Monday, April 16, 2007

keeping a promise to caroline

...because I said that I would mention the folk artist that I ran into down in Ponchatoula.

Let me back up.

First, a few friends and I had been told about this hermitish folk artist, a painter, who happened to live in the same town we were staying, by someone who caught us admiring some of the art that was hanging up on the wall.

His name is Bill Hemmerling, and he's quite a treat to talk to. He was nice enough to chat with us for about an hour and a half, show us around his studio, talk about God, life, and art (to me, which I will forever remember and appreciate. He encouraged me to write as much as possible, and to find that place in myself to be original, because there's no point in being somebody else telling somebody else's story. Thanks Bill).

His painting have something soulful and beautiful, a fullness that isn't necessarily apparent from the surface. Some people, I hear, dislike the faceless quality of the figures (almost always of black people) that he paints, but he says he has them remain faceless because he wants to represent a kind of universality. The universality being the dignity, the grace, and the beauty of people, especially black people.


He has a series of paintings with the same figure, called "Sweet Olive." She is long, lean, and graceful, and Bill says he paints her that way because growing up, he saw that black people had always been represented in negative ways, so he wanted to paint them in a way that was beautiful, in some sort of classical way.

Bill himself is very gentle, calm, childlike. Despite his humble appearance, he is articulate, sympathetic, aware of the world. His publicist handles the sales, freeing him to paint and live his solitary lifestyle. He paints, feeds his dog and his cat, meets with people who like his paintings, hanging in the back gallery of a furniture store. Who knew you could find this stuff in a small town in Louisiana?

I almost, rashly, put some money down on one of his originals, which would definitely have put me in some kind of ridiculous financial hole, but... it sure felt like it'd be worth it, before I came to my senses. Maybe, just maybe, I can have one of those hanging on my wall one day, now that it looks like I'll be able to support myself.

Also, Blades of Glory? Totally ridiculous.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

easter + baseball


"Resurrection," Piero della Francesca, 1463

"Christ has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying." -- Hebrews 10:12-14

In the spirit of the great mystery of the Easter season, Raised by Wolves will preview the '07 MLB campaign according to the resurrections (and the inverse of resurrections, rotting corpses) within each division. Here's hoping that your team is resurrected, and not a rotting corpse (even you, Cubs fans).

NL West
Tightly packed mediocrity is the name of the game. Can the fogies (Ari's Randy Johnson and SF's Steroid Bear) bring their teams to contention? Probably not, so the Padres will dully limp their way to the division and get swept in the first round again.

It feels like SD, LA, Ari, SF, and Col, but not much difference between them.

Resurrections:
  • Steroid Bear - So everyone hates you, you're coming off gimpy knee surgery and the hardest season that even your hellfire-hardened soul has gone through. What do you do? Come back in excellent shape so you can absolutely smash through Hank Aaron's record. It would be tragic, but beautiful, like synchronized swimmers drowning, if the last 98 MPH fastball of the Unit's career bounced off Steroid Bear's noggin while the Unit's balky back snapped in two. All I'm saying is, that's a heck of a Hall of Fame plaque, way better than what they have now.
  • Marcus Giles - the Braves' trash is the Padres' new treasure, as they get a decent 2b for bargain basement prices (1 yr, $3.25m), which would only have gotten you about one third of Mark Derosa.
Rotting corpses:
  • Randy Johnson - So, you're 41, going on 42. This is your second offseason with surgery. You came off a bad year, albeit pitching in a tougher division. But, nobody writes you off because you've made a career out of being a freak of human physiology. Technically, you should have been DONE about 5 years ago. The Unit can just as easily be in the "resurrection" pile above, except for the fact that he looks like a rotting corpse. He'll probably get a bunch of strikeouts with an ERA in the mid 4.00s.
Best version of the NL West:
C - Josh Bard, SD, 1b - Adrian Gonzalez, SD, 2b - Jeff Kent, LA, 3b - Garret Atkins, Col
SS - Rafael Furcal, LA, LF - Steroid Bear, SF, CF - Mike Cameron, SD, RF - Matt Holliday, Col
SP - Brandon Webb, Ari, Randy Johnson, Ari, Jason Schmidt, LA, Jake Peavy, SD,
Chris Young, SD
RP - Trevor Hoffman, SD

NL Central
The Cardinals proved that it's not the best team in the regular season, but the one playing the best ball in October that wins, adding the corollary of "it's good to play against opponents that put up the resistance of a wet sack" (thank you Padres and Tigers). They managed to get weaker in the offseason, and the Cubs spent a pot of gold on free agents. Raised by Wolves is not buying the hype from Milwaukee, as much fun as it would be to have another Midwest team in the playoffs.

