The Longest 88 Minutes of My Life

So I went to see the new Al Pacino movie, "88 Minutes", recently.

In addition to Pacino, it featured Amy Brenneman ("Judging Amy"), William Forsythe, Alicia Whitt, Leelee Sobieski and Neal McDonough. None of them are slouches, but this proves that even great actors can't salvage a 'sucky' script.

Pacino plays a Seattle pyschiatrist who receives a phone call telling him he has only 88 minutes to live. It could have been very effective if they had used a real-time, "24" kind of feel, counting down from "88" from the moment he received the call. For a man with apparently limited time on his hands, Pacino lives with no real sense of urgency after receiving the phone call. The whole thing was poorly written, overacted and slowly paced. Some things just don't add up.

And for the love of Mike, it seemed like half of the film's plot was delivered via cell phone conversations! What the heck did writers do for exposition before cell phones? Oh, I dunno...maybe they wrote credible dialogue for the actors to use while they actually INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER?

This film was easily 88 minutes too long and it was, by far, one of the worst Pacino movies I've ever seen. And I normally love Pacino. But this one stunk! Sorry, Al. It should have gone straight to DVD.

My advice? Stay away. You'll spend 108 minutes of your life and have nothing to show for it.

Injured.....Injured Bad

This kid makes me laugh. Check out this insurance commercial...

Can You Duet?

Two of my very good friends, Joey Martin and Rory Lee Feek, will be contestants (if that's the right word) on the new CMT reality show, "Can You Duet"? The show debuts this Monday, April 14, immediately following the 2008 CMT Music Awards. It will then air on Fridays at 8/7c.

They were one of 25 duets who made the show out of the more than 2,500 duets who auditioned.

The show, by the producers of 'American Idol', is designed to find country music's next great duo. Rory is one of the best songwriter's in Nashville (some of his hits include "Some Beach", "The Truth About Men", "Someone You Used to Know", "How Do You Get That Lonely" and "The Chain of Love") and Joey is one of the best country singers you'll ever hear!

I've had the privilege of playing guitar in Joey's band in the past. They have a great marriage, a compelling story and they are flat out some of the finest folks I've ever met. Please watch and cheer them on!

Clink here to watch their audition video.

13 Years in Heaven

This date always makes me a bit melancholy. Thirteen years ago today, my life changed dramatically when, at the age of 64, my dad traded this temporary 'tent' for his eternal home in heaven. I still miss him every day.

I've met a lot of people in my life who did not enjoy a good relationship with their earthly father. Thankfully, I've never been able to relate to that emotion because I had a very strong relationship with my dad (and my mom). That's not to say that we always saw eye to eye on everything or that I never gave him reason to worry. He was full of love for his family, common sense, country wisdom, laughter, a great provider, a wonderful example, gentle when appropriate, firm when necessary and always quick with a word of encouragement and support. I learned my greatest lessons about unconditional love from my dad. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he was a great man.

It's not overstating it to say he was one of the finest men I've ever known. In addition to being my parent, he was also a close friend. I was proud to have him stand with me as my best man at our wedding. I miss having him to consult when I have a big decision to make. I miss hearing him say, "I love you, son", at the close of every phone call. But I am most sorry that my girls are growing up with no memory of their "Pa Paw". I've assured them they will meet him one day in heaven and they'll have lots to talk about. My, how he loved his grandchildren.

I got my appreciation of country music from my dad. I remember riding around in his truck when I was a boy and listening to 8-track tapes of Don Williams, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. He would absolutely love the fact that we now live in Nashville.

Our twin girls were born roughly one month after dad went to heaven. The joy of their birth was tempered by the reality that he was missing from the celebration. At least I did get to tell him that we were having two more girls before he died. Although confined to a hospital bed and weak following a heart attack, he smiled when I told him.

They say time heals all wounds. I'm not sure about that one. At best, I think time helps you deal with that kind of loss, but I don't think you ever fully get over it....until heaven, that is.

