A Couple of Homies

This pretty much exactly sums up the relationship I have with my best in the world bro-bot Kevin James Merrill.



Two friends taking it to the next level.

O/U 4evs, dude.

The Fulfillment

Today we affirmed our belief and confidence in a man to do a job only ever entrusted to 42 other Americans in the history of this country. That's a big deal. Even more importantly, though, we entrusted the position for the first time to a man of color. Surely I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know when I say that the inauguration of President Obama is a major milestone in the history of this country. And when I say "major," I mean phenomenally huge. This is an event that countless people wrote off as improbable or impossible; certainly something they never thought they'd see during their time here. This is a step forward that I encouraged and hoped for. It's a step towards righting some of the most prominent wrongs in our history and I would never want to say anything to take away from the significance of the 35 word oath and following 18 minute speech that President Obama delivered today.

As I was watching the network coverage of the inauguration today, I kept hearing reporters asking questions to black pundits and inaugural revelers for comments on their emotions about this historic event. Given that we celebrated MLK day less than 24 hours ago, I wasn't surprised to hear many of these commentators comment on the "fulfillment" of MLK's "dream." It seems that there are a good number of people in this country who consider this event to be a signal that America has overcome its racist history and has moved to a place of full inclusion and equal participation for all citizens. Again, I don't have any disparaging comments about the fact that today's events mark an absolute watershed in the movement for civil rights in this country. I do, however, respectfully disagree with anyone who would call the appointment of President Obama to signify that we've somehow reached the goal of the civil rights movement. President Obama is an epic, tangible sign that we're still making huge gains towards the formation of a society which will "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

But the sun will not rise tomorrow on a nation of fairness and equality. The sun will rise and for the first time a black man will awake to face the task of running the country. But he will be assuming responsibility for a country where women still only earn three-quarters of the wage a man earns; where black children in inner-city public schools will have to share their textbooks with one another in crumbling, poorly insulated classrooms; where an elderly woman will have to choose between having medication of food; where a gay or lesbian couple cannot legally affirm their relationship; and where a single mother will be forced to move out of her home because she cannot afford to pay for her mortgage.

Obama is a step forward, but he's not the fulfillment of the dream. He is proof that we hope for a more positive future, but he's not the answer.

The dream won't be fulfilled until we each take personal responsibility for its fulfillment. Don't peg your hopes on Obama to make changes in your own life and in your community. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. I'm confident that both Obama and MLK would tell you something similar.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
- President Barack Obama

Be Gold. Stay Gold.

MMK

Baby Kole items

I wanted to let everyone know after much thought, we have begun a Baby Kole Registry at Target.com. We have done this so friends and family far away are able to contribute to Baby Kole in a more specific way if they would like. Also, some of our friends here at UNH will be holding us a baby shower...and having a few specific needed items could make things a bit easier. Please don't feel obligated to purchase anything - just know we appreciate all that is done for us!!!

Directions to access the Baby Kole Registry:
Go to Target.com
Click on "Gift Registries" on the top panel
Enter my First and Last name in the spaces provided
Click "Search"...and click "View Registry" next to both of our names...
you will be brought to our page!

All of the items online can be purchased and sent to our address...which is rather convenient for our friends and family who live far away!

Miss you all..and Baby Kole gives a swift kick to my gut to say hello! :o)

SLK

Freethought Miscellany

(Note: This turned out to be pretty long in the end. Just a forewarning.)

There's been a little bit of time pass since I sat down to write anything in this space. The silence is reflective of the fact that very few things of note have really been happening around here in the past few weeks. I had been, until yesterday, in the final days of my vacation. I took the opportunity to make the most of the time by doing the least bit of anything that I could. It's been glorious, but I'm getting to the point where I'm looking forward to the students coming back and the semester beginning. The novelty of idleness has, for the most part, worn thin.

So there we are. You're now officially caught up on anything particularly noteworthy in my life. Seeing as how such a meager paragraph hardly seems to warrant being published, however, I'll proceed on with some of the things that have been on my mind or in my focus lately. Some of it is probably more meaningful than the rest...

It's recruiting season in the professional arena or Residence Life. My department, like most others across the country, will begin to interview candidates within the next month and a half to two months. I've been chosen to be a part of the interview process for Res Life at UNH and I'll be heading to Osh Kosh, WI at the end of February to interview a host of candidates at the annual Osh Kosh Placement Exchange (which I attended as a candidate last year). Because of this, I've been reflecting on my experience as an HD here at UNH and have decided that I honestly have little to nothing to complain about regarding the work I'm doing. Where I've previously complained virtually nonstop about the department(s) I've worked for, I would feel very wrong about doing any of that complaining now. It's a good feeling to realize that you fit in at the place you're working and that you enjoy what you're doing. I hope that I can help to recruit to this department professionals who will be as successful here as I have been.

I've been talking to our child recently as it kicks/punches/moshes around the womb. I felt a bit odd, at first, speaking into Sarah's belly button (which is now entirely flat with the rest of her stomach) as though it were some sort of telephone to my child. I'm more comfortable with the behavior now, though, and I enjoy the conversations she and I share with our progeny (though they're admittedly almost entirely one-sided). It makes me feel fatherly.

