AnnaMarie tagged me in her blog to complete this blogger exercise.
Rules are:
1. Write the title to your own memoir using 6 words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag 5 more blogs.
The title of my memoir would be "Swimming Upstream: The Legend of Fish"
I now tag Roy, Jenn The Mother Henn, Josh Gregory, Brett, and Christo
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Amazing Tiger..........
I just have to marvel at how amazing Tiger Woods is. We are truly witnessing modern history and the most dominate player of any competitive sport. Golf is by far the hardest, most mentally challenging sport to play. You can be great and make just one mistake that can cost you the entire hole. A person can hit 2 or 3 great shots and then 2 bad putts and get bogey on a hole. For those who walk the course you truly have to be in shape to maintain a high level because once you get tired and your mechanics and mental fatigue start to take over your game can fall apart. You have to be near perfect and very consistent to be a "great" player in the golf world and even these guys have very poor showings from time to time. Golf is a very difficult, very precise, very unforgiving sport.
All of that makes what Tiger Woods did over the weekend even more incredible. For every other golfer just playing the U.S. Open(one of the 4 Major Golf Championships) and winning in a extra 19 hole playoff would be a remarkable feat. However Tiger Woods played 91 holes and won this even....ON A TORN ACL IN HIS LEFT KNEE and 2 STRESS FRACTURES IN HIS LEFT FIBULA!!!! You could see after almost every shot he took that he was in pain but nobody realized how bad it was because it was kept quiet until after the fact. The doctor told Tiger, "You need 3 weeks on crutches followed by 3 weeks of rest." However after being informed that he could do no further damage Tiger replied "I am going to play in the U.S. Open and win it!" So he proceeded to walk the course and swing the club an average of 4 times per hole for 91 holes over a 4 day period and win his 14th Major Championship. Tiger Woods will have surgery and be done for the rest of the year but this accomplishment will be the stamp of what will be the career of the best golfer to ever play the game!
All of that makes what Tiger Woods did over the weekend even more incredible. For every other golfer just playing the U.S. Open(one of the 4 Major Golf Championships) and winning in a extra 19 hole playoff would be a remarkable feat. However Tiger Woods played 91 holes and won this even....ON A TORN ACL IN HIS LEFT KNEE and 2 STRESS FRACTURES IN HIS LEFT FIBULA!!!! You could see after almost every shot he took that he was in pain but nobody realized how bad it was because it was kept quiet until after the fact. The doctor told Tiger, "You need 3 weeks on crutches followed by 3 weeks of rest." However after being informed that he could do no further damage Tiger replied "I am going to play in the U.S. Open and win it!" So he proceeded to walk the course and swing the club an average of 4 times per hole for 91 holes over a 4 day period and win his 14th Major Championship. Tiger Woods will have surgery and be done for the rest of the year but this accomplishment will be the stamp of what will be the career of the best golfer to ever play the game!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
ABDC: Season 2....
I'm excited for the second season of America's Best Dance Crew which pits dance crews against each other for supremacy. I blogged about this show in an earlier blog and am still impressed with how skilled some of these dancers are. It's not typical dance but instead more a mix of style. I've tried watching So You Think You Can Dance but felt it was too much modern or ballet style and too individualistic. I guess I just love it sooo much cause I couldn't do a sliver of what these people can do but it just looks like way too much fun. Here's some vids of the ABDC: Season 1 Champs JabbaWokeez and a couple groups from the Season 2 auditions who may take the crown. Cheers!
JabbaWokeez doing Pretty Young Thing by Micheal Jackson
JabbaWokeez History of Dance Mix from week 3. Watch how long this dude spins on his head!
The commercial for ABDC: Season 2
This group is called Supreme Soul and as you can see they won a battle against Jabba and are probably the favorite for this season.
Another group Extreme Dance Force
JabbaWokeez doing Pretty Young Thing by Micheal Jackson
JabbaWokeez History of Dance Mix from week 3. Watch how long this dude spins on his head!
