I'm Gonna Get Experience

Because it's Friday night and you could always use some more good music your life. Here's John Mayer doing an outstanding cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold as Love".

Current Reading

Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Pop Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson

I Know You'll Count on the Me From Yesterday

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph R. Halbert for correctly naming "When I Come Around" by Green Day as the Tuesday Song of the Day.



Despite flak I might receive from Dan Carlson, my Dad, and Ryan Searcey for the content of the following post, I'm doing it anyway. It's what some might call "damning the torpedoes." I don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds right.



Today, the UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw was held in Monaco. In what looks like a remedial lottery course, the various football clubs of Europe have their names thrown into a variety of bowls, where they are mixed with the names of other elite clubs and eventually drawn out to determine the seedings for the Champions League matches of 2007-2008.




Here are the results:



Group A

• Liverpool FC (England)


• FC Porto (Portugal)


• Olympique de Marseille (France, as if you had to ask)


• Beskitas JK (Turkey

Group B

• Chelsea FC (England)


• FC Valencia (Spain)


• Rosenborg (Norway)


• Schalke FC (Germany)

Group C

• Real Madrid (Spain)


• Werder Bremen (Germany)


• Olympiacos (Greece)


• Lazio (Italy)

Group D

• Celtic FC (Scotland)


• AC Milan (Italy) (Current Title Holders)


• Benfica (Portugal)


• Shaktar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Group E

• FC Barcelona (Spain)


• Olympique de Lyon (France)


• Stuttgart (Germany)


• Rangers FC (Scotland)

Group F

• Manchester United FC (England)


• Roma (Italy)


• Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)


• Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Group G

• Internazionale Milan (Italy)


• PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)


• CSKA Moscow


• Fenerbahce (Turkey)

Group H

• Arsenal FC (England)


• AEK Athens/Sevilla (Match postponed due to the death of Antonio Puerta of Sevilla)


• Steaua Bucharest (Romania)


• Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Note: The group stage is played in a round-robin format with each team playing a home/away series with every other team for a total of 6 matches for each team.

I don't anticipate that Liverpool will have much trouble with Beskitas or Marseille (although Zenden and Cisse will have revenge on their minds as they face their old club), but Porto could be a bit of a different story. Under the direction of current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, Porto took home the 2004 Champions League crown by defeating AS Monaco. I don't think they are quite as good as they were that year, at least I hope not, but as well as the Reds have been playing so far this campaign, it does not seem to matter who the opponent is.

The preceding sentence will make me feel very foolish if we are bounced from the competition at the conclusion of Group Stage play in mid-December. Only time will tell.

I Heard You Cryin' Loud All the Way Across Town

There's not much to report on the second day of the Fall Quarter besides a strong performance by Liverpool in today's match against Toulouse. Now that the Reds have vanquished the French side, they will move on to the Champions League Group Stages. Tim, I realize that a number of the Liverpool videos that I have been posting lately from YouTube are being shut down by something called NetResult. Because of that, I'm switching over to Daily Motion to bring you all of the latest footage from the greatest football club on the face of the earth. That, my friends, is an empirically provable assertion.

Before you watch the video, the goalscorers today were Peter Crouch (19th minute), Sami Hyppia (49th minute), and Dirk Kuyt (87th and 90th minutes). Also, the commentary is not in English. Sorry. Consider this your moment of cultural experimentation for the day. You'll thank me later.

LIVERPOOL-TOULOUSE all goal www.onlinepariuri.com
Uploaded by danyab

I Got to Stop Wishin', I Got to Go Fishin'

Congratulations to Mr. Dan Carlson for correctly naming "Wagon Wheel" by The Old Crow Medicine Show as the Sunday Song of the Day. Dan, you should note that I'm still allowing you to receive the immense praise and adulation that comes from being a Song of the Day winner despite your blasphemous remarks against the beautiful game in your comment. I am a benevolent blog operator, but my grace is not without its limits.


I'm sure that all of you know by now that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales officially resigned earlier this morning after communicating his desire to step down to President Bush this past Friday. I was actually caught off-guard by the resignation and thought that if Gonzales was going to resign, he would have done so at an earlier date. It seemed that as the coverage of the Department of Justice's handling of the firing of the 8 U.S. Attorneys began to subside, Gonzales had somehow decided to stick around until the end of President Bush's second term.