Chi, StL, Hou, Mil, Pit, Cin. Yes, I'm actually picking the Cubs to win it. They have less holes in their pitching in a pitching-thin division.

Resurrections:
  • Derrek Lee - the real engine for the Cubs' offense, since new acquisition Soriano will only exacerbate the team's weakness, plate discipline. Anybody who goes through that much undeserved personal tragedy, you root for.
Rotting corpses:
Best version of the NL Central
C - Michael Barrett, Chi, 1b - Albert Pujols, StL, 2b - Adam Kennedy, StL, 3b - Aramis Ramirez, Chi, SS - Adam Everett, Hou (only for defense)
LF - Jason Bay, Pit, CF - Alfonso Soriano, Chi, RF - Lance Berkman, Hou
SP - Roy Oswalt, Hou, Chris Carpenter, StL, Carlos Zambrano, Chi, Rich Hill, Chi, Aaron Harang, Cin
RP - Francisco Cordero, Mil

NL East
Last year was the Mets' year. End of story. Can they get over the hangover from losing a tough series? More importantly, can they overcome losing Pedro? Phillies fans will hate it every minute, but they're the favorites coming in.

Phi, NYM, Fla, Atl, Was. The Nationals are going to be historically bad.

Resurrections:
Miguel Cabrera - Now that he's finally coming in with the understanding that he has to actually stay in shape during the offseason, all the Pujols comparisons might come true. What is it with young millionaires and McDonalds, anyway?

Rotting corpses:
Pedro Martinez - The most dominant pitcher I've ever seen in a 5-6 year period (Clemens and Maddux never had a run like Pedro did from '97-'02), but he's probably done. Sorry bro, there's no bounceback from a torn rotator cuff.

Best version of the NL East
C - Brian McCann, Atl, 1b - Ryan Howard, Phi, 2b - Chase Utley, Phi, 3b - Miguel Cabrera, Fla
SS - Jose Reyes, NYM, LF - Pat Burrell, CF - Carlos Beltran, NYM, RF - Andruw Jones, Atl
SP - Cole Hamels, Phi, Tom Glavine, NYM, John Smoltz, Atl, Dontrelle Willis, Fla, Brett Myers, Phi
RP - Billy Wagner, NYM

AL East
NYY, bye, bye. Raised by Wolves can't get behind the Yankees winning the division again with a starting rotation that includes a broken Andy Pettitte, a crappy Carl Pavano, and gas-guzzling Japanese import Kei Igawa. It's unfortunate, though, that Boston had to become the very Evil Empire that they despise to reach the summit, just like Yoda said would happen if you embraced the Dark Side. The lesson as always, don't mess with Yoda's lunch.

Bos, NYY, Tor, TB, Bal.

Resurrections:
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka - Dice-K comes in with better stuff and pedigree than Nomo did in '95, when Nomo led the LAD to a division title and won ROY. Matsuzaka has the same slow-whip, funky delivery but more heat on the fastball, a splitter, and the "gyroball," the firm existence of said pitch residing somewhere in the area code of Amelia Earhart, my vertical leap, and El Chupacabra.
  • The good thing about the Yankees falling out of contention is that it means ARod will be a fantasy force again. Hugs and kisses for everybody!
Rotting corpses:
  • Yankee starting rotation - "Geez, I can smell you from over here." - Texas Ranger, from "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"
  • Curt Schilling -Admits that he didn't pay attention to his conditioning because he was devoting more time to his... video game company. By the way, you're 40 years old, way past whatever statute of limitations there is on miraculous bloody anklets. Fattiness aside, Schill's blog is a pretty great read, particularly the analysis of his pitch sequences.
Best version of the AL East
C - Jorge Posada, NYY, 1b - David Ortiz, Bos, 2b - Robinson Cano, NYY, 3b - ARod, NYY
SS - Derek Jeter, NYY, LF - Manny Ramirez, Bos, CF - Vernon Wells, Tor, RF - Carl Crawford, TB, DH - Jason Giambi, NYY
SP - Roy Halladay, Tor, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bos, Erik Bedard, Bal, Chien-Ming Wang, NYY, Mike Mussina, NYY
RP - Jonathan Papelbon, Bos

