This post was going to be something totally different when I started writing about it originally. It was going to be a semi-humorous jab at the extension that has been attached to just about every Christmas card I have received in the past twenty years, something I have grown to call “the brag letter”. Anyone who has received a Christmas card knows what this is, it’s the recap of all of the things the family has done over the year. I had intended to poke a little fun and give others a hard time for their letters… except that, as I started to write about it, I stopped and took a hard look at my own motivations for doing so. In other words, “what is it about these letters that gets under my skin?”… and I discovered a few things about myself as I was doing it.
The classic "Brag Letter" mostly follows a format where there are three areas discussed; how great the kids are doing and the amazing things they are doing, what kind of huge promotion that dad or mom got at work (or some award that was received), and some fabulous trip, vacation or amazing undertaking or act of service that was performed. Of course, not all letters look like this, and some families actually poke fun and take some entertaining liberties with the “brag letter”. One family that I know, who truthfully has the ways and means to “really” do up a doozy of a brag letter if they wanted to, always send one out that makes it sound like they are living like “Hillbillies somewhere in the holler” and it cracks me up every time I see it. Another family sent one this year that, while it had the hallmarks of "great things", also made a point to include an amusing or, shall I say, “less than perfectly glowing” report about various things. Honestly, I appreciated this greatly, and I enjoyed this letter more than any other I’ve received for many years. So what is it about these letters that get to me, and more importantly… WHY do they get to me?!
Ive determined that. first, it makes me wonder if somehow I’m short changing my kids, because “my” letters, were I to write one, don’t include stories of my kids doing amazing things and achieving great and stratospheric and unimaginable heights… and yet, as I look at my own children and the things that they have been doing, to many, their achievements are seen as somewhat special and groundbreaking. For instance, I take it for granted that my son is almost an Eagle Scout at twelve years old… well, why wouldn’t he be, with his Dad as the Scoutmaster and one who intimately knows the ins and outs of Scouting and how to maximize the efforts needed? Plus, with his already having had five years cub scout tenure and now two years boy scout tenure, it’s like breathing to us, it is second nature… yet to others, the idea of a boy being just twelve and so very close to becoming an Eagle Scout is considered phenomenal. Likewise, I'm not sure how many girls ages 8 and 10 become super knowledgeable about Native American Dance performance, especially when they are not Native American to begin with, and more to the point go out and perform for others. In this, I started to realize that my kids do a lot of things that would be considered special by others, and that I’m just as guilty of “bragging” on them as anyone else.
The second thing I've noticed is that there tends to be an undercurrent of "implied success"; being made partner in a firm, becoming Vice President of a company, some award or recognition in their professional life… you rarely see someone say “Dad got laid off this year”, "Mom got downsized”, "Junior is holding on by the skin of his teeth to not fail Trigonometry" or "Dad just plodded along doing what he's always done". I’m 40, and I’m an Engineer. Not a Director, not a VP, just an everyday Engineer, and I've been one now for seventeen years, and enjoy being one. It's what I do, and I'm cool with that. At times, though, I've come to feel as though I’ve somehow failed or underachieved. Yet at times like this, I can just as easily look back to this past year and see a number of areas where I have done some special things; some of which have to do with my professional life, and many others having to do with Scouting (which is, arguably, my second "full-time occupation", according to many who know me :) ). 2008 saw me complete my Wood Badge ticket items and receive my beads, as well as be asked to participate as one of the teachers in the upcoming course for 2009. This year saw me become the fully fledged Scoutmaster for our growing Boy Scout Troop, and culminated with two Wards in San Francisco having their Scouting programs folded into ours, with me ultimately leading them and directing them in their Wards while they pursue their advancements. In short, the leadership of the Stake has entrusted me with being the center of the Stake’s Scouting program for three of our six Wards. The Order of the Arrow Dance Team has grown from a small endeavor to one of the most visible faces of the Lodge in the Council and in the community, with requests from schools and even a foregn embassy to have our little troup perform. I’ve come to realize that I have met a level of success in a beloved arena, mainly because it’s the work that I feel truly defines me (don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my work as an Engineer, but if I have to choose between having one marker on my tombstone over the other as what defines me as a person, I’d much rather be known to history as “The Scoutmaster” :) ).
The third one almost always comes across regarding purchases, or trips, or other events that are described in a manner that says “we are so wealthy and it is so great!” This is the one that I find myself feeling most ashamed of reacting to… especially since many of the families I find myself recoiling towards these mentions, are the same ones that, a decade and a half ago, could barely rub two nickels together because they were struggling so mightily to get through various schooling programs, whether they be medicine, law, business, dentistry, etc. During this period of time, Christina and I were the ones living very well with two incomes and an infusion of regular stock options from where I was working. I’m sure that we looked like the “well-off ones” to them back then, and others perhaps looked longingly at us and what we were able to do. I also have to remind myself that we made very specific goals and plans where we decided there were things that we wanted to do, both for ourselves and our children. We decided that we would make do on just one income. We decided that Christina would be a full time mom while our children were growing up. We decided we would be aggressive about saving for retirement and our children’s college savings. We vowed that we would live our lives debt free. Our lives and the things that we do (and just as often don’t do) have grown out of that discipline, and slowly but surely, we are starting to reap the benefits of that. That could likewise be something to put into a “brag letter”.
Thus, I am ending this post today with the admission that I am a total hypocrite… I come down on a practice that, in many ways, is exactly what I do right here in this blog. My kids are special and fantastic, our life is blessed extraordinarily, and I and my family have achieved a unique level of success and security that, perhaps, some of my friends don’t have. In short, I’ve realized that my attitude about Christmas letters is little more than a “Spirit of Envy” that blinds me to the fact that, as Montgomery Gentry put it, “I look around at what everyone has, and I forget about all I’ve got!” What’s more, I realize that any success I have is tempered by the fact that a loving Heavenly Father expects me to *do something* with that success. As I’ve quoted before, and will do so again (somewhat paraphrased and modified for today)… “One hundred years from now, it will not matter to anyone, least of all my Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, what car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank, but the world may well be a better place because I was important in the life of a child”. In my world view, if I can be judged by that, and if I can be found weighing in on a positive balance, that would be the ultimate “brag letter” from me. I hope to someday get a chance to write that one and I hope some of you will be around to read it when I finally have :).
