Domestic extemp

On death and dying

2012-02-26T15:02:00.004-08:00

Modernity does its best to erect boundaries between us and the nasty business of death. We live longer, healthier lives these days. Smaller families and improved healthcare make it far less likely we will lose a close family member before we become adults ourselves. The post-mortem handling of bodies by members of the family has been ceded to the industry that materialized to fill the niche. Each generation, it seems, deals less and less directly with death.

This trend, I feel, makes it ever more difficult for people to face death honestly, and to make good and reasonable decisions for family members nearing the end of their lives. A column in the Wall Street Journal this weekend touched briefly on this. The author, a physician, notes his peers tend to have a much more matter-of-fact attitude regarding their own mortality. What is unique about Doctors, he notes, is not how much treatment they get compared with most Americans, but how little.

Knowing the circumstances with which they are faced, they are far less likely to avail themselves of the opportunity to receive costly, but futile, end of life care. Having a more intimate knowledge of death than the average person, they are more apt to face it with good grace. This is not to suggest those who break the bank, or subject someone to difficult and upsetting circumstances, in a last ditch effort to prolong the life of a loved one are in the wrong. They are acting on a noble impulse, but even in doing so they may be making an unwise decision.

The best we can ask for is the chance to face death on our own terms. As the WSJ column mentions, advanced directives may give us some chance of doing so, if fate cooperates. If nothing else, I tend to believe good sense and common decency dictates that we act according to the wishes of our loved ones as they approach the end of their lives. At some point, men and women must have this discussion with their families.

Not surprisingly, a situation with which we are currently faced has led me to think on this topic. If we were only more honest with ourselves about the inevitability of death, I believe we would make much better decisions. Above all, we should honor the wishes of the dying and allow them to face their final days in the manner of their choosing. More often than not, they will choose to do so with grace, simply, and in close proximity to those they love. This is all anyone could ask for.

Porchetta, day two

2012-02-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

Porchetta, day one

2012-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

St. Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

A few pics from the dinner I made for Aubrie:

Tomato, red pepper and fennel soup, with crab, lime and coriander

Spaghetti with zucchini, almond and mint pesto

Pork belly sandwich with grain mustard, roasted grapes, braised cabbage and jus

Literary introductions, greatest hits, volume 1

2012-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

From Lionel Trilling's introduction to Orwell's Homage to Catalonia:

"he communicates to us the sense that what he has done, any of us could do.

Or could do if we but made up our mind to do it, if we but surrendered a little of the cant that comforts us, if for a few weeks we paid no attention to the little group with which we habitually exchange opinions, if we took our chance of being wrong or inadequate, if we looked at things simply and directly, having only in mind our intention of finding our what they really are, not the prestige of great intellectual act of looking at them. He liberates us. He tells us that we can understand our political and social life merely by looking around us, he frees us from the need for the inside dope. He implies that our job is not to be intellectual, certainly not to be intellectual in this fashion or that, but merely to be intelligent according to our lights - he restores the old sense of the democracy of the mind, releasing us from the belief that the mind can work only in a technical, professional way, and that it must work competitively. He has the effect of making us believe that we may become full members of the society of thinking men. That is why he is a figure for us."

Moby Dick - a quote and a note

2012-01-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

"There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar."

Why this is the greatest work of American prose - reason #29.

Life's fragility and abundance

2012-01-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

In most instances, our approach to dealing with tragedy cannot be predicted. Tragic events are ever more challenging for the simple fact of our inability to be mentally and emotionally prepared for their occurrence. We all must deal with those moments where we are left at the mercy of our emotions, tempered by whatever discipline and faith we can muster.

I love language, but I am often on unsteady footing when attempting to express my emotions through writing. Some people are non-feelers. I am not one of them. The thoughts are there, and in all but the rarest cases, they remain confined to the inner dialogue. Being as fallible and foolish and unimportant as any other person, I know exactly how little my feelings are worth, and that they would no doubt lead me to ruin if they were not overcome. There is also the responsibility and virtue of restraint.

Grief, however, is as natural and unavoidable and certain as death. We can only do our best to deal with it gracefully. This month has been marked by grief and the loss of a life to which a great measure of dreams and hope were attached. The expression of our love for each other - the culmination of lifetimes of growth and failure and personal betterment had led to a point where we could share our love with a child and begin our journey as a family. It was not yet meant to be.

In that instance of loss and its aftermath, I have been overwhelmed by the paradox of life's fragility and abundance. We live in a world full of life, and we are small and fleeting. The minor pleasure of watching the little living things through the window at our desk has taken on a different feeling. It is all so amazing - the miracle of this remarkable place. Life is indeed precious. I think we would all be well served if this understanding were a basis of our conduct.

