Michael Barone, truly one of the brightest lights in political commentary, has a column in Real Clear Politics today about the role of religion in politics. A good commentary, but I think there is a further reason for the revival of religion he notes.
Atheism, agnosticism and secularism are young men's creeds. As the Boomers age (as it has been with every previous generation and as it will be in the future) they are becoming more religious.
I used to be relatively indifferent to the role of God in the world. For me at 24, it was hard to see. Further, with every reading of the front page of a national paper, it was certainly hard to believe in a God, or at least a benevolent God.
But when I watched my first child be born, I knew there had to be a God. It was as close to an epiphany as I could come. But with time, I saw more and appreciated that the proof of God is not in wars or famine, but in birth and in spring and in all the little things that we take for granted each day. It is a perspective I could not have at 24.
Miracles are not big things - parting of the Red Sea, the lions' den, curing the leper - they are small things - the first word of a child, the blossom of a crocus, the diversity of life on this planet. There is an interesting story of the man who walks through a field and finds a pocket watch. He knows immediately that the pocket watch is not part of "nature," but it has been made by someone or something.
The older I get, the more I believe that Earth is a pocket watch in the middle of an astral field.
4.25.2005
4.14.2005
Conclave
The subject of the Pope's death has been one that I have been thinking about a bit. It is pretty clear that he was a monumental figure in the world for the last 26 years; was instrumental in the fall of Communist Eastern Europe and Soviet Russia and left his personal mark on the Catholic Church, for better or worse. Though for the better, I think.
This is my and Thew's first time to be considered for Pope (no, we are not Cardinals, but every adult male Catholic is eligible to be Pope). I am quite sure I will not make the short list and DAMN sure Thew won't.
But I wondered, what would I do if I were Pope.
This started as an odd thought because my personal philosophy differs from the RCC in many ways: I am for a woman's (limited) right to choose; for euthanasia; for contraception; for married and female priests. But what if I were Pope? I think I would have to reassess.
JPII greatness lay in the fact that he stood for something in this world: moral goodness. He was unconcerned about the grayness and "realities" that I live day to day. (Or at least think I do.) Abortion in the case of incest or rape? No, that child is a child of God, regardless of the mechanism that begot it soul. Right to die? That is God's decision and God's decision alone.
Such clarity is enviable. And required in the Pope. And I found myself admitting that I would change my positions if I were Pope. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't think so, but I do admit that I do not hold myself up to the standard of the Pope. But I must if I were.
John Paul was a beacon; a force for good and the absolute Rock upon which Christ built his Church. I may not agree with him from the vantage point of my mixed up muddled up 21st century suburban Boston viewpoint, but I thank God that John Paul II believed the things he did and reminded me of a higher standard.
Rest in Peace.
This is my and Thew's first time to be considered for Pope (no, we are not Cardinals, but every adult male Catholic is eligible to be Pope). I am quite sure I will not make the short list and DAMN sure Thew won't.
But I wondered, what would I do if I were Pope.
This started as an odd thought because my personal philosophy differs from the RCC in many ways: I am for a woman's (limited) right to choose; for euthanasia; for contraception; for married and female priests. But what if I were Pope? I think I would have to reassess.
JPII greatness lay in the fact that he stood for something in this world: moral goodness. He was unconcerned about the grayness and "realities" that I live day to day. (Or at least think I do.) Abortion in the case of incest or rape? No, that child is a child of God, regardless of the mechanism that begot it soul. Right to die? That is God's decision and God's decision alone.
Such clarity is enviable. And required in the Pope. And I found myself admitting that I would change my positions if I were Pope. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't think so, but I do admit that I do not hold myself up to the standard of the Pope. But I must if I were.
John Paul was a beacon; a force for good and the absolute Rock upon which Christ built his Church. I may not agree with him from the vantage point of my mixed up muddled up 21st century suburban Boston viewpoint, but I thank God that John Paul II believed the things he did and reminded me of a higher standard.
Rest in Peace.
God these conference calls are too frikkin LONG!
