Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
In which I experience racism first hand from the people of Colorado.
Yesterday I was sitting at a bus stop in Fort Collins, Colorado, minding my own business, when a white SUV full of young white men slowed on the street in front of me and they all started shouting things like, "Hey, vato!" and various other barely-Spanish phrases in not-very-good accents.
I happened to be on the phone, and didn't want to interrupt my call by shouting obscenities in Spanish (obscenities being one of the few things I actually know how to shout in Spanish, in addition to MAS TACOS POR FAVOR). My Spanish is not very good.
Anyway, I didn't think anything of it, really, except that the boys actually returned, slowed down again and started shouting in Bad Spanish and yelling racial slurs. Again, I was on the phone, and it was probably good, because I have a long history of not keeping my mouth shut and it's likely that I would have shouted something that would have either shamed or enraged them, and then they would have had to stop the car to try to beat me up.
It really is a shame that this sort of casual racism still exists, and being caught up in it even for a minute made me think of my Hispanic and Latino friends who often catch this sort of thing. It saddens me (but doesn't surprise me) that college kids today are still working through this.
Also, if they had started a fight with me they would have discovered that I'm actually Greek and I would have had to punch them in the head with my special punch I like to call "The Archimedes Screw Punch." That would have been too bad for them.
I happened to be on the phone, and didn't want to interrupt my call by shouting obscenities in Spanish (obscenities being one of the few things I actually know how to shout in Spanish, in addition to MAS TACOS POR FAVOR). My Spanish is not very good.
Anyway, I didn't think anything of it, really, except that the boys actually returned, slowed down again and started shouting in Bad Spanish and yelling racial slurs. Again, I was on the phone, and it was probably good, because I have a long history of not keeping my mouth shut and it's likely that I would have shouted something that would have either shamed or enraged them, and then they would have had to stop the car to try to beat me up.
It really is a shame that this sort of casual racism still exists, and being caught up in it even for a minute made me think of my Hispanic and Latino friends who often catch this sort of thing. It saddens me (but doesn't surprise me) that college kids today are still working through this.
 |
| Notice the super hairy Greek arm delivering "Archimedes Screw" |
Monday, June 17, 2013
Superman and the Man of Steel
There's a recent film about Superman that's embarrassed to use the name. They're embarrassed, perhaps, because they want to make this new iteration of Superman "realistic" or "naturalistic" and let's be honest, in the 21st century the name "Superman" seems a little silly.
Maybe that's because two kids in their twenties invented him in the 1930's. For them, Superman represented the pinnacle of human possibility. He couldn't fly, but he could just jump over buildings. He didn't have heat ray vision, but he could outrun a train. And at first, he didn't fight space monsters and giant super-intelligent apes or robots or other Kryptonians. He protected the oppressed. He fought against real-world injustice: fat cats like Lex Luthor who took advantage of common citizens, or Borden Mosley (a corrupt financier) or Calvin Denby (a crook and sort of home-grown terrorist). He wasn't an ordinary man, he was the super man: the best human being possible.
Superman didn't kill people -- even the worst villains. He brought them to justice.
Frankly, there is a large dose of wish fulfillment involved in his stories. "What if I had the power to stop evil? What if I could make sure that no one ever died... not in an accident, not from a criminal, because I had the power to stop it?" And of course, Superman is rewarded for his goodness. He always gets the girl, even when he humbly tries not to be rewarded for just doing what he would do anyway.
Here's where the philosophical underpinnings of Man of Steel bothered and disappointed me. Superman should be the best possible human being, but in this movie he wasn't. Superman should always be able to find a way out: the higher ground, the best solution. But the Man of Steel couldn't. Because he is, after all, only a man, not a role model.
In the movie (vague, general spoilers in this paragraph only), he can't stop the villains from roughing up his mother. He lets entire skyscrapers full of people collapse, in a creepy 9-11 type catastrophic event caused by a fistfight with another Kryptonian. And eventually he uses his great power to pass judgment on the evil doers. Not to bring them to justice, not to give them due process, not to incarcerate or prevent them from doing evil. Superman abuses his power. He takes a moral path that doesn't reflect the best possibilities of humanity: it doesn't suggest hope, or forgiveness, or redemption or even justice. It represents vigilantism and pragmatism. It's Superman shrugging and saying, "I guess this is the best any of us can hope for."
That's why, although I enjoyed the movie, I walked out knowing it was not a movie about Superman. It was a movie about someone else, dressed up as Superman to make sure the movie made a profit. The "real" Superman -- the one who sets the world an example, the one we should aspire to be -- doesn't let entire buildings full of people die because he's in a fistfight. He's the sort of man who makes sure that kittens get rescued from trees. He stops purse thieves. He shows up at hospitals to talk to sick kids.
