September 29, 2004
On the Horizon
The temperatures are falling. The crisp breeze has cut through the summer heat. The leaves are gasping for their final breaths as they begin to change colors. All of this means one thing - the inevitable gloom of winter is on the way. What scares me is that everyone said last year was "a mild winter". Talk about an overstatement. How can any winter be called "mild" when it involved -20 temps on several occasions, and had two straight weeks where the temperature didn't go above 0? Sure, it might not have been the coldest on record, but to call it mild just seems wrong. What's in store this year? You'll be hearing about it here, I'm quite sure...
This past weekend I travelled back to Wisconsin to attend an official Referee's Seminar. We spent about 5 hours going over all of the rules and regulations for USTF TaeKwon-Do tournaments, which was pretty taxing. But then we each got a chance to roleplay by acting as the center referee in a ring while two other people fought. It's a completely different experience from being a competitor, because you have to be in control and keep your eyes on everything. But it was a lot of fun and, assuming I passed the written test, I will be certified to act as a referee at any local/regional event, or act as scorekeeper at an oficial Nationals event. A year from now I can upgrade my certification and actually participate as a judge at Nationals.
I will be going back to Wisconsin in two weeks for the yearly Fall Tournament held there. I should get to do a mixture of competing and judging which will be fun. Hopefully I'll have some cool pictures, and maybe bring home a medal or two.
In other news, I think I have finalized most of my fall/winter travelling and I'm realizing that I'm going to be getting around more than normal. Here are the trips on the immediate horizon:
- Atlanta for GT Homecoming, October 15 - 17
- Jacksonville for Thanksgiving, November 24 - 27
- Las Vegas with several fraternity brothers to watch a basketball game (GT vs. Gonzaga) and to do The Vegas Thing, December 16 - 21
- Jacksonville for Christmas, December 21 - 27
I won't be at home for New Year's, which is a first, but I'm sure I can find something cool to do in the Twin Cities. Whatever it is will have to be indoors, however, because standing around outside in January is not such a great idea up here.
That's really about all I had to say, so I'll wrap up with some miscellaneous things on my mind:
- I'm tired of coming across beat-up old cars littered with bumper stickers. 9 times out of 10 it is some crappy stationwagen covered with stupid Democratic slogans. Check it out for yourself - next time you approach one of these pieces of junk, have a look at the garbage they put on their cars. There is always the obligatory Kerry/Edwards sticker, and then some unique combination of ideological statements such as "Abortion is Great!" or "I Want to Martyr Myself for the Environment". Note that you never see people on the right doing such stuff. Probably because they are sane, unlike most liberals.
- By the way, if anyone ever tries to argue with you about why income redistribution is good, send them here.
- I have the perfect idea for a new challenge for those Road Rules folks: cleaning George Foreman grills. I mean, all you have to do is hand them a dirty GF grill and give them several hours to get it fully clean. Because I can attest to the fact that you can clean those suckers all day long and not get any real results. I think there's a built-in grease well that slowly leaks out crud, but only while you're cleaning it. That way, you eventually go crazy, throw it against the wall, and have to buy a new one. You could also use it as a challenge for those Fear Factor crazies. I think if I had to choose between cleaning one of those things all day long, or jumping into an aquarium full of maggots - I might just jump on in...
- So on my way back from Wisconsin I stopped into Cracker Barrel and bought some of those nonpareils candies. Sure, they are good - that's indisputable. But what I'm wondering is, who chose that name? Could you pick a name for candy that sounds less tasty than "nonpareils"? What does it mean, anyways? Clearly, we know they are not pareils. Great. I don't even know what a pareil is, let alone what a nonpareil would be. Can't we just call them "chocolate discs with little white sugar pellets on top"? I think I'm going to call someone about this...
September 20, 2004
Face/Off
Based on the apparent popularity of my list of police encounters, I decided I'd take my shot at another Top 10 list. The topic for this one was easy, because it was on my mind while waiting for my return flight last week: "Top 10 Things I Miss About Atlanta (or: Top 10 Things That Piss Me Off About Minnesota)". It only took me about 5 minutes to come up with the top 10 - the rest of the time was spent coming up with a good ordering. But I had plenty of time to perfect it - what else was I going to do with all that time in the airport terminal?
Now, a disclaimer before I proceed: I didn't include any completely obvious things, like friends and family. The idea was to highlight more subtle things. More than anything, it's a chance to complain about some of the peculiarities of Minnesota that I don't like. For some of you it might also shed some light on the mysteriousness of the far-off country that is the Midwest. Without further ado, let's hop right in...
10. Grits. You always hear the horror stories about this one: "So last week I was visiting my <relative> in <some Northern state>. Well, I went to the grocery store to buy some grits, and would you believe it, they didn't have any!!!". The stories get old, but they sure are true. Here's what happens when I mention grits to anyone up here:
Me: Ever had grits?
Them (looking puzzled): What are grits?
Seriously. I've never understood this one: how do foods get segregated to a certain part of the nation? Shouldn't something as delectable as grits be shared with the non-grit-eating part of the country? Interesting story: I went into the grocery store the other day to find some grits - yes, stupid move, I know. Surprisingly, there was actually one type of instant grits for sale - the fact that they could even be found caught me off-guard. I hadn't even tried up until now, assuming they wouldn't be there. I think it's because Cub Foods has some stores down South. Anyways, when in Atlanta last weekend, I decided to get some real grits at the grocery store. To my shock and surprise, I couldn't find anything but instant grits there - mind you, there were 9 different kinds available, but all instant. Where do you buy real grits anyways? I need a real Southerner to help me out here...
