Month: October 2007

  • NRH Cracks Down with Red Light Cameras

    It is truly a sad day in the life of North Richland Hills citizens. Those of us who frequent Davis Boulevard will now be subject to the whim of automated red light cameras. 

    "The cameras keep the streets safer." Really? Who really believes that? Let's call a spade a spade. The city needs money. They're building a brand new library, to be immediately followed by a new recreation center, both centrally located in the Home Town area. NRH is growing and improving, and red light cameras help pay the bills.

    But what happens when you dispute a red light camera photo before a judge? Who testifies on behalf of the camera? Who answers questions about the veracity of the photographs claims?

    My concern here is with unmonitored technology. Sure, someone may someday maintenance these cameras to ensure proper functionality. But what constitutes running a red light to this automated camera? Is it crossing the white line after the light has turned red? Or does it expand the definition to include any movement within the intersection once the light has turned red?

    Here's my point: to my knowledge, I am breaking no laws if I pass through an intersection as long as the light was yellow when i broke the plane of the intersection. Once I have penetrated the intersection, the light can turn red and I have no fault.

    But I've watched that annoying flash bulb light up three or four times within a second to help the camera capture license plates of offending vehicles and some of those vehicles appeared to already be within the intersection before the light turned red.

    Let's be fair. I don't care that we should drive defensively. Law is law. If I am not breaking the law in the eyes of a human police officer, then I better not be flagged as a violator by some automated system. The law is the same regardless of who we put in place to enforce it.

    If you can shed light on the situation, let's hear from you. Add a comment to this post and weigh in. I have my doubts that anyone can defend the cameras' flawlessness, unless some photos are evaluated elsewhere and not ticketed.  


  • The Physical Informs the Spiritual

    It’s been 13 years since I experienced three significant physical ailments. I was a teenager, having moved out of my parents’ house and into my first apartment. I lived in rebellion against authority. The first three months away from my home, I contracted mono, chipped a bone in my ankle, and experienced intense pain in both knees when jumping.

    (more…)


  • Movie Review: The Invisible

    You'll have to bear with me. I don't go to theaters often. This film, The Invisible, is out on DVD already, so many of you have already seen it. The film stars Justin Chatwin and Margarita Levieva. I was drawn in and intrigued by the movie trailer some time ago. My pregnant wife surprisingly picked a non-romantic comedy for our Friday night flick. So we sat down on the couch and watched The Invisible.

    You have to make it past the first half hour of this film. It starts off interestingly enough, but then seems to become very predictable for a good ten to fifteen minutes. My excitement and interest dimmed noticeably at that point. 

    If for no other reason, see this film and focus on Annie (Levieva). Annie is a teenage criminal. She's so tough she picks on boys like it's nothing. She steals, bullies, threatens, and eventually kills. What I love about her character is that we see someone who commits the most heinous offense known to man – murder. She nearly kills Nick (Chatwin) with her unchecked aggression. 

    Nick is undead. He is nearly dead. And he follows Annie around, trying to get someone to solve his near murder and save him before he dies for real. He is invisible to the world around him. And yet, Annie hears his voice inside her mind.

    But the real gem of the story come from following Annie and seeing her as a person. It is our typical response to vilify murderers as inhuman beasts or monsters. We want to classify them this way, because we need to believe that murderers are different than us. We need to know that we could not murder. So we hate and mock and call down damnation upon the guilty in order to spread wide the gulf between us and the heinous beasts that can choose to commit so horrible an act. 

    Nick can't see Annie as anything but a murderer until he sees her love her little brother. We are forced to consider what if other people are like this. What if everyone guilty of a crime still has loyal, noble love for someone somewhere? What do we do then?

    By the end of this film, Annie is the heroine. We want her to succeed. We realize that she is more a victim of a broken home and wrong choices than of being an other-than-human beast. She is very human, and even beautiful, when she takes the hooded sweatshirt off and uncovers her hair.

    Nick looks upon his would-be killer and sees a beautiful young woman. He is spellbound. She is more than thug. She is more than an animal. She is more than just "broken". She is a person, desperate for something good.

    It is a beautiful sub-plot within the story. It IS the story, as far as I'm concerned. I won't tell you the ending, in case you still want to see the film. But the deepest feeling comes from knowing that she's in a spot she doesn't know how to get out of, but her heart can be softened and she probably would have lived a better life given the chance.

    See this film. See it, and realize that there is beauty in every human heart. Even if you can't see it.  


