Welkermind

Chile: Summary of What I've Been Up To, or World Cup 2010: How My Predictions Turned Out

2010-06-25T18:43:00.005-04:00

So yeah, been a while since I posted. Around three weeks, in fact. Perhaps later I'll post some entries from my journal or something, but for now I'll keep it simple and just give a summary.

Chile's been pretty daggone awesome. I can honestly see myself living in Santiago if ever I move out of the country. The city moves at a great pace, yet time doesn't seem to pass so quickly here. The people are really friendly for the most part, rather atypical for a city of around six million. There's plenty to do and see here. The people who call themselves Christians here actually try to be remotely like Christ, and one can feel God's presence in church (the one's I've been to, anyway). And the passion for football (the real football) is unparalleled, making Kentucky basketball fans look like small children stuck with Dad in Home Depot (I know this from personal experience, lol).

We've made some great new friends in the students at the Church of God seminary we study at. They've been very cordial and open with us, desiring to be friendly themselves and being understanding of our handicaps with Spanish. They've become great conversation partners and even better friends.

We've visited a bunch of cool historical and cultural locales. Plaza de Armas at the center of town, El Palacio de Moneda where the president works, the village at Los Dominicos at the foot of the Andes, the house of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, the fort and series of small shops at Santa Lucía, and more have all gotten our attention and have provided us with fun times, good interactions, and some better perspectives about where we are here.

We're going to be doing some service really soon as well. Tonight, we leave for a day long excursion in Concepción, where there was a lot of damage from the earthquake. We'll be getting ten hours of service in with Lee U.'s Leonard Center when we return. It'll be a good chance to see the results of what happened firsthand (cuz we all know the news barely said a thing about it).

And of course, there's the World Cup. Like I said, the passion for it here is insane and almost literally tangible. Everywhere we go the day of a game we see people flying flags and shouting the popular cheer of "CHI CHI CHI! LE LE LE! VIVA CHILE!!!" And after the game, everyone is out on the streets waving their flags and blowing their horns, united as a nation despite their creeds in those moments of athletic enthusiasm. It's been great sharing the experience with the Chileans, especially since now their national team is going to the second round of the Cup against Brazil.

You may remember my earlier post of predictions for the group stage (if not, scroll down two posts; you can't miss it). I did these for the heck of it in my inexperience. Let's see how I did, now that the group stage officially ended today:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, and France
Prediction: France, with South Africa as the runner-up
Actual result: Uruguay, with Mexico as the runner-up
Analysis: This was probably the fail of all epic fails in sports predictions. The teams I picked for first and second literally got last and second to last. The French loss was especially shocking, as the defending runner-up never won and got only one tie. Can't help but feel sorry for South Africa as well, since it IS only their home field! Oh well. At least I like Mexico!

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, and Greece
Prediction: South Korea, with Nigeria as the runner-up
Actual result: Argentina, with South Korea as the runner-up
Analysis: I was an idiot not to take Argentina into account. Yeah, hadn't heard that much about them recently, but then again, Europe didn't hear much about Genghis Khan until the Mongols were right on their doorstep ready to pwn the heck out of them. Speaking of pwnage, Maradona's squad was one of only two perfect records in the stage.At least South Korea went to the next round, though they were just in second. I feel kind of sorry for my Nigerian friends though.

Group C: England, United States, Algeria, and Slovenia
Prediction: England, with the United States as the runner-up
Actual result: United States, with England as the runner-up
Analysis: Yeah, so I did well getting both teams correctly. What shocked me and the rest of the world almost as much as France and Italy failing was the Yanks edging out the Brits for group leader by one goal (well, that and that Brit goalie's EPIC FAIL of a save). True, we merely tied with the British, but the rest of our goals paid off.

Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, and Serbia
Prediction: Germany, with Ghana as the runner-up
Actual result: Germany, with Ghana as the runner-up
Analysis: Sweet, my first perfect prediction! Germany played their usual awesomeness to take the lead, although their only loss was handed to them by the last place Serbia (so my Serb volleyballer friends have something to take pride in this cup!). While I didn't watch Ghana's games, they edged out Australia by 3 fewer goals against them for second place.

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and Cameroon
Prediction: Netherlands, with Japan as the runner-up
Actual result: Netherlands, with Japan as the runner-up
Analysis: And another one comes out perfectly. The Dutch were the only other team besides Argentina to have three wins this stage and played quite well, allowing only one goal. Japan apparently played well themselves, with two victories to their credit. Cameroon... meh, not so hot. Fortunately, they weren't the worst, as you'll later see.

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia
Prediction: Italy, with Slovakia as the runner-up
Actual result: Paraguay, with Slovakia as the runner-up
Analysis: Nobody expected Italy to fall the first round, as they were the defending champion from 2006 (and the victim of the greatest red-carded foul of all time in any sport thanks to the French Zidane). However, they hovered in second place behind Paraguay barely ahead of the rest until the incredible final match with Slovakia. Champions die hard; but in spite of two failed attempts to tie in the final minutes, Slovakia pulled off the win and second in the group 3-2, putting Italy in dead last. Paraguay played well enough to claim first, but this was one of the groups with no crazy awesome standout like Argentina, as only two teams had a win, and only one each at that.

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Portugal
Prediction: Brazil, with Portugal as the runner-up
Actual result: Brazil, with Portugal as the runner-up
Analysis: My third prediction that came out perfectly. Brazil played well, with two wins and a tie. Portugal only had one win, and two ties; however, these ties were 0-0, indicating a great defensive game. However, curiously, their stats point out they scored seven total points. All seven were scored in one single game against North Korea, who made probably the worst showing of the cup. The Commies put up a good fight in the first half, only allowing one goal and making the Portuguese goalie sweat a bit. However, they fell apart in the second half, and the Portuguese looked like varsity soccer players against sixth graders as they scored six goals to close it out. North Korea ultimately made only one goal over the stage (against Côte d'Ivoire), and allowed five more goals in the other two matches for a total of 12 goals allowed. As a couple of my friends from my dorm last year would say, North Korea got raped.

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, and Chile
Prediction: Spain, with Chile as the runner-up
Actual result: Spain, with Chile as the runner-up
Analysis: This was my fourth and final perfect prediction, but honestly I wish it were not. But I'll explain in a sec. This was probably one of the best performing groups as a whole; had Switzerland won their final match with Honduras, three teams would have been 2-1 and it would be decided by goals (with the same result). Spain lost early to the Swiss but defeated Honduras, who put up a great fight to no avail and surprised many in their fall. Chile was the biggest surprise, getting two consecutive wins after over forty years of going winless in the Cup. The second win was a nailbiter over the Swiss, with the first goal or two nullified by offsides calls before the strong Swiss defense was finally overcome by a header bouncing high into the goal. However, Spain was a different story. The reason I wish my prediction weren't perfect is because I wish Spain hadn't won the way they did: through some of the worst officiating I have seen in any sport outside the NAIA. An obvious bias was present, with four yellows given in the first half for similar fouls to what Spain was dishing out. The worst overall was the redcarding of Estrada, who had previously received a yellow. As he was running behind a Spanish forward off the ball, the toe of his shoe happened to graze the cleat of the forward, who then fell either by the brief contact or from tripping on his own feet. Either way, Estrada continued without breaking pace, indicating that any contact at all was very little. It shouldn't have even been a foul, but the referee gave him a red. Spain on the other hand got nothing, save two goals. Chile got one near the end of the half, and the ref did better the second half, but the damage had been done. The Chileans, a man short, had to play defensively the rest of the match. Spain edged them out by one goal over the stage to take first in group. Granted, Chile's gone to the next round, but they'll have to play against Brazil without three of their starters: Estrada for the red card, and two others because they each got their fifth yellow. Overall, however, it was a very good stage for this group.

