adam's asseverations

some songs and some thoughts

2009-11-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

I've been having some good luck when it comes to the radio lately. On Wednesday I finished up at practicum and started my car to hear some great numbers from my past: Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name Of, followed by Coldplay's Yellow, followed by Nirvana's All Apologies, which took me all the way home. Very nice sequence for me. Takes me back to my college days.

Then when I came home today I was treated to U2's new single (which somehow doesn't make me want to vomit yet despite the frequency with which it's played), which was followed my favorite song by my favorite band (Radiohead's Karma Police), with Pearl Jam's Better Man rounding out my trip.

This sequence of good going home music is all thanks to 98.7. They play all my favorites. I'm almost as thankful for them as I am for a 3-song commute. On the rare days that I can drive, that is.

And henceforth KROQ shall be known (at least to me) as KROQ of KRAP.

11/6/2009, 6:37am

2009-11-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

A transcript...

Darcy: Did you know you can buy soap now that has caffeine in it? It's supposed to make you more alert.
Adam: I think that really says something about our culture.
Darcy: Yeah.
Adam: Specifically that it's AWESOME!
Darcy: What do you think it would be like to come from a culture that you're actually proud of?
Adam: You know, I've never really thought about that before.

braylon edwards

2009-10-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

"Out-standing effort by Braylon Edwards!"
-CBS commentator Dick Enberg

That's something I haven't heard said non-sarcastically for quite some time ... maybe he just likes having a quarterback who's able to throw the ball.

quote of the day (so far)

2009-09-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

"(Vikings head coach) Brad Childress can't be happy about those two balls popping out."

-FOX commentator Thom Brenneman

... Chester Taylor had fumbled and recovered and Adrian Peterson lost the ball after being tackled within about five minutes of each other. With hilarious results.

And why does FOX insist on showing me an animated robot jamming on an electric guitar when we come back from commercial? Robot? Guitar? What does any of this have to do with football?

planting seeds

2009-09-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

September 8, 2009. A day that shall live in infamy. The day Barack "Hoo-Sane" Obama brainwashed the collective mind of America's youth with his socialist agenda. Or maybe he just told them to work hard and stay in school. It's hard to make such distinctions these days.

Well one thing has become pretty clear in the past few weeks: the Republican strategy to defeat meaningful healthcare reform. It pretty much comes down to obstruct, obfuscate, mislead, and derail the process with scare tactics until anything that's going to be even marginally effective at actually solving problems is excised from the bill. And when that happens pretty much everyone's a winner; Democrats get to pass an utterly useless piece of legislation and celebrate that brave accomplishment and Republicans get to prevent meaningful reform from taking place. Everyone's a winner, that is, except the American people, specifically the middle class and working poor. But, then, no one's cared much about them in a long time.

The major remaining question whether an emasculated reform bill is actually worse than no reform at all. I say YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES since it will give conservatives the opportunity to say, 10 years from now, "Hey look at what was done 10 years ago - that didn't work well at all. Let's not try anything like that again" and they'll be able to blame all of the ineffectiveness on the Democrats who gutted the bill in a futile attempt to woo a moderate Republican senator or two. In case anyone's keeping track, that's pretty much what happened with the climate bill earlier this year as well. Can't wait to see what Obama has to say about this mess tomorrow.

healthcare debate

2009-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

There’s something I’ve noticed lately. People are vehemently resistant to the notion of “some bureaucrat in Washington” making decisions regarding their healthcare. The ironic thing is that if you are one of the Americans lucky enough to have health insurance (and there are 47 million who are not as fortunate), then – quite literally – you already have bureaucrats making decisions regarding your healthcare. Is a bureaucrat in Chicago or Hartford or Des Moines really that much more worthy of our trust? I think not.

See, insurance companies are corporations and the primary purpose of every corporation is to make money for shareholders. And the only way to make money is to take in more than you pay out. Thereore, insurance companies really don’t have our (customers') best interests at heart. How could they? The natural inclination of every insurance company is to take your money and deny your claim. There are only a couple of things, as far as I can see, that prevent this from happening:
1) fear of litigation
2) fear of losing customers to the competition if customer satisfaction falls below the industry average

So even when insurance companies pay a claim they’re only doing it keep the money rolling in. The even have a word for canceling your policy once you get sick: rescission. And it's legal even if you've been paying into the same plan with the same company for decades. Isn't the reason that you pay into a plan year after year when you're healthy so that it's there when you get sick and need it? Compare that to a government who issues no-bid contracts and fights to keep buying more obsolete bombers that have never seen action in combat. I think I prefer the wasteful apparatus of the federal government to the corner cutting, bottom-line-obsessed machinations of the insurance industry when it comes to making decisions about the quality of my healthcare. But that's just me. More thoughts to follow...

scrappiness

2009-08-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

I was at the Dodgers-Brewers game tonight and Craig Counsell came up to bat. My first thought was: "shouldn't he be providing color commentary for a minor league affiliate in Duluth by now?" An inning or so later Jason Kendall came up to bat and my first thought was: "I could have sworn he was dead."

That's about the time I got the idea for a team made up entirely of diminutive white guys who, despite a near constant stream terrible stats year after year, still - somewhat inexplicably - make it onto big league clubs year after year. They are commonly referred to as "scrappy."

Side note: Only white players can be labeled "scrappy." It's an unwritten law of sports journalism. If you're small, white, and not particularly athletic you're scrappy. Especially if you play middle infield.

Well, the backbone of my team would be Craig Counsell and Jason Kendall. And right off the bat (so to speak) I added David Eckstein and Dustin Pedroia to my roster of hardworking munchkins. A little more thought brought me to journeyman Adam Kennedy and the A's Mark Ellis. Once I got home, five minutes on ESPN's website (your worldwide leader in sports) led me to add Scott Posednik and Ryan Freel into the mix. Let's toss Ryan Theriot in there as a totally superflous utility player as well. The great thing about this team is that it doesn't really matter who plays where on defense, because they're all pretty much the same player. And they're all so scrappy and selfless that they'll gladly play any position. Truth be told, most of them are just happy to be on a big-league roster. That just leaves leaves a pitcher - and is there anyone better for this little thought experiment than the wily veteran Tim Wakefield? I think not. You don't really need anyone else on your staff when your ace is that crafty. And Craig Biggio would be my manager.

And there you have it: a team that would hit 50 home runs over the course of a season, but would have 300 ground ball base hits. They'd grind games by scores like 2-1 and 3-2 with smart baserunning and gritty defense and by running out ground balls like it's their first day in the pros. And everyone's jersey would be dirty by the third inning. It would be the most boring baseball ever.

beginnings

2009-07-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I saw my first real client at 6:00 on Friday. And I was expected to do real therapy. In a real session. I guess you could say that the reality of the situation was what struck me.

He's an adolescent male who does not want to be in therapy. He did not make eye contact with me for the entire 50 minutes. He also did not say a word. We passed the session in awkward silence, broken only by my futile attempts to engage him every few minutes. Awesome.

On the plus side the whole experience inspired me to create a new drink upon arriving home. I call it the tequila sec. It's equal parts tequila and triple sec, which is pretty much all I had on hand It's surprisingly good, though ... at least I was surprised at its goodness. But maybe at that point my expectations had been lowered to the point that clam juice and diet slice would have seemed fantastic to me. It's hard to say.

It's all right though. If that's all he's got in his arsenal I can handle it. And if it's a battle of the wills that he's after I'll be up to the task. I'm confident in my ability to wait him out. Hopefully healing can be found on the other side.

update time

2009-07-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

First I'd like to wish a very happy Screw England day to my readership. Stupid Redcoats.

Wow. A lot sure has happened since I last posted three weeks ago.

1) Darcy defended her dissertation. (Wooooo!)

2) We took a brief vacation to San Francisco, the first time either of us made it up there despite living in Pasadena for the past 4 years. We had a great time, although it was a bit of a struggle to balance our need for rest after a particularly stressful end to the quarter (see point 1 above) with our desire to see as much of the city as possible while we were there. We did what we could, and everything that we couldn't do, well, we left those things undone.

3) Then we both got right back into the swing of things with an intensive class (Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Clinical Practice) that just ended on Thursday. Which also marked the official end of Darcy's coursework at Fuller.

So it's been a three week flurry of nonstop activity (I didn't even mention my preparations for the beginning of practicum, Tracy's wedding, or Danny's pick up three-on-three basketball tournament) and - aided by a holiday weekend - I've finally had enough time to catch my breath and punch out a blog post.

An aside: Congratulations to Al Franken. Now let's get to work on healthcare or cap and trade, shall we?

Here's a few pictures from our trip:

Here's me thinking about something or another at Fisherman's Wharf. Let's say that I'm thinking about Ghirardelli chocolate ice cream. It's quite good.

AT&T Park, home of the best stadium food I've yet encountered. There's also some team that plays their home games there that I'm not especially fond of. We got to see the Angels complete their sweep of the home team :)

A large orange-ish bridge that is apparently quite popular with the locals.

The wife and I in front of said bridge. We walked most of the way across it. Then our feet started hurting. Then we had to walk all the way back. Which left Darcy in a fantastic mood.

thought experiment

2009-06-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

If, as they say, a million monkeys pounding on a million typewriters for millions of years would eventually produce the works of Shakespeare ...

Then how long would it take my cat to produce Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea by walking back and forth across our laptops as we attempt to work (which apparently one of her favorite sources of entertainment, judging by the frequency she chooses to do it)?

Thoughts like these prevent me from actually being productive and getting my finals done early.

Movie review: Up

2009-06-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well, on Monday the wife and I were feeling a bit stressed after a schoolwork-filled and altogether unrestful weekend so we decided to catch an afternoon movie, a rare treat for us. Curious about what all the fuss was about, we opted for Pixar's Up.

I accept the proposition that last year Wall-E redefined what an animated film can be. Up does that, only much more so. While appropriate for the younger set, it's definitely not a kids' movie. It's a 96 minute meditation on grief and loss and regret featuring an elderly widower (Ed Asner) as its protagonist. It's heart-felt and emotionally raw, but the emotion feels genuine and never contrived. It's also hilarious. But it'll still make you cry. Seriously, it will. I can't remember the last time I cried because of a movie. I didn't even cry when I was 6 and Bambi's mother was shot, but I had a tear roll down my cheek during Up.

The verdict: I submit that this is the best film of the year so far. It's really not even close, especially if you only consider wide releases. Go see it. If you regret it come see me so I can tell you that you're an inhuman monster to your face.

Magic 3, Cavaliers 1

2009-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sad now. It's a deep, pervasive, penetrating sadness with which I am all too well acquainted. At the same time, since my sadness is so familiar to me, it's a little like a friend coming home after a long vacation. A friend that you hate with every fiber of your being because he's such a jerk to you all the time but then he'll be nice to you for just long enough to make you think that maybe this time it will be different but then it's not and you'd think it would stop hurting eventually but somehow it never does because each wound is a little different. That's what it's like.

And the season's not even over yet. I'm a little ahead of schedule.

Another one for the good guys

2009-05-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Another series, that is. My Cavaliers finished off the Hawks with only slightly more difficulty than they had with the Pistons. As a Cleveland sports fan, this is really the only star in my constellation worth gazing at right now. (Did that metaphor work on any level? My guess is an emphatic no.)

This is because my Indians are off to a truly atrocious start (14-22, 4.5 games behind the Tigers at the time of this writing) and my Browns, by all accounts, are destined for another season of sub-mediocrity. This Cavs team is the best shot that we've had at a championship since 1997, and it's fair to say that my hopes are officially "up." In every other instance in my life where I've allowed this to happen my hopes have come crashing back down very soon thereafter. But this time it's going to be different ... I think ...

(to be continued)

fun with numbers

2009-05-08T15:01:00.001-07:00

According to a new survey released last week by the Pew Research Center and reported by CNN, the religious group in America most likely to support the use of torture is white Evangelicals. The group least likely to support torture is people unaffiliated with any religion.

