Swim Out on a Sea of Faces, The Tide of the Human Races

I have my own feelings about Tom DeLay, as I am sure that many of you do as well, but in a time when he needs all of the political goodwill that he can foster, I cannot help but believe that he could be handling his recent indictment better than he is. You can read the story from the NY Times here.

I am not a master of argumentation, but DeLay's comments calling Ronnie Earle a "partisan fanatic" and a "rogue district attorney" seem to be a perfect example of a "red herring" fallacy if I have ever heard one. I will be very interested to see how all of this turns out, but I cannot help but feel that DeLay is trying to shift the attention away from the facts to an attack on Earle's character because he has something to hide.

The "Sports Guy" and Chuck Klosterman continued their email exchange today. You can read the results here. I was particularly intrigued by their debate about the subjectivity of the debate over sports and music. Although there are still subjective aspects to the sports debate, there are a myriad of opportunities to use objective measures to enhance your position in sports related arguments of all types.

The subject of music is another story entirely. There is no way to objectively determine that The Beatles are better than Wham!, and you could argue about that point until you are blue in the face, but there is no way to "prove" your point, and that is part of the inherent beauty of music.

I Always Bet on Black, Black Jack, I'll Pay You Back

Besides the NY Times, Washington Post, and Facebook, one of the websites that I peruse each day is ESPN.com. Knowing that I am a college-male in a sports-crazed nation like America, this is probably yawn-inducing news. I must note, however, that I do not peruse ESPN simply for the latest sports scores, but for the writing of Bill Simmons.

I have written about Simmons before, but his writing is what keeps me coming back to ESPN each and every day, just so I can see if he has written something new. Like that child who walks out to the mailbox, each day in December looking for that package slip, I head to ESPN to find out if the Sports Guy has given me another gift.

Today, Bill continued an interesting new feature called "Curious Guy" by interviewing Chuck Klosterman. You can read more about Klosterman here. I would like to focus on one of the particular points that Simmons and Klosterman discuss, that of sports loyalty based on geography. You can read their points here, but I will also offer mine.

Klosterman's argument that geography does not necessarily obligate sports fans to support teams in their area has some validity, but by in large I have to disagree. Part of the joy in supporting a team is being part of a community that supports that team. Perhaps Klosterman's argument only applies to professional sports, but I know there is no way that anyone in Texas could support a high school football team from another town over their hometown team.

In the college ranks, there is just something special about supporting a team from your home state against other states, simply because all of you live in a common space. All of those people who live in Texas and support ou during the Red River Shootout are the obvious exceptions to this rule and I have no way to explain their seemingly delusional behavior.

If any of you are able to further contribute to this discussion, please do. I hope I'll see all of you at "Football Armageddon" tonight.

You Don't Know How Lovely You Are

Thanks for the response on "Lost." Today, I think it has been mentioned in three separate conversations that I have been a part of or overheard. Once I am finished with the LSAT, I might have to give it a try.

Just when I thought "Football Armageddon" could not get any better, the Intramural Office gives me another treat. GSP Team Austin Henley, a.k.a Team Three, will be playing galaxy-3 tomorrow night at 7:30. Yes, that's right. 4 games in one night against the "Evil Empire." I'm not sure if this is a rumor or not, but I heard that after the last game there will be a boxing match between Ed Allred and Steve Ridgell, but again, I could just be hearing things.

Austin, I don't want you to think that we hold you in a lower esteem than Cody simply because Team Three is named after you and Team One is named after the President Emeritus. If you honestly have a bone to pick with anyone, pick it with Goak. Either way, tomorrow night is going to be great.

I have a night class tonight, but if anyone watches "No Direction Home" on PBS, tell me what you think. Dr. Dillman even mentioned it in Public Administration today, so I guess people are expecting big things. With Scorcese directing a documentary on Bob Dylan that is probably all one should expect.

It's Not That We're Scared, It's Just That It's Delicate

I'm pretty sure that after next Saturday, I will never want to do another logic problem the rest of my life. For those of you who have studied for the LSAT, you will know what I am talking about. I know there are some people out there who actually enjoy these types of problems. It goes without saying that they are sick, twisted, and depraved souls in great need of the mercy of God but I digress.

