Just what I think

Expectations

2006-06-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Why do people dream? Why do we have illusions of grandeur? I feel like I should be doing greater things than what I'm doing now. But the real oddity is that I don't feel like I'm letting myself down, but others that expect so much of me. I guess it's good that I've got people to depend and desire to see me succeed, but what happens to them when I fail? I don't have expectations for other people. I don't wish them in big houses with fancy cars and great spouses. I wish them to be happy. Nothing more, nothing less. Whether it be an anchor for some sports channel or living in a cardboard box...if they're happy then I'm happy for them. Why can't everyone just take that approach? It's not that hard. I don't know why people can't just let others live their lives. I mean everybody is different, so naturally people's definition of success does vary; so who's to say what success for me is or should be?

But on the flip side there are things that I want to accomplish in my life which I don't believe would ever lead to me being successful or accomplished. Small stuff like playing some musical instrument, actually having a golf game that works repeatedly. Nothing serious, just things that I would like to possess as part of my life portfolio. Because now having gone through a significant portion of college I have come to realize that portfolios are the basis for life. (sad but true)

Anyway, the thing is...I'm going to be me no matter what happens, and whether that breeds success or complete failure I'm still gonna be me.

I'm so excited I could pee my pants!

2006-05-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Alright, so 40 million copies have been sold, great actors from around the world have been assembled and one famous director have come together to make the best movie of the century.

I know it's not out yet, but I'm already declaring the best movie ever!

It's Da Vinci Code!!!!!!!

Here's the trailer. So enjoy and I'll see you at the show.

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Who would do such a thing?

2006-05-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well,

The sad day has come. I was getting food late one night and I got back to my apartment, parked my car in the same spot that I had a hundred times before, and went inside to get some work done before I had to leave for class the next morning. Harmless enough I know, but the next morning it happened.

SOMEONE STOLE MY HOOD ORNAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor, Poor, Hood ornament, if you can read this...I'm sorry for abandoning you. I will try to find you, but I'm afraid you've been turned into a necklace for some poser white kid.

A tear comes to my face when I think about the ornament that I've gazed upon driving down the roads of my past. Now, however, I will never look at that ornament again.

Curse you who steals another man's ornament. I vow revenge.

Portfolio

2006-05-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Coming in to this class I had no idea about blogging. Didn't know what it involved, why people did it, and what made it so enjoyable for so many people. I'm not completely sold on the whole blogging thing (maybe I'm not fully integrated into the network) but I think this class has taught me how to become a better writer. I have explored different tones of writing, and I think this class has allowed me to write more closely to the way I talk and think. This class has helped my sarcastic side come out in writing. And I also found that I could write some humorous things as well. So for coming in with nothing I think I'm leaving with a lot. And here are some examples of work that I've done.

Posts that I think are good:

Men vs. Women

I think this post is good because it stirred up a good debate. I also think it has hints of humor which doesn't usually come out in my writing. I think this post is pretty good for these points. I think it has some good points and I think I was able to get some good thoughts out. I don't know what inspired this post, but I think that what came out is something that was good and I think other people wanted to read it.

Another good post was:

Teammates

This post was good because someone else said so. I think this post is actually a good reflection of what I was thinking. This post seems to be a good job of getting things from my head to my fingers. And I think that is very important for people to be able to express things from their head to their fingers. And I think this post is an example of that. This post came together very well and I think it makes people think a little bit. And that's the important part I think.

What is going on

Mainly, I like this post because of the discussion that it started. I think this post is another example of me getting thoughts out without losing the original thoughts and feelings I had. I think that's the most important part for me in my writing. I didn't lose the sense of the moment from the time I thought about this post til the end of the writing of it. I think this piece is put together well and really hits at who i am and what I think.

Posts I don't like:

National what?

This post is awful...the things that make a good writing, in my mind, aren't evident here. This post doesn't really do anything. It really doesn't even express an opinion. It's just there. And it isn't looking good there. But, no one can say anything about it because it doesn't question anything or pose any question for anyone. That's why this is terrible.

Alright, I'm impressed

This is another post that is bad for the simple fact that it doesn't do anything. It's just a post. It doesn't serve anyone or any purpose. That's why this post is terrible. It also contains a hint of sexism that I certainly didn't mean to intend. But, again this post is bad because it doesn't do anything. That makes it really, really bad.

Here's some posts I thought were good that I placed on the class blog:

reading response

This post got some good comments, and I think it responds well to what we were trying to discussion about blogging as journalism.

lack of decision

I might be the only one, but I think this post is funny. And I also think it remarks to the inability of college kids to make big decisions in their life. I think it's funny because it's true and I think there are some words to live by in this post. And I always like that from posts.

Thoughts about good blogging

This is another post that I think I really came out and just said what was on my mind. Blogging has allowed me the privilege of letting go as a writer and letting thoughts flow from brain to fingers and this post is an example of that. I wasn't writing for anyone, but what came out was exactly what I would have liked to express to someone had they asked. And I like the comments. I think people like the post and that's half the battle. People don't have to agree, but if they like the idea or the final project then I can deal with that.

