Book Review: World War Z by Max Brooks

I recently finished reading Max Brook’s World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and I must admit I liked it. The gist of the book is that it’s been several years since the Great Panic, a pandemic sized outbreak of zombie-ism (a word?). Essentially, mankind was nearly wiped out with the earth overrun by the undead. Even years after figuring out how to battle the threat, things are still a little shaky. Entire islands are still “white zones” and completely infested by zombies.

The book is well written and interesting. The nitty-gritty details of the Great Panic and mankind’s recovery are told in the manner of one individual interviewing numerous survivors. The “voices” of the interviewees sometimes blend together but that never detracted from the book and I actually really liked the format. The book definitely gives what feels like very personal accounts. It also offers a very wide variety of views ranging from dog trainers specializing in zombie recon to a blind Asian monk living in the wilderness to a family fleeing to the Arctic where zombies would freeze (though the do thaw just fine).

I did like that Brooks kept zombies in their place. There was no dressing them up into intelligent and agile predators to make them more threatening. No, these were the classic slow-moving creatures with poor motor skills and zero intellect. Being as “weak” as they are, you wouldn’t think they be a threat, would you? It’s like being pursued by a knife-wielding tree sloth, right? Wrong. Brooks manages to make the situation dire. For example, one interview involves a downed pilot having to hoof it up an overpass to reach a helicopter rendezvous. She has a leg injury and is pursued by zombies. This is problem enough. But then she encounters zombies reaching out at her from car windows despite being trapped by their own seatbelt. Creepy.

The sheer scale of World War Z is impressive, too. It's global and the event unfold over several years and isn't limited to a small group of people stuck in a farmhouse or holed up in a shopping mall. I also addresses questions that I often ask (and am asked by others). How would the military react to an undead enemy that never tires, has no emotion, and can not be threatened? Where would people go to escape? An island? Underground? What if outbreaks occurred there? Zombies don’t need to breathe, what about those that end up underwater?

A side note about that book involves some of the reviews I read on Amazon. Specifically, there were readers that claimed this book was leftist propaganda. There were other readers that claimed this book was rightist propaganda. There’s no doubt that Brooks makes some pretty heavy-handed insinuations about several groups and a number of unnamed but stereotyped people but I can’t say the book is either left or right. I think it would be more accurate to say he simply takes shots at things like the pride, stupidity, and greed that put mankind at risk.

If you like zombies, read the book. Interesting stuff. In the meantime, check out the risk calculator to see how likely you are to survive a zombie outbreak (I scored a measly 39%). Otherwise, remember to go for their head.

More like Funky Winker-MEAN (Part 2 of 2)

I greatly admire the really good cartoonists. I like the poignancy of Peanuts. The offbeat humor of The Far Side always gets me. And I’m amazed at how Calvin and Hobbes can make you laugh and make you think (perhaps I’ll follow up with another entry specifically on Bill Watterson and his creation). I know those three strips are no longer in development but let’s not forget that there are certainly some terrific comics in production today. I think Mr. Boffo by Joe Martin is terrific but surprisingly unknown. Speed Bump by Dave Coverly is interesting and works well. And Dilbert by Scott Adams reaches people that would never pick up the funny pages otherwise.

[Warning: rants ahead]

There’s a downside, of course. Maybe it’s because I love comics so much that it hurts so much to see them so...not good. My issues start with the newspapers themselves. Several decades ago, a decent Sunday paper might have a comics section of 30+ pages. And each of those Sunday strips might have half a page with which to work. Considering the real estate allotted to comics today, that’s astounding. I think the Indy Star, a reasonably “large” paper, prints something like six pages of Sunday funnies with the strips being little larger than the minuscule weekday strips. Add to that the fact that the first two panels (essentially the first line) of today’s Sundays have to be “throw away” work to be printed or not printed at the paper’s discretion and…well…it’s bad.

The other downside? The strips. They simply aren’t funny. Now I could probably read Flash Gordon, Tarzan, or Spider-Man but those aren’t intended to be funny. But, c’mon, has anyone read Funky Winkerbean in the last ten years? Seriously, alcoholism, cancer, chemotherapy, death, missing limbs, lost biological parents, etc. It sounds more like a season of Degrassi Junior High than anything funky. Of course, the odd thing is that I actually read Funky but only because the thing's a train wreck. Then there are the reprints of Peanuts. Reprints?! Not cool. It seems like most of what’s left in the funnies are heavy-handed political or social commentary. Asking readers to think about an issue is great. Unfortunately, so much of it now is the literary equivalent of a sucker punch in the face…with brass knuckles…embossed with some kind of bumper sticker-ism. Ugg. Don't we get enough of that from John Mellencamp?

I do have hope. Most notably, that hope springs from the web. Nowhere can one get their work “out there” as easily as on the web. The possibilities are endless. Online comics can be animated, any length, color, black and white, you name it. Sure, it creates even more competition for the printed strips. And, yes, the ease of online publishing has created a sea of junk which makes it difficult to find “the good stuff”. Mr. Boffo, Speed Bump, and Dilbert are all available online so that’s a plus. While I’m surfing, maybe I’ll find something else new and, you know, not painful.

Perhaps I’ll review the work of Scott McCloud and his views on web comics. Pretty interesting stuff. In the meantime, I’m breaking out The Authoratative Calvin and Hobbes and The Prehistory of the Far Side.

Maybe this should've been 3 parts.

More like Funky Winker-MEAN (Part 1 of 2)

I’ve always loved comics. I love comic books. I love comic strips. The former has been mentioned before. The latter probably hasn’t. Nevertheless, I remember being a little kid and spreading out the full color Sunday funny pages to pour over the funny pages. I still have a number of anthologies of my favorites, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side. Their creators, Bill Watterson and Gary Larson, respectively, inspired me to nurture my own creativity, writing, and artwork.

While I was in college, I had the opportunity to attend the triennial Festival of Cartoon Art at Ohio State University. That was 1998 (the list of events/speakers is still available online). For a comic guy, it really was a blast. Kind of my own one-man adventure. I heard the legendary Will Eisner (creator of The Spirit) speak. That alone would’ve been worth the trip. But that wasn’t it. I also heard and greatly enjoyed hearing Dave Coverly (creator of Speed Bump), Patrick McDonnell (of Mutz), and Ted Rall (editorial cartoonist for Rolling Stone, NY Times, Washington Post). My only regret is that I didn’t stick around for the second day to hear Jeff Smith (creator of Bone) and Art Spiegelman(creator of Maus). [Sigh] Unfortunately, I’ve only recently become interested in these last two artists and writers. FYI: The 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art is coming up near the end of October.

