My friend Chris Moore and I were able to get tickets to the Titans/Ravens playoff game here yesterday Nashville for a fairly reasonable price, and we were stoked. First, a little background. Multiple newspapers and local media outlets pointed out that the Titans were in an eerily similar situation before with the Ravens. Back in 2001, the Titans were among the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and due to a great regular season, they hosted the Ravens in Nashville in Nashville for a playoff game they were expected to win. Everyone knew the Ravens defense was good, but unfortunately Eddie George so badly that he began to dive on the ground when Ray was in the area...also, there were unconfirmed reports that he wet himself. Costly Titans turnovers, a stagnant office, and special teams mistakes, combined with the Ravens making just enough plays on offense, led to a 24-10 Ravens victory. The Ravens won the Super Bowl that year, and that playoff loss began ushered the Titans into salary cap hell due to cap mismanagement, resulting in the loss of multiple good players in free agency and beginning their descent into several long, painful years of mediocrity.
The parallels were simply too strong to ignore, but Titans fans definitely tried. We told ourselves that we beat this same team during the regular season, that the Ravens hadn't had a week off since Week 2 (meaning that they were banged up and dead tired), that they had a rookie QB (Joe Flacco) untested under intense playoff pressure, that our physical defenses were basically a wash, and that our offense, led by QB Kerry Collins (who, unlike 2001 Titans QB Steve McNair, was actually a threat from time to time in the pass game), RBs Chris Johnson (a speed burner) and Lendale White (the physical runner), a duo that far exceeded Eddie George and his no name backups in terms of talent, and a much better offensive line.
The game started out very well, with our defense bottling up the Ravens running game, and Chris Johnson running wild over the Ravens defense, staking us to an early 7-0 lead. Then, the wheels started to come off, slowly at first, then one at a time, and everyone in the stadium saw it coming...it was just a matter of how things would end. First, due to a couple of fluke offensive plays by the Ravens which were aided by terrible weather, they were able to tie the game 7-7. Second, due to what I will believe until the day I die was a dirty play, Titans RB Chris Johnson got piled up by the Ravens D, and "somehow", his ankle got damn near twisted off his leg, leading to a high ankle sprain from which he would not return. Third, most importantly, and an unfortunate harbinger of things to come, the Titans made several back-breaking, game-changing mistakes. Kerry Collins threw an interception in the red zone, a drive stalled on 4th down just out of field goal range, K Rob Bironas missed a long field goal that he should have made with the wind at his back, Lendale White lost a fumble inside the Ravens 20 with less than 30 seconds to go before halftime. The Titans should have gone into halftime up by anywhere from 7 to as much as 20 points, but as it stood, the game was tied at 7 at halftime.
The second half was an absolute debacle, like one long horror story that unfolded over a couple of hours. With RB Chris Johnson out, the Titans offense was suddenly very ordinary and far less dynamic. The Ravens shut down Lendale White and basically tried to make Kerry Collins beat them. The teams traded field goals, and the Titans field goal was from only 27 yards after they could not convert a 3rd and short deep in Baltimore territory. With about 9 minutes left to go in the game, the Titans would make the final mistake that sealed their doom. While on yet another drive deep into Baltimore territory, QB Kerry Collins made a great pass under pressure to TE Alge Crumpler, who turned upfield and headed for the goal line. Having gotten to the 4 yard line, even if he had just laid on the ground and the Titans hadn't gained another yard, the Titans would have had a chance for a chip shot field goal to take the lead. Unfortunately, the 280 pound tight end suddenly thought he was an Olympic high jumper, tried to hurdle a defensive back, and fumbled the ball, leading to a Ravens recovery at their own 1 yard line. After that play, all the wind went out of the stadium, and all you could hear were the cheers of the Ravens fans. Later in the 4th quarter, Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco led the Ravens on a long, time-consuming drive for what turned out to be the winning field goal. On that drive, he was aided by a costly officiating error. On the biggest 3rd down of the game (a 3rd and long at about midfield with less than 4 minutes to go), Flacco let the play clock expire, and TWO ADDITIONAL FULL SECONDS elapsed, which should have resulted in a delay of game penalty. However, the officials missed the call, and Flacco completed a long pass to TE Todd Heap, setting up the game-winning kick.
I have been a fan of the Tennessee Titans (professional) and the Tennessee Volunteers (college) football teams for a long time, but this loss was extremely painful for me as a football fan, maybe even the most painful ever. Every fan's worst nightmare is to faithfully follow their teams for years, only to die before ever seeing them win a Super Bowl. While I am a young man, I really and truly believe that this was the Titans' year to win a Super Bowl, but now, I am fairly certain that the Super Bowl window for this team is closed. They may still be a playoff team next year, BUT...they will likely have a tougher schedule next season because of their success this year, everyone will see RB Chris Johnson coming and prepare for him better, Kerry Collins (while far better than Vince Young) is unlikely to have as good as or a better year than he did this season, and there is no way they will start out the 2009 season 10-0 like they did this year, which allowed them to go 3-3 in their last 6 games and still enter the playoffs as the #1 seed with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Given all of that background, this is the e-mail I sent to Bill Simmons, my favorite ESPN.com columnist (a.k.a, The Sports Guy) after watching the Titans melt down and lose 13-10 to the Baltimore Ravens at LP Field in Nashville on Saturday, January 10, 2009.
Dear Bill,
I never thought that a single football game would be enough to make me essentially walk away from being a football fan as I knew it...until yesterday.