Does anyone else find this as disturbing as I do? What is it about Jesus that makes people want to simulate drowning and slam peoples' heads against retractable walls provided they're wearing collars to prevent death? It's times like this I wish I wasn't an American Christian.

Think of the children

2009-04-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

So I was watching the culmination of the glorious awesomeness that took the form of the Cavaliers 4-0 sweep of the Pistons today when I had a realization.

A whole generation of basketball loving kids is going to grow up in Detroit hating LeBron James. (When I have really important realizations they're usually italicized, by the way.)

Think of that for a moment. These are kids that live in Detroit, so they obviously don't have a whole lot going for them. And to to top it all off they won't get to enjoy the best basketball player of their generation because of deep, churning, visceral bitterness stemming from a series of days like today.

I should know. I was obsessed with the Cavaliers as a child in the 1980s, which were really the dawn of Michael Jordan's dominance. We were able to put together some remarkably talented teams, but always managed to come up short in the playoffs. Like in 1989. "The shot." That's right. "The shot" has its own Wikipedia page. Give it a click. I'll be here when you get back. Allow me to set the scene ... May 7, 1989: Cavs are favored in the series but find themselves down 3-1 at home in the Richfield Coliseum ... You know what, I can't even describe it. Too painful. Still. 2 decades later. Just know that the scene ends with Jordan celebrating and Craig Ehlo crumpled on the floor along with a small but very important piece of my soul. And on that day I started hating Michael Jordan. With the intense, irrational, unadulterated hatred that only a seven year-old-boy with shattered dreams can muster.

And for that reason I was unable to truly enjoy most of Michael Jordan's amazing career. It's a shame this all has to happen again.

Torture memos and the sale of the American soul

2009-04-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

“Have you ever heard of blowing off steam?”
-Rush Limbaugh, in reference to the photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib

I’ve been thinking a bit about the drive in the media to defend the practice of torture since it became public that we waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times in a month. Each argument to defend the practice can really be reduced to one or more of the following, each more specious than the one preceding it:

It’s not that bad. Guys in fraternities have been doing it for years; freshmen used to get hazed on football teams all the time. Let’s be honest with ourselves for once. Our government used some of the same techniques that were perfected in the Spanish Inquisition and used during the Salem Witch Trials. These are things that we put war lords and third world dictators on trial for in tribunals whenever we get the chance. It’s torture. Call it what it is.

We have to because we get so much good information from it. It’s only thing that kept us from being attacked again. I call this one the Bauer fallacy. It’s been demonstrated repeatedly that standard interrogation techniques consistently produce more reliable intelligence than torture does. And the whole “ticking bomb torture scenario” is a myth, so you can give it a rest. I’ll give that one a fair hearing after it’s been documented once in the history of the world.

Doctors and lawyers were overseeing the whole thing. That makes it all good. Yeah, doctors and lawyers never take part in unsavory things like holocausts, either.

Then there’s usually some broad claim about it being un-American to think that America should be held to the standards it set for itself. And it's all bullshit.

Thoughts on church

2009-04-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a blog post I put together for my Theology and Culture class. I thought I'd toss it out there in case anyone might be interested.

Prompt:

How do you define "church" and what informs your perspective?

… If a theology is, in a basic form, how one talks about God (or the divine), how does your perspective on God affect your thoughts on church? Discuss how your theologies inform your interactions with "church”.
_______________________________

I suppose I should start, as suggested, with my conception of church. For me, at the most basic level, church is about relationship. To quote Kurt Vonnegut quoting his son, Mark: “We are here to help each other get though this thing, whatever it is.” In this instance “this thing” refers to a life of faith.

I grew up in a small, rather conservative (and, I think, typical) Midwestern evangelical congregation. It was the same congregation that my mother grew up in, and her father actually helped to physically construct the church building. My parents still attend the same church today. Obviously it is a community of faith where I have deep roots. For all of my criticisms of it (and I have many; so very many), I can never doubt that there are people there who know me intimately and care very deeply for my wife and me, and I am convinced that my experiences there were formative for my faith. I think that this level of grounding in a faith community is an increasingly rare experience for a 20-something Christian in America, and this is going to be to the church’s detriment in the years to come.

Several years ago I found myself fed up with evangelicalism in general for a variety of reasons and began examining alternative methods in the expression of Christianity. I found myself drawn to the Anabaptist tradition for its emphasis on social justice, celebration of togetherness in community life, and uncompromising commitment to taking seriously the ethics expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus. My wife and I found a home in a Mennonite church that felt right for us at that point in our faith journey and we became members several years ago. Being a member of this particular faith community in this particular denomination has helped my faith immensely as I struggle to determine how I can live meaningfully as a Christian in my current context.

Phyllis Tickle, in The Great Emergence, argues that the emergence will involve a “gathering center” where elements of the liturgical tradition, social justice movement, conservative Christianity, and the renewalist/charismatic movement will meet and exchange methods and ideas, with the apparent result being something of a patchwork of Christianity that will exist for the foreseeable future until a more coherent model can be found. I think that this can be seen in the trend toward non-denominationalism in which Christian tradition is treated as a buffet where one can take whatever one feels like when it comes to doctrines and practices and no real denominational commitment can be expected.

In the first chapter of A Matrix of Meanings, Craig Detweiler and Barry Taylor describe contemporary culture as Post-institutional. I think this is an especially apt description. For evidence one needs only to look at the rise in popularity of television programming such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, especially among the young. These shows are predicated on exposing and ridiculing the absurdities that exist in venerated institutions; specifically our government and the journalistic arm of the media. It is true that political satire has existed in this country since colonial times, but I would estimate that more people under the age of 30 get their news from Stewart (and others like him) than from traditional sources – an unprecedented development suggesting a deep mistrust of these institutions that did not exist a generation ago. While no real correlate to The Daily Show has emerged for religion, we would be foolish to think that this is automatically indicative of a greater degree of trust for institutionalized religion.

My first reaction to these developments is to lament the decline of denominationalism since I have found a wealth of beauty in the specific Anabaptist tradition that I have chosen for myself. But when I look at the way I approach my denomination and compare it to people in my congregation who have been Mennonites for generations I see that I am not as different from the Nondenominational “Let’s dabble in Calvinism with a touch of the Wesleyan tradition, and what the hell let's dip our toe in the Catholic pool while we’re at it” types as I would like to believe. The truth is that I walked away from the Christian worldview that I grew up with as soon as it ceased to be a meaningful narrative for me. While I feel committed to my congregation and denomination at this time, if I move away from Pasadena and the local Mennonite congregation wherever I end up doesn’t have the attributes that initially drew me in, I know I won’t hesitate to change my affiliation. When I get down to it I don’t find my meaning in religious institutions, but rather in community. Relationships are key for me, and they transcend structures and institutions.

5 Random Things I Love Right Now

2009-03-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

1) Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. I mean, just look at that brooding genius. I thought that nothing but bad things come from disgruntled men retreating to isolated cabins in the woods by themselves for long stretches of time (see: The Unabomber). This, however, is 33:52 of pure bliss. I liked it so much I went out and picked up his new EP Bloodbank as well. Good stuff there too.

2) The brief window of time between one's fantasy draft and the start of the season. Every year I feel invincible, like I've compiled the best fantasy team in the history of nerd-dom. Then the season starts and it all falls apart.

3) The Cool Kids' The Bake Sale. Critics are apparently calling it "hipster rap." I call it funny. These guys from Chicago rap about things that other rappers aren't willing to touch. Like how cool their bikes are. And having vintage Jordan V's. And buying a pager. In 2008, not 1992.

4) Frederick Buechner's The Sacred Journey. I've heard a lot of good things about Beuchner, but this memoir of his early years is fantastic (and it checks in at just over 100 pages). He writes prose like poetry.

5) Six Feet Under. Darcy and I are just about through the first season and I'm really liking this show. It's got all kinds of complex family dynamics going on, it's the best portrayal of a gay character that I've ever seen in the media anywhere, and it's rife with existential anxiety. Talk about compelling television. I'm glad we've got four more seasons to enjoy.

So I went and did a mosaic...

2009-03-22T13:24:00.001-07:00

#1: My Name
#2: Favorite Food
#3: Hometown
#4: Favorite Color
#5: Favorite Movie
#6: Favorite Beverage
#7: Dream Vacation
#8: Favorite Dessert
#9: What word best describes me?
#10: How do I feel right now?
#11: What do I love most in the world?
#12: What do I want to be when I grow up?

Spare time is a beautiful thing.

Happy day!

2009-02-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Darcy began the day with good news - at 6:30 this morning we found out that she was placed at an internship site for next year - Switzer Learning Center in Torrance. For any readers who might not be familiar with this process for psychologists-in-training, it's quite competitive, protracted, time-consuming, and emotionally draining. It's not really designed with the psychological health of the applicants in mind.

Essentially, this means that she'll be able to graduate on time. It also means that, for the first time in her career, she'll get paid for the services she provides. Maybe not paid well, but paid something. Which is better than nothing.

The only real cloud in this silver lining is the commute to Torrance every day, but we know people who have done worse when it comes to freeways and traffic. She's really excited about the opportunity to work with children providing therapy and assessment services, and I'm excited to see her so excited.

We're heading out tonight for a little Claim Jumper BBQ chicken to celebrate.

Necessity is a mother

2009-02-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

... of all kinds of cool things in my kitchen.

Example:

(PLUS)

(EQUALS)

"Raisin Branola"

All because we didn't have enough Rasin Bran for a full bowl this morning. Raisin Branola is good. You should try some today.

What I've been up to

2009-01-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, my life has been pretty boring these past few weeks so I haven't been blogging much. Seriously. It pretty much consists of work and school. And basketball on Saturdays. We lose a lot so I'd rather not talk about that. And then there's church on Sundays. Except last Sunday. We slept in.

With my classes (I've got 5 this quarter plus a lab and an integration group) I've been spending much of my "free" time reading. This does not make for especially riveting blog material. But then I thought "Hey, just because I am having suffer through the drudgery of my life it doesn't mean I can't report on it to anyone with the misfortune of stumbling onto this page." So without further ado, here are some thoughts on five books that I've read in the past few weeks...

The Shack by William Paul Young (3.5 stars out of 5). I read this book in a span of about 3 or 4 days as the winter quarter began. I bought it for Darcy for Christmas and she absolutely loved it and decided to pester me until I put down everything else I was doing and read it as well. I'm not sure anything could have lived up to the effusive praise I'd heard about it (which didn't solely come from Darcy, by the way) but this reading experience was not especially paradigm-shifting for me. I had a few stylistic and theological points of contention, but all in all it was an enjoyable experience and very well done given its earnest (bordering on overwrought) subject matter and presentation.

The Journey Back to Eden by Glen Scorgie (2.5 stars out of 5). While I could hardly agree more with Scorgie's thesis (egalitarian gender relations are ideal and appropriate for Christians) I did not find his book to be particularly interesting or persuasive.

The Family Friendly Church by Ben Freudenburg with Rick Lawrence (1 star out of 5). I consider this book to have been an immense waste of my time and money. I considered giving it a zero, but it scarcely avoided being utterly useless. I cannot figure out why this was required for Family Life Education.

Lament for a Son by Nicolas Wolterstorff (4 stars out of 5). Heartbreaking and tragic. This made me appreciate my loved ones more. Very much worth the time if you've got an afternoon or so to commit to it.

Unexpected Blessing by Cameron Lee (3 stars out of 5). I thought this was a good book, but not a great one. Cameron offers a unique and illuminative perspective on the Beatitudes, which are often over-spiritualized or outright neglected by Christians at their own peril, as a window into Jesus' understanding of the coming reign of God with all of its countercultural implications. It was rather compatible with my Anabaptist faith and I enjoyed it, but it did not ultimately lead me to any profound new insights.

