tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188783632024-03-21T19:37:06.145-05:00Ted Was hereTedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.comBlogger421125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-16222627044032567192012-04-20T15:48:00.000-05:002012-04-20T15:48:33.915-05:00Photo Realistic RenderingHere are a couple of designs I came up with while working on photo realistic rendering software Kerkythea.<br />
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A interior room<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm4QAor2KSVhnydk7o1_y7_1QhCzai8CpDwJfOs2F3BdGOYUCraioK5GHARyrnY0_vNz4k-fTIcLrSK-pBJ5ymXJPQmXjknlcgfILYcI0dX74uwsJkj2sisBJdRRkkLRBYQxrmA/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm4QAor2KSVhnydk7o1_y7_1QhCzai8CpDwJfOs2F3BdGOYUCraioK5GHARyrnY0_vNz4k-fTIcLrSK-pBJ5ymXJPQmXjknlcgfILYcI0dX74uwsJkj2sisBJdRRkkLRBYQxrmA/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a room I designed a long time ago but had never made a rendering of.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCmacmLNzRbSp60AB7oRin86bfj2W1xbgI_1avyFmCMhpxqQ_uQn_Pc033uYwCxR1uyV6_Yt5W2WtzPRIh8ZM19efJMKz6DagF_Wcjho07RwJCiYm9DK_ihdCY3nBvWlQa088gA/s1600/MLKDark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCmacmLNzRbSp60AB7oRin86bfj2W1xbgI_1avyFmCMhpxqQ_uQn_Pc033uYwCxR1uyV6_Yt5W2WtzPRIh8ZM19efJMKz6DagF_Wcjho07RwJCiYm9DK_ihdCY3nBvWlQa088gA/s320/MLKDark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My concept for a movie theater barge called "Lady of the Lake". Summer open air movies on Lake Minnetonka anyone?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHxdMZa9Xgl00-tuoQNNLI-IImXw8rerxoW9bVA3I8ZHcxiTadbAXQNDldN4qh76_OWTsr1mUlES4uLI4JZHfP81hklT130OaZiX4M2oqVYRBWRke2y5gmRWmvEltKSqS9roBZQ/s1600/MovieBarge4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHxdMZa9Xgl00-tuoQNNLI-IImXw8rerxoW9bVA3I8ZHcxiTadbAXQNDldN4qh76_OWTsr1mUlES4uLI4JZHfP81hklT130OaZiX4M2oqVYRBWRke2y5gmRWmvEltKSqS9roBZQ/s320/MovieBarge4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-28642739975328701742012-02-29T14:21:00.012-06:002012-02-29T14:29:40.124-06:00Sketchup Fun<div style="text-align: left;">Sketchup is a freeware 3D Modeling tool from Google.</div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><u><br /></u></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2acgqEhyz7vrw4t4sRn2LELb04iUTjjba7xS013lFJ2EeN7dRL5ep4s5WuW0FDJjc8HbFXbZAxD74t6V8MQXGo5ks32hZa0APekHzhVKfQsiU_gg6fINaNr3FlHx35UC6nVyqiw/s1600/4.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53j7KVLlW5HmppXQfk79Ss9yJmsvEVs2kzLOv-vr9X4PolHydjBmNyh7r2tBSrM2NoatOOVBXwj4yak9zFR-mQ2r0X3tD8E6t4zuXIUcdehw024JnC7wjniqVffX2fXni4qx1_A/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVAxW3U0x36c4cZGAC3VAwcfhj8La2bimIBk3SqdaG76nZle55XGYTvdkyXjQgCtoFxUwjI6gUOPRg0-Tb8-mo4Ggrt6DfHbz8ViEP2GLx62xSSr_Xsfq-Jeaa0DSrDSjv6JlmA/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714656452271046002" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53j7KVLlW5HmppXQfk79Ss9yJmsvEVs2kzLOv-vr9X4PolHydjBmNyh7r2tBSrM2NoatOOVBXwj4yak9zFR-mQ2r0X3tD8E6t4zuXIUcdehw024JnC7wjniqVffX2fXni4qx1_A/s1600/2.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53j7KVLlW5HmppXQfk79Ss9yJmsvEVs2kzLOv-vr9X4PolHydjBmNyh7r2tBSrM2NoatOOVBXwj4yak9zFR-mQ2r0X3tD8E6t4zuXIUcdehw024JnC7wjniqVffX2fXni4qx1_A/s1600/2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53j7KVLlW5HmppXQfk79Ss9yJmsvEVs2kzLOv-vr9X4PolHydjBmNyh7r2tBSrM2NoatOOVBXwj4yak9zFR-mQ2r0X3tD8E6t4zuXIUcdehw024JnC7wjniqVffX2fXni4qx1_A/s400/2.jpg" border="0" alt="" 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style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC8RhjjSoKXSWgYcO-nExYjUYcmtY4e9JUDDje7n_EfCDcuRfSU88b_vxBqFFMxrwmJFULLaLW5j5kydiE_7tYDRe30iKwKveayF5WLQsOGjlPfAycSJuk0JvqV8zVymkXiymgg/s400/Assignment+4.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714656350524261538" /></a><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM__C3tCwALfI7yJx9IlXjRcoLwkO_zmKbkzMPj7mkPhTX5uMDLlX-12atRhT-i8K_vqZejoNbH6uCuLAzpUJiB-mQ7AnDDGrl-HWn6bGbE6XWpmCLMF56PdQHD0cX1D0LisIDw/s400/Assignment+4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714656298307829570" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxT31XLEoaHHKhmxCwTLpmFxmR-AqtnDq3DuXG5zeTyGy_blC544bBiZR-IcEjE-SBfDL9skS7uOgeOpu6tXs71SAC36IOq11eryRjNPb7SKdml41uEHYx8KiQXvr_V6rKgTRWA/s400/5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714656668007914098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 198px; " /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph4Y5g2EF3pzUjLyNCAj4TD_ZLG48CG554WZzt7fqrElpk2mZLH8Oiy0axa9n51Ta5c1uLNJ3DeL9et-hCo3D18nKfAmj1WU7_mtXOnRRMsSa5_cDyrQ4-bN8UCN6hqQDxhyKqg/s1600/Assignment+4.jpg"></a><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph4Y5g2EF3pzUjLyNCAj4TD_ZLG48CG554WZzt7fqrElpk2mZLH8Oiy0axa9n51Ta5c1uLNJ3DeL9et-hCo3D18nKfAmj1WU7_mtXOnRRMsSa5_cDyrQ4-bN8UCN6hqQDxhyKqg/s1600/Assignment+4.jpg"></a><a 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href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd_Gt_K1T1lYqNvH0O9Lh76y8O24VAthzyF6EFgKQ-HqH-wjfw6y5vqD-v8hl4WyK_GPphqQVIpu9UxhIoo8ymtsP3GrDOfo-UU4R3SlvQ7V6X-TuwNs5nzjyU8R14g6TyLG15Q/s1600/6.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd_Gt_K1T1lYqNvH0O9Lh76y8O24VAthzyF6EFgKQ-HqH-wjfw6y5vqD-v8hl4WyK_GPphqQVIpu9UxhIoo8ymtsP3GrDOfo-UU4R3SlvQ7V6X-TuwNs5nzjyU8R14g6TyLG15Q/s400/6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714656722185176626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 198px; " /></a><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53j7KVLlW5HmppXQfk79Ss9yJmsvEVs2kzLOv-vr9X4PolHydjBmNyh7r2tBSrM2NoatOOVBXwj4yak9zFR-mQ2r0X3tD8E6t4zuXIUcdehw024JnC7wjniqVffX2fXni4qx1_A/s1600/2.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVAxW3U0x36c4cZGAC3VAwcfhj8La2bimIBk3SqdaG76nZle55XGYTvdkyXjQgCtoFxUwjI6gUOPRg0-Tb8-mo4Ggrt6DfHbz8ViEP2GLx62xSSr_Xsfq-Jeaa0DSrDSjv6JlmA/s1600/1.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC8RhjjSoKXSWgYcO-nExYjUYcmtY4e9JUDDje7n_EfCDcuRfSU88b_vxBqFFMxrwmJFULLaLW5j5kydiE_7tYDRe30iKwKveayF5WLQsOGjlPfAycSJuk0JvqV8zVymkXiymgg/s1600/Assignment+4.1.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-61652323797890932822012-02-23T11:17:00.004-06:002012-02-23T11:21:09.102-06:00Passive Solar Design<div>The concept was to create a house with landscaping which would maximize passive solar design for a structure in Rice County. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is what I came up with:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnLnpky3dE_H9Rh-PaoWgy4iORLdKBGBlyEHnnfSRgiM5eQ8l980DUYVRmBoZXOgcSJoebWsuJtUolGY5o47S5UuULxOd_3Boqnjcvjr8LSE9H0E_l8c_Qn_Nd6-rR-C7WNB5TA/s1600/Complete7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnLnpky3dE_H9Rh-PaoWgy4iORLdKBGBlyEHnnfSRgiM5eQ8l980DUYVRmBoZXOgcSJoebWsuJtUolGY5o47S5UuULxOd_3Boqnjcvjr8LSE9H0E_l8c_Qn_Nd6-rR-C7WNB5TA/s400/Complete7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712382117819460722" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFKpyyCnt5wS0UEAWLHe81rgWN-yykDHL1k4bp3Z94t5tzL-lfEL82yAkfK18LmZtfx1nh4N0DV3qe6ghRN0qODwe9v-oUxMtxOb3MH9c5Ozg-THAmPflh-_z9gVJesQCX8PSXw/s1600/Complete5.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFKpyyCnt5wS0UEAWLHe81rgWN-yykDHL1k4bp3Z94t5tzL-lfEL82yAkfK18LmZtfx1nh4N0DV3qe6ghRN0qODwe9v-oUxMtxOb3MH9c5Ozg-THAmPflh-_z9gVJesQCX8PSXw/s400/Complete5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712381977071165826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Tcx5PAxDNwheviDOUI5pAboslmfsmBbYc3eQG_U6FI0ycc_MCKBDF57d57GIOszn8xII-Ul9eboIWKKwhu0KbICsHa7_CuJJp5270dODXPI8cim2_BUiNQ6Be3tX4KKC0MqqA/s1600/Complete4.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Tcx5PAxDNwheviDOUI5pAboslmfsmBbYc3eQG_U6FI0ycc_MCKBDF57d57GIOszn8xII-Ul9eboIWKKwhu0KbICsHa7_CuJJp5270dODXPI8cim2_BUiNQ6Be3tX4KKC0MqqA/s400/Complete4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712381848670717746" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; "><span ><u><br /></u></span><br /></div></div>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-27491020168344841192012-01-16T00:02:00.001-06:002012-01-16T00:02:46.073-06:0030<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">It is an odd number in the life of the human. For many in my family it would mark the halfway point in their lives. But today I realize that I don’t “feel” thirty. In many ways I feel much older. My body is wracked by the pains of youthful athletic pursuits. Yet, in other ways I don’t feel any older than I was 10 years ago. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">My mind is still growing and my hopes and dreams remain unchanged, if not more deeply understood. The mind continues to grow which betrays the concept of aging and death; the growth not towards an end but away from childish ignorance. This leads me to believe that 30 is not something to be felt but rather something that is, clouded by the variety of feelings the conscience can experience. Much like the death of fall being clouded over by the wash of vibrant colors or in the way the cool autumn breeze only makes the sun’s rays feel that much the warmer. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As much as age seems to wear on our body, our minds understand better the concept of time not as limiting in its gift towards us but in its indifference to our presence. Time doesn’t really slow down when we hurt, nor speed up to make the good flash by in an instant. It is reluctant to acknowledge emotion or hope. It is cold and yet giving, distant and ever with us. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have lived thirty years on this planet and in the scheme of things I haven’t accomplished what we are lead to believe is required of a thirty year old, in the traditional sense. I am not firmly in my chosen profession. I have simply come back in from the cold and started to grind my way towards it. I don’t have any children yet, despite loving kids. I am a married 30 year old husband who is back in school chasing his dream job with the admiration for dreams of a 5 year old and the dedication of a grown man. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">For thirty trips around the sun this mass of carbon based living organic matter has loved and laughed, tried and failed, and smiled in the warmth of the sun. I have had good days and bad. Been misunderstood, not understood and overlooked. I have been appreciated and disregarded. And for all of these things I am grateful.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today I am thirty years old. And tomorrow I will be…</p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-16616306021547761432012-01-09T08:48:00.004-06:002012-01-09T09:15:47.431-06:00A project from first semester<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; ">Premise: Imagine that a building has died and you have to create a eulogy and a tombstone for the building. The eulogy should be a critical and architectural evaluation of the building. The tombstone should be representative of the building but not an exact model of it.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>My building was the Purcell-Cutts House.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the Eulogy I came up with:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">As I Was</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; "><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>To be read in the event of my death:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have often wondered what my legacy would be or perhaps more directly what it should be. If the course remained unchanged I have no doubt that the house that I truly am would be lost to an idealistic vision of what Purcell has attempted to accomplish in me. He would rant, Purcell, about the houses of the time, filled with wasted spaces which were included only because society seemed to require them. Cluttered, he would explain that these spaces were thoughtlessly designed. I was to be the answer to them, the “breaking out of the box” as Frank (Lloyd Wright) described me. What I accomplished was socially transformative and unless I am able to break the veil of romanticism about me, what I achieved will be overwritten by idealistic and fabricated interpretations. I was good at what I was intended to accomplish and wish to be remembered justly and accurately.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Elmslie always called me the little joker, because my design laughed at social customs. When Purcell placed me on the plot, he put me further back than the other houses, which line up against the street in a continuous row. My side windows overlook the rear gardens of other houses, my rear view captures the lake and out front a garden was designed with a reflecting pool. All of this added up to me being an oasis for those who lived with me. I offered a life worth living, unrestrained and open to the world around me. It appears no one else could break out of the mold, still setting next to one another with small side windows, if any. Why do we have to be so rigid in where we are placed amongst each other? Instead I explore the land, offering views and light everywhere. Even though others haven’t followed, it is beyond doubt that they are unable to offer the depth and richness that I provide from my panoramic vistas.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Much is made of my living space on the first floor, often times the poetic tone ignoring the reality of what exists there. Purcell kept copious notes on his intentions for me, calling for “an open space where living can happen all over”. Elmslie thought he was a bit off when constituting my plan to have one grand room that encompassed many different functions, but that was the goal. Many times occupants of other houses sat facing the same center of the same room every day, never looking out of windows or changing their regiment. I was Purcell’s design retort to these cultural phenomena. But as time went on my plan continued to change and the once continuous floor morphed into two separated floor spaces that still held conversation with each other. The vaulted ceiling runs across the interior cosmos with the wall continuing unfettered, uniting the segmented living area. This maintained formality when social situations demanded it, while still showing the way forward to the truly open floor plans of the future. When tours were given, often times the guide would mistakenly call me an open floor plan, which while it may be the easier explanation, it is not true. Although there is no wall separating the living and dining room spaces, I am there. Do they not see my prow shape, forcing the visitor from the dining room down through the entryway to the living room? It is easy to claim the space is one, yet it isn’t just one space. I am both one space and two, allowing for the slow decay of those social constructs that Purcell found so infuriating. If I had been merely one space for living on the first level I would have been discarded as merely pedestrian and rudimentary. Instead, I was complex, profound in my response to being both multifunctional and adaptive while maintaining social understanding of space. That is what I need to be remembered for. Not the eventuality of completely open space that I do not possess.