The world lost one of its most beautiful people today. Alex Chilton earned more than just everyone's respect as a musician; he was revered--as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. It always seemed that he was particularly adored by people with troubled hearts, such as Elliott Smith. In fact, it was Smith who introduced me to Big Star in 1998 through a live cover of Chilton's famous ballad, "Thirteen," which Chilton wrote as a young teenager and which Rolling Stone praised as "one of rock's most beautiful celebrations of adolescence."
There was always an incredible warmth in Chilton's music that was impossible to explain. You just had to listen to any one of his songs to feel it for yourself. His voice was flawlessly fragile. His guitar arrangements were intricate and bright. But what stood out most were his melodies and harmonies and his idiosyncratic arrangements. His songs could inspire stars to shine brighter and convince all of us that life can be beautiful.
As many of you already know, one of our 7-year old twins, Lincoln, suffered a serious skull fracture yesterday after falling from a tree and striking a concrete sidewalk headfirst. He was air lifted from Banner Gateway to Phoenix Children's when doctors determined the extent of the fracture and the existence of intercranial bleeding and air pressure around Lincoln's brain.
Lincoln is doing remarkably well and should be downgraded from ICU tomorrow if he continues to remain stable. Lincoln faces a long, difficult rehabilitation in the months ahead, but the doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery without any significant long-term consequences or permanent impairments.
We appreciate everyone's love and support and know that many of you have been praying on our behalf. Your prayers have been critical to our feelings of peace. These feelings have only been repeated throughout the day through your expressions of love and concern.
The Band's Visit certainly deserves the overwhelmingly positive reviews it has recevied on Rotten Tomatoes. The film represents the debut work of a young Israeli film director, Eran Kolirin, who does a wonderful job exploring Middle Eastern social and cultural tensions albeit in a remarkably understated--and even humorous--manner. Kolirin diffuses the tragic stories behind many of the characters through highly clever and subtle comedy, starting with the film's opening narrative caption: "Once--not long ago--a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...It wasn't that important." The irony, of course, is that the police band's visit ultimately becomes an extremely important event for everyone involved and demonstrates how art, especially music and film, can connect all humans through universal emotions and experiences like love and loss. For me, The Band's Visit provided a much needed respite from my bleeding political ulcer.
I had originally planned to devote this post to the issues of abortion and Supreme Court nominations, but those issues will have to wait, because I can't let another day go by without addressing McCain's ongoing efforts to turn this election into a choice between "socialism" and "capitalism." I'll give McCain credit: the "Joe the Plumber" stunt has unleashed a tidal wave of conservative fear-mongering, particularly among demographics who still haven't moved beyond the Cold War. But McCain's efforts to portray Obama as a socialist have only solidified my belief that McCain does not have the integrity to lead our country. If Obama's tax policies were truly "socialist," then McCain would have some serious explaining to do concerning his own "socialist" tendencies over the past 8 years:
Following George W. Bush's legacy, the McCain campaign seems to be guided by the belief that the average voter is persuaded more by fear than reason. Rather than rationally explaining why a proposed 3% increase on the top-5% income bracket would be a bad idea for the economy, McCain's campaign has resorted to McCarthyism by suggesting that Obama's economic policies are part of his conspiracy to become the world's next Stalin.
I would love for McCain and his supporters to explain why Obama's tax plan is any more "socialist" than Reagan's earned-income tax credit or McCain's proposed health care credit, both of which intentionally redistribute wealth to low-income Americans in amounts that sometimes exceed the total amount of taxes paid by the recipients. I don't know whether to be more outraged by McCain's hypocrisy or more terrified by his disconnection from reality.
When McCain actually attempts to discuss the specifics of Obama's tax plan, he seems to focus almost exclusively on the effect Obama's plan would have on small businesses, despite the fact that Obama's plan would only affect about 10% of all small businesses. And in some cases, Obama's plan would even reduce small business taxes, including those of "Joe the Plumber:"
In reality, Obama's proposed tax rates would be almost identical to the rates established during Bill Clinton's first term (a time when our economy was thriving by today's standards). Although a lot of economic growth during Clinton's presidency might be attributed to technology growth, it is difficult to argue with the fact that the country enjoyed more economic prosperity during Clinton's presidency than during any of the five Republican presidential terms since 1980. It is also difficult to argue with the fact that the superior economic growth during Clinton's presidency is consistent with the superior economic growth during all Democratic presidencies since 1947 as compared to Republican presidencies:
As even most conservatives would concede, a robust middle class is vital to any democracy. Over the past 8 years, however, the wealthiest 5% of our nation has flourished, while the middle class has rapidly diminished. This disparity has only snowballed over the past several months. Ultimately, "trickle-down" economic policies have resulted in "trickle-up" redistribution of wealth.