  • Dallas Cowboys Superhype is Over

    As much as I wanted to be able to say something else, it is true: the superhype is over. I had a dream. In that dream, Dallas defeated New England and steamrolled the rest of the competition to lose only two games this season. The Cowboys are still a good team. They're probably still the best in the NFC. But there's something about losing the respect of the nation and falling back into that category as a "second rate NFC team" that completely stole my thunder. 

    The fairy tale died. Dallas was on the receiving end of the steamroll last week, and this week they barely squeezed out a victory against Adrian Peterson's Vikings (yes, they are HIS team now). Such a mediocre performance this week yanks me back to reality. Wake up, Daniel! The Cowboys are still the Cowboys! Which means that they are fun to watch but not superhuman (unlike stupid baby making Tom Brady and his Pats).  

    So the season continues, but with much less glitz and suspense than before. My Cowboys are human after all, and have not reached Aikman-age superiority. Romo's minor hamstring injury after slide tackling a couple Vikings (nice move, but really stupid) knocked the breath out of me. If he were to sit, it's all over. Pack it up and wait until next season. So let's hope he heals up nice and quick!

    Is anyone else desperately anticipating the intro of Tank Johnson and the glorious return of injured cornerback Anthony Henry? I won't even mention Terry Glenn except in passing because missing him is just too painful.

    Well, Romo, you better stay healthy! A franchise is counting on you. No more stupid stunts like that. One touchdown versus injury should not be a difficult decision to make. So cut that stupid sh*t out!

    I'll keep watching, but I have no illusions about a fantasy-like season. Dallas would have to go undefeated until the last two games to rebuild the frenzied excitement they built up before the Patriots game. Here's hoping they pull off some magic. But I won't keep my fingers crossed.  


  • An Opportunity, Not a Duty

    It’s like God flipped a switch in me this past week. I can’t tell you exactly when it happened, but I remember realizing it had happened. One day, I just realized that my countenance feels brighter, my head feels less topsy turvy, and my outlook is positive and excited. I’ve been talking like it’s going out of style.

    (more…)


  • The Physical Informs the Spiritual

    It’s been 13 years since I experienced three significant physical ailments. I was a teenager, having moved out of my parents’ house and into my first apartment. I lived in rebellion against authority. The first three months away from my home, I contracted mono, chipped a bone in my ankle, and experienced intense pain in both knees when jumping.

    (more…)


  • Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

    Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they shall see God.

    I cannot tell you how much this passage has meant to me. It is a state of existence I have longed for and felt impossible to reach. How I long for a pure heart! I’m sick of being filthy. I’m weary of feeling shame over and over again. I want a pure heart, a clean conscience, and peace in my heart.

    (more…)


  • Premium Outlet Mall Coming to South Grand Prairie

    NBC's local Channel 5 News team just announced that a premium outlet shopping mall is headed for south Grand Prairie. Along the Hwy 360 and I-20 corridor, a San Marcos-style outlet mall is planned for the near future. Christmas shopping fanatics like the Wellspring Church women's group will no longer have to travel hours beyond the DFW metroplex to get the best deals on popular name brand items. 

    Only a few short miles from Parks Mall, this new outlet mall will make Interstate 20 the place to go for all your gift shopping needs. Hopefully, the Hwy 161 (George Bush Turnpike) extension will be completed by the time of the outlet mall's grand opening. The southbound side of the turnpike currently ends at Airport Freeway in Irving, but construction has been underway for some time to extend the turnpike through Grand Prairie, intersecting with I-30 and eventually I-20 as well. 

    In the mid-cities area, Parks Mall, North East Mall, and Southlake Town Square are currently the three best shopping areas between Dallas and Fort Worth.

    Planned store names have not yet been released for the new outlet mall. We'll keep you updated on the construction and other newsworthy items.


  • Cowboys Survive Buffalo – Now Comes New England

    Romo and OwensIt is being touted as the most exciting game of the year thus far. Dallas nearly forfeited an easy game to the Buffalo Bills on the national stage. Romo, my personal hero, threw five interceptions and had a significantly sub par game. Not to be outdone, Terrell Owens performed significantly poorer than any other game this year as well. 

    It was Nick Folk, Cowboys field goal kicker, who owns the rights to the title of "game winning savior." With two seconds on the clock, Folk kicked a winning field goal as the Cowboys narrowly defeated the Bills.

