tuesdays Are Gone

Some of you have commented to me that you miss Tuesdays With Kaelyn [if you're unfamiliar with our video series, an example can be found here]. I thoroughly enjoyed making the videos, but we've hit an extensive dry patch, with almost a year since the last video. This is not without reason. Among them:

1. Kelly no longer works in the office on Tuesdays. Wednesday is now our day together. This is probably not a legitimate excuse, but Wedensdays With Kaelyn doesn't have the same ring.
2. Kaelyn isn't quite as cooperative. Believe it or not, it was easier to film her when she was younger. She's still a ham but she tends to pull back whrn the camera's on.
3. I'm lazy. Since she's more active we have a lot more fun. Today [yes, Kelly switched here work day to Thursday this week] we went to the UDF in Mount Adams to eat a bagel. Then we went over to the playground by Playhouse in the Park and had a great time. Since we're always doing something, there's a lot less time for video editing, especially if I want to get any work done while she's napping.
4. Other projects in development. Kaelyn and I are actually working on a more extensive project that is taking awhile. It might not offer the instant gratification of a Tuesdays video, but I'm excited about it.

We do have some videos that I need to get online sometime soon. I'll try working on them in the next week or so. Until then, here's a picture I took on my Mac while we were sitting here watching some soccer. While I type, she was just chillin' with me.

I think that demonstrates that, Tuesdays or not, we have a great time.

Reason I'm A Geek #432

I'm excited about the Masters starting tomorrow. Go Tiger.

Look At The Big Picture

Two news items and one personal item that intersect. First news item: the Olympic torch is being attacked and might not make it out of San Francisco alive.

As you already know, people around the world are ready to use the Chinese-hosted Olympic games to bring to light China's occupation/oppression of Tibet. If you're unfamiliar with what's behind these charges, go Google it and see what you come up with.

Second news item: The state of Ohio is opening a department of development in Beijing. 

Apparently the state is starting to do this in various countries throughout the world in an effort to encourage trade.

My personal item: I bought a new pair of Italian shoes this week.

Seriously, before you start making fun of me, it sounds more "yuppy" than it is. They're more casual shoes that don't even look Italian. I bought them at DSW for a really good price.

So how do these three items connect?

China has been thrilled about the Olympics as they're viewing it as their international coming-out ceremony. With over one billion consumers and the ability to produce goods on the cheap, China is a cash cow. But the fact remains that China, while enjoying the wealth that accompanies free markets, still operates as a steel-fisted regime capable of committing numerous human rights autrocities without accountibility [see Tibet]. That's why the Olympics are the perfect target for protesters. China is now on an international stage. They're attempting to paint an "everything-is-normal" picture for the world. Protesters are going to use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hit China hard, knowing that there's very little the Communist government can do about it while the world is watching.

But shouldn't this also be the perfect opportunity for the other world superpowers to step up, give international governmental support to these protesters and demand that China make specific changes in support of human rights? You would think so. But they won't. There's one major problem concerning such a demand: there's too much money at stake. Governments aren't too excited about upsetting the applecart just to make a plea for human rights. There are two sides getting rich here who don't want to ruin a good thing.

Take for example American politicians. The perception in our country is the Republicans are big-business, in favor of open markets and, by nature, will overlook human rights issues. Meanwhile, Democrats are usually viewed as the party that fights against oppression. Yet in this situation, no one is moving. Sure, Democrats might spout certain rhetoric that expresses their disdain, saying they favor something akin to an un-official rebuke, but they're just as culpable as the Republicans. It should be noted that Ohio's government is currently under control of the Democrats. Opening up a trade office in downtown Beijing doesn't really vibe with the "Free Tibet" message.

I'm not a social liberal, but we should really think a little about this. These facts bring up some interesting ethical questions. What is America's responsibility in all of this? By our "business as usual" attitude are we empowering the Chinese government to continue oppression? As a Christian, what role should we play in resolving this conflict?

I hold that there are no easy answers to those questions. And, despite how other Christian leaders come down on the issue, I'm not convinced that they have black-and-white Biblical answers; there's a lot of grey to navigate. But the very least I should do is think through them and put any conclusions into application.