The fact is, the filmmakers wanted to make a "realistic" Superman, which they took to mean a world with no clear cut solutions, no easy way out. They made it gray and edgy and violent. That's fine. There are large parts of our world like that. But in the grey of this real world, the blue and red and yellow of Superman's costume should shine out that much brighter. He should use his power for good, to make the world a better place. Because even in this "real world" there are people who are working hard to bring peace and hope and light into the darkness. Superman should not only be one of those people, he should be a shining example of that fight, someone to look up to, someone to emulate.
If my kids grew up to make the moral choices of the "Man of Steel" version of Superman, I would be disappointed. That's a shame. He should be better than that. There's no such thing as a no-win situation for Superman, because Superman believes "there's always a way." I don't care if he has to break the laws of physics and zip around the earth until it goes backwards and turns time around, Superman always wins, always protects, always provides hope, always does the right thing.
I still love Superman. I'm used to people not understanding him, or not believing he could exist. Unfortunately, that's what happened in this movie... someone said, "There's no such thing as a person with that strong of a moral code." There's no such thing as Superman, in other words. You can believe in science fiction and life on other worlds and that a man can fly, but not that human beings have a chance of becoming something better than what we are, that the "pinnacle of humanity" might make better moral choices than we are right now.
But I do believe. We can do better, become better. I believe that, at least in part, because growing up someone introduced me to a guy in blue tights and a red cape who told me I should believe that. There's always a way. We can fight for truth, because truth matters. We can fight for justice, because the right thing to do with our power is to protect those who have less power than us. We can, without embarrassment, fight for the American way, if what we mean by that is that all human beings have been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
At least, that's what Superman taught me. And, if these are my choices, then I prefer the "real" Superman to the "realistic" one.
Maybe that's because two kids in their twenties invented him in the 1930's. For them, Superman represented the pinnacle of human possibility. He couldn't fly, but he could just jump over buildings. He didn't have heat ray vision, but he could outrun a train. And at first, he didn't fight space monsters and giant super-intelligent apes or robots or other Kryptonians. He protected the oppressed. He fought against real-world injustice: fat cats like Lex Luthor who took advantage of common citizens, or Borden Mosley (a corrupt financier) or Calvin Denby (a crook and sort of home-grown terrorist). He wasn't an ordinary man, he was the super man: the best human being possible.
Superman didn't kill people -- even the worst villains. He brought them to justice.
Frankly, there is a large dose of wish fulfillment involved in his stories. "What if I had the power to stop evil? What if I could make sure that no one ever died... not in an accident, not from a criminal, because I had the power to stop it?" And of course, Superman is rewarded for his goodness. He always gets the girl, even when he humbly tries not to be rewarded for just doing what he would do anyway.
 |
| First kiss! |
Here's where the philosophical underpinnings of Man of Steel bothered and disappointed me. Superman should be the best possible human being, but in this movie he wasn't. Superman should always be able to find a way out: the higher ground, the best solution. But the Man of Steel couldn't. Because he is, after all, only a man, not a role model.
 |
| What's wrong with being a role model? |
In the movie (vague, general spoilers in this paragraph only), he can't stop the villains from roughing up his mother. He lets entire skyscrapers full of people collapse, in a creepy 9-11 type catastrophic event caused by a fistfight with another Kryptonian. And eventually he uses his great power to pass judgment on the evil doers. Not to bring them to justice, not to give them due process, not to incarcerate or prevent them from doing evil. Superman abuses his power. He takes a moral path that doesn't reflect the best possibilities of humanity: it doesn't suggest hope, or forgiveness, or redemption or even justice. It represents vigilantism and pragmatism. It's Superman shrugging and saying, "I guess this is the best any of us can hope for."
That's why, although I enjoyed the movie, I walked out knowing it was not a movie about Superman. It was a movie about someone else, dressed up as Superman to make sure the movie made a profit. The "real" Superman -- the one who sets the world an example, the one we should aspire to be -- doesn't let entire buildings full of people die because he's in a fistfight. He's the sort of man who makes sure that kittens get rescued from trees. He stops purse thieves. He shows up at hospitals to talk to sick kids.
The fact is, the filmmakers wanted to make a "realistic" Superman, which they took to mean a world with no clear cut solutions, no easy way out. They made it gray and edgy and violent. That's fine. There are large parts of our world like that. But in the grey of this real world, the blue and red and yellow of Superman's costume should shine out that much brighter. He should use his power for good, to make the world a better place. Because even in this "real world" there are people who are working hard to bring peace and hope and light into the darkness. Superman should not only be one of those people, he should be a shining example of that fight, someone to look up to, someone to emulate.