Stay tuned. Hopefully in a week or two I'll be able to talk a little about Every Day Gets a Little Closer, Parenting From the Inside Out, and Blindness. Good stuff there. And maybe I'll work in a little something interesting from my life as well. Provided that there is something interesting to tell.

2008 wrap-up

2009-01-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a couple of days late here, but I wanted to get a year-end blog post in about my favorite stuff of 2008...

Adam's album of the year: Fleet Foxes (by Fleet Foxes). Beautiful, fragile and haunting. It was released in June but I just found it recently thanks to an iTunes giftcard and a well-heeded endorsement in December's GQ magazine. I'm really infatuated with this record right now.
Runners up: Bon Iver's For Emma Forever Ago, Conor Oberst's self-titled solo effort, Coldplay's Viva la Vida, and 808's & Heartbreak from Kanye West (for its originality and depth of emotion, not necessarily for the quality of Kanye's singing).

Adam's movie of the year: The Visitor, a moving and profound meditation on multiculturalism, US immigration policy, the insular worlds that we construct for ourselves to prevent real contact with others (especially those who are different) and the power of music to break through these barriers. This film gets my strongest recommendation.
Runners up: Rachel Getting Married and Burn After Reading. I'm still looking forward to catching Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Feel free to share your own favorites from 2008 - I'll be glad to hear your recommendations. Have a happy and safe 2009!

Five bands, one strange man

2008-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

So sometimes I kill time (or waste time, depending on whether there is something I'm actively neglecting at a given moment) by placing myself in ridiculous hypothetical scenarios. The latest: if I was to limited to the music of 5 artists / bands for the rest of my life, which 5 would I choose? This is an interesting one because it's not as simple as "Who are your 5 favorite bands of all time?" since bands with extensive offerings are obviously given preference. That and you need to take into account any potential future output. So many considerations ... well, here we go:

1) Radiohead. No doubter here. Favorite band since freshman year of college. And they keep offering albums that blow my mind.

2) Bob Dylan. Does anyone in the history of popular music have as deep or strong a catalogue? I think not.

3) The Beatles. When Darcy heard this one she rolled her eyes, groaned and said "Come on, that's something everyone would say." My response: "There's a reason for that, baby."

4) Iron and Wine. Best artist I've found in recent years.

5) The final spot is a bit of a problem. There are three dogs in this race: Ben Harper, Bright Eyes, and Josh Ritter. Any one might be my choice on a given day. I liken it to an election ... Bright Eyes is the well-known incumbent candidate (I've listened to them the longest) and Ben Harper is the strong challenger. Josh Ritter is the well-financed independent candidate who might just swoop in and steal it on election day. I'd say today my choice is Bright Eyes. Tomorrow it might be different.

Darcy's: Billy Joel, Over the Rhine, The Swell Season, Bright Eyes, and Rosie Thomas. Not bad, but some of these surprised me. Runners up: Sufjan Stevens, The Weepies, and The White Stripes.

Anyone else?

Birthday Ruminations

2008-12-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for all of your well wishes on my Birthday. I had a great time celebrating the 27th consecutive year that I managed to not get myself killed. I took advantage of an opportunity to go on a road trip to Las Vegas with some friends and had a blast. I might even do it again sometime.

You know, we all enter the world confused, naked, and seriously pissed off and for a lot of people that sets the tone for the rest of their lives. There's so much anger and mistrust in the world that sometimes it takes a surprising degree of courage to dare to believe that tomorrow will be better than today and that in the end all will truly be well. It's paradoxical but often it's safer to fear than it is to hope.

At any rate, I try to rise above my baser impulses and, occasionally, I'll even succeed in doing so. When I do I'm convinced that it's because of the amazing friends and family that I've been blessed with over the years.

Oh, and the best wife in the world doesn't hurt either.

Thanks, and God Bless.

Thanksgiving Wishes

2008-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Sorry I haven't been posting lately. Let's just say school and work have been about all I can handle in the past few weeks.

So I just got back from Pasadena's Central Park (not quite as cool as New York's in case anyone is wondering) where I was attempting to feed the homeless this morning. I say "attempting" because I think there were more people there to feed than to be fed. Seriously, we were falling over ourselves waiting in line for our chance to feed the poor. And I still had to prepare some food for today so I had to leave before my turn. Not cool.

But I got to hang out with some cool folks while we waited (I organized a school of psychology peace and justice concerns event to do this) and I felt that I left the homeless in some good hands - at least for today. It's quite sad that the poor don't have even a tiny fraction of this support from the community on the other 364 days of the year.

At any rate, I hope you all have a great day filled with the love of friends and family. And don't eat too much. Even if it is the American way.

Why I am voting for Barack Obama

2008-10-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d take a few moments to help clarify my stance in the upcoming presidential election, in case anyone out there cares.

Obama’s healthcare plan, while not ideal or technically universal, goes much farther than McCain’s toward insuring all Americans. According to the US Congress Joint Economic Committee, there are 45.7 million uninsured people in the US (up by 18.8%, from 38.4 million, since Bush took office 8 years ago). We are the only industrialized nation to not offer universal healthcare in some form or another. This is a national disgrace, and I consider it to be one of the foremost "justice" issues facing our society. If our poor lack a right to decent healthcare because we choose (again) not to spend the money required, then greed has become our god and self-interest our chief virtue.

While Obama has displayed a willingness to defend our vaguely-defined “national interests” using military might that I am, quite frankly, a little uncomfortable with, he has repeatedly asserted that the cornerstone of his foreign policy will be diplomacy. He approaches the world with a more collaborative, nuanced perspective that I welcome heartily. One must compare this with the consistent bellicose posturing on the part of McCain in both past and present international crises. Obama does not oppose war, but he has opposed our war in Iraq from its misbegotten inception, and I consider this to be a positive sign and indicative of the stance that he will take when confronted with similar situations in the future.

While I personally deplore the practice of abortion, I also recognize that the prospect of overturning Roe v. Wade would be an unmitigated disaster and that 40 years of legal precedent will not evaporate with the appointment of an 8th (that’s right, 8th - out of 9) Republican justice. Considering McCain’s most recently articulated views in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade (and ignoring his past contradictions of this stance), I believe that Obama’s approach of providing additional support for young mothers is much more likely to bear fruit in the form of fewer terminated pregnancies, and the statistics back me up on this (under Clinton's policies, for example, abortion rates reached a 24 year low). That's a fantastic article on the issue that I just linked to back there if anyone cares to know more about actually preventing abortions rather than just getting angry over them every four years.

That being said, I consider abortion to be only a fraction of my pro-life stance. Being pro-war is not being pro-life. Supporting the death penalty is not being pro-life. Supporting foreign policies that continue to ignore the world's chronically impoverished is not being pro-life. I am personally committed to a consistent pro-life ethic that does not ignore the complexities of the real world. But I digress.

Even if I did not agree with Obama's position on a host of issues, I would like to think that I would have come to support him over McCain based solely on his conduct over the past weeks and months. He has offered steady, intelligent, clear-headed resolve that refuses to appeal to the lowest common denominator both on the campaign trail and in response to the economic crisis. It is telling, I think, that McCain's closing argument in his erratic campaign is a mixture of good old-fashioned 1950s style red-baiting coupled with his stubborn insistence that we don't know enough about a figure who has written two memoirs, held elected office for over a decade, and had been in an intense media spotlight for two full years as a candidate for president. To me that indicates an utter paucity of substance.

On Tuesday I will proudly cast my ballot for Barack Obama. While I do not hold any delusions about an end of racism in this country in the form of prejudice and discrimination, I still recognize that his election will be a powerful statement of a broad acceptance of a tolerant society with a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural future. It is not the final step in the Civil Rights movement, but only the next.

Vote Obama. Your grandchildren will thank you.

From the kitchen of Adam

2008-10-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

I think I just created a new sandwich. I call it "open-faced toasted pastrami and cheddar on sourdough."

It was freakin awesome. That is all.

Pumpkins & Politics

2008-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

We must be getting close to Halloween. In an election year.

Darcy and I carved a couple pumpkins last night, and they ended up being Obama supporters. I, for one, did not see that one coming. Check 'em out:

Here's mine. Let me just say here and now that it was difficult to transfer a round two-dimensional logo onto an imperfect (but transcendently beautiful in its own way) three-dimensional pumpkinish surface.

Here's Darcy's. Seems especially appropriate given the fact that the prospect of an Obama presidency scares the sweet bejeezus out of a certain segment of the populace.

Stupid pinko-commie pumpkins. Go back to Sweeden and redistribute some wealth with all of your socialist friends.

Christopher Hitchens says "Vote for Obama"

2008-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled upon this article the other day and found it remarkable:

http://slate.com/id/2202163/

Perhaps a little background information would be appropriate ... It's by Christopher Hitchens for Slate.com. Although Hitchens was apparently associated with some more liberal causes in his early career (late 1980s), I know him more for his militant atheism, his vehement distaste for Bill and (more recently) Hillary Clinton, and for his unequivocal embrace of the Neo-Conservative foreign policy myth (in essence, that we can democratize the world at gunpoint, that we are locked in an ideological struggle with Islamofascists who want to subvert our very way of life and impose shariah on the Western world, and that overwhelming military superiority and willingness/eagerness to use it is the only hope for the future).

As a rule, I try to avoid reading anything written by him since when he's not insulting persons of faith he's generally advocating bombing someone for something. Since my faith has led me to renounce the myth of redemptive violence, there's not a whole lot that Christopher and I see eye to eye on.

With these worldview parameters firmly in place, he nevertheless arrives at the conclusion that McCain is unfit for the presidency and excorciates him thusly: "McCain lacks the character and temperment to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace." That's just the subtitle of the article. It's not pretty when prominent conservatives turn on Republicans. Who knew?

movie review

2008-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I just wanted to put in a quick plug for all of my budding-therapist (as well as my psychologically-astute non-therapist type) friends: go see Rachel Getting Married. If you took family systems theory and turned it into a movie it would look just like this. Seriously. For those of you who are fortunate enough to live in or near Pasadena, it's conveniently playing at the Laemmle on Colorado.

It's truly a stunning movie. The wife and I watched it Saturday afternoon and I still can't stop thinking about it this morning. It's directed by Jonathan Demme, but I saw one review that described it as "Altmanesque" and I thought: "Yeah, sure, that sounds good in a review but how much can it really look (and sound) like an Altman picture?" Answer: very much. Demme really knocked it out of the park and delivered an exceptionally well-crafted (albeit emotionally raw) movie. The characters were well-rounded and three dimensional, and the actors' performances were utterly realistic (the early Oscar buzz for Anne Hathaway is legit, by the way).

A caveat: I wouldn't recommend going to see this movie if you're feeling especially depressed. You might hurl yourself in front of a bus on the way home. And I wouldn't want that on my conscience. Wait until you're feeling a little more stable and then go see the film.

everyone...

2008-10-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm just saying is all...

This seems especially appropriate right about now and I couldn't resist sharing it. You can get the graphic on a shirt here (womens shirts are on sale for $12 now).

Stay skeptical, my friends. At least until November 5.

A big stack of busy

2008-09-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

So here's a picture of the books we're supposed to read this quarter. Darcy's registered for 2 classes, I've got 4. Fun stuff! I for one can't wait to get this party started.

If you don't see us for the next ten weeks this stack is the likely culprit. Either that or we don't live close to you.

Cabo

2008-09-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home now. I thought I'd take a few moments to share some of my experiences over the past week with you, my friends. And possibly you, my enemies, as well (not really sure who all reads this).

