Month: October 2007

‘Pull your pants up’

In case you’ve seen them, or haven’t seen them yet, new billboards are going up around town to support Dallas Deputy Mayor Dwaine Caraway‘s fashion police initiative to encourage everyone to ‘Pull your pants up.’ Dallas rapper Dooney ‘Da Priest has even gotten involved and produced a song and video to help spread the message. Maybe I need to add that to the OrangeNoiseRadio rotation.

From NPR:

Dooney says that most of the boys and young men who are saggin’ don’t know where it really comes from. But another word for saggin’ is jailin’.
“They don’t know why their pants are low … They think it’s a fad, or it’s something to do or it’s cool. And I say, ‘Well, No … it come from behind the bars.'”
Clear Channel has agreed to donate billboard space around town and Dooney designed a billboard showing him with his arms crossed, standing in front of downtown Dallas.
Dallas is not the first city to confront saggin’. Shreveport, La., Atlanta and Stratford, Conn., have discussed passing laws. But Dallas is taking a different approach, trying for the hearts and minds of its young people.
Glad folks in Dallas have time to worry about such things.

Watch the news report from Fox 4 News:

And listen to the report and song by Rapper Dooney Da’ Priest from NPR/KERA.

5ives

I haven’t done one of these in a while so I figured I’d join several together.

5ive things that rock:

5. Having my own Wiki to write about whatever I please
4. Scrubs starts back this week
3. NPR
2. Friends that let me borrow their truck while mine is in the shop
1. Watching candles burn in our new fireplace while my wife and I sit on the couch talking about what color to paint each room of the house

5ive things that suck:

5. The Iraq war
4. Amy and now Neal on The Biggest Loser
3. The Office is only 30 minutes long this week
2. Having my truck in the shop
1. AT&T Internet/DSL service

5ive songs I wish I’d written:

5. Almighty – Wayne Watson
4. One of These Mornings – Moby
3. Everything Glorious – David Crowder
2. Walk On – U2
1. Grace – U2

5ive TV shows I’d love to guest star on:

5. My Name is Earl
4. The Simpsons
3. The West Wing (might be hard since its no longer on TV)
2. Scrubs
1. The Office

5ive things I’d like to do this weekend:

5. Maybe look for a new truck
4. Frisbee Golf
3. Sleep in
2. BBQ with friends
1. Geocache somewhere new

5ive people I’m tagging to follow up with their own version of this list…

5. Thomas
4. Brandi
3. Dollye
2. Delaina
1. Eric

The founding fathers and the battle over church and state

From KERA’s Think:

What role did religion play in the founding of our nation? This highly-debated topic is the subject of Dr. Forrest Church’s new book “So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State” (Harcourt, 2007).

I’m listening to the program now. Sounds very interesting – take 45 minutes or so and give it a listen – then share your comments.

conservativism in 2007

Moby makes some great interesting points on his blog about the current state of the GOP and conservatives in 2007.
As I mentioned earlier, it seems like the “top runners” for the GOP nomination want to argue about who’s more conservative than the other. For some reason it brings to mind, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.”
But either way, Moby asks, “What does it mean to be a conservative in 2007?” He gave his list and I want to share my thoughts (surprise surprise Rick Reynolds ;-))
I don’t know if my thoughts make me a conservative or not – I’d consider myself more of a moderate – but see what you think and share your thoughts.
Continue reading conservativism in 2007

CWF home from Nigeria

Just talked with Rob about the CWF trip to Nigeria. The group returned to Dallas on Friday.
Rob said they did seven shows during their two weeks in Nigeria and they spoke at several school chapels, several churches and did a number of radio and television interviews.
JT sent me a txt on Saturday and said they had an awesome time.
Rob said they had a great time, except for the pretty much complete breakdown of communication the last week they were there.
The Internet Cafe we used daily last year was shut down the last week due to no Internet of phone access.
Rob’s getting together all the photos and video from the trip and we’ll start putting it all together in the next week or so.
Look for it on the CWF website.

What are reporters saying about Iraq

After serving as a journalist in Iraq on 21 different trips, what do you think you would have to say and report?
Tom Bullock reports:

My last view of Baghdad will be of the city by air. I will leave frustrated at that death of that golden era of pizza parlors and barber shops; frustrated with Iraqi’s I’ve talked to who proudly say “we are all brothers,” then take up arms against each other; frustrated with American military and civilian officials who stand up and say everything in Iraq is working, then when they leave write books about how everything in Iraq has failed and its not their fault.
And I’m pained by the number of people I’ve personally known who’ve been killed here: journalists, Iraqis and American soldiers.

This is a must listen. Take a few minutes and listen to what Bullock reports.