Pressing On!

Super Bowl Answers

2010-02-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

So, the Super Bowl didn't go as I had hoped, but I have to give credit to the Saints, they played an excellent game. At least a former Alabama player, Roman Harper, got himself a Super Bowl championship since he never won a BCS Championship.

Well, without further ado, here are the answers to the questions from yesterday.

1. In 1998, John Elway and the Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.

2. The Cowboys, the 49ers, and the Steelers are the 3 teams who have won at least 5 Super Bowls.

3. In 1969, Joe Namath, guaranteed victory in the Super Bowl and delivered by leading the Jets to an upset victory over the Colts.

4. The Washington Redskins have won the Super Bowl 3 times, in 1983, 1988, and 1992.

5. In 2001, the Baltimore Raven's middle linebacker Ray Lewis was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXV.

6. Backing his team in 1999, Atlanta's mayor put up peanuts and a case of coke in a bet.

7. The Buffalo Bills lost 4 straight Super Bowls.

8. Mike Jones, whose tackle saved the Super Bowl for the St. Louis Rams in 2000, was released in 2001.

9. Super Bowl XXXVIII was in 2004, Super Bowl I was in 1967.

10. The only city to have a Super Bowl champion and Stanley Cup champion in the same year was Pittsburgh in 2009.

The Super Bowl

2010-02-07T13:36:00.002-05:00

Since today is the day of the big game, I thought I would post some trivia questions about the Super Bowl. The questions (or answers I should say) come courtesy of Jeopardy and the website J! Archive. I'll list the answers and then tomorrow list the questions, you can see how many you know. Go Colts!

$100 - In 1998 John Elway and this team sent the Green Bay Packers packing to win their first Super Bowl.

$400 - These 3 teams have won at least 5 Super Bowls.

$400 - In 1969 this QB guaranteed victory in the Super Bowl and delivered, beating the Colts 16-7.

$500 - 3 time Super Bowl champs, they won in 1983, 1988, and 1992.

$800 - In January 2001 this team's middle linebacker Ray Lewis was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXV.

$800 - Backing his team in 1999, this city's mayor put up peanuts and a case of coke in a bet.

$800 - This football team from New York state lost 4 straight Super Bowls.

$1600 - Mike Jones, whose tackle saved the Super Bowl for this team in 2000, was released in 2001.

$2000 - Super Bowl XXXVIII was in 2004, this was the year of Super Bowl I.

Final Jeopardy - It's the only city whose teams won the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup in the same year.

Sweet Potatoes

2010-02-05T10:52:00.002-05:00

February is National Sweet Potato month. In honor of that, I thought I would tell some interesting facts about this wonderful vegetable.

North Carolina is the #1 producer of sweet potatoes in the country, producing almost 700 million pounds of sweet potatoes in 2007.
Sweet potatoes were grown in Peru as early as 750 BC.
George Washington Carver is known for his peanut inventions, but he also came up with 118 different products using sweet potatoes.
During World War I when wheat flour was running low, sweet potato flour was used to stretch supplies of wheat flour in baked goods.
They are delicious!

What is Right

2010-01-27T16:11:00.002-05:00

Today, I did something that was right. It was very obviously the right thing to do, even a child would have known it was the right thing to do. Yet, it was a difficult thing to do. I wanted to ignore it, walk away, and pretend to be ignorant. I knew what the right thing was, it didn't even inconvenience me all that much, but it was still a difficult decision. Why is it that even the simplest decisions become so difficult when it comes to choosing between right and wrong?

It reminds me of the verse: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." - Romans 7:15

On a side note I wanted to mention my wife's blog: http://kmcbride83.blogspot.com/. In the last few years, Kimberly and I have been wanting to cut back on what we spend on gifts for christmas and also give more to charity as well. Kimberly has a very obvious passion for giving to others as well as doing various crafts...she has recently discovered a way to combine the two passions. Please go check out her blog to read more about it.

Waiting

2009-09-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

I'm reading a book about a man who promised to build a school for children in a village in the mountains of Pakistan. So, he went home to America and raised money and got supplies and returned a year later only to find out that they needed a bridge first.

Sometimes it feels as though having to wait for something is delaying what should be happening now. Lately, I'm coming to the realization that maybe when we have to wait for something it's because we aren't quite ready yet. We are being given the opportunity to prepare a little more, and testing our patience all the while.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry." - Psalm 40:1

"Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." - Colossians 3:12

God in everything

2009-09-16T11:18:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've been listening to the newest album from mewithoutYou, and if you've ever listened to them, you know they've got some pretty powerful lyrics. I could probably write several posts on their songs, but I'll just stick to one song in particular that has been running through my head quite a bit lately.

In everywhere we look

Allah, Allah, Allah

In everyone we meet

Allah, Allah, Allah

In every blade of grass

Allah, Allah, Allah

It doesn't matter what you've done...

what effect is without a cause?

so what does it matter what you think you've done?

now, lay your faithless head down

in neccessity's Cotton Hand

there's a Love that never changes

no matter what you've done

-Allah Allah Allah

It's funny to me that I can accept God's forgiveness for myself, and then turn around and be so critical of other people. I'm no better than these other people and they deserve God's forgiveness just as much as I do. God is in everything and everyone, we just need to stop and notice that. When we do, I think we'll see people as God does.

Best game ever!

2009-08-31T11:58:00.002-04:00

So, Saturday night, Kimberly and I took in our last Bulls game before we leave the country. It was the Bulls vs. the Gwinnett Braves and they were in a tie for first place in the division coming into the game.

The Braves jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but the Bulls brought it back to within 2 runs (7-5) to start the bottom of the 9th. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and a full count, Reid Brignac hit a shot that just cleared the right field fence and tied the game up at 7-7.

The game continued like this until the top of the 14th when the Braves scored 2 runs off of Bulls infielder, Ray Olmedo. In the bottom of the 14th, the Bulls loaded the bases, then cleared them on Jon Weber's game winning double.

The game lasted over 5 hours and was easily the most exciting game I have ever witnessed in person. What a way to see my final Bulls game! I only wish everyone else I know could have been there.

The Last Day

2009-08-28T06:21:00.003-04:00

On February 8, 2006 I began working at my current job. Today, on August 28, 2009, I am entering work here for the last day. It's definitely started off as a day of mixed emotions. Initial mood when I got out of bed was one of excitement, because I can finally rest and relax for a little while before Kimberly and I leave the country. I thought that excitement would be the overriding emotion for the day...I was wrong.

This morning as I'm pulling into work, I'm remembering the very first day I drove to work here. The nervousness at the new job, meeting new people, etc. The excitement because I finally had a job after searching for a month. Then I started to think about all the changes that have happened in the 3 1/2 years that I've worked here.

I've gotten married, made new friends here at work, got a new position, seen friends leave from work. I also think I've matured quite a bit in my time. I'll miss the friends that I've made here, but the experiences from this job are what's going to stick with me the most.

The one impact I hope to have had during my time here is that I've earned the respect and friendship of everyone I've worked with.

Goodbye.

Things that bother me...

2009-08-25T07:22:00.003-04:00

Three things that bother me:

1. People who tailgate.

Whoever thought this would be a good idea? I mean, when I'm going the speed limit and you are riding my bumper, it's not going to make me go faster. It's only going to make you get more mad, and I hate to see the day that the person you are tailgating has to slam on brakes and you slam into the back of their car.

2. People who drive in the pouring rain with no lights on.

I'm going down the interstate at 60 mph and can't see cars coming up behind me because they are driving a gray car in the pouring rain with no lights on...very dangerous.

3. People who park in non-parking locations when there are parking spaces nearby.

Yesterday, Kimberly and I were at the park and a guy pulls up and parks on the grass. The crazy thing is there were dozens of parking spaces within sight of where he parked. My first assumption is that he was just lazy, but no he was there to do a run. So why couldn't he just park 20 feet down in a parking space?

La Máquina

2009-08-05T07:48:00.002-04:00

That up above is translated from Spanish to "The Machine" and it's the nickname that has been given to Albert Pujols, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.

I just saw a statistic this morning on ESPN that was absolutely stunning and had to share it.

With the bases loaded this year, Albert Pujols is:

7 for 9 with 5 HRs and 24 RBIs.

That means if you are pitching against him, it's pretty much better to walk him and give up a run than to possibly give up his average of almost 3 RBIs per AB with the bases loaded. The 5 Grand Slams in one season ties the National League record. The Major League record is 6 by Travis Hafner and Don Mattingly.

Bad Luck Charm

2009-07-20T11:08:00.002-04:00

I mentioned in my previous post that Kimberly took me to see the Braves play the Nationals in Washington, DC. It was my first Braves game away from Atlanta, but the 7th one overall. While I've enjoyed myself, the Braves haven't had much success when I'm in attendance.

June 7, 1991 (Montreal Expos) - Steve Avery vs. Oil Can Boyd - Braves held it close at 4-1 before giving up 3 in the 8th and 4 in the 9th and lose 11-2.

June 8, 1991 (Montreal Expos) - Pete Smith vs. Brian Barnes - Braves scored early and held off the Expos for a 7-6 win.

September 5, 1999 (Arizona Dbacks) - Tom Glavine vs. Randy Johnson - Chipper hit 2 HRs and put the Braves in a position to win before with 2 outs in the 9th and a one run lead, Eddie Perez threw away a dropped 3rd strike. The Dbacks scored 3 more runs and won 7-5.

April 5th, 2001 (NY Mets) - Odalis Perez vs. Rick Reed - Reed gave up 1 run on 3 hits and the Braves were never in it, losing 7-1.

August 12, 2001 (Arizona Dbacks) - Greg Maddux vs. Albie Lopez - Junior Spivey of the Dbacks went 5 for 5 with 5 singles against Maddux and the Braves lost once again, 9-1.