What a satisfying win for the Yankees over the Red Sox last night, on a few levels. Mariano Rivera, aside from a walk given up, was solid and aggressive, proving that this guy has the stuff, both physically and mentally, to be a dominant closer, which he has been for a while now. Jason Giambi is looking better and more confident at the plate, and Bernie Williams is trying desperately to prove that even the old guy in centerfield still has game left. And finally, shutting up Curt Schilling, who has become the poster boy for Yankees bashing in Beantown, was satisfying, especially since we took him deep twice.
In the "no comment department", according to Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the team's acquisitions of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell two summers ago were a "failed experiment." Now don't get me wrong, Cassell, 35, and Sprewell, 34, each complained in training camp about not getting contract extensions, which in my opinion ultimately doomed the team to mediocrity this year, but still, did he miss their run to the Western Conference Finals last year? Does he honestly think he could have done that without those two guys? I am all for shutting up those spoiled thugs that play in the NBA (not you, Ray Allen), but this is ridiculous to an extent. Their antics this season were abhorrent, and their attitudes have been questioned all season since the distractions they caused with their contract demands, but I think a little more credit is due to those two guys. Just me I guess...in any event, a team with that much talent is a despicable failure...like the NHL Rangers or the NFL Redskins.
My one last bitch at the Masters:
Unless you were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National on Sunday morning, you missed the incredible turnaround to The Masters, a possible record-setting run by Tiger Woods and what you could argue is the reason he eventually won the tournament. In the span of 30 minutes, Chris DiMarco double-bogeyed the 10th hole, which Woods had just birdied. Woods then went on to birdie the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, too. And none of it was televised. What a shame...
And for my last rant and rave, here are my musings as I fall face first into 40 during the month of April:
I am proud that aside from a slightly withdrawn hairline (family genes), I still have a full head of hair.
I am proud that my waistline is still smaller than my chest by a wide margin.
I am proud that I found a wonderful beautiful wife that I am going to be happy with for the rest of my days.
I am proud that my children have survived until their teenage years without getting kidnapped or molested - now the difficult part starts, my oldest is entering high school in the fall.
My golf handicap can be counted with the fingers on 1 hand, and I don't need the thumb (and you can keep the pinky too).
I've got a great family - parents and a crazy but outstanding brother who's always good for entertaining my kids with stories of his past escapades.
I am proud of the fact that my medicine cabinet contains exactly ZERO erectile disfunction medicines.
I hate having an ex-wife, they are mean and angry and just don't go away soon enough.
I hate having a slight case of love handles, where did those things come from - oh yeah, my wife is a good cook.
I hate the fact that now that I have the discipline to do things, I don't have the time. Back when I had the time, I did not have the discipline. *siiigh*
I hate traffic jams and have become the quintessential road rager.
I REALLY hate those prime indicators of old age - excessive nosehair and earwax...
In the "no comment department", according to Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the team's acquisitions of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell two summers ago were a "failed experiment." Now don't get me wrong, Cassell, 35, and Sprewell, 34, each complained in training camp about not getting contract extensions, which in my opinion ultimately doomed the team to mediocrity this year, but still, did he miss their run to the Western Conference Finals last year? Does he honestly think he could have done that without those two guys? I am all for shutting up those spoiled thugs that play in the NBA (not you, Ray Allen), but this is ridiculous to an extent. Their antics this season were abhorrent, and their attitudes have been questioned all season since the distractions they caused with their contract demands, but I think a little more credit is due to those two guys. Just me I guess...in any event, a team with that much talent is a despicable failure...like the NHL Rangers or the NFL Redskins.
My one last bitch at the Masters:
Unless you were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National on Sunday morning, you missed the incredible turnaround to The Masters, a possible record-setting run by Tiger Woods and what you could argue is the reason he eventually won the tournament. In the span of 30 minutes, Chris DiMarco double-bogeyed the 10th hole, which Woods had just birdied. Woods then went on to birdie the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, too. And none of it was televised. What a shame...
And for my last rant and rave, here are my musings as I fall face first into 40 during the month of April:
I am proud that aside from a slightly withdrawn hairline (family genes), I still have a full head of hair.
