a little off the top

Blake at the Bat

2011-04-09T21:37:00.007-05:00

Little league baseball has started in Seattle. Blake's first game was today. Here are some pics from the festivities:

Stretching the quads

Number 8 in your program, Number 1 in your hearts.

He's got hops, man!

Game day pep talk

No such thing as too much stretching.

He's a killer vs. right-handers (and pitching machines)

Woo-hoo!

The Legend of Zelda - 25 years later

2011-02-21T23:00:00.004-06:00

The Legend of Zelda turns 25 years-old today. IGN put together a nice anniversary article discussing 25 ways the series is still making a lasting impact on gaming.

The series is my favorite of all video games, and the original NES game is one of my all-time gaming experiences (don't worry Atari Pac-Man and your atrocious graphics, you've not been forgotten). In the days long before the internet and game guides, the only way to save this princess was to keep playing, asking friends, and scouring the pull-out Nintendo Power maps for clues.

In 2007 I wrote an article celebrating 20 years my experience with the original Zelda, It seemed an appropriate day for a repost.

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The Legend of Zelda is my favorite video game of all time. I worked my first newspaper route in the summer of 1987. I put most of month's earnings in my pocket, hopped on my bike, and rode to Wal-Mart to pick up this game. After laying down my $35 (games were cheap in the 80s) I began. It was the first game I played with a battery save, meaning you could actually start each play session at the place you left off (without Metroid's 65-digit code that we always messed up). The puzzles were tricky, enemies were tough (especially the Knights and Magicians), and weapons were legendary, particularly the magic boomerang.

At that time many of my friends were playing the same game (we each had THE video game system popular at the time), so many school recesses and church events were full of strategy discussion and secret finding. Nintendo Power helped with some additional maps and a few hints here and there.

Finally finding Level 9 (best video game music ever) and defeating Gannon were a couple of the more proud moments of my 11 year-old life at the time.

Take any one you want... as long as it's the heart container.

Participate in the end of suffering

2011-01-24T12:05:00.001-06:00

I recently re-discovered this 2006 article by Tim Sanders (author of Love is the Killer App, one of my all-time favorite books). It had a significant impact on me at the time, and again today. I'd love to know what you think.

I believe that our mission in life is simple: Participate in the end of suffering. If we reduce suffering in the world, we enable the positive. We make a difference. You cannot make people happy and you cannot make them like you. You can, however, be a part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. Suffering is everywhere waiting to be addressed. It comes in physical and mental forms from hunger to uncertainty.

Happiness is like a ray of light that sits just beyond the dark clouds of suffering. When those clouds part our joy shines through. We only get glimpses of this light because there is so much suffering in our lives.

Think about it, your greatest energy comes from your innate desire to end suffering. If you are bored, you find great energy to deal with that. If someone you care about needs something, you find it in yourself to give her your very best. This mission I suggest, the end of suffering, comes from your true nature as a compassionate being.

It is truly possible to unify our intentions and to align with others based on the mission we select in life. Currently, we have so many varied (and often selfish) missions that it is no wonder we think we are not like “them” and find ourselves largely divided.

When you choose the right mission, it gives you advice at every turn of your life. At work, your mission should tell you the difference between right and wrong and where to spend your time (and energy). Trying to achieve a vague professional mission is like trying to operate a business without a plan. It is difficult for you to separate your mission between personal and professional. How you are successful during the day is who you become in the evening. Conversely, your personal mission should guide your behavior towards your family, friends and acquaintances. If you find one mission that successfully guides you throughout your whole life, you have a blueprint for success. If your mission is aligned with others, you have a blueprint for community and cooperation.

It is my informed opinion that the most effective leaders in the world focus efforts towards the end of suffering. They are first are foremost happy and proactive in defending that happiness. They are sensitive to others’ feelings and possess a connected form of emotional intelligence.

Think about this over the next few days. Ask yourself, “Do I have a unifying mission that guides me?” Then question, “Can I offer something towards the end of suffering or do I mostly create suffering?” You may decide to join me in my mission.

If you accept this mission, you must first address suffering in your own life. You need to make room for the needs of other people by dealing with your own. This is the road to self-reliance and peace. If you accept this mission, you will find yourself opting out of behaviors that could make others suffer, because you would “know better” as a result of your new focus on the end of suffering. If nothing else, just do an inventory in one week of how much suffering you created versus how much you addressed. The better you do, the more you are living on purpose.

Your friend, Tim Sanders

With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair

2011-01-11T08:00:00.002-06:00

I ran across Mumford & Sons a few weeks ago, and this song has stuck with me. The haunting feel of the music in cooperation with the inspiring lyrics worked for me. I'd love to hear what you think about it.

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and mine so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

Favorites of 2010

2011-01-04T10:15:00.010-06:00

I'm a sucker for lists, and for "best of" lists specifically, so for the last couple years I've put together a favorites lists of my own. Here are my Favorites of 2009, Favorites of 2008, and More Favorites of 2008 (I was apparently very happy with '08).

Following is the list for 2010, heavily influenced by our move this year from Columbia, Missouri to Seattle, Washington.

Breakfast: Top Pot Colossal Apple Fritter

It's no secret that our family is in love with Top Pot Doughnuts (my currently problem fitting into my jeans is evidence). I haven't had a bad donut at Top Pot, but my personal favorite is the Colossal Apple Fritter. At the risk of offending (and knowing a true blind taste test is virtually impossible) it beats my previous favorite fritter: Schulte's in Jefferson City, MO.

Snack: Nutella & Pretzels

Not much to explain here. Nutella (hazelnut + cocoa spread) is freaking awesome.

Dinner: Real Seafood

I didn't know fish could taste this good (no offense, Captain D). Scallops and crab are on the top of my list for taste. For the combination of price and taste, I'm currently stuck on Ivar's White Clam Chowder (see aforementioned shrinking jeans).

New Album: Arcade Fire, Suburbs

I actually haven't listened to a ton of new music this year, and compared to the last couple years of new released by huge artists (U2, Dave Matthews), it was a little quieter, at least for me. Suburbs was constantly in the background in my office this fall.

(Runner up: Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More)

New to me Albums: Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin

First off, this is just a great record with Cash at his best. But what impacted me more was the story behind this and other prison albums, and Johnny Cash's passion for the underrepresented throughout his life and career. The guy was famously imperfect, but imperfect in a way that I find myself wanting to be. When I listen through this album, I want to be a better person. I call that pretty darn good art.

At the risk of writing a full Johnny Cash post, I also recently ran across two Cash articles this year that I really liked: Johnny Cash Gives You the Finger and Johnny Cash's Complicated Faith. According to Bono, "Every man knows he is a sissy compared to Johnny Cash."

Tourist Destination: EMPSFM

The Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum has been a must see for any visitors we've had in town so far. EMP is an incredible mix of hands-on music experiences, traditional museum fare, and a room of audio and video interviews with hundreds of musicians. SFM is a visual feast for Trekkies, Star Wars geeks, and Battlestar nerds.

Runners up: Friday Harbor, Woodland Park Zoo, Golden Gardens

Addition by Subtraction: Wal-Mart

I haven't stepped inside a Wal-Mart since April. Though I sometimes miss the cheap "one-stop-shop" of the Supercenter, I've enjoyed coupon clipping and grocery store ad scouring, and we've recently discovered Fred Meyer (which is basically the West Coast Wal-Mart).

Runner up: Car #2

Media Getter: Netflix

We survived solely on Netflix over the summer, ditching cable for a few months to save cash as we got settled in (that lasted until Week 2 of football season). Particular love Netflix streaming for Wii. Netflix for iPod Touch is great, too, though I was surprised I liked it. There is something that feels a little powerful about holding an entire library of movies in my hand. I'm just sayin'.

View: Our Bedroom Window

It's pretty exciting for a small town Missouri kid to have a mountain view from my house (even if it's just a couple inches of the Olympics).

Game: Pokemon

I haven't really played many video games this year, and nothing new comes to mind. But I've had fun playing Pokemon with the kids for the past couple months. It's fun and mildly addictive - the perfect combination.

Potential 2011 winners: Wii Fit Plus, Ticket to Ride

Blog: rapping by Bill Cox

Dr. William C. Cox was my childhood preacher, and he remains the pastor of First Baptist Church in Nevada, Missouri (over 30 years). He started blogging this year, and I really like his stuff. It's straight forward, a little folksy, and as unpretentious as I would expect.

Proudest Sports Day: Mizzou vs. Oklahoma

This doubled as my Most Homesick Day, as we enjoyed the festivities in Columbia afar. ESPN GameDay on Mizzou's campus was beautiful, and it only got better seeing Facebook and Twitter photos from friends all day long. It was topped off by an incredible win against the then-#1 team in the country. A great sports day.

Runner up: Chiefs vs. Seahawks at Qwest Field - cheering for the visitors.

Event: A Real Date with Janelle + Brandi Carlile + the Seattle Symphony

We've not typically been big "going out" people over the years, so this was a great experience. We hired a real-life, paid babysitter, dressed up, went out to dinner, and then saw an incredible concert. My highlight of the show was seeing how excited Janelle got when Brandi Carlile first took the stage. Awesome.

Runner up: Whale watching in Northern Washington

So there we are. 2010 in a favorites list. Here's to 2011!

The art of non-comformity

2010-12-21T23:45:00.003-06:00

I had never been to a book signing. It just never really occurred to me, and my previous opportunities had been limited. I also don't read all that many books, so combining a book I've read (or plan to read) with the author visiting nearby has been, to this point, relatively rare.

I received The Art of Non-Conformity as a gift and was supposed to wrap it myself for our tree, but instead I took

it to the signing. (I'm sure Aunt Sandra won't mind that I got the book signed. Maybe I'll wrap it before Christmas. Probably not.)

I've followed the author, Chris Guillebeau, for the past couple years. I've posted before about his online manifesto, A Brief Guide to World Domination, and his blog was my favorite of 2009.

The book signing event was fun. First off, it was at a bookstore in the University District, an area of Seattle we haven't visited yet. We keep finding these separate pockets of life in the city, and this one will be fun to explore in the future.

The event itself was bigger than I had expected. There were 100+ people there, and I ended up in Standing Room Only, leaning against Stieg Larsson novels with the others who showed up right at 7pm. The crowd was "varied"

in a Seattle way - mostly white, hip-looking vegetarians, but ranging in paleness and widely in age).

My take-home from the event was this: Trade efficiency for adventure. We tend to work very hard to increase our efficiency, but in doing so we often fill the created void with additional busyness and "soul-less" efforts. In my own life, I'm often looking for the most efficient way to complete my list of tasks, so I can then move on to my other list of tasks, complete that list, and then start on a new task. Guillebeau asks me to consider a new perspective altogether. I like being asked to do that.

The author has completed a 53-city tour to every state in the U.S., and he's heading to Canada in January. In our current social-networking-as-relationship world, and Chris's work as a blogger, a more obvious choice may have been an online campaign to support the book. That he purposely set up an inefficient, "Unconventional Book Tour" underscores the concept of the book.

So this will likely be my "over the holidays" read. What about you? Expecting a book for Christmas?

The comfort of discomfort

2010-12-05T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is a repost from an article I wrote for Experience MHGS in October. The original can be found here. I wanted to keep a copy of the post on this blog as well:

Missouri is all I knew. I was born in Kansas City and raised in a Mellencamp-style small town. Janelle and I met as Southern Baptist summer missionaries, married right after college, started a family right away, and bought a house in a college town to live out our days rooting for the Tigers and volunteering in the church nursery.

We had talked about a potential move someday – maybe to the coast, or to Tolkein’s Rivendell. But that desire had been pushed to the background over the years, as babies and car payments and career ladders and mortgages became the norm. I had a stable government job, and everything in our life – including our lives themselves – were fully insured against loss. We had a retirement plan, college funds, and a Camry. We were set.

Then something happened. I think it was a combination of disenchantment with the comfort we worked so hard to create, and concern that – in our early 30s – we had made all the life decisions there were to make. The suburban life of routine (complete with its cocoon of safety) was the end of the line. We had won the race.

Unfortunately, it didn’t feel like a win. More importantly, we didn’t want the race to be over. We became uncomfortable with the comfort.

Janelle’s journey toward graduate school was the catalyst for change. MHGS had been on her radar for years, but more as a dream than a potential reality. As we re-entered the discussion of a potential move, we quickly got excited and terrified at the realities of actually moving 2,000 miles away from home. There were grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends to consider. Our financial comfort was based on a Midwest cost of living, not Seattle. We just bought a house. I worked in Missouri.

We dove into the process, figured out the logistics, and made the move. It wasn’t easy, but we had a ton of help along the way. The house sold almost immediately, even in a down market. I found a job where I work from home full time. Our cat slept 4 days straight during the drive from Missouri to Seattle.

Now, 5 months into our new life in Seattle and 5 weeks at MHGS, I can’t imagine any other life for our family. Discomfort is a regular part of each week.

It’s hard.

I love it.

What I learned at BrickCon 2010

2010-10-06T21:34:00.001-05:00

I talk a good talk when it comes to "playing hard," but in reality I don't do it. I bury myself in responsibilities - some necessary, but many of my own creation - and rarely give myself the time to truly play. And when I do play, I struggle to separate from those To Do List items the little voice in my head tells me I should be getting To Done.

This weekend the kids and I attended BrickCon 2010, a convention for Lego enthusiasts. By enthusiasts I mean every level of interest, from casual to fanatic. I was amazed by the devotion of time, effort, and financial resources on these little plastic blocks. At the same time I was impressed with the creativity of the builders, and with how much fun everyone at the event was having. The smiles on the faces of the visitors, convention organizers, and exhibitors seemed authentic. The line outside the convention to get in as we were leaving was a testament to the value of fun.

