I'm okay with the Broncos quarterback situation. It was time for Peyton Manning to retire. I'm glad he chose to retire a Super Bowl champion rather than try and last another year in the NFL at age 40.
And I'm glad Brock Osweiler is gone. Although I think he proved himself a capable professional quarterback over the course of his seven starts last year, he showed us his true stripes. Rather than humbly accept his role on the team and enjoy the ride to the pinnacle of professional football and be grateful for the opportunity to help a first-class organization defend their title in 2016, he chose to essentially extend his middle finger to the team that drafted and developed him for four years and take a big fat check and move down to Houston. Maybe he'll help tranform the Texans into an NFL power. Or maybe he'll fail to even surpass the modest accomplishments of Matt Schaub. No one really knows. But it's better that he's not here if he feels that entitled. Millennials.
The Broncos traded for Mark Sanchez, who was a high draft pick of the New York Jets all the way back in 2009. He won four playoff games in his first two NFL seasons, but the Jets lost in the AFC championship both years. His career fell on hard times afterwards, and he is somewhat unfairly judged by a single play in a game against the Patriots in 2012. He ran into the back of his offensive lineman and the resulting fumble was returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the play took place on national television on Thanksgiving night. I wonder if the "butt fumble" would have gained such notoriety if it had occurred on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October. He spent the past two years playing for the Eagles and after they signed Sam Bradford to a big contract, he was traded to Denver for a conditional draft pick.
He has a fun nickname - "The Sanchise" - which doesn't really fit him anymore. He's brought a good attitude to Denver and seems genuinely excited to be here. I hope it works out for him - something along the lines of a Jake Plummer-ish renaissance. Perhaps a change of scenery is all that he needs - he's spent the past seven years playing in New York and Philadelphia in front of a bunch of angry, ungrateful jerks.
I was going to say that the New York and Philadelphia fans were also "hard to please" but unfortunately for him, that is no different than being here in Denver. We're just wrapping up a season in which the Broncos won 15 of 19 contests yet a lot of folks were unhappy with the caliber of quarterback play. Some of that is carryover from the championship teams which featured three current Hall of Famers on offense (John Elway, Gary Zimmerman, and Shannon Sharpe) and a couple of potential Hall of Famers in Terrell Davis and Rod Smith. Broncos fans got used to seeing a lot of points on the board and what Peyton Manning did in 2013 didn't help.
Another thing that doesn't help Sanchez is the fact that the Broncos spent a first-round pick on Paxton Lynch. Now, I don't know much about Lynch. I've never seen him play as I don't watch college football. I have no idea if he'll end up being the guy.
But I do know this: the very fact that Lynch will presumably be the backup means that Bronco fans will have no patience with Sanchez. Unless he goes out and passes for 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns and puts up 30 points a game on a fairly regular basis, the Bronco faithful will be hollering for Lynch by the end of September. We can learn this from history. Back in 2006, the Broncos drafted Jay Cutler in the first round. Even though Jake Plummer won nearly 70% of his starts during his four seasons in Denver and nearly got them to the Super Bowl in 2005, the Denver media and fans could not wait to get Cutler on the field as soon as possible. Because they didn't think the offense was productive enough even though the Broncos were 7-4 when Plummer was benched. Cutler's "big arm" and ability to "make all the throws" were going to solve everything. It didn't, and Cutler was gone within three years.
So that's what you have to look forward to, Mr. Sanchez. I wish you all the luck, but history tends to repeat itself. Unless you play at a Pro Bowl level, you won't make it to the end of the season as the Denver quarterback.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016
A Rewatching of God's Army
Today we watched the film "God's Army" with the kids. They'd never seen it because - VHS. I hadn't seen it in years. However, I had much the experience I did when I saw it in the theater in Provo 16 years ago. I actually really like it and find that it relates very much to my own experiences as a missionary. Not all of it is realistic - the newest elder being picked up at the airport in a VW bus or the mission president without a suit jacket reaming out the brand new elder in a cluttered office or the baptisms in the ocean - but a lot of the characters and scenes in the movie ring true. It gets a little over the top towards the end but I guess you need some of that for drama's sake.
I did a little reading about Richard Dutcher afterwards. Much of the movie was autobiographical, from the troubled family life of the young elder to the spiritual experience in Carthage Jail of the black elder. He put everything he had into producing a movie depicting a story unique to the Mormon faith. I was aware that he had become disenchanted with the direction the Mormon film genre took in the years following the release of God's Army, and that his planned biopic of the prophet Joseph Smith never got off the ground.
