Cards Anyone?

The other day I gave you a few board game recommendations that are great family games and will be good Christmas gifts. Today, I want to give you a few card game ideas. Now I am not talking about poker, bridge, whist, or those type of games. I am talking about a growing number of games that happen to played with cards. But not just your typical playing cards. Specialty decks. Instead of Hoyle, think UNO! First up is Quiddler. Think of it as Scrabble with cards. You get a certain number of cards and you have to make words with those cards. Each of the cards has a letter and a point value and just like Scrabble, the harder the letter to use, the greater the value. So the "Q'" is worth 15 points and the "J" 12, but the "E' is 2 and the "N" is worth 5 points. It is pretty easy to learn and is a great game to teach the little ones to think. Next is Five Crowns. Think of this as Gin Rummy with a twist. Like an extra suit. That's right, along with all suits you know, add Stars. And wild cards. And jokers. You make runs in suit and groups of three of a kind. I have played this game with children who have never played cards in their lives and they were able to pick it up so I know it is kid friendly. A few notes on both of these games. They are inexpensive, easy to learn, and great games for fellowship because your play is not really dependent on the other players. This means you don't have to spend all night trying to concentrate on what everyone is doing and can talk, visit, and just have a good time with your friends or family. Both of these games are available from The Set Game Company. Finally, there is Wizard. This is a variation on a classic bid and take books type of card game. It is kind of like Whist and a lot of fun. For a group of four, you play 20 hands, or about an hour. This is not a kids game, however there is a junior edition. In Wizard, you do not need to be a card counter to be good, but a general knowledge of how to bid, take books, and manage a hand will make your life easier. You can get Wizard and more information from House of Cards. So there you have it. Each of these games will easily fit into those little stockings that'll soon be hanging on the mantle, bookcase, or some other strategic place in your home. If you are looking for some good family fun ideas while we all become owners of AIG, Citicorp, and General Motors, all of the games I have provided in my last two postings are great options. And they are a lot cheaper than 700 billion dollars. Enjoy!

Great Christmas Board Games

Some of my favorite times with my family are spent around a game table. It seems like a lost ritual in the American family, but it is alive and well in the Miller household. From Life to Clue to Monopoly, we've owned and played them all. Today I thought I would share a few of our current favorites, and one classic. They are all family friendly, pretty easy to master, and even after a number of times being played, remain fun. And they are infinitely quieter and, in my opinion, more fun than any video game around. First up is Ticket to Ride. We have the Germany edition. The basic premise is that you have to build a network of trains to criss-cross the country. There are a few different editions including the U.S. [Our first exposure to this series. Thanks Chris], Europe, and now Switzerland. A game with three or four people will take about an hour. You can get more info, or buy the game here. Next up is Carcassone. Players use tiles to build cities in the Medieval French city of Carcassone.You get points by controlling land, new cities, roads, and even monasteries. This is an easy game to learn and has a great balance of strategy and luck making it a good game for both young and old. For more info, or to buy, click here. Then there is Acquire. The object of this one is to build hotel chains that are bigger and worth more money than your competitors. If you want to teach the joys of capitalism, including stock ownerships and monopolistic practices, this is a great game, although it is tough to master. There is an element of chance inherent in Acquire, but this is a thinking game. A great game for young teenagers to play with the parents. You can acquire [pun intended] this great game from Funagain Games. Finally, the classic 60's type board game, Payday. You roll dice, go around a track, and do what the board tells you. Because you earn a salary, pay rent, and other bills, this game is also very real life. Now here is a real plus for people with young kids. You can limit the number of trips around the board if you only want to play for little bit before bedtime. Payday is available for under $15.00 at Boardgames.com. With the Christmas holidays upon us, all of these games are great gifts for the family and reasonably priced. Especially so if you consider how many times you will play the games. So now that you are stuffed to the gills with a great meal, and no doubt someone is thinking about shopping tomorrow, why not consider a board game or two. They are great ways to spend time with your kids, have a fantastic time, and not go broke. Believe me you won't be Sorry! Next up, a little post on some great card games.

