New Layout

I got tired of seeing the same layout all the time, so I decided to try out a new one. So far, I like it. However, it is a bit much of a hassle to change it, so this one will have to do for a while.

Leapholes

Leapholes by James Grippando

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received this book as part of the advertising bag at the recent Texas Bar Leaders Conference that I attended a week ago. This book is published by the American Bar Association and is for teenage readers. I guess that the story was engaging enough. It did take a while for the author to get into the story, which made the last half of the book seem a little rushed. Also, it purports to take you through great cases in history, but really gives only a paragraph on many of them. Still, it would be a decent read for someone who is wanting to become a lawyer. I do not think that it is a modern classic though.



* The edition I read had quite a few typos in it. I think that it is sad that so many publishing companies are rushing to print and not spending extra time making sure that what I read is virtually error free. I can handle one mistake, but this book had mistakes throughout such as missing quotation marks, use of "than" instead of "that", missing periods, etc. Those kinds of mistakes can be quite annoying, and make me leary of the publisher.


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Blog of the Week - Anderson Cooper 360

I often go back and forth over whether I like the Anderson Cooper 360 blog. This week has been a treat on the blog for me because it has been running articles that go along with the CNN documentary Black in America. I have not been home to watch the documentary, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the articles that have run on the AC 360 blog. Today's article that I read first thing this morning is no exception and is probably my favorite of the week. I guess I enjoy it in part because I can see someone who is working to become part of the solution instead of just complaining about the problem, and I hope that there will be more black men like him that take an interest in young black teens and encourage them to become more than what society expects them to become. AC 360 is also a good blog to read when natural disasters happen because they often send in reporters to cover from a more personal perspective. The writers are often liberal, and obviously do not come from a Christian viewpoint, but I think it is still beneficial to read the stories and think on the subjects biblically.

Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
I was excited about reading this book originally, then I saw what some people had to say and thought it might not be as good as it was hyped up to be. I still expected it to be an enjoyable read. However, I was completely disappointed.



First, you can tell a lot about a book by the first chapter. This books first chapter was terrible. It was like a bad movie that jumped all over the place so much and so often that you come away seasick. There are times where you want to scream out "too much information" but that does not make the author stop. By the end of the first chapter, I knew I was not going to enjoy the book and it would take effort just to make it through the book.



Second, the author is not that gifted an author. There is something special about the use of language to convey ideas. You can have simple, flowing language to express deep truths, such as what you see used by Alan Paton in Cry, the Beloved Country. You can use everyday language to convey conversations without dumbing down the subject, as Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, demonstrates in his literature. You can even jump all over the place from one thought to another like William Faulkner. You can tell that Don Miller, the author, is well read and intelligent, but his attempts at the use of language leave something to be desired. He tries to be too relevant to today's audience, and ends up dumbing down his thoughts. Books should make you think and be a challenge. His book purports to make you think, but it only made me think about how I did not want to be like this guy. I hope this book does not become a classic because it will portray our time period in history as one where we thought we were smart, but we were dumb.



Third, the author seems to be ashamed of the gospel. If a non-Christian reads this book seeking an understanding of Christianity and Christ, the non-Christian is going to see Christians as a bunch of self-loving whiners who do not know who God is. I was hopeful when I reached the last chapter that purports to be about Jesus because I thought maybe the author was building up to a presentation of the gospel. However, he did not communicate who Jesus was in the chapter. He just communicated that Jesus was someone to find. It left me thinking about Romans where it is made clear that no one seeks after God. No one can come to a saving knowledge of God without being told the gospel. Miller almost seems to be ashamed of this. The gospel would have been a wonderful climax to the book, but it was missing. The lack of gospel left a feeling of emptiness at the end of the book. If what Don Miller portrayed is the gospel, I want no part of it. Give me the cross of Christ where He took on my sin and imparted His righteousness to me instead. Once I have accepted the real gospel, then maybe I will not whine and complain about the church not doing this and not doing that, but be a part of the change motivated by my desire to live for God's glory.



