The Way I See It

Last night, Shari & I watched the documentary THE WAY I SEE IT, which is the story of Pete Souza, the official White House photographer for the Obama administration. He was also a White House photographer for the Reagan administration. 

Pete is known better now for his Instagram account where he posts pictures from the Obama administration in response to tweets from our current president... and the documentary spends some time showing how that developed. The film is filled with iconic still images of both President Reagan and President Obama, as well as contemporary news footage and more recent interviews that provide context for those images. 

Tears ran down on my face multiple times watching the film - and not because I wish that Barack Obama was President again. I didn't vote for him in 2008 or 2012 and disagreed with a number of policy choices he made. Some I've come to appreciate over time; others I still believe were unwise. But that's not why I teared up.

I was mourning the loss of having someone in the White House who understood their role as President was bigger than their personal grudges and their ability to bully people via Twitter. I was struck again by the obvious tenderness of Ronald Reagan towards Nancy and Barack Obama towards Michelle - and the equally obvious reciprocal nature of their love in return. And I was reminded again of how impactful it was that an African-American was not just a servant in the White House, but the leader of the free world. Regardless of your perspective on politics, that was an important step forward in fulfilling the promises of the Declaration of Independence.

Meanwhile, the current President just demanded that the Attorney General open an investigation of his political opponent like we were some kind of banana republic with a tinpot dictator in charge. The cognitive dissonance is deafening.

I'll be the first to admit that this documentary has a soft spot for President Obama and his family - I think it would be difficult to avoid if, like Pete Souza, you spend nearly 10 years (2 in the Senate and 8 in the White House) photographing them. 

I'd recommend you watch the film - it's about to be available on Peacock streaming. Draw your own conclusions. Maybe it will remind you of what we are missing right now.

Classic: Fred, Lionel & Erwin: The "Royal Wedding" Syndrome

This classic blog post seems especially applicable here in 2020... so I wanted to make it more visible (and do some slight editing).

I want to add a warning to the beginning of this post... more than usual for me, this is a William Faulkner-esque stream of consciousness kind of mash-up. You may not catch all the references (that's OK) but try and follow the thread of my idea(s). If you can't, it's not your fault but mine.

First, you need to watch this video.

The Secret of the Ceiling Dance by bluebird1111

For those of you who are children of the 80's - no, Lionel Ritchie was not the first performer to be "Dancin' on the Ceiling." 

No offense to Mr. "Running With the Night" (a good Lionel song, btw, as opposed to the utter inanity of "Say You, Say Me"), but Fred's a lot more graceful than you are.

This amazing effect was accomplished by building a set inside a huge wheel - then gluing or nailing down every piece of furniture & decoration on the set so that it wouldn't move when it was rotated. Pretty impressive stuff, eh?!

Second, you need to read this definition from
The Very Best of British:

Momentarily - As you come into land at an American airport and the announcement says that you will be landing momentarily, look around to see if anyone is sniggering. That will be the Brits! I never did figure out why they say this. Momentarily to us means that something will only happen for an instant - a very short space of time. So if the plane lands momentarily will there be enough time for anyone to get off? Weird!

In a similar vein, I once told 4 year old Collin (my now 15 year old son) that I needed to break him of a bad habit that he had. Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, "Dad, don't break me." Now you're properly prepared for the rest of this post.

I was studying & reading yesterday for my message/talk/sermon (pick your favorite - "long-winded diatribe" is NOT one of the choices) and began searching for an Erwin McManus quote. Thanks to the joys of Googling, I not only managed to uncover some great quotes, I also found a group of individuals who are very angry with Erwin and have spend an amazing amount of time writing about it.

Now, I'm a part of the online community of boardgame players/collectors, so I've seen obsessive behavior before - the "Eurosnoot vs Ameritrash" argument (don't ask - it's just as stupid as it sounds) chewed up great swaths of bandwidth & emotional energy while generating more heat than light. The Erwin haters, my friends, are some pretty obsessed folks... they'd fit nicely into a discussion of whether Go or Chess is the "deeper" game.

I'm not going to get into a detailed analysis of their problems with Erwin (a pastor & writer who I admire deeply) - that's not really the point today. I will suggest, however, that there are two possible syndromes that explain this behavior:

1. The "Royal Wedding" Syndrome - lots of folks want their Christianity and/or religion tied up in neat little packages with no rough edges and no sense of mystery. They want everything nailed or glued down so that no matter what happens, they know the rules. These are the folks who deeply love conferences with printed notebooks filled with outlines & sermons with subjects like "7 Easy Steps to a Great Marriage." These same people are flustered (and maybe even a bit angry) at God for not specifically speaking to every potential hot button issue in Scriptures... and since He didn't, they'll do it for Him and pull out proof texts to bolster their point. Erwin, with his artist/philosopher background, is never going to speak their language.
2. The "British English/American English" Syndrome - speaking of language, the fact that Erwin & the folks at his church (Mosaic) are willing to use terminology not often heard in church to describe Biblical truths is like waving a red cape in front of a bull. Erwin says: "The greatest enemy to the movement of Jesus Christ is Christianity." What I hear is "Christianity as a religious institution has stifled & attempted to channel the power of Jesus Christ in order to reach worldly objectives. Erwin wants to send people back to power & grace & love of Jesus Christ." What they hear is "Erwin wants people to not be Christians but 'spiritual people' who believe anything & everything."