Happy Thanksgiving

In this diverse, pluralistic place we call America, there really is no such thing as a typical Thanksgiving dinner any longer. I've had thanksgiving tamales made by a group of Japanese women & various stuffings made with prunes, sausage, Mrs. Cubbison's, Campbell's soup, apple sauce, and just about everything else. For some, it is a Honey Baked Ham. Others, the classic turkey. Some families have to have mashed potatoes, others mac and cheese. And then dessert. Pumpkin, sweet potato, mincemeat pies, or maybe that red jello stuff grandma always makes. And then a cheesecake... and some nog. Maybe even spiked. But whatever your fancy, take a few minutes over the next few days, and instead of rushing out to spend what little is left of your retirement, call someone in your family, tell 'em you love 'em and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. You'll feel better for it. In the mean time, here are a few funnies you might enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Oye, Felipe: A Letter to the President of Mexico

Dear President Calderón, You have to do something. Your country is coming apart at the seams and your fellow paisanos, if they have not already done so, are close to giving up. To you I will seem like just an average American or Norteamericano. But let me explain. I love Mexico. It has become my adopted country, a place that occupies my mind daily and where I spend almost half of my life. I have visited many of the top tourist locations in your great nation, but I have also seen it from the inside. Sitting and talking with people in small villages where most people from my country will never see. Places like San Martin Hidalgo, Cholula, Huahuapan de León, and Contepec, where I met Arturo Echieverria, the man who taught you many years ago how to ride a horse. You see, I work in your country. I give people from around the United States opportunities to help some of the poorest people in Mexico. And I make sure they get a chance to learn about and experience the rich culture and history that is part of Mexico. But Mr. President, you are losing your country. And your people. To drugs, violence, corruption, and perhaps indifference to you and your government. The common man in Mexico does not believe you can deal with these issues. They are giving up. Everyday brings us new headlines. Gun battles in Tijuana. Journalists becoming targets for trying to report on the drug wars. Decapitated bodies in the Yucatán. And border area police chiefs in more danger every day. These headlines are becoming the norm in every corner of your country and all seemingly under the nose of the various levels of the Mexican government and law enforcement. Your citizens do not have confidence in your government to end the violence, let alone stop the corruption that is threatening the very fabric of your great country. Using the army has not worked. The violence has increased. Over 4000 deaths in the drug war this year alone. It is time for new thinking. It seems, with the recent revelations about your former drug czar making a cool half million to look the other way, that the real battle is not against the narcos, it is really against the perception of your own citizens that these battles are pointless. Because the real criminals are firmly entrenched in all levels of the Mexican government and law enforcement. So Mr. President, what are you going to do?

A Killer Sandwich

Years ago I worked for Carl's Jr., at the time the largest privately held restaurant chain in the U.S. It was my first corporate type of job and my first week I had 6 hours. That translated into a whopping $10.80 before taxes. One of my favorite sandwiches there was a little something called the California Roast Beef Sandwich. It was made on a toasted bun with 3.5 ounces of thinly sliced roast beef, a slice of Ortega brand California chili, 1 tomato slice, and a slice of swiss cheese. Now we didn't make these up to order. We generally made them up twice a day, in the morning and again in the afternoon. Then through the wonders of technology, and something called a microwave oven, we heated them for 45 seconds when someone ordered one, and served them piping hot. Usually. At least that was the plan! Well back in the mid 80's, some marketing exec made the decision to discontinue this sandwich. It looks like a bad decision has been redeemed. According to the Fastfood Maven of the Orange County Register, Carl's is bringing the California Roast Beef back, at least in Southern California. So this is your chance. If you are in the area, stop by a Carl's Jr. and try one out. With a little barbecue sauce, they are amazing! Provecho!

Now This Shows Character

At a time when many talk about the unlimited greed of professional athletes, occasionally a story like this comes along. This one courtesy of ESPN. J.P Hayes says anyone else on the PGA Tour in his situation "would have done the same thing." During the second stage of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament last week in Texas, Hayes discovered that on two shots on one hole, he had unwittingly used a prototype golf ball not approved for competition by the United States Golf Association. No one would have known. And a full-time spot on the PGA Tour in 2009 was on the line. But Hayes, honoring the tradition of a game where the players police themselves, turned himself in and was disqualified. You can read the entire article here. Suffice to say, for anyone to admit a mistake when no will even be aware of that mistake, shows a lot of character. Thank you J.P. Hayes!

