Thursday, September 30, 2004
Adventures in Marketing
I had two job interviews on Monday. One that lasted about a minute and they said they'd call me if interested (big shock: never heard from them again!) and then a second one in the afternoon that went a lot better. At least, that's what I thought until Tuesday, when I went out for my second "interview".

I'd answered an ad on Monster or CareerBuilder looking for someone in marketing/public relations. I've got a background in communications, so I figured this might be right up my alley. And on Monday is was described to me as a marketing position--if by marketing, you mean selling door to door. And if by position, you mean self-employed salesperson living strictly on commission with no benefits and having to work six days a week.

Needless to say, this is not what I was expecting based upon the conversations I'd had Monday afternoon. Of course, looking back, no one really lied to me outright. Sure, they left out large portions of the truth, but they never brought them up and I never asked. Of course, you don't generally think in an interview for a marketing position--hey, I'm gonna be out on the street selling door-to-door.

So, Tuesday morning, I show up at the office and signed away my day, saying that I understood this was a voluntary interview and I wouldn't be paid anything for that day, nor should I expect to be paid. I guess I should've supsected something then, but I'm niave and trusting. Now, I've gone on before about how I find it fascinating to sit back and watch what people who come to an interview or job fair choose as "professional" attire. For men, it's not too difficult really--the hardest choice we have most times is what color tie do we want to wear. Worst case for men: you wear a sport coat and you have to take it off. For women--all I can say is, I have no idea how you do it. So many choices and so many different messages you can send.

I bring this up, because one of the women who was one of the leaders of the second round of the interview is wearing a skirt so short it barely comes down below her behind, a halter top that is ripped open and leaves very little to the imagination. Oh yeah, and she's got a lot of pudge around the middle sticking out. Now, I don't want to appear to hypocritical here, but honestly, you've gotta know your limitations when it comes to what you wear. For example, I wouldn't wear a Speedo as a public service to myself and others. And I wouldn't be caught dead in biker shorts. You gotta work with the body you're given and not try to be something you're not.

So, this girl (who I later find out is named April) goes gets a guy from Kenya as her protege for the day. They head out of the office. Then, I and another girl named Janine are assigned to this guy, who happens to share the same name I do. We head out and he says--hey, this about selling and we're going to go and visit some clients. Are you still in? I figure, why not because as of yet, the whole concept of selling door to door has NOT come up. Mike makes the first of several comments about Janine's shoes (all names are changed to protect the innocent, except mine and Mike's). He also calls her "little lady" for the first of about a million times that afternoon. I am "big guy" and this wears thin after about five minutes. I mean, he's out "interviewing" us and since his name and mine are the same, it's not that hard to remember. You can tell this not bothering to learn her name is really bugging Janine, which I can't say I blame her. I don't think being referred to as "little lady" all day is exactly the most professional thing in the world.

So, we pile into Mike's two-door SUV. Yep, you heard it--two door SUV. And April (she of the outfit) decides to sit in the middle between me and Kenya guy. But wait...this isn't a bench seat back-seat so she's just hovering between two seats really with the seatbelt clicker "going into her butt." I know this because she tells us this at every oppportunity. Needless to say this ride is a bit uncomfortable because you've got three people piled into the seating arrangements for two, Mike has the windows and sunroof open so I can barely hear what he's saying or when he's talking to me and April is almost falling out of her outfit and keeps leaning over to talk to me. Oh yeah, and MIke has music blaring...that makes it so much easier to carry on a conversation.

It's at this point that old line from Star Wars comes up..."I've got a bad feeling about this." April and Mike pull out maps and look at thier assigned territories. I ask what kind of businesses we're looking at today and April looks at me like I've just fallen off the turnip wagon. It's not businesses, though there might be some. It's private residences. Ohhh-kay, I think. I start looking around for the cameras and Alan Funt, but alas, that's not to be. Turns out April doesn't have a car, so she's assigned each day to someone who drops her off in her terrirtory for, say, eight or so hours and then comes to get her. She has some snack food, a bottle of juice and that's it! Oh yeah, and coupon books to sell. Now, these coupon books sound pretty good--it's supposed to benefit children in wheelchairs playing sports such as basketball. But let's face it--coupon books is a pretty competitive business. There's the kids selling them for school, who are far cuter and more adorable than any adult can EVER hope to be, and the Entertainment Book with the card. We drop off April and the guy from Kenya in the middle of a neighborhood and head out to our own territory.

Mike drives around, scouting it out. "This will be the most boringest part of the day," he tells us both since no one is home. You go early, scout out a neighborhood and then do your heavy selling in the mid to late afternoon. The first question that comes into my mind is--OK, so no one is home. Why not drive around your territory quickly, scout it out and the come back, oh, I don't know, when people are home?!? That seems to be a better use of time and resources. (I will ask this later only to get a blank stare from Mike...apparently this thought has never occurred to him). So, we scout out the neighborhood and begin our marketing.

Now, along the way, they've told me that is only 10% of the job....selling. I figure out that the other 90% must be walking around and not having anyone answer the door. Mike also shares insights on how to sell--the books are two for $40, but if he feels he needs to make a sale, they're one for $20. So, I ask him--what's the value of buying two? Aren't they really just $20 a piece? Again, the blank stare. In less than five minutes, I've come up with two baffling questions...not a good sign.

As we walk around, Mike is telling us about the job, his life, etc. He pulls in $50,000 per year but he has to do his own taxes. Also, he makes $13 per every two books sold and he tries to sell 40 books per day. I do the math and this doesn't quite add up in my head. At one point, I tell him my dad sold encyclopedias door to door in college (he did this for two days) during the summer. Mike says what if I told my parents I was going to take this job, what would they say. I reply they'd be supportive of me in whatever I did and would want me to be successful. He asks, would they tell me not to take the job and would I listen. I say, I would use them as a sounding board for my quesitons, but I'm a grown man and make my own choices. He then says parents are full of crap and I shouldn't listen to mine since his mom told him he's suck at this job and he makes more than she ever will.

Still during all of this, he hasn't learned either of our names. Eventually, he makes one sale and I talk to Janine. This is not at all what we were expecting. We weren't told it was this, but again we didn't ask. Also, we were told to "not worry about lunch" because "it would be taken care of." Now, when I hear this, I assume we're gonna eat somewhere or have food provided. She asks Mike about this and again, the blank stare. He doesn't know what she's talking about--he's out here to sell and he doesn't know about lunch. Comparing notes, we find out that while we weren't out and out lied to, we didn't get the whole picture. Heck, we didn't even get one of those magic eye pictures where if you stare at it long enough you can see something.

Mike has told us time and again, if we think this isn't for us, tell him and he'll take us back so as not to waste his time. Janine says she's had enough and wants to go back. I figure it's time to throw in the towel as well and not waste anymore time in my life. Mike takes us back and is a lot quieter the way back. We are dropped off at the office, told thanks and Mike goes into the office. Janine and I head our separate ways. I'm just shaking my head.

Needless to say, it was frustrating. I wasted basically two days of my life in what turned out to be something way too good to be true. And it was.

But, hey...I got a great story to tell out of it. So it can't all be bad, right?

posted by Michael at 9/30/2004 10:53:00 AM | |

TV Round-Up
Scrubs
Dr. Cox line of the week: "Oh my god, I could fly to China, adopt a child, raise her and send her to medical school and then teach her to do this procedure in the time it's taking you to finish."

I know we've seen an episode before where the internal monologue focuses on someone else besides J.D.--I think there was a Cox-centered episode a few years ago--but that doesn't make it any less fun or funny. This episode found that perfect Scrubs balance of humor and drama that makes this show so much fun to watch. J.D.'s recording of his thoughts was a hoot and seeing how most of the plots interconnected in a Seinfeld-ian way was a real treat. Man, I love this show.

Smallville: Gone
There was a LOT going on in this episode--almost too much. As always, the most compelling scenes are those between Lex and Lionel. Lionel's telling Lex that Lex won't see the threat coming and must now suspect everything and everyone was just great. However, the whole concept of Lex knew Chloe was in danger, saved her life by having she and her father use Underground Railroad tunnels to escape as the house blew up and has been hiding her out these three months was just absurd. As fun as this is the fantasy world, can you see any good attorney allowing Chloe to just pop up as a witness at the last second after being presumed dead for three months? Oh wait...that's my mistake...I'm thinking way too much in relation to this show and that always ruins the fun. Meanwhile, you've got Lana coming back to town, wacky shower misunderstanding ala Three's Company with Lois and Clark (the scene were Jonathan gets after the two of them was nicely done) and that T2-like guy, who was only in about two scenes and given little or no explanation. Once again, a Smallville freak is killed off before the final act and no one bats an eye as if this is a bad thing--not even Lois, who isn't used to how Clark operates week in and week out.

And you know, the more the show goes on, the more you begin to feel like Lex is the victim here. Think about it. Clark is mad because Lex lied to him, but hasn't Clark beeing lying to Lex since day one? And he continues to do so. And how long before Lex or Lois or Chloe or Lana goes--ya know, that Clark sure can run fast. It's amazing only Pete has figured out Clark has powers since Clark uses them willy-nilly and all the time around everyone. How anyone is not going to remember all this when Superman eventually pops onto the scene is just beyond me.

The Apprentice
I know, I know that with reality TV, it's all about the editing, but is it just me or do the women just seem a bit more bitchy this time around? Every week, they're fighting amongst themselves instead of coming together and trying to win the task. Also, the whole idea of pulling names of a hat--for both teams--as project leader is just stupid. Last night with the restauarant business wouldn't it have been best to find out who had restuarant experience and then have them be team leader? Just a thought....and a far better way of choosing a leader than random chance working in your favor.

I will admit, I was kind of glad to see Jennifer C get the boot. Seeing her just hanging over the tables just made me cringe. She just didn't quite get that in life, no matter what you do, some people aren't going to like who you are and what you've done--such as with the two older ladies who came in to dine. Sometimes you chalk it up to experience, cut your losses and move on. I think had Jen not hung over all the tables she was served, the ratings might have been higher. There's a distinction between good service (as in the serverer who makes sure you water/drink glass is always full, is visible if you need them, etc) and hovering over someone. Jen seemed more like she was desparately trying to win approval and that may have turned a lot of her customers off.

And she claims Elizabeth had a personality change?!? (Hey, I'd cry too if I felt I was set up to fail and be the scapegoat for the team!) What about her? At first, she seemed like a strong, business-woman who was strong-willed but determined. But over the past few weeks she's seemed more like one of those popular girls from high school, instead of how she was originally portrayed on the program. And after spending the first week not talking or making any blip on the radar, Stacy R is really making her presense felt.

Also, you gotta admit that the guys' team actually put some thought into the whole idea. Hiring the cleaning crew was brilliant and they just seemed to be better organized. Also, I hate to say it, but Jen C should've let some of her crew stay behind to sleep so they could be on the top of their game for the restaurant opening. Having the whole team battling exhaustion isn't gonna cut it--and you've got to wonder if the all-nighter isn't going to impact the team in future challenges.

It was nice to see the Donald actually fire someone who deserved to be fired. Jennifer C didn't have the foresight and leadership skills for the task. Also, how great was it to see her "ally" Sandy turn on her in the board room. As Bill pointed out--this isn't a game, it's business. Also, I think Jen's big mouth got her in more trouble. Her comments about the two old ladies were totally out of place and she constantly interrupted everyone, esp. in the boardroom. I think her mouth won her a few enemies and few friends.

One final thing--we've seemed to spend a lot of time focused on the women's group. Outside of Raj, can anyone really say much about any of the other guys on the team this year?


posted by Michael at 9/30/2004 08:28:00 AM | |

Big Orange Survivor Mangolia
Week three's contest is up over at Magnolia Glen. Check it out and get your votes in!


posted by Michael at 9/30/2004 08:01:00 AM | |
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Which Movie Hero Am I?



All I can say is--cool!

Tip of the hat to Chastity for this quiz.

Word of warning--the web site to take the quiz requires a fast Internet connection and that you have Flash 5.


posted by Michael at 9/29/2004 05:05:00 PM | |


In his never-ending goal to provide the best college football coverage around, Kevin Donahue posted an article about this month's Girls of the ACC pictoral in Playboy Magazine. (Warning: The last two links are taken from Kevin's article and are what I'd call "at home" links...meaning visit them from work at your own risk.)

Man, sometimes journalism is a thankless job...

Speaking of journalism being a thankless job, there are a couple of articles from the University of Maryland's student paper about the recruiters from Playboy's visit to campus last spring. The first is one that's a "general" article about the try-outs and then there's an interesting one by city editor Jamie Malarkey, who went inside and gave a first-person account of the experience. (BTW--these are both PG articles and should be safe for "from work" reading...)

And then, here's an artcle about the cover girl, signing issues in Raleigh.

Reading about this set of photos reminded me of when I was at UT and it was the year for a Girls of the SEC issues. I seem to recall that Sam Venable wrote a column forecasting how each team in the SEC would do based on how much was bared by their representatives in the issue. Does anyone else remember this or is my poor old memory just playing tricks on me?


posted by Michael at 9/29/2004 01:08:00 PM | |

In celebration of Banned Book Week
USA Today's Pop Candy columnist Whitney Matheson (who for some odd reason I think went to UT about the same time I did...) posted a column this week about her top five banned books.

Her question to end the article is an interseting one...what kind of things did your parents "ban" you from as a child? (If you want, leave your thoughts in the comments!)

I sent in a response that when I was younger, my mother heard a report that a young child accidentally hung himself after seeing something simliar on an episode of Scooby Doo. So, I was banned from watching Scooby Doo, Where Are You for a while.

I kind of wish I'd remembered that when I actually watched Scooby Doo 2 last night. The only good thing I can say is, thankfully, I checked the DVD out of the library so the only loss was the ninety minutes of my life I'll never have back. I don't know why I'm shocked. The first one wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, I only got it on a free rental becuase it had Sarah Michelle Gellar in it. (She retired from Buffy and the genius that is Joss Whedon to do pablum like this?!?) Honestly, the concept of the movie had potential. It tries to pay homage to the cartoons by having a vertiable rogues gallery of the villains from the show all come to life via the wonders of CG. Visually, it's kind of fun. (In fact, at one point, the gang drives up to a house that looks just like the one in the opening credits for Scooby Doo, Where Are You, complete with bats flying out of it.) Just too bad they didn't get an entertaining story to go with it. I can accept that since this is Scooby Doo, that the mystery is gonna be pretty paper-thin as it is. But there's nothing really fun or entertaining to the story. Also, it's hard to take characters based on cartoons and make them any less one-dimensional than they are on TV. But somehow this movies succeeds.


posted by Michael at 9/29/2004 10:45:00 AM | |

Feeling Lost?
USA Today has a quick series of questions related to the new ABC hit show, Lost. It's worth reading if you missed last week's first half of the pilot and want to start watching tonight. Or if's also helpful if you're like me and just wonder about some of these things...