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Purcell complained that houses were thoughtlessly designed. Yet he wasn’t completely void of his own predispositions when designing me. One look at me and you can tell that I am a prairie style house. Many cast aspersions at me saying that my flat roof style is ill suited for the Minneapolis winters. They have a point, as my front cantilever had to be stabilized by the addition of steel reinforcements as indeed much of my roof had to be supported by steel. But looking at the roof detracts you from what is there. Consider my detail, the thought, time and effort that went into every aspect of the interior. Elmslie designed 80 unique windows for me, having uniformity in design but distinction and individuality throughout. Purcell carefully worked out the various colors, artwork and finishes to be used throughout me. Consider the quality of life achieved by those various details. To live with me was to have a quality, a richness of life where every experience is luxurious. These details add so much to life, with generous areas yet an economy of space creating luxury without waste. Life became no longer frivolous, but rather cultivated a depth and fullness to existence which elevated mere normalcy to exquisite. By design I was space transcending meager existence by making every aspect of life celebrated and joyous.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is no small oddity to be spoken of as a masterpiece, a work of art; to be told that you are worth more than your contemporaries amidst a host of them. Then, while praising those qualities they claim make you great, they do not discuss attributes you possess, but rather those ideals and ideas you were intended to address. Is there anything more frustrating to the integrity of a legacy than when attributes, hard fought for and won, are displaced by mediations recorded and viewed oftentimes under the sole lends of the art critic? There is more to me than ascetics, more than simple artistic expression. I, as all, wish to be remembered, not in poetry and abstract terms for hopes and aspirations of my architect, but as I am. Remember me as I am, if what I truly am is of note.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>I excluded the pictures, eulogy and bibliography because it isn't necessary to the example.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><u><br /></u></span></div><div>Here is the format I created for the final turn in of the eulogy:</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65I1dzbGLCaZh-Uql4XoQCjnCcxq1C-Ar1LcFe2UOePaq_jC-7ujzYR9pPlytwIix7M7-67Bare_zxDR24JvcUAhMi83DinLqqpah-LbOYIByBlCOr5ZhCXBfwZC_L-NfR3JAaQ/s400/Drawing2+Model+%25281%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695650047951533362" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 400px; " /></div><div>Each page had one of the above windows over the front of it with a square cut out revealing the key point from the following page. This created two separate ways to read the eulogy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is my tombstone:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnySZkI0un5jRSEyJoDGgl_3HhApUh7lPMi1FCUCYTj48ViJVb9NRBlPyDmHDpGOLCEwrQ4aZmBivdCNeYDx44MwYqiW-QOpgN4D_r4YZQAuDssUalKl7KlkROz3enqfzzBWP-g/s1600/2011-11-17_22-41-58_991.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnySZkI0un5jRSEyJoDGgl_3HhApUh7lPMi1FCUCYTj48ViJVb9NRBlPyDmHDpGOLCEwrQ4aZmBivdCNeYDx44MwYqiW-QOpgN4D_r4YZQAuDssUalKl7KlkROz3enqfzzBWP-g/s400/2011-11-17_22-41-58_991.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695646146542233890" /></a>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-67523533814301103732011-07-19T11:06:00.004-05:002011-07-19T11:23:07.537-05:00And the winner is...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gentechpcforums.com/system-images/Asus/G74SX/Asus_G74SX_1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 422px;" src="http://gentechpcforums.com/system-images/Asus/G74SX/Asus_G74SX_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some good <a href="http://www.jr.com/asus/pe/ASU_G74SXA2/">specs</a>. Mine will be slightly different.<br /><br />No neon glowing lights. This is for school not for gaming.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-85577550673299221282011-07-13T13:15:00.003-05:002011-07-13T13:20:17.384-05:00Laptop for ArchitectureI am starting up at the University of Minnesota in the fall and need input on what laptop to get (they require each student to have a laptop).<br /><br />Here are the two top of the list for me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.dell.com/das/xa.ashx/global-site-design%20WEB/339a0100-3ea7-b075-0070-88f2652da65f/1/OriginalPng?id=Dell/Product_Images/Dell_Client_Products/Workstations/Mobile_Workstations/Precision/precision_m6600/hero/laptop-precision-m6600-front-hero-504x350.psd"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 504px; height: 350px;" src="http://i.dell.com/das/xa.ashx/global-site-design%20WEB/339a0100-3ea7-b075-0070-88f2652da65f/1/OriginalPng?id=Dell/Product_Images/Dell_Client_Products/Workstations/Mobile_Workstations/Precision/precision_m6600/hero/laptop-precision-m6600-front-hero-504x350.psd" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dell.com/us/enterprise/p/precision-m6600/pd">The Dell Precision M6600</a><br /><br />or<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41a--1xuExL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 380px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41a--1xuExL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152272">MSI GT780R-057US</a><br /><br />Thoughts, comments, feedback?Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-41983499019310917262011-06-29T08:45:00.001-05:002011-06-29T09:45:19.200-05:00Paying for College<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I am not independently wealthy, despite promises from my wife to become so before we got married. (I think she may have thought the whole conversation was in jest) So that means paying for college is going to be a challenge. I am going to be retiring from my job and going to school full time. The University of Minnesota’s architecture program requires you to be a full time student so there isn't much of a choice there. It’s very exciting to get the opportunity but also very scary, as I will be unemployed for the first time in a long time.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The whole process of returning to school is a very scary thing and it provides an ample opportunity to trust God, not as if trust is an easy thing. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Just because we are trusting in God doesn’t mean that we aren’t actively pursuing every available dollar. Aside from the FASFA, which won’t get us much help because of the bracket we are in, I have been running down every scholarship that I can apply for. I have filled out at least 30 so far and have a couple more with later deadlines that I am still working on. Please pray that some of them come back with some funding because it is going to be a hard road for Gina and I. We need all the assistance that is available and some additional blessing. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-82973888905566055102011-06-22T09:50:00.003-05:002011-06-22T12:56:45.185-05:00Architectural Influence<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal">My dad loves architecture. His first degree was in drafting and we used to drive around the suburbs of Chicago, looking at the architecture in residential areas. I am pretty sure this is where my love of Architecture started. His job was in downtown Chicago and the buildings there only served to further spark my imagination. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Being from Northern Illinois one of the most notable architectural influences for me has been Frank Lloyd Wright. Despite being a morally defunct individual, FLW was a master of design and revolutionized Architecture in the Mid-West. By pouring over his works and reading at great length about his life and architectural philosophies, I can say that many of my ideas on design are shaped by his work. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Form Must Follow Function. Frank Lloyd Wright’s biggest influence on me is directly related to the “form must follow function” viewpoint. Have you ever been in a building that looks amazing, but has a bunch of space this is unusable? I remember going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and thinking basically that the building would be better served as something else. It is interestingly designed and has some great spaces, but as a place to display memorabilia and learn about the history of Rock and Roll, it just didn’t work for me. There were so many spaces that were unusable for what the museum was attempting to accomplish (mostly being a museum). One of the things that I have always been conscientious of is having spaces that meet the needs of their intended purposes. I believe that this is the fundamental purpose and responsibility of an Architect: Create a space that assists in the intended use. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">My parents took our family camping when we were young. We camped and hiked and fished. Our lives were constantly spent outdoors and I have a great kinship with nature as a result. Another key thing that I focus on is the relationship between the world around us and the spaces we construct to divide it up. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Another thing that bothered me about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is for being on the lake the side that faces that water has almost no windows. I can understand that this is a personal preference but why would you turn you back on such a powerful visual aid? That I don’t understand. Instead of blocking out nature, I tend toward finding ways to invite it in. Windows and spaces that are intended for looking outside or feeling as though you were outdoors are key elements that I prefer to include in what I design.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I was in high school I was working for an architect named W. Bruce Meltmar in Rockford Illinois. The time I spent there was an amazing blessing. I learned a great deal about architecture in practice. He introduced me to Jazz and spent a great deal of time helping me understand everything that went into being an architect. Unfortunately I only got one summer with him, but while I was there I learned another valuable lesson, how to work in tight spaces. Bruce owned a property on the river in Rockford and wanted to redo the kitchen before either renting or selling the house. The only problem was that the space was very tight. It is harder to create a space that meets the needs when you are limited to what already exists, which in this case was very, very small. His main assistant came up with an idea (which Bruce mistook for my idea and somehow I got the credit. His assistant never corrected him that it was her idea on not mine. She was an incredible team player) that was way outside the box and it not only made the space great but was way less expensive than my idea. Needless to say we went with her idea and I learned a valuable lesson in the process: Just because you haven’t seen it done before doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done (It also doesn’t mean it should be by the way. This one works both ways.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everybody has heard the phrase “The customer is always right”. No they aren’t, at least not in architecture. When I was working for Contry Homes I learned the importance of helping the customer get what they want even when it isn’t possible. If it were up to the average Joe, his house would be missing key structural beams and support columns, oh and have a beer tap in every room. That is because the average person, although spending most of their time inside their house, has absolutely no idea how the structural stuff works. When a client would come in with one of our plans doodled on. It was my job to try and figure out a way to get what they wanted while having the house still stand and not be missing import pieces of structure. You might think this isn’t a big deal but there is more to it than just fitting what they had in mind into the current plan. After you accomplish that, figure out how it’s going to be built so it doesn’t fall down, then you have to check the elevations and roof plan to make sure you haven’t killed the “curb appeal” with what you just added. You need the elevations, floor plan, structural plan and roof plan to all work in harmony to get what they wanted to work and look good. My time with Contry Homes was very much like architecture and design 101 for me. I learned a ton and worked with some great people who made it all an amazing experience. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The last great influence is myself. I have been drawing buildings and designing various things for fun since I can remember. I have spent an immense amount of time exploring my own design preferences, testing my own dexterity and limits for visual ascetics and sharpening my problem solving skills. I have been working at this my whole life and that is why it not only comes naturally but is something that I am passionate about and excited to do. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh, and all my boring teachers for giving me a reason to doodle. You helped too. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-11988224406364891522011-06-21T13:44:00.003-05:002011-06-21T13:48:14.161-05:00Blogging: What to doI was considering taking down the blog of late, because I realized that I don't have that much to say which I would consider worth putting down. I have had my fun with funny, tried my hand at serious only to find the effort unrewarding and by far to laborious, so I was thinking it was time to say adieu.