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Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr

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NACC Part Two [My Thoughts]

So now that I've explained the background of the North American Christian Convention, onto my thoughts about the gathering. So after dropping the girls off in Lexington, I made it to Louisville on Tuesday afternoon, hooked up with a buddy who had a place for me to stay, and headed to the convention center. By the time I left town Thursday, my head was spinning with so many thoughts, I'm not quite sure how to fit it all in. That being said, here's some bullet items of my experience. I apologize about any randomness, but I'm too lazy to be organized now.

  • The thing I love about the NACC is seeing people. There's no other chance to see people I've met over the years. From attending CCU, to Kelly working at Standard Publishing [the major publishing arm of our churches], to all the places I've ministered/preached at, it's tough to walk 100 feet without seeing someone you know.
  • Here's one story about a person I knew. Jason Bradshaw was this guy who came to CCU to play basketball; he was a bull rider who always had Skoal in his back pocket. After breaking his arm in his first home game, undercut by a defender while trying to dunk, Jason dropped out of CCU and moved back home. We met for the first time in seven years at the convention where he told me he's been a youth minister all these years. He loves God and loves his ministry; it's awesome to see God take people like Jason, who you thought would never dreamed would stick with it, and mold them into pastors who shape lives.
  • I also got to have a good conversation with Steve Smith, a worship minister down in Louisville. Ever since we met at CCU, we've always had deep theological [and sarcastic] conversations.
  • Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Dan and Karen Hamilton. I did my ministry internship with Dan 11 years ago in a small town in central Ohio [I should really write about that summer sometime]. Dan and Karen are some of the best people I've ever met. Their kids were perfect, and I'm pretty sure neither of them have ever been angry.
  • Also, it's fun to talk to all the older people at the convention. Too many times we young bucks want to be revolutionary and ultra-relevant, and we neglect the generation who went before us who fought a similar fight. Ben Merold has ministered all over the country and every church he went to has experienced growth. A few years ago he relocated to a small church in Missouri so he could "retire" and the church now runs over 2,000 people. I saw him on the street and thanked him for doing a seminar at my friend Aaron's church and he was very gracious. I hope I can be like him 50 years from now.
  • While I do love the old people, I have a small gripe: why can't they figure out how to use cell phones? IN EVERY SESSION I ATTENDED multiple cell phones went off. And all but one time, the phones were wielded by someone born before 1941. I'm just saying, if you can't control your cell phone in a public setting, you shouldn't be allowed to have it. I'm pretty sure they no longer make cell phones without a vibrate mode. And, making a stereotypical judgment here, none of those people were so important that they had to accept the call immediately. But once again, that's for another post.
  • I attended a workshop where a guy used Power Point and a laser pointer. Now I have done this myself when showing a map or image, but this guy used it to highlight his bullet points; he would shake his laser pointer over the text that he was reading. It was follow the bouncing ball for snipers. I almost laughed out loud. Did he think we were so dumb that we couldn't follow along with the words on the screen? This was the technological equivalent of someone pointing at the sentences in a book you're reading. Bad form.
  • We've reached the point where CDs and DVDs are like business cards: easily dispensable and worthless. Walking through the aisles of displays in the booth hall, I had four different people hand me homemade DVDs that presented their product and ministry. I felt a tad guilty about throwing them away. But the I figured that I didn't ask for any of them, so I shouldn't feel obligated to view them.
  • Before I left, I told my wife I was only taking my New Testament Bible. She asked why and I responded, "like anyone there will use the Old Testament." Sadly, I was correct. And more than that, I really only needed the Bible for one sermon. If we're truly a movement based on the Bible, it seems we would open it a bit more.
  • Finally, these last two points are not about the convention directly but relate to the urban atmosphere. During the lunch rush, it was impossible to find a place to eat. One afternoon Dale Reeves [friend from Mason, co-worker of Kelly] and I walked a few blocks looking a place to eat. The only empty place was this Lucky Strike restaurant. We think convention goers didn't go in because the sign outside had X's on it; the Christian folks assumed it was a strip club and steered clear. It was actually a restaurant/bowling alley. Pretty cool.
  • A constant gripe I hear from suburbanites about Cincinnati is that we have too many panhandlers down here. I saw more in my three days in downtown Louisville than I've seen in Cincinnati this year. I think we're clueless.