Overall, I thought this book was based too much on feelings. Feelings change too much, as evidenced by the author being all over the place throughout the book. The Christian life has to be grounded on something bigger than feelings and emotions. It must be grounded on God's Word. I felt that the author lacked being grounded in something. Even chapters that purported to be about God (such as the chapters on love, worship and Jesus) ended up being about the author. Christianity is not to be self-centered but Christ-centered. This book lacked conveying that idea.



I seriously do not recommend that people read this book. Even more, I am disturbed that non-Christians are reading this book and thinking that this must be what Christianity is about. I know this review is a bit on the harsh side, but I think that the church needs to be more discerning about what it promotes to the world. A watered down gospel is no gospel at all. It is time to stop being ashamed and start living for God's glory.


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Firsts ... in NO

I have made many, many trips to NO (over 20 in the past 7 years), but on my last trip I still did some "firsts."

On Wednesday, I gave my first disaster tour. This consists of riding in a van with people who are volunteering in the city in some capacity (this was a group from Alabama that was volunteering at Carver Center that week), and showing them the destruction caused by Katrina. I have ridden along on so many of the disaster tours in the past that I was able to conduct the tour in one of the two vans that went along.

I learned where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's house in the Quarter is. It is only a block from the Market. They were not there (I guess Angelina is having twins in Italy or somewhere), and you can tell because when they are there, a guard is posted out front. Now I know where the Manning house, the Real World house, and the Jolie/Pitt house are located since those are probably some of the ones people ask about most.

I learned where the restaurant that President Bush goes to when he is in town is located. I had always wondered, and we actually found it by accident as I was looking for a place to u-turn.

I had my first Pralines and Cream snowball. I love snowballs, but had not tried the Pralines and Cream flavor.

I had my first Gold Peak Sweet Tea on tap at Popeyes!!!! Gold Peak is perhaps my favorite sweet tea in the world and I was beyond excited to find it on tap. Weird things make me happy.

I sat through my first NO criminal trial. Interesting. In addition, I visited the probation office for the first (and hopefully last) time. Also interesting (and boring).

I drove on 610. I don't think I have ever driven on it before. I have now. Twice.

I was in my first NO fender bender (although it did not bend my fender or even scratch it). Pretty entertaining. My second NO fender bender (also without any damage to my car) happened the next day while I was not in the car, but standing by watching.

I met Thaddeus Gervais for the first time. I have already written a post about that though.

I met Coy's grandparents for the first time. I have talked to his grandmother on the phone before and have heard about them for years, but finally met them. I fell in love with their house. I want their hardwood floors. Mine are horrible compared to their floors.

My other firsts also pretty much include meeting people. Oh, one last first. I heard the Lil Wayne new release song on the radio for the first time. And second. And third. And fourth. And fifth. And sixth. And seventh. And eighth. And ninth. And tenth. And eleventh. I think I was about as thrilled as you, the reader is reading all of that. :)

The Amazing Thing About Babies ...

I am in New Orleans yet again. I keep saying that pretty soon I could drive here in my sleep, although I did take a different route this time just to mix things up a bit. Today I was able to spend some time holding a precious little baby boy. I have known his daddy for seven years, and I have some stories about him! It is amazing though to hold a newborn baby. This baby was born July 2, so he is just over a week old. It is so awesome to think about God forming this baby while his mother was carrying him. It is awesome to think about how just over a week ago, he was still inside his mommy, but now he is out in the world. The most amazing thing though is that God has a plan for this little baby's life! He has a plan for this child and did before this child was ever born! Welcome to the world, Thaddeus Gervais!

* If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may recognize the name Gervais. Lil Thaddeus carries the middle name of one of his daddy's best friends who was killed in January.

The Second Chance

I am falling behind on my movie reviews, but I finally was able to get some of them written and off the laptop.

