Happiness For Blessing

My new computer comes in on Thursday (hooray!), so I am just about ready to start a new collaborative project that I've been thinking about for a while: I am on a quest to create the ultimate aerobic workout playlist(s). I have compiled over 100 songs into a playlist that I have placed on my iPod and I have been taking it with me to the gym to try them out. I picked them in a fairly arbitrary fashion, although I did reference this article and a couple of others. As you can imagine, some of them work pretty well, but others turn out to be duds. My problem is that I have a limited knowledge of music. That's why I need your help. What are the songs that you like to work out to? I want songs with a good rhythm and that I don't mind having to listen to. Songs from every genre, from rock to country to rap to Christian, are welcome. If there are enough songs that I like, I may make multiple lists, and perhaps some based on genre. Leave your submissions in the comments, and I'll download the ones I don't have onto my brand new computer and go try them out on the bike. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I posted this on Odd Man Rush as well.

Opening Day is here!

Predicted Standings for 2009

First number in parentheses is predicted # of wins, following number is differential from 2008.

AL East
New York (98, +8)
Tampa Bay (Wild Card) (94, –3)
Boston (90, –5)
Toronto (84, –2)
Baltimore (67, –1)

AL Central
Chicago (91, +2)
Minnesota (89, +1)
Kansas City (80, +5)
Cleveland (77, –4)
Detroit (76, +2)

AL West
Los Angeles of Anaheim (91, –9)
Texas (83, +4)
Oakland (79, +4)
Seattle (66, +5)


NL East
New York (94, +5)
Philadelphia (Wild Card) (92, +/-0)
Florida (81, –3)
Atlanta (75, +3)
Washington (58, –1)

NL Central
Chicago (95, –2)
Cincinnati (88, +14)
St. Louis (84, –2)
Milwaukee (80, –10)
Houston (73, –13)
Pittsburgh (66, –1)

NL West
Los Angeles (95, +11)
Arizona (86, +4)
San Francisco (78, +6)
Colorado (62, –12)
San Diego (60, –3)


Preseason Power Rankings

1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Chicago Cubs
4. New York Yankees
5. New York Mets
6. Philadelphia Phillies
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Chicago White Sox
9. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
10. Minnesota Twins
11. St. Louis Cardinals
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. Cincinnati Reds
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
15. Texas Rangers
16. Oakland Athletics
17. Florida Marlins
18. Milwaukee Brewers
19. Cleveland Indians
20. San Francisco Giants
21. Atlanta Braves
22. Kansas City Royals
23. Detroit Tigers
24. Colorado Rockies
25. Houston Astros
26. Baltimore Orioles
27. Seattle Mariners
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
29. San Diego Padres
30. Washington Nationals

Individual Awards – American League

The top vote-getters are listed in order for voting awards, and in statistical order for other awards.

MVP: Mark Teixeira, Grady Sizemore, Josh Hamilton
Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, Joe Nathan
Rookie of the Year: Matt LaPorta, Matt Wieters, David Price
Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano, David Ortiz, Andruw Jones
Batting Champ: Ian Kinsler, Nick Markakis, Dustin Pedroia
Home Run Champ: Grady Sizemore, Evan Longoria, Jermaine Dye
RBI Champ: Josh Hamilton, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis
ERA Champ: Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, CC Sabathia
Wins Champ: Roy Halladay, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Andy Sonnanstine
Strikeout Champ: CC Sabathia, Roy Halladay, Zack Greinke
Saves Champ: Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, David Price


Individual Awards – National League

The top vote-getters are listed in order for voting awards, and in statistical order for other awards.

MVP: Albert Pujols, David Wright, Aramis Ramirez
Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Brandon Webb
Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin, Andrew McCutchen, Jason Motte
Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Harang, Troy Tulowitzki, Chris Carpenter
Batting Champ: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Ryan Theriot
Home Run Champ: Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, David Wright
RBI Champ: David Wright, Aramis Ramirez, Albert Pujols
ERA Champ: Tim Lincecum, Rich Harden, Johan Santana
Wins Champ: Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels, Chad Billingsley
Strikeout Champ: Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Dan Haren
Saves Champ: Brad Lidge, Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton

Thank you to everyone who checked up on me following my camping trip in Arkansas. It was great, but I'm glad to be back. This week's IBTH is abbreviated as a result.

Film/TV
Did you know that there's a site where you can watch every episode of The Simpsons ever made? I just wasted a whole lot of time...