All in all, I had a great time and am very glad that I went. In two years, the convention will be here in Cincinnati, so maybe some of you locals will be able to check it out.

But there's one other thing I need to write about that the NACC. So keep looking for part three.

NACC Part One [History]

I will make this as painless as possible, that's all I can promise. But every once in a while I morph into teaching mode, and I have to let it flow. Spending the past few days at our [un]denomination's convention deserves an update, but I have to explain more than my intinerary. So I'm gonna drop a two-parter on you. Part one will deal with the history of our churches. I'm a hack historian, so bear with me. It's hard to conceptualize our convention if you first don't understand why it originally started.

Part two will cover my experiences this past week. So if you're not feeling academic, part two will be for you. You might want to skip this.

Still here? Then here we go . . .

So the church I grew up in is known as the Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ [put that on a business card]. Our movement started in the early 1800's with a group of people not wanting to deal with denominational hierarchy and longing for a return to Biblical authority. Two groups with similar thinking on these issues merged in Lexington, Kentucky to form what would be called the Stone-Campbell Movement [After Barton Stone and Thomas & Alexander Campbell, the leaders of the two streams] or, within or churches, The Restoration Movement. These churches maintained a loose connection, and prospered for almost 100 years.

At the turn of the twentieth century some issues within the Movement began to cause a stir. Some in the Restoration Movement were more dogmatic than others in certain doctrines. They held tightly to the concept that where there Scriptures speak, we should speak, and where they're silent, we should be silent. This faction believed that using musical instruments during worship was not Biblical and refused to use them. Also, some abhorred the concept of newly formed missionary societies- parachurch organizations that acted on behalf of many churches. This too wasn't mentioned in Scripture. While the tremors of this split had more to do with the aftermath of the Civil War, these theological differences are usually blamed for the parting. In 1906, 100 years ago, the US Census first listed the Churches of Christ non-instrumental as a different church than the mainstream Disciples of Christ/Christian Churches. So one movement was now two branches.

It wasn't very long that another issue arrived that would cause dissension. Liberalism encouraged a higher textual criticism that usually resulted in people questioning the validity of the Scriptural story. Incidents from the Bible once accepted as fact could now be called metaphor. Liberalism ended up causing a rift among many denominations, but it split the Disciples/Christian Churches in half. The Disciples of Christ adhered to liberalism, while the Christian Churches maintained a fundamental view point. So one movement was now three branches.

So for those keeping track at home: The ultra-conservative branch is the Churches of Christ non-instrumental. The moderate branch is the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ The liberal branch is the Disciples of Christ/Christian Church.

Good thing this isn't confusing. Sometimes I wish they would've come up with new names, so they didn't overlap. For instance, I grew up at a Church of Christ [instrumental] that recently purchased the building of a Church of Christ [non-instrumental]. And Echo is a Christian Church [moderate] renting from a Christian Church [liberal]. New names would've been a great help. Why not rename the three branches Larry, Moe, and Curly? Our churches are so Curly. Yet I digress . . .

All these splits required new seminaries and organizations to develop for each group. For instance, Lexington's College of the Bible [now Lexington Theological Seminary] became a Disciples school, so a group of individuals started the Cincinnati Bible Seminary [my alma mater] in 1924. And then in 1927, the independent Christian Churches convened for the first time at, what would be called the North American Christian Convention.

And we still gather almost 80 years later.

This particular convention, since it marks 100 years from the original split of the movement, has focused on reconciliation with the non-instrumental churches. Many of these churches aren't as dogmatic about the instrumental issue which is the main theological barrier between the groups. I'm not sure what the outcome of this week will be, but it is a great opportunity for two groups at odds for a hundred years to gather and worship together.

And as for our convention, it's just a big family reunion. No votes are take, no official policies are discussed. Just Biblical preaching and people who share a common vision.

The independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ: we put the "mental" in instrumental.