Some reflections: 1) The flyaway shuttle from Union Station to LAX is convenient and cheap - I recommend it. 2) No matter what you may read on the Internet, never - ever - take a public bus in Mexico unless you speak fluent Spanish and have at least a rudimentary understanding of the area. We had neither. Not worth it. 3) All the Pretty Horses was un muy excelente choice to read while in Mexico for the first time. 4) Don't write anything on your travelers checks until someone tells you what to write. No matter what they tell you at the bank when you buy them. 5) One enterprising young fellow offered to get me a taxi while I was waiting to cross the street with my wife. Then he offered me marijuana, cocaine, extacy, and/or hookers. Talk about your renaissance man, right? I know. I was impressed too.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

This is the beach near our hotel. The beach was so clean and the water so blue. I'm not used to that.

Here is Darcy in her fancy Cabo dress.

This is us with El Arco in the background - the farthest tip of Baja.

Here's me on the balcony.

Did I have a good time in Mexico? Perhaps the best indication is that the day after we arrived home (which would be yesterday) I began researching what it would take to put together a weekend trip to Rosarito or Ensenada by car. I guess I can't wait to get back.

How to tell when your spouse is up too late:

2008-09-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Quote from Darcy regarding Lil' Wayne's SNL performance last night:

"I like his hair but I hate those pants."

(long pause. Perhaps a verse and chorus or so.)

"Seriously, why would anyone wear those pants?"

Things to look forward to

2008-09-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

OSU @ USC (tonight)

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland (tomorrow)

But, since my team will probably lose in both instances, what I'm really stoked about is:

Less than 48 hours until we're in the air bound for Cabo San Lucas!

This is where we'll be staying: Hotel Finisterra

This is the one of the pools at Hotel Finisterra

And this is what Darcy is looking forward to the most (beach palapas with hammocks). Viva La Cabo!

Just when you think it's over

2008-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin secret the revelation of which we're most looking forward to (sorted by percentage of likely voters), according to a completely valid and scientific poll conducted by the Federal Institute of Knowledge in conjunction with the National Foundation for the Betterment of the Nation:

21% Had torrid love affair with Billy Ray Cyrus in summer of 1980
19% Serves up a really mediocre meatloaf
15% All family members actually suck at hockey
14% Once killed a pair of drifters using a caribou antler
9% After a long day of tense negotiations with Putin, enjoys "unwinding" with Inuit pool boy she calls Pedro
8% Does not really need those glasses
6% Favorite song of all time is ABBA's "Dancing Queen"
5% For a period in 1998 was a member of the Wasilla Independence Party, which seeks to secede from Alaska after Alaska secedes from the United States
3% Currently writing a successful series of erotic novels under the pseudonym Jacqueline Powers

Portrait of an unhappy man, brought to you by TIME

2008-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

OR:

John McCain and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

An excerpt of his Time interview, 8/28/08 (see the article here or read the full transcript here):

Time: There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?
JM: Read it in my books.

Time: I've read your books.
JM: No, I'm not going to define it.

Time: But honor in politics?
JM: I defined it in five books. Read my books.

Time: [Your] campaign today is more disciplined, more traditional, more aggressive. From your point of view, why the change?
JM: I will do as much as we possibly can do to provide as much access to the press as possible.

...

Time: Do you miss the old way of doing it?
JM: I don't know what you're talking about.

Time: Really? Come on, Senator.
JM: I'll provide as much access as possible ...

Time: In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
JM: [Does not answer.]

...

Time: You do acknowledge there was a change in the campaign, in the way you had run the campaign?
JM: [Shakes his head.]

Time: You don't acknowledge that? O.K., when your aides came to you and you decided, having been attacked by Barack Obama, to run some of those ads, was there a debate?
JM: The campaign responded as planned.

It goes on like that for a while. Of course if I were McCain I'd be unhappy too. Because of my extreme oldness. That and I would be coming from a party utterly bereft of ideas to confront the various problems facing my nation. But mainly because of the oldness thing.

Olympic commercials that are slowly driving me insane

2008-08-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Oh, and by the way, that was a literal doughnut Darcy requested for her anniversary. Not some euphemism for sex. Got them at Donut and Burger on Fair Oaks. (Seriously, that's the name of the place. I've also heard that they have good burgers as well. Yum.)

Before the Olympics started I don't believe I've sat down and actually watched television since the season finale of The Office (comes back on 9/25). I dunno, something about that vast wasteland of second-rate-crap for drama and derivative gameshow/reality programming just didn't manage pique my interest. So this is the first time that I've been bombarded every 15 minutes with commercials in several months, and things haven't been going well for me. Here are a few that I find particularly loathsome:

1) That inane GE spot that takes place in ancient Greece where the wind blows the discus into the temple and knocks everything over. Utterly senseless and remarkably unfunny. An aside: this ad was also ineffective, at least for me, because this is the only one of the six here where I had to look up what was being sold. After an estimated 5 viewings. Money well spent, GE.

2) AT&T Phelps Phan commercial. Anyone else think that Michael really dodged a bullet here? Yeah. She's annoying.

3) Granted, this is some fairly low-hanging fruit, but how can I resist McCain's first major nationwide buy, his "Family" ad? I quote: "The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending. So, fewer jobs." It's dangerous to engage in this sort of endeavor in a campaign season, but let's take this claim at face value. The single easiest way for the government to create new jobs is to increase spending. The prosperity of the 1950s was predicated upon the nascent, yet still massive, Cold War spending apparatus commonly known post-Eisenhower as the military-industrial complex. The aerospace and defense industries amount to an obscene amount of our GDP and are almost entirely dependent on government contracts. Large-scale government financed building projects (and eventually WWII mobilization) are what brought the US out of the Great Depression. So cutting back on that can't help but improve things, right? And higher taxes! Thanks for promising not to take us back to the high-tax-induced recession of the 1990s, John. Let's make sure to continue the Bush tax policies that have been so very successful in helping the middle class to date. Good call. Nice to see your head's in the game, John. Quick exercise: compare and contrast this ad with Obama's "Hands." Despite being a craven attempt to convince working class (see also: white) middle America that an Obama administration really won't look like that New Yorker cover, at least it benefits from having an actual message. And mentions actual policy proposals. From the actual candidate. I take it as a bad sign for the state of the race that McCain is already this desperate. This is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

4) That Coke commercial that tells me how awesome I am for drinking Coke. I never even knew that I was a major supporter of the Olympics, both special and otherwise. Good for me.

5) Then there's the remarkably well-executed Audi spot over the ethereal Sigur Ros music that shows all kinds of stuff being replaced. The text of the commercial: Progress is beautiful. The subtext of the commercial: Replacing expensive shit with other expensive shit helps you to ignore the gnawing vacuum at the center of your existence. Buy our shit.

6) Finally, thanks to that mytimetoquit.com ad for teaching me that smoking is a treatable medical condition like prostate cancer and not a lifestyle choice like every other bad habit or addiction that people struggle with. Informative.

Note: As much as I find the Visa "Go World" ads to be manipulative, sentimental drivel, Morgan Freeman completely knocks it out of the park and barely keeps Visa off my list of insanity provokers. Coke should go with him next time.

5 years

2008-08-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Bon anniversaire, mon amour. Cinq ans - C'est enorme.

Now let's get you that doughnut.

Further thoughts on the Olympics

2008-08-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Some reflections on last night's games:

1) I realized that the post-routine hug in womens (girls???) gymnastics is roughly analogous to the between-free-throws high five in the NBA: obligatory and utterly meaningless.

2) I think that, in this Olympics, the more remarkable occurrence is when a world record doesn't get broken in swimming.

3) Despite having a relatively small sample size (American women who competed in the floor routine last night), I feel confident in asserting that, as a society, we need to do a better job of teaching our young ladies boundaries.

That's all for now.

Go World (brought to you by Visa)

2008-08-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Olympics are upon us again, and I really enjoy getting to watch relatively obscure sports on TV. I mean, when was the last time you saw a decent water polo match on TV? And how many people were relieved that the sport is actually much more horse-friendly than it initially sounds? I'm guessing quite a few. And womens saber! What percentage of Americans woke up Saturday morning knowing that this was an Olympic event? 2%? .0002%? Good times.

Yet as I've observed the various events unfolding over the past couple of days a fundamental paradox of the American experience was brought right to the surface (and it has nothing to do with Coke's numerous attempts to make me feel like a philanthropist for using its product). Here it is: America is unequivocally the greatest superpower in the world, and has been for some time now. Nevertheless, Americans are always drawn to root for the underdog. How else do you explain the legion of supporters that the Cubs have managed to gather for themselves over their past century of losing? This is America. We like to confront third world dictators with shock and awe campaigns, while still fancying ourselves to be the scrappy little band of ruffians who somehow managed to upend the British Empire in 1781. Is the guy from Azerbaijan who never even saw a swimming pool until he was 16 really on the same level as Michael Phelps? Of course not, but we like to pretend that he is so that we don't have to cheer for him instead. So I guess I have to say "go USA - and go everyone else too."

Two things that are awesome

2008-08-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

1: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It's kind of like Arrested Development without any of the redeeming/innocent characters. I'm trying to get all caught up by the season 4 debut on 9/18. I have to say that I like my chances.

2: Hulu, through which I've been watching a whole mess of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There's a lot of other stuff in there as well, some old and some new, and all of it absolutely free. Sweet. Check it out ... right here (thanks, Darcy, for helping me embed my first video):

Triple book review

2008-07-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

When I read for fun I don’t usually read in the conventional way. By which I mean that I don’t start a book, read it, finish it, and start a new book. I usually have 3-6 books in a rotation that I am actively reading, devoting time to each according to the level of interest that it sparks in me at any given time. By coincidence I’ve finished three books within the last week or so and thought I’d share some thoughts on them. They are: 1) The Human Stain by Philip Roth, 2) Making All Things New by Henri Nouwen, and 3) Jesus by Marcus Borg. I enjoyed each of them a great deal, and for very different reasons.

The Human Stain is the first book by Philip Roth I’ve read, and it's one of the better novels I've stumbled upon in recent years. When Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller died I realized that I needed to find some American authors I could get into who still have a book or two left in them, so I started reading Cormac McCarthy and now I’ve given Philip Roth a shot as well. The first thing I noticed about the book is that certain portions feel a little dated since he extensively references the then-current Clinton-Lewinsky scandal (the book was published in 2000). Once the narrative kicks in, however, I found it rich and compelling. His ability to transition between his vivid characters and his skilled use of irony and symbolism have me interested in more. I think I’ll try American Pastoral (apparently his magnum opus) and The Plot Against America, a more recent offering, next.

An aside: Roth's extended discussions of Clinton’s moral failings did make me realize that the America of my youth was, in fact, a more innocent America. Oh, for the days when a philandering president was front page news for weeks and months on end. Now we take for granted that we have Senators who solicit anonymous homosexual sex in public restrooms, Governors who frequent call girls, and Congressmen who try to lure highschool-aged aides into sexual relationships. It’s almost like we’re becoming England or something. It also made me long for the days when we had a president whose greatest fault was a predilection toward infidelity. Sigh. But enough of that.

I’ll be the first to admit that Henri Nouwen doesn’t do for me what he apparently does for some people. I typically find him to be worthwhile, affirming, and insightful, but I don’t think I’ve ever found him utterly profound and life-altering. That being said, Making All Things New is the fourth book I’ve read by him, and it’s probably my favorite. It’s a remarkably small book, but it’s not minor in scope or ambition. He attempts to demonstrate the importance of spirituality to the modern world and describes ways to develop one’s spiritual side in that context. The first chapter is the best description of the “modern condition” by a Christian author that I’ve ever found. I appreciated the second chapter a little less. It was a relatively minor point, but in the introduction Nouwen implies that the Kingdom of God should best be interpreted spiritually – which is not a bad tactic if one happens to find oneself writing on spirituality. The only problem is that the overspiritualization of Jesus’ teachings is the single greatest heresy of the American Evangelical movement. If you ask me. Unfortunately no one ever does. The third chapter rebounded nicely, though. And then the book was over. I think a committed and undistracted reader (not usually the way I choose to do things) could crank it out in about an hour.