AL West
The Angels, after signing good free agent deals (which have gotten worse over the years), have had their window of opportunity quashed by unwilling to part with prospects that never seem to pan out, while the gestalt-minded A's grind to 90 win seasons no matter what the personnel loss (the overrated Zito, this time). Actually, you can insert "Rangers" or "Mariners" in the that first sentence, but the outcome is always the same: A's win. Raised by Wolves is sad that superstars like Vladdy Daddy and Ichiro! are wasting away their prime in loser outposts, and invite them to a happy summer on the south side of Chicago, some time soon. Just putting that out there.

Oak, LAA, Tex, Sea, just like last year.

Resurrections:
  • Mike Piazza - the Ahn Fantasy Baseball Favorite. Muhahaha. Plus, those blond tips will go over waay better in Cali then in NY, Mikey. 30 bombs and 100 RBI, Comeback Player of the Year, here we come.
Rotting corpses:
  • Rich Harden - the A's really, really think that THIS will finally be the year he stays healthy. Really. They promise. Why not trade him and let someone else deal with the headache? Two straight years of substantial injury time is not bad luck, it's Kerry Wood.
  • Eric Gagne - dude, it was a great run. Thanks for the memories, if only for bringing back goggles into professional sports again.
  • Gary Matthews, Jr. - Angels sign him to 5/$55m after a career year, then find out that this 180-lb looking dude is accused of steroid use. Sweet.

Best version of the AL West
C- Mike Piazza, 1b - Mark Teixeira, Tex, 2b - Ian Kinsler, Tex, 3b - Chone Figgins, LAA
SS - Michael Young, Tex, LF - Nick Swisher, Oak, CF - Ichiro, Sea, RF - Vlad Guerrero, LAA
DH - Raul Ibanez, Sea
SP - John Lackey, LAA, Dan Haren, Oak, Felix Hernandez, Sea, Ervin Santana, LAA, Rich Harden, Oak
RP - J.J. Putz, Sea

AL Central
In the toughest division in baseball, the Sox can finish anywhere from first to fourth. Considering the issues around an old/overused pitching staff and an offense that is bound to regress after a stellar year, it looks like closer to fourth than first. But, Detroit looks like they have World Series sweep hangover. Minnesota wins with a proven formula of Santana + defense + tough homefield, but they've lost Liriano for the year. Raised by Wolves thinks the Cleveland Native Americans are ready to take their turn, but can't stomach their awful bullpen and field manager. Even KC is playing guys with actual talent, now. It'll be another wild finish, with the top two advancing to the post season.

Min, Cle, Chi, Det, KC

Resurrections:
  • Gary Sheffield - Great trade, paying just for a year, and addressing an obvious on-base percentage deficit in the lineup. This has "Thome traded to the Sox in '06" written all over it.
Rotting corpses:
  • Scott Podsednik - Despite being OddTodd's favorite, he seems to have ceased to do anything well on a baseball field, the proof being perennial rotting corpse Darin Erstad (DARIN ERSTAD) looking like an all-star in comparison. Winning is great, but Raised by Wolves thinks the Sox playing only 8 in the field might be too prohibitive. My kingdom for an Ichiro.
  • Cleveland bullpen - You underperform by 11 wins (according to Pythagoras) in 2006, mostly due to relief pitching, so naturally you pick up Joe Borowski and Roberto Hernandez, and invite Keith Foulke to spring training for 2007, maybe accidentally thinking this was 2001? or 1999?
  • Kenny Rogers - please get this overrated ragarm soft-tosser out of my house, please. Cuz he kills my team. Blood clot? Maybe it's all that "resin" you have on your hand.
Best version of the AL Central
C - Joe Mauer, Min, 1b - Justin Morneau, Min, 2b - The Gooch, Sox, 3b - Joe Crede, Sox
SS - Carlos Guillen, Det, LF - Gary Sheffield, Det , CF - Grady Sizemore, Cle, RF - Jermaine Dye, Sox, DH - Jim Thome, Sox
SP - Johan Santana, Min, Jon Garland, Sox, Jeremy Bonderman, Det, Justin Verlander, Det, C.C. Sabathia, Cle
RP - Joe Nathan, Min