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Larsen's Homestyle Honeycrisp Applesauce
This past weekend, my kids and I decided to go in the back yard and harvest the late blooming apples from our apple tree. I’m not an apple expert, but based on the times that this tree’s fruit ripens (usually late November and early December) and the coloring and flavor of the apples, I think it’s a Honeycrisp tree (hey, it came with the house, and there wasn’t a tag on it when we ultimately got it :) ). What I can say is that these late harvest apples are “fantastic” and very sweet.
This year, we were able to pull off the equivalent of a full grocery bag full of pristine, clean apples, with about 2/3rds of a bag worth of apples that got a bit of insect or bird carnage on them. Hey, it happens :). This is the single biggest harvest we’ve had from this relatively young apple tree, and as we go into the next several years, we have hopes that it may yield even more.
While apples can last quite awhile, we were seriously wondering… what on earth are we going to do with all of these?! We decided to go through and pick the biggest ones (about 30 or them) and set them aside for daily eating. The rest, which varied in size but had the same flavor and development) we made into what we call “Larsen Homestyle Applesauce”. This is how we make a typical batch:
LARSEN’S HOMESTYLE HONEYCRISP APPLESAUCE
8-10 Honeycrisp apples
1 cup water
Juice from ½ of a Meyer Lemon
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Take the apples and put them into a food processor (or you can use a mashed potato press to get the same result). The goal is to get a fine chop and press of all of the apple pieces. For best flavor and smell, do not remove the skin (personal preference; I like the flavor of the pectin in the skin :) ).
Mix the juice from the lemon with the apple mixture (this helps to slow the oxidization of the apples and keeps a lighter color. It also adds a hint of sweeter citrus to the overall taste (Meyer lemons being considerable sweeter than most other lemon varieties).
Put the apple and lemon mix in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, and place on medium heat for 25 minutes. The goal is to reduce the water and apple juice. When the applesauce mixture is the consistency of lumpy oatmeal, mix in the other ½ cup of water, the ½ cup of brown sugar, and the teaspoon of cinnamon. Reduce for another 20 minutes until the texture is just right.
The end product is a fairly chunky applesauce (not too soft but not too crisp) and it is a little reminiscent of Apple Pie filling, but not quite as sweet. This is great to eat by itself, but also tastes great when served with ice cream. We’ve now made three batches of the applesauce and devoured just about all of it (LOL!). Next year, if we get a similar yield or better, I’m going to invest in some canning supplies and actually store some up for later (or perhaps give some of it away :) ).
This year, we were able to pull off the equivalent of a full grocery bag full of pristine, clean apples, with about 2/3rds of a bag worth of apples that got a bit of insect or bird carnage on them. Hey, it happens :). This is the single biggest harvest we’ve had from this relatively young apple tree, and as we go into the next several years, we have hopes that it may yield even more.
While apples can last quite awhile, we were seriously wondering… what on earth are we going to do with all of these?! We decided to go through and pick the biggest ones (about 30 or them) and set them aside for daily eating. The rest, which varied in size but had the same flavor and development) we made into what we call “Larsen Homestyle Applesauce”. This is how we make a typical batch:
LARSEN’S HOMESTYLE HONEYCRISP APPLESAUCE
8-10 Honeycrisp apples
1 cup water
Juice from ½ of a Meyer Lemon
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Take the apples and put them into a food processor (or you can use a mashed potato press to get the same result). The goal is to get a fine chop and press of all of the apple pieces. For best flavor and smell, do not remove the skin (personal preference; I like the flavor of the pectin in the skin :) ).
Mix the juice from the lemon with the apple mixture (this helps to slow the oxidization of the apples and keeps a lighter color. It also adds a hint of sweeter citrus to the overall taste (Meyer lemons being considerable sweeter than most other lemon varieties).
Put the apple and lemon mix in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, and place on medium heat for 25 minutes. The goal is to reduce the water and apple juice. When the applesauce mixture is the consistency of lumpy oatmeal, mix in the other ½ cup of water, the ½ cup of brown sugar, and the teaspoon of cinnamon. Reduce for another 20 minutes until the texture is just right.
The end product is a fairly chunky applesauce (not too soft but not too crisp) and it is a little reminiscent of Apple Pie filling, but not quite as sweet. This is great to eat by itself, but also tastes great when served with ice cream. We’ve now made three batches of the applesauce and devoured just about all of it (LOL!). Next year, if we get a similar yield or better, I’m going to invest in some canning supplies and actually store some up for later (or perhaps give some of it away :) ).
Monday, December 22, 2008
For Vampire Fiction, The Original Is Still The Best :)
I will admit, today's post was spawned from my watching my wife and my son devouring the Twilight books. Back when I was a kid (read: not quite the time of the Stone Age, but perhaps not nearly as hip as Dynastic Egypt :) ). I had the chance to come to grips with the most celebrated vampire story of all, Bram Stoker's Dracula. I also witnessed the 20th century's fascination with this character, and subsequent stories related to vampires that have been written since (yes, I totally dug Lost Boys, as cheesy as it is today, and Forever Night was one of my favorite TV shows in the early and mid 90's. It's probably also no accident that my favorite video game of all time is the Castlevania franchise, with its revolving characters through the ages and their never ending hunt to rid the world of Dracula.
I made a decision this year that I was going to delve deeper into Project Gutenberg and explore the books of my youth and many others that I never had a chance to read. Project Gutenberg is dedicated to putting all of the world's public domain literature into E-book form (anyone out there who owns a Kindle and has not put this site on their list, shame on you :) ). With the release of "Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia" just over a month and a half ago, my fascination with the aforementioned Carpathian Warlord and Count was renewed, and I decided it was time to dig back and see if the original work would still "rock my world". I can say with confidence that "rock my world" it still does :).
Gang, Stoker created one for the ages here; even if you are not a fan of horror or vampire stories, as a first rate mystery/thriller, it is still top notch. What was most fun was to see an at the time common literary device used in a masterful way, that of making the story effectively narrator-less. Well, to be fair, it had several narrators, but each one spoke just from their own point of view, and it was left to the reader to assemble the pieces of the puzzle. Reading from Jonathan, Mina, John, Lucy and Abraham's journal entries, subsequent letters and telegrms, and contemporary newspaper clipping made for an intriguing read, and left you with the feeling that you understood what was happening, and allowed you to carry the suspense of the story without beating you over the head with the moral or the message that you are supposed to get. Sadly, that's missing from a lot of the books written today.
