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	<title>Provoketive Magazine &#187; Ray Carroll</title>
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	<description>Provoking The Imagination With Conversation</description>
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		<title>New Reality Show Pitch: Church Rescue</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/05/08/new-reality-show-pitch-church-rescue/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=new-reality-show-pitch-church-rescue</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/05/08/new-reality-show-pitch-church-rescue/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I cannot stand reality television. Well, I take that back. There are a few shows I like. I can handle Storage Wars, Pawn Stars and Auction Hunters (before they added the pawn shop.) But my favorite show is Bar Rescue. On Spike Network’s Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer, nationally known bar expert, scouts out failing bars for weeks in advance, then goes in and tries to save them. Typically, an episode has him doing a lot of yelling at the management, questioning their motives, not allowing them to make excuses, and bringing in experts to show the kitchen and bartenders how awful they are. At the end, he rebuilds the bar, usually renames it and everything is better. Before the credits roll, they give an update telling how the bar is doing two months later. Typically, the bar follows the new changes and is saved. On a few occasions, the bar returns to its original theme and name and goes right back to doing terrible. I know, great stuff, right? Nice to know the bars of America are being saved. As I was watching the other day, I started thinking about our declining American churches. On top of that, I started... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Cassandra Parkin, “Lighter Shades of Grey&#8221; &#8211; Part Two</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/04/11/cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-two/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-two</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/04/11/cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-two/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8656</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[R: I was interested about your take on how the BDSM community was angry at the book. You said, “The whole point is that both parties are supposed to enjoy the act itself.” (Loc. 956, Kindle). Apparently, James got the BDSM part wrong as well. Have you had members of the BDSM community agree with you on this point? C: Actually, I have – both in public discussion, and in private conversations. The main themes I’ve seen are as follows: -          BDSM sex (like all consensual sex) isn’t about willfully imposing your needs and desires on another person. It’s about finding out what you both like, and then doing that together. -          Liking BDSM isn’t a sign of damage, and isn’t something that needs fixing. It’s just a preference. Some people like stamp-collecting, some people like gourmet cooking, some people like tying each other up during sex. As long as everyone’s happy, what’s the problem? -          Liking BDSM has nothing to do with being abusive towards your spouse. Christian telling Ana where she can go, who she can see, how she can dress, what she can eat, whether she can go to work, what she does with her money and... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Cassandra Parkin, “Lighter Shades of Grey&#8221; &#8211; Part One</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/04/10/cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-one/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-one</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/04/10/cassandra-parkin-lighter-shades-of-grey-part-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8646</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[E. L. James “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy has sold millions upon millions of books. Her success has been accredited to all sorts of things. She has critics as well as fans, an upcoming movie and just announced a book on writing tips. I was browsing Amazon recently and came across a work by Cassandra Parkin, “Lighter Shades of Grey: A (very) Critical Reader’s Guide to ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.” She also has companion novels for the other two works in the trilogy, “Fifty Shades Lighter: A (very) Critical Reader’s Guide to ‘Fifty Shades Darker” and “Lighter Shades Freed: A (very) Critical Reader’s Guide to ‘Fifty Shades Freed.’” I read a couple of reviews and noting its humor, I decided to give it a try for its unbeatable price of $2.99. I was not disappointed. Parkin takes James to task with biting sarcasm for her writing failures, but also uncovers some serious issues. Parkin recommends her book for several audiences. First, for those who enjoy the book so they can be aware of the arguments that will come their way as to why the book is so awful. Secondly, for those on the fence trying to decide whether or not... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Oh, Obama! Microchips! Gun Control! Is The End Near?