So, the 2009 college football season has brought upon us what every black-rimmed glasses-wearing, sweater vest wearing, pointy-headed geek that created the BCS system always feared: not one undefeated team... not two undefeated teams... not even three, or four. There are FIVE undefeated Division 1A (I refuse to use the term "FBS") schools and room for only two of them in the BCS title game. Oh man, what a dilemma. What ever should we do?
Let's start with the facts. Alabama was the SEC champion, defeating several ranked teams along the way, including a thrashing of the previous AP/BCS #1 team and defending national champions. Bama finished the season undefeated in a conference that has produced the last three BCS national champions. To say that Bama doesn't deserve to go to Pasadena would be laughable at best. I know I'm biased, but the SEC has proven itself time and time again to be the toughest/best conference in college football. Alabama is no fluke of a team, and deserves its shot.
What about Texas? As an undefeated team and champions of the Big XII, they make a hard sell for their inclusion in the title game. Interestingly, the Big XII has only produced one previous BCS champion (compared to five for the SEC): Texas, in 2005. They have lost four other attempts. Still, the merits of past teams should not necessarily be weighted when determining if the 2009 Longhorns are championship material. So far, they have done everything their schedule asked of them. Yes, they've had a few close calls... but what team hasn't?
Oh, you might mention that that other team from Texas dominated all their games. Hmm, did they? Let's look at the schedules. Now of course, we know that TCU plays in the Mountain West Conference. A team shouldn't necessarily be penalized for what conference they play in, I get that. And for the conference games TCU played, their average margin of victory was 43 - 12. That would be impressive for anybody. But look, the so-called "mid-major teams" know going into the season that they have to produce impressive victories to get their chance. This includes in their out-of-conference schedules. TCU played two "major" conference schools: Virginia and Clemson. While a 30 - 14 victory over a rather bad UVa team looks good, a 14 - 10 win over Clemson - who, though they made the ACC title game, also lost to South Carolina and is ultimately a Music City Bowl-level opponent - just simply does not impress. A hard-fought 20 - 17 win over Air Force is also not the stuff of champions. Look, I know that a win is a win. But these teams know that they have to do more than just win, they have to completely dominate and annihilate every opponent to get the shot. The facts are that TCU did not. Hey, I'm not saying that they aren't deserving of Pasadena or that they are worse than Texas. I think there's a good shot they'd beat Texas. For the system that we have in place though, and the pre-defined "rules" that exist in the BCS system, TCU did not do what it takes to make the title game. Twist it any way you want to... that's still the truth. Maybe they should petition the PAC-10 or Big 10 for a spot in a big boy conference.
Apply everything I just said to Boise State. Yeah yeah, the 19 - 8 win over Oregon looks good. They then spent the rest of the year not playing a single team from the six so-called BCS conferences. They also struggled to beat Tulsa. You have to be more impressive than that, Broncos.
So then there's Cincinnati. BCS conference? Check. Undefeated season? Check. So why are they excluded? The reputation of the Big East, for one reason. Since the departures of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, the conference has had its BCS credibility attacked from all angles. Cincy was champs in 2008, and promptly got beaten 20 - 7 by a rather average Virginia Tech team. That's not a good way to impress people of the strength of your conference. The "new" Big East has yet to regain its credibility and needs a BCS bowl victory by one of its teams to get back over the hump. If the Bearcats can beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl, things could change for the future. But in 2009, with the standards, preconceptions, and notions that are in place relative (TM, Nick Saban) to the BCS process... Cincinnati had no chance.
To argue for a playoff between these five teams is ludicrous, in my not-so-humble opinion. What do you do, add a sixth team and give two teams bye weeks? How do you determine who gets the byes? And do you realize, there is only one one-loss team in Division 1A? That's Florida, which got thumped by Bama. To give them another shot at a championship is ridiculous. What next, expand the playoff to eight teams? What two two-loss teams do you give a chance? There are plenty of those to choose from. Don't even get me started on doing a sixteen-team playoff. Does anybody really think West Virginia deserves a chance to "get hot" and somehow fluke its way into a national championship? Really?
Whether anybody likes it or not, Alabama vs. Texas is the only logical matchup this year for the system we have in place. Am I saying it's perfect? Of course not. The BCS is inherently flawed, and always will be. But that doesn't mean that college football has to always suffer for it. I think there are ways to make the game better, without having to resort to a ho-hum, us too system of an eight or sixteen team playoff. Controversy is the lifeblood of college football; it makes the games, the rivalries, the trash-talking, all of it, even better. So what's my solution to "fix" the game? We only need to look to the past. My answer will be in Part 2.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Grilling
This one will be short and sweet... or should I say, grilled. If it's one thing I love about summer, it's grilling food. Any kind of meat is good... steaks, chicken, pork chops, ribs, the list goes on. Even some vegetables.
Just look at that, you can almost smell it now. This was just one part of our menu today, but I thought it turned out really well. For the chicken, I used a recipe that I saw in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. It goes something like this:
Just look at that, you can almost smell it now. This was just one part of our menu today, but I thought it turned out really well. For the chicken, I used a recipe that I saw in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. It goes something like this:
Apple-Smoked Chicken Thighs
2 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
4 large bone-in chicken thighs or thigh/leg combination), rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup wood chips, soaked in apple juice and drained
For apple spray: Put juice and sugar in stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat, and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature and pour into a plastic spray bottle.
Sprinkle the chicken with pepper and salt; set aside while you prepare the grill. When coals are ready, spread them evenly across half the grill; scatter wood chips over hot coals. Place chicken over indirect-heat side of grill (not directly over coals) and spray with apple juice. When smoke starts to rise, close the lid. Place a candy thermometer in the grill vent. Smoke chicken at 225 F to 250 F for 1 hour, spraying chicken every 20 minutes. After 1 hour, spray chicken again, then transfer to direct heat over hot coals for 2 minutes, turning as necessary, or until the skin has crisped all over.
For the record, I substituted chicken breasts for thighs, since... what can I say?... I'm a breast man. But seriously, these turned out to be very tasty. Juicy, with a definite apple flavor. I recommend giving it a shot sometime.
Hate to run, but I think I'm up for a second helping now...
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Crazy Dreams
I can dream almost any time I fall asleep. If I hit "snooze" on the alarm in the morning, and drift back to sleep in that nine minute period, I can usually have another dream. I've been told that this means I am not getting a very restful sleep, though I seem to be doing okay. Nevertheless, my mind usually tells some interesting stories during the night. I just thought I would share some of last night's.
It starts with my parents and I riding around Chattanooga (if you are in Nooga or familiar with the area, we were apparently on Amnicola Hwy). Somehow I take a wrong turn before I get to Dupont Pkwy, and end up in an area near the river that I had never even been to. This area had all sorts of shopping establishments and restaurants, including a mall that I didn't even know existed.
So, we go in this mall and start looking around. Before we know it I look at my watch and notice it's almost 2:00 in the morning. This security guard comes up to us about this time and tells us the mall is about to close (I wonder exactly what kind of shops were in this mall to be closing at 2?). When we step outside, the sun is up and it's bright as day outside. Naturally, I'm freaking out. We start driving down the road, just wondering what the heck is going on. Suddenly the "sun" starts moving across the sky. We realize that this is not our sun, but actually a comet. A few moments later, it apparently explodes somewhere in the earth's atmosphere. We heard the explosion, but apparently it didn't do any damage around us. Still, scary stuff.
