Brief Update. Hopefully More Frequent Posts to Come

My promised highlights from round at Seneca, but I have since forgotten most of it (actually I haven't, but who cares about a round from over a week ago. I played well early until a 3 putt on the 7th and a nice triple bogey on the easy 8th hole par 3. I birdied 9 for a round of 40. The backside was a series of missed greens and bogeys. Pretty blah.

My last round after work with some guys at Nevel Meade was much more successful, even though I had too many bogeys the backside due strictly to mental errors instead of bad swings. I shot 35-40 for a 75. The highlight was on eagle on the par 5 7th. A high flop shot over a bunker from about 25 yards found the cup.

The bottom line is that I am hitting very good shots. Most of my mistakes come with poor club selection or trying shots that are unnecessary. So my goal is to stick to my game plan and take the simplest approach to shots. I will be playing Nevel Meade early Friday. I might get a round in Wednesday, but that depends on what Beth's schedule is. I also plan on getting one for the weekend. Free golf is great and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I feel I am playing the best golf in quite some time and just need ti keep my brain out of the way.

Work this current home stand has been crazy. Power outages during games, termite swarms in the Hall of Fame is absolutely ridiculous and numerous problems keep creeping up. Hopefully we are due for a smooth game.

That's it for now. I'm going to bed. Thanks to all those you keep checking my blog and I'm sure I will get back to it this week.

...One last note, my cornhole record for the season is 57-12. I've played quite a bit and am looking for some tournaments if anyone hears of any.

Admit It, You Missed Me

It is getting late and I don't feel like writing, but I just wanted to let everyone know and am still kicking. My plan is to post again tomorrow. Until then, I will just leave you with a few thoughts.

• Rachel Alexandra is a great horse and Mine That Bird is a very good horse. But I was rooting against Mine That Bird because I don't like his trainer.
• I was happy to see Henrik Stenson win The Players Championship last week. As far as international players go, he's alright...and any guy willing to hit a shot on national TV in his skivies is ok in my book. At least he didn't pull a Rick Jackson (a story I will not get into detail on this blog).
• My golf game is coming around and I expect to make further improvements this summer.
• I'm rooting for the astronauts working on the Hubble. Go astronauts go!
• My combined cornhole record this year is 40 -9. Not bad.

Just like Pop, I will post a post round recap of my round at Seneca tomorrow. My goal this year is too shoot a round in the 60's. Thanks for checking back in...I'm going to bad befor I fall asleep with zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Random Derby Stuff and More

• Friesan Fire. Enough said. If you're looking for an exacta, toss in Dunkirk. Feel free to send me a check. I recommend 20% of any earnings, but you may contribute more if you are really thankful.
• Cornhole boards available for Derby- I don't know what we are doing Derby Day yet, but it looks like the big shin-dig in Indiana is a possibility. I do have cornhole boards at work I can bring if anyone thinks they are needed (I know I'd use them).
• I have decided to play golf on Oaks Day. I have a morning tee time at Oxmoor with a few guys from work. I am trying to get in all the practice I can before the North Korean Express hits town next week (I thing Wag may want some revenge after the Herculean comeback at Shawnee on Sunday).
• I finally finished "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Jules Verne wrote the book in 1870. His foresight about submarines and other technology was amazing. While reading it, it seemed like he already new of the technology invented in the first quarter of the 20th century. I will have to learn more about him.
• Up next is the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Phillip Pullman. The first book is "The Golden Compass." Beth is almost done with the last book, so I need to go ahead and read them so we can discuss. Maybe will have tea and strumpets...

I mean crumpets.

Showdown at the Valley

Saturday, May 9th, 2009 may begin just like any other day, but the hours that spill following sunrise will be retold for generations. The Coca-Cola Scramble at Sun Valley will witness two of the most formidable and electrifying scramble teams ever assembled on wide wide Dixie Highway. This town ain't big enough for the both of them, but the drama will be mammoth.

The first team is anchored by the father-son combo of Mark & Matt Wagner. This golf duo stooped to recruiting talent outside the United States. In a deal tenuously struck with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the Wagners acquired two of Pyongyang's biggest stars- Joo-Lee and Jit - in exchange for a collection of Warner Bros. cartoon DVD's. When asked if the language barrier may cause problems among the team, Wag senior snarled, "ya ain't got to speak no English to whoop some Tabler a**!"

When reporters asked Joo-Lee her reaction to playing in this tournament for the first time, she commented, "Coka-Cora ...been...very good... to me because... supreme leader say so very good."

The Don of the Tabler family, Bob "Steel Joints" Tabler, doesn't understand his family's sketchy reputation among those in the field. The Tabler's intimidation techniques are well known on the links, but the Don insists he raised his children to be respectful and upstanding members of the community. "I manage my boys with a firm and nurturing hand just like any loving father. They're good fellas."

His eldest son, Mark "Deep Freezer" Tabler, seems to have the raw ability, if not the refined skills of the "family business." Kevin " Hook n' Slice" Tabler works the ball around the course like a marionette. And Brian "Anchors" Tabler, the heavy weight of the team, has the experience and skill to drown the competition.

The golf committee may be wise to keep these teams separated on opposite sides of the course, but the TV ratings beg for a Team A-B match-up. With the Tabler team throwing daggers and the Wagner-Lee team launching missiles, the morning of May 9th will be a red dawn.

Cornhole Boards

A guy I work with built us some new cornhole boards for the office because the ones we plundered from the grounds crew were reclaimed on Thunder Saturday. I have put one coat of paint as a primer and lightly sanded them. My next job is to paint them with a semi-gloss paint and finally put on a thin coat of varnish.

I am also in the market for my own boards. Even though I have no space to store them (I'm sure my wonderful parents may watch after them for me because I'm sure we'd use them over there quite a bit). I haven't decided if I should have this same guy make me some or just buy a set. However, this brings me to the point of this blog post. I am searching for suggestions on the design of the boards. I have thought of the obvious idea of having team logos (I would like to have UK or St. Louis Cardinal designs). But I'm searching for something unique. I know my family is very creative and warped (in a good way) and could think of some interesting ideas.

For those of you unfamiliar with a cornhole board (and I can't imagine who that would be), I need to paint two of these:

Mt. Redoubt Web Cam

For any of you following the activity of Mt. Redoubt in Alaska, here is the link to the web cam updated every few minutes. Also, if you look to the left of the page, you will see a few different web cam locations for the volcano.

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/Redoubt_-_Hut.php

Happy Anniversary Mark & KIm

I didn't call you today because I knew you were out celebrating, but Happy Anniversary. I think we are all celebrating the fact that two such wonderful people found each other and ended up being such committed parents to two beautiful girls. We love you!

The Church & The Chiller

I had a few errands to run during lunch today and ended up on Bardstown Road in the Highlands. I pulled through a drive through to get a quick bite and decided to drive back in the neighborhoods around Cave Hill Cemetery. I found a nice quiet street and enjoyed the different architecture of the various houses and apartments unique to the Highlands. The grass is green, flowers and trees are in bloom and everything looks wonderful. As I sat in my car devouring my sandwich and listening to "State of Affairs" on NPR, I noticed several of the yards had signs in them that read: "Highland Presbyterian: Please Move Your Chiller."

