My Trip to Tigerland

Marc McCartney and I loaded up the Honda CRV at around 10:30am and headed toward Baton Rouge with hopes that we might make it to the Tiger Cage before the Golden Band from Tiger Land marched down the hill. We spoke nothing but LSU Football for the first three hours, and then we hit a stretch of land between Natchitoches and Lafayette that made us feel like we might never arrive in Baton Rouge. Marc got sleepy, and I got really groggy and uncomfortable. Crazy, irrational thoughts started flooding my mind. What if we had miscalculated and were going to arrive after the game had already started? What if our tickets weren't waiting for us like we had planned? What if Va. Tech - inspired by their recent tragedy - played their hearts out and beat LSU?

By the time we reached the Atchafalaya River Bridge, my thoughts had settled, and I was ready for some Tigerbait!! I woke Marc up as we crossed over the Mississippi River and noticed the enormity of Tiger Stadium on the horizon. The scoreboard, emblazoned with a huge "LSU Tiger Stadium" nearly brought a tear to my eye, and ignited a sense of awe and wonder in Marc. We had made it!! Saturday night in Tiger Stadium would be our reality!!

We parked about two miles from the stadium and began to notice that every available space - every blade of open grass, every free segment of concrete - was filled with a canopy, under which the LSU faithful gathered for a tailgaiting feast. It was as if pioneers were settling the vast LSU campus and had set up thousands of tents in which to live until permanent housing had been constructed. I've seen this site many times in my years, but I'm not sure I've ever seen the campus so alive.

We made our way through these villages of tailgaters until we finally reached the Tiger Cage. Along the back wall of this sprawling new habitat lay Mike VI, a two year old Bengal Tiger. What a beautiful animal! It's always good to see the symbol of LSU athletics resting comfortably between the Football Stadium and the Basketball Arena. His new habitat, by the way, is a paradise. It's a beautiful addition to the campus.

Marc and I moved on to the rounded ramp that leads to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (The PMAC), and watched as the crowd gathered for the Band''s triumphant march down the hill. It looked as though someone had stepped on an ant pile and thousands of purple and gold insects had crawled out. The place was covered with the Tiger faithful, a rabid bunch who were out in full force to take in the unique environs of LSU on game day. The band eventually descended down the hill, and the crowd was stirred to a frenzy as they played "Hold that Tiger!"

We made our way to our seats for the game, and there's not much to say about what happened next. Total domination. This team is good... Real good. The environment, as always, was loud, fun and full of the kind of spontaneous insanity that only Tiger Stadium can offer. It was awesome.

Thanks, Marc, for a great trip! Let's do it again sometime, buddy!!

The New Mike the Tiger

So, I wrote a few months back about how LSU's mascot, Mike V, died during surgery. Well, they finally have a new mascot, and he's awesome! Mike VI is now in his new habitat, and he looks quite foreboding. Check him out:

Whoa!! Imagine the kind of pain that sucker could inflict upon Nick Saban!!

Speaking of LSU and Tigers, I think this new ESPN commercial is hilarious! Watch and enjoy:

Geaux Tigers!!!

#2 LSU Rolls!!

Well, my Tigers came out a bit flat last night, but they still butchered Mississippi State worse than Miss Teen South Carolina answering a geography question. Still, there are some improvements to make, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Check out this hit from last night's game. Ouch!!

This Amazes Me!

When I was younger, my friends and I would pull stunts when our folks were out of town. We mostly did harmless, goofy stuff. One time we invited a friend over and hid in the bushes. As soon as he reached the front door, we shot him with a paintball gun. It was fun stuff, but it was nothing like the stunt these guys pulled. Check out this video and be amazed!

Clothes for Causes

I love it that many young entrepreneurs are using their hobbies and interestests and tying them to worthwhile causes. Statattack is one such effort. At Statattack, a t-shirt line based on statistics that people should be aware of (the design above tells us that, in Angola, 19.2% of infants will die before they turn one), every shirt you buy goes to help some aspect of world relief, not only by educating people, but contributing 20% of the sale to an orphanage in Mozambique. Here's a quote from their website:

Since Mozambique was the country that inspired all of this, the Sons of Stolen are putting 20% of the money from the sale of the shirts towards building an orphanage in Mozambique. Instead of giving the money to a charity, we will go to Mozambique with a group of volunteers from the design industry and build an orphanage from the ground up.

Very cool! I think I'll buy one!

Ever have one of those days?

Yes, this picture is real. It's of a $1.5 million yacht falling off its sling while being loaded into a cargo ship for delivery in Dubai. If you didn't notice, yes, there's a dude on the back of the boat as it goes down, to give you a sense of the size of the 55-foot vessel (he was fine).

Link

Welcome to the New World!

I think people love to downplay the rapid amount of change that our society is currently experiencing. Every once in a while you'll hear someone say, "You know, things are no different than they were when I was a kid." I always laugh at such statements. The video below will show you why.

