tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535047808159438082024-03-13T15:47:24.661-07:00caviar & dirtIt's a sad, funny ending to find yourself pretending,<br>
A rich man in a poor man's shirt.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-70181150630016625172018-05-12T12:28:00.001-07:002018-05-12T12:28:28.653-07:00The Championship Bout!The Championship Bout!
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/10002880.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/10002880/">Championship: Beauty vs. Toys</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-3555909202310032052018-05-04T18:02:00.002-07:002018-05-04T18:02:40.665-07:00The Final Four!Here we go, peeps! It's the Final Four.
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9995844.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9995844/">Final 4! Toy Story vs. Up</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9995845.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9995845/">Final 4! Lion vs. Beauty</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-41724386526949850172018-04-25T15:07:00.000-07:002018-04-25T15:07:08.486-07:00Round 4!The Elite Eight!
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9988780.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9988780/">Rd 4 - Toys vs. Incredibles</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9988784.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9988784/">Rd 4 - Up vs. Wall-E</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9988785.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9988785/">Rd 4 - Lion King vs. Aladdin</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9988787.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9988787/">Rd 4 - Beauty vs. Peter Pan</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-58345540591347529572018-04-13T13:34:00.001-07:002018-04-13T13:34:10.588-07:00Round 3!Here we go! It's the Sweet Sixteen!
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981549.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981549/">Rd 3 - Toy vs. Cinderella</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981550.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981550/">Rd 3 - Brave vs. Increds</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981551.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981551/">Rd 3 - Up vs. Nemo</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981552.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981552/">Rd 3 - Wall-E vs. Ratatouille</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981553.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981553/">Rd 3 - Lion vs. Tangled</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981556.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981556/">Rd 3 - Monsters vs. Aladdin</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981557.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981557/">Rd 3 - Beauty vs. Inside</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9981559.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9981559/">Rd 3 - Fantasia vs. Peter Pan</a></noscript>
John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-28897745764017892622018-04-07T15:12:00.000-07:002018-04-07T15:12:18.698-07:00Round 2 - C & D BracketHere it is! Round 2 - C & D Bracket.
C:
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977366.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977366/">Rd 2 - Lion vs. Jungle</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977367.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977367/">Rd 2 - Hero vs. Tangled</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977368.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977368/">Rd 2 - Moana vs. Monsters</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977369.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977369/">Rd 2 - Emperor vs. Aladdin</a></noscript>
D:
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977370.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977370/">Rd 2 - Beauty vs. Toy3</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977371.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977371/">Rd 2 - Inside vs. Mermaid</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977374.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977374/">Rd 2 - Ralph vs. Fantasia</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9977375.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9977375/">Rd 2 - Peter vs. Bambi</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-80302786494059222282018-04-06T13:47:00.000-07:002018-04-06T13:47:15.728-07:00Round 2 - A & B BracketHere it is! Round 2 - A & B Bracket.
A:
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976269.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976269/">Rd 2 - Toys vs. Cars</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976272.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976272/">Rd 2 - Mulan vs. Cinderella</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976273.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976273/">Rd 2 - Brave vs. Sleeping</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976275.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976275/">Rd 2 - Toys2 vs. Increds</a></noscript>
B:
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976277.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976277/">Rd 2 - Snow vs. Up</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976902.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976902/">Rd 2 - Nemo vs Dalmatians</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976903.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976903/">Rd 2 - Lady vs. Wall-E</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9976904.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9976904/">Rd 2 - Ratatouille vs. Pinocchio</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-64383170676630345062018-03-31T10:38:00.000-07:002018-03-31T10:38:47.952-07:00Round 1 - The D BracketHere we go! Round 1 - The D Bracket
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971159.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971159/">Rd 1 - Beauty vs. Down Under</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971161.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971161/">Rd 1 - Toy3 vs. Winnie</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971162.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971162/">Rd 1 - Inside vs. Sword</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971164.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971164/">Rd 1 - Mermaid vs. Mouse</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971167.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971167/">Rd 1 - Hunchback vs. Ralph</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971168.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971168/">Rd 1 - Fantasia vs. Oliver</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971169.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971169/">Rd 1 - Peter vs. Tarzan</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971170.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971170/">Rd 1 - Bambi vs. Robinson</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-88119633030189055852018-03-30T07:41:00.000-07:002018-03-30T07:41:12.217-07:00Round 1 - The C BracketHere we go! Round 1 - The C Bracket
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971143.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971143/">Rd 1 - Lion vs. Dory</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971144.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971144/">Rd 1 - Jungle vs. Fox</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971145/">Rd 1 - Frozen vs. Hero</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971146.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971146/">Rd 1 - Tangled vs. Bear</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971147.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971147/">Rd 1 - Moana vs. Zoo</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971149.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971149/">Rd 1 - Monsters vs. Atlantis</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971152.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971152/">Rd 1 - Emperor vs. Lilo</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971153.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971153/">Rd 1 - Aladdin vs. Bolt</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-15114972707753072352018-03-29T10:59:00.000-07:002018-03-29T10:59:33.381-07:00Round 1 - The B BracketHere we go! Round 1 - The B Bracket!
<script charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971127.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971127/">Rd 1 - Snow vs. Cars2</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971128/">Rd 1 - Up vs. Robin</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971129.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971129/">Rd 1 - Nemo vs. Coco</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971131.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971131/">Rd 1 - Dalmatians vs. Rescuers</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971133/">Rd 1 - Tramp vs. Frog</a></noscript>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://secure.polldaddy.com/p/9971134.js"></script>
<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971134/">Rd 1 - Wall vs. Black</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971135/">Rd 1 - Rat vs. Herc</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971136/">Rd 1 - Pinocchio vs. Pooh</a></noscript>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-35188173051419619932018-03-28T17:11:00.000-07:002018-03-28T17:12:06.544-07:00Round 1 - The A BracketHere we go! Round 1 - the A Bracket!
