BYU really pissed Hitler off!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

Well, a month without a post. So I've decided to take a poll about the demand of the masses to view this blog. If the demand is fewer than 5 persons, before the end of the existing year, as demonstrated by comments posted to this very post, the supply of this blog will be officially terminated. Hasta.

1 GR!

Although Wellzzzzz won't know it until he reads this, he accompanied me on my 1,000th mile this year. This has been a major goal of mine. I have covered most of those miles huffing and puffing over my shuffling feet, some walking, many alone, and, recently, amongst PVXC. If I could just get my eating habits in a headlock, I would be one svelte dude. Maybe that's for next year. Looking back on 2008, however, I join with Forest in a chorus, mumbling, "I was running."

America's Credit Problem

I am sure you are all aware of the problems that the financial industry is going through. If you're not, read something! I work for a bank and I get this question all the time.... "what happened?". That can be a very long answer. I would suggest the this link. This is a radio show from Chicago public radio called "This America Life with Ira Glass". Great show, great answer. Check it out.

Man-Size Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe I found after a bit of extensive research and several trials in the kitchen. They are pretty fantastic and the final product is a cookie that can easily be shared with 2 to 3 other people (I actually have eaten two in a single sitting, but then, I was also just complaining to Heather that I think I've never been fatter). Apparently this is a knock off recipe of the well-known treats from the Levain Bakery in Manhattan.

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 baking soda
12 ounces (2 cups) good quality chocolate chips of your choosing (mixing semi-sweet with the milk variety produces good results)
1 cup pecans (or walnuts or macadamia nuts)

Cream the cold butter with the sugar and brown sugar. Blend in eggs one at a time. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Now, you can either reserve a perfectly clean countertop to unload the dough and knead in the chocolate chips and nuts, or simply blend with your mixer--it gets pretty heavy there.

Next shape the completed glob of dough into a long symetrical rectangle and proceed by carefully dividing into 12 equal segments with a large knife. Roll each segment into a ball, which will roughly be the size of a cue ball. I can fit about six on my cookie sheet at a time and, if using a conventional oven, will bake only those six as a single batch at 375 for 19 minutes. Finish the second six. Share and enjoy.

Jesus Christ Was the First Socialist

On Tuesday night Mandi was kind enough to join me at the southern Utahns for Obama gathering at the Jazzy Java. We all introduced ourselves and why we were there. We were apparently the only two "undecideds" in the energized group, although I don't know why Mandi introduced herself as such because she is clearly a decided (see: her sole blog post and numerous comments alluding to her man, McCain).

I think even Mandi would agree, it was a nice experience. At the meeting, some Obama representatives were better than others--the ones with the bitter, conspiratorial tone were hard to stomach, but for the most part it was good people interested in the ideas of a pretty good guy. Discussed several times was an obvious Democratic cause central to the Obama plan: helping the poor. It didn't bother me. Rising poverty is clearly a huge problem our nation faces; it's seems wrong to ignore it and, admittedly, some ideas are poorly informed populism while others do a better job to encourage progress. But a dialogue addressing the problem is a good thing where it is a problem that will only forseeably worsen.

Then tonight I had the good pleasure to volunteer at the church cannery canning thousands of cans of peaches. It was a timely reminder of how those who are underprivileged ought to be helped and who really ought to be helping. When properly done, church welfare is a win-win with people feeling good about their service and people feeling good about a welcomed helping hand. And all this minus the compulsory means necessary with state intervention.

Using western Europe as an example, it has notoriously become a more secular society than what we see in the US; however, it is interesting that the fall of its religious activity has been accompanied by the rise of its welfare state. It would appear that when the government robs churches of the significant role of charitable giving, people quickly lose interest in an institution that now has a less relevant purpose in society. Obviously, other social mores are at play, but the government doing what has historically been the church's job has to have an impact.

I don't think Europe's a bad place because its citizens are comfortable with socialism, and religion still does have its presence there for those inclined, but my questions are: Is our country's current roles for church and state the ideal solution for social welfare, or does the government need to step in where the churches have deficiencies, or Friedman-ites, is it stupid to step in at all?

Oh, and I don't think Jesus Christ was a socialist at all as Hugo Chavez and his red contemporaries like to call it. Clearly the distinction is that Jesus Christ asked to sell all you had and give to the poor. If you care for what He said, it is one's own choice to whom, how much, or even at all.

What's Your Mantra?

The Hindus have AUM--the sound present at the creation--which encompasses all other sounds, words, languages, and mantras. The purpose of the mantra is to bring the mind into focused concentration. You can use it to steer your mind from harmful thoughts or to travel into meditation. Ultimately, we must learn to control our bodies and minds, and a mantra can be a tool that anyone can use. Let it be a scripture, a poem, a lyric, a phrase, or a word. Whatever you choose make sure it is simple to remember and positive. Right now, I'm searching for a mantra. Anyone have any ideas?

BTW, today is the 1st anniversary of visbits. Thanks to you guys it's better than ever.

