Ceasefire: simplicity

On the television show M*A*S*H, in the final episode, the doctors of the four-oh-double-seven are operating away on wounded soldiers, listening to a war report on the radio. The calm-steady voice of the reporter is broken by gun fire, which abruptly stops. The reports says something to the effect of, "There it is. The ceasefire."

This sensation fairly accurately describes how I felt today. You see, I took my last undergraduate final exam today. I graduate in less than a week. But for the last couple of semesters I've basically wandered the campus, talking to myself, and being the typical Jaded Senior.

And as I walked out of the room where I had taken the final, a smile broke across my face. The gun fire, or in my case, the pseudo-schizophrenic ramblings of a troubled English major mind, came to a halt. For once the air was calm.

I was done. I don't have to take another class as an undergraduate.
I think Happy Dog says it best. Good night, and may God bless.

Sports Strikes Back

The NFL Draft starts at 3pm Saturday. I love this day. It's like Christmas for me. Draft Day, on my calendar, is usually as open as possible. Except tomorrow. The draft starts at 3pm, my final exam starts at 3:30pm.

So, in honor of the best day of the non-football season, I bring you the Right Wing 2008 NFL mock draft Top Ten picks.

1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long OT Michigan
Synopsis: Good deal for Miami, if Long is the proper fit. He already has a five-year, $57-million deal in place. Good deal for Long.

2. St. Louis Rams: Chris Long DE Virginia
Synopsis: This pick is tough for St. Louis. There’s trade talk swirling here. New Orleans wants to move up for Glenn Dorsey, as does Cincinnati. I think, though, that neither team meets the Rams asking price for the No. 2 slot.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
Synopsis: Atlanta has so many holes that it’s hard to know where to start. QB Matt Ryan is also a target here, should the Rams either take Dorsey or trade away No. 2 to New Orleans.

4. Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
Synopsis: Oakland needs a strong runner who isn’t afraid to run north-south, instead of east-west. McFadden has some character issues, but that doesn’t bother Oakland at all.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
Synopsis: The Chiefs just traded away DE Jared Allen, and they need a presence player again. Gholston fits that mold for them.

6. New York Jets: Brandon Albert OG Virginia
Synopsis: Solid pick, probably the best thing the JETS can do.

7. New England Patriots: Sedrick Ellis LB USC
Synopsis: New England continues to grow in talent, adding a very good linebacker from USC.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Ryan QB Boston College
Synopsis: The Atlanta Falcons could take Ryan earlier, but I don’t think they will. Baltimore wants a franchise quarterback to replace McNair, and Ryan fits the bill.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Derrick Harvey DE Florida
Synopsis: Fast SEC-style defensive end. Cincinnati seems to like the SEC when it comes to defensive players.

10: New Orleans Saints: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
Synopsis: New Orleans, unable to trade up for Dorsey, will grab the closest thing to a shut down corner this draft has to offer.


Other Ramblings:

-Rumor is Atlanta will package two of its three second round picks and move back up into the later first round to grab either Brian Brohm or Joe Flacco, either of which could provide them the franchise QB name they need.

-The Falcons are dealing from a position of power in this draft, holding eleven total picks, 4 of which are in the first 48 selections. No other teams has so much clout so close to the top. If the new regime in the Falcon front office plays this draft right, the foundation could finally be built for a winning team.

-Dallas put their team reputation on the line, parting with a fourth-round pick for Adam “Pacman” Jones, the troubled CB. It’ll be interesting to see what Tennessee does with the pick.

-This draft could see more draft day trades than recent years, mostly because there are no consensus top picks, but everyone has fairly even strength boards, so teams will jockey for the players that best fit their needs.


- Where certain players will go:
This section will name a player, what pick selection range he will fall into, and the likeliest teams to get him, in order of likelihood.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois…17-24…Philadelphia, Houston, KC
Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech…75-84…Detroit, Arizona, Washington
Brian Brohm, QB Louisville…28-35…Atlanta, Baltimore, New York Jets
Marcus Howard, DE Georgia…97-103…Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis
Colt Brennan, QB Hawai’i…160-180…Oakland, Chicago, Detroit
Chad Henne, QB Michigan…58-68…Jacksonville, St. Louis, Atlanta
Joe Flacco, QB Delaware…36-43…Atlanta, Carolina, Buffalo

Duhhhhh: Senior Moments

so, another late night, another blog post.
I just have to share this with you. I read it today, and it is apparently a real story from somewhere around Jacksonville, Florida.

An elderly lady was walking out of a grocery store when she realized that four men were stealing her car. She dropped her bags, pulled her handgun out of her purse, and shouted, "Get away from the car!"

The men panicked and ran way. The lady gathered her bags, shaken, and sat in the car, trying desperately to get the key in the ignition. After a few minutes of ineffective key-to-iginition interface, the lady lookeda round and saw a 12-pack of beer and a frisbee in the back seat, none of which belonged to her.

She exited the car and found her own vehicle a few spaces down. She shamedly got in and drove to the local police station and admitted her mistake. The officer on duty pointed down the counter, where stood four men complaining about a crazy old lady who had tried to carjack them.

The situation was smoothed over and no charges were filed. The moral to the story: if you're going to have a senior moment, make it memorable.

Independence

"Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it." - John Adams

If there is one thing above another that I can point to as the driving force in my sudden change of mind regarding Grad school, it is the previous quote. The John Adams miniseries on HBO made me realize hos much History we have, and can teach, but we don't because it is not convenient for whatever agenda the medium in which it is taught holds.

