Here is a classic pic from last years USC/Clemson game where DHAM just chewed up the Lamecock D for ayet another touchdown. Notice the admiring Gamecock fans... 

Weekend, and the ghost town this morning

This was an weird drive into work this morning.. no traffic, no people, unusual stuff on the radio... I guess people in the real world have Memorial Day off.

The weekend was good, but I am starting to realize the the "Terrible twos" are probably now officilly here with the twins. imagine dealing with two people whom everything you want them to do, they wont do...and everything they want to do, you dont want them to do. And their official response to "NO!", "Stop!", or "Not right now!" is to start bawling crying...sigh. It should be fun this afternoon because I have to bring them to work with me since the daycare is closed, and Jessica can only keep them till noon. Oh boy!

at any rate, we went boating on Lake Greenwood this weekend. That was fun, and since it was a tad cloudy, that was even better, because i cant stand that sun thing. Today i think my mother is coming over with my brother for Hotdawgs and hamburgers, after 6 or so.

Contracts for work, Tainted Gas?

Yesterday, i signed a new contract for work. nothing unusual about this as we have year to year "contracts" for our jobs that follow the fiscal year. I am always happy to get that little folder, for it means that come June 30th, I still have a job. But this time, their was a twist. At the bottom, in BOLD and UNDERLINED, it says... "THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT. YOUR EMPLOYMENT WITH FURMAN UNIVERSITY IS A VOLUNTARY ONE AND IS SUBJECT TO TERMINTAION BY YOU OR FURMAN AT WILL." Now at first, i was thinking..."uh...am I about to get axed?" I then read the next page addendum and it talks about how South carolina has been an "employment at will" state for many years, meaning that people working for an institution/company, it is considered voluntary and either the employee or the employer can end the employment at anytime. And our Governor signed some sort of bill reaffirming this recently. It says that this disclaimer must be on slary letters and policies Manuals for employees. The Furman Lawyers are covering their asses, I guess. And EVERYONE has to sign it here at Furman...all staff members, including VPs. The only people not signing are tenured faculty. So I felt better, thinking that everything was alright. But it still made the day a little darker...

And now Shell is closing down gas stations because their gas has too much sulfur right now that can damage vehicle fuel gauges and make an empty tank appear full. Considering my gas card is Shell, i am annoyed...however, i do drive a Diesel (45 city, 60 highway) so I think Im fine... I think. We'll see...if i drive 600 miles and my gas gauge is saying that I still have 3/4ths tank, I will know something's up.

Watching the Lake show

ya know, the Lakers court looked better when it had yellow 3 second lanes

This weekend series(Braves) with the Phillies signals whether or not I am going to pull out the white flag for the first time since 1990. Oh, I checked on it a couple of Mays ago when the Braves were struggling, just to make sure I still had it, and it wasnt mothball eaten. been a long time since I have even had to remotely consider the Braves not winning.

Another QUOTE OF THE DAY
Politicians are like diapers and need to be changed for the same reason.
- Unknown

Rylee yucking it up... 

Ian in the tub, not a care in the world! 

Quote for today?

The question, in the NBA and in life, is not whether or not you can shoot.The question is whether or not you can get your shot.

- Ralph Wiley

Funny how he is saying this about my new favorite player, Derek Fisher. But it is true...tis true.

Exams...Friends...Car overheating...Pictures

Today is study day at Furman. Tomorrow starts exams. I have no students working for me today, so I HAVE to sit in the office and do everything myself. Woe is me, you say? Not really, but it does kinda tie me down to the office and not allow me to get some maintenance in. I also move out of this office into my new place in a week and a half, and I really need to start going through all this junk.