Now, the Gonzales resignation falls very closely to that of another key figure in the Bush administration apparatus, Karl Rove, and will probably cause many to wonder what exactly is ahead in the final year of George W. Bush's presidency. Whether you agree or disagree with the Attorney General's record on wiretaps, the aforementioned firing of 8 U.S. Attorneys, or the formulation of the Bush Administration's position on interrogation of enemy combatants, it seemed that public opinion had reached a critical mass that would not allow Gonzales to retain the top position in the D.O.J. without waging a significant public relations campaign to restore his standing as a leader with broad-based support.


As Gonzales steps down, the inquiry now becomes who will replace him as the chief law enforcement officer in the United States. Current Solicitor General Paul Clement will take over as the Temporary Attorney General until the President selects someone to serve in the remaining 17 months of the Bush presidency.










Clement's name has been floated in the permanent successor talks as well as that of Michael Chertoff, the current Secretary of Homeland Security and the former head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

I'm not sure if the President is going to pick Chertoff, Clement, or someone else that I have not mentioned, but I do know this: Whomever steps into the role of Attorney General has a tremendous opportunity to make large-scale policy decisions that will affect the long term future of the United States. It may be easy to dismiss the actions of one person in a behemoth of an organization like the United States Department of Justice, but the person who sits in the chair as the Attorney General has more power than almost anyone else in the federal government. (I know that the economics wonks who read this blog will immediately go into a long-winded explanation of the power that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, such as Ben Bernanke or Alan Greenspan, wields but I'm sticking to my proverbial guns).

Being a former D.O.J. employee, perhaps I'm a bit biased on this point, but you would probably be shocked at how many ways that the Department of Justice affects your life as an American citizen on a daily basis. Because of that, take a vested interest in the person that President Bush selects to serve as the next Attorney General.

"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government."--Thomas Jefferson

Starin' Up the Road, Pray to God I See Headlights

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's almost that time. Classes for the Fall Quarter begin tomorrow at Baylor Law. I can tell you this: it has been four, yes four, months since I sat in a law school class and tomorrow morning promises to be painful. Here's to the next step of the journey and positive thinking.


I saw a pretty interesting story tonight on "60 Minutes". (Yes, I watch "60 Minutes". I'm not sure if that allows me to connect with my elders, but I enjoy the program). One Laptop Per Child, or OLPC for short, is non-profit organization founded by M.I.T. professor Nicholas Negroponte and others. OLPC's goal is to develop a $100 laptop that can be given to each and every child around the globe regardless of whether that child lives in America, Switzerland, or Laos.

The "60 Minutes" story focused on a village in Cambodia that OLPC has used as its proving ground. The village is accessible by a four-hour journey on a dirt road and does not have running water or electricity, but each and every child at the village's school has a laptop thanks to the work of OLPC.

After reading Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat last Christmas, I believe now more than ever that in order for children around the world to raise their standard of living and escape the crippling poverty that still ensnares far too many in these prosperous times, the secret is a connection to the educational tools that are everywhere around us. Thanks to Nicholas Negroponte and OLPC, that dream is becoming a reality.

Listen but Don't Be Afraid

After a rather impromptu gathering of Trek staffers last night in Denton, I have returned to the Land of the Bear in preparation for classes beginning on Monday. I guess I just need to get some traveling out of my blood before I have to settle in for a little while here in Waco.

During my time in Denton, I was able to take in a fine, fine show by the South Austin Jug Band. For those of you who have never heard of the SAJB, as they are known to those who favor acronyms, just think of a little Nickel Creek mixed with some Old Crow Medicine Show, along with a side of Bob Wills. Trust me, it's as good as it sounds. Here's a little video of the band playing "Long Journey Home".



In news of note to those of you who follow Liverpool FC (that would include everyone who reads this blog obviously), the Reds posted a great win today in a match with Premiership newcomers Sunderland. Here's a video (sans commentary) showing match highlights, including goals from Momo Sissoko (his first for Liverpool) and Andriy Voronin. Great things are happening early in the campaign for the Reds.



