30.11.04
College Football: Hoki Hi! Went searching for various writeups of the rivalry game last saturday: found this over at The Cavalier Daily. Dude, we are ass-kicking chickens. You are losers. Your namesakes got their asses handed to them over 20 years by Oliver Cromwell and his merry band (or, to be fair, his rampaging mob). Their leader, one King Charles, got his head chopped off for the trouble. Thanks for playing, guy. Better luck next year (how long until the downward spiral for the basketball team, dude?) And you're in a town named for the fat wife of the King who lost the American colonies. Can't forget that. (As opposed to Blacksburg, named for a settler just before the turn of the 19th century, whose descendant was the surgeon for one Gen'l T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson).
Before I got distracted by that, I was writing about the Hokies. Sorry about that. I shouldn't devote so much time to retreads. Anyway, the Hokies, after giving up the first touchdown to the Cavs, took them out back and whipped some ass. Just like they did with the Terps. I can't add anything that's already been said about the ass-kicking laid on Maryland; how can anyone add anything to 55-6? What else can be said? So, moving on and looking forward.
The big question is how great a team has to be to win this game, on the road, against one of the game's powers. I say that the team has to have greatness, be destined for it.
I believe.
I wrote that here a couple of months ago, a couple of weeks before the season. I didn't predict games (except the USC game, wrongly, as it turned out). But I also said Tech would finish 10-2. I had assumed (contradicting myself, admittedly. I got swept up in the heat of the moment. Considering how the season's gone, can I be blamed?) that the losses would be SC and Miami. I hadn't assumed that NC State would be a loss, but wondered about Tech (and respected State's ability) when Tech lost at home. I will just say this: The Miami game is eminently winnable. Even in Miami. Though, I would find it magnanimous were Miami to move it to Jacksonville (yes, I know, I'm completely trashing any sort of logistical issues), because it is the de facto ACC title game this season: The winner goes to the BCS. One game for Sugar.
I still believe.
Personal Life (or, a portrait of frustration): Referring to a recent post, I'm still frustrated by the same girl. I haven't met her, and at this point I'm convinced that, while it certainly isn't a particularly good time for her, me meeting her isn't going to happen. Let alone any sort of relationship. It's just that I've seen her rush to points further from her than Springfield, to meet her friends. Sure, they're all in Maryland (like she is), but, nonetheless I would guarantee that it's a shorter drive to Springfield for her than to some of these other stops. Be that as it may, it seems that my friendship with her is one of phone calls & typing messages across the ether. Phone calls & messages across the ether seem more a means to an end, rather than the end itself. If they are an end in and of themselves, then so be it, but I remain unconvinced. And since I'm not sure that I see the friendship overcoming the whole physical distance thing. Of course, this leads to the question of what to do: do I abandon the friendship, thus leaving her in what would seem to be her hour of need? Do I accept the fact that the friendship doesn't progress beyond this barrier? Or do I try to overcome it? Another issue would be how I deal with whatever feelings, romantic or otherwise, that have developed. Of course, this depends on several things, the first of those being how I deal with the friendship. After that, obviously, it would depend on how she felt. After that...too complicated. That's where we'd have to see what happened. In any case, I've lost my train of thought (I talked with her, more about our lives in general and various emotional demons). Catching the sleepy train. Later.
7.11.04
Politics: No, I'm not talking about American politics - although I was downtown today, and whilst I was walking around the Mall, one guy was in his Audi yelling "Bush is a fascist" and "Vote with your minds, not the flag" as he drove by (I think this was on Constitution Ave, around 16th St). Considering that I had just come from the World War II Memorial, which commemorates our victory over, well, fascism, suffice it to say that I just started to laugh. Because I have no idea how to convince those true believers otherwise. It seems pointless to mention that this administration has not abused the USA Patriot Act, or, for that matter, that proper application of it doesn't lead to the losses of civil liberties. It seems pointless to suggest that Bush did the world a huge favour by removing two truly fascist regimes in the Taliban (which tolerated no religious freedom, subjugated women & gave safe harbour to our avowed enemies and the architects of the attacks of 11 Sept.) and in Iraq (whose jailed former leader modeled his political philosophy on those of Hitler & Stalin - both true totalitarians, and expressed that philosophy the same way they did - by jailing & executing those with differing points of view). So anyway.