Play was happening inside. Oversized displays of the White House, space ships, a grand piano, and gigantic insects lined the walls, complete with “Please Don’t Touch” signs as their only protection from curious fingers. The hall included Build-Your-Own areas packed with kids of all ages, sitting shoulder to shoulder, creating whatever they wanted and displaying it for all to see. When I asked my kids their favorite part, this was it. They got to make their own art and show it off with all the rest.

For a couple hours I felt it - the value of play, of taking a break from the real and self-developed concerns of life to immerse in creativity and fun, with fun itself as the end game. As often happens, though, once I got home I was quick to fall into worries again. (Insert your favorite expletive here)

The inspiration of BrickCon will stick with me, and over time I see a future where I can play as hard as I work, and value fun as much as my resume-building accomplishments. It has happened before, in small moments over the years, both as a kid and an adult. I’m optimistic that I can see play not as an escape from “real life,” but a vital ingredient of a life that is real.

I'm convinced I can find that place of rest, of fun. Adults with the maturity to act like children provide the inspiration. I look forward to BrickCon 2011, and between now and then plenty of imperfect steps along the way as I find ways to play.

And suddenly...

2010-09-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Everything there is to know about writing is taught in elementary school. When my son was in kindergarten last spring, he came home with this gem.

"If you get stuck when telling a story, just say, 'and suddenly...' Then something will pop in your head."

So certain. So wrong.

2010-09-16T13:49:00.003-05:00

So I'm at Borders in the airport, and overheard a conversation between co-workers.

Hipsters 20s Dude: Look at this passage in this book. I can't believe it got through the editor. "...and then none of them was chosen for the position." It's ridiculous!
Bored co-worker Girl: Mmm-hmmm.
Dude: It's just crazy. Don't they read the book before they sell it?
Bored Girl: Hmmm.

Of course, Hipster Dude was incorrect, as the sentence is written correctly; to his credit, it does sound strange. (Thanks, 6th grade English class!)

What struck me that day is how often I am so certain about things and make a big deal about how ridiculous something is, without ever realizing that I'm wrong. So certainly wrong.

It gave me pause to chill out a bit before going off on my next rant.

(But don't worry, there will be plenty of certainly wrong rants to come, but at least I'll share them after a slight pause.)

One fine week in the Emerald City

2010-05-13T22:48:00.006-05:00

The first week in Seattle has been fun, tiring, and awe-inspiring. Notes and quips from the first few days:

9 days in Seattle. 1 day of rain. No complaints, but a little surprised. Maybe Seattleites are whiners. Or maybe it's a conspiracy to keep Midwest hicks from moving to Seattle. Didn't work.
3 words: Top Pot Donuts. Wow.
I may be colorblind, but I can see the green here. And the sunsets.
In our neighborhood (Queen Anne - woot!), the streets are...well...cozy. Parking is allowed on both sides, which means every two-lane road acts as a one-lane road.
The KC Royals just fired their manager. Again. I think it's about time to become a Mariners fan. The stadium looks great from the outside, and it's apparently a great place for a nap.
I've never seen a Carnival-type cruise ship up close before. They are bigger than I ever imagined. And louder.
I can walk 2 blocks to a non-Starbucks coffee shop. There are 7 Starbucks within a mile of our house.
The "Seattle Chill" is a myth, at least from my experience so far. People have been as kind as any city I've been in.
The music is great here, but FM radio is hit-and-miss due to the terrain. I still miss BXR
Some things cost a little more (gas, local grocery store stuff), but I've been surprised that a lot of things don't (Pizza Hut, Sam's Club, K-Mart)
On a clear day I can see the Olympic Mountains from my bedroom window.
It sometimes feels like we're in Europe. We have an "English garden" in the back yard, everyone is walking and biking through the city, and there is water everywhere.

It's a beautiful place.

Never mix up your right foot with your left.

2010-04-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

I was born in Kansas City, raised in small town Missouri, and graduated from Mizzou. My life is changing significantly this week, as we move from the known (Missouri) to the very-much unknown (Seattle, Washington). In the scurry and scatter of preparations, it's been tough to put the move in perspective, and even tougher to feel the feelings of the imminent changes for myself and my family.

During packing I ran across one of my all-time favorite books, and it seemed to help express back to me some of my own hopes, dreams, and fears as we start this new chapter in our life.

If you haven't read Oh the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss, or not in awhile, I highly recommend it. Enjoy.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
but Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

--Dr. Seuss

Saving "Secular Washington"

2010-04-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

On a recent business trip, I ran across this church flyer in a hotel in Washington, D.C. The vision statement has bothered me every since. Their vision is to "...make an impact on secular Washington..."

How do they define secular Washington?

People not at McLean Bible Church?
People not in church?
People who drink, smoke, chew, or go with girls who do?

What about Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, or Methodists -- Secular?

I'm confident the good people at McLean Bible Church have intentions to make a positive difference in their community, but the separation of what is "secular" and what is "non-secular" (spiritual, holy, Godly, churchy, non-loud, non-pierced?) confuses me. Why make the distinction?

Opening Day

2010-04-04T21:11:00.004-05:00

I was born in Kansas City, and my parents lived in the shadow of Royals Stadium in the mid-1970s. They would get the $1 tickets in the upper deck, and I would karate-kick Mom's uterus as the crowd roared.

For those unfamiliar, at one time there were things to roar about at Royals games. The Royals and Yankees (and Blue Jays and Angels) played big games every year. George Brett won batting titles, chewed tobacco, and used excess pine tar on his bat. Frank White and Bud Black (African-American and Anglo, respectively) were my entry into race relations.

And the Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 World Series. I was 9 years old. I will never forget the final catch and watching the ticker-tape parade on TV the next day.

Twenty-five years later, the Royals will start another season. Their 25th since their World Championship, and their 25th since making the playoffs. There have been a teases over the years, but overall it's been a long time since there's been much to cheer about.

But.

It's Opening Day.

And Opening Day is different.

As of today the Kansas City Royals have just as much chance to win the 2010 World Series (mathematically speaking, of course) as any other team.

There is something about Opening Day that gets me excited every single year. I had a friend in school whose dad took him out of school every year for the Royals' home opener. The teachers didn't love it, I'm sure. I thought it was the best idea ever.

I haven't even followed the Royals this spring, and I can't name more than 6 players on the roster. But I'll find the game on TV or radio this week and root root root for the Royals.

I'll keep up with them through the first week of games, and they may even keep my attention through April. Then I'll become distracted by the NFL Draft, I'll hear of a 6-game losing streak, and I'll find other things to do.

Until Opening Day 2011.

Poetry by Weezer

2010-01-14T07:13:00.004-06:00

There will come a day

When we transcend our pain

Until that day

Take it easy on yourself

There will come a day

When we can finally rest

Until that day

Take it easy on yourself

Love is the answer

Makes no difference what you have heard

Love is the answer

You have got to trust in the word

- Weezer

Ease

2010-01-12T07:05:00.007-06:00

I read an ebook this week entitled, "What Matters Now." It's a collection of micro-essays (200 words) from a variety of authors: Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey, Tom Peters, Tim Sanders, and many others with whom I wasn't familiar.

I recommend it (it's a free download from Seth Godin's blog), but one essay grabbed my attention and has yet to let go.

EASE

by Elizabeth Gilbert

We are the strivingest people who have ever lived. We are ambitious, time-starved, competitive, distracted. We move at full velocity, yet constantly fear we are not doing enough. Though we live longer than any humans before us, our lives feel shorter, restless, breathless...Dear ones, EASE UP.

Pump the brakes. Take a step back. Seriously. Take two steps back. Turn off all your electronics and surrender over all your aspirations and do absolutely nothing for a spell.

I know, I know – we all need to save the world. But trust me: The world will still need saving tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re going to have a stroke soon (or cause a stroke in somebody else) if you don’t calm the hell down.

So go take a walk. Or don’t. Consider actually exhaling. Find a body of water and float. Hit a tennis ball against a wall. Tell your colleagues that you’re off meditating (people take meditation seriously, so you’ll be absolved from guilt) and then actually, secretly, nap.

My radical suggestion? Cease participation, if only for one day this year – if only to make sure that we don’t lose forever the rare and vanishing human talent of appreciating ease.

...that's the book for me.

2010-01-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

After 33+ years in church, hundreds of sermons, Sunday school classes, Jesus camps, and quiet times, I must confess I've not read every word in the Bible. It seems strange to me that I've claimed this book as a guide for life, yet I haven't read the darn thing.

That being said, my New Year's Resolution is not marking off "Bible Read Daily" this year. As a kid/teen/college student I tried the "read the Bible in a year" a number of times with little success. I never made it past the mid-February, Book of Numbers hump. I blame Pagiel son of Ochran.

What I am playing around with is changing my approach. Instead of looking to the Bible primarily for what it can do for me (though I believe it has plenty of utility for this purpose), I'm heading a different direction. Instead of scripture reading being a daily task, chore, homework, or check box, I want to enjoy the read. I want to experience the Good Book like it's a good book.

So I've picked up a chronologically-organized Bible in an attempt to read it the way I've read Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or the DaVinci Code. Like a novel, with characters and plots and bad guys and morally grey good guys and kings and battles and special effects and whores and murderers and excessive alcohol use and peace and hope and love.

I'm a spurt reader, often putting in 6-8 hours into a book on a business trip, then leaving the book sitting near my bed at home for 6 weeks, unopened. I expect I'll read this one the

same way. Maybe I'll finish it in a few months. Maybe it'll take me longer than a year. Maybe I won't finish it at all. No matter.

My wife shared a blog post with me last week by Michael Spencer that was particularly helpful, and I'd recommend reading the entire article here. In it, he captures some of what I'm wrestling with.

Changing how I think about the Bible has been the most significant thing in my own experience with Jesus. In my formative years, we carried Bibles and quoted the Bible, argued about the Bible and used the Bible to prove we were right...

It’s not a dictionary, or an encyclopedia, or a manual of how to do or fix things. It’s God’s story, and our story, and God’s story again. It’s a story you believe and join. It’s not a chart of the future or the past. It’s the truth of life. It’s deep, but not like engineering schematics are deep. It’s deep like the best novels or the best poetry.

So that's where I'm headed -- to experience this story like a story. Wish me luck.

Favorites of 2009

2010-01-02T08:20:00.001-06:00

Looking back at a few of my favorite things of the past year.

Favorite Snack Combo

Cinnamon Teddy Grahams + Almonds

I've been a fan of Teddy Grahams most of my life; I picked up almonds more recently. I randomly put them together (ala the old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercials with the cavemen combining chocolate and peanut butter) and experienced a heavenly snack.

Favorite Brothers

Tie: New Super Mario Bros. & The Avett Brothers

I didn't game much in 2009, but I've been loving the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game I received for Christmas. It also reminded me that I've been playing Super Mario Bros. games for nearly 25 years (yikes).

The Avett Brothers 2009 album, I and Love and You, is just good. Go listen to it. My favorite line so far: "Decide what to be and go be it."

Favorite Album:

DMB - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King

2009 was a resurgence for my purchasing of music, partially due to the Amazon MP3 store and a great group of albums this year. U2, Brandi Carlisle, Weezer, and Jay-Z all had great 2009 albums. I'm defining favorite as "what stayed in our car's CD player the most this year." Dave Matthews won hands down.

Favorite New TV Show

Flash Forward

With all due to respect to Glee and V, I've enjoyed Flash Forward the most of any new show on television. I'm a sucker for innovative story telling and time-shifting narrative. Flash Forward has both.

Favorite "New to Me" Food/Drink

3-way tie: Coffee, Hummus, Homemade Guacamole

I somehow made it through college and helping raise two babies without resorting to coffee. I'm not sure what I was afraid of. It's tasty.

Favorite Movie Experience

"UP" in 4 Recliners

I didn't really have a favorite movie this year, but Janelle and I watched "UP" with the Creach's this past summer at the AMC Mainstreet 6 Theater in Kansas City's Power & Light District. With a full menu, servers bringing food, and reclining seats (complete with vibration and in-seat speakers), it was awesome.

Favorite Book

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta

Do less. Get more done.

I also recommend the authors blog, Zen Habits.

Favorite Blog

The Art of Non-conformity by Chris Guillebeau

The author this blog is a life-hacker of sorts (some similarities to Tim Ferris, author of The Four-Hour Workweek). He questions conventional wisdom, which I love. Also check out my review of his recent e-book, A Brief Guide to Early Domination.

For those who can't get enough of stuff Brian likes, see my Favorites of 2008 and A Few More Favorites from that year.

I Heart Seattle

2009-12-22T07:00:00.003-06:00

I ran across some travel journal notes I'd taken on our trip to Seattle this past spring, so I've converted them to blog form -- mainly for myself to help remember the trip.

WEDNESDAY

Fish Throwers - check

It's "As Seen on TV." They yell the fish, throw the fish, catch the fish, sell the fish. Since the media wasn't around (I guess my camera phone didn't count), the staff weren't quite as "on" as I've seen them on television. But is was fun nonetheless.

What I wasn't ready for was "Rabid Fan," a gentleman with a notebook containing each fish thrower's photo and autograph. He was asking who was working today in an attempt to fill out his book. I intially wrote him off as a weirdo, as I'm not a fish market superfan., but quickly realized that I have plenty of "weirdo-ness" myself about other topics, events, and celebrities that many would find lame.

Sleepless in Seattle Reference #1

Janelle is a big fan of the movie, so it was fitting that our first Seattle meal together was at a restaurant from the film. The food was good (fresh seafood is my all-time favorite), and the view of Puget Sound was beautiful.

Starbucks Run #1 (of many)

I've already consumed more Starbucks coffee this week than in my entire life before this trip. I've become a fan. We visited the very first Starbucks (1971) and ordered something coffee-sounding that ended in "-ocha." I'll expect to be a pro by the time we leave, and probably suffering from extreme caffeine high.

Hotel + Mall + Sleep

I purchased a much-needed jacket (it's colder than expected) and hit the bed early. We had started the day at 2:45 AM Pacific Time, so 7:30 PM seemed like a good time to get some sleep.