I'm finding myself more and more each day desiring to teach History. It's not my major, but that's okay; it is my minor, and I'm fairly well versed in a wide swath of History. Also, I can teach Lit and Writing if necessary. I can tell you without hesitation that this blog does not represent the pinnacle of my writing ability.

I've written semi-historical posts before. I simply find history fascinating. They say, and again, who is they?, that if we fail to learn the lessons of history then we are doomed to repeat them.

I fear that the United States, as a nation, is headed for such a failure, if we haven't reached it already. Many scholars have been attributed the following quote, but who said it is far less important than the truth behind it:
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess of the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence:from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage."

The United States is already over 230 years old, and it seems that each year the only candidates who gain election are those who offer more and more money from the public treasury. Let's break down the quote just a bit.

from bondage to spiritual faith: the original colonies, bound to Great Britain, rallied around their desire for religious freedom.

from spiritual faith to great courage: those Colonies, with their spirituality intact, began to rise up, rallying around the militias and the Continental Congress

from courage to liberty: That support of the militias, and the unfettered outrage of the Colonists over unfair taxation, led to irrevocable separation from the power of the Crown

from liberty to abundance: at first, the States were not exactly prosperous. They slowly gained their financial freedom, gaining true self-sufficiency over time.

from abundance to selfishness: The self-sufficiency grew to greed, as is common among man as they gain wealth. The same goes for power, and for that I point to Washington D.C. as an example. Politicians, and those with extreme wealth, will do all they can to both hold on to their status of wealth and power, and to accumulate more.

from selfishness to complacency: The greed of those with power led to a state in which the US thought it was free from intrigue or attack. This step has essentially happened twice, once on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, and later on September 11, 2001, when Al Qaida launched the worst terrorsit attack in history. Both of these incidents are considered wake-up calls for Americans.

from complacency to apathy: Even though we've been "woken up" to the events of the world around us, we seem to quickly fall into an apathetic state. Already, even though we know that radical terrorist groups exist, the belief that ignoring the problem, or simply appeasing the problem, will make it go away. The lesson of Hitler has already been lost, in just 70 short years.

from apathy to dependency: As the nations waxes apathetic, we grow dependent on government to sustain us. The more liberal aspects of the Democratic party would create and mostly socialist state in the country, causing total dependency on government. The Republican party fares no better on the government dependency test. The original founders saw a nation with a strong central government made up by strong state governments. Currently, the state governments are growing weaker and weaker and the people are becoming more and more beholden to the federal system.

from dependency back again to bondage: I can't say where the bondage would come from. I don't know if the people would be bound to the federal government, or if a rival nation could gain enough global strength to overcome our great nation. I do know this: the quote is so far ringing true, and this last step is seemingly inevitable.

I guess you're thinking that this is depressing news, eh? It doesn't have to be. We simply have to recall the lessons of history. We must know why Rome, Greece, Babylon, and Macedonia didn't survive as nations? We have to recognize that appeasing an enemy only emboldens them, it does not make them stop.

We also have to recall the lessons of our Founding Fathers. Unfair taxation led to revolution. The next revolution in this country will probably not be as bloody, but the lessons are there to be learned, and I think my calling might be in teaching them.

The John Adams quote at the beginning of this article hit me very hard. This nation has lost sight of what was done to give us freedom. Hopefully we have not lost so much that Adams has already repented...

The Are You Smarter Than the Surreal American Deal World

The precipice is upon us, or rather, we are upon it.
I know what you're thinking. Jeez, Blake's making a big deal out of this graduation thing, isn't he? Yeah, I am. I'm about to be like the thousands who have come before me, but I'm different, as is everyone, in that unique "we're all snowflakes" sense of grandeur. But, the picture speaks volumes.

I've gone farther than anyone else in my family. And now, I'm at that precipice that Robert and so many others have already crossed. It's been an almost Indiana Jones-like journey. I've had to steal idols from the booby-trapped desks of professors (not really). I've had to pass mutliple tests to prove my academic worth (really). And now I've made it to here. I've got to admit, this little rickety rope-bridge spanning the gap from college to the "real world" doesn't look too secure. I'm wondering if it's there to help you cross, or to hang yourself with.

I've changed over the last two semesters. I've changed a lot. Just since Valentine's Day I've lost nearly thirty pounds. I've gained loads of confidence in myself thanks to three very lovely women and a very large man with a goatee (no, Colin, you're not very large, I just used very to describe them, felt I should use it on you as well). These people have been instrumental in my change.

I've cruised this semester, taking only one class, the only class I need to graduate. I can feel it, now. It's just another date on the calendar, one that, for millions of people will go by without much fanfare, but for me, it's huge.

I've fought for years to get here. I've basically crossed mountains and rivers to find my way to a small stage in a not-very-big gymnasium on a Friday night in May. Two of the four people mentioned above will cross that stage with me. They're not English majors, but I've forgiven them for that. Then comes the summer...

Summer 2008 should be full of surprises. That whole new job hunt thing begins in earnest. And Robert's gonna say "I told you so.." but I am truly starting to consider grad school as a possible future. Although, I'm not sure exactly what I'd do. If I were to go after a teaching job, it would not be in my major, but rather my minor: History.

I still want to get into sports PR work, or even eventually have my own radio talk show. Who knows, I may even try out for Jeopardy?

I know one thing for certain: I'm not going to work at Hallmark or at a Pet Hospital. Robert, you know there's humor there... I'm also not going to work at Best Buy. I'm not saying I'm better than these jobs, but I think at college diploma says rather well that I am, in fact, better than these jobs. There's nothing wrong with working them, but they are not my career ambition.

Career ambition is really not something I've ever had, until these last few weeks. I think I want to make the Right Wing into a radio show, covering sports and politics. The mixture would work, as that is all talk radio is, essentially.