The Second Chancesurprised me as a movie. I thought it would just be a white movie portraying the inner city like it is not. Although they did make things a little more mild, I am surprised at how close to real that it tried to be. I also have to say that I often feel the same way about how the white church treats ministry to the inner city. The white church seems to think that it is better to send money than to spend time. The sad thing is that money may provide programs, but it does not provide the relationships that are needed to actually help these kids, teenagers, young adults, and struggling adults. This movie is definitely a strike against the church, and I think that it is a needed criticism. The church in America thinks that money fixes everything. Why minister in the inner city when we can pay someone else to do the dirty work. We go on our week long mission trips thinking we changed lives when in reality we experience a religious high and pat ourselves on the back for doing good. What good does it do to work a week when we do not work in a mission field the rest of the year? The movie is a convicting movie. If you do not want to leave the comfort zone of your pew, I would not suggest watching this movie. I really did not think that I would like the movie. I mean, Michael W. Smith is trying to act in it. However, it is a little too close to reality on what is going on with our inner city centers and churches. I challenge you to watch the movie, and to do something about it. Do not be afraid to get dirty for the gospel. Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Put the gospel into action instead of just paying for its spread.

I do realize that I may be a little judgmental, yet fussing at people for being judgmental. The movie deals with that as well. Trust me, I see my faults!

*Warning: Although it is a religious movie, it does have a pastor that cusses, scenes with drugs, and some violence. Just realize that this is the reality of working in the inner city. There is nothing more offensive than "holier than thous" judging because of the way that a ministry in the inner city conducts itself. For example, after a repass at the Center in New Orleans a group of WMU ladies came in to "clean" the Center were more concerned about the ice chest that said Budweiser instead of realizing the amount of strength it takes to minister in that type of situation. If you are that type of person, please spare us and only send your money. Also, do not watch this movie because you will be the type of person that will be offended by the language instead of getting it. I hope that you will instead be the type of person who can overlook that kind of thing.

The Count of Monte Cristo

I am surprised that it has taken me this long to watch The Count of Monte Cristo. Keven Reynolds, either the director or producer, is a Baylor graduate, and I had his scholarship (funded by his parents) while I was in undergrad at Baylor. Plus, he had his hand in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. I just never got around to seeing this movie until last week.

I am a big fan of period pieces and historical fiction. A brief review of my favorite movies will show one that (Gone with the Wind, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, First Knight, etc.). Even in books, I love history and historical fiction. I definitely enjoyed the historical setting of the movie, and all of the props, sets, and wardrobe that goes with it, including the almost obligatory Napoleon. I thought that the casting was great, especially for Dantes. Jim Cavaziel was the perfect actor to pull off the ignorant, then innocent, then vengeful yet good main character in the story.

Some of the props/settings were too unbelievable. The Count's entrance at the party at his estate was a little much. Maybe it could have been pulled off without the acrobats. It just seemed over the top instead of just gaudy. However, for each of the unbelievable things, there were some settings that were almost perfect. Chateau d'If was believable because it did not show too much (although the planned escape and the teaching that went on was pretty unbelievable ... but that is fiction, right?) and the fight in the wheat field was great. Movies need to have some moments that are unbelievable to remind you that you are watching fiction, but it needs to be close enough to believable that you want to believe it. I felt like this movie was pretty close to this line of believability.

The story is a hard story to watch, but that is part of what makes the movie great. I found myself cheering for Dantes to get revenge, yet wanting him to forgive instead of get revenge all at the same time. It was uncomfortable, but that is the same struggle that I feel within myself when I just want to get revenge, but know that is not the right thing to do. There is something so human about the struggle, and that adds to the enjoyment of the story.

If I had to fault the movie on one thing, it would be that the screenwriter basically bragged about not sticking true to the story. I have not read the book. I want to read the book, but now, after hearing what the screenwriter said, I am afraid it would make me not like the movie. Yet, I like the movie right now. I will probably end up reading the book. I am sure that curiosity will get the better of me, so maybe I need to watch the movie a few more times before I read the book.

If you like historical fiction, and do not mind movies that remind you you are watching fiction, I would highly recommend this movie. Predictable to an extent, but it seems that all movies are since there probably is no such thing as a new or unique story (or storyline). Highly entertaining, exciting where it needed to be, slow where it needed to be, this movie strikes a balance that most directors and producers do not try to strike.