Lou-uh-vul

I'm heading down to Louisville today for the North American Christian Convention. I'll try to find some wi-fi and see if I can post some observations while I'm there. Something to look for while I'm gone: I have an article that will be published in Cin Weekly tomorrow. Cin Weekly is a free paper geared towards young professionals, and it's available all around town. I wrote a blurb about us doing some "reverse sprawl" and they decided to print it. It should be in the Last Word section, and it should be on their website tomorrow.

So you can now experience my ramblings in print form too.

Regular or Extra Crispy?

All weekend one thought has plagued me. It wasn't how I lost Kaelyn's college fund betting on the Soap Box Derby. Why did I let it ride on the kid on HGH? Seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'll have to wait for some visionaries to build a nearby casino so I can recoup my losses.

It wasn't David Beckham's gorgeous free kick that put England through to the final eight. I still suspect that, when the movie came out bearing his name, Becks went around asking people, "have you seen 'Bend it like me?'" And his wife would add, "I really, really, really wanna zigagig ha."

And it wasn't how I could've missed the local Pearl Jam concert. When our family went on vacation back in 1993, I grabbed my walk-man for the trip but neglected to bring my case of awesome music along. That left me an entire week to listen to nothing but whatever cassette was in the player. And that, my friends, was Pearl Jam's Ten. By the time we got back, I had that album memorized. Clearly I remember . . . picking on the boy.

No, the question that has kept me up the past few nights is, "What the **** is a huckin' chicken?"

That new Burger King commercial has been driving me crazy. Not the concept of a man in a chicken suit is riding a motorcycle, but what "huckin'" means. All I know is that if I sung that jingle around the house when I was growing up, Mom would've washed my mouth out with soap. On the westside, "huckin'" wasn't followed by "chicken" but by "nuts."

But it took me a mere trip to the land of Google to discover that "huckin'" is a motocross term having to do with "the type of rider that likes to do drops off large things such as: cliffs, roofs, ramps." So apparently this chicken is adventurous and "huckin'" is an insider term to let us know. I thought it was just an effort to make elderly people cuss.

Now we're all the wiser and I can finally get some sleep. But I'm still going to Popeye's when I need some chicken. I don't care how talented that bird is.

No Fear, My Dear

No on-street parking tomorrow or Sunday because of the Soap Box Derby on Gilbert Avenue. Seriously. I'll let you know how it turns out. Roll Tide. So this means I'm forced to park the Explorer on a side street, way out of view. This makes me ultra-paranoid because of the recent break-in. That happened right in front of my house. What's going to happen when it's out of sight on the next street over? No other options to work with here, so I reluctantly move the car.

As I walk away after parking the vehicle, still thinking how it would suck to get another broken window fixed, I see a bumper sticker on the back of some hippie's car that reads . . .

DON'T BE AFRAID

I smile.

World Cup Recap

So I watched the painful US verses Ghana match this morning. I'm sure many of you don't care, but I need to get some stuff off my chest, so here are my thoughts:

  • Bruce Arena will be fired. The talent level was too great for the result to be so poor. The Czech Republic actually played worse than US, because they should've won the division. But their misstep gave the team an incredible opportunity. If you had told me before the tournament that the US could go 1-1-1 and advance, I would've bet the house on them doing it. But they failed. Why? The formation they used [4-5-1] never fit the talent they had, the players weren't ready to play the first game, and there was no attacking presence until their last half of play. One goal in three games is sad. Too sad. Too bad for Bruce that had a good run there.
  • The masses will want to blame poor officiating for the US's early exit, but this is just an easy excuse. True, many calls went against the Red, White, and Blue that were ridiculous, but if their level of play was at all better, they would be playing in the round of 16.
  • Demarcus Beasley was the worst US player this year. Two reasons for this: 1) he found himself on the wrong side of a poor formation and 2) he wasn't as naive as he was in 2002. In Korea, he played all-out, moving like he had icy-hot in his jock strap; he was too dumb to realize how huge the games were. Four years later, he was back down to earth and played with total hesitancy. If you take his assist away [created when Ghana messed up], then he contributed nothing.
  • Kasey Keller never had a chance. Too bad the best keeper in US Soccer history hung around for this.
  • Claudio Reyna is the Peyton Manning of US Soccer. He has all the tools necessary to perform at the highest level but is unable to convert in the biggest games. This team will look very different in four years, and I think the US Soccer program will be better for it. In 2010 the tournament will be in South Africa and, most likely, the US will play better. Of course, that's in four years, like anyone then will care what I wrote about this now.
  • I still have England to win, but it'll be tough without Michael Owen. As I reapproach what I think it will still happen but think Germany is looking more legit every match.
  • In case you were wondering about my World Cup picks, with one day of games remaining, the worst I can do is 12 of 16, the best I can do is 14 of 16.

