Manchester United: Carling Cup Winners (Highlights)

Rooney's header wins the Carling Cup for Manchester United. Since he's scored his last gazillion or so goals with his head, one almost forgets the early criticism that he didn't have heading ability. Cup winners again!

Highlights: ManUtd 3-0 West Ham (EPL)

Manchester United v West Ham United
by peerzoner

My brother pointed out how good United are when Berbatov links well with the wing play. He played in Valencia for the cross to Rooney to head home on the first two goals. And it's always great to see Owen finish like that. He's still one of the coolest finishers in the world.

UK's John Wall's Block vs. Vandy

The Kentucky-Vandy match-up a shooter's nightmare. Vandy couldn't find the range with their 3-point shooting - which makes it all the more curious that they ended up with a contested three in this crucial possession. John Wall defends perfectly.

Highlights: AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United (Champions League, Round of 16, Leg 1)

Highlights: Kentucky 73-62 Tennessee

Trip to Hobe Sound, FL (Part 3): Video

Final posting on Hobe Sound happenings: a few clips that capture the essence of my trip. Actually, they probably completely miss the essence. The essence would be me laughing till my pancreas ached about Balderdash definitions and Rifftrax samples. Oh well...didn't have the camera rolling at those essential moments....Watch this instead.

Trip to Hobe Sound, FL (Part 2): People

There are a lot of great people in Hobe Sound. Some of the following friends and family were just visiting, but it was great to hang around some of my favorite people on the planet for a few days. I stayed at John-Paul and Jolie's house - they were great hosts and my stay was comfortable and fun.

My bro-in-law Scott in a semi-serious conversation with the be-sweatered John-Paul. Chloe, as always, is scurrying about at dizzying speeds.

My sister Ashley and the newest addition to the clan: Marshall Cole Blackmon. (We call him Cole.) Moments after snapping this picture, I shoved them both in the pool. (Kidding.)

Chloe decided to make herself useful and clean out the pool.

Kate, who is yet to figure out how to be useful like her older sister, is appropriately punished by being flung into the freshly cleaned pool. Chloe looks on approvingly.

Chloe is rewarded for hours of good behavior by being allowed to accompany JP and Nola on a walk. After pooping in an antagonistic neighbor's yard, Chloe led Nola safely home. (Modifier misplaced intentionally for sake of awesome humor.) I have video of this epic dog-walk coming later.

Marshall patriarch Bill condescendingly criticizes his son-in-law on his bottle-holding technique. Moments later, Bill suffered an "unintentional" loafer to the groin.

Yours truly (which is a euphemism for "me") with his delightful sister, prior to us both being rendered unconscious by mutual Vulcan death-grips.

Kate suffers through some mandatory socializing with her only cousin. Cole (who is yet to master his emotions) expresses displeasure by turning his smily stuffed animal upside-down. Very clever child.

Jeremy hangs out with a take-home bag of Banana Dream Cake from TooJays. "Casually thrilled" best describes his attitude at the time of this picture.

Mi hermano Matt and his wife Sara. Sara would collapse seconds later when Matt unwittingly supported 80% of his body weight on her shoulder. Fisticuffs ensued. I never knew TooJays embraced such a bar-room brawl ambience. Love that place. Great beef brisket...great sandwiches. Waiters all handy with broken bottles and chairs.
Chloe and her uncle Kirk eye an assortment of TooJay's cakes. I was totally bored because I knew I was getting Banana Dream Cake to-go; but I held the pose because cameras were flashing and it was supposedly a "cute" moment.
Jeremy, Matt, JP, and me (holding Katester). Apparently, only JP was aware of the upcoming photo. Matt, as he often does, contemplates BOATS!
It was really windy and chilly, okay? I love how Kate looks like she's going to smash a paparazzo in the mouth if he doesn't stop following her.

Nola and JP enjoy a Sunday-afternoon-esque atmosphere by the pool. It was the perfect day for lounging with a Schnauzer.

Florida in February: if you haven't tried it, make plans soon.

Trip to Hobe Sound, FL (Part 1)

February is the best time to be in Hobe Sound, Florida. The weather ranges from gusty and chilly (and beautiful) to breezy and balmy (and beautiful). And, of course, factor in some quirky, 40-second bursts of torrential rain. I visited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Hobe Sound Bible College.

