super: bowl, tuesday, change

As far as weeks go, this is going to be a super one. On Sunday is the Super Bowl. Two days after, on Tuesday, is Super Tuesday. The Super Bowl, where thousands of people host parties and watch a football game. It is a day where the sports mecca is at its highest. A thirty second commercial for the Super Bowl costs three million dollars. Companies are willing to pay that much because they know so many people will be watching. And when there are that many people droned to the television they know they can reach more people with their product.
What about Tuesday? The debate for the candidates has turned from the war to the economy. That’s ok with me. We don’t need to be deciding a president based on a war. However, the economy is also an issue. People want to know how more money is going to be made; more jobs are going to be produced. Is the government really concerned about this? Just look at how the government spends money. The U.S. spends $481.4 billion dollars on defense and $145.2 billion on the global war on terror. That is 626.6 billion dollars. What is shocking is that this figure does not even include the war on Iraq. Here is an interesting website to see how much the war is costing. What I am concerned about is the ratio of defense and war spending compared to other spending. If the rest of the budget is added all together it is just over the 481.4 billion spend on defense. There is 56 billion spend on the department of education. This figure is just a tenth of the defense bill. A good education for everyone is a key to everyone’s well-being.
Along with education, people are more concerned today with the environment, eating organic, global warming, and energy. If we take a look at the spending on these concerns we notice that: 24.3 billion on energy, 20.2 billion on agriculture, 12.1 on transportation. I would like not only to see these figures rise, but to see the money used appropriately. It would be great to see the department of energy find better alternatives of energy for everyone instead of spending it on maintaining nuclear power. It would be great to see the money being filtered towards agriculture go towards proper farming methods and growing in the United States and farmers to produce and live on an organic faming industry instead of the pesticides and cruelty to animals farming standard of today. I would like to see the dept. of transportation really work towards making viable options for public transportation and alternative cars and fuel sources.
It’s sad that people have kicked the environment, their health, and the health and well –being of all just to make a few extra dollars. I’m not saying I don’t want the economy to grow and that it isn’t important to provide more jobs. I am hoping to convey the well-being of all by looking at the way spending is done in the government and the priorities of the government. If we change our life styles for the well-being of all it can be a better life for everyone. There is someone that is always going to be at the top of the mountain, that doesn’t mean that more people have to be at the bottom because of it. As the Super Bowl is on this Sunday, and with voting on Tuesday, maybe there are alternatives we can begin to look for, keeping in mind the reality of all and the best interests for all.

so many bumper stickers. why that one?

Why do people put bumper stickers on their car? To me the bumper sticker seems to be an outward expression of what you would want to say to someone if you could talk to them while driving. Thankfully, cars don’t come with a bull horn to express how each person feels. There are enough fists and birds to go around.
Some people cover the whole back of their car with bumper stickers. They have many views and options and they want to share them. I personally find it fun at a red light to see how many bumper stickers I can read before the light turns green again. Most people on the other hand usually just have a bumper sticker or possibly two (even three) without going overboard. But out of all the thousands of bumper stickers, views, and options, how do you decide what you want on the back of your car that expresses ‘you’? For many it is easy. The car is a mode of transportation so they add bumper stickers that express where they have been or what mountain they have climbed. Others express what nationality they are. When you live in the United States, and you are not from the United States your biggest identity may be that you are from another country. I think this shows a sense of pride of where a person is from, and they want to show it off.
Another common bumper sticker is the political bumper sticker that is supporting a certain candidate for election or a certain political view. Other common stickers include fishing, proud parents of honor roll students, and stickers honoring the military. I am originally from the Detroit area so I am particularly used to seeing miniature Calvin and Hobbes peeing on equally miniature Ford or Chevy symbols. Many of these stickers produce honor towards the United States, or a car company, or a hobby. Other stickers although they don’t produce honor they are added on for humor. These stickers, although sometimes ridiculous and funny, seem to make sense in my head. On the other hand, there are other bumper stickers that don’t make sense to me.
Many people like to express their political option, their humor, or their honor in something. For most people this is just with one bumper sticker on their car. What possesses people to put the most obscure bumper stickers on their car? If there is one thing to say about yourself, why that? Why would someone put a sticker stating that firewood should not be moved? Are they so compelled by bugs ruining trees that they need to protest it on their car? Where they traumatized by a bug incident where the whole forest that they live by was destroyed by a bug and now have to broadcast it to the world? Why not an overall environment sticker?
What about a Wall Drug sticker? Was someone so compelled by the billions of road signs saying Wall Drug that when they got to the store they had to buy a bumper sticker and put it on their car. Their whole identity of their car now is Wall Drug. That is the most important thing they want to express on their car – an over-publicized drug store. Although both of these examples are not as good as other examples I have seen on the road – they give a hint to the mindless expression of some people.