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971108/">Rd 1 - Toy vs. Cabs</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971112/">Rd 1 - Cars vs. Alice</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971113/">Rd 1 - Mulan vs. Bugs</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971114/">Rd 1 - Cinder vs. Cats</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971116/">Rd 1 - Dumbo vs. Brave</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971118/">Rd 1 - Sleep vs. Icky</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971119/">Rd 1 - Toy2 vs. Pocahontas</a></noscript>
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<noscript><a href="https://polldaddy.com/poll/9971120/">Rd 1 - Increds vs. Chick</a></noscript>
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John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-81964849441487285192012-09-25T18:08:00.002-07:002012-09-25T18:46:20.889-07:00A Hutchmoot StoryIt takes a whole lot for me to want to resurrect this blog, if only for a while. Hutchmoot'll do that to a guy, I guess. The funny thing is, while all of the Mooters are telling their stories about how they were affected... nah, let's say <i>changed</i>, over the weekend, I'd just like to tell a small story about a thing that very few people saw or even heard about. It's a story about a few Hutch-heroes, none of whom would want to be named, so I'll keep 'em anonymous. I've renamed them too, cause it's more fun that way.<br />
<br />
This is a story about selflessness and love, about pain (the literal kind) and healing (also literal). It's really a story about the kind of people that are drawn to the Hutchmoot in the first place. Our story takes place while most of you were enjoying Phil Vischer's talk (which I heard was fantastic). While Mr. Vischer was killing dreams, something else was going on in the church. This'll be in the third person. In fact, let's do this from a divine perspective, want to? I'll steal the first two sentences from the great Jack Butler and his novel "Living in Little Rock With Miss Little Rock." Thanks, Jack. It's not "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," but it's close.<br />
<br />
----------------<br />
<br />
Howdy, I'm the Holy Ghost. Talk about your omniscient narrators.<br />
<br />
So it was Friday. Or maybe it was Saturday. The days of the week thing is difficult for me, you understand. Strictly a human construct. Anyway, it was one of those things and it was the evening and I'd been drawn to this place that I love in a little part of Nashville. I'm there all the time, of course (you guys talk about omnipresence in class, right?), but sometimes I've got a little more reason to be paying attention to a thing. And I just couldn't stay away from the Church of the Redeemer that week. There was so much of the Father's business being done that I was all over that building (yes, I saw when you did that thing. I still love you.).<br />
<br />
The body of Christ (understand that when I use that phrase, I don't use it lightly) had gathered in the sanctuary to learn some things from a wise man. It's funny how sometimes We put the wisest words in the mouths of the people that love speaking to children. It's rare that I find adults who will listen. This is two years in a row for Hutchmooters and I am pleased. Anyhoo, while most of the body was learning from the sage, there were other events afoot in the house part of the church.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, over the best food, the most amazing things happen (just a reminder here - We didn't have to make the food thing mandatory. But aren't you glad We did? Just wait until you taste the real stuff.). Hearts are healed, dignities are restored, and love wins. But even when the best food causes a man to choke, I'm still there, and those things can still happen.<br />
<br />
One of your Hutchmooters, a guy I'll call Donald (after one of my favorite human writers, Donald Harington), ate a piece of the finest pork loin this side of the wedding feast and it went down the wrong tube. Now, I could give the specifics of what happened there, but they don't really add to the story, and the doctors have to earn their paychecks somehow, right? So Donald basically inhaled some pork and as happens when you inhale food instead of air (or pipe smoke - good on ya, by the way, Hutchmoot pipe smokers), Donald couldn't breathe very well.<br />
<br />
Well, two amazing humans that I'll call Courtney and Bob saw Donald's distress and did the best thing they could think to do - pray with him. Now, before you stop me to say something stupid like "Why didn't they call an ambulance right away" or "Why didn't they do the Heimlich," please understand that he wasn't so bad off yet, just really uncomfortable. In fact, if you could get a Great Physician on the case at the very beginning of the problem, wouldn't you? As it turns out, they could only think to do that because they'd learned well. And their prayers were honored. Closeness to the Father will do that, you know. Pay attention.<br />
<br />
Well, Donald got worse. He sat on the couch in the living room and couldn't hardly breathe at all. So Courtney, being the caring sort, ran for help and hollered at the first person she found, a no goodnik named Tuck. Tuck, despite generally seeming to be a guy who knows what he's doing (although that's rarely actually true), freaked out a little bit and went up. Not like Courtney and Bob... Tuck actually went upstairs (his insides flipping like a Lewis Graham pancake) and requested the assistance of Father Benjamin. Since Tuck wasn't from around those parts, he figured (rightly) that the right Reverend Benjamin would instantly know what to do. Benjamin was cool and composed, even a little snarky. The two of them raced back down the stairs to where Donald was waiting. Benjamin assessed the situation, and sent Tuck running back to the sanctuary to retrieve Donald's amiga, Doris.<br />
<br />
Tuck raced back down the hall, all-stars flopping all the way, and burst into the filled room (ok, to be fair, he really didn't 'burst.' 'Slunk' maybe. Yeah, let's go with 'slunk.') to look for Doris, not an easy task when all the faithful are gathered and faces can't be easily registered. So again, he enlisted help - this time from a guy I'll call Thorin (want to? that's such an awesome name, right? It's so perfect for this guy, too, although he probably thinks of himself as a Dori, Ori, or Nori). Thorin helped Tuck locate Doris and the three of them awayed to the living room. They returned to find Donald, still in distress, along with a doctor (unnamed in this story, but a hero nonetheless), Courtney, Bob, Benjamin, and a new hero that we'll call Roy. Roy has a big part to play in this story, but truthfully, nobody even noticed he was there. And so, this little Fellowship had assembled, although none realized yet the respective parts each had to play.<br />
<br />
