Unto us, a son is given...

Unto us, a child is born.

4:18 AM, August 11, 2009. Name...forthcoming.

Because I've got the Castle...

and a beautiful Lady of the House, and a knight/dragon (it depends on his mood) and even an incredibly lazy ferocious beast...it seems appropriate to announce the impending arrival of a princess.

Coming soon to a Leigh House, possibly but not necessarily near you: a Baby girl. God is gracious and generous.

Victory in the Grave

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Revelation 1: 17-18

Happy Easter. He is Risen!

Enjoying the Simple things

Today is the last day before Easter Holiday...and I am all too ready for the rest I anticipate over the next few days.

Over the coming week, I intend to walk my dog, play with Aiden, talk with Sheri, hike to some waterfalls, catch-up with friends, read some books, blog some, and possibly, just maybe, get a BBQ and do some grilling in the beautiful weather we've had recently.

A good week, spent doing simple things with people I love.

While gutting out some of the huge piles of grading I have had in the last few weeks, I put on some movies to fill the time; especially on those nights when Sheri is at work, it's nearly a necessity. Being a social person, I will simply fall asleep if I am in silence reading papers for too long.

Long and heavy movies are on the dock for such evenings, since Sheri wouldn't watch with me if she were there...and so some of the highlights have been a viewing of Patton and the entire Godfather trilogy. I also finished watching Band of Brothers with Sheri a short time ago.

The result has been some surprises; after rewatching the entire amazing experience of Band of Brothers, and then viewing the fascinating but unsatisfying stories of two masters of men, George S. Patton and Michael Corleone, I am convinced of one thing; it is better by far to have a simple life than it is to strive after glory and power, even if you succeed.

My revelation may seem obvious; I am sure I have friends who have never been tempted by the lure of the pursuit of power or glory. However, I have perhaps never been so fully convinced that a simple life is better as I find myself at the current moment. It is a little funny, and a little sad, that it was the medium of movies that communicated this truth to me; our Lord, after all, said plainly that blessed are the meek; I think the reality is that while I trusted His wisdom, I did not fully perceive why it was so wise until seeing the stark comparison via these movies.

The Band of Brothers, tells the stories of average men who accomplish great things; not for greatness itself, but because it was what was required of them at that time and place. Once they were free to live their own lives, for the most part they proceeded to pursue lives of excellence, but not necessarily worthy of general acknowledgement. From all accounts, they lived (and some continue on even today) as unassuming members of their communities, proud of having known and served with men of valour and honor and courage, but each thinking themselves to be the least among these. They quietly receeded from their glory, and embraced the simplicity of a lives well lived, filled with good hard work and the accomplishments of years rather than wealth and influence.

This is contrasted with the lifes of great men, for whom no success is ever enough, who quest after the immortality of their own names, and discover that grasping their hearts desires means losing all the zest which first urged them forward.

I hope to learn the quiet joy of such a life. To dare all the great tasks which necessity requires of me, but to content myself with the joys of being a father and a husband and a son. To embrace the pleasure of being a teacher and a student, to quest after the glory of old age with the wife of my youth and the joy of a community I have invested in.

And I am looking forward to continuing down that road this coming week. Huzzah for Easter Holidays!

Appreciate Me & I'll Appreciate You...Maybe...

Teacher Appreciation Day is this Friday.

And Grades are due this weekend.

I anticipate a good haul.

What is It Worth?

If the Iliad is a story of the Polis and the Man, the Odyssey is a story of the Man and his Home.

Though this difference may seem negligible, it is actually substantial; one paints with broad strokes the inseparable give-and-take relationship that exists between a community and the individuals that make up that community, while the other offers an intimate look at a need within Man's soul: the need for Home.

The contrast is stark (so much so that some hardly believe the same poet is responsible for both stories), but the lessons from the stories are not necessarily at odds with one another. In many ways, the change is actually natural; only a hero who had endured the hardships of the Trojan battlefield could make the Odyssey Home. Having learned the difficult lessons of Ilium, Odysseus naturally turns to journey Home, and in the process begins the next lesson; not only are we intricately and irreversibly intertwined with our Polis, but our Home is the only thing that completes us, and without it, nothing that we have is worth anything. Odysseus will endure any trial, and literally cross every ocean to get back Home.