Results of predictions vs. actual results:

Teams going to next round: 12/16 teams
Placement of said teams: 9/32 possible placements

Closing comments: Good first stage. Some stood out like they should. Others... well, let's just say North Korea hasn't made a fan out of me. It was especially interesting watching the Chileans play while I was in Chile... I got to see sports really bring a nation together firsthand, and it truly was a beautiful experience. And it was fun doing this prediction bit. Will I do one of subsequent rounds? Not sure. But if I do, it'll be for another post...

Peace y'all.

Say Chi! - CHI!
El le! - LE!
CHI CHI CHI!
LE LE LE!
VIVA CHILE!!!

Chile: The Journey Begins

2010-06-03T21:55:00.003-04:00

Here I sit at my computer, about to go to bed early as I will leave for Cleveland, TN in the morning. On Saturday afternoon, I will embark on my first international trip, a trip to Chile. My stuff is packed into a suitcase, a smaller bag, and my backpack. My dues are paid, my forms notarized and faxed in, and all that is left is to get up and go.

I'm having a mix of feelings at the moment. There's the typical nervousness about traveling thousands of miles away on only my second flight (and what if the infinitesimal chance of the plane crashing comes to be? lol). There's the strange mix of disbelief and nonchalance, as I wonder how this moment is already so close. But then there's the excitement, the anticipation of finally being immersed completely in a culture that is not my own and furthering my knowledge of a language that is not mine, trying different foods, and getting to know things from different perspectives.

I know I'll be in good hands. The CoG seminary students in Santiago are supposed to be awesome and very understanding of our newness to their culture. They'll be helping us along in our quest for knowledge, cultural appreciation, and avoidance of more unwholesome folk. The professors guiding the trip will always be there to help with anything we need.

I know that this trip, while a month long, will seem WAY too short. With all the things to do and learn, time will seem to fly by faster than the jet we'll travel in.

However, I also know that this trip will be very worthwhile. So as I check my camera pouch, making sure that I have all six gigabytes of memory and all the power I need to fill it up, I know that I'll lay my head down tonight ready to embark on an adventure of new proportions.

Ahora, voy a dormirme. En la mañana, Cleveland. En el sábado, ¡Chile!

The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can.

Pursuing it with eager feet
Until it finds some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

- Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring

World Cup 2010: Predictions for the Group Stage

2010-05-29T10:59:00.006-04:00

I recently went onto ESPN and the FIFA site to see who all the qualifiers for the World Cup were. I was impressed by some of them and surprised by others. One doesn't hear much about some of the African and South American countries who qualified, and it'll be REALLY interesting to see what happens if North and South Korea face off later in the tournament. Anyway, I thought I'd make some predictions as to who would make it out of the group stage. Please note that I'm still not the most diehard soccer aficionado, and so you might think some of these may be weird. This is just going by what little I know of the teams.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, and France.

My predictions: France, with South Africa as the runner up. While Latin America has some formidable squads, home field advantages can often come into play and I doubt South Africa will be a big exception. However, France is the defending runner-up and will not be easily beaten.

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, and Greece.

My predictions: South Korea, with Nigeria as the runner up. I'd heard that Argentina hasn't been as good as they were several years ago, and I've heard nothing about Greece. South Korea, from what little I've seen, has had good teams, and Nigeria has beaten the U.S. in recent years. However, this is one of those brackets that I know the least about, and having Nigeria in the second round may be mere wishful thinking due to how many Nigerian friends I have at school. Don't take this one at face value.

Group C: England, United States, Algeria, and Slovenia.

My predictions: England, with the U.S. as the runner up. Our allies from across the pond have had some of the best squads in the world consistently, and I doubt they'll fail to please. The U.S. invests a lot in its sports, and while we don't have as much emphasis on soccer/football as every other nation on the planet does, we've got an incredible drive to at least try to be #1 (though perhaps not as much skill to consistently win as England).

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, and Ghana.

My predictions: Germany, with Ghana as the runner up. I watched Germany play through the Euro Cup and barely fall to Spain in the final. They have a very straightforward, usually effective playing style that I think will do them well in the group stage. I had heard that Ghana did well in recent years, so based on that I know little about this and the other two teams, I'll go with them. However, I'm kinda hoping Serbia makes it to the next round since I have friends of that ethnic group. *winks at Lee volleyball team*

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and Cameroon.

My predictions: Netherlands, with Japan as the runner up. I don't hear much at all about Denmark or Cameroon, though I've heard the latter isn't too shabby. The Dutch have usually had a very good team from what I've heard from friends. Japan had some success in recent years, so I'll go w/ them.

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia.

My predictions: Italy, with Slovakia as the runner up. Italy is the defending champion and will fight hard to keep it. I've heard that Slovakia did OK in prior tournaments, giving superior teams a run for their money over the years. Haven't heard much about the other two, but that's just my inexperience. Again, don't take it at face value.

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Portugal.

My predictions: Brazil, with Portugal as runner up. I mean, come on. It's Brazil. 'Nuff said. Portugal has also been formidable over the years. While I would love to see South Korea stomp the Commies, I doubt that North Korea would have the talent to overcome the West. As for Ivory Coast... they might be able to pull off the second round and make it in with Nigeria, but they still have Brazil and Portugal to tangle with...

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, and Chile.

My predictions: Spain, with Chile as the runner up. Spain was the Euro Cup champ and, I think, in the semifinals of World Cup '06 (correct me if I'm wrong). Plus their playing style is beautiful and effective. Honestly, I know nothing of the other three teams, so I'll put my wishful thinking to good use and pray that Chile wins. Since I'll be in Chile during the entire group stage, I really would not like being accosted by disgruntled fans if they don't make it through (and especially if the U.S. does in their group).

Closing comments:

You might be asking yourself why I even put this together when it's obvious I don't know what I'm talking about w/ a lot of these teams. Honestly, I really just felt like it and thought it would be fun. Hopefully it invoked some interesting thoughts, laughs, or reactions of WTF and the like. Besides, if I get some of these right, I'll get a whole lot of satisfaction out of having done this!

So, let's sit back as the month of June approaches and let the games play out!

As that stupid commercial says about certain Monday nights: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

...And the Floodgates of the Heavens Were Opened

2010-05-21T22:26:00.007-04:00

So last night I got off work in Louisville at about 8:30 only to find out from my mom, who works in the same building, that there were tornado warnings in Shelby County. After a while of waiting, we figured it was ok for me to go on and head home while she finished some paperwork. I walked outside into the worst thunderstorm in which I've been caught in a few years (and yes, Lee readers, this includes college years). After tucking my newly acquired paycheck under my shirt, I sprinted to my car and fumbled with my keys to unlock the door. After a 30 second jaunt in the wet, it was as if I had just taken my morning shower in my clothes.

I turned on my A/C, but had to turn to a more lukewarm temperature on the defrost when my window started fogging up. After that dissipated, I was able to pull out of the parking lot and onto Highway 60. The rain then got so thick that I could barely see 20 feet past the front of my car, and I came close to going out of my lane about three times and almost hydroplaned once by the time I left Middletown. The lightning was insane as well, with several flashes a minute. However, this was a blessing in disguise, as it lit up the road ahead and let me make sure I was in my lane still for that fraction of a second of light that I had.

