Ahab's Quest

All Right, All Right

2006-08-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Fine. I'll relocate my blog to wordpress. You might as well change your links now to this: www.ahabsquest.wordpress.com. I'll have to do something about the size of those pictures though... Hope it works out. Thanks for sticking with me. I don't know what I'll do about my archives though.

The Aforementioned Picture Post

2006-07-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

To test out Wordpress, I posted a bunch of pictures of our new Townhome. Sure, it took forever and I was smacking my desk and chucking soft things around the room before it was over, but I hope the photos make it worth it for all y'all who can't come see us just yet. Check it out! And don't change your links just yet. Wordpress and I have yet to make friends.

So Far, So Bad

2006-07-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

If Wordpress were a person, I'd punch squi. It took me forever to make my humble picture post about my new place, and I found the photo posting process arduous and clumsy. Additionally, Wordpress froze my pc twice in the process, the second time forcing a hard reset. Not the way to win the customers over, Wordpress. Screw you, for now.

What's so Great about Wordpress?

2006-07-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, people I know have been ditching Blogger like a bad habit that doesn't involve nicotene (one, two). This made me curious, so I signed myself up for a Wordpress blog (check it out here). Here's my question, especially directed to Dan, Nate and Jason: What's so great about Wordpress? Or, even more specific, what's so much better about Wordpress that I should make the switch?

I'm concerned about shifting all of my archives over. Yes, I think it would rock to be able to categorize them, but how do I get them all over there in a timely and easy manner? I was also not a fan of the insert photo function while composing; it asks for a url, but I prefer to upload my pics from hard disc. Any way around that? Also, how did you guys add a tab (I think they call it a page)? I added one, but it didn't show up on the main page.

I must say, I don't think the themes are much better. There's still a limited amount of choices, but they do allow more flexibility, and I like that. I also like the stats widget and the calendar. Ok, fellas: persuade me!

Cellular Phones and Convenience

2006-07-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've had this post percolating for so long that I don't remember all I wanted to write about it, but here we go anyway. I believe the inspiration for this post came from our now infamous July 4 fireworks watching experience (Nate's got a great rant on it) when some punk high schoolers talked on their phones during the explosive show. Grrrrr. Then, Jason posted on some do's and don't's of cell phone use. Cool beans.

But what really irks me most about cell phones is the pervasiveness of their use. On a Seinfeld episode I recently watched, Jerry has a standup schtick about how with car phones, voicemail, answering machines, call waiting etc., "we all have nothing to say, and we have to say it right now!" How even more true in the age of cell phones! Everyone is calling everyone all the time. You can't go anywhere without inadvertantly overhearing someone else's (oftentimes very personal) phone conversation.

Of course, I admit that I want to have it both ways. I love having a cell phone instead of a landline, and we all know that cell phones are much cheaper than any of the big phone companies would be charging us without their existence. They're convenient, perfect for emergencies, great for when one gets lost, travel, and a myriad of other situations. Regular phones just aren't as functional. I have a cell phone, and I probably always will.

But what does it mean that we all want to be able to converse anytime anywhere no matter what? What cost are we paying as a society for this new convenience? No more silence. No more time to think without the possibility of someone calling you (or someone in close proximity to you). No more opportunity to say, "I wasn't there when you called." Sure, you can say, "I was in the other room," or, "I didn't hear it ring," but it's not the same. The person calling doesn't necessarily believe you because it's a cell phone: the go anywhere, have-it-with-you-always phone.

The greater issue is the alarming rise of things that are convenient but not necessarily good. We are a lazy society. Technology is always going to make things easier and more convenient for us--at what point do we stop and say, "That's enough. Some things I like to handle myself." Our society doesn't value work (I know I don't). I agree that technology ought to make things better for our world, but I worry that we confuse more convenient with better. Frequently, they march to the same drum, but they can be different (cf. homemade food, art, literature, euthanasia, abortion).

Clearly, cellular phones are not evil, and I don't intend to give that impression in this post. I just hope as a society we can distinguish between when convenience is good (cheaper phone calls) and evil (bluetooth headsets--I said it!). If anyone has anything to say about this rambling post, feel free to comment, or call me on my cell. I'm sure I'll have it with me.

"Some People Think our State is Square...

2006-07-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

They're wrong, just wait and see.
I walk a mile high,
Colorado's right for me!" --Five Iron Frenzy, "You Probably Shouldn't Move Here"

Thus far, Colorado's right for J and me as well, and we followed the spirit of the above Five Iron Frenzy song and ignored its title.

The wife and I arrived in Colorado on Tuesday, and it's been a busy few days getting our apartment together, dropping off the Uhaul trailer (worked pretty well, although it was slow going on our trip), unpacking, cleaning, calling places, getting lost, etc. Overall, we love it here so far.

The mountains keep getting my attention. We can see them from out our kitchen window and our bedroom window upstairs. Yep, that's right: we've got mountain views at our new place. Frequenly, we'll be driving somewhere, round a bend and wham: the Rockies are everywhere along the horizon. I keep forgetting they're there. Plus, the Rockies have been playing coy with us over the first few days; storms and clouds keep shrouding the peaks, but our glimpses of mountains have been glorious.

The townhouse we live in is a definite step up from our former abode in Mounds View. Technically, it's got fewer square feet, but it has an upstairs (from which I'm typing this), wood floors, fireplace, tiny backyard (we'll take it), shed, three skylights, balcony (of questionable structural integrity), washer and dryer, dishwasher, and a great kitchen. We love it. Pictures are forthcoming; we'll shoot the pics as soon as things are in some semblance of order.

My Mom and Dad helped us out immensely by agreeing to tow all of our worldly possessions behind them across three states and helping us load and unload. Thanks, you guys. Also, many more thank yous to the folks who assisted in our move and any stage: Nate, Dan, E, Karen, Justin, J's mom and dad, my folks, J's brother, and her grandma. Also, thanks to you who have been praying for us; we really appreciate it!

I've plenty more to say about life out here, so look for future posts. I feel a rant coming up about King Soopers...grrr. If you're looking for things to pray about, J has two job interviews Monday, I have yet to start my job, my classes start in September, and we can always use just general prayers. Know that we're praying for you too, dear reader*. Hello, Colorado!

*Unless we don't know you; then, I guess, we pray for you in general from time to time.

Photo: the Rockies from our bedroom window. Seriously.

Pikes Peak (IA) and Effigy Mounds

2006-07-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

J and I went with the Bowens up to the northern part of Iowa this weekend to check out and camp at Pikes Peak State Park and to visit Effigy Mounds National Monument--the only National Monument in the Hawkeye state. Instead of posting a lengthy written piece, here are some pics.The Mississippi River Valley from Pikes Peak State Park: the highest point in Iowa. Yeah, it was foggy and cloudy but beautiful. Later, we came back after it cleared up and saw the millions of stars and the Milky Way. The next morning, we got up early enough to see the rising sun take on the fog in the myriads of valleys and nooks. Breathtaking.

D and E at the high point.

The wife and me. Same place.

Bridal Veil Falls before the rain.

Saturday, we headed north a ways and saw Effigy Mounds National Park. The sun was out and it was hot, but the hike up to these mounds wasn't too bad. Effigy Mounds are burial mounds of dirt built by Native American tribes from 800-1200 a.d. No one knows what tribe(s) did this, but they're pretty neat. In the below picture, the mounds are the unmowed areas--they sort of look like number 3's. The shape is that many bears marching away from the camera. It's hard to take pictures of.

This last photo has D, E, and J standing by a mound of an eagle.

It was a great time! We got back Saturday afternoon, exhausted but pleased with the trip. I'd recommend it to anyone in Iowa looking to get away for a bit. Plus, it's dirt cheap.

Worst Unis Ever

2006-07-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

My boy Paul Lukas is at it again in his Uni Watch column. This time, he breaks down the worst 10 uniforms in sports history. A great read. I would add that I was surprised to see the Hornets old uniforms on there; I don't think the purple and teal is so bad. Sure, it's wussy and girly, but it doesn't look bad. Those jerseys do resemble pajamas, however. I also forgot about how dreadful the light-blue-wave-crashing-into-neon-lights Cavs jerseys were. Ugh.

Desultory Crime and Punishment Review

2006-07-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

I recently finished Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic novel Crime and Punishment, and I really enjoyed it. This is my second Dostoevsky book (The Brothers Karamazov was my first), and having already read Mr. D. was helpful in approaching C&P. There are a few things Dostoevsky does extremely well in his writing: psychology, dialogue, characterization, and relating the events of his books to larger social ideas and philosophies. C&P is an excellent example of each of these talents of its author.

It's difficult to provide a plot summary for the casual reader without giving any significant details away. The book follows Raskolnikov who commits a crime early in the story. After this, he goes into a deep depression, and the reader meets follows him through his mental delirium as he struggles to reconcile what he's done and his life with others, e.g. his sister Dunya and his mother. He takes pity on a poor family and meets Sonya, who's supporting her family via prostitution, and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, he's under suspicion of the police and undergoes frequent questioning. Naturally, everything gets intertwined and makes for good reading.

The big idea Dostoevsky explores in C&P is that of the superman (no, not that Superman), i.e. a person who is above social morals. Raskolnikov strives to be a historical mover, and he models himself after Napolean and his crimes against humanity. Why do people put up with and approve of criminals in government but those who commit crimes on a smaller scale suffer? Raskolnikov believes that "the only thing that matters is to dare," and puts his principle into practice.

Another theme that is everpresent in Dostoevsky is that of suffering. The characters in this novel all suffer, especially from poverty and circumstance. Dostoevsky is a master at portraying suffering without trying to explain it, yet there is hope in his works.

Dostoevsky's talents are on display throughout the novel. The psychological elements consist mostly of what Raskolnikov goes through after his crime, and they are truly captivating to read. The dialogue is excellent and a lot of the book consists of it. Frequenly when one reads dialogue it sounds contrived or fake; Dostoevsky's character speech always sounds real, and this greatly contributes to the construction of his characters, who were also very believable and interesting (though not many are likeable). I've already touched on the main two philosophical elements of the book, both of which are as relevant now as they were then.

I apologize that this review is so scatterbrained. It's really hard to know what to say about C&P because the book is so immense and involves so many characters and plotlines. The only thing it really lacks is a gripping plot. The plot is exciting in parts, but it doesn't move along well; then again, we are talking about Dostoevsky here--Russian literature isn't famous for its rapid pace. It was well worth reading, but it never soared to greatness for me. I give it a 8.9/10 and an A-. I'd read it again.

Your favorite Seinfeld Character, Etc.

2006-07-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Due to the success of my post about Dusty Baker in which I asked you, dear reader, to contribute to the discussion, I will continue the trend with a debate the wife and I have been having recently with the Bowens. The questions are: of the big four Seinfeld characters (Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer), who is your favorite? Who is the worst character on the show? Which character is most necessary, i.e. if you had to remove one of the big four, whom couldn't you get rid of?

Here's my take:
Favorite: Jerry. He's always above the situations the others muddle through, and he has the best one-liners. Sure, he can't act at all, but that adds to the charm of him for me. Jerry's my guy.

Worst: George. Elaine can be annoying and vicious at times (e.g. The Soup Nazi episode), but George is the worst "person" on the show. If I knew George, I wouldn't like him at all and wouldn't want to hang out with him. He's pathetic, arrogant, and cheap.

Most Necessary: Jerry again. The premise of the show is based on his life, and his stand up material and cynical comments are the glue that holds the show together. It wouldn't be nearly as good of a show without the others, however. I'll go out on a limb and argue that Kramer is the most necessary after Jerry. WHAT?!? you exclaim? Elaine and George's sideplots are always funny and awkward, and Jerry's can be too, but if it were just those three, the neroses would be overpowering. It's Kramer's uncanny physical humor, straighforward honesty, and surprising integrity (well, as close to integrity as any character on the show) that make the actions, situtations, and dialogue of the others much more palatable for me.

All right, reader, what 'choo got? I fully expect ODB to defend his boy.

C'est Délicieux

2006-07-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

The other day, J and I had the pleasure of eating lunch at the Croissant du Jour, a French-style restaurant in Cedar Rapids. It was delicious! I ate a tasty and reasonably priced lunch combo of Le Club sandwich (turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a croissant) and Lobster Bisque soup. The croissant was light and flaky (just how you want a croissant to be), and the club was as good as anything at Panera.

The bisque may be the best soup I've ever tasted: it was reminiscent of the Soup Nazi's soups from Seinfeld: you have to sit down to eat it. It was flavorful without being overpowering, and the lobster pieces and broth were both amazing. J doesn't like soup, and she loved it.

With my meal I drank a mocha latte, and it was amazing. It had an excellent balance of coffee and chocolate, which is easy to mess up in a mocha, but what made it truly incredible was its lightness. Most mochas I've had are sweet and heavy; this mocha wasn't filling at all, and it didn't sacrifice any chocolatey goodness.

I highly recommend this restaurant as an ideal lunch or breakfast stop. I failed to check the breakfast menu, so I don't know what they serve, but I bet they have crepes. The lunch menu was great and reasonable (my soup and half sandwich was $5.50). Additionally, Croissant du Jour serves coffee drinks, ice cream and desserts. It's a small business run by a French native; she's a really nice lady. I always prefer giving my money to small businesses than to chain stores. If you're in the Cedar Rapids area, stop by sometime.

Stay or Leave? (For Nate)

2006-07-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Somebody's been noticing (**cough...complaining...cough cough**) that my posts have been running long lately and not everyone likes the World Cup, which is hands-down, no-question-about-it, the most important sporting event in the world. So, today I submit a poll about a more American-based sport: baseball.

Dusty Baker: Should he stay or get fired? Why or why not?

Use the "comments" button and submit your comments/opinions/diatribes. You can also check out Gene Wojciechowski's column about it if you like. I'll put in my two cents later. Go to town!

Church of the Open Door

2006-07-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I already posted about leaving Minnesota, which the wife and I have just done, but I left out one of the things we will miss the most about our former state: Church of the Open Door. Indeed, I already miss Sunday service out in the Maple Grove airport-looking worship center, and I know I'll only miss it more when we arrive in Denver and begin another dreaded church search.

The first thing that I really appreciated about Open Door was the worship, especially when Joel Hanson led it. The man can play guitar and sing, but what I enjoyed most was his come-along-side-me-and-worship attitude. Open Door's worship is mostly worship songs, which in my view are a step down from hymns, but the effectiveness of any worship is dependent on the church's posture and attitude. It was always a joy to come to church and join in on the enthusiastic and Christ-centered worship. An added bonus was Joel's occasional writing of a new song that corresponded with the sermon; these were always poignant and powerful. Also, whenever they busted out a hymn, it was fantastically done.

I also loved communion at Open Door. I'm used to the traditional Prostestant style Lord's Supper, wherein the elements are passed around. Open Door celebrates communion by having its churchgoers rise up and go to receive the bread and wine. There was something powerful about the act of going to receive the elements. We waited in line while singing the praise songs that they play throughout the taking of communion. It was a time of reflection. Then, when one took the bread and wine, the celebrants said a blessing. Open Door dedicates one entire service per month to communion; it was a unique and meaningful way to take the Lord's Supper.

My absolute favorite thing about Church of the Open Door was its head pastor Dave Johnson (a fellow Bethel alum). Once you get used to his unusual start-and-stop rhythm, Pastor Dave is a phenomenal speaker because he's so in tune with God; I got the impression that Pastor Dave always wanted his sermon to be a Word from God, and for me it frequently was. Pastor Johnson has such a passion for the Lord and for others. He unrelentingly focused on how to change our lives to be more like Christ. He is also courageous. It takes some nerve to directly challenge your congregation on issues--most pastors don't do it. Pastor Dave addresses behaviors, ideas, and trends in his culture and in his church in a way I've never experienced anywhere else.

And he did it all in a spirit of love. His messages never condemned his flock; Pastor Dave was quick to talk about his failings, and he spoke about the problem he was addressing by uniting himself with his listeners; "This is something we struggle with" was always what came across. I will miss his passion, eloquence, humor, ability to exegete, and genuine love and care for his fellow believers and nonbelievers.

The worship, communion, and pastor at Open Door had J and I continuing to drive a half-hour to get to church for over two years. Though I never got involved in ministry, small groups, etc. there (I was in college and then I knew we were soon to leave), Open Door was my church home. Fairly or unfairly, it is the church by which I will measure other churches in terms of how good does it fit J's and my needs. God will find us another chuch in Colorado, but it was amazing and a ceaseless joy to be a part of Open Door for a couple of years. Thanks, everyone there. And thanks be to God also.

World Cupdate: The Final

2006-07-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

What an insane game!

Thanks to my dad taping the final (I was on my anniversary stay in Galena), I watched Italy v. France today. I must say, I'm shocked about what happened.

France took the early lead on an iffy call PK. Zidane put it in with the ballsiest kick I've seen: he ran up to the ball causing Italy's keeper to dive and then he floated it off the crossbar and over the line. 1-0 France.

After that, Les Bleus called off the assault for a while, allowing Italy to tie it up. Materazzi took a great ball off a corner kick and snapped it into the back of the net. 1-1.

The rest of regulation was just about all France. I don't know if the Italians were winded from their defeat of Germany, but they had nothing in the final. They did have a goal disallowed on an offsides call, but that was all they could muster. Meanwhile, France blew chance after chance, most of them incited by Henry, who was huge in regular time. Italy managed to prevent Les Bleus from getting the go-ahed tally and forced overtime.

In OT, it was more France. It looked like Italy either didn't really want to win the World Cup or grew allergic to the ball. Zidane had a great chance (that should've won it) on a header that was tipped high. Still, France kept pushing, and they looked like the Azzurri had to break eventually.

Instead, Zidane went insane and inexplicably head butted an Italian square in the chest. There are rumors Materazzi called him a "dirty terrorist." Either way, insta-red card for France's captain playing in his last game, which also happed to be the World Cup Final!! So, France now down a man, continued to dominate but could not score. PKs.

Once it got to penalty kicks, it was all Italy. France's goalie is average at best, and he was exposed in the PKs big time as the Azzurri made good on all five of their attempts. France got three out of four, but Trezequet's kick bounced off the crossbar propelling Italy to their fourth World Cup trophy.

This was a major anticlimax to a month of soccer that had been truly incredible to watch. Zidane's antics were inexcusable and stupid, and, worse, the better team lost in the final. Italy looked bad yesterday. To their credit, they played bend-don't-break perfectly, but France outplayed the Azzurri until the PKs. It was exciting to see so many made attempts in the PKs, but Italy's victory will always be a weak one to me.

Too bad too. I had really enjoyed the World Cup. Now, I'm okay with waiting four more years for soccer. One thing's certain: a finale like this will do nothing to win over U.S. fans to the "beautiful game." Yeah, it's beautiful sometimes, but as Zidane showed us, it can be just as ugly as any game.

Wha' Happen?

2006-07-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Some obscure vortex sucked away the html for my blog last night; its motivations are still unknown at this time. Rest assured, though, it has something to do with President Bush and/or Postmodernism. Jason, were you with Global Warming last night to provide it another alibi?

Anyway, after much tinkering, things are pretty much back to the way they were. Darn vortexes.

