Why I Love Georgia...

Mary Virginia Terry, receiving an honorary degree from the University of Georgia at the 2009 Spring Commencement. She with her late husband, C. Herman Terry, provided a gift to the business school of $6M in 1990, and the Terry College of Business was then named after the Terry family.

She has the most classy southern drawl and a warm, grandmotherly voice. Her speech was sincere and heart-felt, and she concluded by blowing a kiss to all of the graduates!

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Works

It's 10:02pm, and my day just started. My mouth burns and my stomach gurgles restlessly. Those wings again. And no malt tonight, they're out. "I'm in love with this soul, it's a meaning that I understand" runs through my broken headphones.

This day is almost over, I'll hope to be asleep by 11:00 tonight. But laundry needs to be done, the dishes grow impatient, and the FTTA reading list needs some attention. Another simple day; Work and dinner, then it's time to start the cycle again.

A fifty-five hour week requires eleven hour days, unless you want to work weekends. No sir! An eleven hour day means you arrive at nine (no since in coming earlier since India is still working until about then), and stay until 8. You can take an hour lunch break, if you want to stay until 9pm that evening. It is very glamorous.

I have special incentives. Overtime meals! My $16 dinner is covered by Diner's Club. It comes through as taxable compensation, but what do I care? My tax bracket is very understanding.

what makes me happy, pt.1:

My Morning Jacket - El Caporal
Rooftops and sunroofs
Paul Stuart
Thai food
Overtime pay
NY Times – Opinions
Thesauruses
Wilco - She’s a Jar
Summer lacrosse
Dimly lit coffee shops
Canon
CFO Magazine
gMail chat

The Man in the Arena

This is a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. It was subsequently re-printed in his book Citizenship in a Republic. Here is a passage:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

1141

Now we’re learning to turn to our spirit,
Now we’re learning to take Christ as life;
Now we’re learning to feed upon Jesus
And be freed from all struggling and strife.

favorite ties

Paul Stuart

#26 Manhattan

Stuff White People Like
I love this website. Here's a tip...

Another secret fact about white people, if you are in group setting and the topic of New York City comes up, find the highest ranking white person and say “oh, are you from New York?”

To them, this means you are calling them cultured, cool, and urban. They will respond with something like “oh, well, I’ve spent a lot of time there,” or “I lived there for three years.” You will have instantly become more popular than all other people in the group.

Comments from the Economist

Okay this one is funny. Sorry for the deluge of political content:

"Your editorial writers and others who say that the Obama administration will not be able to raise enough money to pay for its massive expansion of government are clearly wrong. When you consider a stimulus package that is designed to stimulate nothing but inflation and massive deficits in the proposed budget, it is easy to see the plan.

The current government must be counting on hyperinflation that will, in a short time, place all households in the over $250,000 income bracket. Imagine the spending possibilities for a government that collects 40% of everyone's income."

zippy died and we took her engine out, finally

i'm a lifesavers junkie

With no larger problems
That need to be erased
Nothing more important than to know
Someone’s listening
Now I know
You’ll be listening

Learn a bit

Crisis explainer: Uncorking CDOs from Marketplace on Vimeo.

more dabblings

All things considered, I regard myself among more frugal sort of people. Penurious, if you will. But there are a few items, I have decided, for which such frugality receives a particular pardon. These are the must-haves of life - the items for which quality demands no exception. I would rather live on ramen noodles and have an these essential luxuries than sacrifice them to afford to eat better food, like hamburgers. Here are two examples:

Coffee
Sometimes I buy coffee roasted by Greyfriar's. You can find it at Cups Coffee. Buying my coffee pre-ground and then taking it home to Mr. Coffee was the routine, but I recently was enlightened to the terrible error of my ways. I purchased a coffee grinder, and a nice awesomely large coffee mug. Additionally, have been buying spring water which tastes better than regular tap water; there's a discernible difference. Hence, a new chapter in my coffee-consuming career has begun. I simply cannot wait to wake up tomorrow and brew a quality cup of Joe.

Ice cream
Haagan-Dazs, no questions asked. Unless you're buying for a group or party - then it doesn't really matter. You simply cannot compromise when it comes to ice cream, period. And as a matter of opinion, White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle is creme de la creme. Although, a few items receive honorable mention: Banana Pudding from Blue Bell, the Chocolate Trinity from Publix, and a particular Breyers flavor that slips my mind for the time being - it does exist.

