Smokin' Joe Frazier passed away last night. I bet to most people reading this there is a "Um.. who's that?" sorta vibe... But Joe Frazier was a baaaddd man. And he was unwillingly the evil villain to Muhammed Ali. (Ali was also polarizing because of his stance against the Vietnam War) And it could be said that there would be no Ali without Frazier. Frazier, Ali and Foreman (and to a far lesser extent Norton) were the heyday of Heavyweight Boxing... their boxing matches made ANY of the current matches seem like a MMA fight down at Anderson Civic Center. BILLIONS of people watched their fights in a time where there was NO cable TV or internet. I remember watching the fights (some of my first memories) on TV on Saturdays/Sundays on Wide World of Sports. And just as entertaining were the interviews and press meetings promoting the fights between Ali and Frazier. Ali invented trash talking. and he took it out on Frazier. And Frazier was never really able to respond and it always hurt him. And I dont think Frazier realized that to Ali, it was all promoting the fight and not personal. I also remember watching the fights and not realizing that they were actually taped events we were watching. This was before cable, 24 hour sports talk and the internet. This was when the NBA came on on Sundays and you didnt even know that the game you were watching happened 4 or 5 days ago.

at any rate, I hope Smokin' Joe is able to go drink a beer and smoke a cigar now in peace.... a part of me died with him. While I was an Ali guy back then ( a kid more drawn to Ali's flamboyant style and words) i do feel I would have been a Frazier guy if I would have been an adult at that time. And can you imagine how Ali would be received now? a muslim? anti goverment? brash, outspoken?...

anyway, I digress. More for another time.

To echo George Foreman this morning... "Goodnight Joe... Rest in Peace."

i remember a time when it took me three days to program sprites into my Commodore 64 to try to run the most basic of videogames... now I am watching Monday Night Football as I drive down the road, receiving text and Google talking to my daughter... on my phone.

So the Jetta has returned FINALLY from the local snakeoil dr. and it is running like it did 10 years ago. It has me now thinking I should push for 400K... Fix the AC (likely a dead compressor) and the nose and we are set... I think for the 18,000 I paid for it that I have gotten my moneys worth...

mucho thanks to Nanna and Papa, and Uncle Wes for letting me borrow a car during this time...

tsk.. tsk.. somebody at work dared to break what is normal policy at work and brought up Herman Cain to me and asked me what I thought about the harrassment scandal thingy. Well..

tsk, tsk.. I can certainly see where this is a story. But I also see where people will take the opportunity for their 15 minutes of fame. And then you will see the piling on... women coming out of nowhere suddenly saying this and that. Probably the truth lies in there somewhere. I can kinda see him as a guy who might occasionally make off color remarks or bad attempts at innuendo humour. So I bet he has said some things in the past that i am sure he regrets now. And his inexperience on this stage is hurting him at this junction. He will eventually have to start having a savvy press secretary soon to run interference for him IF...IF he gets past this current bruhaha. I am guessing they might feel he can ride it out. I am not sure the media is going to let this go considering it seems they have deemed Romney as who they want to run against Obama.

at the end of the day, the charges are serious. And Cain did not handle it well from get go (see: inexperienced at handling the bigtime stage) Personally, I am curious to see how this all comes out. I dont see it being a deal breaker for me based on what has been leaked.. so far. I havent heard where there has been anything physical... yet. And while any sort of sexual harrasment toward anyone should be addressed, it remains to be seen just whether or not this stemmed from the "lets sue over anything" days 20 years ago, or belies a more serious systematic problem with his character. he wouldnt be the first President, or probably last, who has had "issues" with women, would he? Its just now it is something to generate ratings and get people to watch/read....

dude.. i have a slight back problem. It seems to be going away, and its not as bad as a couple times before. But i assume most people reading here have had a back issue at one time or another. And it always amazes me how much of what you do is controlled by your back muscles. especially the lower back. I also am re-evaluating my diet as I my blood sugar is cycling a little higher over all. And I am beginning to wonder if that has a part in my lower back tweak as I do remember that the last time this happened, I immediately changed my diet to a strict adherence and almost immediately recovered... So... i guess that answers my question, i suppose.