The entire trip I barely cleared 35 mph. About halfway to Simpsonville some bozo in a truck came up behind me and stayed about ten feet off my bumper until we were a mile away from the town. Oh, one more thing: he had his brights on the entire time. Imagine a brightness shining into your eyes from every mirror in your car, almost completely blinding you. I had to scrunch down in the seat and lean forward just to avoid it. Finally the guy got tired of my driving safely in the rain, pulled around me, and kicked it up to about 50 mph. I hope for his sake he had faster wipers, cuz I could barely see at my speed.

The rest of the trip was pretty much normal after Simpsonville. The main worry I had at that point was keeping from falling asleep. I hadn't slept as much as needed the previous night, and constant staring into the deluge was very draining. Eventually, though, I made it home right as the rain started easing up (hooray for good timing... not, lol) and hit the sack around 10:30 p.m. After all, I had a shift at six this morning...

Kentucky weather gets crazy sometimes.

Catching up

2010-05-16T23:38:00.007-04:00

OK, so the last three weeks of school were insane. Here's a summary of where I've been since last time:

I can sum up my final three weeks as a junior in three words: PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS, and EXAMS. I had a presentation each in ethnomusicology and in Inner Asia; exams in ethnomusicology, culture and personality, Japanese, and international relations; and ungodly huge papers in culture and personality and in international relations (10-12 pages, anybody?!). One or two end-of-year social things occurred as well, but the main thing was the crazy schoolwork. As you can see, though, I survived and made it out of spring '10 with six A's and a B+. My last night in Cleveland, my future roomie Caleb and I went with our future suitemate J.D. to Tako Yaki, a Japanese restaurant in town, and met some of J.D.'s family. I'd met his bro before, but not his mom or grandma yet. Very nice people. And the food was awesome! I told the guy at the front desk "Thank you very much! The food was delicious!" in my newly learned Japanese (どうぼありがとうございます. おいしいでした. in hiragana), to which he replied with a bow.

After my folks picked me up and I went home, I chilled for the most part until the end of the week, when I resumed work at Oaklawn in Middletown (for those who don't know, it's a rehab/extended care place where I work in the kitchen). So far I've worked six days a week with mostly shorter part time shifts, though the number of 8-hour shifts is increasing. Granted, I'm glad for the money, but I'd rather work fewer days full time than more days part time, lol. It's fun though. Lots of new people now.

I've started replaying Fallout 3 now, putting a little more emphasis on stealth this time around. Sneak Attack Criticals can be oh so helpful, ya know. Hopefully I'll have it beaten again by the time school resumes in the fall.

I now have a paltry two weeks and five days until I leave for my cross-cultural trip to Chile! Just need to get my liability and power of attorney forms faxed in. This'll be my first time traveling out of the country, and I'm really looking forward to it. ¡Y aprenderé mas español!

I was going to get a Star Wars RPG going this summer with some church pals of mine, but thanks to college I didn't have time to develop the campaign as much as I wanted. Won't be able to do it this summer, but perhaps it'll be a Lee campaign in the fall. I'll be working on it bit by bit over this break and hopefully have something together by then.

And last, but certainly not least... HUGHES HALL WAS DEMOLISHED THIS WEEKEND!

So that's pretty much what I've been up to. More stuff in a different topic in the next post!

Skillet - "Those Nights"

2010-04-14T18:12:00.005-04:00

I've heard that a few of my friends have some stuff going on in their lives right now, whether it be family difficulties, significant others, or just life in general. This is for you.

And if you ever need to talk, you've got friends there to help you out, including me.

Skillet - Comatose - "Those Nights"

I remember when
We used to laugh
About nothing at all
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we’re going through
Forget ‘em all
Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall
Together we faced it all
Remember when we’d

Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the tv light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

We’d listen to the radio play all night
Didn’t want to go home to another fight
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

I remember when
We used to drive
Anywhere but her
As long as we’d forget our lives
We were so young and confused that we didn’t know
To laugh or cry
Those nights were ours
They will live and never die
Together we’d stand forever
Remember when we’d

Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the tv light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

We’d listen to the radio play all night
Didn’t want to go home to another fight
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

Those nights belong to us
There’s nothing wrong with us

I remember when
We used to laugh
And now I wish those nights would last

Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the tv light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

We’d listen to the radio play all night
Didn’t want to go home to another fight
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive

The Long-Deprived Newbie's Review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

2010-04-08T20:51:00.006-04:00

Last winter I invested in something called Star Wars: The Best of PC, a collection of five of the greatest Star Wars PC games ever to be released (as of the middle of the decade, anyway). Four of these five I had never played. I have had several friends express utter shock and disbelief at the fact that I had never played the hit title Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, so I decided to start with that. I recently beat it, and man, was it worth the long effort.

Essentially, you're this multilingual person working for the Old Republic almost four thousand years before the events of the Star Wars movie saga. Your ship is attacked and destroyed by the Sith, and you barely escape to the planet Taris with a Republic war veteran. Come to find out this vet was traveling with a Jedi chick who escaped in a different pod, and you need to help find her before the Sith can get to her and her ability to turn the tide of a battle. After meeting the Jedi, Bastila, she senses your strong Force sensitivity and hooks you up with some Jedi Masters who introduce you to the Force. The game really picks up from here, and you embark on a truly epic adventure, meeting amazing new people along the way and kicking some major Sithspit tail.

One huge perk of this game is that you can make your protagonist character your own. From the beginning, you can choose your character's gender, face, and class. Character class will determine the kind of style you'll be using, at least until you start Jedi training. A scoundrel gets through things by stealth, guile, and indirect fighting. Essentially, think Han Solo. A scout is kind of a survivalist and can often take care of things at range. A soldier gets right into the fray and can take a lot of hits. In addition to class, the choices you make throughout the game affects your alignment. Good choices bring you closer to the light. Evil and selfish ones lead to the dark side. These can affect the interactions with certain people and, eventually, how the game ends (from what I hear). Every situation you get in gets you experience points and items, and often tips you toward one side of the Force.

As you level up, you can put points into various abilities (disarming mines, persuading people, using computers, etc.) and choose various feats (added combat boosts and abilities) and Force powers. There are recommended ones for your class that may be practical, but you can give your characters whatever combat style you want, within reason. For instance, you don't want to give your Twi'lek scoundrel companion with 10 strength feats for boosting melee combat. In addition, you can get all sorts of items from boxes, vendors, and dead corpses to boost your stats and abilities.

Combat has interesting aspects. It's in real time; however, it is also turn-based to a point. Imagine Dungeons and Dragons or the Star Wars RPG combat sped up ten times faster. You select moves to do and the game executes them. You can hit an in-game pause button to stop the action and then rotate the camera around the person you're controlling to see your surroundings and figure out which enemy you want to go after first. This comes in very handy, especially when you need to coordinate your three-person squad against a small platoon of Rakata warriors with three rancor sidekicks. Team play is key, especially when facing a series of really tough enemies later on.

Character development and interaction is pretty darn good in this game. At various points you can chat with your companions and get some insight into their backstories or watch them develop. You can get accounts of the Mandalorian Wars from a seasoned veteran, bring a volatile Jedi from the brink of the dark side, help a young girl resolve a family situation, and more. One of my favorite dialogue interactions is when you encounter a lost child who speaks zero basic, and you have to figure out what she's saying through patterns in her speech. As an anthropology major who loves interacting with those of other cultures, my interest was especially piqued.