I am probably getting way too excited about this, but on Tuesday night ACU's version of football Armageddon will take place. I have word from reliable sources that on September 27th, the Siblings will be playing the Novas, followed by GSP-Steve Sargent, a.k.a Team Two, taking on galaxy-2. If that is not enough, the evening will culminate in a titanic battle between galaxy-1 and GSP-Cody Blair, a.k.a. Team One.

C. Blair, I know that you will probably not be able to make it for the game, most sane people wouldn't, but I'll cheer my heart out in your honor. I think I am more excited about this Tuesday's games than I have ever been about any ACU sporting events. Sad? Yes. Regrettable? Hardly.

So many people here are becoming "Lost" fans. I'm not sure that viewership during the 1st season was that high among ACU students, partly because the show airs on Wednesday nights, but since the Complete 1st Season became available on DVD, I have heard about the castaways from at least person daily. I enjoyed watching it with my parents over Christmas break, but I have not had any other opportunities watch. Are there any "Lost" fanatics out there who could extol the virtues of the show?

We'll Meet Again, When Both Our Cars Collide

If any of you out there were wondering how GSP Pledging is going so far this fall, you can check out this video from The Optimist.


I was very excited to finish up The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt this morning, but unfortunately I will be stuck in the LSAT study book until next Saturday. It is really starting to sink in that the test is next Saturday. I have always been blessed/cursed with the premonition to look forward at what is coming next in life. It is a blessing because I am usually in a state of readiness for what I am about to face, but it can become a curse when I define success for what will happen next before I am even in the midst of it.

I am reminded that God does not need me to be anything in this world. He will do what he is going to do whether I am there or not. Incredibly, he gives me the opportunity to share in his work. God is going to do his work whether I go to the law school that I want to or not, but I have a choice. I can choose to either be consumed with my own story or to realize that no what I am doing in this world, he can be glorified through it. That is freedom.

I Need This Old Train to Breakdown

I know that all of you enjoy the links I usually provide here to NY Times Columnists such as David Brooks and Nicolas Kristof, but I have sad news my friends. The Times, in an act as heinous as the Battle of the Network Reality Stars, has decided to introduce a feature called "Times Select" on their website.

Oh sure, it sounds innocent enough, but do a little digging with me. You must be a Times Select subscriber to read columns online or to see exclusive interviews with columnists online. It may not seem like a big deal, but I was pretty frustrated when I heard the news. I'm pretty sure this is part of George Steinbrenner's ongoing plot to control the entire city of New York, but I could be wrong.

I was incredibly pleased with Bid Night 2005. Everyone stayed safe, no one de-pledged, and the bedrock principles of GSP were still communicated powerfully. As I am finishing up, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, I cannot help but think that Teddy would have loved pledging. The focus on unity, devotion, sacrifice, and the "strenuous life" would have been right up his alley.

In closing, I just thought I would give this story a little more press. When OU is losing, all seems right in the world again.

The Wisdom's in the Trees

For those of you scoring at home, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt is now the Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy. The first 40 years of his life have been one magnificent whirlwind.

One of my favorite descriptions of Teddy comes from historian Henry Adams, who described Roosevelt in this way, "Theodore Roosevelt...was pure act."

The sheer force of his presence bent the will of those around him toward his. One of the most interesting sections of Morris' work was the section on Roosevelt's time as Police Commissioner of New York City. Those of you who have been long-time readers of this blog will remember my posts about Eliot Spitzer during the summer. As I read about Roosevelt's inexorable movement towards reform in the NYC Police Department, I was reminded of Spitzer's work in the NY Attorney General's Office against the scourge of corruption that taints the work of Wall Street each day. Both Roosevelt and Spitzer possessed an uncanny and often remarkable flair for the role that the media plays in the public service realm and utilized their relationship with the media to sway public opinion in a powerful manner.

Today, I went to United in order to purchase my watermelon for tomorrow night. Those of you who are in the Abilene area should come by the Beauchamp Amphitheater between 4:30-6:30 to watch one of the great traditions for the Men of Gamma Sigma Phi as a group of "Siblings" begin their pledging journey.

Time is Just a Melody

Current Listening: "In Between Dreams" by Jack Johnson.