My Dream DMB Setlist

2006-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Since I got such an overwhelming response on my previous Dave Matthews Band post, and because I know it's such a subject of general interest--I couldn't resist putting together my ideal setlist for a DMB concert. Okay, so I'm writing this mostly for me and also for Kyle. So what? First the setlist, then the commentary:

1. Seek Up
2. The Best of What's Around
3. The Space Between
4. #41
5. You Never Know
6. So Right
7. Grey Street
8. Steady As We Go
9. The Song that Jane Likes
10. Warehouse
11. Say Goodbye
12. The Stone
13. #36
14. Satellite
15. The Idea of You
16. You Might Die Trying
17. Stay
18. Tripping Billies
--------
1. #40
2. Two Step
3. Ants Marching

Wow, what an incredible concert that would be! This setlist is not a list of my favorite DMB songs per se; instead, I used the following criteria so that it would be theoretically feasible to actually hear this setlist.

First, I read through this year's setlists and found the largest amount of songs they've actually played; obviously, I'd have 'em on stage for a 48 hour period playing song after song, but they can't do that, so I went with the 18 and 3 format that's actually been used once this summer (sure, it was the longest setlist of the tour to date, but this is my ideal concert here, and I want 'em to PLAY!).

Second, I forced myself to use at least two (2)* songs from each studio release, including the ones I don't like as much--this is my fairness/diversity clause. Counting six studio releases, I started with twelve songs off the bat. I also wanted to include some songs that they rarely play or aren't on a studio release, but that was no problem because there are so many I'd want to hear that are rare or unreleased.

Third, I included at least one new song because they develop new songs on the road and because it would be exciting to hear a newbie.

Breakdown by album:
Under the Table and Dreaming: 3
Crash: 4
Before These Crowded Streets: 2
Everyday: 2
Busted Stuff: 2
Stand Up: 2
New: 1
Rare/Unreleased: 4 ("Seek Up" and "Song that Jane Likes" are both on Remember Two Things, an album I didn't count in studio releases because it's technically a live album).

My excessive babbling:
This setlist would be friggin' amazing! Kick it off with a long "Seek Up," one of my all time favs, and who wouldn't know that this was going to be an amazing concert!? "Best" follows on its heels, then "The Space Between" to get rid of the Everday songs early. "#41" is HUGE, then the equally brilliant "You Never Know" would raise the energy just in time for "So Right." Mm mmmm. "Grey Street" keeps it rolling, "Steady as We Go" slows it down but includes a long played-out outro featuring Moore on the sax that I don't think the band has ever done. Pause. "Song that Jane Likes" with kickin' violin intro.

"Warehouse" blows up, peaking the energy surge. Then, the band slows it down with "Say Goodbye," featuring that violin counter-melody that just slays me. "The Stone" keeps things mellower but ends with a bang. As everyone pauses for breath, Dave strums the riff for "Everyday, " but instead plays "#36," taking everyone by surprise; this is a lengthy "#36" cf. Live at Red Rocks. "Satellite" is always a crowd-pleaser, then the band jumps into "The Idea of You," which is the best of their new songs. All of this is to gear up for the big finale which begins with "You Might Die Trying," which I don't think they've ever played live but is the best song off Stand Up, then "Stay" sans those annoying backup singers. Just when everyone thinks the primary setlist is over, a blazing "Tripping Billies" leaves everyone screaming for more. The band goes off stage amidst wild applause.

For the encore (which will become concert legend), Dave comes out and strums "#40," but instead of just a tease, he plays out a four-minute version. Then, the frontman and Tinsley kick off an epic "Two Step" with that patented fast-strumming. After the solos (of which there will be violin, bass, drum, then saxophone--but NO keyboard) and the amazing rapid-fire finish, the band pauses to bask in the uproarious applause. Then, Carter drops his stick on the snare in 4/4 time, and DMB finishes with my absolute favorite song, "Ants Marching, "featuring the guitar/bass duel, the ridiculous violin and sax intro, and a super extended violin solo at the end. "Lights down, you up and die...Thanks very much, y'all! Goodnight!" Then, I think I would faint from exhaustion. Actually, the band probably would too, as that's a lot to play. It would probably take 3+ hours to do in one night, but hey, if Plato imagined a DMB setlist, this would be it.

*Don't you hate when people write a number and then put a digit in parentheses, e.g. "sixteen (16)." Grrr. I know what the number looks like when I read them spelled out!

Cars

2006-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

J and I went and saw Disney/Pixar's latest production Cars a while back, and it was good but not great. As always, what Pixar does best is tell a story, and the narrative in this one is solid. Lightning McQueen, the famous racecar, gets lost and finds himself in Radiator Springs where he learns a lot about life and himself, etc.

Before going, I was most concerned about actually caring about the characters. It's always been easy to like characters in past Pixar films, but I wasn't sure I could really invest myself in cars. Fortunately, the Pixar folks made the cars enough like people that I did develop somewhat of an attachment to the characters, but it wasn't the same as a Toy Story or Nemo situation. I guess I just don't have a natural proclivity toward car-love.

Once again, some famous folk were willing to provide the voices for the characters. Owen Wilson was a darn good McQueen, though I had a bit of trouble attaching his voice to the car he was portraying. Much better were Larry the Cable Guy* as Tow Mater, Bonnie Hunt as Sally, and Paul Newman as Doc Hudson. Really, Mater aside, the side characters provided the bulk of the laughs, especially the Italian cars (Guido and Luigi) who own the tire store. I liked them best.

It was a fun movie, though again, not as good as either Toy Story, Nemo, or Monsters, Inc., but if you love NASCAR**, fixing cars, or are a little boy, this movie is for you. If you don't belong it any of these groups of people, see it anyway. It's fun. I give it 7.4/10 and a B.

*I hope this isn't his real name.
**NOT a sport.

Picture: Luigi and his shop.

World Cupdate 5 July 2006

2006-07-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Final is set, and it's all blue: Italy (Azzurri) v. France (Les Bleus).

Zidane's PK Stands Up
Looked to me like Henry took a dive in the box to set up Zidane's penalty kick goal--the only one of the match, but it's hard to argue with the result as it was enough to propel France into the World Cup Final. Portugal looked like they had their chances, but they just couldn't make it happen. If France played anything like they did against Brazil, Portugal probably didn't have too many chances, although the free kick at the end almost made it happen. Great run for the Portugese, but I'm glad Les Bleus are into the final seeking their second trophy.

Germany's Dream Falls Short Against Italy
I watched the Germany/Italy match on the Fourth, and it was a goodie. The defenses were stout during regulation time with only a couple of really decent chances each. The Germans had at least a couple of shots that should've been goals--Podolski had a lot of good chances. But in the overtime, it was Italy who had more stamina and finesse. The Azzurri hit the crossbar and the post before putting in a curling kick from the right in the penultimate minute before penalty kicks. The next minute, due to Germany's need for the equalizer pressing all their men forward, the Italians netted a second to ice it.

So the Italians ruined my prediction of a German victory. I'll take Italy for their fourth star in the final on Sunday (my 1st anniversary--maybe I'll tape it), but I'll be rooting for Les Bleus.

Archive Review: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2006-07-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

This post will kickoff an ongoing series I'll try to continue wherein I'll write a little review about a great book I've read. I certainly do not consider myself "well-read," but I have run into a lot of great books over my few years of life. The idea is that reading for myself is always great, but others often wonder if a given book is worth perusing; I hope to help others make good use of their reading time.

I'll start with one of my favorite books. If I had a list of the best books I've read, this would probably be in the top ten: Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There are a lot of "classics" that are--well, let's face it--kind of dull. Huck Finn is the complete antithesis of this kind of literature. Twain's novel is hilarious, touching, wise, entertaining, and beautiful.

The characters in Huck Finn are delightful, especially Huck and Jim. Their personalities and mutual affection propel the book. The reader really grows to love them. Huck is the narrator, and Twain's brilliance is on display as the reader can always perceive the distance between Huck's perception of the world and what Twain is really saying about it. Frequently, this makes for delight, and occasionally for profundity. Jim is the book's hero; a fact that should dispel any ill-conceived notion of banning this book due to racism. Jim is honorable, wise, loving, and courageous. The southern backdrop necessitates a racial dynamic, but Huck is always overcoming the stereotypes and doing things he "shouldn't do" that show the moral depth of his character.

The other characters come and go as one expects in a picaresque. Huck's aunts are the necessary well-intentioned, stodgy caregivers. The Duke and the King are bungling swindlers whom the reader dislikes but still manages to find pity for when they get their just deserts and Huck observes, "People can be awful cruel to one another." Tom Sawyer infamously appears in the ending that many dislike; his presence adds to the hilarity but subtracts from the progress of the narrative.

I must also mention the dialect, which is both a joy and a bit of a bother to read. It takes some getting used to. If you read it and you can't quite figure out what a character is saying, just sound it out out loud, and your ears will hear it. Then you'll laugh.

The humor is just about unsurpassed in literature. Twain knows people, and he knows their shortcomings. The Duke and the King's butchering of Shakespeare, the horrid poems of the daughter of the feuding family, and Tom and Huck's attempts to help Jim escape slavery when he's already been freed made me laugh until tears gushed out. It is truly a delightful and comical novel.

As wonderful as the humor is (and it is wonderful), it's the heart of the book that makes it timeless. Twain captures a little bit of life and portrays it so that anyone can understand and feel it. Huck's world is complex and very different from ours but somehow still the same. There is always the right thing to be foud and acted upon. Huck Finn plunges into issues like slavery, suffering, justice, and morality without being preachy or pedantic--the book always pulls at, breaks, or fills the heart.

My boy Hemingway famously said that all American literature begins and ends with Huck Finn. Who am I to argue? Mark Twain's novel is a book filled with life; not dismal life or rosy-colored life, but life as it is: full of trials and joys. Truly, it is a masterpiece.

World Cupdate 1 July 2006

2006-07-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

We're down to the final four.

Down goes Brazil
France played out of their minds today and took down heavily-favored Brazil 1-0. This of couse makes me happy; as I've said from the beginning, anybody but Brazil! What was truly surprising was how poorly the Brazilians played. Averaging nine shots on goal per match going into this contest, Brazil managed one againt Les Bleus. Henry's goal was a beautiful one, and it was a dominating performance. See ya, Brazil.

Portugal in PKs
England's poor play finally caught up with them as Portugal eliminated them today 0-0 (3-1 in PKs). The English played quite heroically in the second half, and they had to due to the idiocy of their striker Rooney; Rooney stepped on a Portugese player's groin and drew a red card, which left England down a man for the remainder of the game. Beckham had left earlier with an injury (or so it seemed), so England resorted to their lesser-knowns to finish the match. Despite England's mistakes, Portugal wasn't eager to take advantage; both sides looked sluggish and there wasn't much action through overtime. The story of the PKs was Portugal's keeper Ricardo: he guessed right on all of England's kicks, saving three and propelling the Portugese into the final four.

Yesterday

The Home Team Marches On
I knew I was going to be sad about missing the Germany v. Argentina game, and I was right. It turned out to be an amazing match in which the Germans prevailed in penalties 1-1 (4-2). The Argentinians led most of the way, but Klose tied it up on an incredible cross and header to send it into OT. Once it got into the PKs, it was all Germany. The hosts went 4-4 in attempts and their keeper saved two to down Kyle's boys. Sorry, Kyle.

The Ukraine was Weak
Italy finally sent the Ukrainians and their ugly jerseys packing in a 3-0 blowout. I expected Italy to dominate because Ukraine never showed me anything and really should be grateful that they made it to the round of eight. The Italians move on in what should be a great game against Germany.

So, it's Germany v. Italy on Tuesday and Portugal v. France on Wednesday. I'll pick Germany 3-1 and France 1-1 (they'll win in PKs), then Germany to take it all. I guess we'll see. Posts on other topics soon, since the move is OVER (for now), praise God!!!!

Mama, if that's movin' up...

2006-06-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

...then I'm movin' out.* Today is the last full day I'll live in Minnesota (at least for a while), and the last day both J and I are working. As I write this, J's parents and Dan are moving us out of our apartment even with neither of us present. God has truly blessed us to have such amazing family and friends. Thank you, guys!!! If you are moving any time soon, dear reader, I advise you to take off the day before you move!! That was stupid of me. Iowa, here we come...again!

The only bummer (and it's a mighty small one) about the move is that I won't be able to watch what I think will be the match of the World Cup up to this point: Germany v. Argentina. It's a huge test for both teams. I guess I can't have everything, but having others carry your heavy junk downstairs again and again on your behalf maybe be as close as one can come.

*"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"--Billy Joel. You knew that, right?

"Whoah, I'm seeing double here...

2006-06-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

...four Krustys!"* I erroneously posted my last World Cupdate twice, and have since fixed my error. My posting for the next few days will be erratic at best as J and I are in the process of moving south to Cedar Rapids by Friday! WAUGH! The internet is already gone from my house, so, dear reader, thanks for your patience. I've also noticed the increasing number of sports-related posts recently, and that's not our only modus operandi here at Ahab's Quest. We promise we'll do more high-brow stuff soon--that Huckleberry Finn archive review has been percolating so long that I think the coffee pot is about to burn. Ah well. Soon, I'll be with D&E and will have almost nothing but free time; you can expect more regular posts during July. Until then, I'll just keep doing my best.

*from my favorite Simpsons episode: "Homie the Clown"

World Cupdate 26 June 2006

2006-06-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

Lots to cover, as we move from the opening round to the elimination round.

From today

Honk...shoo...Honk!...shoo...GOAL!
The Ukrainians did in the Swiss today by a score of 0-0. No, that's no typo; it took penalty kicks to decide this one. I watched the gamecast of it, and the announcer guy was saying things like, "Well, let's be honest...this was a real stinker," and "Italy must be quaking in their boots for the winner of this match." Lol. Congrats to my Dad's boys for the lame win.

More Controvery boosts Italy
In YET ANOTHER controversial, game-altering call, my Socceroos were undone. In the 93rd minute, the ref called for a penalty kick after an Italian flopped in the box. Totti punched it in, and Italy advanced. Unbelievable.

Sunday

England Wins, but is still Dull
David Beckham free-kicked in the only goal of the match, and that's about all he did--or any of the highly-touted English team for that matter. Still, as they say, "scoreboard." The English advanced 1-0.

No More Neon Orange
In a dark day for uniform orginality, the Dutch lost to Portugal 1-0 in a very dirty match by all accounts. As Kyle noted, 16 yellow cards were handed out. Crazy. I'll miss those vibrant orange unis though.

Saturday

More German Domination
Caught this match, and the Germans cruised 2-0. Klose is incredible and set up both goals. The Germans look tough to beat, but they have yet to play a really high-caliber team.

Someone had to lose
In the best-dressed match of the World Cup thus far, vertically baby-blue striped Argentina beat classy-looking green and white Mexico 2-1. This one went into extra frames before Argentina won on the goal of the Cup so far. If you haven't seen it, go to www.worldcup.com and watch the highlights. On a cross, Rodriguez takes it off his chest, kicks it in midair into the far right corner of the net. Sensational.

UPDATE: Looks like I was using hyperbole when i said that the Netherlands/Portugal match was a "dirty game by all accounts." Norman Hubbard with ESPN disagrees in an interesting article on the World Cup reffing, and he even defends the ref in the US/Italy debacle. Check it out!

And, I must take the many English-speaking World Cup journalists to task for their complete disregard for grammatcial agreement! How many times have I run into sentences like, "Italy are getting tired," "England are playing to tie," or Germany are looking sharp." WAAAAAUGH!! If we refer to a collective noun (like a country name), we must use "is!!!" Do I say, "The U.S. are a great place to live," or "Those players is ugly?" NO!!! AGREEMENT!!

Just Plain Ol' Ducks with New Unis

2006-06-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

I had already typed a really long post about the Anaheim Mighty Ducks ditching the preceding adjective, changing their name to just "Ducks" and getting new uniforms, but then my internet decided not to work. I guess it's just God's way of telling me not to be long-winded. So here's a shortened version.

The name change is fine, but the new logo isn't. I give props for the webbed "D," but just writing the word "Ducks" on your jerseys is really boring. I feel like there are a lot of better alternatives for a logo here, including a mallard head or maybe a cartoony duck with a hockey stick.

The uniforms are disappointing overall, the biggest problem (logo aside) is the presence of black. Every freakin' team now feels like it needs to have black as a part of their uniforms regardless of what other colors they have (Oregon is a great example...(shudder), they make Nate's favorite Seahawks jerseys look fabulous). Black is boring. Show me OTHER COLORS, for crying out loud! I do like the shiny gold and orange look though; DAP to that.

If you want much more on the changes, ESPN's article is here, and my boy Paul Lukas' critique is here. Hat tip to Kyle for telling me about the uni change.

Au Revoir, Minnesota

2006-06-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Continuing in Kyle's fine example* of apostrophe, I now bid goodbye to the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes.

Minnesota,

I came to you almost five years ago now with high hopes. I was going to college. I had been to visit you already, hanging out with my grandparents in Lake City, and I loved your mild summers and abundant lakes. I thought maybe you would be my home, but now I'm leaving you, probably for good.

It's not that you're all bad--really, you're not. I liked a lot of things about you: the fun activities in the Twin Cities, Lake Superior, the Guthrie, Lake Pepin, the Boundary Waters, various stores in the area, and most importantly Bethel University. However, what I liked best about you was the people whom I met while living here. Now most of those people are gone, and J and I are done with school. It's time for us to go.

We knew about three years ago that you wouldn't be our permanent home. It was just something that was obvious. Maybe it was the horrid drivers, the unhomey atmosphere, the lack of scenery (in my area anyway), the fake niceness of the residents, the ridiculously long and cold winters (I won't say I wasn't warned), or a sense of restlessness. I know it had to do with the fact that you're located in the Midwest. Yeah, the Midwest is the best part of the country, but it's the only region J and I have called home. We want something new and different; we want something more than you can give.

As I've said before, there is power in places. Minnesota, you don't wield too much power over me. I'll always remember the fun times: hiking, water-skiing, seeing Return of the King, graduating, but mainly just hanging out with my friends--you were always a good backdrop for the action of my life. But God has called us elsewhere, and J and I are really overjoyed to leave you. You're old hat. You've lost luster. We just need something different--the Rocky Mountains sound inticing...

I'm just starting to learn French (kinda), and I recently learned that voir is "to see." The prefix "re" means the same in French (and for that matter Spanish) as it does in English: "again." So, Minnesota, I bid you au revoir because I know I'll see you again. Hopefully, I'll never live here again, but who knows what God has planned or what he will use for his glory?

J and I leave with no regrets. When we drive down 35W next Friday and see Minneapolis in our rearview, it will be somewhat bittersweet because familiarity is always easiest, but it won't be sad. I wish you well, Minnesota, though I'll never really pay attention to you much anymore. Au revoir.

*I refer here to Kyle's letter to New York City, which is most of the way down the page at this link.

World Cupdate 22 June 2006

2006-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Gone-a*
The US blew their slim chance to advance into the round of 16 today as they fell to Ghana 2-1. With the win, the Ghanans advanced as Italy did their part in beating Czech Republic. You've got to feel pretty good for the African team--this has to be the biggest day in their recent history, beating the hegemon of the world in a soccer match on the world's biggest stage. I'd feel ever better for them if their game-winning goal didn't come on a controversial penalty kick or if they didn't spend most of the second half on their backs feigning injuries to waste time. In any case, I'm just as disappointed in the US. Once again, we've shown nothing to the world in the World Cup. Sure, it's "only soccer," but I wish we would've done better. We had a talented team that did not come to play. I guarantee the U.S. won't get better in the World Cup as long as soccer maintains its low status in this country.

Thanks but No Thanks
Italy did us a favor by beating the Czechs today 2-0, but we didn't bother to win. The Czechs must be up in arms after beating us soundly in their opening match and then dropping their last two and failing to advance. Ah well. C'est la vie, as Kyle would say. Italy will face...

