Fostertribe

My Favorite FPS Computer Games

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:31:00 +0000

I know it has been a long time since I blogged about anything, and I know the following is even more off the beaten path from my normal subjects, but being a computer nerd who loves to play computer games, I thought I would post something along those lines.

When I first started gaming my favorite genre was real-time strategy games (RTS). Both the Command & Conquer and Red Alert series captivated me. Even though the genre continued to improve with some incredible games, such as Age of Empires 3, C&C 3, and Universe at War, I had played so much I think I was played out. Other than the occasional game that can pull me back in (Dawn of War, Company of Hereos), I think the sun has set for me and the RTS.

But the one genre that I never tire of is first-person shooters (FPS). I think I love the FPS because it is usually very easy to pick up, and you can always play even if you have a few minutes here and there. In the current state of my life I don't have the time to pour over a manual and invest hours in learning the intricacies of a game. Nor do I enjoy it when I haven't been able to play the game for a few days and have to relearn all the keystrokes and rules. With the FPS, if you've mastered WASD and the mouse, you're basically good to go.

But for me, the story is critical. An FPS without a deep story just isn't worth playing. It's like reading a book and being in it at the same time. (Notice I said "like", not "the same as". Nothing still beats a good book.)

With that being said, I thought I would list all the FPS's that I have played and completed. I've tried to list them in order of enjoyment:

System Shock 2
Half Life
Deus Ex (any game that uses quotes from G.K. Chesterton has to be near the top!)
Far Cry
Tron 2.0
Half Life 2 (and episodes 1 and 2)
Bioshock
Dark Messiah
Jedi Academy
Halo
Max Payne (listed last because technically it is a third-person shooter, bt it was a blast.)

Joke

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:13:00 +0000

A priest, a rabbi and a minister walk into a bar; the bartender says, "What is this, some kind of a joke?!"

Oh My

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:07:00 +0000

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was oing.

Jerry

Bible Software Reviews are complete!

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:30:00 +0000

It's finally done. After the initial release of my software reviews back in April, I have finally finished my roundup. Seven more reviews have been added to the original 13. In addition, I have linked to another 15 software packages with a short blurb and explanation on why each one wasn't included in my review (most of them fell outside of my specific inclusion criteria).

You can find the launch pad for the reviews here: Bible Software Review. A summary of the final scores are below (scale=1-5).

Now its time to go reintroduce myself to my family...

(Click on the product name to jump to an in-depth review of that product)

1.WORDsearch 8............4.0
2.The Word 3..............3.8
2.SwordSearcher 5.........3.8
4.Bible Explorer 4........3.7
5.PocketBible.............3.5
5.Logos 3.................3.5
7.e-Sword.................3.2
7.QuickVerse 2008.........3.2
9.Pradis 6................3.0
10.PC Study Bible.........2.8
11.Theophilos 3...........2.7
11.La Parola..............2.7
13.BibleSpeak 4.0.........2.5
14.Alkitab Bible Study....2.3
15.The SWORD Project......2.2
16.Bible Pro 12...........2.0
16.SwordBible.............2.0
18.Bible Analyzer.........1.8
19.Online Bible...........1.6
20.Lightning Study Bible..1.3

Abortion is NOT a human right

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:48:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

On December 10th, pro-abortion groups will present petitions asking the United Nation's General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right. The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute created an alternate petition drive that calls for government to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting human life from the moment of conception to natural death. They need at least 100,000 signatures by December 10th, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Please go to the Website and sign the petition:

http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp

If you know anyone that would be interested in doing the same please email them a link to this blog entry.

Thanks.

SwordBible 5.3 Reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:06:00 +0000

They're falling left and right. With this review I have only four more to go and I'll be done. Yeah, right.

SwordBible 5.3 has been added to my Bible Software Review. Click on the product name to see the in-depth review.

SwordBible............2.0

BibleSpeak on the Review page

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:58:00 +0000

Bible Software that talks. What will they think of next? :)

BibleSpeak 4.0 has been added to my Bible Software Review. Click on the product name to see the in-depth review.

BibleSpeak............2.3

PC Study Bible reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:53:00 +0000

The next package that I have added to my Bible Software Review page is Biblesoft's PC Study Bible. Below is their score; click on the product name to see the in-depth review.