I sure am looking forward to heaven.

Iron Man Trailer

of course, i can't wait to see 'the dark knight' this summer.....but i'm also excited about seeing this one. 'iron man' opens may 2.

It's Alive!

My good friend, Matt Sawyer, once told me the key to attracting repeat visits to your blog was to maintain frequent updates. True. Not many people have dropped by lately. Then again, I haven't posted in a while. Maybe that would explain this note I received recently from MY BLOG:

"Rob,
Hey, dude. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that I've missed you. I've noticed you've been spending a LOT more time with your MySpace page than with me. Was it something I did? Something I said? Something I didn't say? Aren't my pictures bright enough? Does my layout not thrill you anymore? Do my fonts bore you? I realize MySpace plays music and I am, afterall, only words on a page, but I can change...literally. I can become anything you want me to me. Just tell me what to do. Please come back".
~roblog

Ouch. Nice to be missed but it all seems a bit schizophrenic. You're right, roblog. I have been away, but I'm back. And I promise to spend more time with you in the weeks ahead...

Bunny Cake

We obviously know that Easter is all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, we also have a tradition of making a "bunny cake"...just because it's fun! Here is a photo of this years' cake, made by Lara and all three girls.

MySpace

i finally got my MySpace music page set up. drop by sometime. you can hear some demo's of some of my songs. here's the link: http://www.myspace.com/robharrisnashville

i've been slowly building a network of "friends". most of them are folks i know or would like to know. except for this one guy named "tom". he keeps sending me a friend request and i don't even know him. apparently, he does that to a lot of folks because i see him on the friend list of other myspacers. :)

Ladies of Idol

On an up note, I enjoyed hearing two songs by Heart tonight. Overall, I think the men of American Idol are much stronger than the ladies this year. My favorite tonight was the very first one -- Carly Smithson. Based solely on tonight's performance, I wouldn't be surprised if Amanda (the rock and roll nurse) is on her way back to Indiana this time tomorrow night. No one realled "wowed" me tonight.

Here is my opinion of the rest of the Season 7 cast:

• Alaina Whitaker - won't make it
  
• Aleandrea Lushington - Top 10
  
• Amanda Overmyer - won't make it
  
• Carly Smithson - right now, my favorite female. Will be in the Top 10.
  
• Brooke White - Top 10
  
• Chikezie - not long for this world
  
• Asia'h Epperson - i hope she makes it to the Top 10
  
• Danny Noriega - please go home
• David Archuleta - Definitely Top 10 and may win everything
  
• David Cook - I don't think he's nearly as good as he thinks he is
• Jason Yeager - won't make it
  
• Jason Castro - Top 10
  
• David Hernandez - don't care
  
• Joanne Borgella - Top 10
  
• Kady Malloy - Top 10
  
• Ramiele Malubay - Top 10
  
• Kristy Lee Cook - needs to go more country
• Luke Menard - a non-entity
• Robbie Carrico - I'm not a fan
• Syesha Mercado - Top 10
  
• Michael Johns - Top 10. Maybe Top 5. Looks like a cross between Michael Hutchins of INXS and Tim Daly.

Here are my picks for who goes home on Thursday: Amanda Overmyer, Alaina Whitaker, Luke Menard and, if there is any justice in the universe...Danny Noriega.

My Bologna Has a First Name - It's O-S-C-A-R

first, take a look at this classic commercial from 1973



my wife, lara, loves to watch the academy awards. i usually enjoy watching them, too, but for some reason, i wasn't very enthused about watching them this year. apparently, i wasn't alone. according to the latest nielsen ratings, sunday night's 80th Annual Academy Awards averaged only 29.16 million viewers...the lowest number for the awards since the modern ratings system was launched more than 30 years ago. (by comparison, last year's Oscar ceremonies averaged 40.17 million viewers.)

perhaps more and more folks share my conviction...they love movies but they have a growing disdain for hollywood.

