I'm getting old. And I feel it.
I used to think that I was on top of the tech wave, or at least could see the top of it...
no I didn't. I spent over a decade without setting foot in a Best Buy. None of my televisions are flat-screen. I used to program in a language with such a small niche...
I would've had to turn in my geek-card years ago.
THEN...I got a job as an at-home CSR for a major electronics retailer. And my geek cred went into the negative.
I remember the releases...Halo, Assassin's Creed, and Call of Duty. I mentioned to several interested customers that the last FPS I'd played with any regularity was Goldeneye for the N64. Black Friday. uhhh. My wife picks up magazines from garage sales to try to get me up to date on the latest tech. A nice gesture, but I know when I'm beat.
Or when they talk about TVs that can't hook up to the internet (oh, they're supposed to do that?) Or the magic word these days..."Sound bar." I think I know what it is, but I couldn't recognize it at a party.
And how in the hell am I supposed to be able to afford to stay on the edge of the tech wave? How am I supposed to be able to afford a triple-digit collection of games for the latest console?
Some days, I wish I was born Amish.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Our blessed hope, harps optional
Once upon a time, my maternal grandmother, an ordained A.G. minister, pointed out something to me.
She pointed out that our faith teaches us that there's more to the afterlife than just heaven. Pointing out, among other things, Revelation 21:1, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."
To a teen who grew up in church, hearing the usual preaching about our hope of heaven after we die, that blew my mind.
Fast forward to a few years ago, when the pastor at my church started following an older line of faith, emphasizing that we live a life on this earth, that God gave us physical bodies, that Jesus walked among us in a body. Our pastor basically picked up an old fight against gnosticism - a heresy fought by such folks as the Apostles Paul and John. And I ended up posting this on Facebook a few years ago.
I am fully persuaded that my Creator will resurrect me at the right time on His calendar. I just understand that at the end, there is a new heaven, new earth, and a new body. Harp optional.
Fast forward to a few years ago, when the pastor at my church started following an older line of faith, emphasizing that we live a life on this earth, that God gave us physical bodies, that Jesus walked among us in a body. Our pastor basically picked up an old fight against gnosticism - a heresy fought by such folks as the Apostles Paul and John. And I ended up posting this on Facebook a few years ago.
Easter is misunderstood. We 'celebrate' the physical resurrection of Jesus, while we merely expect to be heaven-dwelling ghosts after death. Because Jesus beat death, we can look fwd to not only eternity with God, but life after 'life after death'. But that doesn't excite us. Why?A few weeks ago, I was asked, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident that you'll go to heaven when you die?" I put down the only honest answer I could. "10*". My wife laughed when I wrote that down...ask her about "2 3 4" sometime.
I am fully persuaded that my Creator will resurrect me at the right time on His calendar. I just understand that at the end, there is a new heaven, new earth, and a new body. Harp optional.
Blame it on Rio
USA '94. France '98. Korea/Japan '02. Germany '06. South Africa '10.
Eight teams made it to all five of these FIFA World Cups.
Brazil '14.
But will they all make it to Brazil?
Germany, Italy, and Spain lead in their European groups. If they hold their lead, they go to Brazil. If they finish 2nd, they advance to a two-legged playoff in which one European team advances, and one doesn't. (Four of them will join the nine group winners)
Argentina has clinched a top-five finish in South America. If they can clinch a top-four, they'll be the second South American team to clinch a berth in the World Cup (host always qualifies)
USA and Mexico are in the "Hex", the six teams in North & Central America (CONCACAF) who are fighting for 3.5 berths in World Cup '14. The USA leads, 2 points ahead of 2nd, and - more importantly, 6 points ahead of 4th. With four games to go, the USMNT should easily advance to Brazil.
Mexico...with three home draws and a total of 8 points, they're just one ahead of 4th place Honduras. 3rd place gets in automatically, 4th place has to go to a two-legged playoff, first at home, then finishing in New Zealand.
Next matches on August 14 in Europe
Eight teams made it to all five of these FIFA World Cups.
Brazil '14.