</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/03/01/oh-obama-microchips-gun-control-is-the-end-near/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=oh-obama-microchips-gun-control-is-the-end-near</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/03/01/oh-obama-microchips-gun-control-is-the-end-near/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I enjoy living in rural Kentucky most of the time. Good people who are willing to jump at the chance to take care of you when you have a problem. People who care about one another. They smile and say &#8220;hello&#8221; at you, even if they don&#8217;t know you. They take pride in themselves and their work. It&#8217;s a lot like the town I grew up in Arkansas. I love small towns, people who love life and love their neighbors. Recently, there seems to be a growing outrage at the Obama administration and the direction it is headed in. Before the election, there seemed to be hope among people I knew that a new president would be elected and that would &#8220;fix&#8221; everything. That didn&#8217;t happen. I have to admit, I&#8217;m not the greatest fan of Facebook. But on my Facebook front page, there are an alarming number of posts on terrible things that appear to be happening. I thought I&#8217;d just ignore writing about it until now, but today, I couldn&#8217;t take it anymore. Let me state first that I&#8217;m not a Republican or Democrat. I&#8217;m a Libertarian. Moreover, I tend to care very less about the political things... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Fallen Pastors Can Be Restored: A Personal Tale, Part 2</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/01/25/fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-2/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-2</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/01/25/fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Justice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8221</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While I was writing my book about fallen pastors, I ran into a few pastors who had found a way to restore their ministry. I was dumbfounded. They had, amazingly enough, found a way back into the pastorate. I&#8217;m about to share some feelings I&#8217;ve never shared before. Thanks to a counselor I&#8217;ve been seeing, I don&#8217;t think I would have been able to articulate what I felt or am feeling now. Please, fasten your seat belt. My first thought was jealousy. I thought, &#8220;How come those guys get to go back to the pastorate? What makes them so special? I pulled my weight for eight years, had horrible tragedy come on me and then fell. I still have the gifts of a pastor, so why isn&#8217;t God putting me back into it?&#8220; I honestly didn&#8217;t understand it. And in the back of my mind were those people who had said, &#8220;Ray, God can still use you in ministry in some way.&#8220; Listen, I&#8217;d had enough of those people. You remember in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer when they go to the Land of Misfit Toys? I felt like a misfit toy. Like everyone was saying, &#8220;Ray, you&#8217;re a broken... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fallen Pastors Can Be Restored: A Personal Tale, Part 1</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2013/01/23/fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-1/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-1</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2013/01/23/fallen-pastors-can-be-restored-a-personal-tale-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Justice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8220</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was just four months after I had committed adultery and fallen from my pastorate. I was showing signs of &#8220;true repentance,&#8221; some thought. I was reaching out for help. What I was really doing was trying not to lose my mind. I didn&#8217;t have a friend in the world. Almost everyone had abandoned me, I was living in a tiny house miles away from my children and I hated myself. But part of me wanted to justify my actions. I wanted to defend myself. I wanted someone just to listen to me. I deserved to be listened to. I had listened to people in church whine and complain for eight years. I had been challenged to a fist fight, heard complaints about the most insignificant things, performed funerals, stood over the dying, done their weddings, held the hands of the sick, and preached the Word. Was a little understanding too much to ask? Of course, at that time, I was hardened in my sin. I hadn&#8217;t been humbled yet. I was still lashing out at other people instead of asking God for help. So I started making phone calls. I was asking questions like, &#8220;Why are people still angry... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>An Open Letter to Psy of &#8220;Gangnam Style&#8221;: &#8216;Merican Style</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2012/12/18/an-open-letter-to-psy-of-gangnam-style-merican-style/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=an-open-letter-to-psy-of-gangnam-style-merican-style</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2012/12/18/an-open-letter-to-psy-of-gangnam-style-merican-style/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Now]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a pretentious open letter for Psy, South Korean native and recent hit author of &#8220;Gangnam Style.&#8221; It was recently discovered that he launched an anti-American tirade back in 2002 during the Iraq war. Yeah. He&#8217;s been lapping up the limelight, so of course the media has to dig up some dirt on him. So I&#8217;m here to write him an open letter in the utmost sincerity I can muster telling him why he is such a terrible human being. I have the right to do this since I have never, ever, ever, ever committed a sin in my entire life. Yeah. (This is a satire warning.) So here is my open letter to Psy: Psy, First of all, this is an open letter. This is what people do when they have an issue with celebrities. They write open letters. They blog or write in an open fashion, spewing their outrage in an open manner so that everyone but the concerned party can see it. So, take that. I mean, Psy. How dare you. How dare you mess with us like that. Here we are using you for your 15 minutes of fame. We plucked your song out of... ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://provoketive.com/2012/12/18/an-open-letter-to-psy-of-gangnam-style-merican-style/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Charlie Brown vs. Everything Else</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2012/11/28/charlie-brown-vs-everything-else/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=charlie-brown-vs-everything-else</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2012/11/28/charlie-brown-vs-everything-else/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:12:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=8085</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once again, Charlie Brown&#8217;s Thanksgiving special outdrew other major programs including the X-Factor and Survivor. Why is that? The X-Factor is a great show. I&#8217;ve actually watched it. It&#8217;s a reality show where people compete with great talent to get to get noticed. Survivor? A long running show where people survive on an island. Both are great programming with good networking people behind them. How can a show that has been airing since the year I was born (1973) beat both of them out in the ratings? And most likely, A Charlie Brown Christmas will probably beat out most programs in that time slot as well. What&#8217;s up with Charlie Brown? Charles Schulz was the crafter of the cartoon and made it come to life with its simplicity in the comic strip. With characters like Lucy, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and others, they made the weekly and Sunday morning comics come to life. They were Americana. They have stood the test of time. Bring on reality television. They have heartwarming stories, success, drama and tension. They are the norm for today. But apparently, they cannot compete with a show from 1973 for some reason. I&#8217;m sure there are network executives... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Reality Television: What Is Wrong With Us?</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2012/10/11/reality-television-what-is-wrong-with-us/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=reality-television-what-is-wrong-with-us</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2012/10/11/reality-television-what-is-wrong-with-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=7801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve never liked reality television. I remember watching the movie, &#8220;The Truman Show.&#8221; I got a kick out of it. But I remember thinking, &#8220;What if someone did that?&#8221; Well, someone did. I&#8217;m too lazy to look back and see where reality television started, but I remember when Survivor came on. I watched a little of the first season. People jockeying for position to get the grand prize. Lying to each other. Being jerks on national television. Hey, it made for great ratings, who am I to judge? Let&#8217;s skip to today. We have all kinds of reality shows. Jersey Shore, Auction Hunters, Storage Wars, 19 Kids and Counting, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, 16 and Pregnant, Jackass, Four Weddings, Say Yes to the Dress, Cake Wars, Cupcake Wars, Big Brother, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Hoarders, Intervention, Hardcore Pawn, Miami Ink, Sister Wives, Toddlers and Tiaras, Ice Road Truckers, Whale Wars, Dog Whisperer, Deadliest Catch, several Amish shows, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, American Idol, X Factor, COPS, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Extreme Makeover, Trading Spaces, Pimp My Ride, What Not To Wear, The Biggest Loser, Duck Dynasty, Undercover Boss, blah blah blah blah and blah. I really don&#8217;t... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>I Didn&#8217;t Want To Write This Post. Gun Control.</title>
		<link>http://provoketive.com/2012/09/24/i-didnt-want-to-write-this-post-gun-control/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=i-didnt-want-to-write-this-post-gun-control</link>
		<comments>http://provoketive.com/2012/09/24/i-didnt-want-to-write-this-post-gun-control/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ray Carroll</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://provoketive.com/?p=7771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you know where I grew up? Arkansas. Laugh it up. Har-dee-har. &#8220;You married to your sister, Ray?&#8221; No. My cousin. But thanks for asking. In Arkansas, just like the current state I live in (Kentucky), guns are a huge part of life. The majority of gun use is by hunters who love to shoot ol&#8217; bambi between the ears every deer season. And duck hunting is huge. From what I understand, Duck Dynasty is a big show. I refuse to watch it. I live in it. Same reason I won&#8217;t watch most reality television. The Kentucky Turtle Man, housewives yelling at each other, Honey Boo Boo, COPS, Dirty Jobs, filthy hotels, Single Moms, and the what have you. Know why I don&#8217;t watch? All I have to do is cruise around in a forty minute radius and I can see it in stinking person. Do you know how many times I see people post on their Facebook page: &#8220;Got me a picture with the Kentucky Turtle Man! Highlight of my life!&#8221; Keep shooting for the stars, bro. Oh, in case you have no idea what I&#8217;m talking about and you&#8217;re living on an insulated coast: Anyway, what was I... ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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