935 reasons not to be in Iraq

Today, I’ve decided to write on whatever Yahoo! had as their main new features. Not expecting anything actually news-worthy, I instead found a short article that states that Bush and officials made 935 false statements on Iraq. Did we not know this already or is it news-worthy because now we know it was 935 times? What is interesting about the number is that it is not 935 different lies it is just how many times we as a country were lied to. The basic lies which have been revealed were: 1) Iraq did not have weapons of mass destructions and 2) Iraq did not have a link to al-Qaida. Is something a lie if as it is said we know that it is not the truth? I’m not sure how Iraq even got equated with the United States and war. The government, if they did lie, knew that there were no weapons of mass destruction and no link to al-Qaida. Then why did they go into Iraq and start a war? Democracy? Well, was that the initial reason? Even if it is the reason now, why Iraq? Why not some other country?

A Thought on Wholly Reading

The Bible is an intriguing book. Most times it is not read from beginning to end. It is read in parts and snippets, and sometimes just a few words. What makes a book that is read this way intriguing is that by doing that almost everything and anything can be construed, condemned, or believed from the Bible if read a certain way and interpreted a certain way. (For example, both murder and slavery have been justified from the Bible.) There are even two basic parts of the Bible: the Old and New Testaments. There are many dangerous things done when interpreting the Bible. I am going to refer to two: reading with just a modern mind and not hearing the whole Bible.
Both of these things have to do with interpreting the Bible wholly. When reading the New Testament as readers we cannot forget about the Old Testament. Indeed if we know nothing of the Old Testament (and also Jewish culture) we will not fully understand New Testament writers and what they are writing about. We can also not just read the Bible with a modern mind. Just as we cannot forget about the Old Testament when reading the New Testament we cannot forget the culture and context of the Bible as we read it with our modern minds. I think if we are more faithful to the text in its context and wholeness as readers we can be more faithful to the interpretation and to God and the world.

my favorite bird

There are a lot of different types of birds in the world. Some are exotic, some are plain and boring, and others are normal. I am not quite sure how people come to love certain birds and not others. Some people I think like the majestic colors of certain birds. Other people may like the call of a particular species. Of course, geography plays a role in having a favorite bird. While I think a roadrunner is an interesting bird, I have never seen one and know nothing about it. I know much more about a blue jay or a cardinal. I think how a bird acts also contributes to liking it. Some birds, much like the mourning dove seem to be much more docile while others like the nuthatcher are much more energetic. Other birds stand out because of the fascinating qualities that are unique to that type of bird. Great examples include a hummingbird’s flight or a woodpecker tunneling a hole.
I, along with many other bird lovers, have a favorite bird. I like this bird in particular for many reasons. The first is its distinguishable call. The second is its color. The third is its body size and the size of its beak. And lastly, the unique way the bird fishes for its prey. My favorite bird is the kingfisher. The kingfisher lives along ponds and rivers fishing for its prey. It spots a fish in the water and dive bombs into the water to fish for it. Every time I get near a pond or river with trees that are near the edge I always try to spot one of these unique birds.

penguins and love songs (the morning news)

