Burning the Qu'ran

I'm sure everyone (who reads my blog anyway) has heard on September 11th, a congregation in Florida is going to burn several copies of the Qu'ran. This story has received more attention that it deserves, but here is my take on it.
I feel confident in stating the pastor and his congregation is probably full of backward idiots and my gut feeling is they would burn any book as long as it wasn't their Bible. However, I have no issue with burning the Qu'ran, besides being pointless, and here is why.

1. The fear is the act of burning the Qu'ran will put the U.S. Military in danger and be used as a recruiting tool for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Really? I've heard they are having a hard time finding recruits and the military has been getting thank you cards the last nine years.


2. I don't have a problem with burning the Qu'ran for the same reason I don't mind someone burning the Bible or any other book, religious or not. It's simply paper and ink; a symbol of the religion. Burning a book does not destroy the ideas contained within it. It's a symbolic disagreement of a symbolic book. I'm not a fan of symbolism (Who?! Who will not wear the ribbon?!) and letting a book guide your life is dumb...and so is the thought that burning it really matter (unless you need to to stay warm of course).

Here is what will happen: The Qu'rans will burn and we will see protests on the news for a week and then we will never hear about it again.

Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go draw a cartoon flip book of the prophet Muhammed on the bottom corners of my Qu'ran.

Softball Season Begins (For Me Anyway)

We opened our softball season last night with a double header. We played at 8:30 and 9:30 and won both. The first game was a route from the beginning. We went up 15-0 in the first two innings and won 19-3. The second game was close the first two innings while our bats fell asleep and we made some sloppy plays on defense. Then we scored 12 in a two out rally in the 4th inning and won the game 18-9.
I pitched 3 innings each game. The first game I pitched a shutout and the second game I only gave up three runs (I'm sure it was my arm and not the defense behind me). I made a few plays at the mound and only walked one guy who was looking for a walk when he came up because he struck out his first at bat.
I sat a couple of innings to let other guys play as well as played first a few innings.
The first game I went 1-3 at the plate. A single up the middle, a pop fly to shallow left-center and a line drive to first base while trying to score guys from second and third.
The second game was a little better, but not great. A fly out to left and bloop single over second and a solid line drive single to left-center.

Here is my schedule for the remainder of the year:
Thursday, September 16th @ 8:30 on Field #1 (JCC)
Thursday, October 7th (doubleheader) @ 7:30 & 8:30
Thursday, October 14th (doubleheader) @ 6:30 & 7:30
The single elimination tourney starts Thursday, October 21st

Start the Football Season Off Right

With the UK/UofL game coming up Saturday to kick-off the 2010 season, I want to make sure the Wildcats warm-up properly. Here is a little video from Kige Ramsey to make sure our Cats stay healthy and loose throughout the year.

"Oh golly, I'm hot today."

Golfer's swing sparks 12-acre blaze
Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. -- Forget "Fore!"
"Fire!" was the cry of the day for a golfer whose off-target swing sparked a 12-acre blaze in Southern California.
The golfer at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine landed a shot in the rough Saturday. On his next swing, his club snagged a rock, causing a spark that lit the rough ablaze and eventually attracted 150 firefighters to the scene.
Fire officials say the fire burned through the rough, into vegetation next to the course and over two dry, brushy hillsides.
No charges were filed against the golfer, whose name was withheld.

Congratulations to the Bakers

Jen and Chip Baker had a healthy baby boy this afternoon. Julie and I are eating a quick dinner then headed to the hospital. The baby's name is Jason Vorheez Baker (sp?) JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!

The Three Sweetest Letters in the Alphabet...DVR

I have enjoyed this baseball season even though I haven't watched much baseball at all. Having St. Louis and Cincinnati duke it out for first place in the NL Central has been fun to follow. Last night, St. Louis opened up a three game series with Cincinnati in the Queen City. The first game was on ESPN. I was hoping to watch it but knew I would not be able to see much until the end. Then I remembered those three sweet little letters from the Roman alphabet; DVR. The game was half over when I started recording, but at least I was able to watch the last four innings. The last two games will be on Fox Sports South, so I will plan ahead and record. DVR is an abbreviation for "never having to plan your life around a show or game while being able to fast forward through commercials.

Ceiling Fan

And no I don't mean I really like ceilings...

A few months ago I replaced a dryer outlet after the ground wire came undone and melted the entire outlet. I am happy to say the dryer is still working like a charm.
Yesterday I tackled replacing a ceiling fan in the guest bedroom. We bought a nice white one on sale at Lowe's to replace the gold colored wood laminant fan Julie has hated since she moved in (If anyone is in to tacky ceiling fans, we'd be willing to get rid of it for a very cheap price!). The directions for installation noted it would take about 120 minutes from start to finish. I always add an extra hour on to anything, especially if I have never done it before. With several interruptions throughout the afternoon, my best guess is it took about 150 minutes of actual work. As of now the lights and fan are working, so I am 2 for 2 on this type of project.

We hope to have family over for a cookout in the Fall once the weather cools down. We still have some interior painting and landscape work to do, but we are getting there.