BK Mocha Joe

I am relatively new to the coffee drinking scene. I like my coffee bittersweet. I like to be able to taste the bitter of coffee and the sweet of the cream/milk/sugar. Cafe du Monde is partly to blame for that because I love their frozen cafe au laits and that is pretty much the first coffee I started drinking. That brings me to the next point which is that I tend to like my coffee better cold than hot. I know that is backwards, but that is the way I started drinking it.

Fast food coffee has never really been my thing. I have always been a Cafe du Monde or Starbucks only person, and have steered clear of anything else. Even when I make hot coffee myself, it has to be a special blend of some sort instead of your run-of-the-mill Folgers. I tried McDonald's iced coffee when it came out (mostly because I had a free coupon), and, although it wasn't bad, it wasn't worth the $3 that you would spend on it if it wasn't free.

Yesterday I knew that I was going to need to work through lunch because of a big hearing that my boss, who has been on vacation, was preparing for out of town (and he always waits until the last minute to call for an explanation, even when the hearing is scheduled in early afternoon), so I decided to eat a decent breakfast from Burger King. Burger King has some of the worst tea ever made by man (for the love of everything Southern, learn to make sweet tea instead of giving me unsweet and some sugar!!!), and I do not drink cokes anymore, so I was left with a dilemma about what to do for a caffeine fix. I noticed that BK now has iced coffee and I decided that it was worth it to try their version. Let me just say, BK knows how to make iced coffee!! Think the little bottles of Starbucks that you get at the grocery store (only better) poured over ice, and that is what my mouth experienced. Plus, the iced coffee is cold enough when they put it in the glass that the ice does not have time to melt before I have finished enjoying the drink (hint, hint McDonalds). The best part is that it is priced under $3 and only a slight detour from my normal route to work as opposed to the Starbucks being on the other side of town. There is enough of a coffee taste, but also enough of a mocha taste to make my mouth happy all day.

Although I doubt I will ever be the type of person that goes through drive through just to get coffee every day, I believe that BK can count on me to contribute at least a trip a week (maybe two) for as long as they carry the iced coffee on the menu. I do not need food, just the coffee!!

David Bonds, Poster Child

I decided to wait until today to write this New Orleans blog. It seems that David Bonds has become the new poster child of everything that is wrong with the young black males in New Orleans. His list of faults seems to be the typical list for most that are arrested, and this young man has become the symbol of them all.

I first heard the name David Bonds in connection with the murder of Dinneral Shavers. Dinneral was murdered in December 2006, and the shots were meant for his stepson and Guy McEwen. Dinneral is the first person that I can remember knowing who has been murdered. That was tough itself, but to know that the shots were meant for the kids was even tougher. I had to realize at that point that it was just a matter of time before one of the bullets meant for the kids would hit one of them.

When David was arrested, I looked him up on the OPCSO website because part of me just had to know what he looked like. If you go to OPCSO's website, you can look up the mugshots of those who are currently in jail and the court dates of those who are charged. I just had to put a face to the name so that I could humanize him a bit. After all, it was not just the life of the family of Dinneral that lost someone that day. David Bonds family lost their son that day as well.

Dinneral's murder resulted in a lot of press because he was a member of a popular band and was part of the band program at one of the local high schools. It seemed that for months following the murder, the newspaper ran an article a week (at least) on something that included his name. Dinneral came to represent everything good and Bonds to represent everything evil. Then the unimaginable happened. Bonds was released because the witness that identified Bonds originally backed out, so the prosecutors decided not to pursue the case. Bonds took on a new role of representing everything that is wrong with the system as well. Eventually, through a new grand jury proceeding I believe, Bonds was reindicted and the case continued to trial. Of course, all of this was hashed out in the newspaper and in protest speeches so that the name of Bonds and Dinneral remained ever present in the public eye.

In early April of this year, Bonds finally was put on trial. In what turned out to be a circus of a trial with one juror having to be disqualified because he (or she) saw Bonds make a gun symbol with his fingers as one of the teenage witnesses took the stand and the public defender representing Bonds threatening another witness that the public defender's office would not represent him in his criminal charges should he testify against Bonds, the jury acquitted Bonds 11-1. Guy was a witness at the trial since part of what Bonds was being tried for was his attempted murder. The press reported heavily on the trial (including showing pictures of Guy and maybe even stating his name on one of the news stations), and the public was outraged at the not guilty verdict. During the trial, Bonds sad story of being a drug dealer and having a mother that allowed him to go into foster care around the time of the hurricane came out. Soon it was apparent that this boy's story was too typical of others young black males in New Orleans.