Apparently I woke up after the comet explosion, but went back to sleep. That is when the second dream took place. In this dream I was being released from jail (!) and the year seems to be 2012. Strangely, I get out wearing a dress shirt and slacks, and I am desperately searching for a necktie. I find myself in an old, rundown factory where I must have had some items stored while I was incarcerated. Unfortunately my items are not there. Of all people, Larry the frickin' Cable Guy (I'm not a big fan) was there to tell me that while I was locked up, the country had completely fallen apart (I could make a political rant here, but I'll spare you all). Cities had been burned and communism had apparently taken over. At this point, I don't know what to do.
I somehow find a phone, and now call my parents for help. My mom answers and I tell her that I have been released from jail, and want to come home. She is hesitant, though. Apparently I was locked up for "supposedly" killing somebody (!), though I know that I was innocent. My own mother isn't sure though. She doesn't know if she wants me to come home. However, in the next instant I am back in Florence at my parents' house. My brother begins to tell me what all has changed in the three years I was in prison. For some reason, instead of telling me how the country became full-on communist, he is more concerned with updating me on TV storylines. I was happy to learn that my current favorite show, Two and a Half Men, is still on the air in 2012.
So there you have it. I believe there were a few other parts of my dream world last night - I recall being in the backyard of my childhood home, looking over the fence at a pool party happening next door. But this "story" is very hazy. Unfortunately I tend to forget my dreams almost as soon as I wake up, unless I write them down. Hopefully you have enjoyed the parts I did remember.
It starts with my parents and I riding around Chattanooga (if you are in Nooga or familiar with the area, we were apparently on Amnicola Hwy). Somehow I take a wrong turn before I get to Dupont Pkwy, and end up in an area near the river that I had never even been to. This area had all sorts of shopping establishments and restaurants, including a mall that I didn't even know existed.
So, we go in this mall and start looking around. Before we know it I look at my watch and notice it's almost 2:00 in the morning. This security guard comes up to us about this time and tells us the mall is about to close (I wonder exactly what kind of shops were in this mall to be closing at 2?). When we step outside, the sun is up and it's bright as day outside. Naturally, I'm freaking out. We start driving down the road, just wondering what the heck is going on. Suddenly the "sun" starts moving across the sky. We realize that this is not our sun, but actually a comet. A few moments later, it apparently explodes somewhere in the earth's atmosphere. We heard the explosion, but apparently it didn't do any damage around us. Still, scary stuff.
Apparently I woke up after the comet explosion, but went back to sleep. That is when the second dream took place. In this dream I was being released from jail (!) and the year seems to be 2012. Strangely, I get out wearing a dress shirt and slacks, and I am desperately searching for a necktie. I find myself in an old, rundown factory where I must have had some items stored while I was incarcerated. Unfortunately my items are not there. Of all people, Larry the frickin' Cable Guy (I'm not a big fan) was there to tell me that while I was locked up, the country had completely fallen apart (I could make a political rant here, but I'll spare you all). Cities had been burned and communism had apparently taken over. At this point, I don't know what to do.
I somehow find a phone, and now call my parents for help. My mom answers and I tell her that I have been released from jail, and want to come home. She is hesitant, though. Apparently I was locked up for "supposedly" killing somebody (!), though I know that I was innocent. My own mother isn't sure though. She doesn't know if she wants me to come home. However, in the next instant I am back in Florence at my parents' house. My brother begins to tell me what all has changed in the three years I was in prison. For some reason, instead of telling me how the country became full-on communist, he is more concerned with updating me on TV storylines. I was happy to learn that my current favorite show, Two and a Half Men, is still on the air in 2012.
So there you have it. I believe there were a few other parts of my dream world last night - I recall being in the backyard of my childhood home, looking over the fence at a pool party happening next door. But this "story" is very hazy. Unfortunately I tend to forget my dreams almost as soon as I wake up, unless I write them down. Hopefully you have enjoyed the parts I did remember.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What are you doing, RIGHT NOW???
So I doubt anything I say will be something you haven't thought about before, but I wanted to at least put my spin on things. I bought an iPod Touch last week (shameless plug, but I highly recommend it), and it has led me to being online even more than usual. It's not the iPhone, where you can almost literally have an internet connection anywhere; it can only hit wifi hot spots. Still, it makes me feel like I am even more connected than I have ever been.
And that's what I want to talk about, this "connectedness" (to coin a word) that we all have nowadays. I mean, I'm 26, only eight years out of high school. That time has flown by, but really, in the grand scheme of things eight years is not that much. But I think about how relating to people has changed in those eight years and it's almost amazing.
In 2001 "chatting" online was still cool - as in, actual chat rooms, on AOL, or Yahoo, or whatever. Instant messenging was around, but probably still not done by a majority of people - only high schoolers and college kids. Still, it was not the main way we communicated with people. Even high schoolers still used the phone for the most part. Not cell phones, land lines. I think I had two friends with cell phones, and that's it. Texting had not even become an option yet.
Now look at where we are today. We don't even chat or IM with people in real-time anymore. It's almost like we've regressed in that sense. Now, we have Facebook to take its place. Obviously Facebook is more advanced than IM conversations ever were. We literally post every bit of information about our lives on there. If we take a trip, and have pictures to prove it, it's on Facebook within the hour. People find out if you've started or ended a relationship with someone simply by looking at your profile.
Facebook has also, in ways, become the determining factor in whether you are "accepted" by someone or a group of people. Now I know there are plenty of people out there that pad their friend lists with people they just randomly meet in class and then never talk to again. I'm talking about the people you meet and actually expect to see and spend time with sometime in the future. Once you have looked at each other's profiles, and add each other as "friends", you know it's acceptable to talk to them/contact them/whatever. Of course, that interaction no doubt eventually happens on Facebook, not face to face or on the phone.
Then of course there's Twitter. It takes Facebook statuses (stausii?) to a whole new level. I mean, we are already to the point where Facebook status updates now consist of "_____ is fixing dinner and then watching TV!". And I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of it. But now you have Twitter come along, and almost everything you do is summed up in 140 characters. When people start posting status updates, or tweets, from the bathroom, on their iPhone or Blackberry or whatever... you wonder if a line has been crossed.
So in all this rambling I'm not really sure I have a point. I guess the point is, we are more connected than ever. We now constantly know what each other is doing, almost 24/7. Where does it go from here? Will it get to the point where our every move and action is not only told to the world, but also GPSed so people know our exact location as well? That's already happening in ways. It's not scary to me, really. I'm just anxious to see where this all goes next.
And that's what I want to talk about, this "connectedness" (to coin a word) that we all have nowadays. I mean, I'm 26, only eight years out of high school. That time has flown by, but really, in the grand scheme of things eight years is not that much. But I think about how relating to people has changed in those eight years and it's almost amazing.
In 2001 "chatting" online was still cool - as in, actual chat rooms, on AOL, or Yahoo, or whatever. Instant messenging was around, but probably still not done by a majority of people - only high schoolers and college kids. Still, it was not the main way we communicated with people. Even high schoolers still used the phone for the most part. Not cell phones, land lines. I think I had two friends with cell phones, and that's it. Texting had not even become an option yet.
Now look at where we are today. We don't even chat or IM with people in real-time anymore. It's almost like we've regressed in that sense. Now, we have Facebook to take its place. Obviously Facebook is more advanced than IM conversations ever were. We literally post every bit of information about our lives on there. If we take a trip, and have pictures to prove it, it's on Facebook within the hour. People find out if you've started or ended a relationship with someone simply by looking at your profile.