Apparently he left the church in 2007 amidst doubts about the truthfulness of the LDS church. It seems ironic that God's Army became autobiographical in another sense for Dutcher after he lost his faith. One of the elders in the movie struggles with doubts as he becomes consumed with anti-Mormon literature. Some of the most powerful scenes in the film are when Dutcher's character confronts this elder about his behavior. He yells at him in a diner about trusting in the works of those who devote their time and energy to destroying the faith of other people and exhorts him to spend more time studying the church's material. Later he topples over a table in their apartment in a fit of rage after discovering that the elder finally gave in and deserted his mission.
So while many of the aspects of Dutcher's early life were portrayed in the more heroic characters in the movie, isn't it interesting that ultimately he became most like the faithless missionary in the film?
I did a little reading about Richard Dutcher afterwards. Much of the movie was autobiographical, from the troubled family life of the young elder to the spiritual experience in Carthage Jail of the black elder. He put everything he had into producing a movie depicting a story unique to the Mormon faith. I was aware that he had become disenchanted with the direction the Mormon film genre took in the years following the release of God's Army, and that his planned biopic of the prophet Joseph Smith never got off the ground.
Apparently he left the church in 2007 amidst doubts about the truthfulness of the LDS church. It seems ironic that God's Army became autobiographical in another sense for Dutcher after he lost his faith. One of the elders in the movie struggles with doubts as he becomes consumed with anti-Mormon literature. Some of the most powerful scenes in the film are when Dutcher's character confronts this elder about his behavior. He yells at him in a diner about trusting in the works of those who devote their time and energy to destroying the faith of other people and exhorts him to spend more time studying the church's material. Later he topples over a table in their apartment in a fit of rage after discovering that the elder finally gave in and deserted his mission.
So while many of the aspects of Dutcher's early life were portrayed in the more heroic characters in the movie, isn't it interesting that ultimately he became most like the faithless missionary in the film?
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
An Evening with Billy
I've only recently become a concert-goer. I didn't attend my first "rock concert" until two years ago, when at the age of 37, I attended the Bon Jovi show at the Pepsi Center in April of 2013. I followed that up with a Heart concert at Fiddler's Green later that summer.
My concert bucket list isn't very long - I haven't actually put pen to paper and produced an actual list - but I think I have a pretty good idea of artists I'd actually pay my hard-earned money to see live and in person. One of them made an appearance in Denver earlier this month (No, I'm not talking about Taylor Swift) and so I actually coughed up the cash for a couple of nosebleed seats in the Pepsi Center.
Billy Joel. I went to see Billy Joel. The real guy.
I gained an appreciation for Billy Joel mainly through my ownership of a cassette tape containing his Greatest Hits Volume I & II, which remains as one of the best-selling albums of all time. He certainly made his name in the 1970s, before I was of music-listening age, but his eleventh album, Storm Front, came out when I was in junior high school. It featured his third and final Billboard #1 song, "We Didn't Start the Fire", so he also had some pop culture relevance during my teen years.
We got pretty much the cheapest seats in the house, because while I like Billy Joel I guess I don't like him several hundred dollars worth. As you're buying the tickets they really caution you - WARNING! THESE TICKETS ARE BEHIND THE STAGE! - but I didn't think they were that bad.
Billy Joel is old. And kind of large. In case you didn't know. One of the first cracks he made was, "I'm Billy's dad. . . Billy couldn't make it tonight." But physical appearances aside, he's still got it. He's an amazing musician. So many different styles of music, from the more tender piano-based "love" songs to the harder-edged "rock-and-roll" numbers to his "doo-wop" influenced the 1983 album An Innocent Man, which was a tribute to the music of the fifties and sixties. He also has his share of socially themed music and whatever category "We Didn't Start the Fire" fits into. Heck, Garth Brooks covered his song "Shameless", which reached number one on the country charts.
His last pop album, River of Dreams, was released 22 years ago, but he has such a huge catalog of beloved numbers that there were several he didn't even do during the 2 1/2 hour concert. He didn't sing "Just the Way You Are", which won a couple of Grammys back in the day, nor did he use "Tell Her About It", which is one of the three Billboard number one hits he has to his credit. (Although I just read that he hates playing those songs in concert so I guess that explains it.)
He played pretty much all his best loved and adored songs. I don't need to tell you what they are but here is the setlist if you want to see it. I enjoyed yelling "JFK/blown away/what else do I have to say" along with everyone else during We Didn't Start the Fire. Piano Man, of course, was the last number (before the encore) and of course everyone knows all the words. I don't necessarily have a favorite, but let's just say he played all my favorites. The photo below was taken during his performance of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood."