Combine those two impulses with Erwin's love of confounding expectations with his speaking/teaching & you've got the recipe for obsessive website building & the same lovely behavior that Stephen faced in Acts 7:57-58 (NLT):

Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.

I'm not suggesting that anyone is headed to Erwin's house for a drive-by stoning... just that the same kind of "stick my fingers in my ears & attack" tendency seems to be present here.

Now, I'm not finished yet. It's one thing when folks have "Royal Wedding" Syndrome over an author. It's another thing when they do it with their lives.

I'm convinced that many of us (and I include myself here) want for everything in our lives to be nailed down solid... so that when life sends us spinning, we can dance on the ceiling without a care. Nothing will be broken, nothing will change... and when our life rights itself, when it returns to "normal", everything will be exactly where we put it.

But an unexpected death or being laid off or your daughter getting pregnant or the onset of depression or a hundred other things quickly end that illusion. When the room of your life begins to turn, nothing stays still. Things crash to the floor and you're reduced to hanging on for dear life. No magical dancing through a wonderland secured by roofing nails & wood glue for you.

As I've been mulling this over, I realized that I'm trusting the adhesives & the hardware to hold my life together - my plans, my nest egg, my house, my possessions, my job - rather than trusting Jesus with all of that stuff... and with me. I want those things to get locked in place because I think that I can hold onto them when trouble starts.

I'm not suggesting that you live in your car or pull a St. Francis & strip yourself naked. I am suggesting that trusting in any of this stuff is foolish - because it doesn't have the strength to support you when life gets rough.

The challenge is (to quote the Southern-fried rock band, 38 Special) to "hold on loosely." And we can do that because Jesus promises to "hold on tightly" to us.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Take a look at that passage (Hebrews 13:5-6) in the Amplified Version... talk about making the point clear!

He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified].

One last question for thought: what if the stuff in our lives getting moved around and/or broken is a good thing? 

Pixar Shorts: For Your Consideration

Last week, I posted my ranked list of Pixar films - and, no, I haven't watched Onward yet.

This week, I'm giving you my list of Pixar shorts... divided by loosely-defined categories/eras and without (in many cases) a lot of detail. I will note that many of these are available through Disney+, so I've noted the ones that are not available through that streaming service - and apologize, as the original version of this post listed a number of shorts as "not available" that actually are!

The Classics

• The Adventures of Andre & Wally B.
• Luxo Jr. 
• Red’s Dream
• Tin Toy
• Knick Knack

These are the originals… the first CGI shorts that acted as proof of concept (computer animation can work) and proof that the folks at Pixar knew how to tell a story. Luxo Jr. would provide the Pixar logo (the bouncing desk lamp) and Tin Toy (even with the creepy/primitive baby animation) would be the jumping off point for the first full-length film we all know and love, Toy Story. (Tin Toy, by the way, was the first Oscar win for Pixar as Best Animated Short Film.)

My favorite of this group, though, is Knick Knack. The humor is sometimes sly, sometimes pure slapstick… and it works like a charm.

The Oscar Run

• Geri’s Game 
• For the Birds
• Boundin’
• One Man Band 
• Lifted
• Presto
• Partly Cloudy
• Day & Night
• La Luna

With the exception of Partly Cloudy, all of these “independent” shorts were nominated for Oscars… and both Geri’s Game and For the Birds won. (The lead character in Geri’s Game became the Cleaner of Toy Story 2.)

My two favorites from this period are One Man Band and Presto… if you want to see comic timing in a cartoon at classic Warner Brothers perfection, Presto is amazing. (I would mention that both For the Birds and Day & Night are delightful and well worth your time.)

Huh…

• The Blue Umbrella
• Lava

Lava is, frankly, one of my least favorite Pixar shorts… and I’m including some of the Mater Tall Tales and Forky Asks a Question in my calculations. The Blue Umbrella is sweet… but the “nature & the city conspire for love” theme was much better done in Disney’s Paperman.

The Second Oscar Run

• Sanjay’s Super Team
• Piper
• Lou
• Bao

This was the “second wind” of the Pixar team… with the wild creativity of Sanjay’s Super Team, the stunning visuals of Piper, the physical comedy of Lou, and the weird but compelling metaphor of Bao. I think my favorite is Piper… but Lou appeals to the elementary school kid in me that was picked on. (All four of these shorts were nominated for Oscars – and Piper & Bao both won.)

And Now, The Rest of the Story…

• Mike’s New Car (Monsters, Inc.)
• Jack-Jack Attack (The Incredibles)
• Your Friend the Rat (Ratatouille) 
• BURN-E (WALL-E)
• Dug’s Special Mission (Up)
• George and A.J. (Up)
• The Legend of Mor’du (Brave)
• Party Central (Monsters University)
• Riley’s First Date? (Inside Out)
• Marine Life Interviews (Finding Dory) (not currently available on Disney+)
• Auntie Edna (Incredibles 2)

This is a mixed bag of “extra” stories from beloved (and, in some cases, not so beloved) Pixar films. Jack-Jack Attack is my favorite of the group, with Your Friend the Rat a close second. None of them are essential viewing (with the possible exception of Jack-Jack)… and a couple (Riley’s First Date? and Auntie Edna) actually work against what is enjoyable about the movies they came from.

