Post-Conference Updates

Annual Conference
I attended my first Wisconsin Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church. Having never been there before, I was not sure what to expect. It is essentially a business conference, full of reports and legislation. It was like being back in the NCC/WCC boardroom :). It was really wonderful to have an opportunity to meet all of the district superintendents and the bishop. It was also an amazing experience to have my licensing as a local pastor be made official at the Commissioning Service.

Softball
Our team has now won three in a row! We did not make it easy ourselves, squandering a big lead but pulling out a victory 22-15 on Monday night. I witnessed one of the more bizarre abuses of a rule at the game. In the rec. leagues in Oshkosh, if you are caught swearing during a game your team receives an automatic out. Games are scheduled for 60 minutes and games are 7 innings long. If times runs out, the inning that is currently taking place ends and the game is over. It was the bottom of the sixth inning and there was one minute left.

Our opponents had one out and the batter at the plate had flied out. Seeing the time left, he purposely swore giving them three outs. It left enough time for the seventh inning to start, so we had to keep playing. Time ran out before our batter was called to the plate. The game should have been over right there. In fact, the game should have been over when the team abused the swear rule to extend the game. We ended up scoring 10 runs in the seventh inning to bad the lead. That seemed appropriate.

For the record, I had an on-base percentage of 1.000. I walked four times and had a nice single. Too bad I was forced out at second all five times. Grrr...

Movies
I saw Terminator Salvation yesterday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It is a good summer sci-fi movie. You have to allow for some bad dialogue and some completely lame moments. Otherwise, it was entertaining and worth seeing. They even leave the possibility of a sequel. We'll see.

The Weekend of Movies

Christa and I have been really busy for the last few months. The summer of blockbuster movies has not accommodated our schedule. Thus, we are a little behind. Hearing mixed reviews at best for Wolverine, we are going to wait and catch that one on video...it is already in the Netflix queue :).

This weekend, the plan is to see both Star Trek & Angels and Demons. We hope to see one Saturday and one Sunday. I'll let you know my thoughts once we've seen them.

Tonight we will be watching Capote on DVD.

One of these weekends, I will be on my way to Mequon to see Terminator Salvation. My dad would be interested in going, but Christa is not.

Sunday Random Thoughts

As I sit in my office completing paperwork for Express Checkout, I thought I would accumulate some random thoughts for Sunday:

• The Brewers are nine games over .500 and have the second best record in the National League. If the pitching can keep this up and stay healthy, they are going to be tough to beat. The offense is really clicking right now. Patience at the plate is paying off.
• My little brother, Isaac, was confirmed this morning. I honored to be asked to be one of his sponsors. His statement of faith was very well-written and he spoke about possibly being a minister. That is so cool!
• Bedtime Stories is a really fun movie. If you have yet to see it and want to something that isn't too deep, but is quite entertaining, I'd recommend checking it out.
• By 8:00 PM Monday, Webster Hall will be empty. Huzzah!
  

Tales of the Black Freighter

Having seen and having loved The Watchmen, Christa and I though we would rent Tales of the Black Freighter. This short movie combines the comic within a comic that was left out of the Watchmen movie. It chronicles a marine whose ship was destroyed by a pirate ship, who slowly turns mad in his attempt to get back home and warn his family about the coming pirate ship. It is bizarre, but well-written. What surprised me was how short it was (20 minutes). The Netflix DVD jacket said it was one hour, 40 minutes.

It was the combined features of the DVD that totaled to the run time. Forty minutes of it was a documentary set in 1985 in which the host looks back on his 1975 interview with Hollis Mason. This documentary is incredible, doing a good job of weaving in the chapter intros that weren't used much during the theatrical movie. They also use commercials from the comic as well as commercials relevant to the era. If anything, I would rent this DVD to see the documentary. That alone was worth it.

Movie Perspective

Christa and I decided to watch The Neverending Story on Sunday as we continued fighting getting back into our regular work routine. When I was a kid, this movie was awesome. Now...meh. It's not to say that the movie is bad now, but it's just so much cooler when you are a kid.

It also makes me think of a TV show, Tour of Duty. When I was younger, we watched this show as a family and I was really into it. Watching episodes now, I think what a corny show it is. It doesn't have even close to the same meaning for me...

...what examples do you have of movies that were really cool when you were young, but aren't quite the same as adults?