I started wondering,"what the heck does that mean?" As I pulled away from the curb and drove down the block a few houses, I saw a different sign that read: www.thechurchandthechiller.com.

You can read for yourself the issue at hand, but it is hard to believe the church has so far gotten away with it. What happened to the days of shutting all the windows in the church in the summer and opening them all in the winter. That's how I remember it anyway (I'm looking at YOU Sister Margaret!)

When Worlds Collide

The article linked below came out in November 2008, but I only came across it last night. It is from World Net Daily. Though I have no idea of this publications background, I suspect it to be a right wing conservative publication. Again, I have not researched it, so I first read it as an unbiased article (although the author calls "The God Delusion" an anti-Christian book, which leads me to believe he has not read it, or did not comprehend it. Also, a link to a book in the middle of the article on the spread of atheism titled "The Marketing of Evil" was a little obvious). Please read:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=81459

While respecting the circumstances and feelings surrounding a case like this, especially a suicide of a young student, I find the reasoning of the student's family and friends short sighted and ignorant. Emotions often cloud judgement in such circumstances, but the slant the writer uses in the article adds to my disgust.

To suggest a book's presentation of "irrefutable" evidence destroys and undermines a persons faith and should be held accountable for "malpractice" is like blaming the iceberg for the Titanic hurling faster and faster, unchecked, through the icy North Atlantic. The evidence is what it is, so maybe the preliminary mindset is to blame. Did it not occur to anyone this young mind had been molded and filled with so much unquestionable "faith" that he forgot to think for himself. And once faced with ideas that break the mold, he was unable to cope. Even though it may hurt, blaming the truth is never a good idea.

The father stated by allowing his son to attend a secular school, he felt like he "put a toddler in the front of [his] car ." Kilgore's son was 22 years old. Definitely not a toddler, but he demonstrated the binding paralysis of a lifetime of indoctrination.

"I want to hold schools accountable for what they're teaching our kids. This was malpractice," he said. Challenging college students to read a book (not in the curriculum? GASP!) and allowing them to come to their own conclusions? How appalling! The problem did not lie in the book. The demise of this student started 20 years earlier, with the force feeding of misinformation, the discouragement of questioning, and the unaccountabilty of fundamental religious teaching.

A Spring Time High School Movie Classic Worth Reposting

Caution: One 4-Letter Word at the End

My Champions Dinner

One of the great traditions of The Masters is the Champions Dinner. Below is a list of recent champions. Then, I will give you what I would pick.

"Winners of The Masters are members of an exclusive club, so they get together each year on the Tuesday night of tournament week to welcome the previous year's winner to the club. That club is officially known as the Masters Club, but unofficially the gathering is called the Champions Dinner.
The previous year's winner gets to select the menu (and pick up the tab!). Over the years, the dinner fare has ranged from cheeseburgers to sushi to haggis (if you don't know what haggis is, you're better off that way). But the former champs aren't required to eat what the defending champion selects. If the reigning champ's taste isn't to the taste of other Masters winners in the room, they can order off Augusta National's regular menu (which includes steaks, chicken and fish dishes).
Our favorite Champions Dinner menu was the one offered by Tiger Woods in 1998: cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries and milkshakes. Hey, Tiger was only 22 at the time.
It's difficult to find info on Champions Dinner menus from the early days of the event, but more recent menus are usually reported in the media in the weeks leading up to The Masters.
Here is a sampling of Champions Dinner fare (the source for most of the pre-2000 menus listed below is a 1999 article in The Augusta Chronicle by Emily Sollie):
Trevor Immelman, 2009: Bobotie (a spiced minced meat pie with an egg topping), sosaties (type of chicken skewer), spinach salad, milk tart and South African wines.
Zach Johnson, 2008: Iowa beef, Florida shrimp.
Phil Mickelson, 2007: Barbecued ribs, chicken, sausage and pulled pork, with cole slaw.
Tiger Woods, 2006: Stuffed jalapeno and quesadilla appetizers with salsa and guacamole; green salad; steak fajitas, chicken fajitas, Mexican rice, refried beans; apple pie and ice cream for dessert.
Phil Mickelson, 2005: Lobster ravioli in tomato cream sauce, Caesar's salad, garlic bread.
Mike Weir, 2004: Elk, wild boar, Arctic char (that's a fish), Canadian beer.
Tiger Woods, 2002: Porterhouse steak and chicken with a sushi appetizer.
Vijay Singh, 2001: Seafood tom kah, chicken panang curry, baked sea scallops with garlic sauce, rack of lamb with yellow kari sauce, baked filet Chilean sea bass with three flavor chili sauce, lychee sorbet.
Mark O'Meara, 1999: Chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, sushi, tuna sashimi.
Tiger Woods, 1998: Cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries, milkshakes.
Nick Faldo, 1997: Fish and chips, tomato soup.
Ben Crenshaw, 1996: Texas barbecue.
Jose Maria Olazabal, 1995: Paella (a Spanish rice dish) and hake (whitefish), plus tapas.
Bernhard Langer, 1994: Turkey and dressing, black forest torte."

Brian Tabler, 3-Time Lagoon Legend Memorial Champion: Prime Rib sandwiches w/ raw horseradish and au' jus, roasted red pepper chicken fettucini alfredo, baked potatoes and grilled sweet corn. For dessert, chocolate silk pie, rasberry cheesecake and hot fudge sundaes.

Yum, yum!

A Tradition Unlike Any Other...Taking Pop's Money

One of my favorite four day stretches is upon us as The Masters gets started Thursday morning. While I sit here and watch Live From The Masters on the Golf Channel, I have been contemplating the $1 bet I made with Pop. He took Tiger Woods and is giving me 5 golfers of my choice. If Tiger wears the Green Jacket, he collects the buck. If one of my guys slips it on, I get it. Simple as that. So, with hours upon hours of research, crunching numbers and reviewing over 60 years of footage, I give you my picks. Good Luck Pops...let's hope Tiger's knee doesn't get reinjured. "He'll quit the game."

1) Phil Mickelson

2) Geoff Ogilvy

3) Padraig Harrington

4) Paul Casey

5) Justin Rose

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

The title says it all. I'm trying to remember...is this the 42nd? Please correct me if I am wrong. I hope you all have a great day and we love you.

Is This the New Coach-Mobile for "John Cal I"?

Question for Kevin

Is your new "Planet Earth" box set narrated by Segourney Weaver or Sir David Attenborough? Thankfully, mine is Attenborough. I think it's funny the BBC uses an actual famous naturalist, but the United States production needed to be "sexed up" with an actress. Not that it really matters I guess, but for some reason it bothers me. It would be like Morgan Freeman doing "Cosmos" on PBS instead of Carl Sagan.

Sunday Prognostications: Tiger, Tiger Woods Ya'll

I see Tiger is in 2nd place going into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Problem is, he's 5 shots back of Sean O'Hair. Giving a professional golfer a 5 shot lead on Sunday should be a lock, but how often do you see them yack on their custom Dry-Joys the first couple of holes and let the field back in. O'Hair is skinny like me, so I think he'll win. Prediction: Tiger will smell blood and pounce early, but O'Hair holds him off and wins by one.