One of the great things about live concerts is how they "customize" the music for the evening. We heard stuff from The Four Seasons, The Lion King, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and John Denver. Also many others that I didn't pick up on.
My favorite part of concert-going aside from the music might be watching the other people. We were sitting about five rows behind a group of guys. One showed up wearing a white shirt and a tie and another had a ponytail. The first hour they were rocking it pretty hard, totally into the concert. The second hour, still rocking, but in between a lot of trips for more beer and probably trips to the restroom. And then the last hour they were nowhere to be seen. Not in their seats. So I'm not sure where they went, although we did see the white shirt guy reappear after the concert ended to retrieve something. I observed a similar phenomena of people starting off strong and then burning out when we went to Bon Jovi.
There was someone nearby who wasn't getting sufficient enjoyment from the music and so had to participate in some recreational drug use, which was really annoying, but legal, right? Actually, no, it seems like it would fall under the clean air act and is expressly forbidden per Pepsi Center policy. Otherwise it was a great evening.
Here's a link to the Denver Post's account of the concert, along with photos much better than what I had to share.
My concert bucket list isn't very long - I haven't actually put pen to paper and produced an actual list - but I think I have a pretty good idea of artists I'd actually pay my hard-earned money to see live and in person. One of them made an appearance in Denver earlier this month (No, I'm not talking about Taylor Swift) and so I actually coughed up the cash for a couple of nosebleed seats in the Pepsi Center.
Billy Joel. I went to see Billy Joel. The real guy.
I gained an appreciation for Billy Joel mainly through my ownership of a cassette tape containing his Greatest Hits Volume I & II, which remains as one of the best-selling albums of all time. He certainly made his name in the 1970s, before I was of music-listening age, but his eleventh album, Storm Front, came out when I was in junior high school. It featured his third and final Billboard #1 song, "We Didn't Start the Fire", so he also had some pop culture relevance during my teen years.
We got pretty much the cheapest seats in the house, because while I like Billy Joel I guess I don't like him several hundred dollars worth. As you're buying the tickets they really caution you - WARNING! THESE TICKETS ARE BEHIND THE STAGE! - but I didn't think they were that bad.
Billy Joel is old. And kind of large. In case you didn't know. One of the first cracks he made was, "I'm Billy's dad. . . Billy couldn't make it tonight." But physical appearances aside, he's still got it. He's an amazing musician. So many different styles of music, from the more tender piano-based "love" songs to the harder-edged "rock-and-roll" numbers to his "doo-wop" influenced the 1983 album An Innocent Man, which was a tribute to the music of the fifties and sixties. He also has his share of socially themed music and whatever category "We Didn't Start the Fire" fits into. Heck, Garth Brooks covered his song "Shameless", which reached number one on the country charts.
His last pop album, River of Dreams, was released 22 years ago, but he has such a huge catalog of beloved numbers that there were several he didn't even do during the 2 1/2 hour concert. He didn't sing "Just the Way You Are", which won a couple of Grammys back in the day, nor did he use "Tell Her About It", which is one of the three Billboard number one hits he has to his credit. (Although I just read that he hates playing those songs in concert so I guess that explains it.)
He played pretty much all his best loved and adored songs. I don't need to tell you what they are but here is the setlist if you want to see it. I enjoyed yelling "JFK/blown away/what else do I have to say" along with everyone else during We Didn't Start the Fire. Piano Man, of course, was the last number (before the encore) and of course everyone knows all the words. I don't necessarily have a favorite, but let's just say he played all my favorites. The photo below was taken during his performance of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood."
One of the great things about live concerts is how they "customize" the music for the evening. We heard stuff from The Four Seasons, The Lion King, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and John Denver. Also many others that I didn't pick up on.
My favorite part of concert-going aside from the music might be watching the other people. We were sitting about five rows behind a group of guys. One showed up wearing a white shirt and a tie and another had a ponytail. The first hour they were rocking it pretty hard, totally into the concert. The second hour, still rocking, but in between a lot of trips for more beer and probably trips to the restroom. And then the last hour they were nowhere to be seen. Not in their seats. So I'm not sure where they went, although we did see the white shirt guy reappear after the concert ended to retrieve something. I observed a similar phenomena of people starting off strong and then burning out when we went to Bon Jovi.