Too Much of a Good Thing

• Mater and the Ghostlight
• Mater’s Tall Tales
• Rescue Squad Mater 
• Mater the Greater
• El Materdor 
• Tokyo Mater
• Unidentified Flying Mater 
• Monster Truck Mater
• Heavy Metal Mater
• Moon Mater 
• Mater Private Eye
• Air Mater 
• Time Travel Mater 
• Tales from Radiator Springs
• Hiccups
• Bugged 
• Spinning 
• The Radiator Spring 500 ½
• Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool (not currently available on Disney+)

As noted in my previous Pixar films post, I really love Cars… seriously, I teared up riding Radiator Springs Racers when the music swells and you come around the corner towards the waterfall. 

However, I cannot recommend the majority of the Cars shorts – at least for adults. The boys loved Mater’s Tall Tales when they were younger… but they are, much like Cars 2, too much Mater and not enough of anything else. 

Back to the Beginning

• Hawaiian Vacation
• Small Fry
• Partysaurus Rex 
• Toy Story of Terror! (not currently available on Disney+)
• Toy Story That Time Forgot (not currently available on Disney+)
• Lamp Life 
• Forky Asks a Question

Toy Story was an amazing start for Pixar – and some of the best “derivative” shorts have come from the wonderful secret world of toys. Ignoring Forky Asks a Question (which I don’t enjoy), I think all of the listed Toy Story shorts are worth your time… with my favorite being Toy Story That Time Forgot.

Pixar: For Your Consideration

One of my (many) good friends from the world of board gaming, Eric Burgess, took it upon himself to rank all of the Pixar films. We agree in a number of places... but disagree in others... and so I found myself wanting to create my own rankings.

You'll notice a theme... I cry A LOT watching Pixar movies. Generally, it's not the old school Disney cry (the ending of Old Yeller or Bambi's mother, for example) - these are because the folks at Pixar know how to tap into real emotion. (In typing up these mini-reviews, I found myself tearing up just remembering the scenes from the films... good grief.)

1. The Incredibles - Riffing on superhero tropes, James Bond films, comic books, and action movie conventions, the folks at Pixar managed to invest the characters at the center of the story with both superpowers and depth. Funny, moving, full of surprises and pitch-perfect voice acting. 
2. Toy Story 2 - This gets to go ahead of the amazing Toy Story on the way it built on what came before without cheapening any of it... and being the first (of many) Pixar films to leave me in a puddle of tears during Jessie's flashback montage.
3. Toy Story - I distinctly remember being in the theater watching Toy Story... and the fact that is was ground-breaking computer animation completely dropping away 10-15 minutes into the film as I fell completely in love with the story and the humor.
4. Up - Another gaming friend (Jeff Myers) used to say that he couldn't love a movie that made him cry in the first 10 minutes... this is the movie he was talking about. However, without those brilliant and deeply bittersweet first ten minutes, Mr. Fredricksen is just a cranky old man. (And the movie ends with more tears from me when Russell gets the grape soda pin.)
5. Inside Out - This wonderful film made me laugh out loud... and weep quietly. I don't know how those of you who are parents of pre-teen girls survived this in one piece. (I know that the trauma of our leaving ministry and uprooting the boys definitely played into my reaction to the film.)
6. Ratatouille - That a movie about rats and gourmet food works at all is a miracle... let alone one that comments so eloquently on the nature of friendship, the role of a critic, and the process of creativity. Plus, it's funny in the right places and amounts.
7. Wall-E - Both Wall-E and Cars run a little long and a little slow... but both of them use that time to develop a rhythm and build up the characters so that you care about what's happening. Wall-E gets extra points for the overwhelming opening section and the delightful use of numbers from my one of my favorite movie musicals, "Hello, Dolly".
8. Toy Story 3 - The plot here is tremendous - The Great Escape as re-imagined by Pixar. And then the last 20 minutes tear me up every time - the incinerator followed by Andy & Bonnie. 
9. Cars - I like this a lot better than some folks... I think a childhood filled with trips along Route 66 (or what's left of it) makes this film a nostalgic road trip for me. Plus, I think they nailed the ending. (Yes, it's a little too long - see my comments about Wall-E above.)
10. Toy Story 4 - They went to the well one more time... and made it work - mostly. (There's one character transition/decision that bothers me.) Revitalized Bo Peep is wonderful... and who can't love Duke Kaboom and/or the Combat Carl team?
11. Monsters, Inc. - The animation innovations were pretty impressive... but the characters and their relationships were even more so. Another excellent bit of voice casting with Billy Crystal and John Goodman.
12. Coco - An almost perfect blend of the fantastical and the heartfelt... and the music works perfectly. I can find some things to nitpick, but they don't detract from how much I enjoyed this film... or cried near the end. 
13. Finding Nemo - The boys were a little young for this one when it first came out... the opening scared them silly. It's a great film... but I don't connect with it as strongly as some of the other Pixar films. (Dory's parenting advice is golden, though.)
14. Cars 3 - After the mess that was Cars 2, I had real questions about yet another sequel. But Cars 3 isn't a typical sequel - nor is the message at the heart of it a typical "cartoon" moral. This is a movie about aging, wisdom, mentoring, and lasting friendship. And demolition derby.
15. A Bug’s Life - Pixar's riff on The Seven Samuari/The Magnificent Seven... so much better than Antz (which came out in the same year). Hopper is a particularly effective villain.
16. Brave - this has some weak moments, but I love that Pixar attempted something this big and bold.
    Note: You have reached the "you no longer need to watch these movies" line. Everything above this point is worth your time. Movies below this point are, for the most part, better than the majority of major studio animated films released but are not up to the quality level of the films above the line.
17. Finding Dory - Dory was one of the highlights of the original film... but she works better as seasoning rather than the main dish. The otters were funny, though.
18. The Incredibles 2 - I love parts of this movie... the raccoon sequence is brilliant, as are a couple of the action sequences with Elasti-Girl - but the film overall doesn't quite hold together. I don't hate it - but I haven't gone out of my way to watch it again (except the raccoon).
19. Monsters University - Some really nice action sequences late in the film aren't enough to carry the weight of what feels like a "direct to DVD" sequel. 
20. Cars 2 - Sadly, the fantastic visuals are paired with a so-so story that requires the characters to act out of character and/or like idiots. This is not the first Hollywood film to do this... but it's sad to see Pixar go there. OTOH, it does have one of my favorite Cars visual jokes - the Pope car in a Popemobile. 

