Sunday Bloody Sunday

One of my favorite U2 songs is immortalized here by dubya himself. Beautiful.

Microsoft iPod

I have been a PC/Windows user all of my adult life. I'm really not sure how it happened. My dad and most of the rest of my family are devoted Apple users. They, like most Apple devotees, swear by their ease of use and dependability. Yet, I somehow veered into the darkside without even knowing it.

Well, I got an Apple iPod last Christmas, which I absolutely LOVE, and learned about all of the cool things that Apple has been doing. I've definitely been swayed by their "I'm a Mac. I'm a PC" ad campaign. I've even decided that the next computer I want to get should be a Mac Mini, the small, low-budget computer that would serve as a media hub in the entertainment center of my dreams. I believe I have seen the light, and I now appreciate the beauty of simplicity, which is a key component of Apple's business and design philosophies.

That is why this video was just so funny. It humorously and accurately illustrates how something so mundane as the packaging of an iPod can reflect the complexities/simplicities of a company. It asks a very basic question: What if Microsoft packaged the iPod? The results are very funny in their hypothetical accuracy. I laughed out loud.



p.s. Notice the music from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. That music always cracks me up.

Update: Microsoft recently announced its forthcoming iPod competitor, Zune. So, We may see how accurate this video is very soon.

Movin' on up!

Finally. Kari and I have made a decision, and we'll be moving out of Michigan. I had two interviews recently, one in Clear Lake (Houston), TX and the other in New Rochelle, NY. They were two very different jobs. The one in TX is a clinical position with the Krist Samaritan Center for Counseling and Education. It consists almost entirely of seeing clients, supervision, and even the opportunity for research. The NY job is a faculty position in the Masters-level MFT program at Iona College.

I was very impressed with the Krist interview in TX. They have a large facility with a varied array of mental health professionals, and a very supportive environment for expanding your practice, research, education, and experience. I was less impressed with Iona. It seems to be a good program on the upswing, but they have little state-wide support for the MFT field, the pay is not nearly what I think it should be for the high cost of living in that area, and the whole interview seemed very rushed and on-the-fly, not what I would expect from an academic institution I would like to work for.

Needless to say, I have accepted the job in TX. Also needles to say, our family is all psyched about our decision. We'll finally be bringing those grandbabies to Texas to stay. Of course, that played a large role in our decision. TX already had that going for it, but I think even if our family wasn't all in Texas, we probably would have accepted the job in Texas because it looks that that will afford us more opportunities, both financially and professionally.

We're very excited about living down there, even though the actual move could be a nightmare with two young children. We'll be living with my parents at first, while Kari finds a job and we find a house. We're hoping to buy a house in the Clear Lake area ASAP, but until then, we're thankful for the opportunity to live with mom and dad.

So, here we go. Anyone no of a good childcare provider in the area? Or a good health club? We'll be starting from scratch, and we'll need all the help we can get. Should be fun!

An Inconvenient Truth

Okay. I hope this is my last pseudo-political post for a while. I say pseudo-political post because I believe this issue extends beyond politics and into our role as caretakers of God's earth. The environment is one of my key, touchtone issues. It is the first real issue that I fervently sided with Democrats on. Actually, I feel more aligned with the Green Party on the environment than even Democrats. We have done a terrible job of caring for the Earth over the last 150 years or so. We are beginning to see the effects, and the global scientific consensus clearly indicates that human activities are a primary cause of global warming. Yet, many oil companies and their political allies continue to deny the impact that human activities have had on the environment.

That's where Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, comes in. It chronicles Al Gore's global campaign to get politicians and companies to recognize the problem and take action. The problem is that too many people are enslaved to oil and the companies that refine it. Some of those companies, under the guise of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, have realeased a couple of ads that make the ridiculous claim that Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant. "It's not pollution. We breath it out." Anyone whose ever taken a science class knows that global warming is caused by TOO MUCH CO². Yes, it's necessary for life, but like all things, it should be in moderation.