Stoker also took the efforts of making the story both ancient and modern; while it had many classic stereotypes of its era (British Empire and sentiments thereof are very clear, and the growing mistrust of the immigrant in Great Britain are not so subtle subtexts in the writing) it also was very up to date; I found it very interesting to see the notion of using a phonograph to keep a journal, taking the underground subway (which indeed there was in 1897) to let me see this Victorian era as not so far removed from my own after all. By contrast the depictions of the Black Sea and the Carpathian Mountains is so vivid, the reader cannot help but envision it vividly.
What was also fascinating to me was to see the changing roles of the age; Mina Harker's character was a thoroughly "modern" woman, though not modern in the sense that we would consider today, but hugely ahead of her time and station as depicted in the book. Bravo to Stoker to make a heroine who had some backbone to her, not in a hackneyed fashioned that is so commonplace today as books and stories are written of a comparable time, but truly a woman who was willing and able to push boundaries without seeming to be trite or forced. Mina's character works because you can believe that a woman like her actually existed. By contrast, the character of Lucy Westenra was more of the classical view of womanhood as existed in England (or once existed). Lucy seemed like a character straight out of many of Jane Austen's novels.
So really, why am I writing this review? Is this another piece of frugality? Is it part of my desire to relive a classic without hitting a book store? Is it a call for less clutter? It's all of these, I guess, and it's also a plug for Project Gutenberg. But really, it's my way of saying that the classics that genuinely stand the test of time do so for a reason, and Dracula is truly a book that stands the test of time. So for those who are currently enjoying this resurgence of Vampire fiction (last brought to the surface when Anne Rice was on a tear in the early 90's), please do yourself a favor and read the original bestseller of the genre. Seriously, you'll dig it, I promise :).
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Ghosts of Christmas Pictures Past
Last week, my family went to get our annual "Santa Shot" that is our tradition every year. I said I was pretty sure that this is a tradition that we did every year from 2000 on... I was right. In 2002, we also did an at home picture for Christmas Cards (I think the last ones we ever sent out, to be honest (LOL!) ). So it is indeed an annual tradition since 2000. So for fun, I thought I'd post those pictures:
Christmas 2000 and a smaller Larsen Family, but Amber is indeed there :). She'd just have to wait another month or so to make her debut (LOL!). Nick was 4 and Karina was 2.
Christmas 2001 - Now we're all here :). 5 year old Nick, 3 year old Karina and not yet 1 year old Amber.
Christmas 2002 - The card card shot we sent out to our friends and family...
...and us again with our white haired and bearded friend. Nicholas was 6, Karina was 4, and Amber was just shy of a year old.
Christmas 2003 - The years I went back to school and swore I would not grow my hair back until I graduated (LOL!). Nick is 7, Karina is 5 and Amber is just shy of 3.
Christmas 2004 - OK, I was nearing graduation and I was doing jobn interviews, I decided the skinhead interviewing might be a little bit freaky. It would be the last time I would have any serious hair growth on my head, for now very obvious reasons (LOL!). 8 year old Nick, 6 year old Karina and not quite 4 year old Amber.
Christmas 2005 - And the kids are getting bigger :). 9 year old Nick, 7 year old Karina and not quite 5 year old Amber.
Christmas 2006 - I like this picture because it's one of the few where Karina wore her glasses. 10 year old Nick, 8 year old Karina and not quite 6 year old Amber.
Christmas 2007 - Last year's shot. Looks like we had a theme going this year, and I'm not sure why Nick was sulking (I probably gave him a hard time about something, I'd be willing to bet). 11 year old Nick, 9 year old Karina and not quite 7 year old Amber.
...and even though I posted it last week, here's Christmas 2008. Nick is 12, Karina is 10, and Amber is just shy of 8.
Christmas 2000 and a smaller Larsen Family, but Amber is indeed there :). She'd just have to wait another month or so to make her debut (LOL!). Nick was 4 and Karina was 2.
Christmas 2001 - Now we're all here :). 5 year old Nick, 3 year old Karina and not yet 1 year old Amber.
Christmas 2002 - The card card shot we sent out to our friends and family...
...and us again with our white haired and bearded friend. Nicholas was 6, Karina was 4, and Amber was just shy of a year old.
Christmas 2003 - The years I went back to school and swore I would not grow my hair back until I graduated (LOL!). Nick is 7, Karina is 5 and Amber is just shy of 3.
Christmas 2004 - OK, I was nearing graduation and I was doing jobn interviews, I decided the skinhead interviewing might be a little bit freaky. It would be the last time I would have any serious hair growth on my head, for now very obvious reasons (LOL!). 8 year old Nick, 6 year old Karina and not quite 4 year old Amber.
Christmas 2005 - And the kids are getting bigger :). 9 year old Nick, 7 year old Karina and not quite 5 year old Amber.
Christmas 2006 - I like this picture because it's one of the few where Karina wore her glasses. 10 year old Nick, 8 year old Karina and not quite 6 year old Amber.
Christmas 2007 - Last year's shot. Looks like we had a theme going this year, and I'm not sure why Nick was sulking (I probably gave him a hard time about something, I'd be willing to bet). 11 year old Nick, 9 year old Karina and not quite 7 year old Amber.
...and even though I posted it last week, here's Christmas 2008. Nick is 12, Karina is 10, and Amber is just shy of 8.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Shedding of Innocent Stuff: Releasing More Captive Books
When I went through the process a couple of months ago to find books that Powell's wanted, I had a large stack of books that they *didn't* want (to be expected), but part of me wasn't sure what I wanted to do with these books. I decided to try a little experiment (an "In sight, sort of in mind" process). I took all of the books and I stacked them next to the bookshelf in our family room, but in a way that was not going to block any one's way or get in the way of anything... and I lest them sit there for an extended period. My goals was to see how many of the books I pulled from, for any reason. If I pulled a book, it went back on the shelf, since it meant there was a value to having it after all (i.e. I'd actually referenced it or decided I wanted to read through it again).