The Socceroos!
Australia advanced into the knockout round after tying Croatia and their nifty checkered unis 2-2. The Aussies came from behind twice. All I can say is, "DAP to you, mates."

Oh, Ronaldo
Better late than never: Ronaldo, the chubby forward for Brazil, finally showed up and put two in the net as Brazil topped Japan in a stunning 4-1 upset...err, never mind. Brazil can take the cup, but I'm thinking either Argentina or host Germany. We'll see.

*I made up this title before reading ESPN's article on the same match entitled "Going, Going, Ghana," I promise. I don't need the four-letter network's wittyness to come up with sweet titles, believe you me.

Door County

2006-06-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a few days with my Mom's side of the family in the pinky finger of Wisconsin--quaint, lovely Door County. This reunion is something that our family does biannually, and it's always a great time. J and I are blessed beyond blessed to have an amazing extended family who are all believers, so whenever we get together, it's an fun and uplifting time.

I'll spare you the details of all the things we did, but here's a short list: paddleboating at Peninsula State Park, ice cream at Wilson's (of course), kayaking at Europe Lake, shopping in Fish Creek, fireworks at Ephraim (the Fyr Ball festival!), mini golfing at Pirate's Cove (my little brother beat me again, and my sister did too this time), and hours and hours of great chats and laughter. We were more active this time in my recollection, but we also made lots of time for relaxation and good eats.

Door County as a location is a pretty decent place to have a family get-together. I admit that I didn't enjoy the quaintness of the place until this last trip, but the peninsula is growing on me. There are lots of great places to catch a sunset, plop in a kayak, or just sit and watch the water. Also, there are plenty of small shops (read: no Target or Wal-Mart to be found) to poke around in and enjoy. It's quiet (in June anyway) and a good mixture of available activities and slow pace. All told, it's a good place to be.

What makes Door County extra special is the people we go with. The extended family to a person is loving, funny, and caring. The mutual love and genuine care is apparent from the opening hugs to the closing hugs. We tease, laugh, discuss, exercise, drive, play games, and relax together. Additionally, this was the first time that J came to the reunion as an in-law, but already she was welcomed and treated like a life-long family member. Thanks for being amazing friends and relatives, you guys. J and I are truly blessed to call you all our relatives. We love you.

Pictures: T0p: Sunset at Sister Bay
Side: Arrr, Pirate's Cove.

Questin' for a Restin'

2006-06-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the wife and I are heading 8 hours east to our biannual family reunion (my mom's side) in Door County, WI. I'll be back to the blogosphere next Tuesdayish. Hopefully, I'll have something interesting to say by then, but we'll see.

If you're hurting for reading in my absense, check out Kyle's blog for his excellent Syntheses and World Cup analysis. Looking for fun and tech reviews? Jason's got you covered. Peter will inspire and break down politics for ya. Dan and Nate do whatever they want, whenever they want on their blogs. Otherwise, read a good book. Blessings to one and all.

Don't cry. This isn't goodbye...just, "smelling you later."

World Cupdate 14 June 2006

2006-06-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Kyle has been all over the World Cup like me on a free buffet, but here's my World Cupdate:

Polish Pain is German Gain
No, we're not talking about WWII here, we're addressing Germany's 1-0 victory over the Poles in what has to be a heart-rending match for the Polish. Poland held Germany's high-octane offense scoreless even when they went down a man in the second half all the way into stoppage time when Neuville slipped one past the keeper. Germany probably deserved this one--they had 23 shots for heaven's sake. Still, one can't help but feel bad for Poland with another crushing defeat. Germany's pretty much assured itself of a birth into the elimination round.

Spain is victorious
Lots of people have been down on Spain in the World Cup, but their 4-0 whupping of Ukraine (sorry, Pop) shows that they're bringing it this year. ¡Viva, España!

Tunisia strikes back
The Tunisians scored the equalizing goal in penalty time to stun Saudi Arabia 2-2. Now that's what the World Cup is all about.

Yesterday's News

Brazil won
That's a big surprise...actually that the score was only 1-0 says a lot about Croatia's heart and readiness to play. But what do you expect from a team clad in sylish checks (Note: not Czechs nor their goalie Peter Cech)?

South Korea beats Togo
And they ordered that win "to go"... Rimshot, please!

Frenchies lay another egg
Kyle stole my line on this one about the Swiss and neutrality, but Les Bleus had better pull it together. Better team play is needed there. A 0-0 tie continued France's goal drought. Vive la France!

Now a couple of soccer-related questions
1. What's with the expression "leave it late?" I mean, it clearly refers to a late goal in a match, but the "leaving it" part confuses me.

2. What is a cap? Everyone's always talking about how so-and-so has 41 caps and that's the best ever, etc. Anybody know? Justin? Kyle? A little help here?

My New Specs

2006-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the much anticipated picture of yours truly sporting my new glasses. What do you think?

World Cupdate 12 June 2006

2006-06-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

USA, Blown Away
We got our butts handed to us by the Czech Republic today in a 3-0 loss. The Czechs were the nation of domination without a doubt. I didn't get to watch the match (stupid job!), but I did catch the final goal as Rosicky slid through our defense like a motorized knife cutting up the bird on Turkey Day; he broke away and banged the ball past our keeper. Our defense looked nonexistent. To our credit, the Czechs are super good, but so are the Italians, whom we play next. We need to get it together or Team USA can forget about the World Cup for another 4 years. On a more positive note, our uniforms were way cooler than theirs.

The Return of the Socceroos
The Aussies won 3-1 today over Japan, who had taken the early lead. Yay, Australia! I was rooting for y'all. I mean, who could root against a team that calls themselves the "socceroos?"

Italy also won
Read all about it.

Yesterday's news

Dutch are Victorious
The Dutch took out Serbia and Montenegro yesterday 1-0, continuing their proud tradition of sporting bright orange. Represent, you guys! It's pretty amazing that they beat both Serbia and Montenegro at the same time. I really don't think it's fair to pit two countries against one like that. Also, anybody know why Holland and The Netherlands didn't make it to the World Cup?

Mexico Wakes Up
The Mexicans had a sweet starting goal but then settled into cruise control too early with Iran. The Iranians got the equalizer and played well into the second half, when Mexico scored twice in rapid succession and took the match. All of Mexico breathes one big sigh of relief.

This also happened
In a game that everyone's calling "the match Nathan didn't give two shakes of a lamb's tail about," Portugal beat Angola. Yes they did.

Onto more important matters...
My boy Paul Lukas has a column on ESPN.com's Page 2 today breaking down all the uniforms of the World Cup. Here's the link. In it, Paul slams Holland for wearing the orange for which I've just praised them, so to set matters straight, here is my World Cup's Best Dressed list. I'll leave out the links since the above link has all the pictures anyone could ever want, and I'm really the only one I know who cares about this at all.

1. Australia: Props for sporting colors that have nothing to do with your flag. Love the yellow and green unis and the navy away. Great stuff.

2. Mexico: These guys look great. Got to love the green and red theme--classic. Plus, check out the cool Aztec-themed graphics.

3. Ivory Coast: They make orange and green look good. Come to think of it, I don't think there are any major US teams with an orange and green color scheme; who will right this wrong? You've also got to love the graphic elephant on the jersey--sweet.

4. USA: That's right, we suck, but at least we look good doing it. Great looking navy and red home jerseys, and the vertical striped whites also lookin' smooth.

5. Argentina: Kyle's boys are throwing down in baby blue and white vertical stripes. I love that.

6. Netherlands: Love that eye-blinding orange. Too bad the aways are so dull.

7. Croatia: Red and white checks!? Awesome! Too bad the backs of the jerseys aren't also checked--that's what dropped them so far down the list.

8. Sweden: Yellow and blue. Very nice and classy.

9. Spain: I like the yellow pinstripes on red.

10. Angola: Very nice horizontal stripe action.

Update: I dropped England from the top 10 because I remembered Angola's good-looking jerseys.

Dave Matthews Band: Will the Music ever be as Good?

2006-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

My favorite band has long been Dave Matthews Band (DMB), and I've been a fan long enough to see their music evolve. I will leave a long-winded examination of the lives and times of the DMB to a biographer or wikipedia, but what I will engage in this post is the question that is at the forefront of my mind whenever I think about DMB: will the music ever be as good? Note: I do not say, "Will it ever be the same?" because sameness is not something one should ask from a band; musicians need to change and encounter different things in order to write more music. I do think the listener has the obligation to expect the same quality of music regardless of disparities between albums. I will try to be brief*, as the casual music fan won't be interested in a regurgitation of all my thoughts and feelings related to Dave Matthews Band.

DMB's first three discs represent the best of music for me. Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), Crash (96), and Before These Crowded Streets (98) are filled with beautiful musicality, instrumentation, and powerful lyrics (If you're interested, I'll include more thorough album notes below). From 1998-2000, there was not a single DMB track I didn't like. I saw the band twice during these times, and the concerts were instrumentally blistering and beautiful.

The change for me (and many DMB fans) came with 2001's Everyday. The band's sound went from melodic and extended to sharp and short. Much of the instrumentation was cut in that effort, and the album suffered greatly as a result. DMB tried to make amends with Busted Stuff (o2), and largely succeeded, remaking many of the songs that had been leaked from the Lillywhite Sessions (00 unreleased), most of them for the better. The band also included a couple impressive new tracks. Still, it was a recapitulation of prior work.

After a three year wait, 2005 saw the release of Stand Up. I had high hopes for the album: I wanted to see the band make new music as well as they did during the '90s, but it was not to be. Stand Up is not a bad album, but it doesn't fly to the heights of their earlier work--some tracks don't get off the ground. There are moments when the listener hears the band at their peak, but they are only ephemeral and teasing.

Now, as Dave Matthews Band embarks on yet another summer tour (you gotta love 'em for that), I wonder if their music will ever be as good as it used to be. I don't want them to feel that they have to make the same kind of music or make it in the same way, but the praticed DMB listening ear knows when the band is making music to their capacity. The music of DMB at their best is unrivaled (in my opinion anyway)--it is beautiful, captivating, melodic, sweet, and powerful. It's an overwhelming musical experience that is unique to DMB. However, as they've shown on Everyday and Stand Up, such music doesn't just flow out of them--it takes time, effort, and (most importantly) care.

Perhaps DMB doesn't care about the craft of music making as much as they used to. Maybe they think they can go to the studio and create music that will sell no matter what (which is probably true). What I hope they realize is that incredible music is timeless and surpassing: the fact that they can make such beautiful music implies that they should craft it.

Despite the disappointment of Stand Up and Everyday, part of me remains optimistic about the new album the band plans to record this fall. DMB has played two new songs on this year's tour, and both "The Idea of You" and "Kill the King" sound pretty solid, especially the former. "Idea" is a throwback to amazing instrumentation and soaring melody, and I adore the saxophone solo. "King" isn't as appealing but still is solid despite it's odd mix of love song and regicide.

No matter what they do, Dave Matthews Band has already recorded the best music I've ever heard, and they remain one of the elite bands of our time (admittedly, it's not as hard as it used to be to play better music than most). Here's to hoping that DMB takes their time writing and recording the new album coming out this fall. It's encouraging that the tour is coming before the studio session as that was the way the first three albums were created and makes for more mature songs. The band has the capacity for another magnificent record; it remains to be seen if DMB will ever make it.

Album Reviews

Under the Table and Dreaming: Simple, varied, beautiful, and original. The songs are rich with catchy guitar hooks and swell with instrumentation. The violin and saxophone sweeten the album throughout, and the band maintains a full sound on each track. Dave's lyrics are direct, longing, and optimistic--optimism is something I always value in DMB's music. Contains such epics as: "The Best of What's Around," "What Would You Say," "Satellite," "Dancing Nancies," "Ants Marching" (still my favorite song), "Jimi Thing," and "Warehouse." 9.6/10 A

Crash: The sound on this album is more full and alive. The instruments blend better, and there are more moments of instrumental transcendence during which the listener is caught up in the rush of mounting, overlapping melody. Crash is symphonic at times and shows a focus on sound and melody unparalleled in the '90s. Themes of songs on this disc are mostly about sex and love, but also include the nature of man, societal surfeit, and political freedom. Contains the epics: "Two Step," "Crash Into Me" (ODB's favorite), "#41," "Say Goodbye," "Lie in Our Graves," and "Tripping Billies." 9.7/10 A

Before These Crowded Streets: The darkest of these three discs, BTCS is by far the most diverse sounding and artistic album DMB's made to date. DMB shows their range on this CD; at times, the instrumentation is bold and overwhelming, and other times it is simple and delicate. The album is the most complete and holds together better than prior ones. Lyrically, Dave explores loss, death, and broken dreams, but he also finds hope to explore love's triumph and joy--he is at his most poetic. Epics: "Rapunzel," "The Last Stop," "Stay," "The Stone," "Crush," "The Dreaming Tree," and "[Don't Burn the] Pig." 9.7/10 A

Everyday: A complete departure (for the worse) from their previous albums, Everyday never amazes and is rarely beautiful. All the artistic brush strokes have been traded in for a rollerbrush--the sound never achieves fullness and the violin and sax are all but absent. The lyrics vary from love songs and sexuality to overcoming differences and the legacy of the past. My description makes the lyrics sound better than they are, but unfortunately they are usually blunt and not deep with a couple exceptions. Epics: "The Space Between," and "So Right." Poor efforts: "Dreams of Our Fathers," "If I Had it All," "Fool to Think," "Mother Father." 6.7/10 B-

Busted Stuff: Consists mostly of remakes of the unreleased Lillywhite Sessions, most of which are changed for the better (noteably: "Grey Street," "Raven, " and "Grace is Gone") with some exceptions ("Captain," once a poignant song about losing control of one's life becomes a love song). Musically, the full band sound makes a welcome return, but one cannot escape the feeling that they've done this album before. Kickin' solos on "Raven" and "Grace is Gone." The two new tracks "Where Are You Going" and especially the triumphant "You Never Know" only add to the soundscape. Lyrically, Dave's back to form, using imagery and emotion to make the listener feel his music--his forte. Epics: "Grey Street," "You Never Know," "Grace is Gone," "Big Eyed Fish," "Bartender." 9/10 A

Stand Up: The band tries yet another producer on this disc, Mr. Mark Batson, and the result is that DMB feels freer to use little riffs or hooks and make entire songs out of them. Sometimes this works ("American Baby") but frequently it results in songs that should've remained only pieces of a song. This album is the strangest DMB disc to date: the musicality is hit-and-miss, there are sound effects in random places (bombs dropping?), and the lyrics tend toward the bizarre (e.g. "Dreamgirl": "I could dig a hole to China unless of course I was there, and then I'd dig my way home / If by digging I could steal the wind from the sails of the greedy men who rule the world"--WHA?!). The album is more solid and mature than Everyday, but it also tends towards Matthews dominance. The second half of the disc is far better than the first, as the band plays songs it had written prior to the recording session ("Hello Again") or rediscovers melody ("Steady As We Go"). Matthews lyrics are frequently nonsensical or crude, leaning toward explicitness rather than image; a few songs recapture the DMB trademark optimism and melody, and these save the disc from mediocrity. Epics: "Steady As We Go" and "You Might Die Trying" (other tracks have probably improved with live performances). Poor Efforts: "Smooth Rider," "Everybody Wake Up," and "Hunger For the Great Light." 7.5/10 B

Okay, you non-DMB fans, you've gotta give me dap for not writing a DMB post already. I've had my blog for 4 months!!

*Looks like that didn't really work out. Oh well.

La Copa Mundial...The World Cup...La Coupe du Monde...

2006-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Because my esteemed colleague is also planning to post on the world's biggest sporting even, I'll try to keep my World Cup post brief, which shouldn't be too hard since I haven't to much to say about it except that I'm glad it's here.

I don't have any illusions that the World Cup means anything more transcendent than sports events usually mean, but what makes soccer's big stage so significant is that it's so big. As I find my attention drawn more overseas, what the international community finds intriguing also interests me. It's fascinating that football (as soccer rightly should be called) is the sport the world finds irresistible without rival.

I can't pretend to be a soccer aficiando, but it's growing on me. Like hockey, the tallies mean a lot more in soccer than in sports like baseball, football (American), and especially basketball. Every goal in soccer requires an almost unbelievable effort--not one or two quick moves but five or six jukes and manouevres to even get a shot at a shot. The skill level on the display in the World Cup is astounding.

I hope to watch a few games (should I say "matches?"); I imagine I'll tune in more as the games become more important. Naturally, I'll root for us and probably England and the Aussies, but I must admit, I'm kinda going for France too. It's hard not to start learning a language of somwhere and not partially adopt it as your own. Who am I rooting against? Easy: Brazil. They are the Yankees, USC, Tiger Woods, and Patriots rolled into one multigenerational football dynamo. Go rest of the world! Hope it's a month of good games, sportmanship, and passion. Should be interesting.

As a side note, don't you think the above logo is awful? What's with all the random smileys?

Update: DJ Gallo of espn.com has a great column about the World Cup that is a great read (check it out here). Noteably (and hilariously), Gallo agrees with me about the logo. Here's his take:

The World Cup logo is laughing at you.
Look at it. It doesn't respect you. It thinks you're stupid. It thinks you know nothing about soccer. The guy on the right is laughing so hard at you he has turned green and is about to throw up. The guy on the left has actually laughed himself to death. And all of their laughing has awakened the orange baby from a nap, and now it's laughing at you, too. Are you going to just let them laugh at you like that? Do you have no self-respect? No dignity? I guess you don't. You sicken me. You deserve the logo's scorn.

LOL. Oh man.

QuickMuse

2006-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

In her tireless search for good poetry, J stumbled across quickmuse.com the other day and recommended it to me. It's a pretty cool website. The site functions as a kind of poetry duel-ground. Two poets get the same paragraph as inspiration and then have 15 minutes to write a poem about it. Naturally, the idea paragraph is only a loose stepping-off point, and it's pretty interesting to see the very different poems.

The best part of the website, and the most helpful for other poets, is that the site records the poets' work as they type it in real time and then allows the visitor to watch the works being composed and then editted. It's fascinating to watch certain words get replaced, paragraphs and linebreaks getting inserted, and ideas change as the time passes by. In the most recent version, watch U.S. poet-laureate Robert Pinsky throw down with Julianna Baggott (J likes Baggott's poem* better; I beg to differ). This is the sort of thing the web should be used for; kudos to you, QuickMuse folks. Great site.

*Baggotts' poem has profanity in it; just a heads-up.

Quick-hitting Food Reviews

2006-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Easy-Out? My Aunt Fanny!

I recently tried Hellmann's new "Easy-Out" mayonnaise bottle, and I was extremely disappointed. I had high hopes when I snatched the bottle off the shelf at Super Target. I had seen the commercials with those folks working to get the last of the mayo out of the bottom of jar and struggling like it was as hard as giving birth while doing geometry, and I could relate to them...a little. Plus, who likes to dirty a knife every time you want mayo? I hoped that "Easy-Out" would be my mayonnaise salvation.

But it was not to be. Sure, it worked just fine for the majority of the time I used it, but all squeeze bottles work when there's plenty o' mayo in the container. When it was all but gone, however, it did not come out easily. Brrrmmp! Additionally, I noticed that the squeeze bottle gave me significantly less control over the mayo flow, so I was unintentionally consuming more calories than I wanted to. Do yourself a favor and buy Helmann's mayo in the plastic, fairly wide-mouthed jar. You've got to use a knife, but better that than spending more money to get fat and lazy on a product that isn't any better than its competitors.

