Filed under: Indiana Jones, Movies, Random Junk, Rants, Star Wars | Tags: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars
There are always some childhood dreams that are inevitably going to be crushed. ***Spoiler Warning*** In my short time here on earth I have learned that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus are not real. I now know can’t live on a diet of M&M’s and Jolt Cola and not get diabetes (or at least fat). What goes up must come down; that pertains to kites, bottle rockets, baseballs and pectoral muscles (this phenomenon is known to create moobs).
Another one I learned several years ago was that there was apparently know way to find out what Darth Vader was like as a kid and adolescent without sitting through the abominations that were Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith was the best of the worst and that isn’t saying a lot. I blame George Lucas for crushing the dream that was Star Wars. I loved it as a kid. I loved Luke Skywalker. I loved Chewbacca. I loved to hate Darth Vader. Most of all, I loved Han Solo. One thing I am thankful for is that he was not in the prequels or my view of him would be forever tainted.
As we all know, Han Solo was played by one, Harrison Ford. He is the only person I can think of that has played two iconic figures in two of the greatest geek trilogies filmed. He WAS Han Solo and he WAS Indiana Jones. I was so excited, yet I had my apprehensions about it since George Lucas was involved. My apprehensions were spot on.
Apparently, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are The Constructicons of Hollywood and they combine to form the Devastator of childhood dreams (I know there has been a lot of geek talk here but if you stay with me I guarantee there will be an end). First Star Wars and now Indy. What’s next, E.T. 2: Elliot in Space? How about Saving Private Ryan: James’ Revenge?
Is it not enough that our movie heroes get old in the real world? At least we can suspend our disbelief for a little while and believe that Indy can still handle a whip. At least we can save the vine swinging for the Tarzan movies and the army of monkeys to The Wizard of Oz or Planet of the Apes. At least the Indy I grew up with delivered sharp dialogue instead of the garbage I was subjected to last night.
Maybe I set my standards too high. Maybe I was expecting way too much. Is that my fault or the filmmakers? Should I have to lower my expectations to enjoy a movie that could and should have been a whole lot better? No.
So my suggestion is for George Lucas to retire. Mr. Lucas has double, triple and quadruple dipped his hands into the public’s pocket for years with his umpteen different “definitive” releases of Star Wars. He has enough money. STOP MAKING BAD MOVIES!!!
Mr. Spielberg, I know you two are buddies and all but the man has lost it. Don’t let him influence you anymore. Hang out at barbeques and talk about your millions but don’t make another film with him involved. Please, you aren’t getting any more of my money if you do.
My mom came out to visit me and the wife over the weekend. We had a really nice time. I think I did more shopping Saturday, Sunday and Monday than I have in the last year. We went to the nursery for plants, the outlet mall for clothes and Salado for antiques. Everybody bought stuff but me. I was really just along for the ride.
It was really good to hang with my mom and wife. They get along really well and that makes me very happy. My dad had loads of yard work to get to so he stayed home. I wish he could have come too.
Speaking of yard work; my mom said something that really stuck with me. She said she was really surprised and impressed by how nice our yard looks. Cheri and I spend HOURS nearly every weekend working in the yard doing something new to make it look good. My mom just couldn’t believe I would spend that much time doing that.
My mom also told me she couldn’t see me being married, owning paying for a home and having a dog. Basically, she was surprised I had turned into a relatively grounded and responsible adult. Not surprised like shocked, but surprised, you know what I mean?
I have to give the credit to God first and foremost. He is the one that saved me from the apocalyptical direction I was heading. I began listening to wisdom calling out to me, the simple. That wisdom which God spoke to me through my parents and pastors.
I’m glad I surprised my mom.
Proverbs 9:4-6, 10
“Let all who are simple come in here!”
she says to those who lack judgment.
“Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Someone found my blog recently by searching for “severe gas pain.” I am wondering if I am blogging about the wrong subject matter these days.
Oh my goodness! I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Someone found my blog by searching for….drum roll please….
“FART KNOCKER”
I don’t know how someone found me like that but that is fantastic.
Yes sir, here I am! I’m your huckleberry.
Will you please pray for my friend? His wife is having some serious heath issues (she was taken to the ER this morning) and we are agreeing in prayer that God will give the doctors wisdom to correctly diagnose the problem, He will give comfort to her and the family and above all that He will heal her condition.
