... And we're back.

OK, so I don't blog as often as I'd like to. So sue me.

I've found a lot of blogs recently, all of whom seem to blog more than me, that are all really good. Here are 3 (be forewarned, they are religious and/or right of the political sphere):

GetReligion, about the media and their coverage of religion-based stories.

He Lives, a self-described "Reformed viewpoint of a nuclear physicist."

Thinklings, a group of guys blogging about life and issues from a Christian viewpoint.

Check them out.

...

Had an interesting conversation with a pod-mate at the newspaper. He and his girlfriend have been living together 10 years and have 2 kids. I finally asked "Why don't you get married?"

He took it well and we had a great conversation about beliefs. His main reason for not getting married seemed to be the old "I don't need a piece of paper" argument. But another part of him seemed to fear what happens if you DO get married. He thinks it shouldn't be entered into lightly (he's right) and that he should be in it for the long haul (he should). Then he said he wasn't sure his relationship held up to that scrutiny. Then he said he did, indeed, intend to be with his girlfriend forever.

"So," I asked, "why not make the committment?"

"I am committed," he says.

"But not the BIG committed."

"No."

Uncomfortable pause.

He says marriage should be more than it is now. More than impermanent (he is a kid of divorce). I say that he's right.

"But isn't it more effective to change marriage from WITHIN it, instead of just ABANDONING it?"

"... That's a good point. ... "

The conversation went astray from there, because it needed to.

I hope we have more chances to talk.

-Zube.

And one to grow on.

OK, so it's my birthday. I'm 41. Yippee.

Actually, I'm OK with this ... I have always appreciated presents! Except I don't like to make a big deal of it around my co-workers ... I wouldn't expect them to do anything, and I don't want to guilt anybody into a fake, forced "well Happy Birthday then!". So I pretty much keep it to myself.

A number of years ago, when I first arrived at the newspaper here and seemed to have more friends, they surprised me with a party. It was really nice; I don't remember if I got a present, but the cake was enough of a present.

Years more ago, in college, my now-wife surprised me ... twice.

The first time, she threw a full-on surprise party for me, with friends hiding in a restaurant and everything. It was themed to the last episode of M*A*S*H, which was coming on TV that week. She was certain I had guessed that a party was coming, but I had no idea. I still have to reassure her!

The next time, it was a little more dangerous! First, some background.

I was sports editor at the college newspaper during basketball season. The basketball team had risen in the rankings early in the season to #4, mostly because everybody ahead of them had lost and they hadn't yet. Byt I wrote a critical column saying they didn't deserve the ranking, that they hadn't played anybody of consequence. Of course the team hated me, and of course they promptly lost their next game.

So here comes my birthday, and who do I see walk into the college newsroom but ... one of the basketball team's star players! Carrying a cake! My wife says I looked like I was afraid he was going to throw it at me, but I was just shocked to see him in that setting! We had one class together, Spanish, and my wife had done some finagling to get him there. (Interesting aside, the player that delivered the cake isn't anyone who you'd recognize, but a pal that came with him, also on the team, was future pro Tim Hardaway).

My least favorite birthday? I had tickets to see my favorite band, Third Day, right around my birthday, but I had to give them up because I was deathly ill with a major cold. Fun, huh?

-Zube.

Just Can't Get Enough

I'm having an '80s music flashback.

Listening to a couple CDs called "Before You Were Punk ", Vols. 1 and 2. They have punk bands covering old '80s tunes (mostly New Wave) like "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "Goody Two Shoes."

I always have arguments with my kids over the music of my teenagehood. 80s music had its good moments too, if you look around a little!

Who can ever forget "Tainted Love"? "Hold Me Now"? "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

New Wave Hits of the '80s Vol. 1 from Rhino Records (it's a 15 volume set) is a good place to start. So are a couple of movie soundtracks: The Wedding Singer (and a follow-up album) and Romy & Michele's High School Reunion (and, of course, a follow-up album).

So give New Wave a listen. Really. This is coming to you as the father of 2!

-Zube.

Is football all that's left??

Holidays over, no vacations coming soon (although we may take a couple days next month to go see my nephew), no other occasions ...

Back to the routine.

The only thing left is the Super Bowl!