This morning I had a couple minutes to spare before I went to work. I sat down and turned on the news. I wanted to see the results on the Michigan Primaries that were the day before. I wasn’t very hopeful. I’ve tried watching the news in the morning before. It just does not work for me. I seem to be able to turn the tv on between 6:10 and 6:30. Between that time all I seem to catch that is kind of news-worthy is the weather and traffic (twice). The weather is never dependable. That is not a knock on the weather person or the weather service. When you try to predict something like weather you are just going to be wrong a lot. The traffic is no help for me either. I ride the Kennedy expressway everyday. The only ‘traffic’ they give about the Kennedy is downtown. They forget to mention the miles of back-up beyond that.
So weather and traffic only take up about two minutes of that twenty minute interval in which I can watch the news. You’re wondering “what could they possibly fit in the other eighteen minutes that seems ‘news-worthy’ but isn’t news?” My answer to that is that they fit in eighteen minutes of tv time, but not newsworthy time. I get to hear about different trendy stores to shop at and a daily top 10 list. Today’s was best love songs. I may not know who won the primaries yesterday, but at least I know what love songs are the best. The best part of the twenty minutes of news I get (and by best I mean worst) is the “surfin’ the web”. If you go to the WGN News website what I got to see is this! No, you’re not mistaken. That’s a yeti hitting a penguin for points. So, that’s my news for the day – a penguin and love songs. What a disgrace. I hope in the future news stations will begin to look more like news stations and less like celebrity gossip tv programs and useless facts shows.

"...you are not to be like that." Luke 22:25-27

In the last installment of the reflection series I will be reflecting on Luke 22:25-27. Jesus is talking to his disciples during the last supper. A dispute breaks out between the disciples about which one of them is the greatest. Jesus responds to them:

"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. "

I don’t know anyone that hasn’t been stuck in this predicament. Even in childhood playing king of the mountain we are taught to be the best and the greatest. Why would someone act differently? Why would someone demote themselves down to service? When the disciples break-out in an argument about greatness it ends with Jesus talking about service.
When this attitude is applied to the environment what happens? What is ‘greatness’ with the environment? Oil seems to be at the center of the world. Oil prices continue to sky rocket in the stock market. Oil is a precious resource that fuels cars, plastic, and many other things. Coal is blown out of mountains. Gold and silver have been sought after for centuries. Water is a way to travel and a source for life. Trees are used in housing, paper, heat, and many other things. So, as people are we called to exploit these resources so that we can be at the top? Or are we to care and till the earth?
Some practical things. Recycle, reduce, reuse. It’s this crazy cliché phrase, but true. Are you recycling? Can you recycle more? Are there things that you can reduce? How about paper cups, plates, or utensils? Sometimes reducing can be done by replacing. Reducing can also be done in using less gas, paper, or stuff. Do you reuse? I like to use a water bottle and a mug. I try to see if I can use things again or multiple times before I recycle it or throw it away.
Sometimes we all act as if the world is in service to us. However, I challenge myself and you to be more in service of it.

Don’t know much about politics. The buzzing primaries.

“What’s the deal with politics?”, as Jerry Seinfeld would ask. There seems to be a buzz in the air this year. And it isn’t around who is going to the super bowl or the Olympics or other usual things that get a buzz around the country. What’s got the buzz, and probably through November, are politics and the election for the next president. Three states are down: Iowa, Wyoming (for the Republicans), and New Hampshire. My first presidential election I could vote in was four years ago for the 2004 election. I voted for the loser, who interestingly enough will give his support for Obama this year.
I don’t know much about politics – although I try to. I don’t know how important the results so far are to the rest of the primaries. On the democratic side, Obama has received support from Iowa. In New Hampshire Clinton won, closely followed by Obama. Edwards is close behind both, but as in 2004 doesn’t seem close enough to win. For the Republicans Huckabee got support in Iowa. However, Huckabee seemed to not have shown up in either Wyoming or New Hampshire. In Wyoming, Romney won. In New Hampshire, McCain won. Giuliani and Thompson are also in the hunt to win.
Michigan is the next primary on January 15. On the Democratic side who knows what could happen. Because Michigan moved up its primary date it was penalized. Obama and Edwards both pulled out of the Michigan primaries. This could mean a runaway for Clinton. Many people in Michigan are told to write “uncommitted” if they can’t vote for the candidate they want. I’m not sure what this does to dispersing the delegates. It seems to have been a mistake for Michigan to move up their date for the primaries. The Republicans I think could have a close race. McCain won in 2000. Romney also has a good chance of winning, I think. Romney was born in Michigan. After Michigan it is on to Nevada on January 19.
I think all this primary buzz is good for a nation with poor voting records. I think many people have learned over the past four years (some people eight) that it is important to vote – and that voting actually can make a difference. I sure don’t know much about politics, but as for me, I am learning.

