Thursday, May 31, 2007

So Close That I Can't See What's Going On

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "New York" by U2 from the All That You Can't Leave Behind album as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

I don't have much to write this evening, but I thought I would pass along a short item for your perusal. As all of the frequent readers of this blog know, I have recently fallen headlong into the world of football (or futbol for the Spanish/Portuguese speaking readers of the blog, if there are any of you). With that in mind, my good friend, Mason Orr recently passed along a link to an article that he came across on Deadspin which purported to showcase what some are calling THE GREATEST GOAL EVER SCORED.

You might wonder why I capped that phrase, and if you are Dan Carlson, you're definitely wondering why I did, but calling something the GREATEST GOAL EVER SCORED is a pretty lofty pronouncement. It's not as if we're calling Michael Scott the greatest Regional Manager for Dunder-Mifflin who currently lives in Scranton, PA or calling Jack Shepard the greatest spinal surgeon currently appearing on Lost. This means something. With that said, I don't agree with those who are calling the following goal THE GREATEST GOAL EVER SCORED. I'm not scoffing at it either. I'm pretty sure if I tried what Andres Vazquez does here, I would end up in a more painful state than Tim Robbins at the end of Mystic River.

Now, without further delay, THE GREATEST GOAL EVER SCORED....

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Hot as a Hair Dryer in Your Face

The following is a story that you probably need to be a lawyer or law student to truly enjoy.


As part of my time living at home this summer, my parents, or more specifically my mom, have been looking for new furniture. They apparently struck gold (oil is probably more appropriate for Texas, but I'm sticking with gold) in the form of a new couch and loveseat. At dinner that night my mom told me about the furniture and my dad asked me to guess who the furniture salesperson most closely resembled.


I thought this was a rather open-ended question as I could conceivably guess anyone from Darryl Strawberry to Mother Theresa. Thankfully, my dad narrowed my options by saying it was someone famous. Again, I thought this was overly broad and refrained from answering. Finally, my dad said that the someone famous was a female lawyer. I searched for a few moments, which was apparently too long, as my dad laid out the final clue: She's on the U.S. Supreme Court. With the departure of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the only correct answer to my father's question was of course, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.



Yes, that's correct. Now every time that I sit down on the new couch in the living room, I'll think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Why couldn't my parents have purchased a couch from someone who reminded them of Mandy Moore or Evangeline Lilly? These are the questions that rack my brain.

In other news, it's Liverpool Skipper Steven Gerrard's 27th birthday today. In his honor, here's a video of his game-tying stoppage time goal in last year's FA Cup Final.



"When you need someone to stand up and be counted..."

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

That There, That's Not Me

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers as the Monday Song of the Day.

Before I go to bed, I want to ask a question: Are great leaders born or are they made? As I have read biographies of many of the founders in the past few years, I've been struck by some interesting themes. In particular, it seems as though a large percentage of the founders were voracious readers. They read anything and everything that they could get their hands on. It did not matter if it was a philosophical treatise from Hume or an economic text from Adam Smith. If it was published, the founders were going to read it. Men like John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson were constantly molding themselves into the type of people who would be able to lead our nation in its earliest days.

Here's where my earlier question comes in. Hamilton was not necessarily born into abject poverty, but his upbringing in the Caribbean. His mother died when he was thirteen, and his father, who was never married to his mother, had abandoned Alexander years before his mother's death. It would seem that anyone that would proffer that this de facto orphan would become the chief aide to George Washington in less than 20 years, become the leading theorist of our current form of government, and rise to the position of the first Secretary of the Treasury would be labeled naive at worst and a fool at worst.

So, was Hamilton simply the type of person who was born to succeed and it simply did not matter the type of situation that he endured in his early life or did he need to be immersed in the world of commerce that he found working as a trading clerk after his mother's death? It's a curious question and one that I would love to hear your thoughts on.

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Monday, May 28, 2007

Now I'm Falling Asleep, and She's Calling a Cab

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph R. Halbert for correctly naming "Comfortable" by John Mayer as the Wednesday Song of the Day. In the past, I probably would have been ashamed to have such a saccharine sweet song for the esteemed contest, but as a bachelor I've reached that place that Tyler Durden spoke of when he told us that "it's only when you've lost everything that you're reading to do anything." I'm pretty sure he was talking about something a little more daring than listening to cheesy John Mayer songs, but I'm going with the general spirit of the directive.

