Photo Competition Update

Just wanted to give you a quick update on the State Fair photo competition. My picture is framed, wired, and ready to be sent over to the Fairgrounds next Friday, and judging will be from Oct. 11-13. I really hope I will win at least something this year for my photo. In my opinion, the photo I chose this go-round is much better than the one from last year. Photography nowadays focuses a lot on perspective and point of view. I think the point of view from which the photo is taken is pretty cool. Just in case you forgot, here's my entry...

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Legacy Center Update #1

Over the next few years, I will be posting updates on the big Legacy Center project at Grey Stone. On Sunday, we had a committee member make a presentation on the building, giving us important dates and info on events we will be holding before construction begins. We all received a nice folder packed with info on the project and even more renderings. Also included was info about our captial campaign and needed giving levels in order to have enough funds to move forward. Please be in prayer for us as we will officially begin collecting money November 14. Construction is set to begin April 2011 and pre-construction work could begin very soon, if all goes well. The new renderings are below (taken from the brochure we received Sunday)...

As we're going through this exciting time, we received some pretty surprising news as well. Our family life/pastoral care minister and (get this) our children's minister will both be leaving. Their last day is this Sunday. I'll be honest I was very upset and shocked by both announcements coming at a time of happiness for our church, but I was even more upset over the children's minister leaving because of everything we're doing with the Legacy Center. I thought maybe he would leave after everything was completed with the project, but this wasn't the case. I wish them well in their new ventures, but hate they'll miss out on this great project.

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Pack Sting The Jackets

NC State moved to 4-0 Saturday with a huge road win at Georgia Tech, 45-28. The Pack are now the only undefeated team in the ACC. Russell Wilson led the way in passing again with 333 yards while Mustafa Greene led in rushing with 84 yards. Even though they faced some adveristy in the game (like GT scoring 14 points in 50 seconds), they were simply too tough for the Ramblin' Wreck. I still can't believe that NC State is playing the way they are.

Now some are talking ACC Championship about the Pack. Of course, it is still early in the season, but this team is no joke. They have gotten quality wins on the road vs. UCF, at home aginst defending Big East champ Cincinatti, and now on the road against defending ACC champ Georgia Tech. Their next test is at home against struggling Virginia Tech next Saturday. It should definitely be a good one to watch.

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Not The Only One

I don't know if you guys remember, but I wrote a post soon after I was denied admssion from Carolina about if the college admissions process was fair and balanced. I have always thought that it was not fair and balanced, and I just now have found an article that backs this up. I'll get email newsletters periodically from My College Options about scholarships, etc. In this particular issue was an article entitled, "All's Fair In College Admissions" by Andrew Flagel, Dean of Admissions and Associate VP for Enrollment Development at George Mason University.

In the article, Flagel addresses the issue of fairness in college selection and provides some good examples to back up his points. He states that a university in the Midwest (name witheld) was caught sending emails which revealed "blatant influence by politicians in efforts to get unqualified students admitted." Flagel also attributes the unfairness to money issues. He concludes that, at least in the college admissions process, it is better to be rich than poor. He cites being rich as a way to get extra assistance whether it be tutoring, college essay help, things that most can't afford on a regular basis.

I decided to write about this to finally prove my position on this issue. After I published the post, I asked for you guys to vote if you thought the college process was fair. If my memory serves me right, a couple voted and said yes. Well, that's your opinion, but here is a pretty darn good example to prove my position on the issue. You know, I'm still bitter towards Carolina for not admitting me, but NC State has worked out so much for me (and I'm having more fun over here than I probably would have had over at UNC anyway).

P.S. You can read the full article here.

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Off To The Masquerade

Netflix, the popular movie rental service, spent what should have been its big debut in Canada apologizing to reporters. The company hired actors to act as ordinary, everyday people during a celebration up north. Here's the catch: the actors did interviews for reporters under false pretenses without the interviewers even knowing the difference. This sent outrage through the new outlets, leaving Netflix no choice but to apologize to the news reporters for their stunt. According to a spokeperson, the plan was only suppose to hype up the crowd for the arrival of Netflix's CEO and the company itself, but I think it only backfired on them. Not a great first impression, guys.

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Oh, College...