Michigan State makes "P-Spill" and the rest of Pitino's Crimininos go cold on 3-pointers. The Spartans will have a tough time with UofL's interior game, but eek out a win, thus giving me another final four team in my bracket. If Oklahoma beats UNC, I'll then have 3 of the 4.

As a side note, I have only missed one game in the West region of the bracket (BYU/Texas A&M)

Day 2: Coach Search

I have exhausted myself trying to think of possibilities for UK's next hire. I have been looking at the big boys as well as coaches from the mid-majors. The only place I haven't looked is the NBA. Not because I don't think UK wouldn't look there, I just don't know any coaches in the NBA. I have tried to keep myself away from the computer most of the day to keep from checking every few minutes on the latest news. I realize it will probably be a little while before a decision is made, but reading the same speculation over and over again is still fun.

I went to a Texas A&M basketball forum to see if they had any comments on Gillispie's firing. Most stated it was because of his record, but many acknowledged it was also in combination with his personality. If this is the opinion on a fan forum, shouldn't Barnhart have known this before he hired BCG?

And Digger Phelps is an idiot.

Thanks, Kevin!

Thank you Kevin for the heads up on the Planet Earth Box Set deal at B&ME on Bardstown Road. I've been wanting to get it for a while now. This was my first visit to the store and I enjoyed looking around. They have a nice collection (I even saw the first season of "The Great American Hero!).

The Usual Suspects

The trickle of news out of Lexington throughout the day has been agonizing. Knowing the decision has been finally made (right or wrong) is at least some consolation and allows my brain to mellow out a little. But now, I feel the weekend will feel the same as we await the announcement of Kentucky's next coach. The media outlets have not helped with my headache. Reports of Gillispie staying and leaving were everywhere and the speculation by the media concerning who will be the next coach are no different.

I have heard from numerous news sources, CBS, ESPN, Florida news papers, Fox Sports and more, that Donovan was to be named head coach. Then the same outlets reported he was not interested. Some reported Travis Ford was the pick and others reported Kentucky has not asked for permission to speak with him. Calipari has said he is not leaving Memphis. Izzo, Pitino, and Dixon are still in the tournament. So they are untouchable at least through the weekend.

As I attempt to collect my thoughts about Kentucky's next move, I sincerely hope Barnhart and Todd have a plan in place and aren't looking at each other right now saying, "OK, now what?" Firing Gillispie without reasonable leads would be foolish. The several names being tossed around all have pros and cons attached to them. Here are my thoughts and feelings on a few of them (excuse me if I misspell their names, I don't feel like checking the spelling).

Billy Donovan: Like any coach, he has qualities I strongly dislike. But he has proved himself to be capable of putting together championship teams. I think he would be a good fit at Kentucky, but a little voice in my head tells me it may not be the best choice.

John Calipari: Great recruiter and very solid coach. I have a bad feeling, however, his style of players would not give Kentucky the type of teams I can root for. Plus, his background is a little sketchy and a little baggage can become a full dowry at a big program (see IU).

Tom Izzo: I think if given the choice, Izzo would be my pick. Sure, low scoring games would be the norm, but I'm used to it by now. I'd rather have a boring, but winning, basketball program over a fast paced losing squad. I like Izzo's personality and he has shown his loyalty by living in Michigan all these years. He is playing Kansas right now, but I'm not sure if he'd be willing to leave Michigan State. He may be there as long as Boeheim has been at Syracuse.

Travis Ford: No no no no no no no no no damn crap damn it to hell no. Nothing against Travis (although I know Kevin doesn't care for him), but I just don't see him working out in Lexington in the near future. Maybe 5-10 years down the road with some success, but not yet.

Mike Anderson: The Mizzou (RAH!) Tiger's current trailblazer (pun intended UAB fans) has his kitties rolling after thumping Memphis last night, all the while keeping my bracket exceptionally strong. Anderson has obviously shown he can coach. He is obviously not stupid. Say what you will about whether Tubby's treatment at Kentucky was fair or not, but he and Anderson are good friends and I don't know if Tubby would recommend he take the job.

Rick Pitino: Yeah right. I would welcome Pitino back with open arms, as I think most UK fans would. But Pitino is not leaving Louisville. Not yet. And not for UK.

Thad Matta: Good recruiter? Most likely. Good coach? Sure. But this just does not get me excited. I know it's hard to compete against football at Buckeye U, but he has done a hell of a job. But the prospect of this coaching move doesn't make me all giggly. Maybe I'm wrong.

No matter what decision is made, I'll do my best to support and cheer like I always have. I know if things go poorly, more changes will be made...and made...and made again until Kentucky once again contends for a championship. But it won't stop this weekend from being a tortuous test of patience.

Idiot News

While checking on the latest news concerning the fate of Billy Gillispie, I surfed on over to WAVE 3's website. A headline read that UK fans were strongly in favor of a coaching change. Just below this headline, the WAVE 3 poll had 59% of voters IN FAVOR OF GILLISPIE GETTING ANOTHER SEASON. 5% had no opinion. The last time I checked, 36% is not very overwhelming.

WHAS 11 News reported with a breaking news crawler that Gillispie was fired. Nice considering no other station has reported this and they only reported this based on a rumour so they could be the first to break the news. Now I hope Gillispie stays just to spite WHAS. These must be the same people who called 2000 election.

I Want To...

• Walk Augusta National barefooted
• Vacation in Ireland and Scotland and play a little golf
• Visit the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater in Arizona and the African Rift Valley.
• Spend another night under a clear winter sky in the Rockies
• Tour the Museum of Natural History & Science in New York
• Go on a ghost hunting trip
• Spend a summer reading all the books I ever wanted to read
• See St Louis beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field
• Find a meteor
• Experience a big earthquake (but I know I should be careful what I wish for)

If I think of more, I'll add them later. I'll also be blogging about tomorrow's metel detecting trip across the river.

Tonga Volcano

Seismic activity off the island of Tonga in the South Pacific has produced a 7.9 earthquake and a tsunami warning. The activity is also linked to this under sea volcano that has been erupting for the past couple of days.

Late Night Thought on Patterson's "Return?"

A late night report states Patrick Patterson has decided to return for his junior season (although I'm very cautious about this story). If this is true, I really like the thought of incoming freshman Daniel Orton at Center with Patterson moving to the power forward spot. But first, let's hope the sophomore Patterson and the rest of the Wildcats can get a win against Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament. GO CATS!

Tribute To Chuck Olmstead

As long as I can remember, Chuck Olmstead has been the on the spot reporter for "Action 11 Neeeeews." It didn't matter what the situation happened to be, he was there. With a voice as smooth as the grain in his fine leather jackets and as deep as his luxurious brimmed hats, he reported breaking news before it was news. If a snow flake fell on the corner of 2nd and Market, he'd stand upon it and alert the good citizens of this fair city. If dirty swindlers plagued our neighborhoods, Chuck would track them down like a blood hound and ask them the tough questions all the while chasing them around the house or into their car. Chuck Olmstead never lost a story, he made the story.

