"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'
"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'
"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." (Luke 2:1-20)
About Me
- Robert
- I'm a 2009 graduate of Dartmouth College who loves Jesus, my wife and all things Northeast.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
From page to screen
You never know what's going to happen when Hollywood adapts a novel or play to the big screen. Fans of the original work often brace themselves against what they fear is going to be a commercialized, unfaithful adaptation of a beloved story. Other people, perhaps more inclined toward watching movies than reading books anyway, feel no such apprehension. As a general rule, I have found that the book is better than the movie. But what about when this is not the case?
Two movies leap to mind as being better than the book on which they were based: The Silence of the Lambs and The Godfather (also The Godfather, Part II, which was based on the same book). Each of those movies won the Academy Award for Best Picture, in 1991, 1972 and 1974, respectively. This got me to thinking: How many Best Picture winners are better than the book? I realize that this is an entirely subjective determination and not every movie is even based on a book, but my new project for 2010 is to read the book, watch the movie and then decide which is better.
The three aforementioned titles are the only ones I can check off the list straightaway, but there are a few others (All Quiet on the Western Front, Hamlet, No Country For Old Men) where I've read the book and only have to watch the movie. Speaking of No Country For Old Men, I checked it out from the Dartmouth library yesterday and finished it this afternoon. It was my first Cormac McCarthy novel, and I really liked it. The ending threw me a bit, but hopefully it'll sit better once I digest it more fully. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, and especially to seeing Javier Bardem's Best Supporting Actor-winning performance as Anton Chigurh.
Merry Christmas Eve!
Two movies leap to mind as being better than the book on which they were based: The Silence of the Lambs and The Godfather (also The Godfather, Part II, which was based on the same book). Each of those movies won the Academy Award for Best Picture, in 1991, 1972 and 1974, respectively. This got me to thinking: How many Best Picture winners are better than the book? I realize that this is an entirely subjective determination and not every movie is even based on a book, but my new project for 2010 is to read the book, watch the movie and then decide which is better.
The three aforementioned titles are the only ones I can check off the list straightaway, but there are a few others (All Quiet on the Western Front, Hamlet, No Country For Old Men) where I've read the book and only have to watch the movie. Speaking of No Country For Old Men, I checked it out from the Dartmouth library yesterday and finished it this afternoon. It was my first Cormac McCarthy novel, and I really liked it. The ending threw me a bit, but hopefully it'll sit better once I digest it more fully. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, and especially to seeing Javier Bardem's Best Supporting Actor-winning performance as Anton Chigurh.
Merry Christmas Eve!
Monday, December 21, 2009
The joy of reading books
The lament is not new: people don't read books anymore. In fact, this refrain is so well-worn that it's at risk of becoming a cliche. Television was going to be the end of books. Video games were going to be the end of books. Computers were going to be the end of books. The Internet was definitely going to be the end of books. And yet people still read them. But will books' luck ever run out?
In a previous life, I was preparing for a career as a book editor in Manhattan. Last summer, I heard the head of digital media for HarperCollins Publishers talk about whether the publishing industry faced a threat from the rise of e-books and devices like the Kindle (which is basically a portable e-book reader). Her stance was instructive. "We own the content. The consumer decides on the form. If people want to read all their books electronically, that's fine. If people want everything on audiobook, no problem. Printing companies may be in trouble if books go by the wayside, but we're not threatened at all."
When you stop to think about it, this makes perfect sense. No matter if they end up traditionally bound, recorded on CD or rendered digitally, manuscripts still need editing, stories still need marketing and packages still need designing. There is no position in the publishing house that is threatened by the theoretical extinction of the book. (Although this is not true of newspapers. Newspapers are dependent upon advertising revenue, which is itself directly linked to circulation. The book will endure, but the newspaper's future is less certain.)
Indeed, there is no question that book sales are down. This trend has lasted for years; people are simply not buying as many books as they used to. Moreover, people are not reading as many books as they used to. This does not mean people are consuming less literature than before, though, merely reading fewer books. He courts obsolescence who denies literature's dynamism, its capacity to grow and evolve into shapes and forms previously unconsidered. The concept of literature, define it as you will, preceded the book and will survive it as well.