The good doctor had prescribed an aspirin for Donald (I know what you're thinking, but trust Me, this doctor is no dummy). Thorin took control of the situation, decided that the emergency room was in order and that there was nobody better to take Donald than himself, requisitioned a vehicle from Tuck, and made ready the battle plan. Doris would call Donald's wife to apprise her of the situation. Tuck would get the ride ready. The others would assist Donald to the car. Benjamin would lift up Donald to the Father before the assembled body.<br />
<br />
The car was provided (a blue minivan, natch), Donald, Doris, and Thorin mounted up, and they rode away. Tuck returned to the lobby to hear a bit of wisdom through the little black speaker box. Benjamin ascended to his office to prepare what he would say. The others made their way back to the sanctuary. Except Roy. He hung around. "You never know," he thought (well, I do, but you don't)...<br />
<br />
Unbeknownst to Tuck, Roy, and the rest; the minivan was making an about face. The intrepid trio returned quickly from their journey, bearers of good news. It seemed that after a few minutes in the car, Donald was feeling better. The combo of Bob and Courtney's prayer and the good doctor's aspirin had him on the mend and the ER was no longer deemed necessary. But, Donald still wasn't back to his normal self, so Tuck and Roy decided to stay with him... just to be sure he wouldn't be alone (and really, what's a better picture of Me than that?) Tuck went back to the minivan for a blanket and Donald stretched out on the couch. A mysterious beauty named Vivienne appeared from nowhere and delivered some water to Donald. And then, since breath had been found, the three men, Donald, Tuck, and Roy, talked. (Ever notice that the words in the Bible for Spirit and breath are the same thing? I'm just sayin') They talked about their lives and how they had come to be at the Hutchmoot. They talked about their families. They talked about missing the wise man (Tuck was never one for speeches, Donald wished he could be in there, and Roy never missed a beat - for him it was enough to be present where he was). After awhile it was decided that Donald was well enough to go to the lobby and listen via the lobby speaker. The three men ventured there and sat. Tuck got busy, doing something that seemed important, but wasn't. But Roy never left Donald's side. They stayed that way, the two of them, talking about nothing, but always talking about Us, until the wise man emerged from the sanctuary and their reverie was over.<br />
<br />
The story ends there. No magical happy ending. Did Roy and Donald become lifelong friends? It would be cheating to tell you. A life is a long time, and those stories are yet to be written down. But I will say this: even if the two men never see each other again, they won't forget this story. And when they're reunited one day, they'll remember this story fondly. And the rest of the small Fellowship will wander over and laugh together. And they'll say, "Man... wasn't that pork loin amazing?"<br />
<br />
So be sure to note, reader, that a Fellowship doesn't have to have an axe, a sword, and a bow. An aspirin, a glass of water, a minivan, and a prayer will usually do just fine. Blessings upon blessings to Courtney, Bob, Tuck, Thorin, Benjamin, Vivienne, the good doctor, Donald, and Roy. You all played your parts to perfection. When the Son says things like "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," these are the kind of things He had in mind. Well done.<br />
<br />
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John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-61123514699511298142008-07-23T18:25:00.000-07:002008-07-23T18:32:05.473-07:00The Art of Encouragement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/mka0029l.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/mka0029l.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A shameless plug, if you'll indulge me. Amber, over at <a href="http://isaacandjude.blogspot.com/2008/07/fartsy.html">the run-a-muck</a> is a wonderful lady that I only e-know, but she has managed to make me blush from ear to ear. This is a quote from her most recent post:<br /><blockquote>Something else: There are these super cool guys who review films, and they L-O-V-E Jesus in that cussy kind of I've-been-in-the-pit sort of way. They're complete strangers to me, though friends of some of my friends, and they're my brothers. Has a movie review ever made you cry? Or has a review made you laugh until you slobbered on your keyboard and made the f stop working for a while? I'm not kidding, more than movies, you get what you feel are pieces of the writers that can only come out when art moves them out - as if a piece of art tangles into the brain near where we keep secrets, so to speak of the art is to tell of ghosts, what we saw as children out of the corner of our eye, or of deep, hard crushes and that wind that caught your breath the first time you realized God, those things that only art could shove out into the seeing/hearing world. Go here: <a href="http://wheresmyhockeymask.blogspot.com">Three Hands in the Popcorn Bag</a>.</blockquote><br />How's that for a compliment? Made my month.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-63181044177965542842008-07-13T04:58:00.001-07:002008-07-13T19:39:25.429-07:00The Skinny (In More Ways Than One)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2402702806_545bed325f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2402702806_545bed325f.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I have this group of friends that sits around and discusses working out. No, they're not super-jocks or meatheads or anything, they just like to stay in shape. So when we all get together, there's always talk of "have you seen this new workout site?" or "I managed 40 reps last night." I, being a superiorly trained doughboy, usually have nothing to add to this conversation. Until now. Behold, the landscapers diet! Push a fertilizer spreader, sling 50 pound bags of granular weedkiller, spread mulch in 90+ degrees (with no AC in the truck), all for 10 or more hours a day! You too will lose weight at an alarming pace!<br /><br />Yesterday, I stepped on the scale and it read 202. I haven't been this close to a weight with a 1 in the front in many, many years. I think I'll be there by next weekend.<br /><br />Problem is, after next weekend, the landscaper's diet goes away. Next Sunday, our church votes on me as the new (title to be determined) tech and facilities guy. Assuming that there's no general undercurrent of dislike against me, the vote shouldn't be an issue. So I will be working in an air conditioned office, sitting on my rear all day. Bye bye 100s...<br /><br />Anyway, back to the job. When we sold our business back in March, I figured it wouldn't take too long to find something new. I was wrong. First, I was supposed to go work for my dad's company. That didn't fly. So I applied and applied. I applied for things that I was eminently qualified for and i applied for long shots. I got exactly one interview in three months. So, my friend Jason had mercy on me and hired me to work for his landscaping company. And it's been a blast, really. It's been totally out of my comfort zone and completely good for me.