Coaching Carousel is fun to watch

The Crimson Tide won the national championship. I was on record numerous times last semester saying that Alabama was the best looking team in the country at times. I never actually counted them out at times, but I will concede that I was praying Florida would have made it.
I know the thoughts on all of your minds, why am I writing about college football when the Super Bowl, Vancouver Olympics, and March Madness are right around the corner?
Well everybody, there has been one incredible start to the offseason. One of the decade’s three best coaches Pete Carroll has left powerhouse USC to once again go to the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks didn’t give Jim Mora enough time to establish a program there, but Carroll is a west coast name that has much prestige. He should be able to breathe some life into a team that has seen better days. Seattle will not do much at the beginning, but they could challenge Arizona, if Kurt Warner does retire, for the NFC West title next season.
That leaves USC wide open at the head coaching position. Rookie Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin bolted for USC, where he might be given a little more leeway to annoy the rest of the league than he was in the SEC. However, the major question is that Kiffin brought some questionable recruits into Tennessee and then left, potentially creating a problematic situation there. USC is in trouble, as the Beavers, Ducks, and the Cardinal seem to be the new class of the Pac-10. On the other hand, Tennessee continues to slide, falling far behind their SEC East rivals.
Texas Tech had one interesting bowl season, seeing a coaching scandal under Mike Leach that enveloped the sport for a few days before the New Year. Accused of mistreating a student suffering under a concussion, Leach was fired with cause and now Texas Tech has hired Auburn flame-out Tommy Tuberville. One thing’s for certain, Tech will still put up tons of points every game. However, can a former SEC coach succeed in a much different Big 12? Too bad for them, but Texas and Nebraska will rule that conference next year.
Notre Dame will still be horrible, even though Charlie Weis has left. Brian Kelly is picking up a seemingly cursed program, leaving Cincinnati out to dry. The Bearcats then stole Central Michigan’s coach, fresh off recent Chippewa success due to Dan LeFevour. All three teams will not see the success they had this year – or in Notre Dame’s case, the lack of a winning record AGAIN.
Urban Meyer is incredibly sick, or so we thought. He announced his resignation, then said it was just an indefinite leave of absence, and now he’s silently back to work almost every day of the week. It seems like Steve Addazio won’t get his head coaching audition after all.
However, with Dan Mullen leaving last year, Charlie Strong this year, and the loss of the most talented class of seniors to ever play college football (plus the juniors going to the draft), will Florida even matter next year? Their recruiting class actually gets better by the day despite the tiny bit of insecurity from Meyer’s undefined status. With Tebow’s graduation, Florida should still win the SEC East and could challenge nationally.
At any rate, the SEC will win a fifth national championship in a row. Alabama is the nod to win it, but an underrated Florida team and the rest of the SEC West could throw some serious monkey wrenches into a repeat national championship.
Boise State is going to be scary next year. I wouldn’t put it past the Broncos to run the table and wind up opposite the Crimson Tide in the National Championship game next year.

GOP Win in Massachusetts is in Best Interests of the Nation

While some might argue that the Democrats losing their filibuster-proof majority is a bad thing, they are sorely mistaken and are speaking in the interests of the liberal side of the nation. On the other hand, those aligned with the GOP may be ranting on how there is a chance to take power back. Once again, those views are misguided.

Our nation says it is a democracy, but with two political groups vying for power, it too often turns into us versus them. When the “liberal lion of the Senate” passed away in 2009, it saddened all involved. However, the loss of this important figure needs to be reevaluated. In all honesty, taking away the ability to run bills through Congress without the filibuster threat could and should make the US better off.

Forcing reconciliation and cooperation between the two warring factions will create laws and regulations that will be moderated and have influence from both ends of the spectrum.

Insuring the millions without health care, immigration, and both the national debt and national deficit are among the issues facing the nation which are better off with a more communicative legislative body.

CNN’s John King went to Massachusetts and found several voters who were all fed up with Obama’s message of “change.” One even remarked that they did not like that Obama had started to blend in with the old crowd of Washington politics, so this gave them questions over his ability to fulfill his campaign promises.

Looking for others who shared my opinions on blogs or forums, I found others who feel that this might be a step in the right direction for America to rebound after a past decade rife with problems both at home and abroad (the economy, war on terror, etc.).

