Updated web page (Finally!!)

For those of you who used to check out my web page, you probably noticed that I hadn't updated it in a while. Well, it's been updated in a big way. Check out some of the new pages and pictures. I hope to update it more regularly now.

Jason Martin, MMFT: Marriage and Family Therapy/ Dynamic Family Ministry

[Passions Take Many Forms] 2005 Tony Nominations announced

I know I'm a week late on this, but I was out of town. The Tony nominations were announced, and I can't say I'm surprised by much. Monty Python's Spamalot received the most nominations (14), followed by Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Light in the Piazza with 11 each. I can't say that I've seen any of the shows that have been nominated because I haven't been to New York in 5 years, but I know which ones I'm rooting for. While I'm sure Monty Python's Spamalot and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are fine shows, I really hope that The Light in the Piazza takes home some significant hardware. The music and lyrics are written by Adam Guetell, who also wrote one of my favorite musicals, Floyd Collins. Also, it seems to be the dark horse in the Best Musical category.

I also hope Pacific Overtures wins Best Musical Revival. I love the story and music from this show, which I consider to be one of Sondheim's least appreciated. Also, B. D. Wong is just cool as the Reciter.

On the non-musical side of things, I fully expect Billy Crystal 700 Sundays to win its category based on the unending praise I've heard for it and the mediocre responses that the other nominees have received.

I know absolutely nothing about any of the plays up for Best New Play, so I won't even mention them.

Best Revival of a Play, however, has some interesting nominees. 4 classics: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Glengarry Glen Ross, On Golden Pond,and Twelve Angry Men. I have no idea who to root for, because I've always loved Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Glengarry Glen Ross. They're just incredible. I think it will just come down to which company pulls off the play the best. In other words, I have no idea.

Regardless of who wins, however, it does not mean that the best shows win. I learned a long time ago that the shows that win are the ones that get all of the hype. The biggest example that I always point to is The Lion King winning over Ragtime a few years ago. I saw both shows and enjoyed them both, but Ragtime was clearly the better show. The Lion King had incredible costumes, great scenery, and plenty of flash, but the Tony for Best New Musical is supposed to go to the best overall new musical. Ragtime was clearly the best show. (I still get goosebumps when I hear the Prologue.) But, I'll still enjoy the Tonys. I'll just know that the best show might not always win.

Lastly, I heard today that Little Women is closing on Broadway, but it will tour. That's too bad. I had heard the cast recording, and while it was nothing special, it was a good little show that would have been great for family viewing. That's the way it goes, I guess. Maybe it will get new life on tour the way Big did a decade or so ago.

[Passions Take Many Forms] Astros finally score some runs

My family and I went to the Astros game tonight. It was a great game. The Astros won, 9-0, Morgan Ensberg went 4-4 with 3 HR, and Brandon Backe pitched a 4-hit shutout. We (Kari, Aidan, Regan, Dad, Kyle, Amanda, and myself) sat in the Club Level, which is really nice, but the best part was enjoying the game with my son and daughter. Of course, Regan didn't know what was going on, but Aidan had a blast. I'm finding more and more that he loves life. He loves to live and have fun. I have learned so much from him, not just about how to parent but also about how to live life: enjoy it. He enjoyed the game so much, even though he didn't understand much of it.

I'm finding that baseball is a great way to entertain and bond with my son (and maybe eventually, my daughter too). He has a blast. I have a blast. Baseball is great.

[Passions Take Many Forms] Plunk Biggio

One of my favorite baseball players (and one of his more underappreciated accomplishments) has a blog devoted to his honor (or pain, take your pick). Check it out. If you're a fan of Biggio, you can really waste a lot of time on the blog.

Plunk Biggio

[Passions Take Many Forms] Passion is...

Passion overtakes you. Passion makes you feel that there are few things in life more important than the object of the passion. Passion exhilarates you and flattens you like a truck.

Everyone experiences passion. For some, passion is a curse; but for others, passion is a blessing that gives life that extra spark. Sure, it can hurt at times, but if you keep the proper perspective (i.e. "How much does the object of my passion really matter in the grand scheme of life?"), the passion can excite life like few other things can.

I write of this from experience, because I, like most people, have felt passion. You could say that I'm a passionate person.

Of course, I'm passionate about my wife (the way she looks, smells, "winks", etc.). I'm passionate about my children (the way my son cuddles up in my lap and hugs me, the way my daughter looks just as she's falling asleep, etc.). But they're not what I've decided to write about in this blog. They aren't the object of my passion in this context.

I've decided to write about my other passions: baseball, music, and theatre. This blog is dedicated to those three things that make my blood boil and my joys triumph. Here, I will write about how the Astros seemingly break my heart every night. I will write about the way I feel when Beck is on the stereo. I will write about what Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff? means to me. I'm passionate about these things, and I now have an outlet to share my passion. Yippee!

I'm back

As you can probably see, I was able to recover some of my previous posts, but not all of them. I don't know if there was any point to that, but it's done now.

As for an exaplanation as to what happened, I had begun another blog about baseball, music, and theatre, which is currently up. Anyway, I didn't like the way it was formatted, and the quickest way to undo it was to delete it and start over. Long story short, I deleted the wrong blog. Unfortunately, there is no automatic backup (at least none that I could find), and so everything was lost. The posts I was able to recover were the ones I hadn't deleted off my computer (I have all of my posts deposited into my inbox).

Lesson learned: Keep an archive because you never know.

Let's start over

Well, I finally made a stupid mistake. It only took a little over 28 years, but I did. I made a stupid mistake. No, seriously... This is the first time.

All right. Stop laughing...

I accidentally deleted my blog. That totally sucks. Luckily, I kept the archives on my computer, so I should be able to get all of the old entries up, but it will take some time. With working on my dissertation, seeing clients, and trying to get ready to go to Texas for 2 weeks, time is not something I have in abundance. Maybe when we're actually in Texas I'll repost all of that crap. In the meantime, check out this blog. It's pretty cool, especially if you're a fan of the great Craig Biggio (aka. "Pig Pen").