My Dream

So I had a dream last night and since this is a blog why not talk about it? I could care less (or couldn't care less) if no one actually cares about others' dreams, and I'll skip all the interpretive elements like the mob, L'Abri, flying balloons, my dead dogs, South GA, and truck companies. Sylar and Spock were both in it, except Sylar was Skylar and Spock was an older version of the kid in the movie, not Zachary Quinto (although "Skylar" was). In it, not only was Spock Vulcan, he had Sylar's power, another way of opening brains, and had killed 9 people. And he was a good guy. The fact that IRL they're both played by Zachary Quinto didn't dawn on me 'til I woke up so it was amazing in my dream that they both had Intuitive aptitude. I guess it's just one of those things where you would have had to have dreamt it.

Although I haven't drank enough, I feel like I should get a video camera out now and do one of those "Drunk History" vids for Socrates, play-acting all the reenactment roles myself. Don't worry, this is my last vid tonight. I mean post. Whatever...

Oh yea, William Henry Harrison is a classic example of someone who should not be president. Or ah, a good example.

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Wow, that's even more foreboding than "approval"; where's the "Have a nice day!" follow-up, I feel robbed! I'm expecting at least the courtesy of "why don't you see yourself out?"

Obviously, this is a pet-peeve of mine. On principle, that was my first and last comment on that friend's blog. Of course, my resolve is that of a smoker trying to quit, so if the mood strikes it doesn't take much overwhelming to reneg on posting again. But what's the deal? Surely we're not that big of control-freaks? Or that contemptuous of other's remarks? This friend might not always listen to what others say (who does?), but she always hears them out. And sure, she can be overly superficial with image (again, who isn't?), but if anything frequent comments are fashionable, assuming it's not just folks bickering at one another, no? The level of discourse is what it is on comments, but isn't some life to the conversation better than none?

I mean, come on, there's another human being on the other side of that console. Obviously, I have some personal issues to work out. Many of you have seen me rant on hierarchy, openness, space for speaking up. I personally might be a "little" sensitive and overreact to hints of odious practices like modding. But really, what is the point?

As for anti-spam, it seems a little quick on the drawl, no? What about captchas? Sure they're hardly foolproof or anything like that, but to start off with having messages approved?

I'm working on some ideas for understanding it and wanna hear your feedback. In the mean time, gonna experiment with valedictions like "What's your take?" and "thoughts?" to see if that has any affect on fostering some discussions so this blog isn't as monological (monological just sounds like something one wouldn't want to be characterized as, no?).

Playing for What?

Gonna try a Leithartish type post. We'll see.

James K.A. Smith, in his post "Playing for What?", bemoans the impoverished state of sports which true spirit is self-determining and true practice is its own enjoyment. Today though these are steadily being encroached upon by the "athletic-entertainment complex which has instrumentalized sport for all sorts of misbegotten ends". Emblematic of this shift for Smith are the Nike World Cup Soccer commercials, which fetishize by enrapturing the viewer in the meaning of external trappings to participants who succeed.

For a sport self-proclaiming its pride in showcasing a specific skill set, it seems at its highest level of competition to be continuously haunted by accusations lending credence to this interpretation, all the while shamefully trying to enshroud itself in pretensions of honest play. Yet as the tournament progress fans will continually be disgusted by simulations on the field and a governing body reveling in scandals and controversies, mediated only by their desire for ever escalating sponsorships.

Yea, there's no Leithart like the real thing. Sorry.

!@#$%^& %^&*!

Not gonna talk about the US game. Planning on giving a detailed overview of why the US is a second-class team later. However, I will say this, despite my dreams of being in RSA right being dashed as I'm stateside, it's nice to know most of my friends haven't changed. I've been on facebook a little bit since June 11. Okay, more in the last few weeks than since Carla and Faith talked me into opening an account in like '07(?), but that's not the point. The point is things haven't changed and I'm relieved that approximately half my friends still root for US's downfall, especially for what can be considered a moral victory for Africa. Lots of games still to go, hopefully Germany will send England packing. None of the walls have holes in them. The sun will rise tomorrow. It's a good thing I'm not overly dramatic. An amusing tidbit from a friend of mine:

Any sport where grown men sit around drinking beer to watch younger men plow into each other, catch balls, and constantly hug, slap and make physical contact with each other is just as "gay" really. American football seems to be the worst however. Fat geezers cheering for college boys with almost militant hate for anyone who tries to oppose them as if to help protect their beloved players from being owned, raped, or destroyed by the opponents. Ah...sports.

And congratulations Ghana, you deserved that win!