The last time there was a split Presidency and Congress, the national budget was balanced and the national debt was slowly going down. At the very least, Americans should see a slight turn in a better direction.

Too often, it seems like politicians in this nation care more about winning a seat and collecting favors for themselves than actually helping their constituents. But why should they? Many Americans are ambivalent and care more about who the latest celebrity couple consists of than how their representatives are helping them.

I hope that the “Massachusetts Message” does not just stay there for this special election, but that it picks up steam and becomes a national phenomenon for the midterm elections this November. Other than just voting by party lines, I am going to choose who I think is the most likely to bridge the gap between conservatives and liberals. I’m going to vote for who actually wants to cooperate, not mudsling. I suggest you do the same.

BCS National Championship

Last night, a kid became a man before millions of people's eyes. Garrett Gilbert might never win a Big 12 Championship, a national championship, or any award of importance. The kid might usher in an era of mediocrity and might not even be the starter next season, but as for last night, Gilbert should be a Texas state hero. The true freshman QB had never taken snaps against a meaningful opponent, but that only took a quarter to overcome. Ignoring a bad coaching decision by both teams (Texas not taking a knee and going to halftime, and Alabama not running the clock out), the final score is 24-21 Alabama.
Gilbert led the Longhorns to two touchdown strikes in the second half. The kid, who easily threw for more yards and touchdowns than Alabama's now undefeated QB, gave hope to every Cinderella story. There is nothing a team can't do when their back is against the wall. We've all seen the sports movies where the underdog pulls it off in the end (e.g. The Replacements), and have seen the real life moments where a George Mason upsets UConn in men's basketball. However, there is a certain stigma and mystique attached to college football.
When we're in high school and cheering on our local football teams, there are some moments you know you'll never forget. When those moments happen, you can feel the electricity in the air and anything seems possible. In the 2010 BCS National Championship game, Garrett Gilbert was feeling that. He should have been the MVP. Yes, four interceptions does not bode well, but against a top notch defense from the SEC, the green rookie pulled off a miracle.
On the other hand, I would never ask to be Colt McCoy and have to go through what he went though last night. Alabama wasn't playing their best game late, and McCoy knew that he had a chance. The fact that he supported and never gave up against a vaunted 'Bama team for Gilbert is incredible. He showed real class in the postgame. I truly feel sorry for McCoy and wish him all the best in the NFL (except when he plays my Vikings!)
I might be the world's biggest Gator fan, and I've hated on McCoy and the Big 12, but I will always be a Garrett Gilbert fan. He has what every great player needs - heart and a desire to win. Good luck to Garrett Gilbert, and I hope the Texas receivers learn to catch. They are what cost Texas the game.

PhotoShop

I got PhotoShop today and I'm really looking forward to playing with it when I have a lot if time. any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

A Sketch

I was thinking about common fears and the impact of pop culture on youth, and I realized that these kind of images really scare some. I juxtaposed the two into this Pokemon/Nyctophobia mixture.

Hope you enjoy.

