Deja Ecrit

NHS Football Series

2007-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long delay. I've not been in the mood to post. I've decided to switch directions--at least temporarily--to do a historical review of Northwestern High School football. It should be fun. You can also find it at my new blog www.HONsports.blogspot.com. We'll see how that place goes. I've got low hopes.

Northwestern Tiger Football—Historical Series

Northwestern High School is located in Maple, WI, basically the northernmost part of Wisconsin—only minutes from Lake Superior. It is a small school—enrollment of around 420. Over the past twenty years, it has had an outstanding football program. If you include only the northwestern part of the state (from Minnesota on I-94 east to Eau Claire, Hwy 53/63 north to Ashland and Superior), there are probably only a handful of high school football programs with more consistent success than NHS since 1987. Menomonie is definitely the best—they’ve had consistency as well as state championships. Other schools have achieved greater highs (multiple state championships and appearances)—Somerset comes to mind, but their level of success has come more recently. Northwestern was known state-wide as a football school.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to chronicle much of the history of NHS football. I’ll start today by giving a general overview of the program. Next, I’ll rank the players at all offensive and defensive positions. I will only include players from 1988 on, since (A) those are the only players I know about and (B) that is the period during which NHS football was actually relevant. Then I’ll probably make a list of the Top 10 NHS football players of all time. Then I’ll rank the greatest NHS teams of all time.

My scope of knowledge on this topic is pretty broad. I grew up in the area. I watched first-hand each of these teams (1988-2006) play—personally or on film, with the exception of 2006. I have heard plenty of anecdotal stories regarding players and teams. There is a limited amount of statistical data available, but where I can find some, I will certainly publish it. Everything published in this space will be solely my own opinion. There were lots of good football players, and if I leave someone out, I’d be glad to hear about it in the comments section.

Introduction

Since 1988, NHS has won 8 conference championships, including six of eight from 1993 to 2000. They qualified for the WIAA playoffs 15 times in 19 years, including 11 straight years from 1991 to 2001. NHS qualified for the Wisconsin state championship game twice, in 1993 and 1988. In 1988, they were state champions, holding a perfect 13-0 record, with their closest contest being the state championship game—a 31-7 victory over Prairie du Chein. They were known for their very physical style of play—hard hitting with big, strong, and quick lineman. They were also known for their version of the double wing offense, involving three running backs that were often in motion, as well as much pulling and trapping. NHS had numerous all-state players during this time, as well as several who received scholarships to play collegiate football. Three NHS athletes received full scholarships from Big Ten schools. One became an All-American and played in the NFL.

The Coaches

The Pelkey Era (1988)
Northwestern football dominance began when Coach Bill Pelkey took over the program in the mid-80s. He brought with him a unique version of the double wing offense. Based primarily on precise repetition of a handful of plays—many of which appeared the same to the defense—Coach Pelkey led the Tigers to a share of the 1987 Heart O’ North Conference Championship in 1987, with their lone loss coming to state champion Hayward. In 1988, Northwestern steamrolled its way to a WIAA Division Three State Championship. The 1988 Northwestern team is regarded as one of the most dominant teams in the state’s history. It is rumored that Wisconsin’s mercy rule was fashioned after the 1988 Tiger team; however, outside of a 70-0 dismantling of the Chetek Bulldogs, they did not run up the score. (Chetek chose to leave their starters in throughout the second half, so NHS put their first team back into the game). Most games were over by half time, and only in the state title game did the first teamers play well into the fourth quarter. Bill Pelkey is in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

The Lind Era (1989-1996)
Coach Andy Lind—a defensive assistant under Pelkey—took the reigns of the program in the early-90s. Lind sustained the strong foundation of NHS football based almost entirely on a superb running game and hard-hitting defense. The strength of the running game led NHS to another visit to the state championship game in 1993, where they would fall to Lancaster. Also known as an intense, animated, and passionate motivator, Lind led the Tigers to three straight conference championships, including two in the short-lived conference realignment scheme called the NFL (1995-1995). It also included one HON championship in 1993 and a playoff upset of undefeated Osceola in 1992. Lind also led them to the state semi-finals in 1995, losing to an upstart Stanley-Boyd team. The 1995 squad boasted one of the top offenses in the state under watch of offensive coordinator Dennis Scherz, who took over play-calling duties when Pelkey stepped down as head coach and refined certain aspects of the offense. The Lind Era ended when Lind resigned as head coach following the 1996 season.

