I've written about my 10 year high school reunion before, but as it is tomorrow I am going to just touch on the subject again. I initially wanted to go to my reunion since I figured that is what you are supposed to do. After getting in touch with an old high school girl friend (now friend) several years ago, she convinced me that going to the reunion would be a torturous waste of time. I stuck with that idea up until a couple weeks ago when that same friend IMed me to ask me if I would go with her and another friend to the reunion. So now I am apparently going. Luckily I planned ahead a bought a ticket, just in case, but mostly because the reunion committee kept sending facebook messages about being sure to buy your ticket so they would have the money to pay for the venue. Regardless, I am going. I still don't really feel like going, but everyone says I will have a good time (and for some reason I trust them). I know all about reunions due to what I read on wikipedia and what my brother and friends have told me about theirs.
A class reunion is a meeting of former classmates, typically organized at or near their former school by one of the class on or around an anniversary of their graduation. Former teachers may be invited as well. Usually, participants nostalgically reminisce about their old school days, fondly remember their school pranks, and bring each other up to date on what has happened to each of them since they went their separate ways. Alumni are quite often concerned about how their lives have turned out when compared with the lives of their former classmates, and will sometimes feel pressured enough to go to great lengths to concoct stories about their fruitful careers, personal accomplishments and relationships with others.
In film and literature, especially crime novels, thrillers and psychological suspense novels, class reunions have been a frequent device used to show the eruption of emotions such as shame, hatred or guilt within individual characters who, suddenly faced again with their own youth, become aware of the fact that they have been unable to cope with their past. In many cases, those who used to be bullied, humiliated or in any other way mistreated by their teachers and/or classmates believe that now their chance has come to take revenge on their former torturers. Another staple of this kind of fiction is former classmates taking up with their old flame again, either because they have changed to their advantage and developed into an admirable adult or precisely for the opposite reason—because they have not changed at all in a fleeting world.
I don't have much else to say. I may do a special edition of The Elder Statesman next week to tell ya'll about it, but I don't think I'll have that much to say. I mean really...is getting back together with the people who I spent four grueling years with ten years ago going to change anything about my life for the next ten years or more? Probably not. In fact, it will probably be a relatively expensive night on the town thinking about past glories and failures (basically the same as my early twenties). I'll let you know how it goes maybe...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Babaganoush Sports Beat
Southern Methodist Football
It took coach June Jones just two seasons to turn SMU from a joke into a bowl team. The Mustangs improved from 1-11 in Jones' first season to 8-5 last season, capping it off with a 45-10 rout of Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl. It was SMU's first postseason appearance since 1984 and just their second winning record since resurrecting football in 1989 after an NCAA-imposed "death penalty." The turnaround doesn't look like a fluke. The Mustangs return 15 starters, and though the schedule is difficult, another bowl bid looks likely. SMU hopes to take the next step this season, which begins Sept. 5 at Texas Tech. The Mustangs are aiming for the Conference USA title – though Houston is more commonly considered the preseason frontrunner. But really, who is afraid of Houston? Not the Mustangs. One trademark of a June Jones-coached team seems to be an absolute absence of fear. SMU lost a lot of talent from last year's team, but the players and coaches seem positive their system will work better and better as the talent and depth improve and the players get more and more familiar with the intricacies and nuances of the offensive and defensive systems.
STRENGTHS:
1. Coaching: June Jones has had something of a Midas touch wherever he has been. He lifted a long-dormant Hawaii program to new heights during his tenure on the islands, and in just his second year in Dallas, he led the Mustangs to their first bowl game in 25 years. Jones is renowned as an offensive genius, and rightly so, but his most important gift might be that of master psychologist. He and his staff have changed the culture around a program that had had just one winning season in the previous two decades. Jones believes in positive reinforcement and has instilled a new level of accountability in his team, from freshmen to fifth-year seniors.
2. Quarterback Kyle Padron: With exactly six starts on his college résumé, Padron already is one of the clear-cut leaders on the team. He has a 5-1 record as a starter and set an SMU single-game record with 460 passing yards in the Hawaii Bowl and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. His passer rating of 159.9 was the fifth-highest mark in the nation.
3. Defensive ends: Starters Taylor Thompson and Marquis Frazier completely changed the effectiveness of the defense last year, playing solidly against the run and the pass. Coupled with backup Margus Hunt — who, in his first year of playing football came within one of the all-time NCAA record for blocked kicks in a single season — the Mustangs have the best trio of defensive ends in more than 20 years.