one of the "benefits" of where I work is that they will pay for a certain amount of education costs. So I am now getting my A+ Certification for free... well, not exactly free in that I have to actually work at my  job and go there everyday. And that it does take time... so every morning I take a little time to watch videos and do labs and take quizzes... This will be huge in that it will instantly open up doors for me to think about other opportunities within the company, or even elsewhere if I thought I could improve on salary. But a short term benefit will be an increase in pay due to that certification being on my resume. Its funny in that so much of this stuff I already know. I will also be going on to get the Networking Certification, as well. Now THAT will be stuff I am not as totally familiar with.

while I am definitely undecided (and still Independent) I have been piqued and amused by Herman Cain. I am not sure he is what we need as President. but what I find pisses me off is that the supposed "Progressives" are all out attcking him now that they see he has a little traction? And the nastiness of the supposed enlightened Liberals is funny. What? oh.. I forgot, all Black people are supposed to be Democrats right? If you dare think outside of that mold.. dare think for yourself and think against what we are told to think, then we are Uncle Tom's and "smoking from a crack pipe". And the attacks on Cain will get worse. And where will they come from? Think about it... I am reminded of the fact that Jackie Robinson was called an Uncle Tom when he was involved in the Nixon campaign and Administration. He, like me, had a lot of opinions that could be "labeled" as Left or Right... which, by the way, I think most people are.. But it pisses me off when I see the obvious cheerleaders for Obama at MSNBC, or NBC or CBS or ABC or NPR... openly diss Hermain Cain and look to tear him down. What? he's not Black enough? (and we all know Cain is waaayyy more "black" than Obama can ever claim to be.. or ever was) or is it that if he does succeed, it blows the "Blacks MUST be Democrats" notion out of the water? It seems you can be diverse as long as you are diverse in the way WE tell you to be....

so... I think I am a tad bit tired of Halloween. First of all, we start talking about this so called "holiday"? in late August and when it falls on a Monday (or even Sunday) it is a 3 or 4 day gorge fest on candy. now... i like candy. I dont eat too much of it for many reasons. But it really is all the kids are thinking about. It really is selfish and we all feed into it.. How much did you get? what did you get? I think the Charlie Brown Special pretty much sums it up... "I got a rock"

and as I have said before, I am not sure I like how the "Holidays" are heading. We will now essentially bypass Thanksgiving and start getting pounded on Christmas "stuff". And I am not talking about the actual meaning /history/symbolism of Christmas. But the Santa/Skatell her/Its he most wonderful time of the year over and over will start to be pushed down our throats. Once again, i tread carefully cause I dont want that part of Christmas going away.. But I also want to make sure the twins understand where these "Holidays" actually came from this year. And the symbolism of Santa and gift giving, etc. will have to be stressed this year... I think I might have to find that "The Little Drummer Boy" on DVD to go a long with the Charlie Brown Specials, Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and... yes... The Polar Express.

in the ongoing saga that is my car update, I have one last thing to do that requires immediate attention.. it is sitting at a shop in town and they ordered a part but, alas.. it was the WRONG part... now why they sat around and didnt tell me this for two days is beyond me... so I assume  that they will order the correct part, right?. WRONG... so when I call to inquire dude is like "we found one (the part)".. ... I'm like sitting here thinking..."and?"... but he hasnt ordered it yet. Like he thinks I am having to debate between dealer ($1600.00) and him ($600.00)... but I tell him to hold tight and I get back on the Internet and find a place that is even better priced. I am getting ready to order this part when I take another look on my TDIclub website I frequent and stumble across warning after dire warning after sad sad story of destroyed engines due to parts ordered from this company... seems like dude is using some sorta Chinese rebuilt parts and uses several "fronts" on the internet to sell parts at an extremely reduced rate, beating price and sucking in value conscious (read: too cheap to pay the exorbitant dealer cost... like me) people.. lots of blown engines and eventual $5000 costs to rebuild/replace engines after parts from this parts dealer... so.. back to my local TDI guy. I walk in and tell him face to face to order this part and get it done. NOW, please?

some of John Wooden's Maxims...

• Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
• Flexibility is the key to stability.
• Be quick, but don't hurry.

by the way, I am assuming the Tigers wont take UNC lightly tomorrow... that being said, I wount be caught off guard like i was last week. I went into watching the Maryland game with my "B" Clemson hat, a trucker hat that is somewhat retro... i wanted to see Clemson win without my wearing the same hat I had worn for all the other victories... i stuck with it thru halftime and gave in, running upstairs and getting the "lucky" A cap, a fitted khaki cap that simply says TIGERS with an embroidered small tiger paw on the back. Put it on and sat down to watch the second half with renewed confidence and karma back on my/our/their side. And Voila!!!.. Clemson storms back and wins... I know I am not alone in knowing that type of stuff matters... like the Dallas Cowboys unlucky blue jerseys, or the Braves crappy batting practice blue jerseys they always seems to start losing streaks in... karma matters and I will have my hat on just to make sure tomorrow...

Going into the Columbia tourney, I-Man's soccer team had won only one match.. way back in August. And it is interesting to start to hear the grumbling on the sidelines from the other parents about the coach, club, etc... its kinda like what I bet will happen if/when the inevitable losses happen with Clemson (although the current talent amassed at Clemson makes me think 2 or maybe 3 good seasons in the queue right now...) and the whispering  is really hard on this first time coach. at any rate, I-Man's team is coming off a a good showing at the tourney and a win last Saturday against another Academy team 2-1... They seem to have gotten a little confidence with this success. But Sunday sees a return to league play... we shall see. His team is really designed to be training for next year. The Club seems bent on getting this group in physical shape more so than winning...

so.. i bit the bullet. I changed up the look. Its been over 5 years since I settled on the old look. What do you think? I think this will allow viewing of the photos better...

speaking of Lou Holtz, I am rereading his book I have during breaks at work. And I came across this that I have posted before, but I always feel is good food for thought...

Per Lou Holtz, everyone needs 4 things in life:

* First, you have to have something to do. Stories of healthy individuals who die within a few years of retiring are too numerous to list. It’s also true that prisoners serving life sentences sleep for 12-14 hours a day because they have nothing in their lives that compels them to get out of bed.

* The second thing you have to have is someone to love. We are put on earth to love other people. Those who don’t have anyone exist without happiness.

* Third, you have to have something to believe in. I’ve always said that not believing in a god is not an option for humans. You might not believe in the Heavenly Father, as I do, but everyone has a god. It might be the quest for power or material gains; it might be a cause–environmentalism, conservationism, global socialism, or one of countless other isms, or it might be the search for peace–but everyone has a god.

* Finally, you have to have something to look forward to. In his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, made some interesting clinical observations in the midst of the horrors of Auschwitz. Dr. Frankl noticed that prisoners who had nothing to live for and nothing to look forward to died quickly of starvation, fatigue, or abuse at the hands of their captors. But those who survived shared one thing in common: They all had something to look forward to. Often the survivors lived for the thought of rejoining a relative, or escaping to another country. Sometimes they hung on in the hopes of exacting revenge on the Nazis. But whatever the reason, those who survived the greatest atrocity in history were those who had something to look forward to.

I met President Obama the other day at work...  I asked him about my 40 acres and a mule. he looked around for his teleprompter and said "No comment" He was more interested in whether or not Clemson would be able to get past UNC and GaTech to get to 9-0. I told him that Lou Holtz once told me "You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose"... I think I will take that and run with it until January....

So... not too long ago, we totally overhauled the HVAC system in the house... must admit that our first two power bills have absolutely stunned me. over 200% lower have the power bills been... now I am pondering just where I want to set the temp for the house for winter. It seems to want to stay @ around 68 downstairs naturally but I think 70 is more where I want to sit and perhaps leave the heat off upstairs during the day and maybe heat it to 75 in the morning and bedtime hours. this dual zone stuff might be the best thing invented since the TDI engine... speaking of which, i have decided to get the fuel injection pump replaced totally. that should bring the jetta totally back up to speed.

by the way, they are completely replacing the bridge below our house and the road is closed. They actually redirected the creek while they are working down in the ground rebuilding the bridge. Looking at the wood poles that were basically holding up the old bridge, I can see why they suddenly said that heavy trucks and vehicles could not cross over it (the garbage/recycling trucks have to back down the street a 1/4 mile to our house right now). they were rotting and it was a matter of time before it would have collapsed.... but it looks like they are opening up the area below the bridge, which will alleviate the concern over a backup during heavy rains from a dead deer or cow blocking the water flow and flooding our downstairs...