I saw Mr. Olmstead a few months ago standing on the corner of Story Avenue and Brownsboro Road. He was by himself, no camera or microphone, and wearing suede so fine it would have made an emperor blush. I don't know if he was tracking down clues or if he actually thought he was on TV, but I know Chuck was watching out for Louisville, for you....for me.

And that is how I want to remember him.

The Three Rs

I have been catching up on the three Rs this week.

Reading: I am finishing "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins tonight. I will then begin "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" tomorrow. Then my hope is to read "The Power of One" starting at the end of this week.

Running: I have spent sometime this week working out. I have been doing light lifting trying to get used to the routine. I have run on the treadmill three times since Tuesday, each one for 20 minutes. Tuesday I ran 2.1 miles. Thursday I ran 2.3 miles and today I ran 2.5 miles. My goal is to get 3 miles in under 20 minutes before I lengthen my running time and distance. I'm trying to get the "Tiger" affect on the golf trip group. Before you know it, all of them will be in the weight room 5 hours a day.

Ranting (and hopefully resting): I am going into my 7th straight day of work tomorrow with another 7 in a row following that. This 14 day stint may go to 21 days straight, but I'll try to take a day off. It is just hard this time of year getting ready for the season, especially this year. This schedule will no doubt inspire some rants and blogging, so stay tuned.

Post Regular Season Predictions

Now that Kentucky has been de-clawed by the SEC during the regular season, they will now be thrown defenseless into the SEC Tournament playing the worst basketball I have witnessed from a Kentucky team. I feel Kentucky will get its 20th win in the opening round, but that's it. One and done. Hello NIT.

Here is my prediction for the coming off season and next year. I will have to dig this up sometime next winter to see how I do.

1. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks will BOTH be back.
2. Deandre Liggins and AJ Stewart will not.
3. Daniel Orton and Jon Hood will be welcome additions, as long as they both stay healthy following the surgeries.
4. The point guard position will improve, but still be tough to swallow.
5. Billy Clyde will still play man-to-man every minute of every game.
6. Kentucky will be in the top 20 for at least two weeks.
7. Kentucky will beat UofL in football AND basketball.
8. I will quit making predictions because half of these will be wrong.

Birthday Season

Now that birthday season is in full swing, as Pop has dually noted, I have been asked what I would like for my birthday. Seeing that a UK run to a championship, a huge raise in my salary, or a winning lottery ticket are tall orders, the only thing I can think of I could really use is a little donation towards our new computer. Ours bit the dust last night. It looks like the motor may have burned out, but it has been really slow and arduous for quite some time now.

I got a good deal on a laptop (YAY, more space!) from a company we deal with at work, but still it is not cheap. So any small donation within reason would help.

Also, we will probably be getting rid of the computer desk we have now (if it is OK with my beautiful wife) to make way for a smaller, more basic desk or table. If anyone has a table in the garage or basement they are wanting to get rid off or happens to see one at a yard sale, that would help too.

Thanks and a Happy Birthday season to all and to all a good March.

Vandalism Coverage

Here are some links to the local coverage of the graffiti at the ballpark. I had my own little detective work today that was very fun and I hope it will lead to something, but since I am currently discussing this with the police, I probably shouldn't write about it on my blog.

http://www.wlky.com/news/18799445/detail.html

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=9912886

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090227/NEWS01/902270366&template=printart

http://fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=9911988&nav=menu1404_3

I also was told MSNBC picked up the story, but I haven't come across it anywhere.

Louisville Metro Parks No Longer Allow Metal Detecting

It looks like I'm the vandal now.The Louisville Metro Parks are no longer allowing metal detecting. If they have it their way, police will be able to arrest on the spot. Their claim is that digging the holes is vandalizing the parks. I know there are several exceptions, but most metal detecting hobbyists I have seen take great care to refill the hole and make it look like nobody was even there. Plus, I know mark and I have removed several pounds of trash while detecting. I think they should ban picnics next because many people trash up the park while having them. Ban soccer and rugby and Frisbee field because it creates mud holes. You can still sled across golf courses and tear up greens, but by god you better not dig a small hole, remove some trash and fill it back in.

Bullocks!

http://www.wlky.com/video/18730523/index.html

News Story on Downtown Vandalism

Check out WLKY News tonight (not sure if it will be early evening or late evening news) about the vandalism problem downtown. They will be highlighting our stadium and the recent spray can happy perpetrators.

Tiger, Wildcats and Vandals, OH My!

I am a Tiger Woods fan. I have never denied it and am not ashamed. Tiger Woods, with all due respect to Mr. Nicklaus, is the best player to ever play my favorite game. He is the athlete (and maybe Jodie Meeks, too!) that I will be telling stories about when I'm collecting Social Security checks. He does it with class and enthusiasm and, let's face it, the guy is fun to watch. This is why I am excited to see Tiger Woods return tomorrow in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships. This tournament gets me in the March Madness mood by being the first bracket I fill out. I always pull for the local guys, but I never get sick of watching Woods dominate.

My beloved Wildcats go up against the South Carolina Gamecocks tomorrow night in Columbia. On January 31st in Lexington, SC's little booger of a guard Devan Downey hit a fall away jumper in the lane with 3 seconds to play to beat Kentucky by 1. I like Kentucky's chances in this game as long as they can keep Downey from getting to the basket. This is a must win for Kentucky and would get Gillispie his first 20 win season as head coach of the Cats. I may post a detailed prediction tomorrow during lunch.

Ever since the skate park opened downtown, the vandalism has been rampant. The spray painting has usually been confined to utility boxes, wood fences and the occasional facade. Now, the vandals have taken there paint can shaking worthless existence to new heights. Literally. The back of our video board has been spray painted from one side to the other with big yellow letters. The biggest mystery was trying figure out how they climbed up there. It looks like they may have scaled the electric conduit on the side of the board. However they did it, it is a dangerous climb of about 70 feet with very little footing. The damage runs about $6,000 and will take awhile to get rid of. Until then, we are keeping the lights off on the back of the board so we don't give the little budding juvie publicity to all the motorists on I-65.

Thanks Kevin, My Mistake

Once again, this is why I have a big brother. To help correct me in my errors. For some reason my mind was blocking out the past several years when thinking of solid players from the state of Kentucky. Rondo, Estill, Sparks and Padgett definitely had their share of very good games, so I admit my lack of recollection. I'll blame it on not much sleep and a long day of work today. For some reason the only players that came to mind were J.P. Blevins, Josh Carrier and Brandon "John" Stockton. I guess I only focus on the negative.

I'll change my proposition to: Best game by a freshman from Kentucky since Rondo?

Best Game By A Kentuckian...

Following Kentucky's victory over Tennessee today, I started to think about Darius Miller's performance. Not being able to think of a more recent example (as I'm sure their are none), this would have to be the best performance by a Kentuckian in a Wildcat uniform since Derek Anderson in 1997. Tubby Smith did not recruit in state very heavily leading to this gap in local talent. However, Billy Gillispie is changing that. Darius Miller is slowly becoming a very strong player and from what I have heard about Jon Hood coming in next year, hopefully the in-state crop of talent will flourish at Kentucky in the years to come.