So change is coming, it can't be avoided. We all go through it. Robert survived, so did Grubbs, or at least we think he did. Now, I face the trial. Robert, you're prediction may come true. Grad school could be in the future, but right now, that's all it can be, the future. Change is coming.

Change is coming.

Strumsticks: New Bands in my Life

As most of you will have realized by my last post, I play guitar. I've always talked about playing guitar, and I've actually had a friend who thought I was one of those guys who always talked about guitar, and actually owned one, but never played.

Well, now I've picked up a new instrument: the strumstick. It's a member of the guitar family, though far smaller and has only three strings. The sound is distinctly folk, almost country, but in the right hands the strumstick might as well be an angelic harp.

That's not to say that mine are the right hands, they're far from, but I can rip a fierce "Scotland the Brave" on it.

So, the strumstick is new to me, but it feels right.

So, new bands in my life...
Sparky's Flaw: These guys opened for O.A.R. the other night at the concert at the college. Really awesome stuff, and the guys were pretty cool, too. Check 'em out on YouTube. The songs "All That I Am" and the new song are particularly good.

Something Corporate: True, mainstream pop rock, but just let the piano kick in and you'll understand why...

White Stripes: I don't listen to a lot of FM radio, and apparently this group's been kicking around for a while. But I happened upon the video for "You Don't Know What Love Is" the other day and fell completely and totally enamored.

Okay, short post, but you'll get more later...

Graduation: The Rift of Rock Awesomeness

Graduation looms. Two weeks from today, actually.
I've been in this game a long time. Now, the end draws near, and I'm not sure if I want to welcome it or run and hide from it.

So, I'm sitting here looking at the calendar (not literally) and wondering where all the time went. It seems like just yesterday that I was walking across the stage and being handed my High School Diploma. Now that's ancient history.

So Wednesday I had nothing to do in class. I didn't take any books, just my guitar. Now, I'd like to think that most college students are at least somewhat educated, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I heard this question mutliple times:
"Hey, is that yours?"
"Nope. Took it from a guy."

But really, I found a nice quiet place on campus, lightly wooded, bit of a hill, and I just sat on the grass and began playing. The only thing I can figure is that the exact location I chose was a Rift of Rock Awesomeness.

I came to this conclusion because everything I played got better and better. I could do no wrong. I could hit no wrong note. I've never played so well. I walked around all day playing, and it was a beautiful day for guitar. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were sing annoyingly. The breeze was blowing just right.

Rock Awesomeness was achieved.

So, Graduation. Two weeks. Fear and excitement. Dread and utter joy.
I'm going to miss the people I've been with for the last few years. I really will. These last few semesters have been the best I've ever had. I have the best friends a guy could possibly ask for. And now things are going to change. I'm staying here, and watching the world go around me.

Meanwhile, Colin and Lauren are going to Grad School, ostensibly. Heck, Michele is leaving the country (albeit for only six weeks, but still). Angela will be far away, most likely. There really is no possible way for me to express the love I have for these people. They've been there for me when no one else seemed to be... and I can only hope I was able to be there for them.

Now it seems like the calendar is turning it's pages faster than ever. If this were a ship, I'd be fighting some serious waves at the moment. I'm torn between wanting this ride to end and wanting another run at it. Robert over at Skewed says I'll be in grad school within five years. Who knows? At one time I could say with a fair amount of certainty that I wouldn't ever go, but now I can't.

But I realized a need a cause. I've not really stood for anything in my 26 years. I mean, I've got my politics, and my religion, and my own desires, but as far as a cause, I'm fairly causeless.
So that seems to me my next task. I'll find a "real" job, I'll get an apartment, a new car, all the typical stuff that, but I'll look deep within myself, and find that thing that I need to stand for.

I'll gain my purpose, in essence.

And since it fell unto my lot,
that I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call,
Good Night and Joy be to You All.

Really....?

The Greatest Generation

For those of you who have no memory of either history or taking history classes while in school... or if you never saw the movie Saving Private Ryan... I'd like to take a moment and discuss with you the Greatest Generation.

World War II was fought, from an American perspective, from 1941 to 1945, although the Europeans mostly consider the start date to rest in 1939 and the Asian Theater began operations as early as 1935. Millions died. Millions were wounded. What is essentially the single most devastating pre-9/11 terrorist attack is what drew the United States into the war, as 2,700-plus Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor.

As the soldiers of the United States rose to meet the call to arms, the nation rallied behind them. While the Big Red One was marching through Kasserine Pass, men and women from all across the nation were descending on Mobile and other port cities to help build ships for the war effort.

I've said before that if the United States armed forces had carried embedded reporters as they do now, the Normandy invasion would likely never have happened, especially after everything fell apart so horribly on Omaha Beach. As it stands, D-Day can be considered the turning point of the global conflict.

So, back to the Greatest Generation. This title has been applied to those who lived through the second World War, those who fought, died, survived, worked, farmed, those who kept this nation afloat during great calamity.

I understand the meaning behind it, and I really don't have a problem with it per se. The principle of the matter, though, is as follows: We've been told for the last few years that, since the World War II generation is the greatest generation, that we can never match up with them. Essentially, entire generations since then have been told "you'll never be as good."

I can't support that sentiment. Sure, the World War II generation deserves loads of respect. They were still battling out of depression. Then, war came. So, yeah, they did great things.

But to label them as the "greatest generation" is akin to insulting every generation before and since. Thank you, soldiers in the "war on terror," but you'll never bee what these people were. Thanks, founding fathers, for having the bravery to stand up to Britain, putting your lives on the line and declaring us free, but it still doesn't amount to what the World War II generation did. Nice try, though.