<br /><br />Before going to work for Jason, I met with our pastor at Bojangles, just for some career advice. He said he'd pray for us and the direction we were supposed to go. Turns out, unbeknownst to me, later that day or the next, the tech guy at <a href="http://providencechurch.com">Providence</a> told Chad he would be leaving in a few weeks. A few elder meetings and some prayer later and here we are. It's pretty amazing how God answers prayer by closing door after door. Eventually the right one opens.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-33531774602021704292008-07-08T17:15:00.000-07:002008-07-08T17:16:46.749-07:00Over there -->Zip over to <a href="http://wheresmyhockeymask.blogspot.com">THREE HANDS IN THE POPCORN BAG</a>. I've got a new review of WALL-E up there...John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-85448130880702648742008-06-29T11:58:00.001-07:002008-06-29T11:58:26.474-07:00Be Kind, Check this Out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/06/27/be-kind-miss-daisy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/06/27/be-kind-miss-daisy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I don't know if BE KIND, REWIND was screwed over by the marketing department or if director Michael Gondry was making a point about the way we brand movies. What I do know is that a movie with Jack Black, Mos Def, and an extraordinarily wacky premise isn't supposed to turn out as a loving treatise on the importance of community.<br /><br />Quick summary: Mos Def works in a video store where Jack Black (who becomes magnetized in a great scene involving ingenious camouflage) accidentally erases all of the videotapes. Because no one carries VHS anymore, they can't replace the tapes. So they do the only logical thing: they remake the movies themselves with an ancient camcorder and a process they term "Sweding." They begin with GHOSTBUSTERS and by the end, they have Sweded over 200 movies, including ROBOCOP, KING KONG, THE LION KING, and, DRIVING MISS DAISY. The community comes to like the Sweded films better than the originals and a phenomenon is born.<br /><br />Everything about this film screams unconcerned about whether people actually come to see it. Jack Black, Mos Def, and all the rest treat the movie as a kind of love letter to both film and to community. They have the aura of artists who so truly love the material that they are doing this for free, and the result is an electric kind of chemistry that shouldn't work, but manages to defy all logic and does anyway. A movie that includes Jack Black's magnetized urine shouldn't be lovely and touching, but is.<br /><br />Gondry, who also wrote the script, turns Hollywood stereotypes on their heads throughout the picture. When Danny Glover's video store (which only carries VHS) is on the brink of demolition by a developer, every other movie ever made would have portrayed the developer as a money-hungry Texan who has no sympathy for the people and culture he's displacing. Gondry treats the character as a sympathetic man who is truly trying to improve the quality of life of the people of Passaic. Mia Farrow's character, an old lady that is the impetus for their movie-making (she's the one that wanted to watch GHOSTBUSTERS) is a beautiful woman that cares selflessly for the young black men of the community.<br /><br />Race, although always present in the film - the three main stars of the Sweded movies are white, black, and Hispanic - is never discussed directly, but wonderfully and hilariously shown in context, such as during the filming of DRIVING MISS DAISY where Jack Black is the Jessica Tandy character to Mos Def's Morgan Freeman. When Jack shows up in blackface to play Fats Waller - he figures he's the right man to play him since he too is fat, Danny Glover takes him outside gently to discuss the problem. We don't hear the reprimand, but we do see it in what may be the best scene of the movie.<br /><br />BE KIND REWIND ends with a scene out of a Frank Capra film, a scene just short of sappy, but so lovely that both Janna and I had the beginnings of tears in our eyes. Overall, the movie is a paean to interconnectedness. It's a simple film with a small budget that is more than the sum of its parts. It's a sort of anti-HAPPENING for me. Rather than liking it less and less the more I think about it, I like and admire BE KIND REWIND more and more.<br /><br />4 and a half magnetized drops of urine out of 5.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-86286476149761799262008-06-28T04:11:00.000-07:002008-06-28T05:13:45.294-07:00What's the news from your bed?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bhorner3.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/steve.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://bhorner3.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/steve.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A few updates for you:<br /><br />1. I use ellipses way too much.<br />2. This is completely self-indulgent. I mean, this is totally, wholly, egotistical on our part. I know this. But it's so much darn fun. The hamster, Myles, and I have started a new blog where we do nothing but review movies. <a href="http://wheresmyhockeymask.blogspot.com">Check it out - it's boss</a>.<br />3. Benjamin loves him some Blue's Clues. Amazing. <a href="http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2006/08/04/bluesclues.jpg">Steve</a> (and Joe, I reckon) have helped raise all three of my kids.<br />4. There is some big news on the horizon. We hope. Should be happening in the next week or two. Cross your fingers for us. And say a prayer or ten.<br />5. Do you have to be married for, like, 30 years to renew your vows? Cause I love <a href="http://rainbowdull.blogspot.com">my wife</a> a whole lot. She's groooovy. And she puts up with me getting tired and going to bed at ten o'clock.<br />6. The new Ben Shive record is jawdroppingly gorgeous. Go to The Rabbit Room and buy it. It's worth the ten bucks - seriously, what's ten bucks anymore, an extra value meal from McDonald's? Go buy "The Ill Tempered Klavier."<br />7. I bought this great book from the used bookstore this week. It's called <i>Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who</i> by Frederick Buechner. Awesome.<br />8. I am officially a Tennessee state certified commercial C3(turf grass and ornamentals) pesticide applicator. As my mom says - "Every mother's dream."<br />9. I really want to go see WALL-E this weekend. Have you <i>seen</i> the reviews?<br />10. This one's from Laney, "I love you, world."John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-3181505966374233412008-06-26T15:24:00.000-07:002008-06-27T17:23:46.839-07:00It's All (not) Happening!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-06/39920430.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-06/39920430.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Eberto the Pirate says "Arr, there be spoilers ahead. These be dangerous waters. Mind your spinnakers!"<br /><br /><b>THE HAPPENING - A Tale of Trite Shite</b><br /><br /><i>"Class, welcome to Great Directing 101. This week, we're discussing the concept of</i> denouement. <i>Now who can tell me what</i> denouement <i>means? Steven? Marty? Wilder? Clint? Oh fine, Alfred."