The Little Things

It has been said often that the devil is in the details. I prefer to look at this way; the beauty is in the details. Or better yet, the beautiful are found in an observation of the seemly minute experiences that make up our lives. For example, I love to fish. Yes with a fly. And yes I am inclined to release all, or most, of the fish I catch. In a story about fly fishing and the enjoyment one gets out of this activity, David James Duncan recounts how he got mixed up with the most foul sort of outdoor enthusiast, the "activist". During this mix up he twisted the point of view, and logic, of this activist to refer to fly fishers as "insect rights activists". If you are not familiar with this story, let me know I will send you a copy, suffice it to say that Brother Duncan chose to use the logic of animal rights activists the world over to justify, no exalt, the practice of catch and release fly fishing as a way of preserving the little lives of mayflies the west over. Pure beauty.

The use of the phrase insect rights activist, is just such an example of the little things that make our lives great. Every now and then I get flack for being a catch and release fly fisher and I just smile and say, "I prefer insect rights activist". Since 10 times out of 10 the person I am conversing with has no idea what I am referring to, I giggle with excitement and launch into an almost evangelical campaign to convert the person to my way of seeing things.

It was in pursuit of this very activism that I recently experienced another of life's little joys.

My father is the person that cultivated in me a love of the outdoors and fly fishing specifically. Growing up we would spend the most memorable of days on what he calls "the seeps of Southern Utah". Small creeks and streams that house small but wonderful populations of trout. He is the one that taught me that fly fishing is an art to practiced and enjoyed all by itself. And that even when you don't catch fish, fly fishing, unlike many other forms of fishing, is still a wonder and a beauty.

Due to a myriad of different circumstances I will not go into here, my father rarely fishes anymore. In fact in the past 12 months, the only time he has gone fishing is with me, in Idaho. I use the lure of grandchildren to coax my mother into bringing my father up to Idaho so that she can hang out with them and I can return a life's worth of fly fishing favors to my father by playing guide.

The South Fork of the Snake river is a far cry from "the seeps of Southern Utah" and a wonder in its on right. Every year on or around the 4th of July my father comes to Idaho to try and make it to the river for "The" fly hatch; that of the salmon fly. Aquatic insects so large they inspire the abandonment of all reason by all trout in the waters that experience "The" hatch. I often compare it to what I would imagine would happen if you were to through large T-Bone stakes to a pit of alligators. The gnashing and whaling of teeth; aka phenomenal fly fishing. To an old angler like my dad, it is what your elder years are supposed to be like, dry fly fishing on one of the most breath taking powerful tale waters in the Western United States. It is this promise that makes the trip so anticipated each year.

As a result of him not fishing as often as he once did, my dad is not as proficient as he once was. He misses strikes, screws up great drifts with bad casts, and in an effort to land the big one, breaks off many a large trout. This infuriates him to no end, and brings pain to my heart. This giant of man has somehow fallen from fly fishing grace.

And then it happens....

Every year there is that one cast that is just right. No tailing loop. No wind. The right riffle and mend. He sets the hook and is patient enough to land that perfect fish. Astonishingly vibrant color, mean and strong. To be honest this year it wore him right out when he finally landed the damn thing. Shaking with equal parts age and excitement he releases the hook and holds the creature in the sun smiling with pure joy. What a moment for me. One of the little things that makes life great. One favor down, one million to go.

Thanks dad.

3 Cosas K Me Gustan

MY CAREER--It's rebirth every fall and dying again in the spring. The educational cycle.

THE WEST--I was born in it. I've struggled with it. Now I want to know everything I can about it--history, geography, flora, fauna, and religion, too.

PODCASTING--It's free, and it's for me. Some of my favorites are NPR's Fresh Air, Bill Moyers Journal, Stuff You Should Know, and This American Life. If you're sick of your music, the radio, and you don't have the money to remedy your situation, podcast. You'll luv it.

Is three a crowd?

Are Mustaches funny? Short answer; no, but buckle up because you'll be getting the long answer as well.
While they have been called the new Mullet by many a naysayer, they have specifically avoided comedy at all costs. This is not to say that hilarity cannot be associated with a Mustache, however it is unfortunately directed at them and not initiated by them. Mustaches are deadly serious. So serious in fact, they are trying to destroy the so-called Two Party System, which, as Americans you are all aware, has dominated the political landscape of hair, facial and otherwise, for decades. The major players are the aforementioned Mullets, and the lesser known Wig party.
Bickering has gone back and forth between these two factions since 1972 when the Mullet androgynously entered the scene atop David Bowie's snow-white tan head. Their reputation was cemented in place when Rod Stewart and Ron Wood jumped on board with the cock-a-doodle-doo version. It seems that musician's support of radical hair resonates with baseball players as well, and lucky for all of us, allowed the Mullet party to become a major player in hair policy-making.
The Mullet party came to power soon after, mounting a coup that displaced the then reigning power, the Uni-brows, which was only made possible by the sheer number of Uni-brows that wanted nothing to do with hair politics, which has led to a poor showing at political functions by Uni-brows, and, not surprisingly, public appearances in general.
The Wig party has been here the longest, rising to power in the late 20's due in part to a rise in male pattern baldness and in part to the Great Depression. Traditionally women have been the largest support to this party, but several prominent workers in the St. George library system have also been on board with the Wigic platform, hearkening back to the 20's.
Which brings us back to the Mustache. They would simply like to be recognized as another voice, if you will, in this complex new world; no longer relegated to the adverse working conditions in pornography, migrant farm labor, and notorious taskmaster Frank Zappa. The Mustache party is the voice of the little guy. They regularly cross partisan lines in an effort to make the US a better place. Examples of this include: Ron Jeremy, Pedro, and John Oates in the 80's/possibly now (also, Mullets need to be given credit where credit is due with respect to these examples). It is my dream that mustaches will someday be recognized as another hair party and give us the choice we deserve.

