"Should I?" written by Drew on estrip.org

01/23/08 01:31 - 21ºF - ID#43000

Should I?

I guess I have not been a good peep. Maybe I am depressed because I was so severely thrashed at Balderdash by (e:Jim). Really, that's my game and I am not used to losing, let alone being dominated.

Seriously, I think it has just been a lot of stuff happening at the church. I thought that this was going to be my week to catch up, but it only takes one memorial service to change that.

Anyway, on to the question at hand. I have been invited to apply to be on the board of a certain village association. I am leaning towards doing this (pending a talk with (e:Janelle)), but have not decided yet. Frankly, I like much of what they do, but not all of it. The way I see it, is it is better to get involved than to complain, but really, not getting involved is so much easier.

What say the peeps?

drew writes at 04:24:20 01/23/08 - Comment #30784: Just to clarify, the association isn't invite only, but they have to recruit people for the board.

jason writes at 04:22:25 01/23/08 - Comment #30782: Why not give it a shot? Like Gandhi said, Be the change you want to see in the world.

joshua writes at 04:05:13 01/23/08 - Comment #30781: Is this some sort of invite-only association? No community group worth a damn would do so. The thing that (e:janelle) mentioned really frosts me - it epitomizes what I hate about living here but then again you cannot have it all. EV residents are waaaaaay up their own asses sometimes.

From my perspective (and I have reservations w/respect to the ev association as well) you should do it, if anything to simply infiltrate them and inject a bit of sense.

Also keep in mind that this sort of organization is virtually invisible except for a handful of occasions a year... or unless you need something that they have. Ultimately I question their relevance to the prosperity of the neighborhood, but if you do join I hope that you inject some good ideas that will ultimately benefit the neighborhood for the sake of the people who live here, rather than the greedy business owners who tend to populate these sorts of hifalutin organizations.

Good luck man - I'm a cynic so take what I say with a little dash of salt, but I think you are the perfect person to be involved in this sort of thing. Maybe what we don't like about these orgs can be changed for the better with a guy like you being involved.

janelle writes at 03:21:13 01/23/08 - Comment #30780: You know my opinion on said association. I'm no fan of an association that will chase away a non profit rather than allow it to become a permanent tenant of a vacant retail space. Blech.

mrdeadlier writes at 02:13:03 01/23/08 - Comment #30774: yeah, do it.

jim writes at 02:10:50 01/23/08 - Comment #30773: Congrats on the invitation to join by the way - and sorry for being too awesome at balderdash for you to handle ^_^

jim writes at 02:09:30 01/23/08 - Comment #30772: The put up or shut up theory says that joining is the way to go!

mrmike writes at 02:00:09 01/23/08 - Comment #30770: If it is a certain association I'm thinking of, I'm sitting on their marketing committee. Give it a go. If it goes down in flames, at least we know people.

Permalink: Should_I_.html
Words: 158
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

01/15/08 03:44 - 31ºF - ID#42893

Happy Birthday, Rev. King

Every white Christian should read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" regularly. It still makes me shiver. This quote seems to have been downright prophetic:

So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Permalink: Happy_Birthday_Rev_King.html
Words: 149
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: nola

01/14/08 10:54 - 35ºF - ID#42877

Eating in NOLA

Ok, everything about the trip was great. I did some good work, met some good people, and had some good thoughts. But another thing sticks in my mind, too. The Red Fish Grill.

Everybody told me to eat there, which, in normally means that I would not eat there. But we were walking through the French Quarter with Vic (I should post about him, too) and he suggested it, and I was not in a mood to suggest something else. I am glad I did not.

I have not eaten a better meal in a LONG time. Fortunately, the recipe for what I ate is available on their website, so I can hopefully eat it again without spending big bucks. Here it is:

I honestly have not had seafood so good. Kook can back me up on this. It didn't taste fishy, but instead it was smokey-rich-spicy-sweet. Amazing.

Permalink: Eating_in_NOLA.html
Words: 156
Location: Buffalo, NY

01/13/08 06:40 - 37ºF - ID#42871

Catching up.

Got back from New Orleans. It was great. I should give more information but Janelle and I are watching Simpsons DVDs, and I don't feel like thinking.

I am tired, and I have a long list of things to do. I have church stuff 3 evenings this week, and all of them are kind of time consuming. And I have decided to launch TWO new classes in February, so I have that coming up, too. That and there are a couple of other new initiatives that I don't want to blog about, yet. Oh yeah, and I am supposed to help another church begin a process of transformation

I still haven't written thank you notes, I am working with two couples that are going to get married, and there is a woman that is very sick. I need to visit her often, and I really should get out to see the other homebound people soon.

Oh right, I have to lead worship/preach on Sunday, too.

This is just me on Sunday night feeling tired. I'm sure it will all get done.