Finally, the game takes place in the Star Wars universe itself, which automatically means traveling to exotic locales like the forests of Kashyyyk and the watery world of Manaan. In addition, you get to interact with many common races on your adventures, from Rodian to Rakata, Twi'lek to Tusken Raider. The variety of things to see and do is awesome. You can even get extra income by winning swoop races or collecting bounties on people.

No game is without its flaws, however; but these flaws are minor and few. There is a definite repeat of character models throughout, and you'll often find the same people with occasionally different voices in various areas throughout the game. Alien language voiceovers are limited, and the same audio is often repeated when you click various dialogue options. However, these little quirks are nowhere near enough to come close to ruining the game, and enjoyment will still abound.

Overall, this game combines an impeccable adventure with great gameplay, a high degree of player control, and great locales from the Star Wars galaxy. It took me just under seventy hours to complete, but they were hours well spent. I am sure that, upon playing through this, you will feel the same way.

YES! I CAN HIT PEOPLE WHEN I SPAR NOW!

2010-03-10T19:37:00.003-05:00

Several of my friends and I are in a tae kwon do class here at Lee. For those of you who like to make fun of this martial art, this is the kind in the International Taekwondo Alliance, which is much more practical for combat than what the World Taekwondo Federation does. Anyway, this class is conducted by the managers of Pope's Tae Kwon Do here in Cleveland, TN. We have class in the Mayfield Elementary gym and get credit for the class, in addition to having access to lessons at the facility.

I'm one of several green belts in the class (senior green, to be more specific). Green belt is the level at which people first learn to spar. Unfortunately, green belts don't make contact when they spar either. This is so that students get used to using the moves they've learned in a fighting context without dealing with actual blows. I personally find it frustrating a bit because it's kind of odd trying to block a kick that you know won't hit you, but the practice is understandable.

Anyway, today is the first day that the students had class under their new ranks. The newly initiated yellow belts worked on their form with Mr. Pope while Mrs. Pope joined the higher belts in the back of the gym. To our surprise, she said "Get your gear on. We're going to tournament spar today!"

Essentially, tournament sparring is like this: you're in a 15' x 15' area. You and your opponent bow, get into your free-sparring stances three feet away from each other, and start fighting at the signal of the head official. One round is two minutes. The plus: we can hit each other! The round ends when two minutes are up or one fighter has reached five points. Points are scored by landing blows. A hit to the body is one point, and a hit to the head is two. If a hit is landed with a jump move, it's two and three points, respectively. Any hits to the back or punches to the head is a strike (though kicks to the head are acceptable because the foot has a greater distance to travel). A hit below the belt is two strikes. Three strikes equals a loss for the offender. When a judge sees a hit, a break is called, and the fighters go back to their starting points and prepare to engage again.

So my friend Mike Stoess, another senior green belt, and I were the first to go up. We did a variation in which it was best two out of three. In about fifteen seconds he had me beat 2-0. Doesn't really help that he has longer limbs and greater speed, haha. Several others fought, but one fight that caught my eye was when Mike faced Scott Vest, a black belt, in first to three. Mike ended up winning 3-1, thanks to his longer limbs, in a prolonged engagement that likely exceeded the two minute mark. We wound up facing off again, and I was able to get in a miracle punch to the ribs before class ended (though I was still down 2-1, lol).

Looking forward to this again!

The End of an Era (Or, Finally Leaving Medlin Next Year)

2010-03-04T15:21:00.005-05:00

On the night of Tuesday, March 2, Medlin Hall had its mid-semester dorm meeting in the Rose Lecture Hall, this time to focus on residence hall assignments for next year. After much previous deliberation, I decided that for my senior year I wanted to be in a place where I could practice my mad culinary skillz (which currently is limited to scrambled eggs and sandwiches, ha ha) and have my female friends enter the dorm past the lobby. :-P With this in mind, I have decided to attempt to move into B.L. Hicks Hall for next year. It's got the apartment style, while at the same time having close proximity to most of campus. Some of my friends and I got together and have planned to share a suite; if all goes as planned, my longtime college friend Caleb Mann will be my roommate, and our suitemates will be J.D. Wooten and that level 10 ukelele bard, Jimmy Davis. We picked Hicks first, then Storms and Medlin as second and third. Considering that we're a group of seniors and juniors, however, I believe that we'll get our request since we all requested each other in the same dorm.

In spite of my leaving, I will truly miss Medlin Hall. While I did not originally request to live there, I am so glad I was put there freshman year because of the amazing community it has given me. Through Medlin I have gained from all walks of life the brothers I never had. They've never failed to lift my heart throughout my time there, and are the primary reason for my living there for three glorious years. Although I will be living in another dorm, I'll certainly visit there again every so often.

This is also the end of an era. Several well-known/longtime residents will be leaving like Caleb, Jimmy, J.D., Matt Smith, James Laney, me, and others. Fortunately, the majority of them will be going for Hicks, so I can just walk down the hall to see them. However, Medlin will have a much higher percentage of freshmen now, and many of the faces that have represented Medlin will be gone.

I'll miss Medlin Hall. Once a Medlinite, always a Medlinite. Still, there are great things ahead, and I'm looking forward to them with anticipation.

Putting Out The Flames

2010-02-18T15:17:00.005-05:00

So, yeah, sorry it's been a month and a half... darn you college life. :-P But then again, Matt Smith of the Wordsmitherd blog posts several times a week, so it's no excuse for me...

Speaking of Matt Smith, there was a rather interesting post on his blog recently with a variety of topics, one of which is Lee U. Greek club Delta Zeta Tau's popular annual event, "The Hook-Up." The concern was raised that, since the term "hook-up" has gotten a slight sexual connotation in addition to the many other good meanings over the years, DZT could solidify a reputation of being "Sleazy-T" in spite of the fact that the vast majority of the women in the group do not deserve this stereotype. A couple of people took it out of context, and a big debate ensued over the word and over Matt's intentions behind his statement. One in particular, however, took it to an extreme. In the blog Fridays at Lee, the author proclaimed that Matt thought DZT was sleazy and proceeded to attack Matt's character in a way that would make a 15-year-old left-wing fanatic on a gaming message forum's spam board blush in shame (trust me, I know from experience).

I got pretty heated after reading that, but then I reflected over my personal experience on blogs and message boards and the like, and I started to wonder... Why do people need to flame in the first place? I can understand some criticism, like pointing out how someone is incorrect and endeavoring to provide an alternative perspective, but stuff like the following is uncalled for (and to the best of my memory, these are direct quotes from stuff I've seen online; sorry for any crudeness):

You have got to be one of the worst users of all time. Please do the world a favor and end yourself now. Thank you.

The closest you'll ever get to a girl is with your left hand, a bottle of Dove, and Facebook at 2 a.m.

Go **** yourself.

That was a beautiful animal she killed! She needs to be shot for it with her own arrows!

I mean, come on, what kind of malice has to lurk within someone to launch comments like that? All that flaming does is push people away and sever social connections because nobody wants to interact with this crap. Many people do this behind the anonymity of the internet; however, if the identity of the flamer is known, his or her reputation around others could be ruined.

Do some people need to flame to make themselves look tough? Is it somehow cool? Are they trying to feel better about themselves by demeaning others? Do they even give a flip how they are perceived as their insults rain down?

People, keep your conversations civil, whether electronic or in person, anonymous or in full view of all. And if you run into flaming, don't stoop to their level. Just let it roll off your back and continue to keep it civil. At the least, you'll implicitly make a statement that not everyone has to be a malicious punk to accentuate a point.