I'm not a big fan of any of the teams left in the playoffs, but I am a big football fan. Depressing to think, however, that there are only 7 games left in the season ... 8 if you count the Pro Bowl.

Here is a great columnist (and column) on football. He goes by TMQ, Tuesday Morning Quarterback, and he's not just some frustrated ex-jock, he's quite a deep thinker. What he's doing columnizing on football is beyond me!

Soon after the NFL wraps, though ... Arenaball!! I'm probably the only fan they have!

-Zube.

The tsunami and God

I hadn't intended to blog about the Asian disaster (I try to keep this site semi-lighthearted and about personal issues), but I'm seeing a lot of stories out there talking about disaster and God's role, so I decided to say something.

I can't possibly know what it's like to live through that disaster, or to lose loved ones in it. Anything I could say about having suffered struggles would be meaningless.

Many more people, though, are using this occasion to question belief in God. If he really was, he'd have prevented it. Or if he is, he must be a sadist.

God is there and is not powerless. He is not the author of evil but he allows it sometimes. Why? Only He knows.

But now's not the time to debate theology. Now's the time to offer comfort for the afflicted, whether it be through money or action or prayer. God bless those in Asia who suffered, that they will be provided the food and shelter and medicine they need. And God give them hope for tomorrow, and help them see the comfort that arises from knowing Him.

C.S. Lewis had a few things to say about God and suffering, in "A Grief Observed," written after the death of his wife. Take a look at an excerpt here.

For a look at what editorials are saying about the tsunami and God, and some responses, go here and here and here and here and here and here.

-Zube.

Happy New Year

So I'm finally ready to blog again.

Went to Disneyland as planned, and the rain rain rain came down down down. The plus side was that it wasn't as crowded as it usually is after Christmas. All the locals must've stayed home to see if the weather would be better on other days.

Got to ride a couple new ones: Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (very cute "dark" ride) and Tower of Terror (very disorenting, dark ride!). Go see 'em if you get a chance.

Christmas at Disneyland is always nice, the park's all dressed up and a couple of rides are made over, too (Haunted Mansion Holiday is themed to the Nightmare Before Christmas, and Small World is redone with Christmas carols.)

Hope your holidays were great, and hope your new year is better!

-Zube.

Merry Christmas Music

The music take since we last spoke ...

Please Come Home For Christmas by Charles Brown, a classic R&B collection.

What's It Gonna Be, Santa? by Chicago, a retooled version of their Christmas release Chicago 25.

A Christmas Together by John Denver and the Muppets. Suprisingly good stuff. Except for the John Denver songs.

Let There Be Peace On Earth by Vince Gill. He has a great voice, but it can get to you after awhile, it's so high.

Christmas To Christmas by Toby Keith. Before he became big. Not too bad, better than your routine Country Christmas project.

The Christmas Album by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Not as good as I would have hoped. Sounds like some if it was drawn from a TV special.

Christmas with the Looney Toons by the Looney Toons. Not Mel Blanc. He is missed.

Christmas Is ... by Johnny Mathis. Very good late-era Mathis.

Sharing the Holidays with Frank Sinatra by Sinatra. Sinatra before he started doing Sinatra. Very good for a budget knockoff. I really enjoy this album.

Touched By An Angel: The Christmas Album by Various. I got it for one track: One Silent Night by Jaci Velasquez. The rest is OK, but what's up with Della Reese's expression on the cover?!

Austin Rhythm And Blues Christmas by Various. Some great songs, (including 2 by the Fabulous Thunderbirds), but not all the tracks are strictly speaking R&B.

Humble King: Christmas Around the World by Various. Nicely done, acoustic and low-key tracks.

Merry Axemas Vol. 2 by Various. To go along with my Merry Axemas Vol. 1, of course!

Rhythm & Blues Christmas Volume 2. Very, very good. I have to hunt down Volume 1 now.

Ultimate R&B Christmas Vols. 1 and 2. If you have James Brown's Funky Christmas (like I do), Volume 1 will complete your collection of JB Christmas songs with "It's Christmastime Part 1".

There. That wasn't so much, was it?

-Zube.

P.S. To whomever reads this board (that means you, Steff!), have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I hope you find peace and love and joy and salvation, as I have.

Isaiah 9:6

I'm an uncle!