Bread Does Matter After All

It wasn't too long ago that I did not care what kind of bread I filled with meat and cheese or peanut butter and jelly. I thought that what counts with a sandwich was only what fits between the slices, not the slices themselves. All that changed when J introduced me to Pepperidge Farms' Crunchy Oat bread.

The bread isn't crunchy, but despite the misnomer, it's fantastic bread. Soft but thick enough to really bite into with a slight bit of sweetness. It's equally good as toast or sandwich fixings, and everything tastes good with it. If you haven't tried it, I'd encourage you do so. It costs a little extra, but as Lexus condescendingly notes, "Some things are worth the price." I'd say the Lexuses aren't, but the bread is.

Coffee-Mate Update

When last I wrote about Coffee's Perfect Mate, I hadn't tasted Vanilla Caramel. This weekend, I was fortunate enough to procure some, and I'm most happy that I did. It's excellent. It sweetens the coffee without overpowering it, and it doesn't leave me thirsty, which was fantastic indeed. I always have to nitpick, and I wish it was just caramel instead of vanilla caramel because it's the caramel that really makes it tasty, but it's definitely my newfound second favorite, edging Coconut Crème by .2 points at a 9/10 and a low A.

Cheapo My Goodness!

2006-06-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

After the poll was taken and U2 declared the winner, I knew I had to make a trip to my local CD emporium to purchase Achtung Baby, though I must say that if vehemence counted for extra votes, Goo Goo Dolls would've won in a landslide due to Dan and Jason's raining hate on Bono and the boys. Calm down, you guys.

I hadn't been to Cheapo before, though my brother recommended it to me highly, so I tracked it down and drove out there. Oh man. I think I ended up staying there for two hours, and I came home with six discs and left many more behind that I wanted. Cheapo, I love you.

L'il Bro, you were right: it is like a treasure hunt. I sifted through three racks of new arrivals, and it was crazy. There were hundreds of CDs and artists I'd never heard of, and then there would be one that I always kinda wanted so I'd pick it up, only to find the one that I really wanted farther down the line. All the while, I ran into a lot of my absolute favorite albums, the mountains and oceans of my soundscape, and I thought, "How could anyone sell this?" Sitting around for $5 or $6 were Dave Matthews Band's Crash and Under the Table and Dreaming, Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing, Jars of Clay's self-titled, Wallflowers' Bringing Down the Horse, U2's Joshua Tree, Nickel Creek's This Side and lots of others.

I found R.E.M.'s Monster right away, but then found a non-scuffed version. I knew I was taking that home, vote be danged. Then I located New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and decided that now I really needed to find other artists; R.E.M. is the perfect band to get at Cheapo because they have a ton of albums, and their work is always experimental. I had to go to the sorted racks to find Goo Goo Doll's Gutterflower for $7, then it was back to the miscellaneous where I located Achtung Baby--I am a man of my word. I also picked up Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism and Enya's Greatest Hits for J; she was pleased.

Sadly, I had to leave so many wanted discs behind. Jars of Clay's Much Afraid was available for $5, and U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was there for $6. I decided to leave Bomb until I knew the band a little better; I'll come back for Jars later. Intermingled with lesser albums I also stumbled upon Turnstiles--the Billy Joel album I really want. It got the axe because I knew most of the songs on it, but I'll be back, Billy, you can count on it!!

There were also all those bands that I kind of liked and sort of thought about maybe getting but never did, e.g. Green Day, Fuel, Collective Soul, and Soundgarden. I may yet have to get Soundgarden's A-Sides; I mean, "Black Hole Sun, " "Spoonman," "The Day I Tried to Live," "Fell on Black Days," and others all on the same disc?

I walked away with a CD from each of the bands that was up for election and two for J all for about $40. Sweet! Now, dear reader, do not think that the vote was all for nought. I hear what you're thinking, "He was just going to buy whatever he wanted no matter what we decided on!" Well, it's just not true. If it weren't for Cheapo, U2 would've been the only purchase that day, but oh, Cheapo, how could I say no?

Virgil's Epic Combo: The Aeneid

2006-06-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

I recently polished off Virgil's epic The Aeneid, and it was quite enjoyable. Structurally, Virgil's work is a half-and-half combo of Homer's two biggies:The Odyssey (1st half), and The Iliad (2nd half). So, 2000 years before Ezra Pound, Virgil was making it new. Good for you, Virgie. There's a lot to like about The Aeneid: action, travels, gods, crazy creatures, trip to Hades, meeting famous characters, and it reads a lot like modern prose (dap to Robert Fitzgerald's translation).

Virgil wrote his epic about 25 years before Christ and 700ish years after Homer, but Virgil jumps right in where Homer leaves off. The purpose of The Aeneid is to tell the story of how Aeneas founds the Roman civilization after the fall of Troy, and the author does it quite well. The gods don't play as big of a role in this one as they do in The Iliad except for Juno (Hera) and Venus (Aphrodite). Juno continues on her random hatred against Troy, which I enjoyed in The Iliad but which got annoying in this one. I mean, c'mon Juno, Troy's already burned down to the ground! Do you have to follow the refugees around and rain more hate on 'em? Geez. Venus is Aeneas' mom, so naturally she helps him out.

The first half (Odyssey-esque) I liked a lot. The reader sails around the Mediterranean with Aeneas and co., meeting a lot of the some things that Odysseus encounters: scylla and charybdis, cyclops, Circe, etc. Perhaps my favorite part of the epic is books 2-4 when Aeneas lands at recently-founded Carthage and hangs out with Dido. Dido is the queen of Carthage who has conveniently (for the gods) lost her husband. Book 2 consists entirely of Aeneas telling the story of how Troy fell, and finally (FINALLY!) I heard the story of the Trojan horse. Great stuff. Of course, Aeneas and Dido have a fling, but Aeneas' destiny is to found Rome not populate Carthage, so he takes off and Dido, now losing her second male companion, loses her mind also. She vows vengeance against Rome (Punic Wars, anyone?) and kills herself. That section is beautiful and tragic. The first half also contains Aeneas' little daytrip to Hades so he can chat with his dad about what he should do. It's a very interesting look at how death was perceived in Roman/Greek culture. Plus, it's just cool--Cerburus, the River Styx, and all that.

The second half (Iliad-esque) I didn't like as well, but it still read better than Homer's Trojan war epic. The Trojans land in Italy and send a messenger to the King of thereabouts who's been having visions of marrying his daughter Lavinia to some super cool foreign king (psst: Aeneas!). But Juno (again) doesn't want anything to be easy for the Trojans, so she stirs up a Fury (this part was cool) to incite everyone to war. Turnus, a native of the area and would-be fiancé to Lavinia, is the leader of the Latins. Thus, war breaks out. The rest of the book talks about the ebb and flow of war, and includes Camilla the Amazon warriorgirl, who was pretty cool, and the Latins breaking oaths not to fight anymore not once but twice. Naturally, Aeneas wins in the end. Hope I didn't ruin the ending for any of you, but it's kind of obvious from the beginning that this happens.

The strength of the epic is in its narration; it's almost a page-turner. Unlike The Iliad, which had more interesting characters and god-interactions in it, The Aeneid focuses on plot. I enjoyed this for the most part, but a few more characters would've made the book all the more enjoyable. Turnus, Dido, Camilla, and the goddesses Juno and Venus are the only characters besides Aeneas who play important roles (one could argue Aeneas' dad and son also do). Virgil seizes the epic moment a lot better than Homer at times, really describing a scene so the reader is there (again, it could also be Fitzgerald's translation).

It was an fun read (really, it was!). If you choose to read it, it worked out really well for me to have just finished The Iliad; I'd advise you to do read them back-to-back if you can stomach it. Of the three Homeric and Virgilian epics, I liked The Odyssey the best, then The Aeneid, then The Iliad. I'll give The Aeneid an 8.7/10 and a strong A-. I would read it again without much hesistation.

The Da Vinci Code Recap

2006-06-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've already spent plenty of time and effort writing about The Da Vinci Code (read it here), but I ought to give it a brief review of the movie as the wife and I saw it on Memorial Day because we wanted to continue our trend of Ian McKellan-related movies (one, two, three). Really, there isn't much to say about it as Ron Howard follows the book almost to the letter. There's only one really significant difference and that is how Robert Langdon is portrayed. In the book, Langdon along with Sir Teabing professes belief in the Christ bloodline cover-up conspiracy theory; in the film, Langdon is far more skeptical, frequently inserting unknowns or inconvenient facts that Brown leaves out of his novel. I believe this was Howard's attempt to address the storm of criticism the novel has incited.

The only thing that was really fun about the movie was the visuals. Reading the novel, one always wants to see said painting or said piece of architecture. The movie provides ample opportunities, and the film also has little clips for the relevant historical events, which I liked a good deal. Plus, it was fun to see a movie actually filmed in the Louvre (apparently they could only film on Tuesday nights and payed a ton to do so, but it turned out great).

Tom Hanks plays Langdon adequately, and Audrey Tatou does the same with Sophie. There's not a lot of need for real acting in this one, but Hanks is always enjoyable (mullet aside), and Tatou is easy on the eyes.

I don't think you have to go see this one in the theatre; rent it or go to the cheap seats. I'll give it a 6.8/10 and a B-. Not bad, but not great, especially when you already know the story.

U2, Goo Goo Dolls, or REM?

2006-05-31T13:12:00.001-07:00

There are a few bands who have CDs out that I already know I'll buy more of: Caedmon's Call and Billy Joel spring to mind readily (I already have a lot of Billy, but I'd eventually like all of his studio albums). And then there are my hanger-on bands: U2, Goo Goo Dolls, and REM. I have at least one disc from each of these groups that I like a good deal, but I'm hesitant to purchase more. That's where you, dear reader, come in. I need your opinion! From which band of these three should I buy my next CD? Here are each band's respective pros and cons:

1.U2 Already have: War, The Joshua Tree
Would purchase: Achtung Baby

Why U2? Bono's got pipes, the Edge is a sensational guitarist, and they frequently have solid lyrics and good instrumentation. I know there's a lot more to be heard from them on the albums I don't have. They are also a Christian band, though not explicitly, and often have uplifting lyrics.

Why not U2? I always shy away from bands that are uber-popular, and people practically worship Bono. Additionally, their recent singles haven't been as good as their past work. Their fast songs are usually good but sometimes their slower work isn't particularly catchy.

Greatest Hits: "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You," "Pride," "Mysterious Ways," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "One."

2. Goo Goo Dolls Already have: Dizzy Up the Girl
Would purchase: Gutterflower probably

Why GGD? Johnny Rzeznick's voice is always a joy to listen to, and the Goos have a knack for catchy guitar hooks and good melodies. They excel at harder rock but can also swing the quieter songs.

Why Not GGD? Their bassist Robby sings a couple/three songs per album, and he's terrible, so one has to skip tracks on their discs.

Greatest Hits: "Name," "Long Way Down," "Sympathy," "Dizzy," "Slide," "Iris," "Broadway."

3. REM Already have: Out of Time, Automatic for the People
Would purchase: TBD--they have so many albums

Why REM? At times REM is sonically beautiful and excels at diversity in sound and instrumentation. Michael Stipe's voice is often clear and expressive, though in his older songs it is not. They have good guitar sound and make excellent use of the piano at times.

Why not REM? Stipe is frequently hard to understand lyrically, which he does on purpose. A lot of their songs are experimental, so the tracks are frequently hit-and-miss with the occasional song being quite boring. Also, not that one is surpised to know this, the band is very left-wing and some of their songs echo such themes.

Greatest Hits: "Radio Free Europe," "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," It's the End of the World as We Know It," "Everybody Hurts," "Nightswimming," "Daysleeper," "The Great Beyond," "Electrolite," "Losing My Religion."

You vote counts! Not as much as mine, of course, but your voice can be heard! Which should band should next grace my CD drawer and iPod?

'X-Men III' Review

2006-05-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

***No spoilers in the top part; a warning will posted above the spoilers***

Well, since I know Jason will be writing about this soon, and Nate's beaten me before on posting (see his Bonds post), I'm going to get on the horse and write this. So what if Jason beats me? I still have things to say.

I had high expectations for X-Men III The Last Stand because the first two were so well-done and enjoyable; perhaps the highest compliment I can pay to this film and director Brett Radner is that it did not disappoint. I'll break it down as we go, but I highly recommend seeing this one in the theater if you can afford it: it's a great movie.

One of the things I've always loved about the X-Men movies is that they balance characterization with action better than any of their less-good counterparts (cf. Spiderman...yech). X-III continued this lovely trend. The X-folk always get to use their sweet superpowers in varying situations, and the writers do an excellent job of finding ways that they can use their individual abilities without it seeming contrived (for the most part anyway). There are plenty of fight scenes in this one (let's face it: we always love to see those), and that was gratifying and fun.

The quality characterization continues in this one, but with a few exceptions that I'll save for the spoiler section. I would've liked to have seen more of certain characters, but the plot called for other things. There was plenty of cool stuff involving Jean Grey, Wolverine (as always), Storm, Magneto, and others, while each of the characters continued to be believable.

The plot in this one didn't disappoint either. As you probably know from the previews (this won't ruin anything for you), this one features a "cure" for mutantism. Naturally, Prof. Xavier's bunch and Magneto's crew react very differently to this new development, and action ensues. X-men does an excellent job making sure the viewer sees all sides of each issue that's presented, and then having the X-people try to strike a balance between militant mutants and innocent humans. It is commendable that the X-men are always fighting for an equilibrium in a world of opposites, and it's a metaphor that rings true for the audience in many ways.

This movie also continued the tradition of introducing more characters from the comics. In this version, the viewer meets Angel, Beast, Juggernaut, and a slough of no-name mutants. The characters from the books were very cool; the generic mutants played too large of a role in my view, but I'm nit-picking here.

All-in-all, it was a highly enjoyable feature film that is worthwhile to see in the theatre if you can, especially because of the visual and sound elements. There's a lot to enjoy, but not a lot to take home and ponder. I give it a high B+ at 8.4/10. Go see it.

***WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! WARNING!***

These spoilers may sound whiny, but they are things that must be said.

In each X-men movie there's a scene wherein the X-guys go out to battle, and they're always toward the climax of the movie. This film was no exception, but the actual characters who went were far lamer. Since Xavier and Cyclops were dead, and Jean had defected to the dark side, we were left with Wolverine, Storm, Beast (okay so far), Iceman, that girl named Kitty, and that Metal guy.What's up with that? Kitty?! I want to see the big guns go out there! Oh well--it was a good fight scene anyhoo.
What happened to Nightcrawler? I love that guy. Am I forgetting something?
That Rogue never develops into anything is a complete disappointment. Why is she in these movies at all? She's such a cool character in the comics and cartoon world, and I don't understand why they didn't give her her absorbed powers so she could fight. That would've been far far cooler than Kitty. In the end she chooses to take the cure, and that makes sense for her in the film, but it's still really lame.
It was sweet to see Beast in action fighting at Alcatraz, no? Good stuff.
I was overjoyed that they gave Magneto his power back--if only a little bit--at the end. As a viewer, I never want to see that guy go down; he's so cool. Plus, Ian McKellan is awesome.
I would've liked to have seen Angel do more.
I thought it was great that Wolverine got to kill Jean at the end; it was quite a tragic moment, and it makes sense that Logan was the guy to end her life since he heals so quickly and she was vaporizing everybody in sight. Great moment: "I love you, Jean." Stab and hold. Then the cry. Great cinema. Sure, I think Jean either kills herself in the comics or Cyclops does, but this worked out well.
I missed Cyclops. Killing him off so early was stupid.
Why didn't we get to meet Jubilee or Gambit? Bummer.

A Little Excursion Up North

2006-05-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend, J and I decided to high-tail it out of the Cities for two days and see a little bit of the North Shore. We came back today (Sunday) to 98 degree heat and wondered why we left the chilly breeze and 70s temps of the Superior Shore. Well, hindsight...

Our first stop was Gooseberry Falls State Park. I discovered this place in the pages of Backpacker magazine, which I might have to rave about in a future post. J loves waterfalls and I do too, so I thought this would be the perfect chance to hike there. We took the four-hour drive early Saturday and made it in time to eat lunch while watching the waves come in on Lake Superior. It was freezing cold with the north wind, but we had an excellent lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, chips, carrots, fruit, and Jones soda.

Then we hit the trail. Gooseberry Falls S.P. is right on Highway 61, and they've arranged a pulloff point that's less than half a mile from the falls. Naturally, the wife and I paid $7 to hike much farther, starting at the shoreline, looping up around the main three falls, and hiking back: about 2 miles in all. Due to the ease of the hike, the proximity to the highway, and the holiday weekend, the falls were swarming with people. It's much more difficult to admire God's handiwork when annoying plebians with their dogs are constantly in the way. Despite the excess-folk, we made the best of it. The falls were truly beautiful, and once we got out of the wind, it was a perfect day to hike. The trails weren't difficult, but they were strenuous enough to make one feel it. The area surrounding the falls was mostly pine with birch mixed in and plenty of bluffs all around. It was a great hike.

After that, we checked into the Lake Breeze Motel. I had booked this place online, but oh my, was it ever disappointing in person. We were only staying one night, thankfully, and that was enough. It was clean and not uncomfortable, but it was tiny and entirely unromantic. We had room 16. I don't recommend.

We had reservations at a fancy place in Duluth, but we blew them off because we realized we hadn't brought appropriate dress. Instead, we drove to Betty's Pies and had a greasy but yummy dinner. We had walleye fingers for appetizer, then I had a buffalo burger with pepper-jack cheese and onion rings, while J opted for the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries. Of course we had to try the pie; I had peach/blackberry and J bit into her strawberry/rhubarb. Oh man. Betty's Pies I do recommend: just north of Two Harbors on 61. Don't miss it.

We stayed at our motel watching Red Green and Monty Python--good stuff.

The next morning we woke to a foggy world and headed to the Vanilla Bean Café in Two Harbors for breakfast, which turned out to be a tasty decision. I had their specialty: oven-baked omelette with ham, onion, and mushroom served with sour cream and salsa. It was plate-sized and delicious. J ordered the raspberry crépes (w/ fresh raspberries) and we split our two dishes to have quite a filling and yummy first meal of the day. The only disappointment was the coffee: it was too bland and watery without any real flavor. I like the vanilla blend a little better.

Then we wandered around Two Harbors kiling time and looking for unique gift shops. We found the town lighthouse and wandered out on the nearby breakwater. It was freezing again, though we saw a barge docked nearby, and that was cool. The fog made the lake disappear a hundred feet from where we stood. Next, we located a neat greenhouse and admired their plants though we didn't purchase any.

Then it was four hours back to sweltering heat, a broken air conditioner, and the gnawing question: Why didn't we stay longer?

Pics: One: Superior shore at Gooseberry Falls S.P.
Two: Gooseberry Falls (I think these are the middle ones)
Three: The disappearing lake
Four: the lighthouse; Mom, this one's for you.

Bienvenidos de Nuevo (Welcome Back)

2006-05-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Tengo dos amigos increíbles quien volverán a Iowa este fin de semana de su viaje a España, y por eso, este post es en la lengua bonita--español. De veras, tengo que decir que sí tengo los celos; me encantaría viajar a España, pero más importantemente, soy alegre que D&E tienen la oportunidad a ver parte de aquel país hermoso y celebrar su boda que fue en el noviembre pasado. Ojalá que su visite sea perfecto. J y yo somos emocionados a oír que hicieron ustedes, pero somos más emocionados a tenerles en el mismo país de nosotros otra vez. Rezábamos por ustedes todos los días este semana. Bienvenidos de nuevo.

