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greatness prevails

2009-03-31T00:49:00.000-07:00

On rare occasion, an adolescent rises above his insecurities and self-consciousness and greatness prevails.

My favorite moment has to be at 1:46. Either that, or when he inexplicably pulls out a steering wheel.

Either way, I had to watch it twice in a row.

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Mexico is not burning.

2009-03-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Mission work isn't supposed to be safe.

You're not supposed to be able to guarantee your safety.

I'm paraphrasing here, but the words are genuine. They were spoken by Beth Underwood. Beth and her group from Central United Methodist Church of Waco, Texas are in Puerto Penasco, Mexico.

They are here to build a secure home for a Mexican family whom otherwise would not have one.

Beth and her group traveled two days to get here. Eighteen hours of driving.

Eleven hours just to reach El Paso. One night in a hotel and an early rise for seven more hours on the road to meet Jonathan in Lukeville, Arizona, for an escort over the border and across the last fifty miles of desert.

In a camp that has room for over a thousand people, they are alone.

I shared Beth's words with my wife last night, over the phone. I heard the anger, the hurt in Katie's voice, when she blurted out "See?! She gets it!".

The thing you should realize is that my wife was the bearer of bad news. Only moments before she had informed me that I wouldn't be spending spring in Baja with my friends, as I have done for each of the last seven years.

My friends and I would come to Baja and build houses with Amor Ministries; that experience is what ultimately brought me to full-time emloyment with Amor. God and good fortune has swollen the ranks of their group to over two hundred people.

But that doesn't really matter if you aren't coming.

I'll admit to be struggling with this one. Shamefully, it could be my pride.

In a certain sense, it's not really their fault that they've fallen victim to fear. They simply don't know. When wildfires were raging in the mountains around San Diego, worried calls of concern came from my family in Northern California. Was I alright? Was I in any danger? I patiently explained that I was in the middle of the city, that the wildfires would have to cross 25 miles of asphalt and concrete to get to me.

But that wasn't what the news explained. My family simply didn't know. San Diego was burning, and that was that.

Violence in Mexico. Scary stuff, to be sure. Bad things happen in Mexico. I am not being flippant. I am not in denial.

There are bad people fighting other bad people all trying to do bad things. It's true.

But it's not as bad as they would have you believe, and when it is, We won't let you go there.

But Mexico is burning, and that is that.

But why choose to be afraid? The modern Christian church is notorious for deriding, debasing, and disregarding the modern media. We decry them as a tool of a corrupt world, one that seeks to normalize all the sin and mediocrity in which our shameful and lost fellow citizens choose to live their lives. Abortions for all. God out of government. Gay is okay. No prayer in schools and no In-God-We-Trusting on the dollar.

"No, no!!" we cry! We will not compromise. We will not be fooled. We will not slowly, imperceptibly, allow some twisted world-view to creep in - to dilute our Christiamericity! The world is lost without Christ, and we will never bend in our dedication to that principle!

Unless we think it could hurt.

You see, what good is our salvation if we stuff it in our pocket? What good does the life changing news of Jesus Christ do if we leave it at home, in the mall? Or spend the week on the couch with it, watching "Friends" reruns over spring break?

The problem is consumerism, and it is a disease riddling the Christian church. The irony. For all our raging against society and its ills, we can't escape the fact that we're neck-deep in the pool with it.

Whenever the media serves up our fears, we are gluttonous - happy to stand in the buffet line for seconds. We have all been content to sit in the pew and listen to the visiting missionary weave tales of suspense and danger. Government persecution. Home churches. No mention of God or Jesus in emails. "I can't really say exactly where I work, because that would put my family's lives in danger".

We admire their commitment, pass the plate to support them, and we lay hands on their shoulders to pray for their protection. But why aren't we compelled to join them? Why aren't we willing to step into the fiery furnace with them? To spend a week in the lion's den at their side? Why are we more concerned with finding a church whose preaching or style of worship suits our fancy?

I would submit it is because our motivations, for all our posturing, are not salvation-based. If they were, we would go.

Sadly, it comes down to one very simple fact.

We hold our fears and the risks we may be subject to in one hand, and the needs of a desperately poor, often unsaved family in the other - and we decide our own concerns outweigh theirs.

You cannot convince me otherwise - all of the varied reasons of all the varied churches that are canceling their mission trips to Mexico - they can ALL be distilled down to simply that.

One hand outweighs the other.

The burden of our own safety weighs heavy because we have taken our consumer tendencies and applied them to mission work; the problem is that the two are fundamentally incompatible. If we are salvation based, our own comfort can never be the deciding factor; if it's not for the missionary in Indonesia, why should it be for us?

Mission work without that salvation basis is devoid of it's meaning.

At its worst, it is tourism. At its best, it is simply humanitarian work.

It's Humanitourism.

And no one wants to risk getting hurt for Humanitourism.

So is it worth it? My co-worker Jonathan knows the answer.