June 22, 2003 (Baltimore Orioles) - Shane Reynolds vs. Jason Johnson - I don't remember anything about this game except it was blisteringly hot and the Braves lost 9-3.

July 4, 2009 (Washington Nationals) - Tommy Hanson vs. John Lannan - Hanson pitched 7 innings and gave up 3 hits and 1 run; the Braves bullpen pitched 1 inning and gave up 4 hits and 4 runs; Braves lose 5-3.

So there you have it, the Braves are 1-6 and have been outscored 22-54 in the games I've been to. Maybe I should buy season tickets to see the Yankees play?

Daytrippin'

2009-07-14T09:32:00.001-04:00

So, a little update on what's been going on lately with us. Last weekend, Kimberly took me to Washington, DC to go see a baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals. It was a great experience since I'm a huge baseball fan. On the way, we stopped in Richmond to see her grandmother and Uncle Lee. I had only seen her grandmother one other time and that was at our wedding 3 years ago, so that was nice. After we returned on Sunday night we had supper with Kim's sister Heather and her husband Chris as they were in town for a concert.

This past weekend, we drove to her parents Friday night and stayed with them one night, visiting with them and her other grandmother and Uncle Roy. Saturday, we drove down to Georgia and saw my brother and his wife, who we hadn't seen since Christmas. It was good to catch up with them and see their new apartment that they moved into last month. Then it was on to see Allison and Patti who we hadn't seen in over 2 years. We stayed with them Saturday and and Sunday night and went to Faith's wedding reception Sunday afternoon down near Atlanta. We were also able to hang out with the other Allison Sunday night, so that was good as well. Finally, Monday morning we made the long trek back to Durham.

For the past 10 days we have driven/ridden 1300+ miles, visited with 11 family members we hadn't seen in quite some time and a handful of friends that we hadn't seen in over 2 years. It was exhausting, but we definitely had a good time. To our friends down in Georgia, thank you for a great weekend and it's a shame that we don't see more of each other. It was almost like old times again.

What was your best day?

2009-07-07T10:58:00.002-04:00

I'm reading a book right now called A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America. Buck O'Neil was a Negro League ballplayer who never got the chance to play in the Major Leagues because of segregation. Regardless of this unfortunate restriction placed on him, he remained a person full of life and joy and kind to all. In the book he asks the author, "What was your best day in baseball?" Buck's was the day he hit for the cycle and then later met his future wife. He says remembering that will keep you young.

But this doesn't just apply to baseball, thus the title of my post. Ask yourself, "what was your best day?" Remember the times in life when you felt like you were at your best. Hold on to that.

What was your best day?

Baseball rant time!

2009-06-25T10:45:00.002-04:00

Just thought I would warn everyone.

So, for those who know or care, Manny Ramirez (Man-Ram) was suspended back in May for testing positive for steroids. It is a 50-game suspension without pay (meaning he'll lose 7 million in salary this year); he's set to return to the team on July 3rd.

So, I just learned this past week that he'll begin playing with the Albuquerque Isotopes (LA's triple A team) until he can go back to playing in LA. Also, ESPN is going to feature each and every one of his at-bats. Is it just me or does it seem odd that he can play professional baseball while on suspension from professional baseball? ESPN should be speaking out against this too, not going along with it and profiting off of it.

I was so happy to see an actual professional baseball player get penalized decently, but baseball allowing this is just depressing.

Stranded on the Front Porch

2009-06-15T13:29:00.002-04:00

I've been drawing blanks on what to post here lately, and I even talked about that on Saturday afternoon. Who knew that what happened late Saturday night/Sunday morning would provide me just the story to break my draught.

So Kimberly and I were house sitting for a lady that Kimberly knew from a previous job. The lady, who was going on vacation to Florida, lives in the northern part of Durham county. In Durham county, once you drive north of the city there is pretty much a 15 mile stretch of nothing but farmland and really big houses with lots of property. The house is located in a new neighborhood with probably only 20 homes.

We were also watching and feeding her dogs, and Saturday night one of them started to bark pretty crazily at around 2:30. We woke up to investigate and decided to let the dog out of the garage. I stepped out the back door, went through the yard, and opened the back door of the garage to let the dog out. In the meantime Kimberly stepped out the back door also, to tell me something. It was then that we realized we were locked out.

It was 2:30 AM, I'm wearing only shorts and some shoes, Kimberly is wearing only pajamas and no shoes. No keys to the house, no keys to our car, and no phone and a nearly empty neighborhood. After checking all of the doors and windows, and trying to break into the house, we decided the only other option was to go to someone's house. So at now approximately 3 AM we walked through the neighborhood half dressed and rang a doorbell.

Let me tell you, that was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, because there is no telling how the person is going to react. Luckily, we got a friendly if not confused elderly couple who was nice enough to let us use their phone. After calling several people and still not being able to get in the house, we called my dad to make the 20 minute drive from his house to pick us up. We made it to their house a little bit after 4 and crashed into the bed.

It was easily the most bizarre night of my life, but one that I'll never forget.

Summer Reading

2009-05-18T11:43:00.002-04:00

Just a few of the books that I intend to read this summer. Being that I'm a baseball fan, it's 99% books about baseball.

The Meaning of Ichiro - Robert Whiting

As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires - Bruce Weber

The Complete Game - Ron Darling

Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit - Matt McCarthy

Summer of '49 - David Halberstam

When Baseball Went to War - Todd Anton

Beyond Belief - Josh Hamilton

The Teammates - David Halberstam

Ernie Harwell - Tom Keegan

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig - Jonathan Eig

Satchel Paige's America - William Price Fox

On the Road - Jack Keroauc

What are you going to be reading this summer?

Random Thoughts

2009-04-29T08:04:00.004-04:00

I typically do these random thoughts blogs when I haven't posted in a while. I just haven't had that much to post about lately, but here goes.

Just watched a movie called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly about a man that has a stroke and gets locked in his mind. He only has the ability to blink his left eye, but manages to write a book about his life and experience. True story, great movie!
Today is the 55th birthday of the man, the myth, the legend...Jerry Seinfeld. In honor of him, please watch at least one episode of the show today, you can bet I will.
A couple of weeks ago Nick Swisher played first base for the Yankees, hit a HR, and then came in to pitch a scoreless inning. The only other time that an AL pitcher hit a HR and pitched in a game since the DH was Jeff Kunkel of the Texas Rangers in 1989.
Switchfoot posted this statement on their Twitter last week: "So we haven't been entirely honest when we said we've been recording a new record. The truth is, we actually recorded 4 albums, 80+ songs. We'll be releasing them one at a time, starting with the first one this aug/sept." - Incredible!

Pursuing your dream!

2009-04-17T14:45:00.001-04:00

Kimberly and I just finished watching a movie called Man on Wire. It was about a man by the name of Philippe Petit, who back in 1974 wire walked between the World Trade Center towers for 45 minutes. It was a pretty incredible feat, but the real accomplishment was how he did it.

He realized that he wanted to do it back in 1968 before ground had even been broken on the towers. On top of that, he would have to do the walk without the permission of the World Trade Center since there was no way they were going to allow someone to wire walk 1350 feet above Manhattan. He pretended to be a French journalist, a construction worker, and a electric fence installer all in order to investigate the buildings and set up equipment. He was even caught by the police one time, but it never deterred him from his dream. Hearing him talk now 30+ years later you can hear the excitement in his voice. Clearly this was his passion.

What are you passionate about? What would you do to pursue your dream and would you let anything stand in your way?

Town Hall for Hope

2009-04-17T08:01:00.003-04:00

The economy is bad right now, we all know that, but it doesn't have to be bad for you. If you're sick and tired of hearing all the bad news about the economy then go to a Town Hall for Hope meeting near you. Dave Ramsey will be providing insiteful answers to questions that are nagging at you about the current economy. Even if you are not currently struggling financially this will be helpful resource for your future.

This is being broadcast live in over 5,000 different venues nationwide, so I'm sure there is one near you. Find one, go!

Good Friday Service

2009-04-13T10:38:00.003-04:00

Friday night we went to the Good Friday Service at Duke Chapel and let me say, it was an awesome experience. It started off like a typical service with hymns sung and a brief sermon. After that, there six candles and a "Christ" candle lit up front. Someone came and read six passages from Matthew, starting with the scene in Gethsamane and ending with the crucifixion. After each passage was read, we sung a line from a hymn and a candle was extinguished. By the end, all of the candles and all of the lights were cut off in the chapel. When I say all of the lights, I mean ALL of the lights!

If you ever wondering what a big chapel like Duke's looks like with all the lights off at night, it's really dark. As I was sitting there, I was expecting the lights to come back on after a few seconds, but they didn't. I kept hoping they would come back on, but they still didn't. The thought that ran through my mind at that point was, "this is what the disciples must have felt like after Jesus died." Total dispair, waiting for something to happen, but nothing. They had placed ALL of their hopes on this man being their Messiah and now he's dead. To me it only added to the awesomeness of the ressurection. It was truly and amazing experience.

Also, we were in a thunderstorm, so shortly after the lights went off we had lightning that lit up the entire chapel, followed by a huge clap of thunder!

Maundy Thursday

2009-04-10T08:53:00.002-04:00

"I no longer call you servants, because I servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my father, I have made known to you." - Matthew 15:15

Sometimes a friend is called an "other self." What this means is that a friend is basically an extension of you. When your friend celebrates, you celebrate with them. When your friend grieves, you grieve with them. Jesus called us friends, therefore we should suffer with him in his crucifixion. We didn't have to go to the cross; Jesus did that for us, but our "selves" should die daily, just as Jesus died for us.

This is just one of the messages I heard like night that I really liked. The service was very formal. We sung hymns, did recitations, and had scripture readings. Duke is Methodist although it kind of came off what I imagine a Catholic Church to be like. I'm not sure if this is typical for a Methodist Church or if Duke does things different. At first it's easy to be critical of the ritualistic nature of the service, seeing as how that I have attended mostly churches that try to get away from that. However, I really enjoyed it. It's very bare bones and straight to the point.

