Year/Semester In Review (Fall 2007)

On the long drive back from SIU’s game against Indiana University in December 2006, I decided to write down a list of things I learned during the fall semester and decided to put it on my blog. In addition, I decided to note highlights, lowlights and other year-in-review stuff.

With that said, it’s that time of year. Let’s take a look at the lessons I learned in the fall semester 2007.

4 THINGS I LEARNED

1. It’s okay to expand your horizons. This semester, I broke one of my golden rules of writing (write what you know), but because of that I feel that my writing is better. I got an ‘A’ in my news writing/reporting class without writing one sports story and an ‘A’ on my poetry portfolio (which you can read online) by writing a majority of my poems about topics other than being a heartbroken college student. That’s impressive if you ask me!
2. Be careful who you fall in love with. There is no escaping the topic of love in my blogs. Consider this lesson learned a public service announcement. Be careful who you fall in love with, because if they don’t love you back then you’re going to be stuck in a situation you do not want to be in, plain and simple. Maybe it’s better just to not fall in love at all; it’d probably eliminate a lot of sleepless nights and other symptoms that come with unrequited love.
3. Money can’t buy me love, but it can buy beer…and that’s good enough. And when unrequited love is just that, there isn’t a better remedy than a cold one. Whether it be Miller, Bud, Coors or other—a six-pack of your favorite brew can solve your problems (at least for one night).
4. Hot, blonde, southern…and usually dumb. Referencing one of my most infamous quotes “Hot, blonde and southern, that’s the way I like ‘em”, I’ve come to the conclusion that “dumb” is the word that should come next in that correlation. For example, Jessica Simpson’s presence caused her boyfriend (Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo) to have his worst game of the year against the Eagles, the Cowboys’ arch-rival. Former hot and blonde southern chick Britney Spears spent most of her summer flashing her cooch to whoever was willing to look. Her little sister, who would have fallen into the category (if she was of age), got herself pregnant at 16!!! And don’t even get me started on Carrie Underwood, who is rumored to be romantically involved with Bears kicker Robbie Gould.
   

3 UP, 3 DOWN (THREE HIGHLIGHTS & THREE LOWLIGHTS OF 2007)

3 UP:

1. The success of my favorite sports teams. SIU’s men’s basketball team won another Missouri Valley Conference title and made its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2002. SIU’s football team made it to the semi-final of the 1-AA playoffs. The Bears kicked off 2007 by beating the New Orleans Saints, clinching their first Super Bowl berth since 1985. The Bulls swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat out of the playoffs. After a $300 million spending spree which netted a new manager (Lou Piniella) and superstar (Alfonso Soriano), the icing on my 2007 in sports was the Cubs winning the NL Central.
2. Good grades. Finally, I’ve got my priorities in check—and my rising GPA is proof of that. Two A’s, two B’s and one C this semester is the way to kick off my “senior year”.
3. Turning 21. Turning 21 was the overall highlight of 2007. 5 days in Vegas drinking and making it rain with my friends and family was the best thing to happen to me (probably in my life, to this point.)

3 DOWN:

1. When sports teams lose. SIU’s men’s basketball team lost in the MVC championship game to Creighton and lost to Kansas in the Sweet 16 game. SIU’s football team lost in the semi-final game to Delaware. The Bears lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl. The Bulls lost to the Pistons in the second round, and have gotten off to a 9-17 start which has resulted in them firing head coach Scott Skiles. The Cubs were swept by the Diamondbacks in the playoffs.
2. Still single. Despite all of the highlights that occurred in 2007, I’m still single and it’s still a soft spot. I’m not happy being single, but at this point grades are my no. 1 priority and if the right girl happens to come by (again) then I’ll make sure to jump on the opportunity this time.
3. Still jobless. Well, when it comes to writing for a publication at least. Though I do write for the fan site armchairgm.com, I’d like to write for the Daily Egyptian before I graduate SIU.

FAVORITES

QUOTES:

• “Plies is a useful tool…” In an interview with Vibe magazine, rapper Plies explained his intriguing nickname by allegedly saying, “Plies is a tool. You can use it to put the squeeze on things, like I'm doing to these niggas in the rap game. I got the squeeze on them real tight, they feeling the pressure, or you can use it to pull things out….It also a word you can use in terms of things goin' on in yo life, ya dig. You may hear something I say and say that it plies to me. Plies straight to me."
• “I’m a man, I’m 40.” In response to a newspaper article, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy went on a tirade in defense of the student-athlete featured in the said article. Enjoy one of the best sports tirades of 2007.
• 
  
• “Love is blind, and she’s retarded.” That quote comes from my roommate Steve, and if there’s one thing I learned this semester (that I didn’t mention above) is that you have to attribute your sources (ask SIU President Glenn Poshard). And really, there is no need to explain this quote because it can stand on its own (and because I don’t remember the reference behind it).

MUSIC ARTIST: Rappers Lil’ Wayne and Andre 3000 get some consideration, mostly because of their hot verses in guest roles (see Wayne’s verse in DJ Khaled’s ‘We Takin’ Over’ and Fat Joe’s ‘Make It Rain Remix’ and Andre’s verses in Lloyd’s ‘You Remix’, DJ Unk’s ‘Walk it Out Remix’, Rich Boy’s ‘Throw Some D’s Remix’ and Outkast’s newest song ‘The Art of Storytellin’ Pt. 4).

However, the artist of the year goes to T-Pain. Pain’s vocals (enhanced with a vocoder) were found on a slew of hit singles, including two off his best-selling album “Epiphany.” His guest spots on Chris Brown’s “Kiss Kiss”, Baby Bash’s “Cyclone”, DJ Khaled’s “I’m So Hood”, Plies’ “Shawty”, DJ Unk’s “2 Step Remix”, Flo-Rida’s “Low (Apple Bottom Jeans)” and Kanye West’s “Good Life” made those songs hits and guaranteed that you would hear his voice at least once whenever you went to the club.

And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that his use of the vocoder inspired Snoop Dogg to use it in his new single “Sensual Seduction” and Lil’ Wayne to use it in his verse on Shawty Lo’s “Dey Know Remix”.

ALBUMS: Jay-Z’s “American Gangster”, Kanye West’s “Graduation”, Timbaland’s “Timbaland Presents: Shock Value”, DJ Khaled’s “We The Best”, Maroon 5’s “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” and Chamillionaire’s “Ultimate Victory.”

MOVIE: The Simpson’s Movie

SONGS: Rihanna/Ne-yo’s “Hate That I Love You” gets half of my vote because it just sums up so much. The other half of my vote goes to Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, which I think is word-for-word, the best rap song of 2007. One punch-line after another, Kanye puts his best foot forward in this piece which tackles so many topics; you have to listen to it for yourself just to get a grasp of the concept.

UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE YEAR: “What is Britney doing with her life?” –Mike Patrick, ESPN.

After Alabama kicked a field goal to get a lead in overtime, ESPN’s Mike Patrick decided to ask the fateful question “What is Britney doing with her life?” Check out the whole thing here.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

That's it for 2007. It was a great year (minus the failures) and I have a good feeling (stop me if you've heard this before) that bigger and better things are to come next year.

I'd like to close with this: Dear Carrie....DATE ME!!!!!!!!!

;-)

:-)

If I Could Be Santa

I was inspired by this piece and thought to myself, "If I could be Santa, what would I get for my friends and family?" It's Christmas Day, so it's time to answer my own question.

First, please do not be offended if I do not mention you by name, I don't know what I'd get for each of you individually. For those of you who I don't mention by name, I wish that I could give you all that you want, and $1,000 cash for the holiday season.

FOR MY FRIENDS:

I wish I could get my roommate Steven an endless supply of milk, so he can have his own endless supply while the rest of the apartment splits the normal gallon that we get.

I wish I could give my other roommate Marcus all of my knowledge of sports video games. That includes (but is not limited to) recruiting for NCAA College Basketball games, trades for MLB games and how to blow out opponents by 10 or more runs in MLB The Show.

I wish I could give Kristin and her baby Leium the gift of a healthy and happy holiday season, and beyond.

I wish I could give my buddy Mike Carter the Chicago Bulls play-by-play job. Mike has been a great friend to me and deserves to land his dream job.