Lucky #11

Kim and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary last night!! We ate at The Palm, and it was awesome!! I can tell you this... Anniversaries aren't as easy as they once were. After our wonderful dinner, we tried to go see The Bourne Ultimatum. We took our seats in the Megaplex, along with about 400 of our closest friends, and I knew we were in trouble. I really don't like crowds, especially in a movie theater, and there was a sense - call it a gut feeling - that something was going to go wrong.

We got there about 30 minutes before the movie was slated to air, and at some point during our wait, Kim started to develop a pretty nasty headache. We debated leaving, but decided to stay and see if the headache would fade once Jason Bourne started killing people. In the middle of the previews, a smallish fellow with dark hair and glasses began to walk down our row. He stopped right in front of me and started demanding that the man seated on Kim's left move down a seat. He didn't ask politely or anything civilized like that; this guy simply started waving his finger in a circle (about two inches from my nose), while saying "Scoochie!" I thought it would be best to stay out of this thing, but the wagging finger on the tip of my face was really starting to bug me.

The man next to Kim reluctantly moved one seat to the left, and then the "Scoochie!" guy turned his attention to Kim and me. I could feel myself getting angry. In my minds eye I envisioned flicking this little guy, like a Milk Dud, across the room. As we stood to "Scooch" a seat over, I simply looked down at the guy and calmly said, "We're going to move, but you're going to have to quit waving your finger in my face. Do you understand?" Thankfully the guy backed away, put his arms up in the air - as if to say, "Please don't knock me onto this Coke and JuJube stained floor." - and returned to his seat.

In the end, we left about 30 minutes into the film because Kim's headache worsened to an unbearable point. Poor thing. We came home early, and she immediately retired to bed. It was still a good night (as is any night with my wife!), and I'm so thankful to have such a beautiful and wonderful wife. Thanks, Kim, for the best 11 years of my life!!

Hope

I sat in on a gathering of folks last night, and the topic of discussion was hope. For some hope is a difficult thing to grasp. It's kind of like a Star Wars movie... it seems wonderful and amazing and mind boggling and - well - unreal. That's the problem with hope. You find yourself wondering if it really exists or if it's some fantasy flying through your head like the Millennium Falcon.

The guy who lead the discussion last night referred to "The Shawshank Redemption", where, at the end of the film, Andy writes a note to Red and pens these words: “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Could it be that what Andy wrote is true? Is it really possible that hope is the best of things, and it tells of something eternal, or are we the Lloyd Christmas's of the universe, who, when faced with million to one odds give the blindly hopeful response, "So you're saying there's a chance?!!"

Though I don't believe that Christians are blindly hopeful, there is certainly, as Barak Obama would say, an "audacity" to our hope. It takes a lot of nerve to claim hope in a world characterized by extreme materialism, extreme poverty, discrimination, violence, sexual perversion, broken marriage, environmental disregard, and a litany of other things that make me want to cash in my chips and get out of Dodge. It's crazy, in a world that cultures genocide, female circumcision and HIV/AIDS, that there would be any room for hope.

But the claim of the message of Christianity is, unashamedly, hopeful. What makes it even more audacious is that the object of its hope is unseen. Romans 8:24-25 says, "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?" The point is well taken. Shouldn't it be said that if hope isn't audacious, it's not hope at all, but something entirely different? Isn't the whole point of hope its audacity?

I used to hope for a car. Now I have a car, and the mystery of its motorly goodness has well been revealed. Before I owned my own vehicle, the thought of driving a mechanized chariot seemed so alluring. After owning a car for several years now, the allure is gone, and all that's left is an overinflated car payment. The hope has faded, replaced by the harsh reality of $3/gallon gas, liability insurance and costly repairs. Truth be told, Dallas traffic has cured me of the desire to even want to drive.

Now, contrast this to a hope that is yet unseen. Unseen hope produces great longing. The desire to attain this hope is great, and the object of this hope is illustrious. For the Christian, this hope is found in the person of Jesus, because upon Him all the deepest hopes of man are placed. And what is the promise attached to this hope? Well, it's the same as the promise attached to the hope that Andy wrote about when addressing Red: “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

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This post is dedicated to my good friend, Stephen Presley. Thanks, brother, for always reminding me of the hope of the Gospel.

Those Crazy Iraqi's

The first line from this story is just classic.

"Iraqi fans have been stocking up on gasoline and ammunition in preparation for their national soccer team's Asian Cup semi-final against South Korea on Wednesday."

I'm going nuts waiting for LSU football to arrive, but gasoline and ammunition?! I probably won't stock up on that until next year's LSU/Alabama game, when Nick Saban makes his return to Tiger Stadium!

Giggle

Dead Horse Alert!!! Christians and Drinking

Dan Kimball has posted a couple of interesting blog entries lately about Christians and alcohol. Man, if I had a dollar for every conversation I've had about this issue, I could probably throw a kegger! Even though the issue is a well worn path, the posts are still worth reading. Be sure to read the comments page too. This argument usually gives me tired head, but it is an intriguing read on Dan's site. Check it out.

