steve-o
Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr
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I AM THE CHAMPION

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Let me tell you a story. A story that I like because it's about me and my frickin' awesome afternoon. Kelly and Kaelyn were in Lexington this weekend while I had a slew of events to keep me busy here in Cincy. I spoke at the little country church this morning and, since I had all my Echo tasks for this evening's service completed, I went to watch the Reds play the Brewers this afternoon. Ironically, I applied sunscreen before I left only to spend the entire afternoon soaked by rain.

As I'm thinking about, I realized that I'm totally comfortable going solo to places now. Before I got married I had never eaten alone in a restaurant. Now I'm go to movies, ballgames, and restaurants by myself and enjoy the communal solitude. I always used to wonder why people would go places all by there lonesomes. Now I'm that guy.

Anyway, I've mentioned before that the Reds allow ministers to get a free ticket to games [Bob Castellini is a very good man], and they'll give you the best seat available so I was fifteen rows behind the Reds dugout. Even though the rain drove many fans to take shelter I had an awesome seat and decided to stay put.

My perseverance meant that I ended up getting soaked; I'll most likely be sick tomorrow. And, of course, the game went into extra-innings and I had to get home and change before church. So I missed an epic comeback which included back-to-back home-runs and a Ken Griffey Jr. game-winning single.

All of that should have made my afternoon somewhat miserable. But one brief moment made it absolutely glorious.

In the seventh inning Reds-killer Bill Hall came to the plate and fouled one off over my head. Years of observing foul balls ricochet off an upper-deck wall back to the seats below led me to track this ball which indeed hit above and started to head back towards me. It was actually heading a row or so behind me. There was a guy between the ball and me and he had a perfect line to catch it. But years of observing people drop sure-thing foul balls led me to back him up just in case.

And wouldn't you know it, the ball went right between his hands. He absorbed any of the momentum the ball had and I two-handed it.

Yep, I snagged me a foul ball.

Sure, it wasn't a cool catch, but in over twenty years of going to ballgames and I had never even sniffed a foul ball.

I decided long ago that if I ever caught a ball I'd give it to a kid. What point is there in keeping a non-home-run ball anyway [especially from stinkin' Bill Hall]? And if I brought it home to Kaelyn, she wouldn't have cared. There was a couple two rows in front of me with their grandkids at the game and I handed their grandson the ball. All in all, I didn't have the ball in my possession for more than five seconds.

So the kid has the baseball . . .

. . . and I have this story.

And I'm happy.

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Half A Man

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I wasn't satisfied with my weight gain over the winter. It really wasn't that much, but it was enough to make me angry. Desperate times call for desperate measures: I'm running the Flying Pig Marathon.

Well, sorta.

I'm actually running the half marathon.

Normally I'm an all-or-nothing type guy; if I'm going to do something, I'm giving it 100%. But running a full marathon was just out of the question.

For starters, I didn't want to start training in December to run. Although I occasionally run on the machines over at Xavier's Athletic Center, I do so reluctantly and only go about six miles [actually, until I started training, I'm not sure I ever ran more than six miles at a time]. Plus, our friend Angie is training to run a marathon and spent last Saturday doing a long run that lasted four hours.

Four hours. Just to practice. No way I could do that. Especially considering the biggest roadblock to me running the marathon:

I really don't like running.

Sure, if I'm playing a sport where running is just a part of the equation, I'm there. But I get bored easily and spending weeks running long distances [for practice] is not fun. I wouldn't be able to get by with the limited training I'm doing now if it weren't for an mp3 player.

But I'm getting excited about it. The race course is right in our area. In fact, the half marathon runs right in front of our condo. So I'm hoping homefield advantage will come in handy.

So two weeks from tomorrow I'll be up early to do some racin'.

But it's only half-impressive.

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The Ground Shook

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. . . or so I was told. The Carr household slept soundly through the earthquake this morning. Although the epicenter was southeastern Illinois, it was felt throughout the Cincinnati area. I'm wondering if our hillside location helped to defer the reverberations. Or maybe we have an incredibly solid house. Otherwise, we're just sound sleepers.

I made sure we took out earthquake insurance on the place when we moved here. We're well above the Ohio River flood line, but a really good earthquake could do some damage.

I imagine a few insurance agents will make some additional sales today.

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I'm Losing It . . .

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My sentiments yesterday concerning low-income housing at the Banks were exactly the same as many other people in our city. The Enquirer printed up many responses, but really only one person who thought it was a good idea. I do not know who Dave Bean, but here is his response:

Absolutely, there should be affordable housing associated with The Banks project. Too much money has already been spent by the city and county in the riverfront area that benefits the wealthy at the expense of the majority of the citizens. Government has the responsibility to protect and treat all people with equity. Here is a chance for Cincinnati to show the world that it is not owned by big business and it in fact cares about all its citizens. For those who think this is to be a showcase: I agree, it should be a showcase of what this country is about.

Thoughtful response. I disagree, but everyone is entitled to their own idea. All would be well, except when we take note of where Dave Bean resides:

Mason.

Yep, a 'burb about twenty miles north of where this housing project would be.