A Vacation Review

My three days removed from the rigors of work was most welcome. I will admit that it has made it difficult to transition back into the work environment. I do think that I more productive than usual because of the break. I would like to review a few highlights from the weekend:

• We visited the Mars Cheese Castle on our way down to Gurnee. This was not an anticipated stop, but we bought some great cheese and a new beverage. If you like good ginger ale, you'll love this!
• Gurnee Mills is just a big mall. Not that exciting.
• Christa and I bowled at a bowling alley in Waukegan, IL that had 40 lanes!
• We waited in line 45 minutes to get into the Shedd Aquarium. It was well worth it to Christa, who easily took over 200 pictures.
• On the way back we stopped at the Jelly Belly factory. We bought a bag of Belly Flops, failed jelly beans that still taste good.
• Once we got home, we watched Twilight. Wow...that movie is awful.
• The next day we watched Defending Your Life. Much better.
  

Munich

Christa and I watched Munich last night. Wow...that was a very powerful movie. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but it was not what she and I were expecting.

The movie actually portrays the response of Israel the deaths of eleven Israeli at the Olympics in Munich, Germany in 1972. I thought the movie was going to cover the Munich incident. Instead it covers a small group's missions to get back to at those who planned the attack.

The movie was very well done and really sucks you in. The acting is incredible and the dialogue is quite good. That being said, the movie is difficult to watch. It is bloody, but I suppose that is to be expected. What was really difficult to watch was how futile their efforts were. Despite fulfilling their missions, it was counteracted by the other side with more death.

I would recommend this movie, but beware...it will leave you somewhat speechless when it is over.

The Spring Break Agenda

As I stated in an earlier post, I will be attending a mediation training during the day Monday-Friday next week. That still leaves two weekends and some evenings without the normal evening routines. So what's on tap with all this free time?

• Christa I will finally be able to watch The Watchmen. Our weekends have not lined up very well, so without class we will have the chance to see it. There are so many people to talk with about it once we have seen it.
• We were sent Munich through the mail for Netflix, which Christa and I both want to see. Depending on how quickly we get to it, we could get the last episose of Planet Earth before spring break is over.
• I purchase Left 4 Dead, a game that Christa and I both enjoyed playing. When you combine that with the new songs we downloaded for Rock Band 2, we should have a good time gaming next week as well.
• Hopefully, I will have a chance to work ahead on some stuff for gaming. We only have so many weeks left in the spring semester to play.
• Our church will be having a long term ministry planning meeting on Tuesday. I am excited and intrigued to hear from my fellow parishioners about their ideas for the church.

Alas, all of that awaits once we have closed the building, which occurs at 8:00 PM tonight.

The Planet Earth

Christa and I are in the process of watching disk three of five in the Planet Earth series. Christa has been wanting to see this for a long time and with the Netflix subscription we have been having one come in periodically as we make our way through the cue.

When we popped in the first DVD, I was amazed. It is a visually stunning presentation with amazing camera angles depicting scenes in nature that are either rarely, or never, seen.

Then we watched the next installment. Same thing. But, at this point I was starting to realize something. While visually stunning and groundbreaking, I wasn't really learning all that much. A few facts might be shared, but so much of the footage involved animals hunting animals or animals feeding.

As we are finishing the third DVD, I am looking for more. Don't get me wrong; it is enjoyable to watch. I just assumed I would be getting more out of them then I am.

I can see this serious being a lot of fun for middle school and high school students to watch. But for someone who does love science, I would be left hoping for more.

The Post Semester Report

Hey folks! I know it's been awhile. The 14-week fall semester is over and UWO students now have a three week break until the three week fall interim. If they don't have an interim class, they have a seven week break! As a 12-month employee, I need to take vacation to have any time off. I will be taking the next two weeks off, but decided to do some work this week.

I would definitely say that motivation has been a struggle as there are no students around, but I have been productive in working ahead in working ahead on items that would have otherwise needed to be taken care of during interim.

Christa and I have officially signed up for Netflix as our two week trial has run out. I think being members of Netflix will allow us to watch more movie for less money. We really enjoy watching movies and we appreciate the flexibility Netflix offers. also having the option to watch movies instantly with the XBox 360 only sweetens the deal.

