1st rule of fight club...

This post is influenced by the most recent controversy to take place in Clemson, SC. I have no interest in getting into a racial debate over whether this party was racist or not, my intention is to give commentary on the progression of the collegiate party experience, more specifically, the

I am thrown back in time about 4 or 5 years during my time at Clemson as a member of the undergraduate student body. While nothing as "controversial" as the MLK party ever became a national news headline, themed parties have been a constant in Clemson, nay, any university across the country. I personally helped organize a "Frat Party" where participants arrived to the festivities draped in khakis and white long-sleeve dress shirts. Accessories included Ray Bans, Rainbow Sandals, bow ties, and trust funds. To date, there have been no protests, no lawsuits, no demonstrations against our party. We did take pictures at the party, but digital media had not yet reached its zenith. Digital photos were sent via email as attachments, but they weren't posted at a universal site for all to see.

The age of communication and globalization that we exist in doesn't allow for discretion of events that were once left to the haziness of a broken, inebriated, sudo-reality which often begged the question, "Did that really happen?" Throwing up off of the balcony of your friend's apartment after a night of Jello shots, Jager Bombs, and Taco Bell has now become the next hot item on YouTube. Video phones and megapixels are now commonplace. We record everything: tv shows, parties, births, weddings, bat-mitzvahs...today, instead of people saying, "You remember that time we got so hammered we molested that concrete pig?" we say, "Look at these pictures and this HD video of us molesting that concrete pig after the night we got hammered!" Memory is no longer an issue. The great thing about photos, not digital pictures, was that they sparked the memory. The recollection of an event can be so much more powerful than the re experience of it.

The moral of the story is: Sometimes its better to just remember rather than watch unedited footage of stupid shit you have done. I guarantee you it will come back to bite you in the ass.

Sunday School

For those of you that don't know and could probably care less, I grew up in the Catholic faith which included attending private, Catholic schools with names like St. Augustine, St. Thomas Moore, Our Lady of Peace, and Aquinas High School, respective of chronological order in which I attended. Throughout my time at these schools I was forced required to wear either a uniform or adhere to a dress code which outlawed jeans and t-shirts, girls could wear skirts, pants, and shorts (no denim) and the rule of thumb was that the skirts and shorts must not be higher than an inch above the knee. The principal kept a ruler in his office to record such an offense. The boys were asked to wear collared polo shirts and pants or shorts which typically fell into one of two categories: dress or khaki. Needless to say, when I went to a public college I became a t-shirt and jeans kinda guy. I rarely wore anything khaki or collared.


Pardon me, I am getting away from my point...

With my abandonment of the dress code along came my abandonment of my faith. As a Cafeteria Catholic I still attended the big Three: Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. Of course there were many more holy days of obligation, but those didn't promise the coming of gifts or chocolate. I have recently had religious renaissance, a rebirth of faith. I am far from a bible thumper or an evangelist, but I have found a renewed interest in my personal faith. College distanced me from my faith due to having it force fed to me for 18 years. I have come to embrace my faith on my own terms, with my own interests, my own values. I pray.

I used to think that prayer, faith, and religion were tools of the uninformed. They were things that people who were unable to help themselves used as a means to make themselves feel better. I felt that faith was a sign of weakness. I am an analytical thinker. I want to know the facts. I want hard evidence and empirical data. In this respect I have approached my new faith. I don't outright accept anything that is told me, but I don't outright deny it either. I use my thoughts to determine how my faith fits with myself. I accept Jesus Christ into my heart and I accept him as my Savior. Am I having my cake and eating it too? Can the skeptic and the faithful exist in one place at the same time? Is there a happy medium? Would God hold me in high esteem for not just following everything I was told and asking for explanation? Would God be pleased with the life I have lived?