Razor? Only If It's A Phone

Don't ever accuse me of not being honest here at Beit Carr. I allow you insider info about my life that you're not going to get anywhere else. Face it: this is the Entertainment Tonight of what's going on in my life, so you gotta love it. I miss John Tesh. A few weeks ago I was stroking my ever growing soul patch ["your what?"] and decided it was finally time for a change. I lamented my concern about my facial hair a few months ago, whether or not it was still relevant, yet I was still leery of doing anything about it.

Here it is: the stubble beard

I know, I know, I'm about fifteen years too late on this fad. Exhibit A:

"Freedom. I won't let you down."

But, nevertheless, I'm committed. Here's why I'm still going for it:

1) Back when it was cool I was a freshman in high school, unable to grow the necessary hair for the look. Now that I'm able, I'm going to rock it for what it's worth.

2) Now that I've gone for the shaven head look, I can keep my hair will be the same length all the way around my head. Who doesn't like uniformity?

3) The most alluring reason I can find: I'll only have to shave every few days. I've always hated shaving, and now I won't have to. It's incredibly liberating, hence, "Freedom. I won't let you down."

The only time I've ever tried the beard was when I was Jesus in the church Easter Pageant [Haven't heard that one? I'll fill you in later]. It was constantly itchy, but it was a rather thick beard. I think if I maintain the stubble level, I should be just fine.

As a wise man once said, "You put the boom-boom into my heart. You send my soul sky high when your lovin; starts." So let it be written, so let it be done.

***I don't know what this has to do about anything, but here's a link for you.

Keep On The Sunny Side

I love my dad. We've always had a weird relationship, but to this day I look up to him. This afternoon he sent some of his guys over to the Walnut Hills church to wire the electric for the video projectors we're installing. And he donated it, saving Echo a considerable amount of money that can be spent on other projects. I called him up tonight to thank him, and he played it off like it was no big deal. It's humility, and the fact that he's not much of a phone talker. Anyway, one of the traits that I inherited from my father was optimism. My dad is the type of guy who would look at a mountainous pile of manure, grin, then comment, "start digging, there must be a horse in there somewhere." No matter how bleak the situation, my dad will avoid any negative thoughts and press on.

Yet some might say my father is optimistic to a fault. There are times when, after an honest assessment of the situation predicts a grim future, he'll keep a Pollyanna outlook. This perspective can be damaging to the bottom line if your hopeful attitude is wrong.

And I'm just like my dad in this way. I don't want to hear your negativity. Just step back as I get the job done.

That being said, I wonder if I'm reading the renaissance of Cincinnati right. One of the reasons I was insistent on starting the church in the city is that I felt things were about to turn around. Then I read Emily's blog about her sister Melissa's assumed welfare status because she lives here in Walnut Hills, and I also read that Cincinnati's population is in danger of shrinking below an acceptable level, and I wonder if I was right.

***Do me a favor, you who are ready to use the comment option to post your "Cincinnati sucks and will never change" opinion: save it. That'll just piss me off and make me more resolute in carrying on. And I don't need that motivation.

But then I reflect on the night Kelly and I had with our daughter. We put Kaelyn in her stroller, walked over to Eden Park, sat on a blanket by Mirror Lake and read. We thoroughly enjoyed, along with a diverse group of urbanites, a beautiful summer evening. It's times like this that affirm to me that this place is changing.

Then there are the people I meet, new to the city, that love living here. They chose to live here, and make it their home. I might not be able to articulate exactly why I think the city's turning the corner, but I have this sense I have that we're in the midst of something great that's about to happen.

Or maybe it's just my dad's optimism that I just can't shut off. Either way, I don't care. Dad seems to enjoy life well enough.

