Scott Via 18.3N 64.8W

Total Eclipse of the Heart

2010-04-05T16:53:00.001-04:00

No idea where this came from, but i like it. I take no credit.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2010-02-10T19:50:00.002-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Research family history - Dynasty

you've got to be kidding me. i hope that this collage shows you exactly how much credit can be given to this site. My favorites are Wayne Brady and Ellen Degeneres.

your blog post is now mine

2009-07-31T13:07:00.002-04:00

Is this blog post mine? No, i took it from Matt, my friend here on island. It was on his blog, but i liked it so now its on mine.

i think i may live in a different world than you do.

i grew up learning and accepting things like "what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours." things like "stealing is bad." things like punishment for a crime to prevent and deter.

now i live in a place where crime is simply accepted. if you need something that someone else has, you simply steal it. and what's worse is that i've come to accept it: dinghy got stolen? - well, it was left locked to a cleat with 10 feet of 2 inch chain & industrial lock in broad daylight so i guess it was an invitation to steal and looked like an easy 15 minute project.

one time we had the 4 tires stolen off our boat trailer which sat in a paid lot, or "boat trailer yard." driving by one day i decided to check in on it and found that someone had put it up on blocks and taken the tires (among other things). it took me about 10 more minutes to figure out which trailer they were now sitting on - and on top of the trailer was a huge "go-fast" boat. stupidly we called the police to report the incident & upon explaining and showing the officer where our tires now sat he drew a deep breath and said "well.....if i were you i would have gone about this in a different way. you know who's boat that is on top that trailer? i didn't say it, but if i were you i'd find yourself some other tires." so there is was, the tires were no longer ours. case closed.

solving crimes like the above take an immense amount of work. i mean do you realize how much time is involved for an officer to walk 50 feet from where the dinghy was stolen into the National Park Center and ask to view the cameras focused on where it was stolen? do you realize how impossible it would be for investigate and solve the stolen trailer tires? oh wait, we solved it for them!

there's what i like to call a "mine" mentality down here. see something you like that's not yours? now it's....MINE! oh boy, that looks nice...."that's mine now!"

and so this brings me to a recent crime which illustrates the "mine" factor perfectly and how little there is to worry about getting caught or punished for stealing:

Motorbike stolen from Road Town Police Station

Police continue to seek answers to a brazen heist that took place inside Road Town Police Station last week. Early in the morning on July 19, three men entered the station and stole a confiscated 650cc Suzuki motorbike. According to the police, the men, whose faces were covered with T-shirts, exited through the back of the building. There is no evidence that they were armed.

Last Wednesday, Police Commissioner Reynell Frazer launched an internal investigation and a full-scale criminal investigation into the “suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident,” including how the motorbike was removed when personnel were on site and task force officers were moving through the building periodically.

Police continue to review footage from surveillance cameras, which captured the three men as they removed the motorbike from the premises.

“As commissioner of police, I want to ensure the public that this incident will not detract from the Force’s continued and ever-focused commitment to maintain law and order in the territory,” Mr. Frazer said.

PWA to meet

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Vere Brown, head of the Police Welfare Association, said the association’s executive board would meet shortly to formulate an agenda and convene an emergency meeting. The group has concerns about the safety, vulnerabilities and other breaches of security at all police stations in the territory, he said.

“The PWA has a statutory duty to bring issues that will affect the welfare and efficiency of police officers to the attention of the governor,” Mr. Brown said.

At a House of Assembly Meeting on Friday, Premier Ralph O’Neal maintained his commitment to the force — but stopped short of speaking in depth about the RTPS incident.

“My government’s commitment is to seek to protect the territory and its people, and to protect and preserve their interests and their safety and security,” Mr. O’Neal said. “We must work to keep our society free of crime and violence and ensure that it is one in which the rule of law is preserved and promoted.”

As of Beacon deadline, no arrests had been reported.

let me sum this up: 3 men walked into a police station and stole a motorcycle. now, i'm no detective, but i'm thinking that there are a few items that concern me or that i'd look into immediately. 1) people have no fear of stealing from the police, and inside the police station. "that's mine" taken to the extreme. 2) these thieves just may have experience or a history/knowledge of the station i.e. they've been locked up before? 3) perhaps this motorcycle was stolen by the actual owner of the bike that wanted it back? may be a good idea to check the registration on that bike. 4) surveillance cameras and officers on duty bring us no leads as to who this may have been, huh. but then again 3 men out of uniform with faces covered with t-shirts walking a motorcycle out of the station is nothing that would draw any attention anyway. 5) we have trouble preventing crime on the streets and now we can't prevent or solve crimes of people stealing from us, the police. is there something wrong with that? 6) and finally, did all three then jump on the bike and take off?

if i were the police commissioner i'd certainly be embarrassed about this incident, but i certainly wouldn't throw out lines like "i want to ensure the public that this incident will not detract from the Force's continued and ever-focused commitment to maintain law and order in the territory." you've just been made the fool commissioner, how does the public have any faith in you or that statement?

My New Willys - 1954

2009-06-19T14:22:00.002-04:00

4 years......fast.....

2009-06-15T19:12:00.004-04:00

Well, today is my four year anniversary on St. John. I don't even know how i feel about that. I graduated college, said thanks to dad for four years of out of state tuition, drove across the country with Tom, and hopped on a plane with a one way ticket, no job, and no where to live. Its not as dramatic as it sounds, i had visited here before and had just enough knowledge to convince people i knew what i was doing and enough faith to know i was heading where i was supposed to. I'm not even sure how i got to where i am. Thats not true, i do know, but it had nothing to do with me.

People constantly ask what it is like here......the honest answer is, its weird. I'm serious, this place is just weird. The island, Maho where i work and live, its all just weird. Can i describe that? No, I cannot.

I've taught school, crewed a boat, and I manage a hotel. I've said goodbye to lots of best friends. That sounds sad, and it is. But....every time you lose one, you have to find a new one, and that works out i guess. It's different every time, but its good. Do we keep in touch? Nope. Is it good to talk to them on those rare occasions? Yes.

People say they would give up anything to live here. If you do live here, you'll give up more than you think. You hand someone a whole bunch of normal when you arrive, and they give you back a pile of weird.

I do love this place, and i hope that it loves me. I just can't believe i've been here for 4 years.

An incomplete list of those i have met because of my life here: tim L, matt, josh, mary laurel, tyler, megan, jamie v, jamie z, scoot, steph, ad, cici, kels, lucy, pastor, ardath, allison L, adam, amy, chutney, doug, john ryan, bearded matt, matt ice, kyric, liz, greg, mariel, ginger, dan, capt larry, tim, scott, sheree, logan, kent, robin, maggie, carson, sam, kerrin, frank, jeanie, luke, weston, grace, nikki, shaiman, isaac, tristan, tiareh, coulter, rachel, joie, nicole, ruth, jordan, jennifer, sara, noah, jonah, bryan, katie, asher, gabe, liam, marty, stephan, chris, trevor, kendall, oli, zach, princess, joey, regina, leif, paul, cyrille, parrish, ted, slade, alan, tina, nicholas, ronnie, glen, don, seth, melissa, alley, sarah, tyler, rachel, brew, tim, sylvie, herman, .....................

run

2009-05-05T21:09:00.002-04:00

In Forrest Gump, he (Forrest, Forrest Gump) is running. After he runs for a few years, this guy starts running beside him and telling him how he knows that Forrest has it all figured out and how it has opened his eyes. Next thing you know everyone is following him.....their all being enlightened by this guy who hasn't even said a word, he's just running. The only thing he really says is "it happens" and "have a nice day" and some guys make money off of bumper stickers and a t-shirt. Man, people follow some dumb stuff.

Justice served, but not on a fancy platter of good defence.

2009-04-19T16:13:00.003-04:00

Well, few things learned about court in the VI.
1. must wear closed toed shoes. Cannot wear flipflops and they will no accept "but we in de islands mon" as an appropriate argument to do so. Luckily for me, Ronnie's Pizza below the court room had a pair i could borrow.
2. Wear a jacket. Judges wear the black robe because its freezing, not because it is slimming.
3. (this is where we get into my ticket) If you have been wrongly accused of a parking violation (I say wrongly because if you are guilty, pay the ticket....i spend too much time driving around cruz bay looking for spots while you left your car in the 30 minute parking for 5 hours) then the best thing to do is to show up. I showed up. The parking ticket lady did not. She was probably just running late since it is abundantly clear that her watch does not work (thats why i got a ticket i didn't deserve). I sent an email exactly 20 minutes before the time that the ticket says i arrived in the parking spot. If you know where Maho is in relation to Cruz Bay, you know that is quite a feat. I brought that email with me as evidence for my complete innocence in the matter. Not only did she not show up, she did not turn in the ticket. They had no record of it existing. They asked for my copy, which i provided, then said "dismissed". They then looked at me awkwardly because i had not left the podium. I wasn't ready to leave. This was my day off of work, I was wrongly accused, i wanted my moment of justice. Instead, it got dismissed on ineptitude. I find it ironic because ineptitude is what put me there in the first place. Its a good thing this place has beaches.

Injustice

2009-01-14T22:21:00.004-05:00

I am not much into public outcry over the workings of government, whether it be local or federal. Sure i have opinions and occasionally let them be known, but very rarely am I passionate about it. For me, where i am, there are more important things to study and meditate on than partisan politics and the workings of local governments. While i know that politics are important and will greatly effect my life regardless of how much effort i put into knowing the issues, i know that most everything is too complex to figure out without putting many hours into studying and loud people like Hannity and Bill Maher only skim the surface.

I generally shrug things off like an unfair government endorsed fuel surcharge for the ferries (even though fuel is now at its lowest point in a very long time and has been for months). Yes, it is now unecessary and should cease, but i'm not getting upset about it. Municipal services are a joke here, but that is just part of it and i can take it with a grain of salt. Sure the local police were given $100,000 to fight drinking and driving, but do not have a breathalizer and think that the legal limit is, "You know, i'm not to sure....but i think its around .5 or so." Its more of a funny story than something to get upset about.

But today i came face to face with injustice, and i cannot and will not remain silent. I don't confront strangers. I really only argue with friends and most of that is just to rile them up over something that i really don't care about. Today i was victimized by an agent of the government, and i feel that the system here has allowed it. I confronted my accuser but to no avail. "See you in court" i said. I try and make it a point to never react since it usually never involves thought of any kind, just a reflex of self. Because of this i generally let things go. But today the situation was very clear. I was right, I had done no wrong. I made sure that I was being a good citizen, yet I became a victim. I will go to court and fight this since it is my right as a citizen of the United States of America and a resident of the US Virgin Islands. I anticipate one of two outcomes.

The first is that I will be forced to prove my innocence, which will be hard. I have no real alibi other than those i passed in the street who know me. I have a record for where i was after 10:35am, but between 9:43am and then, i have nothing but my word and a hitchhiker who didn't seem like the fight the establishment kinda guy, or the kinda guy to wear a watch. Sure i waved to a few people, but will that be enough to convince the court? I hope that the courts will see my side and trust my honesty. That they will see the small amount of evidence i can present and rule in my favor.

The second possible outcome is that the whole thing is dismissed without much of a fight. If so, error is admitted, but probably because they know it is an issue, that I am not the first and will not be the last person so heinously accused of wrongdoing by this government official. If an issue is known about but not addressed, then in world we live in it is tolerated which is accepted which is condoned. I fear that this outcome will greatly upset me and should offend any other residents of St. John. This outcome could be bad for my health. I have never had high blood pressure, but I want Ripley's there just in case.