THURSDAY (aka Nerdfest Day)

Sleepless in Seattle Reference #2

Before the nerdfest began, we spent some time on Alki beach in West Seattle (apparently it's the location where Tom Hanks and the kid are flying a kite towards the end of the movie). Beautiful place with a view of the city.

Nerdfest #1: Science Fiction Museum

I liked this museum, but felt that I didn't know enough about the source material to truly love it. It is well done and had an impressive amount of nerdy eye candy -- especially for Trekkies. I particularly liked the R2-D2 and Death Star models.

Nerdfest #2: Experience Music Project

Holy crap. I could have spent days in this museum, listening to every song and reading every plaque in this incredible place. It was a sensory feast, visually, audially, and tactilly. An entire room is devoted to Jimi Hendrix (who I learned this week is from Seattle), and similar displays on the grunge movement of the early 1990s (my favorite retro music era).

The experience also included sound rooms for guitar, piano, drums, and vocals. I spent a few minutes banging on the drums (it's been awhile) and got revitalized. For anyone who loves music, this is a must-see.

Nerdfest #3: Nintendo of America Headquarters

I previously blogged about this experience here. Recap: It was fun.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

Mars Hill Graduate School

Janelle had interviews on Friday morning, so I went off on a self-guided walking tour of downtown. I rode the Space Needle, enjoyed more Starbucks, and walked back to Pike Place Market to watch more fish throwing. Lots of walking in a very walkable city, and I took a bunch of fun pictures. Here's one:

The remainder of the weekend was a fast-paced, exciting, mind- and heart-bending time of learning. Mars Hill Graduate School is a special place, and I'm excited for Janelle as she pursues her dream. I'm also selfishly excited for me, as the school does an incredible job of including spouses in the process. If we do this thing, I'll be able to sit in on her classes free of charge any time my schedule allows, and I can participate in a special council devoted to spouses of students.

(Editor's note: Janelle was invited to attend graduate school at MHGS. The current plan is a move to Seattle in 2010, with school starting in the fall.)

Is this heaven? No, it's Gotcha!

2009-12-16T11:25:00.003-06:00

My favorite part of Halloween in Columbia is trick-or-treating downtown. And the highlight of the evening is a visit to Gotcha.

For those unfamiliar, Gotcha is a costume shop in downtown Columbia, owned and operated by a gentleman I've only known as "Arrow." As one might imagine, the shop is extremely busy on October 31, as college students and others are completing their outfits for upcoming parties.

Here's the scene:

We walk into Gotcha, fighting the crowd a little to get in the door.

Arrow yells, "Make way for the important people!" in reference to Blake and Madilyn as he makes the 30 people in line scoot back two steps to make room.

"Hey, it's Bumblebee and Hermione!" (they were mis-identified as Harry Potter and a Power Ranger in many of the other stores) "Come get some candy! Happy Halloween!"

At this point it is important to define "candy" in Gotcha terms. We are not talking about tootsie rolls or smarties. The kids' eyes opened wide as they looked upon a basket full of king size candy bars. Blake grabbed M&Ms. Madilyn beamed at her choice: a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup 4-pack.

As we walked out the door, I had trouble composing myself. It was an emotional experience for me.

In a world where kids (particularly once they grow past the cute baby and toddler stages) are typically ignored, mine were declared the important people by a store owner who surely had much more important things to do on his most profitable day of the year. For 2 minutes, Arrow made them the stars of the show.

Arrow's "let the children come to me" selflessness surprised and overwhelmed me. But why? Because I think love and acceptance is reserved for more "Christian" environments like home or church (often neither lives up to that billing)? Am I surprised that God can love on my kids in a downtown costume shop? Do I think the lavish generosity of chocolate is somehow different than or separate from God's gift of grace?

I'm not sure about answers to any of those questions, but I do know this: My children experienced unconditional love this Halloween. Not at a church-sponsored, anti-Halloween "Fall Festival," but among the plastic vomit, inappropriate costumes, and half-drunk college students at Gotcha.

A glimpse into heaven, Gotcha style:

Blake Chandler, Imagineer

2009-12-08T16:30:00.004-06:00

Blake Chandler, age 6, has the most incredible, active, creative imagination of any person I've ever met. He has invented animals (Titanicsaurus), planets (Solarspace), and entire galaxies (including 'Galaxy of the Innapropriate' where the inhabitants are never clothed).

In Blake's kindergarten class this week, another student made the statement that "imagining is stupid." Blake vehemently disagreed, and made a point to share his feelings that "Imagination is Awesome!" on our drive to school this morning.

His invention of words from age 2-6 could have filled poetry books, upstart small businesses, and website URLs -- if only we had captured them more agressively.

He is rarely daunted by what others would consider the "rules" of physics, time, and space. And his arguments are compelling to the point that I'm beginning to believe him and have attempted to minimize boxing him in with my small view of reality.

His current school library book is entitled Imagine a Night. One particular page grabbed my attention and hasn't let go. It's a perfect example of Blake's answer to the "Do you think we could ever _________ ?"

His response: Sure!

imagine a night...

... when you might find

that gravity

doesn't work

quite as you expected.

It just makes me laugh.

2009-12-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it is, but "professionally-produced" (term used lightly) signs with obvious errors or misspellings make me laugh. Here's one I ran across a few weeks ago.

Bendaroos: They're awesome!

2009-10-16T12:55:00.001-05:00

I've had the pleasure this fall to share in the "take the kids to school" task with Janelle. I didn't realize what fun little conversations can be had in a 6 minute drive from our house to the school.

One day last week we discussed TV commercials:

Madilyn or Blake (I forget, which): I want (some toy) because I saw it on a TV commercial.

Madilyn: It is cool to have things that we see on TV.

Me (in fatherly tone, capturing teaching moment): You know kids, that's the reason they make TV commercials - to make you think you want things.

Blake: I do want things!

Madilyn: And Dad , if we didn't have TV commercials, we would never know what Bendaroos are.

Me (stupidly): What are Bendaroos?

Madilyn: They're awesome. And they're only $19.95!

New and Improved ... fork?

2009-10-10T12:09:00.006-05:00

Finally, someone has improved the design of the fork. I've been searching for one that was not only stronger, but also tougher (two vital fork qualities) -- now I've found it.

I can sleep again.

It does make me wonder, though, if the purchaser of the 600-piece plastic fork box was somehow influenced by the blatant marketing declaring these forks different in some way to the last 50 years of plastic forks.

I have to admit, if they were on a Sam's Club shelf next to plain old forks, I'm going with stronger and tougher every time.

Chip clips make me happy

2009-10-08T06:46:00.001-05:00

Do you ever avoid doing/buying something, and then when you finally do you ask yourself, "Why in the world didn't I do that weeks/months/years ago?"

We've had a lack of "chip clips" in our house for quite awhile. There was a daily struggle to determine which bag of chips or other food were "chip clip worthy." It consisted of a tiered system of criteria that looked something like this:

How many chips are left? (more chips = more loss if they go stale)
How new is the bag? (new chips gone stale seems more wasteful)
Which chips am I personally more likely to eat (for me, Santitas got the clip before Lay's)
Which chips taste OK stale? (Doritos are passable; chewy pretzels are not)
Which chips cost the most to replace if thrown away? (I'm looking at you, Gardettos)

Also, it seemed the number of chip clips dwindled year to year. We received a bunch for our wedding (granted, that was ten years ago), and we've picked up a couple along the way -- including a random clothespin here and there. But items like this have a way of disappearing or finding other uses. One currently clips the Costco-sized bag of cat food in the garage (Otis does not go for stale food. Also, see #5 above.), and others end up clipping various bags inside the refrigerator or around the house.

Of course, every time I fought through this decision tree I asked myself the question, "Self, why don't you buy some chip clips?" But the feeling soon passed, and it never happened to occur while at the store.

Then something very special happened. I was in Wal-Mart and happened to think about this issue. I sprinted to the chip clip aisle (ok, it's not an entire aisle - but there are options) and made this vital purchase. It has changed my life.

I am a rich man. Rich with chip clips. Now every bag of chips, no matter its race, creed, color or flavor, is properly clipped and fresh for eating at our leisure.

Chip, chip, hooray!

Do not eat kids crayons

2009-09-16T06:15:00.000-05:00

This is a box of crayons at an IHOP restaurant in Olathe, Kansas.

Most signing like this has a story attached to it - a reason for its existence. I have no idea what happened at this IHOP, but I'm sure the story is worth a listen.

I've heard of premium coffee, but...

2009-08-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

I know McDonald's is trying to win the "we have the best-tasting fancy coffee" award, but this is ridiculous.

It does make the $5 Starbucks version seem a quite reasonable expense.

OK, fess up. Who has paid $200+ for a cup of coffee? Come on, I know you're out there.

The Paradox of Our Time - George Carlin

2009-08-10T11:20:00.001-05:00

I was recently forwarded this monologue by George Carlin. It's a speech I had read years ago, and enjoyed in different way today. Enjoy.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ' I love you ' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

- George Carlin

In the air with fresh-baked cookies

2009-07-28T08:50:00.001-05:00

Tough to beat this: I dozed off on a recent flight to Washington, D.C. When I awoke, two warm chocolate chip cookies were sitting on my tray.

Thanks, Midwest Airlines! The best care in the air, indeed.

There were also two cookies on my seatmate's tray, which led to this moral dillemma (seriously - the cookies are good).

1. If I took just one, would he notice that he should have had two?

2. If he did notice, would he confront a stranger for taking his cookie?

After much deliberation I left the man's cookies alone. I wanted him to enjoy the same experience I had when he woke up.

Also, he was bigger than me.

I invented the word Dingbat

2009-07-21T09:25:00.003-05:00

I invented the word Dingbat.

Or so I thought.

It was the early 80s, I was in 3rd grade, and for some reason I was convinced I had invented the word "Dingbat." I have no idea how I came to that conclusion, but I do remember the pride I felt. I had invented a word!

Until I ran across this definition in a discussion of type-setting (This does beg the question, "Why were you discussing type-setting in 3rd grade?" No idea.)

Dingbat: An ornament, character or spacer used in typesetting, sometimes more formally known as a "printer's ornament" or "printer's character."

I was crushed.

I was reminded of this story a few days ago when I thought I'd come up with the next million-dollar T-shirt slogan idea (assuming there is such as thing as a million-dollar T-shirt slogan idea). It's a red T-shirt full of four-leaf clovers. The caption: "Kiss Me, I'm Colorblind."

I know. I know. Genius. (I'll give you a minute to compose yourself)

Whenever I have a million-dollar idea, my new first instinct (stemming from my 3rd grade experience, I'm sure) it to Google it to see if I will, in fact, become a millionaire. Sadly, I was not the first with the Colorblind St. Pats idea. On the flip side, I'll have a sweet new T-shirt next March.

Oh well. Off to the next idea, buying the .com, and developing a perfectly type-set, dingbat-heavy patent to secure fame and fotune.

This drives me up the wall. Literally.

2009-07-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

I try not to complain much on my blog. As a general rule I hate complainers.

However, I have a very specific pet peeve I'd like to share. When people add the word "literally" when using a figure of speech it makes me crazy. I was reminded of my aversion to this practice recently when it happened twice in the same meeting.

Quote 1: "Joe literally got beat up and bloodied by the legislature this
session."

Really? He looks OK to me.

Quote 2: "We've really struggled with this issue. We've been hitting our heads
agains a brick wall. Literally."

Wow. You have been literally bashing your skull against a wall made of bricks? Literally? I would not recommend that. And if it's true, I hope you have YouTube videos to show the world. I'd give me right arm to see that.

Literally.

In the Air with Mike Anderson

2009-07-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

I occasionally have the opportunity to fly for business and pleasure, and when I do I often strike up a conversation with my fellow travelers (yep, I'm that guy).

I recently took my first flight out of the Columbia Regional Airport (COU for you frequent flyers), which, by the way, was a great experience. If you haven't tried it yet, I would highly recommend it. The 15-minute drive home after landing was awesome.

Mike Anderson, Mizzou's baskeball coach, was also on my flight to Memphis. Our plane had some mechanical issues that forced us to de-plane and hang out at the gate, which gave me time to speak with the coach.

He was heading to Birmingham to visit his family before starting a month-long recruiting trip. Now I'm a fairly busy guy, as we all are, and I understand that Coach Anderson is compesated royally for his efforts. But his schedule is impressive. In July he'll travel to various states to sit in the living rooms of 16- and 17-year-olds, most of whom will end up not playing basketball at MU. He'll take August off from traveling (per NCAA rules), but still be busy both with recruiting for the future and ... oh yeah ... getting the current Mizzou team ready to play.

The schedule doesn't let up during the season, as the staff is constantly switching hats from coaching to recruiting, present to future, and back again.

No over-arching life lesson or broad observations today. Basically, I just wanted to brag that I met Mike Anderson. :-)

Choose Your Own Adventure

2009-07-04T07:19:00.000-05:00

I was recently reminded of one of my favorite book series as a kid: Choose Your Own Adventure.

The concept was simple enough. Every few pages you were given a choice, and that choice led you to another page in the book. Your choices created the story. It was fun because I was the star of the story (it's read in the 2nd person: "You are lost in the jungle...") and it was empowering (to some degree I drove the plot).

I recently read an artilce on line that reminded me of the book series. In it, the author makes a statement.

"Life is like that. It's waiting for you to decide whether you'll be average or remarkable."

Initially I was like, "Yeah! Life is just like Choose Your Own Adventure," and I think in some ways it is. But there is a significant difference.

You can't start life over.

As a kid I particularly enjoyed the aspect of Choose Your Own Adventure books that allowed a "do over." I could go back to the beginning (or anywhere in the middle) to make a different choice if bad things happened. None of the ramifications of the past choices mattered. It's as if they didn't exist. I could read through 40+ potential endings to the book.