I have not (yet) seen Onward... I'm planning to do that this week since it is now available on Disney+.

I refuse, based on the overwhelming feedback of friends, reviewers, and my children, to watch The Good Dinosaur. I'm just going to pretend it doesn't exist.

I'm Not Dead Yet

OK, so the blog's been in hibernation for a while... suffice it to say that my life has been complicated, my job (though financially a blessing) is a time sink, and I've been using precious blogging time to actually play board games.

I'm going to try and get going again - though I will warn you ahead of time that there could be dry spells through the early fall. 

If you have a question for me to answer - it can be personal, spiritual, weird or just hobby-related - leave it in the comments section. I'll see if that doesn't inspire some more interesting (and offbeat) posts.

 Recent & Recommended

• APP - Descent: Road to Legend (app for the iPad that works with your Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2.0 games & expansions to create a GREAT cooperative experience)
• BOARD GAME - 7 Wonders: Duel (fantastic re-imagining of a multi-player classic as a 2 player game... can't wait for the expansion!)
• BOOK - The Aeronaut's Windlass (first book in Jim Butcher's newest series... steampunk-y and creative)
• CARD GAME - Bear Valley (weird little racing game that is easy to teach and fun to play... a run through bear-infested wilderness)
• MOVIE - Captain America: Civil War (all the ways it could have gone wrong... and it didn't)
• MUSIC - Andrew Peterson: The Burning Edge of Dawn ("The Rain Keeps Falling" is the song of my heart some days)
• PODCAST - Revisionist History (Malcolm Gladwell + odd bits of history + musing on human behavior)
• TV - Limitless (it's on Netflix... and it's cheerfully wacky)

My Top Five Podcasts (Which Could Change)

Let's start with a few simple statements of fact/personal opinion:

1. Podcasts are wonderful because I can listen to them in the car on my commute.
2. I have no interest in watching a podcast. Internet video as a review/podcast medium is pretty much lost on me.
3. I've actually gotten bored with most board gaming podcasts. 

That said, here's the top five podcasts on my iPhone (in order of how excited I am to listen to them):

• Pop Culture Happy Hour - I have not been shy over the years about expressing my love for the writing, humor & commentary of Linda Holmes, who is now runs the NPR pop culture blog, Monkey See. I first discovered her stuff on the (sadly) now-defunct Television Without Pity website where she recapped both Survivor and The Amazing Race. I'm not sure why it took me so long to add this roundtable discussion of music, film, books & television to my list, but I'm hooked by the witty conversation, the exuberant geekiness, and the "kicky theme music".
• The Unofficial Guide's Disney Dish with Jim Hill - The titular Jim Hill is great - and his co-host (Unofficial Guide's Len Testa) makes a perfect foil as they delve into Disney theme park plans, history and general craziness. For my money, the best of the Disney podcasts out there.
• Serial - I've written about Serial before... and goodness knows, the Internet has weighed in over & over about this podcast. During the first season, I downloaded the podcasts the MINUTE they were available and listened as soon as I could... it's a fascinating & evocative way to report on a huge story. Season 2 is coming...
• BoardgamesToGo - Mark Johnson was one of the earliest podcasters... and certainly one of the earliest board gaming podcasters. His wry yet warm & endearing approach to talking about our shared hobby is a delight to listen to. (Note: I've been a guest a number of times on the podcast and consider Mark a good friend*, so I may be a little prejudiced here.) Mark is currently taking a sabbatical from podcasting - but you've got a great back catalog to listen to while he's having a well-deserved "vacation". 
• Stuff You Missed In History Class - It's quirky, it's short (30 minutes), and the two hosts feel your geeky history nerd friends who can't wait to share their most recent research with you. 

For the record, I also listen to (though much more sporadically):

• Boardgame Babylon (why no new episodes, Eriku?! why!?)
• Garrett's Games & Geekiness (another podcast I've been a guest on)
• Ludology
• On the Media
• Theology of Games
• This American Life

I'm curious if my loyal readers have any suggestions for podcasts for me to add. What say you?

* Mark Johnson & I are often confused for one another - similar names, similar facial hair, same hobby. Here's how you can tell us apart:

• if you see us together, he's the tall one
• if you see one of us playing a fantasy-themed game, it's me
• if you see one of us working on actual science-y stuff, it's Mark Johnson

The Robinsons Go To Church (Classic)

This Grapevine post from April 2007 has been slightly edited... but the truth at the heart of it is still applicable to church life.