But will they all make it to Brazil?
| Brazil | Since 1930 | Host - Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Since 1954 | Leading Group |
| Italy | Since 1962 | Leading Group |
| Argentina | Since 1974 | Leading Continent |
| Spain | Since 1978 | Leading Group |
| South Korea | Since 1986 | Qualified |
| United States | Since 1990 | Leading Continent |
| Mexico | Since 1994 | 3rd Place, CONCACAF |
Germany, Italy, and Spain lead in their European groups. If they hold their lead, they go to Brazil. If they finish 2nd, they advance to a two-legged playoff in which one European team advances, and one doesn't. (Four of them will join the nine group winners)
Argentina has clinched a top-five finish in South America. If they can clinch a top-four, they'll be the second South American team to clinch a berth in the World Cup (host always qualifies)
USA and Mexico are in the "Hex", the six teams in North & Central America (CONCACAF) who are fighting for 3.5 berths in World Cup '14. The USA leads, 2 points ahead of 2nd, and - more importantly, 6 points ahead of 4th. With four games to go, the USMNT should easily advance to Brazil.
Mexico...with three home draws and a total of 8 points, they're just one ahead of 4th place Honduras. 3rd place gets in automatically, 4th place has to go to a two-legged playoff, first at home, then finishing in New Zealand.
Next matches on August 14 in Europe
Saturday, July 6, 2013
All politics is local
I spent two years licking my wounds after an election ass-kicking. In a city election in Severance, you can vote for up to five folks. In 2011, 1st place got 28 votes, 5th place got 20 votes...and I got 10.
I stewed. I watched city council meetings, watched the mayor's chair vacated 3 times, watched my name not get called as a possible replacement for council vacancies. I figured I could do as good a job as mayor as any of the other gentlemen to sit at the head of the table.
And, as the calendar turned over to 2013, I had one major choice to make: run for council for a 3rd time; or make a bold move and run for mayor. Two events tipped the scales - a personal crisis, and a call from a neighbor who announced her intention to challenge the incumbent, asking if I'd be running for council. OK, 3rd time for council.
Then, as the filing deadline approached and nobody filed for school board (3 seats in south district), I figured...ah, what the hell, someone's got to make sure the kids are being taught right. So I doubled down, and ended up spending $10 at the county courthouse to file for a seat on the city council; and a seat on the school board.
Even did an IAmA about it.
From multiple sources, I learned one thing. The town, and the south half of the school district...think I'm nuts. That certain people thought campaigning would make me look even more annoying.
I finished a distant 4th place for school board. 134, 132, 114, 17.
And the 9 votes I received in the city council tied for 4th with two incumbent write-ins on the city council. The tiebreaker was handled by the county commission, and my name was the one of the three not drawn.
I stewed. I watched city council meetings, watched the mayor's chair vacated 3 times, watched my name not get called as a possible replacement for council vacancies. I figured I could do as good a job as mayor as any of the other gentlemen to sit at the head of the table.
And, as the calendar turned over to 2013, I had one major choice to make: run for council for a 3rd time; or make a bold move and run for mayor. Two events tipped the scales - a personal crisis, and a call from a neighbor who announced her intention to challenge the incumbent, asking if I'd be running for council. OK, 3rd time for council.
Then, as the filing deadline approached and nobody filed for school board (3 seats in south district), I figured...ah, what the hell, someone's got to make sure the kids are being taught right. So I doubled down, and ended up spending $10 at the county courthouse to file for a seat on the city council; and a seat on the school board.
Even did an IAmA about it.
From multiple sources, I learned one thing. The town, and the south half of the school district...think I'm nuts. That certain people thought campaigning would make me look even more annoying.
I finished a distant 4th place for school board. 134, 132, 114, 17.
And the 9 votes I received in the city council tied for 4th with two incumbent write-ins on the city council. The tiebreaker was handled by the county commission, and my name was the one of the three not drawn.
Stepfather
I've learned many lessons from being a father...probably too many to mention...
But a few of those lessons I've learned...I've only learned because I was willing to accept Molly, the daughter of the woman I loved, and call her my own.
1. Love is a choice.
2. There's no perfect, and it's overrated anyhow.
I used to wonder..."Would I rather let other people think that my wife and I had a daughter together, almost a year before we got married; or would I rather let other people know that my wife had a relationship with some other guy and got pregnant."