I am proud that my waistline is still smaller than my chest by a wide margin.
I am proud that I found a wonderful beautiful wife that I am going to be happy with for the rest of my days.
I am proud that my children have survived until their teenage years without getting kidnapped or molested - now the difficult part starts, my oldest is entering high school in the fall.
My golf handicap can be counted with the fingers on 1 hand, and I don't need the thumb (and you can keep the pinky too).
I've got a great family - parents and a crazy but outstanding brother who's always good for entertaining my kids with stories of his past escapades.
I am proud of the fact that my medicine cabinet contains exactly ZERO erectile disfunction medicines.
I hate having an ex-wife, they are mean and angry and just don't go away soon enough.
I hate having a slight case of love handles, where did those things come from - oh yeah, my wife is a good cook.
I hate the fact that now that I have the discipline to do things, I don't have the time. Back when I had the time, I did not have the discipline. *siiigh*
I hate traffic jams and have become the quintessential road rager.
I REALLY hate those prime indicators of old age - excessive nosehair and earwax...
4.12.2005
Tiger By the Tail
I spent a rare Sunday watching the final holes of the Masters. Rare in that there is usually some other thing going on. But not Sunday.
First, kudos to Thew for calling this ages ago. But Sunday's Tiger was not the Tiger of old - in 1997, his first Masters win, Tiger was -18 and beat Tom Kite by 12 strokes. His back to back victories (2001 and 2002) he was -16 and -12 beating David Duval and Retief Goosen by 2 and 3 strokes respectively. The "old" Tiger was chipping at 16, the "new" Tiger was driving on 17 and 18.
Honestly, though, I don't think Tiger has gotten worse as much as the field has gotten better. A better field means more pressure and the greater the chance of getting it wrong. In fact, if Tiger drives a ball 325 yards, he has a 19% greater chance of getting in the rough then a pro driving it 275 yards. Think about that, almost 1 in 5 will statistically be in the rough more. And that does not factor in the accuracy "bell curve" (i.e., a pro is more likely to hit an accurate shot that a stray shot). But it was good to see Tiger with the Green Jacket.
Unfortunately, it had to be at Chris DiMarco's expense. I do believe that DiMarco will lose the BPNTWAM label soon.
But this segues into a pet peeve of mine - that you have to move the tees way back to Tiger-proof a course. Nonsense. What you have to do is narrow the fairways and grow the rough really high. Distance is nothing without accuracy, hence the phrase "Long and Wrong." (Which I used to be before I became "Short and Wrong.") As I talked about above, with a 50 yard fairway and a straight ball flight, you have 8.8 degrees (4.4 on each side of center) of play to get it in the fairway. (If your desk is 36 inches long, measure up 3 inches on one side, imagine a line from that point to the other side's corner. That angle is about 4.4 degrees) In other words, not alot.
If the fairway is 75 yards across, you have 13.25 degrees, and increase of 50%!! I don't have time to do the statistical math, but that translates into a huge impact on accuracy. Adding 25 yards to the length of the hole has nowhere near the impact of tightening the landing area.
First, kudos to Thew for calling this ages ago. But Sunday's Tiger was not the Tiger of old - in 1997, his first Masters win, Tiger was -18 and beat Tom Kite by 12 strokes. His back to back victories (2001 and 2002) he was -16 and -12 beating David Duval and Retief Goosen by 2 and 3 strokes respectively. The "old" Tiger was chipping at 16, the "new" Tiger was driving on 17 and 18.
Honestly, though, I don't think Tiger has gotten worse as much as the field has gotten better. A better field means more pressure and the greater the chance of getting it wrong. In fact, if Tiger drives a ball 325 yards, he has a 19% greater chance of getting in the rough then a pro driving it 275 yards. Think about that, almost 1 in 5 will statistically be in the rough more. And that does not factor in the accuracy "bell curve" (i.e., a pro is more likely to hit an accurate shot that a stray shot). But it was good to see Tiger with the Green Jacket.
Unfortunately, it had to be at Chris DiMarco's expense. I do believe that DiMarco will lose the BPNTWAM label soon.
