The '62 Mets

The Groundhog Was Right!!

2012-02-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah, the date stamp is wrong.

It snowed in Richmond this past weekend. It started Sunday afternoon and continued into the evening. We ended up with about 3.5 inches. Luckily it was President's Day the next day, so my daughter and I had some time together.
In addition to talking to her about great Presidents in U.S. history (hello, Millard Fillmore!!), we spent a good bit of the day playing in the snow. We tried to go sledding, but that was a bust. This snow was more suited for snowballs and making a snowman (see picture).
Unfortunately, most of the snow melted within 24 hrs, but we felt very grateful that we at least got some winter weather in an otherwise very mild season. It turns out that the groundhog was right!!

John Christopher Dies

2012-02-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

John Christopher died last Friday at his home in Bath, England. I was sad that this happened, as I was a big fan of his work. I remember being in 4th grade and the librarian recommending The White Mountains to me. I ended up reading the entire series and never forgot how much I enjoyed them.
As a children's librarian, I have continued to spread the word about John's work, having recommended his books to many middle schoolers.
Thank you, John, for many hours of reading enjoyment!

A Day at the Petersburg Battlefield

2012-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my dad, daughter, niece and I drove down to Petersburg, VA and spent a day touring the Civil War battlefield. Our purpose was to walk the same land on which two of our great grandfathers had fought.
We started out at Pamplin Historical Park just to the southwest of Petersburg. This is a wonderful place to bring the family and spend a few hours. This is also the land where the Union pierced the Confederate line on April 2, 1865, thus ending the siege of Petersburg.
We then drove the Confederate trench line from Fort Gregg, past Fort Mahone (now an elementary school) and then to the Crater.
While most of the land has now been gobbled up by housing development, it was heartening to see some of the old earthworks still standing. I could only imagine the hunger, misery and suffering that my great grandfathers suffered during the 10 month siege. One of my grandfathers, half mad with hunger and dysentery I imagine, crossed over to the Union lines and surrendered in February of 1865. The other grandfather made it another two months and surrendered with Lee at Appomatox.

Me at the Pennsylvania monument on the site of Fort Mahone.

Fraise defenses at Pamplin Historical Park

Happy Groundhog's Day!

2012-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I truly enjoy Groundhog's Day. Maybe it's because of the eponymous 1992 film with Bill Murray. Or maybe because it's a minor holiday that hasn't been Hallmarked to death.
Whatever the reason, this year I decided to celebrate the holiday by doing a library program for kids. I bought a groundhog puppet from Folkmanis and built a fake burrow using artificial grass. I also chose the children's book Go to Sleep Groundhog by Judy Cox and did a flannel board activity and craft. Total attendance was about 15 people. Small crowd but the kids loved it and I was very happy with the results.
I'd love to do it again next year even bigger and better. Happy Groundhog's Day!

Ragged Mountain Natural Area

2011-12-31T07:18:00.000-08:00

For anyone looking for a short hike within a 20 minutes of Charlottesville, Virginia, I'd recommend Ragged Mountain Natural Area. http://bit.ly/vvhwMw It is a 980 acre preserve surrounding the Ragged Mountain Reservoir.
Last Monday, I had the opportunity to hike with my mom and kid for a couple of miles through this forest. Because my child is 4 years old, we could not hike completely around the reservoir, but we were able to sample what the area had to offer. The trail from the parking lot immediately goes up a steep mountain side and then descends towards the water. It was nice sitting on the "beach" and eating a snack. A great hike for anyone with children!

Christmas Tennyson

2011-12-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

When we think of Christmas poetry, we often think of "The Night before Christmas." What pops in my mind, however, is the Victorian master Alfred Lloyd Tennyson and in particular his poem "In Memoriam." I first read excerpts of it in high school and its entirety in college and have been taken by it ever since.
A long lament for his deceased companion Arthur Henry Hallam, In Memoriam contains over 131 sections built around three separate Christmases. But these are anguished Christmases in which the narrator struggles deeply with his grief. After looking at all the nativity sections, I love most these lines: "This year I slept and woke with pain,/ I almost wished no more to wake,/ And that my hold on life would break/ Before I heard those bells again."
For those struggling with grief, heartache or depression, especially during the holidays, I would recommend Tennyson's great poem. One will find a narrator struggling mightily with his pain, attempting to make sense of it, and moving towards the light. Merry Christmas.

2011-10-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

James Hillman died yesterday. I've read a few of his books and many of them are deeply inspiring. For anyone, especially men, aiming to more examine their psychological depths, I'd recommend his books.

Here is the NYTimes link to his obit: http://nyti.ms/saqblA

A New Journal Moment

2011-09-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my new journal that I bought today. I fill up one of these about every 6 months and I whenever I begin a new one, I use it as an opportunity to figure out some changes that I'd like to make within myself. It is an opportunity to roll out a new me.

Something about all of those blank pages gives me a sense that I can start over fresh and that I can begin to see things in a new way. Without trying trying to sound corny or make some grand statement that I can't back up through my actions, I'd like to resolve to say good-bye to some issues that I've been dealing with for the past few months and to become a more resilient, positive human being that doesn't sweat the small stuff so much. And I also want to start moving passionately towards my goals. Anyway, that's the new me that I'm trying to break in. If you are also on a journey of self discovery and awareness, you may be due for a new journal moment too! : )

Lazy S Ranch

2011-09-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something to do with the family in central Virginia this fall, I'd recommend the Lazy S Ranch in Fluvanna County. http://layzsranch.com/ My mom, my kid and I went there today and were suitably impressed by how much this small farm had to offer visitors. $7 a person will get you a walk through the corn maze (actually sorghum, but who cares?), a hay ride to see the cows, and the experience of petting pigs, donkeys, and ponies.