The first couple years we were married, all of our friends knew the whole story...and really didn't care. As the years went on, almost nobody asked.
In fact, at my last job, I had co-workers who didn't know that Molly was my stepdaughter.
When people ask how my wife and I got together, I skip a lot of the stuff in the middle. (We met in January 1999. We started dating in September 2000, when Molly was 5 months old.) She doesn't skip it. To her, it's a good story, has a happy ending, and is worth telling.
I wanted things to look normal...not only to Molly (who, through no fault of her own, has a stepfather)...but to the rest of my world...
3. Don't mess with Papa Bear.
The Mrs. and I have four children. Molly has a younger brother, sister, and another brother. When we were expecting Olivia, a friend of ours asked us, "So, what are you having?" "A girl." "That's nice. Now Steven will have one of each."
My wife, noticing my anger rising, quickly explained..."Steven would tell you that he already does, with Molly and Noah" (If I'd managed to get my mouth open, it would've been a very angry comment, saying the same thing.)
A few months later, at a family gathering, one of my relatives tried to tell Molly that I wasn't her "real dad". "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!" Thankfully my brother got that relative - who was only 8 at the time - to zip his lip. Ruined the whole day for me. (When we explained to Molly that 'Mommy was with someone else before she was with Daddy, and someone else is your biological father', Molly said 'I knew that for years, Mom.')
I am Molly's dad. I swat the spiders. In a few years, I'll be trying to intimidate her boyfriend. Someday, I'll walk her down the aisle.
4. Don't mess with Mama Bear.
A friend of ours used to tell us that we were taking something away from Molly by not actively trying to cultivate a relationship between Molly and her biological father. Being diplomatic, he had once asked why I hadn't already adopted her; and right now he's in another state. As far as I know, he has as much contact with her as he wants...none.
The Mrs. has been insistent that I'm all the dad that Molly needs. And, with her family history (a long story), it is a high compliment when she says that.
5. Some stepfathers can be total jerks.
I read my paper...and time after time, I see it...stepfathers or mothers' boyfriends abusing the kids. From the Precious Doe case in '01 (I still tear up when I read that)...to friends I know...it's awful. I hate it. It makes me want to shun that label even more...
"I'm convinced that if one can't be a dad to a woman's young child(ren), he shouldn't marry her. And if a single mother has found a man who would make a good husband but not a good father...she should keep looking."
"Let's just say I pray to God that there is a very very hot and painful corner of hell reserved for stepfathers / boyfriends of mothers who mistreat their stepchildren...no one gives medals to stepdads who just treat their stepchildren like their own, who handle ex-issues with fairness and calmness, whether the child calls him 'Dad' or 'Neil'. "
Bring on Mike Brady and Saint Joseph of Nazareth.
6. A few things you don't say...at least around me.
"Beat them like a red-headed stepchild."
"Real dad."
7. I can live with her last name - she has her maternal grandmother's maiden name. But I've still got her under "Molly Pratt" on my cell phone.
Reposted/amended from a post on Momaroo
But a few of those lessons I've learned...I've only learned because I was willing to accept Molly, the daughter of the woman I loved, and call her my own.
1. Love is a choice.
When
the doctors ask me about Molly's parents' medical history...I have to say -
"Honey, what medical conditions did (ex-boyfriend / Molly's biological
father) have?" I know that she isn't my 'flesh and blood' - not only
that her mother and I weren't together back then; but I've seen the DNA
tests that were run for child support. But I love her. I was blessed to
be a part of Molly's life from when she was just a few days old. And she
will always be my girl.
I used to wonder..."Would I rather let other people think that my wife and I had a daughter together, almost a year before we got married; or would I rather let other people know that my wife had a relationship with some other guy and got pregnant."
The first couple years we were married, all of our friends knew the whole story...and really didn't care. As the years went on, almost nobody asked.
In fact, at my last job, I had co-workers who didn't know that Molly was my stepdaughter.
When people ask how my wife and I got together, I skip a lot of the stuff in the middle. (We met in January 1999. We started dating in September 2000, when Molly was 5 months old.) She doesn't skip it. To her, it's a good story, has a happy ending, and is worth telling.
