Last night, a friend and I took a trip down to Erie, PA to watch the Erie Otter take on the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. Good game: good offense, good goaltending, a couple good fights. A night of good hockey.
These were taken within the last couple weeks. They're just pics taken around the parsonage where I currently live. This is the eternal struggle for me: I hate snow, but is is really pretty.
Anyway, enjoy the pics and stay warm, dear readers!
It's a wonder that it took this long to put this list together. But, here we are. This is a list of my fave books. They have all impacted me in some meaningful way. Some helped shape my worldview. Others were just good reads. It should go without saying that for me, The Bible is #1. The rest are in no particular order.
1. The Bible 2. No Country For Old Men- Cormac McCarthy 3. Native Son- Richard Wright 4. The Awakening- Kate Chopin 5. Something Wicked This Way Comes- Ray Bradbury 6. Breakfast of Champions- Kurt Vonnegut 7. Side Effects- Woody Allen 8. Cannery Row- John Steinbeck 9. Can You Drink The Cup- Henri JM Nouwen
I've been a fan of the op-ed column since high school. These little essays are usually a good way to get a good discussion going. And, with the advent of blogging, it seems like everyone is a pundit (myself included)these days . But here's my list of my fave pro pundits. Some are political and some are sportswriters. As always,. the list is in no particular order.
1. Robert Scheer 2. Joe Conason 3. Greg Freeman (RIP) 4. Jonah Goldberg 5. EJ Dionne 6. TJ Simers 7. Bill McClellan 8. Kathleen Parker 9. Kevin Blackistone 10. Jason Whitlock
So, I was snowed-in today. I was able to get some other work done, even though I really don't like doing my job stuff in the house. Even when I was in college and the Sem, I had to do my studying in the library.
But I digress.
Anyway, here's a little music for you. It seems to fit the moment of just being at home and watching the snow blow around outside. Enjoy!
A quick overview of this blog will reveal all sorts of gadgets. You see them: My picture, the Feedjit Live Traffic dealy, etc. There's also one on there which informs you that I am also on Facebook and what my current "status update" is.
I love Facebook! It allows me to be connected to people I've lost track of, and stay connected to people I haven't lost track of. I even like most of the applications available to you, the Facebook user. Many of them, while not completely necessary to human existence, are just fun little ways to break up the day. After all, isn't that what this is all about? Isn't that what Habakkuk's Complaint is designed to do: stave off boredom for a couple minutes? That what the header says.
But there's a couple applications I just don't get. One is a little garden. the other is a little blue cove. For the uninitiated, people send each other little plants and animals (or caricatures of said plants and animals)in order to place them in a fictional garden or aquarium. That's fine. I get that part.
Here's where my confusion kicks in. Somehow these are supposed to help in the fight against global warming or other causes. I am not sure how this works. I am all for legal types of civilian activism. But this doesn't seem to do anything. How does my putting a fake plant in a virtual garden help alleviate global warming?
I agree it's fun and inane. I'm just confused as to how that's supposed to help.
My buddy Dave suggested this might be Clint Eastwood's last movie. If so, this is an incredible swan song. This was, I felt, a brilliant movie. Many felt it got snubbed by the Academy. If that is true, then the other films that did get nominated must be very powerful indeed.
Eastwood directed and stars in this urban tale of racism and forgiveness. Eastwood plays an elderly tough guy named Walt Kowalski who knows his neighborhood is declining. The film starts at the funeral of Walt's wife. He seems intent on living out his days proving his toughness to the world and being grizzled. Things come to a head when a Hmong family who lives next door literally spills over into his life.
This film touches on so many different aspects of life. The easiest and most obvious layer here is racism and tolerance. On a completely superficial level, the message is about having your prejudices diminished after getting to know someone. Keep in mind, I said superficial. I did not say this is a bad thing. How else can prejudice and racism be stopped?
The theme of forgiveness is powerful in any film. But it is especially powerful here. The reason for this is also clear in the film. It is one thing to be forgiven. It is another thing to be able to forgive yourself. Often, this causes just as many problems in human interaction.
