She's coming around

Less than two minutes ago I quoted a line from Big Trouble in Little China, a movie the Lovely and Talented Wife has sworn against.

She laughed.

Score one for the y chromosone.

mw

A man should be able to...

I made a few updates on the plane.

Shake hands. Steady, firm grip, pump 1.5 times, let go. Make eye contact. Smiles don’t hurt either, but it shouldn’t be goofy.
Tie a knot. My default is the square knot, and it works as a pretty good base for every other knot I need to tie. Every time I tie it I hear Brother Ferrin’s voice in my head: “Wright! Right over left, left over right!” “My right or yours?” “It doesn’t matter!”
Throw a baseball over-hand with some snap (on target), throw a football with a tight spiral (again, on target), and hit an eight-foot jumper reliably. Otherwise, play more ball.
Avoid boredom. You have enough to east. You can move. This must be acknowledged as a kind of freedom. You don’t always have to buy things, put things in your mouth, or be delighted.
Create a play-list in which ten seemingly random songs provide a secret message to one person. Just like Edde Sellers.
Do a job you don’t want to do and learn from it. When I was thirteen I took a job preparing the fields at the city ballpark for the games. It required a lot of time (at least for a thirteen-year-old) and didn’t pay much (even for a thirteen-year-old). After about a month I asked my dad if I could quit. He asked if I had signed up for one month or for the summer, and I had my answer. That summer I put in more hours than anyone else, and was the only one to not miss a day. I hated every minute of it, but I learned about work, about commitments, and that sometimes you get to do things you would never do if you had the choice.
Give people the time they deserve. My dad never wears a watch. I don’t know why. I’ve never asked him. But I see it as fitting with his ability to make everyone feel they are the most important person he could be talking with at that moment.
Build a fire. This one goes out to all you Eagle scouts out there. To review, there are three components.

(1) The tinder, one to two handfuls. Bone-dry, snappable twigs. Bone-dry pine needles. Bone-dry bark (preferably birch, it burns long and hot). Or paper. Yes, bone-dry.
(2) The kindling, enough that you need two hand it hold it. Should be as thick as your thumb and as long as your hand span.
(3) The fuel wood. Anything thick and long enough that it can’t be broken by hand. It’s okay if it is slightly damp, but it will smoke more. The thicker it is, the longer it will burn, but the more it will smoke.

I prefer using a teepee for steps one and two, and then transitioning to a log cabin at step three as I think it creates a hotter core, though one method isn’t necessarily superior to another. The idea is to create some kind of structure so plenty of air gets to the fire. If you’re dropping logs on the fire an indiscriminate pile, you’re doing it wrong.
Say no. Sometime, you have to do it. Not because you’re lazy. Not because you don’t want to help. But because there are only so many hours in a day and you need to prioritize.
Speak to an eight-year-old so he will hear. Use his first name. Don’t use baby talk. Don’t crank up your energy to match his. Ask questions and wait for answers (not a bad idea with people of any age). Follow up. Concentrate on seeing the child as a person of his own.
Speak to a waiter so he will hear. You don’t own the restaurant, so don’t act like it. You do own the transaction, so act like it. Don’t speak into the menu. Lift your chin. Make eye contact. Speak clearly and smile. Don’t have fun at their expense. Say thank you and mean it. All restaurants have secrets. Let it be known that you expect to see some of them. This applies in principle to everyone whose job it is to serve you. Consider the grocery store clerk, the bus driver, the airline stewardess, etc. It is not about getting better service. It is about human decency.
Break another man’s grip on your wrist/forarm. Rotate your arm rapidly in the grip toward the other guy’s thumb.
Take a photo. Fill the frame, and know when to center the subject matter and when not to. Keep horizon lines out of the center.
Take a date to a game. Chances are, she’s condescending to be with you, so don’t explain the game condescendingly to her. Even better, talk about something other than the game. If she does ask questions, answer them in a straightforward manner.
Know when to split cards in blackjack. Aces and eights. Always. It’s a counting man’s game, afterall.
Don’t gamble. The house always wins, and you aren’t the exception. Not to mention, it is a lazy man’s effort to get what he doesn’t deserve and feel clever at the same time.
Be brand loyal when it counts. I have an autistic brother. Years ago, one of the Barnes & Noble booktores in Salt Lake gave him a job. It was a nominal wage as he sat and flipped through (read: tore) books. As I recall, he didn’t have it long as it didn’t work out too well. The point, though, is that they tried, and I buy my books from Barnes & Noble. Excellence deserves loyalty.
Be loyal. Did you notice the segue? But now we’re talking about people and fraternal love. Loyalty is not a matter of quid pro quo. No. It is the recognition of a shared history; the currency of selflessness, given without expectation and capable of the most stellar returns. Those of you who have met my oldest brother, Mike, know of what I speak.
Write a thank-you note. Make a habit of it. Follow a simple formula. I like the following: first line is a thesis statement. The second is evidentiary. The third is a kind of assertion. Close on an uptick. Consider:

Thanks for having me over to watch game six. Boston certainly made it clear that the Lakers are a soulless, overmarketed contrivance of network television. Still, it was nice to watch the frustration on Kobe’s face in high def. We should do it again this fall when my Red Sox embarrass your Yankees (we were speaking of overmarketed contrivances, weren’t we?) again.

Point north. If you have a watch, point the hour hand at the sun, then find the point directly between the hour hand and the twelve. That’s south. The opposite direction is north. If you don’t have a watch, use your imagination.
Find his way out of the woods when (not ‘if’) lost. Not your landmarks (mountains, streams, highway sounds if you’re not too deep, etc.). Look for the sun (note: not at the sun) to gauge your direction every few minutes. If you’re completely stuck, look for a creek and follow it downstream. Water flows toward larger bodies of water, where people tend to gather.

mw

Lunch at Applebees

I had lunch this afternoon at Applebees, and I'm looking forward to returning to this particular establishment. The food was the standard Applebees fare, nothing to complain about, but nothing to brag about either. But the playlist they were spinning - the young man who cooked it up (Edde Sellers, yes, I asked) is a master.

So subtly did young master Sellers ply his trade that it took me a moment to realize what he was doing. I finally started listening, really listening, half-way through "King of Pain." I had been paying close enough attention to realize that Sting's angst had somehow risen above normal levels, yet at the same time had a congruence about it not normally achieved when a song by The Police is played solo. Intrigued, I listened. And I was delighted at the tale this young man told

Unfortunately, I had to leave for the airport before the story ended, but witness the following:

• "King of Pain" by The Police
• "Lucky Denver Mint" by Jimmy Eat World
• "Something to Say" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
• "And So it Goes" by Billy Joel
• "Black" by Pearl Jam
• "Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots
• "Anna Begins" by Counting Crows
  
• "The Space Between" by The Dave Matthews Band
• "Hallelujah" by Rufus Wainright (though I do prefer K.D. Lang's cover)
• "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins
• "Far Away, Boys" by Flogging Molly

mw

A man should be able to...

A few weeks ago I came across an article that identified 75 different things a man should be able to do. As I sat at dinner tonight with the research team and listened to the conversations around the table, I decided to start putting together my own list. Some of this is for Caleb. Some of this is for me. Some of this is from the original list. I’ll likely add to the list as time goes on, but this is tonight’s version.