I wanted things to look normal...not only to Molly (who, through no fault of her own, has a stepfather)...but to the rest of my world...
3. Don't mess with Papa Bear.
The Mrs. and I have four children. Molly has a younger brother, sister, and another brother. When we were expecting Olivia, a friend of ours asked us, "So, what are you having?" "A girl." "That's nice. Now Steven will have one of each."
My wife, noticing my anger rising, quickly explained..."Steven would tell you that he already does, with Molly and Noah" (If I'd managed to get my mouth open, it would've been a very angry comment, saying the same thing.)
A few months later, at a family gathering, one of my relatives tried to tell Molly that I wasn't her "real dad". "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!" Thankfully my brother got that relative - who was only 8 at the time - to zip his lip. Ruined the whole day for me. (When we explained to Molly that 'Mommy was with someone else before she was with Daddy, and someone else is your biological father', Molly said 'I knew that for years, Mom.')
I am Molly's dad. I swat the spiders. In a few years, I'll be trying to intimidate her boyfriend. Someday, I'll walk her down the aisle.
4. Don't mess with Mama Bear.
A friend of ours used to tell us that we were taking something away from Molly by not actively trying to cultivate a relationship between Molly and her biological father. Being diplomatic, he had once asked why I hadn't already adopted her; and right now he's in another state. As far as I know, he has as much contact with her as he wants...none.
The Mrs. has been insistent that I'm all the dad that Molly needs. And, with her family history (a long story), it is a high compliment when she says that.
5. Some stepfathers can be total jerks.
I read my paper...and time after time, I see it...stepfathers or mothers' boyfriends abusing the kids. From the Precious Doe case in '01 (I still tear up when I read that)...to friends I know...it's awful. I hate it. It makes me want to shun that label even more...
"I'm convinced that if one can't be a dad to a woman's young child(ren), he shouldn't marry her. And if a single mother has found a man who would make a good husband but not a good father...she should keep looking."
"Let's just say I pray to God that there is a very very hot and painful corner of hell reserved for stepfathers / boyfriends of mothers who mistreat their stepchildren...no one gives medals to stepdads who just treat their stepchildren like their own, who handle ex-issues with fairness and calmness, whether the child calls him 'Dad' or 'Neil'. "
Bring on Mike Brady and Saint Joseph of Nazareth.
6. A few things you don't say...at least around me.
"Beat them like a red-headed stepchild."
"Real dad."
7. I can live with her last name - she has her maternal grandmother's maiden name. But I've still got her under "Molly Pratt" on my cell phone.
Reposted/amended from a post on Momaroo
the Horror of the shade
There are several poorly kept secrets in my house. 1. Molly didn't get her brown eyes from me. 2. Certain people prefer small weddings. 3. The Noodle incident. 4. The existence of my serious battle with depression.
To discuss my depression is to take a chance I rarely took on Xanga - not without my friend "protected posts." I suppose it's comparable to a decision to come out of the closet. This time...I'll say whatever I need to say and take my chances. Besides, no one listens to me anyway.
And, yeah. I'm admitting that my battles with depression aren't limited to mere attitude. It's more serious than that. The casualty list of depression is the Grim Reaper's teletype...having stolen better and/or more famous than me. And that scares me.
Andrew Koenig. Don Harman. Junior Seau. Matthew Warren. Jonathan Hamilton.
I'm in pain. And most days, I'll be damned if I let anyone see how bad I hurt.
Why should the world be over-wise // In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while // We wear the mask.
To discuss my depression is to take a chance I rarely took on Xanga - not without my friend "protected posts." I suppose it's comparable to a decision to come out of the closet. This time...I'll say whatever I need to say and take my chances. Besides, no one listens to me anyway.
And, yeah. I'm admitting that my battles with depression aren't limited to mere attitude. It's more serious than that. The casualty list of depression is the Grim Reaper's teletype...having stolen better and/or more famous than me. And that scares me.
Andrew Koenig. Don Harman. Junior Seau. Matthew Warren. Jonathan Hamilton.