9. Grocery Stores. Speaking of grocery stores - the ones up here drive me crazy. This is probably a combination of several things. First of all, for me there's a certain loyalty that goes along with brand names. I get used to a certain thing, and then I'm willing to stick by it. Part of me resents the grocery stores here simply because they're not the ones I'm used to. But my reasoning goes deeper than that. The stores here seem... outdated, I guess. Low-tech. Keep in mind, there are the high-class, hoity-toity grocery stores that are supposedly really nice, but I'm not all about spending $12 for Frosted Flakes. I'm talking normal grocery stores here. I stepped in a Kroger last weekend, and it just felt so much nicer, so much newer... just better. And then there's the biggest factor - self-checkouts. Good luck finding one around here - I guess that kind of technology hasn't risen to this part of the country yet.
8. Vernacular / Accents. Call me crazy, but I can't tell you how badly it grates on my ears to hear someone say "I'm gonna go get a pop". News flash: this isn't 1955. It's called soda, or Coke - even if it's Pepsi. Then there's the misuse of the word "yet". For example:
Minnesotan: I still have to go to the grocery store yet.
Anyone care to tell me why you have to tack on that extra word? I think the point was made just fine without it. You might think I'm petty, that such things are trivial - but I'm telling you, try listening to this kinda stuff all the time, and it will affect you.
This one is so ironic, because I really used to give people hell for having a real hick accent. And to be honest, I still don't like it - it's almost as annoying as the nasaly Minnesotan accent. But I do like a true Southern accent - it has a certain dignity to it. There's nothing quite like the sound of a Southern woman's voice.
7. Chick-fil-A. Oh boy, does this one touch a soft spot with me. Again, this one is also ironic because CFA hadn't even made a big impact in Florida before I left for college, so I had never eaten there before. But I sure did get my fill in my five years in Atlanta. Everyone knows the Chick-Fil-A Rule: you always crave CFA on Sundays, when it's not open. Truer words were never spoken. Of course, the rule is modified for me: Since it's not available at all, I crave it every day. Ok, maybe not every day. But all the time, I'm not kidding you. Chicken sandwiches, chicken biscuits, chicken nuggets, waffle fries, cheesecake... Great, now I'm hungry.
6. Football. People here claim to be football fans, and I guess some of them are. But I've met so many people here that don't watch football at all. Let's be honest: what else are guys going to talk about from September through February except football? It's not just the fans though - it's the style of football up here as well. Big 10 football - what a load of crap. It lacks the passion, the excitement, and the blind hatred between teams (and fans) that you find in the ACC/SEC. Of course, I get to watch about 3% of those games. Oh, Auburn vs. Alabama is on? Too bad, I'm stuck watching Iowa vs. Iowa State. Barf.
5. Summer. More irony here. If there is one thing I have always complained about regarding the South, it's the heat. And I still stand by that argument - Florida was just too much for my liking. But as I've discussed in previous ramblings, you've got to have a fair share of summer or you just feel robbed. It's barely been hot enough this year for me to break a sweat. And that would be fine by me, if the winter was mild by any stretch of the imagination. But if I'm going to struggle through -30 temps in the winter, I want my summer to be warm and longer than a fleeting moment. It seems I've traded in a sweltering summer for a punishing winter, and I've yet to decide which I like least.
4. Hospitality. This one is a big problem. I've been running an ongoing experiment since I first got here. When I pass people in the halls, on the street, or whereever you pass people, I will always nod, smile, and usually say "hey", or "good morning", or whatever is appropriate. Common courtesy, right? Typical Southern hospitality? I guess that's why it is called Southern. Any guess as to what percentage of the people respond? I can only guess in lieu of real numbers, but it seems to be about 25%. Most people will either make eye contact and turn away, or not even look my direction. Now, there's always the possibility that the problem is me - but last I checked, I didn't have any horrible disfigurement or a sign taped to my forehead that said "Guns Don't Kill People... I Kill People". I think it's just a cultural difference. And it's not just in greetings - I think in general people are more introverted, less willing to share their lives with others, particular about their privacy. Everything is kept at a distance, a strange type of formality. Whatever it is, it doesn't make a stranger feel very welcome.
3. Conservatism/Religion. I guess I was asking for trouble when I left the Bible Belt. I've told my co-workers that, before I moved here, I could count the number of true liberals that I've known on one hand. I really believe that to be true - at least, it used to be true. Now I'm surrounded by them, and it's truly scary. The complete separation from the real world, ridiculous ideology, irrational thinking - it is very disturbing. Do you know how weird it feels to sit around and discuss world events, or politics, with a group of people who all think and believe completely different from the way you do? If you don't, you probably don't want to. I think this is tied to the forms of religion practiced here as well. The overwhelming majority of Minnesotans are Lutheran - not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is so different from the style of worship which I am comfortable with. Similar to Catholicism with its formal service and habitual routine, it seems like more emphasis is placed on going through the motions rather than focusing on the important things - God, salvation, relationships with Christ.
