J-Wild

She's Not Here.

2009-09-21T11:28:00.004-04:00

Ok here's the situation. Over a year ago I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see how long it would take for people to find Allison on Facebook. She reluctantly agreed to let me set up an account for her. So I created a profile for her but I didn't friend her just to see how quickly someone who registered for Facebook but didn't use it would be found by their friends and family. She, being resistant to FB to begin with, never logged in to her account, and it was left at that.

For months nobody requested her as a friend, until Facebook added the "You Might Know This Person" function. Then the requests started coming in, and I got into a little bit of trouble. From the beginning Allison didn't want to be on Facebook which I should have respected, but at the time I was drowning in the FB wave of awesomeness so I pushed it.

Here's the thing, the account that I set up for her is impossible to delete. I have tried everything I can to kill it but it refuses to die. This has given me a slightly uneasy feeling about Facebook and has made me second guess the decision to sign up in the first place. You should be able to delete yourself from FB if you want to, but apparently you can't really.

So, to all of you out there who are waiting for "friend approval" from Allison, I am sorry but it will never come. But it has nothing to do with you, and certainly nothing to do with Allison's feelings for you either. I apologize for the confusion.

Health Care

2009-08-04T22:13:00.003-04:00

If I believe in praying for the sick to become well, then I cannot withhold from the sick the resources to attain that wellness. This healthcare debate is dragging me too deep into the news again. I believe a Lenten news fast is in order, but hiding just doesn't seem ok.

The fact that there is even a discussion about the inherent value of everyone (that includes children) having SOME healthcare exposes the depths of our moral and spiritual depravity.

Is there anything more sinful than denying the sick the care they need? The parable of the good Samaritan reminds us that it COST the Samaritan something (meaning MONEY) to help the stranger, and that was the moral and holy thing to do in the eyes of Christ.

How dare I look down from my employer supplied healthcare ivory tower and tell those below that they are not as valuable or as deserving of medical care as I am. ESPECIALLY since my employer is the Lord's church!

Thanks...

2009-04-22T01:30:00.003-04:00

We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for us regarding the school lottery for Levi.

Unfortunately we didn't get a placement in either the District 3 lottery, or at the Manhattan School for Children lottery.

Here's a sign of the recession, public schools have now become very popular again all over the city. True, it's not all financial. There has been a huge baby boom in Manhattan, and the first wave of that boom are all coming into kindergarten at once. And I would also say that the public schools in NYC on the whole have gotten better thanks to Mayoral control.

But money does play a huge role in what's going on right now. People who before might have been fine with paying $25,000 for kindergarten now all of a sudden think public school doesn't look so bad. A lot of other people agree.

Two years ago there were 450 lottery spots available for kindergartners in District 3 and not every spot was taken. This year there were 251 spots available for 525 applicants. Levi was the 225th name drawn and all five of our school choices were full by then.

The second lottery was specifically for the Manhattan School for Children. They had 37 spots available for 357 applicants.

Again thanks for your thoughts a prayers. We are trying not to get discouraged and we still have a few options left. Right now it's mainly just a waiting game.

Your Prayers Requested

2009-04-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Allison and I would greatly appreciate your prayers over the next two days as we find out about the public school lottery for Levi.

For those who don't know getting into a really good or even just decent public school in NYC can be a very arduous thing. The school we are currently zoned for is not an option for us which means we must apply to other public schools out of our zone. Most of the ten or twelve schools we put down as considerations are already full in their kindergarten classes.

What remains are four schools that we could be comfortable with if Levi is given a lottery spot. Tuesday at 6:00 pm I will be sitting in an auditorium with hundreds of other parents eagerly awaiting our lottery results.

There are a lot of things that can play out with regard to Levi's school options between now and the first day of kindergarten. But this is a major point in our efforts to find for him a good place for him to go to school. Specifically, you can pray for us to get a lottery placement in one of the district 3 schools we listed.

Thank you so much and we'll let you know how it goes.

11 Years with my Amazing Husband!

2009-04-18T11:06:00.002-04:00

Allison here . . . as I do not maintain my own blog, and many friends read Jason's, I decided to sneak in and post a few comments . . . I'm sure Jason won't mind, right?

A few details to set the stage. First, I am currently in the library finishing my thesis, which is due on Wednesday--yes, this coming Wednesday (nothing like a deadline). And Jason is currently riding bikes with our boys, and will be with them the rest of the day.

Next detail--today is our 11 year anniversary--hurray! And now, sift these two chunks of information together and let it settle--Jason/boys; Allison/library. Not usually the typical anniversary celebration.

And yet, this is the exquisite beauty of our relationship. Since the beginning, we have been a team. We do all of this--our life--together. We have worked, side by side (literally) for Shiloh. We both care for our boys on various days of the week. He does baths, I do pajamas. He does the dishes, and I do the straightening (ok, it's true, right now he is doing the straightening too, and NO ONE is cleaning the bathrooms). He does the wrestling, I do the cuddling. And when the kids are in bed, we do our thinking and talking and deciding together--and we love it. We still love it. Do we get frustrated, angry, annoyed--yep, we're great at sharing these things too. And we've gotten pretty good at overcoming them as well.

Which brings me to now. As I sit, working through the biggest paper of my academic life, I am overwhelmed by the knowledge that I am not alone in this. Not once, in the last three years of grad school, have I ever been alone. Every step has been taken with Jas--with his enthusiastic encouragement, his gentle reassurance, and his abiding love. He is my biggest fan--I even think I have him convinced that I am the creator of Writing Process--and I could not be more grateful, thankful, or humbled.

Beyond my wildest dreams and expectations, God has given me, in the truest sense of the word, a mate, and I wanted you all to know it (as if you don't already).

Today, after reading this, would you write a note of celebration to Jason? He truly deserves it.

I love you, Jas, and always will.

Allison

The real reason Texas would never secede.

2009-04-17T12:59:00.002-04:00

Texas couldn't take the humility.

List of Countries GDP (from CIA fact book)
Amount in Millions of U.S. Dollars.

1	United States	14,330,000
2	Japan	4,844,000
3	China (PRC)	4,222,000
4	Germany	3,818,000
5	France	2,978,000
6	United Kingdom	2,787,000
7	Italy	2,399,000
8	Russia	1,757,000
9	Spain	1,683,000
10	Brazil	1,665,000
11	Canada	1,564,000
12	India	1,237,000
13	Mexico	1,143,000

Texas GDP (in 2007):
1,341,965 ($millions)

In the United States, Texas has the second biggest GDP right behind California and ahead of New York. But on the world stage they would barely be above India. I think that would just be too hard a pill for Texans to swallow.

Not that Texas could really secede anyway?

The Sign Read....

2009-04-16T13:22:00.006-04:00

"WE CANNOT ENSURE YOU WILL GET TO RIDE IN THE
CAR OF YOUR CHOICE WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN."

Which of course I knew to mean that we would probably not end up in a car we wanted. Little did I know that we would end up in the LAST car two boys and their father should be in on a Dad's day out trip to Toys'R'Us in Times Square.

We still had a great time, and left with our heads held high and our dignity still intact!

I Want One of These...

2009-04-06T10:54:00.002-04:00

Holla back if you feel me, DAWG!!

Auto Tuning from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.

New Zeke Video

2009-03-25T06:45:00.005-04:00

I know, I know. It has been way too long since there has been a video just about Zeke. It's just plain true, the first kid gets more documentation than the second. But it doesn't mean he isn't loved any less. Also I would like to point out that there are probably more pictures taken of Zeke and Levi than there have been of me in my entire life. iPhoto tells me I have taken over 9,000 pictures, 3/4 of which center around Zeke, Levi, or both of them.

I just got back from taking my family to the airport so they can go see the Fam in Arkansas. When we got the kids up at 4:30 a.m. Levi couldn't have been more excited. That kid loves to travel and the earlier the flight the better. Yes, I am left here in NYC all alone with a lock-in to do at the church on Friday. I will truly miss Allison and the boys, the house is all ready way too quite. But until they get back, I guess I'll just have to suffer through the next couple of days and sleep through the night, go out to movies, eat junk food, and taking Levi's instruction to "do whatever I want" to heart. I would hate to disappoint him.

Here's Zeke's latest video.

Nancy Eiesland and a Disabled God

2009-03-24T11:37:00.000-04:00

There is so much about God that I don't know or have ever thought about before. I have been a part of a church for my entire life and in full-time ministry for more than twelve years. I could recite the books of the Bible in the first grade and my family is stacked with ministers.

That sort of spiritual familiarity can easily give way to an intellectual laziness. And that's when hubris and arrogance can gain a foothold because you can begin to think and feel like you know all the right answers (or have at-least heard all the right answers) since you have been around faith for so long.

I am thinking about all of this because of an obituary I read in the NY-Times this weekend. Nancy Eiesland (pronounced EES-lund) died at the age of 44 on March 10th (most likely due to genetic lung cancer). Ms. Eiesland had 11 surgery's by the time she was 13 years old due to a congenital bone defect in her hips. At that young age she realized that pain was to be her lot in life.

Ms. Eiesland would grow up to be a wife, mother, sociologist, and theologian with a Ph.D. from Emory's Candler School of Theology. At the time of her death Ms. Eiesland came to believe that God was in fact disabled. Her view was articulated in her influential 1994 book "The Disabled God: Toward Liberatory Theology of Disability." The core idea of her work centered around Luke 24:36-39 where Jesus, risen from the dead, invites the disciples to touch his wounds.

"'In presenting his impaired body to his startled friends, the resurrected Jesus is revealed as the disabled God,' she wrote. God remains a God the disabled can identify with, she argued - he is not cured and made whole; his injury is part of him, neither a divine punishment nor an opportunity for healing."

I didn't Google Ms. Eiesland's book or any controversy it may or may not have whipped up in theological circles. Instead I just allowed myself to be taken aback at an insight to a Biblical story I have known literally my entire life, but have never considered in the way Ms. Eiesland suggests. I am in awe of the scriptures and the minds that study them in the hopes that God may be made more known.

The obituary describes a life of a woman who saw the disabled as being ignored by the church and society. From High School to her death she accepted the challenge of advocating for the disabled and creating a theological "place at the table" within the church. Ms. Eiesland is another reminder that God's truth and power can only be glimpsed when all are empowered to learn, listen, and speak of God's truth. This morning a woman in a wheel chair, whom I have never met and who I never heard speak, planted a seed of thought in my mind that will forever alter how I think about one of the most vital occurrences in the Bible. May God be praised, and may Ms. Eiesland family be comforted.

Shopping and Growing Up

2009-03-23T13:00:00.007-04:00

Allison went shopping last week and was in Old Navy trying to get some pants for Levi. He desperately needed some new jeans since most of the ones he had either had holes in them or were too small. In Old Navy Allison was looking in the clothing section she had always shopped in for Levi's clothes, the baby and toddler section. This is the section with the 2T, 3T, and 4T sizes.

She was looking for a pair of size 5 jeans. After a considerable amount of time looking around she began to become frustrated because there were not any pants that she could find in his size. Then she realized that there wasn't a size 5 in the section she was in because that clothing size was in another place altogether. Levi's size 5 jeans were in the "big-kids" department at the other side of the store. Allison walked across the store with a growing ache in her heart that is both familiar and shared with mothers all over the world. Once in the right section she found the size 5 jeans she was looking for.

The jeans were folded and neatly stacked right along side numerous pairs of other jeans meant for kids twice his size and age. The tears started welling up in her eyes and the reality of how big Levi was getting came crashing home. The past four and three-quarter years flashed in her mind as a single moment and it took her breath away. She put the jeans back in the stack and as the tears began to fall she turned and walked out of the store without buying anything for Levi.

Over the years I have learned that a mother's heart is a complex thing. Full of love, joy, and hope as well as guilt, worry, and longing. Standing in Old Navy I know that Allison's heart experienced that entire range of emotions while holding that pair of 5T jeans meant for her precious first born son.