This is the Hobe Sound public beach. It's actually on Jupiter Island. This is approximately one mile from where I used to live. I didn't spend a lot of time at the public beach when I lived in Hobe Sound, but we didn't get a chance to visit Richmond's, the place where I surfed (I use the term loosely) and realized my fear of sharks.
The heavy wind had chopped up the ocean a bit. Only lunatics would be swimming or enjoying water sports: I'm sure the water temperature was ridiculously low.

This is the front lawn of Hobe Sound Bible Church. The long sidewalk leading to the front door is lined with palm trees that rustle in the sea-breeze. I now know that I miss palm-tree-sea-breeze-rustling. I also miss pine cones - especially the kicking thereof and the hitting-with-5-irons thereof.

This is one of the three main entrances to Hobe Sound Bible Church (Pastor: Rodney Loper).


During the anniversary celebrations, they had a re-dedication ceremony for the music hall. They renamed it the Archie Coons Fine Art Center. It's been remodeled and re-landscaped. I'll always remember it for the countless choir practices and for the countless hours spent teaching myself Beatles songs on the grand piano in the auditorium.

Cinquains (1/28/2010)

A cinquain is a five-line poem with the following syllabication:

Line 1: two syllables

Line 2: four syllables

Line 3: six syllables

Line 4: eight syllables

Line 5: two syllables

To help you further understand, here's Andrew's self-aware cinquain.

Five lines,

Having two, four,

Six, eight, two syllables -

One for each of the lines making

Cinquain.

Get it? It's a cinquain about a cinquain.

The Breakup, P. Reagan

I woke

After she left -

Broken, reeling, hurting.

She left so abruptly, I wept.

I died.

Done, T. Butcher

I've come

To make an end

Of rhyming that is wrong.

Now poets who don't rhyme correctly

Are done.

Tommy seems obsessed with ending his poems.

Song of Nature, J. Davison

Ah yes,

Sweet Euphonies!

The songs of the Bluebirds.

What sweet joy and Bliss fills my ears.

Nature.

When I read this in class, I said "Nature," like Will Ferrell as Bob Goulet in that SNL sketch.

Mourning Song, J. Davison

Oy vey!

My alarm clock!

Cruel enemy of sleep -

I should throw it out the window...

'Tis done.

(Untitled), S. Witt

Before

I go on to

Die, I want to live now

For God; to love Him everyday,

He's mine.

Butterflies, V. Harper-Chambers

They fly

In my tummy

They are there all day and

Night; All fluttering around butt-

-erflies.

Sonnets, Part One (1/25/2010)

I hope these live up to their advertising. There are two types of sonnets: English and Italian. The English consists of three quatrains (ababcdcdefef) and a couplet (gg), representing arguments or statements on the topic and then a couplet conclusion. The Italian consists of an octave (abbaabba) and a sestet (which can maintain multiple rhyme schemes). The division of thought is a bit more vague. Part Two is coming soon. (Spoiler: one sonnet is an ode to the Jonas brothers!)

Form: English (Shakespearean)

Poet: A. Smith

Oh, Marshall, how you should have felt my day

Go down when I heard that I must try to

Attempt to write a sonnet that I may

Give you a chance to give my grade that's due.

You should have seen the rage that came o'er me:

"He doesn't understand the time it takes,"

I said. I could not write of love for Thee,

My mind was full of hate that could not break.

I knew I had to face reality.

I get to work to make my sonnet nice.

I chose the English - what monstrosity,

With fourteen lines my head turns into rice.

I feel relief for I'm near done. May you

Be pleased with my effort because I'm through.

****************************

Form: English (Shakespearean)

Poet: T. Butcher

The sword doth ring and shine as 'tis drawn out

Of its scabbard. This blade shall soon taste blood.

"Foolish it was to mock this man!" it shouts.

The one that threw the gauntlet down doth brood.

For 'tis his own fault that brought him such pain.

Now since he bought the fight with his own words,

He shan't bring this upon himself ever again.

