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blogs & xbox cultural ramblings
Change number 32 on the Blog Design
April 17, 2012 – 12:30 pm
I loved my old design but the truth of the matter was – I was spending more time on trying to find the right picture than the right word.
And that’s not what I started this blog in the first place.
So a renewed focus on writing and thinking…not worrying about the pictures. Sorry for the last few months of distraction on that.
I’ve got a lot to catch up on…
Facebook Official
July 14, 2011 – 2:34 pm
“It’s Facebook official.”
Apparently this is the new standard for us. Need to know if a couple is really a couple or still a couple? Need to know if a friend has that new job or not? Want to figure out if someone is mad at you or not? Want to know if the new movie is worth seeing or wait until it hits redbox?
Let’s go to Facebook and check, shall we?
This phrase has now become part of our American lexicon. Along side “Do you want fries with that?” and “Here or to-go?”
Just observing…
In Fairness To Rob
April 8, 2011 – 11:40 am
It doesn’t answer all of his critics…don’t think that ever happens for anybody, let alone Rob Bell…but apparently he stood up at his church recently and let this fly.
Not sure if this really changes any of the discussions…maybe it does. I still think he is one of the most provocative and interesting teachers of my generation.
Rob Bell, Universalism, and Hell
March 3, 2011 – 2:54 pm
So I get back to the country and I get a few emails and texts asking me about my position on hell and universalism. I admit, I was very confused at first and was like… “The trip was great. Thanks for asking.”
Come to find out that while I was out of country Rob Bell decides to start promoting a book that will come out on March 15th titles “Love Wins: A book about Heaven, Hell and the fate of every person who ever lived.”
Here’s a quote from the Washington Post on the subject:
Justin Taylor, vice president of editorial at Crossway, wrote a blog post suggesting that Bell had become a universalist and was moving “farther and farther away from anything resembling biblical Christianity.” (Universalism asserts that all people will be saved and that an eternal hell is not a part of God’s plan for a new heaven and new earth.) In response, Pastor John Piper issued a tweet that linked to the post and added, “Farewell Rob Bell,” suggesting that such a position disqualifies Bell from Christian fellowship. Neither Taylor nor Piper have read the book in question. (Emphasis mine.)
So…to sum up. Rob Bell makes a cool video about his upcoming book by asking provocative questions that intelligent people have asked for centuries…questions like how does billions of people going to hell prove that God is love? He doesn’t answer the questions in the video because…well…because he never does and he’s trying to sell books. And instead of reading the book or waiting for the book, we roast Rob Bell over the coals for what MIGHT be his answers even though we don’t really know what his answers may really be?
And all of this gets played out in front of the whole world via Twitter, Facebook, blog posts and mainline news outlets? Instead of face to face conversations and waiting for the actual book to come out?
Sounds…really…mature.
I think I’ll just wait for the book.
The Super Bowl as a Cultural Strep Test
February 7, 2011 – 10:01 am
I do think the Super Bowl has become the 3rd most significant event on the US calendar. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Super Bowl are pretty much the only 3 times a year everybody is doing and watching the same thing.
The Super Bowl is unique of them all in that it is the only one that really gives the world a fairly unvarnished look at our culture…and this year it wasn’t pretty. Let me break it down for you — (cue LL Cool J)
Pre-Game
Did you get enough of the words “redemptive” and “Ben Roethlisberger?” If the Steelers had won, it would NOT have meant anything in regards to the redemption of Big Ben. Let’s bring this topic up in a few years and have more than just 10 months of evidence to go on. If Big Ben has gotten his life turned around, found God, got a girlfriend — great. Proof will be shown over course of time. Not because he’s won another Super Bowl.
Commercials
Overall, they are just getting more and more crass. I realize this makes me sound like an old fuddy-duddy but I just don’t find cans of soda shot at a man’s groin funny. Or a valentine card commenting on a woman’s chest funny. Or Joan Rivers… I was debating which should I do when I saw the Joan Rivers/Go Daddy ad – throw up or poke me eyes out with an ice pick. Speaking of which – Jillian Michaels and Faith Hill took a huge dive in my respect category after those ads. And even Eminem as a cartoon was intense. Good to see ole’ Jim Shady has even gone corporate with Sprite and Chrysler.
But it wasn’t all bad. VW hit it out of the park with their two ads – Darth Vader and the Beetle. Doritos continued their brilliance giving us one of the most awkward, uncomfortable moments in commercial history – licking the fingers of another man.
Entertainment
Is it too much to ask our entertainers who are already completely out of touch with the rest of America, to at least know the words of our national anthem? How about just for the sake of professionalism? It’s a song, it has words, if you are going to sing the song — know the words. Not hard.
Black Eye Peas — pretty much lame city. Great first song then crashed from there. Slash provided a glimpse of hope but then it faded. Usher then helped and made us all wonder why didn’t he do the whole show? It’s a shame, too. But once again — style seemed to trumped substance once again.
Fox Coverage of Game
At first I thought it was going to be the worse coverage of a Super Bowl I’d ever seen. I don’t want to see A Rod and Cameron Diaz feeding each other popcorn. I don’t care if Madden is texting right next to President Bush. Don’t really see how John Travolta added anything to the game. The first quarter seemed to spend more time on star watching than the game.