And through the fire and the flames we'll carry on...

Final Fantasy III: The Ending of An Overlong Deprivation

2010-01-03T00:33:00.003-05:00

So today after work I went up to Mall St. Mathews in Louisville to figure out a good way to blow some of my Christmas money. I walked up and down the mall at least twice and visited several stores - GameStop, Campus Wearhouse, FYE, Hot Topic, even Taste of Kentucky, and more - examining what they had and prices thereof. I finally decided to start with two UK tees at Campus Wearhouse, where they had a buy-one-get-one-free sale. I had long before grown out of most of my former Wildcat wear. Eventually, I decided to get a video game... but which? I then recalled a resolution I had made some time ago, that one day I would buy and play a Final Fantasy game. You see, I have never played a Final Fantasy game in my entire life. I've seen it played, but never truly played it (well, there was a demo at Walmart for about ten minutes in middle school, but that doesn't count). I'm sure all you fellow gamers out there are ripping your hair out in disbelief as you read this. :-P

Anyway, since I am not a Sony gamer and thus have none of the Playstation consoles, I went to the next best thing: the Nintendo DS. A little backstory can supplement this... the original Final Fantasy game and the next few following were released for the NES and SNES in the 80's and early 90's. Then Square Enix started producing the next ones for the Playstation and its later generations. However, after the Gameboy Advance and, later, the DS surfaced, there arose a movement to bring back the original games for Nintendo handhelds. FF1, 2, and 5 are out for the GBA, and FF3 and 4 are on the DS. I hear that FF6 is planned for release in the next couple of years.

Anyway, my only handheld is the DS (which happens to be the most popular system in production worldwide currently). I had seen FF4 at Sears in the other mall nearby last week, and at the St. Mathews GameStop they had FF3. Since it was the earlier game, I went with FF3.

Now there's something interesting about this game... Final Fantasy 3 was the only Final Fantasy released only in Japan. It never made an appearance stateside. However, in 2006, Square Enix remade it with updated graphics and other aspects in English (and Japanese, I assume) for the Nintendo DS. From the screenshots I've seen, it looks pretty sweet.

Apparently, there's a catch. According to IGN, the early Final Fantasy games were known for being rather difficult, requiring some good prowess in strategy. Some parts were even described as masochistic. And I am a rookie FF gamer... a mere lowly newb.

Somebody pass the dramamine, cuz I think I might be hurting soon.

Still, I hear it's a great adventure, and I shall thoroughly enjoy this challenge and the undoubtedly awesome story for which the Final Fantasy franchise is known. I'll have to wait a bit since my DS Lite is back in my dorm, but when I get back... Between this, school, and my friends, I will be a very busy man.

This is gonna be so good.

A Summary of the Past Semester (Holy Crap, It's Been Too Long)

2009-12-27T00:21:00.004-05:00

So yeah, really sorry it's been so long. Work and then college kept me on my toes like crazy. I suppose I could have put in a couple of posts, but at the time I didn't think of it. I apologize.

I suppose the best thing at this particular moment would be to give some sort of summary of the past few months. I'll start at the beginning. Without any input of my own, I happened to get the room I was assigned back in freshman year, two years ago. Good ol' Medlin Third East, #322. Finally got a roomie from Kentucky, too. Stephen's pretty cool, with strong convictions and tastes similar to mine. It was great seeing my friends from the last couple of years, as well as meeting all the new freshmen. We have a surprisingly high concentration of awesome freshmen in Medlin this year, especially on third floor. Almost nightly we'll have a group of us hanging out in the lobby, chatting, Facebooking, or even playing chess. Granted, while every cloud has a silver lining, conversely some silver linings are inside clouds. There is a tiny contingent of a few freshmen who insist on being, in a word, unruly. I won't mention names... I'll just say that efforts have been taken to deal with these people both by students and dorm staff, and these efforts will continue next semester until the crap is stopped.

Classes have been pretty good. Those that I had are: anthropological thought and theory, physical anthropology, intercultural communication, human geography, benevolence, tae kwon do, and modern Western culture. I liked them all for the most part. Anthro theory was interesting; we read the essays of prominent writers in various schools of anthropological thought and then reflected upon them. On the two exams, we critically applied them to modern situations. TKD is new to me, since I have never taken steps to learn a martial art in the past. However, it's fun, and helping to keep me fit. I should be a green belt when I return to school. My favorite class overall was intercultural communication. It involved various aspects of communication between people and problems involved. Apart from the book and lecture, we learned also from the anecdotes of Dr. Kailing, who spent significant time overseas, and each other. I found out a bit into the break that I wound up with all A's. Thank goodness; this was the busiest semester of my life, lol.

I took up some new things outside of class as well this semester. Most significant is that I have begun to learn Arabic. My good friend Roseanna, a Christian Palestinian (no, pro-Israelis, this is NOT an oxymoron) from Ramallah, worked with me for most of the semester, and we've gotten through the alphabet, some grammar and vocabulary, and past tense verb forms. Unfortunately school got crazy at the end of October, and I was unable to continue. We'll resume next semester, though.

Another isn't entirely new, but I hadn't done it regularly... character sheet RPGs. Since my friend JD did a short-lived one last spring, I hadn't done anything more with it. However, my friend Shawn started a Star Wars RPG that went for a good few sessions. Shawn DMed (that is, he was the dungeon/game master); JD and two others, Caesar and Jonathan, and I actually played. I even went to Dicehead with them and got my own dice, d20 (20-sided die) and all! It went pretty well until JD had his RPG binder stolen with his supplies and Caesar was forced to leave due to idiocy on the part of certain... offices. However, our will to play wouldn't die. Shawn drew up a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign (my first time playing it) that has developed a party of about nine people spanning most of the D&D classes. JD started another Star Wars RPG soon after, and we began having our weekend p.m. hours packed with dice-rolling awesomeness. My current characters are a halfling rogue (D&D) and a Chiss scoundrel (Star Wars) with a huge emphasis on hacking. The backstory was just recently finished on the latter, but the game should be good when it really gets going.

Athletically, Lee's done well. The women's soccer team got their second consecutive NAIA national championship, and the volleyball team got to the Final Four, the furthest they'd ever been in the tournament, before falling to Georgetown College. And the few basketball games I saw before the semester was out were great and gave hope that we would do well this season.

I arrived home from Christmas break on the 9th of December, and got my wisdom teeth removed that Monday. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. They put me under and had everything done in an hour and a half or so. The first day out of surgery was awkward since the back of my jaw hurt every time I took a drink, and my lower lip felt an inch thick from the Novocaine. I was given Vicodin and penicillin to take; after about four days I barely needed any pain meds. Couldn't eat solid food for a while, but that just meant I could eat that much more yogurt (which I like, btw). I'm pretty much back to normal now though; just gotta keep the new vacancies in my mouth clean for a while, haha.

After all this, I'm pretty much ready to start work for a bit next week. The rest of this break should be good, followed by what looks like a great upcoming semester. I won't leave you hanging like I have the past few months... I'll actually keep you posted. :-P

A Refutation of the Legality of Abortion

2009-07-05T23:33:00.001-04:00

Man, it's been a while...

A lot of controversy surrounds the issue legalized by Roe vs. Wade. One side, with which I agree, states that abortion, the elimination of a fetus from the womb (or killing of an unborn baby), is murder and should be illegal. On the other side, holds that it should be legal, a woman's right. Currently, this view is the prevalent one in the political mainstream, and it's legal thanks to the aforementioned Supreme Court case. However, with simple logic, it can be easily refuted and shown to be the senseless infanticidal bullcrap it really is by proving correct the pro-life case.