I love my church, but sometimes my non-traditional church can become repetitive and very traditional in it's own way. Going to a service like this helped me regain my focus on what's most important, especially at this time of year.

Holy Week

2009-04-09T10:15:00.001-04:00

So Kim and I are doing something this year that neither of us has ever done before. We are going to holy week services. Tonight we are going to Duke Chapel for Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday service and tomorrow night we are going for Good Friday service. Maundy Thursday is done to remember the passover meal with the disciples, the washing of the feet, the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and the events of the Garden of Gethsemane so I'm not really sure what to expect from this. Good Friday services, I'm told, are very somber as they remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. My hope for this service is that the somberness of focusing on Jesus' death will give me an even greater appreciation of what happened on Easter Sunday. I plan on writing about my experiences with the two services, but I would encourage you to try to find a service in your area that you can attend to, I think it will be worth your while.

One of a kind

2009-04-05T14:11:00.002-04:00

So, I just saw a story about a man named Jim Ancel. Mr. Ancel is a collector of baseball memorabilia. He's got the jersey that George Brett wore in the "pine tar incident", he's got the line-up card from Ripken's record breaking game, he's got letters from Lou Gehrig to his doctor, and he's even got a love letter from Marylin Monroe to Joltin' Joe DiMaggio; it's an impressive collection.

But those pale in comparison to his other items. He has a baseball collection that is truly one of a kind, so much so that not even the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown can match. He has baseballs signed by all the Presidents of the United States dating back to Theodore Roosevelt! The ball signed by President Roosevelt is the only one known to exist. Of the next 5 presidents, only his ball and one at the Hall of Fame actually exist. As a fan of the sport and a minor collector of items, seeing this story is jaw dropping, it's history right there to see.

Restoration

2009-03-30T07:17:00.002-04:00

Just read an amazing article about the struggles and restoration of former Newsboys singer John James. You may not know who he is/was, but it's still a great story of how God can still heal all the things that we try to mess up. It's a long article, but definitely worth the reading.

Facts about Turkmenistan

2009-03-27T11:57:00.004-04:00

So, I guess it's time for me to give some information on the country that Kimberly and I might be going to with the Peace Corp in September. I'm a little hesitant since I did this for Morocco and it didn't work out. If you want to read what I wrote about Morocco, check here, here, and here .

Capital City: Ashgabat (loosely means City of Love)
Population: 5 million+
Religions: Islam (89%), Eastern Orthodox (9%), Unknown (2%)
On the same longitudinal plane (same distance from the equator) as Richmond, VA. However, because there's no shade in the desert, it's much hotter in Turkmenistan.
They are a democratic nation, which is another reason I am disappointed about not going to Morocco. I really wanted to experience living under a Monarchy.
They are bordered by the Caspian Sea to the west, Iran to the southwest, Afghanistan to the southeast, Uzbekistan to the northwest, and Kazakstan to the northeast (yes, the one that Borat is from).
It was a member of the Soviet Union until 1991, therefore many of its influences are Russian.
One last bit of information I'll leave you with for now: In 2008 Turkmenistan scored a 1.8 on the Corruption Perception Index on a scale of 0 (most corrupt) to 10 (least corrupt).

More to come at a later date.

Childhood memories

2009-03-26T14:03:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite books as a kid was a wonderfully short book called Where the Wild Things Are. It was about this kid Max who makes his parents mad and gets sent to his room without supper. While he's there he imagines a wild place with wild creatures and goes on a great adventure. The book is only 10 sentences long, but has some of the most amazing pictures you will ever see in a children's book.

It has now been turned into a movie. I know you are probably thinking that they might have ruined it, but I saw the trailer and it looks equally amazing. Go here to check it out and I hope you get as excited as I did yesterday. I almost cried.

WWJD (What Would Jack Do)

2009-03-24T09:04:00.002-04:00

This is a segment that I wanted to do called What Would Jack Do. In it, I will present a difficult situation and then answer by telling what Jack Bauer would do in that particular situation.

Okay, imagine you are driving down the road transporting a cargo container holding a biological weapon. You look up in the rearview mirror and notice that there are some flashing lights on the container. Curious, you stop the truck, get out, and see that there is damage to the container and the biological weapon inside is now leaking some kind of gas. What would Jack do?

Well, obviously he would take a deep breath, open the container, run inside and turn a simple valve to shut off the gas pouring out.

WHAT!?!?! If that sounded illogical you're not alone. This actually took place on last night's episode of 24. I love the show, but that's a tad bit absurd.

New Music - Fleet Foxes

2009-03-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

So, I love to tell people about the new music that I pick up, especially when it's someone new altogether. Yesterday, I picked up an album I've heard quite a bit about. It's the debut album by a group called Fleet Foxes. Their style is kind of folk, a little bit of rock, and heavy on the instruments. It's a nice sound and also very relaxing.

I encourage anyone out there to give them a shot, even if it doesn't sound like the type of music you would normally listen to. It never hurts to expand your horizons.

I love March!

2009-03-11T11:40:00.002-04:00

As a sports fan, I love the month of March. You have March Madness, which really begins the last couple of weeks of February, and then you have Spring Training for baseball. It really doesn't get any better than having those two go on at the same time. At least, I didn't think it could get any better.

This year I've gotten into the World Baseball Classic. Three years ago when it took place I could have cared less and I can't tell you anything that happened. This year is different though, and last night really proved it as I found myself pulling for a baseball team from the Netherlands, who have players that I've never heard of (except Randall Simon and Sidney Ponson). They beat The Dominican Republic, who have lots of players I've heard of (including some All-Stars and future HOFers). They didn't just beat The Dominican Republic, they eliminated The Dominican Republic from the entire competition, they sent them home. Check out the web page, read the rosters, love the World Baseball Classic.

The conference tournaments in basketball have been particularly good this year as well. There have been upsets (18-16 UTChattanooga winning their tourney, Cleveland St. beating Butler to win theirs), there have been close games (a couple OT championship games), and even a first time participant (North Dakota St. in their first year of eligibility). It's already ridiculously good and we haven't even made it to the big conference tournaments or the NCAA tournament yet. To see about all of the tournaments, go here.

Welcome to the family

2009-03-04T14:23:00.004-05:00

My wife has finally joined the blogging community and I would like to personally welcome her. I would also like to encourage anyone and everyone to check her blog out, it's called Kitchen Contemplations. She is blogging about pretty much whatever is on her mind (what else do people blog about?), but also is focusing on various things she cooks (which she loves to do), and also about things we are doing to conserve. Just today she posted a great blog about a company that produces biodegradable plates, silverware, coffee cups, and other products. Not only do these breakdown in a landfill (or more ideally in a composter), but they appear to be a little bit cheaper so they should save you some money too. So check her out, enjoy, and leave some love.

Brrr!

2009-03-03T06:44:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the North Carolina winter. In case you're new to the area, the typical (at least for this part of NC) winter is mild temps in December, really cold temps in January with maybe a snow shower, really cold early February, winter appears to end in late February, and then some freak winter weather (i.e. 3-5 inches of snow or bitterly cold weather) shows up out of nowhere.

This morning it was 15 degrees here in Durham when I got up. I thought my hands were going to freeze off just walking from my vehicle (which is my dad's van without heat) into work.

I will say this though, the snow that we got Sunday night and Monday morning was absolutely gorgeous. I will never tire of seeing snow falling and accumulating on the ground.

Lent

2009-02-25T13:13:00.004-05:00

I'm not if you observe Lent or not, but it's something I've been trying to observe over the last several years or so. Sometimes I'm really sucessful and sometimes not, but I usually try. I often have a hard time deciding what to give up because I want it to be a sacrifice, but I want something to motivate me. This year was easy.

Blood:Water Mission (an organization I am very big on) put out the challenge to drink only water during Lent and take the money you would have normally spent on other drinks and donate it to help build wells in Africa. I'm not telling you this to brag about what I'm doing for Lent, but to encourage you to give this a try. Heck, even if you don't decide to do this for Lent, at least consider donating money to such a wonderful cause.

On a side note to Jace: The last time Duke scored 100 in a game was 12/17/07 against Albany (111-70) and the last time they scored 100 against an ACC team was 02/20/05 against Wake Forest (102-92).

Peace Corp Reboot

2009-02-23T13:19:00.002-05:00

So, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but I really haven't had anything worth sharing with the outside world.

However, today Kimberly and I found out for sure where we'll be going with the Peace Corp. We now know we will be going to Turkmenistan (or Stan to Kimberly) and leaving sometime in late September. That's a long time away, but we are still eager to experience to the Peace Corp and all it has to offer so we are going along. I'll post more details when I know it.

St. Valentine

2009-02-13T07:04:00.003-05:00

An article on Wikipedia states that the first mention of a Saint Valentine was 3rd century Rome where a priest was marrying Christian couples. At this time it was illegal to aide Christians, who were being persecuted by the Romans at the time. The priest was arrested by Claudius II and actually gained favor with him until he tried to convert the emperor. At that point, Claudius decided to carry out his execution. He was beaten with stones and clubs and when that didn't work he was finally beheaded.

So how did this incident turn into what we know as Valentine's Day now? Is it because people still want to make guys suffer like St. Valentine by forcing them to have to decide on what to get that special someone. Personally, I think the whole "holiday" is bogus, but I can't get away with ignoring it. I love my wife 365 days a year and I tell her every day. The best I can do is to not fall into the trap of buying 2 dozen roses and paying $5 for a card. Roses and chocolates and cards have killed the imagination of men everywhere (not to mention the wallets). So, I know it's late, but do something creative and out of the ordinary for your special someone this year.

The Circus!