"I don't want to get hurt, but if one unsaved family is reached for Christ, then it's worth all the risks I may take. I'll never not go somewhere because I might get hurt".

Jonathan gets it.

Jonathan drove half of the Central United Methodist group back to camp yesterday afternoon, through the sandy back streets of Penasco, through the "bad" part of town.

Fully half of their group has never been to Mexico before. Some of them were told they were taking foolish risks going to Mexico, some of them were told they could die. Yet still, they came.

Some of them, moved to tears by what they had seen, thanked Jonathan for taking them down those roads.

We thanked them. For their sacrifice. For their long drive. For having any number of reasons not to come - but for coming anyway.

We thanked them for their bold stand against fear.

Modern day ladies man

2009-01-12T15:41:00.001-08:00

I make no secret of my love for Craigslist; a community based website that allows every two-bit cheapo the opportunity to drum up some free publicity for his "product". Click above to view larger.

I give you "Best dating DVD-2009".

Admit it. The title works.

It's so intriguing, in fact, that I couldn't resist "clecking" the link to watch his video. I've embedded it to spare you the trouble.

Whether this is all a joke, I can't really say, but this young ladies-man seems to have no trouble keeping a straight face. He actually says "Make her feel as if she is not that great. Make her feel kind of uncomfortable and pissed off that you are judging her wrongly... This takes some practice, but can be done easily and if played out correctly, can really help close the deal."

Awesome.

Aah... the good old days?

2008-09-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Remember the bygone 4th of July you enjoyed as a kid? I sure do, all the neighbors on the street would come out and BBQ, light off fireworks in the street, and generally have a good - and as it turns out, highly-toxic time.

You see, we'd crouch on the curb and light "Snakes". These were the little black pellets that, when lit, would generate these long twisted strands of ash. I remember huddling close in amazement, breathing excitedly, feeling confused as to how such a small pellet could produce so much ash.

Sadly, I still have no idea how it worked, but I'm pretty sure I'll get brain cancer or something someday because of those little smoky bastards.

You see, apparently those things are made of a chemical called Mercury(II) thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2). I'll let Wikipedia explain:

Mercury(II) thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)2) is a chemical compound. It was formerly used in pyrotechnics for the long snake-like ash Pharaoh's serpent that forms when a pellet of this compound, often with a small amount of a sugar such as glucose added to serve as supplemental fuel, is ignited. This is extremely dangerous because it produces poisonous mercury vapors.

Mercury(II) thiocyanate is made by reacting a mercury(II) salt (such as mercury(II) chloride) with a thiocyanate salt (such as potassium thiocyanate) in solution in water, producing a precipitate of mercury(II) thiocyanate.

Conditions/substances to avoid are: moisture, heat, light, aluminium and strong acids.

"Poisonous mercury vapors"? What the crap Mom? I thought these things were labeled "safe and sane"?

Despite what this suspiciously European-sounding doofus says on the video, rest assured that it is not in fact "a rock from Mars" that he is burning, but rather Mercury(II) thiocyanate, which is undoubtedly destroying the brains of his kids, who are standing in close proximity.

If you need proof, just wait until the end, when they all Rainman drone in unison, "This is cool. Let's do it again."

Breathe deep, kids.

Why the Border Patrol will never win.

2008-09-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and build a wall. As long as Chrysler keeps making minivans with two sliding doors, I guess we're hosed.

He is...

2008-09-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

...but lyrically, I take exception between 1:46 - 1:56 of this song. ZAP!

Huh?

2008-08-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

No matter what your opinion is, I think you'd be hard pressed to argue with me when I say this guy should refine his message.

Someone get that baby a smaller gun!

2008-08-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Major Andrew Olmsted

2008-08-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.

On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.
He continues:
I write this in part, admittedly, because I would like to think that there's at least a little something out there to remember me by. Granted, this site will eventually vanish, being ephemeral in a very real sense of the word, but at least for a time it can serve as a tiny record of my contributions to the world. But on a larger scale, for those who knew me well enough to be saddened by my death, especially for those who haven't known anyone else lost to this war, perhaps my death can serve as a small reminder of the costs of war. Regardless of the merits of this war, or of any war, I think that many of us in America have forgotten that war means death and suffering in wholesale lots. A decision that for most of us in America was academic, whether or not to go to war in Iraq, had very real consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. Yet I was as guilty as anyone of minimizing those very real consequences in lieu of a cold discussion of theoretical merits of war and peace. Now I'm facing some very real consequences of that decision; who says life doesn't have a sense of humor?
But for those who knew me and feel this pain, I think it's a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions, actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have to decide whether or not war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision. Because it is pretty clear that the average American would not have supported the Iraq War had they known the costs going in. I am far too cynical to believe that any future debate over war will be any less vitriolic or emotional, but perhaps a few more people will realize just what those costs can be the next time.