My love of comics went so far as to prompt me to submit my own comic strip for syndication. The strip was promptly turned down by…well…ALL the syndicates. It was heartbreaking but, looking at my old copies of that strip, I can certainly understand why it wasn’t picked up. First and foremost, it wasn’t any good. I probably don’t need to expand on that though I will look for my original character sheets. I'm somewhat hopeful they were lost in our recent move. Not really.

Anyway, there’s my history with the funnies. I know it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the negative title of this blog entry. It'll make more sense after I post Part 2 which will focus more on what I don’t love about comics. Stay tuned. That sounds about as much fun as reading the latest Funky Winkerbean.

Canned Ham: Columbus Day

In honor of Columbus Day, I'm posting the spam I received last year at Columbus Day:

World isn't round. It's dirty!

I guess I'm not sure why the world can't be both round AND dirty.

Photo Op: A Boy and His Dog

Not much to say. I just love these pictures.

Book Review: Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

It’s not often I start a book and don’t finish it. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge is an exception in that way. As it is, I got 30 pages into Wild at Heart and had to stop. Seriously, I had to stop. There is something to be said for reading challenging texts and I strongly encourage the seeking of challenges. But Wild at Heart isn’t challenging…at least not a positive way.

Interesting, though, how timing sometimes works. I had starting writing a scathing review of Eldredge and Wild At Heart last week and I was all set to polish it up and post it today. Then we went to church (Northview Christian Life) and the sermon touched on the topic of criticism and some of its consequences. It made me rethink just how harsh I wanted to be. Particularly within the venue of an almost wholly one-sided blog.

There are plenty of other online reviews of Wild At Heart and I doubt mine would have had all that much to add. Note: if you search for reviews on Wild At Heart do not stop with the reader reviews on Amazon. Dig for more thorough, scripture-based reviews. There is a huge difference.

Would I recommend the book to others? Not likely. Especially in light of all the other terrific, more complete, and less flawed books available. I, for one, picked up John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life and, so far, so good.

RetroBrett: In Like Flint

If there's ever a RetroBrett movie, I think the part of Brett should be played by a young James Coburn.

I can't think of anyone more suited to the role than Our Man Flint.

2 New Goals

I have a number goals and I think I may have touched on them in the past. Many of them deal with family, work, time management, health, my ability to do (or not do) a handstand, etc. You know, the standard New Year's Resolution type of things. Recently, I've added a couple new goals:

1. Read more.
And I don't mean just staring at a page. I really want to dig into the text. Specifically, I want to devote more effort to reading the Bible but it applies to other things as well. I think this will also force me to be more discriminating in what I read. This side effect will come up more in my upcoming review of John Eldredge's book, Wild At Heart.

2. Pray constantly.
I have a horrible habit of hearing a prayer need, noting it for future reference, and failing to ever actually pray on the need. Anyway, I'm working on praying immediately when a need is recognized. This one is actually reasonably easy as the prayer often takes the same time and effort as making the mental note.

The Bronze/Pottery Anniversary

My lovely wife and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary yesterday. From what I've read, it's supposed to be the bronze/pottery anniversary. We celebrated with neither. Actually, we enjoyed a terrific night out last weekend while my parents watched Jesse for us (Thanks, Mom and Dad).

With the few extra years of dating at Ball State, we've been together nearly 11 years. It's been amazing. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. As my wife said, it seems like we were just going to Fazoli's on our first date, using the dorm room desks for a dining room table, and making an evening of going to the Muncie Wal-Mart.

A lot has changed. Sure, I miss the simplicity of college life. And I certainly miss having the flexibility of the college schedule. Let's face it, homework can always be done in the middle of the night...planning a fun date needs to happen now. On the other hand, I think we've really grown with all the changes. Maybe when things like free time grow scarce, we realize their true value. It didn't hurt that I was younger and sleep seemed a lot less important (and necessary).

I'm excited about our future. Really excited. Even in the last year or two, we've really grown closer to each other. We've grown closer to God. And we're really working on growing closer to God as a couple. I see that trend continuing.

Thanks you for 8 + 3 awesome years.

Canned Ham: We should all contest this

I usually limit my collection of funny email subjects to only those that I receive as spam. This subject line represents one of the exceptions as it came from an apartment search/rating website that I used during our recent series of relocations.

Last Chance to Enter the Possession Obsession Contest

On the one hand, it's semi-funny. It's no Reportduckling or pain tolerance test but it's somewhat humorous to think of the possible meanings. I mean, do I win by being the most obsessed? Or, if the obsession the prize? Maybe the prize is an exorcism.

On the other hand, I actually find the subject line a tad offensive. Seriously, is this a contest glorifying possessions? Even glorifying obsession? Merriam-Webster defines obsession as "a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling". Is this something to praise? Maybe part of what disturbs me is that there are people actually playing this contest...though, I guess, many of us play the "possession obsession" game every day. I know I certainly do. After all, my previous most was about a collector car auction and a $650k Cobra.

Anyway, thanks, but no thanks.

Auburn 2007: Sale-A-Bration

For me, Labor Day translates to my annual trip to the Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, IN for what's grown into one of the largest collector car auctions in the country. My Dad and I have been going each year since I was a little kid...back when the auction filled a high school football field. Now they have 480 acres and they expect to have 5,000 cars for sale. For a car-guy like me--especially one that loves old cars--it's incredible.

This year was no different. A few of the highlights:

1. $650k Cobra (the black one with the red, white, and blue stripes in the slideshow).

2. A metallic green Mercury Cougar (I think a 1968 or so).

3. 1970 Hemi Superbird. It's the bright orange car with the massive spoiler on the back. What I really liked was that the car had been used as the getaway car for a casino robbery in Reno. They robbers didn't exactly go inconspicuous, did they?

All that being said, the real highlight was spending the day with family and friends. My mom even enjoyed it...she got to babysit and have Jesse to herself for an entire day.

Canned Ham: Excellent Timing

Short but sweet:

15 minutes is almost instant.

Almost instant, eh? I would say it's infinitely distant, time-wise, from instant but that's just me. Maybe it's a lot closer to being instant than, say, 16 minutes.

2 Guys and a Truck (ok, 5 Guys and 2 Trucks)

As of last Thursday, we’re in the house. Jesse spent last Wednesday night at his Grandparents, we stayed up late working on some last minute packing, and we met the movers at 8am the next day. And, let me tell you, the movers (Two Guys and a Truck) were awesome. After only 3.5 hours, 2 trucks, and 5 guys (+myself) everything was at the new house. They were fast, courteous, and careful. It was amazing.

Then came the unpacking and, so far, so good. We immediately got to work on Jesse’s bedroom so he’d have someplace to sleep that night. Our bedroom went together pretty quickly, too. Over the last few days, the kitchen, family room, and most of the rest of the house got unpacked and situated. There’s still a lot of stuff in the garage and one bedroom is full of office/art/craft stuff but things are definitely coming together.