I have two incredible friends who will return to Iowa this weekend from their trip to Spain, and for this reason, this post is in the beauitful language--Spanish. Truly, I have to say that I am jealous; I would love to travel to Spain, but more importantly, I'm happy that D&E have the opportunity to see part of that beautiful country and celebrate their wedding which was last November. I hope that your visit is perfect. J and I are excited to hear what you did, but we're more excited to have you in the same country as us again. We've prayed for you guys every day this week. Welcome back.

Please pardon any errors those of you who know Spanish better than I do; I need more practice.

Academia

2006-05-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interesting article by Vicent Cannato (how the Synthesis for that day missed it, I attribute to Kyle having read enough stuff already) about how universities are no longer making any effort to develop their students' sense of morality and aren't student-focused. This paragraph I found especially on point:

There is too little accountability at most schools, Mr. Lewis observes. Trustees often abdicate their responsibilities, while college presidents have become glorified fund-raisers. Most professors are "narrowly educated experts" with little experience outside academia. They are "poorly equipped to help college students sort out" their lives. Meanwhile, professors teach what they want to teach based on their own interests, not on the needs of their students. At too many schools, Mr. Lewis argues, students pursue an "à la carte" course schedule that lacks coherence and can leave large gaps in knowledge.

I loved Bethel, but I can relate to some of this ("glorified fund-raiser" anyone?). I loved the English department faculty and their classes, but I certainly noticed gaps in the curriculum: no theory (since remedied), Russian lit, world lit, or contemporary lit. Also, I do think that professors have free reign to teach and study what they please; clearly, the best interests of the students are being ignored at many universities.

Since I intend to spend my days in the Academy, critiques like this one sound like my vocational challenges. I hope to remedy some of these problems when (Lord willing) I become a professor, but it certainly will be interesting to join in department politics.

Glacier

2006-05-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

We got up late on the second day of our honeymoon, packed up the car, and drove east. It was about 40 miles to Glacier National Park, our destination for the next week, and we were in no hurry. The rental car glided through a few small towns and navigated the windy highway; all the while, the rock faces kept moving: coming closer, then falling away. The highway descended into a rock-walled valley and we passed the final hamlet, took a left following the sign, and finally pulled up to the brown entrance gates where we purchased a week-long pass for $20.

My wife and I expected instant landscape fireworks--we were ready to be amazed, but Glacier played coy. We drove the two-lane Going-to-the-Sun Road beside evergreen forests and splattering brooks, the mountains ascending immediately to our right, while the scenery to port kept shifting. We passed the giant, sparkling mass of Lake McDonald and noticed the burned forest beyond its far shore. Then the car began to climb.

The road took us higher and the views opened all around us: the titanic forest valleys, the peaks still hoarding white caps, and the swirling grey sky above. The car took the Sun Road's only switchback, and our already gaping mouths found a way to gape more. We stopped the car and looked out across a vast and unspeakably gorgious nature scene. It was surreal.

That was only the first few hours of our time in Glacier NP, the place where words failed me. Later that day, we followed the boardwalk trail uphill beside drooping, yellow Glacier Lillies just emerging for the summer to the Hidden Lake overlook where the land dropped away into scattered pines and a huge turquoise lake hemmed in by jagged mountain walls. Everywhere I cast my eyes the landscape strectched thousands of feet above me or cascaded away into miles-wide valleys.

The next day, we hiked to Grinnell Glacier. The trail was carved out of the northern side of the spectacular, glaciated valley, and to our left the entire way the view was too enormous to believe; it was like walking in a living picture. The actual glacier was silver covered with leftover snow and was slowly trickling into Upper Grinnell Lake--the only grey lake I've ever seen. The icebergs floating in the middle of the lake had broken off two years before. Both lake and glacier were surrounded by a 4000 foot vertical wall of rock, creating an immense quiet at the trailhead. It was too much to process.

During that hike, the park ranger asked us to describe the unspeakable beauty before us. "Majestic," someone said. "Huge," said another, and others chimed in, but all adjectives rang false in the face of the indomitable scenery. I could only describe how I felt: small.

There is power in places. Glacier humbled and awed me just because I was there; nothing needed to be said, hyped or exaggerated--it was overpowering just as it was. Perhaps one of the reasons why nature is so healing is because it has a supernatural presence, a heightened reality. In Glacier, I was in disbelief so staggering that it turned itself into deeper belief. Places like Glacier breathe the breath of God on anyone who comes; you can't help but feel it. Even the most adament atheist must feel a twinge of doubt in the presence of Virginia Falls, Mount Gould, Many Glacier, St. Mary Lake, Heaven's Peak, Blackfoot Glacier, or the Garden Wall--names I drop with a touch of reverence.

If you go to Glacier, I recommend that you get off Going-to-the-Sun Road, spectacular though it is, and hike a little. You can see a lot of the park from said road, but you won't feel it and you won't know it like you will if you hike even a small portion of it. There is no shortage of spectacular trails; take one or two or six. And when you do, you'll understand what I meant in this meandering post because you'll feel the breath, hear the voice, and see the vast display of pristine beauty. As Watermark sings, "My words can only paint so many pictures," and Glacier's scenes are works of an inmeasurably better Painter. When you go, you'll see.

Pictures: Top: South end of Hidden Lake. Right: Mt. Gould with Grinnell Lake below.

My Brother

2006-05-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is my little brother after injuring his pinky finger playing basketball last week. For those of you who know my brother, his facial expression despite the obvious and serious dislocation of his finger won't come as a surprise to you. If you don't know him, this picture says a lot. He's got a splint on it now, and everything appears to be all right. Ladies, he's still single!

Look Who's Number Ten and Ensuing Ramblings

2006-05-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

ESPN's college football expert Ivan Maisel came out with his preseason top twenty-five; check out who's number 10! Not that it really matters; preseason rankings count about as much as my pregame gloating before I played softball on Friday. My stats: 1-2 with a K, 3 errors and a run scored. Yeah, I struck out in slow-pitch softball. Guh!

Anyway, back to the rankings. Looks like it's going to be tough to take out Ohio State (my cousin will be happy), but I'm excited that some folks think the Hawkeyes will rebound from the disappointing year last year. Go Iowa! Only three more months until kickoff. It'll be a long summer sports-wise unless the Cubs turn it around, and at least they nipped the White Sox yesterday. Hey, even a blind squirrel gets the grease some days, right?

WOW--Nickel Creek Live

2006-05-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

I knew that seeing Nickel Creek live was going to be a serious display of instrumentation, but oh my, they put on an incredible and highly enjoyable performance that exceeded all my expectations. The night was a display of instrumental fireworks, melody, and improvisation with plenty of extras and surprises packed in.

They opened the set with the title track from their latest album (and the name of their tour) "Why Should the Fire Die?", which they sang in beautiful harmony crowded around one of those omni-directional microphones. Then the trio featuring siblings Sara and Sean Watkins (violin and guitar respectively) and Chris Thile (mandolin) moved to separate mics and played "Scotch and Chocolate," which featured that patented slow build and then burst into a musical romp, fingers flying over strings and solos following on each other.

The third song played was my personal favorite, so I was extra pumped when Sean played the familiar, heavenly riff that begins "This Side"--including another explosive mandolin solo from Mr. Thile. "Best of Luck" came next, and then the mind-blowingly fast mandolin riff that kicks off "Ode to a Butterfly" (J's and my honeymoon song*) rang out and the group's musical talent was on full display as solo upon solo featuring incredibly fast and intricate fingerwork gave way to sweet melodies. That was only the first five songs. I don't remember how the rest of the songs played themselves out (I'll list the setlist out of order later), but rest assured the rest of the songs were just as sweet to hear.

A wildcard at any concert is what the band will say to the audience and whether or not one will like the artists as much as their art; this was not a problem with Nickel Creek. The group teased each other, complimented the audience, and had a great time. Sara had actually taken the path around Bethel and said we had a beautiful campus but that she lost the trail to which someone in the second row replied, "I'll show you!" Sara's brother promptly encouraged her to take him up on the offer. Another banter-related highlight was when Chris asked the audience how we were doing (we cheered of course), and then he said, "That's basically band-speak for 'Do you love me?' Most bands don't care about how their audience is doing." Sara added, "But we weren't doing that." Chris: "I was."

Chris later mentioned that since this was a Christian college, perhaps we'd understand a little morality story ("A parable if you will,"--Sara), and then said, "Well, it's summer now. And summer always means acoustic music. And no acoustic concert would complete without a cover of Britney Spears. As you may know, my Cubs have lost 15 of 18...", and he went on to say that the following song was a metaphor for any kind of addiction, especially bad sports-club related ones. Then, Nickel Creek played "Toxic" (wanna hear it?). Even though it was in jest and we laughed more than we listened, it sounded much better than Ms. Spears' version.

Another suprise came when NC played a blistering "House of Tom Bombadil" that was exciting enough, but then they slowed the song down and Sara sang a cover of "Short People Got No Reason to Live," which was especially humorous given the minute stature of both Watkinses.

The band finished the main set with a ripping version of "The Fox" that brought the audience to their feet clapping and singing along. The uproarious applause that followed forced the encores after the traditional feigned exit. Chris came out first and said, "I'm going to play some Bach for you guys, " and then he did. He proceeded to play one of J.S. Bach's fugues in G minor and did it without any sheet music and with quite a bit of instrumental expression. Sara followed with a cover song about a lost pony that was far more poignant than my summary will make it sound; third, Sean played a new song: "Normally I would play a song of my new record, but they just sold out at the last show." Lastly, the bassist played a song of his solo album. Then Nickel Creek went back into ensemble mode for the penultimate number that featured tap dancing from the bassist (and good dancing too; Chris joined in for a litte bit) and finished with "When You Come Back Down."

The songs as best as J and I can remember them:
"Why Should the Fire Die?"
"Scotch and Chocolate" fantastic version
"This Side"
"Best of Luck"
"Ode to a Butterfly" blisteringly fast and beautiful
(now out of any order)
"When in Rome" liked it much better live; big crowd pleaser
"Somebody More Like You"
"Jealous of the Moon"
"Anthony" another crowd pleaser featuring Sara on ukelele
"Helena" great one
"Smoothie Song" this one went on forever--incredible instrumentation
"House of Tom Bombadil / Short People Got No Reason to Live" :-D
"Reasons Why" another really good one--terrific harmony
"Stumptown"
"The Fox" with everyone clapping--huge hit
"When You Come Back Down"

There were more songs played; either I don't know their titles, don't remember them being played, or hadn't heard them before. It was an incredibly fun concert that lasted for about 2 and a half hours. Nickel Creek to a person is likeable and amazingly gifted. Their stage banter kept us laughing, and the unimaginable instrumentation kept us gawking and clapping. There were lots of surprises and many songs I expected to hear and was very glad to. The crowd was a little laid back at first but then enjoyed the music whole-heartedly; we were a good crowd except for the flash photography which had security threatening to take a camera from the person behind us. The only group I've enjoyed more in concert was Dave Matthews Band; not bad for $10 a ticket. Hopefully, we'll see them again. I'll end here because I've run out of superlatives.

*J and I went to Glacier National Park for our honeymoon and brought only one CD: NC's self-titled album. Now whenever we hear songs off that disc (especially "Ode to a Butterfly") we flash to towering mountains, sparkling rivers, and the highways east of Glacier.

SBEmail's Funny Again

2006-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

I know Strong Bad Email hasn't been as funny as it used to be, but this week's is a great one--especially if you work at a call center. All day. 5 days a week. Check it out. The best part is Homestar's line, "I can help you with that. Let me transfer you to someone who can help you with that." I don't know how many times I myself have uttered essentially the same words.

Whom to Believe: Dan Brown or God?

2006-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

All right, Church of God, this one's for you. If you're not yet a part of the Church but want to read on, feel free. Basically, I'm writing this because I'm disappointed, frustrated, and concerned about the Church's reaction to the novel and upcoming movie The Da Vinci Code. It's been bedlam. Books flying off shelves at Northwestern Books, pundits and talking heads trashing Dan Brown's works and ideas on TV, and regular, normal Christians with fear in their eyes: "What if what's in this book is true?" It's going to be difficult for me to write this without going on a diatribe, so hang in there with me.

The first step in calming down about the book and movie is to take a little lesson in genre. I laughed out loud when I encountered this website: www.thecodeisfiction.com ! Okay you guys, under which section would you find Dan Brown's novel at any library or book store? Biography? No. Nonfiction? Nope. Religion/Spirituality? NO. How about Fiction? The above website is redundant; The Da Vinci Code is fiction by definition; it's a fictional novel! Please, Christians, before you worry about the veracity of a book or its claims, check its genre. I personally found The Da Vinci Code to be a fun read*; check it out if you're interested. It shouldn't destroy your faith. There's so much in there that's been discredited for centuries, and even non-Christians know that. It's fiction. It's not going to be 100% true, but it should get some lee-way to be somewhat false. It's a page-turner; it's better than watching most TV I'd posit.

Second step to moving past Da Vinci-itis is to know the Church's history. What books are in the Bible, and why? Who decided? Why? What claims do we make about Christ and on what basis do we believe those things? The problem here, I believe, is that many Christians first encountered Church history in Brown's pages, so they only heard a critical (and at points laughable) account of Christ and the Church. Go find some books that lay it out for you. Our faith is not so poorly founded.

The third step is to put down some roots in the Lord, beloved. Remember the sower and the seed (Matthew 13)? Don't be the seed choked out by weeds or the seed on rocky soil that died in the first drought. Drink deeply from the Spirit and believe. Jesus says that many will hear his words but not many will follow his way; what will you do?

Fourth, and this is something is rises beyond the Da Vinci issue, expect opposition from the secular world. It seems to me that Christians are frequenly being surprised and upset by governments, organizations, or regular folks opposing the Christian agenda. Don't be. This world is not our home, and we're at war here with very powerful spirits. The world is opposed to the work of Christ; it's always been that way, and it always will be (ask Stephen, Paul, and Peter about opposition). Our work is to be lights in the darkness, but that implies that darkness abounds. Point to the better way, don't get bogged down in the fact that others are opposing us.

Fifth, exercise critical thinking. Not everything you read is true, and not everything is false. There's a lot of grey, and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Read critically. Check out Colossians 2:6-8 (NIV): "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Hmmm, what would we classify Mr. Brown's novel as?

All right, so those are some proactive things we can do to fight this silly Da Vinci fear; however, I'd also like to encourage and exhort some negative steps. Firstly, stop making such a big stink about it! It's a movie and a book. Do you think this will be the last time that a popular phenomenon will blantantly counter things we know to be true in Christ? Beloved, don't be foolish. The bigger the noise you make about how EVIL this book is and how DECEITFUL Brown is, the more people will pay attention to what the book says and who its author is. There's no such thing as bad press; your angry shouts and ranting essays just bring in more interested people.

Second, walk away if it bothers you or (better yet) laugh it off! If you're of the opinion that the book is a negative influence, ignore it. Don't get all worked up; just laugh it off. You know the Truth, right? In one of my favorite C.S. Lewis moments, he describes Christ as the center of all reality--it all springs from Him. If you know him, why do you let a fiction thriller scare you? Demons cringe and flee at the Name of Jesus Christ; why are you afraid of an author? Laugh! This is just a little book with interesing but inaccurate thoughts. It's chaff in the wind; here today and gone tomorrow. You've got eternity with the Most High God of the universe. Let's maintain some proportion here, eh?

Finally, don't let it distract you from the work of the Lord. If we're too busy picketing movie theatres and preaching anti-Da Vinci messages, we're forgetting to feed the poor, help the helpless, and love everyone. We are to spread the Kingdom of God down here, not get worried about movies. You've got more important things to do! "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV).

It's a book! It's a movie! Enjoy them for what they are (entertaining, I think) or laugh 'em off. As a side note, a reliable source tells me the movie's not getting rave reviews, but who cares? Live in the Lord and believe in what you believe in! Don't be so easily led astray, my brothers and sisters. Someday, we'll mention this controversy on the streets of gold and we'll all laugh at how silly we were. Why not start now?

*I'd give the book a 7.6/10 at a solid B. It was a good read but lacked any real depth of character or meaning.

Update: I've made the post less diatribe-esque and added my grade for the book.

My Grade Scale

2006-05-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you are not wondering about how my grade scale works. I give something a 5/10 and it gets a C? If only grade school were like that... Well, I invented a new grade scale for rating things, and so far I think it works great. Feel free to borrow it if you like, but remember, FIGHT GRADE INFLATION!!!

#/10 Grade
10.0 = A+
9.0-9.9 = A
8.5-8.9 = A-
8.0-8.4 = B+
7.0-7.9 = B
6.5-6.9 = B-
6.0-6.4 = C+
5.0-5.9 = C
4.5-4.9 = C-
4.0-4.4 = D+
3.0-3.9 = D
2.5-2.9 = D-
0-2.4 = F

I was disatisfied with stars, thumbs up or down, and whole numbers out of 5. I wanted range and accuracy with my grading because some things are definite Bs but aren't as good as other Bs. I haven't actually made sure my former posts square with this system as it's been in the works for a while, but foregoing posts should reflect this scale.

Coffee's Perfect Mate Indeed

2006-05-16T04:27:00.000-07:00

I didn't used to like coffee. It wasn't until I acquired a certain job in 2004 that coffee became a viable option for me, but even while working there I held out for a couple of months without liking it. But in June, I succumbed to its dark flavor and caffeiney goodness. I drank it black for a time, and I still enjoy it that way, but there's just something sweet about coffee accompanied by Coffee-Mate that I cannot say no to.

I'm no amateur Coffee-Mate taster; I've had my share of flavors. To benefit you, dear reader, here' s my ranking of the flavors I've tried and the marks they warrant:

Amaretto: 9.5/10 A
--As many know, Amaretto is the super combo of almond and cherry. Oh man, this is my favorite by far. It's perfectly sweet and delicious without being overpowering and tastes just as good no matter how much you pour into the coffee.

Coconut Crème: 8.8/10 A-
--You've got to like coconut to enjoy this one, and I do. You need to add more than you probably want to in order to achieve the proper coconutty-ness, but it's good.

Egg Nog*: 7.7/10 B
--Again, you must have the proper Egg Noggy appreciation, but there's plenty to enjoy here when Christmas rolls around. It's a little heavier as Egg Nog tends to be, and you need to pour plenty in your mug to taste it fully. Caveat: it leaves the drinker a little thirsty.

Vanilla Chai Spice: 7.0/10 B
--I really like chai tea, so this was a natural. However, the chai doesn't work as well with the coffee as I hoped, so I have to add a lot of it to make it taste chai-y. Still, it's yummy.

Toffee Nut: 5.5/10 C
--I didn't really like this one, but it was better than not having creamer.

Those are the kinds I have tried, but there are many more I have not yet had the opportunity of tasting: Chocolate Raspberry, Crème Brulée, Hazelnut, Irish Crème (Dan's favorite), Original, Vanilla, Toasted Almond, Vanilla Caramel, Vanilla Nut, Pumpkin Spice*, and Peppermint*. Reading the list of flavors, one must wonder: Why so many Vanillas, Coffee-Mate? It's a quandry. I ought also to mention that the flavors I've tried are all in liquid form; I shy away from the powder because I don't trust powders. It's just a hangup I have.

I found the Coffee-Mate website most entertaining, including a flavor list, locator of vendors, and a drink personalizer. The drink finder was wrong every time I used it, but maybe you'll have better luck.