Baseball's back! Happy Easter!

Friday, April 06, 2007

good friday


"Crucifixion" by Masaccio, 1426.

"See, my servant will prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights. As the crowds were appalled on seeing him – so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human – so will the crowds be astonished at him, and kings stand speechless before him; for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before." -- Isaiah 52:13-15

Thursday, April 05, 2007

brother and baseball

Thursday, April 5


Dear Friends in Christ,


One day during my ethics class last semester, we were discussing the theme of friendship. More specifically, what the goal of friendship is: to love or to be loved? For Christians, the response is obvious in Christ's supreme love culminating on the cross by which He commands us, "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). And yet I was faced with a dilemma: If the goal is to love, in being altruistic and in seeking the good of the other, why do I instead often find myself seeking to be loved? Like all persons, I have the vocation to love and of being a man for others, and yet in examining my relationships (especially in THE relationship par excellence with God) I am aware of the constant tendency in seeking to be loved first by others. How then am I to evolve from seeking to be loved into loving first?


"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us… We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:10,19). God loved us FIRST, not the other way around. The creative act is that which makes God the creator and us his creatures, and being the creator necessarily implies that He loved us first. It is in God's very nature to love first, and being creatures, it is thus natural for us in seeking to be loved by Him. The fact that God loves first means that His love cannot be purchased. God does not love because we deserve to be loved but because He wants to and must give it freely. During my sophomore year at the University of Illinois, one day I was at Mass in line to receive Communion. At that moment this thought occurred to me: How would I respond if Jesus through the priest, right before offering me the Eucharist were to say, "The Body of Christ… wait, not today, Edward. Come back when you are more worthy of me. When you are able to love me as I ought to be loved". I would have been terrified had I not been able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, my daily Bread, and yet it would have been completely justified had I not received Him… And in that moment after having received the Eucharist, I was so grateful for the Love that loves without limit. God beckons each one of us, "Come, come as you are", that is, come in the condition that you are in now. God does not wait for a more opportune time to love, but loves us immediately and totally, precisely because he knows that our existence depends on His love, because we need to be loved. Because without Him, we would not even be capable of loving first.


"We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). The wonder of God's Love is the ennobling effect of its recipient. That God loved first and that we have been loved by Him is by no means a stagnant reality. Rather, having experienced the utter fullness
of His Infinite Love (Eph 3:18), we are transformed and invested with the capacity to become authentic lovers ourselves! It is God Himself, who having loved first, enacts us to be persons who no longer seek to be loved, but who love first. This is the gospel message, the Good News: God loved us first and we are loved by Him, and as a consequence, WE too are now able to love others first! It is thus we are able to respond generously and courageously to Christ's imperative to all Christians "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). May the knowledge of the imminent Resurrection of Christ fill you with peace and joy as well as the desire to share the love with which God has loved you with others by loving first. A Blessed Triduum and Happy Easter!


In Jesus and Mary,
Edward


Ed's gotten a lot better as a writer since going off to seminary.

It's still been strange to be at "home" but I've slowly started to allow myself a few personal indulgences after having relatively few. I was sad (but also nerdily ashamed) that I was missing out on the NCAA tournament and pretty much all of spring training, so naturally, I got up this morning, checked my email, did morning prayer with a breviary I found lying around, and drafted a fantasy baseball team (roto scoring, picking 8th out of 12). Ah, relief.