Facebook has also, in ways, become the determining factor in whether you are "accepted" by someone or a group of people. Now I know there are plenty of people out there that pad their friend lists with people they just randomly meet in class and then never talk to again. I'm talking about the people you meet and actually expect to see and spend time with sometime in the future. Once you have looked at each other's profiles, and add each other as "friends", you know it's acceptable to talk to them/contact them/whatever. Of course, that interaction no doubt eventually happens on Facebook, not face to face or on the phone.
Then of course there's Twitter. It takes Facebook statuses (stausii?) to a whole new level. I mean, we are already to the point where Facebook status updates now consist of "_____ is fixing dinner and then watching TV!". And I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of it. But now you have Twitter come along, and almost everything you do is summed up in 140 characters. When people start posting status updates, or tweets, from the bathroom, on their iPhone or Blackberry or whatever... you wonder if a line has been crossed.
So in all this rambling I'm not really sure I have a point. I guess the point is, we are more connected than ever. We now constantly know what each other is doing, almost 24/7. Where does it go from here? Will it get to the point where our every move and action is not only told to the world, but also GPSed so people know our exact location as well? That's already happening in ways. It's not scary to me, really. I'm just anxious to see where this all goes next.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What to Do With Braly Stadium
I don't know how many of you have heard about this, but there have been some speculation lately that the D2 Championship Game could be moved out of Florence after this year. The TimesDaily ran an article about it a few days ago here. The NCAA made a list of demands for upgrades to Braly Stadium. Included were such things as artificial turf, new lights, and a video scoreboard.
Braly as we know it today is a nice place to watch a football game, especially at the D2 level. I know most of us haven't been to many other D2 stadiums, but I have seen some pictures; trust me, there are high schools with better facilities than some of those teams. However, I think I understand what the NCAA is saying here (and I agree with the NCAA on very few things). The D2 championship game needs to be played in one of the best, if not THE best, stadiums in the country. It gives the players and the fans going to the game something to look forward to. While "pretty nice", Braly is far from being the best even in D2.
One thing I feel should be addressed is the parking situation. While there are a lot of college football stadiums that require you to park on the street in a neighborhood, we can do better. I present to you exhibit A:
If you notice, on the south side of the stadium there is a baseball field that was once used by Coffee High School. Well, as you know that school no longer exists. Florence High School plays their baseball games at the former Bradshaw High School. This field may be used by a JV team, I'm not sure; regardless, baseball fields are not hard to replace. In my opinion, this piece of land should be used to build a parking deck for gamedays. This would obviously solve a lot of the parking problems and put you directly at the field when you get out of your car. Also, the deck could be used by UNA students during the week (with the shuttle buses used to take students to campus).
This picture is looking towards the south endzone at Braly. If the parking deck is rising above the field there, why not add an additional bonus: a couple of luxury boxes on the end facing the field, a la what was done at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Some new concession stands could also be incorporated, perhaps offering some "higher end" foods than what you find currently.
The final part of this plan would be a new "plaza" style entrance at field level in the south endzone. It would be here that fans could meet before the game, perhaps buy some souvenirs, etc. Statues could be incorprated, just like at Bryant-Denny, to honor former Lions and the national championship teams. Walking into the stadium here, you would be looking up towards the north endzone where I envision a new HD scoreboard would be. It would make for a great entrance to the stadium and pump up not only UNA fans, but fans visiting for the championship game.
Those are just a few of my thoughts, I'd love to hear others.
Braly as we know it today is a nice place to watch a football game, especially at the D2 level. I know most of us haven't been to many other D2 stadiums, but I have seen some pictures; trust me, there are high schools with better facilities than some of those teams. However, I think I understand what the NCAA is saying here (and I agree with the NCAA on very few things). The D2 championship game needs to be played in one of the best, if not THE best, stadiums in the country. It gives the players and the fans going to the game something to look forward to. While "pretty nice", Braly is far from being the best even in D2.
One thing I feel should be addressed is the parking situation. While there are a lot of college football stadiums that require you to park on the street in a neighborhood, we can do better. I present to you exhibit A:
If you notice, on the south side of the stadium there is a baseball field that was once used by Coffee High School. Well, as you know that school no longer exists. Florence High School plays their baseball games at the former Bradshaw High School. This field may be used by a JV team, I'm not sure; regardless, baseball fields are not hard to replace. In my opinion, this piece of land should be used to build a parking deck for gamedays. This would obviously solve a lot of the parking problems and put you directly at the field when you get out of your car. Also, the deck could be used by UNA students during the week (with the shuttle buses used to take students to campus).
This picture is looking towards the south endzone at Braly. If the parking deck is rising above the field there, why not add an additional bonus: a couple of luxury boxes on the end facing the field, a la what was done at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Some new concession stands could also be incorporated, perhaps offering some "higher end" foods than what you find currently.The final part of this plan would be a new "plaza" style entrance at field level in the south endzone. It would be here that fans could meet before the game, perhaps buy some souvenirs, etc. Statues could be incorprated, just like at Bryant-Denny, to honor former Lions and the national championship teams. Walking into the stadium here, you would be looking up towards the north endzone where I envision a new HD scoreboard would be. It would make for a great entrance to the stadium and pump up not only UNA fans, but fans visiting for the championship game.
Those are just a few of my thoughts, I'd love to hear others.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Chapter One
I had posted this in a note over on my Facebook site, and decided to do the same here. Lately in some fits of boredom I have been running through my head some ideas for a book I'd like to write. I'm usually more of a nonfiction reader, but I think I have a pretty good basic storyline for what I want to do. I've always enjoyed writing (I was a journalism major for about 35 seconds), but I have to confess that part of the inspiration for this came from my good friend Andrew.
So anyway, this is what I have so far. I don't really know where it goes from here, I am still working on that. I know it's long, but give it a read if you have the chance. I'd like to hear any criticism, good or bad. This is something (writing) that I still feel will be a part of my life going forward, so I need any constructive criticism I can get. So without further adieu...
***
The headlights grew ever brighter in the rearview mirror. Any other time he would have shrugged it off, but this time, he knew there was something different about the trailing car's movements. Sure enough, as his grip instictively tightened on the steering wheel, the car lurched forward as steel met steel at the car's rear bumper.
"What the...!?"
The car, or now what he almost positively knew was a full-size pickup truck, rammed the rear bumper for a second time. The teenage driver whipped his head around, not to look through the high beams, but to check on the boy strapped in the car seat behind his right shoulder. The young boy began to cry. "Shhhh", the teenager said, "it'll be alright", almost as much a reassurance to himself as to the child. "I've got to lose him somehow".
He floored the accelerator, and the old V8 began to roar as it reached down deep for every extra horse it might produce. For a split-second, he thought the rear tires lost their traction as the light rain had now become a full-fledged downpour. Somehow he kept the car under control. His own headlights, dimmed with the car's age, were having a hard time cutting through the moisture-laden summer air. To make matters worse, his own sweat begin to drip into his eyes and cloud his vision. Still, the truck remained a few car-lengths behind as they went through a gradual curve on the two-lane road. "If I can just get to the straightaway, maybe I can lose him".
Up ahead, he knew the road straightened out as it came to an old bridge crossing the creek. Once past the bridge there were several turns, one of which he might could take to evade his follower. The key was to put some distance between them. He pressed on the gas even more, feeling the pedal come in contact with the exposed metal on the floor. The bridge was up ahead, and the white fence posts to his left were starting to look like one continuous line in his periphreal vision. Still, it looked like he was beginning to pull away. His breathing slacked just a bit, though perhaps he had been holding his breath for a few seconds - he couldn't even remember. He glanced again in the mirror at his backseat occupant, whose tear-stained face he saw looking out the back window. "We're almost there", he thought.