*denotes a seasonal flavor

Technical Difficulties

2006-05-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Due to unexplained issues with the prior post, I've pulled it in order to fix it after work. We at Ahab's Quest apologize for the inconvenience. The current cause of the problem is unknown, though we blame President Bush, Global Warming, and Postmodernism.

Update: We've reposted the...err...post. Should be good-to-go. Thanks for your patience.

No Longer in "Possession"and a New Kind of Review

2006-05-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

There are times in history when something new comes along that is so incredible, so original and yet makes so much sense that everyone wonders why squi didn't think of it before. This blog post may be one of those moments, for this post is the first (as far as I know) Boovie or Mook review (if you preview one to the other, you know where to comment)! In this one post, I will review A.S. Byatt's romance Possession and the subsequent movie Possession.

The Book

J and I started Byatt's novel at the strong suggestion of many, including a few in Bethel's English Department, so we had high expectations. The book read long, and was beautiful at some points, but overall it disappointed us. The premise and the plot were both very good, but some of the characters, description, and composition led to its downfall.

The premise of the book is basically two parallel love stories. The first exists in the present (set in the 1980s) between two literary scholars, Roland and Maud; the plot unfolds as they investigate and find vestiges of a romance a century earlier between two Victorian authors, Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel Lamotte, the two authors the scholars are studying respectively. It's part romance, part literary criticism, and part mystery, with the lit crit being the worst part. Byatt actually invents Ash and Lamotte's characters, poems, letters, and criticism; it's quite an achievement. The idea I still believe is good and it is the most original part of the novel.

The main plot of the book is very gripping. Roland and Maud continue to stumble onto and then investigate a previously unknown romance between the Victorian authors by discovering love letters, links in poems, and other evidence. Byatt writes it so the reader is invested in both sets of lovers, and the Roland/Maud relationship is slow in developing but never overt or cliché (except at the end when they have sex, which was the singe worst sex paragraph I've ever read. Yech). The plot keeps the pages turning, and that's what one wants in a novel.

However, a lot of the time when the pages are turned, the reader encounters other elements beside the plot, i.e. poems, criticism, letters, excerpts from other made up sources, and side plot. This is the most frustrating aspect of the book. I constantly wanted to hear about Roland/Maud and Ash/Lamotte, or at least read their love letters, but I found instead dragging poems of questionable worth or irritating characters I didn't care about. The constant back and forth which can be so exciting when done well (cf. Tolkien's The Two Towers) instead feels like smashing into a wall every other chapter but without the broken teeth.

The other characters I speak of who bother both J and me so much are Cropper, Blackadder, Val, Fergus and Lenora. They are (respectively) a rich Ash scholar, Roland's boss, Roland's girlfriend then ex, Maud's ex, and a lesbian, Women's Studies scholar from the U.S. Each is annoying, underdeveloped, pointless, or some dreadful combination. In the film, Val and Lenora are cut and one doesn't miss them; this is a luminous detail. Cropper and Fergus are the villains, so they're necessary, but the characters are lame not loathsome. Blackadder is just bland. I should mention that Beatrice Nest's character is an exception--not flat at all but very personable. One enjoys her like one is interested in the main four characters. Overall, however, the side characters in this book don't matter and just get in the way.

The last complaint I raise against the book is a critique of Byatt's writing itself, especially her description. The author spends much time and verbiage describing places, objects, and people's appearances as some authors are wont to do, but the reader can never see them. For example, she once uses a paragraph to describe Christabel's hair, which is blond, as having a greenish tint. This idea is so absurd that she feels she must justify it by making allusions and comparisons, all of which left me wondering why she tried to make Christabel's hair greenish anyway. She's blond--'nough said. This description forces the reader to read along to a story without visualizing what's happening, which is always a poor proposition.

Overall, I give the book a C+ at 5.9/10 (J gives it a straight C). I don't want to read it again, and I hope I don't. I don't suggest you do either.

The Movie

Possession the movie came out in 2002 and stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Ehle (played a great Elizabeth in P&P) and others. I won't be as long-winded about the film as I was about the book because the movie doesn't merit much comment.

It wasn't awful. Much was changed from the book: the afore-mentioned cutting of unnecessary characters, Roland is made into a brash American (he's a Brit in the book), and the plot was stripped of its richness. However, there wasn't as much annoying poetry, and it's always nice to see the English landscape whenever one can. Some of the visuals were neat, but the film never achieved a vision in its cinematography. It progressed rather than developed and then ended.

Watching Paltrow and Ehle is always a pleasure, and their takes on their characters actually made them a lot more sympathetic in J's and my eyes. Jeremy Northam's Ash was well-done also. Aaron Eckhart brutalized Roland--he isn't academic in the movie at all and he's not likeable. Other characters aren't worth mention.

I give the movie a 5/10 and a C-. However, I'd watch this film sooner than I'd read the book again because it doesn't take nearly as long. I don't really recommend the movie either. I don't know if all of Byatt's books are this bad, but I won't find out any time soon.

Some Easy-Access Literature

2006-05-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

In an effort to promote reading and to follow up on my previous post, here is a very short and incomplete list of books that I found easy enough to read to recommend to a beginner. All of them have great literary merit:

Novels

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
--Hilarious and deep. Tricky part: reading dialect.

A Farewell to Arms by Earnest Hemingway
--One of my favs. Hemingway in general is easy to read.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
--A touching novel about coming of age. Tricky part: profanity.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
--Don't feel like a 3rd grader; this is a classic.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
--Yeah, I think it's literature. Timeless, epic, tremendous.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
--Carroll is comical always and given to puns. Kick back and enjoy.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok
--Interesting book about Judaism and about people in general.

Slightly more difficult due to archaic language:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
--Great story of the French Revolution.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
--Tremendous love story and very funny too.

Poets (w/ assistance from J)

Li Young Lee
--Beautiful and simple language.

Robert Frost
--Easy to get into, but plenty of depth upon further reflection.

Elizabeth Bishop
--Modernizes older poetry forms making them more accessible.

William Carlos Williams (if you can stomach "The Red Wheel Barrow")
--Has concrete ideas and is more experience-focused rather than focusing as much on language.

The Death of the Common Reader?

2006-05-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Literature is in trouble. The threat is not a lack of funding, a dearth of good works, or a void of talent, it is a public saturated with other pastimes. It is apathy. The most profound poems and most captivating novels are completely powerless to change a community who won't read. The study of literature and even the perusal of books that are considered to be "heavy" is now relegated almost solely to the Academy; in other words, the books and works that have shaped Western culture (and other cultures) are now only known by a select few.

The great irony is that there are more literate people in the world today than ever before, yet I would estimate that fewer of them read on a regular basis. The causes are myriad:

Distractions abound: People have far more things to take up their free time now than ever before. TV, excercising, movies, video games, music, travel, are just a beginning of things that people have the option of doing, though I think the trio of TV, movies, and video games are the most damaging to reading time. They're fun and they're easy--passive entertainment. Reading literature is almost the polar opposite: it forces to you actively engage a text, challenges your thoughts and worldviews, and takes time and effort.

Postmodernism: It's great fun to blame Postmodernism (Pomo) for everything that is wrong (I always enjoy it), but it's not always accurate to do so. What I reference here is Pomo's undermining of language and inherent meaning. If the literary scholars are saying that a text has no discernible meaning (or maybe has relative meaning) then what shall a layperson think? Segue...

Most people think they can't understand it: I've often heard (and hear of) friends or relatives of literature students who won't read anything even slightly literary because they are convinced they won't understand it. The language is too old or too heightened. It's too confusing. It's not laid out. This self-doubt is preventing these individuals from even trying to read something scholarly when in actuality a lot of Literature is pretty easy to access (hint: don't start with Ulysses), and the only way readers learn to interpret the more difficult works is to read them. If you don't get it all, that's okay; Cliff Notes exist for a reason.

Apathy: This is most damaging and most powerful of the causes. A friend told me that a recent study found that 80% of people don't question life or think about existence. Whether or not this is an accurate estimate, it does explain why a lot of people don't want to engage Hemingway, Dostoevsky, or even Austin: they don't want to think.

Is there anything to be done? Maybe we need better literature? The existing literature is already superb if you know where to look. Better marketing? I cringe at that idea. Is there a way to get people to care more about literature without a cultural overhaul?

Samuel Johnson is renowned for his stance that the common reader is the primary judge of literary merit; if a work or author doesn't please the average citizen, he argued, then it is not good. I'm afraid Dr. Johnson's idea applied to this century would result in either the proliferation of poor books or the slow death of literature, which I'm not sure we're avoiding anyway. The common reader now is non-existent in my view, or if squi* exists, squi reads The Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter. I like both of those titles, but they are brain candy--they don't require one to think at all. Profound meaning is not to be had by perusing these novels and their ilk.

I do not wish to become a curmudgeon, nor do I think literature needs an even more erudite reputuation than it already commands. I'm happy that people still read some things, I simply seek a means to reacquaint the common reader with works that will challenge their mindset or shift their worldview a little. Though I do no admit defeat outrightly, I struggle to invent a means of increasing the audience of literature without compromising its content. It's a problem to which I have no solution, though I will combat it in any way I can.

*"squi" is my non-gender-specific pronoun replacing "he or she" or the dreaded "s/he"

Rage Against the Half-shirt

2006-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

--There's a plague that's sweeping the nation right now, one that affects only women. It is called the "shrug" or (as I more appropriately deem it) the half-shirt. Ladies everywhere are wearing these hideous monstrosities to work, class, school, and dates. Normally, I am not one to dally with something so meaningless and transient as fashion, but something must be said against this horrid trend.
--A shirt is something that covers the upper half of one's body, and there are many different kinds of shirts that serve many purposes such as warmth, keeping the sun off one's skin, and modesty. The half-shirt permits none of these functions. It cannot be for warmth as it leaves the midrift completely and purposefully exposed; it does not shield oneself from the sun; and it certainly is not modest. Because of all these things, a woman sporting a half-shirt is forced to wear another shirt underneath it to make it workable (see picture at left). There are many times when wearing an undershirt makes sense, but due to the very nature of the half-shirt, one is forced to wear another (often equally expensive) shirt too pull it off.
--Clearly, there can only be one reason why the half-shirt craze exists: Fashion. As far as I can understand, fashion is when insane, rich people who like extravagant, impractical clothing parade some abnormally skinny women around in ridiculous garments that any fool would scoff at before putting on. Somehow, one or two of these outfits find their way into stores where other women (usually more normally-shaped) who have seen pictures of the super-skinny women in these clothes, purchase the outfits and wear them around for a short period of time until either so many women wear these clothes that they feel silly for owning them, or until other, dumber fashions come about and the females feel ridiculous wearing the previously purchased, still-weird-looking outfits; it's time to buy other, newer strange-looking clothes because they're "in style."
--I should mention that men's fashion works in a similar way, but men balk at expensive clothes and tend not to care what others think about what they wear, making Fashion a less powerful force in males. Rather, men get super upset over sporting events that they'll always remember and froth at the mouth about even though they only have a slight, intangible connection to anything relating to the game or the players.
--What makes the half-shift phenomena especially heinous? It looks foolish now. Any fashion trend looks silly in retrospect: witness poodle skirts, bell-bottoms, polka-dots, Hammer pants, and sweater dresses. As my brother appropriately said, "I've never seen any girl who looks good in those [half-shirts]." Ladies, you look like you've been hoodwinked when you wear these shirts: "Excuse me, ma'am. You look great today; I really like your shirt. Have you ever thought about cutting off the bottom of that shirt and still wearing it around? Well, don't bother! We have a shrug that does all the work for you and costs a lot more!"
--The secondary reason why women wear the half-shirts (as explained to me by my loving wife) is that they de-emphasize the hips and draw attention to the...wait for it...breasts! Ah yes, the Feminist movement has been so successful that women now spend money in order to purchase incomplete garments for the purpose of drawing men's attention to their upper private parts. Of course any woman wants to look nice (as should any man, though we know that's not always the case), and purchasing sensible clothes that fit and emphasize a woman's natural body shape should not be mocked; the half-shirt, however, seems a little too overt.
--Even with all the silly-lookingness, one could shrug off the shrug craze if half-shirts didn't cost so dang much. My theory is, if you're getting half a shirt, you should pay half price. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It seems like the fashion industry is trying to get people to spend as much as possible on as little material as possible. This same principle explains why thongs cost $6 a piece and use about a tenth of an inch of fabric.
--So women, please desist in the buying and wearing of half-shirts. You look ridiculous. There are plenty of other articles of clothing that make you look good and that you could still wear next year and not feel silly. Would I be amiss is suggesting that we aim for these items? As a society, we put too much emphasis on things that don't last. We can all afford to be smarter about what we buy. I say, let's start with the half-shirt.

She can Cook

2006-05-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

--My wife has a lot of different abilities and talents, and I'm super blessed to call her my better half. This post, I'd like to honor her incredible cooking abilities. Here's a short list of stuff she's made from recipes, her own mind, or a combination of both:
-Lasagna (both red and white lasagna, the white with shrimp)
-Enchiladas (very cheesy con pollo)
-Homemade Pizza (we've had both pepperoni and sausage)
-Peach Pork
-Curry Chicken (with a nod to E of D&E)
-Sweet and Sour chicken or pork
-Chili
-Farfalle with Pesto (want the recipe?)
-Crab cakes (last night! Mm mmm)
-Beef cuts in a brandy sauce (Note: I do not recommend brandy by itself...blegh)
-Fried Chicken
--This is just a small sampling of the cooking we enjoy every week. Of course, we have Tuna Helper, soup, or hot dogs some nights, but J always finds a way to make them interesting (e.g. adding vegetables to the helper). Also, I should note that many of these recipes J makes on weeknights after working all day. I'm blessed to have such an amazing woman as a wife. Hats off to you, J.

Vikes get New Duds

2006-04-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

--I'm not foolish enough to believe that all of you care about uniforms as much as I do, but in case you didn't notice, the Vikings recently unveiled their updated purple outfits. Of course, this is a marketing scam, but it's always fun to see new unis.
--These aren't too bad. There's a lot more white on the home jersey, and I do like the purple pants for away, but ONLY FOR AWAY. Oh man, if even once they don those grape pants with the same colored helmet and jersey at home, it's on. Don't make me mock you, Vikings. The Seahawks know I can bring the noise. No matter what anybody says (Nate!) those boys from Seattle are the worst-dressed team in NFL history, and it's not even a close fight. So Vikes, I suggest you avoid the monochrome trap; remember, it's all about contrast.
What's good
--The white shoulder stripes are plenty cool.
--They stuck with their color scheme and helmet, which always was one of the cooler helmet ideas in the league.
--I like the purple pants for away (again, more contrast!), plus it makes them look fiercer.
What's bad
--More of those pant stripes that look like Nike swooshes (nice work, Reebok). I guess they're supposed to be swords, but at least the colors look pretty good.
--The Minnesota Norsemen missed a chance to do right with their numbers what every other NFL team screws up when they have a color scheme that involves yellow, and that is to put the yellow as the main color of the numbers and then outline the yellow with the darker color on the road and white at home. This makes the numbers visually pop rather then making them look all blurry from a distance. The Chiefs, Chargers, and Redskins, all struggle with the same problem. My friends, follow the example of the Rams' or the Saints' home jerseys, or at least the Packers who didn't bother with any yellow outline at all--note how easily read those white-on-green numbers are.
--I always thought it was cool that the Vikings had completely different uniform styles when they played on the road vs. home--away jerseys had the over-the-shoulder pad stripes, while the purple home jerseys had the sleeve stripes. I guess there's something to be said for continuity.

--Overall, these uniforms don't look bad at all. I'll give them a B. They're not completely botched, and that's the main thing.

"The Iliad" or "What? No Trojan Horse?!!?"

2006-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

--I read The Iliad for two reasons: 1. It's a classic, and I'm going to grad school in literature; 2. I wanted to read about the Trojan horse escapade that's so famous and widely parodied. Unfortunately, the second reason to read the book turned out to be misinformation; The Iliad contains no account of the famous equestrian chicanery (it's in The Aeneid apparently), so I when I turned the last page, I exclaimed, "WHAT?!" But I suppose it's for the best since otherwise, it would've been more difficult to get through Homer's work.
--Every time one reads famous literature, the primary question needing to be answered is: Is it Literature deservedly or is it overrated? In The Iliad (which is a word that means a poem about Ilium a.ka. Troy), I found some real treasure but also a lot of things I could've done without. --As most know, the plot takes place in Asia minor as the Greeks (referred to as Achaeans in the text) duke it out with the Trojans over whether or not Troy gets sacked. The cause for the war is Paris's kidnapping of the very hot (so the text says) Helen, who was originally married to Menelaus of Greece. The bulk of the tale is eaten up with various fellas getting speared by each other and going down to the dust; it's a bloody book. Here's a brief plot summary: The Greeks arrive and kill a bunch of Trojans; the Trojans rally around Hector and kill a bunch of Greeks, injure most of their leaders, and burn one of their ships; Achilles, seeing the burning ship, sends his pal Patroclus out to fight and Greeks kick butt again, driving the Trojans back to their gates; Hector kills Patroclus and Troy rebounds a little; Achilles finally joins the fray and kils a ton of Trojans including Hector; Priam (king of Troy) comes to ransom Hector's body; finis.
--I wasn't taken with the plot. I like war books usually, and this one has its moments, but Homer never really captivated me with the war. I always remained frustratingly distant from the thrust of the plot, maybe because I was waiting for the Trojan horse development (brrrmmp). Though the action didn't hold me spellbound, I found some joy in the characters of the book, both mortal and otherwise, so I'll focus the remainder of this post on them.
Characters
--Let's start with the Greeks, whom I was rooting for throughout the book (after all, Paris did steal Helen, and that's pretty unjust). Some major players on the Achaean side include Odysseus, Agamemnon, Patroclus, Menelaus, and Achilles. Odysseus is my boy (his Homeric novel is far cooler), and it was neat to see the "clever tactician" at work scheming and killing. Good guy. Then there's Agamemnon. He's arrogant, boastful, but a dang good fighter. I didn't like him much. His stealing Achilles' slave girl is the grudge that keeps Achilles from fighting for most of the book. Patroclus is another good guy: ready-to-fight, loyal, but there's not much depth there. Menelaus did some good fighting and certainly had the best grievance against Troy since Helen is his wife.
--And there's Achilles. The Iliad is subtitled The Wrath of Achilles, so I must admit I was expecting a lot from the man. It was certainly lame of him to sit out because Agamemnon stole Briseis, his beautiful slavegirl whom he kidnapped from a different battle. It took far too long for "the swift runner" to don his armor and kill some sons of Ilium. Sure, he can heft the biggest spear (one wonders what the feminist critics would say of that...), he's the son of an immortal, and he's got that wicked cool shield made by a god, but I need a guy who's going to go to war for the his people the whole time. Plus, he cries a lot for being such a tough guy, especially after Patroclus dies. He's a good friend, but c'mon, Achilles, you've got Trojans to skewer. I wanted to root for him the whole poem, but in the end, he was just okay.
--There aren't a lot of heavy-hitting Trojans; Aeneas, Paris, and Hector are the main guys, and Priam is always in the background being too old to fight. Aeneas seems like a cool guy, and the gods dig him. Achilles was going to spear him but Athena whisks him away so Virgil could write an epic too. As The Aeneid is my next challenge, so I'm sure I'll get to know this guy better. Then there's Paris, the jerk. He's the fella who stole Helen away and started the whole war. Troy's attitude toward him seems to be split; they like him because he's so dreamy and they all agree that Helen is a hottie, but they also say things like, "You started this whole war," so there's tension there. I would've liked to see him die, but you can't have everything.
--I started out hating Hector and his flashing helmet, but in the end I changed my mind. As I mentioned earlier, I was rooting for the Greeks throughout, so Hector was my arch-nemesis since he kills oh-so-many Achaean warriors. He's proud but truly brave (except when Achilles chases him around Troy three times), and he dies a man's death. At least he was out there fighting for his city during the entirity of the battle, rather than letting a slight grievance keep him at home.
--The last major group of characters was the gods, and they do plenty in this epic. They're always interfering with the events surrounding Troy, each god rooting for his favorite mortals or choosing sides in the fight. Overall, they seem really lame. Some like Troy; some, Greece. Some shower Achilles in glory, others kill for Hector's sake. They're always in-fighting with each other and getting hurt by mortals in random things. Some of them are cooler than others (I always like Poseidon, and I must admit, it's pretty funny when Hera seduces Zeus and tricks him into forgetting about the war altogether for a bit), but overall, it's hard for me to imagine worshipping anything so petty, stupid, and cross.
--So what is there to glean from this classic epic, so full of death and war? What struck me most powerfully was the inevitability of fate for these people. For example, Achilles knows he will die during the siege of Troy, but he doesn't flee because if he does the gods will still find a way to carry out their will. Zeus' nod is law in this tale; whatever he gives his assent to will come to pass. One also notices the courage of the citizens of Greece and Troy to fight for their own peoples. Homer is certainly not afraid of showing us the brutal, often horrifying realities of war in this book, which is certainly a stark reminder for us now regardless of political affiliation. It's a story about people trying to live a better life, fighting against forces both mortal and immortal to achieve what they believe is best. In many ways, it's a microcosm of human development.
--For all that and the fact that it was put down on paper (papyrus?) six centuries before Christ, The Iliad is clearly a massive achievement that's affected Western cultures for millenia. However, I found the actual narrative somewhat lacking in captivating force; I just didn't care as much as I wanted to, so I couldn't enjoy the poem as much as I would like to. I give it a 7.6/10. Well worth reading, but more useful as a reference while reading other works. I would read it again, however, and probably will eventually.