The most frustrating part of my adaptation to Minnesota has been my inability to find a good church. Consider first of all that a very small portion of the churches are Baptist, and even those which are seem more like LutheraBaptists, which are basically churches with a formal style that happen to believe in the Baptist doctrine. A good home church is one of the biggest components of a Christian's life, and without it I feel quite unfulfilled and unsettled. Then, there is the disturbing fact that so many people here do not worship at all, something else which is new to me. While it provides many opportunities to reach the lost, it just adds to the completely foreign environment that I've found up here.
2. Sweet Tea. This one needs no explanation - any Southerner reading this knows what I'm talking about, and anyone else has no idea. The next time that somebody offers me "sweetener" for my "iced tea", I'm going to smite them. Thank God this is one problem I can fix myself, by making my own sweet tea.
1. Driving Style. Anyone who knows me well shouldn't be surprised to find this at the top of the list. If you pressed me for a Top 10 pet peeves list, I think all 10 would be driving-related. Let me be honest for a minute and admit a few things:
- I have absolutely no patience.
- I am an extremely aggressive driver.
- I believe in double-standards when driving, but only for me. For example, I rarely use a blinker, but I expect everyone else to use one at all times.
- I have absolutely no patience.
All of this adds up to big trouble up here, where I am surrounded by stupid drivers. The reason this item comes in at #1 is because it affects me all day, every day. Not a day goes by that I don't get pissed off at the drivers up here. Let me comment on some of my biggest problems with them:
- They don't drive fast enough. I mean, honestly, who drives the speed limit? That's insane - you can go 5 mph over anywhere without getting pulled over. To me it suggests weakness. But most of all, it increases my chance of getting a speeding ticket, because I stick out all by myself as the only one speeding. In Atlanta, I could blend in. This drives me crazy.
- They are too conscientious. Being a respectful driver is one thing - when you take it too far, you cause problems. How hard is it to understand a 4-way stop? When you stop, look who stopped before you - they go first, then you go. When you start trying to wave along people who came up after you, mayhem results and everyone gets angry. Or people who will slam on the brakes while on the highway to let someone in another lane get in front of them. If they can't turn the blinker on earlier, then make them wait; if they miss their exit, too bad. Hitting the brakes on the highway is never the right solution.
- They don't understand the concept of "slower traffic keep right". Note that this does NOT only apply to highways. This is inexcusable. If I ever got elected to some high public office, I swear I would enforce jailtime for every person who did this.
That's just a few, but you get the idea. One of the first things that I experience when I come back to ATL, one of the things that makes me feel that I'm home, is how everyone drives like me. I come out 90mph from the airport, and rather than passing everyone, they are all driving like me. Some people say they hate driving in Atlanta, that it's too crazy and too dangerous. I relish the aggressiveness, the danger, the sheer insanity of it all. Strange as it seems, it's one of my favorite things about Atlanta and it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside when I come driving back into downtown for the first time in a long time.
However, as far as Minnesota goes - I have a solution: let me decide who gets to have a driver's license. Obviously I'm the best driver on the road, so make people take a test of my choosing. I promise to be fair, and then all the morons who shouldn't be driving can take the bus or carpool. Funds for city transportation will go up, pollution will go down, and I'll be happy. Problem solved.
As always, comments are welcome. Think that I forgot anything? Oh and don't forget, somebody help me with the grits thing!
September 17, 2004
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye (1945)
|
|
To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. Honestly, all I knew about the book was that it had been banned. In retrospect, I can see why - not that I support book banning, but I can only imagine how controversial it must have been during the naive time in history when it was written. There is a lot of strong language and difficult topics here which make it unsuitable for a young or immature reader - but the novel is also full of gems that make it an essential read for an appropriate audience.
As I said earlier, the novel centers around Holden Caulfield, a rebellious and cynical adolescent who has an opinion on everything. When we meet Holden, he has just been expelled from Pencey Prep School for poor academic performance, and we learn that it isn't the first time he has flunked out of school. He is a fascinating case study for maturity - in one sense, he is irresponsible, not willing to take blame for anything bad that happens to him, and hesitant to correct his self-destructive habits. Yet for his age he possesses a certain clarity of thought, a penetrating sense of perception, and experience beyond his years.
He has many vices (alcohol and cigarettes, among others), and discusses at length those things which bother him, the foremost of which appears to be phoniness and hypocrisy. He loathes them to the point of hatred for those who display them, and the few people about which he speaks positively are those who are truly genuine. He also has an extremely sharp wit, a genuine talent for sarcasm, and a very dry sense of humor - all of which will likely make for a highly entertaining read for those with a similar style (this reviewer included).
I was serious when I said that nothing happens in this book - in terms of major plot points or actual significant events, there really are none. The entire story is being told to us in retrospect by Holden, and he chooses to only describe the couple of days after his expulsion from Pencey. The first part of the novel contains the majority of the book's conversation, when Holden interacts with his roommate and neighbors. However, once he leaves school he embarks on a lonely journey marked by bad decisions, loneliness and depression. For the most part he travels from night club to night club and walks around the city aimlessly.
All the while, he discusses anything and everything going through his mind. While I wouldn't describe Salinger's writing style here as "stream of consciousness", because it is somewhat coherent, I would say that he is successful in his attempt to capture the inner thoughts of a troubled teenager. He rarely stays on one topic for any length of time, and when he does it's usually in a self-indulgent, rambling manner. I think Caulfield best describes the reason for this in his own words: "The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It's more interesting and all."