And yet I cannot wholly abjure the book. Reading a book brings a rush of sensory pleasures all its own. Who does not relish the scent of a brand-new volume, its heft in your hands, the whisper of its pages flitting past? These things will never be duplicated on a compact disc or a computer screen.
With all that said, I find that I read much less than I would like. Granted, schoolwork and other responsibilities cut deeply into my reading time. The time I do have to read, consequently, is that much sweeter. I finished Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage over the weekend (interesting book; worth a look if you're married or engaged, but otherwise there's not much there for you), and he mentioned offhandedly in one section that he reads thirty to forty books a year plus assorted magazines. Reading one book every nine to twelve days is not a bad clip!
The rate at which you read, of course, is far less important than the fact that you're reading books at all. With more than fifty books in my own reading queue, I am deeply excited for my winter break, which starts tomorrow afternoon. (And far more exciting is that I get to see my beautiful Ellen tomorrow!)
In a previous life, I was preparing for a career as a book editor in Manhattan. Last summer, I heard the head of digital media for HarperCollins Publishers talk about whether the publishing industry faced a threat from the rise of e-books and devices like the Kindle (which is basically a portable e-book reader). Her stance was instructive. "We own the content. The consumer decides on the form. If people want to read all their books electronically, that's fine. If people want everything on audiobook, no problem. Printing companies may be in trouble if books go by the wayside, but we're not threatened at all."
When you stop to think about it, this makes perfect sense. No matter if they end up traditionally bound, recorded on CD or rendered digitally, manuscripts still need editing, stories still need marketing and packages still need designing. There is no position in the publishing house that is threatened by the theoretical extinction of the book. (Although this is not true of newspapers. Newspapers are dependent upon advertising revenue, which is itself directly linked to circulation. The book will endure, but the newspaper's future is less certain.)
Indeed, there is no question that book sales are down. This trend has lasted for years; people are simply not buying as many books as they used to. Moreover, people are not reading as many books as they used to. This does not mean people are consuming less literature than before, though, merely reading fewer books. He courts obsolescence who denies literature's dynamism, its capacity to grow and evolve into shapes and forms previously unconsidered. The concept of literature, define it as you will, preceded the book and will survive it as well.
And yet I cannot wholly abjure the book. Reading a book brings a rush of sensory pleasures all its own. Who does not relish the scent of a brand-new volume, its heft in your hands, the whisper of its pages flitting past? These things will never be duplicated on a compact disc or a computer screen.
With all that said, I find that I read much less than I would like. Granted, schoolwork and other responsibilities cut deeply into my reading time. The time I do have to read, consequently, is that much sweeter. I finished Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage over the weekend (interesting book; worth a look if you're married or engaged, but otherwise there's not much there for you), and he mentioned offhandedly in one section that he reads thirty to forty books a year plus assorted magazines. Reading one book every nine to twelve days is not a bad clip!
The rate at which you read, of course, is far less important than the fact that you're reading books at all. With more than fifty books in my own reading queue, I am deeply excited for my winter break, which starts tomorrow afternoon. (And far more exciting is that I get to see my beautiful Ellen tomorrow!)
The monetary value of sleep
The community college tutoring center, where I work part-time, was recently so inundated with students that it began allowing tutors to show up at any time, no matter whether or not they were on the schedule. This struck me as a great way to pick up some extra hours during the week. When I told Ellen about my idea of going in to work early, she was quiet for a moment and then said, "Is the extra money you'll make during that hour worth losing the hour of sleep?"
I chose the sleep, but the underlying question stuck with me. If I were making five thousand dollars an hour, I would have been at the tutoring lab the second it opened. But as a minimum-wage employee, the balance tipped in favor of restorative slumber. Where exactly does the tipping point lie? How much money is an hour of sleep worth?
Pose that question to a college student in the throes of final exams, and they will quote you an impossibly large, probably fictional number ("Infinity billion dollars," after all, is not a real sum). But it's a practical question. Too little sleep can have far-reaching effects on emotional and physical health. Too much sleep can be equally detrimental, new research is showing.