The grand total of books that I pulled? Eight. The total number of books not touched in any way, shape or form? Close to 100. Now on to the next step.
This weekend, the goal is to find one of three places:
1. local used book store(s)
2. The public library
3. Salvation Army and Goodwill
At the end of the day this Saturday, it's my hope to see all of the books find new homes, outside of my humble abode.
What was the point of the exercise? It was my way to see if I would reconsider any of the items. For the most part, there were few books that, on further reflection, I was going to re-reference. Most of them were out of date, or otherwise had been transplanted with different interests and goals. For those that didn't fit that category, I had discovered that much of the information on any of the topics that I wanted to keep and hold on to was readily available on the Internet, and often in a much more easy to access manner (as well as much more up to date).
Again,I don't wish to appear the total Philistine... I do enjoy reading, and I enjoy having good books. I've decided, however, that the best way to reinfoce my love of reading, keep in the habit of finding new books, and not overcrowding our living space is to let the public library be my source of reading material. I do pay for it, after all (it's one of those things that my dutifully paid property taxes goes towards supporting :) ). Thus, while I shall see the tomes of days goner by leave my premises, I know that, for many of them, I can easily see them again. for the others, well, I haven't looked at them for this length of time, I'm pretty confident my life will go on without them there ;).
The grand total of books that I pulled? Eight. The total number of books not touched in any way, shape or form? Close to 100. Now on to the next step.
This weekend, the goal is to find one of three places:
1. local used book store(s)
2. The public library
3. Salvation Army and Goodwill
At the end of the day this Saturday, it's my hope to see all of the books find new homes, outside of my humble abode.
What was the point of the exercise? It was my way to see if I would reconsider any of the items. For the most part, there were few books that, on further reflection, I was going to re-reference. Most of them were out of date, or otherwise had been transplanted with different interests and goals. For those that didn't fit that category, I had discovered that much of the information on any of the topics that I wanted to keep and hold on to was readily available on the Internet, and often in a much more easy to access manner (as well as much more up to date).
Again,I don't wish to appear the total Philistine... I do enjoy reading, and I enjoy having good books. I've decided, however, that the best way to reinfoce my love of reading, keep in the habit of finding new books, and not overcrowding our living space is to let the public library be my source of reading material. I do pay for it, after all (it's one of those things that my dutifully paid property taxes goes towards supporting :) ). Thus, while I shall see the tomes of days goner by leave my premises, I know that, for many of them, I can easily see them again. for the others, well, I haven't looked at them for this length of time, I'm pretty confident my life will go on without them there ;).
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Scoutmaster Mike: Series Ball and the Idea of Teamwork
Last night I had a smaller group than normal (it’s to be expected this time of year with the Christmas programs at schools and such; my son decided to support his sisters for their school performance program rather than attend the meeting last night, which I was OK with. The choice was greatly influenced by the fact that there would be cookies and punch at the school program (LOL!) ).
So with just a few boys (we had seven show up last night) I decided to borrow a page from Wood Badge and teach “a game with a purpose”. This game goes by many different names, but the version we played last night is what I refer to as “series ball”. It works like this. Each boy uses a number 3 sized soccer ball. There is a starter and a group of boys in a circle. The number of boys can vary, but you need at least five for a meaningful game, and more than twelve gets really hard to manage. Anything in between is fair game.
The game has three simple rules. Each boy can throw the ball to another player provided the other player meets two criteria:
1. the player cannot throw to a person to their immediate left or right
2. the player cannot throw to the person they just received the ball from
3. the player cannot hold the ball for longer than one second
The game has one objective; see how many balls can be thrown and maintained in the air at any given time. A “perfect game” would be the number of players being equal to the number of balls. Sounds easy? Let me assure you, it’s not (LOL!).
The boys warmed up to the game pretty quickly, but I wanted to see how long they would stay at it, or if it was a game they would tire of quickly. Turns out, they played the game for almost the entire meeting, from 7:00 PM until 8:10 PM. What we noticed as they played was very interesting. My goal was to talk to them about team building and the approach towards accomplishing a goal. To that end, we stared experimenting with how to throw the ball, and who would receive it. One ball, no problem… two balls, still relatively easy… Three balls… now we started to see some break down. Frustration started to develop, and the boys started to get a bit agitated with each other. Different ideas were coming into the picture, and sometimes the ideas were at odds with others. Some boys tried to keep a rhythm, while others tried to get rid of the balls as quickly as possible. Slowly, the boys started to see that they were not going to get “better” at the game unless they all agreed on some ground rules. The first was that they all agreed to a set throwing pattern. Some boys would throw the ball lower, and some would throw the ball higher. Some boys decided that using and counting out the one second (one-one-thousand) before throwing the ball helped maintain a rhythm. As each of the boys started using these methods that they communicated, they were able to increase the number of balls they had in play, at least for a little bit. While the “perfect game” was not achieved, they were able to sustain five balls between seven players for about eight throws. By the end of the game, they were able to maintain a pattern with four balls for even longer.
The point to this exercise was to show the boys that, in all aspects of life, teamwork is essential and building it is a non-trivial exercise. Many people expect that people with similar goals are going to just get in and get something done (even adults think this very often). The truth is, there are a lot of different stages of development in teams. Bruce Tuckman first put a set of names to these phenomena in 1965. He referred to this as the “Forming – Storming - Norming – Performing” model, and each stage is necessary to pass through before a group can become a well performing unit. My goal with the boys was not to frustrate them, nor was it just to occupy their time with a game. Ultimately, my attempts were to help them see how each individual contributes to a project, and how the group succeeds or fails can often be shown to be the results of one or more people who decide not to “play along” with the others. Just as there are times when being an individual is critical, being a part of a team that performs well requires all to get involved together and somehow “get in sync” with one another. My hope is that, last night, the boys that left the meeting had a little more to think about other than a semi-frustrating game their Scoutmaster threw at them. Time will tell, of course :).