In one sense, nothing ever happens. Yet if you look at it from a different perspective, you could say that everything happens. That is, by eavesdropping on Holden's ponderings, we are able to form a complete picture of the young man - by focusing the whole story on one man, we learn about him in great depth, and as a result come to sympathize with him. His family, relationships, passions, fears, pleasures - all of these are described in great detail. Amidst several days in which nothing significant happens, a young man's psyche is laid bare for us to explore.
Many will be turned off by the unorthodox nature of this novel. Those with a short attention span, or the need for a formulaic storyline, will likely not be drawn into Holden's story and his subtle development throughout the pages of the novel. From my perspective, the best thing about the book was how it was written. For most of the book I couldn't help but think: "If I was writing a book, this is exactly how I would write it." I might not have agreed with everything Holden said and felt, but the way he said it was something I could identify with. I found myself laughing more at this novel than any other which I have read. I didn't need anything to happen in the story - it was an enjoyable read in and of itself.
Yet, in the end, I couldn't help but expect something to happen. Though I should have known what to expect at the end after reading the preceding 200 pages, I still anticipated some sort of major change to occur to our protagonist to bring some sort of relevance to the story. While some may argue that Holden did experience a turning point at the end, I did not feel that his life philosophy had altered in any way between the beginning and ending of the book. I had hoped that the emotional investment which Salinger so carefully helps us develop throughout the course of the novel would lead to a conclusion which brought us to some higher understanding, or essential realization about Holden, or about ourselves, or about life in general. Alas, I was wrong.
But I can still appreciate this book for its strengths. The majority of "The Catcher in the Rye" is really a lot of fun, and Holden himself is probably one of the most well-developed and complicated characters you're ever going to find in literature. His intelligence parallels his idiocy, his bravado conflicts with his cowardice, his deep loathing of just about everything is tempered by his great love for his siblings. I think the true sign of why this book is so timeless and respected is this: each reader who ventures into Holden Caulfield's psyche is going to take away something which will touch them in a personal way.
What more can you ask for in a novel?
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) (2000)
|
|
The 4th installment is in essence focused around a single event - the resurrection of the Triwizard Tournament, an ancient competition between the three main wizarding schools. Hogwarts is the host school, while the others send a contingent of possible competitors to stay at Hogwarts for the length of the contest. The other two schools - Beauxbatons and Durmstrang - are new to us as readers, but they are both a large part of this story. However, we might as well refer to them as France and Germany, because everything about the students reflect these nationalities. This is one of my (few) gripes about the book, that the visiting competitors were cookie-cutter stereotypes; it would have been nice if Rowling infused as much creativity into these characters as she does with every other part of the novel.
Renown for its difficulty and danger, and ended long ago for causing the death of too many competitors, the Tournament has been reopened by the heads of the three schools, with new restrictions to improve safety. The most notable of which is that only 6th year students and above may compete, eliminating Potter & Co. All potential contestants must add their name into the Goblet of Fire, an impartial "judge" which will select one name from each school to act as Champion and compete in the tournament. When the Goblet acts unpredictibly, the contest is thrown into a lurch and the stakes increase considerably.
The Tournament is comprised of three tasks, each separated by several months in order to give the Champions a chance to prepare. These tasks, and the preparation for them, account for much of the novel's size. While I will not reveal the nature of the three tasks, I will say that they are some of the many examples that the author's penchant for imagination and creativity is still alive and well. However, since most readers will likely have digested the first three novels in the series, note that plenty of familiar elements are here - the annual arrival of a new Dark Arts teacher, the sometimes-turbulent friendship of The Potter Trio, conflicts with Malfoy, bad ideas from Hagrid, and even a little Quidditch in the opening chapters.
Another primary focus of the book which is worth mentioning is the Dark Arts. For the first time the students have a (new) Defnese Against the Dark Arts teacher who is highly knowledgeable about the use and counter-use of Dark Magic. In addition, Voldemort and his followers begin to take on a major role. Harry begins the book with a dream about Voldemort which affects him for the rest of the novel. Shortly after, Harry and his friends attend the Quidditch World Cup, and mayhem ensues afterwards when someone conjures Voldemort's personal symbol in the sky for all to see. Many discussions occur throughout the book about the Dark Lord's followers: who was convicted, who was sentenced to prison, who avoided prison, who renounced Voldemort, who still serves him. There is more danger and more evil in this book than any of the others.
In many ways, "The Goblet of Fire" represents a turning point for our young protagonist and his friends. They have reached the midpoint of their studies, and as they begin to inch closer to their wizarding exams, their lessons become more serious and focused. The children are also reaching adolescence, and thus are beginning to develop emotional and relational maturity. The book also concludes with a shift in the battle between good and evil - one which I will not reveal here, except to note that it is both exciting and chilling.
A book of this size is likely to either bore you to tears or keep your eyes glued to the pages, and luckily Rowling does not disappoint. I picked up the book one night with about 150 pages left to read, and could not put it down until I was done. Gone are the charm and innocence of the early entries of this series - they have been replaced with a more captivating, robust world in which the characters are more complete, motivations are more obscure, decisions are more difficult, and consequences are more severe. The ending will leave you hungry for more, which is exactly what you'll get, since the 5th novel is even bigger than this one. I only hope that it is as enjoyable of a read.
