Changing Locations

EDIT If you have run across this blog, this is the very old blog of Tim Costine. If you would like to see my new/current on, go to ehudadams.wordpress.com. If you would like to see my son Micah's blog, please email me at ehudadams@hotmail.com and I'll forward that address to you! I think it's worth checking out!

As most of you know, we have all been dealing with someone who just won't leave us alone. I'm incredibly sorry for having to put all of you who are linked to my blog through this. But i've thought a lot about this, and I think the best thing to do is to move my blog to another place. I don't know if this will work, but I'm willing to give it a try.

So here's what you've gotta do. Email me at ehudadams@hotmail.com if you would like the address to my new blog. Please DO NOT link the new page to your blogs, though. You can still link this blog and if people want the address, they can just come to me. Please bookmark my new blog instead of linking it.

I hope this doesn't cause too much trouble, but I think it is the wisest thing to do to not only protect myself, but to protect you and others in the future. Again, I apologize for the change, but I think its what is for the best!

An Ode to the '05 Red Sox

Its official, they're dead. Stick a fork in them. No more baseball for over six months. But with this elimination things seemed a bit different. That's true for a few reasons. the first is that there's no more sense of desperation. There's no more thinking, this has to be the year. They've won and we know they could do it again. But I think there are two other reasons why this seems different.

While there were losses after last year, including Pedro, Lowe, and Cabrera, this years team is going to lose a lot more. We've already said goodbye to Bellhorn and Embree. Now we must prepare to probably say good bye to Johnny Damon, Bill Mueller, Mike Timlin, Graffanino (so quick of a stop, but I liked him anyways), and Kevin Millar. We might as well say good bye to Manny, as well, since all signs point to him wanting to get traded out of Boston. He's hiring a new agent and has even talked to members of the White Sox about how he'd like to play for them. While we're at it, we might as well say goodbye to Foulke, since i don't see how he'll want to come back. he was actually at a Bruins game while the sox were playing in Chicago. This elimination has brought on a sort of end to the championship team as we knew it.

But the most disturbing thing about it all is this. They weren't good enough to win. I don't mean talent wise. I mean they weren't likable enough to win. I didn't find myself enamored with the players. I found myself getting sick of Damon's nightly rock star show. I got tired of Millar trying to conjur up phrases to justify his existence to himself. I got sick of Foulke getting mad at fans because he sucked. I'm sure it was him who came out and questioned why Schilling wasn't booed. Hey pal, two words, bloody sock. He likely could have had a successful year this year had he not put himself out on the line like that. So the fans realize that and we've stayed off his back.

Then there is the whole Manny thing. I'm sick of 'manny being manny'. that's cool when your hitting .320 and the team is winning, but there comes a time when you realize that you're not the DH and part of being successful is playing defense and committing yourself to it with each pitch. No pitcher needs to remember to look into left field before each pitch to make sure his left fielder is actually in the field. You also have to realize that you might actually have to play a couple weeks without getting a day off to rest your butt. He makes too much money to act like that. If Manny wants to leave, they'll try to trade him. But at what cost? We saw what pitchers do to Ortiz when Manny's not there. So if there is a trade, the chances that we'd get talent for talent is extremely low. Instead, we'd probably have to take on some other teams financial mistake. I can't wait until Manny gets to Chicago and realizes Ozzie is insane and would actually expect Manny to play on a daily basis and give a hoot in the field.

You see, this team wasn't likeable! But for every diva on the team, there's a guy that is worth rooting for. That's while I still love this team. I love cheering for Trot Nixon. I love cheering for Tim Wakefield. I love cheering for Schilling, even if he is a self promoter. I love cheering for the Big Papi. I love cheering for the Captain. I love cheering for Mirabelli, Papelbon, Kapler, and Billy Ballgame Mueller.

I'll cheer because I know we actually have young and exciting talent. the future is actually right down the road and they're kids you can cheer for. So i like the future if it is lacking those other faces and means Papelbon, Hanley, Pedroia, and Hansen. and we'll get a few good gamers to come in and get the Sox back to a team that is good enough to win. Likable enough to win that is.

