The "Big Orange Right Winger"

Summer

2010-06-09T13:38:00.001-04:00

My summers as a teenager were spent mowing yards in the neighborhood, chopping wood, clearing out weeds and other junk from a large shed @ my grandparents' house and 1 summer I painted their 4 bedrooms (all 16'X16') upstairs, plus my normal chores at home. I did that stuff plus Boy Scouts and church youth group and marching band practice for 2 weeks before school started.

None of this work was punishment. It was just work that needed to be done and I was the one who did it.

Kids now have no concept of what real work is. The funny thing is now that I look back on it, I guess I did a LOT of work growing up, but I still managed to have friends and have fun. I sure as heck didn't complain. I would have ended up with a warm backside and then go do the work anyway.

2008-10-17T13:18:00.001-04:00

Lowest Gas Prices in Knoxville

Knoxville Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

2008-06-29T09:27:00.001-04:00

The True Christmas Spirit

2007-12-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

My wife and I had something happen to us a couple of days ago that truly has renewed my faith in other people.

The story goes like this. It was really cold and our daughter didn't want to wait outside for the school bus, so we told her we would take her to school. We get in the car and drop the younger 2 kids off at the elementary school.

After dropping them off, the wife notices that the car is acting a little weird. I get out to find that the left rear tire had gone flat and was starting to come apart.

I am not mechanically inclined, so putting the spare on was not really an option. We baby the car in to the Wal Mart down the street and do some Christmas shopping while we get a new tire put on.

We get done with the shopping and go back to the auto section to pick up the car.

That is when the amazing thing happened. There was a lady in front of us paying for something she had done to her car. The Wal Mart clerk pulls out our paperwork and I look it over. While I'm doing that, this lady who was in front of us asks if we were the people who had the tire blow out on us.

I say "yes", then this person I had never seen before in my life pulls out her credit card and asks if she could pay for the tire for us for Christmas. All I could manage was a kind of half stunned "yes, thank you". We didn't get her name, and we will probably never see this lady again.

As the song goes, there are truly angels among us, most often when you very least expect it.

Living Christmas Tree

2007-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

We are going tomorrow night to the Knoxville Living Christmas Tree at Thompson-Boling Arena. The picture is from the 2006 production.

Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium

2007-11-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

TBA and Neyland Stadium
Originally uploaded by Michael Wender

One of the nicer shots of Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling I have ever seen.

2007-09-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

Prisoner poker could crack cold cases - Yahoo! News

2007-07-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

Prisoner poker could crack cold cases - Yahoo! News

Closure

2007-04-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

There is a candlelight vigil on campus tonight for the victims at Virginia Tech.

I wasn't planning to go, but I think I will, if only to give myself some limited sense of closure.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T08:36:00.000-04:00

I don't know anybody who works for or goes to school at Virginia Tech, but it got me to thinking. Here I am on a college campus about the size of VA Tech. If something this drastic could happen in a little nothing happening place like Blacksburg, it could truly happen anywhere.

We even had a bomb threat here yesterday and they cleared out a couple of buildings for an hour or so. It turned out to be a hoax, but as crazy as the world is now, you never know.

UPDATE

It turns out that I do know someone at Virginia Tech. I have a cousin who lives there now and has an office across the street from the campus. She and her husband are both fine.

A good lesson

2007-04-10T11:03:00.000-04:00

I found this on another blog a few days ago. It gives a good message about the basic difference between conservative Republicans and most Democrats (and these days, even "moderate" Republicans like John McCain and Rudy Guiliani).

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and was for distribution of all wealth.

She felt deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, which she expressed openly. One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs.

Based on the lectures that she had participated in and the occasional chat with a professor she felt that for years her father had obviously harbored an evil, even selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He stopped her and asked her point blank, how she was doing in school. She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That she studied all the time and never had time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your good friend Mary doing?" She replied, & Mary is barely getting by; She continued, "She barely has a 2.0 GPA, "adding, and all she takes are easy classes and she never studies; "But Mary is so very popular on campus, college for her is a blast, she goes to all the parties all the time and very often doesn't even show up for classes because she is too hung over."

Her father then asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's Office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0." He continued, “That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter visibly shocked by her father's suggestion angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I worked really hard for mine, I did without and Mary has done little or nothing, she played while I worked real hard!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said, “Welcome to the Republican Party."

