Ann Curry and Angelina Jolie

I almost met Angelina Jolie once. It was in Hollywood at the Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow premiere. She was dressed in this immaculate white evening gown looking every bit as glamorous as she does on TV. I was only a few feet away from her. I almost skipped the event all together because I didn't want to deal with the crazy crowds that premieres draw. I was on my way to my roommate's acting class performance on the other side of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland and I was really annoyed by all the people who blocked the sidewalk. But then I started thinking about a good friend back in Michigan who is completely intrigued by all things Angelina, so I decided that I should at least try to get a picture of her for him. Long story short, I used one of those CVS disposable cameras and the picture didn't come out the way I wanted it too. At least I got a semi-interesting story out of it.

But onto my real point for this post...

Ann Curry had this amazing interview with Angelina Jolie on Dateline this Wednesday about her upcoming movie A Mighty Heart, her friendship with Mariane Pearl and losing her mother earlier this year. Curry's interviewing skills continue to impress me. She's been one of my favorite journalists for a while now along with Lisa Ling and Chris Hansen. I'd be in journalism heaven if I got to work with them one day.

I'm really excited about A Mighty Heart, as most movies about journalists and social justice usually intrigue me. I watched Up Close and Personal last night and the scene when Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Tally Atwater, finds out that her husband died on assignment always gets me teary-eyed. I wonder if Mariane Pearl has seen that movie and if so, I imagine it hits a little too close to home. There's this other poignant scene when Tally is giving a speech about journalism and she says, "I'm only here to tell the story." That line lingered in my mind long after the movie was over and it got me thinking about that simple truth. As Christians, we're on this planet to tell the ultimate story about Jesus and His awesome love for all of humanity. There's an amazing beauty in our responsibility to this higher calling. Just like Tally finally understood and embraced the higher calling that comes with journalism, we as Christians must come to a similar understanding when it comes to evangelism. Some of us will die on assignment telling "the story" but as Mariane Pearl said in an article in Glamour Magazine, "the sense of purpose is bigger than the pain."

Two Eggs in a Skillet

How cool would it be to be in a rock band with your husband? I mean, isn't that every girl's dream to find a nice hot guy who loves Jesus and knows how to nail a guitar solo? Well, maybe not every girl, but it's still a pretty sweet dream.

I was watching this Christian music video show and they interviewed John and Korey Cooper of the rock band Skillet. They make music together, tour across the country and are proud parents. The couple talked about the mountains and valleys of married life in a way that seemed seasoned by wisdom and experience. They looked like a great match and I couldn't help but smile and take a moment to marvel at God's creation of marriage.

Skillet's new album Comatose is some of the best music I've heard from the Christian music scene so be sure to check out their website and myspace page to listen to their awesome song "Rebirthing".

And lastly, here's this interesting picture that I found of them on the web:


(I guess funky hairstyles and reflector pants does a marriage good)

Scriptures on marriage:

God said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion."

God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. The Man said, "Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! Name her Woman for she was made from Man."

Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.

(from Genesis 2:18 and Genesis 2:21-24, The Message Version)

8 Random Facts

I've been triple teamed with this quiz courtesy of Angela, Jason and Wayne so here are 8 random facts about me:

1. I folk dance.
2. I think vegetarian corn dogs are super, especially with loads of mustard on them.
3. Nutella rocks! I found out about this yummy treat when I moved to Boston.
4. I used to have a crush on Billy Ray Cyrus and a friend gave me a T-shirt with Billy Ray's face on it as a gag gift. It was the coolest.
5. I thought vampire and werewolf movies where silly until I saw Underworld on TV, now I'm a big fan of anything the producers create.
6. I saw Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry in person and yes, they really look that pretty.
7. I cried at the end of the last The Lord of Rings movie.
8. My favorite Oscar category is "Best Documentary Feature".

You guys requested randomness and you got it! If you want to join in on the randomness then post 8 random facts about yourself.

How to Lose a Playoff Series in 6 Games

Kate Hudson was cheering on the Golden State Warriors as they beat the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks last night. It was like Rocky going up against Appollo Creed. You couldn't help but applaud the underdog team as they played their hearts out and gave us one of best games I've ever seen in NBA history.

The Warriors haven't been in the playoffs in 13 years and the crowd was eating up every basket they scored. Baron Davis led the charge as he played through the pain of a pulled hamstring and attacked the paint. Stephen Jackson was relentless as he rained threes from the arch. Matt Barnes brought his aggressive defense. Al Harrington thrilled us with his massive slam dunks. Andris Biedrins stepped up and got some crucial rebounds. They were true warriors all-around. The final score was Warriors 111, Mavericks 86.

And that's how the Mavericks lost a playoff series in 6 games.

(photo from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)