My favorite Oklahoma mural

2012-01-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

Gobekli Tepe and ancient spirituality

2011-12-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

The New Yorker ran a fascinating piece this week about Gobekli Tepe, an ancient temple site in Anatolia dating to the tenth millennium B.C. - seemingly the world's oldest religious structure. Elif Batuman's story is less a comprehensively informative endeavor than an examination of the little world that has sprung up in the wake of its notoriety and the ways it has challenged certain anthropological and historical orthodoxies.

As the author notes, the existence of the site contradicts a number of assumptions about hunter-gatherers. This shouldn’t be entirely surprising, given its age, but the principal assumption addressed here presupposes an absence of the spiritual impulse that seems, if we take a broad view of history, a fundamental characteristic of man.

“Formal religion, meanwhile, is supposed to have appeared only after agriculture produced such hierarchical social relations as required a cosmic backstory to keep them going and supplied a template for the power relationship between gods and mortals.”

Well, just how formal are we talking? And how is it possible for any community of people to live among one another without hierarchical social relations, let alone a community of ancient and unrefined men? Are we to assume men simply walked the Earth like Caine in Kung Fu, treating one another as equals until someone came along and enslaved our noble spirits with agriculture?

In so many words, yes – according to some. It begs the question of how greatly the historical orthodoxy was influenced by a philosophy and politics en vogue in recent centuries.

And that word - hierarchical – it appears here often. Its use as a pejorative in other contexts has become a particularly annoying feature of life.

Later, for instance, we are to learn that hunter-gatherers were not previously thought to have created human representations, as they did at this site, since this would violate a nonhierarchical worldview.

Moving forward, however, the notion that man had lost his freedom with the dawn of agriculture, giving rise to the religious impulse, is not a fringe belief.

The author cites Engels:

“Friedrich Engels, for example, believed that prehistoric man had once lived under a classless “primitive communism,” and that monogamy was invented by greedy men, so that their sons could get their hoarded wealth after they died.”

In The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State Engels engineered a theory on the development of social processes positing that man had essentially lived in egalitarian bliss until a ruling class rose through the development of agriculture and private property.

It is a fundamental statement on his view of human nature - the wellspring for his political and economic theories.

From a layman’s vantage point, it would seem reasonable to assume that man would be more likely to abandon the spiritual the further he removes himself from the primordial ooze and the dark uncertainty of the ice age to the warmth and comfort of modernity. Another worldview seems to suggest the opposite.

Of course, there is always the possibility that I have no idea what I’m talking about since I don’t know anything about the Neolithic revolution, and some things must be left to the professionals, but since reading this I found myself struck by the degree to which the notion of an ancient egalitarian past is an orthodox belief.

These are big questions, and they bear revisiting.

The author quotes a worker at the site who said he often wondered as he worked what it might be like to talk to one of these ancient humans, to learn about how they lived. Why bother? It seems like we’ve got it all figured out.

Good intentions...

2011-12-21T19:24:00.000-08:00

...not always a guarantor of wisdom.

From the Dec. 10 Economist:

Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, wants to replace six housing and work benefits with a single universal credit. He also wants a cap of £26,000 ($40,747) on the amount that can be paid to a single household, to ensure that those relying on welfare do not make more than average working folk. Some Church of England bishops have declared this cap “profoundly unjust”.

Thus the Church of England wades into the country's welfare reform debate.

Goodbye to Iraq

2011-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Le calife de Baghdad - Francois-Adrien Boieldieu

We hope for the best.

“The object of civil society is justice, not truth, virtue, wealth, knowledge, glory or power. Justice is followed by equality and liberty.” - Lord Acton

Grieg - Lyric Pieces - Opus 47

2011-12-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

Something to soothe the nerves on a Monday afternoon...

How little we know

2011-12-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

"It is by affliction chiefly that the heart of man is purified. Prosperity, allayed and imperfect as it is, has power to intoxicate the imagination, to fix the mind upon the present scene, to produce confidence and elation, and to make him who enjoys affluence and honours forget the hand by which they were bestowed. It is seldom that we are otherwise, than by affliction, awakened to a sense of our own imbecility, or taught to know how little all our acquisitions can conduce to safety or to quiet; and how justly we may ascribe to the superintendence of a higher Power, those blessings which in the wantonness of success we considered as the attainments of our policy or courage."

Samuel Johnson, December 29, 1753

The Culture series, sci-fi utopias and political visions

2011-12-06T21:00:00.001-08:00

In The Culture series, Scottish author Iain M. Banks has created an expansive, utopian society in a wide-ranging bibliography of science fiction and short fiction. Like those of many sci-fi authors, Banks' utopia is the vehicle for a political and philosophical vision which may provide a signpost for the logical extension of ideas shared by no small amount of people, particularly if book sales and online discussions are a fair indication.

The Culture represents for the author not just a human ideal, but also a critique of our world and its various elements. Not surprisingly, it goes to great lengths to avoid most of the messy bits about human nature. Like so many thinkers, the author treats the many traits that exemplify man's fallen nature (arguably the genesis of a diametrically opposite worldview) as faults which may be transcended or defeated through the ascendance of science and technology or by some amorphous, never fully articulated, moral advancement.