September 14, 2004
Miracle on Turf
I think that to say I had an eventful weekend would be an understatement. I flew down to Atlanta this past weekend to attend the Georgia Tech Career Fair and help recruit for my company. The Fair wasn't until Monday, but it just so happened that the GT football team was playing an away game at Clemson, roughly a 2-hour drive from ATL. Let's think about this: do I fly in the day before the Fair, spend all of the next day recruiting, only to hop on a plane that night? Or do I fly in a few days early, catch a football game, have time to spend with friends, and just relax for a bit? Tough call...
So I flew in Friday night, just in time to head over to a few of my friends' apartment and chill for awhile while watching the Miami-FSU game. I refuse to discuss the game, nor mention it ever again outside of this paragraph. Let's just say that I spent all of my pre-college years establishing a blood loyalty to Florida State, and some of that loyalty remains to this day. That game was a disgrace that should be wiped from the annals of college football history. Remember Nicholas Cage in "Gone In Sixty Seconds", and how there was one car in the world that he couldn't steal, no matter how hard he tried? Kinda reminds me of Bobby Bowden and beating Miami...
Anyways, regardless of the outcome, we had fun just chilling and acting all crazy. We even tried pulling out the old Atari and starting up some real competition over Warlords (a 4-person pong-like game), but one of the A/V connectors blew out after about 5 minutes. Oh well. Anyways, I got about 5 hours of sleep that night - just enough to wake up in time to begin the trek up to Clemson. We got there about noon, which left a measly 8 hours to tailgate. Needless to say, it was amazing. All of the essential elements were there - beer, the grill, footballs/frisbees, college football on the radio, and of course, drunk Clemson fans looking to start a fight. Luckily nothing too serious happened, and for the most part it was a great time. We headed down to the stadium about an hour early to get ready for game time.
Then, there was the game. It was nothing short of amazing. For those who don't know, GT won 28-24 in a thriller, with a frenzied streak of scoring by both teams in the last few minutes of the game. Down by 10 with about 2 minutes to go, Tech scored, then forced Clemson to kick. In what will undoubtedly be the worst moment in some poor schmuck's life, the long snapper muffed the snap and the punter couldn't kick. Tech recovered deep in Clemson territory and scored again to take the lead. Clemson was able to run the kickoff back deep into Tech territory with only seconds remaining, but their one shot at the end zone came up short - game Tech. Some would call it an upset, but I know better. I can safely say it was the best last-minute comeback I've ever seen. In fact, only two games rival it, both of which I've seen in person:
1. 1998 Homecoming, GT beats Virginia 41-38. 17 unanswered points (the only scoring in the 4th quarter) by Joe Hamilton and Co. seal the deal. Fans (including me) rush the field, tear down the goalposts, drop them on the lawn of the school President's house, and start cutting them up into pieces. Unbelievable.
2. 1999, GT beats UGA 51-48 (OT). Jasper Sanks and "The Fumble", allowing GT to escape defeat and win in OT. God had us destined to win this game - only possible explanation there is.
Needless to say, at the end we were going positively hysterical in the stands - 99% of Death Valley was dead quiet (pun intended), while those of us in the nosebleeds were jumping around like madmen, falling over one another, hugging random strangers, and in general feeling euphoric. We left the stadium singing GT cheers and screaming our lungs out. All of this in the opposing stadium, with thousands of fans around us shell-shocked and drowning in their despair. Pain, suffering, emotional torture of your enemies - these are what make college football so great.
(oh, and for the record, they should have kicked the field goal. I'm sure some of you know what I mean...)
We drove back that night and didn't get home until about 4 AM, which left me approximately 4 hours of sleep before church in the morning. Sunday was basically all about R&R - football, hanging out with friends, etc. Just what I needed before the long day ahead of me. I only got about 6 hours of sleep Sunday night - I mention all of this about sleep because I'm shocked that I was even able to wake up for the Career Fair, let alone perform appropriately, given the sleep deprivation to which I submitted myself. The body can do amazing things under duress.
So Monday was the Career Fair, and it was quite an experience from the other side. There were plenty of good candidates there, and it was fun to talk to graduates, hear what they're looking to do, and trying to sell Medtronic to them. It was a long day (9:30 - 4:00) of non-stop talking with candidates, but honestly I wasn't as completely exhausted as I thought I would be at the end of the day. I definitely feel that I was able to better relate to the CS majors who stopped by, since that is my own background. It was much harder to discuss details with someone like a bioengineering doctorate student looking for research opportunities. But I think the Fair was successful.
One other thing of note happened this weekend. On Sunday, I was visiting with a friend when I got an unidentified call. It turned out to be my former boss who I worked with when I was a co-op student at Georgia Tech. It turns out that the company has been bought by a larger one and they are looking to hire on more experienced people. He was interested in bringing me back on board with the new company and basically offered me a job. Took me completely by surprise. I guess I expected something like this might eventually happen, but I didn't realize it would happen so soon. He wants to fly me back down to Atlanta soon for an interview - this just gives me some more thinking to do. Certainly more updates on this in the future...
September 5, 2004
Bad Boys
On my drive home last weekend from Wisconsin, I suddenly realized something - I've had a lot of run-ins with the cops! Before you start forming this picture of me as a hardened criminal, keep in mind that they have all been automobile-related, so we're not talking anything drastic. But I started thinking back to all of the times I've been pulled over (what else am I going to think about while driving through hundreds of miles of farm country?), and I guess I never realized before how many times it has happened. Then I started thinking about the details of each, and I couldn't help but laugh - some of them were completely ridiculous situations. I figured I'd have a little fun at my own expense and give you a top ten list of my own: Top 10 Run-Ins With Cops. To me they are all hilarious for one reason or another, but maybe some/all of them are "you had to be there" kind of things. I hope not, and I hope you get a laugh out of them as well. Enjoy...