PC Study Bible............2.8

PocketBible reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:03:00 +0000

I received tremendous feedback for my review of 13 different Bible software packages. I thought I had pretty much hit them all. Little did I know! Over the course of the next month or two I was informed of at least a half dozen more Bible software products available for download or purchase. So I have made a commitment to add them to my list of reviews.

My original plan was to review the next six products and then release them all at once, just like I did with the first 13. But since it took me literally 3 months just to get the first one done, I felt that would not be fair or feasible. So, I will release them as I get each of them done.

The first one of the this 2nd batch is PocketBible for Windows, by Laridian Electronic Publishing. You can find the score below; click on the product name to see the in-depth review. You can also see my Bible Software Review page to see how it stacks up against the other Bible software products reviewed.

PocketBible............3.5

Hopefully I'll have the next one up in a couple weeks or so. God bless.

Whoa

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:08:00 +0000

Some of you may be familiar with the Extreme Prophetic web site, run by our favorite extreme prophet, Patricia King. Peruse through the web site for a bit, then watch this hilarious You Tube video. Make sure you watch to the end.

Jerry

How to Waste Your Theological Education

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:29:00 +0000

Derek Brown lists 45 things you can do to Waste Your Theological Education. But after reading this list I would suggest that most of them apply to all Christians, not just those who are involved in formal theological training. The list is very convicting; I would encourage you to read it.

Bible Software 1/3 Off

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sun, 25 May 2008 05:26:00 +0000

Family Christian Stores have a coupon for 33% off any item, including sales items. The coupon can be used online, or at a physical store. Since they carry Logos, WORDSearch, Bible Explorer, PC Study Bible, and Quick Verse, this may be your chance to pick up one of those products at a solid discount.

This is a Memorial Day special and can only be used on 5/26/2008.

Here is the coupon: 33% Off Coupon

Jerry

Fostertribe: Bible Software Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:47:00 +0000

The Ultimate Bible Software Application: Semi-Final Thoughts

Bible Software Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:26:00 +0000

It's done. Finally. Six months after I started, five months longer than I thought it would take, a full review on every single Bible software package available, with a couple noted exceptions.

I have been a fan of Bible software for many years. The right software can enhance your study, improve your teaching, and give you access to a library that would cost more than most of us could afford if we had to purchase the printed equivalents.

I thought it would be fun, and hopefully useful, to review all the available Bible software packages on the market, and provide information and opinion on which ones I thought were the best. While it was fun, it definitely was more work than I expected. So, at the very least I hope it is useful to someone.

Listed below are all the packages with their final overall score, on a scale of 1-5. For a detailed overview of individual scores in six different categories, an explanation of my review criteria, and why some products were skipped, please visit my Bible Software Review page.

(Click on the product name to jump to an in-depth review of that product)

1.WORDsearch 8............4.0
2.The Word 3..............3.8
2.SwordSearcher 5.........3.8
4.Bible Explorer 4........3.7
5.Logos 3.................3.5
6.e-Sword.................3.2
6.QuickVerse 2008.........3.2
8.Pradis 6................3.0
9.Theophilos 3............2.7
10.The SWORD Project......2.2
11.Bible Pro 12...........2.0
12.Online Bible...........1.6
13.Lightning Study Bible..1.3

I've learned you always make someone angry when you do software reviews, so whether you agree or disagree with my conclusions, please feel free to leave comments or send me an email.

Thanks!

The Light Keeper

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:27:00 +0000

I have a big post coming soon, something I have been working on for months. In the meantime, here is a poem recently written by my 12-year old daughter, Morgan. I thought it was pretty awesome.

The Light Keeper
Morgan Foster

I sit in the dark
There are no lights
I wander aimlessly
Stumbling around
Wherever I go, I gain no ground
Everything is black
No direction to go
I look around, but find no home
Off in the distance I see a light
I travel closer
The light gets bright
That is were I want to be
I know that is my home
I travel to this place
It is right
The light shines in my heart
No matter where I go there is no dark
I go back with a light to the dark place
And show the others the shining face
The Light Keeper will never leave me
When I am troubled he helps me
He gives me a path to travel
I work hard and I know
The Keeper Of The Light is strong, so
I keep on working
Shining my light
Awaiting the return of The Light Keeper

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:18:00 +0000

In reference to my previous post on the sick voyeuristic bent of our culture, I have two books on my reading list on this subject that may interest you as well:

Life: The Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality by Neal Gabler

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

Our society is sick

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:34:00 +0000

I grabbed this picture from an AP News story on the recent shootings at Northern Illinois University. I blurred the face of the victim in the photograph, not only because it was bloody, but simply out of respect for their privacy.

