Ten years ago. TEN! Christmas was coming. The school year was wrapping up. Surprisingly, I had just found out that this friend of mine had a terribly powerful crush on me. Never had someone of such high caliber been so interested in me. Sensing opportunity, I decided to pursue her.
We talked.....and talked.....and talked. I found her to be a scintillating conversationalist. She was a long-term relationship person. Two relationships, multiple years in length. I was a short-term relationship person. My longest relationship with a girl up to that point had been nine months (of which, during the middle three, she was out of the country). None of the others lasted more than three months.
So we talked about foundation building. We talked about waiting until after the break to see if God was speaking to us. Waiting to see where our hearts would lead us. I knew potential when I saw it. Long-lasting relationships are equal parts pursuit and reflection. The reflection is the mental building of a forward base as in a war.
Several factors were weighing on me. Three prophecies in my life were showing signs of coming to fulfillment. I had hidden these prophecies in the secret place of my heart that I might know the signs. I use the term prophecy loosely here. In this story, it means something in the past that spoke toward the future.
The first prophecy was a prayer I prayed when I was 13. I prayed that after certain events happen in my life, that God would introduce me to my wife. Well, those events had recently come to conclusion the previous summer. I met Hanna one week after.
The second prophecy was from a friend of mine. I was the best man at his wedding and I was depressed in the months heading up to it. He was younger than me and was getting married. To comfort me, he told me that by the time he got married, I would have met my wife. For some reason, I kind of believed him. Also, I wanted to see if he was right or wrong.
The third prophecy came from me as well. A couple of Valentine's Days prior, I sat in my room for the second year in a row suffering emotionally from a breakup with a girl. As I sat there in my room feeling miserable, I prayed to God that, since I had never had someone to cherish over the romantic holiday, I would spend every single V-day with only one girl.
All of these weighed heavily upon my decision-making process. This particular Christmas season was the longest in my life. Every day seemed to drag in perpetuity. Over the years I learned that I give my heart out too quickly. So I set about to guard myself from future pain. All of these things formed together to create the mental equivalent to cement. With the just right concoction, I found that it could be formed into a solid, long-term foundation.
Ten years ago, it seemed that every aspect of my life was leading up to Hanna. Yet we waited. We prayed, separately. We reflected on our friendship and tested it to see if it could hold the weight of romance.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Hot Water Pressure
I'm thankful today. My house has been suffering for months from a mere trickle of hot water.
We finally had a plumber come over to check out our hot water heater, which we were fully prepared to replace. He opened the pipe leading from the heater to our house and said immediately, "Oh, I see your problem right here." We had a inch of silt that had hardened into rock at the point of exit from the heater. He stabbed it until it went away, then he fixed our guestroom-side toilet in five minutes.
Spending $75 is fantastic when you expected to spend $600 or more. I'm thankful.
Oh, and this morning when I showered, the hot water pressure gently peeled away my skin. Definitely one of the best showers of my life.
We finally had a plumber come over to check out our hot water heater, which we were fully prepared to replace. He opened the pipe leading from the heater to our house and said immediately, "Oh, I see your problem right here." We had a inch of silt that had hardened into rock at the point of exit from the heater. He stabbed it until it went away, then he fixed our guestroom-side toilet in five minutes.
Spending $75 is fantastic when you expected to spend $600 or more. I'm thankful.
Oh, and this morning when I showered, the hot water pressure gently peeled away my skin. Definitely one of the best showers of my life.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Keeping up with my classes or my blog
Well, two more classes and two more A's. My favorite teacher taught the first class, Desktop Publishing. She gave us an easier time than other cohorts before us. We only had to do a brochure, not a 16-page magazine. This was a good choice for her. I actually read the design book because I had time, which I wouldn't have had without the easier main project.
The second class was pathetic. I think teachers are trying to put us in unnecessarily difficult situations on purpose. This class made us use 3 Adobe programs we'd never used before - in a 5-week class. Tough. Also, with the Web design program, we had so many problems because it's finicky. The teacher was not available to help us on any days other than classtime. It was a train wreck. Most of my stamina was sucked up by that class. My motivation is low for my current class. I'm trying to survive until Thanksgiving, when I have the week off from work and no class.
That does not actually mean I have a week off for myself. My cohort is the first one to try to do a 15-week online class (homework due on Sundays) at the same time as having a Thursday classroom class. So, basically, my weekends are taken up with online homework, leaving me less time for my other class. Just last Thursday, my current professor attempted to claim that we have an "extra" week (over Thanksgiving) to work on his project. Our class snickered, so I informed him that our online class major project is due the Sunday after Thanksgiving. So basically both teachers think giving us homework over the holiday is a wonderful idea. Our online teacher is great, though, because she is a little negotiable. The others are not.
Also, my Thursday professor is going to give us a take-home test after our final class meeting, due 24 hours later. This is ridiculous. I asked him if we could have more than 1 WORKDAY to do the test. He said that technically he shouldn't be giving us any work after the final class. Because of that excuse and the amount of time he has to turn in his final grades, he would only move the test to Thursday during class time. ("I'm giving you an extra day to do the test.") Also, he's only giving us the test 1 week before, so we cannot work on it early. I can see his problem and his position; I just wanted to complain about it.
I still have straight A's. I am enduring. I seek the goal of a high GPA. Unfortunately, I don't actually need to learn much of anything or read any books to get good grades. I'm a strategic student. I do what I need to get points, but if I am overworked, the situation becomes more like triage and less like learning. I haven't been reading the books, except one, since we started doing 2 classes at once. I don't have the time. That's their fault as much as mine.
Anyway, I'm winning, but I'm tired. With so much work to do (and a new job with new responsibilties), I haven't been keeping up on my blog. I'll be back when I can. :)
The second class was pathetic. I think teachers are trying to put us in unnecessarily difficult situations on purpose. This class made us use 3 Adobe programs we'd never used before - in a 5-week class. Tough. Also, with the Web design program, we had so many problems because it's finicky. The teacher was not available to help us on any days other than classtime. It was a train wreck. Most of my stamina was sucked up by that class. My motivation is low for my current class. I'm trying to survive until Thanksgiving, when I have the week off from work and no class.
That does not actually mean I have a week off for myself. My cohort is the first one to try to do a 15-week online class (homework due on Sundays) at the same time as having a Thursday classroom class. So, basically, my weekends are taken up with online homework, leaving me less time for my other class. Just last Thursday, my current professor attempted to claim that we have an "extra" week (over Thanksgiving) to work on his project. Our class snickered, so I informed him that our online class major project is due the Sunday after Thanksgiving. So basically both teachers think giving us homework over the holiday is a wonderful idea. Our online teacher is great, though, because she is a little negotiable. The others are not.
Also, my Thursday professor is going to give us a take-home test after our final class meeting, due 24 hours later. This is ridiculous. I asked him if we could have more than 1 WORKDAY to do the test. He said that technically he shouldn't be giving us any work after the final class. Because of that excuse and the amount of time he has to turn in his final grades, he would only move the test to Thursday during class time. ("I'm giving you an extra day to do the test.") Also, he's only giving us the test 1 week before, so we cannot work on it early. I can see his problem and his position; I just wanted to complain about it.
I still have straight A's. I am enduring. I seek the goal of a high GPA. Unfortunately, I don't actually need to learn much of anything or read any books to get good grades. I'm a strategic student. I do what I need to get points, but if I am overworked, the situation becomes more like triage and less like learning. I haven't been reading the books, except one, since we started doing 2 classes at once. I don't have the time. That's their fault as much as mine.
Anyway, I'm winning, but I'm tired. With so much work to do (and a new job with new responsibilties), I haven't been keeping up on my blog. I'll be back when I can. :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Whether you do or don't know the original song, check out this video. Yes, the background is the originally created video - by the artist. The redone song is in response to the spazzed video.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tenure
So there I was, sashaying into class. Not a care in the wo . . . Hey, there are some hot girls in this freshman-level class. Maybe I'll sit nearby.
First day, senior-level swagger. Safely stowing my studious materials under my chair. An empty desk is best for learni . . . flirting. Pzzt! Ahhh! Mt. Dew in the late morning. Cheetos for pre-lunch.
An outgoing girl in front of me. Her quiet friend whispering to her. Sure, fine ladies, you can have some Cheetos. I don't mind. (Note to self, Cheetos = conversation starter.) Hey, why don't we sit together every class.
Physical Science teacher preparing for class. First overhead says, Phisycal Sceince 101. It's going to be a good class; I can tell.
The relative easiness of the class means I don't really have to pay attention or work too hard, but I don't dare use any of my alloted "skips" for this class. Our crew is now 3 good-looking girls and me. Why would I skip?
As the months roll by, I start hanging out with one of the girls and her group of friends outside of class (the quiet one, though not so quiet anymore). She intrigues me, but more in the lifelong-friend category. Spending time together, forming bonds of shared experiences, meshing personalities.
A sudden-onset smidge of jealousy forces her to confront her feelings for me and to confront me with these feelings. The subsequent roller coaster ride.
That was ten years ago when it started......when I met Hanna......over Cheetos. The lifelong friend. Romance is just a bonus!
Congratulations, you officially have tenure, babe. Along with the many other benefits you will receive, the most important one now is that I cannot fire you.
First day, senior-level swagger. Safely stowing my studious materials under my chair. An empty desk is best for learni . . . flirting. Pzzt! Ahhh! Mt. Dew in the late morning. Cheetos for pre-lunch.
An outgoing girl in front of me. Her quiet friend whispering to her. Sure, fine ladies, you can have some Cheetos. I don't mind. (Note to self, Cheetos = conversation starter.) Hey, why don't we sit together every class.
Physical Science teacher preparing for class. First overhead says, Phisycal Sceince 101. It's going to be a good class; I can tell.
The relative easiness of the class means I don't really have to pay attention or work too hard, but I don't dare use any of my alloted "skips" for this class. Our crew is now 3 good-looking girls and me. Why would I skip?
As the months roll by, I start hanging out with one of the girls and her group of friends outside of class (the quiet one, though not so quiet anymore). She intrigues me, but more in the lifelong-friend category. Spending time together, forming bonds of shared experiences, meshing personalities.
A sudden-onset smidge of jealousy forces her to confront her feelings for me and to confront me with these feelings. The subsequent roller coaster ride.
That was ten years ago when it started......when I met Hanna......over Cheetos. The lifelong friend. Romance is just a bonus!