This Sunday, I will be participating in the performance of a Bach Cantata at our church service. I will be performing the bass solo and singing with the choir. Even though I haven't been able to sing in the choir throughout the semester, I was able to make the last few rehearsals because school being over. It has been nice to be back with the group. If my schedule isn't quite as crazy on Wednesdays, perhaps I can sing with the choir in the spring semester.

When I got the red ring of death on my XBox and had it fixed, they gave us a free month of XBox Live with it as well. I attempted to use it for Christa's account, but her original account got corrupted. We created a new one and we have been able to play Rock Band 2 on-line. She is going to rent a few games and try them out on the 360.

Having the next two weeks off will definitely free up some time to play some games that have come out recently. On my to play list:

1. Fallout 3
2. Call of Duty: World at War
3. Grand Theft Auto 4
4. Left 4 Dead
   

The Bourne Ultimatum

I had the opportunity to see The Bourne Ultimatum with my dad this past Saturday. It was a very enjoyable movie! My dad also really liked the movie as well. Here's what stands out the most from the movie:

• It's under two hours, which is great! Movies have this tendency to run long and drag.
• The action in this movie is almost non-stop. The pacing is very quick.
• The continuity of actors was nice.
• There were some great lines as well.
• It was very entertaining. It was the summer-type movie that Transformers failed to provide.
  

My only major gripe with the movie is the shaky camera. It is really difficult to see anything at times and it can make your eyes hurt. This was a problem in previous movies as well.

You should definitely see the movie. Seeing The Bourne Identity or The Bourne Supremacy would help in your viewing of this movie, but are definitely not absolutely needed.

"Bobby"

A few nights ago,we were at Family Video and Christa expressed interest in renting the movie Bobby. I had seen previews of the movie, and had some interest to see it but never got around to it. Overall, it was a pretty good film. I definitely did not get a sense of the scope and power that other reviewers described.

For me, I appreciated the Crash-like affect of how different characters at this hotel interacted on the night the Bobby Kennedy was shot. I was entertained, not moved. Nothing felt eopic, but you were pulled into everyone's life, wondering what would happen to them.

There was a lot of star power in this movie, almost too much. Within the first five minutes of the movie you are just inundated with top movie stars. It felt forced, but they did a good job of giving everyone an opportunity to shine, similar to the Ocean's caper movies.

My biggest complaint would probably be the soundtrack. It didn't add anything to the movie and if anything, it was actually distracting.

If Emilio Estevez was going for a documentary-like epic, he definitely missed. If he wanted to entertain an audience for two hours, than he succeeded. I think he was going for the former, so for many this will fall flat. I liked it.

Two For Tuesday Movie Review

I had planned on writing about Children of Men today, and I will. However, last night I was hanging out with my little brother and the we decided to rent Crank. So, as long as I am writing about movies, I figured I could write about two.

Children of Men
I went to the film on the recommendation of Ken Fager, who said the movie was very good. I would definitely have to agree. Christa and I went to see this film over the weekend. Overall, it was a very engaging film and one that kept me in suspense because I honestly did know how things were going to end. Overall, I would give the movie a 8.0 out of 10 stars.

The Good

• I thought the acting was superb. My favorite character was the character Jasper Palmer played by Michael Caine. I doubt he would get an Academy Award nomination for his role, but her certainly deserves one.
• I liked the protrayal of the nead future, 2027. Many things are still the same but there are some components that lend themselves to increased technology. It reminded me of V for Vendetta.
• This was a unique story line with a strangely biblical feel to it. It wasn't too much, but it was there.
• The music was great, both the songs selected and the original music.
• I was intrigued by how many main characters die in this movie. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but it really surprised me.
  

The Bad

• I found the level of language and violence in the movie to be a little excessive. I suppose it had to do something with the genre of the film, but I could have done without it.
  

You really need to see this movie.

Crank
So, it's not in the same league as Children of Men. But, this is a fun movie. The plot is pretty simple. Man gets poisoned and will eventually die. The only way he can stay alive longer is to pump adreneline through his body. While he is still alive, he tries to exact revenge on those that did this to him.

What I liked about the film is that it is incredibly fast-paced. It's hard to get bored. They do some fun things with camera angles and presentation to keep the film fresh. There's a lot of action. There's quite a bit of humor. It's entertaining, which is what you're looking for.

