Manning to the Conference Final

A Manning will once again be attending a conference final, only this time it will be younger brother Eli with his Giants and not elder brother Peyton with his 2006 champion Colts. I guess New England is the only team allowed this season to make big comebacks from behind. Becoming excited about Super Bowl 42 will be difficult, but my mantra is anbody but the Pats.

Proof cats are demonic

Resistance is futile

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) might just win the Democratic nomination for the presidency. If he should win the presidency, he will have to thank Seven of Nine in his inaugural address.

prayer request

If you find a minute today, please offer a prayer for the family of my coworker Carolyn. Her son Collin, who is a couple years older than me, has been stationed with the Army in Afghanistan. Another solider, an Afghan translator, and Collin were in an area where there was an explosion. The soldier died, but the other two survived. However, Collin's face, hands, and legs are significantly burned, such that he no longer has eyelids and the doctors formed a new nose for him made from shark cartilage. He is currently at a hospital burn unit in Texas, and his situation doesn't look good.

Update on 1/11: Thanks for your prayers. Collin is no longer under a medically-incuded coma, but he has yet to "awaken." He is not responding to painful stimuli.

so now you know

I've been tantalizing and frustrating certain family members this week by my insuations that I will be experiencing a transformative "life event." I guess I've done all that because it's always good to have a little mystery in life, isn't it? I wanted to throw some intrigue out there, and make people wonder what I was up to. Frankly, it's extremely heartening to know that there are people out there who are interested in my life and what to know what I'm up to.

But of course, I never meant to turn this whole thing into some kind of teaste.. I was going to tell you all eventually, and the sooner the better. I mean, I don't want my life to turn into a Lost episode or something where everyone's wondering, what's going to happen next? How crazy would that kind of life be. Brownie is chased by the smoke monster! Brownie finds a white stone and a black stone! Brownie blows up a submarine! Brownie wins millions of dollars! Okay, that would last one would be rather great, but still... you get the drift.

So now, let me tell you what all this talk has been about.

Ever since I was young lad, I knew I wanted to grow up and help people in some way. I became fascinated by the work of a very-extended family member... the relative of a relative of a relative. Cincy Sister, you know who I'm talking about. He worked as a counselor at my school, but I never had any interactions with him that way. Still, I was fascinated with the idea of sitting down and talking with people to help them sort out their problems.

So I entered college and did an extremely rare thing: I graduated with the major I initially declared. Psychology. I knew of course that there weren't piles of money to be made in the psychology field, but that wasn't why I got into it. I wanted to help people, and I thought that this would be a fine method for doing so. I went straight from four years of undergrad to two years of graduate school work, finishing a master's in mental health counseling before I turned 24.

Looking back, I think, Good grief I was so young. Why was I so sure of myself? How did I decide that this would be good work to do? And most importantly, why did I think I was doing myself any favors by working in a field that's becoming increasingly unstable? The truth is that health insurance - managed care, as we like to say in the biz - has made this field more unstable. People in private practice have found it difficult to support themselves because insurance companies aren't willing to pay for more than a limited number of sessions (usually 6-12), and so have turned to seemingly more stable jobs within a community mental health center (CMHC's). However, the CMHC's are taking pages from the business world and increasingly focusing on productivity - if a counselor isn't seeing enough clients, she could lose her job. A counselor can't count on others to "pick up the slack," as has been done in the past.

I considered my options. I thought of applying for Ph.D. programs in psychology. I talked with several people who had done this very thing, and learned that they weren't making that much more money than I was (who had only a lowly M.S. to follow my name). I wanted to stay in the healthcare field, because I still had - and have to this day - a strong desire to assist other people. I thought of med school, but soon dismissed the idea because it would consume too many years of blood, sweat, and tears. After all, I have a family, and most of the time they enjoy having me around.

What to do? A few years back, The Wife and I came upon a plan - I would stay in the healthcare field, but build upon the exeriences I already had. I would plunge into a field that's continually growing and in need of more people. I would enter a nursing program and become a Registered Nurse.

I've taken the first step. I'm currently enrolled in two classes, Human Anatomy and Lifespan Development, at IUPUI. Yes, I'm a college student once again. Slightly older, slightly bulkier, slightly less fresh-faced, but a student nonetheless.

I'm up for the challange. I'm ready to go.

