communication breakdown

Taking the Plunge

It's official: I have agreed to be the Chapter Advisor for the Beta Alpha Chapter of Theta Xi Fraternity. For those who are unaware, this means that I will essentially be a contact point for the active members, and a resource when they have questions or seek guidance. It also charges me with protecting the chapter in the case of crisis or emergency. This is a big step for me, one which will change my focus in relation to the chapter. It is also difficult because the man I will be replacing, Neil, did an absolutely tremendous job - so much so that he was recognized on several occasions with National and Regional awards for excellence in chapter advisement. He leaves big shoes to fill, and I will do my best to fill them. I initially felt that I was too young for the position, but Neil convinced me otherwise, and now I can see is point - an ideal choice is someone old enough to have independence from the chapter, but young enough to still identify with the actives and maybe still have personal contacts among them. That is exactly the position which I am at now. So the long road begins, and hopefully it will be an enjoyable one.

So, as you can see from the comments to my last post, I'm still getting a hard time from some of my friends for watching "The OC". Oh well - I guess they wouldn't be my friends if they didn't revel in any opportunity they got to humiliate me. In an attempt to regain some of my TV-watching credibility, I wanted to list my other favorite shows on TV right now, and make a few comments about each:

• 24: If the current season maintains its level of quality, then I will continue to stand by the fact that I believe that "24" represents the finest continuous four years of television ever made. Admittedly, I think the fourth season is the weakest of the bunch, but keep in mind that comparing it against Seasons 1-3 is a very high bar to set. And many people panned Season 3, although I thought it was the best of the bunch, so I'm sure many people feel the same way about this season. It's still as intense and well-written as ever, it's just that most of the good characters are gone (dead or removed). Thank God they brought Tony back.
• Lost: This is the surprise show of the year thus far. I really didn't expect much, mainly because it airs on ABC and I think just about everything ABC does is crap. But this is a finely made TV show - with only a few episodes left, I have no real complaints. The premise is intriguing, and the characters are fantastic, but what really makes this show is the writing. The way they cycle back and forth between past and present, the little easter eggs that they've hidden in each episode, and the complex layering of the plot make this show a joy to watch. There are many theories about what the "real" story of the islanders is - maybe they are each separate personalities of the same person? Maybe they are all in purgatory and are trying to find their own way out? Regardless of what the truth turns out to be, it's been a great season of TV.
• The Shield: This is undoubtedly the least well-known of the three, but it's worthy enough to be mentioned along with the others. The good news here is that the new season doesn't start until March 15, so you have time to check it out from the beginning of the season. Be forewarned: it's a gritty, raw cop drama that loves to push the edge. Its characters are flawed, and each person is both hero and villain. It's disturbing, sometimes chilling, but always addicting. Check it out next month on the FX network.

In other news, several important Taekwon-Do related things have happened in the last couple weeks. First, I got a call from Mr. McDaniel, one of the men who conducted my test, who informed me that he found an affiliated Taekwon-Do school close to Atlanta! For years I hadn't been able to find a school in the area, but it turns out that I might have a local school at which to train, which would be fantastic. My instructor in Jacksonville confirmed this by informing me of the very same school when I spoke with him recently. Soon I'll be checking it out - I look forward to be back on a regular training schedule again!

Second, I had the opportunity last weekend to travel back to my old school in Jacksonville to attend a black belt seminar taught by Master Nunez, VII Degree Master Instructor. This is a rare opportunity that I just could not pass up. I had never met Master Nunez but had often heard of his expertise and wealth of Taekwon-do knowledge and ability. Needless to say, this was a highly informative time for me when I was able to learn many things. It was a 6 hour seminar, half spent on patterns, half on sparring. Sparring was particularly helpful, because it had been a very long time since I had been able to do prolonged sparring with black belts. And there were some excellent fighters there! Another benefit of the trip was getting to see my instructor for the first time since I left for college, nearly 8 years ago. Though we had kept in partial contact, it was so good to see him again and catch up in person. He means a lot to me because in many ways he was a mentor to me, instructing me during the formative years of my life, helping instill in me self-confidence and discipline, both of which were sorely needed. I owe much to him and his guidance.

I have a couple of pictures up in my gallery - nothing special, but I must say that watching Master Nunez performing some very difficult patterns so well at his age was awe-inspiring. I hope that one day I can do the same.

Finally, I want to formally announce the creation of a new category for my blog called "Top 10". I don't think a day goes by that I don't see something or think of something and say to myself "man, that is definitely a Top 10 _________". If you've seen "High Fidelity" you know what I'm talking about - just like John Cusack, my life is a perpetual Top 10 list. The funny thing is, I usually have thoughts like the one above, but then never allow it to materialize into a full-blown Top 10 list. So I'm going to start. When the desire arises, I'm going to form lists and make some personal comments about the chosen few. The first entry is coming soon - keep your eyes peeled...