The primary argument for the pro-life crowd is short and sweet: "Abortion is murder." We must first examine what exactly murder is. According to Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary, murder is "the crime of unlawfully killing a person, especially with malice aforethought." Now we pause here because an abortion advocate will point out two things: the word "unlawfully" and the part regarding malice. However, there are two flaws. First, "unlawfully" does not only refer to being against law of the legal kind. The second definition of the word, according to Merriam-Webster, is "not morally right or conventional." So it can thus refer to either written or moral law, the latter of which is especially to be considered by those who claim to be people of faith. Secondly, murder does not require malice; while it often goes along with malice, it merely requires a killing illegal by legal or moral law to be considered murder.

Now that this is established, it must be established that the "fetus" being aborted is, indeed, a person. To pro-lifers this is obvious, but many abortion advocates argue that the fetus is not alive yet or even merely a blob of tissue. I shall address the second concern first. The most overarching proof is this: like produces like. A human being always reproduces another human being. If the fetus is not another human being growing in the womb, what the heck is it?

As for it not being alive yet, one needs only look at what happens inside the womb, at basic scientific principle, and at sheer obviousness. If a fetus is a baby when born and moving around and sucking its thumb outside the womb, what makes it NOT a baby when UNborn, moving around, and sucking its thumb INSIDE the womb?! Signs of human life go all the way back to six weeks of conception, when the two most basic, undeniable signs of life are both active: heartbeat and brain activity. This was one of the factors in the Terri Schiavo case, when her husband got a judge to take her off life support under the pretense of her being brain-dead and unresponsive (even though the videos showed she obviously wasn't). Still, Terri was still human, as is an embryo. Even when the heart and brain haven't fully formed yet, there is one scientific fact that people must keep in mind. Besides the aformentioned "like produces like," once the sperm and egg join, it forms a single-celled zygote ready to grow. Any science textbook will tell you that the cell is the basic unit of life, and it can thus be inferred that a human zygote is human life.

Now we know that abortion does indeed kill an unborn person. All that is left is to prove it unlawful morally, since it is currently legal according to American law. Most excuses for abortion are for medical reasons, whether it will affect the health of the mother negatively. Originally this was meant for serious health problems, but as time went on it was expanded to include minor health problems as well as emotional health. As far as serious health problems go, one can afford to get a Cesarean section before a health problem gets too bad and have the baby prematurely without affecting its health adversely. Past incidents have shown that an infant can survive being out of the womb after as early as six months after conception and earlier. Emotional ups and downs are perfectly normal for pregnancy; it's a little thing most people like to call "morning sickness." And even if a woman goes into a depression for a bit, that's no reason to kill an unborn live child, as it has previously been established that it is such. Apart from physical and emotional health, what's left? Convenience, whether someone is concerned about a career interruption, having to care for someone else, or merely about not wanting to bother with the annoyance of morning sickness or a baby pushing against abdominal organs. And convenience is the reason for the vast majority of abortions today.

What happens to someone who kills another person for making things inconvenient? They are convicted of murder.

You'll note I haven't used Scripture so far. This is because I wanted to show this from a non-Biblical standpoint so that those who do not believe the Bible can see it's more than just a God thing. However, those who claim to be Christians are even more obligated to be against abortion; for not only does logic refute the idea, but God Himself condemns it. Before we were born, He set us apart (Jer. 1:5). He knit us together inside our mothers (Ps. 139:13). Who are we to destroy that which God has created? And then there's the ever-popular phrase: THOU SHALT NOT MURDER (Ex. 20:13).

If you really don't want a child, either use protection (which sometimes fails) or don't have sex in the first place. Abstinence is the only 100% successful way to prevent a pregnancy, wanted or unwanted. If a man and a woman don't like the thought of parenting, they should respectively keep their fly and legs closed.

It's not just Israel that we should pray for...

2009-05-29T11:50:00.004-04:00

Been a while since my last post. Bad news is I haven't really thought of anything good to write. Good news: I've decided to reprise one of my better notes from Facebook. Many of my friends know me as one who is vehemently opposed to racism of all forms. I can refute it scripturally, and I probably will sometime in the future. This note is more focused on refuting racism against one specific group of people. While it was written during the conflict in the Gaza Strip back in the start of '09, it has equal relevance in principle today. Enjoy!

WARNING: DUE TO THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER IN QUESTION, THIS NOTE MAY SHOCK, ANNOY OR ANGER SOME READERS. LET IT BE KNOWN THAT ANY SHOCK, ANNOYANCE, OR ANGER CAUSED BY THE AUTHOR WAS COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL AND THE CONTENT IN THIS NOTE IS MERELY TO POINT SOMETHING OUT.

It's amazing how one small group can etch an image of an entire nation or ethnic group in people's heads. In the mentality of many in America, Hispanics are illegal immigrants, blacks are thugs, Asians are either geniuses or stupid, and Arabs are bloodthirsty terrorists hell-bent on the destruction of Israel and the Western world. I'm sure you will agree that all four stereotypes are bunk.

However, I've seen much more common usage of the fourth stereotype nowadays than any other, especially among Christians when referring to what is known as either Palestine or West Bank and Gaza Strip. Often the word "Palestinian" when spoken aloud is met with reactions ranging from indifference to outright condemnation. In contrast, you hear “Israel” and almost imagine Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” playing in the background.

Today a conflict continues to rage after Israel recently responded to Hamas' rockets with a large ground assault on Gaza. The current death toll when last I checked was at least thirteen Israelis and over eleven hundred Palestinians. While death is a part of war, the losses from both sides are still sad indeed. However, there is an irony that I have noticed among my fellow Christians. Several in America cry foul even when a Qassam rocket hits Israeli soil without harming anyone, yet they cheer when an IDF missile kills in one blow several Arabs who might not have even been attempting to fight.

Now before people start getting up in arms, let me clarify. I am well aware of Hamas's prior aggression. I know that some of their operatives hide among normal citizens in an attempt to make Israel look worse whenever a missile misses by thirty feet. However, I think it is wrong to condemn the entire Palestinian people for the actions of a few. Is all of California guilty of sodomy because they have homosexuals? Is everybody in Kentucky incestuous because of a little inbreeding in a small part of the state? Of course not! Likewise, the Palestinian people aren't all guilty of terrorism just because some people in a militant political party launch explosives into the territory of "God's chosen people" (more on this later). But what do we do? We act like even the very term "Christian Palestinian" is an oxymoron (yes, I have encountered God-fearing adults from my hometown who acted shocked at there being Christian Palestinians at Lee).

We fall into the same trap with Israel. We exalt the Jews as God's chosen people, which is a fact for the most part. God DID choose the Jewish people as a people set apart for Him from the other tribes living around them in the Old Testament. He also chose them (more specifically the tribe of Judah) as the line by which Jesus would come into the world. Many also exalt Israel because that general region is where Jesus walked and ministered. However, today Israel is estimated to be the nineteenth most atheistic and agnostic country in the world. In addition, the Israel Democracy Institute has stated that only 65% of JEWS there even believe in God. Just because it’s “the Holy Land” doesn’t mean that everything in it is holy and awesome. A great many of the population are far from the “holy” stereotype that we Americans seem to implicitly give the country. And we know that if people don’t make Jesus their Lord and repent of their sins… well, you know. Anyway, the Christian percentages might surprise you: only 2.1% (around 150,000) of the Israeli population is Christian, and 80% of that amount is... Arab! Are not the Christians God’s people?