Nothing Substantial to Add

This is weird, as I actually have never had these conversations with soccer views, as they either have known more than me or an equal amount over the years. We've always had better things to discuss, like how much America sucks and how Americans suck and well you get the idea. Also learned some of the "American" traits like score tracking and highlights, which if you didn't get the gist from the previous post is bad. Ah, the beauty of the college years (which probably lasted a few World Cups too many and left me none the wiser!).

We've arrive at the Knockout Stage of the tourney, a source of contention for soccer fans. If at the end of extra-time (or after extra-time) there is still a tie, they then go for a tiebreaker by each side kicking 5 penalty kicks one-on-one w/ the goalie. At the national level, a win by penalty shots is considered less than a victory and a loss on penalty kicks is considered equal to a tie. How much has changed recently, to a victory by penalties counting for 2 points and a loss by penalty kicks counting, you guessed it if you've had your morning coffee, 1. Basically, TV & Newspaper folks bitched at FIFA after the last World Cup to the point where they dumbed it down. I like this new system, because A) for the first time, I don't have to reference a chart to remember it and make a bunch of fancy calculations and B) it's no less inaccurate than previous systems. So focusing, the teams draw (w/ exceptions which really aren't pertinent to any World Cup cherries), just the tiebreaker instead of being in the game arbitrary broken by factors relating to a team's soccer abilities (e.g. goals scored while playing soccer, goal-differentials), is arbitrarily decided by a sensationalized really cool televised climax.

Why I like it: it gives the under-dog a chance. Since in general, I root for a nation based on the nations wealth-standing, from bottom-up, and since generally, wealthier nations have better teams (not this tourney! ha!), it's no surprise that I'd like this aspect. Beyond though it gives better odds to the the teams I like to advance?

Why I dislike it: it's not a soccer competition as much as a craphoot. When that Libran sense of fairness kicks in, they just don't balance out, or perhaps I'm just a Debby-downer. Nothing really gets the blood pumping these days (just go ahead and ignore my explicatively titled past
post please).

So basically, PKs are unfair way of deciding unless they serve a greater fairness.

Recently though, there was a major shift, resulting in the infamous Doherty-Mal bet that somehow ended with me naked in front of about 14 people futilely arguing my point. I befriended a kraut, and started rooting for the Germans. Now obviously, they are not at the bottom of the national socioeconomic totem pole, and I did feel really guilty and strung-up inside when they beat Portugal in the Euro 08. Still, we all realize I think that I have no conscience. Oh yea, the shift, so I'm in class class ethics switching to emphasizing the unfairness again.

Traditionally, many of the players I'd like to see shooting can be banned from the game. (Note: Any dipshit that wants to pull a Zidane, deserves to help their team loss.). With the new yellow cards have having to go 5 games in a row w/out collecting two means we're probably going to be seeing more of this come into play during the finals. It also means though that THE final and semi-final it's going to be less.

Alright, I lied, I am going to contribute something to this ENDLESS debate: a game theory analysis of ties and eliminations in soccer. Don't worry, this is not technical: zero-sum games and non-zero-sum games.

A zero-sum game is an easy concept. I win, you lose. In fact, one even says it like that in explanation unless they're uber-sensitive-conscious, in which cause it's "Say you win and I lose, then..." The notion is there is a limited amount of the pot and we're all in cut-throat competition for it. There is no point where are interest match. So, if I take a point, you have to lose a point, so that it equals zero.

Most games rely heavily upon this. Poker is my fav.

A non-zero-sum game is the "win-win" scenario, where we both have something to gain, and we can even cooperate so that while one player wins more, the other player can win less but still not lose. This affects strategy in unexpected ways.

Now, most sports are a combination of the two, soccer is most definitely more of the latter than most Americans are familiar with. Still, most Americans are familiar with watching a game their team is not directly involved in, but hoping that a team with so many losses wins or losses say so that it'll affect the bracket that their team is playing in. With soccer, this is exasperated. For example, they mentioned in the Algeria game in 1982 W Germany v. Austria qualifier they colluded to exclude Algeria from the World Cup by fixing the match. I think the commentator called it the "odious Germany v Austria game". This being the second big game for this to happen, FIFA came along and ruled that group finals have to be played simultaneously.

So, all fine and dandy, what about shootouts? Obviously, in a single elimination, a draw is unacceptable, you have to have a tie-breaker. Ah, never mind. I just realized where I was going with this went back to the traditional argument of shootouts aren't soccer, making the analysis superfluous. Just go for sudden-death and long-term repercussions be damned!

Need to update this

Haven't done it in a while. Been very uninspired. As for news though, being sober this Sunday, I decided to get on some boards. Got my first negative props on the new derek webb board, probably for vulgarity. I'm happy about that. Told the joke to Curtis and he laughed. It actually was appropriate, though someone else thought I was being unnecessarily so.