2009-02-08T07:54:00.005-05:00

These are just a couple of pictures from mine and Kimberly's trip to the Circus on Thursday night. We had great seats (surprisingly) and really enjoyed all of the acts, except for the feather girl who was blocking our view of the elephants. The only thing I thought was odd was all the singing in the show. Since when did the circus become a musical? Either way it was lots of fun and a memory I won't soon forget.

A Reason for the Pain

2009-02-08T07:43:00.002-05:00

So, I'm a pretty big fan of the show Lost; I watch it on a weekly basis. For those that don't watch the show, lately it has involved inadvertant time travel. What I mean is the people on the island are traveling back and forth through time without being able to control it. This past week, they had gone back in time again and one of the characters came across a particularly troubling time in his past. One of the other characters asked him why he didn't go and stop himself from doing whatever it was. His response was this, "I needed that pain to get where I am now."

Many times we view the difficult times in our lives and wish we could go back and change them. But those are what really made us who we are. We either learned from those mistakes or they made us stronger people than we were before. I can think of a few instances that I would love to go back and change in my life, but if I did that I know it would change the person that I am now. What did you learn from a difficult time in your past? How is God shaping you through your mistakes?

Songs for hope...and help!

2009-01-31T22:23:00.002-05:00

So I recently discovered that the band Mae, who I really, really enjoy their music has decided to do something interesting with their new music. They are big supporters of Habitat for Humanity and wanted their fans to get involved as well. So, instead of just releasing a cd as usual, they are releasing a song each month on their site and if you donate at least a dollar to Habitat you get the song, plus a description of the what the song is about and what it supports. I think this is a really cool idea, since I'm a big fan of Habitat and also Mae. You can enjoy the music and love what you are doing to help out at the same time.

It might be too late to get the song that's available for January, but go here to get the next one and keep coming back.

Jeopardy

2009-01-28T11:44:00.002-05:00

I did an online tryout for Jeopardy last night on a whim. I usually do pretty well when sitting in my living room, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a live tryout where they ask you 50 questions about various topics and you have 15 seconds to correctly answer each one. I think if I had to make a wild guess, I answered about 10 of the 50 and probably only answered 5 of those 10 correctly.

The problem was that they didn't ask any questions about topics I know. They asked about world religion when they should have asked about Emmanuel College, they asked literature questions when they should have asked me about Seinfeld, they asked political questions when they should have been asking me about my extensive knowledge of the NCAA tournament or Major League baseball. Alex just must have gotten his cards mixed up. Maybe he'll get it right next time.

Busy weekend

2009-01-26T13:01:00.004-05:00

Saturday night: Kim and I went and saw Slumdog Millionaire, a movie we've been waiting to see for some time now. It did not disappoint either. It's the story of a kid from Mumbai, India who grew up in the slums with nothing and makes it big on India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It's an amazing story with great acting and will most definitely move you. I'm not usually one who cares about all the awards ceremonies, but I really hope this one wins an award or two.

Sunday morning: We went to Duke Chapel to see Shane Claiborne speak. It was great if just for the experience of the church service. Duke is a Methodist school, and so the service is much different than what I'm used to, but I really got a lot out of it. Shane spoke about how we as Christian's should not be dismayed by the things going on around us. We have a greater reward coming to us and therefore should be a light in the dark times that the world is experiencing. It was a very good message. If you don't know anything about him, I suggest you pick up his book The Irresistable Revolution and at least read some of it.

5 Years From Now

2009-01-23T10:35:00.004-05:00

So this May is officially 5 years since I graduated college and I was thinking about the question that you always get at the end of college, "what do you think you'll be doing in 5 years?" I don't remember what my response was, but I can guarantee you it wasn't what I'm actually doing. I thought I probably would be finishing up grad school, dating Kimberly, and probably preparing for my first real job. Instead, I'm living in Durham still, working a job that doesn't pay much more than the ones I had in college, and I am married.

Things don't always work out like we expect them to or believe that they should. That's not to say that life will be bad, mine is far from it but plan for the unexpected. I have a job (that's more than most can say right now), I have a wonderful church family, I have the hope of a future in the Peace Corp, and I have an amazing wife. Sometimes we get into the mindset that since we planned well that our plans for our life must be God's plans for our life.

God I want to have the confidence in your plan, no matter what that may be for my life, and even if it conflicts with my plans for my life.

Sick dunk!

2009-01-22T09:43:00.001-05:00

Sorry it's been a while but I really haven't had anything to write. I hope this makes up for it. This is a video clip from a nasty dunk by a guy from Anderson University (formerly Anderson College) in Anderson, SC. Unbelievable!

John Smoltz

2009-01-15T12:01:00.002-05:00

Days gone by...

2009-01-12T07:22:00.003-05:00

I was reading somewhere the other day about how we like to romanticize the past and dream of going back to a time in our childhood when we thought things were better. Though they stated that usually things weren't really better then than they are now, it's just that we tend to forget the bad stuff from those times.

That being said, if you could go back to another time in your life or another period in time, when would that be? Mine would be either my junior year of college or if I could go to another period in time it would probably be the 1950s. The 50s to me were the golden age of baseball and I just think it would be a lot of fun. So what would you choose? I'm interested to know.

Curveballs

2009-01-11T03:41:00.002-05:00

I've always heard the phrase, "sometimes life throws you curveballs" and took it to mean that sometimes life gives you something that you're not expecting and it stinks. But lately I've been thinking about that, and as a baseball fan I don't think that's what it means.

A curveball is a pitch that when you see it initially you think it's a bad pitch. Your gut reaction is to bail out because it looks like you're going to get hit or to not swing because you think it's a lousy pitch. But what good players know, is if you recognize it for what it is and hang in there, you can hit it out of the park.

I think that's really the situation that Kimberly and I are at right now. We're getting a big fat curve and our initial reaction is fear of a bad pitch, but I think we should just hang in there.

The Minute Mustache

2009-01-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

This was my mustache that I had for just a brief period of time this morning. I was shaving my weeks worth of facial growth and decided to surprise Kim. Boy was she surprised! She basically told me to immediately go to the bathroom and kill the woolly worm.

*As a side note, I need to apologize because I completely forgot to mention, in my previous post, that Skip Carey (may he rest in peace) is gone from the Atlanta Braves...as is TBS.

The End of an Era

2009-01-08T10:45:00.004-05:00

So word has just come across the wire that the Red Sox and John Smoltz are close to sealing a one year deal. While I'm glad for the Red Sox, I have more of an attachment to the Atlanta Braves and this news saddens me like no other news...probably like the day I found out the Braves let Dale Murphy go to the Phillies. I see this as the end of an era though. These are no longer the Braves of my youth.

Gone is:

Ted Turner

John Schuerholz

David Justice

"Neon" Deion

Terry Pendleton

Ron Gant

Greg Maddux

Tom Glavine - Technically he's back, but I think the Mets just returned his body like the alien abductees in The X-Files.

John Rocker

Andruw Jones

Rafael Furcal

Mike Hampton - Oh wait, I'm glad he's gone

Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff

Vinny Castilla (twice)

Francisco "the one hit wonder" Cabrera - I made that nickname up just now

The Revolving door of closers (Wohlers, Merker, Stanton, Rocker, Lightenberg, etc.)

Ryan Klesko

Rafael Belliard

Mark Lemke

I suppose Chipper Jones is the next to go since he's a free agent after this season, but hopefully since they don't have any other players they can at least afford him for a few more years. I feel my childhood slowly slipping down the drain.

Google maps to the rescue!

2009-01-08T10:36:00.001-05:00

Those who read this wonderful blog know my love for Google Maps. Recently, police in Massachusetts used it to help find a girl who had been kidnapped by her grandmother. It's a great story that I encourage you to read here.

2008 Bowl Season

2009-01-07T12:10:00.002-05:00

This year I've seen an unusually high number of bowl games and I have to say, some were entertaining but most have stunk. Some of my favorites were:

Boise St./TCU (Even though I was pulling for Boise St.)
W. Virginia/UNC (Great game, great outcome)
Iowa/S. Carolina (Just funny to see Spurrier stomping up and down the sidelines)
Miss/Texas Tech (Shocking game)

This being said however, most were uninteresting, and I have to say it's the match-ups. I cannot stand arranged match-ups in specific bowls. For years people have been talking about how good USC is and how good the SEC is, but the two never meet. That's because they would have to meet in the championship game or not at all. For the past 3 years USC has abused 3 different Big Ten teams in the Rose Bowl. Enough with the crappy bowl games!!!

The Clip Show (Ep. 921 & 922) & The Finale (Ep. 923 & 924)

2008-12-31T05:19:00.002-05:00

The Clip show is exactly what it sounds like, an hour long show before the finale that showed clips of the previous 9 seasons. Obviously there is nothing to write about it, or an interesting quote to give to it. So, I'll just write about The Finale.

Jerry and George are given another shot at The Jerry Show and this time NBC is treating them right. They give them a private jet and tell Jerry that he can take it anywhere before coming out to LA to shoot the pilot for the show. He decides to take the whole gang to Paris and they all agree. On the plane, Kramer starts jumping up and down to get water from the beach out of his ear and ends up messing something up on the plane. They have to stop in Latham, Massachusetts and while the plane is getting fixed, the gang goes into town. While there they witness a carjacking of an overweight man and instead of helping, they make funny comments while Kramer videotapes.

They get arrested on a new law called the Good Samaritan Law and trying to get publicity and make an example out of them, the town of Latham pulls out all the stops. They call in people from the past 9 seasons to show that this was not an isolated event. The evidence piles up against the four of them and eventually the judge sentences them to one year in prison. While the show is ending with them in prison, they finish with Jerry and George having the same conversation that started the show ("The second button is the key button. It literally makes or breaks the shirt.")