On a completely non-related note...
Bets may reveal 'Apprentice' finalists
OK, let me ask this--who the hell votes on the results of reality television?!? And why?!?



posted by Michael at 9/29/2004 10:38:00 AM | |
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Random Act of Kindness
Yesterday, I was pretty excited that the latest (and sadly, final) installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower saga had come in at the library (I placed it on reserve months ago as soon as it came in the computer system. Obsessive, maybe...but then again I do get to read it fairly close to when it was published!) If you've seen it, it's quite a thick book--weighing in at just over 800 pages. It's also what's called a "high demand" book which means that instead of getting it for two weeks, you get it for only one. Which, ya know, not a big deal...it just means I gotta read it in a week, I'm thinking..but at least I get to read it for free. (Sorry, just can't afford $35 for a novel right now!)

But, that was before the random act of kindness. The librarian went back, got the book and as she was checking out my books (I was gonna say checking me out, but that sounds like we were exchanging pick up lines such as "Wanna browse under my cover, baby?") when she stopped and looked at it. "That's a pretty big book to read in just a week," she said. I figured she'd say--but you can put it on reserve again if you don't finish it when she said, "I am going to extend it to a two week check-out so you won't have to hurry too much."

I thanked her profusely and said if I did finish it before two weeks were up, I'd return as soon as I could so others got dive in and enjoy. She said that was generous of me and I thanked her again and then almost skipped out of the library with happiness.

Now, I can enjoy the book, savoring this final installment and possibly King's last published novel. Of course, now that I have it for two weeks and the pressure is off, I've read close to 200 pages.


posted by Michael at 9/28/2004 04:49:00 PM | |

Some 24 news.
I don't know why I'm feeling withdrawals for new 24 since FOX never starts airing the show until November anyway.....but I am. Anyway, I found this little tid-bit over at TV Guide On-Line and figured I'd share since I know a lot of my fellow bloggers are also 24 fans as well. It might be a bit SPOILERish, but not hugely so...

TIME CHECK: Carlos Bernard has finalized a deal to return to Fox's 24 during February sweeps. (The show's new season premieres in January.) When last seen, Bernard's character — CTU chief Tony Almeida — was being carted off to prison after committing treason. The fate of Almeida's wife, played by Reiko Aylesworth, remains up in the air

posted by Michael at 9/28/2004 10:19:00 AM | |

TV Tuesday

Favorite Channels

It's true that human's are creature of habit and we've all got our favorite shows, celebs, movies, etc, so this week we're going to examine your favorite channels! :)

1. It's off to an easy start, what's your favorite channel?
I'm not really sure I have one that 's my "favorite" though I do have a couple that I'll flip to when I'm bored or channel surfing. Among those are ESPN, ESPN2, HGTV, TLC, Sci-Fi.

2. What shows are on your favorite channel?
This time of year--UT football, Titans football and Redskins football.

3. Does your favorite channel change often or are you a loyal watcher?
Like I said, I don't really have a favorite channel, so I guess you could say I'm wishy-washy in my channel selecting.

~Bonus~ How much of a creature of habit are you? Do you have a daily or weekly viewing schedule? Is your TV or Cable programmed to switch channels even if you're not there? LOL
I've got a weekly schedule of shows I like to catch, especially when there are new episodes. If I'm not around to see them, I usually end up taping them and viewing them fairly soon after I've taped them.


posted by Michael at 9/28/2004 10:09:00 AM | |
Monday, September 27, 2004
Just another Manic Monday...
Ah, the joys of job interviews.

Last week, I decided to be totally insane and tweak my resume a bit and re-uploaded it to certain web sites that help you find jobs (or at least this is their claim). Of course, I immediately got 15,000 (OK, not that many, but it sure seemed like it when I was deleting them all) message saying they had the perfect business opportunity for me, if I'd only call RIGHT NOW! I was so amazingly qualified for this position--what with my ability to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen so successfully for so long.

Among those zillions of junk e-mails that are funny to read but don't really merit a response, I got one from a local company who actually felt my skills met with the requirements they were needing. I think I may have actually sent my resume to them, figuring--what the hell, what have I got to lose besides a few electrons?

So, they contacted me last Friday, but I didn't get the message until after offices had closed so I called first thing this morning. I didn't actually get to speak to the person who contacted me, but she was there...at least according to the people I spoke with. They had been forwarded my resume and I was exactly the person they needed, so when could I come on in for an interview. Now, just some background--I had an interview scheduled for today as well and I'm kind of persnickity about these things. I don't mind two in one day, so long as there's enough space in between them so I can make it calmly from one to the next. I got a time that seemed early enough (due to overwhelming response they were working me in) and then got directions of on Yahoo maps and MapQuest from home to interivews and back again. So, off I set.

Well, I got up to first interview place a few minutes early. Not a problem really as I'm obsessive in the whole I'd rather be early than late category. I'd stopped by the post office to drop some resumes in the mail and also by the library to pick up the new Dark Tower book. Since this was an office building, I picked a spot out of the way, in the shade, looked at my notes and mentally prepared myself. Then, I started reading the new Dark Tower novel to kill a few minutes.

Honestly, after going to the interview, I should've just spent the entire time in the car, reading the book as it would've been more productive.

When it was about ten minutes before my appointment, I looked at my notes again and went inside. I found the office and since I had seven minutes, took a moment in the restroom to make sure my hair hadn't done anything insane since I'd last looked (you never know!). I then went in and was greated by...a whole lot of waiting. Seems the guy who was gonna interview us all was running behind in a meeting from somewhere else in the city and there was a pretty bad wreck on the way in, so he'd be a bit late. Well, this was fine, at first, because I had built in my cushion and according to both Yahoo and MapQuest, I only needed 30 minutes to get from interview a to interview b. So, I sat....and sat...and sat. After I filled out some paperwork--which was pretty much name and address and then a questionaire in which there are no "right" answers but your preference. Basically, this is to see if you're enough of a go-getter to be in this marketing position.

I fill both out and turn 'em back in and sit down. I then wait for about 45 minutes, as does everyone else there. Lots of people are coming in, but no hiring person. Finally, he shows up. I'm not quite sure if he was in traffic, but the fact that he had a full cup of coffee from the Starbucks I passed on the way mad me think--ya know, maybe he wasn't as delayed as we thought. Either that or he just felt the need for coffee and by golly, we could all wait. After all, we'd waited this long!

But, boy was he proud that his office had magazines. You could read old issues of Time, ESPN the Magazine, Forbes and Maxim. Maxim?!? I wonder if this is put out there as a test of some kind. I've seen Maxim in barber shops, but not in offices where you expect a pretty good cross-section of men and women. That struck me as odd--but no more so than the four guys who pounced on them like they'd never seen them before. I alternated between looking around and trying to strike up conversations with those around me to flipping through old issues of Time. All the while watching the clock and wondering---who am I behind in line and how close should I cut it before I bail out here and go to my other interview.

But these interviews are going very fast. Sort of like when I applied to work at one of the local banks and after taking the test for two hours, we were all put back into the waiting room together and people went back one by one and then quickly left as they didn't pass the test. I wonder if this is a good or a bad thing. Finally, it's my turn and I go into the office, where I'm given the ten-second overview of the job, asked to describe myself quickly and asked what I bring to the job. I then am given a speech of how this is an initial interview and they're very busy because there are so many qualified people. He makes a few marks on my resume, circles some things, never ASKS me about any of them, says they'll get back to me if they're interested sometime today between 3 and 4 p.m. If they don't call, it was sure great to meet me and have a great day. I'm quickly ushered out.

So, needless to say I'm walking out figuring a couple of things. First is--I have no shot. I didn't make the first impression he wanted and so I was brushed off. I'm not too upset because, honestly, when I tried to ask specifically what the job was, he was evasive as hell. Second of all, I feel as though I got a short-end of the stick. Namely, the office stacked up a bunch of interviews for one guy who ran behind schedule and so we were all given a brush off. I'd be intrigued to know who, if anyone, from the group that interviewed gets a callback. Honestly, my interview was the norm, not the exception. I'm not sure you can make a hiring decision based on conversations that we were told would be about 15 minutes in under a minute.

Needless to say, I ain't holding my breath for a call back.

The second interview, I will say, went a lot better. Not sure if it's exactly what I'm looking for, but at least I got to spent more than a minute with the person interviewing me.

So, we'll see.

UPDATE: Huge shock...they didn't call. Guess that one-minute interview didn't impress 'em much. Not really a bad thing, long run. I kind of feel sorrier for some of my fellow interviewees--some of whom drove from places like Knoxville, North Carolina for an interview. How ticked off would I be if that happened to me?!?


posted by Michael at 9/27/2004 02:52:00 PM | |
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Vols 42, La Tech Bulldogs 17
The link above will take you to an article I wrote about the Vols' big homecoming win over La Tech last night. If you can't get to the link from above, here it is again.

And as I sit here--the Texans have just upset the Chiefs 24-21. Wacky day in the NFL.

Still doesn't excuse the Titans losing, though.

UPDATE: I've just posted some comments on the Vols' game that you can read here. Hopefully, I won't stir up as much controversy as I did last week about the Vols big win over Florida.


posted by Michael at 9/26/2004 03:30:00 PM | |

Jags 15, Titans 12
Home field for the Titans just ain't what it used to be....used to be, we were virtually unstoppable at home, even in close games. But not so much anymore.

A couple of reasons as to why we lost this game...

• Scoring less than 20 points for the third week in a row. The offense just looks letheragic at times and Steve McNair looks the polar opposite of the co-MVP he was last year. It wasn't until late in the 4th quarter with the game on the line that we saw flashes of brilliance with McNair taking the team on his back and trying to carry them to victory. For all the hype in the pre-season, I am disappointed with the Titans offense so far this season. Three games, only three touchdowns, so far. And please don't give me the Tyrone Callico missing is making all the difference arguement that I've heard on a lot of call-in shows around here. They need to find a way to make plays, Callico or no.
• Calls are too conservative on offense. Fisher and company did a great job calling the first drive, having the Jags on their heels, until McNair throws in interception and we retreat into our shells. Yes, Chris Brown is a great runner, but we were beating them early by a good combination of run and pass...but yet we quickly abandon the pass, going to the run almost exclusively, especially in the second half. (Well, at least until the drive in the fourth quarter)
• Doing the small things wrong. We missed a 2-point conversation (I'd argue because McNair was hurt since Derrick Mayson was WIDE OPEN for the two-points), we had dumb penalties on the last Jags drive. And don't get me started on the last play of the game...you'd think maybe, just maybe we could all be on the same page here. Instead, we get a poorly designed played where no one seems to know what's going on. Not that it would've mattered--we had to get a HUGE chunk of yardage even to get into field goal range and a five-yard dump off to Chris Brown ain't gonna somehow magically get you the other 75 or get you in range in less than five seconds. Bad, bad call.
• Our defense. The defense just got pushed around late in the game and looked poor. Albert Haynesworth did well, but he's shown this tendency with the Vols to be able to turn it on and off when he wants to. He was apparently slighted by the Jags for not picking him, so he played a heck of a game. He used to do the same thing against South Carolina at UT. Our defense had some good plays, but we also had a lot of missed tackles, a couple of dumb penalties I alluded earlier and it just doesn't feel like we have any intensity. In fact, the whole team doesn't feel like we've got any intensity.

I am beginning to wonder if the loss to Indy has been a bigger blow to the Titans that we thought. Looking at that game, Fisher and company gambled everything on it, changing the game plan to have an early lead on the Colts in the race for the division. Now we' re two games down and looking up at both Indy and Jacksonville. Forget the division crown, I'm wondering--will we even contend for the playoffs this year?

But give Jacksonville credit--they did what they had to do to win the game. Just like the Titans used to do...


posted by Michael at 9/26/2004 02:58:00 PM | |
Saturday, September 25, 2004
TV Round Up
Smallville: Crusade
The first episode of season four picks up three months after the events of the last episode and we see not much has changed. Lana is off in Paris, Clark is off somewhere with Jor-El, Jonathan's in a coma, Lionel is in prison, Chloe is presumed dead and Lex is close to death. And into all this comes a new catalyst--Lois Lane. Interesting choice by the producers to throw established Superman continuity to the wind and give us the first meeting of Lois and Clark at this point in his life. It also shoots a giant hole in my theory that Chloe dyes her hair and becomes Lois later in life. This one episode had a lot to clean-up from last season. And it does a pretty good job, even if it does try too hard to re-set things to status quo by episode's end. Martha is given some black Kryptonite by Dr. Swann's lacky, played by Margot Kidder and suddenly Clark is back, Jonathan is healed and things are all good on the Kent farm again. Yes, we still have some things up in the air--such as the fate of Chloe and why Lana has symbols tatooed to her now. About the only one who seems to be suffering long-term consequences of the season finale is Lex. No wonder he turns evil....

Lost: Pilot (Part 1)
J.J. Abrams is becoming the next Joss Whedon--everything he touches on TV just turns out to be golden. Lost turns out to be yet another strong start to what promises to be an intriuging show. It's hard to comment too much on the overall episode, since we've only seen half of the pilot. But I will say this--so far, I'm hooked. I've enjoyed Matthew Fox's work back from his Party of Five days. I'll comment more next week once we've seen the whole pilot...

Veronica Mars: Pilot
I'm amazed at how much I enjoyed this one. It reminds me a lot of Buffy in that it looks like harmless, teen fluff, but instead turns out to have a lot more depth. Make no mistake, this show isn't lightweight by any stretch. And it's set up the central mystery of Vernoica's friend murder, how that relates to why her mom left and what happened to her the night of the big party where she got date-raped. The one drawback I see if how long can we keep up the central mystery before fans start demanding some answers. And if we get answers, how will that open new doors. But, for now, this one was diverting, entertaining and interesting.

Survivor: Vanutau
Interesting to see how Dolly thinks she's the power player on the island, only to be the first of the women to have her torch extinguished. Honestly, if you're the swing vote, it's best to not go around bragging about it. Part of the game is winning friends while not letting them get too close.

Of course, I really think Scout deserved the boot. She really messed up the immunity challenge--her not seeing the last set of pieces in the ocean may have cost the women their chance for immunity. Also, I loved seeing Sarge barking out orders--he was a natural.

The reward challenge kind of favored the women. Most guys I know don't like being that up close and personal with other guys.

The Apprentice
Watching this week's episode, I had to wonder something--if Trump had wanted "proof" of Stacie J's breakdown or change, he could've asked the producers to see footage of it. It's not like it's not on tape. Or does that violate some unwritten rule of the show? And do we really think the Donald didn't know about this before he went into the room? I think the Donald realizes that NBC is counting on him to deliver the ratings and buzz he did last year and has gone more maverick this season. Let's face it--Maria deserved firing for her portion of the project going way over budget. But instead, Trump goes crazy and calls everyone back to the Board Room. Yep, that'll get those people talkin' by the watercooler.

That said, I have to admit I think the guys got a better value for the money creating buzz. They were able to reach more people over a longer period of time. And in the buzz world, it's about getting the word out to as many people as possible.


posted by Michael at 9/25/2004 08:55:00 PM | |

John Kerry: The Video Game
"Kuma War', a first-person shooter (think "Doom") is offering gamers the chance to get inside the shoes of John Kerry. Yes, starting on Sept 3o, if you've got a copy of the game, you can download a "John Kerry level." This level is based on the U.S. Naval notes about Kerry's mission on Feb. 28, 1969. As Lt. Kerry, you'll lead three Swift Boats into enemy fire.
Kerry is unaware of the game and had no comment except he doesn't play video games.


posted by Michael at 9/25/2004 05:41:00 PM | |

Big Orange Michael's Pigskin Picks, Week 4
My picks were 5-2 last week, raising my season total to 13-6. Not too bad, I'd say.

