What I'm... May 2008 edition

What I'm...

Reading:

• Splinter Cell: Fallout - based on one of my favorite videogame series, I couldn't pass this up when I found it at an airport bookstore for a Thomas Jefferson and some change. So far, it's okay, and would really only appeal to fans of the game - it's light fluff.
• Star Wars: Truce at Bakura - This is the chronological start of a number of post-original-trilogy books in the Star Wars universe, picking up where Return of the Jedi leaves off. I read it years ago and have greatly desired to pick the series back up and catch up to some of the newer stuff.
• Book of James - our Sunday School class is doing a study on this covering aspects of the text itself as well as Luther's dislike of it. Personally, I've found myself enjoying reading it quite a bit.

Listening to:

• Alter Bridge: Blackbird - It's Creed minus Scott Stapp, which is good and bad. The lead singer is forgettable, but Mark Tremonti, in my opinion, is one of modern music's best guitarists.
• Johnny Cash,The American IV: The Man Comes Around - I'm not a big country fan, but there's not a lot about this album that's actually country except for the Man in Black himself. They're all covers of other songs, most known, some obscure. I've just found it to be good driving music.
• Dashboard Confessional: Dusk and Summer - Emo-quasi-whiny band. Not much to say, really. I just like'em.

Playing:

• Wii Sports - One of the best free add-ins for a console since Super Mario World with the Super Nintendo.
  
• Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - I'm a huge fan of this series since it's early days on the GameBoy Advance - it's turn-based strategy at it's finest. Even though it's not the best one in the series - Dual Strike was significantly better - it is the first in the series to offer online multiplayer, even if the server's can't handle the traffic.
• Guillotine - neat little playing card game. Easy to pick up and learn.

Watching:

• Lost - At this point, you're either in or you're not. I'm in. Very in. If you're out, catch up with it on DVD.
  
• The Unit - I'm midway through season two of this TV show, and thankful that it's finally been renewed for a third season - even if I'm not all that excited about the change to Sundays. I highly recommend the book it's based on, too - Inside Delta Force.
• Jon & Kate Plus 8 - Always reminds my wife and I that if they can handle eight, we can handle one.
  

What's wrong with some people?

So last weekend, I take my wife out for brunch at a local favorite of ours. Seeing as how my son is only 5 weeks old, I decided we should probably bring him along. We walk in, take our seats and the waitress begins to ooh and ahh and we let her keep doing that while we look over the menu. She starts yakking along and then drops this little gem: "I just had my 7 month old grandbaby die due to SIDs."



What was the thought process that went through her mind before deciding to share that particular piece of information with us, the parents of a 5-week-old? I can only hope somebody who's just starting chemo doesn't come in to hear about her dear aunt Sally who died of cancer. Sheesh...

The Purpose Driven Blog

When I started this blog-thing, the purpose was simple. Writing. Seems a bit silly, I know, but the problem is I hated to write. Like going-to-the-dentist type of hate - necessary, but not enjoyable. The problem with my problem - follow me here - is at the time I was going to be writing a LOT of papers at school, papers that I couldn't just half-butt into existence overnight with heavy amounts of caffeine.

Thus, my plan was simple - write about things I like, love, and detest. Devise - or dare I say, engineer - witty, wordy ways of whimsically wondering... err, musing.

And thus was born this blog. Aside from serving it's original purpose of getting me writing more, amateurish as it may be, it's also been cathartic in many ways. While a few posts may have been heavy and dealt with serious subject matter, I intentionally strive to keep it light - there are far deeper thinkers in the annals of blogdom that can illustrate theological thoughts far better than I can.

In the words of one of the best hours of TV ever: "where do we go from here?" Well, I dunno. Most likely, the posting will continue to be sporadic. It may be a few days between posts, a few weeks, maybe even (but hopefully not) a few months. The demands of work plus family will just mean that posting will take a backseat to many other things.

What this means for you, my loyal blog readership? Well, for those that use regular old bookmarks, it means that you will most likely become less loyal - it's just human nature that you'll only click on it so many times, and then you just won't. For those that are browsing the interwebs in the twenty-first and a half century, it means you'll get a little gift in your RSS reader's inbox-of-sorts when I do post something, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Lastly, I want to say how thankful I am for the community of friends I've developed through this thing. Some I've met never met in person, others I meet every time they make a pilgrimage to a certain outdoor mega-store near my house, and still others I correspond with through email, chatting, etc. It has been a real blessing getting to know you all - and for those I haven't met yet, I hope to soon. If nothing else to at least sit down and have a cup of coffee. Or go shooting.

Atlanta!

Some language, so don't watch it if that's a problem for you.

Headfirst into first

Watching the Braves game Sunday afternoon I witnessed one of the dumbest things I see done in Major League Baseball today. Martin Prado hit a dribbler toward the area between the 1st and 2nd basemen and the pitcher. Seeing that there was a bit of confusion, Prado spiked chalk as fast as he could and it was obvious the play was going to be close. Seeing the pitcher nearly at the bag, he dove headfirst toward the bag.

Good news - he was safe!
Bad news - he's out 6 to 8 weeks with a grade 1-2 sprain on his thumb!

What on earth possesses big leaguers to do this? Do you see Olympic sprinters dive across the finish line to gain that extra advantage? Absolutely not. It's actually so discouraged in the minors (and most recreation leagues) now that any person doing this, is immediately pulled from the game and in some farm systems, called out.

I don't know that I'm quite that vigilant about it; I just can't understand, for the life of me, why any pro ballplayer would slow himself down getting to the bag at the only base he can run past and still be safe! Put out the landing gear for 2nd and 3rd all you want. Run through first on a close play - it's faster and far less likely to cause an injury.

Oh, by the way, when Prado did his slide in to 1st base, the Braves were up by 6 with 3 innings left in the game.

Best homerun trot ever

Girl hits a homerun - her first ever - to win the game, and then:

With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.

But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.

She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.

If this next part doesn't give you warm fuzzies, then you ain't right:

Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.

The umpire said there was no rule against it.

So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.