I'm in pain. And most days, I'll be damned if I let anyone see how bad I hurt.
Why should the world be over-wise // In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while // We wear the mask.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Introduction to Saturdays With Steve
Welcome to Saturdays with Steve. I'll be posting on Saturdays (not necessarily every Saturday) blog posts concerning any of seven different topics. This one serves as an introduction and a brief preview of coming attractions.
Alphabetically,
Depression. About two years ago, I was diagnosed as being clinically depressed with suicidal ideations. I've been fighting depression since my senior year at college. I often envy the Star Trek Vulcans, able to completely overcome emotion with logic.
Family. I have a twin brother. I'm the oldest of ten siblings – five sons, five daughters. I'm married. I have a step-daughter, two sons, and a daughter. In 2013, my first niece and nephew were born (a 2nd nephew due later this year)
Genius. Graduated from Missouri Western at 19y 5m old, Bachelor's in Computer Science, graduated summa cum laude. Took SAT in fall 1995, got 660v 790m. Have some symptoms of Aspergers', but no conclusive or official test/diagnosis.
Politics. Appointed to fill a vacancy on a city council in April 2008. Re-elected in April 2009, with a 5th place finish. Unsuccessful runs for city council in 2011 and 2013 – finished 6th both times. Interested (and disgusted) with US politics at all levels. Cast a ballot in the 2012 general election voting for no Republicans (a first)
Sports. I root for Sporting KC, Utah Jazz, KC Chiefs, KC Royals, and KU Basketball. I've pointed out that part of SKC's success and popularity involves the Royals' almost thirty years w/o a playoff appearance and the Chiefs' almost twenty years w/o a playoff win.
Technology. Bachelor's in Computer Science, almost nine years as a computer programmer. Blogged on and off for years. A few random observations about 21st century technology and how it affects us.
Truth. When I was young, I thought I knew everything. I'm not old yet, but I'm already convinced that not only do I not know everything, I'm not sure if it's possible. I wonder which denomination got it right, the implications if Augustine screwed up NT canon, and how much our faith has changed over the centuries.
A lot of these are written ahead of time, because...otherwise, it's not "Saturdays With Steve." And it puts a little less pressure on me to produce. (Maybe)
This idea - blogging on up to seven different topics a week - might be stupid, might be interesting.
Depression. About two years ago, I was diagnosed as being clinically depressed with suicidal ideations. I've been fighting depression since my senior year at college. I often envy the Star Trek Vulcans, able to completely overcome emotion with logic.
Family. I have a twin brother. I'm the oldest of ten siblings – five sons, five daughters. I'm married. I have a step-daughter, two sons, and a daughter. In 2013, my first niece and nephew were born (a 2nd nephew due later this year)
Genius. Graduated from Missouri Western at 19y 5m old, Bachelor's in Computer Science, graduated summa cum laude. Took SAT in fall 1995, got 660v 790m. Have some symptoms of Aspergers', but no conclusive or official test/diagnosis.
Politics. Appointed to fill a vacancy on a city council in April 2008. Re-elected in April 2009, with a 5th place finish. Unsuccessful runs for city council in 2011 and 2013 – finished 6th both times. Interested (and disgusted) with US politics at all levels. Cast a ballot in the 2012 general election voting for no Republicans (a first)
Sports. I root for Sporting KC, Utah Jazz, KC Chiefs, KC Royals, and KU Basketball. I've pointed out that part of SKC's success and popularity involves the Royals' almost thirty years w/o a playoff appearance and the Chiefs' almost twenty years w/o a playoff win.
Technology. Bachelor's in Computer Science, almost nine years as a computer programmer. Blogged on and off for years. A few random observations about 21st century technology and how it affects us.
Truth. When I was young, I thought I knew everything. I'm not old yet, but I'm already convinced that not only do I not know everything, I'm not sure if it's possible. I wonder which denomination got it right, the implications if Augustine screwed up NT canon, and how much our faith has changed over the centuries.
A lot of these are written ahead of time, because...otherwise, it's not "Saturdays With Steve." And it puts a little less pressure on me to produce. (Maybe)
This idea - blogging on up to seven different topics a week - might be stupid, might be interesting.
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