Dondre Alexander was one of a trio of powerhouse players at Iowa City West. His inability to go along with the rules of his high school and his inability to stay in college are well documented. In this article about his recent success in the Prime Time League, I just learned that he had to leave college recently due to his inability to not violate team rules. While his college coach has taken the high road and has declined to talk about what happened, the article mentions that Alexander stated his violation was "connected to numerous violations in his dorm room." The article then sadly points out that the violations caused him to leave campus one week before his finals."
I sincerely hope the attitude of Dondre Alexander translates into action that makes him successful in life.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
More Trailers
It's not laziness that is preventing me from embedding 16 trailers when they are already on this page. I call it not filling the Internet up with redundancy.
Words are Weapons
On the way to work, I heard this Seether tune. I regret not traveling up to Waterloo to see them in January.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Justice's Dawn
These are some of the video / trailers that were released at the 2015 edition of Comic Con:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
For Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the following video was released that shows footage from behind the scenes:
The Walking Dead season 6 looks tremendously awesome!
The spinoff series, Fear the Walking Dead, looks tremendously awesome as well! August 23, 2015 cannot come soon enough!!!
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
For Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the following video was released that shows footage from behind the scenes:
The Walking Dead season 6 looks tremendously awesome!
The spinoff series, Fear the Walking Dead, looks tremendously awesome as well! August 23, 2015 cannot come soon enough!!!
Pop Evil Bandwagon
I'm really enjoying the band Pop Evil. They are not a new band, but it feels like I'm late to the party.
Briefing
Yesterday AM, I was up early writing in my 10 year project. The journal project is where I have assigned a month/year combination to a section in one of 24 200 page spiral notebooks. Currently, I'm writing in Volume X, section 03. I began writing on page 55 of 82 @ 6:15 AM and wrote 7 pages. When we got back from the wedding in Marion (details below), I wrote another 3 pages. While I typically begin a section on the first of the month and finish it on the last day of the month, I wrote some long essays in the June section to the extent that I began this current section on 6/23/15. As we are on vacation the last week in July and spending it in Elkader, I had already decided I wanted to finish the July section by Thursday, July 23, so that when we leave home, I can bring the August volume with me. I'm now revising that idea. Because I'm on page 66, with 16 pages remaining in this section, the new plan is to be able to begin the August 2015 section on Friday, July 17, which is the first day of a three day weekend in Elkader.
Also, yesterday, I've seen deer before at the campground in Elkader. As I was writing in the aforementioned journal, I looked out the window and saw this guy.
Then, I opened a second blind that was covering the other window. I think the deer was looking into my soul.
Then a second one appeared and went into the woods.
Then, I showered and got dressed. Karen and I went to the wedding of BSS and LeAnn at Squaw Creek in Marion. This is the only picture I took.
We sat with my former co-workers at Quintrex - Deb (former manager), Phil and his wife Liz. When Liz worked at QDS in Customer Support years ago, I used to pepper our internal documentation with the word "automagically" and while we were eating, she said that she had seen that word somewhere and began to chuckle about it. I admit I had kind of forgot about how I used to use that word. It was my sarcastic dig at the adjective "automatically" being used to describe the functionality in the systems I documented. There is nothing "automatic" about software, in my mind, because a developer wrote the code to do whatever the software does. It may automate manual tasks, such as when you enter a zip code and the city & state are completed, sure. My point, though, is that's performing a task that you would have to do manually. Maybe it's splitting hairs.
Anyways, it was a good conversation. I heard a little about the current scuttle at QDS. As I listened, I couldn't help but think about how the situations I heard being described sounded vaguely familiar. I'm not going to go into detail here because it doesn't really matter what I heard about in that conversation. My point is that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
So, now with the recap of yesterday complete, right now, at this moment, it's 7:35 AM on Sunday, July 12, 2015. I'm sitting in Lou & Jean's sunroom in Balltown. We came from Elkader yesterday in order to see the Balltown fireworks. Among many highlights, I finally got to climb up the TV antenna onto Lou & Jean's roof. Alex had been launching bottle rockets and one of them was carried by the wind onto the roof. Attempts to spray water onto the roof in order to get it to roll down were unsuccessful so up I went. Alex had tried to climb up but got to the roof level and doubted his ability to complete the task.
I took some video of last night:
Last year, I took a lot more videos and a lot more pictures, but I don't think I've watched that video or looked at those pictures. Ever. Thus, I decided I wasn't going to take as much video or take as many pictures.
Also, yesterday, I've seen deer before at the campground in Elkader. As I was writing in the aforementioned journal, I looked out the window and saw this guy.
Then, I opened a second blind that was covering the other window. I think the deer was looking into my soul.
Then a second one appeared and went into the woods.
Then, I showered and got dressed. Karen and I went to the wedding of BSS and LeAnn at Squaw Creek in Marion. This is the only picture I took.
We sat with my former co-workers at Quintrex - Deb (former manager), Phil and his wife Liz. When Liz worked at QDS in Customer Support years ago, I used to pepper our internal documentation with the word "automagically" and while we were eating, she said that she had seen that word somewhere and began to chuckle about it. I admit I had kind of forgot about how I used to use that word. It was my sarcastic dig at the adjective "automatically" being used to describe the functionality in the systems I documented. There is nothing "automatic" about software, in my mind, because a developer wrote the code to do whatever the software does. It may automate manual tasks, such as when you enter a zip code and the city & state are completed, sure. My point, though, is that's performing a task that you would have to do manually. Maybe it's splitting hairs.
Anyways, it was a good conversation. I heard a little about the current scuttle at QDS. As I listened, I couldn't help but think about how the situations I heard being described sounded vaguely familiar. I'm not going to go into detail here because it doesn't really matter what I heard about in that conversation. My point is that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
So, now with the recap of yesterday complete, right now, at this moment, it's 7:35 AM on Sunday, July 12, 2015. I'm sitting in Lou & Jean's sunroom in Balltown. We came from Elkader yesterday in order to see the Balltown fireworks. Among many highlights, I finally got to climb up the TV antenna onto Lou & Jean's roof. Alex had been launching bottle rockets and one of them was carried by the wind onto the roof. Attempts to spray water onto the roof in order to get it to roll down were unsuccessful so up I went. Alex had tried to climb up but got to the roof level and doubted his ability to complete the task.