Here's some comments that I've thrown on other people's posts:

uplifting

This comment was good because it doesn't talk about blogging. Sometimes people really need to vent, and I think I was kind enough to comment that even though we all hate school that it will be over soon. I hope I conveyed some positive feedback. That's what this comment does for me.

music

As crappy as this last comment is by me I think that it actually gets to the heart of blogging by sharing information previously unknown by Marissa. Hopefully she discovered a new band to listen to and my friends just gained a fan. This interaction thing is magnificient.

When the hell did we get old?

2006-04-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hey,

This will be one of those "journal" posts about nothing in particular and just some mindless ranting at one a.m. So here it goes.

We were young, we had fun, we didn't have a care in the world and we were living free in the moment. And then came Monday. I've always been one to proclaim that I really am the biggest 12 year old I know. I've always been a kid and tried to hang on to all the things kids do. I've never been in a hurry to grow up or get my life started. That time will come. But then I think about the friends I have that are quickly becoming alcoholics and can't wait til Friday and Saturday nights so they can wake up and not remember Friday or Staurday nights. And the friends who are currently in any state of marriage. Whether it be planning for a wedding, having a wedding, or celebrating a wedding from a few years back I've got friends that are now living squarely in the real world.

Am I then part of the real world? Do I have to grow up because my friends bring their new babies to events that I'm at? I know that a time will come when I will want to enter the work force and find a real life for myself, but in the end these days of college and being independent and free have served me quite well. I really don't want them to stop now.

Oh well, I guess you win some and lose some...

Shameless self-plug

2006-04-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

This is the one post that I'm going to tell you about the great friends I have and the wonderful things they bring to the music industry.

The first band that I'd like to talk about is a band called "bent left" the guys all came from my high school and they are a very political band in the punk music scene. They try to travel cross-country during the summers and play and record in Kansas City during the school year. They are a great group of guys that love to party and play music. They are the best and they are the greatest friends a kid could have. So If you're into punk you really need to check them out and seeing them live is the best. Here's a

great review

I found of an album of their's.

The other band I'd like to plug tonight is a group that is based in Provo, Utah and tours the west during the summers. Their lead singer is a good friend of mine and they are really talented. They have been together for quite a while and have a couple of albums out. Their sound is pretty different, at least I think so. But they're fun to listen to and they are really good people too. Their website is found

here

. If you are ever randomly in the Utah or California you should see if you could catch a show. I think they are taking a break for now because their lead singer and the only member of the group I know personally is getting married so they have life getting in the way of their music right now. But if you could pick up their album and give it a listen I think you will find it enjoyable.

cross-posted at

Just what I think

Agendas

2006-04-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago some friends of mine persuaded me to join them in going to a bar in town. I had never been to this bar or any other bar for that matter, but they said the music was great and I would have a ton of fun. So I thought, "what the hell?" and joined them on their way to getting drunk.

This place had piano players taking requests all night and they played anything that I could think of. It was great to hear the music and hang out with friends after a long day of writing papers, but after a while I started to glance around the room and think of what I was seeing.

I guess I should preclude this rant by saying that normally I am the fly on the wall with nothing to say and not really into drinking until I can't stand. so I started to look at all the people that were there and trying to guess why they were here, now. It seemed like my friends were there to drink a tough week away and forget the projects, papers, and assignments that college kids must face. A couple of people from the group I was in were clearly there to flirt with any guy that would buy them a drink and then ruin the guys night by letting them go home alone.

But it was clear that everyone in the bar was there for some specific purpose and wasn't about to let anyone or anything get in the way of accomplishing whatever they had on their mind. Some people came for the music. Others came to drink themselves under the table. Some came to find a soulmate. And others were just there because that was what their group of friends were doing that night.

It was strange to see all these people in one place for some specific reason. But, in the end they are all just people looking for something. I would like to hope that I'm not out somewhere just looking for something, but have some sort of purpose behind my actions.

Are we all just searching in the dark for something, or are we continually striving towards becoming better people? I would hope for the latter, but who really knows?

Presentation

2006-04-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't about "blogs in the news," but who cares...this is really cool or really creepy depending on your own personal thoughts. It's about taking a microchip and placing it on the brain and letting it work with the neurons and become integrated as part of a functioning brain. I found it at

Live Science

. And the blog I found it on can be found here

CNET blogs

Shouldn't we as humans stay as just humans? Do we really need to become more like computers, but in the long run can we save young children and give them many more years of life? Is this ethical?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2006-04-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

My semester will officially start going downhill from now on.

BASEBALL HAS STARTED

and not the spring training, 12 pitchers, guys with number 98 come in the game, it's the real thing. Opening day is so great because networks like

ESPN

carry like 8 games and they cut from one game to another. Oh, it just makes my day.