Thus, Banks moves beyond the barbarity of markets by engineering a "post-scarcity" society, in which technology provides all which could ever be required and the notion of possession is obsolete. Similarly, the physical constraints of life, including disease and death, are ameliorated by technology. Following the classic utopian template, Banks increases the aggregate of human comfort and satisfaction through various egalitarian gestures.

How then does such a society manage for the distribution of all this beneficence? Well, that must be left to the very smart people, of course. Banks' creates infallible A.I. beings to distribute The Culture's vast resources for the benefit of all. Thus he solves the great loophole of the authoritarian systems by handing the reins to his robots.

But what of incentives to achieve and disincentives to mayhem in such a system? Banks institutes a shame culture, with expulsion and a hefty dose of robo-surveillance into the mix.

The vision here is consistent with a worldview which seeks to re-engineer the distribution of resources through various means, for various reasons. Regarding our world as unjust, the author seeks to redistribute in accordance with his own conception of value. For other utopians, it has always been so - they may seek to distribute according to moral merit, under the guise of equality (of outcomes), and according to the poorly defined question of need. The notion of voluntary exchange has no place in a world defined by the idea that market economies are inherently exploitative. The dream never dies, it only slumbers.

It is of course worth noting that these books are not crying out to be taken seriously as philosophical or political statements. Banks reserves those for his straight fiction, which has become increasingly preoccupied with political themes during the last decade. Still, The Culture series is part of a long tradition of utopian narratives that provide a forum for sincere thought and exploration of where man might someday find itself, and the ideas and theories which may lead it to the author's desired destination. Only in dreams can we disarm ourselves from the potential of unintended negative consequences.

Nevertheless, these are highly entertaining books.

Rand's Nietzscheanisms

2011-12-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

The recent discovery of a 1957 literary review of Atlas Shrugged brought to mind a recent conversation with two coworkers. Discussing the failure of the 2011 film adaptation, a coworker questioned what Rand's enduring appeal was really all about. I took a clumsy stab at an answer, suggesting the appeal of Atlas Shrugged was of a piece with that of Nietzsche, as her heroes could only achieve transcendence and freedom in absence of the state, divorced from the "looters". For Nietzsche, the path the Superman begins where the state ends. This garnered only befuddlement from a guy who knows his Nietzsche, so I'm seeking redemption by a further examination.

This passage from the review sparked a renewed interest in the discussion:

"(Here I must break in with an aside. Miss Rand acknowledges a grudging debt to one, and only one, earlier philosopher: Aristotle. I submit that she is indebted, and much more heavily, to Nietzsche. Just as her operatic businessmen are, in fact, Nietzschean supermen, so her ulcerous leftists are Nietzsche’s “last men,” both deformed in a way to sicken the fastidious recluse of Sils Maria. And much else comes, consciously or not, from the same source.)" - Whittaker Chambers

I tend to agree. There are numerous connections between the two - more than aggressive atheism. They appeal to those of a similar mindset - the free spirit, the individualist and the contrarian. Both betrayed a loathing of the masses as a result of their broad visions for the advancement of man. All of this is no doubt covered extensively elsewhere, but please bear with me as I work this out for myself.

Rand also considered herself a Nietzschean for a time. I would submit the influence of Thus Spoke Zarathustra was profound for her. It echoes strongly through most of her work, both in spirit and style. Atlas Shrugged shares its audacity and grandiloquence. Elements of the epical theme, from which Neitzsche sought for many years to break, are evident throughout Rand's works.

This topic merits a much closer examination, and maybe I'll come back to it in greater depth when I have the time. A closer comparison regarding the two thinkers' approach to truth and values is in order. For now, it is sufficient to say the two shared broad philosophical similarities and issued valuations from an independent, commanding vantage.

This one bears revisiting.

Deformed eyeball blues (got me down)

2011-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems my left eyeball is growing, slowly, into the shape of a cone. Having known my eyesight was deteriorating, I took a long-overdue trip to an Optometrist recently, and he gave it to me straight. I've got something called Keratoconus, which left untreated would cause me to turn into a cone-eyed freak with kaleidoscopic vision. I have since begun the process of interminable appointments at the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. This will lead first to the fitting of a rigid, gas permeable contact lens designed to temporarily correct the shape of the cornea, providing some relief and corrected vision. Ultimately, it seems the problem will require a surgical solution.

For a number of reasons, I'm not terribly upset about this. My eyesight, while poor, is still serviceable. I am employed, and thus insured for such treatment. It could be worse. I could have had my leg blown off by a landmine. I could have been born with AIDS. I could be suffering from any number of serious afflictions, but I'm not. Just a bad eye - no big deal. I've got another perfectly good one, a better one in fact. The same can't be said for numerous other vital body parts.

