a little about bread

In the recipe for a successful loaf of bread, or a successful life, there are several key ingredients that everyone needs. Sure, we need oxygen, and water just as a loaf of bread needs flour, water, and wheat. We need shelter to keep us warm and bread needs yeast to help it rise. We could live with just those things; and you could make a perfectly good edible loaf of bread with just those few ingredients. But that bread would be pretty boring. What makes a good piece of bread? Cinnamon added to the top? A little piece of butter maybe? How about some honey? None of these things are necessary to form a successful piece of bread yet we add them anyway. These toppings are like friendship and family to me and nothing is more important. I have always prided myself on being a good son, a good brother, and maybe more importantly, a good friend. I think that is why I feel so disappointed when a friend lets me down. Today I was chatting with a friend and they said to me, "Friendship shouldn't be so much work." I completely disagree. I think the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson may have summed up what I was thinking when he wrote, "The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one." I think in the year 2009, there are just too many other distractions making friendship superfluous. Why be a good friend when there are video games? Why be a good friend when there is work at the office? Friendship is hard I think especially for someone like me. Although at times I am extremely outgoing, I am a natural introvert. I was a communications major and we spent many hours studying the classic rhetoricians. One of the favorites was Socrates. I still remember reading about Socratic philosophy regarding friendship. "Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant," he wrote. I think this is always how I have been. I am not one to place quantity over quality regarding friendship. I develop friendships slowly, but once I am friends with you, my loyalty will be unmatched. However, I respect the same in advance. I hope those reading this do not feel I am in anyway ungrateful for my current friendships. The good Lord has blessed me with remarkably intelligent, and benevolent friends. Friends who could have just dropped me off in the hospital but instead insisted on staying with me until I was released. Friends who helped me battle anxiety. Friends who stayed up late in night hearing about my girl issues, my future, my troubles. Tonight I am having a small get together and I realized how few good friends I have left in Minneapolis. Again, don't get me wrong, I have fantastic friends in Minneapolis, but so many of my brothers and sisters in friendship are no longer here. They are in Iowa, Illinois, Arizona, South Korea, New England, and other places. I think that is what attracted me so much about moving to Chicago. I am moving for several different reasons, but I think what made Illinois so attractive was the sense of friendship quality that Chicago will bring. As the weeks until my move creep up on me, these types of things permeate my thoughts. But... enough about bread.

1. I rented the movie Religulous today. It's a documentary by the comedian Bill Maher about Religion. I give it at a C-. I am secure enough in Faith that I could handle the jokes about religion; I just thought his approach was worn out and not funny. If you're going to portray Christianity, don't do it by interviewing televangelists. If you're going to interview Muslims, don't do it by interviewing radical, anti-Zionist Iranians. He was unfair and that is what bothered me. The heavy majority of Christians do not think the way that Pat Robertson does. In the same way, you would have a pretty unattractive vision of liberalism is you associated it with only Michael Moore. Yes, there are some downsides to organized religion and yes there has been a violent past to many religions. But if you are going to make a movie about religion, than why not also bring up the many good aspects too? Oh yeah, because that would not fit with your atheist agenda.

2. Is there a tougher place to coach in the country than Kentucky? I can't believe they fired their coach after only two seasons? That is not even enough time to get his own guys in their and run his system. Big mistake Big Blue.

3. I may have a new favorite senator. Today during a budget meeting, two senators got into a verbal donnybrook. Senator Kent Conrad, a Democrat from North Dakota said, "Oh you're good," to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa. Grassley then responded with, "Last night your wife said the same thing." I love it. I can't wait to see what Jon Stewart has to say about that line.

4. Currently listening to Marvin Gaye's "What's going on?" from the album: What's Going On?