Remembering John Wooden

I wasn't around to experience any of those great UCLA teams. Up until the last few years my only exposure to John Wooden came through second hand lessons taught by coaches and teachers. Up until a couple of years ago, I only knew that he was the most decorated coach of all time and that he had inspired legions of followers and practitioners of his teachings.

And than the news of his sickness and death came....the depth of my understanding of this man changed profoundly.

As I read the papers and heard the news I was inundated with stories and praise. This man was truly loved. He truly left his mark. And as more and more stories and anecdotes emerged, I realized one thing. They all dealt with his character. Sure there were references to his great success in winning games. But the majority of the time was spent on how he selflessly taught those around them how to work harder and become better people.

The athletes and coaches of our era are probably the best we've ever seen. Science and money have insured that by making athletics a very lucrative business. But behind all of the muscle and ego, there isn't much depth of character. The principles that we know are appropriate- team work, cooperation, effort- have been replaced with actions that are convenient such as greed, selfishness, and cheating. I can only imagine how Mr. Wooden felt during these last years as he watched this unfold in his beloved arena of sport. He proved that you can win the right way....only it was much harder then winning the convenient way. That is why he is so unique and singular.

Mr. Wooden, you thrived before my time. But your life and legacy is so very important to the people of my time. He was a throw back to the core principles that made us great. Maybe your passing will remind us that we've gone astray and that, to become great again, we need to look beyond ourselves.

Revenge of the Sequel

Hollywood executives are spending a lot of time these days rummaging through the "attics" of their back catalog. What are they looking for? Anything that had a pulse, made a little money, is relatively cheap to make, can garner a measurable safe return, and can be turned around on the fly. Why? Because that is easy money and Hollywood is about money. If you want something ground breaking or original go watch the Sundance channel.

So in that spirit, I have decided to help these folks out with a few recommendations of my own. These are surefire winners.

1. Citizen Kane II, the Revenge of Rosebud: It's time we take the hammer to this iconic and innovative classic. Let's get one of the leading action directors of our day, Tony Scott or Barry Sonnenfeld, and load the sequel with every kind of cliche in the book. Yes, I did say action. We all knew that that darned Sled, Rosebud, looked like it was up to something bad. It will be unleashed in the sequel. It will be the slasher sensation of the summer box office.
   
2. Godfather IV, the boredom of running a legitimate business: We breathed a sigh of disappointment when Michael wanted to make the family business legitimate. What about the action, blood, and Sicilian justice? This one will be somewhat of a documentary, underlining the difficulties that most Italian companies have when they are required to play by the books. Should be a big hit with accountants.
   
3. Weekend at Bernie's III: Because there still so much that can be told. The Second wasn't enough, this movie franchise deserves a long life.
   
4. Golden Girls Gone Wild: It is only smart to capitalize on the hottest actress of the moment, Betty White. It's a shame this wasn't started earlier as we've only recently lost Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty. People love it when Betty uses the sexual double entendre. Let's take off the gloves and let these octogenarians blow away every social taboo that hasn't already been desecrated by people like Howard Stern.
   
5. Metrosexuals in the city: Because gays aren't the only men focused on clothes and their looks. Let's face it, we are becoming more vain. It's about time we had a movie that spoke to our vanity. Have it star David Beckham and Tom Brady. Have just enough of them to attract the female and gay audience. Have just enough action to capture the rest of us.
   
6. Clash of the Titans: Let's take a mulligan on the the remake, it was horrible. Start all over again and get back to the basics. Call Harry Hamlin if you have to. Better yet, exorcise the spirit of Laurence Olivier. I'm sure he could help. He's probably got nothing better to do.
   

Very Short Essay: Why I love Beulah

I have never lived in a big city with a very strong urban core like New York or San Francisco. I've never been considered particularly hip. I don't attend many house parties, gallery openings, or clubs. And my artistic sensibilities are quite questionable.

But if I was hip, and I did live in one of these big cities, and I possessed a good sense of art, and I were to attend cool parties on a regular basis than I'd have to imagine that Beulah would be one of the artists on my playlist.

Listen to a couple of their songs and I'm willing to bet that you will want to join me in subletting a townhouse over in Cow Hollow.

It's a shame they are no longer with us. At least we still have the music of their former leader, Miles Kurosky.