As a Christian, I believe it is irresponsible and immoral to ignore this problem anymore. I hope everyone will find a way to see this film. More importantly, I hope more people will get to action on this. Politicians and oil companies need to do something about this, but consumers can too. Find a way to get to work without your car. Use mass transit, if possible. Carpool. Ride your bike or walk. Conserve the energy in your home by turning off lights and using fewer electronics (that's a hard one for me). Find activities that do not require using natural resources for energy. Recycle. All of these things alone will not do the trick, but it's a start.

Finally, I agree with Dubya!

It's taken over 5 years, but I finally agree with Dubya on an issue. It seems that a German weekly publication was conducting an interview of current and former US Presidents about their experiences in the highest office. One of the standard questions they asked was about each presidents' best moment in office. Jimmy Carter said that it was the Camp David Accords peace agreement. President Clinton mentioned ending the war in Kosovo. Dubya?

"I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound perch in my lake."

I completely agree! Honestly, can anyone think of anything that tops that monumentous catch? I can't. It seems that he finally got one right, and I could not agree with him more.

Graduation

Well, tonight's the night. At sometime around 7 PM EDT, I will be hooded by my major professor, walk across the stage at the Breslin Student Event Center, shake hands with a couple of people, and receive something presumably resembling a diploma. It will appear that I have graduated and hold a Ph.D. in Family and Child Ecology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Michigan State University. But wait, there's more.

You see, here at good ol' MSU, there is no summer graduation ceremony. Given the various delays of my dissertation, I am not able to submit my approved dissertation to the graduate school in time to officially graduate in May. But because this is the only ceremony offered to me, I am proceeding with the ceremony nonetheless. The problem is that I still have quite a lot of work to do. I essentially have 3 months to finish collecting and analyzing data, write up said analysis and conclusions, and submit it to my committee for review. I will defend my dissertation before the committee at 9 AM on August 18, and assuming they don't want me to rewrite the thing, I'll turn it into the graduate school about a week later. At that point, and not a moment sooner, will I officially have my Ph.D. and be able to begin my post-student life.

So, while tonight's graduation is fun, symbolic, and good to remember, I still have an underlying sense of uneasiness about it. Despite the encouraging words from my mom, my dad, my grandparents, my in-laws, my wife, my friends, and many other people, I still can't shake the feeling that the ceremony, while symbolic, is simply a fraud. I'm not done. That reality is still foremost in my mind. I may be proud of my accomplishments to this point, and I might recognize that the reality of completion is eminent, but it's not here yet, and it won't be here tonight. I really hope I enjoy the ceremony tonight, because I'll still have three months before I can honestly say I've graduated.

FINALLY making dissertation progress

Although I'm still nowhere close to where I wanted to be at this time, I finally feel like I am making progress with my dissertation. I have conducted two interviews, and I have expanded the eligibility criteria to include divorced fathers. My hope is that the expanded criteria will allow more therapists to refer their clients to the study. I had spoken with a number of therapists who said that they had a few fathers who might participate, but the father was divorced. I originally required that the father be married to and/or living with the mother of the child in therapy in order to minimize the effects that family structure might have on father engagement and the co-parent relationship. After discussing my recruitment problems with committee, I have determined that I can still answer my research questions as long as I address the effects that this might have on the findings. It is a small change, but it might make a large difference.

Additionally, the two interviews that I conducted recently gave me a wealth of data that I am eager to analyze. They helped confirm my commitment to this research and the value that I see in it. Although I will not finish before graduation in May, I should be able to finish in time to defend the dissertation in August. That is great news, and really gets me pumped to dive into it all. I know I will continue to encounter obstacles as this journey continues, but I believe that if I can overcome the recruitment problem, everything else will fall into place.

The First of Many

On this day exactly one year ago, a precious little baby girl entered the world. Regan Karina Martin was born on April 5, 2005. She is one year old today. We through a little party for her with just us. We had cake, streamers, balloons, party hats, and presents. Because it was after a long day of work for both parents and kids, it was a pretty abbreviated event, so abbreviated that the birthday girl had to take a bath and go to bed before even having cake. (It had been a long day.) So she opened her presents and actually loved every minute of it, and she'll get to have some cake tomorrow.

