Again since its been so long since I have posted anything, this post will be another of those potpourri/grab bag style posts comprised of lots of different topics...
1. Rangers Baseball
I recently added a countdown clock to the left sidebar of my blog, counting down the time until the season opener which is actually at home for the first time in several years. You would think that a warm weather climate like Texas would get a far higher percentage of home series to start the year in light of the coldish weather in cities like Detriot and Cleveland. I am definitely excited for this season....it has that vibe that it could be something close to special. The pitching staff seems relatively healthy and have all looked pretty good this spring thus far. The shift of Michael Young to third base has been a non-issue for everyone which I am glad to see.
Clearly this season is going to be about the young players...Chris Davis, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Taylor Teargarden, Nelson Cruz, etc...if they play well and adjust to major league pitching, this could be the beginning of something really special for the next several years. Those players aside, Texas has even more exciting prospects at the minor league level with Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz having true superstar potential just itching for a call-up later this year perhaps. All and all there should be some interesting storylines whether we are competive or not.
2. Presentations
So by all accounts my seminar presentation on Feb. 20 was a resounding success...though I have shown tremendous skeptism as to how I could have done as good of job as people have told me I did...but I have been thinking about the reasons why I was successful and thinking about what I look for in a presentation and/or a presentation speaker.
Really I think it all comes down to enthusiasm for the subject. I seem to enjoy those talks given by speakers who are excited by their work and are excited to share their work. I look at it as if they are excited about their work, perhaps I should be as well. Secondly, I think it is important that the speaker tailor their talk to the specific audience for which they are giving it to. An understanding of what needs to be explained, what is beyond the scope, what might be particularlly interesting are particularly key to giving a talk that piques my interest. Finally, the way someone's slides look and the general story being told is very important. I can't stand it when a presenter has a bunch of slides for which they have extraneous information or they skip slides in the talk. Again the talk should be tailored for the time allotted and the audience it is being given to. I appreciate when there is a coherent scheme with consistent formatting, a well thought out story mechanism, for the presentation. Wordy slides, or varying font types, inconsistent bullet types just drive me crazy. Oh and no stinking "Outline" slides...hate those!
3. March Madness
This is a wonderful time of the year as March Madness is just around the corner. I am truly disappointed that my Raiders failed to pull off a run through the Horizon League tournament to make it to the NCAA tournament this year. Last year it was Valparaiso who was our ultimate downfall as we lost to them three times throughout the course of the year culminating in a loss in the second round of the Horizon League tournament....while this year...Butler got the best of us. I was unable to watch the final game that we lost as I was recruiting for the Chemistry Department. Evidently Matt Howard kinda demolished us. I think next year will be our year again as Vaughn Duggins should be back and healthy with a more seasoned Todd Brown and the rest of young squad. I can't really complain though...three straight 20-win seasons is nothing to scoff at.
All is not lost for the NCAA tournament as my Michigan Wolverines seem poised to make the tournament for the first time since 1998. They have had a terrific season...for which I haven't seen a single game in person...wah wah...(hey I'm a busy person this semester). I have watch several of their games on TV though and watched them play well against the likes of Duke, UCLA, and UCONN. They have struggled on the road and...unfortunately for me...against Ohio State. Their Big Ten record is not all that great at 9-9, but their non-conference schedule and performance has been particularly strong. With the absolutely horrendous play of UM football and the somewhat up-and-down play of UM hockey, basketball has slowly built a following among the Blue community starved for good sports action. My passion for Michigan basketball is not nearly what it is for Wright State basketball, but it is always more fun to have a true rooting interest in the tournament...other than the cinderella stories of course.
Oh...and why can't my schools beat the most important schools...WSU and Michigan a combined 0-5 against Butler and OSU...grrr
4. Twilight
So as I was out of podcasts and tired of all my music, I jumped back into the Twlight series by starting the third book of the series...Eclipse. I have no idea why I am still listening to the series. (I listen to the audiobooks instead of actually reading the book.) I didn't particularly enjoy the first book in the series, but went ahead and listened to the second because there has to be a reason why everyone loves the books so much.
I guess these books mostly appeal to the female demographic as I can understand, but still they seem to have a general following just the same. I really compare this series to something like the TV show Grey's Anatomy. I love the show...always have...but puzzlingly I hate the main couple on the show...Meredith and Derek. This is a troublesome feeling as they consistently shove the coupling down your throat on a consistent basis. Twlight seemingly is doing the same thing with Edward and Bella. I simply can't stand them as a couple. I find Bella to be weak and overly in awe of Edward, and I find Edward to be domineering and just too "perfect". The lovely-dovey relationship that just goes on and on throughout the two and half books is almost too much for me to bare. I don't see it as being particularly beneficial for either person as the constrains imposed by the peculiar nature of Edward and his family will lead to great disappointment for many surrounding Bella.
Fortunately or unfortunately for me, there has been a developing storyline involving Bella and her "best friend" Jacob. He is really someone I can get behind that brings out the best in Bella, and their relationship has a freshness and a component that works in both directions. Jacob is always there for Bella and Bella is always there for him. There is also an interesting complication involving Edward that drives a wedge between their relationship. I hope that somehow Bella and Jacob will end up together when all is said and done for the series. This may be in the face of the destined couple that has been annointed (though I really don't know the perception of the rest of the readers of the series...does everyone love Edward and Bella and hope they stay together forever? Or is there some wiggle-room left for a Jacob-Bella pairing?).