Interesting quote: "I don't know how, or under what circumstances, the four of you found each other, but your callous indifference and utter disregard for everything that is good and decent has rocked the very foundation upon which our society is built." - Judge Art Vandalay

Grade: B+ (Lots of people didn't like this episode, but I still enjoy it. They just didn't like it because they weren't getting anymore new Seinfeld.)

Well....it's been fun.

Reasonable Risk

2008-12-26T14:05:00.002-05:00

Some people have questioned mine and Kimberly's choice to go overseas right now. Their argument is that it's not safe in the world and something might happen to us. Rest assured that the Peace Corp would not send us anywhere that they didn't feel was safe for us to go. We are not going into combat so therefore they are not sending us into warzone type environments. The goal of the Peace Corp is to provide assistance in any way possible to developing nations, and we wouldn't be able to provide assistance if the foreign country was not stable enough.

Now none of this is to say that conditions will be great, but that's the point. Peace Corp volunteers are expected to live at the level of most of the native people in their area. This is done so that the volunteer completely integrates themself into the society. It may be hard, but it is by no means unsafe. This is something that Kim and I have been looking for, for quite some time. We wanted an experience very unlike our life here in America, something to challenge us, and make us think outside our relatively cushy life here at home.

The Peace Corp is a risk, but as I stated in the title of this post, it's a Reasonable Risk.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade (Ep. 920)

2008-12-25T17:44:00.002-05:00

The gang is coming back from a baseball game at Shea Stadium and run into a road block because of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. They are stuck and all set out to do various things. George wants to go see a movie so he can use a funny line he's thought of, but this gets ruined by a guy with a laser pointer. Jerry wants to see the end of the baseball game since the Mets are making a comeback. Kramer is just enjoying the festivities and Elaine is trying to find a quick way home so she can unwind for the day.

Interesting fact: This episode never made it into reruns because of the outrage by the Puerto Ricans because in the episode Kramer catches the Puerto Rican flag on fire and starts stepping on it to put the fire out.

Interesting quote:

"Blimp: The Hindenburg Story" - George

"How was it?" - Jerry

"I found it morose. Why dwell on all those negative subjects?" - George

"Yeah. They should make a movie about all the Hindenburg flights that did make it." - Jerry

Grade: B

The Maid (Ep. 919)

2008-12-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

Jerry starts dating his maid and begins blurring the lines between dating and prostitution. George is tired of his name and wants to be called T-Bone, but someone else at work takes it. Later the coworkers start calling him Koko the monkey. Kramer gets upset because his girlfriend moves downtown and out of the area code. Elaine, upset that Kramer keeps sending faxes to her phone, changes her number, but gets the new area code also.

Interesting quote:

"Are you sure you don't have one [fax machine], because there's a lot of stuff in my apartment I've never seen." - Kramer

"Then maybe you have a fax machine." - Elaine

"You just blew my mind." - Kramer

Grade: B+

The Frogger (Ep. 918)

2008-12-25T08:22:00.001-05:00

George wants to save a Frogger arcade game that he holds the high score on, but this involves a complicated move across a busy street. Jerry dates a girl who finishes his sentences and he can't stand it. Elaine accidently eats a cake in Peterman's refrigerator that he had bought at an auction...it was from King Edward VII in 1937. Kramer gets crime scene tape from the police station, and also hears of a serial killer who's on the loose in the neighborhood.

Interesting quote: "She's a sentence finisher, it's like dating a Mad Libs." - Jerry

Grade: B-

*Just for the fun of it I found this free game of Frogger online in case you wanted to go back to your childhood when games just need a single joystick and an on/off button.

The Bookstore (Ep. 917)

2008-12-24T08:17:00.003-05:00

George takes a book from the bookstore into the bathroom and is forced to buy it for $100. He tries to return it at various locations, but it's been red flagged everywhere. Jerry catches Leo stealing from the same bookstore and decides to teach him a lesson, not knowing that he has "priors" on his record. Elaine gets wasted at the annual J. Peterman party and makes out with a coworker. Kramer and Newman set out to start a rickshaw taxi business in New York City, but have troubles when a homeless man steals their rickshaw.

Interesting quote:

"You went home with him?" - George

"Worse, we made out at the table like our plane was going down." - Elaine

Grade: B+ (very solidly funny episode)

*Also wanted to thank my friend Jace for my Grogger (Grammy for a Blogger)...I didn't even know I was nominated.

Showing the love of Christ

2008-12-23T15:34:00.002-05:00

If you don't at least tear up at this, then it's possible you have no heart. I was on the verge of tears while reading it and I'm here at work. Truly an amazing thing when someone does what is right, even when it seems opposite of what we're expected to do.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

Just some thoughts...

2008-12-23T12:45:00.002-05:00

We still haven't received our invitation, but at least now we know what the hold up was and it's being taken care of...slowly.
Just watched a movie called Winter Passing (it was just okay) and Will Ferrell played a musician in a former Christian rock band called Punching Pilate...just thought that was funny.
Also watched Run, Fat Boy, Run and thought it was pretty funny.
I did finally finish reading Le Miserables and I've never been more proud of myself for it. It was definitely a worthwhile 1200-page book to read.
Almost finished with Seinfeld, just 7 more episodes to go after a big weekend.
We are packing up and getting rid of things right now and it looks like someone has robbed us of all of our possessions. Just a recliner and TV in the living room, the microwave is sitting on the dryer, and we are using plastic ware utensils.
Doing a series at church called Messy Little Christmas and it's really good. Dave gave a very vivid description of the Roman soldiers killing the children in Matthew 2:16. Bethlehem was just a small tight-knit village of 300 or so people. Can you imagine what that must have been like?
But through it all, we know God is in control; "Be still and know that I am God..." - Psalms 46:10a

The Burning (Ep. 916)

2008-12-23T08:29:00.002-05:00

Elaine finds out that Puddy is religious and is upset because she thought he was more one-dimensional. Jerry’s girlfriend has a secret having to do with a tractor that she hasn’t told him. George tries to leave work meetings on a high note and ends up impressing his boss so much he gets all the work. Kramer and Mickey perform diseases for Medical students and Kramer does so well with Gonorrhea he gets typecast.

Interesting quotes:

"So, is it a problem that I'm not religious?" - Elaine

"Not for me." - Puddy

"Why not?" - Elaine

"Well, I'm not the one going to hell." - Puddy

Grade: A- (One of my favorites of all-time)

The Wizard (Ep. 915)

2008-12-23T08:26:00.001-05:00

Jerry gets his father a wizard organizer, but he just uses it as a tip calculator. Elaine tries to figure out if her boyfriend is black or not. Kramer’s coffee table book is optioned for a movie so he decides to retire to the Seinfeld’s condo. Morty convinces him to run for Condo President, but it doesn’t go as well as planned when Kramer inadvertantly breaks a condo rule. George lies by telling the Rosses that he bought a home in the Hamptons to avoid going to a function for the Susan Ross Foundation.

Interesting quote: "Kramer you can't live down here, this is where people come to die." - Jerry

Grade: B-

The Strongbox (Ep. 914)

2008-12-23T08:24:00.002-05:00

Kramer gets a strongbox to protect his “valuables” and tries to find a place to hide the key. He ends up hiding the key in the food dish of a neighbor’s parrot. Jerry upsets the same neighbor because he doesn’t let him in when he forgot his key. Elaine dates a homeless man and at first is okay with him being homeless, but then finds out he’s married too. George’s girlfriend refuses to break up with him, so he starts dating another girl from work to try to make his current girlfriend mad, but it doesn't work.

Interesting quote: "Man's best friend...Jerry I want something like that on my tombstone." - Kramer

Grade: B

The Cartoon (Ep. 913)

2008-12-23T08:22:00.001-05:00

Elaine draws a cartoon for The New Yorker, but is accused of ripping off the old Ziggy cartoons. George dates a woman who looks eeriely like Jerry and everyone knows it. Kramer because of problems of talking too much decides to take a vow of silence. Jerry upsets Sally Weaver, Susan’s old college roommate, and she turns it into a one-woman Jerry hating show.

Interesting quote: "It's so great to see a show that's about something." - Newman

Grade: C

The Reverse Peephole (Ep. 912)

2008-12-23T07:31:00.002-05:00

Elaine is shocked when she finds out that Puddy wears a “man-fur” and so at Joe Mayo’s party she tosses it out the window. Kramer and Newman want to reverse the peepholes on their doors, but the landlord doesn’t like Newman so he threatens to throw him out. George gets a massage chair for a friend delivered to his house, but likes it so much that he decides to keep it. Jerry dumps his wallet for a European carry-all and gets it stolen from him on the street.

Interesting quote:

"And of course you find fur morally reprehensible." - Jerry

"Eh, anti-fur. I mean who has the energy anymore. This is more about hanging off the arm of an idiot." - Elaine

Grade: B+

Tyler Hansbrough

2008-12-19T08:30:00.002-05:00

Last night Tyler Hansbrough became the all-time leading scorer in UNC basketball history. Is he the greatest basketball player in UNC history? People seem to think so, but I think they are too quick to judge. Apparently they've forgotten about James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Phil Ford, and some guy named Michael. I mean just because he's won awards and he's the teams leading scorer doesn't mean a whole lot...what's he done for the team?

JJ Reddick is the all-time leading scorer at Duke and in the ACC, but I wouldn't put him in the top 5 of greatest players at Duke and probably not the top 25 of greatest ACC players. On that note, Hansbrough probably will break the ACC record this year. Right now, JJ is 467 points ahead and Hansbrough has the chance to play 29 more games this year (20 regular season, 3 ACC Tourney, and 6 NCAA tourney). That would mean he would only have to average about 16 points a game (heck the refs will give him 16 trips to the foul line a game!).

But I did want to say congrats to Tyler...he is a good player, and he does play hard, but I still can't stand to watch him play...and that's coming from a fan of basketball, not a Duke fan.

