Names

Photo: FBC Jax Watchdogs

What's in a name? Names can have different meanings to different people.

There has been recent "discussion" - or should I say it's pretty much a done deal regardless of what "discussion" takes place - in axing the "Baptist" part of my church, Grey Stone's, name.

I do not agree with this at all.

I understand the name "Baptist" has been dragged through the mud - Westboro Baptist Church need I say more? I get that people have turned against the Baptist church for its few rotten apples. But the fact of the matter is there will always be people with these negative opinions regardless of whether you get rid of "Baptist" or change your church's name to "Big Dave's Praisin' Center."

Grey Stone Baptist Church is all I've ever known. I've been going to that church since I was in diapers. Even though Grey Stone has changed drastically - and I mean drastically - over the years the name is a part of our community and our identity as is with any other church's name.

I've heard time and again that the church is not going non-denominational although the name change suggests that. Grey Stone will apparently keep everything the same - association with the Southern Baptist Convention, etc. - just with the different name of course. 

But I take issue with other churches and, yes, even my own church, for doing this because it seems like they're shying away from their true identities. Don't get me wrong, I'm a 20-something, college student and I applaud modernization wholeheartedly. But some things need to be left alone. This is one of those things.

Let me ask you this: should we change the name of Christianity?

Popular Christian blogger and motivational speaker, Jon Acuff, wrote an article that speaks volumes to just a fraction of the opinions people have about the Christian faith. The article described a time where he was on a plane and got to talking to this woman. He mentioned faith to her and she was taken aback to find out he was a Christian because he wasn't "judgmental enough" to be so. 

That's what I'm saying. There are many people who take issue with the Christian religion itself, let alone the Baptist denomination. Will we ever change the name of Christianity because of similar negative opinions about the religion as a whole just to add a few people to our church rosters? Not a chance.

My fellow church members can call it what they want but, as far as I'm concerned, I go to Grey Stone Baptist Church.

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On Paula Deen

Photo: Paula Deen

I wasn't originally going to make a public comment on the Paula Deen situation but decided to type up just a few of my thoughts.

First off, I'll say that I do not condone anything she's admitted to doing as it pertains to using racial slurs.

I can only say that, we're all human. We all make mistakes. It's life. 

Being a widely-known public figure as Deen is, she should have been more careful with the words she chose. Despite that I feel, in a figurative sense, that she's been "tried, convicted and hanged" without really giving her side of the story.

I've gone through the same thing in my life - but mine was on a very different subject than Deen's. I've learned a lot from my experience of being "tried, convicted and hanged" without giving my side of the story. I learned who my real friends were and not to put everyone on a pedestal because they'll most likely disappoint you.

It's unfortunate what happened every way you look at it. Once again I do not support or condone Paula Deen's actions. I believe what she did was appalling. However, I do understand the crap she's going through before truly giving her side of the story. 

And that's all I'm saying.

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Review: Now You See Me

(L-R) Isla Fisher, Jess Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco | Photo: Summit Entertainment

Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo and Woody Harrelson are just a few of the household names you'll find in Now You See Me. But did the film impress? 

First a little background.

Director: Louis Leterrier

Writers: Ed Soloman (screenplay); Boaz Yakin and Richard Ricourt (screenplay and story)

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman

Rating: PG-13 for language, some action and sexual content. Parents Guide

Plot: Four magicians are mysteriously summoned to an obscure apartment and are formed into the biggest magic act the world has ever seen. The Four Horsemen, as they're called, climax their sold out Las Vegas show by staging a bank robbery apparently for real. This puts agents Dylan Rhodes of the FBI (Ruffalo) and Alma Dray of Interpol (Mélanie Laurent) on the case to catch them. 

But the case proves to be a tough one to solve, even with the help of professional illusion debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman), as it takes the agents on a cross-country excursion filled with twists and turns. In the end, you may be surprised to find out the truth behind The Four Horsemen's scheme.

Family Friendly? Not really. There's quite a bit of mature material in this film that would not be suitable for the entire family.

Should You See It? YES! This is a very well-done film. I'd be lying if I said the movie started off kind of slow. Despite that, Now You See Me does an amazing job of putting you right in the middle of the action. You ride along with the agents to try and figure out the motive behind The Four Horsemen's crimes while being wowed by the Horsemen's grand illusions.

But, as I teased in the plot write up, you'll be thrown for a loop when you find out who's really behind the scheme. That's what made this movie even more exciting! 

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NMM: Hanson

Photo: Hanson / Flickr

That's right, folks, the "MMMBop" boys are back...big time.

Hanson has returned with its first studio album in three years and even more assurance that the music has taken a more mature turn - I'd be lying if I said I didn't listen to "MMMBop" though. The new album is called Anthem and is, in my opinion, the best work Hanson has ever produced.