Another thing I know about Allison is that when it comes to shopping for her boys, she does not become easily deterred. With her depth of shopping experience and knowledge of Manhattan's children's clothing stores, she quickly came to a solution. Wiping away the tears, Allison walked down the street one block to H&M where she knew for sure that size 5 jeans are still kept with the 2T, 3T, and 4T sizes. The heartbreaking speed of Levi growing up was slowed down just a little bit. She got him some pants and picked some things up for Zeke since both sizes were in the same section.

We both know that sooner than either of us can possibly believe, time will not spare us from the fact that both Levi and Zeke are growing up. For this we give praise and thanks to God and we really wouldn't want it any other way. But who can blame us for trying to find ways to slow down time just a little bit.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T12:49:00.006-04:00

Zeke got new jeans, shoes, and a shirt for St. Patrick's Day.

Zeke reading the latest issue of "Mental Floss."

Levi on St. Patrick's day doing his best Bono impersination.

The Power of Simplicity...

2009-03-16T15:03:00.004-04:00

Love this video. I hope someday to have the same sort of creative inspiration that gave birth to this video in some of the videos I get to do. In the meantime I will marvel and the power and simplicity of this work.

2009-03-13T11:53:00.008-04:00

Even after living in New York for almost ten years, sometimes you walk by a building and just say WOW!

This is a picture I took (it's actually three pics stitched together) about a week ago when I was walking by the new sixty story condo building called One Madison Park.

First of all the picture doesn't due this building justice. This thing is skinny, tall as heck, and yes it is just sitting on some sort of shelf on-top over a half completed base. Now I have enough friends who are architects to know that the core of this building goes hundreds of feet down, which allows it to "hang" over the edge of that shelf, but the sight of this building still made me doubt the architectural and engineering planning for this building. My confidence was further eroded when it became clear that the building is actually not supposed to be hanging over any sort of the edge like that. And it's sister building 23e22nd has an even scarier design.

It's hard to imagine that there are still people out there who can shell out $45 million for the 7,500 sq foot penthouse wih 580 sq foot wrap around terrace, 360 degree unobstructed views and private amenities that would make a preacher cuss.

Lent

2009-03-05T10:24:00.002-05:00

I was all set to give everyone an update on how my Lenten fast from the news was going. It's going great, by the way. I can definitely feel less ambient stress circling over my head.

Every time I tell someone what I gave up for Lent, they look at me wide eyed and with disbelief. I have taken this to mean not that what I was doing was particularly difficult, but rather people couldn't wrap their mind around ME not watching the news. That's been humbling, bothersome, and something I am coming to terms with.

To be honest I have been pretty proud of myself, and was going to write a post highlighting as much. Until I read this from Amanda Lehman a former student teacher that my mom knew.
Choosing what to “put off” for lent is a bit tricky when you’re living in a remote village in India... Fast food? Beef? Ice cream? Television? Hot showers? Starbucks? Oh wait, that’s right, I don’t have any of those things! Haha. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of “treats” and comforts in my life. I am in no way suffering! But it was somewhat of a challenge for me to decide what to give up this year.

After much thought, I finally settled on this: my mattress.

Yes, I’m giving up my mattress and pillow for lent. The boys here at the orphanage sleep on hard-wooden beds with a thin mat and blanket. No mattress, no pillow. I am sometimes convicted as I tuck them in at night and then come back home to my warm, cozy bed. It just doesn’t seem fair.
She goes onto say that she isn't trying to be Mother Teresa or trying to make herself sound pious. Rather she is trying the best way she can to firmly fix her eyes on Jesus.

And it is one of the most beautiful and powerful display of humble sacrifice and discipleship that I have come across in a while.

Zeke's First Haircut

2009-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Close to ten years ago a Sallie meet a hairstylist named Orion. Through her just about every friend we know has had their hair cut, colored, highlighted, styled, etc by Orion. We have all (probably a group of ten or fifteen people) followed him around to the different salons he's worked at over the years.

The thing about Orion is that he is very, very good at what he does. He does fashion week in NYC, has styled just about every model's hair, works for magazines, and has what's probably equivalent to a Master's degree in coloring. The best thing about Orion is that he is just a really cool guy. He's become a friend.

Right now he works at a salon whose prices are way outside of our groups ability to pay. So about once a month Orion comes over and we turn our apartment into a hair salon.

Last week Zeke watched in amazement as Levi got his haircut. Of course after Zeke saw Levi get his haircut he desperately wanted to do the same. Orion didn't even hesitate to have Zeke sit down to get his first trim. Cutting 18 month old kids hair is not a clientele that Orion usually handles, but Zeke was AMAZING. He held perfectly still and allowed Orion to cut his hair for about ten minutes. At the end of the cut Zeke said "thank you" and then "again."

Thanks Orion you are the best!

From Blogger Pictures

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON

2009-02-24T15:35:00.003-05:00

My beautiful wife turns 34 years young today. She leaves me in awe almost everyday with all the things she has to juggle. Wife, mother, woman of God, educator, advocate, student, and smoking hot!

Here's to you love, I am so glad that you were born. In just a short 34 years you have made a profound impact in our little corner of the world. I praise God for you and know that your three boys couldn't make it without you.

I love you.

Seperating the Worthy from the Un-Worthy

2009-02-20T23:40:00.011-05:00

Settle in, this is a long one, and this is my last "pre-Lent" news post. I realize the political conversation is changing, and I am glad my self imposed news exile is going into effect soon (Wednesday). More on that then, but for now...

The recent developments in our national conversation regarding the housing crisis and rescue plan have really troubled me. It seems as though there are pundits who wish to turn neighbor against neighbor and would prefer to see families thrown out on the streets instead of compromising a "self-righteous" capitalistic ideology. They seem to believe that employing grace, humility, and solidarity with our fellow citizens would create a "moral hazard" for the citizens of our country. RIDICULOUS! First of all, are we not our brothers keeper? As Christians AND patriots I would say YES! Surely as a "Christian nation" we would want to model ourselves after the law given to God's chosen people in the Bible.

Leviticus 25:35-37
35 “If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you. 36 Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative. 37 Remember, do not charge interest on money you lend him or make a profit on food you sell him. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God."

By now I am sure you have seen the rant last week by Rick Santelli (if you haven't here's the link). The basic question he asks is, why are we (the government) giving money (tax dollars) to people who did not make a good decision with their home purchase or mortgage financing in the first place?

The practical answer is because the problem is so deep and widespread that to do nothing and allow potentially ten million homes (families) to go into foreclosure would wreak societal and financial havoc on an exponentially greater scale than we have seen so far.

It's telling that Rick didn't say a word when one single insurance company, AIG, received $150 billion tax dollars so that they would not default on their obligations. People, that's ONE company being shored up by tax dollars. If people are going to be "outraged" that's where it should be directed, not at our neighbors or the family in the foreclosed house in another city! AIG was designated as a company "too big to fail." I thank God that Obama (and many other politicians) deem 9,000,000 problematic family homes too big to fail as well!

There seems to be a false assumption that people are going to be getting checks in the mail so their houses can be paid off without some sort of accountability. A simple cursory reading of the proposal and a person will find that this is not the case. I think Rick's words are a disgrace because of the false notion that people are just defaulting on their homes so the government will rescue them. That notion completely discounts the psychological devastation people go through when they loose their home.

Reality check. Families are losing their homes because people are loosing their jobs (over 4 million jobs lost in the last six months) and can't make their payments. Before we judge our neighbor we must ask ourselves how long we could make our mortgage payments or rent if we lost our jobs tomorrow? People are being foreclosed on by banks because they can't meet monthly payments they never dreamed they would have trouble making. These are families who had jobs, retirement, savings, and home equity all of which has been completely wiped out. True, people have purchased more house than they could reasonably expect to afford if the economy went bad. But complicit in that are Banks who TOLD family after family that the mortgage loans they were getting were the perfect size for their income, and the guaranteed increase in their homes value.

It is in our interest to help each other in this time of crisis. On a spiritual, personal, and governmental level. Unless we do that, unless we have a solidarity of suffering with each other, we will not emerge stronger as a nation, people, and especially as Christians.

In case you are still having a hard time being convinced that we should come to the aid of our fellow citizens who have been caught up in a once in a hundred years financial crisis then perhaps you need to be reminded just how we got into this housing mess in the first place. I'll let 60 minutes lay it all out for you with the story of just a single bank headquartered in California.

BONUS:

A visual explanation on how the whole financial crisis happened to begin with. Done very well and after the 11:00 you'll be smarter than you are now about what's going on.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

My Fifteen Albums

2009-02-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

"Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!"

The top fifteen most influential albums of my life in order!

1. Thriller - Michael Jackson: I actually sat my whole family down in the living room to watch me while I lip-synced and danced to Billie Jean when I was in the 4th grade. When my sister started laughing I got upset, made her leave the room, and started over. The "Sgt. Pepper" of my generation.

2. Joshua Tree - U2: The best album from start to finish I have ever heard and it continues to grow and mature right along with me. "Where the Streets Have No Name" is my most favorite song of all time.

3. Depeche Mode - 101: I thought "Somebody" was the best slow song ever, and it was included on every mix-tape I have ever made.

4. Disintegration - The Cure: From 8th grade until my Junior year in high school I listened to that CD on repeat every night when I went to bed.

5. TEN - Pearl Jam: This album expressed every range of emotion I felt while I was in High School. When it's reissued on March 29th the set will come with the MTV Unplugged show they did in 1991. Vedder singing Porch while marking up his arm was as powerful to me as The Who smashing guitars was to a different generation.

6. Peter, Paul, and Mary's Greatest Hits - Peter, Paul, and Mary: I can hear my childhood and my mother's alto voice on each and every song.

7. Louder than Bombs - The Smiths: "Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me" enough said.

8. James Taylor's Greatest Hits - James Taylor: This album is the reason I learned to play the guitar.

9. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy - Sara McLachlan: I could not get enough of her voice or lyrics. One of the most sensual albums I've listened to.

10. Rattle and Hum - U2: The lecture BONO gives the world about glorifying war during "Sunday Bloody Sunday" still gives me the chills, and it's the first U2 album I ever purchased.

11. The Boxed Set - Simon and Garfunkel: Lyrical masters that moved me more like poets than musicians. Kathy's Song is my favorite song to play on the guitar.

12. Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog: Chris Cornell's best album and a glimpse at the power of the two best bands in 1990's getting joining forces.

13. In Rainbows - Radiohead: It's better than OK Computer. Yes it is. No, I am being serious.

14. Conversations - Sara Groves: Stunningly beautiful, deeply sincere, and never trite in it's search for questions and answers about God, faith, and relationships.

15. EP - Borrowed Equipment: $800, four songs, and ten hours in a recording studio with my closest friends and band mates senior year of college. One of the best experiences of my life.

Honorable Mentions (no order in particular):

Wincing the Night Away - The Shins: I can listen to this album all day long.

Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens: Perhaps the next incarnation of Paul Simon. "Casimir Pulaski Day" is devastatingly beautiful.

Try! (Live) - John Mayer Trio: Dudes legit.

The Innocents - Erasure: "Don't cha give me no, don't cha give me no, don't cha give me no, don't cha give me no soooooouuul"

All That Jazz - Breathe: "Raise Your Hands to Heaven" come on people right!?

Invisible Touch - Genesis: I will never forget the video for "Land of Confusion" Reagan and Nancy as a puppets

Passion - Passion Worship CD: First time I had ever heard worship music sound familiar and relevant to me.

Shake Your Money Maker - The Black Crowes: Chris Robinson has the most awesome voice in Rock and Roll.

Motownphilly - Boys 2 Men: Forever singable.

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 - George Michael: Audacious attempt by an artist to reinvent himself and I loved this album.

Rescue - Acappella: George Pendergrass singing the title track. Doesn't get better for a Church of Christ'er

We Sing Silly Songs - Various: We were a big car trip family and listened to those tapes over, and over again for thousands of miles. It's why I play music for my kids.

SNL - James Harrison

2009-02-11T23:34:00.003-05:00

I think this is how I am going to feel once I get back on my bike.

