I predict that you'll love it or hate it. This is, like Vampire Weekend, the type of band that I never would've predicted that I'd really like, but Chester French's Love the Future album has a number of rich pop-meets-depth gems on it that I just can't stop spinning.

Other albums that I've been playing constantly lately (some of them classics): Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, Elliott Smith's Roman Candle, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , Mojave 3's Excuses For Travelers, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue, DeYarmond Edison's Silent Signs, and (of course, since I've mentioned it regularly) fun.'s Aim and Ignite (an INSTANT classic!).

Getting up early for seminary has introduced me to a new classification of local sensation that I hadn't known until now: the smell of Tokyo early in the morning. It smells just like Barcelona in the morning. It's a beautiful, glorious, life-giving smell. For those that know the smell of Barcelona in the morning, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I became convinced on my mission that the smell I speak of is the smell of wet concrete, and years later I still think that's what it is. It's one of my favorite smells.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/6170229/Caster-Semenya-is-a-hermaphrodite-tests-show.html

My heart goes out to this poor woman (and as I read someone say elsewhere, I choose to call her a woman because that's how she identifies herself). From articles I read a few weeks ago, this appears to be a case in which her family had no idea this could be possible, and it looks like the tests have confirmed what many people speculated: she's one of the extremely rare percentage of people in the world who have both sexes' genital organs and hormonal makeup.

Whether we like it not, the reality is that the majority of our sporting systems are separated by sex. Whether that's right or not or good or bad isn't something I'm willing to debate at this point; the reality is that there's no facility in our current system for a person with this type of genetic makeup. I only post this to convey my sadness for Ms. Semenya that she will very likely never be able to compete again. She is a champion and has obviously worked tirelessly to get to where she is, as any athlete of this caliber would have to. I hope that something -- anything -- can be done to give this woman the chance she deserves to develop her skill and compete in a way that brings her satisfaction.

OK, just a little bit of my opinion: I think she should be allowed to compete with the women, even though I can't see any of the world's Track & Field or Olympic sport committees agreeing with me.

[My compliments to B-Rad Clark for authorizing me years ago to use "buck nutty," which was clearly his intellectual property.]

Two weeks ago I started teaching seminary. We meet at 6 AM Monday-Thursday. Luckily the church is only 200 meters from my apartment, so I don't have to get up until 5:45 AM. It's been a great experience so far. In the meantime, my late-night work meeting schedule continues to be quite vibrant. Tuesdays and Thursdays I generally have 4 meetings; Mondays and Wednesdays I generally have 2 meetings. Friday nights, though... I don't have ANY meetings. And since I'm usually exhausted by Thursday night, I tend to sleep a tad longer on Friday morning.

Friday night, though, I want to party. When I say "party," I mean "do anything but work." Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm going golfing with some guys from my ward (I'll be sure to write a review of my experience, since it'll be on an American military base here in Tokyo). Tonight I have two choices: Go out and get dinner, then see a late-night movie, maybe Harry Potter... or go to bed early so I'm refreshed for the golf trip. I'll now discuss both options:

Go to dinner and a late night movie, perhaps Harry Potter
First of all, it's important to note that the movie-going experience is different in Japan. First of all, it costs $18-$25 to see a movie. Second, seating is assigned (at least at the theater I like, the Virgin Toho Roppongi Hills Cinema). Third, the only American movies that come to Japan are the blockbusters. No art films or dramas or anything like that. I'm not mad about it -- that's just the way it is. So my options tonight are Harry Potter, Taking of Pelham 123, Transformers 2, and Wolverine. Not what I'd call "stellar" options, no sir. I've already seen the latter two, so my choices are the first two. With that in mind, Harry Potter is the "best" option.

So I can go out, get dinner, go to the movies, eat some popcorn, enjoy an English-language movie (English with Japanese subtitles), and be in by 1 AM. A perfectly reasonable Friday evening........ if not for the fact that I'm playing golf Saturday morning.

Go to bed early so I can be refreshed for Saturday's golf
This basically means making dinner at home, watching something on the Apple TV, and going to bed by 10 in order to be up and refreshed by 7 AM tomorrow.

Actually, option two sounds terrible. I'm going to the movies!!! Forget about being tired tomorrow!

President Obama: "The time for bickering is over."
Republicans: "No, we want to bicker some more!"

The end.

I admit to driving my scooter like a maniac. Is it risky? Absolutely! But I need some kind of action in my life. I love the corporate life, the tension and stress of working on expensive projects, the delicate wordplay, the lightweight politicking, the quest for the perfect email. I like this life, but I still need some visceral action. I need to speed through the streets, weave in and out of lanes, and floor it at the sight of a yellow light. This is how I handle my stress, how I prepare myself for another day of work, how I wind down after work, and how I "deal with it." I love riding my scooter, and the more I ride it, the safer I feel (when in fact the opposite is true -- after a certain comfort level, safety starts to decrease).

Note that this madness, this scooter-based craziness, takes place at a whopping 40 kph. And I wear a helmet. And I'm usually dressed in business casual while I do it. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER! I'm still a rebel, a virtual Hell's Angel, on that scooter.

Obviously in a previous life I'd just drive a car, which is MUCH more dangerous than a scooter. I've generally been a conservative driver most of the time, but occasionally I'd just hit it and want to fly, and down went the gas pedal. I remember one specific occasion when I was driving the IS300 on Garlock Road with Glenn and Christy in the car. Bloc Party's "Positive Tension" was playing, right at that part about 2/3 of the way in when it starts to speed up a bit. I could feel the music coursing through my veins, and I came up over this hill, that last hill on Garlock before it flattens out, and I noticed that I was casually going 100 mph at the crest of the hill. Something triggered in my brain and I knew I could hit it, and the music was moving me, driving me, pushing me. So I pushed the pedal all the way down and got it up to 142 mph before the thought came to me that if I lost control, we'd die. And who wants to be responsible for something like that? Not I! So I eased off the gas and toned it back down to 100 or so (a normal Garlock Road speed, for those not familiar with California desert roads).

One other time I was by myself on the way from Provo to Ridgecrest and I got it up to 145 mph before the same thought came to my head (the "one twitch and you're going to wreck this machine and kill yourself" thought). This was during that phase of my college years when I was tired of taking I-15 to get to my family home in Ridgecrest, so I'd take US Highway 6 from Delta, Utah to Bishop, California, then cut down the east side of the Sierras. Lots of interesting memories on that highway: cutting down through the White Mountains that one time. Getting my plates taken away in Tonopah. Hitting that badger out in the middle of Nevada. Realizing that I was in love really for the first time (after many infatuations and experiences I thought were love, it was the first time I maturely understood what love was -- mind you, I still later immaturely and regrettably threw that love away, but it was on Highway 6 that I first knew what it was like to feel that kind of love), and that one time going 145 mph.

Many good memories, really rich memories, that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Just like the memories I'm making now: new sights, new sounds, fear, loneliness, happiness, and the feel of a cool breeze in my face as I ride my Suzuki Let's 50cc scooter carelessly through the streets of Tokyo.