The car bounced as it reached the end of the bridge where the deck met the asphalt. He eased off the accelerator, contemplating his next move. He had to take one of the turns; or, would the truck anticipate that? Should he keep going instead? His eyes left the road just for a moment, perhaps to check the speedometer. Whatever the reason, it proved costly. Through his own perspiration and the deluge outside, his eyes focused on an object just to the side of the road about a hundred yards ahead. Suddenly, it was moving out in front of him. He slammed the brakes hard and turned the wheel. The rear of the car swung to the right, and he fought with the wheel to regain control. It was too late. The car skidded off the left side of the road and went into a roll. The child screamed. The teenager braced himself and prepared for... the end, whatever that would be. Finally the car came to a rest, sitting up, at the bottom of a revine just above the water's edge.
It might have been only seconds that passed, or it could have been hours. The teen shook his head, which was now throbbing with incredible pain. He tried to clear his blurred vision as he looked out the broken glass of the front windshield. His first thought was not to help himself, but to check on his young passenger. He slowly started to turn around. A searing pain shot through his right arm. "Something's probably broken", he thought. He reached back with his left arm and touched the toddler's body. He shook him. No response. Blood was running out of his nose, but he could feel him breathing. "Help", he muttered, to nobody in particular. He opened the driver's door and fell out of the smoking vehicle and onto the wet ground.
Struggling to find his feet, the adrenaline began to flow through his body. With a somewhat clearer mind he realized he had to get back up to the road and find somebody. He started climbing a hill, slipping at first before managing to start the ascent. His right arm dangled from his body, useless. The 25 or 30 foot climb felt like a mountain. At the top he stopped to catch his breath. The rain, sweat, and now blood pouring from a gash on his forehead all mixed in his mouth to produce a salty metallic taste. He spit and started looking around for signs of an approaching car. Sure enough, one was coming from the direction opposite the bridge. He stared into the lights as the vehicle slowed and pulled onto the shoulder just a few feet from where he was standing.
Two men stepped out of what he saw to be a Ford truck. "I need some help", he choked, his hoarse voice sounding like someone else's. "Yeah, you do", one of the men shot back before stepping in front of the teen. He fell into the man's arms, his own strength now diminishing. He barely felt the ground as the man let him go, allowing him to fall into a crumpled heap. "Pick him up!" another man barked. The voice was recognizable in an insant, and the boy snapped to attention. He now realized the truck for what it was. With a burst of energy that shocked the two men, the teenager took off running in the direction of the bridge. "Get him!" the driver growled to his passenger, reaching in the truck to pull out a rifle before joining the chase on foot.
"I have to get to the other side", the boy thought, not really knowing what his reasoning was. Halfway across the bridge though, his injuries caught up with him. He tripped and landed hard on his already limp right arm. He coughed, and it hurt. Bad. He knew he should stand up but just couldn't do it. He closed his eyes as the two pursuers reached him. He gasped as one man kicked him in the stomach, and reached to cover himself with his left arm. The two men pulled him up to his feet and pushed him against the railing on the side of the bridge.
"Didn't I tell you not to run, you little bastard?" he heard the more familiar voice say, though it echoed through his pounding head. He felt the older man's hot breath just inches from his face. He tried to open his eyes but they refused. All he could think was, "please let another car come down that road". But none came. "Just finish him off, he's caused us enough trouble", the other man said. The teenager heard a familiar metallic "click", a sound he knew all too well from years of hunting in the woods behind his house. He felt the cold point of the gun barrel on the side of his head, for an insant almost helping to relieve the awful headache. His eyes still closed but his other senses seemingly heightened, he thought he could hear a young boy crying in the distance. "Please help him", he started to say, but didn't finish the sentence. The older man whipped the gun around and with all the force he could muster, rammed the butt of the rifle into the boy's stomach. The blow lifted him off the ground and back, and over the bridge railing. He was powerless to stop himself. The world around him became a slow-motion blur, as he flipped around to see the men standing over the side watching his descent. He saw light bouncing off the raindrops falling around him, and thought he heard the boy crying one last time. Finally there was a brilliant flash that seemed to completely surround him, and the pain escaped his body. And then...
So anyway, this is what I have so far. I don't really know where it goes from here, I am still working on that. I know it's long, but give it a read if you have the chance. I'd like to hear any criticism, good or bad. This is something (writing) that I still feel will be a part of my life going forward, so I need any constructive criticism I can get. So without further adieu...
***
The headlights grew ever brighter in the rearview mirror. Any other time he would have shrugged it off, but this time, he knew there was something different about the trailing car's movements. Sure enough, as his grip instictively tightened on the steering wheel, the car lurched forward as steel met steel at the car's rear bumper.
"What the...!?"
The car, or now what he almost positively knew was a full-size pickup truck, rammed the rear bumper for a second time. The teenage driver whipped his head around, not to look through the high beams, but to check on the boy strapped in the car seat behind his right shoulder. The young boy began to cry. "Shhhh", the teenager said, "it'll be alright", almost as much a reassurance to himself as to the child. "I've got to lose him somehow".
He floored the accelerator, and the old V8 began to roar as it reached down deep for every extra horse it might produce. For a split-second, he thought the rear tires lost their traction as the light rain had now become a full-fledged downpour. Somehow he kept the car under control. His own headlights, dimmed with the car's age, were having a hard time cutting through the moisture-laden summer air. To make matters worse, his own sweat begin to drip into his eyes and cloud his vision. Still, the truck remained a few car-lengths behind as they went through a gradual curve on the two-lane road. "If I can just get to the straightaway, maybe I can lose him".
Up ahead, he knew the road straightened out as it came to an old bridge crossing the creek. Once past the bridge there were several turns, one of which he might could take to evade his follower. The key was to put some distance between them. He pressed on the gas even more, feeling the pedal come in contact with the exposed metal on the floor. The bridge was up ahead, and the white fence posts to his left were starting to look like one continuous line in his periphreal vision. Still, it looked like he was beginning to pull away. His breathing slacked just a bit, though perhaps he had been holding his breath for a few seconds - he couldn't even remember. He glanced again in the mirror at his backseat occupant, whose tear-stained face he saw looking out the back window. "We're almost there", he thought.
The car bounced as it reached the end of the bridge where the deck met the asphalt. He eased off the accelerator, contemplating his next move. He had to take one of the turns; or, would the truck anticipate that? Should he keep going instead? His eyes left the road just for a moment, perhaps to check the speedometer. Whatever the reason, it proved costly. Through his own perspiration and the deluge outside, his eyes focused on an object just to the side of the road about a hundred yards ahead. Suddenly, it was moving out in front of him. He slammed the brakes hard and turned the wheel. The rear of the car swung to the right, and he fought with the wheel to regain control. It was too late. The car skidded off the left side of the road and went into a roll. The child screamed. The teenager braced himself and prepared for... the end, whatever that would be. Finally the car came to a rest, sitting up, at the bottom of a revine just above the water's edge.
It might have been only seconds that passed, or it could have been hours. The teen shook his head, which was now throbbing with incredible pain. He tried to clear his blurred vision as he looked out the broken glass of the front windshield. His first thought was not to help himself, but to check on his young passenger. He slowly started to turn around. A searing pain shot through his right arm. "Something's probably broken", he thought. He reached back with his left arm and touched the toddler's body. He shook him. No response. Blood was running out of his nose, but he could feel him breathing. "Help", he muttered, to nobody in particular. He opened the driver's door and fell out of the smoking vehicle and onto the wet ground.