I have been on a big Jack Johnson kick lately and I am not really sure what to attribute it to. His music, much like Bob Marley's, always has the ability to put me in a good mood. It is almost impossible to feel rushed and harried if Jack is crooning on your stereo. If you ever find yourself in a tense situation, a little Jack J. will go a long way. I did not mean for that to rhyme.

Some may despise him at this point and others may just be annoyed, but if Bono is saying it, I am going to be listening in some form or fashion. His persistence and devotion are nothing but admirable. Here is an article in the Sunday NY Times Magazine on the U2's lead singer.






Each day I grow to enjoy the time that I have to write here more and more. When a day goes by that I am not able to write, I genuinely miss the opportunity. The number of readers and commenters has played an increasingly smaller role in my own personal enjoyment of the process. Even if I know that no one else will read this, I still cherish the chance to sort out my thoughts each day.

Do You Remember When We First Met, I Sure Do, It Was Some Time in Early September

Nicolas Kristof wrote today on the UN Summit taking place this week in New York. The most striking quote from Kristof's column is this one:

"The fact is that with just a few exceptions, the presidents and prime ministers coming to the U.N. Summit are doing a disgraceful job in helping the poor. That's one reason the world's richest 500 individuals have the same income as the world's poorest 416 million people."

For me, that statistic is very hard to fathom, but the reality is that the gap between the haves and the have-nots in our world is growing at a breakneck rate. The right to life depends on one's place of birth and national economy in many instances. What will we have to say one day about what we did for "the least of these?"

John Tierney of the NY Times has one of the most well-researched and thought out approaches to the confirmation hearings of John G. Roberts. I think I am going to be using a few of those questions during pledging this fall. Thanks, John.

I'm not going to get too excited, but my alma mater, the Whitehouse High School Wildcats, have a winning record for the first time since we started out 5-0 my Senior Year. Admittedly, they are only 2-1, and both of those wins are over 3A teams, but when you are a Whitehouse Football Fan, you take what you can get.

We Are All Innocent

I should probably just install a permanent link to David Brooks' page on the NY Times Website because I enjoy his writing so much, but due to my limited knowledge of HTML, we will have to settle for the daily links in this space.

Mr. Brooks continues to write on the U.S. Government's response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but today his response touches on foundational aspects of two of the classes that I am taking this semester, Public Administration and American Public Policy. His assertion that the fragmentation and diffusion of power throughout the American governmental system is the root cause of so many of the response problems is a astute observation. In times where the status quo reigns, the American system of democracy, division of power, and fragmentation is usually the ideal system for caring out the daily functioning of society, but in times of crisis that system is often woefully inadequate.

Due to the necessity of proper communication between superiors and subordinates in times of crisis, constant collaboration and haggling between organizations, and a wide, but disparate base of resources and power, the response of governmental organization is often much slower than is usually desirable.



Moving on to other topics, I was obviously very pleased by the outcome of the UT-OSU game on Saturday night. There are few things more fun than watching a big game with your friends, especially if some of your friends (Jake Roseberry and Jon Heintz) are rooting for the other team. For anyone who has watched Vince Young since his days at Madison High, you know that Vince's skill-level often makes it appear that he is coasting through some games, but on Saturday, I think we saw the real-deal.

Late in the game, with over 105,000 screaming and doing their best to disrupt anything the 'Horns attempted to do, Vince began to drive. With quick passes to Jamaal Charles, he led the team down the Horseshoe. On a scramble to his right, he was hit, and as he fell to his knees, the Longhorn faithful watched Matt Nordgren begin to warm-up, but we knew otherwise. We knew that there was no way Vince was coming out. He would begin what he had started. Just a few plays later, a ball that only Limas Sweed could catch was fired into the corner of the endzone and the comeback was complete. Vince stepped onto the national stage in the Rose Bowl last year, and this game was just another step on the return trip.

Just to Hit the Ball and Touch 'Em All--A Moment in the Sun

As I we enter the end of the Rushing Season and begin pledging, I am reminded again of how thankful I am to be part of the Christian Brotherhood of Gamma Sigma Phi.

I could talk to you about winning the Intramural Softball Championship last night and how good it feels to sing "The Song" on the field afterwards, but I'll tell you about something that will last much longer than that.