So with just a few boys (we had seven show up last night) I decided to borrow a page from Wood Badge and teach “a game with a purpose”. This game goes by many different names, but the version we played last night is what I refer to as “series ball”. It works like this. Each boy uses a number 3 sized soccer ball. There is a starter and a group of boys in a circle. The number of boys can vary, but you need at least five for a meaningful game, and more than twelve gets really hard to manage. Anything in between is fair game.
The game has three simple rules. Each boy can throw the ball to another player provided the other player meets two criteria:
1. the player cannot throw to a person to their immediate left or right
2. the player cannot throw to the person they just received the ball from
3. the player cannot hold the ball for longer than one second
The game has one objective; see how many balls can be thrown and maintained in the air at any given time. A “perfect game” would be the number of players being equal to the number of balls. Sounds easy? Let me assure you, it’s not (LOL!).
The boys warmed up to the game pretty quickly, but I wanted to see how long they would stay at it, or if it was a game they would tire of quickly. Turns out, they played the game for almost the entire meeting, from 7:00 PM until 8:10 PM. What we noticed as they played was very interesting. My goal was to talk to them about team building and the approach towards accomplishing a goal. To that end, we stared experimenting with how to throw the ball, and who would receive it. One ball, no problem… two balls, still relatively easy… Three balls… now we started to see some break down. Frustration started to develop, and the boys started to get a bit agitated with each other. Different ideas were coming into the picture, and sometimes the ideas were at odds with others. Some boys tried to keep a rhythm, while others tried to get rid of the balls as quickly as possible. Slowly, the boys started to see that they were not going to get “better” at the game unless they all agreed on some ground rules. The first was that they all agreed to a set throwing pattern. Some boys would throw the ball lower, and some would throw the ball higher. Some boys decided that using and counting out the one second (one-one-thousand) before throwing the ball helped maintain a rhythm. As each of the boys started using these methods that they communicated, they were able to increase the number of balls they had in play, at least for a little bit. While the “perfect game” was not achieved, they were able to sustain five balls between seven players for about eight throws. By the end of the game, they were able to maintain a pattern with four balls for even longer.
The point to this exercise was to show the boys that, in all aspects of life, teamwork is essential and building it is a non-trivial exercise. Many people expect that people with similar goals are going to just get in and get something done (even adults think this very often). The truth is, there are a lot of different stages of development in teams. Bruce Tuckman first put a set of names to these phenomena in 1965. He referred to this as the “Forming – Storming - Norming – Performing” model, and each stage is necessary to pass through before a group can become a well performing unit. My goal with the boys was not to frustrate them, nor was it just to occupy their time with a game. Ultimately, my attempts were to help them see how each individual contributes to a project, and how the group succeeds or fails can often be shown to be the results of one or more people who decide not to “play along” with the others. Just as there are times when being an individual is critical, being a part of a team that performs well requires all to get involved together and somehow “get in sync” with one another. My hope is that, last night, the boys that left the meeting had a little more to think about other than a semi-frustrating game their Scoutmaster threw at them. Time will tell, of course :).
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Madd Money: Multi-Blog Collaboration and Free E-Book
I'm borrowing and paraphrasing this post from Blunt Money and others, since I think that, in these times of challenge and trial, it's good to be reminded of some good old fashioned common sense when it comes to living on less than we earn. She wants to spread the word and alert as many people as possible to the E-book, so that's exactly what I'm going to do :). Note that I have no content nor have I contributed to this project in any way, other than right now, and my sharing this information with others.
Jason, who runs the "Live To Budget" blog, compiled an e-book called Spend Less Than You Earn. This group of ideas and sugestions come from himself and nine additional bloggers. What's also cool is that this E-book is 100% FREE. Just right-click on the link above, then select “Save Link As…” and you are good to go.
In addition to Live to Budget, the other bloggers participating in this E-book are:
Almost Frugal
Being Frugal
Blunt Money
Credit Withdrawal
Finance for a Freelance Life
Lightening Online
My Debt Free Goal
My Super Charged Life
Simple Mom
The purpose of the E-book as stated, is that:
“bloggers who have contributed to this ebook all decided that they wanted to take control of their financial situation. Each of them came to the realisation that enough was enough — they no longer wanted to spend more than they earned, and they no longer wanted to have a large level of debt…This ebook is an attempt to collect the best information they have to pass on. Every blogger included has offered two or three of their best posts that they believe will help the reader take control of their personal financial situation today.”
Happy reading :).
Monday, December 15, 2008
Confessions of an Anime Geek
I grew up with the first wave of Anime that became popular in the United States in the 1970's. Shows like "Speed Racer", "Kimba the White Lion", and of course "Gatchaman" (which we knew stateside as "Battle of the Planets") looked different than Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, or He-Man and Thundarr the Barbarian (yes, I'm dating myself here (LOL!) ), but it wasn't for several more years until I started really paying attention to the differences. Truth be told, it was my son and his school friends that brought the Anime bug back to me earlier in this decade (around 2000 and 2001). Since then, there have been many series that I have seen, become interested in, become less interested in, and finally found those that are worth viewing over and over again (and in my case, outright owning).
Thus, for your Holiday viewing pleasure, I am going to present my personal favorite of the many Anime titles that are out there. Note, these are series I'm commenting on. There are *lots* of cool one-off's out there that are awesome to see, but I generally don't buy one-off's, preferring instead to view those either through loans from the public library or video rental (maybe I'll do another post a bit later about my favorite one-offs :) ). Also, I tend to like individual storylines that have a limited run; the series that were limited to 26 or 52 episodes, all contained, rather than the serial ones that run on and on and on for a dozen years. The quality of the shows that were made for limited runs tend to hold up better and the pacing is usually much more interesting, IMHO. With that, here are my top picks:
Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex (and 2nd Gig)
For me, these are two different stories but they take place in roughly the same time frame, so I consider them both worthy of purchase. This series is based on the late 80's/early 90's manga by Masamune Shirow, and it's a very cerebral and thought provoking series. The Wachowski Brothers, when they were developing "The Matrix", used "Ghost in the Shell" as an example of how they wanted to define the ultimate look of their movies. The storylines are based around a cybernetic future, where the line between humanity and machinery has become so blurred as to almost be indistinguishable. It's seen through the eyes (mostly) of Motoko Kusanage, a cybernetic human whos brain and part of her spinal cord are all that is left of her humanity; the rest of her is all machine. The secondary title refers to two things. First, it's the notion that individual efforts can lead up to a congruent whole all unto itself (an idea that's eplained pretty well here. It also is used to describe individual episodes in the series. Standalone Episodes are just that, meant to be watched on their own and not necessarily as part of an overall story arc. Complex episodes, however, are all meant to tie together and tell a greater story ("The Laughing Man" in the first season and "The Individual Eleven" in the second). Gang, when it comes to storytelling, immersive worlds, and a thrilling ride in animation, really, it doesn't get any better than this. Also, those who may be turned of by the "Moe" look of what is traditionally seen as the Anime style (girls with big eyes, near non existent noses, exaggerated features, etc), there is virtually none of that here. The approach is realism, and the animators at Studio I.G. do a fabulous job. In addition, the music in the series is also wonderfully integrated and enhanced due to the score by Yoko Kanno and various numbers performed by a myriad group of singers (Russian born artist Origa being one of my personal favorites).