Oh, and what does all of this have to do with my Italian shoes? A careful examination of the shoe box revealed some small print that made me laugh:

"Made In China."

Honoring Our Fallen

Two firefighters in Colerain Township were killed last week. They both were from the westside, and one graduated from my high school [albeit six years earlier]. Their funerals were today. I was thinking of going downtown, but needed to get some work done, so I watched a lot of the proceedings on television. The amount of people out today to pay their last respects is unfathomable. Along all the routes, it's easily in the tens of thousands.

For all that goes wrong in our city, the way we honor our fallen heroes is amazingly right.

Drive By

Still behind on my workload, so I haven't posted since the weekend. Just so interest doesn't completely fade, here are some tidbits to keep you reading.

• Dave Milam, a ministry friend and church planter in Charlotte, had their church's trailer stolen a few weeks ago. They reacted by trying to get the perpetrator to come forward. Check out their efforts here. FYI, they rented out a billboard and used the word "ballsy" in one ad.

• I'm seriously ready to dump MySpace. As I've I stated before, I hate it with a passion. Please convince me to kill my account this week.

• We rented Walk Hard and will view it later this week. Will we enjoy it?

• Define irony: Bill Self is a horrible coach [I still hold that he does less with more talent] and yet he won a national championship because the other team's coach did a horrible job. And now he's gonna get paid.

• Check your local listings for Fox Sports Ohio as Johnny Cueto pitches again tonight.

I really have some interesting posts in my mind and promise I'll bring the heat later this week.

Let's Get Real

The Clintons made $109million since the year 2000. Good for them. The biggest amount came from Bill's public speaking that netted over $50million. One of the ways Hillary's campaign spun it was to say they would've made much more if Bill had done so many free speeches over the years. They also note that almost 10% went to charitable contributions.

Look, there's more here than meets the eye, but that's fine. There are a few controversial investment figures that would be in this year's tax returns that haven't been filed yet. Also the charitable contributions were predominantly made to their own charitable trust which could [conceivably] be used someday to help them back.

But still, I have no qualms about this. It's America. They should be able to make as much they can without having to apologize. Ya's gotsta get paid.

My criticism here concerns the spin being offered with the releasing of these tax returns. Specifically, that of Clinton adviser Leon Panetta, who offered the following explanation of the Clintons' rags-to-riches endeavor:

"In many ways, it is becoming the American story. A lot of people who have devoted their lives to public service, who lived hand-to-mouth during months of public service, are suddenly able, after public life, to find some rewards."

Seriously, Leon, let's calm down for a second and dissect this monstrosity of a quote. First, I'm not quite sure I'd ever describe the Clintons as "the American story." It's not like we have the second-coming of Andrew Carnegie on our hands here. The most significant part of their income was directly connected to the controversies they experienced in the White House, specifically the Lewinski ordeal. I'm not sure many Americans would want that as a part of their story. If the trade-off for $100million was becoming the butt of a national joke, I think I'd pass.

Second, I'm not sure the Clintons were ever really living hand-to-mouth. To describe a couple holding degrees from Georgetown, Oxford, Wellesley, and Yale with a phrase reserved from lower class and homeless people is rather reckless. I'm not saying the Clintons always raked it in, but they were in no danger of being swallowed up by the streets.

Third and finally, the implication that "a lot of" public servants have been able to follow the Clintons' route and reap financial benefits is just untrue. This is a path for a select few who are able to ascend to America's highest political realms. The social worker who spends 30+ years doing their job cannot dream of being as fortunate as the Clintons. The reality is, a life of public service will often leave a person with much less financially than if they had pursued a comparable private sector job.

Again, let me make clear my position. I'm glad the Clintons have been able to strike it rich, especially considering the constant scrutiny they're under; at least it affords them a comfortable/secure lifestyle. But I'm not going to try to take their new-found wealth and make them look even more admirable or generous than they really are.

I guess in the end, it is what it is.

Can't Make This Stuff Up

Hawk attacks A-Rod at Fenway Park.