I will present my case here, on this blog first to let the good people everywhere know that i am innocent, that my good name will be cleared. I have until March 6th at 9:30am to compile the evidence, rehearse my opening statement, and then at that time in the confines of the justice system I will confront my accuser for a second time and expose the utter failings of the system.

Today I parked in a 30 minute parking spot at 10:32am. I arrived back at 10:54am to find a parking ticket. The ticket says I parked at 10:05am and it was written at 10:53am. This agression will not stand.

jet crash

2008-12-10T07:21:00.001-05:00

A statement of the husband/father of the family killed when the fighter jet crashed into a neighborhood in California.

"I believe my wife and two babies and mother-in-law are in heaven with God," Yoon said at a news conference afterward. "Nobody expected such a horrible thing to happen, especially right here, our house."

Yoon said he bore no ill will toward the Marine Corps pilot who ejected safely before the jet plunged into the neighborhood two miles west of the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. "I pray for him not to suffer for this action," Yoon said. "I know he's one of our treasures for our country."

Butterflies

2008-12-06T18:24:00.003-05:00

There is a guy here this week i recognize from last year around this time. He is a really nice guy to talk to, but he does seem kind of odd at first, bed head and all. He can be seen on boardwalks sitting there, waiting for something. He has a really nice camera which tells you this is something he really cares about and does often. Most people probably walk by him and think its kind of odd but go about their day just like i did the first few times.

I remember the first time i stopped to ask what he was taking pictures of and how it was going. He opened right up about the butterflies. He had been sitting there for quite some time and I asked if he had taken any good photos, but he replied "Not really". He said it can take a really long time, but that when he gets a good one its so worth it. From where we are standing, behind him is Whistling Key with the turquoise waters surrounding it. Most are in awe of that view, and fill their cameras with dozens of the same photo. Not him, he's got his back to it. Something tells me he may not have even been to the water yet. He loves the butterflies, and that is why he is here.

We are intended to take care of this world. God created this guy to love and watch over his butterflies. Others were created to take care of sea turtles or horses or dogs and cats. Some will care for plants. We were each created to care and look over something. If we all did our part in caring for creation and each other the way we were intended to, seems we wouldn't have the problems we have. Starvation? Pollution? War?

Sometimes its easy to look at something, like a butterfly, and admire its beauty for only a fleeting moment. What would be the point of creating something that most would pay little attention to? But that's what makes this world so amazing, that nothing was made plain. Everything is intricate and beautiful in its own way, and there is always someone there to appreciate it.

This guy is lucky. He may seem odd to most, but he has something to be passionate about and many would struggle to name their passion as fast as he could, i know i can't.

I'm thankful for the dumbest bird God created.....Turkeys.

2008-11-29T17:31:00.004-05:00

There are only a few occasions when thanksgiving isn't that great. First is when you get assigned to be a Pilgrim instead of an Indian. Face it, Pilgrims are lame. The hats are embarrassing and you can't really spice up black and white. Indian's on the other hand, are much more fun. You get to wear feathers and decorate your own vest made from a brown Krogers Bag. It can have hand prints, and deer, and buffaloes, and bows and arrows. And you can't argue that Runs Like the Wind and Squatting Dog aren't much cooler Thanksgiving names than Jedidiah and Esther. Thanksgiving also isn't that great on islands.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday because there is no pressure. You don't have to buy any presents or decorate the house or tree. You don't have to wear a certain color scheme. The Iron Bowl is only two days away. You can eat more on that day than is physically possible on any other day. And then, you get to nap. Not because you are lazy, but because it is a fact that turkey has sleep medicine in it (please comment with name of that drug). Also, its always on a Thursday, so you take Friday off of work and you get a 4 day weekend, getting Wednesday off too is even better (important to note that in the hotel industry, you don't get extra days off, only your scheduled days).

I spent my Thanksgiving Day on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. Kind of ironic that most of my day was spent in a country that doesn't celebrate the holiday. After that I had dinner at Maho and the food was great and abundant. Friday went sailing in the Thanksgiving Day Regatta out of Coral Bay which was nice, but even after spending two days on the water and on beaches I'd give it up to be in Kentucky with family.

2008-11-16T19:08:00.005-05:00

I have held on with one foot in the world for far too long. While maintaining this slight grip, it has hindered my growth in the Lord. This is not to say that I have not been changed or that I have not progressed, because i certainly have and am thankful for it, but i cannot help but think where i would be had i released completely sooner. There are a few reasons i feel i maintained my grip.

First, a fear that i would become irrelevant in the sense of no longer getting it like an unhip parent of sorts. I held onto a false assumption that if I did not keep just a foot in, that I would all of a sudden lose my ability to understand those who remain. As long as i still had issues, i would be able to relate. As long as i could relate, it would prevent me from becoming judgmental which leads to my second reasoning.

Second, a fear that i would become judgmental. I feared that if i did not hold on to a least a few small things by keeping a foot in there that I would become a judging Christian who looked down on others, that i would lose my ability to love them and to care. Once i was out, wouldn't it be easier to condemn those who were still there or were struggling with something? I was afraid I would become unsympathetic. Many are hurt by the judgments of those who have no right to the gavel, and that is a problem the church has had historically. I want no such gavel.

I am anxious to move forward as i feel a burden has been lifted and I can move faster and wiser toward the man i will be.

Its a Dogs Life.......seriously

2008-11-13T17:38:00.002-05:00

I've been starting a youth group here on St. John. We do a bible study every Wednesday at Ronnie's Pizza. Last week i informed my group that we would be doing some sort of community service as a group, although no one would be required to help. James 2:18 "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

I said we can raise money for a charity, we can clean up something for someone, we can feed people who need feeding. We can do anything you want as long as it is not for ourselves. They seemed skeptical at first, until they had something to go with. They chose raising money for the ACC (Animal Care Center). The ACC for the last few months has been extremely low on cash. They have too many animals and not enough money for an employee, food, or utilities. If they run out of money they will have to put down all of the kitties and puppies.

Now i know that most youth groups in the states would chosen starving children, or disaster area like New Orleans, or money for missionaries. But this is St. John, and we've got our own drum beat. This is what is important to the kids and its great that they are willing to put forth the effort. We will be having a bake sale on Sat Nov. 22nd (location TBD) to raise money. They are going to bake and get others from the church to donate edibles to sell as well. I'm glad they chose something they care about. Even the boys are baking and making lemonade. This is going to be a good year.

Sept Still Awesome

2008-08-21T08:34:00.002-04:00

Well, no more sailing. With engine difficulties and stolen dinghies, planning was becoming more and more difficult. I decided to forgoe the sailing even though i know it would be great. So I will spend three days in Costa Rica instead. I'm going to give the solo traveler a shot, kind of like a sabbatical. I'll go rafting and hiking and whatever and i'll be the only one in on the decision. I normally thrive off of having others around, so one of two things will happen:

1) I will discover that being alone every now and then is awesome and something i should have been trying to do sooner.
2) Being alone sucks like i previously thought and to never try traveling alone again.

Its either going to be enlightening or boring. But either way i'm gonna be in Costa Rica so who cares. Now all i have to do is actually set dates and buy tickets, which is proving more difficult than originally thought. But once i can hammer that out, i'm on my way.

Favorite Part of the Olympics?

2008-08-08T21:25:00.003-04:00

Tonight I was asked what my favorite part of the olympics was. I thought about it and i don't have a favorite olympic sport that i look forward to. The opening ceremonies is a huge ongoing peeing contest. Every four years the opening has to be bigger and better than the previous, "oh yeah? well watch this!"

My favorite part of the olympics is when they show how many medals each of the countries have. USA is always in the top, the last three summer olympics we are number 1, and here are our results overall. Its one of those moments where everyone watching all over the country has a sense of pride. We get special cups at fast food restaurants with your favorite athletes you've never heard of and contests you can win by ordering bigger fries and America winning. It transcends political differences. America.

Sept Awesomeness

2008-08-08T19:53:00.003-04:00

Remember this post?

Yeah, me too. Still not going around the world anytime soon as i chose being an adult instead. I will however continue to go places i haven't gone. In sept i will visit Costa Rica for a few days on my own unless someone wants to come with me. After that i head to meet my friend Josh in Panama where we will team up with our buddy Doug who we crewed for when we worked for Calypso doing sailing trips. We will sail around the San Blas islands for a week. After that back to Nashville, not quite as exotic, but still good. Phileas did it in 80 days, i'll do it eventually.

Summer Camp, from the other side

2008-07-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

Traveling with younger teenagers is an experience i will not soon forget. Four of them flew to the states to go to camp at Double Head Resort with me and my old church in Nashville for the week. I drive to Birmingham to meet them and take them the rest of the way. As i'm driving to the rendezvous, i pass a beautiful barn up on a hillside about 45 miles out of Birmingham. It sits in front of a large pond with nice fence rows all around. I admire the barn, not knowing that this would be one of six times that i would pass it. When they first hop in my vehicle, one of the girls informs me that she left her wallet on the plane and that it had not been turned in yet. One of the boys tells me that he was pick pocketed at the airport, so he also has no money. About the time he is finishing with his story, i receive a text from his mother letting me know that someone turned in his wallet, they found it in his seat on the plane. I wonder how the pickpocketter knew which seat was his, he must be a professional. So we are 50% at this point on making it to camp with our belongings.

It is obvious by the nonstop twitching and wide eyes that they have done nothing on the ride from Atlanta to Birmingham but dip candy into sugar and take the occasional breath. Their stomachs are full, but i decide that a little substance will do good to suck up the remaining sugar that has not yet entered their system. Wendy's is the unanimous decision. "Go ahead, order what you want". I realize i should have been more specific, rookie mistake. The two boys each order a frosty.....thats it....just frosties (sugar). The girls split a frosty and some actual food. Instead of prevention, i could have very well sent one of them into a sugar endosed coma. How to explain that to a parent was not in "Taking Kids to Summer Camp for Dummies".

Well we get on the road and radio station roulette begins. Round and round we go....static...static...half a song...more searching...girls love the country songs, unfortunately neither one of them were up on their shotgun calling reflexes, so more searching...another half song...then a song they love which i am forced to change because of its lyrics (that WAS in the book)...and so the story goes. We are having a pretty good time, everyone is excited to be going and are asking all kinds of questions i can't answer because i myself have never been to this particular camp before. The guys number 1 topic of conversation are the girls who will be there. One of them notices the barn (passing #2) and they start talking about how cool it is. After shortly passing the barn (remember, 45 miles out of Birmingham) the other girl says, "Oh no, i lost my purse!". We go through the whole "when is the last time you saw it?" dialog, all the while telling the boys to be quiet and to leave her alone, to find out the last time it was seen was on the back of the chair at Wendy's....."who needs another frosty?". So we turn around to head back to recover the goods. Oh look, there's the barn (passing #3). We make it to Birmingham and the kids laugh at the cars going in the other direction because they are sitting in traffic. I wonder to myself how long it will take them to realize that we will make a u-turn and get into that line ourselves. We make to Wendy's but I determine that letting them go in is a bad idea, so I go myself to retrieve the treasure. After getting in the car and getting the inventory on what's in there, I realize that I spent more on gas in my Tahoe than what is in the purse..................thanks OPEC. Luckily the traffic is flowing nicely as we are departing the city (again) so it is smooth sailing. 45 miles later we see the good ole barn (passing #4). No problems after this point. Along the way one of the boys points ahead to a distant hillside and remarks, "From here to there is St. John!". I'm not sure it was quite nine miles but he was right, this was definitely more land than we had seen in a long time. We make it to camp just in time to be the last ones through the dinner line. As we walked in the boys immediately began taking account of the girls around them.