I watched Kevin Dyson come up a yard short against the Rams in Super Bowl 34...I watched Eddie "Where Ray Ray At?" George and Al "Choke" Del Greco crap the bed against the Ravens in the playoffs in Nashville in 2001 in a situation eerily similar to this season...and then I watched the gut-wrenching defeat yesterday. The Titans had every possible advantage: first round bye, home field throughout the playoffs, a tired, beat up Ravens team whose bye was back in Week 2, a rookie QB on the other side, and Vince Young not at QB for the Titans. Simply put, if they couldn't win it all this year, it will NEVER happen.
When the Titans went to halftime tied 7-7 after outgaining the Ravens nearly 3-1, to quote your colleague Gregg Easterbrook, I wrote in my mental notebook "Game Over". From Kerry Collins tossing an INT inside the Ravens' 10 to our backup center yakking a snap at the worst possible time, to Lendale "Fat Eddie George, Jr." White coughing it up inside the Ravens' 20 before the half, to the back-breaking, game-ending fumble by Alge "I think I'm John Elway" Crumpler at the Ravens' 1 yard line...this was like "Hostel" (relentless, merciless torture with only the method of how it will end in question) meets "American History X" (with Stover's game-winning FG doubling as the infamous Edward Norton curb stomp putting the Titans' lights out). For Titans' fans this was definitely "The Game" (guillotine plus stomach punch), and it is the Webster's definition of what it means to be a Tennessee football fan.
And what of next year? I'm glad you asked! Albert Haynesworth signs an exorbitant free agent deal with a crappy team, Chris Johnson continues his descent to Chris Brown (not the R&B star, the oft-injured former Titans' RB cut by the Titans, signed by the Texans, and now out of football) territory, and worst of all, Bud Adams overrules Jeff Fisher and starts Vince "I'm the only starting NFL QB worse than Tarvaris Jackson" Young at QB, slamming the remaining 1-2 year Super Bowl window shut on a fine young defense, solid special teams, and great offensive line. I see a 6-10, last place divisional finish for the Titans in 2009, and I will now hang myself with my Titans' sweatshirt.
After this game, I will never spend another dime that could benefit the Titans...not a game ticket, not clothes, not even patronizing businesses that advertise on their radio broadcasts. Even if the Titans hosted a Super Bowl in Nashville, I would watch it on television even though I could probably afford a ticket. I just can't take it any more, I'm done. Titans, I wish I could say it was fun while it lasted, but then I would be lying...enjoy your descent back to mediocrity.
--Chris
Nashville, TN
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday, November 16, 2008
UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar
After Brock Lesnar's impressive UFC debut in a loss against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir and his demolition of perennial UFC contender Heath Herring, I thought it was a little early to award Lesnar a title shot against Randy Couture. Even so, the UFC is a business, this fight drew great pay-per-view and live gate numbers, and I think Lesnar is a worthy top-of-the-card fighter.
My prediction going into this fight was that, unless Randy clocked Brock early in the fight like he did against Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga, thereby stunning him and allowing him to grind out a ground-and-pound decision, Randy would probably lose. I thought Brock's size, reach, strength, and youth were just going to be too much for Couture to overcome, and as I saw in the fight tonight, I was right. The first round of the fight was pretty pedestrian, with both guys testing the other's punching range and jockeying for position in the clinch along the cage. In the end, I gave it to Brock because his strikes were a bit more solid and Randy couldn't take him down. In the second round, after a little bit more of the same type of fighting that took place in the Round 1, Brock landed a crisp, but not crushing right hand behind Randy's ear that stunned and floored Couture. Brock then mounted him and dropped what seemed like 30 or 40 hammer fists until the referee mercifully stopped the fight, making Brock Lesnar the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Brock is an exciting fighter, but he still has a lot to learn, and outside of his training camp, he will learn it against top notch competition. His next fight will be against the winner of the interim title fight between Frank Mir and Anotnio Rodrigo Nogueira in December, and in the future, I can't wait to see him fight other heavyweights like Shane Carwin, Gabriel Gonzaga, and especially Cain Velasquez. For tonight though, it's a tip of the cap and a toast to the new UFC heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar.
My prediction going into this fight was that, unless Randy clocked Brock early in the fight like he did against Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga, thereby stunning him and allowing him to grind out a ground-and-pound decision, Randy would probably lose. I thought Brock's size, reach, strength, and youth were just going to be too much for Couture to overcome, and as I saw in the fight tonight, I was right. The first round of the fight was pretty pedestrian, with both guys testing the other's punching range and jockeying for position in the clinch along the cage. In the end, I gave it to Brock because his strikes were a bit more solid and Randy couldn't take him down. In the second round, after a little bit more of the same type of fighting that took place in the Round 1, Brock landed a crisp, but not crushing right hand behind Randy's ear that stunned and floored Couture. Brock then mounted him and dropped what seemed like 30 or 40 hammer fists until the referee mercifully stopped the fight, making Brock Lesnar the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Brock is an exciting fighter, but he still has a lot to learn, and outside of his training camp, he will learn it against top notch competition. His next fight will be against the winner of the interim title fight between Frank Mir and Anotnio Rodrigo Nogueira in December, and in the future, I can't wait to see him fight other heavyweights like Shane Carwin, Gabriel Gonzaga, and especially Cain Velasquez. For tonight though, it's a tip of the cap and a toast to the new UFC heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama
I can't say I'm surprised to utter these words, as they are the only thing worse than saying "President-Elect John McCain", but I still wish this man were not going to be president in just a short couple of months.
