Michael Jackson: This Is It

This weekend I went to Nashville to hang with my friend Jeff.  Our primary purpose was to see the Titans game (they won).  Saturday night before the game we went to see the Michael Jackson Movie This Is It. (Who better to see on Halloween than Michael Jackson?)

I'll admit that I like Michael Jackson.  Not the freaky plastic surgery victim who hangs his children over the balcony railing.  The Michael Jackson who is an artist and the King of Pop.

I really enjoyed the movie.  It showed via documentary style the 4 months of rehearsal leading up to the concerts he had planned in London.  It showed the eccentric MJ who was a perfectionist when it came to musical arrangement and choreography.  It also showed how everyone around him catered to his every whim.  Everyone treated him as a super-celebrity and I think he liked it.  He was definitely an odd sort of man.  It was amazing to see a 50 yr old man dance like him.  I suppose this contributed to the medication he was on.

It is sad that he is gone.  I had to wonder watching the movie, if this was Michael turning the page.  Attempting to re-enter pop culture, in his own weird way.

 

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Pet Peeves: Forks/Teeth, Pantyhose/Sandals, Pastoral #FB Status

I have more than 3, but tonight I want to explore 3 pet peeves that I have.

1 - Forks on teeth - I absolutely HATE the sound of forks being scraped on teeth.  It sends chills through my entire body.  A particularly long grind on the ole metal fork can make me fall to the floor in a fetal position.  Just thinking about it gives me chills.  It's not just on MY teeth, but the teeth of anyone near me.  The last time I went to the dentist they had a new instrument which they said replaced their toothbrush.  It was basically a piece of metal that vibrated really fast.  After 10-15 minutes of the dental hygiene equivalent of waterboarding, I was prepared to tell every secret I knew or thought I knew.  I think at one point during the torture I may have shared Osama Bin Ladin's current location.

2 - Pantyhose with open toed shoes - really grosses me out.  I assume this is not part of appropriate women's fashion, but even if it is, it just looks gross to me.  I mean seriously?  If it's cold enough outside to warrant the nylons, then perhaps it also warrants shoes that cover the whole foot.  Pantyhose and sandals defy any logic in my mind.  This is from the guy who has no problem when old men where dress socks with shorts or when people where socks with sandals.  I can give a little there.  Old men are exempt from any societal fashion norms, and white socks with sandals could be explaned as "European".  Pantyhose in general are fine.  Maybe you want the "control" that panthose offer, they make things for that tht don't have to be seen.  No one (except Jessica Alba) should be wearing nude color stockings with open toed shoes.

3 - Pastors who use their FaceBook status (and/or Twitter) to talk about how "excited" they are about their next event/service - annoys me.  FB and Twitter statuses can be cheesy enough without pastors thinking it's a way to drum up excitement about church.  "I'm really jazzed about service tomorrow at ________ Community Church located at 1000 Jim Bob Hwy" or "can't wait to see what God does tomorrow at the 8am or 10:30 am service at _________ Church of My God". Some at least try to be subtle about it like it's not shameless promotion.

I don't think a lot of people who are riding the fence about coming to your church/event are going to be swayed by your FaceBook status.  I could be wrong but I think we have 1 of 2 things at play here: 1) they're trying to psych themselves up about going to church or at least trying to put on the good face; 2) they've hit desperation stage of trying to increase their numbers and they figure shameless promotion can't hurt.  Have we gotten to the place where we really think a 140 characters or less promo is going to turn things around for your church?

We just beg people to come to church.  Why?  Seriously . . . why do we BEG people to come to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, or Wednesday evenings?  I'll just leave that question out there for you to answer honestly amongst yourselves.

"Well maybe the FB status just reminds people so they don't forget?" you say.  Do they have to be reminded when American Idol comes on?  Do they forget when it's payday?  I don't buy it.

I will now publish this post, which will update my Twitter and Facebook status to promote how excited I am about my newest blog entry!

;)

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Flip Burger in ATL and @RichardBlais

My flip burger w/ Nutella & Toasted Marshmallow milkshake

After the u2 concert last week we stopped by Flip Burger Boutique.  We knew about it because of Richard Blais who was a contestant on Top Chef.  We love Top chef and he is basicallly my favorite contestant from the show.  He totally should have won the season he was on.

Anyway, we stopped the by the restaurant in Atlanta.  I remembered asking myself on the way over, "I wonder if he will be there?"  I didn't figure so, it was like 11am on a Wednesday.  But guess who was sitting in a booth right behind us?  Oh yeah, Richard Blais.

So we ate our Flip Burger with Cheese (muy bien) and drank my Nutella & Toasted Marshmallow Milk Shake (que bueno).  The fried pickles were absolutely awesome.  I debated whether I should say hi to him.  I really did not want to be "that guy".  You know the one who walks up and bothers people they think they know because they saw them on TV.  But then I thought, "he's like my favorite TV chef." 

So I went up to him to say "hey".  I expected we would do nothing more than exchange greetings: I would say "Hey . . . I'm a fan", he would say ". . . awesome . . ." and we would all move on.  But he actually started asking me questions like where I was from and how often did I come to Atlanta, and did I know they were opening a Flip in Nashville.  I wasn't expecting him to be so nice and congenial.  I mean he was like that on TV but I didn't expect it.  I'm not even sure what I said to him.  I probably mumbled something awkward shook his hand and walked away.

If you're in the ATL hit up Flip (and try the Krispy Kreme milk shake - I almost did).  If you see Richard, tell him Mike sent ya.  We're basically best friends now.

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Another u2 concert pic

I know, I know . . . enough is enough.

but it is cool . . . : )

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One More u2 in ATL post

Yes... I know. Everyone within a 5 hour driving radius of Atlanta was either at the u2 concert, or knew some who was. And you've undoubtedly heard someone talking, twittering or facebooking about it.

But it was pretty amazing.

The concert was an intricately woven tapestry of musical art, pop culture, spirituality, social justice, nostalgia, whimsy and showmanship. Only Bono can pull off a show that is equally a call to social action, a prayer for divine intimacy and still dance with a stranger on stage and wear a jacket that lights up.

Truly an experience.

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Lutherans

Talking to my friend Cameron via email today.
Me:  Why is this guy so negative?
Friend:  He’s a Lutheran… he gets all the guilt of Catholicism without the 3^rd party absolution. (rim shot)
This reminded me of a class I took at seminary where the local Lutheran pastor came in to speak to us.  Trying to appeal to us “low church” folks, he said the Lutheran liturgy was “streamlined”.  They didn’t have all of the “trappings” of Roman Catholic or Episcopal mass.  He quickly realized that much of what we all valued from liturgical churches, had pretty much been removed from his church in an effort to appeal to a broader base.   He tried to save himself by saying, “well…sometimes we still do that stuff.”

It was too late.

If you’re Lutheran, don’t get mad at me.  My church (small "c") has its own problems.

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Chattanooga Market

We went to the Chattanooga Market today.  Really cool place with local farmers, artists etc.  Some really good food too.  This bluegrass band (the New Brinkley Brothers) was playing while we ate lunch.  Whenever you can combine bluegrass, Lupi's Pizza and funnel cake....I'm happy.

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