Good game Darius!

3-Pointers: 3/3, 2-Pointers: 3/3, FT: 2/2, Rebounds: 3, Assists: 6, Blocks: 2, Total Points: 17

Also, big difference today in Patrick Patterson's jump shot and touch with his finger bandage off.

Brian's Baseless UK Prediction

Kentucky tips off against Tennessee ("I really, really hate Tennessee. I can't stress that enough.") in just over two hours and I'm stuck at work, in my freezing office, waiting for an event to wrap up. I have been looking forward to this rematch since the first game back in mid-January. The last time out, Jodie "Freakin" Meeks laid a 54 point spot on the pumpkin puke orange hillbillies from Rocky Top. The last two games without Patterson have been frustrating to watch down low with scarce rebounding, little defense and putrid scoring. But Patterson is back (hopefully near 100%) and I expect good things today as the Vols march their leg irons into Rupp Arena.

Rhythm & Bruise

Don't expect Meeks to go for 54 again. Not even close. However, I have never given tons of credit to the IQ of Tennessee players and still expect Meeks to get plenty of scoring opportunities. Look for him to get his average, even if it does all come from turnover fastbreaks and free throws.

Patterson may get fewer minutes than we would like to see. I know he has been struggling towards the end of practice, but if he keeps getting quick breaks, I think he'll have a fine game. As a bonus, his finger apparently is feeling better and I think we may see a return of his jump shot and touch he had before the boxing glove of a bandage he sported the last month and a half.

The Backup "Stringers."

Kevin Galloway will get more playing time today. I feel it. He did it against Florida and he'll do it against Tennessee. Maybe a turnover or two too many, but his assists and play making will be a catalyst. Bank on it.

Darius Miller is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch. I could see how lost he looked several weeks ago, but I have never seen a player grow in confidence each time out like Miller has the past few games. His offense is still mediocre, but is showing flashes of what's to come. His defense and rebounding are quickly improving as he is emerging from his freshman shell.

"Jorts" Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins worry me. I like what I see a lot of the time, but apparently they must be driving Gillispie madder than a half-time interview. It's the rotation of these two (and Galloway) that has perplexed me and has thrown off Gillispie's substitution pattern. Just about all teams have a rotation set well before now. Not Kentucky. It's as disjointed and unpredictable as it was in the November exhibition games. It seems Gillispie is much tougher on his recruits (Liggins, Harrellson, Galloway, Miller) than Tubby's (Harris, Porter, Stevenson). But I will not pass judgement on BCG until near the end of next season.

So, without further ado, today's prediction for the Kentucky/Tennessee match-up (remember last game, I did predict the score...just the wrong outcome):

Kentucky: 74

Tennessee:70

Player of the Game: Kevin Galloway

"Say Cheese" You Sneaky ET's: We're Comin' For Ya!

I am looking forward to the next big NASA mission set to launch on March 5th. I've always pulled for NASA funding and cringe when cuts are made (especially for some of the things the money is redirected to). The Nasa mission is launching the Kepler spacecraft which "...is scheduled to blast into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a Delta II rocket on March 5 at 7:48 p.m. Pacific Time (10:48 p.m. Eastern Time). It is the first mission with the ability to find planets like
Earth -- rocky planets that orbit sun-like stars in a warm zone where liquid
water could be maintained on the surface..."

I am disappointed these type of launches get so little press coverage. It is sad so few people take an interest in a project that could fundamentally change the way we view ourselves and our short existence on this "mote of dust", as Carl Sagan would say, we call a planet. I guess we will only pay attention when they hit pay dirt, as long as we are not bothered with the fantastic adventure of discovery.

Go NASA GO! Go Man Go!

Dumbing Down Our Kids - Pt.2

Here is another example of why I am so angry at religion and creationism. After watching this video, is there any question as to why the United States ranks so low among developed countries in math and science. If this isn't mental child abuse, I don't know what is. If I said what I really thought, blogspot may close my account.

Atheist Discrimination - Pt. 1

According to many polls, atheists are the most mistrusted and reviled group in America. That is saying something from a country with a historical reputation for "oopsies." However, much of this hatred goes unnoticed, so I have decided to post any videos I can find showcasing blatant hatred and discrimination of atheists in the media. Anti-atheist videos from random people on youtube are a dime a dozen, but I will focus on media outlets and their "expert" panels. The first is from CNN's show with Paula Zahn. Please pay attention to the titles of each panel member and keep that in mind as you listen to the comments they make. Hopefully after watching some of these examples, many of you will realize why I am so passionate about my stance regarding my personal atheism.

The Joy of Meeks

Say what you will about the Kentucky basketball team this year. They have won several games they easily could have lost and the lost several games I thought they should have won. No matter what happens, this has been one of the most enjoyable UK season so far because of one Jodie Meeks. I eagerly anticipate each game to see what he'll do next. He works hard on every offensive and defensive possession. His cuts at the end of the game are just as hard as the cuts in the first few minutes. He never showboats or talks trash (and as I type this, Meeks just hit an unbelievable 3-pointer). Given the score is 3-0, I am predicting:

Kentucky: 77
Vandy:64

Meeks scores 24.

Lunch Time Chat

I drove over to the Subway in Jeffersonville for lunch last week and as I was standing in line, at the table next to me, two guys were sitting having an intense discussion about String Theory. It was refreshing to hear someone having a discussion like this. I just wish I could have listened in a little more and try to figure out if they were physicists or just discussing it for pleasure (or both). The discussion would have been way above my head, but it is good to know people still sit around and discuss more than just American Idol. After all, this is how most important discoveries and ideas come about...as well as in the bathroom.

Duke, Carolina, UofL and "HURL!"

I took some interest in the Duke/UNC game last night simply for the fact I want Kentucky to reach 2,000 wins before North Carolina (UK is currently 12 wins ahead). However, I had to mute the parts I watched because of the verbal make out session slobber fest that was Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale. I wasn't cheering for Duke at all, just hoping North Carolina wouldn't win in a never ending series of overtimes where both teams end up on the floor as piles of moist salt heaps. As much as I dislike Coach Kyakxynskyzzz..., the well-to-do nostril flaring appearance of some of the players and the "Cameron Crazies," who learn how to be basketball fans in Undergraduate Studies 101, it is the media that facilitates my disgust for Duke. I hate Duke. I really, really do.

After reading Kevin's blog about Rick Pitino and his comments over the past couple months concerning the SEC and Gillispie's coaching decisions, tonight's UofL/Notre Dame game could not have been sweeter. Now I am just trying figure out what game I enjoyed more: Louisville/Rutgers in football or tonight's game. Oops, Notre Dame just scored again. Yep, tonight's game.

