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in

And now a Seinfeld-esque, rhetorical question from Paolo...

Why is it that everyone wants to eat dinner so early on Thanksgiving? I don't get hungry any earlier on this day.

in

Today, I get to leave work a little early for the holiday weekend, which is a good thing because I have a lot to prep for...

  • Tonight: Blue Scholars concert
  • Tomorrow: Thanksgiving
  • Friday: focuspoint concert in Bellingham
  • Saturday: Say goodbye to the Green Hornet (better known as my car of the last 7 years); Ozomatli concert
  • Sunday: Pick up a new car (hopefully)

I wish everyone a happy Turkey Day. A couple days ago, I read a great editorial by Rev. Patricia Hunter in the Seattle Times about Thanksgiving. I'll leave you with the last half of the article.

"...As I look back over the Thanksgiving meals I have shared with my family, I recognize that the celebrations have changed. Deaths, births, divorces and new significant others make every Thanksgiving different. The first Thanksgiving after the death of a loved one or after a divorce is often hard. It is natural to grieve the one whose face and laughter are missing from the family table. But my experience is that grief eases in time and eventually joy returns around the Thanksgiving table.

The real spirit of Thanksgiving encourages us to be thankful when things are not going our way. We may have to coach ourselves to be thankful during relationship challenges, financial problems, job hassles and medical uncertainties. Maybe we need Thanksgiving to remind us that even though there are hard parts of our lives, there are other areas where we are abundantly blessed.

When we are in those hard spaces, we tend to think life is unfair — which is actually true. Life is not fair. We are likely to sulk or focus on the negative when we are not getting our way. Although giving thanks in the midst of challenge is counterintuitive, being thankful works to refocus our energy. The glass is not always half empty. Often, it is half full. We must be grateful for the multitude of things that are going well in our lives, instead of grumbling about the two things that are annoying us.

Many faith traditions remind their followers that we grow as a result of challenges. While we would love to have stress-free lives, that won't happen. Our internal strengths are shaped and developed by how we handle adversity. We can choose to be stuck in anger and resentment, or we can shake the dust off our feet and look for the next adventure.

I am blessed to have a wonderful family, amazing friends and meaningful work. Life is a journey full of surprises — mostly pleasant, but some unpleasant. Through it all and for it all, I give thanks."

in

Among one of the most memorable books I have read is "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," a memoir by Tucker Max. I read it in Greece over two days and was floored by its originality and humor.

I was referred to the book by Scott, who originally received it from Courtney, who heard about it from Nick Rogers. Courtney also told Brother Bear about it, and all parties called it a must-read. I've since recommended it to Katrine, who called it "definitely different."

"I liked it," she said. "I have to give him [Tucker Max] credit for being smart and becoming successful, but I would never be his friend."

Why would she say that? Because Tucker Max is an asshole and, if you read the book, you'd know that the only reason he would befriend Katrine would be to get into her pants.

Each chapter is a stand-alone, crazy, college story -- the kind your best friend tells you, but is too embarrassed to tell anyone else about. Tucker Max has no shame. He tells one unbelievable story after another, and they're certainly all more entertaining than that story your best friend told you about. His stories detail sex, drunkiness and usually some combination of the two.

Here's what the book's author bio says:
"Tucker Max received his B.A. from the University of Chicago, where he graduated in 1998. He attended Duke Law School on an academic scholarship, where he graduated with a J.D. in 2001 (despite the fact that he neglected to buy any of his textbooks for his final two years and spent part of one semester -- while still enrolled in classes -- living in Cancun). Tucker is purportedly the reason Duke dropped from 7 to 11 in the USN&NR rankings during his tenure. He currently lives in New York, and when he isn't drinking or fornicating, he writes for his website, tuckermax.com."

So why do I recommend this book? Because it gives insight to how people let themselves go from time to time and how parasites like Tucker Max benefit from those moments. As Scott says, "He's a genius who uses his intelligence for all the wrong reasons." He also happens to be a great storyteller and uses a direct dialogue style of writing that reads off the page the way a friend would tell a story.

It's offensive. It's hilarious. It's a look behind closed-doors. It's a New York Times Bestseller, and, more importantly, the first entry into the WIB Book Club. Those of you who have read the book, I encourage you to leave comments with your thoughts.