The Dealership (Ep. 911)

2008-12-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

Jerry goes to the car dealership to get a new car since Puddy is getting him a good deal. Elaine gets pretty annoyed with Puddy's constant high-fiving and decides to break up with him, but this means Jerry loses his deal. George has a run-in with a mechanic who he believes stole a Twix bar from him. Kramer takes a car for a test drive and ends up turning it into a joy ride with the salesman to see how far they can go without filling up.

Interesting quote: "My father had a car salesman buddy. He was going to fix him up real nice. Next thing I know I'm getting dropped off in a Le Car with a fabric sunroof. All the kids are shouting at me, "Hey, Le George! Bon jour, Le George! Let's stuff Le George in Le Locker!" - George

Grade: C- (Kind of an annoying episode, but the line George delivered is one of my favorites)

The Price is EXACTLY Right!!

2008-12-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

Imagine you're on The Price is Right and you are the first contestant on the Showcase. You guess some crazy number that you're not quite sure about, but you stick with it anyway. Then you find out that you're only $494 off the total...insane right? Well, what would you do if the second contestant nailed his total down to the dollar?!? That's exactly what happened on The Price is Right the other day for the first time since 1972. The guy guessed $23,743...a nice round number, and was dead on! Here's the clip...that's just ridiculous!

Man Guesses EXACT Price in Showcase Showdown! @ Yahoo! Video

The Strike (Ep. 910)

2008-12-17T08:32:00.002-05:00

H&H Bagels calls to tell Kramer that the strike is off and he goes back to work. Him and other employees have been on strike for 12 years to bring wages up to $5.35, but now that the minimum wage is up, the strike is off. Elaine gives a fake number to a guy at a party and it causes all kinds of problems. Jerry dates a girl who looks different in different light.

George gives Christmas gifts of donations to a fake organization to his coworkers and Mr. Kruger finds out. Frank, at Kramer's insistance, starts celebrating Festivus again. Festivus is a holiday created out of the frustration of the commercial and religious problems of Christmas.

Interesting quote: "A Festivus for the rest of us!" - Frank Costanza

Grade: A- (Such a great episode, one that so perfectly depicts the eccetricities of the Costanza family)

The Apology (Ep. 909)

2008-12-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

Jerry discovers his girlfriend likes to walk around the apartment naked and he loves it. That is, until she shows him bad naked...straining to open a jar of pickles. Jason Stanky is going through AA and gets to step 9, making amends, but George is upset when he doesn't get his apology. Elaine has issues with a coworker (again!) who is a germaphobe and especially doesn't want Elaine's germs, because of her promiscuity.

Kramer begins spending all of his time in the shower and even starts preparing meals in there after he installs an industrial powered garbage disposal. Puddy reveals that he's a recovering germaphobe and goes back after finding out the meal he's eating was fixed by Kramer in his shower.

Interesting quote:

"Hey, how do you make those radish roses?" - Kramer

"Insert a knife into the center and twist. Then to make it bloom, soak it in water 30-40 minutes." - Jerry

"No problem there." - Kramer, while in his shower

Grade: C (Not one of my favorites, but Kramer making the food in his shower was one good part)

The Betrayal (Ep. 908)

2008-12-13T15:41:00.002-05:00

This episode goes in reverse the entire time, from Elaine, Jerry, and George returning from a trip to India all the way to Jerry first moving into the apartment. Elaine receives a belated invitation to Sue Ellen Mischke's wedding in India and decides to go just out of spite. Many crazy things happen in the process including Elaine finding out she used to date the groom, George refusing to go to the bathroom the entire trip, and George finding out that his girlfriend and Jerry slept together. Kramer tries to figure out why FDR (Franklin Delano Romanowski) wishes he would drop dead.

Interesting quote:

"So, Elaine are you going to sleep with me or what?" - George

"George, I just got off a 23-hour plane ride. I'm too tired to even vomit at the thought." - Elaine

Grade: A (One of my all-time favorites)

Home is...

2008-12-12T15:21:00.002-05:00

where Google is.

View Larger Map

Just showing off Google maps newest streetview footage and giving a shoutout my family in Georgia.

The Slicer (Ep. 907)

2008-12-12T12:57:00.002-05:00

George gets a new job with Kruger Industrial Smoothing because the boss is clueless. While he's there he spots a photo on Kruger's desk with him (George) in it. Upon Kramer's insistence he steals it to get his picture removed, but it doesn't work. Jerry is dating a dermatologist who talks about saving lives and he calls her on this, but looks foolish when she tells him she deals with skin cancer.

Elaine's neighbor left her alarm on when she left town, so her and Kramer short circuit the apartment. This is good until she finds out they had a cat and they cut off it's feeder. Kramer buys an industrial meat slicer, which Elaine borrows to slide meat under her neighbors door to the cat.

Interesting quote: "You call yourself life saver, I call you Pimple-Popper, MD." - Jerry

Grade: B

The Merv Griffin Show (Ep. 906)

2008-12-12T12:51:00.002-05:00

Kramer finds the old Merv Griffin Show set in a dumpster and hauls it home and sets it up in his apartment. Pretty soon he's hosting his own talk show. George hits a squirrel with his car and his girlfriend makes him stop and take it to the vet. Pretty soon he's taking care of the squirrel at his house. Jerry's girlfriend has an amazing collection of toys and he wants to play with them, but she doesn't want anyone to touch them. Elaine has issues (again) with a coworker who sidles up on people.

Interesting quote: "Wait a minute. So you're saying you drugged a woman so you could take advantage of her toys?" - Kramer, about Jerry getting his girlfriend drunk to play with her toys

Grade: B+ (for Jerry and Kramer) C- (for Elaine and George)

Items we'll need...

2008-12-10T19:40:00.002-05:00

Recently, some family, friends, and friends that are like family have been asking what Kimberly and I are going to need for our trip and if they can help. The good news is we won't be taking that much so there's not really much to get, plus we've already gotten most of what we need, but there are still a few items left.

The difficult thing is people like to actually get items for you instead of just giving you money (it's sometimes a little impersonal), but the items that we need are such that it would be better for us to pick them out ourselves. So Kimberly and I have compiled a list of items we still need with estimated cost of the items. We feel this is the best way so that people can see what it is we need instead of just handing us money for unknown items.

Radio ($30-60)
Hiking pack ($100)
Pashmina ($10-20)
Pajamas ($30)
Pillows ($20 each)
Trail Shoes ($60-80)
Laptop bag ($30)
Watches ($20 each)
Space Saver bags ($20)
Duct Tape
Ziploc bags

We'd like to thank everyone who is willing to help and for those who can't for just their love and support, we understand that these are hard times.

The Junk Mail (Ep. 905)

2008-12-10T19:27:00.002-05:00

Kramer is getting irritated with getting Pottery Barn catalogs in the mail and decides he's going to attack it at the "choke point"...he's going to stop the mail. After being told he can't stop the mail he starts protesting outside the post office. Jerry is getting a vehicle from childhood friend Frankie Merman after doing a spot for his dealership, but is surprised when it's a van. He keeps it because Frankie gets easily upset and he doesn't want to hurt his feelings.

George is upset because his parents seem to be avoiding him, so he dates his cousin to get their attention. This doesn't work and it only upsets him more. Elaine dumps Puddy (again) when she discovers that she's found Mr. Right. Turns out Mr. Right is actually an obnoxious TV advertiser for an electronics store.

Interesting quote: "I don't think I want to meet the people who are in the market for a used van." - Jerry

Grade: C+

The Blood (Ep. 904)

2008-12-09T12:58:00.002-05:00

Kramer worried that something might happen where he loses a lot of blood begins to hoard his blood in a blood bank, but when they charge him more he moves it to Newman's meat freezer. Jerry's parents worry that he's getting out of shape and so they hire Izzy Mandelbaum to get him back into shape. After an accident with an exacto knife, Jerry gets a transfusion of Kramer's blood.

George decides to combine his love for food and television with sex. His current girlfriend is not too keen on the idea and dumps him because of it. Elaine is upset to find out that her friend, Vivian, doesn't want her to babysit her son, so she babysits him anyway and ends up becoming the Godmother essentially. When Elaine brings George over to the house, he finds that Vivian is a "lover" of food, television, and sex as well; and Elaine's problem is solved.

Interesting quote: "I find pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted and cured meats. Hungry?" - Vivian

Grade: B+ (Above average episode)

True Christmas Spirit

2008-12-08T12:41:00.003-05:00

I was commenting to Kim last night about how A Charlie Brown Christmas and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas are probably my two favorite Christmas movies of all time. They are classics obviously (one from 1965 and the other from 1966), but more to the point they both represent what Christmas is truly about.

A Charlie Brown Christmas represents from a Christian standpoint of what Christmas is all about. It's not about presents and a really nice Christmas tree and fancy decorations, but about God sending his only son as a sacrifice for us. Sometimes we Christians accept too quickly what the World says Christmas is about and we get too caught up doing the wrong things.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas comes mainly from a secular standpoint, but the lesson is no less important. The Grinch takes the presents and decorations and delicious food from the residents of Whoville because he thinks this is what Christmas is all about. In the end they show him that's it's much more than that. It's about loving one another and taking time out of your busy schedule to spend time with the ones who mean the most to you.

So this Christmas don't get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in buying presents for family that you forget to tell them that you love them. And don't get so involved in doing routine Christmas things that you forget to thank God for the miracle that he sent to us.

Alabama football

2008-12-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

I know the season isn't technically over and the game January 2nd against Utah does still count, but I wanted to go ahead and thank Alabama for a fantastic season of football. Easily the best Alabama team I've seen since their championship team of '92, and possibly better. You gave it your best shot against an amazing Florida team, but you came up short. That's okay...just don't do it again next year.