Last Thursday night, Braeden & I got to have a "boy night" - that's when, for one reason or another, it's "just us guys" going out or staying in. When we have "boy night" at home, we usually eat our dinner in front of the TV, have extra candy, play board games, and generally behave like a couple of guys training to be college students.

Now that Collin ends up with us, it doesn't work exactly the same - but there's still lots of wrestling... and most recently, we've added indoor basketball to the menu - boys vs. Dad. (Collin shoots baskets while Braeden tries to pin me to the ground. In real basketball, this would be a foul. In the NBA, this would be standard operating procedure. Sigh.) 

[Note: when this post was written, Braeden was almost 6 and Collin had just turned 2. Ah, how the years fly by.]

Anyway, our "boy night" was a trip to our local movie theater to see Disney's Meet the Robinsons... which, by the way, was a wonderful film. (You can read my review - "Keep Moving Forward".)

And the Robinson family, from the giant octopus butler to the interstellar pizza delivery guy to the mob-connected big band frogs, got me thinking about church life. (I am NOT suggesting that our band sounds like a bunch of frogs - who actually sound a bit more like the Rat Pack in the movie.)

No, it was the whole "peanut butter & jelly gun incident" that got me on this track. Lewis, the main character, starts the movie attempting to invent a gun that solves the main problem with PB&J sandwiches - "portion control!" Unfortunately, the gun jams & he manages to shoot peanut butter onto a man who is allergic to peanuts. (According to the film, this pretty much guarantees that these people won't adopt you... but that's another part of the story.) Later in the story, the Robinson family has trouble with their PB&J gun (don't ask how they got one) and Lewis ends up attempting to fix it.

He fails. Once again, he splatters everyone in sight with sticky goo... and you can almost hear his heart break.

And then the family starts applauding, telling him he's done a great job failing. Which, to our culture-trained ears, sounds like complete hooey. Yet the family goes on to encourage Lewis by explaining that great things happen when you're willing to fail over & over in order to find the right answer.

Which is where the whole "Mark thinks about church life" comes in... if we who follow Christ are going to make a God-sized dent in our communities, then we're going to have to be willing to fail. Snowboarders don't pull a180 the first time down the half-pipe - they end up eating a lot of snow before they even get off the lip. (Those of you who don't know snowboarding just nod your head & pretend you know what I'm talking about, OK?) The same thing is true for us in the church... in order to reach people for Jesus Christ, we're going to try stuff that doesn't work.

That's a GOOD thing. It's OK that we create a program that doesn't attract many people - as long as we don't try & keep it alive just because we started it. It's OK that we attempt a new element in a worship service that, well, bombs - the only way to fine-tune things so that they are relevant & meaningful is to try them.

Our job as followers of Jesus is to applaud courageous & honest failures... to give people "props" for trying to follow God into new ministries & new ways of expressing the love of Jesus Christ to other people.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

One small note of warning: applauding failure is not about applauding laziness or incompetence. It's not about glossing over mistakes or procrastination. It's about spurring one another toward love & good deeds... wait a minute, doesn't the Bible say something about that?!

Quotes of the Week

Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
Walt Disney (quoted at the end of "Meet the Robinsons")

Tell yourself, "I'm not a failure. I failed at doing something." There's a big difference.
Erma Bombeck

Lord, deliver me from the man who never makes a mistake, and also from the man who makes the same mistake twice.
Dr. William Mayo

We ain't where we wanna be We ain't where we're gonna be But thank you, Jesus, We ain't where we used t'be. African-American spiritual

My life is not futile; my failures are not fatal; and my death is not final. That simple bit of beginning theology, stolen from Max Lucado's Six Hours One Friday nearly fifteen years ago, is a lesson I still need to hear, and a truth I still have trouble believing. My actions don't often confess these three truths. But at the rock-bottom core of my being, I desperately cling to them as the core of the Gospel.
Steve F. on his blog, Ragamuffin Ramblings

Scattershot

It's been a wild week... and the blog has suffered. So, an explanation, followed by a quick sprint through some topics of interest. 

The Explanation

I have a new job with the Tennesse Department of Education... 

The Gathering 

...which explains why I (sob whimper) won't be at Alan Moon's Gathering of Friends this year. And why I won't get to have the first pick off the Prize Table that I "own" thanks to winning the Can't Stop tournament last year. 

Why, yes, I'm bummed - thanks for asking. 

The Kickstarter

Today is the LAST day to jump on the Baseball Highlights 2045 Kickstarter!

You should support this. So say I all. 

The Movies

Don't Stop Believing - Everyman's Journey is a disjointed but enjoyable documentary about the lead singer they found via YouTube. Arnel Pineda is a great vocalist & seems to be pretty grounded... which makes this more fun to watch than your average "Behind the Music" band bio. 

Frozen has more in common w/a Broadway musical than it does most animated films. That's not a bad thing - our family had a great time watching it. 

Thor: The Dark World had problems - impenetrable plot twists & nonsensical "technology" - but it was still a lot of fun to watch in a pulp-y comix kind of way. 

The Kitchen Sink: The "Go Check It Out" Edition

the lego movie

You should go see this.