Battle of the Brains

Interestingly today, February 12th, 2009, is the 200th birthday of both Honest Abe Lincoln and every creationist's favorite EVIL-ution devil, Charles Darwin. Born on the same day half a world apart (Lincoln, of course, in Kentucky and Darwin in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England), both of these famously bearded intellectuals upset the applecart and are still reviled as well as loved by many. So here is the question: Who is the best?" Which of these men is more deserving of everlasting glory? Whether you judge by their actions, continuing legacy or simply by the beard, top hat or sailing vessel, let me know what you think. Feel free to leave a comment or vote to the right.

Who da Man?

Movie Reviews

My last movie review was on "Gran Torino" and "Blood Diamond," both decent movies. Since then I have seen "Wall-E," a Disney Pixar film and "Burn After Reading," a Coen Brothers movie.

"Wall-E" was better than I thought it would be. I thought it had some funny moments and a good satirical view of the future of humanity. I felt the first 30 minutes was the best part, but it was enjoyable throughout. It is not one of Disney's best, however. Compared to another Pixar film, "Finding Nemo," it doesn't even come close. I would like to see Disney get away, at least for a movie or two, from the 3-D CGI animation and go with the classic style animation.

"Burn After Reading" was a let down. It definitely tried to follow in the form of the Coen brothers, but just fell a little flat. It had it's dark humor moments and a time when I looked at Beth and said "I didn't see that one coming." The movie is so twisted up in its plot that even the characters in the movie poked fun at it at times as they tried to figure out what was going on. And, like many other Coen brothers movies, it leaves almost everything unresolved.

Mount Redoubt

I have been following the volcano, Mt. Redoubt, in Alaska with great anticipation. For a couple of weeks now vulcanologists have claimed it is ready to go at any minute. It has been venting plenty of steam, the glaciers on one side have melted away to half the size in a matter of days and the earthquakes continue to swarm. The link below is to the camera atop an observatory a few mile away from redoubt. The picture is updated every several minutes.

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/webcam.php?cam=Redoubt%20-%20Hut

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/Redoubt_-_CI.php (distant camera)

I know besides loss of life, volcanoes can cause sever damage to infrastructure, machines and cars, but I really want to see this baby go. I can't help it.

What "Other Gods"?

As you all know I am very skeptical of faith and religion and the dogma taught by religion. I mostly focus on the big three religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam (sorry Apu, I know your religion is swell, too). Christianity, obviously, gets most of my attention simply because it is with what I am most familiar. I have a question regarding the 1st commandment of the Ten Commandments.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." -King James version

I would like feedback to this question: What "other gods?"

Is the god of Abraham admitting other gods exist but we shouldn't put them above "him?"

If god is the only god, then why make reference and warn us about other gods?

Just curious.

Ice Storm at LSF

I know most of you won't have the ability to read this right now because you are without power. Beth & I are some of the lucky ones whose lights flickered, but never lost power. I hate to mention it (actually, I love it because I'm a weather nerd), but some forecasters are calling for the potential of another big storm on Monday. Belski from WAVE 3 is saying we could easily get several inches with the potential for the biggest storm of the winter, possibly a blizzard. They should have a better handle on the track of this southern storm in the next few days.

I took a few pictures today around LSF of the ice and snow. It is pretty, but it is very destructive. Not only does it break trees, but it is also too much weight for our backstop netting, light poles and our gutters on the roof. Our little river birches out front are touching their toes, but they are young and supple enough they should bounce back as long as we don't disturb them. Our main concern is the Old National Bank building next door (the one with the pointy green roof that looks like a sail boat). It is notorious for dropping huge chunks of ice onto the pavement below. They have the sidewalk cautioned off and we have warned people not to park next to the building. Our General Managers car was totaled several years ago when a ton of ice fell and flattened his car. He saw the whole thing from his office. Anyway, here are a few pictures (Click on the pictures for a larger view).

The SUV in the above picture is parked in the wrong spot. Just waiting for a ton of ice to crash down on top of it.

Maybe they will find the ballpark 10,000 years from now as the overriding glacier melts away at the end of another ice age and wonder what this space was used for.

Ice, Ice Baby

It looks like we'll be getting an ice sandwich by tomorrow morning. 4 inches of sleet and snow, a nice thick layer of ice, and then another several inches of snow tomorrow morning. Our lights have flickered a little bit, so I won't be surprised if we lose power. Maybe before I finish this......................................................................................................

Just kidding. I stayed home from work today. Humana was closed, so we didn't need to clear the lot and our sales staff was called off because we would have nobody to cold call. I am hoping for snow tomorrow during the daylight hours so I can at least see it. I hope everyone stays safe and remember, don't eat the yellow snow!

Snow Storm Prediction

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have been anticipating the pending " WINTER STORM of 2009" with kid like enthusiasm. Some of my excitement is quelled because I'm sure our office will not close preventing me from spending a snow day reading, playing video games and simply watching the snow fall. While keeping up with the local weather blogs, National Weather Service forecasts and various models predicting everything from an ice storm to 15 inches of snow, I will tell you how much snow Louisville will officially receive from this storm (not even know-it-all-Kevin can do that).

4-1/4 " of snow with 1/4" of sleet/freezing rain will be the official tally.

Look for areas south of Louisville to have significant icing with power outages. All Jefferson County schools will be closed Tuesday, but open Wednesday.

Oh, and if the forecasters say conditions are improving, that doesn't mean more snow is coming. I learned this conflict of interest when I was a kid. Lousy grown ups!

Could This Be The Week?

I have been following the storm system coming out of the Northwest over the past few days hoping for a little snow. The 1-1/2 inch snow a few days ago was fun, but I felt a little disappointed. The system is supposed to hit late Monday into Tuesday with current estimates from 1-4 inches. I am encouraged because they were saying rain just a few days ago. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

I have enjoyed the warm weather today, but it reminds be baseball season is fast approaching and I'm not yet ready.

Come on white blanket of death!

Take That Young Earth Creationists

I know we cult satanist followers of Lord Darwin and his "EVILution"cling to our silly science, rational thought and open mindedness, but we are not above calling it like it is. So to all you Young Earth Creationists out there, let me say this.

IN YOUR FACE!

Fish Out Of Water: New Species of Climbing Fish from Remote Venezuela Shakes the Catfish Family Tree

And for those of you uncomfortable with the idea of evolution, here is an edited version of Carl Sagan's Cosmos you may find comforting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TthHltjrvA

Oh, and Mountain Dew IS the best soda ever made!

Thou Shalt Be Stupid, Apparently.

I noticed a headline on drudgereport.com today concerning the "re-do" of the swearing in carried out by President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts. It stated:

NO BIBLE USED AT OBAMA RE-SWEAR...

Naturally, I couldn't resist and clicked on the link. The article, linked from the Washington Post, is actually titled:

Obama Sworn In Again, With Right Words

Obviously, the article was not about Obama not using The Bible. It was just a sentence picked out to enrage the right-wing, ACME rocket buying Loony Tune religious zealots looking for any excuse to show their ignorance. After completing the article, I read the reader's comments. That's when, once again, I became depressed these people are of the same species as me. Some examples:

"No Bible?..well it doesn't matter to DONKEY BOY..he
doesn't believe in it anyway."