But in life - this life - we get one shot. Each choice (hunt down the elephant? or ride the hippo through the swamp?) changes everything. We don't get to turn the pages backward to start over. As Anna Nalick poeticized a couple years ago: Life's like an hourglass glued to the table.

So as we're making "big-ish" life decision at our house about education, careers and geography, I'm transitioning from "mostly scared" to "still scared but very excited" as we choose our adventures as a family. And as we keep choosing and turning, I'm exciting about what's on the next page.

Don't let your dreams be dreams

2009-06-25T09:00:00.004-05:00

"Don't let your dreams be dreams" - Jack Johnson

I recently read a manifesto by Chris Guillebeau entitled A Brief Guide to World Domination* : How to live a remarkable life in a conventional world.
*and other important goals

In it, the author makes the argument that you don't have to live life the way other people expect you to. You can focus the majority of your time on the things you enjoy, and in the midst can make a big difference in others' lives as well. His assertiion is summed up with this quote by Alan Keightely:

"Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to."

Guillebeau goes on to lay out his selection of the two most important questions in the universe:

What do you really want to get out of life?

What can you offer the world that no one else can?

To avoid spoiling the other 28 pages of the manifesto, I'll stop here and recommend you give it a read (you'll get through it in 15 minutes). Enjoy!

I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is.

2009-06-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

There we are: June 19, 1999. At 22 and 23 we looked like teenagers. In fact, when we would take the kids to the store (2 year-old Madilyn and Infant Blake), we would got stares from old ladies of the "didn't you figure out how that happened the first time?" variety.

The truth was we were young, and often didn't feel that we were really adults. We talked during our honeymoon to the Smokey Mountains that we felt like we'd run away from home. I guess in some ways we did.

What a difference a decade makes.

I've been married to my best friend, and my personal choice for "most amazing person on the planet," for a full ten years. We've experienced pain and comfort, sadness and joy, confusion and understanding. We've asked questions, answered them, and then questioned the answers. We've built one incredible relationship, made two beautiful babies, and wrestled with lots of life stuff along the way.

I've become less and less sure about many of the things I held true at 23. I have more quesitons than ever, and I'm excited about the search for both the answers to these questions and the discovery of new ones. But I've never been more certain of this: I am in love with Janelle Chandler, and I cannot wait to add more and more decades to our adventure.

Want to pack your bags, something small.

Take what you need and we’ll disappear,

without a trace, we’ll be gone gone.

Moon and the stars will follow the car.

Then when we get to the ocean,

gonna take a boat to the end of the world,

all the way to the end of the world.

And when the kids are old enough,

we’re gonna teach them to fly.

You and me together, we can do anything, baby.

You and me together, yes, yes.

- DMB

Official Sponsor of Birthdays

2009-06-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

The best PSA I've seen this year. Props to the American Cancer Society and whoever came up with this one.

Crack the shutters open wide, it's 20 degrees!

2009-06-03T07:52:00.005-05:00

I was driving by the bank last week on my way to work, and a question struck me: Why does my bank continue to show Celsius degrees on their marquee? Does anyone in this country actually care what the Celsius temperature is (BTW, it was 21. 70 degrees Farenheit).

And what's up with the formula to convert the two? Tell me if this sound like it was made up by scientists spending too much time in the lab.

Nerd: Take the "normal Fahrenheit" temperature and subtract 32
Geek: Why 32?
Nerd: Um... Not sure. Just trust me.
Geek: OK
Nerd: Now take that number and multiply it by 5.
Geek: OK
Nerd: Now divide that number by 9.
Geek: What?
Nerd: Divide it by 9.
Geek: Seriously? I just multiplied it by 5?
Nerd: Just do it.

Eureka! We've discovered the conversion: Celsius = (5/9)*(Fahrenheit-32)

I'm sure there are good scientific reasons for the formula (reasons I likely learned in 8th grade but have since purged from memory), but it always seemed terribly random to me. And because of how it's set up, check this out. At -40 degrees Farenheit, it's -40 degrees Celsius. Wait...what? In Antarctica they don't even use Celsius and Fahrenheit. It's just -40.

Ridiculous.

But wait. Celsius is a much cleaner measurement of temperature. Zero = Freezing Water. 100 = Boiling Water. Why would we not use this?

This blog post could quickly fall into my "English systems of measurement are crazy" soap box (and who isn't waiting for that?). More kids would pass Jr. High math and science if they didn't have to deal with feet, miles, pounds, ounces, and kips. Kips? Really? A unit of force is called a kip?

I'll save the remainder of my metric measurement rant for another day.

So I'm thinking of learning the Celsius system (it's not that hard - 0 to 100) and using it in everyday speech.

"Hey Joe, it's gonna be a scorcher today. Might reach 35... Celsius"

Roses are green...

2009-06-01T13:33:00.002-05:00

Thanks, honey, for finding this one. Christmas is coming!

Testical Festival: A Summer Tradition

2009-05-27T16:08:00.005-05:00

The facts.:

What: Testical Festival
Where: Olean (pronounced "Oh-Lee-Anne"), Missouri
When: Saturday, June 6

Catch phrases for the festival that didn't make the cut:

"Testical Festival: A great place to hang."
"Testical Festival: You'd be nuts to miss it."
"Great deals, by the sack."
"Buy one, get one free."

(Your turn)

"Good luck on your project"

2009-05-17T12:50:00.005-05:00

I have a particular interest in customer service, both in government work

(where I've spent the last decade) and retail (see recent post on my Best Buy experience).

A Menards Home Improvement store just opened in Columbia, and I hadn't been yet. I was initially frustrated that I couldn't search specific products on their website (Home Depot is the online winner), but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. At least I'd be able to say "yes" when asked by my home improvement friends about the new store.

Menards is impressive. It's big, varied, and at least for now the prices seems to be better than HD and Lowes. I picked up a couple screen doors for our patios and a light fixture.

Here's the money shot: On the way out, an employee asked me if I'd found everything I needed (typical - no big deal). I said yeah, and then kept walking, as did he. But his parting words to me were, "Good luck on your project today!"

For some reason it really touched me. I felt a connection to this guy (though I can't even remember his face) and to Menards. I'm not exactly "handy," so to get encouragement - especially someone who I assume is pretty good at this stuff - felt great.

It's weird the things that make a difference. I installed the screen doors, and I'd like to think that the "Luck of Menards" might have played a part. I'm amazed how much I clamor for encouraging words, and for relational connections, no matter how small. Even at the hardware store.

Hmmm... I wrote "Even at the hardware store" as if it's a less likely relationship destination tha home, church, or with friends. But maybe if I open myself up to embracing connections everywhere, and enjoy them as they happen, it will help me engage in even longer-lasting, deeper relationships as well.

Even with the people I love most.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

2009-05-17T00:15:00.002-05:00

This Yogi Berra quote was recently referenced in a sermon I attended. The pastor-type dismissed the quote as bumbling, idiotic, and simply incorrect. There is a right way and a wrong way to go, and simply "taking it" was not an option.

I was bothered by the closed-minded interpretation, and I felt it was made more out of convenience than honoring the art. It fit the next sermon's next bullet point (thought I forget what it was...I think it started with a "W"), but it came off as lazy.

I've long been a fan of the wisdom of Yogi Berra, including this quote. To me it is an encouragement of proactivity. There are a number of things I can do when approaching a proverbial fork in the road:

Freak out that there is a fork in the road
Over-analyze the situation
Freeze
Assume there is one right and one wrong choice
Turn around and head back where I came from
Pick one and go

I think Yogi was telling us that when we come to a decision point, big or small, his suggested course of action is to choose a path and take action along that path. It might be imperfect, painful, and even plain wrong when viewed with hindsight - but it will be movement. And it's this movement that teaches and grows us. Another modern poet, Jason Mraz, recently wrote, "I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some."

I think my reaction to its use as a sermon illustration was frustration, because my opinion of the quote was so different. But is my attitude any different? Am I just doing the same thing I'm accusing? Stubbornly defending my personal opinion?

Hmmm. Not sure, and not awake enough to figure it out. I'll post for now and sort out the rest later.

Whatever happened, happened...

2009-04-30T09:01:00.005-05:00

I ran across a helpful comment about time travel on a LOST blog I read regularly.

(Yes, I read a blog about a TV show. Regularly. Actually, I don't know how anyone can watch LOST without some sort of viewer's guide to keep up. It's like playing the original Legend of Zelda without Nintendo Power. No thanks.)

It was a nice summation of why we cannot change the past, even if we could go back in time:

"Say that you went back in time to stop John Wilkes Boothe from killing Lincoln. The whole point of you going back to this time period would be to stop the murder. However, once you stop it you would not have a reason to go back in time. Therefore the murder would still occur since you would not have gone back in time to stop it."

It made my brain hurt, but it actually seemed to make sense. I'm sure a bunch of 12 year-olds are like, "duh, we figured that one out in third grade." Well, I didn't, so back off.

people are just people like you

2009-04-30T07:50:00.003-05:00

For me, the first listen of a new CD, is usually an underwhelming experience. It usually takes me at least 3-4 times through to really latch on to it, and to pick out my favorites.

The same thing was happening last week as I started Regina Spektor's "Soviet Kitsch." Until I hit Track 9.

"The Ghost of Corporate Future" has been in my head for three days now. As with much of Spektor's music, she couples an addictingly simple piano hook with lyrics just as captivating but much more complex. I'm reminded of the big picture -- that my latest presentation, e-mail, and budget discussions don't really matter.

I've copied out a few of my favorite lyrics from the song, but do yourself a favor and watch the video below, or better yet, pick up the CD on Amazon here.

Imagine you go away
On a business trip one day
And when you come back home,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan...

And people make you nervous
You'd think the world is ending,
And everybody's features have somehow started blending
And everything is plastic, And everyone's sarcastic,
And all your food is frozen,
It needs to be defrosted...

You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now...

Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee,
And never ever watch the ten o'clock news.
Maybe you should kiss someone nice,
Or lick a rock,
Or both...

People are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you.

Red Light Cameras: Traffic Safety or Big Brother?

2009-04-15T11:31:00.010-05:00

Interesting discussion this week in Shreveport, LA, regarding red light photo enforcement. As this has also been a hot topic in Columbia of late, I thought I'd share some snippets of the article and (of course) my comments. Full news story: http://tr.im/iTgA

The chairman of the Shreveport City Council today promises a vigorous fight against proposed red light cameras in Shreveport, calling them "Orwellian" and a case of government snooping into people's lives.

They are neither. If you obey the law, you will not be photographed, videoed, or otherwise bothered by the Orwellian government.

There is no proof the cameras cut down on accidents at intersections -- and they could do the opposite, Councilman Ron Webb said.

Untrue. Numerous studies have shown significant decreases in red light running and severe crashes at signals (predominantly T-bone / angle / sideswipe collisions).

He noted an incident in Dallas when a driver slammed on her brakes to avoid possibly getting a ticket because of the red light camera. His son was one of three drivers involved in a resulting three-vehicle chain reaction wreck.

"He could have easily been killed. Thanks for nothing, Big Brother!" Webb said.

Um...no. It is extremely rare that rear-end crashes at signals are ever serious. At the very least, red light cameras swap out crash types. Rear-end minor crashes may go up, but angle crashes (which often result in injury) will go down.

Red light cameras, or automated traffic ticketing systems, take a picture of the license plate of a vehicle whose driver commits a traffic violation at an intersection. A ticket is then mailed to the address of the registered owner.

Webb said researchers have studied red light cameras and found they don't work at best, and could actually cause more crashes as drivers abruptly stop when lights turn yellow.

"This is a Pandora’s Box we best never open, lest we lose what few freedoms we still have left," Webb said. "We need to ask ourselves this question: In a free society, when is enough 'government protection' enough?"

This is a case of a public official not wanting something to happen, so he stands behind Freedom to protect law-breakers. The truth is that red light cameras do improve safety, and a little "invasion of privacy" of drivers who choose to blow through red lights is a small price to pay to save lives on our roads.

Bottom Line: Don't run red lights, and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Book Review: Velvet Elvis

2009-04-08T17:02:00.007-05:00

With the sheer number of books in the world it's often difficult for me to discern which are worthy of reading. I recently blogged about a strategy I developed for me: Read Chapter 1. Check for Goosebumps. As I run across books that capture me in some way, I'll share a quick review.

I've recently had a revived interest in the questions of faith, church, God and their various intersections. The squeaky-clean Sunday School solutions of my youth often haven't translated to my real life as an adult, and in the search for better answers I've determined that I've become more drawn to the search itself.

In Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, Rob Bell poses questions I've often had in my head but not verbalized. He doesn't supply many answers, but invites us to join the conversation of faith, life, text, and their multiple intersections.

"Times change. God doesn't, but times do... letting go of whatever has gotten in the way of Jesus, and embracing whatever will help us be more & more the people God wants us to be."

"The Christian faith is mysterious to the core. It is about things and beings that ultimately can't be put into words. Language fails. And if we do definitively put God into words, we have at that very moment made God something God is not."

I've since learned that Bell has his share of disagree-ers, and his postmodern/emerging/Gen-XY attitude is a turn-off to some conservatives. But maybe that's part of the draw for me. It's something a little different that asks me to really think about what I believe, instead of just learning facts (and opinions dressed as fact).

It was simultaneously refreshing and challenging to read and think about the "What ifs" and "Whys" of this writing, and I'm interested to enter the discussions prompted by the author as I continue my journey - asking questions and questioning answers.

Beef & Cheddar Pizza

2009-04-08T16:51:00.006-05:00

As a kid I have great memories of pizza. Our family often enjoyed the Pizza Hut buffet after church on Sundays, where my brother and I would hold pizza-eating contests among ourselves and other friends in the restaurant that day (I went to a big church in a small town, so we were rarely without other church-goers at lunch).

