The Man on the Train

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2008-02-13T11:57:00.008-05:00

On Thursday, February 14th a bunch of guys will walk out onto fields in Arizona and Florida to stretch, run, and play catch, which signifies the end of 3 1/2 cold, gray, dreary winter months and the beginning of a new season. Yes, this Thursday, pitchers and catchers are due to report to Spring training. The best quote I've read about this time of year (discovered on this excellent blog from the AJC's Braves beat writer) comes from a writer for the LA Times, Jim Murray: “Spring is the time of year when the ground thaws, trees bud, the income tax falls due — and everybody wins the pennant.” What could be better than the promise of warm weather, the world turning green again, fresh cut grass, warm breezes, hot dogs and cold beer at the ball field? And this is the one time when hope truly seems to have a footing. It doesn't matter what your team did last year, it's a whole new beginning. In the spirit of this, I will now delve a bit into my team, the Atlanta Braves, and give my predictions for the new year.

There were some notable losses over the off-season and some big gains. We'll have some fresh faces this year and, as always, there are question marks. As I did last year, I'll take a quick trip around the diamond and rank each area.

Starting Pitching: A

This is one area where question marks abound, and negative answers could lower that letter grade significantly. I, of course, am an optimist (see previous paragraph on hope). Starting pitching has been a sore area for teams all across baseball, so I don't think ranking the Braves staff near the top is a stretch. The biggest change to the staff this year is the signing of former Brave Tom Glavine from the Mets. This gives us three starters, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and Glavine, that have a good chance of giving over 600 innings combined. This is huge, as last year our bullpen was worn into the ground with our 3, 4, and 5 guys getting knocked around a lot and coming out of games early. If these top three guys (2 of which are over 40) can succeed in giving us innings, we'll be a lot better than last year. The end of the rotation is still another big question that will be decided in spring training. The last 2 spots will go to either Mike Hampton, Jair Jurrjens (new pitcher received in the Edgar Renteria trade from Detroit), or Chuck James. Hampton is a big question as he has been hurt and hasn't pitched an inning in 2 1/2 years. So, I've got to say he won't be in the rotation until he proves to me otherwise. Jurrjens is a very promising rookie pitcher, who if he continues what he's done in Detroit's farm system stands a very good chance of earning a spot. Finally, Chuck James who has done well the past two seasons, but has been rumored to not be at 100% this spring, will also have a good chance if healthy. We'll have to just see how it shakes out, but all in all we have a much-improved rotation over last year.

Relief Pitching: B

Rafael Soriano will start off the season in the closer's role and Braves fans hope that the hard throwing right-hander's performance resembles last year (with the exception of one homer happy month). Soriano loves the closer's role and thrives on the pressure. He's got an overpowering fastball and a mean look in his eyes. He's very competitive and is all business. Rounding out the bullpen for sure will be Peter Moylan, an Aussie side arm pitcher who was very impressive last season, Tyler Yates, Manny Acosta, and Will Ohman, a recent pick up from the Cubs who will be our left-handed set up man. Also, Mike Gonzalez should be back from surgery recovery around mid-season. If these guys resemble what they did last year, we should be in pretty good shape. Again, relief pitching is also a very sore area all around baseball, so having a few guys that have some promise is a good sign.

Infield: B+

The biggest move here came in the second half of last season with the trade for Mark Teixeira, which gave us an amazing bat and a gold glove first baseman. Not only do we get the offensive production from Teixeira (who in 54 games with Atlanta last year hit .317 with 17 HR), but also it forces pitchers to pitch to Chipper Jones, who bats ahead of Teixeira. These two guys, both switch hitters, are about the best 3-4 combo you could hope for in a line-up. At second, we have Kelly Johnson, who was very impressive last year in his first full year as a second baseman. Count on him to put up a good offensive line next year too. At shortstop we lost Edgar Renteria, which is a personal shame for me, as I always like him, and we will miss his bat and his leadership. In his place, though, is Yunel Escobar, an amazing young rookie who had a fantastic year last year in a platoon and back-up role. He was so impressive that the Braves were willing to trade Renteria and give Escobar the full time job. Expect big things from this kid. Behind the plate is Brian McCann, who despite playing hurt most of last year, put up good numbers for a catcher. He is generally ranked one of the best in baseball and I'd have to agree. Overall, we have a very strong infield. The relative youth at second and short is more than made up for with the experience at the corners.

Outfield: C

The biggest loss in the outfield is Andruw Jones. While it is a loss, it is no surprise. Everyone knew the Braves would not be able to afford the huge free agent contract that his agent the infamous Scott Boras would no doubt negotiate for him. The only glimmer of hope of retaining his services came because of the absolutely dismal season he had at the plate last season, barely rising above the Mendoza line (.200 batting average). Of course, that performance didn't stop him from signing a $36.2 million 2-year contract with the LA Dodgers, making him the 5th highest paid player in baseball based on average salary. I always liked Andruw and contend he is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game, but it's time to move on, that said... His replacement for next season is Mark Kotsay. He is a veteran centerfielder who has struggled as of late largely due to injuries. Hopeful fans project him to provide solid defense with around a .270 average (my thinking is that's a bit high, perhaps .255-.260) as a stopgap until the latest Braves phenom, Jordan Schafer, is ready. Most predict Schafer will be up in the bigs possibly by the end of the season, but certainly by 2009. If Kotsay can provide this stopgap, and offer his experience, then I say good move. In left will likely be a Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones platoon. I think Diaz has earned a right to play everyday, but Cox likes his platoons, and Brandon Jones has shown he's ready for the big league level. Should be solid offensive production here, with some added defense from Jones. Right field is the surest bet with Jeff Francoeur. His plate discipline has improved dramatically, which has raised his average, but slightly diminished his home run totals. I think that will change with experience. He's an excellent defensive right fielder with a canon for an arm. I love watching him gun down people at the plate from right field. Fun to watch. He's one of the new faces of the franchise and fans hope the Braves lock him in a long-term deal. A lot of questions with the outfield, but we do have some depth there which is good and will hopefully alleviate the loss of Andruw.

Summary

Like every year, I pick the Braves to finish first in the NL East and hopefully have enough steam to get back to the World Series. It's going to be tough, though, as the Mets still have an excellent team made better with the acquiring of Johan Santana in the offseason, who is pretty much agreed upon as the best pitcher in baseball. Plus, last year's division winners, the Phillies, are not to be counted out and have an excellent team again this year. It will be a tight race, which might just give the Braves the momentum they need to propel them through the playoffs. It's going to be a great year...bring on baseball and Go Braves!!

2007 Albums of the Year

2008-01-16T18:19:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year when best-of lists are made, argued over, and then forgotten. Perhaps I'm missing the party by a couple of weeks, but better late than never. This year, I decided to run down my top 5 favorite albums of 2007:

5. Son Volt - The Search

After a somber opening track, the album kicks into high gear with perhaps my favorite song of 2007: "The Picture". It's a great driving song and I often start car trips with it. The notable difference in this song, and other tracks on the album, from other Son Volt releases is the horn section. It adds a very nice layer to the fuzzed guitars and rock percussion and seems to be a step forward for Jay Farrar and the gang. Otherwise the album is your traditional Son Volt fare, though I have to say I think it's my favorite since the band's best, Trace. If you have an affinity for Son Volt at all, pick this one up.

4. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

Sam Beam's third full length album is another step forward in the songwriter's growing legacy. From the hushed tones of a man and his guitar on his first album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, Beam has graduated into lush rhythm's, textured melodies, and an arrangement of instruments in his latest. The laid back, almost not there vocals, and rich literary lyrics are still there, this time just set to a fuller backing music. While I love the adaptation Beam has made to his music, my favorite track, "Resurrection Fern", just happens to be the most reminiscent of his previous albums. All in all, a solid album that makes me excited to see what else will come from this brilliant musician and songwriter.

3. Beirut - Flying Club Cup

Every now and then you are introduced to a new band that instantly enters your own personal musical canon. Beirut is that band for 2007. Like Sam Beam to Iron & Wine, Beirut is the current musical project of 22 year old Zach Condon. Don't let the age fool you, though, the instrumentation, lyrics, and of course the deep, heartfelt vocals are mature beyond Condon's years. The music belies description, it's something that really just needs to be heard, but the best I can do is to practice a little imagination exercise...are you with me? Okay. Picture yourself in the 1940's in some country in Eastern Europe, it doesn't matter which one, just imagine the stereotype: the old buildings, the street cafe's, the well dressed citizens mulling the streets. Now picture a band of gypsies on the corner with accordions, ukuleles, mandolins, and glockenspiel's performing for tips on a Sunday afternoon. The songs range from the leisurely Sunday, to the drunken night before, to memories of days on the beach with a lost love from days gone by. It's a unique experience and a breath of fresh air. If you haven't heard this album, I strongly recommend it.

2. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Despite scoring a towering "Moby Quotient" (an equation designed to rate how big a "sell-out" a band becomes after selling a song to a corporation) when VW used the song "Either Way" in a recent commercial, I still think this is an amazing album and Wilco an amazing band. The amazing thing about Wilco is that they still maintain the hipster cred they did before. Which puts Jeff Tweedy alongside Thom Yorke from Radiohead in the "folks who transcend hipness" club. Sky Blue Sky is an excellent, beautiful, rocking album and further cements the band as one of my all time favorites. Tweedy made a solid rock record here, complete with rambling guitar solos. It's a departure from some of the sonic experiments of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born and hearkens back a bit to the early days of A.M. but more grown-up. This is a record that everyone can get into, and yet still it doesn't lose it's "cool-ness". High points: guitar solo on "Impossible Germany", lyrics on "What Light", and the sheer rocking beauty of "Side with Seeds". Check this one out.

1. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

What can I say? This is an amazing album. After much hype and anticipation after the band's excellent debut album, Funeral, this Canadian 7-piece transcended expectations. From the powerful organ running through "Intervention" (the band recorded with an actual full pipe organ in a church), to the low key title track, to the 80's-ish sounding "Keep the Car Running", the album keeps your interest from beginning to end. This one to put on during a long car trip and listen to the entire album. There is variety to the instrumentation, depth to the lyrics, and always a subtle yet strong hook to bring you back to the songs. A part of t he lyrics to "Windowsill" read "MTV, what have you done to me? / Save my soul, set me free". Whatever has been done by most of the music we trudge through, The Arcade Fire are doing their best to reverse it...perhaps not to "soul saving level", but they definitely help.

Photo Blog V

2007-09-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

An old shot of the fountain show at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. The best part of the fountain show are the random facts the loudspeaker will give on occasion. When I say random, I mean random. I don't remember exactly, but they're all along the lines of: "If you took all the bricks in the park, turned them into loaves of bread, and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out of them, it would provide lunch for all of Montanna's school children." They usually leave you looking at the people next to you and asking, "what?" Anyway, I like the shot, and it's a fun thing to check out if you're at the park in the summer.

Poem of the Day XVI

2007-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

September Twelfth, 2001
by X. J. Kennedy from The Lords of Misrule: Poems 1992-2001

Two caught on film who hurtle
from the eighty-second floor,
choosing between a fireball
and to jump holding hands,

aren't us. I wake beside you,
stretch, scratch, taste the air,
the incredible joy of coffee
and the morning light.

Alive, we open eyelids
on our pitiful share of time,
we bubbles rising and bursting
in a boiling pot.

© 2002 X. J. Kennedy

Photo Blog IV

2007-08-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

John Prine Video

2007-08-13T13:21:00.000-04:00

I've been a big John Prine fan for several years now, since I was first introduced to him in college (his music, that is). In fact, recently I was asked if I could fill any musicians shoes, who would it be. My answer was Prine. He's an excellent song writer, funny, laid back, and seems like the kind of guy you'd want to go grab a beer with. The below is a really great video I stumbled accross of Prine from back in the day playing my favorite song. He tells a really funny story of a fan misunderstanding the lyrics to the song he's playing. For the reference of those that don't know the song, the chorus, and misunderstood lyrics, are: "That's the way that the world goes 'round / you're up one day, the next you're down / it's a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown / that's the way that the world goes 'round". Just thought I'd share.

Photo Blog III

2007-08-04T22:41:00.001-04:00

Just to continue a theme... Friday night fireworks from a Braves game. Turned out pretty well, I think.

Trade Deadline Excitement

2007-07-31T19:33:00.000-04:00

So, I realize that baseball posts are fairly self-indulgent (as if blogging in general were not) because most of you folks that keep up with this blog couldn't care less (though there may be a couple out there who do), but I couldn't resist with the recent Braves happenings.

The Braves GM, John Schuerholz, resembled a kid at a baseball card show these past couple days before the trade deadline today. A recap of the moves made:

The big move was the acquisition of Mark Teixeira, a power hitting first baseman, from the Texas Rangers. He's not only a great bat but also a gold glove first baseman. First base has been the glaring weakness in the Braves lineup, and Teixeira is the best we could have gotten to fill that place. The Braves also got relief pitcher Ron Mahay. We had to give up a lot to get them: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz, which are the top three Braves prospects, as well as Matt Harrison and Beau Jones. I hate losing such great prospects, but that's all they are: prospects. There's no substitute for proven talent. This deal makes the Braves a contender NOW, and a big one. Teixeira now gives the Braves 4 potential 100 RBI guys, which is huge. It also puts a big bat behind the surging Chipper Jones to force pitchers to pitch to him. Right now he's got Andruw Jones behind him who has been struggling. There isn't a weak point in the lineup now.
The Braves also acquired relief pitcher Octavio Dotel from Kansas City for starting pitcher Kyle Davies. This is a great move in my mind, as Davies has been mediocre and Dotel has been an excellent relief pitcher. This along with the other trades gives the Braves the deepest bullpen in the National League.
Finally, the Braves got reliever Royce Ring from the Padres for Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup.

The only hole that the Braves didn't fill was that of another starting pitcher. There were efforts to get Bronson Arroyo from the Reds and either Jon Garland or Javier Vasquez from the White Sox, but these fell through. In my opinion, though, I don't think it's as big a deal since we got an extra big bat and solidified the bullpen. We've got John Smoltz and Tim Hudson as a big 1-2 punch at the start of the rotation, then Chuck James, Buddy Carlyle, and Jo-Jo Reyes, who have all been decent lately, and have faced most of their struggles in the late innings. Having depth in the pen allows Bobby to bring in relievers that much sooner and takes a lot of pressure off of the starters.

These moves put the Braves as the favorite to win the NL East and put them as great contenders for a World Series appearance. I'm excited to see what happens...stay tuned.

Photo Blog II

2007-07-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

A cold beer to the first person that can guess where this was taken. I really love this shot. It's been the wallpaper on my phone since it was taken.

Poem of the Day XV

2007-07-21T21:40:00.000-04:00

Nirvana
by Charles Bukowski from Run With the Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader

not much chance,
completely cut loose from
purpose,
he was a young man
riding a bus
through North Carolina
on the way to somewhere
and it began to snow
and the bus stopped
at a little cafe
in the hills
and the passengers
entered.
he sat at the counter
with the others,
he ordered and the
food arrived.
the meal was
particularly
good
and the
coffee.
the waitress was
unlike the women
he had
known.
she was unaffected,
there was a natural
humor which came
from her.
the fry cook said
crazy things.
the dishwasher
in back,
laughed, a good
clean
pleasant
laugh.
the young man watched
the snow through the
windows.
he wanted to stay
in that cafe
forever.
the curious feelings
wam through him
that everything
was
beautiful
there,
that it would always
stay beautiful
there.
then the bus driver
told the passengers
that it was time
to board.
the young man
thought, I'll just sit
here, I'll just stay
here.
but then
he rose and followed
the others into the
bus.
he found his seat
and looked at the cafe
through the bus
window.
then the bus moved
off, down a curve,
downward, out of
the hills.
the young man
looked straight
forward.
he heard the other
passengers
speaking
of other things,
or they were
reading
or
attempting to
sleep.
they had not
noticed
the
magic.
the young man
put his head to
one side,
closed his
eyes,
pretended to
sleep.
there was nothing
else to do-
just to listen to the
sound of the
engine,
the sound of the
tires
in the
snow.

© Charles Bukowski

Photo Blog I

2007-07-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

Several months ago I decided to check out the bar at the top of the Westin in Atlanta. For those that aren't familiar with it, it's one of those rotating restaurants that looks out on the city. This was one of the wall decorations. I looked up from my table and thought this was a great shot, especially since it most likely goes unnoticed as the feature presentation is, of course, the gorgeous view of downtown Atlanta. I love the lines in this photo, and the way the "IX" was captured so perfectly in the shadow.

Just Thought I'd Check In

2007-07-15T19:42:00.000-04:00

April, huh? Has it really been since the beginning of April since I last posted? That's what it looks like. Blogger doesn't lie. Sorry for the hiatus. I will offer no excuses, I mean, it's not like you pay for this. At any rate, it's nice to be back in action. I've got a new feature I'd like to add to The Man on the Train: Photo Blogs. I realized that I've taken some nice shots over the last year or two with my cell phone camera, so I thought I'd upload them and post them for the world to see. The quality isn't great, of course, but I love the spontaneity of it. You never know when you'll get one of those moments where the world aligns itself just right for a picture. I hope to continue to post photos as I take them. Perhaps I will also add digital camera photos as well, but my cell phone is always with me and usually yields more universally interesting pictures. Hopefully I can update a little more frequently, I've got a few old ones to post over time, so please stop by again. We'll sit, drink sweet tea, talk about old times, it'll be fun. Thanks to those of you who have been stopping by anyway. Heck, I've even gotten comments on months old posts. It's nice to know you're not alone in cyberspace. Until later...