This is not to say there isn’t still a lot to do. My moped and lawn mower are still stored at a friend’s house. I kind of wonder if the lawn mower is going to run when I get it…I did absolutely nothing to prep it for storage. Well, if it dies, I really will think seriously about one of the reel style mowers. It would definitely be better on the environment. And, of course, we’ve still got boxes at my in-laws.

As for the house, we love it and we especially love the neighborhood. We’ve visited both parks (walking distance from the house), a neighbor couple brought us a pie, and everyone we’ve met has concluded the conversation with something along the lines of “If there’s anything we can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask”…and it feels like they actually mean it. We commented last night how it was great just to see so many people out. You know, people walking, riding bikes, having family baseball games at the park. People were actually waving to each other. I also thought it was cool that the dad across the street was playing football with a dozen kids in the cul-de-sac last night. Cool for the kids. Even cooler for the dad.

And, my commute? 25 minutes flat. Not actually much different than living in Westfield, only 5 miles from the office.

Count to Five

A few random things:

1. Jesse is crawling! And standing up at the table! The little guy's on the move.


2. I happened upon this article about another fun thing that's fallen victim to the latest streak of recalled items. It's an arm wrestling video game that, apparently, has resulted in a several actual broken arms. Ouch. I especially like the distributor's comments about how "The machine isn't that strong...". Kind of adding insult to injury.

3. I sold my first round of comic books the other day. I posted them on Craigslist here in Indianapolis as a last step before putting them on eBay and, amazingly, someone in Maryland wanted them. Anyway, they were issues 1-5 and 9-12 of the 1986/1987 Watchmen series. They went for my asking price which was probably low but I'm happy with the result.

4. Several weeks ago I was reading through the list of the Top 100 Sci Fi movies on the Rotten Tomatoes site. It was an interesting look at an extremely varied genre and I found many films that I had never seen and several that I would like to see. I started by watching Westworld (see it on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes) and was duly impressed. Definitely Michael Crichton's precursor to Jurassic Park. I followed that by watching Futureworld, the sequel to Westworld. Well, there's a good reason why Futureworld is NOT in the Top 100 movies. That reason...it's awful. Seriously, the worst movie I've ever seen that didn't involve Crow or Tom Servo. Consider yourself warned.

5. Moving Day is tomorrow! Wish us luck.

Comic Revelations

It’s finally come to this. My celebrated weekly Comic Book day is no more. Sure, publishers are still cranking out comics, new books are still showing up in shops on Wednesdays, and I’ll probably still track new releases but, officially, there are no titles I regularly purchase. None. I never thought this day would come. But two things happened to facilitate the change.

First, the handful of titles I regularly picked up eventually dropped off my list. Some were miniseries books that ended as scheduled. Others were dropped because I decided I simply didn’t care about the stories. Either way, they went away.

Second, I grew tired. As much as I looked forward to comic book day, I grew weary of watching the distribution lists to see what was coming out each week. Likewise, I got tired of waiting, buying bits of story each month to see “how things turned out”. Even the best stories were rarely worth the wait. And, if the story turned out lame after waiting so long, I was infuriated. Most recently, I dropped a title because its content quite suddenly grew inappropriate. Not only do I not want to buy that book anymore…I really want to get the whole lot out of my house. That’s the problem, it’s impossible to tell how good something will be until it’s already been. And it doesn’t help that comic books have gotten more and more expensive while I’ve remained impossibly cheap. It’s one thing for me to see a comic book and think “I can spring 3 bucks to see if it’s any good.” It’s another thing to know that you’ve really got to spring $20+ over the next few months. Ouch. There are a lot of other things I can do with $20.

The solution? Well, I’m not sure. There’s a trend in comics to collect books in graphic novels. They’re not as collectible as individual books but I like that I can have the complete store right now. I especially enjoy that I can read reviews of the entire story before buying in (some I can even pick up at the library). I know it’s silly but I also kind of like the fact that I can put them on my bookshelf. If I have the individual books I keep them stashed away in boxes and I never look at them. The novel, though, I’ll shelve but actually pull out and thumb through periodically.

Anyway, I’m looking at selling off some of my collection. We'll see how that turns out.

Goodness, Goodwill!

I have a problem with Goodwill. It’s not that I don’t like Goodwill. In fact, the problem is that I like it too much. I don’t normally enjoy shopping but Goodwill is the exception (ok, bookstores and the comic stop too) and I often find myself stopping just, you know, to see if that have anything super cool. Often times, there’s nothing that really appeals to me. Still, it’s always a surprise. Unlike “normal” stores, Goodwill’s inventory really does change every day.

Anyway, I had some great guy’s time with my son this past weekend. For the most part, we played, read books, and took naps (staying where it was air conditioned). It was a full weekend. We did, however, venture out to Goodwill where we found this super mod chair. I’m in the process of trying to figure out what, exactly, it is. Like most things I get at Goodwill, it needs some cleaning and a touch of paint but I’m thinking it will make an excellent replacement our less-than-comfortable office chair.

Note: The cat DID not come from Goodwill. She came from the Feline Friends rescue in Indianapolis.

Canned Ham: Long Vowels

The school year is fast approaching. The family of a co-worker and friend of mine will actually be starting a homeschooling program this year. I'm excited to see how that turns out. I'm certain it will be a lot of work but, like many things that are hard work, it will be extremely rewarding.

This week's spam is only somewhat related to education but is pertinent because this same family just received their new Phonics book.

With talk or violent phonics

Off-Roadin'

I’ve posted a few entries on this in the past but, recently, I’ve been trying to take better care of my physical self. Most notable is my attempt to keep at a semi-regular running routine. I did actually run cross-country back in middle and high school. While I wasn’t overly competitive at it, I’m sure Coach Shenfeld would be embarrassed by how I’ve “let myself go”. Anyway, I genuinely do want to shape up and I’ve found that running off-road is a lot more fun than running on.

I ran on the local high school’s cross-country cross a couple times over the past few days. The excursions were painful but, also, a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the clean air, the woods, and the quiet. I even spied a doe and her fawn. The other thing I like about running in the woods is that the trees have an interesting effect. Having them “rushing past” on either side at least makes it feel like I'm really going fast even if I'm not. That sense of velocity is a good motivator. If you happen to be someone interested in running but, like me, find road running incredibly boring, I recommend finding a trail and taking a jog.

A friend of mine, a personal trainer, recently recommended Do Indiana Off-Road (DINO), an organization committed to mountain biking and trail running. They apparently host events in various parks throughout Indiana. I’m thinking I might be interested in a 5k trail run. Maybe not THIS weekend…but sometime in the future.