4. Offensive tackles Kelvin Beachum, Jr. and J.T. Brooks: the bookends of the Mustangs' offensive line are big, athletic and technically solid. Beachum earns more accolades, but by the end of the 2009 season, Brooks was the offensive line's best player. These two were key reasons why Padron barely got any pressure at all in the Hawaii Bowl.
WEAKNESSES:
1. Depth: Since Jones' arrival, the Ponies have collected some quality starters, but are dangerously thin at many positions.
2. Uncertainty in the running game: transfer Shawnbrey McNeal was a pleasant surprise last year, running for more yards than any back June Jones has ever coached in college, but he is in San Diego now, trying to make the Chargers as a free agent. Chris Butler, Zach Line, Bryce Lunday and Ryan Moczygemba return, but many expect a pair of true freshmen, Kevin Pope and Darryl Fields, to compete for significant playing time — if not a starting role — right away.
WHO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
The Mustangs are coming off their first bowl appearance since 1984, and returning to the postseason will depend heavily on QB Kyle Padron. He was pressed into starting duty as a true freshman in Game 7, after Bo Levi Mitchell was injured, and Padron performed so well down the stretch that Mitchell -- a two-year starter -- decided to transfer to FCS member Eastern Washington. Padron threw for 1,922 yards in seven games, and 3,000 yards is an eminently reachable goal this season. Padron is the latest quarterback off the assembly line at powerhouse Southlake Carroll High, in the Dallas suburbs.
PREDICTION:
Since coming back from the death penalty in 1989, SMU has finished with a .500 record or better three times. How have the Mustangs fared before and after those seasons? Before and after each of those winning/even seasons, the Mustangs had losing records. Some of those were as bad as 1-11 like in 2007 after Phil Bennett lead SMU to a 6-6 season in 2006 or as innocuous as 5-6 like the 2005 season where Bennett lead the Mustangs to 5-6. If I had to make a gut prediction based on what I know, I say the Mustangs go 6-6 this season. The Mustangs lost a small senior class, but that class included a lot of key performers, including WR Sanders, SS Rock Dennis, CB McCann and C Mitch Enright. Jones and his staff are building the program the right way, stockpiling young talent, but while that talent base grows, the Mustangs will call on a lot of young players to fill key roles.
Now, if you are asking me as an alumnus and SMU homer…I say we come back with another 8 win season, starting with an incredible upset of Texas Tech at Lubbock. Kick ‘em Stangs!
It took coach June Jones just two seasons to turn SMU from a joke into a bowl team. The Mustangs improved from 1-11 in Jones' first season to 8-5 last season, capping it off with a 45-10 rout of Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl. It was SMU's first postseason appearance since 1984 and just their second winning record since resurrecting football in 1989 after an NCAA-imposed "death penalty." The turnaround doesn't look like a fluke. The Mustangs return 15 starters, and though the schedule is difficult, another bowl bid looks likely. SMU hopes to take the next step this season, which begins Sept. 5 at Texas Tech. The Mustangs are aiming for the Conference USA title – though Houston is more commonly considered the preseason frontrunner. But really, who is afraid of Houston? Not the Mustangs. One trademark of a June Jones-coached team seems to be an absolute absence of fear. SMU lost a lot of talent from last year's team, but the players and coaches seem positive their system will work better and better as the talent and depth improve and the players get more and more familiar with the intricacies and nuances of the offensive and defensive systems.
STRENGTHS:
1. Coaching: June Jones has had something of a Midas touch wherever he has been. He lifted a long-dormant Hawaii program to new heights during his tenure on the islands, and in just his second year in Dallas, he led the Mustangs to their first bowl game in 25 years. Jones is renowned as an offensive genius, and rightly so, but his most important gift might be that of master psychologist. He and his staff have changed the culture around a program that had had just one winning season in the previous two decades. Jones believes in positive reinforcement and has instilled a new level of accountability in his team, from freshmen to fifth-year seniors.
2. Quarterback Kyle Padron: With exactly six starts on his college résumé, Padron already is one of the clear-cut leaders on the team. He has a 5-1 record as a starter and set an SMU single-game record with 460 passing yards in the Hawaii Bowl and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. His passer rating of 159.9 was the fifth-highest mark in the nation.
3. Defensive ends: Starters Taylor Thompson and Marquis Frazier completely changed the effectiveness of the defense last year, playing solidly against the run and the pass. Coupled with backup Margus Hunt — who, in his first year of playing football came within one of the all-time NCAA record for blocked kicks in a single season — the Mustangs have the best trio of defensive ends in more than 20 years.