My Two Kids

Weekend's over, so it's about time a write a post. Had a great first Father's Day Weekend, and I was ready to charge into this week with a fervor, but Kaelyn had other plans. Our Monday together was rather arduous, as she had no interest in doing anything but crying and vomiting. Mostly vomiting. By the time Kelly came home today, my green shirt was tinted in several areas with semi-digested milk. Happy Father's Day indeed. Right now I'm sorta preoccupied with numerous details of the Echo relaunch. Our website is being redesigned [it will look stunning], we're retrofitting the sanctuary at Walnut Hills Christian Church with new sound and video capabilities, and we're praying that our direct mailing will reach people who need to be a part of a community like Echo. I have a countdown on my Mac that informs me we're only 82 days away. I still feel like there's a ton of things to do, none of which are very pastoral.

With all these tasks, it's easy forget that I'm actually a pastor; my main focus is supposed to be on people. I did get to talk to some people this weekend that I've been trying to build relationships with [living here these past ten months is starting to pay off]. And we had a good group of visitors yesterday at church. I had a great week of talking with people about Echo and what we're trying to accomplish. That's why, sometimes, that to-do list ticks me off. I feel like it's pulling me away from my goal.

But then again, I realize that these tasks are all about people. We're trying to create an environment for worship where people can come and encounter God. Without the website and the mailings, people won't know that we exist. Without the audio/visual equipment, people who attend might struggle to see/hear the message. Without the structures in place for volunteers and administration, we won't be able to keep Echo going. In reality, it's all about people. I just get bogged down in the tasks and lose sight of the importance of getting them done.

How 'bout I bring this full circle: I want to raise my daughter to become the most incredible woman of God this world has ever seen. I want to teach and rear her so that she'll make wise decisions and make an impact in this world. It might not seem like it, but cleaning up her spittle actually contributes to that goal. Doing the little things to take care of her contributes to the larger goal. It's tough to remember that, especially when I reek of "eau de lactose," but I'm sure it makes a difference. Just like getting all these pre-re-launch tasks completed.

Plus, and this might sound crazy, but I almost view Echo as a child of mine. I feel like God has made me responsible for it, just like a parent. If I want it to mature into an acceptable representation of the bride of Christ, then I should eat up these little tasks.

While I was writing this, Kaelyn proceeded to throw up all over her freshly changed outfit. I wasn't holding her at the time, so I escaped unscathed. I'm sure there will be time Echo will puke all over me too. I just need to keep a burp cloth nearby to clean up the mess.

And I won't wear dark colors. The stains show up more when I do.

Deep Thoughts Friday

About being a Protestant Christian in Cincinnati: be familiar with what's going on in the Catholic Church. First, let me state that I hate calling myself a Protestant because I'm not currently protesting the Catholic Church; that was the name given to those who split from the Catholic church after Luther's Reformation in the early 1500's. I'd rather be known for what I'm for instead of what I'm against, but I really have no choice. Living in this city demands that I differentiate between my faith and that of practicing Catholics who are now too use the simplistic "Christian" title. So if I tell someone around here that I'm a Christian, they ask, "Protestant or Catholic." So I don't like it, but I accept it because the argument isn't worth it; I've got bigger fish to fry.

Now that I have that out of the way, let me get to what I wanted to deal with.

One of the things I appreciate about being a Protestant, and more specifically a non-denominational Protestant, is that I don't have to fear a decision coming down from above that will rock my theological world.

Quick non-Catholic example of this: this past week was the Southern Baptist Convention, where they vote on a bunch of junk for the next year. Apparently they had their own "hanging chad" controversy where a Vice President lost an election he should've won. I find this laughable. I'm sure God would've preferred electronic voting machines, or casting lots, or something like that.

But back to the Catholic Church. Yesterday in Los Angeles, America's bishops voted to revise the English translation of mass that our country's Catholic churches use. While some people think the change is miniscule, others contend that the new change is earth shattering. The LA Times describes possible changes:

"For instance, at present, when the priest says, 'The Lord be with you,' the congregation responds, 'And also with you.' Under the new translation, the response will be, 'And also with your spirit.'"

An important distinction there, huh?