<br /><br />But then I got this crazy idea to go for my dream of becoming an Architect. One semester of Community college later and boom, I got into the University of Minnesota.<br /><br />How does that relate to the blog you might ask. Well, I am going to use this to vet my work and ideas for architecture school, keep you up to date on my pursuit of a dream and showcase some of my concepts.<br /><br />You may have noticed a slight change in design over the past couple of days. Its all a part of the plan. Whatever blog becomes Architecture Student blog. If you have ideas for content let me know.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-66506355861216916322011-06-13T08:48:00.003-05:002011-06-21T15:07:42.510-05:00MS150 Musings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mfilm.com/Ms150Doc_Logo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 236px;" src="http://www.mfilm.com/Ms150Doc_Logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I am borrowing this idea from my friend <a href="http://theproblemwithkevin.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:blue">Kevin’s blog</span></a>. His Monday Musings are one of the few things on the internet that I think are worth a regular read. </span></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lets muse.</span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">There are only 4 types of people who ride in something like this.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">1. The masochist</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">2.The schizophrenic sadist</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">3.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">The naturally padded</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri">4.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">The stubborn</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">This is sort of unfair because everyone was really nice but when I hurt I don’t really care about fair.</span></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">I road 144 miles in two days. Yeah I know they call it the MS150 but… what do you mean it doesn’t count. You shut up! Shut up right now.</span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Its seems like a really weird deal that they have an event to fight MS 150 that naturally would preclude the participation of most people with MS. Then I realized that they do this because after about 55 miles in one day on a bike you start to feel some of the symptoms that a person with MS deals with daily. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I lost fine motor skills, could barely walk. And yes, I did this voluntarily. </span></p> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">John Brenne came up and let us sleep at his cabin. This was the only way we were going to get a real bed. He saved the day. It is not an understatement that if we had to camp I would not have made the whole ride. I would have also probably hurt someone. </span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-bottom:1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt; border-bottom:.75pt solid windowtext;mso-border-bottom-alt:.75pt solid windowtext"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">After riding 70 miles in a day, I don’t want some chipper person, fresh off the sofa, to tell me I did a good job. I want the sofa. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0in;padding-bottom: 1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt;border-bottom:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-border-bottom-alt:.75pt solid windowtext"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I can only assume that MS is now vanquished. That was the deal right? If I ride 150(ish) miles in a day, MS has to die?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0in;padding-bottom: 1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt;border-bottom:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-border-bottom-alt:.75pt solid windowtext"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Pray for my wife. She is talking about doing this again next year. I am afraid we may have to check her into a mental hospital. When you can’t move because you hurt so much, you didn’t have fun. This is a general rule for life people. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0in;padding-bottom: 1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt;border-bottom:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-border-bottom-alt:.75pt solid windowtext"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Cycling is the only sport I know that when you “uniform” highlights every unflattering aspect of your body, you know if fits correctly. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:.75pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">The correct response when asked, “Hey do you want to ride in the MS 150?” is “I would love to donate. Who should I make the check out to?”</span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I am too tired to keep musing. Lets sleepppppppppppppppp………………..</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-54133289205310449842011-03-29T16:02:00.001-05:002011-03-29T16:06:26.792-05:00The Princes of Duvy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Dirt hung in the air as the door to the tavern swung inward. It was a hot summer day in the outskirts of Paris. The day was more than half-spent when the brightly polished boots beat their path across the rotting floorboards and stopped at the counter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The jingle of a coin on the counter brought the barkeep around to find it was a well-dressed lord who had entered. The richly colored <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">houppelande with silk-lined sleeves fell gracefully down to the floor; a small belt with a golden dagger fitted about his waist, and the full-plumed blue hat was not as common a sight as it had once been in this establishment. The pained expression and formal attire related to the bartender that his guest had returned from a funeral and stopped to refresh himself. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">Stray rays of light seeped into the parched room from high windows on either wall so that little of the countryside, thirsty and scorched, was visible. The lifeless grey wood clung to the building’s frame with disparity, contrasting with the bold presence of the guest. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Not many a lordly character has come across my threshold. What name should one call you, Master?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“I am the last Prince of Duvy,” the lordly figure responded. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">A scoffing jeer was offered by a heaped shadow that was riding the far end of the bar. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Prince of Duvy? There’s no prince of Duvy. It cannot be big enough to have a prince. I might as well say I am the prince of the stool that holds me.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“And perhaps you would be right about your stool, but seeing as you are a drunk and a pauper and here is a lordly gentleman, I might take his word over yours.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The tapster was not happy to have his less-than-savory regular pushing such a fine and undoubtedly wealthy lord out the door sooner than he might wish for. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Thank you,” the prince said to the barkeep before alighting onto the stool before him. “A fool may scoff at truth, but had this man knowledge of my misfortunes, he would weep for me. Now before I must continue on my path, please offer me a drink and a rest from this accursed heat. I am almost lost!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">This request sent the host scurrying off to the cellars to find a bottle that did not bear the heat of the day, that his guest might be refreshed. When the keep was out of sight, the figure at the end of the bar dragged himself down a few more stools until he was but one stool away from the prince. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Now that I am the prince of a new stool and not the prince who offended you earlier, might we not drink together, and I shall share the burden of your woes with you?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The prince extended no objection to this but rather started in to his own story. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“I am the Prince of Duvy, as I have said, and I can so call myself for it is my place to claim what I will, and it is the place of others to try and take it from me. Thus is my fortune and fate, the curse that I have borne now since I was but on the brink of becoming a man.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“This whole story of evil and fate started back many generations ago with a peasant who, on a day not unlike this one, was wandering down the road to Duvy. He was bickering with his luck and destiny when he chanced upon a beggar sitting by the side of the road.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“‘Have ye anything to spare for a starving man?’ the beggar beseeched the passerby. ‘I have naught to eat myself, for luck has grinned at me with the same ravenous smile he has shown you,’ replied the wanderer. Yet the pauper felt compelled to sit with the beggar and share his water and sorrows. The beggar began to weep. ‘There has never been a man to face the morning sun who bears such weights as I do. For though I am a beggar, richness and wealth I have at my disposal. Yet none of it shall avail me.’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“This stranger shared his curse with the foolish pauper who had happened across his path. The beggar related how he was now poor but had once been rich, and so greedy was he that he took every cent from everyone in the countryside, causing many to die of want for food. Now his punishment forced him to roam the earth until someone would take from him this curse to try his own luck. One life that would endure until the man so desired death, for four generations spent without.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Greed sparkled in the wanderer’s eye at the mention of what the beggar had to offer. Instantly the man thought of the riches that could be gathered by a man who could choose his own death, for he could also not choose it. Surely with no fear of death he could acquire enough wealth that the next four generations could have the poorest of luck and still he would be able to provide for them. For fools always look for luck instead of working to make their own.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The keep had returned and poured a glass of the cooler liquor for his wealthy patron, who readily lifted the bottom skyward. “So what did the man do? Did he take the beggar’s offer?” the liquor-soaked patron asked.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“A handshake set the fate of the fool and lifted the curse from the beggar and bound it to wanderer and his offspring. Then the beggar became the wanderer and left with a fit of laughter.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">Another glass was emptied. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Well then what?” The shadow on the bar began to sit more upright at the chance to hear a proper tale. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The fool went to find his fortune, and readily he did. In battles and conquests, both by truth and with deceit, he gathered to himself more money than one man ought to have. And love found him, for he fell in love with the most beautiful and devilish woman in many lands.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“No sooner would he return with greater riches and more treasures than she would send him out again after far loftier and more outrageous gains. There was no content to be found in her heart, for she was as a sea is to the sailor, a love more fair than all others and as foul as might take one’s life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Over the course of a few years, among more bloodshed and the gains so vast that lesser treasure was abandoned, the accursed man fathered two boys. The oldest, Isaac, was two years in this world before being joined by his brother Adrian. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Isaac was a proper and upright boy. It seemed odd that one born of two unrepentant sinners took to schooling and to the church, but their eldest set aside his body for the church, devoting himself to the life of a priest. His brother, in contrast, took more after his mother with a cruel vein that wound in him like a spring. Never was he pleased unless foul deeds ran their courses unhindered.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“When Isaac was 18 years old, he returned to visit his father and ask that he give all his wealth to the poor to follow in the footsteps of the Savior. Ah, the foolish man would have done so and ended the afflicted lineage; perhaps the suffering might then have been only set to him. Yet as the father considered his eldest’s pleas, the younger son grew bitter at this brother’s attempts to sever him from his future fortune.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Although no proof could ever be found, there is little doubt that it was Adrian who laid his brother’s body into the pond after giving him a drink which rendered him senseless. He went with a smile to tell his father of the ill fate that found his eldest, not even attempting to mask his satisfaction.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The father, who had claimed the title of Prince of Duvy, grew furious, suspecting, nay knowing, that the youngest was the executioner. The young Adrian was expelled from his father’s house with nothing but the cloth on his back. His mother tried to bind herself to her son, but before she could wrap the cords about her waist; the prince had carried her off to their chambers. A few days later she was found in the pond, having drank the same drink he eldest had been given.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The Prince drank deep from the sins his first born had instigated. His hands touched the flesh of many women of various tones and races. Yet his conquests left him the more bitter. He ran back to the sword, but the blood that bathed his face offered no consolation. He hoarded the more his riches and withdrew into the back of a bottle, keeping some women about that would at a moments notice attend to his burning passions. Yet in all things he was drowned in misery and otherwise unable to save himself.