My favorite topping was Beef & Cheddar.

Later on Pizza Hut introduced the Bigfoot Pizza -- a 1ft by 2ft rectangle of yumminess. It quickly became a staple at parties and our house. Again, the predominant topping combo was beef + cheddar cheese.

Then it disappeared.

I'm not sure what happened, but I recently realized I haven't had a Beef & Cheddar pizza for years, maybe decades.

I've discovered a new topping that has become a favorite: Pineapple. On a thin and crispy Dominoes pizza pie, it's very good. I finished a medium nearly single-handedly just last month.

But I still think back to the 1980s days of Beef & Cheddar fondly, and wonder if others shared my love of this long lost topping combination, or some other combo of the past.

Mario & Me

2009-04-02T15:38:00.006-05:00

I've been playing Nintendo for over 20 years, starting with the classics (Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Double Dribble). I saved one of my first month's earnings as a paper boy (35 smackers) and road my bike to Wal-Mart to purchase The Legend of Zelda. My life would never be the same.

Fast forward two decades, and I'm playing Wii Bowling and Lego Star Wars with my wife and kids. Good stuff.

Last week I spent a few days in Seattle with Janelle, and had the chance to visit Nintendo of America Headquarters. The actual experience was underwhelming -- the visitor center is the size of a hotel gift shop with roughly the same selection (there were no games for sale). We did come out with stuffed Nintendo characters for the kiddos and a Hyrulian shield full of candy.

But that wasn't the point.

I stood at the center of my gaming universe, and couldn't help but feel 12 years old again.

Let me in the sound, let me in the sound

2009-03-13T07:37:00.005-05:00

It has been tough to ignore U2 over the past week and a half (not that I'd want to). With stints on Letterman and Good Morning America, and an impressive ad campaign, it was easy to get excited about their new album, No Line on the Horizon.

I have only had it for a few days (thank you $3.99 Amazon MP3). Early impressions are good. I don't know that I'd agree with U2's self-proclaimed "Revolution of Music As We Know It" claims, but it is a darn good rock album.

Get On Your Boots

When I first heard Get On Your Boots on the radio last month I quickly tagged it to a one-hit-wonder from my Jr. High days: Wild Wild West by Escape Club. At least one other person on Youtube agrees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihO74PzCp8

Other tracks of early interest:

7 - Stand Up Comedy

This is my current favorite on the album, and it includes my favorite lyric so far: "Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady."

2 - Magnificent

This is Blake's favorite (age 5). He often gets stuck on one song in the car, and asks for it to be played over and over. We've gone through Bon Jovi, Jason Mraz, and various others. I'm excited that he knows what he likes.

I've also overheard him singing, "Get on your boots! Yeah, yeah!" around the house this week.

9 - O come, O come Emmanuel (err... White as Snow)

Janelle pointed out early on that this song sounds eerily familiar -- it starts VERY similar to the classic Christmas ballad. That being said, I'm a fan of this one too.

Overall, I'm liking the album a lot; I haven't listened to much else since I got it. To me, artists like U2 are modern-day poets (though I'm sure modern-day poets disagree -- I just don't know any and don't listen to their stuff). I love to hear what artists have to say and to experience the way they choose to express it.

If you haven't heard the album yet, you can listen to every track on U2.com. Here's the direct link: http://www.u2.com/soundandvision/index

What do you think? A revolution? Just good marketing?

Messaging Myself (not Massaging)

2009-02-28T21:09:00.005-06:00

(Just clarifying)

When I'm in a situation without access to pen and paper and need to leave myself a ToDo or another message, I'll sometimes call my office phone to leave a message. This puts me in the awkward position of talking to myself, and then listening to the awkward message.

I find myself feeling that I should still abide by some code of message giving: saying "hello" or "hey" as an intro, having some conversation with the future me, and then signing off with a "bye" or even a "see ya." When I hear it later, it just sounds weird.

But when I don't do it, it almost feels weirder.

Am I alone on this one? Anyone else call or e-mail yourself with important (or not so important) messages? Do you include salutations?

Video Games: The Rules Have Changed

2009-02-28T20:21:00.010-06:00

I grew up playing video games, starting with Pac-man and Pitfall on the Atari 2600. Gaming has changed significantly over the past 25 years - mostly for the better:

Forgiveness: Super Mario Bros. vs. Lego Star Wars

As a kid it was not rare to play the same level hundreds of times (who doesn't have SMB Level 1-1 memorized), and each game ended in death. Flash forward to 2009 where a Lego Star Wars player can die dozens of times and still "beat" a level. Additional points/powers/etc. are earned by completing the level with greater skill (collecting certain items or killing so many enemies).

Saving = Longer Stories

I'm a fan of a good, long story, be it a television series, a book, or a game. The ability to save your game to a backup system increased the depth of video game stories. The Legend of

Zelda's original 1986 release was one of the first games to allow battery backup, and made it the first "long story" game for me.

In-game Tutorials

Super Mario 64 is the first game I remember with a significant in-game tutorial, teaching me to play the game inside the game. It eliminated the need to read through the manual before starting.

Sandbox

The open feel of some games (Legend of Zelda, and to a greater extent, Grand Theft Auto) give players the opportunity to play at their own pace, working on side quests and participating in the story as they like. The story can even change based on decisions made by the player.

Graphics

For better or worse, games are prettier and/or more realistic than ever. Blocky graphics of the 80s have been replaced by beautiful 3D visual candy. The beauty is more beautiful, the violence more violent and other inappropriate content even more inappropriate. It's my opinion this is a parental issue and complex enough for a blog post of its own. I do think the rating system of the 90s has provided guidance to otherwise unknowing parents.

Playing the World

This is the most important change of the last 25 years. The ability to play with friends and strangers online is huge. There is some satisfaction in beating the computer and progressing through a story, but it pales in comparison to competing with and against other real people from around the world. It started for me with 3 other college roommates playing Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64. But now I've enjoyed online play with Wii Mario Kart, and I'll never be able to go back.

So there we go. The good ole' days are still good, but IMO gaming is much improved over its beginnings in the 70s and 80s.

I've never called my congressman...

2009-02-28T08:08:00.003-06:00

I've never been politically active, assuming most "representatives" are more likely to be representing themselves. I doubted any effort on my part to contact my local legislator would make a difference; on top of that, I didn't really have a particular issue - especially at the state level - I felt strongly about.

Until now.

Missouri has 500+ primary traffic laws an officer can pull you over for violating, including:

Burned out tail light or license plate light
Dark tinted windows

The single violation not included on this "primary" list is the law requiring seat belt use. It does exist, but has been relegated to "secondary" status.

House Bill 665 will change the current seat belt law's status to primary, and in doing so will save 90+ lives and prevent hundreds of injuries each year (based on similar states' experience). As a traffic safety engineer, there is no tool in my toolbox that can make that big an impact so quickly -- and at no cost to the state or taxpayers.

I've never "mobilized a movement" or even asked a friend to call their senator. Today's the day. If this issue is of interest to you, please consider the following:

Look up your local legislators in the House and Senate and contact them via e-mail or phone to express your support for HB 665.
Contact members of the House Transportation Committee. They will be hearing the bill in early March.
Visit www.savemolives.com to join the Primary Safety Belt effort and find more ways to get involved.

Thanks for reading through my soapboxes this spring about seat belts. In my line of work and passion, this is one of the most important efforts I've been involved with.

Oscar Blog: Showtime

2009-02-23T05:59:00.002-06:00

I started a live blog during the Oscar ceremony, and then got bored with myself (and had a tough time typing, folding clothes, and trying to enjoy the show with Janelle simultaneously). I also had little to say during the first part of the show besides "Jack Black is funny" and "Tilda Swinton is more pale than usual." So I slept on it and gave it a shot this morning.

Jack Black cracks me up. His presence and facial expressions are laugh-inducing. I also really liked Steve Martin last night.

Ben Stiller did not. I was annoyed by him, and if I were a cinematographer nominated for an award I would've been offended by his weird act.

Hugh Jackman was a little rocky at first, but the opening number was good and he did a nice job overall.

Sophia Loren. Hmmm.

Queen Latifah is one of my favorite entertainers of all time (going all the way back to my hard core rap stage in Jr. High). All hail the queen.

Even though we knew Heath Ledger had to win, it was an amazing moment to see his family on stage honoring his work and his memory.

I really liked the production of the show last night. Very cool, artsy, techy ideas for showcasing movies and walking us through the process of how a movie is made.

I was also a big fan of having past Oscar winners speak personally to each nominated Actor/Actress and Supportings. Particularly special were some of the older actors talking to the younger stars.

I think Angelina Jolie is as pretty as the next guy, and I know they were both nominated, but at some point (about the 113th shot of her and Brad) it did get old.

There were a few odd absences that I always expect to see: Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Paul Reubens. Oh, and I guess there was some controversy about Peter Gabriel that I'd never heard about. All I know is that he didn't show up to sing his nominated song. I'd expect such from Eminem when he did it, but Peter Gabriel??

The Slumdog Millionaire musical performance was my highlight of the night. Incredible.

My favorite speech quote (from the Slumdog guy who won all the music awards):

"I've had the chance in my life to choose to love or to hate. I've chosen to love, and now I am here."

We have a winner.

Oscar Blog: Pregame

2009-02-22T19:22:00.003-06:00

Gonna give a shot at live blogging during the Oscars. Here's the pregame version:

Phillip Seymore Hoffman gets to wear a stocking cap. He just does.

I always laugh out loud at Jack Black.

Robin Roberts = Classy

Overall, the red carpet was similar to every other year. On with the show...

Read Chapter 1. Check for Goosebumps.

2009-02-08T13:40:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of books at the house and office that I've collected over the years but haven't read. In order to deal with the overwhelm, I'm developing a new strategy for separating the good stuff from the mediocre.

Read Chapter 1.

Check for Goosebumps.

The theory is this: If the author moves me in the introductory chapter, I'll continue. If not, I'll move on. I've found that -- at least for me -- the most life-altering books I've read have had an incredible Chapter 1.

Will I still miss some good information? Sure. But as I've read more and more books (particularly in the Business/Management/Leadership genre), I've determined that most of them borrow heavily from each other.

There is a finite amount of time any of us has to read. Even if we read 24 hours a day, no one could read everything written about even a single topic. So here's my first shot at finding those titles that change something about how I think or act. We'll see how it goes.

Please wear your damn seat belt

2009-01-30T07:55:00.004-06:00

I've waited quite awhile to get on my soapbox about seat belts on the blog, for fear of sounding preachy or cranky-old-man-y. But it's getting ridiculous, especially in Missouri.

Three of every four Missourians do not wear their seatbelts. That makes me sad. But get this: 70% of people who die in traffic crashes are UNBUCKLED. For teenagers, the number jumps to 80%. And these are kids who have pretty much always been buckled by their parents. Now they're cool-kid James Dean move is to drive without a belt on? Really?

Here's the thing: We have a solution that would really help. It's called a Primary Seat Belt Law. Most states have it. Missouri doesn't.

Today, you cannot get pulled over in Missouri for not wearing a seat belt. If you get a ticket for something else, the officer can tack on a $10 seat belt fine. As you might have guessed, this is not particularly effective.

In states that have passed Primary Seat Belt laws, their usage jumped 10% immediately. Soon after their traffic death rates went down. This isn't rocket science. It's basic cause and effect.

Opponents cling to their rights of freedom and privacy (on a public roadway paid for with public dollars). Until they get in a crash. Then the expectation is for the insurance company (to whom all drivers contribute) or the government (to whom all people contribute) to cover medical expenses -- expenses that would have been greatly reduced by using a proven safety device installed in every vehicle.

I don't generally lean toward increased regulation of people's personal decisions, but in this case I believe it's appropriate to legislate some safety into our state, for the greater good of all.

Here's my ask:

1) Wear your seatbelt. Buckle your kids.

2) Take a look at the information on www.savemolives.com.

3) Join the converstation. I understand this is not a black & white issue, and I enjoy the discussion.

Props to Zed, Best Buy Salesmen Extraordinaire

2009-01-25T15:15:00.006-06:00

I had a unique experience at Best Buy this weekend that I thought worth sharing. For every "less-than-stellar" sales person on the planet, there are a few that stand out.

Janelle was in the market for a new laptop computer, and with a little research we picked out a nice Acer model that we were excited about. Mr. Internet told us the Best Buy in Columbia had at least one in stock. I usually like to buy our computers online with Dell - partially to avoid the big electronics stores. But this was a good deal, so I headed to the big box.

I eventually found the floor model and began checking the spec details and pecking the keys (I guess to make sure it was a normal computer, and not an alien breed of some sort -- the keys pecked just fine).

Enter Zed.

First of all, the kid's name is Zed (Strike one). He was decked out Gen-Y style, with thick-rimmed coffee-house glasses (who needs glasses like that at 19? - Strike two) and some sort of ear piercing/stretching, including a 1/2" stone implanted in his lobe (I'm outta here).

I played it out, assuming a 30 minute session of "this computer is OK, but you might want to consider..." I was wrong. I told Zed what I wanted. He didn't think they had any in stock, but he did a quick search and determined they did. Though it wasn't where it should be, he did some extra searching. He found it.

At the checkout, I was behind a couple other computer purchasers getting the full package of "necessary" add-ons for optimal computer performance (overpiced mouse, overpriced case, overpriced surge protector, extended warranty, Geek Squad we'll-come-to-your-house-at-midnight-to-fix-anything-even-your-relationships plan, etc.).

When Zed stepped behind the counter, he rang up the computer, swiped my card and sent me on my way. What the hell? Where's the banter? The "no thanks, just the computer today" or "I think I'll take the risk my laptop doesn't burn in a forest fire in the next 12 months" discussion? Nothing. Just a credit card receipt and a smile. I had to know why.

I asked Zed why he didn't offer my 52 other things with the computer purchase. "Body language - I could just tell" was his response. Impressive.