Speaking of Joey, everyone out there who peruses this fine blog needs to follow Mr. Halbert's adventures this summer in Uganda at his blog "74 Days". Joey was one of the first non-Tyler area people that I remember meeting at ACU, and ever since then I have been honored to call him my friend and fellow poli-sci major.

I'm sure his blog will explain it much more eloquently than I will ever be able to, but Joey is spending the summer in Uganda working with that nation's judicial system. It's always inspiring to know that your friends are out on the cutting edge of what is happening in the world and I know that Joey's time in Uganda will make an impact on everyone that he is able to serve.

In other news, I had a great time this weekend at the Huston family lakehouse. It's always a bit disappointing to spend a Memorial Day weekend at the lake in rainy conditions, but all in all I can't complain. The Rangers game on Friday night was one of the worst ones that I have ever attended. Granted, the Rangers only lost 10-6, but the combination of rain, the beginnings of a sweep, and the fact that Rangers fans were outnumbered 4 to 1 in their own ballpark by Red Sox fans all contributed towards a less than pleasing environment at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Then again, is anyone surprised by that last sentence?


Current Reading


Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

You Could Distinguish Miles from Coltrane

Congratulations to Ms. Stacy Villescas for correctly naming "In My Life" by The Beatles as the Tuesday Song of the Day. As the resident Beatles expert here at Running Down a Dream, I'm not going to say that she was a shoe-in to name the song, but despite a strong challenge from our classmate, Mrs. Yee, the force behind The Baylor Law School Circus has triumphed once again.

I wish I could write to you tonight with tales of a Liverpool triumph in Athens over AC Milan, but alas I cannot. The Rossoneri were too much behind a pair of goals from striker Filippo Inzaghi and took home their 7th European Cup in a 2-1 win over the Reds. There's really not much to say about the match, except for Liverpool simply did not capitalize on the opportunities and Milan did. That's how matches such as the Champions League Final are won and lost. As they once said in Brooklyn regarding the Dodgers, "Just wait 'til next year."
This marks the end of my reporting on the travails of Liverpool FC for a few months, but I'll be sure to check back in from time to time with relevant personnel moves as Rafa and the boys retool for another run at the Premiership and Champions League titles. As always, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Since I've been home for almost four weeks, I've had the opportunity to catch up on some of the reading that I missed during the school year. As Mark Twain said, "I try not to let school get in the way of my education." Today, I made a few purchases that I hope will last the remainder of the summer.

Those are:

  1. Saturday--Ian McEwan

  2. Between Two Rivers: A Novel--Nicholas Rinaldi

  3. Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw--Mark Bowden

  4. The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy--T.R. Reid

  5. The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America--Kenneth Pollack

  6. Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths--Bruce Feiler

  7. The Powers That Be--David Halberstam


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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

All These Places Have Their Moments

Sports probably mean too much.

In a world that has always been filled with genocide, famine, and strife, we give too much attention and money to these events that ultimately pale in comparison to many of the more pressing concerns in our world. This does not mean, however, that sports are meaningless. Many times they mean too much, but sometimes they can mean just enough.

There's something special about a sport and franchise that can cause a group of "Scousers" from Northwest England to stand together and sing showtunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.


It might be easy to dismiss that Liverpool, and football in general, occupies a much more prominent place in the lives of its fans around the world, but each time Liverpool supporters sing that song before a match, they remember. Each singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" reminds them of the 96 Liverpool supporters who died in the Hillsbrough Stadium Disaster in 1989. They remember that this team meant something to their father, it meant something to their aunt, it will mean something to their children. It is a glue that binds generations.
It's not just confined to a corner of Northwest England though. If a 23 year old in Texas can support the Reds, so can 73 year old in Riyadh, or a 15 year old in Vienna. Tomorrow, each one of those supporters will have their collective gaze focused on Athens where Liverpool will attempt to capture their 6th European Cup. After winning in Rome in 1977, London in 1978, Paris in 1981, Rome again in 1984, and Istanbul in 2005, the Reds will take to the Olympic Stadium pitch aiming to add a Greek feather to their cap.

