The Great Gatsby

Every summer, I read The Great Gatsby, an exceptional book of fiction by brilliant but tragic author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's one of those rare books that gets better every time I read it. New, cool tidbits of information are found with each reading, as well as an appreciation for Fitzgerald's character development. And the themes and writing are, of course, outstanding. For example, Fitzgerald begins the novel with the narrator, Nick Carraway, establishing trust with the audience:
"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
'Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'"

Besides the fact that that's great advice, by the end of the second page, I trust Nick as a narrator. I feel like I know his moral compass and respect his judgment. He's already earned my trust as a reader. I can put myself in Nick's shoes, and see the story as an unbiased observer, not unlike the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg (for those who've read the book).

The Great Gatsby is a classic, a literary masterpiece, and a quick read all rolled into one. As Fitzgerald's editor Maxwell Perkins wrote him in November 1924, "The amount of meaning you get into a sentence, the dimensions and intensity of the impression you make a paragraph carry, are most extraordinary. It seems in reading a much shorter book than it is, but it carries the mind through a series of experiences that one would think would require a book of three times its length."

I agree Maxwell, and I encourage you all to read it, then post your comments to spark a discussion!

Rough Redskins

And after a 20 day break, I'm back! This time to talk about the upcoming NFL season and my Washington Redskins.

First, the good news. After losing last week to the Baltimore Ravens 23-0, the Skins rallied last night to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 at a miserable and soggy FedEx Field. Even though they were the last NFL team to do so, the Skins finally scored preseason touchdowns when third-string quarterback Chase Daniels connected with Marko Mitchell and Fred Davis in the second half. That's right folks, the Redskins first and second string offenses have yet to score a touchdown this year! But Daniels played well, passing for two touchdowns and making an excellent case to take over Colt Brennan's job as the third-string signal caller. So long, Colt. Hope you enjoyed your stay.

Other good news came from new defensive additions Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo, the rookie DE/LB from Texas. Orakpo was all over the place, generating pressure on the Steelers offense and enthusiasm from the Redskins faithful. He looks to be a wise first round selection from this year's draft. The defense as a whole forced more pressure on Steelers quarterbacks, a welcome change from last year's almost absent defensive front. If the Skins make the playoffs this year, it will be because of their terrific defense. They are the stronger unit for this year's Redskins. That's because the offense looks awful. Which brings us to...

The bad news. As reported by columnist Thomas Boswell in today's Washington Post, the Redskins aren't very good. Our offensive line and cornerbacks are terrible. And if receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas can't soon pull their heads out of their asses, starting quarterback Jason Campbell won't have many options to throw too. Sure, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis should have good years, but you need lots of reliable options over a 16 game season for the simple reason that football is violent and players get banged up and hurt. And Campbell had better have a good year, or else he's gone, along with Coach Jim Zorn. I like both Campbell and Zorn, but owner Daniel Synder doesn't give a damn what I think. He's apparently more interested in breaking up team continuity and chemistry while constantly looking for the instant fix at the expense of his team's confidence, respect, and trust.

I'm not rushing to judgments based on two preseason performances (unlike my dad, who thinks the Redskins are terrible), but I do realize the realistic circumstances facing the Redskins: the other three teams in the NFC East are good and the Skins look bad with apparent mediocrity at important postions (quarterback, offensive line, #2 wide receiver, and cornerback). It's a long season and I'm willing to be patient, until the Skins look bad in a game that means something, that is. Those games will be here soon. The Redskins need to improve.

P.S.- Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise mentions Luray, my hometown, in today's column about last night's Redskins game!

Guns

When Republicans really want to screw up something the Democrats are doing, or really want to "put the screws" to Democrats, one issue is easiest: guns. Guns are the issue that leave Democrats bumfuzzled. And, in my opinion, the Democrats are largely to blame. Rather than fight the issue on its merits (i.e.-pointing out that more guns make us less safe, as seen in the recent death of boxer Vernon Forrest, and you don't need an assault rifle to kill a deer), Democrats cower in the corner and offer little rational resistance. Or even worse, some Democrats put on the act of having hunted their entire lives, as if voters are that stupid and simple to vote for someone merely because they think he or she can blow up a varmit.

I'm not a big fan of guns. I know, shocking. Why? Guns scare the shit out of me. I'm not comfortable handling them (even though I've handled quite a few) and I'm not comfortable with the violence I (often mistakenly) associate with them. Guns make me uncomfortable, so I'd prefer not to be around them. Which brings me to this: I'm happy that Senator John Thune's gun amendment proposal failed in the Senate.

Sen. Thune recently sponsored a bill proposing to make it legal for gun owners to carry a concealed weapon across state lines, provided the gun owner followed state laws concerning weapons. Debate in the Senate over the bill turned into a circus, with both sides using crazed logic and horror scenarios to scare the hell out of everybody. The Senate vote was in favor, 58 to 39, but not enough for a 60 vote majority. I'm thankful. I'm also thankful for this recent piece by Gail Collins in the New York Times, which argues against Thune's amendment and takes a couple shots at Thune, and South Dakota in general (unfairly).