Note: Dates given are approximate. Some of these memories are so painful that I tried to block them out of my head. The first thing to go was the actual date...
10. Ocilla, GA (1999) - Me and two of my fraternity brothers travel south of Atlanta to Ocilla, GA to visit another brother and stay with his family for awhile. As we are about to embark home, one of the guys (Jon) decides he wants to drive one of the vehicles and be the lead car, even though I had the only radar detector. He was the oldest of us, so naturally you'd assume he would be the a wise decision-maker, right? Wrong. Not long after leaving Ocilla, we were driving up a hill, following behind a car going way too slow, so Jon decides to pass into the oncoming-traffic lane. Obviously this necessitates a large increase in speed, so we jump up to about 15-over in order to pass this slowpoke. We cross back over the center line just in time to crest the hill, where - surprise! - a cop is waiting for us. I slowed way down, hoping he would take me as the sacrificial lamb and allow them to escape (after which I would demand they pay half the ticket). No dice though - he motioned for me to pull over, then went and fetched them. Not only did we get tickets, but I got a warning for following too closely, since I was in a hurry to get back over the center line. And for the record, my radar detector picked up the cop's signal, and had I been leading, we probably would have been OK. Thanks Jon!
9. Somewhere in Georgia (1999) - I don't remember exactly where I was, except for that I was in rural Georgia with a couple fraternity brothers (again). It might have even been the trip into Ocilla, mentioned above in #10. Anyways, we were in the middle of absolute nowhere, on a very hilly road, and I decided to have some fun. More specifically, I had never taken my car (a 1994 Mercury Tracer, code name "The Trace") over 100 before. So I decide, what better time? I mean, obviously, there's noone around, right? So I gun it up to about 105. We're enjoying it (and surprisingly, my car is handling it just fine) for about a minute or so, after which I slow back down to my normal speed of about 15 over. We crested the very next hill, and as you can probably guess by now, there was a cop waiting on the other side. Had I started my speed trial later, or kept it up for longer, this would be more of a jail story than a cop story. Close call...
8. Jacksonville, FL (1997) - This is the story of my first ticket. I still get misty-eyed thinking about it. Honestly, there's nothing particularly special about it - I was going about 15 over on a residential road, clocked by a cop that I never even saw because it was dark. But the story ranks in the top 10, and even gets some bonus points, for 2 reasons. First, it gets sentimental value for being my first time. Second, it is a great demonstration of how I can lose my head when I get overly-stressed. When I saw the cop lights come on I absolutely panicked, and pretty much forgot how to drive or what to do. Eventually I somewhat composed myself and realized "hey, I should pull over". So, where do I pull over? Why, right in the middle of an intersection, of course! I'm sure it looked hilarious, my car parked right in the T-section of two cross streets. The cop had to actually yell into his megaphone telling me to pull forward out of the road. It was classic. He gave me my ticket and sent me on the way, while I was apologizing profusely and beginning to cry. Oh how I laugh now at the old days of innocence and naivete!
7. Athens, GA (2001) - This is one of the most painful stories. I was travelling from Atlanta to Athens to attend my roommate's wedding. I was running a little late so I was speeding (big surprise), but everyone does on 316. I was in a line of cars going about 20 over. Out of nowhere this cop shows up and pulls only me out of the train. He comes up to my car and is completely non-conversational and doesn't listen to anything I say. I tell him that I'm on the way to a wedding - clearly I'm dressed for the occasion, and I show him the invitation. He doesn't even blink, just asks for license/insurance, goes back to his car, returns with the ticket, and leaves without so much as a "goodbye" or a "drive safe". After awhile I pieced it all together - my Tracer had Georgia Tech stickers all over it, and I was right in the middle of UGA country - clearly this was a case of the dumb redneck policeman exacting revenge on the smart engineer in the only way he can. In fact, he took so long to process the ticket that by the time I left, I was so hopelessly late for the wedding that I didn't even bother. I turned around and went home. This one still stings, 3 years later...
6. Atlanta, GA (2003) - This might be the most bizarre of all of the stories. It's important to mention up-front that this incident occurred during a particularly low time in my life. I was driving back home from Brewhouse, a local pub, by myself. (Note: I wasn't drunk. I do not drink.) Anyways, I will admit that I was not mentally fit to be driving, because my thoughts were a million miles away - I wasn't even paying attention to the road. Apparently I was speeding excessively because next thing I knew there was a cop right behind me. He doesn't flip on his lights, but instead he pulls up beside me. Now, in my altered state, I didn't think to pull over or anything - no, I just stopped. Right there. In the middle of the road. I roll down my window and he explains how fast I was going, and that he could take my license right now, and that he probably would if he wasn't off-duty. I explain (poorly) that I had no idea that I was speeding and that I was sorry (and I truly was, this time). Then he just drives off. Based on the way things shook out, I'm very surprised he didn't pull me over for an alcohol check or anything. This was certainly one of my luckiest experiences and closest calls.