The Obamamanic and Ditto-Head Stimulus Bill

2009-02-09T10:11:00.008-05:00

I have been exchanging incredibly long emails with a very good friend of mine who loves current events and politics just as much as I do. We've been friends since Junior High and even roomed together for our first two years of college so we go way back. Yet it is fair to say that we view politics through very different lenses and filters.

So when we starting ribbing each other about this stimulus bill, we decided (ok it was my idea, and yes I am a huge dork) to see if we could come up with a piece of compromise legislation. Feel free to comment, correct, laugh, applaud, or forward to President Barack Obama.

Isbell - Boisvert Bi-Partisan Stimulus Package

Cut payroll taxes 50% and extend the payroll tax up to people who make $700k.
Cut the corporate tax rate (currently one of the highest in the world) to a Federal rate of 26%.
Provide $250 billion to invest in upgrading the electrical grid, modernization of medical records, broadband internet.
Provide $100 billion for education.
Extension of the Bush capital gains tax cut until 2012.
$5 billion worth of grants given for alternative energy development.
$75 billion towards the development of nuclear energy.
Extension of the unemployment benefits and COBRA.
A “Congressional Voter Accountability Pork Stimulus Amendment.” Each House Representative gets $5 million and Senators get $20 million to invest in their districts.
A bike lane from Abilene to Pepperdine to help facilitate various student groups raise money for charity using bike rides.

Cost of Stimulus:

Short Term: Net zero based on expected reversal of recession and projected GDP growth (Laffer curve…)
Short Term: Net zero based on expected reversal of recession and projected GDP growth (Laffer curve…)
-$250 Billion
-$100 Billion
-$100 Billion based on expected reversal of stock market and projected growth.
-$5 Billion
-75 Billion
-67 Billion
-$4.2 Billion
-$9.23 Billion (1299.56 miles from Abilene to Malibu. At a cost of $7.1 M per mile)

Total Cost: $610,430,000,000.00
(the CBO would include a much higher costs for the tax cuts)

Bonus Housing Relief Legislation:

People can reduce their mortgage interest rates (including ARM’s) to a 4% fixed 30 year loan. But if someone takes the deal that loan must be paid off, similar to the way student loans are done.

So there you have it. We welcome your comments.

Guest Blogger Comment - Kobe Vs. Lebron

2009-02-06T12:00:00.004-05:00

On February 2nd the Lakers came to New York and Kobe Bryant scored 61 points setting a new Madison Square Garden record. Two nights later Lebron James came to town and lit up the Knicks for 52 points and pulled in a triple double. My good friend Matt Henegar witnessed both of these games in person (shout out to Brandon Baker who saw the Kobe game too). Matt is a die hard Laker fan with deep loyalties for the Southern California sports teams (Dodgers, Lakers, USC, Pepperdine).

Matt was able to score tickets for both these games within heckling distance of Spike Lee and Jay-Z. So I asked him if he were a general manager of an NBA franchise and was able to secure either Kobe or Lebron for his team, based on his recent scouting, whom would he choose. Here is his reply.

I can honestly say that trying to pick between Kobe and Lebron is like trying to pick between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Having seen both up close, I think Kobe is clearly the better "player" as he has superior all-around basketball skills. He's better at penetrating and ripping apart the defense. He's also a better pure shooter and is much better at creating shots in some of the most amazingly difficult situations. He's much smoother than Lebron and seems to have much better hang-time and body control. So he can create different shots and put moves on other players even after he's already in the air.

Lebron, however, is a beast! The guy is huge and his pure basketball skills rival those of Kobe. The amazing thing about his game was that it didn't necessarily seem like he was going out of his way to score or rack up other stats. He just did. He's one of the biggest guys on the court and moves like he's one of the smallest. There's just no way to measure his value to his team. He plays at a completely different level than anyone else. It's like watching a typical NBA player take on a bunch of junior high schoolers. There were times when you got the sense that Lebron is almost embarrassed by his own abilities -- like he's sort of holding back to avoid having everyone else on the court completely lose interest. Kind of the way I reel it in a bit at times when I'm playing with Aidan and Owen in the basement [Matt's sons, 7 and 5 years old respectively].

Both were full of CRAP when they said that they didn't really know what their stats were toward the end of the game. I believe Kobe said he didn't realize he was about to break one of Michael Jordan's records when shooting a free throw toward the end of the game. I can tell you that it was very clear to me that Kobe knew something significant had happened when he made that free throw because I noticed his demeanor at the game without having any idea about the record. When I watched on Sportscenter later that night, it was clear to me that he knew at the time. Similarly, Lebron tried to claim that he didn't know he was a rebound short of a triple double with less than five seconds left at the end of the game. We were watching the last shot by the Knicks (when the game was easily in hand, and Lebron was otherwise simply goofing around with JayZ and Spike Lee) when Lebron came flying through the air, knocked down his teammate and grabbed the final rebound with one second left, as he was falling out of bounds. Based on how he was playing just before that I can assure you that he knew. They both were telling straight-faced lies during the post-game news conference.

All of that being said, I think I would take Lebron if I was forced to pick between the two, as he has more up-side at this point. Kobe is at the top of his game at the moment, and I get the sense that Lebron is just getting started. As a side note, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a GIANT! The dude is 7' 3" tall and stood almost a head taller than anyone else on the court last night. I've never seen anyone that big in person. He made David Lee look like a little guy. And he has very good basketball skills too -- a complete freak of nature.

It was such a privilege to have been at consecutive games where the two best players in the game absolutely went off in the NBA's most famous (although certainly not nicest) arena.
- Matt Henegar
Husband, Father, Attorney, Late 80's New Wave aficionado, and
the Zydrunas Ilgauskas of his basement basketball court.

So there you have it sports fans and Basketball die-hards. Feel free to Amen or tell Matt why he is absolutely wrong.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday Throw Down

2009-02-05T12:46:00.004-05:00

Economic Perspective:
2,000 (years) x 365 = 730,000 (days)
$900,000,000,000 / 730,000 = $1,232,876.71 per day since Jesus was born (not adjusted for inflation).

Best web-phenomenon term:
FaceBook Fits - coined by Elizabeth in reference to certain types of status updates.

Compelling solution to fiscal crisis:
Lawerence Lindsey on The Daily Show

Best Political Cartoon of the Week:
Party of Fiscal Responsibility

L O S T Prediction:
Miles is the son of Dr. Edgar Hallowax the guy from the Dharma Initiative instructional films.

Weekend Plans:
Allison has class on Saturday so I might take the boys to see the Red Bull Snowscraper competition on the Lower Eastside. Should be TOTALLY RADICAL DUDE!

Lent is coming...

2009-02-03T00:09:00.000-05:00

Lent begins on February 25th and I am preparing to give something up for the duration of the 40 days of Lent. I don't observe Lent every year, but most years I find some spiritually compelling reason to let go of something in my life. I have given up various things over the years like certain foods, beverages, blogging, etc. But what I feel spiritually compelled to give up this year is going to present a really big challenge for me.

For Lent this year I plan on giving up...the news.

As any of you who read this blog know, I love news, politics, pop-culture, and current events. If I have to choose between watching 60 Minutes or SportsCenter, 60 Minutes wins hands down.

Since the election and inauguration are over it's time to regain a sense of balance in my life. I have come to realize the the world doesn't hinge on me checking the DrudgeReport, The Huffington Post, or The Daily Beast five times a day!

I have become too distracted by these things, and my Spiritual growth has suffered because of it. I hate admitting that, but it's the truth. So, for Lent I am giving it up, and re purposing the energy of my thoughts to that of Christ instead of Politico.

I am clearing out my internet bookmarks, un-DVR'ing the Nightly News, and suspending the news podcasts I listen to on my commute to work. This is going to be tough, because the news is everywhere you look in NYC. Just standing in line at Starbucks you get the major headlines of the day from the newspapers laying around.

When a person observes Lent Sunday is typically a day of sabbath from your fasts. So I have limited my consumption of news on that day to reading the NY-Times weekend paper that I get (and hardly ever get through).

So here's how you can help. What books, movies, music, or articles have you been reading lately that have helped you to reflect about your spiritual walk. It doesn't have to be explicitly labeled as "Christian" material, but I welcome that as well. And just so you know I have already read The Shack.

Chain of Command?

2009-02-02T21:22:00.005-05:00

Saw this in the news today.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (IPS) - CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months at an Oval Office meeting Jan. 21.

But Obama informed Gates, Petraeus and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that he wasn't convinced and that he wanted Gates and the military leaders to come back quickly with a detailed 16-month plan, according to two sources who have talked with participants in the meeting.

Obama's decision to override Petraeus's recommendation has not ended the conflict between the president and senior military officers over troop withdrawal, however. There are indications that Petraeus and his allies in the military and the Pentagon, including Gen. Ray Odierno, now the top commander in Iraq, have already begun to try to pressure Obama to change his withdrawal policy.

A network of senior military officers is also reported to be preparing to support Petraeus and Odierno by mobilising public opinion against Obama's decision.

I really hope that this article is blowing things out of proportion. If this is what's really going on, then General Petraeus needs someone to send him a copy of the Constitution, and he should lock-step behind his Commander in Chief. Personally, based on the election Iraq just had, and the fact that the US military wasn't the entity providing security, I say it's time to declare victory and get out. Enough American mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughter soldiers have sacrificed an incredible amount to give this country a chance to rise from the ashes.

BTW, just so you know. IF Iraq maintains and strengthens this fragile, secular democracy over the next couple of years, then Bush deserves all the credit for pushing the surge to help get the peace when no one else thought it was a good idea. And the Democrats and critics should loudly acknowledge that. I hope to be one of them.

Bravery or Stupidity...

2009-01-23T15:55:00.000-05:00

Is this brave or stupid?

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo

Don't forget to laugh too...

2009-01-22T00:02:00.005-05:00

Some people have said that the entertainers who have made their comedic living off of the Bush Presidency are going to have a hard time with the new Obama administration. I don't think this will be so, entertainers are wired to entertain regardless of who is in the White House and the good ones will thrive in this environment just like they did during the Bush years.

For instance, The Daily Show was able to have find humor and irony on the very day of Obama's inauguration. Colbert of course followed up with a brilliant show as well. Hopefully SNL, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report will help me laugh at President Obama for the next eight years.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T15:08:00.004-05:00

From Inauguration Photos

After taking Levi to school, we came home and bundled up and headed to 125th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Adam Clayton Powell, by the way, was the first African American elected to Congress from New York.

Once there we were joined by hundreds of our fellow New Yorkers and we all stood in the cold, elated by what we were witnessing on the big video screen. One of the coolest moments was when Rick Warren started to recite the Lord's prayer during the invocation, the crowd followed along with him. It was so moving to be in the midst of that crowd praying that prayer.

The part of Obama's speech that made the biggest impact on me (and the crowd) was:

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

Here are some pictures we took of the day.

A Moment of History

2009-01-20T07:36:00.003-05:00

The words were spoken first by George Washington and have been repeated by every President since. Today those words will be spoken by a man who would have been counted as property to be owned 150 years ago.

The weight of meaning and the historical significance of this day is overwhelming to me. We plan to go up to 125th st. and watch it with our fellow New Yorkers. Levi's school is watching the oath and all the kids are wearing red, white, and blue. I anticipate there being a feeling of disbelief that what we witness today is in fact actually happening. But the reality of Barack Obama becoming President of the United States, will ripple through that crowd when we hear him speak these words:

I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God.

It's going to be electric.

Tomorrow

2009-01-19T09:10:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that tomorrow at noon eastern, this official Presidential picture will become a reality. Barack Hussein Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America. I feel so fortunate to be able to witness and be a part of this turning point in our nations history.