Pop Culture, Pitchers, and Preaching

If you've ever listened to me preach, you know I have quite an affinity for including pop culture references into my sermon. I do it rather deliberately. Sometimes it's just in passing, for a select few to enjoy for themselves. Even if they only catch one every couple of weeks, I think expecting the unexpected forces the listener to pay close attention to the message, not wanting to miss out on something. That's one of the reasons I enjoy people like Dennis Miller, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert, who have the knack of making obscure, dated pop culture references. Sure, they don't always attract boisterous laughs, but they definitely pay-off when done well.

That takes me back to the Reds game I attended yesterday when young phenom Johnny Cueto pitched a masterful game. It was a miserable day so there weren't many people in the stands [unless the seats were covered by an overhang]. In the row next to us were three guys in their early twenties, and one of them was hoisting the only sign I spotted all afternoon. Written in Sharpie on a white board, the sign simply read, "CUETO LIVES!" I didn't think to much of it until today while reading up about things from the game. An obscure Reds blog noted the sign. Apparently it was an obscure pop-culture reference.

It goes back to the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger* film Total Recall. Directed by Paul Verhoeven [a member of the Jesus Seminar?], the academy award winning sci-fi movie [seriously] features Arnold as a secret agent who gets a mind swap and becomes a construction worker. As information about his previously life starts to reappear, the powers-that-be want him dead so he heads to Mars to discover more. While on Mars, his finds an underground resistance group headed by a sage named Kuato. Come to find out, Kuato isn't a guy, but someone's mutated stomach [looks like this if you're interested].** Hijynxs ensue, Kuato is killed, but so are the bad-guys and Arnold saves the day.***

Anyway, the rally cry on Mars for the resistance movement was "KUATO LIVES!" So the twenty-somethings brandishing the sign were making a Total Recall reference. In retrospect, I'm very impressed with the sign, especially considering those guys were probably toddlers when the movie was released.

So very creative pop-culture reference there. And now we see have a Schwarzenegger/Reds connection.

* I find it fascinating that of all the words that spell-check chooses to highlight, Schwarzenegger is not one of them. So his name is so much a part of American vernacular that people who design spell-check include it in their programming.

** Saturday Night Live did a spoof on Kuato that you can watch here.

*** As I wrote out that movie plot I kept thinking, "this movie won an Oscar?" I guess that's why the Academy Awards aren't as cool as they used to be.

I Was There

I vacillated between two choices this morning: stay or go. In the end, I decided to go.

I'm glad I did.

Strike that, I'm really glad I did.

I layered up, put a Diet Coke bottle, along with an umbrella and a poncho in a backpack and walked down to Great American Ballpark just afternoon to go witness a little piece of history.

Johnny Queto, one of the most heralded prospects in Reds history, took the mound for the first time today. Since it was cold and rainy, I didn't think there would be a huge crowd, and there wasn't [less than 12,000 gate]. This kid is said to have had the stuff and my eyes did see it first-hand this afternoon.

Cueto is amazing.

His 95 mph fastball popped throughout the stadium when it hit Paul Bako's mitt. He struck out the first batter [Chris Young, whom Cueto owned today], and pitched five perfect innings. One bad pitch ruined the no-no and the shut-out, but he wrapped up seven innings of one-hit baseball with ten strikeouts. David Weathers made it exciting in the 8th, but the Reds prevailed and won the series against Arizona.

But I'm still amazed at what I saw. I'm just saying, this kid will dominate.

It was really a miserable day for baseball; the weather stunk. But seeing Cueto pitch parted the clouds and gave me hope that my beloved Redlegs will once again be the Big Red Machine.

Twenty-five years from now, when Johnny Queto is being inducted into the Hall of Fame, I'll be able to say that I was there for his first game.

P.S. JUST SO YOU DON'T THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE read what Paul Daugherty wrote about Cueto here.

Foot + Mouth = Steve

For some reason, I consistently invent new ways to say controversial things. This past week I had the opportunity to teach a class at my alma mater. I've taught in their continuing-ed school a few times before, but this time I was filling in for a class in the undergraduate school: a perfect opportunity to contaminate the minds of 19 to 22 year-olds.