Turning 40

2007-03-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I feel (or how I should feel) about turning 40. I know I have gained a fair bit of weight, but I don't know how much because I don't have a scale. All I know is that my pants and shirts are getting tighter, so it is time to step away from the table and get exercising again.

Fortunately, this place (commonly known as T-RECS), is right down the street.

I'm back!!

2006-09-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

I know it has nearly been a lifetime since I posted anything, but I have been super busy with work, school, and so on.

There will be more later.

Update

2006-01-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

For the 2 or 3 of you who read my blog, I have an update that goes back to my very first post back in November, 2004.

In that post, I mentioned my hockey playing days and some of the fellas I played with all those years ago.

Well, it seems that one of those fellas went and read what I said and he decided to say hello to me after nearly 25 years, (even if all I did was stand in front of the net and poke in the shots of his that the goalie happened to stop). I was very happy to hear from him after all this time and plan to keep in touch.

As for this blog, this "blast from the past" has gotten me motivated to write more about my present. I am on vacation right now, but when I get back, expect a lot more frequent posting from me.

Thank you, UT!

2005-11-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Affter having been at the University of Tennessee for a little over a year now, I have to say that coming here is the best decision I have ever made!!

The people I have gotten to know here have become almost like my family. They not only provide me with the opportunity for a good education, they provided me with a place to live in a hurry when I needed it. They have also provided me with a job that gives me the time I need to study, as well as nice folks to work with who have helped me more than they know. Without these people, I would pretty much be up the river with no paddles, so saying 'thank you' somehow seems to not be enough, but it is the best I can do for now.

GO VOLS!

Walking, Part II

2005-10-22T11:34:00.000-04:00

This walking class is tougher than I thought it was going to be. First day, we walked a mile and then a bunch of steps. My legs are killing me!!

I'll tough it out and see what happens. Still sounds like an interesting class from looking at the syllabus.

Walking

2005-10-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

I am starting a walking class today. 1 credit which I should get an "A" in at least. I am doing this for more than the easy grade though. I also hope to get rid of some of this gut I hae developed since I have been in Knoxville, and to hopefully give me more energy as a result.

I am not sure what is wrong with me, but I just have very little motivation to do much of anything, and I know I need to do something to change the way I am going.

Divorced

2005-10-17T13:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I went to sign all the divorce papers this morning. I am agreeable to the greatest majority of the stuff I signed. The only thing I didn't care for was that she seemed so darn HAPPY about it all coming to an end.

Now it goes to the judge, who has to hold on to it for 14 days before he (the judge) signs it, then poof.....DIVORCED!

Back in Greensboro...for now

2005-10-14T14:22:00.000-04:00

I know now why I left Greensboro.

I am here for a few days to visit my parents, and would not live here again on a bet. Way way too crowded with nothing to do. I did get to see the Depot downtown for the first time in about 30 years, but that one highlight is overshadowed by all the corporate sprawl from the airport coming into town on I-40.

Liberalism is a mental disorder

2005-09-30T20:33:00.000-04:00

This guy is the only talking head who tells it like it REALLY is without the political baggage of Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly on the right or Al Franken and the Air America left wing nut jobs. Check him out!

This is way cool!

2005-09-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

Check out http://chancellor.tennessee.edu/hurricaneassistance/. The University of Tennessee-Knoxille (as well as the other state supported universities) are offering to help Hurricane Katrina victms in a very unusual and special way by offering an education to some of those students displaced from their own colleges by the hurricane.

Way to go!

Back to school...

2005-08-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

I got a rare treat to take my son Ben to his first official day of kindergarten. He seemed to be really ready to go to school and meet all the new kids.

I start back next week.

2005-08-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the UT Orange and White game, and some other various pictured of my kids and my parents when they came here last month.

Just a short note....

2005-08-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

I ended up with a B in my second summer course. More over the weekend.....

HOT!

2005-07-23T07:14:00.000-04:00

It's supposed to be 95 here for the next few days with heat index temperatures around 100 or so. Good thing I have a pool. Going in a little while to pick up Ben and bring him back here for a couple of days.

We're going tonight to see the Tennessee Smokies baseball team. They are the AA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The company gave me free tickets. YAY!

What rights do you have?

2005-07-12T17:09:00.000-04:00

This post is in response to a blog conversation I have been having with the head of the Republican party in my hometown. Thank goodness I don't live there anymore.

Basically, he goes on and on about the rights of the majority and the rights granted to us by God.

