Thoughts from a college kid

2008-10-24T13:41:00.002-04:00

I am scared. Beyond scared. Even terrified. Scared for my future children. Scared for the way of life I have enjoyed being taken from me. I am scared that the American way of life is being stolen from us. Repeat stolen. Stolen by lying politicians, the liberal media, and a confused public signing up for something they are not going to be happy with. Barack Obama in partnership with the MSM, Democratic leaders, and a wave of populism is putting this nation on the path to socialism. Yes capitalism is at stake in this election along with everything else. What else would you call taking money away from a group and giving it to someone else for them giving nothing. Fairness? No, it is stealing. It is "spreading the wealth around". It is namely socialism. Riding a wave of support for getting the rich people in our country Obama is sending us down the path that we may never get out of. The tragedy is that it is working. People are signing up by the millions. Our country is the greatest economic powerhouse in the world. It has been for decades. How did this happen? Capitalism. Trying to make money forces businesses to be innovative and efficient in order to increase returns. While socialist countries have continually failed, see Soviet Union, ours has continued to thrive. You may say, "now wait, Obama surely is not a Socialist. He is just being fair." I would say that having a national health care "insurance" plan, taking from one group to give to someone else, and increasing government spending from anywhere to 1 to four trillion dollars, kind of resembles socialism. Imagine if Pelosi and Reid have a blank check to do whatever they want and all Obama has to due is sign the bills. Imagine the spending. The sad part is that no one sees Obama for who he is. Somehow, the most liberal candidate ever to run for president has been portrayed as a moderate. It is sad. You can blame the media and whoever else. Don't get me wrong they don't help. However, people are taking this all in willingly. God be with us.

Media wants me

2007-12-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

My age group is wanted by every marketing firm in the country. We supposedly have alot of income to play with and we always know whats "cool". (If they wanted to know cool they should just look at me) In my opinion, news sites are trying to attractive younger readers because they know we are not reading newspapers. In fact, the newspaper is dying quicker than a goldfish you win at the county fair. They are trying to attract us by adding lots of interactivity. Video, blogs, polls, games and pictures are just a few ways. The young generation does not like to look at boring words all day long. We like flashing lights and moving images. We all suffer from a little bit of ADD. News sites know this so they are constantly trying to find new ways to entertain our wondering minds.

If technology was not a limitation I would have media web pages that were 3-D. You would fire up the computer and the reader would be completely submersed in the world of the website. I think that would attract plenty of readers. PS This is the last blog post for JEM 222. Its been real and I hope they have entertained you Staci and Peggy. If not entertain at least make you crack a smile.

I am always wired

2007-11-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

I like books. I actually enjoy sitting and reading a great book in my spare time. Key word being spare which leads me to never actually getting to read, but nonetheless I enjoy it. I know exactly why books are not very popular among young people. I see their downfall. Its the lack of interactivity. When you read a book it is up to you to make the images in your mind. All you can do is sit and read the words. The Internet used to be the same way. That was known as Web 1.0 or "suckiness". The interactivity was non-existent. And now look where we are. Youtube is a cultural phenomenon. Everyone can be famous. All you have to do is record yourself dancing. Think about blogs. Blogs actually influence presidential elections. Some fat guy sitting at home on his Mac can actually cause people to vote a certain way. Now that is connection. Cell phones are complete computers that send text messages. They even have some phones with full Internet browsers. You can always check your email on the way to Kroger. The web is always looking for ways to be more interactive. Site designers work not stop to bring more people in. Life will never be the same now that the whole world is getting connected. Trust me, you get addicted and have withdrawals like Lindsay Lohan in rehab.

There is a place called Sardis, Tennessee that only has dial-up Internet! How do I know you ask? That is where I call home and visit on school holidays. I can barely check my email without losing my mind. You absolutely feel lost with the world after being there only a few days. That shows the importance of Web 2.0.