I know, I know... it looks like a kid's movie (and it is) - but there's some wonderful stuff in there and some really nifty twists that I don't want to spoil.

So just go see it already...

disney dish podcast

The Unofficial Guide folks have teamed up with Jim Hill (who has a long history as one of the most interesting Disney Parks behind-the-scenes bloggers out there) to produce a series of really enjoyable podcasts. Give them a listen.

baseball highlights 2045

I'll probably write a full post on this in the next couple of weeks, but when Mike Fitzgerald (the designer of the Mystery Rummy series - which I love) puts out a game that Tom Lehman (the designer of Race for the Galaxy and Fast Food Franchise - both of which I love) gushes about, it's time for me to back it on Kickstarter.

Check out the project... and give it some financial love!



My Top 25 Films Since 2000

Some friends & I have been (and will continue to be) counting down our favorite movies by decade... and I thought I'd share my lists with you, my faithful readers. Of course, this time it's actually a 13 year time span - but who cares?

#25: High School Musical 3: Senior Year

 

Yes, the final installment of the much-derided HSM franchise. Except for a mistaken attempt to start a new crew of HSMer's, this is a really nice distilling of everything that makes these goofy films the 21st century equivalent of a Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland "hey, kids, let's put on a show" musical. (I took no end of ribbing from my "so-called friends" about including this one.)

 

#24: Unbreakable

 

IMHO, the best of M.Night Shyamalan's films... not so much for the requisite twist as for doing a brilliant job of answering the question, "What would it look like if someone really got superpowers?"

 

#23: Oceans 11

 

An homage to caper films and to the Rat Pack that actually looks like they had fun making it. (This is substantially more fun to watch than the drunken slog that was the original Oceans 11.)

 

Take my advice: Avoid Oceans 12 at all costs... Oceans 13 is pretty good but not up to the level of the first one.

 

#22: Despicable Me

 

In which somebody besides Pixar proves that they can use computer animation for good rather than evil. The "three kittens" scenes are delightful.

 

I just saw the sequel and enjoyed it - though not nearly as much as the first film.

 

#21: X-2: X-Men United

 

I was always more of a DC Comics guy... I haven't ever really read much of the X-Men comic books. But this movie manages to tread the line between "comic book faithful" and "real characters & feelings" in ways that push all the right buttons for me. (You should watch the first movie as well - but avoid the 3rd one.)

 

#20: School of Rock

 

Evidently, to make a good movie w/Jack Black, you need to include music. (And, no, I don't think Nacho Libre is a good movie.)

 

 #19: The Bourne Identity

 

The first film of this action/thriller series is still the best - though the others are good. Less Paul Greengrass hand-held motion sickness camera, tighter plotting, excellent performances from both Matt Damon & Franke Potente.

 

#18: Bolt

 

And this is what happens when John Lasseter is made Chief Creative Officer at Disney - an animated film that could have been another throwaway becomes great quotable fun.

 

Interesting trivia: the voice of Rhino (the hamster) is actually the animator who laid down the original scratch track - he was so good they didn't go find anyone else.

 

#17: Hitch

 

I think the movie falls apart a bit at the end (Hitch's revelation that he "didn't do anything" isn't true)... but the chemistry between the four leads is sweet & funny & makes me want to hang out with them.

 

#16: The Passion of the Christ

 

Yes, those of you who know my religious background might suspect that this would be ranked (higher/lower/later/whatever)... but while I appreciate the searing portrayal of what I consider the pivotal moment in history, it's not a film I want to watch over & over.

 

I'm still flabbergasted at how well it did at the box office - I said at the time that the number of people who went to see it couldn't all be evangelicals & Catholics... and I'm just not sure how someone could pull off, "hey, let's go see Jesus get crucified and then we'll go back to my place and I'll try to get lucky."

 

#15: Wreck-It Ralph

 

Another great entry from the John Lasseter era at Disney Animation - chockfull of video in-jokes, great voice work, and a wonderful plot. ...

"I relate to you, Ralph. When I hit bottom, I was crushing man's skull like sparrow's egg, between by thighs... and I think, why you have to be so bad, Zangief? Why can't you be more like good guy? Then I have moment of clarity... if Zangief is good guy, who will crush man's skull like sparrow's eggs between thighs? And I say, Zangief you are bad guy, but this does not mean you are *bad* guy."

#14: Crash

 

Yes, I know it's not perfect... but it knocked me to the ground when I saw it. It veers from heavy-handed to achingly painful - and managed to cause conversation about race & racism & expectations.

 

#13: Up

 

The first ten minutes nearly reduced me to a quivering, blubbering mass of Jello... and then a wildly inventive & sweet story came rolling out of that beginning. (Note: cut that 10 minute opening out & the movie would NOT work - you'd hate Mr. Fredrickson.)

 

#12: Star Trek

 

The lens flares don't bother me as much as some other folks - and this was a good movie even if you didn't know Star Trek. If you did, it was chockfull of smart callbacks to the films and to the original series.

 

#11: Iron Man

 

Robert Downey Jr. was born to play Tony Stark... the SFX were great but this film lives & breathes because of the convergence of character arc and personal story arc of the actor.

 

#10: Monsters, Inc

 

This is what happens when you're willing to follow a great story idea down whatever road it leads... and then you cast great vocal actors to go with you.

"Wasteland? You mean wonderland!"

#9: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

 

With only minor alterations, a beautiful & moving visual realization of Tolkien's incredible story.