Current Reading

Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War by Evan Wright

We Don't Have Money, So We Can't Lose It

Congratulations to my Dad, Danny Scott, for correctly naming "Crazy as a Loon" by John Prine as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

I've returned to Waco after spending the past two days in the Key City visiting some good friends as well as the sister. Not that my sister is not a good friend, but I felt as though she deserved her own categorical mention exclusive of simply the friend category. Sorry for the digression, I'm just trying to maintain familial harmony.

I was as shocked as all of you at the Rangers' mammoth performance on Wednesday night, but I'm pretty sure I was not nearly as fired up about it as Tim Kurkjian. If you want to hear what it sounds like when a middle-aged baseball writer becomes so excited about his subject that he reverts to imitations of a young, gangly teen going through puberty, please, please watch the following video.

Also, I'm pretty sure that for a few of my friends who shall go nameles (coughColeGriffithcough), the following video capturing the fervor of one pro-wrestling fan probably strikes a little bit too close to home:


On a more serious note, Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations authored a very interesting Op-Ed piece in today's Wall Street Journal. Mr. Boot explores President Bush's recent speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in which the President warned that a withdrawal from Iraq would result in the same problems that engulfed Vietnam after the United States withdrew from Southeast Asia in the early 1970's.

Back Before I Was a Movie Star

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "The Scientist" by Coldplay as the Tuesday Song of the Day.


As Jonathan Smith can tell you, my hometown (well, semi-hometown) of Tyler, Texas has a curious way of finding its way into the national spotlight. Whether that comes from the kidnapping of a baby at a local Wal-Mart or a Tyler area mother murdering her three sons because of an order from the Lord Almighty, it seems that the Rose Capitol of America is located somewhere near the nexus of the universe.


Now, I'm afraid that Tyler will not necessarily be known as the home of the Tyler Rose, NFL Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, but as the shooting location for "Anchorwoman". I was not sure whether I should laugh or cry when I heard the premise for the new Fox series, but I can tell you this, I will almost certainly not be tuning in to view the bumbling adventures of Ms. Lauren Jones in the 903.

Anyone could tell you that the series is simply a rating ploy, but then again, isn't that the aim behind almost everything that you see on the tube? What I, as a Tyler insider, can tell you is why this specific CBS affiliate would film a show that would eventually be used on a rival network, in this case Fox.


For the longest time, the only networks that had evening newscasts in the Tyler area were NBC and ABC. With that said, the NBC local newscast is the equivalent of your local minor league baseball affiliate with new names constantly arriving and then departing. On the other hand, the ABC affiliate is a model of continuity. My dad has a running commentary on the personality flaws of the local weatherman, but I'm pretty sure our TV is not equipped with a two-way feature that allows the weatherman to feel the sting of my father's verbal barbs, but I digress.


In a move to gain a larger share of the growing East Texas television market, CBS recently opened a Tyler affiliate, known to you and I as KYTX. Here's the problem: As I mentioned earlier, KLTV, the local ABC affiliate, holds the lion's share of the local viewing audience and KYTX has found hard sledding in its first few years in the Rose Capitol and surrounding areas.


Knowing that it needed some kind of gimmick or spark to grab the attention of the East Texas public, KYTX decided to go the buxom blonde route and allowed Ms. Jones and Fox to film the series at the station in hopes that East Texans might tune in, even if it is to scoff at Ms. Jones's antics. I'm not sure if the show is going to make it past the initial episodes, but I do know this, Tyler has once again found its way into the national spotlight, even if it is for another not-so-stellar reason.

I Was Just Guessing at Numbers and Figures

It's been over a week since I returned from a medical mission trip to Parral, Mexico and tonight I feel the tugging obligation to write about my experience before it begins to seep into the deeper recesses of my mind and lose some of its focus. Let's begin in Joe Friday fashion. In other words, "Just the facts, mam." I, along with fourteen others, journeyed to Parral, Mexico (the hometown of Pancho Villa) to staff a medical clinic that served as an outreach ministry for two churches in the city. Parral is a city of approximately 150,000 people in the state of Chihuahua and when first viewed from a highway heading into town looks strangely like San Francisco.