So I got a RFID blocking wallet a couple of weeks ago... it is actually made out of steel... as in the entire thing is made out of metal,but it is not hard like you would imagine it would be.... So when the vending machines start zapping you out of a $1.25 just because you walk by them here in the near future I hope i will be prepared

So I watched the Dabo Swinney show a little while ago... it was funny to see the tell tale smirk on his face. It was filmed not too long after the victory Saturday night. It immediately reminded me of the feeling and smirk I have when I play I-Man in Fifa 11 soccer on Xbox. let me explain... for some reason my son has this ability to play outstandingly well for a 9 year old on Xbox, seemingly picking up games within minutes that it has taken me years to become slightly competitive at. So, after getting clocked by his Chelsea team and having to hear his 9 year old smack talk one match, I made my own Pinewood Drive Raiders Soccer Club team to play against him. This team consist of players that I have painstakingly made one by one, position by position, rating by rating... and of course all the ratings are maxed out at 100 percent. So.. whenever I want to score, it is relatively easy. Whenever I want to take the ball away, it is relatively easy. So after I clocked him 15 -3 (he still amazingly scores against a stacked team) I-Man is wondering out loud "how are you so good, Daddy" and I have that smirk... the same smirk Dabo has as he realizes he has more talent than the other guy. And that he can call that "Boyd fake pumps and throws the ball up deep for Watkins and he makes a spectacular catch for a touchdown everytime" play whenever he wants too and whenever he needs to and the other team cant stop it ...(yet)...

So..I have several things wrong with my Jetta.. it seems I can accrue some of this to the fact that it has over 260,000 miles on it. But... it is in the process of having the oil changed, fuel injection timing set, rear brakes replaced, coolant changed out, glow plugs and plow plug harness replaced and power steering checked... all that should get me on the road to well over 300,000 miles... but I saw something the other day that solidified the fact I will have another diesel when/if i replace this car in the future... Uncle Wes replaced the fuel filter in the Jetta for me in the midst of helping me to troubleshoot some issue with the Jetta slow starting. I saw him put straight up OIL in the fuel filter to prime it.. and I was able to, after some coughing and sputtering,  have the car crank up and run like a champ (like it usually has).. IT WAS OIL.... not Diesel...and the car fired up. I was stunned. I'm like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?.. doubt I could pour oil in Jessica's fuel and have it crank up.. would probably be spending time and money at a dealer if we did that..." Of course the fact that people modify Jetta's to run on old deep fryer oil from McDonalds should have clued me in.. but I was skeptical. Wes poured virtually an entire quart of oil and my car cranked and ran. I assume the oil assisted with sucking the fuel thru the oil filter (which has some oil residing in it anyway) but that type of reliability/toughness/versatility has me sold that I will NEVER have anything other than a diesel for the rest of my life. No gas... certainly no electric... just environment screwing, torque supplying, gas mileage champion diesel engines for me... thank you very much.

and did I mention I can get 800 miles on a $45.00 tank of gas?


now watch the Jetta engine blow up next week or something....

 So I only 3/4 noticed this box that has been sitting in the den for the past couple of months on top of one of my speakers... I vaguely remember Ryles saying something about me giving her money for vacuuming the floor, etc. I DO remember thinking that "I give you money everyday... as a matter of fact the only reason I work is to give you money, if not directly... certainly indirectly...you just dont realize it..." but I digress. After realizing that she has been working hard to do chores, etc. I took another look at the box and laughed when I was actually able to read what was said on this box. You have to click on the pictures and read what it says... I also thought it clever that there exist two slots... obviously one for coins and one for dollar bills(envelopes?). Kinda reminds me of that tithe box they used have sitting up in front of the church that they kinda seemed to guilt you into putting stuff in.... you know the one I'm talking about that looks like a replica of the church and has a slot in the steeple....