If my kids grew up to make the moral choices of the "Man of Steel" version of Superman, I would be disappointed. That's a shame. He should be better than that. There's no such thing as a no-win situation for Superman, because Superman believes "there's always a way." I don't care if he has to break the laws of physics and zip around the earth until it goes backwards and turns time around, Superman always wins, always protects, always provides hope, always does the right thing.
I still love Superman. I'm used to people not understanding him, or not believing he could exist. Unfortunately, that's what happened in this movie... someone said, "There's no such thing as a person with that strong of a moral code." There's no such thing as Superman, in other words. You can believe in science fiction and life on other worlds and that a man can fly, but not that human beings have a chance of becoming something better than what we are, that the "pinnacle of humanity" might make better moral choices than we are right now.
But I do believe. We can do better, become better. I believe that, at least in part, because growing up someone introduced me to a guy in blue tights and a red cape who told me I should believe that. There's always a way. We can fight for truth, because truth matters. We can fight for justice, because the right thing to do with our power is to protect those who have less power than us. We can, without embarrassment, fight for the American way, if what we mean by that is that all human beings have been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
At least, that's what Superman taught me. And, if these are my choices, then I prefer the "real" Superman to the "realistic" one.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
This is so awesome: instant ice!
Maybe it's because I grew up in California instead of Minnesota, but I've never seen anything like this.
More Wonderful Wednesday.
More Wonderful Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Story and the Gospel
I'm on the road (again). And I insist that the world keep turning my way.
I thought you might enjoy this video I made for some summer missions training a few weeks ago. It's a brief introduction to using story theory for explaining the gospel. I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions after you watch it.
I thought you might enjoy this video I made for some summer missions training a few weeks ago. It's a brief introduction to using story theory for explaining the gospel. I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions after you watch it.
Monday, June 10, 2013
On the Road Today
I don't want you to be lonely, though, especially because I've been neglecting the blog lately!
I've completely neglected to keep you updated on the new StoryMen podcasts. Check out the travel episode, in which I talk about my first experience with a bathroom on a train in Asia, and then be sure to listen to StoryMen: Into Darkness, in which the boys and I boldly go where lots of people have gone before, talking about the Star Trek universe and the most recent movie.
Or, if you'd like that sensation of cross-country travel without needing to get off your chair, you can follow my travel exploits on Twitter.
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Star Trek: the Musical, performed by Middle Schoolers.
Best part? Kirk and the Gorn's duet, hands down.
You probably remember Rhett and Link, the genius masterminds behind this, for their Taco Bell Drive Through Song.
Via Clay
You probably remember Rhett and Link, the genius masterminds behind this, for their Taco Bell Drive Through Song.
Via Clay
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
You need to watch this hliarious video right now: "What kind of Asian are you?"
Special thanks to Wendy Chen and Shasta Kramer, who are Americans, and sent me this video.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Apologies on the lack of posts...
I'm coming up on deadline for my book (June 1) and most of my energy and free time is headed that direction. I haven't even seen the Star Trek movie yet. :)
Thanks for your patience. I'll be back in the saddle soon.
In the meantime:
What's the best flavor of ice cream? Brand? Country to eat it in?
Thanks for your patience. I'll be back in the saddle soon.
In the meantime:
What's the best flavor of ice cream? Brand? Country to eat it in?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Here's why I love Superman. With thoughts from @jrforasteros and @morganundead. #storymen
The latest episode of StoryMen is live, with thoughts about Superman! We talk about the movies, comic book recommendations and reasons to be excited about the new Man of Steel movie (coming soon!).
You can listen/watch here or subscribe/download on iTunes.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The pharmacist made me laugh today.
Three out of five people living in my house have strep throat right now. Here's the conversation I had with the pharmacist while picking up my daughter's antibiotics.
Pharmacist: Is this for your daughter?
Me: Yes.
Ph: For some reason, it says on here that your daughter is allergic to amoxicillin.
Me: That's because she is allergic to amoxicillin.
Ph: Oh. But this is a whole different class of drugs.
Me: Right. Because she is allergic to the penicillin class.
Ph: Oh. Then this is the right drug for her.
Me: Yes.
Ph: Well. Here you go then.
Me: Yes.
Ph: For some reason, it says on here that your daughter is allergic to amoxicillin.
Me: That's because she is allergic to amoxicillin.
Ph: Oh. But this is a whole different class of drugs.
Me: Right. Because she is allergic to the penicillin class.
Ph: Oh. Then this is the right drug for her.
Me: Yes.
Ph: Well. Here you go then.