It's obviously quite far-fetched and there are times where you are thinking, "Yeah right." But, it is what it is...a fun movie. I would give it a 6.5 out of 10.0 stars.

Sahara

On Friday night, Christa and I rented the movie Sahara. I always had a small inkling to see the movie. I thought it might have a similar plot line to The Mummy or National Treasure. I was almost right. Sahara was a tale of two movies. I thoroughly enjoyed the first hour or so of the movie. I felt as though two interesting plot lines were developing, one involving finding buried treasure and one involving solving a epidemic. Eventually, you could sense to two stories would cross. Once they did cross, the story went down hill. You have less leeway to suspend reality because it doesn't involve the supernatural. The movie just got a little out of hand.

Likes:

• Steve Zahn and William H. Macy deliver strong performances in this movie. I usually do enjoy the roles that they play.
• I liked the buried Civil War Ironclad idea.
• The music was excellent. THe film score was memorable and they also employed a lot of 70's rock throughout the movie.

Dislikes:

• Penelope Cruz...bleh. I just don't like her as an actress. She looked out of place in this action movie.
• Again, not a fan of Matthew McConaughey in this movie. His role seemed forced.
  
• Out of control plot in the second half, even for a movie of this genre.
• Others may disagree, but I would the ending a little anti-climatic.
  

Overall, I'd give it a 5.5 out of 10 stars. Moderately enjoyable; I managed to make it through the entire movie.

We Are Marshall

Last night Jen Hass and I saw We Are Marshall. My pre-viewing reconnaissance let me know that reviews are more to the end of favorable, so I figured it should have been a pretty good movie. That was definitely the case. I really enjoyed the movie. I would give it a 7.0 out of 10 which is a solid score for the movie.

Positives:

• The soundtrack was excellent. The movie takes place between 1969-1971 so you get lots of classic rock. The original score is also very good; I am considering purchasing it on I-Tunes.
• The movie moves along pretty well and does not leave you hanging too often. It didn't have the boredom factor that The Good Shepherd had.
• I liked that many of the actors are lesser known actors; it made the movie feel more real.
• There were a few emotional moments that did not go over the top or seem cheesy; the script was very well written.
• I liked that the ending credits showed the actors that played their characters next to real people (those that were still alive).
• The actor they got to play Bobby Bowden was dead one. Impressive.
  

Negatives:

• I wasn't a fan of Matthew McConaughey. I just felt like his acting didn't quite fit the bill.
• The football scenes were not all that good.

I would definitely recommend seeing it. It is not doing all that well in theatres which surprises me.

The Good Shepherd

Christa and I went to see The Good Shepherd on New Year's Eve. We were the beneficiaries of a Marcus Theatres gift card from my parents, so we took advantage. I had meant to see this movie with my Dad, but we were not able to fit it in before I headed back to Oshkosh after my stop at home.

Despite my usual low expectation for any movie lately, I went into this moveie with high expectations. There was a solid cast of actors, good previews and a good spy/military story to go with it. I also went to this movie without reading the previews. I really liked the movie. I would give it 7.5 out of 10. Strangely enough, the reviews of this movie were definitely on the side of it being bad.

The Positives:

• Excellent performance from Matt Damon. You really felt for his character at times.
• Good musical score.
• Although sometimes confusing, I liked the flashback element.
• Good story line that kept you into the film and where it was going

The Negatives:

• This movie was too long. The last half hour was tough to watch...you wanted it to be over.
• I did not like Angelina Jolie is this movie, at all. I'm not sure who I would have picked, but it would not have been her.

I would recommend that you see it. While it may get a bad wrap, I think it's worth seeing.

You Thought I Was Done...

...I'm not. It has almost been a week since I last posted. I can think of various reasons why this happened:

1. Without work, I have been much more paid back in terms of getting tasks done. I have gotten used to doing less.
2. I have also dedicated time to other projects that I have put on hold for most of the semester.
3. There hasn't been all that much to blog about.

Regardless, I'm back...with my 272 post!

Christmas Shopping
In a three-day period, I got all my Christmas shopping done. I think I did fairly well, but I didn't have the same energy as in years before.

Movies
Christa and I took a chance and saw Rocky Balboa. My expectiations for the movie were not that high, and that was probably the right attitude to have. This movie was OK. I would give it a 6.5 on the IMDB 10 point scale. It had some good lines and had some great moments. But, it was the same tired Rocky concept recycled for one more movie. It does leave a better taste in your mouth than Rocky V.