One last thing...the Twilight series is generally very bereft of action or conflict...it is largely a book series about teenage angst which can be incrediblely frustrating. The same issues seem to be bubbling up during each of the book. Hopefully things pick up and everyone ends up where they should in the end.
5. Politics
I really don't have a particular topic in mind for this section, but there has been a lot interesting things happening in this arena...I could probably do a rundown of topics in this area alone.
I am very pleased by the agenda outlined by the Obama administration thus far. Lifting the ban on stem cell funding/research is a great policy move. I am very interested in the passage of comprehensive health care remove, and excited to see what kind of education reform he has in mind. The stimulus package is an important step in the economic recovery of the nation, and I am hopeful that it will get people back to work.
I have been outspoken up to this point about the outrageous behavior of the Republican in the Senate and Congress...oh and certain Republican governors (I'm looking at you Sanford, Jindal, and Barbour.) I can't believe the lengths they will go to obstruct the presidents best efforts to turn the economy around. The ideas (or largely the lack of ideas) they present are ridiculous and have no chance at bringing us out of the deep recession we find ourselves in. I hope that we can turn this country around despite them. They are really in for another hurting next election if we do...and possible if we don't as they really are offering no reasonable alternatives.
Also in this realm is the wonderful smackdown that Jon Stewart and The Daily Show has been giving to CNBC and Jim Cramer. Jon Stewart single-handedly brought down CNN's Crossfire in 2004, and now he might be responsible for a change in the way business news is reported and covered. Jim Cramer should have never interjected himself into the situation when Stewart brought it up. You should definitely check out the week's worth of shows documenting the back and forth...but I have posted the culimation of these events when Jim Cramer comes on the show. All I can say is Jon Stewart is a hero...a great guy...and someone I believe in.
6. Twitter
A short lamentation about how simply booming Twitter has become over the last few months....Seemingly everyone has a Twitter account these days which makes for a very diverse feed of information depending on who you follow. I naturally of course have no true friends or followers on Twitter. I am seemingly doomed to life without a wide net (maybe even a small net) of friend with which to share my thoughts or converse with. It really is kinda depressing.
Oh if you have no idea what I am talking about....watch this video that explains the appeal of Twitter...
7. Romances
Finally a topic of more heavier and emotional baggage to cap things off...if you made it this far then you deserve something decidedly more personal....
So I have been on a kick about romances for time now (though I have always had quite a bit of a romantic side) and it is a topic that weighs on me periodically as I have time to think about such things, or I notice others romantic interludes.
It is mildly depressing to see how seemingly everyone is dating or getting engaged or getting married. I really have never even approached any of these milestones to this point in my life. I have on occasion almost reached the first milestone, but seemingly things have a way of not working out the way I have them planned in my head. Things happen that change the situation, or my limitations as a person get in the way of taking that giant leap until the opportune moment has past.
Facebook is remarkable in showing the fluid way in which relationships grow and die. Many times I have checked my feed and see that so-and-so is now "in a relationship"...'hmm really? I had no idea that they were involved' is a thought that commonly crosses my mind whenever I see such an update. I guess that speaks to how even those I consider some of my closest friends really aren't that close at all. I am always just outside of the loop, and heaven forbid and loop be constructed with me as an integral part of the chain.
What brings me to this point is several things. A few of which I won't discuss here, as I don't really want to call others out by name, but a few other items from popular culture has brough the idea of romance back into focus for me the last few weeks. I think the primary catalyst for this was the movie The Notebook, which I watched for the first time a couple of weekends ago. It is such a sappy love story and I loved every single minute of it. It just shows that if two people love each other enough, nothing can keep them apart forever, and they will be together in the end. I see a little of myself in Noah...willing to wait or do whatever it takes to win back his Allie. Its really great movie if you are like me and like a good romantic story.
The second is I guess Twilight as I have discussed a little bit previously in this post. Particular the storyline involving Jacob particually pulls at my heartstrings. He really puts it all out there for Bella, and would do anything for her. He is there for her as no one else really is. Jacob though always plays second fiddle to Edward though, a role I am all too familar with...though I often feel like I am third-string or something. I guess part of me is looking at the relationship of Bella and Jacob as something of an indication of whether things might work out for me someday. Jacob can't win Bella over, what hope does other non-perfect have at winning against stronger, prettier foes?
And finally....Chuck. The whole star-crossed lovers thing has always been a big draw for me and television shows. (I won't list them here at this point, but you can guess probably.) Much like Noah and Jacob, I see myself as someone in the Chuck-role in life. Something of a geek who isn't quite meant for the sophistication of the dating world or something like that if you understand what I mean. Chuck has to win Sarah with heart and compassion and simple love. Their relationship is complicated by the somewhat artifical regulations that keep them apart. Neither Sarah nor Chuck seemingly is ready to take that leap and say screw the regulations and such and just go for things that might bring them happiness. This is another insistence where I am very interested to see how things work out...I know Chuck will probably ultimately win out in the end, but confirmation that it can happen is alway nice.
So while I understand that movies and television are certainly not the best role models for relationships, but they certainly present some idolized versions of stories that do happen in everyday life I believe and they can give hope to those of us still waiting for that wonderful moment when everything clicks. While my patience level ebbs and flows, I am begin to realize I just need to be patient and wait...my time will come and I will hopefully know it when I see it. I should recognize that really I have no time at the moment for taking on the burdens that a relationship brings, but also must forgo the idea of having another unabashed supporter of me in my life. We can never have too many of those...especially as a graduate student. The End
So concludes what must be one of the longest blog posts in history. Kudos if you made it through all the way...hope it was worth it.