Do you ever kinda wonder what's up with certain people? I usually operate under the "no news is good news" philosophy with my friends, but I am kinda starting to soften that stance. I wonder if it is because I am growing older and realize that the times and circumstances that we will get together are growing farther and farther apart. I now have two fellow colony members who are no longer with us. Everyone is getting families and married, etc. Life goes on, which is good and the way its supposed to be, but I sometimes wonder if the quality of life is better. I want my wife ad kids and they are the most important thing to me. But I am starting to feel that I need to someway, somehow keep better in touch with my friends. That is one of the reasons I started this blog. While I know some of my friends will read this, as well as some people who knew me as a brother or acquaintance who could care less about me, it is a way for me to let people know kinda what is going on with me, in general. I doubt many people will comment, or post anything in the little post-it note on the side, but I hope that at least they will see that the same crap they are going through everyday, I am too. The little kids, the daily commute and work, the pondering about when/of the USA will be attacked again, cheering on Clemson, dealing with the Frat...Whatever. Its all good, and ... as Mufasa would say..."We are all apart of the Circle of Life"

My car overheated slightly the other day, but has not ever since then. I wonder if that extremely humid night had anything to do with it, but the temp has stayed locked at 190 ever since then...

I am going to publish a couple of pix of Ian and Rylee from last night in the bathtub. That will probably be the last for a while. I have a couple of pix I am going put up tomorrow probably...

Looks like Kobe's accuser slept with someone else AFTER she was raped...Supposedly... Can we guess where this is all heading?

Starting phase 2 of the weblog

Until today, only a few people knew of this site...I had mention of it on my AIM screename, so I know some brothers and friends have stumbled across it. Today I am sending out an email to my friends, alumni of the chapter, etc. telling them about this webpage. I hope they get a glimpse as to whats up with me these days. I will try to start putting up more pictures of the twins, as well as Jessica and me, whenever we dare to get in front of the camera. But this will still be a place where I might have a random thought, or a position on politics, perhaps a comment on the Fraternity, or just a rambling sentence or two. Let me know if you visit...you can type over to the side or leave a comment.

This is Rylee and Ian's 2 year 4 month picture. Actually, there are several poses, but I scanned in this proof that we had before we turned them back in. They hardly EVER wear anything remotely matching or coordinated, but on this day they did. 

more random stuff

My car was overheating last night on my way home from work. Not blowing up overheating, but I noticed that the temp was at about 210 instead of its normal 190. This morning it didnt seem to run hot, but I did not run the AC on the way into work, so I dont know if there is a problem or not. I think I am going to flush the system and change the coolant entirely this weekend.

I was listening to Jazz yesterday in my office. Miles Davis "All Blues" has to...just HAS to be... the best single Jazz song of all time. i fyou ever get a chance, listen to it. I mean, REALY listen to it with a critical mind. It isnt a perfect performance. Miles cracks a couple of notes, but they somehow add to the performance, rather than detract. Cannonball Adderly is just pure genius in his solo. And this was done in one take, from what I have been told.

I am tryin to get Jessica to post stuff in her blog, but she doesnt seem to keen to that yet. I think she is a little leery of strangers reading stuff about her, so she might not really ever do it.

BUSTED!!!

Ok...so the ole laptop was starting to act a bit sluggish, so I decided to investigate the ole laptop. I mean, this is a 2.8 machine with 512 ram, so there is NO way it should not be screaming all the time. Ran NETSTAT, and...lookie what I found...all types of random IP addresses accessing my machine. What for, I dont know. I do know that I did have a security hole because I liked to remote login to my laptop from other places on campus...seems like those days are over. Closed that hole, and all those IP addresses are now gone, the the ole screamin laptop is back to Nasa-like mainframe speeds...well, not quite that fast, but fast enough so i dont have to wait for a page to download.

Perhaps i was a tad bit premature...

...Ok, I said that The Sopranos "jumped the Shark" last week with their whacked dream episode. Last night, they bounced back strong and showed that perhaps i spoke in haste. It was a great episode and the season ender is in two weeks, and should be pretty good, from what I could tell from the previews.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy.
- Henry Kissinger

Got the Chapter Summary report from the Kappa Beta President. The report looks good, and should be able to give a great endorsment of the chapter operations to the National HQ. Now, if we can just get the chapter mindset heading in the right direction, instead of focusing on "Who has done me wrong today" mentality.

Heard that a friend of mine got engaged on her cruise last week. IMAGINE THAT!!!...who would have thought THAT would happen... not like anybody coudnt see that coming from about 40 miles away...but it is still cool, all the same.

the weekend so far..