I wish I could give Steve Schucker the gift of being Mr. Carter's partner as his color commentator, if only just because I know it'd be the most entertaining broadcast in sports.

I wish I could give my cousin Tony enough time off to take a trip to Carbondale and make his yearly visit. In fact, I wish I could do that for all of my friends.

And finally, I wish I could give all of my friends in college their diplomas and a high-paying job as soon as they graduate.

FOR MY FAMILY:

I wish I could give my mother the pay raise she rightfully deserves. There is no one that does more with less and she deserves more than I can give.

I wish I could give my father a sample of all that I have written this semester, so he can maybe comprehend all of the work I'm doing at SIU.

I wish I could give Roy an endless supply of Coca-Cola, so we don't run out of it when we're getting "All Jacked up!"

I wish I could have two clones. One to spend time with each of my grandmothers, each of whom adore me.

FOR MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS:

I wish I could give the Chicago Cubs the gift of a new owner that would be accountable for the team and would do anything to bring a winner to a fan base dying for a championship. Enter stage left, Mark Cuban.

I wish I could give the Chicago Bears an offense that puts points on the board. That includes a game-breaking running back, a big play wide receiver, an offensive line that isn't offensive and a quarterback with Brett Favre's rocket arm, Peyton Manning's accuracy and Tom Brady's smarts. Ooh, and an offensive coordinator that isn't stuck in the mid '90s.

I wish I could give the Chicago Bulls a new coach and an elite player—unfortunately, the duo that I have in mind for that gift are in Los Angeles.

I wish I could give the Southern Illinois Salukis football team a coach that will carry on the tradition that Jerry Kill started.

I wish I could give the Southern Illinois Salukis basketball team the ultimate motivational speech so they can turn around this 5-5 start and turn it into another Missouri Valley Conference championship and another trip to the NCAA Tournament.

That's all for tonight, folks. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Welcome to the enemies list, NIU

After hiring Southern Illinois University’s football coach Jerry Kill to the same position, Northern Illinois University joins my enemies list (university edition).

This comes less than a week after Kill lead the Salukis to the FCS semifinals and within three points of the championship game. Kill will inherit a mess at NIU. The Huskies are coming off a 10 loss season; of course one of their losses came at the hands of Kill and the Salukis.

All is not lost for Kill who will get a substantial raise at NIU, not to mention the top-notch facilities that come with a D-1 football program (including a new stadium). Coach Kill will also receive some great health benefits, which SIU fans can appreciate especially knowing about his health history.

Coach Kill will also get the (well deserved) full attention of the athletics department because NIU is definitely a football school unlike SIU, which is considered to be a basketball school.

Still, it doesn’t stop me from putting NIU on the list. They were already on my “un-happy list” for putting me on a waiting list for entrance to their university, which is fine by me because SIU has much more going on in the journalism department than NIU ever will.

And honestly, if it wasn’t for its proximity to the Chicagoland area, NIU would be nothing but cement in the middle of a cornfield. And don’t even think about saying Carbondale is the same because technically, SIU is in the middle of a national forest.

There are so many reasons that coach Kill should have stayed a Saluki. He built this program into a perennial championship contender that has produced productive NFL players such as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott and New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

At one point, the SIU football program was on the brink of being eliminated before Kill came to town and turned around the Saluki football program.

I have two concerns about Kill’s hiring at NIU.

My primary concern is the Salukis. Where do they go from there? Athletic director Mario Moccia said that there will be a nationwide search for Kill’s replacement, though I have no clue where SIU would start. It was a much easier transition for the basketball team when Bruce Weber’s top assistants Matt Painter (who since has moved on to Purdue) and Chris Lowery stepped in after Weber left for the University of Illinois.

The basketball program has one of the nation’s most notable coaching trees which starts with Weber and branches off with Painter and Lowery. It is a coaching tree that could branch out more if top-notch assistants Rodney Watson and former Saluki star Brad Korn are offered D-1 jobs.

I digress. Next concern.

What if he is unable to revitalize the Huskies? I don’t doubt that he can, his body of work at SIU can speak for itself. However, it’s a different ballgame recruiting D-1 talent, especially up north where he will be battling Ron Zook and the Fighting Illini for the top recruits. What if his health gets in the way of his coaching or recruiting?

If somehow Kill fails, all you will hear from the pundits up north is that Kill was a terrible hire who was out of his league at a D-1 school. However, all of southern Illinois will know about how coach Kill saved a program that was nearly wiped off the map.

And really, why leave SIU? The Salukis lost two games in 2007. The Huskies won two. Besides, the Saluki is a much cooler dog than a Huskie.

For your entertainment, the enemies list (university edition):

1. Duke University men’s basketball. I’m a big North Carolina fan. Had it not been for cost, I would have attended UNC-Chapel Hill instead of SIU. Both have top journalism programs.
2. Ohio State University football. I’m also a big fan of Michigan football, mostly because it seemed like they were on TV every week and winning big games. It’s called a rivalry, and they’re at the top of the list.
3. University of Illinois basketball. They took Bruce Weber from SIU, which started three consecutive years of SIU having a different head coach. They also will not play SIU’s men’s team, and really have no reason not to.

Poem #17: We, The People

We, The People

We feared
the end was coming.
It never came.
We believed
The stories you told
of a better world.
We waited
for change.
It never came.
We failed.
It won't happen again.


Finally, we've come to the end of my fall 2007 poetry portfolio. In my opinion, there is so much to like about "We, The People" I don't know where to start.

First, to explain the assignment. This assignment calls for a poem of parallel structures. The best way to construct a poem of parallel structures is to use repetition.

As for the poem itself, I used repetition with phrases that start with "We..." because I feel that repetition is one of the most powerful tools a poet could use.

I also liked writing this poem because it was a different type of poem for me. One of the things I've learned this semester is that you can't always write about being a heartbroken college student (hint: that year end list is coming soon).

So with this poem I decided to jump on the Bush-bashing bandwagon in a subtle way. And it's really not "Bush-bashing", it's meant to be an analysis of how I feel about the government as a whole.

Also, I like how this poem can be applied to things other than politics. If you use your imagination, you can apply the concepts and ideas of this poem to other things in life.

But I'll let you, the reader. Interpret for yourself.

Thanks for reading!

BREAKING NEWS: Cubs sign outfielder Kosuke Fukudome

The Chicago Cubs and Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome have reached an agreement to bring him to the North Side of Chicago. Details of the contract have yet to be disclosed but the deal is reportedly worth $48 million or $50-$56 million over four years, depending on your source.

This comes the same day that Fukudome announced his intentions to “accept the challenge” of playing in the major leagues. He had spent the last nine years playing for the Chunichi Dragons where he lead them to their first Japan championship in 52 years while posting a .305 career batting average and .397 on-base percentage.

Fukudome had been fielding offers from the Dragons and the Yomiuri Giants, who are comparable to the Yankees of Japan before choosing to come to the major leagues where he was rumored to have drawn interest from the Cubs, White Sox, Padres, Giants and Rangers.

Fukudome, the Cubs top off-season priority, is the type of player that satisfies both the new school and old school philosophies of the Cubs organization.

From all accounts, Fukudome is a legit five-tool outfielder who is fundamentally sound in all facets of the game. In addition, Fukudome is the left-handed hitting on-base machine that was lacking from a right-handed heavy, free-swinging line-up. He could see time in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth spots in the order. Manager Lou Piniella described him as a mix of Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui.

He is an athletic outfielder with a strong throwing arm who can play all three outfield positions, which could prove to be important seeing how Piniella likes to mix-and-match line-ups.

Fukudome will likely be used primarily in right field, possibly giving the Cubs their first prime-time right fielder since Sammy Sosa famously quit on Cubdom when he walked out during the final game of the 2004 season.

The signing is without risk though, especially when taking into consideration his last season in Japan was cut short because of right elbow surgery that removed bone chips from his elbow.

What is it with the Cubs and guys with arm surgeries? I digress.

It is also worth noting that Fukudome is truly untested in the Major Leagues, despite playing against Major League-talent in the World Baseball Classic.

Another issue that may come up is Fukudome’s stamina. He has never had to take part of the rigors of a 162 game schedule, let alone the disproportionate amount of day games the Cubs play.