In what can only be described as strange timing, Guy's murder happened only a week and a half after he testified at Bonds' trial. It is well known in New Orleans that you do not testify against someone or you will be retaliated against. Guy did not really testify against Bonds because he stated on the stand that he could not identify the shooter, but that did not matter to the press. Bonds' name was back in the headlines, even making national news pages such as Fox News since Guy had been a reluctant witness at Bonds' trial. It was difficult to see the press blaming Bonds when we knew that Bonds did not kill Guy or even have him killed. In some weird way, it almost would have been easier if it had been Bonds because then it would have made some sort of sense. But it was not. And the fact that the press blamed Bonds did not help. I still think that the New Orleans police and prosecutors would like to find a way to blame Guy's death on Bonds, but he did not do it. Yet, here his name was in the paper again with reference to all that is wrong in the city and with the system.

In early May, Bonds' name ended up in the paper again, this time wanted for attempted murder. Reading the article you would have thought that he was wanted for killing Guy instead of attempted murder. Two paragraphs were devoted to the story on the attempted murder, and the rest of the story dealt with Dinneral's murder, the trial, Guy's murder, and the funeral. Soon they caught Bonds, and his face was back in the paper being transported back to jail. Guy's name was still in the articles. Most murders are numbers, but it seems that Guy and Dinneral's became symbols to the newspaper.

Now, Bonds is the poster child of everything that is wrong. He is being made an example of even in the judicial process. He is accused of attempted murder for shooting someone in the stomach. There are two witnesses that positively identified him as the shooter (wonder how they will testify at trial). Right now it looks like he is charged with second degree murder. The magistrate judge made Bonds an example by setting his bond at $750,000. The district judge further sent a message by upping the bond to $1 million, I think for no other reason than to make sure it was reported in the press. As comparison, another person that I know in New Orleans that is charged with second degree murder (but did not hit any victims) is being held for a $50,000 bond. Also, when he was originally indicted for the murder of Dinneral and attempted murder of the other three in the car, his initial bond was $550,000 (at reindictment in August 2007, that amount went up to $2.5 million).

I think that it is unfair to this young man to make him the poster child of everything that has gone wrong. First, I think that all of the attention is going to affect his right to a fair trial. Do not misunderstand me -- I hope that he goes to jail and for a long time. I just think it is unfair for him to go to jail for a crime that he did not commit (Guy's murder) and a crime of which he has been acquitted (Dinneral's murder). That is the way that our justice system is supposed to work. Evidentally there was reasonable doubt in at least one juror's mind. I wish that juror did not feel that way, but that is the way that the jury system works. Second, none of the newspaper articles seem to be addressing the fact that a solution to this problem does not lie in governmental programs or even the justice system. People need to invest in the lives of these boys before they take up guns and start shooting. Investing does not guarantee that the boy will turn out alright. However, investing in the lives of these boys may enable a few of them to turn out ok instead of leaving them to run loose like Bonds. Third, this boy does have a family and I am sure that family is hurting right now. It sounds like his mother has issues and that his father is absent, but there are probably people that love this boy that are having to see him represented as the poster child for everything bad in New Orleans society. I am sure that hurts. To someone, he probably was a good kid. To someone, he may have been a loving son/nephew/grandson. We need to remember that these people are human and hopefully are loved by someone.

There is a war going on in inner city America and there are many young black males that are going down as casualties of that war. Bonds is a casualty in that war. Most of us just turns our heads and ignore the war, or say things like "At least they are killing each other." More of us need to join in the fight. More of us in the church need to pay attention to the war, even if it is outside of your community. It is a war where it is worth it to win the battle in at least one life. It is a war that is guaranteed to hurt you at some point if you decide to join the battle because you will watch someone you love become a casualty or die in the war if you invest enough time in it. Bonds may represent all that is going wrong in the inner city, but he also represents all that is wrong in our attitude towards the inner city.