Apparently, he got called to task for deleting a post where he received a lot of negative comments, and he has yet to admit that he did it (either intentionally or accidentally). He blames the post going away on a "power outage" that he had at his location. Maybe there was a power outage at his location, but that would have no effect on posts that are already stored on Blogger's servers (whereever they are).

Now, as Paul Harvey says, "the rest of the story". You will see my response to him in the comments below.....

The one true right God does give each individual is the CHOICE to accept His Son Jesus Christ or not to. What each individual does with that choice is their own business, and it will be up to God to stand in judgment, not to any of us.

It is like a former pastor of mine said about the Christian lifestyle...."if I'm wrong (about what he says from the pulpit), I at least have lived a good life and hopefully have made other peoples' lives better in the process. If I'm right, then we will receive all of the riches God has promised us in the Bible".

I think God does give us other rights, but without that first right, the others mean very little.

New pictures

2005-07-12T16:54:00.000-04:00

My 5 year old Ben, busy at my laptop

Ben riding a camel at the Knoxville Zoo
Ben on the tram at the Zoo
Here are some various pictures. I'll upload more later.

RRRRRRRRRR

2005-07-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

I just had to reformat my hard drive. What a pain in the butt!

2005-07-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

Here is where I am today.

D-Day

2005-07-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

I find out a little later today what I got for my Poli Sci class. Hoping for an A, but I still think I'll end up with a B+.

UPDATE

I ended up with the B+. No complaints....

Yaaay for me!!

2005-06-25T14:32:00.000-04:00

I ended up with a 95 on my group project. I know she most likely won't read this, but thanks Jennifer!

I have gotten B's on the 2 tests, and an A on my paper, in addition to this grade. I still have to take the final next week, but I could end up with an A, but most likely a B+.

Pretty good considering that I truthfully understand very little of what the professor is saying (he speaks VERY broken English), but he is a pretty decent guy in spite of that.

Going away

2005-05-26T15:35:00.000-04:00

I am going away for a few days to visit my parents. Their house happens to be in a wireless hotspot, so I'll take my laptop along and maybe blog while I am there.

Happy 50th b'day to my brother tomorrow!

Good day

2005-05-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

I had a very good day with my little boy on Sunday. First, we went to the zoo here in Knoxville for my company's picnic. They had a terrific spread for lunch. He got to ride a camel and went on the carousel a couple of times. He particularly enjoyed seeing the elephant. I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them developed.

After lunch, we stopped by the university to watch a baseball game. He enjoyed it more than I thought he would. Of course, meeting a little girl who came up and sat with us eventually probably helped that some. The only problem was that he kept cheering for the other team to hit a home run. He did enjoy clapping and dancing around when they played "Rocky Top", so there is hope for him after all I suppose.

Good morning....

2005-05-14T08:09:00.000-04:00

I bought a webcam a couple of weeks ago, and I just figured out how to take still pictures with it (yaayyy for me!). Too bad the only thing I can take a picture of is me! I'm sure the 3 or 4 of you who read this don't want to see that.

1 A, 1 B, and 2 C's. Not great, but I'll take it.

Summer classes start somewhere around Memorial Day.

The "Big Orange Screw"

2005-05-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

I knew why the University of Tenneessee is "affectionately" referred to as the "Big Orange Screw", but I didn't believe it until yesterday. I park in a parking lot for commuter students (I have a commuter parking tag), and I get a $12 ticket.

What's up with that?

Who's Annoying Me Today

2005-04-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

I came across this site the other day. It has the usual liberal/socialist soundbites, but at least she has the courage to admit it, unlike most liberals.

Tell her y'all said "hey" for me now, ya hear?

Here we are....

2005-04-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

Exams start a week from Tuesday. I'm not ready, but then again, nobody else is ready either.

Happy studying!

Can someone tell me why?

2005-04-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to help out this girl who I don't think really wants my help, but I have to keep trying because I see so much potential in her. She deserves a lot better than what she has gotten out of life. She has a boyfriend who treats her like crap. She has freely admitted this to me, but does nothing to even attempt to leave him or be on her own.

I just don't understand I guess....

Nothing to say

2005-04-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

I really have nothing to say today, but I just wanted the 3 of you who come by my blog regularly know I am still breathing.

More tomorrow.

Happy Easter

2005-03-27T08:58:00.000-05:00

I normally don't bring up religion, because I feel that most "religious" people are phony, but let us not forget the true reason for this holiday. It is not bunny rabbits and candy and painted eggs. It is because of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The link above explains it a lot better than I can or will try to.