The Reagan babies, no chance. You tried a trickle down economy, not even close to defying a global evil. You don't even get an A for effort.

What I'm trying to say is this: let's hold off calling any generation the greatest. It tells every other generation that, no matter how hard they try, they'll never be good enough.

From the Mouth of Babes...

I go to a small Baptist church. Occasionally we plan a church-wide lunch or dinner after the service. Last Sunday was one of those days. We had a huge lunch planned. Some friends of mine showed up with their two kids, the youngest of which is a scant two months old.

Now first understand this: I’m usually pretty good with babies. I’ve actually already been told that I’ll make a good father, but I don’t want to think about that right now, and while I thank those who say that… well, let’s hold off on the father talk, okay?

Anyway, I’m standing around when they walk in and shortly thereafter I find myself holding two-month old Ethan. It’s at this point that a series of fun events began to unfold around me.

First, two of the younger adults I go to church with walk in with a friend of theirs, a nice looking young woman, probably no more than 25 or 26 years of age, who is holding one of those baby carrier things. She sees me holding Ethan and, I can only guess that this is what goes through her mind, thinks: hey, someone like me, I should talk to them. I need to say this as a caveat to the rest of this story: I get nervous when single women talk to me, not because I don’t know how to act, but rather there is someone I care about and I think we may have something with each other and I sure as heck don’t want to screw it up.

So, she walks up and looks first at Ethan, then at me, as if trying to determine familiar relation, and then says, “He’s adorable. How old is he?”

I stammer out the reply, “He’s two or three months…” To which she gives me a look of semi-abject terror and says, “You don’t know how old your own child is?”

I chuckled and responded, “Oh, he’s not mine.” She smiled, seemingly ashamed of having leapt to the conclusion, but I didn't mind. Marcus, the guy I go to church with who had invited her, stepped up and said, "Well, you do look natural with him."
The only reply I had for that was: "Yeah, but there needs to be a girlfriend and a wedding, and probably a few years of a well-paying job before kids come along."

We laughed off the incident and went about our day. Well, moments later Ethan begins to cry. I’m not talking about your everyday run-of-the-mill baby crying either; this was full-on sobbing. This was the crying where every other cry doesn't even make a sound. He began to work his mouth in a way that suggested he was hungry.

Now, being a man, I am not equipped to provide this child with the needed sustenance. I even said that to his father, who said in return, “Okay, give him to me.” To which I said, “I’m pretty sure you can’t help him, either.”

He replied, “No, but I know who can.”

And that, kids, is my baby story for the world...

The Right Wing Mix CD

Okay, here's a challenge for our one reader... you know who you are... you challenged us to update the other day, well, now we challenge you back.

You know you're going to be stuck on a deserted island. You have the essentials to survive, but you are also given a CD player and one mix CD to take with you. You can pick the ten to fifteen songs that appear on the disc. What songs do you choose and why?

The Right Wing mix:
1. The World has Turned and Left Me Here by Weezer. This is, quite possibly, my favorite song of all time. The rythym and the lyrics just work.
2. Until the End by The Nightwatchman. Tom Morello has so much talent he should be two people. The man can do things with an acoustic guitar that just aren't natural.
3. The Parting Glass by The High Kings. This song, to me, symbolizes the end of an era, but also the inevitable coming of something better.
4. God of Wine by Third Eye Blind. Nice pacing, good music, solid song. You can't beat this song for relaxing.
5. Loch Lomond by Runrig (feat. the Tartan Army). If you aren't moved by this song, you should seriously re-examine the condition of your immortal soul.
6. Stockholm Syndrome by Blink 182. The only caveat with this song is that the album version requires the intro, which is the reading of an old war letter. You might cry.
7. Orion by Metallica. This is one of the best instrumental songs ever. It comes from the Master of Puppets album and is one of the last songs Cliff Burton recorded.
8. Overture 1928 by Dream Theater. Again, instrumental, but then again, I do play guitar, and anything that has as much guitar as this song is a magnet for me.
9. Sadbhb ni Bruinn Ealla by Liam O Maonlai. This recording comes from the Highland Sessions. The entire song is in Gaelic, but that means nothing to me. I can scratch by on Gaelic and Liam O Maonlai's voice actually qualifies as a musical instrument.
10. Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. Again, more guitar, and Clapton is amazing. Sad song, but every album should have a melancholy moment.
11. If Everyone Cared by Nickelback. Great pseudo-protest song. In fact, the video is what makes it a protest song. Otherwise, it's a wonderful song that lifts your spirits without necessarily being upbeat.
12. Shooting Up in Vain by Eagle-Eye Cherry. Solid outing from the son of Don Cherry. The song captures the desire of a drug addict to shoot up, even thought he knows it won't last. We're all addicted to something, this song tells what happens if the addiction overcomes you.
13. The Devil is a Loser by Lordi. Finland makes an appearnace on our album. Lordi is Finland's version of Gwar, only, Lordi is actually good. They are scary looking, and they speak only Finnish in interviews, but their songs are all in English, so that's helpful.
14. If I Could be Like That by Three Doors Down. Great song, one of my favorites. Upbeat, but sad at the same time. Truly the perfect balance. Great way to round out the album.

Alright, Skewed. It's your turn.

Things I Never Knew About the Second President...

I'm an English major, which will prove to have absolutely nothing to do with this post. I am also, however, a History minor, which has almost everything to do with this post. In fact, I probably should've been a History major, but I didn't want to teach, and I do like to write. Anyway, on with the show.

HBO is running a seven part historical miniseries called John Adams. I have to say immediately that John Adams is one of the finest made miniseries you will ever see. The show stars Paul Giamatti as John Adams. For those of you not in the know, let me explain some things.

