I’m sure I’ll have more to say, but the tee-times are up for the Memorial (which doesn’t start until next week, even if my trip starts tomorrow). There are now 88 players in open, and by rating alone I am T72. That’s… not so promising. Although if I cheat and bump myself up to a rating of 978 (the highest I was last year), I’m in 52nd (quite close to top half). I’ve got my work cut out for me.

I don’t know any of the guys I’m playing with – but there’s no huge name either. I’m the lowest-rated in my group, but not by much (ratings are 963, 979, 986, 992). I think that’s good. That way if I am not at the bottom of my card, I’ve at least beat someone “above” me.  But I won’t feel deflated by someone beating me by 15 strokes or more. At least, I hope that won’t happen.

Now, I should probably get to packing…

Note: this is probably the longest blog post I’ve ever written. Forgive the typos and tense-shifting, I’m not proofreading.

By now, you’ve probably read why I went east. The reason wasn’t fun, but I was looking forward to it. However, Ash was going with me on the flight, and as you know, when Ash flies anywhere, things just go wrong. Not only was this trip not an exception, it might have set the standard for all future shitty trips.

This is as comprehensive a list as I could remember of what went wrong. I’m leaving off minor things like the food we ordered not coming out right (which happened a few times during the trip) or the muggy weather. This is everything else, broken down by day.

THURSDAY

We heard the bad news and booked a flight. Landen had less than 24 hours notice, but he handled it like a champion. While not totally packed, we were pretty good that night. Our flight left Friday at 10:40, enough time for me to get an hour or two of work in.

FRIDAY

After a little more packing (but not everything), I head to the office to work. Landen comes in a few minutes later saying, “Mommy needs your help.” I go to her and she says “Call 9-1-1.” Duncan had been choking and vomiting and crying for about 20 seconds by this point. I call them and the responders show up almost immediately. This is a little over 3 hours before our flight. By the time they arrived, whatever he’d swallowed made it past and he was okay, though shaken up. Ash had found an envelope with some coins and he had a penny in his hand. We assumed it was a coin, but we weren’t sure.

Because we weren’t sure, they recommended going to the ER to get an X-Ray, make sure it wasn’t a) anything sharp or b) a quarter. Ash says she still needs to pack, but I tell her to take Duncan to the ER and I will get Landen ready and we’ll go. At worst, Landen and I would still make the trip, but Ash and Duncan might not. Turns out they did make it (after security, we were there about 45 minutes before our flight was scheduled to take off – our flight was actually late anyway, but we didn’t know that at the time.)

But in my haste to pack, which I wasn’t ready for, I left some stuff at home: Landen’s blankie and stuffed monkey Buddy, Duncan’s birth certificate, and some berries. Most of these would actually be irrelevant, but not all. In the process of packing, my back gave out. It would continue to get worse every day of the trip.

The flights were fine, and the airline didn’t ask for Duncan’s birth certificate at all, so we dodged a bullet there. Actually, somehow (and I’m still not 100% sure of how this happened), Landen managed to flush his underwear down the airplane toilet, and for the rest of the trip, every time he went to the bathroom he was deathly afraid of losing his underwear.

SATURDAY

This was a day where we were just going to take it easy. For the most part we did. We even managed to sneak away and see some friends so they could meet the boys. Landen and Nathaniel (Aaron’s son) got along great and played with cars and trains until they were well-past bedtime. It was this night that I broke my diet. I will have more about that in Part 3 of this journey.

SUNDAY

Because of the last-minute nature of this trip, we didn’t work out many logistics. Thankfully, Tracy and Jerry were AWESOME and flexible and extremely accommodating. They let us use their car to drive to CT for the wake and burial, for which we were extremely grateful, and they even watched Landen for two days while we did it. The drive up was rather uneventful, though we later heard we just missed a mega accident that forced Aaron and Julia to turn around and not make it. That might have been the one bit of luck that actually found its way to us.

A second thing we didn’t have planned was where we were going to sleep while in CT. Worst came to worst, we’d get a hotel. But Jaymar had given me the # of a buddy of his. I never got ahold of him, but while at the viewing, Jay and Jen hooked us up with this lovely couple (very good family friends of Jen’s) who volunteered to put us – total strangers – up for the night. They even gave us their GPS to find their place. They simply said “punch in HOME and you’re good to go.” Maybe things WERE looking up.