Finally, Jesus (by Marcus Borg) distills a career’s worth of Jesus knowledge into about 300 pages. The book started a little slowly with Borg laying a few chapters of groundwork that I've heard from him elsewhere (mainly in his half of Two Visions of Jesus) but the second half of the book was compelling and insightful. His book doesn't quite have the ambition of God and Empire by John Dominic Crossan, but ultimately he succeeds admirably in summarizing his position in the historical Jesus debate and then goes on to advocate a bit for the emergent church movement. I find his perspective to be rather persuasive (while maintiaining a few doubts about some secondary points) and quite helpful in thinking about the Bible and how to apply it to our contemporary context. In short, his book helped me to appreciate Jesus a little more.

U-S-A

2008-07-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually one to passively sit back on my figurative haunches and post links, but I just feel like people need to see this.

Leave it to Slate to compile the major players in all the Bush-era scandals and display them in a handy user-friendly chart. They've got everything in there, from the destroyed CIA interrogation tapes, to the Department of Justice firings, to the coercive interrogation techniques of extra-legally detained suspects, to the extra-legally wiretapped domestic telecommunications. So many scandals, and so many people involved in so many of them...

baseball thoughts

2008-07-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

Just saw the best pitching performance of my live baseball watching career. Hiroki Kuroda (very likely available in a fantasy league near you) unleashed an absolute gem against the Braves - check this out: 9 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 6 K's. He took a perfect game into the 8th inning, but, alas, I had to settle for a complete game shutout instead. Dodgers victory, 3-0.

Another plus: gametime was 2:03 so I made it home by 10:00. Darcy was happy about that.

Mixed emotions about the big CC trade (big both literally and figuratively). I've followed him since the Indians drafted him out of high school at age 17 so I kind of feel like I watched him grow up. And out (ok, no more fat jokes, but take a good look at him - seriously, do it). So it's sad to see him traded to Milwaukee. On the other hand, it's not like the Indians are doing anything this season (37-51 and 14 games behind the Sox before the break) so we might as well move him before he becomes a free agent and we get nothing. Sounds like we got some decent prospects, but I'm not going to pretend that I've heard of any of them before today. I guess there's always next year. Such is life for the fans of small market teams.

Greg Boyd on Mennonites

2008-07-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm a few days late here, but check out Greg Boyd's message to Mennonites here.

He's a thoughtful, well-spoken, interesting guy. Some thoughts of my own:

1) If, as Greg suggests, the Anabaptists (and particularly we Mennonites) get so very many things right in faith and practice, why doesn't he join us? That would certainly make a splash since we're a fairly small pool as denominations go.

2) Favorite line: Greg on Anabaptism, "It's the only [Christian] tradition that isn't soaked in blood and the only tradition that looks remotely like Jesus." Well said.

3) If I ever find myself living in Minneapolis or St Paul I'll be very tempted to join Greg's church. And this despite my personal distaste for both mega-churches and nondenominationalism.

Now for something completely different...

2008-06-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

All right; enough with the manufactured media controversy (it's been a slow news week - unless, of course, you have the mental fortitude and steely determination required to look beyond the circus sideshow that passes for presidential campaign coverage in this country: N. Korean nukes, major Supreme Court rulings, unrest in Zimbabwe ... no I want to hear more about Michelle Obama on The View) and the rating-boost ploys of an evangelical "leader" with swiftly fading prominence (his people did, after all, announce to CNN what he would say on his program before it ever aired - you'd think if it was actually newsworthy he would have gone on and said it and let the networks cover it, right?). Seriously folks, if the average age of a Limbaugh listener is a vibrant 65, the average Dobson listener must be, like, an energetic 96.

It's time for a post about softball injuries. Check this one out:

I guess you can call me Schilling, since this came in toward the end of a heroic pitching effort last night. I mean, check out my bloody sock and then check out his bloody sock. Yeah. I've notified Cooperstown that they can have it for a display if they want it. Still waiting to hear back. I just hope they let me know before laundry day. My line in the glorious (15-6) victory: 7 IP, 5 ER, 6 BB, 1K. My ERA currently stands at a league leading 5.00. I helped my own cause a bit with an RBI double and a couple of runs scored. Quick shoutouts to Andrew who helped us out in a pinch and played solid D in the outfield and Darcy and Heather who cheered us on to victory. Nice work, everyone.

On second thought, nobody call me Schilling. Seriously.

oh, dear

2008-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

"I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology ... dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."
-James Dobson, responding to, and frankly mischaracterizing, an address delivered by Barack Obama at a Christian conference on 6/28/2006.

Well played, Dobson, well played. Not only are you two years late, but you feel free to criticize on a matter (biblical interpretation) far outside your area of "expertise" (which is - allegedly - child and adolescent psychology).

Hmm ... distorting the bible to support one's pre-existing worldview ... that sounds awfully familiar ... wait ...

...
...
...

that's not something that American Empire-worshiping, neglect-the-poor, homophobic, closed-minded, science-denying, militant, xenophobic, corporate tax-cutting, race-baiting, hypocritical, patriarchal, anti-environmentalist, protect-the-fetuses-but-ignore-the-children, free-market-glorifying, go-ahead-and-disregard-the-words-of-Jesus-if-you-find-them-inconvenient, vindictive, rapture-obsessed, self-righteous, conservative evangelical christians would do, is it? I sure hope not. Because that wouldn't help to prove Dobson's point very much.

10 Random Things I'm Loving Right Now

2008-06-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

In no particular order:

-The Celtics are up on the Lakers 2-0. Take that, fickle LA fans. I can't wait for Kobe to demand to be traded in the offseason again, sending up another big unequivocal "screw-you" to a city and franchise that have coddled him for his entire career. Jackass.
-Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Better than one would think. Much better.
-Gevalia Mocca Java whole bean coffee. So good: strong but not overpowering and low acidity.
-We're getting new phones this week (the Samsung Blast).
-It's almost the end of the quarter for Darcy - one paper to go, so keep up the good work! (When she's less stressed life is better for both of us.)
-FireJoeMorgan.com, for insightful sports commentary and so much more.
-After a Bataan Deathmarch of a primary season, the Democrats finally have a nominee. And it's Obama.
-We got our new passports today. Can't wait for September (week in Cabo = Woo!).
-My beloved Indians are coming to town for a weekend series June 20-22. It will be the second series they've ever played against the Dodgers and I've got tickets for all three games. This way either my favorite team or my adopted team is guaranteed to win each game.
-I just discovered Shiner Bohemian Black Lager at Ralph's.

Life is good.

The Good Old Days

2008-06-05T14:29:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Andrew yesterday for reminding me of an anniversary that otherwise would have slipped by me.

June 4, 1974: The Ten Cent Beer Night Riot at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. For those of you who aren't baseball fans reared in Northeast Ohio, here's how it went down: Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians. Cleveland was suffering through the latest in a long series of mediocre seasons and needed something to draw fans to the park, having been averaging a mere 8,000 per game up to that point. Some bright mind proposed a 10 cent beer promotion and 25,000 fans heeded the call, consuming an estimated 60,000 beers. One thing led to another (there was some bad blood between the two teams stemming from a slight brawl a week earlier) and things started to get rowdy. Then they got out of control. Then that guy in the picture and bunch of guys just like him got down on the field and bled all over the umpires and they had to call the game (it was tied 5-5 in the 9th, but for some reason they awarded Cleveland the loss - go figure).

I wouldn't even be born for another 7 years, but I heard stories. Oh, how I heard stories. Makes me proud to be an American, and even more proud to be a Midwesterner.

These kids nowadays

2008-05-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

I was busy figuring out the area of office, lobby, and hallway space for Fuller's Office of Development and Alumni/ae and Church Relations this morning based on 1/96 scale plans (1 inch = 8 ft) for the purpose of estimating the expense of carpet replacement - which, incidentally, made me feel bad for all the horrible things I used to say about high school geometry, but that's something for another post - when I started thinking about Nine Inch Nails.

"Odd," one might think, and one would not be far from the truth. At any given moment in my mind multiple thoughts are engaged in an all-out, free-for-all, no-holds-barred struggle, battling and wrestling for the dominance necessary to earn the right to rise to the top and gain admittance into the realm of my consciousness. So anyway, I was thinking about NIN which just released an album on the new Radiohead model: independent from any label, internet exclusive, and free. And that got me thinking about heavier music and I realized it kind of sucks now.

When I was in high school and one wanted to rebel against authority of various kinds there was a whole slew of musical options: Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Pantera, The Deftones, even Metallica was coming out with new stuff, and that's not even counting all the imitators out there (I'm looking at you, Nickelback). Now those bands are broken up, on hiatus, or repackaging stale retreads of their once revolutionary sound to cash in one last time before obscurity descends and envelops them in a dark suffocating blanket of mediocrity. Even the once unassailable punk band has been co-opted by the man and transformed into some faux pop-punk crap.

What do the kids do these days when they need some good old fashioned angry music? I suppose they could turn to rap to piss of the parents, but even that genre has been tired and predictable for the better part of a decade. If anyone out there has a finger on the pulse of America's youth please clue me in so I don't feel quite so old and out of touch. Thanks a bunch.

It's officially summer

2008-05-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

So Los Pistoleros (my new team - translation anyone?) had its first softball game last night down at the Rose Bowl fields. We lost (25 to 18) but we had fun and displayed good sportsmanship and that's what's really important, right? Right? Ok, I'll level with you: losing sucks, but it was our first game together and I'm optimistic about our future. On a personal note I was a little disappointed with myself at the plate (I scored a couple of runs, but I popped out to short with runners at 2nd and 3rd on a pitch I should have taken down the line to prolong a small rally), but my defense at SS was solid, which usually takes a couple of games to come around - at least for me. I'm looking forward to a good season.

Go Blue...

2008-05-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

So we (Andrew, Justin, Matt and I) caught the Dodgers-Mets game on Monday night. All in all a very enjoyable experience - Dodgers won 5-1 starting with a lead off home run from Furcal. Blake DeWitt hit his first career home run (good for him), and then one of my favorite kids, Matt Kemp got in on the HR action too (that's Home Run, not Human Resources). And young Billingsley turned in a quality start for his second W of the year.

However, despite the baseball-related fun going on all around us, the topic of conversation kept returning to the Dodgers' inexplicable new practice of putting close-up pictures of players' eyes on screens mounted on the outfield fences. Here, check it out:

Tell me that's not more than a little creepy. That's Moises Alou in the foreground, who just got back following hernia surgery in the off-season. What if he were to get the odd sensation that someone was watching him from behind and turns around? He gets the sweet bejezus scared out of him and probably re-aggrevates his hernia, that's what.

Come to think of it, that may actually be what the Dodgers have in mind. A little psychological leverage for the home team - an attempt to get into the opponents' heads, if you will.

Let me tell you, the Dodgers are definitely inside my head right now. I've had nightmares the last two nights where angry giants are watching me try to do my job. Occasionally I'll wake up screaming "No! Don't hurt me, I'm so tiny!" It's really had a negative impact on the quality of my rest, leaving me somewhere in the borderlands between paranoid and delirious. I'm a little afraid that my own personal train to Insanityville just left Psychosis Station with scheduled stops in Delusionburg and Overextended-Metaphor-Junction. If I happen to go on a rampage of some sort and have to be taken out, I would like my widow to sue the Dodgers for sending me over the edge and use the money acquired to buy the naming rights to Dodger Stadium and rename it Adam Miller Is Awesome Park. Then I will have my revenge, even in death.

Aging

2008-04-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while something happens to remind me that I'm not as young as I used to be. It might be a conversation with some young whippersnapper who has never heard of The A-Team.

Or it might be meeting someone who thinks Green Day was the first punk band.