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He was also bald, but he wore a wig. He also defended the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. Now the HBO film shows all the soldiers being tried at the same time, and all being acquitted, but in reality the Captain, a man named Preston, was tried and acquitted a month before the other soldiers, and two of the British were condemned of murder, but Adams successfully had their charges reduced on a loophole. The men were branded on the hand for their actions.
John Adams later became a member of the Continental Congress, and was a driving force for separation from England. He strove for Congress to adopt the Massachusetts militia, which they did, appointing the Colonel George Washington to lead.

Now, back to the HBO miniseries.
You will never see a miniseries so masterfully created. I honestly had times were, while watching the show, I was not aware that I was watching TV. The set design is fantastic, the costume fit perfectly into the period, and the actors are actually dirty, as anyone who lived at that time would be.
The actors are so well cast that you often fail to realize that you've seen them in other things before. As I said, Paul Giamatti plays wonderful John Adams, and Laura Linney co-stars as Abigail Adams. The interaction between these two really makes you feel like they've been married for years.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin is masterfully portrayed by Tom Wilkinson. The humor Wilkinson brings to the character really brings Franklin to life in ways you've probably never considered. Edward Rutledge, the representative of South Carolina, is played by relative newcomer Clancy O'Connor, and I truly cannot say enough about his performance.

Thomas Jefferson, played by Stephen Dillane, is the only character I really have any problem with, and it's only because he comes off as an angst-ridden teenager, always with his arms folded and staring at the ground. Otherwise, well acted. So far HBO has only aired parts one and two, but in part two you get to see one of the most beautifully acted parts ever, as Zeljko Ivanek bring Pennsylvania representative Mr. Dickenson to life. Ivanek's performance lends so much weight to his conviction that Adams is pushing for independence too soon.

This miniseries also contains a scene that I believe will go down in cinematic history as one of the best ever. Everything comes together so well in this particular scene, in which no dialogue is spoken, and no soundtrack plays. Georgia has just voted "yes" to independence, meaning that twelve of the thirteen colonies support breaking away from Britain (New York abstained from voting). The camera pans across the room, and each representative sits in awed silence, the full gravity of what they've just done seeming to hit at the same time. You have to remember, by signing the Declaration of Independence, these men were, in effect, signing their own death warrant in Britain's eyes.

In all, John Adams achieves what few miniseries events ever have: a sense of purpose, and of actually doing it right. I can't wait for the Part III.

A Demanded Update

That's right folks, the Right Wing is updating on demand now. Well, at least this once. Probably never again. I'm lazy.

I'm just gonna list some random things that have stood out to me lately.

1. Barack Obama's promises. He's promising change, which is not a bad thing. The trick is, if you listen closely to his speeches, he's pulling a Kerry on us and not truly revealing his plan. It'd be like going to your doctor, and suddenly a new doctor walks in and says "We're going to change the way we are treating you." You naturally ask how, and the doc replies, "It'll be positive change."
You inquire further, and he replies further, "We're changing it for the better." Not explanation, just rhetoric.

2. Neal Boortz actually had people believing that the governor of South Dakota was eighth in line for the Presidency as a result of a treaty signed when South Dakota joined the union. Funny.

3. The NCAA basketball tournament begins this week. I ran a simulation on ESPN to see how they say the bracket could play out, and I had Davidson defeating Texas A&M for the National Title. I don't see it happening.

4. My Final Four, by the way, is North Carolina, UCLA, Texas, and Kansas. North Carolina takes the big prize.

5. I walked four miles Monday, but in the grand scheme of things it's actually 6.6 Billion miles. I'll let you work out how I pulled that off.

There you go, Robert, I hope you're happy.

A History Lesson: This should NEVER be taught in class...

The Russo-Japanese War. Fought from February 1904 to September 1905, this bloody conflict stemmed from the imperialistic ideals of Japan and Russia, and their respective desires to dominate Manchuria and Korea. Russia sought a warm water port, and Port Arthur, on the Liadong Peninsula, would serve their purpose nicely. However, the Japanese were not going to let the Russians in, as they thought that Korea and Manchuria were rightfully theirs.

See, Japan is an island nation with few natural resources. The need for more land, and therefore more resources pressured the Japanese to seek control of the Korean peninsula.

The war dragged on through a brutal winter, and both sides suffered serious casualties, but neither was willing to back down. Ammunitions began to run low, and at one point it is reported that both sides had a vicious snowball fight over Vladivostok.

In reality, a political revolution was brewing in Russia, which had the cumulative effect on the Russian soldiers of forcing them, as they were firing at the enemy, to constantly look over their own shoulders to Moscow.

The desire for a peace treaty came in September of 1905. The Russians had been beaten back badly, and needed to retreat, so they sought the Japanese for a peace accord.

The Japanese agreed, and requested President Theodore Roosevelt to mediate the treaty. There is debate among many scholars that the Peace Treaty, signed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was only signed there because of a strong Japanese desire for pancakes, waffles, and syrup.