I worked in the section of the clinic that provided free eyeglasses for members of the community. I should also note that while the patients had the opportunity to visit professional doctors and dentists at the clinic, they were stuck with a not-quite-professional optometrist in yours truly who would have probably not have been able to find glasses that provided enough correction in the available selection. Such is life.

There were moments of mental and physical frustration in trying to reach across linguistic and cultural barriers. Laying on the bed at the hotel after a day of trying to translate instructions regarding the operation of the optical equipment,my mind would ache. Whoever the sage was that stated, "You use or it you lose it" was not kidding. Nonetheless, each day was a joy at the clinic.

There is something beautiful and touching about providing eyeglasses to a child who is then able to see clearly for the first time in his or her life. There is something powerful in giving reading glasses to an aging man or woman so that they can read to their grandchildren. There is something special in allowing God to use you even when you don't think you have that much to give.

Been Fooled Again, The Search Continues

As your source for all things Liverpool FC, I feel obligated to weigh in on the match with Chelsea yesterday. The match featured a tremendous home debut goal from Fernando Torres that you can see here:

Impressive, huh? Well, after something that great it had to go downhill somehow, but the Reds faithful didn't expect the disappointment to come in the form of a bogus penalty call. I realize I am somewhat, okay, highly biased on the subject, but if you don't believe me, just watch this Oscar-worthy acting performance from newly signed Frenchmen Florent Malouda. (The video is pretty grainy, but it's the best I could find. Sorry.)

I would put a Tim Donaghy reference in here somewhere, but Referee Rob Styles' call was apparently so bad that the English Football Association has suspended him for a match. Also, I just wouldn't be the internet if I didn't use this space to spread vitriol and inane conspiracy theories related to match-fixing.

With all of that said, the Reds looked excellent yesterday and it's hard not to start preparing for special things to happen this year at Anfield.

There is a Wall That Runs Right Through Me

Congratulations to Mr. Tim Henderson for correctly naming "Grace" by U2 as the Thursday Song of the Day.


Sometimes life simply makes no sense. None. Aaron Fry, a member of Gamma Sigma Phi who pledged a year after me, died yesterday in Abilene after being thrown from his motorcycle. You can read the Abilene Reporter News release here. Aaron and I were not particularly close, but he was the type of guy who managed to carve his own niche wherever he went. He was a tremendous trumpet player and sang tenor with the best of them. Now, at 22, he's dead.


Any words that I write here will seem inadequate, so I'll simply say this: Aaron, rest in peace, my brother.

It's a Name for a Girl

Many, many thanks to Ben Grant for passing along the following link. If you don't want to read the full story, here's a synopsis: A South Carolina inmate is suing embattled (yes, his name has been legally changed to "embattled") Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for $63 billion (yes, billion) dollars. Oh, what's that? Ah yes. Why in the world would a South Carolina inmate sue Michael Vick for $63 billion dollars? Well, it all makes perfect sense. Let me explain...

According to the complaint filed at the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, the inmate alleged that Vick stole pit bulls from his (the inmate's)home in Florida, used those stolen pit bulls in the infamous dogfighting operation in Richmond, subsequently sold the pit bulls on eBay, used the proceeds from the sale of the dogs to purchase missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and planned to use those missiles against the good people of the United States of America because Vick apparently pledged his eternal allegiance to none other than Al Qaeda.

See, it all makes perfect sense. I wish I could make up things that absurd.

It's Also a Thought that Changed the World

Much thanks to Ben G. and Mrs. Yee for their thoughts on Bear Grylles and "Man v. Wild". I'm glad to be able to resume writing and reading the thoughts of others in response to that writing. One of my favorite aspects of this medium is the ability to dissect various topics that range from the inane to the eternal. It's good to be back.

I would be remiss if I did not provide a link to a blog that my friend, Jeff Giddens, began last month. During my time at ACU, one of the most rewarding ministries that I was able to serve in was what we simply called "Devo". Jeff was one of the catalysts behind that gathering and I am thankful to call him a friend.