I Need A Mouthpiece

I'm not going to part the Red Sea in the near future or part my hair for that matter, but, like Moses, I find myself wanting for a mouthpiece. It's not that I have a problem speaking. Once in a while suitable words come up absent in the conduit between brain and mouth. There's no earth-shattering message beating the back of my lips blue to get out. It's just that I've found the perfect voice to narrate my life as I live it. In fact, smart money says that a project employing this voice for audio books and lullabies, commercials and cover songs would exponentially grow any mula you're willing to invest. He's the personal interlocutor in Magnum P.I. His voice the Ambien on a sleepless night and the Valium when You're nervy. Tom Selleck, narrate my life.

Mix Tape

So I'm headed to a family reunion up in Washington in a few weeks. I don't mind this drive as Amy lets me listen to my iPod most of the time. I like to switch up the music as I am driving through different stretches of the trip. For example, during the stretch through Idaho I listen to The Triggerlock's as there is a turn off called Idahome Rd. Now are there certain other situations that call for certain music? Does Bob Marley really sound better on Saturday mornings than any other day? Should it be a rule to listen to Wilco anytime you take drive through the desert? Do you always listen to the band your going to see? Travis, are you still a Misfit?

Don’t Burst My Bubble

As I find myself bored with……myself at times, I resort to making fun of others. As I know I’m not perfect, nor do I strive to be, I simply enter the bubble. The bubble was started by Vis and Jared Stanley a number of years ago. It allows you to judge, make fun of and degrade others around you. Now although you may have the same faults as the ones you are degrading, it doesn’t matter because you are in the bubble. That is why Utah County is known as the bubble (you can actually burst that one if you wish). So go out there and climb in the bubble, you'll feel better I promise.

Catch Phrases Are TIGHT!

We've all used a catch phrase once or twice. Rad. Cool. Tight. T!ts. Maybe we've even created our own. Nivey. Catch phrases unite us, especially those that are universally known and accepted. Or, perhaps, catch phrases are used almost like a password or code. In the latter instance, if you're part of the group, you know  the history of the catch phrase, its creator, and its uses, the exact time of its conception.  What are your favorite catch phrases? Which ones just missed being part of everyone's vocabulary? Now, I want to resurrect a catch phrase and propose a catch phrase call-to-arms. This phrase can be used in a number of ways, similar to t!ts: as an exclamation--T!ts, as an adjective preceding the noun it describes--Sean has some t!ts thongs, as a predicate adjective--Sean's thongs are t!ts, and as an adverb--Sean's thongs are t!ts tight. This catch phrase was created by one of our fellow bloggers--I'll let her reveal herself if she so chooses--and lay dormant for more than a decade. The phrase is Bruce Hurst. In a curious juxtaposition, one could use the phrase as follows: The Yankees are Bruce Hurst. I challenge readers to a catch phrase contest. How many times can you fit Bruce Hurst into your day? And remember you guys are Bruce Hurst cool and don't you ever forget it. 

(N)OBAMA

Spaz down, I'm not making a political statement, rather I wanted to address a prevailing, and disappointing trend in modern politics. Situation: I'm walking out of work and I notice a large and overbearing truck (a Cedar city truck) with this bumper sticker attached to the huge chrome bumper. It was accompanied by an elephant urinating on an Obama caricature sticker. What is wrong with people? I definitely lean to the Right but these type of right-wingers make me feel embarrassed. Who are they appealing too? Do they think they will change some one's mind with their sophomoric display? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against all stickers, and truck displays. I hate Chevys so much ever since I saw Calvin urinating on the Chevy symbol. I also love to see the naked-lady mud flaps, because then I don't have to wonder if the guy is lame. My point is, if you don't like Obama, don't vote for him. Put your time, money, and energy into the candidate you support. I have really started to loath the negative campaigning. I love politics, but I like the sport of it, not the terrible anti-feelings. P.S. BUSH does not = McCain.

Hype: Alive and Well

It's hear. Go ahead believe the hype. Actually, go experience the hype. Ever since the first fully functioning micro drives where developed by Toshiba about 8 years ago, I have been waiting for the day when a whole computer could fit in your hand... or pocket... or wherever. I know that the iPhone was first released last summer, however because I have chosen to live in what some may categorize as a barren and destitute land, we did not get them. Idaho, more specifically Eastern Idaho, had no authorized AT&T dealers; therefore no iPhone. So yesterday was the first day that you could buy one without testing your connections on the grey market and or your skills as a full fledged computer hacker.