Standing in their way is one of the two franchises that currently have more European Cups than Liverpool, AC Milan. Milan, as you will remember from my earlier posts, faced Liverpool in 2005's Final, which is a consensus choice as the greatest final in the 51 year history of the Champions League. If you need a refresher, here's a quick recap:
I would love to have a drama-filled Final that rivals the fireworks of '05, but I just don't think my heart can take being down 0-3 to Milan again, and I didn't even watch the '05 Final live. Milan is still lead by the brilliance of Kaka and Clarence Seedorf as well as by the defensive presence of Skipper Paolo Maldini and his countryman, Alessandro Nesta. If the Reds are to bring home number 6 it will be no easy task, but the truly important things rarely are.

Notes: The match will air tomorrow on ESPN2 beginning at 1 p.m. central. Please, and I repeat, please do not call me or send me any text messages with score updates or commentary whether it be congratulatory or derisive. I have the game Tivo'ed at a friend's house and I am waiting to enjoy the match once my duties have ended for the day. I'm not joking about this. I will find you and punch you. Even you, Mom.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

Spring Blooms and You Find the Love That's True

There's this moment in "Running to Stand Still" where the song's subject "runs through the streets, with her eyes painted red, under a black belly of cloud in the rain." I'm pretty sure my eyes were not painted red tonight, but Bono could have been describing my run tonight with his words.

My good friend Jonathan Smith wrote a couple of days ago about his experiences during a marathon relay. I'm pretty sure Jon's opportunity to run on a beach like Rocky and Apollo in Rocky III (minus the awkward hug at the end) beats my voyage tonight through the rainy streets of Whitehouse, but we take our opportunities as they come to us.

I'm looking forward this week to the Champions League Final and Lost season finale on Wednesday and seeing Dice-K make his first trip to Texas on Friday as the Red Sox battle the Rangers in Arlington. I'll have more thoughts on the Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan tomorrow. Until then, start practicing "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Current Reading

Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses by Bruce Feiler

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

Moving on Down the Street, I See People I Won't Ever Meet

One might think that Kenneth Affolter is going to suffer enough, but apparently The Hershey Co. does not agree. Mr. Affolter was recently sentenced to five years in prison for selling tasty pot infused treats with names like "Stoney Rancher", "Rasta Reese's", and "Keef Kat". After receiving his sentence, Affolter also received process papers notifying him that he was the defendant in a civil suit filed by Hershey alleging damages related to trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition exceeding $100,000.

I could be wrong here, but I don't think that the Pennsylvania confectionery conglomerate was suffering that much from people confusing their usual Kit Kat with the ever alluring "Keef Kat". That's not to say that I don't sympathize with Hershey's position to a certain extent as well. Whatever happened to the good old days when your friendly neighborhood stoner would fix up a nice batch of pot brownies and the only person who got mad was Betty Crocker?

*Editorial Comment to any potential employers who might come across this post in the future in your travels across the information superhighway: I have never, do not currently, and do not ever plan to smoke marijuana, ganja, reefer, grass, pot, etc. I do listen to Phish and the Grateful Dead, but despite my affinity for these two bands, I'm still as clueless about the true meaning of 420 as everyone else. Unlike President Clinton, I've never even been closing to deciding whether or not to inhale.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

There are Two Colors in My Head

Congratulations to Ms. Heidi Hipp for correctly naming "Rebellion (Lies)" by the Arcade Fire as the Friday Song of the Day.

This morning as I was reading through the June issue of Men's Journal magazine, I ran across a very interesting and troubling story. The story relates the horrible travails of Eric Volz, an American living in Nicaragua who was charged and convicted of the murder of an ex-girlfriend. According to reports, Volz was convicted despite ten eyewitnesses who testified that he was over two hours from the scene at the time of the murder. The prosecution also produced no physical evidence linking Volz to the crime scene or any evidence that Volz had participated in a conspiracy to murder his ex-girlfriend.

Volz is currently serving a thirty year sentence in a Nicaraguan prison and awaiting the result of an appeal of his conviction. I found the following video on YouTube. It provides a pretty concise summary of the events surrounding Volz's conviction and the reaction of friends and family to such an unbelievable miscarriage of justice.


If you want to learn more about Eric Volz, visit Friends of Eric Volz.

