You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2009.
Just a few of today’s good things:
* Didn’t get called on in my two doctrinal classes
* Got a $5 Starbucks gift certificate for a subcheck reward
* Presented with my team in Negotiation class, which went well
* Jody & Hillary got to go to spinning class together
* Found out next week’s subcheck is different (which is necessarily good news)
Probably some more good things, too, but I’m too tired to think about them right now.
One more good thing.
Bed.
Preacher Ken’s Sunday sermon series continues to highlight some great music while inspiring reflection on the world we inhabit. John Lennon’s “Imagine” was the latest. (The new sermon isn’t posted yet, but the last three can be found HERE.)
There are many things every sports fan would like to do, and going to the Coliseum to watch a USC football game is one of them. Thanks to my friend, Mike, I got to add that experience last night.
USC didn’t look terribly impressive even though they comfortably defeated Washington State. But the four of us – Mike, Zach, Brian, and myself – had a terrific time.
It is always neat to learn a little about the college football traditions of a new program. Last night, we wondered why Trojan fans consistently waved two fingers in the air. My first thought was that they were claiming, “We’re Number Two!” (they have come in second place on several occasions you know), but that wasn’t it. I had a passing thought that it might be some cool version of Little Bunny Foo Foo. Turns out it stands for victory. Which makes sense. Still, all those foam fingers the kids were waving with two fingers on them looks an awful lot like, “We’re Number Two!”
I was probably most impressed just by being at the Coliseum.
It was just prior to my 14th birthday when the Summer Olympic Games came to Los Angeles, and the memories of those Olympics are sweet to remember. Names like Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses. Mary Lou Retton and Greg Louganis. Cool stuff.
It was a great, great night. Great weather. Great football. Great friends. Great conversation. Overpriced nachos that were stale. But great fun nonetheless.
Had a lot of fun at our Game Night last night, and thanks to Jonathan & Amanda Schmitt was introduced to the Settlers of Catan phenomenon. I was completely lost as we played and was soundly defeated by the Schmitts, the Lochs, and Travis Weber. My ineptitude did help Travis win, so I think that counts as an assist or something. Just toward the end of the game, I started to feel like I was catching on.
Well, the Schmitts had to leave after the game, and the party started to break up. But you could tell that Jon Loch really wanted to play again. I mean, like he couldn’t sleep through the night if he didn’t play again. So, Travis ran to his apartment to get his Settlers game, and Travis, Jon, and I played again. This time I knew much more what I was doing. And I lost worse than the first time! (Travis won again.)
But it was fun, and for those like me who are unfamiliar with the Settlers game, I give it two-thumbs up. Just don’t expect to win if you’re at the table with a guy with an M.Div from Yale and a 3L who did his undergrad at Harvard. 
It is hard to imagine that this much funny can be crammed into one single news story. With thanks to my wife for introducing me to this video. Enjoy.
(Grandmothers love posts like this one.)
Thanks to a Malibu mom, here is a YouTube video of Hillary and the Girls Select Chorus singing “All the Pretty Little Horses” at Back to School Night last night. For those of you who don’t know my daughter, I’ll be glad to point her out – she is the second girl to march in at the first of the video.
Enjoy!
The picture above is of the Girls Select Chorus doing a fantastic job performing at the opening of Back to School Night at Malibu High tonight (if you’re reading this on Facebook and the pictures don’t come through, just go to my blog at THIS LINK). The next pic is a close-up where you can see my daughter, Hillary.
It was fun wandering the halls tonight, seeing friends, and once again seeing Tommy Lee in attendance like the good father most wouldn’t expect him to be. But I was particularly struck by the great line-up of teachers Hillary is blessed to have this year.
She begins her day in math class with a teacher from Dallas, Texas, who brought her technological connections from Texas Instruments to teach 7th graders in Malibu.
From there, she goes to P.E. class taught by the Athletic Director at Malibu High. They have a swim day every week in their massive pool (how many kids get to do that?).