The new iPhone has some major geeky upgrades, the in depth discussion of which I will leave to more capable and competent hands. However, here is my list of the top improvements in no particular order.

• The change from a metallic back to a plastic back may be viewed by some as a inconsequential, but it actually has a purpose. Have you ever been deep in the catacombs of a large, mostly steel building like Home Depot or Costco and lost your cell phone signal? That is because steal inhibits a cellular signal. Thus causing poor conversation quality or no conversation at all. The plastic back alleviates this problem and provides exceptional signal quality.
  

• GPS. This is great for fun little tricks like "Geo-tagging" your pictures, locating things like the movies or a new resturant, or every one's favorite goofing on Google Earth. There are already numerous applications that have been designed to take advantage of this new feature. All available through the app store which I will get to in a minute.

• The addition of 3g is great because of the ability to stream media live anywhere. My first example of this was driving around last night streaming Pandora through my iPhone and into my car stereo. Look for live TV (my guess is ESPN) shortly.

• The app store. The greatest thing about a computer is what we can do with it. For example the Internet is made possible because of the Internet browser. Music was completely reinvented because of the software compression algorithm known as mp3. Pictures, word processing, email and on and on. All of these are made possible because of software. The app store will open limitless opportunities to create new wonderful, addictive software applications that we can take with us. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, the iPhone is a handheld computer with the ability to make phone calls on a cellular network.

So as I mentioned above find someone that has one and play around. Or if you have the means to do so, get one yourself. Heck, my father Bill is on board. He stood in line in Las Vegas for 8 hours yesterday to pick one up. Who knew!

Amateur Hour

Many subjects have certainly drawn my interests throughout the years, but there are some I feel I can appreciate just enough by merely scratching the surface. Later in life I may be driven to master these areas of interest, but the utility I gain now is sufficient for the time being. I wanted to lift from Travis' trademark and list of few of these below. I could probably carry on a short conversation with any expert on these subjects, and each would walk away thinking, "that's nice."

1. Minimalism--Reducing everything to its fundamentals has great appeal with so much chatter and noise nowadays. It is everywhere, and so why not strip everything down to clean straight lines and do "more with less". I mean minimalism in design, music, art, and life. It's a real commitment to make, which is why I admire these concepts rather than actually abiding by them.

2. Thorstein Veblen--Early 20th century economist and social critic that gave us the term 'conspicuous consumption'. He was met with contempt by many of his peers and led a somewhat unstable life; however, his thoughts have had a relevant clarity even a hundred years later. His most popular work was The Theory of the Leisure Class, which appeared to scathingly expose the habits of the more opulent members of society and the underlying mechanisms of competitiveness, such as the fear of failure and loss of esteem.

3. Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and urban planning--Once there is enough money in the bank we would like to build our home borrowing from his fundamental concepts: cruciform layout with a meeting place in the middle, openness for flow of family traffic, low horizontal lines, and an incorporation of the structure to the surrounding landscape. His ideas on urban planning were almost as forward thinking as his architecture, which is basically the forerunner for most master-planned communities today; however, his were more idealistic and slightly utopian. Ayn Rand denies Wright was the inspiration for Howard Roark in The Fountainhead. Everything I've read about Wright tells me she's lying. We happened upon the FLW Xanadu Gallery building nr Union Square in San Francisco last summer as a nice surprise.

4. The Plight of Africa--Is it not incredible that we can all watch on our television sets small children starving with no real chance of surviving? I mean I know we have our own problems at home, and even then, how much of it is really up to everyone else to fix. But it is jarring to view the problems most of this continent have in the face of non-existent infrastructure and very little human capital. All efforts of the past 30 or so years have yielded very little progress. The problem is so large it is frustrating to learn more.

5. Elvis Presley--Elvis is a big deal to a lot of people, but who are they? The last huge fan I knew alternated her Elvis T-shirts with her wolf and indian feather ones. I can say I enjoy only a small part of his music-- his Sun Record years, and his Tiger Man comeback stand out. He sold billions of records and was a huge movie star, but was Elvis really as cool as we were all raised to believe he was?

The Best 5 Live Bands I've Seen

No. 1 -This is it. The final band. Fugazi. I saw this band at the Utah State Fairgrounds--probably the worst venue ever. Fugazi discourages moshing or violence at shows, charge minimal amounts for tickets and cds, and RAWK. No one who has been to a Fugazi concert will ever forget it. 

No. 2 -I've seen this band 3 times--Jesse, Cobalt, and I even trekked to San Jose to catch these guys headlining H.O.R.D.E.--The Black Crowes. Chris Robinson is one of the best performers I've ever seen. I saw these guys at the joint in '95 or '96 and about half the set was covers--maybe the single greatest live music experience that I've been a part of.