After dinner it was time for us to find our cabins. The girls went off with their female leader and I took the boys to our cabin to see who else i was in charge of for the week. I walk into my first "Of course, that makes perfect sense....." moments of the week. There is a futon mattress and pillows all piled up in the middle of the floor. The Nashville kids had already been here for a few hours since we were running the Barn Circuit for the last three hours.
"Why is everything in the floor?"
"We were jumping over the balcony onto it."
"Of course, that makes perfect sense......"

"Why is there a steak knife on the floor?"
"Oh, well, if you take it and toss it like this, it will stick in the ceiling (demonstrating as explaining) like this"
"Of course, that makes perfect sense......"

The cabin is right on the lake. We have our own dock which it takes only 3 minutes of being there before the rocking chairs end up on it. We are all pretty excited to be at the lake and we run around checking things out. I walk back inside to hear a noise, a noise that i am pretty sure i have heard before. If this noise were played over the radio in one of those "name that sound" contests, i would definitely have tickets to a concert.

"I thought i told you not to throw knives at the ceiling?"
"We aren't, we are throwing them at the wall." says the kid at the top of the stairs
"Of course........"

Needless to say we didn't eat anything the rest of the week that needed to be cut. By the way, if anyone ever says they bet you can't stick a butter knife in drywall, take that bet.....it can be done.....

This is just the first five hours. Other things we learned at camp were it is possible to fill a water balloon with chocolate pudding, which is valuable to know. You can also fill one with lighter fluid, but it will soon pop because it eats through the rubber in seconds. If you fill one with a carbonated beverage, and shake it, the gas will expand the balloon and it will eventually pop. I feel that these few bits of information would definitely be useful in the second edition of "Taking Kids to Summer Camp for Dummies".

More learnings not involving water balloons:
When it comes to driving kids on JetSki's, the quality of the ride is determined by how close you can come to being flung off X number of times without actually being thrown off. Throwing them off is also acceptable. If you don't throw them off at least once, then they don't realize how close they came the other times which is the thrill of the moment. Other skills required to be known as the guy that everyone wants to ride with is the ability to send a wave of water onto an unsuspecting group of people on the pontoon boat (without actually running into said pontoon boat).
Young teenagers do not understand the concept of the "full flush", i will leave it at that.

We had a great week and they want to go back next year. We stopped at a gas station on the way back to Birmingham and you would have thought we were at Disney World. On St. John the gas stations only have gas, and that they only have sometimes. More candy was bought and novelty rings were tried on. $30 worth of food was brought to the register with only $10 cash to pay for it, so one by one, items were put back, with a subtotal given until we had it down to $10. Kids can evenly divide a bag of skittles into four even piles, but adding up the cost of that candy remains a mistery to them. Stopping at as many gas stations as possible on the way to camp next year has been added to the itinerary by the group. "Next time I come to the states, I am going to bring $50 and spend it all at a gas station!"

On the way back to Birmingham we pass the barn (passing #5) and find a Chik-Fil-A to eat once we reach the city to meet our rendezvous. Of course, a coke is spilled on the table. Actually half on a tray and half on the table/floor. Upon taking the tray to the garbage, the coke caught in the tray finds its way over the edge and leaves a stream from the table to the trash......"of course, that makes perfect sense...."

Look, theres the barn again as i head back to Nashville.

2008-07-07T16:21:00.001-04:00

I just watched an iquana fall out of a tree from my office window. It was beautiful.

(he ran off and was not injured)

2008-07-03T19:22:00.000-04:00

Today i watched two iguanas have sex. it wasn't beautiful.

Locked and Loaded

2008-06-26T10:44:00.004-04:00

Supreme Court Rules on Guns

I picture people standing on the front stairs of capital buildings and in front yards all over the nation yelling yee haw and firing six shooters in the air when the decision was announced........and then that one bird who happened to be flying overhead falls to its death from a stray bullet and kind of dampens the mood.

I do think it is important to allow people the right to protect themselves in their home. Banning guns in homes will not stop violent crimes with guns, as they are acquired illegally anyway. I am glad i live in a place where i don't feel the need to have one, but I cannot speak for the neighborhoods that everyone else lives in.

Yee Haw

Living the life....sorta

2008-04-18T16:24:00.002-04:00

It seems you can't go a week here without hearing at some point "Man i wish i had done that when i was young, you're living the life!". Seriously, i've been here since June 15 2005, so that makes a minimum of 148 times that i have heard that. Now, i am certainly not taking my island life for granted nor am i complacent with where I am. I certainly know that I am blessed to live in the house i live in, with the job i have, on the island i love. Please do not misconstrue any of this for that. Here's my point, Dude...

Blue waters and white sand do nothing to alleviate the everyday normal stress, problems, mishaps, and difficulties that companion everyday life. When your interactions are with those who believe that the everyday normalities could not exist here, it only adds to the situation. Islands still have rent, taxes, and people who have to eat, bathe, and clothe themselves. There is no escape from that. The escape is the end of the work week when your days off are sand filled instead of traffic and mall filled. But rest assured that you WILL work harder during those five days for the small things that come easy stateside. If the average ATM in America breaks once every 3 months, the average ATM here will be down three times every two weeks (which is 33% of all machines on island, assuming only one of the two ATM's at First Bank is down). If the printer at the DMV goes down in the states every six months, they will plug in one of four extras and no time is lost. Here, try back on Monday, but check the calendar because of the 52 Monday's a year, 37 of them are VI Government Holidays.

Part of what makes life here great is that you work really hard for the season, and then things slow down and you can enjoy yourself. What makes life hard here for those whose income depends on visitors (which is everyone) is that you work really hard for the season, and then things slow down and you are no longer making money. There are the same number of businesses competing for a third of business.

Entrepreneurs will come and go here. People give up the city or suburbia America and bring their life savings to St. John to give it a go. They've got a great idea that no one has thought of and they are going to do really well. They pack up, show up, set up, break down, tear down, and head back to the suburbs with their head down. You try to be supportive and you give the new eatery or coffee shop or all-in-one (because no one ever tried that here before.......) place a shot because you honestly want others to succeed. If only someone had done their homework, or given us a $500 consulting fee to tell them, "We realize that you are a hard worker with a lot of passion. However, the space you want to put this business in, well, the last four hard workers who tried that same idea in the same bad location shut down. We realize that the difference between you and them is that you will change the color scheme, but you should keep your life savings and come visit twice a year. It will be much cheaper." But alas the "For Lease" sign goes back up in the window after having not been down long enough to collect dust.

Paradise is not easy, there is an inherent tax built into your life that is difficult to explain. Everything here is Come and Go. The tourists come and go, the season comes and goes, your friends come and go, businesses come and go. But there are many people who remain. They have adapted to the pace, allowed to initial frustrations to become a normal part of life, figure out how to work with the quirks, passed the test, and life is good. Actually, although hard, life on St. John is great. The key is to make sure the "and" in Come and Go lasts a long time.....three years and counting.

What a lot of people are thinking

2008-04-14T18:27:00.002-04:00

Interesting article. I don't get a vote though.

Obviously a lot of other people are not thinking this as she still has a lot of support.

Note to Self: Postpone European Vacation

2008-03-30T07:37:00.003-04:00

Turns out it wasn't actually the baggage system, someone tried to pay with cash instead of using their Visa checkcard.

Problems at Heathrow

I would wear this on a tshirt

2008-03-03T17:45:00.001-05:00

Regardless of your political views, this is funny

VD

2008-02-14T14:29:00.002-05:00

not venereal disease.....valentines day. This is another reason why i love college football, because of what brings out in others. Obviously you can get birthday gifts and christmas gifts that are Auburn related, but valentines? No way, surely there is no room for college football on Valentines Day........oh contrare:

Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart

Much of this won't make sense if you know nothing of Auburn or SEC Football, but you can at least enjoy the spirit of it.

War Eagle

The Lost Writings

2008-01-26T19:59:00.000-05:00

I wrote this well over a year ago and never finished it.....its time has come:

Well, another year has kicked off in paradise. This year i will not be teaching school. I will be dealing with a much more difficult group of humans known as "The Tourist". I will be working on a sailboat Calypso (a catamaran for those who know boats) doing daily charter trips. I will also sell trips on said boat and other boats in a small kiosk big enough for me to do nothing in. I take that back, i can sit in it.....and if i suck my chest in, there is just enough room to think in it. I feel as if it should have bars on the front, and children should come up and point that the big gorilla in his small cage. I would then throw fecal matter at them......Its not so much like trying to put a square peg in a round hole, but trying to put a round peg into a smaller round hole. This year will probably look very different than last year. I do however feel that working with "The Tourist" will give me plenty of things to write about. "The Tourist" is a very predictable animal, while at the same time being extremely very unpredictable. Let me clarify: I mean that we are constantly amazed and astounded at what they are capable of coming up with as far as their words and their actions. While on the boat, they will ask questions such as:

What is the altitude here? (Altitude according to common sense is the height above sea level) A: one more dumb question away from experiencing sea level first hand
"What holds the islands in place?" A: Anchors, lots of them
"Can you snorkel all the way under the island?" A: Depends on how long you can hold your breath

It is important to know what to expect from "The Tourist" as we already know a little bit about the nature of the beast. First and foremost, "The Tourist" will most assuredly refer to our lovely island as St. John's. This is incorrect, it is St. John, and no argument otherwise will be accepted from anyone at anytime. How will we differentiate "The Tourist" from "The Local"? The skin color of "The Tourist" will not be one solid color. It will consist of splotches of blinding whiteness and lashes of painful red. The ratio of one to the other, however, will vary from person to person. Like snowflakes, the burn pattern of no two "The Tourist" will ever be identical. These patterns are sometimes quite remarkable, and i'm sure i could put together a "coffee table" book full of images and descriptions. There is a second class of coloring i need to mention, although a much more minor class. There are two minority variations of the "The Tourist" that are one solid skin color.

#1. "The Shadow Tourist". They look as they are leaving as though they have never been in diret sunlight. There are some who will wear 3 inch thick wet suits, head to toe, the whole time they are in the water as if they were snorkeling in Canada during January. Others wear SPF 85 and reapply four times per hour. They will actually manage to go back paler than when they arrived. However, the score is Them 1, Skin Cancer 0.
#2. "The Perma-Tan Tourist". This variation has no tan lines whatsoever.....seriously. Nowhere. Sometimes they referred to as "the leatherback tourist".

Now some may think that they blend in with "The Local", as if one our own because of their perma-tan. This is simply not the case. First, all locals have tan lines. Second, locals don't drink $8 fruity drinks in collectible cups. Third, locals only wear jewelry made from shells and hemp.

Thats as far as i got, i had intended to do a whole series but instead i worked over 60 hours a week. I did in fact enjoy my job very much and had fun working with "The Tourist" as most of them do understand that islands do not float.

One day my friend....

2008-01-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

...one day

You're never there when it counts....

2007-12-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

....We all get the feeling. You add weight to my life. I know that I shouldn't consider you a burden, but sometimes i do. You are there, always there, but not when it counts. Being there for no reason doesn't really make me appreciate you. I have invested money and time in you. Time getting to know your ins and outs. How you operate. How i need to take care of you. I know what you could potentially bring to my life, i just haven't seen it and i doubt if i will. I have had these relationships in the past, and i know how it will end. And i knew that before this even got started, but i couldn't resist. I gave into my temptation hoping that i would be wrong. I'm not so sure right now.