anyway...we did watch this year's show. one of our favorite parts of the Oscar's is always the "in memoriam" segment, where they pay tribute to the actors and other prominent industry professionals who passed away in the last year. while this year's list included 98 movie industry people, bloggers have pointed out that Oscar left out several other noted actors in his list of the departed, including: Roy Scheider, Brad Renfro, Robert Goulet, Merv Griffin, Marcel Marceau, Tom Poston and Charles Nelson Reilly (source: imdb.com). a spokeswoman for the awards said that some actors died "too recently to be included". She added, "unfortunately we cannot include everyone."

let's see...Brad Renfro passed away too soon to be included? He died on january 15, yet Oscar found time to include Heath Ledger, who passed away on january 22. know what i say to that? BOLOGNA! nothing against Heath Ledger, mind you. i just think it's hypocritical to say that one celebrity died "too soon" to be included, then turn around and include another celebrity who died AFTER that celebrity.

but Oscar left at least one other person off his list.

he was veteran character actor, Charles Lane, who died at the age of 102 at his home in July. since Oscar omitted mr. lane from his list, i thought i'd include him on mine. don't remember him? according to the new york times, NO ONE appeared in more movies and mr. lane himself was said to be unsure of the exact total. In 1933 alone, he made 23 films, and from then through 1947 he appeared in at least 200 more. “When I get in the car, turn the switch and start home, I forget all about them,” he told the New York Times in 1947. during his heyday (and Hollywood’s), he would work from 9 to 5 at whatever studio he was booked for (he worked for many, if not all of them), then he would drive home to Pasadena, to his wife and two children.

Charles Gerstle Levison was born Jan. 26, 1905, in San Francisco and and was actually one of the last survivors of that city's famous 1906 earthquake. he changed his name to Lane at his agent's suggestion. he was one of the very first members of the screen actor's guild.

mr. lane’s wife, Ruth, whom he married in 1932, died in 2002. They were married for 70 years! That alone is worthy of a special tribute! You simply don't hear of that very often, ESPECIALLY in hollywood where most marriages are lucky to last 70 days! (Although, granted...not many people live to be 102).

starting in the 1950s, mr. lane also became a familiar presence on television. over the years, he made guest appearances on series like “Perry Mason,” “The Twilight Zone” and “The Munsters.” He had recurring roles on "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Bewitched", "Maverick" and as the penny-pinching railroad executive, Homer Bedloe, on “Petticoat Junction”. he was a frequent guest on “I Love Lucy” and appeared in one of that series’ most-watched episodes, the birth of Little Ricky, in 1953.

still can't picture him? maybe these will help.

Charles Lane around 1947

At age 100

some directors sought him out. he appeared in no fewer than nine films directed by Frank Capra, including "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", “You Can’t Take It With You” (which Mr. Lane said was his favorite role. Incidentally, "You Can't Take It With You" won the Oscar for best motion picture in 1938), and "It's a Wonderful Life" (one of my all-time favorites). It was his character who told Mr. Potter, "one of these days this bright young man is going to be asking George Bailey for a job."

despite his numerous roles, mr. lane never received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. instead of Oscars, golf trophies lined the shelves of his home.

on the occasion of mr. lane's 100th birthday, reporters noticed a framed letter from frank capra, who died in 1991. "I am sure that everyone in the theatrical world has someone that he can lean on and use as a crutch whenever stories and scenes threaten to fall apart," Capra wrote. "Well, Charlie, you've been my number one crutch."

i wrote a letter to mr. lane last year, but i'm sure he didn't frame it. i asked for his autograph on a christmas card from "it's a wonderful life". he was gracious enough to fill my request. here it is.

he also signed another card for our three girls. those momentos are now cherished possessions.

Just before his death he was working on a documentary on his long career entitled "You Know the Face".

appeared in more movies than anyone else? no star on the walk of fame? married to the same woman for 70 years? not one academy award nomination for one of the longest careers in the history of cinema? c'mon, Oscar...you simply "cannot include everyone?"

bologna!