I took some video of last night:
Last year, I took a lot more videos and a lot more pictures, but I don't think I've watched that video or looked at those pictures. Ever. Thus, I decided I wasn't going to take as much video or take as many pictures.
Friday, July 10, 2015
DDL
Without a doubt, my favorite Van Halen song is "Drop Dead Legs" from their 1984 release. It may seem odd for me to not choose a song like "Hot for Teacher" or "Finish What You Started" as my favorite Van Halen tune. After all, both of those tunes shine a huge spotlight on drummer Alex Van Halen. But no, I choose DDL because of the groove AVH has when he plays the ride cymbal during the solo and for the way he threw in what sounded like simple fills until I tried to play them myself sitting at a drumset. As for the video below, my brother-in-law Mark bemoaned to me the way David Lee Roth sounds live from his viewings of other recent live Van Halen videos. Sadly, it's unlikely that his vocals on DDL will change Mark's mind. Take that as a caution before you click Play.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Discovered
I have the same sensations dripping through all the parts of my mind and ears and eyes! It feels like exactly like when I discovered Bayside, Count the Stars, Bigwig, and Dexter Danger!
Gray Old and Fat are Bad
When the Mayhem Fest founder looks in the mirror, he must not see reality. When he declares in this interview that "metal got gray, old, and fat" as a reason for his woes, reality escapes him. The fact of the matter is that every person in the world has to deal with gray in the air, time not stopping, and pounds not being quite as easy to lose as they once were. I really don't think it's a "metal" issue; it's identifying your target audience. If I look at the Mayhem Festival lineup, I think it looks good on paper, but start applying logic to actually attending. Based upon my perception of festivals like this, I assume the following are true:
- Long walk from vehicle to stage
- No chairs to watch the concert
- No shade to prevent sunburns
English Majors and Math
I earned a Bachelor's degree in English in 1992 from Mount Mercy College - it's now called Mount Mercy University - and if it weren't for Nancy Rhodes, who was my Basic Math professor, I would have less than zero confidence in my mathematical abilities. She refused to believe that I was incapable of mastering the content in her class. It took until my sophomore year of college to get through a math class without failing a single test as I am pretty sure I failed at least one test - sometimes several - in each of the previous math classes I had to take in high school.
That said, even though I maintain our bills / finances - thank you Excel for having the ability to prevent me from counting on my fingers and toes - the opening in this article about English majors and math made me chuckle.
That said, even though I maintain our bills / finances - thank you Excel for having the ability to prevent me from counting on my fingers and toes - the opening in this article about English majors and math made me chuckle.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Latest Lars Lashings
The author of this Lars Lashing was so confident in their opinion that they didn't bother to create a login ID for the website:
Note: pasted verbatim from this website: http://boards.4chan.org/mu/thread/57108080/lars-ulrich-is-not-a-good-drummer-anyone-learning
Lars Ulrich is not a good drummer. Anyone learning Drums, even remotely, will agree. I will try to explain why I personally think he's not that good a drummer. You have every right to disagree and I'd be happy to listen to other opinions. But please, do not give me shit like 'he plays in metallica, so he's good'.
Drums play rhythmicly, dynamically and musically. A drummer usually progresses in this order. First one would only concentrate on getting the rhythm right(which is the most important). Once that is in place, a drummer understands how controlling the force of impact of a drumstick on a drum head can create better grooves. Lastly,a drummer starts concentrating on the tonal aspect of drumming. Lars seems to be stuck on the first step. Now let's see how Lars' drumming measures against the points mentioned above:
1)No dynamics. Lars has absolutely zero control on dynamics. It is very evident by the way his hi hats strokes sound the same, all of them. The snare sounds the same too
2)Limited rhythmic patterns/progressions. Take any metallica song into account. It will have the most basic grooves.. Songs like Dyers eve and Master of puppets may seem complicated but it's mainly because because of the pauses and breaks, and not because of a complex groove . He has been playing the same chops for 30 years now.
3)Musicality. Everyone will agree that Lars' drumming is not musical. And it's okay to some extent because thrash metal doesn't exactly have much scope for drums tuned in specific intervals and stuff. Thrash metal is more about a steady groove.
It's no secret that Metallica songs are easy to play on drums. Out of the big 4,metallica is the only band which has songs that a newbie drummer can cover.
But at the end of the day, it's all forgotten because 'he's been playing in metallica since forever'. Good or bad, you decide.
Note: pasted verbatim from this website: http://boards.4chan.org/mu/thread/57108080/lars-ulrich-is-not-a-good-drummer-anyone-learning
Lars Ulrich is not a good drummer. Anyone learning Drums, even remotely, will agree. I will try to explain why I personally think he's not that good a drummer. You have every right to disagree and I'd be happy to listen to other opinions. But please, do not give me shit like 'he plays in metallica, so he's good'.
Drums play rhythmicly, dynamically and musically. A drummer usually progresses in this order. First one would only concentrate on getting the rhythm right(which is the most important). Once that is in place, a drummer understands how controlling the force of impact of a drumstick on a drum head can create better grooves. Lastly,a drummer starts concentrating on the tonal aspect of drumming. Lars seems to be stuck on the first step. Now let's see how Lars' drumming measures against the points mentioned above:
1)No dynamics. Lars has absolutely zero control on dynamics. It is very evident by the way his hi hats strokes sound the same, all of them. The snare sounds the same too
2)Limited rhythmic patterns/progressions. Take any metallica song into account. It will have the most basic grooves.. Songs like Dyers eve and Master of puppets may seem complicated but it's mainly because because of the pauses and breaks, and not because of a complex groove . He has been playing the same chops for 30 years now.