Pointless Anger

I am writing this post, not in response to any biased report of the Clemson/Duke contest last night, but...yeah I am pissed about the whole thing. In front of nearly 10,000 screaming and, more importantly, organized Duke fans with painted faces and crudely hung stuffed tigers (which looked more like mocked LSU mascot replicas) Clemson stuck with the 10th ranked Devils to bring the game down to the wire. Clemson came back from 9 and 11 point deficits during the game and capitalized on Duke mistakes to force the Blue Devils into a buzzer-beater situation. I will not comment on the chronological malfunction other than to state as such, but I will say that Clemson showed a lot of sack by making Duke think twice about looking past the Tigers this season. In a game where Duke out-rebounded Clemson by a ridiculous margin (anyone that watched the game was assaulted by the commentators giving these stats) the Tigers showed athleticism and sheer sticktuitiveness by forcing Duke to the final seconds. Granted, Clemson didn't defend well on the last play of the game, but...okay I can't stay away...there's no way a three-pointer takes only three blinks of the eye to travel from his hands to the basket.

Was the clock keeping incorrect during the final moments of the game? Sure. Would the Blue Devils have made the winning shot assuming the same play and less time? Not a chance. Could Clemson have triumphed in Durham given an overtime opportunity? I would like to think so.

Come February 22nd, I think we will see a vengeful squad looking for retribution after this stinging loss. That combined with a bitter fan base will make for an interesting game.

Go Tigers!

ps Timing Error...I feel justified

What is it like to be a teen?

It was a short 7 years ago when I could still call myself a teenager and even then I hated the word. I was 19 and to be associated with the moniker of "teen" or "teenager" was insulting. It was a term that assumed immaturity, inexperience, and stupidity. There was, and still remains, a stigma that clings to the teenage years that allows for mistakes and smoothing of the rough edges. It is a learning stage.

When I was 19 I was in college and trying to live on my own. After the brilliant sparkle of my eighteenth birthday wore into a dull and meaningless event (other than being able to 'legally' buy cigarettes-even though I didn't smoke; and the government could send me to fight and die for my country, yet I couldn't drink alcohol) I wanted to be in my twenties. I could feel that magical 21st birthday on the horizon even though I had to dredge through 20 to get there.

I have no idea what it is like to be a teen in modern times. I read news stories about facebook, myspace, staged and videotaped school fights between girls arriving on YouTube, text messaging during class, cyber bullying, and the list goes on...I feel so distanced from today's adolescents and I am beginning to understand how parents have trouble connecting with their kids. If there was anyone that could create a bond with a teenager you would imagine that someone in their mid twenties would be a perfect candidate. On the contrary, I can see that being a very difficult task. Role models for our teenage generation are only those they see in the media: young adult actors and actresses that have no moral compass, popular internet videos, magazine covers, and the like. When I think about being put in the shoes of a teenager today I am scared to death. School shootings, sexual predators, terrorism, war, not to mention all of the other idiosyncratic teenage drama: puberty, sexual maturation, the desire for independence, scholarship, peer pressure, abstinence versus promiscuity, popularity...you get the point.

Our adolescents need strong, stable role models in their lives. They need consequences, boundaries, humility, and purpose. So many parents have no relationship with their children so the kids seek guidance from tv, radio, cd's, the internet, magazines, and movies. Wouldn't it be great if our kids were posed the question, "Who do you want to be when you grow up?" their answer was "my Mom" or "my Dad" instead of Lindsay Lohan, Kobe Bryant, Britney Spears, or Paris Hilton.

Heroic Songs

This post has been a long time coming, and I apologize for the time off...without further introduction and without any ado...here is a post that is about "Hero Songs"

We Don't Need Another Hero - Tina Turner

Pros- Anthem for Mad Max-Beyond Thunderdome
"Two men enter. One man leaves."

Cons- Huge shoulder pads, Tina Turner doing her best DOG: The Bounty Hunter impression (or wait, is Duane "The Dog" Chapman doing his best Aunty Entity-decide for yourself)


Hero - Enrique Iglesias

Pros- Enrique is the son of famed singer, Julio Iglesias; two words: Anna. Kournikova.