places everyone

Top 25

1. LSU +1
2. Georgia +2
3. USC+3
4. Missouri +3
5. Ohio State -4
6. West Virginia +5
7. Kansas +1
8. Oklahoma -5
9. Virginia Tech -4
10. Texas +7
11. Boston Co +3
12. Tennessee +4
13. Florida -4
14. BYU +5
15. Auburn +7
16. Arizona St -4
17. Cincinnati +3
18. Michigan -NR
19. Hawaii -9
20. Illinois -7
21. Clemson -6
22. Texas Tech -NR
23. Oregon NR
24. Wisconsin -6
25. Oregon St -NR

Conference Standings (according to AP standing unless noted)
Conference, Top 25 Teams, Points, +/- week previous, add or drop
SEC – 5 (87) +9 drop: Arkansas
Big 12 – 5 (79) +10 add: Texas Tech
Pac 10 – 4 (37) +3 add: Oregon, Oregon State
Big Ten – 4 (37) -9 add: Michigan
ACC – 3 (37) -12 drop: Virginia
Big East – 2 (29) +5 drop: South Florida
Mountain – 1 (12) +5
WAC – 1 (7) -11 drop: Boise State
Conf USA – 0 (0)
MAC – 0 (0)
Sun - 0 (0)

Conference Bowl Record
Conf Wins Losses Total Percentage
SEC 7 2 9 0.778
12 5 3 8 0.625
PAC 4 2 6 0.667
10 3 5 8 0.375
ACC 2 6 8 0.250
BE 3 2 5 0.600
MW 4 1 4 0.750
WAC 1 3 5 0.400
USA 2 4 6 0.333
MAC 0 3 3 0.000
SUN 1 0 1 1.000
Ind 0 1 1 0.000
Total 32 32 64 0.500



The college football season is officially over. LSU won the national championship. LSU beat Ohio State 38-24. Although Ohio State came out with a ten point lead, LSU scored the next thirty-one points. Ouch! Because I am a Michigan fan, I don’t like Ohio State. Although, I do like Ohio State to win, it makes a Michigan win all that much more impressive. Plus, it makes the Big Ten Conference look good. However, Ohio State lost and the Big Ten had another losing bowl season.

There is a lot of conference talk that goes on in college football. Who is the best conference? Who has the worst conference? And of course debate over all the other conferences. I find all the conference talk interesting. I like to see the Big Ten win and (for the most part) the MAC win. Much of this is because I like to see teams from the Midwest win. The Midwest isn’t seen as progressive. It doesn’t have any East Coast or West Coast appeal to it. It’s seen as plain, normal, and cold. So, to see something succeed in the Midwest and stand out is important to all the other stereotypes. Well, the Big Ten went 3-5 in bowls this year. The MAC went 0-3. Not much to cheer for.

Although this bowl season was not great it did lead to a few good games and some interesting statistics. With such a crazy season, the bowl season was a disappointment with its normalcy. Conference dominance was normal. The SEC and Big 12 dominated. The SEC record was 7-2, while the Big 12 was 5-3. Surprising though was the PAC 10 surge in the bowls and in the overall place in the conference standings moving from fifth to third. Although the PAC 10, Big 10, and ACC all tied, the PAC 10 was ruled third from the tie breaker. (The PAC 10 and Big 10 had four teams in the top 25 compared to the ACC with three. The PAC 10 not also went up in points with the Big 10 losing points, but the PAC 10 had a higher seed in #3 USC over #5 Ohio State.) The bottom conferences are intriguing to me.

The MAC sent three teams to the bowls. Losing all three. The Sun Belt Conference only sent one team, but won. Although the MAC has been better in the past, (hence why they have three bowls to their credit) over the past few years have played horribly, showing no signs of having a top 25 team. Maybe the Sun Belt and MAC could split between the four bowls with two teams each.

Conference USA had six teams in bowls with a 2-4 record. Although Conference USA showed sparks of goodness with Central Florida this year, the only bowl victory that is worth mentioning is East Carolina over Boise State. Although Conference USA had no teams in the top 25 they had more bowl games than both the Mountain West Conference and the WAC Conference which both have a team in the top 25 and showed better in the bowls. Especially the Mountain West with a 3-1 record. Conference USA had more teams play in bowls because they had more teams .500 or better with six, compared to the Mountain West with four, and the WAC with five.