If this is the lesson of the Odyssey, why does Odysseus spend so much time along the way home in the (sometimes pleasant) company of various hosts? Whether he is being held against his will by Calypso, or is being hosted in the halls of the Alcinous & his Phaeacians, or if he is skirting death at the hands of the Cyclops, or journeying to Hades itself...sometimes Odysseus seems to take his precious time getting home. My 7th graders recently finished reading Books 5, 6, 7 and are even now working through Book 8. They suspect Homer was filling space, what with the seemingly disconnected account of the Halls of Alcinous; after all, what can be the point of recording all the niceties accorded to Odysseus? One can hardly fault them for this suggestion on their first reading of the text, and in fact their reflections propelled me in turn to reconsider the "why" myself.

Not only is it unwise to assume that Homer was writing to fill a 24 Book quota, but this assumption also robs us of the opportunity to learn from the suffering of the Man of many sorrows. We become so focused on the destination at the end of the road that we miss the necessary lessons of the journey. The story tells us of the journey Home; it is not a story about Home itself.

Yes, Odysseus faces horrors; yes, he endures hardships. On a few occasions, his men all perish, leaving him to journey on alone (which, as we know from the Iliad, is not a good thing...). This makes sense...a story of hardships and adventures makes for exciting reading. Still, Homer also tells us about Odysseus' journey's through pleasures and comfort; and this is because he is emphasizing the value of the prize at the end of the road.

If we brush over the details, and ignore the stops along the way, the end is hardly significant. Odysseus is under-going what amounts to a sanctification process; even as he endures trials, he also relinquishes any inordinate good thing which is not the highest good. As a result, the value of Home grows; not only is Home worth facing the Cyclops for, but Penelope is more worthy of his husbandly affection than the divinely alluring Calypso. Eternal youth on pleasure island cannot compare to the joy and satisfaction of old age with one's wife, the mother of Telemachus (another man searching for his proper place in this life...but that's for a different post). The halls of Alcinous, filled with wealth, mighty people and joy are nothing to the son of rocky Ithica.

All that matters is getting back Home. Home is the prize, higher than any ransom or substitute; and because we see what Odysseus allows to fall by the wayside in his quest to get back Home, we can believe that this is not merely an idolized fancy, or a cultural assertion with little weight to it in reality. By taking us on the journey with Odysseus, Homer is leading us towards a better home, even as his hero strives to return to the one that calls to him, wherever else he might be.

Just a Frog With A Musical Show

Songs...dances...shootings...no, no shootings...

While I look for ways to squeeze more blood from stones, I am also getting ready to teach Economics next year in 10th grade...anyone have any suggested reading for said project?

It's been an incredibly busy time of the year. In the last few weeks, I have been attempting to transform my lesson plans into a WASC-ready format (the busiest busy work you've ever had does not compare...at least I am putting in my time this side of death...purgatory will be a breeze), I have been out to and back from Austin Texas, where we went and visited Regents to compare notes and examine a successful model of what we hope to be in 10 years. I could say a lot about this...suffice to say, it was awesome. In the midst of all of this, my classroom-mate and I have been putting on the Jr. High Speech Meet, which culminated this past Friday with a competition down in Lomita.

All good things...just keeping me very busy. Coming soon; trip to Oregon for an old friend's wedding.

A Time & a Place

I have a few free periods during my day, time which I may use grading or working on lesson plans, or other projects. Occasionally, I will use them for a real break from the day, and do nothing productive whatsoever with them. Today, during one of my free periods, I chose to watch this...and the laughter would not stop. If you don't find this absolutely hilarious, perhaps I just relate too well with making justifications for eating cake...but I struggled for 5 minutes not to disrupt the class that was going on while I watched this video...

A Glamorous White House

Politico has this story today.

I am of two minds regarding this issue.

First, I think it is a shrewd move on Mr. Obama's part, to use the influence of his perks to help him lead. He has made several mis-steps in his first month+ in office, but this might not necessarily be one. Leading a divided nation requires the ability to both aggressive and alluring. I think this may work as his attempt to lure opponents.

Second, I think this could back-fire unless it is done with razor-like percision. Too many pictures of the leaders of Washington at parties during a recession, and with the headlines of Drudge making more and more people think about robbing a bank or hiding under a rock could be disaster. It is one thing to project confidence in the nation...it is something else to tell the people to eat cake, which could be the interpretation of too many parties in Washington as millions lose jobs and stimlus packages are discussed while the stock market bleeds out.

So we'll see...I think he is trying to thread a very dangerous needle. Not impossible, but incredibly dangerous.

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Sheri has recently shifted over to night shifts...which means I am alone three nights a week.

And while this fact has brought some interesting truths to light (I have not actually evolved all that much from college bachelorhood, apparently...left to my own devices, my nights are fairly boring, and generally involve unhealthy food and a grungy appearance I somehow manage to avoid whenever Sheri is around...oh, and I talk to myself more...) it has also afforded me the opportunity to reflect on some realities I would not otherwise have considere...