 

The second two films of the trilogy take more liberties - sometimes for good & often for ill. As a set, they're amazing - but you should still read the books.

 

#8: Cars

 

On first viewing, a little slow & long... on repeated viewings, the pace & style are purposeful choices to get us to slow down and join the residents of Radiator Springs in living the good life.

 

Driving across Arizona & New Mexico last year (during our first of two moves in 2013) was like stepping into the story when we got off the freeway.

 

And, if you love this movie, you owe it to yourself to go to Disney's California Adventure & experience Cars Land... it's darn near perfect.

 

#7: Captain America: The First Avenger

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Marvel... for making non-ironic period superhero movie - Cap deserved this rather than some kind of cynical wink-fest.

 

#6: Wall*E

 

It would be a personal favorite even w/out the Hello, Dolly songs. And, yes, it's slow in getting started. And, yes, the film pace radically changes once we get into space. So what? It works.

 

#5: Enchanted

 

Amy Adams manages to infuse the proceedings with an incredible joy & innocence that changes everything around her - this performance should have won lots of awards.

 

#4: Marvel's The Avengers

 

Joss Whedon knocked this one out of the park - great casting, smart script, amazing SFX, and paced perfectly. Even if you're not a comic book fan (aka - my wife), you can fall in love with this film. (And she did.)

 

#3: Toy Story 3

 

The cryfest continues with yet another Pixar miracle - that the THIRD movie in a series could have so much originality, so much humor, and so much genuine emotion. Hats off to you, Mr. Lasseter, and your band of geniuses.

 

#2: Minority Report

 

Never thought an action/thriller could have so much philosophical/theological depth... brilliant. I'm not a big Tom Cruise or Colin Farrell fan - and they both are perfectly cast here.

 

#1: The Incredibles

 

It's, well, incredible. The best superhero movie every made is also the best animated movie of the 2000s AND my favorite Pixar film.

 

The Kitchen Sink: Oscar, Joni, the Six Million Dollar Man & "a sad, pale cartoon"

movies

I haven't seen any of the nine Oscar-nominated Best Pictures... and I can only think of a couple of them that I really want to see. Sigh.

music & movies

I wonder how long it's going to take for the mainstream media to figure out that Joni Eareckson Tada (who is singing the Oscar-nominated Best Song from the film Alone But Not Alone) is an evangelical Christian author & speaker... as well as being a quadriplegic. (It's probably no surprise that hearing her speak on suffering & unanswered prayer is much more convincing than, say, some rich white guy with slicked-back hair & an expensive suit.)

 

games

 

I haven't really played with anything on the JavaScript Board Games site... but I think it's just incredibly cool that someone would go back & code old TV and movie tie-in games so we can play them. Granted, they probably stink (most of the ones I've owned over the years certainly do) but it's still a noble endeavor. (I look forward to trying The Six Million Dollar Man: Bionic Crisis game - I remember seeing it in the store when I was a kid. And I was in love with Jamie, the Bionic Woman.)

 

sex & scripture

 

For your (deeper) reading pleasure... an excellent article on whether premarital sex is a sin. (Yes, I know, it's really long and sometimes kinda technical... and a subject that people don't really want to talk about. Whatever you do, don't miss the last paragraph.)

“Sexy” in our culture is a sad, pale cartoon made up of too much cleavage, too little self-respect, too much butt-crack and too many tramp-stamps, and over-tight clothes. “Sexy” testifies to our emptiness, a hunger, but not real desire. Lots of energy, but is it really passion? Lots of smoke, but not a fire to light your life, warm your soul and nourish your heart. The eyes of the goddess are painted, but the eye-holes are empty.



My Top 25 Films of the 1960s

Some friends & I have been (and will continue to be) counting down our favorite movies by decade... and I thought I'd share my lists with you, my faithful readers.

#25: Psycho

 At the special effects show at Universal Studios back in 1996, I played Mother. I do so wish I could find the picture of me in the outfit with the knife.

 

#24: The Absent-Minded Professor

Far superior to the sequel and/or the excruciating Robin Williams remake... good enough that you can show it to kids today and they still enjoy it.

 

#23: The Love Bug

Who doesn't love Buddy Hackett? Or Herbie? (Dean Jones was just the car's straight man.)

 

#22: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Extraordinarily silly, campy... and flat out wonderful. (Would love to have seen Sutton Foster in the Broadway production - btw, if you didn't watch the one season of Bunheads, you missed out on some very good TV).

 

#21: Planet of the Apes

I don't think I'd enjoy this as much now (and I hated the Tim Burton remake)... but it wowed me as a kid... especially the whole Statue of Liberty shot.

 

#20: West Side Story

Not a perfect adaption of the stage show - but incredibly good. "America" and "Cool" are classic movie musical numbers.

 

#19: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Unlike one of my friends, I remember this being shown on Memorial Day weekend before the Indy 500 each year. Either way, it's a supremely twisted children's musical, which starts like a bargain basement Mary Poppins... then turns into a much darker film when they get to Vulgaria.

Couldn't hate the strong "Truly Scrumptious" any more... but "Me Ol Bamboo" is so very, very good.

 

#18: Never A Dull Moment

More Dick Van Dyke... I have fond memories of this one from childhood - and watching it as an adult was fun, too. It's dated, mind you - but fun. It's a mistaken identity crime caper with over-the-top slapstick.

