Thoughts on the 2010 Australian Open

Early this morning the 2010 Australian Open wrapped up. I set my alarm for 3:30am to watch the men’s final, Roger Federer against Andy Murray. Roger was in pursuit of his 16th major championship while Andy was trying to win the first major for Great Britain since 1936. The match only went three sets, with Federer winning 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. At first glance those scores might look very lopsided but it was really a very close match. Both players made some extraordinary shots. Some of the classic matches Federer has had recently with Nadal and Roddick might have made this final seem anti-climatic.

While the commentators on television were rather critical of how Murray played I felt he played a respectable match. They thought he was tense, overly cautious, not aggressive enough, and feigning injury. I don’t think he played his best match, but he did force Roger to beat him. He did not self-destruct. He was picked apart by the greatest tennis player that has ever walked on the face of the earth. Murray has nothing to be ashamed of.

I’ve never been a Murray fan. When he first came onto the tennis scene as a brash, arrogant teenager I always rooted against him. His huge comeback win at Wimbledon two years ago against Gasquet started to win me over. He has matured as a person and as a tennis player, and his comments after the match this morning officially won me over. He was gracious toward Federer and grateful to his fans. I hope he wins a major in the next couple of years.

Serena Williams won the women’s title, beating Justine Henin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. I saw many of Serena’s matches during the tournament and she was hitting the ball well. In her semi-final match against Li Na she seemed to hit a wall of exhaustion, and I thought she might be in serious trouble in the final. But she improved her career Aussie Open final record to 5-0, pretty impressive.

Venus and Serena won the women’s doubles title and the Bryan brothers won the men’s doubles. This means that the four major titles (men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles) were won by a collective three last names (Federer, Williams, and Bryan). My research indicates this is an Australian Open record.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tournament. Now that I won’t be catching tennis at all hours of the evening and morning I can try to get back to a normal schedule. The 2010 Australian Open left me sleep-deprived and suffering from tennis withdrawal since the winter in State College is not conducive to playing tennis. But that happens every year.

The Moon at its Best

This evening I browsed news headlines and an article caught my eye (Biggest and brightest full moon of 2010 tonight). Could you read that headline and not go outside to see how impressive the moon was? I couldn’t. I grabbed my camera and walked through the woods to the cornfield behind my apartment complex so I would have an unobstructed view.

From there I took this picture of the moon.

The moon on January 29, 2010.

This was not the first time I photographed our natural satellite. In August of 2008 I took a few pictures from the same location, though on that night it was not a full moon.

After downloading the pictures I took tonight to my computer I began to wonder what the moon would look like wearing a hat. So I decided to find out.

The moon wearing a Panama hat.

Considering it was about 15° F here in State College when I took the picture I figured the moon might be cold. I tried a knit cap next.

The moon wearing a knit cap.

And finally we all know the moon is a Phillies fan so I had to fix it up accordingly.

The moon is a Phillies fan.

Suddenly it occurred to me that it is Friday night and I am sitting here Photoshopping hats onto the moon. This is my leisure. And I laughed.

A December Hike

Last year the weekend before Christmas snow descended upon eastern Pennsylvania. I drove back to Montgomery County just ahead of the storm. On Sunday morning (December 20) most church services were cancelled or delayed. I decided to take a hike along the Perkiomen Creek to take in the winter wonderland (in September of 2008 I briefly wrote a post about a similar hike, minus the snow) . I took many photos that morning, recently I was sorting them out and I thought I’d post a few of them.

On my way down to the creek I decided to head east to see if some of the farmland that used to be located in that area was developed. I was surprised to find a couple of fields still in use. There was about eight inches of snow on the ground, though it was so light it readily drifted and blew around. The clouds seemed very low on that morning, and in the distance the snow and clouds met almost seamlessly. I tried to capture this with my camera, but all the reflected light resulted in contrast between the sky and ground.

A field on a snowy December day.

I really felt like I could reach up and grab a cloud.

Caution, low clouds.

Evidence of all sorts of wildlife was printed in the snow. Deer and small rodents were the most common. I managed to get within about ten feet of a whitetail deer before it exploded out of the brush and snow it had been bedded down in, I will admit I jumped. I took a half dozen pictures before it vanished from sight.

A retreating whitetail deer.

Birds were also out in force. I saw hawks, cardinals, ducks, a blue heron, and numerous small birds I could not identify. I was disappointed that I did not manage to get a picture of the heron, he was camera shy. The ducks I stalked for about half a mile to photograph.

Ducks in the distance.

The picture above is shot with a 300mm lens, so I am not very close to them. I would try to sneak closer and they would spot me and fly about 100 yards downstream. This happened over and over, until I finally crawled along a berm and managed to pop up behind a tree without being detected.

Mallard ducks socializing.

My camera must have moved a bit, for after taking just a few pictures I was spotted. The ducks took to the sky, flying upstream this time.

Mallard ducks take flight.

A fresh snowfall is quite beautiful. It is even more beautiful in a natural setting with plants, rocks, streams, and animals.

Reaction to Paul Shirley

Yesterday Paul Shirley posted an essay regarding the Haitian relief effort entitled If you rebuild it they will come. Mr Shirley is a retired basketball player and freelance author. He posted the article on a site called FlipCollective which contains essays written by Shirely and nine other authors. In addition to writing for FlipCollective, Mr Shirley also wrote a weekly music column for the ESPN website that was featured on Page 2.