So, this week's picks are...

1. Lousiana Tech at Tennessee (7 p.m EST, Pay-Per-View)
The Vols are coming off an emotional win last week over the Gators while La Tech is coming off a big loss to Miami. It's Homecoming for the Vols, so they should win this one. That said, I think that with this game sandwiched between a huge win over Florida and a big game next week against Auburn, this will be closer than it should. (BTW--close is a relative term here.)
Tennnesee 35, La Tech 17

2. Kentucky at Florida (11:30 a.m. EST, ESPN2)
Kentucky travels to the Swamp to face the angry Gators, who are looking for some redemption after last week's last second loss to the Vols. I expect a competitive game for a half and then Florida to put it away. On a side note--this one was moved up from 6 p.m. EST due to Hurricane Jeanne.
Florida 28, Kentucky 20.

3. Mississippi State at LSU (12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot)
Another team looking for some redemption after a last-second loss last week with LSU. Also, I'll admit I find it hard to pick Mississippi State after they lost at home to Maine last weekend. This one could get out of hand early.
LSU 40, Mississippi State 17

4. Alabama at Arkansas (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)
Alabama has been one of the surprising teams in the West this year, but the loss of Brody Croyle is going to hurt the team. Arkansas played a tough game against Texas. Do they have it in them for a second such game? I think they do.
Arkansas 20, Alabama 17

As for the rest of the SEC, my picks are in bold.
5. Ole Miss at Wyoming
6. The Citadel at Auburn.
7. Vanderbilt at Navy
8. Troy at South Carolina.


posted by Michael at 9/25/2004 08:05:00 AM | |
Friday, September 24, 2004
Big Orange Survivor Mangolia Week 2 Results
The Game:
1. Who will win the Reward Challenge? Women
2. Who will win the Immunity Challenge? Men
3. Who will be voted out? Dolly

Bonus Questions:
4. What will the reward be? Blankets, Hammock, Pillows.
5. Will it rain during Tribal Council? No
6. Who gets first confessional? Travis

And the results for this week are:
Michael: 4/6
Clayton: 3/6
Tudy: 1/6
Vickie: 4/6
Dar: 3/6
Danielle: 3/6
Jessica: 4/6

Overall, the totals are as follows:
Michael: 6/11
Clayton: 4/11
Tudy: 1/11
Vickie: 5/11
Kurt: 2/11
Dar: 3/11
Danielle: 4/11
Jessica: 4/11
Leslie: 1/11
Barry: 2/11

So, it's still anyone's game! Thanks everyone for playing and we'll see you next week. Also, encouarge some friends to join! Everyone is welcome!


posted by Michael at 9/24/2004 10:00:00 AM | |
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Another Tennessean on Reality TV
But not for long, it appears.

Nashvillian Melinda Norris was one of the 25 women in the season premiere last night of The Bachelor. But it looks like it wasn't true love for her, since the episode summary on ABC.com says she was eliminated last night. If you want to find out more about her, there was an article in yesterday's City Paper.


posted by Michael at 9/23/2004 11:42:00 AM | |

Theater Thursday
The big screen.

The very first movie I (Misty) ever watched on the big screen was Home Alone. Now that cute litle boy is being arrested for drug charges.

Do you remember your first time?

1. Do you remember the very first time you watched a movie on the big screen? Describe it.
For my third birthday, my parents took me to see The Shaggy D.A. I don't remember a lot of the experience, except the dog driving the car.

2. What was the last movie you saw on the big screen?
Spider-Man 2.

3. Did you ever like a movie so much that you paid to watch it more than once? If so, what movie?
I've seen Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back more than a few times in the theaters. I also went to see Star Trek: Generations a couple of times in theaters.

BONUS) How much does a movie ticket cost in your neck of the woods?
Matinees are $5.25 and night time is $7.25, unless you want to go IMAX and then it's $11.00.


posted by Michael at 9/23/2004 11:29:00 AM | |

Big Orange Survivor Magnolia, Week 2
Survivor Magnolia/Big Orange Game - Episode 2

Welcome to this week's version of the game. Our players are as follows:

Yasur:



Lopevi:


Per the CBS Survivor site:

~ A tribe deals with very grim conditions as one castaway has a tearful meltdown after finding maggots in the tribe's food.

~ A wild chicken wanders into the Yasur camp and sends the hungry tribe into a frenzy as they try to catch the chicken with a machete.

~One Survivor tries to take advantage of tensions between two tribemates after a loss at the Reward Challenge.

~Two castaways think they are the swing vote, leading to a very unpredictable Tribal Council.

**
The Game:
1. Who will win the Reward Challenge?
2. Who will win the Immunity Challenge?
3. Who will be voted out?

Bonus Questions:
4. What will the reward be?
5. Will it rain during Tribal Council?
6. Who gets first confessional?

Be sure and vote prior to 8:00 PM EST. You can change your votes anytime up until then.

Thanks for playing and have fun!

posted by Michael at 9/23/2004 09:48:00 AM | |
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Celebrate Freedom, Read a Banned Book

September 25-October 2 is Read a Banned Book Week, sponsored by the American Library Assocation. Cathy over at Domestic Pyschology has issued a challenge for everyone to read a banned book during this week.

Reading over the list of books that are banned, my big questions is--why? OK, I can see that going down the list, there is something to be said for making sure that children are at the approriate age level before reading a book on the list (I wouldn't want a five-year-old reading The Shining, for example). But I don't see the wisdom in banning anyone from reading a book, provided they are mature enough to do so. (Well, except maybe Lord of the Flies but I just hated that novel when I had to read it in high school!).

Honestly, I think it goes back to a general laziness on the part of parents and educators. These groups get so focused on one small aspect of the book that they miss the big picture. I've read all the Harry Potter books and I get really kind of irritated with some groups that want to ban them becuase they have witchcraft as part of the story. These groups claim children will learn witchcraft from these stories and be corrupted by it. Well, you know if J.K. Rowling was including detailed steps on how to conjure these spells up, you might have a point here. But she's not. I no more learned how to cast spells from reading Harry Potter than I learned how to time travel from watching Doctor Who or how to create a warp engine from watching Star Trek. The central story of Harry Potter is good vs evil and the choices made in life in that struggle. Witchcraft and wizardy is part of the setting, the world-building of the story. Just like Middle Earth is part of the world building and setitng for the Lord of the Rings novels.

But there are so many parents and groups that would choose to ban these books rather than seeing it as an opportunity. Heaven forbid you sit down with the kids and discuss the books. You could read the book together and maybe talk about things such as, even though Harry Potter features wizardry, we know that isn't real. Here's what we believe as Christians and as a family.

I guess I'm fortunate in a way. My parents always encouraged me to read. In fact, when I was much younger, I picked up my first Stephen King novel, Firestarter from the young adult area of the library. My mother told me that she'd read it and there might be stuff in there I'd wonder about. If I did, I could come talk to her....about that book or any book I read. I wasn't told to stop reading it neither was the book taken away. I was an appropriate age and maturity level to read it and my mother and father kept the communications doorway open to me should I want or need to talk to them. Honestly, I think this whole banning of the books thing makes the idea of reading it far more interesting. Let's see what's in there that everyone is so afraid of, you say to yourself.

So, celebrate your freedom. Head to your local library or bookstore and pick up a book from the list. I know I'm off to my library to find a book on this list and celebrate the freedom not only to read the books but to make the decision on whether or not I should.

Oh yeah--and I won't be picking up Lord of the Flies...


posted by Michael at 9/22/2004 10:10:00 AM | |

The Amazing Race
In the end, the great equalizer of airline flight schedules and reservations proves to be the difference in the race. Chip and Kim get confirmed seats on a flight while the other teams are left stuck on stand-by and eventually succumb to an FAA regulation that you can't check your bags on one airline and then hop over to another. Ah, you just have to love sweet karma when it comes up to bite Colin and Christie.

Anyway, some thoughts from the final legs of the Race.

• Did anyone else think that climbing the 150-feet up the cliff-face seemed like a bit of an unfair advantage to those teams with a guy? I know that Karen tried her best, but in the end, she didn't have the same strength or endurance the other guys did, nor would many of the other female contestants who started the Race. Though I would've given money to see Charla try it...I mean, she lugged around a 55 pound side of beef. Up the side of a cliff--not really as big a deal, right?
• Nicole's meltdown on the snow bicycle course was just embarassing. You could almost see Brandon wondering how long after the show he'd have to stay with her before he can break-up with her. And let's face it--Nicole claimed to have grace under pressure--well, you sure fooled me. She was fine with things were calm but any small little stress comes along and she just loses it.
• Sure Colin and Christie hugged Chip and Kim, but can tell that he was thinking--I should've won, you jerk!
• Chip and Kim were just as ruthless and cutthroat as Colin and Christie in the last two episodes, if not more so. But they came across as far more likeable. I guess it's because we never saw Chip yelling at Kim for not making it up the mountain. They never got frustrated and just what they had to do to win the game.
• Seeing Jim and Marsha again at the end of the race, my first thought was still--that Marsha is cute.

Congratulations to Chip and Kim on winning this leg of the Race. Certainly, this adventure made for some fun, exciting and entertaining viewing.


posted by Michael at 9/22/2004 09:29:00 AM | |

First Day of Fall
It's the first day of autumn and that can mean only one thing--any second now the leaves should start changing colors. Actually, this morning's Tennesseean has an article speculating on whether or not we're in for great fall leaves or just so-so fall leaves. Not that it really matters because the first hint of fall colors and it'll take approximately six weeks to travel anywhere in the Smokeys by car...

In related news...
Another "casualty" of Hurricane Ivan was the Spring Hill's Rippavilla Plantation's corn maze. The maze was designed to look was a design of explorers Meriwether Lewis' and William Clark's Trail of Discovery and featured a silhouette of Lewis in the center. The maze was set to open last Thursday when Ivan was dumping a ton of rain on the area. The maze has been cancelled for this year, but there are other mazes around the area. I've never been to a corn maze, but I've always wanted to go. I think it sounds like fun...


posted by Michael at 9/22/2004 07:47:00 AM | |
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
TV Round-Up
I'm incredibly behind in my watching of Stargate SG1 and Stargate: Atlantis. I'm slowly trying to play a bit of catch-up here.

Stargate SG1--Covenant
I almost get the feeling that this episode and the following Atlantis episode are going to be a lot more important to the bigger picture as the respective seasons wind along. Not that there was necessarily anything really wrong with either episode, but it just felt like there had to be more to it than we got here. Of the two, I'll give SG1 the edge this time around for being more enjoyable. Billionaire Alec Colson has the goods on the governmental cover-up about the existence of aliens and threatens to expose it on live television if the governments of the world don't fess up within 24 hours. When no proof is given, Colson exposes his evidence in the form of an alien body he grew of aquired DNA. Our heroes then discredit Colson, try to bring him in on the secret for the greater good and end up seeing Colson go down after his buddy cooks the books to discredit him on the orders of the Trust, a shadow organization who is above the law and knows of the Stargate project (Sound much like the Consortium anyone?) The first half of the story was quite good as we see Colson taking steps to expose the project and our heroes reactions. But where it turned a bit was once we figured out that Colson's right hand man was up to something. From there on, it was just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to fall. Again, I think this one is setting up some things for future episodes...

Stargate: Atlantis--Underground
The Atlantis crew realizes that supplies will be limited and has Teyla take them to world of the Genii, who have traded with Teyla and her people in the past. Shepard offs medicine in exchange for food, which the Genii want a high price for--until Shepard shows off how to use C4 to get rid of pesky stumps for planting more food. Before you know it, we find out the Genii have a huge underground bunker system, aren't the tranquil Amish people we thought they were and have nukes they'd like to use against the Wraith. Somehow they were able to bring down a Wraith ship and get a memory core that has revealed where some of the Wraith ships are. Their idea--a coordinate attack using the C4 to set off nukes and take out the Wraith. Again, I had the feeling all throughout this one that the Genii were hiding something and waiting for that other shoe to drop. That may have ruined some of my enjoyment of this one, despite the fact that I was happy to see former DS9er Colm Meaney get some work. In the end, the two sides double cross each other, leaving with an ominous tone from the Genii about not making them enemies. Surely the two should see the enemy of my enemy is my friend but apparently, that is not the case. I have a strange feeling we haven't heard the last of the Genii. That said, this one felt like a lot of set-up but no big payoff. Yes, we find out there are a boatlaod of Wraith ships out there and that we have a new enemy, but that was in the first and last moments of the episode. Everything else felt like a lot of filler.

Listen Up
A couple of years ago, CBS attempted a sit-com based on the columns by Dave Barry called Dave's World. That show was moderately amusing but didn't like up to the source material of Dave's columns. Fast forward a couple of years and they're trying the same formula again--this time around it's from the material of Tony Kornheiser and it happens to feature Jason Alexander, trying desparately to prove he can do more on TV than play George Costanza. Unfortunately, this show doesn't show that. If anything, this is just George with a wife and kids and no Jerry to bounce off of and be funny (Malcolm Jamal-Warner tries but he's just no Jerry or Kramer). The first episode is standard stuff--Tony can't up with an idea for a column until he writes about a feud with his daughter without asking her first. Hilarity ensues until the final, touching moment when we get a Doogie Howser-like image of Tony writing his next column. You can almost here the "awwwwwwwwwww" track. I wanted to like this sit-com, I really did. I like Tony Kornheiser. But I think it might have been better to get Kornheiser to play himself in the role. When I see Jason Alexander in this one, all I keep seeing and hearing is George from Seinfeld.

Everybody Loves Raymond
I like Raymond, but I'm already sick of hearing about how this is the final season for the show and we're only in the first episode. And it feels like this could be a potential jump the shark type of episode--parents move to retirement village, brother and sister-in-law move into old house across the street. Honestly, it felt like we'd slipped into bizarro universe and I kept waiting to see Deborah sit up and curse that it was only a dream. Instead, it wasn't one. I am left wondering if this might not have been a better series finale rather than a season opener.

Two and A Half Men
The sit-com heir apparent to Raymond, but at least it's funny and entertaining. Sure, we're not breaking new ground here, but at least it doesn't feel tired. Charlie's support group was a riot as was Alan's attempts to be part of it. Yeah, it's fun to see Sean Penn and Elvis Costello there, poking fun at their public image, but the real comedy gold is seeing Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer play off each other. I know this one gained steam over the summer in terms of audience. I just hope they stay around for the full season.


posted by Michael at 9/21/2004 02:01:00 PM | |

TV Tuesday

Spin off's

A great show never dies, it simply spins off into new shows! LOL This week we'll take a look at the ever famous spin off syndrome!!

1. What's your favorite all time spin off? Which show did it spin off?
Angel, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Frasier are three of my favorites. And they were spin offs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek (original and TNG), and Cheers respectively.

2. What do you consider the worst spin off ever? Why?
AfterMASH. Because MASH was so well done and this one just felt like a poor excuse to capitalize on the success of MASH without really thinking it through.

3. Is there a show that's ended that you wish they'd done a spin off for? Which one?
I wish they'd done a spin off for the Spike character from Buffy and Angel.