I'm happy to see some recent changes in the shape of my upper body (shoulders, most notably) since I've gotten back into a weightlifting routine lately. I was quite pleased with how my body carried the muscle I had around my last year at Iowa State when I was lifting heavily and regularly. Having fallen out of the habit during grad school (however understandable the fall out may be) was actually a rather large source of disappointment for me. I'm hoping that it's not something I let slip again in the future.

As much as Sarah may yell at me and tell me that it's gross, I can't help that I'm a nail biter. I'm doing it right now as I type this post. It's a habit. Thanks, Mom, for passing that one along.

I've been thinking a lot lately about absolute Truth. You may have read the conversation I had with my brother regarding the issue of Truth. The whole issue started when I picked up Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis over break and started reading his methodical analysis of the Christian faith. I'll probably post more on the topic at a later date once I finish reading the book, but that could take awhile. I can generally only stand 10-15 pages of Lewis before I need to set it aside and just think about things for awhile. It's pretty heavy. Pick it up, though, if you want to dig deeper into what I consider to be a rather logical analysis of the faith.

I'm enjoying the colder weather that's come in the past few days. I can't help that winter is my favorite season. That being said, I am certainly glad that it's not as cold here as it has been back home. Fifty below is just ridiculous.

I bought some new running shoes this past weekend. For having just said that I enjoy the cold of winter, it might be odd to also hear that I'm looking forward to the spring and summer so that I can get back to running outside. I'm going to run a 5K this summer. It's a goal of mine. That's probably the furthest I'll ever run, though, because it's just ridiculous to want to run any further than that.

Space blows my mind. Have you ever seen the Deep Field images taken by the Hubble? Each point of light in the photo is a galaxy. EACH POINT! And that photo simply catalogs one point in the sky! There are literally billions upon billions of galaxies in the universe. It gets even more mind boggling when you consider that all of the normal matter in all of those galaxies accounts for only half of the matter that theoretically should exist in the universe. Dark matter, worm-holes, black holes... It's all a serious mind fuck (sorry for the swear, but it's necessary) when you sit down and try to conceptualize even a part of it, though absolutely humbling to any person who considers their life or their existence to be even minutely significant in any way whatsoever. I am mystified by anyone who can look at space or the universe and not see something bigger than ourselves. I am blown away by those who understand anything of the complexities of life and science without likewise understanding the presence of a Creator's hand.

I fell asleep the other day while I was watching a History Channel program about the Mayan's. Part of the program must have been about the Mayan calendar and its predictions of the end of the world because I started having nightmares about the end of the world based on what my subconscious was hearing from the TV. Just so you know, there will be floods and droughts as the Earth's magnetic poles reverse and cause the rotation of the Earth to become unstable in or around 2012.

Sometimes I think I should have joined the military, but then I think to myself "nope, you're alright" and that's that.

I miss playing soccer. I'll probably try to coach my kid's little league soccer team once the thing is old enough to play. Then maybe Sarah will finally let me buy a minivan.

I still have my full beard and I still think it looks great. It's not scraggly anymore. I've trimmed it and shaped it. Manscaped it, if you will.

President Obama will be inaugurated on Tuesday and I will feel proud of my country.

I've been listening to Verse a lot lately. Having not really given them a lot of consideration before, I've finding that they seem to be one of the few hardcore bands out there right now who actually have anything good to contribute to the scene. Hearing what they have to say gives me some hope that maybe some kids still get it.


Enjoy it, if you actually take the time to watch it.

And now, seeing that I've sufficiently rambled, I think I'll point myself in the direction of sweet slumber. Goodnight, internet.

Stay Gold!

MMK

to feel pretty.

marshall has done a rather fine job of posting regularly. i, on the other hand, have not. mostly, i don't have much to write about. but here it goes anyway:
- i enjoyed seeing our family (including our friends who are like family) and the plains of iowa over the holidays.
- clearly, by the pictures marshall posted, i enjoyed the arby's meal a little too much.
- i am so thankful we had a smooth train ride back to new hampshire.
- new hampshire has come to feel like home.
- i never want to a ride a train halfway across the country again.
- i have 3 months left of my AmeriCorps*VISTA service, most of you know this is a big HOORAY!
- we had our first hypnobirthing class last night. i think the information and techniques we will learn in the class are going to be very beneficial, helping me to have a natural birth
- marshall and i have been going to the gym just about every night. i am proud of us!
- baby Kole is very active! marshall can even feel the baby move now and has been having conversations with the baby consistently. it is rather cute.
- i read just finished reading the book "Jennifer Government" by Max Barry...READ IT!
- marshall and i bought a stroller and car seat travel system. thank you, again, to family members who helped us with target gift cards. i'd post a picture..but i think that might just give away the sex of our little one.
- the new Brittney Spears album is garbage, well just her voice..the beats are pretty alright. Christina Aguilera could do it better.
- marshall and i are addicted to the TV show Heroes.
- below is a picture of my new haircut and the most recent picture of the baby (24 weeks).
- miss you all, please keep in touch.


SLK