Anyone who has spent any significant time in a developing country will tell you: when wealth is concentrated in the hands of only a few people, the rule of law loses its relevance, citizens become alienated, and democracies die. In his magnum opus, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith espoused a progressive tax for the same reasons as Obama (and John McCain, at least up until a few weeks ago). In Adam Smith's own words:
"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state. The expense of government to the individuals of a great nation is like the expense of management to the joint tenants of a great estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respective interests in the estate. In the observation or neglect of this maxim consists what is called the equality or inequality of taxation."
Unfortunately, all of the controversy surrounding the "patriotism" of Obama's tax policy obscures a larger question: which president is more capable of handling the present economic crisis and responding to future, unexpected crises? I don't expect any candidate for president to be a world-renowned economist, and I certainly don't believe that the fate of the economy rests solely on who eats breakfast in the White House, but I do expect a president to have enough discernment to surround himself with competent advisors and enough intelligence to make informed decisions based on the input he receives from those advisors. Interestingly, most economists, including many Republican economists, think Obama is more capable than McCain in this area:
I'll admit: part of the reason I don't trust McCain to surround himself with quality advisors is his troubling selection of Palin for his VP. But I also believe, for the reasons explained in my post entitled "Ability vs. Experience," that Obama is simply smarter and more talented than McCain. I'm also satisfied by the long list of respected economists and financial experts, including America's wealthiest taxpayer, Warren Buffett, who will advise Obama on economic matters:
I don't think anyone believes the economy will recover overnight, regardless of who wins the election, but one thing is certain: when I cast my vote on November 4, I won't be questioning my patriotism, and I won't be worrying about whether or not I'm voting for a socialist. And neither will Warren Buffett.
This is one of the best short lectures I've read in a long time. It was given by Matthew S. Holland to the Law and Literature Class at J. Reuben Clark Law School on April 3, 2008. The lecture analyzes Lincoln's demonstration of Christlike charity and humility to unite the nation toward the end of the Civil War. I read the lecture through the lens of today's political divide and couldn't help but wonder how different our nation would be if Republicans and Democrats alike could somehow overcome the urge to claim the moral high ground. No matter who is elected this year, our government will not change until we as an entire people change. Of course, it would certainly help to have leaders who, like Lincoln, are capable of sacrificing their own vain political ambitions for the sake of uniting the country, rather than dividing the country with unfounded character attacks, gross generalizations, worn out stereotypes, and claims of intellectual, moral, or even spiritual superiority.
I thought it might be a good idea to write down some of the reasons I'm voting for Obama in this year's election, so I can start referring family members, friends, and neighbors to my blog instead of spending several more hours engaging in heated debates or discussions with people I love. For my first installment, I think it would be best to analyze the difference between "ability" and "experience" in order to address the popular concern that Obama lacks McCain's experience.
First, "experience" doesn't necessarily translate into "ability." Our country has been fortunate to have some amazing, transformational leaders (e.g. Abraham Lincoln), who had very little political experience prior to taking office. Rather than focusing solely on experience, it sometimes helps to look at a particular candidate's actual talents and abilities.
Obama was editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review (the first Black in the history of the school) and is on the verge of becoming the 3rd youngest president in the history of the country, despite overwhelming odds against him (how many people honestly thought Obama had a chance to be the Democratic nominee, let alone the president, even two years ago?). Unlike Obama, McCain was a miserable student who was best known for taking risks and graduating in the bottom 1% in his class at Annopolis (No. 894 out of 899 to be precise). McCain has also proven to be a failure as a campaigner over the past 10 years, beginning with his unsuccesful bid to receive the Republican nomination against one of the most unpopular presidents in U.S. history, George W. Bush.