Struggling to find his feet, the adrenaline began to flow through his body. With a somewhat clearer mind he realized he had to get back up to the road and find somebody. He started climbing a hill, slipping at first before managing to start the ascent. His right arm dangled from his body, useless. The 25 or 30 foot climb felt like a mountain. At the top he stopped to catch his breath. The rain, sweat, and now blood pouring from a gash on his forehead all mixed in his mouth to produce a salty metallic taste. He spit and started looking around for signs of an approaching car. Sure enough, one was coming from the direction opposite the bridge. He stared into the lights as the vehicle slowed and pulled onto the shoulder just a few feet from where he was standing.
Two men stepped out of what he saw to be a Ford truck. "I need some help", he choked, his hoarse voice sounding like someone else's. "Yeah, you do", one of the men shot back before stepping in front of the teen. He fell into the man's arms, his own strength now diminishing. He barely felt the ground as the man let him go, allowing him to fall into a crumpled heap. "Pick him up!" another man barked. The voice was recognizable in an insant, and the boy snapped to attention. He now realized the truck for what it was. With a burst of energy that shocked the two men, the teenager took off running in the direction of the bridge. "Get him!" the driver growled to his passenger, reaching in the truck to pull out a rifle before joining the chase on foot.
"I have to get to the other side", the boy thought, not really knowing what his reasoning was. Halfway across the bridge though, his injuries caught up with him. He tripped and landed hard on his already limp right arm. He coughed, and it hurt. Bad. He knew he should stand up but just couldn't do it. He closed his eyes as the two pursuers reached him. He gasped as one man kicked him in the stomach, and reached to cover himself with his left arm. The two men pulled him up to his feet and pushed him against the railing on the side of the bridge.
"Didn't I tell you not to run, you little bastard?" he heard the more familiar voice say, though it echoed through his pounding head. He felt the older man's hot breath just inches from his face. He tried to open his eyes but they refused. All he could think was, "please let another car come down that road". But none came. "Just finish him off, he's caused us enough trouble", the other man said. The teenager heard a familiar metallic "click", a sound he knew all too well from years of hunting in the woods behind his house. He felt the cold point of the gun barrel on the side of his head, for an insant almost helping to relieve the awful headache. His eyes still closed but his other senses seemingly heightened, he thought he could hear a young boy crying in the distance. "Please help him", he started to say, but didn't finish the sentence. The older man whipped the gun around and with all the force he could muster, rammed the butt of the rifle into the boy's stomach. The blow lifted him off the ground and back, and over the bridge railing. He was powerless to stop himself. The world around him became a slow-motion blur, as he flipped around to see the men standing over the side watching his descent. He saw light bouncing off the raindrops falling around him, and thought he heard the boy crying one last time. Finally there was a brilliant flash that seemed to completely surround him, and the pain escaped his body. And then...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Anniversary
One year today.
That is how long it has been since I officially got settled in here in Chattanooga. One year ago today I started my first “real” job and got out of the cocoon that was Florence. Of course, a lot of people get away from home long before their 25th year, so I was late to the party. A scholarship to UNA was too much to pass up though, and even after it was gone I couldn’t pull myself away from family or friends. So it took a while to get here, but now I’m away and a whole year has already passed. So what have I learned?
I've learned that starting out on the bottom of your field is not fun. My job is... let's say, routine. It's not bad by any means. It's just a lot of repetitiveness that can lead to being very stressful at times. I feel like a lot of the things I learned in college are not being put to use. Considering I'm paying back $10k worth of loans, I'd like to use some of that knowledge. Oh, and have I mentioned that the pay is not great and I'm probably not getting a raise? Stupid economy. Still, I am thankful to have the job and for the opportunities it has given me, such as moving to Chattanooga.
I’ve learned, however, that living by yourself sucks. I had never done it before last May. I have done it for a year and it has not grown on me. Even though I am shy towards new people, I am at heart a socialable person. Sometimes it drives me crazy to sit there alone.
So since I don’t enjoy being alone, I’ve worked to establish some new friends. It’s not easy when you know nobody in a city. I’m not outgoing; walking up to a group of strangers and introducing myself is not me. My entire life before now I have been able to use school as a way of meeting people. Once that is gone, your social circle shrinks to just those you work with. While I really do like my coworkers, they are mostly all married and have lives of their own. I need different kinds of people to “hang out” with.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Springsteen Concert
So it's been a while, but I'm back to let all my crazy fans know what's happening in my life.
I'm sure most everybody has at least heard a few Bruce Springsteen songs. Personally I'm a casual fan, which means I have a "greatest hits" CD and know few songs beyond those. But, I mostly like whatever I hear from the guy. Could care less about his politics, but oh well.
My brother is a huge fan of the guy however, and so on Sunday night him and I went to Atlanta to see Bruce and his E-Street Band at Philips Arena. The drive down was pretty uneventful, except I drove through Gadsden for the first time ever. You know what? I'd be okay if it's the last time I do that. Lots of "red" in that area, if ya know what I mean.
We stayed at the Hilton, which was cool, simply because I can say that I "stayed at the Hilton". Valet parking and all, yo.
The concert itself was pretty awesome. We went through a "lottery" since we had floor seats, and were one of the 450 people allowed to be in the "pit". Basically, it was the area in front of the stage. The majority of the night we were about 30-40 feet from Bruce. I could care less about his sweat hitting me, so this setup worked for me. No opening act (thank God, they usually suck). The second song played was Darkness on the Edge of Town, a favorite of mine that he doesn't play at every show. I was pretty happy to hear it. Other than that, I knew about 5 or 6 songs out of 25. Most were good, but it's a lot more fun when you can sing along with everybody else. Still, nobody appeared to be too drunk, no fights were started, and generally there was no craziness in The Pit. I consider this a good thing. My eardrums also never bled, which is also a plus.
Monday morning, we had a little time before checkout so we went to the World of Coca-Cola museum. It is a pretty cool place to visit if you've never been. Lots of old Coke memorabilia, of course. You can taste-test over 60 products that are sold around the world (and not in North America). There was also a 3D movie. Not a bad way to spend some time for $15.
Random rants, since I am such an anger-filled person:
Later y'allz.
I'm sure most everybody has at least heard a few Bruce Springsteen songs. Personally I'm a casual fan, which means I have a "greatest hits" CD and know few songs beyond those. But, I mostly like whatever I hear from the guy. Could care less about his politics, but oh well.
My brother is a huge fan of the guy however, and so on Sunday night him and I went to Atlanta to see Bruce and his E-Street Band at Philips Arena. The drive down was pretty uneventful, except I drove through Gadsden for the first time ever. You know what? I'd be okay if it's the last time I do that. Lots of "red" in that area, if ya know what I mean.
We stayed at the Hilton, which was cool, simply because I can say that I "stayed at the Hilton". Valet parking and all, yo.
The concert itself was pretty awesome. We went through a "lottery" since we had floor seats, and were one of the 450 people allowed to be in the "pit". Basically, it was the area in front of the stage. The majority of the night we were about 30-40 feet from Bruce. I could care less about his sweat hitting me, so this setup worked for me. No opening act (thank God, they usually suck). The second song played was Darkness on the Edge of Town, a favorite of mine that he doesn't play at every show. I was pretty happy to hear it. Other than that, I knew about 5 or 6 songs out of 25. Most were good, but it's a lot more fun when you can sing along with everybody else. Still, nobody appeared to be too drunk, no fights were started, and generally there was no craziness in The Pit. I consider this a good thing. My eardrums also never bled, which is also a plus.