Dallas
I never would have heard of this had I not gone back through the Dallas Morning News archive after returning home, but apparently this story gained national attention last week:

NFL Running Back Ryan Moats, who grew up in Oak Cliff, was involved in a controversial altercation with Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell. Moats was on his way to attend to his dying mother-in-law at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano when he ran a red light, prompting a chase by Powell, who then proceeded to be the world's biggest jerk, despite Moats' repeated pleas to let him simply go inside the hospital. The entire altercation was caught on Powell's in-dash camera, which is shown unedited here. Probably the most appalling part of the video (and there's plenty there to choose from) is when the nurse comes outside and informs the officer of the situation. His reaction is to snap back, "I'm almost finished here." Powell has since apologized, but apparently public backlash hasn't waned. This editorial lauds Moats' reaction, and I have to agree. It would have been easy for him to lose his cool, but he didn't raise his voice, curse, or act insubordinate in any way. Hopefully Ryan can transform his new-found (unwanted) fame into something positive, and I'm sure he will.

Politics/World News
In 2003, the Republican Party in Texas, led by Tom DeLay and Rick Perry, gerrymandered US Congressional Districts in a move that ranks among the worst abuses of political power in recent memory. Among many other things, the Abilene area (historically bipartisan) was lumped in with ultra-conservative Lubbock. As a result, Charlie Stenholm, a conservative Democrat who wasn't afraid to reach across the aisle, lost his seat in 2004. Stenholm served 13 terms as Representative from the Abilene area, and he was on several influential committees. He was replaced by Randy Neugebauer, a rookie who has since voted with the Republican delegation 98% of the time. Stenholm wasn't the only one to lose his seat.

Now, the Texas Senate has approved a measure that ensures that any future redistricting will be handled by a bi-partisan committee. The measure passed 19-12, with the only "no" votes coming from Republicans. The bill now has to go through the incredibly partisan House of Representatives. If there is any justice, it will pass, but I am not holding my breath.

Humor
A pub in London was recently evacuated after a replica "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch" was mistaken for a real explosive device.

Youtube
Fans of Arrested Development should recognize this face:

There will be no Weekend Links next weekend, or any posts at all for the the next week. I leave for Arkansas tomorrow. We'll be kayaking the Buffalo River and backpacking along various trails along the way. I'll take pictures when I can and post a recap sometime next week. Enjoy this week's entry.

Christianity
Kudos to the Christian Book Expo, which ends today in Dallas, for reaching out to those with different viewpoints. These types of authentic discussions are what the Church should be about.

Sports
I heard about this on the radio this morning: If the Texas Rangers win their first 4 regular season games and the New York Yankees lose their first 4, every Honda bought at Vandergriff Honda in Arlington within a certain timeframe (the radio ad said the deadline was today, this article says differently) will be paid off by the dealership. Quite a gamble. The Rangers play 3 at home against the Indians, then travel to Detroit to face the Tigers. I'll be at the opener. Meanwhile, the Yankees play four on the road, but the opponents are cupcakes: The Orioles and Royals. I think the odds are stacked in the dealership's favor.

Film/TV
If you didn't watch the series premiere of Kings last Sunday (and based on the ratings, you probably didn't), you should. It's an hour and half long on Hulu, but totally worth the time investment. The show is a modern retelling of the Biblical story of David and Saul, and it is very intelligent and well-acted. Watch it, tell everyone you know, and then watch the second episode tomorrow night. This show needs to air, but there are already rumors of cancellation if the numbers don't improve.

Music
A medley of hip hop songs that sounds like it comes from an NES game.

The Written Word
The Seattle Public Library is hosting a debate today that's sure to cause (or reveal?) all kinds of teen angst: Which is better: Harry Potter or Twilight? Luckily, they're talking about the book series, not the movies.

Games
You think you're good at Tetris? See how long it takes you to fill a single line in this mega-size Tetris game. I left it running - with the spacebar pressed down, which makes the pieces move superfast - and it still took 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 18 seconds for the board to fill up. (Click on image to enlarge)


Dallas
The Hard Rock Cafe is returning to Dallas, this time in Victory Park.