I'm not saying that school achievements necessarily dictate a person's entire life, or that campaign success translates into effective political leadership, but when it comes to someone's ability to run a country, it certainly raises a red flag when a candidate was only 5 people away from graduating last out of a class of 899 students, or when that same candidate has proven to be incapable of running a credible, organized campaign. Ultimately, Obama is winning a lot of independent and conservative votes because he appears to be smarter, more talented, and better tempered than McCain. In fact, many view Obama as a potentially transformative political figure. Obama's perceived "ability" is thus trumping McCain's "experience" in the minds of many voters, including conservatives like George W. Bush's former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. I thought Powell's explanation for his support of Obama aptly described the reasons why so many people, including conservatives, have openly supported Obama's candidacy.
Second, McCain's 25 years of experience can't save him from his VP nomination. Unlike the concerns about Obama's lack of experience, the concerns about Palin actually involve her mental fitness or intellectual sophistication. What good are McCain's 25 years of experience if he can't be trusted to select a competent vice president? I realize this might offend a lot of people, but be honest, do you really want a vice president (and potentially a president), who has to be shielded from the media because she can't be trusted to answer questions about her political views and her record as Alaska's governor?
Third, I think Obama is smart enough and cares enough about his historical legacy that he won't become the liberal socialist that many are portraying him to be. All presidents tend to move toward the center, particularly those who, unlike George W. Bush, like ideas and welcome opposing viewpoints (see, for example, Team of Rivals, a fine book about Abraham Lincoln, which analyzes how Lincoln brought together advisers who often strongly disagreed with him). McCain, on the other hand, has a legacy of taking unsafe risks (whether it be wrecking air planes in the military or nominating a vice presidential candidate that scares 75% of Americans). McCain himself touts himself as a "maverick." I would think that 25 years of experience in Congress would teach you that acting like a maverick (and even being proud of it) isn't the best way to keep people's confidence, let alone run a government and protect a country.
So, ultimately, I am willing to take a chance on someone who might turn out to be an incredible president as opposed to playing it "safe" with someone who hasn't proven to be incredible even after 25 years in office and, in some ways, someone who has proven to lack well-tempered judgment. At this critical time in our country's history, I don't think we can afford to play it safe with a self-proclaimed maverick. I think it's safer to "bet it all on Black."
"The reverence attached to the artifacts of history is a thing men feel. One could even say that what endows any thing with significance is solely the history in which it has participated. Yet wherein does that history lie?" (p. 405)
For those unfamiliar with this book, The Crossing is the second part of Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy. It follows one of my favorite all-time books, All the Pretty Horses. Although The Crossing might be a deeper exploration of McCarthy's obsession with the relationship between history and reality, I'm not sure the plot or the characters are as interesting or as carefully developed as they are in All the Pretty Horses. I realize it's never very productive to compare works of art to each other, but for some reason, The Crossing didn't fill me with the same exhilaration as All the Pretty Horses. Maybe The Crossing is simply too heartbreaking? Regardless, I'm excited to start the final segment to the Trilogy, Cities of the Plain.
For anyone still wondering who they will vote for, it might be worth it to consider John McCain's role in the Savings & Loan Scandal. I'm shocked that no one, not even in McCain's home state, seems to know anything about this story.
At least admit that her trustworthiness is slightly questionable after her repeated misrepresentations regarding the "Bridge to Nowhere." Don't take my word for it, just look at the facts:
I used to frequent Trails.com several years ago when it was free, but I stopped using it when they started demanding money for all of their hard work. A few weeks ago, however, I took advantage of a free trial subscription, and I finally decided it was worth it to pay for an unlimited subscription. I can't believe how much the site has improved. You can literally access topographical maps and trail guides for anywhere in the United States. I'm trying to hike or mountain bike on a new trail every week for the rest of the year, so this site has essentially become a daily companion to my Book of Mormon. I realize how difficult this will be with college football already underway, but it's definitely within reach. In fact, I've already hiked or biked 5 different trails in the past 4 weeks. And the best part is that Lincoln and Noah have joined me on two of those hikes.
It's hard to believe it has been 10 years since I flew home from Guatemala after having one of the most amazing experiences I ever could have imagined possible. So much has happened since that day, yet I still think about it and dream about it almost every day. The hardest part is knowing that it won't be the same place when I finally make it back to visit.
I went mountain biking yesterday for the first time in two years. I could almost hear my bike whispering to me as I pointed my front tire down my first stretch of desert singletrack: "Patrick, where have you been?" I tried to find the words to explain that I had been busy trying to recover from a back surgery, but the only thing I could think to say was, "let me enjoy this moment."