What would you give for an extra hour of sleep? What would you not give?
I chose the sleep, but the underlying question stuck with me. If I were making five thousand dollars an hour, I would have been at the tutoring lab the second it opened. But as a minimum-wage employee, the balance tipped in favor of restorative slumber. Where exactly does the tipping point lie? How much money is an hour of sleep worth?
Pose that question to a college student in the throes of final exams, and they will quote you an impossibly large, probably fictional number ("Infinity billion dollars," after all, is not a real sum). But it's a practical question. Too little sleep can have far-reaching effects on emotional and physical health. Too much sleep can be equally detrimental, new research is showing.
What would you give for an extra hour of sleep? What would you not give?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Fire and ice in Buffalo
It has been a slow week in Western NY. This is largely due to the arrival of the first "Lake Effect" storm of the season last Thursday, which deposited upwards of a foot and a half of snow. (Somebody once tried to explain the Lake Effect to me in meteorological terms, but I have a sneaking feeling that it just boils down to the locals blaming nearby, defenseless Lake Erie for the awful winter weather around these parts.) The storm was so bad that some stretches of I-90 were closed between Buffalo and the Pennsylvania border. Some motorists spent as long as twelve hours stranded in their cars before the roadway reopened Friday morning. I guess that gives new meaning to the phrase, "Cold shoulder!"
On the plus side, the storm meant that I got to enjoy my first snowday since sophomore year of college. I actually came pretty close to going to school anyway until I walked outside to warm up the car, looked around and realized that there was no way classes were going to be in session, a theory that was quickly confirmed by a call to the emergency closing hotline. I had just gotten my snow tires two days earlier, too, but I'm sure I'll get another opportunity to test them out soon.
Unfortunately I came down with a high fever over the weekend, which has only recently begun to abate. Although attending paramedic school full-time and working three jobs keeps me running around at an often frenetic pace, I'd much rather be out and about than laid up sick. Suffice it to say I'm looking forward to getting back on my feet!
In other news, several big-name pitchers are on the move. Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is bound for Philadelphia, who is in turn sending Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. John Lackey, formerly of the Angels, signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. These are all big developments, but the best rotation in baseball still belongs to the New York Yankees. Can't wait for Opening Day!
On the plus side, the storm meant that I got to enjoy my first snowday since sophomore year of college. I actually came pretty close to going to school anyway until I walked outside to warm up the car, looked around and realized that there was no way classes were going to be in session, a theory that was quickly confirmed by a call to the emergency closing hotline. I had just gotten my snow tires two days earlier, too, but I'm sure I'll get another opportunity to test them out soon.
Unfortunately I came down with a high fever over the weekend, which has only recently begun to abate. Although attending paramedic school full-time and working three jobs keeps me running around at an often frenetic pace, I'd much rather be out and about than laid up sick. Suffice it to say I'm looking forward to getting back on my feet!
In other news, several big-name pitchers are on the move. Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is bound for Philadelphia, who is in turn sending Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. John Lackey, formerly of the Angels, signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. These are all big developments, but the best rotation in baseball still belongs to the New York Yankees. Can't wait for Opening Day!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
In defense of EMS
It has been nearly nine months since I decided to pursue a career in Emergency Medical Services after my college graduation. In that time, I have frequently encountered the question, "You went to Dartmouth and you're here?" I simply reply, "Yes, I like EMS," and leave it at that. I'm growing increasingly irritated by the question, however, because it reflects both a misunderstanding of what paramedics do and the vaguely classist belief that EMS is a career field for the poorly educated.
Paramedicine is a career in a near-constant state of flux, and as a result many people are left with an outdated or simply misinformed perception of what EMS providers do. Although Johnny and Roy helped to introduce paramedicine into the public consciousness with "Emergency!" in the 1970s, more recent television programs like "Saved" (2006) and the gosh-awful "Trauma" (2009) have done more to muddy the picture than clarify things.