I know there are people who see this event through different eyes. They are fearful, suspicious, and ideologically opposed to Obama's spoken vision of America. For those people this inaugural celebration is a tempered affair. But to those brother and sister citizen's I hope to encourage you with words from Peggy Noonan, editorial writer from the Wall Street Journal:

But a long-oppressed people have raised up a president. It is moving and beautiful and speaks to the unending magic and sense of justice of our country. The other day the journalist John O'Sullivan noted that 150 years after slavery, a black man stands in the place of Lincoln in the inaugural stands, and this country has proved again that anything is possible, that if we can do this we can do anything. That is a good thing to remember at a difficult time.
What is required for full enjoyment of an inauguration, from opening prayers to speeches to marching bands is, in the great 19th-century phrase, the willing suspension of disbelief. If you don't put your skepticism aside, you will not fully absorb and experience the drama. You must allow it to be real for you...

To believe, suspend disbelief. We have been through this before, the flags and fine speeches, the brass donkey paperweight, the glass elephant, the rise and fall of administrations, the coming and going of figures great and small. It's good to put that aside for a few days, to remove yourself from politics, partisanship and faction, to suspend your disbelief, to be grateful that the signs and symbols endure, as does the republic, and raise a toast: "To the president of the United States."

It's Friday!

2009-01-16T12:34:00.002-05:00

Whew the weekend is almost here.
Here's a way to help your day go by a lot faster.

Miracle on the Hudson

2009-01-15T20:23:00.007-05:00

People can be so amazing. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot for that US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson river about 70 blocks from our house, is a hero in the truest sense of the word. Not only did he manage to miss the George Washington Bridge without power from his two engines, but after his amazing landing this is the account of his actions:

With water seeping into the plane, Sullenberger walked up and down the center aisle twice to make sure nobody was left before he fled the jet, the mayor said. "He was the last one off the plane," Bloomberg said.

The kind of skill, selflessness, and courage he and the crew of the flight displayed actually brought tears to my eyes. It is a beautiful thing to see how people can rise to occasions that seem absolutely impossible in the abstract. They deserve every single bit of praise and admiration they are surely due to receive in the coming weeks.

All of New York owes this pilot and crew a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately we are all too painfully aware of the damage one of those plans could do to a building in Manhattan. The actions he and the co-pilot took saved more lives than just those on that plane.

And hats off to the passengers. Especially the fact that they were letting women and children get off the plane first.

The Wrangler

2009-01-14T21:26:00.007-05:00

Seriously people she did not choose the web moniker
"The Wrangler" for nothing!

Personally, I prefer my animals behind an interactive, environmentally accurate, well protected exhibit, or on my plate with a nice glass of wine.

Planting daredevil seeds in my son, mom sent this picture to Levi in the real life mail and when he opened it he said, "Whoa....grandma is feeding a Buffalo!" They don't have longhorn steers in the Natural History Museum.

Mom does have a slight bit of defensive posture going on. If the steer decides to charge she looks ready to turn and run. However, if my brother Matt had been there is no doubt he would have tried to saddle that thing (see what I mean).

I inadvertently rode a Brahma Bull once when I was about 12 years old. I was at ranch just posing for a picture, when the thing decided to buck me off. Apparently my Aunt Rita saved my life by jumping in front of the bull distracting him enough to let my mom pull me out from underneath it before I got stepped on. Here's a picture of the bull (as I remember it anyway).

Levi Learns to Ski

2009-01-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T02:07:00.002-05:00

We got up at 4 am to get to the airport to make our 6:30 am flight from Seattle back home. Thirty minutes from boarding we discovered our flight was canceled and we were subsequently booked on a return flight for the next morning.

My dad lives about forty miles from the airport and he was in surgery and couldn't come get us so we took a limo back home (it was the same price as the taxi). Despite being up so early, Levi and Zeke were pumped about riding in the limo. Allison and I, on the other hand, well I think her face in the last picture says it all.

We had a great east coast New Years celebration. Meaning we rang in the new year at 9:00 pm Seattle time. We even got to set off some fireworks. We will try to get home tomorrow.

Crazy Snow....

2008-12-26T11:41:00.004-05:00

From The Holidays So Far

The snow here is really unbelievable. The picture above was taken right before we went, as Levi calls it, Wood Walking. We had a really nice Christmas day and even got in some night sledding before it was all over.

Today we pack everything up to head up to Leavenworth. There's a group going up early to get in a day of skiing, but the rest of us are going to take our time getting there since we can't check in until after 5:00 pm anyway. It's pretty funny that we are the ones who are up the earliest, but we need to leave the latest.

Apparently there is no internet up there in the mountains (amazing....yes Kenny, I know that's precisely why you go to the mountains). So this will be the last update until we get back.

Hope you all had a great Christmas.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Levi and Zeke with Santa on the corner of 47th and 5th Ave

A Seattle Christmas

2008-12-24T16:33:00.004-05:00

It's a white Christmas in Seattle!

After ten uneventful hours of traveling we made it to Seattle yesterday. There is nothing like flying 5.5 hours across the country as a family of four with seats for three. I know a lot of people are having a hard time traveling but we had a good time of it. People were nice and someone even gave up their aisle seat to sit in a middle row seat on the plane so we could all sit together.

The picture above was taken this morning out the kitchen window of my Dad's house. The snow is over a foot deep (you can see the trampoline in the background and how high the snow is relative to the top of the trampoline) and Levi can't get enough of it.

Tonight we are going to Eastiside Christian Fellowship's Christmas Eve service where my brother is the youth minister and media coordinator. Then we will go and pick up Beth and Brandon at the airport.

Eventually we are going to go up to Leavenworth to go skiing for five days. It's Levi's first time to skiing so I hope to have some good video and pics to share.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas Eve

Beyond Belief

2008-12-19T15:05:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you read a news story that is so hard to believe that you have to re-read it just to be sure you understand what's going on. That happened to me recently when I read about the story of Dymond Milburn of Galveston, Texas.

Here is a brief glimpse at what happened to this twelve year old girl:

It was a little before 8 at night when the breaker went out at Emily Milburn's home in Galveston. She was busy preparing her children for school the next day, so she asked her 12-year-old daughter, Dymond, to pop outside and turn the switch back on.

As Dymond headed toward the breaker, a blue van drove up and three men jumped out rushing toward her. One of them grabbed her saying, "You're a prostitute. You're coming with me."

Dymond grabbed onto a tree and started screaming, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." One of the men covered her mouth. Two of the men beat her about the face and throat.

As it turned out, the three men were plain-clothed Galveston police officers who had been called to the area regarding three white prostitutes soliciting a white man and a black drug dealer.

The story goes on and gets worse.

Dymond (who is black) ended up in the hospital for a few days with bruises on her throat, black eyes, and a punctured ear drum. Three weeks after that the police showed up at her school (remember she is 12) and arrested her (they arrested her dad as well) for assaulting an officer of the Peace.

This all went to trail and the judge threw declared a mistrial on the very first day. This happened two years ago and according to reports Dymond still suffers nightmares from this episode. The officers have been cleared of all wrong doing and were said to have been following proper procedures.

You can read the full article from the Houston Press.

I wonder what would have happened if the father had come out with his shotgun a blazing in efforts to protect his daughter from being taken by three unidentified men? Texas has some of the most liberal self-defense statutes in the nation, but it's clear in this case it was a really good thing the dad didn't come out with his shotgun. If he had I am sure both he and Dymond would be dead or even accused of murder.

It's hard for me to believe this has been allowed to be unresovled for more than two years. The injustice of it is really disturbing.

U2 New Album

2008-12-19T13:47:00.002-05:00

'No Line on the Horizon' the new studio album from U2, will be released on Monday 2nd March 2009 [day before my birthday!].

Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group’s 12th studio album and is their first release since the 9 million selling album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004.

Sessions for No Line On The Horizon began last year in Fez, Morocco, continued in the band’s own studio in Dublin, before moving to New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and finally being completed at Olympic Studios in London.

The album calls on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite."

Reason No. 58

2008-12-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

Because Every Once In a While, There is Dancing in the Streets:

They were dancing up in Harlem. Down in Union Square. Can’t forget Fort Greene. There was swingin’, swayin’, and boom boxes playin’. To be in New York on the night of November 4, 2008, just after 11 p.m., when the presidential election was called for Barack Obama, was to be reminded that our streets are made for expressions of spontaneous joy. Despite the forces that atomize our lives more all the time, the urge to take to the streets remains deep. Sometimes people are propelled by anger, as after a controversial shooting; sometimes the gravitational pull is shock and sorrow, as it was when thousands gathered to grieve and debate in parks after September 11. But the communal compulsion is an amazingly hopeful phenomenon, no matter what the circumstance, especially because in New York there are so many impediments, so many reasons why it shouldn’t keep happening, from the sheer scale of the city to the stark economic and cultural differences of the people who live here. Yet maybe those are also the greatest reasons why people rush into the streets in huge numbers to celebrate everything from sports championships to election victories: the need to connect, to come together, right now, as one, to share our happiest moments, and to do it against the most dramatic urban backdrop imaginable.

From New York Magazine's annual list of Reasons to Love New York 2008.

The Wise Men

2008-12-17T10:57:00.004-05:00

Matthew 2:1-11

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men^[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,^[b] and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities^[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’^[d]”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Two things really strike me from this passage.

One, what incredible faith and motivation the wise men had when they saw the sign of Jesus' birth. I mean Peter had a hard time believing in who Jesus said he was and that's with the benefit of walking with Jesus on water. The wise men were moved by signs which went unnoticed by most, but were nevertheless profound and powerful enough to spur them to cross deserts and travel thousands of miles to worship a baby!

Two, the wise men were evidently readers! Allison talks to me all the time about the different intelligences people can have and how that influences their ability to learn. Regardless of what type of a learner a person is, the common thread between all intelligent and informed people is how well read they are. Of course being well read isn't the same as being wise but you don't get wisdom without being well read. No doubt many people knew about Micha 5 which was the prophecy the wise men referenced for Herod. The wise men used their knowledge and understanding in the service of their faith. They somehow managed to be intellectually and culturally elite, while understanding their place in light of an all-might God.

Amazing.

I'll Take the Plain Bag Thanks

2008-12-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Great article on The Daily Beast regarding peoples giving up the signature shopping bags at high end stores in exchange for white plain bags. This is from the article:

At Hermès and a handful of other exclusive retailers, “secret shopping” has becoming the winter season’s newest trend. Anyone who can still afford, say, the three cashmere throws at $2,225 each that Mrs. Fuld bought when she stopped by the store that day isn’t likely to advertise it. Instead, the city’s most extravagant shoppers are ferrying their purchases home in unmarked bags; delegating delivery to assistants; or manipulating credit card bills to disguise their spending from outsiders—and their spouses.

The article is fascinating to me because among the wealthiest of people there is a guilt or fear of their own extravagance. The disconnect is that the feeling of displaying the frivolous items of luxury in the midst of peoples financial suffering and difficulties is tacky, rather than unjust. Manners would dictate that you get a plain bag coming out of the Hermes store, but decency would probably require you to give up shopping there all together.

Planet Money

2008-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

NPR's Planet Money podcast is an absolute must add to your iPod or Zune (chuckle). Do yourself a favor and go and listen to the podcast so you can learn why Credit Default Swaps, 40 to 1 leveraging, and the TED Spread are factors in a changing America.

Seriously these are very entertaining and infomative 20 minute podcasts. You owe it yourself to check them out and you will be smarter at the end of the week than you are today on Monday.

Economics and Astrology

2008-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

NY-Times: Reading the Recession For Signs of the Future

The precipice is getting crowded as the financial crisis drags on, leaving even the optimistically inclined with no silver lining to cling to. At a gathering last month at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, economic analysts tested several projections on computer models of the regional economy [New York State]. The models spat back estimates of job losses in the metropolitan area during this recession that ranged from about 325,000 to nearly one million. (The latter result would be far worse than in any other recession in the last 30 years.)
With such a wide spread of possible outcomes, it is no wonder that John Kenneth Galbraith, the famed economist, once said that “the only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”

I thought that last quote was really funny. Anything to help from crying right?

Blasphemy

2008-12-13T09:00:00.003-05:00

HOLD YOUR TOUNGE! Right now a Venti Vanilla, No-Foam, Latte is what gets me through the day! Sometimes if I have to choose between ordering lunch and getting my Starbucks...well lets just say it's a really, really tough call sometimes.