The best part is that this operation is off the beaten path, so you will have plenty of elbow room and time to talk to the very friendly owners. It is a cheap and low stress family outing. Check it out!

Hurriquake

2011-09-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Irene struck last weekend. It was actually kind of fun riding out the storm (especially since I did not lose power!). I did a lot of splashing in puddles with my daughter even during the worst of the storm.

I went out the next day and took pictures of some of the damage in the Richmond area. Lots of downed trees.

I found it interesting that my apartment community submerged their deck chairs in the pool so they would not blow away. Kind of eerie.

It was a weird week in Richmond, VA. Earthquake and hurricane.

Hurricane Half Marathon

2011-08-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is how you greet a hurricane: get up at 5:00 in the morning and go run 13.1 miles. Despite the approach of Hurricane Irene this morning, I rolled up to Ashland, VA and ran the Patrick Henry half marathon.

I had a great time doing it. My pace was about 7:50 per mile. Which is pretty good for an old man who has no time to train.

The course was awesome and it was wonderful running in the August rain. Mile 11 had a nasty hill though.

Mad props to my mom for watching the little girl in the rain while I ran. : )

Isle Of Wight County

2011-08-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

The great thing about living in Virginia is the amount of historical sights in the area. Apart from the major tourist destinations (Mount Vernon, Monticello, etc.) there is a plethora of places to see that are off the beaten path.
This past weekend my family and I drove down rt. 10 on the south side of the James River. Our mission was to do some family history research, but we ended up stopping at a couple of old forts that defended central Virginia waterways from invaders (Spanish, British, Yankees, etc.)
If you are ever in Isle of Wight County, stop by Fort Huger http://bit.ly/pT7trb (the picture above was taken just below the fort), or Fort Boykin, http://bit.ly/pzCKOq . Both forts offer a glimpse of Virginia's past those most visitors to the state never get to see.

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

2011-08-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

I usually am reading about 4 or 5 books at a time. I don't say that to impress anyone. I don't find it impressive, but rather a symptom of a lack of focus. Pema Chodron is an author that I've been reading on the side for the last few days.
My take: there are some beautiful insights here, but I'm just not that good a person to be able to put a lot of what she is talking about into action. Or maybe I don't want to be that good.
Some things I completely agree with her. Yes, we live in an escapist culture that cannot cope with the inate groundlessness of our existence. We react too quickly, we are addicted to too much junk, we value the wrong things much of the time. Got it.
But I have to say, and this is my whole problem with Buddhism/Zen movement, is that in trying to slow down, in trying to be mindful, in trying to be loving, I end up wtih an inner rage that lashes out against my attempts to develop these practices.
Rather, I'm one of those people who, when faced with an emotional or psychological challenge, would rather go for a run. Read a book. Talk to somebody. Start a project. Anything to not have to sit and be mindful!
Nevertheless, there is a beauty to this author's book and anyone remotely interested in how Buddhism can play a practical part in their life will want to explore Pema Chodron's books.

All Things Shining by Dreyfus and Kelly

2011-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

It was the title that attracted me: All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age. I felt that the authors were making two assumptions outright: 1) that we dwell in a fallen age devoid of the intensely passionate lives that our ancestors enjoyed and 2) that great books can cure this.

Sure enough, the authors suppose that the overarching zeigeist of our time is nihilism, marked by a loneliness and alienation familiar to us all. They also take for granted that the people of, say, Homer's world lived a rich existence connected to an otherworldly sphere of gods that made their days deeper and more meaningful.

If you can swallow these assumptions, then this book may be for you. Follow the authors as they trace the fall of Western humanity's mind from the passionate heights of Homer to the lonely depths of David Foster Wallace. The main milestones along the way are Dante's Divine Commedia and Melville's "Moby Dick."

The journey is thrilling, but the final chapter is weak. The authors attempt to find sources of transcendence in our current age. Their anwsers, the "whoosing up" emotion of a crowd, the intense study of craft, seem...easily arrived at.

Man's Search for Meaning

2011-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Every self help book in the world needs to bow down to this one. Viktor Frankl's classic seems to only become more relevant as we continue through the post modern era.
Having survived through a hell on earth (Dachau), Frankl examines what allowed people to endure through this nightmare. He narrows it down to each person's inner choice to cling to whatever meaning they could fashion for their lives.
Rather than the pursuit of pleasure or power, rather than circumstances, it was this drive for meaning that truly defined human behavior. Frankl posits that free will exists and that it allows us to make triumphs out of our suffering.
For those going through hard times, this book will point you in the right direction.

"John Milton: A Hero of Our Times" by David Hawkes

2011-07-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

In a time of no poetry...in a land ruled by idolatrous imagery...a hero must arise!

Meet John Milton: poet, politician, iconoclast.

This book, John Milton: A Hero of Our Times by David Hawkes, is a great read for anyone interested in how Milton speaks to us today in our postmodern society (I bet that's YOU!).

Read it and awaken to a new intellectual life shot through with a transcedent faith in a more profound reality!