Fullmetal Alchemist
Imagine a world that split away from our own about the time of the Renaissance. Now imagine, in that parallel world, that the laws of Alchemy operate in the same way that the laws of Physics do in ours. Add to that a world about on the brink of starting their equivalent of World War I as experienced in our Earth's time frame, and you have the setting for another of the best Anime series ever (IMO), Fullmetal Alchemist. This is the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, the struggles they undertake to get back what they have lost, and all that happens along the way. While this show moast certanly leans to "Moe" anime stylings, and has its fair share of humor and whimsy associated with it, the overall story is a roller-coaster ride and is at times hilarious, intriguing and heartbreaking. The underlying story about how Edward and Alphonse sacrificed so much to help bring back their MOther from the dead carries through the entire series, and these choices are examined through the philosophy of "Equivalent Exchange", and how those words both inform, and haunt, their world.
Cowboy Bebop
A terrific, and groundbreaking, Anime from the late 90's, this one really made an impression on me. Yoko Kanno does the music for this one, and whereas "Ghost in the Shell" is all cool techno and funk, "Cowboy Bebob" hearkens to big band Jazz as the soundtrack to an odd group of space age bounty hunters. Spike Spiegel is the rebirth of Bruce Lee in the late 21st Century, May Valentine is the wild-card gambler who always gets in trouble, Jett is the older and more war torn member of the party, often giving sage advice to others (that usually goes unheeded), and Edward is a whiz kid that can hack any computer anywhere, but she comes with her own set of weird quirks (and yes, "Edward" is a she :) ). Add to that Ein, the coolest Corgi ever to appear in an Anime, and what you get is a rollicking ride that likely to be watched again and again.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
This one is heavy, no doubt about it. It's an odd mixture of cyberpunk, mecha (meaning the giant robots that are often seen as the symbol of Japanese Anime) and the blending of Kaballah mysticism into the idea that the end of the world is com ing, and humanity is facing its annihilation at the hand of "the Angels", extraterrestrial entities bent on destroying humanity. It's only line of defense is the people in the organization NERV, and the giant mechanical creatures called "EVA". The pilots of these mechanical devices? 14 year old teenagers, each with an unusual quirk or back story. This one is both renowned for a complex story as well as being an investigation into the realms of mental illness (series creator Hideaki Anno was quoted as saying that the show itself was cathartic to him and was his way of explaining how he ultimately overcame clinical depression).
Bleach
This is an example of a story that, perhaps, may prove to run too long to maintain its vitality over the long haul, but the first two seasons of this one are terrific, well paced, and both amusing and wrenching. Ichigo Kurosaki is a fifteeen year old kid who "sees dead people", or rather, can see and communicate with the spirits of those who have died. However, in Ichigo's world, there are two types of dead people. The first are called "wholes", and they tend to pass on into the next world without much trouble. the second group are called "Hollows", and these are the ones that didn't necessarily want to die, or have not come to grips with their deaths. Through rage and anger, they transform into creatures that look to prey upon the living. An afterlife army of "Shinigami" ("Soul Reapers in the English dub) helps to combat these creatures and keep the bulk of humanity blissfully unaware of their existence. It's into this batle that Ichigo finds himself becoming a "Shinigami" in his own right, a substitute "Soul Reaper". This show has now been running for several seasons in Japan, and two of those seasons are now available for purchase stateside.
Fruits Basket
All battle, swords and tech makes Michael a dull boy. I will confess I bought this series mainly as something for my girls to watch (it's billed as a "Shojo", i.e. for girls). However, I found myself enjoying this one immensely, and when my girls ask if we can watch it again (which they invariably do every few months), I say "no problem". The story follows Tohru Honda, a fifteen year old Japanese schoolgirl who loses her mother in a car accident. Through the days, weeks and months after that tragic event, she meets the members of the Sohma family, who are a wealthy and large clan of people who share a secret... there are among the Sohma's men, women, boys and girls, who have been "cursed" to carry the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. When they are under great stress, or when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into the various animals of the Chinese Zodiac (plus one more, the Cat). The series revolves around Tohru meting these people, caring for them, and ultimately looking to see if she can be the one outsider to help all of the Sohma clan as they carry this curse. While this is a series that is aimed at girls, it has a charm and a quality of animation that makes it one of my favorites as well.
A note to any and all who are newcomers to Anime... in the US, animation is often seen as kids fare. In Japan, nothing could be further from the truth. While, indeed there are kids shows, many of the best Anime would be shown on telivision at 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM and be the equivalent of watching programs like CSI, The X-Files or the current Battlestar Galactica. In short, much of the situations and the dialogue may not be suitable for younger viewers. If this is a concern, be advised. Also, the action is some of these programs can be very intense, and some of the scenes can be quite graphic. Again, this owes to the diverse audience for many of these programs, many of which are really not at all geared towards kids. I'd encopurage all parents to read the reviews and commentary about each of the series before making any purchases, and I would *always* encourage parents to screen any Anime before letting kids see them, especially those aimed at an "over 14" demographic.
Also, one final tip... I have found that I enjoy the stories best when they are played back with the original Japanese dialog and English subtitles. While I give credit to the cast of actors that dubs these programs into English, and some of them do a superb job at it, there is something about the original Japanese dialog that gives poignancy to the scenes that the English dialog often does not. Also, sadly, it seems that the English dialog tends to be more "edgy" and use harsher words than the equivalent Japanese translation, hence there are titles where I tell my kids "sure, we can watch that one, but we'll watch it with the Japanese voice track and subtitles".