Hollywood Dollars and Sense....not making sense to me

As a kid there were few movies that really stoked the fire of my imagination. We were at an age that was brimming with adventure and ideas and we didn't need a movie to grow the flames. I can probably count the most magical movies on one hand.

Star Wars, Cloak and Dagger, Nate and Hayes, Indiana Jones, and Clash of the Titans.

Oh yes....the great Clash of the Titans. It had a sweeping story pulled from Greek mythology. It had the ability to take an already active imagination into an entirely different world and realm. The special effects were pretty cool for the time but they only played a secondary role to Perseus and his quest to save Mycenae from the Titans.



I distinctly remember the first time I watched the movie. I was at the Oldham's and we were playing outside, likely constructing the landscape for our next GI Joe battle sequence. Some of the older siblings raced inside with a VHS tape of the movie. Like Lemmings we followed the commotion. Fortunately, we were allowed to stay and partake of this cinematic manna. I was captivated and amazed. I would have to imagine that this was what Steven Spielberg felt when he was inspired to enter the trade.

Fast forward to the present day....

Like many, I had great anticipation for the release of the newest version of this epic tale. If nothing else, to see if it could capture the adventure and whimsy of the original. My love for Greek mythology has grown over the years and I am always interested to see how Hollywood interprets these stories. So with a free afternoon I joined the lines of octogenarians and waited for my own matinee marvel.

I waited...and I waited. All I got were over the top special effects, an actor who did a horrible job of portraying a great hero, no emotional connection being made, and a realization that this movie was probably nothing more than a studio cash grab. My imagination wasn't taken anywhere except to the sterile blue room that created the unimaginative creatures, sets, and back drop. There was no magic, no sense of epic adventure.

As I look at the slate of movies due out this summer all I see is more "Titan" sized disappointment. Hollywood has learned that there is big money to be made in dredging up some of the great entertainment brands of the past. GI Joe and Transformers go from being wonderful vehicles of imagination to coldly calculated machines of profit and nothing more. No fear, you only need to fool all of us once to create a blockbuster. None of these remakes, even A-Team, will be nothing more than half hearted ploys to pull at our nostalgic heart strings and extract a few extra bucks from our wallets. And that really sucks.

So I'm going to restrain from spending $10 at the movies this summer. At that price it shouldn't be too hard to do. The current Hollywood formula is trite and tired. I would rather save my money and plug in the originals. I get the magic of the first run and I don't have to spend $7.50 for a Diet Coke.

Does Arizona have it right or wrong when it comes to immigration?

With the Health care issue shelved for the moment, the public discourse is allowed to move onto other viable issues, namely immigration. And Arizona once again proves that it is ground zero for immigration policy and enforcement. The latest salvo fired is the imminent passage of State Bill 1070. Check the full bill here.

For many, Arizona has become a laboratory, for good or bad, for immigration enforcement. Because of that it gets additional scrutiny from all corners of the U.S. and both sides of the political spectrum.These articles from the LA Times and Deseret News are just two recent examples.

So what does this bill do and why is it so controversial? It essentially grants law enforcement more power in determining whether or not someone is in the U.S. legally or not. So is this good or bad? Depends on who you ask.

• From a left of center perspective it is a gross violation of basic human rights and an open invitation for racial profiling.
• From a right of center perspective it gives law enforcement that ability to actually enforce immigration laws that are already on the book.

I certainly understand the concerns from both sides. If anything I hope that this bill, and its resulting buzz, will push the spotlight to how broken our federal immigration policy is. We need some kind of dialog. Both sides have valid points and unless there is some meaningful dialog the fringes will continue to paint the rest of us into two horrible corners.

There are so many questions that need to be addressed and answered. Questions like:

• Until we get a decent national policy in place, what rights does an illegal immigrant have?
• What public services should a likely non-tax paying illegal immigrant have access to?
• Are local resources best spent enforcing immigration laws?
• How much do economic concerns play into the immigration debate?
• What should be the minimal requirements for letting someone enter the U.S.? How many people should be allowed to permanently immigrate to the U.S.? What about temporarily?

Most of the questions that need to be asked and are complex because we have a system that is crippled and manipulated for political reasons. If we were to start over we could simplify the process and make something that works. The current band aids, whether they be amnesty programs like the Bracero or ad-hoc enforcement like the minutemen, simply aren't good long term answers.

