November’s New Music!

Unfortunately there hasn’t been much in terms of new music for this fine month of November.  What there has been are several albums from the past finding themselves in regular rotation when I listen to music.

Chris O’Brien, Lighthouse

Sometime last Spring I ventured to The Evening Muse for a $5 show of a local band, The Hot House Heftones, and Chris O’Brien opened.  It was a strange pairing; The Heftones are a more of a swing band and O’Brien is a singer-songwriter.  Even still it was an excellent pairing.

I picked up O’Brien’s album Lighthouse and lately as I have given it a 47th listen I have enjoyed it.  His songs are often of the typical singer-songwriter variety; songs about love hoped for and lost pepper the album.  Presently my favorites on the album are Melissa and Black Leather Boots.

Over The Rhine, Ohio

This was the first Over The Rhine record I purchased and this was made sometime around Christmas 2003.  I had heard of Over The Rhine long before then but I was always turned off by the production of their earlier albums.  For some reason I didn’t enjoy the sound of those records.  Along came Ohio with a more minimal production so her voice could come to the forefront.

Early on the second disc became my favorite of the two with She, Nobody Number One and Bothered being the primary reason it was my preferred disc.  Those songs still have it has my preferred choice.  Even still choosing one of these discs above the other is a fool’s errand since they are both great.

The Bible Salesman

I realized a few weeks ago that it had been ages since I had read a novel.  I even remember starting several over the past year and each time putting the book down.  To remedy this I went to Park Road Books and picked up two books, one of which was the novel The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton.

I finished my first novel in months a few minutes ago.

All in all the story was enjoyable.  Here Edgerton tells a tale about two men that meet each other, one a Bible salesman and the other a criminal.  The criminal enlists the Bible salesman, Henry, under the guise of working for the F.B.I., to be his accomplice as he steals cars and subsequently sells them to various third parties.  Eventually the Bible salesman realizes what is actually happening and the two have a stand-off.  Henry eventually goes to the authorities and begins the process of setting things right for the crimes in which he unwittingly participated.

One theme that is played out repeatedly through the story is the idea of what is certain becoming uncertain.  Each character in the book has a moment where they see the certainty of a situation or relationship changing.  With many of the characters we get to see how they respond to the newly discovered uncertainty.  Sometimes the response is tempered with prudence and other times the reactions are selfish.

As I read this book I thought about things in my life that have transitioned from certain to uncertain and how I responded to them.  Like the book the responses are sometimes appropriate and other times not at all appropriate.  As I move away from this novel I hope to be reflective instead of being reactionary in these times.

October’s Tunes

I used to think October was my favorite month.  This is the month when pumpkin abounds, cooler weather starts to settle and my father’s birthday.  These things are all great but I’ve realized November is closer to my favorite month than October.

This has nothing to do with my monthly music post but I often don’t have anything bloggish on my blog so I decided to indulge.

The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You

In late September the Avett’s released their new album I And Love And You to much fanfare in my car.  So much it was only until last week that I remembered I had other music to enjoy.  This album is full of more of the same in regards to their excellent song writing.  One thing that is different is their reliance on the piano instead guitars and banjos.  It makes for a different experience, but not in the different means bad sort of way.

Thad Cockrell, To Be Loved

This is my first Thad Cockrell album after much prodding through friends and some indirect prodding my favorite band.  Some friends back in Nashville, mostly the Radfords, have encouraged me to check Cockrell out and I’ve read several stories about Cockrell and Roman Candle.  Last week I finally bought one of his albums, To Be Loved.

I did not realize that this album could be mistaken for a gospel album and honestly I was not that perturbed.  Cockrell was studying to be a Southern Baptist minister before he decided to make music full-time.

Songs like Pride Won’t Get Us Where We’re Going and Rosalyn are quite good and along with the complete album have put Thad Cockrell on my list of musicians to look for when I’m lollygagging through a used cd store.

Griffin House, 42 and a Half Minutes With Griffin House

Several years ago my old friend Jon was playing drums with Bill Mallonee and one evening when the band was close by my friends and I decided to make the trek to Nashville to catch the show.  Before they came on stage one man came on stage with one guitar, by no means an unusual sight, and performed.  My roommate Chris thought this man would be the next Bono.  I wasn’t sure about that.  Chris bought his album and as we listened to it regularly in the house I also became a fan of Griffin House.

A few Friday’s ago Griffin House was back in Charlotte and I was able to catch him with my friend Ashley.  Here I picked up his most recent album 42 and a Half Minutes With Griffin House.  This is an album full of some of House’s B-sides along with commentary on the songs.