The biggest issue could be the transition period that Fukudome will be going through in his rookie year. He will be adjusting to a new league, playing against better competition, in front of bigger crowds, with new teammates. Not to mention the question of whether or not his offensive numbers will translate from Japan ball to big league ball.

Regardless, for the second straight off-season the Cubs get their man, signing a top-flight free-agent in his prime.

Poem #16: It's Over

It's Over

My open ear listened
to your closed-minded thoughts
and my ideas went ignored.
Unwelcome words I spoke
were shredded strands of failure.
I'm through with you.



"It's Over" is one of two poems that I consider to be "closing statements" of my Fall 2007 poetry portfolio. It was derived from a poem that I wrote last year called, called "Down, Not Out."

When I wrote the original poem, I was going through a rough time in my life where I felt like I was being manipulated, so I wrote a poem describing how I felt about the situation at the time.

However, this assignment asked for me to write a different type of piece. It was meant to be an emulation of Robert Frost's "tell it like it is" style by using simple words and "saying what you mean" in blunt statements.

I tried to keep it short and simple, in fact, "It's Over", which consists of six lines is a much simpler form of "Down, Not Out" which consisted of 11 lines.

Basically for this poem I took what I liked and kept it. I thought those lines were the most powerful, and since I couldn't find anything as powerful to end with, I used the line "I'm through with you" to end it.

I think the thing I like most about this piece is the change of the ending, which seems to coincide with the changes I have gone since I wrote that poem.

I hope you can enjoy and appreciate this piece.

Poem #15: Scholastic Sestina

Scholastic Sestina

In my dorm, across the hall, live two girls.
Tomorrow marks the first day of school.
I hope they are in some of my classes.
I hope this year I get some good teachers
that do not make me buy a lot of books.
My goal for this year is to get good grades.

I know I have to work hard for good grades.
I must not get distracted by these girls.
I hope my teachers do not use their books
or assign work on the first day of school.
Knowing my luck, I'll have crappy teachers
who give homework in all of my classes.

I would rather not go to my classes,
but that would lead me to getting bad grades.
I would get no sympathy from teachers,
and being dumb does not impress the girls.
I really do not want to go to school
tomorrow, or pay for expensive books.

Eventually, I'll buy my school books
and take them to all of my classes.
Now, I really do want to go to school,
because I want to get really good grades.
After classes, I will talk to the girls,
after I do work assigned by teachers.

I have homework to do, thanks to teachers.
Unfortunately I don't have my books.
Maybe I will ask one of the cute girls
even though they are not in my classes.
This year I really need to get good grades,
I cannot afford to drop out of school.

You know what, I will not drop out of school.
Maybe I will suck up to my teachers
in an attempt to get some better grades.
Or maybe I will read all of my books
and study hard for all of my classes.
Or maybe I will party with those girls.

School would be much more fun without the books,
teachers, or having to go to classes.
Grades are important, but so are the girls.



One of the most challenging poems I had to write all semester was the sestina. Sestinas consists of six six-line stanzas and a concluding tercet. All-in-all it is a 39-line poem.

In addition, when writing the sestina you use the same set of six words ends the lines of each of the six-line stanzas, but in a different order each time. Then, number the first stanza's lines 123456, then the words ending the second stanza's lines appear in the order 615243, then 364125, then 532614, then 451362, and finally 246531.

For my end lines I used "girls", "school", "classes", "teachers", "books" and "grades." I used some of my college experiences and feelings as inspiration for this piece.

I know it's long, but it is fun to read and it was fun to write.

Assignment #14: Haiku

Falling

The colored leaves fall
to the ground. Just like I do
after a few drinks.


Snow Day

Unwrinkled white sheets
covering all you can see.
Call it a snow day.


Sunshine Will Come

The cold is now gone
eventually snow melts.
Sunshine will come soon.


School's Out!

Put your pencils down
hand in your tests as you leave.
School's out for summer!

SENRYU

I.
Attempting to spread
stupid, unfounded rumors.
Beware of the truth.

II.
Obscene desires.
Excessive love for others.
Jonesing for a kiss.

III.
Loves me, loves me not.
I learn from a children's game
unrequited love.


In today's segment of poetry, enjoy the treat of haiku. And yes, the plural of haiku is indeed haiku. They are fun to write because of what goes into a haiku, such as implementing elements of the natural world.

To appease my professor I wrote four haiku describing each of the four seasons, with a twist.

As an added bonus, I've added four senryu. Senryu are poems that are in the 5-7-5 haiku form, but are about human nature instead of the natural world. And yes, they do not have titles because senryu poems do not have traditional

I hope you enjoy these works.

Poem #13: Guys I Know

Guys I Know

I know a man whose name is JackCracker.
He insists you don't call him that,
be reminded he was the one who shotBuck.
He lives with his brothers JackFlap and JackLumber
who rollbank all day. Their boyTom eats stringham
and fishjelly all day in his manchair.
His friend BillyHill claims to be a mindmaster,
While his cousin BillDuck stays out late
drinking shots of manscotch at the tenderbar.
His friend DaleGlen sings for a wagonband
called Devildare. He goes by the stage name, warmLuke.
You can find them all if you rideover a stonemile
to a town called FortFrank.


This was one of the most fun poems i've had to write this semester. This piece was inspired by the Jabberwocky poem. *I'll link it at the bottom of the page.*

The assignment, called Sense and Non-Sense, called for the writer to turn around compound words and use them in a poem.

See if you can find them and make sense of this piece of non-sense.

*http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html

Poem #12: Foolish Princess

Foolish Princess

Behind designer frames is a woman
with a heavily make up face,
wearing an expensive dress and stilettos,
dismissing suitors with a wave of her hand.
Wanting someone rich and handsome,
refusing to settle for less.

Until the day a wrinkle appeared
and her beauty began to fade;
Her prince finally arrived
to take her hand in marriage.
At the wedding, she smiled at her groom.
Handsome as ever, he smiled back.

On their honeymoon, she noticed a change.
His teeth were suddenly long and sharp,
his smile became a nasty snarl,
and he sprouted horns and a tail.
In bed he pulled out his pitchfork, it was too late
for the princess. She married the devil.


As this semester winds down, this semester's portfolio continues to do the same. This poem is based on and inspired by a Puerto Rican folktale about a rich princess who rejects a lot of good men, and when she finally finds her special someone, he turns out to be the devil.

It sounded like something that I could turn into a poem and I did. In this piece, I really wanted to tell the story in a condensed form with some modern additions such as stilettos.

The original piece had this in two 10 line stanzas, but after revision I changed it to three six-line stanzas. (Yes, 6-6-6...though I didn't do it on purpose).

Poem #11: At The Breakfast Table

At The Breakfast Table

Corrupt politicians on TV,
wishing I could change the channel.
“Where’s the remote?”

How did Friday night turn
into Monday morning?
My phone rings—who cares
breakfast is ready.

It’s a text from my ex.
We haven’t spoken since
she did you know what,
with you know who.

She wants to reconcile.
At breakfast I reconsider
dating a cheater.



This was one of the assignments I truly enjoyed. The assignment was to take a piece of prose or a prose poem that you have written in the past and break up the poem with line breaks.

This task was quite easy, seeing that I already had a prose poem in my back pocket.

I used "Monday Morning Phone Call" as my piece to break up (no pun intended). I found it difficult, at first, to break up the prose because each word meant so much to me.

So what I did to break it up was take statements that I felt did the most for the prose poem and use those and separate them with line breaks.

I think now the poem is easier to read and is better because of the line breaks. I think the content is more clear and the points that I really wanted to jump out at the reader actually do so.

Well, at least that's what I think

BREAKING NEWS: Stephen A. Smith Hates The First Amendment

Pardon the interruption: I'd like to take a break from posting my poetry to address something that has been bothering me all day.

It seems to me that ESPN's Stephen A. Smith hates the following things:

• The Internet
  
• The First Amendment

In a recent interview, Smith had this to say about the internet:

"And when you look at the internet business, what’s dangerous about it is that people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses. I respect the journalism industry, and the fact of the matter is ...someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can. They are not trained. Not experts."

When I read that, I was in complete shock. Not really, Stephen A. Smith is nothing more than a loudmouth who gets paid to say dumb things on the ESPN family of networks.