And the Cardinals got off to a great start. The new second basemen Aaron Miles got four hits. Scott Rolen had a great start with three hits and a grand slam. Not to mention that Pujols het two home runs. It was a thing of beauty. It is so great to watch the game with no time. The game can move along with a brisk pace, or the game can just crawl by, and all of it makes me smile.

With the smell of hotdogs and peanuts, cold beer and rowdy fans, baseball is game that is truly American and something that we should all take in a game and enjoy how wonderful this sport really is.

Oh thanks for the coming of summer and diamonds, home runs, sac bunts, shut-outs, and the hit-and-run.

Thank you for baseball.

Alright, I'm impressed

2006-04-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, finally I think that women's college basketball is catching up to excitement of the men.

Tonight was the ladies tournament championship and I saw some great basketball tonight.

Maryland took down the championship and they played their hearts out for the victory. Their point guard made a three with only seconds left to send the game into overtime and these young ladies left everything on the floor to win the greatest game of their college careers and it was really fun to watch.

This may be coming on the heels of one of the crappiest mens championships I've ever seen. The game was more boring than one of my rounds of golf. In fact I would have rather watched golf than that game last night.

But, I digress, the ladies game tonight finally made me see that the women are playing a great game and they can be more fun to watch than the men. And with more and more women starting to dunk the womens' game is definitely going in the right direction and I hope that more people will start watching and supporting their womens' basketball team.

National what?

2006-04-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, congrats...

the Florida Gators won their first basketball national championship, and I think only 10 people watched the end of the game. Florida took it early with Joakim Noah and never let the lead go. And so most people slept through the end of the game.

Normally, I would say how well the game was and how I was so excited to watch the waning moments with baited breath. But I stopped watching it after halftime. I decided to come back to the game with about 8 minutes left because I couldn't allow myself to not watch the game.

But the sad part is that I was actually excited about this game. The two teams play really well together and both actually played defense. Something that is sorely missed in the state of Missouri. But UCLA had a heck of a season and I hope for both universities that these young kids will come back for an education and great experiences. Then the college game will be greatly improved.

But, like I said, congrats to the gators, I just missed the game.

Perspective

2006-03-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

This past week marked a tough week for the world's number one golfer.

Tiger Woods was participating the unofficial fifth major of the year as he was in Florida for the Player's Championship. But Tiger's mind was elsewhere as he arrived early in the week for practice rounds at the course. His father's health was failing and Tiger rushed to California from Florida on tuesday and then was back in Florida by Thursday afternoon for his first round in the tournament. He didn't win the tournament, but that was to be expected as his thoughts drifted back to his father with each passing swing he took.

Which leads me to today's rant. tiger showed us that what we do for a living is nothing like the things that keep us alive. Tiger sees the importance of being with the one's you love over doing something for a living. Tiger loves the game of golf, but that takes a backseat to the things like his family that truly make him the man he has become. And I think all of us get caught up in the minute details that we think are important and don't focus on the things that really should matter to us.

Tiger has said he may not participate in the first real major in the golf season, the masters, if he father's health doesn't get any better. So thanks to Tiger we know just how short the time we have with the people we love really is. So enjoy the company of the people that make your life special; so that one day when they're gone you have no regrets about your own life.

Upstanding

2006-03-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

The University of Missouri just hired a new mens basketball coach, but the great news is that he seems to be someone who cares about what he's doing.

Mike Anderson, the new Mizzou coach, seems to be the perfect fit for a program in shambles and on the verge of being one of, if not the, worst teams in the Big 12. Anderson spoke at his press conference and seemed to say all the right things and have all the right answers for a person poised and ready to take on a new situation.

He first spoke about the great Mizzou coach Norm Stewart and how he would like to take the teams back to the days of greatness and Norm brought to the city of Columbia and the University's campus. This statement got all the alumni who are still loyal Norm Stewart supporters on Anderson's side.

He talked about being a supporter of Mike Alden. Which can be seen as a strategic move the Alden wanted stated in the press conference to save his job as it looks like Alden has one foot out the door and is struggling to retain loyalty among administration and alumni.

But the greatest thing the Mike Anderson did at the press conference is give all the right impression. He seems like a man who will be a great fit at Missouri because he takes full responsibility for his actions and the actions of the players he coaches. I think the University of Missouri couldn't've chosen a better candidate for their head coaching job and I applaude their efforts to get the right guy.

Parody

2006-03-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

This basketball season things have seemed to be dominated by the large schools in college basketball.

North Carolina had a tremendous season after losing their top seven players from last year's national championship team.

jj redick and Adam Morrison have gotten player of the year hype throughout the year.

bill self has taken his kansas team back to national prominence even though they can't get past mid-majors that start with "B"

But the greatest thing that has happened lately is that college basketball is becoming a more competitive sport throughout it's ranks. The powerhouse teams aren't dominating like the days of old and teams like George Mason are coming up and taking out powerhouse teams like UCONN and Michigan State. People didn't pick them to get out of the first round and now they are one win away from being in the national championship game.

College basketball will always be full of passion and intensity, but now smaller teams have an example to hold on to that they can compete on a national level and that on any given day anybody can play david and slay the large beast.