I have cheaper alternatives to Starbucks for a VL. Dunkin Donuts, but I just don't do it (yet). Will I give McDonalds a chance? It might be hard there isn't a McDonalds on my commute as opposed to the three or four Starbucks that are on my way to work. If I try a Micky D's latte I will let you know how it goes.

El Orfanato, es tan aterrador!

2008-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

A weekend movie suggestion.

Last Saturday night I mentioned to Brandon and Daniel that I had stumbled upon the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (the Jessica Biel version) on the IFC channel late one night. I don't like scary movies, but I couldn't look away. I kept "last channeling" on the remote whenever it got too scary (which was often).

The conversation turned to scariest movies (Event Horizon was a consensus winner...I turned that one off in the middle I was too freaked out). I then mentioned a foreign film called "El Orfanato" that I had heard was really scary. An hour later we are at Brandon's apartment streaming the movie onto his TV via NetFlix's and I am screaming like a little girl. Think you can handle it? Then here's the trailer.

It is a SCARY movie and if you enjoy a good fright then this flick is for you. There's no gore, nudity, or other such things in the film so if that turns you off from scary movies then no worries there. BUT it is freaking scary!

Tonight we are going out for my friend Daniel's birthday (click the link...it's funny). We are going to go see "La Den Rette Komme Inn" at the Angelika Theater in SoHo. I'll let you know how it goes.

Caught in a Vulnerable Position

2008-12-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

As I have said before we have had a little bit of a mouse problem the past few months. When I am up late, it's not uncommon to see them (yes more than one) running to and fro in the kitchen. Usually they come out when it's late so Allison and the kids don't have to interact with them...until last night.

Here's the scene, Levi is stalling big time about going to bed. He has already been put in his bed and tucked in twice. Allison and I are in the living room happily on our computers and we can hear him "sneaking out" of his room to go into the bathroom (convenient excuse to get out of bed). We both look at each other and roll our eyes and Allison (her turn) starts to get up to put him back in bed for the third time.

All of a sudden we hear the following:

(clap...clap....clap)
(screaming....clap....crying....clap)
D A D D Y!

I jump out of my chair and run down the hall, to discover Levi standing at the toilet with his PJ's around is knees screaming "THERE'S A MOUSE!" Which then I turn to see a little brown mouse run out of the bathroom and into the hall.

Tearing down the hall a few steps behind me was Allison, who upon practically running into the mouse, had her "Momfiercness" kick in and she grabbed the closest thing she could think of to capture the mouse (a mixing bowl). For Allison this is no small feat, because she has been known to stay awake all night at Camp Shiloh feeling "phantom mice" running accross the bed due to being traumatized at the thought of a mouse in our cabin.

The mouse escaped, but the ensuing processing discussion we had with Levi is something I will never forget. It was hilarious, precious, and unforgetable. In some ways I am thankful that the mouse created the opportunity for Allison and I to have this lasting memory.

However, mouse is still dead come 9:30 am when the exterminator gets here!

Transportation 2.0

2008-12-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Thomas Friedman today in the NY-Times:

If you have an idea in Detroit or Tennessee, promise me that you’ll pursue it, because someone in Denmark or Tel Aviv will do so a second later.

I don’t know if this alternative to gasoline-powered cars will work, but I do know that it can be done — and Detroit isn’t doing it. And therefore it will be done, and eventually, I bet, it will be done profitably.

And when it is, our bailout of Detroit will be remembered as the equivalent of pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the mail-order-catalogue business on the eve of the birth of eBay. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into the CD music business on the eve of the birth of the iPod and iTunes. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into a book-store chain on the eve of the birth of Amazon.com and the Kindle. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into improving typewriters on the eve of the birth of the PC and the Internet.

What business model am I talking about? It is Shai Agassi’s electric car network company, called Better Place.

I read about Agassi's Better Place Company in my WIRED magazine in August. It's a great article and shows what is really possible when people who are rooted in the 21st century become empowered to redefine how we see things like transportation.

Green Wine

2008-12-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all you "greenies" out there. Want to enjoy a nice glass of wine that hasn't been shipped in heavy glass bottle and corked with cork? Then check out Yellow + Blue Malbec. Our local wine store carries it, and the wine is a very very good for an $11 wine. And your earthy conscience can be clear too! It's great to bring to parties and watch the skeptical looks change to surprise with their first taste.

Kisses

2008-12-09T11:54:00.005-05:00

From The Holidays So Far

How is it possible that my four year old is already making these faces when we kiss him!

400th Post!

2008-12-03T10:55:00.005-05:00

I'm back!

After being fairly consumed with this past election and frequently using this blog as a vehicle for expressing my thoughts, I decided to take a step back for a little bit. I enjoy politics and discussing current events and I view this blog as a way of engaging in the topics and stories I find interesting. But in stepping back for a bit I took some time to think about the usefulness and "contribution" blogging in this manner actually makes. It's not that I hope to achieve any sort of blog notoriety via my "jackassian" punditry or even looking to garner more comments for that matter. Rather I questioned whether adding my two-cents to topics that are already hyper analyzed and commented on is beneficial for me or society in general.

With all this reflecting I have come to the conclusion that thinking about myself or this blog in such a way might just be taking things a bit too seriously. So it's time to start blogging and stopping reflecting.

However I do have a little video whose subject matter I do take very seriously.

I find teaching your children to love Rock and Roll is absolutely critical if you wish to be considered a good parent. I have learned from Radio Lab that studying right before you go to bed aids in memory recall and neurological imprinting. So I figured 30 minutes before bed is the perfect time to get out the guitar and turn up the music (especially while Allison is in class).

Ah, it's tough being a good parent!

And Still I Rise

2008-11-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Wow...

2008-11-05T22:33:00.004-05:00

What I've Learned

2008-11-05T11:49:00.007-05:00

What an election. Last night at 11:01 pm Harlem erupted in shouts, horns, drums, dancing, and celebration. The sound of the masses was incredible and it was thrilling to be part of it.

As euphoric as I feel today, I know there are others who still have fears, doubts, suspicions, and are disappointed McCain didn't win.

I have a political ideology shaped by the issues that are important to me, and Obama convincingly addressed those issues. However, I have come to understand during this campaign that compassionate, smart, sincere, and faithful people see the solutions to those issues in completely different ways than I do. Understanding their viewpoints and how different sets of beliefs can come from places of sincerity. This is the most important way I have grown as a person during this election. It hasn't always been easy and I have failed miserably at times to give honor and even courtesy to another persons ideas. But I really believe the tone is going to change, and change for the better.

I believe it's important to note that Obama spoke to this last night. This was the part of his speech that moved me the most:

"In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

So I will buy a NY-Times today (if I can find one, they are sold out everywhere) as a keepsake, and wear my campaign button for another day, but then those things will become part of history.

The future is one where we as Americans come together and tackle the truly daunting challenges we face in this country under the Presidency of Barack Obama. And the criticism by the opposition, and revelations by the press are vital in helping to keep America great. It is my hope, and expectation, that "Yes We Can" does not merely remain a campaign slogan, but turns into a refrain the people of our nation repeat together as Americans.

One day left...

2008-11-03T00:30:00.007-05:00

Mom spent her Saturday in Ohio knocking on 100 doors getting out the vote for Obama. We have twenty four hours to see if it paid off.

Nice work mom!

The Final Obama Endorsement

2008-10-29T11:45:00.006-04:00

It is my hope that Barack Obama becomes President of the United States. However it's important not to mistake my enthusiasm and belief in Obama for infallibility. Obama is a politician and those people are inherently flawed (like most of us are).

A friend of mine went to a forum at Princeton the other night where Cornell West was speaking. Here are some quotes via James' blog.

- "Barack will need accountability should he win. He's not the messiah. If I had power, I'd need accountability too!"

- "Obama doesn't have a lot of anger. If he did, he'd be sitting in here with us!"

- "Ever wonder why there was never a black al-Qaeda? Some brothers tried to get it going, but they just couldn't convince enough people."

- "If Obama wins I will breakdance that night, and critique him in the morning.... We'll be up there at the White House, waving to Sasha and Malia. 'Hi girls, how you doing? Yes, we're protesting your daddy.'"

If Obama wins the Presidency, the question remains to be seen if he has started a movement for change or just become another President. He has the capability, vision, rhetorical skills, and experience to change the direction of this country. And he will make mistakes, and there will be misguided policies, and there will be failure. In the face of those, we as citizens and as Christians must speak truth to power.

But I am further convinced as this election draws mercifully to a close that McCain and Palin lack any visionary framework for America. Their entire campaign has hinged solely on making Obama less than American or worse, an enemy of America which he clearly is not. You may disagree with Obama on policy but he would never cast you out as being unAmerican or unpatriotic.

As you consider your vote on Tuesday keep in mind that despite the hype, you are not electing a messiah to the Oval Office. Relieve yourself of that burden and expectation, and instead think clearly and critically about the strengths and weakness of both candidates and their ideas about leading America.

It is my hope that you will vote for Obama and that you will see him as representing a fundamental change for the future of this country and our children. I hope for those of you who are the most skeptical that you will step out and take the chance on Obama over finding comfort in the familiar of McCain / Palin.

In order to govern this country to greatness in the 21st century Obama needs the cautious and skeptical supporters as much as the die hard fervent ones. There is a place in the tent for the doubters and skeptics and in fact they are vital to the success all of us want this country to have moving forward.

Thoughts on Nashville / And a Poll

2008-10-27T23:05:00.006-04:00

We flew to Nashville this weekend for a dear friends wedding. I must say Levi and Zeke are two of the best traveling kids in the world. Levi is such a pro now that he just automatically handles the bins, shoes, and jackets at the security checkpoint. He even saw there were no bins in our line and walked over to the next one to get some more.

Observations:

If I lived in Nashville (or the south in general) I would weigh 300lbs. That is a fact. Between cheesed up Mexican food, Moe's Burgers, Freelanders, and 84 ounces a day of sweet tea I would be HUGE! Plus "portion control" doesn't exist in the south.

Side Note:
Hey people, just because you are eating at Panera doesn't mean when you order that bacon, turkey, avocado, three cheese sandwich with Chipolte mayonnaise on a french banquette is any healthier for you than McDonalds (shout out to NYC putting calorie counts on all menus...the truth of how bad for you 'healthy upscale food' can still be is incredibally depressing).
______________

Within 15 hours of being in Nashville Levi asked me two questions he has not ever asked me before:
1. Who am I going to marry (Erin Eicher of course)?
2. Why did Jesus die on the cross?

Exploring family and faith all in one car ride.
______________

Tip of the hat to the rest of the country who has to drive everywhere. I felt guilty that Levi and Zeke didn't get to go play at a park because we had so many errands to run in the car.
______________

Whoever laid out the streets and highways of Nashville completely sucked at their job. Why is a street called a "PIKE?"
______________

Levi got to feed three mice to four Cayman Aligators at the local Fish, Lizard, and Snake store/zoo. It was amazing.
______________

Churches are HUGE in Nashville. I had the distinct feeling that being a minister in Nashville is like getting to play football in the NFL. Sure the field is the same in the pro's as in high school, but the stadiums are sure bigger!
______________

There were a lot of McCain / Palin signs, but just as many Obama / Biden ones as well. And in downtown Nashville there was a HUGE campaign office right off of Rosa Parks Blvd. (8th Ave. N) before Humble street (for those who are in Nashville and want to go get some Obama Swag).
______________

The Wall Street Journal will endorse Barack Obama for President. ( surveys)

Financial Times of London - Endorses Barack Obama.

Focus on The Family Letter

2008-10-26T00:07:00.005-04:00

"A Christian Letter from 2012"

Selected Excerpts

Link to full text here.

A glimpse of the future in which Obama wins the election.