3)Musicality. Everyone will agree that Lars' drumming is not musical. And it's okay to some extent because thrash metal doesn't exactly have much scope for drums tuned in specific intervals and stuff. Thrash metal is more about a steady groove.
It's no secret that Metallica songs are easy to play on drums. Out of the big 4,metallica is the only band which has songs that a newbie drummer can cover.
But at the end of the day, it's all forgotten because 'he's been playing in metallica since forever'. Good or bad, you decide.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Divide and Conquer
From my NBC First Read email newsletter - with the subject "How Donald Trump is Splitting the 2016 GOP Field" - comes almost exactly what I just wrote about the other day. Notice what Ted Cruz said in the bold/italics I added to what he said.
Trumped: GOP field divided over Trump's controversial comments
Any day the political conversation in the 2016 presidential race is about Donald Trump isn't a good day for the Republican Party. Translation: The GOP has had a rough last few weeks. Indeed, it's now been nearly three weeks since Trump, during his presidential announcement, referred to Mexican immigrants as "rapists" bringing drugs and crime into the United States. And the rest of the Republican field finally started responding to those comments over the long July 4 holiday.
Meanwhile, Fox News spins the story differently:
TRUMP TURMOIL COULD BE AN ASSET
Donald Trump’s critical remarks on immigrants and border security continue to stir the political pot. Over the weekend, Trump brought in the death of Kathryn Steinle, the young woman gunned down by an undocumented worker in San Francisco, to prove his point. But most GOP rivals baulked. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., said, “To make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party. Trump is wrong on this.” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., added Trump’s comments were, “offensive and inaccurate.” There is understandable cringing within the party, but candidates like Bush and Rubio are also able to use Trump as the bogie man. While advocating secure borders, rivals can increase their appeal to Hispanic voters, pushing their own immigration policy as less extreme. Although Trump fired blistering retorts at Bush and Rubio, and his overall poll numbers are high, his rhetoric may simply result in making him increasingly an outlier and benefit his opponents.
“Hispanics in America and Hispanics in Texas, from the Alamo to Afghanistan, have been extraordinary people, citizens of our country and of our state. They have served nobly.” – Former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, on ABC.
“I salute Donald Trump for focusing on [immigration]. He has a colorful way of speaking. It’s not the way I speak, but I’m not going to engage in the media’s game of throwing rocks and attacking other Republicans. I’m just not going to do it.” – Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on NBC.
How to confront the Trump - Wash Ex’s David Drucker looks at how the GOP plans to weather the Trump storm in the early campaign cycle. Can they positively distinguish themselves? Or will they be swallowed by his tornado rhetoric? Read here.
Trumped: GOP field divided over Trump's controversial comments
Any day the political conversation in the 2016 presidential race is about Donald Trump isn't a good day for the Republican Party. Translation: The GOP has had a rough last few weeks. Indeed, it's now been nearly three weeks since Trump, during his presidential announcement, referred to Mexican immigrants as "rapists" bringing drugs and crime into the United States. And the rest of the Republican field finally started responding to those comments over the long July 4 holiday.
- Here was Ted Cruz on "Meet the Press" defending Trump in a way. "I salute Donald Trump for focusing on the need to address illegal immigration. The Washington cartel doesn't want to address that... He has a colorful way of speaking. It's not the way I speak. But I'm not gonna engage in the media's game of throwing rocks and attacking other Republicans."
- On other hand, here was Rick Perry criticizing him on ABC: "I've said very clearly that Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party. I was offended by his remarks."
- Here was Chris Christie: "The comments were inappropriate and they have no place in the race."
- And Jeb Bush, whose wife is Mexican, was maybe the most forceful: "To make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party. We're going to win when we're hopeful and optimistic and big and broad rather than 'Arr, grr' angry all the time."
Meanwhile, Fox News spins the story differently:
TRUMP TURMOIL COULD BE AN ASSET
Donald Trump’s critical remarks on immigrants and border security continue to stir the political pot. Over the weekend, Trump brought in the death of Kathryn Steinle, the young woman gunned down by an undocumented worker in San Francisco, to prove his point. But most GOP rivals baulked. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., said, “To make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party. Trump is wrong on this.” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., added Trump’s comments were, “offensive and inaccurate.” There is understandable cringing within the party, but candidates like Bush and Rubio are also able to use Trump as the bogie man. While advocating secure borders, rivals can increase their appeal to Hispanic voters, pushing their own immigration policy as less extreme. Although Trump fired blistering retorts at Bush and Rubio, and his overall poll numbers are high, his rhetoric may simply result in making him increasingly an outlier and benefit his opponents.
“Hispanics in America and Hispanics in Texas, from the Alamo to Afghanistan, have been extraordinary people, citizens of our country and of our state. They have served nobly.” – Former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, on ABC.
“I salute Donald Trump for focusing on [immigration]. He has a colorful way of speaking. It’s not the way I speak, but I’m not going to engage in the media’s game of throwing rocks and attacking other Republicans. I’m just not going to do it.” – Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on NBC.
How to confront the Trump - Wash Ex’s David Drucker looks at how the GOP plans to weather the Trump storm in the early campaign cycle. Can they positively distinguish themselves? Or will they be swallowed by his tornado rhetoric? Read here.
Passing
In all that has been going on recently, I failed to mention that "bass guitarist Chris Squire, a founding member of the progressive rock group Yes (and the only member to be on all the group’s albums and travel on all the tours), [died] June 27 from erythroid leukemia. He was 67." [Source: http://www.thisistrue.com/currentissue.html]
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Pro Wrestling and American Pride
This article proposes that if there was an actual plan to carve a mountain into four professional wrestling faces, these are the four faces that would be carved:
From the same website, this article lists the 5 most patriotic professional wrestlers:
Hello? Anyone remember the professional wrestler "The Patriot" from the WWE?!? This is the article's reasoning behind Cena's inclusion: "Rusev, a Bulgarian wrestler that had been dedicating his matches to Vladimir Putin, entered WrestleMania 31 as the United States Champion. John Cena not only won the title at that show, he also became the first WWE wrestler to pin him." If this hadn't just happened, I truly doubt Cena would be even mentioned.