A Solution I Can Live With

Almost daily we hear the drumbeat out of Washington that we must do something about the U.S. auto industry. I confess that I am conflicted on this. Look, let's be honest. Big auto here is a dinosaur. They are slow to change, and like most institutions, resist it at every opportunity. While Nissan, nee Datsun and Toyota were busy building market share in the gas starved 70's, Detroit was still making inferior gas guzzling cars. Those early Corollas, B210's, and Celicas were just better cars. Better mileage, better quality, and at a better price. And it continues today. Does anyone really believe you can abuse an American car like those foreign models and it'll still run properly? I used to go almost 25,000 miles between oil changes on my 1986 Nissan truck. I sold it a few years back with over 280,000 miles on it. I doubt you could do that with any GM product. But that is beside the point. The US auto industry needs help. If we sit back and do nothing, thousands of workers could lose their jobs. It is said that over 10% of the US work force is connected to the auto industry. So here is my solution. Let's start with the 25 Billion issue. Face it Detroit, we're not just going to give it to you. Philosophically, we are against straight handouts to save failing businesses. But here is what we can do. We should give the poorest 5 million US taxpaying families a car voucher for $20,000.00. That's right. Just give the money to the taxpayers. So they can buy a new car. But only a car. Here is how it'll work. The voucher must be used to purchase a new American made car from either Ford, GM, Chrysler or their affiliates. To encourage fuel conservation the car must get at least 30 MPG based on EPA estimates. There are many choices, but one you might choose is the one of those new smart cars [pictured here actual size] that can fit in your purse. To qualify, the new owner(s) must also agree not to use the new car as collateral on a new loan. The objective here is to get money into the system, and stimulate the economy. By targeting this at the poorest folks, we can be sure there will be a need and the money will make its way back into the system. Now if you do the math, that puts our cost at about 100 billion dollars. With the upcoming stimulus the Dems will be pushing for in January, will be spending that money anyway. The bottom line is that whether we like it or not, we are gonna write the check. So since that is a given, let's get something out of it. The beauty here is that the American people can vote on the quality of Detroit with their wallets. If GM, Ford, and Chrysler products are as good as the Big 3 say they are, they'll do okay. If not, they had their chance, and we will still have put a gigantic stimulus into the economy. What are your thoughts? [ps. enjoy the new look and check out the new links]

Time Traveling

Ever take a trip back in time? When I was in Mexico City recently, I stayed at in a hotel in Coyoacan. If you have read my last post, you know this is a fairly eclectic area, frequented by the intelligentsia of the capital. Sometimes you never quite know what to expect from your hotel digs, especially when it is in another country. This time I was in for quite a surprise. It seemed as if I had entered some kind of Austin Powers "Yeah Baby" Formicaland from the 60's. Here are a couple of examples. The bar, television cabinet, desk, and drawers are all covered with the same ugly, or beautiful formica design [depending on your POV]. It was everywhere we looked. Except where all the mirrors were, which was on every wall. Jon, one of my good friends is pictured here in front of the bar. The highlight though was the bathroom. My first impression was the water. Now every hotel in Mexico gives you a couple of bottles of drinking water free, and this one was no different. But we did have a little something extra, mineral water. Very classy. And all in the bathroom as opposed to on the bar. But I have saved the best for last. Along with the toilet, the place also had a bidet. That's french for "privates washer." Complete with both hot and cold running, oops, bubbling water shooting up like a fountain. Muy impresionante! Not knowing the rules of this type of thing, of course I had to try it out. After taking off the seal of cleanliness and figuring out that it was best to sit facing the controls I... Well without giving you too much detail, let me just say, if you ever have a chance to experience one of these things, error on the side of cold!