It is thought that the conversation went something like this:

Emperor Meiji: The Russians want peace, huh? Well, I want waffles.
Fleet Admiral Togo: You know, I'd like some syrup myself. Haven't had any since the Iwakura Mission.
Meiji: Okay, I'll call the States, see what we can do...
*Meiji picks up the phone and calls the White House*
Meiji: Okay, it's ringing. Guys, figure out where we can go. Get the map, look around Vermont or somewhere.
President Theodore Roosevelt: Go for Uncle Teddy!
Meiji: President Teddy, Meiji here.
Roosevelt: What can I do ya' for, Meiji?
Meiji: Well, you know we're fighting this war, right? The Russians want peace, and we'd all like for you to mediate the treaty.
Roosevelt: Sure thing. Let me check my schedule here... a-yup I'm free on the fifth, I think I can sail over and...
Meiji: No no no, no... no. We'd like to come over there. No sense inconveniencing you, right? How about, Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
Roosevelt: Well, New Hampshire's a long way from Japan or Russia. It doesn't really make any sense to go there...
Meiji: They have a new House O' Waffles, right? Downtown, next to the barber shop?
Roosevelt: Well, golly, they do. Okay then, peace and waffles, all around.

Of course, there is no historical evidence to back that up. But seriously, why else would you sign a peace accord between Japan and Russia in New Hampshire?

*The author of this article means no disrespect to New Hampshire, Japan, Russia, Emperor Meiji, Fleet Admiral Togo, or President Theodore Roosevelt. He does, however, mean complete and total disrespect to the downtown Portsmouth House O' Waffles.*

for the 113th time

Every time a sports season rolls around the Right Wing staff takes aim at predicting how things will go. Now, baseball is nearly upon us once more, and the boys wanted a crack at the 2008 season.

Predicted Statistical Leaders for 2008 (with total)
Home Runs: Alex Rodriquez NYY 57
RBI: Ryan Howard PHI 162
Hits: Ichiro Suzuki SEA 201
Wins: Daisake Matsuzaka BOS 19
Strikeouts: Johan Santana NYM 185

Order of Finish:
American League
EAST:
Boston, New York, Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa Bay

CENTRAL:
Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City

WEST:
Anaheim, Texas, Seattle, Oakland

National League
EAST:
New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, Florida

CENTRAL:
St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh

WEST:
San Diego, Colorado, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Arizona

Playoffs
NL: New York, San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta(WC)
AL: Boston, Anaheim, Detroit, Cleveland(WC)

Championship Series
NL: New York over St. Louis
AL: Boston over Detroit

World Series
Boston over New York


Other Business

- During the last round of primaries, Barack Obama and John McCain further solidified their holds on their respective party’s nominations. The funny thing is, during their victory speeches neither man mentioned Hillary Clinton at all. The Clinton campaign is unraveling. If I remember right, Bill never had to write a check to himself during his campaigns.

- Barack Obama was given a standing ovation for blowing his nose… which was surprisingly more insightful than anything the candidates have said to this point.

- With McCain in a commanding lead on the GOP side, the NY Times decided it was time to move in for the kill. The launched a story about an affair that McCain had in 2000. The only trouble with the article is that it credits only an “unnamed source.” Apparently, unnamed sources rank as front page with the NY Times, especially when it comes to taking down a Republican. Remember, I have no particular love for McCain, I don’t trust the man. But I find it incredibly suspicious that this story breaks in the midst of an election cycle.

- Hillary Clinton, distraught over falling behind Obama, loosed a vicious tirade against free enterprise and capitalism. Apparently, when the mainstream goes with someone else, Clinton’s only fallback was the hardcore socialist lefties. Sad times, indeed.

- In NFL news, the Atlanta Falcons won a coin toss at the league’s scouting combine. This coin toss victory assures the Falcons of drafting third overall. Now comes the discussion of what to do with said pick. Do you draft a quarterback (Matt Ryan) if he is available, do you take Glenn Dorsey if his names is still on the board? Do you trade the pick away and garner more picks later on? The choices are endless.

-In related news to that, rumor is swirling that the NY Giants have offered Atlanta their first round choice (Pick no. 32) for DeAngelo Hall. We’ll see where that goes…

the year in PREview

Okay, three weeks behind us, roughly 50 to go. So here it is:

January: With less than a dozen days left in January, the political mud will continue to fly. On the GOP side Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson will both kiss their campaigns goodbye. On the Dems side John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich should drop out, but Edwards will hang on to the bitter end, and I truly think that Denny K thinks that a cold snap must be due in Hades.

February: The Pats will knock off the Giants, Robert, you needn't worry about it. Your Pack shall be avenged. Elsewhere, people will continue to ignore the NHL, and also Dennis Kucinich. The local Georgia Primary will reveal Obama as the Dem winner and on the GOP ticket a very close race between McCain and Romney.

March: The Hollywood Writer's Strike will finally end when Geraldo Rivera draws an intricate map in the sand outside Warner Bros studios. The map, when read backwards, reveals that the strike's mastermind was none other than Oprah. After less than six months, Apple unveils the Iphone 2.0. This new version of the insanely overpriced Christmas favorite will actually be able to tell you what happens next.

April: Baseball returns with about as much fanfare as it left with. The Yankees roll out there $7.98 Billion payroll. George Steinbrenner announces that the team has actually bought Central Park and, starting in 2009 will play all home games there.

May: International Politics, which apparently took the first four months off, return with a vengeance when insurgents in Iraq suddenly leave. Of course, this is short lived, as they are actually only taking a break for a light lunch. Iran's president claims, again, that the United States is the great Satan, again, and that we all deserve to die, again. The UN laughs at him behind his back.

June: Dennis Kucinich once again remains largely ignored. The NY Times goes on and proclaims Hillary Clinton the next President of the United States. Barack Obama calls their story a "contrived fairy tale." Fairies everywhere look to file suit against the Illinois Senator. Oh, and Ottawa wins the Stanley Cup.

July: Global Warming activists grow concerned over snowfall in Argentina in July. In a rare, and possibly debilitating move, Al Gore explains to them the concept of seasons. Quebec once again looks at breaking away from Canada. The whole of Toronto frowns in disapproval.