"Hmmm....No Bible used is quite extraordinary!! Has
'Mr. Change' suddenly become a 'NON BELIEVER' or was there a "Secret koran" being used, or in the vicinity??All 'OATHS / AFFIRMATIONS' are generally sworn with the hand on a Bible, (or some Religious symbol)....Especially the "Presidential Oath"!! What message is being sent here?? I'm very surprised that the Chief Justice allowed this to occur!!

"In the end, this is what President Obama wanted
anyway....going to be a long 4 years"

"Very sad that the idiot couldn't get it right the
first time (Did they use a fireproof bible then?)Doesn't {sic)make me wonder how he'll do on anything else.If they had used a bible it would have probably burst into flame."

"I truly believe this was intentionly[sic] done by Obama to
mess up so that he could do it without the Bible, simply because he IS a muslim. But that is something we will never know that is if he did it intentionly [sic])but I do know one day that we WILL find out that he is a muslim!"

"While there is definitely no "official" religious
test for office, God help us if we ever elect someone who doesn't believe in the Bible."

"NO BIBLE tells it all..."

"President needs to take oath again, The Bible is
equally, if not more important than words of oath. We are a christian nation, all though radicals and liberals are trying to change that."

Enough said.

Buckle B's Thoughts on President Obama

I didn't take much of an interest in politics before September 11th, 2001. Sure, I voted and still was more politically literate than the average American I guess, but I didn't spend the time I do now keeping up with the political climate. Though still not as well versed as I should be, I can identify a large percentage of government figures, their title, party affiliation and background.

September 11th, like most people, had me watching the news countless hours a day in the following weeks. This experience has caused me to continue my interest in world affairs and has increased my global awareness. Now I can't understand how people wouldn't be interested in world news and politics. Not knowing what is going on would drive me crazy. This brings me to my thoughts on President Obama.

I approach Obama's presidency with skeptical optimism (or optimistic skepticism). He is indeed an articulate, energetic and popular figure who will demand respect from both foreign and domestic entities, at least for the time being. He has a beautiful wife and daughters and portrays an idealism to many. However, it will be interesting to see how long this "new car smell" lasts with an easily distracted and impatient public. Those who see Obama as a god who can solve all the problems of the world will be quickly disappointed. Those who view him (and I'm not kidding when I say this) as evil, the 2nd beast who is to usher in the apocalypse will be greatly disappointed, too. Many fundamentalists are hoping the end times are near and they believe Obama is the catalyst (however, I would think they would be happy he is president because of this).

I feel Obama has the potential to be the best president we have had in my lifetime. However, many past president's potential never panned out like people thought it would. I am excited to see the country enthusiastic about a new presidency and optimism can go along way to healing a limping country. Let's just wait before we start adding his face on Mt. Rushmore.

A Few Chompers Short

I have finally lifted out of the foggy grogginess (somewhat) of the anesthesia from my surgery this morning. It's a little depressing looking in my pie hole and seeing the void, however it's not as bad as I thought it would be. According to the surgeon, he said I was lucky I came in when I did because it was a time bomb ready to explode. I guess then all my teeth would have been blown out. Anyway, my tooth situation is getting better and I have dedicated myself to my remaining teeth. I will get the stitches out next Wednesday.

One last note, laughing gas is soooooooo cool!

A Little Surfin' Bird for Kevin

Enjoy:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/37768/family-guy-i-dream-of-jesus

My Coldest Night Ever-Response to My Mother (I've Heard of a Popsicle, but not a Momsicle).

Thanksgiving night 1995 was the coldest night of my life. While working for the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, a couple of friends and I decided to camp atop Emerald Mountain , adjacent to the YMCA property. The 30 minute hike to the top after dinner was refreshing and fun. The following 8 hours was not. Once we reached the summit of the "mountain", more of a foothill, we found a relatively flat spot among the reclining outcrop of granite. In an effort to stake our tents, we discovered the normally loose, sandy soil was actually frozen. We bent or broke every stake we had. The concerted effort among the three of us would have been comical in normal conditions, but the temperature was quickly falling into the teens and snow had begun to fall. By the time we resorted to using the biggest rocks we could pick up to anchor down the nylon loops around the edges of the tent, the wind had kicked up to nearly 40mph with gusts approaching 60mph. The pine trees helped cut the wind, like an umbrella in a swimming pool. Just as we thought our fingers would fall off from the constant hammering and rock hunting through the snow, we decided our tents were as secure as they would get. If one of us ended up against a tree, so be it.

As I lay in my not so expensive one man tent tent (that I sold before leaving Estes Park to conserve space on the trek home to Louisville), the sound of the tent walls violently rippling in the gale was deafening. I am convinced being inside the tent and fully zipped in my sleeping bag would have been easily bearable had it not been for the hour and a half struggle to make camp. As I lay in my bag listening to Mother Nature go all Big Bad Wolf on my little abode, I concentrated on getting the feeling back into my fingers, face and toes. I think I fell asleep (passed out?) around two or three in the morning for a brief amount of time. About an hour before sun rise, we collectively decided it was breakfast time. We scrambled out of our partially snow submerged tents and headed down to the cozy, familiar Pondo for breakfast where I had the usual: a waffle, Cocoa Krispies, a cup of yogurt and a mix of cranberry and apple juice.

I guess I can't compare Mom's story to mine because she didn't have much of a choice. We were just under equipped (physically and mentally), and consented to the ill-advised testosterone check. But, it was one of the experiences in life I will never forget and I am glad.

Movie Reviews

I have watched two movies so far in 2009, one on DVD from 2007 and one in the theater last night. The first movie is "Blood Diamond" from 2007 which I received for Christmas from the Jones side of the family. It centers around the seldom covered civil war over the diamond minds in Sierra Leone during the late 90's and still, to an extent, going on today. Djimon Hounsou was very good as a Mende fisherman trying to recover his family and Leonaro Dicaprio was decent as a South African diamond smuggler. I was less impressed with the rest of the supporting cast, whose lines at times came off a little hokey, but not enough to ruin the movie. Violent and graphic, this is not a movie for everyone. It is a good story concerning a situation of which most of us are unfamiliar. I give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10.

Beth and I saw "Gran Torino" starring Clint Eastwood at the theater last night. This is the first time I've seen a Clint Eastwood movie in the theater and was hesitant when it first came out. Most Clint flicks the past decade have been less than stellar, but I became more curious about this movie as I heard more feedback. Eastwood was very good, and funny, as a an old, crusty, racist Korean war veteran trying to deal with his culturally changing neighborhood and his increasingly distant family . I wouldn't recommend bringing kids to the theater to see it like several people did (that is an entire post by itself), but it was surprisingly good with several scenes, I think, that may become classic years from now (the barber shop scenes especially). Another interesting dichotomy of seeing the movie in a theater was listening to the reactions from the various races of people to the different racial jokes. I give it an 8.

So far so good for 2009, but I'm sure I'll see my share of stinkers.

AAA Driving Teacher

As I was coming off the Watterson Expressway onto I-64 East this afternoon, the car in front of me briefly merged into the left lane and then quickly swerved back to the right, barely avoiding side swiping another car off the road. The zig-zagging car in question? A Triple-A driving instructor. A few seconds later as I pulled along side the Triple-A logo covered vehicle, I observed the instructor talking on his cell phone while reading a piece of paper he had pinned against the steering wheel.