4. Offensive tackles Kelvin Beachum, Jr. and J.T. Brooks: the bookends of the Mustangs' offensive line are big, athletic and technically solid. Beachum earns more accolades, but by the end of the 2009 season, Brooks was the offensive line's best player. These two were key reasons why Padron barely got any pressure at all in the Hawaii Bowl.
WEAKNESSES:
1. Depth: Since Jones' arrival, the Ponies have collected some quality starters, but are dangerously thin at many positions.
2. Uncertainty in the running game: transfer Shawnbrey McNeal was a pleasant surprise last year, running for more yards than any back June Jones has ever coached in college, but he is in San Diego now, trying to make the Chargers as a free agent. Chris Butler, Zach Line, Bryce Lunday and Ryan Moczygemba return, but many expect a pair of true freshmen, Kevin Pope and Darryl Fields, to compete for significant playing time — if not a starting role — right away.
WHO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
The Mustangs are coming off their first bowl appearance since 1984, and returning to the postseason will depend heavily on QB Kyle Padron. He was pressed into starting duty as a true freshman in Game 7, after Bo Levi Mitchell was injured, and Padron performed so well down the stretch that Mitchell -- a two-year starter -- decided to transfer to FCS member Eastern Washington. Padron threw for 1,922 yards in seven games, and 3,000 yards is an eminently reachable goal this season. Padron is the latest quarterback off the assembly line at powerhouse Southlake Carroll High, in the Dallas suburbs.
PREDICTION:
Since coming back from the death penalty in 1989, SMU has finished with a .500 record or better three times. How have the Mustangs fared before and after those seasons? Before and after each of those winning/even seasons, the Mustangs had losing records. Some of those were as bad as 1-11 like in 2007 after Phil Bennett lead SMU to a 6-6 season in 2006 or as innocuous as 5-6 like the 2005 season where Bennett lead the Mustangs to 5-6. If I had to make a gut prediction based on what I know, I say the Mustangs go 6-6 this season. The Mustangs lost a small senior class, but that class included a lot of key performers, including WR Sanders, SS Rock Dennis, CB McCann and C Mitch Enright. Jones and his staff are building the program the right way, stockpiling young talent, but while that talent base grows, the Mustangs will call on a lot of young players to fill key roles.
Now, if you are asking me as an alumnus and SMU homer…I say we come back with another 8 win season, starting with an incredible upset of Texas Tech at Lubbock. Kick ‘em Stangs!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Communion of Saints
This is going to be a short one, more for me staying sane by not doing tons of research than for ya'll to not have so much to read. As I was sitting in church Sunday morning I said the prayers that we always say, but I was being really pensive. I began to think about each little thing we prayer and about. At one point in the Mass, the priest calls on the intercession of the communion of saints and as I looked around the room, there were some puzzled looks (as always). Today we will investigate the idea of the communion of saints.
Catholics believe in the "communion of saints." Even though people die, we stay in touch with them and they with us. How is this possible? It is possible through Baptism by which we enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even though Jesus died, he rose from the dead, remaining even more present than when he was on earth to all who believed in him. We live in Christ. Those who have died believing in Christ remain alive in him.
Therefore, whether dead or alive, we are connected in love. So when your grandmother who loved you very much dies, we believe that she now continues in heaven to love who she loved on earth, but with much greater intensity and depth and selflessness.
The saints play an important role in Catholicism, because Catholicism recognizes how people come to know and love God through others. Parents and family play a key role in your development in everything, including faith. Later in life, all sorts of other experiences, especially friendships, have a deep influence on how we grow in our faith.
The communion of saints is a network of friendships that connects us to the love of God. Saints function like windows through whom we can see the shape of God's love. Saints don't point to themselves, but to God. It is impossible for saints to take the place of Jesus, for their whole lives and all their energies were and remain focused on him, and on us in him. If we look to the saints, we will be led to Jesus.
Catholics believe in the "communion of saints." Even though people die, we stay in touch with them and they with us. How is this possible? It is possible through Baptism by which we enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even though Jesus died, he rose from the dead, remaining even more present than when he was on earth to all who believed in him. We live in Christ. Those who have died believing in Christ remain alive in him.
Therefore, whether dead or alive, we are connected in love. So when your grandmother who loved you very much dies, we believe that she now continues in heaven to love who she loved on earth, but with much greater intensity and depth and selflessness.