Yesterday, Jessica and I went to the Nascar Race in Charlotte with Lynn and Trent. I must admit that it was very entertaining, especially since we had seats at the Start/Finish line, around 10 rows up. We were right in front of the big stage that they put up for TV to introduce the drivers, perhaps 30 yards max away. While I am somewhat an enthusiast, the others with me are probaly more casual fans, so it was a releif to me that the race was fairly entertaining. I know that I have doubts as to if most of my friends could deal with the 500 mile events on a regular basis. But I definitely plan to try to get a good group of people to go next year. The only major problem was the heat, which was somewhat higher than expected.

Ellen, my sister-in-law, is moving to Charlotte. That will mark a somewhat subtle change in Jessica's family, in that now her brother and sister are both graduated and away "from home". I am interested to see how the dyanamics of things work, since the built-in events like football games and concerts will no longer be there to help facilitate get togethers. I anticipate that holidays and other days will take on a far great significance now.

Why do white people, specifically white males, think that it is cool to walk around with no shirt on in public? And I am not talking about buff, weight lifter types or fashion model types. I am talking about 40 pound overweight, hairy, pale beergut hanging over the belt, white guys walking around. Who tells these people that this is acceptable? well, i guess all the others who are doing it, to answer my own question... and we wont even talk about the white women (same desciption as above) walking around with bikini tops on.

weekend...

The weekends here!!! heading to Clemson to help Ellen move out of her apartment, then getting ready for a eventful weekend. Going to be hanging out with Lynn Trent and Jessica tomorrow. The I will probably have to return to work Sunday afternoon to prepare for events on Monday.
I will post some pix of the weekends activities on Sunday or Monday.

Ian in Easter outfit being...well, Ian. 

Rylee in her Easter dress, with the usual "attitude" 

Finally..

finally CWebb has the opportunity to get that monkey off his back...to justify his shaky status as a...superstar. Finally, he has the ball in HIS hands with the game on the line, to join the Pantheon of great heros...Magic as a rookie leading the Lakers to the title, imitating the skyhook to kill the Celtics... Bird dropping buzzer beating threes and stealing the ball against the Lakers to win a title... Isaih leading the Bad Boys finally past the Celtics, then over the Lakers...Dr. J leading the 76ers with those majestic slams...The Dream spinning to the baseline, dropping that rainbow , fallaway jumper (albeit while Jordan was playing baseball, but still....)Kobe with those long strides dribbling past Nicholson and Denzel, leading the Lake Show with The Diesel. Jordan...'nuff said. Instead, we see Garnett blowing by CWebb, making plays... we see GARNETT dropping the bomb trey from WAY downtown... and we see CWebb down on the floor, crying, lookin like he is some college kid who called timeout when he didnt have any left...

GIMP!!!!

you know, Cwebb should have done what any self respecting black kid from educated, middle class family upbringing does...JOIN THE BAND!!! You know EXACTLY what I am talking about, and you are laughing now, because you know...you know... you feel what he feels, because you know...you just know. You see it in his eyes... his tortured soul, and you feel for him...sorta...

GIMP!!!! and I aint talking about no FRAT bear either.

Always weird

Its always weird at the end of the year here at Furman, because Clemson is already out, yet Furman still has 2 more weeks to go in their year. When the Clemson kids are talking about getting out for Summer and graduation, i'm always thinking that I still have another month to go before any sort of break.

A few days till i get to go to the race in Charlotte. I am definitely looking forward to it, but I still need to download my scanner frequencies

...started thinking about Xmas and gifts today. Spent a few minutes writting down a list so I can work from it as the year goes. Jessica and I are already saving money so we can have some cash to spend on gifts when we go to New York for Jessica Dean's wedding. too early, you say? I say better to be early than to be broke come January.

ah, music...it makes you think...

"Ice Cream"

Your love is better than ice cream
better than anything else that I've tried
and your love is better than ice cream
everyone here know how to fight
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from
Your love is better than chocolate
better than anything else that I've tried
oh love is better than chocolate
everyone here knows how to cry
it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from...