I have been carrying around my new Leatherman Wave with me for two weeks, every day, on my hip. So far i have cut the tape of a cardboard box to break it down for trash and cut a sheet of plastic with it (even though it wasn't needed because there was already an exacto knife open and ready to use, instead i went through the process of taking it out of its case and opening it and figuring out which one was the knife). I will not have it when i need it....thats how it works. Leatherman's and Swiss Army knives come cursed. There is a demon in charge of making sure they are never actually present in an emergency. I'll be sure to let you know if i conquer this bladed demon.

It was fun while it lasted......

2007-11-23T19:22:00.000-05:00

When you tell someone that you live on an island, they are instantly filled with jealousy that you live in paradise. What most people fail to realize is the price that must be paid to live in a such a place. We give up the convenience of having choices when it is time to shop. We give up the convenience of knowing that when we need something, it is readily available. But mostly, you give up the security of knowing that you will always have at least a majority of your close friends near by. People are constantly coming and going from here. Some stay for one season, some for a few. But eventually we will all leave. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to spend the time i did with these friends. I am thankful that I was close enough to a group of people that i am sad to see them go. We say our goodbyes reassuring each other that we will be reunited one day, if only for a weekend of memories in someone's new home in the states. We are not only giving reassurance to each other, but to ourselves, fighting off that feeling of this may actually be the last time we cross paths. I truly hope that I am wrong and that we can all one day be reunited if just for a few days wherever it may be, but if not, I am happy to have had good enough friends to be saddened by their departure. So thank you to my friends of the last two years. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life, and thank you for always giving more than you took.

Tyler "Dallas" Clark: With Tyler i could always count on him to know what movie i was referring to with the vaguest of references. He loved his cat like a parent loves a child, and it hurt him if anyone spoke badly of Baby (AKA Babers). What i didn't like about Tyler was that he never followed through with Hot Dogs and Dreams, he never made a sign, he never promoted it farther than with me. But if you do ever get there Tyler, rest assured, I'll have one of each, please.

Jamie Zanelotti: I never grossed Jamie out. Even when she said she was, deep down i know she wasn't. What i liked about Jamie was her ability to see that i was right when i explained it was ok that i put a boogar on her. She always knew why what i said was funny. What i don't like about Jamie is that she can pick up the guitar and play and sing on key, it makes me feel self conscious about even owninShe may have pretended to be grossed out, butg one myself.

Mary Laurel Burt: She always made me smile. What i like about Mary Laurel is that when i showed up, i always got a warm welcoming, she never turned me away. I was always given a smile, and i know she had to give them to everyone who came up to order breakfast, but mine always came with 40% off. What i didn't like about Mary Laurel is that she made me feel so insufficient when it came to my Ipod because she always had so much better music than me, i still feel the sting....

Megan Foley: Oh Megan. I always had someone to eat with. I am grateful for the time we had on our own here the last few months. It was nice to have someone that i could count on. What i like about Megan is that she never once judged me. That doesn't mean that she liked everything i did or said or the cleanliness of my house , but not once did i ever feel judged. She went out of her way to do small things to let you know she cared. I also like how easy it is to convince her its time for icecream. What i don't like about Megan is that I was always worried that my place would be to dirty for her, even if i thought it looked pretty good. I got over it.

There are certainly others, and there will be more to come. I only hope that when i leave, i've left as much of an impact on others as these few friends have left on me. Thats not to say that everyone is gone, I am still lucky to have these guys. Whats better than owning a boat? Having friends who own one.

Huck-

2007-11-21T18:47:00.001-05:00

-abee (not -leberry Finn)

My first introduction to Mike Huckabee, Arkansas Governor running for the GOP nomination, was a commercial via YouTube that is to start airing in Iowa

This sparked my curiosity so i searched further on YouTube and came across his answer to an evolution question during a Republican Debate

I like how he handled himself and I like his answer. I am curious as to what his weaknesses are, where he struggles in his faith. I don't doubt that he is genuine, but genuine people can still mess things up. David was genuine and he slept with another mans wife, and then had the man killed.

I wonder what the real story is on ethical complaints against him. I'm not sure how closely i will follow things. I don't get a vote anyway.

Reign Over Me

2007-10-22T21:28:00.001-04:00

This is the best movie i have seen in a really long time. College roommates run into each other. Adam Sandler's character lost his family in the 9/11 crash and it has left him a wreck for the last five years. His old roommate becomes his only friend. Adam Sandler was great and I was reminded why I am such a fan of his. This movie gives a good perspective on how everyone deals with things differently and we can't force anyone to cope the way we would cope or in the time it would take us. Everyone goes their own route in such matters.

Jena 6

2007-10-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

Two of the Jena 6 attackers handed out an award at the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards
I wouldn't touch most of this with a 40 ft poll. Well, i would have at one point in my life but not now. So racist white kids put nooses in a tree, absolutely uncalled for. A fight starts eventually and 6 black kids, now known as the "Jena 6" beat one of the white kids unconscious. Also absolutely uncalled for. People from miles around come to support the 6 because they feel they are being treated unfairly in the court system. These kids received a lot of support and prayers from people.

Obviously those who want the kids locked up for life are upset about their appearance at the awards show, but this is about those who stood up for them and protested for them and marched for them. I couldn't find anything on the BET blog, its huge, about this stuff but two of the posts mentioned in the article are very fair in my opinion.

1. Another wrote on the blog, titled "What's wrong with this picture?" featuring a picture of Jones and Purvis on the red carpet, "... this is what I was protesting for! So that later you could show up at the BET awards and style and profile?"

2. "They can find somebody else to march for them (be)cause I will not be there the next time, and whoever invited them to this should be slapped," one person wrote on the BET blog. "(You're) not setting a good example for the justice that everyone is fighting for. You look like the thugs they said the Jena 6 are. Thanks for making us look stupid!"

Its a sue for all!!!

2007-10-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

Cop Sues Victim

I don't think this is right. If for some reason this were to be upheld and the officer compensated, then anytime a cop gets hurt while attending to a victim, any injuries they may incidentally recieve in the process would potentially be made liable to the victims.

ex: An armed robber breaks into a home through an unlocked door. Cops show up, one gets shot in the arm in the process. Well if they hadn't of left the door unlocked then the cop would have never gotten shot in the arm, and he can sue them for this.

According to the cops personell file, she is great at what she does. It is a shame that she was injured on the job. The insurance company should compensate her, because that is what they are for. I don't think sueing the family is the way to go.

What will we do for profit?

2007-10-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

This is an interesting article. Several years ago all of America was enthralled by William Hung. Luckily for him, he was able to at least make a buck off it selling CD's. But how much money does it take to realize the only reason you have it, is because people are laughing at you? The weeks leading up to an American Idol new season are full of commercials showing clips of people who are awful. That's why people watch the first rounds. They don't care who will be good, that will all come later, after we have heard the horrible and laughed at them. We are effectively watching bullying and saying that it is ok because that person put themselves there voluntarily. We market their rejection and people are getting rich off of it and we don't seem to care. We all know that there are pre-stages of audition where some are sent away and others are let through. The worst of the worst are let through solely to cause a scene or make us laugh which drives up ratings. I laughed hard every time though. Hopefully i won't anymore. What am i going to tell my kid when i know that they can't really sing, but all they want in life is to audition? Life is hard enough as it is without having yourself humiliated for profit. I feel pretty bad about it.

Edwards, John

2007-09-28T15:15:00.001-04:00

Taken from the .National Review Online.

"Edwards: 'Pretty Soon We’re Not Going to Have a Young African-American Male Population in America.'

Asked about what he could do about "inner-city kids partaking in violence" at the MTV/MySpace Forum yesterday, Democratic candidate John Edwards offered an apocalyptic prediction for young black males:

“We cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating — pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.”

Hyperbole much? Despite popular misperception and those who find it a convenient talking point to illustrate inescapable racism, there are more young African-American men in college than in prison. In 2005, according to the Census Bureau, there were 864,000 black men in college. According to Justice Department statistics, there were 802,000 in federal and state prisons and jails; between the ages of 18 and 24, however, black men in college outnumber those incarcerated by 4 to 1."

My Thoughts:
John Edwards has taken a specific question about black youths in inner city's and turned it into a problem with all the black youth in America. He may very well have had a logical point following his statement, but the quicktime wouldn't work on my computer for me to see it from the MTV link above. Either way, he makes way to broad of a generalization. Sounds like someone has been listening to Hannity.

**I have been informed that the statement made by Edwards was taken way out of context. Like i said, i couldn't watch the interview for whatever reason and probably never would have posted. It happens.

Ye Old Ships

2007-09-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is Breath. Breath was built by Peter Muilenberg in the late 70's-early 80's on St. John. Its a cool boat with lots of history. It has been across the Atlantic several times and through many storms and up rivers in Africa. It has lots of history and Peter has written a book telling stories of of his travels. A group of us went out on breath last week. It was cool to see a boat that was traditionally rigged and very salty.

Trust for Public Lands

2007-09-23T21:39:00.000-04:00

Today I met Gary and John from Trust for Public Lands. They negotiate the purchase of land held by private entities and then give the land in some way to the public. This is done by giving it to National Parks, public land for cities, and other non-profit organizations whose work it is to protect the land for people. The have recently put under contract the 415 acres that makes up Estate Maho Bay. Their next project is to try and save Maho Bay Campgrounds. The lease on our land runs out in January of 2012, and the lease will not be renewed per the landowners. TPL wants to put this property under contract to preserve it as an Eco-Resort. This is great news. They have saved some 2.2 million acres from development. Hopefully they can add the 13.8 acres we are on to that.

My front porch

2007-09-18T18:09:00.000-04:00

Here it goes, an attempt at something new. Welcome to my world. For the last 5 months I have lived and worked at Maho Bay. It is an Eco-Resort on St. John. I will continue to live and work here for at least the next year and a half. We are currently in the middle of hurricane season. So far, so good (as far as St. John goes). This is my front porch. I intend to share more of my life in the months to come which means pictures, stories, complaining, and my views.

Tropical Depression 8

2007-09-12T15:53:00.000-04:00

Well, Invest whatever number it was never did anything. It was like a bottle rocket that turns out to be a dud. Well, Invest 91 is more like a roman candle. We thought it was a dud, then 7 hours later you find out it is actually a depression. It could end up being Ingrid or Jerry. There is something in the gulf that could get named before this one. I've learned that in a place like this, job security can depend on weather, what a crock. (click on the title to visit the tracking website to play along at home)

Invest 98

2007-09-02T12:43:00.000-04:00

No, its not a late 90's slogan for Wachovia Securities. You better believe most people in the Caribbean know what it is........

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200798_model.html

I hope voting rights isn't a requirement for a FEMA trailor.

Katrina Hangover

2007-07-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

With one Hurricane Season out of the way (06-07 season) and one underway right now, things like this are more relevant to me. This is mainly because i live on an island where there is no fleeing north. This NYTimes article is about whats going on in the aftermath of Katrina. Specifically with people living in FEMA trailer parks and not being able to find work. Gene Torti and his friends are building houses in the Gulf area for Katrina victims. There are no doubt others out there doing the same thing. Churches are still involved financially and service trips to clean or build. So there are people still working on this. I can't believe New Orleans is bringing people in from South America to do work instead of bringing their own people back.

(I foresee my blog taking more of this approach for a while as opposed to what i used to do)

Phileas Fogg

2007-02-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

He traveled the world in 80 days, at least through the pages of Jules Verne's book. He didn't soak anything in while stopping along the way. He pretty much just went from place to place, and it took him 80 days. That was considered fast back then (late 1800's).

Today 80 days would be slow. You can easily travel the world in 80 days and take in the sights. And that is what i want to do. Who do i know in the world? Where can i stay on the couch of a friend? Can i hit Australia in this journey? How much is all of this going to cost?

Only one of those questions can be answered at the moment: How much is all of this going to cost? Answer: A lot.

