I didn’t graduate from Pepperdine University. In fact, I’ve never set foot on the beautiful Malibu campus nestled by the jagged shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. But thanks to our youth minister, Jason, who recently attended the annual lectureship there, I am the proud owner of a bright orange Pepperdine t-shirt with arched, blue letters and a school seal with motto that reads “Freely ye received, freely give.” It was the first shirt that I pulled out of my drawer last Friday as I prepared to travel to Ozark, Alabama to spend Memorial Day weekend with my younger sister and her family. But before the day was over, that shirt had led me to yet another “chance” encounter with an old aquaintance from times past. [...]

“The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.”
–John 15:13, Contemporary English Version

• A short history

• A story of heroes past and their biographies–Gordon, Shughart

• A story of heroes present

Last year at this time, the Eyegang was in New York City celebrating a 20th wedding anniversary with a family vacation. This year, things are more down to earth–hanging out with my little sis and her family in the roaring metropolis of Ozark, Alabama, the “Best Kept Secret” in the South. It’s a long way from Gotham to LA (Lower Alabama), but we expect the fun, fellowship and food (barbeque and shrimp boil are on the menu) to be every bit as satisfying.

While in New York City we walked till our little dogs howled for mercy trying to take in as much as we could in our 4 days–Ground Zero, The Statue of Liberty, baseball at Yankee Stadium, a Broadway play, etc. We were a long way from Huntsville, and at times it seemed like we were on a different planet. But wherever we went, Alabama followed closely behind. [...]

On the heels of my post on “angry young men” and blogging comes this article from the “Gray Lady”–Interns? No Bloggers Need Apply.

To all the folks at The New York Times who are daily poring over my blog for fresh insights and ideas: You’re welcome.

Several of us made a mad dash north on I-65 last night to Nashville to watch the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team take on the Moroccan National Team in the first of a series of “send-off” matches leading up to the World Cup in June. We were part of “history” according to the PA announcer–26,141 flag-draped, red, white and blue-painted, “USA, USA”–chanting soccer fanatics in Titan Coliseum–the largest crowd to ever watch a soccer match in the state of Tennessee. Actually that’s not quite correct since the happy throng also included about 10,000 or so red and green clad Moroccan fans who swayed and chanted to the steady beat of a well-stocked percussion section.

Wow. That number certainly sounds impressive, but it made me wonder if that would merely be an average night at the Grand Ole Opry. And it’s no where near the 110,OOO who show up for a typical Tennessee Vols football game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

Anyway, a great time was had by all, despite the two consecutive defensive miscues which led to Moroccan striker Mohamid Madihi’s goal over charging U.S. keeper Kasey Keller in the 90th minute. For the soccer uninitiated, the 90th minute means the match was essentially over. I was already peeved at the prospects of a 0-0 draw, but of course this simply made matters worse. My first thought was that I could have stayed at home and watched the U.S. lose on ESPN-2 for free. [...]

I wasn’t going to go see that movie this past weekend. I’m just not a bandwagon kind of guy. I’ve studied a little (well, actually a lot) of church history on my own, and when I read the book a couple of years ago, I laughed out loud at the bogus story line.

But then through a weird set of circumstances, I came about two free tickets, so off Eyegal and I went to follow the herd. I figured that it must have been God’s will.

But here’s the truth: I fell asleep. Not once, but twice (I think Eyegal might have punched me the second time thinking that I was about to snore).

Oh, it has its moments, but all in all I was underwhelmed just as I was at the book. [...]

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”–I Corinthians 12:11

Or at least that’s the way it’s supposed to work.

In my series “Blogging–The Wonder Years” which will resume later this week, it’s been pretty apparent from my 7th grade journal that my thought processes have undergone a little evolution since the 1970s. I fancy myself a more grown-up thinker these days. But the truth is I’m still a work-in-progress, and if God grants more time, I’ll probably look back in twenty years and have a good laugh at some of my early 21st century pontifications and ponderings.

I’m figuring that will be the case because already I chuckle (and cringe) at some of the things I said and did twenty years ago. As I recall, I was a pretty smart guy and considered myself God’s gift to the discussion at hand. I think I may have even fancied myself a prophet. My poor friends and family–I’m still amazed they survived. I’ve come to believe that those who consciously desire and relish the role of prophet and then proceed to spray jeremiads like pellets from a sawed-off shotgun are perhaps the most noisome and nettlesome creatures on the face of the earth.

I was reminded of all this recently when I read the commencement address that Senator John McCain delivered this past week at both Columbia University and The New School in New York City. [...]

I’m really not begging for a pat-down or anything like that. It’s just that folks who Googled a topic like “Huntsville High prank” or “Nancy Grace and Churches of Christ” are being caught up in the “rapture” and transported from my old site to Ocular Fusion 2.0.

If you’re one of those chosen ones, then rest assured that the article that you’re looking for is here. You can always use the “Search” function located at the bottom of the sidebar if need be, or just click the links above.

I’ve noticed that many are coming here looking for pictures of the Northwestern University women’s soccer team’s hazing party. Sorry to disappoint, but I do hope you enjoy the story of Number One Son’s initiation haircut which he received as a first-year varsity player on the Grissom High soccer team.

Whatever the case may be, welcome, and please do stop by again. Like Tom Bodett says, “We’ll leave the light on for you.”