My brother and his wife had their baby over the weekend, on Friday. It was a boy, as expected, and John Henry (insert hammer comment here) weighed in at 6 pounds 1 ounce. He was long, but I don't remember how long.

He was a little premature, but not as preemie as was first thought. They had thought they were due Jan. 27, but it turns out it was DEC. 27! So just 2 weeks early, instead of 7.

This is my first uncleship, an appointment I hope I can carry out with aplomb and verisimilitude. (That's just jibberish, by the way).

My brother called today and the baby's still in the hospital, with jaundice now. I warned him! Our daughter got hospitalized with jaundice about a week after the birth, probably due to the drugs they gave my wife when she was in labor. It's no big deal, I assured my brother. Happens all the time. John (which is apparently what they've taken to calling him) is under the bright lights to break down the excess bilirubin in his blood. Probably be ready to take him home by the end of the week, I'm guessing.

So now it's my brother's turn to fend with a baby/toddler! This should be fun!

-Zube.

More music musings

Not Christmas music this time (although I suggest if you have a Sam Goody in your location and want cheap Christmas music, go visit their "3 for $10" bin ... some of these CDs ring up at $0.99 ... I got the old Stevie Wonder Christmas album, Al Green, the Temptations and a great Nick at Nite soundtrack for It's A Wonderful Life! Also, if you belong to the record clubs, Columbia House is offering all their Christmas stuff for $4.99. Also, need a place that can direct you to good Christmas music? Try Christmas Reviews and Mistletunes).

No, I'm her to talk about my favorite Christian rock group, Third Day. They were on "60 Minutes Wednesday" last night ... and I MISSED IT!! I forgot they were going to be part of a story about Christian music. But I found the piece here ... go take a look. It also includes P.O.D. and the rapper Kanye West.

It was interesting, nice things said, but they seemed (to me) to be trying to generate some controversy or rift between bands and artists that go "mainstream" and those still over in what some call the "Christian ghetto."

I for one love it when more people get to hear Christian rock on "their" turf. It's less threatening and more "authentic." Let's face it, for years Christian "rock" was pretty cheesy. I have a few old collections of music, the WoW CDs in particular, which were really bad.

The past few years, the music has gotten good, with P.O.D. and Switchfoot considered legitimate rock acts, Stacie Orrico a respected R&B singer, even U2 being recognized for their Christian proclivities.

Make great music, yes, and don't deny your beliefs. That's a good formula, and if it draws "mainstream" audiences, all the better.

-Zube.

Crown me!

So I got a crown today.

It's my first. I've never even had cavities, so this was quite an experience. The numbness is gone, but my jaw still is sore. It's going to take some getting used to.

I had a cracked molar. The dentist thinks it's because I grind my teeth in my sleep. And bad news: The tooth next to it also looks cracked. Here comes another crown, probably!

So here I sit, eating soft food on the other side of my mouth with a low-intensity, dull headache that I expect won't go away for awhile.

I'm such a baby.

-Zube.

More Christmas music

As I said before, I've been buying Christmas music like a madman lately. I love the stuff.

Over the weekend, I got the Bath & Body Works collection, The Perfect Christmas. It's a great, eclectic collection (I'm halfway through it, it's a 2-CD set). Also worth getting is Jolly Jazzy Holiday at Old Navy. It's already on sale. (sorry no link!)

This one I ordered on eBay, still in the mail. The Best of Cool Yule, from Rhino Records.

OK, this one I didn't buy, but it got on my list. Christmas Regrooved.

For an article on the Christmas remix craze, look here.

OK, I'm done.

-Zube.

Billy Graham Crusade

We went over the weekend to Pasadena for the Billy Graham Crusade at the Rose Bowl.

Originally it was just about seeing a group performing that my daughter loves, Jump5. She had never seen them live, so we decided to give that to her as a sort of present for her 14th birthday. Plus, we got to see one of my favorite bands, Third Day, and a couple others that were very good.

But it was also a treat to see Billy Graham. Had never heard him preach before, and I may never get the chance live again ... he's getting up there in years. I was expecting to hear some powerhouse message from a powerhouse man, but it wasn't that way. Maybe age has tempered him and his message, but I get the feeling he's always been like he was Saturday. Simple, understated, just telling the truth about the gospel. He's really making outreach into youth culture with music and messages. He talked about young people needing respect and to be listened to and to be trusted. I was chastened by a couple things he said. And my kids sat listening and I think absorbing what he was saying.