Gaming
I am getting things ready for my AD&D campaign for next semester. Letters should be going out to potential players to get characters created over interim. Hopefully the games will begin in February.

Random
According the Muppet Personality Test (thanks, Christa) I am Kermit the Frog. Go figure.

It is snowing and raining right now. Odd.

V For Vendetta

I had the opportunity to watch the movie V For Vendetta. I borrowed the DVD from one of my hall leaders, who recommended the movie very highly. It has been sitting by my television for a few weeks now, but last night I finally had the time to watch. I can see why he likes the movie so much; it is indeed very good.

This is definitely a flim that I need to watch again. I feel as though my thoughts may not be entirely complete, since there are probably some more subtle things that I could pick up in future viewings.

I thought storyline was very intriguing; I had no idea it was based on a graphic novel. I thought the acting was great and the dialogue was well done. I never found myself bored and even found myself wanting the movie to go longer. I liked the soundtrack as well, music was used very well throughout the film.

I found the violence in this movie to be a little too extreme. I realize this might have worked in the context of the film, but I didn't like it. Otherwise, there wasn't too much to pick on.

I highly recommend the film. Grade: A

Being Behind the Scenes

Only a few hours ago, I posted about how much I love my job. I actually talk about it a lot. It's unique, it's varied, it's fun and it keeps me young. But, for an introvert, it can be a little draining.

I have talked in a previous post that much of my job gets boiled down to two categories of work: meetings and paperwork. Well, I love paperwork, and that never gets old. However, the meetings can get to be a little overwhelming sometimes. That much interaction can leave me quite draining, especially the days where I may have 7-8 individual student meetings in a day.

Along with the meetings, there is a lot of leadership inherent to the RHD position. I supervise 5 staff, I advise 7 hall leaders, I have a secretary, and a custodian works in the building as well. I have different responsibilities to each group/individual and that can take a lot of time and resources. Often, I am looked to for support, guidance and ideas. I love it...but, it also can tire me out.

For these reasons, I really love opportunities for behind the scenes work. In other words, there are times when I really appreciate being told what to do. Volunteer opportunities are great! I come in and they tell me how I can help...and I do it. I enjoy being on a committee where I am simply delegated work...I don't have the responsibility to delegate.

I was watching American Beauty on TNT last night and there was a great line when Kevin Spacey's character says, "I want a job with the least amount of responsibility possible". Sometimes I have those moments. Do you have those moments?

Staff and hall leaders take note: this does not give you permission to tell me what to do! :)

My Job

As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of my residents to talk about the Residence Hall Director position. By the end of the session, I was quite invigorated about what I do. However, during the course of our discussion, one of the questions I was asked was, "What do you do in a typical day?"

The great thing about an RHD job is that no two days are the same. It's fun...it's very hard to get into a rut. However, when you boil everything down, my job comes down to two things: meetings and paperwork. I have tons of meetings every day of many different varieties: staff, conduct, hall government, administrative, special projects, etc. I have sometimes had ten meetings in a day...I probably average five-seven a day. When I'm not in meetings, I am doing paperwork.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job...but, it's funny to realize that in a larger context, it's pretty simple. You might be able to say that about a lot of jobs.

Daily Shout-Out: Goes to Christin Coleman for calling me to remind me that I was late for a pretty important meeting. I totally forgot...here's to always being early to meetings ;).

Other News:

• The Packers lost...bad. It was almost as though in the second half, the Eagles finally realized, "Oh yeah...the Packers have no secondary. Oh, and Ahmed Carroll sucks." So, it was fun for awhile, but the Packers met my expectations in the end.
• This NBC Village stuff is going to get interesting. My there may be a large middle group that is indifferent to project it is the people at the poles that could make the next few weeks interesting.
• I watched The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift last night. It was OK...I will admit that there were some very intense racing scenes, but the acting and the story line were very, very weak. And, I had a hard time getting over the fact that the main character in the movie both looked and talked like Peyton Manning.
• Wow...did we get a crap ton of rain last night. The weather was awful. Christa, my little brother and I went to McDonalds for the family special. It was raining so hard, I could barely see...the hail was no fun either. I had no idea we were getting weather like that.
  

Days Until the Wedding: 229