On a side note, I would like to admonish the play of one particular player for Alabama and that's Javier Arenas. I'll be the first to say that he's an amazingly talented player, but sometimes he just tries too hard to make a great play and it backfires. A really smart player knows when to take a risk and when to play it safe. He too often takes too many risks; such as catching a kickoff on the 4 yard line while tip-toeing the out of bounds line, or catching a punt on the 4 yard line with a defender bearing down on top of you. Let's just hope that he matures a little between now and his senior year.

The Serenity Now (Ep. 903)

2008-12-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

Frank is selling computers out of his garage and he's using George and Lloyd Braun to do it. He's also using a special method called Serenity Now to calm his rage. Jerry gets upset when his girlfriend insists he doesn't show his emotion enough. Kramer fights the neighborhood kids while trying to experience Anytown, USA in front of his apartment.

Elaine is kissed by Mr. Lippman's son at his bar-mitzvah and now she's having to fight him, Mr. Lippman, the Priest, and Jerry who all want to marry her. She finds out it's because she's got Schiksa, which seems to be a female version of Kavorka.

Interesting quote: "I'm open, there's just nothing in there." - Jerry

Grade: B (Pretty funny episode, but nothing really memorable)

The Voice (Ep. 902)

2008-12-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

Jerry is fascinated by his girlfriend's bellybutton, so much so that he's given it a silly jovial voice. This is great until he tells her and she tells him to drop the voice or she'll leave...he chooses the voice. George is told by PlayNow that he's not welcome at the job anymore, but he decides that he's not leaving unless they fire him.

Jerry makes a bet that Elaine will continue to go back to Puddy and he continues to be right. Kramer is tired of all his ideas going to waste so he gets an intern from NYU to do all of his work so that he can concentrate on his ideas...mainly a rubber bladder to hold oil in. They test this at PlayNow by dropping it out of PlayNow's window, but it lands on Jerry's girlfriend.

Interesting quote: "Breaking up is like knocking over a coke machine. You can't do it in one push, you have to rock it back and forth a few times. Then it goes over." - Jerry

Grade: B+

The Butter Shave (Ep. 901)

2008-12-06T18:12:00.001-05:00

George gets a job with a playground company called PlayNow, but they think he is handicapped thanks to a cane he carries to help him walk. Jerry is upset because Bania is killing by following after him, eating up his laughs. Later, for a big set he decides to throw the show to ruin Bania, but it backfires. Kramer starts shaving with butter and likes the feel so much that he rubs it all over himself. This is strange but okay until he bakes while laying out in the sun.

Elaine has taken a month long trip to Europe with Puddy and is ready to kill him so they break up in the cab on the way to the airport. On the airplane, however, they get back together, but it doesn't last long and they break up again before the flight ends. PlayNow eventually finds out that George isn't handicapped when they see him carrying a Rascal that they gave him.

Interesting quote: "Boy, a month in Europe with Elaine. That guy's coming home in a body bag." - Kramer

Grade: A- (The scenes with Elaine and Puddy had me in tears)

The Summer of George (Ep. 822)

2008-12-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

George realizes that he received three months pay as a severance from the Yankees and is determined to live up the summer. Jerry starts dating a girl who has a male friend that she is very close with and it starts to make him suspicious. He also later uses George to help him keep up with his duties as boyfriend.

Elaine once again has issues with a coworker, this time because the coworker won't swing her arms when she walks. Kramer goes to the Tony's as a seat filler and manages to make it up on stage and collect an award. The producers of the show tell him he can keep his award if he fires Racquel Welch. This proves to be more difficult than he thought.

Interesting quote:

"What is so appealing to men about a catfight?" - Elaine

"Because men think that if women are grabbing and clawing at each other, there's a chance they might somehow kiss." - Jerry

Grade: B-

The Muffin Tops (Ep. 821)

2008-12-04T16:13:00.002-05:00

George promises to watch a guys bag on the street, but when he doesn't return, George leaves and takes his bag. He starts wearing the clothes and apparently looks touristy...so much so that a woman from the Visitors Bureau starts showing him around town. Jerry accidently shaves his chest and now it's growing back thicker than ever.

Elaine goes into business with Mr. Lippman on a Muffin Top store, but then they have issues on what to do with the stumps. In the end, Newman comes in to clean up their mess. Kramer finds out that J. Peterman really did use his stories and now decides to create a Real Peterman Reality Tour, showing people all the famous spots where the real J. Peterman (Kramer) lived.

Interesting fact: The guy who Kramer was based on, Kenny Kramer, did his own Kramer reality tour...after which this story was modeled.

Interesting quote: "The last thing this guy's qualified to give a tour of is reality." - Jerry about Kramer's reality tour

Grade: C- (The muffin top story is really bad)

After this episode there are technically 25 episodes remaining, but considering 2 of those are a one hour clips show, it's really only 23. I gotta pick up the pace.

The Millenium (Ep. 820)

2008-12-03T16:39:00.003-05:00

Kramer and Newman are fighting over the plans of a New Years Eve party for 1999 (two years in advance). Elaine has issues with a worker at Putomayo, a Mayan clothing store, and wants to put them out of business. George gets offered a job as the head of scouting for the New York Mets, but since he still works for the Yankees they can't officially offer him the job, so he has to get fired. He thinks this will be easy, but nothing seems to work. Jerry keeps moving up and down his girlfriends speed dial and can't figure out why.

Interesting quote:

"I never thought I'd fail at failing." - George

"Oh come on now." - Jerry

"I can't do anything wrong." - George

"Nonsense, you do everything wrong." - Jerry

"Everything?" - George

"Everything!" - Jerry

"You really think so?" - George

"Absolutely, I have no confidence in you!" - Jerry

"Alright, I guess I just have to pick myself up, dust myself off, and throw myself right back down again." - George

"That's the spirit! You suck!" - Jerry

Grade: B+ (George "streaking" defaming The Babe's jersey and the World Series trophy and still not get fired...hilarious!)

Out of focus

2008-12-02T11:23:00.003-05:00

Quit your worship charades

I can't stand your trivial religious games:

Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings--

Meetings, meetings, meetings--I can't stand one more!

Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!

You've worn me out!

I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,

while you go right on sinning.

When you put on your next prayer-performance,

I'll be looking the other way.

No matter how long or loud or often you pray,

I'll not be listening.

And do you know why? Because you've been tearing

people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.

Clean up your act.

Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings

so I don't have to look at them any longer.

Say no to wrong

Learn to do good.

Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out.

Stand up for the homeless.

Go to bat for the defenseless.

Isaiah 1:13-17 (The Message)

------------------------------------------------------------------

These verses have been weighing pretty heavily on my mind lately. We go to church and worship God, but all but ignore the people who are in need, which is one of the main things God asked us to do in the Bible. Take care of those who can't take care of themselves. It makes my worship feel fake to me and that's not cool...because if it's not authentic, then why am I doing it? It's all a show!

Duke Football

2008-12-02T11:19:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to write a special post thanking the Duke football team for a good season. Easily the best season in a decade or so. I know it was just 4 wins, but considering they only had 4 wins the previous 4 seasons, it's big improvement. They only looked really bad in 2 games (Georgia Tech and Clemson) and should have won the Wake Forest game. I only wish I could be here the next two years to see the continued improvement that I know David Cutcliff is going to bring to the program and fan base. Thanks again!

The Yada Yada (Ep. 819)

2008-12-01T12:13:00.003-05:00

George's girlfriend likes to use the phrase "yada yada" to sum up a conversation. At first he likes this, but then she "yada yadas" over important things. Kramer and Mickey can't decide which girl to pick on a double date, and Mickey ends up marrying the wrong woman. Jerry is upset with Tim Whatley because he believes he converted to Judiasm just for the jokes. Elaine ruins Beth and Arnie's chance at getting an adoption and in the process breaks them up.

Interesting quote:

"I met this lawyer, we went out to dinner, I had the lobster bisque, we went back to my place, yada yada, I never heard from him again." - Elaine

"But you "yada yadad" the best part." - George

"No I mentioned the bisque." - Elaine

Grade: B

The Nap (Ep. 818)

2008-12-01T12:06:00.002-05:00

Jerry has a guy installing his new cabinets that needs help on every decision. Kramer is fed up with trying to swim at the Health Club so he starts swimming in the East River, but he is bringing the polluted smell home with him.

Elaine is dating a guy who is obsessed with back health and he buys her a matress. At first she is upset because she thinks he's implying he wants to sleep with her so she gives it to Kramer, but then later wants it back. When her boyfriend smells the East River on the matress he thinks Kramer is sleeping with Elaine. George gets Jerry's guy to build him a place to sleep under his desk so he can take a nap at work, but it backfires when Steinbrenner camps out in the office to wait for George.

Interesting quote: "I love a good nap. Sometimes it's the only thing getting me out of bed in the morning." - George

Grade: B-

The English Patient (Ep. 817)

2008-11-26T09:07:00.002-05:00

Elaine is bothered when her boyfriend and apparently everyone else is absolutely in love with the movie The English Patient, which she hates. Jerry goes to Florida to help his parents move into their new condo and incites an 80-year old man named Izzy Mandlebaum to injure himself trying to lift too much weights.

Kramer asks Jerry to pick up some Cubans (people from Cuba as it turns out) so that they can roll cigars for him. Unfortunately, they turn out to be Dominicans instead and Kramer loses his business opportunity. George is mistaken for a beautiful woman's boyfriend and instead of going after the woman, George has to know why she's attracted to her boyfriend.

Interesting quote:

"Son, this is the most wonderful and thoughtful thing you've ever done for me." Morty, talking about a #1 Dad shirt

"You know, I bought you a cadillac...twice." - Jerry

Grade: D (About as bad as The English Patient)

The Pothole (Ep. 816)

2008-11-26T08:02:00.002-05:00

Jerry accidently knocks his girlfriend Jenna's toothbrush into the toilet and she uses it before he can tell her. Now he won't kiss her and she doesn't know why because he won't tell her. Kramer, upset at the filthiness of the highway, adopts a one mile stretch. He gets a bright idea to widen the lanes, but this obviously ends up causing problems.