Regardless, the National Keratoconus Foundation sent me their standard package of literature reassuring me my life was indeed not over, and that I could in fact live with "KC" so long as I "understand that adapting is not surrendering". There is even a personal story from a celebrity rapper.

I don't have much need for reassurance. Corrective surgeries, if ultimately necessary, are fairly common. Life goes on.

Passing thoughts on Popper and The Open Society

2011-11-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Revisiting Popper's classic The Open Society... last week, I was struck by how much I enjoyed his takedown of Hegel's state-funded mischief. His criticism of Plato covers little new territory, but Popper's critique of Hegel is where all the fun is to be had.

A critique of a philosophy is one thing, but there is also the matter of language. And few figures in the history of philosophy were ever as ridiculous on the page as Hegel. There is density, for which Plato does not lack, and then there is willful inscrutability.

Popper quotes Schopenhauer: "Hegel, installed from above, by the powers that be, as the certified Great Philosopher, was a flat-headed, insipid, nauseating, illiterate charlatan, who reached the pinnacle of audacity in scribbling together and dishing up the craziest mystifying nonsense."

This brought to mind the need for a Distory of the philosophical canon.

As a layman, my ability to critique or praise The Open Society is fairly limited. I would only agree with those who consider it one of the more important non-fiction works of its time. It is all the more enjoyable for the aggressiveness with which Popper takes the hammer to the authoritarians who provided the intellectual foundations for the great evils of the modern era.

Below are a few horror quotes from Hegel's Philosophy of History and Philosophy of Law:

"All the worth which the human being possesses - all spiritual reality, he possesses only through the State. ... For Truth is the Unity of the universal and subjective Will; and The Universal is to be found in the State, in its laws, its universal and rational arrangements. The State is the Divine Idea as it exists on earth."

"The State is the march of God through the World, its ground is the power of reason realizing itself as will."

"We must ... worship the State as the manifestation of the Divine on Earth."

Popper's criticisms of Marx in the same work were of vastly greater importance, but since reading the book I've been fascinated with the absurd and grim figure of Hegel, not least because Popper reserves his harshest criticisms for the man. Imagine anything good and right about rational, modern governance, and chances are he opposed it or considered it immoral - freedom of the press, the principle importance of individual liberty, Constitutionalism - any emerging notions of the period which stood to threaten the Prussian Monarchy were targets.

In fairness, he was a paid stooge and perhaps had no choice, but his influence was not insignificant. He was, to paraphrase Popper, the missing link between Plato and modern totalitarianism. His persistent need to wax romantic and spiritual about the state has the ring of all the worst personality cults and psycho-states of the 21st and 20th centuries. I am tempted to view him as a tragicomic figure if not for his ugly legacy. In the battle to further the ideals of the enlightenment, he was in the foxhole on the wrong side.

Giving thanks

2011-11-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with all family visits out of the way we are left to enjoy each other's company, and way too many leftovers, as the rain continues falling on this appropriately cold and gray fall morning. This year's holiday feels different for a number of reasons. As we contemplate a family of our own, we are approaching a new chapter in our lives, and we know life will never be the same. We will have much to be thankful for next year - perhaps we can be thankful for the greatest of gifts: a son or daughter.

We broke a relatively recent tradition this year in keeping the holiday at home. For the past two years, we've enjoyed traveling to Robber's Cave State Park for Thanksgiving. It's a great place to get away from the stresses of everyday life - to take in the open spaces and breathe easily. I grew up near the place, went to school in the town, watched the fireworks display in the park every Fourth of July, and celebrated birthdays there, but I never appreciated it as much as I did when I visited with my wife's family after having been away for so many years. There are many beautiful places in Oklahoma. This park is on my shortlist of the very best. Of course, memories both old and new make it a special place for me.

As for giving thanks, I think I covered the territory sincerely, if clumsily, in my last blog post. Yes, it's been awhile. We live in a world of extraordinary gifts.

Here are a few photos from Thanksgivings past at Robber's Cave:

Rambling notes of gratitude

2011-09-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in what seems like ages. To the few who have glanced at this blog intermittently, I should apologize. Things have been busier than expected. But after all, we've discussed all the important stuff with most of you when we've had the pleasure of visiting "irl".

Though the pace of work tends to slow for me during the summer months, the pace of life away from the office has been just the opposite. For a variety of reasons, I've been reflecting in recent months on my great fortune in life. I certainly don't mean to suggest I've accomplished anything terribly important, and I am by no means an important person, but for whatever reason I have recently been impelled to consider just how lucky I have been.

At various points, I suppose we all go through periods of self-reflection that force us to evaluate our position in the broader world, our strengths and weaknesses and our progress as it relates to our professional and personal goals.

This most recent period of reflection has only served to reinforce my gratitude for my good fortune. I am so grateful to have a wonderful and brilliant wife, who only happens to be my best friend. I am grateful for my friendship with her parents. I'm fortunate to have family who have always cared for me. By some remarkable chance, I have been born in the United States of America. I have great friends and mentors.