In contrast, there are about 10,400 Christians in the Gaza Strip and 187,600 in the West Bank. Do the math. We Christians have more brethren in Christ among the Palestinians we speak out against than among the Israelis we exalt.

Like I mentioned earlier, why are people so thrown back at the term "Christian Palestinian"? Are Arabs any less able to receive God's grace than we?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

And we should not discount our brethren in Christ for their nationality.

You are all sons of God through Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. - Galatians 3:26-29

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10: 12-13

Something to think about, isn't it? Then there are the hundreds of thousands of innocents in the Gaza Strip who aren't even actively participating in the conflict, those who are merely seeking safety from the fighting. Many have died already, most of whom were likely unsaved. And the West Bank isn’t even involved in the fighting; Hamas has been acting outside of the Palestinian National Authority for the past couple of years.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that, just like most stereotyped groups, the majority of the Palestinians don’t fit their stereotype. It is the aggression of one faction that portrays the violent image, and we should not condemn an entire people group just because of that one faction. As for those not involved in the current conflict, we can pray for their safety and protection. And if you’re still one who is majorly against the Palestinians, did not Jesus say to love and pray for your enemies?

In conclusion, we should:
- Pray that any crimes committed on either side will be swiftly punished.
- Pray that any innocent civilian deaths will be kept to a minimum.
- Pray especially for the well-being of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ, since their people are taking the brunt of the casualties.

We promote praying for Israel. Ever consider that some Palestinians might need prayer, too?

Salaam and shalom to you all.

- Written January 17, 2009

So ends the first full week of schoollessness

2009-05-12T00:03:00.003-04:00

It's been a really fun first week after college. It started off with a bang; on the way home from Lee on Tuesday, the parents took a surprise detour to Cumberland Falls. It had rained for two days just before, so the river was swollen to a level not normally seen, resulting in a huge amount of water going over the falls. Seriously, it's not called "the Niagara of the South" for nothing! And if you go at the right time, when it's night and the weather's right, you can even see the only moonbow in the Western Hemisphere!

Went to youth group on Wednesday night. Wasn't bad; Pastor Rock talked about prayer. My only gripe was that attendance was rather sparse that night. Still, it was good to hear the Word and see some of my old friends again. Over the next few days I mowed the lawn and watched some movies with Dad, the most prominent of which were LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Bourne Identity, and Saving Private Ryan. Good stuff.

On the first, Mom turned 49. That, plus Mother's Day this past Sunday, resulted in good times for her.

I've been making up for lost time on my GameCube. I played a lot of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 over the past few days, and today I broke out Metroid Prime for the first time in a couple of years. Such an amazing game; I encourage you to play it. Nintendo and Retro Studios pushed the GameCube close to its graphical limit with the beautiful environments in here. I'm going to see how far I can get without using a guide. I doubt I'll get 100% completion, but it should be interesting.

I resume work tomorrow. It'll be good to see my old coworkers again. Later this week I'll probably go to the coffeehouse with a friend of mine. Haven't been there in a while...

I'll post something more orderly and serious later. Tired... need to go to bed...

It's been a good week. :-)

Where has the time gone?

2009-05-05T08:54:00.004-04:00

As of yesterday at 3:40, I finished my last final of the year and thus finished my sophomore year at Lee University.

Where has the time gone?

It wasn't that long ago when I first entered Medlin Hall as a freshman. I was 18 and fresh out of the high school life in small-town Kentucky. Then suddenly, BAM, I found myself going from a school of 242 to one of over 4,000 where there were more people from Lagos, Nigeria, than from my entire home state. Ironic, since Lee is just in the next state over from Kentucky...

I gotta pack, but here's all I've been through in a numerical nutshell:

3 majors (math ed to intercultural studies to anthropology)
4 roommates (Maurice H., Sworup R., Matt B., Nate H.)
Over 61 credit hours (would've been 65 had I not withdrawn from Calc II)
3 B's :-(
Dozens of papers, tests, and quizzes
Thousands of calories burned from schoolwork stress (LOL)
8 intramural tournaments (sand volleyball, soccer, 9-ball (twice), dbls. 8-ball, bowling (twice), spades)
1 intramural win (9-ball)
Dozens of volleyball, basketball, and soccer matches
20-odd open dorms
2 Dorm Wars
1 Dorm Wars win (more like DOMINATION! GO MEDLIN!)
Over 50 Nigerian friends
Over 100 international friends
HUNDREDS of friends in general (180 to 1,088 on Facebook in two years)
1 AMAZING college experience

My only regret is that it's going TOO DANG FAST!

Anyway, I need to finish packing. Leaving to go home for the summer at 1:30. Will post more of a college reminiscence later.

La música internacional

2009-04-25T01:38:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my first post my love of international music. While I am a hardcore member of Lee U.'s International Student Fellowship (ISF), I have noticed that not nearly enough of my friends like to sit back and enjoy music from other countries. It seems an introduction is in order.

Remember those three favorite international singers/groups I mentioned earlier? Prepare to meet them.

First up is HB. HB is a Christian power metal band from Finland. For those of you wondering what the heck power metal is, it is basically a genre of metal that has predominantly clean vocals (sometimes from a female vocalist), and rock instrumentation combined with a keyboard/synthesizer (compared with symphonic metal using an orchestra). Anyway, HB has a very good instrumentation. The guitar, synthesizer, and drums go together so well, and the lead girl carries the tunes well. HB's primary strength is its Scriptural soundness. Every song is jam-packed full of praises to God, and one of their songs (Way) is geared specifically toward leading a person to Jesus. No joke, people, this is rock you can worship to. When my 55-year-old father heard it, he asked to hear the entire CD played again! Also, the group's being from Finland is a major plus, especially since this is one of the world capitals of metal. Almost all of HB's releases are in their native Finnish tongue, but they currently have one English release: Frozen Inside. Be sure to check it out on iTunes; this is one good group.

The next is DAM, a Palestinian rap/hip-hop group. Many Westerners often bash Palestinians for being against Israel and for Hamas' radical methods in the Gaza Strip. This is not the case with DAM. This trio of skilled musicians put their frustrations with the "Holy Land" not into bombs and murder, but into word and music. They call for justice for their people and for peace in their songs. Their sticking to their stance and not raising a finger in violence is admirable in today's world, and especially in the context of that area. Not only that, but their combination of rap and Middle Eastern instrumentation in songs like "Mali Huriye (I Don't Have Freedom)" and "Ya Sayidati (My Lady)" is an absolute pleasure to hear. No, I don't know what they're saying (though I'm gonna learn some Arabic next year), but my Palestinian friend assures me that they're clean. Look up their album Dedication.

Finally is Ivete Sangalo. She is a pop/samba singer from Brazil, and she also has a very large following in Portugal. The most unique feature of her music is her voice; for a female singer such as her, he voice is really rather low and strong (contralto, not bass, lol). My description doesn't do her voice justice though. Just get onto YouTube and type her name. Her voice is amazing. Anyway, she has such a wide variety in her musical repertoire: samba, pop, slow, fast, dance, easy listening... you name it, she probably has it. I have listened to her live CD, Multishow Ao Vivo a Maracanã on multiple occasions on my iPod, and I never am disppointed. "Sorte Grande (Poeira)" was the song that got me into her music. After listening further, I have alighted upon a new potential fave: "Bota Pra Ferver." This unique combination of electric rock guitar, samba, and Ivete's vocals results in ear candy that can and must not be directed. Check out the album I mentioned earlier.