But, before I wrote that digression, I had the thought of writing about one of the world's pre-eminent terrorists. Yasser Arafat is on his deathbed. I have but one word for that: GOOD. The fact of the matter is that he has been the architect of terrorist activities for the last four decades. He has made it his duty, his highest calling to wipe the State of Israel, indeed, all Jews, from the face of the planet (much like certain fascists, although rather unlike President Bush). He has negotiated with Israel for peace - only to break his word and oversee the intifadas which followed. His receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize is when I lost any respect for that particular committee, and why I didn't give a rat's patoot that Jimmy Carter won it in 2003 simply for opposing the Bush administration; after the committee awards a "Peace Prize" to a terrorist, is it any more of a disappointment that they would award one not for positive contributions but more as a thumb in the eye of the government of a liberal democracy? I will say but one more thing: I hope he has a cooling fan, because it's damn hot where he's going.
Hockey: To be honest, I miss hockey. Not as much as I thought I would, but, nonetheless. The All-Star game in Atlanta has been cancelled. That sucks. At this point I really don't expect a season, but if there is one, I'll be grateful (and, probably, overpay once or twice for tix).
College Football: All three teams that the ACC took from the Big East are in the top 25 in both polls. The four current ACC teams in the top 25 are the two teams from Florida (what a surprise!) and the two teams from Virginia. As a side note, I will say but two things about the Hokies' football game on Saturday: What the hell happened with special teams?! Big returns against & letting a punt be blocked? WTF?! This is not Beamerball! However, Mike Imoh is badass. Seriously. 236 yards? Are you freaking kidding me? Where has this been? And did you see NC State get punked by Ga Tech? How, oh how, did we lose to State, at Lane? HOW?
Pro Football: A blocked punt? A stifling defence? (Okay, it was against the worst offensive team in the league). Running the ball down the opposition's throat? Sounds like Beamerball to me. But it was my Redskins, pulling out a victory over Kevin Jones and the Detroit Lions. Clinton Portis ran for about 150 yards, and threw for a touchdown on the HB option. Sweet. Like they (wrongly) say about Miller: "Good call". And it puts the 'Skins out of a wild card by one game (excluding any tiebreakers). Sweet. Gregg Williams is God. Richie Petitbon always planned an excellent defence. Just like Williams. And the rest of the coaching staff (or senior staff) is back from the good old days. So I'm optimistic. Good times.
More later. Just not sure when. Although probably sooner than 2 months and change. Happy (two-days-belated) birthday, Mom.
4.11.04
General Interest: Somewhere down the line I decided to stop blogging for a while. I think some of it comes down to the same issues I have heard in the ads produced by whichever government agency (or the AD council; if they're an agency of the gov't, so be it, I guess. In any case...) about going out and voting: I've been too busy, I've had other things, I'm not up to speed on the issues (well, okay, that last one is more than a little bogus; I've never been up to speed on the issues, and I posted anyway). But, for whatever reason, I haven't blogged in a while. So I kept the letter of my promise in my last post, if not the spirit.
Personal Life: Here's the thing: I've a bit (well, more than a bit) of a dilemma. I've found someone I like. A lot. Well, I like what I see, anyway, which, considering we haven't met, isn't by any means conclusive. We met online (through one of those dating services, which I won't pimp here. Just the way it goes). We chatted through one of the instant messenger services (pimpin' ain't easy, so I ain't gonna do it), and have graduated to chatting on the telephone (we share a service provider, through which our conversations are covered in our basic service, which I won't pimp here either...noticing a trend?), sometimes for a few minutes a night, sometimes for significantly longer. Were I to meet her under other circumstances (such as at the bar) I may not have fallen for her. She's not necessarily the type that I'd go for immediately. But, after a while (where we both slowly opened up to each other), she grew on me. And I like her a lot, because she's rather more willing to lend a sympathetic ear than anyone I've known in a good long time. So I'd like to meet her at some point. And I think that she likes me, or at least what she's observed.