Discuss a book that matters. The Catcher in the Rye does not matter. Not really. Neither does anything by J.K. Rowling, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, or John Grisham. You need to read, and you need to be able to read beyond the story. If you’re not sure where to start, consider All Quiet on the Western Front, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Frankenstein.
Not monopolize the conversation. You’re not as interesting a person as you think you are.
Write a letter. Easy to do. Easy to forget. Our culture of text messaging, instant messaging, and email has destroyed our ability to write coherent sentences (you know, nouns, verbs, punctuation, etc.), not to mention a full letter. A five-paragraph structure works pretty well. Tell why you're writing. Offer details. Ask questions. Give news. Add a specific memory or two. If your handwriting is terrible, type. Always close formally.
Buy a suit. Never shop the bargain rack, and always get it fitted. Know your likes, your dislikes, and why you need it. Squeeze the fabric. If it bounces back with little or no sign of wrinkling, that’s good. Tug the buttons gently. If they feel loose or wobbly, that’s bad. The jacket’s shoulder pads should square your shoulders; if they droop or leave dents in the cloth, it doesn’t fit. The pant legs should touch the top of your shoes with about an inch of fabric to spare (suits are to be worn while standing, not sitting). The sleeves should meet the base of your thumb at your wrist. Your shirt sleeves should extend beyond your coat sleeves 1/8” to 1/4” inch. As an aside, this is the most difficult code of fashion to maintain.
Show respect without drawing attention to it. Respect the following, in this order: age, experience, record, reputation.
Throw a punch. Stay close, but not too close. Swing with your shoulders, not your arm. You don’t have a haymaker and long punches rarely land squarely anyway, so forget the roundhouse. Follow through; don’t pop and pull back after contact. The length you give the punch should come in the form of extension after the point of contact (i.e., target about three inches behind the back of his head). If for some crazy reason you decide to throw the first punch, stay toe-to-toe and face the consequence. Just remember, the bones in your hand are small and easy to break. You’re better off striking hard with the heel of your palm. Or you could buy the guy a drink and talk it out.
Tie a tie with more than one knot. I prefer a Double Windsor, since it usually creates a more balanced knot, but it takes a lot of material. The Full Windsor and the Half Windsor are handy when I’m trying to working with a shorter tie.
Do math in his head. I’m not talking about differential calculus, just basic arithmetic functions with mostly round numbers. Mental algebra should not be a parlor trick.
Calculate square footage (length time width) and square a corner (a² + b² = c²).
Not be intimidated. I’ve gone to the same grill the last two days for lunch in Tampa Bay. 90% of the clientèle have graduate degrees. The guy behind the counter, who probably didn't graduate from high school, made the lunch a rich experience. He worked hard enough that he didn’t have to tell stupid jokes. He didn’t stare, and he wasn’t afraid to look you in the eye. He knew things I didn’t, but didn’t feel the need to talk about them every minute. He didn’t scrape or apologize for his status or his job or the way he was dressed. He simply did his job confidently, skillfully, and with quiet relish. Act like that guy.
Drive an eightpenny nail into a treated two-by-four without thinking about it. Use a contractor’s hammer. My personal preference is a 26 oz. Estwing with a waffle head. Swing hard and loose like a forehand in racquetball.
Play chess with an old guy. Old men will try to crush you. They'll drown you in meaningless chatter, tell stories about when they were kids this or in Korea that. Or they'll retreat into a taciturn posture designed to get you to do the talking. They'll note your strategies without mentioning them, keep the stakes at a level they can control, and change up their pace of play just to get you stumbling. You have to do this; you have to play their game. They may have been playing for decades. You take a beating as a means of absorbing the lessons they've learned without taking a lesson. But don't be afraid to take them down. They can handle it.
Play Candy Land with a kid. You don't crush kids. You talk their ear off, make an event out of it, tell them stories about when you were a kid this or in Vegas that. You have to play their game, too, even though they may have been playing only for weeks. Observe. Teach them without once offering a lesson. And don't be afraid to win. They can handle it.
Understand quantum physics well enough to accept that a quarter might, at some point, pass straight through the table when dropped. Tonight at dinner one of the waiters dropped a tray full of very breakable items. I made a mental wager on who would win, quantum physics or Newton. Well, the bowls, glasses, plates, all shattered (score one for Newton), but it led to a discussion about an infinite number of universes and a corresponding infinite numbers of possibilities, and if one of the universes duplicated another could you capture the entire field of possibilities? Turns out, sometimes the laws of physics aren't laws at all. Oh, and yes, I did bet on Newton.
Feign interest. Good place to start: quantum physics.
Make a bed, do the dishes, do the laundry, iron a shirt (start rough, end gentle), change a diaper (always gentle).
Jump-start a car (without any drama), change a flat tire (safely), change the oil.
Install: a disposal, an electronic thermostat, or a lighting fixture without asking for help. I'll give you one hint, then you're on your own: turn off the main. If you don't know what that means, or why it should matter, ask for help.
Dress a wound. First, stop the bleeding. Apply pressure using a gauze pad. Stay with the pressure. If you can't stop the bleeding, forget the next step, just get to a hospital. Once the bleeding stops, clean the wound. Use water or saline solution; a little soap is good, too. If you can't get the wound clean, then forget the next step, just get to a hospital. Finally, dress the wound. For a laceration, push the edges together and apply a butterfly bandage. For avulsions, where the skin is punctured and pulled back like a trapdoor, push the skin back and use a butterfly. Slather the area in antibacterial ointment. Cover the wound with a gauze pad taped into place. Change that dressing every 12 hours, checking carefully for signs of infection. Better yet, get to a hospital.
Hit a stop shot in pool. Put the cue on the bottom quarter of the cue ball. Hit it hard and pull back. If you did it right, it will rotate backward slowly as it slides forward across the table and will stop the instant it connects with the ball. If you did it wrong, it will follow the ball into the hole and you just lost the game. This is probably the most useful shot in pool.
Tell a joke. Here’s one: Two guys are walking down a dark alley when a mugger approaches them and demands their money. They both grudgingly pull out their wallets and begin taking out their cash. Just then, one guy turns to the other, hands him a bill, and says, “Hey, here's that $20 I owe you.”