Lost Forum

So I thought it might be cool to have a 'Lost' discussion thing every thursday. Its on on Wednesday nights at 9 so we'll talk about episodes here and talk about what we think is going on.

Episode 3-
So is the counter thing just a test on human behavior? I think Jack was right that its a bit foolish to think that a small old computer like that could be significant, and why would they have test that would cause disaster if it wasn't completed? I think these people, like Locke, just want something to do. They want a purpose, so they're willing to just type numbers into a computer. But it was interesting to see that Jack did press the button even though he didn't think anything would happen. The fear of the unknown can be controlling. I also thought that John had a good point when he responded to Jack saying that that computer couldn't possible control anything by saying, 'just like its impossible for you to know that guy?' We already know the impossible is possible on the island.

as far as the prisoner trio, i saw that betrayal of the girl coming. so are the rest of them survivors, too? and Jin speaks English?!?!?!?! I screamed when i heard that and leah yelled at me for being loud late at night. could he have spoken english the whole time or does he suddenly know it?

so what are your thoughts?

more quick hits

so i haven't had something to write a whole post on, but here are some things that could be put together to make a whole post.

ok, so the red sox had their worst loss in postseason history, but i say the 19-8 loss last year was worse. they'll just shake this off and at least win two more. will they win it all? i don't think so. they're just limping through and falling apart. I said this at the beginning of the season and still think it. I don't think we'll have a real good shot at winning it all for a couple more years. by then, our farm system will have produced a couple studs. One has already made it, Jon Papelbon, and another few are on the way, i.e. Craig Hansen, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Hanley Ramirez. Although i'm not crazy about Ramirez. this off season will be interesting. Will Manny be back? Will Damon and Mueller resign? Will they even attempt to resign billy ball game? What will happen with foulke? Will they get a real second baseman or just patch it for a year until Pedroia is ready? one thing is for sure and I never thought I would say this, but last week i actually said to Leah, "i wish we had Pedro."



i think the most relaxing song in the world is 'Dust In the Wind' by Kansas. I have a few songs that i think are great 'chill songs', but this one takes the cake. Some others of mine are 'Where the Streets Have No Name' by U2, 'Long As I Can See the Light' by CCR, for some reason 'Universally Speaking' by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 'Disarm' by Smashing Pumpkins, 'Epiphany' by Staind, and 'Sweet River Roll' by Waterdeep. what's your favorite 'chill song'?



Read the second book of the Narnia series, 'Prince Caspian' on Saturday. Great chapter where Lucy sees Aslan and says he's bigger. He tells her that she's just grown up more. He was the same size, its just that she had grown up and he appeared bigger now. I thought that was a good picture of God. As you grow up and mature He seems so much bigger, though He has not changed at all. I also liked the part where she realized she should have followed Aslan even if the others hadn't followed because he would have been with her and that was enough.



for 'Lost' fans, did you know Michael Keaton was originally casted as Jack and he was going to die in the first episode?

a good choice

John Roberts was approved today as the next chief justice of the supreme court. I never really doubted whether he would be confirmed, unless some horrible piece of dirt was exposed from his past. but the whole process reminded me of how corrupt our political system is getting. Somewhere along the way, the senators and reps have gotten the idea that they have all power and the government exists to mold into whatever would suit them best instead of thinking that they represent their constituents.

During his questioning, the senators were trying to get Roberts to say how he would vote when certain cases came before him. But he would not answer them, saying he wasn't going to refer to any specific cases, but instead told them how he would come to the decisions. I thought about it and this is just a very wise thing to do. These senators wanted a guy that they could trust to make decisions they wanted made instead of confirming a justice who would make decisions based upon the constitution. These politicians thought they could influence the decisions of the supreme court, but Roberts was above that. he wasn't going to pander for votes. He wasn't going to tell people what they wanted to hear. He wasn't going to give hints or clues as to how he would rule, and that's the way it should be. We shouldn't put justices in because we know how they are going to rule, but because we know they will approach it the right way.