The problem with seeing movies the way I do, is that I often see them by myself. Sometimes this is OK. But, when it comes to heavy dramas (my fave genre), it's nice to have some instant processing. But, that why I have you, dear readers. That said, the discussion factor is really high in this film. Other issues it addresses are vigilantism, aging and conformity, self-sacrifice, and maturation. You can probably come up with some others as well.
The "that guy" factor is also in full-effect, most notably in the character of the barber.
I will put out one caution, dear readers: This is not a film for the easily offended. Racist slurs and f-bombs abound. If that is off-putting to you, wait until the movie is on network TV.
I came across this a couple seconds ago as I was bringing in today's mail.
I susbscribe to Newsweek. As you might expect, the cover shows a picture of the new president and first lady. Up at the top of the cover it reads, "Private Inauguration Photos".
So, if they're private, how did Newsweek get them? Just wondering.
The top video, of course, comes from the former president George H. W. Bush (or, shorthand Bush 41). He made this promise and terrific soundbite during his successful 1988 presidential campaign.
We've come quite a ways since then. I read recently that state governments are proposing making new or increasing taxes on a wider variety of goods and services. The local example is the governor's so-called "obesity tax" which will tax the stuff that increases that particular health risk. It includes all non-diet sodas. The bottom video highlights this. It's easy for for me to sit here and be OK with that, since I don't drink that much soda, diet or otherwise.
But it does make an interesting point. What are the limits of taxation? When is it too much. (Some may argue that any tax is too much.) Another side of the issue is this: Why are we so surprised and outraged when we hear phrases like "obesity tax" floated?
I should make one thing clear at this point. I am all for paying taxes. It's our duty as citizens to pay our taxes to help the government carry out its business. But this doesn't mean that every tax is necessary and/or fair. And our government gives us the right to peacefully express our disapproval and disappointment at those taxes we feel are unnecessary and/or unfair. So please, dear reader, pay your taxes!
The issue here is why we get upset when ideas like the obesity tax are foisted upon us. I believe there are a couple reasons for this. And, yes, both sides of the political spectrum are to blame.
Let's start with the left. We all know about the stereotypical "tax and spend liberal". You know, the one who wants to raise taxes to fund every government program with a bloated budget, no matter how crazy or unimportant or obscene it may be. Unlike others, this stereotype has a nugget of truth in it. Some of us do see value in a variety of things and feel that the government should help pay for it. After all, we never know what we will learn or the good that will come from it. And without government assistance, the gains will never be made. And the best way to get said money is from the taxpayers.
Moving on to the right. Here we work in the stereotype of the evil conservative who hates just about everything except Big Business. He or she wants to cut funding for things that make the world better and funnel all that saved money into military defense. Like its cousin in the above paragraph, this stereotype also contains a nugget of truth. Some of us do think that while these programs are probably important to somebody, the government has more pressing issues on which to spend its cash. The cash that the government does get does come from taxpayers, who should be giving less of it. Cut spending, reduce taxes.
Both are good valid, arguments. It's not hard to see why people are confused and outraged. From the ratcheted-up rhetoric of both parties, an interesting phenomenon has occurred. A new idea has emerged. Somehow, Americans have gotten it into their heads that you can have everything and you don't have to pay for it. Where did this come from? I argue that it is from the people we choose and elect to lead us. Maybe not on purpose, maybe by design. But, I believe it is their use of "wedge issues" that shift the focus from things of substance to things of style. Prime examples: Flag burning. Flip-flopping. You name it. All designed to act like mental rodeo clowns (or quites, for you bullfighting aficionados).
I see why people are upset. Are our leaders listening?
Back in December, I posted a very brief commentary on the Plaxico Burress incident. Here's a follow-up to that story.
This video clip is directly from the good people at ProFootballTalk.com. This is my most trusted source for NFL news. Plenty of good issues to think about in the clip.
I hope this is OK, PFT guys. I link to your site at the bottom of the blog. Plus, I give proper credit.
I just created a new blog. I'd been tossing the idea around in my head for the last couple of days. Finally, tonight, on the way home, it hit me. I felt I needed to do a new blog.