mw

June 25

1940: France surrenders to Germany after less than two months of open warfare

Following the invasion of Poland in September 1939, the major powers adopted a policie of Sitzkrieg known as the Phoney War. This came to an end on May 10, 1940 when German armored units launched Fall Gelb (Case Yellow). In the course of a month, the German army pushed through the Ardennes in an effort to surround the Allied units that had advanced into Belgium. Fall Gelb is considered to be the birth of blitzkrieg, in which an army conducts a strategic envelopment using mechanized forces, with overwhelming air-support, leading to the operational collapse of the enemy.

While the British Expeditionary Force, as well as many French units, was evacuated from Dunkirk, Fall Gelb was considered a success. It removed from the field of battle the best units of the French Army and virtually all Allied support. More importantly, it provided Germany’s following operation, Fall Rot (Case Red) jump-off point that flanked the Maginot Line to attack the larger territory of France. Paris was occupied on June 14, and France capitulated on June 25 following the surrender of the French Second Army Group on June 22. Frances surrender was received at Compiègne Forest in the same railway car where the 1918 Armistice was signed ending the First World War.

Interestingly, modern strategic battlefield simulations of the campaign it is hard to make the Allied side lose. This has led historians to attribute France's stunning defeat to non-military factors, including a moral crisis, weak and sclerotic leadership, political divisiveness, and a declining birth rate.

It has also led to a fresh generation of jokes.

Q: Did you hear about the new French tanks?
A: They have 5 gears...4 in reverse, and one forward gear just in case they're attacked from behind!
Q: Why don't they have fireworks at Euro Disney?
A: Because every time they shoot them off, the French try to surrender.
Q: Why do they have trees in Paris?
A: So the Germans can march in the shade instead of the sun.
Q: How many Frenchmen would it take to defend Paris?
A: It's not known, it's never been tried.
Q: Why is it good to be French?
A: You can surrender at the beginning of the war and the U.S. will win it for you.
Q: What does "Maginot" mean in English?
A: The translation is unclear, but it is either "Welcome!" or "Speed bump ahead."
Q: What's the difference between Frenchmen and toast?
A: You can make soldiers out of toast.
Q: What is the first thing you are taught when joining the French army?
A: To say "I surrender" in German.
Q: What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up?
A: The Army.
Q: How do you confuse a French Soldier?
A: Give him a rifle and ask him to shoot it.
Q. Why don't Master Card and Visa work well in France?
A. They do not know how to say "CHARGE!"
Q: What is the most useful thing in the French Army?
A: A rearview mirror, so they can see the war.
Q: Why did the French celebrate their World Cup Championship in 2000 so wildly?
A: It was their first time they won anything without the help of the U.S.
The French have only one actual fighting war hero, Joan of Arc, and they turned her over to the enemy!A French rifle is for sale on eBay. It's never been fired but I heard it's been dropped once.

mw

Moon Lake

We had our 29th annual Moon Lake excursion over Father's Day weekend.