Ascension Day

Ah, I remember the day the West celebrated it last year well. It was May 1st, my father's and Julie Selviege's birthday. Woke up in a chapel to the Vaud militia firing at the Targets. Aigle's police marching band going through the streets. I needed rescue so I hitchhiked to Lausanne where I met Vincent, and we proceeded to purchase a 3 l column of le Péché Originel (the Original Sin) at les Brasseurs. There we were interrupted from our continuous toasts of "Santé!" by police sirens as their quarantined an alley way off to contain the anarchist march celebrating the 40th anniversary of May of '68. After much deliberation, we decided to continue drinking our wonderful concoction and discuss pretentious historical events and philosophical concepts. Afterwards though, a goth near the cuckoo clock by the fountain who was ranting something ever so dramatically, was kind enough to inform us that the anarchist after bombing the McDonald's had all been rounded up minutes before. We did the obvious think and went to the train station and picked up wine and cheese to make some fondue over the stove top (both being too cheap to own a proper set). We drank ourselves in oblivion.

Yesterday though, is when the East celebrates this special day. Times have changed for me (though this years May 1st was a relapse). Yesterday, I helped a hitchhiker who had been couchsurfing on his way as he continued his journey. I've tried to live out some of my new morals with two other couchsurfers, who in the past I might of told off. I prayed for my friends. Yesterday was lived in hope, not the dreaded nihilism of my past, despite the tension with some of the realities I've brought upon myself. I've had these bizarre though responsible urges.

The night ended though with a return. I had planned to take our couchsurfer to hear John Fullbright. I pmed Jairus about a cover charge, and the result was the purchase of a bottle of Old Crow. I bought our guest a two beers, and proceeded after drinking jug wine to hammer that Old Crow. I could care less that I was in the presence that night of three beautiful women plus a few other friends and at another friends concert. I just thought of the alcohol. I ended up locking Jairus' keys in his car, which ended up not being a problem cause it took AAA which I had 15 minutes to get there, and we didn't even leave 'til 45 minutes after the show. I hit on the bar tender, who incidentally we know each other and the last time I saw her, she had been working on a Marx speech I had helped her with.

So the night ended with failure, but I feel hope. And that's a good thing. I woke up today at 7:30 with a hang over and less than 3 hours sleep. Helped a friend move to her new apartment only a few blocks away. Got what I deserved. Anyways, it was enjoyable and encouraging. It's always great to see the Spitler adults (unlike Megan) who I think bring out the more mature side of myself.

I was gonna write something theological, and I might later. But tomorrow is when the West celebrates Pentecost. I'll wait for when the East does in 9 days. But these events do have some significance beyond their impact on us.

P.S. UGA in the women's softball tournament in OKC, beat both Mizzou and Michigan today, getting them in the semi-finals. They also set the record for home runs. Going to both celebrate with them and Megan who just moved, and I'm going to see how not getting shit-faced works out. Despite the couchsurfers definitely being in the mood for celebration. We "might" go hear Big G (Garrett does blues) perform tonight at the jazz lab.

Brief speed-through update:

1. Father is out of hospital.

2. Dreaming of eating whole onions and calling myself an asshole 3x last night.

3. In a new band, the worst of OKC, called the Horribles, short for Hores (sp? it sounded right at the time).

4. It's raining and not a moment too soon.

5. I drink too much coffee. Oh wait, most of you guys probably already knew that. What's an update... hm... I drink too much?

6. Dog chase. At least 11 people; 3 cars.

7. Neighbor, "Is that some kinda Jewish puzzle?" Previous night, I "might" be a "little" intoxicated after working on it for like half an hour. "Dude, I used to be smart, at one time I had an x IQ! Guess I've burnt a few brain cells since then!" Housemate: "Dude, you're not going to be able to figure out this puzzle, want me to show you?" "NO! And don't put it together or I'll know!" "You're not going to be able to put it together..." *pause* "okay, you might be able to then" (in polite voice and he respectfully left it undone.) Tonight, after five minutes, "Ignore what I said the previous night, I "might" of been a "little" drunk, childs play." Tossed it to him. He laughed.

8. I'm finally writing back Jenn Miori. Now only L'Abri people are due thank you letters. (At least in terms of formally owed.).

Sober Since Sunday

Actually I was sober Saturday too, which was part of the problem. The night before (Friday), Curt and I had gone to McNellies after pre-gaming. He recognized a friend of his, John Doe. So we went over, and three hours later, we and the women folk had hardly said anything as we listened to stories between John Doe and a friend about water balloons and who was fucking who (especially when they were involved) and all sorts of miscellaneous douche-bag things that I'm positive you have to take classes and do practice drills in order to adequately perform in such manners. Don't get me wrong, they were nice enough. It was a waste of a perfectly good night though, and we should have left and gone and visited his hipster friend Seth. Next night, we went back...