But this segues into a pet peeve of mine - that you have to move the tees way back to Tiger-proof a course. Nonsense. What you have to do is narrow the fairways and grow the rough really high. Distance is nothing without accuracy, hence the phrase "Long and Wrong." (Which I used to be before I became "Short and Wrong.") As I talked about above, with a 50 yard fairway and a straight ball flight, you have 8.8 degrees (4.4 on each side of center) of play to get it in the fairway. (If your desk is 36 inches long, measure up 3 inches on one side, imagine a line from that point to the other side's corner. That angle is about 4.4 degrees) In other words, not alot.
If the fairway is 75 yards across, you have 13.25 degrees, and increase of 50%!! I don't have time to do the statistical math, but that translates into a huge impact on accuracy. Adding 25 yards to the length of the hole has nowhere near the impact of tightening the landing area.
4.11.2005
RAWR!
Do you hear that growling? Sounds like a Tiger...
I like Chris DiMarco. I've seen him play in pro-am tournaments, and he's friendly, talkative, jovial, and generally a helluva guy. So I was a little disappointed that HE was the person that Tiger beat to claim the Green Jacket. He's a battler, a bulldog, never asks nor gives quarter, and even though he uses that "claw" putting grip, the man can put up numbers. After a demoralizing 41 (even TILAM can put up a 41 upon occasion) to end round 3, he gamely battled back to tie Woods for the lead - of coure, Tiger bogyed 17 & 18, but DiMarco still had to make a putt to force extra holes. He's a gamer, and is on my perennial "great guy to root for" list. I sure wish Tiger would have beaten that asshole Singh, or jerk Calcavecchia, or cheater Sabbatini, but oh well. The downside to all this? OMG, not another "best golfer to never win a major title" moniker is gonna be dropped on DiMarco, probably soon. I feel for him. Look for him to win a major by the end of 2006. And his Master's record the last couple of years has been pretty decent...
Ryan Moore made a great showing, kudos to Tilam for mentioning him and his accomplishments. Look for great things to come from this young man, and more kudos to Tilam for finding this jewel in the rough.
Frankly, in the aftermath of the Masters excitement, nothing else bears noting...
I like Chris DiMarco. I've seen him play in pro-am tournaments, and he's friendly, talkative, jovial, and generally a helluva guy. So I was a little disappointed that HE was the person that Tiger beat to claim the Green Jacket. He's a battler, a bulldog, never asks nor gives quarter, and even though he uses that "claw" putting grip, the man can put up numbers. After a demoralizing 41 (even TILAM can put up a 41 upon occasion) to end round 3, he gamely battled back to tie Woods for the lead - of coure, Tiger bogyed 17 & 18, but DiMarco still had to make a putt to force extra holes. He's a gamer, and is on my perennial "great guy to root for" list. I sure wish Tiger would have beaten that asshole Singh, or jerk Calcavecchia, or cheater Sabbatini, but oh well. The downside to all this? OMG, not another "best golfer to never win a major title" moniker is gonna be dropped on DiMarco, probably soon. I feel for him. Look for him to win a major by the end of 2006. And his Master's record the last couple of years has been pretty decent...
Ryan Moore made a great showing, kudos to Tilam for mentioning him and his accomplishments. Look for great things to come from this young man, and more kudos to Tilam for finding this jewel in the rough.
Frankly, in the aftermath of the Masters excitement, nothing else bears noting...
4.04.2005
Monday Morning Analyst
As predictable as the weather...in a manner of speaking. Every year the BellSouth Classic is held the week before the Masters, and every year the weather sux. Cut and dry...rounds 1 and 2 are plagued by cold and clouds/rain, round 3 is sunny but windy, Sunday is nice weather. No different this year. Not sure when they can move this tournament, but year after year people get turned off because of the pre-Masters weather. I feel sorry for the tournament organizers. HOWEVER, in a completely classy move (what else did you expect?), Phil Mickelson stayed around for the final round today. Why? Well, for a few reasons I bet; a) he's 1 stroke out of the lead, b) he could win a S**Tload of cash for finishing top 5 if not winning, and c) he's a helluva guy who will continue to honor his tournament commmitments. You know, Tiger might be the best money golfer in the world (piss off Vijay, yer gonna hafta win more on US soil Ernie), but I'd pick Phil over him anytime, anyday. Phil is just like Arnie - personable, friendly, sociable, even during his rounds. I saw him in the Pro-Am just yapping away with his amateur partners - now there's a guy who's Mr Everyman's friend - screw winning 10 majors, this guy will be loved like Arnie because he's just a great guy.