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Friday, May 18, 2007

So Lift Those Heavy Eyelids

Current Reading



Letters to a Young Lawyer by Alan Dershowitz
There are few more enjoyable ways to spend an evening in May than driving across Lake Tyler in a boat at sunset. There's a type of synergistic energy that results from the combined beauty of the looking glass water, the trees, and the sky. Today has been a good day.

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Thursday, May 17, 2007

If Anything Could Ever Feel This Good Again

I've been doing a great deal of thinking lately about how to do what I love for the rest of my life instead of simply taking a job that pays the bills while it simultaneously crushes my soul each and every day.

It has come up in conversations that I have initiated and in unexpected moments but when people ask me about what I want to do in the future, I provide them with this answer: I want to write. I don't know if I want write novels, feature stories, or columns, but I do know that the time that I enjoy most each day is the time that I write in this space.

Let's just go ahead and get all of the doubts and shortcomings out there right now so we can deal with this topic honestly:

1. I've never taken a journalism class.

2. The only writing I've done besides school assignments is on this blog, which may or may not be a good thing.

3. There's probably something else major that I have neglected to mention, so I'm putting #3 here just to be safe.

That's it. That's what standing in front of me really starting to explore what life could be like if I decided to pursue a path that many do not expect me to take. When I sit down and think about what I could be passionate about doing the rest of my life, it does not include me sitting in an office making sure that XYZ Corporation gets a fair contract with ABC Corporation. I'm pretty sure I would rather wake up each morning and see that Nic Cage had won a Best Actor Oscar for Ghostrider than to do something that would slowly eat away at my life.

This post is merely an articulation of the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head as of late, and is not intended to be anything more than an insight into what's been occupying my mind as of late. Also, I have no intention of dropping out of law school, as I believe that the skills that I have been developing at BLS will be a tremendous asset if I am fortunate enough to pursue a career in writing.

They say that every journey begins with a single step. Consider this the first movement.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Straight Into the Night Our Hearts Were Flung

Taken from Letters to a Young Lawyer by Alan Dershowitz:
In the world in which we live today, a lawyer without any enemies is likely to be a coward and a sycophant. A lawyer with the right enemies is often an advocate who has taken on powerful interests and stood up for the poor, the disenfranchised and the despised.
Don't try to become a "Sara Lee" lawyer. Remember the slogan: "Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee." Of course not. It's a cake! You're a lawyer in an adversarial system. If everybody likes you, you're doing something wrong. You're not being tough enough. You're not taking on controversial cases. You're putting your friendship with other lawyers above the interests of your clients. You're sucking up.
I'm not proposing that you be gratuitously offensive. I know I sometimes am. As my mother says, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Though we're not in the fly-catching business, it is often better to use friendship than enmity to serve the interests of your clients. But enmity is sometimes inevitable in an adversarial world. So be selective in your choice of enemies. Know the difference between who you want to like you and who you want to hate you. A person should be judged, at least in part, by the enemies he or she keeps.
I had lunch today with an attorney from our church who works with Smith County in the Public Defender's Office providing legal representation to indigent defendants. Somehow our conversation turned to the topic that Professor Dershowitz addressed in the passage quoted above, and the attorney told me about an interesting encounter he had with a member of our church.
One day as he was walking into the church, he saw another member of the church with whom he usually shared a greeting and a short conversation about family, work, etc., but this time the other person had something specific on his mind. He shook the attorney's hand and then pulled him close enough to whisper, "Do you have to represent every pervert in this city?"
Now, the speaker likely knew that the attorney had a contract with the county to provide indigent legal defense, but his question exposes a large rift that exists between lawyers and non-lawyers: the ever present "How can you represent a guilty person?" question. I'm not going to even attempt to provide a complete answer to such an involved inquiry tonight, but I want to provide a brief sketch of my position on the topic.
Many of you have likely read To Kill a Mockingbird or at least seen the film, so I will use Atticus Finch as a jumping off point for my answer. In Harper Lee's beautiful and haunting story of racial injustice, everyone admires Finch's ultimately doomed representation of the innocent Tom Robinson and holds up this caricature as the pinnacle of the good that lawyers are capable of in our society. This admiration is probably justified, but let me ask you a question: What good is the constitution if we allow those who are actually guilty to go without zealous legal representation?
The answer to this question exposes the paradox in our judicial system. We admire America because we believe that it is better that 100 guilty defendants are acquitted rather than 1 innocent defendant be convicted. That's why attorneys must always zealously represent their clients regardless of guilt or innocence. Sometimes the defendants guilt is going to restrict the ethical parameters of an honorable attorney, but a client's guilt should preclude them from getting a "fair shake" before our courts.
I still remember a quote from the aforementioned attorney when he was talking to a client before an initial appearance. The client asked the attorney what he thought the client's prospects were, and the attorney decided not to provide a percentage approximation, but instead answered the question this way: "I can tell you this. I'll do the same thing for you that I would hope you would do for me if I were sitting in your chair and you were sitting in mine."
That is truly all you can ask.