So big props to Best Buy for hiring Zed and props to Zed for learning how to read people.

TV is back!

2009-01-15T12:11:00.010-06:00

I haven't been all that excited about TV programming for quite some time, and was particularly board with last fall's offerings. Besides "The Office," I didn't really follow a single current show. But January has brought a lot of great stuff back that I'm excited about. A quick run-down.

The first 4 hours from this week have been as good as I can remember from 24 for quite awhile. Jack Bauer is the Shaft of our generation. He's a bad mother...

The "putting the band back together" feel of this season has already been rewarding, and the fast-paced nature of the season so far means the plot shifts on a regular basis (sometimes even within a single episode).

LOST

This has been my favorite show for awhile now. I'm a sucker for a good, long, detailed story (whether on TV, from a book, or in a video game), and LOST fits the profile. Also, the weekly discussions with family, friends, and the online community about what the hell is going on adds to the fun of the show.

I'm also impressed that the producers/creators/writers made a deal with ABC to cut the show off after a finite number of episodes. LOST should not die a slow death (see Alias) or get cancelled after a great season finale cliffhanger (Joan of Arcadia).

(Aside - Yes, I watched Joan of Arcadia and loved it. A little sappy, perhaps, but a good solid family drama that also included God jumping into the bodies of random people to help guide the main character. Worth a DVD rental if you missed it.)

Battlestar Gallactica

We were a little late to the party on this show, but it was fun to catch up on DVD and a great ride since. I haven't been as excited about the series of late, but I have to know the identity of the final Cylon, so I'll be watching.

American Idol

Idol is my reality show guilty pleasure. I've particularly enjoyed a couple changes in the early 2009 episodes. The new judge - Kara, I think - is good (for the love of all that is good and holy, please fire Paula now). They've also shown fewer awful singers (the gag is getting old, and they've realized it) and added more tear-jerking, Olympics-syle stories about the contestants. My favorite so far is the welder from Oklahoma.

So there it is - excitement for Spring '09 TV. What about you? Anything you're watching, or have given up on, of late?

Movie Pick: Born into Brothels

2009-01-09T12:05:00.006-06:00

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388789/

This 2004 documentary follows nine children living in Calcutta’s red light district. Their mothers are prostitutes “working the line,” and their fathers are nonexistent, abusive, and/or tied to the current economic system of the neighborhood.

Zana Briski, a freelance photographer, was working on a documentary of the conditions. She found it very difficult to get anyone to open up to her, an outsider. She began teaching photography to the kids in the area, and in doing so got them to both trust her and create great art.

The life change in the kids was impressive, and a “3 years later” extra on the DVD showed how improved many of their lives were by the experience.

I was particularly struck by two things:

1. The parents had generally given up hope for themselves and their children. Some did not allow their kids to attend a nearby boarding school, which was disheartening. I couldn’t imagine not promoting the best for my children -- but then thought about times when it happens.

2. The kids took some incredible pictures with basic equipment (hand-me-down 35 mm cameras).

The film was awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary, and has since launched a movement: Kids With Cameras.
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/

Looking to '09

2009-01-08T12:08:00.003-06:00

After looking back at 2008, it seemed appropriate to take a quick look at some things I'm excited about for 2009

Movies
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Night at the Museum 2

Harry Potter has been delayed for awhile (I think Daniel Radcliffe has kids), but I'm still a sucker for anything in the HP universe. It'll probably be too much for the kiddos (I'm guessing PG-13 like movies 4 and 5), so we'll likely be in the weird situation of hiring a 14-year-old babysitter to watch our children while we go watch the Harry Potter movie with a bunch of 14-year-olds and children.

Night at the Museum was the first true "Family Movie" experience in the Chandler house (defined as a movie the kids loved that did not include Janelle and I poking out our eyes - I'm talking to you, Strawberry Shortcake), and I'm looking forward to watching the sequel with the kids as well.

Blake in Kindergarten
We'll have both kids in school full time this fall, which I think will be fun. Blake's gotten a taste with preschool in his eventually elementary school, but it will be a whole different ballgame come August. Our baby is growing up.

Ten Year Anniversary
Ten years of wedded bliss (etc.) this June will obviously be blog-worthy in its own right. But I figured we'd might as well celebrate early. I'm sure we'll spend some extra time reminiscing this year as we look back on the last decade, and forward to the next one.

The Unknown
At the beginning of 2008 I was working for MoDOT, had never tried sushi, and only knew the name Barack Obama because of my brother's Myspace page. Now I'm serving at the pleasure of President Obama in my current job and I haven't been on Myspace for a year.

And eating raw fish.

A Few More Favorites

2008-12-31T08:45:00.004-06:00

I came up with a few more favorites from the year that was.

New Discovery: MKT Trail

I've lived in Columbia since 1996 and had never been on the trail until this summer. We took the kids a couple times and had a blast

Photo: This one

Janelle got a new camera this fall, and she's taken a ton of great pictures. This shot of me and the kiddos is on the aforementioned MKT trail in Columbia. I think it looks like we're walking in The Shire from Middle Earth.

Month: September

We often complain about how we go directly from summer to winter around here sometimes. This autumn was an incredible exception. I think we cooked, ate, and played outside more this past September than the entire last couple years. I can't wait until spring when we can do it again.

New Foods: Lobster and Sushi (not necessarily together)

I was fortunate to have my first real lobster dinner at a business conference in New Orleans this spring. Yum.The sushi introduction was a bit less exciting (refrigerated section of Hy-Vee), but also tasty. I'm a fan of both.

Poppy Love Song: Come On Get Higher, Matt Nathanson

Nothing particularly deep or special about this one, but I simply cannot turn the radio dial when it's on. A great sing-along song.

Kid-Friendly Movies: Prince Caspian

I'm loving our kids ages (8 & 5), as it means we've entered into true "Family Movie" territory. We're watching movies and TV shows together that we all enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I'm as big a Blue's Clues and Ruff Ruffman fan as anyone my age, but it's been fun to start watching Big Kid stuff, too.

Prince Caspian is a much better movie experience than Lion/Witch/Wardrobe, mainly because it's a better story for the screen. The battles are done well, even without much (if any) blood. And Blake even survived the "romantic" part at the end. Good show.

TV Show: Star Wars, The Clone Wars

First of all, this is not a great show. It is a very fun Saturday-morning-type cartoon that Blake and I have enjoyed together. I make the kids wait for me to watch each new episode -- just in case there is a scary part (but mainly because I want to see it).

Another Book: In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

http://www.michaelpollan.com/indefense.php

The author makes a compelling argument that most of what we eat in our current culture is not food, but "edible foodlike substance." As discussed before, I'm a sucker for anti-status quo writing. His suggestion is simple but not easy: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Another Website: www.kayak.com

This travel site takes the best of the others (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) and puts them in one place. It also adds a piece that is missing from most of the others: Southwest Airlines.

Feel free to share more of your favorites. You have about 15 hours 'til 2009!

Favorites of 2008

2008-12-16T08:23:00.004-06:00

I guess if you have a blog it's pretty much expected to list some sort of End Year post. Here's my attempt to follow that crowd and share some of my favorite stuff of '08.

Rock Song: Old Enough by The Raconteurs
I'm a late adopter of The Raconteurs, and I thank BXR for overplaying this song over the summer so I didn't miss it.

Pop Song: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
Another on the overplayed list, this was our family sing-along song all summer. This is a full album pick up.

DVD and Movie Dispenser: Once and The Redbox
Once is a great movie with incredible music. I was tempted to watch it again as soon as I finished it the first time. I wanted to renew my piano lessons from 1986.

The Redbox is genius (especially the one within walking distance of my front door) and will make a fortune off me -- one dollar at a time.

Video Game: Mario Kart Wii
I've been playing video games for more than 20 years, and this one ranks toward the top for pure fun, especially multiplayer, and especially-er online multiplayer. I'm not very good (yet), but for the first time in a long time I actually want to play enough to get better. (Sorry Guitar Hero - I just couldn't muster up the effort to dislocate my pinky in Expert Mode.)

Book: The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
I tend to read/listen to a lot of books over the course of a year. And most years I don't read a book that changes the way I think. This guy did it by challenging conventional wisdom and doing it well. It's not a "do this" book, at least not for me. But it has a little something for everyone. A quote reference in the book is a good summation:

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination. -Oscar Wilde

Website: Facebook
I check two websites every day: Gmail and Facebook. I now know much more about current friends of friends than I ever knew about people I went to school with for 12 years (check that -- now that I've "reconnected" I also know more than I ever wanted about my old friends from high school).

Tech toy: Moleskine
OK, I lied. I went anti-tech this year, trading in my PDA for some a pocket-sized notebook. It was a great trade. I always have it with me, and I don't have to memorize anything anymore -- it just goes in the Moleskine. It contains random sketches, grocery lists, and that million dollar idea that would have been lost by the bedside in 2007 (In the interest of full disclosure, I'm still waiting on that idea). Oh... and I don't check my e-mail every 22 seconds.

Trip: New Orleans
I had the opportunity to take a business trip to New Orleans last spring with Janelle. We had an incredible time eating seafood, drinking frozen something-or-others, and soaking in the environment. Highly recommended.

Musical Performance: David Cook on American Idol
At the risk of outing myself as an American Idol and Michael Jackson fan in the same sentence, my favorite live performance of the year was David Cook's Billie Jean. If you didn't see it, take two minutes to watch:

Favorite Person: Janelle Chandler, my rock-awesome wife
We've been married nearly 10 years (next June) and this one has been the best by far. We've had lower lows than most years, and higher highs as well. We've laughed, cried, traveled, sang loudly, defaced our otherwise perfect bodies with tattoos, and otherwise had a heck of a good year. I'm in love with that girl.

So there it is. What about you? What was your favorite song/movie/book/game/website/techtoy/trip/person of the year?

Where's the Funny?

2008-11-17T15:39:00.004-06:00

I'm not a newspaper guy, but the break room in my office has a St. Louis Post, so I occasionally skim over it at some point during the day.

I had an epiphany this week as I was looking over the Funny Pages. They're not funny. As I read through the comics (Ziggy, For Better or Worse, Family Circus, etc.), I was amazed at the lack of humor.

Zero laughs above the fold.

Things got a little better with Dilbert lower on the page, but I've determined that the laughs per comic strip metric is not good -- at least for me.

It sure seems that comics were comical when I was a kid. The Far Side comes to mind. But maybe that's it. Garfield wasn't really funny, and Peanuts seemed to get less funny each year.

Maybe it's me. Perhaps I'm just not a "comic strip guy." There are definitely things I laugh at (Stephen Colbert, The Office, Saturday Night Live, dirty limericks), but this just wasn't it.

In the Moment

2008-11-11T17:48:00.005-06:00

I had an absolutely great Columbia weekend, and have had a tough time attempting to put it into words. I thought maybe a quick event log would help me share my thoughts. Advanced apologies for the ramblings...

Saturday 8:00 - Haircut with Blake at Tiger Barber
Blake had a deep conversation with his barber about Halloween, and we got to have a race to the finish. Blake finished his cut first and earned extra pennies for bubble gum. Big props to Tiger Barber on 9th Street.

Saturday 10:00 - Marko at the House
My brother came in from Denver this weekend to watch the Mizzou game and catch up with friends. He hung out with us for a couple hours in the morning. The kiddos loved tackling him and showing off their Lego Star Wars skills (they are quite good). Good to see the little brother again.

Saturday 12:00 - Living Canvas
I got my first tattoo (pics coming once healing is complete) and had a great time with my wife and Laurie and Erick Creach, all of whom added ink to their exterior. Surprise visit by the VanDykes topped off the afternoon, as did valuable discussion of the parlor's choice of artwork in the waiting room. (My personal favorite: Inappropriate Blue Frog)

Saturday 4:00 - Tin Can Bar & Grill
Had a mediocre dinner and great discussion with aforementioned group. They serve beer in cans and a WIDE variety of food (wings, pot roast, chicken fried steak, and probably stir fry if you ask). I'd suggest a more focused menu.

Saturday 6:00 - 30 degrees at Faurot Field
Walked from downtown to the game. It was a blast...and freezing. Drunk guys nearby added to the game's entertainment value. Hearing the "Z-O-U" from 35,000 people on the other half of the stadium still gives me goosebumps every time. Loved it.

Saturday 8:00 - 72 degrees at Home
We wimped out at halftime and finished the game in the comfort of our living room. We weren't alone, as evidenced by the TV shots of the crowd in the second half. Hot chocolate, cookies, and warmth made it a great decision.

Sunday 3:00 - Hollywood Theater Birthday Party

To top off the weekend, Madilyn celebrated her 8th birthday party at the theater. She invited a few other girls, chaperoned by two strapping gents (Blake and me, both newly haircutted). After cake eating and present opening in the party room (yep, they have one - it's awesome), we enjoyed High School Musical 3 on the big screen. Huge props to Hollywood Theater for taking care of screaming girls running amok in their establishment all afternoon. Highly recommended for your next b-day party.

Not to give away the HSM3 plot, but Troy and Gabriella have some minor relational conflict that turns out OK in the end. Insert funny guys and lots of music and dancing, and you get a nice close to the gang's career at East High.
(Note: Yes, I know High School Musical. I have a 2nd grade girl in the house. And of the range of things she could be asking me to participate in, this one is a pretty easy give.)

So there you have it. A full Columbia-themed weekend with family and friends. Good times, good friends, good memories.

The Speeches

2008-11-05T06:06:00.000-06:00

All in all, Election Night was pretty uneventful in terms of "who's gonna win" drama. That never seemed to be in doubt.

What I wasn't prepared for were two of the best speeches I've heard in a long time. McCain was incredible, and I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering where this John McCain was hiding for the last six months. He's a true patriot in every sense of the word, and I hope he's able to do exactly what he wants to do the rest of his life.