The Kosey Era (1997-2004)
Defensive coordinator Ray Kosey—a former UW-Superior standout safety and defensive coordinator under Lind—took the head coaching position beginning with the 1997 season. Despite a more reserved approach to coaching, Kosey had immediate success, winning a HON conference in his first season, with only two losses to Duluth Central and Colby (Playoffs, 2nd round), respectively. Kosey was also the defensive coordinator during his tenure, producing solid 4-4 defensive that gave up few big plays. The offense remained the same for most of Kosey Era, led by both Scherz and Coach Bob DeMeyer. Kosey won HON conference championships in 1997, 1999, 2000 (including an undefeated regular season), and 2004. He missed the playoffs only once. Despite plenty of regular season success, Kosey never managed to reach the state title game, his closest attempt coming in 1998 when the Tigers came within one game of the title game.

The DeMeyer Era (2005)
Bob DeMeyer took over after Kosey’s resignation following the 2004 season. DeMeyer had been the offensive coordinator since the 2000 season. DeMeyer changed the offense a bit, relying more on the quarterback’s ability to run and pass. The Tigers became more diverse under DeMeyer, relying less on the strict rules and formations of the double wing. His only season as head coach resulted in a playoff berth. DeMeyer left to coach the Superior Spartans. He followed Kosey, who had become Superior’s Activities Director a year before.

The Lawton Era (2006)
After DeMeyer’s departure for Superior, NHS moved for the first time in almost twenty years for a coach from outside the program. Peter Lawton, Spooner High School and Minnesota-Duluth standout offensive lineman, was hired. With him came the first wholesale offensive and defensive schematic changes. The Tigers suffered their first real down year in 2006, but more talent is on the way. Also, the Tigers should be more comfortable in Lawton’s system after the rebuilding year.

Conclusion
We’re off and running on this history of NHS football. Enjoy. Comment. Let me know what you think.

About Eating

2007-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm Addicted to Food. Also--Air.

I really enjoying eating. Food is good. However, I also would like one last shot at having the body of an Adonis. So I try to work out pretty hard--running and weight lifting. Most of the time, that aspect of my never-ending quest for the perfect male body goes pretty well. It's food that gets me.

I'm addicted to food. It's like I need it to survive. I always think about how if I just eat x, y, and z for supper, I will only intake so many calories. Therefore, I'll lose weight. However, I usually think about this immediately after I eat lunch or breakfast. So I'm not hungry. It's so much easier to talk about what you'll do to eat healthy that day when you just ate food. It's alot harder when the food is right in front of you. It's also hard when you get hungry and dream of devouring a whole pizza. When I get to supper, I'm usually effing starving. Usually my wife has cooked me something good, and I tend to want to eat alot of it. It's a daily dilemma. Through in the fact that eating is just a very pleasurable, and I'm all but done for. Then I have to work my ass off at the gym just to get back to square one.

Editors note: some people claim that they really ARE addicted to food. However, by definition, we are all addicted to food. Those people aren't addicted to food; they just eat too much. They should eat less, but completely ceasing to eat will, in fact, kill that person.

Miscellaneous

I wish I could limit life to the four esses (S):
Sex
Sleep
Sports
Sex

And eating.

I'd be very happy if that was all I had to do ever. I swear I would not get bored.

If I ever become President of the United States, when I finish my term(s), I will wear sweatpants for the rest of my life. After all, I pretty much slept in a suit for the last four (or eight) years. I'd want something more comfortable, and I think sweats provide that nicely.

Quote from one of my favorite shows, The Office:
Michael: Guys - meat it’s what’s for dinner. Who wants some man meat?
Dwight: I want some man meat!
Jim: Dwight wants your man meat.
Michael: Well then my man meat he shall have.

Me: That is really, really funny.

This Is a Rant--Do Not Read if You Are My Wife

2007-02-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

Music: My Chemical Romance, "Thank You For the Venom"

I can tell when she's pissed off, but sometimes you just gotta tell it like it is

I have almost no thought process today. The wife and I spent the morning waiting for our car to get serviced. Then we checked out new vehicles, as we plan on buying a new vehicle in the next six to eight months. Cars are expensive.

We are also in the embryonic stages of looking at houses. My mom told me about a program that gives a $5500 interest free loan to be used as a downpayment on a house for people who "qualify." First, we should qualify because we are undoubtedly poor. I just checked out what my student loan payments will look like, and I think they'll be like a grand. Second, we don't make much money right now. We will soon, but we don't right now.

So, houses. I tell her that this a great opportunity to actually buy a house since it will be otherwise very difficult for us to earn enough for a downpayment. I say it could pay for the entire downpayment if we buy a house in the $100 to $120 thousand range. She gets that I-sincerely-doubt-it-and-you look on her face. She says, "I don't think we will find a house for $100,000." I say that almost every thing I've looked at has been in the 115 to 125k range. She says, "In an area we want to live?" YES! OF COURSE! I explain that we don't have a lot of money. I'm not sure how many more times I can explain that, or how I can clarify the fact. We don't have money. We (I) have a tremendous amount of debt. She usually explains that away by saying because it's student loan debt, it is "good debt," as compared to "bad debt" like credit cards. I agree, but the payments will still be HUGE!