• A 6-3 liberal majority Supreme Court that results in rulings like one making gay marriage the law of the land and another forcing the Boy Scouts to "hire homosexual scoutmasters and allow them to sleep in tents with young boys." (In the imagined scenario, The Boy Scouts choose to disband rather than obey). - page 3

• A series of domestic and international disasters based on Obama's "reluctance to send troops overseas." That includes terrorist attacks on U.S. soil that kill hundreds, Russia occupying the Baltic states and Eastern European countries including Poland and the Czech Republic, and al-Qaida overwhelming Iraq. - page 10

• Nationalized health care with long lines for surgery and no access to hospitals for people over 80. - page 11

"The goal was to articulate the big picture. If it is a doomsday picture, then it's a realistic picture."

Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of public policy for Focus on the Family Action.

I have no words.

Obama in Indianapolis

2008-10-24T08:38:00.001-04:00

"There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation—we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it, patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Indiana and all across America who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a red America or a blue America—they have served the United States of America."

Yearbook Yourself

2008-10-22T21:51:00.004-04:00

Yearbook Yourself:

J-Wild circa 1996

J-Wild aka "BIFF" circa 1994
(Hi, I play baseball and I am a jerk.)

Basically my dad circa 1970

In 1952 I was 6 feet tall

401-Keg

2008-10-17T16:23:00.004-04:00

My brother sent this to me via email:

If you had purchased $1,000 of AIG stock one year ago, you would have $42 left.
$1,000 worth Lehman stock, would be worth $6.60 to you today.

With Fannie or Freddie, you would have less than $5 left.

But if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.
It's called the 401-Keg.....

The Gallup Poll of Likely Voters

2008-10-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

Perhaps you have seen the latest Gallup poll pushed on the Drudge Report that has Obama at 49 and McCain at 47 with likely voters. This could get a lot of press depending on what's going on in the news cycle, but don't hyperventilate about it.

Nate Silver from Fivethirtyeight.com who New York Magazine called "The Spreadsheet Psychic" explains why Drudge shouldn't be so hasty in latching onto this poll as an indicator of the state of this race. See Nate's post about it here.

Jesus Is A Friend of Mine

2008-10-16T01:26:00.002-04:00

Sorry it's been a while since I blogged. I have some more posts in the works, but in the meantime I will give you this little ditty. And if you don't watch the whole thing you are going to miss out on amazing lyrics, the absolute worst guitar solo sound, and classic 80's hair. There is no doubt that after you watch this you will hate me for posting this because you WILL NOT be able to get this song out of your head.
ENJOY!

PS: I showed this at Revolution this past weekend, and the kids were dumbfounded by it. They thought it was cool...kinda of.

A Franciscan Blessing

2008-10-12T16:00:00.004-04:00

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

I Will Not Be Satisfied...

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

We are doing school applications and school tours right now for Levi. We recently visited the Manhattan Country School and in their literature was this poem written by an eight grade student. I had tears in my eyes during during the parents meeting when I read it, and I wanted to share it with you:

I will not be satisfied until I can walk down
my northern Park Avenue
with my jeans
and T-shirt
and old sneakers
and hold my head high.

I cannot be satisfied until
I can walk with my white friend in Halem
without that thick blinding fog
lurking 'round corners'
glued and stuck to you -
that think blinding fog
known as hatred.

It's up in my beloved
northern Harlem
bearing a shade of heavy cream.
It's so had to see through it.

I will not be satisfied until
I can say, "my people,"
and all will know
I'm not just speaking
of my black culture
but of my Hispanic culture
of my Japanese culture
of my Jewish culture
of my white American
of my Chinese culture
of my European
of my Christian
of my Muslim
of my Asian
of my Indian
of my Australian
of my Buddhist
of my Eskimo culture.

They'll all know my people are
the human race,
my culture the human culture.
For I am not one, but many.

When I can speak
of my people as one
I will be satisfied.

Blaming the Poor for Ruining the Market III

2008-10-09T08:56:00.003-04:00

I will continue to vehemently attack the idea that minorities and the poor are responsible for getting loans they could not afford through CRA's and subsequently caused entire US and global economy to fail. It's not that it just offends me, it's that it is completely false.

Please, if you still believe that CRA's and the poor are responsible for this mess, you must listen to "Another Frightening Show About the Economy" from the This American Life podcast. If you listen to that you will see first, just how bad and scary things are financially and second, how the poor have almost nothing to do with it. Do yourself a favor and listen to the podcast and you will start to understand why we are in this mess.

Here are some quotes from various sources who all refute the idea that the poor via CRA's caused the financial crisis:

"CRA only governs a certain class of federally insured banks. Problem is, half of the subprime loans came from mortgage companies with no CRA involvement at all. Another 25%-30% came from companies with very little CRA exposure. For those who left their abacus at home, that's 80% of the loans which were fully or largely outside CRA jurisdiction. More than that, the non-CRA mortgage firms made subprime loans at twice the rate of CRA-covered firms." - Ezra Klein, via Mark Thoma blog Dept. Economics University of Oregon

"Finally, keep in mind that the Bush administration has been weakening CRA enforcement and the law’s reach since the day it took office. The CRA was at its strongest in the 1990s, under the Clinton administration, a period when subprime loans performed quite well. It was only after the Bush administration cut back on CRA enforcement that problems arose, a timing issue which should stop those blaming the law dead in their tracks." - Aaron Pressman, Business Week 9/29

"Second, CRA does not either encourage or condone bad lending. Bank regulators were decrying bad subprime lending before the turn of the millennium (see Interagency Guidance on Subprime Lending), and warning the CRA-covered institutions we regulated that badly underwritten subprime products that ignored consumer protections were not acceptable. Lenders not subject to CRA did not receive similar warnings.And we also explained to those we regulated how to serve lower income communities and borrowers in a manner that was good for the borrower, good for the bank, and earned CRA credit." - Ellen Seidman, New America Foundation

"The banker I asked summed things up this way, "As far as CRA requirements and the current crisis in the financial markets, anyone who claims that our problems are the result of the CRA rules just doesn't understand the crisis or the way those requirements are worked out in a community. Further, these rules have been around for decades (enacted in 1977) and they just aren't the problem." - Larry James, ED of Central Dallas Ministries

" Furthermore, companies not covered by CRA made subprime loans at more than twice the rate of lenders that were, according to Janet Yellin, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank. The idea that CRA brought the banks down is "just ridiculous," Mr. Thoma said.

The ugly truth is this: The redlining that led to the passage of CRA has been replaced by reverse-redlining. Lenders didn't have to be dragged into low-income neighborhoods. They rushed in. It was there that they could push their complicated mortgages onto the elderly, blacks and Hispanics, and then sell the loans to somebody else. At least 40 percent of the holders of subprime mortgages could have qualified for cheaper prime mortgages, according to one study. " - Froma Harrop, Dallas Morning News

"There was a culture of stupid, reckless lending, of which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the subprime lenders were an integral part. But the dumb lending virus originated in Greenwich, Ct., midtown Manhattan, and Southern California, not Eastchester, Brownsville, and Washington. Investment banks created a demand for subprime loans because they saw it as a new asset class that they could dominate.

At Monday's hearing, Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida gamely tried to pin Lehman's demise on Fannie and Freddie. After comparing Lehman's small political contributions to Fannie and Freddie's much larger ones, Mica asked Fuld what role Fannie and Freddie's failure played in Lehman's demise. Fuld's response: "de minimis."

Lending money to poor people doesn't make you poor. Lending money poorly to rich people does." - Daniel Gross, Newsweek

For Kids, No Escape from Porn Culture

2008-10-08T09:25:00.004-04:00

Here's the opening paragraph to an article in Newsweek magazine dealing with pornography and it's affects on children:

The idea for a book about porn culture came to Kevin Scott the day his daughter decided she absolutely had to have a Bratz-doll pony. For months, the 5-year-old had begged him for a Bratz doll—clad in spike heels, fishnets and miniskirt, enormous puppy-dog eyes protruding from her oversized head. Her sexy look seemed a little too sexy for a preschooler, so he and his wife bought her a different doll, which she was happy with. Except that a few months later, Bratz came out with Bratz Babyz. "If Bratz had looked like Barbie hookers, these looked like baby hookers," Scott says. Again, he convinced his daughter that My Little Pony was just as cool—and for a moment, the conversation ended. Until, of course, the Bratz came out with Bratz Ponyz. And then, says Scott, an English professor at a small college in Georgia, "I realized porn culture and I were in a death match for my daughter's soul."

Parents, if you aren't careful you may find yourself behind the eight-ball in teaching your kids about a Godly view of sexuality even at the age of five. And if you believe you can wait until your kids are 10, 11, 12, or 13 to talk to them about sex then you may as well just forget it. By then you will be only doing damage control.

In talking to young children about sex it's important to take the initiative to start the conversation and appropriately give them the information they ask for regarding sex and sexuality. If you can do that then you will be ahead of the game with your kids because they will trust your word and be more likely to share with you their questions and curiosities as they get older.

With regard to pornography, hats off to Wake Forest for hosting a "Porn Wars' Symposium" in hopes of getting students to take a serious look at how this $20 billion industry is affecting men, women, and children in this country. I will keep an eye out for any podcasts from the symposium on Wake Forests iTunesU page.

Interconnectedness...

2008-10-07T10:20:00.006-04:00

This video blew my mind! It's a simulation of all the commercial flights around the world in a twenty-four hour period.

Relatively speaking, there are still a lot of logistics to getting multi-ton flying tubes full of people all around the world. Air travel has to be the least efficient method of interconnectedness in the world, yet it still moves millions and millions of people around the globe everyday.

Many more things are not inhibited by weather, flight patterns, mechanical failures, and expense. The flow of money, services, ideologies, faith, ideas that foster hate, love, compassion, injustice, peace, and war move with unprecedented ease around the world.

America's future and place in the world depends on our leaders utilizing the strengths and combating the weaknesses of our country in the face of this global reality. That's just one of the reasons why I support Obama for President, because I believe he possesses the best set of skills, policies, and life experience to position America to lead the rest of the world in this new era of global connectedness and interdependence.

This American Life

2008-10-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

Several months ago This American Life did an episode on the sub-prime mortgage crisis called, The Giant Pool of Money. It was far and away the best 55 minute explanation on how mortgages got turned into securities and then sold on up the financial food chain. Which subsequently set the scene for the crisis we (meaning the world) finds ourselves in right now. It remains one of TAL most popular episodes ever because of the clear narrative they used to explain complicated financial instruments. It's worth the $.99 to purchase the episode.

Today the two producers who made that first show, Alex Blumberg and NPR's Adam Davidson, have done another one called: Another Frightening Show About the Economy which is a pretty ominous title if you ask me.

The link above will take you to the TAL iTunes page where you can download the episode for FREE until Sunday 10/12. I have not had a chance to listen to the program yet, but if it's half as good as the "The Global Pool of Money" then it is a must hear for anyone who finds this whole financial mess confusing (which is pretty much all of us). I'll post my thoughts once I finish listening to it.

Really Bad Day at Work...

2008-10-04T12:40:00.000-04:00

Christian Chronicle....Fair and Balanced.

2008-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

It is safe to say that the church I grew up in is pretty conservative. Ok, it's very conservative, but before you think this is a post slamming my Christian heritage I will tell you that it is not. I would actually like to give a shout out to The Christian Chronicle, which accurately bills itself as an "International newspaper for members of Churches of Christ."

The lead story for this months paper is "Presidential Race Engages Students" written by Bobby Ross Jr. I was curious how this Presidential race would be characterized by the Chronicle whose audience is a pretty religiously and politically conservative one. I found the article to be refreshingly fair and open to both McCain and Obama supporters. It dealt fairly and graciously with the reasons why both candidates found strong support among young people in the Churches of Christ and that those reasons come from sincere Christian beliefs.

This was an encouraging article for me because it gave a lot of credence to the fact that a person could have Christian values and principles that lead them to vote for a Democrat just as as those values lead a person to vote for a Republican. Critics might say that this reality has existed for a long time and the Chronicle, and by extension other members of the Churches of Christ, are late to that realization. This might be true, but I still think the thawing of the view that if you are believer and pro-life you must vote a certain way or you are not a true Christian is a really good development for people of faith on both sides of the aisle. This kind of fair and gracious reporting in such a heated political time should be applauded and encouraged.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

2008-10-01T23:18:00.000-04:00

We have a mouse, at least I think there is only one! As I am typing this everyone is in bed and I have seen the little thing run out from under the fridge and stove twice! It's completely avoiding my glue traps argghh!