The way i figure it, i have roughly 8 months to figure it all out before i leave this fall. tick tock

Love I Cant Find

2006-08-08T18:19:00.000-04:00

I honestly don't know his name. I heard people call him John, J, Jase, and Chase. I just called him my bud, so that is what i will do from now on.

We were in Chicago on a Mission Trip. I was an adult leader for the week with the High Schoolers from Brentwood Baptist. It was a great week, but i am going to focus on one afternoon for right now. It was our last day of service in Chicago. Our assignment that day was to run a kids camp. By this time we already heard from the other groups about some of the children we would have. I was excited because i love playing with little kids. Kids make me smile because of their innocence and love. We get there and kids start showing up. Instantly the youth start hugging on them and loving on them. They know their names in no time and are playing games. Bud comes by and then leaves for whatever reason. You can tell within the first 2 seconds of meeting him that he is much slower than the other children. So the day goes on and we play with the other kids. I think they are cool and the youth think they are great.

Finally Bud comes back. We are about to have our bible story and snack time there in the grass of Garfield Park. He sits right in the middle of the group. He squirms and moves a lot more than the others because of the way he is, and we all know it and just let him be. His peers know he is different too. Some people who are slow are too slow to know it. They won't know when they are being picked on, it will be more of a game to them. Bud is not one of those. He is definately slow, but he knows when the others are being mean to him. It doesn't take 30 seconds of him being there in the middle before it begins. They are laughing at him, poking him, messing with his clothes and his reactions only add to their laughter. I get on to a couple of them instantly, hoping they will let it go. I caused only a temporary pause in their behavior. They kept right back with it. I even moved some of them away and it wouldn't stop. I decided to sit in the middle with bud and he wanted to sit on my lap. They tried to start up again and my face let them know that it wouldn't be a smart thing for them to do. I spent the next 30 minutes with him going where he wanted to go, doing what he wanted to do. Occasionally they would laugh at something but thankfully he couldn't hear or wasn't paying attention, even though i heard it every time.

Here's the point: I know that kids will be kids and that they aren't going to understand everything and are going to be mean. You could see that one or two of the group weren't as gung ho on giving him a hard time and knew that i was right in wanting them to stop. I am not writing about them. I am writing about those who will never do anything genuine for Bud. I don't want to see those kids ever again. Now everyone else there would probably tell you they can't wait to see them again next year and that is fine, i'm glad that they have love for those children. But i hated what i saw in them. There was no sweet innocent child there. There wasn't unconditional love. The way they acted went beyond kids being kids. It wasn't a behavioral problem, it was something deeper inside of them. They didn't look guilty when i told them to stop, they were merely perturbed that i was slowing them down. They will never be his friends. They will never stand up for him. In fact, others will stand up to them for Bud. They went beyond thinking his behavior was funny to being evil towards him.

I think this shows that although i want to be able to have the perfect love that is spoken about in scripture, i won't be able to grasp it here on earth. It should be easier to find in kids. Kids can't hurt you the way a peer can. I should be able to love all of the kids equally. Obviously we have favorites, but that doesn't mean we don't love our nonfavorites. But now i find a gap in that love i desire to have, and it just outs me more in awe of the unconditional love that christ has for us.

My delegate doens't get a vote....

2006-05-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

Dear President Bush,
Please do not attack Iran. I think we can all agree that this guy is much crazier than Saddam. In fact, Saddam is just the weird uncle that comes around on the holidays compared to this guy. W, he's crazy. It doesn't matter what intelligence says, he doesn't care about the U.S.. He cares about Israel, and Holocaust 2.0 (which in his view would actually be the first one). He merely uses the U.S. to gain support from other U.S. haters should something happen. Let him be, he'll cause trouble by attacking someone on his own, with little cause, then you can attack with everyone behind you saying, "yeah America, kick him in the balls". His hope is that you will attack first, making us the bad guys and gaining him support with say, Russia (who i don't think recieves our fan mail), and taking the pressure off of him. Attacking first will only drive our currency down even further, and prohibit me from being financially able to buy gas to drive my SUV which i love so much, it is part of my identity. Thankyou for taking time to read my letter, and not pushing the flashy red button in front of you.

Scott

Interview with Crazy McLunatic

I'm not very political these days, especially since i now am a resident of a territory and have no voting rights. Actually i haven't really talked about politics in a long time accept to nod my head when someone else is speaking on it. It is exausting keeping up with both sides on even just one area of debate. I have more important things to learn right now than to read the latest Anne Coulter or Al Franken book. But i have been following what Capt Insano from Iran has to say over the last couple of months. He is not going away anytime soon, and is going to cause lots of problems in the world. He worries me, and so does the fact that we can severly mishandle him if we are not careful. That's all i ahve to say until until '08. (Hillary vs Condi, man that would be somethin)

Community Math

2006-05-27T12:08:00.000-04:00

A man is driving home late at night. He is in a place and time where hitch hiking is normal and safe, its just part of life there. This place is also very small, so at midnight, there is hardly anyone on the roads. He comes up on a light post with a woman standing under it trying to get a ride. He pulls over and tells her how far he is going as is the custom if you choose to stop and offer a ride here. As soon as she opens her mouth he realizes she doesn't speak much English as she just says the name of the one town there is. He isn't going that far and she doesn't want to go only part way, and that is perfectly acceptable here. A person will just wait for the next one to come along. But it is midnight......

As he drives on, he starts doing math in his head. Its late and the man is really tired and needs to get to bed. He will be in bed in 15 minutes driving straight home. The woman obviously would like to be at home in bed as well. Once she gets a ride, she will be home and in bed inbetween 20-25 minutes. But, how long will it be before another car comes by, especially from the direction that it needs to be coming from in order to get her to town? And there is no guarantee they will stop to even offer (the odds are 50-50 on a person stopping). And if they do stop and offer, there is still a huge chance they aren't going all the way to town just like the man. It could easily be another 20-30 minutes before a car comes by, and again we have the 50% chance of them even stopping, and after that of them not going as far as she is which would leave her still standing there, so say 40 minutes which is extremely conservative and unlikely. She will probably be there longer than that. So if we quantify the minutes and add them, we get 15+20+40= 75. That is our total outcome on everyone being where they want to be (but is probably much higher).

Now, he can turn around and go back after realizing this, and add 15 minutes roundtrip from where he would normally stop to town and back. And this option completely eliminates the question of how long she will wait until the next car stops and can give her a ride. So if we do the same math, we have 15+20+15=50 for everyone to be where they want to be. This number however is certain, unlike the number above. This shows that it is in the best interest of the community (being the man and woman in the illustration) that he turn around and take her to her destination, then backtrack to his house.

Here is what I learned from this story. This is what it is to serve others. To instead of looking out just for number 1, to consider what it would take to look out for someone else as well. If we lived in the world alone, we could consider only ourselves and where we needed to be, and no one would be effected by our decision to do so. But this is not the case. Many times there is someone else involved. Often our numbers are not the only ones being effected by a decision, and if we took the time to do the "math", and make the best decision for everyone involved, the world would be a better place.

When Nature Calls...While in Nature

2006-05-13T18:59:00.000-04:00

If you are guy, you will understand what i am about to say. You will smile to yourself and say, "yeah, he's right. i do love it". Thesis statement: Peeing outside is great. I don't know what it is about it, but its special. Maybe its the way it sounds hitting the ground. Maybe its that you don't have to aim at all (just keep it off the shoes). Maybe you just feel like you're part of nature at that moment, out in the elements, bein a man, doin what men do. And what do real men do? They pee outside. You may also find that going from an elevated place, say off of a deck, is even more fun. It is for this reason that i am emotionally torn. You remember Jason. Well recently this half of the Spanish Armada lost some recess time, I'll start from the beginning.
The surface of the sun (otherwise known as the playground) was extremely steamy that day. The kickball was intense. Tension was so high before the game that i knew i would have to be "All Time Roller" for both teams. I don't generally play kickball with them. If I were to play on a regular basis, our students would suffer from many more head injuries than is normal. It's not that i aim for their heads, its that my aim isn't very good. But my arm strength is, especially compared to that of a 2nd grader. So the game progresses. People are getting tagged out at home, miraculous catches are being made, and the number of home runs is incredible. The game even managed to arouse some spectators (those who are weak kickball players and generally don't even watch the game). No one wants to miss a thing. At this point, they will play dehydrated, injured, and crying with tears running down their cheeks as they make the out. Now Jason is intense. He loves playing more than anyone else i think has ever loved playing kickball on that court. He will slide across the surface of the sun without hesitation, without regard for self, a true lover of the game and everything it stands for. I look around to make sure the outfield is ready before the role (this kicker has chosen a "bouncy" role, so there is a better chance of a pop fly). But wait, what is Jason doing? Why is he by the telephone pole?
"Jason!!" i cry out in a convicting voice, as i know he is up to something, "What are you doing?". He quickly walks away form the pole and starts to play with the grass.
"Nothing" he replies as he paws the ground with his foot. "Can i go to the bathroom?"
I knew it, i knew it the moment i saw him standing there that way. Standing the same way i have stood so many times before (maybe not on a public playground). I know what's coming, i know what i have to do. "Jason, were you peeing on that pole?"
A sad, slow, and unconvincing "Nooo" comes his reply.
"Jason, were you just peeing?" I know, but i still don't want to believe. I walk to the pole, look down, and there it is. The Evidence. The sun reflects off of the wet spot near the base of it. The reflection off of it burns my eyes as i remove my polarized glasses. I can see where it started, and trace with my eyes the trail down the pole into the grass at its base. "Jason, why, why would you pee outside?"
An even slower "I dunno" while not making eye contact.
"What were you thinking?" I ask, although i know what was going through his mind at the time as i have had the same thoughts run through mine: It's here, I'm here, i have to go. The dog can go here, why can't I? Besides, it will save water by not having to flush, and it hasn't rained in a while so we really need the water.
He just stand there and shrugs his shoulders. "Jason, go inside to Mr. Loveland. You have no more recess this week."
I killed me to say it. The boy (and maybe even the man) inside of me says he did what he had to do. The teacher inside of me says i can't allow that on the playground. I am caught in a cosmic battle full of inner turmoil. My male instincts vs. teacher logic and reason. Can i really punish him for this? Shouldn't i praise him in front of the others for following his intuition and instincts? Alas, the game had to go on, I will deal with it later i tell myself. "Who's up?"
I tell Mr. Loveland about it when i get back. I explain my stress over it, and he agrees; peeing outside is good, but not on the public playground. Jason's Aunt is told about it when she picks him up. She sighs in a thick Spanish accent, "I know, i know. He always does this. He doesn't want to stop playing so he just holds it until he can't hold it anymore. Then he just has to go where ever he is."
Jason's love for playing, not just kickball, but playing anything is outstanding. He has a passion i admire. His love, when combined with skill, will take him to the top of whatever sport he may pursue. His only obstacle will be a bad public image for the many "Urinating in Public" violations/citations he will receive. I swear, when you work with kids it may not be a code yellow, but there is always gonna be something with urine.

***I wrote this originally for my e-mail group. If you want to be added, go to Vicarious Island Living to subscribe and read the other ones i've written.

Solamon is a Nude Beach sometimes

2006-04-19T19:51:00.000-04:00

Complacency is an easy thing to find. It's not the same as apathy, but maybe they are cousins. Complacency is found on every corner, in every city, in every state, in every country, in ever minor outlying island in the Caribbean. Why is it there? Because that is where humans are. Because we are wrapped up in "us", we become complacent. It is in the times that we are not so concerned about ourselves that we thrive in our existence. Two things have prompted this thought process.