<br /><br />(class groans, murmurs of "teacher's pet" abound)<br /><br />"Professor Kubrick, it means the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel."<br /><br />"Good, good, Alfred. Now, let's discuss examples. M Night, can you give me an example of the proper use of denouement? M Night? Has anybody seen M Night? Dang it. This'll come back to bite him one day. Ok, let's move on. Joel, Ethan, can you give me an example?"</i><br /><br />-------------------------------<br /><br />Oh, THE HAPPENING. How I wish thee had not been a bad movie. How I wish that you had lived up to thine wonderful opening scenes. Those bodies falling like raindrops,the calm of shoving a knitting needle through a jugular, the idyllic, foreboding images of nature. The first five minutes or so were excellent. Then Marky Mark opened his mouth and everything began to fall apart.<br /><br />I wonder if Marky Mark was thrust upon M Night, or if M Night chose Marky Mark. Either way, it turned out bad. He simply can't carry a movie. He has one emotion - incredulity. Fortunately for him, it helped in some scenes - that was the required emotion. But incredulity can only carry you so far. The unfortunate part is that Jon Leguizamo was excellent, if wasted. His role is far too limited, as if M Night didn't want him stealing scenes from Marky Mark. Zooey Deschanel is wonderful, of course, and her bright blue eyes dominate the screen.<br /><br />I do think, though, that THE HAPPENING could have survived Marky Mark. But the story is really the low point of the film, and not even Zooey's eyes can save that. It's almost as if M Night (who my boss at work calls "Midnight" as if the M stands for Mid) came up with the concept and figured that the kinks would just get worked out along the way - "An ending? Don't bother me with details!"<br /><br />Here's the plot in a nutshell: People start committing suicide en masse, and no one knows why. Marky Mark, his wife Zooey, and their buddy's young daughter attempt to flee from New England to escape what's HAPPENING. They progress in smaller and smaller groups until they are alone and assured that they too, will die. (SPOILER) They don't. Everyone lives happily ever after. What was killing everybody? You guessed it, the plants. The plants are mad that people are mistreating the earth, so they start killing folks (actually, getting people to kill <i>themselves</i>). We find all of this out in a third act that lasts all of four minutes - very reminiscent of Speilberg's crappy WAR OF THE WORLDS. In fact, the whole of THE HAPPENING is reminiscent of WoTW. So much so that Stevie might want to check out some plagiarism lawyers.<br /><br />Oh, M Night can still build suspense. There are some excellent, tense scenes. They effects are nice - a guy gets run over buy a riding lawnmower, etc. There's a really great scene involving three individual suicides with the same gun.<br /><br />M Night's strength has always been that he's an excellent storyteller, but I'm afraid he's lost his mojo. The movie really feels like a student assignment - "Do a film about global warning. Make it a metaphor." 2 Marky Marks out of five.<br /><br />(Sorry Kevin)John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-24302978080183682692008-06-13T16:25:00.000-07:002008-06-13T16:53:37.155-07:00A (Day)Dream Show<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wilcoworld.net/promo/photos/tweedy_chasharris/j_tweedy_428_96dpi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://wilcoworld.net/promo/photos/tweedy_chasharris/j_tweedy_428_96dpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />There's this charitable organization called <span style="font-style:italic;">Letters to Santa</span>. They do some really cool stuff for underprivileged kids, or something. I'm not really interested. What they do that <span style="font-style:italic;">is</span> awesome, though, is that every year they have a living room benefit concert with Jeff Tweedy. They record it and it ends up online somehow (something to do with vacuum tubes, I think). And then those recordings find their way magically on my computer where I can lovingly enjoy them.<br /><br />But here's the best part. The format of this thing is that Jeff goes around the room to each person and lets them request a song. That's the set list. Each person chooses their favorite and he plays it. Ridiculous.<br /><br />So I was spreading fertilizer a few days ago and listening to the show and daydreaming about what <span style="font-style:italic;">I</span> would choose if Jeff picked <span style="font-style:italic;">me</span>. I'm so indecisive though, everyone would get mad at me for taking too long to make up my mind (Should I pick <span style="font-style:italic;">When the Roses Bloom Again</span>? How about <span style="font-style:italic;">Hummingbird</span>? <span style="font-style:italic;">Candyfloss</span>? <span style="font-style:italic;">Via Chicago</span>? <span style="font-style:italic;">Summerteeth</span>? I can't decide!! Janna, just pick for me."Ok, honey. <span style="font-style:italic;">Heavy Metal Drummer</span>, please, Jeff.")<br /><br />So here's my question for all of you. Which performer, and which song?<br /><br />(Myles, if you say King's X, I'll scream.)<br /><br /><br />Here's my real answer:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DZsTOYxWD2M&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DZsTOYxWD2M&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-31784747780113387062008-06-08T11:42:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:26:26.729-07:00Something New, and Still Really Old, Under the Sun(note: the sister review of this fine feature film can be found over on <a href="http://hamsterfolly.blogspot.com">the hamster's</a> site)<br /><br />(another note: some of this review should be a bit, um, graphic. Fortunately, I've tastefully removed any possibly offensive terms and replaced them with the word "Chewbacca." If your curiosity gets the better of you, click the link. But don't say I didn't warn you.)<br /><br />------------------------------<br /><br />If I told you that the movie I'm about to review concerns a centuries-old, cross-cultural, mythological phenomenon that has roots in Egyptian, Greek, Christian, Native American, and African folklore, would that make me seem scholarly? Professorial, even? 'Cause it does come from those traditions. Really. I promise. Look it up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.toxicshock.tv/news/wp-content/uploads/teeth_movie_poster_comedy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.toxicshock.tv/news/wp-content/uploads/teeth_movie_poster_comedy.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I've seen lots of horror movies and I've seen lots of blood and guts and pretty much every conceivable way of killing some poor Hollywood schmuck. But this is a first. I can sit through SAW and HOSTEL without flinching. I can watch Freddy Krueger invade the nightmares of unsuspecting teens with nary a bad dream of my own. But this, this myth called <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina_dentata">Chewbacca</a></i>, this is the hardest to watch. This made me look away.