Whoa, what just happened you ask? Through the magic of a small piece of HTML-code strategically placed in my old site, you’ve been caught up and whisked away to Ocular Fusion 2.0 (www.ocularfusion.net). Talk about your raptures. Or would that be an alien abduction?

Anyway, now that you’re here stick around and, as we say in the South, “sit a spell.” I’ve still got some tweaking to do, but the bulk of the renovation is complete. Unlike my desk at work, the new site is clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate. No more depressing black either. I’ve decided (with fashion imput from my color consultant Scott) that brighter and cheerier colors are in order, the better to reflect my, uh, sanguine personality.

Probably the most distinctive and prominent feature of v. 2.0 is my right retina visible as the header picture. That took some work, and many thanks to fellow Harding alum Justin Baeder at WebbleYou for helping an HTML-challenged, middle-aged blogger make it a reality. Since, as they say, the eye is “the window of the soul,” you can now look in and see if I actually have one.

And here’s the best part. Are you ready for this? The retina really works! [...]

The “thrill of victory and the agony of de feet” were everywhere apparent at this year’s 2006 Alabama State Soccer Championships this past weekend in Huntsville. Dreams were made and shattered as match after match was decided in sudden-death “golden goal” overtime or kicks from the mark. The biggest thrill was watching the Lady Tigers from Number One son’s Grissom High School take home their first blue trophy since 1999 in a thrilling 2-1 victory over arch-rival Oak Mountain. The game was dead-even at 1-1 after regulation and two hard-fought overtime periods and eventually was decided by kicks from the mark (more on that in a moment).

Among the teams whom I hosted for the tournament, one was eliminated in the semifinals while the other one took home their second championship in a row. [...]

This morning Number Three Son and I will head over to the John Hunt Soccer Complex for the opening matches of the Alabama State Soccer Championships. Huntsville has the best soccer complex in the state and has hosted the championships since 2001. This is an annual tradition for Number Three and me. He serves as a ball boy–excuse me, ball handler–and I volunteer to be a team host. As a host I work with a couple of visiting teams just making sure that they’re comfortable, find their way around and have everything they need to compete successfully.

What’s in it for me? Well, how about an “All Access” pass for starters! Having an All Access pass at the state soccer championships is at least as good as a back-stage pass at a Spinal Tap concert. [...]

The assimilation has begun. Resistance is futile.

Although it wasn’t supposed to happen until 2008, I have evidence that Google and Amazon have already joined forces to create Googlezon, a platform combining Google’s superb seach engine technology with Amazon’s “social recommendation engine” and “huge commercial infrastructure.” Here’s the story:

On Tuesday, I had one of my “40-something” brain lock moments at the office. I had a patient in the chair with early macular degeneration for whom I planned to prescribe Ocuvite eye vitamins. The only problem was I couldn’t for the life of me remember the dosage.

So I turned to my computer and while explaining the reason for the vitamins to the patient, quickly typed “Ocuvite” into Google and found the website, which of course provided me with the proper dosage–all in a matter of seconds.

Yesterday, I went to Amazon to look up a book that I was interested in purchasing, and low and behold, what should I find listed at the top of the page but a “recommendation” suggesting that I purchase Ocuvite along with listings for several other “similar products.”

Whoa. That can only mean one thing–Google ratted me out to Amazon. And that means that the two of them are talking to each other, a full two years ahead of time to boot. [...]

I’ll admit that I’m not much of a video-gamer. My idea of a good video game involves running from ghosts or defending the earth from marauding space invaders. Besides, the reflexes aren’t what they used to be, so I leave the video games to the three young bucks in my house. But I can still hold my own and beat them in ping-pong (and probably in PONG as well). Ok, I’ll admit that Number Three did beat me the other night, but that was only because I wasn’t wearing my sweatbands.

I bring all this up to introduce a forthcoming video game currently evolving under the direction of the creator of The Sims, Will Wright. The game is called Spore and will be released sometime next year. Check out this description in this morning’s USA Today: [...]

It’s not every day that national news occurs in Huntsville, Alabama. But in the case of this particular story, we denizens of the “Rocket City” would have preferred to keep a lower profile.

Last Thursday, several seniors at Huntsville High School suffered from simultaneous group brain lock and decided that they would salve their senioritis and seal their legacy with the “greatest senior prank of all time.” Their idea? Lure a mentally ill homeless man into the school with promises of food and money and have him take off his pants and streak down the halls in the middle of a class change. After apparently sneaking the man into the building through several locked doors, they were unfortunately successful in their attempt.

What ever happened to crickets in the hallway and stealing your archrival’s mascot? Back in my day, if there was going to be any streaking, people generally had the spine to do it themselves without contracting it out. What gutless wunderkinder we’re raising these days. [...]

Speaking of Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. (aka John Denver), in 1974 he was one of my favorite musical artists, along with Elton John, Steely Dan, The Eagles and Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO). I was pretty eclectic, even though I had no idea at the time what that word meant. All I knew was that I liked it loud–“Annie’s Song” was simply not the same unless it was belted out at the top of one’s lungs with the radio volume button turned all the way to the right.

Hence the problem. This was long before the advent of “personal listening devices” such as iPods, back in the stone-age when LP stereos were located in common areas and a set of headphones was a rare luxury. I shared my common living area with a 16-year-old classical music-crazed, piano virtuoso wannabe older sister and a 2-year-old sister who was more into Romper Room, Mrs. Beasley dolls and taking naps in the middle of the day. [...]