No. 3 -The biggest stage show I've ever seen. Uge. U2 on the Popmart tour in Las Vegas was outstanding. This was the tour with the gigantic screen as a backdrop, the band in muscle men tights, and an entrance from a lemon. This band is probably the band that will transcend our generation.

No. 4 -I've seen this band 5 times, and it pains me that they are only 4th on the list. Wilco. Onstage, they appear to be rock stars, country crooners, and mad scientists. Which one is the real band? My personal view is the mad scientist band. At times during a show they are all huddled over their instruments or in front of their amps, acting as conduits for the noise of creation. They've been good every time I've seen them, but the best show was in Denver with Ches and The Mother Hips, prior to Jeff Tweedy taking up running and impregnating Juno.

No. 5 -The reason I ever read Kurt Vonnegut, listened to Fugazi, or wore rubber bands on my wrists--Pearl Jam. I saw them at the Aladdin Theater w/ Juddy while they were in this phase. I know it's cooler to say you liked Nirvana better than Pearl Jam, but I didn't. Sometimes I sit back and wonder, "What is Eddie Vedder thinking, right now?"

What about paper?

It seems as though there is a substantially larger collection of stuff in the world these days. Take for example all of the things that have been invented just since 1995, the year I graduated high school. Cell phones were used by construction workers and rich folks, no one had the Internet at their house, personal computers were just coming into their own and the list goes on and on. Moreover, it seems that the rate at which new stuff hits the scene is double or triple the speed as which it used to hit the scene. With that in mind, how does one keep track of all this stuff? And what about your own stuff, it needs to be tracked too.

Notes. People used to take notes; regularly. We don't anymore, at least not most of us. I subscribe to a magazine called WIRED. Some of you may have heard of it, others not so much. It is a magazine devoted to technology. Not just computers, iPods and other new age gizmo's but good old fashion technology. Engineering, medicine, energy, etcetera etcetera. WIRED has a regular occurring piece called Play that in this months issue (July 2008) entitled "The End of Science" is devoted to Richard Buckminster Fuller and his files. These files as it turns out are wonderfully elaborate notes. Sketches of what "Buck" thought the future to be. As is was, Mr. Fuller was quite the Renaissance man and as such noted just about everything he though of. He held his notes in such high regard that he created and named a system just to manage them called the Dymaxion Chronofile.

Mr. Fuller is dead now, but at least to some his notes live on. Now here is the kicker. In an age dominated by megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes those notes live on on paper. Astounding. Both of my parents have chosen professions that rely, if not exclusively, certainly heavily, on writing. I my self have tried to become a more avid note taker. I have at least 3 notebooks that I routinely take notes in. I must admit that I prefer paper to anything else. It just seems suited to the task.

When taking notes I struggle to have any consistent style or method. Mostly just ideas and randomness jotted down line by line. This causes some angst when I ponder why it is I am doing this in the first place; which is to keep track of things. I ran across this blog post on a blog I regularly read called Signal vs. Noise that speaks to this very subject. Rather than ruin it with my dibbling thought, check it out for your self. I hope you will be as surprised and amazed by the creativity at which this one indiviaul observes life and then notes on it.

White=Surrender?

Tennis may be the pinnacle of athletics. The athletes hit the ball back and forth, not only trying to outwit and outperform the opponent but also trying to keep the ball out of the net and in the area of play, at speeds reaching and exceeding 100 mph. An athlete in his/her late 20's is thought to be old. The tension from point to point is tremendous. For over 5 hours I followed the happenings at the Gentlemen's Final at Wimbledon--Federer V. Nadal. Of course, as is tradition, the players wore at least 95% white. As I pondered the connection between sport and the color white, the first thing that came to mind was the white towel--a sign of surrender. But this match was void of surrender. It was, as wrestlers or boxers might be wont to exclaim, a war of attrition. So what other significance could white have? In Rome, candidates for a greater calling or office wore white. Many competed, but one became victor. To many people throughout history white has also been associated with the cardinal points, specifically East and West. As it corresponds to the West, white is associated with death or absence. As it corresponds to the East, white is symbolic of birth or rebirth and initiation--a rite of passage. So as one candidate--a great champion--is defeated and another one ascends, let us look forward to the rebirth of a like rivalry in a year's time.

Integrity and Honesty

I had the most frustrating and difficult week of my professional life this past week. I have been in and out of corporate America for the better part of the last decade. Which is to say nothing of my time in the United States Senate. During that time I have had occasion to be involved in all types of ethical quandaries. Some involving me directly and others I watched at arms length. During all of those situations I felt that both sides of the equation had legitimate feelings and memories of the events in question. This position lead me to the conclusion that most, if not all, of these quandaries stemmed from a misunderstanding or miscommunication by one or both of the parties involved. This is week marked the first experience I have had where I truly fell like someone just out and out lied to further their position.

For legal reasons I am not going to go into the details of what happened this week. Suffice it to say their was an accusation made by one of my clients that I had purposely shared confidential financial information in effort thwart the sale of a business for my personal gain. Even if you know nothing of professional ethics or the laws governing banks regarding the confidential nature of someone financial information, I think it easy to grasp the gravity of the accusation.