A sad day for me

2005-03-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

I have an aunt who is on the verge of death, so pray (those of you that do) that she will go quietly. She has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks, and from what I know of the situation, the end could be at anytime.

Terri Schiavo, Part III

2005-03-25T08:45:00.000-05:00

Everyone who thinks Michael Schiavo is such a great guy should read this first.

Notice the October 2003 date on these letters to Jeb Bush, yet he did nothing to help this poor woman by not convening a grand jury or whatever needed to be done to have these charges AT THE VERY LEAST investigated. Shameful.

Terri Schiavo, Part 2

2005-03-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

Two more nurses accuse Michael Schiavo of being nothing more than a vicious bully. Click the link above in the title to find out more.

This guy makes all of the good men of the world look bad. No wonder most women don't trust men!

Terri Schiavo

2005-03-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this by saying that if I were in the shape Terri Schiavo is in, I would not want to live!! Thank God I don't have to make that decision. Hopefully, no one who ever cares for me will have to make that decision on my behalf.

In this case though, this says it all. Her "husband" (and I use that term very loosely because he abandoned her years ago for another woman with whom he has since had children) lost any moral ground he had when HE consciously made the decision to be with another woman.

PS

Terri has the moral standing to divorce this guy according to Matthew 5:31-32.

False alarm

2005-03-21T08:56:00.000-05:00

It turns out that my wife just wanted a "state of our marriage" update to see if I had changed my mind and was willing to be placed back under her thumb again. After about an hour, I realized if we were going to get back together, it would be her way or the highway, so I refused.

She wanted me to move back there with her, which wouldn't be so bad except I would have no job and I would have to give up going to school just to suit her. I also think if I did go back, we would go back to arguing, and to everyone involved, including my kids, being miserable.

Oh well, at least we are being civil to each other now.

The thing that came along to confuse things...

2005-03-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, it happened. Something happened to definitely throw the proverbial rock in my little quiet smooth pond of life.

Basically, my wife calls me up at work yesterday, and from what I could gather, she wants to at least discuss the possibility of us getting back together (we have been separated since August), which came to me as a great surprise considering some of her previous comments. I had work to do, so I couldn't talk to her for very long, but we'll see where it goes.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about the idea of getting back with her. I would love to get my marriage and family back, but if it ends up being the way it was right before I left, then I think I'll pass. Everybody was miserable, and everybody knew it. If we could honestly work out our differences and heal most of the wounds, then I would definitely consider it.

Thoughts?

Loving life....

2005-03-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Things for me are going well, which means sooner or later something wll come along to mess that up, but I am enjoying it while it lasts.

Shift leader

2005-03-11T14:08:00.000-05:00

I got a promotion at my job with Scripps. I am now a shift leader (supervisor).

I am still learning all the fine details, but overall, it isn't too bad. It can be rather tedious at times, but I think I'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

Why I hate math.....

2005-03-06T10:56:00.000-05:00

Before I begin, I want to say that I actually like math OK, but the way they're doing it now really sucks, and makes no sense.

The math class I'm taking here at the "Big Orange Screw" is a class that doesn't so much depend on getting the right answer, but explaining how you got to that answer (like those old high school math word problems on steroids). I never knew that answering a relatively simple math problem could be as complicated as explaining the Revolutionary War on a history exam.

It is such a pretty day outside. Think after I go to Wal-Mart to return some stuff that didn't fit, I may find a park or someone outside on campus to go to and then go work out.

Not happy........UPDATED

2005-03-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to have an interview with Aldi Foods for a district manager position they have available. Now, through the Career Services office here on campus, they tell me that even though they promised me an interview, they are now going to break that promise.

Makes me wonder what other promises they've broken to their employees, customers, and/or suppliers. I wrote a letter back to the Career Services people this morning. I include it below. I'll let everybody know if they send me a response.

I know this [my interview being cancelled] isn't really Career Services fault, but it does seem extremely unfair that a company would be allowed by the University to say one thing and then actually do something else, and that Career Services doesn't seem to be able to require this company to honor its commitments.

Since I am relatively new to the University, I will assume that this was simply an isolated occurence and is not a trend for companies who interview here.

I don't know if I would want to work for a company who promised students an interview and then for whatever reason decided at the last minute to not honor their promise. In all honesty, it makes me wonder what other promises they have broken in the past to their employees and/or customers.

Thanks for keeping me updated.