Thirty five years ago, patient care consisted simply of arriving on scene, throwing the patient in the back and speeding to the hospital so the patient could begin receiving treatment. These days of "Swoop and scoop" EMS are long gone, but the perception of paramedics as mere "ambulance drivers" has persisted. Today's paramedic ambulance unit, however, is essentially a mobile emergency department.
Paramedics have the knowledge and training to administer more than three dozen medications, to perform extensive airway management maneuvers, to interpet EKGs and manage cardiac dysrhythmias and to assist in childbirth in addition to providing treatment for a wide range of other medical and trauma (injury) emergencies. Whatever was once true, the 21st century paramedic is a highly trained, skilled practitioner of emergency medicine.
As for the false assumption that EMS is a job for the poorly educated, this largely stems from the low salaries many EMS providers earn. Paramedic certification does not require a college degree, so employers do not feel obligated to pay a high wage. Even for those EMS providers who do hold bachelor's degrees or beyond, salaries are primarily determined by the education you need to have, not the education a given individual necessarily does have.
Thus arises a vicious circle: Relatively speaking, EMS is a fairly low-paying job. Low-paying jobs tend not to appeal to Ivy Leaguers (or bachelor's degree holders of any stripe). As a result, few college graduates choose EMS as a career, and the dearth of college graduates in the industry enables agencies to continue justifying their low salaries. This industry-wide combination of low salaries and few bachelor's degree holders has bred the assumption that EMS as a career is somehow beneath the well-educated, that they ought to be working elsewhere while those with less education man the nation's ambulances.
I reject this view. A job may be low-paying, but that does not mean it is unimportant. EMS is a demanding and worthwhile career that will challenge even the most capable provider on a daily basis. What's more, it is taken for granted in today's society that if you call 911, someone will come to help you. So why the expectation that these heroes will be society's second string? Nothing could or should be further from the truth.
Paramedicine is a career in a near-constant state of flux, and as a result many people are left with an outdated or simply misinformed perception of what EMS providers do. Although Johnny and Roy helped to introduce paramedicine into the public consciousness with "Emergency!" in the 1970s, more recent television programs like "Saved" (2006) and the gosh-awful "Trauma" (2009) have done more to muddy the picture than clarify things.
Thirty five years ago, patient care consisted simply of arriving on scene, throwing the patient in the back and speeding to the hospital so the patient could begin receiving treatment. These days of "Swoop and scoop" EMS are long gone, but the perception of paramedics as mere "ambulance drivers" has persisted. Today's paramedic ambulance unit, however, is essentially a mobile emergency department.
Paramedics have the knowledge and training to administer more than three dozen medications, to perform extensive airway management maneuvers, to interpet EKGs and manage cardiac dysrhythmias and to assist in childbirth in addition to providing treatment for a wide range of other medical and trauma (injury) emergencies. Whatever was once true, the 21st century paramedic is a highly trained, skilled practitioner of emergency medicine.
As for the false assumption that EMS is a job for the poorly educated, this largely stems from the low salaries many EMS providers earn. Paramedic certification does not require a college degree, so employers do not feel obligated to pay a high wage. Even for those EMS providers who do hold bachelor's degrees or beyond, salaries are primarily determined by the education you need to have, not the education a given individual necessarily does have.
Thus arises a vicious circle: Relatively speaking, EMS is a fairly low-paying job. Low-paying jobs tend not to appeal to Ivy Leaguers (or bachelor's degree holders of any stripe). As a result, few college graduates choose EMS as a career, and the dearth of college graduates in the industry enables agencies to continue justifying their low salaries. This industry-wide combination of low salaries and few bachelor's degree holders has bred the assumption that EMS as a career is somehow beneath the well-educated, that they ought to be working elsewhere while those with less education man the nation's ambulances.
I reject this view. A job may be low-paying, but that does not mean it is unimportant. EMS is a demanding and worthwhile career that will challenge even the most capable provider on a daily basis. What's more, it is taken for granted in today's society that if you call 911, someone will come to help you. So why the expectation that these heroes will be society's second string? Nothing could or should be further from the truth.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
A weekend off
I played in the Sardinia Open today, winning the tournament with a 3-0 score. It was a smaller field than the October edition, and the other three players were rated class D or below. Nevertheless the games were enjoyable, and it was a lot of fun to play in a chess tournament again. I reached the position below in the last round against Antonio Cirelli; after 19. Rb1 Black is hard-pressed to stop Bg4+ Kb8 Qxc6. But his try in the game didn't save him.