Event in history

2007-11-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

America celebrates a milestone

The United States of America is turning 200. This Fourth of July celebration is special because it is the bicentennial. July 4th, 1976, marks the all important milestone for the red white and blue. People across the nation will come together to honor their country with special ceremonies and celebrations. The celebration is underway with special events to honor the event. he United States Treasury is issuing bicentennial coinage and a special $2 bill. Television networks are having historical programming about the nation's history. The fireworks and barbecue will have even more meaning this year.

Proposed media:

Video footage of celebrations at nation's capitol
Interactive timeline of America's history
Pictures of people with captions of what America means to them
Video footage of firework celebrations
Links to recipes for a good Fourth of July meal
Polls of what is the best thing about America
Trivia game to test knowledge of America

Video about UT

2007-11-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Proposed Story Idea

2007-11-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

This story would be extremely interesting to the audience of Sports Illustrated. Obviously, since it is a sports magazine the readers would like to know about this important sporting event. However, this game even transcends the normal sports fan. The fact that both teams are undefeated the game takes on historical importance.

Game of the decade

The New England Patriots travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. both teams are undefeated and clearly the class of the NFL.

Video and Audio clips from the players talking about the game.

Highlights from the previous games this year.

Bios for all the key players and coaches involved.

I would have a poll asking who the people think would win.

Have another poll to see what would decide the game.
Link to experts predicting the games.

Social networking

2007-11-12T15:11:00.000-05:00

I guess there was a time in history when everyone did not know what everyone else was doing immediately after deciding to do it. I really guess there was such a time. Like a time before cell phones when you had to tell your friend to meet you at the movies at nine and they had to be there or else you were watching Top Gun by yourself. Or what about before Facebook when you had to put up fliers for a party. Or everyone did not know you loved Boy Meets World because you could not join the group on Facebook. It must have been a more simple time. Alas, would anyone want to live in that time again? I for one would not.

Sure social networking sites have become tad bit pervasive. Facebook, the choice for most college students, has status updates so you can let everyone know exactly how you are feeling. It's like look at April she is "worried about her pregnancy test" or look at Mike he is "so drunk he should not have driven home". These are things most of us probably did not want to know. So that is a problem I have with Facebook. (just changed status Tim is "really hating all these 222 assignments and is a hypocrite clearly by changing his status") Twitter took the status to a whole new level. That site is insane! The site is basically one big status update. Talk about crazy.

Myspace, or as I like to call it stalker space, is a way for losers to think they have way more friends than they think they do. Look at me I am friends with this hot chick in New York City. Well guess what, she is actually a he from Dothan, Alabama. I am not a fan of that site. Plus, it has turned into a walking advertisement for movies and music.

I don't wanna sound like I hate being connected. In fact, I take all the bad with these advancements and relish in the good. Like being able to stay friends with people from back home. Or being able to show off my hot girlfriend. Overall, these sites are just a natural progression of human nature to have friends. And who doesn't want that.

2007-11-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Beware of taking this teacher....NOT

2007-11-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

I remember how surprising it was to hear an ominous voice loom over the classroom without seeing the speaker. Was it the Wizard of Oz? Was it the voice of a higher being? It was neither of these but something even better. It was the voice of Peggy Collins. Okay so maybe she is not better than pulling a Joan of Arc and hearing the voice of God, but when it comes to knowledge of journalism it is a close race. Peggy has provided great information that backs up everything that our teacher says in class. She is working in the "real world" and provides information about our field that we haven't yet experienced. As for the phone meeting, it was a very unique experience. Usually when a number calls my cell phone that I don't recognize it is a stalker. This time it was Peggy calling to check on the progress of our class. We had a good conversation about where the class has been and where it is going. I felt that she really listened to what I had to say. Plus she praised me and that felt really good. Let's just say that teachers usually scold me instead of bestow praise. Overall, I think Peggy provides a great addition to the class. Now if she can just help me get a job I would nominate her for teacher of the year.