The saints play an important role in Catholicism, because Catholicism recognizes how people come to know and love God through others. Parents and family play a key role in your development in everything, including faith. Later in life, all sorts of other experiences, especially friendships, have a deep influence on how we grow in our faith.
The communion of saints is a network of friendships that connects us to the love of God. Saints function like windows through whom we can see the shape of God's love. Saints don't point to themselves, but to God. It is impossible for saints to take the place of Jesus, for their whole lives and all their energies were and remain focused on him, and on us in him. If we look to the saints, we will be led to Jesus.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
S...L...E...E...P...Y...
“All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.” – Plutarch (Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist)
I haven’t just rambled incoherently in a blog in quite some time. Since I’m a little tired and unfocused, now is probably a good time to do that. I don’t know why I’m tired. I got a relatively good amount of sleep last night even though I really couldn’t convince myself to go to bed till almost 4 in the morning. Why is that? Well, I was having a stimulating conversation with a special lady friend of mine and we didn’t get off the phone until almost 2. I could have gone to bed, but I was watching the Colbert Report which I had taped earlier and wanted to finish it. Yes, I could have skipped it, but he was in the middle of one of his WORD segments, so I had to watch. Ok, it only took about fifteen minutes to finish watching that, but then I got a little hungry, so I ate some wafer-crème cookies (one of my dad’s favorites). While I was eating those I started watching Laws of Attraction, the movie with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore. I’ve never seen it before, so I got wound up in watching it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. I got about an hour and a half into it when I realized that it wasn’t that good a movie and decided to go to bed.
Like I said, I got plenty of sleep, by which I mean I got my normal amount of sleep. I haven’t been sleeping well the past few months. Sometimes I sleep like a rock, lights out minutes after my head hits the pillow and straight through till morning. But there have been nights where I haven’t slept well at all. I’d wake up constantly, being asleep for an hour or more, but then sort of shocking myself awake. I’ve even had some pretty terrible nightmares, about one a week for the past month or so. One involved a serial killer chasing me, one involved being attacked by a zombie-like goliath, and the last one involved being mugged and shot in the head (and surviving…with brain damage). I didn’t have any dreams or nightmares last night. I slept like a rock, waking up in almost the exact same position as I fell asleep. I’ve been told I don’t move much, if at all, while I sleep, but last night into this morning was the first time I have actually noticed it. I usually fall asleep flat on my back with my arms to my side (soldier style) or with my arms folded over/near my chest (corpse style). Mom said there were times when I was younger where she felt she needed to check to make sure I was still alive.
Why am I talking about all of this? Sometimes, I feel, a blogger needs to bare themselves completely to their audience in order to gain their trust, but also to humanize themselves. I am not standing in front of you telling you my conclusions, theories, and opinions, so it can become a case where you stop believing what you are reading is coming from a living person, but rather begin to expect it to come and either entertain or disgust you as if it materialized out of nowhere. So, yeah, I am real and I am writing these things every other day just for you (well, considering there are so few of you actually reading this, then maybe it is more for me). So, if you are reading this right now, know that I am really tired, I wanted to take a nap but was interrupted by a friend’s phone call, and now I am even more drowsy/tired and I have to leave for my night class in thirty minutes. I am a complex person…
I haven’t just rambled incoherently in a blog in quite some time. Since I’m a little tired and unfocused, now is probably a good time to do that. I don’t know why I’m tired. I got a relatively good amount of sleep last night even though I really couldn’t convince myself to go to bed till almost 4 in the morning. Why is that? Well, I was having a stimulating conversation with a special lady friend of mine and we didn’t get off the phone until almost 2. I could have gone to bed, but I was watching the Colbert Report which I had taped earlier and wanted to finish it. Yes, I could have skipped it, but he was in the middle of one of his WORD segments, so I had to watch. Ok, it only took about fifteen minutes to finish watching that, but then I got a little hungry, so I ate some wafer-crème cookies (one of my dad’s favorites). While I was eating those I started watching Laws of Attraction, the movie with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore. I’ve never seen it before, so I got wound up in watching it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. I got about an hour and a half into it when I realized that it wasn’t that good a movie and decided to go to bed.