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The whores of his house gave him many more children but each one he had killed at the age of one and their body tossed into the pond. Life continued as such for him for many years, until one day upon returning from the slave markets with new women for his house, the Prince found a beggar at the entry to his estates.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“He sent his soldiers, who had just finished beheading the Prince’s now unwanted women, to fetch the beggar who dared to sit at his gate. The heap of rags was thrown down in the midst of the blood and naked bodies. ‘How dare you set your rags upon the edifice of my house?’ the Prince declared in disgust. ‘Is not the face of the father the face of the son?’ the mangled heap retorted insubordinately. The murderous son had returned to confess his crimes and seek for forgiveness or more likely to say what he could in hopes of finding a share of riches.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The Prince had lost his anger towards his son, having shouldered the burden of the son’s sins himself years ago. So the heir had returned, and he was not cast out into the pond where he had sent his brother to stew. And as the father had become as the son, a murderer, so the son became as the father and took to women, bottle and sword, killing his offspring when they turned one and taking for himself the title of Prince of Duvy as was his birthright.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“It is true, Messieurs, that your family must bear a curse after such murdering and debauchery,” the bobbing shadow retorted as the prince drained his cup again. “But what else have they earned?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The prince mostly ignored his company and seemed to hear little of that which was said to him. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Adrian, unlike his father, never married; for he fancied no woman his equal but rather as a mere pleasure such as a bottle of wine or the thrill of a blade tearing flesh asunder. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The women of whom he had grown bored were killed and sent to the lake. Then he would replace them with new and exotic women as was tradition. He spent his whole life without ever knowing of love. This was the inheritance the first prince conferred to his son.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yet, one of the women escaped the grasp of the second prince. She fled not only for her own life but also for the life of the one she bore inside. Then, after she gave birth, she was found hiding in a convent, and the prince had her abducted and returned to him. She lived only for a few more weeks at the castle, spent tied up to a bed in the Prince’s chamber, left unclothed and unfed until she had taken her swim in the pond. Yet the child, unwanted, remained unknown to the prince.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The unfound child, named Benedetto after the saint, was a son and heir to the wealth of the Prince of Duvy, and although he was raised by the nuns of the convent, his heart kept account for the wrongs his father had waged against his mother. Passions, the nuns said, burned from behind his eyes, and unless he could detach himself from them, they would surely end him.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“While Adrian grew old, his son grew stronger. The boy flourished and became a man, and his resentment became hatred. Then after some years, the young man could no longer stay his wrath and stole into the Prince’s house in the middle of the night and struck the sleeping form. Yet the misfortune of his family found him then, for he struck not the father of his discontent but rather two women who had found themselves in a similar predicament as his mother. The blow had been dealt and the frail women breathed their last.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“It was in that moment that clarity came. For in his actions he had become his father. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Upon hearing the announcement of the returning self-declared lord with his new fold of women, the son’s passions flamed anew. Upon the steps of the house, the second prince’s body was crushed and then was bound to the two forms from his chamber. In the pond he set them to float. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The man took the title which his cursed family bore and abandoned his saintly namesake and his moral guide. He did not take to women and wine at first but rather spent his days wandering the halls of the estate looking at each stone and asking them individually for forgiveness. Yet none ever offered what the third prince requested. The days passed and his feminine companionship began to bore him, but rather than resigning to the barbaric ways of his father, he simply sent the women away from his house in order to make room for the new. In telling truth one would be right to say that he rather hated the faces of the women for they reminded him of his failures. So in sending them away he rent from himself his past sins in order to afford new.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“After many years, the priest of the parish in which the former Benedetto had been raised came to the man, for the church was in great need of money. The priest also brought a<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>young ward of his who was altogether a beautiful woman but had already been given in marriage to the Lord, as it is said of nuns. Yet <a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2">Benedetto</span></a>’s eyes began to burn for her, and he gave sparingly to the Father as to mandate further visits. He was paying for indulgences and absolution, but his heart cared for neither but was wholly bent on the pursuit of the young nun who came each journey with the Father.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The third prince would often whimsically ponder on the hardships of such sacrifice when the two came to visit. ‘It is lonely and bitter in the service of the Almighty,’ he would murmur. ‘Yet it is a worthy one,” the father would sharply answer. This retort always brought a bitter glance from the prince but the father showed no signs of noticing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Further and further the desire to have this woman fell into the prince’s heart and mind. He would rant and pace the night through until he finally hatched a plan. The next time the father and the nun came to visit he offered them some wine and bread, a meager meal but one easily accepted after a long journey. The wine had been mixed with herbs that, upon drinking it, caused the Father and the nun to fall fast asleep. Instantly the damned prince fell upon the lifeless form, for he was no longer in control of his mind.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yet the priest was much larger than the nun and had not drunk greatly. He quickly aroused from his slumber to find the prince at his dastardly work upon the nun. This poor father’s heart fell, as did his hand, for he struck with all his force, which was considerable. Yet he was unable to knock the Prince from his endeavors, only succeeding in rousing the slumbering woman. Upon grasping her predicament the nun cried out in horror, ‘Madre de Dios, Holy Mother save me!’ Yet her cry fell limply to the halls without notice.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The father struck again and again but with his efforts changed nothing. When the prince had completed his evil task he gathered the shattered woman and bound her to his bed as his father had to many a woman before him. Then the rage the father had roused in the prince spurred him to blows upon the priest, killing him in short order. The prince then dragged the heavy man to the pond and set him next to it to feed the birds in the midday sun, afterwards returning to his captive.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">A gasp fell from the lips of the drunk that had pulled himself to the prince’s side. He had never heard of such horror in his whole life and the thought of it was as much as he could bear. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Surely this cannot be, for no one raised in a parish could have done such a thing.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yet it is so,” the prince answered. The glass dropped to the bar empty again. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Benedetto kept the former nun sedated with the same toxin he first supplied her. For many months she stayed on the bed, only allowed short walks as was necessary and never without a guard present. Eventually she was allowed around the house, but she was never alone. Gradually this horrible life settled into a routine and the nun had resigned herself to her lot in life and even gave of herself willingly to Benedetto.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yet Benedetto began to see the evil that he had done and to despise his own actions. But his stubborn heart refused to give the woman her freedom. Instead he began to send large donations to the cloister every month. Inevitably he would find his gift scattered on the steps of his estate the next morning with a note demanding first the woman’s freedom and then for him to bring the gift himself. Benedetto began to grow angry with the priests and feared that they would try to steal the nun away in the night. He again had her tied down to his bed and guards posted at each corner of the bed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yet he persisted in his giving and still the gifts were returned, accompanied by threats of eternal damnation. So angry did the prince grow that he sent a small group of mercenaries to lay siege to the abbey and nothing, not a single soul was allowed in or out save the prince’s bags of gold. But every morning of the siege the bags would be hurled from the cloister and pronounced unclean.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Finally the last of the prince’s patience wore to its end and he attacked the parish to bring the father before himself. ‘Why will you not take these kingly gifts and offer me the absolution I desire,” he questioned of the priest. ‘I cannot forgive those who are not penitent and do not humble themselves before the Lord.’ The Prince was staring with a sweet face at the priest, trying to hide his malice. ‘What then must I do to earn eternal peace? Tell me what I must do to prove that I am penitent.’ The priest drew his hands across his breast in the form of a cross before responding. ‘Firstly, set free her whom you have captive here and have taken from her the innocence and love which she had promised in her marriage to Christ and the church. Then remove the siege on our abbey that our parishioners may come and pray. Lastly, give all that you have to God and submit yourself in person to that holy calling. For you there will be no salvation in anything less.’ But his words only embittered the prince.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Dragging the priest by his collar into his private chamber he displayed the naked form bound to the bed. ‘Look upon her this last time, Father, for if you had simply asked for all save her I would have given it, but in her your request will never be answered. She will not leave this house while I am alive.’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The father looked with pity upon the poor soul whose eyes no longer conveyed the terror of her existence but rather the distant dulling of her spirit. The father asked to offer the woman mass, and the prince consented and covered the shivering form. No tear rolled down her eye, and her only response to the comforting words offered her were, ‘Escape, for this is the house the devil dwells in.’ The priest took his leave and the siege was lifted. Neither the parish nor the prince made any further overtures towards the other.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Ave Marie!” exclaimed the barkeep, holding to his breast a crucifix he had retrieved from the wall.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The life fell from her eyes, and she became nothing but a husk, human in form only. She was again given reign to wander about the grounds, save for when she was called to lie with the prince. The torment of her soul ravaged her body until the Prince no longer looked on her with favor, preferring the company of others to her whom he had defied the church to possess. Still he would periodically desire her. One day upon being called she did not come, but she was found to have taken her turn in the waters. But she did not take that turn alone, for in her she bore the final prince of Duvy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“The evil veil had been savagely ripped from the heart of the prince. Upon seeing the malevolent work his hands had toiled for, he bore his grief upon a sword and fell to his own end in the shallow water’s edge.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Thus had it come to pass that all the fortune and prosperity in the world could not find sway over iniquity, death and the sins of the father passed on for four generations.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">Then turning to the man who had crawled from the shadows to greet him, the prince spoke. “Do you not weep that I should know such sorrow and misery? Will you not weep with me?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“It is true that to hear such a story a man is driven to tears. Yet it is clear that the beggar who met the first prince could be none other than the devil himself. Blame must first be set upon the evil one.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The guest quickly answered, “Then he met his equal, for the first prince not only sought out sin but gave it as part of his inheritance, and thus his lineage was that of the devil’s.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“True,” the owner of the establishment joined in the conversation, “the whole of the tale is bitterness and deceit. There can be no doubt.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">“Yes!” The drunk chimed in “But who are you who weeps so fervently? For all your tears you have not tied yourself to this ill-fated tale! Surely you are a relative standing to inherit a fortune from the last prince. Soon your tears shall be transformed into gold and you shall weep no more.