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All the World Was Shining From Those Hills

Congratulations to Mr. Tim Henderson for naming "Night Moves" by Bob Seger as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

When you combine Liverpool, Al Pacino's locker room speech from Any Given Sunday, and a date with AC Milan in the Champions League Final, the result is probably the best video that I have recently seen on YouTube.

Trust me, it will be the best 10 minutes of your day.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Out Past the Cornfields Where the Woods Got Heavy

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Stand by Me" by Oasis as the Monday Song of the Day.

One night during my time at ACU, my friends and I had a conversation about our high school experience. Specifically talk turned in a morbid direction when we started discussing how many of our classmates had died during high school. Someone turned to me and asked about Whitehouse and I could only respond, "My high school is like the Kennedy family."

I don't mean that to make light of tremendous loss, but due to the fact that two Whitehouse High students have died in the past two weeks in auto accidents (one due to excessive speed, and one due to drunk driving), I cannot help but think that my high school years were surrounded by more than the usual share of tragedy. It wasn't just car wrecks that took students too early, there were suicides and overdoses as well.

I know that every high school has its share of students who drive too fast, drive drunk, or get a little bit out of control, but the combination of high school drivers, serpentine roads, and a small margin of error for wrecks due to the trees that line the roadways of East Texas lead to a very unforgiving atmosphere in our corner of the globe.

As I read through Ken Dornstein's account of losing his brother in the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, I was once again struck by the fact that simply because someone's turn on the stage of life is finished, this does not mean that they don't find their way into all kinds of nooks and crannies of our lives where we never expected to find them. I've never lost someone incredibly close to me, but when I do, I kind of want them to keep popping up in the most surprising of ways simply so I do not forget how they shaped and molded me into who I am.

Monday, May 14, 2007

So What's the Matter With You? Sing Me Something New

Congratulations to Mr. Dan Carlson for correctly naming "Stuck Between Stations" by The Hold Steady as the Song of the Day for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Current Reading

The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky: A True Story by Ken Dornstein

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

Boys and Girls in America Have Such a Sad Time Together

There's nothing like a small town election to bring about a good conspiracy theory.

I'll set the stage this way: I grew up in the town of Whitehouse, Texas, which is about 7 miles south of Tyler. Whitehouse has about 6,500 residents and is a place that people might describe with a phrase like "It's a good place to raise a family." I'm not sure what that means, but you can usually place it into a conversation without the other person blinking an eye.

I'm currently living with my parents for two months during my internship at the Tyler U.S. Attorney's Office and I had the opportunity to vote today in a Whitehouse bond election concerning a proposed city park that would sit about 150 yards from our front door. As you can guess, the only people in town who really opposed the park are the people who live on our street and the street that runs along the opposite side of the currently undeveloped land.

Thus, I was surprised earlier this week to find a mysterious flyer tucked into our front door. In relevant part, the flyer stated that the City of Whitehouse had the first right of refusal regarding the land, but if the bond election did not pass, HUD was second in line and was planning to build a series of low-income housing projects on the land. There's nothing that can motivate a lethargic conservative electorate like the threat of a HUD development.

Today as we went to the polling station, we saw a woman that my parents go to church with who told us an interesting story. According to this woman, the letter was a fabrication from an unnamed source who really wanted the park to pass and placed the HUD threat in the letter simply to motivate voters who would normally have been opposed to the park. I'm not calling this woman a liar, but I find it pretty unbelievable that someone would take the time to print up hundreds of fraudulent flyers and place them on houses days before the vote simply to sway people's vote over a city park, but crazier things have happened.

Decide what you will, but I want the conspiracy theory to be true. It just wouldn't be a small town election without one.