Garret

Finale Turns Out Less Than Stellar

Newsworthy:
• TCU is the team that was robbed this year. Alabama deserved a spot in the BCS National Championship game; there is no doubt about that. However, one must beg the question of why does Texas deserve to be there? Not only was the Big 12 predominantly weaker this year (through no fault of their own), but Texas nearly handed victories to both Texas A&M and Nebraska in these last two weeks. Star QB Colt McCoy had a lackluster performance and nearly guided his team to defeat. Their only wins this year that mattered were against a ranked Oklahoma team (only ranked due to preseason rankings), Oklahoma State, and now Nebraska. TCU beat BYU, Utah, Air Force, and Clemson. All in blowout fashion except for Clemson. TCU deserves it, not Mack Brown and the Longhorns.
• Tim Tebow is one of the many ending a marvelous college career this season. Colt McCoy is as well, but Tebow sticks out due to his polarizing self. Even though the individual does not polarize, his mere existence is enough to annoy some who try to find fault with his athletic ability and overall niceties. He will be missed throughout college football, but most by the Gator Nation.
• Oregon makes the Rose Bowl. I said early on that the loss to Boise was a fluke, and I was right. The Rose Bowl-bound Ducks finished the season strong with thrilling victories over conference opposition in Arizona and Oregon State.
Bowl Projections:
• Citi BCS National Championship (Jan. 7)
o Alabama versus Texas
o Alabama beats Texas because they’re better at everything. Texas will be outmatched and outplayed. Their only chance at victory is if Alabama beats themselves. Ingram needs to come up big in Pasadena to ensure victory.
• Allstate Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1)
o Florida versus Cincinnati
o Florida will wake up. Cincinnati will keep playing like they do. However, Tony Pike and the Bearcats will have trouble against a fast SEC defense like Florida. A major question will be the status of Carlos Dunlap. His play is the key in New Orleans.
• Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)
o Oregon versus Ohio State
o The Ducks won’t have any trouble against Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes. Oregon will run all over Ohio State, and the Big Ten’s woes continue against major non-conference foes.
• FedEx Orange Bowl (Jan. 5)
o Georgia Tech versus Iowa
o ACC Champs Georgia Tech’s high powered triple option offense should be familiar to the brutal slugfests Iowa has experience in the Big Ten. However, if Ricky Stanzi is back, can he be enough to offset Iowa’s miserable defense? Tech should win.
• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 4)
o TCU versus Boise State
o The most unlikely of rematches will happen in Arizona. TCU ruined Boise’s blemish-free season in 2008. Who will lose in this battle of unbeatens? Boise State will not be able to keep up with Andy Dalton and TCU. The Horned Frogs take their first steps towards an undefeated 2010 with a strong performance here.
Best Non-BCS games:
• Emerald Nuts Bowl (Dec. 26)
o USC versus Boston College
o It’s amazing that a team can fall so far down the bowl chain with Boston College, as they were right behind Clemson in the ACC Atlantic. USC is having an off year, but this is not the Boston College of Matt Ryan’s day. Trojans win big in San Francisco.
• AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2)
o Arkansas versus East Carolina
o The C-USA champs will have their hands full with Arkansas and prolific passer Ryan Mallett. One-time Michigan player has been stellar this year with a less than desired supporting cast. Expect a shootout here, as East Carolina can pile on the points as well. Arkansas squeaks by here in Memphis.
• Brut Sun Bowl (Dec. 31)
o Stanford versus Oklahoma
o Toby Gerhardt and the Cardinal will crush Oklahoma. The Sooners have only won against mediocre opponents this year. The Sooners will definitely feel the heat in El Paso, as the Sun Bowl should be a great place for Gerhardt to raise his draft stock.

Economic Woes Continue to Affect President’s Image

For the first time during his tenure as president, President Barack Obama’s approval rating has dropped below fifty percent in a national poll. The most recent survey by CNN and the Opinion Research Corp. made telephone calls to 1,041 people. Should we be alarmed? I would not.
In his first year as President, Ronald Reagan dipped below the fifty percent mark. Within five months, Bill Clinton fell under the mark. It should not concern Obama and his supporters at all. There have been extenuating circumstances for his dip in popularity.
The war dragging on Iraq and Afghanistan could play a part in why his ratings have tanked, and those who don’t follow national politics could blame Obama for problems that might easily be attributed to his predecessor, and vice versa. The recent announcement that he will be sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan was met with applause. However, 54 percent of those who were polled answered that by the end of 2010/start of 2011, they will begin to hold President Obama responsible accountable for successes and failures in Afghanistan, and more than likely Iraq as well.
In addition, the economy that had started to droop before he got into office has had small improvements, but unemployment numbers are not declining enough to cause the public to look at the President in a favorable light. In blue collar jobs, where unemployment has hit the hardest, those individuals tend to not have college degrees. Of those in that socioeconomic class and who were white, Obama lost 18 points. On the other hand, there were recent numbers that showed unemployment actually fell for the first time in months.
I still think that we don’t need to worry that the nation is fragmenting or that the nation is steadily turning against Obama. There have always been rough patches in every Presidency. It just needs to be overlooked right now. Even now, Obama has formulated a new jobs plan he is pitching to Congress to build the private sector back up. I support that, but let’s wait for the details.
So members of the GOP, don’t get all excited. Even your savior Reagan had his problems in the beginning, but he turned it around. Members of the Democrat party, you needn’t fret. There is much to look forward to in 2010. After all, the midterm elections are a year away.
While I have had my scattered views on this man’s term thus far, I believe the unemployment numbers growing are why he isn’t looking good to some people. If uneducated masses want to not like him because of problems with the economy that he was not the root of, then it demonstrates how easily swayed our populace is. This is a frightening thought, but something we must bear. In essence, I think we’ll be okay.