No such qualms for everyone else in the picture. As you can plainly see the three persons in front are all happily taking pictures of the victim with a cell phone or portable device of some sort.

I know much of what I do on this blog is ask questions, but good grief, for what awful reason would you be standing there snapping photos of the dead and wounded as they are loaded into emergency vehicles? Pictures for your college scrapbook? Something to reminisce about with the guys at your 20-year reunion? Recollections about "the good ole' days" with your grandkids? Perhaps it's just a way to inject some form of excitement into your mundane life?

I may not know the exact reasons, but I do know at the bottom of it is a sick enslavement to the voyeuristic video culture. I understand we all have "train wreck" mentality to some extent - we all take a look at the car crash as we drive by. But should I really want a permanent memo of someone else's suffering for my own gratification later? The inability to not video everything, no matter how disrespectful or grotesque, is a form of insanity, pure and simple.

I feel like I should type more, but words fail me.

Our churches are weak

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:13:00 +0000

Where are the voices Christendom when we need them? What do we do when those who form our society's view of Christ no longer speak a true or correct gospel? You'll notice one of the themes of this blog is frustration with a church that waters down the gospel. I have come across a number of recent examples that have put knots in my stomach. I'll let the quotes speak for themselves.

I have a book on my desk called The Writings of the New Testament by Luke Timothy Johnson. Johnson is a professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emory University. Johnson said recently,

"I think it important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witnessed to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us." First Things, Jan 2008.

He is appealing to the weight of his own experience over the timeless revelation of the admitted commands of Scripture. The way Johnson gets around this is to claim that Paul's writings on homosexuality and feminism was right for his time and his culture, but we have progress since then. One problem (among many) with that line of thinking, is just how do we ascertain which of Paul's commands, and on a bigger scale, the whole of Scripture, no longer have meaning for us today?

_____________________________________

Pastor Rick Warren, probably the most well-known protestant leader after the Rev. Billy Graham, was a guest last week on Sean Hannity's America on Fox News. Here is a chance very few people get, to share the gospel with millions of unbelievers. But here is his gospel.

"What it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ is to say, 'I give as much of myself as I understand, to as much of Jesus Christ as I understand, at that moment, and keep growing in it.'"

Huh? Sorry, I don't even know what that means! Now, I understand it is easy to criticize, I'm not the one on the hot seat being interviewed on Fox news. But, I think there are some basic Biblical concepts of what it means to be a follower of Christ that should be on the tongue of each pastor, nay, each of us. Peter tells us, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

Warren on Hannity

_____________________________________

A full critique of the Emerging Church movement is well outside the scope of this blog. Besides, many others have done it much better than myself. But suffice to say that much of the Emergent theology is hesitant to make claims about traditional views of the cross, hell, and atonement, choosing to concentrate more on the mystical, the social justice, and the cultural aspects of our faith. Brian McLaren is one of the pioneers of the Emergent movement. He had this to say on the dangers of the traditional theology of hell.

"[If the traditional view of hell is true,] God can’t forgive unless he punishes someone in place of the person he’s going to forgive. God doesn’t say to you, forgive your wife and then go kick the dog to vent your anger. God asks you to actually forgive. And there’s a certain sense that a common understanding of the atonement presents a God who is incapable of forgiving unless he kicks somebody else."

McLaren equates the substitutionary nature of Christ's death, the atonement, to kicking your dog to vent your anger. Wow.

McLaren on Hell

_____________________________________

Joel Osteen, is one of our current culture's most well known and prolific prosperity teachers. His two books, Your Best Life Now and Becoming a Better You have been runaway bestsellers. But his teaching can be relegated to the simple principle, "What can Christ do for me?". I don't actually have a quote from Osteen, like I do the other leaders highlighted in my post today, (do a Google search, you'll find plenty) but I do want to reference a post from A Little Leaven. It compares Joel's teachings with those who are being persecuted for the faith, such as Pastor Zaur Balaev, who was aressted in Azerbaijan for conducting an illegal service and sentenced to two years in prison. The blog ends with a great statement: "We thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for men like Pastor Zaur Balaev for their bravery and willingness to forego their 'best lives now' so that they can share the true Biblical gospel in countries where being a Christian guarantees persecution, suffering and even martyrdom." Amen.