Jung Hijacks My Brain

2011-06-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not about to start a drumming circle to hasten my initiation into manhood, but Carl Jung does make some good points. Namely, that contemporary humanity has cut itself off from nature and from its instinctive side. To compensate for this deep loss, the unconscious, through dreams and emotions, roars at us to pay attention to these lost parts of ourselves.
The current condition of people is that we are suffering from a psychic split. Our conscious selves deny or does not appreciate the unconscious. As a result, depression, various mental disorders, violence, and a large credit card debt are the pervasive milieu of the today.
By paying attention (mindfulness!) to the lost parts of our minds, we, hopefully, can heal this psychological split and live deeper, more meaningful, and more balanced lives. But Jung warns us that the journey is a long, dark one and that, these days, may well be impossible to complete. Yaaay. : /
The strength of Jung's argument rests on his resistance to classifying his thought into a system. The unconscious, he reminds us, is ambiguous and irrational. Attempts to logically study it are apt to fail.

Hiking June 2011

2011-06-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

I've been hiking with my mom the past few days. We hiked on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia from the Peaks of Otter to Otter Creek Campground. To do this, we had to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a stretch, but we didn't mind. I suppose that we covered 30-40 miles in all.

Perhaps the highlight was swimming and crossing the James River in the James River Face Wilderness.

One of the greatest pleasures of hiking the AT is meeting like- minded people that are sharing a common, positive experience. A

gentleman that we met on the trail explained it succinctly: "When you get off the trail, all of your problems seem different. Everything that you worried about seems less important." And he's right.

Emerson, who is the mind of America, stated it this way: "In nature, we return to reason and faith." Amen.

Shockoe Hill Cemetery

2011-05-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of living in an old city like Richmond, VA is the tremendous amount of historical sites available to visit. This morning, my daughter and I made an impromptu stop at Shockoe Hill Cemetery.

Founded in the 1820's, the cemetery is the second oldest in the city (after St. John's on Church Hill), and has several famous people buried there. Perhaps the most well known is the longest serving Supreme Court Justice, John Marshall. Also interred in the cemetery are the Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco, as well as the courageous Yankee spy Elizabeth Van Lew.

Shockoe Hill Cemetery has recently benefited from the formation of a friends group that seeks to preserve the historical aspects of the land as well as make it a living museum and working classroom for future use. My daughter and I were lucky enough to meet one of the members of the group this morning. He gave use a tour of the cemetery and even showed us how to repair a grave (see photo).

Shockoe Hill Cemetery is certainly not the most famous in the city (Hollywood has that honor), but it is a treat for those history buffs looking for something off the beaten path.

Book Recommendation: Broken by William Cope Moyers

2011-05-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

As the son of famed journalist Bill Moyers, William Cope Moyers grew up under the shadow of his highly successful father. This experience, along with a general sense of self loathing, slowly drew William to a life of drug use that only deepened as he grew into his twenties and early thirties.

As William tells in his book Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption, his addiction began with marijuana and alcohol, then expanded to cocaine and eventually crack. For awhile, he was able to maintain his life, becoming a successful journalist and getting married. But his addiction eventually overpowered him, leading him to flop out in crack houses, destroy his marriage, and relapse four times before finally seeking a path to recovery.

William's true message in telling his story is to lift the stigma of addiction and recommend that society spent less money on fighting "the war on drugs," and spend more on treating those who are caught up in the nightmare of addiction. In the end, this is a story of hope and renewal born out of a dark journey.

Book Recommendation: This Life Is In Your Hands

2011-05-04T16:20:00.001-07:00

Oh, what a wonderfully heartbreaking book. In This Life Is In Your Hands, author Melissa Coleman does an excellent job exploring her homesteading childhood in Maine in the 1970's. Her parents were back-to-the-landers, inspired by Helen and Scott Nearing of The Good Life fame. As the years of her childhood pass, the ideals of the movement give way to the tough realities of subsistence living and also to a horrible tragedy that breaks apart the family. There is great suffering in this book, but not without some redemption. The final pages might move you to tears.

Book Recommendation: This Is Not the Story You Think It Is

2011-04-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

I was sick yesterday. So I laid in bed all morning and read this book: This Is Not the Story You Think It IS...A Season of Unlikely Happiness by Laura Munson. It is the memoir of a forty something Montana housewife going through a rough patch in her marriage.

It's not the most well written book, but I found the core of Laura's message engaging. Her response to her marriage crisis is to choose to take responsibility for her own happiness (all of it!), to detach from outcomes and deal with what is, and not what should be. She simply chooses, to the extent that she can, not to suffer. Breathe. Live in the moment. Don't react to somebody else's tantrum.

I have taken this message to heart and am attempting to apply it to my own life.

Crabtree Falls

2011-04-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

I went hiking yesterday with my mom. Crabtree Falls http://bit.ly/aAaVz8 is one of the top five most popular hiking trails in Virginia, but I only met about five other people on the trail due to the weather. It had snowed the night before in the mountains, and the higher that I climbed, the colder it got. I'd recommend this beautiful hike to anyone in decent shape who wants to see a kickin waterfall.

I Suck At Baseball

2011-03-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

I think that it's good to be honest about your weaknesses. Heck, this blog is titled "The '62 Mets" because they were the worst baseball team in THE HISTORY of the sport. So, let's be open and laugh about where we fall short in life.

On a recent trip to Florida, I learned one skill that I really have lost over time: throwing a frikin baseball. I haven't picked up a baseball in about 10 years, and it showed. Every time that I tried to throw the thing, it would veer to the right. And it wasn't the wind.

Luckily, my father and sister, who were pitching with me, have learned over time to be patient with me. Both in baseball and in other areas. : )

Gatorland

2011-03-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Florida was a blast. One of my favorite places to visit was Gatorland in southern Orlando. It's a tourist trap that been open over 50 years now. I'd recommend to families. Or maybe a first date. : )

I got to watch some gators spar in the breeding marsh. Thanks to my sister for her great photography.