The commercial for ABDC: Season 2
This group is called Supreme Soul and as you can see they won a battle against Jabba and are probably the favorite for this season.
Another group Extreme Dance Force
Saturday, June 14, 2008
I pity our culture.....
Kate Brown recently posted on facebook that she had just watched her first episode of "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV and was horrified. I had to write her because I have uttered the words before that if you want to know what's wrong with our country then look no further than MTV. I pity the younger generation, especially girls who have grown up wathcing shows like The Hills, Laguna Beach, and My Super Sweet 16. How obscure must their vision of what reality is?
First is My Super Sweet 16 in which extremly spoiled rich girls get outrageous 16th birthday parties thrown for them. These parties are generally all about the same with one or two girls having a major bash in which 75% of the people there don't even know them. They usually get really expensive dresses, cars, and usually a top Hip Hop artist or group performs for them. There's always at least one scene in which the girl throws a major temper tantrum because she can't get exactly what she wants. I've seen the entertainment cost as much as $150,000 for a 1 night performance, one girl got 2 cars(an SUV and Sports Car), and parties costing up to 1 million. Is this what every girl growing up in America expects as a birthday party now?
Next is Laguna Beach in which extremly rich high school students are followed around in the OC. These kids are never shown working, surf all day, are all gorgeous looking, live in mansions, drive very nice cars, and generally just party and make out with one another. Most of the drama of the show centers around somebody trying to steal someone else's b/f or g/f. These kids have no "real" problems and are completely pampered but how does the younger generation not expect this lifestyle? What happens to most kids who can't live up to this version of how High School life is supposed to be?
Lastly is The Hills which is a spin-off to Laguna Beach in which, oh no the kids have graduated college and now live in L.A. They have been set up with nice jobs in entertainment and fashion or just plain don't work. So not only is the younger generation treated to fake High School life but also fake post High School life. This show even goes so far as to re-create scenes if the cameras weren't around the first time to capture it. Reality my ass! The show is nothing but nite clubs, blackberries, and sports cars.
It does worry me that this is the crap and the message we are sending out to other countries as a society. That we truly are overblown pigs who have so much excess we create shows just to rub it in other people's faces how the "better" half lives. I read AnnaMarie's blog about African women suffering then see any of these shows and it makes me want to be sick. We are we headed as a people here in America? How is the next generation going to come of age, as spoiled brats? Only time will tell but I for one am worried and embarrased!
First is My Super Sweet 16 in which extremly spoiled rich girls get outrageous 16th birthday parties thrown for them. These parties are generally all about the same with one or two girls having a major bash in which 75% of the people there don't even know them. They usually get really expensive dresses, cars, and usually a top Hip Hop artist or group performs for them. There's always at least one scene in which the girl throws a major temper tantrum because she can't get exactly what she wants. I've seen the entertainment cost as much as $150,000 for a 1 night performance, one girl got 2 cars(an SUV and Sports Car), and parties costing up to 1 million. Is this what every girl growing up in America expects as a birthday party now?
Next is Laguna Beach in which extremly rich high school students are followed around in the OC. These kids are never shown working, surf all day, are all gorgeous looking, live in mansions, drive very nice cars, and generally just party and make out with one another. Most of the drama of the show centers around somebody trying to steal someone else's b/f or g/f. These kids have no "real" problems and are completely pampered but how does the younger generation not expect this lifestyle? What happens to most kids who can't live up to this version of how High School life is supposed to be?
Lastly is The Hills which is a spin-off to Laguna Beach in which, oh no the kids have graduated college and now live in L.A. They have been set up with nice jobs in entertainment and fashion or just plain don't work. So not only is the younger generation treated to fake High School life but also fake post High School life. This show even goes so far as to re-create scenes if the cameras weren't around the first time to capture it. Reality my ass! The show is nothing but nite clubs, blackberries, and sports cars.