Congratulations, you officially have tenure, babe. Along with the many other benefits you will receive, the most important one now is that I cannot fire you.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Class #8 - Copy Editing
The half-way mark has been completed. This class was the perfect storm for me to fail. The assignments were more busy work than educational, my wife and I went through a miscarriage, and I transferred to a new job. Kind of lots going on to distract me.
My grades went up and down during the 5 weeks. My test scores ranged from 102% to 72%. I think I received 2 of my 3 worst grades on tests in this program in this class. About 1/5 of each test was fill-in-the-blank. This is absolutely my Achilles' Heel in test taking. I left most of the blanks as pristine as when they were handed to me. I know from experience that if I don't know an f-i-t-b answer, guessing won't work.
Heading into the final week with the final project (that was both huge, ambiguously confusing, and required very little actual copy editing), I knew I needed to ace the project and presentation. I only lost 14 points of the 250 possible!
This helped me make the grade. I earned 93% of the potential points, giving me an A- for my final grade.
For a class called Copy Editing, we sure did very little actual editing. The class should have been called Print Media given how much story creation, source gathering, research, and layout was required.
My grades went up and down during the 5 weeks. My test scores ranged from 102% to 72%. I think I received 2 of my 3 worst grades on tests in this program in this class. About 1/5 of each test was fill-in-the-blank. This is absolutely my Achilles' Heel in test taking. I left most of the blanks as pristine as when they were handed to me. I know from experience that if I don't know an f-i-t-b answer, guessing won't work.
Heading into the final week with the final project (that was both huge, ambiguously confusing, and required very little actual copy editing), I knew I needed to ace the project and presentation. I only lost 14 points of the 250 possible!
This helped me make the grade. I earned 93% of the potential points, giving me an A- for my final grade.
For a class called Copy Editing, we sure did very little actual editing. The class should have been called Print Media given how much story creation, source gathering, research, and layout was required.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Music Videos
I used to love music videos. But they became more and more overproduced while showing less and less of the band. This generally goes double for songs created to go along with movies. The music videos become about the movie rather than the band.
Here's one that turns overproduction into art, with surprisingly amazing results. I love it! Notice the theme of the latest Transformer movie and the transformations between the movie and the video of the band.
I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
There was nothing in sight but memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes across this new divide
In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny
And each regret and each goodbye was a mistake too great to hide
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
Across this new divide, across this new divide
Here's one that turns overproduction into art, with surprisingly amazing results. I love it! Notice the theme of the latest Transformer movie and the transformations between the movie and the video of the band.
I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
There was nothing in sight but memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes across this new divide
In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny
And each regret and each goodbye was a mistake too great to hide
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
Across this new divide, across this new divide
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Birthday Awesomeness--there is no charge for awesomeness
So, I woke up alone today. My wife is away. On my birthday. (You see what I did there?)
As I got ready for work, I noticed that my sister-in-law left me a little sisterly b-day card and some wonderful cookies from the restaurant where she works (I can't even begin to spell the name). It was a cool affirmation card about how she's really like my sister, part of my adopted family! Such a nice sentiment.
Then I got to work and found a couple cards and a letter on my chair. My wife had given a friend a card to give me. Technically, I dislike sappy cards, but this one did it with elegance and practically spoke with my wife's voice.
My boss had a card for me. I don't know how he guessed one of my humor styles. If you're reading this now, Hanna, skip the rest of the paragraph as this will be much better to see it first-hand. For the rest of you, highlight the next section to see the description more clearly. It's a card with The Joker, from the most recent Batman movie, gracing the cover. His infamous words, "Why so serious?" are writting in violently large and psychotic font. When you open it up, the card has a voice player that plays his voice, saying, "Let's put a smile on that face," in the most aggressive manner, followed by his insane laugh. What an awesome card!
I also got a letter from Home Coupons, Inc., renewing my subscription. A year ago, my wife gave me about 30 coupons to be used in various circumstances. Well, I started classes a month later and so have been pretty busy with other things. This letter, written by my wife :), allows me to renew the coupons for this upcoming year! It was hilariously executed.
My friend bought me the best Risk game created to date - called Godstorm. It's Risk, but also not really Risk. While it's similar to the original game in concept and feel, it plays quite differently. What great fun!
Tonight the plan is to have some guys over, consume food, and kill zombies in a video game's apocalyptic scenario. Amber made me a lemon cake and put it, along with other food, in my house! What a sweet lady! Some friends are coming over. And, of course, killing zombies is always good fun, because, well, they're already dead! No morally shaky ground there!
As I got ready for work, I noticed that my sister-in-law left me a little sisterly b-day card and some wonderful cookies from the restaurant where she works (I can't even begin to spell the name). It was a cool affirmation card about how she's really like my sister, part of my adopted family! Such a nice sentiment.
Then I got to work and found a couple cards and a letter on my chair. My wife had given a friend a card to give me. Technically, I dislike sappy cards, but this one did it with elegance and practically spoke with my wife's voice.
My boss had a card for me. I don't know how he guessed one of my humor styles. If you're reading this now, Hanna, skip the rest of the paragraph as this will be much better to see it first-hand. For the rest of you, highlight the next section to see the description more clearly. It's a card with The Joker, from the most recent Batman movie, gracing the cover. His infamous words, "Why so serious?" are writting in violently large and psychotic font. When you open it up, the card has a voice player that plays his voice, saying, "Let's put a smile on that face," in the most aggressive manner, followed by his insane laugh. What an awesome card!
I also got a letter from Home Coupons, Inc., renewing my subscription. A year ago, my wife gave me about 30 coupons to be used in various circumstances. Well, I started classes a month later and so have been pretty busy with other things. This letter, written by my wife :), allows me to renew the coupons for this upcoming year! It was hilariously executed.
My friend bought me the best Risk game created to date - called Godstorm. It's Risk, but also not really Risk. While it's similar to the original game in concept and feel, it plays quite differently. What great fun!
Tonight the plan is to have some guys over, consume food, and kill zombies in a video game's apocalyptic scenario. Amber made me a lemon cake and put it, along with other food, in my house! What a sweet lady! Some friends are coming over. And, of course, killing zombies is always good fun, because, well, they're already dead! No morally shaky ground there!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Class #7
Another class with the wonderful Dr. Kelton. Another nearly perfect score. I put a lot of thought and time into the assignments and got an A to show from it. I missed around 20 total points on the tests.
4.0, here I come.
4.0, here I come.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Time wasted, and not in a good way
Class #8 has really sapped my motivation to receive an A. Fifty percent of the time, both sitting in class and doing the assigned homework, feels like it's wasted.
In my last class period, the teacher spent 2 hours, half the class, passing around papers of cute things and showing off stuff. She went over points verbally, which is dangerous for her, because she gets her tongue twisted and ends up saying the wrong things and just confusing the lesson. For instance, at one point she saw the words "He was 30 years old." She said the "30 years old" should have been hyphenated, a side point to her main objective. Knowing this should not be hyphenated, I just pointed the phrase out to her and asked a leading sort of question like, "You said that should be hyphenated?" Another student looked at me and said in her mommy voice, "That's what she said," sounding as if she was implying that the teacher knew what she was saying. Of course, the teacher then corrected herself. I wanted to stick out my tongue at my fellow student.
So anyway, then we were divided into groups to determine which of our selected headlines (cut out and taped to paper like an elementary school project) were the best. We talked aimlessly about what makes a good headline. About an hour later the teacher presented a PowerPoint which gave us this lesson. It would have been nice to have had that information first and then practiced our learning.
Anyway, after wasting two hours, the teacher rushed us through a good PowerPoint, skipped our second break (after she shortened our first break), and handed us the 50-point test with 15 minutes remaining in class.
There's no feeling quite like that of being sandbagged by your teacher when your entire being is crying out for a much needed break.
Hope you enjoyed reading this rant as much as I enjoyed writing it.
In my last class period, the teacher spent 2 hours, half the class, passing around papers of cute things and showing off stuff. She went over points verbally, which is dangerous for her, because she gets her tongue twisted and ends up saying the wrong things and just confusing the lesson. For instance, at one point she saw the words "He was 30 years old." She said the "30 years old" should have been hyphenated, a side point to her main objective. Knowing this should not be hyphenated, I just pointed the phrase out to her and asked a leading sort of question like, "You said that should be hyphenated?" Another student looked at me and said in her mommy voice, "That's what she said," sounding as if she was implying that the teacher knew what she was saying. Of course, the teacher then corrected herself. I wanted to stick out my tongue at my fellow student.
So anyway, then we were divided into groups to determine which of our selected headlines (cut out and taped to paper like an elementary school project) were the best. We talked aimlessly about what makes a good headline. About an hour later the teacher presented a PowerPoint which gave us this lesson. It would have been nice to have had that information first and then practiced our learning.
Anyway, after wasting two hours, the teacher rushed us through a good PowerPoint, skipped our second break (after she shortened our first break), and handed us the 50-point test with 15 minutes remaining in class.
There's no feeling quite like that of being sandbagged by your teacher when your entire being is crying out for a much needed break.
Hope you enjoyed reading this rant as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Democrat told off for rascist tactic
Barbara Boxer mumbles, stutters, and impotently repeats herself as she is taken to task for her comments.
Perfection.
Perfection.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Job Transfer
Woohoo! I am transferring to a new job. I'm a bit sad to leave my current one, but it's time. I get a fairly substantial raise also, which helps. The best part is that I'm staying in this company, so I still get an extra week of vacation next year!
My title will be Research Assistant. I'll be working with just my boss - no official coworkers. I'll be working right next to some people I consider good work friends, a couple of whom I hang out with outside of work.
I'm pretty excited, all around. Thanks, Kristi! :)
PS. The interview was the most fun interview ever. We talked for 1 hour 45 minutes.
My title will be Research Assistant. I'll be working with just my boss - no official coworkers. I'll be working right next to some people I consider good work friends, a couple of whom I hang out with outside of work.
I'm pretty excited, all around. Thanks, Kristi! :)
PS. The interview was the most fun interview ever. We talked for 1 hour 45 minutes.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Movie Review: Up
Pixar just might be the most entertaining movie producing company out there. Let's see how their 10th attempt worked out for them.
Gains: +6
Up is either a funny movie with serious undertones or a serious movie with a comedy streak. The depth of emotion conveyed, especially in the opening 10 minutes showing Carl and Ellie meeting as kids and growing up to be old married people, is fantastic. Knowing the history in such an intimate fashion is a boon to the audience and increases the power of the themes shown.
This movie did not have me rolling with laughter the entire time. But at certain moments, I thought I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so hard. I had to wipe laughter tears from my eyes at least three times.
