Used into oblivion

Watching TV the other day, I noticed a commercial for P Diddy's line of "Ultra Premium Vodka." That got me to thinking. Are there really, say three levels of vodka quality: Regular (for lack of a better term), Premium, and Ultra Premium. Why not Super Ultra Premium? Or what about Mega Super Ultra Premium? Where I ended up in my thinking was that what I was seeing was evidence that advertising destroys words.

If calling your product "premium" improves sales, hey call it "premium." If everyone calls their product "premium" however the word starts to loose the cache that it once had (i.e. the meaning of the word has been destroyed). Thus you need to find other ways to distriguish your product from the glut of other "premium" products on the market. Enter "ultra premium." It's like Disney calling their latest animated film an "instant classic." The words no longer have meaning.

What I don't think the ad wizards behind this get, is that every time they up the ante, they lower our expectations with regard to their claims. The more you promise, the less we buy it. They find ways to scream louder and louder for our dollars, only to find that we turned them off a half hour ago.

Try just selling me a good product. Don't talk to me about more taste, whatever that is? And don't try to string together enough adjectives that you think I will finally want a bottle of Extreme Mega Super Ultra Premium Vodka.

More Lessons in Not Getting It

While checking my yahoo e-mail account for the latest random "See my pix" spam, I ran across the following new item: "Obama's choice of evangelical pastor draws ire." It seems that Obama has selected Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration. "But the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization, said Warren's opposition to gay marriage is a sign of intolerance."

So let me understand this, the Human Rights Campaign is intolerant of Rick Warren's intolerance, right? Now no one in the media is going to make this connection. Intolerance only works in one direct anyway, right? Since those who believe the homosexuality is a sin are already branded as intolerant it is therefore fair game to be intolerant toward them. The only flaw in this logic is that the very groups making a major issue out of the toleration of others are the ones themselves who seem least capable of demonstrating any tolerance of others. And Christians are the ones called hypocrites. Hey pot, what color are ya?

Proof of Freedom in Iraq

Since the shoe throwing at President Bush, I have been thinking that what this shows is that Iraq has a much greater level of freedom than in the recent past. What do you think would have been the reaction of Saddam had this been done to him?

Random Fact from History

December 11, 1792 Josef Mohr, German Roman Catholic priest and hymnist who wrote the words to "Silent Night" was born in Salzburg, Austria.

A Black President as Envisioned by Richard Pryor

Found this and just had to. Enjoy!

Out of Gas

I have come to expect that about once a week my car will be out of gas. That is predictable, that is expected. What I did not expect was that my running out of gas would coincide with the gas station I stopped at to get gas running out of gas. I pulled into the station, pulled out my credit card, swiped the card, selected the grade of gas, pumped exactly 1.172 gallons, and then watched as the pump just stopped. I pressed the help button only to have the display tell me to go inside to see the cashier (not sure why I needed a button to tell me that). The cashier assumed that it was an issue with the pump or that I really didn't need that much gas, but after assuring him that I indeed was on empty, he charged $20 to my card and sent me out to try again. On the way out I ran into a guy who was also having no luck getting gas. Undaunted I returned to the pump to verify that indeed nothing was to be forth coming, so I returned to the cashier to inquire if indeed they actually had any gas. Nope, they did not. So tell me this, if I driving a car have a light that tells me when I am about to run out of gas, would it not make sense for there to be some light or other way of letting gas station employees know that they have run out of gas. It would only make sense to me that they would. The upside is that 1.172 gallons was the first gas I have been able to get for $1.999 in a long time. The downside is that the remaining 12 gallons we a dime per gallon more costly.

Soothed by Sir Paul

Last night before my wife got home from work, I was entertaining our son watching a Genesis concert from their recent Turn It On Again Tour. As the concert ended, I sat him up only to get my hand slimmed by his drool. I failed to have a burp cloth within reach so I had to lay him back down to get it. As I did so, he immediately began to cry. Yet this crying did not last. Just as he started the Genesis tour credits ended and a video of Paul McCartney's recent song "Ever Present Past" came on. My son, lying on the ground with his head toward the TV, strained to look up and watch Sir Paul perform. Problem solved, he was soothed by Sir Paul.

Gay "Tolerance"

I have often talked about how the word tolerance in its current popular usage in empty of meaning. Let me know illustrate my point with an example of tolerance as afforded others by a group who the media instructs me I should be more tolerant of.

Genius Arguments for Drinking Domestic Beer

Just a few examples of the ad-wizards at work:

1. Coors - Tastes "Cold"
2. Bud Light - "Drinkability"
3. Miller Lite - More Taste

Well then, allow me to retort.

1. What does "Cold" taste like?
2. Just what is this "drinkability" supposed to mean?
3. But would I be getting more of a good taste or bad taste?