It does worry me that this is the crap and the message we are sending out to other countries as a society. That we truly are overblown pigs who have so much excess we create shows just to rub it in other people's faces how the "better" half lives. I read AnnaMarie's blog about African women suffering then see any of these shows and it makes me want to be sick. We are we headed as a people here in America? How is the next generation going to come of age, as spoiled brats? Only time will tell but I for one am worried and embarrased!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Five Weird Things About Moi.....
So yeah Roy and Anna both did one of these and it piqued my interest so I do am doing a 5 weird things about Fishy. Enjoy!
1. Since I think everyone in the world has something about food I'll start with mine. I'm a very picky and apparently slow eater. Jamie used to make fun of me in that he could eat a foot long sub before I ate a 6-inch one. Part of the reason I eat slowly is that I like to eat one thing at a time. If I've got steak, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and bread, I'll eat one at a time until it is gone but there's no special order. Secondly I believe all fast food restaurant burgers should come plain or with just cheese then people can order what they want on them. I can have a burger with just cheese, or just mustard, or just ketchup but cannot have any combination. I also feel the nexus of evil are pickles, mushrooms, onions, spinach, and asparagus....YUCK!!!
2. Most everyone who knows me knows that I am a "low" talker, but most don't know why. I have damn good hearing, proof of which in college physics we did a hearing test and I was 1 or 2 people left who could hear the lowest or highest pitched sound. Why does this lead to my low talking? Well its because when I am talking I think I am being very loud. There are times I feel I am yelling at people but they ask me to speak up. So if you are talking to me and I am speaking low please ask me to speak up because I always think I'm talking too loudly.
3. I absolutely hate talking on the phone! 90% of the time my phones calls are, "Hey what's up, you coming over?" Generally its just to confirm meeting times or see if someone wants to do something real quick. I really can only take about 15 minutes on the phone. I just hate the whole act of holding up this little piece of plastic to my ear for hours. If at all possible I would rather just see you in person. Now don't get me wrong if I have to I will, I've even done 15hours straight...when I was young and in love....but I will never like it.
4. This one is kinda disgusting and is inherited from my father but I'm a sweater. Even when I was in decent shape and weighed a low amount I would sweat when hot. I think its part hereditary, part that I'm always in cool environments, and now being out of shape and overweight. I always remember being younger watching dad mow or work on a car or bike he would just be drenched in sweat and thinking thats disgusting but now whenever I am doing something like that I just start to drip as well. I've always been lucky and had jobs in nice air conditioned places so my body is always used to some temp between 69-75 degrees so when its above that I get hot. I remember Jason who worked as a cook for a long time would always being cold because he worked in front of a hot grill all day. He'd wear long sleeves and jeans in 80 degree weather and not be hot. I know Jamie feels my pain but if its hot or I'm active I am gonna sweat, can't help it.
5. Lastly is I am good at most everything and great at nothing. I have always done everything that I've trully applied myself at from school to sports to games to work related tasks and do them all well. However I have never just been great at any of these things. I honestly feel if I'm tasked with doing something, I would be ranked in around the 70-80% range but never get into the elite top 20%, nor will I be in the bottom 60%. So yes I've resigned myself to being just merely good at things :)
1. Since I think everyone in the world has something about food I'll start with mine. I'm a very picky and apparently slow eater. Jamie used to make fun of me in that he could eat a foot long sub before I ate a 6-inch one. Part of the reason I eat slowly is that I like to eat one thing at a time. If I've got steak, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and bread, I'll eat one at a time until it is gone but there's no special order. Secondly I believe all fast food restaurant burgers should come plain or with just cheese then people can order what they want on them. I can have a burger with just cheese, or just mustard, or just ketchup but cannot have any combination. I also feel the nexus of evil are pickles, mushrooms, onions, spinach, and asparagus....YUCK!!!
2. Most everyone who knows me knows that I am a "low" talker, but most don't know why. I have damn good hearing, proof of which in college physics we did a hearing test and I was 1 or 2 people left who could hear the lowest or highest pitched sound. Why does this lead to my low talking? Well its because when I am talking I think I am being very loud. There are times I feel I am yelling at people but they ask me to speak up. So if you are talking to me and I am speaking low please ask me to speak up because I always think I'm talking too loudly.