Here are just a few of the reasons that I have serious reservations about Senator Obama as president, and it is by no means an all-inclusive list:
1.) His rise from the cesspool that is Chicago politics;
2.) The twenty plus years he spent in the church of "Pastor" Jeremiah "GD America, US of KKK A" Wright;
3.) His associations with the worst sorts of criminals and people in general (i.e. Weather Underground terrorists William Ayers and his wife (he launched his political careers in their home), Father Michael Pfleger, Louis Farrakhan, convicted felon and slumlord Tony Rezko (who cut Obama a sweetheart deal on his home and the land it is built on), communist Frank Marshall Davis (who Obama referred to as his "mentor"), and his support for current Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga (who lost the presidential race, but was appointed prime minister as a deal to stop the savage violence he unleashed as a result of his bogus claims that the election was stolen);
4.) His campaign's support for ACORN, the company currently accused of vote fraud in nearly every battleground state in America, to the tune of over $ 800,000.00;
5.) The fact that nearly every statement of his, including those of support for the people purportedly the closest to him, seems to come with an expiration date to be determined by political expediency;
6.) His promise to raise taxes on virtually every producing member of society, while at the same time giving welfare payments, er, I mean "tax cuts" to people who already pay no income tax at all; and, last, but certainly not least,
7.) As reported by Kenneth Timmerman of Newsmax and countless other reporters doing work the mainstream media didn't want to do, Barack Obama's presidential campaign was rife with fraudulent and illegal contributions, and worse yet, the same security systems in place to prevent such donations for the campaigns of John McCain and Hillary Clinton had to be INTENTIONALLY disabled by the Obama camp to allow these fraudulent contributions to occur. Silly old John and Hillary, playing by the rules with an "in your face", "elbow thrower" from the sewer of Chicago politics will get you beat every time.
Perhaps the most sad part of all this is that the list I just put together is all a result of thing that happened during the campaign...imagine what will happen during an Obama administration. This man will have to deal with a turbulent economy, a resurgence by China and Russia, an Iran speeding toward nuclear capability, and Islamic jihadists who want to kill us. Don't get me wrong...as my wife so kindly pointed out, it is my Christian duty to pray for this man I didn't vote to elect president because God is in charge of who gets lifted up and brought down, but it is also my American duty to oppose with every fiber of my being every policy and action that harms my family, makes America less safe, and/or runs afoul of the Constitution. I will do both with equal vigor. Finally, I will pray that America eventually wakes up and comes through the Hopey McChangitude era in one piece, and I will trust God with the outcome no matter what.
Here are just a few of the reasons that I have serious reservations about Senator Obama as president, and it is by no means an all-inclusive list:
1.) His rise from the cesspool that is Chicago politics;
2.) The twenty plus years he spent in the church of "Pastor" Jeremiah "GD America, US of KKK A" Wright;
3.) His associations with the worst sorts of criminals and people in general (i.e. Weather Underground terrorists William Ayers and his wife (he launched his political careers in their home), Father Michael Pfleger, Louis Farrakhan, convicted felon and slumlord Tony Rezko (who cut Obama a sweetheart deal on his home and the land it is built on), communist Frank Marshall Davis (who Obama referred to as his "mentor"), and his support for current Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga (who lost the presidential race, but was appointed prime minister as a deal to stop the savage violence he unleashed as a result of his bogus claims that the election was stolen);
4.) His campaign's support for ACORN, the company currently accused of vote fraud in nearly every battleground state in America, to the tune of over $ 800,000.00;
5.) The fact that nearly every statement of his, including those of support for the people purportedly the closest to him, seems to come with an expiration date to be determined by political expediency;
6.) His promise to raise taxes on virtually every producing member of society, while at the same time giving welfare payments, er, I mean "tax cuts" to people who already pay no income tax at all; and, last, but certainly not least,
7.) As reported by Kenneth Timmerman of Newsmax and countless other reporters doing work the mainstream media didn't want to do, Barack Obama's presidential campaign was rife with fraudulent and illegal contributions, and worse yet, the same security systems in place to prevent such donations for the campaigns of John McCain and Hillary Clinton had to be INTENTIONALLY disabled by the Obama camp to allow these fraudulent contributions to occur. Silly old John and Hillary, playing by the rules with an "in your face", "elbow thrower" from the sewer of Chicago politics will get you beat every time.
Perhaps the most sad part of all this is that the list I just put together is all a result of thing that happened during the campaign...imagine what will happen during an Obama administration. This man will have to deal with a turbulent economy, a resurgence by China and Russia, an Iran speeding toward nuclear capability, and Islamic jihadists who want to kill us. Don't get me wrong...as my wife so kindly pointed out, it is my Christian duty to pray for this man I didn't vote to elect president because God is in charge of who gets lifted up and brought down, but it is also my American duty to oppose with every fiber of my being every policy and action that harms my family, makes America less safe, and/or runs afoul of the Constitution. I will do both with equal vigor. Finally, I will pray that America eventually wakes up and comes through the Hopey McChangitude era in one piece, and I will trust God with the outcome no matter what.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Honeymoon Recap and Early Marriage Reflections
Well folks, tomorrow will make one month since I got married. I would have posted about the honeymoon a little sooner, but I have been buried under a pile of work and have been trying to dig my way out ever since I got back. It never ceases to amaze me how much work can pile up in such a relatively short time, but I digress.
Althea and I took a cruise to the Caribbean for our honeymoon, and it was great, save for one very big, totally not cool thing. I contracted a nasty stomach virus right at the end of the trip, and I think it was from food poisoning. This now makes food poisoning occurrence lucky number seven, and it was miserable. It's possible that, when God was handing out things, I mistakenly asked for extra food poisoning or He misheard me...but either way, I take it back. We were supposed to get off the ship and go to Busch Gardens with Althea's cousin and her daughter, but I could barely make it off the ship, through customs, and onto the plane home. As bad as I looked and felt, I am just glad I wasn't declared persona non grata by customs on the grounds that I contracted some strange island virus. Even so, on the flight home, Tennessee Titans backup QB Chris Simms sat behind Althea and I on the plane. We chatted briefly, and he seemed like a very nice guy and a good team player. Because he was so gracious, I decided not to point out to him the irony and karma of him committing to play for the Tennessee Vols, then de-committing to play for the Texas Longhorns in order to take the job from Texas' senior starting QB Major Applewhite under very sketchy circumstances, only to be drafted by and become the starting QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then losing his job due to injury, also under very sketchy circumstances.