I believe that during the semester I have developed a new found respect for online journalism. The work that it takes to make online work enjoyable is substantial. I learned that online journalism is not for me, but I do not hate the field. I am just to good looking not to be on TV and have to good of a voice not to be on radio. However, with my amazing wit and fantastic blogging I could see myself always having a blog to entertain the masses. Or at least my mom.

Phoenix, Wahlberg own the screen

2007-10-22T21:35:00.000-04:00

Movies have always examined how deep the loyalty runs between family when tested by outside forces. Sometimes loyalty is tested by the love for the same woman. Sometimes it is tested by past events that caused a traumatic divide. Often, loyalty is tested by differing personal beliefs. The famous scene in Godfather when Michael Corleone lets his father know he is with him both physically and spiritually shows how a person can abandon their own beliefs to join their family. In the movie We Own The Night loyalty to family is the major theme. Two brothers, one living his own life in the glamorous world of night clubs and the other following their father and working as a police officer, must overcome their conflict to achieve a goal. Joaquin Phoenix plays the black sheep of the family and Mark Wahlberg plays the "good" son. Robert Duvall is the stern police captain who has the respect of seemingly the entire NYPD. The movie takes place in the late 70's/early 80's in a drug plagued New York City. Phoenix is running a successful nightclub that is overrun with illegal drugs. When his brother, Wahlberg, starts running an anti-drug unit they are destined to collide. The movie does a great job of giving a grim, dirty look to the drug era while still showing the side that is appealing to the club goers. Phoenix enjoys the fast paced life he lives and is thriving until a drug post gets him arrested. Obviously, this breaks his father's heart and disappoints his brother. The turning point for Phoenix is an attempt on his brother's life. Now the realities of his profession hit home. He must decide what is more important his profession or his family. The movie does an excellent job of showing the complicated relationship that is between the family. Phonenix and Wahlberg, who in my opinion should be considered a top actor because of his role in The Departed, are mesmerizing as two brothers with differing ideals. Although, most of the plot twists are predictable the superior acting makes up for the lack of surprise. The plot actually became secondary to the relationship between two brothers and their father. I give this movie an A, four out of five stars, and a thumbs up. That should cover all the bases.

A real life news production

2007-10-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

Upon entering the Knoxville News Sentinel my first reaction was, "Wow, this looks like a museum and not a place of work." After walking through the newsroom where all the reporters were, well, reporting I thought it looked like a scene out of Office Space. Then, we met with the online reporters and producers. I then came to realize that online journalism is not for me. Not because I don't enjoy it or think its cool. It is because I would not be very successful. Thankfully for Scripps their employees are better than I would be. The producers talked of how multimedia friendly the website has become. I could not agree more. I found this story which really interested me. I had not even heard about it anywhere else. The video just tied the whole thing together. Another amazing feature is the coverage of traffic on the website. Now that is a feature that can be used. Overall, I thought the trip was well worth it. I know our teacher did because it backed up everything she has been saying.

People perfect the news

2007-10-16T20:35:00.000-04:00

Days of mindlessly reading the newspaper without really concentrating on the material is long gone. Back in the day a news consumer just read what was offered to them and took it for face value. No deep thinking was involved because the reader had no way to share their own thoughts or experiences without maybe writing a letter to the editor. Welcome to the new age of news and news consumption. The rise of online news sources has provided news consumers new ways to add the the news. Most news sites have discussion boards at the end of stories where users can post comments. Some news sites allow users to add multimedia content. I believe that is great. Sometimes reporters do not get the best video. A random guy on the street may catch the best video. The more people get involved the better the news becomes. Besides no one is reading the newspaper anyway.

Running for St. Jude

2007-10-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

Just letting everyone know that my dad is running the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis. He is raising money to benefit St. Jude hospital. Anyone who would like to contribute follow can click here. Thanks for the support and pass the word along.