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">The proud guest drew himself to his feet and fell another glass. “You may take all the money and I hope you drown with it for I am the first of the princes of Duvy, and now I am the last. Here I choose my death!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN" lang="EN">A flash of gold crossed the faces of the two on-looking men as the form in front of them fell to the ground.</span></p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-88980012336560211682011-03-14T14:24:00.001-05:002011-03-14T14:24:40.070-05:00Rags for Riches<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Imagine if you will for a moment that you are a young man. Not only are you young, but you come from a poor family. All your life your family has struggled for the funds to feed, clothe and shelter themselves. But you have a talent. This talent makes you a commodity. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now imagine that you have an opportunity to use this talent to make your life better, and eventually make the lives of your family better. This talent is basketball and you are a pro-bound player at the age of 17, but in the USA you can’t play professional basketball because the NBA won’t let you until you have been out of high school for a year. So you go and play basketball for a college team. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While you are at college you family is back at home, still struggling as they always have to find the money to exist. You are being charted around the country and never miss a meal. Then you notice that the stadiums are filled, people are buying jerseys with your number on them; in short, there is money being made off of your talent. But you aren’t getting any of it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Instead you are told that you are being rewarded with a free education that you have no intention of finishing, because if you could have, you be playing pro ball right now. So your “reward” is something you don’t want.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then you look up into the stands and see one of the many vendors selling food at the game. It is a college student who got the job to help pay for his bills and that is when you realize, he is making more than you are. The question is, how is any of that fair, or right?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The NCAA has been trading rags for riches off of student athletes for a long time, forcing them to play for a year by convincing the NBA to make a rule prohibiting players coming directly from high school to the NBA. Then when a player finds the means to make money while playing ball they crucify them for breaking the NCAA’s honor code. It’s hard to imagine telling someone they don’t have honor while you take advantage of their talent to line your pockets, while they have no money for themselves or their families to live on. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Solution?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are going to be many. I have a simple one. A percentage of endorsements for the team goes into a pot where all the student athletes get an equal portion. They won’t get rich but they should get something for all the revenue they are bringing in. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-9203538387401900292011-02-09T15:55:00.001-06:002011-02-09T15:57:01.801-06:00Cody Alexander Larsen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.journalstandard.com/archive/x188784659/g12c0000000000000002277af28ad0163be9dbcfcb0b38ca5844bf4d9df.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 373px;" src="http://www.journalstandard.com/archive/x188784659/g12c0000000000000002277af28ad0163be9dbcfcb0b38ca5844bf4d9df.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It comes in bursts. You think you have it under control, that the emotion is bottled up and stored for darker, private moments. Then something brings down the barrier and the flood of emotions breaks over you, overwhelming your control. You cry.<br />For me, today it was reading the eulogy. How do you boil down 17 years of life into 100 words? How can you capture what was there, lying just beneath the surface waiting for time and opportunity to blossom into something great? How do you surmise potential and unrealized talents?<br />I can’t do it in 100 words.<br /> Cody Larsen<br />He was a loner in the most inconsistent sense of the term. At times he needed no one but himself yet he always seemed to need people. Cody had fire and a brilliance that came so naturally I often thought that he didn’t see it.<br />Cody was passionate and brash. He could feel so deeply, joy in one moment and anger in another. It was astonishing to see how he juggled the world around him; quite aware that he was different yet unable to decide if being unique was desirable.<br />At an early age he learned how to control his own environment, using obscurity, sympathy and humor as effortlessly as if they were innate traits to his being. When he wanted to he could defuse, compound or command nearly any situation. I wish I could have helped him see this talent in himself.<br />Cody was also in pain, through no fault of his own. He battled aliments which he readily admitted he could control if he put his mind to it. But he was a kid at heart. He had to grow up so fast, so young and he wanted the chance to experience some of the chaos of youth, allowing himself reign at times to experience life anew and in ways he wasn’t afforded previously.<br />Cody was investing in the stock market before he turned 16, watching CNN for tips. Constantly casting outlandish statements left and right, pining for a laugh and getting scores of them. He wanted to be seen and hear. He wanted to live and love and taste all the world could offer and now Cody is a memory; A sought after smile, the word to cut the tension that will not come. A man who was a boy, now will always be.<br /><br />Cody, you were seen. Still sought after, never forgotten, ever missed.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-1382322272109731822010-09-02T16:51:00.001-05:002010-09-02T16:51:48.098-05:00remembering the bridgeIt was hot, more so in my memories, a dried and crumbling landscape reminisce of a apocalyptic movie. Realistically it had only topped 90 a couples of times in the past week but the stifling humidity made Minnesota feel like a rainforest. It had been a week of cumbersome warmth, akin to wearing a wet blanket in 90 degree weather.<br /><br />She packed a cooler full of snacks and frozen water bottles, preparation for a day spent in the car driving around the twin cities. Going from house to house, mostly supervisor duties now as she met with one of her team and their clients. The water and snacks were previsions for the commutes in the hot weather, preparations that her active lifestyle accustomed her too. <br /><br />I hadn’t seen him in a while. I was the best man in his wedding and in a few months time he was standing up in mine. It’s sad to say that being 30 minutes away made us so distant but it was the truth. He was married with a kid, which absorbed a majority of his time.<br /><br />Today we were going to get together to watch a movie. We had been planning it for a while and I rushed home from work to make sure that I had everything set up and turned the oven on for a frozen pizza.<br /><br />She was going to meet her cousins that night for dinner, one of whom was my fiancé. That is how I got the chance to meet up with my friend. The heat was oppressive, traffic was bad and she had one more appointment for that day. <br /><br />We didn’t start the movie right away. We wanted to catch up and just enjoy the air conditioning for a while. I had changed clothes since work and was sitting in my shorts and a t-shirt with “College” written across the front of it. I don’t even remember if we turned the movie on or not. <br /><br />She finished with her last meeting. It was a good end to the work day. The client was moving on having really made some strides and it was the reward for social work. She wanted to jet out of there but her social worker that she was supervising wanted to chat. She took the time and left a few minutes later; those few minutes meaning more than she could possibly imagine. <br /><br />Traffic was choked by road construction on the bridge and practically everywhere else. She was going to be late for dinner with her cousins. She called to let them know and then began calling her friend to chat. She preferred to pass the time in her car on the phone. <br /><br />The phone calls were dropping. She kept calling back and finally resolved to just leave a message as her car approached the bridge, traffic backing up into a near standstill. She doesn’t remember if she saw the construction workers but the effect was impossible to miss, each inch creeping her closer to a ledge she knew about but went unnoticed. <br /><br />We rarely truly recognize our surroundings. She didn’t notice the cars around her, the people in them or the cars behind her. She saw them but she couldn’t tell you who was in each car. She didn’t notice much until she felt something, a stirring in her stomach that let her know something wasn’t right. She was swaying, if only slightly. Looking ahead she saw the cars waving from side to side, not great movements but perceivable as if the heat rising from the road was causing a mirage. <br /><br />Instinct took over, her hands gripping the wheel, adrenaline pumping through her veins as her heart called out to God, praying for a situation she couldn’t yet understand. <br /><br />Her horizon cleared as cars dropped as if of a shelf and were lost to her field of vision. The road was rising above her as she felt her stomach drop. “Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!” Her voice raised as the beep began the message she was leaving, but it was cut short as her phone again disconnected. <br /><br />Too much came to her mind. It was like reliving her life in a neatly organized and sorted fashion; a parade of family, friends and memories rushed by in that never ending moment. A realization and peace was there too. She was ready for this, for death, now staring perpendicularly at the rising road piece.<br /><br />The dust settled on the hood of her silver Grand Prix. The fall had felt surprisingly gentle, her car still running. She sat there for a brief moment unsure of what to do. She hadn’t landed in the water, a small consolation after having fallen 85 feet onto a seldom used road. Rolling down the window she yelled to a man nearby who had ventured from his car. “Is it okay for me to get out of my car?” She coughed, dust falling in the open window. “Oh yeah. We’ve landed.” Not something you expect to hear from your car. <br /><br />I don’t remember thinking something was wrong, but I don’t remember being anxious. I am not sure about what or perhaps that is just my way of dealing with it. Her family, close friends also reported know that she was in danger and some called almost instantly after hearing the news, claiming they knew she was on the bridge.<br /><br />Maybe it was the calming influence of her faith, the silent prayers offered or maybe it was her training as a social worker but she wasn’t alarmed yet. She called 911 on her phone and tried to explain what had happened. Already the disorientation of the trauma had effected her as she struggled to relate where she was, continually giving the name of a bridge that did not exist. She also called her cousins to let them know that she wouldn’t be making it for dinner. <br /><br />My fiancé called me sounding more confused than anything. “She said that part of the bridge she was on collapsed and that she was on the Washington Ave Bridge. Can you turn on the news and see what is going on.” We could only watch movies at our house at the time and since I couldn’t find anyone around who had a TV for me to watch, my friend and I hopped in my car and started to drive toward the area my wife had thought she meant. “She said that a part of the bridge she was on had collapsed and then she said she had to go and hung up.” My fiancé had related.<br /><br />There was crying coming from some of the other cars. Next to her a woman named Danielle had exited her car. The man in the SUV in front of her wasn’t able to exit his as his back hurt and he was unable to move his legs. The isolated platform where she landed limited her view of the span of the incident. The enormity not able to overtake her, she stood there taking in a small dusty section of an overwhelming and tragic situation. She viewed dusty cars amidst slabs of broken concrete pierced by green steel. Everything was wrong but she was unable to piece it together yet. <br /><br />People appeared over the ledge having scrambled up a wooden ladder, wanted to evacuate people. She didn’t know if she wanted to leave. There were still people there who needed help. She could help.<br /><br />One of these men asked Erica is she had any extra clothes and water. She had blankets and water in the trunk of here car but that had been smashed by the large section of road that had fallen behind her. The car had been so close to either being crushed or flipping during the fall, but she didn’t have time to consider it. They got the water and blankets through the back seat for those who needed them. <br /><br />She had done what she could and now it was time to get off this concrete island. She took her bag and went to the wall where people were waiting to help. “You had better watch out because I might give you a show.” She said to someone standing at the bottom of the ladder. She had worn a skirt that day and tried to use humor to make herself feel more comfortable with what needed to happen as if comfort were achievable. The man politely turned away but she couldn’t have that either. “You can’t look away because you can’t help me if you look away.” There was truth and exasperation in that statement. <br /><br />Erica put what she had brought with her by the river and started to take in what the rising wall of road had hidden from her. The Bridge was gone. <br /><br />We were driving down to the river when a cop car turned in front of us. I decided that the cop probably knew where he was going so we followed and parked when we got down to the river road. Scrambling along the road wearing inadequate footwear, I was struck by the chaos that greeted me. <br /><br />In my mind I had relegated certain imagery to 3rd world, war-torn countries. To see people helping crying and bloody children down the street and set them next to the black metal fence stopped me in my tracks. There was confusion everywhere and I still didn’t know really what was happening. <br /><br />The police had showed up and were starting to set up a perimeter so they asked us to move back, but the asking was only politeness. In truth if I had known where she was or even what was happening I doubt I could have been convinced to retreat but I was in shock, confused by what my fiancé had told me and what I was nose to nose with.