Fear not, dear readers! "Habakkuk's Complaint" is not going anywhere. It will still be here to stave off your boredom for a few seconds at a time.
My new blog will be totally dedicated to pastoral ministry. As such, it will be much deeper than this blog. It also represents a break from my usual routine. By this, I mean that I will run (are you ready for this?) a purely theological blog.
We'll just have to see what happens.
Here's the new blog: http://pastoralaesthetic.blogspot.com/
This is a great song by The Killers. I heard it for the 1st time last night. (Again, I'm a bit behind the times.) Totally blown away by it. However, I need help with the lyrics. Is it "dancers" or "denser"? I think it's the former. But a friend makes a good case for the latter.
I was on Facebook not too long ago. There was an ad on the side which reminded me of the old Bud Bowl commercials that A-B ran during the Super Bowl a while back.
I nearly forgot about those! I remember them being really funny at the time. (I was just a kid at the time. And a non-beer drinking one at that!)
Anyway, enjoy the clip! It's from Bud Bowl 1, back in 1988.
You ever have that sensation of being disappointed and then a few minutes later it's OK because things turned around in a hurry? I had that exact sensation 2 times last night.
I went to Borders last night. With no football, I got tired of being cooped up in the house. So, I braved the cold and headed to Orchard Park. I had a coupon and a gift card to use, so that was added incentive. I had my heart set on this Ingmar Bergman DVD boxed set I saw before Christmas. I remembered it being $42.99. Apparently, I have a bad memory. I got there, hoping it was still in stock. (I figured I can't be the ONLY Bergman fan in Western NY.) It was in stock. Only, it was $99. Clearly, a big discrepancy. I figured I would wait until Borders sent me the 40% coupon.
That still left me with a 20% coupon and the gift card. So, I looked around for a bit. Then I saw it: The thing that made it all better! There was a Bogart-Bacall DVD boxed set for a much more reasonable $39.99. So, I got that instead. I also picked up a collection of Ray Bradbury stories.
On the way home, I pass by the Wegman's across from the McKinley Mall. I realize, then, that I'm out of shaving cream and Metromint water. I stop in. I discovered that they are out of the Peppermint water I like so much. However, they do have the lemon, orange, and 1 box of spearmint varieties in stock. I picked up the lemon and spearmint. I'm not really a big fan of spearmint candy or gum, but why not try them all? So, I put them into my cart. Then it gets better! Shaving cream is on sale! So I stocked up!
So, twice I didn't get EXACTLY what I wanted, but got stuff just as good. Hard to beat that!
OK, now that I've got your attention with that title, let me elaborate:
One of the current buzzwords I keep seeing and reading in sports coverage is "coaching tree." I guess technically, that would be a buzz phrase. But, you know what I mean. A "coaching tree" refers to a single, respected, and successful coach and his/her assistant coaches. The assistant coaches then move on into other coaching jobs, eventually becoming head coaches themselves. They are then evaluated on how faithful they have been to the original coach's philosophy, and how successful they are in terms of Wins and Losses. This phrase gets tossed around a great deal this time of year in the NFL, as teams are in the midst of firing head coaches and hiring new ones, as well as promoting others and tweaking the coaching staff.
It's very possible to trace the coaching trees in the NFL. I started to wonder if we could apply this same theory to pastors. It's not an exact 1-1 comparison, but it may be helpful. I don't know. After all, I know that I had professors at the Sem I really respected. I have mentors that I look up to and call on. And, getting back to the professor part of it, it's no secret that different profs have "cults of personality" around them. On a bigger scale, there's always the stereotype of, "No wonder you're like that. You went to (insert seminary of choice here).
The next aspect then would be tracing your pastoral philosophy to people you influence. Maybe this only works on a personal level. I'm not sure any of my profs or mentors is famous enough in my church body to have begun a "ministry tree." How would you know? How would you judge success?
I said a few posts ago that I would possibly revisit The Hulk. That's the point of this post. I've decided not to do a post on my observations on The Hulk as a character. However, I will focus on 2 aspects of my current examination of the character. Here's what I mean by that really confusing statement.