Monday, May 13, 2013
A great, encouraging video for your dreary, soul-numbing Monday
I don't agree with everything in this video, but there is some real wisdom in large parts of it, and I found it deeply moving. I think it will make your Monday better.
Friday, May 10, 2013
I made a vow never to see another George Clooney film after "The American." I might break that vow for this.
My hands were sweating and heart was pounding in the trailer. I can't imagine what the movie will do to me.
Although it's possible that it will involve waiting as Clooney and Bullock slowly float toward the Earth and are incinerated, in which case I might get bored.
Although it's possible that it will involve waiting as Clooney and Bullock slowly float toward the Earth and are incinerated, in which case I might get bored.
Thursday, May 09, 2013
My three year old is really hilarious. This is what it looks like when she does push ups.
This morning I wrote that my daughter was making me laugh so hard that I couldn't do any push ups. Some of you were skeptical that the issue in my inability to do pushups was really my daughter.
So, I took a video of her doing push ups to show you. I defy you to do push ups while a three year old does this six inches from your face:
Now you have to believe me. I can actually do push ups. And my daughter is hilarious.
So, I took a video of her doing push ups to show you. I defy you to do push ups while a three year old does this six inches from your face:
Now you have to believe me. I can actually do push ups. And my daughter is hilarious.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
This commercial made me laugh a lot: New Spock vs. Old Spock
The new Star Trek movie is coming soon!
And you know we're all going to see it no matter what the reviewers say.
While we're waiting, enjoy this commercial:
Via ToplessRobot
And you know we're all going to see it no matter what the reviewers say.
While we're waiting, enjoy this commercial:
Via ToplessRobot
Monday, May 06, 2013
What the car you drive reveals about your spirituality
Recent events have prompted me to think deeply about what
the vehicle you drive says about your spirituality. This came about from a
comment made at the Catlyst Conference (here's an interview with Brad Lomenick, the leader of Catalyst), where influential pastor Mark Driscoll
said, "I know who made the environment and he's coming back to burn it all
up. So yes, I drive an SUV."
At first I assumed this comment was a joke designed to enrage the Internet and get some attention, but on further
reflection I could see plenty of insightful lessons to be learned by looking at
what type of car different Christians drive.
Here are a few insights about your vehicle and your
spiritual life:
SUVs: Christians who drive SUVs believe that our current
actions are, in the end, fatalistic reflections of the coming "do
over" on all creation. They make decisions based on the essential
meaningless of good behavior now in the face of the New Creation. This causes
comments like Pastor Mark's, "I know who made the environment and he's
coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV" as well
as the popular sentiment, "There is no marriage in heaven, so I'm ignoring
my wife now."
Mid-size cars: Biblical literalists tend to stick to cars
like the Ford Fusion or the Toyota Camry, because they take the scriptures
seriously. The strictest adherents stick to the mid-sized Honda because, "the
disciples were all in one Accord."
BIBLE REFERENCE: Acts 2:1
Mini vans: Pastor Mark has also given us insight into this
category, as he went on to say, "If you drive a mini van you're a mini
man." Clearly he is referring to Biblical disciples like Zaccheus and the
apostle Paul. There wasn't any scriptural backing for this one, but I think we
can just take Pastor Mark's word for it. As a six foot, 220 pound man who drives a mini-van, I don't mind being called "mini" every once in a while.
BIBLE REFERENCE: Luke 19:3
Convertibles: Another popular choice with single men who take the Bible literally. Paul said men should not cover their heads, and so devout men everywhere have taken to driving convertibles. This gets complicated when one is driving a woman somewhere, as she is meant to cover her head. Nevertheless, this difficulty must be surmounted by those serious about following the scriptures. Especially popular with men who like to pray and prophesy while driving.
BIBLE REFERENCE: I Corinthians 11:7
Trucks: Trucks are driven by two types of Christian men: those who believe in God's promise to gift them a good measure of treasure that is heaped up and spilling over, the sort of treasure that won't fit in a little trunk somewhere, and the manly man who thinks that SUVs are for yuppie suburbanites who are afraid to get their hands or vehicles dirty.
BIBLE REFERENCE: Luke 6:38
Subcompacts: Extra iddy biddy men, like the Roman guard who
slept on his watch. And Kneehighamiah.
BIBLE REFERENCE: Acts 12:6
Pinning down what God Himself drives is tricky. It's likely that God, being the wealthiest being in the universe, owns many vehicles. We know that Jesus drove a Plymouth, because he drove the money-changers out of the temple in a Fury. We also know for certain that God has both a Pontiac Tempest and a Geo Storm.
BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 83:15
How about you: What do you drive? And what does that say about your spirituality?
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