New Study from the University of Minnesota

No surprises here, but it is still interesting.
http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistbigotryprejudice/a/AtheitsHated.htm

Speedy Nine Holes at Nevel Meade

(I took a page out of Pop's playbook and "Googled" speed golf. I didn't wear jeans, but the rest of the attire is all me don't you think?)

I played nine holes at Nevel Meade last night after work. They sent me out on the back nine due to the men's playing the front. I hopped in a cart and headed out to the empty back nine. I didn't feel extremely confident, but was glad I had an open course and solitude to play and practice.
I played the front nine a week ago with guys from the Bats and played awful. I ended up shooting a 42 or 43. It's easy to forget those types of rounds. My play from 100 yards and in hurt me the most. I had just come off vacation and I didn't feel my concentration was where it needed to be. I blame the jet lag.
Last night I played the back nine in an hour flat (according to the cart GPS). I shot a tidy 34 with seven pars and a birdie on 16 and 18. I lipped out a birdie on the par 5 14th and lipped an eagle on 18. I like where my game is and how I'm striking the ball. I made some fundamental changes to my setup, grip and right elbow position at the beginning of the season and it has helped tremendously this year. I hope it continues, but nothing in this game is a sure thing.

FORE ya'll!

A Few California Pictures

These are just a few pictures from my camera. We have both of our pictures in an album that we look forward to showing everyone.

California Pictures (The House)

Next Stop California

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, we will be headed to Newport Beach on Saturday for a full week of relaxation. Julie's parents have been kind enough to let us use their house and vehicles while we are out there, thus making it a relatively inexpensive vacation.

The weather looks perfect with highs forecast in the low 70's with plenty of sunshine for the entire week. I am bringing shorts and sweatshirts, so hopefully I'll have enough room in the suitcase. I don't plan on swimming much, but I'm bringing trunks along as well.

Our friend Marilyn will be on the same flight going out Saturday by pure coincidence. She hopes to meet us one night for dinner, although she will be headed to Burbank. She is going with a friend of hers to hopefully spend a little time in the Hollywood area (and apparently see Leonardo DiCaprio at the "Inception" premier).

I have spent the work week creating a to-do list for my staff to keep them busy next week (though I'm sure other stuff will pop up to keep them from working on the list). I have also tried to keep up with paperwork because I know I'll have a huge stack when I get back.

I may post via mobile uploads while their, but I will have plenty of pictures and stories when I get back.

A Busy, but Fun, Stretch

It has been busy for Julie and I the past week or so and it looks like it will stay busy for the month of July. A big chunk of the month will be spent in southern California, so I'm not complaining.

• Work has been a madhouse with the day camps and pools being filled beyond capacity. This combined with major management changes has put everyone to the test. It beats working the long hours at the stadium, but it has been stressful.
• I have just about finished staining the deck. I need to buy a pint of stain/sealer at Lowe's today to finish touching up a few spots, but the deck looks a hundred times better. With the sanding, cleaning and painting, it took me a total of about 12-14 hours...not counting the 10 minutes I have left to touch up. I wanted to have the deck finished before our cookout with friends on Saturday. It will be a good test run for when we have family over.
• It seems everyone has a birthday in July. We are going to Outback tonight for our friend Natalie's birthday (which is today), then we will be celebrating Mark, Kevin and Julie's birthdays at Mom and Dad's on Monday. On July 9th, a few of us will be going out for Julie's birthday dinner (Julie's birthday is July 14th). I am sure she'll get a birthday celebration while on vacation, too. Geez, talk about a birthday season!
• Friday night we will be attending Night Racing at Churchill Downs. We are trying to score a few free box tickets. I think we may have a few, but it looks like we will be buying a couple more tonight in advance.
• I will finally get out and play golf again Sunday morning at Seneca with Dad, Uncle Mark and one TBA (Kevin, if you read this, let me know if you can play...I left you a voicemail). I haven't played Seneca for awhile because I'm still bitter about the changes they made to holes #1 & #10. However, the course looks in good shape and I always enjoy playing golf with my Dad and Uncle.
• Blues Traveler is giving a free concert at Fourth Street on Saturday, July 17th at 8pm, but our flight doesn't get in until 11:30. If I wasn't coming home from a marvelous vacation, I would be more upset about missing it.
• The Saturday after we get back from vacation, a group of us will be attending Hullabalou at Churchill Downs. I can't say I'm real excited about going. The headliner is Kenny Chesney and I can't name one song he sings. All I know is that it's "redneck noise" and it's not really my cup of tea. I am, however, looking forward to seeing Gov't Mule and a few other bands.
• The last weekend in July, my best friend Sparks and I are looking for a weekend trip. We thought about golf and a beach, but neither of us will be wanting to spend a lot of money. We may just take a trip to Cincy and catch a couple of Reds games. If so, I will try to get some free tickets. We may end up taking a day trip to Chicago in August to catch a Cubs game. Southwest offers cheap round trips, so we'll see where that goes.