‘Battle Studies’ more like a study of mediocrity

For all the John Mayer fans out there, you’re not going to like this review. I’ve loved his music for the past eight years. Never have I seen an artist do a deliberate 180 degrees turn from what worked and follow with a passing waste of ten bucks. I feel robbed by Mayer’s fourth studio album “Battle Studies” (well fifth if you include the Trio).
“Continuum” and “Try!” were such winning formulas, along with a classis live album in “Where the Light Is,” but Mayer and Columbia Records decided this wasn’t working I guess. I don’t know why they thought that.
Once again, John Mayer collaborated with two greats: bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan. However, this is definitely not the style of play that Palladino, Jordan, and Mayer should do, especially when put up next to “Try!.”
Right off the bat, the collective John Mayer Nation held its breath. The first single “Who Says” is an infectious tune that offers little in substance once you really set down and listen to it. It should have been a sign that this was a different path than what most fans wanted.
When the album dropped, I put it in, and heard the first song “Heartbreak Warfare.” While I hoped for a gritty, soulful ballad that continued this path from “Continuum,” I instead received a song designed for radio play, engineered to bring in cash and guarantee John Mayer being labeled as a bit of a sell-out to true fans.
I paused midway through the song and did not listen to the CD again for the rest of the day. I was that disgusted with his ideas on how to play music. The interesting first few chords immediately turned me off to who I once considered my guitar idol, who had played alongside B.B. King and Clapton and received rave reviews. A bright spot, but also intriguing, is Mayer sounding a bit disinterested while he sings.
“All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye” might be one of the most annoying songs I’ve ever heard, and he sounds strained during it. “Half of My Heart,” which features Taylor Swift for all of two seconds it seems like, was a bit of bright light. However, it was once again obvious that this must be the third single planned.
After hearing “Who Says,” one must endure a song reeking of “this is why I broke up with Jennifer Aniston.” “Perfectly Lonely” starts off well but gets repetitive and dull soon enough. The worst song on the album is “Assassin.” Just listening to it now makes me want to poke my eardrums with a pointy instrument.
There’s a decent cover of “Crossroads” that follows, and “War of My Life” has a few nice patches, along with a nice hook. I do love hearing Mayer play a variety of tempos and techniques on his Stratocaster, but the lyrics are lacking in “Edge of Desire.” Furthermore, the backing vocals are predominant this album. “Do You Know Me” does nothing for me, and Mayer continues to invent and play around with sound. This is aggravating. The end with “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” sounds like a desperate plea from a solitary man at some places, but then, it can be very straight to the point and remind the listener that the John Mayer who tweets, shreds on his guitar, and puts deep meaning into what he writes is still there. Barely.
It gets 2 and a half Bear Claws. This is due to John Mayer still showing he can play guitar than you ever will, and the song “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” let me finish the album with a smile.
In essence, try harder John. My ears deserve better. Your fans deserve better. You owe it to yourself to play better than this.

