The Greatest Game Ever Played

Mark Frost has adapted his novel The Greatest Game Ever Played, to a screen play of the same name produced by Disney. It's the story of how a 20-year-old golf amateur beat British champion Harry Vardon at the 1913 American Open.

It's a very American movie, meritocracy good, aristocracy bad. The movie drives that point home like a punch that repositions your nose. To top it off the reporter covering the story is named Darwin, subtle touch that. Now don't get me wrong, I prefer living in a meritocracy over living in an aristocracy I just don't get all sentimental about it. At least the movie takes a critical look at both American and British aristocracies.

I really enjoyed how the mental aspect of the game was worked in. There are dramatic visualizations showing us how the players tune out the world around them and focus on the hole while fighting their mental daemons. In fact the visualization of the game is one of the strongest parts of the movie. A video game that combined the mental aspect of the game and followed the ball the way it was shown in the Greatest Game Ever Played just might live up to that title, at least for the the golf genera.

Other than those two points the movie is about what you'd expect from a Disney sports movie set in 1913. Underdog takes on champion, wins the girl. There some genuine humor and very touching moments. It would work as a non chick flick date movie if your date is a sports fan.

You can read other reviews at Rotten Tomatoes

Disclosure: I was given two free tickets to see the movie.

- Peace

It Moved

Searching for the Joy - 26

1Ki 4:20 - "Judah and Israel were as great in number as the sand by the seaside, and they took their food and drink with joy in their hearts."

Background:
This is part of the introduction to Solomon’s reign. The people were happy because it was good times and Solomon was a wise king.

Where’s the Joy:
In the story The Last Unicorn, King Hagred became obsessed with the unicorns because they were the only thing that made him happy. Sometimes the secret to happiness is simply to know when you have it good.

Peregrinations anyone?

LT, Mike Fox and I will be heading up to Len's Peregrinations: An
Emerging Church Forum Event the first weekend in November.

LT is going from Saskatoon to Edmonton to pick up Mike and arriving in
Calgary November 3rd, staying over at our place and the three of us
will head out to Kelowna Friday Nov 4. in my Honda Element.

The Element seats four, we have an extra space. This space is for you if:

• you're headed to Peregrinations or just want to spend the weekend in Kelowna
  
• can stand up to 12 hours with three computer geeks
  
• can stand being forced to listen to the Lost Dogs and related bands,
  
• mp3s from a Pink Floyd tribute band and what ever other odd selections
  
• I add to the play list (One Bad Pig to Maesha Brueggergosman)
  
• live somewhere along the path from Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna
  
• don't mind sharing gas costs

Just drop me a line.

- Peace

Shane Blake's Review of Serenity

Loved it. Absolutely loved it. First, about the fact that the movie is an extension of a failed television series: On the ride home I wondered aloud how it would be received by someone who'd never seen the episodes of the TV show. Jennifer informed me that she'd forgot most of the characters and almost all of the plot lines, so I'd guess it won't be much of a problem for anyone else.

The movie is nothing if not intense to watch. By the time the credits started to scroll and the house lights faded up, I was experiencing the rather odd mix of exhaustion and adrenaline. The pace is even and quick and the transitions from side splitting humor to absolute shock and/or disbelief are sudden and often jarring. Make no mistake; this movie is absolutely exhausting to watch. Probably a few too many of the boogie-man type gotcha's for my taste, but just as many of those shocking moments are from unexpected plot twists that will have you elbowing the stranger next to you asking "did that really just happen?"

In summation: well written dialog, both witty and sincerely human, coupled with exciting action in a quick paced story line, make for a Grade A movie going experience. Whether or not you were a fan of the TV show Firefly or completely new to its characters and worlds, Serenity will have you wanting to join the crowd of fans begging for the return of the series. My suggestion? Go see it on the big screen.

[link]

On my list of things todo this weekend. That and the Western Canada Java Software Symposium.

- Peace

The question?