Since I haven't blogged about anything in a while, I decided to return with a post about my college experiences so far. You know, I've come to learn that college is truly a different world than back home. Even though I'm only 30 minutes or so away from my home, it's still like I'm in a different universe. For instance, I think this is the first time in my life that I haven't watched a whole bunch of TV. I'll watch a little in the when I'm in the dining hall eating and some at night in my suitemates' room but that's it. The rest of my time is spent on the computer, in class, or somewhere else.

Another difference is class itself. You have a lot more independence here than in high school. If you don't show up for class, tough luck. You are responsible for what you missed and how you will make it up. Now, the professors do setup parameters for absences and how many classes you can miss before you fail the course, but there's still a sense of freedom. Classes now are nice because you don't necessarily go until the end time. Once the professors are done, they're done. I know this week alone, I have gotten out of my classes anywhere from 5-10 minutes early. That may not seem like much for some, but it is for me!

Let's move on to the sights and sounds seen and heard here on campus. I basically have seen it all. People riding on skateboards, scooters, and, yes, even unicycles. Weird hair and clothes, people advertising and trying to give you free stuff. It's crazy! Just as an example, I was sitting in a lounge area in one of the lecture halls listening to two dudes debating political issues while I typed this out. It sounded like one was Republican and one was Democrat. I'm telling you, you really do see it all.

Despite all my strange findings and observations, college is an exciting place. There's at least one activity to do every night (whether it be hanging out with friends or a Campus Crusade Bible study) and there is really never a dull moment. I've been enjoying the time I've spent here so far and can't wait to see what's coming up next. I know, in a couple weeks, I'll probably not get so much time to do things like this because I'll be studying for midterms...oh boy!

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Roll Tide, Roll

Alabama rolled right into Wallace Wade and came out with a rout of Duke, 62-13. The crowd was right at about 40,000 (most of those being Tide fans) and the atmosphere was electric! Back when I was little, I went to about every Duke football home game with my grandparents (and pulled for the other team of course), and I don't think I've ever seen that many people at a Duke game before.

Although it was never really a game, I still had a blast seeing the #1 team in the nation (and the reigning Heisman winner) play. I took tons of pics and I even got to see Coach Saban and the team pretty up close as they went off the field. I had a great time watching this amazing team play in person!

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Smile...

You guys have probably heard of the saying, "Smile, your on candid camera." Well, another dumb criminal basically had the same thing happen to him in this week's Oops Award. Here it is: the guy robbed a convenience store near Detroit masked as Darth Vader. The man fled the scene after demanding cash from the clerk. Get this! Police said he made one huge mistake: he donned the mask while he was in the range of the surveillance camera, giving police a facial image of the man so they could catch him.

Police are still looking the guy, but I think they've got a good head start. Here's some advice (coming from a guy who'd never do this in the first place) be aware of your surroundings before you mask your face and rob someone!

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3-0 Baby

Well they did it. NC State pulled off another victory, this time against Cincinnati. Final score was 30-19 Wolfpack! Now the Pack are 3-0, which I honestly can't remember the last time they did this. Hopefully this is a good sign for the rest of the season! Like I mentioned, I will be going to the Duke vs. Alabama game on Saturday. Man, I'll get to witness another beat down. GO PACK!

P.S. Tonight's game was amazing. Not only was it on ESPN, but it was Military Appreciation Night and, during halftime, the Black Daggers Paratroopers landed right on the field. Oh and did I mention that military personnel had a huge American flag that spanned almost the entire football field? It was awesome!

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Bearcat Beatdown

This is Tuffy. No, she's not a real wolf,

but a member of the breed of dogs

called Tamaskans, which look a lot

like wolves.

Tonight, NC State will be taking on the defending Big East champs, Cincinnati. Both teams come in to the game having played twice, with the Wolfpack having a 2-0 record and the Bearcats 1-1. State won its season opener against FCS opponent Western Carolina, 48-7.

The Wolfpack then pulled off a big road win against Central Florida last weekend, 28-21. The Bearcats surprisingly fell in their season opener against Fresno State, 28-14; while having no trouble against Indiana State last weekend, winning 40-7.

It's going to be an awesome game, especially since it will be on ESPN. I am lucky because, in addition to the State game, I'm going to see Duke play #1 Alabama Saturday! I can't wait! GO PACK!!!