There is, honestly, not one song on the new album you won't enjoy listening to. Each of the 13 tracks has its own distinct identity and are beautifully crafted to fit that more mature pop/rock audience. The nice thing about this album is, even though it's geared toward a more mature listening audience, the songs are smooth, cool and will definitely impress all who listen to them.

No question this album should give Hanson a lot of awards buzz.

My personal favorite is the very first track, called "Fired Up" - have a listen!

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One Heck Of A Ride

UNC dogpiling after win against South Carolina to reach College World Series |  James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

I was hoping I wouldn't have to write this but here we go.

It's always upsetting to see your favorite team lose, especially when they've come so far. That's exactly how I feel about the UNC Baseball team as I'm writing this. 

After going through a lot of adversity to get there, the Heels made it back to Omaha for the College World Series. So close to the championship series, the team lost 4-1 to UCLA on Friday night. This loss actually hurts more than those two championship series losses to Oregon State a few years ago.

Why?

It just seemed like, of all the years UNC has been in Omaha, this was the year the team would finally win it all. 

Everything seemed to fall into place: a school record 59 wins - one shy of the NCAA record - a number one overall seed, coming back to defeat Florida Atlantic in the Regional and South Carolina in the Super Regional during the NCAA Tournament and then fighting through the loser's bracket in the World Series to get so close.

But it just didn't happen. The Heels are still without that elusive national title. Don't worry, though, the time is coming soon.

I'm not technically apart of this team but I've made so many memories with them. From sitting right behind UNC's dugout at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in that 14-inning thriller against Clemson during the ACC Tournament, to watching every second of the 18-inning game against N.C. State a day later, to watching this team deservedly win the ACC Championship in person, to meeting these players and coaches and wishing them good luck before the team departed for Omaha. 

Nothing beats seeing the excitement on my 86-year-old grandma's face when she got to meet Coach Jackson at that send off. The memories made this season far surpass any championship or trophy.

As far as I'm concerned these 2013 UNC Diamond Heels are national champions. Period.

Congrats to Coach Mike Fox and the rest of the players, coaches and staff on a great season and I can't wait to see what's in store for next season!

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Just Backwards

Photo: Sam Sabri / WP Central

I've been pretty outspoken since the debut of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox One gaming system but I guess I'm in the minority opinion. Well at least according to Xbox head Don Mattrick.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Mattrick explained the decision to not focus on backwards compatibility. According to Mattrick, only 5 percent of customers actually play older games on a new console, making it a "low priority." 

On a technical level the Xbox One will not be able to play older titles because of its newly structured processing system. I'm no tech guru but with all the other things the One can do - watching TV using voice recognition and Skyping others while playing seemed to be of particular focus - there's no way developers couldn't make it backwards compatible as well.  

Microsoft said it'll continue to sell the current Xbox 360 system and will continue to produce games for it. But, over time, we all know these games will become less and less exciting for consumers, indirectly forcing them to make the switch to the newer system and its games.

One thing's for sure, I will not be buying the Xbox One. I'm not spending another $400-$500 for a new system when the one I have now works just fine. I just got the newly-redesigned 360 this past Christmas and it still has that "fresh out of the box" smell. No need to let it go to waste. 

I've spent hundreds, most likely, thousands of dollars on games for my 360. I did the same for my original, first-gen Xbox system and now those games are worthless because they've never been playable on the 360. Every time a new gaming system comes out the older, perfectly fine, systems are worthless no matter what the big wigs say.

Mattrick said in his interview, "If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards." Well, Xbox I think you're just backwards. Period.

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Bull Durham: 25 Years Later

Photo: Bull Durham / Orion Pictures

Arguably the greatest baseball movie of all time, Bull Durham turned 25 on Saturday. 

The film, starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon, was released on June 15, 1988 and grossed over $50 million, surpassing its $9 million budget.

The movie put the Durham Bulls and the city of Durham, NC on the map. The Bulls team is still alive and well today and is the most storied minor league baseball franchise. The old Durham Athletic Park is still intact and serves as a constant reminder of the film that made Durham famous.

Although I - shamefully - have not seen the entire film from start to finish, I've seen enough of it to know that no other baseball film showcased a true behind the scenes look at the game as Bull Durham did.

The film has been revered as the best sports movie ever but actually didn't receive many accolades back in 1988. In fact, Bull Durham was nominated but didn't win an Oscar nor a Golden Globe. Other than that, the film received recognition from various critics.

Despite not winning the "big" awards, Bull Durham will forever be one of the best - if not the best - sports films of all time.

Here's one of my favorite scenes...

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