Oh well. America is a great country because we are all free to disagree with people that have a different opinion.
- Steve Austin
- John Cena
- Hulk Hogan
- Bruno Sammartino
From the same website, this article lists the 5 most patriotic professional wrestlers:
- Hulk Hogan
- Sgt Slaughter
- Hacksaw Jim Duggan
- Lex Luger
- John Cena
Hello? Anyone remember the professional wrestler "The Patriot" from the WWE?!? This is the article's reasoning behind Cena's inclusion: "Rusev, a Bulgarian wrestler that had been dedicating his matches to Vladimir Putin, entered WrestleMania 31 as the United States Champion. John Cena not only won the title at that show, he also became the first WWE wrestler to pin him." If this hadn't just happened, I truly doubt Cena would be even mentioned.
Oh well. America is a great country because we are all free to disagree with people that have a different opinion.
Independence
Today is the 4th of July. Obviously, a long time ago, our country declared its independence from England and began our journey on the promise that all citizens are entitled to, among other things, "the pursuit of happiness."
I think if I had a bunch of dollars that were burning a hole in my pocket, I'd be happy with the ~800 CDs in the following two Craigslist ads. Of course,
OVER 700 ROCK CDS! 70s TO 2000s ALL ROCK! HEAVY METAL HAIR PUNK GRUNGE - $350 (commerce city/reunion)
Huge collection of rock CDs! Ranging from 1970s to 2000s, every bit of it is ROCK! $350
Collection of about 100 Rock/Metal CDs for sale - they are all great titles and in great condition.
Ozzy
Metallica
Megadeath
Dave Mathews Band
Creed
Godsmack
Throwing Copper
Counting Crows
Soundgarden
David Gray
Blink 182
Judas Priest
Alice In Chains
Megadeath
Van Halen
Rob Zombie
Slayer
White Zombie
Black Sabbath
Scorpions
Iron Maiden
I think if I had a bunch of dollars that were burning a hole in my pocket, I'd be happy with the ~800 CDs in the following two Craigslist ads. Of course,
- From the Craigslist > Denver page comes a leading candidate for "worst ad ever" - name a CD in either of these two pictures! And why on earth are they in the kitchen?!?
OVER 700 ROCK CDS! 70s TO 2000s ALL ROCK! HEAVY METAL HAIR PUNK GRUNGE - $350 (commerce city/reunion)
Huge collection of rock CDs! Ranging from 1970s to 2000s, every bit of it is ROCK! $350
- From the Craigslist > San Francisco page comes a much better ad:
Collection of about 100 Rock/Metal CDs for sale - they are all great titles and in great condition.
Ozzy
Metallica
Megadeath
Dave Mathews Band
Creed
Godsmack
Throwing Copper
Counting Crows
Soundgarden
David Gray
Blink 182
Judas Priest
Alice In Chains
Megadeath
Van Halen
Rob Zombie
Slayer
White Zombie
Black Sabbath
Scorpions
Iron Maiden
Friday, July 3, 2015
Where I Am Part 03
I don't often write about the writing process I go through to write a blog post. The details are boring. I type a sentence, delete it, retype it, move the second part of the sentence to become the first part, move paragraphs at the bottom of a post to the top, and all sorts of other mind-numbing steps before I finally click Publish and share my thoughts with the world. In fact, this precise paragraph was at the bottom of this post before I moved it to be my opening paragraph, changed my mind, and placed it back at the bottom and then reread it and put it back up at the top. Before I even created a post with "Part 03" in its title, this post was at the bottom of Part 02. That was prior to my decision to address my faith in God on a separate post.
Partly, I blame Courtney Kirkland for that. I discovered her website when a Facebook friend shared her article called "I Don't Want to Be a Christian" on her wall. I admit to being skeptical when I read the title of the article. I nearly didn't bother to click on it. But then I did. I read the essay. If I had not, I would probably never have discovered Kirkland's writing talent. On the link above, this video was embedded. I nearly didn't watch the video, but I did.
I cried.
I felt joy.
I truly wish that faith in God would be something that would unite every person on earth with the person next to them. Unfortunately, there's division. Whether you believe there is a "War on Christianity" (as Bill O'Reilly talks about every Christmas season) or you believe there is not a "War on Christianity" is not really important. Label it a war or a conspiracy theory - whatever suits your whim at this precise moment. I believe in God and I believe that God sent Jesus Christ to die for my sins. I've read essays by atheists. Often, these essays criticize Christians for believing in what cannot be seen. To me, that is precisely what my faith *IS* - the belief that there is a God and that God is bigger than anything my feeble mind can comprehend.
As I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog, I am Catholic. Being a member of the Catholic church is not easy. After all, I am a human being and - shocker! - I sin. While there are prescribed guidelines for avoiding sin, as described in this article, I will be the first to say it's not always that simple. I believe that my relationship with God is personal.
People I either know or have learned about struggle with their faith. Former Catholics point out that the Catholic church is comprised of hypocrites and that they cannot be a part of a religion that has hypocrites. Former Catholics are classified as "former" because of a divorce. Others - including a priest that helped baptize a nephew - have left the Catholic church because they were victims of sexual abuse by priests. Those are big issues and not for a split second do I think they are trivial issues. They can't be reduced to the level of being at a general store in Elkader and trying to decide whether to have ice cream in a waffle cone or in a bowl.
Life is about choices. I will be the first to describe the lack of good choices I've made in my life, but God loves me, despite all of my sins and despite all of my human traits. I don't understand God's plan, but I believe that when the time is right, I will. I don't understand why Mom - a woman with a Master's degree and who spent 40+ years in educating the youth in Cedar Rapids - was reduced to not being able to communicate during the last few months of her life. Mom was left handed so it doesn't make sense to me why God chose her left hand to be the one to contract, causing her to learn to do every thing with her right hand. And I don't understand why God chose me to be with her the last days of her life, including when she passed. I hope that someday I will.