5. Jacksonville, FL (1998) - I'm driving home down a semi-residential (45mph) street one day, doing my usual of 60. I pass a cop who is facing me, waiting to turn left onto the street I was crossing. As I pass him he flips on his lights and starts to pull a U-turn. I don't know what got into me, but right then and there I decided I was not going to get a ticket that night. I slammed the pedal to the floor and kicked The Trace up to about 80 on the same road. Now this cop has no idea that I'm running from him, because the road is pretty curvy, so I was out of his sight before he finished the U-turn, so I just used my early lead to try and build a bigger one. About a mile ahead I made the turn onto the next street and expected to see lights behind me, but never did. Only time in my life I've ever considered outrunning a cop. In hindsight it probably wasn't the best of ideas, but hey, it worked...
4. Atlanta, GA (2002) - The only explanation I have for the following series of events was that God decided that it was about time I receive a speeding ticket. The scenario is too orchestrated to be anything else. The story takes place during one of our fraternity initiation weeks. I was busy all week and didn't have a chance to get errands done, so late one night (about 2 AM) I realize I need to get some groceries. I head out to the store, and after picking up what I need, I get back in the car to find that my radar detector is not working. For the life of me I don't know why, and still don't know why. I fiddled with it for 5 minutes to no avail. I head out without it (it's kind of a naked feeling, to be honest), and get on the highway. For some reason, I felt like going on a slightly longer drive, so I took a different path back to campus - first time I had ever done this. Predictibly, I take the alternate route into campus and get caught by one of those radar machines that they put by the side of the road (the ones that show you your speed). Consider all the things that had to fall in place for this to happen. I rarely leave the house at 2 AM, let alone to go get groceries. My radar detector spontaneously stopped working - but started working again the next day! Plus I took the alternate route, and never would have come across the speed trap going the other way. What burns me up the most about it is that those speed traps are ridiculously easy to pick up with a radar detector - I usually detect them about 2 miles early. How humiliating, to be beaten by such an inferior instrument! Like I said, I've come to accept this one as God-ordained, but I won't deny that it still makes me cringe when I think about it.
3. South Georgia (1999) - Sometimes, you just have it coming to you. It's remarkable how consistent I've been in how often I get a speeding ticket. On average, it's about once a year. Well, around this time, I had done well and hadn't had a ticket in about two years. Then the Law of Averages kicked in. I was travelling home to Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. I was only there for about half a week, but during the trip I managed to score myself two tickets. On the drive south I was clocked with laser from a cop on an overpass - that's just downright vicious. On the trip back to Atlanta I was stopped again, though I don't remember how or why. All I know is that in the span of about 4 days I racked up about $250-300 in speeding tickets. Not recommended as an exercise for the reader. Needless to say, for the next week or two I ate a little cheaper, drove a little slower, and in general was not very happy...
2. Minneapolis, MN (2004) - This is the very recent story of how I was stopped by a cop and was about to get a ticket for sure before he was called off to a more pressing emergency and had to leave in a hurry. I will not go into great detail because I recently described it at length in another blog entry. You can find that story here.
1. Atlanta, GA (2001) - This story is at the top for several reasons. First, I think it gives great insight into the way I think when I'm on the road. Second, it makes me laugh everytime I think of it. Finally, it had a happy ending. I was on my way back into Atlanta after a trip home to Jacksonville. I was a couple miles away from the exit when I spotted a highway patrolman a quarter mile or so ahead of me. For one reason or another, he sped up to about 90. I figured, if he can do it, why can't I? So I kept my distance and matched his speed. I'm sure it was quite a sight for the people who saw this patrol car whizzing by, followed by a beat-up old Tracer. Anyways, I follow him for about a mile (assuming I'm far enough back that he can't see me), until he starts to slow down a bit. He drops to about 85, and so do I. But he keeps slowing down, very gradually. Eventually I realize he's caught on to me, but there's no way I'm going to speed past the guy, so I keep slowing down myself. There's only so far you can go with this strategy though. Once we reach the downtown area (very near campus) he drops well below the limit, and at that point, I'm thinking "Screw this. I don't go below the speed limit for anybody". So he keeps slowing and I start to pass him by. The minute I pull level with him, I hear this booming voice over a megaphone saying "I'd appreciate it if you'd slow down please!". Then he speeds off, going about 90 again. I start speeding again as well, but only because my exit was only a couple hundred feet ahead and there was no more threat. I couldn't help but laugh as I exited the highway, thinking that I'm probably one of very few people who have ever had an experience like that.
So that's it. The sad thing is that, since I only wanted to do a Top 10, there were actually several other cop encounters that didn't make the list because they weren't very memorable! However, now that I have this list formalized and documented somewhere, I can update it as more events occur, which they undoubtedly will. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did reminiscing.
Comments? Disagree with any of the orderings? Care to share any stories of your own? I'd love to hear them!
September 1, 2004
Politics
I think it's about time to discuss some politics. I don't often do this, mainly because I usually have better things to talk about, but I figured it was appropriate to articulate my stance, if only for my own benefit. First, I think Americans are more divided than we have been in a long time, but that doesn't surprise me given the specter of terrorism which we face daily. No single issue is more important to the country right now, and there are vastly different opinions on how it should be managed. I think most people have made up their minds about who they will vote for and the race will come down to a few independents who are still deciding. They will decide who has the best plan for keeping them safe, and in turn, will decide who wins in November...