The "Quest" goes High-Tech

2006-04-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I admit I'm a slow learner when it comes to blogging, but thanks to the help of some friends, I have figured out how to moderate comments, add pictures, and insert links. Therefore, if you're a frequent reader (and everyone ought to be), you'll see more comments and high-tech-type doodads if you reread the prior posts. Sorry about the dilatory comments, and I'm flattered that so many of you comment on my meager posts.

Profanity

2006-04-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

--There are few things that bother me more than swearing; I'm not sure why. There is something inherently offensive in it that always irks me underneath my gently-smiling exterior. It is rude at best and deplorable at worst. For many people, profanity has become the only means of expressing themselves while perfectly acceptable and always more apropos words are falling into unuse. What's to be done? Is there a place for profanity, and if so, what, where and when should it be okay? Would something be lost if swearing ceased, i.e. is it a form of human expression worth preserving?
--There are two main arguments I have encountered when it comes to profanity of those who defend the vulgar diction: 1. Swear words are arbitrary and therefore meaningless 2. There is a time and a place wherein swearing is the only way to properly express oneself. Let's start with argument one.
--The idea that something is a societal construction and therefore meaningless is actually a thesis one encounters numerous times in the Academy (witness Mulitculturalism). The crux of this argument is that if something is created by some people, then it is without merit for everyone and can be castigated by those who don't feel as if they are a part of the group who developed the idea. For swearers, profanity is simply a lexicon that some have arbitrarily decided is bad. I've heard expressed thusly: "If we banned all swear words, then other words would become swear words. And the words that are condemned at one time are usually thought of as banal by the following generation, like 'that sucks' or 'crap.'"
--That swearing evolves is clear; social standards are constantly in flux. The idea that the changing mores of society imply that what's deemed improper now should be diregarded does not follow. People have the responsibility to be polite, a responsibility many choose to ignore. The result is a generation of people who use obscenitites without regard for their environment and situation. For the some bystanders, profanity creates discomfort or malaise with the swearer (especially when children are around). Am I such a prude that cursing always bothers me?
--The second argument that profanity is appropriate in certain situations is also pretty common. What about when one slams one's hand in the car door? Sudden, overwhelming misfortune? Pent-up frustration? Sometimes it just comes out, right? Perhaps I am alone in finding these arguments completely unpersuasive and even somewhat poor. Don't misunderstand; heaven forbid me to ever judge anyone on anything, especially something so relatively insigficant as cursing occassionally. That said, I have never been in a situation (and I've been in some bad ones) where I couldn't help but swear. It' s always a choice. If the choice to curse is made out-of-hand again and again, then the control over the swearing vanishes but only due to overuse (of course I leave out those who suffer from Turret's Syndrome or other such maladies).
--Our culture in unceasingly inundated by profanity. It's in our music (or our "music" if we're talking aboug rap), on TV, everywhere in movies, and in the mouths of co-workers and even children (especially on Super Nanny). What has the flood of cursing done?
1. Vulgar speech is now so common my post will read like an old fogey reminiscing about the old days.
2. Our culture's vocabulary is now poor at best because so many people swear to describe their situation. The word "shit" and "fuck" mean so many things, they now mean nothing at all. For example, if I am popular, many folks may call me "the shit," but if my day goes poorly, it was "shitty." The same root-word now means both good and bad. There are thousands of useful, expressive, cogent, and apropos adjectives, nouns and adverbs out there: USE THEM.
3. Being polite is now passé. Everyone is rude all the time, everyday, in millions of places, and in myriads of differing situations.
4. There is no sense of proportion in diction. Most people don't let loose a string of profanity unless they're really upset, at least that's how it ought to be, but now if a co-worker of mine drops a pen, I hear "Shit. Fuckin' pen." Pick up the pen, and shut up.
5. Other cultures are being adversely affected. I recently saw on that mildly interesting episode of 20/20 that was about Japanese culture. In Japanese, there are no curse words; they don't exist. So, what do the youth say when they want to rebel? That's right, they use our swear words. Globalization at its best.
--There is always a better word. There is always a better word to describe how you're feeling, what you're thinking, or even just to express disgust. So everyone, clean up your language. If you're going to curse, shut up. I am weary of hearing that filth. We can and should be more proactive to better our communities and personal interactions. Use a thesaurus if you have to, and if you can't muster a shred of human decency, pretend for my sake. Thank you.

Baseball

2006-04-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

It's spring again, and baseball is back, asserting itself with endless relatively meaningless games going on daily and nightly. I am glad. Baseball is the best sport in America these days due to the pace, stadiums, homeruns, and pitching.

--It isn't that baseball doesn't have problems. Steroids have rocked the validity of the game. Barry Bonds is a problem all to himself. The salaries are inflated, people complain about revenue sharing, and sometimes it's boring to watch (there are one-hundred sixty-two games that everybody has to play; then there's the playoffs...). Clearly, there is no shortage of baseball-related issues.
--However, baseball has an appeal that other sports lack. There is no clock; the games take as long as they need to take, the at-bats require as many pitches as it takes to get an out or a hit, the half-innings stretch as long as an offense can shoot a ball between fielders. Many people whine that the lack of clock makes for long games. Good. The last thing we need in this culture is an instant-gratification, convenient, easy-to-use, drive-thru, automatic, quick-hitting kind of game. Sit down and watch. And chat. And sit. Baseball demands the fan to slow down.
--Another likeable aspect of baseball is the playing fields/stadiums. Baseball is the only sport where playing in a different stadium means playing on a field with different dimensions. NFL, NBA, tennis, and NHL all play on the same surface no matter where the game is held(I should mention that golf has different playing surfaces like baseball, but I can't care about golf). The effect this has shouldn't be downplayed: you go to a ballpark and the first thing you do is look around at the field. There is an undeniable aesthetic appeal about the diamond, the green, grassy outfield, and the curved or angled walls. Most new parks are also constructed to take advantage of the cityscape or natural features (e.g. PNC Park in Pittsburgh, or the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis). Clearly, baseball has the best playing surface in sports.
--Another characteristic of baseball that has universal appeal is the homerun. The homerun is the single most exciting in-game event in sports. Across sports, what can I compare it to? A last-second 3-pointer? Homers can win games in the ninth. A long TD pass? Homeruns are more majestic. A hole-in-one? Doesn't do it for me (though it is substantially rarer). A hat-trick in hockey? A last-lap pass in NASCAR (oh wait, we're talking about sports; NASCAR is by definition excluded)? There is something about the crack of the bat and the batter's eyes lighting up as the bathead comes around. The pitcher turns, dejected, and the fans rise from their seats. The small white sphere soars through the heavens as one outfielder gives hopeless chase. The fans surge up en masse to catch the ball as it lands. There's nothing like it in sports.
--The last thing that makes baseball truly great is something that not everyone appreciates: pitching. You simply cannot enjoy the game unless you understand and admire pitching. Location, speed, and pitch-type all varying from one throw to the next, from batter to batter. Good pitching is like hearing a symphony; it's arranged, organized, beautiful, yet still unpredictable.
--For these reasons, I posit that baseball is the best sport despite its problems. Baseball's untimed pace, beautiful venues, exciting homerun, and orchestral pitching put it above all other sports. Sure, football is more exciting to follow, hockey has its charms, and college basketball is fantastic come March, but if I had to eliminate all sports but one tomorrow, baseball would still fill every summer with pitchers' duels, lazy fly balls, and the intangible sense of something good.

"A Grateful People" and a Fond Farewell

2006-04-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Reviewing Christian music follows most of the same standards as reviewing secular music: musicality, rhythm, message, etc.; however, there is also a spiritual element that cannot be ignored. I will never claim that Watermark is the best Christian band. Their sound is good soaring to great at times, their lyrics are worshipful always but not uber-clever, and they don't excel at variety in sound. That said, there is now nor ever has been (in my observation) a band more focused on Christ--more worshipful--than Watermark. For that reason alone, they are my personal favorite Christian band, and for that reason, I will miss them greatly.
A few weeks ago, Watermark released their final album (at least for a while) A Grateful People. It is largely a live recording of a concert performed last year on August 25, 2005 (my birthday!) in the home church of Christy and Nathan Nockels who are Watermark. The track list reads almost like a greatest hits of the band, though as with any greatest hits album, much more of their best music is excluded than included. The album also features a number of guests including Shane & Shane and Point of Grace.
The disc begins fast with a ripping version of "Take Me There," featuring much more acousitc guitar sound than the original recording. This flows right into the tour-de-force "The Glory of You Name," which is fantastic as always. Other live tracks of previous recordings include "Gloria/Friend for Life," the ever-powerful "Glory Baby," "More than You'll Ever Know," "The Purest Place," and "Captivate Us."
The tracks I hadn't heard before range from solid to excellent. "A Grateful People" is simple enough in the verses but has the trademark Watermark explosion of worship in the chorus: "Lord, your mercy turns us into grateful people / who can't seem to find the words / so take our lives that they might be enough." "Grateful" also has a "Bless the Lord" tag-on song featuring Chris Tomlin, which again shows the worshipfulness of a band desiring to come alongside their audience to praise. "Arise and Be Comforted" is a release from Watermark's independent days, though I'd never heard it, and Shane and Shane guest on the track. It's an instant epic for me, telling of God's love and comfort for those who suffer: "Arise and be comforted / For the Lord, he is good to the weary." Essentially, it's Isaiah 40 put to music, and it's wonderful. "In the Garden (There is None like You)" is good but not one of the best tracks on the disc.
"Light of the World" and "Elliana's Song" are the non-live recordings coming at the end of the CD. "Light of the World" is another patented Watermark-style worship song focused on the Redeemer, and for that I thoroughly enjoy it. The final track is the second in a matched-set of songs to their two children ("Noah's Song" appears on Constant), and I like it better than the one to their son. There is something sweeter about Christy singing about mothering her daughter that is hard to write about without sounding cheesy. It's a tear-jerker.
Overall, it's a fantastic swan song for the band whose lyrics have become my prayers more often than I can remember. The musicality, the worship, Christy's powerful, focused singing, and Nathan's guitar and solid harmonies are ever-present, and the guest stars only add for the most part(though as for me, Point of Grace took over "Who am I?/Grace Flows Down" a little too much). It's a must for fans of the band, and for new-comers, it's an excellent first taste: 8.5/10.

The album is bittersweet for me because Watermark has become such a strong part of my faith-life that I only want more opportunities to worship alongside of them via CD. That said, Christy writes in the album jacket their reasons for retiring the band: she wants to give her all to her kids, and Nathan needs more time to produce music, so I really do applaud their decision.
Watermark has seen me through so many different epochs in my short life, and God's used them in a myriad of ways in the years I've owned any of their works.
The first time I heard Watermark was in my sister's car in Washington, D.C. It was a dark time for me spiritually: I felt far from God, my heart was hardened, and I had completely soured on Christian music. When Karen pushed "play" and I first encountered Christy Nockels singing, "I was created to love You," something stirred in my spirit. Here was Life. I couldn't deny it, and I began to feel the depths of my fall. I then proceeded to forget about the band more or less for a year and a half.
Then, before coming to Bethel, I was reminded again of that album, that band who were so full of life, and that voice that was so pure and deep. I called my sister and got the name. It was still a while before I purchased All Things New (still my favorite), but since then, the more I've heard from Watermark, the more my soul has rejoiced. I've seen them live, I own all their albums (except the super rare ones), and I even have a picture of me with Nathan and Christy.
I guess I write all of this to express gratitude, though I doubt anybody related to Watermark will ever read this post. There are very few bands whose lyrics say things to and about the Lord that I want to sing, and fewer bands whose words I make my prayers. Watermark's lyrics have been sincere confessions, praises, requests, and gratitude spouting from my lips and pouring out of my soul more times than I can recall. I am grateful for their sincere, devout, and deep-rooted faith in God and desire to worship that shows itself again and again in their music. Blessings on them and their families. They have blessed my life more than they'll ever know.

The 20 Best from Watermark
1. "All Things New" All Things New
"Because of your love and the beauty of the cross, I can see your work in me"

2. "The Glory of Your Name" The Purest Place
"The perfect Lamb that was slain, there's the glory of your Name / No other one, no other way for me to see"

3. "Take Me There" Watermark
"You are here and I can feel you / and I just want to be where you are"

4. "Glory Baby" ATN
"Sweet little babies, it's hard to understand it 'cause we're hurting / We are hurting / But there is healing / And we know we're stronger people through the growing / And the knowing that all things work together for our good / And God works his purposes just like he said he would"

5. "My Covering" PP
"Death has no victory / Sin has no hold on me / I'm covered in my Christ who is my life"

6. "His Renown" W
"We can't just wash our hands of this and walk away / And blame the ones before us because it's easier to say / than to listen to his heart, beating for the coming age"

7. "Gloria" W
"I wish I could crash like the waves and turn like the autumn leaves in effort to praise you"

8. "More Than You'll Ever Know" ATN
"You've carried me / You've taken upon a burden that wasn't your own / May the blessing return to you a hundred fold"

9. "Friend for Life" Constant
"Deep is the stain inside of me / Deeper the River that washes me clean / I've been the one who cries in the night / But you've been the Friend of my life"

10. "Good for Me" ATN
"It is good for me to lay it down at your feet"

11. "Arise and Be Comforted" A Grateful People
"Lift your eyes to the heavens / for the Creator is living in you / Come surrender as you are / Know that you'll never stray too far / Let his power within you heal your heart"

12. "Calm the Waters" W
"I have never caught wind of anything quite so amazing / You have breathed your life in me"

13. "Incorruptible" ATN
"I am not redeemed by corruptible things / Not by silver, not by gold, not by aimless tradition / But by the blood of God's sacred Son Jesus"

14. "Carry You" C
"He goes before you now with a big, bright banner across this town / saying 'Here comes my child'"

15. "Mended" PP
"You've got all things suspended, all things connected / Nothing was forgotten because your love is perfect / You are a healer and you know what's broken / We're not a mystery to you"

16. "A Grateful People" AGP
"Lord, your mercy turns us into grateful people / who can't seem to find the words / so take our lives that they might be enough / To show you how grateful we are"

17. "Hidden in You" PP
"You win the war over me / So my worship will be a life that is hidden in you / Your life is setting me free"

18. "Still" C
"Shut my mouth / Crush my pride / Give me the tears of a broken life"

19. "Constant" C
"Because of the work of the cross / You pursue my life and you love me completely / You go after every heart / You won't rest until we know you are constant"

20. "Elliana's Song" AGP
"To mother a daughter / To look you in the eye / To know that I have everything to walk with you in life / To give you to Jesus / That he may impart / The wisdom that I'm longing for to mother your heart / Elliana, God has answered my prayer"

There are lots of other good ones too. Just missing the cut: "Holy Roar," "Captivate Us," Driven to Humility."

Seeing "Hamlet"

2006-03-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

There is no better play in the English language than Shakespeare's Hamlet. There may be no better play in any language, though I surely won't ever know. Therefore, it was a delight to see it played this past weekend at Minneapolis' famous Guthrie Theatre (I much prefer the "theatre" spelling to "theater"). I had two series of reactions to the show occuring simultaneously whilst I watched: first, I was excited to see Hamlet and be reminded of all the existential questions the play asks; second, I took note of the production aspects of this particular rendition of the tragedy.

Hamlet generally
The strangest thing about seeing the show was to actually hear actors uttering the famous speeches which everyone knows: "To be, or not to be, that is the question..."; "Get thee to a nunnery"; "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"; "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio"; "This is madness, yet there is method in it." The entire play is marked by epic speeches, but when they were said, the upper-class (dare I say stuffy) Guthrie audience giggled like teenagers, "Hee hee! I know that line!" That was disappointing.
Being so familiar with the text, clearly I wasn't going to be surprised by any plot development, but I was must affected by the visual elements of Hamlet. The scene where Laertes embraces the now-dead Ophelia is truly disturbing in a way I'd never pondered. Also, the sword duel was exciting to watch; one gets the overwhelming sense of impending doom. Overall, it was great to see actual people performing the show.
Hamlet is my favorite play because it asks all of the hardest questions and doesn't offer easy answers. Is it better to live or to die? Why is there suffering? What should we do about the wrongs that have already been done? How do we handle tragedy? What is madness? How do we find love in a corrupt world?
Along with all those thematic questions inherent throughout the show, there are also the numerous intriguing elements that are specific to the action. The reader must wonder if Old Hamlet is a good ghost or a demon. One must question Gertrude's fidelity to Old Hamlet, her knowledge of (complicity in?) his death, and her love for her son. The title character is a mass of intrigue. He says he'll put on an "antic dispostion," but one wonders if he maintains control of his madness. Similarly, there are questions about the cause of his delay in carrying out revenge, and the sincerity of his amour for Ophelia. For all these reasons and more, Hamlet is the most complex and profound play I've yet encountered, and it was fun to see actors and a director have to answer these challenges.