The plot was interesting, both in it's inplausibility and in it's realism. One kept you grounded in reality; the other shot you deep into the fantasy world of a child. The main characters were intricately layered, though the bad guy was stylized, as most bad guys are to children.
The animation was great. Nothing new for Pixar here. Their attention to detail astounds me.
Losses: -1
For a kids' movie, the themes were a bit deep. I'm not sure this is a bad thing, necessarily, but I know I did not expect it. Not having kids myself, I cannot be sure what their reaction would be. Perhaps they just ignore what they don't understand like I did for Disney cartoons.
The bad guy dies, and though they didn't show it, you know. He falls from a great distance and disappears, heading downward through the clouds. I'm not sure I want endings like this in my kid movies.
Final Judgement: +5
Go see this movie if you like Pixar. It's worth your time. If you bring small kids, they may ask you annoyingly deep questions while you are trying to rush to the restroom.
Gains: +6
Up is either a funny movie with serious undertones or a serious movie with a comedy streak. The depth of emotion conveyed, especially in the opening 10 minutes showing Carl and Ellie meeting as kids and growing up to be old married people, is fantastic. Knowing the history in such an intimate fashion is a boon to the audience and increases the power of the themes shown.
This movie did not have me rolling with laughter the entire time. But at certain moments, I thought I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so hard. I had to wipe laughter tears from my eyes at least three times.The plot was interesting, both in it's inplausibility and in it's realism. One kept you grounded in reality; the other shot you deep into the fantasy world of a child. The main characters were intricately layered, though the bad guy was stylized, as most bad guys are to children.
The animation was great. Nothing new for Pixar here. Their attention to detail astounds me.
Losses: -1
For a kids' movie, the themes were a bit deep. I'm not sure this is a bad thing, necessarily, but I know I did not expect it. Not having kids myself, I cannot be sure what their reaction would be. Perhaps they just ignore what they don't understand like I did for Disney cartoons.
The bad guy dies, and though they didn't show it, you know. He falls from a great distance and disappears, heading downward through the clouds. I'm not sure I want endings like this in my kid movies.
Final Judgement: +5
Go see this movie if you like Pixar. It's worth your time. If you bring small kids, they may ask you annoyingly deep questions while you are trying to rush to the restroom.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Mom in Bad Car Accident
My mother was in a bad car accident. She's fine--abrasions, bruising, soreness. Nothing broken though.
She turned left through an intersection, not seeing an oncoming car.
It hit hard on the passenger side of the car. She's lucky, if you asked me.
It took them 20 minutes to extract her from the car.
Ambulence ride required.
She turned left through an intersection, not seeing an oncoming car.
It hit hard on the passenger side of the car. She's lucky, if you asked me.
It took them 20 minutes to extract her from the car.
Ambulence ride required.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Movie Review: Terminator: Salvation
Finally, the movie I have been waiting for since I was a kid. The movie that shows the older John Conner fighting lots of machines. I had to think for a couple weeks about this review. Let the mayhem begin.
Gains: +5
Let's see. Giant, unkillable robots. Add a point. Killing those robots in lots of action scenes. Add a point. Hehe.
Sam Worthington was fantastic as Marcus Wright. His acting was so good that he made everyone else's efforts pale in comparison.
The musical score really worked for me. It ramped up the intensity quite well. The throwback songs to previous movies was also great. The throwback lines were well delivered, too--basically avoiding cheesiness while delivering expected lines is super difficult.
Losses: -3
For the first time since he became a Hollywood superstar, I really got annoyed with Christian Bale. He delivered a solid role, but the focus on him was a bit overmuch. Instead of showing us awesome scenery, much time was spent close up to his face. It was enough to iritate me within the first 10 minutes of the movie. Methinks he's riding on an ego trip a bit too much. That's just my impression.
In all three of the other movies, the good guys were just trying to survive against an overpowered opponent. Then even worse things happen. This movie had none of the character and desperation of the others. It didn't feel like a Terminator movie.
Very few things annoy me more than powerful bad guys who are toned down in order to force the plot to go the way the writers want it to go. In this case, every time a terminator gets it's claws on a person, it throws them against the wall. These machines could just punch their fingers straight through a human, but they never do, except when it's more dramatic. For instance, in this movie, a terminator is dying, but gets close enough to scrape a large gash into John Conner's forehead, parting his skin like butter before dying. Why didn't it do that to him before? Because it would just ruin the writers' day, that's why. Weakening the bad guys just makes it look like the writers had to save the good guys. It doesn't make the good guys look more awesome or dramatic.
Final Judgement: +2
This movie suffered greatly not from hype but from horrible previews. Every single truly dramatic moment was shown in the previews. Every moment where I should have been blinded by the sheer scope of the story or the situation or the cool terminator machines had already been shown to me several times on previews. Instead of cheering these cool moments, I found myself predicting what happened in each scene based on what I knew was coming. If you've seen the preview, you've seen the movie. Everything else felt like filler. Watch this movie because you are a fan of the trilogy, not for it's own sake.
Gains: +5
Let's see. Giant, unkillable robots. Add a point. Killing those robots in lots of action scenes. Add a point. Hehe.
Sam Worthington was fantastic as Marcus Wright. His acting was so good that he made everyone else's efforts pale in comparison.
The musical score really worked for me. It ramped up the intensity quite well. The throwback songs to previous movies was also great. The throwback lines were well delivered, too--basically avoiding cheesiness while delivering expected lines is super difficult.
Losses: -3
For the first time since he became a Hollywood superstar, I really got annoyed with Christian Bale. He delivered a solid role, but the focus on him was a bit overmuch. Instead of showing us awesome scenery, much time was spent close up to his face. It was enough to iritate me within the first 10 minutes of the movie. Methinks he's riding on an ego trip a bit too much. That's just my impression.
In all three of the other movies, the good guys were just trying to survive against an overpowered opponent. Then even worse things happen. This movie had none of the character and desperation of the others. It didn't feel like a Terminator movie.
Very few things annoy me more than powerful bad guys who are toned down in order to force the plot to go the way the writers want it to go. In this case, every time a terminator gets it's claws on a person, it throws them against the wall. These machines could just punch their fingers straight through a human, but they never do, except when it's more dramatic. For instance, in this movie, a terminator is dying, but gets close enough to scrape a large gash into John Conner's forehead, parting his skin like butter before dying. Why didn't it do that to him before? Because it would just ruin the writers' day, that's why. Weakening the bad guys just makes it look like the writers had to save the good guys. It doesn't make the good guys look more awesome or dramatic.
Final Judgement: +2
This movie suffered greatly not from hype but from horrible previews. Every single truly dramatic moment was shown in the previews. Every moment where I should have been blinded by the sheer scope of the story or the situation or the cool terminator machines had already been shown to me several times on previews. Instead of cheering these cool moments, I found myself predicting what happened in each scene based on what I knew was coming. If you've seen the preview, you've seen the movie. Everything else felt like filler. Watch this movie because you are a fan of the trilogy, not for it's own sake.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Top 5 YouTube--replacement video
I forgot about this one! This definitely would replace #1 or #5.
This is one guy doing both roles in the scene of Batman interrogating the Joker, a spoof of several funny items from the movie The Dark Knight.
This is one guy doing both roles in the scene of Batman interrogating the Joker, a spoof of several funny items from the movie The Dark Knight.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Class #6
This was the class where everything went wrong (which I noted here and here). Luckily for me, all things being equal, I only needed my projects to look better than the other students. We had fun. The professor graded a little easier, given that this was our first attempt.
Long and short is that I received another A! It was hard and the most stressful two weeks of the program so far, but it's over. I think things from here on out will be easier. That's based on hope, probably not realistic hope, either.
6 classes and all A's. I'm enjoying the success.
Long and short is that I received another A! It was hard and the most stressful two weeks of the program so far, but it's over. I think things from here on out will be easier. That's based on hope, probably not realistic hope, either.
6 classes and all A's. I'm enjoying the success.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Top 5 Reasons I'm Thankful for YouTube
I love Top 5 lists. I make them for every subject I can think of. So here are the Top 5 reasons I love YouTube. My basic criteria is that it should be an amateur video, not part of a professional show (though one breaks this rule). These are also videos I probably wouldn't have seen without YouTube (or email forwards).
Here we go. These are in no particular order. I just rolled a die to determine which goes first.
1. How You Killed Your Brand. This song is a remake of a lame song that was sort of popular. This version is great, having a combination of parody and mockery. It came out during the big market war between the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii.
2. Flight of the Conchords--Business Time. I first heard this on Glenn Beck's radio show, but then quickly spread it around to my friends via YouTube. It is now a favorite show for several of my friends. This is the most professional video of the bunch, given that it is related to a cable comedy show. I cried for about ten minutes when I first heard this.
3. Julie Andrews' Do Re Mi in the Train Station. This video caused me to smile all day when I saw it. It continues to make me happy...every time.
4. Tribute to John Williams' various movie songs with Star Wars lyrics. This is just plain cool in so many ways, though it gets stuck in your head.
5. John Daker. This is a classic in my office. Enjoy.
Hope you had a good time! Turns out I like musical YouTube videos the best.
Here we go. These are in no particular order. I just rolled a die to determine which goes first.
1. How You Killed Your Brand. This song is a remake of a lame song that was sort of popular. This version is great, having a combination of parody and mockery. It came out during the big market war between the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii.
2. Flight of the Conchords--Business Time. I first heard this on Glenn Beck's radio show, but then quickly spread it around to my friends via YouTube. It is now a favorite show for several of my friends. This is the most professional video of the bunch, given that it is related to a cable comedy show. I cried for about ten minutes when I first heard this.
3. Julie Andrews' Do Re Mi in the Train Station. This video caused me to smile all day when I saw it. It continues to make me happy...every time.
4. Tribute to John Williams' various movie songs with Star Wars lyrics. This is just plain cool in so many ways, though it gets stuck in your head.
5. John Daker. This is a classic in my office. Enjoy.
Hope you had a good time! Turns out I like musical YouTube videos the best.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Movie Review: Star Trek
This movie is a modern rethinking of the classic cancelled television series which spawned half a dozen movies and several spin-off shows and movies. Here we go. I cannot claim to be a serious Star Trek fan. I've seen some of the shows, but only just finished watching the last couple movies (Next Generation) a couple months ago.
