standing ovations

A few weeks ago, the Mondavi Center closed out the season with a rousing tenor saxophone performance by Sonny Rollins, capping a season replete with cultural highlights and moving classical pieces side-by-side. Sonny Rollins was definitely one of the best performances I’ve seen this year; however, throughout the season, I’ve seen performances that were filled with inspiration and move the human emotion in multiple ways, and I’ve seen performances that were not quite at that level. In both cases, the audience would stand and clap, leading me to the assumption that the standing ovation is overused. Standing ovations used to be a way of expressing approval after an extraordinary performance of a particularly high acclaim. Now we’re just doling it out like candy.

In a triumph of the middling, it seems like we’ve devalued the standing ovation, where after any performance, regardless of how moving it is or isn’t, is rewarded with a standing ovation, as a matter of course. Is this really the way to go? How will we differentiate between the mediocre and the truly great performances? I wonder how many people stand up just because want to impress their date. How many people stood because they noticed their boss standing? Are they simply standing because the guy in front of them stood up and now they can’t see the stage? In the same respect, why pretend that we’re moved by something when we’re really aren’t? Why do people act like they really enjoyed the performance when deep down inside, they’d rather be at home plucking their nosehairs or something?

the cuteness factor

I suppose scientists are humans too, and a recent study overwhelmingly suggests that the subject of scientific studies hinges greatly on the appeal and the overall attractiveness of the species. Apparently there are oodles of endangered species inadvertently condemned to extinction because they’re ugly.

I guess it does make sense that scientists would want to work with the “big and furry stuff”, even if only subconsciously, as we have a natural tendency to move to what is attractive to us. I guess this is the same as when you see YoYo Ma on stage after a performance hugging only the pretty people.

There’s a group of amateur scientists that understand the plight of the ugly creatures and have started a site to raise awareness. I just find it a bit sad that a species’ existence hinges on the fact that they aren’t cute. In our imperfect human thinking, we have the power to save certain critters from certain doom and sentenced others to a natural history museum exhibit. Kinda make you wonder huh??

I don’t know…

O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.

May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
(Psalms 141:1-5)

Why is it that I say I want to receive righteous correction and I say I want to be held in check…but when I hear criticism I’m inclined to defend myself? If tonight’s words were truly given in love…if it’s truly righteous in intent…I pray that my heart will change to hear and listen.

a sprinkle of father’s day cheese

As father’s day is soon upon us…many websites recount the various classically great and not so great father’s day gifts. When I saw this article I must admit…I recognized some of the gifts pictured…mostly because I’ve given at least two on the list at one point or another hehe. I think my dad probably still has the “world’s greatest dad” mug from 4th grade stashed somewhere in the cupboard, and that “bowl” I made in first grade is now a paperclip cup on his desk. (btw I have a pair of the homer slippers and there’s NOTHING wrong with that!!)

Sadly, there are a few years where I can recall getting him something random just for the sake of giving him something. Sometimes it meant something, sometimes it didn’t. Thinking back on the years…I’ve never been sure if he knew how appreciative I am of my dad. To me, he’s been a pillar of patience and wisdom, and there’s really nobody I respect on the same level as him. It’s hard to put in words my appreciation of him, but he’s always been a clear presence in my life, providing both love and guidance in his own quirky way. :)

Thank you for putting your family first. Thank you for reading to me at night. Thank you for schlepping me to and from track practice, music lessons, and fellowship events. Thank you for switching shoes with me that time when mine gave me blisters. Thank you for teaching me manners and taking us to church on Sundays. Thanks for the endless love and support…regardless of whether I reciprocated or not. Thanks dad!

Happy Fathers Day!

what you won't see on espn...

This clip really makes you think sometimes…




When I first saw the movie Lord of War a few years ago, I walked in 5 min late and missed the intro. The rest of the movie was so intriguing I rented the movie a few days later just to watch the beginning. Most movies (including this one) are a figment of some creative mind’s imagination, but this movie does carry a sad truth.

This month the world’s attention will zero in on Africa for the world cup. South Africa will be putting its best foot forward, showing the world that Africa can indeed host an international event of such proportions. The sadness of it all is that while the world’s focus is on Africa, it will miss a glaring and ugly side of the continent: they’re killing each other. All across Africa, from Cote d’Ivoire to Sierra Leone to Somalia, civil wars and local feuds rage on, claiming millions of lives and pressing an entire generation of youth into armies and militias.

I wonder, when ESPN covers the world cup this year, how many minutes of airtime will even be spent mentioning this sad fact? When NBC covers the Olympics, they spend the bulk of the downtime between events talking about either athletes’ personal stories or the host country’s local culture. So how much of ESPN’s downtime will be devoted to talking about Africa’s darker side?

nooooo bessie!!

Ok…I know I probably shouldn’t have bought my lawnmower at walmart… and I know I should probably remember where I keep receipts for large purchases like these…but yeah…all those things may have been able to make today a whole lot easier. After getting a new cord at Ace I played around with the engine a bit until I restrung the mower and took it outside for a spin. I pulled on the cord and nothing happened.

Fail.

As it turns out the string was strung the wrong way…and the fail-switch was activated by the pull…not the engine. After half an hour, two tries, and quite a few head-scratches later, Bessie was all set to go.

vroom vroom… :)

ok so maybe it’s not exactly as powerful an engine as I imagined hehe but still…good to hear it’s back in working shape. This whole thing made me thing about the Ephesians passage I read for a devo a few weeks ago. It talked about just how broken each of us are. How much of a mess we are…submersed in sin and without much hope. Sometimes I wonder why God even bothers to fix us back up…He could easily just start from scratch…but He doesn’t. He works on us one at a time…fixing us with love and care.

Pretty amazing huh?

it is by grace you have been saved…For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2)

autobahn at night?

On Friday night I was driving down I-80 at 12:30am going slightly faster than the speed limit towards Davis. Up ahead about 800m away I suddenly see flashes of red and blue as a fellow motorist gets taken down by the sometimes elusive CHP. I immediately slow down a bit and drive by, feeling a slight tinge of guilt as I realize that that poor bloke will be paying the price for a faux-pas that both he and I shared. After passing the scene, I started thinking, this late at night, when the motorway is clear (seriously we were the only three cars on the road), why should we adhere to the same speed limit as rush hour traffic when there are way more cars on the road?

The roadways in Germany have, contrary to popular belief, speed limits in the more densely populate areas during peak times. The speed restrictions are lifted during off-peak hours, so one can drive however fast they prefer to go. This seems a more practical approach, where we can have a tiered speed system that allows for safe driving during the hours where there are more people on the roads, and much more relaxed speed guidelines during hours (esp. in the wee hours of the morning) when few cars, if any, are on the road. This would, of course, apply to local roads in addition to freeways. The concerns we use for limiting our speeds on the roads don’t necessarily apply late at night or early in the morning. If there are children playing on the street at 2am, then I’d be inclined to say that my driving is sort of the least of their worries. There’s no need to maintain a 65mph speed limit after hours, especially with barely anyone on the motorways.

teach'em how to read...

This morning I was at common grounds getting a cup of coffee while running some errands. I sat down to wait for my order when I overheard a father at the table behind me teaching his son how to read headlines, using the sac bee. Here's what happened:

Dad: Reading is very simple. Just say the words letter by letter like it sounds. This is called reading phonetically.

Son: ok..."taheee..." "tiheee..." (he was obviously struggling with a word that I figured was Tahiti...)

Dad: That's it...just sound it out.

Son: "tiheee..." Is that right?

Dad: (Looks at the page)... "No...the word is 'the'."

hehe i wonder how i'll teach my kids in the future...