An event happened this week that restored my faith in professional sports. But first a little history.
On February 6, 1958 Manchester United's team plane crashed on take-off from Munich. Among the dead that evening were 8 of Manchester's starting 11. Four of those were English internationals. Many felt that England were the favorites for the 1958 World Cup before the crash. Instead it turned into a coming out party for a 17 year old Brazilian named Pele.
The Munich crash is an event that has touched generations of English people and United fans around the world. The 50th anniversary of the crash was commemorated today at the Manchester United game. The club could have milked a very emotional occasion for every possible dollar. But they didn't. There was a minute of silence before the game and Man U played in a 1958 throwback uniform. The cool thing is that there were only 16 uniforms made. Eleven starters and 5 subs. No commemorative ones were made for sale. How refreshing to have a tribute be about the deceased not about the money.
2/10/2008
11/29/2007
Peace be upon you
AP - KHARTOUM, Sudan - British teacher Gillian Gibbons was convicted of insulting Islam for letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad and sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation from Sudan, one of her defense lawyers said Thursday. [Click here for full article]
The good news is that she was convicted of a lesser crime. She was initially charged with inciting religious hatred.
How ironic.
Naming a teddy bear Muhammad is hatred, flying a plane into a building is a not.
The good news is that she was convicted of a lesser crime. She was initially charged with inciting religious hatred.
How ironic.
Naming a teddy bear Muhammad is hatred, flying a plane into a building is a not.
8/14/2007
Missing the Point
The following is by Brian McClaren and Tony Campolo from their book Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel.
I'm in Home Depot. A series of consumer canyons tower menacingly overhead. All I need is a thingamajig. Where is it and who cares? My eyes quickly scan the horizon of stuff looking for a little just-in-time customer service.The Home Depot story reminds me of the modern church. We sometimes forget why we are in business. We forget that the "Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Jesus was and still is all about people. Not buildings or programs or meetings or any of the other things we spend our time on.
I want to scream at those apron-clad folks: Take your eyes of those boxes! Get down off that stupid ladder! Quit visiting with your coworkers! Don't pick up that phone! Pay attention to me!
But it's pointless, and I finally get it: I'm an interruption. An irritation. They'd prefer I wasn't in their building.
They've forgotten why they went into business. It wasn't to count boxes. Or visit each other. Or ignore the customer. They went into business to pay attention to the customer.
8/05/2007
Music and Lyrics
This is a clip from one of my favorite movies of the last few years. Hugh Grant is phenomenal.
7/17/2007
6/21/2007
6/20/2007
Why you should think before you speak
The North Texas town of Oak Point voted to make English it's official language on Monday. I'm sure that is a debate for another day.
What amused me however was a local news feature on this some weeks ago. One of the proponents of this ordinance said something along the lines of you need to speak English if you come to America. He then add that, "If I was in Mexico I would speak Spanish and if I was in German I'd speak German." That's not a typo folks.
I would think that a proponent of "English only" should at least be able to speak the language.
Moving on.
The reporter closed with this gem. "The ordinance would not apply to restaurants. A Chinese restaurant could still have it's menu in Chinese while a Mexican restaurant could still have it's menu in Hispanic." That's no typo either.
What amused me however was a local news feature on this some weeks ago. One of the proponents of this ordinance said something along the lines of you need to speak English if you come to America. He then add that, "If I was in Mexico I would speak Spanish and if I was in German I'd speak German." That's not a typo folks.
I would think that a proponent of "English only" should at least be able to speak the language.
Moving on.
The reporter closed with this gem. "The ordinance would not apply to restaurants. A Chinese restaurant could still have it's menu in Chinese while a Mexican restaurant could still have it's menu in Hispanic." That's no typo either.
5/02/2007
3/20/2007
The best thing I have seen in a while
The Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson explains why he refuses to make fun of Britney Spears. Fantastic stuff.
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