Tournament time

2006-03-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

This NCAA tournament has been the best sporting event of the last few years. Leaving all other sports with the question of how to replicate it.

This tournament has seen all number one teams go down and someone like George Mason climb to the ranks of the upper tear college teams. Every sport wishes they could replicate what the NCAA has done this year.

And although I am a North Carolina fan til the day I die I would like to pronounce with great pride that I have hopped on the George Mason bandwagon.

This tournament has brought people together to root against teams like UCONN and dook, and gives hope to the rest of the so-called "mid-majors" that they can compete with the big boys in a one-game situation.

Games like West Virgina and Texas is another example of why the tournament in March is the greatest sporting event of the year. West Virgina hits a three to tie the game and they think the game is headed to overtime, but the longhorns answer back with a three at the buzzer to end the Mountaineers season. That is the greatest thing to watch, no matter what side you're rooting for. March always brings out some games that are just fun to watch whether you like the sport or not. The level of competition is great and I think fans around the world look forward to the three weeks that they can watch 64 of the best games of the year.

Thanks March, for making me slack off on school work for days at a time so I can watch some basketball!

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet March

2006-03-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Oh how you come with so much excitement and flair
your rising temperatures send my golf balls into air
The tournament, spring training, and spring break all come
from this glorious month all three are from
And bring my excitment to extreme joy
especially when the heels cut down the nets with Roy
With baseball coming into full stride
the U.S. tries to bounce back and get off the schnide
With break only weeks away
classwork seems to be have me convey
this wonderful mood will soon be gone
and these great things make March number one

I know this is absolutely terrible, but I'm really happy that the tournament started today and things have been really relaxing this week so let me enjoy some good down time

My defining moment

2006-03-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I am definitely not what people would define as intelligent. I've got my moments when I can solve some minor problem. But on the whole I'm not some philosophical genius that makes profound statements about life, love, and the problems of the human race. But I think I stumbled upon a decent definition of what seems to me like love.

Background: I was talking to a friend on Instant Messenger a few days ago and we were arguing about this whole love notion. She doesn't believe in the idea because she hasn't found anything that she would like to classify as love. So she's not real into the topic as a forum for thoughts and definitions, but she asked what love meant to me and my fingers seemed to spout out this definition that might work for some. So I thought I'd share it.

Love is the tiny sparks between people and the times when nothing makes sense about what
you're doing, but it's the right thing to do. In your soul. Not your mind.

I might also have to mention that she is really not into anything that she can't think through. She's a huge nerd and therefore doesn't think that anything is right if there isn't some chemical equation for it. But I digress.

I think the definition points at love being something other than defineable. It's all about letting go of the control that we try to force upon our lives. Love is ability to find someone else that may just be able to let you let go of yourself. Maybe the person that you love isn't "the soul's recognition of it's counterpoint in another," but the key that unlocks the real person that you are in your soul. Not the person who you portray yourself to be in front of other people. Love's the whirling-derbish that is life and finding someone to laugh with you at the times when we fall down dizzy. Who knows...I'm sure the definition is different for everyone. So keep looking for whatever works for you.

2006-03-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

Digging within something to find the ultimate truth and deepest meaning is what leads us to better discussions and a more evolved society. I like doing it personally because while I'm evaluating something I can find the deep-seeded prejudices that I have within myself, and hopefully finding those can help me get rid of them for good.
But sometimes when we evaluate something deeply we come to find that the biggest influencing factor can be found in the presentation of the thing itself. A great quote about this is by

Walter Benjamin

His quote seems to say that the affectiveness of advertising comes in the presentation of what you are advertising, not in what the ad says. That the visual is more important than the textual.
And I think our society is a prime example of this working. An example is when you ask someone what their favorite superbowl commercial is. No doubt they can spill out this detailed explination of why they liked this commercial, but most of the time they don't remember who the advertiser is or what the commercial is selling. The image of the commercial superceded the product that it was trying to get you to buy.
Sorry, but our lives now are too fast paced to read words so now we have to rely on the image alone telling us enough about what a product is, what it does, and why I need it. Sad that it has come to this.

Reflection

2006-03-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Alright, it's time to evaluate what I've come to produce so far for this blog. And the results are kind of sad.

I really only have one entry that would be classified as "blog-like" and it's called:

Rhythm me this, Rhythm me that

It's the only one that would be considered some sort of blogging because of the link and the pictures. But mostly looking at my blog it seems to be some sort of journal for my brain to release some opinions about things going on in my life.

And the best journal posts I have in my opinion are:

Men vs. Women & What is going on

they are both really personal. And Men vs. Women is slightly funny I think. But I think they both reveal who I really am. And I think that's very important in blogging or any sort of writing.

As for my peers:

Tanner's music post is a great post. I think it does everything that a blog should do and does it with style. It also shows who he is by showing his music choices.

Music

I really don't like most of the music, but I think it has the spirit of what blogging is and the discussions it can stir.

