How ESPN Softened My Heart

If you haven't seen this yet, you must. Grab a Kleenex, it'll tug at your heart strings.

Coincidence?

Two things happened on Tuesday worth noting.

First, I got together with Joel Martins for coffee--the first time we'd done this in a couple of years. It was great to catch up and glean wisdom from one who is further along in the path of maturity (read "fatherhood") than me.

The other thing, you ask? Oh, that was getting sick. Now when I say "sick," I'm not talking about a little head cold or a little fever....or a little excuse to miss a day of work. I'm talking about "dear God, please end my life now" sickness. I'm talking about "don't come near me for fear of your life" sickness. I'm talking about "why are there little green men dancing around my living room" sickness.

I should note--I don't usually get sick. If I do, it lasts 24 hours, at the most. But this...this is going on day number four with little sign of reprieve. Every time I take my temperature, I'm like a dude holding a powerball ticket--just hoping that the magic display will read somewhere in the 99's so I can cash in on my winnings. It's been years since I've been this sick for this long.

Now, I don't hold Joel solely to blame for this fiasco. If Psych 1001 taught me nothing else (and, I really can't remember anything else I did learn in that class), it's that correlation does not equal causation. But in my fever-altered state of rational, it feels REALLY good to blame somebody for this. Sorry, Joel. Enjoy your new iPod, though.

Music You Should Want To Like

I promise to post something substantive soon. I realize that a lot of the stuff lately has been like cotton candy--melts in your mouth AND in your hand. But before I do that, I wanted to brag on a band that could really use the publicity.

This, friends, is Anathallo. A few days ago, I was listening to the Paste Culture Club podcast and they played a recording from this group of young men from Mt. Pleasant, MI. I was smitten, to say the least.

Those of you who know me well understand that when I find a great new band, you're going to hear about it. I'm like a dude with the stomach flu--it's gonna come out of me one way or another. Anyway, I searched itunes for any sign of their music, to no avail--they're so indie that even itunes hasn't heard of them. I was pleased to learn, however, that they do have a website with a couple of useful links--one of which has three tunes you can download for free. The other was a link to their myspace page where you can listen to one of the tunes from their forthcoming album. I'm gonna make a prediction--this band is gonna be big.

Pre-order for the new album, Floating World, begins on Saturday.

Quotes From Class Tonight

Here's a few things that were said in my class tonight--that's right, the same SEMINARY CLASS in which we watched a pseudo-porn last week. Where's my wife to cover my eyes when I need her? Oh, and in case you need some context, it is a Culture and Ministry class. Yeah, I don't get it either.

Alex G: What do Albanians have to offer me? NOTHING!

Professor: "I need you to stick your neck on the chopping block here. That's the point of the excercise."

Alex G: "We talked about the value of self-starter-ness."

Alex G: "Is there a bad rub?"

Micah: "So is it a stereotype or a sociotype to say that all Minnesotans sit on buckets and ice fish in the winter?"

Professor: "Female blondes are stupid."

Professor: "Blondes are more fun."

Professor: "Some of you would have a defensiveness about you."
Brad: "No I don't!!"

Professor: "The research can be a lot worse than this class."

Me: "The point is the gorilla, Micah."

Professor: "I just wanna deal with the gorilla."

Bueller?? Anyone??

Well, friends, there simply has not been enough blogging going on round these parts lately. It seems many of the blogs I have come to read and love have run on hard times. Or, rather, no time...to blog. Can't blame them, really. I had my own sabbatical of a month plus, but it's time to write again, ya'll!! Please, I beg you, write about anything and nothing. Make me laugh, make me mad, make me sad! Tell your tales of intrigue and your intriguing tales!

Just to get the ball rolling, I'll share a story from my brother--who has left the financial quagmire known as the Wakota Bridge project for the greener pastures of teaching math in the Minneapolis school district.

The situation: An obnoxious freshman is disrupting the class instead of working on his assignment.

The conversation:

Ben: "I need you to be quiet while you're working on your assignment."
Student: "Why are you asking me to be quiet? Is it because my clothes are baggy? That's discrimination!"
Ben: "Yes. I'm telling you to be quiet because your clothes are baggy. Please be quiet."

Ben is a great teacher. There's got to be more of this kind of stuff going on that I just haven't heard about. For other great stories about teaching, check out Glatzel's blog.

Blog on, ye blogging faithful. Repent of your silence and do the things you did at first.

A Few Random Bits

1. This is really funny, but only because it's a spoof. If it were real...oh wait, it is real and happening all over the country. Shame on you, Joel Osteen. I don't know about you, but I only make that face in the bathroom.

2. Though I've thus far avoided oozing progressive Christian admirational salve about Bono, I just can' t resist. No one else could have walked into the National Prayer Breakfast and said the things that he did. I could almost hear James Dobson fuming in the background--after all, he didn't use the words "homosexual agenda" even once when describing our countries greatest needs.

3. The Twins need a new stadium. The possibility of the Twins playing in Portland, North Carolina, or *gasp* Vegas in 2007 was almost enough to make me lost control of my bladder and emotions this morning. Just imagine how much trouble Lew Ford would get into in Sin City. Scary to think about. Keep our Twins here!! I'm talking to you, Pawlenty. Don't screw this up.

4. I watched an R-rated movie with a bunch of swearing and "sexual situations" in it last night. Guess where? That's right, in a seminary class. Of course, it was a class bout culture and ministry...so I can see...where that makes sense? It fit right in with the books we're reading about Black and Hispanic churches... I can't help but feeling something's amiss.

Life seems to be getting weirder by the day.

A New Start

I think the monkey says it all... That face pretty well sums up my feelings from the past month and a half. Brain half falling out. Confused. But still irresistably cute.

Ok, two out of three ain't bad.

I'm planning on composing something with actual substance soon--maybe even later today--but this is acting as a test for my first real blogger entry. I hope it works, I hope you all visit as I am admittedly prone to blog-isoloation-related lonliness. I can look even sadder than that monkey if necessary. OK, that is all.