Thanks for your prayers.
Filed under: XBOX 360, Youth Ministry | Tags: Blazer Tag Austin, Rock Band, Taqueria la Tapatia, Yard of the Month
It is now day 3 of my recovery from ‘Guy Night’, the all guys lock-in I had for the youth this weekend. I stayed up until four o’clock playing Rock Band. They stayed up even longer. We woke up at nine-ish and went for breakfast tacos…ummm barbacoa. After that we played lazer tag.
We had a lot of fun but I am plumb worn out. When I got home Cheri and I worked in the yard. We worked in the yard until nine o’clock…the next day! That’s cool though, the next person to own my house is totally going to win yard of the month one day.
I read recently about the sale of pottery in ancient times. Apparently, some of the jicky pottery dealers would sell the broken stuff. They would piece it together and seal it with wax then later paint the pottery so that the repaired cracks couldn’t be seen. The pottery looked great but the problem with wax is that it has a tendency to melt. So, what happened when folks set the pots at the end of their driveway and summer rolled around? That’s right, the pots fell apart leaving a shattered mess for Dad to drive over in his brand new 732 AD Olds Wagon. (For the few of you that may think I don’t realize that Oldsmobile wasn’t around in 732 AD, I do. I think Studebaker was big back then though.)
Anyway, I was thinking about this a lot this morning on the way to work. We are like jars of clay. Most of us have been broken at one time or anther and possibly still are. When we try to “fix” ourselves we are putting the pieces together with wax. We paint over the damage so no one will know. The problem is, just like the potteries sold in ancient times, when the heat gets turn up we have a tendency to fall apart again.
Jesus came to fix us (Mark 2:17). He is the master potter and the only one that can fix us. When we are going through hard times, when we, a friend or family member are sick, when all hope seems lost, Jesus can fix us.
Filed under: Uncategorized
A special shout out to my pastor, Tony. He has been blessed with a copious amount of grace and encouragement and has put it to good use with me several times over the last couple of years. Thank you.
Filed under: Christianity, Legacy Fellowship, Prayer, Religion, Youth Ministry, church, conviction, wisdom
I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, which is to say I screwed up. We had our monthly Wednesday night meeting with the youth that we affectionately refer to as Youth on the Loose. Seven kids showed up. Seven. I am not complaining too much as we only had five last month. As a matter of fact, mathematically we had a 40% increase from last month. That looks fantastic mathematically.
It’s not the kids fault really. It’s my fault. I need a promotions director but since we are in no place to hire one I am stuck with, well, me. I need to get the kids pumped up and excited about coming to our monthly meetings. We actually have fun. I even think the kids have fun.
So, why aren’t they inviting kids? Is it the building? Is it the games? Is it the food? No. It’s all me. I am the reason they haven’t invited kids. I haven’t promoted enough. I need to talk to them individually, en masse, via email, via myspace (I hate myspace…but I have two, mine and the youth one), via postcards, text-messages (they love that junk), phone calls and I need to give them cool invitations to give to their friends.
Filed under: Christianity, Conviction Hurts, Daily Living, Friends, Jesus, Relationships, Religion, conviction, wisdom
I went to my friend’s house the other day only to find him working. It was about eleven o’clock at night. My friend is a bit of a workaholic to say the least. I would recon that he stayed in his temple worshipping office working for another hour or so. I even said as much but even less Jesus-like and a lot snider.
I thought about this for a while and realized that I have a major character flaw here. I prayed this morning for my friend and while I was praying I told God that I knew for certain that I was jacked up too and I hope some jacked up person out there was praying for me too.
As I prayed and prayed I resolved to stop being such a jerk. People think sarcasm is funny; the people using it. The people at the butt of sarcastic jokes don’t think they are that funny. I’m relatively vertically challenged and have been the butt of several jokes about it. For years I hated the jokes but learned to not care grew thick skin.
I am supposed to be a Godly man. I don’t want people to learn to put up their guard when they see me coming. I want them to know that I am not going to bring up their character flaws and/or sin and throw it in their faces. I want them to know that I will certainly pray for their problems. I want them to know that I don’t consider myself any better than them.