In other news worth noting, Mr. Cody Girod has announced his English Premier League loyalties will lie with.............Newcastle United. Yes, that's right, he's decided to place his support behind the squad from the North. Apparently Cody was dissuaded from supporting the Reds because he did not want to promote the appearance that he was simply following in my Steven Gerrard-loving footsteps. If there's anything that I can respect, it is someone who is able to choose their own loyalties without simply parroting others, whether that pertains to bands, political candidates, movies, deodorants, or sports franchises. Cody, I salute you.

Now that I've disposed with diplomatic niceties, I'll sling a little mud. You might wonder why I chose the above picture in my post about Newcastle United. Well, here's the skinny. During a 2005 match, two Newcastle players got into a fight, not with the opposition mind you, but with each other, which resulted in each player receiving a red-card and being kicked out of the match. Yet another reason why I love English football.

I Don't Have to Speak, She Defends Me

There are some moments that have shaken the United States to its very core, among them the Civil War, JFK's assassination, and Watergate. Now, our nation is faced with another traumatic crisis that threatens to bring us to our collective knees.

Am I talking about the fact that Tim Donaghy just plead guilty to being a pawn in the hands of the mob? Or, am I referring to Michael Vick's cruel and inhumane treatment of canines across America? No, ladies and gentlemen, I'm referring to the fact that the one and only Bear Grylles if the Discovery Channel show "Man vs. Wild" has apparently been exposed as a wilderness sham. In a growing grassroots campaign across YouTube and other internet media outlets, the former member of the British special forces is portrayed as a svengali of the savannah.

In the first video, the jaded viewer takes issue with Grylles' claim that he will safely run a frigid mountain river with the assistance of his backpack, rainjacket, and the hair on his chinny-chin-chin.


In the second video, a disgruntled viewer named "VolcanoChaser" attempts to expose Grylles' apparently treacherous journey across a Hawaiian lava-field.


I'm not going to say that I think Grylles' is a complete and utter fraud, although that claim has been made by some, but it seems that if your reputation is built on purportedly living far, far off the beaten path, you probably need to be a bit more careful in the filming of the show. As someone who obviously enjoys the myriad benefits and occasional dangers of the outdoors, I can certainly understand that there is a certain cachet in a show that purports to place a very capable individual in a seemingly life-threatening situation and follows that person as they work out of the situation through accumulated experience and their personal determination.

Here's the problem: If the show's central appeal lies in the sense of danger that is created through Grylles' encounters with the wilderness, Grylles' and the show's producers have to be more careful in cultivating that sense of danger. When the viewing public is as cynical and eagle-eyed as the current edition is, it would seem that the show's producers would have been much more diligent in the editing and shooting of Grylles' travels than they were. The current backlash against Grylles' perceived hypocrisy may not be enough to sink the show, but it's probably going to less pleasant to deal with than the urine-soaked shorts that Bear once wrapped around his head to stave off the desert heat.

Wakin' Up Feelin' Good and Limber

Much like Douglas MacArthur once returned to the Philippines, I have returned to you, my faithful readers. That is, if any of you are left out there to read this. I know that my prolonged absence has been troubling for many of you (coughJohnMiddletoncough), but I will do my best to make it up to all of you in some small way.

I realize that the initial post back after a long period of silence should be filled with some great insight or comment gained through a great deal of introspection, but I'm going to save my thoughts on the last week at Trek, the past week in Mexico, moving back to Waco, and other items for posts later this week.

For now, you will have to be satisfied with my latest future reading list and the current reading list.

Future Reading:

• The Last Lion: Winston Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 -- William Manchester


• Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Pop Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter -- Steven Johnson


• Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball by George F. Will


• Generation Kill -- Evan Wright


• Mystic River -- Dennis Lehane


• The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream -- Jim Collins
  

Current Reading:

The Powers That Be -- David Halberstam

Also, I must mention that Liverpool began its season with a dramatic win over Aston Villa on Saturday by the score of 2-1. As if you had to ask, the winning tally was provided by none other than skipper Steven Gerrard, who added yet another chapter in his memorable reign as captain of the Reds. Here's a video of the winning free kick in the 87th minute, courtesy of the right foot of Stevie G. and probably to a greater extent, the Fox Soccer Channel.