Randomizer Volume VI Series I

Because sometimes its a lot easier to write in little fits and spurts than actually trying to flesh something out in great detail and craft.

• I love to hate golf and I don't consider it to be anything more than a mirage for middle-aged white men who think that this hobby is a sport and that they are "athletes". I do feel, however, sympathetic for it it. Why? Because Tiger Woods absolutely owns it. With him golf gets ratings, money, and a sense of legitimacy. Without him, golf goes back to being a parochial activity for the blue bloods on a Sunday afternoon. So they are stuck with putting up with the Tiger Woods marketing bonanza machine and they are stuck having to deal with his sordid personal life. And there is nothing they can do about it. He is their deal with the devil.

• I always thought it strange that Italy is the gold standard for mens business fashion. Don't get me wrong, I love Italy. I love its culture. I love its food. I love its history. I really like most of its clothes. Maybe the only reason why they go to work is so that they can look good doing so. It's kind of ironic that most of the guys that wear the Ferragamos and David Saddlers and Santonis have a quality of life that most of these Italian artisans absolutely decry.
• So I'm reading some Jimmy Buffet right now and its making me question the foundation of the "American dream". 5 chapters into "A Pirate looks at 50" and I'm ready to flip the bird at stability, white picket fences, suburban living, and insurance policies. Move over Mr. Kerouac, your beatnik lifestyle has got nothing on what Mr. Buffet offers. Either way, we need to step away from our planners and enjoy a little real living.
  

What I Saw--And What I Missed--at SXSW - Culture - The Atlantic

What I Saw--And What I Missed--at SXSW - Culture - The Atlantic

15 minutes and photoshop

A statement on how I feel sometimes.

Sunday Morning Second Guess

If I could redo my career selection all over again, I would choose to be an architect. The perfect blend of science and creativity. Building a legacy that stands the test of time.

If I could redo my career selection for a third time, I would choose Anthony Bourdain, post "Kitchen Confidential". Traipsing around the globe discovering new sides to the world's many cultures and sampling their culinary oddities. Far from the beaten paths of all-inclusive resorts, brochures, and the thunderous roar of the traveling herd.

That is good living. To discover the true essence of other peoples, far beyond the venal veneer that most people do not choose to look beyond. And to capture these people with such a mastery of word and craft. Well done Mr Bourdain, well done. Kind of reminds me of my cousin, Christian.

Bringing the Winter Olympics to the rest of us

Every four years we are instructed by whichever network owns its broadcast rights to pay attention to the Winter Olympics. We try and pronounce the Nordic sounding names of the blond haired Europeans as they do some pretty strange stuff in the snow. (Or in the case of the Vancouver games this year, slush) Eventually we sort of pay attention to Hockey and Ice Skating and then we turn back to our regular sports that ....well, more closely resemble sports.

I am at a complete loss when it comes to some of these events. How did they evolve? Guns and cross country skiing as a competitive sport? Seriously? They are more an awkward patchwork of European elitist tradition and American styled daredevilry then anything that could really be considered a true test of athleticism. But I digress...

So instead of trying to figure out the Winter Olympics I have decided to slip into my wool turtleneck and jump right in. In fact I am going to take it a step further and actually recommend a few more events to help the Winter Olympics expand into the 9/10th of the rest of the world that doesn't experience winter or turtlenecks.

Here is my preliminary list.

1. World-Class Snowball Fight Extravaganza: There could be team or individual categories and rules could follow those outlined in Paintball. You want drama, stamina, and precision? This is a sure winner. And it can bring in the coveted 18-34 straight male demographic in the same way that figure skating owns the smaller yet incredibly influential 18-34 gay male demo.
   
