Urban Onramps

• Finally, after 15 years of coming to New York, I went to the Museum of Natural History yesterday. You can take the C train up to 81st Street, and you don’t even have to leave the Subway station - you can enter the museum right off the train. It was me, Kafi, Sam, Micah, and Muslimah (Kafi’s mom, for those of you who don’t know). It’s a big old museum. No way we tried to see everything, or even a little bit of everything (how can you, with kids in tow?) We saw a lot of summer day camp children from church-run day camps - in fact, ALL of the day campers I saw were from Christian programs. Interesting. We went to the ocean life exhibit and the two big dinosaur rooms. They’ve got this sweet Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil display that will give you the chills if you imagine yourself in the clutches of its jaws.

• My wife is one of nine siblings. At last count, they have 18 university degrees among them. I married up.

• Right wingers have been making fun of this site for a few days now. They are currently calculating the results.

• Today we went to Coney Island today with both of Kafi’s parents and the kids. I scarfed down two Nathan’s hot dogs. Sam and I rode the bumper cars. Everything - everything - costs at least $2 to ride.

• I understand the logic of the legislators, but this just doesn’t seem right: Feeding homeless outlawed in Las Vegas.

• Commentator Cal Thomas says that “World Trade Center” is a world class movie. I did not expect this, since Oliver Stone is the director. According to the press packet about the movie, “…Oliver Stone is quoted as saying: “Although my politics and John and Will’s may be different, it didn’t matter; we all got along. I can make a movie about them and their experiences because they went through something that I can understand. Politics does not enter into it - it’s about courage and survival.” Thomas recommends both World Trade Center and United 93, a movie I did not see.

• Tonight Kafi and I watched “Super Size Me” by that Morlan Spurloch guy, the first time for both of us. We both liked it. The guy has a knack for film-making and story-telling.

• For about the 739th day in a row, my son Samuel received chemotherapy. Tonight I woke him at midnight (the posting time remains on West Coast time; I’m currently three hours ahead) to give him 1 1/2 tablets of 6mp. I mixed it witih grape juice. I also took him to the bathroom, in case he needed to go. Somehow Micah woke up and is clinging, with eyes wide open, to her mother’s bosom. I came back and washed out Sam’s plastic chemo syringe, making sure it’s ready for next time.

• I’ve been reading through 1 Samuel. First I loved the story of the Lord calling Samuel for the first time. Then I was interested in how Saul came to be anointed the king. Among his kingly details: he was tall! A head taller than others!. Then I tracked his relationship with David. The biblical narrative gets a bit disjointed at that point, or at least the chronology is off. But what impressed me was the number of times the writer(s) note that the Spirit of God was on someone, or not on someone, or sending evil spirits to oppress Saul. The Spirit is very active in the Old Testament.

• I did not know this: Evidently Salem Publishing now owns Youthworker Journal. I just wrote an article for YWJ, it’s in the current issue, which I guess I’ll see soon. Wow, Salem has evidently bought up a bunch of domains: Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, CCMmagazine.com, and XulonPress???

• Note to self: Lower your expectations for your birthday (July 28, if you must know). You have already received your Father’s Day, birthday, wedding anniversary exchange, and Christmas gift, that sweet video ipod you are lugging around…

• OK, I’ve delayed on this one, but I gotta say something: What The Heck Happened To That Cruise Ship That Rolled Over? The Washington Post says the ship will be back in circulation in a minute, despite the fact that they still don’t know what caused the ship to tip 15-20 degrees. And I just got off a Carnival cruise ship! Here’s what I think happened: (you be the judge as to whether I’ve watched too many movies), but I think someone up in the steering area did something stupid or accidental or reckless to cause the problem, like in some slapstick comedy where someone pushes the wrong button (think Bean).

• top 50 emerging church blogs: including “Doogie Howser did it, so why not me?”

• The president aces his NAACP speech: in center-left Slate.com. Things are apparently looking up for Bush ever since he was caught on tape using the s-word to describe Hezbollah’s provocations - all sorts of folks who typically hold Bush’s feet to the fire (like this guy) have expressed appreciation that he’s doing what he’s doing right now.

• Booking in advance: I just said yes to an invitation to speak at the Fresno Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast - in March 2007.

• Here’s Sam with one of his uncles, Amen:

This is the same uncle Amen who is one of Essence magazine’s 50 “Do Right Men,” tagline, “Who says a good single Black man is hard to find?” CHECK IT OUT. Amen is in great company. Others on the Essence list include Cory Booker, Harold Ford Jr., Jamie Foxx, Kevin Johnson, Tyler Perry - and Amen Ra Mashariki. Congratulations, Amen.