    I am glad to have missed the performance, as the sheer nervous tension of losing to the Bills would have made me an emotional wreck (well, perhaps a slight exaggeration).

    Had the Cowboys utterly destroyed Buffalo, they would have earned national recognition as a legitimate contender for the NFC championship. As it stands now, Dallas needs to play exceptionally well this coming Sunday against AFC powerhouse New England in order to gain the respect they deserve.

    No one really knows how good the Cowboys are. Let's face it: they've defeated a bunch of sorry teams. And as much as I want the Cowboys to be the real deal, they NEED to play several good teams for the challenge, the practice, and the sense of true accomplishment. You can be a talented team with the potential for greatness and still be unprepared for the big dance. This coming week will tell us a lot about the Cowboys.  

    On an interesting side note, Terrell Owens has secluded himself from the media for this week preceding the Patriots game. He posted a giant sign near his locker essentially telling the media that the REAL #81 will prove his worth during the game. Is it safe to assume that Owens resents the attention that Randy Moss has received this year? I remember when Owens and Moss were considered the best two receivers in the league, and then both seemed to fade from view and guys like Steve Smith and Marvin Harrison stole the spotlight. 

    Randy Moss and Terrell Owens both started this season on fire, apparently determined to prove their worth. Moss has gained more national attention than Owens, probably due to the fact that he moved from one team to another, which already meant the press would watch to see if anything is different. Owens got this same attention when he moved to Dallas. 

    So is Terrell keeping out of the spotlight this week to work on his game and focus on the task at hand? Or is he simply unwilling to be compared to the red hot Randy Moss and risk embarrassing comments before the game? Whatever the case, it's got to be a good thing that he's keeping himself out of the press. If nothing else, the Cowboys desperately need Owens to show up big in this game against a superior Patriots defense.

    Do the Cowboys have a shot at winning this game?

    Of course they do. In this league, everyone has a chance on any given Sunday. The Cowboys defeated a monster Indianapolis Colts team at home last year, surprising most of the league. The Patriots CAN be defeated. But everyone on the Cowboys' roster has to show up for them to have a chance. We'll need Romo to scramble in the pocket (because he WILL be chased) and throw out to Barber and Witten in a hurry. We'll need Owens to get the 15 yard quick receptions and a break a few tackles for major yards. Barber has to pound the Patriots and show them that he's going to make a hole when there isn't one.

    Julius Jones needs to step it up and force a couple extra yards per carry rather than falling down after contact. Crayton needs to come up big for a couple long yardage passes. Folk will need to be ready to kick a few 45+ yarders in case the Cowboys get stuck. And the defense? Pray for the defense. They'll need it. Someone has to cover all four wide outs when the Patriots clear the backfield and go deep. The Cowboys do not have enough guys to cover the receivers New England will throw at them. Look for the Cowboys defensive approach to be the deciding factor in the game.

    I won't predict a winner, but we all know I'm rootin' for my Boys! 


  • Honoring Robert Jordan

    Robert JordanThe Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.

    These are the words most likely to be spoken or remembered in honor of Robert Jordan, who passed away last month after battling amyloidosis with chemotherapy at the Mayo Clinic.

    I know nothing of this man except for the words he wrote and the stories he told. Was he a kind man? I don't know. Was he a good father? Again, I have no idea. I'd like to think so, but that means nothing.

    In truth, I respected Robert Jordan for his conceptualization and ability to weave a story. Some have called his work chaotic and unstructured. It's true that The Wheel of Time series followed many storylines and wove a tremendous tale of tales. It was an ambitious project, and one that fascinated me for a solid year as I read each of the eleven books in the Wheel of Time series.  

    It's a horrible thing to admit, but my first response to the news of his death was, No! Now I'll never read the ending! It's not something you admit, unless you insist on total honesty. I console myself with the notion that it is perfectly natural for me to mourn the one thing I connected to.

    Jordan left unfinished manuscripts and notes to his wife and other relatives to have them completed so that the final chapter can be told. Of course, a grieving widow might not care too much about the story in the light of losing her husband. One can only hope and pray that she will fulfill his wishes.

    If you have NOT begun the series, I recommend that you wait until word is officially given that the final chapter will be published. It's too much of an investment without a payoff otherwise. You'll get emotionally sucked in until you can't wait to read the next book and you don't want to be sitting there having invested a good 10-12 months reading only to be robbed of any sense of closure. Trust me.

    If I hear anything about the final book, I'll pass the news on to you.