It was a church finance class so I was discussing the various aspects of financing a new church. Whenever I tell people about the unconventional way we went about getting things started it immediately draws distinct parallels to how other practitioners are doing it (for example: most new churches today cost about $200,000-$500,000 to start, while we spent less than $20,000 to get Echo going). In explaining our philosophy it is difficult not to critique the ways many churches spend exorbitant amounts of money for high impact ministry all while chalking it up to doing "God's work."

In that discussion last week in class, I used a specific church as an example and criticized that financial aspect of their ministry. I used strong words at first, and then caught myself and pulled back a little, but still I was pretty hardcore. Even in the case of young, impressionable minds, we need to be critical of ways that we act that aren't necessarily Biblical.

Of course, in that class were a couple of students connected with that church.

That afternoon I felt a little convicted about what I said; I still hold that my critique was correct, but I didn't do a great job of establishing my respect for that church. Therefore, I could've come off sounding like an arrogant church. I knew the email of one of the kids and apologized for those few words. He connected me with the other student and I apologized to him as well.

What sucked about the whole thing is that I had to apologize to a couple of young guys significantly younger than me with no experience. I could've just walked away and not done it, but it would've probably gnawed at me. Honestly, I'm still not 100% convinced that an apology was in order, but since I didn't feel 100% confident in the situation, I went ahead anyway.

I guess the big thing I learned is that I continually need to strive to find a balance. I'm not going to withhold strong words where necessary; one of the problems within our movement of churches is that we tend to value politeness more than truth. That said, I still need to figure out how to be as respectful as possible if I criticize others.

I'm still learning. But now more than ever, I think I'm finding my voice.

April Foolin'

Yes, my last post was a weak attempt at an April Fools joke. Can't really defend it: I was lazy and it was Rick Astley. As the wife noted over on her corner of the interwebs, there were a lot of April Fool's jokes out there today; I mean, they were all over the place on the world wide web. I'm wondering if the rising popularity of the internet is now bringing about a renaissance of this faux-holiday. Over the years, it became less and less couth for the major media outlets to pull jokes [exposing themselves to possible lawsuits], but the internet has always dabbled with illegitimacy, making it a perfect location to pull a fast one on an unsuspecting people.

I suspect that there are sycophants around the world already plotting for next year [just like this guy], looking to leave their one-day mark of brillance for all to see.

Yep, did it again.

BONUS: Find out more about Rick Astley here.

Biblical Proof

Whether or not you're a geeky scholar like me or have absolutely no interest in archaeology, it is imperative that you check out this week's report from the Jerusalem Times about an ancient discovery which confirms numerous facts concerning the Christian faith. READ THE ARTICLE FROM THEIR SITE HERE. I'll post more when I familiarize myself with it but I've gotta make you understand: you know the rules and so do I . . . you wouldn't get this from any other guy.

Time For Baseball

One of the benefits of our work-at-home policy is that Opening Day is actually a holiday. Even though they were calling for rain, we decided to go on over to Central Parkway anyway to watch the parade. We were only there for an hour as Kaelyn was ready for a nap and it was getting really wet. I didn't even get any pictures of the parade. Of course, we didn't get to go to the game, but at least we stayed dry. Unfortunately, the Reds lost, but considering they've won the past few Opening Days and went on to have horrible seasons, I'm OK with it. I will say, however, that if they don't get a catcher soon, I might lose it.

Since we were all decked out in red, we took a little family picture. We're ready for some baseball.

Pregame Thoughts

A little more than an hour until tip-off of the Xavier/UCLA match-up, and I thought I'd chime in with my thoughts about the game. For the past couple of days I've been watching all the national analysts and none of them give the Muskies a chance. That's fine. UCLA is a sexy pick, with all the tradition and freshman Big Love that everyone is ga-ga over. On paper, the Bruins should win this one going away but, on paper, UCLA should've waltzed through the tournament thus far.