What I'll Be Reading at Spring Training

2011-03-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going down to Spring Training in Florida in a couple of days to watch some of the Grapefruit League get ready for the impending season. I'll be taking along The Machine: A Hot Team, A Legendary Season, and a Heart-Stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds by Joe Posnanski.

My sister is actually the one who recommended it. I read the first few chapters last night. It's mostly Pete Rose screaming at his teammates.

Perfect. : )

Letter To A Christian Nation

2011-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

I consider myself Christian-light. Real light. I attend an Episcopal Church about 3 times a month. But I'm probably closer to Unitarian in my beliefs. I pray infrequently and usually with a great deal of self-consciousness. Still, I do have some faith in something greater than myself that I consider to be a benevolent force. Call it God if you want to.

Even with my greatly watered down Christianity, I still felt myself slightly discomfited by Sam Harris's Letter to a Christian Nation. Harris does an excellent job of slashing and burning through the belief systems of not only Christian fundamentalists, but also Christian moderates like me.

One point that he makes is that Christianity is not inherently moral. At least it does not conform to ethics as we view them today. He quotes extensively from Old Testament passages describing how to treat your slaves as well as stone adulterers. For those who state that Jesus abolished the old law, he cites the passage where Christ claims that every letter of the law will be fulfilled. Hmmm...

He also summons the age old argument of God's benevolence in the face of evil. Every six minutes, he states, somewhere in the world, a little girl is kidnapped and killed. Where is the goodness of God in the face of such statistics?

His humor is also pointed. Noting that almost everyone in New Orleans believes in God, and many said that they were praying during Hurricane Katrina, Harris states these "poor people died talking to an imaginary friend."

If you find any of this uncomfortable, I'm there with you. Read this book and be unsettled in your faith.

Money Books

2011-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Ever since my mom put Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Viki Robin in my hands when I was 17, I have enjoyed reading books that offer alternative paths to financial fulfillment to the traditional American rat-race archetype.

Two books that I have read recently have followed in the footsteps of YMOYL. Broke is Beautiful: Living and Loving the Cash-Strapped Life by Laura Lee offers solace to people (like me!) who "aint got the do-re-mi" (as Woody Guthrie phrased it). Lee has a humorous take on coming to terms with such things as having a dreadful credit score or having to dumpster

dive for your food.

Also of interest is Lynn Twist's The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources. Lynn earnestly argues the need for us to reevaluate our relationship with money and to find the deeper rewards in life.

I have enjoyed both books, but I felt more kinship with Broke Is Beautiful. The author, with her constant acquaintance with being poor, seemed to be more appealing to me.

I Can Help You With Your Rutherford B. Hayes Project

2011-02-08T11:22:00.001-08:00

As a Children’s Librarian, I usually get questions about Pokémon or Dora the Explorer. But a question yesterday was one that I had never before heard. A girl about 10 years old asked me if I could help her with her “biology” project because she had to give a presentation in class on somebody famous. After I realized that she meant “biography” not biology, I happily showed her our Juvenile Biography section.

I then asked her if she had anyone specific in mind. “The 19^th President of the United States,” she said.

I was stunned. The 19^th President?! Who WAS the 19^th President?! Surely she meant Lincoln, the 16^th! I counted up on my fingers, Lincoln…Johnson…Grant…Hayes. Rutherford B. Hayes!

“Yes,” she said “Rutherford B. Hayes.”

I was suitably astonished that this was who she meant, but I showed her what we had on him. She seemed quite pleased and I went away feeling proud that today’s youth still care for our more obscure Presidents.

Perhaps next time I can convince her to choose a more exciting President. Someone like Millard Fillmore!!

The Fabulous Riverboat

2011-02-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Yep, stayed up late last night. No, it wasn't to watch the Packers win the Super Bowl (I don't get channels on my TV. That whole switch to digital was too complex for me!). Rather, I was burning the midnight oil to finish up the second book in the Riverworld Series by Philip Jose Farmer: The Fabulous Riverboat. Most people would be put off by the sheer absurdity of the premise of this series: humanity's mass resurrection along a riverbank. But I find the whole concept rather liberating and interesting.

In this book Sam Clemens--yes, THAT Sam Clemens--attempts to build a massive electrically powered boat in the hopes of traveling the 500 million miles up to find the source of the river.

This book gets a little bogged down in inter-kingdom politics, but it still holds true to the crazy spirit of the first in the series.

Interested in Iran

2011-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I admit that in my younger years, most of my knowledge of Middle Eastern culture was embodied in the WWF wrestler the Iron Sheik. Now that I am capable of looking past such stereotypes, I recently picked up the book Empire of the Mind: A History of Iran by Michael Axworthy.

This is an excellent introduction to Persian history. As one moves through the book, one becomes aware of the depth and complexity of this heterogeneous culture. The country now known as Iran contains such a mixture of peoples and customs, that it resists the simplified East vs. West dynamic that has defined its relationship with the United States for decades.

I predict that once the nuclear issue has cooled (and Iran WILL have nuclear weapons, as I believe that the U.S. is loathe to begin a 3rd incursion into the Middle East), the United States's relationship with this country will remarkably improve.

Science Fiction

2011-02-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I'm on a science fiction kick. A couple of weeks ago, I read Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (amazing!) and now I just finished up Philip Jose Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go.