Thus, for your Holiday viewing pleasure, I am going to present my personal favorite of the many Anime titles that are out there. Note, these are series I'm commenting on. There are *lots* of cool one-off's out there that are awesome to see, but I generally don't buy one-off's, preferring instead to view those either through loans from the public library or video rental (maybe I'll do another post a bit later about my favorite one-offs :) ). Also, I tend to like individual storylines that have a limited run; the series that were limited to 26 or 52 episodes, all contained, rather than the serial ones that run on and on and on for a dozen years. The quality of the shows that were made for limited runs tend to hold up better and the pacing is usually much more interesting, IMHO. With that, here are my top picks:
Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex (and 2nd Gig)
For me, these are two different stories but they take place in roughly the same time frame, so I consider them both worthy of purchase. This series is based on the late 80's/early 90's manga by Masamune Shirow, and it's a very cerebral and thought provoking series. The Wachowski Brothers, when they were developing "The Matrix", used "Ghost in the Shell" as an example of how they wanted to define the ultimate look of their movies. The storylines are based around a cybernetic future, where the line between humanity and machinery has become so blurred as to almost be indistinguishable. It's seen through the eyes (mostly) of Motoko Kusanage, a cybernetic human whos brain and part of her spinal cord are all that is left of her humanity; the rest of her is all machine. The secondary title refers to two things. First, it's the notion that individual efforts can lead up to a congruent whole all unto itself (an idea that's eplained pretty well here. It also is used to describe individual episodes in the series. Standalone Episodes are just that, meant to be watched on their own and not necessarily as part of an overall story arc. Complex episodes, however, are all meant to tie together and tell a greater story ("The Laughing Man" in the first season and "The Individual Eleven" in the second). Gang, when it comes to storytelling, immersive worlds, and a thrilling ride in animation, really, it doesn't get any better than this. Also, those who may be turned of by the "Moe" look of what is traditionally seen as the Anime style (girls with big eyes, near non existent noses, exaggerated features, etc), there is virtually none of that here. The approach is realism, and the animators at Studio I.G. do a fabulous job. In addition, the music in the series is also wonderfully integrated and enhanced due to the score by Yoko Kanno and various numbers performed by a myriad group of singers (Russian born artist Origa being one of my personal favorites).
Fullmetal Alchemist
Imagine a world that split away from our own about the time of the Renaissance. Now imagine, in that parallel world, that the laws of Alchemy operate in the same way that the laws of Physics do in ours. Add to that a world about on the brink of starting their equivalent of World War I as experienced in our Earth's time frame, and you have the setting for another of the best Anime series ever (IMO), Fullmetal Alchemist. This is the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, the struggles they undertake to get back what they have lost, and all that happens along the way. While this show moast certanly leans to "Moe" anime stylings, and has its fair share of humor and whimsy associated with it, the overall story is a roller-coaster ride and is at times hilarious, intriguing and heartbreaking. The underlying story about how Edward and Alphonse sacrificed so much to help bring back their MOther from the dead carries through the entire series, and these choices are examined through the philosophy of "Equivalent Exchange", and how those words both inform, and haunt, their world.
Cowboy Bebop
A terrific, and groundbreaking, Anime from the late 90's, this one really made an impression on me. Yoko Kanno does the music for this one, and whereas "Ghost in the Shell" is all cool techno and funk, "Cowboy Bebob" hearkens to big band Jazz as the soundtrack to an odd group of space age bounty hunters. Spike Spiegel is the rebirth of Bruce Lee in the late 21st Century, May Valentine is the wild-card gambler who always gets in trouble, Jett is the older and more war torn member of the party, often giving sage advice to others (that usually goes unheeded), and Edward is a whiz kid that can hack any computer anywhere, but she comes with her own set of weird quirks (and yes, "Edward" is a she :) ). Add to that Ein, the coolest Corgi ever to appear in an Anime, and what you get is a rollicking ride that likely to be watched again and again.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
This one is heavy, no doubt about it. It's an odd mixture of cyberpunk, mecha (meaning the giant robots that are often seen as the symbol of Japanese Anime) and the blending of Kaballah mysticism into the idea that the end of the world is com ing, and humanity is facing its annihilation at the hand of "the Angels", extraterrestrial entities bent on destroying humanity. It's only line of defense is the people in the organization NERV, and the giant mechanical creatures called "EVA". The pilots of these mechanical devices? 14 year old teenagers, each with an unusual quirk or back story. This one is both renowned for a complex story as well as being an investigation into the realms of mental illness (series creator Hideaki Anno was quoted as saying that the show itself was cathartic to him and was his way of explaining how he ultimately overcame clinical depression).
Bleach
This is an example of a story that, perhaps, may prove to run too long to maintain its vitality over the long haul, but the first two seasons of this one are terrific, well paced, and both amusing and wrenching. Ichigo Kurosaki is a fifteeen year old kid who "sees dead people", or rather, can see and communicate with the spirits of those who have died. However, in Ichigo's world, there are two types of dead people. The first are called "wholes", and they tend to pass on into the next world without much trouble. the second group are called "Hollows", and these are the ones that didn't necessarily want to die, or have not come to grips with their deaths. Through rage and anger, they transform into creatures that look to prey upon the living. An afterlife army of "Shinigami" ("Soul Reapers in the English dub) helps to combat these creatures and keep the bulk of humanity blissfully unaware of their existence. It's into this batle that Ichigo finds himself becoming a "Shinigami" in his own right, a substitute "Soul Reaper". This show has now been running for several seasons in Japan, and two of those seasons are now available for purchase stateside.