A Disappointing Round of Golf

I played Nevel Meade again last evening. My score of 35-39 =74 would lead you to believe I'd be happy with it, but I'm not.
I played the Par 3's +3 (1 par, 3 bogeys)
I played the Par 5's +2 (1 birdie, 3 bogeys)
I played the Par 4's -3. (3 birdies, 7 pars)
I played the last 6 holes 4 over par.

I was fairly happy with the front nine except for the bogey on the par 3, #5th and on the par 5, #7th. I hate having a 6 on my scorecard, especially when it comes from a mental mistake on one bad shot around the green.

I opened the back nine with a birdie and a couple of pars, then the wheels fell off and I had to hitch a ride on the bogey train. I bogeyed four of the last six holes, including two par 5's. Maybe the heat got to me, but I still feel I have a sub-70 round in me soon.

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Additional Note: I wonder if I've ever played another round of golf without taking a 5 on any hole. That's tough to do...all I have to do is bogey a par 4 or par a par 5

Northern California Golf Association Auction

The Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) is auctioning off the scoring sheets from the U.S. Open. They have several golfers with starting bids ranging from $20-$200. Right now I have a bid on Lucas Glover's (who started at a minimum of $25) and Tiger Woods (who started with a minimum of $200). My max bid on Glover's is $50 and I put $202.50 down on Tiger's. I believe I was the first person to bid on them, so that's neat. I am sure The prices will go way beyond what I'm willing to pay, but I will keep an eye on the lesser know n players to see if I can nab one for under $50. It would be an extremely unique item to add to my collection.
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Late note:
(I've already been out bid on Tiger's, but I still have the only bid on Glover's)

More on the U.S. Open

I have a gut feeling this will be one of the best U.S. Opens in recent memory. Pebble Beach is one of the prettiest courses in the world and great to watch on TV. The U.S. Open is also the most difficult setup of any other tournament. Thick rough, narrow fairways and small greens allow for memorable shots and infamous collapses. Most U.S. Opens are also extremely hot. The course usually gets baked and by Friday the greens treat golf balls like a horse's tail treats flies. This year will be different. The course may still be very firm, but Pebble Beach is unlike most Open venues. The temperatures will be in the upper 50's and most likely the sun will only be seen in the late afternoon once it finally burns through the fog and mist.

The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach is not know for one hit wonders winning their first and only major (the exception is Tom Kite in 1992, but he was not really a surprise to win a major). The other Pebble Beach U.S. Open winners: Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982) and Tiger Woods (2000).

This brings me back to my earlier post's prediction of this year's champion being a past major winner, or like a Tom Kite, expected to win one. So, I'll take these five golfers and you can take the field:

1. Tiger Woods
2. Phil Mickelson
3. Jim Furyk
4. Padraig Harrington
5. Lee Westwood

World Cup & U.S. Open

Like Kevin, I have tried to give the World Cup a chance. I watched a large portion of the U.S vs. England match as well as Italy vs. Japan. I have caught bits of other games as well, but I don't get it either. The highest scoring game I have seen is 2-0, or 1-1. It seems like there is only 2-3 legitimate shots on goal (is that a hockey term?)per game.


The U.S. Open starts Thursday and I'm excited. I know some of you think golf is equally boring. The difference is that in golf, every stroke counts. Plus, the Open is being played at Pebble Beach this year, one of the prettiest courses in the world. It will be another busy weekend, but I'm sure I'll find time to watch. Plus, my DVR will be set just in case. I don't have any crazy prediction, but I do think the victor will be a former major winner and not a first timer. I'll be pulling for the local guys, but I would love to see a big group around the lead on Sunday as everyone falls apart.

Sheldon Gets Leonard Nimoy DNA

No Snowmen During the Round, But I Saw One After

I started my round at Nevel Meade with a limp by bogeying the first two holes. I steadied things through the majority of the round, then went a little crazy towards the end. Here is how my round played out: bogey, bogey, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, birdie, birdie, double bogey, double bogey, eagle.

For those of you keeping score at home, that's a 75. Not bad for my first round in over a month. I noticed I have picked up a little yardage since I've been working out, too...almost a full club, or 10 yards. I'll keep on working at it, but I also need to concentrate on flexibility.
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After the round I went to Moe's to grab dinner. As I was ordering, I noticed a guy and his wife walk in. The guy looked extremely familiar and it only took me about ten seconds to remember his name. It was this guy:









Or in his action figure form:

I know most of you probably have no idea who this is, but I watched Al Snow on WWF about 10 years ago. Plus, how often do you bump into a guy who has his own action figure?

For more on Al Snow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Snow

or his wife, Cynthia Lynch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Lynch

Round...ummmmm...5 of the year?

I am playing golf at Nevel Meade tonight with a few guys from Slugger Field, Randy, Tony and Neil. This works out really well because not only is it cheap golf, but it is now pretty close to home. We always have fun and there are usually plenty of insults hurled around as we attempt to one up each other in gamesmanship. I haven't played since the scramble on May 8th, but I always seem to play well at Nevel Meade. I'm sure it will be cart path only due to the rain, but maybe that will keep the course open and we can get around faster.

This is a picture of Randy on Nevel Meade's #6 a couple of weeks ago. That is a rat snake they found stretched across the tee box.