Here is the update. After I basically threw a fit, I did get invited to go to the dinner, which was very nice. I do have one small complaint though. Everybody else there had a name tag with their name printed on it, but I didn't, so I had to make my own. Minor detail, but it did make me feel a little left out. I even wound up with a huge can of their store brand of spaghettios. They put samples of their products on the tables, and that is what I ended up with, so life isn't all bad. I did get my interview the next day. They said they'll let me know something in a couple of weeks.

Stay tuned.

Math......YUCK!

2005-02-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

I hate math. I don't have time to explain right now, but I will later.

Sick, sick, sick

2005-02-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

I am still sick with a cold and cough that makes it unbearable to sleep at night because all the drainage collects in one spot and sits there like a sumo wrestler on my head.

I go back to the doctor tomorrow (Friday) morning. Hopefully, they'll tell me something so I at least can sleep at night.

An attempt at poetry

2005-01-27T13:33:00.000-05:00

I have never been very much for writing stuff down (kinda makes ya wonder why I have a blog, huh?), but with my little ones growing up so quickly, and the fact I see them infrequently, I figured I better start writing stuff down or else I may miss or forget something important along the way, so I will try to post something here every day.

Today's entry....

PS

I added a couple of verses and changed it slightly....here goes

I Stand

I stood in the daylight.
Hoping not to be seen.
Afraid to be with all the people.
Who are cruel and mean.

I stood in the nighttime.
Thankful for the peace.
Thankful for the serenity.
Of sleep's sweet release.

I stood in the shadows.
Wondering what I should do.
I stood alone in the shadows
Knowing that I miss you.

I now stand in the daylight
Alone and afraid
Wondering what I'll do now
I thought I "had it made".

I stand alone in the world
But I am not ashamed
I stand alone, enlightened---
By the light of the Torchbearer's flame.

Freedom.....

2005-01-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

From my friend Ann and her blog. Love ya, girl! You had the wisdom I needed for so long.

I have decided that I deserve to be loved, and am capable of being loved. I also am going to pledge to love myself for the person that I am.

This is so freeing. I can be me now, and it's ok. There is nobody there looking over my shoulder, waiting for me to "mess up", so they can yell at me.

Mommy....

2005-01-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

Hi there everyone (all 3 of you)! I have come down sick with a cold with a sore throat and so on.

Makes me want to stay home and eat chicken soup, especially when it is 11 degrees outside.

ZZZZZZZ

2005-01-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

Not much to report from here. Classes have started, but it is too soon to tell how rough they are going to be. My new job is going well.

I am very tired though. Will be glad to have Monday off.

Hello world....

2005-01-11T08:34:00.000-05:00

Not much going on with yours truly at the moment. I like my new job, classes start tomorrow, and everything is more or less right with the world.

More later....

How about this??

2005-01-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

2005 SBC Cotton Bowl

Tennessee 38
Texas A&M 7

FINAL

Virgin Mobile....NOT!

2004-12-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

Whatever you do, don't get a Virgin Mobile phone. You can buy it, but good luck trying to activate it! Virgin Mobile is a prepaid cell service that uses the Sprint network (I have a Sprint cell phone, and it works fine, except for the wireless web isn't working right now, BTW).

The reason I'm complaining about Virgin Mobile is that they must not have any concept of how busy the Christmas season is. I get hired by a company here that has a call center to activate Virgin Mobile phones for folks over the holidays. No problem. The school offices are closed until the New Year, so I figured I would pick up some extra money.

WRONG! I get there the first day after training and I sit there for about 5 hours or so not taking any calls because of a computer/phone technical issue. That part was actually pretty sweet.

We finally get some calls after much hand wringing and we set some folks up on the service. The next day, I come in and we're swamped with folks calling in. OK. Except, the system we use to activate folks (give them their phone # and program the phone so it actually works) is on the blink.

When that happens, we're supposed to tell these people to call option 2 (customer service/tech support) to get the phones up and going.

WRONG! Apparently, when these people called "option 2", the idiotic voice mail hung up on them, then they call us back raising all kinds of hell (deservedly so) because they have no phone #, and their service doesn't work.

I go back in today and we still aren't able to get these folks ringing away at the world, and they're still calling up giving us hell. I don't mind that too much; I just felt completely helpless not being able to actually DO anyhting to help these poor people who got stuck with this piece of junk. More than one person told me they were going to take the phones back where they bought them, and I openly encouraged them to do so.