Now, on to my own political stance. My feelings can probably best be summed up by the phrase "Anybody But Kerry". That implies a couple things:
1. John Kerry is not suitable to be our President.
2. I'm not fully satisfied with the job Bush is doing.
So, let's start with #1. There are many reasons for this:
- Kerry is the most liberal Senator in the nation. His running mate Edwards is not far behind him. Together they form the closest thing we've seen to an ultra-liberal ticket which serves the fringe far-left crazies. His voting record says it all: support for abortion, higher taxes, strict gun control, gay marriage, welfare, loose immigration laws, etc. He opposes the death penalty, school vouchers, defense spending, and tighter drug enforcement. Basically, I disagree with him on every issue, and I believe the majority of America does too. Though the uber-liberals are the loudest and most persistent voices in the country, traditionals are still the majority in America. A Kerry-Edwards agenda would be contrary to what most "common folks" stand for.
- Kerry doesn't stand for anything. Well, clearly he stands for a left-wing agenda as shown above, but he is the kind of guy who will vote however he has to in order to gain a vote. This is clear by the fact that he has suddenly tried to start coming to the middle of the political spectrum now that he's a Presidential candidate. He realizes that, since the left-wingers are a small minority, he can't win without persuading moderates/independents. So what does he do? Start contradicting his own voting history, of course! He is banking on Americans being too stupid to research his current behavior and compare it against the past. Sadly he's right, in that many people will never know anything about him except for what he says in the next few months. All I know is it's very sad to see someone flip-flop on an issue and then pretend to support it as if they always had.
- Kerry is not Presidential. I guess what I really mean by that is that he's not a leader. It's obvious in every sense. First, just watch him and listen - do you get the feeling that he is capable of the leadership of a nation? I didn't think so. I believe true leaders are evident just by the way they talk and act, and you can't imitate that. Kerry doesn't even command control of his own party faithfuls - they only support him in order to get rid of Bush, no because they innately believe in him as a leader. Second, related to my above point, he doesn't have a backbone to stick to his guns. That will destroy you as a President. Third, related to my first point, he's so "out there" on the issues that most people will not identify with him and/or trust him. Finally, and this could be spin, but I've heard that his personality sucks - he's basically a rich lawyer who has his rich friends and doesn't bother to stoop down to people below his level. His wife has the same problem - she's a millionaire heiress with a New Yorker personality. These people are just not cut out to be White House material.
In my eyes, Bush has a leg up over Kerry in all of the above. Based on the domestic/economic policies that I personally support, I fall much more in line with Bush (though not perfectly). What I love about him, and a co-worker of mine just today made the same observation, is that he knows what he thinks is right and he does it. I have no doubt that he's trying to do what he thinks is best for the country, even if he's wrong. But he has conviction, and a clear vision - I can respect that. Finally, for all the crap he takes about being stupid, I think he's very astute and intelligent, but most of all he's down-to-earth and likable. People identify with him and find comfort in his personality. That is extremely important in a President.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not a blind Bush Puppet either. I think he has made some serious errors in judgment and I think he needs to fire some of his cabinet advisors. Here are a couple of things on my mind:
- I'm not sure he's handling the gay marriage issue properly. I haven't formulated my own conclusions yet; though I oppose gay marriage, I'm not sure a constitutional amendment is the proper solution. In addition, he supports civil unions for gay couples, which I do not.
- He is really mishandling the immigration situation. I tend to be pretty far to the right on this issue, thinking we should severely restrict immigration into the country, and give absolutely no citizenship rights to illegals who are here. The only right they should have is the right to be shipped back across the border.
- I also think he's been stubborn with the Iraq situation, as far as not offering an apology for governmental mistakes made under his watch. And the Iraq situation in general has been somewhat mishandled, such as allowing hotbeds of violence to remain and allowing the terrorist cleric al-Sadr to go free.
What it really boils down to, though, is this: what's the biggest issue we face? The Democrats want to make the race about the same things they always do - the economy, healthcare, tax reform. Frankly, I don't care about these things - I have a good job and am financially stable, so I don't need sweeping economic changes. Plus I don't think the government should be responsible for all those things anyways - put the money back in the hands of the consumers and good things will happen. But the real issue is terrorism, and national safety. Frankly I'd be scared to death with a wimp like Kerry in charge. Bin Laden, on the other hand, wouldn't be scared one bit.
I don't think the fact that a lot of non-Americans dislike Bush is a problem. In fact, I give him bonus points for that. When counries like Germany, Russia and especially France get all pouty because we don't let them rule the universe, I know that we're on the right track. Basically Europe is a continent full of pacifists bent on appeasement, so they get offended by a straight-shooter like Bush who has strong beliefs and decisive actions.
So, in conclusion - unless something changes between now and November, I'm voting Bush. Unfortunately, I live in liberal-dominated Minnesota, so I'm essentially wasting my vote. But I could never live with myself if I voted for someone who I believe would do his very best to destroy the traditional fabric of America and replace it with a liberal/progressive substitute. I don't support Bush because I'm a blind follower like some ultra-conservatives, but I think he is the only one with a true plan for how to handle the terror situation, and his stance on domestic issues is much more in-line with my personal beliefs. He has a lot of room for improvement, but at least he has an upside.
Anyways, that's my rant. To any who made it this far, congratulations; comments and discussion are welcome...
By the way, if you want to do your own research on how each candidate stands on the issues, check out this site.