Folk Tales II

2007-04-01T16:49:00.000-04:00

This next folk tale was a fun one to write. It comes from a song this time instead of a story. I first heard the song this story is based on a few years ago. Jerry Garcia and David Grisman put out a CD of traditional folk songs, one of which was "Oh, the Wind and Rain". Then, just recently, I heard the new Tom Wait's CD, which has a very similar song called "The Two Sisters". I searched for these online and found that this is a very popular song that has gone through many versions. You can find them here. For the story, I took my favorite parts of each of the versions and constructed a narrative. The story leant itself to having a song included, so you not only get a story, but an original song based on the same style as the folk songs. Hope you enjoy!

The Two Sisters

The candle flickered slowly, casting long shadows across the room. Even the flame seemed tired at this late hour, long past the time that the last horse had clopped down the cobblestone street outside. Inside his shop, by the candle light remaining, the luthier was putting the finishing touches on what had turned out to be a very strange, yet beautiful violin. The governor had commissioned it, and while the circumstances surrounding it were odd at best, Frederick was not one to refuse the governor, or turn down a handsome payment.

With the final string in place, Frederick brought the violin to his chin and lifted the bow. Suddenly he was not in his shop, but was transported outside to a sunny day. Memory that was not his flooded him and he began to play. The bow moved back in forth in a cadence that was not his own and his fingers fretted notes on the neck that were not his will. A song emerged, the melody beautiful and sad, the glistening of ice on a rose bush after a late frost, and he began to sing. The words filled his mouth and pushed for escape. When the song was over Frederick sat listening to the last note echo around his small shop as the room took shape around him again. He sat unable to move, as if waking from a deep sleep. He began to feel the wood of his chair, and then smelled the candle, and watched as it flickered out in a puff of smoke.

***

A gentle wind from the ocean blew as the two sisters sat on the rocks overlooking the harbor. They came here often to watch the boats, busy with commerce, unnoticing, going about the day’s business. Most were small fishing vessels, but often large three-masted schooners carrying freight from England would arrive. Slowly they would emerge over the horizon and arrive in the harbor with an air of a king. Usually the sisters would talk, or Kate would sing the many songs she had memorized, but when a schooner sailed in, Helen and Kate would stare in awe and wonder and watch silently the entire progression. This day, however, did not produce a large schooner, and so the sisters gathered their things and began to walk back home as the sun began to set.

“Ahoy there, fair maidens!” the call came from behind the sisters. They turned and giggled at the young man behind them, one foot on a rock, the other over his eyes as if he were looking from the bow of a boat.

“Hello!” Helen said with a warm smile.

“Johnny, what is it that you want, we are just heading home,” Kate said with a laugh.

“Only to speak with the two most beautiful sisters in town. May I escort you ladies home?”

“Of course,” Helen said, and offered her arm to Johnny. He looked at Kate, then took Helen’s arm. After a few steps he stopped.

“Wait, I just thought of something!” he exclaimed. He knelt and pulled a beaver cap out of his pack and handed it to Kate. “Here! I know how much you loved the stories of Davy Crockett, so I got this for you.” He handed it up to Kate from his knee.

“Oh! It’s lovely, thank you!” Kate said as she tried on the hat. “Helen, what do you think?”

“It’s very nice, Kate,” Helen said and then turned towards Johnny to offer her arm again, but he had turned and was walking beside Kate down the lane.

***

Helen stormed around the next morning as she prepared for the day. She consoled her self on the fact that it was just a beaver hat that Johnny had given to Kate.

“A children’s toy,” she thought, “I am the older sister, I’m sure he will be bringing me a far greater gift. Let Kate have her hat.”

A knock came at the door and Helen peered out the curtains and saw it was Johnny. “See, Helen, you were all worked up for nothing.”

Helen rushed to the front door, took a breath, and opened it.

“Why, Johnny, what a nice surprise, how are you?”

“Oh, fine, Helen, I’m fine…um, is Kate here?”

“Kate? Uh, yes, she is, why?”

“May I speak with her?”

Helen was furious. She turned and stormed up the stairs of the large house to Kate’s room. She knocked and entered. “Johnny’s here, he wants to see you.”

Kate, wearing the beaver hat, rushed down the stairs to the front door. Helen took up a post at the upstairs window and looked down from behind the curtains. The voices trailed up on the sea air.

“You’re wearing the hat!”

“Yes, I love it, it was a wonderful gift.”

“I’m glad you like it. I, um, have another for you…” Johnny trailed off as Kate looked on expectantly. He pulled from his pocket a small box. “It’s a ring…well, you would see that soon enough…I, well, just look at it…”

He handed the box to Kate who opened it and gasped.

“It’s a gold ring,” Johnny said, “I just got back from the Governor’s office, speaking with your father, and, well…”

Before Johnny could finish Kate said, “Yes” and hugged him. “I must tell Helen!”

Helen’s stomach turned, and she moved to sit in a chair near the window, clutching her fists so tight her nails dug into her skin. She breathed, hearing the footsteps of Kate coming down the hall, and tried to control herself. Kate burst into the room.

“Look! Johnny, he’s downstairs, and well, look!”

“That’s lovely,” Helen mustered, “I’m happy for you. Say, why don’t we take a walk by the river, down towards the boats and you can tell me all about it.”

“Yes, let’s go this afternoon.”

***

Helen sat all day becoming angrier and angrier. She had vicious thoughts, and cursed her sister, Johnny, the town, her father, the house, her room, the chair, and anything she could think of or see. It was not only unfair, it was against all nature and tradition. She, as the oldest, should be the first to wed, not her annoying younger sister. She was practically a child! Not mature and refined like herself. Her father should know this, Johnny should know this, they all should!

She knew that she could not be seen this angry, and so tried to calm herself, at least externally, before her afternoon walk. When the time came, Helen had a placid demeanor, especially considering the squall going on inside. The sisters walked along the river that flowed towards the ocean. Kate was talking at a rapid rate, describing every detail. She sang and skipped down the lane. Helen said little, but smiled and nodded. Finally, they came to a rock overlooking the river where they often sat and talked. Kate stood up on the edge, looked down the river, and took a long sigh of contentment. Helen could stand it no longer. She rushed at her sister and pushed her in the river.

Kate felt the icy water and struggled to swim as her dress floated up around her and got tangled in her arms. She got her head above water long enough to hear Helen yelling.

“He should be mine!” Helen yelled as her sister was caught in the current. Helen walked along the shore as Kate struggled to swim and stay afloat.

“Give me your hand, sister!” Kate called from the river. “Give me your hand and you can have anything you want! My inheritance! My things! Please give me your hand!”

“I do not want your things,” Helen sneered as she walked along the river, “but I will have your true love!”

Helen rushed off back towards the house as Kate sank and swam. She fell below the surface, grasped at branches, tried to swim towards shore, and finally gave in to the current.

***

The miller stood outside, taking a break, and admiring the beautiful day. He looked up river and saw a figure rushing towards him. Either a mermaid or a milk-white swan, he thought to himself as he grabbed his hook and ran to the shore. He reached in and fished the woman out of the water and pulled her up to the shore. He moved her wet blonde hair from her face and saw it was Kate, the governor’s daughter. He stood over her and bent down for a closer look, not believing his eyes, and started to pick her up when around the side of the house rode three soldiers.

“Stop there William!”

The miller looked up, letting the dead girl drop from his arms. Two of the soldiers came up to him and put him in cuffs.

“I must say, I didn’t believe it when Helen ran in and said that you attacked them, but now I see it with my own eyes. Dear Lord, the governor will not be merciful. Take him away!”

***

Three weeks after the hanging of William the miller and two weeks after the memorial service for Kate, a man carrying a box under his arm knocked on the front door of the governor’s mansion.

“Frederick!” The governor said as he opened the door. “Good to see you, I trust you have completed the violin”

“Yes, I have, sir.”

“How did it come out?”

“Well, I must say, it was a strange request to be ordered to make a fiddle from the bones and hair of a person, but considering the circumstances, I think it came out well.”

“Is it any worse than abandoning her to the ground to rot? Putting her in a box, lowering her beneath the earth, and leaving naught but a granite stone to express her full life and personality? Just wilting flowers and blown grass to express the music of her soul…No, I refused to do it. Instead, she will live on in music, sounds that will echo forever to express her life.”

“Yes sir, I understand”

“Why don’t you pull it out and play. I’d love to hear how it sounds. Helen! Come in here, the violin is ready!”

Helen and Johnny came in the room and sat down as Frederick pulled the instrument from its case. He had not played it again since that first night in his shop and had been scared to even look at it. Perhaps it will not happen again, he thought, but just as he raised the instrument to his chin, he was again whisked away. The violin began to play him, and along with the same mournful song that would melt a heart of stone, the same words were sung again:

Yonder stands there my father strong
And my dear sister who could do no wrong
The ships sail in and the ships out
But I loved you true and without doubt

Then along came Johnny a courting here
Happy so much was I that I never shed a tear
The ships sail in and the ships sail out
But I loved you true and without doubt

Then what should happen but my true love choose me
And a joy I’d n’er known, like a bird, set me free
The ships sail in and the ships sail out
But I loved you true and without doubt

Though without my knowing, a tempest raged
A once righteous ship was sunk and caged
The ships sail in and the ships sail out
But I loved you true and without doubt

‘Twas a Jealous heart that brought her down
For it was Helen who pushed me in to drown
The ships sail in and the ships sail out
But I loved you true and without doubt

Many songs do sing the free, true wren
But none but this shall I sing because of Helen
The ships sail in and the ships sail out
But I loved you true and without doubt

Helen stared forward incredulous. Her hands still sat folded in her lap, but her face was red and hot and her heart beat in her throat. The entire room was silent and still as the last note echoed through the hall.

Poem of the Day XIV

2007-03-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Invention of Fractions
by Jessica Goodfellow from A Pilgrim's Guide to Chaos in the Heartland

God himself made the whole numbers: everything else
is the work of man.

—Leopold Kronnecker

God created the whole numbers:
the first born, the seventh seal,
Ten Commandments etched in stone,
the Twelve Tribes of Israel —
Ten we've already lost —
forty days and forty nights,
Saul's ten thousand and David's ten thousand.
'Be of one heart and one mind' —
the whole numbers, the counting numbers.

It took humankind to need less than this;
to invent fractions, percentages, decimals.
Only humankind could need the concepts
of splintering and dividing,
of things lost or broken,
of settling for the part instead of the whole.

Only humankind could find the whole numbers,
infinite as they are, to be wanting;
though given a limitless supply,
we still had no way
to measure what we keep
in our many-chambered hearts.

© Concrete Wolf Chapbook Series

News in Review III

2007-03-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

A Solution for the Climate Crises

Paul Hellyer, a former Canadian defense minister, has a unique solution to the climate crises:

"I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation ... that could be a way to save our planet."
Apparently Hellyer believes that governents around the world have large amounts of knowledge culled from researching UFO crashes and wants us to put it into practice.

I suppose the government cover up of intelligent life is the real inconvenient truth...

The Ups and Downs of Life on the Road

The article linked to above has a first sentence that rivals "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and "Call me Ishamel". It is most certainly the greatest first sentence ever recorded in a news article:

"A jazz musician was injured Friday after jumping from a burning motor home driven by a one-time roller skating stripper from Lodi."

I get goose bumps everytime I read it.

(hat tip: Tom)

First Signs of Spring

2007-02-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

Last week, on Thursday the 15th to be precise, I heard the three most beautiful words in the English language: pitchers and catchers. Now, before your mind wanders and you start thinking strange things about me, I’m talking about baseball. All other position players are due at camp this week, but pitchers and catchers report first and thus signal the beginning of spring and the first glimmer of hope that the long, cold winter is almost over. I don’t know what to do with myself between the end of football season and the beginning of baseball. Watch hockey? Pshh. C’mon, I live in Georgia.

So, in honor of spring training I figured I'd give my opinion on the outlook of the Braves this year and my predictions for the NL East. Since no one really reads this anymore it won’t matter if I’m way off, but if I’m right I’ll have the evidence to prove it.

Bull Pen: A
The key off season moves this year strengthend the bull pen: the Braves picked up Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. These two excellent set up men, and possibly occasional closers, along with regular closer Bob Wickman, give us one of the strongest pens in the league. This will make this season a lot less stressful. Last year, Braves fans started rocking like Leo every time Bobby came to the mound with the hook. Look for this to take a big load off starting pitching as they won't feel like they have to go 7 or 8 innings each outing.

Starting Pitching: B
The starting rotation is still a question mark. John Smoltz should be strong as ever. Word is that he’s the type that won’t let his recent divorce affect him on the field, and since he’s in the last year of his contract he’s going to want to put up some good numbers to stick around a few more years (with or without the Braves). Tim Hudson is back, but will we see the Huddy of the last few years, or the one that was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball when he played for Oakland? The biggest question mark is Mike Hampton who is planning to return from missing a season and a half because of injuries. Let’s hope he can return to his pre-injury form. Closing out the rotation will be Chuck James, a rookie who showed a lot of promise last year. If everyhing comes together, this staff is an A+.

Infield: C+
The biggest losses in the off season did a number on the right side of the infield. Marcus Giles was released as a free agent and Adam LaRoche was traded to the Pirates. Giles has always been one of my favorites, and his off the field spirit will probably be missed more than his bat. As for LaRoche, I’ve gone from not liking him because of his lack of hustle to coming around some with his amazing second half offensive performance last season. Whatever you think about him, he leaves some decent sized shoes to fill. Rookies will be taking over at both positions, Scott Thorman at first and Kelly Johnson at second (who hasn't played second since high school) so only time will tell how that will work out. Look for prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia to perhaps come up late in the season. If he can find his bat and pick up some skills at first, we could be set there for a while.

As for the rest of the infield, we look pretty good. Edgar Renteria is a soft spoken guy that speaks loudly with his bat. He had a couple of great hitting streaks last season. Chipper is Chipper. The main question is: will he stay healthy? If not, we'll have a very young infield as his replacement will probably be Willy Aybar who came up in 2005 with the Dodgers. Behind the plate, we have probably the best young catcher in baseball. There’s nothing not to like about Brian McCann. Overall, there are a lot of holes, so we'll all be counting on Bobby to work some magic.

Outfield: B
There are two main questions in the outfield: who gets the starting job in left and will Frenchy draw a few walks this season? Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz are the two guys in the running for the left field spot. While Langerhans is a great defensive outfielder, he has struggled at the plate. Diaz is a better hitter, but hasn’t been as strong in the field. Perhaps there will be a platoon, but I have a feeling one of them will end up on the trading block. Spring training may just determine which one. Jeff Francoeur is a great left fielder and has promise to be one of the league’s best hitters. Now if he could just lay off the first pitch… He only drew 23 walks in 651 at bats last season. I'm surprised it's even that high. Andruw Jones in center is the strongest part of the outfield. Word is he’s in the best shape he’s been in for years at the start of spring training and he’s also going to be playing for $$$. This is the last year of his contract, and he’s up for a HUGE raise if he performs well (unfortunately, it most likely won’t be with the Braves who have a payroll cap that will likely stay with new owners Liberty Media). At the very least, we’ll get one more great season from him. Be sure to catch some games this year just to see Andruw, because this may be the last time you see him in a Braves uniform.

Bench: C
The bench is very young and will most likely be playing musical chairs as Bobby tries to come up with the right combination for the open infield spots. If Chipper goes down, the bench will be even thinner. We're not going to have a lot in the line of pinch hitters, but we will have some speed and some hustle. Pete Orr deserves mention here. He's no great threat right now, but he plays like a ball player. He hustles to first even on a little bouncer to the mound. Hopefully his spirit will be contagious.

Overall, if the pitching and infield questions work out, the Braves have a good shot of taking the division again this year. Pitching is what always won it for us in the past, and if we can work out some kinks, we could be staring down on the rest of the East, as it should be.

Prediction for final NL East standings:

1. Atlanta Braves – Yea, gotta go with the hometown team

2. New York Mets – Will be very tough again this season, but pitching is the question, espcially their aces. Pedro has been injured and Glavine is getting up there.

3. Philadelphia Phillies – Have a good shot of taking the whole division, I’d put them no more than a game back from the Mets. Ryan Howard is amazing: there's not reason he won't hit another 50 home runs this year with the short porch at Citizens Bank Park

4. Florida Marlins - A young team loaded with talent. They'll be the team to beat in a couple of years, of course they need to get their front office in order first and get out of Dolphin Stadium.

5. Washington Nationals - Still in transition and trying to rebuild. Wait until they get their new stadium and a permenant home.

Folk Tales I

2007-02-09T19:41:00.000-05:00

Here is my first folk tale re-telling. You can read my introduction to these here. This comes from a Japanese folk tale called The Mirror of Matsuyama. I have changed the setting from Japan to the American west, but have left most of it the same. You can read the original story here. So, without further delay, here is my version:

The Mirror

A thin beam of light from the setting sun shone through the crack in the door, climbed up the wooden table in the center of the room, and ran down the other side before dying out next to a woman sitting in a rocking chair, knitting. Her daughter played on the wooden floor next to her with a rag doll, its left eye hanging by a thread.

