Snow Day, Part Deux

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Our morning began with the beauty and grandeur of 6+ inches of snow, a peaceful and serenely calm morning...

Suddenly, the peace was shattered by a crazed Great Dane puppy, romping through the first big snow of her life...After she had burned off all of her excitement, she posed in all of her regal beauty, for some winter portraits.
That was our morning...quite a a fun and exciting experience. No school again today, so another quiet and enjoyable day with my wife. Here's to snow days!
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The Woman of My Dreams

There are many things in my life that I do not deserve- my family, my health, my friends, but today I was reminded how much I don't deserve the wonderful woman that married me.

My first day of class was supposed to be today (more on that in a minute) and I have not been looking forward to heading back to class. Spring semesters are always more difficult for me to stay motivated, and this semester already seems to be no exception. However, when I woke up this morning, I found this sitting in the kitchen:

My wife assembled for me a veritable cornucopia of goodies for my first day of class. In the Kroger Sweet Shoppe bag is a bunch of Atomic Fireballs (one of my all time favorites) and in the envelope was a great card about her cold feet. It was a wonderful gesture by her on a day when she worked and was very tired. As I moved into the living room, I noticed that she had already set up the TV tray for my breakfast of waffles that she bought me yesterday. This day was getting better and better!

Then the view outside made me thankful for her once again:


That's right- 4 inches in Louisville=total shutdown of the city. In other words, no class for me today! But why does the snow make me more thankful for my wonderful wife? Well, she picked up an extra shift last night so that we can stay ahead with our finances as I finish school. Because of the snow, she had to stay at work this morning an extra hour, then it took her about four times as long to get home because of the condition of the roads. She is such a blessing to me, and I am amazed at her selflessness and sacrificial love. I have the best wife in the world, so I figured I would let you all know it! Enjoy your snow day.

Chrysler, Fiat and Why It's Gonna Be Bad...

The news broke about two days ago that Chrysler, by far the worst off of America's big three, will enter into a "global strategic alliance" with Fiat S.p.A. Hailed as the move that could save Chrysler, the alliance includes market sharing for both companies (they both exist in very different marketing environments with Chrysler having little presence in Europe and Fiat having no presence in America), Fiat's experience in helping Chrysler develop a successful business plan, Chrysler gets a fleet of small, fuel efficient vehicles and Fiat's engineering aide, while Fiat gets 35% equity interest in Chrysler. And Cerberus, the private equity company that acquired Chrysler from Daimler-Benz a few years ago, finally gets rid of the giant sucking sound that has haunted them since they bought the #3 US automaker. It seems like a great idea, right? Not so fast.

First, Fiat's vehicles would fill a niche that Chrysler's current lineup basically ignores, and it's a niche that is selling like hotcakes right now. However, it's not like Fiat's cars can hop the next boat across the pond, get plastered with all manner of Chrysler logos and then be sold to the American consumer. Emissions and safety standards have to be met, and a quick re-entry into the US marketplace for Fiat, a company that many Americans have never heard of, will be arduous, difficult and expensive from a marketing standpoint. Rebadging Fiats as Chryslers won't make the landing any softer, as Chrysler/Dodge doesn't have a very good reputation with the American consumer right now either. Maybe they can brand them all Jeeps (or not).

There are further concerns. On the heels of these moves, Daimler has announced that it is looking to offload its remaining stake in the company. Cerberus has stated that they would consider buying it, but with the current economic climate, who knows. The scenario could look something like this: If Daimler unloads their remaining 20% to Cerberus, their share would jump from 45% to 65%, with Fiat owning 35%. If Cerberus is smart, they'll avoid this scenario and continue to divest themselves of Chrysler. Then again, if Cerberus were smart, they probably wouldn't have bought a controlling interest in this train wreck of an auto company anyway. On top of this, Democrat Barney Frank today proclaimed, as only Barney Frank can, that if the Fiat/Chrysler thingamajig goes through, the government wants its bridge loan money back. Certainly a reasonable request, but at an unreasonable time. This would make this alliance an even more difficult feat to accomplish.


But all of these problems pale in comparison to the nearly immovable obstacle that Chrysler faces before becoming profitable again. Chrysler has had inventory control and dealer problems for at least the last three years- the long and short of it is, they have been building more cars than they can sell for a long time, and it hasn't been catching up to them so much as piling on top of them. They have even resorted to paying dealers to take excess inventory, which the dealers then unload any way they can. Some estimates put Chrysler over-dealered by at much as 75%, even in a scenario that includes selling Fiats through their existing network. The Big 3 all face dealer and inventory issues, but Chrysler's problems are the worst, and they've been going on the longest.