The first prompt was me sitting on the beach, Salomon Beach to be exact, pictured above. It is a great beach as far as great beaches go. I was looking at an Island Travel Magazine of some sort, I'm not sure which one. It had pictures and descriptions of all these other islands and resorts in it. The water was so blue and clear, the sand was perfectly white. I wanted nothing more than to be relaxing in those photos right then and there. I was even gauking about it to my friends who were sitting around me. Then I sat up, looked over the top of my magazine, and realized I was already in the picture. I looked around at my postcard life and I couldn't believe how complacent I had become in those few minutes of looking at a stupid travel magazine.

The second was coming across a blog of a ye old friend of the past, Sir Tim Bedi (see tim's blog). Tim is in Moldova (its really cold, all of the time) working at an orphanage. Now I don't know a whole lot about Moldova, but I know it will never, ever, show up in my travel magazine. Tim will be in this place for a year, working, and using a translator because most people don't speak English. Tim felt called by God to go here. It's hard being there, but Tim is growing and learning. He has to, or he won't make it. He must have faith in order to survive in a place like that. If he focuses on himself, all he will think about is the cold, the snow, the neverending clouds, and the lack of being able to have all wants met at any time like in the states. If he focuses on himself, he will lose site of why he is there, which is not for himself. He is there for a higher purpose, because that is where God wanted him at this time in his life, and at this time in the lives of those he works with.

If man's focus is on himself, his focus will lead him to emptiness. An emptiness full of dissatisfaction and want. It will never be good enough. Nothing will fill it. Man must take his focus off of himself in order to enjoy his place and time.

15 minutes of fame

2006-04-16T02:46:00.000-04:00

News Article: The Tennesseean

This was taken from the Tennesseean article about high school elections for the 2000-2001 school year. They say nice things about me, and for that, I applaud them, and myself. Hello Scott's ego, nice to see you are still around and eating well. I can't find the picture of me that accompanied the article.

"At Brentwood High, student council campaign speeches were a live event held in the school's auditorium. Students in grades nine through 11 packed the room to listen to all the candidates from class representatives and class officers to student body candidates.

Junior vice president candidate Ryan Adcock used 'N Sync songs throughout his speech, even singing a few bars. His slogan was, "Get 'N Sync, vote Ryan Adcock."

But the speech that brought the house down belonged to student body treasurer candidate Scott Drennan. He gave his entire speech as the Saturday Night Live character Matt Foley, motivational speaker.

"Do you want next year's prom in a van, down by the river?" Scott screamed in strained voice not unlike that of the late comedian Chris Farley, who created the character. The junior struggled with his pants and readjusted his thick glasses under his slicked back hair throughout his speech. Students in the audience roared with laughter.

The humor worked. Both Scott and Ryan won the offices they sought."

those were the glory days.......

In 2005....

2006-03-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

....I floated down a river in Belize
....I watched Auburn go 13-0 (was at every game but Citadel)
....I graduated college
....I drove across the country
....I stayed in the home of a celebrity (well, sort of a celebrity)
....I saw the Grand Canyon
....I bought a one way ticket to an island without a job or place to live
....I became a teacher
....I lost a best friend

A lot happened in 2005. We remember years by the events that took place during that year. A lot of big things happened in 2005 that are pretty cool and make good stories or life experiences. There were some great times with people and some hard times with losing people. But 2005 won't be the year I met ZTB, or the year I took the cross country road trip in a Jetta like you see in commercials. It won't be the year I received a college diploma or left the states. 2005 will be the year I finally got it, I finally figured out what life was about, what was important, and how satisfying it could really be. Sure there were the times I faceplanted and every year will have those down moments. But I will look back and smile on my 2005, not for the cool things I did, but because it was a year I could finally be proud of how I tried to spend it.

2005-11-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

The problem with caring for people is that you will continually be let down. And I don't mean that they do something to you that hinders your life in any way or do something directly to you. I mean it in the sense that we perpetually want more for someone than what they actually seem to want or do for themselves. This can be done by never reaching full potential, or ever even getting close to it, by them never realizing what they could do or who they could be if they wanted to, or continually making bad decisions. This goes for everybody. While someone is doing something in our life that disappoints us, we are no doubt doing something in our own lives that disappoints someone else, or maybe even disappoints the person we are frustrated with. If we were to trace these disappointments i think we would find something that resembles a very intricate spider web, much more intricate than any of Charlotte's.

This reminds me of my Never Ending Story post from back in the spring, but with various subtle/large differences. Like having the perfect information of the character in a story, we can have a lot of information about those in our lives. Although we don't have perfect information, we can usually know enough to know where there is unfound potential, potential that is lost, or just really dumb decisions that are repeated habitually (disclaimer: yes, we can be wrong, but even if we are, at least we care enough to be wrong). That's the frustration, not being able to make the right choices for them. Maybe you've been down the path they are starting and know where it ends, or what possibilities for getting lost are along the way. Maybe you seem to remember the times they have been hurt along that same path even though they seem not to remember or care. Maybe you just know there is a better path for them to take, if only they would cut through the brush they've lost themselves in to get to it. You can give them advice, tell them how the story will most likely end, or tell them how the story could possibly end if they would just change their minds. But in the end, you can't decide for them.

So now what? What can you do? Surely there is more to do than just pray and wait it out? I'm not sure there is. All you can do is be there. You don't have to support it, encourage it, or even belittle it. You can say your peace, but after that, just be there. Be ready to congradulate, consol, or listen.

I imagine this is how God feels. He knows what's best (disclaimer: No, he cannot be wrong). This disappointment we feel comes from our love for that person. But that love, no matter how strong, pales in comparison to his. He hurts for us that much more when we fail to reach our potential, recieve our blessings, or make bad choices.

Sounds and Music

2005-10-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

They say the sense of smell is tied the most to memory. This may be so in many instances, but when we speak of things like that we rule out, without meaning to, the power of the other senses. Sound. I think I probably give more weight to sound. In my head I don’t smell familiar things, but I can hear them. I can’t smell MeMa’s fried chicken, but I can hear her voice as she greets me coming up the walk.

I remember it from a movie. I’m not sure which movie, but I remember loving the idea. A man is describing the power of a song, of a melody, of a single note. Music. It has such great power. In the movie, Alexander the Great is mentioned. It is said that a simple melody could instantly prepare him for battle while only a matter of moments later another song could calm him to the point of weeping. When we are trying to find a song or a CD to listen to, we choose according to our emotions or moods at the time. Sometimes we choose in order to change our mood. We want something upbeat to cover up the aches of a bad conversation. On the flip side, we may choose something that helps to drive us deeper and closer to feel the aches that have begun, because sometimes that is the fastest cure.

Music and Memory. Every time I hear Eye of the Tiger I go back to Auburn, AL, to the field of Jordan-Hare Stadium. I stand there at the tunnel waving my shaker as the Tigers run past to take the field. Or I’m taken back to hours earlier strolling through a labyrinth of tents and grills on campus where the song blazes through the air from various tailgates. Song of the South by Alabama reminds me of high school. It’s blaring from the back of Luke’s K5-Blazer. I acquired the CD shortly after and can remember driving around Brentwood with Morgan singing it at the tops of our lungs because there was nothing better to do. Dave Matthews will always remind me of Ed, that night in his room freshman year and New Orleans. Toby Keith’s song about America will remind me of Michael and I singing the chorus over and over because we don’t know any other words. The sound of a Ukulele will remind me of living next to Dan the Dog that last semester and our crawfish boil extravaganza. Beverly Hills by Weezer will forever mark the So This Is America road trip with Tom. Damien Rice, Coldplay, Oasis and all depressed British guys with a musical instrument will remind me of Dan. Their songs alone are enough to bring tears of happy memories and sadness for a loss. Listening to Damien Rice actually inspired these thoughts. Dan dragged me to a small theatre in Nashville to hear him, this guy that no one had heard of and it was amazing. Forever songs or bands or just a genre will remind me of a specific someone or a group of friends I had. Not everyone will have a song linked to them, but those who do, they will most assuredly enter my mind within the first few measures, and that moment, that song has become so much sweeter to my ears…….and a small grin comes across my face.

Classroom AIM

2005-10-14T12:37:00.000-04:00

Man, this really irks me. I am going to miss the newest wave/craze of classroom laziness in college. As wireless becomes more and more popular and more students continueing to turn toward laptops and universities providing free access, students will soon realize they can look like they are typing notes while really flirting with that special someone down on the front row with the screen name AUFrattyGuy. Yes, even most of the front row will be involved. There will be those few motivated individuals who really take good notes, but they can just e-mail them to the slacker next to them at the end of class before they leave. That student will then forward them to start the chain that will reach 80% of the class. Man, i can't believe i am going to miss out on that.

Sally Sells Sea Shells

2005-10-01T10:59:00.000-04:00

Conch shells, turtle shells, oyster shells, mussel shells, hermit crab shells, etc. The list goes on and on. Being on an island, I see shells everywhere I go. They are used in decoration on nearly everything. You will see tourists loading their suitcases with them as cheap souvenirs for those they love back at home. There are necklaces and bracelets and anklets. Apart from those mentioned above, you might even see one or two when you go to the beach on any given day. We recognize shells. For the most part a person can look at a conch shell and know its a conch shell. The same applies to turtles, oysters, clams, etc. We have been trained to recognize these shapes and outward appearances. The recognition tells us what we are looking at. But it is not this recognition that makes them what they are. A conch shell is not a conch shell because it looks like one. A conch shell is a conch shell because a conch lived in it. We define a shell by what lives inside of it.

I was brought to this thought recently by thinking of a friend. Sometimes bodies get in the way. A body helps us to recognize who it is we are looking, but that body does not define the person. It's what's inside that defines who we are. It's what's inside that we love about people. It's their personality, their thoughts, their dreams, their character, the way they react in a moment that we will remember and cherish. A person's body can be broken while what we love about them remains intact.

A metaphoric story......

2005-09-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure who wrote this.

My father and I are standing in a field rich and lush with Montana
prairie
> grass.  It is the lightest golden color of straw and it shimmers with the
> reflection of the hot August sun.  My father, always a giant to me, is
small
> against this forever field that matches the vastness of the blue Montana
> sky.  We stand silently, side by side, our relationship, as always, marked
> by few words.  I hold a bucket of water in my hand as we watch for the
first
> of the flames that are surely going to ignite this dry, dry grass.  We
> search, our hands shading our eyes, watching, waiting for what seems like
> days.  Our legs and arms are hot and heavy with exhaustion from the
constant
> vigil.  And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a spark begins a small fire
very
> close to our feet.  It could have started anywhere, but it began so close.
> Surely we would be able to extinguish it before it turned wild.  I hand
the
> bucket to my father; it is the heaviest bucket I have ever held.  He takes
> it easily from me,
> >  always strong, always sure of the task ahead and the manner in which it
> should be handled.  My father dumps the water on the flames, but as he
> pours, we can both see that it is already too late.  The water kills very
> little of the fire that has already started to spread through our Montana
> prairie.  It is not enough.  We were ready.  We were waiting.  And yet, we
> were powerless in the face of natures wrath.  It is one of the very few
> times in which my father and I stood together as a team, and we have lost.
> There was nothing we could do.  The forces against us were just too big.
> And we turn and run, just hoping to escape the roar and the heat that is
> rapidly closing in behind us.

Where is the fine line between giving up and facing the reality of life.

Lindy Lindy.......