What to Watch

Summer TV watching is tricky business. You get the usual bevy of spare stuff that wasn't good enough for prime time, and the stuff that was ready for prime time is playing through a loop of re-runs. In light of that, here's a few of my favorite shows this summer, and one that you should stay away from:

1. Burn Notice (USA) - This slick action/comedy/drama is well produced, written and acted. The lead characher, Michael Western (Jeffrey Donovan), is a spy who's recieved a "burn notice", spy speak for getting fired. He's been cut off by the government and is on the FBI watch list. Only problem is he doesn't know why. So, while he's trying to figure it all out, he's also taking private investigator type jobs to pay the rent. This dude is as cool as they come. His list of supporting actors includes the dude from Army of Darkness and the Old Spice Commercials (Bruce Campbell). I love that guy!
2. The World Series of Pop Culture (vH1) - Kim and I watched this show last year and were hooked. You may be still able to catch the replays of this super fun pop culture trivia extravaganza since the originals have already aired. It pits several teams of three against each other in a tournament style competition. I just love seeing how many of the questions I can correctly answer. Good stuff.
3. The Closer (TBS) - Man, this is just a good show. There was one episode that had the craziest first five minutes I've ever seen on TV. It actually worked, too, which is rare for crazy scenes. Kyra Sedgwick's fake Georgia accent drives me a bit insane, but the show is really cool.

Now, for one television gimmick that you can live without:

1. Stay away from Sportscenter this summer. It pains me to write this, but it's true. Stuart Scott is hosting this silly segment called "Who's Now", and it's the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a while. It's intended to determine which athlete is both a superstar in their sport and off the field. Athletes are paired against each other in a lame and very subjective popularity contest. Plus, you get to hear from "the panel", which includes spare hosts who look like they wish they were as popular and relevant as the athletes they're judging. Just report the sports issues of the day, ESPN! Leave the commentary out of it. We don't need you to tell us who is popular, we just need to know who won the game.
   

I'll Take Two Pair!!

Oh, Don't Forget!!

This is really cool, and you can thank me later. My recommendation is to open this in your browser first thing in the morning and keep it open all day. If you need to use it throughout the day, it will be right at your finger tips. This is a website that allows you to type a text message to yourself to be delivered at a later date or time. For instance, if your wife calls the office 5 minutes before you go into a big meeting and asks you to buy bread on the way home, you can use this handy little tool to send a text message to yourself at 5pm when you get off of work. You and I both know you're going to forget about the bread, so why not send yourself a reminder? I'm going to use the heck out of this site!

Potty Like it's 1999!!

Pierce has officially turned the corner!! The little man is now going "pee pee" on the potty unprompted. We are all very relieved (hah! Get it?).

May the horns of triumph blast out their joyful song from the highest mountains... May the birds and beasts be roused from the jungles... May the people rejoice with voices of victory... For my child - my Autistic child - can now take a leak!!

By the way, everytime I talk to Pierce about going "pee pee", or utter the words "potty" or "tee tee", I feel like a total moron. I feel like one of those super sappy women who run daycare center's. Speaking those words as a grown man just doesn't feel right. This has been humbling experience, but I've never been so excited about urine!!

The Most Intense Potty Training Ever!

We are potty training Pierce this week, and it's a freaking nightmare. Here's how it works:

• Check his pants every 5 minutes to make sure they're dry.
• Put him on the potty every 30 minutes and pray for pee pee.
• Leave him on the potty for 10 minutes.
• Repeat the process.
• Should he have an accident, we have to sternly say "You're wet", and take him to the potty. We are to place him on the potty and immediately remove him, and take him back to the scene of the crime and announce "You're wet. Pee pee goes in the potty." We repeat this process 5 times, and then start the 5 minute timer again.

We have timers all over the house. It's a real pain in the butt.

The first two days were full of lots of pee pee, but not on the potty. There were accidents-a-plenty. Kim was discouraged, and I was starting to wonder if I would ever get the smell of urine out of my nose.

Today, though, Pierce got it! He only had one accident all day!!!

This stuff is a pain, but it's all worth it if I don't have to change diapers anymore. No pain, no gain!!

I met this guy today...

...and he is really cool. This is The Ticket's own Bob Sturm, a local radio personality. Bob went to Liberty University, and knew the late Jerry Fallwell. He's now the co-host of one of DFW's most listened to radio shows (BaD Radio: noon - 3pm: 1310am). Anyway, Bob and I met for about an hour today, and he is a super nice guy. We actually visited at Irving Bible Church in the cafe. Could he be making another apearance at IBC soon? Check here in the coming days to find out.

Hey now, Sturminator!!

Patriotic Wisdom from Noonan

Those of you who read this page often (if there are any of you!) probably get tired of hearing me sing the praises of Peggy Noonan. Well, don't expect those praises to cease any time soon. Ms. Noonan is at it again with this wonderfully nostalgic and understated Opinion Journal column. In it she finds ways to not only celebrate freedom and immigration, but to subtly warn against a freedom and immigration that doesn't "let go" and embrace the United States. It's a wonderful article that is both charming and insightful.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th!

If this video doesn't make you want to celebrate America's Independance, I don't know what will. Watch it. Love it. Live it. Are you a real American?