Local church goers risk life and limb to attend Grace Central!

Local news can be a bit dramatic. But we appreciate the free publicity!

Ivy & The Whole Family

Ohio Duo's Latest Effort Recieves Five Star Rating

February 1st at 12:31 am Charity gave birth to our fourth child, and second daughter. Her name is Ivy Jane. She is short and round with brown fuzzy hair and a pointy little elfin chin. 20.5" & 7 pounds 7 ounces. And (surprise!) looks like her daddy.

Charity did fantastic in labor and delivery. She made good progress then stalled out for about four hours! Eventually she progressed and delivered with no drugs, and no epidural. I am proud of her. She refused the use of a wheel chair throughout the ordeal. The nurse refered to her as "little miss independant". (I'm pretty sure Charity didn't hear that comment, because the nurse left her rotation with all of her teeth still intact). For part of the labor, we watched "Anchor Man" on the large flat screen in our room. Ron Burgundy will forever occupy a special place in our hearts for the profoundly inane distraction he provided.

I'd post a picture, (and even brought the camera with me to do just that) but I left the USB cable to upload pictures at the hospital! Sorry, you'll just have to wait.

Please don't fight the bears.

Baddest Man on the Planet?

Last night Fedor ko'd another former Heavyweight Champion. My favorite thing about Fedor is that he's just this kind of dopey, doughy guy who always looks like he just woke up from a nap. And then he makes grown men cry.

Slumdog Millionaire

This is the easily best film I've seen in three years. You should see it while it's still in theatres.

Interpret my dream...

Just like MLK, I too have a dream.  Well, not just like MLK.  My dreams are senseless and strange and motivate no one.  Here's one from last night. All of a sudden it came back to me in a flash... 

I was eating dinner in a restaurant somewhere in the south (kentucky? tennesee?)  with my good friend, Birt. We were driving somewhere far away and had stopped to eat.  The restaurant was busy and we were sitting by the window.  The booths had red vinyl seats. Outside the window there was a man tuck-pointing the brick work on the building.  We noticed it was our friend Bash. We waved and made faces at each other.  We were laughing.  He was laughing.  But we gave no indications  of surprise at finding Bash tuck-pointing brick work outside of the very window where we sat eating dinner, hundreds of miles away from home on some unknown journey in the south.  

offer your interpretations:  

Reserved Inaugural Optimism

Today I went home during lunch so i could watch the inauguration of President Obama with my family. It was truly a monumental day for our nation, and it's really quite incredible in a couple of ways. First, of course it is evidence that we are a better nation today than we were a hundred years ago with respect to race and unity. Second, it is an amazing thing that we are able to peaceably redistribute power like this on a regular basis. A nation is pretty divided when 54% of the vote is considered a landslide. And yet with a million plus in attendance, power was exchanged with no riots, bullets, bloodshed or uprisings. Considering how unpopular President Bush has been for quite sometime, it should probably be considered historically anomalous that he wasn't ousted earlier by some sort of violent coup or rabid mob on the white house lawn months ago. All in all, we're a remarkable nation when we function according to our principles and ideals. 

Additionally, I am dually perplexed. Tuning in to some conservative blogs, and broadcasts I've been "hormusified" (it's a new term I've coined to express the sensation of being simultaneously horrified and amused, or the sensation one experiences when one's president spontaneously invents new terminology during public discourse) by the criticism that is already being leveled at Obama. I have no problem with the Hannity and Limbaugh types getting critical. It's all part of the delicately balanced dysfunction that makes the two party system somewhat workable. I do find the recent level and nature of the criticism curious given a simple fact: HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING YET. At least let the guy make a mistake first. geesh. Equally as "hormusifying" to me is the level of adulation and veneration Obama seems to be receiving from the mainstream media and his supporting public generally. The only thing I've ever seen that compares is the response of many in St Louis when the Pope came to town in January of 99. Now I've got no problem with being incredibly enthusiastic about one's president. But heres the thing: HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING YET. 

How about we settle for some reserved optimism?

helvetica

Last night after church I watched a documentary. About helvetica. The font. And it was awesome.

Penn

From Crackle: A Gift of a Bible

funky presbyterian goes to church circa 1977

Apt

Right here at the last little stubby end of 2008 I've stumbled upon the lyric that seems custom written to summarize our 2008. It's not much in the way of poetry, but there's gotta be something said for aptness.  

It's first line on the first track of the most recent Ryan Adams & the Cardinals album, Cardinology. The song is Born into a Light:

For everything that's wrong there is a worried man,
There is a reason why
We just don't understand but will, you gotta keep the faith
be patient oh the past is just a memory and heal.
Heal your vines, you'll heal inside eventually

We were born into a light.

listen here.

The Award for Most Pleasure Inducing Album Recorded by Someone Else and Listened to By Me in 2008 Goes To

Midnight Organ Flight, by Frightened Rabbit

The Award for Best Fiction Book Read by Me in 2008 Goes To...

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

The Award For Best Non-Fiction Book Read by Me in 2008 Goes To...

The Reason for God, by Tim Keller

whole heartedly recommended for your Christmas listening needs

low- christmas
rosie thomas- a very rosie christmas

unadulterated cheer and goodwill never make for satisfying christmas carols. advent always requires those undertones of melancholy, longing, and humble restraint. these two albums deliver the goods. put one in your stocking this year.

Vintage Funky Presbyterian on a Television Antenna