After the very painful viewing, Jay and Jen invited anyone who wanted to to come out for dinner and drinks and just some camaraderie. During dinner Duncan started getting fussy, so we made new plans. Ash would take the car to get Duncan back to Gail and Kevin’s (the very nice couple). I would hang with Jay, have a drink or two, and mooch a ride from somewhere back to their place. Great.

About twenty minutes later, I get a call. Ash says there’s a problem. She’d already been driving 20 minutes and the next direction on the GPS was to follow that road for 25 miles. Knowing something was wrong, she pulled over. Just then, she notices the AC in the car stopped. And the hood started smoking. GET OUT OF THE CAR! She pulled Duncan to safety, but now she had two problems. She was lost despite having a GPS and her car was leaking fluids in a not-at-all-good way. The next twenty minutes are spent in a mad game of Operator. Ash can’t reach Gail. She calls Triple A. Gail’s daughter (who happens to be at the bar – one of Jen’s close friends) is trying to reach Kevin, her dad, who is both a firefighter and a mechanic (convenient!) Finally, we make new plans. Kevin and Gail will take two cars to pick Ash up (she is probably 40 minutes from their house). Gail will drive Ash and Duncan back to their house, Kevin will wait for AAA to tow the car back to a VW dealership in the same town as the burial the next day.

We found out what happened with the GPS too – they have a summer home in Vermont, and they still had that address set at “home”, and Ash who is not from the area, didn’t realize it until too late. Yeah, that actually happened.

Meanwhile, at the bar, I decide to order one more very stiff drink, knock it back quickly, and head out with Gail and Kevin’s two kids and Jen’s sister to get back. I finally do make it back (before Ash) and at last we all arrive at Gail and Kevin’s house. The car was towed to the dealership, we hoped it wouldn’t be bad, and we tried to sleep. Nobody really succeeded, though. Duncan barely slept and Ash hardly slept because the only way Duncan would sleep is if they shared their (single) bed. I had a tough time sleeping because of my back.

MONDAY - After Gail made breakfast (seriously, they went ABOVE AND BEYOND the call of duty for complete strangers) and we finally determined that our car would be looked at that day, we went to the burial. After the burial and before lunch, Kevin took us to the dealership, where they told us they had no news. Ash told them that we’d need to rent a car soon and we needed to know as soon as possible. They said they’d try.

After lunch, at Jay and Jen’s insistence, we headed back to their house for a few hours. This was to buy us time so hopefully we would get news of the car. We DID get a call saying it was a hose or belt, and that it wasn’t too big a deal, but they were going to replace it and run it a while to make sure nothing else had gone. Best case scenario (ha!!) Ash would be on her way with Duncan that night – Landen was getting very antsy without us by then – and she would drop me off at my boss’ place in south CT to stay with him.

They called back to say that the water pump had also gone and that would take a long time. Kevin agreed that that was a definite possibility given what he saw, and there’s NO WAY it would get done (they told us this news at 2). We begged and pleaded and explained our situation, and he said he’d try, but no promises. Ash gave up and just ordered a rental car. She and Duncan left and I was to wait for the car. Either I would be staying with Jay and Jen (which I had wanted to avoid – to give them their space) or I would have a car and would drive down to my boss’ house.

Jay and some friends decide he needs a walk, so we take a 2-3 mile walk at a nearby park. It was nice when we got there. With about 1/2 mile left, the winds pick up and the sky darkens. Suddenly, THROUGH THE WOODS we see a storm moving in. Someone’s phone rings – it’s a relative saying that the area is basically getting hurricane conditions. The skies open up. DOWNPOUR. Hail, lightning directly overhead. We assumed it was Gavin who had just found the weather control console and REALLY liked pushing the red button. Over and over again. We get back to the car drenched but okay. Just before the walk I had gotten confirmation that the maintenance crew busted their ass and the car was ready. Following a change into dry clothes, Jay and I have dinner and he drops me off to get it.

I bid farewell to my friend, pack up, and head to south CT. I meet my boss there and explain what has happened so far. I needed two drinks in me to even get it all out.