Fortunately my named was cleared of any wrong doing at the bank. The client has been made whole and more or less all is well. But as it turns out, after all the dust has settled it is very obvious that the accusations made were a complete knee-jerk reaction to something the client did not like.

So get to the point! I now have a painful experience to bolster my conviction of the need for complete honesty and personal integrity. When our lives get tested in these areas the opportunity to do right is almost never convenient or easy. Dare I suggest it is more often a decision laced with fear and self doubt. But I promise you this, when you kick against the pricks of honesty your life and the lives of others are severally altered. And most of those times the alteration is negative.

Live honestly at all costs. And pray for the strength to do so.

Gas V. Charcoal

It doesn't even matter if you're a carnivore. Using fire to cook with is a primal skill, an accompaniment to spectacle, and a sign to other species that we are superior. Why do you think tailgating is so popular at football games? Nonetheless, if you were required to choose your weapon would it be gas or charcoal?


Gas--It's convenient, easy to clean, and, some claim, the difference in taste is undetectable.




Charcoal--It's an event, a ritual even, less-expensive, and, some claim, more authentic.






I've cooked on nothing but gas until this last week when we picked up a Weber charcoal grill. It truly is an event. Put hair on my chest and burned it off again. And it taste better. Just like the bike that you payed for yourself rode a lot better than the one your aunt gave you for your birthday. O.K. Maybe the taste difference is mental. I did read, however, that in a blind taste test folks couldn't tell the difference between burgers grilled on either but preferred steaks grilled over charcoal. Choose your weapon and explain yourself.

Brother Sport

I have been (possibly) unfairly imposing Animal Collective on my family in the car and around the house lately, but they all agreed this new song is pretty good. Asa expressed his approval with his own Tektonic moves and Magnus just stayed asleep.

If you're willing to make the commitment, you'll need about seven minutes; the song deserves to be heard through.

10 Stuffs the White People I Know Like

10. Salad bars with 1 choice of green but infinite extras--especially gold fish.
9. Papered dogs.
8. Football because every game matters.
7. Anywhere but home.
6. Radio mixes/Satellite radio--It's just one long radio mix isn't it?
5. "Stuff White People Like"--Book and blog.
4. Sufjan!
3. Anything they can BS.
2. A good salsa.
1. Sunglasses.

Patriotism: A Quiz

Is patriotism a tradable stock?
Is it bad ass?
What does it look like?
Does it form a pair with empathy?
If so, are they complementary like dark soda
and Chinese food
or diametrically opposed
like good and evil
encouraging one to choose?
Is patriotism exclusive?
Is the test hard?
What's on the reading list?
What foods increase
the amount of patriotism in humans?
Does it have a dress code?
What symbols are associated with it?
Is it required?
What is the formula
to calculate Gross Individual Patriotism?
Using the aforementioned formula,
what is your GIP?

Chchchchchanges

Hello?

Hello?

Is this blog on?

This community service announcement is brought to you by visbits:
No seismic events here just a change in the future of this blog. Estas listo?

What's His Name? Obama Bin Laden?

Purely jest. I'm finding myself truly interested in the political landscape. For some of you, the following might be disturbing and feel wrong, but I can't help but be excited about Barack Obama. He's a politician that makes me want to act instead of react. Many people, who in the past were numb to politics, are coming out to vote. His speeches and charisma are causing some to name drop MLK and JFK. He doesn't share all of my beliefs, but he is willing to work with others, despite party affiliation, to make things happen. And, in a time when our country is looked upon with scorn, what do we need more than a charismatic, world-wise president. I'll be the first one to say that I was turned off in 2004 when actors and musicians jumped on Kerry's bandwagon. I felt like it was more anti-Bush than pro-Kerry. But now I see people with Obama buttons (Wilco) or others putting on support shows (Arcade Fire), and I can't help but think that they are just as hopeful and excited about Obama's potential presidency as I am. Oh, and O approves. I have finally voted for the right reason--I'm for a candidate--Barack Obama.

7 for the '70s

I've just run 31 miles this week--the most I've ever run in a week, and my legs are tired. My mind, on the other hand, is fresh. So here goes a post that's been percolating for a few weeks--my top songs from the '70s.

The Ballad of El Goodo--Big Star. This might be one of the most perfect songs ever made. Find it and just try to wear it out. I dare you.

Life on Mars--David Bowie. Sometimes Bowie sounds flat to me. Not his pitch. It's the production. This is an exception. Listen to the crisp piano and the echo of the snare. Perfect. I love the line about "linens on sale again." Oh and I almost forgot that scientific query, "Is there life on Mars?"

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John. I love that Bernie and Elton write sounds about famous people. My daughters love the Wizard of Oz, and I like it alright myself. The real kicker however is the AAH AAAH AAAAHS.

Maybe I'm Amazed--The Faces. Rod Stewart really knows how to sing others' songs. This is a Paul McCartney song by the way. I love the dirty guitar and the keyboard. This is a live version, Wellz, so take note. I don't hate all live recordings. This one is actually superior to the studio version.