The premise is unique: almost everyone who has ever lived on earth is resurrected in perfect health along a riverbank. Billions of naked people now find themselves spread along millions of miles of river, grasping at their new reality. As human society begins anew, Sir Richard Francis Burton puts together a small band, builds a ship, and begins sailing.

His mission is to find the source of the river and ultimately confront the beings behind the mass resurrection.

I picked up this book because I recall a former Library School Professor recommending it in class. He was also taken by Farmer's Riders of the Purple Wage which examines class stratification in a high tech future. I plan to read that soon.

Book Recommendation: Death of Josseline

2011-01-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

I live very far away from the southwest, but the immigrant situation continues to turn up in the news. In an effort to educate myself more about this contentious issue, I recently read the book The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizone-Mexico Borderlands by Margaret Regan.

The book opens with the story of 14 year old Josseline Hernandez and her death from exposure in the Arizona desert in January 2008. Throughout the book, Regan is undoubtedly sympathetic to the plight of the Latin American migrants that attempt the harsh crossing. She interviews migrants, Americans that live near the border, as well as Border Patrol guards.

In the end, she manages to cast light on our broken immigration policy and the true costs to everyone on both sides of the border.

Road Trip! Justice Taney Monument!

2010-12-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, I have a pretty good eye for monuments to racism. My city actually has an entire avenue devoted to Confederate generals, despite the city population being about 52% black. I was nevertheless surprised when a friend of mine recently returned from a trip up north and told me about a monument to Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney. Despite having an otherwise productive career as a lawyer and judge, Taney will forever be known as the author of the Dred Scott decision.

We remember Dred Scott as the slave who sued for his freedom after having been moved from Virginia to the Wisconsin Territory (which prohibited slavery). Mr. Scott's case made it to the Supreme Court which ruled against him (7 justices agreeing, 2 dissenting).

Justice Taney wrote the decision using inflammatory language, stating that the authors of the Constitution viewed blacks as "beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect."

Despite being the author of the most reviled Supreme Court decision in American History, you may visit the Justice Taney monument at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. For perspective, also stop by the Thurgood Marshall statue just down the street. (Taney Monument photo and a good article on other disgraceful monuments may be found here: http://bit.ly/h0radp).

Book Recommendation

2010-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

North Korea is in the news again today for misbehaving, and I therefore think it fitting to mention a wonderful book written on the Korean War: David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter.

If I was forced to choose my favorite history book, this one would certainly be in my top 5. I listened to it on CD about a year and a half ago, and I recall sitting in my car, not wanting to go into the house, not wanting to turn off this fascinating account of our attempt to curb Communism on the Korean peninsula. How, I wondered, could such a violent episode in recent U.S. history be so forgotten today?

Halberstam has a long and sturdy career as a top rate historical author, and The Coldest Winter is his last work written before his untimely death. The book focuses on the years 1950 to 51 as the Korean DMZ moves back and forth. Halberstam does an excellent job of recounting the experience of the men on the ground without sensationalizing the narrative. He is also judicious in his praise and blame of the officers who prosecuted the war. His evaluation of Macarthur is withering. The events in the book remain timely to this day as we look at the continued hostilities between the Koreas.

(image courtesy of http://bit.ly/gaZlaW)

I Went To Church

2010-11-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to church since December of 2008. I went yesterday with my daughter and mom. I'll have to say that it was a positive experience. Like most people, I have mixed feelings about religion, but the mood was relaxed, the people were nice but not too nice (I'm not into hugging strangers).

I think that I'll go back next Sunday.

image courtesy of http://goo.gl/EmGqb

Book Recommendation: Freedom Summer

2010-11-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

I was born in the south in the late '70's and it is difficult for me to believe how racist society was only a few years before my birth. This change in culture may partly be attributed to the brave volunteers whose work is recounted in Bruce Watson's Freedom Summer: The Savage Season that Made Mississippi Burn and Made America A Democracy.

Watson quickly summarizes the harsh history of Mississippi leading up to 1964, including the murders of Emett Till and Medgar Evers. He then anchors his narrative at the beginning of the summer, in which hundreds of idealistic students descended on an Ohio college campus to receive training in registering blacks to vote. When the students begin arriving in Mississippi, they are well trained in the horrific racial climate of the south. But the summer is overshadowed by the disappearance of 3 volunteers on the first day. The students spend the next 3 months sweltering through gunshots, high speed chases and beatings. Watson does an excellent job linking the summer of '64 to the present day. The final pages gave me goosebumps.

Benjamin Harrison--President/EMT

2010-11-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

While there is an inexhaustible supply of exciting tales and stories regarding the 23rd President of the United States Benjamin Harrison, one stands out in particular--the time that he administered CPR!

On February 3, 1890, fire broke out at the home of Navy Secretary Benjamin F. Tracy on I Street facing Farragut Square. Tracy's wife, daughter and maid perished in the fire. President Benjamin Harrison, only two blocks away in the White House, raced to the scene and took turns giving artificial respiration to Tracy who lay unconscious, thereby helping save his life. When Tracy came to, the President had to tell him, his wife and a daughter were dead.

Harrison insisted the funerals be held in the East Room of the White House.

Now, just imagine if such an event had occurred today: Barack Obama saving someone's life. He would immediately get a bump in the polls as well as heavy rotation on the 24 hours news cycle (discounting FOX News, of course) as well as going viral in the Internet. Harrison did not live in the time of instant communication, so his story has mostly been lost to history.