Like I said, I got plenty of sleep, by which I mean I got my normal amount of sleep. I haven’t been sleeping well the past few months. Sometimes I sleep like a rock, lights out minutes after my head hits the pillow and straight through till morning. But there have been nights where I haven’t slept well at all. I’d wake up constantly, being asleep for an hour or more, but then sort of shocking myself awake. I’ve even had some pretty terrible nightmares, about one a week for the past month or so. One involved a serial killer chasing me, one involved being attacked by a zombie-like goliath, and the last one involved being mugged and shot in the head (and surviving…with brain damage). I didn’t have any dreams or nightmares last night. I slept like a rock, waking up in almost the exact same position as I fell asleep. I’ve been told I don’t move much, if at all, while I sleep, but last night into this morning was the first time I have actually noticed it. I usually fall asleep flat on my back with my arms to my side (soldier style) or with my arms folded over/near my chest (corpse style). Mom said there were times when I was younger where she felt she needed to check to make sure I was still alive.
Why am I talking about all of this? Sometimes, I feel, a blogger needs to bare themselves completely to their audience in order to gain their trust, but also to humanize themselves. I am not standing in front of you telling you my conclusions, theories, and opinions, so it can become a case where you stop believing what you are reading is coming from a living person, but rather begin to expect it to come and either entertain or disgust you as if it materialized out of nowhere. So, yeah, I am real and I am writing these things every other day just for you (well, considering there are so few of you actually reading this, then maybe it is more for me). So, if you are reading this right now, know that I am really tired, I wanted to take a nap but was interrupted by a friend’s phone call, and now I am even more drowsy/tired and I have to leave for my night class in thirty minutes. I am a complex person…
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Babaganoush Sports Beat
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have gone out of their way to protect Joaquin Arias. When he couldn't break into the lineup at shortstop, they moved him around the diamond. When he couldn't throw for two years, they waited patiently. When he ran out of minor league options, they created injuries for him so they wouldn't have to risk losing him on waivers. One place they can't protect him: When he's on the field. As a late-game replacement Monday in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay, Arias once again demonstrated why he so perplexes management. He helped them get their first lead of the game at the plate, then promptly went into the field and opened the door for a four-run Tampa Bay eighth inning. It was enough to leave manager Ron Washington pacing his office and pinching his lip in frustration before tossing aside his hat and throwing his pack of Winstons on the desk.
We have got to get our heads out of our butts and play better baseball. We gave them too many outs. Cliff Lee should have faced only four hitters in the inning. We made too many mistakes. There were two in particular. Arias was smack-dab in the middle of both. In the field, Arias looked like an about-to-be-thrown bull rider. When B.J. Upton lifted a soft fly ball toward right, Arias wandered out after the ball in a tentative and circuitous route, but it was still shallow enough he came within six inches of catching it. Instead, Upton wound up at second with a double. After Jason Bartlett reached on a single, the next batter was Carl Crawford. He's kind of known for being fast. Word gets around when you average 50 stolen bases for the last seven years. But when Crawford dribbled a ball toward second, Arias stayed back on it, then tried to hurry a throw to second to start an impossible double play.
Asked if Arias played a role in the bizarre feeling of the inning, starter Cliff Lee declined to pass judgment. But if you were watching the game last night, you could see how Lee felt about the debacle. The heat merely appeared to be pouring out from inside of Lee as he seethed in the dugout. And this wasn't the first time the Texas defense let him down. Washington, however, did judge…righteously. He was far more direct and stinging in his assessment of the plays, quite out of character for a manager who loathes saying anything critical of a player. Then again, Washington has seen this before. Last August, with the Rangers trying to catch Los Angeles, Arias stepped in for a pair of starts at second while Ian Kinsler was on the DL. Arias bumbled through two games, both losses, and was promptly banished from the big league team. He was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, using up his last minor league option. This time, it only took one inning for a problem to surface. This time, if the Rangers decide he can't help them, they aren't going to be able to protect him. This time, that might not be a concern.
On a note dear to my heart, Rangers manager Ron Washington said the team will wait until Ian Kinsler (left groin) resumes baseball activities until making a decision on the second baseman. Washington and team officials will evaluate Kinsler in Baltimore during the Rangers' four-game series against the Orioles or when the team returns to Texas after the seven-game road trip. Kinsler, who was placed on the disabled list on July 29 and eligible to come off it Aug. 12, mentioned before Monday's game against the Rays that he feels healthy and is just waiting on the team's decision.