Today, however, it's the fact that after playing basketball yesterday (for the first time in a long time) I can barely lift my right arm above my head. My trapezius feels like it has a flaming golf ball embedded in it. My feet hurt, too.

That's right about where it hurts - only on the opposite side. This sucks.

Hotel Cafe

2008-04-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Andrew, Eric and I had a memorable night.

We decided to go to the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood to catch Tom Morello, utterly oblivious to the fact that KROQ 106.7 FM had been talking about the show to all of LA county all day long. And the venue holds about 250-300 bodies max. We arrived a few minutes before 8:00 (the alleged time that the doors were to open) and found a line that stretched most of the way around the block. Long story short: we were about 10-20 spots away from getting in. We spent 4 hours in an alley in Hollywood, which was way more fun than it sounds like because Tom's a cool guy and he came out three times to play a song for us and I got to shake his hand the last time (!!!).

And he also made a bunch of his friends come out to entertain us too so we got to hear "Take My Picture" from Rick Patrick (singer for Filter) and then Mike Einziger (lead guitarist for Incubus) came out and played a couple of times with different folks.

I think the highlight of the night was Ben Harper's alley mini-set of two songs with his Innocent Criminals on percussion. It was pretty sweet. Especially when he played "Burn One Down" and roughly 75% of my fellow alleyfolk burnt one down. At least that's what it smelled like out there. A little later I got to shake his hand after getting a picture of Andrew with him. Playing it cool, I said "Thanks for doing what you do," and he said "Thanks for listening." Luckily I was able to maintain control of my bodily functions since I was still stuck in the alley with no access to basic sanitation equipment, but I was pretty excited. He was really cool - he stayed around for about a half hour signing autographs and talking to his fans.

So anyway, I got some great pics with my phone but can't figure out how to email them to myself. I think I need a 12-year-old to show me how.

UPDATE:

Thanks to Andrew for scouring youtube to find some footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwvAtlKI66o

We're visible for about the first 20-30 seconds.

Reflections on computerlessness

2008-04-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

Update:

I've officially been mathematically eliminated from contention in our pool. Darcy can still win, though. Go Kansas and UCLA!

Well, our computer is in the shop (needs a new motherboard, apparently; and God bless Dell's warranty program whereby one can extend a warranty that has been lapsed for an entire year...) so I write from the Fuller library 4th floor computer lab.

In this age of information it's pretty crippling to not have round-the-clock access to the internet. I'm used to being able to check scores, read movie reviews, and search wikipedia for information on the life and works of Goethe on a whim in the middle of the night. Now I'm forced to go to the internet rather than having the internet come to me. I feel like I've been transported back to 1996 (but with slightly less acne). And in case anyone has forgotten, 1996 sucked. Nicholas Cage had just won an Oscar. Nicholas Cage! I swear by the Beard of Zeus, if Nick Cage ever wins another Oscar I don't want to be alive to see it. The music scene was only a little less depressing - Hootie and the Blowfish and Mariah Carey were powerful forces to be reckoned with. The only saving grace was that we were all collectively and joyfully oblivious to the perfect storm just over the horizon that would become the pop tart/boy band craze in a few years. That and Coolio had just released "Gangsta's Paradise." Yep, that "Gangsta's Paradise."

Godspeed, Dell service technicians - I can't take 1996 much longer.

My Final Four

2008-03-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've last blogged. You see, due to my unequivocal commitment to putting out a quality product, I refuse to blog unless I have something profound and moving to say out of respect for my readers (both of you - even though I know I just lost Robin by posting a sports-related blog).

Well, I'm still very much alive in my March madness pool. I'm feeling confident because we're headed into the Sweet 16 and my Final Four are are still intact. I thought I'd give a quick run down before one of them is eliminated tomorrow.

North Carolina (not surprisingly). I'm feeling pretty good about this pick since I don't think anyone's been within 20 points of them in the second half so far ... the road's about to get a lot tougher in the days ahead. Looking forward to a potential Tennessee-UNC matchup in the next round.

I have a well-documented Big 10 bias. That's the only way I can justify picking Wisconsin to upset Kansas next round. On the plus side, I think I'm the only one on the pool to pick them to make it as far as the Sweet 16, so every win from here on out is gravy. Seriously folks; WI has had one of the elite NCAA programs in the last five years. Where's the love?

Go, Cardinal! My other blackhorse Final Four pick, Stanford, is dependent on their inside game, anchored by the Lopez twins. Who both, incidentally, have girls names (Brook and Robin). Nothing spells tournament success like a duo of androgynous centers banging the boards. In other news, I'm probably going to lose...

Yes - I picked a Final Four matchup between Stanford and UCLA. And I have UCLA beating them for a fourth time this season. In other news, I'm a sadistic jerk. UCLA over UNC in the final - 76-72.

10 books that have changed my life

2008-03-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've been reading quite a bit lately, which has caused me to contemplate the transformative power of the written word even more than I usually do. Which has made me think about which particular books have been most influential in the development of my worldview. Which made me decide to post a blog on the subject. Here they are in no particular order:

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Simply the best novel I've ever read. Profound and moving on many levels.

An American Requiem by James Carroll. James and I aren't all that different. Except that I didn't become a young and idealistic Catholic priest active in the peace movement in the 60's. And I'm not Irish. And I don't write columns for the Boston Globe. On second thought, strike that: James and I aren't very similar.

Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky. Noam Chomsky is smart. More people should listen to him.

1491 by Charles Mann. An apt subtitle might be, "Chances are, anything anyone ever told you about early American history is wrong." That can be a little disorienting for a history major.

Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut. My first introduction to the humanistic, Jesus-loving agnosticism of Vonnegut - a force that continues to be a bit persuasive to me still.

A General Theory of Love, by Lewis, Amini, and Lannon. 3 Psychiatrists get together to write a book about the physiology of emotion. Sounds like the setup of a really lame joke or a really boring book. But it's not the case at all. I didn't think that anything could make me interested in neuropsychology. I was wrong.

Engaging the Powers by Walter Wink. Walter Wink's another guy that people should listen to. I doubt he's as smart as Noam Chomsky, though.

God and Empire by John Dominic Crossan. Engaging and powerful. Highly recommended. Unless you're a closed-minded fundamentalist. You're not a closed-minded fundamentalist, are you?

The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg. This, along with the previous two have done a lot to shape my faith into its present form.

Love's Executioner by Irvin Yalom. This made me start wondering if I, too, could do that psychology thing. Let's hope that I can.

Honorable mentions go to Night by Elie Wiesel and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Until next time...

Me And Julio Down By The School Yard

2008-02-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

Well, it sounds like Julio Franco is finally going to be retiring - too bad it's against his will. Nobody seems to be very interested in a first baseman who will be 50 at the end of the season (DOB 8/23/1958).

Franco had his MLB debut on April 23, 1982 for the Phillies. At the time I was 4 months and 9 days old.

His (presumably) last at bat was on September 17, 2007. 25 years 4 months and 25 days elapsed in between. That's just stunning. He's been playing ball with people who are significantly younger than his career. I can picture him at his 30 year high school reunion. All of his classmates are showing pictures of grandchildren taking first steps, talking about recent vacations and so forth, while he reeks of pine tar, is preoccupied with an impending 14 game west coast road trip starting next week and won't shut up about situational lefties. Stupid, stupid situational lefties.

What are some possible explanations for this behavior? I would like to advance two theories: 1) He owes some bookie somewhere a lot of money. 2) He's waiting for social security to kick in. (Too bad he's Dominican. Don't say anything to him, though.)

Feel free to contribute your own hypothesis.

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

One of the homeless guys that hangs out in front of the now defunct Amy's (fast food with a flair) just asked if I would be his Valentine. I told him I would. He got very excited. I kept right on walking. I might have even quickened my pace a bit.

Just in case anyone was wondering what was going on in my life at the moment.

Blessings.

Oscar Picks

2008-01-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Since it's the season to be talking movies, here are my Oscar picks. Please note that while I enjoy films quite a bit I have not seen several of the major movies of 2007 since I have other hobbies as well.

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There (It really was quite a remarkable performance.)
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men (Creepy. And evil.)
Lead Actress: Ellen Page, Juno (This is actually the only one of the Best-Actress-Nominated films I've seen. Am I a closet misogynist? Do I secretly despise Edith Piaf? The world may never know.)
Lead Actor: Clooney was very good in Michael Clayton, but I've got to give the edge to Viggo Mortensen and his tattoos in Eastern Promises (This is where my disclaimer comes in; see, I haven't seen Daniel Day-Lewis and his ridiculously hyped performance in There Will Be Blood. Nor have I seen Johnny Depp sing as Sweeney Todd. Cut me some stinkin' slack already.)
Picture and Director go to No Country For Old Men and the Coens. They're good.
Random gripe: I already admitted to not having seen There Will Be Blood, but by all accounts Johnny Greenwood got screwed. Seriously, Ratatouille was nominated for best score at the expense of my boy Greenwood? What gives? I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Ratatouille sucked. The human main character was annoying. The rat was a little better but occasionally boring. All in all it was a very underwhelming viewing experience for me after I went into it with high hopes predicated on an insane amount of positive reviews. And then it goes and disrespects Johnny Greenwood like that. Ratatouille and I are about to have it out.

Music in 2007

2008-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

How about a (somewhat belated) top ten albums of 2007 list? I thought so.

Honorable Mention: Neon Bible, The Arcade. Enjoyable, but I found it to be a little over-hyped. Like when people said the AF is the best band ever (presumably with a straight face) after their second album. Favorite tracks: Windowsill, Intervention, Antichrist Television Blues.

10) The Reminder, Feist. Bought it for Darcy, but enjoyed it for myself. Favorite tracks: Brandy Alexander, 1234 (the ipod song).

9) The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, Josh Ritter. Not as good as the Animal Years. Still quite good. Favorite tracks: The Temptation of Adam, Right Moves, Rumors.

8) Icky Thump, The White Stripes. I docked them a couple of spots for canceling their fall tour on me. We put our refund toward tickets to see the Decemberists in November. They canceled their tour too. Still a little bitter about that sequence of events. Favorite tracks: You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told), Effect and Cause, Icky Thump.

7) Snow Angels, Over the Rhine. This is a Christmas album I haven't stopped listening to yet. It's the end of January. And I hate Christmas music. Favorite tracks: New Redemption Song, All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue.

6) Instant Karma, Various Artists. Great songs redone (with varying degrees of aptitude) by some big names. All to support Amnesty International (full disclosure: I am a member and supporter of this awesome organization. additional disclosure: I have their sticker on my car). Favorite tracks: (Green Day's) Working Class Hero, (Jack Johnson's) Imagine.

5) Wincing the Night Away, The Shins. Solid album, listenable from start to finish. First Shins disc I've purchased. Favorite tracks: Turn on Me, Phantom Limb.

4) Cassadaga, Bright Eyes. Some truly amazing songs, a little long overall though. A song or two could have been cut and released as a B-side and it wouldn't have hurt the album. Favorite tracks: Soul Singer in a Session Band, If the Brakeman Turns My Way, Classic Cars.

3) Boxer, The National. The ranking may be a little inflated since this is the last album I've purchased and it's what I'm listening to right now, but I'm liking it a lot. Not a bad song on here. Favorite tracks: Fake Empire, Start a War, Mistaken for Strangers.

2) The Shepherd's Dog, Iron and Wine. To quote Andrew again: "He's a metaphorical genius but I can't understand what he's talking about." True. Luckily if you get tired of thinking about his lyrics you can sit back and enjoy his beautiful melodies. Favorite tracks: Boy With a Coin, Flightless Bird American Mouth, House by the Sea, Resurrection Fern.

1) In Rainbows, Radiohead. To paraphrase Rolling Stone's review: This album serves as a reminder that every other band owes us a collective apology for the crap they keep shoveling in our direction. It's awesome. And you've missed your chance to get it for free. Favorite tracks: Videotape, Faust Arp, Weird Fishes, House of Cards.