The Guthrie's production
The most important piece of any play is easily the actors, and this production was solid with only a few let-downs. Santino Fontana's Sable Prince was really excellent overall. He approached the character as a young person (which Hamlet is) and didn't overplay the part, which is all too easy to do. His Hamlet was always sincere, ready to crack a joke (until towards the end), and unflaggingly energetic. Fontana's Hamlet didn't grasp the gravity of the situation until it was too late, and his madness scenes were well-done. It was a Hamlet I'd never seen before, and I appreciated that greatly. Fontana excelled at delivering the lines everyone knows so well (with the possible exception of the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, but that's pardonable as it's so well-known), and his affection for Ophelia was clear and powerful. I really enjoyed his performance.
The other characters ranged from great to adequate. Ophelia (Leah Curney) was delicate, emotional, caring, and sweet when sane, and she was wild, lost, and deranged after her father's death. Curney was outstanding. Peter Michael Goetz played a hilarous and enjoyable Polonius; Mr. Goetz hardly ever disappoints. Claudius (Matthew Greer) was good but not overwhelmingly so, as was Horatio (Kevin O'Donnell), but then Horatio's really stoic anyway so it's hard to deliver a stand-out performance with his part. The supporting cast was more than up for their roles. The only disappointment for me was Gertrude, who was played by Christina Rouner. She was detatched and emotionally distant from Hamlet, so I never bought in to their bond, and her choices when it came to the picture scene were underplayed.
The Guthrie set the show in the 1940s, which was fine but not earth-shaking. The timeframe allowed Hamlet to shoot Polonius instead of stabbing him, which noisily marked an instant turn toward the tragic in the production. The only other truly noteworthy aspect of the setting was the director's choice to make Fortinbras into a Nazi-esque figure, which destroys what I always thought was a somewhat positive ending (after all the death of course).
Overall, I'd give the production an 8 out of 10. It's hard to perform a show that's so popular and make it fresh, but the Guthrie did a superb job of making the characters real. I stood up for Mr. Fontana during the bows, whose career will inevitably be slightly disappointing after playing the role in dramatic literature. I recommend seeing it, but not for more than $30 a ticket if possible.

Are Sports Worth Following?

2006-03-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, much to my chagrin, #3 seed Iowa lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Being a native Iowan, I was more than a littel disappointed; I was crushed. That game put me into a bad mood for the remainder of that afternoon and parts of the rest of that weekend. Unfortunately, this kind of disappointment is the rule rather than the exception for me when it comes to sports. Every game can have only one winner; every season ends with one champion. If one roots for one team and invests a great deal of emotion into that team's outcome, squi will be disappointed far more often than not.
For me, sports will always be entertaining and interesting. I'm naturally drawn to the game, the players, and the big moments. However, my poor handling of losses is only one of the deterrants that sports now has. Considering how intolerable sports media is becoming, the unpardonable machismo of the players, and the largesse of the time commitment being a die-hard fan demands, I begin to wonder if sports is worth following at all.
I used to be as big a fan of ESPN as I was of sports in general. Olbermann, Patrick, Mayne, Eisen, and Kilborn used to be names I used somewhat reverantly. However, in the years since the mid-90's, sports media has changed greatly. The main shift has been from reporting to speculating. Listening to, reading, or watching sports media is now a matter of comment and prognostication. "What will this guy do?" "Will this team be good now? What about now?" "How could this possibly have happened?" "Is this the best team EVER!?!?" Overstatement is now the norm; hyprebole is ever-present. How I wish sports media would breakdown what has happened, report and comment on what is happening, and speculate only when absolutely necessary.
Another thing that is making sports on the whole more unlikeable is the attitude of the players. I cannot stomach the arrogance, selfishness, and attitude player emulate and exude these days. Let me drop a few names from the past decade or so: Owens, Rodman, Bonds, Tyson, Artest, etc. ad nauseum. Perhaps the biggest two offenders are the ego-driven NFL and the unbearable NBA. I don't know how much one can celebrate minor events in a football game, but players these days are testing the limits. "I got a sack on second down! I am the greatest player ALIVE!" The NBA is worse. Every dunk, blocked shot, or defensive play is revoltingly egotistical. "I dunked. I am a god. Worship me and give a new shoe deal." No wonder college ball is undeniably better to watch (Undeniably. You cannot argue the opposite.).
Perhaps the last and final reason why I'm finding it harder to make sports a priority is the time commitment it takes to follow it. Baseball season is 162 games long. An average football game is 3.5 hours. One tournament of golf takes four days to complete. Hockey playoffs last two months on their own. And there's the analysis, the commentary, the controversial articles, the press conferences, the trades, the firings, the hirings, not to mention the scandals. It's just not that worthwhile to me. I have other things to do. I find reading, working out, writing, playing guitar, hanging out with the wife, and going out somewhere much more enjoyable than 95% of sporting events.
I doubt that I'll ever be able or willing to rid my life of sports altogether; it's still fun and interesting. Sports as entertainment will always appeal to me, but with my inability to handle major defeat and the brutal combination of media hype, player stupidity, and time constraints my sports fan-dom will slowly dissipate to a passive interest.

Thank You Note to Friends

2006-03-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

More often than not in this blog, I will criticize, posit, or argue something. Today I would like to be thankful.
In every person's life, there are many people who move and change that individual; it happens daily. However, there are also a select few people who affect one in a such a profound way that life without them would be unrecognizable. This past weekend, I was priveleged to spend time with seven of these people, my wife and six friends from college: Nate, Lisa, Dan, Elissa, Kyle, and Michele. These friends are the sort of people that raise the caliber of the word "friend." They are life-changers and beloved companions. The weekend was refreshing and rejuvating in a deeply spiritual way for me; indeed, one cannot sit that close to a roaring bonfire and not get warm. It was a great weekend.
My wife and I are in a time during which we don't have a community to call our own. Soon, we hope to leave the land of 10,000 lakes and find a new state, so making friends at church seems like a hello-goodbye situation; our families live hours south of us, and our best friends have all moved on. Last weekend, these friends were able to come and stay with us for a few glowing days. They are the kind of people who are easy to host. They didn't complain, demand, obligate, or expect; instead, they helped, thanked, and enjoyed. We really didn't do very much because it was enough just to be together. It is those friends that make life so much easier.
This post is getting to be rambling at best and unstructured at worst, but it's because I don't know how to write what I'm trying to say. Everyone should be blessed with such amazing people in their lives as Jen and I have. I guess I desire to write a thank you letter for all the things I cannot quite say right but only know in my heart. Thank you, my friends, for being God's hands and feet to me and Jen every day that I've known you. You've prayed, laughed, teased, cried, listened and had fun with us. Your friendships are more precious than anything this world can offer, and best of all, we have all of eternity to enjoy them.
It's always easier to be together with such people, but that's not what our lives have called us to do. Maybe the mark of a true friendship is when distance cannot kill it, and it only grows the bonds. I am thankful for those who have altered my life for the better in a myriad of ways I'll never know or understand. My heart rejoices to have such Godly friends; may the blessings you've showered on my wife and I be repaid in full and more. We love you.

Brief Oscar Recap

2006-03-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

I've already written about the Academy Awards, so I'll keep my recapitulation brief.

1. Jon Stewart stole the night. He handled everything, keep politics to the monologue, made fun of the stars, had refreshing irreverance, and was hilarious. That said, he'll never host again.

2. I didn't see any of the Best Picture nominees, but I'm not surprised that many are crying "homophobia" because Brokeback didn't take home the picture Oscar. As soon as it was nominated, it was obvious that if it won, it would've been one of those classic Hollywood "we know what's good for this country" moments; if it didn't win, homophobia would be the ONLY LOGICAL CAUSE. Pathetic.

3. Reese Witherspoon was great in Walk the Line, which was a decent movie. I'm pleased that she won best actress.

4. What was with all the montages? Sure, there were the usual "Here's who died last year" and Lifetime Achievement montages, but there were many random compiled film clips of classic movie moments. It complemented the annoying theme of how evil DVDs are: "You can't possibly enjoy a movie on a teeny-weeny screen with speakers only in front of you!! You MUST go see the movies IN THE THEATER ONLY!!!! We're losing money here! We're friggin' HOLLYWOOD for gosh sakes! Don't cross us!" The montages seemed to say, "We make all the great moments. Now pay up at the theaters, you annoying plebians."

5. How could anyone in any situation ever reward such filth as Three 6 Mafia's atrocious "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"? I admit that Dolly Parton's song wasn't great; however, "In the Deep" from Crash is 100 times the song that "Pimp" is, if one can call it a song. It's hard to be a pimp, eh? Maybe, you should try...oh I don't know...a job wherein you don't sell women's bodies for sex? Get out of the organized crime business? Apply for a normal job? It's not that I don't feel sorry for pimps and other people whose lives are ruined by the street; I do. I just feel pity for who they are, not sympathy for what they do. That song is and will remain garbage. However, it was almost worth it to hear Stewart's remark after the reward: "I think it just got easier out here for a pimp."

6. I don't care about fashion, but I applaud the conservative dresses this year on most of the ladies. Props.

7. Perhaps the most obvious example of Agenda was George Clooney's acceptance speech. The gist was, "I'm proud to be a part of this academy that dicates America's morality. We decide what's right and wrong. First it was race, then AIDS, and now whatever we want." Whatever, George. Thank your friends and family and sit down.

All told, it wasn't unenjoyable. Still, no Oscars compare to the Return of the King sweep year.

Self-congratulation, Agenda and Oscar

2006-03-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Academy Awards are back in all their overhyped, overdressed glamour and smugness, and I cannot care less. There was a time when I would get excited to watch the stars award and applaud themselves because I cared about movies; I wanted to see the movie I was rooting for do well. As recently as 2 years ago, I watched to see if The Return of the King would get the best picture nod it deserved (thank goodness it did). But even then the entire four-hour-long production was wearing on me.
My sister Karen was the first person to put words to my growing discontent with Oscar. She said she liked the dresses, excitement, etc. but was beginning to really dislike the self-congratulation. Self-congratulation is really what the Academy Awards are all about. A small group of Hollywood insiders (theoretically) watches every movie and nominates other Hollywood folks for awards. Then they all get together, spend far too much money on clothes to make their usual complaints about the poor legitimate, and parade themselves on stage passing the small trophies out to a select few.
The self-congratulation is one head of the two-headed Oscar monster (no relation to "the Grouch"); the other head is agenda. So many movies that win awards are left-wing agenda driven? How about Fahrenheit 9/11 winning best documentary when propaganda film would be more apropos? What about Philadelphia and the AIDS issue, Monster and mental illness, American Beauty and suburban desperation and sexuality, and this year Brokeback Mountain and homosexuality? Not all these issues are unworthy of attention, but that many agenda-driven movies is hard to stomach. Essentially, Hollywood is force-feeding America the political and moral nourishment it deems healthy and then rewarding itself by calling these movies the best pictures of the year. Too bad Brokeback didn't gross 1/4 as much as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but that's only because of the backward-thinking, Bible-thumping, ignorant masses who just need to watch more best pictures to fully understand the world.
With self-congratulation and agenda on my mind, perhaps I'll watch the four hours of left-wing humor, revealing and expensive dresses, and endless awards that no one really cares about except those who win them. There are usually a few genuinely funny moments, and the musical performances are decent. Plus, the wife watched the Super Bowl with me, so I owe her one.

Reflections Upon Finishing "Ulysses"

2006-02-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have recently finished James Joyce's Ulysses, though it took me almost 4 months to read. It would be foolish to try to recapitulate all that Joyce packs into his novel; it is truly a masterpiece. At many points, it is difficult (bordering on incomprehensible) reading, the method buried deep in the madness. In other sections, the narrative soars and Joyce's genius is on full display.
I could not read Ulysses without being impressed by the scope, depth and completeness of detail, but many times (especially in certain sections) the work becomes so chaotic that the reader must slow down to understand or skim ahead to comprehensibility. This raises an important question that I think is rarely discussed when reading the "big" authors: does genius excuse writing that is exceedingly difficult to understand? If one can tell that a writer is a master, does that permit the author to dispense with easily accessible meaning?
I do not suggest that authors like Joyce should "dumb down" their work so that the general public can read it easily, but neither should an author completely forget that they write to be read and understood, not to overwhelm the reader with difficulty. With Ulysses, I know that multiple readings would yield much more insight, but a little more accessibility wouldn't compromise the novel's integrity.
Now to the best and worst of the novel (Note: these sections titles are absent in the actual book, but they are how Joyce structured the novel).

The Best Sections:
#6 "Hades": Bloom's visit to the funeral of his friend is poignant and profound. Joyce explores death's effects on the living.
#10 "Wandering Rocks": Joyce's ability to write from different points of view is on display in this section (the only one that does not correspond with a passage from The Odyssey). No fewer than 19 different perspectives are explored in brief vignettes.
#13 "Nausikaa": One of the most sexual sections of a very sex-driven novel, "Nausikaa" none-the-less is fantastic to read. The writing is clear and crisp, and the sections climaxes just like a sexual encounter in such a way that it becomes beautiful though the scene is anything but. Though the subject matter is lewd, the writing is breathtaking.
#18 "Penelope": After spending just about the entire novel either in Stephen's or Bloom's mind, Joyce ends his work in the near-sleeping thoughts of Molly Bloom. This section boasts absolutely no punctuation, but Molly's meandering reflections reveal so much about her broken relationship with Leopold, life, love, memory and loss. A tremendous ending the novel.

The Worst Sections
#3 "Proteus": The last of the three-section introduction to the book featuring Stephen Dedalus,
this portion of the book is thick and lofty as the reader follows (though often I didn't follow) Stephen's irractic and academic thoughts. I didn't get much out of it, and it was a bear to get through.
#14 "Oxen of the Sun": This chapter is an excellent example of my genius vs. comprehensibility question. Joyce begins "Oxen" using Olde English that slowly becomes Modern. Very hard to read while understanding the vague hints that Joyce drops about the actual plot. I got lost here.
#15 "Circe": Bloom's endeavor into "Nightown" a.k.a. Dublin's red light district is written in play format. "Circe" took me a over a month to get through because the entire long chapter is written as series of encounters with phantoms, memories, fantasies, and real people. Best of luck deciding when Bloom is stumbling through a hazy dreamworld and when he's talking to characters that really exist.

Does Ulysses merit the attention it receives, frequently lauded as the novel of the 20th Century? It's a tremendous achievement, that's certain. Joyce essentially crafts a book about life in general by focusing it on mainly one guy during one day. Bloom is the anti-hero; the reader loves him not because he's extraordinary, but because he's just an average bloke trying to scrape by. Joyce's writing is as disparate as is imaginable, but his style is meant to mimic life: it's confusing and rarely the same. It's the scope of Ulysses that I admire most, the ability to synthesize thought, emotion, action, ideas, memories, and all that seemy stuff that we don't like to mention into one novel. I didn't enjoy all of it, but the best sections are truly unparalleled. It deserves its hype, and I will probably read it again, though it won't be any time soon.

The Olympics Return

2006-02-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

It's Olympic time again, and as I watched the torch-lighting last Friday, I wasn't sure how I felt. In the past, I've derided the games, yet every time NBC busts out that Olympic trumpet theme, I can't pull my attention away. Considering the negative press and my mixed emotions, it's time to examine what's good and bad about the Olympic games. Feel free to add your thoughts.
What's Good
1. The international-ness of the games: I love it when the Olympics are in foreign countries (though it's almost impossible to avoid getting results before watching the events on TV) because it causes me to cast my attention to a part of the world that I normally ignore. I get tunnel vision; the Olympics serves as a gentle reminder that there are millions of people who live very different lives than I. I like to hear the athletes' stories, listen to the announcements in three languages, and see how people from every area of the world react to triumph and failure.
2. The Medals: In just about every sport, getting first place or winning it all is everything (or the only thing as Lombardi famously said). In the Olympics, getting a bronze in a difficult race is a triumph. Pulling out second behind the best in the world in a given event is an honor. Lots of athletes show up just to be there. That they award the top three participants doesn't subtract from the competition's excitement. I don't suggest that other sports adopt this system, but I think finishing second often is not failure but a smaller triumph. It's a different perspective.
3. The Strange events: What sports does the world care about besides soccer? These sports! Norway doesn't watch football; it cares about ski jumping. Canadians don't care too much for college basketball, but curling makes them shout. I like watching odd events because they're fun and different, but also because these events mean so much to so many other nations. There's a lot more at stake. Additionally, the athletic ability needed for the luge, figure skating, or half-pipe is tremendous and noteworthy.

What's Bad
1. Figure skating announcers: Olympic announcers usually range from tolerable to informative, but the abrasive minority overrule the competent majority for me. Figure skating is a big offender. The three announcers this year (two male, one female) are quite bothersome. The male color commentator is old and complains about the current skaters ("nobody knows how to do a proper sit-spin these days"), the woman color commentator is all right most of the time, but she's very critical when silence would work best; the play-by-play man (if you can call him that) is just dull. They talk during the performance when silence would be more powerful, they criticize frequently, and they just get on your nerves. Other events' commentators are usually decent (kudos to the half-pipe guys; they're great).
2. The Fluff: It's good to get a back-story...sometimes. These ten minute fluff pieces on athletes' family tragedies and personal triumphs always tug at the heart, but showing too many of them makes them all cliche. Additionally, these emotional montages mean less actual sports coverage, which is what we really should be watching the games for. Less is more here, NBC. Help us out.
3. The "World Peace" appeal: Everyone is always trying to make the Olympics into a lesson for the rest of the world (especially in the Opening Ceremony). Let's make an obvious observation: playing sports with athletes from other countries is a lot easier than ridding the world of war. Politics are complex; skiing down the same mountain with other fellas/ladies who may or may not disagree with a certain political position isn't complicated. There is no greater metaphor to be gotten from having a bunch of athletes compete for medals in the same sports. "C'mon people now, smile on your brother. Just like those Olympians." They're in it for the glory; politics are almost entirely irrelevant to these games.

A Better "Bachelor"

2006-02-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I don't make a habit of watching ABC's The Bachelor, but the other night, with nothing else on, I watched it with my wife. Thankfully, the number of women had already been whiddled down to four or it probably would've been too much for me to stomach. This episode featured the bachelor going to the four remaining contestants' parents' houses. I only saw the final two, but that was enough.
The Bachelor and shows of its ilk are designed around monogamy: that wonderful idea of finding the right person to settle down with and marry. However, just about everything in show until the end functions to undermine the idea of monogamous love. For instance, on the two dates that I saw, both girls energetically kissed this fellow. Now, in normal dating situations, kissing two different girls within a week would be called "cheating," but on this show, our intrepid youth is just testing the waters with his toe. If I'm going to marry this girl, I need to know that she knows how to French kiss. Yuck.
At the end of the show, the preview for next week showed the Bachelor going on three overnight dates with the remaining contestants for his affection. Overnight dates? There was even a mention of a "fantasy suite." So, this man will attempt to sleep with all three women on these dates to further test his partners for compatibility. What is perhaps most revolting is the expectations thrust upon each of these women accompanied by the knowledge that, yes, the other two are also going on overnight excursions.
Since monogamy is what the The Bachelor functions on, if I were to redesign the show, I'd make a few adjustments to highlight it. First change: no kissing. Maybe there'd be a stolen peck here or there, but open your mouth, chica, and you're gone. Second change: no overnight dates in the same room (no sex). However, I would leave in the invitation to spend the night with the Bachelor in order to test each woman's character. If she's willing, she'd be gone. The girl for my bachelor would tear the invitation, rise from the dinner table, say, "Who do you think you are?", and smack him. On her way out, she'd be told it was only a test.
Of course, all of this would require a major shift in cultural values. How any of the women thinks that they love this guy who snogs all the other girls when she's not around is beyond me. How the bachelor can really love ONE woman while snogging the others is also perplexing. Let's cut out the sex and make it a show about finding one person to love for a lifetime. That'd be a better Bachelor.

The Beginning

2006-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
I'm beginning a blog in order to put my thoughts somewhere. Even if I'm the only one who reads these, I think it'll be great fun. Feel free to comment on my pieces. I'm excited you visited!

--Nathan