Breakfast on the first morning. Caleb's breakfast, that is. The rest of us had biscuits and gravy.Caleb helping Daddy stake the canopy into the sand on the beach.
The remains of the canopy on the beach.Mark grew up playing with his cousins every year on this rock just above the campsite. This year, he introduced Caleb into the club.Playing with Boppa Caleb's favorite activity was collecting rocks and then throwing them in the lake.
This was a much needed break and we had a great time!

Neesha

Review: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Towards the end of the movie Neesha commented, "Didn't they do this in the first movie?" Such is the flavor of National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. I found it to be a well-trafficked, by-the-numbers story that played a lot like a cross between Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Goonies without the brilliant dialogue ("Hey you guys!" Genius).

I think my biggest disappointment (aside from the movie claiming to open five days after the end of the Civil War, when it was really only four days after Lee surrendered) was that I was able to figure out most of the clues long before Ben Gates. From the HMS resolute to the desk in Buckingham Palace and in the Oval Office, to Ben sticking his hand in the hole in the eagle's chest and pretending it was being eaten, if I hadn't seen it before I had experienced it. Note to all future screen writers: if a joke is predictable, then by definition it isn't witty.

Rating:

• Buy it now
• Worth $10 at Costco
• Happy we rented it, but also happy we only rented it
  
• No good at any price
• That numb feeling at the top of your head? That's your cerebral cortex closing up shop

m&n

My 15 minutes will be spent in increments

The saying is that everyone has fifteen minutes of fame. I’m pretty sure mine will be measured out by coffee spoons.

This morning, at 7:37 a.m., I saw Elton John. I was sitting on the 471 bus while it was stopped at the light on North Temple and Main in downtown. I looked out the lightly tinted window and saw his Rocketman-ness crossing the street from the Conference Center to the Main Street Plaza. I’m sure he was humming Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road as he walked.

Watch the tabloids. Pretty soon, I’m certain you will see a cover with Elton John in downtown Salt Lake under the headline, “Elton John converts to Mormonism – takes seven partners.” If you look in the window of the bus over his shoulder, I’ll be the shadowy shape four rows back.

There goes another 2.3 seconds of my 15 minutes.

mw

June 19

1893: Lizzie Borden is acquitted of the murder of her father and step-mother.
1953: Not as fortunate as Ms. Borden, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg became the first, and only, Americans to be executed by the U.S. government for espionage.

mw

They are on a first name basis, now

I had an elder's quorum meeting tonight. Gratefully, everyone was willing meet at our house since Neesha was also scheduled to be out on visits with the Relief Society, meaning I was tasked with ensuring Caleb didn't break his other arm.

Me: Do you want to watch a movie during Daddy's meeting?
Caleb: Car movie! (Disney's Cars). *pause* Watch at home.
Me: Of course you can watch at home.
Caleb: No doctor's office.

Anyone want to guess where he has spent a lot of time recently?

mw

Happy Father's Day

Being a parent means late nights, early mornings, teaching manners, practicing manners, saying no, saying yes, making time, making it better, changing habits, changing schedules, and changing diapers.

It means singing the same songs and reading the same stories that you sang and read yesterday and two minutes ago.

It means trying to explain why toy cars roll down a hill at 5:45 a.m.

It means putting yourself second, and then third, before and after a long day at work.

It means cleaning the house five times a day and not being able to tell that you did it even once.

It means discipline, worry, happiness, fear, pride, laughter, and love.

“I believe that all good parents are optimists. Who else would attempt the thankless task of turning two-year-olds into human beings?”

I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Happy Father’s day to all you optimists out there.

mw

Good memories and friends

On my bedside table is a picture from our wedding day. While we were taking pictures at the Bountiful Temple, I commented to one of my buddies that I had not had breakfast yet. He disappeared with the rest of my groomsmen and returned 20 minutes later with a box of donuts from Carmacks (alas, not the real Carmacks). We couldn't resist the opportunity, and our photographer captured the moment for us. In retrospect, it maybe wasn't the best idea, though it remains one of my favorite memories from the day.

Caleb noticed the picture the other day, and gave a quick roll call.