Obama set the course for the near-future, inspiring as he has for so many months, and leading me to become more interested in the process than I had ever been. I'm excited to see what happens over the next 4-8 years.

Palin Live

2008-11-03T15:55:00.001-06:00

OK, so I'm probably one of a handful of Missourians who attended both the Obama Rally and Palin Rally in the span of five days.

This rally was similar to last Thursday, though smaller and more sunny. It sill included typical opponent-bashing by the underlings, with a special "I can't believe he said that but I guess it's OK because he's so old" speech by Kit Bond. I've always been a general fan of Sen. Bond, but I could envision a number of Republican higher-ups cringing a few times during today's ramblings.

Then Palin showed up to the usual fanfare, and she announced the next special guest (I guess she wasn't the headliner, after all): Hank Williams, Jr. It was my first Jr. experience, and it was kinda fun.

Hank sang the national anthem (pretty good) and a rewritten McCain/Palin version of Family Tradition (absolutely awful).

Then M.C. Palin got back to the podium and gave her typical speech. Not bad, but similar to everything we've heard so far. I wasn't close enough to know if there was a wink at the end.

The basic message of the day was Palin's governance of Alaska is the trump card for Executive Experience and McCain is the only man in the U.S. who has ever really faught for our country.

Again, it wasn't bad, but it did come off as a "let's rally the base, and do it quickly, as we're about to lose" kind of rally.

It was fun to experience both this close to the election, and I did get a warm fuzzy feeling (start the band here) that we live in a country where people can get very excited about how they feel government should work, and that we all get to cast our vote to see who gets to try it their way for a few years. Overall, I think it's a pretty good system.

Obama Live

2008-10-31T07:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sure the world has been waiting with bated breath to hear my thoughts and opinions on the presidential race, and I guess I declared by attending the Obama rally in Columbia last night.

First of all, it was mostly gibberish, as various politicians (Jay Nixon, Judy Baker, among others) gave us the same attacks, rhetoric, and promises for twice as many services for half the tax burden. Baker teased us with a, "...and let's give Barrack Obama a great Mizzou welcome!! When he gets up here later."

Then we said the Pledge of Allegiance.

I don't think I've ever done that with 40,000 other people. It was one of those community bonding moments for me, as I stood next to an Army private with his family and said the words I've said thousands of times in my life. It felt different this time ... like it mattered.

Then he spoke.

Much of Obama's language was similar to what we've heard over the past few months, with many phrases copied directly from his Wednesday night TV special. But there was something about being there in person that was inspiring. I'm convinced that Barrack Obama is not a perfect man, and he will not be a perfect president. I don't even agree with some of his policies, in much the same way that I don't agree with some of McCains.

But I'm also convinced that things will be different after November 4, and in my opinion they will be different for the better.

Unplugged Weekend

2008-10-14T17:57:00.000-05:00

Our internet was out this weekend (insert collective groan here).

I know. It was awful. I was disconnected from the world, from my e-mail, my fantasy football team, my Facebook status updates, and the always comforting "virus database updated" voice that pops up every day or so (he was replaced by an ugly red X over the application - a sorrowful reminder that we were not up-to-date, and when we finally did get back online we'd better watch out).

It was nice. I didn't run downstairs every 45 minutes to check my Gmail, blog, and whatever popped up on Google Reader (I did run down multiple times to power cycle the modem, check the wireless router, jiggle some cords, and test the resolve of Mediacom's customer service reps -- but that's another blog).

What I found by Monday was that although I was annoyed that I couldn't check up-to-the-second injury updates on my football team, I still won my game. I didn't really get any significant e-mails. And the virus updating guy's calming baritone returned to keep our family spyware-free.

What I did do was hang out with my family a little more, visit the library, spend time with friends for beer & BBQ, and watch late-night (well, late for us) football and movies with my wife.

I'm glad my super-high-speed, YouTube-friendly internet is back and I wouldn't wish our plight on anyone, but there were some advantages to the forced time warp to ... 2004.

No time to count the many blessings (nor name them one by one). I'm off to share my wit on Facebook.

Bikes and Stocks at Yard Sale Prices

2008-09-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

We just bought the kids "new" bikes this week at a yard sale, and we were more than happy to get a deal. Their old bikes had gotten too small, and Dad has not taken to time to properly teach his children to ride (insert guilt trip here). The new bikes, awesome September weather, and excitement from the kiddos has encouraged me to get them out riding this fall.

I've been equally excited to pick up common stocks at uncommon prices over the past few weeks. I'm no day-trader, just a regular contributor to my retirement plan at work. And as stocks get cheaper, it seems to me I'm getting more and more for the money. Granted, if this truly is the "worst financial crisis since the 1930s," there could be issues. But even if that's true, I think regular purchases of stocks over the next few years will pay off in the long-term.

It'll be another 30 years before I need the money, and I'm sure we'll have the "worst financial crisis since 2008" sometime between now and then.

Simultaneously we're attempting to pay off a car loan early. It's a 6% loan, so I know that every time we make an extra payment I'm earning about 6% on that money. It's the best savings plan we have going at the moment.

Am I missing something here? Should I be following the crowd to bonds and my 0.3%-earning savings account before our nest egg hits zero? Anyone with an actual financial background (I just count cars for a living) with insight?

Naked Streets

2008-09-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

I'm generally a fan of "contrarian" writers and thinkers, and those who challenge so-called Conventional Wisdom. From the Freakonomics guy who questions everything, to Marcus Buckingham's views on management (First, Break All the Rules), I'm a sucker for this stuff.

I'm also a Traffic Engineer, so when I run across a "maverick" in my field, I perk up. Enter Hans Monderman from the Netherlands, who passed away earlier this year.

Hans took urban street planning to an extreme, believing that a mix of vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic would be better served by removing signs, stripes, signals, and curbs to creat "Naked Streets." In his shared-space environments road users communicated with each other to travel safely and efficiently.

Here is an excerpt from an article written just after his death:

His maxim was: “If you treat drivers like idiots, they act as idiots. Never treat anyone in the public realm as an idiot, always assume they have intelligence.”
To prove his point, Monderman was known for boldly walking out on to his naked streets and junctions, turning his back on the moving traffic and walking to the other side to show that drivers would not run him over.

In the world of Engineering you don't see "out-of-the-box" thinking like this every day, so it has been refreshing to me to learn of those around the world who push the envelope. Rest in Peace, Mr. Monderman, and thank you for impacting the way I do my job.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3167372.ece

Wizards in Training

2008-09-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

I'm beginning to understand how wizard teachers feel when their wizarding students finally "get it." Our kids are currently on a magic kick, where they are constantly coming up with random spells to cast on each other (and their parents).

Janelle and I have both had our fair share of time frozen solid, waiting for the "Unfreeze" spell so we can continue our walk down the hall. Fortunately for us, our extensive Harry Potter and Diablo II experience has served us well.

Our little mages were hard at work last night, dabbling in elemental and creature-summoning activities in a tough-fought duel. Here is an excerpt:

Madilyn the Magnificent: "Super Fire!"
Blake, Necromancer: "Super Black Widows ... that eat fire!"
Madilyn: " ... drat."

But not to worry, I'm convinced Madilyn will come up with the proper counter-curse to attack the seemingly all-powerful Super Black Widows That Eat Fire before their next battle.

Happy bDay eBay

2008-09-03T06:28:00.000-05:00

On this date in 1995 eBay was officially founded. I don't recall anyone having "World Wide Web" access in 1995 (though we might have had a few computers on campus with it), but I'm sure there were some Apple IIe machines, PEZ dispensers shaped like Yoda, and more than a few other random items.

Of late I haven't spent much time on eBay. When I do, I tend to use it more as a "price check" website than an actual place of business. It's nice to know somethings true value (i.e., the price someone - or a lot of someones - has actually paid for it).

And it is always good to know that if I need to replace my worn out "Hangin' Tough" cassette tape, I'll always have a place to go. Three cheers for eBay.

Ready for Some Football? Well, kind of...

2008-09-02T08:27:00.001-05:00

After years of being a ravenous NFL football fan, I'm finding myself not quite as excited this year. I think it boils down to a couple reasons:

My team (Kansas City Chiefs) have extremely low expectations. They'll probably not be very good this year, and the excitedment level for the team is just not there.
My fantasy football team (Laser Cats) drafted in July based on schedule. As such, it's been a long time since our league owners talked, and there haven't been any big news items since our draft to make our preseason interesting.
My college team (Mizzou) has National Championship expectations, which I've never experienced in my life. I have found myself much more interested in studying the Top-10 college programs and all the teams on MU's schedule than digging into the NFL. Living in Columbia we have more access to the games, and with the kids getting older we're planning to attend later this month. Due to the cost of the NFL games, we likely won't be seeing the Chiefs anytime soon (even if we wanted to).

Don't misunderstand. I'll still be bellied up to the Plasma Thursday night, and again for the Chiefs-Patriots Sunday. And I'll probaby be over this post by next Monday and ready to write a retraction. But for now, I'm feeling much more Black & Gold than Red & White.

The Convention

2008-08-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

Has it all felt just a little too perfect to anyone else?

Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed the pieces of the DNC that we've watched this week, and I've verged on "emotional" a time or two during a speech or introduction. Bo Biden - who I couldn't help comparing to Chip Esten from "Who's Line" - gave a particularly nice intro for his father.

And I'm confident Obama's speech has the chance to be "semi-old-school-rapper-makes-a -video" worthy once again (yes, it can).

But the staging, the speech-reading by some, and the goofy crowd chants and silly attacks on anything un-Liberal was tiring. I couldn't imagine sitting through the entire broadcast. And don't get me started on the "Hi, I'm Barack Obama, and I happened upon some nice folks' home in Kansas City (or St. Louis, or Kansas City) to watch TV and say hello via satellite."

Joe Biden was interesting, and I'm becoming convinced that he knows as much about US-Foreign policy as anyone not named Leo McGarry.

I'm more confident than ever that Bill Clinton is one of the best communicators of our (well, my dad's) generation. He's as likeable a speaker as I've ever seen. If he ripped on the Republicans I don't remember it, and if he's not truly an Obama fan he hid it perfectly. He had a couple pieces of paper with notes, but we never saw him look at them. He didn't read the teleprompter, and he seemingly looked at each of the 16,000 people in the audience individually at some point during his speech.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the RNC responds with their own convention, and who they'll be able to trot up their to compete against Billary and the Obama kiddos. My fingers are crossed for McCain's mom.

"I don't wanna be teached"

2008-07-16T22:08:00.001-05:00

As our kids (7 and 4) continue to grow up, it's amazing how different their little personalities are. Our older is big on learning the correct answer, and not moving forward until all facts are laid out in front. Blake just wants to try it, regardless of the info available.

This week they were playing a game, and Maddie wanted to show Blake what to do. She asked if she could help him when he replied, "I don't wanna be teached."

It just reminded me that we often try to help (or teach, or communicate with) others in the way that we would like to be helped/taught/communicated with, instead of determining how they would best be helped/learn/understand.

No big "Special Lesson from Jerry Springer" here... just a quote I wanted to keep in the blog.

Blog Catch Up

2008-06-25T22:27:00.000-05:00

Now that I've figured out the Blogger/Facebook connection, I haven't come up with a good reason to keep up with my Myspace page (I still use it to connect with a couple people I haven't convinced to move to Facebook yet).

For my own nerdy completeness need, I'm pasting some of the Myspace blogs here so I can have them around for posterity. Not that they're works or art of anything, but they are me.

-----------------------
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Parenthetical Writing
I’ve noticed lately how often I write (on blogs, e-mails, or even formal business correspondence) using parentheses. I think it’s a way for me to share all the (typically unnecessary) details that I want to reader to read, or I’m attempting (often unsuccessfully) to add wit to my writing -- parenthetically. I can’t decide whether it’s such a bad thing, but I am making a point to attempt writing without them -- at least for a couple days. My fear is that I’ll probably just replace the parentheses with hyphens and/or dashes to get the same effect. Hmmmm...

I truly enjoy grammar rules, particularly punctuation, but I don’t recall ever learning anything formally about parentheses. Are their official rules? Does anyone abide by them, or have they gone the way of "don’t end your sentences with a preposition?" That tends to be the first one people give up on (err...on which people give up). And speaking of punctuation, what’s with putting periods and question marks inside quotes when they have nothing to do with the quote (don’t get me started)? Crap. Couldn’t do it. My parentheses are here to stay (at least for now).

------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Urinal Experience
I'm not a big urinal fan. Maybe it's the "open-ness" or the "side-by-side-ness" of peeing next to some other guy, or maybe I just like to go in a regular toilet to feel more like I'm at home. Anyway, Blake (4) had his first urinal experience this weekend at Sam's Club. As I've seen him grow up, it's been fun/cool/weird to see my son experience things for the first time, and I see myself being emotionally impacted by some of the strangest things -- like his first whiz in a urinal. It is sort of a passage into the next stage of life. I mean, he's been peeing standing up for awhile now (another emotional moment, let me assure you), but to see my boy, my heir, performing such a masculine task ... it was a special moment. Am I crazy? Anyone else get choked up over random life events?

-------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Kangaroos
So I'm on the Washington, D.C. subway this week and I see a dude in Kangaroos shoes. You know, the ones with the best invention ever -- Shoe Pockets!
I totally remember putting something in my sweet blue Kangas...maybe quarters for the arcade...or a dollar bill (folded six times) for school lunch...or something else 1/4" by 1/4" that dug into the side of my foot. But that's before I upgraded to the Super Kangaroos with the pocket in the tongue. Perfection.

I need a "Welcome to 2008" techy friend

2008-06-22T17:18:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to figure out how to link all of my websites together (an old blog site, Facebook, Myspace, ILoveDavyJones.com), and I'm beginning to feel old. I programmed in Apple Basic as a 2nd grader and used to be able to build a computer, but things are much different now.