All of this means that if this works, it is still going to be a long and very rocky road for Chrysler to survive. And that's a very big "if." Don't get me wrong, I would love for Chrysler to survive, and it would be great to have some of Fiat's products here in the United States. I would hate to see the Viper, the car that began my interest in all things automotive, disappear along with the company that created it, and I still maintain that Jeep is some of the most valuable automotive property in the US market. Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure- Chrysler's survival is anything but assured, and if anyone thinks they can coast to success after this deal with Fiat, they couldn't be more wrong.


Sources: Autoextremist.com, Autoblog.com

The Empty Public Square...

Richard John Neuhaus, 1936-2009
By Joseph Bottum
Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:00 AM

Our great, good friend is gone.

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus slipped away January 8, shortly before 10 o’clock, at the age of seventy-two. He never recovered from the weakness that sent him to the hospital the day after Christmas, caused by a series of side effects from the cancer he was suffering. He lost consciousness Tuesday evening after a collapse in his heart rate, and soon after, in the company of friends, he died.

My tears are not for him—for he knew, all his life, that his Redeemer lives, and he has now been gathered by the Lord in whom he trusted. I weep, rather, for all the rest of us. As a priest, as a writer, as a public leader in so many struggles, and as a friend, no one can take his place. The fabric of life has been torn by his death, and it will not be repaired, for those of us who knew him, until that time when everything is mended and all our tears are wiped away.

Please accept our thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. I

n Deepest Sorrow,
Joseph Bottum
Editor First Things

I was saddened to hear of the passing of this great man. Two days ago I recieved his watershed work, The Naked Public Square, a book that defined a generation of evangelical engagement in the political sphere. I was fortunate enough to hear this man speak once, and upon reflection, I can only mourn the loss of a brilliant mind and passionate heart. Men like Richard John Neuhaus do not come along every day, and we have not only lost a champion of orthodoxy, but a man whom we would all do well to imitate in thought and deed.

It's Cold in Here!

I came across this interesting data on the internet a few days back, and thought I would share the wealth. Everyone I am sure remembers that Polar Bears were put on some stage of the endangered species list, mainly as a tactic to open doors for more global warming initiatives. The reasoning was that with the warming of the globe and the melting of all the polar ice, the bears were all going to drown and go extinct. You've all seen the image of a poor polar bear swimming, exhausted, searching for the ice that has turned into water because I drove my car to work this morning.

Before I go any further, let's get a few facts straight. First, polar bears don't drown- they are actually excellent swimmers. They have been spotted in the open ocean as far as 200 miles from land. Certainly they hunt at the polar ice/water's edge, so I suppose if that edge were to disappear completely all the seals they kill there would disappear...or would they? In any case, it's also important to note that according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this loss of the polar bear's range would take at least the next 100 years. This won't happen tomorrow.

The info from the University of Illinois Artic Research Center is shockingly boring and even more regular than one could imagine. Rapid ice melt last summer was decried as the beginning of the end (of the world), despite the fact that an ice-free pole has occurred before, and is both normal and natural. However, all the sky-is-falling talk may be premature: as the year ended, the study showed that polar ice ended on a high note (as polar bear populations continue to soar). In fact, ice levels sit at almost exactly where they were in 1979, which I believe was shortly after the mini Ice Age golbal hysteria had passed. Certainly this isn't conclusive proof that Global Warming is a myth, or that it is a non-naturally occurring phenomenon. But it's important to remember that scientific studies and suggested causation for the current climate do not point to a clear consesus, and there's a lot more to this idea than the assertion that big bad humans are killing the planet. Remember that next time you see a commercial with a sad polar bear...he'll probably be okay.

Marley & Me

**Spoiler Alert: You'll probably be able to figure out the end of this movie after reading this blog.

I have a boy-and-his-dog complex. As a child, I cried at the end of Where the Red Fern Grows. I also cried at the end of Old Yeller. I suppose I don't have to tell you where this is going.

A few days after Christmas, my family and I went to see Marley & Me, a film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. While the movie has been met with mixed critical reviews, I enjoyed the film, in large part because of my attachment to canines.

The movie begins with a just-married John Grogan (Wilson) and his wife Jennifer (Aniston) as they begin their lives in South Florida working for the Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post newspapers. Both desire to start a family but their employment makes this a difficult proposition, so John, on the advice of his bachelor friend Sebastian, surprises Jennifer with a labrador puppy to preoccupy and redirect her desire for children. All the results of a rambunctious puppy coupled with a lack of training ensue.

I enjoyed the film for several reasons. First, it was nice to see familiar surroundings, as I grew up in the same area as the Grogans live in the first 2/3rds of the movie. Additionally, both Kristen and I resonated with the film because we could identify with the circumstances of the characters. After all, we are young, married, and currently have a puppy as our only child.