Capitalism is about making money

2007-09-26T20:12:00.000-04:00

In America we value making as much money as possible. To make money companies will look for every possible advantage that is available to them. Websites have been inventing ways to make more money since the beginning of the Internet. We all know how annoying those pop up ads have been. Therefore, no one should be surprised that websites promote themselves by using devices such as the website Digg. The job of companies is to make money. What better way than to direct people to your own website. Why should anyone be outraged? However, if you use Digg to take advantage beware of backlash. Businesses are not the only people trying to make money through this source. Private people try and make money off this service. I will never blame companies or people for trying to make money. As long as the method is legal I believe the use of all available sources is the American way.

I am a news junkie

2007-09-24T21:55:00.000-04:00

News is a huge part of my life. I could not imagine not being able to see or read what is going on in the world around me. When I wake up in the morning I turn on the news to watch while I get dressed. Then, I read all of my favorite news web sites after I check my email. News I really like to follow is national headlines, political stories, sports news, celebrity gossip, entertainment news, and the occasional weather report. I always have to know what is happening. When I am separated from types of news I simply go crazy. I worry that I have missed something. In a way, I feel that it is my responsibility to keep up with the news. To be an informed citizen, I must keep up with the news. Basically, if you take away the news I could not survive. After all, who does not need to be able to read what Britney Spears said about her children, while checking the stock market. Everyone needs to know these things.

All about me

2007-09-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

Journalism is a rewarding but challenging endeavor that brings out the best in people who try and make a career out of it. Currently, I am studying journalism at the University of Tennessee which is giving me the best opportunity to learn about journalism. I hope to pursue a career covering sports. I am taking classes that will allow me to work at newspapers, radio, television, and online outlets. The broader my horizons are the more job opportunities I hope to get. The greatest asset I have is that I am willing to learn from whoever has experience. Journalism is an art that I hope to perfect over a long and fulfilling career.

I remember living in America when...

2007-04-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

I remember living in America when...

People were allowed to drive SUV's and sports cars without feeling guilty
McDonald's was allowed to have Super Sized fries
Kids could play tag at recess
Success and winning was a good thing
The amount of toilet paper to be used was a personal decision
"Paper or plastic?" was not a moral choice
A moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance began every school day
Nancy Pelosi was just screwing up the state of California and not the whole country
Hilary Clinton was just the sloppy seconds of fat interns and not a potential president
Country music singers came from the good ole' USA and not Australia
Basketball at the Olympics was a guaranteed gold medal
"In God We Trust" was not found offensive
Fighting global terrorism was supported by both sides of the isle (at least for a year or so)
Going to a wedding meant you would see a bride and a groom with different genitalia
Americans were proud to say, "I live in the greatest damn country in the world."

Just think, I am only 20 years old...

Its hard out here for a conservative

2007-03-06T21:31:00.000-05:00

Racist. Bigot. Neo-con. These are just a few of the hateful ways that people describe people of my belief. No, I am not a Nazi. I am simply a conservative person. I happen to love America and believe that it is the greatest country in the world. I happen to love capitalism. I want a strong military to defend our nation. I believe in peace through strength not strength through peace. I am hurt, saddened, and deeply troubled by how people view me. In today's political climate it can be hard to be conservative. People automatically assume the worse about you. Like most problems I blame ignorance for these feelings. People are simply not basing their opinions on fact. Stupid cliches decide how people feel. For example, if you are against affirmative action you are racist. That is a common belief. Nothing could be further from the truth. Affirmative action is discrimination at its best. Deciding who should get a job should be based solely on qualifications and nothing else. It should not matter if you are black, white, male, female, fat, thin, old or young. You should simply consider the candidate for what he or she has done. If you support the war in Iraq you might as well hide in a bunker. People do not understand that success in Iraq is vital to success in the war on terror. If we leave Iraq and show that we have no resolve, the enemy will notice. I can appreciate the fact that Liberals are against war. Everyone should be against war. However, where they falter is that war is necessary. Instead of waiting for the enemy to attack us, we are bringing the fight to them. Instead of making deals with countries such as North Korea (thank you Mr. Clinton) we are making them meet our demands. Conservatives simply know how the world really is. Sometimes you gotta fight to do what has to be done. Just because I support the war does not mean that I enjoy war. I simply know what has to be done. So, stop saying that I am a neo-con bastard who enjoys seeing people suffer. Take another issue such as global warming. If you even causally question that it is a "scientific fact" people will say you hate the Earth. Oh yeah, I hate the planet that sustains human life. There is no proof that global warming is man caused. In fact, a huge number of scientists question the validity of Al Gore's love child. In fact, many say that the Earth goes through natural weather patterns and has been since the beginning of time. Maybe God knew what he was doing when he created the Earth and we are going to be okay. But that would mean that I believe in God. And don't even get the liberals started on that....