The door swung open and a tall man walked in. His eyes were tired and his clothes ragged. The little girl jumped up, leaving her doll on the floor where she was playing, and ran to her father. She jumped in his arms and the father let out an audible groan at the extra weight, but he still grabbed the girl and tossed her into the air as if she were a doll.

“I have news,” the man said as he set his daughter down. “Word is that prices are up. I need to go to town tomorrow with some of the harvest now before they go back down again. I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.”

“Can I come?” the daughter asked, looking up at her father.

The man bent down.

“No, darling, you must stay. But if you’re a good girl, and look after your mother, I’ll bring you a surprise.”

***

The sun stood a perfect sphere, high in the pale blue sky. A gentle breeze blew through the small girl’s hair as she did cartwheels near the small log cabin. She fell and lay in the warm grass looking up at the sky. She heard her mother's footsteps rush from inside the cabin and out onto the porch and looked up to see her father emerge over the hill driving the horse carriage. When he spotted his family he waved.

The dust settled and the man jumped down from the carriage to be greeted by his wife and daughter.

“What did you bring me?” his daughter shrieked in excitement.

“It’s nice to see you too,” the man said with a laugh. He kissed his wife and then reached into the back of the carriage.

He pulled out a wicker basket and set it on the ground. The little girl clasped her hands and jumped up and down in excitement. He reached into the basket and held his hand there for just a moment until he thought his daughter would burst and then pulled out a brand new doll, with shiny button eyes and a clean checkered dress, and a small tin with candies. His daughter held her new treasures in her hands and then gave her father a hug. Her father then pulled out another gift.

“This one is for your mother,” he said, and handed a beautiful metal mirror to his wife. The back of the mirror had a painting of a horse grazing next to a pond.

She held the mirror up and was startled to see the woman looking back at her, at first thinking it to be someone else, and then chuckling to herself at the idea. Being far from town and not having much money, the woman had never owned a mirror and had never seen such a clear reflection of herself before. She remembered looking into a pond when she was a girl and seeing her blonde curls spill around her face, but this was entirely different. She smiled as she looked into the mirror just as the wind blew her hair and her husband and daughter shared a look both knowing the image in the mirror must be the most beautiful site a person could behold.

“I love it,” his wife said. “It’s perfect.”

***

The moon shone cold through the window on the woman lying in bed. Every blanket in the house was piled on the bed and her husband sat next to her, holding a cool wet cloth to her forehead. The woman coughed until she couldn’t breathe. Her daughter sat across the room clutching her doll. She was terrified and couldn’t sleep.

After this last coughing fit the woman lay back and looked almost peaceful. Her skin was a pale white and appeared more so in the soft light of the full moon. She looked up and motioned for her daughter to come close.

Slowly, the little girl walked to her mother.

“Dearest,” the mother began in a soft whisper, “I am leaving soon and I will not be back. But this does not mean that I will not always love you and always be with you. You are my treasure and have filled my life with joy. Please take care of your father. You will miss me, but when you are lonely, look into my mirror and I will be with you.”

The mother took the mirror from next to the bed and handed it to the little girl. The metal was cold in her hands and she held it to her chest, still looking into her mother’s face. Slowly, her mother lay back, closed her eyes, and became still.

***

“Wake up!” the woman snapped. “I need your help in the kitchen, you have slept long enough. When I was your age this kind of sloth would not have been tolerated!”

The little girl rubbed sleep from her eyes and saw her step-mother standing over her. It was cold and the girl could hear the rain outside.

“I’m not going to tell you again,” the woman said as she turned back to her chores.

The little girl rose and slowly dressed. She stood for a long while looking at the mirror her mother had given her. She smiled and reached for it, but was jolted back into the present to another call from her step-mother.

Often over the past 3 years since her mother had died, and especially the past year since her father had re-married, the little girl would take the mirror somewhere quiet. She would sit in the corner between her bed and the wall, or take it out to the big oak tree outside, and would stare into the mirror. Whenever she did, she saw her mother’s face, not pale and sick as it was at the end, but beautiful and full of life.

The girl couldn’t bear the thought of another morning of chores, and grabbed the mirror and sat between the wall and her bed. Impatient that she had not come to the kitchen, the woman walked back to the girl and saw her looking at the mirror and grinning.

Surely she is up to some sort of devilry, the woman thought. She must be plotting all manner of terrible things. That must be some instrument of the devil she’s got. Well, I won’t stand for it.

The woman hurried out of the cabin and found her husband working in the field. She explained to him the situation. Hardly believing it he walked back to the cabin with her, but the more she talked the more convincing she sounded.

He walked into the cabin and his daughter looked up and slid the mirror quickly under the covers. Now, thinking she must be up to something if she would be so quick to hide the instrument, he confronted her.

The girl looked up surprised at her father’s accusation.

“I would never hurt someone that means so much to you, father. You are happy, and I am happy for you. I mean no harm.”

“What is it that you hid so quickly?”

“It is the mirror you gave to mother and that she gave me. She told me to look in it whenever I was lonely. When I do, which has been often, I see her face, smiling and beautiful as I remember it best.” The girl pulled the mirror out and held it up to her father. He reached for it, warm from being under the covers and in the girls hands, and looked at his reflection. A tear came to his eye and he looked to his new wife.

“I’m sorry,” she stammered, trying to hold back her own tears, “I never knew, I…” She trailed off, and began to cry. Her face softened and she looked at the little girl as if for the first time. The three stood with each other in the small room as the rain gently eased up outside.

An Introduction

2007-02-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

As the time between posts increases, I become more agitated that I cannot think of anything to write about. There is not much going on in current events and I am often too tired, or don't have the time, to write anything original. I feel it is a cop-out to continue to post other people's poetry (not that I'm going to stop, mind you). So, I tried to think of a way to write and not have to be completely original. That's when I got an idea from The Decemberists.

As you will see in my review of their new album below, they wrote three songs based around the folk tale of The Crane Wife. This got me to thinking. I began reading folk tales on-line, which is an enjoyable practice in and of itself, and I decided to try my hand at re-telling some of them. Why do this? Three reasons: 1) I cannot seem to think of anything else to write lately, 2) I would like to bring some great old stories into the light and perhaps shed some new light with my own telling, and 3) it's an excellent writing exercise. So, if for no other reason than to force myself to write, it's worthwhile. And hopefully you'll enjoy the product.

I do not know how much I will change the stories. I plan to keep them true to the original as much as possible, but I may take creative license here and there. My main point is to add the flesh. Folk tales are mostly stories of morals, lessons, and values, and tend to be very minimal. They tell you what they want to tell you and leave out the rest. They are kind of a skeleton of a story and I would like to add in the details, and practice the rule of "show, don't tell", a basic tenant of craft that should be learned in Creative Writing 101. Hopefully I'll succeed. If not, well, all three of you that read this blog can deal with it.

And now my laziness catch...if this only happens once, oh well, it happened once, but hopefully this is something I can make a regular feature. We'll see. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

Poem of the Day XIII

2007-01-31T19:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Robert Frost
by David Ray from Music of Time: Selected and New Poems

Do you have hope for the future?
someone asked Robert Frost, toward the end.
Yes, and even for the past, he replied,
that it will turn out to have been all right
for what it was, something we can accept,
mistakes made by the selves we had to be,
not able to be, perhaps, what we wished,
or what looking back half the time it seems
we could so easily have been, or ought...
The future, yes, and even for the past,
that it will become something we can bear.
And I too, and my children, so I hope,
will recall as not too heavy the tug
of those albatrosses I sadly placed
upon their tender necks. Hope for the past,
yes, old Frost, your words provide that courage,
and it brings strange peace that itself passes
into past, easier to bear because
you said it, rather casually, as snow
went on falling in Vermont years ago.

© The Backwaters Press

New's in Review II

2007-01-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Jaywalking Historian

“Tufts University professor, [Felipe Fernandez-Armesto] who was arrested last Thursday and charged with disorderly conduct, contends he was assaulted without provocation for merely jaywalking across Courtland Street. But Officer Kevin Leonpacher insists he is no rogue cop and suggests perhaps the professor is a bit of a scofflaw.” -from 1/10/07 AJC story

As if Atlanta hasn’t gotten enough bad publicity in the past couple of years (courthouse shooter, runaway bride, Cynthia McKinney, et al) now we have Atlanta police taking down a 56 year old history professor in town for the AHA (American Historical Association) conference.

Now, granted, I’m sure Dr. Fernandez wasn’t the little angel he’s claiming to be, but still, the officer should have been able to tell that this guy wasn’t a threat. It just looks bad no matter how you cut it. On the other hand, Dr. Fernandez should have been smart enough to cross at a crosswalk.

After being released from prison Dr. Fernandez described his cell mates, in what is my “Pretentious Professor Quote of the Day” (PPQD), as: "extremely unfortunate members of the underclass."

Scorpions on a Plane!

“A scorpion stung David Sullivan on the back of his right leg, just below the knee, then continued up that leg and down the other, he believes, before getting him again in the shin.

It wasn't what he was expecting on a flight from Chicago to Vermont.” –from a 1/10/07 AP story

Okay, so I just included this so I could say “Scorpions on a Plane!” It is a bit strange, though. I love this quote: “The airlines tell you can't bring water or shampoo on a plane," Helena Sullivan [the wife] said. But the scorpion did make it aboard, she said.

Of course there is absolutely no connection between an insect making its way onboard and keeping passengers from carrying on shampoo, but what else are you going to say to the reporter?

Pillars of Creation Toppled by Stellar Blast

“They helped open the public's eyes to the wonders of space when they were first photographed in 1995, but a new study suggests the famous Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula might have already been toppled long ago, and that what the Hubble Space Telescope actually captured was their ghost image.” -from a 1/10/07 Space.com story

First of all, I love the title of the article (same as my title for this section). It sounds like a chapter title in a discount bin sci-fi novel, doesn’t it?

Second, this really is pretty cool. Most people know that space is so vast that it takes thousands of years for the light from stars to reach us. What this article is saying is that these pillars of dust photographed in this Hubble Telescope picture were actually destroyed by a supernova 6000 years ago. It’ll be another 1000 years before we see what it looked like after the explosion. Kind of boggles the mind, ey?

Best Album of 2006

2007-01-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

One year after picking up Picaresque, The Decemberists’ third full length release, my brother gave me The Crane Wife, the band’s fourth release, and first on a major label (Capitol) for Christmas this year. After one listen The Crane Wife won my personal Best Album of 2006 award. I haven’t been as excited about an album since my best album of 2005, Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois. Every track is great, and some are simply amazing.

The Decemberists are known for their archaic storybook lyrics and that doesn’t stop here. The title track (actually 3 songs, the third being the first song on the album and the first two comprising a medley towards the end of the album) is a recreation of a Japanese folk tale. In it, a man finds a wounded crane one day and nurses it back to health. Soon after, a woman shows up at his door and the two are married. Because they are poor, the woman says she can spin beautiful yarn, but the man must never look in on her while she is doing it. The man pushes her harder and harder because of his greed and finally his curiosity overcomes him and he looks in the room. Inside is the crane, pulling out her feathers to spin in the yarn. Upon spotting the man, the crane flies off, never to be seen again.

In addition to the literary feel of the lyrics they are often dark. Colin Meloy, the lead singer and lyrist, has a penchant for writing about abused children, thieves, murderer’s, and star crossed lovers tales ending in death. The topics are handled so expertly, though, and woven into such beautiful stories, that you could hardly be offended and in fact end up appreciating the rawness of the stories. The song “Shankhill Butchers”, based on the actual murderers in Ireland, reads like a Grimm’s fairy tale. The story was used to warn children into good behavior. The chorus goes:

“‘Cause everybody knows
If you don’t mind your mother’s words
A wicked wind will blow
Your ribbons from you curls
Everybody moan, everybody shake
The Shankhill Butchers want to catch you awake”

Good lyrics need good music to hold them up, and the music on this album is excellent. The Decemberists are typically described as “indie-folk” or perhaps even “indie-pop”, but it really is hard to classify the music. There are hints of rock through the ages from the Led Zeppelin-esque “When the War Came” to the 1970’s prog rock-ish 3 song opus “The Island” (especially the excellent middle track), and speckles of 80’s and 90’s rock throughout. The band certainly makes good use of its musical predecessors. The songs are upbeat when they need to be and down trodden at the right moments. Every track alternates between acoustic guitars, distorted electrics, drums, and bass guitar, all perfectly holding up the story book lyrics.

There’s no such thing as a perfect album, but this one is darn near close. The best part is that this prolific 5 piece from Oregon (they’ve already put out 4 full length albums in 4 years) is a long way from finished. It will be hard to top The Crane Wife, but even a near miss would still be an excellent album.

Another BCS Rant

2007-01-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again: college football has got to get rid of the current BCS system. Every year at least one team gets shafted, sometimes worse than others: remember a couple years ago when Auburn went undefeated, won the SEC, and their bowl game and finished second? Yea, I know there are other more prominent ones, but this is the one I remember. Most fans will be quick to share their favorite sob story before you can even finish the question. The problem, though, does more than just tick off a few fans every year; it dampens the excitement of a great sport. Sportswriters can talk all day about who they think will win on paper, but as it’s been said, the game isn’t played on paper. That’s the reason all that time and money is spent actually going out to the field and playing the game. You never know what can happen, which is precisely what makes it so exciting.

For example, take Boise State’s thrilling win in the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma on Monday. You’ve probably heard about this by now even if you aren’t a sports fan because it’s been everywhere. Yesterday I heard mention of it in discussion groups I’m a part of, on NPR, Sports Center, the evening news, the newspaper, heck they were still talking about it today in the news. For those that don’t know the story, it goes something like this: Boise State came into the game as an underdog and no one gave them a chance to win outside of the Boise State campus. As Terry Bowden put it in his column today:

I couldn't find one college football analyst or expert who picked them. Who possibly could have predicted that Boise State, which moved to Division I-A just a decade ago, could beat Oklahoma, the team with the highest paid coach in college football (well, as of Jan. 2), the best facilities, the best athletes, seven national championships and arguably the best winning tradition anywhere?

But they did win and they did it with more excitement than has been seen in awhile. In case you didn’t catch the two trick plays that tied and won the game, you can find the hook and ladder play here and the statue of liberty play here. The amazing thing is that these plays, especially the latter, are a part of football folklore and haven’t worked in a game in years. But they did on Monday.

And that’s just it. Depriving 13-0 Boise State of a shot at the title, as well as all the other teams with good records, is depriving the country of a really great story. Of course there are far more important issues in our world, but sometimes the only way to deal with the day to day difficulties is to get your mind off things. That’s why we like sports, they let us act out our frustrations and emotions in a controlled environment. Games like Monday’s Fiesta Bowl unite and inspire and I guess I’d just like to see more chances for those kinds of moments.

Start the New Year with Music

2007-01-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a really cool web-site. Fair warning: you may want to wait until you get home from work before clicking on the link for this site, as it will certainly consume a bit of your time, and I'd hate to see you get fired because of me.

The site is called Pandora, and it's an internet radio site. What makes it different from other internet radio sites is that you pick a band or a song that you like and the Music Genome Project matches the style of the artist or song you picked with others. It's a great way to not only listen to good music, but to learn about new artists. Plus they have a cool blog add on...scroll down on my page here and you'll see it.

Enjoy! And if you create an account let me know and I'll bookmark you as a friend and we can share stations.

Poem of the Day XII

2006-12-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

from John Donne's Divine meditations

15
Wilt thou love God, as he thee? then digest,
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In heaven, doth make his temple in thy breast.
The Father having begot a Son most blessed,
And still begetting, (for he ne'er begun)
Hath deigned to choose thee by adoption,
Coheir to' his glory, 'and Sabbath's endless rest;
And as a robbed man, which by search doth find
His stol'n stuff sold, must lose or buy it again:
The Son of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom he had made, and Satan stol'n, to unbind.
'Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more.

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" ~Luke 2:10-11

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on

whom his favor rests."

Merry Christmas!

Headline Leads Local Man to Blogging

2006-12-18T14:52:00.000-05:00

I found an article on Yahoo! News about a study done on intelligence and vegetarianism with the following headline: “Kids with High IQ’s Grow up to be Vegetarians”. The headline bothered me immediately because it is such a blanket statement. So, all kids with high IQ’s become vegetarians? How about: “Kids with High IQ’s More Likely to be Vegetarians”? That would at least be less-misleading coming out of the gate.

Beyond the headline, though, the article itself has flaws. It assumes that the only cause of becoming a vegetarian is having a high IQ. It completely ignores any social factors that might have something to do with it. Perhaps it isn’t the IQ, but what the IQ provides, namely, income. If you have a high IQ you are more likely to go to college and get a good job. This gives you more money to spend on food. Being a vegetarian, and doing it right, is more expensive than eating meat, especially if you’re a vegan.

However, even if you don’t agree with my assessment above, the article itself goes on to say that there are many questions left unanswered by the study leading Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas to conclude that "we cannot draw any solid conclusions from this research.”

In that case, why is this even news? It wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for the headline. The study had to be spun so that it was seen as a direct link, otherwise all it says is, “some folks with high IQ’s are vegetarians.” Great.