Masters prediction? Hmmm, you can't bet against the Big Four (Woods, Mickelson, Els, and Singh, although I want Singh to suck). Retief Goosen is always high on the list because of his flat stick. DiMarco again? Maybe. My darkhorse is Zach Johnson, the single season winnings record holder on the Nationwide Tour, first time winner at last year's BellSouth, he played solid at the Player's Championship, was playing at this year's BellSouth, and frankly, plays solid and fearless golf. I think he'll finish top 10 definitely.
Yankees-Sox was a good game, the Big Unit was everything we'd hoped for. Yes, it's opening day and there are 161 games left, but Randy Johnson was damm good. :)
Intersting knews you might not have heard and probably didn't give a crap about...The Supreme Court declined to consider the appeal of Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back who challenged the eligibility rules of the NFL draft. The justices on Monday, without comment, let stand a lower court ruling that said federal labor law allows NFL teams to set rules for when players can enter the league. Face it, Maurice, you'll make a scout squad after your horrendous 4.7 40 yard dash, then you'll have a chance to make a big league squad. Then you might have an opportunity to prove yourself as something more than a whiner. Then maybe you'll be able to "make a living". Until then, shuddup. MAKE your career, stop pissing and moaning and hoping others will make it for you.
Lakers losing 11 of 12 to essentially fall completely out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Miami has truly become the Beast of the East. Hmmm...
Tough to call tonight's game. Personally, I'd love to see Roy Williams win because he's never won before. Then again, I'd like to see Illinois win because that school has never won before and it would certainly validate the Illini's performance and ranking all season. But I have tipped over and fallen off the fence in favor of UNC. How can you not like the Tar Heels?
A BIG congratulations to Jim's Boeheim and Calhoun, elected to the basketball HoF. Well deserved, if u ask me.
Masters prediction? Hmmm, you can't bet against the Big Four (Woods, Mickelson, Els, and Singh, although I want Singh to suck). Retief Goosen is always high on the list because of his flat stick. DiMarco again? Maybe. My darkhorse is Zach Johnson, the single season winnings record holder on the Nationwide Tour, first time winner at last year's BellSouth, he played solid at the Player's Championship, was playing at this year's BellSouth, and frankly, plays solid and fearless golf. I think he'll finish top 10 definitely.
Yankees-Sox was a good game, the Big Unit was everything we'd hoped for. Yes, it's opening day and there are 161 games left, but Randy Johnson was damm good. :)
Intersting knews you might not have heard and probably didn't give a crap about...The Supreme Court declined to consider the appeal of Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back who challenged the eligibility rules of the NFL draft. The justices on Monday, without comment, let stand a lower court ruling that said federal labor law allows NFL teams to set rules for when players can enter the league. Face it, Maurice, you'll make a scout squad after your horrendous 4.7 40 yard dash, then you'll have a chance to make a big league squad. Then you might have an opportunity to prove yourself as something more than a whiner. Then maybe you'll be able to "make a living". Until then, shuddup. MAKE your career, stop pissing and moaning and hoping others will make it for you.
Lakers losing 11 of 12 to essentially fall completely out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Miami has truly become the Beast of the East. Hmmm...
Tough to call tonight's game. Personally, I'd love to see Roy Williams win because he's never won before. Then again, I'd like to see Illinois win because that school has never won before and it would certainly validate the Illini's performance and ranking all season. But I have tipped over and fallen off the fence in favor of UNC. How can you not like the Tar Heels?
A BIG congratulations to Jim's Boeheim and Calhoun, elected to the basketball HoF. Well deserved, if u ask me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)