Thanksgiving Post

This Thursday is Thanksgiving. I usually enjoy this holiday. As a child I remember waking up and watching my parents bustle around the kitchen, preparing a feast. I would watch the Macy’s Parade with my sister. One year I remember playing board games with the parade on the television in the background. I really have no idea why this memory has stayed in my head, but one Thanksgiving morning I distinctly remember participating in a heated game of Battleship.

My junior year of high school was definitely a unique Thanksgiving. A few days before the holiday that encourages feasting, I had oral surgery. The removal of my wisdom teeth happened to come mere days before Thanksgiving, thus eliminating any possibility of me enjoying a good Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of my usual feast I managed to barely get down a meager serving of jello amidst all of my medical woes.

This Thursday I am very excited to watch the Green Bay Packers play the hapless Detroit Lions in Detroit. The Packers won today against the San Francisco 49ers. Last week the Packers beat the surging Dallas Cowboys in Green Bay. If the team can put together this three game winning streak successfully, they will have a legitimate possibility of winning their way to a wildcard slot in the playoffs.

The greatest possible outcome imaginable would be for the Packers to defeat the evil Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. While unlikely, this scenario would mirror the 2004 season. The Packers beat the Vikings twice during the regular season, but they lost when it mattered most during the wildcard round of the playoffs. The Packers have lost both games to the Vikings this season, but history has proven that it is extremely difficult to beat the same team three times in one year.

Spiraling Towards Semester's End...

There is only more week until classes are canceled for a long Thanksgiving break. I am very excited to go home for an extended amount of time and prepare for the final home stretch before my final exams. This semester my finals week could potentially turn out to be the best schedule for finals that I have ever had. I will look ahead to finals week and see what sort of academic rigors lie ahead.

During finals week, I have a test Monday afternoon at 4:30 for Freedom in Greece. I really enjoy that class, and depending on what my score is on the essay test I took in that class last Thursday I should have a low to mid A going into the final. The final is weighted slightly (it counts as two tests, basically) so I will need to do well on it, but an A is definitely attainable. Last semester in Freedom in Rome the final was Friday at 4:30. It was literally the last final on the campus. This was absolutely terrible. Having the final be on the first afternoon of finals week rather than the very last one is a major improvement.

Tuesday afternoon I have a final in Systems of Criminal Justice. However, I might not have to take this final. Depending on my grade going into the final, (knock on wood, fingers crossed) I might be exempt from taking this exam. Needless to say, this would be absolutely outstanding. I have a paper due in that class this Friday. I need to get a good score on this paper to keep the hopes alive of not taking the final.

Wednesday morning, bright and early at eight, I have the final for History of Journalism. This is not a cumulative final, so that is always helpful. I need to do well on it, but I definitely believe I will end up with an A in that class.

There is not a final exam for The Wire class or Intro to Professional Writing. I have some projects to turn in for both classes, but I think that on the whole I ought to be finished with these classes by the time the week preceding finals rolls around. Hurray.

Last night on network television, Fedor "The Last Emperor Emelianenko" defeated the previously unbeaten Brett "Grimm" Rogers in the second round of their heavyweight battle. Fedor is widely considered the best heavyweight mixed martial artist of all time. This was his first fight inside of a cage and only his second fight in America (in October of 2006 he triangle choked Mark "The Hammer" Coleman in the first Pride show to take place in America). Despite Fedor's thrilling victory, I am still unsure of how he would fare against the large, wrestling behemoths that comprise a good deal of the heavyweight roster in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Rogers busted Fedor's nose with the very first jab that he threw. He also managed to avoid several takedown events by the veteran Russian, and once Rogers even managed to sweep Fedor from the bottom. It would appear that Fedor had a little bit of trouble adjusting to the massive size of Rogers. Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, and Cain Velasquez are all potentially dangerous match-ups for Fedor. These physical specimens might have the tools to take Fedor down and hold him there. Of course, Fedor's defensive guard from his back is one of the most dangerous in the heavyweight division. So Fedor might be able to throw up an armbar and submit any one of these challengers. This is why these compelling fights need to happen.

Unfortunately, at least for the time being, Fedor is locked into an exclusive contract with Strikeforce. This means we will not see him inside the UFC octagon for some time. Even when his Strikeforce contract expires, it is doubtful that the much sought after Russian will lend his talents to the UFC. Negotiations have fallen through on multiple occasions to sign the talented heavyweight to the UFC. Dana White, the President of the UFC, has been very vocal in his dislike of the business tactics and outrageous demands of Fedor Emelianenko's handlers. Only time will tell what will happen next.

The First of November

Today is the first day of November. As this penultimate month of 2009 begins, I am completely shocked at how quickly this entire fall semester has flown by at rapid speed. I really have enjoyed my semester. In fact, I am worried that this semester has been so fantastic that I have no place to go but down next semester. I may have inadvertently set the bar too high.

I only have three semesters of school left. Of course, my long term goal is to attend law school. So that would tack on several more years of education. But as far as my undergraduate pursuits are concerned, I am fast approaching my conclusion. I am having some difficulty grasping this concept.

