Rural Abandonment

Globally, our world's rural areas are emptying as our cities fill. Say what you will about this trend, but it's creating a shifting cultural dynamic. This trend is felt in our country as well. Areas of our country are emptying back out, often after having only been settled in the last hundred and fifty years. Growing up in a part of the country where this was the case, it is easy to see the effects of rural depopulation. Some maybe unfairly call it the 'brain drain', but there's no denying young people are in short supply through much of the US's Great Plains. What is left behind is a sometimes depressing, but definitely stark, picture of what life there once was.

The New York Times Magazine profiled poignantly an area of our country in northwestern North Dakota where this is the case. It's an article well worth reading for a taste of the desolation wrought by abandonment and the efforts underway to forestall what some anticipate is the inevitable.

The picturesque vista of the plains invites new residents.

Immigration

Today, May Day, was marked across our country with massive rallies for immigration rights. The largest was right here in Chicago, where about 300,000 marched through the Loop. Their march ended within view from my office and we watched as thousands upon thousands marched by and eventually dispersed.

Immigration is not an easy issue. Many of the folks marching have lived in our country for many many years and hold jobs that help support society. Unfortunately, they may be here illegally. What should be done with them? What should be done, if anything, to prevent future illegal immigration?

It has been pointed out that maybe it would be best to follow the example of our neighbor to the south in their own immigration standards.

This does not seem to be a practicable solution. For a country such as ours that was built on the backs of immigrants, a measure of thought must be given to the notion that this is the new face of immigration. There does not seem to be an easy answer.

Honestly, we are left hoping for a bit of Solomonic wisdom from a lawmaker who can lead our nation forward on this. We have seen the bills before Congress. Are they the answer?
What do you think is the answer?

My baseball journey began 20 years ago this month

In April 1986, I attended my first T-ball practice. I don't specifically remember anything about that first practice, but I do remember a lot from that first season. Probably the biggest things I remember are 1) not wanting to be on the team and 2) being confused as to why my parents were making me be on the team.

Oh, and I was a really bad player.

On the bright side, if Hollywood had made a movie of our team that season, I would have been the main star for being a walking "comedy of errors." However, back in those days, nobody on my team was laughing.

In my league, our teams didn't have nicknames. We were simply sponsored by one of the many local businesses and that would be our team name. But my team was different. We were sponsored by the park where all the games were played, which was called Robinette; and we had a nickname that was on our jerseys and hats: The Buck-A-Roos.

But more than our name was different. We were the worst team in the league--and I was our worst player.

I do think we won a game that year (might have won a second due to forfeit, I forget). But honestly, the losing didn't bother me at all since we got "treats" at the end regardless. What did bother me was my constant struggle to get "good wood" on the ball which constantly taunted me on that intimidating tee as I stood in the batter's box alone in front of everyone. It seemed every time my first swing would be over the top, then my second swing would be halfway down the tee and the ball would go about five feet--sometimes I'd run and sometimes I wouldn't, depending on what I thought the chances were of the ball actually making it out of that ever evil "semi-circle" of foul territory. This process would repeat until I either "struck out" or hit a weak grounder to the pitcher or first baseman who would make the easy play to get me out. It wasn't until about halfway through the season that some player botched one of these easy plays and I finally made it to first base safely. My parents took a picture to commemorate this milestone and the first base coach carefully explained to me which direction I needed to run when the ball was hit next. (Of course, as I had expected, I ended up getting mowed down at second base anyway.)

But the real reason I'm writing this post is because this 20-year anniversay has put me in a nostalgic mood regarding my entire baseball journey. I've been thinking about many, many plays throughout the years and it's interesting (to me personally) how certain plays really have stuck with me. Some things will probably stay in my mind for as long as my mind is coherent. In fact, five in particular have popped into my head... five of my worst moments as a baseball player. In this post I'll recount #5 on the list, and in the coming weeks I'll make my way down the list all the way to my most embarrassing baseball memory.

