I recently purchased an iPhone 4s. It’s really cool and does just about everything except grind my coffee beans in the morning (although I believe there is an app coming for that). I’ve been told that if you hold it up to your ear long enough, it actually immunizes you against brain tumors. It’s that good. So, when I saw this clip, I had to share it with you…because I understand.
For years, my name has been at the top of the most popular names in America list. So, when I saw that the most popular baby names of 2011 had been released, I needed to see where my name stood. I was disappointed…
Most popular boys names of 2011:
1. Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Mason
4. Liam
5. Jacob
6. Jayden
7. Ethan
8. Noah
9. Lucas
10. Logan
Sadly, in 2011, Michael dropped to #16. If more parents would name their sons after me, Michael could reclaim the top spot. C’mon parents! Let’s do this thing!
Most popular girl names of 2011:
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Isabella
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Chloe
8. Madison
9. Emily
10. Abigail
At the end of each year, I post my top 5 movies of the year. 2011 was – in my opinion – a down year for good movies. Mind you, I’m not one to get excited about “blockbusters,” so my list is a bit obscure. Of the top 10 grossing films of 2011, I only saw one: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (#9), and I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t see Harry Potter, Transformers, Twilight, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other top movies. I’m just not interested in them. There is a theater in town that always plays one artsy/independent film along with the blockbusters. This is where I often find myself. I love a film that develops characters and explores the ups and downs of humanity in a realistic way. Some call these types of movies “slow.” I call them “riveting!” So with this in mind, I offer you my top 5 movies of 2011.
5. The Descendants
George Clooney is hot. At least that’s what many women think. In this movie, he plays a hapless, passive father who is trying to hold his family together amidst a tragedy. He’s not very hot in this film, but his acting is superb. The movie is labeled a comedy but the themes it explores are deep and sometimes very serious. Funny and emotionally moving.
4. X-Men: First Class
This is my one guilty pleasure movie. Not realistic. Not really a movie where characters are explored and developed (although some of that does exist here). But this was a very good movie that gives the background to all the prior X-Men movies. Ironically, I haven’t even seen all of them! Special effects are great. Story is good. Movie is fun.
3. Win Win
I love Paul Giamatti. He’s one of my favorite actors, and he stars in this simple yet profound film about a man whose career is washed up who meets a boy whose life is a mess. The acting is excellent; the story is engaging; and the message about the importance of family and parental love comes through loud and clear.
2. The Beaver
This movie cost $21 million to make and earned less than $1 million in the U.S. When it comes to box office ranking, it was #209. A box office flop – probably because it stars Mel Gibson (not a very popular man these days) and is about a man who communicates with his family and friends using a handheld beaver puppet. However…this is a powerful story about living with someone who is mentally ill and the power of family. Mel Gibson shows that despite his off-screen woes, he is a superb actor. I found the film to be profound, powerful, and moving.
1. Moneyball
I love baseball, and I was already familiar with the story of Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s, but this was much more than a baseball flick. The smart story and excellent acting made for a movie that was incredibly interesting and engaging from beginning to end. I had to convince Michelle (a nominal at best professional sports fan) to see it with me, and even she said that it proved to be one of her favorite films of the year. It probably didn’t hurt for her that Brad Pitt was the star, but regardless…this film is excellent.
MOST DISAPPOINTING FILM OF 2011: The Debt
Wow, does the trailer make this film look good. I was hooked after watching it and anxiously awaited it’s arrival in theaters. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the casting of the main male characters when they were older did not match up with how they looked when they were younger. As a matter of fact, I felt like they should have flipped the older characters which would have made more sense. Because of this, I was confused and had a hard time following the film at the end. And speaking of the end, how can such a smart film end in such a gruesome, unrealistic way? I’ll not ruin the ending for you, but I felt like the movie (which hailed itself as a smart film) ended in a ridiculous fashion. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed at the end.
A Georgia judge ruled yesterday that a 103 year-old woman and her 83 year-old daughter were to be evicted from their home because it foreclosed, so he sent the sheriff department out to do it. But, the sheriff department couldn’t do it, and neither could the movers. So they left. And after receiving pressure from the community, the bank decided to back off as well! Watch this report and see how this 103 year-old woman never doubted that the Lord would care for her.
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We were not meant to live as self-reliant, independent operators. Yet many of us choose to live this way because we are afraid of vulnerability. Being known scares us. Admitting feelings or failures shames us. Somewhere, life taught us that openness was dangerous, so self-protection becomes huge. Fences and defenses keep people at arms length. Being competent and in control keeps our weakness and struggles out of the reach of others. No wonder we feel alone when we struggle with loneliness, temptation, and pain. The walls around us are thick. Furthermore, the effort we pour into image maintenance separates us from who we really are. Hiding the “real me” from others sadly hides the “real me” from me. Image management, pretense – it’s a lonely, diseased road.
Clearly, we were not designed to journey alone. Without trusted friends, we wither and sometimes die. God created us for community and interdependence – with him and with others. We need others. We need their wisdom in unmasking defense mechanisms that keep the truth at bay. Many of us can not get through a day or a relationship without falling back on rationalization, denial and blame. And our blind spots hinder us from recognizing how manipulative and hurtful these defenses are. However, what we can not see is often blatantly visible to others. Without their help and love and truth, we will never know the taste of real freedom.
Taken from the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us
by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.
