Chega De Saudade

The sky is clear and blue, and the air is cool. It's the perfect day to go for a walk and marvel at the sunlight sparkling off the downtown architecture. Sure, the economy is in the tank, and senseless wars rage on. But a new year is just around the corner. Let's bossa nova our way to tomorrow.

Merry Christmas From the Family

A holiday favorite, it could have been written about my grandparents' house in the early '80s. I have fond memories of family holidays growing up, and I enjoy them even more now that I'm old enough to appreciate how lucky I am to have a large, close family filled with utter lunatics. I'm missing them terribly this Christmas, but I'll be sure to give them a phone call tomorrow. And I can always watch this video if I need a peek at what's going on back in Texas. Feliz Navidad, ya'll.

Barberism Begins at Home

Bobby Kennedy, a man with a good haircut

Since moving to DC, I've been on the lookout for a decent barber, a prize that has proven more elusive than one would hope. The problem, it seems, is that I require neither salon nor stylist. I very rarely put any sort of holding product in my hair, and I don't blow dry. I'm a low-intensity, wash and go kind of guy. No mess, no fuss, no hassle.

At home in Texas, a barber is not hard to find. From small town to big city, you will usually have your choice between more than one small barber shop that features: a stack of magazines (sports and outdoors), a refrigerator (soda), Pinaud talcum powder and after shave, straight razors, black combs, and your choice of haircut: regular, flat top, or buzz cut. I prefer regular.

DC has a lot of boutiques that are little more than overpriced suburban strip mall salons. These are pretty easy to spot, though, by the overworked young women who would rather be somewhere else, and the shiny black plastic sinks they want to wash your hair in before they cut it. I suppose if you've a head full of gel, that's probably necessary.

DC also has more than one "gentleman's salon" that features complimentary cocktails, dark wood, and hunting prints on the wall. But while the decor in these places may nod towards traditionalism, once seated in the chair, one is berated with suggestions as to how one might accomplish the latest gauche trends out of California or New York. One fellow (clad in all black, nach) even went so far as to roll his eyes and proclaim that the haircut I requested was "boring." If you want to be an artist, buddy, go buy some paint. All I need is a haircut.

Tonight, however, after renewed research, I found a barbershop in Foggy Bottom that looked promising. I trekked through the freezing cold in the hopes that I'd have a decent haircut for Christmas. It all felt right. There was Pinaud, hair all over the floor, Sports Illustrated (current), and a row of guys getting good old, boring, red-blooded-American, regular haircuts.

All signs point to fully satisfactory at this time. I was wearing a hat to protect from the cold, so hat hair is skewing the results. But the man didn't flinch when I requested, "long, but off the ears." He'd clearly heard it countless times. We talked about the weather, the best plan of attack for shoveling snow (consensus: if you need to shovel in DC, just take the day off), and how paying a bank every month isn't the same as "owning" a home. It felt right.

Christmas Movies

Every year, new films are rolled out for the Christmas holiday. Some become classics, others, well, less so.

One great Christmas sleeper film is Walt Stillman's 1990 film, Metropolitan. Nominated for an Oscar (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), and a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance (Dramatic), Metropolitan is the story of a group of Manhattan debs and their escorts as they wiling away the time over a Christmas holiday discussing politics, society, and, of course, each other.

The group of friends, self-identified as the Sally Fowler Rat Pack, or SFRP, is accidentally infiltrated by Tom Townsend, a middle-class Fourierist who disapproves of conventional society, and debutante balls in particular, but finds himself attending out of "nothing better to do." The SFRP adopt Townsend and a story of alienation, youthful angst, and friendship emerges.

The film stars Chris Eigeman, who is a favorite from Noah Baumbach's 1995 film, Kicking & Screaming, a film with which Metropolitan also shares a penchant for dry, witty dialogue spoken by precocious, over-educated youth.

Not a film for everyone, I suppose, but a Christmas classic, nevertheless. Certainly one that will endure.

The Duke Spirit - Souvenir

It's a wet and grey day on the Eastern seaboard. The economy is in shambles, and we're on the threshold of a future unknown. What better soundtrack than The Duke Spirit? With grainy tones and tired eyes, we know we'll get through it all with a little codeine and wine.

Life Imitates The Ritchie Whites

Employees interviewed by WilmerHale investigators said Walters kept a jar of money -- one person said it contained $20 bills -- on her desk for co-workers, although Walters told investigators that claim wasn't true. After the embezzlement scheme was uncovered by federal law enforcement agents in November 2007, one employee told her boss that no one had raised concerns about Walters because "snitches get stitches."

- Washington Post, December 16, 2008

Ungentlemanly Conduct and the BCS

Yesterday's BCS rankings left me more than a bit irritated. It's not simply that Texas was ranked third, nor that we were ranked below Oklahoma, though certainly that smarts a bit. But I don't mind being bested - that's part of the game. After all, we lost to Texas Tech because Tech played an outstanding game and, for that 60 minutes, simply outplayed us. I can live with that, and I sent a congratulatory email to my Red Raider cousin following the game.

What irritated me about the BCS rankings are what I fear are the lessons that will be taken. When Oklahoma beat Texas Tech - which was really the decisive game in this situation - OU played their star quarterback and Heisman contender, Sam Bradford, the entire game. At the end of play, the score was 65-21. A 44 point blowout.

Compare that to the Texas v. Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving. Despite the potential BCS implications of not serving up a blowout, Coach Mack Brown pulled Heisman contender Colt McCoy and, instead, giving playing time to the Sophomore quarterback, John Chiles.

The day after Thanksgiving, I was talking to a fellow from A&M about the game. Good natured ribbing overwith, this guy said, "You know, when Mack pulled Colt McCoy, that showed a lot of class. You guys could have really made things miserable for us."

This is an important part of competition - striving to win, but not to embarrass your opponent. It brings to mind Gen. Lee's definition of a gentleman,

The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.

The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly--the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light

The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.

This is why my father still considers "ungentlemanly conduct" a mortal sin in sports. The object of the game should always to be win, but to win clean and with class.

Mack Brown is a true gentleman. Not only against A&M, but against Kansas, Coach Brown pulled his starting lineup when the game was clearly won. After the game, Coach Brown was very clear about his intentions:

"I'm worried a little bit that people aren't taking people out much in the fourth quarter," Brown said. "People are trying to score so many points. I hope that we go back and really work on sportsmanship and letting other kids play. I'm really concerned about that for our game."

I wish both OU and Mizzou the best of luck in the Big XII championship game. It would be unfair to the young men competing to say anything that might be read to impugn their character. They are performing their duty well, and competing like champions, all.

But I think we must take heed of Coach Brown's words. Competitive sports teaches values to coaches, players, and spectators alike. In our drive to win, to be the best that we can be, we must keep an eye on what truly matters. Winning at all costs will only result in Pyrrhic victories, and will ultimately undo us all.

The Texas Longhorns have shown incredible skill, determination, and, above all, class. Let's hope other programs are taking note.