They key for a Xavier win tonight will be swagger. They have the talent to pull this one off, but if they don't show up like they know it, it'll be a long night. I keep thinking about the way X neutralized Kansas State earlier in the year; they owned Michael Beasley that night. That's the kind of game they need tonight.

I also remember when they played Tennessee at home this year. They controlled most of that game before committing some costly mental errors which lost them the game. That was exactly what happened against West Virginia but they somehow pulled it out. Those games can go either way, but I'd say that a similar performance tonight means the Muskies go home.

Yep, they have to be pretty flawless tonight, unless UCLA comes out and shoots themselves in the foot. And I'm not holding my breath for that to happen.

Since I don't give Davidson a prayer against Kansas, this is the long-shot everyone's been waiting for. I'm hoping it all comes together tonight.

We'll find out soon enough . . .

Burning the 8pm Oil

I guess the organizers of Earth Hour aren't basketball fans. Saturday night at 8pm people around the world are being urged to turn off their lights for an hour to show how much we love the world or something like that. Since the hour would occur right near the end of Xavier's match-up with UCLA, I will not be participating.

I should note, however, that I am an Earth Hour pioneer. For years now I have been an active participant by turning off the lights in my home for hours at a time when I go to bed. And, unless it's a gloomy day, I usually participate during the daylight hours. Yet despite my previous contributions to the world, I wasn't consulted when they came up with the plans for tomorrow night's Earth Hour. If that's how they acknowledge my leadership, I'm not sure I want to be involved in the first place.

By the way, the event is sponsored by the WWF. I never knew Vince McMahon was a greenie.

Breaking Backstreet's Back

After last night's Xavier game we watched the Celebrity Apprentice finale on DVR. The final task was a fund-raiser concert featuring the Backstreet Boys. It was the responsibility of country singer Trace Adkins to take care of the group, which included fulfilling the requirements of their rider. A "rider" is a list of contractual demands that a band has that needs to be fulfilled when they perform live. I've worked a couple of these out before with Christian bands. Fortunately, none of them were nearly as involved as that of the BSB.

If you have a couple of minutes, you need to watch this video of Trace working with the group. I think what really sets him off is Nick Carter's request for wheat grass; the good ole' country boy looks like he's ready to collectively choke the entire band. This scene was just one of many things [including Gene Simmons] that helped make this one of the most entertaining seasons of The Apprentice in years.

By the way, the footage I linked to was from last week's show. I need to find some from the finale, because Trace goes on an even longer tirade about the boy band, noting how he performed a show while needing major surgery and they want wheat grass; he was absolutely killing them. If I'm the publicity agent for Backstreet Boys, I have to question if this TV appearance really helped their comeback [then again, if I'm their publicity agent, I would probably reevaluate my life's priorities and perhaps go all samurai on myself].

FYI, Trace lost the competition but surely gained a following of non-country fans in the process because the guy is a class act.

Lest There Be Any Doubt . . .

. . . I am pulling for Xavier tonight against Bob Huggins' West Virginia team. And my reasons go beyond the fact that I'm an alum-to-be at XU. Although I'm no Nancy Zimpher fan [HT: Mike] I no longer feel as if I have to support Bob throughout the rest of his career. I do own a Kansas State shirt thanks to my father-in-law, but he moved on [in one year, in fact]. I will never sport West Virginia gear, among other reasons, that they are a UC Big East rival. I'll always love Huggs, but he has a lower spot on my fan-dom pole now. I still think Mick has the potential to take the program farther than he did.

Plus, what's not to like about this year's Xavier team? There is no one player that propelled them to where they are now. They have a great team concept going that is fun to watch. I like this team. And I like that Sean Miller hung around when he could've bolted last year. I told him so when I saw him walking across campus last year. Sure, if the Pittsburgh job opens up he'll be gonzo, but otherwise I see him at Xavier for awhile.

Hopefully Huggs will give us what we came to expect here in Cincy and fizzle out after making the Sweet Sixteen. And I really like the possible match-up against either UCLA or Western Kentucky. Could Xavier actually make the Final Four?

Go Muskies!