New Pet Peeve

Since I am on a New Orleans kick today, I think there are probably two more blogs that I will write. The first of these is about my new pet peeve. It really started when Guy died, and I actually read some of the comments that people leave on the blog articles about stories about crime in the city. People who do not know the person begin to talk bad about them (usually) or complain about the city, violence, police department, mayor, parents, etc. I have subscribed to the RSS feed for the newspaper so that I receive articles when they come out (in case I know the victim ... or the shooter ... and it is weird to type that), so I often see the article fairly quickly after it is posted.

Most of the people who write on the blog complain because it is the same story written again. The person shot must have been a drug dealing, drug using teenager/young adult whose family is going to say that he was a good kid and that he "did nuthin to nobody" and in no way deserved to die. The commenter usually says something about how it is time that the government step up and take control of the streets and change these kids, etc. Unfortunately, most of the comments are right about the type of person that was shot (not in Darryl's case though), and you can sense the frustration.

Here is why this is my new pet peeve. All of these people griping and complaining think it is someone else's job to do something about it. Let government take care of it. Let the parents take care of it. Just do not ask me to do anything about it. These commenters can sit back and safely comment from the privacy of their homes and point out all that is wrong in the world, but they are not willing to accept that they are part of the problem. Very few are trying to do something about it. Very few are investing time in the lives of these kids trying to show them the right path. The very few that are have a hard time because they are spread so thin. Very few in the churches in New Orleans are stepping up to invest in the lives of those that need it most. Instead, people are complaining that the government should be doing something about it.

I guess that I am the type of person that if you see a problem, you should not complain unless you are willing to try to fix it. I do not always take that view (I am really bad about passing the responsibility at work), but I think that we have no right to complain unless we are willing to be part of the solution. Part of me screams that they do not have a right to say those things about the victim, even if they are true, because they do not know him. They do not know that victim's family. Every time one of these boys is shot and killed, it is a sign that we are losing this generation of young black men. Every time one of these boys is shot and killed, there is a family and a community that hurts. It does not matter what kind of life that person lived, it hurts just the same.

I guess that is enough of this rant for right now. Just because I feel this way does not mean that I like everything that the government, police department, mayor, etc. are doing. I do think that it is probable that they could be doing more. I just think that I have to do my part instead of waiting for someone else to step up. I just wish that there were more that felt the same way, especially in the church.

Happy Birthday Birdie!

My boy turns 20 today. I had to say happy birthday to him on here even though I don't think he knows about this blog or has a way to access it. Not that it matters!! Happy birthday little brother!

Another Update on Darryl

Some of this information may be dated because the last update I had is from Sunday. Darryl was pretty grumpy on Saturday and in a lot of pain. He did not like the morphine drip because although it provided temporary relief of pain, it did not provide lasting relief, so he felt his pain was spiking too often. Both arms were immobilized in braces to keep him from moving them. He was eating normal food and getting up every once and a while. Late Saturday night they took out the chest tube that was causing part of his pain and grumpiness. They also switched him to oral pain killers instead of the morphine drip, which made him much happier because the pain control is more constant. They took the brace off of his right arm as well.

On Sunday, he was feeling less grumpy, but still in a lot of pain. I have a feeling that he is going to be in a lot of pain for a while. Since the brace is off, they have started moving his right arm and hand. He cannot move it himself (on Sunday), but he can feel when someone touches it and moves it, which is a good sign since there is always a possibility of nerve damage. His left arm, which is the arm that is in worse shape, was still in the brace and it is unknown at this time what its condition is. He was supposed to start physical therapy, possibly on both arms, yesterday, but I have not heard an update of how that went.

Darryl is still in a lot of pain and has a long road of recovery ahead. He keeps telling everyone to be sure and thank those that are praying for him. He knows that the prayers have helped, and that he needs lots of prayer. He is determined to face the pain knowing that his recovery is going to be full of it, and he is determined to work hard to get out of the hospital as soon as he can. Jennifer says that he keeps saying that he is going to be at boys' night at the Center tonight, although I think that they would have to bring boys' night to him for that to happen.