So what about the Mountain West and WAC? Fresno State beat Georgia Tech for the WACs one-and-only win. The WACs’ best team, Hawaii, played Georgia. It was however a blowout win for Georgia. Hawaii, along with the rest of the conference didn’t live up to its hype (with exception of Fresno State). The Mountain West showed that they can win, with wins against UCLA, Navy, Nevada (a shut-out), and Houston. Air Force, the second place team in the Mountain West, was the only loss - to California.

The Big East continues to show that it can win at bowls while the ACC had a horrible 2-6 record. The Big Ten while only having a 3-5 record continues to be placed in bowls where they are huge underdogs. Much of this placement is set up from conferences having connections with specific bowls.

I would have like to see the PAC 10 play the SEC in a bowl. It didn’t happen this year. The Big East didn’t play anyone in the SEC either. The ACC and Big Ten continue to have problems with the SEC.

Overall, the SEC and Big 12 showed their dominance in the conference standings. While the PAC 10, Big 10, and ACC weighed out the middle, the Big East was not far behind, especially with West Virginia. The Mountain West and WAC conference continue to show greatness in an overall mediocre conference. Conference USA, the MAC, and the Sun Belt continue to bring up the rear for the Conference standings - with no sign of life.

"...muddied with your feet." Ezekiel 34:17-19

Ezekiel 34:17 -19
" 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?’”

When I read these verses it seems like an attack on business or political morals. In its context it is Isaiah speaking to the Israelites. Is Isaiah talking about literal water, a metaphor, or both? It can be easily both, although I am not sure. For now, let’s look to it as referring to both. Water is an important resource – it sustains life. The verse can however be talking about such things as money or other resources as well.
I think there are some great examples of this today. The first being politics. It is one thing to represent yourself in politics. It is another to deliberately dig up dirt and bash other candidates. There is also the matter of business morals. Probably the most well know example is Enron. But it isn’t just with a company - individuals do this as well in their personal business proceedings. What lengths do people take to get a job or to get promoted? This can also be seen in sports: deliberately injuring someone from the other team. Capitalism and consumerism actually feeds off of this passage. Everything is individual – and “if someone gets stuck in the mud behind me it is their fault not mine. Everyone is accountable for themselves and how they get a job, house, and live. Nothing is connected.” This, however, is not how life works. People are connected and individual effort is not the only thing that makes a person successful or not successful.
There is a sense of community here in the verses. What are we doing for ourselves and what are we doing to others? Am I helping or ailing people?
What does this have to do with the environment? I will simply write a few words: reservation, rain forest, colonizing, oil.

Pop culture say hello to justice - 2008 trends

It’s a new year. It’s 2008. To me it seems like just yesterday that it was 1999 and Y2K was going to bring down the whole world. Well, eight years later and I can still use a computer and Jesus hasn’t come back yet. Still waiting. This year started off with snow and more snow. All the people still in denial about global warming are smiling, at least until next week when it will be 50 degrees in January.
I’m not sure what this year brings. I see some crazy trends. All of a sudden it’s good to buy, buy, buy, because when we buy we are giving back. I’m not sure how I feel about that – buying to help other people. Clothing has also made a stance on the environment and justice. Although, I’m not sure who made the clothing and how much that person was paid to make it. I am also not sure whether the shirt being made was actually good for the environment in general. Justice is in pop culture for sure. It’s kind of cool. Until I stop to think: will this trend last? Whether justice is just something like frozen yogurt and carb diets ('heathly' 'good-for-you' fades that have fallen to the wayside) we’ll have to wait. And what is up with the sudden urge of saving the world by one-click of the button. Once again, great idea- but are our priorities right? We spend 5.2 seconds going to a website and clicking “feed a person for a day” while the next three hours we shop and then watch the next new reality tv program. I’m not sure about all of this. I know it makes me feel good to buy things that give money to wells in Africa or clicking a button on a website to give rice to a child. I would like to think people care about the earth and the poor and sick around the world. I’ll take a trend in caring for the world over never caring for it. I just hope in 2008 and beyond it ceases to just be a trend.