"Hello Hurricane" Album Review

Love is The Final Fight

San Diego quintet Switchfoot has done it again. Just when everyone thought they had reached their peak with the dynamic Oh! Gravity. in 2006, they announce this past summer that they have recorded around eighty songs to be released in four separate albums. The first is Hello Hurricane. These dozen songs have elevated Switchfoot beyond their limits. As fervent Switchfoot fan Jenny Fingles observed: “They're pushing more with their sound and remaining more in with their lyrics,” when in reference to Oh! Gravity.
Switchfoot is pushing the boundaries of their sound by continuing that train of thought they started in Oh! Gravity., but are evoking an entire new breed of themselves. Despite the progression, you can still hear the roots from The Legend of Chin a decade ago. Even though they are edgier in both sound and content, the fellows from California are bound to draw new fans in while holding on to the older ones.
Fans will notice that this is on a new record label, lowercase people records, which is the new one sponsored by Switchfoot. According to lead singer Jon Foreman, it was incredibly difficult to establish continuity at their former label: “With Sony, they fired people so quickly that it was hard for us to develop any sort of traction, so we fired ourselves. We got off the label because music is very sensitive to the place that it’s coming from. We wanted to create an environment where we were going to be with the same people for a long time and trust is established.”
When Hello Hurricane was released, it was without strings attached and industry stipulations. The band finally got to make the music they wanted to. I, for one, am ecstatic over the end result. When one of your songs brings to mind both “Seven Nation Army” from The White Stripes and “Kashmir” from Led Zeppelin, yet have a unique sound, you’re doing something right. “Free” does this quite well as it precedes the title track of “Hello Hurricane.”
Personally, I have not been able to stop listening to the entire album, but my favorite tracks are “Yet,” “Sing It Out,” and “The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues).” “The Sound” refers to an American civil rights activist named John Perkins who preached a message focusing on love, loss, and redemption. That is a good summary of most songs on the album, with some political statements thrown in for good measure.
Many skeptics of Switchfoot will argue that it is too Christian of a band, and the music does not appeal to them since it is routinely labeled Gospel, Christian, or religious. While this may be the case, no one says a non-Christian cannot listen to music which may have Christian ideals. For all those who believe Switchfoot is too Christian, then listen to bands such as U2, where Christian beliefs are definitely in the music as well, and have been for twenty-plus years.
To use Eric Brown’s rating system, I give Hello Hurricane 4.5 bear claws. The only reason it lost half a point is because I was angry with it only being twelve songs long. This musical journey has its highs and lows in tempo and subject material, and it will have you begging for more. Hello Hurricane does not disappoint, not in the slightest. In addition, iTunes has a few extra songs that truly complete the album.

Mercer University Ill-Equipped to Handle Disabled Students

A new class offered this semester under the PLS (Programs in Leadership and Service) umbrella is PLS 322. I am not going to get into a complete discussion of the class details, since there is an article about that in this issue. However, I will explain one detail of the course, and that is the case study of an actual handicapped individual. In my opinion, the ultimate goal of the course to realize that our society is ill equipped with assisting these individuals and their disabilities.
I met with Tina Hopper, a Macon resident who was born with Spina bifida. She has used a manual wheelchair her whole life and grew up in Macon. She did not have much to complain about, for she feels fortunate that she has been able to adapt with her disability. In speaking with her, I learned that I take too much for granted, such as simply walking around. We neglect to understand the difficulties that a handicapped individual has.
For instance, Tina uses a manual wheelchair. She had several concerns. One is the swinging of doors. If the door revolves or opens automatically, then there is no problem. However, when a door is put in that requires pushing or pulling to open, the architects who design these “normal” doors are ignorant of the troubles that face wheelchair-bound individuals. According to Tina, when a door must be pulled outwards, it is much easier to get in and out of, but as soon as there is a door that must be pushed open, the ability to both turn the wheels of the wheelchair and push the door open is needed. I could not help but notice that most doors on campus require a door to be pulled open.
She also mentioned the sidewalk and curb problem. Now, most of us would not realize that the sloping curbs for handicap access are neither uniform nor maintained well. These sloping sidewalks are designed to be visually appealing, and the handicap accessible curbs are just put in there. Once installed and built, the curbs are forgotten for the most part. Proper maintenance is forgotten at the point where the slope meets the street. Over time, this point will erode and lose it smooth surface. The crack can stop someone in a manual wheelchair from moving due to smaller front wheels being lodged in it.
This situation is prone to cause accidents. Walking around by Stetson and Tarver Library, I could not help but see how poor the handicap access curbs are maintained. I saw how hard it is for someone to get into our buildings as well, especially those with the doors opening in an unaccommodating way. While Mercer has several places on campus that are accessible, such as the UC, Mercer still has a far way to go in regards to this issue.
The UC might have that tough hill to climb in the front, which is accessible in a power chair, but the back entrance nearer the Box Office is rather easy to get into for all handicapped peoples. This is very different from the inability for a student [who cannot walk] to get to the Registrar’s office. There are stairs to the area, no elevator, and no true handicapped access. When a campus is not accessible to everyone who wants to attend, then something must be done. In essence, students, speak up! Talk to the administration about this issue. If you feel strongly, I urge you to have your voice heard, for it is the only way that those who are disabled will be able to get their ideas across.

Greeting

Hey there,

I decided that I want to get my views out into the open, on a whole manner of things, whether they be news, music, sports, etc. Most of which I write has been seen before, but I want to put it into a new medium. I'll be posting my sports columns from the school newspaper, just to show how I followed the college football season.