I've looked into some recent issues of the comic book. Granted, I'm jumping into the middle of the current plot. Even upon looking at several back issues, I have to say: "I'm completely lost." All of a sudden there's a red Hulk?
As you dear readers know, I've been watching the cartton that came out in 1996-1997. At first, it was really good. Now, it's not as good. I don't get the gray Hulk. Plus, the She-Hulk becomes the central character. I understand her character, but I just am increasingly disappointed by the entire show.
I think that's as far as I am going with my research. I like it better when The Hulk is a misunderstood soul. I am more intrigued by the psychological relationship between Bruce Banner and The Hulk. In essence, I like it best when the Hulk is a metaphor.
And maybe I'm just being petty, or nostalgic. Maybe it's because I'm conditioned to think this way. But, I want my Hulk to be green. Just green.
I won't belabor the point here. Nor will I drudge up the past with this post. All I will say was that the Scott Linehan era in STL was less than stellar. In the interest of fairness, so was the Jim Haslett era.
I bring this up for one reason. I read today that Scott Linehan will be the new Offensive Coordinator for the Detroit Lions. As many are aware, the Lions are the first team in NFL history to complete a 0-16 season. You might think that this is a perfect opportunity to gloat about Linehan going to the one team that could possibly be worse than my beloved Rams.
But I will not. I will take the high road. Think about it. The last 2 years in STL, the Rams won a grand total of 5 games. If Linehan puts together an offense that can win 5 games in 2 years for Detroit, that's a vast improvement over their last season, in which the won a grand total of 0 games. That may not be much, but it's a start. There's a lot to be said for baby steps. Plus, for one reason or another, some people make great coordinators, but lousy head coaches. Just part of the game.
Besides, I have to wish Scott Linehan luck there. I have no animosity toward the Detroit Lions. I look forward to their yearly game on Thanksgiving Day.
After all, I don't wish anyone a completely winless season. One win, fine. And there's only 1 team I'd like to see have a 1-win season.
I should note, the above pic was taken after Scott Linehan's last game as the Rams' head coach on 9-28-08. There's no place to go but up. Here's to improvement, Coach Linehan!
So, there's no football this weekend. But, I got something almost as good for you. Here's comedian Frank Caliendo doing John Madden. Hope this tides you over until the Super Bowl!
First list of 2009. This is, as you probably gathered, is a list of my fave movie directors. This one is going to be a bit different, though. The top 3 are in order, after that, there is no particular order. Enjoy!
1. Woody Allen 2. M. Night Shyamalan 3. Ingmar Bergman 4. Clint Eastwood 5. Quentin Tarantino 6. Tim Burton 7. Kevin Smith 8. Spike Lee 9. Alfred Hitchcock 10. John Huston
To be honest, even I'm surprised that it took this long for me to post this particular list.
One of these clips is footage of former VP Dick Cheney being wheeled into a limo on this Inauguration Day. The other clip is a scene from the 1946 classic film "It's A Wonderful Life".
Doesn't Cheney Bear a striking resemblance to Henry Potter (the guy in the wheelchair played by Lionel Barrymore)? That's life imitating art! I'll stop there, and let you fill in the gaps as to what I mean.
The above clip is nothing unique. It's Arizona cardinals QB Kurt Warner being interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after the NFC Championship game. It's interesting how Kurt answers Bradshaw's question. He starts off by saying that we are tired of hearing about Christian faith. But, he also said that he never gets tried of talking about it. So are Warner and society at an impasse?
This, as I aid, is nothing new. When Warner was the QB of my beloved St. Louis Rams, he was just as open about his faith there. And this, I think, kind of grated on people after a while. I always wondered about that. Even I had issues with his theology at times.
But here's the rub. We, as Americans, and as Westerners, have been conditioned to believe, teach, and confess that religion and faith are private matters, best kept out of the spotlight of our lives. Or worse, relegated only to the house of worship we choose to attend. As a result, society has taught us to be uncomfortable with PDFs. That is, Public Displays of Faith.