Why I can't cheer for Peyton

2007-02-02T00:16:00.000-05:00

What the hell is my problem? I need serious help. I do not want Peyton Manning to win the Super Bowl. I am gonna pause for everyone in Tennessee to recover from chest pains. The scary part is I have no idea why not. Peyton is the hero for the college that I attend and even more importantly he is the adopted son of my home state. He put the University of Tennessee football program back on the map. He was the perfect student athlete in college and now is the perfect role model for kids now that he is in the NFL. So, why do I want him to lose? Let's break it down one by one.
1) He is a classic choke artist. Peyton Manning never beat the Gators while playing for Tennessee. We play them every year! You mean to tell me he could not beat them once. Manning has always played terrible in the post season in the NFL. He deserved to loose against Kansas City and Baltimore this year. I respect people who up there game when it counts the most. If Tiger Woods was a quarterback do you see him sucking in big games? I think not. He would play better in the post season than any time in the regular season. He has that killer instinct of destroying his opponents. But hey, UT did win a SEC Championship with Peyton. He did lead them to the Super Bowl this year. So maybe he deserves some credit. We are still looking.
2) Those damn commercials. Its a tight race to see if we hear "This is our country" or see Peyton Manning's face the most. I think they should just put Peyton in a Chevy commercial. That would streamline the process. Peyton is not a television kind of guy. He just does not translate well to TV. He is just a boring white guy. But yet the NFL and corporate America forces him down our throats. I would rather watch a commercial with a player with charisma. Someone who can make people think, "I wanna buy what he is using". If the whole Bengals team did a commercial for a bail bonds service I would think, "Man, when I get caught with my illegal weapons I can use the same service as the Bengals!" Now that's advertising. Peyton absolutely has no promotional qualities. But hey, he is (arguably) the best quarterback in the league. So why not have the most commercials. Is that enough reason to hate a guy? Lets keep looking.
3) The Manning face. Now we are getting somewhere. The different expressions Manning makes on the field are absolutely more annoying than Carrot Top narrating a movie with Al Gore. It just isn't pretty. He is always looking either constipated, frustrated, or just plain clueless. Every bad pass he makes you can bet on seeing the face. It is so annoying. Plus, you gotta look at it through that stupid facemask. Where did he get that ugly piece of crap? I would rather him wear the one bar helmet that old kickers used to wear. But hey, should I dislike a guy for the way his face looks. I mean is that really fair? We are not there yet.
4) Everyone says I should. I think we have found the answer. Everyone says that I should like Peyton Manning. Well, I just don't. I enjoy watching him struggle when it counts. The really bad part is that I am not a hater. I don't like people who hate on everything about sports.You almost can not enjoy anything in sports without people like Jay Mariotti and Skip "Senseless" telling you why what just happened sucked or could have been better. But I guess everyone has a breaking point. And Manning is mine.
These reasons may not be good enough to hope Manning loses the Super Bowl. But now that I have laid it out I won't be to upset if he does win it all. Afterall, he did go to Tennessee. And that counts for something.

Who the hell thought this up....