Permalink: Catching_up_.html
Words: 181
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: new orleans

01/08/08 07:01 - 65ºF - ID#42794

NOLA II

I'm on a borrowed computer, so all I can say now is that there is an update on elmwoodjesus.org

Permalink: NOLA_II.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: new orleans

01/06/08 11:17 - 51ºF - ID#42774

New Orleans.

As you have heard, we are here. I am not going to update too much here though, because I will be posting on elmwoodjesus.org, hopefully with pics.

Permalink: New_Orleans_.html
Words: 28
Location: Buffalo, NY

01/03/08 09:57 - 9ºF - ID#42735

Wanna get away?

Next week I am going to New Orleans, and two more tickets just became available.

Round trip airfare? $270
Room and Board? $120 (bring your own sleeping bag)
A week in January outside of Western New York, doing good work? Priceless.

All of the above, with Drew on the trip? Double Priceless.

I know its short notice, but if you know anybody who might go, let me know.

drew writes at 12:57:45 01/04/08 - Comment #29897: Kook! you are in! Jenks, one spot left!

I should have told the trip planner that I was a long time friend. Instead, I said, "I know him through a local blogging community," and she was like, "well is he a freak?" and I said. "He's a little goofy, but he's ok." And she said, "Goofy how?" And I said, "Goofy like he likes model rockets. Nerdy goofy." "Not scary goofy?" "Not scary goofy."

Kook, I put my good name on the line for you. Don't kill anybody while we are NOLA.

james writes at 12:34:34 01/03/08 - Comment #29857: Jenks, you could totally volenteer as a surgeon. Wandering the streets, performing double bypasses on the needy, insert a stent into the urethra of poverty, and give the city of New Orleans a nice tummy tuck.

drew writes at 12:02:44 01/03/08 - Comment #29854: almost. Sunday the 6th through Saturday the 13th.

kookcity2000 writes at 11:47:02 01/03/08 - Comment #29852: next week as in monday the 6th thru friday the 11th?

drew writes at 11:35:25 01/03/08 - Comment #29851: By the way, if you are thinking of going, there may be special jobs for an MD. I can find out.

drew writes at 11:34:17 01/03/08 - Comment #29849: We'll be working with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. :::link::: The work changes fast enough and is varied enough that we never know for sure what we will be doing until we get there, but there is a lot of de-construction (removing stuff so a structure can be treated for mold) and construction work.

I tried to sign up for cross on Bourbon Street duty, but that position is filled.

jenks writes at 11:17:38 01/03/08 - Comment #29844: what sort of good work are you doing? I know you mentioned it before, but I forget- some sort of katrina relief?

Every year during mardi gras, there are all sorts of different religious groups trouping around bourbon street... many carrying a cross on their shoulders- but they all yell and harass and scream a the people there for being sinners. :(

jim writes at 10:23:56 01/03/08 - Comment #29841: I wish I could go.

enknot writes at 10:20:13 01/03/08 - Comment #29839: In a parallel time stream where I don't have an adorable bay bay who needs me constantly, I'd be all over this.... I have to say it's still pretty alluring, my ancestors originate in New Orleans and I've never seen it. I'd love to see the real New Orleans too not the tourist version and this trip would have been it... FARK! Blasted destiny and such!

Permalink: Wanna_get_away_.html
Words: 66
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: 10 things

12/31/07 10:43 - 30ºF - ID#42691

10 Things I like about 2007

1. It's the year I moved to Buffalo, bought a house, and started at Lafayette church.

2. It's the year I got to visit Vietnam.

3. I discovered Derek Webb in 2007.

4. Our country didn't start ANOTHER war in 2007 (I think I can safely say this with 14 hours left).

5. I discovered estrip in 2007 (and some other fun online stuff--wordpress, google docs, attack!, but estrip is the favorite).

6. One of my brothers started college, another finished (and even got a job!).

7. 2007 was the first year of Steelers head coach mike Tomlin.

8. 2007 was the last year of my Grandma's life (I don't like that she died, but I like the WAY she died--very thoughtfully, prayerfully, and peacefully.)

9. Marriage with (e:janelle) continues to get better (2007 is the third year in).

10. The Pittsburgh Pirates changed all of their front office staff (this may or may not lead to improvement, but they could not have done worse).

Permalink: 10_Things_I_like_about_2007.html
Words: 149
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/26/07 06:35 - 34ºF - ID#42657

The story of Stuff

A friend emailed this to me:

It's a long video, but good. It's about stuff--where it comes from and where it goes.

Sorry I haven't been a frequent poster. I think December will be my weekest month since July.

Permalink: The_story_of_Stuff.html
Words: 42
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: religion

12/21/07 03:13 - 40ºF - ID#42609

Look at the animals!

Tonight. 6:30-8:30. A living nativity, with sheep and babies and everything. There are even pony rides for the kids and a pastor in his own brand new Lafayette Church hoodie.

Oh. Should I not wear a grey hoodie? Did they ever catch the bad guy that always wears a hoodie?