<br /><br />It hadn’t completely connected with her yet that she had been on this bridge that she was now looking at, sitting water level on the Mississippi River. She wouldn’t address that for a while yet. One of the first responders started giving orders to people who had come to help. She got caught up in the tide of helping and received orders to grab equipment from the truck and bring it down to the bridge. <br /><br />I needed a vantage point where I could see the whole of what was going on. My head was spinning a mixture of confusion and horror, trying to make sense of what I was looking at. I saw a few people standing on a parking garage nearby. My friend and I made our way over there. “It looks like one whole side of the bridge has collapsed.” I sputtered out of shock. “That’s a different bridge. Both sides are in the water.” Someone answered. “Did you know someone who was on it?” I pulled the phone from my pocket. I had tried to call her a couple of times but got the “All circuits are busy” message. “My fiancés cousin was on it. She called them right before it went down.” At that time I thought she had hung up when her part of the bridge was collapsing. <br /><br />“You need to go home.” I told my fiancé. “Why, what’s going on?” I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t want her to have to drive home dealing with what was going on and not having me there. “I said go home. You need to go home right now.” We argued until I told her “The whole bridge is in the water. Go home now and I will come home when I can.”<br /><br />She was standing there when they pulled the first body from the water. The body was mostly covered but she could tell that the person had died. “I can’t be here.” She told herself as the realization of what she had been through finally started to reach her. Her emotions tried to overwhelm her but she held out and called the friend who she had been leaving the message for, thankfully they hadn’t heard the message yet. “All I see is a school bus and truck on fire.” She wondered what else was going on because she hadn’t seen the bus yet. The sheer magnanimity of the situation was still rushing past her too fast to recognize. <br /><br />I kept trying to call her and at the same time I was upset that I had work sandals. I asked my friend to drive my car home and I would stay down at the site but he suggested we wait until we had a better plan. His thinking was much more solid at the moment so he stayed with me for a while. We were back down on the river road looking to see if we could see her car but she was on the other side of the river. Calling, we hoped to figure out where she was and get her out of there and to a hospital. <br /><br />She got a hold of my fiancés mom, her aunt, and filled her in on what was happening, hoping they would contact her parents. Her adrenaline finally subsiding allowed the pain and emotions to slam against her. She felt small, tired and unequal to the moment. Finally she had become overwhelmed with the full weight of the tragedy. But she could give up and rest yet. She still had to get out of there.<br /><br />She asked an EMT what to do. “If you can walk out of here, go find someone to take you to a hospital. If you don’t, you’ll be waiting here for hours for us to take you there. She grabbed the girl who had fallen next to her and together they lugged what they had pulled from their cars up a hill in search of a way out. <br /><br />The police kept moving the perimeter further back in order to make room for the swell of emergency responders who had flooded the area. I remember thinking that every fireman and EMT from the metro area must have been there. It was then that a cameraman asked me if I knew someone on the bridge. “My fiancés cousin was on it. We don’t know where she is.” He interviewed me for the news. I don’t remember word for word what I said but it was something to the extent of “You want to stay out of the police and firefighters way but at the same time you want to know… is my loved one okay.” <br /><br />The line kept getting pushed back. My fiancé called me to let me know her mother had talked with the cousin that was on the bridge. That let me know she wasn’t in the water and that I needed to find out where she was. But I couldn’t do anything there and my fiancé was now sitting at the apartment alone. I had called my mother, a nurse, and she was on her way down, weaving to get to my house not 2 miles from the bridge amidst the rush hour traffic and emergency vehicles. It was time for me to get back to the house. <br /><br />She was stumbling, emotionally and physically exhausted. “Lord, show me a patch of grass that I can sit down at.” She prayed still walking with Danielle. Tears streaming down her phone ran, this time it was me. “Give me street names and we will come and get you.” <br /><br />My mom wasn’t there yet so we called her and told her to just wait when she got to the house. My fiancé, my friend and I got into the car and drove across another packed bridge and made our way down to the area that she was waiting. <br /><br />She spotted a condominium at the street corner that she had directed me to. Under it was a small patch of grass. “Danielle, that’s where we’re going.” The phone rang again her father in the manor only a father can asked “Where are you?” Her aunt had called them. Erica fell to pieces. She didn’t need to be strong anymore. Not right now and she just wanted to be her father’s little girl again, to be held and told it was going to be alright. “We’re coming. We’re packing the car and coming.” He told his daughter but she negotiated for them to come the next day. <br /><br />We pulled down the cobblestone road that led down toward the bridge. There were masses of people moving toward the bridge, masses struggling away from it and masses standing and staring in bewilderment. The cannonade of sirens and flashing lights from emergency buildings bounced off of tear streamed faces, reflecting the fear in reds and blues. How were we going to find her down here? It was a disaster zone and the flood of human pain and triumph was overwhelming. But I was determined. I couldn’t do anything else, but I was going to find her and get her to a hospital. That I could do. <br /><br />“Where are you at?” I don’t remember if we texted the message or if I got a hold of her. “I don’t know.” She didn’t have anything left and the confusion around her only bombarded her more. Someone spotted her and I help her and Danielle to the car and put their bags in the trunk. After taking Danielle to her sister we brought Erica back to my fiancé’s parent’s house where she lived. <br /><br />Each sob was also a gasp for air as her exhaustion overtook her grief. My mom impressed upon her that it was important for her to go and get checked out so we decided to head for a hospital that was less likely to be busy. <br /><br />It felt like we hadn’t even sat down in the ER before they took her back and the rest of us were left to watch the news of what we had just endured. The figures seemed false on the TV. All the captured imagery couldn’t relate the emotions, the true sights, smells and sounds of being there.<br /><br />She felt overwhelmingly alone, having finally been removed from the swell of faces. She found herself unable to contain her emotions and broke down when the x-ray tech left the room for a brief moment. Her parent’s friends who were pastors and her boyfriend took up post at her side and the rest of us moved to a private waiting room. “Never do I want to feel that alone again.” She remembers. <br /><br />At this point in time I started getting text messages and phone calls from people. The interview that I had on the river road had been picked up by CNN and people were checking in to see if everybody was okay. I was glad to report that she was found and at a hospital.<br /><br />She was released at 11 o’clock from the hospital about 6 hours after she fell. We spent the rest of the night watching the news from the event, trying to grasp what had happened. Eventually we had to force ourselves to sleep.<br /><br />Tired, frustrated and most of all blessed that Erica was okay we went to sleep. The story only having just begun.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-44998708913075520102010-07-07T13:26:00.002-05:002010-07-07T13:34:36.165-05:00We Hiked, We Ran Out of Water, We Almost Died...<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/39371759'></iframe><br /><br />Excerpt from my journaling <br /><br />July 4th 2010 - North of Grand Marais, MN<br /><br />Recover<br /><br />Yesterday we got ourselves into a bad situation. We set out around noon to do a seven and a half mile hike. It was beautiful to hike up in the boundary waters within sight of Canada. The views were spectacular, the nature pristine, the water we had for drinking... insufficient. My hydration pack sprung a leak, so halfway on the way out I ran out of water. We got to our destination, realizing that the trail guide gave the wrong length. Before starting back we checked our water supplies and realized that everybody was below half full. We all made it back with only dehydration and heat sickness, but the last few miles and over an hour nobody had water. The hike took us about 6 to 7 hours and we went over 9 miles. The terrain was consistently in motion with no flat spots. Lesson Learned, always take the water filter with you.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-74852593278019441612010-06-04T14:08:00.001-05:002010-06-04T14:08:27.804-05:00A Commissioner is to be…com•mis•sion•er (k-msh-nr)<br />n. Abbr. Com. or Comr.<br />1. A member of a commission.<br />2. A person authorized by a commission to perform certain duties.<br />3. A governmental official in charge of a department: a police commissioner.<br />4. Sports An official selected by an athletic association or league to exercise administrative or regulatory powers over it: a baseball commissioner.<br /><br />David Stern is the commissioner of the NBA. He is also the face of it (sorry Lebron, Kobe and D-Wade). Stern is the lingering image of what the NBA has become and the trendsetter in the increasingly visible corporate structure of professional sports. <br /><br />But is Stern’s influence on the visibility bordering on star status of professional sports professionals a good thing. <br /><br />Clearly the role of a commissioner has grown over the years. With increased public access and need to image management, the NBA, NFL and other major sports leagues need to have a robust system for addressing the many public relations nightmares that are faced on a yearly basis. But has Stern pushed the envelope to far where he is too recognizable?<br /><br />When you think of the NBA you are going to think of the dunks, the last second shots and the players collapsing on the field of victory and sometimes defeat, but you also picture David Stern, chest puffed out, head raised and gut sucked in, standing next to someone nearly twice his height. <br /><br />Stern inherited the NBA in the middle of the Magic/Bird Era which lead into the Jordan Era and then into the Shaq/Kobe Era with a brief interlude which we will call the pre-Kobe/Shaq Era. He didn’t exactly make the league and I don’t think it is quite as popular as it was during the first 15 years of his reign. But all in all the league has been successful with him as a commissioner, so why complain. <br /><br />Because I don’t want to think of a short guy in a grey suit with that weird smile when I think of basketball. And I don’t want to think of a slightly balding redhead who squints when I think of football or of Bud Selig ever! To me the commissioner should be someone who handles the game like the wizard of Oz; from behind the curtain. <br /><br />I don’t need a slowly delivered, carefully worded response that doesn’t address the question. I need more dunks and more of Charles Barkly telling me why something is terrible. Sorry Stern but I think the less we see of you the more we are going to see of your sport.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-64702276620705408832010-06-03T14:35:00.001-05:002010-06-03T14:35:38.344-05:00Until June 24th it is Elton Brand’s LeagueSpeculation abounds as to where Lebron will take the assumed title he will be winning over the next few years. Few believe, after the loss to the Celtics, that he will be remaining a Cavalier. So, everyone one, including owners and GMs, are wondering aloud what plans the star has for himself. <br /><br />But all the speculation on Lebron has one major hurdle to get over. The NBA draft has a clear cut top 2 and it could become a free for all with teams who are less likely to get Lebron to secure some young talent. <br /><br />I can’t image anyone talking the number one pick from Washington unless they are looking to take on Gilbert Arenas’ contract and making a real honey pot deal. But the 76ers are looking to lighten their load financially. They are looking to get out from underneath the less than comfortable bulk of the Elton Brand contract (he is set to make 17 and 18 million over the next two years respectively). <br /><br />The Timberwolves need to move up and get a future franchise player and since they already have a stable of point guards, including some that seem reluctant to cross the pond, John Wall seems like a poor choice. <br /><br />Minnesota has a stacking problem at power forward. Jefferson and Love turn in essentially the same game and it is hard to find a way to play them together. <br /><br />A trade up for a number 2 where they take on the Elton Brand contract seems unlikely unless the Timberwolves can find a new team for Jefferson’s contract. So unless a 3 team deal or 2 trades get taken care of I don’t know how the Timberwolves work their way up for the Turner pick. <br /><br />The Nets and new owner Mikhail Prokhorov is a complete wild card. Now one knows just yet what type of owner he is going to be. He might be a crazy throw money at every problem type of an owner or he might be a more reserved throw money at every problem type of an owner so speculation as to trades with that team are hard to figure out. <br /><br />Until the 24th the question of what is going to happen at the top of the draft class is contingent upon Elton Brand (and possibly Gilbert Arenas if a GM decides he wants to one up the Timberwolves’ last draft aka Point Guard Fest 2009). <br /><br />The best chance of that happening? Probably a 3 way trade with Phili, Detroit and Minnesota. Then again, maybe New Jersey will just buy the top 3 picks.