<br /><br />Throughout the history of our vast world, patriarchy has always been the status quo. Men have always held the power. Owned the land, made the money, voted the votes. That's where the root of this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina_dentata">Chewbacca</a> myth comes from. It's a story where the script is flipped, a feminist dream. Men become the victims, the helpless ones. In a situation where they believe the power is theirs, they find in one quick, sickening second, that they are powerless. And a bit lighter.<br /><br />TEETH is a cautionary tale for boys. Remember that time in middle school where the boys are separated from the girls and each gets to watch a "special video?" I don't remember the video we watched 20-some years ago, but I know this: TEETH should be required viewing for all pubescent boys who are considering becoming "active."<br /><br />Our heroine, Dawn, a high-school age girl who trumpets celibacy to young people everywhere, saying things like, "That's what the ring is all about. The way it wraps around your finger - that's to remind you to keep your gift wrapped. Wrapped... until the day... you trade it in for that other ring. That gold ring. Get it?", has come to realize that perhaps there is something that is... let's say "unnatural" down there. Through no fault of her own, she is forced to confront this... umm, mutation. Her first victim is a fellow save-it-for-later fellow she genuinely likes, who decides to get a little too frisky and ends up as crab food. Then there's the perverted OBGYN who loses a few fingers and, hilariously, writhes on the floor screaming, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina_dentata">Chewbacca</a>! It's real!", but won't tell the doctors what actually happened to his hand.<br /><br />When she discovers that she can, in fact, control her... um... gift, Dawn comes to realize the potential she has, not only the potential to defend herself from sick and unruly boys, but also the ability to be pro-active. To punish stupid fellows who think first with head #2. She becomes something of a feminist superhero, or, at least, vigilante. Her mission (and by the end of the movie, we believe that she has chosen to accept it) is to destroy those males who would use their superior physical strength to take advantage of the "weaker" sex.<br /><br />It's a moral tale in the vein of the slasher films of the '80s. Just like Jason chopped up the campers at Camp Crystal Lake (and on a cruise ship, and, oh yeah, in space - I'd forgotten about that one) for sins as varied as fornication, pride, and gluttony (or just being the funny guy), Dawn enacts justice on the predators in her town. It's really a tale of the evils of sexual exploitation of women. Every guy who gets... um... shortened, absolutely deserves it. The moral of this morality play is this: Treat women as objects and suffer the consequences. The horrible, terrible, life-altering, gruesome consequences.<br /><br />TEETH owes as much to the '90s teenager movies - CLUELESS, HEATHERS, BRING IT ON, etc. as it does to Jason and Michael Myers. The teen caricatures are typical - the geek, the bully, etc. It's campy (the good kind), smart, and biting (ha!). It's really a B-movie that lives above its means. Some of the effects betray the budget, but that's forgivable. Mostly it's a lot of wince-inducing fun.<br /><br />Husbands, don't show this to your wives. They might get <i>ideas</i>.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-72578044761521631622008-06-05T18:22:00.000-07:002008-06-07T20:22:50.028-07:00Joy Like a Fountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lswhs.leesummit.k12.mo.us/lmclsw/images/0607%20Book%20covers/peace%20like%20a%20rive.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://lswhs.leesummit.k12.mo.us/lmclsw/images/0607%20Book%20covers/peace%20like%20a%20rive.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><blockquote><i>There was this book I read and loved,<br />the story of a ship.<br />who sailed around the world and found,<br />that nothing else exists;<br />beyond his own two sails,<br />and wooden shell,<br />and what is held within.<br />- Bright Eyes</i></blockquote><br />I am an extremist. <a href="http://rainbowdull.blogspot.com">Janna</a> tells me this all the time. I either <i>love</i> something or it's absolute dreck - not much lives in between. But, I can say for certain that I have reserved the following statement for only two novels in the past ten years. The first is <i>A Prayer for Owen Meany</i>, the second is <i>Peace Like a River</i>. The statement is this: "This is my favorite book."<br /><br />I finished <i>Peace</i> a month or so ago. I've wanted to write a review of it ever since, but I've held off, mainly because, if I'm being honest with myself, I don't know how to do it justice, despite that Bachelor's degree in English Lit that I purloined back in '99. But, with some encouragement from <a href="http://hamsterfolly.blogspot.com/">The Hamster</a> to start talking about literature again, here goes.<br /><br />I read a lot. Like, more than anyone else I know. In the past week I've finished at least two, maybe three novels (actually, on further review, I think it was four). I probably read at least a hundred books a year. I'm not trying to brag (or as Shaq would say, I'm not trying to be bragadocious). It's just that I can read anywhere, regardless of what's going on around me. I can read and watch TV at the same time. I usually have at least two, sometimes more, going on simultaneously. I read my favorites five, ten times over.<br /><br />But when I started <i>Peace Like a River</i>, all of that went away. Like the Bright Eyes quote above, there was no other existence than me and the boat I was in. A boat I shared with Jeremiah, Reuben, Swede, and Davy Land. I felt like young Bastian in <i>The Neverending Story</i>, simply disappearing into the novel.<br /><br />The story is simple. A family in Minnesota in the '60s undergoes a family tragedy of sorts that serves to both bind them together and pull at the fragile seams of their lives. It's a story told from the point of view of an adolescent child, who is just beginning to understand love, all kinds: the love of a father for his sons, the love of a sister for her brothers, the protective love of a big brother, even lust for the opposite sex. <br /><br />But more than anything, the novel is, for me, an examination of the nature of faith. Not simply faith in Christ, although that's definitely part of it, but a larger faith. As Reuben watches his father, Jeremiah, struggle through raising three children alone, he sees a man who is profound in his faith, so much so that he bears as much resemblance to Peter, James, or John as to the elementary school janitor that he is. <br /><br />And perhaps the fact that faith is at the core of the story is what lends it such a childlike quality, almost naive in its worldview. It's not a story where everything turns out alright in the end, but there are no lasting tears for what's been lost. It has an innocence that's akin to <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> and characters that are as rich as John Irving's. And magic... oh yes, there's magic.