a delicious Over the Rhine Sampler

If you have not had the pleasure, please follow this link to see OTR performing Leonard Cohen's "Broken Hallelujah". Thank me later.

I wish I said that

Jeff McMullen preached in church today. His text was Mark 7. In the first part of Mark 7, Jesus is criticized by the pharisees for the fact that his followers ate food they considered unclean. Jesus pointed out to them that food is not unclean before it goes in to a man. He went on to point out that it is not what goes in to us that makes us unclean, rather what comes out. In other words, we are responsible for our own actions. I have used this before to teach about our attitudes towards the arts. Jeff, as he does so well, turned it inwards. He said that we always blame others for our problems. One application he made of this was to our attitudes towards government. I have a long time to think about that today as I am snowed in with the kids (see picture). Among other ways this stuck me is the fact that this would have made a great ending for my post on social tension. In it I argued that we must take responsibility for our own situation. I think this is what Christ was telling the Pharisees. Rather than blame our problems on Democrats, Republicans, the mass-media, our HOAs, or whatever, we should allow societal problems to be a wake-up call. If we see a problem, perhaps we should begin by asking what have I done wrong? If you disagree with abortion, what have you done to redeem people's attitudes towards the dignity of human life across the board? If you dislike minimum wage, perhaps consider paying your employees a fairer wage. If you dislike outsourcing and the loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas workers, have you considered paying a bit more to shop somewhere that will prevent those things? If you dislike the portrayal of Christians in the media, perhaps you should consider the way you represent Christ to the non-believing world. It is particularly ironic that many people making these complaints are people who advocate small government. If you don't want the government to control your life, make the world a better place without them. I recommend the Sermon on the Mount as a good place to begin. I am including links to several websites that present ideas for practical ways to make a difference in the world.

transfair usa - organization that seeks to guarantee that farmers are paid fairly by certifying products as fair trade.

the one campaign- seeking to eliminate poverty in an age when it does not need to exist

habitat for humanity

Amazing Grace

I am eagerly anticipating seeing the new film Amazing Grace that chronicles the story of William Wilberforce, the m.p. who initiated the abolition of slavery in Great Britain and its empire. I have not seen it yet, and certainly do not want to assume it is good, but I am optimistic based on recommendations from friends. I have included two links. The first is the link to the films website where you can see the trailer. The second is to an article from the York (PA) Daily Record written by Byron Borger, proprietor of Hearts and Minds Books in Dallastown, PA. Please check out both.
http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/
http://www.ydr.com/op-ed/ci_5252559

Over the Rhine is coming!

Over the Rhine will be in the Baltimore/ DC area on April 19th and 20th. They will do an all-ages show on April 19 at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Va, followed by a 21+ show on April 20th at the Rams Head in Annapolis. I also am providing a link to their entire tour schedule for those of you not in the area. If you have never seen them, take the time to.
http://www.overtherhine.com/when/tourdates/index.html
http://www.ramsheadtavern.com/annapolis/onstage.html

http://www.jamminjava.com/

social tension

I have just begun reading a book called "Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution" by Harvard historian Simon Schama. It is a narrative account of the French Revolution in which he argues that contrary to popular arguments that it was caused by the social injustices of the Old Regime (France's ancient social structure), the Revolution was actually caused by hysterical misdirected leadership. If you don't know much about the French Revolution, then you are not alone. I can't think of anything in the modern age that historians have such a hard time sorting out so far removed from the event. On page 15 of the book he gives an excellent argument as to why that might be the case. He says, "while it is commonplace to recognize that the Revolution gave birth to a new kind of political world, it is less often understood that that world was the product of two irreconcilable interests-the creation of a potent state and the creation of a community of free citizens. " Not only does this quote get to the heart of the French Revolution, but it presents some interesting questions for American society, such as can an orderly society coexist with a free citizenry? Order and freedom are strange bedfellows. Marxism promises order at the price of freedom. Anarchy promises freedom at the price of order. I believe most Americans believe that we have both. The French Revolutionaries claimed to be fighting for both. This dream died along with thousands of victims in the Place de la Revolution (now the Place de la Concorde) at the hands of the guillotine during the Great Terror of 1793-94. The Jacobin Party and their infamous leader Maximilien Robespierre chose order through fear "pour la Patrie" (for the fatherland) over freedom for its citizens. They, perhaps like Schama, did not believe these could exist in the same society. We need order. We want freedom. Every time a government legislates, it encroaches on our freedom, but at least attempts to provide order. The question then is can we have order that is not legislated by the government? The only way this is possible is through civic virtue. Robespierre knew this as well. His solution was to carefully select virtuous citizens by executing those he deemed non-virtuous. Obviously that is not a viable nor an ethical option. The choice for us then is act responsibly in the midst of our freedom and demonstrate concern for others, or surrender this option to the government and surrender freedom.

