theo|digital

This is the recorded audio from my last talk at I-Life’s Saturday Night Grace entitled: Why iWorship iPhone (mp3/9.1megs). It’s part of the series Ty and I have been working on called Why I Wear Clothes – how Adam and Eve happens in our daily lives. Feel free to check out the other related talks at www.illinilife.org/study

ps – If you weren’t there live, you could probably better start about at 0:06 minutes in (my mic wasn’t on before that and then there was a poor five minute recovery, and then I demonstrate the Nintendo Wii all onscreen… just not quality audio really).

Lots of stuff really happening in my life, but while we wait for me to figure out what’s important enough to post about, I’ll be glad to share this remarkable demo from a university audio-visual research group in Barcelona, Spain. Just the interface alone is fascinating.

This morning, a “MASSMAIL” to students and employees on campus here at University of Illinois announced that Chief Illiniwek – the controversial Native American symbol and mascot – will be immediately and permanently retired.

Wow.

The e-mail refers all interested parties – soon to be a national audience I’m sure – to the UIllinois website: http://www.uillinois.edu/chief. The site includes the official two-page press release, a public relations authored FAQ, and a scanned copy of the letter from NCAA confirming that the UofI’s action will immediately lift the disciplinary ban UofI athletics has been subject to since last April.

The chief has been an ever-present topic of controversy for the last ten years I’ve been on campus, but protests against the racially stereotypical mascot were occuring long before I arrived.

It took me a while to form a personal opinion on the chief’s presence. The University has always insisted the Chief is a honoring remembrance of Native American tradition and “noble spirit.” But his image appears on everything from sweatshirts to Illini toilet paper. And the first time I saw the Chief “dance” at halftime in Memorial Stadium, I knew I was going to be what we call around here “anti-chief.” While his on-field dance through the ranks of the marching band is supposedly partially authentic, even the University admits that his high leg-kicks were greatly exaggerated for a rowdy athletic crowd.

It just didn’t feel to me that the God who made all humans and races would smile on one race using another as entertainment. The process felt dehumanizing and wreaked of subjugation.

Honestly, I’m shocked the Chief is now gone. The pressure of Alumni money seemingly had no match in the controversy: I think most assumed money spoke louder than principle, and the Chief was never in danger of removal. The NCAA pressure apparently turned the tide.

ps – the http://www.uillinois.edu/chief website inappropriately presents it’s info only in PDF form. That the site does not first use clear-text html is poor
usability design at best, and – at worst – could be viewed as a deliberate method to obscure this controversial announcement.

pps – Just last week I heard the director of the American Indian Studies program, Dr. Wanda Pillow, speak about our recently established Native American House on campus. Today they released a statement in response to the Chief news, and especially highlight the issue of returning the Chief regalia (mainly the headdress, I think) to a specific Sioux tribe.

I love to cook, but don’t talk about it much. Given the super-snow-world that we’re living in right now, here’s how I made a big pot of wonderfulness for dinner two nights ago:

• 1lb spicy pork sausage (usually buy ground in a roll – near jimmy dean)
• 1 gallon water
• 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 T. chicken stock base
• 1 T. each: white pepper, salt, black pepper
• 2 11-oz. cans concentrated cheddar cheese soup
• 1 lb. butter or margarine (4 sticks)
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 2 c. half-and-half
• chives, bacon bits and parsley

Bring water to a boil in the big soup pot. Add cut potatoes to water along with the spices – bullion, salt and pepper (lots of pepper). Cook 12 minutes, or until potatoes are about half-done (chris tip: skins are just starting to loosen/pull away) Add cheddar cheese soup and simmer 10 more minutes.

Separately, brown 1lb of spicy pork sausage.

Also separately, you make a huge roux (chris tip: say “rue.” melt butter or margarine in a heavy sauce pan. Add flour slowly and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (really), for 3 to 4 minutes. It makes a paste you call a roux.) Don’t cook it too long, it’ll start to brown too much.

Whisk the rue (flour/butter paste stuff) into the potato mixture (this thickens it all up) and bring to a boil.

Add browned sausage.

Reduce heat and simmer an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in half-and-half (important this never boils…) and heat to serving temperature. Maybe serve with chives, shredded sharp cheddar, and parsley – and definitely a hot bread/biscuit/roll.

oh yum.
(ps – this is horrible for you)
(pps – I don’t measure hardly anything – the numbers are sorta fake for me)
(ppps – stole this from my friend Alison and modified it)

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. SNOW…HEAVY AT TIMES…WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS …WITH 10 TO AS MUCH AS 15 INCHES IN A FEW LOCATIONS EAST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER.

NORTHEAST WINDS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS OF 45 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING… PRODUCING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN MANY AREAS…

whee!

Not that we didn’t think he did a couple weeks ago. But Obama – his new logo accenting the “O” – has made it official. His announcement video on his website is over 30 minutes, but it’s probably worth it to watch. His walk-up song? “City of Blinding Lights” by U2 (How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb).

Some pull quotes:

“let’s lay down broadband lines through the hearts of inner cities and rural towns all across America: we can do that!”

“…we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president’s first term!”

“We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses”

“I understand the skepticism. After all, every four years, candidates from both parties make similar promises, and I expect this year will be no different.”

It’s nice to have an accomplished orator back. One of the toughest things about Bush for me has simply been his wooden delivery for eight years. There’s something necessary in a leader to make his communication both sincere and powerful.

At two points Obama felt (or feigned) embarrassment at the chanting of his fans. Whether intentional or not, those few humble seconds are essential for making the whole package seem authentic.

What would Jesus think of Obama?
Jury still out.

Lovie Smith, our hometown Bears coach, and Tony Dungy, Smith’s former mentor, will meet later this afternoon, spearheading opposing teams in Super Bowl XLI.

Both are not only making news as the first black pro-ball coaches to make it to this final game, but both are trying to create a stir around their faith as well: both apparently evangelical Christians telling their story on an Athletes in Action (Campus Crusade) sponsored website: www.beyondtheultimate.org.

“The inspiration from my coaching model comes from Jesus himself”

the website says in bold.

This is awkward for me to comment on, because as a Christian, I don’t always like finding myself on the critical side of the fence towards my brothers. But, here am I again. Just really: it’s tough for me to imagine a middle-aged American male – super bowl fan stereotype A – not laughing aloud at the Jesus-covering-his-mouth-to-call-the-play image the evangelistic website conjures.

The overall tone is hard for me. As you browse the site, two themes appear the biggest: a) God will give you inner strength to make it day to day, and you need a b) personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Possibly these are presented in reverse, with (a) being the reward of sorts for (b).

Waving aside my protests that “personal relationship with Jesus” is so stale a phrase that stand-up comedians regularly use it for laughs… I think my deeper concern is that the pitch is too small. Where are the central themes of Jesus being the origin and end to the universe – the unquestioned King? Where is the kingdom as a place for new citizenship, remaking fear into hope, hunger into health, anger to forgiveness, death to life?

The difficult side to the individualistic gospel message is that the gospel isn’t – at core – individualistic.

I do appreciate the section of the site that addresses the human problem of insatiable desire: “After you have reached your goals, then what?” This is a human condition that naturally leads us to God… and humbles us simultaneously.

Well, those are my spiritual musings on culture (Christian or otherwise) for the day. I spoke on Why iWorship (iPhone) last night at I-Life, and when the recording goes up on the web, I’ll link it up.

For now: da Bears!