Gains: +10
Let's start with the strongest gain and work our way down. In a universe where nearly anything is possible providing the writers are creative enough, I could not be sure what to expect. What I found was a plot worthy of being called genious. With the sheer amount of lore Star Trek has accumulated, keeping some sense of linear plot while rewriting the history was a monumental task. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that the plot gives ample reason for changing old characters into more modern ones. Instead of rewriting history, they took the opportunity to write the rewriting into the plot. Genius. The plot device is brilliantly conceived, has Star Trek lore precedent, and is well developed, and full of suspensful action.
The writing should win awards. Characters had lines that were exactly the same as the original cast of the TV show and movies, but these were woven into a more complex element of character development. Only once did a line feel cheesy. Just once. That's amazing to me for this series.
The acting is perfect. Characters showed elements of their old-time counterparts, though ones who've made different choices. Delivery of well known lines was spot on. This is the first time I've enjoyed watching Eric Bana in any role. Good for him. I didn't recognize him until his name flashed in the credits at the end.
The sound effects were great. I heard many of the old sounds (ex. the bridge sound of the original TV series). This is worth mention.
The camera work gets a point for awesomeness. Taking a page from Serenity, this movie's special effects are built around giving the illusion of reality. The camera will be viewing the action and zoom in or pan out and be out of focus, then bring the action into focus--thus giving the illusion of actually being a film camera. Brilliant. One particular scene literally made my draw drop. Let me tell you, space action never looked so beautiful.
Losses: -2
Uhura has one cheesy line that completely threw me out of the movie for a second. One character, Scottie's companion, seemed more artifical contrivance than anything else. It had no basis in the plot for any reason other than to confuse me.
Final Judgement: +8
This movie destroyed my expectations and set the bar really high for the rest of the summer. I'm even going to go see it again, hopefully this weekend. I hear from friends that it's even better the second time around, but they missed the brilliance of the plot the first time. I may have an update after the second viewing to see if I enjoyed it as much as Batman, my only other +8 score.
Gains: +10
Let's start with the strongest gain and work our way down. In a universe where nearly anything is possible providing the writers are creative enough, I could not be sure what to expect. What I found was a plot worthy of being called genious. With the sheer amount of lore Star Trek has accumulated, keeping some sense of linear plot while rewriting the history was a monumental task. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that the plot gives ample reason for changing old characters into more modern ones. Instead of rewriting history, they took the opportunity to write the rewriting into the plot. Genius. The plot device is brilliantly conceived, has Star Trek lore precedent, and is well developed, and full of suspensful action.
The writing should win awards. Characters had lines that were exactly the same as the original cast of the TV show and movies, but these were woven into a more complex element of character development. Only once did a line feel cheesy. Just once. That's amazing to me for this series.
The acting is perfect. Characters showed elements of their old-time counterparts, though ones who've made different choices. Delivery of well known lines was spot on. This is the first time I've enjoyed watching Eric Bana in any role. Good for him. I didn't recognize him until his name flashed in the credits at the end.
The sound effects were great. I heard many of the old sounds (ex. the bridge sound of the original TV series). This is worth mention.
The camera work gets a point for awesomeness. Taking a page from Serenity, this movie's special effects are built around giving the illusion of reality. The camera will be viewing the action and zoom in or pan out and be out of focus, then bring the action into focus--thus giving the illusion of actually being a film camera. Brilliant. One particular scene literally made my draw drop. Let me tell you, space action never looked so beautiful.
Losses: -2
Uhura has one cheesy line that completely threw me out of the movie for a second. One character, Scottie's companion, seemed more artifical contrivance than anything else. It had no basis in the plot for any reason other than to confuse me.
Final Judgement: +8
This movie destroyed my expectations and set the bar really high for the rest of the summer. I'm even going to go see it again, hopefully this weekend. I hear from friends that it's even better the second time around, but they missed the brilliance of the plot the first time. I may have an update after the second viewing to see if I enjoyed it as much as Batman, my only other +8 score.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Marco Rubio
This is a speech from a guy leaving the Florida House of Representatives to run against Charlie Crist for the Republican party nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Trust me. It's worth 7.5 minutes of your time.
Update: Look, ma! No teleprompter!
Trust me. It's worth 7.5 minutes of your time.
Update: Look, ma! No teleprompter!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thinking about church
I've been thinking a lot about church, trying to process my core reactions to things I see.
Then I found this, which is just about right:
These thoughts I'm experincing feel dangerous and potentially wrong (a specifically ambiguous term - I'm not exactly sure what's wrong). However, the further I delve into these thoughts, the more powerful the Holy Spirit becomes inside me. This seeming incongruence between my entire life perspective about church and what I feel the H.S. telling me - well, let's just say it's awkward.
Then I found this, which is just about right:
These thoughts I'm experincing feel dangerous and potentially wrong (a specifically ambiguous term - I'm not exactly sure what's wrong). However, the further I delve into these thoughts, the more powerful the Holy Spirit becomes inside me. This seeming incongruence between my entire life perspective about church and what I feel the H.S. telling me - well, let's just say it's awkward.
Summertime...the results
GUESS WHAT? WE LOOKED LIKE AMATUERS!
Go figure, right? It was fun, though. Each group had problems. I know I learned tons. I just hope my grade doesn't suffer. There were so many variables to the performance that actually quantifying anything beyond a participation grade would be unfair.
Hope this works out!
Go figure, right? It was fun, though. Each group had problems. I know I learned tons. I just hope my grade doesn't suffer. There were so many variables to the performance that actually quantifying anything beyond a participation grade would be unfair.
Hope this works out!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Summertime for Degree Completion Students
Our current class has lots of lab work. We're in a television studio on campus creating our own newscasts. The fun level is high; the learning is fantastic with the hands-on approach.
But we've had one consisent problem. The spring semester ended, and all the lab workstudy students have gone home. Normally the studio is fully staffed for most of the day. However, starting last week, the normal workstudy students are gone for the summer. This means checking out the equipment we need for a filming project is nearly impossible, given that the point of the DC program is that we need to study on our own time because we have daytime jobs.
Also, the lab is closed in the evening. So we had 11 of the 14 members of my class show up to work in a lab, and we were on the schedule to be there from 7p to 9p, but no one was there to unlock the rooms we needed. Nobody had our teacher's home number, and security would not come unlock it without our teacher's permission. So we hacked the lab computer (it was unlocked) and found his phone number and called him at home. He called security, who then let us in.
It's just been frustrating not having someone there to answer our questions. I've heard we're the first DC class to do these lab projects. It's a great idea. But when the teacher forgot to factor in the end of the semester workstudy program (and you could see the shock on his face when the implications hit him last week), the "out of our control" elements wreaked havoc with our ability to prepare.
So tonight's lab work will be interesting, considering the lack of assistance we have been able to receive. I began meditating on one of my mottos - what comes, comes. And also a school philosophy I have - grades are like bears; all I have to do is run a little faster than the other students to avoid getting eaten.
:)
PS. And to top it off, our teacher has been really busy outside of class with his daughter getting married. I don't blame or condemn him for something like this. The entire experience is just a nexus of many issues outside of class arrayed against us as students.
But we've had one consisent problem. The spring semester ended, and all the lab workstudy students have gone home. Normally the studio is fully staffed for most of the day. However, starting last week, the normal workstudy students are gone for the summer. This means checking out the equipment we need for a filming project is nearly impossible, given that the point of the DC program is that we need to study on our own time because we have daytime jobs.
Also, the lab is closed in the evening. So we had 11 of the 14 members of my class show up to work in a lab, and we were on the schedule to be there from 7p to 9p, but no one was there to unlock the rooms we needed. Nobody had our teacher's home number, and security would not come unlock it without our teacher's permission. So we hacked the lab computer (it was unlocked) and found his phone number and called him at home. He called security, who then let us in.
It's just been frustrating not having someone there to answer our questions. I've heard we're the first DC class to do these lab projects. It's a great idea. But when the teacher forgot to factor in the end of the semester workstudy program (and you could see the shock on his face when the implications hit him last week), the "out of our control" elements wreaked havoc with our ability to prepare.
So tonight's lab work will be interesting, considering the lack of assistance we have been able to receive. I began meditating on one of my mottos - what comes, comes. And also a school philosophy I have - grades are like bears; all I have to do is run a little faster than the other students to avoid getting eaten.
:)
PS. And to top it off, our teacher has been really busy outside of class with his daughter getting married. I don't blame or condemn him for something like this. The entire experience is just a nexus of many issues outside of class arrayed against us as students.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
I have seen several movies which I have not reviewed, mostly because most of my writing is for my classwork. However, now and throughout the summer, I will try to blog all the movies I will watch in the theater, which is a lot.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the prequel to the X-Men movies, covering some of the flashbacks Wolverine has in that trilogy.
Gains: +5
You basically get what you expect from this movie - lots of action, fighting, metal claws, war, intrigue, super powers. The movie delivers lots of great action sequences. The main characters are layered, sometimes even breaking stereotype roles. The acting is solid, even brilliant at times. The interplay and relationship between Wolverine and Sabertooth is worth watching.
The storyline is intriguing. The plot, when measured as a tragedy, is fantastic.
I need to add a point for the opening sequence alone, after the "kid" scene. It shows Wolverine and Sabertooth's participation in several different wars in a montage sequence - a powerful piece of cinematography.
Losses: -1
Not to be too picky, but the claws often looked fake. Between that and the lack of friction when they cut things (never requiring him to use muscles or meet any friction resistance) definitly took something out of the movie. It interrupted suspension of disbelief a couple times.
I'm not going to take any points away for violence. You should know that it's violent, though fantasy, bloodless violence. Even with giant claws of all types piercing bodies, slashing, and just killing in general, no characters bled much. There was no gore. This ends as a wash in my book. It breaks even, and I don't really mind this kind of violence, but it's there.
Final Judgement: +4
I feel this score is a point too high. The answer for why lies in the case of expectations. If you expect a solid comic book action flick, it will meet your expectations. If you expect much else, you'll be disappointed. I was the former.
If I have high expectations, a movie has greater scoring opportunity. However, it will suffer a more severe penalty if it fails to meet the hype. This movie was exactly what I expected.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the prequel to the X-Men movies, covering some of the flashbacks Wolverine has in that trilogy.
Gains: +5You basically get what you expect from this movie - lots of action, fighting, metal claws, war, intrigue, super powers. The movie delivers lots of great action sequences. The main characters are layered, sometimes even breaking stereotype roles. The acting is solid, even brilliant at times. The interplay and relationship between Wolverine and Sabertooth is worth watching.
The storyline is intriguing. The plot, when measured as a tragedy, is fantastic.