Now that I've got that out of the way, I'd like to break down what he said.

First, I'd like to address the idea of "people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses."

I wonder if Stephen A. ever learned about the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."

How does Stephen A. ignore the First Amendment, after all, it is the same amendment that allows him to speak and write what he wants.

But wait, there's more!

"Someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can."

Thankfully, I am in training because I am a journalism major at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which is one of the best journalism schools in the country. It boasts the award winning student newspaper, the Daily Egyptian.

But seriously, just because I'm a professional (yet) doesn't make what I have to say valid?

And really, how am I supposed to reach out to the masses without putting my work out there? It's the ultimate catch-22 and I've been there before. Last year I was not hired to work for a Cubs blog because of my lack of experience.

How can I get experience when no one will hire me because I have no experience.

I digress. Next topic.

"They are not trained. Not experts."

Does that mean that the fans that call into your radio show shouldn't be calling because they are not experts? I didn't think so.

Furthermore, I'd like to reference Stephen A.'s cameo in Chris Rock's movie I Think I Love My Wife. According to Stephen A.'s logic, he should have never been close to the, seeing that he is not a professional actor.

Maybe Stephen A. hates the internet because of sites like this, that criticize guys like him. Maybe he hates the internet because there are guys out there with opinions and beliefs that are different than his. Maybe he hates the internet because there are guys like me on sites like this that will one day take his job.

Maybe he hates guys like me who don't have to scream just to get a point across.

In closing, I'd like to finally welcome Stephen A. to the United States of America. A country that allows you to say what you want, when you want as long as you are not slanderous or libelous.*

And always remember: just because you're loud, it doesn't make you right!



*Thank you JRNL-332 (Journalism Law) for teaching me something!

Poem #10: My Hate For Valentine's Day

My Hate For Valentine's Day

I hate the colors red and pink, I do.
They bring me to despise this winter day.
You ask me what is love, I have no clue.
It's one day out the year I feel this way.

Flowers and chocolates being exchanged
he spent so much, I can't believe my eyes.
I really mean it, he dropped major change,
must be the price to get between her thighs.

I do not want to hear another song
about love on my way to class.
This guy singing could not be more wrong,
whoever wrote this crap can kiss my ass!

Please excuse me, I have just one last whine:
screw you true love, I hate you Valentine!


Yes, this is a reposting of a poem I did last year. I wrote this around Valentine's Day of 2007 (as if you couldn't tell) and was inspired by the pure frustrations that come over me that time of year. There is nothing like expressing your true feelings without having to pay for a doctor.

This was written during the time of my life where every poem I wrote could be categorized under "Poems of a heartbroken college student." This year though, I've tried to expand from that.

I made a few minor changes, such as punctuation. Other than that, I have no new insight to add here.

Enjoy pure frustration and borderline depression formulated in a poem.

Poem #9: Monday Morning Phone Call

Monday Morning Phone Call

Some story on television about corrupt politicians…wishing I could change the channel…wondering where is the darn remote? Trying to piece together what happened this weekend. Not sure how Friday night turned into Monday morning. The phone rings, but I do not care. I do not take phone calls while I eat. It is a message from my ex. I found this odd, because we have not spoken…not since she did you know what, with you know who. In the message, she said some things she knew would make me smile. I think she wants to reconcile. The reason I had to leave her is because I did not want to date a cheater. And as nice as it was between her thighs, I no longer wanted to put up with her lies. I decided not to return the call.



Look, I'm posting these poems in the same order as they are in my portfolio. I'm doing in hopes that people will see my work as the story I try to portray through the order that they are in.

So it's only coincidental that I posted the "Ma's Margarita" poem on Friday and the "Monday Morning Phone Call" poem this morning.

'Phone Call' is in the form of a prose poem. And despite the fact that prose and poetry are opposites, poetry in prose form is basically poetry in paragraph form. I enjoy writing prose poetry because it is a lot like writing a short story.

When writing in traditional poetic forms, I use a lot of fragments in my work. However, in prose poetry, I generally try to use prose poetry.

If you've read my work before, you know that you have seen this piece in the past. I cut out a lot of unnecessary words and tried to tighten up the story by taking out elements of poetry that I thought took away from the poem.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This poem is part two of "The Georgia Series," which is a series of poems revolving around a girl named 'Meg.' The series is yet to be completed.

Poem #8: Annemarie

Annemarie

I'll never find another you
with hair so soft and eyes so blue.

Now you're gone, I don't know what to do.
I'll never find another you.

Not knowing where you are, wishing you were here.
Knowing you made me better when you were near.

Wondering why you aren't here with me;
Guess you wanted to be free.
I no longer control you, Annemarie.


This is my rendition of a blues poem, and it was one of the more difficult assignments from this semester. I have my issues writing a blues poem because I find emulating the classic blues style and trying to capture the voice of blues poetry, so instead I try to write from one of the topics seen a lot in blues poetry, heartbreak.

This falls under the category "write what you know" and know one knows heartbreak like I do. So since I didn't capture the blues voice, I added other elements of poetry to enhance my work such as rhyme and the use of couplets and a tercet to end my poem.

In the future, I would like to work with this poem and extend it by giving more of a description of "Annemarie." Because if I can describe "Annemarie" to a better extent, then I can really capture how much of a heart breaker she really is.

Author's note: The original title and name used in this piece was "Majorie," and the poem was inspired by a character from the former ABC television show "What About Brian?" which I jokingly claimed was based off my life. Her character was the inspiration behind this piece.

Poem #7: Grandma's Purse

Grandma's Purse

A majestic purse once hung on a proud arm
for thirty years. Filled with hair combs, lemon drops
and a pocketbook full of nickels for smiling children
who said please. It is now just an ornament.
Its pea-green exterior, worn from being gripped and hugged;
and gold clasp too difficult for knotted hands to open.
Now the purse is empty, it has not seen outside
the nursing home in many years.


Grandma's Purse was the first poem I wrote for my ENGL 382 class. The assignment for this piece was to make a poem (with line breaks) out of a piece of prose writing. It was a bit of a challenge, seeing that it was the first assignment. What I tried to do was take out anything that I thought took away from the poem. I cut out superfluous (unnecessary) words and re-arranged some lines to create this piece.

This poem was one of the more controversial ones I've written. A lot of the people who read this poem thought that I killed off Grandma at the end. I'd like to go on the record and say that was NOT my intention.

I know that in this country, senior citizens get ignored once their pocketbooks go dry and I think that's wrong. That's what I was trying to say. Not that Grandma was dead, but that Grandma was now poor and no one loves you when your poor.

But I can't be held accountable for what the readers think. That's why I love writing poetry!

'The Greatest Weekend in SIU History' (hopefully)

I have been looking forward to this weekend since before officials in the Southern Illinois University athletics department coined this weekend as 'Super Saturday.'

Back in late October/early November I was already coining this weekend as potentially 'The Greatest Weekend in the History of SIU.' Well, at least since I've been at SIU.

I know those are some big expectations to fill, but I have full confidence that the events this weekend has to offer will leave everyone who was here for them with a sense of satisfaction.

But before 'Super Saturday,' one must note what a Friday night in Carbondale can bring, seeing that the very popular cover band Mike & Joe kick-off this weekend's festivities by playing at the Copper Dragon.

When you wake over from your hangover, then you can officially start thinking about 'Super Saturday,' which begins around 2:20 p.m. when the No. 4 seed SIU Salukis play the UMass Minutemen in the second round of what used to be called the Div. 1-AA playoffs.

SIU will be looking for its first semi-finals appearance since 1983, the year that they won the Div. 1-AA National Championship.

SIU's football team usually takes a back seat to the basketball team, because in all reality, SIU is a basketball school. It wasn't until head coach Jerry Kill came to Carbondale and put the Saluki football program on the map.

And despite five straight years of playoff appearances for SIU, the fans still don't come out like they should. That's why I think it is important that Saluki Nation heads out to McAndrew Stadium and support their Salukis.

After the football game, you can head to The Strip and take in one of the finest traditions in Carbondale, the annual Lights Fantastic Parade. The parade will run between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

As for the main event, SIU men's basketball will host 15 Indiana University at the SIU Arena at 8:30 p.m. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the perennial national powers of the Hoosier state and the up-start Salukis of the much slept-on Missouri Valley Conference.