She does this every time we make a major decision. The wedding. Buying a car. Going on vacation. Nothing seems to be good enough, at least initially. Eventually she may warm up to the idea, but initially she is very skeptical that it will be sufficient for her standards. And to be honest, it fucking pisses me off. You don't go straight from a fucking two-bedroom pisshole in subsidized student housing to a beautiful house built circa 2003 with brand-fucking-new appliances. That's just not how it works. If she wanted more, then she should've married someone with more money or less debt or both. I'm sure they are out there. If she feels like she is shut out of the decision making, then she is more than welcome to be more involved. I would hope she has a tremendous impact on which house we choose. However, even if she made the decision herself, that doesn't all of a sudden change the budget. I'm not making this up: we have a limited amount of funds, and there is a big fucking difference between $120,000 and $150,000. Like $30,000 difference, and several hundred dollars per month. It's not like I can say, "We only have enough money a cheap-ass house." Then she says, "I want a better house." And I can say, "Okay, now that I know that, I'll just think really hard about it until about 40 grand just appears in my lap." We can afford what we can afford.

A Miscellaneous Thought

If someone asked me what my least favorite thing about any girl I was dating, I would answer, "Any past and future sexual partners." That would always be the answer.

Greatest Songs Ever--In No Particular Order

2007-01-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

Let's say you were forced onto a deserted island. All you could bring with you is an Ipod Teeny, which holds five songs. You'd have to choose which songs you wanted to bring with you. That analogy is terrible. It is cliched, and I generally feel pretty stupid having typed it. You'd get so sick of those songs if that was all you had to do, regardless of how good the songs were.

So.... songs I couldn't live without....

A little preface: First, these songs are in no particular order. They will be occassionally posted and discussed when I remember them. And that isn't to say that these songs aren't memorable, but I've got alot of shit to do every day. I can't spend time sitting around thinking about the greatest songs ever.

Second, these songs are different from the "Music" segment I've been using in all my other posts. Those songs are the songs I like that day. This series is about pretty much the best songs that humans have ever conceived. Hopefully that distinction is clear.

Greatest Songs Ever: The Verve, "Bittersweet Symphony"

I recently mentioned this song, but I felt it would be a good time to mention it again. Because it is really good.

The strings are perfect. The manner in which they are used creates the entire mood and tone for the song. Contrary to popular belief, the main violin "hook" was not the part The Verve stole from the Rolling Stones.

The lyrics are beautiful, and I'm not sure there's a song that can make you really ponder--just sit and ponder shit--like this song. I'm not sure there's another song that you can change your perspective without really knowing what hit you. Actually, there might be a similar song, but I won't reveal it today.

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
Trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

Richard Ashcroft is, according to some people who know a thing or two about music, one of the best songwriters ever. I guess it makes sense that he wrote one of the best songs ever. It's a shame he isn't bigger here because he is damn good. His solo album "Alone With Everybody" is a great disc as well.

So there it is--one of the Greatest Songs Ever. I guess if I think of more to write about it later, I will. Since I can't really do the actual song justice with words, I'll probably just listen to it again.

Off to school. Eight straight hours of class, including a night class from six to nine PM. Ugh.

Cities 97 Makes Me Want to Punch Things

2007-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

Music: Billy Talent, "Line and Sinker"

What you see is what you get
Fishing for the answer with a line and sinker
Look at me and don't forget
Hard to get a grip with all these broken fingers

This song is a screamer and a rocker (like almost every song on Billy Talent's self-titled first album). It's great on the treadmill when I turn up the speed above 9 mph. I just imagine that this angry asshole is screaming these lyrics at me. So I run.

A buddy of mine told me that he thought I was going through an early midlife crisis. When most people get my age, the reach for their radio tuners and listen to Cities 97. They find the mellow, unoffensive tones of adult contemporary soothing. I find them obnoxious and pretentious. It reminds me of the South Park episode where everyone bought hybrid vehicles and started enjoying the smell of their own farts. That's a Cities 97 listener--a pretentious fart lover.

So maybe it is a midlife crisis. Or maybe it's because my major contact with the outside world (outside of marriage and law school) is my 19 year old brother (who I have decided to start addressing with "Heyyy Little Brother" like JD's brother on Scrubs). Or maybe its because this music is less pretentious and isn't afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve. It's probably a combination of the three.

Riding the Bus

I've been going to school here for over two years. I started riding the bus after my first year. It was a result of two factors. First, I was sick of riding my bike in the winter. Second, my bike got its back wheel stolen and was hit by a plow. I wasn't on it at the time, but it was pretty hard to ride after that.