2. Ice Sculpture: Grace and creativity combined. Plus it gives us a chance to bring chainsaws into the games. And because these events are almost exclusively attended by the white upper-class jet-set, the events provide a valuable sales opportunity for the competitors to present their art in hopes of making it into next years exclusive parties in the Hamptons and Monaco.
3. Stone rock/broom concept: This one came to me as I was coming down from a Lortab induced hallucination during my last toothache. But hear me out. It's weird and it defies description but I think its got potential. Teams take turns sliding polished granite stones down the ice towards a target. Two sweepers with brooms or brushes accompany each stone and use timing equipment and their best judgment, along with direction from their teammates, to help direct the stones to their resting place. Oh wait....
4. Ultimate Winter Endurance: Back to the need to cater to the young and lucrative demographic that drives ratings and ad revenues. Participants will strip down into their underwear and see how long they can brave a glacier fed lake. The event could even by emceed by Bear Grylls.
5. Soccer: I told you I would engage the interest of the rest of the world.
   

These events can really help to expand the appeal of the Winter Games. It also gives us a chance to put up with 10-15 more hours of Bob Costas waxing poetic about the majesty and purity of international competition.

And remember it is not silly or stupid if there is a gold medal at the end.

I might have found a political home...maybe

Like many Americans I am experiencing a bit of an identity crisis. The direction and policies of the Democrats and Republicans have forced us into a wilderness of disenfranchised despair. The only thing that I can say without equivocation or hesitation is that the leadership in both parties are a bunch dipsticks. They both treat government like a giant feed trough that can be used for enriching their bank accounts, buying off key constituents, and keeping themselves employed.

This despair almost turned into complete apathy until I read Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher. The book was a revelation and helped me understand that I am not alone. There are legions of fairly conservative people like me who are equally dismayed at the greed, superficiality, lack of direction, and pettiness of those Republican officials who squandered the last decade and lost Congress. According to the book there is a rapidly growing sub culture within the conservative movement that is quite different from the established base. Hopefully this movement will grow to the point where it can help in shaping the direction of the party.

So what is a Crunchy Con? And how is it different from your typical White, Dockers wearing, suburbanite McMansion Republican? Here are a few key differentiators.

1. A Crunchy Con cares about the environment but isn't a nut about it. We are the stewards of the earth and we have the responsibility to ensure its enjoyment for future generations. The earth is full of many resources for our benefit but not exploitation.
2. Crunchy Cons have faith but typically aren't your standard "Christian Right" variety. Read the book for a better description.
3. A Crunchy Con is productive and likes the good things in life but isn't as driven by money and accumulation of things, one of the traditional attributes that detractors use when describe the typical Republican. He would prefer a cottage in the city over a large house in cookie cutter suburban neighborhood because he values diversity and authenticity.
4. The Crunchy Con has culture and, while they love the American experiment, they see the value and beauty of the rest of the world. They value authenticity and originality over the local mall.
   
5. The Crunchy Con is a capitalist but he things Gordon Gekko is a bum. The free market is good but not perfect. Markets do need some regulation and oversight to keep the greediest lot from raping the rest of the population.

After reading the book I would say that my political views share a lot of similarities with your standard Crunchy Con. If I had to assign a U.S. figure as a standard bearer for this movement it would have to be Teddy Roosevelt. He was a good Republican figure who was also progressive on the right things.

So my apathy towards Politicians, Republicans in particular, has been slightly assuaged. I take heart in knowing that there are legions like me who see the ugliness of the state of the current party and politics in general. There are groups, like the Crunchy Cons, that I can associate with in my effort to push for positive change in our politics.

If I were Sunday School President...

In this era of ADD and sensory overload there are very few things that can still manage to capture the attention of the "average Joe". The obvious exception is the top 10 list. We can come up a list, anything from best movies to most boring speeches from the 67th session of Congress, and we will be assured that it will draw the attention, ire and admiration of this attention deficient audience. The list is the equivalent of the hamburger; cheap, easy, and an object in which everyone has an opinion. And since we are all about conveniently summarizing things, such as our years, we are subject to myriad lists each December and January.

To keep with this theme I've decided to generate a 10 ten list of potential LDS Sunday School lessons. Our ward recently changed times and I rue prospect of dealing with the afternoon slot. I'm considering a move to the neighboring Lutheran congregation unless someone offers to teach one of these classes.

Top 10 Lessons not found in an LDS approved manual

1. Cain, the White Horse prophesy, obscure comments from Brigham Young, and the truth behind Mormon urban legends.
   
2. 101 Ways to replicate the Cafe Rio menu for your next ward gathering.
   
3. Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, and the need for improved institutional oversight.
   