There was someone nearby who wasn't getting sufficient enjoyment from the music and so had to participate in some recreational drug use, which was really annoying, but legal, right? Actually, no, it seems like it would fall under the clean air act and is expressly forbidden per Pepsi Center policy. Otherwise it was a great evening.
Here's a link to the Denver Post's account of the concert, along with photos much better than what I had to share.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
How Do They Stay in Business?
I don't have a lot of money for clothes shopping, but I do like to keep my duds somewhat fresh. I recently tossed a polo shirt I'd been wearing for 8 years. It was time. Usually I turn to Kohl's for help with my clothing needs. I recently bought three new polo shirts. They were on sale for $10 each and then I had a 20% off coupon. So $8 each.
Whenever I'm in Kohl's, I always head for the clearance rack where they have stuff marked down 70-80%. That's my price point.
The clearance rack is tough because you have to not only find something that you would wear but also something that fits. It's not always easy as I'm a pretty traditional male size so there aren't a lot of 36x30 pants available at clearance prices. The discounted merch includes a lot of stuff from the Big n' Tall section like 48x32 pants and XXL shirts. I've been looking for some dress pants in clearance for awhile and have been struggling. If I do find some, they are almost always pleated, which I kind of hate. . .
However, I scored big this past Saturday. I was just going to get a clearance item or two so that I could use my $10 Kohl's cash, even if it was just a pair of shorts or a t-shirt. But on this beautiful morning, they had all the clearance items marked down an additional 20%. And they had a pair of washable wool gray dress pants on the clearance rack for $21. I also found a patriotic T, which I kind of need for 4th of July festivities, on clearance for $4, and a pair of shorts for $8. With the additional 20% off and my $10 Kohl's cash, I was planning to pay $16-$18 for my items - a little more than I had planned, sure, but I finally got my pants!
Imagine my surprise when the cashier rang my up and gave me my total - $5.88. Apparently there was a $10 additional bonus cash reward and then a 15% off promotion. Not bad at all. I guess Kohl's has plenty of people who pay the full price for stuff (I never do), otherwise how do they afford it?
Whenever I'm in Kohl's, I always head for the clearance rack where they have stuff marked down 70-80%. That's my price point.
The clearance rack is tough because you have to not only find something that you would wear but also something that fits. It's not always easy as I'm a pretty traditional male size so there aren't a lot of 36x30 pants available at clearance prices. The discounted merch includes a lot of stuff from the Big n' Tall section like 48x32 pants and XXL shirts. I've been looking for some dress pants in clearance for awhile and have been struggling. If I do find some, they are almost always pleated, which I kind of hate. . .
However, I scored big this past Saturday. I was just going to get a clearance item or two so that I could use my $10 Kohl's cash, even if it was just a pair of shorts or a t-shirt. But on this beautiful morning, they had all the clearance items marked down an additional 20%. And they had a pair of washable wool gray dress pants on the clearance rack for $21. I also found a patriotic T, which I kind of need for 4th of July festivities, on clearance for $4, and a pair of shorts for $8. With the additional 20% off and my $10 Kohl's cash, I was planning to pay $16-$18 for my items - a little more than I had planned, sure, but I finally got my pants!
Imagine my surprise when the cashier rang my up and gave me my total - $5.88. Apparently there was a $10 additional bonus cash reward and then a 15% off promotion. Not bad at all. I guess Kohl's has plenty of people who pay the full price for stuff (I never do), otherwise how do they afford it?
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Mickey D's of the Future
So I promised this wasn't a food blog. And it's not. But writing about things that you've had to eat is quick and easy. Recently, a brand-new McDonald's opened up about a mile from our house. I thought it was going to be just another run-of-the-mill McDonald's. Turns out, it's not. It's a new concept called "Create Your Taste" which allows you to build your own burger or chicken sandwich according to your own preference. We got some promotional coupons in the mail for free sandwiches and decided to try it out for our date night.
You order your food using a touch-screen kiosk, which guides you through the process of your own creation. You get to select the type of bun, the type of cheese, and any additional toppings or sauces. Some items add to your price - for example, bacon - and others are included in the price. We actually went kind of wild because it was completely free regardless of how much we added. So I wound up with a double-bacon cheeseburger, with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, guacamole, and barbecue sauce.
They had a lot of different toppings, everything from mushrooms to tortilla strips, and sauces from Big Mac sauce to chipotle mayo. It takes a little longer - you go and have a seat and they bring it out to you about 10 minutes later. And it's served in a wire basket just as pictured above, not smashed together and wrapped up.