The source of my information is my father who has recently finished perusing the very readable three volume set Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior, Hoosier Statesman, Hoosier President. (http://amzn.to/cQ9Knb) He recommends to anyone interested the life and times of one our most memorable Presidents.

Historical Trivia

2010-11-08T15:31:00.001-08:00

I was talking to my dad yesterday at Cracker Barrel. As a former high-school history teacher, he has explored many of the backwaters of our past and has a head full of interesting tidbits. While I feel that I am somewhat educated on American history, he posed a question that brought me up short: "what two U.S. Vice Presidents shot a man while in office?"

I could not come up with the answer but I knew that it wasn't Millard Fillmore. I'd just finished a comprehensive volume (The Remarkable Millard Fillmore by George Pendle http://amzn.to/cgGqrg) of his life and while it mentioned that he fired the first shot of the Civil War, it did not mention that he had ever shot anyone during his Vice Presidency.

It turns out that it is Dick Cheney and Aaron Burr. Cheney in February of 2006 shot a companion on a duck hunting trip. For his part, Burr fired at rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel at Weehawken, New Jersey in 1804. Burr was able to dispatch his opponent (Hamilton would die the following day), but Cheney's misfire would not prove mortal. A monument stands in Weehawken to commemorate the sight of the duel. Perhaps one day a marker will also be placed in Kenedy County, Texas to point visitors to the second Vice Presidential shooting.

The connection between Burr and Cheney ends there. Both are enshrined to history, however, as Vice Presidents not to be trifled with.

Divali

2010-11-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I love best about working in a library is meeting different people. I am lucky enough to work in an area that has some diversity to it, so I feel that I'm always learning something new.

This morning, an Indian lady came to the reference desk and said that she wanted books on "Divali." At first I thought that she was saying "the body," so I was about to lead her to the anatomy section. Luckily, she corrected me in time! It took a couple of minutes for her to explain that Divali is a Hindu festival that is five days long and is a festival of lights. After skimming the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali), I had new respect for the depth and complexity of this holiday.

It's great to have a job where you are constantly learning!

Post Election Day--Obama Vs. Fillmore

2010-11-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the day after midterm, a time usually spent in a great deal of hand wringing for the President's party, and Obama is no different. So, perhaps it’s fitting that we take stock at this moment and compare our current President with the greatest American President ever: Millard Fillmore.

Obama faces a nation seemingly divided over the role of government in peoples’ lives, particularly in relation to the free market and the provision of health care. Millard, however, faced a nation much more at odds with itself. The end of the Mexican-American War in 1848 brought new land into the Union, but also reignited fierce debate over the balance between slave and free states. Fillmore, thanks to Stephen Douglas, was able to get the Compromise passed, but only after aggravating Northern sentiments in the process.

Obama faces a similar situation now in which he may need to be conciliatory to an opposing party with whose policies he disagrees. I would humbly suggest that he call upon his inner Millard Fillmore to address the issues before him.

Then again, Fillmore’s Whig Party, in response to the Compromise of 1850, soon imploded after he left office, paving the way for the hard drinking Pierce and the inept Buchanan, ultimately leading to civil war. So, perhaps Obama should look somewhere else for inspiration!

Book Recommendation

2010-10-27T10:20:00.001-07:00

When we think of the greatest American Presidents of all time, we may conjure up the names of Washington and Lincoln. Humorist and faux-historian George Pendle, however, sets the record straight in The Remarkable Millard Fillmore that it is our 13th President that deserves our greatest praise.

"Refusing to be held back by established history or recorded fact" (as it states on the back of the book), Pendle claims that Fillmore had a hand in many historical events including the fall of the Alamo and discovering gold in California. He even takes in a young ward for a time by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.

Anyone reading this book will find their perspective on American history forever changed and may find themselves crying aloud at certain points, "Thank God for Millard Fillmore!"

Montpelier

2010-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to head out to Orange County this past Sunday with my mom and my daughter. We spent about two hours at Montpelier, the homestead of our 4th President James Madison.

I hadn't been to Montpelier since a 4th grade field trip in 1988, and I was amazed by the change. The Montpelier organization has just finished a $25 million renovation and it really shows! The site now rivals Monticello as a destination for those interested in our "founding fathers."

It you are ever in Orange County, Virginia and have a couple of hours, definitely stop by Montpelier. It will cost you $16 to enter, but the price is worth it.

Pumpkin Seeds

2010-10-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

I carved a pumpkin last night with my three year old. She was great at pulling out the pumpkin guts, but it was tough keeping her away from the knife when I was carving the face.

We ended up keeping the seeds and, thanks to my mom and sister, I was able to scrounge up the recipe for roasting them.

First I boiled the seeds for twenty minutes in salted water to get the gunk off of them. Then spread them on a pan to dry overnight. Then I dipped them in a bowl filled with one T. butter, one T. olive oil, and one T. kosher salt. Then baked them for 30 mins at 300 degrees. They were pretty tasty!

Negro League Stamps

2010-10-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, my parents were mildly into stamp collecting. I recall both of them shuffling through stamp albums from time to time and trying to get me interested.

I haven't thought of stamps in years until I heard that the USPS issued some Negro League Stamps. Today I went and bought some at the post office. After looking at them, I believe that they were painted by Kadir Nelson, who illustrated a beautiful book We Are the Ship about the Negro Leagues.

What I'm Reading...

2010-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

You don't have to agree with his politics. You don't have to be a fan. But, whatever way you lean politically, you will probably agree that this is a good book.

From Kansas, to the Philippines, to Kenya, young Barack traces the line of his family, struggling to come to grips with growing up as a mixed raced child in a country that see things in black and white.