In the piece, Collins writes about our collective failure to talk about guns in a sensible manner. She takes both sides to task for treating those on the other end of the argument as completely wrong. And she's right, because guns are not a black and white issue. There is a lot of gray area, and we should be able to rationally talk about guns in a manner of civility that leads to more personal safety and responsibility for gun owners and advocates.

As Garret Keizer writes in "Loaded," his fantastic essay about guns, "In both cases the debate is frequently conducted by pretending that the opponent's concerns hardly deserve mention and by an inevitable transference of opprobrium from the adversary's position to his or her cultural 'type.'" When talking about guns, we (myself included) make broad generalizations about those who disagree with us, treating gun advocates as stupid hicks or thinking those in support of gun control yearn to go door-to-door to confiscate all guns. Neither of these are true.

Here's what I propose: learn more about what you don't know and try to understand the logic in your opponent's argument. For me, I should get out of my comfort zone a little and maybe go hunting, or at least shooting. Then, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't do it anymore. But maybe, just maybe, I'd enjoy being outdoors in a safe environment where guns where treated with respect and handled responsibly. I might even become a gun owner. But I should at least make an attempt, as opposed to smirking and making a smart ass comment every time someone mentioned guns. Who knows, it might even lead to a rational discussion. We're overdue for one of those.

Nicholas Kristof

Another terrific op-ed piece by columnist Nicholas Kristof in today's New York Times. He makes a strong case at the end, arguing against male priviledge and our world's inability to recognize women as equals.

Not to be a spoiler, but Kristof is right on when he says, "If men had uteruses, 'paternity wards' would get resources, ambulances would transport pregnant men to hospitals free of charge, deliveries would be free, and the Group of 8 industrialized nations would make paternal mortality a top priority. One of the most lethal forms of sex discrimination is the systematic inattention to reproductive health care, from family planning to childbirth- so long as those who die are impoverished, voiceless women."

Again, Kristof delivers, always writing for justice.

Allen Iverson is tough.

Please check out this touching clip of NBA star Allen Iverson talking about his life and how he has been depicted. I have not always agreed with everything Iverson has done, but I like him as a person because I believe he is genuine and passionate and concerned about the welfare of others. And I definitely admire the way he has turned his life around from a troubled childhood to become an influential and important basketball star, father, and role model, especially for black youth.

"You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?"

I'm watching "Major League" and trying to decide if it's for the 74th or 75th time. I also can't decide what my favorite part is. There are so many to pick from. Like when Lou Brown pisses on Dorn's contract, then walks away without saying anything. Or when Vaughan asks Jake Taylor, "They got chili dogs over there?" in the fancy restaurant. Or in the opening scene when the Indians executive says, "This guy here is dead!" Hilarious.

I may not have a favorite scene or line, but I definitely have a favorite character, Harry Doyle, followed closely by Eddie Harris. Those two steal every scene they're in, Doyle especially.

"That's all we got, one goddamn hit?" says Doyle.
"You can't say goddamn on the air."
"Don't worry, nobody is listening anyway."

Or this beauty:

"The post-game show is brought to you by..." (Doyle searches through his papers) "Christ, I can't find it. To hell with it."

I've never once watched "Major League" with other people without most people in the room quoting half the lines. It's kind of like "Dumb & Dumber" and "Can't Hardly Wait" in that respect. Three Academy Award winners right there. Throw in "Varsity Blues" and you've got yourself a murderer's row of entertainment. Frankly, I can't imagine a better (or more productive) way to spend a day than watching those four.

That's enough for now. Be back soon.

This Is Important

Americans are at war, but America doesn't seem to care. Let me be clear: I don't mean that other Americans don't care about our current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the troops serving there; I mean that America as a society would rather talk about reality TV or what President Obama likes on his hamburger.

Major media outlets focus on these trivial happenings, partly because they're entertaining and partly because they aren't downers. War and death are not entertaining. But it's a downer when we get reports of Americans dying. When we hear or read that Americans continue to die overseas, it's difficult to digest, so it's only mentioned briefly, by stating the soldier's name, rank, and where he or she was from. We should know more and we should want to know more. We should realize the awful realities of war, and understand and honor the sacrifices soldiers and their families make every day.

We should know more about them personally. We should want to know why and how they died, not because we're grotesque or sadistic, but because we're engaged and concerned and contemplative and supportive.

Americans serving in the Armed Forces deserve our respect and admiration. Part of showing respect is staying engaged in the critical issues surrounding the war(s) and how service members and their families and communities at home are affected by them. This is where America, myself included, can and must improve.

Why did I write this without really making a point? An article in today's Washington Post online gives us an honest snapshot of the affects of war. It's the type of article I should read more often.