An allegory

I figure that if I were in prison, especially for a long time, that I would not want a window. I would not want a tv, phone calls, or visitors. I would want no hint of the outside world, lest I begin to hope that I may one day re-enter it. If I began to flirt with such hope, I don't think I could bear my situation.

what would we do baby, without us? Sha la la la.

The tone of my blog will take a bit of a turn with this posting, I realize. I just got off the phone with my brother Erik. He called me with some very exciting news. No, it was not that I am going to be an uncle again. Next to that though, it might be the most exciting thing. He wanted to inform me of tomorrow's release of season one of Family Ties on DVD. I can't honestly say that if the show were out now I would be a fan. I sure did love it in the 80's though. We have been waiting for this release for a long time. We have on may occasions drive our wives and Jeff Mcmullen crazy with our discussions about this show. In honor of this momentous occasion, I am offering for your enjoyment a Family Ties trivia quiz. Enjoy. I would imagine no one but Erik and I will.
1. What is the first name of next door neighbor "Skippy" Handleman?
2. What is the name of the Dean at Princeton with whom Alex interviews for admission?
3. What character was played twice by Tom Hanks?
-extra credit: name each of the scandalous behaviors he exhibited that served as the plot for those episodes
4. What was the name of the frozen food company that filmed an ad in the Keaton's kitchen?
5. What was the name of the all-girl band of which Jennifer was a part and that was managed by Alex?
6. Malarie once wrote a paper titled "I ____________, therefore I am?" (fill in the blank)
7. What was Elise Keaton's maiden name?
8. Who was Jennifer's best friend, although she was never seen?
9. Where did Stephen and Elise attend college?
10. Who was the owner of the grocery store where Alex was at one time employed?
-super duper bonus: from what friend of Malarie's did Alex get diet pills to which he later became addicted?

Fear

I have been trying for quite awhile to get off my backside and go to grad school. It is time to stop complaining about my situation in life and try and be proactive. The problem is that I am afraid. Due to the fact that I was an immature twit in college, my GPA was, well, less-than stellar. Most grad schools have minimum GPA's. All of them are out of my league. I have contacted schools about this, and they say to apply anyway. They tell me that the length of time since my undergrad days will work to my advantage. I really want to do this. Here's the thing- if I never apply, I can also imagine there is a chance. I know this is ridiculous, but I am being honest here. I am paralyzed by my fear. Since I am airing the old dirty laundry, I have decided to make this post a shrine of sorts to some of my biggest fears. Here goes:

1. the dentist. seriously, I have been 3 times in 11 years.

2. taking the initiative to meet new people. We moved to Hanover to be involved in our community and to join a church that was serious about doing this as a body. The problem is, I can't bring myself to talk to my neighbors or to meet new people at church. What a trainwreck.

3. confrontation. If I don't like the way someone treats me, it is much easier to complain about them to someone else and in effect be worse than them.

4. People reading my writing. I love to write. I can fantasize that I can express myself well this way. I just don't want anyone to read it. Kind of a problem, I know. That is why I started this blog (thanks to prompting from some very persistent people).