From there, it is on to history class taught by an unbelievably popular teacher. Mr. Bream is in his 41st year of teaching and is possibly the most loved teacher at the entire school. Rumors are that this may be his last year of teaching, and I couldn’t help but think how lucky Hillary is to make it in his class.
From there, it is Girls Select Chorus, taught by a wonderfully talented director from Nebraska. In Mrs. Loch’s first year at Malibu last year, she transformed the choral department and brought home multiple competition awards.
From there, it is English class. Hillary’s 7th grade English teacher wrote her own grammar textbook, and it is the second best-selling college textbook in the nation. It has been adopted by tons of SAT prep classes!
Finally, it is science class. I sat by a doctor/friend who is Major League Baseball’s consultant on performance-enhancing drugs, and he told me this teacher is a great science teacher. Can’t get a better reference in my book.
Hillary is one lucky girl, and I am so excited about the opportunities ahead of her this year. She and I both have an amazing educational opportunity in the 2009-2010 school year, and I pray we both soak it up.
My Constitutional Law professor is just brilliant. A former clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist. A true academic.
He was my Contracts professor last year, and it was a privilege to learn that foundational subject from him. But it is even a greater honor to learn Constitutional Law at his feet because this is “his” topic. And you can tell that he loves it.
We have made it to individual rights of personal autonomy, and today was the day we looked in-depth at Roe v. Wade. It was an invigorating discussion, and my only frustration was the (all-too-often law school) feeling that I was at a football game, and though I wanted desperately to get out on the field and play with all the talented folks, my rightful position is relegated to sitting in the stands and enjoying the show.
But anyway, that’s not what I’m writing about tonight.
This brilliant academic of a professor is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and well-respected by everyone. But. He’s an academic, and academics operate on a different plane than the rest of us.
Last year, oh, right around TODAY, he wore a tie to class with autumn leaves on it and asked us all if we knew the significance of his tie. After we failed miserably at yet another answer, he informed us that the Fall Equinox was, in fact, that day, and for the occasion he wore his special tie. He then went on to explain in giddy excitement his fascination with the scientific nature of the seasons.
Me, I’m into football.
But anyway, guess what tie Professor McDonald had on again today?
Yes, you guessed it. Today was the Fall Equinox for 2009. And if you want to appear as smart as my beloved professor, spend some time with THIS ENTRY from Wikipedia, go purchase a tie, and impress all your friends.
Every day is automatically improved by listening to a little Waylon Jennings, but before clicking on the video at the bottom of this posting, enjoy a little background behind the song from my hero, Will D. Campbell.
When you write rare books for a living, paydays are sometimes sporadic. Some years ago my wife said one of us had to get out and find a real job. I sensed a preference. Waylon Jennings, a neighbor and old friend, gave me the prestigious position of cook on his tour bus. Waylon is not noted for excessive piety, but I learned an important theological lesson from him. Late one night I said, “Waylon, what do you believe?”
“Yeah,” he answered. On an overnight stagecoach, a conversation need not be rushed. After a long silence, I asked, “Yeah? What’s that supposed to mean?” Quiet again, until Waylon said, “Uh-huh.” That ended my prying into the state of ole Waylon’s soul.
Today we are bombarded with a theology of certitude. I don’t find much biblical support for the stance of “God told me and I’m telling you, and if you don’t believe as I do, you’re doomed.” A sort of “My god can whip your god” posture. From Abraham, going out by faith not knowing where he was being sent, to Jesus on the cross, beseeching the Father for a better way, there was always more inquiring faith than conceited certainty.
It occurs to me that the troubadour’s response that late night might have been the most profound affirmation of faith I had ever heard. “Yeah. I believe. Don’t bother me with all the baggage.” Recently he wrote a song about that long-ago conversation. “In my own way I’m a believer,” he sings.
Maybe that’s as close as any of us ever get.