Generally I think people understand to take headlines with a grain of salt, but this headline is just plain false. Editors are busy folks, but there should be more care taken when composing headlines.

Update

Today's Best of the Web had this to say regarding the article:

A new study shows that smart people are more likely to be vegetarians, reports HealthDay. But it turns out there's a catch:

"Children who scored higher on IQ tests at age 10 were more likely than those who got lower scores to report that they were vegetarian at the age of 30," Gale said.

The researchers found that 4.5 percent of participants were vegetarians. Of these, 2.5 percent were vegan, and 33.6 percent said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken.

There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who said they ate fish or chicken, the researchers add.
Luckily for them, the definition of vegetarian wasn't on the test!

Continuing Education for Representatives

2006-12-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

There’s an article over at CQ.com right now featuring snippets of an interview Jeff Stein had with Silvestre Reyes, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The results of the interview are a bit disturbing:

Al Qaeda is what, I asked, Sunni or Shia?

“Al Qaeda, they have both,” Reyes said. “You’re talking about predominately?”

“Sure,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Predominantly — probably Shiite,” he ventured.

Actually, Al Qaeda is only Sunni. As Mr. Stein puts it: “if a Shiite showed up at an al Qaeda club house, they’d slice off his head and use it for a soccer ball.” This is a key bit of information to know in order to understand the global battle with terrorism. In fact, as one small example, there was talk of reprisal from Al Qaeda after Hezbollah’s (Shiite) “success” in Lebanon. Why would there be a reprisal for actions that both groups would agree on? As Bernard Haykel wrote in his article “The Enemy of my Enemy is Still my Enemy”:

"[T]he rise of Hezbollah makes it all the more likely that Al Qaeda will soon seek to reassert itself through increased attacks on Shiites in Iraq and on Westerners all over the world — whatever it needs to do in order to regain the title of true defender of Islam."

I suppose these intricacies wouldn’t matter, though, because when asked about Hezbollah, Reyes replied:

“Hezbollah. Uh, Hezbollah...”

He laughed again, shifting in his seat.

I’m not writing this to claim superiority or to denigrate Representative Reyes. I’m sure there are many, many issues that Reyes is very familiar with, certainly more than me, and probably more than most of us, however if you are a Representative coming in as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, these are the types of things you should know. It’s a sad state of affairs that our representatives are so clueless on what is so often called the “defining issue of our time.” How can educated decisions be made about how to handle these global struggles without the proper information? Perhaps they should teach night classes over on Capitol Hill.

The Chinese Worker, the American Consumer, and the World Market

2006-12-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

I read an interesting article from Business Week the other day. The article, titled “Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops” details the practices used to try and prevent unethical and illegal treatment of workers in Chinese factories and the loopholes and tricks used to get around the system. All major American retailers have a system in place for inspecting, monitoring, and auditing factories for abuses to workers. In most cases, each supplier factory is required to undergo a yearly factory audit that checks on such things as underage workers, fair pay, and safety. If a factory fails, they must make changes to come up to code, much as a restaurant would have to do if it failed a health inspection, or face consequences. These changes can be very costly, and so of course factory owners find ways to cut corners. There are many practices used, such as having two sets of books, one with the actual employee’s age and time sheets, and one with false information, or coaching workers on how to respond to inspectors if questioned, or even good old fashioned bribery. None of this is new, but the article does mention one very interesting trend: a new industry has sprung up to help factories out. For a $5000 fee you can hire a consultant from Shanghai Corporate Responsibility Management & Consulting Co. to come to your factory and “solve” your audit problem. Of course, the consulting firms’ stance is that they only assist factories in making legitimate improvements to come up to code, but the Business Week article mentioned above interviewed a former worker, Tang Yinghong, at Ningbo Beifa Group, a factory which supplies various items to Wal-Mart:
Lai [Mingwei, the consultant] provided advice on how to create fake but authentic-looking records and suggested that Beifa hustle any workers with grievances out of the factory on the day of the audit, Tang recounts. […] After following much of Lai's advice, the Beifa factory in Ningbo passed the audit earlier this year, Tang says, even though the company didn't change any of its practices.

While American companies do make good faith efforts to try and stop unethical practices, and Chinese factory owners, for the most part, are willing to comply where reasonable, all too often ethical treatment is trumped by the almighty dollar. The American consumer wants low prices and every retailer’s number one strategy is to provide that. Time and time again, price is the determining factor in a consumer’s choice. You only have to look as far as declining customer service as an example of how that strategy didn’t work as well as 10% less cost did when trying to draw customers. For example, Home Depot built there business on customer service: “You Can Do It, We Can Help”, remember? However, having an ex-plumber or electrician work in your store costs a lot more than an 18 year kid working over the summer, so experience goes by the wayside and a few pennies less to Joe Consumer (and another point or two to the company’s margin) takes over.

This price pinch, of course, stretches to the suppliers as well. To pay their workers more and to implement certain safety practices costs money. Most Chinese suppliers make very low margin, the money is in the volume, so an extra 5-10% cost can be the difference between making money and breaking even. Every major retailer will fight tooth and nail to keep prices the same for products year after year, even if material prices go up. Every retailer knows that there are 100 other Chinese guys waiting to get the business if a current supplier can’t perform. If material prices are the same for everyone, and labor prices are supposed to be the same, where do those extra savings come from? All too often it’s from cutting corners. The retailers know this, but they have to show that they are trying to curb unethical practices. As long as Joe Consumer thinks that the store he shops at is cracking down on unethical practices, his conscience is clear to buy cheaper socks.

The problem, of course, is on both sides. American companies could agree to raise prices a bit to allow for more ethical practices, and implement even stricter audit regulations, but at the same time the deception would most likely still go on, and the factory owner would pocket the extra cash. Unfortunately, human nature is such that saving a few bucks trumps any altruistic good we wish on our fellow man. This is true no matter what country you’re in.

This being the case, the only thing that could possibly change the system would be to put some power into the worker’s hands. Of course, even now, the worker is not forced to work in the factories. He chooses it because it allows for a better life. It still may not be fair or ethical, and this certainly isn’t an argument for the rightness of unfair practices, but the worker does make the decision that the extra money is worth the long hours and low pay. However, there are changes in the air. Wages are increasing and hours are decreasing for factory workers. The main reason is there has been a massive shortage of workers over the past year.

Most years, Chinese New Year puts a dent in production schedules, especially for spring goods. The reason is that many workers do not return from vacation. They go back home, get comfortable, and decide time with their family is more important than venturing back to the city. However, last year after Chinese New Year, around 1.7 million workers didn’t return. The problem has only gotten worse for factories in southern China.

Why the shortage? One reason is that the Chinese government recently repealed many of the taxes they had on farms. With the extra money, more farmers can stay and work at home instead of seeking out work in the city. But the biggest reason is China’s “one-child” policy. Every couple is allowed only one child by law. This went into effect 18 years ago, so the current emerging work force comes from a generation where there are no brothers and sisters. This decline in the workforce combined with the fact that a family with only one child will put all of their resources into that one child has caused the migrant worker pool to dwindle (read more in this NYT article). Also, the large amount of business done in China has caused larger and larger factories to emerge, which can pay workers better and offer more benefits and with the rise in technology, workers from different factories can communicate easier on what they are making.

While there is a long way to go, the money we are pouring into China does seem to be improving the quality of life there. In fact, some companies are beginning to source in countries such as Bangladesh because labor rates are rising in China. While we should continue to monitor abuses, and should punish them when found, we also must hope that the market will allow for better conditions naturally. This isn’t to say we just sit back and wait, there is much that can be done to care for people well, and we should be active in it, but you can’t change human nature. As much as I hate to admit it, in many cases, market forces do a better job of policing us than we do.

Poem of the Day XI

2006-11-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

Minnesota Thanksgiving
by John Berryman from Collected Poems: 1937 to 1971

For that free Grace bringing us past great risks
& thro' great griefs surviving to this feast
sober & still, with the children unborn and born,
among brave friends, Lord, we stand again in debt
and find ourselves in the glad position: Gratitude.

We praise our ancestors who delivered us here
within warm walls all safe, aware of music,
likely toward ample & attractive meat
with whatever accompaniment
Kate in her kind ingenuity has seen fit to devise,

and we hope--across the most strange year to come--
continually to do them and You not sufficient honour
but such as we become able to devise
out of decent or joyful conscience & thanksgiving.
Yippee!
Bless then, as Thou wilt, this wilderness board.

© 1989 Kate Donahue Berryman

Anne Frank's Tree

2006-11-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

The chestnut tree that stands outside what was the only non-covered window in the attic where Anne Frank was in hiding for 25 months, is scheduled to be cut down. The tree has stood for 150 years, but has become the victim of a tree fungus, which has overtaken it.

As this article mentions, the tree made several appearances in the diary and served as a source of inspiration and beauty in what was a very limited existence. On February 23, 1944 she wrote:

"Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs. From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind...."

And on May 13, 1944 she wrote:

“Our chestnut tree is in full blossom. It is covered with leaves and is even more beautiful than last year...”

While it is sad the tree must be taken down, it will live on in memory and on the net. There is a memorial to the tree here and until it is removed you can catch one last glimpse at the live webcam they have focused on the tree here.

It’s amazing that this tree has become such a source of inspiration to others. I had my own “man on the train” kind of moment while reading about it. We can never understand truly what it meant to Anne, but I think we all can identify with the idea of having something that would appear ordinary and meaningless to someone else, but with which we associate so much. There’s an old saying about the little things making life worth living, and there is a lot of truth to that. Anne found solace in the peace and majesty of the tree outside her window. It served a great purpose there for her and I’m happy that it existed.

Paradise Now

2006-11-18T12:42:00.000-05:00

Last night I attended a viewing of the movie Paradise Now at Georgia Tech, which is the story of two suicide bombers in Palestine. The movie was followed by a brief lecture and discussion. As you may recall, this movie was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards this past year. The movie was very well made. The acting was excellent, as was the writing, which is amazing considering the danger the crew faced while making the movie: the location manager was kidnapped during filming and six members of the crew quit after a missile destroyed a car yards away from where they were working. These real life difficulties give extra impact to what is happening on screen. You realize that this is not just another movie.

The director insisted that, "the film is simply meant to open a discussion. It does not condone the taking of lives." This hardly kept the controversy away, as you can imagine. However, I do feel that it is an important movie to be shown and a discussion worth having. The movie does humanize the suicide bombers, but the thing we forget is that they are human. The interesting story here, and the almost unbearable sadness, is what leads a man to this. Having an understanding doesn't make the action right, these bombings are still horrible atrocities almost beyond words, but it does lead insight into the problem, and perhaps allows for a path to a solution.

The main point of the discussion that followed the movie was that the narrative of the Palestinian is one that is absent from most American news and discussions, which is true. The entire region is labeled "terrorist" and cast aside. While there are many people and organizations in the region that are terrorists, that do take innocent life, there are many that just want a peaceful solution. The best way to reach this is for both sides to understand the story of the other. The speaker after the movie claimed that no resolution will be made until an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian Arab can reach out to each other in mutual understanding and good will. This sounds nice of course, but the reality is much more difficult. Most of the time it seems that all we can do is hope and pray for peace and stability in the region, for all people, but it should also be our responsibility to learn both sides and educate ourselves on an extremely complex situation.

Poem of the Day X

2006-11-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

Dawn Revisted
by Rita Dove from On the Bus with Rosa Parks

Imagine you wake up
with a second chance: The blue jay
hawks his pretty wares
and the oak still stands, spreading
glorious shade. If you don't look back,

the future never happens.
How good to rise in sunlight,
in the prodigal smell of biscuits--
eggs and sausage on the grill.
The whole sky is yours

to write on, blown open
to a blank page. Come on,
shake a leg! You'll never know
who's down there, frying those eggs,
if you don't get up and see.

© 1999 by Rita Dove

Christianity and Politics

2006-11-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

I just read an interesting article by former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson from this week’s Newsweek called “A New Social Gospel”. In it, he describes not a new type of Evangelical, but simply one that is often ignored by the mainstream media. The crux of the article can be summarized in this paragraph:

Often the media miss or ignore this kind of new evangelical leader. There is a tendency to elevate the most irresponsible and strident religious figures, mostly because it makes for better cable TV. This practice reflects a stereotype held by many media decision makers, who view every orthodox Christian as a fundamentalist, and every fundamentalist as a theocrat. The stereotype is unfair and uninteresting. Evangelicalism is both more diverse and more idealistic than its critics understand. And that should be welcome news for Americans, religious and secular alike.

One of many aspects in our current political climate that is negative is the tendency to lump all Evangelicals, really all Christians, into the Republican camp. This isn’t just making the assumption that Christians hold conservative values, this is saying that Christians have taken the Republican Party as their own. In many instances, this is true, but it is a fallacy, and a disservice to Christians, to assume this is natural. The Republican Party has formed its message to fit the conservative beliefs of many Americans and now it seems many Christians are forming their beliefs to fit the Republican message. As with any tide, it’s bound to recede. As Gerson points out, perhaps it is starting to happen (perhaps the “new Evangelical” he speaks of is not “new” in the sense of “never seen before”, but “new” in the sense that “it is a fresh perspective in the current political climate”). The issues that are important to Christians should go beyond Party lines and should be about individual platforms. There will probably never be the perfect candidate for Christians, and many of the candidates that are chosen by Christians may be Republican, but there should be a willingness to not be closed in. If the Democratic Party is smart, they will stop marginalizing this group. Gerson words it this way:

These changes in evangelicalism should be an opportunity for Democrats. But seizing it would require a philosophic shift. Modern liberalism has defined the belief in truth as the enemy of tolerance because absolute claims of right and wrong lead to coercion. And religious claims, in this view, are the most intolerant of all, and should be radically privatized so no one's morality gets "imposed" on another. It is difficult for liberals and Democrats to appeal to religious people while declaring their deepest motivations a threat to the republic. And it is difficult to imagine the history of the republic if this narrow view had prevailed. How does moral skepticism and privatized religion motivate decades of struggle against slavery, or lead men and women, step by step, toward the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma? If there is really no truth, why believe in, or sacrifice for, the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence?

There have been many progressive changes in this country because of the Christian influence. Gerson mentions several including Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights. By toeing the Party line, Christians are playing into the segregating nature of politics today. Reasoned discourse has been sacrificed on the alter of ratings on cable news and in the editorial pages of most major newspapers. The nature of Christ was that of a revolutionary, and not in the sense we think of. Christianity cannot fit into a mould or an ideology and certainly not within the planks of a particular political party’s platform. By pursuing the Truth offered in the Gospels the outcome will be more progressive and at the same time conservative than either Party’s ideology could conjure up. Christians are limiting themselves by playing party politics. Be involved, engage in honest conversation and debate, research and read, but don’t play the game. Perhaps that’s the best advice for all of us.

News in Review I

2006-11-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

Great News for Gourmands

Obese mice on a high-fat diet got the benefits of being thin — living healthier, longer lives — without the pain of dieting when they consumed huge doses of red wine extract, according to a landmark new study. -from 11/02/06 AP story

Great! So, now, as long as what works for mice will work for humans, we can gorge ourselves on fatty foods and cancel it out by washing it all down with some red wine! Don't worry about diet or excercise; revel in your Epicurean lifestyle! Man, if this is true, I'm eating Big Mac's with a bottle of Merlot every night.

Surprise!

Amanda Brisendine attributed the 30 pounds she gained in the past year to an abandoned smoking habit and rich food. So when she went to the hospital with sharp stomach pain, she wasn't expecting to leave with a newborn son. -from 11/01/06 AP story

Now, granted, I know very little about pregnancy, and I don't want to be one of those men that puts his foot in his mouth about something he will never truly understand, but, what!? How do you go 9 months and not know you're pregnant?

Woman: "Honey, good news! I found a great weight loss solution!"
Man:"Oh yea, what's that?"
Woman: "C-section! Meet your new son!"

Um...Why is this News?
Barb Dougherty, a 30-year Postal Service employee, said she was attacked and bitten Monday by a squirrel while delivering mail in Oil City, about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh. -from 11/02/06 AP story
I mean, sure, it's a bit odd, but c'mon. War, faminine, disease, and squirrel bites... At any rate, at least the mail was delivered...come rain, snow, or small furry animals!

Straight, No Chaser

2006-10-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

Because I have nothing of importance to say right now, and nothing in the news will give me anything to bounce off of for a post, I decided to recycle an old post. This is from a blog I worked on with several other people a couple of years ago called Barnes Ignoble (you can check out the ruins here). The point of the blog was to discuss books. We made it through two, I believe, before it collapsed. At any rate, I was happy with this post on the book Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen, and have re-posted here for your reading pleasure:

Straight, No Chaser

The discussion that grew from the previous post was one that cut to the heart of Christianity. As I've mentioned before, it is essential to define our terms lest they become void of any real meaning. Christianity is a term that necessitates solid definition. Machen realized this and composed Christianity and Liberalism for this very purpose. We may not agree with everything he says, but we cannot deny its importance. To this end, and jumping off the previous post, I'd like to analyze, briefly, the person of Jesus and why it is important to solidify the essentials.

