Desperate Housewives

Pop culture is always an odd thing what makes one thing good and another one fail. What makes something good one season and fail the next ( Joan of Arcadia)? Or what makes something have staying power of many years ( Star Trek and Star War s)? I think it depends on how the item in question touches our lives and says, like great literature, touches the human condition. To this end Desperate Housewives has a chance of doing what drama has a real problem doing, touch in a real way the true human condition.
After being encouraged to watch Desperate Housewives by a friend, I watched the whole first season with my wife. Desperate Housewives does what no other show has done in a very long time. Ask the questions out loud that no person dares to ask.
In one form or another we all at one point or another we all live our lives in quiet desperation. The problem is that we usually live it quietly and in our own minds in the conversation of our wills, desires, hopes, and dreams.
While many would gladly condemn Desperate Housewives as to risque it is not as bad a soaps and many other shows. Yes, a woman had an affair with teen, yet look at all that had transpired out of that. Choices had to be made. Ultimately friends are what mattered to the characters, friends to help in times of need, in times of sorrow, in times of choices and in times of desperation.
Side note:
One person stuck out in my mind greatly ( summary of episode 19). The pastor at the church where Bree and Rex go to church. The pastor (Methodist as I recall) was called in to have dinner and ‘counsel’ the son )Andrew) who has become gay. The scriptwriters did a great job in portraying this man of God. He is not hypocritical, not overbearing, not a hate monger and all the other things we have come to expect from television script writers. He keeps his word when the Bree’s son is plotting evil. He does exactly what one, as a former pastor, would expect a good pastor to do. Many many kudos to the scriptwriters.


Tag: Desperate Houswives, TV, Christian, ABC

Microsoft Longhorn Vaporware Called Vista (Vaporware)

Finally they have a name for vaporware... Vista.

According to a not so reliable outside source Microsoft nixed the following names for Longhorn:

Microsoft Windows 2003

Microsoft Windows 2004

Microsoft Windows 2005

Microsoft Windows Its Really Not Vaporware

Microsoft Windows Dec 31 2006

Microsoft Windows Myopia

Microsoft Windows 2008

Microsoft Windows If We Could On ly Keep Up With Apple

Microsoft Windows XP SP3

So for all you Windows users good luck enjoy your spam, virus, malware, spyware, hackers, security holes. Just make sure you read my take on MS announcement: www.planetisaac.com/vista.html

Tags: Microsoft, Vista, humor, Vaporware, Macintosh,

And The Winner Is... (and comments on the abortion issue)

20 July 2005

Lat night POTUS announced (transcript here) the nominee for the high Court. John G. Roberts (also here)seems to be as bland as they come. Mr. Roberts has done more law work then judging. There does not seem to be much of a record as a judge. The question is... will he follow the US Constitution.

The big question, how will he vote on Row v. Wade. First, let’s clear the air about R v. W, this case IS NOT (and I mean NOT) the law of the land. In 1992, the Justices rewrote the rules on abortion. in a case called Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This is the law of the land even though Roe is still the flash point. Many Christians who want abortion to be gone just want it gone. Would it surprise you if I was of another opinion?

Abortion as a ‘right’ must be overturned for one legal reason and one legal reason only: the Federal government has no place in enforcing abortion law one way or the other. It is not their area of responsibility under the Constitution of the United States of America. Abortion should and must fall under the realm of the states. Let the states be the ones to make the call.

So back to abortion. What should the argument be? The only question is what is IT? Is IT a fetus, a bunch of materials thrown together? Or is IT, a human being made in the image of God (imago dei)?

So what are the differences between the pre-born child (or fetus) and the post born child of say 2 months?

S. L. E. D. (I read this somewhere sorry can’t give credit)

SIZE - Does the size make a difference? Is a person who is 4’ 5” tall any less of a person the over 7’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ? (BTW good read on that link.)

LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT - is a 6 year old child any less of a person then an adult in their prime? I think not.

ENVIRONMENT - Does a person become less of a person just because their environment changes? When my daughter flys fron MSP to Ronald Regean Airport does she become a different person? If a person is swimming are they less of person then when they were on dry land?

DEPENDANCY - An in womb child is more dependent on the mom for life then is say a 13 year old. However, what about those people who are kidney machines, those who must take insulin or are on heart lung machine... are they any less of a person then those who are not? I think not.

So what is IT?

A New Church in Houston

As usual the traditional media has a hard time with Christians and what we do. The New York Times is by no means an exception. John Leland writes an article on the largest congregation in America. Lakewood Church in Houston started in 1959. The writer points out at how church buildings are changing with the lack of traditional images. Joel Osteen, the pastor, is a telegenic and media savvy pastor.
In the article there are always mentions of money such as the $95 million dollar building in the old Compaq Center, where the Basketball’s Houston Rockets used to play. Mr. Leland correctly questions why the money was not used for the poor or other such items. To which he adds a quote that may be out of context, “"My philosophy," he said, "is that that $95 million will be nothing compared to what we'll do when we have 100,000 people." On the subject of tithing: “Church members said they had experienced small miracles as a result of attending Lakewood, and especially as a result of tithing, which Mr. Osteen tells them will bring even greater rewards.” On the other side Mr. Leland tells the reader that the main message is a positive philosophy of well-being and good health. The article focuses money, health and Christianity light.
On the flip side let’s be blunt. Everything from Lakewood and Lakewood people screams health and wealth gospel. People named and claimed items in the article. Friends, God is not a fairy godmother. I think it was Oswald Chambers who said, If we worship something other then the true GOD we are worshipping an idol. In this case if we are placing our faith in a characteristic that does not belong to God... we are idol worshippers.
Other Notes:
• An excellent book on the topic of Mega-Churches is Os Gusiness’s book Dining With The Devil.
• CNN had a similar story however they mentioned little on money other then an offering taken.
• Friends, Jesus is not going to ask how many people were in your congregation. Did you do the things he said to do? “Do you love your wife, with all you’ve got inside of you, are you laying down your life? What about the others, are you living as servant to your sisters and your brothers? Do you make the poor man beg for a bone? Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?” - Don Francisco, Steeple Song
• Best and saddest quote: "Did it feel like church?" he said. "Yes, in a bigger, more extravagant way. No more little storefronts - this is the new face of church."

The Democrats and the Politics of Hate

Former loser for the Democrat party, Howard Dean, screams again and that scream should be heard loud and clear by all people regardless of political party or religion. Howard Dean, the head of the DNC, said, “I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for.”

We must question what the cry baby truly stands for. As he stands for nothing and can only be who knows what! Howard Dean must want to be bring back slavery as Abe Lincoln was a Republican. We will not even mention LBJ’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 which Republicans passed in a huge majority. Dean must be for hungary people as Nixon did major revisions to allow hungary people to eat with food stamps. Dean must be for polluted air and dirty water.

The next issue with Dean: Mr. Dean called the Republican party the party of white Christians. Needless to say if you are a Christian, Howard Dean hates you. Mr. Dean desires to have expanded civil rights but refuses to see his hate speech.