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Friday, May 11, 2007

There are Nights When I Think That Sal Paradise was Right

A few years ago, it would probably seem very odd for me to write the following after a 14-2 victory over the "Evil Empire" at Yankee Stadium, but I think I've seen this Rangers season before.

Looking back at all of the spring training conversations that I had with my friends regarding the Rangers' prospects, I feel like a movie producer asserting that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was going to be watchable in any manner. Somehow I always manage to deceive myself into statements that look something like this: "Well, I know that Millwood might be past his prime, but I'm sure that everyone else will pick up the slack" or "I really think that all of Gagne's injury problems are water under the bridge."

After reading Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby earlier this year I began to realize something: utter and complete heartbreak is better than a steady feeling of malaise. If someone offered me the opportunity to trade places with a pre-2004 Red Sox fan who is filled with all kinds of angst and disappointment from the Bucky Dents and Aaron Boones of the world, I would respond in the same manner as Lieutenant Sam Weinberg in A Few Good Men, "I would take that deal everyday of the week and twice on Sunday." That is the honest truth.

It's the same thing as romance. Tennyson once told us "'tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all", and that's what I want. It's almost as if it's better to be with that crazy girl who goes out and breaks your heart than to sit there every evening eating Cocoa Puffs in your boxers lamenting the fact that you haven't gone on a date in years. I don't care if the Rangers make it all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS only to rip out the collective heart of their fanbase. That's infinitely better than the disgust I feel when I look at a telecast from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and see more empty green seats behind home plate than disgruntled fans filling those seats.

Maybe that's why I feel like I'm having an affair with Liverpool. I watch those fans and I see something special. They care. In fact, they probably care a little bit too much. Now, I'm not saying that sports should matter more than a lot of other things in our life, but I cannot help but feel melancholy when I see the fervor with which they support the Reds. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be incredibly happy if Liverpool defeats AC Milan in the Champions League Final on the 23rd, but it will not come anywhere close to the sense of catharsis that I will feel IF the Rangers ever win the World Series.

If someone comes across this post and has no idea who I am, you might be justified in feeling sorry for me. Just look at this poor guy, he is all caught in an ultimately meaningless baseball team when there are so many other monumental things happening in the world. I will grant you that statement as true, and then I will immediately go back to talking about how this has to be our year. Some habits are hard to break.

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Thursday, May 10, 2007

She Said You're Pretty Good with Words, but Words Won't Save Your Life

The most prevalent female name in the news this past week has not been that of a certain vapid California starlet. Instead, the lady that the nightly newscasts could not ignore was a woman from the House of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth to be exact. We followed the Queen as she went from Williamsburg to Louisville to Washington, but this begs the question: Why do we care so much about a figurehead? What is the American obsession with the British monarchy?

Is it simply a fascination with an idea that is unfamiliar to our American notions of democracy or is it a reverence for someone who is the living embodiment of the collective history of our nation? The organic American form of democracy would likely cause a large number of Americans to reject the idea of monarchy, yet many are still captivated by an institution that we once declared unacceptably oppressive.

America is a nation that has surged through a myriad of shapes and forms and it seems that the one thread running through our national narrative is that of change. Horace Greeley's memorable admonition to "Go West Young Man," is more than a shallow platitude. It is our national identity. The West may have been won, but we continue to move towards a distant vista where life will surely be better and more secure through the inexorable force of our will.

Perhaps this is why we are fascinated with the Queen. When we view the British monarchy, we are reminded of our own national youth and impressed by the continuity of that little island nation that did so much to give us our beginning. It is not incredibly unlike placing a new, shiny Corvette next to a vintage Aston Martin. One is all raw power and flash. The other is quietly refined and stylish. All of these are good qualities, but when placed side by side, the differences become obvious.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

I Lay in the Long Grass, So Many People, So Many People Pass

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

"Standing with your hands in your pockets is another way of saying, 'I'm scared to death.'"

At least that's what I was told yesterday by a Smith County Deputy Sheriff during my visit to the Smith County Jail. The officer should probably understand that in the great majority of social situations I choose to put my hands in my pockets rather than the other alternatives which could include shadow puppets, pugilism, or obscene gestures.


