President's Message
"As long as a man thinks, he is free." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I shared this story at one of the first Dude Squad meetings and since we have added many new dudes to the ranks I thought it wouldn't hurt to briefly revisit it. When American POWs in Vietnam were scheduled for release, their captors put them in low-security holding facilities and allowed them to mingle with one another. Not knowing how long they had to wait, the POWs quickly organized themselves into an informal school in which anyone with knowledge of any topic could teach a class or lead a discussion. I've always carried that story with me. It is in the spirit of those men that I salute the Dude Squad this Memorial Day weekend.
I want to thank Trevor Beck for such a memorable Dude Squad event. We have certainly come a long way from our humble origins in my cramped little apartment to enjoying ping-pong, billiards, and a view of the mighty Pacific. I felt a little as if I were about to sprout donkey ears like the boys on Pleasure Island in Pinnochio. I think the only way to one-up the Club House is to rent Air Force One for the next meeting. I'll see what I can do.
Our ranks are swelling, which is always welcome, and we had a collegial discussion of A Sense of Where You Are. It was mentioned that 'a sense of where you are' could be a sports metaphor for finding direction in life since reaching a destination requires a knowledge of one's location with regard to important goals. One stat was offered, I forget by whom, that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to really master any skill. I'm going to remember this the next time a guy with a cast on his foot beats me at ping-pong.
Our last meeting kicked off our first ever Obscure Sports Ping-Pong Tournament. In line with the book's theme of competitive sports, we wrapped up discussion early in order to re-live the glory days of college ping-pong. Rising swiftly through the ranks was Sam Gilstrap who met up with Richard Norman in the final round. After a tenaciously fought battle by both athletes, the victory finally went to the guy without a cast on either leg: Sam. Congratulations, you must be proud!
Next month's meeting will be announced shortly. We will be reading Brent's selection The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria. Before I close, I'd like to mention those in attendance at the Club House: Brent Christensen, Tyler Wilson, Scott Silva, Cass Glasser, Troy Thorup, Leo Bunting, Jason, Sam Gilstrap, Mike Mallory, Jim Sparks, Trevor Beck, Richard Norman, John Root.
Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure.
El Presidente
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Oh, California!
President's Message
"The attraction and superiority of California are in its days. It has better days, and more of them, than any other country." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tyler Wilson put on one heck of a Dude Squad meeting. Borrowing a recipe from the master of marinades, Scott Silva, he produced a bucket of beef never to be forgotten by any who had the good fortune to partake of its goodness. Speaking of fresh meat, we welcomed two new members to our ranks, Dave Greenall, and Billy Fairbanks. We discussed the ballistics event which appears to be on hold indefinitely due to a busy stake/ward calendar. We discussed Tyler's choice for the month, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Harvey Dana. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed it, especially the connections it made to California and her storied past. We went around the circle detailing our personal family histories in the Golden State. The Bunting's California origins, for example, antedate the Schooner as well as the mortar and pestle, reaching deep into the mists of antiquity. The Beck family, on the other hand, were part of the not-so-famous California Gold Rush of 2008. For our next meeting we will be reading a book about Bill Bradley. I will have more information about the book as well as the time and place soon. For the record I will attempt to recall all the dudes present at Troy's place on that moonlit night, April 22, 2010: Tyler Wilson, Dave Greenall, Richard Norman, Billy Fairbanks, Bret Prawitt, Troy Thorup, Trevor Beck, Brent Christensen, Sam Gilstrap, Leo Bunting, Scott Silva, and John Root.