Dallas Cowboys
Now training in Oxnard, CA, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive players walked off the field when practice ended Monday, a clear indication they received the message coaches sent the day before. The whole crew “stayed after school,” as team owner Jerry Jones put it, because of a sloppy workout Sunday. They recovered nicely on Monday, drawing plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, especially on touchdown catches from Jason Witten and Miles Austin during a 2-minute drill. Tony Romo was sick Monday, although not as much as he had been Sunday. Jones praised his quarterback for being out there anyway as did coach Wade Phillips.
Offensive worries have been a constant the past few weeks, from the ankle injury that’s sidelined Dez Bryant to right tackle Marc Colombo needing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday, from the offense failing to score a touchdown in the first two preseason games to the line allowing 11 sacks in those games. So when the offense got sloppy Sunday, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett reached his breaking point. Phillips said off days are bound to happen. The bothersome part was that players let it keep deteriorating. Jones said he’s not overly concerned. Tight end Jason Witten noted that the starters have only played 32 snaps. Another risk-reward issue is how much Romo will play Saturday since he’ll be missing his usual right tackle. Phillips said that probably won’t be much of a factor in the decision.
The Rangers have gone out of their way to protect Joaquin Arias. When he couldn't break into the lineup at shortstop, they moved him around the diamond. When he couldn't throw for two years, they waited patiently. When he ran out of minor league options, they created injuries for him so they wouldn't have to risk losing him on waivers. One place they can't protect him: When he's on the field. As a late-game replacement Monday in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay, Arias once again demonstrated why he so perplexes management. He helped them get their first lead of the game at the plate, then promptly went into the field and opened the door for a four-run Tampa Bay eighth inning. It was enough to leave manager Ron Washington pacing his office and pinching his lip in frustration before tossing aside his hat and throwing his pack of Winstons on the desk.
We have got to get our heads out of our butts and play better baseball. We gave them too many outs. Cliff Lee should have faced only four hitters in the inning. We made too many mistakes. There were two in particular. Arias was smack-dab in the middle of both. In the field, Arias looked like an about-to-be-thrown bull rider. When B.J. Upton lifted a soft fly ball toward right, Arias wandered out after the ball in a tentative and circuitous route, but it was still shallow enough he came within six inches of catching it. Instead, Upton wound up at second with a double. After Jason Bartlett reached on a single, the next batter was Carl Crawford. He's kind of known for being fast. Word gets around when you average 50 stolen bases for the last seven years. But when Crawford dribbled a ball toward second, Arias stayed back on it, then tried to hurry a throw to second to start an impossible double play.
Asked if Arias played a role in the bizarre feeling of the inning, starter Cliff Lee declined to pass judgment. But if you were watching the game last night, you could see how Lee felt about the debacle. The heat merely appeared to be pouring out from inside of Lee as he seethed in the dugout. And this wasn't the first time the Texas defense let him down. Washington, however, did judge…righteously. He was far more direct and stinging in his assessment of the plays, quite out of character for a manager who loathes saying anything critical of a player. Then again, Washington has seen this before. Last August, with the Rangers trying to catch Los Angeles, Arias stepped in for a pair of starts at second while Ian Kinsler was on the DL. Arias bumbled through two games, both losses, and was promptly banished from the big league team. He was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, using up his last minor league option. This time, it only took one inning for a problem to surface. This time, if the Rangers decide he can't help them, they aren't going to be able to protect him. This time, that might not be a concern.
On a note dear to my heart, Rangers manager Ron Washington said the team will wait until Ian Kinsler (left groin) resumes baseball activities until making a decision on the second baseman. Washington and team officials will evaluate Kinsler in Baltimore during the Rangers' four-game series against the Orioles or when the team returns to Texas after the seven-game road trip. Kinsler, who was placed on the disabled list on July 29 and eligible to come off it Aug. 12, mentioned before Monday's game against the Rays that he feels healthy and is just waiting on the team's decision.
Dallas Cowboys
Now training in Oxnard, CA, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive players walked off the field when practice ended Monday, a clear indication they received the message coaches sent the day before. The whole crew “stayed after school,” as team owner Jerry Jones put it, because of a sloppy workout Sunday. They recovered nicely on Monday, drawing plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, especially on touchdown catches from Jason Witten and Miles Austin during a 2-minute drill. Tony Romo was sick Monday, although not as much as he had been Sunday. Jones praised his quarterback for being out there anyway as did coach Wade Phillips.