Our cruise was 7 days...we boarded on Sunday, and we were at sea Sunday night and all of Monday. We went to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, Isla Roatan Honduras on Wednesday, Belize on Thursday, and Cozumel, Mexico on Friday. This was my first trip out of the U.S., and I got to see 4 countries in a week, which was very exciting. Althea and I spent Sunday and Monday exploring the ship, eating as much as we possibly could, and doing activities (bingo, watching comedians and other shows, etc.), and that was fine, but we were ready to see some sights and different places by the time Tuesday came around.
Tuesday in Grand Cayman was an absolute blast, although it did rain quite a bit while we were there. Our excursion in Grand Cayman was a combination of going to the Turtle Farm, visiting "Hell", and swimming with the stingrays in a place called "Stingray City". The first stop was the turtle farm, which as you might guess, is where turtles are bred, raised, and housed. Our guide was fun and informative. He taught us a lot about the history of the island and the role of turtles in the island's history. The turtle is and/or has been used for everything from food to shields to furniture to clothing. While some of the turtles at the farm are used for food, most of them are kept alive for breeding purposes, as many of them are endangered species. The turtles range from less than 10 pounds as babies to over 900 pounds as adults. I got to hold and take pictures with some of the turtles, and it was really cool.
After the turtle farm, we stopped by a small town in Grand Cayman known as "Hell". At first, I though that wasn't really the town's name, but it actually is, and they even have a post office there. After Althea ate some fresh coconut which was cut with a machete by some random guy selling coconuts, we sent postcards to our families from Hell, which gave them a pretty good laugh when they received the postcards. The reason it is called Hell is due to the rock formations present in the town. I took some pictures of the formations, and they really are creepy. Add in Satan, some sulfur, a little fire and brimstone, and some tortured souls, and it would look just like you might imagine Hell would appear. For obvious reasons, we didn't want to stay there too long, so it was off to Stingray City.
For me, this was the highlight of our Grand Cayman excursion. When I first heard of Stingray City, I literally though it was a place somewhere on land, but it isn't. In fact, it is a sandbar out in the ocean where stingrays congregate. I was then and remain now truly amazed at how such a place came to be. Apparently, at some point in the past, the people of Grand Cayman realized that stingrays were prevalent in the area. So, instead of killing them off, they decided to befriend them. Eventually, the stingrays became trained enough to know that the humans would not hurt them, and that instead they would get fed for playing with and allowing themselves to be petted by the humans. The boat ride out to the sandbar was long, and it rained so hard on the way out there I was afraid we wouldn't get to leave the boat. Fortunately, the rain stopped just before we got to the sandbar. Now understand, all I could think of when I first stepped out of the boat was about Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter who was killed by a stingray, and that's what Althea was thinking too, so of course I went first. Once I got in the water with the guides and watched them pet and feed the stingrays without dying, I was fine. I took quite a few pictures with the stingrays, including pictures of me holding them, hugging them, and even a couple with a giant stingray resting on my back...it was awesome. Althea got in the water and had a good time with them as well, then it was time to ride the boat back to the island.
When we got back ashore, I was starving, so we went and ate some really good food at a nice local restaurant. This served as my introduction to the horrible exchange rate in Grand Cayman. This country is a banking haven, and it houses a staggering amount of money in comparison to the size of the country itself and its economy as a whole. As such, the currency there is very stable and valuable, so the exchange rate when we were there was one U.S dollar for every 80 cents Cayman money. Our meal was $44 U.S., but because of the exchange rate, it ended up costing $56 U.S. Fortunately, the meals there already have the tip added onto the ticket, thank goodness. We got a couple of small souvenirs, but that's about it because of the exchange rate, then we got back on the ship and set sail for Honduras on Wednesday and Belize on Thursday.
Honduras and Belize were basically the same type of country, only with different people and attractions. Both countries are very poor, the exchange rate is very favorable to the U.S. dollar (18 Honduran dollars to 1 U.S. dollar and 11 Belize dollars to 1 U.S. dollar), and neither one struck me as particularly safe or stable (although it was not as bad in this way as I have heard Jamaica is). In Honduras, our excursion took us to see two very large shipwrecks, which were interesting to see. We took a lot of pictures of the ships, and the stories were interesting also. From there, we went to see a "lost" tribe up in the mountains of Honduras. I am not sure how "lost" they are when tour buses come up there every day, but it was still interesting. We got to see their native dances, eat some of their homemade foods, and we got some pictures of breathtaking views from atop the mountains. After a little shopping and eating a meal consisting of some very questionable-looking fish in the tourist part of Honduras, we went back to the ship and set out for Belize. In Belize, we took a guided bus tour of the island, and went to see the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha. Some of the structures we saw were absolutely amazing given how long ago they were built. With so little technology or modern construction equipment, quite a few very large structures of varying purposes were built by a very intelligent ancient people. The most interesting structure was a field where the Mayans played games. What makes it interesting was that the games were played to see who would be sacrificed to the gods. Amazingly, the WINNERS were the ones that were sacrificed to the gods, because the Mayans only believed in sending their best people to their gods. Personally, those games sound like ones that I would either not play or intentionally lose, but that's just me. After taking a bunch more cool pictures and me getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, we went back to the ship to set sail for Cozumel.