Naturally, I feel undeserving. Whatever the case, I am trying hard to be the best man, husband and citizen I can be. I look forward to the day I can add "father" to this list of responsibilities. Just a few thoughts on this night...

All the best,

Matt

Boston, August 2011

2011-08-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

A few pics:

The psychology of altruism

2011-08-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

This month's Rotarian has an interesting little story about how social psychologists account for human willingness to set aside personal interest and make various sacrifices. In so many words, it is an examination of the psychology of altruism. While it is accepted that our emotions are better predictors of our behavior than pure reason, human thinking is vastly too complex to be analyzed strictly in Darwinian terms. There are a variety of reasons we are willing to help those around us.

Like many people, I want to be more altruistic. More than ever, I am striving to better myself through service. But how do people get there? I believe an understanding of our place in a broader community working to achieve similar goals is a prerequisite. From this point we can gain a better understanding of people's needs and hopes, and consider how they might best be served. In short, we have to disengage from the egoistic present. Engaging with the culture, appreciating the achievements of the past, meeting and sharing with others...there are countless ways we can foster a more empathetic outlook.

On a related note, over here there is a post from a fellow Board member about a trip to the nation's capitol coinciding with Independence Day, where the author was able to attend A Capitol Fourth. Reading this I was reminded of a recent conversation with my sister in which she described a trip to D.C. at age 18 as a life-changing experience. Everyone can identify with this to some extent, and it caused me to consider how similar experiences can broaden our horizons and ultimately alter our worldview in meaningful ways.

It is difficult to leave the nation's Capitol without a renewed appreciation for the achievements of the past. It is a reminder that civilization has been made possible and bettered through time not only by those acting in clear self interest but also with altruistic impulses. We have been provided with dominion over our destiny - the ability to pursue our own interests in peace and dignity, and we should all be grateful for it. The extraordinary life we enjoy in this fascinating culture is the product of tremendous toil and sacrifice. I should be doing more to contribute to its preservation and betterment.

Myriad Gardens, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park

2011-07-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

A few shots from 7/28:

Overwriting: a personal critique

2011-07-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Blogging is an informal medium, so I'm generally inclined to take it easy where proofing, editing and fretting over language are concerned. However, in glancing at an older post I couldn't ignore how deeply annoyed I was by a sentence I'd written nearly two weeks earlier. It is a fine example of overwriting, which is not necessarily a failure of brevity but an attempt at excessively elaborate prose. To paraphrase Justice Stewart, it may be difficult to define but I know it when I see it.

Take this sentence, for instance: "Picturesque and affluent, it's beauty shields a couple of pretty bad neighborhoods sandwiched by prohibitively expensive urban neighborhoods north of the bay, surrounded by pockets of wealth and large swaths of poverty and blight in the surrounding areas." Doesn't that just irritate you to no end, the way it reads? It probably should. Have a look at that train wreck of adjectives and adverbs. Bask in its awkwardness. Neighborhoods, which appears twice, are not just shielded and sandwiched but also surrounded. If a neighborhood is picturesque, does that not imply it is also affluent, making the latter adjective superfluous? Similarly, doesn't poverty imply blight? Ugh. It is a prime specimen of grammatical sloppiness.

Everyone who writes with frequency may be tempted to fall into this trap from time to time. This illustrates the importance of revision, even in blogging, a particularly instantaneous forum. Writers of all stripes should take care to tighten their language when appropriate, but overwriting is particularly pernicious when found in PR. Cogency is of the highest value there. Without revisiting old files, I can recall a number of instances where I've failed miserably on this front. I should remember that long sentences should be able to pass a test of their rationale. If not, they can be separated and wrenched tightly into shape one by one.

To put a bow on this passing thought, it's important to guard against the development of bad writing habits. I should do better. My first impulse is to communicate eloquently, but I should balance it with an equal concern for clarity and pacing. Both the message and the reader are better served by sharper structure.

Beating the heat at the Oklahoma City Zoo

2011-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

...was not possible this past weekend.

The guy pictured above is neither dead or asleep - he's in serious chillmode. And who could blame him. It was hot. Really really hot. Nevertheless, we had a great time with my sister's family. The kids loved the zoo. If you haven't been in awhile, do yourself a favor. Our zoo is something we should all take pride in. I'm just amazed by the great work done by the Zoo Friends, the Zoo Trust, the Board, our local corporations and donors, etc., in making our zoo one of the nation's very best. Once the Expedition Asia segment is complete, it's going to be even better. Some photos:

Holiday weekend food

2011-07-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Independence Day - it's an important holiday. And a fine excuse to cook and eat great food with family and friends. Here are a few shots from the weekend. Not pictured is the awesome (I thought) meal we had with Carol last Sunday. Superb tacos that day - way too good to bother with any photographing.