<br /><br />It's difficult for me to muse on an intellectual level about the merits and faults of this one, because it affected me on such an emotional and personal level. I proclaimed it my new favorite immediately upon finishing the last page, and the more I've thought about it and discussed it in the weeks hence, the more I am confident in my proclamation.<br /><br />My affection (strange how <i>affection</i> and <i>affected</i> are so close) for the novel lies in the details, like in this story about a revival at church. Reuben and his crush, Bethany Orchard, sneak away to the church kitchen for a snack, where she begins to cook pancakes for the two of them. When the smell finds its way into the sanctuary, here's what happens:<br /><br /><blockquote><dir>Therianus-dequayas-remorey-gungunnas, <i>a man called out, plus a paragraph or so more. I'm not making fun; the language was complicated and musical, an expression outside human usefulness. Expectant silence followed. The Reverend Johnny surveyed the room. At this moment I noticed that the smell of our pancakes - Bethany's and mine, and they'd been good ones - had floated upstairs, a fabulous smell. It occurred to me we might get into some small trouble for using the kitchen during service.<br /><br />Then Reverend Johnny spoke up. "Does anyone have the interpretation? Who's hearing the word of the Lord tonight?"<br /><br />Nobody said a thing.<br /><br />Johnny Latt persisted. "Someone's fighting obedience tonight! Speak up, for no prophecy goes untold. Joe, is it you?"<br /><br />And Joe, a bull-shouldered patriarch whose shirt stretched wet across his back and who looked to be in deep communication with the Almighty, rose without hesitation and gave it a shot. "O my sons and my daughters, how I love thee! How I wish to provide for thee! Yea, I long to surround thee with delicious smells, heavenly smells! How gladly will I sit thee down in my banquet hall, for beauteous are the cakes therein! Oh, golden is my syrup! And unto me shall gather the hungry from every nation-"<br /><br />What a shame Swede wasn't there. She'd have adored that prophecy who knows what commentary she'd have whispered in my ear?</dir></i></blockquote><br />Even though I didn't grow up in the '60s, or in Minnesota, there is a feeling of familiarity with the Land family. Just like Jeremiah welcomes even the undesirable door-to-door salesman into their home for dinner, you, the reader, are welcomed in to the Land clan.<br /><br />I guess that's where the brilliance of the book lies. Just like with Harper Lee's Finches, the reader becomes a de facto member of the family. Relation becomes instantaneous, not something you have to work at. Empathy is not difficult, not forced, because these people are people you wish were your flesh and blood, people you want to sit down for breakfast with. Maybe having been an adolescent boy once upon a time helps. Maybe having sisters, maybe being a person of faith. Maybe just being a member of the human race is good enough.<br /><br />Please read this. Please?John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-87112438321881089192008-05-31T18:28:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:47:18.711-08:00Things that I Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LrZGknzGcrE/SD7UH5_SQKI/AAAAAAAAAK8/0Ju-fnQ6Mmk/s320/DSC02258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LrZGknzGcrE/SD7UH5_SQKI/AAAAAAAAAK8/0Ju-fnQ6Mmk/s320/DSC02258.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />In the wake of an outstanding Over the Rhine concert a few days ago, I think I'd like to mention some things that I love.<br /><br />- Venues that serve beer and cocktails during the concert - any show is better with a Shiner Bock in tow.<br />- A crowd that's chronologically, socially, and economically diverse<br />- Guys that wear the shirt of the band that they're going to see - not that I would do that, of course<br />- <a href="http://www.marygauthier.com">Mary Gauthier</a>, a whizbang combo of John Prine and Emily Saliers<br />- Merch Tables<br />- Gay Street in Knoxville<br />- A mom that will watch the kiddos on short notice<br />- Karen Berquist<br />- Linford Detweiler<br />- The stand-up bass<br />- A <a href="http://rainbowdull.blogspot.com">wife</a> who likes to dance to the slow songs - even if she's the only one in the joint doing it<br />- Concerts with less than a couple hunnerd folks in attendance<br />- <a href="http://knoxbijou.com">The Knoxville Bijou</a><br />- Music, especially the good kindJohn Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-75823266455693705992008-05-25T05:34:00.000-07:002008-05-25T07:38:30.555-07:00A Post No One Wants to Write<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.americanprofile.com/asset/file/art/77/5477/62k529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.americanprofile.com/asset/file/art/77/5477/62k529.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />We drove up I-81 to Baltimore yesterday and I had managed to go a couple of days without even thinking about the news of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter. I had seen it first thing Thursday morning before work and, thankfully, shoveling mulch and spraying weed killer allowed me to not have to think about that five year old girl being struck and killed by her teenage brother in his Land Cruiser.<br /><br />But yesterday, somewhere around Bristol, TN, Janna was driving and I was taking a snooze. She had slipped in a mix CD that I had made a year or so ago for a trip we took to Little Rock. I woke just in time to be caught completely unaware by track 12 or so. It was a live performance at the Dove awards - Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Mac Powell, and Jeremy Camp doing a tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman. Christian music's most important worship leaders expounding on the influence SCC has had on their lives and careers. It's short, really, only about 5 minutes, when it could have been 50.<br /><br />The song came on and I looked back toward the back seat and I saw Laney (who's 5) playing with her toys and looking happy. My insides dropped. It's a good thing Janna was driving because I was so affected at that moment that I probably would've driven into a guardrail.<br /><br />All I could think about for those 5 minutes were Steven and his family and what had happened to them. I had visions of ambulances being called... CPR being administered... hospital waiting rooms... walking in at night to an empty bedroom... waking up to check her bed hoping it was just a bad dream. I thought about the guilt, the life-changing, horrible guilt her brother will feel forever. And then I thought about how I would feel if Laney, my sweetheart, the apple of my eye, my beloved daughter, were suddenly gone.<br /><br />I didn't cry. I wanted to, but I didn't want to have to explain to them why I had suddenly lost control in the middle of the interstate, so I willed the tears back. I'm having similar trouble writing this in the Hampton Inn breakfast area.