2007-01-31T09:23:00.000-05:00

The biggest scam in the history of the world does not involve lottery scratch off tickets or paying 8 bucks to see Paris Hilton in House of Wax. It is the college system in the United States of America. Obviously, being stuck dead in the middle of a seemingly endless campaign to earn a bachelor's degree (maybe I will do it in 6!) my perception may be slightly skewed. Okay maybe more skewed that the New York Time's but who's counting? I do think that despite all that I could help make some helpful changes to this screwed up system. My first and major complaint is that fact that to earn your degree you spend at least 2 years worth of time taking classes that matter none whatsoever to the field you are studying. By requiring students to "become well-rounded" Universities have the perfect excuse to charge us for classes we neither need nor want to take. Spending two years on useless crap is like Michael Jordan playing basketball his entire life then thinking "hey, what the hell why not make Space Jam and play baseball". This worked out for no one except Bugs Bunny. (disclaimer: I loved Space Jam). What's worse is that teachers that teach the useless classes are usually the most arrogant and stuck up teachers on campus. Because they know no one wants to listen the their bull. But hey that have a Ph.D. in Japanese imperialism in the 19th century so they MUST be smart. Uh no, that means they losers who have no life nor desire to ever obtain one. That's why they torture normal people who only wanna earn a degree and get the hell on with the rest of their life. (And enjoy college along the way I might add) A degree could be cut down to two years. Why do I need Biology and Economics when I just wanna write and talk about sports? I simply do not give a damn about how many cells make up the human hair. The classes that don't matter are always the ones that give you the worst grades. Therefore, leading to parental disappointment and anger. Wait a second, maybe I should just major in that.......

My Parents...A Perfect Blend

2006-11-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

My parents are in Hawaii right now having the time of their lives. There are no two people who deserve it more. My parents have been married for 20 years. That is since they have been 17 years old. I could not even imagine such a feat. With all the problems between men and women, my parents are the perfect example of how a relationship should work. They are enough alike to get along, but enough different to have chemistry. Neither one of them fit the typical "sitcom" husband or wife mold. My dad is not a lazy guy who lays on the couch all weekend and watches television. He does not always say stupid things and get yelled at. My mom does not constantly say degrading things to him and talk about how he is not good enough. They simply love each other and get along. I could not imagine being raised by two better people. The cool part is that they made it through being poor and having a child early with hard work and determination. Men and women have a ton of problems but my parents seem to avoid all of the pitfalls. Their relationship is not perfect by any means. They have fights like everyone else. My mom has her own theory on the old cliche never go to bed angry. She says go to bed angry and when you wake up it will not seem so bad. She adds that if you do wake up angry then it must be serious. I think that is great advice from a great couple. I just hope that one day that I get to have a marriage as strong and loving as theirs.

I Won An Oscar.....See You Later!!!

2006-11-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in class the other day when I was hit with a bombshell. Reese Witherspoon was separating from her husband Ryan Phillippe. I was very shocked because I thought those two were for real. I mean, they had children together! I will say at the very beginning that I really like Reese. Afterall, she is from Tennessee. So, there is no way it can possibly be her fault for the split. Most of the rumors seem to confirm my beliefs. My theory for the reason he would be the most stupid man ever and want to cheat on her is because he is jealous. That classic male jealousy set in after Resse took home an Oscar. Yes, the Academy Awards can cause many Hollywood break-ups. Especially, when one person in a relationship is a better actor and wins an award and the other person has not. Poor Ryan was probably sitting in their mansion, that Reese probaly paid for, and thought, "All I have done is Cruel Intentions." So, Ryan thought he would cheat on her with someone else. You can follow this link http://www.oscars.org/awardsdatabase/index.html and search past winners and see that they split with their significant other. In fact, back to back winners, Hilary Swank and Witherspoon, both have split up. I think the significant others of winners should just suck it up and be happy for the other person. If one day my wife makes me money than me I will not only be happy, but also by her really good gifts with her fortune.