Tomato, sriracha and blue cheese soup with arugula

Mini burgers

A really bad cell phone shot of chicken mole poblano with pickled red onions

On the Bay Area

2011-07-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned nothing of our trip to the west coast. I posted a few photographs, but no comments. I'll correct that.

It should surprise no one that we had a great time, seeing a chunk of the world I'd yet to see and checking out one of North America's great cities. It is great indeed. San Francisco itself (the part you are encouraged to visit, at least) is something of a stage set. There are favorable neighborhoods in each of the area's incorporated municipalities, and then there are the blurry areas where a $400,000 home will get you 1,200 square feet in a neighborhood where taking a walk after sunset is not advised. It is said the collapse of the housing market affected southern California to a greater extent than the north. The north had issues of its own.

Having endured the start of a particularly painful summer in Oklahoma, I was immediately struck by how great it felt to be outdoors in northern California. Visiting Aubrie's sister Vanessa and her husband Aaron (thanks to them for their hospitality), I felt a bit guilty for stepping outside at every available opportunity, whether to read, or take a meal or have a beer in the shade. Everything grows there. The smell in the air from the trees, the flowers and who knows what else brought back memories from visiting my grandparents. I still recall thinking the smell of Eucalyptus was such an exotic thing...

We went to the Google campus, or Googleplex, just after arriving at the airport. I could waste many paragraphs on how cool it must be to work there, the various toys and perks and the food and recreation options provided for employees and their families. All of it was really fun to see, but more importantly, it was a professionally inspiring visit. The men and women who work there are in many cases masters in their own field, and have been given access to that environment for their expertise and achievements. There is no place for me at the company, and to some degree in the industry, but I left motivated nonetheless.

We had great food, great wine and great company. A trip to the Wente Vineyards organized by Vanessa was a highlight of the trip, and made for a great 32nd birthday experience for me. The Refuge, specializing in Belgian beer and homemade pastrami, was awesome. I made the pilgrimage to Amoeba Records and found one of 200 physical copies of Mark Kozelek's Lost Verses Live, among other cool finds. I had some really great soba with smoked fish in Berkeley while Aubrie was shopping for clothes. We picked up a really cool print of a rhinoceros while we were in there. We ate our way around San Fransisco's biggest farmer's market, and I got a big chunk of smoked tuna belly to take home with us. We had a great meal at Slanted Door and the worst espresso I had was way better than the usual from Starbucks.

We had to work to avoid the pride stuff (I mean to give no offense, but it's not our scene), but it only gives us more to see when we return again. Getting around the city on public transportation was not too much of a hassle, with the exception of the weekend, where the trains were filled with drunk fools and pride parade people (who were more drunk than anyone). It was loud, it was tense and there was a sort of Lord of the Flies vibe on these particular days. I'm trying not to be too much of a downer, but it was also expensive. Appreciably more expensive than public transportation in Boston, which is actually pleasant, for instance.

Getting to spend time with family, particularly the kids, was a highlight for us. Valerie and Elliot were a lot of fun, and we appreciated the baby practice. They are such sweet kids, and we're fortunate to have such great family. We're tremendously lucky, and I can't wait to see them again soon. It was just really nice to be together - maybe it will be at our place next time?

San Francisco Bay area - June

2011-07-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

Civic engagement and civic education

2011-07-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing so startling about recent Pew Research numbers suggesting many Americans possess limited knowledge of the current political scene. Even less surprising is the fact that young people are greatly less aware of their government than older Americans. We've grown accustomed to such figures. We live in a time of nearly unlimited access to information, but Americans of all ages are able to limit the parameters of their media consumption to an ever greater degree. In principle, this is a good thing. Individuals ought to possess broad autonomy to consume knowledge and information through every available medium. But that isn't the cause of this knowledge gap.

If these figures are indicative of anything, it's that American youth are gaining little insight into civic affairs and civic understanding in our schools. And perhaps American adults are not so grateful for our hard-earned participatory privileges. This is a bitter pill for those of us who believe quality of citizenship and leadership suffer when civic understanding declines. When we increase our civic understanding and participate in our democratic system, we improve our communities. We are also carrying on a tradition - the tradition of social cooperation that has always been the primary means of human survival and advancement. But we cannot hope to cooperate under shared ideals if we can't positively identify them. That American youth have no idea what we spend on Medicare doesn't necessarily mean they cannot identify the principles set forth in our fundamental charter, but I think my skepticism is well founded.

It stands to reason that as our lives become more comfortable and convenient, we may lose sight of the value of our privileges. We should value the opportunity to participate because it gives us the chance to better our communities, and our own lives by extension. We should value civic engagement because we want to be better citizens. Understanding the unique individual privileges granted us by the Constitution, we can be of better service to our neighbors. At the risk of getting too abstract or preachy, the principles outlined by our Constitution place upon Americans the authority to determine for themselves the image of their country. This should give us all pause when we consider the diminished state of civic understanding revealed by such figures.

