Father's Day-themed Update

Father's Day-themed Update

Why is this a Father's Day-themed update? Didn't you say we were getting more on Uzunöl? You're right to ask these questions- in fact, I'm flattered you were paying that much attention. The fact remains though that I still don't have any pictures to post and I've already milked May 17-20 for two long blog posts, so I think it's time to move on. More importantly, this particular theme allows me to honor the man who has always preached good writing as one of the fundamental skills in life, alongside defense and a solid wood-splitting technique: my father, Jonathan G. Rogers. To this end, I'll be writing each section with the heading of a question I wanted to ask Dad at one point or another in my life and later found out the answer to.

"Why are you driving me all the way to work when you could make more money billing someone for that time than I'll make all day potting plants and pulling weeds?"
-I came across a quote in Gandhi's autopbiography last week that resonated with where I feel like I am in life vocationally right now: "I am here to do anything that is not beyond my capacity." This was his response to a secretary in the office of the Indian National Congress who said he could give him only clerical work upon his return to India. The secretary did not know his qualificactions (over a decade at the bar at that point, not to mention the South African Satyagraha up to then) and later was ashamed to have given him that work, but Gandhi was happy to have been able to help in any way. How much less am I qualified than him, so why should I agitate for an important and prestigious post? Doing a lot of work on a farm in high school gave me a good background for gratitude and perseverence in the work sector of life, and as I try to find my place in the world of social justice, politics and religion, it is comforting to know that I can handle different kinds of work and that greater people than I have done menial work in the past.

"Why don't more people admire John McCain's b'donk-a-donk?"
-It turns out, they do! (scroll up to the 7:30 mark for the good stuff)

"Why does that football team keep running the ball right into the middle of the other team's defense?"
-I remember asking this once during a game, and on the next play they actually did run an end-around or something different, and it got like 5 yards. In a metaphorical sense, this question goes to the Democratic party, with the answer being Obama. Seeing that picture of he and Michelle up on stage on the front of the NYT website one morning was almost as anticlimactic as updating the gamecast to find out the RedSox had won the World Series, but it was awesome nonetheless. Lost in all the hype about his gang sign/terrorist fist-jab (although no one seemed to mind when Jordan and Dr. Cox did it on Scrubs last season [check out episode 15 and send me a good x-word puzzle site STAT]) was just how much he went through to get that nomination. I mean, Andy Dufresne went throught less crap getting out of Shawshank than Obama did getting the nomination. Who can't wait for the next Chapelle's Show race draft?! And while we're here, I thought David Denby's comment that "Don't Mess with the Zohan" was destined to be seen as un texte Obamiste was a bit hors de la piste. Just thought I'd drop that in there.

"Why is it so important to give something back in better shape than it was lent to you?"
-I love the people I live with here, but chasing folks down to get something back from them an be a pain in the ass. Very few things that I've lent out this year (and judging by the massive amount of emails with headings like "my dvd collection?" or "who's got the kidney I let Bucky borrow?", this holds true for other residents as well) have come back in a timely manner. While I wouldn't list this as one of the ten most stressful things about my life in the past year, I feel its definitely had an effect on the overall level of trust and mutual cooperation in the lojman. Long story short- Patrick, make sure I get my library copy of "Children of Men" back by tomorrow morning.

"Why does Ireland produce so many good writers?"
-Actually, gonna have to wait another couple months on this one, I won't be there until July, but the point is, I WILL BE THERE IN JULY!!! And in preparation, I'm tackling Ulysses, which so far makes about as much sense as McCain's plan to balance the budget by eliminating earmarks (ZING!), but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

"Why has the anti-war movement pretty much folded just because we are electing a new president?"
-Again, not sure on this one yet, but a less-definite time frame for the answer, so you tell me. But seriously, check out that Daily Show link about McCain's derriere.