"The attraction and superiority of California are in its days. It has better days, and more of them, than any other country." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tyler Wilson put on one heck of a Dude Squad meeting. Borrowing a recipe from the master of marinades, Scott Silva, he produced a bucket of beef never to be forgotten by any who had the good fortune to partake of its goodness. Speaking of fresh meat, we welcomed two new members to our ranks, Dave Greenall, and Billy Fairbanks. We discussed the ballistics event which appears to be on hold indefinitely due to a busy stake/ward calendar. We discussed Tyler's choice for the month, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Harvey Dana. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed it, especially the connections it made to California and her storied past. We went around the circle detailing our personal family histories in the Golden State. The Bunting's California origins, for example, antedate the Schooner as well as the mortar and pestle, reaching deep into the mists of antiquity. The Beck family, on the other hand, were part of the not-so-famous California Gold Rush of 2008. For our next meeting we will be reading a book about Bill Bradley. I will have more information about the book as well as the time and place soon. For the record I will attempt to recall all the dudes present at Troy's place on that moonlit night, April 22, 2010: Tyler Wilson, Dave Greenall, Richard Norman, Billy Fairbanks, Bret Prawitt, Troy Thorup, Trevor Beck, Brent Christensen, Sam Gilstrap, Leo Bunting, Scott Silva, and John Root.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Dudes, Meat, Frogs
President's Message
Dudes,
First and foremost, I want to thank Vicki and Mariah for graciously allowing 10 noisy dudes to disturb their evening routine. The stuffed peppers were amazing, the meat was sublime, and all doubt that Leo could host a first-class Dude Squad night was obliterated. Leo's successful meeting also proves conclusively that not every word of every book has to be read by every dude in order for the conversation to be worthwhile. It also proves that a chorus of little croakers are no match for the cunning of Dude Squad "frogmen" armed with kitchen implements and a jar.
The evening started on a positive note when Richard's crutches arrived followed shortly thereafter by Richard himself, who sat happily by the fire testing the thermal conductivity of his leg apparatus. Brent arrived with a little black cloud of government oppression over his head after having been caught spinning doughnuts in the Village of Arroyo Grande. The incident set the tone for the night's discussion which Leo introduced with a moving story of his father as a young man at the turn of the 20th century.
Before I get ahead of myself I should mention some points of order we discussed. Communication problems will be shored up now that I have everyone's email: and I will try to post updates and information in a more timely way. Next up was Bret's formal charge against Sam of un-dude-like conduct for having attended a "chick flick" and allegedly having been the only dude in the theater. No further evidence or testimony was needed to convict him. His sentence will be to read recycled copies of Relief Society books on womanhood. And no, he may not propose such books for Dude Squad material. Next up was Scott's proposal of a Dude Squad shooting outing that was easily ratified by unanimous vote. Details will be announced as soon as I know them. Also Richard mentioned raising a pig and roasting it sometime for a D.S. meeting. Sounds good to me, that would go well with a Lord of the Flies discussion.
And now for The Forgotten Man discussion. For those who read the book, it seemed they came away with the impression that the Roosevelt administration was too heavy-handed in regulating business and the depression was prolonged as a result. Reckless experimentation was also cited as having a devastating effect on people's lives. It was apparent that we are a bunch of self-reliant dudes who are wary of government solutions. That isn't to say, though, that there weren't well-researched arguments citing much growth in the 1930s that came as a result of the New Deal. Suffice it to say that we could all agree that our situation now doesn't come close to the conditions people faced during the Great Depression. We also talked a lot about Health Care reform and if I recall, Sam offered a comprehensive solution but at that point is was getting difficult to hear over the frogs.
All in all, it was another successful meeting. Those who were present, Leo Bunting, Sam Gilstrap, Troy Thorup, Tyler Wilson, Brent Christensen, Scott Silva, Bret Prawitt, John Root, Richard Norman, and Trevor Beck, are greatly appreciated. For our next meeting we will be discussing Tyler's choice, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Discussion will be on Wednesday, April 21 at Leo's house. Stay tuned in case of changes.
Sincerely,
El Presidente
Dudes,
First and foremost, I want to thank Vicki and Mariah for graciously allowing 10 noisy dudes to disturb their evening routine. The stuffed peppers were amazing, the meat was sublime, and all doubt that Leo could host a first-class Dude Squad night was obliterated. Leo's successful meeting also proves conclusively that not every word of every book has to be read by every dude in order for the conversation to be worthwhile. It also proves that a chorus of little croakers are no match for the cunning of Dude Squad "frogmen" armed with kitchen implements and a jar.