Book Review: Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

My wife, a brilliant librarian, recommended Devil in the White City by Eric Larson to me a long time ago but I’d managed to delay reading it until just recently. She said it was fascinating and left her thinking something to the effect of “This is so interesting, how could I not have already known about these things.” She was more eloquent than that and I eventually felt the same way about the book.

It really is fascinating. Essentially, it’s the (mostly) true tale of the building of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (aka The Chicago World’s Fair) and how that history intersect with theat of the serial killer, H.H. Holmes. I say it’s only “mostly” true because there are some details (the thoughts and motivations of some characters, for instance) which are not always reliably documented. To that end, Larson bases some of the narrative on what science now knows about psychology and other, more recent, serial killers. To his credit, Larson makes it clear where he had to make assumptions/speculations. The story was thoroughly researched and the notes section of the book is as copious as anything I’ve read in many, many years. This documentation is astounding in itself.

As for the story, the incredible feats involved in just getting the World’s Fair together are awe inspiring. The horrific acts committed by Holmes are chilling. Larson captures both the best and the worst of man and his accomplishments. Likewise, 1893 Chicago is both magical and squalid--kind of made me want but to visit (but not live there).

After this, several other Larson books have been added to my "To Read" list.

Canned Ham: I'm not the only one confused

This spam is a classic and always brings a puzzled smile to my face:

She will love you more than any other guy

What does that even mean? Who is she? Is she to love me more than she loves any other guy? Or, is she going to love me more than any other guy loves me? I don't even want to think about the latter option.

Beige with Phone Envy

A friend of mine recently posted an entry to his blog regarding his new mobile phone. I don’t personally have a cell phone. My wife does and we share it as needed. It’s one of those pre-paid phones that we recharge every so often. It works well for us since 90% of our mobile phone calls are just a couple minutes long and consist mostly of statements like “I’m on my way home,” “I’m running a little late,” or “Goodwill has something really cool today”.

That brings me to the phone I did recently purchase at Goodwill. It’s pretty big. Somewhat clunky. There’s no camera. It’s anything but digital. And the ringtones are pretty much limited to loud or louder. On the plus side, unlike modern phones, you can hang-up with some real force for those times when you’re really angry with the person on the other end. It’s a tank and I’m pretty sure it’ll withstand anything the world can throw at it. Anyway, here it is. If you happen to be the one that donated it to Goodwill, I offer you my thanks.


While it’s not red, I think I can reasonably replicate the Batphone per these instructions. I’m sure I’ll have to tweak the details a bit. Maybe make the LEDs point down rather than just housing them inside the phone. I’m half tempted to install it in my car.

UPDATE

I can't not post this. The Make blog has an entry about a rotary mobile phone. The videos of it mounted on the dashboard of a car are great.

Oldies but Goodies

I like old things. Old cars. Old motorcycles. Old furniture. Old people. Explains the whole "retro" part of "Retro Brett," doesn't it? When we moved to the apartment, it was a little sad that so much of our old/old-themed things had to go into storage. I know it's silly but I'm really looking forward breaking open that storage locker. The things I miss most? Well, here's the list.

1. Late 60s/Early 70s Sears Spyder. Maybe our best ever Goodwill find. It’s a 24 inch, 5-speed, glittery pink banana seat bike. It took a lot of effort to clean it up (new tires, tubes, cables, white cable housings, brakes, and a lot of polishing compound).



2. Late 60s/Early 70s Huffy. Another banana seat bike from Goodwill. Smaller than the Spyder. I rode it to work once and my back hurt for days. The wicked wheelies I can pull on it are worth the pain. Again, major cleaning and fixing up involved.

3. Arcade Cabinet. I finished this a few years ago so it's not technically old. It does, however, play a ton of classic arcade games…even does so legally. Each player has a joystick and ten buttons. That’s 28 switches between the two players. With two wires per switch and two connections per wire…sheesh…that’s 112 tiny, tiny soldered connections. Sorry for the bragging. My wife and I are fond of Asteroids.

4. Bookcase. My first attempt at building real furniture. Sliding doors. Low and long. Again, not really old but it's definitely a throwback to Mid-century modern design à la Brett.

5. Drawing table. Not old. Doesn't even look old. Still, I miss it.

6. 1984 Tomos Bullet A3 moped. Serious restoration on this one. I call it the Star Spangler. So lame it's cool.

Canned Ham: Ouch

In my offering of the greatest spam email subject lines I've received, I need to note one thing: I am not correcting any spelling or other grammatical errors made in the text. Sometimes, those errors are the best part.

This one caught me off guard:

You missed your Pain tolerancy test on friday

Yeah, about that test, Doctor…I probably don’t need to reschedule that.

Who, exactly, was the sender trying to lure? Were they thinking they just might reach someone that really did miss a pain tolerance appointment?

Fitness to get the Heart Racing

There's a cemetery across the street from my apartment complex. I went jogging on its paths last night when it was already a little dark and stormy. Is that creepy? It didn't feel too creepy. In any case, it was a great run and I'm feeling pretty good about it.

As a side note, my previous comments about running and the zombie uprising have prompted me to refer to the workout as "going on patrol".

Book Review: Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

First, a note…Perelandra is the second book in C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy. The first being titled Out of the Silent Planet and the third being That Hideous Strength. I have read but have not reviewed the first book. I should but it's been a couple months since I finished it. I would, however, highly recommend reading it.

So, Perelandra…wow. This is a powerful book. Reading it took me a long time—not because I didn’t like it or because it was “slow” but because I could only read a few pages until my brain felt overwhelmed. It’s deep. It’s difficult. It’s incredibly fulfilling. Many parts I had to reread…sometimes because I couldn’t wrap my brain around what was being said but, other times, because I simply enjoyed the story and the writing. After every stint at reading Perelandra, I felt spent. Like I'd been tensed up for the duration.

Essentially, Perelandra is an Adam and Eve story. Without giving away too much, the main character, Ransom, is transported to a “new” planet. There he meets the planet’s Eve. Not only that, he meets Eve’s tempter. The dialog between Ransom, Eve, and the evil one is fascinating and it goes a long way to putting into words the temptations we face everyday.

[Warning: slight spoiler ahead]

I also found it…invigorating, I guess…that the evil one is not defeated (and Eve saved) by Ransom’s human reasoning. No. Ransom, empowered by God, thrashes the evil one. It’s a throw down. A slug fest you might see in Rocky or Rocky II. Probably Rocky III. The fight in Rocky IV is pretty good, too. Anyway, not all battles with the evil one are nicey-nice, intellectual debates. He's the great deceiver and his lies can be incredibly convincing. Don't think Satan will hesitate to fight dirty. It's his forte. But, with God, we can take what Satan dishes out. We win.