August: The US political races turn ugly... well, uglier. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton get into an actual fistfight when their campaign erroneously arrive at the same place at the same time. Dennis Kucinich's campaign is a half hour late. Mitt Romney and John McCain both receive verbal warnings from Mike Huckabee.

September: George W. Bush announces that he has an announcement to make.

October: The World Series features the Boston Red Sox against the National League All-Star team, only because it's fair that way. George W. Bush's announcement is that he is sending forces into Iran, just to let Hillary clean it up.

November: In a stunning move, Barack Obama wins the Presidency. The lesser-educated Americans are actually able to get past the fact that his middle name is Husayn (or a variation thereof).

December: Christmas and New Years Eve means everyone will drink a lot and actually forget the entire year. Except Dennis Kucinich.

A Quick Thought on Ron Paul

I like him. He makes more sense than any of the other candidates. I think he might even try to return some power to the states. He follows the Constitution, and he seemingly cares about his constituents.

So why do so many people dislike him?

I might be way off base here, but Ron Paul is viewed somewhat unfavorably by most because he doesn't sugarcoat his message with the nice little politically correct "what the government can do for you" lines. He comes out and says flatly that the government is not empowered by the Constitution, it is restrained by said document. The government is not meant to be the money tree that it has become.

Paul is also truly more conservative than any of the other Republican candidates. Yet John McCain and Mitt Romney are the ones held up as the sterling examples of the conservative ideal. McCain is, as I previously stated, untrustworthy in my opinion. Romney, much like Mike Huckabee, has based more of his campaign in religion than politics, which really does not sit well with me.

But Ron Paul is saying the right things at the right time. He, unlike other Republicans, has shown true disdain for the war. Paul balances his anti-Iraq War stance with other issues in the campaign, like immigration. The man is brilliant, and has truly won my support.

What saddens me is the level of depravity revealed by other Ron Paul supports. Watch the news and you'll see what I mean...

Eeney Meeney Miney Moe

The 2008 General Election is still over ten months away, but the candidates have been clamoring for attention since last July. While both major parties are currently entertaining about eight candidates each, there are only a few front-runners. The Democratic front-runners are John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. On the right side of the aisle (directionally, not necessarily right in the moral sense) you have John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Ron Paul. See, we’ve already narrowed the entire field by fifty percent.

You already know that I consider myself fairly Libertarian. I want the federal government reduced in scope and more power returned to the states. This is not too much to ask. After all, the original system was set up so that the government answered to the people, not the people answering to the government. Now, though, the federal government is so bloated and over-stretched that a collapse is not out of the questions.

Let’s take a look at the candidates for President, you know, the ones who think they can stop the bleeding. We’ll start the search by looking at each candidate individually, and just exactly how much I could consider voting for them:

John McCain. I have no moral quarrel (hey, good rhyme) about saying that I do not trust McCain. Something about the man just does not set right. I don’t know if it’s the horrid McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance reform act, or if it is the fact that the man looks more like a grocery store manager than a Senator. I have loads of respect for McCain, but I’d never vote for him. Likelihood of me voting for him: 2%.

John Edwards. The ambulance chaser himself, then again, what politician isn’t an ambulance chaser in some way. Edwards lost out on the vice presidency in the last election because his running mate was essentially a dressed up lapdog. Edwards tries to endear himself to the common voter by getting $2000 hair cuts and flying in private jets.
Again, not someone I could vote for. Likelihood of me voting for him: 0%.

Rudy Giuliani. As Robert said the other after watching the Republican candidate debate, about half way through any event he attends, Giuliani pulls out his 9/11 drum and begins beating it. We get it, Rudy. Find a new message. Likelihood of me voting for him: 5%.

Barack Obama. He’s got charisma, and youth, which equal big points with voters. Plus, he may actually change things. Still, he talks a lot about programs that would bring the country under a more socialist umbrella. But, he is the only Democrat that I’d vote for. Likelihood of me voting for him: 10%.

Hillary Clinton. I will march in the streets to keep her from reaching the White House. Nothing could be worse for the country than for this hardened Socialist to gain more political power. Hillary would socialize medicine, then expand the federal government almost to the point that individual freedoms ceased to exist. That’s bad, people. Likelihood of me voting for her: 0%

Ron Paul. Robert was telling me about watching this debate where all the mild-mannered Republican candidates were sitting around, mildly jabbing at each other, and right in the middle was Ron Paul in full tin-foil hat mode, yelling, “Oh my God! Run for your lives! The world is ending! Vote for me!” The problem is, I heard Paul speaking after the New Hampshire primary and he made a lot of sense. Phrases like “the Constitution was written for the sole purpose of restraining the federal government,” “the federal government should never impose on a state’s right to self-govern,” and a stern castigation of the Patriot Act really caught my attention. I could actually see punching a ballot for Ron Paul. Likelihood of me voting for him: 35%.

Mike Huckabee. There are moments where I support Huckabee, and moments where he frightens me. The ardent left (moveon.org, etc.) have fought vehemently against Huckabee because he is a Baptist minister, and they fear that his first step in the Presidency would be to evangelize the nation. Firstly, evangelizing the entire nation wouldn’t exactly be easy. Secondly, it is a sordid state of affairs when a man is more feared for what he does on Sunday than what he does on the other six days of the week.
Likelihood of me voting for him: 25%

Mitt Romney. The Mormon. Much has been made of his religious beliefs. Maybe I’m being hyper-critical since I do fall more into the conservative category, but it seems like more is made of a conservative’s religion than of a liberals. The last time a fuss was raised over a Democrat’s religion (other than Joe Lieberman) was JFK in 1960. Like all politicians, Romney has some good ideas and some really bad ideas. Likelihood of me voting for him: 5%.