My Wild Oats

i stopped by Wild Oats marketplace (a natural food store) yesterday to pick up one hard-to-find item. it cracks me up to read the bumper stickers on cars in their parking lot. am i at a grocery store or an al gore rally? either way, i always feel like i don't belong there. i'm there so infrequently, i feel like everyone is looking at me thinking, "just another middle aged guy taking a weak stab at getting healthy". they can sense i'm an outsider because i'm never at any of their meetings. i swear i get a contact buzz every time i set foot in that place. i don't know if it's the "natural" cologne worn by some of the clientele, the aroma of the natural foods or the faint smell of hemp that hangs in the air. maybe it's a combination of all of them. either way, i always leave there feeling a stronger connection to "mother earth" and a bad case of the munchies.

maybe i'll disclose why i went to Wild Oats in a future post.

then i stopped by Sam's to pick up something we needed for dinner. there are two reasons i went to Sam's: 1) they had the exact item we needed, and 2) they are always giving away food samples. scratch that. maybe i should say, they are usually giving away food samples. not today. i walked up and down the aisles of the frozen food section hoping to score a fresh biscuit or some chicken on a toothpick, but i found nothing. no little old ladies manning their convection ovens. i mean, c'mon...if i pay $40 a year to shop there, the least they can do is offer me a free mini egg roll while i shop.

note to self: never visit Sam's immediately after going to Wild Oats. it'll only disappoint.

Update on Phil Eagling

here's another email we received this morning from Phil's wife, Sharon. keep praying...

"I'd like to thank you all for the emails and the prayers and encouragement. Philip is still in the hospital they finally got him a bed in a ward at 10pm last night [after more than a day in the ER] so he did get some rest. They have basically ruled out a heart problem but are going to do a stress test on him probably tomorrow. He is having problems with his diabetes so they are trying to get it under control with an insulin infusion and then hopefully he can go back onto pills and better control of his diet. I'm still not sure how long he will be in the hospital and he is anxious to come home but I know he needs to get everything under control while he is in there once and for all. Savannah is missing her Dad like crazy, she was already stressing about a lot of things so this hasn't helped her any. We thank you all for your prayers and the outpouring of love you have shown us."

God Bless,

Sharon, Philip and Savannah

American Idol Top 24

so much for more regular posts. almost eight weeks after it began, i'm still dealing with the residual effects of pneumonia. however, i am MUCH, MUCH better. it's weird, though...out of the blue, i'll have setbacks that last about a day, then they leave as suddenly and quickly as they appeared. i go back to the pulmonologist this friday for a follow up.

we're watching 'american idol' again this season. so far, the men look pretty strong. i wish josiah had made it into the top 24. i felt like he deserved a shot. tonight i liked jason castro, robbie carrico and michael johns. i also liked david archuleta. he's such a likeable guy. i hope danny noriega and McCheesy (chikezie) are the first to go!

please keep my friend, phil eagling (australia), in your prayers. we got word last night that his wife, sharon, had taken him to the hospital because he was having severe chest pains. no update yet but i'll keep you posted.

On the Mend

i went to a pulmonologist last friday -- one of the best in nashville. he gave me a very thorough exam and said that my condition is pretty common. he sees several people each month with my exact scenario. the pneumonia is gone from my lungs but i still have lingering after-effects (choughing, wheezing) from the damage to my lungs. my "bronchial tree" is still inflamed and very irritated. he said if we didn't treat it, it would eventually clear up on its own but it would take several months to do so. with the proper medication and lots of rest, it should heal much quicker. he put me on advair and albuterol and told me to take a week off from work. i've been on the medicine for five days now and i'm feeling better. although, my cough is back today for no apparent reason. it's a process. he wants to see me again in three weeks.

lara and i saw "the bucket list" recently. very good movie. yes, it's predictable and yes, it's emotional at times, but it's definitely worth seeing. i'll take this kind of movie over most of the junk hollywood cranks out any day. both nicholson and freeman turn in outstanding performances. if you want to see two actors at the top of their game and if you're interested in a moving story that causes you to get very introspective, go see it.