Of course, if you read the book, you'll have to supply your own Survivor music.

Goodbye De-Luxe Apartment

Alright! We found a house! Barring some kind of extreme unforeseen circumstances, we should be moving to Fishers within the next month. Interestingly, the place isn’t really what we were looking for. Initially (and throughout most of the house search), we had been looking for an older house. Something with swank. Something with a good sized yard. Most likely a ranch.

What we found, instead, is a newer 2-story house, smack in the middle of a housing addition. We walked through it last weekend and liked it a lot. It worked for us. The price was right. And, even though it didn’t “look” like what we wanted, it “did” everything we needed. We liked it even more after the nearly flawless inspection last week. Specifically, here’s how the place weighed in:

1. It has a tiny yard but there are two parks (one provided by the housing addition and one by the town of Fishers) just a short walk away. We’re minutes away from playgrounds, a place to picnic, and even baseball diamonds. All without me having to mow a baseball field-sized yard. Maybe I'll even check out a reel-style mower.

2. It’s smaller than the house we had before but that’s actually a good thing. We wanted less wasted space and we’re hoping it to keep our family close…physically, at least. Even still, it’s big enough for us, our hobbies (sewing machine, drawing table, workbench), and our friends when they visit. Besides, it’s less space to heat, cool, and clean.

3. It’s newer than we wanted but it’s also more efficient than most of the things we looked at. Newer windows. Newer furnace.

4. It’s on a slab. No worries about a crawlspace infested with mold, mice, or C.H.U.D.

5. It’s in a great neighborhood. There’s a family we’re close with from church whose house we can actually see from our driveway. They truly know their neighbors and, from what we understand, the neighbors are awesome…a real community. They even vacation together. Amazing. We’ve already got planned babysitting nights set up.

6. It’s a reasonable commute for me to go to work. And it’s only minutes from my wife’s job…close enough that, on the weekends she works, I can drop her off or she can ride her bike without our trading cars.

7. The public library is a bike ride away.

8. Close to church.

9. Close to everything else we actually care about…HamCo’s Recycling center, Super Target, Hardware stores, Greek’s Pizzeria, etc.

10. The price was right where we wanted it. The savings puts us a few years ahead in our saving for college and retirement. Enough so that more having more kids is not a financial question. It also frees us to pursue other things that weren’t previously quite as feasible...a lower paying/more fulfilling job for me, maybe more school, adoption, more charity, or even a big project like the restoration of an old car. Add to that the lower utility bills, and it’s a score.

11. The house has been well maintained. The water heater is only a couple years old. The roof was new with last year’s hail storms.

All this adds up to a house that’s move in ready and doesn’t consume either a) all our money or b) all our time. We’re pumped!

Canned Ham

Like most people, I generally despise the junk email that fills my mailbox. So, I applaud the advancements made in targeting and filtering out such spam. Still, there's a part of me that misses some of the mail. That part of me...is the funny part of me.

I'd be fine with eliminating all spam were it not for the 1% of all these messages that actually brighten my day. These elite messages feature humorous, intriguing, and ofter downright confusing subject lines. Oh, I don't open the messages. I'm not crazy. But over the last several years, I've archived the best of the subject lines. That's where this blog comes in. It seems like the perfect place to share this tidbits of humor. I hope my 4 loyal readers enjoy them as much as I do.

Today, I bring to you the subject line that started it all: [drum roll]

Wonderful Dynamic Equity Reportduckling

I received this, interestingly, at a time while I was busy designing many, many reports for work. Anyway, what's a "Reportduckling"? Why are they dynamic? Equity? To all these questions, I answer "Idunno". In any case, here's a nice Report Duckling sketch drawn by a friend of mine.

Book Review: 2 Amazing Stories

Why didn’t anyone tell me that reading non-fiction could be fun?! Seriously, I stumbled upon a couple good reads recently.

The first was titled John Ringo: The Gunfighter Who Never Was by Jack Burrows. It’s the story of a man seemingly lost in not only the Old West but also in popular culture. The biography was interesting in the fact that Ringo has to be one of the most famous unknown people of the west. He shows up in just about any book or movie, that involves the Earp brothers. But, more often than not, he’s only used to provide the perfect foil to Wyatt Earp. In fact, he was a real person...just one that no one really knows. So, he can be written to be whatever is needed to make a good story. Usually these depictions are tainted more by a historian’s opinion of Earp than they are actually representative of Ringo, the man. If the writer is an Earp fan, Ringo is a cowardly drunk. If they aren’t, Ringo is a chivalrous marksman feared by all. In the midst of that, he’s everything in between. In the end, Ringo is still a mystery. But, even while I still feel I only know what Ringo is not, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

The second book was titled Treasure Islands by Cameron Platt and John Wright. This book follows the search for several buried treasures in addition to filling in the actual stories behind the treasure. I tell you what, those pirates were brilliant and crazy. Some of the ingenious lengths they went to in order to hide their stash is incredible. Amazing engineering, traps, and viscous backstabbing abound. And that was just the treasure hunters. The pirates, themselves, actually come off looking pretty good. I think my favorite account was one involving a treasure on Mahé island. The treasure (still undiscovered as of the publishing of the book) was supposedly hidden somewhere on the island but what makes it interesting are the clues. In various places on the island are hidden clue, one pointing to the next, that loosely follow the 12 labors of Hercules. Bravo to Olivier La Bouche (aka La Buse, The Buzzard) for making his loot worth reading about.

Book Review: It’s Superman by Tom De Haven

I finished reading It’s Superman by Tom De Haven awhile ago but I’m just now getting around to wrapping up the review and posting it. Anyway, before reading the book, I perused the reviews on Amazon.com and I was not surprised to see several very negative comments. Whenever someone takes a new look at a much loved and established character like Superman someone isn’t going to like it. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the book. Here’s why:

1. I really liked the setting. Seriously, if the concept of guys running around in tights is going to work (if it ever does), it really needs to be against the backdrop of circus strongmen, Flash Gordon serials, and dirigibles…all of which are sadly lacking in today’s society. While I have very much enjoyed the recent influx of superhero movies (i.e. Batman Begins, Superman Returns, X-Men, Spiderman, etc)--I even like the somewhat updated costumes--it’s hard for me to picture them in the modern world. Have you ever seen the production still of these movies? You know, Spiderman eating a bagel or Superman reading the paper. Ridiculous. I’m only reasonably sure some movie lighting and editing would help. I’m absolutely sure that throwing a tommy-gun-toting racketeer into background would do it.