I can't believe that it has been an entire year. So much has happened, and so much more will happen in her second year. She is an incredible little girl. She has taught me so much abot life, people, and little girls. She's taught me a lot about myself. She is sweet, happy, spunky, and stubborn. She gives the tightest hugs I've ever gotten from a one-year-old. She smiles and laughs every day, even when she is ill or not feeling well. She loves her brother, despite his knocks against her. She can even hold her own when she tackles him to the ground. Happy Birthday, Sweetie, and here's to many more! (You can see more birthday photos at Flickr, and I'll post video of the party to the podcast this weekend.)

Regan in pigtails

You asked for it, and so here it is. (Actually, I think Kyle's the only one, but I'm sure others are interested.) Regan has been coming home in pigtails a lot lately. Someone at the babysitter's likes to do it, and I can see why. ISN'T SHE ADORABLE?!?!

It was very warm today -- in the 60s. A big storm came through as we were getting home. We decided to watch from the front porch and took some pictures (We LOVE our front porch for this and other reasons.) Check out a few of the other pictures at my Flickr site.

Aidan the bowler

My son joined a bowling league. That's right. He was a proud member of a league of 3 and 4-year-old bowlers. We had to find a new child care provider beginning about six weeks ago when our previous child care person went on maternity leave. Our new child care person apparently gets the kids involved in various extra-curricular activities (do they actually have "curricular" activities for 3-year-olds?), one of which is bowling. Aidan LOVED it. While he was involved, he always looked forward to Wednesday mornings. They start gymnastics in April, and I think Aidan might pop a vein from excitement.

Regan, meanwhile, often comes home with her hair in pigtails, despite the fact that her hair really isn't long enough for pigtails. (I'll have to get a picture of that soon.) 

"Fathers in Family Therapy" Research Website

I have created a new website to help publicize my dissertation research. Because I am relying on the referalls of other therapists, I can use all of the publicity I can get. I am hoping that this website will serve as a means of disseminating information about the research and a way for potential participants to contact me.

http://www.fathersinfamilytherapy.com

The Problems of Race in 2006

I went to the Michigan Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) Annual Conference today. The keynote speaker was Dr. Kenneth Hardy of Syracuse University. The topic was "Working Effectively with Adolescents in Families of Color". It was the best workshop/discussion about multiculturalism, race, and institutional racism that I have ever heard.

What I appreciated was his candor and ability to accurately convey to a predominately white, middle class audience that racism and general prejudice are still very pervasive throughout our culture. Perhaps more importantly, he helped me understand the subtle, innocent ways that even I participate in the perpetuation of racism. This is very difficult for me to understand because I am in a cultural position of power. I am a white, middle-class, Protestant, straight male, which means that the existing societal structure was created and is largely maintained by people just like me. But I walked away from the conference with something very different than "liberal guilt" which most people assume should be the primary react of those in the majority. Rather, I left with a much better understanding of how people of other cultures see me as a privileged male, which is the first step to open dialogue.

So here are a few of the most important points that I took away from Dr. Hardy's lecture:

1. Saying the wrong thing about race and multiculturalism is better than saying nothing at all. At least when we say the wrong things, it has the opportunity to open dialogue about race and differences. Staying silent for fear of "saying the wrong thing" only breeds further misunderstanding.
2. It is more important for me to understand the perspective of others than vice versa. This is because my intentions are irrelevant to everyone but me. All that matters is how my speech and actions are received by others. If I did not properly convey my intentions, then it is my responsibility to restate in a more accurate manner.
3. People in the minority know more about my culture than I know about theirs. Ye, we often put the responsibility on them to teach us, rather than on ourselves to learn. One example given was from a Pakistani woman who said that most in the room would not be able to spell or accurately pronounce her name. Yet she could probably accurately pronounce and spell most of the European names in the room. Although no one tested her, we all knew that she was likely correct.
4. There are four aggravating factors that effect adolescents' propensity to act out. The first and most damaging of these factors is a process of devaluation, which is the process by which an individual or group is steadily stripped of the essential elements of humanity and unique, valuable perspective. It is essentially the loss of one's voice of influence in the larger ecosystem.
5. The Process of devaluation immediately leads the person of color to begin valuing respect over life. If their lives have no value, as society tells them, then they will view respect as the ultimate prize to be protected and avenged if necessary. This is what leads a person to shoot another person for disrespecting.
6. People in power are usually innocently oblivious of the ways that they walk over those below them, devaluing the identities and culture of the others. The powerful make the decisions and are often moving to fast to notice the toes that they stomp on.