#5 "The Unpopular Executive Decision"

This one actually goes all the way back to that first year. It was early in the season, and I was playing center field. I remember thinking back in those days that the outfield was like being in outer space, and when I was out there, what was happening in the infield was kind of like looking into a strange planet. In other words, the infield was a whole different world to me... one that some day I might get to visit, but for now, I was stuck on a different planet--Planet Outfield.

As I was saying, on this damp, spring day I was playing center field. The sky was overcast and the temperature was cool. I remember the wet green grass... the brown patches of mud... the soggy yellow dandelions... wondering why we weren't inside watching cartoons... and then looking up to see a bunch of blue jerseys running in my direction. (These were the infielders on my team.)

Now, even at the tender age of six, I knew what this meant--and I was facing the first crisis situation of my life.

Immediately I spotted the white ball hopping past my legs and I turned tail in pursuit, fully realizing that I had let my teammates down. Despite the fact that I had at least four players from my team also chasing after that ball, I was determined to "make things right." And I definitely was going to be the first one to that ball. Part of me wanted to be able to tell my teammates, "Hey, stop running after the ball, I'll get it." But there was no time to talk as I ran with purpose.

Of course, by the time I got to the ball, it had stopped rolling and was way deep in the outfield (there was no fence or warning track for this field). I picked up the ball and turned around. By now, two other players were next to me asking for the ball, and some others were about halfway out into the outfield, yelling for the ball.

At this point I remember thinking, "Now what?"

Do I hand the ball off to one of my fellow outfielders or do I throw it to an infielder? The pressure built.

I might not have cared about the winning and losing back then, but I still had pride. There was something that didn't sit well with me just handing the ball off for someone else to make the throw. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't make that throw...

I had gotten us into this mess, so I was going to get us out. I would get a running start, then make the throw. So I blew off my fellow outfielders and ran toward my panicking infielders; with every step I made a calculation in my head as to whether or not now was the time to make the throw. As I kept running, my momentum built up and even though I was getting closer to my screaming infielders, the calculations in my head still weren't coming out in favor of a throw. In fact, I was starting to feel more comfortable with the run and then something else started to happen... I was becoming mesmerized by the allure of Planet Infield.

I could now see players from the opposing team flying around the bases and marching home like a parade of ants--and I could hear the parents in the bleachers yelling and cheering (I was later told that my team's parents were yelling the whole time at me to, "Throw the ball!")

But I had now come too far to stop, and seeing these enemy players showing me up by taking advantage of my mistake only further aroused my anger. In a snap decision, I opted to stick to my guns (mainly because I knew I didn't have any) and try to run one of those guys down like a cheetah catching an antelope for the kill. In my mind, it was our only hope.

So, much to the horror of every single Robinette Buck-A-Roo fan and player, I bypassed my teammates who were waiting for my throw and went by foot with ball in hand all the way into Planet Infield. As I approached the mysterious territory of second base I could see that the last of the runners was now about three steps from home plate so I switched to "Plan B" and made a desperation throw that ultimately came to a harmless stop about halfway down the first base foul line.

At the time, I remember thinking that the throw had actually vindicated me, but I don't think anyone else saw it that way. I got some "looks" from my fellow six- and seven-year old teammates--and most people in the bleachers must have had pity for my parents' embarrassment.

But oh well, I still got treats.

A Basketball Hypothetical

So the NBA playoffs are in full swing. The best basketball on the planet is being played.
Players from around the planet of varying backgrounds come together each season to compete for the world championship. But which of those backgrounds has produced the best players?
What if there were three all-star teams that played off representing the international players, players who came straight from high school, and players who came from college. Who would win? Potential teams would be:
High school lineup:
PG: LeBron
SG: Kobe
SF: McGrady
PF: Garnett
C: Stoudemire
Bench: PG: Telfair SF/PF: Rashard Lewis PF/C: Howard

College lineup:
PG: Kidd
SG: Wade
SF: Pierce
PF: Duncan
C: O'Neal
Bench: PG: Billups SG: Iverson SG/SF: Carter F: Marion

International lineup:
PG: Nash
SG: Ginobili
SF: Diaw
PF: Nowitzki
C: Yao
Bench: PG: Parker F: Nocioni F/C: Gasol

Who's your winner?