Our time in Cozumel was probably the most overall fun of the trip, and it's really the only place from our whole trip I would consider going back to. In addition to the great exchange rate, the shopping there is endless and the food is simply amazing. The excursion we chose for Cozumel was an adventure park, where we got to climb towers, do some rappelling, fly across zip lines, and do some snorkeling. I must say that, despite her fear of heights, Althea was a champ and did a great job at everything she tried. On the climbing towers, I made it to the top of the first one, and almost made it to the top of the tallest one before my arms gave out from exhaustion...makes me wish I'd listened to the guides when they said to climb with my legs more so than my arms and that I had worked out more before the trip. The zip lines were a blast, and we would have done them in Honduras, but Althea had no tennis shoes, so we had to wait until Cozumel, because the park provided climbing shoes for us. After a free drink and eating the tastiest fried cheese I have ever eaten at the park's restaurant, we went back to the tourist district and took still more pictures, ate more great food at a local restaurant owned by 2 Americans from Atlanta, and Althea shopped until both she and our wallets dropped.
From Cozumel, it was back to the ship, then back to Tampa. My thoughts on the cruise are generally positive. The beds and pillows were surprisingly comfortable, and the rocking of the sea at night helped me sleep rather than making me seasick. The nice restaurant at which Althea ate every meal except one (the one that she insisted upon and which made me sick) served consistently great food, and you could eat as much as you wanted. I averaged about 3 appetizers, an entree, and a dessert per dinner meal, and you have to be careful about telling your server you really like the food, lest you end up with another entire entree in front of you (not that I am complaining). The housekeeping staff was very professional, and our cabins were always immaculate when we came back. The events coordinator was a hilarious British woman who was so much fun, and pretty much everything we did on board was enjoyable. My one suggestion is that, if you see food, people, and/or a food preparation area that looks unsanitary in any way, or if the food tastes a little questionable on the first bite, just say no! I will likely go on a cruise again at some future date (Alaska or the Bahamas is next on my list), but it will have to be a while so I can forget how sick I was from the food poisoning.
Finally, people have been asking me since I got back how married life is. My answer is always the same: it's pretty good, and not all that much different from dating and engaged life, with one notable exception of course. ;) My point here is that marriage is not a cure-all, and 2 people should not get married hoping it will fix the problems from their dating and engaged life any more than 2 people should get married just because they have a child. The same problems and issues that exist prior to marriage will still be there when the honeymoon is over, and if left unaddressed, they can certainly wreck a marriage in a big hurry. Marriage is a huge decision and a covenant before God not to be taken lightly, and no matter what the future holds, I am not and will not be sorry that I married Althea. She is a great woman who loves the Lord and who won't take any crap off me, and that is a rare and desirable combination indeed. I love Althea very much, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us.
Althea and I took a cruise to the Caribbean for our honeymoon, and it was great, save for one very big, totally not cool thing. I contracted a nasty stomach virus right at the end of the trip, and I think it was from food poisoning. This now makes food poisoning occurrence lucky number seven, and it was miserable. It's possible that, when God was handing out things, I mistakenly asked for extra food poisoning or He misheard me...but either way, I take it back. We were supposed to get off the ship and go to Busch Gardens with Althea's cousin and her daughter, but I could barely make it off the ship, through customs, and onto the plane home. As bad as I looked and felt, I am just glad I wasn't declared persona non grata by customs on the grounds that I contracted some strange island virus. Even so, on the flight home, Tennessee Titans backup QB Chris Simms sat behind Althea and I on the plane. We chatted briefly, and he seemed like a very nice guy and a good team player. Because he was so gracious, I decided not to point out to him the irony and karma of him committing to play for the Tennessee Vols, then de-committing to play for the Texas Longhorns in order to take the job from Texas' senior starting QB Major Applewhite under very sketchy circumstances, only to be drafted by and become the starting QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then losing his job due to injury, also under very sketchy circumstances.
Our cruise was 7 days...we boarded on Sunday, and we were at sea Sunday night and all of Monday. We went to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, Isla Roatan Honduras on Wednesday, Belize on Thursday, and Cozumel, Mexico on Friday. This was my first trip out of the U.S., and I got to see 4 countries in a week, which was very exciting. Althea and I spent Sunday and Monday exploring the ship, eating as much as we possibly could, and doing activities (bingo, watching comedians and other shows, etc.), and that was fine, but we were ready to see some sights and different places by the time Tuesday came around.
Tuesday in Grand Cayman was an absolute blast, although it did rain quite a bit while we were there. Our excursion in Grand Cayman was a combination of going to the Turtle Farm, visiting "Hell", and swimming with the stingrays in a place called "Stingray City". The first stop was the turtle farm, which as you might guess, is where turtles are bred, raised, and housed. Our guide was fun and informative. He taught us a lot about the history of the island and the role of turtles in the island's history. The turtle is and/or has been used for everything from food to shields to furniture to clothing. While some of the turtles at the farm are used for food, most of them are kept alive for breeding purposes, as many of them are endangered species. The turtles range from less than 10 pounds as babies to over 900 pounds as adults. I got to hold and take pictures with some of the turtles, and it was really cool.
After the turtle farm, we stopped by a small town in Grand Cayman known as "Hell". At first, I though that wasn't really the town's name, but it actually is, and they even have a post office there. After Althea ate some fresh coconut which was cut with a machete by some random guy selling coconuts, we sent postcards to our families from Hell, which gave them a pretty good laugh when they received the postcards. The reason it is called Hell is due to the rock formations present in the town. I took some pictures of the formations, and they really are creepy. Add in Satan, some sulfur, a little fire and brimstone, and some tortured souls, and it would look just like you might imagine Hell would appear. For obvious reasons, we didn't want to stay there too long, so it was off to Stingray City.