This book is reflective and deliberate as Barack gently brings the reader along on a journey of self discovery bigger than any one person. I recommend this book more to those interested in race relations in the United States rather than those concerned with contemporary politics.

For My 4th of July Weekend...

2010-07-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be dressed like this for the next three days.

The Patriot's way of celebrating the 4th of July:

"Liberty or Death!"

Book Recommendation: American Colonies

2010-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading too much Stephen Ambrose and listening to too much Lee Greenwood lately, then regain your perspective on the United States by reading American Colonies by Alan Taylor.

This book carefully recounts the discovery, exploration and colonization of American continents. Far from a noble enterprise, the beginnings of our country were violent and cruel, based on the exploitation of entire ethnic populations.

This is not liberal, white-guilt propaganda, but rather a well researched tome that does not sacrifice readability. I recommend to anyone who seeks a deeper (although not pleasant) understanding of the roots of the America.

Dang. We Lost.

2010-06-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

"Cause for you my best was never good enough" --Bruce Springsteen

Much respect to all the USA World Cup players!

You guys made us proud! If we had to go down, Ghana was a good team to which to fall!

And, for one second, Americans were actually interested in soccer!

New Shoes

2010-06-26T07:46:00.001-07:00

I got some new shoes!

My old shoes were so broken down that they really hurt my feet (ahhh...love being poor!). Now my feet feel like they are at a spa!

Much love to my mom and sister for this!

Book Recommendation: Working In the Shadows

2010-06-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading a great book called Working In the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs [Most] Americans Won't Do by Gabriel Thompson.

The premise is that the author spends a year doing a series of jobs that typically fall to immigrant or migrant labor. The occupations are hellish. He cuts lettuce in the fields of Yuma, Arizona and works in a poultry plant in the southeast

While some readers may be inclined to think of Thompson's project as a stunt by a coddled white boy wanting to rough it for a bit, I appreciated his efforts to crawl into the minds and lives of those on the bottom rung of the labor pool. He also does a good job of explaining the history and current circumstances of immigrant labor in the U.S.

Throughout this book, one point is driven home to me, perhaps best voiced by a guy named Mateo, who works as a lettuce cutter: "Americans have become lazy. They are not used to work like this. They have jobs where they sit in a chair all day and play with computers."

I couldn't help but feel that he was right about me and the United States. Americans recently have helped create the biggest debt bomb in global financial history. We spend more than we earn and we are an obese society. Time to tighten up the belt and get back to work.

Hiking With Mom

2010-06-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

I went hiking with my mom last Thursday. And I just had the best time. I believe that one of the pleasures of adulthood is that you rediscover how great your parents are.

We drove up to the Skyline Drive and parked at the Brown's Gap parking lot. We hiked the 6.6 mile Doyle's River Trail, which passed by several beautiful waterfalls.

The highlight was that we spotted 3 black snakes. One in a tree almost fell one us!

The post hike dinner was at a Mexican restaurant in Charlottesville, complete with margaritas.

The day rekindled my interest in hiking to the point that we are now planning on doing an overnight trip in August. Can't wait!

Another Book Recommendation

2010-05-05T14:40:00.001-07:00

I can’t stop. I love books. I usually have 4 or 5 lined up to read. I’m currently reading Hellhound On His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr.and the International Hunt for his Assassin by Hampton Sides. I'm about 100 pages into it and it's absolutely fascinating. Nonfiction that reads like fiction. The kind Capote and Mailer made famous, except Sides actually does real research and uses facts.

The book follows James Earle Ray and Martin Luther King in their final days before their intersection at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Both Ray and King are fascinating characters and Sides has sense enough to let the story unfold on its own. A good book to anyone who enjoys a gripping story about American history.

Book Recommendation

2010-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

I finished Sam Lipsyte's The Ask last night. I heartily recommend this novel to anyone who has ever felt like a fat loser. I'm not remotely fat, but I have visited Loserville from time to time.

Our protagonist Milo Burke is a middle aged, self described waste. Laid off from his job as a development officer at a mediocre NYC university, Milo must confront the fact that he is a failure of a man.

Milo's one redemption is that he'll get his job back if he can only succeed in landing a deep-pocketed donor. The problem is that the donor is an old college buddy of Milo's. Perfect for pummeling our hero's already bruised sense of self.

This is no downer of a book, however. We love Milo in all of his leering at coworkers, throwing back of double scotches, and his hyper awareness of his insignificance (even to his own family).

He is a wretch, but ultimately a freeing one. The kind of character that may also freshen the reader's outlook.

Fantasy Baseball

2010-04-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Baseball. Really? I thought that this would be a fun thing to start doing because I had been doing Fantasy NASCAR for awhile and that was super easy. Just pick some redneck drivers each week and see how you stack up against your competition.

Fantasy Baseball is another animal. It's like doing higher level math. It really is a beast. You have to pay attention to it every day to make sure that your players are in the lineup, that you have enough innings pitched, etc.

Luckily I have a few good friends at work who know their baseball. They have their own fantasy teams, but they've been good enough to take mine in as well.

My team is named Jesus Van Damme. It combines the spiritual powers of Jesus with the round house kicks of Jean Claude Van Damme.

Thanks to my friends, Jesus Van Damme is first in the league. But it's early in the season...

Lewis Ginter Pinwheels

2010-04-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a perfect day for visiting Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. I visited with my 3 year old daughter and we had a blast! She LOVES the sandboxes there. I believe that she probably played almost two hours in the sand.