Mr Shirley’s essay is a critical look at the Haitian relief effort. He questions the wisdom of donating toward rebuilding Haiti. He asks tough questions about accountability.

Public outcry was swift and violent. If you read the comments after the essay you’ll see a disturbing number wished death or harm to the author. In less than 24 hours ESPN released this press statement:

“Statement Regarding Paul Shirley: He was a part-time freelance contributor. The views he expressed on another site of course do not at all reflect our company’s views on the Haiti relief efforts. He will no longer contribute to ESPN.”

I do not agree with Mr Shirley’s essay, but I do think it raises important questions. Questions about Haiti and questions about disagreement.

Questions about Haiti

The relief effort in Haiti is encouraging to see. I believe it is important for those of us who have been blessed with much to offer support.

When I see the news coverage from Haiti it causes me to wonder. Where was the concern for Haiti one month ago? A nation where 80% of the population falls below the poverty line, where more than 80% of urban areas are slums, and where life expectancy is low and infant mortality is high. As a country Haiti has been dealt a tough hand, with high levels of debt and geographical features that invite disaster (particularly from drought, hurricanes, and earthquakes).

You see, it takes much more effort to offer help that goes beyond simply writing check. And it’s not as glamorous to fight poverty on a day-to-day basis as it is to fly in with disaster relief supplies. Haiti has injuries that band-aids will not fix.

Mr Shirley focuses on responsibility in his essay, to the point of sounding very cold. It is true that the leaders in Haiti failed their people. This raises difficult questions about the roles of other countries and how much help they should provide. When I say this I am referring to more than just earthquake relief efforts, I am talking about building infrastructure, eliminating slums, and establishing medical facilities.

Questions about disagreement

The way ESPN handled the controversy regarding Mr Shirley was troubling. In less than a day they completely disassociated with him. There was no discussion about what he had written (keep in mind that the controversial essay was written for an unrelated site). The implication in the press statement is that everyone at ESPN must believe and say the same thing (ESPN has a history of preventing their writers from expressing thoughts and opinions on other media outlets).

Reading blogs and news stories, and particularly the comments posted after them, reveals that we as Americans are not very good at civilized disagreement. Insults start flying. Threats of boycotts abound. Hostility is normal. Logic is normally lacking, as is compassion. And sadly, many people argue from moral or philosophical positions contradicted by their very lifestyles.

Why must we be so reactionary?

One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Frost: ”Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” You’ll notice that Frost does not say education is the ability to tolerate everything. No, the key is to be able to hear opposition and respond evenly.

This means commenters on the essay who disagreed with Mr Shirley should have responded with rebuttals, counterpoints, or developed thoughts of their own instead of using insults, curses, sarcasm, and wishes of harm. A logical argument might change Mr Shirley’s mind; a string of insults will do no good.

Autograph Collection: Scripture References

This is part of an ongoing series of posts documenting autographs I have collected over the years. The theme for this post is Scripture references. Without further ado here are six cards from my collection.

Don Slaught – 1993 Score Select

I sent this card to Don and he provided a very nice signature. The dark signature is placed below the chest protector and nicely aligned. I like the aesthetics of this card and signature. Don played in the Majors for sixteen seasons, and was a very productive platoon catcher for the Pirates in the early ’90s where he combined with Mike ‘Spanky’ Lavalliere to give the Pirates the greatest mustachioed catcher platoon in MLB during the 1990s. Don inscribed the reference Romans 5:3-6 under his signature:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:3-6 (NIV)

Greg Gagne – 1994 Donruss

I obtained this signature through the mail during the 1996 season while Greg was wrapping up his career with the Dodgers. That year he posted the highest OBP of his career, maybe he should have signed cards for me more often. I’ll always think of him as a Minnesota Twin. In hindsight I wish I had sent him a card that portrayed him as a Twin. Greg added John 3:16 beside his signature:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

Kevin Seitzer – 1995 Fleer Ultra

I obtained this signature through the mail in 1997 as Kevin played his final season in MLB in Cleveland. After emerging to great fanfare and success in Kansas City in the late ’80s he spent the ’90s in transit, posting respectable but not great career numbers. Kevin added the reference John 3:3 under his signature:

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3 (NIV)

Aeneas Williams – 1991 Pro Set Platinum

I obtained this autograph through the mail. It is one of my favorites from an aesthetic perspective. The small football drawing with the #35 as the laces tops it off. The card is a nice full bleed picture (1991 Pro Set Platinum is a very under-appreciated design, it is very sweet) that is perfect for signing. When the Cardinals were in the NFC East Aeneas used to wreak havoc against the Eagles. Like Darrell Green of the Redskins, he is a defensive back from a rival that I respect even though he caused me anguish as a fan. Aeneas added Romans 10:9 under his name:

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NIV)

Trent Dilfer – 1996 Fleer SykBox Premium

I obtained this signature through the mail while Trent was playing in Tampa Bay, just before he went to Baltimore and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens. The card captures the glory of the orange and white uniforms the Buccaneers wore at that time and is a nice full bleed design. The signature is a bit spotty, though it is not smeared at all, so I think it adds to the character of it. Trent added a reference for Colossians 3:17:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

Guy McIntyre – 1990 Score

I sent this card to Guy in 1996 as he played the final year of his NFL career in Philadelphia. He was a five time Pro Bowler and an excellent guard. In 1988 he caught a 17 yard touchdown pass, which is the stuff offensive linemen dream about. Guy’s signature is very legible. He added the reference I Corinthians 13 above his signature:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13 (NIV)