19. ... b6 20. Qxc6 Qxa2 21. Rc1 Rd7 22. Qa8#
After a series of delays, I had my final supervisor evaluation on Thursday at the ambulance company where I've started working. Until now my shifts had been part of my "new hire" time, meaning I'd been assigned a field training officer with whom I would ride along while learning the ropes at the company. As my training time drew to a close, however, we hit a prolonged dry spell with virtually no calls, so I had to extend my ride time. I finally cleared on Thursday, though, which means I will be able to start signing up for shifts next week.
In other news, the series finale of "Monk" aired last night. I remember watching the series premiere, all the way back in July of 2002. And I wish I could say I watched the (entire) finale, but due to a misunderstanding with the DVR, I only saw the first thirty minutes. So no one tell me what happens!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Frosty the Snowman exposed
With the recent deluge of Christmas music on the radio, it was only a matter of time before I heard that childhood classic, "Frosty the Snowman." As its dulcet tones caressed my ears, however, I suddenly realized that this seasonal classic's chipper melody masks an insidious agenda. Let's consider the opening refrain:
"Frosty the Snowman / Was a jolly happy soul / With a corncob pipe and a button nose / And two eyes made out of coal."
The dangers of smoking are well-known, as is the heightened suggestibility of children and adolescents with respect to starting to smoke. Yet one of the most iconic figures of the holiday season swaggers around smoking a pipe! Not only that, but he is jolly and happy while doing it, not showing an ounce of regret for the damage he is doing to his body or the danger his second-hand smoke poses to others. Forget the Marlboro Man; the tobacco industry's most popular and effective spokesman wears "An old silk hat."
It gets worse. There are a lot of objects that would make excellent eyes--carrots, raisins, two extra buttons--but the coal industry has somehow gotten its smog-stained hands on our holiday anthems. It is subliminally programming children to believe that fossil fuels are toys instead of environment-destroying death crystals. And don't believe for a minute that the use of coal was simply an aesthetic decision: Solar panels are the same color.
As the song progresses, the reality of Frosty's manipulative mission hits home: "He led them down the streets of town / Right to the traffic cop / And he only paused a moment when / He heard him holler stop!"
By deliberately ignoring this police officer, Frosty is teaching the next generation to brazenly flout authority. This subversive attitude, reinforced with a healthy dose of nicotine and greenhouse gas, is rotting the moral compass of children everywhere.
The snowman must be stopped.
"Frosty the Snowman / Was a jolly happy soul / With a corncob pipe and a button nose / And two eyes made out of coal."
The dangers of smoking are well-known, as is the heightened suggestibility of children and adolescents with respect to starting to smoke. Yet one of the most iconic figures of the holiday season swaggers around smoking a pipe! Not only that, but he is jolly and happy while doing it, not showing an ounce of regret for the damage he is doing to his body or the danger his second-hand smoke poses to others. Forget the Marlboro Man; the tobacco industry's most popular and effective spokesman wears "An old silk hat."
It gets worse. There are a lot of objects that would make excellent eyes--carrots, raisins, two extra buttons--but the coal industry has somehow gotten its smog-stained hands on our holiday anthems. It is subliminally programming children to believe that fossil fuels are toys instead of environment-destroying death crystals. And don't believe for a minute that the use of coal was simply an aesthetic decision: Solar panels are the same color.
As the song progresses, the reality of Frosty's manipulative mission hits home: "He led them down the streets of town / Right to the traffic cop / And he only paused a moment when / He heard him holler stop!"
By deliberately ignoring this police officer, Frosty is teaching the next generation to brazenly flout authority. This subversive attitude, reinforced with a healthy dose of nicotine and greenhouse gas, is rotting the moral compass of children everywhere.
The snowman must be stopped.
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