~Bonus~ If you could "end" your current life and make a spin off of it what would you call it? What would be the theme (characters new and eliminated, changes you'd make)?
Heavens...I feel like the past two years of my life have been a spin off in a lot of ways. Not sure I want to do a spin off of a spin off. I'd settle for going back to my old show.


posted by Michael at 9/21/2004 10:44:00 AM | |


I've been watching and really enjoying this summer's leg of The Amazing Race, which concludues tonight in a special two hour episode. But I will admit--there were some things that I was curious about, such as how the plane fares work, etc. Thankfully, USA Today published a series of questions and answers about the race this morning.

And I'm pulling for Chip and Kim to win tonight.


posted by Michael at 9/21/2004 08:08:00 AM | |
Monday, September 20, 2004
Job Predictor
According to the Job Predicator, my ideal occupation (based on my name) is a Bearded Lady in the circus....

Tip of the hat to Danielle for making me aware of this quiz.

I'm now off to grow a beard, get some plastic surgery and apply for the circus.

posted by Michael at 9/20/2004 01:14:00 PM | |

Going to the Titans Game
Earlier this summer, Mom won two tickets to yesterday's big game against the Indianapolis Colts. Mom was kind enough to give them Dad and I so we could attend the game yesterday afternoon.

This is the second time I've been to a Titans game live and in person. They've not won either time I've been. (Didn't mind as much the first time as they played the Redskins, my all-time favorite NFL team). At this point, I figure Jeff Fisher is working on a way to ensure I never go to a game again since it's obviously all about me.

And even though we didn't win, I still enjoyed the experience of going to the game.

I was decked out in my Titans' t-shirt, Titans' hat and had my Walkman radio so I could hear the Mike Keith calls on the radio. I was ready. I also had a small pair of binocolars that Dad loaned me to check out the cheerleaders keep up with plays downfield. We parked not too far from the stadium (parking up close is reserved for season ticket holders who have promised to donate an organ should the team need it during the season...) which was nice. It was a great afternoon for a game--sunny, not a cloud in the sky and not too warm. Very pleasant to be out. We stopped the Purity booth where they were giving away free samples of their new Titans Touchdown Sunday. (Which is really quite good and worth a try if you've not had any yet!) We got into the stadium and were handed a sheet of trading cards. I assume that many of these are now available for sale on E-Bay even as we speak.

We entered by the south end zone and one of the program sellers was kind enough to point us in the right direction of the north end zone, where our seats were located. We walked around to them, passing the swarm of fans in the Titan's pro shop who were spending money on anything and everything with Titans on it. We finally worked our way around to the seats, which were just great. About 12 rows up, on the left side of the uprights for the goal posts. I was near some of the flameheads, and one of the guys you sometimes see on TV who has his face painted and a headdress to look like the Titan's sword logo.

We arrived early enough so I could visit the facilities, get some food and head back to my seat. Got back just in time to hear player introductions and the pre-game festivities.

One cool thing...the Titans were honoring the 101st Airborn Division from up at Fort Campbell yesterday. We had a B52 flyover after the national anthem was sung by Michael W. Smith.

The crowd had filled in and we had a good time. One guy near us was pretty critical of the refs, (we all were, but he took it upon himself to ask if Vegas had paid them off after several bad calls...he wasn't beligerant or rude. He just expresed himself). I high-fived it with several people around me after big plays and was repeatedly asked to repeat things I'd heard on the radio play by play. All in all, it was a good time and the stadium was rocking...well, at least until the fourth quarter when our injuries caught up to us and we let the Colts score 21-unanswered.

But, as I said before, it was a ton of fun. The crowd was a record-setting one for a Titans' game. So, if you wanted, you could have been part of two record-setting crowds in the state this weekend...pretty cool. I admit that going to a pro game is an entirely different atmosphere than college, but both are still fun. I think I'm fortunate that I wasn't near what I refer to as "butt-head fans"--namely those who ruin it for everyone by being over the top. Yes, I admit I was amused by a women a few rows down and to the right who apparently wanted to be a cheerleader but hadn't made the cut, but overall, it was a nice crowd.

I just wish the Titans had pulled off the win. That would have made a great day perfect.

Oh yeah, and I wished I had thought to myself--sunscreen would be a good idea. Yes, the day was not blazing hot and there was a breeze, but I swear there's something about stadiums that just intensifies the sunlight and heat. I wasn't overly warm, but I did get sunburned.

Ah, the prices we pay for fandom...



posted by Michael at 9/20/2004 12:44:00 PM | |
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Thoughts on the Tennessee games
Well, the Titans got screwed this afternoon by the officials. Guess we know where some of Peyton Manning's record signing bonus went--to pay off the officials. Bad, bad calls all around. These guys deserve to be fired.

I will say this though--going 1 of 4 on fourth down didn't help either. The Titans didn't help themselves with situations in the red zone early to put the Colts too far out of it.

That said, there were some bad calls and poor spots by the officials as well as two greviously bad reviewed plays. All that led to the Titans losing at home and making next week's showdown with now first place Jacksonville that much more important.

Tennessee vs Florida
I'm still elated about this one. I must brag on myself....if you'll check out my football predictions, you'll see I nailed the score Friday evening. And we all know what this means--this will NEVER happen again.

I've posted two articles over at FanBlogs. One is a wrap-up of the game and then another has some comments by me about the game. Head on over, read 'em and leave some comments.


posted by Michael at 9/19/2004 05:48:00 PM | |

How bout dem Vols?!?

James Wilhout celebrates his 5o-yard field goal that gave the Vols the victory over the Gators.

Vols 30, Florida 28

It's great...to be...a Tennessee Vol!
It's great...to be...a Tennessee Vol!
I said...It's great...to be...a Tennessee Vol!

Great game, great win...quit yer whinin' Florida...now you know how we felt four years ago when you got a b.s. touchdown to win in Neyland.

More later...got tickets to Titans vs Colts.


posted by Michael at 9/19/2004 10:11:00 AM | |
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Early SEC game thoughts
Ole Miss 26, Vandy 23 (OT)
Vandy gives up 16 un-answered points to lose. Like I said, they don't know how to close out and win a game.

Auburn 10, LSU 9
Watching this game, I kept wondering--does anyone want to win this one?!? Great defensive battle. Auburn vs UT should be a great game in a couple of weeks.

Georgia 13, Marshall 3
All the pundits are saying how great Georgia is...don't you think it's time they showed it on the field? This lack of ability to play a full game is gonna bite them eventually--hopefully against the Vols.


posted by Michael at 9/18/2004 05:35:00 PM | |

This might not be good news...
Both The Tennessean and Lee Corso have picked the Vols to win tonight. They NEVER pick the Vols to win against Florida....

This might not be a good sign....

But I still believe in the Vols.


posted by Michael at 9/18/2004 03:13:00 PM | |
Friday, September 17, 2004
Thursday Reality TV Round-Up
Survivor: Vanuata
First episodes of Survivor are hard to judge. With 16 people out there, you know we're not going to get to know many of them and it's only strong personality clashes that will come to the foreground. I thought it was interesting to see the tribes welcome the castaways to the islands and to see them climb the greased pole was kind of fun. And just like the last time the women took on the men, the women win. Man, what is it with guys in the game thinking they can just show up and beat the women? You're also seeing the ninth generation playing the game--the guys don't take out the weak link and make the team better. Nope, we take out the strong competition for later.

I still don't have a favorite yet to win. Hopefully next week we get to know some more about who these people are.

The Apprentice
For once, the NBC promos didn't lie...this was one heck of a boardroom and one that won't be soon forgotten.

This week's task is to come up with a new flavor of ice cream, create it and sell it. The men come up with a chocolate/vanilla swirl with chunk of doughnuts in there. Also, in an interesting move, they decide to give part of the proceeds to charity--in this case, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This is an interesting move for two reasons. One, it's a great selling point on the street and two, Kevin's story about how his brother had leukemia gives the group a rallying cry and something to get out there and bust tail for. That's above and beyond the usual getting to stay in the game another week.

The women's team is led by Ivana, who apparently has decided to be the anti-Bradford when it comes to leading. She decides to let everyone have a say and contribute. Honestly, I think it's great to have everyone on the same page, but sometimes a leader has to step up. There has to be a good middle ground between Ivana's style and Bradford's.

Cause in the end, the women's team comes up short. And it's due to lack of leadership. Also, to the fact that they lost three hours while Stacie J couldn't figure out where in NYC she was. I know these things are edited, but Stacie J, you ain't coming across as the sharpest knife in the drawer. You know that somewhere out there, someone who didn't make this show is pissed....

Anyway, the women go to the board room and tempers quickly flare.

And then Bradford goes and does something really stupid. Last week, since he was team leader and his group won, Bradford is immune from being fired this week. That is until, in an impulsive moment, Bradford offers to give up his immunity, thus sealing his doom. Now, fellow blogger Shelley has an interesting take on this, but it's one I disagree with. But I offer it to you to read because it's interesting.

As I said in Shelley's comments, what Bradford does wrong here is he messes with Trump's perception. See, the Donald sees himself as powerful and strong. He's generous--he's given Bradford this huge reward earlier. The other guys seem to get this on some level, as they request all their profits go to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's a good move since $2500 or so is change to the Donald and it makes him look and feel good about doing a good thing. Plus, he gets the credit. I think this gesture also plays a role in Bradford's demise. You're in the Donald's world--you gotta know how to massage the ego.

Bradford tries to put himself above the Donald. "Yeah, thanks but I can make it on my own," is what he says. And the Donald gets pissed. So pissed he fires Bradford when Stacie J or Ivana had really EARNED the firing.

Sometimes in business, it's not about the reality but the perception of it. The Donald has the aura that most of what he touches turns to gold. And he likes that..and the worst way to deal with him is to try and shatter that perception. Yeah, we all know that sometimes the Donald loses, but for the most part, he's a winner. So, let him think that. Bradford missed it...and because of that, he got fired.

Also of interest was the Donald's on-going battle with Jennifer C, who has not endeared herself to him. I have a feeling if she comes up for firing again soon, she's outta there.


posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 09:25:00 PM | |

Big Orange Michael's Football Picks, Week 3
I have to admit I'm surprised at how well how I'm doing picking the winner of these games each week. I went 4-1 against last week, bringing my season record to 8-2, so far. Of course, I'm not a betting man, so this is just all for fun. And if you want to join in, you're always welcome to post your picks in the comments and try for some bragging rights...

Alrighty then, on to this week's games.

1. Florida at Tennessee (Saturday, 8 p.m. EST, CBS)
As if there is any other game this week that really matters to me. This is it--the big game in September that will give the winner an early edge in the SEC East title race. It's been an interesting series of late--the road team has won the last four games. Turnovers have killed the Vols at home against the Gators and we've yet to really take advantage of Spurrier leaving and regularily beat the Gators. Both teams have strengths and both have some definite weaknesses. But I've got this strange feeling about this game--it's going to be close and one of those wacky scores you look at later and makes you scratch your head. If the Vols can win the running game, we've got a very, very good chance.
Tennesssee 30, Florida 28.

2. Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot)
Is it too early to call this a desparation, must-win game for both teams? Probably not. Ole Miss is looking for its identity in the post-Eli era and Vandy is looking for, well, something after being man-handled by South Carolina two weeks ago. With all the bowl-hype now died down a bit, how will Vandy respond? My thought--honestly, Vandy hasn't learned how to win a game yet. Ole Miss gets it done at home.
Ole Miss 28, Vandy 13

3. LSU at Auburn (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)
It's a huge Saturday for the SEC. Two games, both on CBS that will give the winner an inside track to win their respective divisions. Auburn looked good against Missississippi State last weekend while LSU manhandled the cupcake brought in to erase any memories the near loss in week one. Again, I'm giving the home team the edge here in a close game.
Auburn 28, LSU 24.

Honestly, the rest of the SEC has some pretty easy games on the schedule that each team should win. So, here we go with an attempt to pad my stats (and also make AK happy since I'm gonna pick SC to win!) The winning team will be in bold type.

4. Marshall at Georgia
5. South Florida at South Carolina
6. Indiana at Kentucky
7. Maine at Missisissippi State

So, there you have it. And, before I go, let me say this...

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!

posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 08:11:00 PM | |

There She Is, Miss America
Bikinis Raise Eyebrows at Miss America
The Miss America pagent is this weekend. Back in 1997, the contestants were allowed to wear two piece swimsuits for the swimsuit compeititon. But it appears this year's two piece swimsuits, provided by Speedo, no less, are raising some eyebrows. If you want a preview of what the bikinis look like here are three photos to help you out:

Miss Florida, Jenna Edwards
Miss Utah, Amy Davis
Miss Louisiana, Jennifer Dupont

Yep, those are pretty skimpy....

All I can say is--it should make for some potentially interesting viewing. Not that I'll really get to watch, since the Vols are playing Florida in prime time tomorrow night....



posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 10:36:00 AM | |

Changes to the Star Wars trilogy
Something Awful has posted a couple pages worth of "changes" George Lucas might make to the new DVD editions of the original Star Wars trilogy, due out Tuesday. They're pretty funny.

My favorite--Greedo missing and shooting Jar-Jar...


posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 09:18:00 AM | |

Friday's Feast
Appetizer
How are you today?
Not bad. I'm a pretty excited because I have dubbed this weekend Ultimate Football Weekend. I'll be watching the Vols take on the Gators tomorrow night and then I have tickets to the Titans/Colts game Sunday!

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
Currently or will watch when they come back?
Currently: Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, The Amazing Race
As they come back for the fall: Smallville, Survivor, Star Trek: Enterprise
When they come back: Dead Zone, 24, Alias

Salad
What's the scariest weather situation you've experienced?
When I was in the sixth grade, we lived in Alabama. I'd gone out to eat with the parental units at Wendy's when a bunch of tornadoes came through. The manager of the store kept us all there for our safety and I remember thinking--you know, there are a lot of windows here. If a tornado comes through, that's a lot of glass to break.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
I'd love to tour the UK. I think seeing all the castles would be great, plus I could take my tour--the rock quarries of Doctor Who.

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
Boxers and a t-shirt.


posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 08:52:00 AM | |

Big Orange Survivor Magnolia Week One Results

1. Which tribe (men or women) will win the first Reward Challenge (1 point)? Women (Yasur)
2. Which tribe (men or women) will win the first Immunity Challenge (1 point)? Women (Yasur)
3. Who will be the first Survivor voted out of the tribe? (1 point) Brook Geraghty

Bonus Questions:
4. Which of the female tribe members will show off her bikini first? OK, next time around, I'll know not to ask such a question in the first episode when it's hard to tell who is who just yet. Thankfully, Vicki at Magnola Glen was eagle-eye watching the episode. We counted four girls in the water and five sitting on the beach, all in their binkinis. So, we'll go with the five bikini slackers for this week: Dolly, Eliza, Julie, Lisa and Mia.
5. Which tribe will get fire first? Neither tribe got fire this time around, though it looks like the Yasur tribe should have a leg-up next time.

And now, the results. Drum roll, please!

Michael--2/5
Kurt--0/5
Vickie--1/5
Leslie--1/5
Danielle--1/5
Clayton--1/5
Barry--2/5
Dar--0/5

Good opening round to everyone! But, I do think it's unfair that Barry didn't even watch the show and tied for the most points this week! And we'll work to get the questions up a bit earlier next week!

posted by Michael at 9/17/2004 08:15:00 AM | |
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Big Orange Survivor Magnolia, Week 1
Last season, Vickie over at Magnolia Glen ran a fun game called Survivor Mangolia.