It doesn't take a scholar to notice the increase in attention that is being focused on religion in general in recent months and Christianity specifically. First it was The Da Vinci Code and the numerous television specials probing its claims. Next we had the election and the supposedly grand victory of "moral values", whatever that means. Also with the recent passing of the Pope, the mainstream media has brought religion to the forefront more than any time in recent memory. Machen saw a similar trend in his own time in response to the tumultuous time of war during the early 20th century. He had this to say: "such considerations [that previous solutions have not worked] have led to a renewed public interest in the subject of religion; religion is discovered after all to be a useful thing. But the trouble is that in being utilized religion is also being degraded and destroyed. Religion is being regarded more and more as a mere means to a higher end." (150) This is the crux of the problem. The more we look to religion as a means to an end the more we lose the importance of the message. We tend to water down Christianity in an attempt to derive from it what we want. Recently I read an article about a church in Arizona that has become a "Mega church" (the article has been taken off the site unless you want to pay for it, however if you'd like to read a copy let me know and I'll email you the text). The church was built to avoid looking like a traditional church at all costs. There is no iconography, however there are X-boxes and plasma TV's. Let me preface my next point with an old adage from Seinfeld: "not that there's anything wrong with that". I am not one to doubt that God can work through anything and if this church is bringing people in to hear the real message of Christ then more power to them, I certainly will not scream about the speck in my brother's eye lest I forget the plank in my own. However, there was one part of the article that disturbed me: "Almost half of each service is given over to live Christian rock with simple, repetitive lyrics in which Jesus is treated like a high-school crush: 'Jesus, you are my best friend, and you will always be. Nothing will ever change that.' Committing your life to Christ is as easy as checking a box on the communication cards that can be found on the back of every chair. (Last year, 1,055 people did so.)" Again, I will not deny that God can work through pop music and communication cards, but the message the church is putting across is one of a watered down Christ. Yes, Christ loves us, and yes nothing will ever change that, but to compare him to a high school crush not only demeans our Lord, but it demeans us for worshiping such a Lord. Machen says it this way...it is a long quote, but important:
"Yet such a God has at least one advantage over the comforting God of modern preaching--He is alive, He is sovereign, He is not bound by His creation or by His creatures, He can perform wonders. Could He even save us if He would? He has saved us--in that message the gospel consists. [...] It all seems so very local, so very particular, so very unphilosophical, so very unlike what might have been expected. Are not our own methods of salvation, men say, better than that? [...] Yet what if it were true? [...] God's own Son delivered up for us all, freedom from the world, sought by philosophers of all the ages, offered now freely to every simple soul, things hidden from the wise and prudent revealed unto babes, the long striving over, the impossible accomplished, sin conquered by mysterious grace, communion at length with the holy God, our Father which art in heaven! Surely this and this alone is joy." (134-135).

Okay, you say, so the love expressed in pop songs is not of this magnitude, but it is still love. True, I would respond, however you are also forgetting something else. Machen continues:
"But it is a joy that is akin to fear. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Were we not safer with a God of our own devising--love and only love, a Father and nothing else, one before whom we could stand in our own merit without fear? He who will may be satisfied with such a God. But we, God help us--sinful as we are, we would see Jehovah. Despairing, hoping, trembling, half-doubting and half-believing, trusting all to Jesus, we venture into the presence of the very God. And in His presence we live." (135).

When we water down Christianity we destroy its beauty, its truth, the very thing that makes it worth devoting a life to. We take God and make him manageable and make Him a thing not worth our worship. This is why Machen's book is important and why a constant reiteration, with discussion, with prayer, with thought, of Christianity is important. You may choose to believe or not to believe, this is not an argument to convince unbelievers, but if you choose to believe...believe. Do not make God manageable, let God manage you. If you choose to worship something make sure it is worth your worship.

Ars Poetica

2006-10-24T21:53:00.000-04:00

The other night I read the introduction to the most recent book of poems edited by Garrison Keillor, Good Poems for Hard Times, which just recently came out in paperback. This is the follow up to Good Poems (which is an excellent place to start if you want a good collection of poetry). In the introduction for his new book, Keillor writes:

"A poem is not a puzzle that you the dutiful reader are obliged to solve. It is meant to poke you, get you to buck up, pay attention, rise and shine, look alive, get a grip, get the picture, pull up your socks, wake up and die right."

I think this description hits the nail on the head. Poetry has become to so many people that boring thing they had to study in school, or that thing they just don't get. It's true that a lot of poetry is lofty and inaccessible, and it has its place, but there is so much powerful, beautiful, heart breaking, fist pounding poetry that makes you yell, "Yes! That is how it is!" Does that phrase sound familiar? It should, it's in the quote at the top of my blog, which is precisely what Keillor is saying here. Poetry is one of the most pure forms of communication. Its beauty lies in the fact that a reader from another place and even another time can pick up a poem and read it and feel the connection of humanity. This is its purpose, and it's a shame that has gotten lost in academic speak and post-modern criticism. Don't worry, though, there is good stuff out there, you just have to find it.

Poem of the Day IX

2006-10-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

Riveted
by Robyn Sarah from A Day's Grace

It is possible that things will not get better
than they are now, or have been known to be.
It is possible that we are past the middle now.
It is possible that we have crossed the great water
without knowing it, and stand now on the other side.
Yes: I think that we have crossed it. Now
we are being given tickets, and they are not
tickets to the show we had been thinking of,
but to a different show, clearly inferior.

Check again: it is our own name on the envelope.
The tickets are to that other show.

It is possible that we will walk out of the darkened hall
without waiting for the last act: people do.
Some people do. But it is probable
that we will stay seated in our narrow seats
all through the tedious dénouement
to the unsurprising end--riveted, as it were;
spellbound by our own imperfect lives
because they are lives,
and because they are ours.

© The Porcupine’s Quill, Inc

A Good Way to Kill Some Time

2006-10-20T19:56:00.000-04:00

There's a really cool promotion going on right now for the new Treehouse of Horror Simpson's episode coming on in November. You edit together a promo clip for the show using existing video, audio, and whatever titles you want to add in. You can create your own here. After creating your clip you can submit it to win prizes, the grand prize being a trip to LA for the Simpson's 400th episode party.

If you want to see my entry, you can check it out here. I'm actually pretty proud of it. (Yes, I realize I'm a geek, no need to point it out.) Hope you enjoy!

(BTW, the line in the attached poster is one of my all time Homer favorites. Maybe someday I'll get around to doing a post on best Simpson's lines ever. More for me, than anyone else.)

The Future of Humanity: Coffee Colored Giants

2006-10-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

Recently the television network Bravo commissioned Dr. Oliver Curry to predict the evolutionary changes in humanity over the next 1000, 10,000, and 100,000 years. You can read more about it here and here. After reading through his findings it makes me wonder, how do I get on the list to be commissioned for lame studies?

Anyway, it is kind of funny, so I’ll elaborate. In 1000 years time, according to Curry, we will all be taller, as tall as 7 feet on average, more attractive, and “coffee colored” as we will have lost all aspects of distinctive races through interbreeding. I guess the modeling industry will have no short supply of eligible candidates, but I do feel sorry for the beauty products industry because women will apparently all already have glossy hair and smooth skin.

By the year 12,000 we will all have lost almost all our ability to socialize or communicate well because of technology. Emotions such as love, sympathy, and trust will all cease to exist. This in turn will lead to the collapse of the greeting card industry, and the end to made up holidays. No wonder we don’t socialize anymore. Also the flower shops will suffer: “Sure, I’d have bought you flowers, honey, but the thing is, love doesn’t exist as an emotion anymore, so, sorry!” Oh, and we’ll also have receding chins because processed foods will require less chewing. Less chewing…I guess the future is looking brighter after all.

Finally, 100,000 years from now, we will have developed into two distinctly different sub species. According to the BBC article: “The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the ‘underclass’ humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.” All I can say is that I’m looking forward to the movie about the goblin revolt in the year 104,562. I’m sure it will win Best Picture at the Intergalactic Academy Awards, unless the academy votes for the remake of “Titanic”. Man, wouldn’t that be a shame. The Goblin community could really use the boost.

North Korea at Night

2006-10-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

This is an amazing photograph I stumbled across on this site. It was taken by a satellite in October of 2000. While Kim Jong Il is spending billions on his military and chemical and nuclear weapons (not to mention his affinity for lavish living, such as expensive wine) his country of 23 million people does not even have light at night. The website notes that the lights in the Sea of Japan are fishing vessels which use bright lights to lure squid. Yes, a satellite photo of Asia shows fishing vessels with more lights than the entire country of North Korea. It's hard to comprehend. Please pray for the people of North Korea.

Amish Faith Shines

2006-10-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

There was an excellent article in the Dallas Morning News last Friday about the faith of the Amish after the tragedy that occurred there. There really isn't anything more I can say; the article speaks for itself.

Poem of the Day VIII

2006-10-12T07:16:00.000-04:00

Autumn
by Rainer Maria Rilke from The Book of Images

The leaves are falling, falling as from far,
as though above were withering farthest gardens;
they fall with a denying attitude.

And night by night, down into solitude,
the heavy earth falls far from every star.

We are all falling. This hand's falling too--
all have this falling-sickness none withstands.

And yet there's One whose gently-holding hands
this universal falling can't fall through.

© 1977 by New Directions Publishing

North Korea Part II

2006-10-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

The headline of this article on CNN caught my eye this morning: “N. Korea Sees US Pressure as an Act of War”. The official quote from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry:

"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures."

North Korea is not getting the reaction they wanted from their nuclear tests, so they’re upping the ante. They either want the US to make a dumb move and win some public approval, and then bargaining rights to get more free stuff, or they want to force the US into bilateral talks. North Korea is trying to force opinion against the US by saying things like, “the issue of future nuclear tests is linked to U.S. policy toward our country.” You can tell they don’t want war (though a North Korean diplomat did offer this gem, "we hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes") they just want more leverage in bargaining. Also from the Foreign Ministry statement:

"Even though we conducted the nuclear test because of the U.S., we still remain committed to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and negotiations."

It would almost be funny if it weren’t such a volatile situation to everyone in the region and the suffering North Koreans. I remain hopeful that the situation will be resolved without anything blowing up (there is still speculation that perhaps the test wasn’t a nuclear warhead at all, or a dud that shows they still are not quite there yet), but nothing changes the state of the North Korean people. They are being held hostage by a crazed dictator waving nuclear weapons in the world’s face. Kim Jong Il knows the world has sympathy for his people and he uses this to gain even more from the world. As I said before, I hope this is just a mind game, but also one that we can win, not just for our sake, but the sake of the Korean people.

Update: Monkey see, monkey do...Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said this regarding Iran's nuclear program during a televised speech Wednesday: "these three or four countries are bullying and have no right to interfere in these issues and the Security Council has no right to interfere." Guess he thought Kim Jong Il had a good angle.

North Korea

2006-10-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

I just read a fascinating, albeit lengthy, article from the Atlantic Monthly about the situation with North Korea. Of course tensions have been high in Korea for over 50 years, but especially as of late with the recent nuclear tests. It seems to me that the Kim Jong Il is doing everything he can to get leverage in an increasingly failing state. This is the reason for the very public announcements of missile tests and nuclear tests. The more aid he can coerce out of the world, the more time he has as leader. How to deal with North Korea is the difficult question. No one wants war with a country that has a million-man army and an extensive stockpile of chemical and biological weapons, while at the same time economic sanctions that cause the country to collapse could create an enormous humanitarian crisis and a very dangerous security crisis with nuclear and chemical weapons up for grabs. Whatever we do, it needs to be well thought out. While Kim Jong Il may be crazy, he is more in line with “evil-genius” crazy. The article describes him thusly:

Expertly tutored by his father, Kim consolidated power and manipulated the Chinese, the Americans, and the South Koreans into subsidizing him throughout the 1990s. And Kim is hardly impulsive: he has the equivalent of think tanks studying how best to respond to potential attacks from the United States and South Korea—attacks that themselves would be reactions to crises cleverly instigated by the North Korean government in Pyongyang. “The regime constitutes an extremely rational bunch of killers,” [professor of history at South Korea’s Kookmin University Andrei] Lankov says.

Kim Jong Il is ready for the game, I just hope we are as well.

The Yankees Failure

2006-10-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

I'm not normally one to revel in another's loss, unless, of course, that loss is by the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers beat the Yankees 3 games to 1 to win the divisional series and eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs. Below is Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's statement:

"I am deeply disappointed at our being eliminated so early in the playoffs. This result is absolutely not acceptable to me nor to our great and loyal Yankee fans. I want to congratulate the Detroit Tigers organization and wish them well. Rest assured, we will go back to work immediately and try to right this sad failure and provide a championship for the Yankees, as is our goal every year."

I guess $200 million just doesn't buy what it used to.

More on 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

2006-10-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

I read an interesting article, by Edward Feser about the 9/11 conspiracy theories and why people are so inclined to believe them. The author's main point is that the tendency towards conspiracy theories comes from Enlightenment thinking that authority should inherently not be trusted (he does make the point that this comes from the faulty view that the middle ages was a dark and unlearned time, but that is another post for another day). His point is not that we should blindly follow authority, but that it is the foundation for any further thinking. The fallacy is that it is impossible to discount any previous authority and start fresh as you must start somewhere. He draws a parallel between this fallacy used by conspiracy theorists and one used by secularists to discount Christianity:

Even very radical shifts in worldview typically presuppose a deep level of continuity between the view that was abandoned and the one that comes to be adopted. Hence the Protestant who converts to Catholicism (or vice versa) does so on the basis of religious premises both traditions have in common. Hence the secularist who rejects Christianity as a whole typically does so on the basis of scientific and moral principles that developed out of the Christian tradition itself. (See here, here, and here.) And hence the conspiracy theorist who claims to believe that the government and the media are in thrall to some purportedly sinister force or other (the military-industrial complex, the Mossad, or whatever)invariably bases his theory precisely on materials drawn from these sources (such as newspaper accounts and television news broadcasts, and even the Warren Commission and 9/11 Commission reports, which JFK assassination buffs and 9/11 fantasists, respectively, comb for evidence to support their case).

So the conspiracy theorist cites evidence to his case from the very sources that he seeks to disqualify. The author goes on to cite a similar fallacy that the authority the conspiracy theorist questions is very often only the authority that disagrees with his point, while authorities that agree are cited without question. This is obviously faulty thinking, but an interesting side note would be to show the below video. Very often the end of 9/11 conspiracy theories is to show that the Bush administration was one of the main benefactors of 9/11 and so must have been involved in causing or at lease allowing it to happen. This is a very attractive view for those on the left that are blindly against the Bush administration (as an aside, I am in no way saying the Bush administration is without fault or has handled everything well. They have made many mistakes, but to say that they caused 9/11 or other such nonsense is only to deny your purpose because then honest criticism is often overlooked as more lunacy from the left). At any rate, perhaps the best argument would be to show the below statements by leftist darling Noam Chomsky. But then, I suppose he would be an authority and must be questioned, right?

Pervez Musharraf

2006-10-01T11:15:00.000-04:00

The president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, has been a name we have heard here for several years now. After 9/11, Musharraf pledged support for the US in the battle with terrorism, and specifically against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Recently, we have heard his name pop up with more frequency. He was here for the UN conference and also spent some time promoting his new book: In the Line of Fire. The majority of the rhetoric surrounding Musharraf has always been positive, and as this article notes, perhaps too positive for a man who seized control of his government in a coup and where there are questions about how "democratic" the elections have been to secure his control in the years since, but on the whole he has been seen to be a strong ally. The past week, I've been reading articles here and there relating to Musharraf, and the interesting idea I've stumbled across is that the seeming contradictions in Musharraf are really contradictions in many of the Muslim countries as a whole. What we see is a paradox of ideas: that of traditional Muslim ideology and values, and the ideology and values of the West that are being spread, directly and indirectly through them.

With all of the positive rhetoric we have heard, I always assumed Musharraf was pretty solid in our court. I suppose this was naive optimism, but during an interview with the president on The Daily Show, the fact that we are dealing with a man, running a nuclear country that could very easily change his mind about his support became clear. I'm not saying he's going to go against us, but the recent controversy surrounding whether former deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, told a key official in Pakistan after 9/11 that they had better support us or else we would bomb them into the stone age has shown some cracks of division. Armitage has claimed this statement was false, and I'm sure he would never use the phrase "bomb into the stone age", but I also don't doubt that he was surely a bit on the firm side in the conversation, and it does make you wonder how much support is due to goodwill and how much is due to force. At any rate, the interview is an interesting one to watch, so for your convenience see below:

And so the paradox I mention shown in Musharraf is really a reflection of the country he leads. My friend Christina was in Pakistan last April and two posts on her blog really capture this separateness, this paradox of Middle Eastern and Western ideas, very well. The first is about Islamabad, which is a thoroughly modern and westernized city. The second is about the trip taken to the earthquake zone. The picture with the entry says quite a bit by itself.

All of this is not to question our alliance with Musharraf and Pakistan, but to realize that situations are usually more complicated than they appear on the surface. Having an understanding of a culture like Pakistan's is essential to understanding the alliance, and the entire global situation.

Poem of the Day VII

2006-09-25T07:19:00.000-04:00

Illumination
by R.T. Smith from Split the Lark

As if some monk bored
in the cold scriptorium
had let his quill

wander from the morning
Gospel, two tendrils
of wisteria

have scrolled
their green fervour
into the weave of a wicker

deck chair to whisper
with each spiral,
every sweet leaf

and dew sparkle,
Brother, come
with us, come home.