The Maps Race

As I'm sure most avid Internet users such as yourself are aware, the big Internet companies have been engaging over the past year or so in a full-out race to see who can build the best online maps (and thus gain the most market share).
The first major online maps site to hit it big was MapQuest. And they are still the industry leader, especially for driving directions. However, the big 3 Internet companies--Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo--are charging hard with their own maps, all of which also include aerial images.
The market having established itself, TechCrunch has pulled together a thorough review of the maps sites available. Weighing all factors they have chosen a favorite. Note, this is only as it stands right now-- these things change seemingly week to week, as seen with Google Maps' major updates at the beginning of this week.
But, as I already had intimated at the right, Yahoo is the current leader. Says TechCrunch,

Summary
Mapquest is the most popular mapping service but lags on features and usability. Google is the most notable and has a ubiquitous API. Windows Live Local dazzles with its creative views and features but falls short of the others in direction functionality. Mapquest offers a number of features but still is missing satellite imagery, which makes it trail the competitors in core functionality. Ask Maps is a worthy competitor but had the highest error rate of the group.

Overall, Yahoo Maps was by far the best application tested. Its fast Flash interface, multipoint directions, live traffic information, and easy send-to-mobile feature make it the hands down winner. It also features the most robust API options.

All the sites have some pretty cool features if you haven't visited in awhile. I'd encourage you to check them out. The future of mapping is very bright as novel ideas continue to develop.

A polluter

Gallon for gallon...2006 lawn mower engines contribute 93 times more smog-forming emissions than 2006 cars, according to the California Air Resources Board. In California, lawn mowers provided more than 2 percent of the smog-forming pollution from all engines.

Some of the dirtiest engines on the market are those running our country's lawnmowers. The state of California wants to tighten emission requirements for small engines, which would almost certainly require catalytic converters on lawnmowers.

It sounds like a great idea, however, the lawnmower engine industry has dug their heels into the ground and are stridently opposing the regulation. They're concerned about the added cost to produce the engines. And certainly they're not worried about their own bottom line...

Patricia Hanz, an assistant general counsel for Briggs & Stratton, said, "We acknowledge that there's an air quality problem in California." But she added that Briggs engines were 70 percent cleaner than they were than 15 years ago, before regulation.

To meet the new standards, she said, would require a minimum 30 percent price increase "across our product line."

Ms. Hanz did not explain the components of this projected price increase. The E.P.A. estimates that a catalytic converter and new hoses would cost a company about $20 to $25 per machine, on average.

Honestly, who wouldn't be willing to pay $20 to $25 more to not smell like exhaust after they mow their lawn? That it would be helping the environment is a bonus. I've long thought that cracking down on terribly polluting small engines, such as those in lawnmowers, snowmobiles, ATV's, and small construction equipment, would be a great step towards reducing smog.

Link of the Day -- StateMaster

As a native Minnesotan, I think I was born with some intrinsic state pride. Nowhere before, however, was there a place I could turn to so easily point out the relatively great place Minnesota is. Now, however, the power of the Internet brings us a state statistical powerhouse. Let me introduce you to StateMaster.

For instance, did you know that,

Wyoming consumes more gasoline per capita than any other state. California consumes the least.

Interesting. (I knew you'd think so)

And this one won't surprise you. Guess the five states whose residents are most likely to lose their natural teeth. Yep,

#1 West Virginia 42.8%
#2 Kentucky 38.1%
#3 Tennessee 32.2%
#4 Alabama 31.9%
#5 Louisiana 31.3%

Oh, and Minnesota. We're only the most educated state in the Union. And it's not a shoddy education either mind you; we're #1 in 8th grade math scores.

The Brutal Suburbs

Out of Ur asks, does the suburban lifestyle undermine our mission as Christians?

Many voices are beginning to say that the lifestyle of the affluent suburbanite, while heralded for 50 years as the fulfillment of the American dream, may actually be detrimental to the Christian life and mission.