3. I absolutely hate talking on the phone! 90% of the time my phones calls are, "Hey what's up, you coming over?" Generally its just to confirm meeting times or see if someone wants to do something real quick. I really can only take about 15 minutes on the phone. I just hate the whole act of holding up this little piece of plastic to my ear for hours. If at all possible I would rather just see you in person. Now don't get me wrong if I have to I will, I've even done 15hours straight...when I was young and in love....but I will never like it.
4. This one is kinda disgusting and is inherited from my father but I'm a sweater. Even when I was in decent shape and weighed a low amount I would sweat when hot. I think its part hereditary, part that I'm always in cool environments, and now being out of shape and overweight. I always remember being younger watching dad mow or work on a car or bike he would just be drenched in sweat and thinking thats disgusting but now whenever I am doing something like that I just start to drip as well. I've always been lucky and had jobs in nice air conditioned places so my body is always used to some temp between 69-75 degrees so when its above that I get hot. I remember Jason who worked as a cook for a long time would always being cold because he worked in front of a hot grill all day. He'd wear long sleeves and jeans in 80 degree weather and not be hot. I know Jamie feels my pain but if its hot or I'm active I am gonna sweat, can't help it.
5. Lastly is I am good at most everything and great at nothing. I have always done everything that I've trully applied myself at from school to sports to games to work related tasks and do them all well. However I have never just been great at any of these things. I honestly feel if I'm tasked with doing something, I would be ranked in around the 70-80% range but never get into the elite top 20%, nor will I be in the bottom 60%. So yes I've resigned myself to being just merely good at things :)
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Neighborhood Stories
So by request I've been asked to blog about the good ole days back in the neighborhood. If some of you don't know the neighborhood was called Iron Works Estates and was essentially 2 neighborhoods separated by a lake, junkyard, and cornfield. There was a nice little bike trail that cut between the two hoods and a shelter for gatherings. Myself, Roy Cornett, Josh Gregory, Jason Schott, Greg and Sean Berry, Bryson Alford, Jeff Nace, Jeff Besser, and Ian Bonock(sp.) all lived in one of the two sections and were close friends who found many an adventure during our childhood. Anways the stories should be quite entertaining and if you'd like to read about our adventures here is the link. http://theneighborhoodstories.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Note to the NCAA and NBA......MLB has it right!
Everyone is wondering how to fix the problems in NCAA recruiting violations, agents, and early entry into the NBA. Well they can look no further than the MLB…..they have it right. The NBA needs to adopt MLB’s drafting policy in that everyone in the country is available for the draft. Anyone who doesn’t like their draft position upon being drafted may elect to accept a college scholarship offer and enroll at a university. However upon enrolling they must stay at the school for a minimum of 3 years. This puts all the work on the NBA to find the players who are actually coming out and will sign with their team after being drafted, it lets the kids who go to school,actually go to school long enough to earn or be close to earning a degree, and eliminates the problems stemming from agents.
The way the system is now there are problems across the board. The NBA says that all players are eligible for the draft 1 year after their high school graduation. Any college player who enters the draft and hires an agent or stays in the draft is no longer eligible for the NCAA. This hurts the kids the most in that the elite high school players have to go to college, a prep school, or not play for a full year. We are telling an 18 year old kid he doesn’t have the right to earn a living playing ball for a year but can go to war. These kids could get injured and lose all that they could have had. The one year at college is a joke anyhow, these guys only have to go to class the first semester because by the time they are ineligible they are drafted and don’t care about going to school or the NCAA. If I am OJ Mayo what does it matter to me to take the money. I get free room and board for a year, I’m not going to be punished, only USC but USC just used me to get into the tournament, increase ticket sales, and make more money.
Secondly so a kid wants to test the waters and is lied to by numerous scouts, agents, and friends about how good they are and where they will be drafted. Then they go in the second round or are undrafted and now what…can’t go back to school. I understand the point of losing amateur status but if they aren’t drafted, don’t have an agent, and never play pro ball then they are still amateurs! Why are these kids being punished? Allow them to come back to school and work on their game while finishing their education. Both of these examples show that the current system is not in the best interest of the kids which is what both the NBA and NCAA like to say.