My thoughts here have perhaps been too focused on the Constitution and democratic process. Civic engagement can take many forms and encompasses a broad range of experiences, and we need not have any particular interest in the Constitution, or Federalism, or any number of isms to contribute to the betterment of our communities and the promotion of civic education. Nor should our concern be limited to these issues. We can always do better in so many areas - promotion of the culture, the arts, literacy, and the math, science and tech skills required for competing in the new global economy. These are just my thoughts as I yield to pessimism and the clouds roll by on another hot Oklahoma day.

Am I doing my part? Am I pulling my weight for my own community and its future? Probably not, but I have resolved to do more.

Tornado cleanup - Piedmont

2011-05-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

We got up early this morning and drove to Piedmont to help with tornado cleanup. One of Aubrie's coworkers lives there. I'm really worn out. I just felt small and helpless looking at it all. It could have been much worse for this family though. They still have most of their home, even if it is caked in dirt and shredded insulation. It's the stuff you don't expect to see that really leaves an impression - massive stumps from who knows where laying in strange places, giant divots where debris had slammed into the ground before being swept along again. When you get a look at a wooded area and clearly see the path of the storm and its destruction - it's just terrifying.

You get an acute sense of your smallness in the midst of such devastation.

Summer is here

2011-05-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since I scribbled anything in this space.

With summer here, there is time to reflect and summarize the accomplishments of the past several months. The accomplishments are not mine, of course, but those of the men and women for whom I work. Each measure filed is of the utmost importance to certain constituents, depending upon their own interests. It is a fascinating thing to observe the various ways in which these disparate interests intersect with the law, the broader needs of the state and the political scene. I never tire of it.

We visited my sister's family this past weekend to celebrate my niece Leah's eighth birthday. It was a beautiful day to kick around the ranch. Feel free to check out a few photographs to verify. Kid-wise, my sister really hit the jackpot. My niece and nephews are beautiful, sweet-tempered and intelligent children. I guess it is in everyone's nature to brag about the little ones in the family, speculating on their future successes. We've all seen it from parents and family members oblivious to reality as their children rampage and maraud around them. That's not my style. We have the highest of hopes for all three children. Erin has been a wonderful mom.

An interesting anecdote from Leah's grandmother: The local high school had just held its graduation, and this being a very small school each graduate was obliged to take the podium and share their plans for the immediate future. One student announced that since school was now over it was, "just time to go to work". "Thank God, someone's gotta do it," said Grandmother. My mom said it was a decidedly superior answer to the kid who remarked, "I'm gonna wait for my check". Sad.

See you soon.

Annual pig roast, Immaculate Conception, Oklahoma City, 5/22/11

2011-05-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Flowering cactus

2011-05-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ranch scenes, 5/21/11

2011-05-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pawnee, 5/21/11, Leah's eighth birthday

2011-05-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Smoked chicken

2011-05-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sea bass, chard and shiitake

2011-05-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

We grew the chard, and Aubrie's dad grew the shiitake. This was amazing, by the way.

with asparagus, tomato, shallot, roasted king oyster mushrooms and herbs from the garden.

Leg of lamb, grilled

2011-05-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Salad - raw asparagus, roasted beets, goat cheese, mint and lime juice

Dallas

2011-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

It has an illuminated sphere on a tall cylinder, and much better shows than Oklahoma City.

Photo taken from the patio at The Loft.

Carol's birthday

2011-05-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I had a great time cooking for Carol's 60th birthday today. A real celebration.
A few shots:

Happy anniversary!

2011-04-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

To us.
I marvel at my good fortune. I'm a very lucky man.

Coming soon - peas

2011-04-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Playing with our new camera

2011-04-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

We got a new camera. It's a Nikon D3100, and it's awesome. Any crummy photographs from this point forward are officially my fault.

My two favorites

2011-04-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Happy plants

2011-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

It rained. Finally. Our plants have been progressing nicely over the past month.

Braised beef shoulder

2011-04-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Turnip, carrot, parsnip and king oyster mushrooms.

Under construction

2011-04-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cell phone shot of Devon Energy Center - taken this week.

A vist to Pawnee

2011-04-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy!

Sunday's barbecue

2011-04-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

We didn't get many pictures - not good ones at least. We were a bit too busy eating.

One rack of ribs with a conventional rub, two more with a shallot and ginger paste. Awesome.

Spring garden

2011-03-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Coming along nicely with brussels sprouts, chard, broccoli, peas and hardy herbs.