So I started riding public transportation. At first, I had a romantic attitude about it. I was on my own in the city, riding the bus. I liked being among other people who were just trying to make it. I liked going through the city on the bus; you can look around through the big windows.

Now I hate riding the bus, and I'll do just about anything to avoid it. To make matters worse, I moved about a mile further away from school (which equates to about 8 minutes on a bus--which feels like 37 hours). Now I realize that I am merely trapped on a stinky, crowded bus for way too long. I hate the people on the bus. They sit by me, and occassionally they smell. I can't see a damn thing because I never get a window seat. The bus manages to hit every red light on the route. It's late, I'm hungry, and the bus driver bitches at me if I don't ask for a transfer quickly enough. I'm reminded that I'm not wealthy or established enough to be able to drive my own damn vehicle to a real job. I'm just part of the huddled masses--something I used to relish.

New Series: How to Avoid Looking Gay

Over the past few weeks, I've seen two dudes using the "abductor-adductor" machine in the weight room. That is two more dudes than I had ever previously seen. There's good reason why I've never seen a dude using this machine: it's not for dudes. It's for chicks who think that if they do about 50 reps, they will slim their fat, cottage cheesy thighs.

My point? If you are dude, don't use the "abductor-adductor" machine. It's not for you. Do an effing squat if you want to work your legs.

Batting .500

2007-01-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Music: Motion City Soundtrack, "Perfect Teeth"

It's been a long week. Since Monday, I've spent roughly 10 hours driving, about 20 hours working, about 15 hours in class, and another 15 studying. The only thing that has kept me going on the long road trips to work twice a week is a medium light roast Caribou coffee with cream and sugar and rock and roll music. "Perfect Teeth" has the best "rock out" moment I know right now. I play it really loud while traveling north at 77 mph, and I rock out.

It's Kinda Hit and Miss

Wednesday was a great day at work. I dominated some lawyering. I got a problem and helped find an answer within that day. I was into it. I was smart. I didn't waste any time.

Today, I suck at work. I got a problem, and seven hours later, I've got no answers. I've run out of places to look for answers. $100 grand and can't find an effing case. Law school has failed me. The resources that that law has provided have failed me. So on this day, I'm left with more anxiety and anger about my chosen profession.

I wanna go home and watch 24. Four more episodes of Season One. I'd also like to order some Broadway Pizza and eat the shit out of it.

I guess my blogging is also pretty hit and miss. At 4:13 PM on a Friday, I have about as much desire to create this post as I do to continue to work. My mind is totally void of anything meaningful or remotely smart to type in this space. Instead, I'll continue to post random crap that none of my devoted readers really care to hear. Sorry guys. Er. Guy.

I wore a sweater today. I wore an Oxford shirt underneath the sweater. It is something I never thought I'd do. However, it is very cozy, and it doesn't make me look that gay. Maybe because I'm too manly and grizzled looking to appear gay to anyone.

Maybe I'll be smarter tomorrow.

People Better Than Me

2007-01-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

Music: Regina Spektor, "Fidelity"

I hear in my mind all these voices
I hear in my mind all of these words
I hear in my mind all this music
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
It breaks my heart

Sometimes I hear a song, and I get it. I first heard "Fidelity" roughly 26 minutes ago. I KNOW what Regina Spektor is saying. There are experiences in life that are so good they hurt. More specifically, songs break my heart--in a good way. Unlike Spektor, I only hear the music that other people's minds have created. People smarter than me. People better than me. It guess it isn't so much that I get it, but rather Regina Spektor gets it. She makes it easy for someone like me who doesn't have his own music in his head to get it.

"Fidelity" would be a good song to take your Ipod out into the world and just walk with it. Watch the world, and listen to the music. You're in a movie. You could be the lead or an extra. Doesn't really matter. This soundtrack works the same for both. The music streams in like atmosphere. The sound comes from the leaves or the snowbanks. The sounds of wheels and feet and voices and exhaust and the afternoon are replaced by the alternate reality of the song.

Some songs just have that quality about them. Something in its richness or sound. Not a hook, but something deeper and real. Not something that just makes you shuffle your toes a little. "Fergalicious" is really catchy, but that is not quite what I am talking about. I paused the song to the answer the phone, and I felt bad. It's that good. The last time I really remember a song like this was The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony." Maybe Coldplay's "Clocks."

We're all greedy. We all wanna be better than we are. I suppose Regina Spektor probably wishes she was better at math, or something. I get so damn frustrated because I can't do things I want to. I can't express myself in ways I'd like to--bits and pieces of something good or unique that I can visualize but am not physically or metally capable of creating with my mind or my fingers or my voice. I want to make something beautiful. I'd even settle for creating something that was merely good or satisfactory, by my standards but also by other people's standards. Something enjoyable. Maybe I already have, or maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But it makes me mad and jealous that I don't have great ideas in my head. I don't have songs in my head, and even when I do, they never sound as good as they did in my head. And even if they sound good in my head, they never have the capacity to break my heart. "Fidelity" has only made me realize the same things I already knew, that I am frustrated and restless. That my desire to create is almost always stifled by my pure lack of time, effort, and creativity.