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-48715668053028341032010-05-26T14:57:00.000-05:002010-05-26T14:58:09.504-05:00Legacy: An NBA MythEverybody is talking and getting fined over Lebron James’ summer. People are trying to factor in as many variables as possible that they claim Lebron will use to decipher where he is going to go. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My personal favorite for humor is his legacy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Lebron will go to the Knicks so his Legacy can be returning them to former glory.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Lebron is as concerned with his Legacy as he is with the money. He wants to know what his legacy will be.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am sorry, but what? Do you really think that Lebron cares about all that? If you do then you are only fooling yourself in an attempt to work out a scenario that puts him on your favorite team. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is the simple equation for where Lebron goes that should help clear things up. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Salary + potential plus/minus in endorsement deals + team mates and winning potential (as it relates to potential plus/minus in endorsement deals)) * if he wants to go and play in that city = chance Lebron will end up on that team. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That is it. You might notice how much of a role money is playing in the whole thing. That is because Lebron has stated with no small amount of certainty that he wants to be a global icon. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That is Lebron’s legacy and he hasn’t really made any secret of it. He plays the game for the money and the fame. No surprise but that is what 98.9% of the league does it for. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wilt Chamberlain would have never said anything like that or even have been able to dream of the salaries and fame the current NBA touts for its players. That is why his legacy is all about someone sacrificing everything for the win. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lebron has been compared to <st1:country-region st="on">Jordan</st1:country-region> over and over again and do you want to know what <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region> thinks his legacy is? HE DOESN’T YET! That’s right, up until his hall of fame speech he was still pondering another comeback. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lebron hasn’t thought that far ahead yet and he really shouldn’t. He is doing what he wants to do with his life right now and we will find out what his legacy is when it is all said and done. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think we are going to see Lebron winning 6 titles. It seems like he is reaching the point in his career where such lofty goals are slipping away. Maybe that will be his legacy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t think that Dominic Wilkins set out to never win a championship. He played in a different era of the NBA where players stayed on a team for their whole career and he never really had the greatest shot at a championship. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So before you think of talking Lebron onto you team with the tantalizing prospects of saving a franchise and restoring former glory make sure that you have a really big check with his name on it. Otherwise you are going to be playing out the various trade scenarios that could have happened over the next 10 years. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-61407796067695174772010-05-03T11:33:00.000-05:002010-05-03T11:34:41.116-05:00NBA: At the Game Vs. On the Couch.The NBA has a real challenge when it comes to bringing people to their games. Their biggest rival is my couch. Soft, comfortable, at my house; this formidable opponent is not something the NBA can take lightly. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I live in <st1:state st="on">Minnesota</st1:state> so we are going to compare my couch to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Target</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> but the general concepts apply. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Seating</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At my house I have my couch with my coffee table (my grandfathers WWII war chest) for a foot stool. My couch is a sectional with loads of pillows that I use to create a bucket style seat with lower back support at a slightly reclined angle. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The “at arena” equivalent is a plastic seat that is uncomfortably close to the person sitting next to you. With my broad shoulders it is not comfortable to go to a stadium and be constantly attempting to avoid the elbows of the person next to you. With the Timberwolves attendance this is not an issue but you can imagine the non-draw. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only plus for the “at arena” seating is the cup holder. No worries about knocking over you 6 dollar coke (I will touch on food next). At my house the cup on the coffee table is in constant danger but I have become used to it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Food</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is no comparison here. The food at my house has no limits and it much less expensive. The argument of not having to make it myself doesn’t hold water either because of take out. Nearly limitless refills and any food I can preplan for. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is no “at arena” benefit from the food side. And if you consider the swarms of people who attend the happy hours within walking distance of the stadium it is mind boggling that they haven’t figured this out yet. People will begrudgingly pay the 6 dollars for a coke or happily pay 8 dollars for 2 cokes and a fries. Cheap food is a way to bring people in. First Quarter Happy Hours anyone? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mark Cuban is the most likely to adopt this because he is intelligent and knows what it takes to make money. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Other Entertainment</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At my house I can switch channels during commercial breaks, check the other scores, check my email, do almost anything during the lulls of the game. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the arena I am pretty much forced to watch the dancers, see some elderly lady air ball a free-throw,<span style=""> </span>buy overpriced food or talk with the people around me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Why the NBA stadiums don’t have big screens with all the other NBA games going on is beyond me. Also Mascots and dancers do not count as entertaining. Mascots are mostly creepy and except for the Bucks’ mascot ladder dunk, never entertain. Dancers/cheerleaders neither lead cheers nor inspire anything except for drunk and creepy men to make fools of themselves. We need to rethink this one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Give me something I can’t get at home… All the games. Give me the TNT halftime show with Charles and Kenny. Give me something that is at least entertaining. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also why don’t stadiums have free WiFi when you are at the game? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Seeing the game</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">HD is the saving force of the NBA as well as what is going to kill going to the game. I can go to a game and never get the quality or variety of sight lines, close ups and pan shots that HD TV can offer. HD is as accurate as real life. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Announcing</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For as good as the announcing is there is a chasm when it comes to quality color commentators. I understand that their job is to talk incessantly about the game to fill in the dead air but outside of Charles Barkley no one does it more compellingly or entertainingly. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is what sets him apart. He doesn’t placate. If Chuck thinks you stink he is going to say it. Other announcers tell you that everyone everywhere is great. Reggie Miller is the closest second to this (he is still a mile away) but he just doesn’t have the voice for it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The greatest color commentator duo was Walton and Stephen A Smith. Walton loved everything and Smith loved to push Walton’s buttons. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Okay, Imagine this. Tirico as the announcer with Walton and Barkley doing commentary. That game would go down as legend even if the game was horrible. I get chills just thinking about it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At home I get relatively good announcing and half time commentary that is awesome when it’s on TNT. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the game I get almost nothing. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Atmosphere</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is the hardest one of all. My house I made to be exactly the way I want it. I can invite the people I want over to watch the game with me. I have complete and entire control over everything.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The key for the NBA here is to offer me something I can’t get at home. I guess I can’t get a huge empty stadium that is dark and uninviting at home but that really isn’t a draw. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s take a quick look at the atmosphere of a Football game. Every game is very important. Any and every loss are devastating. A football game can have a retractable dome so you can use the mood around the stadium to give the stadium itself a better atmosphere. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My solution is to use the surroundings of a basketball stadium. Not a retractable roof but an atrium like roof. Let me watch a basketball game in downtown while I can see downtown. I have my tentative plans for this stadium drawn up. Also make it so when I go get one of the 6 dollar cokes that I don’t have to leave the stadium and go to a hallway to get it. Open the stadium up and make it more enjoyable and a less dark atmosphere. Don’t be afraid of people enjoying more than just the basketball game. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In short, give me a good reason to get off my couch and go to a game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a tough fight to win, but one that the NBA hasn’t even publicly recognized yet. I expect Mark Cuban to set the curve on this. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-56426995113066308902010-04-29T16:33:00.001-05:002010-04-29T16:36:29.438-05:00NBA Playoffs: Team ProfilesAdmittedly I haven’t seen enough of the playoffs to comment on all the teams so I am just going to give the profiles for the teams that I have seen play. <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cleveland</st1:place></st1:city> Cavaliers</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is the Playground All Stars. One superb player that is leaps and bounds about anyone else around him, an old guy who thinks he is still the best, a least 2 creepy guys that you let play because they are either tall or fast, a couple of streaky shooters and the guy who moved in from another city. They rely way too heavily on their star player as all the other players are riding him for a championship and stardom. You are also not certain how seriously they are all taking this.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place> Bulls</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The very young high school team. There are a couple of players who are good and bordering on great but there is a huge fall of from your top 3 players and the rest are only serviceable if you are feeling generous with the term.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Boston</st1:city></st1:place> Celtics</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Rolling Stones. They look old, they are old, but their style of play is something that apparently you can do and still rock at even when half of your players are corpses. Fill in every now and then with a new drummer and viola a comeback tour. They might be trading on past accomplishments though and nobody is dying for the new stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Miami</st1:city></st1:place> Heat</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Playing at the park. One really good player and his buddies take on all new comers. The one player is responsible for 100% of the wins and the rest of the guys are responsible for 100% of the losses. The good kid is trying to find a way to get to AAU basketball.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Orlando</st1:city></st1:place> Magic</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I should have a thought on them but I don’t. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Atlanta</st1:city></st1:place> Hawks</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dominique Wilkins. They have all the talent in the world but can’t pull it together to win something substantial. They shoot threes when they should be driving for the dunk, dunk when they are down by 3 with 1 second left. Generally amazing and confusing at the same time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Milwaukee</st1:city></st1:place> Bucks</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1985-86 <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Have you ever played a game of basketball, looked at the team that is coming on next and thought to yourself “That is a tough team.”. That is this team. They have talent and team chemistry oozing out of every pore. <span style=""> </span>They haven’t won yet but it is just a matter of time. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is with Bogut. I can’t give you a real feel for the team without Bogut other than to say Branding Jennings is faster than whoever is guarding him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> Lakers</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My 1992 Bonneville SSEi Supercharged. The car was awesome; spacious and fast with leather interior and loads of speakers. It was awesome. It also chewed through transmissions and was not reliable ever. I got ride of it for a Mazada because I was sick of worrying when it was going to fail me next. Also it got old. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">OKC Thunder</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first generation I-Phone. Cool, sexy and so far advanced it doesn’t even make sense. Tools and apps that you hadn’t even thought of yet. Downside? Doesn’t always work. Too new to be as perfect as you know it is going to be down the road. Intermittent service, functions that you don’t even use, but man if it isn’t the coolest thing right now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Denver</st1:place></st1:city> Nuggets</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Richard Kimble. (google it). They are victims of a series of events that were out of their control. They know what they need to do but can’t do it. George Karl fighting cancer, K-mart’s knee and facing the Utah Jazz in the first round. Its an uphill battle for them every step of the way and I don’t think they are going to get their freedom (escape first round) to find the answers they are looking for. (answers = championship in the last sentence) </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Utah</st1:state></st1:place> Jazz</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Emmit Smith. You get the same performance, a little bit of show, a little bit of power and a little bit of finesse, every night. You remember the game you saw yesterday. You are going to see the same thing tonight and tomorrow night and the next night. This is a good quality when every round is a 7 game series. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Dallas</st1:city></st1:place> Mavericks</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Prolonged Sexual tension on a TV show. I am going to use Bones as an example. You have Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth who are constantly starring longingly into each others eyes only to come up with a stupid excuse for not being in a relationship. That is the way <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:city> is with a championship. Every year they stare into each others eyes and come up with another dumb reason to not be together. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">San Antonio</st1:city></st1:place> Spurs</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The old guys at the Y. They have been playing together for the past, I don’t know, 80 years and they can anticipate the needs and movements of the players around them. Unfortunately they also suffer from arthritis, an enlarged prostate and ED. They are good and fundamentally sound. Its not that they are old, its that the were old 5 years ago. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Phoenix Suns</p> <p class="MsoNormal">King of the playground. The one guy who has been around for ever at the playground and makes everyone who plays with him better but never makes it off the playground. He is fun to watch and there is a way higher premium put on scoring then defending but its really hard to imagine him anywhere else and that is a problem when he hasn’t every been holding the trophy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Portland</st1:city></st1:place> Trailblazers</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t really know much about them except that Brandon Roy is nuts/all man. </p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-72019569659949433772010-04-27T13:38:00.003-05:002010-04-27T13:39:37.792-05:00KFC: Double Down<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sweettater.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/kfc-doubledown4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 602px; height: 400px;" src="http://sweettater.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/kfc-doubledown4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >First of all I ordered it with original recipe. I had KFC ten years ago. NOT THE ORIGINAL RECIPE. Remember when the breading was crunchy and kinda think? Apparently KFC doesn’t remember that.<o:p></o:p></span></span> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >Grease. I know it was to be expected but honestly you cannot begin to imagine how much. It was bordering on swimming levels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >Bacon… I know that its supposed to be fatty but there should be something other than fat on the bacon. Bacon is not white.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >The cheese was fine. It was your standard non-descript flavored cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >The Coronals special sauce… first of all, is that not the worst name ever and I do mean ever. I am pretty sure it was just to add color and had no actual flavor related role. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >Oh so my overall review is mixed. A single sandwich costs you $5.48. It isn’t supper filling because it is all meat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" >I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars. Tastes good, not filling, expensive and essentially a one way ticket to a funeral home. But on the upside it did slow my heart down. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:navy;"><span style=";color:navy;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-73467717519178995052010-04-23T08:42:00.003-05:002010-04-23T09:04:28.724-05:00NBA: TimberwolvesFirst off big kudos to Chris Wright, President of the Timberwolves for taking my email and responding. Didn't know that the NBA Front Office was like that.<br /><br />He decided to go with the current uniforms that the Timberwolves have over my recommended version. see below<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8ZWTi-LTPlXO_2i6N23OPZJU_2ypdH3l_TeZP83FmBayISae7LX6h5GPsMon9mfOI1w4I6TtEPFehX2-8FTJ-EBLrC7xZNYNToZHoQZ4Pegtxx7Lpbd-t4fy27Nc8EWaxewFhg/s1600/uniformComplete+copy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8ZWTi-LTPlXO_2i6N23OPZJU_2ypdH3l_TeZP83FmBayISae7LX6h5GPsMon9mfOI1w4I6TtEPFehX2-8FTJ-EBLrC7xZNYNToZHoQZ4Pegtxx7Lpbd-t4fy27Nc8EWaxewFhg/s400/uniformComplete+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463328274217913746" border="0" /></a><br />But in talking with him briefly I came across the greatest single challenge I think the NBA and the Timberwolves have to face. At my house I have an HD projector, a large and comfortable couch, Tivo and inexpensive food at every turn. I have been to the target center. They have a dark and rather uninviting atmosphere alongside expensive food.<br /><br />You can see the problem. Why go to a game when I have it at home and under way more favorable condition. The NBA wants you to believe that the atmosphere of proffessional basketball is something that you have to be there to appreciate. I would argue that with HD you are more there than if you were at a game. You get up close and personal with the players, watching their expressions and frustrations and you get instant replay at a whim.<br /><br />So I tried to think of what it would take to make people my age want to go to a professional basketball game.<br /><br />The first and most obvious step is to have an explosive player. If you aren't sure if this works please see Allen Iverson and the 76ers. People want to see a dynamic player with a dynamic character. The wolves have some potentially dynamic players but no dynamic character.<br /><br />Next is changing the Atmosphere of the Stadium. For some reason when you go into an NBA stadium they want there to be nothing else to even look at outside of the basketball game. But pursing that ideal the stadiums often feel a little like a prison. They are dark places where the upper level seats are under a shroud.<br /><br />The NBA needs to look toward other sports to see why their stadiums are successful. The answer is of course that they let you see the city around them, or the sky. They are more open to their surroundings. Now I am not suggesting a retractable dome basketball stadium but why couldn't it have a glass top. Why could you be sitting at a Timberwolves game and be able to look up and see the city around you. Imagine that with snow falling and you have an atmosphere that I can't get at home.<br /><br />Also cheap food. You need to run the NBA games like a happy hour. Cheap beer and hot appetizers. That is how you put butts in the seats. A bar + happy hour = crowded.<br /><br />The NBA faces a real challenge in bringing fans in. The other line of conversation in my emails was the Timberwolves getting more involved in the park leagues. But that conversation is for another day.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-47658357136347633772010-04-07T12:15:00.001-05:002010-04-07T12:17:00.942-05:00More little known facts about David Duchovny.DD is funny. So funny in fact that he accidently made people think Carrot Top was funny just by standing beside him at a party. Carrot Top is not funny. <br /><br />DD sometimes dresses as Spike Lee and goes to the Knicks games when Spike is unable to attend. <br /><br />DD Once sold a dollar bill for $325.00 at auction. <br /><br />DD owns a majority share of the word awesome. Whenever someone uses it commercially he gets paid. <br /><br />Newton’s often overlooked 4th Law of Motion is that DD cannot fight Chuck Norris because their opposing forces would splinter time itself.<br /><br />DD is a lover not a fighter, but sometimes he loves to fight.<br /><br />Last night DD made a cameo in your dreams. <br /><br />DD spends hours at a time trying to make sense of The Twilight Series. He came close once. <br /><br />Barack Obama did his best DD impersonation during the presidential campaign. That is how he won. <br /><br />DD’s humor is so dry he secretes a Chardonnay that sells for 85 dollars a bottle.<br /><br />Women who stand too close to DD will get a killer tan in about 15 minutes.<br /><br />DD snuck into your house and moved your keys last week. He is still laughing about that one. <br /><br />DD doesn’t believe in vampires and werewolves. He eliminated the last of them years ago. <br /><br /><br /><br />*Note: All DD facts are verified by a dedicated panel of fictional characters and should in no way be challenged or disputed. <br /><br />Also, David Duchovny would like for you to watch his hit Showtime series <a href="http://www.sho.com/site/californication/home.do">Californication</a>. Do it.Tedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18878363.post-75318013287016975612010-02-18T15:49:00.001-06:002010-02-18T15:49:45.425-06:00Truth and Consequences.You’ve heard of the Butterfly Effect, where the butterfly’s beating wings cause a hurricane halfway across the world. In essence, Small things can have monumental implications. How much more so an attitude can effect, if not the world around you, your perception of the world. <br /><br />I am not making humans out to be super-powered world changers by mere though. Rather that we change our own worlds by it. <br /><br />People who are happy at their core better endure the trials that life tends to hurl at us in rapid succession. The real truth about truth and consequences are that they both exist. There is such a thing as truth and knowing that, or not knowing that, has consequences. <br /><br />I am going to briefly cover this with a first-tier example. Gravity, say you didn’t know about gravity or you just forgot. You are standing at the top of a canyon and you want to get to the other side of the canyon. Lets say you are compelled to hurry because it is hot and there is an ice cream cone on the other side of the canyon melting. (I know, you forgot about gravity but remember ice cream, it’s a stretch but you see where I am going) If you don’t know about gravity you are going to run off the edge of the cliff and have Wylie Coyote type consequences. <br /><br />We all get that but do we understand the other side of the equation. If you know about gravity in our little example then you know there is no way to get to the ice cream in time. Not the biggest loss in the world to you but to the “you” in our example it is everything.<br /><br />There are two sides to truth and where as most people say ignorance is bliss, what they really mean is ignoring is bliss. They know the both sides of it but where one side of the truth is incredibly liberating, the other side is altogether damning. At least it can be. <br /><br />Now to my point, if you believe there is a heaven then you should be able to reason there is a hell. How can you have a perfect being who doesn’t have any standards? You have standards, why shouldn’t God. And if he has standards then some people aren’t going to make the cut. <br /><br />I know, you have thought of this before but to what level. Look at the guy next to you on the way home today. In the car next to you or on the bus or walking on the sidewalk, that guy could be going to hell. Not that he might not be a nice guy but God has standards. What if this guy is just one good thing below the line before he dies? He gets on the scale (not a real scale but a metaphorical one) and he doesn’t have enough good to get him in. <br /><br />That is my problem with spirituality. You want God to exist and you want heaven but you don’t want to feel like you might not be good enough and you don’t want people judging you. That’s the hard side to truth I am talking about. And do you want some more truth?<br /><br />Suck it up. We all have to deal with that. You can stick your head in the sand and hope that the whole “I didn’t know” defense works, but you know that it doesn’t work for you. Sure God has more compassion than you do but he also has more of everything else, like standards and expectations and rights. <br /><br />So before you get upset about what I just said, ask yourself. Why am I so upset? If what I said didn’t make any sense you would just shrug it off and move on. But if you get upset, you might have to look at that side of truth you have been ignoring for a while now. Yeah there is truth and these are the consequences. Just because you want life to be convenient don’t expect it to be. It isn’tTedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684319063529593813noreply@blogger.com0