Partly, I blame Courtney Kirkland for that. I discovered her website when a Facebook friend shared her article called "I Don't Want to Be a Christian" on her wall. I admit to being skeptical when I read the title of the article. I nearly didn't bother to click on it. But then I did. I read the essay. If I had not, I would probably never have discovered Kirkland's writing talent. On the link above, this video was embedded. I nearly didn't watch the video, but I did.
I cried.
I felt joy.
I truly wish that faith in God would be something that would unite every person on earth with the person next to them. Unfortunately, there's division. Whether you believe there is a "War on Christianity" (as Bill O'Reilly talks about every Christmas season) or you believe there is not a "War on Christianity" is not really important. Label it a war or a conspiracy theory - whatever suits your whim at this precise moment. I believe in God and I believe that God sent Jesus Christ to die for my sins. I've read essays by atheists. Often, these essays criticize Christians for believing in what cannot be seen. To me, that is precisely what my faith *IS* - the belief that there is a God and that God is bigger than anything my feeble mind can comprehend.
As I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog, I am Catholic. Being a member of the Catholic church is not easy. After all, I am a human being and - shocker! - I sin. While there are prescribed guidelines for avoiding sin, as described in this article, I will be the first to say it's not always that simple. I believe that my relationship with God is personal.
People I either know or have learned about struggle with their faith. Former Catholics point out that the Catholic church is comprised of hypocrites and that they cannot be a part of a religion that has hypocrites. Former Catholics are classified as "former" because of a divorce. Others - including a priest that helped baptize a nephew - have left the Catholic church because they were victims of sexual abuse by priests. Those are big issues and not for a split second do I think they are trivial issues. They can't be reduced to the level of being at a general store in Elkader and trying to decide whether to have ice cream in a waffle cone or in a bowl.
Life is about choices. I will be the first to describe the lack of good choices I've made in my life, but God loves me, despite all of my sins and despite all of my human traits. I don't understand God's plan, but I believe that when the time is right, I will. I don't understand why Mom - a woman with a Master's degree and who spent 40+ years in educating the youth in Cedar Rapids - was reduced to not being able to communicate during the last few months of her life. Mom was left handed so it doesn't make sense to me why God chose her left hand to be the one to contract, causing her to learn to do every thing with her right hand. And I don't understand why God chose me to be with her the last days of her life, including when she passed. I hope that someday I will.
Where I Am Part 02
To continue with the previous post, our country would be better off if we weren't so selfish. In a word, that's how I describe the people in our country. While that sounds awful, especially on the eve of the 4th of July, in my head, that's where I am. What other word describes the political maneuvering that surrounds the Benghazi hearings.
I'm not a Hillary Clinton fan. I hope she is not elected as our next president. I don't necessarily believe that she would be a bad president, but I do believe she would be a continuation of President Obama. Maybe. I don't know what she intends to do.
Videos like this are on Conservative websites:
The fears of Republicans come to light when they continue to try and make the attack on the Benghazi embassy a controversy. The latest tactic is to review emails that Clinton turned over to the Benghazi committee and Democrats are unhappy, pointing out in this article there isn't a "smoking gun" about blaming a video for the attack in her emails. Instead, it makes Republicans look like loons because there's an email about Clinton requesting some iced tea.
Someone smarter than me has got to find a way to make our country stay united. The problem is that the issues we face as a country are divisive. Race, politics, gay marriage. Yes, about that last one. I find myself divided about gay marriage. This article describes the gay rights rally that was held in Iowa City on June 26. Could that gay editor I mentioned in part 01 be right? Do I really not understand why that rally was so important to the gay community in the Iowa City area because I am white, male, and heterosexual? That may be part of why I wouldn't go.
The other part is that for all this talk about wanting to be treated equally, groups that are marginalized, and I'm speaking in dangerously general terms now, expect to be treated unequally. There were an abundance of scholarships for minorities, but not nearly as many for my daughter Megan. There is a movement called "Black Lives Matter" that responded to the Supreme Court decision by tweeting that the decision shouldn't take away from the "real" issue in our country - that "Black Lives Matter" more than any other skin color. To me, if you want to unite our country, you don't call it "Black Lives Matter" - you call it "All Lives Matter."
Because that's my truth. All lives matter. All human beings poop, pee, and breathe. Whether you are rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, those are the things in life that are common.
I'm not a Hillary Clinton fan. I hope she is not elected as our next president. I don't necessarily believe that she would be a bad president, but I do believe she would be a continuation of President Obama. Maybe. I don't know what she intends to do.
Videos like this are on Conservative websites:
The fears of Republicans come to light when they continue to try and make the attack on the Benghazi embassy a controversy. The latest tactic is to review emails that Clinton turned over to the Benghazi committee and Democrats are unhappy, pointing out in this article there isn't a "smoking gun" about blaming a video for the attack in her emails. Instead, it makes Republicans look like loons because there's an email about Clinton requesting some iced tea.
Someone smarter than me has got to find a way to make our country stay united. The problem is that the issues we face as a country are divisive. Race, politics, gay marriage. Yes, about that last one. I find myself divided about gay marriage. This article describes the gay rights rally that was held in Iowa City on June 26. Could that gay editor I mentioned in part 01 be right? Do I really not understand why that rally was so important to the gay community in the Iowa City area because I am white, male, and heterosexual? That may be part of why I wouldn't go.
The other part is that for all this talk about wanting to be treated equally, groups that are marginalized, and I'm speaking in dangerously general terms now, expect to be treated unequally. There were an abundance of scholarships for minorities, but not nearly as many for my daughter Megan. There is a movement called "Black Lives Matter" that responded to the Supreme Court decision by tweeting that the decision shouldn't take away from the "real" issue in our country - that "Black Lives Matter" more than any other skin color. To me, if you want to unite our country, you don't call it "Black Lives Matter" - you call it "All Lives Matter."