Been wondering if we're asking the right questions lately, but it hasn't crystalized into a blog post, but it did while talking to LT on google talk. So here's it is with some [minor edits].

leightontebay: Are you still thinking of going to len's conference in Kelowna?
[deleted details]

Dave: is there a link?

leightontebay: http://www.nextreformation.com/forum.htm

Dave: Peregrinations: An Emerging Church Forum

leightontebay: yes

Dave: he does love big words

leightontebay: He does

Dave: you know I think it comes down to the fact that we don't love people
we get all up tight about marketing, post this or that
structure
if we were loving people the church would be growing
all the rest would follow
I think there's a real danger of using all this to avoid asking the hard questions
why aren't we loving people

leightontebay: You make a good point
I'd also say that we have redefined Christianity in such a way that it doesn't mean following Christ anymore.

Dave: I wonder if the PoMo thing is the same avoidance as the church growth movement
Yeah I'm reading Dallas Willard and he's making the same point
I wonder if the whole PoMo storm has ripped away what was rotten
but we shouldn't be looking to replace it
cause it will just rot the same way

leightontebay: You have been doing some thinking

Dave: The fact that we haven't weathered the PoMo storm well means we're not built on Jesus
It's not about adjusting to the storm
but getting back to Jesus
But that hasn't been modeled for a really long time
or it has but it's not what we've been paying attention to

leightontebay: You are right
I'm part of something that has totally stripped away most of the structure

Dave: yeah, need to blog this stream

leightontebay: In the end we are left with ourselves and we find that we are part of the problem

Dave: The problem with the world is me [I think I quoted GK Chesterton]
Mind if I blog this rant as is?

leightontebay: I'll say that I really like being part of a house church, I do find it better than regular churches (and I attend one with my wife off and on now) but if we stopped there we wouldn't be much further than we were when we started.
Feel free to blog this

Dave: thanks
need some sleep if I'm going to hit my mile stone
- Peace

leightontebay: ok
good night

I should note that I was talking to LT without reading all that Len has posted about the forum. I think there's some great stuff there, I just worry that more basic things can get lost in the larger PoMo church coversation.

Update: having had a chance to sleep on it I realized I should post the links that got me thinking along these lines. Jordon posted a link to Earl & the AG Pastors and Jason posted a link to Rick Warren's Turning attendees into a part of the family. Now there are great things in both articles , but it struck me that both make church all about me, what you need to reach me as a potential church member. Neither article makes the hard work of loving one another key.

John 13:34 & 35

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other

Jesus still has great appeal in the world, it's the Church people are leaving. It seems clear to me it's because we're (I'm) not living this command. We can avoid the issue by focusing on all the secondary issues of how we reach modern/post modern culture but with out knowing and living in God's love it's waste of time.

- Peace

3000km down 500 to go

Passed the 3000 km mark on the way to church this morning. 86% of the way there!

That puts me at least five days ahead of schedule, I was't planning on hitting 3000 till sometime in October. It's a nice change, I've been behind most of the year.

- Peace

Mat & Lisa

Had a great time taking pics of Mat and Lisa. Though it seems to have gotten to Mat.

- Peace

Is Evolution a Creation Myth?

Is Evolution a Creation Myth? It depends on how you define the words "creation" and "myth." Sometimes the word creation implies the existence of a creator. In other contexts, however, the word creation implies the thing has come into existence or been created and how it came into existence or was created. Perhaps it would be better to say, therefore, "Evolution is a myth about origins -- about the universe, how it came to exist and how it came to take on the attributes we now observe."

[link]

- Peace

Top Speed of a Squirrel

19.31 km/h or 12 mph. I was wondering cause one of the little guys was keeping up with me past several houses just after I climbed up out of Fish Creek on my morning ride yesterday.

Welcome to the team!

My brother in law is now permanent resident of Canada. We gave him the Team Canada jersey to celebrate.

New Pedro The Lion Song

David and TW are busy working on the new Pedro The Lion album. We'll be posting a few demos along the way. The first one is called "The Devil is Beating His Wife" and you can hear acoustic and electric versions on our page at PureVolume.com. Keep in mind that these are rough demos... the final versions will be much different. Check back often for more new songs.

as seen on pedrothelion.com

- Peace

The gift that is given

Took my camera along for the ride to work on Tuesday, on the off chance the Fish Creek was still flooded. If I couldn't make it to work by bike, I might as well get some picutres. Fish Creek was fine but they were blowing out the sprinkler system at a park near here and the sunlight coming through thre trees and the mist was fantastic. What a great time to have my camera with me. Check out the other pics.