Another good blog is

-In the Margins-

Not any certain post, but all of them seem to be good. She covers many different subjects, has plenty of links, and seems to really like what she's writing about. Her posts don't seem like they are done with a bad attitude or lazy intentions, but with real desire to write and express. And I think this comes out as a really good series of entries that are worth reading.

Teammates

2006-03-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate enough to play sports with some great friends of mine. Every now and then we have chances to sit down and recount old games, stupid moments, and the joys of sharing the field with each other. And that can hopefully be said by every person who's played sports and enjoys being a part of the game.

I found this article on

TarHeelblue.com

and it got me to thinking about how important teammates are.

Individual sports are nice, but they just don't compare with the joy of winning alongside your best friend or the guys that have put in the hundreds of hours to make themselves better.

Being an only child I haven't had the luxury of having a "teammate" in the game of life. I've always played sports as myself with no other person to stand with me and challenge me to achieve a little more. I never to the opportunity to play tackle football with my brother or play catch with a brother that is just a little better than me so I have to work that much harder to try and be better than him.

Nope, I had no competition in my household, and sometimes I think that made me just a little more fragile in the game of life. Not that if I had a brother I would have been some sports great or something, but just having someone to compete with may have made me into a completely different person than I am today.

Maybe, just maybe, I could have been some great athlete because of all the days when I had to play with my brothers' friends who were bigger, stronger, faster. But I never got that chance and that's ok.

But the article above talks about how important teammates can be. How much they can help you get through the tough times. So don't let the teammate in your life go without knowing just how much help they give you throughout the trying times in your life. Whether it happens to be a spouse, sibling, or friend, let them know how they help you get through the days that are your life. (crossposted)

Surprises

2006-03-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I've always been one to stick close to my family and really lean on them for decisions and advice. Some say that it's taken away from my individualism, but I think it really allows me to be who I am and form ideas about how I would like life to go. It lets me live in the moment and always working towards who I want to become.

But those that we hold dear can sometimes be taken too quickly from us. Unfortunately this happened to a friend on mine and helped me open my eyes to the shortness of our lives.

Generally I like to only blog about what's going on in my life, but I hope to show everyone out there that we should never take anything for granted. Not even the things that we think will be there for all our lives. Because no one can ever know whats going to happen in the split-second that it takes to ruin lives.

My friend is handling the situation of losing a parent extremely well. Or at least that's what he's shown everyone else. I can't imagine the pain that he's gone through this last week as he reflects on a parent that he will never be able to take advice from, play golf with, share stories with, and show grandkids to.

He told me today that someone asked him how the best way to handle a tough situation like this would be, and his answer is probably the truest thing I've ever heard. His only response was that everyone should go hug their parents and express to them how much you love them. It is something that simple, but he knows that he'll never have that opportunity again with his parent. It's always the little things that make the deepest impressions in our lives. And it can be the simplest things that give the most joy to others.

So please, don't take anything for granted, and live life as if it were going to end tomorrow. And please tell the one's you love just how much you love them because there will come a day when you won't have the chance to again for the rest of eternity.

Hello spring, goodbye ankle

2006-02-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

So, how terrible is this?

I'm getting ready to play a basketball game last night and six minutes into the game I roll over my ankle and have to go get x-rays today. This has all happened to me before so it's not big deal, but the worst part is that as I'm writing this post I'm staring out the window into the sud-drenched grass outside. Now, what should be going on about 4 o'clock on a sunny Friday is I should be coming to the 17th tee with a four-shot lead on some of my friends with a drive in the fairway ahead of me. Not that I'm bragging about being a good golfer because that I am not, but it's that my friends are that bad. But no, I've got to be gimping around barely about to walk and only being able to beat a dead horse in a footrace. What a travesty for all those out there that aren't able to get out and enjoy this wonderful weather we're about to embark upon.

So for my spirit I'm making a call to all those out there to go out and enjoy the weather with some outdoor activities. Frisbee golf can be enjoyable for those whose haven't tried and enjoy throwing things. Or maybe a little outdoor basketball (hopefully without a wicked ankle turn) or something else, just get out there and think of my dying soul as you see the green grass of a fairway and get ready for the coming of warmer weather and good times to come.

Rhythm me this, rhythm me that

2006-02-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

Dictionary.com has many different meanings for the term rhythm but none of them seem to refer to the sports world. But yesterday at the Accenture Match Play championship Tiger Woods was at his best and rhythm was the name of the game.

Tiger's opponent was stephen ames and he played as oddly as he looks in this photo. He decided to rattle Tiger's cage by saying that he, as the lowest ranked person in the tournament, had a shot to beat the world's number one player. Well, some can dream...

Tiger won the match after just ten holes. The lowest amount of holes to be played in match play. And had seven birdies doing it. So you ask after this rant...Where's the rhythm?

The rhythm is found in the golf swing, in the fluidity (if that's even a word) of the swing and the perfect tempo in which everything comes together. Some may say that boxing is the sweet science, but try out the physics of hitting a golf ball 300 yards. Tiger put all of the elements together yesterday as he destroyed his competition and advancing towards round 2.