Hillary's Voice

It appears that Senator Hillary Clinton is the New Hampshire primary winner, narrowly beating fellow Senator Barack Obama in a race that was thought to belong to him. I don't want to discuss the N.H. primary in detail, but instead want to focus on a few words from this article on MSNBC's site.

A quote from the Hill herself:

I come tonight with a very full heart and I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts, and I’m so glad that you responded. Now together let’s give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me.

Words mean things, as we all know. With that in mind, it's important to consider what Hillary means by the "I found my own voice" line.

A few days ago, Hillary was speaking at a campaign stop in Portsmouth, NH. She "let slip a glimpse of uncontrolled emotion" when someone asked how the campaign had been affecting her and how she stayed "upbeat and so wonderful." She responded by saying with a cracked voice, "I don't want to see us fall backward as a nation," and acted near the point of weeping.

I wonder if this moment is what she referred to when she said she "found [her] own voice." Did she mean that she found a way to connect with some voters with a See? I'm not a robot routine? If she has only now found her own voice after all these years, whose voice had she been borrowing? Her husband's?

Whatever it was - and whatever you interpret it as being - it apparently worked. She has laid claim to the first primary in the nation, and we'll see if that claim gives her any momentum. She believes she is the one to keep America - you and me - from falling backwards. I just don't think she has the proper shoes.

lite blogging

Yeah, I haven't blogged the past couple days. There is a good reason for that, though, which is related to this.

Speaking of lite, feast your eyes on the worst restaurant dishes, food that would totally blow your New Year's diet... that is, if you haven't blown it already. (Guilty!)

12 Days of Christmas

Pastor Jon Hay has been blogging through the 12 days of Christmas.

Alton Brown's deal

Alton Brown, host of Food Network's best show, has made a deal to stay on for three more years. He'll develop a new limited series, Feasting on Waves, which will no doubt be similar to his Feasting on Asphalt. With Emeril and Mario losing their deals with Food TV, it's good to know that Brown will be sticking around.

And, no, we aren't related. Brown is a common surname.

Challies Blog Tour

Tim Challies is "touring" several blogs to promote his book The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. The tour runs from January 7 through January 18, and he's visiting quite the eclectic list. Challies' book stirred up quite a discussion at Justin Taylor's place.

Britney Spears in the hospital

Kim Cosmo has the details on Britney Spears' latest melt-down. It appears Britney has been admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital. If she did not sign an admit form, then her admission was involuntarily. I don't know about California law regarding medical admissions, but for someone to be admitted to a hospital against her will in Indiana, a doctor would need to have completed what is called an emergency detention form. A person can be admitted under emergency detention if she is deemed to be either a danger to herself, a danger to others (e.g., her children), or so incapacitated that she is unable to properly care for herself (e.g., she is running through the streets naked while experiencing a manic phase). Once the doctor completes the forms, they are taken to a judge for signature. The emergency detention form is good for 72 hours.

Life changes

I've got a life change coming up, one that starts incredibly soon. I know I'm being cryptic, but I'll fill you in on the details in the coming days.

Any life changes for you?

a raucous Caucus

Go here for the latest news.

Jeff Grenfield explains how the Iowa caucus goes wrong.

Evan Herrnstadt explains how Iowa controls the world.

Michael Moore has written a letter to his readers, saying he is endorsing... no one yet. No surprise, there. He liked Dr. Howard Dean last cycle, and we all know how that turned out. Moore's just happy that "W" will be outta there.

Update: Read Joe Gandalman's round-up and Doug Masson's assessment. David Brooks thinks there were two earthquakes, not one.

blogging & watching Dick Clark

blogging on New Year's Eve
Originally uploaded by Good Brownie

My daughter took this photo on New Year's Eve.

Brownie cameras

Besides the food, one of the great pleasures of dining at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Dayton (which I talked about here) is examining the antique signs and posters on the walls. There's a collection of old Ohio license plates in the restaurant waiting area.





I noticed one sign in particular, and knew I had to photograph it for the blog.




I never realized this company existed. How could I have missed it?