Because that's my truth. All lives matter. All human beings poop, pee, and breathe. Whether you are rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, those are the things in life that are common.
Where I Am Part 01
Each day brings the United States closer to the next election. While it is important to me to keep one eye on the political structure of our great country, I am going to resist the urge to make this blog be a 100% political blog. I tend to side more with Republican policies than Democrat policies so when appropriate, I use the tag "Republican Tendencies" to indicate the post is going to be political. The funny thing is that the tags for a post are at the bottom of the post so it's stupid to read an entire post and then find out that its subject is political. I doubt I will be able to exercise the discipline to put "Republican Tendencies" as the first line in my posts so I won't even promise I will try. I am not going to reduce this blog to be solely essays or links to essays about the current hot topics in our country. I think the three hot topics in our country are:
Many want to do just that. I'm trying to be very careful to not make this a "Democrats are loons; Republicans are sane" essay, but when I read articles about a college professor declaring that all white people should commit suicide because white people owned slaves and another article about a gay editor declaring that all straight people should cease making their profile picture have an overlay of a rainbow because there is no way straight people can know what it is like to struggle with sexual orientation, it makes it hard to not adapt an "us versus them" mentality.
If only life were that simple. Life is not that simple. Republicans are not making it easy for me. According to this article, Rick Perry said:
- the Supreme Court's ruling that grants a gay or lesbian couple the right to have their marriage recognized in all 50 states (not just those that previously had passed laws that did this)
- the wretched scum that are racists who believe that a man of one color can be superior to a man of another color
- the controversy surrounding the Confederate flag and whether it should be displayed any more.
Many want to do just that. I'm trying to be very careful to not make this a "Democrats are loons; Republicans are sane" essay, but when I read articles about a college professor declaring that all white people should commit suicide because white people owned slaves and another article about a gay editor declaring that all straight people should cease making their profile picture have an overlay of a rainbow because there is no way straight people can know what it is like to struggle with sexual orientation, it makes it hard to not adapt an "us versus them" mentality.
If only life were that simple. Life is not that simple. Republicans are not making it easy for me. According to this article, Rick Perry said:
When it comes to race, America is a better and more tolerant and more welcoming place than it has ever been. We are a country with Hispanic CEOs, and Asian billionaires, and a black President.Perry was doing so well until he pointed out that it's the Democrats that black families should blame for their discontent. While I suppose he had to say that because he is a Republican candidate for president, I don't think blaming someone else - whether it's the same political party or a different one - coincides with Perry's stated goal of "to help black families" because since when did blaming someone else help resolve an issue. In other words, blame is not action. What is Perry going to do, if he sincerely wants "to help black families" and improve their situation? Action, not words!
So why is it that even today, so many black families feel left behind? Why is it that a quarter of African-Americans live below the poverty line, even after the impact of federal programs like food stamps and housing subsidies?
The supplemental poverty rate for African-Americans is nearly double the rate for other Americans.
Democrats have long had the opportunity to govern in African-American communities.
It is time to help black families hold them accountable for the results.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
It's so Cute
From Craigslist > Dubuque:
700 music CD's for sale! All for $1750.00. Average of $2.50 each, will not separate!
50's through 90's Rock, Blues, Country, Big Band, etc.
Serious inquires ONLY!
It's so cute that the person who posted the ad thought they would get $2.50 for a used CD. There's no way in hell I would pay that. At $.50 / CD, these 700 CDs would cost $350! I paid $.20 / CD when I bought the 200 CDs for $40.
700 music CD's for sale! All for $1750.00. Average of $2.50 each, will not separate!
50's through 90's Rock, Blues, Country, Big Band, etc.
Serious inquires ONLY!
It's so cute that the person who posted the ad thought they would get $2.50 for a used CD. There's no way in hell I would pay that. At $.50 / CD, these 700 CDs would cost $350! I paid $.20 / CD when I bought the 200 CDs for $40.
Drum Hero Tommy Aldridge
First in a series of 4 - Drummers that Inspired My Independence as a Musician
When I discuss drummers that shaped my perspective about playing drums, Tommy Aldridge is a name I always mention. Aldridge caught my attention when he played drums on a Tony MacAlpine project called "Project:Driver" on Shrapnel Records.
I'm still mesmerized by what I hear! The first time I actually saw Tommy Aldridge play was the Whitesnake video "Still of the Night" on MTV. It was mind-blowing because I realized what a drummer could do with visuals could go beyond Rikki Rockett (Poison), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt). They had been influencing me with this idea that drummers could incorporate visuals into their drumming. When I write "visuals", I'm specifically thinking about stick twirling and raising the stick high into the air prior to striking the drum. Upon seeing Tommy Aldridge in the Whitesnake video, though, I remember being captivated by him. I had gone back to his recordings with Ozzy Osbourne when I heard "Project:Driver" so I already knew he was a powerhouse drummer. Watching this video below inspires me to try to incorporate similar visuals into my drumming.
When I discuss drummers that shaped my perspective about playing drums, Tommy Aldridge is a name I always mention. Aldridge caught my attention when he played drums on a Tony MacAlpine project called "Project:Driver" on Shrapnel Records.