Also I lose more sleep. My hours become much more irregular...in part because I am the only one who cares if I am awake...but also because there's nobody to hold at night...and, as sentimental as it sounds (and I know it does, but I don't care) I don't sleep well when Sheri's not in bed. I'm not a cuddler...but having her there lets me sleep in peace. She's my security blanket...on her side of the bed. Because I really am NOT a cuddler.

Our dog gets the brunt of the loneliness...I have allowed him to sleep on our bed once or twice, and have even pulled him up on the couch with me as I passed out one night, just to feel as if I wasn't completely alone. Who knew I'd turn out to be such a pansy?

Of course, Aiden is upstairs...but he's in bed by 8.

One of the interesting realities of this restless waking that I suffer from on these nights is that I am awake while mostly everyone I know and love is asleep (except, oddly, Sheri...who, we all hope, is not asleep, as she is administering medical care...).

It is both remarkably lonely and also bizarrely serene to be the only one up. On the one hand...well, I've already covered the being lonely part...though I didn't mention also the new found creepiness of our house when it's dark and I am alone...sometimes I think I can't sleep because I have to keep watch over the house until light comes.

Then there's the odd peacefulness of being the watchman. It is just me, the (sleeping!) dog, my computer, and my iGoggle, whose theme is currently on "Earth-Light" which allows me to track the progression of the sun over the continents. Imagine the lives spent in blissful sleep...reflect on the souls just waking to the dawn...consider the multitudes already in the very midst of their day...

Sleep peacefully friends. I am, maddeningly, awake...and watching over the entire Hemisphere...at least until I pass out from exhaustion.

Some of My Better Thoughts

I was recently having a discussion online with some other regular commentators on the agenda of the new administration. The main proponent of the ideas I was challenging had suggested frequently that Liberals, and the Obama administration in particular are dangerous, even objectively evil, synonymous with the Nazis and Gestapo (their choice of words). While responding to this person, I articulated some thoughts that have been on my heart and mind for the past few weeks as power has shifted in our nation, and people are digesting exactly what it means to them and to the country as a whole. I read my thoughts to my wife, as I so often do (poor woman...if I was one to worry about purgatory, I would be convinced she would be all taken care of...) and she suggested that I should post these thoughts to my blog.

Thus, here are my thoughts on the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives, and the way forward.

I cannot really accept this understanding of the "enemy" as accurate, unfortunately. I will agree that within the Liberal ideology there are radically anti-Christian voices. However, I do not accept your suggestion that to be liberal at all is to be part of a false religion, or that it makes you an enemy of God and the Church, or the heirs of the Nazi legacy. That is simply a lie.

The key to understanding Liberals, IMHO, is to understand that they allow for the Christian haters. But then, they allow for pretty much anything. I do not find all of their arguments for the equal treatment of all ideas reasonable, or convincing. However, and I cannot stress this enough, I do think it is important that we Christian Conservatives stop shadow boxing and engage in the reality of the situation. There is no reason to put ourselves at violent odds with all of Liberalism because Liberalism allows for evil voices and thoughts. Liberal ideology is more than one long move against the Church and Christ. Strategically, the sooner we grasp this, the sooner we can avoid marginalizing ourselves out of the great debate. America is not Israel of the Old Testament. We are a gentile nation in the age of the church. Our government, though founded on distinctly Christian values, is not a Christian organization, and there's nothing wrong with asserting or recognizing that fact.

Liberals disagree with Conservatives about one very central issue; the role of the government in our lives. Within that disagreement there is room for all sorts of sub-arguments. I believe the mistake that is being made by the statements above is they confuse sub-arguments for the ideology itself.

Conservatives argue that Liberals want a government so large it removes the freedom of the individual under the auspices of protecting individuals from other, stronger individuals, while allowing those same individuals to be morally whatever they individually deem worthwhile. Liberals argue that Conservatives remove all protection from the state, thus allowing individuals to be tyrannical, and that hypocritically we want no government interference except in areas of personal morality.

Both sides have merit, which is why neither side has disappeared, even after losing major elections in the past few decades. This Republic, if it will continue to prosper, must see the two sides find a peaceful middle ground...which means compromise on both sides. Neither side will ever be completely satisfied...but such is the nature of a government of the people. I cannot get a room of 18 thirteen year olds to co-operate and agree...what hope is there of getting unified consensus amongst 300 million? So we have to be content with compromise, and stop trying to paint each other as demons or puritanical Salem Witch Hunters.

President Obama: Be Our Themistocles!