"I Am Legend"

***SPOILER ALERT - YOU'VE BEEN WARNED ***

I've been to New York City once in my life, in my teen years on a vacation with my parents and Cincy Sister's family. NYC is the most densely populated city in the United States, holding over 8.2 million souls in its five boroughs. A person could easily lose himself in the human sea that sweeps through the streets every morning, afternoon and evening. With that many people around him, he could easily hide and not be found. I found the city a marvel to behold.

As I Am Legend neatly shows, the city is even more a marvel with no one in it. The film begins with a lone man, gracefully played by Will Smith, and his canine companion racing through the deserted streets with a high-powered shotgun, chasing deer in a hot red sportscar. Years of neglect have allowed trees and tallgrass to break through the concrete, turning the urban jungle into a real one. Broadway signs for Wicked and a Batman/Superman movie (fanboys, take heart - it could happen!) cry out for attendees to come to stages that have been darkened for years. The scenes featuring a destroyed Brooklyn Bridge are particularly engrossing.

I Am Legend is based loosely on the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson, and tells the story of a man who believes himself to be the last person alive, or at least the last one alive on the island of Manhattan. Robert Neville, a virologist and an Army colonel, is apparently immune to strain of genetically-engineered measles created to cure cancer but with the unfortunate side effect of turning people into sunlight-abhorring mutants with super-human abilities. Neville left a radio message for anyone who might hear, explaining that he would be at a dock everyday "when the sun is highest" to offer food and shelter to anyone who comes. Besides hunting deer, he works on what he hopes to be a cure to help those who are infected.

What are the infected like? Well, they are never actually given a name, except perhaps by one character who calls them "dark seekers." The virus seems to disfigure those infected so that they become more like a CGI character than an actual human, so it's hard to have any kind of sympathy for them (at least not the same kind that Neville has). They also seem to have the ability to climb buildings and withstand an incredibly high pain level. Is there any kind of virus that comes to close to this?

There are so many spiritual themes present in the film that I found it hard to believe that Roger Ebert and Owen Gleiberman, two of my favorite reviewers, completely ignored them in their review. Perhaps Roger and Owen missed them, but I noticed several.

• In a flashback scene, Neville's daughter encouraged him to "follow the butterfly." Near the end of the film, Neville meets a character with a butterfly tattoo. The metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly represents new life. The spiritual implication here is that a new life is possible for those that are infected. The Christian begins her new life when she realizes that she is a sinner and only belief in the risen Christ can save her.
• Neville discovers that salvation for those infected lies within his own blood, since he is immune to the virus. The Christian believes that Jesus died on the cross, shedding His blood, for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).
• The infected can only move around in darkness; they cannot abide the light (John 3:19).
• Neville gives his life so that others can carry the cure to give to those infected. The Christian believes that Jesus offered His life to save sinners (Mark 10:45).

There are a few tense moments within the film, especially when Neville chases his canine companion into a dark building. Later in the film, Neville is forced to commit an act that he never wished to do. The look on his face is one of profound horror, and tells you what he is doing what actually showing the act. In that scene alone, Smith shows that he's become a premier actor.

"I dropped out of law school at Georgetown--where I could have learned how to become a highly paid attorney..."

Instead, she chose to critique politicians on television. Sacha Zimmerman reviews the ads streaming all over Iowa cornfields at this very minute.

She concludes:

And so, in the strange multiplex that is the '08 presidential race, there seems to be a little something for everyone: horror (Romney), science fiction (Giuliani), comedy (Huckabee), inspiration (Obama), John Waters (Clinton), and The Notebook (Edwards). If only I knew what the candidates' policies were.

(HT: Althouse)

as a new year begins, take time to consider your life

This prompted what may very well be one of the strongest posts from one of the Pyros.

2008 resolutions

Do you have any? My perennial resolution is to lose weight, but people who know me realize that it's a tough one. I've added a new one, though - I resolve to improve my writing skills. Not just here on the blog, but every time I write. I do a lot of writing in my work, more than what most people would think. I don't mean typing - I mean actual writing, with a pen and paper and everything. I also resolve to read more books than I did last year, but I don't know if I'll read this many.

If I'm truly going to improve my writing, I'll have to stay away from these words.

"a yummy New Year breakfast"

That's my eldest daughter's title for this post. Our first meal of 2008.



A two-egg omelette with bacon, chives, and cheese, accompanied by whole-wheat English muffins and a slice of processed American cheese. A perfect New Year's brunch.