" I Am Not A Rabid Anti-Dentite!"

As most of you probably don't know, I am very stubborn when it comes to visiting the dentist. Actually, stubborn would be an improvement. It has been longer than I care to mention since I have seen Mr. Drill-O-Death, but I finally broke down during my vacation and made an appointment. I was having a dental dilemma I could no longer ignore. My appointment was this morning at 9am, so I hardly slept a wink last night in anticipation of my impending doom. Fidgeting nervously during breakfast and carrying butterflys in my breadbasket all the way to the dentist's office, I just knew I was going to lose the whole right side of my skull.

I entered the office before 9 to fill out the new patient paperwork and wondered what this low grade ivory hunter was going to do. I was soon called back to the examination room where I began to tell him the tooth, er, truth and all my excuses for not seeing a dentist since Clinton was president. He proceeded with the little mirror on a stick and took some x-rays as I awaited to hear the terrifying news.

To make an already long story short, I did not have to endure any poking, scraping, drilling or ridicule today. It was a very nice experience and was not chastised at all. Other than the two teeth that I knew had major problems, he said everything was in surprisingly good shape considering it had been so long (I guess I'll just keep gargling with soda!). I need one tooth extracted (hell, it's almost gone anyway) and one root canal (yippee). I am being sent to two different people, an oral surgeon and endodontist, for these procedures and will be heading back to the dentist on MLK Day for a good cleaning. According to the DMD, I should be back on the right track in no time. And yes, I'll be sure to make my 6-month appointment before I leave.

Yellowstone

Hey Mark,

Did you ask me about Yellowstone on New Year's Eve because of the small tremors over the past 2 weeks? There is an article on the Science Daily website about it. It seems most of the earthquakes have been centered under the eastern rim of the caldera. Although earthquakes are an everyday occurrence, this is the most active cycle in a very long time.

Coincidentally, I watched a show last night on Yellowstone's history and one of the vulcanologist said we would probably see several small eruptions in a somewhat organized sequence, like a zipper being unzipped. This would then allow the major eruption to take place as the caldera drops down even further. YAAAAY...."nuclear" winter!

The Long Vacation is Over

As nice as it is to have a job that allows so much time off around the holidays, it makes it that much harder to go back when the vacation is over. Oh well, at least I have a job to go back to. Now the only thought is how close baseball season is getting. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Detecting on the Last Day of the Year

I went back to River Road CC today and once again looked behind the clubhouse. I found $2.10, mostly clad. However, I did find a second piece of silver; a 1964 Quarter.

I feel there is probably plenty more in this area and then I will move on to the course.

Metal Detecting

I finally made it out again today to go metal detecting. I snooped around the old River Road Country Club property at the corner of Zorn Ave. and River Rd. It was slow going at first, getting few hits, but the last hour was much more productive. After spending some time on the actual course, I decided to search closer to the clubhouse. I ended up behind the building and pool. This area contained a small, circular, sunken area overgrown with weed stalks. Walking around it I found a bit of clad, pennies and a quarter, leading me to think this may have been an old pond or wishing well. Judging by the way the change was spread around, I could visualize people standing up on the pool deck trying to toss pennies into it. However, amongst the clad I did unearth my best find to date: A 1943 Mercury head dime pictured below.

Out on the course, the only interesting find appears to be a ball marker. I have half-heartily tried to find the story behind the maker of the marker via the Internet with no luck as of yet. Here is the marker pictured below:

One side of the marker reads "Here lies World's Greatest Putter"This side of the marker, though harder to see, reads: "Bartlett" and " 63" "

I am guessing this is a putter company, but I will keep researching to find out more.

Good Time in Lexington

Dad and I went to the UK/Tennessee State game in Rupp Arena last night. It has been at least 5 years since I went to a game and we picked a good one to go to. Kentucky scored over 100 for the 3rd time this year, Patrick Patterson scored a career high of 33 and Jodie Meeks hit seven 3-pointers (8 of 15 for the game) and scored 27 in the first half. Even though many students were away for the holidays, it was still a wonderful college basketball atmosphere. Once again, it is this type of experience that strengthens my "fanship." Thanks for driving dad...I enjoyed it.

Wildcats Open Practice

After work, I scuttled over to Freedom Hall to catch the UK open practice. First, let me touch on the facility. Freedom Hall is a dump. It is a decent place to watch a game because there are very few bad views, but it is generally a disgusting facility. Not because I shutter at thinking of the number of UofL fans who call it home, but because the entire facility looks like the Little Rascals clubhouse. The ceiling appears to be held up with a chain link fence and nearly every chair in the lower section has black and yellow tape keeping the padding from falling out. Several times when I tried to stand, a wad of duct tape wrapped around my seat stuck to my coat, tugging at my sleeve. The bicycle style fence used to block off the stands from the floor were joined together with duct tape. Classy.

Did I mention the place smells like a restroom in a popcorn shop with a hint of livestock?

The practice was interesting, but I realize an open practice is usually for the fans and not the usual basketball boot camp the players are used to. I sat in the front row, behind the bench, directly on the corner. Something about this type of event brings out the kid in me and rekindles the fanatic. I felt the same nostalgia after attending Reds Fest last year. Anyway, here are a few of my observations:

Coach Gillispie: Facial expressions and hand gestures are all I had to go on during the practice for BCG. His usual "what the hell are you doing" expression was common. However, everything was very efficiently run. Ever player stayed busy most of the time and the transition between drills was nearly instantaneous. Plus he signed my program, so kudos to that. I also picked up on the "special" relationship he has with Liggins whom with he definitely had more one-on-one interaction. Yet, it seemed very positive.

DeAndre Liggins: Liggins is a special player. When I say special, I don't mean one of the most talented players Kentucky has ever had (that remains to be seen). No, no, I mean grab your fanny pack and fasten your Velcro shoes type of special. Corky from "Life Goes On" type of special. An "I'd be surprised if his favorite meal isn't fish sticks" type of special. Liggins likes to draw attention to himself. He was also the last player out on the court when practice started by a good 5 minutes. I think Gillispie may end up hooking one of those telephone bungee cord kiddie leashes to Liggins's waist like the kids at the zoo. Bless his little heart.


Jared Carter: Is dominant!

Michael Porter: I didn't see much in this practice performance. He hustles, but he pretty much looks like he does in games.

Patrick Patterson: Hit five 3-pointers in a row during warm-ups. I didn't realize he had that range.

Ramone Harris: "Razor" was back in action and looked like he was back to his old self. He didn't gain any super abilities following his bump on the melon, however.

I tried taking pictures, but all I had was my cell phone and they came out blurry, but I'll post a few as soon as I get around to sending them via text to my e-mail.

One other observation. Kentucky has several goofy looking players. This includes walk ons and several of Tubby's recruits. But I guess when Saul is your son...

I will also be attending Monday night's game with my Pop at Rupp Arena when the Cats will take on Tennessee State. I'm looking forward to it.