Who's ready for baseball?

2008-01-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

It may only be January, but I just ordered my Dodgers mini-plan (12 games, $48 + processing fee). I'm also pretty excited that for the second time ever the Indians are playing a series against the Dodgers. In LA. Over a weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun). June 20, 21, 22. Naturally I'm going to pick up all three games. Anyone care to join us on any of those days? Darcy's already announced her intentions to cheer for the Dodgers - which threatens to tear me apart inside every time I hear it. I mean, as much as I love the Dodgers they'll always just be the next best thing to the Indians for me. Darcy doesn't have the 26 years invested in the team that I do. She just knows she's seen more Dodgers games than Indians games - a cumulative effect of the cheaper tickets and the shorter stadium commute time (15 minutes vs. an hour from Akron or about 2 from Mt. Vernon). I'm interested to see what she'll do when we move somewhere else and start seeing games at another new stadium.

In other baseball news, I floated a proposal around the office this week for a Building Services departmental Dodgers game and got 3 affirmative responses and 3 of what I would call enthusiastic affirmative responses. Fun times! My tactic for sealing the deal was to propose an April date when they play the Pirates (the boss is from Pittsburgh and has been following the Pirates since before they were terrible, i.e. before Barry Bonds left). I like having good ideas.

It sure has been a while

2008-01-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Wow. Sorry to all of my loyal readers out there, and to you disloyal readers as well.

At Darcy's urging, here's the soundtrack to my life:

Opening credits: Hate to Say I Told You So, The Hives (Seems oddly appropriate here, doesn’t it?)

Waking up: The Upper Peninsula, Sufjan (Wake up; here’s a song to make you want to stay in bed.)

First day of school: Mistaken for Strangers, The National (School can be an alienating experience … unless you get to eat lunch with the popular kids, then it’s the best thing ever.)

Falling in love: Conquest, The White Stripes (Never really thought of myself as the guy from this song before.)

Fight song: Faust Arp, Radiohead (Kind of pretty for a fight song; quite short too … maybe this says a little something about my angst. Or maybe falling in love was only a partial conquest, like the Israelites in Canaan.)

Breaking up: Time for Heroes, The Libertines (Be strong, self. And don’t become a junkie like Pete Doherty.)

Prom: Mary don’t you weep, Mike Farris (You don’t hear many old old gospel songs at prom and it’s a shame if you ask me … now if only I stood up a girl named Mary at my prom, but alas – was not to be.)

Life: The Celibate Life, The Shins (Well that’s just sad; it does provide some insight into my impending mental breakdown though…)

Mental breakdown – Such Great Heights, The Postal Service (Apparently I’m actively psychotic with hallucinations and delusions of grandeur. All because of that celibacy. Thanks a lot, celibacy.)

Driving – Garden, Pearl Jam (This song reminds me of driving … in about 1997. I must have just gotten my license.)

Flashback – Natural Blues, Moby (Looks like it’s a flashback to something sad.)

Wedding – Narc, Interpol (“Don’t give up your lover tonight 'cause it’s just you, me and this wire ...” let’s hope not.)

Birth of child – The Hospital Song, Ben Folds Five (Seems appropriate enough.)

Final battle – Forever for Her (Is Over for Me), White Stripes (This is a pretty good song for ending something.)

Death – Reckoner, Radiohead (Second In Rainbows song so far in case anyone’s counting.)

Funeral – Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Moby (Maybe because it’s not beating anymore and you’re dead? Just a guess.)

Closing credits – Mrs. Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel (Whoman and Whatfunkel??? Sorry, that’s my little joke. Mine wouldn’t be the first movie to close with this song. It certainly wouldn’t be the best either.)

I knew it.

2007-12-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Quote from me to Andrew King approximately a month ago:

"Someone's going to seriously overpay for Andruw Jones this off season, and I just hope that it's not the Dodgers."

If Darth Vader and Benito Mussolini had a baby that was raised by Satan himself, the result would be just like Scott Boras. I hate you, Scott Boras.

If the end result of this is trading away Matt Kemp (seems likely) I may just give up altogether.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3143653

The Real Despair of Adam Miller

2007-11-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

Update: All went well on Thanksgiving. Good food, good times.

So I watched "The Real Housewives of Orange County" last night on Bravo for the first (and hopefully last) time. I don't even know where to begin. I fought a brief bout with nausea during the opening credits when they all took turns saying what money meant to them. Let's just say that I'll be a happy man if I ever have a family that loves me as much as these women love their money. Highlights of the hour included: a mother forcing her obviously uncomfortable 18 year old daughter to take her top off at a photo shoot for her first modeling job, a 21 year old son going clubbing with his mother and her exceptionally lame (but rich) boyfriend and everyone trying to act like it wasn't super awkward and more than a little creepy, and the whole group getting obnoxiously drunk at lunch. Darcy and I had a conversation afterwards about whether or not the wives realized they were the punchline of an unfunny joke. We settled on "No."

Why don't we just call this whole series what it actually is: "Al Qaeda Recruitment Footage?" Seriously, who can watch this show and honestly wonder why the terrorists hate us? When I watch this show I hate us for all that we are and all that we stand for to the rest of the world. Then I hate myself for watching it. There's plenty of hate to go around when this show is on.

One positive effect of the whole experience was to reemphasize my commitment to keep cable TV out of my home, at least for the immediate future. And all it took was a single hour of reality television. Well done, Bravo network. Well done.

Wish me luck

2007-11-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I am very much looking forward to Thanksgiving with Adam, Mary, Lauren, Andrew and Robin. And Darcy too. Darcy's cool. We don't want to forget her. I will be missing Ben. Drinking beer and watching football all day won't be the same without him. And without being at his house and getting to watch his cat attack Andrew's face.

A few days ago I somewhat rashly (and quite possibly foolishly) declared that I would prepare a couple of dishes to bring. I was a little upset when I realized that Darcy had volunteered to bring only things that she makes, specifically pies and appetizers. See, I enjoy cooking. I'm also better at it than Darcy. She bakes, I cook. That's the way it generally goes in our house. I especially enjoy cooking for friends, so Thanksgiving is right up my alley and I was a little irritated at being left out of the preparation plans. "What about cranberry sauce???" I asked furiously. "And cornbread! People need cornbread! It's Thanksgiving, for the love of Myles Standish!" I didn't really say that last part, but it would have been funny if I had. Go ahead, look up Myles Standish on Wikipedia. I'll wait.

Long story short, in a fit of passion I exclaimed that I would make cranberry sauce and cornbread for Thanksgiving dinner despite the fact that I've never actually made either one. Or personally seen the process of making either. Not to be deterred, I looked up some recipes online and, much to my relief, discovered that cranberry sauce is quite easy. We also found an awesome looking recipe for southwest style cornbread. Should be spicy.

Hopefully all goes well.

I'm it.

2007-11-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Looks like I've been tagged and have to share 6 things about myself. Thanks, Robin. Here it goes...

1) Since my freshman year of college my favorite band has been Radiohead. My second favorite band is a constant revolving door and has included The Smashing Pumpkins, The White Stripes, Bright Eyes, The Shins, The Decemberists and Wilco at various points during the last seven years.

2) I recently renounced my lifelong Nazarenity in favor of the Mennonite church. It's kind of a big deal. See, I attended Greentown Church of the Nazarene for my entire life. My parents (and Darcy and I) were married there, and my maternal grandfather physically helped to build the church. He did the roof and some bricklaying. I also attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University where my dad was a member of the first graduating class. I repeat: It's kind of a big deal. Darcy has a similar story. We also doubt that we're lifelong Mennonites since we don't think we share much with the Mennonites we've known from the Midwest. We're more "California Mennonites." We're leaning toward United Methodist or Episcopal in the long term.

3) My favorite writer is Kurt Vonnegut. I picked up Cat's Cradle from the public library one morning when I was bored the summer before my sophomore year of college. I began reading in the early afternoon. I paused for about 20 minutes to eat dinner. I'm sure I went to the bathroom at some point. I finished it around 8:00pm. A few days later I returned it and checked out Slaughterhouse-Five. I have read every novel and (I think) every short story he's written. I've also read his non-fiction books and, as far as I know, all of his articles for various publications. He's not the best author I've ever read (from a literary point of view). He's no Philip Roth or Ralph Ellison or James Joyce. He is, however, highly accessible and he deals with postmodern and existential themes that resound with me personally. In addition to the two books mentioned, I also enjoyed Mother Night, Bluebeard, and Jailbird a great deal.

4) I'm a lifelong fan of Cleveland sports teams. It's a curse, really. The Browns haven't won a championship since 1964. The Indians haven't won since 1948. The closest the Cavaliers have ever come was last spring when they were swept in the finals by the Spurs. Now I'm sad. It's been good for me to adopt the Dodgers as my NL franchise. At least they've won in my lifetime (1988).

5) Despite much desire to do so, I have never traveled abroad, unless one counts several trips to Canada. I'm looking forward to a vacation in Mexico that Darcy and I are planning for next summer. I hope one day to travel throughout western Europe, Australia/New Zealand, S. America, the Caribbean, and Africa. No offense to Asia, it just seems really intimidating to me for some reason. Maybe India.

6) Finally, I'm literally incapable of following the rules of tag. I don't have six friends on blogger without including Darcy, Robin, Lauren/Andrew, Adam, Mary, or Liz. I am unpopular.

Veterans Day ruminations

2007-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

Some things I'm thinking about this Veterans Day:

- The 3,860 American servicemen and women killed in Iraq. And the 28,451 who have been wounded. And for what? Enjoy your Enduring Freedom, Iraq. We forgot to tell you it would be paid for in blood - and more of yours than ours.

- With nearly 2 months to go, 2007 has already claimed more American lives than any other year of the war (857 and counting in 2007 compared to 849 in 2004). But things are improving. Dramatically. Really. You have to step back and squint and look out of the corner of your eye and ignore the chaos and violence and civil war to see it, but really they are.

- Veterans make up 11% of the American population.

- Veterans make up 26% of the American homeless population.

- Iraq vets are already showing up among the homeless.

- The Washington establishment is, regardless of party and political ideology, utterly corrupt and morally bankrupt to bribe poor farm kids to risk their life, health, and sanity to fight wars for the affluent and abandon them once they get home and fail to smoothly reintegrate back into society as a result of what they have seen and done.

Thanks to http://icasualties.org/oif/ and Juan Cole for stats.

In Rainbows

2007-11-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been pretty obsessed with Radiohead's new song Videotape. If you happen to have seen me at any given moment over the past two weeks, there's a strong chance that I was thinking about the song right then. It's quite beautiful in a very Radiohead sort of way, which is to say unspeakably melancholy. I'll admit that I was predisposed to like the new release after my favorite band gave a big "screw you" to the recording industry (whom I despise) and released an album for whatever one feels like paying (which I appreciate). But I still wasn't prepared for the sublime experience of listening to track 10 for the first time. I also wasn't prepared for the backlash from Darcy for the increased ipod use. She likes conversation. With me.

I'm going to attempt to explain my affinity for the song, fully aware that I will very likely end up babbling like an idiot for a dozen lines before any vestige of apparent sanity that I once had will disappear and I'll be left muttering "... you just have to listen to it ... you just have to listen to it ..." while rocking back and forth like Dustin Hoffman in his Oscar winning performance as Raymond Babbitt. Nevertheless, let's start with the title. In 2007 is there a more antiquated notion than videotape? You might as well name your song "Harpsichord Playing on a Victrola." That didn't stop Thom. Then there's the sad love song aspect, which I adore. The world does not need another song about loving your boyfriend almost as much as puppies and cotton candy. The world does need more songs where the narrator inexplicably walks away from the relationship at the end. Lyrically, Thom name drops Mephistopheles. Do you really need to know more about the lyrics than that? I thought not. And then there's the musical aspects: piano, muted bass, and almost negligible percussion. Typical Radiohead use of dissonance to build suspense. Exceedingly simple yet catchy melody. Lack of guitars from the band that made its name with its three-guitar attack on The Bends. No back-up vocals. Unfortunately, that's the extent of my musical knowledge. Oh wait, EveryGoodBirdDoesFly. Now that really is the extent of my musical knowledge ... it's just an all-around good song, though.