The film is as much about John's reluctant trajectory into adulthood as it is about a misbehaving furball, but that didn't bother me since the film is Marley & Me, not My Dog Marley. I felt that the recounting of the Grogan marriage was an honest and fair portrayal of what it is like to travel through various life stages. My brother Matthew didn't feel that Aniston and Owen had much on-screen chemistry, but I saw it another way: their marriage had romantice and passion, but it was also filled with long days and tiresome responsiblities. I appreciated that their marriage was portrayed as difficult and joyful, and their arguments at several points reminded me of some of my less-than perfect moments.

I won't go into detail, but the ending of the film was both expected and difficult, though it didn't fall victim to the new puppy cliche of many life-of-a-dog films. I'll just say that I felt the same way about this ending as I did about the endings of Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. While the movie isn't Oscar material and certainly has several silly points, it's a good film with a rich and meaningful ending, and I would recommend it. Just bring the tissues.

Christmas Reviews

Now that Christmas has passed and we're all looking at the first few days of 2009, I thought I would share some reviews and thoughts of several of my Christmas gifts.

Craftsman Wrenches

I asked for these wrenches specifically and was thrilled to receive them. They are a 12 piece Metric combination set with an open end and a closed, 6 point end. The 6 point end makes them less likely to strip stubborn bolts and fits snugly around bold heads. The 7-18mm spread includes pretty much all the sizes I will need, and the best thing about Craftsman hand tools is their lifetime warranty. If I happen to be under my car at 50 years from now, pounding on one of these wrenches to loosen a bolt and the wrench breaks, I can drive to Sears and present them with it and it will be immediately replaced, free of charge. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Tootsie

Dustin Hoffman stars in this film, the original cross-dressing comedy. While most people my age remember Robin William's amusing antics as Mrs. Doubtfire, he has nothing on Dustin Hoffman's hilarious portrayal of Michael Dorsey, an out-of-work actor that finds success only as his female alter-ego, Dorothy Michaels. Directed by the brilliant Sydney Pollack, this film is a laugh-out-loud comedy that crafts humor from irony and circumstance rather than going for the cheap laugh. Additionally, it has a unique tone to the subject of cross-dressing due to its age, and I feel is all the better for it.

Swingline Stapler

If you've seen the classic movie Office Space, then you have seen this stapler. Apparently, I'm only supposed to use "Swingline High Performance Staples" in it. Sortof like how Ferraris require Premium gasoline. My old stapler was a piece of junk, so this is definitely an upgrade. Milton would be proud.

Piper Books
I asked for John Piper's Desiring God for Christmas. I have never read any of Piper's books save for the very short Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, so I felt as though I should at least read the book that so many believers rave about. My in-laws responded to my request by purchasing not only Desiring God, but also Pleasures of God (which several of my friends have told me is actually their favorite Piper book) and Future Grace. While I have not started any of these books yet, I am looking forward to digging into the books that have shaped the minds of so many pastors, professors and friends that I respect.

Old Navy Sweater

This was a very thoughtful gift from my wife Kristen. She has excellent taste and I have decided to pretty much let her pick out my clothes from now on. I always look good in the things she buys for me. The sweater is warm and initially I thought it might be a little itchy, but it is on the contrary quite soft and comfy.

Sports Night
I've mentioned this show on my blog before, but it's worth noting again that this was certainly one of if not the best show ever to grace network television. Unappreciated in its own time and consigned to a mediocre dvd release with no special features and a poor quality digital transfer, this re-release of the show does Sports Night right. There are commentaries with the very talented director/producers Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme, as well as a number of other bonus features. If you haven't seen Sports Night, then you haven't seen Shakespeare as it was meant to be played.

The Ministry of Fear

Graham Green is one of my all-time favorite writers, and as I have read nearly the entirety of his popular collection, I have been attempting to branch out to some of his lesser-known works. The Ministry of Fear was not Greene's most acclaimed novel, though he always considered it his favorite, a fact that drew me to it. I have only just begun to read this novel, but all signs point to it being yet another wonderful example of Greene's talent as a writer.

Jaws

This is one of the all time classics of the silver screen, containing such famous quotes as "You're gonna need a bigger boat" and "Smile you sonofa..." While the tale of this rogue shark may be a little short on scientific fact (though Richard Dreyfuss' character does call the shark "a carcaradon carcharias") it is filled with terror and the excitement of an extended battle with the apex predator of the ocean. Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider all shine in their respective roles. The irony of this gift for me is that it came from my sister-in-law Tiffany, who is very wary of sharks. Also, I would recommend watching this trailer, melding the smashing success of Jaws with the mediocre film Must Love Dogs.