For the new season of Survivor, which premieres Thursday, Sept 16th at 8 p.m. EST, Vickie has kindly allowed me to co-host the game.

The rules are the same as last time around. A series of questions will be posted about the upcoming episode of Survivor Vanuatu. Just post your answers/predictions in the comments section before 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST) on the Thursday the new episode of Survivor airs. Make sure to leave your name and contact info in the comments so we can post the results each week.

That said, here are this week's questions. We've got three regular questions and two bonus questions to start off the week.

1. Which tribe (men or women) will win the first Reward Challenge (1 point)?
2. Which tribe (men or women) will win the first Immunity Challenge (1 point)?
3. Who will be the first Survivor voted out of the tribe? (1 point)

Bonus Question:
4. Which of the female tribe members will show off her bikini first?
5. Which tribe will get fire first?

Here's a link over to the Survivor Vanuata web site to help make those predictions for the week. Also, Vickie had some great graphics last year to post on your blog and tell your current score. I'll try to work on those in the next couple of days or get her to post them here and in her blog.

Good luck and have fun!


posted by Michael at 9/15/2004 02:41:00 PM | |

Is It Traumatic?
I watched the new Steve Martin version of Cheaper By the Dozen over the weekend and something about the movie just struck me. In the course of the film, Steve Martin's character of Tom Baker (not to be confused with the actor who placed the most popular incarnation of the Doctor on Doctor Who) is offered his dream job. Only catch is--he's gotta move the entire family to the big city of Chicago.

After discussing the decision with his wife, they sit down and tell all eleven kids who are still at home about the decision. Of course, the kids are dead-set against it and vote not to go. Tom and his wife, Kate, overrule them, which leads to lots of sulking, protests and general bratty behavoir by the kids.

Which leads me to my question. As I've stated before, I was a military brat and so, for me, moving around every couple of years was just part of life. You just accepted the fact that you went where Dad got stationed and while you were sad to leave where you'd been, you also kind of looked forward to the new adventure of where you were going. It was never very traumatic for me. Which leads to me ask--is moving really so traumatic for kids?

I had a roommate in college who had lived his entire life to that point in one small town. As a military brat, I couldn't really imagine living my life in just one place, going to only one school, knowing all the same people growing up. I feel fortunate to have moved about. I've met a wide variety of good friends, I've seen a lot of our great country and I've seen and experienced things some people might not get to necessarily do in a lifetime.

So maybe that's why it bugs me to see movies or TV shows where moving is presented as the most horrible thing ever. I keep wanting to say--get over it and look at the good side. Because just like all of life there's good and bad associated with moving.

On a related note, Ashton Kutcher has an appearance in the movie as the actor/boyfriend of the oldest Baker girl. At one point, Kutcher's character says something like, "I am cast for being good looking, not because I can act." Anyone else thing art is imitating life just a wee-bit here?


posted by Michael at 9/15/2004 11:25:00 AM | |

The Amazing Race
Poor Chip and Kim. They make a strategic move to help eliminate the biggest threat in the race and level the playing field a bit and while it does put Colin and Christie behind the eight-ball, it doesn't actually put them out of the race. And despite the fact that the other teams left in it agreed to use the yield card, it's Chip and Kim who put themselves out to be picked off and bringing about the wrath of Colin.

There was a lot of wrath of Colin to go around this week. But it was nothing compared to what a lunatic Christie became when they are suddenly bumped into last place. Her telling the tax i driver just to run people over so they can get back into the race? You know, when it takes Colin to calm you down and look rational, something is seriously wrong. And then--at the plowing detour, she does nothing to help. Never crosses her mind that maybe she should help lead the ox through the field. Colin's meltdown was pretty much predictable (his comment that his ox was broken was hilarious) but totally understandable since Christie was next to useless in the task. I have a feeling the two gave up a lot of the relationship ground they gained last week when Colin admitted he should let Christie read the map and he should drive.

As for the bowling moms, I have to admit Karen isn't portrayed in the best light here. She seems a bit whiny in the car after the arguement with Linda about reading the map. And it is just me or does Linda seem to do most of the road block challenges?

All I can say is--all these pent up hostitilities between teams should make for one entertaining season finale next week.


posted by Michael at 9/15/2004 10:19:00 AM | |
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Sports Fan Gone Wild
Pitcher Arrested After Oakland Brawl
I'm sure most of you have heard about this one by now...

Last night, Texas Ranger's reliever Frank Francisco threw a folding chair into the stands in the late goings of a game between the Rangers and the Oakland Athletics. He hit two spectators in the head, causing one female fan to have a broken nose.

Now, I'm not here to defend the pitcher. Throwing a folding chair into the stands wasn't the smartest thing in the world. But how much you wanna bet some of these fans provoked him just a bit?

Not exactly behaving like good sports, are they?

When you go to a game, you certainly have the right to cheer for your team, scream your lungs out, clap, make noise, boo your team, etc. Heck, I think you've even got the right to boo the other team as they come on the field or even engage in some good natured mocking in the stands. For example, a couple of years ago, at a UT/Florida game in Neyland, the crowd would break out into cheers of "Errrrrrrrrrrrric! Errrrrrrrrrrrric!" for then player Eric Rhett, who had made some disparraging comments about the Vols in the papers. But, this was not a personal attack. We didn't call use profanity, we didn't bring up facts about his family, etc. We heckled him a bit. And it wasn't a persistent attack on him.

But what you don't have the right to do is be ugly. I think that verbally abusing the other team is out. Using "colorful metaphors" as Spock puts it in Star Trek IV has no place. (OK, maybe the occasionally "crap!" when your team makes a bad play). Also, like the beer commerical says, "Know when to say when." There's a line between loving your team and pulling for them and being overboard.

Let me say this...as a UT fan, I am not a big fan of Alabama or Florida. When it comes down to it, if UT is playing them in anything, I want the Vols to win. I will cheer for the Vols to win and be happy if they do. (OK, eccstatic if they do). But that doesn't mean I wish ill upon their fans. I've been to a game in Alabama, wearing my orange and white and treated with respect. After one defeat to Bama during my time at UT, some friends and I saw some Bama fans and congratulated them on winning and we said we hoped to play them again in the SEC Championship Game. We didn't threaten the fans, stalk the players, etc. We behaved like sportsmen. I like people who are Alabama and Florida fans...it's just one Saturday in the fall, we are gonna disagree on who should win. Hopefully, I'm right, but it doesn't matter in the long run.

See, I've been on the other side of ugly fans. Sorry, Georgia fans, but I'm gonna call a lot of you out. A lot of you can't handle losing and you sure can't handle winning. I lived in Augusta, GA last year during the annual Tennessee/Georgia skirmish. On the day of the Georgia game, I wore my usual orange and white, drove around in my car with the large power T on it, etc. I was verbally abused left and right--by people who went out of their way to tell me where I could go and what I could do when I got there. One or two, I figured--you got those in every crowd. But when it got into more than ten people doing this and something is wrong. Now, don't get me wrong--I knew some good UGA fans who only good-naturedly harrassed me after the game, but they were the exception, not the rule. The worst was driving home from work a day or two after the game, when a car is streaking up behind, blowing his horn, flashing his lights. I stop at a light, thinking my muffler is dragging behind the car since this guy is trying so hard to get my attention. Nope...turns out he wants to give me the double finger-salute and point to his UGA hat.

Yeah, really classy there, man.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at here is the idea that we should all remember that while we love our team and we have the right to root for them, we don't have the right to be ugly about it. In a lot of ways, this type of action is exactly what Barry over at Inn of the Last Home talks about in his great post earlier this week. In fact, his post almost seems prophetic since it was posted before this whole ugly incident occurred.


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 04:48:00 PM | |

Football Wrap-Up
Tennessee Titans 17, Miami Dolphins 7
There's the old saying that an ugly win is better than a pretty loss, which pretty much applies to this game. An old-fashioned Titans game--play defense and don't blow it on offense to win the game. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. That said, this type of game will NOT get it done against the Colts. Honestly, I felt like Jeff Fisher and company were pulling a Fulmer here--don't show a lot in the first game of the year because a big game is coming in week two. And becuase I attended a Ministries by Strength class on Saturday, I had to watch the game on video tape delay and listen to the CBS announcers instead of Mike Keith. Dear heavens--who lost the best and send Dan Dierdorf and Craig Blackledge for this one?!? They are c0lor guys and decent at it, but Dan Dierdorf stinks as the main commentator for a game. I hope this duo was only put together for this game due to the re-scheduling. I can't take any more of listening to these two!

Washington Redskins 16, Tampa Bay Bucs 10
Thank you FOX Sports for making this game you're featured game for the early slot and sending it out to 61% of the U.S. I was happy to see Joe Gibbs back on the sidelines. And we got off to a good start--strong running, great defense. The one negative is that we let the Bucs hang around too long. We should've put them away 14-0 early and not had to hang on for a 16-10 win at the end. But it's the first game and hopefully we can build on--especially when we face the hated Cowboys on MNF in a few weeks. Also, while I love Joe Gibbs and am glad he's back, I hate all the bandwagon jumping done by some sports call-in shows. Suddenly, Gibbs is loved by everyone and the Skins are a sleeper team, yada-yada-yada. Well, I don't want to be a wet blanket, but it was only one win. I love the Skins and I'm optimistic...but not so optimistic I think we're gonna win it all this year. That's what next year is for...


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 09:30:00 AM | |

My Blogger Rating Is...

Strongly Cautioned. Some material in your journal may be inappropriate to younger or close-minded people. This signifies that your journal is probobly inappropriate for pre-teens. people should be especially careful about adding you because they could possibly be offended. Rough or persistent violent talk is absent; sexually-oriented nudity is generally absent; some talk of drug use may be present from time to time in your journal; You may find a fair amount of sex talk here.
What rating is your journal?
brought to you by Quizilla

Tip of the hat to Bev for this quiz!


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 09:15:00 AM | |

TV Tuesday

Judge shows

Court shows have been around a long, long time. From Judge Wapner and his bailiff Rusty to a tough little lady named Judge Judy there's been a lot of different faces and a lot of cases decided in under 30 minutes.

You're the jury this week, it's your job to see all the evidence and render a verdict!

Judge shows, what do you think?

1. Do you have a favorite judge? Least favorite?
The only one I've really ever watched for any length of time is People's Court back when they had Judge Wapner, so I guess he's my favorite by default. I've seen others like Judge Judy while on the treadmill at the gym or the Y but didn't really pay that much attention to them, so I don't have a favorite or least favorite.

2. If you were given the chance would you settle a court case on a judge show?
I doubt that I would.

3. What's the silliest case you've ever seen on a judge show?
The really only memorable case is from one I saw while on the treadmill and it's hazy at best. Basically, guy owed his mom or someone like that a whole bunch of money for rent, which he'd agree to work off by fixing up her computer and hooking up the TV system. He hadn't and so they sued him. Apparently he couldn't hold down a job for a crazy reason, which eludes me now but at the time I recall thinking--geez, that's a pretty thin story. I don't recall how it all came out in the end.

~Bonus~ Imagine it, you've got your own show and now you're a judge, what would your show be like?
I'd probably be a lot of Harry Anderson's judge from Night Court--respectful of the law but not overly serious about it all the time.


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 09:00:00 AM | |

Good News
Davis' surgery was successful. Everyone is fine and he's on his way home.

UPDATE: He's home now, crawling around and having a good time. Only part he didn't like--not eating until after his surgery. But he's come through it, he ate and he's fine now. Good news.


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 08:56:00 AM | |

A Small Prayer Request
My nephew, Davis is having minor surgery this morning to put tubes in his ears. He keeps getting ear infections and the doctors hope this will help take care of that problem for him. If successful, Davis will have more energy they tell us, which is hard to imagine since he's got more energy than he knows what to do with now!

But, if you could say a quick prayer him and his mommy and daddy. Mommy and Daddy are worried about the surgery, as is the rest of Davis' family. I am also concerned for them because in preparation for the surgery, Davis wasn't able to eat for 12 or so hours. Well, Davis is usually very even-tempered and easy-going about life...except when you don't feed him and then, well, it's not pretty. So I pray for everyone there cause the poor guy is gonna be hungry and expressing this dissatisfaction.

I'll post when I hear how everything went.


posted by Michael at 9/14/2004 08:25:00 AM | |
Monday, September 13, 2004
Just like The Amazing Race...
Last night, the youth had their own version of The Amazing Race at church--only without the jet-setting across the world part.

Basically, it was a scavanger hunt with nine clues hidden in various places around the church. The clues were Bible verses, which you would read and then figure out where to go to find the next clue. Each team had a different order for finding the clues, though they all led back to the same basic place in the end. There were a couple of basic rules. Stay with your team, don't ask other teams where clues are hidden, don't make too much noise, don't steal another team's clue from the envelope.

Now, some of these clues would take a bit of thought for you to put together the verse with a location in the church. And the clue envelopes were pretty devilishly hidden--they were there, but not in plain sight.

So, off the youth went in five teams--7th grade, 8th grade, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors/seniors.

It should have been a relatively calm task, wouldn't you think?

Not so much.

As the adult leadership sat in the youth room and the creators of the game let us in on what the verse were, where they led to and where the envelopes were hidden, slowly reports worked back to us. One of the clues would direct teams to the choir loft in the sanctuary. The same sanctuary where acoloyte training was being held.

Suddenly, one of the youth appears at the door.

"********** threw us out of the sanctuary and is locking the doors," she said. Seems a member of the youth had a football with him and jumped over the altar. The adult in the sanctuary, *************, decided this was wrong and sacriligious. The youth shouldn't be in the sanctuary unless worshipping and so she threw them all out and locked the door. Holley, the youth leader, gets worried. Staff/Parish Relations is Monday night and ********* is on the committee. I tell her not to worry since my dad is head of SPR aned if ******** is gonna go off about this, I will just tell my dad what happened so he won't get ambushed. I joke with Holley that if Dad's in a really bad mood, we just bring Gracelyn and Davis, the grandchildren, over to hug him. That will cure any bad mood from Grandpa.

Eventually, we decided that it might be best to unlock the door, have some adults in there as supervision and that should solve the problem. A couple of young adults went off to do this.

Meanwhile, reports filter back that teams can't find clues and one team is hoarding clues. Several of us set off to invetisigate. We head out by the sanctuary and see ********* out there. She's locking the doors and venting that the youth shouldn't be in the sanctuary. I step forward and say, "I understand what happened and that you're upset. But we have adults here supervising now."

"No you don't! They are in there running amok without any adult supervision!" She storms off.

I turn to several of the young adults. "What part of 'We have adults here NOW!' did she miss?!?" I ask them.

Well, turns out she goes, finds Holley and yells at her from the youth room to Holley's office. I wonder if my comments might have come off in the wrong vein and go to see if I can help smooth things out. ********* has already gone to find the minister, Thad, to let him know what's going on. I tell Holley I'm sorry that I had no intention of making things worse, but I might have by being short with *********. Holley tells me that *********'s big problem was no "adults" out there--that 18-20 year olds can't be chaperones for youth. I laugh hysterically since I'm over 30. Again, the whole "I look younger than I am thing" comes back...not that I'm complaining mind you.