I'm pretty sure the statement was just the product of a Sheriff's Deputy who wanted to show me that I was in a place much like Kurt Vonnegut described in Welcome to the Monkey House (his words) and he could sense my "fear". Nonetheless, I did appreciate that a Smith County Sheriff's Deputy made a Vonnegut reference in the midst of my visit to his wonderful place of business.


I still remember the trips that we took to the County Jail in 3rd and 8th grades. I guess it was designed to "scare kids straight", but I can vouch for the fact that some of my classmates were still not deterred in their journey towards the Texas Penal system. Perhaps they were enthralled with the scene in Finding Forrester* where the prestigious Manhattan prep school "Mailor-Callow" holds basketball practice in a rooftop cage and wanted to replicate that bit of cinematic brilliance wearing an orange jumpsuit in downtown Tyler.

"You're the man now dog!!!"

*It should be noted that this statement is obviously anachronistic because Finding Forrester premiered in the early 21st century when I was in high school but go with it anyway.

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Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The People Bowed and Prayed to the Neon God They Made

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Don't Go Away" by Oasis as the Monday Song of the Day.
Along with Tuegel as the resident U2 expert and ALV as the resident Beatles expert, I'm anointing Joey as the resident Oasis expert. Joey also told me about one of my favorite stories regarding the Gallagher brothers. At last year's Austin City Limits Festival, apparently Liam was enthralled with the Frost Bank Building across Town Lake and declared that "this next song goes out to the building that looks like an owl." It's always fun with the Gallagher brothers.



In other news of the day, ABC announced the lifespan of Lost. The series will air for three more seasons, and each of those seasons will be composed of 16 episodes, which is a shorter season length than the first three offerings. As a fan of the show, I'm glad that we have a definite date for when the show will end so that the writers will be able to adequately plot and pace the byzantine storylines that tie Jack, Kate, Hurley, Jin, and Desmond together on the island. I'll admit that at times I've wondered if the writers will be able to keep all of the plates spinning, but the knowledge of your show's mortality should provide a good framework for pulling together all of the loose ends.


On the way back from the lake this weekend, we played an enjoyable game in the truck that I thought I would pass along. All you need is an iPod and a group of friends who are not afraid to embarrass themselves. The game operates by placing the headphones in someone's ears (although full-ear headphones would be ideal) and then turning up the volume so that they cannot hear themselves sing. Then the person belts the song at the top of their voice while everyone else in the car either cringes or sings along.


Highlights included Shane Spencer belting out "Cowboy Take Me Away" by the Dixie Chicks and "Higher" by Creed, Jacob Wardell crooning "A Whole New World" from the Aladdin soundtrack, Brandon Maenius bringing us "All My Life" by K-Ci and JoJo, and Nate Low's soulful rendition of "All or Nothing" by O-Town. I should tell you that this game is the brainchild of Nate Low and he deserves the credit for bringing it to a grateful world.

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Monday, May 7, 2007

Say That You'll Stay, Forever and a Day, In the Time of My Life

Congratulations to Mr. Mike May for correctly naming "Cigarette Smoke" by the Arctic Monkeys as the Thursday Song of the Day. Mike, I'm sorry for holding your day in the spotlight for a little while, but I decided that I needed a short weekend sabbatical from the blog in order to "refresh, reprepare, reread, and repent" in the words of Prof. CrimPro.

It was a good weekend with the boys down in the Hill Country at Lake Buchanan. You might think that I should have known that playing a game of soccer in Chacos would not be a good idea, but there I was, running up and down the pitch, wincing as I anticipated the pain that was to come. The team of Brandon Maenius, Luke Reeves, Jake Wardell, Bo Mechinus, and yours truly ended up losing to the squad of Lance Agan, Will Smyth, Jordan Gay, Garrett Oakley, Shane Spencer, and Nate Low by the score of 10-9. You'll notice that our team was only composed of 5 brave souls while our opponents had 6 players at their disposal. I'll let you decide who put forth the more valiant effort, and yes, I'm still bitter that we lost.

