The Hiatus List- Volume 3

I don't know why this blog is hard for me to keep updated. I've been slightly more active on my theological blog. When I'm not busy with ministry issues, I've got plenty of other things to keep my interest. Some of it is inane, some of it is pretty big. So, here's a partial list of what's happened since February (my last post). The first one is the most important. After that, the events are in no particular order.

1. Got engaged (Wedding is Nov. 13)
2. Finally downloaded iTunes
3. Started a midweek Bible Study
4. Bought a Batman logo T-shirt
5. Persistent cat issues
6. Got a refund from the seminary
7. Had someone shadow me for a day
8. Bought paint samples
9. Put a shelf in the laundry room

On a completely different topic: I am not sure about continuing the movie reviews on this site. I might still do them, but I might not. I post them on my other blog, which is meant for preachers, rather than general consumption. It's a bit of work to do both, and there's inevitably some overlap. I suppose I could continue posting them, if only for the sake of posting something, with which, you, dear readers (assuming there are any left) can kill a few seconds. What are your thoughts on the issue?

The Haitus List- Volume 2

I know, I know...Been awhile. Lots of stuff happened in the time off. Here's a list of things that happened during that time. As always, the list is in no particular order.

1. Preached without notes
2. Got a KISS present from a complete stranger
3. Did ministry in a public school
4. Conducted the Johnny Cash service
5. Saw a Rams victory in Detroit
6. Finally got offended by something on "Family Guy"
7. Ate elk meat for the 1st time
8. Took the cat to the vet
9. Had lunch with a pal from the Organized Living days
10. Ate at a Brazilian steakhouse in Canada
11. Went through an "orange phase" (ongoing)
12. Saw Mini-KISS again
13. Bought tons of new T-shirts
14. Discussed films at the Lutheran Campus Ministry (UB)

That's not everything, but it gives you an idea of what's been going on. I've seen tons of movies as well. However, I won't be doing any film reviews until after Christmas.

The Actress List

I promised last October that I would do this list. Then, I kinda forgot about it. That 4-month hiatus didn't help much. Anyway, here's a list of my fave actresses. As always, the list is in no particular order.

1. Diane Keaton
2. Scarlett Johansson
3. Lauren Bacall
4. Faye Dunaway
5. Pam Grier
6. Meryl Streep
7. Janet Leigh
8. Mia Farrow
9. Liv Ullman

The Hiatus List

Sorry, dear readers for taking a couple months off. I've been extremely busy. I've also had any number of things happen to me. So, here's the list of things I can remember. As always, this list is in no particular order.

1. Served as a vacancy pastor
2. Won a golf tournament (with 3 other guys)
3. Started work on a D. Min degree
4. Helped at Confirmation Camp for Camp Pioneer
5. Bought some cool new T-shirts
6. Showed my friend Katie my seminary
7. Saw "Watchmen" 4 times
8. Had "cat issues"
9. Innundated Facebook friends with Jay Cutler stories
10. Went to the District Convention
11. Finally got to the Albright-Knox
12. Got addicted to Kan Jam
13. Started growing tomatoes
14. Got addicted to MonsterQuest
15. Got elated when any Boston sports team was bounced from the playoffs
16. Finally got use The Simpsons in minstry again
17. Finished redecorating the master bathroom
18. Got rid of a bunch of stuff

There's other things as well. I'll keep you posted.

The "I Miss..." List

So,I was thinking about the things I miss. By that I mean, stuff they used to make, I enjoyed, but now no longer do. As always, maybe some of your faves are on this list as well. If not, feel free to comment and leave your thoughts. This list is in no particular order.

1. Chocodiles
2. Snackwell's Chocolate Yogurt
3. Crystal Pepsi
4. McRib*
5. Nitro Cola
6. The Chicken Andouille Pasta at The Tap Room
7. The Critic
8. Hot Locust
9. Good cartoons on Saturday Morning

* I know the McRib surfaces periodically in different markets. I just would like it onthe menu permanently. While we're on this topic, I'd like Mickey D's to bring that Double Cheeseburger back to $1.

The Teams List

Here again, we have list that many (including myself) would be surprised to discover hasn't been published on here sooner. It's a lsit of all the sports teams I root for. Some I grew up watching, other I just jumped on the bandwagon. Regardless, they are just another facet of me. Anyway, this list encompasses a wide variety of teams and sports. Enjoy!

1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. St. Louis Rams
3. St. Louis Blues
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Erie Otters
7. Fredonia State Blue Devils
8. University of Nebraska
9. University of Buffalo
10. Los Angeles Lakers
11. Missouri River Otters*

This team actually no longer exists. But I still keep their memory alive.

The Brand-Name List

I usually don't get hung up on labels, designer or otherwise. Usually, the store brand or an off-brand is good enough for me. However, there are a few things I use both in my daily life and occasionally, where I do prefer the "brand name". Here's the list, in no particular order, as is usually the case unless otherwise noted:

1. Peter Pan peanut butter
2. Wrangler Jeans
3. Method cleaning products
4. Metromint bottled water
5. Silk soymilk
6. Meow Mix cat food*

*This is an interesting one. I won't say she prefers Meow Mix, but that's what she's been eating for so long, the cat is probably used to it. But, she eats a lot of it, so she must like it.

Two side notes:

A: Unless I'm feeling adventurous up here, I usually look for Labatt Blue, since Schlafly Beers aren't available up here.

B: I divide my shopping loyalties up here in western NY. But as far as national companies go, I prefer to shop at Home Depot, since they were good to me for 3 years.

The "Man-Crush" List

You all know what a "man crush" is, don't you? It's not like a regular crush. There's nothing romantic about it. It's where a guy just wants to hang out with a celebrity (however you define that term) and basically just be the guy's friend. Or to put it another way, it a level of fandom that still healthy, and has not yet reached creepy. Here's a list of my man-crushes:

1. Barack Obama
2. M. Night Shyamalan
3. Matt Groening
4. Woody Allen
5. Albert Pujols
6. Humphrey Bogart
7. Padraig Harrington
8. Tony Reali
9. Jeff (he knows who he is)
10. Steven Jackson
11. Peyton Manning
12. Brad Boyes

The NES Game List

I'm a big fan of the old 8-bit NES video game system. What can I say, I'm kinda old school, that way. I guess. It seems like the games were simpler. I can't get to level anything now. Anyway, here's a list of my fave games.

1. The Legend of Zelda
2. Super Mario Bros. 2
3. Megaman 2
4. Mike Tyson's Punch Out!
5. Duck Hunt
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
7. Excitebike
8. Dragon Warrior
9. Batman

The Book List

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

The Pundits List

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

The Directors List

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.

The Sports Nickname List

Not many of us get to play pro sports for a living. Which is OK by me. I mean, I'd be happy with a pro paycheck, but I wouldn't be the same if I weren't a pastor. Of the few that do play professionally, there is an even greater group. I'm speaking, of course, those that get nicknames. Here's a list of my faves. As always, the list is in no particular order.

1. The Polish Rifle (Ron Jaworski)
2. The Freak (Jevon Kearse)
3. The Big Hurt (Frank Thomas)
4. The Golden Jet (Bobby Hull)
5. The Great One (Wayne Gretzky)
6. The Fridge (William Perry)
7. The Wizard (Ozzie Smith)

I know this list is skewed to American sports. If any of my international dear readers have any nicknames abroad, please feel free to leave a comment. I also am aware that I am probably skipping some.

The Dinner List- Fictional Character Edition

"If you could have dinner with 3 people, living or dead, who would you pick?"

I love that question, but I can never really answer it. Sometimes I roll that question around in my head when I can't sleep. So, why not put it into a list? There's just too many to pick just 3 in any category. So, this list will actually be given in 3 parts at different times. 3 parts? yeah: living, dead, and fictional characters.

I've already cover those currently alive who I would like to dine with. I've also covered those who are no longer among the living. This is a list of fictional characters who fit the bill. Like all lists, this is in no particular order.

1. Lisa Simpson
2. Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon)
3. Rabo Karabekian (Breakfast of Champions)
4. Michael Corleone (The Godfather trilogy)
5. Billy Jack
6. Jean Valjean (Les Miz)
7. Don John (Much Ado About Nothing)
8. Obi-Wan Kenobi
9. Indiana Jones
10. George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)
11. Bruce Banner/The Hulk

The Mike Shannon List

Admittedly, Nik and I have shared a good many laughs at Mike Shannon's expense. So, here's a list of people's names that I would probably pay money to hear Mike Shannon say. If you're unclear about why this list is funny, email me, or ask any local St. Louis Cardinals fan. As always, the list is in no particular order. Also, most of these people are football players.

1. Ben Roethlisberger
2. TJ Houshmanzadeh
3. Oshimago Atogwe
4. Nnamdi Asomugha
5. Adawale Ogunleye
6. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
7. Charlie Dooley (shout out to Nik!)

If you have other suggestions, feel free to comment.

The Depressing Movie List

Every now and then, sometimes people just need to be sad or have a good cry. Maybe that makes me overly-sensitive. Regardless, I need that sometimes. And when I'm in that mood, I have a list of films that I find really depressing that I turn to. (An enneagram 4 thinks aesthetically, remember.) These are in no particular order.

1. The Seventh Seal
2. Cold Mountain
3. The Deer Hunter
4. No Country For Old Men
5. Taxi Driver
6. Interiors
7. Crimes and Misdemeanors
8. Leaving Las Vegas

After viewing these movies, there's always a lingering question for me. Which is more depressing, the movie itself or the fact that people really are like this.

I should mention, however, there are 2 films which depress me, but are omitted from the list. They are: The Hours and Schindler's List. I omitted them for obvious reasons.

The Dinner List- Deceased Edition

"If you could have dinner with 3 people, living or dead, who would you pick?"

I love that question, but I can never really answer it. Sometimes I roll that question around in my head when I can't sleep. So, why not put it into a list? There's just too many to pick just 3 in any category. So, this list will actually be given in 3 parts at different times. 3 parts? yeah: living, dead, and fictional characters.

I've already cover those currently alive who I would like to dine with. So, no I present some folks who fit this category, but are, sadly, no longer among us. Like all lists, this is in no particular order.

1. St. John the Evangelist
2. Greg Freeman
3. Humphrey Bogart
4. Martin Luther King, Jr.
5. Julia Child
6. Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)
7. John Lennon
8. Kate Chopin
9. Langston Hughes
10. Martin Luther*
11. Henri Nouwen
12. Rod Serling

* I think I'm required to put him on the list. Either way, he's fascinating.

Stay tuned for the 3rd and final installment of this list, where I identify fictional characters with whom I'd like to have dinner.

The Buffalo List

So, I've been in western NY for a little over a year. And, I'll be completely honest here. Small town life took some getting used to. However, I do believe that God provides us with blessings even in the darkest of times. So, while I may complain about snow and such, there's plenty about this area that I love. So, here's a list of my fave things about Buffalo and the surrounding communities. No particular order.

1. The Anchor Bar
2. Shredd and Ragan (103.3 The Edge)
3. Bills and Sabres
4. Bills and Sabres fans
5. Canada is close
6. Scenic beauty
7. Best wings in the universe
8. The beef on weck sandwich
9. Aunt Rosie's Loganberry
10. Wine Country
11. Cassadaga Country Club
12. Niagara Falls

The Actor List

If you're even a casual reader of this blog, you know that movies are a big part of my existence. You also know, it's tough to have a flick without actors. Here's a list of my favorite actors. Keep in mind, I said favorite. Not the best, not your favorite. Mine. Some are still living and working, some are no longer among us. Again, no particular order. Enjoy!

1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Denzel Washington
3. Basil Rathbone
4. Boris Karloff
5. Frank Sinatra
6. Leonardo DiCaprio
7. Paul Giamatti
8. Anthony Hopkins
9. Javier Bardem
10. Michael Caine

PS: I'm not discriminating here. An "Actress List" is forthcoming.

The Vocation List

I think the Lutheran doctrine of vocation is one of the most beautiful, but most underrated and undertaught doctrines that we have to offer. Basically, the teaching is that God calls us to various things. Each of us has a specific set of tasks that God gives us to do. Here's my list of vocations.

I am a/an:

1. pastor
2. son
3. brother/half-brother
4. friend
5. nephew
6. boyfriend
7. chaplain