The Power of Women

2006-11-02T16:41:00.000-05:00

Women are more powerful than men. Yes, I myself being a man, am willing to admit that women are the dominating force of the universe. I will simply list the ways in which women control our society and dominate the weaker male counterpart.
Reason A) Women are beautiful- This leads to a terrible struggle on the part of the man. When we are around women we find attractive we practically become mumbling, fumbling, idiots. Maybe it is their sparkling eyes or nice, um, figures. Whatever it is their beauty helps them dominate the world.
Reason B) Women are sweet- Girls care if a kitty is stuck in a tree, if a homeless man has food, and if Jennifer Aniston is over Brad Pitt. There is no better feeling in the world than after getting hurt having a woman console you. Girls no how to make everything just a little nicer.
Reason C) Women are everything guys are not- Girls do not stink, in fact they smell great, girls don't hit you to show they are tough, and they do not do things just to see if it hurts. Now don't get me wrong there are great positives to a "guy's night" that might involve poker, beer, football, and strippers (not necessarily in that order). But overall, I want to have a girl around.
Reason D) Women are Moms- Everyone loves Mom. Enough said.
Overall, the role of genders can be complicated. Who controls who? In my opinion, I would always prefer to be controlled by a girl.

Give John A Microphone!

2006-11-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you Sen. John Kerry. Thank you so very much. First, you were a terrible presidential candidate. Your bland personality and in-ability to come across as being alive helped the Republicans win the White House. Since, you are so hard working you decided to mess up another election. The best part is you are not even running! Better than any speech a Republican candidate could give, Sen. Kerry stirred up the conservative base by insulting 140,000 of our best and brightest. By saying that the un-educated are stuck in Iraq, you may have helped the Republicans hold the Senate and possibly the House. Not only that, it actually put the Democrats on the defense for the first time in quite awhile. One of their leaders, which should make the Democrats loose sleep as it is, either intentionally or by accident insulted our military and gave the Republicans ammunition to question Democrats once again on the issue of national security. Karl Rove should invite Sen. Kerry over to the White House for an "open mike night". Then maybe the Republicans would never loose again.

Big Ben Still A Godsend

2006-11-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

The defending Super Bowl champions are 2-5. Yes, sadly my Pittsburgh Steelers are 2 and freaking five. Am I happy? Of course not. I had visions of a repeat of what we did last year. Instead in more of a dominating fashion. I wanted to roll through the Bengals to make them realize we beat them in the playoffs because we were better not because they lost Carson Palmer. I wanted to win the Super Bowl again to put to rest the excuses that the refs handed us the game. It is not looking good right now for the men in black and gold. Plenty of blame is available to pass around. I for one, blame Coach cowher who has looked like a statue on the field because he is dreaming of sipping tea on his porch in North Carolina. (of course I like cowher and think he is a hall of famer but come on lets get the jaw going) Most analysts, and I use the term loosely because most people blabbing on TV and radio are idiots, put all the blame on Roethlisberger. Just today I heard Cold Pizza's Woody Paige call Roethlisberger the most overrated player in the NFL! And this is coming from a guy who wildly supports Mike Vick. Normally Woody is okay because afterall he did go to UT, but on this one he is terribly off. Nothing angers me more than people saying Big Ben is overrated. The man went 27-4 as a starter going into the Super Bowl. 27-4. He single handled made a fan base believe in the QB position again, which hasn't happened since Terry Bradshaw was leading the team. His arm strength, decision making, and un-canny ability to make plays with nothing avaibable are just a few of his strengths. He was the YOUNGEST player to ever win a Super Bowl. But hell, he is overrated. The team, not Big Ben, threw all those touchdown passes in the playoffs. The team had a passer rating of 98.6 in 2005, not Ben. Take away the facts and just look at him. The quarterback position is one in sports that you can look at a guy and see if he is able to do the job. He carries himself like a pro. He walks like a pro. And he performs like one. Don't get me wrong. He has played terrible most of the year. And I mean a Stephen A. Smith TERRIBLE. That does not mean he is overrated. Lets go over some well document occurrences. If I say to you motorcycle wreck, removing of an appendix, and severe concussion you might say "A weekend with Lindsay Lohan". But you would be terribly wrong. Those all happened to Roethilsberger since Super Bowl XL. And he still is in the game. Most players can get over turf toe. Big Ben has worked through all those events. Everyone can keep saying he is overrated. Chant it from every rooftop and building you can get on top of. But when Big Ben goes on a 15 game winstreak don't say I didn't warn ya.