In the wake of their staggering victory at Marathon in 490 B.C. (the Athenians traded roughly 200 lives for Persian casualties somewhere in the vicinity of 6500) the Greek world was afforded a rare reprieve from war, and for a decade they had the opportunity to prepare themselves for the might of the Persian hammer that they knew was coming.

During this time of relative peace, Athens also discovered a rich vein of silver, and had to decide how to use the wealth. Since the fortune was discovered by the city, and since the city was ruled by Democracy, the money belonged to the people. Of course, there were many who wanted the profits of the find to be distributed amongst the people; after all, who wouldn't want more money in their pockets?

However, the new leader of the democratic party of Athens, Themistocles, suggested something very different. He insisted that the money be used to fund the building of triremes, ships of war, keeping in mind the reality that the Persians would return, and with a far larger army this time than they had brought to Marathon.

In order to see his plan implimented in the absolute democracy of Athens, Themistocles had to convince the majority of the populace that it was better the deny themselves wealth, to work for the future while sacrificing today. His success, apart from the positive results on the behalf of the Greeks in 480 B.C. at Salamis, is also a testament to the importance of a leader with vision.

President Obama has amazing potential. I disagree with much of his social agenda...or at least, what I fear his social agenda will turn out to be. But the reality is, he has a unique opportunity. He could be one of the greats of all time. Never is the potential for greatness so real as in times of trial and challenge. We are experiencing difficult times...not the least of which in the area of our economy. Most of us don't even really know what we want to see happen to solve this problem...we just know something MUST happen. Should we have a bail-out? Should we give the money to the people, the banks, to corporations? How do we avoid deepening the crisis? How do we pull ourselves out of the mire? How do we get back on top?

President Obama must lead. He must give us a vision that will provide for more than merely tomorrow, but that will ensure our success (or at least the best chance for it) in the net decade, and the decades after that.

Themistocles was right. His arguments contributed to Greek victory over Persia, which allowed for the Golden Age of Greece...which produced some of the greatest art, philosophy, drama, and culture ever. Invest in what will preserve our future rather than what will keep us in comfort today.

Gas Bag

Memo to Chris "Verbal Flatulance" Matthews:

The election is over. Have some respect for a man that served his nation for 8 years and stop trying to be clever by mocking President Bush. Your politician of choice carried the day (in an election against someone entirely different from the out-going President) and has called for an era where partisanship is cast aside in favor of a united nation. The fact that you insist on mocking those people who still support Bush, who still favor his policies, and for mocking the man himself as you blithly cover the inauguation of President Obama only reflects how very little the division of the nation had anything to do with President Bush.

You're probably too distracted by the thrills Mr. Obama delivers to your nervous system to listen to what he's been saying...

=

Inauguration 2009

We have a new President.

Today is a day of some significance, as evident from the massive amount of press and attention, spanning the world, that is being paid to the official proceedings of our government.

Today is a good day, and we should all be celebrating our citizenship, and the government that has stood the test of time and the transfer of power, to thrive today as it ever has.

Pray for our new President, pray for our nation.

I have to admit...I hope that he succeeds. That sounds odd, as if it were a guilty pleasure. Let me put it this way: I am willing even to hope I am wrong and that he is right, with regard to his social and political agenda. I cannot hope to be persuaded that his moral ambivalence with regard to the unborn, but I can hope that in a matter as trivial as our economy or our national defense that he is more successful than I believed he would be at the time of the election.

I hope we manage to move past mere partisan politics and strive as a nation to be something more than merely prosperous (although, of course, I do hope we're prosperous). I hope we can live up to our great aspirations on this historic day. It gives me joy to recognize that the full reality of today is itself a culmination of the ambition and ideals of our nation and government.

It is tempting to hope that the world will actually receed from the brink as the result of one man. Certainly the media would have us believe it will be enough...I cannot believe our problems will cease, but I do hope and pray that under his leadership we will see positive progress on some of the fronts that currently trouble us.

I must also say that the sight of the hope this man inspires is, well, inspiring. I am optimistic as a result of the radical enthusiasm of those in the midst of the celebrations, much more from that than from the highest rhetoric; let us pray that this renewed sense of opportunity and potential sows a great harvest. I am not sure why so many have lost faith in their Republic; I do not believe that much has changed in any way so significantly that it warrants the doubt and fear that has plagued the news for so long, but let that be as it may; let us revive the belief that a nation centered the defense and perservation of God-given rights will prosper and flourish; let us show the world what liberty accomplishes in the City of Man.

God save the President of the United States and may God be gracious to our nation.

Drama?

I have searched far and wide for more online lessons...and recalled Rowan Atkinson's survey of Shakespearean Drama...