© RT Smith, 1999

Sufjan Stevens

2006-09-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night, Sufjan Stevens performed at The Fox in Atlanta. The Fox is a beautiful venue and very well kept. This is kind of bittersweet for a concert in my opinion, because while it’s a cool room to see a show in, people tend to be more reserved. Everyone sat and took in the show as if it were a symphonic performance (though Sufjan did have a string section and a brass section) only with loud cheering after each song, instead of gentle applause. I suppose his style of music lends itself to this environment, but I still felt funny sitting at a “rock” concert.

We arrived early enough to get in, grab a way overpriced plastic cup of Sweetwater 420 (the only beer available, it was that or a $10 shot of Jager), and find our seats before the opening act, My Brightest Diamond came out. The show was sponsored by Paste Magazine and so there was a table in the lobby handing out free copies of Paste. I had a strange Hitchcock style moment before the show when I looked around the room and saw everyone sitting quietly in their seats flipping through their free copies of Paste; the gentle rustling of pages as the only sound. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but it was definitely a mini-surreal moment.

My Brightest Diamond came out, led by Shara Worden, who is also a part of Sufjan’s band, promptly at 8pm. This was the first I had heard of MBD and while they had an interesting sound, they were more the background music to everyone’s arrival. People filed in, conversed, grabbed drinks, and made trips to the bathroom, which made concentration difficult. She caught most of the audience’s attention with her last few songs, though, which were more up beat.

After a brief intermission Sufjan and his 14 piece back-up band came out. All were wearing large colorful butterfly wings. In addition to his usual group of guitarist, bassist, and drummer, he hired a string section and brass section to round it all out. Instead of traveling with this many people, though, he hired different musicians in each of the cities he’s playing in. The groups receive sheet music prior to each show and then rehearse briefly beforehand, but that's it. It didn’t show, however, as the music and arrangements all went very well.

The show began with “Sister” from the album Seven Swans. This was a perfect song to start the show with, because it is an instrumental build for about 5 minutes, then cuts out and leaves Sufjan to sing and play piano. I could tell we were in for a good show.

The only problem occurred during “The Transfiguration”. The band was in full swing, when suddenly an ear shattering high pitched feedback shriek rocked the room. All of the band members jumped and nearly dropped their instruments. Sufjan mumbled a quiet, “uh, sorry” and ran off the stage. No one knew quite what to do, so to fill the new awkward silence there were intermittent screams from the audience. Soon the problem was fixed and the show was back on.

During the middle of the show, Sufjan took it down a notch playing the quiet, yet powerful songs, “Casimir Pulaski Day” and “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” from Illinois. The songs truly show Sufjan’s lyrical genius. The former is a contemplation on a friend/girlfriend who is suffering from bone cancer. The characters in the song are young, probably high school, and when the girl finally passes away, the main character ponders the amazing Grace of the Lord, with the amazing pain we face in life:

All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications when I see His face
In the morning in the window
All the glory when He took our place
But He took my shoulders, and He shook my face,
and He takes and He takes and He takes

The latter song mentioned above, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” is a startling portrayal of the serial killer mentioned in the title. With careful phrasing, Sufjan mentions the evils of this man only to finish with: “And in my best behavior / I am really just like him / Look beneath the floor boards / For the secrets I have hid.”

If this section of the performance showcased Sufjan’s lyrics, the next showcased his music. “Jacksonville” is a beautifully arranged song that utilized the full band. Then, arguably my favorite Sufjan song came, “The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!” He prefaced the song with a short story about how it came from a time when he was at summer camp and was chased by a giant “bird wasp”. It was a funny story, told in a somewhat nervous manner. Perhaps it was the size of the room, or perhaps it was just his personality. At any rate, the song didn’t disappoint.

The evening finished with the title track from Illinois followed by a two song encore. All in all it was an excellent show and well worth the money. I’m excited to see what Sufjan comes out with next.

The Pope and Controversy

2006-09-20T15:33:00.000-04:00

Last week Pope Benedict XVI made some comments in Germany that inflamed the Muslim world once again. This of course is nothing new. It seems that with increasing regularity there are reports of uprisings because of comments someone somewhere made about Islam or Mohammed. An article on the recent uprising and a short summary of other such events are listed here. These include Salman Rushdie for the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses, which portray Mohammed in an unfavorable light. A Fatwa was placed on his head and he went into hiding for the next couple of decades. He escaped murder, but unfortunately his Japanese translator wasn’t so lucky. It also mentions the more recent event involving the Danish cartoons. Most remember this bit of chaos, so I’ll refrain from any further explanation. So, what did the Pope say that made so many, so angry?

"Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the 'Book' and the 'infidels', [Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus] addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness which leaves us astounded, on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached'. The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. 'God', he says, 'is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats."

The offending point is, of course, the quote from Emperor Paleologus. Claiming that Islam has nothing new to offer except violence and evil is a bit over the top, but the Pope was not using it as his main point. It was simply an illustration of how violence should not be used to spread religion; instead it should be through reason and discourse. So, how did the offending parties respond? With a carefully worded rebuttal? Honest debate? No, they responded with this:

The Pope has since apologized for his remarks, which was perhaps the best course of action for a public leader to take, however, his point was made. The scary thing is that this violence is not just chaos, it has a goal in mind. The goal for the Islamofascist movement is an Islamic state where Sharia would be in place. One tenant of Sharia is that of Dhimmitude, which is a term used to allude to the conduct of non-muslims in a state ruled by Sharia. These inhabitants must submit and cede their individual rights such as free speech. We are not in an Islamic state, but the Islamofascist movement is winning on this point. While there is still criticism, many media outlets and public figures are afraid to say anything. After the Pope apologized, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said in an interview with Brian Williams of NBC: “I think that he actually takes back his statement. And there is no problem.” That’s precisely what’s scary: any criticism, any statement, anything at all not found favorable is unacceptable. Take it back, though, and there’s no problem. So much for reasoned discourse.

Senor Limpieza

2006-09-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

I promise I'll post something more substantial soon, but I thought this was funny. Upon being asked if he did anything interesting yesterday, our warehouse manager replied, "nothing, just cleaned." This got me to thinking about the product "Mr. Clean" and how perhaps it's time for it to be a bit more ethnically diverse. A little boredom, a quick picture, and some photoshop work yielded this:
It would have been better, but the program crashed on me while making it and I had to start over from scratch. Oh well. Good way to kill some time.

Poem of the Day VI

2006-09-18T09:04:00.000-04:00

Dostoevsky
by Charles Bukowski from Bone Palace Ballet: New Poems

against the wall, the firing squad ready.
then he got a reprieve.
suppose they had shot Dostoevsky?
before he wrote all that?
I suppose it woulnd't have
mattered
not directly.
there are billions of people who have
never read him and never
will.
but as a young man I know that he
got me through the factories,
past the whores,
lifted me high through the night
and put me down
in a better
place.
even while in the bar
drinking with the other
derelicts,
I was glad they gave Dostoevsky a
reprieve,
it gave me one,
allowed me to look directly at those
rancid faces
in my world,
death pointing its finger
I held fast,
an immaculate drunk
sharing the stinking dark with
my
brothers.

© 1997 by Linda Lee Bukowski

The End of an Era

2006-09-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

The most impressive streak not just in baseball, but in all of professional sports, came to a quiet end just after midnight Wednesday. The New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins and mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the division and the door closed on 14 straight Division Titles. Of course, everyone knew the Braves had no chance weeks ago, but the true fan always maintains that small glimmer of hope all the way to the bitter end. I’ve had a while to get used to the idea, so I’m not angry anymore. Now, I’m just taking the streak in. It’s been quite a ride and I couldn’t be prouder to have been a Braves fan through the whole thing.

What has made this extra special to anyone who has been in Atlanta long enough is the fact that the Braves were horrible until 1991 when this streak began. I remember going to Fulton County Stadium in the 80’s to a team that looked like the team from the movie Major League before they got good. Even the field itself was in disrepair since the Falcons also played there (and they weren’t much better back then). The games would barely draw enough fans to even make noise and any promotion that said: “First 10,000 fans receive a collectors Braves helmet” actually meant “Everyone Gets a Helmet Day”. You went to see Dale Murphy and Bob Horner and whoever the opposing team was. As bad as they were, though, I will always remember my first Braves game, my first baseball game, as a great day. That first moment of walking through the breezeway with baseball glove in hand and seeing the enormous field opening up before me was about the most beautiful site my young eyes had ever seen. Sunny day, baseball, hot dog…what could be better? From that moment on, for better or worse, I was a Braves fan.

Then 1991 came. The year before the Braves had finished in last place with the worst record in all of baseball. No one expected much this year either. At the All-Star Break the Braves were down 9 ½ games and it looked like more of the same. But they rallied and the season went down to the wire with the Braves clinching on October 5. Atlanta went crazy. I got to go to some playoff games and it was the most amazing magical experience. The stadium was packed and The Chant that would accompany the Tomahawk Chop would continue long after the drum rhythm on the PA would stop. The Braves went on to defeat the Pittsburg Pirates in 7 games in a very tense National League Championship Series (NLCS) and the unbelievable had happened: the Atlanta Braves were going to the World Series. The Braves lost a heartbreaker in the 7th game of the World Series to the Minnesota Twins, but in a way it didn’t matter. We weren’t losers anymore. The Braves got a ticker tape parade when they returned home and it was such a big deal we got to watch it on TV in school instead of doing our regular lessons.

Over the next 14 years winning was the name of the game. Season after season we came out on top of our division. There are many unforgettable moments: “The Catch” by Otis Nixon, Sid Bream lumbering around the bases for what seemed like an hour, all the Cy Young awards, the World Series win in 1995, watching Smoltz shut things down as a starter, then a closer, then a starter again. I could go on, and on.

It’s been such a long streak that people just began to assume the Braves would win. It was a given. Over this streak the Braves have had 272 players appear in at least one game. The only active Braves player to be there through it all is John Smoltz. The team has become a dynasty and credit is due in large part to Bobby Cox, the manager, and John Schuerholz, the GM. They have run an amazing team and done something never done before.

It may be over for this season, but there’s always next year. I think it’s about time to start a new streak. Congratulations on a great run, guys, and thanks for all the memories.

A World War

2006-09-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

"On that day [September 11], we learned what we ought to have known already, which is that clerical fanaticism means to fight a war which can only have one victor. Afghans, Kurds, Kashmiris, Timorese and many others could have told us this from experience and for nothing (and did warn us, especially in the person of Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of Afghanistan's Northern Alliance). Does anyone suppose that an ideology that slaughters and enslaves them will ever be amenable to 'us'?"

In this article, Christopher Hitchens nails the point that the war we are fighting is not just a war against “us” the United States, but a war against everyone who has suffered, been oppressed, or done battle with Islamic fundamentalism. I think that all too often we see this as “our” war and not the world war that it is. Of course it is right to mourn for our fallen, but there have been many fallen in many parts of the world at the hands of the same enemy. We should mourn together and find resolve and strength with our brothers and sisters in other oppressed regions.

You may not agree with the tactics that have been taken in this war or how it is being fought, but it is hard to disagree with the fact that there is a war. There have been many conspiracy theories that 9/11 was nothing more than a charade to allow consolidated power and a movement to a new world government by the elite. Personally, I think this enters tin foil hat territory, but I think it shows a certain naiveté in the population that people would be more willing to grasp onto a giant conspiracy theory to explain things instead of what is really happening. There is a real enemy that is not the stuff of graphic novels and pulp fiction.

The question is, how do we shake this image, and in some ways it is deserved, of the giant un-feeling hegemon? A hegemon we most certainly are, but this is a war that needs allies. In a battle such as this one even the smallest player has a role and we would be foolish to ignore any and all help that we can get.

Lost in Translation

2006-09-12T07:29:00.000-04:00

I work for a company that manufactures and imports seasonal items that are then sold to retailers here in the US. We have an office in Taiwan and another office and a factory in China. We have daily email correspondence with both offices and while the English of the folks on the other end is very good, much better than I would ever do trying to communicate in Putonghua (yes, I realize how pretentious it is to use the official name instead of just “Chinese”); there are still some amusing translational missteps that occur.

Most of the time it is because of an alternate wording of a common phrase. One such incident occurred when it had come to the time of year when the customer was deciding what to buy for the next season. The factory obviously was becoming impatient when they sent over this line in the email: “please advise what color customer will decide finally on earth.” Sometimes, however, the final design of a product is left up to us, and we try many different options to decide which is the best to show the customer. During one of these design periods the factory inquired if they “could select and select till we are satisfactory?” It’s not all business, though, especially around holiday time warm pleasantries are exchanged. For example, last Christmas the email finished with a very nice salutation: “The Christmas is coming, Merry Christmas!”

Other times, humor comes not from the usage, but because an archaic term is used instead of a more standard one. I suppose their Chinese-to-English dictionary is a bit out of date since once they came up with: “please give us evincive information.” The usage here is actually correct, but evincive hasn’t been used much since the early 1900's.

Sometimes there isn’t any real logical reason for the misstep and what comes back is just funny. We asked the factory once to provide us with official scientific data on what would happen if a particular grill cover we were working on was left out in the sun. Product testing is a very common practice and all the retailers require it, so many times we like to do this ourselves in order to present the customer with results right from the start. Well, this time our scientific report came in and revealed the final result of the testing, nicely typed on official letterhead, of what would happen if the cover was left out in the sun. The page simply read: “it smell stink”.

My all time favorite example, however, came in an email one morning. We had been waiting on pricing information for an item and were expecting it that day. We knew we would have to wait a little longer, though, once we received this explanation: “the man who is in charge of quotation is overdrink this afternoon.” This is not only funny on several levels, but also gives some insight into Chinese linguistics. The word for “drunk” in Chinese is the character for “over” and the character for “drink”. More than this, though, I think the reason this is my favorite is because of how much I can identify with the guy. There have certainly been days where I (and I’m sure most of you who have worked in an office could agree) would have liked nothing more than to take off after lunch to go out and get good and overdrink. It’s nice to know that despite the language difference we still have a good bit in common with our friends in the Far East.

A Poem for September 11

2006-09-11T08:29:00.000-04:00

For the Falling Man
by Annie Farnsworth from Bodies of Water, Bodies of Light

I see you again and again
tumbling out of the sky,
in your slate-grey suit and pressed white shirt.
At first I thought you were debris
from the explosion, maybe gray plaster wall
or fuselage but then I realized
that people were leaping.
I know who you are, I know
there's more to you than just this image
on the news, this ragdoll plummeting—
I know you were someone's lover, husband, daddy.
Last night you read stories
to your children, tucked them in, then curled into sleep
next to your wife. Perhaps there was small
sleepy talk of the future. Then,
before your morning coffee had cooled
you'd come to this; a choice between fire
or falling.
How feeble these words, billowing
in this aftermath, how ineffectual
this utterance of sorrow. We can see plainly
it's hopeless, even as the words trail from our mouths
—but we can't help ourselves—how I wish
we could trade them for something
that could really have caught you.

© Annie Farnsworth

Poem of the Day V

2006-09-08T07:08:00.000-04:00

Happiness
by Raymond Carver from All of Us: the Collected Poems

So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.
When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.
they wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
they are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.
I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.
They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.
Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.
Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.

© 1985 by Raymond Carver

What Baseball is all About

2006-09-06T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today Anibal Sanchez, a 22 year old Venezuelan rookie threw a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's pitching for a very young Marlins team, which has done surprisingly well this year despite their off-season fire sale of talented players. They are only 3 games out of the wildcard race and 4 games ahead of my beloved Braves in the division. Everyone predicted them to finish last this year (and the Braves first...sigh), but this is why we play the games. With the endless talk on sports radio and ESPN one would think the season is over before it begins, but there are always surprises, which is what makes it so much fun.

After he made the final out, his teammates flooded the field and hoisted him on their shoulders. His wife was in attendance and after the game he said: "She was there," his eyes wet with tears of joy. "I don't know, I can't say any more. I love her, I love my family." He'll remeber this for the rest of his life. What a moment for a young athlete. These are the things that make sports exciting. Plus it will take people's minds off the last no-hitter in MLB, Randy Johnson's perfect game against the Braves in 2004.

Congratulations Anibal, and here's to a long career for you.

Writer's Almanac

2006-09-06T09:19:00.000-04:00

The short biography below was copied straight from today’s Writer’s Almanac (the Garrison Keillor radio program). You can also subscribe to it and receive a poem and literary notes in your inbox every morning, which is a great way to start the day. Anyway, I typically like to add some commentary to the direct quotations I publish here, but this stands on its own. It’s quite heartening to read of people who struggle and succeed. I love the quote by Sebold at the end of this. I hope it inspires you today:

It's the birthday of the novelist Alice Sebold born in Madison, Wisconsin (1963). She grew up wanting to be a writer, and went to Syracuse University, where some of the best writers in America were teaching, including Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff. But one night during her freshman year of college, Sebold was walking home when she was attacked, dragged into an underground tunnel, and raped. She thought that she was going to be murdered. When she later talked to the police, they said that a girl had recently been murdered in that same tunnel, and so she should consider herself lucky for having survived.