2. I like that the story gets the reader from Clark Kent to Superman. That is, there’s a transition between the two. The movies tend to give us the Superman. TV’s Smallville gives us Clark. What they often don’t do is meld the two. If I see Superman in a movie, it’s hard for me to envision him growing up on a farm. Likewise, I love Smallville but the Clark Kent portrayed isn’t the kind of guy to put on tights and a cape. It’s Superman not only explains how Clark gets to Metropolis but it even explains the cape and the S on the chest.

3. I liked that the Superman and the world of the story, is in keeping with my understanding of the original Superman created by Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster. So much of the current incarnation of Superman gives us the good guy/boy scout/black and white feel. Not that the original Superman wasn’t a swell guy but he was a greater reflection of the time period in which we was born. He didn’t simply “right wrongs” but he actually had fun with his powers. He could make smart comments and he had no qualms about giving a thug a good thrashing. Amazon’s reader often criticized It’s Superman for straying from the Superman story and, yes, there were liberties taken but I’m thinking it was actually more in line with the feel of the original. If you read some of the original comic strips, it’s pretty surprising.

4. The characters are multi-dimensional. And, no, this does not mean the story spans multiple dimensions.

5. It makes it clear that Clark has a hard time “fitting in.” Not everything is a breeze for the man of steel.

6. I simply enjoyed the writing.

So there you have it. A good read if you're a Superman fan.

Batman Battles the Ottoman Empire!

An exciting event occurred this past weekend. Batman was in town! In fact, he was visiting the local Ashley Furniture store, chillin’ with the citizens of Westfield, and grillin’ inside his tights (it was a sweltering afternoon). Batman was even kind enough to let his fans take a seat in the Batmobile!

So, Jesse met his first superhero and Dad was there with the camera. It was a good time. I was careful NOT to accidentally refer to Batman as Bru…I mean...never mind.

The Longest 400 Seconds of My Life

After warming up with a short jog, I hit the track last night. Utilizing the wicked slick sports watch I got for Father’s Day, I clocked myself at a 6:39 mile. Ok, so it wasn’t quite 400 seconds. Very close, though.

While certainly not horrible, that’s really not that great. Especially since I only ran a mile. That is, my goal was to run 1 (and ONLY 1) mile and it wasn’t part of a 5K or anything. Here’s what I learned from the experience:

1. I am out of shape. Those middle 800 meters hurt like the dickens. My legs didn’t feel that bad but I thought my lungs were on fire. My cardiovascular strength needs the most help.

2. I am simply out of practice. It’s been so long since I’ve run a mile (and paid attention to the distance) that I had difficulty estimating what I could do. Am I running too fast? If I speed up, will I collapse? When it was done, I’m pretty sure I had a little left to give. Had I known, I definitely would’ve pushed myself a bit more.

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad run. There’s certainly room for improvement and now I know.

Fitness? Fit-THIS!

Despite my previous entry regarding my views on jogging/running, I have failed to follow through with my plan to run parking lots. There really is no excuse for this. I fear I will find myself woefully unprepared for the zombie wars.

That being said, I went running the other night. It was the first time I’d done so for quite awhile. Much to my surprise, it went pretty well. I’m not really of fan of road running so I jumped the fence behind the apartments and tackled the practice fields of the local high school. I can’t say how far I ran. Nor can I even document the length of time I ran. I do know I ran far enough to make that post-run fence jump back appear pretty intimidating. (Note to self: Zombies probably can’t climb fences!)

I’m planning another run for tonight. I’m contemplating a trip to the school’s 400m track to see check my mile time. It's well know that zombies excel at the distance runs so I’ll really need to put some space between myself and them within the first mile.

Jackpot!

During my recent car search, I contacted many, many dealers regarding specific advertised cars. Even with the most helpful of dealers, this effort was largely uneventful.

All this lack of eventfulness changed today when I received a follow-up email from one of the dealers. Essentially, this email was a simple survey asking whether I was still in the market for a car. You're probably asking where this story gets exciting. Well, here is comes! The email is paraphrased below:

Subject: [dealer name] offers a penny for your thoughts.

Text: We are always trying to find better ways to serve our clients... so in my efforts to serve you better, how about a penny for your thoughts..

So, they've offered a penny for my thoughts not once but twice! Surely this is no mistake. I, for one, am pumped about this prospect. I answered the survey and tacked on the following:

Were you serious about the penny offer? If so, I work reasonably close to [dealer name] and might be willing to stop by.

I haven't checked with a lawyer but, if I'm not mistaken, we've have entered into a legally binding contract. I'm hoping they don't try to back out of the deal. If so, I'll be ranting about it here.

Civic-Minded Naming

Yes, the new car has a name. After much consideration, it came to me while feeding Jesse the other night...the car shall be named "Rhonda." For the first time in my life, I'm considering a last name for a car. Currently, in the running is "Chivek" and "McCivic." I think both work.

I'm sure we'll be close enough that we can simply use first names.

Dedication

We celebrated our infant dedication this past Saturday at our church home of Northview Christian Life. It was an extremely moving experience. More than once I could feel the tears welling up and I had to simply bow my head in awe. Taking that public step--with Jesse’s grandparents, great grandparents, and several family friends (not to mention several hundred semi-strangers) to witness it--meant a lot to us. It was a terrific way to welcome the Mother’s Day weekend.

It's called a baby dedication but it's really more of a parent dedication. It really is a demonstration of our willingness and commitment to raise Jesse to be the Godly man the world so desperately needs. Ultimately, it’s a showing of our desire to raise Jesse in such a way that, one day, he can choose to commit himself to God. While the public statement was awesome. I have a similar routine almost nightly. I hold my main man in my arms and say a prayer with him just before bedtime. Sometimes he's asleep. Sometimes he's trying to grab my glasses. Anyway, I pray for God’s blessing, guidance, and wisdom in raising Jesse. I pray for the courage to take the actions God requires of me. I pray for God’s protection over Jesse and his Mommy. I pray for the little man’s health and growth. I pray for a good night’s rest for all three of us. And I pray for a night devoid of leaky diaper (only for Jesse).

It's a big deal.

New Wheels

I looked at a lot of cars. I mean A LOT of cars. Seriously, I checked out everything from a 1963 Dart to a 1984 Corvette. I have little doubt that my search drove my very patient wife crazy. But, the search is over…I have a new-to-me vehicle. I scored a one-owner 1995 Honda Civic EX last night. It could use some work with a buffer but, otherwise, the thing is in great shape.

The car doesn’t really have the “cool-factor” I was going for. I mean, compared the Firebird and Cutlass convertibles I considered, the Civic is downright lame. I mean, can you see a Civic with a massive, fiery bird on the hood? THAT’S just silly.