Politics/World News
My major complaint about the Anti-Gay Marriage Crowd is that the same people who claim to be defenders of the sanctity of marriage don't have a lot to say about divorce. It's become an accepted part of society, a necessary evil. Well, Texas State Representative Warren Chisum of Pampa has proposed some legislation that will make it harder to obtain a divorce. I wonder about the logistics though: the proposal essentially places a $150 tax on divorce, which may be an obstacle for poor people in abusive relationships. I still feel uncomfortable about legislating morality. Marriage is an institution where the line between church and state has been obliterated, which makes this legislation still seem hypocritical - if you want to deny marriage to homosexuals on religious grounds, shouldn't you also want to ban divorce altogether? And just what is the role of government in marriage anyway?

Humor
This portrait featuring Sean Connery - sort of - is more bizarre and creepy than humorous (though it is that). So many questions come to mind, but the most important one may be "Why?"

Youtube
A cool graphic representation of the metamorphosis of the Batman logo over time.


Movie Trailer of the Week
Another selection from the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. Lymelife will show on Monday, March 30 at 10:15 pm at Landmark's Magnolia. If you'll be in Dallas the week of the festival, I'd love to have you join me at some of these movies. I've written a note on Facebook with all the details.



Image of the Week

(Click on image to enlarge)
This week's image is taken from a Big Picture post about the recession. The newspaper stand graveyard is a metaphor not only for the state of the economy, but the impending death of the print media.

Three notes before we dive in:

1. I stated that a clever name for this weekly feature is coming. I've come up with a few, but they're just a little too...inadequate. Until I come up with one I'm really satisfied with, we'll stick with the vanilla title. If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments.
2. I changed "Books" to "The Written Word." This gives me flexibility to link to items such as the one featured this week.
3. I fully realize that the links posts are the only items I've produced for this site recently. This will likely continue to be the case until I get a new computer to replace my poor, poor laptop.

Christianity
Michael Spencer of the Christian Science Monitor, an evangelical, posits that the evangelical community is on the verge of a "major collapse." Rod Dreher, apparently an orthodox blogger on conservative politics and religion (his little logo makes me sick to my stomach), responds.

I'll simply pull a couple of interesting quotes from Spencer's article, with the caveat that I want to explore this thesis more thoroughly in its own independent post. (Or in the comments - come on guys.)

1. "Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake...We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith."

2. "Expect evangelicalism to look more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth oriented megachurches that have defined success. Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith."

3. "A small band will work hard to rescue the movement from its demise through theological renewal. This is an attractive, innovative, and tireless community with outstanding media, publishing, and leadership development...We can rejoice that in the ruins, new forms of Christian vitality and ministry will be born. I expect to see a vital and growing house church movement"

4. Despite all of these challenges, it is impossible not to be hopeful. As one commenter has already said, "Christianity loves a crumbling empire."

Sports
Fighting has come under fire recently in hockey. Mike Heika, who covers the Stars for the Dallas Morning News, takes a look at the honor code that players follow when fighting. Take a look at this video after you read the story.

Now comes news that the NHL is thinking about adding ten-minute game misconduct penalties for "staged fights" - fights that occur immediately after face-offs, like in the video above. Scott Burnside, who writes this opinion piece, thinks that this won't be much of a deterrent to staged fighting, but I think that, if passed, we will see reduced fighting as a result of this rule. Coaches can get fined if too many game misconduct penalties are assessed or if they happen at the wrong time. I hope to write a more in-depth post about fighting in hockey at a later point.

Film/TV
The New Yorker profiles screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who wrote and directed the upcoming Duplicity. The piece is supposed to be flattering, and it is in parts, but I think Gilroy comes out looking like an arrogant jerk. Most notably, Gilroy, who wrote all three movies in the Bourne Trilogy, completely trashes the Robert Ludlum novels on which the films are based, as well as the readers who have enjoyed them over the years. Note to Tony: I loved your movies, but they were nowhere near as good as the books. Gilroy still remains compelling for me, however, and I now have a desire to see Duplicity that I didn't have before.

Music
The A.V. Club takes a look back at Johnny Cash's American Recordings. Contains audio.

The Written Word
It is my humble opinion that Calvin and Hobbes is by far the best comic strip ever produced. Bill Watterson stopped writing it much too early, in 1995. Calvin was perpetually 6 years old throughout the life of the strip, and some artists have imagined what a teenage Calvin would look like. At the bottom of the page you can find a fictional final strip that reveals the end of Calvin's and Hobbes' relationship as we know it. The actual final strip was full of optimism, and it is the image at the top of this post.