David Fitch goes on to say,

...the suburbs are built for the idolization of the affectionate family as the end and purpose of all life. The problem? When the family becomes another form of life separated from God and the church, it too becomes another form of self-imploding narcissism.

By idolizing the family, suburbanites may become focused on consuming more stuff to create the perfect home and family. There is nothing but contrived affection left to keep the home together. And children who learn they are the center of this universe from parents actually develop characters that believe they really are the center of the universe.

After decades of this suburban lifestyle America is left with families split by divorce, kids leaving in rebellion, and millions on various drugs to relieve the emptiness as the idolized family turns out to be a myth. Apart from the personal destruction the suburbs can bring, suburban isolation also poses a real problem for the spreading of the gospel.

Do you agree? Is it more difficult to live the life of a Christian in the suburbs?

Construction Sign Hacking

Who knew it was a possibility?
I have the feeling more subversive messages may be on the way if more folks figure this out.

Oh, and make sure you look at the comments on the post linked above. Funny to note the differing reactions.

The plight of the young black man

Despite a time in our country's history when almost every people group across race and gender lines is making dramatic economic gains, one particular group is being left behind. That is the black male.

Several new studies show that the situation for young black men,

...has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul have brought gains to black females...

The problem is deep and very real.

• Almost 60 percent of black male high school dropouts in their early thirties have spent time in prison.
• In 2004, about 72 percent of black male high-school dropouts had no jobs, either because they couldn't find work or because they were in jail.

Why is this? The answer is not simple. Various explanations include a persistance of discrimination, lack of education, fatherlessness, unemployment, drugs and alcohol, etc...

What becomes more and more obvious is the "failure of social scientists to adequately explain the problem, and their inability to come up with any effective strategy to deal with it." My heart goes out to these men.

I personally think that the lack of fathers has a LOT to do with it. What's the solution, however? I honestly don't know. It has to begin with education. But for that to succeed, education has to become valued. In the 'street' culture, it often is not. The cycle is self-perpetuating. Does anyone have any ideas?

For further insight on this topic, I'd encourage you to check out a book I recently read called Code of the Street by Elijah Anderson. I found it highly educational and it definitely dwelt heavily with this topic.

Children of the Future

Be heartened. The future of our country lies in the hands of people such as this future leader:
This budding genius, currently a 1st grader, says, "There are five days in a week. There are two days we do not have school. It is almost Earth Day. There are nine days until Earth Day. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday."

This next youth makes the profound statement that, "If I were Johnny Appleseed I would plant apple trees."

For more incredible insights and stunning drawing skills, check out the Children of the Future blog, which serves as a collector of the "wondrously bizarre stories written by elementary school children on their class websites."

The fallibility of human memory

One of life's certainties has been the fallibility of human memory. Unfortunately for the rest of us, that's not the case anymore. It seems there is a woman out there with perfect memory.

James McGaugh is one of the world's leading experts on how the human memory system works. But these days, he admits he's stumped.

McGaugh's journey...began six years ago when a woman now known only as AJ wrote him a letter detailing her astonishing ability to remember with remarkable clarity even trivial events that happened decades ago.

Give her any date, she said, and she could recall the day of the week, usually what the weather was like on that day, personal details of her life at that time, and major news events that occurred on that date.

Like any good scientist, McGaugh was initially skeptical. But not anymore.

"This is real," he says.

McGaugh adds,

Also, her degree of recall is so much greater than any other person's in the scientific literature... She is...quite different from savants who have surfaced from time to time with extraordinary abilities in music, art or memory.

Some of them can remember every single detail about the particular hobby that they have, such as baseball or calendars or art, but they are very narrow.

McGaugh described one person who could memorize a piece of music instantly, and not forget it, but who,

...couldn't make change or couldn't take a bus because he didn't know where he was.

By contrast, AJ is a "fully functioning person."

I'm not sure whether this is encouraging or discouraging for the rest of us, but McGaugh hopes to determine what makes AJ so special. They will be using brain scanning techniques to see if there is anything unique about her brain.

We are truly left in awe of what the human mind could be capable of.