For me, this was the highlight of our Grand Cayman excursion. When I first heard of Stingray City, I literally though it was a place somewhere on land, but it isn't. In fact, it is a sandbar out in the ocean where stingrays congregate. I was then and remain now truly amazed at how such a place came to be. Apparently, at some point in the past, the people of Grand Cayman realized that stingrays were prevalent in the area. So, instead of killing them off, they decided to befriend them. Eventually, the stingrays became trained enough to know that the humans would not hurt them, and that instead they would get fed for playing with and allowing themselves to be petted by the humans. The boat ride out to the sandbar was long, and it rained so hard on the way out there I was afraid we wouldn't get to leave the boat. Fortunately, the rain stopped just before we got to the sandbar. Now understand, all I could think of when I first stepped out of the boat was about Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter who was killed by a stingray, and that's what Althea was thinking too, so of course I went first. Once I got in the water with the guides and watched them pet and feed the stingrays without dying, I was fine. I took quite a few pictures with the stingrays, including pictures of me holding them, hugging them, and even a couple with a giant stingray resting on my back...it was awesome. Althea got in the water and had a good time with them as well, then it was time to ride the boat back to the island.
When we got back ashore, I was starving, so we went and ate some really good food at a nice local restaurant. This served as my introduction to the horrible exchange rate in Grand Cayman. This country is a banking haven, and it houses a staggering amount of money in comparison to the size of the country itself and its economy as a whole. As such, the currency there is very stable and valuable, so the exchange rate when we were there was one U.S dollar for every 80 cents Cayman money. Our meal was $44 U.S., but because of the exchange rate, it ended up costing $56 U.S. Fortunately, the meals there already have the tip added onto the ticket, thank goodness. We got a couple of small souvenirs, but that's about it because of the exchange rate, then we got back on the ship and set sail for Honduras on Wednesday and Belize on Thursday.
Honduras and Belize were basically the same type of country, only with different people and attractions. Both countries are very poor, the exchange rate is very favorable to the U.S. dollar (18 Honduran dollars to 1 U.S. dollar and 11 Belize dollars to 1 U.S. dollar), and neither one struck me as particularly safe or stable (although it was not as bad in this way as I have heard Jamaica is). In Honduras, our excursion took us to see two very large shipwrecks, which were interesting to see. We took a lot of pictures of the ships, and the stories were interesting also. From there, we went to see a "lost" tribe up in the mountains of Honduras. I am not sure how "lost" they are when tour buses come up there every day, but it was still interesting. We got to see their native dances, eat some of their homemade foods, and we got some pictures of breathtaking views from atop the mountains. After a little shopping and eating a meal consisting of some very questionable-looking fish in the tourist part of Honduras, we went back to the ship and set out for Belize. In Belize, we took a guided bus tour of the island, and went to see the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha. Some of the structures we saw were absolutely amazing given how long ago they were built. With so little technology or modern construction equipment, quite a few very large structures of varying purposes were built by a very intelligent ancient people. The most interesting structure was a field where the Mayans played games. What makes it interesting was that the games were played to see who would be sacrificed to the gods. Amazingly, the WINNERS were the ones that were sacrificed to the gods, because the Mayans only believed in sending their best people to their gods. Personally, those games sound like ones that I would either not play or intentionally lose, but that's just me. After taking a bunch more cool pictures and me getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, we went back to the ship to set sail for Cozumel.
Our time in Cozumel was probably the most overall fun of the trip, and it's really the only place from our whole trip I would consider going back to. In addition to the great exchange rate, the shopping there is endless and the food is simply amazing. The excursion we chose for Cozumel was an adventure park, where we got to climb towers, do some rappelling, fly across zip lines, and do some snorkeling. I must say that, despite her fear of heights, Althea was a champ and did a great job at everything she tried. On the climbing towers, I made it to the top of the first one, and almost made it to the top of the tallest one before my arms gave out from exhaustion...makes me wish I'd listened to the guides when they said to climb with my legs more so than my arms and that I had worked out more before the trip. The zip lines were a blast, and we would have done them in Honduras, but Althea had no tennis shoes, so we had to wait until Cozumel, because the park provided climbing shoes for us. After a free drink and eating the tastiest fried cheese I have ever eaten at the park's restaurant, we went back to the tourist district and took still more pictures, ate more great food at a local restaurant owned by 2 Americans from Atlanta, and Althea shopped until both she and our wallets dropped.
From Cozumel, it was back to the ship, then back to Tampa. My thoughts on the cruise are generally positive. The beds and pillows were surprisingly comfortable, and the rocking of the sea at night helped me sleep rather than making me seasick. The nice restaurant at which Althea ate every meal except one (the one that she insisted upon and which made me sick) served consistently great food, and you could eat as much as you wanted. I averaged about 3 appetizers, an entree, and a dessert per dinner meal, and you have to be careful about telling your server you really like the food, lest you end up with another entire entree in front of you (not that I am complaining). The housekeeping staff was very professional, and our cabins were always immaculate when we came back. The events coordinator was a hilarious British woman who was so much fun, and pretty much everything we did on board was enjoyable. My one suggestion is that, if you see food, people, and/or a food preparation area that looks unsanitary in any way, or if the food tastes a little questionable on the first bite, just say no! I will likely go on a cruise again at some future date (Alaska or the Bahamas is next on my list), but it will have to be a while so I can forget how sick I was from the food poisoning.