- Peace

The Real Emily Rose

The Real Emily Rose was a german teenager who's troubles lated from the time she was 16 until her death at 23. It's a sad story.

- Peace

Searching for the Joy - 25

My note:
I have been away for a while and I am glad to be back. I will try to post at least weekly.

1Ki 1:45 - "And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet put the holy oil on him and made him king in Gihon; and they came back from there with joy, and the town was all worked up. This is the noise which has come to your ears."

Background.
Adonijah and his guests heard the noise from where they were and thought this was a good sign but it was really the end of his bid for the throne.

Where's the joy.
I would make a proverb of this verse:
When everyone is cheering, make sure it is for you before you take your bow.

Jesus said, "If you are invited to a wedding feast, don't always head for the best seat. What if someone more respected than you has also been invited? The host will say, 'Let this person sit here instead.' Then you will be embarrassed and will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! Do this instead - sit at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place than this for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored." Luke 14:8-11

Finding joy in the humble place is a skill that I am still working on.

First Frost

First Frost
Originally uploaded by djking.

This morning was the first time I noticed frost on the Element. It's still offically summer! Ah Calgary.

- Peace

Silent Bell

I started working on 3rd St early 2004, this bell was on the corner of 3rd and 5th ave sw. People, including me would ring it every once in a while. This spring I noticed the clapper had gone missing. It hasn't been replaced. I don't know if it was vandals or bureaucracy that silenced the bell, but a silent bell is a sad comment on the state of our collective spirit. I'm sure Robert G. Peters for whom the bell is a memorial would not be impressed.

- Peace

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

"Well that was stupid" - the comment of a young lady as we filed out of a preview showing of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I wondered if we had seen the same movie, it was anything but stupid. To be honest, going in I expected to have the same reaction. I was expecting a dreary movie about how evil can get to anyone and there's nothing much anyone can do.

Instead The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a thoughtful and carefully crafted movie using elements of horror to tell it's story. While there are moments that will make you jump, most of the story is told with a very understated, almost documentary style, making the horror elements much more effective than blood or gore ever could. It was very much like watching a mystery, it's not clear till the end what point the movie is trying to make or how this drama will end. Just when I thought I had it figured out there was another angle to consider.

I find that I can't buy into the movies explanation of why Emily is afflicted, and I don't want to give to much away by explaining it. However I did enjoy that there is more than one spiritual battle going on here and they're not all big obvious forms of evil, but some mundane and systematic forms as well. This layered approach gives the movie an authenticity and depth often lacking from movies about the 'devil'.

I should tell you I have given two free tickets to see the preview. Steve went with me and enjoyed it as well. I'm taking my daughter Sarah to see it this weekend, it's well worth seeing.

- Peace

[Illiad] THINKING ABOUT KATRINA

Illiad is the cartoonist behind User Friendly, he has a one off strip expressing his thoughts about Katrina that's worth a read.

As a cartoonist I'm expected to make social commentary, using satire and humour to ridicule wrongdoing. Sometimes though, both words and pictures fail. That some humans in New Orleans began preying on the weak and helpless at the first opportunity is a blistering indictment on how little we've progressed as a species. I'm still numb from the stories of serial rape followed by throat-slitting in the women's restrooms in the Superdome. There are times I am convinced that we don't know how to live in this world.

[link]

- Peace

No Wife, No Girlfirend, No Trek

Andy visits the ready-room for some captainly advice from Patrick Stewart.

Ok it's an obvious joke, but it's well done.

- Peace

Elbow Valley

Did a great ride today with Rawleigh and Phil along the Elbow River in Kananaskis Country, just west of the city. We had a blast.

- Peace

Mohawk

Cause you've always wondered if I could be scarier.

- Peace

20.2 km/h, best ride to work ever!

Ok so 20.2 km/h isn't very fast, but it was my average speed to work yesterday. Last year I was getting up into the 19.x range when I got hit by a truck and was off riding for six weeks. This year has been on and off for riding so my average has been up and down, 15 on my worst days, 19.x on my best, but never over 20 till yesterday. Big Grin! Will let you know when I break 21.

- Peace