So how does Tiger do it and not the average duffer like myself? Maybe I need to marry a Swedish model, maybe I need better clubs (it's always the club's fault, not mine ALWAYS), or maybe I need to be bench-pressing 300 pounds. Who knows, but whatever the magic rhythm secret is, I don't have it. But I do enjoy watching those that do. So here's what it's supposed to look like.

Good Luck with the replication...

Presentation

2006-02-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I found this and thought it would be a good add-on for people. It just shows who has posted comments in the side-bar of your blog. I think it's really cool and really useful for me. So here's the link. I'll say some other stuff about how cool it is, but you can just steal it from here.

Comments toolbar

Underage drinking

2006-02-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today's short rant will be about the action of underage drinking.

I was talking to a friend of mine recently and she posed the thought that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 19. Beyond the first thought of "Why 19?" I had to say that the idea isn't something that hasn't been discussed before. But here's the thing. I don't see why underage kids are crying for the drinking age to be lowered. I mean, really, if someone wanted to drink at the age of 15 it is quite possible. Many people around this country are more than willing to buy alcohol for kids well before the magic day when their actual license can get them into any bar in the country.

I've always heard underage people complain that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 because "it's not fair that someone could go die for their country in war, but couldn't have an honest beer." Well, if people are bitching so much about this law then it's working to some degree. Some lonely gas station attendant actually said those haunting words to a minor, "may I see your id?"

Look, personally I think that the biggest appeal for minors to alcohol is that it's illegal. Nothing more, nothing less. So just let the years between 18 and 20 and 364 days pass by watching your legal friends get drunk and then point and laugh at them. Being drunk solves none of the problems in your life, so don't be in a hurry about getting wasted.

Some people say that the age should be lowered, but the penalties should be stiffer. Well, good thought, but it's never going to work. Look, almost every city in the country is understaffed as it is. So how in the world are cops going to crack down on underage drinking when they can't even patrol a certain area well enough.

For all out there that are just dying to get their hands on a cold one and share it with some friends, don't worry your time will come. And when it comes you can swig the alcohol knowing that you obeyed the law and will never end up with an m.i.p. on your record. So let's all just sit back and enjoy some bottled water and exercise a little more so that when the beer starts flowing we can be in a little better shape to take on all the carbohydrates.

This week in sports...

2006-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Well, my life is closely associated with sports so I will often be discussing what goes on in my sports life so here it is for this week.

The issue for today is the Tuesday night primetime match-up of the best college rivalry on the planet. dook vs. North Carolina Men's Basketball. (Note that the womens' game is getting much better than in past years and really is worth watching)

But this year's first meeting was in the wonderful Dean E. Smith Center on the campus of North Carolina and was a tremendous match-up.

dook was second in the nation at the time of the meeting and North Carolina was ranked as the 24th best team in the country. This game looked to be lopsided at the start because the dookies have a much older team that has played in Chapel Hill and won there before. So a lot of experts picked dook at the outset.

After a very competitive first half the dookies started to pull away and eventually got up 17. The dejected crowd seemed out of it until coach Roy Williams took his starting five out of the game and gave them a tongue-lashing. The subs for North Carolina played tremendously well and cut the lead to six when the starters re-entered the game. The Tar Heels took a five point advantage with only minutes to play. And then it happened...

jj redick for dook is being touted as the best college player in the nation right now. And he may have won the award Tuesday night. He took over the game with minutes to go and gave dook the lead that it never let go. Giving dook the 87-83 victory on the Tar Heels' home floor.

The young Tar Heels played really well and gave dook a run for their money, but in the end the team with the most experience won out. Hats off to the Heels for sticking around that long and not folding when down 17. It showed great heart and pride. But in the end a loss is a loss.

Sadly, I see comparisons to the Mizzou Tigers. Except that the Heels can actually win some games. Both teams are talented and can compete against almost any opponent, but the advantage comes in the fact that the coaching staff for the Heels actually prepares the players for situations during the game. Unlike the Tigers who seem to not know what to do when faced with many different situations during the course of the game.

But as I said, a loss is still a loss no matter how well you played, but sometimes there can be moral victories and I think the Heels got one Tuesday night. Maybe the Tigers can find one soon and turn it in a direction that gets them out of the cellar.

But hopefully those tears I cried over the loss will turn into tears of elation when dreams are recognized and success comes to those who work hard.

Men vs women

2006-02-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Well, to start, I would like to say that I am no self-proclaimed professor at knowing what the opposite sex is thinking. More often than not I don't know what the majority of my sex is thinking. But here's some thoughts...

I would like to think that somehow men and women are divided like the left-brain, right-brain thing. That men are right-brainers and women are left-brainers. Maybe that's why people feel like they are completed by finding their partner. Maybe it is finding the other half of your brain that makes you complete with a whole brain.

Or maybe it's something like men have some natural desire to be left alone, and so to compensate women were made to be more social and that we are looking for some sense of balance with the ones we love. Who knows?