A Little Bit of Venice... in Mexico

Every year with Adventures in Life Ministry, I have the chance to travel with some incredible young people who have made a decision in their lives to devote part of their year to serving Jesus and His people in Mexico. Most of their summer is spent getting up early, going to bed late, and putting their wants, and in many cases, needs, on hold so that others can experience what God has for them. At a time when we frequently hear complaints about the quality of young people, I can tell you from personal experience, that there are some great young folks ready to take the place of us old codgers. So... at the end of our time together, I try to make sure my team sees a little bit of Mexico that is not evident in the villages and areas in which we serve. I believe that seeing those other areas, some would call it sightseeing, are just as important in developing a well rounded world view of the people of Mexico, lest our participants get the mistaken impression that all of Mexico is a poor village or barrio. This year we finished up in Mexico City. A beast of a city with almost 30 million inhabitants. One of the places we got to experience was Xochimilco. This area of floating gardens is the Venice of Mexico. Except our gondolas are a little more colorful. The area is really an eclectic blend of stuff. As you are on a boat, you are sort of captive. To the food boats, the music boats, the souvenir boats, the Pepsi boats, the booze boats, and on and on. We had Mariachi music, great Mexican food, bought a few rugs, and otherwise had a great day on the water. All for around about $150.00, lunch included, for 10 people. The other place we went was the Mexico City Zoo in Chapultepec Park. I will just tell you, this zoo is great. And the price, free, is even better. But there were two highlights for me. One was getting to see the giraffes. I love these animals, perhaps because they look so majestic. The other highlight was the bird aviary. Now I have been in a few of these in the states, but this one was fantastic because of the variety of birds. Also, they limit the number of people allowed in the aviary to 20 at a time so as to keep human impact as low as possible while still allowing access. It is the only time in my life I have ever been so close to such beautiful birds. One of these is a toucan, but if you can identify the one on the right for me, I'd sure appreciate it. So if you ever find yourself in Mexico City, take a day and go to the zoo, and if you are really adventurous, get yourself out to Xochimilco. You'll have a great time, it won't break the bank, and you'll get to experience just a little of the incredible Mexican culture.

Back in the Day

Remember those dating days? Hangin' out with that special person you couldn't stop thinking about? Sitting in the car, listening to music and ... well you get the idea. Chelle and I started going out in October, 1976. You math whizzes out there will quickly figure out that means we have been together over 32 years. Music was and is an important part of our lives. We went to concerts together, listened to music, and probably spent way more money than we should have on the hot CD's of our day, or as they were known then, LP's. Those wonderful vinyl platters had such a warm sound on a good stereo that just cannot be captured in today's sanitized digital world. Here's a little bit of what we were listening to back in the late 70's. First up is Fleetwood Mac with Rumors. The biggest selling album back then. Next up is Linda Ronstadt with Simple Dreams. A lousy entertainer in concert, but Ronstadt possesses one of the purest voices I have ever heard. This album contained "Blue Bayou", but the highlight for me was her cover of the Stones "Tumbling Dice." George Benson gave us a little jazz. His Breezin' album was the first jazz album to ever be number one on the Billboard Chart. It is a shame most people today only hear his music on the the psuedo jazz stations that serve up so called smooth jazz. A little Stevland Morris, better known as Stevie Wonder. Songs in the Key of Life. Possibly the best album of the era. A classic double LP with more great music that anyone could've imagined. The amount of people who have covered songs from this album is incredible and continues today. And finally, Skin Tight from The Ohio Players. Complete with the best, lights out, makeout song of all time, "Heaven Must Be Like This." Hear it here! So these were big for us. What about you?

Socialism and the Gospel

Here are a few understandings of socialism gleaned from a variety of online sources including Wikipedia and Webster's: [It] refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian society. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. [It is] a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods or 2 a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately, perhaps in part because of the political races. Recently I decided to reread Karl Barth's lecture "Jesus Christ and the Movement for Social Justice" which was published in December of 1911. [Sorry, I was unable to find an online link.] Barth, best known for his commentary on Romans is probably the most influential theologian of the last 100 years. He defines socialism this way: Socialism is a movement from below to above. [It] is the movement of the economically dependent, of those who earn wages working for someone else, for a stranger; the movement of the proletariat, as literature calls it. In his lecture he talks a lot about private property, something one could find hard to square with Jesus' New Testament teachings. Barth also notes how Jesus invested his life personally in the poor, choosing to live amongst them, holding this out as a model for us to try and emulate. For another take, try this on from the "On Faith" pages of Newsweek, it is from Anthony M. Stevens Arroyo. The entire article can be found here. I was driving home when I heard on my car radio a minister say that "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" was a Looney-tune idea. I don't make a habit of speaking back to the radio, but I couldn't help but scream, "It's in the Bible!" Acts 2: 44-45 reads: "And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." Arroyo writes that Catholics should be pretty comfortable with chosen socialism, as opposed to forced. For me, I am trying to square what I see as a pretty strong biblical call towards socialism and an almost knee jerk reaction against it here in the United States. Perhaps it is because what we have seen as socialism globally are terrible attempts at living it out in a Gospel way. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A Personal Reaction