Many people engage in PDFs. It's just that most are understated and easy to do. Examples of this would be wearing a religious symbol on your neck or lapel, certain types of clothing or attire, a bumper sticker. Stuff like that. It's easy, and predictable. In my job as a Pastor, my PDFs fit into this description. No one bats an eye when they see me in my clergy collar or my vestments on Sunday morning. Even when I tell someone that Jesus loves them, or we'd love to have them join us at church, they expect it. Some might even say, "Well, you're paid to say that." And yet, when we see Kurt Warner (or other high-profile people) so blatantly on fire with their faith, it produces all sorts of reactions in us.
It's easy to be cynical in this case too. It's easy to say, "Yeah, I'd probably be that happy about faith too if I was playing in the Super Bowl." But God is with us whether we are pro athletes or not. Whether our experiences and daily lives are going well or it seems like we are at the end of our ropes.
So, I find myself in an interesting situation. I now find myself rooting for the Arizona Cardinals to win the Super Bowl. After years of hating the Cards for leaving the STL, I now wish them all the success in the world.
This is due primarily to the QB, Kurt Warner. I'm totally in the tank for this guy. And yes, that's mostly because he used to be the Rams QB. And yes, because he was the Rams QB who won the Super Bowl. But, if that's not good enough, I don't know what is. (BTW, the pic of Kurt holding the trophy is from that magical Super Bowl!)
Good luck, Kurt! I know I'm not the only Rams fan pulling for you.
Let me say from the outset, that I receive no compensation for endorsing this product.
I first came across Metromint water at the Charlotte airport. I bought a bottle right before my flight back to Buffalo. I loved it from the first sip! It's perfect! There's a great mint flavor, plus a nice cooling sensation. Imagine my joy when I came across it at my local Wegman's! You should give it a try if you like mint. It's really good if it's ice cold. (You probably could have figured that out.)
I have discovered that the most enjoyable time for me to have one is at the very end of the day. Here's what I do: I am usually busy from 5-6 EST. So, I put Around The Horn and Pardon The Interruption on the DVR. I watch them right before bed with a Metromint. I got to bed totally relaxed and happy. A few pages out of whatever book I happen to be reading at the time, and I'm off to Dreamland.
There's a bunch of varieties, and I've only tried the Peppermint. But if Peppermint is any indication, I think I'd be satisfied with any of the varieties (though I'm not that big a fan of spearmint anyway).
So, I'm a bit behind the times. This cartoon came out in 1996-1997. I've recently started watching it. Since October,I've been examining the Incredible Hulk from a personal and theological perspective. I started with the 2008 movie. And this cartoon, I think, is as far as that's gonna go. I'm not going to get obsessed. But, I do find the Hulk to be a fascinating character.
As for the cartoon, I really liked it at first. But now, I'm just confused by it. if anyone can shed any light, please do so.
Enjoy the clip! Maybe I'll do a post on my observations at some point.
So, my beloved St. Louis Rams made a couple changes. They fired their whole coaching staff. This means that Jim Haslett (my personal pick) will not be the head coach. A total scorched-earth policy.
But, I remain cautiously optimistic. The rumor is that Leslie Frazier (defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings) is the fave candidate. Here's hoping he does a great job! All he has to do is win 6 games, and he'll have won more victories than the last 2 seasons combined.
The actual photograph above is Jim Haslett. Sorry it didn't work out coach. I was pulling for you.
I am officially back from vacation. I'm looking to get a good jump on the year. Hopefully 2009 will result in me losing 50 pounds, becoming a better preacher, and getting more organized. Just a few of the things I want to do in the coming year. So, let's enjoy the time together.
Hopefully, you enjoyed your stopovers at Habakkuk's Complaint in 2008. I'd like to say this blog will be bigger and better in '09, but I'm not sure how that would happen. Anyway, hope this year is good for you, as I expect it to be for me.
This blog marks the end of a hiatus. This blog has had many incarnations, some successful, some not so much.
Despite the title, I hope to not do much complaining. Most of this blog will be reactions and lists, thoughts and ideas.
This blog will probably not intoduce anything new or be very deep. In fact, most of what's on here will probably be quite inocuous and/or inane (to most of you anyway).
But, who knows? Maybe it'll give you something to talk about while you're bored.