So it lacks the swank of the Firebird. That’s sad but ok. It’s difficult to argue when I look at what the Civic does have going for it:

1. Roomy enough for me to buzz around town with my son.
2. Fuel efficiency.
3. Reliability.
4. A zippy VTEC engine.
5. Rides and feels like a go-cart.
6. A power sunroof (It’s not a convertible and it doesn’t have t-tops, but it’s decent).
7. 5-Speed manual transmission (way fun).
8. The name is a palindrome.

I’m hoping it all adds up to something I can keep and enjoy for a very long time. Maybe even long enough that I can scrimp and save enough to splurge on that project/hobby vehicle I’m always looking for. That being said, I’m not ruling out the possibility of a giant flaming hood-bird flying into my future.

Now all the Civic needs is a name. I've already used The Red Scare so that's out. The Baked Bean? Scooter? Any suggestions?

Them Duke Boys

The car to end all cars is officially available on eBay. It’s not just a General Lee. It’s THE General Lee. Or, at least, one of the very few REAL General Lees. It’s really a shame I don’t have the $2 million + to splurge on it. Seriously, there are replicas at the Auburn Collector Car Auction on a fairly regular basis and each one takes my breath away. Even a non-General Lee Charger of the era quickens my pulse. Paint it orange, throw up the “01”, play some Dixie, and my knees get a little weak.

I’ll tell you what really disappoints me with the listing…the complete lack of a VIN. I’m sure it’s probably old enough that it doesn’t have the full 17 digit VIN (though I could be wrong on that) but I’d love to run a CarFax report on it. I image is would read something like this:

12/14/1979: Vehicle Totaled - jumped ravine

1/4/1980: Vehicle Totaled – Jumped semi carrying Boss Hogg’s slot machines.

1/11/1980: Vehicle Totaled - jumped river

1/25/1980: Vehicle serviced at Cooter’s Garage. Later totaled.

2/8/1980: Vehicle totaled damaged while doing that “up on two wheels” trick in daring rescue of guest star Loretta Lynn.

2/15/1980: Vehicle Stolen, used in bank heist by look-alike owners. Totaled while jumping barn.

2/22/1980: Vehicle totaled during skirmish with Mean Green Machine. Damaged by stray dynamite arrow

2/29/1980: Vehicle reportedly used in theft of orphanage money. Later determined to be a replica owned by Boss Hogg in attempt to frame those Duke Boys. Vehicle totaled while jumping Hazzard construction.

De-luxe apartment in the sky

Well, I've been busy but I've obviously not been busy blogging. In the month since my last post, we’ve sold our house and had a surprisingly smooth closing. The actual move? Well, that was less smooth but moving is always such a pain no matter what It would've been a lot less smooth without our friends to help out and, for them, we are truly grateful. Believe me, the fridge and the arcade game wouldn’t have made it out of the house otherwise.

So, we’ve semi-successfully truncated roughly 1100 square feet from our living space. Ouch. It does hurt but we are learning to live without luxuries like couches, full size washers and dryers, and mopeds. I think the thing I miss most is the back yard for our dog. It rained this morning and taking her out to do her business was not at the top of my priorities. The experience will certainly help us appreciate our next living quarters.

In some most excellent news, my prodigal notebook has been found! The notebook was no big deal but it contained some ongoing creative writing that I was sorely missing. I was to the point where I’d simply accepted that it had been put into storage only to be found when we moved. Luckily, my ingenious wife suggested a yet-to-be-searched bookcase and there it was!

In closing, We're a movin' on up!

Dressing for Success

In local news, there is much talk regarding a proposal in enforce school uniforms in the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) school district. While I haven’t taken any polls, my understanding (at least from the few people that called the local morning radio show) is that most adults approve of the idea.

In most of all cases, I am NOT for the powers-that-be telling me how my child should be raised. For instance, I could (and may) write a separate blog entry with my questions regarding the implementation of full-day kindergarten. However, I’m not opposed to school dress codes. I know it won’t eliminate the typical social classes in schools but I do believe it will help remove some of the distractions clothing can cause. Who knows, maybe I would’ve scored higher on my AP Physics exam if the girls in my physics class were limited to only one, mostly boring, outfit. Probably not…but it’s a decent theory. And, as a parent, if it keeps me from arguing with my kids about what they wear to school, that’s even better.

I can see one drawback to uniforms. If everyone wears the same thing, how will they later be able to look back at their school photos and say “I can’t believe I actually wore that!”? Seriously, what’s going to be the point of your yearbook if you can’t laugh at your skinny tie, the white suspenders hanging off your shoulder, or your acid washed jean jacket. That’s why I would like to especially support highly embarrassing school uniforms. A school full of parachute pants or pink IZOD polo shirts (oh, wait, those ARE back in style) would certainly get my attention.

I would likewise support uniform haircuts if they involved heavy, heavy feathering.

Farewell, Speedwagon

Speedwagon is gone. I just handed the keys to my Pontiac Vibe over to the new owner. I feel like there’s a station wagon shaped void in my soul. I’ll miss the car…it was my first new car and it is still an excellent vehicle. Seriously, I think it was a good decision on my part. I found it a good home and the new buyers were very excited to find the car. I think they were even more excited than I was when I first bought it.

What do I do now? Well, several transportation options are under consideration. A small pickup? Some kind of sporty, fuel efficient, Econobox? There’s a certain Fiero nearby that, despite being completely impractical, I’m finding difficult NOT to consider. In any case, I will not be purchasing another new vehicle…probably ever. And whatever I do get will be cheap…cheap enough to allow plenty leftover from the sale of Speedwagon to make a good dent in our upcoming house down payment and/or what we still owe on The H-Bomb, my wife’s car,.

In the meantime, I’m hitching rides with my wife. Maybe I’ll bum transportation off of my coworkers. If the weather is decent, I can ride my bike to work. It’ll actually be kind of fun. Mayby not as much fun as building the Lego Vibe above but, still, fun.

2007: Reading List

Now that it’s March, it seems like a good time to lay out some of my plans for 2007. Among my many goals, I really want to spend more time reading. I don’t know why I don't currently spend more time in a good book. I’m sure I could make excuses but there wouldn't be much substance to them. The point is, I do enjoy reading. Plus, reading is probably the second best thing I can do to improve my own writing (another of my goals for the year).

Anyway, my initial list for the year is as follows:

1. The Bible
Do you italicize that? Anyway, I just finished 1 Chronicles. My goal isn’t necessarily to finish but, rather, to both read and comprehend what I read on a regular basis.

2. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
I’ve flipped through the book and it looks good. Beyond that, I don’t know much about it.

3. 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
Career books are hard for me to read. This on is recommended by Dave Ramsey so we will see.