The evening started on a positive note when Richard's crutches arrived followed shortly thereafter by Richard himself, who sat happily by the fire testing the thermal conductivity of his leg apparatus. Brent arrived with a little black cloud of government oppression over his head after having been caught spinning doughnuts in the Village of Arroyo Grande. The incident set the tone for the night's discussion which Leo introduced with a moving story of his father as a young man at the turn of the 20th century.
Before I get ahead of myself I should mention some points of order we discussed. Communication problems will be shored up now that I have everyone's email: and I will try to post updates and information in a more timely way. Next up was Bret's formal charge against Sam of un-dude-like conduct for having attended a "chick flick" and allegedly having been the only dude in the theater. No further evidence or testimony was needed to convict him. His sentence will be to read recycled copies of Relief Society books on womanhood. And no, he may not propose such books for Dude Squad material. Next up was Scott's proposal of a Dude Squad shooting outing that was easily ratified by unanimous vote. Details will be announced as soon as I know them. Also Richard mentioned raising a pig and roasting it sometime for a D.S. meeting. Sounds good to me, that would go well with a Lord of the Flies discussion.
And now for The Forgotten Man discussion. For those who read the book, it seemed they came away with the impression that the Roosevelt administration was too heavy-handed in regulating business and the depression was prolonged as a result. Reckless experimentation was also cited as having a devastating effect on people's lives. It was apparent that we are a bunch of self-reliant dudes who are wary of government solutions. That isn't to say, though, that there weren't well-researched arguments citing much growth in the 1930s that came as a result of the New Deal. Suffice it to say that we could all agree that our situation now doesn't come close to the conditions people faced during the Great Depression. We also talked a lot about Health Care reform and if I recall, Sam offered a comprehensive solution but at that point is was getting difficult to hear over the frogs.
All in all, it was another successful meeting. Those who were present, Leo Bunting, Sam Gilstrap, Troy Thorup, Tyler Wilson, Brent Christensen, Scott Silva, Bret Prawitt, John Root, Richard Norman, and Trevor Beck, are greatly appreciated. For our next meeting we will be discussing Tyler's choice, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Discussion will be on Wednesday, April 21 at Leo's house. Stay tuned in case of changes.
Sincerely,
El Presidente
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Leo's Meeting Postponed
Dudes,
Just so everyone knows, Leo's meeting will be postponed until the first or second Thursday of March. Gentlemen, we've entered uncharted territory in that many dudes have expressed a lazy attitude toward Leo's book and have not given it the time it deserves. Sadly, I'll admit to being among those guys. Now, in my opinion, the great thing about Dude Squad is that it is about food and brotherhood as much as ideas. So, I say we meet regardless of whether or not anyone read the book and Leo can tell us about the Great Depression and then we can all complain about politics while nursing cold bottled root brewskis and wiping the fat from some roasted animal from our chins. What sayest thou?
President Root
Just so everyone knows, Leo's meeting will be postponed until the first or second Thursday of March. Gentlemen, we've entered uncharted territory in that many dudes have expressed a lazy attitude toward Leo's book and have not given it the time it deserves. Sadly, I'll admit to being among those guys. Now, in my opinion, the great thing about Dude Squad is that it is about food and brotherhood as much as ideas. So, I say we meet regardless of whether or not anyone read the book and Leo can tell us about the Great Depression and then we can all complain about politics while nursing cold bottled root brewskis and wiping the fat from some roasted animal from our chins. What sayest thou?
President Root
Monday, February 8, 2010
Posted By Bret
Greetings to all. This is Bret taking up our benevolent leader's offer to allow each of us to post on the D.S. Blog. Seldom do you find a President so secure in his high office that he is willing to throw caution to the wind by allowing the masses to taste of the fruits of his leadership. I am honored to use his exalted log in. My wife's sister posted this video on her facebook. Not only is it very funny but also speaks to the need for organizations such as the Dude Squad. So I hope you will enjoy it. P.S. At the 1:30 mark you will see a movie theatre crowd that exactly matches the one that Sam experienced being the only male at the movie "Dear John"(perhaps some sort of disciplinary action required). Click here
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Model of Empathy
Dudes,
I thought you might enjoy this clip of a talk show host laughing at his guests. The topic for the show was medical procedures gone wrong and as you'll see, his reaction to a throat-surgery survivor is less than professional. Apparently, his show was canceled and his television career ended because of this one show. Enjoy.