_____________________________________

In the "Good-grief-is-there-any-line-we-won't-cross-to-be-culturally-relevant" department, is (ironically named) Relevant Church's recent challenge based on the fact that we're not having enough sex. Yup, you heard it right. Christ came to earth so that we could have sex more often. Here is the promotional website: The 30 Day Sex Challenge.

Hey, I'm all for a healthy sex life inside the boundaries of marriage. But is it too much to ask that we exhibit some tact and respect on the subject? Just because our culture has thrown off all restraint when it comes to the subject does not mean we need to follow suit. It is our job to be counter-cultural, not in bed with it, obvious pun notwithstanding.

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 04:39:00 +0000

Here is a video clip of the opening song in a recent "church service" at Buckhead Church in Georgia.

Now, if you're not familiar with the song, it's called Ladies and Gentleman, by the group Saliva. The band isn't Christian. They're not even remotely spiritual. The song doesn't have any lyrics that talk about seeking truth, or offer anything of value to think about. The actual video for the song itself consists of two bikini-clad women in a boxing match who do drugs between rounds. So, what does this have to do with church? Well, I'm sure there is some high theological bridge here that I'm missing, some obvious link to a culture soaked in nihilism that would make our church fathers proud. I've sat here for some time thinking about it, but it's not coming to me. Maybe you can help?

I'm becoming more and more alarmed at what is happening in America in the name of Jesus and under the auspices of His church. What is the price we pay to make the gospel "relevant?" A couple web sites counting that cost is A Little Leaven and CampOnThis.

Tim Tebow's testimony

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:11:00 +0000

As a rule, I hate all college teams from Florida - University of Miami, Florida State, and University of Florida. They have all struck me as arrogant and too full of themselves. So I watched with glee as Michigan laid down some smack on Florida in the Capital One bowl on January 1.

It is a good thing I didn't know the following about Tim Tebow (Quarterback for Florida) before I watched the game. I would have had a harder time rooting against him. The following clip is long, but you don't have to watch all of it to see what I'm talking about. What a class guy.

Cool Zip Code Map

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:28:00 +0000

I know all my fans have been wondering where I have been the last two months. But I assure both of you, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I have some very interesting news items that I plan to pontificate on in the near future. But in the meantime, I came across this really cool zip code map. "A cool zip code map?" you say. Yes, 'tis so.

Go to: Zipdecode

Click on the map and start typing a zip code. You can hit the backspace key to undo digits. Cool, heh? Sure, the fun lasts only slightly longer than a stick of Juicy Fruit, but I thought it was cool enough to pass along.

Later!

The Word

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:36:00 +0000

Wow. My goal with this blog was to write at least once a week, maybe every other week if I got busy. But that was assuming I would have something interesting to say. I am determined not to write just for the sake of seeing me write - there's enough drivel on the net these days without adding mine.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand. If you've read this blog or my personal web page you probably know I am a big fan of Bible software. I love to try them out, test them, and see what's new. I currently am using WORDSearch and Logos, two very fine packages. The smaller packages on the market actually seem to have better interfaces, but cannot match the available library and resources, nor do they usually offer many contemporary versions, as publishers don't usually work with the minnows in the pond.

But, I have to tell you about one such minnow - The Word. Someone who had read one of my Bible software overviews pointed out this package to me. I almost ignored it due to time constraints, but I'm glad I didn't. The Word is a feat of user intelligence smarts. I am completely enamored with the product. Too many Bible software packages make you conform to their strict interface paradigm, which nine times out of ten, is not exactly how you would use the software. The Word fixes all this - the interface is your servant, to be molded and conformed to your liking, all the while maximizing your study. If you have a wide-screen monitor you can fit an amazing number of constructs on your screen in a logical and consistent manner that does not feel cluttered.