Finally, we figure, let's get the clues out of the choir loft, lock the sanctuary and move on. We also figure out at this point that maybe having the youth go out in a herd unsupervised wasn't the brightest idea. But hey--they're teenagers and you have to put some trust in them. We also start patrolling about to make sure they aren't cheating since we've hearing reports of it. Turns out some teams are hiding the clues, while others are spliting up and finding clues out of order, thus leading to mass confusion.

Meanwhile, I've become a cult hero of sorts to some of the young adults. Apparently there is a long-standing feud between ******** and the youth and I've stood up for them, which they think is cool.

At last, all the teams finish the scavanger hunt and gather back together. Now comes the moment I really have to admire Holley. There was a purpose to this game, but Holley sees another teaching moment and addreses it. And it works. She is talented at getting through to the youth. And while I'm sure she wishes none of them had hurtled the altar, I think the lesson has turned out rather well.

But it made for an interesting evening. I filled Dad in on details, since SPR is tonight. He laughed and agreed with something many said--hey, at least the youth are at church having fun and not out doing heaven only knows what else.

But it should be an interesting SPR meeting tonight. And I just remembered ******** is in bell choir with me. Well, at least we don't stand next to each other....


posted by Michael at 9/13/2004 11:13:00 AM | |

Gather at the River
One of the benefits of growing up a military brat was that in moving all across our great country, I got to have a lot of unique and interesting experiences. One experience took place while we were stationed in Hawaii--I got to attend a baptism done in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. I don't remember a lot about it, but I do remember the minister walking out into the waves with each person and putting them under the water while the waves crashed onto the beach.

I got to have another unique experience with baptism yesterday afternoon. Several of the youth have recently come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and wanted to be baptised. However, they weren't looking for the usual sprinkling of water that Methodists normally do during worship. They wanted full immersion. So, a service of baptism was set up at the local Percy Priest Lake. Five youth and one adult got baptised by going under the water and coming back up yesterday--all while boaters roared by.

The service itself was a relatively simple one. We led off with a couple verses of Amazing Grace, then Brother Thad spoke a few words and asked the candidates some questions. After that, he waded out with each one into the lake and performed the baptism. After he'd performed all six baptisms, he came back toward shore, reminded us to remember our baptism and splashed some lake water on us. It was a moving, wonderful experience. To see six people come to Christ and dedicate their lives was wonderful. Also, standing there on the shore, with the wind blowing on a pleasant afternoon as the waves lapped the shore, I felt almost like what people on the shore must have felt like watching Jesus get baptised by John all those years ago--well, except in Jesus' day they didn't have motor boats out in the water.

I feel blessed that I've had the chance to part of two unique baptism experiences-- in Hawaii and at the lake yesterday.


posted by Michael at 9/13/2004 10:15:00 AM | |
Friday, September 10, 2004
Friday Feast
Appetizer
What movie soundtracks do you own?
Probably more than one person should. I've stated before in my blog that I prefer instrumental soundtracks for the most part. I've got Star Wars: Episode I, II, A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. I've got Star Trek I-IV, VI-Insurrection. I've also got Raiders of the Lost Ark, Evita, Titanic, Edward Scissorhands (underrated IMHO!), Superman, Cruel Intentions, Forest Gump, Spider-Man, Fantasia, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin. Those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. I am sure in ten minutes I'll think of four more that I missed...

Soup
How much cash do you usually carry with you?
If I'm going to the flea market, I'll take a bit more--say about $60 or so. Usually just for walking around, I have about $20 or less. Hence why you shouldn't mug me..not worth the time.

Salad
Are you more comfortable around men or women? Why?
Women. Not really sure why.

Main Course
What is the most mischievous thing you remember doing as a child?
Oh there are so few, it's hardly worth naming them. LOL. ::lightning strikes::

Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww....

Dessert
Who is the funniest member of your family?
That would probably be me, if only because I'm the most sarcastic.

posted by Michael at 9/10/2004 04:07:00 PM | |

College Football Picks, Week 2
Somehow, I went 4-1 last week. Which we all know what this means--I will never had that level of success again. It's all downhill from here.

So, on that note, let's get to the games this week:

1. Georgia at South Carolina (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. EST, ESPN)
Georgia looked impressive for a half last week against Georgia Southern. South Carolina looked impressive last week for an entire game against Vandy (of course, there are high school teams that would've looked impressive last week against Vandy). Georiga is on the road in an environment where they nearly got knocked off two years ago. My head says pick Georgia, my heart says pick South Carolina because it helps Tennessee more. Unfortunately, in this case, my head wins.
Georgia 28, South Carolina 20

2. Auburn at Mississippi State (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. EST, JP Sport)
An interesting early- season SEC West showdown. Mississppi State looked good last week, esp. in the second half. But their defense faces a far moe potent rushing attack in Cadilliac Williams of Auburn this week. I see this one being close going into the fourth quarter.
Auburn 24, Mississippi State 21

3. Texas at Arkansas (Saturday, 7:45 p.m. EST, ESPN)
A classic old-school showdown between two schools who really don't like each other. Texas put up big numbers last week but Arkansas does have home field advantage. No matter what happens, this will be a grudge match and it should be a great game to watch, even if you don't have a dog in the race.
Texas 30, Arkansas 27.

4. Ole Miss at Alabama (Saturday, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN 2)
Another early season SEC-West showdown. Alabama is off probation and looking to go bowling. Ole Miss is still trying to figure out the post-Eli Manning era.
Alabama 21, Ole Miss 14.

5. Miami vs Florida State (Friday, 8 p.m. EST, ABC)
In my ideal world, both teams would lose. (Get used to that phrase...I use it a lot during football season!) However, my dislike of Miami is just a bit more than Florida State, hence why I must pick them. Also, the Vols have victories over both the last team we've played them.
Florida State 24, Miami 21

So, there you have my picks. You're welcome to put your own picks in the comments and we'll see what happens. And, yes, I know that by picking against South Carolina I've opened myself up to boos from AK. But AK, think about this--last week, I picked against you and you win...maybe karma holds true again!


posted by Michael at 9/10/2004 02:29:00 PM | |

The Apprentice
Last season's hottest new reality show faces its most difficult task yet--remaining interesting, relevant and watchable to fans of reality TV. Interesting that early on, the show is shaking things up a bit--moving a male to the female team and vice versa. Also, the concept of immunity is introduced as this week's team leader cannot be fired in next week's episode should his or her team fail.

The episode really only concentrated on a few of the new personalities in the show. Raj stood out most for his bow tie and cane but Pamela also made quite an impression in that evil Omorosa type of way. And I don't think we got any comment or reactions to events from Stacy R over the course of the episode. All I know is she wore this Pepto-Bismol colored outfit on the first day when we met everyone.

The first task was a fun one--design a new toy for the kids. Interesting that the women come up with the winning design while the men come up with this mutant animals who live under the sea thing. Honestly, I could've told you looking at the focus group of eight-year old boys which one would win--the car that you can interchange parts and remote control drive around. Mutant sea animals--yeah, not so much. So, not a huge shock that the men go to the board room first. Inside the board room, you see the affects of having had a sesaon of the show out there. Everyone kind of figures to gang up on one person, in this case Rob, who gets the boot for not being assertive enough. But there were some hurt feelings here and in a game like this you gotta keep in it which not burning too many bridges.

But the hands down best moment of the night was Jennifer C. "enjoying" dinner with Trump. Watching her take her cue from Trump as to how to eat the food served and what utensils to use was great.


posted by Michael at 9/10/2004 01:50:00 PM | |

TV Round-Up
Joey
Who'd've figured ten years ago when Friends first hit the airwaves that of the six cast members it would be Matt LeBlanc as Joey who'd be anchoring a spin-off? After a summer of hype surrounding this spin-off, I went in with pretty modest expectatios. Also, I figured I'd seen about 90% of the pilot in the trailers that ran during the Olympics.

So, I have to admit, I was fairly impressed with the pilot for Joey. It wasn't horrible along the lines of Joanie Loves Ciachi, but it also wasn't brilliant along the lines of Frasier. But, then again Frasier wasn't necessarily Frasier right out of the gate. Like the Frasier pilot, Joey had the burden of taking an established character, setting him up in a new envirornment and providing a supporting cast. And it did establish all of that, all while having a few nice chuckles along the way. So far, mission accomplished. The real test is to keep that momentum going and either have a great first season like Frasier or fade away quickly like so many other spin-offs. Right now, I am hoping for a great first season. Of course, the real lion's share of the work went to establshing Drea DeMateo as Joey's sister and setting it up so his nephew, Michael could live with him. Due to behind the scenes actress changes, the scenes with Joey's new female, married neighbor were kept to a minimum, but I hope to see more of her as the series progresses. Overall, DeMateo showed some real comic timing and skills here, which was nice to see and LeBlanc is great as Joey. Having Joey as a mentor to his nephew who is nothing like Joey could be comedy gold.

Patriots 27, Colts 24
Well, a victory by the Pats helps the Titans a bit, but honestly, I wanted to see the Colts win this one. First of all, I'm sick of hearing about the Patriots and want someone to knock them off their high horse. (Has there been an overhyped team going into a season since the 2000 St. Louis Rams?!?) Second of all, I am a Peyton Manning fan and will pull for him anytime he's not playing the Titans or the Redskins. And the Colts almost did it. But three turnovers inside the 20 pretty much doomed this effort. Despite that, the Colts had a chance to tie the game at the end, with Mike Vanderjact missing a field-goal for the first time since Nixon was president. As a football fan, this was a great game that went back and forth between two good teams. I just wish the results had been different.


posted by Michael at 9/10/2004 07:57:00 AM | |
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Theater Thursday

Week 17 - And Now For Something Completely Different

We're going to take a different tack at Theatre Thursday this week.

You've just been hired to write, cast, direct and produce your own movie. You've been given $75 million to hire a cast and crew, and 90 days to shoot. The film is scheduled to open a year and 1/2 from today.

1) What is the name of your movie?
Guy Influence

2) Who are the stars you hire?
First of all, any movie I make is going to have William Shatner star in it somehow. And Henry Winkler. See below. I'd also cast Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as the hero of the film with Sarah Michelle Gellar as the ex-wife. As for the girl from the unemployment office, I'd have to go with Claudia Black . For the friends, I'd go with Dennis Leary, Drew Carey and Tom Baker. For the boss, I'd've have to cast Gary Cole because he was perfect in Office Space in the type of role I'm envisioning.

3) What is the general plot/style/theme of your dream movie?
Our hero is a loveable, but lonely guy working the ins and outs of a tech support/customer service call center line. He is surrounded by wacky, yet loveable co-workers, good friends and family, but he dreams of being something more. One day, his wife leaves him because a call-in radio psychic says their relationship is on the rocks, despite the fact that he thinks things are solid and he wanted to start trying for a baby. This happens on Thursday (an homage to the great Hitchhikker's Guide to the Galaxy). Our hero is devestated and after several days of watching repeats of classic Star Trek and Happy Days, he realizes that only two men can help him--Captain James T. Kirk and the Fonz. After examining the exploits of Captain Kirk and other great sci-fi heroes, our hero realizes that the reason he's never had a successful relationship of more than four months is that his heroes didn't give him any guidance. Captain Kirk was a love 'em and leave 'em guy as was the Fonz who was lovin' half of Milwakuee. Our hero decides that what he needs is to become a combination of both and win his wife back.

After examining the traits of the Fonz and Captain Kirk, our hero decide to bust loose, taking risks and damn the consequences. He begins at work, where instead of being polite, he tells people what he really thinks about their calls. This wins the respect of his co-workers but promptly get him canned. He doesn't care really. He heads down to the unemployment line and meets an attractive woman who is his case worker. The chemistry is the stuff movies are made of--hence why this is in the film. They exchange witty banter and while the girl is trying to win our hero, he still thinks he should get back with his ex-wife. As the movie progresses, the audience slowly realizes that the girl from unemployment is the one for our hero and not his ex-wife, who is a total diva. But our hero doesn't. He continues to be brash, following the example of Kirk.

One day a strange convention comes to town featuring William Shatner and Henry Winkler. (I guess you can consider Waterboy a sci-fi movie since it boggles my mind how it made any damn money at the box office!) Our hero heads down to thank them, accompanied by the new "friend" from the unemployemnt office. The ex-wife is there, selling our heroes prized collectibles she got in the settlement. Shatner and Winkler see our hero and take him aside and give him advice. The light goes on, but it may be too late. He's aliennated the unemployment girl due to acting like an ass and always snapping her fingers at her. He tells off the ex-wife, tells her have a good wife and sets out to win the heart of the unemployment girl. He goes back to being his loveable old self, but with just a hint of the Fonzie/Kirk persona in there--he has to be a bit brash in winning back her attention after treating her like such a heel. In the end, they get together, get married and have a happy life together.

Feel free to dream - what movie would you, Gentle Reader, like to make yourself with all those resources? It can be autobiographical, historical, or completely fictional. Be careful and don't go overbudget (Getting Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, and Robin Williams all in the same film won't leave you enough money to actually shoot, nor will on-location filming on Mars likely leave anything for actors).

BONUS) What's one obstacle you see that could prevent you from achieving this dream movie?
Well, besides the plot being pretty much made up as I went along and not having a strong narrative hook or arc to it, I don't see many other problems. Oh yeah, I have no idea how to direct a movie. For that I'd have to get Joss Whedon to help me out because the man is a genius. To script edit, I'd get J. Michael Stracynski and Joss Whedon to help me out.


posted by Michael at 9/09/2004 07:27:00 PM | |

TV Round-Up
The Drew Carey Show
Cleveland rocks one last time for Drew Carey. This is the season ABC didn't want but was contractually obligated to pay for. So, instead of just fading away, Carey and company made the entire season, not knowing if anyone would see it or when. I think it kind of helped a bit, since the show actually got pretty funny towards the end instead of the pale imitation of its former self it was at times in the last couple of seasons. The final two episodes find Drew coming to a crossroads. He finally has the job of his dreams only to have it snatched away (in typical Drew Carey fashion) and then he and Kellie have their baby and get married. It was nice to see Drew get a little bit of a happy ending. His search for love has been an ardous one over the years and hopefully Drew, Kellie and Drew, Jr. will enjoy many happy times together. Yes, this show didn't get the big send-off that other shows did, but it still managed to give fans a satisfying end to the show. The final shot of Drew outside shooting pool in the rain, harkening back to the first episode was a nice touch. Thanks for the fun, Drew and company. Now, if you could just get Whose Line Is It Anyway back in production, I'd be very, very happy.