You may also have noticed my posting frequency dropping recently. As it turns out, these topics are related. The thing is, I do not have infallible memory. Thus, I am reviewing all those things from college that I've forgotten for an upcoming professional licensure exam. Therefore, until the test is over, I will be less profuse in my thoughts. I hope to be back fully into the swing of things in a month or so. Until then, pardon my infrequency.

A magic carpet

In the Sacramento airport is one of the coolest interior decorations I have seen.

The carpet in the pedestrian bridge that connects the terminal to the parking garage portrays an aerial image of approximately 50 miles of the Sacramento River between Colusa and Chico.
I know what kind of carpet I want in my house.

Spring

That famous bookreads,

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity... it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us...

And so it is in March. As spring fever begins to 'spring' into our consciousness, the best time of year rolls around. March has always been my favorite month for a few reasons. It is in March that one of the best sporting events of the year, the NCAA tournament, begins its mad action. In March, the weather begins to warm and the promise of another summer is again unveiled. In March, a new baseball season begins and the NBA gears up for playoffs. And, of course, in March I turn another year older.

But so many Marches, there is also a time when things are not the best. For in any tournament, there is only one winner. And on this grand stage that the NCAA tourney is, my team has never gone home the winner. And thus, every spring is marked too with an inevitable realization that I must wait until next year to see sports dreams realized. For the moment at least, I am disappointed.

As Greg intimates below, we have seen the end of an era at Illinois, but I look forward to being back in the national spotlight soon.

End of an era

Mars

Are there really candy bars on Mars?
Now Google offers an answer to that age-old question. Following in the footsteps of their Moon offering, we now have a navigable Mars. Whoa! Pretty cool.

Is Venus next?

JC's Girls Girls Girls

Mark 2:17 -

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners*."

*The content of this linked website has neither been reviewed nor approved by Westy. Enter at your own risk.

Real Estate Agents

Is a real estate agent a good investment in selling your home?

That's the question many first-time home sellers are asking this century. A recent article in the New York Times Magazine by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt (authors of Freakonomics) begins to analyze exactly what an agent brings to the table. Their conclusion is,

...it is hard to imagine that the market will allow Realtors to maintain their hefty commissions.

Needless to say, their opinions have generated a lot of discussion. Further background information can be found on their site. Most interestingly, it seems Levitt is planning a substantially more in-depth paper to properly evaluate the situation.

I have to admit I foresee the real estate agent going the way of the travel agent. Hello Internet, good bye 6% commission.

Worldchanging

A non-profit organization called Worldchanging runs a blog that has quickly gained a sizable readership. What is Worldchanging? According to their site,

Worldchanging shows us a different world - the future we could create. A bright green future, a sustainable, prosperous, dynamic future for all. On a planet full of problems, Worldchanging calls attention to solutions, illuminating tools, models and ideas for building that future.

Recently they announced a campaign to raise resources for their organization. No matter what you may think of some of their perspectives, the site has some very interesting tidbits and I have learned a lot from following its dialogue.

To help promote the campaign, photographer Edward Burtynsky has created a movie showing some of the devastating effects of rampant pollution in certain areas of the world. The photography is stunning. I encourage you to check it out.

nickel tailings

Blonds going extinct?

Will natural blonds become a thing of the past? A recent article in UK's Times said,

A study by the World Health Organisation found that natural blonds are likely to be extinct within 200 years because there are too few people carrying the blond gene. According to the WHO study, the last natural blond is likely to be born in Finland during 2202.

This 'study' has been cited by multiple news sources. My wife heard it being discussed on the radio. People are saddened--natural blonds will be no longer.

It turns out (fortunately, depending on your perspective) it's just not true. This story was somehow fabricated. It's only an urban legend that fooled a major newspaper, and seems to have been circulating for awhile according to the WHO response.

As we all should know, genetics is much more complicated than that. (see this pic) Skin color is believed to be determined by as many as seven genes. It's no simple case of dominant and recessive. It's pretty funny how popular the story became, however. Apparently the world would consider it a loss if there were no more blonds...