Happy Pneu Year

2008 has been rough on me so far. i've been sick since just after Christmas. What began as some kind of virus eventually turned into pneumonia. i went to the doctor three times in less than two weeks. i've been through breathing treatments and two rounds of antibiotics and steroids. the doc says it takes 10-14 days to get through pneumonia. i'm on day 25. it's frustrating to say the least. i haven't had a good, solid night's sleep in weeks because i'm either coughing like a 70 year-old three-pack-a-day-smoker, i can't breathe well or i'm waking up soaked in sweat thanks to the 'roids. steriods, that is. not the other kind. (although, i've had my bouts with the other kind and let me tell you, brother......it ain't pleasant. they can make you sweat, too. i know, i know.....too much info.) the steroids also messed up my voice as well as my internal thermostat.

anyway...i'll probably pay my doctor yet a fourth visit today in three weeks. i'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. i want to be able to breathe clearly again. this is actually the third time i've been sick in the last three months. needless to say, i feel pretty run down. ok...enough complaining. (would you like a little cheese with your 'whine', rob?)

i don't even know if anyone still reads this but if you do, i'd appreciate it if you'd toss up a prayer for me.

in addition to being sick, i've already had to make some tough and unpopular decisions this year within the worship ministry at church. i don't mind making tough decisions, particularly when i'm convinced it's the right thing to do and when i feel led by the Lord to do so. still...it isn't easy to make a call that disappoints some people. but i've learned over the years that the easy thing is rarely the right thing. it's all part of leadership.

oh, well. on to other things.

i have big hopes for this year. i didn't make any new year's resolutions, mainly because i know myself well enough to know i won't keep them. however, the beginning of a new year always causes me to get very introspective and evaluate changes i need to make in my life. i want to become the man i once dreamed of being. i've heard the definition of 'insanity' is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. it's that whole, "if you do what you've always done, then you'll be what you've always been" kind of thing. that pretty much sums up where i've been the last few years of my life. so, big changes are in order. actually, i'm already on my way and i'm making some progress, but i'm not prepared yet to open up about them here. i will in due time.

one of my goals is to be more honest and transparent this year. i've always tried to lead an honest life, but i want to be even more so this year. i cannot stomach inauthenticity -- especially in myself. i want to spend some incredible time with my wife and girls, get out of debt, study the bible more and most of all....i want to live a life absorbed in the Way of Christ. you'd think that would come easily for me, being a pastor. quite the opposite. sometimes i get weary of being a 'professional christian'. don't get me wrong...ministry has a great deal of joy but if you're not careful, it can bring seasons of cynicism. i have to constantly remind myself Who i'm doing it for.

i'd also like to write a few great songs this year -- and get a couple of them cut. i try to spend my days off writing songs and in the last couple of years, i've had the privilege of having songs on hold with Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton, Clay Walker, Jamie O'Neal, LoneStar, Randy Travis and VanZant. obviously, none of them ending up getting cut, but maybe that will change this year. i'm just grateful that some major artists have actually listened to some of my songs and liked them enough to throw them in the pile for consideration. i know if God wants it to happen, no one can stop it and if God doesn't want it to happen, nothing I do can force it. so, i'll just keep showing up and trusting Him to do whatever He wants. it's His deal, anyway.

i also plan to post a variety of things in the 'ol blog this year. maybe some articles about worship. maybe my thoughts, observations and ramblings about various topics. perhaps a confession or two. an occasional movie review or book recommendation. just keep checking back. i'll do my best to provide regular posts.

sounds like a resolution to me.