Caleb: Who that?
Neesha: That's Matt. I don't think you've met him.
Caleb: Who that?
Neesha: That's Durrant. Do you know who that is?
Caleb: Daddy!
Neesha: Do you know who that is?
Caleb: Mommy!
Neesha: Good. And that...
Caleb: Simon!
Neesha: Very good! Who is Simon?
Caleb: Bennett's house!

mw

A simple ulnar fracture - what a way to start the summer!

So Caleb decided to have one last hurrah in his crib. He climbed in, jumped around for a bit, and then fell out. Yes, his elbow is broken. Yes, it took us three days to get him in to have it x-rayed. Yes, the guilt is terrible. But, after five hours of doctor's offices, three forms, three sets of x-rays, a radiologist, a pediatrician, an orthopedic surgeon, and dozens of medical assistants, Caleb is now sporting a new, blue, fiberglass cast (which gets to stay as clean and as dry as possible for four weeks - right).

Here's hoping we survive it!

Like Boppa, like grandson

My father served as Bishop when I was a teenager. One of the initiatives he implemented with the youth and young singles was the Malt Meeting. Every Sunday evening (excepting the first and fifth Sundays), either the young women, the young men, or the young single adults would come over for an informal fireside where they could ask any question that was on their mind. All this took place while they ate malts of every flavor made by my mother, hence the meeting's name and my mother's sainthood.

Of every flavor. You could have the vanilla flavors such as, well, vanilla, obviously, but also chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, and strawberry. You could blend different flavors (chocolate-caramel worked pretty well, chocolate-strawberry not so much. The clever ones picked chocolate-vanilla) as well as add toppings such as crushed Oreos and marshmallows. Beyond that, if you could imagine it, you could have it provided the ingredients were in the house. If they weren't, you knew they would be next time.

I don't remember the details, but somehow the Bishop's fondness for ketchup became public knowledge. It wasn't long after that the young men challenged him to have a ketchup malt. I had never seen my mom laugh while making malts, before, but until that night I had also never seen a grown man wince while eating ice cream.
I share this as a cautionary tale for Caleb. This morning he insisted on having ketchup on his blueberry muffin. Thirty to forty years from now, if he's not careful, he may wind up trying muscle a spoonful of ketchup malt past his gag reflex.

mw

June 6

1944: At 6:30 a.m., British Double Summer time, 135,000 British, American, and Canadian troops assaulted five primary beach heads along the coasts of Normandy. Over the next month, more than one million Allied soldiers would follow, and begin the liberation of Europe from the Nazi Reich.

Thank you.

mw

Big-boy bed

Caleb has moved from his crib to a big-boy bed. This was one of three significant changes we had expected to make in our little boy's life this summer (the other two being a baby sister and a new home). If he takes the next two as well as he did this, we'll be just fine. Where he was climbing out of his crib two to three times a night, he has yet to climb off his bed these past four nights. His willingness to stay in bed has even gone so far as to stand at the edge calling, "Mommy" when he wakes in the morning or after a nap. We're guessing that won't last.

m&n

June 4

1989: The June Fourth Incident, known outside of China as the Tienanmen Square Massacre, results in the deaths of hundreds of Chinese university students.

The Tienanmen Square Protests were a series of demonstrations led by labor activists, intellectuals, and students between April 15 and June 4, 1989. They had their beginning in the funeral for former Secretary General of the CPC, Hu Yaobang. Yaobang was in favor of rapid reform, and had openly derided what he termed as Maoist excesses. As such, he was positioned as a scapegoat for the pro-democracy protests of 1986-1987 and then forced out of the party. Before his funeral, tens of thousands of students staged sit ins across China, with the largest gathering (over 100,000 being at Tienanmen Square, demanding the party revise their official view of him.

The protests escalated across the country to include demands for free media reform and open dialogue between party leaders and elected representatives of the students. As the protests continued to escalate, party leaders were divided in how best to respond. Then General Secretary Zhao Ziyang advocated a soft approach, while Li Peng was in strongly in favor of a crackdown.