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At It Again

I can't believe it's already that time again, but I entered in this year's photo competition at the State Fair! I am pumped about this year because, unlike last year's entry this picture is bigger, better, and in color. As you may recall, my first year of exhibiting went alright. I mean, at least my picture got exhibited but I didn't win anything for it. I hope this year will be different. Of course, I would love to get first place and a blue ribbon like anyone else.

However, I know the competion will be even tougher this year because I'm in the amateur category. I believe this category is larger than the school category I was in last year. This means I have to step up my game and present a picture that stands above the rest not only in quality but in framing, size, etc. The higher category also means the prizes are so much better. First prize this year is $120 and, of course the coveted blue ribbon. Second gets $95, third $80, and honorable mentions get $55. Just as a comparison, here's the photo I used last year...

And here is this year's entry...

The pic above was taken in Times Square, New York from my trip this past March. As you can see, there's a big difference between the two. In fact, I tried something new with thw photo this year. I got it enlarged by Shutterfly, an online company where you simply upload any photo and order prints at very cheap prices. Let me tell you, they made the picture look even better than the one above! I think I have improved my photo picking skills somewhat. Seriously, I looked back on last year and continue to ask myself, "Why did I pick that picture?" Oh well, I invested quite a bit in this year's photo, so I hope it will pay off.

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What Are You 'Sinking' About?

This is a pretty funny commercial about a guy who needs to learn some English; and it gets my Oops Award for the week. Check it out!

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What A Disgrace

Signs outside of the Dove World Outreach Center in

Fla.where Quran burnings will take place.

I couldn't believe what I heard just the other day about a Florida pastor, named Terry Jones, who was going to lead a Quran burning on September 11th. He even said on ABC's "Nightline", "Jesus would not run around burning books, but I think he would burn [the Quran]." Not only is this stupid, it's utterly repulsive. First off, holding such an event on the annivesary of the terror attacks is plain un-American.

Is this the kind of message we want to send to the Islamic community: all we do in America is persecute and shame those who don't hold the same values as we do? That's simply not the American way! In addition, not every single Muslim in the world is a terrorist. The terrorists are a select group of individuals who choose extremism over the "normal" teachings of the Quran.

Secondly, what does this show about Christianity? It shows the continued judgement that we bring on others for their lifestyles, actions, what have you. No wonder many people don't join Christianity...our judgement is ridiculous. I'll be honest, I even pass judgement on others. We're all guilty of this. However, when you go as far as to burn a book revered by many as holy, it's crazy. Oh, and let me talk a little bit about his Jesus comment. Does he even read the Bible? At last check, Jesus never passes judgement on anyone and loves us all whether we're white, black, Asian, Jewish, Catholic, or even Muslim. It just makes me sick to my stomach that this pastor is representing the Christian church like this. Here's a passage in the Bible that Rev. Jones needs to keep in mind:

"Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love" 1 John 4:7-8

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To Da Left

I saw this video on YouTube and wanted to post it right here on the blog. It's a vid of a person in an Elmo costume doing the famous Cupid Shuffle. It's pretty funny so check it out...

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Going Crazy

I saw this story on Road Runner and just had to give it the award for this week. A concertgoer in Hamilton, Ohio (close to Cincinatti) named Forrest Frankenstein was arrested outside a Toby Keith concert for disorderly conduct and vandalism and "went crazy" afterwards. Frankenstein apparently threatened the cops and beat his head against a partition in the cruiser. When asked why he did what he did, Frankenstein said that he was drunk that night and really didn't remember a thing that happened.

This week, there is a double Oops on the same person: our man Frankenstein. First, his whole name in itself is an Oops. I know he didn't choose his name, but come on. I think someone could have done better than that. Secondly, going crazy at a concert when it seems like nothing really was happening is Oops #2 for him. Now, he's got a nice 'ol gash on his forehead. Too bad, Frankie. 

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Building A Legacy

This Sunday, Grey Stone will kick off it's "Building A Legacy" campaign in light of the construction of the Legacy Center. The Legacy Center is going to be a state-of-the-art building designed for the children's ministry and long running day care. In fact, as I may have said before, this will be the first time I have ever seen GSBC build a building! It's such an exciting time in the life of my church, so please be thinking about us and pray for us. Below are renderings of the new building...



Entrances and Site Plan



Lobby and Big City Studio (Kids' Sunday Worship)

Balcony and Classroom

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