But one thing is for certain. I really want some sort of manual to figure out just what is going through the heads of the females I have gotten into relationships with. I just don't know anything. No offense, but some sort of owners manual would be greatly appreciated.

I could give one for myself as well. Don't think that I'm being one-sided about this. Mine would simply say that I need personal space and hate doing the same things over and over. That's about it. Anything more should be asked about and assumptions are ok as long as you run them by me at some point in time. That's as easy as I could make it for someone else.

So please start working on your manuals and let your significant other read them and go over them with you. And also include some service recommendations so that when you're sad I have some sort of list of things that would cheer you up.

Thanks

What is going on

2006-02-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Hey,

As I ride behind the wheel of my car things seem to become clear about what is going on around me and what I think I should do about them. I don't know why, but the sanctuary of my driver's seat with no one in the passenger side is the place that becomes my way of calming my spirit and actually becoming me. Whoever that is.

Tonight's look into myself seemed to reveal the differences between people. To me, there are two types of people in this world. Those who talk and those that listen. I know it's not really that easy, but man it sure seems like it.

I have friends that can't wait to get things out of their mouth. Just can't hold it in to save their life. They may abruptly end a theme of a conversation just so they can get their tidbit of information in the open. Like somehow if they hold in their information it may poison their insides and kill them.

And then there are listeners. Calmed souls with no real need to express their opinions and take in everything like a sweet drink of wine after a hard day. It's not that they're antisocial, but that maybe their kindred spirits have said all that really needs to be said. Or they believe that words serve as things to hold us back from our true meanings in conversation. Maybe a look is worth more than any word could ever say. Or maybe they are listeners because no one lets them say what important to them. Who knows? because I sure don't

As for me, I'm a listener, maybe I like to solve problems, maybe I like to hear what others' are doing, maybe I just like being the fly on the wall. Whatever the case, I was born a listener, and a listener I shall be to my dying day.

Sports

2006-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Hey,

I would never have guessed that the biggest game in the NFL season would be dominated by millions of dollars of advertisers who are trying to get millions of eyes to open wallets and give money away to generallly useless products.

And why is it that college sports are so much better than pro sports. I like pro sports, especially baseball, but college has the sports games dominated. I guess it's about older people remembering their crazier partying days and getting a little more excited about the games, but for some reason college games are far more exciting than any pro game out there.

I know that pro sports are just about the money, but college teams bring in millions of dollars of revenue per year. (at least football and basketball) And players seem to enjoy playing the ultimate college rivalries on the planet.

So here's what I think should happen. Make pro events more like college events. Bring in high school kids and college kids to fill the first 25 rows around the stadium and put in wooden bleachers that make the whole arena shake with excitement.

Or better yet, the people who pay for seats just rows from the action should have mandatory face-paint during the game. Hello Spike Lee with an orange and blue face, maybe a knocks logo painted on his chest. And the best would be the elderly people who could live it up with painted faces and no shirts on. It would be a brilliant picture.

Anyway, to get to the point. Sports are a great thing for millions of people around this world. And the people who enjoy them most should be allowed the most access to them. Not the people who go to games just to be seen. That's my thought.

One small political thing

2006-02-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

I have never been really involved in the political scene. I like to know some core issues from each candidate, and what their personal (or more likely party) opinions are about where they would like to take this country. But more often than not I'm confronted with arguments that one party isn't smart enough to run the country and the other wants to have a communist state for our all our people. Not really the info I go searching for when I am getting ready to cast my vote.

Sorry for those of you who vote third party, I would like to say that you are great crusaders in the fight for a better government or world, but in reality even if you got your representative elected no one in either house would support them and for four years we would never stop talking about how the Senate voted this down...and the president vetoed that. It would be a useless fight and probably make us look even more petty in the eyes of other countries. So here's what I would like to see.

The Progressive Party - solely focused on taking this country forward. Democrat and Republican are good terms, don't get me wrong, but with each breeds thoughts and assumptions that detract from the purpose of having a government. I would like us to start this new party for the puropose of throwing out the old stodgy ways of thinking about what it means to be a Democrat or Republican and focus on what we could do for our kids future and for good standing in the rest of the world.

I don't want to return to the 1950s because that was the time of great moral leaders and men who knew how to dominate the country. They were the ones who other countries now talk about was the "beginning of the end" as far as national relations are concerned

And I don't want to completely eliminate the competition between people who fight to get ahead in this world. Equality is a great thing, but some people need to work to find out just who they really are and the difference they can make for the rest of our country.

But, what I would like to see are people out there that shift their thinking from being what is best for them, and what is best for this country.

WE DON'T NEED TO POLICE THE WORLD. Our country has enough problems taking care of the streets back here, why do we have to go to Iran and protect their's?

FLIP-FLOPPING IS OK. Alright, I know that most of the readers out there hate this concept. And that's ok. But here's my argument for flip-flopping. As long as the purpose for going against any previous said statements is to better the lives of the people of a particular nation then that flip-flop is for the right reason in my book.

