the lost experience

Did you watch Lost last night? (PLEASE don't tell me you watched that OTHER show with the judges and the singers and the phone numbers!!) Anyway, it was really good and really disturbing. I don't know how they are doing it, but every time they reveal a "secret" they get you curious about three new ones.

In case you haven't seen it yet, check out this blog to learn about what is called "the Lost Experience." Apparently there is a whole online reality that has been created by the producers (which they deny, by the way). Lots of hidden clues and information, even a book that you can buy that is supposedly written by a man who was on the plane that crashed into the island (Sawyer is reading the manuscript in one of the recent episodes).

the newest iPod accessory

My birthday is coming up. Maybe someone should buy me this.

The "iPod integration" into every aspect of life amazes me. Talk about a cultural revolution.

Barry

You like watching baseball? I do. I have many fond memories of listening to Astros games on an old radio when I was a kid. I remember Barry Bonds in his prime with the Pirates. He won a couple of MVPs, hit for average, stole a ton of bases and, yes, could knock the ball out of the park.

I have to admit, I want Barry to be innocent. Maybe it is because I don't want to believe that the beloved national pastime can be marred by cheating on such a mass scale. Maybe it's because I believe that IF (this is totally hypothetical) Barry Bonds were somehow proven to be innocent...then he would be the greatest player ever to step up to the plate.

Anyway, if you are interested in the whole Barry Bonds situation like I am, then you will probably really enjoy this ESPN article. Apparently Patrick Hruby (the writer) did a bunch of reasearch to try to determine an approximate number of home runs that Barry would have hit without Steriods. Of course, it's not to be taken too seriously...it's all guesswork. BUT, I think it proves the point that Barry Bonds would have still been one of the greatest players of all time without the drugs. And that, my friends, is a tragedy.

the 10 commandments [of myspace] audio

Since I am still catching up from Ruston, you must excuse my tardiness in posting the final talk of the IM or am i? series. It is titled, "the 10 commandments [of myspace]" from 05/07/06. You can download it by visiting our audio page. Just click on this banner.

Interactive Map/Timeline Thingy

The Times-Picayune just posted an interactive timeline/map of exactly how the city flooded. It is an eye-opener...and a little scary since it reminds you of some type of military invasion. Check it out here.

out of town

We (that is, Doug, Crystal, Sam and Zach) are heading to north Louisiana for a couple of days. We leave tomorrow morning (Monday) and come back on Thursday. We will be staying with the Trauths in Ruston and will see the Burtons and all of the LaTech students from Berean. Keep us in your prayers. Traveling with two little boys can be quite a chore. To make things even more complicated, they both appear to be coming down with something. It is currently 10:30pm and Zach just woke himself up with a really bad cough.

United 93

Crystal and I made a rare trip to the movie theater last night to see United 93. Wow. We were impacted greatly.

I have been thinking a lot about the movie, and my mind had gone in a million directions. So, rather than writing a review, I have a couple of random thoughts:

• Many have questioned this film. Are we still too close to the actual events? Will this film be a chance for someone to push their political agenda? Will the circumstances of Flight 93 be trivialized? All I have to say is this film has somehow steered clear of all of these possible pitfalls. It is accurate and honorable.
• There is not one actor in this movie with which you are familiar. In fact, many of the roles are played not by actors but by the real life people who were working on Sept. 11, 2001. This adds to the realism and the "non-hollywoodesque" feel to the movie.
  
• Paul Greengrass was the perfect choice to direct this movie. If you have seen The Bourne Supremacy (which he also directed), you know that his style is gritty and real. He loves to use handheld cameras, which gives his films a "documentary-like" feel. That style worked sooo perfectly for this story.
• I expected that experiencing this movie would make me revisit my feelings on those fateful days in early September 2001. That didn't exactly happen. I think that for most of us, we felt so helpless as we watched this whole thing unfold on our television screens. Greengrass seems to have intentionally avoided showing that perspective. Every scene is seen through the eyes of someone who was in the middle of this. You are forced to view this story through the eyes of someone who has the opportunity to act.
• Speaking of perspective, as we talked after the movie, Crystal and I realized that we each took totally different perspectives. I found myself in the plane, questioning whether or not I would be able to act with such courage. Crystal, having read Lisa Beamer's book, found herself in the place of the family member at home who helplessly talks on the phone with their loved-one for the final time. While I was very emotional, I felt like I had just been injected with pure adrenaline. My will to survive was kicked into high gear and I was ready to fight for my existence. Going back to the previous point, this is not what I expected. Titanic is a tragic story that left you cold and numb. United 93 is a courageous story that almost excites you.
  
• The pacing of the narrative is perfect. The film moves rather slowly, and you already know exactly what is going to happen. So, you spend most of the movie waiting for the hijackers to act, and then waiting for the passengers to respond.
  
• Speaking of timing, I didn't realize this, but the length of the film is supposed to be realtime. The film is 121 minutes long. I guess that is about the amount of time it took for all of this to occur.
• It's rated R. That is for violence and language. I personally would have no qualms taking a teenager to see it. I think it is worth the experience and the ensuing discussion.
  

Anyway, that is all I have time for now. Needless to say, I highly recommend the movie.

"othercotting" Da Vinci Code

There is an article over at Christianity Today that is asking evangelicals to "othercott" the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie. It is a call for Christians to go to the theaters on opening weekend and to see another movie. He recommends the Dreamworks animated feature Over the Hedge.

I think that is an interesting and creative idea.

5 nike cycle

The audio from Sunday night (04/30) is up. Week 5 of the IM or am i? series is called "the nike cycle." Click on the banner to visit the Connection Audio page.

online TV

"Hey, have you seen that commercial?"

How many times have you been asked that question? How many times have you asked that question?

It is pretty scary how much 30 second advertisements have infiltrated our lives and our culture. Some are clever, some are annoying and some you simply can't get out of your head.

Let me give you a piece of advice. If you are in the midst of casual conversation with me...don't ask me about commercials anymore. It's not that I find them offensive or something (although, when you think about it, maybe...). I just don't ever see them anymore.

And I don't miss them.

One of the reasons we wanted to get TiVo was so that we could avoid watching live TV. I mean, we never watch live TV. When I flop down on the couch. I don't flip through the channels...I scroll through our playlist.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who is avoiding commercials. The networks are feeling a hit and are trying to find alternative methods of force-feeding us advertising. One of the more creative ideas to come down the pike is ABC's new "full episode streaming." As of yesterday, you can now watch full episodes of four of ABC's most popular programs (Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias, and Commander in Chief) anytime you want for free.

So what's the catch? You have to watch commercials. They are using the term "limited commercials." Basically, every commercial break is one 30 second commerical that ends with a clickable banner ad.

That's cool. Although I won't really need to use it.

Thanks TiVo.