Instant Karma--John Lennon. I was obsessed with all things Beatles for a long time. I still here a Beatles' song on mixtapes or commercials, and I can't deny that they really are top drawer. One thing I learned from my obsession is that John Lennon always wanted to write a song using the 3 note melody from 3 blind mice, and here it is in all its glory. "We all shine on."

Going to California--Led Zeppelin. This is the other band that I was obsessed with. From 7th to 9th grade I could sing all the lyrics and even hum the guitar solos. I started playing guitar because of Jimmy Page, and, if I ever did anything that might be classified as crazy, it was Led Zeppelin's fault. I know this song isn't very representative of the band, and my feelings toward California are tepid at best, but this song really makes me feel all '70s and shi@.

Shine a Light--The Rolling Stones. My first Stones' album was Exile. When choosing favorites, first impressions usually hold a lot of pull for me. I know it did with the Stones. It probably doesn't hurt that this is one of the greatest albums around. I won't say much more. In fact, let's fade into some kind of montage.

The Best of My Guilty Pleasure

This is a confessional. I'm a sucker for Romantic Comedies--Chick Flicks. My wife knows, and she's alright with it. So here are 5 of my favorites:

Annie Hall--Woody Allen kills me. Anyone who would cast himself as the bumbling idiot more than once is OK with me. This movie is funny, Jim Carrey. Alvey, that's Woody's character, claims that the only cultural advantage that California has over New York is thd fact that a person can turn right on a red light. Oh, and to all you vintage Disney freaks, Alvey's good friend is the guy from The Million Dollar Duck.

50 First Dates--People say I look like Adam Sandler. He's funny not handsome. Nonetheless, this movie helps me come to grips with the fact that I just might look like him. Plus as Wellz says, "It's the locale." I'm a sucker for islands. The soundtrack has some nice '80s covers.

High Fidelity--This one's based on the book by Nick Hornby, which has moments and emotions that seem to nicked straight from my life. It's all about music, arguing about what's cool and what isn't. Another nice soundtrack. Jack Black plays a sidekick music snob that makes me laugh. Jack Black is an actor I want to hate but still haven't found a reason yet.

Bringing Up Baby--This is an old film--black and white if I remember right--starring my favorite actor, Cary Grant. My wife says I have a genre of joke that I just use the crap out of, and I just realized that it's stolen from Cary Grant. This is a classic. It's a usual on best-films-of-all-time lists.

Notting Hill--Romantic Comedies would probably be a long forgotten genre if it weren't for Hugh Grant. I think I have a man crush. This movie makes me love people. Worth the price of admission if just to see his roommate and corroborate ST's claim that Julia Roberts doesn't have one of those dimples between her nose and lips.

Well, I'm keeping my posting goal and ran the last of 30 miles for the week. I'm reading a poem or 2 a week from John Berryman's Dream Songs and continuing to dive, a finger at a time, into Spanish literature. Until next time. Vis.

5 Places I Just Gotta Go

I know you guys aren't expecting a post this soon. So I won't count on a response for another week or so. Anyway, as the title states, I'm going to write about 5 places I really want to go, in no particular order.


Savusavu, Fiji--I've been to Fiji 3 times, to 4 different islands, and Savusavu is, by far, my favorite. There's a song about Savusavu the koro wananavu--basically Savusavu the cool village. There is a curry shop, The Harbor Cafe, at the south end of town that has the best curry I have ever tasted, ever. My friend Tora and I called it The Curry Cap. That alone is enough to want to visit again. It doesn't compare, however, to the view that you have coming down into Savusavu as you drive from Labasa. God's Country. No related book.


Mediterranean Coast of Spain (Barcelona and Valencia)--This is the part of Spain that is responsible for Paella--something akin to and, perhaps the ancestor of, Jambalaya. It is also home to 2 of the greatest soccer clubs in the world, FC Barcelona and Valencia CF. Another side note: this part of Spain was a thorn in Franco's side and leans a little to the left. Right now, as I'm typing, if I could go anywhere it would be this part of Spain to practice my Spanish and learn Catalan. Related book--Barca by Jimmy Burns.


La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina--This is another soccer trip. I love Boca Juniors. They are based in a barrio full of color called La Boca. It was a hotbed for immigrants from Genoa, Italy. Have you ever tried Gnochi? It's big in Argentina and mighty tasty. Plus, River Plate v. Boca Juniors is thought by many to be the greatest soccer rivalry in the world. La mitad mas uno. Related book--Rayuela (Hopscotch in English) by Julio Cortazar.


Tuscaloosa, Alabama--My Paternal Grandparents are from Alabama. They were sharecroppers. So for me this is nostalgic. I am very sensitive to the differences and similarities between places that share points on the compass--The South, The West, The North, The East. I am particularly drawn to The South. I would like to go to school at the University of Alabama, just one of the checkpoints on my Follow Forrest to Happiness Tour. I'm putting it in writing right here, right now; The Crimson Tide have the best uniforms in all of sports. And remember, The Stars Fell on Alabama. Related book--To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.