TUESDAY

My company asked me to come in for one day during the trip to meet some new employees. Also, Ken, the original boss, was celebrating his last day with the company at his upper west side home that night, so it just made sense. But now we had a problem. Ash was supposed to drop off her rental car in NJ, then wouldn’t have a way to get her, Landen, Duncan, two car seats, and a stroller into NYC, and Tracy wouldn’t be able to drive her because it was Knox’ first day of  daycare. I was in the city with Tracy’s now-fixed car, but had no way of getting to Jersey. After many many many phone calls and planning, Ash changes her location to drop-off the car to a Hertz in NYC, not far from Ken’s, and that’s that.

However, at work, I spent an hour fighting with my computer, as it isn’t working properly. The IT team does a fix that works for about twenty minutes. Bear in mind, I hadn’t worked much of the last few days because of Gavin’s funeral, so I’m very far behind and need every minute I can get (particularly because the office was closing early for the party and 4th of July). Another hour passes and I give up and go to another computer. THAT one isn’t working properly either. We end up having a 2 hour conference call, further reducing the time I have to get stuff done. Add to that my cell phone stopped placing calls while in the city. I was not a happy camper.

Finally Ash comes in with the boys a little late and we start to head over in 90+ degree heat. We divert our trip a bit so we can hit the subway (Landen was promised a train ride). He had a great time on the trains, though they were too loud for his liking. The party itself was quite enjoyable, and I think I ate more red meat than I had in the past two years combined. Scrumptious.

By the time we finally made it back to West Milford, it was after 9. I had to lay down immediately because my back (remember that?) was in so much pain that basically utilizing the muscles hurt so so much. I had a glass of wine and went to bed, hoping it would be better in the morning.

WEDNESDAY

Fourth of July. And my back was worse than ever. I took two ibuprofen in the morning just to make it through the morning. After some pictures and last-minute packing, we head out to the airport about 1.5 hours early. When we check in, the guy asks us for Duncan’s birth certificate. We don’t have it. He says he can’t go on the flight. Ash and I don’t quite realize right away that he’s totally serious. He asks again and we tell him we really don’t have it – it’s in Reno. Ash points out that he has no teeth, can’t talk, and can’t stand. The guy replies: “I know old people that don’t have any teeth. I need proof of his date of birth. It’s on our website.” He tells us to have it faxed. By the time someone were to go to our house and get it and fax it over, we would have missed the flight. Ash breaks down while I try to get the hospital on the phone. (The Doctor’s office is closed, mind you, because it’s a holiday).

After two calls and speaking to 4 people, Ash gets this unpleasant woman who won’t help us – it’s against company policy to give out that information. Finally, the Southwest guy asks to speak to her. He runs around in circles for more than five minutes. The hospital wants authorization – we’re right here! We give it! – and then says that won’t work, they aren’t allowed to give that out. Finally, the Southwest guy says “Just say yes or no. Was Duncan born on 10/12/11? And she keeps fighting him, though at one point she says “yes, but I can’t fax you anything.” After more than five minutes of fighting (we’d probably been in line 25 minutes at this point), the guy instructs me to just hang up on her. He is willing to accept that very unofficial acknowledgment of his date of birth. He (fortunately) ushers us to the front of the security line and we make it through with about 15 minutes before our flight boards.

The flights themselves were okay – Duncan wouldn’t sleep unless he was being nursed, so Ash basically fed him for four hours. Landen did great on all the flights, but he’s still a 3-year-old and that’s draining.

At our layover, my back hurt now so much that I laid on the floor to try to fix it. And when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. I tried three times and I literally couldn’t use my back muscles to help me up. Ash brings more ibuprofen and I suck them down. We instruct Granny to meet us at the Reno airport with something stronger. It is probably the most (prolonged) pain I’ve ever been in.

The rest of the trip went without too much hassle and we made it home.

The results? My back is better now. Duncan DID swallow a penny (it came out during the wake), and all our hosts rocked our socks. We  were able to be there for Jay and Jen, a few friends got to meet our kids, I got to have a send-off for the one-time boss who basically enabled me to move across country and marry Ashley… it wasn’t all bad.

But most of it sucked.

Something was going screwy with my blog page, and Jason fixed it up (THANK YOU!) So I’m back. I hope to have a few different blogs coming up.

- I’m going to write what will be a lengthy blog post about religion.