But the night doesn't end there.

After the ball game, fans should be encouraged to (again) enjoy the Carbondale night life. I for one will be enjoying the sounds of 17^th Floor at the Copper Dragon.

17^th Floor is one of the best cover bands that comes to Carbondale and is worthy of any cover charge that the bar will be throwing at you. They are a cover band that combines a "party like a rock star" atmosphere with hip-hop music.

Sounds like a fun weekend doesn't it? On paper, it looks like one of those weekends that I thought that every weekend in college would be like. But like the Cubs, once every four years you get something special like this to happen all at the same time.

Poem #6: Ma's Margarita

Ma’s Margarita

One package frozen strawberries, one-third cup sugar
“Use less sugar; sugar and liquor don’t mix well with me,”
my mother says. One-and-one-half cups water,
good enough for me. I’m just trying to follow directions.
One-and-one-half cups tequila. Ma says, “Two cups.”
I look back at her. “Just do what I say.”
Four cups lemon-lime beverage. We got Sprite
downstairs in the fridge, I think that counts.
In food processor—not sure if we got one of those.
I’m gonna grab the blender in case we don’t.
Step two, combine—“Just put it all together, boy, mix it good.”
Ma insists I do it her way. I just wanna go to bed. I’ll comply.
Throw it all together and start stirring. “I think it’s done now.”
“I think you’ll get yours tomorrow night,” she snaps back.
Finally topped with carbonated beverage
it’s ready for the freezer. I’m ready for bed.


This was another fun poem to write. The assignment for this piece was to write a "found poem." Found poems are defined as "poems shaped from a collection of words or phrases found in one text." I decided to use my mother's famous margarita mix, while adding pieces of a conversation we had while making the mix one night.

I thought by mixing those two elements, I would have a poem that would be enjoyable for everyone to read. I hope that you enjoyed it. And yes, this poem has the EXACT recipe my mother uses. So use the poem wisely ;-)

...And another thing (last night's blog continued)

I realized that I really didn't finish last night's blog the way I wanted to. So here comes its proper ending (a two part edition):

• I forgot to mention that it was because of Vanessa's wedding shower why my mother didn't come down to visit me when DePaul came to play SIU in women's basketball. That would explain why she didn't return my calls all day and why she didn't tell me about her weekend plans.
• I guess Vanessa asked where I was and my mother told her I was at school. Vanessa asked my mother if she had told me, my mother said no. Vanessa responded, "you're going to have to tell him sometime." And the thing that will stick in my head for a very long time: "Luis was just too slow with the proposal."

Ouch. The story of my life.

I also forgot to note the end of my conversation with my mother had me thinking this: "You know what this means, right? This means that I need to find myself a really superficially hot date for this."

A little more than a week later, I still have those same feelings. I kinda feel bad about it though, because really, what's that gonna prove? Frontin' that I'm happy when I really am not is wrong. Now, let's say I'm in a genuine relationship and my girlfriend happens to be my date, then so be it.

But what if I'm still single? What if I don't have a date? Do I still go to the wedding? How do I save face in front of the former girl of my dreams and a family that still adores me?

I'm not even sure anymore.

Maybe I should take two or three dates to prove that I'm happy. Maybe the idea that it would take two or three girls to satisfy me would put the "what could have been..." thought in her head.

Oh, who am I kidding. The fact that I'm even thinking about that this early in the game and to that extent goes to show that I've got some serious issues going on in my head that need to be resolved a.s.a.p.

And on top of that, the idea that I will likely have to go through these feelings at least two more times is sickening to me.

Until then, I'll quote Tom Petty to end tonight's blog:

"Yeah I might have chased a couple of women around
All it ever got me was down
Then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right now
Baby youre the only one thats ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more ca rd
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part"
--Tom Petty, The Waiting

Until we meet again, good night from Carbondale.

Poem #5: Dinner Time

Dinner Time

It's like she cooks for an army.
Eyes grow large and mouths water
as we sit waiting. I don't want leftovers,
I want everything, now—AHORA!

"No te llenes tus ojos antes de tu barriga."
That's grandma's saying. It means something like
"Don't fill your eyes before your stomach."
Don't eat what your stomach can't handle.

If grandma only understood one thing:
ain't no arroz con gandules in Carbondale
that's worth a damn. She looks at me and repeats,
"No te llenes tus ojos antes de tu barriga."

I'll ignore it, just like last time, and the time before that.
The next morning I'll end up regretting it.
I knew I shoulda listened to grandma.


This was one of my favorite poems to write. The assignment for this piece was to incorporate a "foreign flavor." By that, I think my instructor wanted us to use a family story and/or the element of foreign language in our poem. That's easy, my family's Puerto Rican and a lot of the better stories come from the dinner table. And really, if you take anything from this poem, you should learn that grandma knows best. And that food in Carbondale ain't got sh*t on what my grandma cooks! If you've ever been to my house, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!

Poem #4: Beyond The Mask

Beyond The Mask

Traditional reds are made by spitting crimson
from the nuts of the betel palm tree.
Whites are made from oil and lime,
blacks from oil and charcoal.
More than carved pieces of wood,
masks represent regions, people
and stories of tribal traditions.
Like how an elongated nose
represents fertility and continuance.
Or how other masks scare children
away from initiation ceremonies.
Displayed at festivals, they conjure up spirits.


This poem is my museum art piece. For this assignment our class met at the University Museum and picked artwork to write about. I decided to write about a group of African masks.

It's hard to describe them now, since the exhibit is gone and I don't have any thing to show from it except this poem. And really, this poem does those masks no justice, seeing that I don't describe one particular mask.

Instead, I described the masks in a broad way while also describing what masks of that particular region meant. Masks do have certain history behind them and I thought I'd try to get some of that out there through my poem.

A lesson learned during Thanksgiving break

I'd like to interrupt the recent blogs of poetry to get some things off my chest. Besides, that's what blogs are for, right?

Since I've opened Life With LuDo I haven't been as forward as I used to be with my blogs. I've held back a lot of stuff that I would have written here, and I'm not sure why.

Maybe it was because work and school have kept me busy. Maybe it was because the Cubs kept me happy. Maybe it's because I'm afraid people will be bothered by what I write.

Well tonight, that ends. Because I have things to get off of my chest.

First, I'd like to note that my Thanksgiving break was absolutely wonderful. It was great to be home in the great city of Chicago with my friends and family. It was also fun to be able to listen to a morning show that wasn't a complete suckfest (Yay for DreX!!!) and some quality sports talk radio (Yay for 670 The Score!!!)

My night at the bar was memorable and lived up to all of the hype I heard from my friends. I loved it to the point that I already can't wait 'til the next celebration.

Thanksgiving dinner was amazing, and that description doesn't do justice. We had deep fried turkey, smoked turkey, honey ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, Mom's famous macaroni and cheese, Mama's famous arroz con gandules, Roy's famous ribs, and so much more.

Having Thanksgiving at my house was a blast. And I tell you what, there's nothing like waking up Thanksgiving morning with a nasty hangover and a pain in your body because you slipped and fell while "cranking dat soulja boy."

And then there was my early X-mas gift which I am thankful for.

However, there is just one thing from my vacation that is bothering me. It's a lesson that I learned, and hopefully I can (finally) learn from my own words: "Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true."

I arrived in Chicago on Sunday afternoon after a long night of being wasted in Carbondale and settled in to watch the Bears game against the Seahawks (which they would eventually lose.) At half-time, my mother needed to go to the store and she needed her chauffer to take her there. And that's where the story gets interesting.

While driving on a cold and rainy afternoon, I should have seen it coming. My mother started the conversation with, "I've got a date for you."

"Awesome, I'll shave tonight," I responded thinking my mother had set me up on a blind date.

"No, it's a wedding date," she replied. "Oh yay," I thought to myself. I love weddings and haven't been to one in a while. I joke around with friends of mine that are in relationships that they should hurry up and get married so I can go to their wedding, get drunk and have a time of it.

My mother responded: "I know I shouldn't be bringing this up while you're driving, but it's Vanessa's."

I was shocked.