TAX CUTS ARE GOOD - TAX CUTS FOR 3% OF THE POPULATION IS BAD. I realize that some people need to have a smaller percentage of taxes placed upon them. But when those people are the wealthiest people of our country I have a problem.

ABORTION. The word just stirs a debate. Well, here's my point, I'm a male, and I would like to say that when I father a child it will be in a very prepared and ready state. I know this doesn't happen. I would like to see abortion become part of the past and that all mothers will keep their baby. But who am I to say that a woman must keep her baby if she doesn't have the ability to properly care for it. Adoption is an option, but there are thousands of kids in foster homes right now that could also use a set of loving parents, and I don't see thousands of parents rushing out to get them. And my strongest opinion is that I would rather have a child killed than make them face the horrors of what the real world could do to them in the wrong enviroment.

So here it is...these are just opinions that I have had for quite a while and I thought that many different people would like to argue with them.

Just about me

2006-01-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hey,

In this world of instant information and constant connection to things I'd like to take a moment and speak my mind about the relaxing nature of nothingness.
To some degree I'm really lazy. And I understand this, and to some extent embrace it to a point that my significant other gets bothered by it. But maybe it's because she worries more than I do or maybe somewhere in the timeline that is my life I finally said that I would prefer sitting down.
The people who are always on the move and always have to be connected to everything are people that really seem to be searching for something out there. Now, by no means have I found any "ultimate answers" but I think that just relaxing could be just the ticket to connection with who we really are and trying to get a better idea of where we want to go in life.
So I think that everyone should just take a minute and breathe a little deeper, enjoy a little more, and really take a look to see if all the running around that we do in a day is really worth all the hastle we have to endure to get to a finish.

This is supposed to be the time when technology makes our lives easier, so let's let that happen instead of making people do more because the technology is there to help people put more on their plate.

Just a thought...

Attention to the Chinese media

2006-01-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

I just read this post about the Chinese blocking sites and restricting the western information coming to the Chinese people. It was posted here by

Kevin Wen

The quote I found most disturbing was the quote about people in Western society leaving the Chinese people alone and not reminding them about the torments they must face by a restrictive government.

How in the world are we as Americans and probably more importantly a world-wide community of information, thoughts, ideas, and perspectives supposed to leave people alone when they are being silenced by a government that should, at least by my ideals, serve the people they protect. This is an outrage to any free-speech country and one that would like to access the best thinkers and problem-solvers around the world to make this time that we live in a better place. Why in the world would someone be okay with having their blog shut down or having to think about what they post? Personally, I couldn't stand the thought that I had to watch what I said and thought because it was against the restrictions of the government. This is an outrage.

The situation reminds me of the quote during the beginnings of the Cold War where it was stated that a defeat in democracy anywhere was a defeat to democracy everywhere. It seems as if my meager powers as a pseudo-writer and composer have been hurt because I can't read and express upon the opinions of thousands of others like me. And no, I don't think that leaving the people of China alone to suffer about their oppression is the right thing to do. This is an instance when action should be had for the thousands of thoughts that haven't made it to the keyboards and screens of this global community.

2006-01-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

Maneater story about book shortage:

Maneater

Art through pictures. Some great examples.

Pics

Assumptions about blogs

2006-01-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this semester has opened my eyes to the hundreds of thousands of people who are blogging all over the world. Maybe I didn't notice this before, or maybe I didn't want to notice this because I somehow thought that these people were just people with strong opinions. Throughout this class so far I've found people that not only take blogging very seriously, but in fact treat it like a job. So, although I haven't completely seen blogs as a valid use of journalism I am taking them much more seriously than I have before. Maybe they will someday reach real journalism for me, but nothing really beats sitting down and reading the USA Today or some other stodgy old paper for information. It is possible that I think newspapers are better because people get paid for the work they put in, or maybe just because it has been done this way for hundreds of years. Whatever the case may be, I am skewed the way of papers and their production and will be for quite some time to come. No offense to those with an attraction to blogging and other people's blogs, but i just see opinions, not crafted stories. I guess this just serves the old-timer in me.

Just about today

2006-01-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hey,
Being the first post I feel necessary to reflect what I think is going on around me. The start of a new term is upon us and I'm off to a rocky start. But things could be worse and I'm sure this space will reflect those times that are worse for me. The blog should cover what I enjoy most and the things I feel should be discussed. So here it is...

Just what I think

Expectations

I'm so excited I could pee my pants!

Who would do such a thing?

Portfolio

When the hell did we get old?

Shameless self-plug

Agendas

Presentation

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Alright, I'm impressed

National what?

Perspective

Upstanding

Parody

Tournament time

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet March

My defining moment

Advertisements

Reflection

Teammates

Surprises

Hello spring, goodbye ankle

Rhythm me this, rhythm me that

Presentation

Underage drinking

This week in sports...

Men vs women

What is going on

Sports

One small political thing

Just about me

Attention to the Chinese media

Assumptions about blogs

Just about today