This is why I love BevMo. Now that's taste!

Tragic Anniversary

On this day in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana, 913 members of Jim Jone's Peoples Temple cult committed suicide by poisoning themselves and their families. We remember those who lost their lives and those who were left behind and in so doing remember to ask questions about those who would attempt to lead us. For a refresher on the details of what happened listen here.

Philosophical ADD

At its best, the blogosphere is a place where amateur and professional thinkers alike are able to pontificate on the latest issues in their lives. Whether related to friends personal lives, politics, or theology, I routinely navigate a large number of blogs both to learn what is on peoples minds, but also to sharpen my own. As I have given thought to my own blogging and the topics that I put my mind to as I blog, I have become concerned that so much consumption has formed in me a sort of "philosophical ADD".

My mind wanders from topic to topic. I quickly formulate opinions, offering many in comments on my favorite blogs. But have I really thought at any great depth about the topics that I offer my own two cents on.

Pushing beyond my own proclivities, has the blogosphere taught many of us to fail at the task of deep thinking and deep knowing (this includes the friend grazing that we call life on facebook). As much enjoyment as we find skimming from blog to blog or facebook friend to friend, are we really getting to know a friend more deeply or a topic more completely?

Now I do not believe in an either/or approach to this concern. I believe that we can find a balance and believe that I personally need to. If I want to offer my thoughts on a political cause, I should really attempt to understand the issue at more than a surface level. Both sides of the issue should be openly considered. So much of what passes as political debate only amounts to so much hot air flying past one another as no one is convinced or really all that actively engaged in winning hearts and minds.

The same holds true for theological debate. Much of what is set up as a debate on the nature of dcotrinal standards, is in fact merely a political debate under teh guise of theology. My own church body is far too often engaged in such political maneuversin the name of the Gospel. Groups organize around their own interpretation of the Scriptures or Confessions, but quickly coalesce into political parties that vie for control over church governance. Again one finds each "side" talking past the other and wondering why "they just don't get it".

If we read blogs and not books, we fail to learn to comprehend arguments that require more than a paragraph or two to explain. As we get our news in sound bites, we give up our ability to sniff out fact from fiction and come to simply believe that the media merely presents the fact rather than stages them with deliberate intent.

I know that I have crossed over a number of areas, yet that I my point. In live we engage in a number of areas and some how, I believe I must find the time to drink far deeper lest I fail to really discover the truth.

Feeling Better or Performance Art Breastfeeding

For the past week, our son has been dealing with his first cold. He has had a cough that has continually made his mother and I nearly cry. Tonight, he seems to be doing better. When Andrea arrived home from a day at her mothers with James, he was sound asleep in his car seat. When he awoke, I could tell he was doing much better. His breathing was more at ease and his smiley goofiness was near an all time high.

When it was time for his final feeding and bed James became just plain nutty. Usually the feeding process puts James to sleep. In fact he spends much of the time in a sort of sleeping feeding time. Tonight everything seemed the same, it was just that his eyes remained open. He kept looking at his mom rather than closing his eye and moving toward sleep. While being burped, James woke up and then attached himself to Andrea's chin, seemingly frantic to feed where ever he could attach himself to her.

Returning to the breast for another try at getting him to eat his way to sleep, we discovered that he was more that just determined to remain awake. Through out that last feeding time, his left arm hardly ever stopped moving. It looked as if he thought that he was conducting a symphony. Eventually his did succumb to the call of the night and dropped into sleep. But not before quite a performance was had for all. We are so glad he is feeling better and really enjoyed the laughs that his better health has to offer.

Here Comes Santa Clause

Alright, I know that this is likely to shock many of you who know me and know how much the early display of Christmas related items drives me nuts, but I ran across this ad and just could not resist sharing it. Enjoy!

Yearning for Graciousness in Politics

With the election over, I had foolishly hoped to experience some sense of a return to political civility. I had hoped that with George Bush finally on his way out, we would no longer be treated to the lunacy that causes people to compare Bush to Hitler and continue to argue about the 2000 election. Listening to conservative talk shows on Wednesday gave my hope a boost as they graciously offered support and well wishes to President elect Obama.

Since that time, I have had my hopes dashed. Rather than more examples of good winners and gracious losers, the news is filled with poor losers and poor winners. Not only have we had to see people protesting the passage of Prop 8 and threatening to sue to subvert democracy, we have also witnessed young men claiming to be Mormon (though I doubt that they are) disgracefully attack those protesters. We have also had to listen to boos while John McCain offered a gracious congratulations to Obama and this evening I saw a car with writing on the back window saying "McCain got crushed, ha ha ha." Again poor winners and poor losers.