- Starting June 1, I will be going on a pretty strict diet. No gluten, no dairy, no caffeine, no liquor. That will be for 6 weeks, then I’ll phase other things back in (likely keeping gluten-free). I’m going to blog about it, because I’m definitely going to need support.

- I’ll probably write-up a review of Chrono Trigger, because even though it isn’t a Final Fantasy game, it was done by the same people, and it really plays like one.

- Hopefully I’ll get some pics of the boys up. Lots happening. Hopefully I find time for it.

All right, time for the best music I bought in 2011.  Same rules apply to the Worst of, which can be found HERE.

7.  Ken Burns Jazz – Louis Armstrong (2000) – It’s no surprise that I like big band music.  But I have very little Louis Armstrong for a guy who likes it so much.  When I saw this one, I had to pick it up.  It’s a great collection, from his early Dixieland-esque work with several groups, to his later more familiar style.  It’s just a great selection of songs.  That Ken Burns knows an awful lot about many things.

6.  The Rhythm of the Saints – Paul Simon (1990) – Here is an admission – I think this CD is on the list because I WANT to like it so very badly.  The truth is I do like it, and although Simon gets a bit too much credit for his inclusion of “world musicians” (read: pretty much strictly African), you can’t deny that the music on this album is pretty great.  Noteworthy tracks include “Can’t Run But”, “The Coast”, “Thelma”, and of course the famous(ish) “The Obvious Child”.

5.  Undercard – The Extra Lens (2010) – I was pretty stoked to hear that John Darnielle’s side-project The Extra Lens (formerly Extra Glenns) was coming out with a new release.  For a while, this album was my favorite thing that Darnielle had released since Sunset Tree.  However, after repeated listenings, it is very good, but perhaps not on quite the pedestal it once was.  First off, it’s only 12 songs, and one is an oldie he’s done for years, and another is a cover.  However, two of the songs on here are probably among the best in his entire massive catalog: “How I Left the Ministry” and “Some Other Way”.  In fact, the only real dud on the album is the version of “Rockin’ Rockin’ Twilight of the Gods”, which is particularly not-rocking.  They should have just given it the frenzied energy they give it live.  Definitely worth a listen, especially if you are a Mountain Goats fan.

4.  All Eternals Deck – The Mountain Goats (2011) – Speaking of Mountain Goats, Darnielle somehow sneaks onto my list twice this year.  That seems unfair.  This is his 7th release with his full band, and like the last few, it seems to have few stand-out blow-your-socks-off songs, but conversely no duds.  That’s right, not one song that’s worse than 3 out of 5 stars on my iTunes.  I will say this – unlike the last few, he did at least play with the sounds of the songs a bit.  I found that, before this album, their songs tended to start to sound much too much alike, and on this one, using instrumentation and composition, he varied up the sounds, particularly on “Age of Kings”.  Oh, and for the record, “Never Quite Free” might be the best song of 2011.

3.  Jurassic Park Sountrack – John Williams (1993) - I always assumed Danny Elfman’s soundtracks would comprise pretty much all of my top 10 lists.  But I think as much as I love the man, and as much as his soundtracks are the BEST accompaniment for the film they belong to, you can’t deny that Williams is probably the best theme-writer out there.  It showcases here, as Jurassic Park may have finally vaulted over Edward Scissorhands and Braveheart as my favorite score of all time.  Epic.

2.  Mighty Wind Soundtrack – Various (2003) – I’d seen this movie first probably a year or two after it came out, thought it was charming with a few chuckles, and was happy to have seen it.  Then, many years later, I was still haunted by the song “Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”.  When the came on television recently and I watched it again, I was just captured by the music in it.  Sure, it was written by Michael McKean and not an actual folk artist, per se, but man does he do the genre justice.  I always felt all the styles that the Christopher Guest movies parody are less about parody and more about homage.  That is most true here, where they write genuine folk music that’s tongue-in-cheek, and not trying to be super funny.  I rated about half this album as 4-star songs, including all the songs that are featured in the movie and “Fare Away”, “Blood on the Coal”, and the harmony-solid “When You’re Next to Me.”  This is a great buy for anyone even remotely tolerant of folk music.