 

#17: The Guns of Navarone

Not the best Alistair MacLean novel (that goes to The Golden Rendezvous), but the best movie adaption of one of his novels.

 

#16: One Hundred & One Dalmatians

Ignore the horrible live-action remake (which attempted to cross this lovely animated film with a Home Alone set of physical gags)... this is what you want to be watching. And remember - they animated all those dogs with hand-drawn animation, not computer!

 

#15: Cool Hand Luke

What we have here is a failure to communicate - and a brilliant piece of filmmaking.

 

#14: Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

Hire some of the most charming people on the planet, get William Goldman to write them a splendid script, just add cameras.

 Butch: No, no, not yet. Not until me and Harvey get the rules straightened out.
Harvey: Rules? In a knife fight? No rules!
[Butch immediately kicks Harvey in the groin]
Butch: Well, if there aint' going to be any rules, let's get the fight started. Someone count. 1,2,3 go.
Sundance Kid: [quickly] 1,2,3, go!
[Butch knocks Harvey out]

 

#13: The Apartment

Dark & funny & insightful & thoughtful... and Jack Lemmon! How to go from being a schmuck to a real hero... and never pick up a gun.

 

#12: The Sound of Music

I go through phases with this one - where I love it and then I get tired of it. Currently, I'm in an "enjoy it immensely" phase.

I will say that some of the rocks thrown at the live TV broadcast unfairly compared a filmed version of the stage show with the film...

 

#11: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

Brilliantly cynical, witty musical about big business... would make a great double feature with The Apartment. Reminded me a bit of one of my dad's favorite books - Robert Townsend's Up the Organization.

 

#10: The Magnificent Seven

It was... magnificent. (You had to know that was coming, right?)

Seriously - I remember the awesome feeling when the guys decide to do "the right thing"...

 

#9: Inherit the Wind

This is historically about as accurate as Oliver Stone's JFK - but it's a tremendous piece of writing & Spencer Tracy is amazing.

 

My comment about historical accuracy got a lot of folks wondering... so I did a bit of research to make sure my memory of hearing one of the playwrights speak was correct. (It was.)

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes's conviction for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrar...y to a Tennessee state law. The characters of Matthew Harrison Brady, Henry Drummond, Bertram Cates and E. K. Hornbeck correspond to the historical figures of William Jennings Bryan, Clarence Darrow, Scopes, and H. L. Mencken, respectively. However, Lee and Lawrence state in a note at the opening of the play on which the film is based that it is not meant to be a historical account, and many events were substantially altered or invented. For instance, the characters of the preacher and his daughter were fictional, the townspeople weren't hostile towards those who had come to Dayton for the trial, and Bryan offered to pay Scopes' fine if he was convicted. Bryan did die shortly after the trial's conclusion, but his death occurred five days later in his sleep. Political commentator Steve Benen said of the drama's inaccuracies: "Scopes issued no plea for empathy, there was no fiancee and the real Scopes was never arrested. In fact, the popular film that was nominated for four Academy Awards and has helped shape the American understanding of the 'Scopes Monkey Trial' for decades is an inadequate reflection of history." Lawrence explained in a 1996 interview that the play's purpose was to criticize McCarthyism and defend intellectual freedom. According to Lawrence, "we used the teaching of evolution as a parable, a metaphor for any kind of mind control [...] It's not about science versus religion. It's about the right to think." (from Wikipedia)

#8: Goldfinger

Not the last Bond on this list... but the last Connery. My favorite of the Connery Bond films.

#7: Mary Poppins

Man, do I want to see Saving Mr. Banks... which I expect to about as historically accurate as JFK.

This was my first "live-action" movie in the theater... and my mom's favorite film. We had the soundtrack record & I can still pretty much sing all of it by heart.

Documentary tip: for a beautiful & sad look at the Sherman Brothers (who wrote so much of the music we Disneyphiles love), see "The Boys".
 

#6: On Her Majesty's Secret Service

My favorite Bond film - bar none. Wish George hadn't freaked out and become afraid of being typecast.

Main reason I like it - well-written plot to go with typical Bondian exploits. And an appropriate if downer ending, beautifully acted.
 

#5: The Jungle Book

My first movie - in a double feature with "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" - and the last film Disney had a personal hand in supervising. The English vultures are a 60s pop reference - but the genius of Disney is that they work well 40+ years later.
 

#4: Hello, Dolly!

I loved this before it was used so beautifully in Wall*E... I always wanted to play Cornelius Hackle. (However, I don't have the pipes for that role - my second choice is Horace Vandergelder.)

This is the last of the really big splashy over-the-top movie musicals... and I love it even more for that.
 

#3: The Music Man

Robert Preston is perfect, as is the rest of the cast... and it is just about one of the best musicals ever written for stage OR screen.
 

#2: The Parent Trap

I fell in love with Hayley Mills... not realizing, of course, that when I saw The Parent Trap on Wonderful World of Disney she was no longer a teenager but a full-grown woman. (I was probably 12 years old at the time.)

While the remake did a better job of making the plot less ludicrous (and had some nifty stunt casting as well), the original still has amazing charm.
 

#1: To Kill A Mockingbird

One of the best novels ever written - adapted for the screen with class & real, earned emotional weight.

"Miss Jean Louise. Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."

Seriously, I teared up typing those words.