5. being disliked

6. Because other peoples' kids are different than mine, that I am a bad parent.

Well, that is enough for now.
"Oh, for the sake of momentum, I've allowed my fears to get larger than life. And it's brought me to my current agendum whereupon I deny fulfillment has yet to arrive. And I know life is getting shorter I can't bring myself to set the scene. Even when it's approaching torture I've got my routine"- Aimee Mann Momentum, Magnolia Soundtrack

superman should have stayed where he was

I hardly consider myself an expert in this area, but it seems to me that storytelling is becoming a rare art form. When we consume pop-culture, we want escapist entertainment. We don't want to think. As a result, film makers are tempted to focus more on bombarding our senses and emotions than provoking our thoughts. I would argue that "Superman Returns" is a victim of this trend. I am by no means a comic book aficionado. If I were, I would have called them graphic novels. My understanding from conversations with people who are is that this art form, when done well, examines the complex nature of good and evil. This film had the opportunity to do so, but ultimately fell short. When the film begins, Superman has been away for 5 years, searching of the remains of his home planet Krypton. He returns to earth, and in an incredible coincidence, arch-nemesis Lex Luthor is about to hatch yet another diabolical plan. The plan is shrouded in mystery until Lois Lane boards Luthor's yacht to interview him for the Daily Planet. Luthor kidnaps Lois and in a strikingly original scene shares with her his plan for destroying North America. Boy was that not a good idea. Yada yada yada she escapes and Superman thwarts the plan. My problem with this film was not the lack of an original plot. It was with the way the story was told, or actually not told. The characters were not written in a way that developed them as individuals. Rather the writing called on our collective memory so that we would assume these characters were the same as others. Many elements of the film subsequently served to trigger our memory and stir our emotions rather than help tell the story. The use of Luthor's wigs is an example. They director went out of his way to show us these at several points. This tactic seemed to serve no other purpose than shocking us into concluding that he was a bad guy. Certainly wigs are not scary in and of themselves. They have been used frequently in pop culture in a way that associates them with evil. I remember a great episode of the old show Amazing Stories called Hell Toupee about an evil wig (it also was one of the best puns of all time). There were some great elements of this film. My friend Shaun Stiemsma put it well when he said that it was visually excellent. Ultimately though the film falls short of other films that deal with the graphic novel genre such as Batman Begins and Unbreakable. These films explored the complexity of characters who, like me, are complicated mixtures of both good and evil.

Estima is a brewin'

I said earlier I would post this- Starbucks in Hanover is brewing Cafe Estima as their bold coffee this week. I just enjoyed one along with a nice hour of conversation with my good friend Jeff McMullen. His wife Jodie, their two children Ewan and Liesl and he are moving soon to Vienna, Austria. We talked about their pending move as we watched the snow come down outside. Winter weather has always struck me as being paradoxical. It can be so beautiful and even peaceful. At the same time it can be dangerous and incapacitating. Friendship is the same way. It has been great to get to spend time with the McMullens as we both made the move here to Hanover. At the same time I always knew this would not be permanent. I will miss them very much, but am very happy for them as they move on. I am also very grateful for the time we have had here together.

First real snow of the season

Snow is falling in Hanover. It is supposed to change to ice later on, but for now it is very beautiful outside. This tree is in our front yard.
"Tear these thorns from my heart, help the healing to start. Let's set this old world free. Let's start with you and me...Darlin' the snow is falling, falling like forgiveness from the sky."- Over the Rhine

Let them eat cake!

