To me, the interesting thing about these Olympic broadcasts is how “Chinese” NBC chooses to be. They don’t release a detailed schedule of what they’re going to broadcast and when … instead, they keep viewers in suspense, forcing us to watch all of it and “become” interested and attached to things we wouldn’t necessarily choose to see. They’ve decided for us … and have no intention of handing over the information or the reins.

Is this lemming-esque experience par for the course when it comes to television viewing? Personally, I think it’s insulting and backwards … but I guess that’s what I get for liking something that’s so corporate!

I spent some time volunteering out at Pleasant Vineyard this summer … and I couldn’t resist breaking out my camera to snap some shots of the gorgeous people, beautiful landscapes, and fun activities going on.

To see all 114 images, just look at the photo set or the slideshow!

Well, it’s been a while. As I’ve indicated before … when I’m pretty silent here on wdn, it’s usually because my real life is pretty saturated and satisfying. And that has indeed been the case lately … here are some highlights:

• I started working two weeks ago … for the most part, it was pretty bewildering, looking at the same stuff from a very different perspective. I had to move out of my classroom, paint my new office and move in, figure out some priorities for these first couple of weeks, and begin to learn to communicate what my position will be about. Monday it all hits the fan … faculty orientation, followed by the first actual day of school on Wednesday.
• I’m two-thirds of the way through my motorcycle safety course … if all goes well, I should get my endorsement (license) tomorrow after spending another six hours on the bike.
• I’ve been pretty sick the past couple of days … Thursday’s hourly vomit-fest progressed into a headachy Friday, followed today by an interesting combination of diarrhea and constipation. I’m trying to just rest and drink tons of water, but it’s taking longer than I thought it would to kick.
• I spent a week out at camp, subbing for the photographer/videographer. It was great to connect with the counselors and see what God was doing out there, and creating the DVD was quite a challenge. I don’t know how I used to do that.
• I also went back to Akron for a week to spend some time with my parents and to see my sister’s fam, my brother’s fam, Paul and Sarah, Shaun and Jessica, and Ezra and Michelle. It was pretty sweet.
• A local photographer, Paul Armstrong, asked me to assist him at a couple of weddings this month. I normally reject any opportunity that I’m given to shoot (and potentially ruin) this all-important day, but working with Paul was something I just couldn’t pass up. I’ll post my shots soon.
• I’ve also been playing indoor soccer, bowling, watching Olympics, going to the ATP tennis tournament, and spending lots of time with a really beautiful person. Yep, this is the good stuff.

Well, today I start my new job and a new cross country season. And this year I feel less prepared and more out-of-place than I ever have before. Is that a good thing?

My only plans for today were to go bowling and to paint a room. Instead, I did laundry and watched movies … all day.

When life gives you water, make lemonade.
[with free lemon slices and sugar packets]

In China, many of the delicious dishes you could order in restaurants were fat-based. And I’m talking just fat … not pork or beef or anything like that, but straight up cooked fat and veggies. It was actually pretty delicious, but it took a little while to get used to.

One time when I went to the doctor for some skin problems (mostly from the polluted and damp air), he actually prescribed it … I had to eat about a fist-worth of lard every day for two weeks. Mmm … scrumptious!

Funny, sure. But it does raise some big questions, I think. We’re told, over and over, that eating fat is bad for you … but almost every dish in Hunan (where I lived) was soaked in oil and fat, and the people were, by and large (pun intended), incredibly skinny!

So where do we get our strong ideas about diet and nutrition, and how accurate are they? Are we just taking the word of the food industry, which some say is the second-largest industry in America (behind pharmaceuticals)? It has thousands of lobbyists and unbelievable marketing budgets … should we be connecting those dots a little more?

One of the biggest flaws in today’s American church, in my opinion, is its inability to distinguish between biblical and cultural issues, to know the origins of the topics and ideas that it discusses and defends.

It routinely uses scripture alone to argue hot-topic cultural ideas, including most “family values”. It routinely blames our media and politicians for problems that Jesus clearly warned are part of human nature. And in the confusion that follows, it routinely hurts and alienates the very people that the church is supposed to be there to help.

Care to illustrate my point?

“Can you imagine him being in charge of discipline at the middle school? He’ll be like, ‘You stole food from the cafeteria? Ok, you’re wearing a dress to school tomorrow.’”

– Ellen a former student/camper, talking to her friend at church

Glenway Wescott was right when he wrote this … love opens eyes!