Monday morning, we had a little time before checkout so we went to the World of Coca-Cola museum. It is a pretty cool place to visit if you've never been. Lots of old Coke memorabilia, of course. You can taste-test over 60 products that are sold around the world (and not in North America). There was also a 3D movie. Not a bad way to spend some time for $15.
Random rants, since I am such an anger-filled person:
- Like I said, Gadsden sucks. Lots of traffic lights with no obvious sequence. Also lots of rednecks.
- People that tailgate me, then pass me, then get back in my lane, and THEN slow down, piss me off. I always drive with Cruise on on the highway, so don't get in front of me and slow down. It's just not cool.
- Camera nazis at Philips Arena. Cell phone pictures suck, but it's the best I could do.
- CNN. Actually, the CNN Center and the food court were pretty cool. I just think CNN sucks. So does Ted Turner. So do the Braves, unfortunately.
- Finally, if you are staying in downtown Atlanta and need to get back to I-20 West, good luck. I pride myself on being a pretty good driver and it took me 20 minutes to get on an interstate I could see. I should have had my GPS, but it shouldn't be that hard. Plenty of signs directing you how to get to I-75 and I-85, but none for I-20. The genius that designed those roads needs to be, in the words of Garfield, drug out into the street and shot.
Later y'allz.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Why Not, Florence?
I went downtown to Coolidge Park today. It is Chattanooga's version of a "Central Park" you might say. It is on the North Shore, which is a trendy strip of restaurants/bars/coffee shops on the, you might have guessed, north side of the river. The park itself is really just a big open space along the river, though there is a carousel and a "splash pad" (an interactive fountain that kids can control). However, on nice weather days like today the place is crawling with people. It is a fun place to go and just watch people, take pictures, or sit down for a while and read a book. There were a lot of people today working on their sun tans, walking their dogs, or tossing around a frisbee or a football. Also a good place to meet people I would imagine.Now of course, being a lifelong resident of Florence until 2008 I have a certain attachment to the Shoals area. Even though I don't live there I really want to see the area thrive. Under the right circumstances I certainly wouldn't mind to go back one day. But being in Coolidge Park today emphasized to me a point that often seems to be lost on Shoals area leaders.
People in the Shoals complain about having "nothing to do". Meanwhile, the politicians are busy trying to figure out what sort of tourist trap they can put in at Veterans Park. To me, Coolidge Park is the perfect example of something Florence doesn't have that would be so easy to create. As an added bonus it could be done without being a drain on the taxpayers.
Look at McFarland Park for example. It's not exactly deserted, but so much more could be done. When the golf course was closed (a decision I still oppose), acres of land just became wasted. They say it's camping grounds, but when I drive by there I never see it being used. At least part of it should be turned into an open space like in Coolidge, just for people that want to get out and throw a football or lay in the sun. Of course, unlike Coolidge, McFarland doesn't have an area with restaurants and nightlife. Florence is always talking about building an "entertainment district". How about putting it in McFarland Park? Take the money for the supposed "tourist attraction" at Veterans and use it to build some interesting shops/bars/restaurants at McFarland. Yeah, it's in the flood plain, but that just means these buildings could be an architectural challenge. Build them on stilts and put parking underneath. It wouldn't be that cheap, but it could be done.
I realize there are challenges. The Shoals is mostly scared of any kind of change. Bars in particular are almost forbidden, and I can imagine there would be an uproar about putting them in a public park. There are also not as many people in the Shoals, both living there and visiting. Obviously a park full of people requires there be a large number of people that actually want to use it. Perhaps the scale of the project would have to be smaller than Coolidge. The idea would remain the same though.
I just don't see why, if Florence is serious about an entertainment district in East Florence or anywhere else, this sort of idea couldn't work at McFarland. There is already a good number of people coming in and out of Florence Harbor and using the small park on the east side of O'Neal Bridge (which reminds me of something from Chattanooga actually). I think it could work. FWIW, I say McFarland because I really don't think any other park in Florence or the Shoals could work. Veterans doesn't have enough river access in my opinion, and Riverfront Park in Sheffield is... well... in Sheffield.
On a completely unrelated note, it's not big enough for its own blog but I thought I'd share another thing that annoys me. It's people that stop at red lights when they want to make a right turn. Now, I don't mean coming to a stop and then proceeding to turn. I mean the people that stop, have their blinker on so you know they aim to turn, but simply sit there until the light turns green. Even if there is nothing coming in any direction. People, unless their is a sign posted forbidding you, it is still legal to make a right turn on red. I'm not sure why some people do this but it's just downright stupid.
If you want to see some pictures I took at Coolidge today check out my album on Picasa. Otherwise, until next time...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Things That Annoy Me, Volume 1
I would say that overall I'm a pretty happy guy. However, my five years at Wal-Mart provided me with an intense burning hatred of ignorant people. Okay, maybe "hatred" is too strong of a word, I don't know. I do know that I hate the stupid things that some people do. In what is sure to become a recurring feature of my blog, I will take a look at things that annoy me, and the mouth-breathers that are guilty of causing my frustration.
Let's take a look at today, for example. For lunch I decided to have lunch at Moe's (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!). I'm not usually a big eater at lunch time but was extra hungry today, for some reason. So I stroll into the door (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!) at 11:00. First person in the place. I order my food (Joey Combo, a chicken burrito with tortilla chips and queso) and go sit down in a booth by the window that's closest to my car. Not that anybody is planning to steal a 2005 Saturn Ion, but it's just a habit. I also normally try to avoid booths if I am alone, simply because I hate it when I'm with a group of three or four people and there are no booths because they are all occupied by just one or two people. But since I was the only person in the restaurant I thought, what the hey.
So as I get settled into the booth the next few customers are already coming through the doors (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!). I'm just getting started with my burrito when a family of four sits down in the booth directly behind mine. There are probably no less than eight booths on the wall, and I was in the second from the front, but they choose to sit in the one connected to mine. That would have been fine, except when I say family of four, I mean a mother and three young children. Like, less than six years old. Do you think they were well behaved? No. In fact, they were climbing all over the place like a bunch of caged monkeys. One even tried to pull my cap off. Now I like kids, don't get me wrong, but you know what annoys me (other than sitting in a booth adjacent to mine in an empty restaurant)? Parents that don't control their kids. She didn't even try to.
The kids were one thing, but next we have a guy that looks like he's had a few too many burritos, if you know what I mean. Remember, there are at least eight booths along the wall (and another row of booths on the opposite side of the restaurant). There are at least sixteen tables in between. There are, at this time, three "sets" of customers in the restaurant. So where do you think big boy sits? In the booth on the other side of me. Facing my direction. Looking directly at me. Ugh. The kind of situation where every time you look up, you have to see this guy stuffing his face full of burrito, and dripping cheese on his shirt when he tries to eat his chips (no lie). You can't avoid it unless you sit there and chew with your head down or turned to the side. Very annoying, and something that could have been easily avoided if he would have turned his back to me - or, you know, SAT IN ONE OF THE OTHER ROUGHLY THIRTY OPEN TABLES IN THE RESTAURANT!
Oh, and by the way... the burrito did not taste very fresh, the chips were luke warm, and the food is overpriced anyway. I've had better food at Taco Bell. That's the last time I'm going to Moe's for a long time, and I recommend you all avoid it too.
Holder OUT.