4. How to successfully prepare a lesson with less then three references to your mission.
   
5. Mormon Profiteering: 10 easy steps to side step trademark laws in coming up with merchandising ideas for Deseret Book.
   
6. Culture Shock: A deeper look into life in Utah County and the oddities of Mormon culture.
   
7. Awake!: How to confound a Jehovah's Witness in 4 verses or less.
8. Neighborly Relations: How to peacefully confront and diffuse the awkward conversation from the family in the ward who is pushing Quixtar.
9. Real Estate opportunities in Jackson County, Missouri.
10. Gerald Lund, his writings, and a case for canonizing the "Work and the Glory" series.

Did I miss anything?

Bing and Brotherhood

My wonderful wife enlightens and enriches my life in so many ways. For example, her love of movie classics has exposed me the Alfred Hitchcock's, Grace Kelly's, and Clark Gable's of the world. Before her I didn't know that movies existed before Star Wars.

Anyways, as is our Christmas tradition we always set aside a quiet night for hot chocolate and a viewing of the 1954 Irving Berlin/Bing Crosby classic, "White Christmas". It is pitch perfect in its message and a healthy holiday alternative to those degenerates, myself included, who typically get their holiday fix off of "Christmas Vacation."

One of the most moving scenes is when Bing and his partner, Danny Kaye, decide to throw a surprise Christmas Eve show at the struggling ski lodge of their old General. The pair, both highly successful, went above and beyond the call of duty in supporting an old friend whom they had not seen in years. Theirs was a bond that was forged in the battle of Monte Cassino, one that wasn't to be broken easily. It was an exceptionally touching moment and it got me thinking about the type of friend I am.

I think that it is safe to say that we live in a pretty superficial time. Most of our friends are mere acquaintances and most of our gestures are nothing more then passing greetings. I can almost see a spectrum that depicts all of our friendships on a scale of commitment and importance. It would probably look something like this.

1. The other guy in your department: He is nothing more then someone with whom your work or church calling forces you to associate with. He gets nothing more then a fleeting hello in the elevator.
   
2. Facebook Friend: Maybe someone more important to you, at the very least because he or she boosts your friend tally on the site. You might make a passing effort to feign interest and Facebook has multiple apps and ways to do so.
3. Christmas Card Friend: This one requires a least minimal effort and shows that your friendship a minimum phone call to get an address. The list narrows down greatly at this point.
4. I'll drive out of state to your wedding Friend: This friend is invested and it shows through deeds and actions. This is a much smaller group but it is safe to say that there is a mutual affection and dedication within it.
5. I'll take time out of my busy schedule and throw a gathering on your behalf because life is hard friend: This type of friend, as depicted by Bing and Danny, is one in a million and is usually forged by extreme conditions like war or four years of subhuman living conditions at college. These are friends through thick and thin and they embody the full meaning of charity as it pertains to the friendship.
   

Watch the movie. If you have any kind of heart it will get you thinking about what kind of friend you are to those around you. I think I've got a long journey ahead of me as I strive to better serve my friends. Thanks Bing.

Good Humor (Not the Ice Cream Treat)

I like to laugh. I enjoy religion. Ergo, I'm utterly fascinated at the high percentage of Jews that dominate the comedy scene. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising...they've had like 3,000 years to work on their jokes.

We Mormons, on the other hand, are mere babes when it comes to humor. We are still learning how to laugh at ourselves and there are too many cultural taboos that prevent any significant jocular investigation. The result is typically some kind of cultural introspection in the form of something like Singles Ward. I don't need a PhD from the USC School of Film to declare that everything up to this point has been a mixed bag at best. There have been some efforts, to varying degrees of success, that look into the culture and poke fun. But there have been far fewer successful attempts that have looked at the wider world through a humorous Mormon lens.

The following blog,Don't Do Dumb Things, is one of those rare exceptions. The site isn't overtly Mormon but it does a fabulous job of looking at a variety of subjects from a perspective you can relate to. The Bell brothers are in top form and I am taking this unsolicited chance to invite all 7 of my regular readers to drop by for a chuckle.

A time to be thankful

During this time of year I am often reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies, Joe Versus the Volcano. In this movie Joe, played by Tom Hanks, undergoes some life changing events. For many years he lived a boring and meaningless life. Then right as he is about to experience his “mid life” crisis he receives news that he has a mysterious brain cloud and that he only has six months to live.