Lastly even though some schools make money for one season on these kids, there are also negatives. Coaches will have to decide if it is worth it to recruit these “one and done” players and closely monitor them while they are there to make sure there are no violations of these kids being paid. USC is looking at being penalized for OJ Mayo and for what, a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament. Coaches also are continually having to remake their teams and never know whom they are going to have one year to the next because a kid might opt to enter the NBA draft and be drafted or go undrafted but not be able to return to school.
By adopting the draft policy of MLB and making every player eligible to be drafted it will eliminate the “one and done” college player. The NBA would still get their “elite” players and sooner rather than later. This also would allow kids who are taken in the second round(non-guaranteed contracts) or undrafted to return to school as long as they did not sign with an agent. Speaking of agents this would also help eliminate the “feeding frenzy” by agents on these kids. They would only go after the elite players because thats where the money would be and would not be trying to break NCAA violations by tampering with college underclassmen. They would know if these kids weren’t good enough to be drafted, then they will be in school till they are 21. Finally NCAA institutions would not have to worry so much about recruiting violations stemming from a player’s amateur status and teams would know they are getting a commitment from a player for at least 3 years. The way I see if by making this simple change it’s a win, win, win for all involved. So what is the NBA and NCAA waiting for…oh probably too busy counting their money!
The way the system is now there are problems across the board. The NBA says that all players are eligible for the draft 1 year after their high school graduation. Any college player who enters the draft and hires an agent or stays in the draft is no longer eligible for the NCAA. This hurts the kids the most in that the elite high school players have to go to college, a prep school, or not play for a full year. We are telling an 18 year old kid he doesn’t have the right to earn a living playing ball for a year but can go to war. These kids could get injured and lose all that they could have had. The one year at college is a joke anyhow, these guys only have to go to class the first semester because by the time they are ineligible they are drafted and don’t care about going to school or the NCAA. If I am OJ Mayo what does it matter to me to take the money. I get free room and board for a year, I’m not going to be punished, only USC but USC just used me to get into the tournament, increase ticket sales, and make more money.
Secondly so a kid wants to test the waters and is lied to by numerous scouts, agents, and friends about how good they are and where they will be drafted. Then they go in the second round or are undrafted and now what…can’t go back to school. I understand the point of losing amateur status but if they aren’t drafted, don’t have an agent, and never play pro ball then they are still amateurs! Why are these kids being punished? Allow them to come back to school and work on their game while finishing their education. Both of these examples show that the current system is not in the best interest of the kids which is what both the NBA and NCAA like to say.
Lastly even though some schools make money for one season on these kids, there are also negatives. Coaches will have to decide if it is worth it to recruit these “one and done” players and closely monitor them while they are there to make sure there are no violations of these kids being paid. USC is looking at being penalized for OJ Mayo and for what, a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament. Coaches also are continually having to remake their teams and never know whom they are going to have one year to the next because a kid might opt to enter the NBA draft and be drafted or go undrafted but not be able to return to school.
By adopting the draft policy of MLB and making every player eligible to be drafted it will eliminate the “one and done” college player. The NBA would still get their “elite” players and sooner rather than later. This also would allow kids who are taken in the second round(non-guaranteed contracts) or undrafted to return to school as long as they did not sign with an agent. Speaking of agents this would also help eliminate the “feeding frenzy” by agents on these kids. They would only go after the elite players because thats where the money would be and would not be trying to break NCAA violations by tampering with college underclassmen. They would know if these kids weren’t good enough to be drafted, then they will be in school till they are 21. Finally NCAA institutions would not have to worry so much about recruiting violations stemming from a player’s amateur status and teams would know they are getting a commitment from a player for at least 3 years. The way I see if by making this simple change it’s a win, win, win for all involved. So what is the NBA and NCAA waiting for…oh probably too busy counting their money!
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