Let's take a look at today, for example. For lunch I decided to have lunch at Moe's (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!). I'm not usually a big eater at lunch time but was extra hungry today, for some reason. So I stroll into the door (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!) at 11:00. First person in the place. I order my food (Joey Combo, a chicken burrito with tortilla chips and queso) and go sit down in a booth by the window that's closest to my car. Not that anybody is planning to steal a 2005 Saturn Ion, but it's just a habit. I also normally try to avoid booths if I am alone, simply because I hate it when I'm with a group of three or four people and there are no booths because they are all occupied by just one or two people. But since I was the only person in the restaurant I thought, what the hey.
So as I get settled into the booth the next few customers are already coming through the doors (WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!). I'm just getting started with my burrito when a family of four sits down in the booth directly behind mine. There are probably no less than eight booths on the wall, and I was in the second from the front, but they choose to sit in the one connected to mine. That would have been fine, except when I say family of four, I mean a mother and three young children. Like, less than six years old. Do you think they were well behaved? No. In fact, they were climbing all over the place like a bunch of caged monkeys. One even tried to pull my cap off. Now I like kids, don't get me wrong, but you know what annoys me (other than sitting in a booth adjacent to mine in an empty restaurant)? Parents that don't control their kids. She didn't even try to.
The kids were one thing, but next we have a guy that looks like he's had a few too many burritos, if you know what I mean. Remember, there are at least eight booths along the wall (and another row of booths on the opposite side of the restaurant). There are at least sixteen tables in between. There are, at this time, three "sets" of customers in the restaurant. So where do you think big boy sits? In the booth on the other side of me. Facing my direction. Looking directly at me. Ugh. The kind of situation where every time you look up, you have to see this guy stuffing his face full of burrito, and dripping cheese on his shirt when he tries to eat his chips (no lie). You can't avoid it unless you sit there and chew with your head down or turned to the side. Very annoying, and something that could have been easily avoided if he would have turned his back to me - or, you know, SAT IN ONE OF THE OTHER ROUGHLY THIRTY OPEN TABLES IN THE RESTAURANT!
Oh, and by the way... the burrito did not taste very fresh, the chips were luke warm, and the food is overpriced anyway. I've had better food at Taco Bell. That's the last time I'm going to Moe's for a long time, and I recommend you all avoid it too.
Holder OUT.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Russians Haven't Given Us Much, But...
You know, when I think about it, I'm not really sure there's a lot the Russians have done to contribute to our way of life. Well, if you are a drinker I guess there's vodka, but I'm not much of a drinker. So I try to think about what the Russians have done for me. Let's see... I guess they were good as a "rival" to push our space and military programs throughout the Cold War. Mikhail Gorbachev's birthmark was um, pretty cool as birthmarks go, I guess. Other than that, what have they given the world? I can think of nothing but burly women with thick eyebrows, words with 17 consonants and maybe one vowel, and commies.However, I can forgive the Russians for all of their shortcomings for one glorious video game they thrust upon the American public: Tetris. This game, even some twenty years after its initial release, stands up to the test of time. I played this game on a green-screen white brick of an original Game Boy. I played it on Super Nintendo. I played it on TI-86 calculators in high school instead of paying attention. I play it today against insanely awesome Japanese kids on my Nintendo DS and routinely get my butt kicked. But hey, it's all part of the fun. The game is seriously addictive, and if you've never played it (to which I would have to wonder the location of the rock you've been under most of your life), you owe yourself to give it a try. If it's good enough for Peter Gibbons in Office Space, it's good enough for you.
For those wondering, the inspiration for this blog comes from the fact that this past Saturday night (3/14), a gathering with four of my friends turned into a ginormous double-elimination Tetris tournament on their old SNES. You know you have reached the peak of geekdom when you are a single guy that spends a Saturday night playing Tetris until 2:00 in the morning. Oh well. FWIW, I finished third out of five people and have to admit that us three guys were all beaten by the two women we were playing against. I'll try to live with this by telling myself they were secretly training against some of those damn Japanese kids.
Now excuse me while I go get humiliated again by somebody with the screename "ラドクリフ、マラソ".
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Recession? What Recession?
So let me first say, I know that we are in a recession. There's no doubt that jobs are being lost and the economy is probably in the worst shape it has been in a long time - though relative to other points in our history, we are still doing pretty good (for now). Still, as I went out to pick up a few things today in Chattanooga, I had a hard time believing that we are in the midst of "tough economic times".
First I simply pull out of the driveway to my apartment and notice that traffic on the road looks like 5:00 rush-hour. I went out to the area around Hamilton Place mall, which is where all of the big-box stores are. My gosh - it looked like Christmas Eve out there. The mall was packed, as when I was trying to get through the food court I had to bob and weave just to keep from getting ran over. Lines were so long turning into some stores that turning lanes were overflowing into the regular traffic lanes. Wal-Mart was... well, Wal-Mart. Full of nothing but mouth-breathers, illegal Mexicans, and 250+ pound women with their hair dyed purple wearing a mini-skirt as they pull around their bratty, screaming horde of children. Oh yeah, don't forget that it's raining which makes the already unenviable task of driving even worse. Yes people, a little misting rain means you need to go 15 mph under the speed limit - I think that's a law in fact [/sarcasm].
So is it like this everywhere? Florence? Huntsville? The rest of America? I know that Chattanooga is actually one of the luckier towns right now. The economy hasn't fallen off that much, and in fact, new jobs are coming in. I just assumed that the media had scared people into not spending money. Are these people simply going out and doing their shopping routine, but not actually buying things? Are they trying to fool themselves into believing everything is okay? Are the majority of people really too stupid to sense anything is wrong, and they are doing what they would normally do? Or - and I would never imagine this - is the media stretching the truth and the recession not really as bad as what they say? I'm not economist, so I don't think I can judge what is right or wrong. But as a simple observer, it's hard to see any difference between now and the past several years.
Finally, just to put a happy spin on this blog, I am going to do something inspired by my good friend Andrew. I will post a personal picture of mine, a place that is dear to all of us geo-nerds' hearts. Enjoy.
Until next time, compadres...
First I simply pull out of the driveway to my apartment and notice that traffic on the road looks like 5:00 rush-hour. I went out to the area around Hamilton Place mall, which is where all of the big-box stores are. My gosh - it looked like Christmas Eve out there. The mall was packed, as when I was trying to get through the food court I had to bob and weave just to keep from getting ran over. Lines were so long turning into some stores that turning lanes were overflowing into the regular traffic lanes. Wal-Mart was... well, Wal-Mart. Full of nothing but mouth-breathers, illegal Mexicans, and 250+ pound women with their hair dyed purple wearing a mini-skirt as they pull around their bratty, screaming horde of children. Oh yeah, don't forget that it's raining which makes the already unenviable task of driving even worse. Yes people, a little misting rain means you need to go 15 mph under the speed limit - I think that's a law in fact [/sarcasm].
So is it like this everywhere? Florence? Huntsville? The rest of America? I know that Chattanooga is actually one of the luckier towns right now. The economy hasn't fallen off that much, and in fact, new jobs are coming in. I just assumed that the media had scared people into not spending money. Are these people simply going out and doing their shopping routine, but not actually buying things? Are they trying to fool themselves into believing everything is okay? Are the majority of people really too stupid to sense anything is wrong, and they are doing what they would normally do? Or - and I would never imagine this - is the media stretching the truth and the recession not really as bad as what they say? I'm not economist, so I don't think I can judge what is right or wrong. But as a simple observer, it's hard to see any difference between now and the past several years.