Harold Ford Jr: The Conservative Liberal....NOT!!!!

2006-10-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Harold Ford Jr, whom I will simply refer to as JR, has ran a perfect campaign. Perfect in the fact that he has almost tricked the Tennessee voters into believing that he is something that he is not. JR claims to be a conservative liberal, which in itself is ludicrous because how can you possibly be both conservative and liberal, by saying he is against such hot button issues as gay marriage and abortion. Lets just take the issue of abortion. In 1997 he voted against banning partial birth abortion. Let me repeat that. He voted against outlawing partial birth abortion. Remember this is the bill that passed the House and the Senate but was vetoed by the wonderful Bill Clinton. (man was that a great economy we had those years) Many people who are pro-choice are even against partial birth abortion. But ol' JR just slips that past the voting public when he is claiming to love the un-born. Oh wait, maybe he can dodge this bullet by saying in 2003 he voted for outlawing partial birth abortion. Which is true. So which JR is the real one. Just like another Democrat poster boy John Kerry, he seems not to be able to make up his mind. On an issue like taxes JR is even more un-predictable. Sometimes he would vote against low taxes on married couples and the extra child tax credit, which single handedly saved my parents almost 2000 dollars on their taxes. But JR would claim, rightfully so, that he voted for tax cuts on occasion. Which is true. The main thing that these two voting issues have in common is that JR's opinions change with the climate in which he is voting. When he was all for partial birth abortion and high taxes Bill Clinton was president. Then when everyone was all for saving children and low taxes, under President Bush, he seems to decide he is conservative. So, if he wins the state of Tennessee and say that the Democrats gain control of the House and pick up seats on the Senate, how do you think he will vote? Will he shift into his conservative liberal approach or will he simply fall behind Speaker of the House Pelosi? (and yes just saying Speaker of the House Pelosi makes me want to puke all over the screen)

*all my mentions of JR's voting record can be validated by looking at the website www.votesmart.org.

Does Spurrier own Fulmer?

2006-10-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

Tennessee fans shudder at the mere mention of Steve Spurrier's name. Whether it be because of pure hatred or fear, no self-respecting Tennessee fans likes Steve Spurrier. More than likely it is due to the fact that Spurrier has owned the Vols for seemingly forever. More specifically, he has owned coach Philip Fulmer. Fulmer is without a doubt a great coach. He has one of the highest winnings percentages in the nation. However, Spurrier has always seemed to dominate him. Fulmer even has a fear in his eyes when he looks over and sees that visor looking back at home. It could be because Spurrier has never shied away from making fun of Tennessee or coach Fulmer. He has made jokes about Tennessee's academic achievement and the law breaking tendencies of our players. Spurrier portrays such a strong feeling of confidence that it is truly intimidating. Last season, Spurrier took a very weak team and came into Neyland, although a very quite and angry Neyland, and beat a more talented Vols team. This exmplified the dominance that Steve "Superior" has over Fulmer. However, all of this is just coincidence. Usually Spurrier beat Tennessee because he has had the better teams. Fulmer does not fear Spurrier. It just looks that way most of the time. This weekend the Vols will destroy the Gamecocks. Of course, most will say that Fulmer was supposed to beat Spurrier because he has the better team. But rest assured that if Spurrier beats Fulmer the pundits will say that his clearly dominates the big man in orange.