Today I witnessed what a funeral service should be. I left that service celebrating the life of a wonderful man of God. We shared funny stories, touching memories, and a sense of honor for a man who faithfully humbled himself and served in any capacity needed. I hate funerals. I hate the dismal feelings. I hate wondering if the family feels hopeless. I hate wincing at the words of the pastor as he shares some good intentioned words of pathetic inspiration and “comfort.” To put it plainly, I hate it when people put on airs for anything, including honoring and remembering the dead. I couldn’t believe it when I heard earlier this week that Mike had died. I thought the person who told me was lying. My heart felt like it was being squeezed between icy, thin fingers. It felt to me like the world had lost a brilliant shining light, and was now all the more dingy, dismal, and hopelessly in despair. I entertained the idea that the enemy had won a major battle, robbing all of us of such a man. I thought it was a crime that he of all people should lose his life. I have so much to learn. All those passages of Scripture you memorize over the years do little good if they have not become alive inside your being. Here was a man who literally welcomed a whole new generation of people into our church with his welcoming smile and affirming hugs. I can’t tell you how many Sundays I was comforted by a big hand on my shoulder – Mike Cordova waiting to give me a hug and show me he was glad I was here. Just this past Sunday, in the massive new church building, he walked by and gave me a hug. It’s not that it fills the needs left from my parents. But it’s a feeling of being welcome and belonging that is comforting despite its subtlety. Week by week, month by month, year by year, he made me and hundreds of others believe that kindness can faithfully exist within the masculine heart. Services were held today, June 30, 2006, at the City Life Center of Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. It was a remarkable experience. I cried my eyes out. So many stories of love. People rescued from fire, souls brought to Jesus, children treated with love, and visitors greeted with warm respect. I never truly before believed that a man’s life could have as great or greater impact upon the world after death. But now I know that despite our feeble attempts to explain God or excuse His Will, I have now experienced the life and death of a man ministering to thousands. May God grant me the grace and humility to be like Mike Cordova. And may the Lord richly bless and comfort Cass Cordova and family.
Month: June 2006
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Dallas Mavericks Rise to Stardom
It’s like the first rain after a 25 year drought that no one really realized was a drought until it was over. Millions of Cowboys fans and Stars fans have been sated over the years with a championship here or there. They carry the pride that comes with knowing that their team had what it takes and probably still would were it not for ownership and upper management bungling (sorry, how did that get in here?).
Texas Rangers fans, on the other hand, know what we’re going through. They might not see a World Series in their entire lifetime at the rate the team is going. But we don’t really care about Rangers fans, do we? Nah. Anyone crazy enough to watch athletes stand around and every now and then swing a stick at a ball deserves whatever disappointment that pasttime affords.
Sure, it was great when the Cowboys were the champs of the ’90s. It was great. After a decade, though, fans forget what it felt like to have a championship team. They forget the excitement, the city-wide camaraderie. We’re 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals. It’s halftime, and the Heat have a nine point lead as expected. They don’t deserve to be in the Finals if they can’t win a game at home.
But Mavs fans nationwide know that it’s only a matter of time. When your team is comprised of team players, expect to be the best. I ought to write about something other than sports again.
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The Cell Microchip
It’s the future, and it’s happening now. Everything from the already legendary and much anticipated Sony Playstation 3 to Toshiba televisions to supercomputers, The CELL has been dubbed by Forbes magazine as the “microchip of the future.” It’s big time, folks. This chip has the potential to deliver movie-like video games and interactive tv. Its greatest challenge? Its own prowess and super powers. The problem lies in its advanced technology.
How many companies have designers skilled enough to take advantage of its capabilities? How many companies will invest in a chip that may not be compatible with lesser systems? Is it possible to be too advanced for your own good? Apparently, it’s a real problem. While Intel miraculously succeeded in the microchip market, there are at least half a dozen other companies that didn’t. Some of them touted products that put Intel to shame. Such is life. Microsoft PCs and Windows became mainstream though Mcintosh made a better computer and Linux is considered by many to be the superior operating system. It’s a combination of marketing genius, strategic partnerships, and perhaps a few underhanded business tactics.
I don’t condone Microsoft’s success, since I pretty much consider the movie Antitrust to be a somewhat accurate depiction of the software juggernaut. Perhaps the murder aspect is a bit exaggerated, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to create some of his products by spying on genius developers around the country. As for The CELL, it sounds like an incredible breakthrough, and I hope enough companies see the benefits more clearly than they see the challenges. I may regret saying that in the long run, but I don’t have the foresight to know any better.