Angel Stadium, California--I don't like Southern California, but I'm intrigued by the palms, the ugliness, the traffic, the Spanish names, and the greatest baseball player of the last decade--Super Vlad. At heart, I'm a fan of the national league style of baseball. But, there's nothing like a huge Dominican sending a bounced pitch over fence, hobbling around the bases like his legs are asleep, and throwing an overexcited runner out from the right field wall. Related book--Ask The Dust by John Fante.

Talkin' Costumes For Bob Dylan's Birthday Bash Blues

Update: I ran 5 times last week, turning in my best 5k time to date--25:28--read "El Inmortal" by Jorge Luis Borges in Spanish to knock out my short reading and language goals, and am writing a few days late on my blog. I'll have to post again this week to try and catch up.

Now to the post. I've heard of people having parties with a Bob Dylan theme. Everyone chooses a character from a Bob Dylan song and dresses in kind. Awards may be given: Best Costume, Most Creative, Most Obscure, etc. So as I was putting my Bob Dylan collection on my computer today, I thought that it may be fun to choose 5 of my favorite songs and see if I could squeeze 10 characters out of them. So here it goes.

1. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"--An orphan with a gun, crying in the sun; An empty-handed painter, drawing crazy patterns on sheets. Probably 3 or 4 others.

2. "Ballad of a Thin Man"--The geek that asks "How does it feel to be such a freak?" and hands out bones; A lawyer that discusses lepers and crooks; Mr. Jones, who knows something is happening but doesn't know what it is. Probably 4 or 5 others.

3. "Visions of Johanna"--Louise with a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it; The night watchman, clicking his flashlight asking whether it's him or them that's insane; The Ghost of 'lectricity; Mona Lisa with the highway blues. There are others.

4. "Million Dollar Bash"--Big Dumb Blonde's friend with his checks all forged; Silly Nellie, telling a yarn.

5. "Isis"--Isis; A friendly archaeologist.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Bob Dylan's birthday is May 24th. It would be very cool to compile a list of possible characters and the songs they come from, then spread the list around and have people sign up for a character. Finally, we'll have a big birthday bash with food and drink, possibly a band, and just have a nice time. Now, I realize this might take a little more thought and research than some are willing to put in, but if it sounds like a good idea, let me know. We still have 4 months to plan.

New Year's Revolutions

Resolutions. Revolutions. What's the difference? With the first one resolves to change or become better. With the second one recognizes he/she must revolt against the old habits, destroy them, and conquer them. Spoken in a truly dark pink tone, eh? This year I have ponder a few changes in life, and now I'm going to put them in writing:

1. I will run at least 4 times a week, every month. OK, this is a physical goal. I'm striving for fitness. And in all of my time in education I know that goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. I can do this. I have for the last 2 weeks, totalling 25 and 21 miles respectively. Most of the time it will feel good. Sometimes it will suck. But it provides time for self-improvement, self-reflection, fresh air, and auditory pleasure--I always take the i-pod. Along these same lines, I would like to run 1,000 miles this year. We'll see how the body and spirit hold up.

2. I will improve my Spanish by studying at least 1 day a week, every month. Language, like other things, follows the old maxim "Use it or lose it." I've had some great opportunities working with ESOL students and would like to take a 2 or 3 week trip to a Spanish-speaking country to brush up on the skills--maybe Mexico, hopefully Argentina, Ideally Spain. As a morale booster, I only own hero jerseys of players from Spanish-speaking countries, and I drink the crap out of yerbamate.

3. I will write at least 1 post a week, every month. I'm talking this blog, visbits. The family blog doesn't count. For one, I don't post on it, and secondly, I have to remind my wife to wipe blogger blood from the corners of her mouth every time she turns off the computer. She's an animal. As stupid as it might sound, I want to be a writer. And what better way to become a writer than writing? I'd like to say I have writing quirks--writing naked, or upside down, or from the bathroom--but I don't. Maybe those will be side effects of my insatiable typing.

4. I will read 1 short story or 1 poem a week, every month. Classics. Contemporary. Spanish. Whatever. As I ponder a starting point, I would like to read some Chekov, Hemingway, Garcia Marquez, Cortazar, O'connor, Levis, Neruda, and David Kirby. If anyone is intersted, we could start a reading club. Not a book club, which at times seems daunting, especially to those that see reading as a chore, but a forum in which we could share short, realistic readings that have the potential to open us up to profound insight. We could also include essays or verses from scripture or other religious writing. Let me know if you're interested. My Cholinergic System is going crazy right now.

5. I will not divulge my 5th goal. It has to do with things spiritual and familial. Sorry to be so obtuse.

Anyway, these are my short-term revolutions, which I can measure week-by-week and month-by-month. Feel free to ask me how I'm doing with my revolutions or let me in on yours. We can be goal buddies. That's it for the present. The future consists of more lists and possibly something about lifetime goals and aspirations. Paz.