2005-09-12T12:36:00.000-04:00

....come the chants of the children as they walk to the playground and
see the old island local walking, or as in today's case lounging
about. Lindy is a tall man, tall enough for me to turn my neck up to
look at him, and i am 6'3. He would make a great basketball player at
this height. Maybe not in the pro's, but on these islands courts he
could turn an eye. Just skin and bones, he has long lanky legs and
arms. Its hard for him to find clothes on this island to fit his long
slender body. Rumor has it Lindy is an unbelievable piano player.
Someone who when they play, people just sit and watch in amazement.
This is of course past tense. No one knows how long ago this musical
genius lost his ability, but his tired eyes say it has been a while.
The chants of Lindy Lindy are not a chorus of endearment, but a
childish mocking of fright. Lindy is a local crazy eyed whino. Today
he was feeding that stereotype as he sat on the bleachers nursing his
cheap bottle of wine. They say he has family around who support him
by giving making sure he eats, and probably the occasional bottle for
dessert. You wouldn't know this, however, by his frame, which is all
that holds him up. He walks the streets of St. John trading clothes.
Not in a barter system manner, but by finding something on the ground,
putting it on, and placing in the spot the clothing he was wearing.
Sadly enough, he does not trade up every time, many times it is a
worse artical of clothing than before.
He sat there sipping on his bottle. The children use him as a way to
pass the time. They run to see if he is still sitting there, and then
run off again. He slumps over to his bottle and he shows some sort of
emotion. At first you think he is weeping, but it is hard to tell
because sometimes he appears to be laughing, just chuckling to
himself. It makes no difference. It's a sad story either way you
tell it. He was good enough at something for people to still talk
about it. I don't know what kind of music he played. It could have
been blues, or jazz, or classical for all i know. What i do know is
that this one time prodigy will be a legend. Not for his talents, but
for the sadness his life has now become. The children will scare
their kids one day with stories of old Lindy. They will say his ghost
still haunts the courts at night, looking for half empty bottles of
booze.
This story is familiar enough, but it's not the way its intended to
be. People will say, "How can God let things like this happen." We
say the same thing when someone steals something from us, or there is
a murder, or a drunk driving accident. Lindy is a tragedy as much as
the things i just listed. But God gave us free will. But in giving us free will, he still has a will for our life. It is then up to us whether or not to make his will our own.

I'm back

2005-08-08T10:44:00.001-04:00

Not in the States, just back to my blog. last week there were 16 people down here from brentwood working with kids and stuff. You can read our journals at www.brentwoodcollege.com

The link to my journal page is over there ---------->

It will be fully updated within the next couple of days.

good talk

I'm back

2005-08-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

hows the weather?

2005-07-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

I have gotten plenty of questions about the weather. There are plenty of paranoid people on this island to look at the weather for me. There are also plenty of rational people who decifer what is imortant and what is not. So word travels around. Since none of us have TV anymore, we don't get to talk about the latest court cases in america such as michael jackson and scott peterson. So instead people converse about the weather. blah blah blah beautiful island blah blah. I love my life.

My real world is better than yours

2005-06-27T16:52:00.000-04:00

so i live on an island. it is surrounded by water. everywhere i look, i see water, and euro speedos. I got pooped on the other day by a bird. I think i might be here for a while......

"Closing time.......

2005-06-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

......every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end"

Well, my new beginning is in St. John. I'm here, and its awsome. Internet time is valuable, so for now i am just going to post what i wrote in an e-mail.

Alright, so dan and i have been hired into the 4 hour work program at
Maho Bay, an eco-tourism campgrounds thing. It's pretty much like
being at summer camp. We live in little cottages and walk up and down
stairs all day long. If you have seen Star Wars where they are in the
ewok village, that is where i live. You can see where i am if you go
to www.maho.org. (it might be mahobay.org). The resident manager,
Wayne, looked at us and told me i would be in maintenance and that Dan
would be in Housekeeping. This guy could learn a thing or two about
abusing stereotypes. For those who don't know Dan, he refers to
himself as a "late bloomer", and we are an odd looking couple when we
stand next to eachother. Dan does however have more facial hair than
i do. I am using a dial-up internet connection so i probably won't be
able to post pictures for a while. I haven't taken any yet either.
But, i'm going to be here for a long time so i'll get around to it
eventually.
Remarkably, my cell phone works here. I don't take it to work, butj i
only work from 8-2 everyday. so if you must, call between 2 and 10
eastern time. Or text me something. I know there are people who
should be on this list that aren't, so send me back an e-mail with
their e-mail address and i will add them.

I'll do better next time.

So This is America.......

2005-05-24T03:26:00.000-04:00

So, this is Day 2 of my cross country road trip. I will only be able to post every now and then so bear with me. Yesterday (Day 1) I flew into San Francisco. All i saw was the airport. We drove to Stanford and had breakfast at a local cafe, it was decent. AFter that it was onto the open road. We then stopped in Santa Cruz. We paid $10 to park and go see the boardwalk. Don't do that.......ever. I will say this is the first time i have been a minority in a very long time. Lets keep in mind i'm from TN and went to school in AL. Anyway, the water was cold and the beach wasn't pretty. We then drove about 500 yds down the road and pulled off into a free parking lot. We walked across the street and stood over the cliffs watching the srufers below. This part was fun to watch. There were some seals hanging out as well. I yelled "Rose on the Grave", but all i got back was the sound of a dog trying to bark while being choked. From there we went to the fishermans warf in Monterey, following the advice of some girls from SF i met on my spring break cruise. We ate oysters at an oyster bar and asked the bar tender where we should go from there. He said to go about 20 miles down Highway 1 (road that borders the coast, you've seen it in a dozen movies) and stop at the River Inn. He said to get a drink and walk down to the river and sit in a chair. We did this. The thing is, the chairs are in the middle of the river. So we took off our shoes and waided out into the river to sit in the wooden chairs. It was really cool. We asked the bar tender at the hotel where we should go from there. He pointed us to Nepyphethe's (spelling??). This was a restaraunte on the coast. You could sit on the deck and see 40 miles down the coast. It was a great view and a great place just to hang out that we wouldn't have found otherwise. We ask the hostess where to go after that. She said drive 70 miles until you hit the first stop light you'll see. There is a Bar-b-que place there that is good. So we ate there and it was decent. From there we drove to San Louis Opi.....no idea. This is wear Cal Poly is. They ahve a Beta chapter there so we stopped in and hung out for about an hour. The guys were cool and real laid back. They were very normal. I had expected either power dorks or worthless stoners, they were neither. AFter realizing the house wasn't a real fraternity house, and that staying there would be difficult, we drove about 30 miles to Santa Maria and stayed at a Motel 6.
Day 2 started around 10 when we left the hotel. We went to Sana Barbra, but there isn't much there. Supposedly the beaches are nice, but i will never know. From there we drove down the 101. We missed the exit to 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH), which goes along the coast. So after getting to Thousand Oaks (fancy suburb of LA) we hop onto 23 south, which runs down to the PCH. This was a wonderful mistake to have made. Driving along 23 was great. It went from the low valley ppint in Thousand Oaks up to the top of the surrounding hills. We drove for a while down the winding highway through the hills. It was beautiful. We finally made it to the PCH around Santa Monica. We drove south and into Malibu. Its pretty cool there. I'm tired of typing and want to sleep. Will finish day 2 later. Look at Tom's site for pictures.

Things to do.......

2005-05-09T16:06:00.000-04:00

Well, i've been told i will graduate. This is good. I spent 1.5 hours pissing and moaning about the possibility that i might not. I needed a 57, and everyone i talked to did the main part of the test differently than i did. I'll see your 57 and raise you 60 (meaning i got a 117%). My list of things to do before i leave the country has several things checked off. I have seen Dave Matthews Band. We went down to Jazz Fest in New Orleans to see him. good show dave. I brought back 111 lbs of crawfish for a crawfish boil. Did that. Bought a plane ticket to San Francisco where Tom (already on the way by himself) will pick me up at 10:15 am on May 22nd. We will finish the trek across the country together. The itinerary is on his blog: Tom's Page Good times to be had with my bud before we part ways for a long time. Roadtrip, check. I have had an offer to go to Ru San's for sushi, check. I have decided to add something. I want to make out on Samford Lawn before i leave college.

This weeks moment in disbelief......

2005-05-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

There are too many ways i could go with this one. You may have to click "skip advertisement" at the top to see it.
Child Abuse

Ode To Marketing

2005-05-05T15:07:00.000-04:00

I wrote this letter to the Marketing Department at Auburn as part of a survey i had to complete in order to graduate.

The Markething department at Auburn University has become a joke. People may ask what one is doing on a given night, if they are studying, or whatever, and many times they will reply, "I'm a Marketing Major" and immediately the person questioning will laugh and agree that they have nothing to do. Of the marketing teachers i've had (Abernethey, Lett, Guffey, Harris, Sersland, and Laumer), only two have measuered up as someone who should be teaching higher education. Abernethy and Guffey should be the only teachers you keep. I had Laumer for principles, which didn't really give him an opportunity to show us what he was made of, but from hearing other people and just wathing him teach the class, I am sure he is worth keeping as well. I realize that Guffey gets many horrible reviews and people dread taking his class. There is a very good reason for this. He is a good teacher by academic terms, not by "Rate your professor" terms. If you can get over the fact that you may actually have to work in the class, and start to pay attention to him, you will realize he is actually a very good teacher. He forces us to think. We get mad at him because he is the only one who has challeneged us thuse far. We get mad because taking one of his tests requires more than a scantron and the test from last semester. He teaches the final marketing class which is supposed to sum up our experience, all it does is make one realize that to this point, we haven't actually learned much of anything. That is, of course, unless you have been one of the fortunate few who have managed to get into one of Dr. Abernethy's classes. Dr. Abernethy is probably the most redeeming factor the Marketing Dept. has as a representative. He knows what he's teaching, he is the most prepared, and he prepares his students the best. He tests you on your ability to apply what you've learned, whereas 90% of my other tests were multiple choice with definitions. It has become apparent to me that the employement field for marketing majors is not going to provide us with the most opportunities. Going into this setting, i wish i had more to stand on than this. I wish there were fewer students in the marketing program. I wish the marketing program was something that only motivated students majored in because they were goign to have to learn. Trim the fat. That means the worthless teachers, i am sure you know who they are. That also means the worthless students who are marketing because it is easy. Make the marketing department something to be proud of, not an onrunning joke. Also, James Elston in the english department is a prime example of how a teacher should care for his students. If you'll excuse me, i must now make a decision on what to do with my life. I can go home and work in a restaraunt and live with my family, or i can go to gradschool somewhere and get an education worth bragging about and eventually get a real job.

Yes.......No

2005-04-27T00:11:00.000-04:00

Why can't i cry?
All i want to do is laugh.
I want to apologize.
Someone should apologize to me.
I want to be at a concert.
I'm tired of all the noise.
I want to leave.
I'm going to miss here.
I want to be left well enough alone.
I need comfort from others.
I want to learn.
I'm tired of school.
I want to lead.
I'm lost, i need someone to lead me.
I want things to be simple.
Simplicity is boring. I hate boring.
Tell me what i want to hear.
Leave me alone.
I've got it all figured out.
I'm confused.
I've got it made.
I'm poor.
What do you think?
Don't preach at me.
What should i do?
I don't need your help.

Stormy Day

2005-04-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

It's storming like crazy outside right now. Earlier today it was beautiful outside. Some pretty white clouds floatin around up there and blue skies in between. Now there is darkness and rain. I've got the door open and I'm really enjoying the sounds of the storm. Solomon talks a lot about "chasing the wind" in Ecclesiastes, "life is just chasing the wind". He's talking about how most of the things we pursue are worldly. Worldly things fade away, in the grand scheme of things, they mean absolutely nothing. Whether it be money, possessions, the next high, or the next girl. And he did chase money, possessions, drugs, and women. He found none of them satisfying. None of them added anything to his life. When he dies, none of it will matter or remain. Chasing the wind.