I thought you might enjoy this clip of a talk show host laughing at his guests. The topic for the show was medical procedures gone wrong and as you'll see, his reaction to a throat-surgery survivor is less than professional. Apparently, his show was canceled and his television career ended because of this one show. Enjoy.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Behold the Man
President's Message
Another successful Dude Squad meeting is in the bag thanks to Scott Silva and his dear wife Christy who was kind enough to allow ten dudes to roast strips of beef on skewers in her living room fireplace. The beef, I'm compelled to add, was marinaded in such a way as to leave me at a loss for superlatives to describe it. Suffice it to say the meat was transcendent. Pre-discussion chatter was lively and not entirely unproductive as we listened to Troy's adventures in China confronting guys with superfluous teeth and playing charades with the Eggman. We also enjoyed Bret's pictures of people with severely disfigured faces. Then we touched lightly on the 'woman question' and decided that reading women authors is permissible but a girl in the Dude Squad would just be too weird. Perhaps next month we should consider building a tree house with the appropriate defenses and signage. Also, we decided that it's ok for Leo to listen to audio books.
Scott initiated discussion with the question: what was the turning point for Greg Mortenson? A number of postulates were presented and some even questioned whether there was an actual turning point in his life. Discussion revolved around the man Greg Mortenson for most of the night and the general consensus was that such selfless service can open doors that most consider locked. We also considered the related topics of education (and decided that California teachers are grossly overpaid), US military involvement in Afghanistan/Pakistan, and earthquakes with Sam telling stories about how he used to impress girls in college.
Of course I'd like to mention our newest initiates, Brent Christensen and Richard Norman and thank them for their contributions and insights. For the record I want to mention all those in attendance on that dark and stormy night, January 21, 2010: Scott Silva, Leo Bunting, Brent Christensen, Richard Norman, Tyler Wilson, John Root, Troy Thorup, Sam Gilstrap, Trevor Beck and Bret Prawitt. Our next book was chosen by Leo Bunting: The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. Discussion is tentatively scheduled for February 25 at Leo's house. Standby for more information.
Gentlemen, go forth and serve.
Another successful Dude Squad meeting is in the bag thanks to Scott Silva and his dear wife Christy who was kind enough to allow ten dudes to roast strips of beef on skewers in her living room fireplace. The beef, I'm compelled to add, was marinaded in such a way as to leave me at a loss for superlatives to describe it. Suffice it to say the meat was transcendent. Pre-discussion chatter was lively and not entirely unproductive as we listened to Troy's adventures in China confronting guys with superfluous teeth and playing charades with the Eggman. We also enjoyed Bret's pictures of people with severely disfigured faces. Then we touched lightly on the 'woman question' and decided that reading women authors is permissible but a girl in the Dude Squad would just be too weird. Perhaps next month we should consider building a tree house with the appropriate defenses and signage. Also, we decided that it's ok for Leo to listen to audio books.
Scott initiated discussion with the question: what was the turning point for Greg Mortenson? A number of postulates were presented and some even questioned whether there was an actual turning point in his life. Discussion revolved around the man Greg Mortenson for most of the night and the general consensus was that such selfless service can open doors that most consider locked. We also considered the related topics of education (and decided that California teachers are grossly overpaid), US military involvement in Afghanistan/Pakistan, and earthquakes with Sam telling stories about how he used to impress girls in college.
Of course I'd like to mention our newest initiates, Brent Christensen and Richard Norman and thank them for their contributions and insights. For the record I want to mention all those in attendance on that dark and stormy night, January 21, 2010: Scott Silva, Leo Bunting, Brent Christensen, Richard Norman, Tyler Wilson, John Root, Troy Thorup, Sam Gilstrap, Trevor Beck and Bret Prawitt. Our next book was chosen by Leo Bunting: The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. Discussion is tentatively scheduled for February 25 at Leo's house. Standby for more information.
Gentlemen, go forth and serve.
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