I'm buried in RSS and IPs and lots of numbers with multiple decimals (192.168.1.1 is my current favorite) as we've linked seemingly everything in our house to the wireless network.

I'm searching for a kind soul who can teach me how to use these new-fangled World Wide Web applications I've been hearing about -- and lead me through the pain if I ever upgrade my cell phone. Send your application to my Facebook e-mail. If I don't respond, try pinging me or something... or just send a note to CoolDude@juno.com. I think that address is still active from my 1996 entry into e-mail.

10 PRINT "THANKS!"
20 GOTO 10

henry winkler

2007-02-25T17:40:00.000-06:00

So I ran into The Fonz today in the St. Louis airport. It was a bit surreal. I was traveling to San Diego for a conference; he was on his way home to L.A. from a speech at a local school.

Henry is currently writing children's books and making appearances when possible. He recently finished a stage role as Captain Hook in London.

He's shorter than I expected, and he seemed a bit travel-weary, but he was pleasant and seemed happy to talk to a few of us while we waited in the security line (before he realized he could jump the line as a first class passenger, let alone the fact that he's Arthur Fonzarelli).

During our short conversation another "fan" approached, pledging his devotion to Mr. Winkler and assuring him that Fonzie was the real star of Happy Days, not Richie.

I don't frequently have run-ins with the famous or semi-famous. My most memorable are a random handshake with Roy Williams, a quick hello in the home of Don S. Davis (http://imdb.com/name/nm0204493/#actor1980 , and a possible shared plane flight with pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

It made me think about fame, and how Henry Winkler can't get on an airplane without first having to talk to a bunch of strangers (some stranger than others) about stuff he did decades ago. I know it's the price of fame, and it was fun to meet him, but after shaking hands with him today it got me thinking... mainly about how many times he probably washes his hands every day.

1987 - music

2007-02-18T07:55:00.000-06:00

Though I had begun listening to pop music earlier in the 80s (my first albums were Michael Jackson's Thriller and the Ghostbusters Soundtrack), it wasn't until 1987 that I really got into it.

My first favorite rock song and MTV video was "Sweet Child O' Mine." Following were my favorite albums of '87.

Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

Michael Jackson - Bad

INXS - Kick

Def Leppard - Hysteria

gaming with kids

2007-02-17T20:36:00.000-06:00

Gaming as a dad is different than gaming as a kid, college student, or husband. The amount of time is somewhat less, but the real decrease is "time per sitting." It's difficult to get a solid hour of gaming in, particularly if the kids are awake. And there is the content issue ... no Gear of War for the kiddos.

My solution: Bing them along. Following are a few games I've enjoyed both playing in front of the kids, and even better, playing with them.
(Note: Being a Nintendo fanboy for 20+ years, it made it pretty easy to go the kiddie route. The selection of games here will be heavily Big N.)

Gamecube/XBOX/PS2 -- Lego Star Wars
This is number 1 for numerous reasons. The kids are big Star Wars fans (though I guess there are some semi-obvious content issues there), so Lego Star Wars is a big hit. The violence is limited to shattered Lego pieces, and the gameplay is easy to pick up on. The coop mode is fantastic, especially the "drop-in, drop-out" style. It's good when the kids are stuck and want to drop out for a few seconds, and equally as important when one of us wants to quit but the other doesn't.

Wii - Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Though rated T, this is a pretty tame game. It's beatiful to look at, and the kids enjoyed watching almost as much as I enjoyed playing. Also, a six year-old can be very helpful when Dad is stuck in a dungeon. They see things we miss, and if they're following along throughout the game, they know the items as well as we do. Good times.

Gamecube - Mario Party
This has been a great "Mom, Dad, and kids" game on Saturday afternoons or just before bed. The settings allow for a variety of time needs, and the handicap feature levels the playing field. And it's Mario on a game board -- tough to beat.

Gamecube - Mario Kart Double Dash
Even though I called Star Wars #1, my daughter and I have had the most fun playing this game together. In Double Dash two characters ride each kart -- one to drive (usually my job) and the other to use the collected items. This is a total blast, easy to get the hang of (she was throwing turtle shells at age 4), and the sense of shared accomplishment is great.

Web sites on the subject:

www.gamerdad.com

www.shortattentiongamer.com

lyrics i like

2007-02-17T20:22:00.000-06:00

From "On the Radio" by Regina Spektor

This is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

booknotes - god is closer than you think

2007-02-05T15:28:00.000-06:00

John Ortberg.

- Finding God is often like the Waldo books. You gotta keep looking. Sometimes it's hard. I know he's there, but sometimes it seems like he isn't.

- You're going to shower/work/drive/watchTV anyway, why not do it with Jesus?

- Don't add a bunch of things to your life, thinking that's what you need to get closer to God. Instead, involve God in the things you're already doing.

- Morning Prayer: 1)Acknowledge God for who He is, 2)Express concerns/fears about the day, 3)Invite God into the day.

- God's Grace = Ocean Waves. He keeps making them. He's a wave machine.

- CIHU (Can I Help You) Prayer. Ask God to give you opportunities to be inolved in others' lives.

- Dust of the Rabbi. If I live "at the feet" of my rabbi/mentor/leader, it's defined as working under him. I am so close to my rabbi in that situation that when he walks the dust from his feet end up on me.

- Mary & Martha. This is not a personality story. Martha isn't chastised because she works too hard. And Mary isn't praised for being a lazy ass. Martha was DISTRACTED with other things while Jesus desired meeting with her.

- God's Silence does not equal Absence. Purposeful silence can say "I'm not going to make this decision for you."

- Resistors & Conductors. Resistors are not open to be used. They stop the flow. Conductors are open to let energy flow through them. Be a conductor. "The Gulf stream will pass through a straw if the straw aligns itself with the gulf stream."

- God loves pizzazz: He delights in the beauty of his least strategic creatures (e.g. Hippos)

- The Hedge. I'm currently in temporary housing (my body) with a backyard (my world) and a hedge. Jesus traveled across the hedge to bring some of "up there" "down here."

"...thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

the legend of zelda

2007-01-28T19:04:00.000-06:00

This is still my favorite video game of all time. I worked my first newspaper route in the summer of 1987. I put most of month's earnings in my pocket, hopped on my bike, and rode to Wal-Mart to pick up this game. After laying down my $35 (games were cheap in the 80s) I began. It was the first game I played with a battery save, meaning you could actually start each play session at the place you left off (without Metroid's 65-digit code that we always messed up). The puzzles were tricky, enemies were tough (especially the Knights and Magicians), and weapons were legendary, particularly the magic boomerang.

At that time many of my friends were playing the same game (we each had THE video game system popular at the time), so many school recesses and church events were full of strategy discussion and secret finding. Nintendo Power helped with some additional maps and a few hints here and there.

Finally finding Level 9 (best video game music ever) and defeating Gannon were a couple of the more proud moments of my 11 year-old life at the time.

Take any one you want... as long as it's the heart container.

review - zelda twilight princess

2007-01-28T18:53:00.000-06:00

OK, so I got the Nintendo Wii and Twlight Princess for Christmas. I played through it, beat it, and put in 60+ hours to do so. I enjoyed the game, but it didn't really rank in the "Top all-time video gaming experiences" like I expected it might. Overhype? Maybe. Pickiness? Likely.

First off, this is a very good game. Lots of dungeons, good enemies, pretty good story, and some great gameplay mechanics with the Wii remote (particularly the grapple and bow & arrow). I enjoyed being a wolf, liked the variety of dungeons (though the generally follow the same type as every other adventure game ever), and even thought some of the NPCs were interesting.

TP also added some nice new tools/weapons not previously seen in an Zelda game. But even with all that, I felt a little disappointed. The boss battles were extremely easy -- I never felt like I was going to die and have to come back. And once I figured out what to do, it seemed like I only had to do it 3-4-5 times to kill the boss.

Side quests were virtually non-existent. Everything you did filtered into the main story. This has some benefit, but I would have liked to see more shooting ranges, target practice, and skill challenges ala Ocarina of Time. Particularly with the Wiimote addition, mini-games would have been a welcome addition.

It's also important to note that I played through this game in about six weeks -- much faster than my typically experience. That might have been what made the game feel shorter than it was. In terms of the calendar, it was a short game.

In the end, I put TP in the middle of the pack of my Zelda gaming experiences. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Ocarina or Majora's Mask -- and none of them provided the experience of the original for me.

1987 - baseball cards

2007-01-19T06:04:00.000-06:00

The year was 1987. I had toyed with baseball cards a little in the past, as I really got into baseball during the Kansas City Royals' 1985 World Series run (little did I know they would not make the playoffs again my entire life -- oh to hold the hand of that impressionable 9 year-old and convince him to be a Cardinals fan). I digress...

Memories of baseball 1987, and in particular baseball cards, are stuck in my brain. There were a ton of rookie cards that year -- Bo Jackson, the "Bash Brothers (Mark McGwire & Jose Canseco), Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Raphael Palmero, Wally Joyner, and I'm sure others I can't remember. It was the year McGwire broke the rookie record for home runs (a pedestrian 49 in today's numbers).

Topps baseball cards were three for a dollar at Pete's Swap Shop in downtown Nevada. It was a dirty basement pawn shop in town with a man in his 40s (who most people called Pete, though his name was Joe. I heard Pete was his dad, but we might have made that up) whose top sellers were romance novels to old ladies and 1987 Topps baseball cards to kids.

I spent about every dime of my paper route money (less a little for video games -- I'll hit that subject later), one dollar at a time, on three packs of baseball cards and three horrible pieces of chewing gum that left ugly stains on the back of the last card of each pack. I can still remember the smell of the pack, the taste of the gum, and the excitement when I got a Don Mattingly ($2.50), Wade Boggs ($1.00) or George Brett ($.50, but my hometown hero). We would fill pages and pages of books with multiple copies of these cards. It was a sign of power to show a full page (9 cards) of a hot rookie (like Bo or McGwire) or a superstar (like Mattingly, Clemens, or Boggs).

1987

2007-01-19T06:01:00.000-06:00

I don't have a lot of memories from my childhood, for known and unknown reasons, but one time period that seems to stick out to me is the time around 5th and 6th grade -- 1987. A number of new events transpired in my life during this year, including becoming a baseball card collector, getting my first newspaper route, an real introduction to popular music, and a development of neighborhood friendships.

Now, in 2007, I feel very old as I look back 20 years (20 years????) at myself as an 11 year-old in small-town Missouri.

best football weekend of year

2007-01-13T12:10:00.000-06:00

It's Round 2 of the playoffs -- arguably the most exciting two days of football in the season. The eight best teams are left for four (typically very good) games. My "rooting for" picks:

Colts & Ravens
I must admit, I'm a Peyton Manning fan, so I'm leaning Colts. I also have the "they beat my team" factor playing (as the Chiefs were beat painfully last week), so if they win the Superbowl then we could have, too. COLTS.

Bears & Seahawks
I'm the least interested in this game, but am generally a fan of Seattle. However, I like the Bears' story this year, and I think Grossman can do it. BEARS

Patriots & Chargers
Being a Chiefs fan I got to know Marty pretty well, and I'm now to the point I'm rooting for him. I would like to see L.T. play deeper into the playoffs as well. And I'm bored with the Patriots. CHARGERS

Saints & Eagles
Two good stories. New Orleans/Katrina/Drew Brees vs. Dumped T.O./McNabb Injury/Jeff Garcia resurgence. I had Brees on my fantasy team this year (and can keep him for next season), so I'm rooting New Orleans 'til the end. SAINTS

the apple: a lesson in complexity

2007-01-13T07:58:00.000-06:00

Eating an apple never ends well.

You take the first bite into the juicy fruit, but it all goes downhill from there. Subsequent bites put apple goo on your face. And then comes the final few -- those "avoid the core" bites where you attempt to get the last little "apple-like" tastes without eating the center or a seed.

Sometimes other seemingly positive experiences end up this way as well. New books, video games, and -- in particular -- relationships often start out great with the first bite, but quickly add the complexities of goo and seeds as time passes.

I've solved my problem with apples -- a slicer. It cuts out the core and allows me to eat my apple without much goo. Unfortunately, I may do this with people as well. I will avoid their goo, their "core," for the convenience of surfacy bites. In order to build lasting relationships, I must allow these aspects to enter my life. They're not as clean and crisp as apple slices, but in the complexity is life. A life, if I would take the time to learn about, will be worth connecting to.

gaming 2.0

2007-01-09T05:31:00.000-06:00

In my 25 years of video game playing, the games have been relatively similar. In 1981 I used Pac-Man to clear levels. Pitfall Harry jumped over crocodiles. "The square" killed dragons and collected keys to open castle doors. In the mid-80's Mario and Link replaced Harry and square with increased graphics and complexity, but with similar themes -- unlock doors with keys, jump over bad guys, and save Princess Peach and Zelda, respectively.

The 90's brought 3D graphics, but again, the story stayed the same. In each of the previous gaming generations, my most vivid memories are beating an intense boss, finishing a game, or discovering a new tool/weapon. In each case, I completed these tasks alone (or with someone watching over my shoulder, but not involved).

With the popularity of games like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and the Nintendo Wii, I see a significant change occurring. "Gaming 2.0," if you will. Instead of my focus always being the TV, it is becoming as much fun to watch others play as to play myself.

25 years after receiving an Atari 2600 for Christmas (the aforementioned 1981), I received a Nintendo Wii. In that 25 years I do not recall ever playing video games with my dad. But on Christmas Day 2006, at 30 years old (and Dad at 60), I found myself playing Wii Golf with my father, watching my parents battle it out in Wii Bowling, and feeling strangely sentimental.

Gaming has finally gone beyond the TV screen, after past failed attempts (e.g. Power Glove). It is a new day for video games, one that breaks the barriers of "gamer" and "non-gamer" and creates a game that anyone can pick up and play. I for one am excited for the possibilities.