Then all of a sudden it was like the producer remembered that this is first and foremost a football game. And it got much better from the 2nd quarter on. Even though they missed a few key replays and a penalty, very nice recovery and finish.
What Am I Trying To Say?
I’m saying that the coverage and spectacle of the Super Bowl gives us a deeper insight into our culture. Some of it is disturbing, some of it isn’t. But the messages aren’t neutral, they never are neutral.
Now to travel the sports equivalent of Purgatory until football cranks back up again…
Rowland Smith…is he back?
January 24, 2011 – 11:32 am
There is no hiding my man-crush (bromance) with Rowland Smith. Never mind the fact that I am the only person on the planet that calls him “Row” or that he will allow to call him “Row.” Never mind the fact that he completely rocks the metro-sexual worship pastor quiz. He is writing again and that is always a good thing. It’s better than a good thing, it’s a great thing.
Here is his blog and this is his latest post. Just go read it and start following his blog. I promise you will be challenged both personally AND in your understanding of worship.
If you don’t know Rowland, let me give you a short introduction. He’s the most talented worship leader I’ve ever worked with. This talent causes both elation and frustration for those who work with him. There is no way around this and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s what drives us deeper in our understanding of God, deeper in our worship of Him. It’s what helps create memorable worship experiences that become spiritual markers for people.
I promise you this – if you start reading Rowland (and let’s pray he continues to write for a while…), you will be challenged. And let’s be honest, we need this.
His post today is outstanding. Check him out.
6 Years of Blogging…Now What?
November 12, 2010 – 7:59 am
When I started doing this, I had little to no clue what I was doing and even less to say. Yet, 6 years later I’m still writing, still changing the look of the site when I get bored with it, and still playing Halo. Some random bits of information to forget once you’re done reading this…
1. The average life span for a blog is around 8 months. I just made that statistic up but it sounds true, doesn’t it? I’m not even sure if it’s a researchable stat or not. I’m just saying that to keep a blog moving along for 6 years is pretty cool.
2. I’ve got to watch Alabama win 4 national championships in my lifetime (1978, 1979, 1992, 2009). Only one of them while this blog has been in existence. Auburn still has none. I must write this now because come January of 2011 that might not be true.
3. The Broncos have morphed from one of the most respected, winning organizations to the joke that it is now.
4. I’m more in awe of God now than ever. This is obviously better than the alternative of being more jaded. His grace still astounds me in its scope and power. He continues to allow me to see lives changed. And I’m humbled by this.
5. I’ve written 1,983 posts. There have been 6,183 comments. Most of them insightful. Oh, who am I kidding. Most of them have been funny and witty. A handful have been insightful and most them weren’t by me.
6. I’ve been spammed 212,243 times.
The word on the street may be that blogging is so early 2000 but I think I’ll keep at it. It helps me process. It keeps me focused. And I’ve met so many of you through this and am a better man because of you.
Thanks for inviting me in on your life the past 6 years. The best is yet to come.
New Look on Website Checklist
September 18, 2010 – 10:57 pm
I need to give some link love to the guys over at Graph Paper Press. They have got some sweet looking themes – some for free, some for not. All just sick looking and they have some kind of KU connection because their default pics all involve a Jayhawk. So Rock Chalk and if you are in the market for a new wordpress theme — check ‘em out.
This is the 6th or 7th time I’ve completely redone the theme at the G Sides and we’ve come a longggg way since the Blogger days. Any of you still remember those days?? At any rate — still have a few things to take care of before I’m happy with the new site.
Increase number of pics in banner from 5 to 10.
Fix connect drop down to include twitter, linkedin, facebook, and message archive online.
Fix archive page.
Fix blogroll/blogs I dig page.
update gravatar.
Edit/narrow categories.
Add flickr to social connect dropdown.
Get number of views on posts
Add cool photo plugin that Graph paper runs.
Fix gallery settings of Fancybox.
add mobile version of website
What about the footer? Keep it as is? Or add one column to format and put the stuff in the column?
Football thoughts and a new look at the G sides
September 13, 2010 – 4:37 pm
It was a weekend of football and that gave me time during commercials and halftimes to throw down a new look on the blog. I like it and will be tweaking it over the next few weeks, getting it all spiffy. I was due for a change…I like change.
Alabama
Tide looked strong and more balanced on offense than they have ever been. It’s obvious that the defense has 9 new starters and will make some mistakes but so far they’ve had the talent to overcome them. 2-0 and off to a great start.
Denver Broncos
About what I thought. Offense is better, defense can be run rough shod over, and they still make bonehead mistakes and penalties in crunch time. WR’s will be fine without Marshall, Orton is a good QB but not great enough to overcome mistakes. At least we didn’t look like the Raiders…
SEC vs. ACC vs. Big Ten
SEC is still the top level football conference. ACC was the talk of the gurus being the next in line. After what happened to VT and Georgia Tech and Miami and Florida State this weekend, I think all that talk can now subside. The Big Ten (which is now 12 while the Big 12 will soon be 10…irony…) is really the next line and will push the SEC for football dominance. Ohio State looks great and the rest of the conference looks pretty decent – Penn State, MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa.
New Blog Look
It’s a slick look and I like it. Most folks read this through a RSS reader or Facebook so I’m not sure what exactly the pay off is of having a slick website other than first impressions and bragging rights. Will update pics regularly.
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