This move by the bishops was made in order to adhere to new Vatican rules "designed to make liturgy more accurately reflect the original Latin of the Roman Missal." The focus is on making worldwide masses as identical as possible. But what it's really going to do is confuse people who, throughout their entire lives, were told that the old liturgy was God-ordained. And the last thing the Catholic Church needs right now is additional confusion among its followers. In my humble, non-Catholic opinion, it's not a good move.

Even though I appreciate the deep history of the Catholic Church, I find my contentment in Sola Scriptura [the rule of "Scripture alone"]. True, it's not as cut and dry as liturgy, and it requires sound interpretation and more involved pastoral leadership, but that's what the Holy Spirit is for [guidance from God in our efforts]. Also, we can still use any liturgical elements/readings we find relevant while not being chained to those parts we care to ignore.

I guess what I'm saying is it's unfortunate that so many people feel chained to a system that is extra-Biblical. It's the same environment that Jesus came to destroy.

One local Catholic bookstore owner, when asked about the confusion the liturgical changes will being, offered, "If we trip over our words, I'm sure God will understand as we try to muddle through somehow."

I think He will.

Perfect Strangers [emphasis: strange]

A couple of weeks ago, my buddy Aaron Levering came down to Cincy to speak at a men's banquet at my home church. Aaron and I were roommates in college for two [non-consecutive] years. It was great to catch up with him.

After school he went down to minister to a small church outside Williamstown, Kentucky. There he met his wife Tia, and promptly moved to a small town outside of Oklahoma City to preach. Most recently, they moved to a church in Richmond, Indiana. They have two boys, with one baby on the way.

Aaron and I are total opposites: He's a Browns fan, I'm a Bengals fan. He's a small-town guy, I love the city. He's less filling, I'm tastes great. Despite all of our differences, we had [and still have] one thing in common: the love of preaching. All throughout school, we talked about our craft and how we would use it. It's cool to know that we both have been able to stick with it. Whereas Aaron had the guts to take small town preaching jobs, I waited until Echo [seven years post college] to finally get started doing it.

So here's to you Aaron. And I'm thankful that Kelly doesn't have the same Marvin the Martian obsession that you had.

Don't Bet On It

The Cincinnati casino won't happen. Why? Because it's all about the Benjamins. True, I have nothing to back up this conspiracy [which would make me guilty of irresponsible journalism], but I'm sure someone could prove this true:

1) The Learn and Earn Group [who want casinos everywhere in Ohio EXCEPT Cincinnati] knows that having two similar issues on the ballot is confusing to voter. Confusion usually leads to a "no" vote. They want to sacrifice a Cincinnati casino for statewide gambling.

2) Now why wasn't Cincinnati include in the original Learn and Earn petition? Because the folks at Argosy are willing to pay whatever it takes to protect their business. A Cincinnati casino would render Argosy useless.

Money: the world's most powerful language.

Is This News?

About the double-edged sword that it the internet: it gives people a voice, but some voices are best never heard. All a person has to do is find a computer with web access and their unedited thoughts can be on display for the entire world to see. Think of it as digital graffiti. But since it's a newer medium, some people struggle how to react to it. Should all views that hit the world wide web be taken seriously? Of course not.

But apparently one "journalist" from Pittsburgh thinks the world wide web is a legitimate source for a news story.

Check out this article by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Trash-talking NFL fans waste no time reveling in Roethlisberger's misfortune.

This has to be one of the worst newspaper articles I've ever written. This guy went to the internet, looked up the worst stuff people wrote about Ben's accident and published it in the paper. I'll admit, I'm ticked off about it. So much so, that I wrote an article to the reporter. Here's what I said:

Mr Fittipaldo, My name is Steve Carr, and I am I lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. I rarely write letters to journalists from my hometown paper, so you can understand that your recent Post Gazette article, "Trash-talking NFL fans waste no time reveling in Roethlisberger's misfortune" must have struck a nerve with me if I decided to write to you, a journalist in Pittsburgh.

I am a Bengals fan, which means that I loath the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure I respect all the franchise's accomplishments, including their most recent Super Bowl victory, but they are a division rival. I would prefer that they lose every game. Brutal, but honest.

