North Carolina taxpayer money hard at work

Well unless you avoid all media and can't stand anything to do with sports, you've probably heard by now about the stunning defeat by my alma mater, Appalachian State University, over No. 5 ranked Michigan on Sept. 1st. App beat Michigan, 34-32, in an unprecedented move to become the first Division I FCS (I-AA) team to defeat an Associated Press-ranked Division I FBS (I-A) team ever! This eventually knocked Michigan out of the AP Top 25 Poll (which ASU is not eligible for) and deflated Michigan fans all over the country into becoming the target of many jokes and much ridicule. Especially considering that Michigan University paid Appalachian State a sum of $400,000 to travel up to Ann Arbor for the season opener. Ouch. (To get a recap of the game and read some hilarious comparisons between the schools - such as stadium size - check this article here.)
But now it appears the fans and media aren't the only ones poking fun at Michigan... check out this Senate Joint Resolution from the General Assembly of North Carolina. I'm not sure how many tax dollars this resolution took, but victory sure does feel good to brag about!

Facing the Giants

Last night for my birthday, my husband and I went to see a inspirational little film playing at our local movie theatre called "Facing the Giants." Now I wasn't incredibly excited about going to see a football movie on my birthday, but as it turned out, it was surprisingly good! This film was shot by a church in Albany, GA on one high-definition Panasonic Vericam Camera in a matter of six weeks with a two-week break midway through. They rented all of their production equipment and then edited the movie on an Apple PowerMac G-5 computer using Final Cut Pro HD software. I guess I'm just not too apt to expect a whole lot from "Christian" movies because there have been some cheezy ones released in the past which just tarnished the idea of a "good Christian film" in most moviegoers' minds. And while I don't expect this one to win any Oscars, as someone in the video field myself, the more I think about it what went into the making of this picture and the budget they raised, the all-volunteer cast, the realistic script, and the well-done camera angles and lighting... I'm just amazed that a CHURCH (read: volunteers) made this movie! I got a kick out of the 4,345,239 people listed in the credits under "Catering." Also, if you happen to be a fan of Third Day, Casting Crowns, Bebo Norman or contemporary Christian music in general, you'll enjoy the soundtrack. Anyway, if it happens to be playing in a theatre near you, I recommend you go check it out! Even though I'm not a big football fan, I actually enjoyed the games and, with a little help from my sports-fiend husband, understood what was going on! :-)

www.facingthegiants.com

Click above to watch the trailer (Click on "Launch Media Player.")