I'm still mesmerized by what I hear! The first time I actually saw Tommy Aldridge play was the Whitesnake video "Still of the Night" on MTV. It was mind-blowing because I realized what a drummer could do with visuals could go beyond Rikki Rockett (Poison), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt). They had been influencing me with this idea that drummers could incorporate visuals into their drumming. When I write "visuals", I'm specifically thinking about stick twirling and raising the stick high into the air prior to striking the drum. Upon seeing Tommy Aldridge in the Whitesnake video, though, I remember being captivated by him. I had gone back to his recordings with Ozzy Osbourne when I heard "Project:Driver" so I already knew he was a powerhouse drummer. Watching this video below inspires me to try to incorporate similar visuals into my drumming.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Lock Them in a Room Together
As Chris Christie joins the list of Republican presidential candidates, it seems fitting to renew what I have wrote previously about this growing list. Lock all of these potential candidates in a room, without their assistants, without their policy spoon-feeders, and do not allow them to leave the room until they have reached a compromise regarding who is going to be the Republican party's candidate in the 2016 election. Now, instead of just me thinking this, it seems that Bill O'Reilly is seeing the same type of issue. The Democratic presidential candidates are not stepping upon each other or trying to tout credentials by pointing out gaps in another candidate.
As O'Reilly points out in this article, the Democrats are united. One simple example is that Jeb Bush has released 33 years of tax returns to show that he's transparent. While it draws a contrast with Hillary Clinton, any other Republican candidate that doesn't release 33 years of tax returns is going to give the appearance of hiding something. Another example is Dr. Ben Carson is telling anyone who will listen that he is not a politician, which implies that he is the choice for voters who are tired of politicians. One final example is that from what I understand, if you are running for president, you have to have a lot of money. Each candidate that has announced their intention to be the next president is trying to tap the same voter base. How does one choose now who will be the actual candidate at least 18 months prior to the election? In the past, candidates who have been christened "the likely candidate" have ended up not being the actual candidate. What all this does is waste money on candidates that will not actually be in the election.
And that brings me back to the appearance of being united. I'm going on record today, July 1, 2015, that unless the Republican candidates unite, the 2016 presidential campaign will be a joke.
As O'Reilly points out in this article, the Democrats are united. One simple example is that Jeb Bush has released 33 years of tax returns to show that he's transparent. While it draws a contrast with Hillary Clinton, any other Republican candidate that doesn't release 33 years of tax returns is going to give the appearance of hiding something. Another example is Dr. Ben Carson is telling anyone who will listen that he is not a politician, which implies that he is the choice for voters who are tired of politicians. One final example is that from what I understand, if you are running for president, you have to have a lot of money. Each candidate that has announced their intention to be the next president is trying to tap the same voter base. How does one choose now who will be the actual candidate at least 18 months prior to the election? In the past, candidates who have been christened "the likely candidate" have ended up not being the actual candidate. What all this does is waste money on candidates that will not actually be in the election.
And that brings me back to the appearance of being united. I'm going on record today, July 1, 2015, that unless the Republican candidates unite, the 2016 presidential campaign will be a joke.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
It Does Get Old
I've been a Metallica fan since, roughly, 1989 and in all my years of listening and following and defending and arguing the merits of the band, I have never EVER heard a Metallica song called "Kill 'em All." I have a CD and a cassette called "Kill 'em All", but there is no song, that I've ever heard of, called "Kill 'em All."
Feel the Joy
I checked my email a little while ago and one of the emails was a concert announcement! BAYSIDE!!! YES!!!! Tuesday, September 8th in Des Moines, IA, with The Early November and Better Off.
I emailed Megan, since she has gone with me to see Bayside twice - Iowa City & Des Moines - and she wrote back, "Can we go?!?"
I had to phrase my words gently. "Uh, it is the Tuesday after Labor Day. You will be in Cedar Falls..." I really don't think she saw the date. I also emailed Chris, who likes them as well.
Four months ago, Bayside posted this video:
This is what The Early November sound like live.
And this is what Better Off sounds like live.
I think it will be a good show.
I emailed Megan, since she has gone with me to see Bayside twice - Iowa City & Des Moines - and she wrote back, "Can we go?!?"
I had to phrase my words gently. "Uh, it is the Tuesday after Labor Day. You will be in Cedar Falls..." I really don't think she saw the date. I also emailed Chris, who likes them as well.
Four months ago, Bayside posted this video:
This is what The Early November sound like live.
And this is what Better Off sounds like live.
I think it will be a good show.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Range of Topics
I believe that a marriage is a man and a woman. I was married in a Catholic church. As this article points out, the idea of gay marriage is not something new. Closer to home, I recall a spirited debate in 2004 at a CEW meeting. A male member of our team and a female member of our team got into a spirited argument, each convinced their side was right. What I take away from that memory is that no one wins in discussions like this, whether it is about gay marriage or Metallica. Yeah, let me do my part to fill up cyberspace with more opinionated blabbing about Metallica.
The other day, I got caught up in watching the intro to the Metallica DVD called "Cunning Stunts" on youtube.com. I watched the band enter the arena, with the house lights on and a circular stage. They would emerge from their dressing room and sprint around the space between the security wall and the stage, slapping high-fives with the fans. Lars Ulrich then began playing a beat and was joined by Kirk, Jason, and James, playing the riff to the 8th track on "Reload" to the delight of the crowd. What intrigues me is that "Reload" is often dismissed as a terrible release but if you see the crowd, they are not reacting to the song as if it was a piece of music that is garbage - the heads are bobbing and the fists are pumping in the air. In a twisted, unconventional way, that seems to be where my head is at - I don't like the idea of gay marriage as a nationally accepted "normal" but I also don't like the idea of two people who love each being able to live in "some" states, but not in others. I know that Facebook has exploded with rainbows as an overlay to all sorts of profile pictures and national monuments, including the White House. I'm not really on board with all of that, but it is unsurprising that those feeling passionate about the issue of gay marriage are acting passionate.
The joke about this comic is that you have to assemble every thing when you purchase anything from IKEA - I've never purchased anything from the store so that is knowledge I don't have personal experience with - so part of assembling the crucifix that the priest in the comic purchased from IKEA is that the priest has to nail Christ to the cross. It's a funny comic because it reminds me that IKEA requires assembly for every thing, but it is also a reminder that Christ died for my sins and when I sin - hello? I am human - I am essentially helping Christ be nailed to the cross. God sent Christ to die for my sins.
