11. The game of football. I have loved it since I first understood it. I figure about 20% of my time as an adolescent was spent playing backyard football. Ellen would tell you that 75% of my time as an adult is spent watching it on TV.
10. Drudgereport. I probably check out Drudge 15-20 times a day. I am a news junkie and have to know what is going on in the world, and Drudge links to everything.
9. California fresh produce. After living in various parts of the nation, and eating all varieties of vegetables and fruits, California has the best fresh produce in the nation, hands down (or hands on an orange, grapes, or strawberries).
8. TIVO/DVR. I love the fact that I can study and work all week, then when I have some time, all of my favorite shows and interests are there for me to watch, and I can skip right through the commercials.
7. Friday Night Lights. I have loved this show since it debuted last year. The acting is superb, and the character arcs are very realistic. Plus it has football in it :)
6. Sincere people. I can't tell you how frustrating it is for Ellen and I to meet someone or speak to someone who give us lip service, but are never genuine with what they say. It is so easy to see through people who aren't sincere, or who stab you in the back the first chance they get. Thus, there is a special place in my heart for sincere, genuine people. We hope we can always be that kind of person to our friends and family.
5. Mild OCD. Hey, it keeps the house clean, and everyone stays calm!
4. International Marriage. There are obvious communication gaps sometimes, but I love the fact that I am part of several cultures now, and have the chance to learn so much from other people.
3. Upcoming fatherhood. We are excited, and I am very excited. I've been waiting for this for a while, and I am excited for all of the New-comers/Costners this year!
2. Parents who care. My mother in law, who communicates with me through grunts and gestures, actually shed a tear when I hugged her goodbye a few weeks ago. I assume its because she will miss us, but it could be because maybe she doesn't think I can take care of her pregnant daughter. At any rate, one of my favorite things is that I can always call up mi madre y padre at anytime, and talk to them about anything, and they don't judge me for what I think or love me any less.
1. My wife. What can I say? I have the most beautiful but low maintenance wife in the world. She is content with being at home, planting her garden, cooking always fresh all the time meals, finding bargains on baby clothes, helping her disorganized hubby stay organized, motivating her sometimes lazy husband, and she is ever patient and forgiving. I love coming home, it is the most stress-free place on earth for me to be. Ellen uses clever ways to tell me I better do something or I will suffer..but she does it without ever raising her voice or making me feel like crap, but instead makes me laugh. If I could follow her example better, I wouldn't upset so many people with my temper!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Freak Show That is American Idol
I know its a day or two late, but I had to say something about American Idol. There is a phenomenon readily apparent on Idol, but which is also prevalent in churches and schools across our country: The tone deaf person who is completely ignorant of the fact they are tone-deaf, and instead believe in the fantasy that they are actually very talented at singing.
The difficulty lies in determining where such a false perception of one's own abilities is created. My personal theory is that somewhere in history, Ms Tone Deaf decided to sing in front of a group of friends, family, or the public. After butchering the song, the listener was confronted with a difficult choice: Do I tell Ms Tone Deaf she is horrible, or give her some positive encouragement? It is a difficult situation, one where truth, kindness, reality and fantasy all blur together. So, wanting to be nice, the listener made the mistake of saying "you sang really well" or "beautiful song." This positive reinforcement became embedded into Ms Tone Deaf's psyche, no matter how many subsequent performances resulted in loud sneers or boos, Ms Tone Deaf could always fall back on that one listener who lied in order to be kind. This is how we get the people on Idol who are totally unaware of how bad they truly are at singing. With gusto and enthusiasm, they screech their way through some song. As you may have seen, some even show up with glittery makeup and middle fingers erect, sure that their talent is far better than what Simon, Randy, and Paula give them credit for. How sad. So, lastly, I want to thank those tone deaf people who are aware of their limited singing ability, and choose to enjoy music by listening to it, not subjecting those around them to the complete and utter disaster that is their singing voice.
The difficulty lies in determining where such a false perception of one's own abilities is created. My personal theory is that somewhere in history, Ms Tone Deaf decided to sing in front of a group of friends, family, or the public. After butchering the song, the listener was confronted with a difficult choice: Do I tell Ms Tone Deaf she is horrible, or give her some positive encouragement? It is a difficult situation, one where truth, kindness, reality and fantasy all blur together. So, wanting to be nice, the listener made the mistake of saying "you sang really well" or "beautiful song." This positive reinforcement became embedded into Ms Tone Deaf's psyche, no matter how many subsequent performances resulted in loud sneers or boos, Ms Tone Deaf could always fall back on that one listener who lied in order to be kind. This is how we get the people on Idol who are totally unaware of how bad they truly are at singing. With gusto and enthusiasm, they screech their way through some song. As you may have seen, some even show up with glittery makeup and middle fingers erect, sure that their talent is far better than what Simon, Randy, and Paula give them credit for. How sad. So, lastly, I want to thank those tone deaf people who are aware of their limited singing ability, and choose to enjoy music by listening to it, not subjecting those around them to the complete and utter disaster that is their singing voice.
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