This month is particularly important at Lewis Ginter because they are supporting Child Abuse Prevention Month by displaying 3,000 shiny pinwheels around the lake. Here are some good pics of the pinwheels: http://www.preventchildabuseva.org/prevention_month.htm

They are worth viewing if you are in the area!

The Richmond Flying Squirrels

2010-04-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I went to the opening game of the Richmond Flying Squirrels last night. They are a newly formed double AA minor league team here in Richmond, VA.

Parking was a beast (sold out!), but it was worth it. A six dollar ticket got you this: a great baseball game, skydivers landing on the field, crazy inter-innings contests (human hamster balls!), an awesome fireworks display, an excited crowd, and a dose of community pride and patriotism. I loved it!

I am going back at least twice this summer. I have seldom gotten so much for my money. Minor league ball is great for kids and family. I can't wait to take my daughter!

Eating While Broke

2010-04-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hey! I'm broke! Who's with me?!

Even though I have about (if it's a good week) $20 for food and groceries a week, I can still manage to eat well. How?

1. Cook a whole chicken! My sister taught me this one. You can get one easily for under $10 and it will feed you for 4 days at least. Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours. BAM!

2. Potatoes! Yeah, stock up on those because you're going to be making some mash! One batch of four decent sized potatoes last me 3-4 days.

3. Family and Friends! Don't be shy about being poor. Let people know. They will help you out. My sister will drop by some food sometimes and it will get me through the week. My coworkers will look in their cabinets and find some pretty decent stuff. Every now and then someone will by me a coke.

Do this and you will survive. : )

Learning to Cook

2010-02-08T17:35:00.001-08:00

Man, I need to learn how to cook. I think that every person over the age of 30 should be able to at least cook a few important dietary staples. You can get away with hot pockets through your 20's. But when you turn the big 3-oh, and you can no longer deny that you are an adult, then you need to be able to cook a little.

My inspiration to take up cooking has several motivations behind it, but my little girl is probably the biggest. She's almost 3 and I don't know how to feed her. At least I'm not satisfied with how I feed her. I want more fruits and vegetables in her (and me).

I tried cooking "spinach nuggets" the other night. She did NOT like it. I tried hiding bananas in her pancakes. She did NOT like it.

But, I'm intent on this. I've borrowed a few cookbooks from my local public library. I have a supportive girlfriend.

Let's see what happens.

Running

2010-02-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

I went running this morning. I hadn't been in about a week and a half and it was really affecting my mood. I don't have to run everyday, but, if I go for too long a time, I get antsy and agitated. A good run with some fresh air clears my head better than any drug.

Which makes me wonder, if someone is depressed and you put them on a strict exercise regime, would they be able to "beat" their depression? Does exercise really cure the blues? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/14/AR2009091402163.html

For me, exercise is a great mood altering activity. Just ask the unfortunate people that have to live with me! : )

Doing Without

2010-01-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

When I moved into my new apartment last August, I wanted one thing for sure: internet. I also hoped to get cable TV. I signed up for internet, but a couple months later my computer died. Not being able to afford a new one, I felt that the atmosphere was going to get pretty stark around my place.

Five months later and things are not that bad. I can do all of my interneting at work on my lunch break. Also, as my girlfriend pointed out to me last night from a house that she was babysitting at, "cable TV is not worth it." Why pay $70/month for stupidity to be piped into your home?

Humans are amazingly adaptive. Why not adapt to the cheaper, easier option and save your money and your time?

Hungry

2010-01-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

I'm 6' 3" tall and weigh 158 lbs. soaking wet. I usually don't mind being a skinny freak, but sometimes it does have it's disadvantages. It seems like once a day I get REALLY hungry.

I'm one of those people that when I get hungry, you better watch out. Cuz I'll bite your head off! : )

I'm not exactly flush with cash right now, but when I have a little more money (hopefully in a few months), one of my goals is to plan my meals a lot better. I want to cook more, eat more healthily and have lots of wholesome snacks on hand.

Because the hunger monster has got to go. I like having friends!

The Pleasures of Storytime

2010-01-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

I perform about 4-5 storytimes a week at my local public library. Perhaps the thing that I enjoy most about it is that it really uplifts my day.

There are times that I'll have a morning where I'm feeling down or just ok, and, frankly, I don't really feel like being entertaining.

After twenty minutes with a room of two year olds, however, I am feeling A LOT BETTER. Plus, it just makes the workday go faster.

So, thanks storytime.

January 5, 2010 Storytime

2010-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

What I did for storytime today:

Toddler: Jan Thomas books, Happy and You Know It (on guitar), Ring Around the Rosie,

Preschool: Jan Thomas books, Happy and You Know It (on guitar), The letter 'B,' the number '5,' The Hoky Poky (on cd), Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (on cd), Bubbles flannel, Ring Around the Rosie

Why the Title?

2010-01-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

I chose to title this blog The '62 Mets, because they were the worst team in baseball history. They lost 120 games in a single season, setting an MLB record that has yet to be surpassed.

The funny thing about the Mets through the 1960's is that, while often terrible, they were much loved by their fan base. Their attendance frequently topped the Yankees for that time period.

I think that we can draw this lesson from the 1962 Mets: even when you're losing, you gotta love playing the game.

Translated, we could say that you should have a good outlook even in the tough times. Things will change (heck, look at the Miracle Mets of '69!).

I've got a few challenges in my life right now that, to me, feel absolutely enormous. But I refuse to let that get me down. I'm keeping my eyes on 1969!