With this understanding, it becomes clearer why so many Middle Eastern Muslims have rage at Americans. Americans are in a position of unequalled global power. We have not entered into the kind of dialogue that facilitates collaboration. Instead, we have allowed the process of devaluation to create a culture in the world that has its back against the wall. They have gotten the message that their lives are not valued, and so they will insist on respect. We have had no dialogue with them, and we have expected the world to adhere to our culture, without bothering to learn or respect theirs.

This is not a justification for the violence that a few Muslims carry out. There is no justification for that. Rather, it is an explanation. It is a way for us, as people of power and privilege, to understand the context of their rage. This is not a way to blame America for the events of September 11. Rather, it is a way to understand how we can begin to heal and prevent this from happening again. Until we open dialogue with those who's culture has been devalued and begin to learn how our messages are received, terrorism will continue to be a problem in the world. As that dialogue begins, however, we will enter into a world that may be awkward at first but closer to a reality of multicultural cooperation.

Things are coming together

I have been very nervous about a number of things for some time now. Will I get any participants for my dissertation? Will I get any job interview? Will I get my client hours before my internship ends? Will we have enough money to make it until I finish everything? WILL I BE ABLE TO FINISH ANYTHING???

Although many of those questions are persisting, I am beginning to feel better about many of them. For one thing, I'm beginning to get some response to my dissertation. I have one firm interview scheduled and a couple more should be scheduled soon. I've also plugged in to the Michigan Association for Play Therapy and a few social workers in the area (thanks, Rob!). I also will be conducting a mock interview session this weekend, thanks to some friends of ours (thanks Brett and Sarah!). Although I still have a long way to go in order to get the number of participants I need (I'm shooting for 10-14), I'm starting to feel much better than I did a month ago.

On the job search front, I'm feeling a little better too. I've gotten two definite rejections, and I still don't have interviews scheduled for the other positions (for good reasons), but I have five applications still out to potential employers, and I continue to learn about how I can promote myself and make the best case for hiring me. (For the record, I don't like to mention specific employers/institutions because the names and numbers seem to change frequently.)

On the clinical front, my practice is booming. I was really struggling for clients around Christmas. I was wondering whether I would get all of my hours by August or not. Since then, as always happens in therapy, I have gotten many new clients, and I am almost completely full, which is saying something since I have many potential slots for clients. If this continues, I might have to start a waiting list, which I have never done, although I've only had the ability to do that since I started my internship.

So overall, I'm feeling much better about my professional life, certainly much better than I did even a couple of weeks ago, despite the continued presence of many questions. This whole wacky Ph.D. experiment might actually work out after all!

The nature of evil

This morning in Kari's class at church, they were discussing the nature of evil spirits. After church, Kari asked me for my opinion, which of course I readily gave. The question was about whether evil spirits, such as those driven out by Jesus in the Gospels, actually exist.

I prefaced my explanation by saying, first, I think it is a matter of perception: the perception of evil spirits make them even more real to the person experiencing them. It's a philosophical assertion, but one that I believe to be true. For me, the notion of "evil spirits" goes back to the nature of evil itself. How is evil manifested? It's usually, if not always, manifested through the decisions, actions, and behaviors of humanity. Therefore, it makes sense to me that evil and all things evil (including Satan and demons) are creations of humanity.

Now, hear me out. I know I haven't fully fleshed this idea out, and I'm still working through exactly what it means both scripturally and profanely. I know that there are bound to be faults of logic, and I know that it is not the typical Christian view (although I find it hard to believe that I'm the first Christian to have thought of this), but I believe that Satan is nothing more than a spiritual manifestation of selfishness, callousness, and mortality of humanity. The Bible constantly emphasizes that good will ultimately triumph over evil and Christ will and has conquered the Devil. I don't think that's simply Christian optimism or some cryptic prediction of the future. It is the reasonable conclusion about the nature of evil. It is based in humanity, which is doomed through death. Good lives on through eternal life with God. Therefore, good triumphs over evil by necessity.