Comfort in Trials (1)

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

* His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men,
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

My Morning Jacket

Why's it so strange when they say that the world's movin upwards?
Why's it surreal when my hands feel they cant roll the dice?
Why's it so great just to wake every day, alive and by your side.
It's a mystery I guess, there's lots of things I cant find.
Its not the way that you look, but your move that catches my eye.
Why's it so soft when the cannons unload on the others?
Why're we so loud when we say it wont happen to us?
Why does my mind blow to bits every time they play that song?
It's just the way that he sings,
Not the words that he says, or the band.
I'm in love with this soul, it's a meaning that I understand.

Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs

"Give yourself to love the Lord. No other way is so prevailing, and no other way is so safe, so rich, and so full of enjoyment. Just love Him. Do not care for anything else. Teachings, doctrines, gifts, and power do not mean much. We must continually tell the Lord, “Lord, keep me in Your love! Attract me with Yourself! Keep me all the time in Your loving presence!” If we will pray in this way, we will see what love we will have toward the Lord and what kind of life we will live. We will simply live by the Lord Himself. As long as we love Him from the deepest part of our being, everything will be all right. If we need wisdom, He will be the wisdom to us. If we need power, He will be the power. If we need the proper and adequate knowledge, He will even be that to us. Whatever we need, He is. Do not try to get anything else; just look to Him that He would reveal His love to you. Song of Songs 1:4 says, “Draw me, we will run after thee.” We must ask the Lord to draw us, and then others will run after Him with us. To take Him as our life, we must love Him in such a way."

Word of the Day

Comity
1. mutual courtesy; civility.
2. Also called comity of nations. courtesy between nations, as in respect shown by one country for the laws, judicial decisions, and institutions of another.

But of course...

Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem.
Dona eis requiem sempiternam.

Rochester's Farewell

If, underneath death's cold wing,
His restless soul should fly away,
Beyond the grasp of fools,
T'would meet with the bliss they deny,
So stand for him, kneel for him,
As he lies low in kneaded clay,
Pray for him, who prayed too late,
That he might shine on judgement day.

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison.
Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison.

O Domine Deus dona nobis pacem.
O Domine Deus dona nobis pacem.

"Buy American"

It sounds really great, patriotic even. And accordingly, it must be good for our country; maybe it is the timely solution to save our world from financial crisis? But oh, if politicians, patricians, and plebians only knew the repercussions of such legislation! Free trade works in both directions, and the below referenced article concisely illustrates this reality.

New York Times article, "If We Buy American, No One Else Will"

Christoph Niemann, pt. 2

More the work of my new found artistic hero. His portfolio can be viewed here. I'm really digging this stuff...

Christoph Niemann, pt. 1

This guy is very clever, probably even genius, and I say that after an almost thorough evaluation of his life's work. Furthermore, I have determined that my favorite thing about Christoph Niemann is his blog for the NYTimes, Abstract City Blog. The Coffee post is well deserving of your attention, as are the others.

Additionally, this guy has provided several covers for The New Yorker. Here are a few...

nominative determinism

The Times (UK) has some interesting stuff today. I don't read it hardly enough. This is a clever piece, and entertaining...

What's in a name?

neatness, continued...

Albert Einstein

The great theorist's untamed hair signified his attitude to neatness. “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?” he declared.

Alexander Fleming

was teased by colleagues for his disorderly desk. He kept everything - notes, slides, test tubes - for at least two weeks after he had finished working on them, in case he had a new idea or noticed a change. He was clearing his desk in 1928 when a dot of mould in an old petri dish led to his discovery of penicillin.

neatness, excuses

Here's an article worth reading.

Excerpt:

Dr Roderick Orner, a consultant psychologist and expert on obsessive compulsive disorder, says that tidiness is fundamentally about control - whether you want it and why you need it: “Some people find disorder a threat, others are much more comfortable with it. Artists often find that mixing things up, having things collide, is where they get their most inspirational thought.”

Francis Bacon was famous for his filthy studios (see picture, above). “I work much better in chaos,” he explained. And Pablo Picasso forbade his studio to be cleaned, so that “I would know at once if somebody had been meddling with my things”.

So I am not a slob, I am an artist. But this doesn't quite hold up because, like most untidy people, I prefer things tidy. It's just that I am always being distracted, then forgetting that I was meant to be clearing up. This is what life is like with an untidy mind; one that is focused inwards on its own thoughts rather than outwards to meet the demands of the exterior world. Tidiness is a priority - just a very low one; behind, say, looking out of the window blankly.