At any rate, I get the sense from myself that this obsession is going to run its course over the next few weeks, but please be patient with me until then. Especially you, Darcy.

The psychology of deception

2007-11-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

I always knew that Darcy would eventually use her psychological training against me, and quite frankly I'm surprised it didn't start long ago. But it's started now. Allow me to set the scene:

We're in our apartment and Darcy lies to me. What about is not important, what's important is the events that transpire next. I immediately tell her that she's lying because I can always tell when she's not quite being forthright. Seriously, I can see through her like a 19th century London orphan sees through his gruel. (I've been thinking about Dickens a lot lately.) I'll let you in on the secret to knowing whether or not Darcy is lying to you: if she's lying she laughs. Uncontrollably. Whenever you make eye contact with her. It's really not that hard to tell if she's lying.

So Darcy lies to me and I call her on it. This happens fairly regularly and then it's over. Except that this time it wasn't over. This time she tells me that in Physiological Psychology under the tutelage of the esteemed Warren Brown she just learned about mirror neurons. She explained to me that mirror neurons are why yawning is contagious and why you laugh more if you watch a comedy with a group of people than when you're alone and why babies smile at you if you smile at them. She told me that researchers say mirror neurons are why humans can experience empathy. Then she told me that I was laughing and that her mirror neurons were the reason she couldn't keep a straight face while talking to me. And I believed her. It made so much sense at the time. It only took me a few minutes to realize I'd been had, but by then the damage had been done. I saw brief flashes of a future in which I can never win an argument because Darcy is able to summon an amazing array of information about neurological structures and synthesize vast amounts of research all to prove that I'm wrong about whose turn it is to wash the dishes.

This hellish scenario kept me up late into the night as I weighed my options, but suddenly it dawned on me. I could just wait it out. You see, Darcy hates learning about the physiology of the brain. In a few months she'll have forgotten everything she's learned about mirror neurons and the like, and things will return to normal. I can live with that. Then I fell into a deep and restful sleep.

Ouch

2007-10-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

That one's going to hurt for a while. 59 and counting. You would think I would be used to it by now, having supported Cleveland teams for my entire 26 year existence. Every time is a little different though. It's odd that it was the one thing that no one suspected, namely the front of the starting rotation, that did us in. I heard so many people say that our closer was one of the worst around, the offense wasn't producing like it should, unconventional leadoff hitter (too many strikeouts), our manager wasn't as good, etc. but I didn't hear anyone cast any doubt on our top two pitchers. I'm going to stop talking about this before I launch myself into a full-scale depression / bender.

As for good news, Darcy and I got our pictures taken around town this past saturday and the results were pretty amazing (at least judging by what I've seen so far). We're pretty excited. Check out a few:

http://maryrosenbaumphoto.blogspot.com/

Mary's awesome. Hire her to take pictures of you. You won't regret it.

-adam

A change of pace

2007-10-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've been advised that to continue talking about baseball all the time is to risk alienating my non-baseball following audience (thanks for keeping me grounded, Robin). It's going to be difficult with the Good Guys taking a 3-1 lead last night and CC on the mound again tomorrow, but since I've always been one to give the people what they want: here it goes...

I've promised Darcy that I would take her to see The Darjeeling Limited this weekend (she has a bit of a crush on Jason Schwartzman, I have a bit of a crush on Wes Anderson, let's just hope that neither one develops into anything more than that) which got me thinking: What is up with all the high quality motion pictures coming out right now? There are no less than 10 movies out right now that I really wouldn't mind seeing. It's true that it's been a few months since I've been to my local cinema (ah, Simpsons Movie, I've finally beheld your splendor and can die in peace), but that's more of a function of me not wanting to see any of the feces that passes for filmmaking these days than it is of me not being on my game and missing quality films. Andthenallofasudden the theaters are jam-packed full of quality fare. Michael Clayton ... 3:10 to Yuma ... Gone Baby Gone ... Eastern Promises (all right, that one's been out for a little while) ... The Assassination of Jesse James ... Lars and the Real Girl ... and here we are on the cusp of No Country for Old Men and American Gangster, not to mention quality documentaries and independent films. What gives?

I know all about the "Oscar Season" crap that Hollywood pulls out this time of year where the studios shove out their most thought-provoking, suck-up-to-anyone-with-an-IQ-greater-than-a-mushroom movies in hopes that they'll be fresh in the Academy's collective mind for award season. But really. Isn't there a better way to run an industry than catering to junior high boys for four straight months and then suddenly switching to people who care about quality as opposed to explosions, cleavage, and whatever else you can get away with in a PG13 movie nowadays? I'm not even going to make it to the theater to see half of these films because there's just not enough time even though I really want to. (By the way, I'm fully aware that the word "nowadays" makes me sound like an old man on a porch in a rocking chair complaining about whippersnappers and Democrats. There's no need to point this out in my comments.)

The point is, Hollywood sucks. Spread out the good films a little bit, Hollywood, you greedy little jerk. It's really in your best interest.

Disrespect

2007-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we had a movie to return to Blockbuster (Knocked Up, a pretty solid "B" or "B+") and we had to pick up some things from Trader Joe's (California-based grocery chain for hippies - naturally I love it; can't get enough). These two destinations are about a block apart so I parked the car at the TJ lot (My bike was stolen about a year ago so I can't transport myself in a manner consistent with the TJ experience, but we bring our own bags in an attempt to be more responsible. And to fit in.) and walked over to Blockbuster to return the movie while Darcy began shopping.

According to an eye-witness report (Darcy's), while I was walking to Blockbuster Darcy was sorting through TJ's outdoor pumpkin bins in search of that perfect, symmetrical, orange-hued gourd, when she over heard a conversation from near the parking lot. Two gentlemen - one older and one younger - were discussing the ALCS and each team's likelihood of advancing to the World Series. The older gentleman, leaning on his bike, said, loudly: "F--- the Indians. F--- the Indians. I'm so sick of them."

Wow. What on this sweet but gradually warming earth is this man's problem??? He's sick of a team that makes the playoffs once a decade? He's sick of a team from which your average fan could not name five players? I sat dumbstruck as I heard this story recounted to me in vivid detail. I had always known that there were probably Indians haters out there, somewhere, but it had always seemed so abstract and distant. Now that I had (almost) had a brush with one I had to find an explanation. I eventually concluded that he must either be a huge Yankees or Tigers fan, because those are the only two teams that we've screwed over lately (so far), and that's a fresh wound if I've ever heard one, albeit secondhand.

All I can say is it's a good thing I was returning that movie at the time, because if there's anything that could make this pacifist sucker punch an old man with a bike that would be it.

Blessings, even to you Yankees fans out there.

-a

Death of the Empire

2007-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

6-4! Bring on the Red Sox. Too happy to type more now.

The Empire Strikes Back

2007-10-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

It always happens: just when you think you've dealt the Empire a death blow they come right back at you. It's as though the tiny rebel force has been chased throughout the galaxy until they've been forced to take refuge on the ice planet Hoth. And Luke almost dies so he has to be kept underwater in a speedo for a while. That part always unnerved me as a child.

Good sign: Torre is pitching Wang on three days rest for the first time in his career. And we roughed him up pretty badly the first time around. Bad sign: Byrd is taking the mound for the good guys (1-4, 4.82 career ERA against NY). This might just be a shootout of intergalactic proportions. Or at least a baseball game where something like 15 runs are scored.

Now we just need some stunning revelation at the end of this next game. Something that changes everything. Something on the order of ... Joe Torre being Grady Sizemore's father. Just tossing it out there.

-a

That's one for the good guys

2007-10-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

The Empire was dealt quite a blow last night. I feel as though we took out a star destroyer or two. Fausto Carmona (5-0, 1.78 ERA in his last 5 starts) takes the mound tonight against Andy Pettitte (0-2, 7.94 career ERA at Jacobs Field in the playoffs). May the force be with him.

At Bible study last night (currently reading Velvet Elvis by Fuller grad Rob Bell - quite good through the first chapter) I had to field some questions about my hatred for the Yankees. For the record: I hate the Yankees more than the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals. I hate them more than the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. I hate them more than the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Pistons. I hate them more than the University of Michigan's football and basketball programs combined. I hate them more than I hate the San Francisco Giants. I hate them more than I hate Barry Bonds (who I feel has become a scapegoat at the hand of the media for a variety of reasons - i.e. race, general surly demeanor with reporters - but mainly because he happens to be the one who broke the HR record. He is forced to pay the price for a whole era of tainted records simply because he broke the most prestigious one. But I still dislike him. Immensely. Doesn't mean he's not being treated unfairly, though.). I hate the Yankees more than I hate bee stings, bad customer service, and cold toilet seats. I could go on all day. Let me know if you have any more questions on the subject, I'll be more than happy to continue ;o)

-a

My first blog

2007-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. I've been waiting for the right time to unveil my first blog post. Conditions had to be perfect. Something had to be going on that I was passionate about. I had to be well informed about this certain thing. I had to be sitting at a computer with little to do. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's time. The Indians made the playoffs, I've been following baseball even more closely than usual this season, and my boss is on vacation.

In less than four hours CC Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians will take the mound against the New York Yankees. This is more than just the first game of an American League Division Series. This transcends baseball. This represents the forces of good colliding with the forces of evil.

Take a moment and look at the facts. Yankees: 26 World Series titles. Indians: 2 titles. Yankees: 39 AL pennants. Indians: 5 pennants. Yankees: played in each of the past 13 playoffs. Indians: haven't been in the postseason since 2001. Or you can set aside history and just look at the current rosters this year. Yankees 2007 payroll: $195,229,045 (most in MLB). Indians 2007 payroll: $61,673,267 (23rd out of 30 teams). So there's your basic David and Goliath story right there. You have the most successful franchise in the history of North American professional sports playing against a team that hasn't won the World Series since 1948. No one roots against David. Goliath sucks. Calling someone a Philistine is an insult. This is all common knowledge.

It's not just that the Yankees are a successful baseball team and I am jealous of their success and their fans' good fortune. It's that over the past decade they have been single handedly ruining my favorite sport. They are a huge (and evil) media juggernaut that makes billions of dollars in TV contracts and merchandising so they are able to afford the best free agents every season by signing them away from the small market teams drafted and developed their talent. Large market teams have such an advantage over small market teams in today's baseball economy that they're practically playing two different sports. The Royals, Pirates, Devil Rays and Twins just aren't on a level playing field when they're up against the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, and Dodgers.

There are so many ways to frame this fight: Native Americans bravely resisting white American colonialism and genocide. Wealthy East coast elites sipping cosmos and thinking of new ways to exploit the poor Midwestern farmer (Ohio is primarily an agrarian economy, after all). My personal favorite, however, is the Empire vs the Rebels. In this interpretation the empire is governed by a sinister force - the dark lord Steinbrenner. He has a ruthless and powerful second-in-command: Darth Torre. Other than Boba A-rod (the bad guy that doesn't fit in) the rest are all faceless, mindless clones, certain only of their own invincibility. The Rebels, on the other hand, are a spunky lot. Led by Luke (Eric Wedge), they are able to defy the odds and pluck victory from defeat - until this epic showdown, when nothing is guaranteed. Sabathia could be Hans Solo - he comes through when you need him the most. I'm thinking Hafner has to be Chewbacca. Because of the physical similarity. And Borowski's gotta be an ewok: entertaining for a while, but then just annoying. Like when he gives up runs.

I'll keep you posted.

-a