George drops his keys into a pothole and talks to someone with the city about getting them up, but since he won't pay them he has to do the work himself. Elaine gets frustrated when a Chinese restaurant refuses to deliver to her apartment building, so she takes up residence in a janitor's closet across the street.

Interesting quote:

"So the plan is to secretly sterilize her mouth?" - George

"By the time I'm through with her mouth, she'll be able to eat off it." - Jerry

Grade: A (One of the best episodes about joining the plots together)

Readers

2008-11-25T11:58:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note, I've noticed a few more readers of my blog lately and that makes me happy. Also, I wanted to note that when Kim and I leave for the Peace Corp I will continue to use this blog to update everyone. It's much easier than sending letters and email to everyone I know, but I'll probably do a little bit of that too. I do hope to get Kim to write a few times in here, but she's not really big on the blogging thing.

The Susie (Ep. 815)

2008-11-25T09:16:00.002-05:00

Elaine is mistakenly called Susie by Peggy, a coworker, and when Peggy makes insulting comments about Elaine, she decides not to correct her. This eventually causes problems when Peterman starts giving assignments to Susie and then Peggy has a problem with Susie too. Kramer makes a bet in Jerry's name because he has a gambling problem and Jerry wins. Unfortunately, Mike (the bookie) can't pay up, and when Jerry accidently slams Mike's fingers in the trunk of his car he thinks Jerry is out to get him.

George wants to go to the Yankee Pinstripe ball with his girlfriend Allison, but once he realizes she's going to break up with him he avoids her to prevent it. This works for awhile, until she gets Kramer to break it off with him. Elaine later tells Peterman that Susie killed herself and he holds a big memorial service for him. Mike, who's been trapped in Jerry's trunk, comes running in claiming that Jerry killed Susie.

Interesting quote:

"Wait 'til you see the dress that she's got. It's backless. I'm finally going to make a great entrance." - George

"Backless? You going to back her in?" - Elaine

Grade: A- (Bizarre episode, but those are usually the best ones)

The Van Buren Boys (Ep. 814)

2008-11-25T09:03:00.003-05:00

Jerry starts to wonder about Ellen, the girl he's dating, when everyone thinks she's a loser except him and his parents. Kramer has a run-in with some Van Buren gang members and accidently throws up their secret hand sign leading them to believe he's a former member. Peterman wants Elaine to write a book about his life, but his life is actually too boring, so he buys stories from Kramer's life.

George is left in charge of selecting a student for the foundation's scholarship and he chooses a kid just like him who is actually interested in architecture. Things go wrong when he decides at the last minute to not pursue architecture and so George denies him the scholarship. This leads the kid to join the Van Buren gang.

Interesting quote: "You know how it is, every group has its loser...like us with Elaine." - George

Grade: B (Funny moments, but not the entire show)

NCAA playoffs (Week 6)

2008-11-24T07:16:00.003-05:00

As I predicted last week, some pretty big changes to the bracket for this week. Although, I didn't expect Oklahoma to demolish Texas Tech like they did. I know I have Oklahoma beating Texas Tech in my bracket too, but I really think they proved themselves. Also, unlike the BCS, all three Big 12 teams will get into my bracket, deservedly so. One last thing...I think the ACC is going to set the record for most different first place teams in one season (so far, I think we've had Florida St., Ga Tech, Va Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest). Next week, Alabama looks to finish off their first perfect regular season since 1992.

The Money (Ep. 813)

2008-11-24T06:51:00.002-05:00

Jerry's parents sell the Cadillac to Jack Klompus for $6,000 because they think Jerry needs the money, so he goes through a long and tiring process of buying it back from Jack. George finds out that his parents have a good deal of money and they decide to blow it all before they die instead of leave it to him. Kramer can't sleep next to his new girlfriend because she has the "jimmy" legs. Elaine loses her Presidential pay and stock options when Peterman returns from Burma out of the blue.

Interesting quote: "Yeah. I gotta be honest with you Kramer. You might be more than just a couple of tweaks away from a healthy relationship." - Elaine

Grade: C+

Limbs & Branches

2008-11-21T13:17:00.003-05:00

The other day I got Limbs & Branches, the new cd from Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot), and it's amazing. If you like the songwriting of Switchfoot, but want something different in the way of music, this is for you. He's mostly acoustic and the lyrics are much, much deeper than Switchfoot. He actually has 4 EPs out called; Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, but this is sort of a compilation of the four. I highly recommend this cd.

The Comeback (Ep. 812)

2008-11-21T12:39:00.002-05:00

A coworker tells George to slow down on the shrimp he's eating because "the ocean called and they're running out of shrimp" and George can't think of a good line until later. He's determined to use the line, even after finding out that the guy left the company. Elaine upsets a video store worker after she watches another worker's movie picks.

After watching a movie about a coma victim, Kramer decides that he wants the plug pulled if he ever goes into a coma. He is then shocked to find out that people come out of comas. Jerry finds out that the manager of a tennis pro shop is terrible at tennis and agrees to throw a game of tennis against him to make him look good in front of his wife.

Interesting quote: "Oh yeah, well the Jerk Store called and they're running out of you!" - George

Grade: B- (Except for George's comeback line scene, this is not very good).

Let it snow!

2008-11-21T08:36:00.003-05:00

This morning we got our second snow of the season, last Tuesday was the first. I think (and I could be wrong because I don't remember the early years of my childhood) that this is the earliest snow I've ever seen. Back when I was in Boone, we had snow on Thanksgiving weekend, but we've never to my knowledge had snow here before Thanksgiving.

Granted it didn't stick Tuesday or this morning, but it's still snow and still beautiful. Also, just to let anybody who is unfamiliar with the area know, this weather is highly unusual. Not only do we not see snow before Thanksgiving, but we rarely even see snow before the New Year. I hope it keeps up though, it would be nice to have a white Christmas my last one here for a while.

The Little Jerry (Ep. 811)

2008-11-20T13:56:00.002-05:00

Kramer, fed up with subpar eggs, decides to buy a chicken and get his own eggs. Much to his surprise his chicken, Little Jerry Seinfeld, is really a rooster. Jerry bounced a check at the bodega and can't get it taken down before his parents find out. Elaine dates a man who shaves his head, but once she finds out he used to have thick hair she asks him to grow it back. He does, but realizes he's going bald.

George using the foundation gets to go a women's penetentiary. While there he meets a woman and asks her out on a date. They begin dating and all is well until she is up for parole and he's afraid he's going to have to have a normal relationship. In order to get Jerry's check taken down at the bodega, Kramer offers to let Little Jerry participate in cockfighting.

Interesting quote: "These are not 'scraps.' These are historic remains of a once great society of hair." -George on his little bit of hair

Grade: B+ (Kramer's surprise on having a rooster instead of a hen)

The Andrea Doria (Ep. 810)

2008-11-19T15:44:00.002-05:00

George thinks he's getting the new apartment that opened up across the hall, but his tenant association gives it to a survivor of the SS Andrea Doria. To fight this, George tells the association all the ways he has suffered in his life. Horrified at these true stories, they feel George has suffered the most and give it to him instead. Unfortunately, Elaine's boyfriend bribes the landlord and gets the apartment.

Jerry helps Newman get a transfer to Hawaii by delivering his route, but he does too good of a job and Newman doesn't get the transfer. Kramer, not wanting to go to the doctor for his cough, sees a vet instead and starts taking dog medication. Elaine dates a bad-breaker-upper who says she has a big head. At first she's not bother, but then it starts to get to her. Eventually, she decides to stab him with a fork.

Interesting quote: "In closing, these stories have not been embellished because they need no embellishment. They are simply, horrifyingly, the story of my life as a short, stocky, slow-witted bald man." - George

Grade: C (Not one of their best efforts)

Just thought I'd mention...

2008-11-19T10:54:00.001-05:00

I read a newstory the other day about a woman here in Durham named Lavonia Allison.

Here at work today I just sent a package to a guy named Hall Melton.

Just some odd stuff that only people from school would get.

The Abstinence (Ep. 809)

2008-11-19T10:48:00.002-05:00

George's girlfriend has mono, preventing them from having sex for 6 weeks. Initially, George doesn't like it, but now he's thinking more clear than he ever has before. The opposite is happening to Elaine whose boyfriend is studying for his medical board exams. Kramer sees a group of guys standing outside Monks smoking and decides to invite them into his apartment to smoke. This starts a 72 hour stretch of non-stop smoking for Kramer and after his looks go downhill, he runs to Jackie Chiles to sue the tobacco companies.

Jerry keeps getting bumped from career day at his middle school and his agent Katie thinks he deserves better. So, she books him an entire 2 hour assembly. George is going to help him out, but ends up having sex with a waitress and loses all his intelligence. Kramer takes a settlement of having his face on a cigarette billboard and ruins Jackie once again.

Interesting quote: "What happened to your face? It looks like an old catcher's mitt!" - Jerry

Grade: A+ (The entire episode is loaded with comedy goodness)

Torches Together

2008-11-18T16:38:00.002-05:00

Why burn poor and lonely under a bowl

Under a lampshade or on the shelf

Aren't you unbearably sad?

Then why burn so poor and lonely?

We'll be like torches

We'll be like torches together! Torches together

We'll be like torches

I'm not sure if anyone here has heard Mewithoutyou before, but if not then you must. They are certainly different, but they have amazing lyrics. I don't know if this is what the song means, but it always makes me think of Romans 12:4-5 where it talks about the church being one body. Sure we can do good things alone, but imagine if we all worked as one! We could do great things, if churches would start acting like The Church and not businesses competing against each other. I realize that many churches are doing this, my hope is that ALL churches will do this.