I wanna get high. I think I'll have a chew.

The Future Freaks Me Out

2007-01-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

Music: Motion City Soundtrack, "Hold Me Down"

In an album full of super-catchy, uptempo rockers, this song kindof sticks out to me. The album seems light-hearted, and many of the songs deal with serious stuff in a light-hearted tone. The reason this song stand out for me is that it deals with a break-up in a somber tone. As a result, it comes off as possibly the most reflective song on the album. The writer has to tell someone he loves that she holds him down, and he doesn't know how to say it. Lead singer Justin Pierre's voice is key. There is a sincerity about his tone and delivery that is very evident in this song, but it is part of the reason that Motion City transcends other bands of the genre. It's that sincerity in lyric and in tone that really make the band unique.

I'll have my brother stop by this Saturday to pick up my things,
Just make sure you're not there.
This may sound bad, and don't take it the wrong way.
I love you, however, you hold me down.

Taking a Piss

At school, the mens bathroom has four urinals. I find them too close for comfort. The worst is when you walk in and see two dudes each one urinal apart. That way, you're going to be rubbing toes and knees with another dude while he is urinating. Such was the case when I walked in the other day. I chose to wait. If I wasn't for peripheral vision, it would be so bad. To make matters worse, my peripheral vision seems to be exemplary, or at least it is waaaay too good for such circumstances. If they are going to put the urinals so close together without any sort of divider, they should provide blinders. It's almost as bad as if they didn't provide stalls for the toilets. It's that bad.

On a more serious note, reading this would scare the crap out of my wife.

I had to get that thing off my mind. I could write daily for at least a month about stuff that pisses me off about the law school, but that's not in my personality. Even thought I've bitched in two straight posts, I promise it's not a trend. And last time, my bitching was serious, not a pithy commentary.

I've spent almost the past seven years now figuring out what I want to do with my life. I figured out that going to law school would be a good idea in the fall of my fourth year of college. It was more a product of wanting to do something else, something more challenging. I was also a product of wanting to get out of the small college town I had been in for three-and-a-half years. Finishing my education degree would have taken another year, and it was a year I could not mentally and emotionally afford in that place. So I decided to go to law school. It is still the right decision.

Now I'm almost done with law school. It feels great to be done, and I have a great job lined up. It is great in that it should allow me to be a lawyer at work, then go home at a reasonable time and resume the real life that most other people get to experience--things like a wife and kids and beers and sports and golf and free time. But I'm not a Lawyer, and it is not my life's passion. I recently told my wife that I didn't know if I would be a lawyer forever. She got nervous. She listed alot of the reasons why working will be different than school and why I have to give it a shot. And I agreed with her. Being a lawyer will be different--and hopefully better than--being a law student.

However, I explained to her that it is not me taking a negative approach to my career choice. Up to this point, getting my JD at the U of M is the best thing I could've done. It's a great degree, it's interesting work, and I'll make a decent salary. But it's certainly not my passion, and I don't know if 5 or 10 or 15 years down the road, I'll be looking for something different. She thought I was quitting before I started, and I'm glad she tried to reassure me. However, really what I was doing was admitting that I wasn't sure. I was also admitting that I wouldn't be scare to try something else.

However, I've been thinking lately, and I think that would scare my wife. The good news for her is that I would never do anything stupid or chase a pipe dream that would make our lives miserable. Unless she let me, but I wouldn't do it without asking. Probably. Lately I've thinking I wouldn't mind working in a university setting. I'd still like to teach, but I'm not going to ever be a law professor. First off, I'm not smart enough. Second, I'd rather be a lawyer if I'm still going to work in law. I wouldn't mind teaching something else though, like law to undergrads or history. I wouldn't mind working in an admissions department. I'd really like to work in the athletics department. I think those types of career changes would be easy transitions and also very possible.

I guess I don't know if I actually have the guts to try to do something else, something that I could be passionate about.

Let's Try This Again

2007-01-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

Music: AFI, "The Celluloid Dream"

I don't know what that means. I can't really understand the words, but I have been meaning to look them up. It's a really good song though.

Athlete: Tim Brewster, TE, University of Illinois

New Gopher coach. I am very excited. Nothing is guaranteed, but I really like the hire so far. He's a recruiter. He's enthusiastic. He actually mentioned the words "Rose Bowl" in public. Here's to you Tim Brewster.