Cons- Enrique is the son of famed singer, Julio Iglesias; What's with that thing on his face?

"Moley, moley, moley...I want some guacaMOLE."

I Need a Hero- Bonnie Tyler

Pros- Kick Ass 80's movie montage song, specifically in Short Circuit 2

Cons- Just look at the video for the song, speaks for itself

My Hero-Foo Fighters

Pros-Dave Grohl is a badass and the Foo Fighters are a seriously underrated band

Cons-The song has ties to one of the cheesiest guilty pleasures of mine...Varsity Blues ("I don't want your life" most awful line in a movie. ever. But, the whipped cream bikini was rockin')

Hero-Mariah Carey

Pros-Pre-Mimi Mariah Carey was a talented singer and quite sexy

Cons-Post-Mimi Mariah is a Playboy shoot waiting on just the right bombed album release (maybe that should be a pro...)

Zoe Watch Numero 2

Vet Visits:
After her first visit to Charlie Timmerman, DVM, it was discovered that our Zoe has a parasite that is causing her to have frequent and runny bowels. Puppy meds and loving patience from her parents should do the trick (mostly the meds, cause damn her s--- stinks).

Unruly Behavior:
Zoe has currently been nicknamed "the evil one" by her mother after Polly got a full day of being a stay-at-home-mom. Chewing furniture, chewing rugs, growling, short naps, and overall anarchy ensued yesterday when Polly stayed home to nurse her own upset stomach back to health. By the end of the day Polly was ready to give me full custody of Zoe and began to question if we should ever have children.

Sleeping Habits:
Zoe is still sleeping through the night except for the aforementioned excessive bowel activity. I was beginning to think that she was mainlining Olestra (check the side effects to understand the joke). Intestinal over-activity aside, she is doing well about going back to sleep after dropping deuce.


Considering that we have only had Zoe for one-week and that she will only be 7-weeks old tomorrow, I think things are going quite well. If current trends are any indication of what is to come, I like how she's gonna turn out.

Random Observation #5639

Here's something to think about:
Is there a can of food, be it soup, vegetable, or processed meat product that you have had for months, nay, years that is still taking up room in your pantry?

Remember? You bought it for that casserole that only took 2 cans of mushroom soup, not 3. You thought it only took two, but you didn't want to have to come back to the grocery store, so you figured, "What's one more can on mushroom soup?" Why were you making a casserole anyways?

It's been in your cupboard so long that it has progressively made its way to the back of the shelf after many trips to the grocery store have rendered it forgotten. There it stays until you have to move to a new residence or contribute to a canned good drive. You pack it up with the rest of the can goods and you lament the fact that you have to pack it up with the rest of your crap, but hey, what's one more can when you have all this other stuff to move?

You unpack at your new house or apartment and you actually set this food item near the front of the cupboard. As a matter of fact, it's one of the few items that are in your cabinet at this time since you tried to stop buying food when you knew you were going to move because you didn't want to have more than you really needed. But again, once you have settled in and begin to make necessary trips to the market, you push the mushroom soup to the back of the shelf where it will remain. What is even worse is that you will make a casserole in the future that requires a can of mushroom soup and sure enough, you'll go to the supermarket and buy the necessary items for said casserole, Not -1 mushroom soup like you should.

Zoe Watch

Zoe Watch: 2007

This is (hopefully) the first of several posts chronicling the development and growth of the newest Riede...

Week 7

Sleeping Habits: Waking up several times at night to go "potty" and waking up very early when its not time to play

"Accidents": Have become more frequent with increased freedom from mom and dad.

Eating Schedule: 3 small meals a day, Zoe is finally eating once Polly had the Aha! moment that we should crush her puppy food to be small enough for Zoe to chew.

Interaction with Lily: Still very playful with each other, Zoe rarely backs down from a romp with her favorite big sister. Lily has to be reminded that Zoe is much smaller than she is. At times Zoe annoys Lily to the point of aggravation which can result in some rough play.

Zoe being submissve and Lily showing her who's the boss.