A wealthy industrialist finds out about his condition and gives him an offer. “Live like a king, die like a man”. He will give Joe all the money and pleasures of life for six months if Joe will agree to jump into a volcano on a remote island in the Pacific. Joe agrees and spends the next several weeks living well and examining his life.

Eventually he must fulfill his end of the bargain and he takes a yacht down to the island. Along the way a ferocious hurricane comes and sinks his ship. Joe is stranded at sea for several days floating aimlessly on his luggage. It is this part of the movie that has the beautiful scene that I remember vividly.

Joe is desperate. He hasn’t eaten or had water for a couple of days. He has absolutely nothing and no real prospects for getting out of the ocean alive. His skin is blistered from the heat. He is wondering what he is doing. Just as he is about ready to give in the sun sets. A big, full moon rises from the dark ocean. At that moment the beautiful moon gave him pause and he said the following line. “Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life.”

Why does this scene mean so much to me, especially this time of year? Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically the time that we stop to count everything that we are thankful for. It is the time when stop worrying about what we don’t have and we can be thankful for all of the things that we do have.

We have wonderful families. We are able to get a great education. We live in a time where so much possibility is at our finger tips. Our lives are so full. Let’s spend a few moments during this time of year to remember and be grateful for all of those good things in our lives.

Sea Wolf: October 30th, 2009 at Modified Arts

Music is a wonderful maize that provides a different meaning and path for each individual. Over the course of a week we experienced two completely different roadways on our quest for musical satisfaction. Last week it was 65,000 people and the pomp and circumstance of U2 at the University of Phoenix. Last night it was 150 people packed into the little box called Modified Arts for an intimate no thrills set with some of the best offerings from the land of Indie rock. Two completely different approaches, two different ends of the spectrum....but they both succeeded in providing us with a great live experience.



Sara Lov- Silky smooth vocals, earnest and soulful lyrics, and a great crowd presence. Unable to bring her band she made due with the next best thing, a vinyl recording of them providing the backing tracks. Close your eyes and let her voice take you places. Download "New York" and you'll see what I mean. Of all the performers she had the best stage presence and charisma. As far as opening acts go, she was top notch.

Port O'Brien- My first impression of the band when they took the stage was "did these guys take a semester off from the University of Alabama to tour?" Their lead singer, Van Pierszalowski, looked exactly like a southern frat boy and their sound has a definite feel of southern rock to it. The fact that they've received some pretty high praise from M. Ward ensured that I wasn't going to pass on them. Their sound was Neil Young with the youthful energy of the aforementioned southern frat boy. As their set progressed my initial impression warmed and their sound seemed to have more texture and depth. Their set was the pinnacle from a primal energy stand point. Another great supporting act and another album that we will have to purchase.

Sea Wolf- After about an hour and a half their moment came. Despite numb feet from standing for so long the show was memorable. The band sounded much tighter then I was expecting and their songs were more upbeat and loud then their album versions. Most of the set was devoted to their new album that I'm still warming to. But their early classic "Made a resolution" was the rousing crowd pleaser and the highlight of the evening. Mr. Church has an incredible ability to create some great hooks out of simple chords and to make each song an intimate and rich short story. I was glad to see them in a setting like this because I think that the inclusion of their music in the Twilight soundtrack could signal the impetus that brings them to the pop mainstream.

All in all a great evening. We definitely felt a little out of our league given that 90% of the audience was fresh out of 4th Period English. But good music is good music and good music reaches people. Whether it's an 18 year high school senior whose life revolves around the Velvet Underground or someone, like myself, whose life has increased responsibilities and pulls. We can all come together and find a certain amount of joy, meaning, context, and rest in a well crafted song. Luckily for us tonight there were three bands who fit the bill.

On location with the Three Amigos

We all have our favorite movies. We feel a special connection to the characters, the story, and even the location or setting of the movie. We want to be apart of the story. One of the easiest ways to do so is to find and visit the location that these movies were filmed. A couple of years ago Jodi and I visited the location of the famous Bluth Banana Stand at Marina Del Rey. Last week we decided to take advantage of the visit of Dan and Conner to make our pilgrimage to Old Tucson studio, where a good portion of Three Amigos was filmed.