Never Enough Time in the Day

I get really good ideas. All the time. I think of all the things I want to do, all the things I love to do. Like blog, or just write. Or play guitar, learn a song or write a song. Or read books. Or write a book. Or become the next general manager of a baseball team. Or read my Bible. These are all very important things to me, all things that I want to do. They are meaningful activities, and they are fulfilling activites.

I used to play guitar all the time. I used to write lots of songs. I cringe when I think of most of my music now. It is very 19-year-oldish. It's incredibly cliched and simple. At some point, I stopped writing songs because I hated almost everything I wrote. It was just BAD, and it was the same songs I had been writing years before. In part is because I hadn't progressed much as a guitarist. But mostly it was, I think, because I knew I had pretty much reached the extent of my capabilities, which was not THAT far.

I started law school two and a half years ago. I pretty much stopped doing anything remotely ambitious or creative. Law schools sucks the creativity out of you, along with the life sometimes. I stopped playing guitar almost completely. It's been really hard to get back into it.

I've recently realized two things. The first is that slaving away for one-and-a-half years in law school wasn't worth it. I'm glad I worked hard, I guess, because it should make me a better lawyer. However, I'm not sure I really care all that much about being a great lawyer. I guess that's why I gave a half-hearted attempt at working for a big, prestigious law firm in downtown Minneapolis. I tell myself that it is because I prefer to have a life and a wife and less stress than money, and to extent that is totally true. But, without question, there is something else going on. I'd work really hard somewhere, but it would have to be something I was passionate about. The law is not that thing. In fact, if someone said to me that they were passionate about the law, I'm pretty sure I would laugh out loud. Well, because I'm a pretty polite guy, I would probably just smirk. But I digress.

The second thing I realized is that I actually do have time to do alot of the stuff I want to do. But, like an idiot, I waste a lot of time. I don't have a ton of free time, but neither do most working, mature almost-25-year-olds. I have to work out or I'll get really fat. I spend time with my wife. I cook supper sometimes. I do the dishes. That stuff takes up alot of time, but when I get time to myself, I spend alot of time sitting on my ass wasting time, thinking about doing one of the above-mentioned things. But not actually doing anything. I post stupid crap on message boards filled with complete idiots (which is like trying to reason with Koko the Gorilla pre-communication abilities). I watch stupid shows. I browse wikipedia. These are the times I should be writing or reading or playing. Something productive. Something creative.

Today is another attempt at an old trick. Hopefully I can mix it up in this space with alot of first person stuff and observations and feelings. Maybe a little third person stuff or some dialogue for the musical my brother and I are planning to write. If we have time.

The Law Student that Died

I'm going to try to be as respectful as possible with this one. A law student named Christopher Oster died last weekend. It got him a mass email that I suppose a few people read. I didn't know him at all. I don't know how he died. But he did. And he got a mass email. At least it had the title "Sad News," so we could make sure we were sad when we read it. Or were at least prepared to be saddened.

There are around 750 law students. That's not very big. The kid deserved more than an a mass email from the assistant dean of students. I've always felt like I was just a very small, wholly insignificant cog in the machine that is the University of Minnesota Law School. I've never felt that way more than yesterday when I received the email. If I died, around 17 total people would notice I was missing, and roughly three might genuinely care. I'm not sure if that is an indictment against me for my complete lack of involvement or against the law school for being a detached farm system for the big defense firms. Either way, it is a fact. I'm not connected to the law school at all. It's their loss. Lots of people outside the law school really like me. Whatever cog I am in the machine, it's not a very important one. If the law school is a car, then I guess I'm like the rear cupholder. The car will certainly run without it, but... Hell, I'm not a cupholder, but despite the above woe-is-me, I got over it long ago. "The law" will never define me, and I will arrogantly smirk at those who think it defines them.

My heart goes out to Chris Oster's family. May he rest in peace.

That Guy

2006-12-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Music: Damien Rice, "Me, My Yoke and I," 9

My brother got me tickets for the Damien Rice show her for Christmas. It was a very good show. Mr. Rice was better than I thought he'd be live. Some highlights included "Rootless Tree" (the Music of the Day for Deja Ecrit last week), which was performed first as a solo, piano song. It was beatiful, but I was looking forward to hearing a more uptempo version since it is such an uptempo song. "Me, My Yoke and I" was probably one of my least favorite songs on the album. But, WOW, was it good live. The intensity doesn't come through on the album like it does live. Another highlight was when Rice played "Eskimo Friend." He actually played without the aid of a microphone or a receiver until the song hit its creshendo. Just used the acoustics of the beautiful Orpheum Theater. It was very good.

Athlete: Troy Williamson, Track Star/Ball Dropper, Minnesota Vikings

This guy can't catch. And he was drafted 7th overall as a WIDE RECEIVER--otherwise known as football players that are supposed to catch the effing ball. It's not that he can't catch as much as he has zero body control. He can make no adjustments. It is nothing short of comical to watch him try to catch a deep ball. Hilarious.