Finally, people have been asking me since I got back how married life is. My answer is always the same: it's pretty good, and not all that much different from dating and engaged life, with one notable exception of course. ;) My point here is that marriage is not a cure-all, and 2 people should not get married hoping it will fix the problems from their dating and engaged life any more than 2 people should get married just because they have a child. The same problems and issues that exist prior to marriage will still be there when the honeymoon is over, and if left unaddressed, they can certainly wreck a marriage in a big hurry. Marriage is a huge decision and a covenant before God not to be taken lightly, and no matter what the future holds, I am not and will not be sorry that I married Althea. She is a great woman who loves the Lord and who won't take any crap off me, and that is a rare and desirable combination indeed. I love Althea very much, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Why I Held My Nose and Voted for John McCain
I will be honest...John McCain was beyond my last choice to be the Republican nominee for President this year. Mike Huckabee is an intelligent, funny guy, a former governor, and a great communicator who believes in America's greatness. That said, he was a big spender as a governor, soft on illegal immigration, and his glibness sometimes reminded me of Bill Clinton without the bimbo eruptions...so I never backed him at all. First, I supported Fred Thompson, perhaps the most qualified and articulate primary candidate on all the issues (social, economic, and national security) the GOP could field this year, but he is a much better man, actor, and thinker than he ever was a politician. Then, I backed Mitt Romney because he would have likely been the best candidate to make sure the economy stayed strong. Romney, although a governor, was a businessman first, and the only candidate on either side with much in the way of non-government, private sector experience. Even so, he was a lightweight on foreign policy, and virtually all of his positions are the opposite of what they were when he ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.
John McCain basically got the GOP nomination because he was the last man standing, and because it was his turn. I will cover in detail another time the multitude of reasons for which I voted against Barack Obama, but here are the only reasons I voted for John McCain:
1.) his service as a naval aviator and the strength he showed as a POW;
2.) his foresight to be correct on the surge, which has led to us being on the cusp of victory in Iraq; and
3.) his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
That's it, that's all folks, and it isn't a long list. Many Republicans forget that McCain was, as recently as a few months ago, the favorite GOP Senator of the New York Times and other mainstream media outlets because he screws conservatives and conservatism every chance he gets. Among other things, his positions on immigration, free speech, and judges, as well as his economic policies are all distinctly NOT conservative. Once he ran against the Obamessiah though, the MSM turned on him in a nanosecond, which is more than a little ironic because, when/if he loses the election and goes back to being who he really is and screwing conservatives and conservatism at every turn, the MSM will love him all over again.
The conventional wisdom out there has McCain several points down, with a limited electoral map to get to the presidency. Commentators have likened his odds to having to draw an inside straight to win a hand of poker. I think that's about right, as his chances don't look good. The economy, America's first "black" presidential candidate, and a mainstream media completely in the tank for his opponent have conspired with McCain's own numerous faults to all but seal his fate on November 4. Here's to hoping that the Democrats don't get a 60 seat, filibuster-proof Senate majority...otherwise, things could get tough and ugly on a lot of fronts in a big hurry.
John McCain basically got the GOP nomination because he was the last man standing, and because it was his turn. I will cover in detail another time the multitude of reasons for which I voted against Barack Obama, but here are the only reasons I voted for John McCain:
1.) his service as a naval aviator and the strength he showed as a POW;
2.) his foresight to be correct on the surge, which has led to us being on the cusp of victory in Iraq; and
3.) his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
That's it, that's all folks, and it isn't a long list. Many Republicans forget that McCain was, as recently as a few months ago, the favorite GOP Senator of the New York Times and other mainstream media outlets because he screws conservatives and conservatism every chance he gets. Among other things, his positions on immigration, free speech, and judges, as well as his economic policies are all distinctly NOT conservative. Once he ran against the Obamessiah though, the MSM turned on him in a nanosecond, which is more than a little ironic because, when/if he loses the election and goes back to being who he really is and screwing conservatives and conservatism at every turn, the MSM will love him all over again.
The conventional wisdom out there has McCain several points down, with a limited electoral map to get to the presidency. Commentators have likened his odds to having to draw an inside straight to win a hand of poker. I think that's about right, as his chances don't look good. The economy, America's first "black" presidential candidate, and a mainstream media completely in the tank for his opponent have conspired with McCain's own numerous faults to all but seal his fate on November 4. Here's to hoping that the Democrats don't get a 60 seat, filibuster-proof Senate majority...otherwise, things could get tough and ugly on a lot of fronts in a big hurry.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Crazy Lefty Blogger Kills Her Roomie by Stabbing Her 222 Times
A blogger over at the left-leaning Huffington Post blog killed her roommate and former lover by stabbing her 222 times...man, that is a lot of stab wounds! I have no idea what could make someone that angry, but that many wounds, it's definitely personal. Unfortunately, the killer (Carol Burger) shot herself in the head and killed herself before she could be arrested and stand trial for her crime.
I'm with Right Wing News on this one...I haven't seen any conservatives, even at an Obama rally, committing or inciting this kind of violence. I will also remember this murder the next time some lefty loon in the mainstream media blames a murder on someone on the right. I don't care who it is or what political persuasion someone holds, this kind of violence is reprehensible, worthy of condemnation, and deserving of justice, but right now, all I hear from the left is crickets chirping.
I'm with Right Wing News on this one...I haven't seen any conservatives, even at an Obama rally, committing or inciting this kind of violence. I will also remember this murder the next time some lefty loon in the mainstream media blames a murder on someone on the right. I don't care who it is or what political persuasion someone holds, this kind of violence is reprehensible, worthy of condemnation, and deserving of justice, but right now, all I hear from the left is crickets chirping.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Just Married!