The wonder of the America experiment is that way in which we hand power over peacefully. No other country has a track record like ours for that peaceful exchange. Generally we support our president regardless of if we vote for him or not (no Monty Pythoneske claims to not have a king because we did not vote for him). At least we offer some respect to the office and the current holder of that office. Our litigious society is starting to convince us that the true rule of law is left in the hands of lawyers and the courts rather than in the voice of the people. Yet it is the voice of many of the people that calls for the courts to cease from the rest of us our own voice of vote.

I yearn for graciousness in politics focused on a mutual love for America. Not because America has achieved some kind of perfection, but rather due to the high principles to which we as Americans have always aspired to and communicated throughout the world. One of those principles is a graciousness by which political opponents jointly seek the best for our country despite their different beliefs as to what might be best for our land.

Protesting Democracy

On a day when I listened to conservative talk show hosts such as Dennis Prager and Michael Medved spoke encouragingly and supportability about historic election of Barack Obama, a candidate who they had railed strongly against just 24 hours before, I returned home to see protests against the results of the vote on Prop 8 (San Fransisco & West Hollywood). I term this a protest against democracy since the protester seem to believe that the majority has no right to vote their own consciences if they do not match their own desires. I do not believe that had Prop 8 failed to pass that I would have been greeted to similar protests by it supporters. Rather I believe instead they would have organized and strategized on how to legally go about restoring a historic and traditional definition of marriage to our state and society. I would have expected and supported the right for opponents of Prop 8 to have similarly organize to put forth a counter proposition to counter act this vote. That is the process. What is not the process is the act of 4 judges declaring a new right to marriage that previously had not existed. What is not the process is stomping around the streets blocking traffic like a spoiled child who did get their way. What is not the process is to have a city attorney representing the people sue to counter act the wishes of the people as expressed in the democratic process. Why bother to vote or claim that we live in a democracy if this tyranny of the minority is allowed to circumvent the democratic process? There are more rights to be concerned with than the media is willing to report about.

Reformation Day

Osteen Math

I was just listening to a critique of a sermon by Joel Osteen. While there are a number of doctrinal items to get into, I want to tackle the fundamental inability that this man has to think. He states that God did not create you to be average. By implication that means that God created us all the be above average. Now logically what does that do to the average? That's right it raises the bar for what average is. Then of course if Osteen is right, God must have made us all better than that again. Again the average raises. Can you see how such a simple foolish teaching is undone by the mere application of logic. I really wish that Osteen would just stop embarassing those of us Christians who have actually read the bible and know it is not a order form for personal wealth, health, and other dreams.

Decommissioning

Today I had a Seinfeld moment, I retired a pair of jeans that lasted since before I my marriage. In fact, from before I first dated my wife. I retired a great pair of Old Navy jeans that I believe I have had and loved for 10 years. They had a great life and I wore them right out. farewell my "baby blue".

Endorsements

Endorsements by retired generals and secretaries of state make sense. What I don't understand is why newspapers endorse candidates and propositions. I further don't understand why, if the "news" outlets like newspapers advocate officially for particular candidates and propositions, that we still assume that what they present on political issue is still fairly presented news. Talk radio is upfront in identifying what perspective they are coming from, be that right or left. However, newspapers attempt to position themselves are reporting the news, then on the heels of that assertion put their names behind a particular cause.

I think that they misunderstand their role in our society, or perhaps we have mistaken that place (For a brief history you can look here). Not all papers make such endorsements, but those who do defy my imagination that they believe that we should assume that their reporting will not be swayed by what the editorial board has endorsed. In an election where the media coverage of the candidates comes to us from both a news and an entertainment perspective, the endorsement of newspapers only complicates matter. The news media is hard enough to trust and believe without them talking out of both sides of their mouths endorsing a candidate and not really advocating for him or her.

Why Jon Stewart is Bad for Politics

More than ever before, this year's presidential race has been covered, and I would suggest covered to death. Whereas you can expect the mainstream media outlets, radio talk shows, and newspapers to cover the race, where things have truly gotten out of hand is when the entertainment media covers the candidates.

Shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", The Colbert Report", and others who focus on concocting a blend of comedy and political satire are all too often the source for some voters for information on politics. Candidates taking these shows seriously enough that they put in appearances on them only complicates the matter. With the slick nature of candidate adds, the use of popular musicians, and celebrity endorsements, it becomes hard to actually sift through the pop culture smoke screen to determine what the candidates actually are all about.

We are voting for an image and we can't even be sure what image is the authentic image of the candidate. The mainstream media offers up "news" in such a fashion that you have a hard time knowing if you are hearing about Madonna's divorce on Today or Extra. Getting political coverage on both blurs our understanding of what news is and renders us unable to really learn about the facts involved in the presidential race.

Gone is the declaration of Walter Cronkite declaration that "That's the way it was" is more than long gone, if it was in fact ever really there. Now we are left to doubt that anyone is really presenting "Just the fact."