Unfortunately, most of the rest of the politicians haven't made the same committment. They instead make decisions that keep them safe in their job, while once in awhile throwing a bone to the voters by passing some warm and fuzzy bill that boosts their approval rating, ensuring reelection. here in california there is a proposition up for vote that would redistrict the state, and most of the politicians don't want this because they are safe where they are. Democracy doesn't exist because none of the positions are in danger. The redistricting has always been done by the politicians themselves, which has only led to them bargaining and negotiating so that none of their districts come into question. But this is trying to be done by nonpartisan judges so that the voters actually have a voice. hopefully, this will be another good choice.

I Have A Dream...

So earlier today i heard about the closing of Good News Bookstore. i was sad when i heard about it because i remember going there as a toddler and youngster and going to the little knick knack section and looking at erasers and bookmarks and other little toys they had. Then as I got older, I would go there to buy cds. I kept stickers on the outside of them so i could get one free after buying 5. I actually still have two of the stickers in my wallet today. Then I became interested in books and i remember i had about $60 to spend and wanted a reference book. So i went to the reference book section, tried to recognize some names, and ended up buying this huge commentary of the whole Bible because it had Matthew Henry's name on it and i recognized that name. Then I moved into college and would go there when I was home to buy some good books, but that got harder and harder to do. Why? Because they simply weren't there.

I had to walk past displays of various D.C. Talk books, past Joel Osteen's face, past the Jabez collection, through the Purpose Driven series, around the Left Behind books, and then finally get to a growingly disappointing christian non-fiction section. I went to buy some books for my brother-in-law, and they didn't have J.C. Ryle's 'Thoughts for Young Men'. In fact, there was no J.C. Ryle to be found. I struggled to find a good version of Pilgrim's Progress, nevermind even bothering to find something by John Owens. It was then that I realized that Good News Bookstore was not the same Bookstore anymore. Then I found the "Biblezines" and got sick to my stomach. They were right next to the bathroom, so i guess they fell short of what should have been their intended destination.

So you may be asking what my dream would be... All day i've just been getting ideas about how awesome it would be to salvage that bookstore and make it useful again. I talked to my mom about how we should buy it and make it into a Mother-Son bookstore. I would model it somewhat after the mecca of bookstores out here, Archives. It would be Archives-East. I would get all the classics, stock up on useful reference tools and commentaries. I would provide work stations and reading stations for people to come in and read at. We could even have a little coffee bar, since that would be huge in that area of the country. We could have a little library section where for a small fee each year, people could check good books out if they could not afford to buy the books. We would network with local pastors to supply them with what they really needed. I would scower used book sales and the such and have a used book section that would rival Archive's used book section. Then we could use the upstairs section of Good News as a location for the Institute, to link up with them. We would advertise the classes to the people so we could get more people involved. We would offer reading groups to go through various books. We could provide reading lists for people bring their families through. We would communicate with the local Christian schools so we could provide the resources their students need at our bookstore.

But more significantly, we would be known for what we wouldn't have. We wouldn't carry Bible-zines, we wouldn't carry romantic Christian fiction, we wouldn't carry potpourrie, we wouldn't carry 'Testamints', we wouldn't carry anything authored by a Gaither, we wouldn't carry anything by a Hinn, a Crouch, a Tilton, a Jakes, or a Tammy Fay. We wouldn't carry anything with a TBN stamp on it. We wouldn't carry anything that would be psuedo Christian that would pass as Catholic, Mormon, or JW. We wouldn't carry bubblegum devotionals. We wouldn't carry anything I would be ashamed to have on my bookshelf.

We would work with the local pastors throughout northern Mass and new hampshire to provide a more personal, evangelical bookstore than CBD. We would provide an atmosphere where people could come and talk. We would provide a place where everyone would know your name, where we served the soul, heart, and the mind. We would help unite churches who stand on the same doctrines so pastors wouldn't seem to be on an island to themselves. We would provide a place where these pastors can send their sheep without fearing the wolves. We would provide an atmosphere where peoples hearts, souls, and minds are directed to God for His glory.

any ideas on what I could do with my dream?

a couple links

a great sign for christianity

free Piper mp3

in honor of one of my favorite shows EVER This link may be slow, but keep trying. Gemini was my favorite and i loved the tennis ball game.

oh YES! a true renaissance man