For the rant of the evening, I'm looking at corporate America nabbing one of my favorite songs and making it their own. When some marketing department decided to feature "All Around the World" by Oasis for its newest slate of commercials they committed a heinous act. Instead of making people think of BritPop genius, they think of Cingular merging with AT&T in some sort of bizarre corporate mating ritual, the likes of which have not been reached since Cadillac co-opted Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Here's a quick memo to advertising gurus: Feel free to use the work of SmashMouth, but think twice before you take valid rock and roll and use it to schill cell phones.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Formal Flashing of Digital Cameras from Tourists in Trafalgar Square

In the midst of attending the sentencing hearing that I mentioned in yesterday's post I somehow forgot to include the most interesting. After the first defendant, the ringleader, was sentenced he decided to issue a "message" to the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted his case. As he was being escorted out the courtroom by the U.S. Marshal, the defendant uttered the following phrase:

"It don't (expletive) matter. I'm a lion among men. I'll see you."

Well then. I'm pretty sure that William Manchester described Winston Churchill as The Last Lion, but I've never heard anyone state they were a "lion among men" much less someone who was just sentenced to 152 years in federal prison. Perhaps people cope with disappointment in different ways.

I'm currently watching the first half of the Mavs-Warriors game in Oakland, and I have to say: I'm glad I'm not planning to watch the entire game because I'm pretty sure that my retinas would be burned out by staring all game at the crowd wearing uniform yellow shirts that were issued to them before the game. It probably reminds Stephen Jackson of what his future stay in the Marion County (Indiana) jail is going to look like.

I know that was a low blow, but it needed to be said.

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Wednesday, May 2, 2007

The Piano Took Up the Living Room

I'm not sure if you remember my post on April 7th regarding the Tyler area news media's overreaction to the "crippling" April snowfall, but tonight might take the cake. It's probably because my family enjoys the show Lost a little too much, but I'm pretty sure that we reserved an extra measure of vitriol for a Tyler weatherman who decided to cut out large portions of the program describing the "life-threatening" thunderstorms that rolled through East Texas this evening. It wasn't enough to simply place the icon in the corner of the screen telling viewers the direction of the storm. No, the wonderful Mark Scirto had to continually zoom in and out with the radar like a stoned high-school student using Google Earth. Thanks Mark, thanks for nothing.

Today, I attended the sentencing hearings of three members of a multi-state methamphetamine ring that was busted last year by members of the FBI, ATF, and Tyler Police Department. What lesson did I learn? Well, let's just say that if you're going to sell drugs, make sure that you're not carrying a gun when you do so. If you do, you might end up with a sentence somewhere near 150 years. Yes, 150 years. Two of the defendants were sentenced to 152 years and the third was sentenced to 148 years. It's hard to feel sorry for someone who made the decision to engage in that kind of activity, but when you see someone react as they hear that they are going to spend the rest of their life in jail, a small part of you does ache for them. A small part.

Lastly, AC Milan trounced Manchester United 3-0 today at the San Siro to advance to the UEFA Champions League Final on May 23rd in Athens against Liverpool. You'll remember that this is a rematch of the legendary 2005 Champions League Final which saw Milan go up 3-0 in the first half, Liverpool claw back with 3 goals in 7 minutes in the second half, and a 3-2 victory in penalty kicks by Liverpool after a scoreless 30 minutes of extra time. I'm not sure if this year's match can live up to its predecessor but it should be great theater.

I know that I post a great number of YouTube videos, but today's is honestly one of the best that I've ever seen. It's probably the combination of Liverpool's victory, Gabriel Faure's "Pavane", and Des Lynam reciting Rudyard Kipling's "If". Give it a shot.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2007

I Was Afraid That If You Rolled Away, You Might Not Roll Back My Direction Real Soon

Much to the chagrin of Joseph R. Halbert, I am still alive this evening and in a great mood for two reasons:
  1. I found out today that the plaintiff in the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case,which was argued before the United States Supreme Court on March 19 of this year, is in fact the cousin of some of my good friends that I grew up with. I'm pretty sure that I've never met anyone who was a litigant before the highest court in the land but this comes pretty darn close. Also, if I could have a rather tenuous connection with any party in the Supreme Court's illustrious history, I would rather have it be the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" guy rather than some woman of ill repute like Anna Nicole Smith. I don't care if that joke was too soon. I said it, and I'm standing by it.

  2. Liverpool finished off Chelsea tonight in stunning fashion to advance to the UEFA Champions League Final on May 23rd at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. It remains to be seen whether the Reds will be facing AC Milan or Manchester United, but I can guarantee you that it will be a great evening.

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