A few weeks later, Sebold spotted the rapist on the street, and she went to the police. He was arrested, and Sebold testified against him at trial. She was subjected to a brutal cross-examination by the defense attorney, and police later said that she was one of the best rape witnesses they had ever seen on the stand. The rapist was convicted and received the maximum sentence.

Sebold thought that the end of the trial would put the experience behind her, but for the next fifteen years she struggled to have relationships with other people, and she struggled to write. She tried going to graduate school and dropped out. She moved to New York and started drinking a lot and dabbling in drugs.

She decided a change of scenery might help, so she moved to California, and got a job as a caretaker of an arts colony, where she lived in a cabin without electricity, reading and writing at night by propane light. In the back of her mind she'd always thought about what those policeman had said to her about that other girl who had been murdered in that same tunnel. One day, Sebold sat down at her desk and began writing a story in the voice of a teenage girl who has been murdered, and in one sitting she wrote the entire opening of what would become her novel The Lovely Bones, about a murdered fourteen-year-old girl looking down from heaven as her family tries to recover from the grief of her death.

Sebold's agent had a hard time selling the novel, since most publishers were wary about a book narrated by a dead girl. But it was eventually picked up by Little, Brown, and it became a word-of-mouth sensation among booksellers and critics before it was even published. It came out in June of 2002, a few months before Sebold's thirty-ninth birthday. It sold more than 2 million copies, becoming the best-selling book in 2002.

Sebold has said in interviews that she was as surprised by the book's success as anyone. She said, "It's very weird to succeed at thirty-nine years old and realize that in the midst of your failure, you were slowly building the life that you wanted anyway."

Good Beer

2006-09-04T11:44:00.000-04:00

I guess my top living songwriters post got me in a list making mood, so here I've posted 5 beers that I've found to be especially good. I'm always willing to add more to my list, but I've enjoyed these for a while now, and they never disappoint. Also, I'll take this opportunity to put in a plug for the best bar in the world...if you live in the Atlanta area or are passing through, be sure to stop at The Brick Store in Decatur. It will be well worth your time. So, without further delay, bring on the beer:

1. St. Bernardus Abt 12: this dark ivory colored beer is brewed at the Trappistenweg 23 monastery in Watou Belgium. It has a rich fruity flavor, which is characteristic of the Belgian ales. It is very complex and very different from what most Americans think of as "beer", but it is well worth trying. Only problem is you'll be hooked. Be careful, though, at 10.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) it can hit you pretty quick.

2. Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA: after this you'll never drink another IPA. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find this in Georgia. I picked up a six-pack in North Carolina this summer, and while I'm glad I did, I am now ruined for any other IPA. Like most IPA's it is quite hoppy, but this one is at a level seldom tasted. If you run across this be sure to pick some up for yourself (and for me).

3. Rogue Mocha Porter: the Rogue Brewery in Portland has a great selection of beers. In fact, the Brick Store Pub, mentioned above, always keeps a Rogue on tap. Of all the Rogue brews I've tried, though, this one is my favorite. It has a rich bittersweet chocolate flavor. It goes great with a meal or by itself. While dark, it goes down smooth and is not a "meal" in and of itself.

4. Three Philosophers: this Belgian style ale brewed at the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY, which is also the location of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Good beer and baseball...what could be a better combination? Anyway, this beer has a rich fruity flavor and is the closest thing you'll come to a Belgian Abby ale outside Belgium. This also makes it easier to find. Most liquor stores will have Three Philosophers. You just have to hunt for it through all the Bud and Icehouse.

5. Samuel Adams Summer Ale: finally, I thought I'd finish off with a seasonal beer. Sam Adams is probably the best mainstream brewery around. You can find their beer at any grocery store or liquor store and they always have great seasonal brews. The Summer Ale is a wheat beer with a hint of lemon. It's a great tasting beer for a hot summer day. Be sure to pick up some quick, if there's any left, or else you'll be waiting for next season.

Poem of the Day IV

2006-09-02T11:52:00.000-04:00

Things
Lisel Mueller from Alive Together: New and Selected Poems

What happened is, we grew lonely
living among the things,
so we gave the clock a face,
the chair a back,
the table four stout legs
which will never suffer fatigue.

We fitted our shoes with tongues
as smooth as our own
and hung tongues inside bells
so we could listen
to their emotional language,

and because we loved graceful profiles
the pitcher received a lip,
the bottle a long, slender neck.

Even what was beyond us
was recast in our image;
we gave the country a heart,
the storm and eye,
the cave a mouth
so we could pass into safety.

© Louisiana State University Press

Top Ten Living Songwriters

2006-08-31T16:01:00.000-04:00

A few months ago Paste Magazine released an issue listing the 100 greatest living songwriters. Of course, this got me thinking, so here, for your reading pleasure, are my top 10 greatest living songwriters, right now (it’s always best to add the “right now” in there, because “best of” lists are always subject to change). Please feel free to add your own list, mention those I forgot, call me an idiot for including/excluding someone, or whatever else comes to your mind in the comments.

1. Bob Dylan
Favorite Album: Blood on the Tracks
Favorite Songs: “Tangled up in Blue”, “Shelter from the Storm”, “Visions of Johanna”
Comments: What is there to say? Dylan is the iconic songwriter. He has so many high points throughout this career it’s impossible to narrow it down. From the absurd to the poignant, his lyrics always make you think and his composition is always perfect. I had the chance to see him live a few years ago and it was an incredible experience. Listening to him play “Like a Rolling Stone” gave me an amazing feeling of connection with all the people over the years that have heard that song and identified with it. The man is a legend.

2. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings, Solo)
Favorite Album: Let it Be
Favorite Songs: “Let it Be”, “In My Life”, “Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)”
Comments: Again, how do you narrow down a career like McCartney’s? My focus with him is mostly on his time with The Beatles, but he has been a prolific songwriter since then as well. McCartney, as well as Dylan, is responsible for so much of our shared culture and our understanding of pop music. There couldn’t be a list like this without his inclusion.

3. Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel, Solo)
Favorite Album: Graceland
Favorite Songs: “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”, “American Tune”, “Slip Slidin’ Away”
Comments: While all of the songwriters on this list are unique and have constantly sought to expand their musical styles, none have delved into world music or sought connections with genres outside their own as much as Paul Simon. A perfectionist, his lyrics are always insightful, brimming with humor and heartache, and his music always manages to be complex and challenging and yet remain at its heart pop music.

4. John Prine
Favorite Album: Sweet Revenge
Favorite Songs: “Souvenirs”, “That’s the Way that the World Goes ‘Round”, “All the Best”
Comments: Picking a favorite album is hard with Prine. He’s the type that you really need a good best of CD to really understand. He’s been writing great music since the early ‘70’s. His wit and humor shed a new light on difficult times and laughter in better ones. The previous 3 mentioned on this list seem untouchable because they’re such celebrity, but Prine, even though he’s been recording great music for 30 years, is more down to earth. He’s the poet for the common man.

5. Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco)
Favorite Album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Favorite Songs: “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”, “Jesus, etc”, “The Late Greats”
Comments: Jeff Tweedy has become a golden boy of modern rock music. After his work in Uncle Tupelo, often considered the driving force behind the Alt-country movement, he formed the band Wilco and has evolved his musical style with each album. He has moved right near the top of the list of artists who can experiment with feedback and even noise and still turn it into great rock songs.

6. Tom Waits
Favorite Album: Rain Dogs
Favorite Songs: “Come on up to the House”, “Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)”, “Time”
Comments: If you sat down and listened to everyone on this list you would probably come away saying that Tom Waits was the strangest, and you’d probably be right. No one else on this list has experimented the way that Waits has over his long career. His style ranges from folk to polka, from gospel to piano bar lounge music. His lyrics often tell sordid tales of people on the wrong side of the tracks. He is the musical equivalent to Charles Bukowski or straight whiskey. He is an acquired taste but one that is well worth the time.

7. Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Solo)
Favorite Album: Straightaways
Favorite Songs: “Windfall”, “Caryatideasy”, “Gramophone”
Comments: The other big name from Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar has not reached the pinnacle his counterpart did. Most thought Farrar would be the golden boy to save rock music, and while I tend to identify with him more, Tweedy won the badge in the critic’s eyes. Ever since his Uncle Tupelo days as a teenager he has always sung and written as a man far older than his age. His songs sing of blue collar heartache and carry the feeling of sitting alone at closing time at the local bar. He captures this mood better than just about anyone.

8. Sufjan Stevens
Favorite Album: Illinois
Favorite Songs: “In the Devil’s Territory”, “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is out to Get us”, “Decatur, or, Round of Applause for your Stepmother”
Comments: In a very short time Sufjan has released several albums. Among them are Michigan and Illinois, two releases in his plan to release one album for each of the 50 states. His musical style ranges from lush instrumentation to a simple banjo strum and voice. His lyrics touch on faith, loss, joy, and everything in between. He is one of the most talented musicians I’ve seen in a long time and I’m looking forward to what I hope is a long career.

9. Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)
Favorite Album: Our Endless Numbered Days
Favorite Songs: “Passing Afternoon”, “Muddy Hymnal”, “Naked as we Came”
Comments: Beam is a born songwriter. His first album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, was recorded on a 4-track in his home. It is a soft recording with hushed vocals accompanied by guitar, banjo, and mandolin, but it speaks volumes. This style continues on his later releases, but he turns it up a bit on a few songs and it creates a wonderful mix. His music is the type that fills the room you are playing it in and it is hard to do anything else but listen.

10. Ben Harper
Favorite Album: Fight for your Mind
Favorite Songs: “Pleasure and Pain”, “By my Side”, “Ground on Down”
Comments: While he can border on cliché at times, especially with his political themed songs, Ben Harper has a knack for writing accessible songs about everyday life and events. His music is dynamic, as shown especially on his newest album Both Sides of the Gun: one song is funk the next folk and the last all out rock. He may not be the headiest songwriter around, but he’s always one I enjoy listening to.

So, that’s that. I realize now that I’ve finished with the list that, aside from the length (sorry about that), there are no female artists on it. I thought of including Gillian Welch, Ani DiFranco, and Emmylou Harris, all of whom I’ve enjoyed in the past, but I don’t know enough about them to make an intelligent entry. So…please leave me some artists/albums that I should check out in the comments. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed the list.

A Commuter's Dream

2006-08-29T10:15:00.000-04:00

It came true for Dan Ruefly last night. A contest was held to see who had the worst commute story over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which spans the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. The winner got to detonate the bridge. Well, not directly, he pushed down a plunger that gave the signal for the demolition crew to do their work, but close enough, right? Ruefly’s winning commute was crashing into a tractor trailer and then having to wait in the back of the ambulance as it sat in traffic, unable to get to the hospital. My favorite runner up story: Stuart Roy was driving along the bridge when a landscaping truck going the opposite way hit a bump and sent a pitchfork flying through the air and into his windshield. Now that’s a bad commute.

You can read more in this article. I love the fact that despite the authorities' best efforts, people still showed up with chants of “Blow it up!” to watch the bridge be destroyed. I can understand. It’s one of those moments that doesn’t come very often…the chance to exact revenge on a headache causing inanimate object. I’m glad that Mr. Ruefly was able to get his last night.

Don't Throw it out Just Yet

2006-08-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

In this article in the Weekly Standard, columnist Louis Wittig makes an observation about the power of the blogosphere to influence politics and culture on a mainstream level in America. He compares the recent Snakes on a Plane phenomenon (see my previous post for more) with the liberal blogoshere in an attempt to show that the effect is basically nil: politicians were not elected because of the efforts of left-wing blogs and Snakes on a Plane only garnered around $15 million its opening weekend. His ultimate reason as to why is:

“People go to the blogosphere because they can't find a sizable number of people in their everyday, off-line lives that are as enthusiastic as they are. The blogosphere gathers together atypical fans and brings them together in what quickly becomes a broadband echo chamber. The louder and more intense the online community gets, the farther it's likely drifting from what is happening offline.”

This may be true, but what Wittig is overlooking is the fact that this echo chamber wasn’t available before at all. Before the internet, if you were overly enthusiastic about something and couldn’t find anyone else that was, you probably just kept it to yourself. Now, anyone with an idea can link to people all over that might share their passion. Snakes on a Plane, as stated in the article by a fan lamenting its poor opening weekend performance, might never have happened without the online support. The fact that a bunch of geeks with the internet got the producers to re-film scenes says something in and of itself.

Perhaps the blogosphere is not going to elect major politicians or have far reaching cultural impact now, but it allows ideas to come to the surface that never would have before. Also, it’s quite young. There’s no telling what effect it may have in the future. At the very least, it is a useful tool and provides a medium to sort through ideas and hopefully cull the best from the dregs to come forward to national attention. I would be hesitant to throw it out so soon as an influential medium.

On Atlanta

2006-08-27T13:33:00.000-04:00

This is a quote I stumbled across a while back by W.E.B. Du Bois from his book The Souls of Black Folks. I really love the way he portrays Atlanta. Anyone that works in the city, think of this tomorrow morning on your way to work:

"South of the North, yet north of the South, lies the City of a Hundred Hills, peering out from the shadows of the past into the promise of the future. I have seen her in the morning, when the first flush of day had half-roused her; she lay gray and still on the crimson soil of Georgia; then the blue smoke began to curl from her chimneys, the tinkle of the bell and scream of whistle broke the silence, the rattle and roar of busy life slowly gathered and swelled, until the seething whirl of the city seemed a strange thing in a sleepy land."

Poem of the Day III

2006-08-24T11:06:00.000-04:00

I Go Back to the House for a Book
Billy Collins from Picnic, Lightning

I turn around on the gravel
and go back to the house for a book,
something to read at the doctor's office,
and while I am inside, running the finger
of inquisition along a shelf,
another me that did not bother
to go back to the house for a book
heads out on his own,
rolls down the driveway,
and swings left toward town,
a ghost in his ghost car,
another knot in the string of time,
a good three minutes ahead of me —
a spacing that will now continue
for the rest of my life.

Sometimes I think I see him
a few people in front of me on a line
or getting up from a table
to leave the restaurant just before I do,
slipping into his coat on the way out the door.
But there is no catching him,
no way to slow him down
and put us back in synch,
unless one day he decides to go back
to the house for something,
but I cannot imagine
for the life of me what that might be.

He is out there always before me,
blazing my trail, invisible scout,
hound that pulls me along,
shade I am doomed to follow,
my perfect double,
only bumped an inch into the future,
and not nearly as well-versed as I
in the love poems of Ovid —
I who went back to the house
that fateful winter morning and got the book.

© University of Pittsburgh Press

Breeding Ideology

2006-08-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

The article linked to in the subject is another comment on the repercussions of falling fertility rates among certain groups. This time, it is liberal voters in the US. It claims that the Democratic Party may be in for some challenges if its potential voter base keeps declining. Since most people tend to follow the voting nature of their parents, if Democratic voters are not having babies that will make for a lot less Democratic voters in the future. The author, Arthur C. Brooks, sites the 2004 General Social Survey:

“[I]f you picked 100 unrelated politically liberal adults at random, you would find that they had, between them, 147 children. If you picked 100 conservatives, you would find 208 kids.”

Why is this? The easiest answer I can come to would relate to the lifestyle choices of each group. With nothing to back this up but my own perception, liberal, Democratic voters, tend to congregate in cities, and have a focus on their individual career instead of family, while conservative, Republican voters, live in suburbia or rural areas, and put focus on child rearing and family. This explains why perhaps having children is not as conducive to the “liberal lifestyle”, but it still doesn’t explain why liberal values correlate with low birth rates. I suppose the best explanation for that is the rejection of “traditional” values as outdated and a desire for progress, hence the term “progressives”, and family being a “traditional” institution. If you have other ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments section. The article doesn’t answer the question except through a humorous quote cited to “a liberal columnist in a major paper”:

"Maybe the scales are tipping to the neoconservative, homogenous right in our culture simply because they tend not to give much of a damn for the ramifications of wanton breeding and environmental destruction and pious sanctimony, whereas those on the left actually seem to give a whit for the health of the planet and the dire effects of overpopulation."

I suppose the appropriate conservative response could be, “yea, maybe it’s just because liberals can’t get any. Ha!” At any rate, it’s certainly an interesting topic. Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule. I have friends who are liberal and want/have multiple children and I have friends who tend to the conservative side and do not want children. But perhaps in general, the type that does not desire children tends to agree with the liberal side in our current political climate. The article goes on to show what will happen if the current trend continues and basically rules out any future victory for the Democratic Party. I think the pendulum effect will come into play, though: as one political viewpoint reaches the mainstream there is always a reaction, even if it has to come from folks whose parents would be ashamed of their voting record.