But I will have the last laugh. The exterminator comes on Friday and he takes no prisoners!

We Can Only Hope!

2008-10-01T10:48:00.002-04:00

Michael Bloomberg is set to announce his intention on running for office for a third time. Provided term limits can be altered in the city council from 8 to 12 years.

In light of recent events, I think most people in the City are praying he can stay on for another term because did a great job of guiding NYC through a $5 billion dollar shortfall after 9/11. With Wall Street imploding, the economic impact on this city could be really big. Bloomberg isn't perfect by any means, but he is extremelyy popular because of his competence and common sense governing that's not influenced by a particular political ideology.

Even that bastion of liberal elitism, The New York Times, went on record today for abolishing term limits and making the case for Bloomberg to stay in office.

You have my vote mayor!

Lehman Brothers Vs. Africa

2008-09-29T12:14:00.002-04:00

Lehman Brothers total compensation expenditures for 2007:
$9,500,000,000 - equal to $332,470 per person employed by Lehman (23,000+ employees).

Total Aid to Africa in 2007 from USAID:
$5,200,000,000 - equal to $5.20 per person (992 million people)

Blaming Regulation for the Mess...wrong!

2008-09-28T20:55:00.002-04:00

Just another example of how difficult it is for irresponsible free market ideologues to give up the fight:

Market to Market: Why Dave Ramsey is Wrong.

Blaming the Poor for Ruining the Market II

2008-09-26T15:51:00.003-04:00

Follow-up:

Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D. from The Heritage Foundation wrote an article in June of 2005 called: Time to Reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"Despite its claims to the contrary, Fannie Mae's basic operating procedures do not target any particular type of buyer/borrower....Nine percent of the conventional conforming loans made by the private mortgage market were to first-time minority homebuyers. By contrast, only 4.7 percent of Fannie Mae loans and 3.5 percent of Freddie Mac loans over the same period were to first-time minority homebuyers."

Blaming the Poor for Ruining the Market

2008-09-24T12:32:00.001-04:00

Ladies and gentleman do not be fooled. Poor people are not to blame for this financial crisis. Over the coming days you are going to hear free market ideologues try to pin this whole mess on the Community Reinvestment Act or CRA's. CRA's are a financial instrument pushed onto banks by the government to get low-income families the necessary loans to buy homes. These were "sub-prime" borrowers. Some will point to these CRA's, or "loans to irresponsible, poor, inner-city people" as the genesis of this financial crisis. DO NOT BELIEVE IT.

A study done by Traiger and Hinckley regarding the CRA’s found that these banks were less likely to make bad loans than banks not using CRA's. The summary conclusion of that study was as follows:

CRA Banks were substantially less likely than other lenders to make the kinds of risky home purchase loans that helped fuel the foreclosure crisis. Specifically:
CRA Banks were significantly less likely than other lenders to make high cost loans.
The average APR on high cost loans originated by CRA Banks was appreciably lower than the average APR on high cost loans originated by other lenders.
CRA Banks were more than twice as likely as other lenders to retain originated loans in their portfolio.
Foreclosure rates were lower in MSA's with greater concentration of bank branches.

Or listen to Larry James, Executive Director of Central Dallas Ministries who has on the ground experience with CRA's:

"Most small banks make donations to organizations like CDM. Larger banks find ways to do community development deals with stronger, larger community organizations and even cities like Dallas. There is no quick and easy loan process, no system flush with money flowing toward the "irresponsible poor." The poor never see such funds directly and getting funds for projects is difficult, guarded and complete with all sorts of accountability. In Dallas the large CRA projects (if you want to call any of them "large") have been positive for the city, especially in underdeveloped communities.

There is more than enough blame to go around in this financial crisis. From the Financial Services Modernization Act which brought down the firewall between commercial banks and investment banks (supported by Republicans, Democrats, and Bill Clinton), to investment managers that bet the farm on securities that went bust (Lehman was leveraged $30 to $1)!

It's clear the markets need to be bailed out in a responsible manner. And a proper review of what got us in this mess needs to be undertaken. But do not even entertain the idea for one second that the Governments "over eagerness to help the poor" is what sunk the ship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Soooo true!

2008-09-23T21:59:00.001-04:00

And what makes this cartoon even sadder and more accurate to my life these days is that I bookmarked Fivethirtyeight.com a site that I had never heard of before. I NEED HELP!

A Little PST Can Be A Good Thing...

2008-09-23T01:05:00.008-04:00

My little brother Matt got married this weekend to his bride Kelli in a beautiful ceremony led by my grandfather in Beverly Hills overlooking Los Angeles. With airplane seats for three and a family of four we made the trek across the country to participate in this blessed event.

We rented a house with the Baker's in Santa Monica that was ACROSS THE STREET from the beach (corner of Ocean and Pacific St). There was family flying in from all over the country to be a part of this wedding. There were three different locations for the rehearsal, the wedding, and the reception. Beth was a bridesmaid, Allison was the coordinator, I was a groomsman, and Levi was a ring bearer.

Even in the midst of wedding stuff, child management, and sleepless nights I could still feel the remarkably slower more laid back pace of Southern California as compared to New York. Sometimes I forget that I live in a bubble. Whenever I leave that bubble the world is so different and not just because of surroundings but different in feel, energy, and especially pace. It's like life throttles down to 60% capacity once you leave New York and that's just going to Los Angeles it's much lower than that other states!

I know I go on and on about how great NYC is, and I realize how annoying that aggrandizing can be (see Texans), but I do see how the pace and feel of NYC can't work for most people. And truth is it doesn't always work for us either. It's nice to leave sometimes to decompress a little. But we know NYC works for us because so far it's always nice to return to the city we call home.

It was a short trip so the dichotomy between the two cities was acutely felt. For example from Wednesday to Sunday I had no real idea what was going on in the world. Even though I listened to KCRW 98.9 (a station I podcast) I still felt the absence of breaking news, and it was a good thing (I must detox after this election). In contrast, I knew the big stories of the day just from walking by the news stands on my way to work this morning.

I like being in the heart of it all. The Pacific time zone feels about three hours behind the rest of the world to me. And in NYC terms that might as well be the whole day. But sometimes letting the world get ahead of you isn't such a bad thing.

Poll: High School Rulez!

2008-09-17T12:00:00.003-04:00

I really like the poll thing. So I thought I would try one of the several different poll websites out there. Poll Daddy seemed like a pretty good site, and it's free. We'll see how well it works, and I will try to come up with interesting polls.

If I could relive one moment from high school it would be: ( polls)

Facing Reality

2008-09-17T00:26:00.003-04:00

“Just keep your head down. This is really going to impact the American dream for some time to come regardless of who is on Pennsylvania Avenue.”

This sentence flew off the screen at me as I read the e-mail. The person who wrote it is someone for whom I have tremendous respect. His professional experience and the way he has personally managed his money lends a credibility to his statement, and that made me pause.

I wouldn't begin to say that I fully understand the ramifications of everything that has gone on in the financial markets the last few weeks. But I do know that the people who were entrusted with the keys to our economy have failed us because of greed and lack of oversight.

Population and Podcast

2008-09-10T15:38:00.003-04:00

Saw this breakdown of the states who have the closest populations to the boroughs in NYC. It's amazing that you could cram all the people from these states into NYC. WOW right! Of course this started me thinking about the electoral college. These five states have a total electoral vote of 21 (according to the FEC). New York state has a total of 31 electoral votes. That doesn't seem to be fair in a "representative" democracy. But someone who is better at math than I am will need to explain it (yes I am talking to you Brandon).

There is a new podcast I have been listening to called "The Moth." The Moth is an organization dedicated to the art and community of storytelling. People come to the Moth events and get up to share their stories. No notes, props, or PowerPoint presentations just storytelling. From their website you can get to the iTunes podcast link. The latest two episodes called "The Stakeout" and "Harlem Cowboy" will have you roaring with laughter. Warning, these are recordings of live presentations so there is no editing done to the stories so there is swearing in some of them. Particularly in "The Stakeout" but the guy telling the story is a NYC detective so it's to be understood.

Anyway, it's a good one to add to your podcast repertoire.

I Cry Mercy....

2008-09-05T01:01:00.006-04:00

Ok I am done.

Whew that is way, way, way enough political blogging from me. We have three weeks until the debates so I promise to keep my mouth shut until then. I am sure I will find something else to talk about. As my good friend Laura says, when in doubt, post pictures of the kids!

I will leave you with this little ditty for the weekend. Nothing like talented musicians doing a great cover of an awesome song, but entirely stripping the song of it's meaning in the video. Goodnight and have a great weekend!

John McCain's Speech

2008-09-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

I know I promised, but with all the McCain and GOP bashing I have done, I wanted to say something nice.

John McCain gained back some of the respect I had lost for him over this campaign last night. He was a good soldier last night for his country. He told the GOP what it needed to hear, and what the country already knew. That the GOP screwed up the country and needs to be reborn if it wishes to govern again. Although I don't think McCain believes he is going to be the one who does it. Rather it's going to be Palin and that new generation of GOP'ers that will reinvent the party.

Perhaps this is a stretch, and I still think the election will be close. But last night he told a room packed full of the party faithful and millions of viewers at home: "Instead of changing Washington, Washington changed us...We lost. We lost your trust."

Contrast that with everything you heard the previous two evenings and it's clear that John was trying to save his soul and the Republican party's as well. I really admire him for doing that, and we will likely never see that again from a candidate who accepts the nomination for President.

Read Joe Klein's article about the speech here.

Death of a Taboo

2008-09-04T21:44:00.003-04:00

From Boston.com:

"ST. PAUL -- One of the most enduring taboos in American politics, the airing of graphic images from the September 11 attacks in a partisan context, died today. It was nearly seven years old.

The informal prohibition, which had been occasionally threatened by political ads in recent years, was pronounced dead at approximately 7:40 CST, when a video aired before delegates at the Republican National Convention included slow-motion footage of a plane striking the World Trade Center, the towers' subsequent collapse, and smoke emerging from the Pentagon.

The September 11 precedent was one of the few surviving campaign-season taboos. It is survived by direct comparisons of one's opponents to Hitler."

Survey Results

2008-09-04T15:04:00.008-04:00

Last night Sarah Palin gave a speech that solidified her as a force to be taken seriously. Her ability to be divisive, condescending, and warm at the same time are pretty formidable political skills. This was her introduction to the nation, and what an introduction it was. In political terms this speech was to her, what Obama's speech in Iowa was to him.However, the difference in content is pretty stark.

She obviously has a talent for giving a good speech at a convention. She will have to wait another four years to do that again. Palin hasn't taken a single question from a reporter yet or stated her policy positions on any positions outside of those policies that affect Alaska.

She took it to Obama, the media, Michelle Obama, and the Washington establishment. That really fired up the base and gave them one night of feeling inspired about their candidate. But the crowd wasn't inspired by what she had to say about the middle class, the poor, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, health care, veterans care, the home mortgage crisis, the economy, and education. They couldn't have been excited about those things because she didn't mention any of them. We will see tonight if the top of the ticket thinks those things are issues worthy of addressing for the next President of the United States.

What is "amusing" in all this is the sudden reversal of fortunes that Republican's who love Palin find themselves in. They are trumping up Palin's experience, fawning over her one speech, and decrying the sexist media. As John Stewart astutely pointed out.

I heard what I wanted to hear in 2004 at the Democratic Convention when Obama gave his speech that talked about the promise and hope of America. And the more I have listened to both sides the more sure I am about who I want to lead this country.