When listening to Griffin House there is always one or two songs per album that draw me in before I’m drawn into the full album.  This time is no different with me becoming engrossed in the songs Murder in the First Degree and Parliament Lights.

SuperFreakonomics

A few years ago I began to be intrigued by economics.  This, like most things that pique my interest, came about through reading.  One day one summer a few years back I stopped at Border’s and picked up three books off the “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” table (which is arguably one of my top ten favorite things) and one of these was The Undercover Economist by Tim Hartford.  Reading this on the couch that summer in my old apartment sparked an interest in a topic that I would have previously only yawned through; this subject being economics.

With this new interest piqued I began to read other authors and I eventually came across Freakonomics by Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner.  When I read it I was amazed at their application of economic theory to realms outside of the typical interests of academic economics.  Yesterday their follow-up, Superfreakonmics, was released and due to my cold that has me at home I was able to read it today.  A few thoughts…

I was not as surprised with the book as much as I was with the first installment.  I do not think this is because the authors have produced a lesser work.  Instead I believe I’m much more knowledgeable about statistics and economics which has led me to begin seeing the world a little differently.  This new view is similar to what they are presenting so it stands to reason that I would not be surprised since I would start to see, however dimly, what they are illuminating.

Secondly, I was very eager to read the final chapter in the book about Global Warming as it has recently been disparaged across the blogosphere due to its content.  This book is not a book about Global Warming so I was not expecting there to be any cutting edge scientific research about what is causing the changes in the environment so I was not hurt that they did not talk about these changes.

Instead they focused on what I perceive as one of their themes for Superfreakonomics, that being many of the solutions to severe problems historically have been very simple.  Since this has been the case historically it stands to reason that the solution to our present environmental crisis could be solved in a simple manner.

All in all I rather enjoyed reading this book.  It was a great way to spend a sick day.

A Beautiful Day atop the Appalachian’s

Last Saturday several (and by several I mean ten) friends and I walked from the Black Mountain Campground to the summit of Mt. Mitchell, the tallest peak in North Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.  I’ve made this climb before but this is the first time I’ve been able to climb to the actual summit due to the construction of a new lookout tower.

This time I also carried my copy of Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers by Peter Barr so I could participate in sharing pictures of hikers with the book at the lookout towers.  Here’s a link to his site.

Nudge

This evening, instead of enjoying the numbing glow of a television I opted to finish a delightful book.  Over the last few weeks I read Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.  Here they argue, from the point of view of libertarian paternalist speaking as choice architects , how through simple nudges one can make better choices.

Initially I was somewhat put off by the concept of libertarian paternalism.  This was mostly due to it sounding strange but I definitely needed a decent definition.  Here it is defined as “a relatively weak, soft, and non-intrusive type of paternalism where choices are not blocked, fenced off, or significantly burdened. A philosophic approach to governance, public or private, to help homo sapiens who want to make choices that improve their lives, without infringing on the liberty of others*.”  Essentially choice architects have a goal to improve the decision making abilities of people without removing their liberty.

I found this book fascinating.  When providing choices for myself, and as I often do for my students, I can craft them in such a way that the best option will be doable.  Through framing the choices and removing obstacles for their completion good choices can become more attractive.

What I intend to examine about myself is how inertia keeps me from moving past the status-quo of my life.  A theme that is considered at length in the book is the idea that many people don’t change simply because the status-quo is so appealing.  I have begun asking myself about how inertia is keeping me from growing as man, as a Sharpe and as a teacher.

Over the last few years books like these have become, for me, transformational.  Books like Nudge, Stumbling on Happiness, Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life and The Undercover Economist have opened up an entire world that I was ignorant of and continue to inform how I see and engage the world.

*Taken from nudge.com

Being Rich

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:17 – 19

This morning at Church we began a new sermon series titled Being Rich.  The premise here is not that there are Biblical principles on becoming rich but there are numerous teachings to the rich.  Instead of teaching how to become rich the Bible gives clear instructions on how to “be rich.”  The passage that will be explored during this four week series is 1 Timothy 6:14 – 19.

One thought from the sermon…one point the pastor nailed home is that most Americans are rich.  I’m unable to remember the exact statistic listed, which makes verifying it difficult, but I do remember one benchmark that was mentioned was a yearly income of $40,000 (which is close to what I pull in).

Since I began teaching nine years ago I have always considered myself a wealthy man based on one particular behavior.  I eat at least five meals a week at restaurants.  By no means do I have as much as other people but in the grand scheme of things but I can, and often, pay other people to prepare my food and then clean up afterward.  I’m wealthy.