Fruits Basket
All battle, swords and tech makes Michael a dull boy. I will confess I bought this series mainly as something for my girls to watch (it's billed as a "Shojo", i.e. for girls). However, I found myself enjoying this one immensely, and when my girls ask if we can watch it again (which they invariably do every few months), I say "no problem". The story follows Tohru Honda, a fifteen year old Japanese schoolgirl who loses her mother in a car accident. Through the days, weeks and months after that tragic event, she meets the members of the Sohma family, who are a wealthy and large clan of people who share a secret... there are among the Sohma's men, women, boys and girls, who have been "cursed" to carry the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. When they are under great stress, or when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into the various animals of the Chinese Zodiac (plus one more, the Cat). The series revolves around Tohru meting these people, caring for them, and ultimately looking to see if she can be the one outsider to help all of the Sohma clan as they carry this curse. While this is a series that is aimed at girls, it has a charm and a quality of animation that makes it one of my favorites as well.
A note to any and all who are newcomers to Anime... in the US, animation is often seen as kids fare. In Japan, nothing could be further from the truth. While, indeed there are kids shows, many of the best Anime would be shown on telivision at 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM and be the equivalent of watching programs like CSI, The X-Files or the current Battlestar Galactica. In short, much of the situations and the dialogue may not be suitable for younger viewers. If this is a concern, be advised. Also, the action is some of these programs can be very intense, and some of the scenes can be quite graphic. Again, this owes to the diverse audience for many of these programs, many of which are really not at all geared towards kids. I'd encopurage all parents to read the reviews and commentary about each of the series before making any purchases, and I would *always* encourage parents to screen any Anime before letting kids see them, especially those aimed at an "over 14" demographic.
Also, one final tip... I have found that I enjoy the stories best when they are played back with the original Japanese dialog and English subtitles. While I give credit to the cast of actors that dubs these programs into English, and some of them do a superb job at it, there is something about the original Japanese dialog that gives poignancy to the scenes that the English dialog often does not. Also, sadly, it seems that the English dialog tends to be more "edgy" and use harsher words than the equivalent Japanese translation, hence there are titles where I tell my kids "sure, we can watch that one, but we'll watch it with the Japanese voice track and subtitles".
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Taking a Tag From Talitha
OK, so Talitha didn't tag me, but since it's a quiet morning, I figured I'd play along anyway :
RULES:
1. Go to your pictures
2. Go to the 4th file & upload the 4th picture
3. Post & tell about the picture
4. Tag 4 friends
So with that, here we go:
I met a "friend" through myspace some years ago named Mika (pronounced "mee-kuh") who is a veritable expert in the art of sewing, and a comprehensive and almost obsessive love of Manga and Anime. One of the things she does to make money for school and other things is she makes very adorable fleece hats that are based on various Anime characters or otherwise come from "Kawaii" things (Kawaii is the Japanese term for "ridiculously cute" :) ).
I got all three of my kids Mika made hats a couple of years ago and this is the one that Amber wanted, a bunny rabbit called "Mokana Chan". I had each of the kids wear their hats and I took pictures of all three of them to sent to Mika so she could put them up on her site. Amber's just happens to be the fourth on in my photo folder :).
So who might actually play... OK, here goes: Erika, Sarah, Nedra and Christina :)
RULES:
1. Go to your pictures
2. Go to the 4th file & upload the 4th picture
3. Post & tell about the picture
4. Tag 4 friends
So with that, here we go:
I met a "friend" through myspace some years ago named Mika (pronounced "mee-kuh") who is a veritable expert in the art of sewing, and a comprehensive and almost obsessive love of Manga and Anime. One of the things she does to make money for school and other things is she makes very adorable fleece hats that are based on various Anime characters or otherwise come from "Kawaii" things (Kawaii is the Japanese term for "ridiculously cute" :) ).
I got all three of my kids Mika made hats a couple of years ago and this is the one that Amber wanted, a bunny rabbit called "Mokana Chan". I had each of the kids wear their hats and I took pictures of all three of them to sent to Mika so she could put them up on her site. Amber's just happens to be the fourth on in my photo folder :).
So who might actually play... OK, here goes: Erika, Sarah, Nedra and Christina :)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Proof I Should Have Stayed In Bed
I woke up Saturday Morning feeling not at all well; congested head, headachey, the whole nine yards. I'd been fighting a cold much of the week, and this time, I just felt like I'd been clubbed in the head. Still, there were a lot of things we needed to do today, and that required my actually getting up and helping out. Anyway, as we were running around yesterday, at one point my son wanted to make some Jell-O as part of dinner. I decided to give him a hand and I helped him dissolve the Jell-O packet over the stove.
Next thing we know, the phone is ringing, only the cordless phone is in the bedroom. No problem, I think, and I rush off to go answer the phone... and that's when it happened:
It was an accident, of course, but what happened was that the cabinet door that's overhead was let open. I should say that it is overhead for everyone except for me! Sure enough, as I was practically at a running start, I glanced the bottom of the cabinet, which opened up and caught against the side of the refrigerator... which had the net effect of me looking like I'd been hit across the head with a two by four! Needless to say, my family was rather alarmed as I dropped to the floor and clutched my head (not an entirely voluntary reaction). the next thing I knew, my son was there with ice in a plastic bag (wow, he really has been paying attention in Scouts :) ), and he was the first to say "Oh my gosh, Dad, your head!"... which doesn't exactly instill confidence at moments like this (LOL!). Fortunately, it's just a welt that will likely turn into a really vibrant bruise in a few days, but hopefully, I'll be no worse for wear from the overall experience.
Yep, I should have just stayed in bed (LOL!)
Next thing we know, the phone is ringing, only the cordless phone is in the bedroom. No problem, I think, and I rush off to go answer the phone... and that's when it happened:
It was an accident, of course, but what happened was that the cabinet door that's overhead was let open. I should say that it is overhead for everyone except for me! Sure enough, as I was practically at a running start, I glanced the bottom of the cabinet, which opened up and caught against the side of the refrigerator... which had the net effect of me looking like I'd been hit across the head with a two by four! Needless to say, my family was rather alarmed as I dropped to the floor and clutched my head (not an entirely voluntary reaction). the next thing I knew, my son was there with ice in a plastic bag (wow, he really has been paying attention in Scouts :) ), and he was the first to say "Oh my gosh, Dad, your head!"... which doesn't exactly instill confidence at moments like this (LOL!). Fortunately, it's just a welt that will likely turn into a really vibrant bruise in a few days, but hopefully, I'll be no worse for wear from the overall experience.
Yep, I should have just stayed in bed (LOL!)
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