At first everything was good, I particularly enjoyed hanging with Shane. Made a new friend at the bar, I was just smoking minding my own business. The guy over at the other end had done a friendly but insecure head nod that I didn't think anything of. All of a sudden "Time to Pretend" came on, and he got up. He asked, "WHO IS THIS?" Without blinking or turning my eyes from the London Porter tap, I reply Management. All of a sudden he banged his hand on the table startling me, his friend, and the bartender. He's like, who is this? I mumble, "Management or MGMT." He then proceeds to tell him how relieved he was cause he heard it on the radio for 6 months when his alarm clock goes off, had even called the radio station and couldn't figure it out. He was glowing like... well I don't know but he was glowing all get out. Told the bartender his hand hurt, and she replied he probably shouldn't have hit the counter so hard (he actually wasn't drunk at all).

Anyways, things were going well, we eventually left our group to go hang out with Annie and Marie, who never showed up. I had had two beers at this point over well an hour. Annie shows up and is immediately immersed in her favorite subject, herself. I listened and over the next half-hour tried to engage politely, but she was oblivious to my existence. At one point I dismissed myself to go to the rest room, and decided it was time to leave. I was planning on walking back and checking out the time and politely excusing myself. Got back and it was 9:30. Shit, I had been there only 30 minutes, and it felt like hours. Already having an extreme bias against her as a person, I decided to revert to my natural asshole-self to salvage my time. I then proceed to spend the next hour engaging more proactively by throwing out incessant jabs. Curtis acted like he didn't notice. Annie was oblivious to most of them. (I did find out later that even he thought it was amusing when she was trying to explain to me that she was intelligent cause she could bs and that they're essentially the same thing.). When she did, she seemed to give me the benefit of the doubt that I actually wasn't attacking her. It actually wasn't that hard, since she basically dismisses me as a drunken idiot. Okay, so she's right on with that assessment, except while not less than also not just that. Moreover, she seems to be incredibly un-self-aware and overcompensates for her insecurities with a shallow facade of having a higher opinion of herself that she wants to convince you of. Over the next hour I went home. I felt like myself, full of hatred and disgust and proud of myself. I had enjoyed attacking her thoroughly; it had not been the boring event I dreaded. As the night progressed though, I felt horrible about who I was reverting to. The next day I went to church and repented. Curtis and I talked a little about it, he was surprised she picked up on them as little as she did. He was also shocked I could act like that sober. I told him there's a lot about me he doesn't know.

Something clicked though, and I haven't been drinking for some reason, and been reading a lot more and deeply pondering some directions... like what it means to be more fully human.

The next day.

We had two couchsurfers over, and my thoughts were running, oh shit we don't have alcohol, what if they want some? So being the good host, did a quick drive and grabbed a handle of gin. Then ran to the store and bought some tonic and other necessary groceries. As I got out of my car, they were pulling in. Perfect timing. While as they were still in the car, I heard Michelle yelling how great it was going to be to get out. I shook Ian's hand, went to shake Michelle's but she was going for the hug. I shook it, and then we hugged. It was obvious they were hipsters, and not a moment too soon if you ask me. I needed to have a good time, and these were people I actually fit in with (I had spent the last week in a college town with L'Abriers.).

Not going to bore you with the details. But they left at 2 the next afternoon. Curtis stumbled in, "so did you realize that Michelle crawled in bed with me?"

"No, I didn't."

"Yea, she was in there for five minutes or more. She started kissing my face."

"HA."

Later...he's trying to make a pizza. Smoke comes flaming from the oven. "Oops, sorry bout that. I had tried baking those globe chips last night," (fresh potato chips and blue cheese. a delight I discovered in Athens with Joy and her friends) "but forgot about them. Must of spilt the oil when I took them out."

A few minutes later... "Did you throw up in this drawer?"

"Me? No. But Michelle had said something about Ian having gotten sick last night, and he was definitely hungover today."

"YOU DON'T REMEMBER?! You guys must of been sloshed, if instead of going for the sink, Ian goes for the drawer, and none of you guys remember."

We had between the three of us: 1 handle of Vodka and 1/2 handle of gin. We had tons of fun.

Good times, although as Modest Mouse would put it, "are killing me."

First Draft

Too much TV lately, and too much invited into the privacy of my home. Movies too. The wicked Babylon.

So why not blog again? The science channel had an interesting program on web commercial sites, from Napster to Craig's list, and cited interactive participation as being a prime reason amongst others for alternatives to mainstream elite distrubution outlets continuing to gain popularity, that and humans' need for social interaction, regardless of it's virtualized format. Maybe...

But what to write about? *Shrug* Whatever...

P.S. They also talked about Blogger.com