I feel that sometimes we may have realizations, and misinterpret things that happen or things we hear. We work hard to focus on things that matter, things that count in life, and to not worry about perishable things. We have a false expectation that when we stop "chasing the wind" and start living this way, that the wind goes away. That could not be farther from the truth. When we stop chasing the wind, its almost as if another wind starts chasing us. A storm develops. When this storm develops, we run from it. So at this point we've stopped chasing the wind so that we can in turn run from another wind. Maybe the storm catches up with us. What do we do then? We become unhappy. Where do we turn for happiness and satisfaction? Most of the time we begin chasing that first wind again, even though we've already established it will be in vain. This cycle will infinitely repeat. Unless.....
We turn around and face the storm. What does a storm bring with it? Rain. What does rain do? It provides us with water to drink. It provides the ground with water to grow grass and trees and flowers. Things that we see as beautiful and fully embrace as wonderful things in life rely on that storm. Seems as though there might be more to a storm than just grey days and sad Friday afternoons.......

Pope gonna go through this again soon XIV

2005-04-20T18:36:00.000-04:00

I must preface today's thoughts with disclaimer type stuff. I am generalizing this, so nobody should take offence. I'm not catholic and don't completely understand everything that entails, so maybe I'm way off the mark. This is something that happens a lot in society, not just with the Pope, but he happens to be the current figure. The Pope is a great guy. He provides a unified voice for a large concentration of people. He is moral and good. He is a godly man. But recently, it seems as though he has been treated more as a god than just a godly man. Some people have only been paying attention because they are bored with the Michael Jackson trial. But if you watch the news, there are thousands and thousands turning out in what seems almost worshipful manner. Many times we take great men and we elevate them to god-like status without even realizing. Millions will poor tears when a great figure dies, which is fine. Mourning is normal, we are supposed to. But what bothers me is this someone died, that's it. They didn't die for anything in particular, they just died. People will get together on their birthday or annual day of their death and cry. They will hold vigils and travel hundreds or thousands of miles to do these things, just because someone wrote great songs, or was a great artist, or was a great church leader. The reason we have a Pope is because 2000 yrs ago someone else died. And its not because he was a great carpenter that we should remember him. Its not even because he came from a virgin or because he fed many people with half a fish, or healed the masses. These things are all part of it, but none of which is important on their own, or cumulatively, unless the final deed was done. Its because he sacrificed himself for us. He had a choice to make, whether or not to do it. Now, he made the choice before he even came here, but we get a true glimpse of his humanity when he cries in the garden for another way. But yes he died for us. This in itself is amazing. But he rose again....That's the truly amazing thing about it. Christmas....The birthday. We venture to the church to pay homage and say a prayer or two, take the lords supper, then rush home to see what someone got for us. We usher away the first gift we were given to make room for that brand new sweater. Easter....Same effect.

No attacks on the Pope here, he just spurred the thought.....and listening to a beatle's song and thinking about Lennon fans.

To Do List

2005-04-19T15:54:00.000-04:00

It seems as though my life is becoming cluttered. The day I become responsible for my self is accelerating toward me at an unbelievable pace. I graduate in May. May 13th to be exact. I have things I want to do before I leave college. I also have things I want to do before I leave the country.

Before I leave college, I want to randomly fly to New York and see the Lion King on Broadway. You may be thinking something negative at this point, but shut up. I have started planning when this may be possible. It appears a weekend trip is not going to be possible. This year, I have two exams. The last one is May 9th at 11 am. This gives me the 10th and 11th to travel to New York and back........what else am I going to do with my time? But will I be able to find someone who would go? I feel a senior who is also getting ready to graduate is my best bet. Someone who is fearing the realworld and dreads graduation because their 4 year vacation is over. Possibilities........

Before I leave college, I want to have a crawfish boil at my house in Auburn. This is extremely doable. However, it will take away a possible New York weekend. But, we may have that worked out already.

Before I leave the country I want to go on a road trip. Not one to a place for a weekend, but a road trip to a distant place I've never been requiring many stops and many new people along the way. Couple of options for this one. 1) Ed has to drive a car to California where he will work at JH ranch. I can hitch a ride and fly back from the Pacific. However he may be leaving before I am able to. 2) I have applied for a reality TV show called Reality Trip (www.realitytrip.org). This will send me in an RV through seven states with 5 other people. This accomplishes the road trip and makes a great story. It will take place during the month of June. This however pushes my St. John plans back until the beginning of July as opposed to the middle of June. 3) Someone reading this decides, yeah, I wanna go on a road trip too. They call me and tell me lets go.

Before I leave the country I want to eat sushi at Ru Sans in downtown Nashville.
Before I leave the country I want to go camping.
Before I leave the country I want to see Dave Matthews Band play a show.

Before I leave college, I don't want to go to this class I have to go to instead of writing more. What a dork, its almost as if I go to a good school.

Save Toby

2005-04-18T02:45:00.000-04:00

Save Toby

this brings me nothing but happiness.................and salivation

The NeverEnding Story

2005-04-10T15:50:00.000-04:00

I watch this classic from our childhood on saturday. I'm sure i'm the only person of those who would be reading this that has seen it from start to finish anytime this last half decade. I never caught the premis until now. Yeah Fantasia is being destroyed because people are losing their dreams, we get it. But, in the end of the movie, the Child Emporess is explaining how Bastion doesn't realize that he is part of the NeverEnding Story. Just as he is enjoying their adventure, some child (or in this case a 22 yr old college student) is enjoying his. Much like the movie Last Action Hero staring Arnold the Governor except on a more mythical and entertaining level.

What if someone were watching us? What if we were part of some greater tale? Would my story be entertaining? Would people laugh or cry more? Would they even be entertained? It's a fun thought to roll around and chew on for a while.

Now, if you believe as i believe, that there is a God and that he is watching us, then maybe there is something to this notion. This leads me to realize several things:
1. When reading a good book or watching a deep movie, if written well, the reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters. We cry when they cry and we laugh when they laugh. We feel extreme highs and extreme lows as we interact with the characters. In this way, except on a much larger scale, God is watching our story. He laughs when we laugh, he is sad when we are sad.
2. When we are reading a story, many times we have more information than does the character, because we can see more of what's going on through our knowledge of other characters and their doings. We know what path will lead the character to danger, and which one will lead him away from the danger. We know this because we can have almost perfect information about the events and surroundings. In this way God knows our story from start to finish, he knows which path we should take. It's important to realize that sometimes the easist path isn't the best for us. Sometimes (many times), its the harder path that is best for us, which prepares us for a future unavoidable path that we would not be able to survive had it not been for our experience on the previous path.
3. We have no way of getting this character the information needed, and he has no way of asking us for help. This is where the difference comes in. Luckily, the reader, and in fact writer of our story, is there for us to ask. Much like we want the best for the character we are relating to, He wants the best for us. Sometimes its hard to understand in the present that something is best for us. It may be days, weeks, months, or even years before we understand. In fact, sometimes we may never understand: Enter faith. I think everyone has faith. You either have faith that there is something more, or you have faith that there is nothing more, that we are just a result of perfect conditions allowing for life to develope and evolving to where we are now. Niether of the two can be proven. I prefer the faith that gives my life meaning, that i have a purpose, that i'm not just a result of a chain of events started by nothing.

Easter Candy

2005-04-06T18:14:00.000-04:00

I have noticed that easter candy is much better than normal candy. I am mainly speaking of chocolate. Why is this I wonder? I have a theory: Scott's Theory on the Origin of Easter Chocolate. Normaly candy producers just pump candy out and put it on a shelf. Its generally all the same. The wrapper is the same no matter when it is made, so you don't know how old it is. There is a good chance that generally anytime we buy candy from say, Kroger, that it has been in the manufacturer's warehouse for a while. Then it is sent to Kroger's warehouses. Then it is sent to individual stores where it waits until it is needed in the checkout aisle. If it happens to be close to a holiday, then there is an even longer shelf time for this piece of candy seeing as how people are buying the special stuff instead of the normal stuff. I am probably pointing out the obvious, but i am a marketing major at auburn and i have nothing better to do. Pressing on, so the candy makers have no where near the incentive to forecast normal candy sales as they would Easter candy sales. It can be left on the shelf and no one will know the difference. This said, the need to accurately forecast Easter sales is important. After Easter, who wants easter candy? You know how old it is because you know how long ago easter was. So the candy you eat at easter is much fresher than the candy from the check-out aisle.

This is what i do with my day.........this and trying to figure out my stupid Ipod.

Ipod Shmypod

2005-04-05T21:20:00.000-04:00

This is not user friendly. Could i have spent the extra money and gotten a new one? Sure. Could i have asked someone for help before i went along trying to "ipod" on my own? why not. But i didn't, and now i'm raging. You gotta have a different cable for everything on this stupid contraption, and apparently, my computer isn't advanced enough to have the normal USB connection. The "dude, your getting a dell" guy is full of crap.

Ipod: Small, White, Ineffective

Bliggidy Blog

2005-03-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

yeah, i'm blogging from my cell. eat your heart out alexander graham bell. i just broke spring.

--- sdrennan@sprintpcs.com wrote:
can i blog from my cell phone?
--------------------
This message was sent from a PCS Phone from Sprint.
Get a free PCS Mail account!
Sign up via the Web Browser on your Sprint Phone
or at http://www.sprintpcs.com.
--------------------
This message was sent from a PCS Phone from Sprint.
Get a free PCS Mail account!
Sign up via the Web Browser on your Sprint Phone
or at http://www.sprintpcs.com.

The Prosecution got lucky on Peterson's case

2005-03-26T01:07:00.000-05:00

Spring break has started. There are three people left in Auburn. Me, the guy who brought me my food, and the person at Foy (auburn's trivia and general question line) that i called for the number to order food. I am leaving for a cruise on Sunday. I only know a couple of people who are going on this trip. I can't help but wonder what type of people will mostly comprise this voyage. Will it be families and corporate get-togethers, or will it be a spring break party cruise? I will either come home with pictures of tourists that i make fun of, or pictures that i cannot show the family. I just read my friend Tom's website, www.tomcampion.com. I realized that after reading it, there are a couple of ways i can respond emotionally. First, i can realize that if i had in fact chosen to go to a college that would provide me with an "education", i would understand at least 65% more of his writing than i do. Or, I can react by realizing that while he has been working hard at school and achieving, i have been on a four year vacation. Are vacations always a blast with no downs? No, sometimes there are glitches and something may go wrong. These glitches have occured when someone forced me to take a test that was not multiple choice, but luckily that has only happened a hand full of times in my stint here at Auburn.
Tom's friend Simone and my friend Brianne have both been working on their Thesis's. Apparently we have different ideas of what that word means. I wrote one for my public speaking class for a speech on how i can relate my life to an object. I picked up a rock out of my driveway on my way to class to give the speech. I came up with a pretty good thesis while others were giving their speeches. I also had a pretty good one for my speech on the movie E.T.. I got A's on both of the speeches. I hope they get A's on their thesis's. I will write later on how much of my dad's hard earned money i have spent at college just to end up moving to a tropical island.

Virgin Blog

2005-03-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

It appears to me that i have been behind the times. Much like the middle age men who still wear all white shoes, bugle boy denim shorts, and braided belts (or no belts at all with a t-shirt tucked in). I don't know what potential this page has, if any. It could be that i post twice and never go back, or i could be a slut of a blogger. These things i do not know. I find it interesting when nouns, especially proper nouns (such as Facebook) become verbs.