Graham issued an altar call, asking people to come up and accept Christ, as he usually does. Thousands walked down there, it was amazing. I'm not naive enough to believe that everybody who walked down to the field really became believers Saturday. I know people can get swept up in the emotion and "me-too"ness of the moment. But if only one person meant it, that was a big decision.

-Zube.

A Christmas sucker

OK, I admit it, I'm a sucker for Christmas. Especially Christmas music.

I've spent the past couple of weeks on eBay tracking down Christmas music I missed in the stores the first time around, and other things I just found on a LONG search. Among the gems: It's Finally Christmas, an out-of-print CD with indie artists covering standards and others; Blue Yule, a great Rhino Records collection of blues and R&B; and Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, from Relient K, a smart-aleck punk band who released this Christmas CD in limited quantities last year. I have more I'm bidding on ... and I probably will continue to get more through eBay and in stores. On my wish list from this year: Chris Isaak's Christmas, the various artists CD Maybe This Christmas Tree, the Ultimate Christmas Cocktails collection which has one CD I don't already have, and Christmas Remixed, which has classic tracks remixed in different club styles ... it came out last year but it's still on my list.

Got to talking the other day about Christmas and what it means to me ... I'm talking about the secular aspect of it, not the religious. I'm a Christian, so obviously it's very important religiously, also. But I always loved the family and decorations and music of it. I have warm memories of Christmas as a kid. We almost always had a fake tree (which I loved!) that my mom would labor over to fill with lights and ornaments ... and I would lie underneath the tree and look up at the colors and lights and motion as it spun around (we had an early tree turntable). I would watch Charlie Brown and Rudolph and The Little Drummer Boy (my favorite at the time), and I even remember watching The Littlest Angel the first time it was broadcast. My parents would get the newest Christmas LPs that they sold at gas stations or department stores, compilations put together for them, just like Pottery Barn and Cost Plus have their own special CDs now. My favorite Christmas movies are still Miracle on 34th Street and the original It's A Wonderful Life (I remember my poor wife tracking down a black-and-white copy of the VCR for me one year because I refused to watch the colorized version!)

All this came up because we were in a Suncoast video store looking at the new stuff out, and noticed toys and stuff from A Christmas Story, that movie that's all about a kid in the 40s wanting a BB gun for Christmas. It's a favorite of a lot of people around here, but I can't stand it. And I think I finally understand why. It's a very cynical look at Christmas as the holiday of toy-giving. And that's probably why a lot of journalists love it: it's cynical. And that's why I don't. I still love the redemptive stories, the hopeful, the warm-hearted.

I'm a big softie, I know. I'm comfortable with that!

-Zube.

After the fire

What a week.

Not only elections. I had a bad head/chest cold from Tuesday on. Still have remnants of it in my chest. The upshot was that I couldn't get to work on Wednesday and Thursday, and so missed many of the repercussions from the election. I was supposed to work on an "extra" edition on Wednesday when a winner was declared, but I was in no shape to work. Only rarely do I miss big news days like that!

Well, Bush won, despite what Air America says, and a lot of people in my newsroom were chagrined. Let's see if the Dem party figures out how to swing to the center to grab more votes next time. I can't imagine that Hillary Clinton could win the presidency now under the current climate, unless she moderates big-time.

I was going to blog before the vote, but sickness was winning. My main point was going to be to not vote out of hatred. Many people were saying they were going to vote the way they were going to because they hated the "other" guy ... either of 'em. I think that's a bad way to do business. Either trust and believe in your guy, or don't vote. Don't go to the polls motivated by hatred. That always gets manipulated and abused. I hope you voted your conscience. I know I did.

-Zube.

Getting caught up again

Ok, so it's been awhile since I've "blogged," if you will.

It's been quiet around here. It's RAINING today! Finally, fall/winter arrives. Temps only recently dipped below 90, and now we're supposedly going to be in the low 70s for a little while, anyway.

We're gearing up for Halloween also. The kids always go to whichever mall is sponsoring the Radio Disney trick-or-treating. It probably will be on a Saturday since the real Halloween is Sunday. I can't imagine the malls doing it that day.