In my attempt to look for the statistic mentioned I came across the Global Rich List.  Here I was able to input my yearly salary and see where I fall compared to the rest of humanity.  Here I find I’m the 190,434,783rd richest person in the world and I fall in the top 3rd percentile (the 97th percentile) of income earners on Earth.

I’m looking forward to engaging this passage over the next month.  I’m especially interested in the final statement: “so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”  I’m glad I’m worshiping at a Church where this idea will be fully examined.

19E to Dennis Cove

On Friday of Labor Day weekend I loaded up the mighty Osprey and found myself outside of Hampton, TN waiting on friends at the Laurel Fork Lodge.  About ten minutes after I arrived the friends from Clarksville, TN arrived, we found our cabin and were off to bed.

The next morning we packed up, found our ride with a Derek Webb look-alike and were off for a three day hike along the Appalachian Trail from 19E to Dennis Cove.

This was the first section of the Appalachian Trail that I have actually finished.  The first attempt at a section (Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam) was cut short by the occurence of Carpel Tunnel in my right hand.  This time there were no bizarre injuries and we enjoyed the challenge of the trail and the camaraderie found in spending nearly three entire days together.

Some highlights were walking along the quiet Elk River during the first day, the first night on the trail at the Mountaineer Shelter (the best shelter I have seen) and meeting Louie at the second shelter.

September’s Soundtrack

It looks as if my hope for a monthly music post has turned into a bimonthly music post.  Maybe it’ll be back to monthly in October.

The Avett Brothers, The Second Gleam & Live From Charlotte 08.08.09

Part of my pretentiousness is that when many people tell me something is great I automatically shun it.  Maybe other people do the same thing every now and again but I do it nearly all the time.  The Avett Brothers have been in this category (many people I know liking them and me therefore ignoring them) for the last three or four years.  In August this changed;my friend Suzanne offered me a ticket to their show in Charlotte at the Bojangles Coliseum.

The next day I went to the record store and bought The Second Gleam.  That, paired with the live EP they offered at the show, have been consistently played and enjoyed for the last month.  Some highlights from The Second Gleam are the first two tracks, Tear Down the House and Murder in the City.  I and Love and You from the EP is fantastic.

What I have come to realize about the Avett Brothers (what I feel makes them great) is that they are able to so poignantly write and sing about the transition to becoming men.  In Tear Down the House they sing of the past being prolouge; how the past sets the table for the present.  Here, in my favorite verse of the song, they sing about how mourning lost love leads to becoming a better man.

Their new ablum, I and Love and You, will be released later this month.  That’ll be a good day.

Eric Peters, Chrome

A few weeks ago my friend Tim passed this album on to me.  For the reasons listed above I was not excited about this fellow named Eric Peters.  Since Tim is a good guy I decided to give the album a spin while driving to and from my backpacking trip Labor Day weekend.  Somewhere before Boone, NC I realized I very much enjoyed this album.

Two songs begin to stick out above the others, these being Reality Came Crashing Down and I Had to Tell You, which had me breaking my rule of listening to albums from beginning to end.  Both of these songs speak of a similar theme of life not quite working out as one hopes but it is in these places, over time, wisdom grows.

I especially enjoyed the use of Frederick Buechner’s words in the story of the life of an undisturbed lily in the ruins.  This lily bears it’s beauty to all and it’s “story in some measure is the story of us all.”

Maybe I’m beginning to grow beyond my own tastes to enjoy what others find enjoy.  I think that’ll be a nice way to lose some of my cynicism.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Earlier this summer I purchased a few books in which to engage during my few months away from work and today I finished the last of the three: Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life.  Here Len Fisher has written a book outlining what Game Theory is and how it can be used to create more and better opportunities for cooperation between individuals, corporations and nations.  Being one that has only the most basic knowledge of Game Theory I very much enjoyed reading and engaging with the subject.

Early in the book Fisher outlines the seven deadly dilemmas where people find themselves and as he progressed through the book he considered how, if one finds themselves inside, to work through the situation for a mutually beneficial solution.  These dilemmas include the tragedy of the commons, the free rider, chicken, the prisoner’s dilemma, the volunteer dilemma, the stag hunt and the battle of the sexes.  For example the battle of the sexes is when two people (maybe a couple) want to go out.  Both have different desires about what to do but the best thing for both is to do something together instead of pursuing their individual desires for a fun Saturday night.

What I found more interesting than the seven dilemmas is how Fisher argues, with Game Theory as his foundation, how to overcome these dilemmas to reach mutually beneficial agreements.  Communication, trust and changing the game are all ways he suggests to reach this goal.

I look forward to begin implementing some of these though processes and behaviors into my life and hopefully my relationships, both socially and professionally, will grow for the betterment of all involved.