Before there was "hot, blonde and southern" there was Vanessa, the original girl of my dreams. I call dibs on that line there because I pulled it from a poem about her that I have been working on since May.

Long story short: Vanessa's mom and my mom are really good friends and always thought we'd make a good trouble. As children, we crushed on each other and had our puppy love, but nothing ever came of it. We came close in high school when I finally realized she had liked me, but nothing ever materialized.

She dated other people in high school. I didn't date anyone.

A part of my blames my mother, who knew Vanessa liked me. I wish she would have said something, then I definitely would have made a move. But who am I kidding, it's things like this that make me believe that I would have just screwed it up anyway.

So anyway, back to the story. It's Vanessa, one of those classic "one's that got away" stories, that is getting married on August 8th 2008.

That's right 08/08/08. Let me note that she's a big Cubs fan (as am I) and that date (08/08/08) marks the 20th anniversary of the first Cubs night game at Wrigley Field. Now if that doesn't tie things together in a nice lil' package, I don't know what will.

That moment there marked the end of a strange week where the Cancer women who make my life miserable broke my heart twice in a three day period.

I guess since I'm on my soap box, I might as well dive into that topic too. But I'll keep this short and brief (heck, I'll summarize it with one solid punchline.)

"There's nothing like being woken up by the girl of your dreams telling you that there is a girl that has a crush on you. Unfortunately, it wasn't her."

That's how I felt the Friday before Thanksgiving break when I got a call that a certain girl might like me. I felt terrible, because I didn't share those feelings. And as much as I say that I want to play the heart breaker because it might give me a sense of redemption after all of the times I've been rejected or heart broken....being the heart breaker isn't the role I truly wanted.

That set off the awkward confessional I had later telling "the girl of my dreams" that I couldn't date her friend (who may or may not have had a crush on me) because I still had feelings for her. And that if I dated her, all I could think about would be what coulda, woulda and shoudla been. And really that does her friend a real injustice, because she's a nice girl and doesn't deserve that.

And I didn't wanna be that guy.

Then came the well I kinda used to like you at one point, but I'm glad that we never dated because we're still great friends part of the conversation, which sent me on a "oh my gosh what have I done" trip.

Seriously, now I really get to think about what woulda, coulda and shoulda been. I've spent time in the last two weeks since that day thinking about where I went wrong. And then came the gut check question of the year: "is having a best friend worth losing the possible girl of your dreams?"

I still haven't come with a conclusion for that one.

(AND THIS IS WHERE I TIE IT UP NICELY AT THE END)

The way I see it, this girl that I'm talking about...this girl is what I thought Vanessa was going to be. What she has, I've always wanted in a girl. And the idea that I could have had it, saddens me.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a best friend understands everything about you...but at what cost?

In the end, the feeling I felt when I found out Vanessa was getting married will happen twice more because of the Cancer women in my life.

The funny thing about it is that my mother loves the three of them (of course my mother herself is a Cancer too.)

Two of them have met in person, not knowing of course what each meant to me. Two of the others know about each other and what they mean to me. And then there's one that knows each story.

Confusing, yes. That is just one half-hour inside my mind on a Tuesday night that has just turned into Wednesday morning.

RANT OVER!

Poem #3: Cure For The Common Curse

Cure For The Common Curse

Heart of goat, tail of black cat,
golden gloves and wooden bats.
Add shoulder slings for broken wings
of home run hitters and strikeout kings.

Time to end this dreaded curse,
lift it before it does get worse.
May it inflict our rivals worse,
it’s time to end this dreaded curse.

This poem is the second poem inspired by the Chicago Cubs.

The assignment for this piece was to emulate the style of trochaic meter, as found in the classic line "double double, toil and trouble." Part two of the assignment asked for me to write an incantation, so I decided to write an incantation that would reverse the curse of the billy goat.

For those of you who aren't as baseball savvy as I am, read further for a brief history lesson.

The curse of the billy goat has plagued the Cubs since 1945, when a gypsy and his goat sat in the bleachers of Wrigley Field during a World Series game. The goat smelled, fans complained and the ushers asked the man and his goat to leave.

They didn't want to, so on his way out the man allegedly cursed the Cubs, saying they would never reach the World Series ever again.

They haven't.

The first part of the first line ("heart of goat") was inspired by that. The second part of that line ("tail of black cat") was inspired by the infamous black cat incident. For more info., keep reading.

In 1969 the Cubs had a team of stars that held first place for over 100 games and were looking to go to the World Series for the first time since 1945. That team had Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Ron Santo (who should be in the Hall of Fame!!!)

However, the team swooned in the second half as the up and coming New York Mets charged for the division. Late in the season the Cubs and Mets met in a pivotal series.

During that series a black cat appeared at Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) and circled Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who was standing in the on deck circle and then stared directly at Cubs manager Leo Durocher.

The Cubs would go on to lose that game and the division to the Mets, who would go on to win the World Series (of course).

That moment was the first of many misfortunes the Cubs (and Santo) had in that park (which will thankfully be demolished soon). This Cubs fan will never forget the time Santo's favorite hair piece caught fire in the Shea Stadium press box.

Now that I've got those two history lesson's out of the way, I hope that this will clarify any questions you had about the poem.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Inside 'The Dugout'

Inside 'The Dugout'

Disgruntled players with heads in their hands.
Their ears are assaulted by ruthless fans
who rise with a ringing chorus of boos
for the rookie on deck, ready to bat.
His shoulders are slumped and his face is pale.
Another year of damned disappointments
conveyed by teammates, with heads in their hands.

The crowd gets louder with every pitch
as the rookie remains waiting on deck.
Impatiently waiting are fans at home.
Cubdom is a tragicomical group
of fans deserving of a better fate.
Ninety-nine years of tears over a team,
(their team) whose heads are buried in their hands.

This poem was inspired by artist Norman Rockwell's piece 'The Dugout', which can be viewed here.

The assignment for this class was to write a poem based of a piece of artwork. I chose this piece of art because it is one of my favorite pieces of art (mostly because the scene provides the viewpoint of Cubs fans.)

What I tried to do here was describe what was going on in the artwork. I tried describing the looks of the players, the fans in the background and really--the main thing I tried doing here was to describe the artwork as a whole.

Later, I got a little more specific, and wrote about emotions that could be drawn from this piece. I wrote about those emotions from the viewpoint of Cubs fans. It was easy to write that because as a life-long Cubs fan, it is easy to describe and write about heartbreak.

I've always said, the Cubs have broken my heart more times than any woman...and that trend will likely continue.

Dear Mr. Hughes (and intro to my Fall '07 Poetry Portfolio)

First of all, I'd like to welcome all of you who read this blog to the first installment of poetry that will be submitted to my ENGL 382B class as my "Fall 2007 Poetry Portfolio."

The portfolio consists of 17 assignments and 21 poems overall. A lot of these poems will be new to my readers. Others I have used before, but have been re-written for this particular class. So if you think you've seen a poem before, you probably have...but now you're seeing it after being through workshop and re-written.

To my readers, be kind with your reviews but also be truthful as well. But don't be like "This sucks" and not have an explanation. If you have any questions, ask them? Something bother you? Tell me about it. A writer's job is to write for a mass audience.

Any changes that you suggest will be taken under consideration, but will not likely be used in my portfolio since I am under a deadline (that technically has yet to be determined by my instructor).

Now, for your feature presentation.

This poem Dear Mr. Hughes is an example of an emulation poem. The assignment for this piece was to emulate one of your favorite poets. Langston Hughes is one of my favorite poets and wanted to write something that maybe he would appreciate.

However, this is less of an emulation and more of a response to Hughes' Dream Deferred which can be read here.

Dear Mr. Hughes

What happens to a dream
deferred by outsiders
who wish for our demise?
They try to kill our self esteem,
instead we use their hatred
to power and fuel our dreams.
What happens to a dream deferred?
we make it come true.
For dreams are not just
for those with tired eyes.

copyright Luis C. Medina 2007

Homecoming

"Baby, do you remember when?
Fireworks at Lake Michigan
Oooh, now I’m coming home again
Maybe we can start again."
--Chris Martin, Homecoming (by Kanye West)

Well folks, I'll be on my way home for Thanksgiving break and I'm excited. So far, this semester has gone very well for me. The way this year has gone, I thought this is exactly how college was supposed to be from day one.