Sara Mclachlan

A few years ago, i went to Lilith Fair with Jessica, Brandy Smith, and Jamie Clemons. I remember that a huge rainstorm came in the middle of the concert and that girls took off their tops and were mudsliding at the park where we were. The best part was Sheryl Crow..man, she absolutly rocked.Anyway, Sara McLachlan was there and the song above was one she sung, and I never will forget the part where she let the crowd sing. It gives me chills remembering that.... it always amazes me how powerful music can be. For example, as I was walking from my car this morning, a white, red-neck "looking" (key word here) guy on a construction crew was singing that Mario Winans song "I Dont Want to Know" and he started rapping along with P Diddy. It kinda startled me, but amused me as well. Twenty years ago, that would have been UNHEARD of. I am reminded of the Ritual of the FRAT, and some of the stuff that is talked about in regards to Music... and I smile. It is so true.

Today, May 17, 2004

Today was my birthday... not much happened. Got a card from jessica and Brandy. got a phone call from my mother at 6:30am. Jessica gave me a small frame with the twins in it. Of course, she also got me the digital cable and the cable modem a couple of weeks ago for my birthday, so I really didnt expect much else from the family, which is cool. I did get a phone call from Lisa, which was really unexpected, but was very welcome. Although I was in a meeting and couldnt take her call, i appreciated that message more than she will ever know, for I always wish that I could talk to her on a more regular basis. Perhaps this will be the catalyst of good things to come with my friendship with her. It has been dormant for far too long.

The Sopranos might have "jumped the Shark" last night. Just to make sure I wasnt in a fog, i watched it again tonight and yep, I think I saw Fonzie jump over the watertank...

..had a meeting with the vendors and Library "types" today and wallked through the rooms where AV will be installed. i think the Library folks may believe me now. i tried to tell them that what they were asking for was WAAAAYYYY out of their budget. they found out that they are asking for 750,000 dollars worth of equipment on a 250,000 budget...i dont think thats going to work...but hey, i tried to warn them. but of course, what do i know...I have just been doing this for close to five years now.

up and runnin

Ok, the webcam is running now... you can see it at webpages.charter.net/jecca0330

that is where you can see a snapshot from over the PC every four minutes. I dont think it will be something we will be mugging for, or anything. Perhaps, i will invest in a wireless camera soon, so we can see into whatever room we place the camera.

the new computer i setup on the cable modem is screaming fast. I am impressed. i guess it pays to live on a street where everybody is over 80 years old. No chance of the local pipe getting used up by grannies downloading porn or anything... and isnt it great to be able to sit with the laptop on the couch in front of the TV and browse the net?

new stuff at the house

Ok...got the wireless access point up and running at the house. Now i cn be on the internet from anywhere at the house with a laptop. Also have the webcam connected to theCPU, although THATS not running, yet... more on that later.

...tomorrow is my birthday. I used to really get excited about my birthday, but now, it just seems like another day.I get the "Happy birthdays" from jessica, and maybe my mother, but..other than that, I usually dont hearfrom anybody. Which is fine, because i usually dont talk to too many people on their birthdays either. And dont get me wrong..I do like it when Jessica recognzes my birthday. She always remembers and tries to make some part of it special, which I always appreciate.

lakers win the series... does Fisher not look like he is the coolest dude on the planet? what I mean is that he seems like the type of person who is cool, but doesnt really go out of his way to be cool. of course, all the lakers have that "pretty boy, Hollywood" look about them. Rick Fox, Devean George, Fisher, Kobe...even Malone looks a little more like an action hero now...

Got to me that Black Lakers tee sometime soon...

Fisher, Derek #2, Los Angeles Lakers

* Full name is Derek Lamar Fisher
* Communications major at Arkansas Little-Rock
* Close friends with NBA player Corliss Williamson, an Arkansas native
* Would like to run a business following his basketball career
* Active in several community service organizations, including American Cancer Society and Big Brothers and Big Sisters
* Has a brother, Duane, and a sister, DeAndra
* Enjoys fishing, listening to music and traveling
* Lists grilled chicken and chicken parmesan as his favorite foods

oh, and I almost forgot...

The Lake show won last night... Kobe says "Not Guilty" then drops 42 on the Spurs...Seems like the NBA is FINALLY getting it, next game on Thursday, then the next on Saturday, instead of the next game being next week, then the following next month.

Ian got a new Spongebob Vw beetle for using the potty last night. That puts his toy count at something like 2371 items scattered around the house... I can put up with it for now, for he needs to learn that concept, but I could easily see Ian's next Christmas being sometime around 2012.Of course, Rylee is still wimpering about her lack of toys, but doesnt want to give up that convenience of the diaper, I guess.