Games
Leonardo Notarbartolo is being released from prison this week. The April issue of Wired details his exploits as mastermind behind the World's Biggest Diamond Heist. How many screenwriters do you think have taken notice of this story?

Dallas
A follow-up to last week's post about the DART: Now they're talking about raising rates. Yeah, because the people who need to be shouldering the financial burden right now are the ones who depend on public transportation. What about the stimulus package? Incidentally, if the DART is going to start raking in some extra dough, how about figuring out a way to provide transportation to the Ballpark in Arlington?

Politics/World News
Texas Governor Rick Perry is trying to reject $556 million of the $16 billion dollars Texas is due to receive from the stimulus package. At best, this irresponsible, and at worst, it is a grave injustice to jobless people. More than likely, it is a publicity stunt designed to give Perry ammo against KBH in the 2010 governor's race. Governor Perry, Texans pay taxes too. You may be against the stimulus package, but it has passed. Do not give our tax dollars to California.

Humor
It appears that a Japanese baseball team may have shaken its own unique curse involving Colonel Sanders. You can't make this stuff up.

Youtube
And now, something completely silly.

Movie Trailer of the Week
This week's trailer comes from a movie that will be shown at AFI Dallas International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 1. Sugar is the story of a 19 year-old Dominican baseball player trying to break into the big leagues.

This week I deleted the "Internet" category and added "Games." I also split "Humor" into "Humor" and "Youtube." Don't forget to set your clocks forward!

Christianity
A perspective on Lent from someone who used to be in the Church of Christ.

Sports
The World Baseball Classic has started! I'm starting to get excited for the "real" baseball season, but until then, there's always the US to cheer for. Schedule

Film/TV
This theory on "Lost" has been around a while, but it's recently gained credibility due to the events of recent episodes. There are only 26 episodes left in the whole series, so expect more and more theories like this to pop up as time goes on (See what I did there?), although I'm sure something will happen at the end of Season 5 to throw everybody off track.

Music
Not only is Guitar Hero: Metallica coming out on March 29, but the band recently announced that they'll be releasing a 163-track digital box set on iTunes two days later. I guess Metallica will be making a lot of money that week. Oh yeah: they get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4 as well.

Books
Mike Sacks announced this week that he's releasing "And Here's The Kicker" in July. The book contains interviews with 21 humor writers about their craft.

Games
Rock Band announced that they're basing a game around the Beatles, similar to what Guitar Hero has done with Aerosmith and Metallica. The release date? 09/09/09. I can just see the commercials now: Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...

Dallas
The DART is looking to expand. Plans call for a "Green Line," which runs northwest to southeast along I-35E, and an "Orange Line," which will wind its way from Union Station and other downtown stops to the DFW Airport. However, recent developments about a $45 million shortfall, followed by news about receiving Stimulus Package money, and now some possible reneging by transportation officials who asked for this in the first place have thrown everything in to question. Everything, that is, except for the Green Line, which is now confirmed to open in September, just in time for the State Fair.

Politics/World News
I don't want to pile on the Bush Presidency, but...well, here we go. We all know the Bush Administration used 9/11 to justify all kinds of things that would have never flied before. On Monday, the Obama Administration, as part of the initiative to bring more transparency to government, released 9 memos detailing just how far Bush and company tried to go. Chilling.

A quote from the AP article: "Too often over the past decade, the fight against terrorism has been viewed as a zero-sum battle with our civil liberties," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech as the documents were being prepared for release. "Not only is that school of thought misguided, I fear that in actuality it does more harm than good."

A quote from Benjamin Franklin: "People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both."

Humor
Nerd Humor Alert!

Youtube
Somebody went and found a bunch of videos of people playing instruments on Youtube and remixed them to form 7 different songs. This is a lot better than you think, and it's actually pretty fun if you've ever come across any of the originals before. The guy that looks like Dirk with a backwards hat in the first song does some pretty cool instructional videos for acoustic guitar.

Movie Trailer of the Week
The trailer for Public Enemies was released this week. PE stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and reminds me of Catch Me If You Can in some ways.

I mentioned this before, but U2 released their album today. It's available from the Amazon MP3 Store for $3.99. The band is playing on The Late Show with David Letterman all week long. Here is the video from last night's performance:



In other late night news, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon debuted last night. Here is the funniest segment, in my opinion: