Monthly Archives: April 2007

A Different RandomPokes

I set up Google Alerts to notify me anytime the search engine runs across the name “RandomPokes.” In that way, I learn about places that are linking or referring to my commercial site or to this blog.

Today, I was informed about a bulletin board post by “RandomPokes” in a discussion of the movie “Brokeback Mountain.” If my parents stumbled across this (or, heaven forbid, my coworkers or any number of United Brethren ministers and laypersons), they might be a bit concerned. Here’s what I found, amidst a rather long discussion of the film:

Post by RandomPokes on Mar 30, 2007, 8:31pm

A close friend of mine recommended the film awhile back so yeah I’ve seen it. It was alright but the first romantic scene was way too sudden and graphic. A kiss would’ve just worked out first jeez…

Heh I had to pause the movie every five minutes to make sure my dad wasn’t listening in. (he’s homophobic, but knows my best friend is gay >_>)

I did cry at the end, however, so it was still good good movie imo.

So, Mom and Dad–I’ve not seen the movie, and if I did, I doubt that I would have cried at the end.

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CNN’s Show on Religion

Last night I watched CNN’s show “What Would Jesus Really Do?”, hosted by Roland Martin. It was one of the best news shows on religion I’ve ever seen, and very positive toward Christians.

Martin started by interviewing T. D. Jakes and Paula White. I’m not a fan of anyone who appears on TBN shows with Jan White in the background, but I do admire Paula White’s communication skills. She did okay, but Jakes was very impressive and definitely has gravitas.

Martin next interviewed Jerry Falwell, then a black pastor from Texas, and finally, Rick Warren. Warren has developed into a wonderful representative of evangelicals, though he doesn’t try to be their spokesperson (a role Jerry Falwell and James Dobson have seemingly tried to claim over the years).

Martin asked each person a version of this question: “If Jesus were alive and walking around today, where would he be focusing his attention? What would he be doing?”

Each person gave it a twist based on his own interests. Warren said, “I think Jesus would be hanging around people with AIDS. Jesus spent time with lepers, and people with AIDS are the lepers of today.”

Warren also said he believes it’s a sin to die rich; that money is something to be used for God’s glory, not hoarded.

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Don’t Move, and I’ll Let You Breathe

Heard a great story of good triumphing over evil this morning.

Randy Fennig pastors our United Brethren church in Springfield, Ohio, and is preparing to head to Sierra Leone as a missionary. This weekend, he and his wife visited a daughter in Spain, while their two sons stayed back in Springfield.

A career criminal broke into the parsonage. He disturbed the cat, which woke up the sons, both of whom are wrestlers. They apprehended the criminal. One son put the thief in an illegal wrestling hold and told him, “Let me offer you an arrangement. If you don’t move, I’ll let you breathe.”

The guy was evidently still breathing when the police arrived and hauled him to jail.

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March Winds Bring April…Snow Flurries?

Snowing outside. Had some huge flakes yesterday, but today it’s actually been accumulating. Not much, but hey, it’s supposed to be spring! I was going to mow my yard today!

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Sanjayah–Rising Above

I’m ready to get on the Sanjayah bandwagon. Earlier, when better singers got voted off and the judges showed their displeasure that Sanjayah was remaining, I felt sorry for him. He had a hang-dog look, and I felt like he would probably be relieved when he finally got let go.

But the kid has spunk. He’s making the best of the situation, milking it for all it’s worth. He’s not trying to wow the judges with his singing, but playing to the crowd with showmanship. I loved his little dance with Paula last week. And who isn’t curious about what he’ll do with his hair next? He turned an object of ridicule into a huge asset.

So, I say, “Go Sanjayah! You’re caught in forces way beyond your control, and you’re making the most of it. I salute your spunk.”

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The Other Easter Resurrectees

Last night at church, we discussed the crucifixion scene in Matthew 27. We talked some about verses 52-53, which say, “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

We kind of skip over this part when talking about the Holy Week events. Why is that? Seems like a pretty significant thing to me. And it raises all kinds of questions.

  • How long had some of these people been dead? Months? Years? Decades?
  • It says the tombs “broke open.” Did people notice this? Did they go check out the situation and find them empty, or find formerly dead people walking around?
  • These dead people came to life, but didn’t go into the city until after Jesus rose from the dead. Why the wait? What did they do in the meantime? What did they do for food? Were they hanging around Jesus’ tomb, waiting for him to come to life? If so, did it freak out the women, when they came to the tomb?
  • It says these people “appeared” to many people. Did they stick around, or disappear? Did they also ascend into heaven, or did they continue living and eventually die again? Did any of them marry and have kids, who would perhaps be contemporaries of their own great-grandkids? What did they do for a living? Were they there when Jesus ascended into heaven?
  • What influence did these people have on the early church? The Bible doesn’t refer to them, but they must have been hanging around somewhere.
  • Did these people believe in Jesus? They were “holy” people, but probably some never knew Jesus when they were alive (either because they lived before Christ, or they just didn’t have the opportunity to run into him). Did they have to be “converted” to Christ (away from Judaism)?

There is a whole lot between the lines of these two verses.

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Three Novels from the Bad Guy’s Perspective

3books.jpgHere are three good novels I’ve read in the last year. All are somewhat similar in that the protagonist becomes a murderer.

Two of the books are told first-person by the killer, which is interesting. Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me (1952) is narrated by a sheriff who is also a psychopathic killer, able to kill without conscience. An insurance agent tells the story in James Cain’s Double Indemnity (1936); he plans and carries out the murder of a woman’s husband (with her as his accomplice).

Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith (1950), was made into an Alfred Hitchcock movie. This story is told second-person, but primarily from the viewpoint of a man who gets caught up in something he can’t get out of.

In all three books, you watch events close in on the killers. This is especially interesting in the Thompson and Cain books, where the killer is telling the tale.

All three books are old, which means they are a lot cleaner than contemporary fare. But though I read plenty of current novels, I’ve not read one written from the point of view of the criminal himself.

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Disappointments at Starbucks

I went to Starbucks twice last week. Both days, they were still brewing the decaf and I’m not inclined to wait several minutes; one day I left, the other I reluctantly settled for something different. Today, both their decaf and bold were the Komodo Dragon coffee, which is way too strong for me, so I decided to skip getting coffee today. I needed some Lightnote coffee ground–but I couldn’t find any decaf bags. So I left.

That’s three consecutive disappointing visits to Starbucks. Just shouldn’t happen.

Oh, the travails of living in 21st Century America!

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