The setting is spectacular. This is the old west that we grew up watching...mainly because so many old westerns were filmed here. We pulled up to the venerable studio with high expectations. We wanted to literally walk in the foot steps of Lucky, Dusty, and Ned. We were somewhat disappointed. First, the studio does a pretty poor job of capturing the great history of the place. For the most part the visitors are left trying to piece together scenes the were filmed there. Second, the great fire of 1995 destroyed a lot sets, including several used in the filming of the Three Amigos.

Fortunately we found a tour that was headed up by a man who has spent decades there and has even been an extra in several movies. His memories of John Wayne, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood and others was absolutely lucid. The studio needs to make sure that they get all of those stories recorded for posterity. He was involved in the Three Amigos and here are some insights that he shared.

• Scenes filmed at Old Tucson included: The Village with the Bar and El Guapo's fortress. The Village of Santo Poco was likely filmed in California but it wasn't confirmed.
• The fire of 95' destroyed several sets used in the movie, including the bar that gave us the beloved rendition of "Little Buttercup".
• The fortress of El Guapo was built specifically for the movie and was built a small distance to the Northwest of the studio. As such it fell into disrepair after the movie and was often broken into. Because of that the whole set was destroyed 4 or 5 years after the movie. Such a tragedy!
• The only real visible and tangible evidence of the movie is the church (different now), one series of buildings, a piece of El Guapo's place, and the desert landscape.

Here are a few pictures.

The tubman 601 flying over the village. (It was a male plane, right?)

How that looks today.
What remains of El Guapo's fortress
The church in the movie (slightly different)

Dan and Conner in front of where the El Guapo set was

Men Win Football Games

We are just over halfway through the College Football season and I've already decided to check out on BYU football. Once again sky high promises were not kept and unreal expectations hit the cold icy reality of what this team is....a decent, but not great, football team. No rose colored articles from the ever delusional Dick Harmon, no reality averting always positive remarks from Bronco Mendenhall, and no stupid slogans can give this team the needed grit to actually win a game that matters.

Here's my big beef with BYU football. They show up small in big games. By big games I mean games in which both teams have something to play for. Sure we can sneak up on Oklahoma but they obviously underestimated us. Our victories over TCU and Utah have come when they (Utah and TCU) both had nothing to play for. Our humiliating defeats have come when they both (Utah and TCU) had something to play for.

Here are my armchair observations of why we won't be a top flight team. These aren't small deficiencies and require much more then some fine tuning. We will be destined for mediocrity until we can solve these problems.

• Speed: Let's face it white kids from Pleasant Grove aren't running 4.3 40's. They might be smart, team players but that doesn't cover up their obvious skill deficiencies. Our Honor Code prevents us from recruiting these speed guys.
• Offensive Play calling: I'm sure that Robert Anae is a great guy and makes a wonderful home teacher but our play calling is predictable and doesn't adjust to our circumstances. Just look at how dynamic TCU was when they dismantled our defense seven different ways. We didn't have an offensive gameplan that effectively countered their pass rush. The only thing offensive about our play calling was how "offensive" it was.
• Mentality: Maybe the Mormon culture just doesn't allow for a killer instinct that separates the winners from the pretenders. I think too many players and staff use this as an excuse. They can justify losing by saying that football is just not a priority compared to God, Family, and Education. I don't argue with the priorities but I also don't feel that they are mutually exclusive. Nobody on this team has attitude, leadership, or the drive to demand that others step up. This "we've got more important matters in our lives" also permeates the fan base to help justify the BYU losses to "Ute" Fan. I declare that you can have a "Killer Instinct" and still be a worthy member of the Church.
  
• Legacy Players: The bottom half of the BYU roster is filled with Covey's, Mendenhall's, Edward's, and Lamb's....all products of past BYU players, coaches, and benefactors. The problem is that none of them are real contributors. Why don't we free up their roster spots for more worthy players. We know that we could use the depth.

I could continue but the bottom line is that we are pansies and don't show up for big games. We haven't shown any real heart. We are incredibly outcoached. We complain about a lack of respect and then we get the some media light on our program we let TCU and old man Bowden take us to task in our own stadium. The whole program should be embarrassed. No amount of excuses or silver linings or learning experiences are allowed. We've used them for far too long. It is now time to actually back up your stupid slogans.