4. The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch
I’m actually fairly deep into this already. Good stuff. There have been several things regarding writing and storytelling that are defintely contrary to my previous notions of the process. It makes more sense than my thinking.

5. The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios
I like physics. I like superheroes. Learning is fun. What could be better?

6. How to Write Funny: Add Humor to Every Kind of Writing by John Kachuba
This has been on my shelf for a long time. Need to dig in.

7. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
I believe some of the Amazon reviews on this one referred to it as leftist propaganda. Others said it was rightist propaganda. Personally, the political leanings of the undead are of no concern to me. I'm much more interested in simply surviving the zombie threat.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
I can’t NOT read it.

Fitness by Brett

I scored a great deal on a second-hand Bowflex a couple months ago and I love the thing. I need to use it more often but that but that’s another entry altogether. What’s become painfully clear, though, is that I need to work on some sort of aerobic activity. I ran cross-country in high school and that was good. I’ve since dabbled in running but never with the kind of commitment needed to gain real health benefits.

I think the biggest problem with that kind of long-distance running is that it’s really “jogging”. Honestly, I don’t find jogging to be all that fun. Mind you, I do like to run but it really has to be running. I need to feel the air rushing by. I need to see the scenery lose focus. I need to feel like I actually have to lean forward to keep my legs from leaving my body behind (notice the italicized "running").

Besides, when do you ever really need to jog? When, in real life, will I ever need to travel 8 miles on foot and at a pace faster than a walk? When my car breaks down? And my moped breaks down. AND my bicycle breaks down? That doesn’t seem likely. C’mon, mopeds run forever.

Now, running is a skill you can really use. Chasing the dog in the back yard…running. Catching my kid before he falls down…running. The impending zombie horde uprising (believe me, they’re just biding their time)…definitely running.

So, here’s my new workout plan. Whenever I’m out on errands, I’m going to run the parking lot. Yep. Instead of searching for a good spot, I’ll just park and book-it to the entrance. When I’m done, I’ll bolt to the car. It’ll be top speed or nothing, even if I have to push a cart. Sure, it’ll be awkward to leave my wife at the car while I run to the store but she’ll probably appreciate me getting back early enough to pick her up at the store exit. Otherwise, I’m thinking people will just assume I’m in a huge rush without actually realizing I’m just checking out the stock of Hot Wheels cars.

With the stops at Target, the library, and work, I bet I can get in multiple 100-yard dashes each day. And think of the time savings!

Our 10th Valentine's

If my math is correct, this is the tenth Valentine's Day my wife and I have celebrated. Those initial dates typically involved a trip to the Muncie Fazoli's, checking out what's new at the local Wal-Mart, and a VHS movie watched on a tiny TV in a tiny Ball State dorm room. Now, well, it's nothing but the best...a trip to the Macaroni Grill, Target, and a DVD!

Seriously, looking back, a lot of things have changed since those college days. We're in a house instead of a Ball State (GO CARDS!) dorm. We have homemade food (beyond the basic Ragu and pasta) instead of dining service. My job is certainly more profitable than working the dorm's front desk ever was. My wife has her own car instead of a hand-me-down. My car...well...ok, bad example...I still regret getting rid of my college car but that's beside the point.

Anyway, as big as those changes seem, they only scratch the surface. What's even more important that NOT living in a dorm? Well, obviously it's our relationship. Every year my wife and I grow closer and, as that happens, I find even more reasons to love her. As we study the Bible, I see her incredible wisdom and faith. With the birth of our son, I saw her strength. When I see her with our son now, I see what a wonderful mother she is. As we contemplate even more big changes I see her bravery. Absolutely amazing. She's more wonderful and beautiful than ever.

And that's why, when my wife gave me a framed picture of her with our handsome little son, it was the greatest Valentine's Day gift I could've received. I'm happy to have it brightening my work cube.

Financial Pieces

Friends have recently gotten me reading and listening to the advice of financial counselor Dave Ramsey. Essentially, his philosophy is that debt is bad...GET OUT OF IT AND STAY OUT OF IT. It shouldn't have been anything all that shocking but reading his book, Financial Peace Revisited, and regularly listening to his radio show over the past couple weeks has been an eye opening experience. His reasoning is financially sound as well as Biblical and, like the Bible, his teaching is honest and challenging but always, at its core, loving and compassionate.

Anyway, I think we've been aware that we needed to review our finances for some time. Having recently added a family member and subtracted an income, the need for such financial review has grown all the more clear. We're not broke and we're not necessarily going broke but we certainly do not have financial peace. What to do about it? Well, that's a great question?

The good news is that I believe we've already made the needed changes to our mindset. As for actions, we're strongly considering a move to a smaller, more affordable home. I wouldn't mind selling my car, buying something cheaper, and using the proceeds for said home and/or investment. We could stick it out in our current home but it would be 5 years of pretty dramatic skimping and saving to get out of two cars and a home equity loan and, honestly, I'm not sure we love our house that much. Plus, that puts us 5 years behind in saving for Jesse's college, 5 years behind in more intense retirement planning, 5 years behind in vacations and other "fun" money spending, 5 years deeper in commitment the paycheck from a career I don't necessarily love, and 5 more years of worrying about "the next big expense" whether it be some home repair, medical bills, or even child #2.

We have been continually praying for God's guidance in our finances and we're confident He will guide us. He has already blessed us greatly and I hope we can use those blessings wisely.

retro brett store!

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas 2007! If you're looking for something special for that special someone, might I suggest something that includes a spacefaring monkey? No, it's not another sequal to the Every which way but loose movie franchise. It's just about everything available at the retro brett store on Cafepress! Check it out...laser toting, jetpacked monkeys on shirts, mugs, and mousepads. And don't miss the "strange visitor from another planet" themed stuff. I've actually got one of the monkey shirts and it never fails to grab the ladies' attention. Little Jesse is even waiting to grow into a matching bodysuit.

Lil’ G: WELCOME TO THE WORLD!

Yes! We have a baby! On 11/30/2006, our little Jesse was born. He was a healthy 7 lbs, 15 oz and a nice 21.5 inches long. The labor went easier (a mere 8.5 hours) than we expected and everyone is quite happy about that. Plus, we’re all healthy, sleeping reasonably well, and simply amazed at our new little boy. We are truly blessed and we are incredibly grateful for God’s generosity. It is and will continue to be a great responsibility and we pray we will raise our little man to be the big man God would have him to be.

It’s funny. At one point, I walked by the hospital nursery and Jesse was the only baby and there happened to be two nurses standing near him. I joke that I saw them mouth the words chosen one and prophecy. Seriously, though, we will do all we can to ensure he does have a terrific life.

It’s obviously taken me a while to get this posted but, you know, I’ve been busy. Here’s a photo…bask in the glory that is his handsomeness.