Now, getting to That Guy...

The concert was great--except for ONE thing. The HUGE douchebag kept catcalling at the most inappropriate times. I hate catcalling at concerts to start with, but I can tolerate them when they occur when everyone else is applauding. However, catcalling DURING A SONG WHEN YOU COULD OTHERWISE HEAR A PIN DROP is nothing short of pure jackassery. I seriously wanted to punch him right in the crotch. There was an awful exhange between That Guy and, well, everyone there:

Damien Rice: (trying to talk to the crowd)
That Guy: YOU ROCK DAMIEN!!!
Crowd: (Laughs)
Rice: (smirks, tries to start talking again)
That Guy: YOU DO!!!
Brother: Shut the FUCK up!
Crowd: (uneasy chuckling)
Rice: (somewhat annoyed, tries to start talking again)
That Guy: OWWWW!!
Crowd: (uneasy silence)
Rice: (debating whether to try to talk again)

It was brutal. At some point, don't you have to take a look at yourself and ask, "Am I that guy?" If the answer is yes, or even if there is any doubt in your mind, you should stop what it is you are doing. Just stop. Right there.

Don't be That Guy.

The Professor

2006-12-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Music: "Guernica," Brand New, Deja Entendeau

In case you were wondering, Deja Ecrit comes from Deja Entendeau, which is French for "already heard." Brand New is a GREAT band. In fact, they are probably my favorite band at the moment. They used to be an emo band, but now they have evolved into something much more mature, and much better. Guernica is one of the better songs on the album, but I do have almost every song on the album rated as a five star song on Itunes. It is typical of Brand New: alternation between a quiet, melodic sound, and loud, fairly distorted guitars.

Athlete: Ted Sampsell-Jones, Goalie, Edina High School, circa early 90's

TSJ, as I like to call him, apparently was a backup goalie for the Hornets back in the day. He's not on here for his athletic accomplishments, but rather because he is one bad dude. By that, I mean he is a really good law professor. He maintains a womens basketball blog (www.womenshoops.blogspot.com), which also makes him cool. He cancelled class one day for a Twins playoff game which pushes him into the upper echelon of people I know, worldwide. He did an excellent job of relating to students during the semester, and he always seemed to put things in perspective. I don't know if he was a good goalie, but he is a helluva human being, as far as I can tell. Our school needs more professors like him.

The Rootless Tree

2006-12-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

Music of the Day: Damien Rice, "Rootless Tree," 9

Overall, this album hasn't really grown on me, but maybe its because I haven't paid money for it yet. (I'm just streaming the whole thing here.) However, this song is really good. It's not good because it yells obscentities over and over... if it was then mainstream, pretend rap would be great--not a dig on rap, I love it. Just not most of the stuff you see on MTV. Anyway, this song is really good. Nice guitar picking followed by a hooky drum beat and an epiphany chorus.

I like music with strong expressions of emotion. These lyrics probably qualify:

So fuck youand all we've been through
i said leave it, it's nothing to you
and if you hate me then hate me so good
that you can let me out
let me out of this hell when you're around

This really doesn't express how I feel about anything in particular at the moment, but its something that I could imagine feeling or maybe how I have felt in the past.

Life is defined by the emotions we feel along the way. Music is a good way to recapture those emotions, those feelings, that we experience along the way. Without those feelings, life gets pretty boring. Sometimes I put myself back in places in my life that were incredibly difficult or trying or emotional just to remember how it felt. Most of the time, music puts me in those places. I can't listen to certain Jack Johnson songs without putting me right back in sophomore year of college with my then-girlfriend, now-wife. I can't listen to Coldplay's "The Scientist" without thinking about when we split up (pre-marriage). I can't listen to Travis Tritt's "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" without putting myself back on I-90 almost to Cooperstown.

I guess that's why I like Damien Rice. The first time I heard "Cannonball," I nearly cried. He's got alot of emotion. It's really all we got.

Athlete of the Day: Jeff Anttila, WR, Iowa Hawkeyes, 1989-1992

Famous coach Hayden Fry once called Anttila "the fastest white boy" he'd ever seen. He was the Wisconsin High School Player of the Year in 1988. And he probably was. He hurt his back during his sophomore year, and he was never the same player. There should be a wiki article on this guy. I think I'm going to start a stub. I have no idea what he's doing now. However, he would be proud to know that he is the Athlete of the Day on Deja Ecrit for December 14, 2006.

B.O. on the Bus

2006-12-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

Music: My Chemical Romance, "Welcome to the Black Parade," The Black Parade

I used to be pretty much a folk-singer-type since I went to college. When I was younger, I liked Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Everclear and other music of that ilk. Then, as I got into high school, I started listening to A LOT of Dave Matthews Band. That turned me onto artists like Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. I saw Mason Jennings in the winter of 2001, and he became a huge favorite. David Gray... I could go on, but I won't.

