THE BEST OF ...

A few things that I would like to call the "Best of" from this past year ...

Game of the Year -- The Rose Bowl! Vince Young is the freakin' man!

Song of the Year -- "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley ... Very creative!

Movie of the Year -- "Munich" or "United 93" (I only saw five movies this year!)

Book of the Year -- The best one I read was "End of Poverty" even though it came out two years ago.

"Media" of the Year -- Bono's interview with Bill Hybels at Willowcreek's Leadership Summit

The YouTube Video of the Year -- MadTV's Kim Jong Il Crazy skit or Best of Homer Simpson ... I was rolling in utter laughter for a while after both!

TRAVELING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

My roommate from college always said that I was never afraid of a road trip. That is a fairly accurate statement. After riding in my CRV from some 1600 miles during a seven-day stretch during the holidays, it is nice to be back and relaxing as I now travel just a few miles to get to my given destination.

After very pleasant stops in Radford, Va., Roanoke, Va., Lynchburg, Va., Ashburn, Va., Woodbridge, Va., Maytown, Pa. and Louisville, Oh. It's nice to not be in my car for an extended period!

ENJOYING THE REST

Over the last few days I have driven all over the mid-atlantic region visiting some friends, going to hockey games and doing some last minute shopping. May everyone who reads this enjoy their Christmas!

Best Wishes!

BUSH HAS NEW TRANSLATOR!

This is one of most hilarious things I have ever seen! I can't stop laughing! It's only a minute long so take a moment to watch and, hopefully, laugh ...

INTEGRITY AT RISK

I just got done reading an excellent article that Andy Stanley wrote for the December Edition of Catalyst Monthly. Since all of us, at one time or another, have decided to compromise our integrity; you should read it as well ...

Integrity at Risk

ABSTRACT AMERICA

The U.S. Census Bureau just released some of the most random facts I have ever seen. Who comes up with some of this stuff ...

- 13 million people have a blogsite

- The average American spends over two months watching TV in a year!

- Americans are expected to spend $55.5 billion on book purchases in 2007

- 3.7 million people said they were bothered by oders in their neighborhood

The 2006 Statistical Abstract

GRADING PAPERS

I walk into my professors office on Wednesday afternoon to hand him two assignments I have completed for my ethics class. Thinking I can just hand them to him and get out of there in a short amount of time (say 15 seconds), he proceeds to say, "oh just sit down and I can grade them right now"

No, no professor Erdel you don't understand that's a bit scary! He insists that I stay as he reads my two papers over the next five minutes or so. I would have to say those five minutes ranked up there with getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Not exactly were I wanted to be but I knew that I wanted it over with.

Fortunately for me he had a copy of Simon and Granfunkel's "Live in Central Park" album for me to look at while he was grading to the two papers. One paper is five pages while the other is eight pages and he flips through them like it's a Dr. Seuss book or something. Seriously, I'm in awe of his speed reading skills (or my pathetic effort). The papers probably took me a combined 15 hours to write and he is wisking through them faster than "The Cat in the Hat"

Regardless, I get my two grades back ... Two "A-" efforts ... I'll take it!

"CUT ME MICK"

Yo Andrean!

If you aren't excited for "Rocky Balboa" you have less than a week to get pumped up for what amounts to "Rocky VI"

Who wouldn't want to see 57 year old Sylvester Stallone get in the ring one last time!? You know he is going to win. If he can beat the Russian on steroids in Rocky IV he can beat anyone. Let's also not forget that he also beat Mr. T in Rocky III so there shouldn't be any doubt who wins the fight before the end credits go up.

It's almost impossible to think that the first installment of the Rocky series won the Oscar for best picture in 1976!

Ok, with some sense of seriousness ESPN's Page 2 did an interesting interview with the man who drank eggs in the first Rocky - here.

8TH GRADE EDUCATION

I fear that I may need to start school all over. After taking a few tests to see if I could even get past the 8th grade, I am either one of two things 1) Forgetful of what I learned (if I ever learned it at all) OR 2) academically challenged at a middle school level.

Take my 8th Grade Spanish Test. I failed! I got 3 of 8 correct. Of course that being said I never took one class in Spanish so I didn't feel real worried about that test.

Moving onto the History portion of the exam. Failed Again! Holy cow! I got half of the eight questions correct!

Thankfully I redeemed myself a little bit by getting 9 of the 10 questions right during the Geography portion. After all, I was a member of the Geography Bee when I was in middle school!

Next, I didn't even try the science portion because I had to take biology twice in college to pass so taking that into account I wasn't trying science at an 8th grade level!

Fortunately I had a good finish by answering nine of the 10 math questions correctly!

So what I have learned from all of this. Academics aren't as important as you think! Life is, after all, about common sense! Why then am I getting my Masters Degree?

"THE GREATEST"

December 11, 2006 marked the 25 year anniversary of Muhammad Ali's last professional fight. He was, and for that matter still is, "The Greatest" of all-time.

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

-Muhammad Ali

"TRUTHINESS"

It's the word of the year! And it isn't even a word, well kind of. It's a word that Stephen Colbert made up during his show 14 months ago!