This may be a contradiction of my above call to keep politics out of my death, but I hope not. Sometimes going to war is the right idea. I think we've drawn that line too far in the direction of war rather than peace, but I'm a soldier and I know that sometimes you have to fight if you're to hold onto what you hold dear. But in making that decision, I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed. Mine now falls into that category; the next time the question of war or peace comes up, if you knew me at least you can understand a bit more just what it is you're deciding to do, and whether or not those costs are worth it.

Major Andrew Olmsted died in Iraq January 3, 2008. A sniper killed Olmsted as he was trying to talk three suspected insurgents into surrendering. His final blog post was published after his death, instructions for it's publication left with a friend. You can read it here:

www.andrewolmsted.com

Childhood in Iraq

2008-08-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

A four year old Iraq child cries as older boys stage a mock execution in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 2, 2007. Children's games are under a heavy influence of ongoing violence in the country, one of the more popular ones being a clash between militias and police.
(AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

I dare you to find a more disturbing picture than this.

The truly sad part is that one could easily use this photo as evidence to support or oppose the war in Iraq.

And so, suffering continues for politics.

What bad luck.

2008-08-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the photomosaic. Until now, the one I was most familiar with was the sweet Darth Vader one my brother has hanging on his wall. I found this one today.

The creator was clearly trying to make a statement about bearing responsibility in Iraq, creating an image of George W. Bush with images of deceased servicemen. I'll spare you the 4.5 meg original in favor of this one. I'll admit, the first thought I had was, well, they must use the dark guys for his mouth and eyes. A closer look revealed that this poor bastard died twice.

I LOVE CRAIGSLIST

2008-08-21T23:18:00.001-07:00
Thanks for being straight with me, fellas.

Where, exactly, would you plot Oprah?

2008-08-21T15:13:00.000-07:00
Think about this.

"Where did all my buttons go?"

2008-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've pondered what it is about Kim Kardashian that makes her noteworthy enough to be a celebrity, but as long she's getting her picture published online, in outfits like this, photographed at what looks like a McDonald's world premiere, I'll assume that no one else cares enough for me to try and figure it out.

By the way, the sign in the background says "two all beef patties".

That's funny.

Micheal Phelps, Olympic Gold Medalist, 70's porn star

2008-08-07T22:27:00.001-07:00

I thought these guys shaved all their body hair to go faster in the water.

I guess what they say is true.

Pimpin' is in fact - not easy.

Quick delivery for immediate pleasure

2008-08-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

MSN.com has has a crap-load of stories lately that basically all say the same thing:

Starbucks is screwed.

Mortgage crisis, rising food costs, competition, solar flares, blah, blah all spell disaster at $4 bucks a cup, apparently.

Anyway, they tell the story of a woman seduced by the dark, frothy, alternative of Nespresso.

Hmmm. If you're thinking Nespresso sounds like Nestle, you're right. All I can associate with Nestle is horrible instant coffee consumed at EVERY breakfast with cold lunch meat and white dinner rolls; such was my introduction to Nestle in 2001, on a missions trip to Peru. They drink that stuff like water down there; they love it, maybe because they don't know any better.

While devotees of the Nespresso eschew Starbucks in favor of their counter-top version, all the other similarities remain:

"Nespresso is "an experience" rather than coffee, Nestlé told analysts last year and, boy, is it all-enveloping."

Sounds like another Seattle-based coffee experience that I know, originally marketed as a premium, luxury experience, unlike, say a $1 cup of joe at Dunkin Donuts.

But I digress.

So this lady goes on to talk about the specific things she loves about her new machine:

"One is the dozen shiny-colored "grand cru" pods the machine takes. When I buy them online (as one of 3.1 million members of the Nespresso club) they will be delivered to our home by a UPS man in a uniform of a similar brown to the "Livanto" pod, which holds a 'uniquely rounded and well-balanced espresso characterized by delicate woody and cereal notes.' "

She says it best herself:

"There is an obvious similarity between this and Apple's iPod/iTunes combination, which comprises a physical device and an online service to fill it up. But Nestlé does not even have to share its revenues with others in the way that Apple does with music companies, apart from paying coffee growers for beans and film stars for endorsements."

Sounds pretty smart to me.

"There must be lessons here. One is that there is surprisingly strong demand for goods and services that are a step below luxury but a cut above the ordinary -- call them premium, luxe or "affordable luxury." It did not occur to me before the Nespresso came along that I ever needed such a thing. Now that I have it, however, I am attached to it."

Sounds like Starbucks. And the iPod.

Why?

2008-08-07T16:48:00.000-07:00
Why on earth have a blog? Inherent in even picking a snappy title is the belief that one somehow has something so compelling to say that people will point and click to seek it out. I don't even check my facebook account any more, and it's only three weeks old. This thing will probably start gathering dust soon, but until then, maybe I can keep it clean and fresh - dust free, fanned by the flames of my rage.

That sounds stupid.

We all want to believe we're more fiery than we are. Maybe that's why people have blogs.