That being said, your article about Bengals fans rejoicing in Ben Roethlisberger's accident was way out of line. Using the internet as a resource for how Bengals fans feel about Roethlisberger's injury is irresponsible. The internet allows anyone with a computer the opportunity to post unfiltered thoughts for the entire world to see. Doing a Google search for the worst comments you could find and putting them in print is nothing but lazy journalism. There's a never-ending supply of racist, insensitive fodder on the internet, but it doesn't make it into most newspapers because journalists know better.

Your article was in no way helpful, but most likely supplied legitimacy to the people who wrote this garbage. These bloggers do not reflect the majority opinion of the people of Cincinnati. Roethlisberger was a star at local Miami University. Despite his current NFL team affiliation, many Bengals fans struggle to root against him because of his local history. There are many people who've wished him the best through this rough time, and are praying for his recovery. And I'm sure some of these well-wishes were posted on the internet. But no mention of that was found in your article. I wonder why . . .

Perhaps it's because you were using this internet trash talk as way to fuel the fire of Cincinnati hatred. That's the only motivation I can find in this article: to make Bengals fans look insensitive to this tragedy and give Steelers fans cause for additional ill will. If that is the case, then you should be ashamed for using Ben's accident as an excuse to increase civic pride.

Nowhere in this piece was it stated that this was an editorial. That's the only excuse I could see for this drivel. I'm disappointed, to say the least.

Sincerely, Steve Carr Cincinnati, Ohio

-----

In case you're so moved, his email is rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com

When I Think Of My Niece . . .

Congrats to my brother Chris and his wife Heather on the birth of their third child. It's a little girl named Lorelai Marie. I can't help but sing the Styx song whenever I say her name, but I'm sure that'll wear off. We had the chance to see her tonight and the girl's a little beauty. Here's a picture of Kelly holding her: Quote of the day goes to my five-year-old nephew Samuel who asked my brother, "Daddy, how will the baby get out?" To which my brother replied, "The doctor will get it out." Frustrated by this response, Samuel complained, "You and mommy know, but you're just not telling me."

True, Samuel, very true.

Go West, Young Man

Had a great time tonight with the youth group of Impact Church. Jason Bast [shout-out to his wife Jennifer who wasn't there but is a regular Beit Carr reader] invited me to come back to my homeland and speak to his kids. I couldn't turn down the opportunity to return to the westside to impart some homegrown wisdom on my brethren [and sistern?]It was awesome to see such a diverse group of teens; everyone is welcome there, no matter what "clique" they belong to. And everyone who comes into the group gets a nickname such as Tree, Bouncy-ball, or Squirrel Hair. The kids are then forever known by those names. So tonight, whenever I introduced myself to one of the teens, they always responded by telling me their nickname. Sounds crazy, but it was rather entertaining. And the kids love it. I'm sure, if I'm ever invited back, there'll be twice as many kids there. It could be because everyone wants to be like Larry. Or it could be because the westside rocks. Or maybe it'll be because of God. You decide.

Plus, I had a great conversation afterwards with a girl named Adrienne. She lives in Clifton, just graduated from Walnut Hills High School, and will be attending a prestigious university out east this fall. It was encouraging to meet an articulate Christian young lady whose parents raised her in the same environment in which we'll raise Kaelyn. It made me smile.

All in all, it was time well spent. Good stuff.

You Can't Do It

I always hated The Electric Slide at weddings. I don't like large group dances [i.e., The Macarena], so I abhor the thought of one step left, two steps back, cross your arms, then slide. And what I learned today makes me vow never to do the slide again for fear of litigation. Apparently Ric Silver, choreographer of The Electric Slide, has a copyright on all uses of the dance. You can read all about it on his website. Silver warns that,

"All rights, including performance of any kind or nature by professionals or amateurs, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio or television broadcast, cable television, videotape, audio recording, motion pictures and rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. Any performance, copying (including photocopying), arranging, adapting, inserting or storing in a retrieval system, transmitting in any form by any means whatsoever, including mechanical or electronic, of any portion of this material without the prior written consent of the copyright owners is an infringement of copyright thereby entitling the copyright owners to injunctive and other relief to the full extent of the law."

So remember, it's all fun and games until you get sued for doing the Hokey Pokey.

HT: Cincinnati Beacon.