Is the American public trying to express something? Think about it, the word of the year in 2005 was integrity. Gotta wonder if this country is beyond being fed-up with corruption, deceit and lies.

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2006

NOTRE DAME 99, #4 ALABAMA 85

Heading into the game on Thursday evening I really thought Notre Dame was going to win. After the first 10 minutes or so I did have some serious doubts but, none the less the Irish won one of the most exciting college basketball games I have ever witnessed for a few reasons:

1) Russell Carter (pictured) played out of his mind. Every now and then you see an athlete pick up his play and make everyone else better. His effort last night was a great example of that!

2) The energy in the arena was electric. The last few years ND hoops has been kind of down so the crowds have been dull but last night from the moment I walked in, there was something a little extra from the crowd. Anytime the home team can rush the court, there's some fun and excitement in the stands!

3) Jaw Dropping Plays. I can't count the number of times I shook my head in disbelief over what just transpired on the court. There were at least three oustanding dunks, numerous three-point plays, reserve lay-ups and a 6-7, 250 lbs. white guy running the fast break late the game. Outstanding stuff!

4) The throwback jerseys. The Irish came out in uniforms that were replicated from the 1978 team that went to the Final 4. Nice Look!

5) I was tired. Maybe it was the late 9 p.m. tip-off but very rarely, if ever, do I get tired from keeping basketball stats. After the game I was freakin wiped-out! So much action, so much energy and so many stats to keep!

After the game coach Brey said he would put last night's game in the top four games he has ever been apart of. For a guy that has coached for 20-plus years, not to mention a few of them as an assistant at Duke, that's saying something!

BILLY GRAHAM

I came across this on two blogs today, so thanks to Noel and Nate for this gem!

There are two videos (about five minutes each) from a conversation/interview between Woody Allen and Billy Graham from probably the early-70's. I'm not sure if it is just me but Billy Graham seems completely calm and at ease during the entire segment while Woody Allen looks a bit nervous.

Woody Allen & Billy Graham

LIVE MUSIC

I am a sucker for live music. Shoot, I go to more concerts in a year than I do movies! I came across this cool website that has a few live recordings for bands like The Fray, The Killers, John Mayer and others. It's worth a look ...

Stripped Music

FIRE!

On Tuesday evening my apartment complex had their fifth fire in the last two years. You think it might be time find a new place to reside?

The previous four I only recall the fire trucks coming into the complex and hearing about the fire the next day in the newspaper or from some one around the complex. However, last night was a little but closer to where I live ... here!

A little after 7:00 p.m. last night I walk out of the laundry area and see some flashing lights about 300 feet away from my apartment then across the parking lot I see black smoke coming out of an apartment. Not a few seconds later, that smoke turns into this full blown fire pouring out of the windows. Shortly after that about six or seven fire engines are all around and thankfully putting the fire out. All-in-all it this process took about 10 minutes.

Fortunately for all involved nobody was injuried but one apartment was completely gutted and about six to eight others were affected.

Time to move?!?

THE BCS SYSTEM

So who is "more deserving" to play Ohio State for the national championship? Florida or Michigan? Seriously does it really matter?

As a hardcore sports fan here's my take on the BCS system -- it is what it is so let's go watch some football?!?

- Ohio State will win by 10 (or so) over Florida (BCS Championship)

- Michigan will beat USC in a close one (Rose Bowl)

- Louisville will sweat out a close one with Wake Forest (Orange Bowl)

- LSU will beat Notre Dame (Sugar Bowl)

- Oklahoma will run all over Boise State (Fiesta Bowl)

AND, by the way, Texas is still the defending champions for another month or so ... Hook 'em!

GOT $20?

A few months ago Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated wrote a piece about how you can save people from malaria in Africa for just $20 (Nothing But Nets). Seriously just $20! That's a CD, a DVD, a few gallons of gas to save at least one persons life.

His most recent column (Nothing but Thanks) detailed how much success this campaign has had. In just a few months there have almost 150,000 nets purchased for the people of Africa and countless lives have been saved.

Everyday we are inundated with all kinds of advertisements (about 3,000/day) and almost all of them are crap. I don't mean to throw something else in your face but this is a great campaign. If we, the "fortunate" of the world, can't help the less fortunate then shame on all of us.

Check it out:

Nothing but Nets Campaign

BEST ATHLETE EVER?

Bo Jackson turned 44 on Thursday. Is he the best athlete ever? (and by ever, I mean in the history of life)

Think about what he accomplished before a freak injury cut short his athletic career -- All-Star Baseball Player, ran the 100 meter dash in 10.39 (in high school!), 4 20 Homerun seasons, 100 RBI season, ran over Brian Bosworth during Monday Night Football (a personal favorite of mine) and won the Heisman Trophy!

During his time with the L.A. Raiders he rushed for an average of 5.4 yards a carry! That's freakin un-heard of and he did all that while backing up Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. Plus he went to a Pro Bowl. As a K.C. Royal and Chicago White Sox he hit towering home runs long before the steroid era and changed games defensively with his outfield prowess.

It really is ashame that he got hurt so early in his professional career because if (and, sure, that's a big word) he would have stayed healthy the debate of who is the best athlete ever wouldn't be argued because we would know that Bo Jackson is his name!