<br /><br />**************<br /><br />I went back upstairs to the hotel room after I wrote that. Janna and the kids were still in bed. The shades were still drawn and the room was still dark. They stirred when I came in and Sam moved over to Janna's bed to snuggle with her for a few minutes. I laid down next to Laney. I wrapped my arms around her and didn't even try to stop the tears. They were flowing freely and I found myself crying out to God in that moment, praying "Please don't take her from me, please don't take her from me..."<br /><br />Today, a few days too late, I join the thousands who have already sent their condolences and good will to the Chapman family. I share in their grief and wish that I could take some of it upon myself. Maybe knowing that they will see her again, whole and sweet and happy, will grant them some measure of peace.<br /><br />God, bless the Chapmans. Let them know that they are loved by millions around the world and they have friends that they've never met.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MLYxtuC0oRk&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MLYxtuC0oRk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-86982115698024254312008-05-20T14:15:00.000-07:002008-05-20T14:18:36.021-07:00It's About Time...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.spraytechweedcontrolspecialists.co.uk/images/spraytech.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.spraytechweedcontrolspecialists.co.uk/images/spraytech.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Silly readers, I said that I would do something new each day until I got a <span style="font-style:italic;">job</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.garbergrounds.com">this</a>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-7657118718356179852008-05-14T18:24:00.000-07:002008-05-14T19:12:01.154-07:00MD + 3, The Great Alaskan Adventure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.biglicku.com/blu/Images/Stories/RUTheFraze2007102214482.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.biglicku.com/blu/Images/Stories/RUTheFraze2007102214482.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><i>Be warned, spoilers abound in the waters ahead...</i><br /><br />As I write this, I am watching American Idol. Idol, it would seem at first blush, couldn't be any further from INTO THE WILD, the mostly-true, somewhat-guessed-at, story of Christopher McCandless. McCandless was a recent college graduate who decided to give all of his savings to charity and hike into the Alaskan wilderness to live. He did not make it out alive.<br /><br />American Idol is the paragon of the pursuit of the American dream. Young people, competing their hearts out to make millions of dollars and sell millions of records. Meanwhile, INTO THE WILD tells the story of a young man who forsakes all earthly possessions, save what he can carry on his back, in pursuit of the earth. Idol is about excess, McCandless craves simplicity. Idol promotes the participation of everyone in America, Alexander Supertramp (McCandless' alter ego) wants to ultimately be left alone.<br /><br />But when I think about it more, I think that the two entities are more alike than they might seem.<br /><br />McCandless encounters people along his journey toward Alaska who offer him their hearts. He seems to engender this spirit in those he meets, a spirit that wants to nurture and take care of him. The hippie couple who see him as a substitute for the son that they never had together. The grain barn owner who sees a little brother to play with and pal around with. The old man (played brilliantly by Hal Holbrook) who finds a grandson and an heir. But Christopher (or Alex as he's renamed himself by this point), uses each of these people, not with a spirit of malice, but almost with a sense of pity, like he's sorry that they haven't figured out what he's figured out about the world and how it works. He puts much more credence in the words of Tolstoy and Jack London, even while they are telling him that true happiness is found in the company of others. So when each of these people who love him begin to get too close, too attached, he picks up his pack and hits the road again.<br /><br />Like Idol, McCandless is driven through his self-imposed exile by ego. He is convinced that he has it right and the rest of the world has it wrong. That he will find happiness in Alaska is never even a question for him, despite having little to no training in how to live in the wild. When he does realize that his books on edible plants and his notebook with tips on what to do with wild game aren't going to be enough to keep him alive, it dawns on him that living alone is not a sustainable life.<br /><br />Idol is about superficiality, McCandless never bothers to use the wisdom of the people he calls friend. Idol relishes the concept of destiny, Supertramp believes to his soul that his is waiting for him in the wilderness. Idol makes "idols" out of pop stars, Mariah Carey and such. McCandless takes the words of his favorite authors as gospel, even over those who have fought and won happiness and have it to spare.<br /><br />There is a scene where he is reading Tolstoy, a selection from <span style="font-style:italic;">Family Happiness</span>, and he seems to find this passage to be validation for his experience.<br /><br /><blockquote><i>"I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work, which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor - such is my idea of happiness. And then, on top of all that, you for a mate, and children perhaps. What more can the heart of a man desire?"</i></blockquote><br /><br />But at the end of it all, his realization that he ignored the last portion of that quote is not enough to save him from his ego-driven decisions. Being alone in the wild is what undoes him.<br /><br />It's a brilliant film. Sean Penn's direction is gorgeous, and Emile Hirsch as McCandless should have garnered an Oscar nom. The supporting cast is flawless as well. Highly recommended.John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153504780815943808.post-23713204059390958512008-05-13T18:02:00.000-07:002008-05-13T18:33:12.311-07:00MD + 2, or what I have in common with Tom Cruise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/images/vanillaskydvd1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/images/vanillaskydvd1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I've been reading about D-Day lately, so from now on, all these posts will be titled as above (MD stands for Mother's Day).<br /><br />Today's new thing: I took Lucky for the longest walk ever, through Bennett Place, a neighborhood I've never been in. The houses were gorgeous, but there wasn't a soul outside. It was like one of those plague movies where the entire populace has been wiped out. I could only hear the birds chirping and Lucky's claws on the street. Kind of surreal, really. I felt like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky.<br /><br />Simple, but nice.<br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=jmQRmHgExV0">this</a>John Barberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03497314771380169853noreply@blogger.com2