Mystery: The Inspector Lynley Mysteries--Playing for the Ashes
I love Elizabeth George's novels. Along with anything new by Stephen King or a New Frontier novel by Peter David, her novels are some of my favorite reads and ones that are never quite long enough. And, so far, the BBC adaptations of her popular novels have yet to really live up to how great the books are. Yes, they get the central mystery right, for the most part, but they just get a lot of the little things wrong. I won't go into how the actors cast in all the roles do not look a bit like how George describes them in her novels (biggest error: Lynley is blonde!). No, what the TV series loses is a couple of things. One is the pyschological depth that George gives most of her characters in the stories. This is a mystery series that constantly keeps me guessing as to who the culprit is and usually gives you five or six really good culprits per story. What I loved about Playing for the Ashes when I read it was that George kept pulling red herring after red herring in the story in a believable, convincing way. All of the people here were dysfunctional in some way and every one of them had a darn good reason for killing Kenneth Wareing. It was just figuring out who really did it and why that made it so page-turning. Also, we had a lot of chapters narrated from Olivia's point of view, who turns out to be crucial to solving the crime. It's pivotal in the book but the connection is a bit more tenous here. Had I not read the book, I'd've misssed a lot of it here. The second is the series is kind of like a soap opera. Yes, there's a darn good mystery in there, but half the fun is checking in on the latest developments with Lynley, Havers, Helen, Simon and Deborah. The series tries to capture parts of it but they are a bit behind in the whole Lynley/Helen relationship that it's a bit jarring. Also, they're trying to combine part of Helen and Deborah's roles in the stories, which is a glaring error in my book. I may be a bit protective here because Playing for the Ashes was my first novel by George and it set me on the road to obsession with all of her other work. But I think another part of it is that an hour and a half just may not be enough to really tell the stories as well as they're told in print. A Great Deliverance, easily the least complex of her mysteries, got three-hours. Yes, it was the first story and we had to meet everyone, but I still think these stories deserve enough time to be told and told well. That said, I guess the best thing that can happen from these stories is that it will encourage others to read the book. Trust me--they're all worth it. (Well, maybe the last one A Place of Hiding was a bit weak, but that's the exception rather than the rule).


posted by Michael at 9/09/2004 07:50:00 AM | |
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Tooting My Own Horn
A little bit of self-promotion here. I've become a contributor over at FanBlogs--a site devoted to college football. Of course, I'm contributing on UT football, but I might do some other SEC news as well. I also get to vote for the FanBlog top 25 each week.

So, surf on over and check it out!

And a special tip of the hat to Logtar for making me aware of the site.



posted by Michael at 9/08/2004 05:10:00 PM | |

TV Round-Up
Before I get into the usual ranting and raving, I have to post this. If you're a 24 addict like myself and are experiencing withdrawal at having to wait until January for the new season to start, here's a bit of good news from TV Guide On-Line.

MAKE TIME FOR THIS: The upcoming DVD of 24's third season will include an exclusive mini-prequel that sets the stage for the serial thriller's fourth-season premiere in January, Variety reports. The 10-minute episode — which will not be shown on TV — will introduce many of Season 4's new characters, including Kiefer Sutherland's latest love interest, played by Third Watch's Kim Raver. The seven-disc set arrives Dec. 7

The Amazing Race
Flight schedules are a great equalizer in this game. Just when it seems as if you have a huge lead, the reality of trying to fly and having to deal with flight schedules rears its ugly head and everyone shuffles around or is thrown back in together.

I'd've loved a chance to trying sledging down the river in New Zealand. It looked like a combination of white-water rafting and boogie-boarding. And I'll admit, being in that bubble running down the hill would have been a lot of fun. The only non-fun part was seeing Colin act all frat-boy after getting out of the bubble. Of course, if I'd just been spun around like a fool in there, I might not act like myself either.

Kami and Karli don't make it out of this leg of the race which is a shame since Brandon and Nicole annoy me far more than the twins. The whole time they were sifting through the mud looking for clue, I enjoyed it almost as much as watching Lance and Marshall suffer eating the candy a few weeks ago.

Commerical: Hardee's Western Bacon ThickBurger
I don't usually comment much on commericals, but this one really caught my eye. It's for the new Bacon ThickBurger, but it could be for the ToxicWasteLeftOver GarbageBurger and I'd be intrigued. If you've not seen it, it features an attractive female in a tight outfit, riding a mechanical bull while she takes a bit or two from the new burger. All I can say is this commerically is very, very good...



posted by Michael at 9/08/2004 02:00:00 PM | |


Danielle over at Missive's Anonymous posted this comment earlier today.:

So my question is two-fold:
Do you remember the lyrics of your school fight song?
And are they as idiotic as mine?

My response to her is to answer with a question. Do you mean our high school or college fight song?

Because if it's college, I definitely know ALL the words to Rocky Top. If it's high school, I am afraid my memory is failing me on that count. As for either set of lyrics being idiotic, well, I love Rocky Top to death and would NEVER consider it idiotic. And since I can't remember the high school fight song, I can't make an intelligent comment. (And just before everyone runs to the comments tag and says--that's never stopped you before. Yeah, I know!)

At the end of the entry, she also mentions she has a whole cheerleading routine to go along with the fight song? Is it wrong that I am more than just slightly curious to see it?!?


posted by Michael at 9/08/2004 01:46:00 PM | |

TV Tuesday
Week 22 - Kid Shows
Being a stay at home aunt has been an interesting experience for me. My husband and I had been alone for years and it'd been a long time since I'd seen any kids shows. They sure aren't what I remember them being so this week we're going to see what's what in the world of kids!!

1. When you were a kid what was (or is if you're still a kid LOL) your favorite show?
I loved the SuperFriends. And let's not forget that 80's classic Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Also, my all-time favorite TV show is Doctor Who, which in the UK where it's produced is considered a "children's" show. But I didn't find Doctor Who until my teenage years.

2. What is the silliest kids show you've ever seen? (You can use stupidest, most outrageous, worst, etc if you prefer!)
I've been re-introduced to children's shows, thanks to my eight plus years of being Uncle Michael. Gracelyn, my niece, is really into the Elmo and the Wiggles. I had no clue who the Wiggles were until baby-sitting her one day and we watched a DVD of them. They're cute, but they could get obnoxious really fast. I still think the best children's shows are Sesame Street and The Electric Company. I used to love those as well. As for the worst, I'd have to say just about any of the current shows today that are nothing but a running advertisement for some type of new toy. Of course, we had those in my day as well--He-Man, anyone?

3. If you could be any character in a kids show (past or present) who would you be? Why?
I think it'd be cool to be the Doctor from Doctor Who....travelling through time and space with attractive female assistants...how can that be bad?

~Bonus~ This one is kind of for the adults and parents out there. Do you feel kids shows have changed for the better or worse since you were a kid?
Honestly, I think the overall quality has gone down. For every brilliant Batman: The Animated Series, there is a wealth of just pure drek dren like Pokemon or Power Rangers. Yes, my generation had shows designed to sell toys like Transformers or G.I. Joe, but at least they tried to have some semblance of a plot. And, at least, we had classic Looney Toons stuff repeated so we could see what good animation and humor was. I worry about the kids of today growing up without getting to see the classics of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, etc. And say what you will about Doctor Who, but at least it tried to be "family" viewing--offering a chance for kids and adults to enjoy it. It worked on a couple of levels. Honestly, Ican't see myself willingly sitting down to watch Pokemon or some of the tother shows targeted at kids these days.


posted by Michael at 9/08/2004 09:14:00 AM | |
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
And the Loser Leaves The SEC...
The Tennessean's Joe Biddle argues this morning that the loser of the November 13th Vandy vs Kentucky football game should be asked to leave the SEC (for football that is).

After seeing both teams play over the weekend, if this were to happen, I have a feeling Vandy would be the one packing their bags for other pastures...

posted by Michael at 9/07/2004 02:45:00 PM | |

Kevin Dyson to visit Titans
He's still looking for one more yard....

Also, I hate to say it, but he might have a jinx. He plays for the Titans and they lose the Super Bowl, coming one yard short of sending it into OT. He plays for Carolina and they come up short against the Pats last year in the Super Bowl.

Coincidence....oh, I don't think so!

posted by Michael at 9/07/2004 02:39:00 PM | |
Monday, September 06, 2004
Celebration!

Be careful, Schaeffer. The refs might consider a hug and a kiss from your mother excessive celebration!

posted by Michael at 9/06/2004 11:11:00 AM | |

Tennesssee 42, UNLV 17
The Tennessee Volunteers made history last night, routing the UNLV Rebels 42-17 in front of of the third-largest crowd ever to see a game at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee freshman quaterback Brent Schaeffer (7) turns to hand the ball off during the third quarter of their game against UNLV Sunday, Sept. 5, 2004 in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee won 42-17.

The Vols played their first Sunday game in Neyland Stadium and made school and SEC history by starting a true-freshman at quarterback. The experiment paid off in spades as both UT's freshman QBs lived up to their early season promise. All six of the Vol's scoring drives covered more than 80 yards, with freshman QBs Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge directed the drives in masterful fashion.

The Vols also appear to have learned from history. Schaeffer made an early miscue, fumbling the ball away to UNLV early in the first quarter deep in UNLV territory. The defense bailed him out, holding the Rebels to a field-goal and from there the Vols never looked back. Shaeffer directed a long, 80-yard drive for UT's first touchdown of the season--a one-yard run by the freshman QB and the Vols never looked back.

But there are still lessons from history to be learned. The Vols run defense looked porous at times, allowing UNLV's Dominique Dorsey to rush for 117 yards in the game. Stopping the run still has to be a priority for the Vols as they face Auburn with Cadillac Williams in early October. Also, the Vols had an excess of stupid penalties--bringing back bad memories of last year's Peach Bowl. The Vols were hit with several big-penalties--including several for excessive unsportman like celebration and one unnessary roughness that was well deserved. A block-in-the-back on a punt return kept the score from being more one-sided early in the fourth quarter as well.

Honestly, there needs to be some explanation of what excessive celebration is. I don't think high-fiving or chest-butting is excessive. My understanding was that these penalaties were called when a player stood over another and taunted or for a pre-planned, choreographed dance on a TD. Players getting excited about a TD or big play is just part of the game. These are young men, playing the first game of the year. Of course, they're going to be excited about making a big play.

And history has come back to haunt us. Last year, Cedric Houston looked like a world-beater at rusher for two games before going down with an injury and never quite being the same the rest of the year. After two-quarters of looking like a world-beater here, Houston went down with an injury to his ankle. He is reported to be out at least two weeks and could miss the Florida game, where the Vols will need a strong rushing game to keep the Gators off-balance and our freshman QBs safe.

So far, the great freshman QB experiment is working. Except for the breakdown in run defense on misdirections, the Vols looked sharp in the opener--sharper than they have in an opener in recent memroy. The running game looked solid--with not only Houston but also Gerald Riggs Jr and Corey Larkins looking good behind a solid offensive-line. But, for as great as we looked, you have to repeat the mantra, "It's only UNLV...it's only UNLV." It's not Florida, it's not Georgia, it's not Auburn, all of who are coming up for the Vols in the SEC. It was a great start to a season for the Vols. A win is always good. A rout is even better when you're the one doing the routing.

But the thing I come away with most is optimism. The Vols looked good out there and it gives me hope as we get ready for the rumble a week from Saturday against Florida.

Go Big Orange!

Side note: Why the hell is Rick Clausen wearing number 16?!? I thought that number was supposed to be saved for special players...something Rick Clausen most definitely is NOT!


posted by Michael at 9/06/2004 10:18:00 AM | |
Sunday, September 05, 2004
It's Football Time in Tennessee!

University of Tennessee cheerleader Melea Shaley holds a tailgate tray and is joined in cheering on the Vols by, front row from left, Amanda Goodwin and Christia Brinkley; second row, Larryn Mathis and Jessica Frazier; third row, Saskia Lindsay, Katie Hill and Lauren Marino.

How can you not love college football--the tradition, the pagentry, tailgating, cheerleaders! It is just awesome.

Let's face it--food is a huge part of the fun of watching your favorite team play! Tonight for the big UT vs UNLV game, I've made chicken nachos and and orange cake with white icing. I'll be settling into a comfy chair with my food to enjoy the game.

posted by Michael at 9/05/2004 04:32:00 PM | |

Missed it by THAT much....
You kind of have to feel sorry for OSU's Alexis Serna. He missed three extra-point attempts, two in regulation and one in OT, that cost his team a chance to upset defending BCS champion, LSU at home last night. I watched parts of that game as it unfolded and LSU looked sluggish on all sides of the ball. They're gonna have to get it together quick if they're going to defend their SEC West title, much less their co-national championship.

And I was so hopeful that Georgia Southern could pull it off and defeat Georgia. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs played a great half to finish off Georgia Southern. I hate to tell UGA this, but they can't just play one half of a game and hope to win much in the SEC. Oh sure, they could beat Vandy who only bothered to show up for a half of a quarter yesterday, but a team from the local retirement home could beat Vandy at this point!


posted by Michael at 9/05/2004 01:52:00 PM | |
Saturday, September 04, 2004
New Year, Same Vandy
South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 6
Well, I picked that wrong, now then didn't I? I figured with all the buzz, discussion and hype around town about how Vandy had stepped it up and was ready to turn the corner in terms of winning a game or two this year, maybe, just maybe the opening day contest with South Carolina would, at least, be close.

South Carolina had other ideas. Make no mistake--this one was over by the end of the first quarter. South Carolina came in, busted Vandy in the mouth and then poured it on. Sure, SC missed two field-goals but that might have just been Lou Holtz taking pity on Vandy. Of course, while SC was good, Vandy was their own worst enemy--including the icing on the cake with a 98-yard interception return for a TD.

I'm a big enough person to admit when I"m wrong...and boy was I wrong! I fully expect some good-spirited mocking comments from AK in the comments section. (Hey, AK--I thought the SC band sounded good, if that helps defer some of the mocking coming my way!)

I'm just glad I didn't have anything besides pride riding on this. Local sports call in show host, Blake Fulton has publically stated if Vandy doesn't make a bowl game, he will shave his head. That loud buzzing sound is the hair cutting razor getting ready...


posted by Michael at 9/04/2004 03:00:00 PM | |

It's fooball time!
At long last, the wait is almost over--college football is finally here! A big weekend of games kicks-off very, very soon! Man, I'm excited.

Went out last night, trying to get back into the world of journalistic writing. I helped cover a local high school football game between Blackman and Siegel. It was almost historic--Siegel just started a team last year and has yet to win a game. They lost in double OT, 23-20. The guy I worked with, Josh Beasley, was hopeful Siegel would win so he could write the story of their first win.

Small world: Turns out Josh was the reporter who wrote the story about Mom winning the Titans tickets at Kroger. He remembered her. Of course, her comments were pretty memorable...

Update: Here's a link to Josh's story about the game we covered last night.


posted by Michael at 9/04/2004 09:43:00 AM | |
Friday, September 03, 2004
Wow!
A longer trailer for the upcoming Farscape mini-series is on-line over at Apple!

All I can say is--wow!


posted by Michael at 9/03/2004 11:13:00 AM | |

Friday Feast
Appetizer
If someone gave you 3 new goldfish today, what would you name them?
I'm not sure if I would name them, since the times that I've had fish and named them, that usually turns out to be their time to go to the great fishbowl in the sky. If I did name them, I'd go with Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

Soup
What's the worst movie you've seen this year so far?
Sorority House Massacre 2. If you want to read a long post detailing the entire "plot" of this film and my sarcastic comments about it, you can go here. But I warn you, it is loooooong.

Salad
If given the chance and you could pick the person, would you want to switch lives with someone on earth for one whole day?
I think it really depends on the person. Switching places with another person might make me appreciate how good I've got it in life. Or it might backfire and I'd be totally bummed about having to come back to my life.