I guess this is one of those times where I note that I've learned a valuable lesson. This lesson, of course is that nothing in life comes easy.

Anyway, I'm coming home and am scheduled to arrive sometime Sunday afternoon. I'll be here until Saturday at 4 p.m. Plenty of time to do the things I need to do.

Unfortunately, I'm going to be a busy man during my vacation. I have a 7-10 page paper to write for my JRNL 332 class (journalism law.) I have a 1,200 word paper to write for my JRNL 311 class (news writing and reporting.) I also have to put together my poetry portfolio for my ENGL 382B calss (intermediate poetry.)

I also have to go to the dealership and see if I can get my job back. I also have to help my family with preparing for Thanksgiving.

The only fun I will be having will happen Wednesday night at Merkle's with my homeboys. To quote Bryan, "I saw the forecast for Wednesday, it's going to rain!!!!" Can't wait to make it rain in Wrigleyville again!!!

Other than that, I'm booked. Oh and Friday I'll be shopping with my mother. Other than that, I'm booked.

Hope to hear from you while I'm home.

Don't forget, I do DO NOT have a lot of your numbers. So you can leave me a messgae and give me your number so I can contact you.

In conclusion: I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

--LuDo

Poetry Coming Soon & Blog Neglect

If you ever read my old blog, then you know what is coming soon. That's right, poetry!

For those of you who are new, when the semester winds down I am usually putting the finishing touches on a semesters worth of new poetry. This year is no different. If you'd like to read my old poetry, you can go here and check it out. I suggest that you do.

Everyday I'm working just a little bit harder on putting together my poetry portfolio that comes at the end of the semester. When I feel I have a finished piece, I'll post it here, at my MySpace page and on Facebook.

I've got about 15 new pieces that I've written this semester. So get ready folks, cuz here I come!


What About Blog Neglect?

I've committed one of the blogging sins, and I am sorry for it. I realize that my last post here was on October 28th and that's such a long time to not post anything. I have found myself busy ever since signing on to be the Chicago Cubs beat writer for fansite armchairgm.com.

When I'm not doing school work or at my job, I'm trying to dig up all the dirt I can on the Cubs. I'm talking trade rumors, researching potential free agent signings, taking a look at minor leaguers who could impact the '08 team, etc. I'm a busy man to say the least.

I promise I'll make a bigger effort to keep this blog up to date as much as I can. I'd think about posting my Cubs stuff here, but I doubt many people would read it. But if you're willing to read it, I'm willing to write it. So tell me if you will or not. The latest Cubs news and analysis is only a copy and paste away.

Well, that's all for tonight. Nothing major to update tonight. Well, nothing I'm willing to talk about at this moment. The time will come. This blog will be back and kicking in no time!

-LuDo

Brian Griese: Upon Further Review

Flip-flopping is generally reserved for politicians. Today, this sports fan reserves the right to flip-flop on Chicago Bears starting quarterback Brian Griese.

Last week, I said that I was wrong about Griese after the Bears come-from-behind victory against the Eagles. Granted, I also noted the Griese’s downfall such as his six interceptions in his first three games.

But after the Bears 16-7 defeat at the hands of the once lowly Detroit Lions, my initial feelings about Griese might have been correct.

So where did I go wrong last week?

Griese fits the mold for one of the lamest sports cliché’s, “he gives our team the best chance to win.”

Oops. It’s hard to give your team a chance to win when you throw four interceptions against a defense that allowed 315 passing yards to Jeff Garcia and 92 receiving yards to Ike Hilliard.

In Griese’s six starts, he has now thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).

His ability to limit mistakes, as evidenced by the 0 turnovers against Philadelphia, is one of the main reasons he is starting now.

Did I mention that three of those interceptions occurred on passes in the end zone? Yikes. Turnovers in scoring position are unacceptable. If the Bears come out with three field goals instead of three INTs, the Bears would have been in a tied ballgame.

If it was Rex Grossman out there throwing four picks, there would be a mob outside willing to toss him into Lake Michigan, along with the ball that FOX kept showing every time the Lions kicked to Devin Hester.

The Bears still have issues they need to solve before they can be contenders again.

Finally, something I was right about! But wait, there is more to come.

Their running game has been terrible….Their defense is still porous…

Cedric Benson rushed for only 50 yards on 13 carries and was held out of the end zone, yet again. Kevin Jones accounted for Detroit’s only touchdown while rushing for 105 yards on 23 carries.

A 7-2 record down the stretch would give the Bears 10 wins and maybe a spot in the playoffs. If the Bears can find a way to jump start the running game, clog the holes in the defense and Griese can limit his mistakes, the Bears may be primed to make a run after a disastrous start.

The Bears are now 3-5, and based on NFL history have only a 2% chance of making the playoffs. If they were 4-4 going into their bye, they would have a 39% chance of making the playoffs.

This season, the Bears have been outperformed on offense, defense and special teams. That’s a recipe for disaster—and a top 10 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, not a playoff run.

Confession: I Think I Was Wrong About Brian Griese

After the Chicago Bears 19-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, I’m ready to make the following confession: I was wrong about Brian Griese.

I might be ahead of myself here, but before I completely jump on the Griese bandwagon I’d be remiss if I didn’t note Griese’s six interceptions in his previous three games. But for right now, Griese fits the mold for one of the lamest sports cliché’s, “he gives our team the best chance to win.”

In the week seven win against the Eagles, Griese completed 27 of his 41 passes (65.8%) and gained 322 yards. And with no timeouts and no radio communication in his helmet, he led the Bears on a game-winning 97-yard drive that culminated with “Moose” Muhammad’s touchdown catch with nine seconds left in the game.

In addition, Griese called his own plays.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to put Griese in the Hall of Fame just yet. But I am suggesting that maybe he can take on Ron Turner’s job as offensive coordinator too.

At first, I was skeptical about the Griese starting. His career numbers state that he’s a good, but not great quarterback. He’s had health issues in the past, and one of my biggest issues with Griese was that he had never won a playoff game—let alone take his team to the playoffs.

With that said, that could happen in a weak NFC.

But if he does that, what does that say about the Bears coaching staff? What does that say about head coach Lovie Smith? It seemed like a quarterback controversy loomed every week and Lovie would come out to the podium and confidently say “Rex is our quarterback.”

However, Lovie wasn’t the only one.

I supported Rex Grossman. Even before he was drafted, I watched him put up big numbers in Steve Spurrier’s offense at the University of Florida. And when the Bears drafted him, I thought he was going to be great.

I’ve always thought that Grossman has some of the skills to be a—dare I say it—great quarterback, like confidence. And a rocket for an arm, to throw Favre-like lasers through tight coverage. And a feathery touch to throw a soft deep ball over defenders.

Now, he’s got nothing.

Early in his career, it was injuries that kept him from performing like the player Bears fans expected. Now, it looks like the pressure of big market expectations has gotten to Rex, and that’s a shame.

Now, in his contract year, he’s been relegated to the bench and won’t likely get a starting gig unless an injury occurs. It’s very likely, Rex’s career as a Bear is over.

As for Griese, he is now 2-2 as a starter and looks to be gaining a firm grasp of the offense. His ability to limit mistakes, as evidenced by the 0 turnovers against Philadelphia, is one of the main reasons he is starting now. And if he can keep that up, the Bears could make a run at a playoff spot.

The Bears still have issues they need to solve before they can be contenders again.

Their running game has been terrible. Cedric Benson has proven nothing to me, except that he is a serviceable number two running back who thrives against tired defenders. Their defense is still porous, evidenced by the Adrian Peterson show last week.

A 7-2 record down the stretch would give the Bears 10 wins and maybe a spot in the playoffs. If the Bears can find a way to jump start the running game, clog the holes in the defense and Griese can limit his mistakes, the Bears may be primed to make a run after a disastrous start.

Jim Hendry Interview, Cliff's Notes Edition

While doing my daily search for baseball information, I came across an MLB.com interview with Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry. And rather than having readers have to read the whole thing and try to figure out what is or is not important, I've decided to highlight four things from that interview that I deem interesting.