There are so many nice touches throughout the product it's difficult to even start listing them. For instance, all verse references in the search results are colored either red or green, depending on whether the verse is in the OT or the NT. This might seem odd or unnecessary, but it works very nice in practice.

The only downside is the same for all single-author Bible software products out there - lack of modern versions and resources. While the standard public domain texts are all available (KJV, Strongs, Matthew Henry, Adam Clark, ISBE, etc.), it's a shame we can't have more in order to take advantage of this wonderful product. Hopefully the author will be able to convince some of the publishers to release their versions in The Word format, but it is difficult to imagine this happening and the product remaining free (yes, that is correct, The Word is free).

The author has created an import tool that will import e-Sword modules directly into The Word. This is very nice. Unfortunately, the author of e-Sword has password-protected most of his modules, even the ones that are in public domain. However, there are many e-Sword modules out there you can find and import. Additionally, the import tool is slated to handle other formats in the future, such as ThML, the document markup language specific for all the awesome resources at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Anyway, I can't recommend The Word enough. But this is important - make sure you download the Version 3 Beta product instead of Version 2. While it is beta, and you will therefore notice the occasional non-working feature or bug, V3 is so far ahead of V2 that I can't recommend V2 over V3 at all.

God bless.

Pachelbel Bedtime

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:40:00 +0000

You know, I'm not really a huge YouTube fan (hey, let's let people slap together amateur videos and throw them on a web page and we'll sell it to Google for $1.6 Billion! Yes, I'm jealous), especially the constant requests to go watch this or that video. Some of them are worth the time, most are not. This is one of the former. As the father of four, it goes straight to the heart, made me laugh and cry at the same time. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Bible Study Software Update

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:48:00 +0000

Some time ago I did a quick review of all the major free or cheap Bible Software packages available. That review is available here, and while many of my conclusions still apply, a number of things have changed since then. So, I decided to give a quick overview of the packages currently on my hard drive. There are also some specials going on at the moment that are worth looking into. Read on.

WORDSearch. I highly recommend WORDSearch. From my experience it has the best combination of price, library, usability, and speed. The interface is superb. The parallel Bible view, for instance, is the nicest of all the products I have used. And I really like the company behind the product - small, but very dedicated and passionate. However, it is light on original language tools, so take that into consideration if these are important.

Libronix (Logos). Logos is currently the market-share leader, and it is easy to see why. An excellent library of books combined with some great study tools, including excellent original-language products that are pretty hard to beat.

The downsides are numerous - a relatively clunky interface, slow searches, and expensive. Even if you don't spring for one of the super-expensive base collections, individual books and Bibles are still a pretty penny. For instance the NASB Bible is $50 in Logos, but only $15 in WORDSearch. The New American Commentary set is $500, but only $220 in WORDSearch. And so on.

But, here's a tip: Nelson Publishing has revamped their eBible line (which is based on Libronix). You can get eBible Deluxe, with a great startup library for $17. Add to that the NASB Library for $26 and you have a very compelling Libronix-based package for only $43 total. Then you can expand from there with just the books you need. To get these prices, go to the Rejoice Software site, scroll down to the Libronix section and look for:

eBible Deluxe Edition $16.95
NAS Electronic Bible Library Version 2 $25.95

You can also spring for the eBible Expanded for $60. To see the comparison chart for Deluxe versus Expanded, go here.

SwordSearcher. I really like SwordSearcher. Great product. It is the fastest Bible software I have ever used. It's search capabilities are awesome. However, it is KJV-only and also has very few contemporary works. Which means I hardly ever use it anymore.

Pradis 6.0. The proprietary software from Zondervan. Version 6 is very nice - crisp and usable interface, efficient use of screen space, decent library of Zondervan books. However, I am put off by the actual linkage between books. While books stay in sync as you search and scroll, the linking does not happen at the verse level, which causes some some frustratingly wasted time as I have to read through the text of linked books to find the corresponding entry for the verse I am on.

Also, although other Bibles are available, the software is very NIV-centric, which may or may not be good for you.