1.  Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton (2011) – I was nervous that Jonathan Coulton was going mainstream.  He made his calling as an internet darling, doing the Thing a Day series, and that was great.  He was the lovable nerd.  Now that he was under the tutelage of John Flansburg of TMBG (who was once a loveable nerd, but has become too mainstream for my liking), I feared that the album would fall into some of the same traps as TMBG’s recent efforts.  How wrong I was.  Sure, the first 10 seconds of the album sound exactly like a TMBG album, but after that, it is pure Coulton from start to finish.  At 17 tracks, I get the impression he put most of what he recorded on it, and there are a few ones that I pass over (I’m looking at you “Je Suis Rick Springfield”), but the album showcases what Coulton does best: has you cracking up one minute, and quietly reflecting the next.  There’s few artists who can achieve this: Moxy Fruvous and Eddie From Ohio are pretty much the only other two I can think of.  What I appreciate most about the album is that it is a return to melody.  I swear, music today has completely unforgettable melodies, and Coulton deftly carves out a dozen of them on this album alone.  The first half of the album is great, but it is the second half, tracks 10-16 specifically, where it takes off.  Aside from “Good Morning Tucson”, that clump of songs is possibly the strongest string of songs on any album I own, reaching its apex in the trilogy “Down Today”, “Dissolve” and the simple-but-amazing “Nobody Loves You Like Me”.  I heartily recommend this to anyone you know.

There’s a viral app going around which is a 20-question test that proves to worried mothers if their sons are gay.  Most people’s problem with it is that it shamelessly perpetuates the [often false] stereotypes of the gay lifestyle.  I can’t argue these issues people have – it’s a pretty terrible app, and worse yet it’s being passed around like a tray of pigs in a blanket.  But my biggest problem with it is that it’s a TERRIBLE indicator of a boy’s gayness.  Dressing well?  I have several gay friends who dress like crap.  Liking musicals?  Well then most of my friends are gay.  Are your parents divorced?  Then HALF OF THE WORLD IS GAY!  Put simply, the test is lousy.

So I’ve decided to write my own test that is a much truer indication as to whether or not your son is actually gay.  Better yet, it’s only 10 questions.  Feel free to share this, as I think it will really put the issue to rest, and mothers can sleep well at night knowing that they’re complete idiots for disseminating this type of tripe.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SON IS GAY

1.  Is your son married to a man?

2.  If he lives in a state that does not recognize same-sex marriage, has he eloped with a man or moved to another state with him?

3.  Have you seen your son have sex with a man?

4.  Has your son ever taken a man up to his bedroom after asking if you have any errands you need to run?

5.  Is your son’s favorite color “other men”?

6.  Does your son like Liza Minella?  (Note: this isn’t the best indicator of the gayness of your son, but it could well be an indication that he’s got shit taste in music.)

7.  Does he like musical tragedies? (think Repression: The Musical)

8.  Does he spend all of his time inside a closet?

9.  When you talk disparagingly about “those queers,” does he avoid making eye-contact with you?

10.  Have you asked him if he’s gay and he responded “yes”?

HOW TO SCORE:

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you need to continue to the bonus question below:

BONUS) Do you feel that the “How to Tell if your Son is Gay” app is a more useful tool than talking to your son?

If you answered yes, it doesn’t matter if your son is gay, you’re a douche.

In light of a recent article I read about the composer of “Do They Know It’s Christmas” calling it the worst song ever written, period, I have given some thought to my favorite and least favorite Christmas songs.  And without giving it too much thought, here’s what I came up with.

Worst Christmas Songs (note: there are any number of comedy songs out there that are horrible – I’m excluding them and sticking to songs that were meant to be genuine)

5.  Good King Wenceslas - This probably wouldn’t have made the list except I found out there are like a billion verses.  That song isn’t good short, never mind exceptionally long.

4.  Little Saint Nick – I’m not a fan of the Beach Boys, and them doing their exact same shtick for winter?  Yeah, not any better.

3.  Do They Know It’s Christmas - No, no they don’t.  They often don’t know when their next meal will be.  Even for charity, this is a terrible song, but not the worst of all time (not even on of the worst two Christmas songs.)

2.  Wonderful Christmastime – Sir Paul McCartney, please please please stick to Hey Jude.  I’d rather hear the end of that song on an endless loop than this song.