"America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess." - Barack Obama, Denver 2008

Palin's Comeback

2008-09-03T14:37:00.005-04:00

There is a lot of chastising going on about Palin and her family right now. A lot of the questions regarding her decision to be a VP nominee are fair to ask and some, in the grand scheme of things, are not. But the McCain campaign has not made her available to answer or refuse to answer any of those questions. They have her hidden away and the ensuing vacuum of her absence has allowed for others to create the news about her and her family.

Before you think I am feeling sorry for her, realize that I believe this sets her up perfectly for a great "comeback speech" tonight. I fully expect her to bring the house down with her speech (speech writers have been working on it all week) and send the press into it's favorite exercise, navel gazing about themselves. I can't decide if the McCain campaign is savvy enough to have scripted this or if they are lucking into this scenario.

Palin will rightly criticize the media for making as big of an issue out of her 17 year old daughters pregnancy as they have (3 stories on the front page of NY-Times is excessive). And she will be hailed for defending her family against the onslaught of media coverage and the angry left (is it angry to point out hypocrisy in a political ideology....hmmm). I fully expect her to be strong, unfazed, and full of passion, and kudos to her if she can pull that off tonight. But that doesn't change the fact that she was chosen by John McCain in an attempt to win an election and not to govern the country.

Yes I will agree with people out there who say that Barack Obama doesn't have the longest resume for a Presidential Candidate. However, we have all had 18 months, 22 debates, countless speeches, and memorable moments to get to know how Obama thinks and feels about countless issues facing our nation. His speeches are all written by him and the speech he gave at the last night of the convention was all about the challenges facing this country and what he wants to do about them. Something the GOP has yet to do at this convention.

In contrast, we only have 66 days to get to know Palin, and that's an awfully short time to get to know a person and make them the second most powerful person in our Nation. There are so many questions to ask and the list grows longer every single day. Tonight I think she will shine, but tomorrow the questions will remain. And until she faces them on her own she should be viewed with utmost skepticism and doubt.

NEW POLL (can't see it in an rss reader):

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Watch Your Step

2008-09-02T22:52:00.001-04:00

I stepped off the curb to see which bus was coming down the street on 125th. The moment my foot hit the pavement I immediately felt a fiery shooting pain up my leg, and three milliseconds later (yes it was exactly three) I heard 'pop' 'pop.'

I lost my balance but I didn't fall down in the street (note: this is why I don't stand near the subway tracks when the train comes, all it takes is one misstep and 'squish'). I turned and hopped back on the curb and made it to the bus seat where I got that cold sweat, hard to breathe, faint feeling as my ankle began to throb.

I definitely have a self-diagnosed high ankle sprain and I have become painfully reminded just how much walking a person is required to do when they live in the city with two kids.

I had to gingerly walk down the street so as not to misplace my footing and make my situation worse. With each step I took my mind started to comprehend just how difficult it is for an elderly person who lives in this city to get around. There are so many uneven sidewalks, utility covers, trash cans, dogs, people, kids, razor scooters, doormen, subway grates, construction, STAIRS, crosswalks, etc to navigate. As a 33 year old fairly nimble person these obstacles are hardly ever noticed or respected. But these obstacles are really scary and seriously life threatening to the elderly. Couple everything I listed above with the winter chill and some snow/slush/ice on the ground and you get a situation that's ten times as dangerous.

As I hobble around the city for the next several weeks (yea no opening soccer game) I will be just slightly closer to understanding the difficulties elderly New Yorkers deal with. My goal for this fall and winters season is to slow down and notice the dangers in the paths of the frail in the city and do my best to help them navigate them safely. I will let you know how it goes.

FCBarcelona

2008-09-01T13:53:00.003-04:00

He chose the FCBarcelona Soccer Club jersey. He had such a great time and stayed for both the 2-4 year class and the 5 and up class. He managed to score a goal in the 5 and up class during a scrimmage. When the scrimmage was over he promptly stomped off the field and fell on the ground crying. I asked what was wrong and he said he didn't score enough goals. He got in big trouble for that, and will be happy with one or no goals scored from here on out.

Levi's most natural soccer skill? Taking a dive on the tackle, shot, dribble, throw-in, and just plain running. If a European club saw him they would sign him up right away. You can't teach a person to fake a good fall in soccer you have to be born with it!

Levi's Dilema

2008-08-30T21:02:00.000-04:00

Levi starts his first soccer class today and he is super excited. The coaches told us that he can dress up in a soccer jersey if he had one and wanted to. That fact just doubled up the excitement for him.

One of the cool things that people have given him over the last several years are soccer jerseys from various countries all over the world. This is a picture of all the jerseys he has right now and they come from Spain, Turkey, Honduras, Ireland, and Portugal. Each one of the jerseys were purchased in the country they originate from by family who traveled there. His collection has grown over the years and he loves each and every one of them. It will be interesting to see which one he chooses to wear on Saturday. My bet is that he is going to go with Eircom from Ireland, because it has matching shorts and it's his newest one. But he loves the black and yellow Avea shirt from Turkey. I'll let you know what he picks.

Zoe Keating

2008-08-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

No matter how you are feeling right now elated, stunned, inspired, or depressed the music of Zoe Keating will help regain your equilibrium. Again thanks to the Radio Lab podcast Zoe's music was made known to me while I was riding my bike to work two days ago. She is a cellist who was classically trained but creates music that is cinematic and has more in common with rock than Bach.

She incorporates various loops and repeaters to create lush sounds and layers that grow increasingly beautiful as her pieces go on. Everything you hear is created by her and the range of sound coming from her cello is incredible. Below are some links where you can hear her music for free.

Radio Lab Podcast - Quantum Cello
Pop Tech - A live performance at the Pop-Tech conference 2007
YouTube - performance of Tetrishead

Thoughts on Obama's Speech

2008-08-29T10:55:00.003-04:00

After last nights speech in which Obama articulated a picture of America that inspired me and made me hopeful for my children's future. It is crystal clear where Obama wants to lead the country and how he would do it.

Survey Results

2008-08-28T17:34:00.003-04:00

17 Total Responses

Absolutely, wouldn't miss it.	10	59%
I'll watch, but I'm not sold.	3	18%
Heck no, Mythbuster's is on.	1	6%
Nope. I've already heard enough...hope, change, higher taxes...blah, blah, blah	3	18%
You know he's a secret Muslim right?	0	0%

What an amazing night for our country. No matter who you support in this election we should all be proud of our nation and it's people. Tonight we take a giant leap forward in realizing Dr. King's dream of equality for this country.

Survey

2008-08-27T17:32:00.005-04:00

I have been working with Google documents and 'discovered' you can make these cool online forms. This is a life saver for a youth minister because now I can create these sign up forms for activities and post or e-mail them to my kids. They put in the information I want and it's goes straight into a Google document. It also gives me basic statistical analysis on those questions I asked. Like what percentage of people want a large t-shirt, or how many guys have signed up, you get the idea.

Anyway, the feature also allows you to put together simple surveys like what's below. I will post the results right before Obama's speech on Thursday night. You can't see the survey in your rss reader, so if you want to participate you have to actually go to the blog to do so (link).
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Do You See What I See?

2008-08-13T00:20:00.007-04:00

We are loosing the views from the north facing windows of our apartment (except the boys room). We aren't complaining, it's rare enough for an apartment in NYC to get light, let alone have an entire vista to look at. Empty lots don't stay that way in NYC so we knew it was coming, eventually. The new building across the street adds about a floor every three weeks. Today they finished putting on the ceiling of the seventh floor. While we are gone on vacation they will complete the eighth floor and our view will then become a series of big windows just fifty feet away.

In about a year those windows will have people in them and suddenly strangers who we will most likely never talk (and probably shouldn't talk to) will potentially know more about what goes on in our home every day than anyone else, and vice versa. So I am curious as to what you might do if you were in our situation a year from now.

Would you:
A. Get blinds to cover all the windows that face the new unknown neighbors.

B. Go without blinds and make sure you were always appropriately dressed and behaved.

C. Stand naked in front of the window the first day people move into the building, and hope that display convinces THEM to go out and buy window coverings.

D. Get no shades, walk around your house any way you choose and don't give a second thought to the people who may or may not be watching you all day long.

Just so you can make an informed decision, if you stand right at the window and look out, this is how well you could see into the other building (click image for larger size). And none of the windows people can see in or we can see out of are the bedroom windows. Just playroom, kitchen, and family room.

So which decision would you make, and which one do you think we are going to choose?

A Must Read....

2008-08-12T16:56:00.003-04:00

You must read Brandon's latest post, "We Sponsored the Olympics."

***UPDATE***

Under Pressure

2008-08-11T07:53:00.001-04:00

That 4 X 100m relay was freaking awesome last night. Allison and I were going absolutely nuts as Jason Lezak touched the wall for gold. The 32 year old anchor leg swimmer turned in arguably one of the greatest swimming performances ever under the most unimaginable pressure.

The French were talking smack. Jason entered the pool behind one of the world's fastest 100m swimmers. Michael Phelps needed him to have the split of his life in order for Michael to continue his history making attempt as eight gold medals. And he was swimming on the worlds biggest stage. Any normal person, even a most world class athlete would just be crushed under that kind of pressure.

Stefan Fatsis the author of the book "A Few Seconds of Panic" tried to get a taste of what kind of pressure pro-athletes face as they attempt to make the incredibly difficult seem routine. Check out what happens when he was put under just the slightest bit of pressure to make a field goal in the NFL.

China's Shock and Awe

2008-08-09T07:05:00.006-04:00

I was completely blown away by the opening ceremonies last night. I really don't have anything to say about it other than I will never forget what I saw last night on my TV. I believe it will be remembered in such a way as to become an instant reference point in people's lives. "I remember watching the opening of the Beijing Olympics at..."

The organizers of the London Olympics in 2012 have to be shaking their heads as they attempt to contemplate what their opening ceremonies will be like.

From a strictly technical standpoint the show was awe inspiring. I can't even begin to imagine how many projectors, lights, and LED's they used to pull that show off. It was done on such an unbelievable scale. I am sure just the platform they used on top of the stadium's turf and track was world record breaking. One of my favorite set piece had to be the boxes that rose up and down. We had a debate as to whether their were people in the boxes and in the end when they popped out of the top we all stood up and clapped! The whole evening was full of beauty, power, and inventiveness. It was truly a sight to behold.

My hope is that this Olympics goes amazingly well from an organizational and programmatic point of view. China has worked hard and invested so much and they deserve for it to go well. But I also want the USA to win the medal count. It's going to be tough, but I think we will succeed.

It's Friday

2008-08-01T15:03:00.002-04:00

I have read several articles criticizing Bush for going to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The Chancellor of Germany and the British Prime Minister are boycotting the opening ceremonies because of China's human rights record.

I believe Bush is correct to go to the opening ceremonies. China, like it or not, is going to be one of the most important nations in the world in the next century. Engaging China is the best way to bring about reforms and change.

Of course China has us in a little bit of bind. All they would have to do to show their 'displeasure' at Bush boycotting the games, is unload a few hundred billion dollars worth of treasury bills. We definitely don't want that to happen. So have a good time Mr. President and please no dancing!

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I have a lock-in tonight at the church. Pray for me!

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I have heard over the years how awesome the band Radiohead was supposed to be. I haven't bought into the hype. That is until I downloaded "In Rainbows" the pay what you want album they released. I can't stop listening to it. I feel like each time I listen to it I discover something new. I liked it so much I was going to get the Radiohead greatest hits that just came out, until I read some of the message boards about it on iTunes. It currently only has like two stars because Radiohead fans have bombarded the site with negative reviews. A vast majority of the reviews have said that a Radiohead greatest hits is sacrilege to the art they attempt to make with their music. Their fans advocate that Radiohead is best understood by looking at an entire album, not just a single. Their genius is only to be fully appreciated within the context of the whole album.

After repeated hearings of "In Rainbows" I can completely see how this is the case. So, you Radiohead fans out there, which album should be the next purchase for me. Here's their discography:

Pablo Honey (1993)
The Bends (1995)
OK Computer (1997)
Kid A (2000)
Amnesiac (2001)
Hail to the Thief (2003)
In Rainbows (2007)