I hope you enjoyed this intro to a few international muscians. As my eyes are now trying to slam shut, I should sign off. Have a good one!

Welkermind: Origins

2009-04-23T15:36:00.000-04:00

What do you know? My first real written blog.

I suppose I should christen this blog with an introduction of myself and this blog. My name is Daniel. *extends hand* Originally I'm from Kentucky, but I am currently finishing my sophomore year at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. So far, I'm loving college, and I can hardly believe I'm ALREADY less than two weeks from being halfway through. A chronicle of my college experience is not the purpose of this particular post, however, so I'll leave it for a later one.

I first started blogging in February of last year. It was a video blog titled "Welker Weekly," and it became relatively popular among some of my friends at college. Various topics were covered, ranging from trivial ones like the time when Greek club n00bs planted a (used) toilet under the clock tower on campus, to more serious ones like encouraging girls that they're beautiful as they are, or my refutation of racism. I started it on YouTube, but moved it to Veoh.com, the primary reason for which was that Veoh has a beautiful file size limit of ZERO! Before then, I could only do a max of ten minutes, but one of my final installments cleared seventeen on Veoh. Unfortunately, I wasn't the best at the "weekly" part. I'd keep the weekliness up over the course of a few months, but then schoolwork would take its toll and I'd have to postpone for anywhere from two weeks to a month. I heard a few humorous references to "Welker Every-Other-Weekly" early this semester; between (1) that sense that I was letting viewers down by not doing regular installments and (2) my insane school workload, I decided to take a sabbatical from the video blogs and focus on school.

Very recently I started reading a great blog on Blogspot by my friend Matt in my dorm (Medlin FTW). Ever heard of "Wordsmitherd"? Go read it. It's awesome. Anyway, as I read on various topics, I felt reinspired to get back into the blogging. After wrestling with my thoughts for some time, I decided to do a blog on this site as well and cancel Welker Weekly. On here it's so much easier to put up thoughts and issues more informally. Don't have to keep a schedule, ya know; I can do it as frequently or as rarely as I want (let's hope for the former, eh?). I find the weekly thing to be less and less compatible with the iron wills of the college professors who consistently try to choke out what little life outside of class we have left (though some profs have their merits). Also, written blogs take up no hard drive space. I was averaging just under half a gigabyte per video on the old blog. Last night I started a membership on Blogspot and gave my creation the name "Welkermind," for it is from the mind of Welker.

Thus, from this moment on, Welker Weekly on Veoh is done. Welkermind on Blogspot is born.

Glory be to the Smitherd. LOL.

OK, on to me.

First and foremost, I'm a Christian. Jesus is my Lord, and I do my best to live up to His standards.

I love my friends and family. Much of the time you'll find me playing video games with the guys in my dorm, having lunch with some girls from Nigeria, watching war movies with Dad on breaks (but Mom always enters the room during the bloody parts... ha ha), and a whole array of other things. My parents have brought me up well, and my friends are my family away from home. Don't know where I'd be without them.

Being from Kentucky, I love sports. Around my area, college basketball and American football are king, and you hear two words the most: KENTUCKY and LOUISVILLE. This is one of the greatest NCAA Division 1 in-state rivalries in the country, exceeded only by North Carolina-Duke, Alabama-Auburn, and perhaps a couple more. I always love watching a good Kentucky game, and even a Louisville game if my Wildcats aren't playing (I'm weird like that). I also enjoy watching the real football, a.k.a. soccer. I have come to accept this as the real football because feet are actually involved more than 5% of the time, ha ha. I got into it during the 2006 World Cup, and yes, I DID see the legendary Zidane headbutt. After a drought of no games, I got hooked again during the 2008 Euro Cup. Now, if I see a game on, I'll often sit down with some friends in the student union and watch a few minutes of it. I don't really have a favorite team here, but I just like watching it. There's a reason it's called "the beautiful game," after all.

As far as playing sports goes, one word resounds with me: BOWLING!!! I mean, just look at my pic at the top of the page. My friend Josh got me into it back in sixth grade, and there was no going back from there. I was in the same youth league for seven years in Frankfort, KY, before graduating from high school with a 170 average and a 276 high game. I haven't had nearly as much time in college, but I take advantage of every intramural opportunity I get. I've been to the ACUI Regional Tournament for the past two years, and I'm looking forward to hopefully qualifying again next year. I also like playing basketball, baseball, and soccer. I played basketball a bit in middle school, and mainly pickup games in high school, but I still had fun. My school started its baseball team in 2004; as a freshman at the time, I was one of the founding members. In three years of playing, I had settled into the positions of starting right fielder and, occasionally, closeout pitcher. Fun times. Baseball is so much better when you actually play it. I played soccer at age six, but never played outside of PE in school until my second semester of freshman year at Lee. I played some intramural matches on the team from the International Student Fellowship that I'm in. Very fun; I want to play again sometime when I get the chance.

Another passion of mine is gaming. I never really got started on it until I went to my best friend's house in 4th grade and played Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. While I still didn't get my own system, I played N64 and Playstation games on many occasions when I was chilling with my friends from school. On November 18, 2001, I was one of the 30-odd people in Shelbyville, KY, to get a Nintendo GameCube at launch. I'd done my research, saved up for it with my own money, and started playing Star Wars Rogue Squadron II (amazing game) on it that very day. This settled me into the vein of console gaming; I stayed true to this even after buying a Nintendo DS Lite after 11th grade.

Soon after starting college, I really got into PC gaming when I bought F.E.A.R. for my laptop. I got so into it that I played through the single player five times, twice on the extreme difficulty. I later got into the online multiplayer and eventually became one of the first new administrators on the MPDnorte Slow-Mo Team Deathmatch clan. While schoolwork has gotten in the way, I plan to get back into it on breaks. My favorite games would have to be the Super Smash Bros. trilogy, the Halo trilogy, F.E.A.R., Assassin's Creed, Mario Kart DS, and Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II. I usually play one or more of these alone or with friends when I get the chance.

Finally, I absolutely love listening to music. Give me any genre and any song that is clean (minimal to no swearing, no defamation of women, no violent/sexual overtones), and I will probably listen to it and like it. However, I especially like three types of music. The first is Christian rock. Electric guitars and good drum beats are cooler, and adding Jesus just makes it that much more awesome. It is within this genre that my favorite bands are; Relient K, Brave Saint Saturn, Haste the Day, and HB make my top four. Christian rap is number two. I love a good beat, and groups/rappers like Lecrae, Cross Movement, T-Bone, and KJ-52 have some of the most amazing, beautiful lyrics in the music industry. Finally, I started getting into international music from, interestingly enough, a video game: FIFA Soccer 2005. I started listening to the songs I liked from the soundtrack online on MySpace. After a few months of this, I expanded to the other songs that they had, and now I have at least forty or fifty songs from other nations on my computer. My current favorites are HB (Finland), Ivete Sangalo (Brazil), and DAM (Palestine). Now you'll notice I mentioned HB before. This is a Finnish CHRISTIAN POWER METAL band!!! OMG w00tw00tw00t! :-D

More on bands in a later blog.

Well, it seems I have written enough. This first post alone could encompass a 5+ page paper easily, and it wouldn't be prudent to add any more overkill. I hope you like this, and you can look forward to other posts later in the future.

I now declare the blog Welkermind OPEN!!!

*cuts ribbon*

*chugs nonalcoholic champagne*

Ah. Things are looking up.