Today was the last day of the assignment (Thank GOD!). I finally got so frustrated with not having the ability to properly do my job that I just walked right out the front door during my shift. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Just as a side note, these phones cost anywhere from $50 to $150, and come with $10 of service on them right out of the box. I'm supposed to get a phone for free when I pick up my check on Thursday. If I do get one (I'm not holding my breath), that puppy is going right to EBAY.

Good luck to that poor fool when he tries to activate it!!

Helpless.....

2004-12-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more helpless than when your child is sick, especially when they are a baby. It doesn't help that I live 75 miles away either.

Anyway, my little one (Bryan) is in the hospital with a bout of pneumonia. He came down with it yesterday. He seems to be doing OK now, but will be there a couple of days.

Aren't they cute?

2004-12-25T10:02:00.000-05:00

My two little boys, Ben and Bryan.

On the 5th day of Christmas....

2004-12-18T16:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't posted a lot lately, so I figured I would let you know what has been going on with me in the interim.

1. I got a new job with the Scripps Research Center that starts on Jan. 3. Scripps owns HGTV and some other cable netowrks, plus a bunch of TV and radio stations and newspapers. They also sponsor the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. I will be conducting media research and other polling and marketing efforts. I'll also still work for the University part time.

2. My transmission is fixed, but my van is still in NC. I'll go get it at some point soon.

3. It is supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow here. I sure hope it doesn't.

PS: It didn't snow but for about half an hour. No road problems here!

One week until Christmas. Are you ready?

Thanks

2004-12-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

I had a very nice chat today with an online friend. The first of many, I hope. Thanks for being there for me, Ann. You know where I am if you need me for anything!!

Merry Christmas!

Snow....

2004-12-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

I don't normally like snow, well I should say I don't like driving in it. I wrecked my car in the snow last winter. However, I just looked out the window and saw it snowing a little bit and it looks kinda cool.

Got my grades back today. 1 A, 2 B's and a C+. Not too bad considering everything that has happened since school started in August. GO VOLS!

Pictures

2004-12-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Ben and Bryan-May 2004

Here is a picture of my 2 kids. Ben is the older one. He loves helping his mother with little brother.

Here we are....

2004-12-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, my beloved Tennessee Volunteers lost in the SEC championship game to the Auburn Tigers 38-28, which is honestly a lot better than I thought they would do. They now go to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to play Texas A&M on January 1. I think I'll pass on the $75 tickets and the plane ride to Dallas though. The basketball team lost to UT-Chattanooga 69-68 yesterday. Looks like it's gonna be a long year for Buzz Peterson.

As for me, my transmission blew up on the way to visit the folks in North Carolina over Thanksgiving. It's getting fixed. I'm now in the middle of final exams. 2 more to go and then I get almost a month off.

That is about all for now.

2004-11-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my fellow blogger from my hometown (Greensboro, NC), TheShu, for a couple of things.

a) Putting up with me when I get going on one of my many rants on his Greensboro is Talking blog or on the Greensboro Sports Message Boards. I know I shoot off (hockey pun not purposely intended) my mouth occasionally, but my heart is always in the right place.

b) Putting a link to this site on his site. We may disagree about a lot of things, but I know his heart is in the right place too.

2004-11-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hi there everyone! I am now officially in the world of the bloggers! God help the Internet now!! Seriously, this is completely a work in progress, so any suggestions as to what direction I should go are more than appreciated.

First, a little about me. I live in Knoxville, TN and I work and go to school at the University of Tennessee (therefore, "Big Orange"). I grew up in North Carolina where I played hockey as a kid. I played right wing mostly, therefore the "right winger" part, although as you can see from my links, my political leaning is also to the right, so I figured I would use the double entendre here.

I did play hockey with somebody who made it to the NHL and became one of the better defensemen to ever play the game. His name is Teppo Numminen, and last season he played for the Dallas Stars after spending many years with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise. I also played hockey with Jeff Varner of "Survivor: Africa" fame. He played some pretty decent defense too, although his brother Kevin was "the man" on our team with no doubt. I still to this day have never seen anybody with his pure speed and agility on the ice at his young age at the time. I first met him when we were both 5 or 6.

As for what I want to accomplish with this site, I have no idea. It just sounded interesting and something I've wanted to do for a while, but never got started.

Any constructive suggestions or comments are welcome, but no name calling or being mean. That isn't cool.

Happy blogging!

Mike