I need to add a point for the opening sequence alone, after the "kid" scene. It shows Wolverine and Sabertooth's participation in several different wars in a montage sequence - a powerful piece of cinematography.
Losses: -1
Not to be too picky, but the claws often looked fake. Between that and the lack of friction when they cut things (never requiring him to use muscles or meet any friction resistance) definitly took something out of the movie. It interrupted suspension of disbelief a couple times.
I'm not going to take any points away for violence. You should know that it's violent, though fantasy, bloodless violence. Even with giant claws of all types piercing bodies, slashing, and just killing in general, no characters bled much. There was no gore. This ends as a wash in my book. It breaks even, and I don't really mind this kind of violence, but it's there.
Final Judgement: +4
I feel this score is a point too high. The answer for why lies in the case of expectations. If you expect a solid comic book action flick, it will meet your expectations. If you expect much else, you'll be disappointed. I was the former.
If I have high expectations, a movie has greater scoring opportunity. However, it will suffer a more severe penalty if it fails to meet the hype. This movie was exactly what I expected.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cohort Rep
So, our class Cohort 41C has a position for representative - basically, the front person for our little group who acts as the student liaison between the faculty and the cohort. Our original rep has dropped out. So they asked for new applications to be submitted.
After a long and arduous process in which I filled out a paper requesting consideration for the position, I got the job! They were so wow'ed by my qualifications and experience that they picked me. (Or maybe I was the only applicant.)
When absences and tardies need to fearlessly recorded, I am there. When the cohort cries out in need of a contact list, I am there. I am the cohort rep.
PS. Also, there is a 10% tuition discount!
After a long and arduous process in which I filled out a paper requesting consideration for the position, I got the job! They were so wow'ed by my qualifications and experience that they picked me. (Or maybe I was the only applicant.)
When absences and tardies need to fearlessly recorded, I am there. When the cohort cries out in need of a contact list, I am there. I am the cohort rep.
PS. Also, there is a 10% tuition discount!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Classes #4 and #5 complete
I meant to get these out as two seperate blogs, but since the grades came in at nearly the same time, I'll combine them into one post. This is for my communication degree, Jon. I didn't forget your comment; I just thought my first teacher would have my grade soon, so I'd have mentioned what degree I'm going for about 5 weeks ago.
Class #4 was my first senior-level course, entitled Communication Through the Eyes of Faith, though it was basically easy, lots of thinking and writing (which I enjoy). Unfortunately, I missed 1 point, thus narrowly missing the 100 percent for the entire class. I laugh at myself for how much that 1 point rankles me. Sadface. (Yes, I know I could put :( but using words to describe emoticons is funny to me.)
Class #5 was called Media and Feature Writing. The teacher was super fun. She expected quite a lot of us, but I really like to perform well for my favorite teachers. I got an A in her class, scoring about 10 points above class average on each test. This class was difficult at times because several questions on the tests were marked wrong when they were right. This destroyes my faith in "the system," despite some "this system is flawless" rhetoric from the teacher. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR TESTS FOR GRADING ERROR! Also, the teacher's work-study student who graded most of our grammaticals was wrong 80 percent of the time when marking my paper. This is fact, not conjecture. I was keeping score.
So 5 classes with all A- or better. This is good, because I'm a momentum kind of student. I'll keep trying this hard until I get a B. If and when I do, I'll likely slack off more because the straight-A's opportunity will be gone. Momentum.
Class #4 was my first senior-level course, entitled Communication Through the Eyes of Faith, though it was basically easy, lots of thinking and writing (which I enjoy). Unfortunately, I missed 1 point, thus narrowly missing the 100 percent for the entire class. I laugh at myself for how much that 1 point rankles me. Sadface. (Yes, I know I could put :( but using words to describe emoticons is funny to me.)
Class #5 was called Media and Feature Writing. The teacher was super fun. She expected quite a lot of us, but I really like to perform well for my favorite teachers. I got an A in her class, scoring about 10 points above class average on each test. This class was difficult at times because several questions on the tests were marked wrong when they were right. This destroyes my faith in "the system," despite some "this system is flawless" rhetoric from the teacher. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR TESTS FOR GRADING ERROR! Also, the teacher's work-study student who graded most of our grammaticals was wrong 80 percent of the time when marking my paper. This is fact, not conjecture. I was keeping score.
So 5 classes with all A- or better. This is good, because I'm a momentum kind of student. I'll keep trying this hard until I get a B. If and when I do, I'll likely slack off more because the straight-A's opportunity will be gone. Momentum.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Daniel Hannan
This British guy speaks for me (both clips are worth watching if you have 15 minutes):
With Joe Scarborough:
With Glenn Beck:
With Joe Scarborough:
With Glenn Beck:
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Worship Songs Cause a Black Hole in Springfield
So, Sunday, our exuberant music leader at church chose the song "You're Grace Is Enough" followed closely by the wonderful hymn "Amazing Grace."
Then in chapel at work today, we sang exactly the same two songs in exactly the same order, including the horrible, repetitive, annoying "Praise Him" verse to "Amazing Grace."
As I sat there, realizing the implications of two different worship leaders singing the same songs in the same order, slowly I could feel a tiny black hole forming in my brain and sucking away my patience, even though I really love "Amazing Grace."
I'm poised to rant about modern worship music. Stay tuned.
Then in chapel at work today, we sang exactly the same two songs in exactly the same order, including the horrible, repetitive, annoying "Praise Him" verse to "Amazing Grace."
As I sat there, realizing the implications of two different worship leaders singing the same songs in the same order, slowly I could feel a tiny black hole forming in my brain and sucking away my patience, even though I really love "Amazing Grace."
I'm poised to rant about modern worship music. Stay tuned.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Why method matters to the Holy Spirit
As many of you know, I am simultaneously more and less aware of my surroundings than most other people. I am quite aware of the minutia and the influences involved but can be ignorant of the big picture stuff. In other words, I study the method and form, and oftentimes the message is lost on me.
Spiritual Emphasis Week around AG headquarters means 5 days in a row of chapel services here at work. Our speakers have ranged from the screeching old lady to the hilarious guy to the apostle-style, all-Jesus'-business guy.
This year our speaker is a young evangelist (probably 36 or 37 years old). His message and attitude immediately struck me as being Holy Spirit-filled and anointed.
My problem with how the service went down is entirely in the method of presentation. After a long intro (we sang 3 choruses, which is a lot in a 1-hour program) and prayer, our speaker got up with his wife. She talked while he stood politely in the background, then she sang a special number while he sang politely in the background. Then he began to speak. The message felt a little disjointed, though he had some poignant points, and he cut out the final story and, apparently, the conclusion due to time constraints.
In my experience, S.E. Week often succeeds or fails based on the relationship the speaker has with God, followed closely by the relationship the audience develops with the speaker. The former is the most important, and the latter takes time to build but is crucial.
The problem is that on Day 1 the speaker must build that relationship foundation with the audience as strong as is possible. By letting his wife take charge initially after he was introduced and giving the audience a special music piece, our first impression was of his wife, not of him. In the baby duckling sense, we bonded more with her when we should have been bonding with him. She will have the rest of the week to sing or could have even at the end of today's service, but he should have been the one to initiate the audience.
Then to top it off, in the middle of his message about the power of the Holy Spirit, he forgot to conclude and jumped right to everyone standing and praying. I guess my main point in all of this is that God can move in extreme circumstances but that humans are mundane, systemic, relational beings. The speaker's job is to streamline the avenue from the spiritual to the earthly. His method felt abrupt, and the service suffered for it.
Spiritual Emphasis Week around AG headquarters means 5 days in a row of chapel services here at work. Our speakers have ranged from the screeching old lady to the hilarious guy to the apostle-style, all-Jesus'-business guy.
This year our speaker is a young evangelist (probably 36 or 37 years old). His message and attitude immediately struck me as being Holy Spirit-filled and anointed.
My problem with how the service went down is entirely in the method of presentation. After a long intro (we sang 3 choruses, which is a lot in a 1-hour program) and prayer, our speaker got up with his wife. She talked while he stood politely in the background, then she sang a special number while he sang politely in the background. Then he began to speak. The message felt a little disjointed, though he had some poignant points, and he cut out the final story and, apparently, the conclusion due to time constraints.
In my experience, S.E. Week often succeeds or fails based on the relationship the speaker has with God, followed closely by the relationship the audience develops with the speaker. The former is the most important, and the latter takes time to build but is crucial.
The problem is that on Day 1 the speaker must build that relationship foundation with the audience as strong as is possible. By letting his wife take charge initially after he was introduced and giving the audience a special music piece, our first impression was of his wife, not of him. In the baby duckling sense, we bonded more with her when we should have been bonding with him. She will have the rest of the week to sing or could have even at the end of today's service, but he should have been the one to initiate the audience.
Then to top it off, in the middle of his message about the power of the Holy Spirit, he forgot to conclude and jumped right to everyone standing and praying. I guess my main point in all of this is that God can move in extreme circumstances but that humans are mundane, systemic, relational beings. The speaker's job is to streamline the avenue from the spiritual to the earthly. His method felt abrupt, and the service suffered for it.
Friday, March 13, 2009
My New Teacher is Amber!
My friend Amber is crazy, fun, smart, and professional. I have always wondered how fun it would be to be a student in her class.
Well, now I know. My current teacher reminded me of Amber immediately, if Amber were teaching college. This was long before she mentioned Johnny Depp and swooned over her mental image of him while standing in front of our class.
I'm sure to have many stories about her.
I'm going to love the next four weeks.
:)
Well, now I know. My current teacher reminded me of Amber immediately, if Amber were teaching college. This was long before she mentioned Johnny Depp and swooned over her mental image of him while standing in front of our class.
I'm sure to have many stories about her.
I'm going to love the next four weeks.
:)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
My New Year's Resolution, first quarter
The first 2.5 months of my new year's rez are completed. I'm giving up the soda for a year. Here are some noticeable results (remember, I'm doing this to significantly cut down on my high fructose corn syrup intake).
1. My twitches are down about 90 percent. They still strike me a bit, but they are weaker and have a much shorter duration.
2. The other health problems I mentioned in my original post are gone.
3. I miss caffeine. I've got come iced tea, which I hate but is drinkable when I need a caffeine boost. So far, I have had 2glasses of the stuff in about 3 weeks of having it in the house.
4. My tongue still yearns for the sweet, fizzy goodness that is soda. The key here for future consumption after this year will be how much I like it when I try one on January 1. If it makes me sick, then I may quit forever.
5. My water intake has increased considerably now that I don't have a gentle bubble massage and sugar coating for my tongue when I get thirsty.