But a couple of problems: (1) It's not a particularly good time for her, considering that she's in the process of losing a family member, and she's taking classes, and volunteering. This in and of itself is (relatively) meaningless: I'd wait, at least for a little while. But here's the kicker: (2) she's not over an ex-boyfriend. He's in the Army, and he comes home twice a year. And they kinda-sorta-not really-I'm not sure-whatever pick up where they left off, or pretend that they're still in the relationship, I still haven't figured out which (side question: is there a difference?).
Now, I've never done this for any length of time (I hooked up with one ex twice - once thinking it signaled the rebirth of the relationship, the other because I'm just an idiot). I can't think it's emotionally healthy. When she told me I realised that there were allusions all over our conversations, but that I had just missed them. Hindsight. Eh. But I suggested she needed to resolve her relationship with him. And she told me that it couldn't be resolved and that she had been trying to do so. This after she said that she wanted to no longer feel like she was putting her life on hold. I wish that it hadn't been 2 in the morning.
She has said that she's an emotional retard. I had always discounted such talk, considering that much of it came when she was talking about her family member; I merely thought this was some sort of pre-death grief or fear of death rearing its head. Now that she tells this to me, I'm rather more inclined to believe her.
Now, I advocated that she resolve her relationship with him, whether it means getting back together with him or breaking up and remaining very good friends. If the subject comes up again (she pulls away from me periodically; now I have a much better idea why and that it's not just me, even if I'm still not sure how much is me) I will give her the same advice. And for the "but I can't resolve it" plea, I have a better response than I did the other night (which was to say, none): "it may be hard, but it can be done and at least you won't have your life on hold any longer"
I was hoping to start some sort of relationship with her at some point, if we hit it off meeting one another. Right now, until her feelings for and relationship with her ex are sorted out (and, even then, both have to come down in a certain way in the sorting process) I won't go beyond friendship. Just the way it is. And to think that I was conflicted about this yesterday (that may be more the 4 hours of sleep than the decision that needed to be made). I'm just not interested in feeling like the other man, which would be the case if this isn't resolved (although, knowing her, I'm not sure that feeling would be completely accurate. But I can be insecure at times).
College Football: Guess who's in first in the ACC: Virginia Tech. Ahead of Maryland. Ahead of Clemson. Ahead of the Mighty Fighting Criminoles of Florida State. Ahead of archnemesis N.C. State (they get pimped because they came into Lane and beat Tech. So they have my hatred, but also my respect). Tied with Virginia and Miami, with each playing 2 games against other opponents in the conference, and each playing games against the other two teams. And, most likely, the winner of the round robin amongst the 3 schools will go to the BCS (although no Orange Bowl this season). And, despite the loss to the Pack, Tech is still on pace for a 10-2 season. They just have to start by beating North Carolina this weekend, an eminently doable task. Carolina doesn't have a bad team, but Tech has a better one. And Carolina is liable to have an emotional letdown after beating Miami. And getting into first place will (one hopes) focus this Tech team.
The Election: Long ago, I endorsed President Bush in his bid for reelection. And I even voted for him, after seriously, if briefly, flirting with the idea of casting a protest vote for Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka. So I'm glad that the President beat Senator Kerry. But I was even gladder that (a) Ohio wasn't going to become this year's Florida and, because of that there was (b) an early (by the standards of the last election) concession by the Senator. In the snippets I caught of the concession speech, lame-duck-Senator Edwards more or less said: "We'll continue the fight" and once-and-future-Senator Kerry called on the nation to let the healing process begin. The only parts of the acceptance speech I heard was the Vice President saying "I once again carried my home state" (not a bad attempt at humour, actually), and the President thanking his family. So it's over. Hopefully we as a nation can build on yesterday's events. But we'll see how long it lasts.