1. What Made the Baby Cry – Nothing says the celebration of a baby quite like pointing out as frequently as possible that he will die.

Best Christmas Songs (traditional – doesn’t matter the version)

5.  O Come All Ye Faithful – Perhaps it’s the memory of the midnight mass I went to and their timpani player, but this one is still awesome when it’s in full blast mode.

4.  Once in Royal David’s City - A lesser known song, but the melody is soaring.

3.  Let it Snow - I’m not as big a fan of the jaunty songs like Jingle Bells, but this one is good no matter who sings it.

2.  Carol of the Bells - It doesn’t HAVE to be played by a bell choir, but that certainly doesn’t hurt.

1.  Oh Holy Night – This is really the only time I’d prefer a tenor singing a song over anyone else.  Like literally the only time.

Honorable Mentions: Feliz Navidad, Deck the Halls, Hallelujah Chorus, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Best Christmas Songs (specific version)

5.  Twelve Days of Christmas - Bob and Doug McKenzie – Most people know I don’t like the original of this song (because it’s long and repetitious), and I usually like their parodies less.  But this one is funny from start to finish.  Rick Moranis never ceases to amaze.

4.  Baby It’s Cold Outside – Zooey Dachanel & Leon Redbone – Many versions of this song are too fast and chose “whiter” harmonies.  This version is the right combination of swanky and sentimental.

3.  Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra – It’s probably only due to oversaturation that this song isn’t higher.  But seeing one lone guy standing and headbanging to it in concert was a sight I’ll never forget.

2.  Santa Claus – Harry Connick Jr. – The best original Christmas song written in the last 40 years, probably longer.

1.  White Christmas - Bing Crosby – This song, more appropriately this version of this song, IS Christmas.  Much like the Macy’s Day Parade is supposed to usher in the season, my Christmas season doesn’t start until I’ve heard this song.

Honorable Mentions: You’re a Mean One (Mr Grinch) – Rockapella, Christmas Collage – Kathy Mattea, Little Drummer Boy – The Flaming Lips (it contains the lyric: “Baby Jesus, ba rum pa pum pum… is floating somewhere outside, ba rum pa pum pum.”)

So many know about my airplane issues – flight canceled, got a new set of flights (3) to Hartford, those were delayed, got in at 2 am.  That’s all fine and dandy.  Usually my luck with airplanes is pretty good, so I won’t complain.

I’m in 2nd in my tournament after the first day, so all I need is a good night’s sleep, right?  Dave’s buddy Gary offered us his place (very kindly).  So we get in and I’m in bed before 11.  SCORE.

And then at 4am, all Gary’s smoke detectors start going off.  For over an hour.  Those things are very loud.

Well, at least I am up and at ‘em early.

I had four starting pitchers yesterday.  Here was my total pitching line:

K – 15

ERA – 1.73

WHIP – 1.12

OBPA – .282

Needless to say, these are KILLER numbers.  So how many wins did I get?  1.  That’s because I got a GRAND TOTAL of 5 runs of run support in those four games.  Sheesh.

For each day in 2010 (give or take) I’ll be showing a picture from somewhere in my life with a little explanation as to what it is.  Enjoy the trip down memory lane.  (CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE ARCHIVES!)

Saturday Night
Date: 7/1/2000
Location: Fair Lawn, NJ

Description: I feel this picture is completely, utterly, and in all ways self-explanatory.

For each day in 2010 (give or take) I’ll be showing a picture from somewhere in my life with a little explanation as to what it is.  Enjoy the trip down memory lane.  (CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE ARCHIVES!)

Tiny Me on a Chair
Date: September 22, 2007
Location: Sugarbush, VT

Description: In anticipation of Colorado States, a mountainous tournament, I figured I’d revisit the first one I ever played, at the Sugarbush Ski Resort in Vermont.  Hitting it at the peak of autumn, there were certainly a number of beautiful sights to behold, none of which, incidentally, were my scores.  Aside from witnessing an ace by the eventual winner of the tournament, Markus Källström, I got to witness another unusual gem, and that was when I later looked at my pictures.  After teeing off on the scenic hole 9 of the Peak Course, I couldn’t help but notice, is that me looking pensively at my drive, or tiny me on a chair?  So far, the votes are overwhelmingly for the latter.