Offensive worries have been a constant the past few weeks, from the ankle injury that’s sidelined Dez Bryant to right tackle Marc Colombo needing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday, from the offense failing to score a touchdown in the first two preseason games to the line allowing 11 sacks in those games. So when the offense got sloppy Sunday, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett reached his breaking point. Phillips said off days are bound to happen. The bothersome part was that players let it keep deteriorating. Jones said he’s not overly concerned. Tight end Jason Witten noted that the starters have only played 32 snaps. Another risk-reward issue is how much Romo will play Saturday since he’ll be missing his usual right tackle. Phillips said that probably won’t be much of a factor in the decision.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Intercommunion: Interfaith Sharing of the Bread of Life
When Catholics from all the nations and cultures of the world gather for a Eucharistic Congress, like the one in Rome in June 2000, they celebrate a tremendous sign of unity. All who participate in this Eucharist are fed by the same life of Christ. At the same time the worldwide eucharistic celebration is a sign of unity it is also a source, or cause, of unity. We are nourished by the same body and blood of Christ, strengthened in unity. Yet there's a flip side of the coin. As remarkable a display of unity as eucharistic congresses are they also show us how far we are from unity among all Christians. A eucharistic congress makes us long for the day when all Christians can share in the one body of Christ: intercommunion. To what degree is intercommunion possible today? Are there ways we can hasten the day when all communions can participate in one Eucharist?
Different Christian Churches answer this question in various ways. Some Christians favor "open Communion." Open Communion is the position that holds that no one can stop a baptized person who believes in Jesus Christ from receiving Communion in any Church. They would say that open Communion is the preferred option because the Holy Supper is a source of unity—a means by which unity among Christians can be achieved. This, however, is not the official Roman Catholic position.
Other Christians believe that the condition for receiving Holy Communion in another Church is unity of faith in the Real Presence. Intercommunion will be possible when the Churches reach a doctrinal consensus regarding Eucharist. While much progress has been made regarding our common doctrinal understanding of Real Presence, the official Catholic position asks for more than common belief in the real presence. Some Christians—Catholics included—hold that sharing Holy Communion is only proper between Churches which have a historical succession of bishops and true priesthood. For real (valid) Eucharist, you need real priesthood. This is an important element of the Catholic position.
The official Catholic position holds that Holy Communion is not only a source of Christian unity, but it is also a sign of unity—real unity, existing now. "Strengthened in holy Communion by the body of Christ, [the faithful] manifest in a concrete way the unity of the people of God that this sacrament aptly signifies and wondrously causes" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 11).
We cannot put forth signs of unity when obvious division still exists. Receiving Communion at the same altar is not a sign of unity when we do so with the intention of separating afterwards to return to our various Churches. In short, the Catholic Church teaches that we should not pretend to have true unity if, in reality, we are separated from other Christian bodies. That separation is often seen now not so much over basic beliefs as it is over mutual recognition of the validity of Holy Orders.
The Eucharist is more than food for the individual Christian. When we come together to celebrate the Eucharist we express who we are as Church. The liturgy, especially the Eucharist, "is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 2).
The fundamental meaning of any sacrament can be found in the prayers which accompany the sacramental action. In each of the seven sacraments we invoke the Holy Spirit and petition the Spirit to make us holy and to build up the Body of Christ. This petition is the key to understanding the sacrament: The primary petition of the eucharistic prayer is for unity in Christ. We ask that the Spirit change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ so that we who eat and drink might be changed into the Body of Christ. "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ....May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit." (Eucharistic Prayer, 2) "Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ." (Eucharistic Prayer, 3) The other eucharistic prayers have similar invocations. This can be a foundation for future intercommunion and well as other communal acts between various Christian spiritualities.
Different Christian Churches answer this question in various ways. Some Christians favor "open Communion." Open Communion is the position that holds that no one can stop a baptized person who believes in Jesus Christ from receiving Communion in any Church. They would say that open Communion is the preferred option because the Holy Supper is a source of unity—a means by which unity among Christians can be achieved. This, however, is not the official Roman Catholic position.
Other Christians believe that the condition for receiving Holy Communion in another Church is unity of faith in the Real Presence. Intercommunion will be possible when the Churches reach a doctrinal consensus regarding Eucharist. While much progress has been made regarding our common doctrinal understanding of Real Presence, the official Catholic position asks for more than common belief in the real presence. Some Christians—Catholics included—hold that sharing Holy Communion is only proper between Churches which have a historical succession of bishops and true priesthood. For real (valid) Eucharist, you need real priesthood. This is an important element of the Catholic position.