His body crumpled as though by many hordes,

The sword, now sheathed kills no more men again,

For out of the darkness the dead man walks

Coming back from the dead, condemning sin.

The man that killed him doth turn 'round and balk.

I awake to find nothing has changed but

A cold sweat has broken, my arm is cut.

************************

Form: Italian (Petrarchan)

Poet: E. Martin

(Sobriety: questionable)

Once upon the little tree

I saw the leaves begin to give

But before then I saw them live

Then It right looked right at me

The trees then blew long and short

But never again to sway again

And felt the wind end to end

Also giving a good report

There they are gone to win

They play with socks and yarn.

Here they come with the hats on high.

If the team comes again,

He'll be so happy to see the barn.

So come again to see the trees fly.

***********************

Form: Italian (Petrarchan)

Poet: P. Reagan

What a Feeling When Love Knocks You Down

What a thing it is when you lose your love

She walks and scorns and curses your good name

You feel as if you are in wretch and shame

Her love, her warmth, her joy flies like a dove

You want to see, to love, to hug, to kiss

Today, you thought you saw her light from far

And thought, I will never live up to par

You got all excited for only this

Every breath, every step today you take

You resolve to commit for new loves' sake

So you can breathe, can wake, can walk all days

And so you can make more than one hoss shays

Yes, when love throws, love knocks, love flings you down

You won't live alone with an endless frown.

Limericks (1/28/2010)

Believe me: some really impressive sonnets will be posted soon. But for now, try to appreciate this limericks. To their credit, they were reeling a bit from the sonnet assignment: their poetic abilities were a bit taxed.

Here comes a kid named Cob,

Thence once was a man named Bob,

That never knew how to give

He finally felt big

Just because he decided to rob.

- Eric Martin (who must have composed this in a matter of seconds)

There was an old woman named Ben

Who cried when she saw a red wren.

When was asked her own name

She answered in shame

That wren did not rhyme with Ben.

- Tommy Butcher

She woke up before school one spring day

It was late so she could not say "hey"

To her mom who was fun

She liked to see sun

So she said, "I am just making fun!"

- Patrick Reagan

There was a young man from Kentucky

Who persistently hoped to get lucky

And find a cool car

Whose rubber he'd char

But he got ate by his young dog, Bucky.

- Jeremy Davison

There once was a man from the West

Who never was the very best

Then he went to the school

And he learned a new rule

That he could become the smart-est.

- Andrew Smith

I am the man with the plan

Who also has a tan

I live every day and night

Without any fright

That's why I'm the man with the plan.

- Scott Witt

Violence is everything to us.

I'd laugh if you got hit by a bus.

Your brains on the ground-

Your legs we have found.

I'd get weak if you got hit by a bus.

- Christina Jones

There was a man, Saddam Hussein

Was sometime thought to be mundane

Kids teased of his nose,

He shot off their toes.

He grew up and ended to hang.

- Tim Keep

Haikus (1/28/2010)

The following haikus are from my English 10 class. Comment and let me know what your favorite is. (This is very important to the sophomores.)

There's no one to hate.

My heart, much bigger than that

I choose to love all.

- Tim Keep

I live to be me -

The best of my potential

Always to be me.

- Scott Witt

Rolling like the sea -

Or it is flat as a plane.

All is a grassy land.

- Andrew Smith

Pablo Picasso

Considered by many great

But not so by me.

- Jeremy Davison

Ending

An end is in sight

To my Japanese haiku

It is here right now.

- Tommy Butcher

I love chocolate.

I also like caramel

But white is the best.

- Eric Martin

The falling marker

Hitting the ground with a thud

Was Mister CC.

- Valencia Harper

Spring Dream

Flower's bloom, birds fly,

Scents permeate, breezes rush.

I now feel alive.

- Patrick Reagan

Highlights: Arsenal 1-3 United

Finally...some highlights to post. United run over Arsenal at the Emirates thanks to goals from Rooney and Park. The opener - officially an Almunia own-goal should be credited to Nani. I think it was (somehow) going into the net without Almunia's help. Vermaelen scored on a deflected shot, but it was only a cosmetic goal. This was a comprehensive and emphatic win for United. Rooney and Nani are on frightening form at the moment.