So, mathematically, I’m still 18% undecided on where my vote will land. Not bad, considering I’ve got the primary season to get through still. The search will continue…

Changes is in the Air...

...But not the kind you think…
The Right Wing is not giving up its dedication to sports or politics, but we will try to focus on other things this year, which makes this post seem all the more ridiculous.

New Years Day is a haven for college football fans. The best games are usually reserved for the first day of January, or shortly thereafter. 1-1-2008 did not disappoint. Michigan took Florida to the limit before disposing of the Gators in Lloyd Carr’s last ride with the Wolverines. Texas Tech’s high powered offense was forced into a last second field goal to beat Virginia. Mizzou took out their frustrations on an unwary Arkansas team, beating the Razorbacks by 31 (a number that, give or take one or two points would be popular). Tennessee and Wisconsin battled in a tight game, the Vols emerging as the winner 20-17.

This brings us to the two BCS games played on the first day of the New Year. The Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl that respectively matched USC vs. Illinois and Georgia vs. Hawai’i. The case can now officially be made that two of these four teams deserved better fates than what they got.

Let’s first examine the Rose Bowl. USC knew they would play in Pasadena, but their opponent was, for a time, a mystery. Ohio State, who would’ve played the Trojans, was out because of a berth in the National Championship game. So the Rose Bowl got first selection of the at large teams, because of the rotation schedule. Immediately rumors began to swirl that the Rose was going to break tradition and select Georgia, creating perhaps the most intriguing bowl match up of the season. The Rose instead opted for its cob-webbed tradition and selected Illinois.

The game was a laugher. Illinois was overmatched at every turn. USC gave the Fighting Illini a steady dose of smash mouth football, eventually beating Illinois 49-17. For the record, the Right Wing prediction staff claimed that USC would win 45-17. Scary, huh?

The Sugar Bowl became a more intimidating match up as football fans in the southeast learned more and more about that Hawai’i could do. They averaged 46.2 points per game. Colt Brennan owned every passing record this side of eternity. They were the only undefeated team standing at season’s end.

All of which meant absolutely nothing to the Dawgs. Georgia was feeling slighted. They were being punished for not playing in a conference championship game while, they thought, Ohio State was being rewarded for the same thing. So you’ll forgive them if Georgia came in with a big chip on their shoulder.

The start couldn’t have been better for UGA. Hawai’i was penalized twice before the first snap of the game. If Illinois was overmatched, Hawai’i was playing out of its league. By halftime Georgia was up 24-3 and not looking back. The balanced offense gave Hawai’i’s Defense fits, and the Georgia D made Brennan and the Warrior offense look like a Pop Warner team. 8 sacks and 4 interceptions later the bleeding was stopped. Georgia pulled off a stunning victory, taking down Hawai’i by the score of 41-10.

So let the argument and debate begin…
Was Georgia snubbed by the BCS because they didn’t play in their conference title game? It would appear that way. Nebraska made it to the National Title game once without playing for their conference title. Oklahoma made it to the Title game a few years back… after losing their conference title game 36-0 to Kansas State. The point is, from a Georgia perspective, it looks like a rule that doesn’t exist suddenly kept Georgia from playing for the National Title.

Also, there is math to be done. Missouri and West Virginia were ranked 1 and 2 going in to the last week of the season. Ohio State was three and Georgia was four. Georgia was already ranked ahead of Tennessee and LSU, even though the voters knew that UGA could not win the SEC. Then the unthinkable happened. Numbers 1 and 2 both lost. Logic would dictate that when 1 and 2 lose, 3 and 4 move up. But, under the BCS mathematics, when 1 and 2 lose, 3 may move up to 1, but 4 must drop to 5. I’m sure that, in somebody’s mind, this all makes sense. The Right Wing doesn’t get it.

Then came the January 2nd BCS bowl game between Oklahoma and West Virginia. WVU had just lost their coach to Michigan. The Sooners were poised to roll in this game. But, Bob Stoops (Head Coach – OU) has earned the nickname SpongeBob BowlFlop from a certain ESPN analyst. Oklahoma lost 48-28.

January 3rd brought about the Orange Bowl, pitting Kansas against Virginia Tech. VaTech looked promising over the last couple of weeks of the season, but a stingy Kansas defense held the Hokies to 21 points. The Jayhawks won 24-21.

The BCS National Championship game featured Ohio State and LSU. The Buckeyes came out of the gate strong, but LSU kept a steady course of SEC football all the way to a 14 point victory, 38-24.

The tricky point, as was pointed out by another ESPN analyst, is as follows: the BCS doesn’t tell you who the national champion is, it tells you who the BCS wants you to think the national champion is. Certain college football writers have stated that a true national title game would actually require seeding ad that, if there were any justice in the world, the four teams seeded for such a mini-tournament would be Ohio State, USC, Georgia, and LSU. Others argue for Missouri.

The point is there is NO consensus national champion this year. Everyone can make a case, and they all have valid arguments.

The Last First Day

This just in... I'm graduating after this semester. That's right, today is my last first day, as has been pointed out by many people. I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself after college.

I started out with a desire to do computer animation, something I had been working on for years in high school. Then I arrived at Gainesville College and was told that I would require multiple courses of Algebra and Calculus. Note, please, that these classes never entered into the equation in high school.

I became a Journalism major, focusing more and more on my writing. When I transferred to NGCSU, I learned the depth of inane stupidity of the journalism department. I switched to English Writing and have stayed there since.

Now I'm four months away from being handed a nicely rolled-up piece of paper and getting a handshake that says I'm ready to enter the real world.

What to do, what to do?