Cutest. Dog. Ever.

Slapshot

We supply everything but guts.

Last night I was in a state of internal conflict during the BCS game between Florida and Ohio St. My first emotion dealt with my constant need to root for the underdog. My second emotion was centered on the fact that if Florida won, Carolina fans would not stop talking about how they almost beat the National Champions. Pride aside (Carolina soundly beat Clemson this year, we're never in denial of the performance of our team) with that line of thinking, then what about Boise St. being undefeated, or Auburn who actually did defeat the Gators??

Continuing along those lines of thought, Clemson should be the ACC Champions since they defeated both teams that played for that title...wait, after how they played at the end of the season, they don't deserve that.

Anyway, the drubbing that Florida gave Ohio St. last night will make people rethink alot of aspects about the BCS and hopefully pave the way for a tournament format in the future.

Zoe

Around the Riede house there is a pitter-patter of little feet...from a four-legged sweetheart with beady, black eyes, stinky breath, and a bladder control problem. We picked up Zoe, our second Westie, Friday night around 5:30 and fell in love from the moment she started whining in her crate in the backseat of our car.

Our first concern was jealousy from our first-born, Lily. Our fears ebbed when we found the two tussling, Lily a little rough at times, but all in good bonding.

The first 24 hours have been educational. If we were to transfer our parenting tactics from canine to mammal, I think we would end up raising a decent child. Spoiled, but decent. Needless to say, we didn't have our best night of sleep last night, but we were prepared for that when we made the decision to be a family of four.

I can't begin to describe the cuteness, the innocence, the playfulness that comes from a puppy. Even ugly puppies are cute. She's also at a stage where she hops forward very quickly instead of actually running. And her equilibrium is something that is awaiting further development. She is having a hard time walking in a straight line. God forbid she be submitted to a field sobriety test. When she does sleep, she sleeps solid. No trying to get in the right position or get comfortable. The way she passes out in any possible place, position, or time is downright narcoleptic. However, her sleeping habits can only be rivaled by her rebounding energy. She's tenacious and submissive yet rowdy and fearless. She's curious and scared. She takes a running start at a dog that weighs at least eight times as much as she. Her mother and father rejoice at every bowel movement and urination that lands on the training pad.

I must get to bed now, for I probably won't get much sleep tonight either. Wish us luck and welcome Zoe to the Riede family.

(Pictures will follow)

Irony

The definition of irony:

iTunes on shuffle

Putting away our pre-lit Christmas tree purchased at Wal Mart

Radiohead "Fake Plastic Trees" starts to play

I literally started looking around my house to see if someone was playing a trick on me.

Melted Wrapper Cheese

As one of the millions of Americans that is lactose intolerant (albeit mild in my own personal case) I am drawn by the famous saying, "You always want what you can't have." I love cheese. American, Gouda, Swiss, Feta, Brie, Havarti...Sliced, Cubed, Shredded, Melted, Powdered...on burgers, sandwiches, salads, straight out of the bag, on nachos, in my Kraft dinner...I LOVE CHEESE. However, I think my favorite cheese is American melted wrapper cheese. Wrapper cheese?...what in the world is that?

I thought you might ask that, and my answer is best described by 3 culinary masterpieces produced by 3 of the finest restaurants in the USA. The Extralong Chili-Cheese Coney from Sonic, The Double Cheese Krystal from Krystal's, and the Double Cheese Burger from Mickey D's. Granted, the nutritional value of these fast food menu items is questionable at best, they also have something else in common. Cheese that melts away from the burger or hot dog may end up on the wrapper or the cardboard container and can be consumed and it is so damn yummy. The food preservatives in this cheese product gives the melted cheese neither solid nor liquid form. Typical consumption of wrapper cheese can either be done with the finger, reapplied to the original item by sopping, or directly to the mouth from the wrapper or cardboard.

Please be careful when consuming wrapper cheese as there is an inherent risk of eating wax covered paper and cardboard. Proceed with caution.