Another interesting aspect of this phenomenon is that it has been noted for some time now in Europe. The aforelinked (did I just create a word? Cool.) BBC article lists the sustainable birthrate level in Europe to be 2.1 children per woman and shows most countries at a much lower level (anywhere from 1.29 in Greece to 1.99 in Ireland). This certainly could have an effect on the political climate of Europe, but as Niall Ferguson, professor of History at Harvard, writes in his article “The Origins of the Great War of 2007” (oh, and sorry for all the doomsday stuff lately, guess it’s just been on my mind), it could have a much larger effect as well. He sites that while the population of Europe is falling on the whole, the Muslim population is on the rise and this could play into the cause of a major global struggle. He writes:

“In 1950, there had three times as many people in Britain as in Iran. By 1995, the population of Iran had overtaken that of Britain and was forecast to be 50 percent higher by 2050”

Great, so just on the horizon we’re going to have the great Redneck vs. Islamofascist wars to look forward to. Man, that could make for some interesting satire…but I will refrain. Again, I don’t think that we should over generalize. Not every child of Republican parents is going to vote Republican and most children of Muslim parents are not going to be terrorists, but the statistical trends do lead to interesting analysis and you can’t deny that the more people you have of a certain ideology, the stronger that view will be in the world.

I would be interested to see if any similar trends took place in history. I would imagine only recently have we been at a point with such wealth, not to mention multiple birth control solutions that this could even be a factor. Probably what you would find in history is the forceful removal of an idea via limiting the breeding process. It’s interesting to see it happening voluntarily now and only time will tell which way it will swing.

Iran

2006-08-21T10:57:00.000-04:00

The article linked here, titled “August 22, Does Iran Have Something in Store?” is well worth the read. I’m getting around to this a bit late as the article was published in the WSJ on August 8, 2006, and the date the article speculates about is tomorrow, however it still has interesting insight into the nature of the Islamist Fascist movement and Iran specifically. The article, by Bernard Lewis a well respected professor Emeritus at Princeton who is considered one of the preeminent authorities on the Middle East, describes that the probability of a nuclear encounter with Iran is far greater than it was during the Cold War. His reasoning is that during the Cold War there was the idea of Mutual Assured Destruction. If one side started launching warheads, the other would reciprocate, and soon there would be nothing left. Lewis claims that this theory is useless now because we are dealing with an enemy that sees destruction as positive an outcome as victory. He sites an example of this thinking:

A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. "I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another's hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours."

His ultimate conclusion is that, while there’s a good chance it won’t happen, something big could happen on August 22. Why? The article reads:

This year, Aug. 22 corresponds, in the Islamic calendar, to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to "the farthest mosque," usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back ( c.f., Koran XVII.1). This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadinejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind.

While the August 22 date is interesting and makes sense, tomorrow will most likely not be the day that there is a major cataclysmic event, but it certainly is a starting point. Last week Iran began test firing missiles and announced a new military buildup called “Zolfaghar Blow" after the two-point sword of Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed. Today the news stories are that Iran is refusing to end its nuclear program (this has been the stance for awhile, but the deadline is now upon us). Iran is definitely building up for a fight and the scary thing is the leadership welcomes it. While I would hesitate to call this extreme ideology the majority opinion in the Muslim world, it certainly is not one solely relegated to the fringes as is evidenced by the radical nature of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric (calling the holocaust a myth and speaking of awaiting the return of the 12th Imam). So, how do you combat an enemy that has no fear of dying and in fact welcomes it? How do we approach Iran? We’ve already made it clear we won’t accept a nuclear Iran, however another war is certainly not something we could handle right now and would be amazingly difficult. Let’s hope diplomacy works, because we’re right on the brink here.

Snakes on a Plane

2006-08-19T02:06:00.000-04:00

I just returned home from the movie event of a generation. Never before has a movie inspired such anticipation, such excitement, such internet buzz. You think I'm kidding? The makers of this movie had no idea what they had on their hands until it got out to the internet that there was a movie in production called Snakes on a Plane starring Samuel L. Jackson. The combination couldn't have been more perfect to inspire excitement at the sheer absurdity of it. Word grew and it became an internet sensation: spoof posters, fan fiction, spoof trailers, and more all started circulating. The producers even held off any viewings until opening night. They didn't want anything to spoil the anticipation that had built for this first opening weekend. The movie was completed in September of 2005, but the producers held off releasing it and used the internet gossip to fine tune. The most notable addition is the famous line, which will undoubtedly go down in movie history, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson. We'll get there, don't worry...

There was definitely something akin to excitement in the air as we walked into the theatre tonight. The movie goers took their seats and prepared for what was to come. The opening credits began and the first bit of applause started when Samuel L. Jackson's name appeared on the screen...then "Snakes....on a Plane". Everyone cheered. I was happy that we had a good crowd. Snakes on a Plane is more of an event than just a movie. It won't be the same once the luster has gone a few weeks from now and certainly not when it comes to video. I liken it to a play. You have to be there to experience it. Once it's done, it's done.

Of course, the movie had everything you would expect. There was gruesome violence, campy dialogue, and every stock character imaginable. The theatre loved it. The audience added to the soundtrack with laughter, applause, and cheers. I will leave off any detailed descriptions because not knowing what to expect and then suddenly knowing exactly what will happen next is part of what makes this movie fun. Everyone is sitting there waiting for the inevitable to happen. And so the movie goes until it builds to the climax; the line we all came to hear...

The camera focuses on Sam Jackson, slight up-shot, he's got the look in his eyes that only Sam Jackson can get, the theatre was on the edge of their seats, and then... "Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!” The crowd erupted into a roar of cheers and applause. It was so loud that it drowned out the end of the line. I've never seen anything like it.

No other actor could have pulled this off. Sam Jackson played it perfect. You could even see the glint in his eye on certain lines; he knew what he was doing. This movie was wink-and-nod campy with just the perfect level of irony. Hollywood makes so many bad movies that try to be good, that it was refreshing to have a movie that didn't pretend to be anything but what it was, and it didn't disappoint. It was well worth my eight bucks...not just for the movie, but for the event.

Poem of the Day II

2006-08-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

Kansas, 1973
~Floyd Skloot from The End of Dreams

My daughter nestled in a plastic seat
is nodding beside me as though in full
agreement with the logic of her dream.
I am glad for her sake the road is straight.
But the dark shimmer of a summer road
where hope and disappointment repeat
themselves all across Kansas like a dull
chorus makes the westward journey seem
itself a dream. She breathes in one great
gulp, taking deep the blazing air, and stops
my heart until she sighs the breath away.
The sun is stuck directly overhead.

I thought it would never end. The drive,
the heat, my child beside me, the bright day
itself, that fathering time in my life.
We were going nowhere and never would,
as in a dream, or in the space between
time and memory. I saw nothing but sky
beyond the horizon of still treetops
and nothing changing down the road ahead.

© Louisiana State University Press

The Parking Lot

2006-08-17T08:24:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you work in a small office and it's a slow news day. Poor Juan, he didn't get lunch until far later than usual on this day. Of course, neither did the rest of us, but sometimes that's what you have to give to make the joke work. My freshman year in college some guys released a skunk on our hall. Never before have you heard a bunch of freshman guys scream like little girls (I was asleep at the time and they woke me up). The guys that released the skunk got sprayed worse than anyone, but you have to admire their resolve.

As long as we're on this topic...here's a link to the best practical joke I've ever seen. Very impressive.

The "The" Phenomenon

2006-08-16T07:37:00.000-04:00

I was waiting patiently in line to order my combo #1, value size, when I overheard what on the surface would appear to be a normal exchange, but when looked at deeper yields enough insight for...well, at least for a blog post. The woman next to me said plainly, "I'd like a salad with the ranch". "A salad with the ranch dressing?" the cashier repeated. "Yes," nodded the customer. As my title mentions, I call this the "The" phenomenon.

What exactly is it? It is the use of the article "the" on nouns that typically do not require the specificity that the article gives. While not grammatically incorrect, it is noticeable when used. In many cases this happens with people where English is not their first language, but it has also been known to happen with many a worried suburban parent when directing the challenge, with furrowed brow and intent stare, "have you been smoking the pot?"

What I find amusing about this is that the noun being given such importance usually does not deserve it, and when it does it is funny for precisely this reason. The woman in the Chik-fil-a was extremely excited about her ranch dressing. So much so that she used "the" to elevate it to a higher plane (at least I like to think it was intentional). This was no longer any other plastic container of mass produced ranch dressing, this was The Ranch Dressing. I half expected there to be an echo and a symphonic crescendo accompanying it.

I think we should make more of an effort to realize the "the" phenomenon in our day to day life. It makes life interesting and adds importance to otherwise trivial occurrences. So the next time a waiter asks what you would like to drink, answer, "I'd like the Coke, please". No one else may even notice, but I bet that Coke will be the best you've ever had. After all, it was The Coke. Oh, and after the waiter drops it off, be sure to tell him the thank you.

Wow, that was fast

2006-08-15T07:41:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I posted on the sub par nature of sports interviews. Well, I guess ESPN heard me. Apparently they've hired an "interview coach" to train all sports casters in interview techniques. Each employee is required to take the three day seminar.

According to ESPN's senior vice president John Walsh: "I felt that we were missing key questions. We weren't getting key moments ... so I thought we needed help."

Ahh, the power of the blogosphere. I just didn't think success came that fast...

Poem of the Day I

2006-08-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

Thoreau and the Crickets
~David Wagoner

He found them bedded in ice, in the frozen puddles
Among reeds and clumps of sedges in the marsh:
House and field crickets lying near the surface
On their sides or upside down, their brittle hind legs
Cocked as if to jump as free as fiddlers
In the final rain before winter. The ice
Had clarified the brown and green shades
Of their chitin and magnified
The thickened radiant veins of the forewings
On which they'd made their music
Those nights when he'd listened, half asleep,
To their creaking, their wise old saws
That told him over and over they were with him
And of him down to the vibrant depths
Of his eardrums and canals and the foundation
Of his house on earth. With his heels and hands
he broke the puddles around them carefully,
Cracking them loose and filling his coat pockets
With fragments like clear glass, holding them hard
As fossils in shale. he would take them home
And learn from them, examine their lost lives
With scales and ruler, tweezers and microscope
He would bring them back to order and pay homage
To all they'd been and left undone. He strode
Briskly and happily through the crusted lanes
And slipped through the paths of town, delighted
To be alive all winter, to be ready
And able to warm their spirits with his own,
But on his doorstep, reaching into his coat,
he lifted out, dripping with snow-melt,
Two hands full of wriggling, resurrected crickets
Crawling over each other, waving and flexing
Antennae and stiff legs to search his palms
For another springtime. For a while, he held them
And watched them wriggle drunkenly
And scrabble in half-death for what they imagined
He had to give, then put them gently
Again into his pockets and carried them
Back through the snow and ice to their cold beds.

from Ploughshares

Something Funny

2006-08-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

This is a clip from a Late Show performance by the late comedian Mitch Hedberg. I've just recently discovered Mitch's comedy and wish that I had run across him sooner. It's a shame that he like so many other talented artists died before his time. At least he left behind some of his brilliance for the rest of us to enjoy:

About Service

2006-08-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching the Movie About Schmidt. I have seen it several times before and always enjoyed it, and it is one of those movies that touches you each time you see it. It truly is a brilliant comment on our world and our place in it. The story follows the life of retired Warren Schmidt and the struggles he faces after retirement, losing his wife, and watching his daughter marry a man that he feels is not good enough for her. At the end of the movie there is a monologue where he ponders his life and comes to the conclusion that it is meaningless because he has touched no one. He tried to live a life the "right" way, only to find that he left the important things out. At the beginning of the movie he decides to sponsor a poor child in Tanzania. Most of the information we find out about Warren's inner life is narrated through letters he writes to the child, Ndugu, and most of the humor comes from his self absorption and ignorance. At the end of the movie he receives a letter back from the nun who is caring for the child and a drawing of two people holding hands done by Ndugu. He begins to cry, having received far more from the child than the $22 a month he sent to help.

This reminded me of a quote sent to me by a friend some time back by Oscar Romero:

"We should not feel superior when we help anyone. Those who give materially receive spiritually. There is an exchange of property that is understood only in a true spirit of poverty, which makes the rich feel they are close brothers and sisters of the poor, and makes the poor feel they are equal givers and not inferior to the rich. The giving is mutual, 'that there may be equality,' as St. Paul says."

I truly feel that when we practice service and give of ourselves to someone else we do receive as much if not far more from the person we are serving than they receive from us. It's easy to watch the movie and feel a certain bitterness towards Warren, and justifiably so in a sense, because he doesn't seem to realize how much he does have in relation to the boy he is sponsoring in Africa. I think it's important to remember, though, as I discussed with another friend this weekend, that suffering is relative. We all, in our own place, have our hardships, and it is wrong to feel that one's sufferings are invalid because they are seemingly so much less than another's. We are all struggling to make it the best way we can and should be sympathetic to those around us. I think if we all could practice some sort of service to those around us we would all benefit from the act. The good done through the service is just icing on the cake.

Sports Journalism 101

2006-08-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to bring the somewhat lofty nature of my previous posts back firmly onto the ground, I wanted to comment on the sometimes hilarious answers sports reporters get from players. The other day I was listening to NPR, which I thoroughly enjoy, but where I always find the sports coverage to be funny. Perhaps it's my own bias, but they approach sports in the same hard news way they approach everything else. The facts of the game they are reporting about are delivered in the same way they would rattle off the key points of a Bush press conference, but with a somewhat lighter tone of voice. It's hard to describe, you just have to hear it. This, however, is beside the point. The other day they were interviewing Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson.

"What is your pitching strategy for tonight's game, Tim?" The reporter asked.

"Well, you know, I just plan to go out there and make good pitches and get guys out," Tim replied.

Um, yea. This is akin to a player being asked what's the key to winning today and answering, "Well, you know, I think the key will be to have more runs on the board than our opponent at the conclusion of the game. We'll stand a real good chance if we can do that, you know."

The thing is, though, no pitcher in professional baseball is stupid, even if their answers sometimes are. I'm sure Hudson had spent the afternoon (or at least plenty of time during the days prior to the interview) studying player charts on the opposing team: where they like pitches, where they don't, the strategy, etc. But how do you answer such a stupid question? I think that's the key here. Sports reporters...go after the real story. Stop asking the obvious: "You won the World Series! How do you feel?" "Um...good, I guess." Maybe even change the subject. Ask about what music the player likes...um, on second thought maybe that isn't such a good idea. At any rate, at least spice it up a bit.

A Free Bench

2006-08-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

"We spend our life trying to bring together in the same instant a ray of sunshine and a free bench." ~Samuel Beckett from Texts for Nothing

Every so often you run across a quote that so captures a feeling or idea that it lingers with you for years to come. It hangs in the air like a long extinguished cigarette and when you think you've forgotten it, the scent surprises you with its strength.

This quote from Beckett captures the human condition better than just about any I've read. The beauty of the quote is that it can be seen differently depending on where you're coming from. If things are going well for you, then you can see your free bench, you feel the hardness of the wood, you hear the creak of the planks. You know the feeling of the sunlight: the warmth and the patterns it makes on your closed eyelids. Whatever that "thing" is, you've found it and the last thing you want to think about is its fleeting nature. Philosophy, religion, theories of life and good living; what do they mean now? You're resting, you're warm, you don't want to be disturbed.

However, when "reality" sets in, when you find yourself in a rut or the burdens of day to day living are weighing heavy, then this image becomes an ephemeral one. It's something out of movies or books, not something that actually happens. You feel the ache for what you know could be if you could just... But the park is crowded and the sky is darkening and you really should be getting back to work.

All too often, it is the latter view that we have. And we search on. Perhaps the sad thing is not that we don't find our perfect combination of sunlight and an open resting place, but that we shoot so low. "All I want is..." But, what if we are destined for something far greater than anything we can imagine. Is it worth waiting for...just for a little longer? Biblical texts about storing up treasures in heaven and keeping our lamps trimmed and burning for Who is to come seem comforting, but what happens after Sunday? That image of the free bench, the warm sun beam, the rustle of the wind, and the distant sound of children's laughter drowns out the words of wisdom we heard. "If only I had that..."

We are eternal beings in a temporal realm. The place where these realities meet is our constant struggle.

A Beginning

2006-08-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

This is the beginning.
Almost anything can happen.
~Billy Collins from "Aristotle"

I've been running alongside the bandwagon for a while now. I've seen some interesting things from the side of the road. I've enjoyed the shouts of those aboard and now I've decided it's time to hop on. What will come of this is anyone's guess. The next section of the poem mentioned above begins with: "This is the middle. / Things have had time to get complicated." Sometimes things get complicated sooner than others, but I hope this is a long ride.

Why start now? There are several reasons. I hope to use this as kindling of sorts to light my writing. I have been away from it far too long and perhaps the glint of the public spotlight will work my ego enough to keep at it. I hope to use this as a place to record the passing moments that all too often slip away. I figure this will be less of a personal record of my day to day activities and more a compendium of things I find interesting. My thoughts on culture, literature, politics, sports, religion, etc. will most likely grace these pages. I also hope to post poems I like with regularity, if for no other reason than to have something insightful to post, even if I am not the author.

What is the point of the title? Walker Percy is a writer I have long admired. His work in linguistics, philosophy, and his novels are all well worth the read. I like the idea of our existence finding meaning in the work of others. How many times have you been to a place and been unimpressed only to discover that an author you admire has written about it. Suddenly, it is not just a lonely, dusty side road, but a gleaming city. There has been a connection made between you and a stranger. You get the warm feeling of an inside joke. Somehow, it matters. This is the crux of art, in my opinion, the ability to touch someone else who has shared in a similar experience. Writing is a solitary activity, but its bounty is a rich connection. I hope all who stop here will be like the man on the train and hopefully find some sort of small connection with the greater world.