The official Catholic position holds that Holy Communion is not only a source of Christian unity, but it is also a sign of unity—real unity, existing now. "Strengthened in holy Communion by the body of Christ, [the faithful] manifest in a concrete way the unity of the people of God that this sacrament aptly signifies and wondrously causes" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 11).
We cannot put forth signs of unity when obvious division still exists. Receiving Communion at the same altar is not a sign of unity when we do so with the intention of separating afterwards to return to our various Churches. In short, the Catholic Church teaches that we should not pretend to have true unity if, in reality, we are separated from other Christian bodies. That separation is often seen now not so much over basic beliefs as it is over mutual recognition of the validity of Holy Orders.
The Eucharist is more than food for the individual Christian. When we come together to celebrate the Eucharist we express who we are as Church. The liturgy, especially the Eucharist, "is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church" (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 2).
The fundamental meaning of any sacrament can be found in the prayers which accompany the sacramental action. In each of the seven sacraments we invoke the Holy Spirit and petition the Spirit to make us holy and to build up the Body of Christ. This petition is the key to understanding the sacrament: The primary petition of the eucharistic prayer is for unity in Christ. We ask that the Spirit change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ so that we who eat and drink might be changed into the Body of Christ. "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ....May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit." (Eucharistic Prayer, 2) "Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ." (Eucharistic Prayer, 3) The other eucharistic prayers have similar invocations. This can be a foundation for future intercommunion and well as other communal acts between various Christian spiritualities.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
So there are no beautiful managers of R&D
As I was sitting here watching a documentary about how people look affects how others react to them, I looked back over my life to how many times I’ve let a beautiful woman turn my head or convince me to do something incredibly stupid. I remember one time in college I let this all too attractive if not incredibly bitchy Chi Omega talk me into buying her and her friends drinks. Of course, I thought I was going to get somewhere with my superior generosity and fantastic charm. Wrong. I ended up with a $300 bar tab and that chick left with her friends and, you guessed it, three other guys. Am I bitter about beautiful people? No. I love beautiful people. But it just seems like they come out on top a lot. Well, apparently not all the time. Supposedly you can be too hot to be an engineer or prison guard if you are a woman.
Good looks can kill a woman's chances of snaring jobs considered "masculine," according to a study by the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Attractive women faced discrimination when they applied for jobs where appearance was not seen as important. These positions included job titles like manager of research and development, director of finance, mechanical engineer and construction supervisor. They were also overlooked for categories like director of security, hardware salesperson, prison guard and tow-truck driver as well.
"In these professions being attractive was highly detrimental to women," researcher Stefanie Johnson said in a statement, adding that attractive women tended to be sorted into positions like receptionist or secretary. "In every other kind of job, attractive women were preferred. This wasn't the case with men which shows that there is still a double standard when it comes to gender."
The study, published in the Journal of Social Psychology (I was a subscriber in college, but it is kind of pricey), was based on giving participants a list of jobs and photos of applicants and asking them to sort them according to their suitability for the role. They had a stack of 55 male and 55 female photos. While the researchers found good-looking women were ruled out for certain jobs, they found that attractive men did not face similar discrimination and were always at an advantage. But Johnson said beautiful people still enjoyed a significant edge when it came to the workplace. They tended to get higher salaries, better performance evaluations, higher levels of admission to college, better voter ratings when running for public office, and more favorable judgments in trials.
Good looks can kill a woman's chances of snaring jobs considered "masculine," according to a study by the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Attractive women faced discrimination when they applied for jobs where appearance was not seen as important. These positions included job titles like manager of research and development, director of finance, mechanical engineer and construction supervisor. They were also overlooked for categories like director of security, hardware salesperson, prison guard and tow-truck driver as well.
"In these professions being attractive was highly detrimental to women," researcher Stefanie Johnson said in a statement, adding that attractive women tended to be sorted into positions like receptionist or secretary. "In every other kind of job, attractive women were preferred. This wasn't the case with men which shows that there is still a double standard when it comes to gender."
The study, published in the Journal of Social Psychology (I was a subscriber in college, but it is kind of pricey), was based on giving participants a list of jobs and photos of applicants and asking them to sort them according to their suitability for the role. They had a stack of 55 male and 55 female photos. While the researchers found good-looking women were ruled out for certain jobs, they found that attractive men did not face similar discrimination and were always at an advantage. But Johnson said beautiful people still enjoyed a significant edge when it came to the workplace. They tended to get higher salaries, better performance evaluations, higher levels of admission to college, better voter ratings when running for public office, and more favorable judgments in trials.
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