6. I'm tired a lot. This is not new, but the soda wasn't the cause. Probably school is the cause. Maybe I'll quit that for next year's resolution.
1. My twitches are down about 90 percent. They still strike me a bit, but they are weaker and have a much shorter duration.
2. The other health problems I mentioned in my original post are gone.
3. I miss caffeine. I've got come iced tea, which I hate but is drinkable when I need a caffeine boost. So far, I have had 2glasses of the stuff in about 3 weeks of having it in the house.
4. My tongue still yearns for the sweet, fizzy goodness that is soda. The key here for future consumption after this year will be how much I like it when I try one on January 1. If it makes me sick, then I may quit forever.
5. My water intake has increased considerably now that I don't have a gentle bubble massage and sugar coating for my tongue when I get thirsty.
6. I'm tired a lot. This is not new, but the soda wasn't the cause. Probably school is the cause. Maybe I'll quit that for next year's resolution.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Classes #2 and #3 finished
This happened a long time ago. I've been derelict in updating my readers on my progress. I've finished with class 4 now. The next couple blogs will be updates.
Both of these classes were taught by the same lady. Class #2 was a grammar intensive class in which I got a 94 percent, which is an A. They do plus and minus, but I really don't care about that. It was tougher than I thought, but I pretty much knew most of the grammar stuff, which was nice.
Class #3 was a tough history of the media class. With about 7 pages of writing per week and 100 pages of reading with a 50-point test each week was pretty rough. Twice she said the testing was over the terminology, but about 10 questions per test were about miniscule facts within the reading. We asked her about this both times after her statements, and she promised to keep to her word, then did the same thing each week. Still, I got about a 95 percent in the class despite the rigged tests. Check yet another "A" box.
So that's three classes and three A's! They are not easy, but since I wish to be a writer, I'm practicing doing well on each paper I write. Due to my diligence, I have rarely lost points on the papers.
Both of these classes were taught by the same lady. Class #2 was a grammar intensive class in which I got a 94 percent, which is an A. They do plus and minus, but I really don't care about that. It was tougher than I thought, but I pretty much knew most of the grammar stuff, which was nice.
Class #3 was a tough history of the media class. With about 7 pages of writing per week and 100 pages of reading with a 50-point test each week was pretty rough. Twice she said the testing was over the terminology, but about 10 questions per test were about miniscule facts within the reading. We asked her about this both times after her statements, and she promised to keep to her word, then did the same thing each week. Still, I got about a 95 percent in the class despite the rigged tests. Check yet another "A" box.
So that's three classes and three A's! They are not easy, but since I wish to be a writer, I'm practicing doing well on each paper I write. Due to my diligence, I have rarely lost points on the papers.
About the situation with my parents (part 3 of 3)
The, I'm sure, long awaited conclusion of my thoughts about my parents is finally here! To tell you the truth, I have been working on this for the entire interim. My constant thinking about it or my several rewrites keep bringing me back to the same place. Every time I try to work through the issues in their entirety, I end up further entangling myself in the deep web laid for me by my father. I whittled all my ideas down to one single paragraph:
I have asked myself some questions addressing the issues brought up by Scott Adams. Do I have any favors left to give or any secrets I could entrust to my father? No. He has shown me that my favors are unwanted or unaccepted, and I don’t entrust secrets to people who then use them to try to control me. Do I have anything left to gain from him? No. All he had to give me were lavish gifts. All I wanted was acceptance or respect, no strings attached, no subtle manipulations to make me “better”. My father only gave me the latter, paying only lip service to the former. Then I had one final question for myself: Can I live with the knowledge that I can never prove myself to him? This answer I do not yet have, but I can truly say life is more peaceful now than it ever was. I would trade many things for a little peace, the most prized of which is the need to be accepted by my father.
That's my conclusion. When I feel the need to justify myself, I realize I am merely stuck defending myself against the individual attacks and not properly addressing the source and the premise which all these issues spring from. My father creates a web, from which he can obtain a level of control over those entangled. I feel sorry for everyone stuck in it. I feel sorry for him, in a way, though it won't change my response. I have made mistakes, but have done nothing wrong. I'm okay with that. Donald is right. I think about this too much. It's time to "let go of those who don't love you, and embrace those who do."
I have asked myself some questions addressing the issues brought up by Scott Adams. Do I have any favors left to give or any secrets I could entrust to my father? No. He has shown me that my favors are unwanted or unaccepted, and I don’t entrust secrets to people who then use them to try to control me. Do I have anything left to gain from him? No. All he had to give me were lavish gifts. All I wanted was acceptance or respect, no strings attached, no subtle manipulations to make me “better”. My father only gave me the latter, paying only lip service to the former. Then I had one final question for myself: Can I live with the knowledge that I can never prove myself to him? This answer I do not yet have, but I can truly say life is more peaceful now than it ever was. I would trade many things for a little peace, the most prized of which is the need to be accepted by my father.
That's my conclusion. When I feel the need to justify myself, I realize I am merely stuck defending myself against the individual attacks and not properly addressing the source and the premise which all these issues spring from. My father creates a web, from which he can obtain a level of control over those entangled. I feel sorry for everyone stuck in it. I feel sorry for him, in a way, though it won't change my response. I have made mistakes, but have done nothing wrong. I'm okay with that. Donald is right. I think about this too much. It's time to "let go of those who don't love you, and embrace those who do."
Friday, January 23, 2009
About the situation with my parents (part 2 of 3)
[My wife made a good point about my previous post, so I modified paragraphs 3 and 4 under Point 1 for clarity.]
Point 2: In the escalation that followed my decision to finally respond to his accusations about presents, all the favors I did for my father were dismissed.
Favors carry weight. Over the years, I have tried to make a conscious effort to do many favors for my father, including helping him move stuff, clearing brush and branches from their back yard, shoveling stones, even inviting him out disc golfing and playing Halo—doing my best to always be available. After the worst day of my life in August of 2000 (caused by both my mother and my father), I considered my actions between then and now to be favors. These were all attempts at quality time and to be part of the family—to try to establish a better relationship than the shaky one we had. In his Christmas letter to me, my father said, “You get out of family what you put into it. Honestly, it has not felt like you have invested much of anything in [our relationship] for a long time.” In one simple statement, he nullified what I had attempted to build with him for years.
Since my actions meant little, I determined that my efforts were a waste of my time. If my efforts were meaningless, then the rest of the "hanging out with them" motive was gone. My father had already destroyed gift giving and receiving for me. In a final attempt to disengage from a point of contention that had existed for years, I returned some birthday gifts with the statement that I still wanted to keep trying to have a relationship. My mother then disinvited us from her 50th birthday celebration.
Our relationship had unraveled. The ties that bind were severed, and the rest of the rigging fell down as a result. The relationship was gone. I'm not a glutton for awkward moments, meaningless actions, or emotional lashings meant to set me straight. If actions mean nothing, then words mean less.
So I ended up stuck with the question, Why talk to him? Not talking to him is not meant to be a punishment of him; I consider not talking to him to be the realistic reaction to the liberties he took in our relationship. I wouldn’t talk to anyone else in this circumstance, either.
My dad turned our disagreement into a crusade against a litany of choices in my life that he disliked or disagreed with. Many of his accusations were weakly supported by hearsay or incorrect conjecture or just bad facts; many others were simply his opinion against mine. When confronted with proper evidence or my actual reasoning, my father refused to back down.
The relationship felt destructive. I had to make a call. How many more beatings was I willing to take for the sake of building a relationship where the efforts on my part were counted worthless? I took a hard look at my poker hand and decided to fold. Better to lose some, than to continue with a losing hand and lose more.
I refuse to suffer the slavish chains of my family’s enmeshment. If my options are enmeshment or no contact, then my choice is no contact. My father did not allow me a third option.
(Part 3 will come soon.)
Point 2: In the escalation that followed my decision to finally respond to his accusations about presents, all the favors I did for my father were dismissed.
Favors carry weight. Over the years, I have tried to make a conscious effort to do many favors for my father, including helping him move stuff, clearing brush and branches from their back yard, shoveling stones, even inviting him out disc golfing and playing Halo—doing my best to always be available. After the worst day of my life in August of 2000 (caused by both my mother and my father), I considered my actions between then and now to be favors. These were all attempts at quality time and to be part of the family—to try to establish a better relationship than the shaky one we had. In his Christmas letter to me, my father said, “You get out of family what you put into it. Honestly, it has not felt like you have invested much of anything in [our relationship] for a long time.” In one simple statement, he nullified what I had attempted to build with him for years.
Since my actions meant little, I determined that my efforts were a waste of my time. If my efforts were meaningless, then the rest of the "hanging out with them" motive was gone. My father had already destroyed gift giving and receiving for me. In a final attempt to disengage from a point of contention that had existed for years, I returned some birthday gifts with the statement that I still wanted to keep trying to have a relationship. My mother then disinvited us from her 50th birthday celebration.
Our relationship had unraveled. The ties that bind were severed, and the rest of the rigging fell down as a result. The relationship was gone. I'm not a glutton for awkward moments, meaningless actions, or emotional lashings meant to set me straight. If actions mean nothing, then words mean less.
So I ended up stuck with the question, Why talk to him? Not talking to him is not meant to be a punishment of him; I consider not talking to him to be the realistic reaction to the liberties he took in our relationship. I wouldn’t talk to anyone else in this circumstance, either.
My dad turned our disagreement into a crusade against a litany of choices in my life that he disliked or disagreed with. Many of his accusations were weakly supported by hearsay or incorrect conjecture or just bad facts; many others were simply his opinion against mine. When confronted with proper evidence or my actual reasoning, my father refused to back down.
The relationship felt destructive. I had to make a call. How many more beatings was I willing to take for the sake of building a relationship where the efforts on my part were counted worthless? I took a hard look at my poker hand and decided to fold. Better to lose some, than to continue with a losing hand and lose more.
I refuse to suffer the slavish chains of my family’s enmeshment. If my options are enmeshment or no contact, then my choice is no contact. My father did not allow me a third option.
(Part 3 will come soon.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
About the situation with my parents (part 1 of 3)
Hopefully this will be the last series of blogs about my recent history with my parents. In the last year and a half I have been attempting to focus down to identify the major problem(s) with the words my father spoke and wrote to me. I had a feeling that I would never be able to define it on my own. As is usual in this kind of circumstance, I kept my eyes open, and the answer revealed itself in the unlikeliest of places.