On the grind - chili

2011-03-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday

Thursday dinner - shawarma night

2011-03-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Regrettably, we didn't get any photos of the entire meal on the table with everyone around. Here are a few shots of the grilled lamb, vegetable sides and other plated items that made the meal:

Saturday dinner

2011-03-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

In stages: Orange Roughy stuffed with basil and wrapped in prosciutto, cannellini bean puree, roasted tomato, fried parsnip chips, fried basil, capers, lemon, citron oil, asparagus, brussels sprouts and brussels sprout leaves and panko fried roughy trimmings with lemon:

Another noodle variation

2011-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

Smoked neck bone broth with noodles, ginger, scallion, cilantro, sesame oil, sambal oelek, lime, sriracha and chilled, shaved rib meat from Saturday. Smoked neck bones pictured above.

I should have used udon, and I should have picked up some mushrooms earlier this week. Other than that, this was awesome. I've been toying with this idea, in some form or another, for quite some time now. Still working on it...

A little more barbecue

2011-03-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

A late night snack

2011-03-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

Ciabatta, smoked chicken from Sunday, dijon, honey and vinegar sauce, incredible homemade pickles from my sister Erin, and some bitter greens.

A little barbecue

2011-02-27T16:26:00.000-08:00

This had to be the best weather day of the year in Oklahoma City, so I felt I shouldn't waste it. I fired the smoker today for the first time since I smoked some trout and salmon on Christmas Eve. This is just a bit of sausage, obviously, and some chicken. Yeah, I put boneless thighs in my smoker. Don't judge me, it's what I had in the fridge. It'll make for great sandwiches this week.

Broccoli coming in on Twitpic

2011-02-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

Broccoli coming in on Twitpic: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Just look at that loamy, well-maintained soil. Someone must have put in some serious hours on that little patch.

Wednesday dinner

2011-02-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

Skirt steak and some asparagus.

Now, back to work in the home office.

A few thoughts

2011-02-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

I have been derelict in my posting. I expected to be able to offer daily updates, but free time has not been so abundant lately. This is a busy time for me, and I like it that way. I relish the challenge of responsibility and the ever-present concern of time management. I always feel somehow less fulfilled if I'm still able to see the sun as I walk out of the building. I love my job, and I want to devote an adequate level of attention to every task. This time of the year, and its first rush of legislative activity, has become a great thrill for me over the years. I'll miss it greatly if I'm ever away.

Aubrie and I attended a benefit for Positive Tomorrows last week. We're both familiar with the organization. Positive Tomorrows is the official staff charity at my workplace, and she has represented a number of men and women with children in the program. Unfortunately, we didn't win any of the art on display, but we'd like to think our minimal bids at least prompted others to spend a bit more for a good cause.

This week we'll be attending a graduation ceremony at The Education and Employment Ministry. I wrote a lengthy feature about the organization, maybe seven years ago or so, and I haven't visited the facility since. Not enough can be said about TEEM. I greatly appreciate their focus on poverty reduction through individual empowerment and the development of sound, marketable skills. They have been the bridge to a better life for many, and an antidote to a culture of dependency.

We had planned to visit Yellowstone this summer, and while we still may, a trip to San Francisco in midsummer will take precedence. We can't wait to see our new nephew, and I can't wait to visit San Francisco and hopefully the Google campus. Yellowstone may have to wait until early fall.

Later

Valentine's Day dinner

2011-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

First course: Ahi tuna, roasted tomato with thyme, arugula with sherry vinaigrette, rosemary, lemon zest and olive oil.

Second course: Beef short rib, herbed potato gratin with gruyere, slow roasted tomato and short rib jus.

Third course: Short rib consomme with mint, cilantro and lime.

Tokyo

2011-02-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

The one in Oklahoma City;)

Drifts, again

2011-02-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday dinner

2011-02-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

English cut roast of beef shoulder, mashed sweet potato, melted shallot, dijon beef jus and arugula.

Friday dinner

2011-02-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Chuck eye, sweet potato puree, parsnip fries, shallot jam and red wine pan sauce.

Drifts

2011-02-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

2/1/11

1/25/09

Hello there,

2011-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'll be using this space to share my opinions on music, food and various cultural ephemera. I'll also be sharing some thoughts on Oklahoma and the passing scene, while doing my very best to avoid politics. Though politics and government affairs may be among my principle interests, this is probably not the appropriate forum for my thoughts on such matters. I already get enough practice writing about politics in my professional capacity. With that in mind, I'll also be using this space to sharpen my ability as a writer.

Writing is, essentially, what I do for a living. It is just about all I have ever done since leaving college. That is no guarantee that I'm any good at it. Writing is a skill that requires constant sharpening, and like any skill worth possessing, it can be greatly diminished by insufficient practice. I'd like to think I have a fairly good grasp on my weaknesses as a writer. I'll work to strengthen some of those weaknesses in this space, but for the most part I'll just be sharing bits and pieces of our life with friends and family. This blog will be actively maintained. I hope to add entries on a daily basis. I will avoid exhibitionism, self-aggrandizement and corny paeans of public affection to my easily embarrassed wife. I'll do my best to be more entertaining and less dry than I have been in this initial entry. If I fail on any of these counts, I should hope that someone notify me by way of a comment.

See you.