Well, yesterday was the big day for Althea and I...and it was absolutely perfect. Anyone who knows us well at all knows there have been some bumpy patches in the wedding planning and over the course of our engagement. That said, we have always loved each other no matter what, and we would not want to walk through this life with anyone else.
The day turned out so well I could scarcely believe it. The food was very good, and everyone had plenty to eat. The DJ played great music and kept the reception and party going until after dark. He said he has been a DJ at hundreds of weddings, and he has never seen a pair of families that partied as much we did and seemed as happy as our families did today. Our husband/wife photographer team were outstanding, taking plenty of pictures to preserve our memories of this awesome day. Our hosts were gracious, wonderful people who worked extremely hard opening their home to us and preparing it for our wedding, and Jim (the husband) was our minister. Thank you so much Sandy and Jim for allowing us to be married at your gorgeous home.
Most importantly though, everyone I loved most and who loved me the most in this world was there, and the same was true for Althea. Althea's dad, brother, and grandmother came up from Trinidad, and several other of her close family members came in from all around the U.S. On my end, in an extraordinary miracle and move of God, both my parents came to the wedding and it was peaceful. Even my rascal of a little brother flew in from California, and he looked absolutely smashing in his suit, God bless his little ruffian soul. I even had some co-workers I now consider friends (Ginger, Keya, Wendy, and Bruce) as guests and groomsmen (thanks Charles and Chris M.!).
Finally, my best friends, what else can I say about them? Nathaniel, who wasn't able to be with us due to extreme illness...get well soon brother, we missed you and know you were there in spirit. Terrance, we have known each other since the first day we were both young bucks in the law...your insight, wisdom, and judgment are second to none, and it has been and will continue to be my privilege to know you until we are both old, grizzled, legal warhorses.
Mike, my brother and my crazy friend, we've been homeboys since we were both snot-nosed, 18 year old punks at college without a pair of nickels to rub together between us...but look at us now. I'm a successful, married lawyer, and you are as multi-talented as anyone I know, and you can do absolutely anything to which you set your brilliant mind. Whether it is writing, acting, modeling, martial arts, dance, some combination of or none of the above, you will excel beyond my wildest hopes and even your own wildest dreams, and I can't wait to celebrate it with you. If you look up a picture of two men having each other's back in the dictionary, there's a picture of our similing faces. I love you man, you're the best.
Last but not least, I have to pause to remember my grandparents on my Dad's side, Claude Whittaker and Claudine Whittaker. Both of them are in heaven right now, but I know they were there smiling down on us today. They would both love Althea very much, and I wish they could have met her here on Earth. My grandfather taught me more about being a man and seeking the things of God than anyone I know, and I was lucky to have such a shining example of a Godly man in my life. Granny and Grandpa, I miss you so much, and I will see you again (and Althea will meet you for the first time)...but not today. :)
For now, it's off to the Caribbean for Althea and I, then we come back and start building our lives together one day at a time with God always at the center...and I can't wait.
The day turned out so well I could scarcely believe it. The food was very good, and everyone had plenty to eat. The DJ played great music and kept the reception and party going until after dark. He said he has been a DJ at hundreds of weddings, and he has never seen a pair of families that partied as much we did and seemed as happy as our families did today. Our husband/wife photographer team were outstanding, taking plenty of pictures to preserve our memories of this awesome day. Our hosts were gracious, wonderful people who worked extremely hard opening their home to us and preparing it for our wedding, and Jim (the husband) was our minister. Thank you so much Sandy and Jim for allowing us to be married at your gorgeous home.
Most importantly though, everyone I loved most and who loved me the most in this world was there, and the same was true for Althea. Althea's dad, brother, and grandmother came up from Trinidad, and several other of her close family members came in from all around the U.S. On my end, in an extraordinary miracle and move of God, both my parents came to the wedding and it was peaceful. Even my rascal of a little brother flew in from California, and he looked absolutely smashing in his suit, God bless his little ruffian soul. I even had some co-workers I now consider friends (Ginger, Keya, Wendy, and Bruce) as guests and groomsmen (thanks Charles and Chris M.!).
Finally, my best friends, what else can I say about them? Nathaniel, who wasn't able to be with us due to extreme illness...get well soon brother, we missed you and know you were there in spirit. Terrance, we have known each other since the first day we were both young bucks in the law...your insight, wisdom, and judgment are second to none, and it has been and will continue to be my privilege to know you until we are both old, grizzled, legal warhorses.
Mike, my brother and my crazy friend, we've been homeboys since we were both snot-nosed, 18 year old punks at college without a pair of nickels to rub together between us...but look at us now. I'm a successful, married lawyer, and you are as multi-talented as anyone I know, and you can do absolutely anything to which you set your brilliant mind. Whether it is writing, acting, modeling, martial arts, dance, some combination of or none of the above, you will excel beyond my wildest hopes and even your own wildest dreams, and I can't wait to celebrate it with you. If you look up a picture of two men having each other's back in the dictionary, there's a picture of our similing faces. I love you man, you're the best.
Last but not least, I have to pause to remember my grandparents on my Dad's side, Claude Whittaker and Claudine Whittaker. Both of them are in heaven right now, but I know they were there smiling down on us today. They would both love Althea very much, and I wish they could have met her here on Earth. My grandfather taught me more about being a man and seeking the things of God than anyone I know, and I was lucky to have such a shining example of a Godly man in my life. Granny and Grandpa, I miss you so much, and I will see you again (and Althea will meet you for the first time)...but not today. :)
For now, it's off to the Caribbean for Althea and I, then we come back and start building our lives together one day at a time with God always at the center...and I can't wait.
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