Finally, just to put a happy spin on this blog, I am going to do something inspired by my good friend Andrew. I will post a personal picture of mine, a place that is dear to all of us geo-nerds' hearts. Enjoy.
Until next time, compadres...
Monday, February 16, 2009
Dentist Blues
You know how some people use their blog to talk about stuff that is probably totally boring to other people? Well this is me about to do that. If you are reading, I apologize for the time you are about to waste.
I went to the dentist today for my six-month cleaning. Everything was fine, no cavities or anything. Just one problem, actually. I've had a back tooth that started hurting when I chew on it back in December. About a month ago I went to have them check it, and the x-rays didn't really find any problems. The most likely scenario was either I had a tiny crack in one of my molars, or get this, it could be totally sinus-related. My dentist gave me an antibiotic in case it was a sinus issue and that was that.
So needless to say, it wasn't a sinus problem. The tooth hasn't gotten any worse, but there also hasn't been any improvement. I can barely chew on that side, but mostly don't out of fear of making things worse. I heard that a root canal could be the only option to fix this. My dentist pretty much confirmed that today. However, he basically told me I was in this weird gray area of the tooth being a nuisance, but also, in his opinion, not being damaged enough for a root canal. His prescription? Let it go for a few months and see if it somehow happens to improve on its own (to which he gave a 25% chance). Isn't that just great? I also have to try to break my bad habit of chewing ice, which he said could have led to the tooth cracking in the first place.
The kicker to all of this is, my teeth have always been extremely healthy. In fact, I didn't take out insurance when I started my job because it was a.) expensive, b.) I could use that money for better things, and c.) my dentist is a family friend of ours and gives me a discount on the cleanings. It actually costs less for me to pay for cleanings two times a year than to pay for insurance. Of course, that was before I cracked my tooth. A root canal costs about $800 - $1000. Lucky me.
Finally, since I don't have any pictures to relate to this blog - I don't have copies of my x-rays, sorry to say - I present you with this picture of Vince, the "Shamwow" guy. BTW, it's made in Germany, so you know it's good. This picture actually comes from a pretty cool website, http://www.obamicon.me. It has a ton of pictures done in the style of the Obama (false) "Hope" poster. Funny stuff.
I went to the dentist today for my six-month cleaning. Everything was fine, no cavities or anything. Just one problem, actually. I've had a back tooth that started hurting when I chew on it back in December. About a month ago I went to have them check it, and the x-rays didn't really find any problems. The most likely scenario was either I had a tiny crack in one of my molars, or get this, it could be totally sinus-related. My dentist gave me an antibiotic in case it was a sinus issue and that was that.
So needless to say, it wasn't a sinus problem. The tooth hasn't gotten any worse, but there also hasn't been any improvement. I can barely chew on that side, but mostly don't out of fear of making things worse. I heard that a root canal could be the only option to fix this. My dentist pretty much confirmed that today. However, he basically told me I was in this weird gray area of the tooth being a nuisance, but also, in his opinion, not being damaged enough for a root canal. His prescription? Let it go for a few months and see if it somehow happens to improve on its own (to which he gave a 25% chance). Isn't that just great? I also have to try to break my bad habit of chewing ice, which he said could have led to the tooth cracking in the first place.
The kicker to all of this is, my teeth have always been extremely healthy. In fact, I didn't take out insurance when I started my job because it was a.) expensive, b.) I could use that money for better things, and c.) my dentist is a family friend of ours and gives me a discount on the cleanings. It actually costs less for me to pay for cleanings two times a year than to pay for insurance. Of course, that was before I cracked my tooth. A root canal costs about $800 - $1000. Lucky me.
Finally, since I don't have any pictures to relate to this blog - I don't have copies of my x-rays, sorry to say - I present you with this picture of Vince, the "Shamwow" guy. BTW, it's made in Germany, so you know it's good. This picture actually comes from a pretty cool website, http://www.obamicon.me. It has a ton of pictures done in the style of the Obama (false) "Hope" poster. Funny stuff.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Brett, Go Away
I still plan on doing my big-arse rant on the world economic climate sometime soon, but hey, sports is more important anyway.The topic of the day is Brett Favre. I'm sure you've all read the articles, so I'm not going to provide any links. But it appears that Brett has told the Jets that he will once again "retire" and not be a part of the team next year.
Which would be fine if we could believe him. This of course makes two years in a row that he has "retired", and about three or four now that he has at least allowed the public to know that he is thinking about it.
Let me first say that I did not used to have a problem with Favre. I didn't love the Packers, but didn't really have anything against them, either. Brett was good, I respected him. I pulled against him in '97 when my Broncos beat the Packers in the Super Bowl. Otherwise, I didn't think about Brett very much, other than to acknowledge he was a pretty darn good quarterback.
The whole thing with Green Bay last year soured me on the guy. Newsflash Brett: you were NOT the Green Bay Packers. When you told them you were leaving and they prepared Aaron Rodgers for the role, they were acting like any sensible franchise would do. They did not "owe" you anything. When you suddenly changed your mind and decided to come back, under no circumstances should they have bumped Rodgers back to second-string and put you back in the starting role. Yeah, they might have won a couple more games, but it would have just been wrong. The Packers didn't screw Brett. Brett screwed Brett (props if anybody knows where that phrase originally comes from).
So now you are retiring again, and I've already heard sportscasters talking about teams that could use you and might be interested. Let me save you the trouble Brett: go away. Don't come back to the NFL. You have made millions of dollars playing a game. Probably 99% of the American public envies a guy that can retire as a multi-millionaire at 40 while they slave for a job they hate. They used to like you, but this continued crying at press conferences and indecision on what to really do is quickly turning people like me against you. Maybe you don't care, and that's fine. But I for one never want to hear your name on ESPN again. If you want people to remember you as a great player AND a decent guy, don't be stupid. Go back to Mississippi and enjoy life. I know I would if I were you. Well, except the part about Mississippi. I'd go anywhere but Mississippi.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Introduction
So I really tried for a long time not to do the blog thing. Not sure why, exactly, other than the fact that I pretty much despise anything that makes it into popular culture. Of course, I openly embrace things like Facebook and Twitter, but I like to think that I was an early adopter for Facebook (before it became cool) and most people still don't know about Twitter. I'm sure though there are plenty of other pop culture staples that I take part in. I'm nothing if not a hypocrite. But hey, aren't most of us?
I intend on using this space to publish my views and thoughts on things. I feel like they will mostly be awesome and will be the way you should look at things, too. I'm guessing there will be plenty of disagreements though. That's okay, I'm always up for intelligent debate. Hell, I'm usually up for unintelligent debate that devolves into immature name-calling too. I have a pretty thick skin.
I have a big-arse discussion on the current state of world economics that I'm working on. That's probably an incredibly geeky thing to admit, but I was bored at work and wrote out most of it there. That's what happens when you get banned from most websites at work. They want us to be "productive", go figure. Check back soon for that, especially if you have masochistic tendencies.
Later...
I intend on using this space to publish my views and thoughts on things. I feel like they will mostly be awesome and will be the way you should look at things, too. I'm guessing there will be plenty of disagreements though. That's okay, I'm always up for intelligent debate. Hell, I'm usually up for unintelligent debate that devolves into immature name-calling too. I have a pretty thick skin.
I have a big-arse discussion on the current state of world economics that I'm working on. That's probably an incredibly geeky thing to admit, but I was bored at work and wrote out most of it there. That's what happens when you get banned from most websites at work. They want us to be "productive", go figure. Check back soon for that, especially if you have masochistic tendencies.
Later...
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