As a mild warning...there's a reason actors were often associated with the dregs of society...mostly it's clean, but if you have zero tolerance for inappropriate humor, spare yourself this lesson. You get a pass.

Otherwise...school is back in session:

Math?

Hat tip to Phil!

Art?

Geography?

Science?

Sheri's Mix

Odd as it might sound, I am 26, have been married over half a decade, have one 4 year old and another on the way. I am young, comparatively speaking, for the stage of life that I am in...most of my friends, if they are married, are still in the glorified dating stage...and many are still working towards the marriage stage.

As a result of being an early arrival at the Matrimonial Gates, I have had the opportunity to hear about the "love languages" many, many times.

Many times.

That's not really a complaint, since the longer you're married the more you need to reflect on how you love your spouse, and work to ensure that you are showing them affection in effective ways. I know that Sheri and I have missed each other from time to time, but I'd like to think that for the most part we connect; our marriage is better now than last year, or the year before, or the year before that.

I give gifts. Sheri wants my time and thoughts.

One of the obvious ways to combine the two was through making her a mix tape.

In the old days (when a mix tape was actually a tape...as opposed to the CD that it is now...) I would make her music using my handed-down boom-box, a gift I received once my parents got a better system for the house. I would cue up my original tapes or CD's, and press record and have to sit and wait an average of 3.5 minutes until the song was over, and then stop the recording, to cue up the next song I had meticulously chosen. Frequently the mixes would serve a duel purpose; it was to send her a message of my affection for her, and to educate her musical experience. The girl hadn't even really listened to the Beatles by the time she was a senior in high school...the situation was dire.

Still, first and foremost, I was trying to send a message. The music expressed in a different way the emotions that i felt, and I wanted to share those with her.

Once she was mine...well, my music library was hers. She listened to whatever I had, and I stopped making mixes for her...there hardly seemed a point.

Except that, she needs to hear and know how I care for her.

I made her the first mix I have made in years today. A disclaimer: if the song seems lyrically inappropriate for a mix for my beloved, I probably chose it for the music, not the lyrics. Here are my selections:

That's How You Know: Amy Adams, Enchanted (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
The Way I Am: Ingrid Michaelson, Girls and Boys
Here Comes the Sun: Phil Keaggy & Randy Stonehill, Together Live!
My Brilliant Feat: Colin Hay, Going Somewhere
He Came to Meet Me: Hem, Funnel Cloud
The Fire Thief: Hem, Eveningland
Hooch: Everything, In the Juju Underworld
Love Story: Taylor Swift, Fearless
Overkill: Colin Hay, Man @ Work
Bolero: InsideOut A cappella, Sharing Time
Lost Cause: Beck, Sea Change
Fresh Feeling: Eels, Meet the Eels: Essential Eels 1996 - 2006 Vol. 1
Fighting for My Love: Nil Lara, Nil Lara
Falling Slowly: Frames, The Cost
I Want You To Be My Love: Over the Rhine, Drunkard's Prayer
In the Sun: Joseph Arthur, Come to Where I'm From
Coming Back Soon: Randy Stonehill, Can't But a Miracle
How Bizarre (Mix): OMC, How Bizarre

Count Every Vote...For ME...

Al Franken is a one of those smarmy pseudo-smarties that really bugs me.

I'll be up front about that. I generally find the way he presents his arguments to be offensive and deliberately demeaning to those he opposes. He uses the excuse of being a comedian to pardon him for when he is truly repulsive. It is fitting that he was the premier face of Air America, the home of the offensively dismissive liberal talk-show hosts; he set the tone for a group of people who have done their best to ensure that, in the national debate for the future of our nation, one side of the debate is perceived as completely preposterous. The Left has managed, with the help of people like Franken and his ilk, to paint the Right as so ridiculously criminal, stupid, superstitious, greedy, etc, that I find it hard to see how we can hope to have a civil discourse in the high halls of leadership.

I say all that, fully recognizing that the Republicans have done their level best to fail the nation too. We have our gas bags, our own versions of Franken. Our vices are different, but they do exist.

However...the hypocrisy of a man who spent most of the last 8 years whining about a "stolen" election, whose campaign mantra was that every vote be counted so that every vote would count, and now who wants to see the very questionable recount stand and to push through his own personal victory amidst controversy at least comparable to the circumstances of 8 years ago...well, if he turns out to be the next Democrat Senator, all I can say is that the outlook just got a little dimmer for reasonable debate in our nation.

Democrats should denounce Franken's pre-emptive claims to victory. If they really believed all the crap they spewed over Bush's victory in 2000, they should insist on a better process and a slow, meticulous recount, with real accountability. But they won't...because it's always been a political game.