Last weekend, I took my first vacation to Utah in nearly a year. The day after arriving in Utah, we packed our tents and headed out for a camping trip in the Uinta Mountains. Shortly after setting up camp, we wandered down to a nearby lake, where I was able to prove to Lincoln and Noah that I'm the greatest rock-skipper in the history of the world. Later that night, Lincoln and Noah crawled into their sleeping bags and requested that I tell them several scary, but true, stories about my childhood. Long after the boys fell asleep, I took a short walk outside our tent to count the stars and bask in the light of a full moon, (and ponder the reasons why everyone else in the world seemed to be able to sleep but me).
The next morning, we packed our tents and hiked a short way to some fly fishing on the south fork of the Ashley River. I somehow hooked a fish on my very first cast into the river, which apparently qualified me as the world's greatest rock-skipper/fly fisherman. After catching and releasing all of the fish in the river, we packed up our fishing poles and drove to a safe spot to shoot my dad's old single-shot 22 rifle and my grandpa's 22 pistol. As we shot a few rounds at an old rusty can, I was able to convince Lincoln and Noah that it would be best if we let the rabbits (and all of the other animals they wanted to kill) go free.
Despite foiling the boys' hunting plans, I believe Lincoln and Noah accomplished everything else they set out to do on our trip. They even succeeded in overwhelming their Aunt Melanie with an endless barrage of questions during the 4-hour car ride home. I can't feel too sorry for Melanie, however, because I had previously warned her to pace herself within minutes of our departure from Orem. But she recklessly spurned my advice and proceeded to answer all of the boys' questions (in even more detail than the boys themselves anticipated) during the first 30 minutes of the trip. Despite Melanie's poor judgment, I'm confident that she still found a moment or two to appreciate the beauty of another family adventure in the Uintas. I know I did.
July 16, 2008
I haven't been this excited since Bourne Ultimatum. I just hope it's really deep and dark so I can take my kids to it and freak them out. If they're not going to believe in Santa Claus (or WMD's in Iraq), then I'll at least make them believe in the Joker.
I'm proud to live in a country where anyone can make a patriotic music video. Would it be nice if some people didn't have that right? Definitely. But I'm still proud to live in a country where everyone is free to make complete fools out of themselves without the fear of criminal punishment.
I finally felt inspired to read Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy (All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain). I can already tell I'm going to love it. I've had a hard time getting into several other books over the past couple months--ever since I finished 100 Years of Solitude (how do you follow Marquez' masterpiece without experiencing at least some degree of letdown?) But prose like the following paragraph seems to be the way out of my boredom:
"They rode out along the fenceline and across the open pastureland. The leather creaked in the morning cold. They pushed the horses into a lope. The lights fell away behind them. They rose out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in the tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures and bore them up into the swarming stars so that they rode not under but among them and they rode at once jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric, like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing." (p. 30)
The age of mp3 piracy has produced at least one positive outcome: record companies are finally beginning to acknowledge the increased demand for vinyl by audiophiles who prefer the warm, rich sound of analog over the thin, compressed sound of digital formats like cds, mp3s, aac files, and every other dilluted format. To satiate the increased demand for high-quality records, EMI/Capitol have announced that they will be reissuing vinyl copies of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, as well as Radiohead's entire pre-In Rainbows catalogue. Combined with the vinyl reissue of M. Ward's Transfiguration of Vincent, it appears I will have no choice but to start redeeming the seemingly endless supply of Amazon credit card points I earned when I paid for my back surgery earlier this year. Maybe I should also break down and buy the $100,000 Continuum turntable I've been dreaming about for the past couple years?
I'm happy David Stern and his band of NBA referees decided to pull the plug on the season tonight (although it appears ESPN "journalist" Stephen A. Smith is just getting started with a daring summer story about how racism permeates everything in life--from the food we eat to the air we breathe). Anyway, now that the NBA season is officially over, I can focus on the most beautiful game in the world that isn't called college football.