Mystery Angels

On Wednesday night, January 2, something surprising happened at the Harris house. Lara had taken the girls to youth group at church. I stayed home because I was sick so I laid on the couch and watched 'Law & Order'. Around 9:30 pm, our doorbell rang. At first, I thought it was the girls arriving back home. When they didn't come through the door, I got up to see who it was. Our front porch light was burned out so I couldn't see much of anything. Once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could tell that no one was there. Weird. (I did hear the doorbell, right?) Then I got a little nervous. I was convinced someone was trying to lure me out of the house so they could jump me. I looked outside again and noticed three bags sitting on the front stoop. I slowly opened the door and looked around. "Hello?" All quiet. "Helllloooo"? Still nothing. I brought the bags into the house and noticed that there was one bag for each of our girls. I knew that because each of the three bags had one of our girls' name on them. (I'm smart that way.)

Anyway...each bag was filled with several gifts. I stepped outside again and said, "If you can hear me...thank you!" No answer. I closed the door but kept looking out the window. I eventually saw a car drive slowly in front of our house then roll to a stop. Then I saw two shadowy figures run from the side of our house and climb into the car. I couldn't determine the make of the car or who the individuals were, but I appreciated the way they cared for our daughters.

When the girls got home, I told them the story and presented them with the bags. They were blown away as they opened gifts from the mall -- makeup, lip gloss, a journal, stationary set, lotion, earrings, perfume, etc. Each of them also received a beautiful blouse from American Eagle. Emily had asked for a very specific blouse from AE for Christmas, but we weren't able to get it. The amazing thing is, the blouse that Emily received in her bag was THE EXACT BLOUSE SHE HAD ASKED FOR! Isn't that cool? She cried very happy tears.

The bags also came with one of the sweetest notes we've ever seen. It encouraged the girls by telling them that God shines brightly through their lives.

Our girls have often tried to figure out who would have done such a wonderful thing for them. We've told them that whoever it was apparently wanted to remain anonymous. To this day, we have absolutely no idea who it was. The girls have chosen to believe it may have been angels.

It is my sincere hope that those mystery angels will read this post and know how much they blessed our girls that night. Or that maybe someone who knows who was responsible will read this and pass along our thanks for loving our sweet girls. They'll never forget it.

Gribble Stix

If you've read the posts about our recent trip to Australia, then you know that Eddie Gribble, one of the elders at the Thornton Church of Christ, handmade a couple of pairs of custom drumsticks for Jon Fletcher. Eddie also gave me a pair of handmade sticks -- a gift I will always cherish. The Sunday after we returned to the States (December 16), Jon played on the worship team at church. In honor of Eddie, Jon used the sticks Eddie gave him when he played for worship. After using them that day, the sticks were retired, never to be used again. Here's Jon playing with his one-of-a-kind sticks made by our friend in Australia, Eddie Gribble.

Using the hot rods

Batman - DK Theatrical Trailer/Posters

Check out the newest official trailer for the "The Dark Knight", opening in theaters July 18!

Here are some of the posters that have surfaced so far

Farewell, Fogelberg

Sad to hear that Dan Fogelberg passed away early this morning following a three-year battle with advanced prostate cancer. He was only 56. In case you're not familiar with him, he rose to fame in the late 70's/early 80's and pioneered the "soft rock" genre. One of his biggest hits was the acoustic ballad, "Longer". I was strongly influenced by his music and I sang several of his songs during my coffee house/restaurant singing days in college. "Leader of the Band", "Longer", "Run for the Roses", "There's a Place In the World for a Gambler" and "These Days" were regulars on my set list.

Here's an article reporting his passing

His official website posted this today:

Sunday, December 16

Dear friends,

Dan left us this morning at 6:00am . He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side. His strength, dignity, and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him.

Works of Art

Phil Eagling has taken up painting as a means of relaxing. His love of barns (especially red ones) is reflected in many of his recent works. I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of his paintings.

If you've read some earlier posts, you already know that Eddie is an incredible craftsman. He made a lot of the furniture in their home. During the open house, I snapped a couple of photos of things he's made. Check these out.
He even made the communion trays for the church. Aren't they beautiful?