Hymn 575

I take Thy promise, Lord, in all its length,
And breadth and fulness, as my daily strength;
Into life's future fearless I may gaze,
For, Savior, Thou art with me all the days.

Days may be coming fraught with loss and change,
New scenes surround my life and fancies strange;
I thank Thee that no day can ever break,
Savior, when Thou wilt leave me or forsake.

There may be days of darkness and distress,
When sin has power to tempt, and care to press,
Yet in the darkest day I will not fear,
For, 'mid the shadows, Thou wilt still be near.

Days there may be of joy and deep delight,
When earth seems fairest, and her skies most bright,
Then draw me closer to Thee, lest I rest
Elsewhere, my Savior, than upon Thy breast.

And all the other days that make my life,
Marked by no special joy or grief or strife,
Days filled with quiet duties, trivial care,
Burdens too small for other hearts to share;

Spend Thou these days with me, all shall be Thine,
So shall the darkest hour with glory shine.
Then when these earthly years have passed away,
Let me be with Thee in the perfect day.

Word of the Day

despondent

feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom:

Now the trouble is over, everybody got paid
Everybody is happy, they are glad that they came
Then you go to the place where you've finally found
You can look at yourself sleep the clock around

Artist of the Week - Andrew Bird

This blog is place where fleeting things chase immortality. Ideas, opinions, emotions, etc are all captured like photographs and preserved forever. Right now I'm blossoming with delight. Yes there's a ski trip this weekend, but this is something bigger - an emotion much beyond my control. Still trembling with excitement, the emotions contained within are far stronger than I ever could have anticipated. Let me just explain...

About twenty minutes ago I was at Burger King, where I feasted on a Jr. Whopper and small fries for an incredible price of $2.54, yes, I know - it's incomprehensible. The sheer magnitude of this still hasn't completely set in, so I'm bracing for impact. How rarely does food-purchase gratification come so easily?

Thank you Wiki

On September 21, 2007, U.S. District Court Judge James Muirhead used Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" in his court ruling after receiving an egg in the mail from prisoner Charles Jay Wolff. Muirhead ordered the egg destroyed as he stated in his judgment[8]:

I do not like eggs in the file.
I do not like them in any style.
I will not take them fried or boiled.
I will not take them poached or broiled.

I will not take them soft or scrambled,
Despite an argument well-rambled.
No fan I am of the egg at hand.

Destroy that egg! Today! Today!
Today I say!
Without delay!

Word of the Day

You know that feeling when you're searching desperately for just the right word and it's stuck in the back of your head? There's a word for that, lethologica.

But what about that gratifying moment when the perfect word is delivered to exactly suit the idea or expression you intend? We have a term for that. It comes from the French, le mot juste.

How exciting...

Andrew Bird

has a new album out, "Noble Beast".

Listen to the entire article, courtesy of NPR. The New York Times also had an article written by Bird about the developments in his music. Quite interesting. I recommend you listen to "Oh No" and the later song "Souverian."

Word of the Day

My blog is feeling kind of stale and crumbly; it has the texture of feta cheese left on the counter overnight. It's hard to be inspired with that kind of environment. But I did find a neat word today, used in a recent New York Times article.

I debated whether to introduce the context of this word. Maybe you'll understand why. It's from a disheartening article about this contemporary pastor who seems to have discovered the secret formula to attracting large crowds. Hollywood spearheaded the art, and now it is obvious that desperate christian "workers" are now introducing similar trash in their sermons. If you are genuinely seeking God, I am guarantee your time would be much better spent somewhere else. But that's a different story for another day. Here's the context of the quote:

Mark Driscoll is American evangelicalism’s bête noire. In little more than a decade, his ministry has grown from a living-room Bible study to a megachurch that draws about 7,600 visitors to seven campuses around Seattle each Sunday, and his books, blogs and podcasts have made him one of the most admired — and reviled — figures among evangelicals nationwide.

And now, without further ado:

bête noire
  –noun, plural bêtes noires
a person or thing especially disliked or dreaded; bane; bugbear.

Origin:
1835–45; < F: lit., black beast

Joe the Plumber

Remember that guy? Now he's working as a news correspondent. Interesting...

Watch Here