My daughter, in her quest to go only as inanimate objects (last year, a baked potato, the year before, a bottle of ketchup), is trying to decide between a Q-Tip and a bag of jelly beans. There's a lot of great home-made costume ideas here and here AND here. My son is wearing a skin wig, painting his head blue, and attaching blue balloons with faces on them to each shoulder -- he's going as Blue Man Group! (Last year, he was Weird Al Yankovic ... I made him a great cardboard accordion!)

I'm going as a frazzled parent.

-Zube.

Back from the coast

So we went to San Diego last weekend.

Being from Arizona, San Diego is like Paradise during the dead of summer, and even during the heat of autumn.

We went to Sea World and did a lot of shopping ... shopping in the cool sun and shade and breeze next to the ocean. Man, it was great.

We got to hit a few bookstores, too, which is another favorite activity of my family's. Books is good.

Pray for me. The presidential debates are in our backyard tomorrow. I'll be busy!!

-Zube.

Random

2 more days of work until vacation starts, 1 more day until the first debate, and tonight Switchfoot is on David Letterman. That's where I stand.

Switchfoot is performing Dare You To Move on Late Night tonight ... one of my favorite songs on The Beautiful Letdown, and my favorite from Learning to Breathe ... they recorded it twice.

Another band I like a lot is The Swift. I just bought their new album, Today, and it's great. Power-pop with a piano up front. Listen to it here, then go buy it.

Vacation beckons soon. San Diego, Sea World, the beach, just taking it easy.

I have nothing else to say.

-Zube.

A very close call

So I almost got into a wreck today on the way in to work. A serious wreck. I'm still a little shaky, so bear with me.

I'm on the freeway. The roof of a camper or something like it flies off a big truck that's being hauled on a tractor trailer. The thing goes airborne and flies 3 or 4 lanes over to my lane, maybe about 2 car lengths in front of me. I have to simultaneously hit my brakes and swerve to miss this thing, about twice the size of my car, that's just landed in front of me. As I swerve, a blue car passes THISCLOSE to me on my right side. I could have sworn it bumped me or something, but there's no mark on my car.

Nobody got hurt, I think, because I didn't see any cars hit as I looked out the rear-view mirror. I think I was closest to it.

I was very conscious of not breathing for about a minute after this ... I didn't stop or anything, I was too stunned. My skin tingled. All kinds of things fly through your mind. First, though, was the disbelief that I didn't get hit. Then the constant replaying over and over in your mind, watching the details you missed the first time.

The only thing similar I can recall happening to me was about 10 years ago, when an aluminum ladder slid off a truck, also on the freeway, and I was able with no problem to change lanes before it slid over to my lane. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I saw at least 1 car drive over it ... major damage.

I said a little prayer. I don't say enough little prayers.

-Zube.

Bloggers lead the way in CBS story

The heat continues for CBS over the Bush memos.

Bloggers were all over this thing as soon as it hit TV, and were discrediting the memos as inauthentic. Not because they're Bush-lovers or closet Republicans ... you'll find many of these guys are stalwart Democrats. They just love tweaking the media!

Here is an article about blogs and how they questioned the original 60 Minutes story so quickly.

Here is an in-depth article from the Washington Post about the inconsistencies in the memos that make it appear faked.

Dan Rather needs to stop defending and do some confessing about who the source is (AP says it's somebody with a long grudge against Bush and the National Guard) and needs to release the papers it has on hand. Any refusal to do so undermines the story.

-Zube.

MS Word to your mother, CBS!

Is this the dirtiest presidential campaign you've ever seen?? Now comes word that documents uncovered by CBS that appear to show that Bush refused to show up for National Guard duty and that pressure was applied upon the Guard to cover up the mess ... were possibly faked.

Here is an interesting follow-up to the Bush documents story. They were produced not on 1970s era typewriters, but on MS Word! How dumb is that?!

If these papers, which appeared so damning at first, are faked ... who is the culprit? Kerry? Kerry supporters? "Texans for Truth"? Michael Moore?!?!! (oh PLEASE let it be Michael Moore!!)

If Kerry is in any way linked to these papers -- would CBS just admit NOW that they may have messed up?!?! -- you can stick a fork in the Senator from Massachusetts.

-Zube.