Firefox 3, the world's most functional Internet browser for both PCs and Macs, was officially released today. Of course, this news is nothing to get excited about if your name is Natalie Hall and you like slow browsers with security issues (i.e., Microsoft's Internet Explorer). But for those of you that want to enjoy "doing the Internet," you should probably download it: Firefox 3
I used to think I could be a world-class photographer. But then I never bought a camera. So now I just appreciate what other great photographers can do and try to convince others that I know how to distinguish between good and bad photography. If I ever get cornered, I just say something about lines, textures, and the contrast between darkness and light. This particular picture can be found on one of my favorite photography websites: Shifting Pixel. If you've never visited Shifting Pixel, start with the "must see" group of photos (these are the photographer's favorite pictures).
Thank you for finally conceding, Hilary. And thanks even more for that passionate 30-minute concession speech today. I'm sure all of your "destitute single-mother" campaign contributors are happy to know they didn't waste their time and money on your losing bid to continue the 20-year "Bush/Clinton" dynasty.
Apparently the NBA is going to fine players for flopping next season. It would have been nice to implement this rule about 10 years ago, (before the Spurs won 4 championships), but it's never too late to make a change.
I got to celebrate Memorial Day by seeing Son of Rambow in Scottsdale. The film is one of the best independent comedies I've seen in awhile. In light of its success at the Sundance Film Festival, I'm a little surprised that it's only scoring 75% on the Tomatometer. But most top critics seem to be receiving it well. I guess the other 25% just lack a sense of humor--or worse yet, a heart. For those of you that liked movies like Unstrung Heroes or Rushmore, you won't be disappointed. I won't even bother to tell you what it's about--just go see it.
There must be one million raindrops Falling into the streets tonight. And even the smallest possible raindrop Is held together by its own infinite existence. Whether any of them know it or not, The light from a single street lamp shines Through each of them at the same time, Regardless of distance, As they blaze downward shivering All alone In their own straight lines to earth Longing to be born again, Yet surrendering their lives, With all the molecular fury in the world Into puddles.
I would like to thank my brother for encouraging me to make my way to ESPN.com for the first time in nearly two weeks. I had been attempting to avoid anything that might remind me of the Phoenix Suns. After their Game 1 double-overtime loss to the Spurs, (highlighted by the Suns' blown 17-point lead and Tim Duncan's 3-pointer), I knew it was only a matter of time before spending another long off-season of "what-ifs," while Robert Sarver continues to carry out his brilliant fiscal strategy of trading good draft picks for worse draft picks. But this off-season will be different than the past 3 offseasons: for the first time, I have come to grips with the fact that Mike D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" dream is officially over.
I probably should have seen this coming long ago. From the beginning of the 2007-08 season, it was obvious that Nash had lost a couple steps. Younger guards like Chris Paul and Derron Williams abused Nash in ways that literally forced me to cover my eyes and turn away from the television in horror. Even against mediocre teams, Nash was always a turnover waiting to happen. But Nash wasn't the only problem. Shawn Marion permanently decided that he could no longer co-exist as the third-best player on the team. In addition, Boris Diaw (never mind that he was the Suns' best player in the playoffs), privately decided that he was going to break his own NBA record for most "fake layup/kick-out" passes in a season, and Raja Bell spent the first 3 months of the season trying to find a 3-point shot. Midseason, when the Suns' front-office finally realized that the Suns were never going to win a championship with their existing lineup, they pulled the trigger on the Shaq trade, which brought hope to everyone. Unfortunately, the "Big Cactus" project came too late and never completely meshed. Now we'll likely spend the next two years paying Shaq $20 million a year to do what he did in Miami the past two seasons: nothing.
From 2004 to 2007, I don't think I ever enjoyed watching a team in any sport as much as I did the Phoenix Suns. I also don't remember enjoying a single player as much as Steve Nash. He singlehandedly revived my interest in the NBA. He represented everything that can be great about sports: he was a great teammate, he was smart, he was the underdog who only received one scholarship offer out of high school, yet he had somehow worked hard enough to become one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Even after losing to the Spurs last year, I told a Spurs' fan that I would rather watch Steve Nash and the Suns play fast-break basketball during the regular season (and wind up a lottery team), than watch Tim Duncan and the Spurs boringly plod their way through an entire season (and flop their way through the playoffs to a championship). In other words, I was willing to concede ever winning a championship for the ability to watch the Suns play beautiful offensive basketball.
I could go on for weeks about this, but this article by Bill Simmons, in which he refers to the Suns as the "critically acclaimed" Phoenix Suns, tells the story much better. If only there weren't so many "what ifs" . . .
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