<rant>

You see, Dave, think you have the perfect solution but, in essence, you're part of the problem. If you lived downtown, or in a neighboring neighborhood, or perhaps even within city limits, or even in the same county, then your opinion might mean something. But since you live in a suburb, where you won't have to actually encounter the Section 8 housing you're suggesting, then you're just talking crap. Hypothetically and philosophically you think you have it all figured out. And I'm sure you do since whatever happens at the Banks really won't affect your life in the least.

I know I've probably said this before, and it will appear that I have a chip on my shoulder, but it bears repeating: if you don't live here, shut-up and keep it to yourself. I'm sure you think you have the solution to every urban problem, but you don't. All your opinion is doing is wasting valuable ink that could be better used on tire advertisements.

I'm sure if this discussion centered in Warren County, with the City of Mason wanting to move in some low-income housing into your subdivision, you might be compelled to show up at a council meeting and voice your disapproval, concerned for what such a move would do to your property values. But if this is how you really feel, you should be proactive, get some petitions, and get some Section 8 on your street pronto.

I'm sorry, Dave, if I've judged your harshly. But unless you're willing to practice a consistent ethic, then your opinion is worthless. Sure, we all want what's best for our society, but it's a whole lot easier when you can't see it from your house.

</rant>

Not A Good Idea

The idea of putting Section 8 housing on the Banks is ridiculous. For those outside Cincinnati, the Banks is the real estate along the Ohio River between Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ballpark. The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, who had over ten years to bring up this topic, chose to do so the week before construction equipment was moved on-site. The CMHA argues that the Banks will be Cincinnati's 53rd neighborhood and therefore needs to have low-income housing as part of it.

I reject that argument. The Banks will be Downtown, which is already classified one of those 52 neighborhoods.  There is already low-income housing Downtown. In fact, there is plenty of Section 8 housing all around town [including right next door to our place]. The true reason the CMHA is bringing this up is to try to get a [late] stake in the bargaining table; it's mere grandstanding that could continue to delay the construction process.

As a citizen of Cincinnati, I want the Banks to be as profitable as possible. In the long term, it's what's in the best interest for our city. Is it fair that only the wealthy will be able to live at the Banks? Probably not, but that's life. I cannot afford to live in Indian Hill; it's premium real estate. Finances indeed limit where I can dwell. I will most likely not be able to afford to live at the Banks, but if I really want to, I need to come up with the money it takes to live there. Taxpayer money is being invested here, and I want the best return for the investment. The Banks should not be expected to be an all-inclusive neighborhood. And it doesn't need to be.

The CMHA would be best served to stick with what they do best and not try to manipulate city development from afar.

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I Was Wrong

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Where I once was an apologist, I must now admit that I came down on the wrong side: Chad Johnson needs to get out of here.

His latest statement, which indirectly was an insult to Carson Palmer, most assuredly confirms that CJ will never play for the Bengals again.

And that's fine. I'm not saying he's replaceable, but the division he's causing is impossible to ignore. It's not as if his antics actually made the team better, but they were tolerated when it came to his great talent. And his repeated cries that no one supported him was crap. He had people all over the place who had his back. So good luck to whatever team he plays for next. And unless he's going to New England or Indianapolis, he'll be catching footballs from an inferior quarterback.

My new concern is how the Bengals treat this situation. I get sick of players who make these statements and screw over their former teams in an effort to get out of town [see: Corey Dillon and Randy Moss]. I would fully support Mike Brown if he let him rot on the bench. Chad won't get paid when he sits out, the Bengals won't take the huge salary cap hit, and teams will have to make serious offers in order to get him out of here. Unless there's a first round pick being offered, Chad can hang out in his condo.

And to think I was this close to buying a number 85 jersey last year. Good thing I didn't.

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Bridging The Gap

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I was talking to my friend Jade the other day. We went to grad school together and he's now ministering in Lower Price Hill, working predominantly with the inner-city poor. We were talking shop he mentioned that there still isn't a viable ministry model getting the urban poor and the urban affluent to worship along-side each other. It's a difficult gap to bridge. The impoverished can feel like outsiders, as if they're not truly viewed as equals. And, as Jade put it, while the affluent appreciate the concept of worshipping with the poor, it doesn't always carry over pragmatically; there is a fear factor involved as they sometimes can't handle the baggage, even the smells, that accompany poverty.

I agree with him, albeit reluctantly. My secret dream is for Echo to be a church that breaks down these barriers.

With that conversation still fresh in my mind, we had our largest showing of poor folk at Echo this week in a long time. And interestingly enough, they each brought with them their own smell- whether body odor, cigarettes, or alcohol. I'm not sure how they felt in our midst, as they were all seeking out something from the church. But I was inspired to observe that our people engaged them, introduced themselves, and tried to make them feel at home.

Sure it's just a blip on the radar, but it makes me think that creating an urban community where Jesus breaks down those barriers is actually possible.

I know we haven't arrived yet, but we working on building a better community. And it's going to mean learning how  to reach out to folk all across different spectra, not looking down on anyone, but embracing people as equals.

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.

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.

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

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Pop Culture, Pitchers, and Preaching

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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.