The other day, I got caught up in watching the intro to the Metallica DVD called "Cunning Stunts" on youtube.com. I watched the band enter the arena, with the house lights on and a circular stage. They would emerge from their dressing room and sprint around the space between the security wall and the stage, slapping high-fives with the fans. Lars Ulrich then began playing a beat and was joined by Kirk, Jason, and James, playing the riff to the 8th track on "Reload" to the delight of the crowd. What intrigues me is that "Reload" is often dismissed as a terrible release but if you see the crowd, they are not reacting to the song as if it was a piece of music that is garbage - the heads are bobbing and the fists are pumping in the air. In a twisted, unconventional way, that seems to be where my head is at - I don't like the idea of gay marriage as a nationally accepted "normal" but I also don't like the idea of two people who love each being able to live in "some" states, but not in others. I know that Facebook has exploded with rainbows as an overlay to all sorts of profile pictures and national monuments, including the White House. I'm not really on board with all of that, but it is unsurprising that those feeling passionate about the issue of gay marriage are acting passionate.
The joke about this comic is that you have to assemble every thing when you purchase anything from IKEA - I've never purchased anything from the store so that is knowledge I don't have personal experience with - so part of assembling the crucifix that the priest in the comic purchased from IKEA is that the priest has to nail Christ to the cross. It's a funny comic because it reminds me that IKEA requires assembly for every thing, but it is also a reminder that Christ died for my sins and when I sin - hello? I am human - I am essentially helping Christ be nailed to the cross. God sent Christ to die for my sins.
Transistions
As I previously mentioned, we went up to UNI (Cedar Falls) for Megan's freshman orientation this past Thursday & Friday. Because there are so many things / events / emotions I could write about, I'm actually having a tough time writing this post. My mind keeps resetting priorities of possible topics. Do I write about meeting Chuck & Deeanna from Davenport first or about the seminar about the TEACH grant first? Do I write about seeing Megan's actual dorm room first or about the difficulty / drama with getting her classes? Do I write about the discussion with the dad and (presumably) grandma from Washington, IA, that I had as I waited in line to discuss financial aid or about Connor (a freshman, supposedly with a 15 year-old girlfriend) flirting uncontrollably with the senior at our dinner table?
While I'm unsure as to where this blog post will take me, I'll start with a simple fact. My oldest child, Megan, will be a freshman at UNI in the fall of 2015. I won't say what dorm she will live in, but I saw her dorm room, empty except for the lofts, desks, and chairs that come with it. Compared to what I lived in at Mount Mercy College, her dorm room is really tiny. That's okay, though, because my mind seems to think that means the move-in process will not be extensively intense. She moves in 3 days after her 19th birthday, on a Monday in August - 50 days away.
The number of days from her move-in day is not meant to indicate I am eagerly awaiting her departure from our house. It simply means that there are 50 days remaining of her being my little girl. David, a psychologist at the UNI counseling center, said that the son / daughter you drop off in the fall and pick up four years later is not going to be the same person. That made me pause a little to reflect upon my own college career. I wasn't the same person I was when I moved into the Regina dorm room on the Mount Mercy College campus in September 1988. Sure, I kept some character traits, like loving Metallica and loving to write. Other traits changed. For example, when I began college, I was very confident that I would never, ever, drink booze, but by early November, I partied with 2 liters of Strawberry Blush, a wine cooler made by Sun Country. Another example is that I was very confident that I would have a long career as a high school English teacher, but at some point during my student teaching, I had decided I did not want to spend 40 years as a teacher.
The thoughts I continually return to are that I have no idea what character traits Megan will retain, adjust, or adapt once she begins college. No one knows, including her! The unknowns in life will present themselves to her over the days and weeks and months and years. While some parents may fear the transition of their child from a caterpillar to a butterfly, I find it exhilarating and exciting. Will every aspect of Megan's college career be perfect? Absolutely not. I know there will be bumps and potholes. I also know that each bump will eventually be smoothed out and each pothole will eventually be filled with some substance that will make her a better person.
While I'm unsure as to where this blog post will take me, I'll start with a simple fact. My oldest child, Megan, will be a freshman at UNI in the fall of 2015. I won't say what dorm she will live in, but I saw her dorm room, empty except for the lofts, desks, and chairs that come with it. Compared to what I lived in at Mount Mercy College, her dorm room is really tiny. That's okay, though, because my mind seems to think that means the move-in process will not be extensively intense. She moves in 3 days after her 19th birthday, on a Monday in August - 50 days away.
The number of days from her move-in day is not meant to indicate I am eagerly awaiting her departure from our house. It simply means that there are 50 days remaining of her being my little girl. David, a psychologist at the UNI counseling center, said that the son / daughter you drop off in the fall and pick up four years later is not going to be the same person. That made me pause a little to reflect upon my own college career. I wasn't the same person I was when I moved into the Regina dorm room on the Mount Mercy College campus in September 1988. Sure, I kept some character traits, like loving Metallica and loving to write. Other traits changed. For example, when I began college, I was very confident that I would never, ever, drink booze, but by early November, I partied with 2 liters of Strawberry Blush, a wine cooler made by Sun Country. Another example is that I was very confident that I would have a long career as a high school English teacher, but at some point during my student teaching, I had decided I did not want to spend 40 years as a teacher.
The thoughts I continually return to are that I have no idea what character traits Megan will retain, adjust, or adapt once she begins college. No one knows, including her! The unknowns in life will present themselves to her over the days and weeks and months and years. While some parents may fear the transition of their child from a caterpillar to a butterfly, I find it exhilarating and exciting. Will every aspect of Megan's college career be perfect? Absolutely not. I know there will be bumps and potholes. I also know that each bump will eventually be smoothed out and each pothole will eventually be filled with some substance that will make her a better person.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wrong
It's not "Democrats" are walking contradictions; human beings are. I'm known to contradict myself, but I have Republican tendencies more often than Democrat tendencies.
http://www.youngcons.com/the-best-cops-are-evil-and-racist-meme-of-all-time/
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