For now, I say on with progress.
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Dallas Mavs face the Miami Heat
It’s a matchup I could have only dreamed. My Dallas Mavericks are set to face the Miami Heat on Thursday. Not only is it Dallas’ first time to the big dance, and not only did we defeat San Antonio in the playoffs (oh, how sweet it is!), but I don’t have to watch Detroit play another game this season! It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve never been a Pistons fan. Ever.
I’ll take Shaq, Dwayne Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and the worthless Antoine Walker any day, as long as I don’t have to see a single irritating Piston’s uniform. It’s not fear, it’s disgust. Dirk Nowitski, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Keith Van Horn, Marquis Daniels, Darrell Armstrong, Adrian Griffin, Josh Powell, Erick Dampier, and DeSagana Diop make up the strongest team in the league. Don’t forget The General, Avery Johnson. Assuming good health for both teams, this should be an extremely entertaining championship series. No one can guard Dirk Nowitski. No one can stop Shaq.
They don’t have anyone to stop Jason Terry and Josh Howard at the same time. We don’t have a great answer for Dwayne Wade. The two teams have talent oozing out of their ears; not to mention passion and energy. I like the Mavericks’ chances in this series. Even though the village idiot, a.k.a. Charles Barkley, has also picked the Mavs to win, I won’t consider us jinxed. It will mostly boil down to how effective Dampier and Diop can manage to be against the most powerful man to ever play in the NBA. He’s a monster, no doubt about it. Shaq should count as two players. Two days to go, and I’m already biting my nails.
The excitement is overwhelming. I can’t keep thinking about it. It’s 12:30 and I’m still typing! That’s what going to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history will do to a person. Gotta go. Think blue, black and white. Go Mavs.
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Last Comic Standing Might Save Reality TV
The key word there is might. It’s at least a better show than Survivor or Big Brother 29 (how many times can you do the same stupid thing and make a profit?) At least here we have the chance to laugh. Okay, maybe you prefer watching people behave like selfish, spoiled, deceitful brats. That’s fine, really… you’re just proving the flaws of the American educational system. Eventually, the Last Comic Standing show will turn into the same soap operish slutfest that every other reality show becomes. Sadly, it appears to be the nature of the beast. Maybe the comedians won’t redeem reality tv. But at least I’ll laugh. At least I will be entertained.
At least I will enjoy an ever so brief respite from the absurd waste of prime time television that is REALITY TV. I have to admit that the judges aren’t as biased as I expected. Naturally, the funny guy with cerebral palsy was voted most popular comedian of the night; and naturally, he made it to the next round. But he was funny. It wasn’t a fluke. Check it out on Tuesdays at 7pm EST on NBC. When everything else on prime time is a rerun, it’s better than nothing.
Wow… I’ve really raised the bar of expectation for tv shows, haven’t I?
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Where are the Mavericks on TV?
It’s time for game what, five? Were it not for the kindness of my wife’s coworker, I wouldn’t have seen a single game of this series against Phoenix. Some of us aren’t rich. Some of us don’t blow money on cable when we can’t even buy ourselves new clothes. And yet the Mavericks somehow manage to play exclusively on TNT for this entire series. Can someone explain this to me? I am a huge fan… no… a HUGE FAN. But I don’t get to watch them play unless I can find someone to mooch off of.
Where’ s the reward for a season of faithful support? Where’s the evidence of city-wide camaraderie? But NOooo… only cool people with cable tv, tickets to the game, or money to go to a sports bar get to watch the Dallas Mavericks’ first real chance at an NBA title. All I have to say is: if it’s over and we lose in this round, I’ll be angry that I didn’t get to support my team during the best part of their playoffs. If they win this series and move on to play Miami or Detroit, the games better be on local channels.
What am I thinking? Of course they’ll be on local channels! The Eastern Conference Finals have been on local channels most of the time! Only poor Western Conference schmos like me get placed on the short bus to watch the rest of the world having fun without us. Mark Cuban, if you’re listening (or reading), you suck! Get this fixed asap! I want my Mavs, and I want them on UPN 21 or ABC or whoever will play the freakin’ games on regular stations. I’ll watch the game on the Spanish channels if I have to. I just want gametime coverage. So be it.