Every Friday morning, I gather with 10-12 other guys to share in each other's lives. Despite late nights, heavy class schedules, and numerous other obligations that should make us treasure those extra hours of sleep, we wake up each Friday morning to see what God is up to in this world. When many of our friends are happily snuggled in their beds, we talk about the highs, lows, and everything in between that has shaped our lives.

Friday Mornings, as we have originally come to call it, along with other weekly traditions such as College Street Devo have become some of the cornerstone experiences in my college journey. As I have come into my own faith, I am beginning to find that body of people comprising my largest spiritual influences has grown.

In my childhood, my parents provided the strongest influences to the development of my faith and nurtured me as I became familiar with the story of God. In my adolescent years, that circle expanded to include Tim Henderson, my youth minister at Shiloh. As I came to ACU, and began to strengthen and develop my own faith, I began to look to my friends as spiritual guides.

One of the most amazing parts of my faith journey has been growing with other people who are finding their own faith at the same time. It is messy and it is not always pretty, but God is faithful. We question together, we learn together, and we hope together. It may not be the most direct path to where I'm going, but I would not trade it for the world.

I've Gotta Say I'm on My Way

David Brooks continues to write about the effects of Katrina. Read today's column here.

For those of you who know me, you know that I have a certain affinity for history and pop culture. Random references to bands, movies, or TV shows that flamed out like Rick Ankiel hold a certain bit of rarefied humor level in my estimation. For those reasons, people like Bill Simmons and Dennis Miller have always killed me.

I remember how so many people hated Miller when he was on Monday Night Football, but I thought it was a brilliant idea. His mid-game rants on everything from Kruschev to Wham! to Donny Osmond served as highlights of my week. As my Dad glanced over at me with an odd look in his eye as I laughed at the jokes, I basked in the glow of self-assured humor superiority.

Alas, Dennis has moved from the primetime to the cable backwaters of CNBC. I miss you Dennis, but at least Bill is still performing at a pantheon level. Read his latest column here.

There's Confidence in High Speed

Nicolas Kristof of the NY Times presents some striking points about what could be the outgrowth of America's outrage at the reaction and response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

Despite the despair that many have felt in the aftermath of Katrina, I have been heartened by what seems to be this "can-do" spirit from many of my fellow students. I have heard so many people asking the age-old question, "What can I do?" numerous times in the last week. The desire to ask that type of question flows out of an understanding that we have an obligation to reach out to those who are hurting and suffering in our world in whatever way that we can.

From the first day that I stepped on campus, I have begun to develop an understanding that I am part of something very special in this place. Few universities approach their mission with the certainty that ACU does. The continual striving to develop students who will ask the question of "What can I do?" is an intentional process. It does not seem natural for people to ask "What can I give?" or "How can I serve?" in what seem to be very desparate and dangerous situations. Nonetheless, I have witnessed numerous gatherings of students and staff to begin answering those questions. I think that in the coming days, there will be tremendous opportunities surrounding each of us.

Even though his struggle with cancer had been wide public knowledge, I was still surprised to hear of William Rehnquist's death on Saturday night. Throughout my life, he had been the one to swear Presidents into office and his steady influence will be missed in a what seems to be developing as a great time of transition in the United States. Here is a link to an obituary for Chief Justice Rehnquist that appeared in the Washington Post.

I Wanna Wake Up Where You Are

This might be the greatest photo that I have seen in quite some time. During a trip to Warwick Castle, Foreign Correspondent Shelbi Watten captured what might be the first ever GSP Overseas Pledging Activity. As you can see, this young British lad is exhibiting what is known to all Kinsmen as textbook "Booty Call." Note the 90 degree angle of the knee joints and the parallel hamstrings to the ground. Quite impressive, even with a sword in his hand.

If there was some way I could photoshop a watermelon into his hands instead of a sword, I would be on that in a second. I actually think I am going to use this photo as "how-to" for the Sibling Class pledging this fall. We salute you today young Brit! Your grit and determination are an inspiration to us all.

Current Listening: "Parachutes" by Coldplay.

In more serious news, David Brooks of the New York Times has an outstanding column about the glaring disparities between the two largest catastrophes on American soil in recent memory.

I apologize for my recent failures to document my thoughts. August was one of my best months ever in terms of writing frequency and I do not want any of you to think that September is going to be any less thrilling. Stay tuned...