Tuesday night, November 4, 2008 will be a night I will forever remember. About 9:00pm the phone rang. It was my African American mother-in-law calling to ask what I thought. President-elect Barack Obama had just finished his speech. It was hard for me to talk. Because I could not stop crying. I told her I could not believe Barack had won. And she said, “I know, neither can I!” Before the Iowa primary, we had talked about the possibility of Obama winning the nomination from Hillary. When he won that night, I remember her asking me whether I though he had a chance. It was then that I saw something. A flash of hope in her eyes I had never seen in my 33 years of knowing her. It was the same look I saw in the eyes of thousands of people later that month when I went to an Obama rally in Las Vegas. In the eyes of Latinos, African Americans, Asians, young people, old folks, and people who look like me, just an ordinary white guy. There is no way I can explain the astonishment that I am feeling right now. Because now when my son has kids and one of my little grandchildren climbs up onto my lap and says one day he or she wants to be President of the United States of America, I can truthfully say, “Yes you can!” For another take, here is what James Manning at Peace on That had to say. Note to all. This will be my last post on the elections of 2008. I also will not be commenting on others blogs as they are related to current political events. We are now in a time of transition and I believe, as I have said in the past, that since Barack Obama has not taken office yet that we should keep our carping to ourselves. Nothing will be served at this point to belabor the facts, or indulge those who still want to hammer the supposed socialism of President elect Obama, or the presumed lack of intelligence of Sarah Palin. It is now time for us to try and come together as Americans of all stripes, hoping and praying for the best for both our current and future political leadership.

Is It possible?

"You might be wrong." Those are the words of columnist Susan Nielsen in her opinion piece published last week in the Portland Oregonian. I read the article yesterday in the Dallas Morning News. A blogging friend o' mine, Patrick, calls people Kool Aid drinkers if they fail to consider this possibility. I found the article intriguing just a few days before what has become the latest most important election in our lifetimes. So follow the link and let me know what you think. Beyond that, for anyone who cares, allow me a few words on tomorrows big event. We'll be fine! That's right. Fine. No matter who wins. If we decide we want to be. You see, that is the bigger decision we are going to face. Because about 50% of us Wednesday are going to wake up losers. And the response over the next few years of that group will do more to determine the fate of the presidency of either John McCain or Barack Obama. Our job in this democracy is to vote. And then support the winner. Yes you can be loyal opposition, but the constant sniping at every turn, from both parties, is not what I think our founding fathers had in mind. John McCain is not going to keep us at war for 100 years. Barack Obama is not going to make the White House a den of terrorists. Sarah Palin is not going to set up her trailer at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And Joe Biden is not going to gaffe us into some apocalyptic war. We'll be fine. So Tuesday, go vote. But remember, you might be wrong. [If you liked the caricatures, more of John Cox' work can be found here.]

It's Good to be Back!

Well I’m back, and it feels good to be home. I've been on the road almost three weeks. The first chunk of time was spent at the annual Fellowship of Short Term Mission Leaders in Atlanta. Each year about a hundred or so leaders in the field get together for fellowship, training, and trying to make sense of what God has in store for our various ministries over the coming months. It is one of the highlights of my year. Then it was on to Oaxaca, Mexico. This is where I am helping give leadership to a new 501(c)3 public benefit organization dedicated to helping Mexican farmers increase crop yields and water retention. We believe that if we are successful, families in one of the poorest regions of Mexico will be better able to support themselves and provide for their children over the long haul. After a week there, I spent two days in the Coyoacan area of Mexico City. This is my favorite part of the beast that is the capital city of Mexico. Charming, quaint, and full of character, it is where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived for many years. The picture below is the outside of their actual house in Coyoacan. I was there to perform a wedding ceremony for a former staff member of Adventures in Life Ministry, Dalia Castro. She was marrying a young man named Cesar and I was asked to be part of her special day. It was a real honor for me. And for those of you wondering, yes, I did the ceremony totally in Spanish. My final stop was 7 days on the beach with my wife and friends in Puerto Vallarta. Vallarta is the quintessential Mexican beach resort. Tropical weather, hotels with beaches, lots of pools, and low cost margaritas. What more could you ask for? So that’s it. Later today or tomorrow I’ll post on the upcoming elections. No endorsements, just some thoughts. In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of the typical late October sunsets for which Puerto Vallarta is famous. The first one is a silhouette of the Vallarta pirate ship, "Marigalante."