Martial law was declared on May 20, with the actual assault on Tienanmen Square by the 27th and 28th Armies of the People's Liberation Army occurring the night of June 3. Troops with fixed bayonets and armored personnel carriers advanced on the square from various positions, attacking protesters who continued to resist as well as those who attempted to flee. The event was immortalized by the photograph of one man standing in front of a column of tanks, easily one of the most famous photographs taken that earned the unknown man a spot on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th Century. His fate is remains unknown, with various sources indicating that he was ultimately arrested, killed, or escaped untouched. Unknown to many who view this photograph, the tanks were actually attempting to drive out of Tienanmen Square along the Avenue of Eternal Peace when the photo was taken.

The Square was cleared by 5:40 a.m. It is unknown how many were ultimately killed, but estimates range wildly from 200 to 10,000. Protests continued around the country for a few more days before the Chinese government was able to fully regain control. Afterward, there was a purge through out the CPC, as members viewed as sympathetic to the protestors. This included Zhao Ziyang, who was removed from his position as General Secretary and would ultimately die in prison.

mw

The Pedal Pirates

A buddy of mine and his fiancé are riding in the MS150 bike ride again. It is a 150 mile ride, the proceeds of which go toward researching a cure for MS.

Interesting fact: Utah has one of the highest incidence rates of MS in the nation, with an estimated 1 in 500 affected by MS, as compared to 1 in 10,000 in Texas. This is attributable to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. MS is more common among people of northern European ancestry (common in Utah) and occurs with much greater frequency in higher latitudes away from the equator. This means that, statistically speaking, each of us are going to know and interact on a familiar basis with at least one person who has MS.

You can follow the link below to make a donation to the cause.

The Pedal Pirates

mw

June 1

1967: The Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles eighth studio album, following Revolver (1966) and preceding Magical Mystery Tour (1967) in the U.S. and The Beatles (1967), more commonly known as The White Album, in the U.K.

The release came at a time when Beatlemania was waning as The Beatles had quit touring the previous August. With Sgt. Pepper's, the intent was to create a record that could, along with promotional film clips made over the previous years, tour for them.

To that end, McCartney decided they should create fictitious characters for each member of The Beatles and record an album that would be a performance by that fictitious band. To that end, the song begins with the title track introducing the band, and then segues into "With a Little Help From My Friends" performed by the band leader, Billy Shears (Starr). The album has a bookend effect by reprising the title track at the end of the album prior to "A Day in the Life."

McCartney's vision of recording a performance by a fictitious band was never fully realized. Lennon was adamant that the tracks he had written for the album had nothing to do with the Sgt. Pepper's concept. At the same time, The Beatles had been working on several songs thematically linked to childhood and everyday life. Two of these, "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," were intended to be a part of Sgt. Pepper's, but were pulled after The Beatles were pressured into releasing them as singles (Sgt. Pepper's has no singles, similar to the earlier release, Rubber Soul). However, this theme is still present in "Lovely Rita," "Good Morning Good Morning," "She's Leaving Home," "When I'm Sixty-Four," and "A Day in the Life."

The album cover, featuring a collage of life-sized cardboard models of famous people, received a Grammy and is one of the most famous, and most parodied, of all time. The collage, known as "People We Like," included over 70 famous and historic characters, including the original bass player for The Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe who had passed away five years earlier. Lennon had requested that Adolf Hitler be included. Though this was ultimately decided against, Hitler's cut out can be seen in production photos from the time, along with another rejected cut out that has a cloth draped over its head. It is speculated that this unknown character was Elvis Presley.Sgt. Pepper's received both popular and critical acclaim upon release. The album spent 175 weeks on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. (15 weeks at number one), and 201 weeks on the UK Albums Chart (27 weeks at number one). At the same time, many critics and contemporaries held the album to be The Beatles magnum opus, a perception that has persisted largely until today with Rolling Stone labeling it the greatest album of all time as recently as 2003. Personally, I hold The White Album as The Beatles greatest album, although Sgt. Pepper's does contain one of my two favorite songs by The Beatles in "A Day in the Life," the other being "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from The White Album.

Track listing:

1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
2. "With a Little Help From My Friends"
3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
4. "Getting Better"
5. "Fixing a Hole"
6. "She's Leaving Home"
7. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"
8. "Within You Without You"
9. "When I'm Sixty-Four"
10. "Lovely Rita"
11. "Good Morning Good Morning"
12. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)"
13. "A Day in the Life"

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