Tonight there is a free Owl City concert in the McCasland Field House. I have never really listened to Owl City much. But the most downloaded song on iTunes is by Owl City, so I feel like this is a rather big deal. I gave to go help the bands load in a few minutes. I know Owl City is not a traditional band with lots of members. There is just one guy. But I am so unfamiliar with Owl City I could not be able to identify the guy out of police lineup.

Today the Green Bay Packers play the dread Minnesota Vikings. This game will be played in the fabled Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The last meeting between these two heated rivals was contested in the Metro Dome in Minnesota, and unfortunately the noble Packers were felled to a superior opponent. I feel as though the Packers are going to really play with a rare intensity in this game though. Brett Favre is making his return to Green Bay, suiting up in the visitor's locker room for the first time in his illustrious career.

First Post in So Long

I have unintentionally neglected this blog for quite some time, and for that I apologize. I will try to be more thorough about getting new posts up, but as the semester continues to grind along I am getting busier and busier with various projects.

I am continuing to review products for Blogcritics.org, and I have actually fallen a little behind in my reviews. I have two television series I need to publish a review for, in addition to several documentaries. I also some products I need to review in other publications. I plan on writing for the local campus newspaper, The Oklahoma Daily.

I watched the movie Paranormal Activity yesterday at the Warren Theater in Moore. This movie has received a ton of buzz after a fantastic marketing campaign that features the terrified reactions of audience members. Also, the movie's budget was a paltry 15,000 dollars.

Whenever I watch a movie that has such a vast amount of hype behind it, often times I leave the theater disappointed. Sure enough, the same amount of people told me that Paranormal Activity was overrated as those that told me it was positively horrifying. I was extremely excited to see the movie, but after getting some lukewarm feedback I tempered my expectations slightly.

The movie ended up being very frightening. The story is told in a pseudo-real manner, and no credits run (except one, to establish copyright). The entire movie was filmed in just one week. I really enjoyed it, but I fear that a whole slew of copycat movies will flood the theaters now because this low budget horror movie has become such a rousing success.

Next week is homecoming, so I expect I will be rather busy with various school-spirit-motivated deeds. I hope that the weather is nice for the parade on Saturday. I'll check in with a post-homecoming update, for sure.

Great Lake Swimmers Concert

Friday evening a band called Great Lake Swimmers performed a free concert in Meacham Auditorium in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. This band is not merely a local act desperately seeking recognition. Rather, Great Lake Swimmers are a Toronto based band with multiple successful albums who are leaving to tour Europe (again) next November. Fortunately, the University of Oklahoma has been privy to many fantastic concerts by amazing independent bands over the last several years, and there is no sign of this changing anytime soon.

In a few weeks, the hugely popular Owl City will perform on campus. Last year, Manchester Orchestra and Amos Lee played shows on campus. The Rocket Summer has played here on several occasions since I've been a student. There is ample opportunity for someone to see a great deal of really good concerts as long as they stay abreast of what the Campus Activities Council Concert Series Executive Committee is doing.

The Concert Series Exec is a group of students who schedule, promote, and work concerts that happen on OU's campus. From hanging up posters to chalking to carrying equipment to purchasing food and drink for the green room, Concert Series does the majority of the behind the scenes leg work that goes into making a show come to fruition.

I have been on this Exec since the first semester of my freshman year. As such, I have worked numerous shows. Each one is different, and new challenges constantly present themselves. I always enjoy being tasked with purchasing food for band members, especially when they request some obscure organic dish that is nearly impossible to track down in Norman, Oklahoma.

I am in no way complaining--I love being on this Exec. I am a big fan of music, so this is very fun for me. As the semester progresses I will post updates of upcoming shows and maybe even relay some entertaining behind the scenes tales, depending on if I will violating any statutes of limitations on outstanding warrants.

The Agony of Defeat...

Last night the University of Miami defeated the University of Oklahoma by a single point in a nationally televised football game. This marks the second defeat in four games for Oklahoma; the Miami team lost last week for the first time.

This loss upsets me because it essentially eliminates OU from playing in an illustrious bowl game at the season's conclusion. Instead, OU will most likely play in a mid-tier bowl against a decent opponent. If recent history is any indicator, the team will probably lose the bowl game too. (I realize I'm being overly pessimistic. Just give me some time to mourn.)

Tomorrow night, my beloved Green Bay Packers will take the field against bitter division rivals the Minnesota Vikings. This game is even more important than usual when you consider that current Vikings quarterback Brett Favre made his career with the Green Bay Packers for over a decade. Now he is wearing the purple and gold, and Packers fans across the nation all feel as if Mike Tyson circa 1987 personally punched them in the stomach.

I don't think I can properly describe how badly I want the Packers to win Monday night. I would classify the feeling as more of a need than a want. With Oklahoma's season in disarray, my one last bastion of football glory rests with the Packers. They lost in week two against the Bengals at home, but they absolutely trounced the Rams last week. A win on Monday night will see the Packers stand alone atop their division, while a loss will see Minnesota remain undefeated and poised to begin pulling ahead of the rest of the teams. in the NFC North.

So Monday night sit back, relax, and watch some intense football action. If there is any justice in the world the Packers will come out victorious, and I can step back from the ledge I will no doubt crawl onto.