Next week the movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sophia Coppola will be released on DVD. I want to quickly point out that DVD release is for me the true release of a film because it is the only way I can ever see them thanks to having 2 young children. I am very excited to see this. Coppola, the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola (as well as the cousin of Jason Schwartzman who portrays King Louis XVI) seems to be a great choice to take on this misunderstood woman. Her last film, "Lost in Translation" was an excellent study in ambiguity. Pop culture suffers from the disease of melodrama. Life and the experiences that accompany it are continually over-simplified in order to please a mass-audience and make a profit. Often in reality it is not quite so easy to delineate between right/wrong, good/bad etc...Marie Antoinette is an excellent case in point. She is a woman who was vilified during her life, vilified in order to justify her death, and vilified since the end of her short time on earth. She has frequently been portrayed as a conniving, narcissistic, hedonistic traitor who profited from the sufferings of the French people and then plotted their overthrow with their bitter enemy Austria (her home-country). She is particularly well known for something she probably never said. The story goes that when confronted with the widespread hunger of her people due to a shortage of bread, she said "Qu'ils mangent de brioche" or "let them eat cake." There is no credible evidence to support this claim, but it has been used for a long time to help characterize her. Certainly she was ignorant of the needs of her people. There is probably good reason for this. But she was also a sad, lonely woman, a devoted wife and mother, and an innocent victim of a tragic revolution. When Marie was a teenager in Austria, she was betrothed to the heir to the Bourbon throne of France in order to bring peace between the two nations. She left her home weeping, never to see her family or her homeland again. At the border of France, she was met by an entourage representing the French monarch. As she was now to become the property of the French people, she was to leave her Austrian identity behind. As a symbol of this transition, the young girl was stripped at the border of her Austrian clothes. In view of everyone there, she was then dressed in French clothes as she took on a new identity. The people of France never forgave her of her ethnic identity as they would identify her for the duration of her life as "L'Autrichienne" or "The Austrian." The majority of her time as a princess and queen was spent within the sheltering confines of Versailles, where she had little opportunity to encounter the harsh deteriorating realities of life in France in the years prior to the Revolution. When she was first married, she did not immediately get pregnant. Apparently one of the two rulers had a medical condition that made sex very painful. Her sex life became the national joke (everything about her life was very public). When the Revolution broke out, she began to worry about the fate of her children. This was furthered upon the execution of her husband, her arrest, and the subsequent separation from her children. She suffered intense agony over her children's' safety. She even went before the Revolutionary government to beg to no avail for the lives of her children. Her hair began to turn white and even fall out. She experienced a medical condition that caused her continual bleeding. Eventually, she also was led to the guillotine and executed. Marie Antoinette possibly could have done more for her people. She probably was not very likable. But she was a devoted wife and mother. Her life and death are a great example of how melodrama often fails to capture reality. The arts should be able to invite us to navigate reality by portraying it as it is. The historic response to her is a good example of how our love for melodrama often bleeds into the way we view reality. I would argue this also happens in other areas, such as politics. Watch closely the way political parties market their candidates compared to others at political conventions. The major parties set up the electoral process as a melodrama. The same also goes for family life, sports, friendships, etc... In a movie, the creators of a film sculpt a fictitious world and the characters who inhabit it. Good guys and bad guys might make sense in those situations. But I don't see many of them in real life. What I see are people who are complicated mixtures of both good and bad, and are not too different from myself. I wish that we had more filmmakers such as Sophia Coppola, Wes Anderson, P.T. Andersen, or Quentin Tarrentino; artists who are willing to examine people as they really are through their medium. Perhaps if we the audience were willing to view people as they are then filmmakers could begin to portray them as such.

What light from Grandview Shopping Center breaks?

It is a very exciting day in Hanover. Thats right, Starbucks opened this morning at 5 a.m. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first ten customers at the store, and was given a nice mug, some ground coffee, and some lovely cookies. I look forward to many hours spent there sipping good coffee and hopefully enjoying some nice conversation. My coffee of choice- venti Cafe Estima, black. They brew it once a month, I will try and post when they will be doing so. I am anxious to see the impact Starbuck's has on our community. There are several great local coffee shops (including the Readers Cafe on Broadway just east of the square if you are ever in Hanover). They provide character and a friendliness that Starbuck's never can. Starbucks though does have a decent environmental policy, as well as a commitment to paying their farmers fairly. I also like their coffee MUCH better. Who to support? Well, I guess I will just have to go out for coffee more.

The Personal Redemption of Bob Irsay and the Mayflower Van Company

The colts won the superbowl last night. I am sure that many a native baltimorean blogger is discussing this today. As the clock expired, I was realizing something. I have changed. I was surprised that I just don't care any more. I can still remember that cold snowy night, watching t.v. in my mom's room as those Mayflower moving trucks rolled out onto Owings Mills Blvd with "our" team. I remember the dart boards with the likeness of Bob Irsay for sale at Oriole's games. I remember my mom sharing memories of celebrating with her dad out in the street after the Colts defeated the Giants in the "greatest game ever played." I was always more of an Orioles fan than the Colts, but it still was sad. I never really thought about it, but I guess my anger subsided over the years. Maybe it was maturity. Maybe it was the fact that our city happily embraced a team departing from another city. Maybe it was that they soon won a superbowl. Maybe it is that I don't have time to pay enough attention anymore to really care. I guess it is probably some of all of these things. I don't want to over-simplify such things. I don't want to say that these things are not important. At the same time, I don't want to project the shear hatred onto events such as this. I really hated Bob Irsay. I hated Indianapolis . I even hated that moving company. It is tough to find balance in life. The memories I have of root-root-rooting for the home team are good ones. What stands out to me more is the people with whom I shared them. I think the lesson I have learned are that sports are great, but like many things, not at the expense of people. I don't want to ignore my kids to pay attention to a game. But I also don't want to hate a man I never met because he did something I likely would have done myself.