The interior of the restaurant is fancier than your typical McDonalds. Although it looked really nice, I kind of wondered how long it would be before it ends up trashed. They had these pristine white pull-down shades over the windows and I can just imagine little kids smearing ketchup and grease all over them. But maybe kids won't come so much as it's more of an adult place.
They do have these tablet computers attached to some of the tables, for kids to play, and I can guarantee those will be destroyed and then pitched into the trash within two years.
So we'll see how this goes for McDonald's. It's kind of like McDonald's meets Smashburger meets Subway, but with some technology added in.
We're not really McDonald's people, so I'm not sure if we'll go back as full-paying customers. It's kind of a pricier meal, in the $8-$10 range, if you were going in without any coupons. We'll have to see.
You order your food using a touch-screen kiosk, which guides you through the process of your own creation. You get to select the type of bun, the type of cheese, and any additional toppings or sauces. Some items add to your price - for example, bacon - and others are included in the price. We actually went kind of wild because it was completely free regardless of how much we added. So I wound up with a double-bacon cheeseburger, with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, guacamole, and barbecue sauce.
They had a lot of different toppings, everything from mushrooms to tortilla strips, and sauces from Big Mac sauce to chipotle mayo. It takes a little longer - you go and have a seat and they bring it out to you about 10 minutes later. And it's served in a wire basket just as pictured above, not smashed together and wrapped up.
The interior of the restaurant is fancier than your typical McDonalds. Although it looked really nice, I kind of wondered how long it would be before it ends up trashed. They had these pristine white pull-down shades over the windows and I can just imagine little kids smearing ketchup and grease all over them. But maybe kids won't come so much as it's more of an adult place.
They do have these tablet computers attached to some of the tables, for kids to play, and I can guarantee those will be destroyed and then pitched into the trash within two years.
So we'll see how this goes for McDonald's. It's kind of like McDonald's meets Smashburger meets Subway, but with some technology added in.
We're not really McDonald's people, so I'm not sure if we'll go back as full-paying customers. It's kind of a pricier meal, in the $8-$10 range, if you were going in without any coupons. We'll have to see.
Book Review: David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Gregory A. PrinceMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Different than the traditional biography of an LDS Church President, which have been typically published shortly after their ascendance to the office but before their death, this telling of the David O. McKay story focuses on the time period of 1951-1970 when he served as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For this reason I enjoyed the book as it detailed the accomplishments and difficulties of his actual term of service. Looking back at those years through a 21st century lens added a unique perspective. I would love to see similar volumes emerge in the coming years, for instance a record of the years 1995-2008, when Gordon B. Hinckley led the church, perhaps the most dynamic church leader since McKay.
I am of a younger generation, born a few years after McKay's death, so I did not know a lot about him going in, but I did gain an appreciation for his marvelous service. Holding such a high calling is not easy, as McKay in many cases had to separate his own personal convictions from his responsibility to members of a worldwide church. He also had to manage competing opinions and agendas of other church leaders, often at his own expense. But there are a few people in the world whom everyone seems to respect, regardless of differences, and David O. McKay was one of those, as indicated by the tribute given by the Cathedral of the Madeleine Catholic Church in Salt Lake City during his funeral procession.
As indicated in other reviews, the book does tend to get a bit gossipy in sections and the authors seem to draw a lot of unsupported conclusions about what a particular individual's motivations may have been in various situations. But it was interesting to read that the Quorum of the Twelve do not necessarily agree with one another on the various issues that come before them. Although we're insulated from it in our day, there are certainly still heated debates that go on in their meetings. With fiery personalities such as Dallin H. Oaks, Jeffrey R. Holland, and David A. Bednar populating church hierarchy, do you honestly think they just sit around and say, "Hey, I'm chill with that if you are, brother"?
I do kind of wonder what bias the authors may have had given the voluminous resources they had at their disposal. To a point, they could have told just about any story they wanted to. They seemed to go out of their way to make heroes of "church intellectuals" then and now but disparaged Harold B. Lee and Ezra Taft Benson to the point that left you wondering how either of these men eventually became successors to President McKay.
Probably my favorite story in the book was the relationship between McKay and Lyndon B. Johnson, and how McKay inquired of Johnson regarding an Army policy which made it difficult for LDS chaplains to serve. Essentially Johnson demanded the Army accommodate the church, based primarily on his friendship with McKay and his respect for the Mormon way of life.
I would recommend this book despite its flaws. It left me with a testimony of David O. McKay's calling as a prophet.
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