So, what are the logical conclusions of such a statement? First, what about Satan? I believe this means that Satan is a creation of humanity. More precisely, Satan is a creation of the free will that God has imparted to humanity. Just as we have the free will to choose good, we also have the free will to choose evil. We and everyone else, therefore, must live with the consequences of those decisions. So when Adam and Eve committed the first sin, it was a temptation from within, not something from without, that caused them to sin. It was the selfishness and arrogance of Adam and Eve (i.e. the Devil) that caused them to reject the wisdom of God. It is the same temptations that continue to tempt us today. Perhaps even the temptations of Christ in the desert came from the human urges within (he was fully human, after all). Second, what does that mean about demons? Perhaps demons are the physical manifestations of the evil perpetuated. (Although, I also suspect that some of the demonic possessions in the Bible may have been disorders now known as autism, MS, Tourette's, Bi-polar, schizophrenia, or some other disease or mental health disorder.) Demonic possession happens when our selfish desires and personal agendas replace those of God. We are "possessed" when we begin to believe that our wisdom is wiser than God's wisdom.

Third, what does that mean for the nature of Hell? I've believed for some time now that Hell may be better conceptualized as being in a continuous state of complete separation from God. While alive, we are at least connected to God through the constant opportunity to turn our lives around to do what is right. Heaven, therefore, is the complete absence of evil and the perpetual presence of good. Fourth, what does that mean about disease and natural disasters? I actually do not believe that question is relevant because it is related more to the mortality of humanity, rather than the evil within. When a hurricane or cancer strikes, it's not because of some evil force. Rather, I believe that it is simply a result of being mortal. We are not meant to live forever, so death and destruction is a natural, inevitable consequence of that mortality, but I do not see the connection there with evil.

For me, this helps answer the question of why bad things happen to good people. It also helps reconcile the logical inferences of observation with some of the seemingly contradictory Biblical descriptions of good and evil. It also shows me the great responsibility I have to always do what is right. This means devoting myself to living the good and perfect life that God has called me to live, rather than the tempting yet inherently flawed life of selfishness and excess I may desire. I must devote myself to just causes. God wants us to care for every individual sheep, not simply the majority. I must help feed the hungry, provide comfort for the destitute, take care of the environment, and stand up for justice for those who are marginalized or voiceless. I must not simply accept the majority as being right. Justice and liberty mean that even the most minor of minorities should be cared for.

Again, I understand that there are certainly gaps of logic and theology that I have neglected. I understand that not everything can be so neatly defined, least of all complex subjects such as heaven/Hell, good/evil, and God. I fully expect to come to question this belief eventually, perhaps very soon. But until then, this helps me understand a little more about my God, my world, and my responsibility.

Let's all come together

Hello everyone! It's good to be back. As you can tell, I took quite the hiatus from blogging, having posted absolutely nothing for 4 months. At first it was just that I fell out of the habit and didn't feel like posting anyway. Then I just felt inexplicably embarrassed for nothing having posted for so long. My two existing blogs were not adequate anymore for posting what I wanted to discuss. I found them too constricting, but I didn't want to eliminate them.

So today, I took the initiative during lunch to consolidate the blogs and start anew with a new look, new title, and new address. I now understand why most personal blogs are very general in nature. It's just too difficult and constricting to continue blogging on a particular topic. So, here I am! Let's see if I stay with it a little longer this time.

I've also begun The Martin Family Podcast, which is a collection of video clips and audio episodes featuring primarily Aidan and Regan. The technical quality isn't the best, but I hope to improve it with future episodes using the new camera, set to arrive this weekend. It may not always be quality entertainment, but I expect some episodes to be an absolute trip. There are subscription links on at the podcast homepage.

Additionally, I finally decided to enter the Flickr community to provide an easier way to store and share photos. I only have about 20 photos up now, but that will increase as I have time to upload more. If you're interested in getting prints of any photo I've uploaded, you can do so from the web site, but you need a Flickr account, and I think I have to approve you as a friend/family.