7 Reasons to not hate the French

1. French press coffee. If you have not tried this method of coffee preparation, it is fantastic. It is also relatively inexpensive (I got one for $16). I think I will turn my drip-coffee maker into a planter. Remember to always use fairly traded coffee.

2. Crepes prepared with- and listen closely here- bananas, confectioners sugar, and nutella.

3. The town of Chamonix and the surrounding alps. See the view from my window at the bottom of the blog.

4. They gave us (the US) the basis for our democracy. The concept that the members of a society form a contract with themselves and their government comes largely from Rousseau, and the separation of powers (down to the names of the branches) as well as checks and balances comes from Montesquieu. The philosophes have their fingerprints all over the declaration of independence and the constitution.

5. Escargots in garlic butter with a good baguette.

6. Our independence. Without their financial and military support (which came unfortunately at a tremendous cost to them), we never would have defeated the British.

7. If you think the French are rude, please do three things. 1. Observe the behavior of American tourists, 2. take a trip to New York City or to a Philadelphia Eagles game, and 3. spend time outside of Paris. As with any place, life is slower and a bit more friendly outside of a major city.

missing a man I never knew

I am sitting in Panera in Eldersburg, Maryland. A light rain is falling into cold air and freezing that upon which it falls. School is delayed. I am now a resident of a two hour limbo. I have to sit here and think about going into work. My precious routine has been broken. I am forced to be aware of my surroundings. I don't like that. At moments such as this I remember Mark Heard. His writings come to my mind, so I will share them here.

These days
We put on cars like shoes
And walk faster
We form lines and remain mute
Almost unaware of the walkers around us
As we transcend space
We put on wings like a coat
And spend morning and evening in separate worlds
Instant schizophrenia
As we transcend time

Maps hide cities
Cities hide houses
Houses hide faces
Faces hide hearts
But hearts still beat quietly
Few feel even their own pulse
But hearts are made to beat
We can drown them out with more accessible rhythms
But they continue the counterpoint
Hearts are made to beat
Our souls are still within us
Our Creator waits for us to notice
As our geographical boundaries
Are chased around the sun by time
Decaying in a fashion some call normal
[from Mark Heard's journal, www.markheard.net/heardtribute/archive/news.html]

He makes me glad that I am not the only person to feel this way. More than selfish empathy however, he gives me hope. I am glad to have this time, lest I am lulled to sleep by my daily drudgery. I am dreading the day, but that reality must serve to make me want and create more. Thank you Mark.

weakness

My children and I have invented a game. It is not too complicated. Daddy growls and says "I'm going to get you." The two kids then run around yelling and laughing their heads off while daddy chases them. Quite complicated. At this time in their lives, this game is one of their greatest sources of joy. They look up at me and say "I'm going to get you!" and thus invite me to chase them. How cute. The problem is they have the audacity to ask me to play at the end of a long day. They actually think I should play this when there is some exciting play the Ravens are making. As I write, I can see their eyes looking up at me. These are great opportunities to make someone very happy while having to sacrifice very little if nothing at all. Yet time after time I tell them not now, later. This situation presents two predicaments for me. The first deals with the way I relate with others. I am writing about myself as if I was another person. I am judging my actions to be loathsome. I can find everything in the world wrong with them. In 11 years of teaching and observing families, I have come to believe that the single greatest parenting mistake people make is to continually put their own needs ahead of those of their children. Yet in moments of existential angst I find myself making the same mistake. How does one relate to people in a way that recognizes that we all make these compromises, yet not dismiss the fault of these actions nor their consequences in the lives of their children? The second predicament is how to stop. I don't want to be that parent. I don't want my children to grow up thinking that I don't have time for them. Worse than that, I don't want them to think that to me, they are nothing more than something else in life I use to feel good. I don't want to objectify my children. I don't have a happy ending to any of this. I guess that is why I get life. Maybe, I might just get the chance to learn to be a better father and a better friend.