This Senator...Robert Byrd, from West Virginia... dude, he is another Strom thurmond. Senile and blathering. Can someone get him into a home? And does anyone ever remember that he was once a leader of the KKK?

anyway...

well, damn....

..that guy those people beheaded played Tuba in highschool...

..damn...

So, what are they going to say now?

just wondering what all the people are going to say about the video they just released from Iraq showing an American CIVILIAN getting killed. Ok, so you say that has happened some... Ok, but this is a video showing Iraqi terrorist CUTTING OFF THE HEAD OF THE CIVILIAN, THEN HOLDING IT UP FOR THE CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!

Wonder who the press is going to blame this on?

The 29 is getting props

QUOTE OF THE DAY
We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them.
- Charles Caleb Colton

Ian seems to be figuring out the potty thing pretty good. I wonder if the fact that he gets a new toy everytime he does the potty has anything to do with it. So he is adding to the 1048 toys he currently has strewn around the house. But he has taken to the #29 Kevin Harvick car that he got a few days ago. Clutches it in his hand while he sleeps... gotta like that since that is my favorite Nascar driver.

oh, and by the way...

...today was perhaps one of the hardest days I have ever had to endure at work. I am running a fever, and I feel about as bad as I can EVER remember. It sucks to sit here all day and just wish you could go home and sleep... .. and this bloeer stuff has added a whole bunch of new templates. I havent had a chance to check them out, but I will probably stick with this one anyway...

Its been a week....

...so, I better post something, i guess. I actually think about stuff to post all the time, but the past week was somewhat busy at work, and since my time on the CPU at home is limited by the twins wanting to play Teletubbies on the computer, well.... gotta put the kids first, I guess.

I think that listening to talk radio on my drive into work is starting to have its affect on me. I wonder if I am starting to lean to the conservative side because of the Limbaugh, O'reilly, Gallagher stuff I hear all day. I have it on in my office all day, so I hear the "Right" side point of view (propaganda) all the time. Interesting that I also have MTV on the tV all day too... But everytime I hear Janine Garafolo whining, or any of those people on that Air America crap, i get annoyed. I actually LIKE the characters that Janine plays, but when she starts screaming, I just tune out now... But I ask this question...Why was their no outcry from the "Left" when American soldiers were dragged around and burned and hung up and shown on TV, yet they are screaming because of the photos from the prisons? Dont get me wrong... I think that what those MPs did was wrong, and I think they need to be prosecuted. But there was no indignation when the photo of the American burning inside his car was published all over the world... I dont know. Erik turned me on to the Kerry website. I am still not impressed. I just wish the Dems would run somebody else...

Its really cool to have children. It is so cool to be able to see them develop in huge spurts. For example, it just seems to me that Rylee made a huge jump in her vocabulary and social development over the past 2 or 3 days. "I dont Know" and "Supercool!" are a couple. As well as strategically placed "No"s. SHe is going to be quite a handful, and she has made a turn to "Diva status" rather quickly. Oh, and I forgot to mention the "Crying and yelling, and then when I show up and ask her whats wrong...Its always "He hit me", with Ian standing ther looking dumbfounded". i sometimes wonder if he actually hit her, or she is just honing her skills...

hmm...... just makes you wonder....

QUOTE OF THE DAY
It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
- William G. McAdoo

Changes at the house

Ok..so we (jessica) broke down and got digital cable and a cable modem. Jessica got it as a birthday present for me. Really cool. Now the picture looks like it is supposed to on my Sony. of course, all this stuff to watch, and whats on right now?.... FINDING NEMO!!!, for the 972nd time....

..the cable modem is cool...now I dont have to dial in all the time. I think we will invest in a webcam for the house, and put it in the den...that wll probably be a few weeks, though... need to get a wireless access point up and running and then a camera. Jessica is going to have her Instant messenger running all the time here at the house.

... nothing much else is going on....counting down the days till i get to go to the race in Charlotte, getting work stuff done at Furman, for I make my move to my new office on June 6th. Fraternity stuff has quieted down for now. Still need to make sure they get the CSR done on time....