The blog I quoted in full in my last post gave me the framework on which to hang my conclusions about my parents and sister (read that before this). In this post, when I speak about my family, I’m only referring to my parents, my sister, and me.
Point 1: My secrets which could have brought us closer were used against me.
My family has many secrets. The fact that secrets lay hidden under the floorboards of my parents’ house is ironic because of all my father’s talk for years about “being open” and “laying all [his] cards on the table.” When you know things about someone - their weaknesses, their struggles - this knowledge, when used correctly, is the tie that binds. Friends can become closer that brothers or sisters because of big secrets. Of course, the situation changes entirely when they are used against you.
Though given in a spirit of sharing, what I thought were family bonding "secrets" became weapons in the hands of my father, the classic manipulator. I’m not talking “secrets” in the “hide these things from all other people” category, but more along the lines of telling him things no one else knows and the reasons behind choices - stuff like that.
I have often felt that in the eyes of my father, I was never good enough - namely because of his regular habit of criticizing me on both large and small topics. So when my father started to criticize me on my sister’s behalf about presents she received from me, a terribly destructive habit he repeated over the years, and when I decided to directly respond to his accusations for the first time, he didn't like me defending myself, and suddenly my secrets were fair game. Secrets I told him over the last few years were drudged up and used against me like a battering ram.
I’m still not sure what my father hoped to gain. It would be like if I came over to your house and complained about your life choices in relation to how you could give me or my wife what we think we deserve from you if only you had made (what we consider to be) better decisions. I may never know what he hoped to gain; however, I know what he lost. He began the journey of diluting his own influence.
People tell each other secrets small and large. At times these secrets are compromised - that's life. But whose interest is being guarded? After many years of witnessing his behavior, I came to the conclusion that my father never really had my best interests at heart. Thus, every secret entrusted to him was prey to his machinations (dictionary definition: "a scheming or crafty action, subtle maneuver, or artful design intended to accomplish some end; especially : one regarded as evil or reprehensible").
When it comes to trust, I always face a simple choice: I am either open to you or closed to you. There is no middle ground for me.
...to be continued...
(Parts 2 and 3 will come in the next few days.)
The blog I quoted in full in my last post gave me the framework on which to hang my conclusions about my parents and sister (read that before this). In this post, when I speak about my family, I’m only referring to my parents, my sister, and me.
Point 1: My secrets which could have brought us closer were used against me.
My family has many secrets. The fact that secrets lay hidden under the floorboards of my parents’ house is ironic because of all my father’s talk for years about “being open” and “laying all [his] cards on the table.” When you know things about someone - their weaknesses, their struggles - this knowledge, when used correctly, is the tie that binds. Friends can become closer that brothers or sisters because of big secrets. Of course, the situation changes entirely when they are used against you.
Though given in a spirit of sharing, what I thought were family bonding "secrets" became weapons in the hands of my father, the classic manipulator. I’m not talking “secrets” in the “hide these things from all other people” category, but more along the lines of telling him things no one else knows and the reasons behind choices - stuff like that.
I have often felt that in the eyes of my father, I was never good enough - namely because of his regular habit of criticizing me on both large and small topics. So when my father started to criticize me on my sister’s behalf about presents she received from me, a terribly destructive habit he repeated over the years, and when I decided to directly respond to his accusations for the first time, he didn't like me defending myself, and suddenly my secrets were fair game. Secrets I told him over the last few years were drudged up and used against me like a battering ram.
I’m still not sure what my father hoped to gain. It would be like if I came over to your house and complained about your life choices in relation to how you could give me or my wife what we think we deserve from you if only you had made (what we consider to be) better decisions. I may never know what he hoped to gain; however, I know what he lost. He began the journey of diluting his own influence.
People tell each other secrets small and large. At times these secrets are compromised - that's life. But whose interest is being guarded? After many years of witnessing his behavior, I came to the conclusion that my father never really had my best interests at heart. Thus, every secret entrusted to him was prey to his machinations (dictionary definition: "a scheming or crafty action, subtle maneuver, or artful design intended to accomplish some end; especially : one regarded as evil or reprehensible").
When it comes to trust, I always face a simple choice: I am either open to you or closed to you. There is no middle ground for me.
...to be continued...
(Parts 2 and 3 will come in the next few days.)
Monday, January 12, 2009
Scott Adams on Friendship
Dilbert creator Scott Adams has a blog that I find fascinating and sometimes hilarious. Here is a non-hilarity one about friendship. Very soon, and based on this blog, I will outline why my father and I are not speaking.
Define Friend
Jan 9, 2009
Have you ever wondered how someone crosses the line from being an acquaintance to a friend? Or more importantly, if you want to convert an acquaintance into a friend, what could you do that wouldn't come off as stalking?
I think you can define a friend with two criteria, both of which must be met. A friend is. . .
1. Someone you have told a secret.
2. Someone who has accepted a favor from you.
Notice that I have cleverly defined a friend in terms of things you give and not things you receive. If you are evaluating your potential friends in terms of what they can give you, or how they can entertain you, you probably don't have many friends.
I read somewhere that telling a secret makes the recipient of the secret automatically bond to you. It puts the giver of the secret in a vulnerable position and it changes the receiver into a protector. That's halfway to being friends.
The second rule is simple but powerful. We accept favors from strangers all the time, without any expectation of becoming friends. But we don't also share secrets with those strangers. It is the combination of the secret and the favor that nudges an acquaintance into a friend.
Most people are wired to reciprocate. So if you go first with your secret and your favor, the recipient will be primed to do the same. It is the willingness to reciprocate that matters.
Obviously you don't want to give a dangerous or important secret to an acquaintance in hopes it will lead to friendship. You want to hold back the good stuff and start with something small. For example, lets say you are both at a dinner party and your host served duck. At the dinner table you told the host the food was wonderful, but later and privately to your would-be friend you jokingly confess that you hate duck. That's a secret, but a tiny one. You don't want to start out with your deepest secrets. Work into that over time.
Likewise with the favors, keep them tiny at first. You might have some special knowledge to share that costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time. Or perhaps you had a conversation about a vacation spot and you forwarded an e-mail with a link that your potential friend might find useful. It's a tiny favor and will be accepted. You don't want to start right off offering to drive someone to the airport at 4 AM.
This partly explains why people who work together, or play sports together, naturally become friends. You have lots of opportunities to share small secrets and perform minor favors. And of course you have lots of things to talk about. That helps.
The secret and the favor are necessary but not sufficient for making a friend. You still need some basic chemistry and common interests. But chemistry and common interests aren't things you can easily change. So if you find a candidate for a friend with whom you have some chemistry and common interests, work on the secret and the favor. Those you can control.
Define Friend
Jan 9, 2009
Have you ever wondered how someone crosses the line from being an acquaintance to a friend? Or more importantly, if you want to convert an acquaintance into a friend, what could you do that wouldn't come off as stalking?
I think you can define a friend with two criteria, both of which must be met. A friend is. . .
1. Someone you have told a secret.
2. Someone who has accepted a favor from you.
Notice that I have cleverly defined a friend in terms of things you give and not things you receive. If you are evaluating your potential friends in terms of what they can give you, or how they can entertain you, you probably don't have many friends.
I read somewhere that telling a secret makes the recipient of the secret automatically bond to you. It puts the giver of the secret in a vulnerable position and it changes the receiver into a protector. That's halfway to being friends.
The second rule is simple but powerful. We accept favors from strangers all the time, without any expectation of becoming friends. But we don't also share secrets with those strangers. It is the combination of the secret and the favor that nudges an acquaintance into a friend.
Most people are wired to reciprocate. So if you go first with your secret and your favor, the recipient will be primed to do the same. It is the willingness to reciprocate that matters.
Obviously you don't want to give a dangerous or important secret to an acquaintance in hopes it will lead to friendship. You want to hold back the good stuff and start with something small. For example, lets say you are both at a dinner party and your host served duck. At the dinner table you told the host the food was wonderful, but later and privately to your would-be friend you jokingly confess that you hate duck. That's a secret, but a tiny one. You don't want to start out with your deepest secrets. Work into that over time.
Likewise with the favors, keep them tiny at first. You might have some special knowledge to share that costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time. Or perhaps you had a conversation about a vacation spot and you forwarded an e-mail with a link that your potential friend might find useful. It's a tiny favor and will be accepted. You don't want to start right off offering to drive someone to the airport at 4 AM.
This partly explains why people who work together, or play sports together, naturally become friends. You have lots of opportunities to share small secrets and perform minor favors. And of course you have lots of things to talk about. That helps.
The secret and the favor are necessary but not sufficient for making a friend. You still need some basic chemistry and common interests. But chemistry and common interests aren't things you can easily change. So if you find a candidate for a friend with whom you have some chemistry and common interests, work on the secret and the favor. Those you can control.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Kittens of the Sea
Nobody would ever eat a kitten, would they? Let's change the name of fish then! (PETA is my favorite organization to make fun of.)
Look what I made!
Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org
The entire site is funny.
http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp
Look what I made!
Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org
The entire site is funny.
http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp
Friday, January 2, 2009
I'm snotty at Christmastime
Of course, this comes as no surprise to anyone who really knows me, but the fact remains that I'm snotty. All my life, in good seasons and bad, I have been snotty. People often look at me in pity, but I DO NOT NEED THEIR PITY. Could I, however, have a tissue?
Christmas was fun with our family in Texas. I'm sure my dad would have magnanimously given his advice on the subject, like he did when my grandparents were in town a couple months ago. He told them they should take some time to visit my wife and me. We, of course, already had plans with them, so thanks for the suggestion dad.
Baby O got snotty in the worst way. Now I love babies, when other people are holding them. I mean they're fine for me to hold, but I have a smaller chance of dropping them or doing lasting harm the less time I spend in close proximity. Anyway, Baby O, who likes men, never seemed to take with me. I even held him sometimes (pretending I knew what I was doing), which may have been the problem. So go figure--what does his reaction say about me? He did give me his snotty nosed-ness. I can handle lots of things--poopy diapers, flu-related symptoms, etc.--but runny noses really gross me out.
So anyway, I played some chess with the eldest son (names are being withheld because my aunt withholds them on her blog). I went 2-2 against him. He had 2 quick checkmates in the first two games before I got riled enough to see past the effervescent fog of Nyquil. I crushed him the last two games, though he always played for the sneaky checkmates and came close a couple times.
We played Settlers of Catan with the three oldest kids. About 3 games to be exact. Hanna won all of them, of course, but the little strategist (6 year old niece) got to 9 out of 10 points needed for victory. You could actually see the little cogs in her brain working hard to try to win.