Main Course
What's your favorite season? Name 2 things you love about it.
Fall. The leaves changing color and football season.

Dessert
What is something you frequently buy that you don't really need?
I don't buy them as frequently as I used to, but I'd have to say book and DVDs.



posted by Michael at 9/03/2004 09:24:00 AM | |

My love/hate relationship with the Sci-Fi Channel continues
I've got a kind of a love/hate thing going with the Sci-Fi Channel. For example, I loved the fact that when they first purchased the rights to air classic Star Trek, they restored the footage that was edited out for syndication all these years. But I hated that after the first two runs through the series, they began to make edits again--sometimes cutting out even larger chunks of the shows than originally done in syndication. (Makes me appreciate my DVDs that much more, I guess!)

I loved Farscape and hated Sci-Fi when they cancelled it. I've sort of forgiven them for picking up the upcoming mini-series in October.

Today, I have reason to love Sci-Fi yet again. Rumors are swirling that the poeple over at Sci-Fi are in negotations to pick up the U.S. rights to the new Doctor Who series, as well as showing the classic series. Nothing confirmed yet, but one can hope. And I'd hope that if Sci-Fi does pick up Who, they bring it to our screens as soon as possible!



posted by Michael at 9/03/2004 09:09:00 AM | |
Thursday, September 02, 2004
College Football Kick-Off
At long last, the college football season is upon us. There are some big games on tap for this weekend, though a couple of the games in Florida have been postponded due to Hurricane Francis. (And with good reason too, I might add!)

It seems as though everyone has their own opinion about how things will go this year and who will win it all. And there are a ton of national "experts" who pick the winners of games each week. One that I regularily read but rarely agree with is USA Today's Erick Smith. He's picked games for this week from the top 25, but honestly, there are some other, non-top 25 games that also interest me.

Figuring to have a little fun, I will post a couple of games each week and predict the winner. You're welcome to join in by leaving your picks in the comments--just as long as you get them in by noon on Saturday. (aka before kick-off of the games). Then, you can come back later in the week and either hear me reveal in my victory or you can mock my picks. Either way, fun will be had by all...

So, let's get to it...

1. UNLV at Tennessee (Sunday 8 p.m. EST, ESPN 2)
When the Vols take the field at Neyland Stadium Sunday evening, they'll be making history in a lot of ways. First Sunday game in Neyland, first freshman QBs starting the season (a first for both Tennessee and the SEC). First chance to wash away some of the bad feelings left over from the loss in the Peach Bowl last year. I expect the Vols to do enough to win, but not show too much. That will come Sept. 18th against Florida. Also, no matter which QB starts, they will both get a lot of work. Also, we've got a good wealth at running back, but the real question is--who will step up and be the running back the Vols need this year?
Tennessee 31, UNLV 18.

2. South Carolina at Vanderbilt (Saturday 12:30 p.m. EST, JP Sports)
A must win game for both teams as it will define their seasons. According to local media reports, Vandy is ready to make that next step and start contending to at least go to a bowl. Also, Lou Holtz of South Carolina has called Vandy the best team he's ever played. But he says that about every team he plays to motivate his players. I hate to say it, but I am gonna give this one to Vandy for the home field advantage.
Vanderbilt 21, South Carolina 17

3. Tulane at Mississippi State (Saturday, 6 p.m. EST, ESPN 2)
The Sylvester Croom era begins in Oxofrd. Hopefully, he gets it off on the right foot non-conference cause that conference schedule is gonna be murder. Mississippi State struggled to win two games last year. They should get halfway toward their total wins from last year, this week.
Mississippi State 28, Tulane 24

4. Kentucky at Louisville (Sunday 3:30 p.m EST, ESPN)
The annual battle for Kentucky bragging rights. This one matters more in basketball than in football,but it should be a great grudge match.
Louisville 24, Kentucky 17

5. Memphis at Ole Miss (Saturday, 7 p.m EST, No TV)
Ole Miss begins life after Eli Manning. Memphis could be a surprise team this year out of Conference USA.
Memphis 28, Ole Miss 21

Well, that's it for my picks this week. There would be a few more, but the hurricane postponed some games. I'll make up for it later.

It's not too late to join your fellow bloggers in picking the winners of the college football games on Yahoo Sports! Link are below:

College: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college
League ID: 8558
Password: blog


posted by Michael at 9/02/2004 04:31:00 PM | |

Theater Thursday

When Animals Attack.

Anacondas opened up in theaters last week. There have been tons of movies made about 'killer' animals. From Cujo, to King Kong, to Jaws, what do you think of these 'bad' animal flicks?

1) What is your favorite movie about some type of 'animal gone wrong'?
I'd have to saw Jaws. Though I am intrigued to see Open Water.

2) Do you end up feeling sorry for the animal, or just scared to death?
With stuff like Anacondas, I tend to feel sorry for those who actually paid money to go and see it . LOL

3) Do you think there is a movie about a 'killer animal' that went way too far or was just a ridiculous movie?
It seems as if Sci-Fi has a large collection of really bad 'killer animal' films that they show a lot...and there are a lot of sequels to these out there. Honestly, I had no idea that Tarantulas was big enough to warrant a second, third or fourth film.

BONUS) What kind of killer animal movie would you like to see made? Scary squirrels anyone?
Ticked-off ferrets would be GREAT!


posted by Michael at 9/02/2004 03:04:00 PM | |

Senator Kerry visits Nashville
In other news, John Kerry was in Nashville yesterday, addressing the American Legion's national convention. George W. Bush was in town Tuesday, also to address this group of veterans.

Of course, Kerry tried to tell them all why he's a better alternative as president than George W. Bush to lead our country for the next four years.

Then, I guess figuring that any publicity is good publicity, Kerry decided not to leave Nashville until around 5 p.m. CST, right in the heart of rush-hour. Thus, he frelled up the lives of a good number of Nashvillians trying to get home to their families, dinner, church meetings, etc. on time. Thank, John. That sure will make you popular with the voters come November. Policies and tax-cuts are one thing. Making citizens sit in their cars for an extra hour or so, that's the type of bad feelings and thoughts that will linger in the voters' mind come November.


posted by Michael at 9/02/2004 08:59:00 AM | |

RNC, Night 3
You almost have to feel sorry for Vice-President Cheney. He had to follow one hell of a speech by Zell Miller. Miller's 20 minute or so speech about why he, a life-long Democrat, gives his full support to George W. Bush was nothing short of utterly amazing. Miller pulled no punches and laid it all out on the table. His comments about the parties coming together for the greater good of America was dead-on accurate, as were his remarks about the the soldiers winning the freedoms and rights we all enjoy today.

A couple of this statements that really resonated with me:

"Twenty years of votes can tell you much more about a man than twenty weeks of campaign rhetoric. Campaign talk tells people who you want them to think you are. How you vote tells people who you really are deep inside. "

Also:

"Time after time in our history, in the face of great danger, Democrats and Republicans worked together to ensure that freedom would not falter. But not today. Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator. And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators"

If you want to read the full text of his speech, you can do so here.

Later, as I was flipping around stations last night, I stumbled across an Miller being interviewed by MSNBC's Chris Matthews. It reminded me a lot of the infamous debate between Dan Rather and George Bush (W's dad). Miller kept trying to make his point, but Miller kept cutting him off, talking over him and trying to put words into his mouth. At one point, I thought Miller was going to walk-off and not complete the interview. Of course, today Matthew's is trying to spin it in his own blog on MSNBC so he doesn't look like a chump. Sorry, man, too late.


posted by Michael at 9/02/2004 08:42:00 AM | |
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
TV Round-Up
Father of the Pride: What's Black and White and Depressed All Over?
In response to the title of this one--me, after watching the first episode of this new, supposedly "adult" series. (Seriously, you couldn't go fifteen seconds during the Olympics without seeing a promo for it!) These are the same guys who brought us Shrek, right? So why isn't it as funny, entertaining or all-around amusing as either of the Shrek films? I think they're trying too hard to be "adult." Take out the fact that it's about animals and animated and you've got basically a pretty standard episode of Everybody Loves Raymond here. Only difference--Raymond is funny. Visually, it's a stunning achievement. Comically, it's not quite all there, yet. I wanted to like this one, but it just fell so flat. Or maybe it was that most of the jokes here were previewed in the comercials all summer long and were long since ruined for me.

Scrubs: My Old Friend's New Friend
Dr. Cox line of the night: "Do you want me to give you my 'things I don't care about' speech again because, ya know, I've updated it to include all white guys who add --izzle to anything."

Oh, Scrubs, how I've missed you. The perfect balance of comedy, drama and wacky insanity. In the day and age when a lot of TV sit-coms have become cookie cutter, Scrubs is one of the few that has a "voice" to it--character if you will. I think part of it is that everyone on this show is so deeply flawed that it's hilarious to see them all interacting and scary to wonder--are all doctors like that?!? The fourth season kicks off in fine form with the wacky new Heather Graham character (her touching everyone's face and then repeating their name was a riot) and the usual gang at the hospital. Turk and J.D.'s reunion after being separated for two weeks and Carla's comment that "Maybe someday (Turk)'ll love me that much" was also nice. And Dr. Cox...always count on him for at least two good belly laughs per show. How is it that the Emmys keep overlooking John C. McGinley in the role?!? The season premiere was much hyped and with good reason--Scrubs is the best comedy on TV, hands down. If you missed it, do yourself a favor and catch an encore of this one on Saturday night.

The Amazing Race
For the second straight episode, no one gets elminated. This time around, Brandon and Nicole stave off stupidity and get to continue in the race. The line, "We can't shave our heads becuase we're in the modelling industry" had me laughing out loud. This time around, Colin continues to act like a jerk to everyone and Chip and Kim begin to play him. Hearing Chip admit he's fuelling Colin's ego for an inevitable self-destruct is great and makes me pull even more for that team. Colin continues to be a complete jerk to Christie, though from the looks of things, she's gonna finally get some gumption next episde and stand up to him. 'Bout time! And another team nearly goes to jail over a money dispute with a taxi driver.

In watching the events in India, I had to wonder some things. Christie assumed that all the men were staring at her at the train station, but could it have been seeing these two strangers with camera crews following them around? I am uncertain if India gets the glut of reality shows we do and I think it'd be pretty strange to see two people followed around by cameras like that. I'd certainly look and try to figure out what was going on. Also, maybe that was why everyone was so eager to help with the pushing the taxis. Maybe they figure this is their big chance to get on TV.

Stargate Atlantis: Poisoning the Well
I've finally found my favorite character on this show--Dr. Beckett. He gets to be at the center of an episode and quickly shows why he deserves to be a full-time character on this show.

The un-easy question here is--is victory at "any cost" really worth it?

On the world of Hoff, the people have found a way to possibly keep the Wraith from feeding on them. With some work by the Atlantis team, this drug is perfected. But it has a high price--it kills the Wraith and about half the population of Hoff due to side-effects . Shepard points out the Wraith are gonna get kind of annoyed at this and level the cities, but the Hoffrans don't care. They want to defeat the Wraith and are kind of upset when our heroes don't take the drug with them to offer to other cultures in the wake of the Wraith. Meanwhile, Shepard and the Wraith captured a few episodes ago engage in a Kira/Dar'heel debate ala one of DS9's finest hours, "Duet." The scene where Shepard agrees to "feed" the Wraith in return for information is nothing short of chilling.

In short, this is the best episode of Stargate Atlantis yet. It asks hard questions and gives us no easy answers. In the end, we feel the same horror our heroes do at what they've helped create. The only obvious part of this one was that cute Hoff girl, Perna, who Beckett takes a fancy to, has to die by episode's end. But otherwise, this show keeps getting better and better each week.


posted by Michael at 9/01/2004 02:33:00 PM | |

Woah..she's a babe!
Jeff over at A Little More to the Right, has a story about aspiring actress Laurie Coleman, wife of Minnesota Congressman, Norm Coleman. Seems Mrs. Coleman posed for some publicity photos that are generating a lot of positive buzz. Looking at them, I can see why.

To quote Wayne's World, "She's a babe...schwing!"

In researching more on this story (OK, trying to find other photos!), I found this article from the Star-Tribune in Minnesota that says Mrs. Coleman is 47. Again, I refer you to my Wayne's World quote above...

One burning question--how long until she's the Republican Babe of the Week?


posted by Michael at 9/01/2004 11:31:00 AM | |

Bad news for Monk fans
Just saw this over at TV Guide On-Line...

OBSESSIVE. COMPULSIVE. FIRED.: When Monk resumes the second half of its second third season in January, Tony Shalhoub's OCD-afflicted alter ego will be without his trusty sidekick. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bitty Schram has been let go for "creative" reasons. Although the split was said to be amicable, there's buzz that a salary dispute may have been behind her exit. In the meantime, Monk producers are looking to add a new female character, a widow who works as a bartender. Interested actresses must be in their thirties and be open to the idea of kissing Tony Shalhoub. From inside a bubble.

All I can say is--this may be the jump the shark moment for Monk. As great as his character is, he won't be quite the same without Shirona. It also makes you wonder if this season's Mr. Monk and the Game Show episode that was Shirona-less was an experiment by producers to see if Monk could work without Shirona. I think it's OK for one or two episode, but long-term it's not a great idea...

Oh, and a small note to TV Guide On-Line...I made a small edit to your story. Monk is in the third season, not the second.

posted by Michael at 9/01/2004 08:47:00 AM | |

Random RNC Thoughts
I tuned into the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather last evening (why I'm not quite sure yet) and saw a report about the Dems On Defense. (If you follow the link, you should be able to watch the video of the story be selecting the headline in question). In watching it, I was struck by a bit of a double standard by some in the Democratic party and the national media. The emphasis of the story was that the Republicans had all these big guns out there at their convention, rallying support for President Bush and the Democrats were whining about it. It's not fair that Bush has two of the most popular politicians in the country out there drumming up the vote for him on the opening night!

But wait a minute--didn't the Democrats have a former president in Bill Clinton, his wife, Hillary Rodham-Clinton and a former VP and candidate Al Gore at their convention, up there speaking for their party? And yet, you didn't hear Republicans saying--gee, it sure isn't fair that they've got all these high profile politicians out there, campaigning for them.

Also, there seems to be somewhat of a double standard when it comes to celebrity status and party affililiation. The Dems have a lot of the Hollywood elite on their side and their convention is one big party. You've got Michael Moore, Ben Affleck, Natalie Portman, etc. It's a big ol' party in Boston. But on the other side, when you see a report on celebretities who are Republican, it's almost like they should pull out their scarlets A's because of this shame. Why is that? Can't we accept that some celebrities choose be Democrat while others choose to be Republican and that it's OK either way?!? I can tell you right now that I have rarely, if ever, made a decision on who to vote for based on which celebrity supports the candidate.

And I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there who make the decision on who to vote for based on issues and the political stand of a politician and not whether or not Barbara Streissand think they are good for America. Grow up, people!

In other news...
A Nashville-based company is producing the hip new fashion accessory of the RNC--John Kerry Flip-Flops. With the slogan of Caution: May Change Direction at Any Time, the flip-flops are sure to be what all the fashionable beach going RNCers are wearing this fall. If you don't want flip-flops, you can also buy a T-shirt over at their web site....


posted by Michael at 9/01/2004 08:30:00 AM | |