In any case, if you do want to try out Pradis, you can do so very cheaply right now. The engine is free, and a $25 coupon code is available for books. This gives you a base library at an inexpensive price. In fact, if you play your cards just right, you can get a few books and/or Bibles for under $25, effectively giving yourself a full product demo for free. Go here and register an account:
http://www.goavmod.com/ezondervan-pradis/

Then start shopping. At checkout, enter the following coupon code in the Source Code field for $25 off: AVZCS8

If you know me you know I am not a big fan of technology, especially when it takes away tried-and-true practices that have worked for hundreds of years. But Bible software can be a huge time-saver and I would strongly recommend taking the plunge if you haven't already.

Don't Raise a Jackass

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:47:00 +0000

If you are under 30 (or maybe even if you’re not), you are probably familiar with the Jackass phenomenon. The MTV show where a bunch of skater punk frat boys perform dangerous and obscene stunts has become wildly popular, spawning numerous videos and two full-length movies.

I have never had the “privilege” of actually watching one of the episodes or the movie, though I have seen a couple partial clips of the more tame events on TV, and have read stories detailing some of the other stunts. And if you are like me, you probably shake your head in wonder trying to figure out just what is the attraction.

Even though I will hit the “40” milestone this year, I don’t think of myself as out-of-touch. Maybe I’m giving myself too much credit, but I like to think I’m still “with it”, and can view life through an objective lens. But this? Sorry, I just don’t understand. I asked myself all the obvious questions - Is it a need for attention? Is it the natural extension to our culture’s obsession with video voyeurism? Or is it just a bunch of idiots with no clue to what it means to be funny, twisting the light-hearted premise of Alan Funt and Candid Camera into something mean and vicious.

I had actually started to resign myself to the fact that maybe, just maybe, I was starting down the road to irrelevance, the place we get to as we grow older where, no matter how hard we try, we just don’t understand that younger generation. It was then that I read an interview with Conn Iggulden, author of the book The Dangerous Book for Boys.

The Dangerous Book for Boys is an awesome piece of work. If you have not heard of it before, go to Amazon.com and take a look; the video on the page is a great introduction to what is inside its wonderful pages. Basically, the book celebrates everything that it means to be a boy. It encourages boys to build go-carts, hunt rabbits, learn about famous battles and adventures, and even how to treat girls. It teaches you how to build a tree house, what you can communicate with U.S. Naval flag codes, and what things are great for making invisible ink (you don’t want to know). It is a throwback to a not-so-distant era when boys were encouraged to be boys, not emasculated to fit into some liberal educator’s notion of political correctness. If you have boys, or ever were one yourself, buy this book.

Anyway, in this interview Iggulden was asked why he thought the book was such a big hit, being a runaway best-seller in England before recently being introduced on this side of the pond. He said:

I think we've become aware that the whole "health and safety" overprotective culture isn't doing our sons any favors. Boys need to learn about risk. They need to fall off things occasionally, or --and this is the important bit -- they'll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we don't end up with safer boys, we end up with them walking on train tracks.

I think he’s right. I have a son, and though my girls like to wrestle and do “boy stuff”, he approaches life with a completely different state of mind. He wants to battle, he wants to crash, he wants to jump, and hit, and run; he wants to live on the edge. And then it hit me – with that one sentence Iggulden answered all my questions about Jackass and its popularity. It all makes sense now. See, reactionary behavior is usually going to be directly proportional to the thing against which it is reacting. So when our culture strips away everything that it means to be a boy and does not value the process of becoming a man, when we take away everything that is fun because of perceived hazards, when we raise our boys to be ultra-careful, and to avoid calculated risk, we end up with a bunch of kids who will do absolutely anything to try and create the thrill associated with living out their God-given nature because it was not cultivated properly as they grew up.

When I was in high school, my friends and I would take our motorcycles out to the gravel pits behind our subdivision and jump those bikes like there was no tomorrow. We got pretty brave, and did some crazy aerobatics on those huge mounds of dirt. Sure, there was an element of danger in what we were doing. But we were careful (mostly), wore helmets, and practiced over and over. One day my dad came out to watch us. I think even he was taken aback by what he saw. But the only thing he said to me was, Son, don’t ever let you mother see you do this.” And with that statement my dad gave me his stamp of approval. That’s what I’m talking about.

So show your boys how to use a BB gun. Teach them to play football (or soccer I guess, if you really must). Buy them an old used dirt bike. Let them balance on the top beam on their backyard playset. Celebrate their boyness. And they just might grow up to be an emotionally healthy and balanced young man instead of a jackass.

Jerry