I spent most of Christmas Eve and a bit of Christmas Day sleeping or napping, overcome by the Baby O-induced cold. I'm still fighting it. All in all, I'm just happy that this is the first cold of the season. Normally, I'm sick long before now.
Giving and receiving presents from family was nice, though a bit nerve wracking. After 8 years of a father coming to me to tell me that my sister didn't like the presents we bought for her (nevermind teaching gratitude or graciousness, no instead perhaps it is just be easier to criticize me), I can't help but feel anxiety around most kinds of gift giving. I enjoy thinking about people and trying to buy them something they would like, but my stomach gets this low-sinking feeling every time.
Hanna seemed to survive her gluten issues while in Texas, though apparently soy is getting to be nearly as bad. My aunt and uncle truly went out of their way to check ingredients. It's a lot to learn. We are very appreciative of their efforts!
Anyway, Christmas was tons of fun, even though I got sick.
Christmas was fun with our family in Texas. I'm sure my dad would have magnanimously given his advice on the subject, like he did when my grandparents were in town a couple months ago. He told them they should take some time to visit my wife and me. We, of course, already had plans with them, so thanks for the suggestion dad.
Baby O got snotty in the worst way. Now I love babies, when other people are holding them. I mean they're fine for me to hold, but I have a smaller chance of dropping them or doing lasting harm the less time I spend in close proximity. Anyway, Baby O, who likes men, never seemed to take with me. I even held him sometimes (pretending I knew what I was doing), which may have been the problem. So go figure--what does his reaction say about me? He did give me his snotty nosed-ness. I can handle lots of things--poopy diapers, flu-related symptoms, etc.--but runny noses really gross me out.
So anyway, I played some chess with the eldest son (names are being withheld because my aunt withholds them on her blog). I went 2-2 against him. He had 2 quick checkmates in the first two games before I got riled enough to see past the effervescent fog of Nyquil. I crushed him the last two games, though he always played for the sneaky checkmates and came close a couple times.
We played Settlers of Catan with the three oldest kids. About 3 games to be exact. Hanna won all of them, of course, but the little strategist (6 year old niece) got to 9 out of 10 points needed for victory. You could actually see the little cogs in her brain working hard to try to win.
I spent most of Christmas Eve and a bit of Christmas Day sleeping or napping, overcome by the Baby O-induced cold. I'm still fighting it. All in all, I'm just happy that this is the first cold of the season. Normally, I'm sick long before now.
Giving and receiving presents from family was nice, though a bit nerve wracking. After 8 years of a father coming to me to tell me that my sister didn't like the presents we bought for her (nevermind teaching gratitude or graciousness, no instead perhaps it is just be easier to criticize me), I can't help but feel anxiety around most kinds of gift giving. I enjoy thinking about people and trying to buy them something they would like, but my stomach gets this low-sinking feeling every time.
Hanna seemed to survive her gluten issues while in Texas, though apparently soy is getting to be nearly as bad. My aunt and uncle truly went out of their way to check ingredients. It's a lot to learn. We are very appreciative of their efforts!
Anyway, Christmas was tons of fun, even though I got sick.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Single Best Football Game of the Season
I smiled and cheered Dallas in their complete screw-up game against the Eagles. Either team would be in the playoffs with a win, but the loser would be done for the season. What makes my heart maniacally happy is my sister's happy, cocky remarks in her Christmas letter about her Cowboys. Smiling is good for me.
Here's my favorite football writer's breakdown of the game (Gregg Easterbrook, Tuesday Morning Quarterback):
"Single Worst Game Ever Played: Teams in the win-and-in situation in the regular-season finale have blown it before. But what happened to the Cowboys at Philadelphia wasn't a case of nerves, and it wasn't a bad day; it was a meltdown. Most of the team's highly paid stars -- Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Terence Newman, Adam Jones, Roy Williams -- were actively awful. Head coaching was awful. Assistant coaching was awful -- how come Offensive Genius Jason Garrett was running the same stuff that was stopped by the Ravens the week before? Even the owner did an awful job, distracting the team during the week with incessant talk about what he might do if the Boys didn't win. And play by specific play, performance was awful. You've got to be truly, utterly awful to give up 41 unanswered points in a game in which the playoffs are on the line, in a season when you've been boasting -- as Newman did -- "We're the greatest team in the league."
With the score tied at 3 in the second quarter, Donovan McNabb scrambled on third-and-7 and flipped a short pass to Correll Buckhalter. There were six Cowboys defenders within tackling distance, and all basically did an "Olé"! Buckhalter, who will not make anyone forget Gale Sayers, outran everyone, going 59 yards to set up a touchdown. Dallas got the kickoff and went loss of yardage, incompletion, incompletion, punt. After Philadelphia punted, as well, Dallas again went three-and-out, unable to run despite opening the game with three tight ends on the field. Philadelphia scored again for a 17-3 lead. On the next Dallas possession, Romo forced the ball to the receiver Williams: interception. With 1:04 remaining in the first half, Philadelphia had first-and-10 on the Dallas 42. The Nesharim drove 42 yards for a touchdown -- 26 of the yards on penalties against Dallas, one an incredibly boneheaded late hit by Jones. The touchdown play came when Philadelphia had first-and-goal on the Dallas 1 with 15 seconds remaining -- the Cowboys fell for a play-fake even though Philadelphia held no timeouts. The Eagles kicked off, Jones got the ball and immediately fumbled; Philadelphia kicked a 50-yard field goal to complete a 24-0 second quarter.
Dallas was not finished being awful! In the third quarter, Romo fumbled on the Eagles' 25; Chris Clemons returned the fumble 75 yards for a touchdown. Clemons is a defensive end, yet no Dallas speed player -- not Owens or Williams the receiver -- made any attempt to catch him. On the next Dallas possession, Marion Barber fumbled on the Eagles' 4; Joselio Hanson returned the fumble 96 yards for a touchdown, and only four of 11 Boys on the field made any attempt to chase him, the rest standing with hands on hips, watching, no doubt trying to think of something to whine about. On the next Dallas possession, Romo fumbled yet again -- he got little protection from that Pro Bowler-heavy Dallas offensive line that always seems to be having "an off day" -- setting up the Philadelphia field goal that completed the 41-0 run. Then, trailing 44-3, Dallas punted on fourth-and-3! Still trailing 44-3 in the fourth quarter, Dallas punted on fourth-and-2! And reaching the Philadelphia 24 with the game nearly over, Dallas launched the field goal that made the final 44-6. The Philadelphia crowd collectively laughed as that field goal boomed. Just to prove the whole thing was no fluke, trailing 44-6 with 3:23 remaining, Dallas punted again.
TMQ offers a Single Worst Play of the Season item, but what Dallas did Sunday at Philadelphia goes far beyond that standard. Imagine a 16th-century wooden warship with a cannon rolling loose on its deck and a typhoon approaching, and you're imagining a better situation than the current Dallas Cowboys."
All I can say is, Oh the joy of this occasion in this Christmas season.
Here's my favorite football writer's breakdown of the game (Gregg Easterbrook, Tuesday Morning Quarterback):
"Single Worst Game Ever Played: Teams in the win-and-in situation in the regular-season finale have blown it before. But what happened to the Cowboys at Philadelphia wasn't a case of nerves, and it wasn't a bad day; it was a meltdown. Most of the team's highly paid stars -- Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Terence Newman, Adam Jones, Roy Williams -- were actively awful. Head coaching was awful. Assistant coaching was awful -- how come Offensive Genius Jason Garrett was running the same stuff that was stopped by the Ravens the week before? Even the owner did an awful job, distracting the team during the week with incessant talk about what he might do if the Boys didn't win. And play by specific play, performance was awful. You've got to be truly, utterly awful to give up 41 unanswered points in a game in which the playoffs are on the line, in a season when you've been boasting -- as Newman did -- "We're the greatest team in the league."
With the score tied at 3 in the second quarter, Donovan McNabb scrambled on third-and-7 and flipped a short pass to Correll Buckhalter. There were six Cowboys defenders within tackling distance, and all basically did an "Olé"! Buckhalter, who will not make anyone forget Gale Sayers, outran everyone, going 59 yards to set up a touchdown. Dallas got the kickoff and went loss of yardage, incompletion, incompletion, punt. After Philadelphia punted, as well, Dallas again went three-and-out, unable to run despite opening the game with three tight ends on the field. Philadelphia scored again for a 17-3 lead. On the next Dallas possession, Romo forced the ball to the receiver Williams: interception. With 1:04 remaining in the first half, Philadelphia had first-and-10 on the Dallas 42. The Nesharim drove 42 yards for a touchdown -- 26 of the yards on penalties against Dallas, one an incredibly boneheaded late hit by Jones. The touchdown play came when Philadelphia had first-and-goal on the Dallas 1 with 15 seconds remaining -- the Cowboys fell for a play-fake even though Philadelphia held no timeouts. The Eagles kicked off, Jones got the ball and immediately fumbled; Philadelphia kicked a 50-yard field goal to complete a 24-0 second quarter.
Dallas was not finished being awful! In the third quarter, Romo fumbled on the Eagles' 25; Chris Clemons returned the fumble 75 yards for a touchdown. Clemons is a defensive end, yet no Dallas speed player -- not Owens or Williams the receiver -- made any attempt to catch him. On the next Dallas possession, Marion Barber fumbled on the Eagles' 4; Joselio Hanson returned the fumble 96 yards for a touchdown, and only four of 11 Boys on the field made any attempt to chase him, the rest standing with hands on hips, watching, no doubt trying to think of something to whine about. On the next Dallas possession, Romo fumbled yet again -- he got little protection from that Pro Bowler-heavy Dallas offensive line that always seems to be having "an off day" -- setting up the Philadelphia field goal that completed the 41-0 run. Then, trailing 44-3, Dallas punted on fourth-and-3! Still trailing 44-3 in the fourth quarter, Dallas punted on fourth-and-2! And reaching the Philadelphia 24 with the game nearly over, Dallas launched the field goal that made the final 44-6. The Philadelphia crowd collectively laughed as that field goal boomed. Just to prove the whole thing was no fluke, trailing 44-6 with 3:23 remaining, Dallas punted again.
TMQ offers a Single Worst Play of the Season item, but what Dallas did Sunday at Philadelphia goes far beyond that standard. Imagine a 16th-century wooden warship with a cannon rolling loose on its deck and a typhoon approaching, and you're imagining a better situation than the current Dallas Cowboys."
All I can say is, Oh the joy of this occasion in this Christmas season.
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