U2 under a desert sky

A U2 concert is so many different things to so many different people on so many different levels. To the casual fan of music this band represents the one of the best live performances around. On the other end of the spectrum is the true blue fan. To this group, and it is a huge group, a U2 show is a spiritual mecca that can only be experienced when you've reached out and touched Bono's hand in person. I started out as the latter and as I've aged my devotion to the band has diminished somewhat. But that still does not mean that I am no longer moved by them.

My enthusiasm for the concert was tempered somewhat. The new album, "No Line On the Horizon" just hasn't had the staying power that past works have had. And since I've already heard all of the classics several times through past tours (Zoo TV, Elevation, Vertigo) I wasn't particularly keen on having to put up with the new stuff. But that changed when I convinced my brother and his son to come down. This was to be their first show and so my missionary zeal came back. I always love sharing this band with over people.

After a splendid day with the family we made our way over to University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale. The stadium itself is great but it has quickly picked up a reputation as a below average place to hear a concert. That was my primary gripe. The sound seemed a little muffled at time. My big consolation was that in talking to people who attended the Rolling Stones concert last year this sound seemed like listening through some Bose earphones in comparison. The other gripe was with the crowd. My section did its part but the intensity of the overall stadium was pretty weak in comparison to my past U2 experiences. I've seen the boys in several different cities and Phoenix has always come in short. You would think that with their long history with the band that the crowd would be more involved. Anyways...

#1 Highlight- One followed by Amazing Grace followed by Streets. No better 10 minutes in all of Rock and Roll.
#2 Highlight- The remix version of "Crazy" that mixed some of the Pop dance club fusion with the sense of optimism of the song. I loved watching an intense Larry Mullen Jr. march around the stage with his bongos. I always love the chance to hear a song reinvented.
#1 Lowlight- "No Line on the Horizon". I think that the song is pretty good but when played after an incredible acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment" it just killed some great momentum. They had just reeled off three classics and then they moved into this. You crowd went from ecstatic to bored in an instant.

Bono is the consummate showman. He could charm a dead snake. These guys have conquered the rock and roll world but their effort never wanes. The crowd wasn't all there tonight but that didn't affect their performance. U2 doesn't do halfhearted.

Of the six U2 shows I've been to I would probably rank this #5. The setting, sound, and new material brought it down a bit. But that ranking doesn't look so bad when you consider that of the 50 or show concerts/music festivals I've attended each of those U2 concerts is in my top 10. On a bad night U2 is still better than 95% of everything else.

Immigration and role reversal

This recent LA Times article does a great job of uncovering a dynamic within the immigration debate that the average layperson usually doesn't see. I think it provides some interesting context to the Mexican position on the continued immigration discussion.

The last several decades have seen a huge swelling of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico. Any look at the numbers will reveal this. The Mexican government has fought for Rights of immigrants living in the United States and it tacitly, scratch that openly, approves of this illegal and unchecked northern exodus. For a blatant example view this guide that the government published to help immigrants on their journey north. From the perspective of the government, immigration relieves a measure of burden in providing for the needs of a vastly impoverished citizenry.

Keep that in mind when you read about the plight of immigrants from sub-Mexican Central America as they cross Mexico en route to a better life in America. Do I smell hypocrisy? Mexican's have a wretched history of treating these immigrants worse then the treatment that Mexican immigrants receive in America. As a missionary in Texas I met many Salvadorians or Hondurans who were far more scared of being caught by the border patrol. They weren't afraid of being caught, they were mortified of the treatment that they would receive at the hands of the Mexican's once they were dumped at the other side of the border. I've also lived in various parts of Mexico and it doesn't take long before you realize the presence of a very tangible racism that occurs between the different ethnicity groups that comprise that nation. Let's just say that the majority of the indigenous Hispanics that make up the illegal population in the U.S. are also treated like the dregs of society in Mexico as well.

I agree that everyone should be treated with a certain level of dignity, regardless of whether or not they broke the laws to get here. But next time someone from Mexico decries the treatment of illegal immigrants in the U.S. they ought to look back at their own country in shame. For their paisanos are doing a much worse job with the way they are treating their immigrant neighbors from the Honduras or Nicaragua.