Lately, I've been searching for stuff that rocks but is still melodic. Stuff that brings some energy but isn't cookie-cutter, emo-pop, fake punk stuff. I mean, I actually really like All American Rejects, but once you've heard one song, you've pretty much heard them all.

I really like MCR's new album. The first time I heard it, I was a little scared. A concept album about death will do that, I guess. And the first time I saw the video for "Black Parade," I felt a little uncomfortable, yet it was so good.

Overall, it's quite a move forward by this band. I haven't purchased the CD yet, but you can stream the entire album at www.theblackparade.com. For now, that's where I get my fix when I need it.

Athlete: Jeff Cirillo, 3B Minnesota Twins

Jeff might be old, but he can still hit a little, specfically lefties. He's a good option to replace Punto when he's hurt or terrible by April. However, he pales in comparison to the athlete of the decade, Tony Batista. Remember when Cirillo was a star in Milwaukee? You don't? Oh, that's right, it was a long time ago.

Body Odor and Public Transportation
A while ago, I was riding the bus around the city as a means of getting to my ultimate destination. Near me was a guy wearing a jean shirt (yes, a denim shirt, popular circa 1997). Denim shirt guy had some stank B.O. I mean, I wasn't close to him, and it was some serious odor. I could smell it as if my nose hairs had gotten tangled in his pit hairs. It would put The Beast to shame. It was that bad.

Mr. Levi Strauss himself then pulled the signal cord and walked up to the front of the bus. He put his arm up to hold the bars overhead, as the bus was still moving. This was all very unfortunate for the older, heavyset gentlemen sitting directly underneath the Pit. In order to relieve himself, that man put three fingers over his nose, fingers pointing up. Imagine the face you'd make if you smelled this smell---that's the one this guy made. He held that pose for the next 30 or so seconds before Stanky could get off the bus. He didn't move, even though there was plenty of room. I don't know why, but he took the stench.

It was probably the funniest thing I've seen on the bus.

The Dentist

2006-12-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Music: Jeff Buckley, "Eternal Life," Grace

This is a really good song by a dead guy. The choice of this song to open my Blog has virtually nothing to do with the content of the blog or today's tale. It is simply the song I am listening to right now. Don't overthink it. I didn't. Except when I chose the title of the Blog. I overthought that.

There are lots of great songs by people who are currently dead, but I would consider most of Jeff Buckley's songs less well-known than some other dead people.

Food for thought: did Jeff Buckley commit suicide when he drown in the Mississippi? Answer: I have no idea. Why would you go swimming in the Mississippi? I wouldn't. I probably wouldn't even take a piss in the Mississippi. How many dead people are there in the Mississippi right now? It seems like they are always occassionally washing up around where I live. That, along with the pollution, is enough for me to merely admire the beauty and power of the mighty river from a safe distance.

The irony of the title of this Buckley song and his ultimate demise just hit me. No kidding.

Athlete: Ala Abdelnaby, Forward, Boston Celtics circa 1994?

What happened to that guy? One of my best friends used to collect his basketball cards. Do you think that with a name like that in today's day-in-age he would have been ostracized as a Muslim Terrorist? I doubt it, but it's worth considering.

Blog: Boof's Blogberg

Great blog. Go there. He's funny. I read daily. Read the BJ story in the "Best Of" section, as it is possibly the best story ever told by a blogger on the internet.

Anecdote:

Last March, I watched the opening day of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (otherwise known as "March Madness") at a sports bar with a friend. My buddy brought one of his buddies from work. His buddy brought his dentist (?).

So I'm watching games and eating wings and drinking Long Islands (Buffalo Wild Wings makes good Long Islands, and I do not consider Long Islands to be girly drinks; there is lots of alcohol in them). Racked up a pretty good bill. Iowa got beat on a buzzer beater, and Wisconsin lost. All in all, very good day.

I had some great conversations with the dentist about grad school loans and football and stuff. Great guy. He had to go, possibly to remove the tube he snaked down some patient's nose 4 or 5 hours ago. An hour later, as we were about to pay our bill, the waitress told us it was paid for. The dentist had paid the WHOLE THING. Seriously, it was a big bill.

I have to say, I was moved. So moved, in fact, I wrote the dentist a thank you letter immediately (It took me years to finish my allotment of wedding thank-yous).

Here's the point: I wanna be like this guy. He paid a huge bill for two guys he had never met before that day. And he did it covertly, without expecting a single thing in return. In fact, he knew he would probably never see me again. There was NO POSSIBLE MOTIVE for this random act of kindness.

I want to be more like this guy.