Round, player
  1. Carlos Beltran, NYM, OF - Santana already taken, Howard and Ortiz still on the board, still feels too high to take someone like Chase Utley or Carl Crawford. But, I've never picked him before, so...
  2. Lance Berkman, Hou, 1b-OF - a personal favorite from the All Big-Boned Team
  3. Roy Oswalt, Hou, SP - he's been on one of my teams ever since he got called up midseason 2001.
  4. Rafael Furcal, LAD, SS - Whoops, didn't know he was injured. Could've taken Michael Young, but wanted speed over power, and Furcal was the last decent speed guy at SS. Yargh.
  5. Brian Roberts, Bal, 2b - Did I take him too high? Another Ahn loyalty pick from year-to-year.
  6. Paul Konerko, Sox, 1b - Still good for 35-100, I think, although Delgado might've been a better choice here. The hometown thing won out. On another note, Thome is not 1b-eligible this year, and gets taken two rounds later. Grrr. But, still looking good.
  7. Cole Hamels, Phi, SP - One of those Young Starting Pitchers with lots of Upside and good strikeout rates (TM) that fantasy nerds rave about. Kinda like the anti-Mark Buehrle.
  8. Mike Piazza, Oak, C - Catcher eligible, but will mostly DH. Oakland's had great luck with getting good years out of fading hitters (i.e. John Jaha, Frank Thomas, etc). I'm pretty sure he can double up any other catcher's production, except for Mauer.
  9. Ricky Bobby Jenks, Sox, RP - Why did that nickname not occur to me earlier?
  10. Dan Haren, Oak, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM) a few years ago, now is more like Solid but Unknown Guy.
  11. Brian Fuentes, Col, RP - I hate it when everyone else starts taking relief pitchers so it forces you to do so, or else you're left with Bobby Thigpen and Rollie Fingers. At least I have two now, so I can concentrate on something else.
  12. Rich Hill, ChiC, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM), even if he is a Cub.
  13. Dave Roberts, SF, OF - Noticed that everyone is fishing for stolen bases, so this is trade bait for later. I have gaping holes at SS and 3b.
  14. Luke Scott, Hou, OF - my favorite sleeper pick for '07. I think he's Lance Berkman, Part Dos.
  15. Joe Crede, Sox, 3b - Not bad for the 15th round, but I'd like to upgrade here. I don't think I've ever had this many Sox players on my fantasy team. He's not the best, but at least JC won't embarrass me.
  16. Brandon Phillips, Cin, 2b - Should I really have taken Brian Roberts that early?
  17. Barry Bonds, SF, OF - Yes, yes, I know. But the Steroid Bear is on a mission, and he looks healthy, and it's the 17th round, ok?
  18. Adam Wainwright, StL, SP-RP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM)
  19. Dave Bush, Mil, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM). One of the main reasons why Milwaukee is being touted as a contender, although I still don't get why.
  20. Frank Thomas, Tor, Util - Muhahahaha.
  21. Justin Duchscherer, Oak, RP - Pronounced "duck-sure," as in, "I am duck-sure that Huston Street will get injured again."
Also, clearly, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

finally "home"


... just in time for Easter.

Got in last night after driving most of the day from just outside of Atlanta.

Sorry for anyone who was expecting retreat tour updates here; they're mostly on MI Youth's LiveJournal, complete with links to photos and such.

We *only* did 4 retreats, 5 parish-related evening presentations, and 1 leadership training day in our 6 weeks of retreat ministry, but it sure seemed like a lot more. All that driving took up a lot of time:
  • Los Angeles to Seattle - 1136 miles
  • Seattle to Corvallis, OR to Chino Hills, CA - 1174 miles
  • Chino Hills, CA to Albuquerque, NM - 774 miles
  • Albuquerque, NM to Ponchatoula, LA - 1137 miles
  • Ponchatoula, LA to Newnan, GA - 449 miles
  • Newnan, GA to Chicago, IL - 749 miles
That adds up to 5419 miles, not including mileage accrued at the locations. Pretty close to 900-1000 miles a week. I guess I'm not crazy if I feel tired. No way to put a measure on all the moments of grace, challenge, and poverty that we encountered, though.

But it's great, beyond anything. I'm going to cloister myself until after Easter because I don't feel ready to interface with the world yet. I still feel like a nomad; my room and my house feel strange and unfamiliar.