***Note: All quotes attributed to Hendry***

1. "You want to improve and you want to change things. Even if you're the World Champions, I think you come into camp next year with four or five different guys on your roster. That's the way the game is now."
• It looks like the Cubs poor playoff performance isn't likely to affect the 25-man roster. However, this quote makes me believe that Hendry has his eye on some new blood in an attempt to better an 85-win division championship team. This year's free agent pool is quite shallow, but there are several quality players that can be had for the right price. It will take another smart off-season by the Cubs front office to bring improvements to this team. I'm interested in what players Hendry will target this winter.
2. "You can't predict somebody wants to come to your place. We've had a good track record -- people want to play here."
• I thought that this quote was important, specifically the part I put in italics. This was in response to a question asking if the Cubs were more likely to make roster changes through minor league call ups, free agency or through the trade market. I feel that Hendry's statement "people want to play here" is a good sign. I remember that under the Dusty Baker and Don Baylor eras that both of those managers were supposed to bring stars. They didn't. We'll see if the combination of Hendry's recruiting ability and Lou Piniella's managerial star power can bring in some impact players to the Northside.
3. "I'm happy with [Geovany] Soto. I think Soto has a great chance to be the catcher on Opening Day."
• For the record, I like Geo, but I'm not quite ready to give him the majority of the playing time behind the plate quite yet. Yes, he hit .389 in limited big league action this year. Yes, he hit the only home run for the Cubs this post season. Yes, he posted a .353 average with a 1.076 OPS in 110 Triple-A games in 2007. I realize all of that, but I don't want to put a lot of faith in a catcher with such a small sample size, though you have to think some of those Triple-A numbers would have to translate to the big league level. Also, I'm concerned about the health of Henry Blanco, who didn't play much in the second half and was left off of the post season roster. Free agent catchers include Jason Kendall (Cubs), Paul Lo Duca (Mets), Jorge Posada (Yankees) and Yorvit Torrealba (Rockies).
4. "I believe our payroll will go up [in 2008]. I don't know how much. If it stayed the same or close to the same, I wouldn't complain about it."
• According to Hendry, the impending sale of the Tribune Company shouldn't interfere with baseball opertations, and that's coming from the guys above him and John McDonough (e.g.Tribune executives Dennis FitzSimons and Crane Kenney.) That's a good sign, because this team needs to make improvements if they want to make the playoffs again, next year.

By posting this, I've saved the reader roughly 600-700 words. With that time, you can help Jim Hendry by outlining what the Cubs need for next year.

Midterm Madness!

We're a little more than halfway through the semester and I am relieved.

Again, this semester has had its fair share of peaks and valleys, but I am surviving. That is where the difficulty lies in these semesters. Sometimes, they feel long and frustrating--while other times they fly by and you don't even know what hit you.

Midterms have come and gone here at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and I am feeling good about myself. I have not missed many classes, though my goal of perfect attendance for the semester is unreachable now, I'm not hurt by the handful of classes I have missed.

CLASSES I LIKE

JRNL 311: Reporting & News Writing with William (Bill) Recktenwald

• This has been my absolute favorite class, so far. Mr. Recktenwald is a Chicagoland native who wrote for the Chicago Tribune in his heyday, and his experience in the newsroom is one of the reasons I like that class so much. Someone that can teach to you from experience is more valuable than anything a book can tell you. I could honestly gush over this class for days, but won't. Bill is the type of teacher (and this is the type of class) that helps me enjoy my journalism major.

JRNL 332: Journalism in Law with Professor Hlavich

• My "Journalism Law" class was one of those classes that worried me as the school year started, mostly because of my fear of the legal system. But Professor Hlavich does so much so her students understand what is going on, and it really makes the class interesting too. I've been quite successful in that class, which surprises me to be honest. It's educational and informative...AND can be applied to stuff I will need in the future.

CLASSES I DON'T LIKE

ZOOL 115: General Biology with Prof. Nsofor

• I'd like to preface this by saying I hate science. Not as much as I hate math, but I hate science nonetheless. I'm not fond of the lecture in this class, though I'm doing very well in my lab section. But the lecture is quite unbearable. Nsofor's lectures are long winded, making paying attention difficult. Having the notes online is great, however, there is no substitute for a teacher that is well spoken and can simplify science for non-science people like myself.

JRNL 335: Graphic Communication with Tommy Xie

• I am finding this to be the most difficult of my journalism classes, mostly because in this class I am unable to use my writing abilities to save my grade. The focus of this class is design--and that is not my strength. Everyone knows I can be sloppy and the fact I have no graphic design experience is of no help. I don't mind the lab with Heather Lose, who really simplifies things to the point where an idiot like me can make sense of the InDesign program. But Tommy, our lecturer, isn't on my happy side. Mostly because of the difficulty of the questions on his test and his lecturing abilities. He's not terrible, but he's not great either.

ENGL 382B: Creative Writng: Inter. Poetry with Alberta Skaggs

• Shocked? So am I. Everyone knows how much I love poetry, and that if not for poetry I'd likely be in an isolated mental state. My two poetry classes last year help me vent about my sophomore and junior year's at SIU in the best way possible. So maybe it's because I'm not the motivated mind I was last year (albeit motivation due to frustration.) Maybe because I've resolved some (but unfortunately, not all) of my issues that go back to sophomore and junior year. Maybe it's that prolonged writer's block that has been going on since June. Or maybe it's the fact that my teacher really ahsn't done anything to motivate me. In any case, I'm not happy with my poetry class (for several reasons.) I'm not motivated, the class is unorganized, it's taught by a teacher who had never taught a poetry class before....among other reasons. Still, the poetry is coming (though not at the pace it did last year.)

LET'S TAKE A TIME MACHINE, SHALL WE?

Now that I've got "Midterm Madness" off my brain, I decided I'd take a look back at what I was writing about this time last year and lo and behold we've got ourselves something that is worth a damn. As of now it's 11:56 p.m. on 10/17/07, and on this date last year I wrote this blog found at my old site.

In summary, I took a look back at a blog from 11/15/06 in which I referenced a conversation I had with my (now former) roommate. I referenced that note only because of what happened only hours before that post.

The Chicago Bears beat the Arizona Cardinals 24-23 on Monday Night Football behind three turnovers that turned into touchdowns and a game-winning punt return by Devin Hester. That game would go on to be known as "The Monday Night Miracle" and afterwards came my response:

"2007 JUST MIGHT BE THE YEAR! Maybe then MAYBE this can be my year too."

The next night, I would write about my epiphany. Unfortunately, that World Series Championship never came to fruition. Though technically I never said World Series--I said "championship." Damn! I should have been more specific!

So anyway, the point of that whole mini-rant was to prove how much I have changed. Even though those two posts aren't the biggest pieces of supporting evidence, there has been a significant change in my life.

No longer am I the bitter, frustrated young man that some people loved (while others hated.) No longer am I throwing my computer chair around my room in disgust. No longer amI beating my bed senseless with a baseball bat (mostly because I don't have my bat anymore, but that's besides the point.)

The point is that I feel like I'm moving forward in my life. And I'll be honest, sometimes I back-track. Sometimes I'll get into a state of mind where I'll just sit lonely and thing about "what could have been" or "what should have been." Sometimes I fall into the traps that got me down in the first place.

But then I'll have a happy moment, and all is right with the world.

IT DOESN'T GET EASIER

In closing, I'd like to take a short look at what I have ahead of me. (Hint: it's not gonna be pretty.) In order to graduate in Fall 2008, I'm gonna have to pull off the following miracle: 18 credit hours next semester, and 17 the semester after that.

The reason I have to do this is because of my sophomore year, which I consider the worst year in my life. It was the most tumultuous year, and what I mean by that is that I went through a period in which anything bad that could happen to me, did happen.

I honestly have difficulties finding silver linings in what happened that year. Not saying that there weren't any (because I can think of one in particular), but I say that because the bad outweighed the good--and it was a major setback.

Now I can take a look back at that and say that for the most part, I've moved on. And on graduation day I will be able to say, I survived SIU despite that. And if there is one thing I have learned from the 2007 Chicago Cubs (yay! baseball reference!) is that if you can make it through the rough times, you'll be stronger in the end because of it.

Good night folks, and sweet dreams.

Finished @ 12:13 a.m.